Police officers patrol outside the courthouse during the opening of the 2015 attacks trial in Paris on Sept. 2, 2020. (Francois Mori/AP Photo)

Charlie Hebdo Terror Attack Suspects Go on Trial in Paris

PARISThirteen men and a woman went on trial Wednesday over the 2015 attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris that marked the beginning of a wave of violence by the ISIS terrorist group in Europe.

Seventeen people and all three gunmen died during the three days of attacks in January 2015. Later that year, a separate network of French and Belgian fighters for ISIS struck Paris again, this time killing 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants.

A woman walks past a painting by French street artist and painter Christian Guemy in tribute to members of Charlie Hebdo newspaper who were killed by jihadist gunmen in 2015, in Paris, on Aug. 31, 2020. (Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)

Those on trial in Frances terrorism court are accused of buying weapons, cars, and helping with logistics. Most say they thought they were helping plan an ordinary crime. Three, including the only woman accused, are being tried in absentia after leaving to join the ISIS.

The trial will establish and confirm that the two attacks were coordinated; one was an attack on freedom of expression and the other was against Jews because they were Jews, Francois Hollande, who was then Frances president, told RTL radio.

People gather to pay to pay tribute to victims of the terrorist attack against the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, at JFK Plaza in Philadelphia, on Jan. 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The attacks from Jan. 7-9, 2015, started during an editorial meeting at Charlie Hebdo, whose offices had been unmarked and guarded by police since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad years before. Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi gunned down 12 people before carjacking a vehicle and fleeing. They claimed the attacks in the name of al-Qaeda.

Two days later, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Amedy Coulibaly stormed the Hyper Cacher supermarket, killing four hostages in the name of the ISIS group as the brothers took control of a printing office outside the French capital. The attackers died that day during near-simultaneous police raids.

French President Francois Hollande, left, comforts French columnist for Charlie Hebdo Patrick Pelloux as they take part with family members and relatives in a solidarity march in the streets of Paris, on Jan. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Philippe Wojazer, Pool)

It took days more for investigators to realize that Coulibaly was also responsible for the seemingly random death of a young policewoman the previous day.

It took further weeks to unravel the network of petty criminals and neighborhood friends linking the three attackers. By then, Hayat Boumedienne, who had married Coulibaly in a religious ceremony, had left for Syria with the help of two brothers also charged in the case. Most of the 11 who will appear insist their help in the mass killings was unwitting.

Since 2012, terrorism capitalized on the prevailing delinquency there is around these terrorists, said Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for one of the attack survivors. They are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices.

Despite a global outpouring of support, the attacks were also seen as a massive intelligence failure. French authorities ended a phone tap on one of the Kouachi brothers a few months before they stormed the editorial offices. At least one had trained with al-Qaeda in Yemen and been convicted of an earlier terrorism offense. The brothers walked away from the carnage they had caused, escaping easily and drove through multiple dragnets before being trapped two days later.

The government failed. If the intelligence services had done their job, this would not have happened, said Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, lawyer for the only person in court facing a life term. The victims dont just want a guilty verdict, but real justice. The truth must come out.

The chief judge declined to rule on Coutant-Peyres request for a delay in the trial to learn more about the sale of the weapons to the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. Investigators never determined who sold the weapons.

Her client, Ali Riza Polat, is accused of serving as the link between the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. He appears at each stage of planning the attack, according to the judicial investigation, organizing secure phone lines, checking the price of explosives and ammunition, and traveling with Coulibaly to Belgium.

Wednesdays trial opened under tight security, with multiple police checks for the main courtroom and the overflow rooms. At nearby newsstands, the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo appeared, defiantly reprinting the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed cited by the gunmen who killed so many of the publications editorial staff.

Patrick Pelloux, a Charlie Hebdo contributor who missed the editorial meeting the day of the killings, said he had been dreading the trial.

You have to understand the emotion were feeling, its very hard, Pelloux said. We have to let justice run its course.

By Lori Hinnant and Nicolas Vaux-montagny
A part of a Taoist manuscript, ink on silk, 2nd century BCE, Han Dynasty, unearthed from Mawangdui tomb 3rd, Chansha, Hunan Province, China. Hunan Province Museum. Credit: WikiImages

The standard history of anatomy traces its roots back to classical Greece, but a new reading of a recently discovered Chinese text argues that the Chinese were also among the earliest anatomists.

Writing in The Anatomical Record, Vivien Shaw and Isabelle Winder of Bangor University, UK and Rui Diogo of Howard University, U.S., interpret the Mawangdui medical manuscripts found in a Chinese tomb in the early 1970s, as the earliest surviving anatomical description of the human body.

Discovered near Changsha, in South Central China, the manuscripts were placed in a tomb around 2,200 years ago in 168BCE. This new interpretation of the texts would make them the oldest surviving anatomical atlas in the world.

Vivien Shaw, who lectures in anatomy at Bangor University's School of Medical Sciences has studied the anatomy found in ancient Chinese medical texts for over seven years.

She explains: "We have to approach these texts from a different perspective than our current Western medical view of the body's separate systems of arteries, veins and nerves. The authors did not have this understanding, instead, they looked at the body from the viewpoint of traditional Chinese Medicine, which is based on the philosophical concept of complementary opposites of yin and yang, familiar to those in the west who follow eastern spiritualism."

Co-author Izzy Winder of the School of Natural Sciences said: "What we have done is to reinterpret the texts, which describe eleven 'pathways' through the body. Some of these clearly map onto later acupuncture 'meridians.' We have been able to show significant parallels between the descriptions in the text and anatomical structures, and thus rediscover the ancient interest in the scientific study of the human form. Previous scholars have not seen the works as describing anatomy, because contemporary Confucian cultural practices venerated ancestors and so shunned dissection. However, we think that dissection was involved and that the authors would have had access to the bodies of criminals, as is recounted in later texts."

Vivien Shaw added: "Our findings re-write a key part of Chinese history. The contemporary Han era was a time of great learning and innovation across arts and sciences, so this type of classical anatomical science fits with the prevailing culture of the time. We believe that our interpretation of the text challenges the widespread belief that there is no scientific foundation for the 'anatomy of acupuncture,' by showing that the earliest physicians writing about meridians were in fact describing the physical body."

Modern acupuncture research is based on an assumption that it is the function of acupuncture meridians and points which are important. "Our interpretation shows that the original anatomists were making a map of the structure of the body, not of its function."

Explore further Acupuncture beneficial for postprandial distress syndrome

More information: Vivien Shaw et al. Hiding in Plain Sightancient Chinese anatomy, The Anatomical Record (2020). Vivien Shaw et al. Hiding in Plain Sightancient Chinese anatomy,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/ar.24503
New Speaker of the House Bob Cupp Sept. 2 announced the members of the newly created committee that will review House Bill 6 repeal and replacement legislation.

HB 6 is the bill at the center of an alleged bribery scandal involving now-former Speaker of the House Larry Householder, R-Glenford. Householder and four others were arrested July 21 for allegedly violating the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering.

Cupp, R-Lima announced the creation of the House Select Committee on Energy Policy and Oversight on Aug. 31. The committee will be led by State Rep. Jim Hoops, R-Napoleon, who voted for House Bill 6 last year.

The bill was signed into law in July 2019. It among other things gives North Perrys Perry Nuclear Power Plant and Ottawa Countys Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant $150 million annually between 2021 and 2027. The funds are raised through charges paid by residential, commercial and industrial electric customers.

Hoops will be joined on the committee by eight Republicans and six Democrats. The members are the following:

Rep. Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison (vice chair)

Rep. Brian Baldridge, R-Winchester

Rep. Rick Carfagna, R-Genoa Township

Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton

Rep. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario

Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk

Rep. Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill

Rep. Scott Wiggam, R-Wooster

Rep. David Leland, D-Columbus (ranking member)

Rep. Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus

Rep. Sedrick Denson, D-Cincinnati

Rep. Michael OBrien, D-Warren

Rep. Kent Smith, D-Euclid

Rep. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson

Baldridge, Plummer, Stein and Wiggam all voted for House Bill 6s passage last year. Stein was a co-sponsor of the legislation. All six Democrats on the committee voted against House Bill 6.

OBrien is the sponsor of one of the bills introduced to repeal House Bill 6 in the wake of Householders arrest. OBrien and fellow sponsor Michael Skindell, D-Lakewood, were critical of Cupp Aug. 31 for the creation of the committee, calling it an unnecessary level of bureaucracy. The pair wanted to have a repeal vote brought to the floor this week.

Boggs, Carfagna, Denson, Leland, Smith and Weinstein are co-sponsors of the OBrien-Skindell bill.

Carfagna, Plummer and Romanchuk are the co-sponsor of a separate repeal bill introduced by Reps. Laura Lanese, R-Grove City and Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario.

Hoops said in a statement he is looking forward to a robust and thorough discussion and review of House Bill 6.

Its important to have sound energy policy that works for Ohio, Hoops said.

The committee is expected to have its first hearing next week, according to a news release from Cupps office.

FirstEnergy Solutions, the owner of Ohios two nuclear plants, filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 and had plans to shut down both plants by 2021 if it did not receive subsidies. FirstEnergy Solutions officials emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 27 as Energy Harbor.
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Linkedin Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay (Reuters) Washington, United States  Wed, September 2, 2020 08:00 506 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4210727 2 World US,Belarus,election-fraud,Violent-protest Free

The United States is considering imposing sanctions on seven Belarusians it believes were involved in falsifying the results of the Aug. 9 election and in violence against peaceful protesters, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States could consider imposing sanctions on Russia if it were to intervene overtly with force in Belarus, where protests erupted after an Aug. 9 election that the opposition says was rigged to prolong President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule.

The official provided the most detailed description to date of US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun's talks in Moscow last week, in which he warned senior Russian officials against the overt use of force in Belarus, which is sandwiched between Russia and the NATO Western security alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said he had set up a reserve police force to support Lukashenko if necessary, but he saw no need to deploy them for now.

A former Soviet republic, Belarus maintains close political, economic and cultural ties to Russia and belongs to a Russia-led military alliance. The two are also joined by a treaty that, at least on paper, proclaims a "union state," which Putin has sought to develop into more of a political and economic reality.

Lukashenko denies electoral fraud and has shown no sign of backing down despite the threat of Western sanctions. The US official did not name the seven Belarusians it may target, and he noted that Lukashenko already is under US sanctions.

"We've got a group of seven people that we are working with Treasury for the evidentiary package" to impose sanctions, the official told Reuters, saying that the United States was likely to discuss the punitive measures publicly in the coming days.

"It is a minimal effort to ... not just name and shame but to show that when people both steal elections and commit violence against peaceful protesters exercising fundamental freedoms of assembly and speech that there needs to be some accountability," added the official.

A person who answered the telephone at the Belarusian embassy in Washington said any questions should be asked directly to the government in Minsk.

The US official said Biegun made clear last week in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and others "that there would be consequences in the US-Russian relationship were the Russians to intervene overtly with force in Belarus."

Biegun said this would be the case whoever wins the Nov. 3 US presidential election because "the bipartisan sentiment in Congress will set the guardrails and the possibilities for the US-Russian relationship," the official said.

The deputy secretary of state "didn't go into the specifics. It was just, 'If you thought the last four years were bad, the next four will be worse,'" said the US official.

While US President Donald Trump has sought to improve relations with his Russian counterpart, the Trump administration also has tightened US sanctions on Russia and rotated US troops into NATO ally Poland, moves Moscow dislikes.

There is also deep unease in the US Congress over the view of American intelligence agencies that Russia worked to influence the 2016 US election in favor of Trump and is doing so again ahead of the Nov. 3 election pitting the Republican president against Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden.

While the US official did not name the seven Belarusians Washington may sanction, he did say that five of them were sanctioned by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Monday.

The three Baltic countries imposed travel bans on Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials, signaling impatience with the Wests cautious approach by announcing sanctions without waiting for the rest of the European Union.

The US official said the seven people the United States may sanction would be targeted under an executive order signed by then-US President George W. Bush.

Executive Order 13405, signed in 2006, targets those who "undermine democratic processes or institutions in Belarus" or who perpetrated or were responsible for "human rights abuses related to political repression." Among other things, it freezes any assets those designated may have under US jurisdiction.

The EU, the US official said, was unlikely to impose its own sanctions until late September or early October given the time taken by its process, which typically involves coordination among its 27 members.
(Newser)  Francisco Franco's heirs have been ordered by a Spanish court to give up the summer palace that has been in the family's control for the last 82 years. The ownership of Pazo de Meiras was called into question in February 2018, when the dictator's descendants listed the 19th-century palace for sale for $9.5 million, reports the BBC. The Guardian reports a judge ruled that the property had been given to Franco by the people in 1938, and not given to Franco by name but "to the generalisimo of the armies and the head of the national state."

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Though he "purchased" it in 1941, Judge Marta Canales said that sale was null because Franco "paid nothing" in the transaction and therefore "bought nothing." The AP reports a Spanish government rep hailed the ruling, which Franco's heirs intend to appeal. Per the rep, "The government is taking very seriously the democratic memory and the recovery of all the heritage that was robbed from the Spanish people in a fraudulent manner." (Read more Francisco Franco stories.)
A few years ago, I wrote about a young Boeing engineer, Tiera Fletcher, who had been featured in a national magazines list of 15 Awesome Women of 2017.

Then 22, Fletcher was a rocket engineer in Huntsville, fresh out of MIT.

In addition to building rockets, Fletcher wanted to inspire young women, especially young Black women like herself, to study math and science and break the STEM barrier for girls.

Fletcher said when I interviewed her in 2017 that just because women are underrepresented in STEM fields doesnt mean they arent cut out for it.

Do not allow demographics to deter you from contributing to the age of innovation and bringing your dreams to life, she said.

Her employer, Boeing Co., shares Fletchers goal, and just gave Girls Inc. in Huntsville a big boost toward making STEM dreams happen for local girls.

The $120,000 grant will support Girls Inc.s Operation SMART (Science Math and Relevant Technology) and expand the programs offered to about 700 elementary and middle school girls from the Huntsville area.

Operation SMART was launched in 1985 to develop girls interest and skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They do hands-on activities, solve problems and interact with local professionals in STEM careers.

Boeings generous donation will provide much needed resources to a program that helps girls to consider and pursue STEM careers,' said Stephanie Malone, Executive Director of Girls Inc. Huntsville.

Women, especially women of color, remain vastly underrepresented in STEM education and careers, despite recent gains in these areas. Having more of our girls in STEM fields benefit their communities and strengthens Americas workforce.'

Girls Inc. is one of 20 nonprofits selected by Boeing across the country to receive donations totaling $10.6 million to address racial equality and social justice in the United States.

The money is part of a multi-year commitment of local and national grants intended to increase the number of minority and underserved students on STEM education tracks. The hope is to not only diversify the pipeline of talent coming into the aerospace industry, but to fund programs that will address criminal justice reform and health care gaps in minority communities.

Imagine the positive impact on our world if our talented underrepresented populations are encouraged and given opportunities toward STEM careers, said Tina Watts, Boeing community investor. Underrepresentation of women, people of color, physically disabled people and others is a loss to us all and is an obstacle to our nation realizing its full potential.

Shelly Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:39:17|Editor: huaxia

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MAPUTO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique has banned the importation of cultured fish from neighboring Malawi following the outbreak of a lethal disease in fish reared in captivity in Malawi.

The decision was announced on Tuesday in Maputo by Minister of the Sea, Interior Waters and Fisheries Augusta Maita, the country's largest newspaper, Noticias, reported on Wednesday.

Authorities, mainly from the provinces of Niassa, Zambezia and Tete, have been directed to take preventive measures and maintain epidemiological surveillance in relation to the outbreak, the minister said.

"There is no indication that this virus is in the national territory, however, as a sector, we are informing and working with local authorities in order to enable them to identify the clinical symptoms of the disease so that in case of suspicion they notify the fisheries investigation authorities," Maita said.

However, the minister said, the consumption of cultured fish in Mozambique is not prohibited, as there is no evidence that the disease, Epizootic ulcerative syndrome, can cause problems in humans.

The disease, also known as red spot disease, is caused by fungus associated with low temperatures and can kill almost all fish that catch it, threatening regional fishing and aquaculture in inland waters.

"It already occurred in some countries in Europe and Asia in the 70's. In 2008 there was an outbreak in Botswana. We have taken preventive measures that have helped us not to register cases in our country," the minister said. Enditem
At least 409 migrants crossed the English Channel to reach UK shores on Wednesday, authorities have announced, setting a new single-day record.

Although many were intercepted at sea by Border Force patrol vessels, hundreds of people were able to take advantage of the flat seas to safely land on British beaches in a rush of small boats.

It brings the total number of migrants who have crossed the sea to Britain in 2020 to more than 5,600.

Wednesdays record total, as confirmed by the Home Office, surpasses the previous high of 235, set on 6 August.

The crossings come as prime minister Boris Johnson said that the UK is a target and magnet for people traffickers and vowed to change the law to help tackle the crisis.

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Large numbers of migrants were seen being brought into the Kent port, packed aboard Border Force vessels and sitting on the front of lifeboats.

Some smiled and waved as they arrived while others carried toddlers too young to walk.

Numbers arriving were so high that dozens of migrants spent an hour sat on Border Force boats in the harbour before they were allowed to disembark.

More incidents were ongoing and the Home Offices official count could be revised up.

In recent weeks, the Home Office has sought to blame French authorities and activist lawyers for rising numbers of crossings and difficulties removing asylum seekers once they arrive in Britain.

Recommended Government claims refugees can use closed resettlement scheme

Last month, home secretary Priti Patel appointed former Royal Marine Dan OMahoney to the post of clandestine Channel threat commander.

He is expected to be among those giving evidence about migrant crossings to the Home Affairs Committee on Thursday.

The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said on Wednesday that the governments approach to rising English Channel crossings had been defined by a lack of compassion and a lack of competence.

The government was warned, including by the Foreign Affairs Committee, that the collapse of safe routes would lead to growing numbers of people taking to the sea, he added.

What we need now are solutions, not empty headlines trying to sound tough, and I have deep concerns that the government in recent weeks through talking of deploying the navy and the RAF has tried to militarise a solution where lives are at risk.

Additional reporting by PA
When the coronavirus hit the United States, Patricia Edwards' resolve to help patients became stronger than ever.

An intensive care unit nurse for three decades, she had worked the overnight shift her entire career, taking care of the sickest patients in the hospital during the most trying hours of the night. The Greenville, South Carolina, resident knew she was needed in the fight against the pandemic.

But what Edwards, 62, did not know was that the coronavirus would eventually infect her own household, killing her and her mother in the span of a week.

Rosa Lee Hellams, 96, left, died of COVID-19 one week after her daughter, Patricia Edwards, 62, an ICU nurse, did. (Courtesy Edwards family)

Edwards is one of more than 670 front-line health care workers who have died from the coronavirus, and her Aug. 19 death has devastated her community, Sherie Gamble, 45, her oldest daughter, said. Since Edwards died, her son and her four daughters have been overwhelmed with calls and online tributes from colleagues, neighbors, friends and relatives of former patients whose lives she touched  inspiring Gamble to create a scholarship in her mother's name.

"My mom was everything to everybody," Gamble said. "We knew how much she was loved, but we didnt know to this magnitude."

The Patricia "Nurse Pat" Edwards Nursing Scholarship will go to college juniors and seniors pursuing a nursing degree. Its goal is to bring more nurses into the field who embody Edwards' caring nature, Gamble said.

"Nobody was a nurse like Mama," Gamble said. "She was an old-school nurse, as you would say. She still gave sponge baths to her patients. She cared like no other nurse would care."

Her patients and their families appreciated her tenderness: Over the years, Edwards received many cakes and other goodies as thank you gifts, Gamble said. And Edwards made sure each patient felt they were in good hands. Gamble still remembers the deep connection Edwards formed with an older patient a couple of decades ago who had been visiting from out of town when he fell gravely ill; because he had no family in the area, Edwards took on the role of surrogate relative in addition to nurse for the couple of weeks that he spent in her intensive care unit.

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"She took care of him in a way a daughter would," Gamble said. The man recovered and his family was so appreciative to Edwards that they kept in touch with her. Edwards later had them all over for a barbecue at her house with her children.

Despite years of working the third shift  7 p.m. to 7 a.m.  Edwards always made time for her family. When another daughter, Emily Holloway, was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2018, Edwards regularly made the 100-mile drive to Charlotte, North Carolina, to go with her to every chemotherapy treatment. She would stay through the weekend, cooking enough meals for Holloway and her children to have during the week.

"She was there every step of the way," Holloway, 43, who has been in remission for just over a year, said.

Patricia Edwards, second from left, celebrates her daughter Emily Holloway's final chemotherapy treatment with family, including another daughter, Sherie Gamble, far right. (Courtesy Edwards family)

Edwards' mother, Rosa Lee Finch Hellams, a sprightly and sharp 96-year-old, died of the coronavirus in a different hospital Aug. 26, a day after the family buried Edwards. Hellams lived with Edwards, Gamble and Gamble's son, and greeted everyone who came in the door from her favorite seat in the living room, Holloway said.

"I think its unfortunate that they both passed together at the same time, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason, because my mom, just as she cared for the community, she cared for her mom," Holloway, a strategic account specialist working in telecommunications, said.

Edwards' family is not sure where she caught the coronavirus. She was diagnosed with it Aug. 7 and was rushed to the hospital two days later with a high fever and plummeting oxygen levels.

It was at Edwards' intensive care unit at Bon Secours St. Francis - Greenville, where she had worked for the past 14 years, that she died. The staff members who tended to her in her final days were her colleagues.

"They were grieving with us," Gamble said. "They were extraordinary with her because it was one of their own, and they knew the nurse that she was."

Born in Chicago on April 4, 1958, Patricia Lucille Hellams Edwards received her nursing degree from Greenville Technical College while raising her children. She spent 25 years at the Greenville Memorial Hospital System and two years as a traveling nurse before she started working for Bon Secours St. Francis - Greenville. In addition to her children, she is survived by 13 grandchildren and a set of triplets who are her godchildren.

In a statement to NBC News, Bon Secours St. Francis - Greenville extended its sympathy to Edwards' family and friends.

"We pray that they feel surrounded by love and support at this time and always," the hospital said.

Gamble plans to hold an outdoor candlelight vigil for her mother. In the meantime, she is ironing out the details of the scholarship she created Aug. 27 in her mother's name  something she believes she was called to do, especially as she has struggled to find a new profession after getting laid off from a software company a couple of years ago. The scholarship had only raised about $700 as of early Tuesday afternoon, but donors have pledged to give more.

"I've been trying to find my purpose, and I may have found it," Gamble said. "Carrying on my moms legacy."

"She was a go-beyond nurse," she added. "I want this scholarship to help those who are going to go above and beyond with patient care."

A version of this story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
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The Finance Ministry on September 2 issued guidelines under economy measures to promote digitisation, wherein it has banned printing of diaries, greeting cards, coffee table books, calendars in physical form. All such items will now be issued only in the digital form.

"As the world is increasingly moving towards adopting digital force

multipliers for productivity and given the fact that using technological innovations for planning, scheduling and forecasting is known to be economical, efficient and effective, the Government of India has decided that there will be no further activities towards printing wall calendars, desktop calendars, diaries, festival greeting cards and similar materials by all Ministries/Departments/Autonomous Bodies and other organs of the Government," the Department of Expenditure has said.

It added that the measures will come into force with immediate effect.

Coffee table books, which have also been banned, are to be substituted by e-books.
Joe Kennedy III has become the first member of his legendary political family to lose a Massachusetts election, failing to capture a Senate seat once held by John F Kennedy.

With 82 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Kennedy was 11 points behind incumbent senator Ed Markey, who has held the seat since 2013 after serving in the US House of Representatives since 1977.

Mr Kennedys loss comes after a long and at times acrimonious primary campaign in which he spent millions of dollars to try and unseat his opponent, who managed to reinvent himself as something of a progressive insurgent even after more than four decades in Washington.

Mr Markey is the Senate sponsor of the Green New Deal, and early on in the race bagged the endorsement of its steward in the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A picture of him standing outside his house in a mask and high-top sneakers quickly became a meme, and his volunteer base grew increasingly younger as the race developed.

Mr Kennedy struggled to articulate why he was running for Congress, especially since he hardly differed from Mr Markey on the major themes of the progressive movement. And as the campaign wore on and the incumbent Mr Markey built up a hefty lead, Mr Kennedy was reduced to trading on his family name.

In the campaigns closing weeks, as the congressman fell behind, senior Kennedy family members spoke up for his campaign, and he even put out a flyer featuring him alongside a picture of his grandfather, assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy. For Joe Kennedy, this fight is in his blood, it read.

Many voters bridled at this, with younger progressives in particular proving relatively immune to the family brand and turned off by what they saw as establishment entitlement.

Mr Markey, meanwhile, made much of his working-class roots and long history of backing progressive causes  in particular environmental regulation, consumer protection and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.

He also ran an ad both touting his own record and riffing on John F Kennedys most famous line: With all due respect, Mr Markey said to camera, its time to ask what your country can do for you.

The ad helped drive Nancy Pelosi into endorsing Mr Kennedy, apparently enraged at seeing the Kennedy name traduced  a shocking turn against an established member of Congress with whom she has served for decades. However, with Ms Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren at his back, Mr Markey was hardly left out in the cold.

In his victory speech, the 74-year-old credited young organisers with assembling a movement that helped him keep his seat by a satisfying margin.

To the young people fighting in this movement for change, here is my charge to you: march in the streets. Protest. Run for school committee, or city council, or the state legislature, and win. But dont just challenge the status quo  dismantle it. Take things over.

When they say slow down, go faster. When they say not now, start that day. When they say not that way, redraw the map. When they say youre too young, show up with your friends.

Every reason the critics and cynics offer to give up or give in is proof positive that you should push forward  and hard.
A giant snowman erected on the bank of Songhua River in Harbin, the capital of Northeast Chinas Heilongjiang province, has drawn much attention online. Around 2,000 cubic meters of snow was used to create the 18.5-meter-tall figure dressed in a red hat and scarf. Since December, ice and snow sculptures featuring Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year elements have popped up across the city famed for its ice festivals, drawing many visitors

Jan 20, 2022 06:19 PM
The UBC sign displayed at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in a file photo. The universitys endowment along with many other large funds in Canada may be vulnerable to risks of investing in Chinese companies that face sanctions from the United States. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)

Canadian University Endowments Risk Investing in Blacklisted Chinese Companies

US urges its universities to divest from firms involved in rights abuses or that threaten national security

News Analysis

The U.S. government sent a plea to universities to pull their endowment investments out of companies implicated in human rights abuses or that could threaten U.S. national security. But such a weighty whole-of-federal-government approach to overseeing educational institutions doesnt quite exist in Canada to tackle this issue.

I urge you to divest from companies that are on the [U.S.] Entity List or that contribute to human rights violations, wrote Keith Krach, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the U.S. Department of State, in an Aug. 18 letter addressed to the governing boards of American universities.

Companies on the entity listsuch as Chinese telecommunications giant Huaweiare prohibited from buying certain U.S.-made products, as these companies are deemed to pose a major risk to national security or foreign policy interests.

University endowment investments are an avenue through which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is garnering capital from institutions in other countries, including the United States and Canada.

The culprit for money flowing into blacklisted companies is emerging markets (EM) index funds, which form part of the portfolios of many endowments. For example, Chinese companies made up 41 percent of the benchmark Morgan Stanley EM index on July 31.

At the federal level, Canada has no exact equivalent to the U.S. State Department that would issue a directive like Krachs. However, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service brings to the governments attention any national security threats and will also interface directly with universities in particular situations like Beijings recruitment of academics, as recently reported by The Globe and Mail.

But universities remain vulnerable in Canada, where educational institutions fall under provincial jurisdiction, says Christian Leuprecht, a political science professor at Royal Military College and Queens University. Unlike Australia, for example, Canada has no effective federal foreign interference laws in place.

Accelerating Investigations

Chinese companies are notorious for their lack of transparency in accounting audits and for not being subject to oversight and regulatory requirements as are firms in other countries.

Another risk of investing in those companies is that those currently trading in the United States could get delisted from U.S. stock exchanges if they fail to meet stricter U.S. auditing requirements by Jan. 1, 2022.

The boards of U.S. university endowments would be prudent to divest from PRC [Peoples Republic of China] firms stocks in the likely outcome that enhanced listing standards lead to a wholesale delisting of PRC firms from U.S. exchanges by the end of next year, Krach wrote.

Holding these stocks also runs the high risks associated with PRC companies having to restate financials.

The letter also warned universities of the growing threat of authoritarian influence by the CCP on U.S. campuses. In addition, it noted the U.S. governments accelerating investigations into illicit PRC funding of research, intellectual property theft, and talent recruitment on those campuses.

Canadian Endowments at Risk

Canadian institutions on average invested almost 7 percent of their endowment assets in EM, according to a study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) based on data from the 201819 fiscal year. The survey covered 15 participating institutions representing about $12.5 billion in total endowment assets as of June 30, 2019. This amount is roughly in the ballpark of the combined size of Canadas 10 largest university endowment funds.

Two of Canadas largest endowments are that of the University of Toronto, valued at $3.2 billion on Dec. 31, 2019, and that of the University of British Columbia (UBC), valued at $2.33 billion on March 31, 2020.

The University of Toronto has a 7.0 percent allocation in Morgan Stanleys EM Index. UBC has a long-term goal of 10 percent allocated to EMas of March 31, it had 8.5 percent invested in EM.

BlackRocks iShares provides one of many exchange-traded funds (ETF) that mimic the Morgan Stanley EM index. Its prospectus contains extensive disclosures of risks associated with investing in Chinese companies, including the fact that some may be on the U.S. entity list.

By buying shares of the iShares EM ETF, one would be investing in Hangzhou Hikvision and Zhejiang Dahuatwo video surveillance equipment companies that Conservative MP Tom Kmiec criticized the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for investing in. Both companies are on the U.S. entity list.

Most endowments are managed by external professional fund managers. Universities can also have separate entities that coordinate the outsourcing of the investing.

UBCs Investment Management Trust Inc. (IMANT) is such an entity responsible for investing the endowment and other funds.

We allocate capital to investment managers who are responsible for monitoring and evaluating companies risk return profiles based on all publicly available information and making security selection decisions Matthew Ramsey, director of University Affairs for UBC Media Relations, told The Epoch Times.

Political Will Needed to Protect Vulnerable Canadian Universities

Federal foreign interference laws are sorely needed in Canada and could be applicable to the investment of endowments, Leuprecht says, adding that federal research funding could be contingent on universities meeting certain requirements .

We can try to encourage universities to be more systematic about how and where they direct investments, but we cant just put the onus on them, Leuprecht told The Epoch Times. We also need to step up with appropriate legislation as well as investigative capacity and political will to start to root out this type of behaviour.

Krach, who is a former chairman of the board of a major university, also wrote that universities should strongly consider publicly disclosing to your campus communities immediately all PRC companies that your endowment funds are invested in, especially the PRC companies in emerging markets index funds.

UBCs IMANT aims to have all its stock holdings published on its website by the end of 2020.

Universities have shown that they will alter their investment strategies due to public pressure in the absence of government suasion.

As Canadian universities came under fire from students and the general public to reduce their carbon footprints, a growing number began withdrawing endowment investments in fossil fuels. The University of Torontos asset management body, for example, has committed to reducing its carbon footprint in its pension and endowment portfolios by at least 40 percent by 2030 from 2017 levels.

Thus it could have a meaningful impact if a similar movement developed to divest endowment investments from companies involved in enabling human rights violations or that potentially pose national security threats.
Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate remains eligible for a $277,000 cash reward despite the organisation's board bowing to political pressure and vetoing millions of dollars in bonus payments to its executive team.

Ms Holgate, Australia's highest paid civil servant, could still be granted the bonus because of a deferred incentive payment from last financial year, which would be 18.75 per cent of her fixed salary of about $1.5 million.

Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate was paid $2.5 million last year as the nation's highest earning civil servant. Credit:Peter Rae

Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo on Wednesday announced it would not approve the payment of bonuses this year after the national mail service had opened the door for senior management to share in $7 million in personal bonuses, despite Ms Holgate having in March declared executives would "forsake any right to a bonus payment".

Ms Holgate, Australia's highest paid civil servant, had said Australia Post executives would be "doing their share" to combat rising costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against five operatives of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), including a Kashmiri couple Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir Beigh, for allegedly conspiring to use the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian government and planning to provoke riots.

The agency said the couple was conspiring to create unrest during anti-CAA protests by coining seditious slogans, making graffiti at public places, and highlighting them through social and international media.

The couple, along with others, also conducted reconnaissance at prominent places in Maharashtra that were frequented by foreigners, and attempted to make an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) for carrying out mass killings, the agency said in a statement.

Jahanzaib Sami (36) and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh (39), both from Srinagar, were the first ones to be arrested in the case in March this year by Delhi Polices Special Cell from Okhla, after which probe was handed over to NIA.

Hyderabad based Abdullah Basith, a key ISIS handler in India, and two others from Pune - Sadiya Anwar Shaikh (20) and Nabeel Siddick Khatri (27) -- were subsequently taken into custody by the central agency.

Investigation has revealed that Sami, a B.Tech from Ferozpur, Punjab, got radicalised and inclined towards ISIS/ISKP by reading about it on the internet. He established contact with ISIS handler Huzaifa-al-Bakistani and latters father-in-law viz. Abu Usman-Al-Kashmiri (Head of Indian affairs of ISKP) in 2017 on a secure messaging platform, NIA Spokesperson Sonia Narang said in a statement.

Huzaifa-al-Bakistani further introduced him to Abdullah Basith, another ISIS operative, who is already in judicial custody at Tihar jail in connection with another NIA case (ISIS Abu Dhabi Module 2018 case), Narang said.

Hina Bashir, who had her higher education from Pune, also got radicalized since 2014-15 by reading ISIS-related content on social media. Sami and Bashir got married in 2017 as both supported the ideology of ISIS, she added.

The agency said Sami, Hina Bashir, Abdullah Basith and Shaikh were continuously in contact with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan and Syria.

The NIA said Sami and Basith prepared a magazine titled Voice of Hind inciting Muslims against non-Muslims and exhorting them to rise against the government of India, and that along with Bashir and Shaikh, were also provoking gullible young people to participate in anti-CAA actively. If the protests failed to provoke people, they were planning on setting government buildings and public property on fire, it added.

The agency last month arrested another person, Abdur Rehman alias Dr Brave from Bengaluru, in the case. The agency said he was in contact with Sami as part of the conspiracy to promote the activities of ISIS/ISKP and had also visited ISIS medical camp in Syria in 2014.

The couples lawyer rejected the charges. The agency is making a mountain out of a molehill. There is no evidence in the case. Its all a bundle of lies. MS Khan said.
On Sunday, two commercial airline pilots reported seeing a man flying with a jetpack at about 3,000 ft in the air during their final approach to Los Angeles International Airport.

A mysterious man flying in a jetpack

The pilot of American Airlines Flight 1997, which came from Philadelphia, told air traffic control that they had just passed a guy wearing a jetpack around 6:35 p.m. Sunday on their last leg of landing.

The exchange between aviation personnel was recorded and uploaded on LiveATC.net, which occasionally shares live and archived recordings of radio transmissions of air traffic control.

According to The New York Times, the air traffic controller asked the pilot if the man they saw wearing a jetpack was to the plane's left or right side. The aircraft pilot responded by saying they saw the individual about 300 yards to the plane's left side.

After the initial report of the pilot of American Airlines, another approaching aircraft reported that they saw the same man flying near their plane, and nearby aircraft were asked by air traffic control to keep a lookout for any more sightings.

The reports have prompted investigations by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to figure out the truth behind the mystery.

American Airlines declined to identify their pilot who made the initial report, saying that inquiries of the matter should be directed to the FAA. A JetBlue official did not comment on the incident as well.

Also Read: Fact Check: Did Trump Reveal THIS as His Plans for His Second Term?

A pilot and aviation professor, Seth Young, who teaches at Ohio State University, said that flying very close to a commercial aircraft was a very dangerous thing to do. He noted that the busy airspace at and around the Los Angeles International Airport made the situation even more complicated.

The FAA said that the report of the incident was transferred over to the Los Angeles Police. Authorities revealed that they had not seen any individual with a jetpack near the area, leaving the identity of what came close to the aircraft a mystery, as reported by ABC News.

A common occurrence

The aviation agency said that pilots, law enforcement personnel, and the general public had reported an increasing number of sightings of unmanned aircraft over the past two years. The FAA revealed that every month, it received more than 100 reports of similar incidents.

The agency also noted that if the sighting were found actually to be a person wearing a jetpack, he would have conducted an illegal act of flying in restricted airspace without permission from the airport in the vicinity.

There are currently several human jetpacks in development capable of lifting a man into the air and up to an altitude of 12,000 ft. The equipment, however, carries considerable price tags of about $500,000.

Retired Marine Colonel Steve Ganyard, an ABC News Contributor, said that the dangers of the incident are due to the possibility that the man flying with a jetpack could bring the entire plane down if he passed at the wrong spot.

Ganyard said that while jetpack technology is a positive breakthrough in the field of aviation, people should take care of flying them and not place public lives at risk.

Related Article: Fact Check: Did Police Shooting Victim Jacob Blake Rape a 14-Year-Old Child?

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The paediatrician, who was released after Allahabad HC quashed his detention under NSA, now wants to help flood-affected people in Bihar and Assam

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government instead of doing 'Raj Dharma' was indulging in 'Baal Hatth' or childlike-stubbornness and could frame him in another case, Dr Kafeel Khan said after he was released from the Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed Khan's detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release.

Following the court's order, Khan was released from Mathura jail late on Tuesday night. "Mathura jail administration informed at around 11.00 pm that Dr Kafeel will be released, and at around midnight, he was released," Khan's lawyer Irfan Ghazi told PTI.

Speaking to PTI after his release from the jail, Khan thanked the court and said, "I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers, who raised their voice for my release. The administration was not ready for release, but because of the prayers (duaa) of people, I have been released."

"The case against me was a lie, baseless & fictitious...I was kept without food & water for 5 days & tortured...I would like to thank the #UP special task force for not killing me in an encounter while bringing me from Mumbai to Mathura."#KafeelKhan after release from jail pic.twitter.com/3RDxV9O8Qu  Article 14 (@Article14live) September 2, 2020

"In Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki had said that the Raja (king) should act for 'Raj Dharma'. In UP the 'Raja' is not doing 'Raj Dharma' but is doing 'Baal Hatth' (being stubborn like a child)," Khan said.

He also said he was apprehensive that the government can frame him in any other case, and claimed that he and his family had to face many hardships as the state government was "after" him because of the oxygen issue in BRD Medical College.

Khan said he now wants to help flood-affected people in Bihar and Assam.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, passed the order on a petition filed by Khan's mother Nuzhat Parveen.

The petition alleged that Khan was granted bail in February by a competent court and he was supposed to be released on bail. However, he was not released for four days and the NSA was subsequently invoked against him. Hence, his detention was illegal, the petition argued.

Khan was in jail since January after he delivered an allegedly provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in December last year.

Kafeel Khan had hit the headlines for the first time in 2017 after the deaths of several kids due to lack of oxygen cylinders at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, where he worked as a paediatrician.

Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for the children for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders. However, later, he faced action along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital, all of whom were released on bail.

A state government probe had cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government. The doctor had alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children. He subsequently faced threats, cases and even his family members were attacked, which the doctor dubbed as political vendetta on the part of the state government.
I used to love New York City. There was so much to do and see, but if one were from the heartland like me, one could be perfectly content to just walk the streets and look at architecture and people. One might seek out venues one had seen in the movies, such as in Woody Allens Manhattan; perhaps Elaines. And when one got weary from walking, one could sit down at one of two, count em, two major opera houses. And after a performance one might grab a beer at that joint across the street from the Met and muse about what a wonderful city one was visiting, where the Bronx is up and the Batterys down. It really was a helluva town.

I used to love New York City, but theres not much left to love. In the wake of the riots and vandalism things arent so wonderful in the Big Apple anymore. Some have said the city is dead and isnt coming back. Indeed, on August 13, former hedge-fund manager, author, and bon vivant James Altucher self-published NYC Is Dead Forever. Heres Why at LinkedIn. The article is blocked into several segments, including business, culture, food, commercial real estate, and colleges. Its a longish article with three charts, but its worth your time, as it has insights that might be transferable to other cities:

NYC has never been locked down for five months. Not in any pandemic, war, financial crisis, never. In the middle of the polio epidemic, when little kids (including my mother) were going paralyzed or dying (my mother ended up with a bad leg), NYC didn't go through this.

Thousands of productive New Yorkers have left the City, and Altucher thinks they wont be coming back. Even so, many are taking their jobs with them. They dont need to commute to work, as they can telecommunicate to work. Thats because of the huge increases in bandwidth, Altucher tells us. Why ride the subway to work when one can fire up ones computer and Zoom to work?

Altucher himself held out on moving from his beloved NYC until June, when the riots began. He has kids, and upon seeing videos of rioters trying to break into his building after curfew, Altucher had had enough and decamped for Florida.

Altuchers article got a lot of buzz. The New York Post reprinted it in its entirety on then ran a counterpoint article by a Manhattan lawyer. At the Blaze, Glenn Beck read Altuchers entire article on the air; it takes more than 14 minutes (its also here). On Fox Business, Maria and Dagen interviewed Altucher, and the first thing he went into was lost tax revenue, deficits, and mass bankruptcies. But heres the thing, there was already talk of bankruptcy for NYC back in 2019. So although the lockdown was the fatal blow, NYC already had huge problems.

Theres one key word that never appears in Altuchers article: Blasio. (To soften that observation for Italian-Americans, Mayor Bill de Blasio, the chief villain in NYCs demise, chose his name; his birth surname is Wilhelm.)

So, is Altucher guilty of having voted for de Blasio? If he voted to re-elect de Blasio, then Mr. Altucher is responsible, at least in part, for the ruination of his city. Even before his re-election, this writer heard that virtually everybody in NYC disapproved, to use a kind word, of the mayor. Yet, he got a second term. Are we talking massive voter fraud here, or is the NYC electorate a bunch of dummies? (Back in 1972, the gal who had the role of Amneris in the production of Aida here in Kansas City was a New Yorker, and she told me that New Yorkers were quicker and smarter than folks in the Midwest. A quick glance at the fools New Yorkers continually re-elect refutes her assertion.)

NYCs brilliant oh-so-sophisticated residents reflexively vote Democrat. Only when life in the Big City becomes too unpleasant will New Yorkers consider voting GOP. They did this in the 1990s when they elected a law-and-order Republican for mayor (Rudy Giuliani) to clean up the messes created by their previous voting mistakes. Rudy leads us to the main reason for NYCs possible demise: the situation in the streets.

NYCs streets are now too dangerous and too disturbing for normal folks to tolerate. If theyre not being attacked, beset, robbed, or murdered, theyre being disgusted. The streets are the problem that must be fixed before we can consider a resurrection for NYC. The psychotics, thugs, panhandlers, loiterers, tent campers, muggers, and everyone else making life in the city a trial need to be removed and never tolerated again. New York City was Americas premier metropolis. It should be reserved for movers and shakers, neer-do-wells should reside elsewhere.

Last year when hoodlums started dousing NYC cops with buckets of water and little was done about it, NYCs fate was sealed. Giuliani would never have allowed the streets of NYC to descend into the chaos that de Blasio has let happen; Rudy would have stopped it cold. If New York is to be revived, then a new policy of zero tolerance for bad behavior must be instituted. Panhandling, public urination and defecation, nudity, sex in the streets, loitering, malingering, tent encampments, etc. should no longer be tolerated. If New Yorkers arent willing to forbid such things, forget about the city coming back.

New Yorkers need to redeem themselves. The destruction of their city wasnt something that just happened; its something that they themselves brought about through decades of bad voting decisions. They need to start voting for decent candidates. Perhaps their whole municipal system of government needs to be scrapped. New York City needs to be reorganized in bankruptcy, receivership, or by some federal overlord. But there should be no federal funds for a bailout.

New Yorkers need to accept responsibility for the destruction of their city. That might start by electing Michelle Caruso-Cabrera to Congress for the 14th district. Yes, she lost to Sandy O in the primary, but she still seems to be on the ballot in the general under the Serve America Movement Party. Unlike Sandy Cortez (another Dem who changed her surname), Michelle is an adult.

If Sandy and the other idiots New Yorkers have sent to Congress are re-elected, then maybe we could sell Manhattan back to the Indians.

NOTE: That joint across the street from the Metropolitan Opera that I referenced in my first paragraph, well, I forgot the name. So I used Google Maps to find it, and its P.J. Clarks. Fortunately, P.Js may be surviving. At the top of their website, theres a link on What Were Doing that explains how theyre handling the lockdown. For a little amusement, you might click on this to go to a Google Maps image of P.J. Clarkes, and then twist left by grabbing the screen (click and hold down your mouse), and then dragging the cursor right for a bit. Youll be looking down Columbus Ave. going NE. Then put the cursor on the street and click a few times to travel down the street. Stop when youre even with the white cop car on the left, and then twist left again. Youll be looking at the Met. If youve never done this, you may find it amazing and fun.

Jon N. Hall of ULTRACON OPINION is a programmer from Kansas City.

Image: Pickpik
(Newser)  Actors linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency recruited US journalists to contribute to a news website that was critical of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in an attempt to sow division among liberal voters, Facebook said Tuesday. Tipped off by the FBI, Facebook removed 13 accounts and two pages linked to the "global news organization" with about 500 published articles before they received much attention. The pages had about 14,000 followers, per the Washington Post. A Tuesday report by network analysis firm Graphika found the website, Peace Data, targeted democratic socialists and disaffected Democrats and included attacks on Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. It "seemed designed to divide Democratic supporters and to depress support for Biden and Harris," Graphika's chief innovation officer, Camille Francois, tells the Post.

story continues below

Facebook plans to notify some 200 journalists recruited to write on topics including corruption, human rights, and the environment. An out-of-work American journalist says an editor reached out via a direct message on Twitter in July, offering $200 per article, per NBC News. At least one editor was a fictional persona. The IRA also created numerous social media personas used to sow division among US voters and boost Trump's campaign ahead of the 2016 election. Peace Data, which did not disclose any link to Russia, also recruited journalists on the freelance networking site Guru. "Hiring people who are fluent in the language and culture avoids the kind of tells that can expose an operation," Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory tells the Post. Twitter separately announced Tuesday that it had removed five accounts tied to the website. (Read more disinformation stories.)
A fired-up Samantha Armytage has blasted the Queensland premier over her draconian border closures - which have torn families apart, left small towns without supplies and continue to wreak havoc on the Australian economy.

Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is coming under increasing pressure to ease the hard border restrictions, which are estimated to be costing businesses $17million a day.

There's also fury about how elitist they are - especially after she let 400 AFL officials swan in to Queensland to announce the Grand Final would be played at the Gabba, but has repeatedly knocked back everyday Australians with health or family reasons for crossing the border into Queensland.

On Sunrise on Thursday morning, Armytage slammed Ms Palaszczuk, who she claimed refused to appear on the show to front up to questions about her restrictions.

Moree Plains Shire Mayor Katrina Humphries called on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) to open the border and allow Mungindi residents to cross to buy food

A fire tore through Mungindi, a drought-stricken town on both sides of the Queensland and New South Wales border, wiping out its only supermarket and butcher.

But due to Ms Palaszczuk's hard border closures, locals have been forced to leave their border bubble to get essentials, or travel 160km to the nearest supermarket.

'My blood is boiling because a lot of things she has done lately. You guys have now got no supermarket and no water and no food, basically,' Armytage said.

'She won't come on the show. I am happy to have it out of there. I'm fed up of what's going on in Queensland.'

Moree Plains Shire Mayor Katrina Humphries said Mungindi's 600 locals would be forced to leave their border bubble to travel to Mooree to buy supplies.

'Although we are in the shire we aren't all in the bubble, only selected postcodes have been included in it,' she said.

'It's completely split our shire. I've spoken to elderly people who are so frightened that they can't get into Moree to go to the shops because then they'll break the travel bubble.'

On Sunrise on Thursday morning, Samantha Armytage slammed Ms Palaszczuk, who she claimed refused to appear on the show

Moree Plains Shire Mayor Katrina Humphries (pictured) said Mungindi's 600 locals would be forced to leave their border bubble to travel to Mooree to buy supplies and access doctors

The nearest place for Mungindi residents to buy their groceries is Goondiwindi - 162km away - or into Queensland which would require them to isolate for 14 days.

'So if they come out of Mungindi to shop in Moree or something like that they can't then go into Queensland to have their medical issues. That is just cruel and wicked and brutal,' she said.

Ms Humphries called on the premier to 'stop being so heartless' and open the border to allow Mungindi residents to buy food and access medical care.

'It's unnecessary. It doesn't have to be difficult, it can be an easy fix. There are a lot of people and Mungindi that are older and need medical care. It's a human right. It's not that hard,' she said.

'We are so close to being a part of Queensland and we never imagined in a million years that through some cruel twist of fate inflamed by some airy cruel-thinking people that we would be denied access to Queensland.

Ms Humphries made an impassioned plea for the premier to 'stop being so cruel' and said she needs new policy advisers.

'You're punishing people that do not need to be punished. It is un-Australian is what it is. Please move off your pedestal, open the borders and let business go back to business and let people live their lives.'

The Queensland Government will provide $100,000 in emergency funding for temporary store to supply locals with basic essentials, but it won't be up and running for weeks.

Ms Palaszczuk was slammed last week for saying Queensland's hospitals were 'for our people only'.

A heavily pregnant mother was forced to wait 16 hours for emergency surgery in Sydney after being turned away at the Queensland border, before losing one of her unborn twin babies.

Poll Is it fair the AFL can fly into Queensland in their hundreds - while family, friends and the sick struggle to get over the border or are blocked? Yes No Is it fair the AFL can fly into Queensland in their hundreds - while family, friends and the sick struggle to get over the border or are blocked? Yes 92 votes

No 1206 votes Now share your opinion





Ms Palaszczuk initially did not grant the seriously ill mum-to-be's exemption despite her needing emergency surgery for the unborn twins.

The mother, from Ballina in New South Wales which is 88km from the Queensland border, had twins who were just 24 weeks along and needed urgent care.

She wasn't initially granted an exemption to cross the border for surgery at the Gold Coast University Hospital 125km away and instead had to wait for 16 hours in Lismore for a flight to Sydney.

The woman's father Allan Watt says one of the twins became anaemic during surgery at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

Mr Watt said the family were very upset about his daughter being denied an exemption.

Queensland Chief Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the NSW woman's exemption had been approved as soon as her application had been made.

Ms Palaszczuk had said last week while she was not aware of the specifics of the case, the decision about who to let into Queensland would be made by health professionals, not politicians.

A heavily pregnant mother was forced to wait 16 hours for emergency surgery in Sydney after being turned away at the Queensland border, before losing one of her unborn twin babies

'People living in NSW have NSW hospitals. In Queensland, we have Queensland hospitals for our people,' she said.

Meanwhile, a Queensland grandmother was forced to recover from brain surgery in a quarantine hotel, while AFL officials have been exempt from strict quarantine rules.

Jayne Brown, 60, spent two weeks confined to a tiny hotel room in Brisbane following her recent return from Sydney, where renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo removed two large tumours on her brain.

The grandmother-of-seven requested an exemption from hotel quarantine to self-isolate at home on the Sunshine Coast, but was rejected twice.

She blasted Queensland the premier, who allowed 400 AFL players and officials from coronavirus-riddled Victoria to enter the state on Tuesday night.

'I don't understand it, mind-blowing,' Ms Brown told Nine News on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a Queensland grandmother was forced to recover from brain surgery in a quarantine hotel, while AFL officials have been exempt from strict quarantine rules

Jayne Brown, 60, spent two weeks confined to a tiny hotel room in Brisbane following her recent return from Sydney, where renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo removed two large tumours on her brain

Not even a letter from Dr Teo himself could convince Queensland officials to change their mind and allow Ms Brown and her husband to isolate at their home.

Instead, she struggled through hotel confinement in agony unable to walk and limited access to pain relief.

'I was in a wheelchair, I couldn't walk, my right leg was compromised, it was numb, it was weak, I couldn't stand on it,' she said.

'I wasn't well at all and got shuffled into a five-by-five hotel room and just left there.'

The stern criticism of Ms Palaszczuk's border closure comes after New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian made a scathing review of her counterpart.

'Can I be absolutely frank, she has made a decision and isn't willing to talk about that decision and is refusing to budge,' Ms Berejiklian told 2GB radio station.

'It's not through want of trying. I've tried to establish a positive relationship but it's a bit difficult when decisions are made without them even telling us.

'And can I compare that to [Labor's Victorian Premier] Dan Andrews and the Prime Minister, the three of us worked together on a very difficult decision on the Victoria-NSW border, and I'd like to see that applied to all borders.'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday made a scathing review of Ms Palaszczuk's border restrictions, saying the Queensland premier is 'refusing to budge' on closures

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also criticised Ms Palaszczuk's major coup in securing the AFL grand final, accusing her of favouring sporting stars over desperate families needing to cross the border for medical reasons

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman tweeted: 'So if you are AFL royalty you can get into Queensland, with your family, but if you live in northern NSW with your seriously ill child you can't'

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also criticised Ms Palaszczuk's major coup in securing the AFL grand final, accusing her of favouring sporting stars over desperate families needing to cross the border for medical reasons.

The Queensland Premier proudly announced that she'd secured the landmark match on Tuesday alongside AFL CEO Gil McLachlan, who was granted an exemption to fly in to the Sunshine State for the announcement.

The Gabba in Brisbane was awarded AFL's showpiece event over Perth's Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

But Mr Frydenberg, along with hordes of others, have argued the celebrations were insensitive to families who had been barred from entering Queensland.

'I think the Queensland Premier has got some questions to answer here,' he told A Current Affair on Wednesday night.

'How can it be okay for people to go up to prepare for a footy game, and its not okay to go to hospital for treatment?'

Mr Frydenberg referenced several tragic examples of New South Wales locals not receiving access to the Sunshine State during the pandemic.
A Houston man accused of taking about $5,000 from a couple looking for a home in Conroe is now also being investigated for identity fraud.

Adam Jason Butler, 41, is being charged with theft, a state jail felony.

Butler was taken into custody on Friday at a Walgreens in Humble by Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constables deputies. They were assisted by Harris County Sheriffs deputies, according to the constables office.

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An Oklahoma couple with a young child and expecting another, paid Butler in August 2019 around $5,000 to move into a house in Conroes River Plantation subdivision. Butler allegedly deceived the couple into believing he was the homeowner with rights to lease the property, according to Precinct 2.

Although he was arrested and some of the money was recovered, the couple still suffered significant monetary loss of their life savings, read a statement from the constables office.

Butler bonded out of jail and fled. A Precinct 2 deputy found Butler and persuaded him into talking with deputies, unaware he would be arrested. Butler surrendered at the pharmacy without incident, according to Precinct 2.

An inventory by Precinct 2 of Butlers property found he had fraudulent identifying information from 10 people. A U.S. Postal Service post office master key, accessible to mail boxes across the area, was also found in his possession. Many of the alleged victims have been identified and charges are pending, according to the constables office.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 'Waiting and waiting:' COVID only made Harris County's massive backlog of murder cases worse

Additional charges against Butler are expected in Harris County and from the U.S. Postal Inspectors Office. Butler was also found in possession of methamphetamine, according to Precinct 2.

He is being held at the Montgomery County Jail without bond, jail records show.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City continues to reopen after shuttering in March amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, gyms are the latest establishment allowed back in business as of Wednesday.

Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that gyms and fitness centers could reopen in New York as early as Aug. 24 -- and definitely by Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Outspoken Freelancer founder Matt Barrie and other tech industry figures have hit out at new government regulations designed to force Facebook and Google to pay news publishers, arguing the rules could set a dangerous precedent for the digital economy.

Facebook on Monday threatened to stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram in response to the regulatory code proposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Matt Barrie said the proposed code created a "shocking" precedent. Credit:James Brickwood

Mr Barrie, who was a vocal opponent of lockout laws in Sydney, said the regulatory code was a "shocking precedent" towards arbitrary regulation of technology companies.

"This is just a shakedown, it applies only to Facebook and Google and not to anyone else," he said.
To better understand how motor skills are learned, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine reviewed data from previous studies that used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), shown here being administered by study senior author Pablo Celnik, M.D., and a second non-invasive procedure to activate nerve cells in the brain. Credit: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Motor behaviors are part of all basic human activities, from talking and breathing to standing, walking and playing instruments or sports. These motor skills require that the nervous system first learns how to move by creating internal commands and then, with the commands in place, enable humans to repeat the movements thereafter. In a paper published in the July 25, 2020, issue of The Neuroscientist, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine and University College London researchers explain the underlying bases behind such learning.

By reviewing previously completed behavioral and neurophysiological studies by Johns Hopkins Medicine and other sources that used two noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, the researchers evaluated data to better define the "big picture" about motor learning. This enabled a more comprehensive understanding of how humans learn new motor skills and which parts of their brain are involved. This information is critical to help design approaches to enhance learning or leverage it in the context of rehabilitation.

"In the long run, we hope to see if stimulating specific parts of the brain can increase motor function, especially in patients who are recovering from some form of brain injury," says physiatrist-in-chief Pablo Celnik, M.D., director of both the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Center of Excellence in Stroke Treatment, Recovery and Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Researchers in previous studies have used two noninvasive and painless brain stimulation techniques to asses patient motor learning and performance progress. The methods, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), are designed to impact specific areas of the brain by delivering mild shocks through the patient's skull. The stimulation allows for brief disruption of the function in those regions, enabling researchers to note any irregular behavior in the patient.

In the past, TMS has shown benefits for patients with depression for whom antidepressant medications provide no help or cannot be tolerated. Similarly, research also has demonstrated cognitive improvement in some patients undergoing tDCS, showing that the technique may be helpful in treating depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease and chronic pain. For patients with neurological diseases including spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's disease and stroke, brain stimulation techniques may aid in a patient's recovery after a negative event. Through targeted rehabilitation techniques, such as TMS and tDCS, a patient's motor learning abilities can be improved as he or she adapts to new movements while regaining function.

Motor learning involves many different processes to ensure smooth and accurate movements. These processes enable those abilities that are learned by different areas of the brainsuch as playing competitive sports, performing a Beethoven symphony or rock climbing a mountain with bare hands.

"All of these functions interplay with each other in a very coordinated fashion," says Celnik.

Looking at the big picture revealed by analyzing data from numerous TMS and tDCS studies performed in Celnik's lab and others, the researchers identified the parts of the brain involved in the acquisition and retention of voluntary movements and motor skills. When tDCS was applied over specific brain regions that control some aspects of motor function, patients and healthy individuals showed increased excitement and better retention of their new motor memories.

Additionally, the authors reason that learning new skills involves different aspects of motor control with slightly different timings and roles during the overall learning process.

The researchers next plan to determine whether different learning processes can supplement each other during illness. If so, this would imply that when one area of the brain has a lesion, another part of the brain may be able to compensate. Such a finding would be significant because it could enable clinicians to develop better rehabilitation interventions that facilitate recovery after brain disease.

Explore further Learning motor skills requires the 'feeling' part of the brain

More information: Danny Spampinato et al. Multiple Motor Learning Processes in Humans: Defining Their Neurophysiological Bases, The Neuroscientist (2020). Danny Spampinato et al. Multiple Motor Learning Processes in Humans: Defining Their Neurophysiological Bases,(2020). DOI: 10.1177/1073858420939552
Three men have been charged after police seized $1.3million worth of cocaine, MDMA tablets, cannabis and $600,000 in cash in raids across Sydney.

In July investigators from the Criminal Groups Squad's Strike Force Raptor began investigating a drug ring supplying mainly cocaine across Sydney.

Investigators, with help from the Tactical Operations Unit, arrested three men - aged 42, 35 and 20 - at a hotel on Victoria Road near Brush Road, West Ryde, just after midday on Tuesday.

Three men have been charged after police seized $1.3million worth of cocaine, MDMA tablets, cannabis and $600,000 in cash in raids across Sydney

Investigators, with help from the Tactical Operations Unit, arrested three men - aged 42, 35 and 20 - at a hotel on Victoria Road near Brush Road, West Ryde, just after midday on Tuesday

Investigators seized 2kg of cocaine and $600,000 cash.

A short time later, investigators, with help from the Riot Squad, raided homes at Quakers Hill, Seven Hills, Blacktown and Sadlier.

Officers seized an additional 500g of cocaine, about 500 MDMA tablets and 300g of cannabis.

The illicit drugs have an estimated potential street value of $1.3million.

Investigators also seized $3,000 cash, knuckledusters, mobile phones, electronic storage devices and documentation.

The men were taken to Granville Police Station, where the 42-year-old Quakers Hill man was charged with three counts of supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), two counts of supply prohibited drug (commercial quantity), supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), import commercial quantity of border-controlled drug, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

Investigators seized 2kg of cocaine and $600,000 cash

The haul: Officers seized 300g of cannabis during the raid

The 35-year-old Sadlier man was charged with two counts of supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), import commercial quantity of border-controlled drug, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

The 20-year-old Blacktown man was charged with three counts of supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), import commercial quantity of border-controlled drug, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

All three men were refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio

Disorderly conduct: Park Circle Drive

Police were called at 11:30 p.m. Aug. 29 to a wedding reception at the Sapphire Creek Winery regarding a disturbance in the parking lot, resulting in the arrest of a Cleveland man, 32, and his wife, 29.

The man was seen pushing two women after they repeatedly confronted him. He had left the scene on foot and officers located him a short distance away.

He was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing police business and domestic violence for taking a swing at his ex-mother-in-law and ex-sister-in-law.

His current wife was charged with assault and disorderly conduct for biting the arm of the ex-mother-in-law.

Theft: Market Place Drive

A Bedford Heights woman, 35, was charged with theft at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 24 after store security saw her fail to ring up 73 items, worth a total of $345.57, at Walmarts self-checkout counter.

Suspicious: Market Place Drive

An officer responded to a 9:30 p.m. Aug. 26 report of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a car in a parking lot with a hypodermic needle in his lap.

The officer stopped the car as the man started to drive away. While the officer was talking to the man, a needle fell out of his vehicle.

The officer found a total of five needles -- two unused ones contained a clear liquid. The man had needle marks in his arms, but claimed to have a diabetic pet at home.

He was released when he exhibited no signs of impairment. The incident is under investigation.

Theft: Market Place Drive

A woman and a girl shopping together at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 were caught bagging items valued at $554.76 that they did not pay for at Walmarts self check-out counter. A Solon girl, 14, faces juvenile charges, while a Cleveland Heights woman, 18, was cited and released.

Burglary: Poplar Way

Police are investigating an incident reported at 7 a.m. Aug. 27. Someone kicked in the door of a house under construction and stole tools and broke into a locked construction trailer parked in the driveway to steal saws, drills, nail guns and sanders. The value of the stolen items is $6,100.

Suspicious: Haskins Road

After receiving a package from Cambodia through the mail that he did not order, a man called police Aug. 29. He placed the unopened package in his garage. Police advised him to return it to the post office.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
'The nation exists from us and we exist from the nation', says PM Modi

PM Modi speaks to SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal after he tests positive for Covid-19

PM Modi to address leadership summit of US-India Strategic And Partnership Forum

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the third leadership summit of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum on Thursday.

The special keynote address would be on US-India, Navigating New Challenges. "We are honored that Prime Minister Modi has taken time to address USISPF annual event. It signifies importance of US-India relations in the current challenging environment," USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said.

He also said that it is a win-win partnership mutually dependent geo-politically, trade, culturally, diplomatically and scientifically.

Aggressive and assertive China provides further opportunity for both nations to collaborate and ensure international rule of law prevails.

US Vice President Mike Pence had a fire side on Monday, the first day of the week-long summit titled "US-India Week: Navigating New Challenges".

China seeks to set up military logistic facilities in about a dozen countries: Pentagon

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also participated in the discussion on Monday. Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also addressed the summit on Tuesday.

Being attended by top corporate leaders, government officials and leaders, the summit highlights areas of bilateral cooperation: trade and investment; strategic energy ties; India's position in global supply chains, collaboration in fintech, healthcare, and technology.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 9:47 [IST]
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Linkedin Ardila Syakriah and Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 3 2020

COVID-19 patients are crowding hospitals as bone-tired medical workers continue to bear the brunt of rising case figures, with at least 183 of them having reportedly died of the virus.

More than 2,000 daily new cases appears to be the new normal for Indonesia, which on Wednesday recorded 3,075 new cases and 111 deaths -- bringing the tally to 180,646 confirmed cases, 42,877 of which are active cases, and 7,616 deaths.

The daily new cases figure hit record highs of more than 3,000 for three consecutive days last week, partly attributed to recent long weekends.

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Michel Barnier today warned the UK risks splitting from the European Union at the end of the year without a trade deal unless Downing Street caves in on the crunch issue of fishing rights.

The bloc's chief Brexit negotiator said he is 'worried and disappointed' after informal discussions with UK counterpart David Frost this week ended in failure.

He said Britain had failed to make any concessions or signal a willingness to compromise in key areas in order to break the current deadlock.

Mr Barnier reiterated that the broad terms of a deal must be in place by the 'strict deadline' of the end of next month in order for it be ratified by the end of the transition period on December 31.

Continued access to UK waters for EU fishing boats as well as a demand for Britain to sign up to a 'level playing field' on rules and regulations remain the main sticking points in the talks.

Mr Barnier said if Number 10 'don't move on the issues which are the key issues of the EU... the UK will take itself the risk of a no deal.'

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said today the UK will have to compromise for progress to be made in trade talks

Speaking after a speech hosted by Dublin's Institute of International and European Affairs think tank, Mr Barnier said: 'We need a breakthrough, we need to move.

'If the UK wants a deal with us and a fair agreement for a zero-tariff, zero-quota access for British access to our market of 450 million consumers then they will have to move and it is their choice, it is their responsibility.

'We are ready to make fair and constructive compromise but not at the detriment of the EU.'

Number 10 has said that it believes a trade deal is still possible but that 'it is clear that it will not be easy to achieve'.

An eighth round of formal talks is due to get underway in London next week. Mr Barnier said earlier this month that discussions had actually been going 'backwards'.

He said today: 'We did not see any change in the position of the UK. This is why I express publicly that I am worried and I am disappointed because, frankly speaking, we have moved. I've shown clearly openness to find compromise.

'If they don't move on the issues which are the key issues of the EU, the level playing field, fisheries and governance, the UK will take itself the risk of a no deal.'

The EU wants current arrangements on access to British waters for the bloc's fishing boats to continue but Number 10 is adamant that UK trawlers will be given priority after the transition period.

Brussels also wants the UK to sign up to a 'level playing field' commitment which would mean sticking to EU rules and regulations long into the future to prevent unfair competition.

Mr Barnier said the EU will not accept the livelihoods of fishermen and women being 'used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations'.

And he said 'good luck, good luck' to those who say leaving without a trade deal has opportunities.

'Frankly speaking, there is no reason to under-estimate the consequences for many people, many sectors, of a no-deal - it will be a huge difference between a deal and a no deal,' he added.
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Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 17:35 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4241955 1 National illegal-miners,illegal-mining,Bangka,Environment-and-Forestry-Ministry,environmental-crimes,environmental-damage Free

For the first time in Indonesia, a court has sentenced an illegal miner to multiple crimes in an attempt to create a deterrent effect to curb environmental and forestry crimes.

The Koba District Court of Central Bangka regency in Bangka Belitung Islands found Azeman, 44, guilty of two crimes for mining illegally in the protected forest area of Lubuk Besar in the regency.

The panel of judges, which was presided over by Yuliana and included members Subroto and Magdalena Simanungkalit, found the defendant guilty of mining in a forest area without a permit and deliberately causing environmental damage.

The Environment and Forestry Ministrys Law Enforcement Directorate General charged Azeman under Law No. 18/2013 on the prevention and eradication of forest destruction, which carries a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment and a Rp 10 billion (US$681,700) fine.

Separately, the directorate generals Sumatra chapter charged Azeman under Law No. 32/2009 on environmental protection and management, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and a Rp 10 billion fine.

The ministrys criminal law enforcement director, Yazid Nurhuda, said the panel of judges had sentenced Azeman to four years and six months imprisonment and ordered him to pay a Rp 3 billion fine, exceeding the charges sought by the public prosecutors.

Yazid expressed appreciation for the panels multidoor decision, describing it as very historic, although he said the perpetrator should have been punished to the full extent of the law.

Perpetrators of such crimes should be severely punished, he said in a statement released on Tuesday, adding that investigators and relevant experts were gathering evidence on the involvement of other parties.

The ministrys law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said environmental and forest damages in Bangka Belitung Islands had been very severe and that the multidoor scheme was a breakthrough for combating environmental destruction.

The enforcement of multilayered criminal law needs to also be applied to the laundering of the profits from illegal mining, Rasio said.

We are talking with the PPATK [Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center] and the Attorney Generals Office about civil suits against illegal mining actors, he added.
File Photo Of Hisbah Officials

Some Hisbah officials in Jigawa have arrested two suspects over an alleged homosexual act in Dutse Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The suspects aged 32 and 20 and identified simply as Adamu and Tijjani, were arrested at a hotel in Dutse after they were heard arguing over money.

The state Hisbah Commandant, Malam Ibrahim Dahiru said;

Today September 2, our personnel succeeded in arresting two persons in connection with an alleged homosexual act in Dutse.

A 32-year-old man identified simply as Adamu, who resides at Unguwa Uku quarters in Kano state, invited his 20-year-old friend identified simply as Tijjani from Garkuwar Sarki quarters in Sokoto state.

They perfected plans to meet through Facebook, after which Tijjani came down based on an agreement that he will be paid N50,000 after the act. They lodged at a hotel and passed the night together.

Adamu could not provide the N50,000 promised to his guest. And that was when they began to argue until people around overheard them and informed our personnel who immediately went to the scene and arrested them.

The suspects who have confessed to the crime would be transferred to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, has said the governments plan to facilitate the construction factories in every district is rapidly on course adding that Ashanti Region is set to get more than 50 new factories, under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy.

President Akufo-Addos administration has come under criticism by opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the slow pace the One District, One Factory initiative, a major campaign promise, is being implemented.

However, speaking on Otec fm afternoon show dubbed, Dwabrem on Tuesday September 1, 2020, Mr Ahomka-Lindsay explained that the factories would be delivered.

Some of these factories are currently at different levels of completion and others are about to take off.

According to him, several countries have sent their delegation to Ghana to learn about the 1D1F programme, adding the 1D1F policy is working effectively in the country as some countries have expressed their desire to learn from us.

Hon. Ahomka-Lindsay told the programmes host Doctor Cash that 11 of the 1D1F companies had been completed in the region and had started production in the region already.

He mentioned Kasapreko Company and Spring & Boat Company as some of the completed 1D1F companies that were currently operating.

The deputy Trade and Industry Minister said the government was committed to supporting industries, and the completion of these factories would boost the economy.

According to him, some banks have been giving financial support, in the form of loans, to these companies to start.

He said nine other companies under construction in the region would soon be commissioned to bring more jobs for the people.

He added that drawings of six of the proposed companies are ready and they are currently in the bank for credit approval.

Mr. Ahomka-Lindsay hinted that the African Development Bank was in negotiation to provide financial support for 12 proposed 1D1F companies.

He said the positive impact of the 1D1F policy had spread across Africa as some countries are ready to imitate Ghana.

He was confident that if the 1D1F policy is sustained for 20 years Ghana will change positively.

---OtecfmGhana
Policemen patrol a cordoned off street near the Jalan Masjid India, a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, as they help enforce public movement restrictions imposed amid the coronavirus outbreak, April 16, 2020.

A proposal by Malaysias new government for an independent body to probe complaints of police misconduct is toothless and lacks enforcement power, human rights groups say.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins government last week submitted a bill in parliament that would establish an Independent Police Conduct Commission, and withdrew similar legislation advanced by the previous government in 2019.

The move has drawn fire from rights advocates at home and abroad, including Human Rights Watch, which described the new bill as a major step backward from existing law.

The proposed commission would have no powers to punish rights-abusing police, the New York-based organization said in a statement, calling on Muhyiddins government to withdraw and significantly revise its bill to ensure genuine accountability of police.

Human Rights Watch described the previous bill introduced in July 2019 as flawed but said it would have given the proposed commission more power to discipline police misconduct.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) also criticized the new bill. Suhakam, a parliament-backed commission, said it was especially concerned with the lack of independence and the weakened functions of the proposed police conduct commission.

The law introduced by Muhyiddins government, which came to power unelected in March, did not capture the spirit of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, Suhakam added.

In 2005, the royal commission recommended that an independent body be set up to investigate allegations of police misconduct, in the wake of public complaints about alleged police brutality, bad behavior by cops, and the deaths of people in police custody.

In 2009, acting on that recommendation, the government established the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission.

Although that commission is empowered to investigate complaints of misconduct against police officers, it does not have the power to prosecute wrong doers and can only recommend disciplinary action against them.

The government of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad introduced its police oversight bill in July 2019, amid allegations that law enforcement was involved in the disappearances of Christian clergyman Raymond Koh in February 2017 and Shia Muslim activist Amri Che Mat in November 2016. In April 2019, investigations by Suhakam into the disappearances of both men concluded that state agents were probably behind their abductions.

Malaysias police chief declined to comment on the latest version of the proposed law, which would directly affect the 130,000-strong federal force.

We will wait for further developments, Police Inspector-General Abdul Hamid Bador told BenarNews on Tuesday, without elaborating.

Other officials in the current government did not respond to BenarNews requests for comments about the controversial bill.

An association representing retired police officers voiced their strong objections to the 2019 version of the bill, saying the police force did not need an outside body to monitor the conduct of the men and women in blue.

The new bill allows police to refuse to answer questions or disclose sensitive documents. The commission would also have to notify police before making a visit to lock-ups or detention centers, according to a copy of the bill seen by BenarNews.

With the inclusion of this sections in the IPCC Bill, the Commission will be worse than the existing mechanisms, said Suaram, a Malaysian human rights group. [P]olice officers can refuse to answer [questions] based on a subjective and arbitrary excuse.

The commission would also lack power to ensure that its recommendations are enforced or implemented, the group said.

Cynthia Gabriel, director of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (the C4 Center), a Malaysian NGO, said that new bills introduction suggested that integrity, fighting off impunity and tackling corruption in the police force was not part of the governments agenda.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins pledge to fight corruption could end up as merely paying lip service without meaningful and structural systemic change to our institutions and law enforcement agencies, she told BenarNews.

Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
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Uttar Pradesh doctor Kafeel Khan has urged the state government to restore his job so that he can serve the nation as a doctor after he was released from Mathura jail late Tuesday night, eight months after he was arrested for making an alleged hate speech during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest action at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in December last year.

Dr Kafeel, assistant lecturer at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, was suspended after he was accused of medical negligence in an August 2017 oxygen shortage tragedy case that resulted in deaths of 60 children. Kafeel spent about nine months in jail in connection with the case before he was granted bail on April 25, 2018 by the Allahabad high court, which observed that there was no proof of medical negligence against the doctor.

Kafeel was, however, later arrested in the AMU hate speech case.

I was kept in jail for no crime committed by me and was framed in a false, fictitious and baseless case. I was not even provided food and water for five days alleged Dr Kafeel Khan after coming out from jail on late Tuesday night.

Former leader of Congress legislature party and former MLA from Mathura Pradeep Mathur and brother of Kafeel Khan were present at the time of his release from Mathura jail.

Also Read: Kafeel Khan detained under NSA released from jail, says UP govt indulging in Baal Hatth

Taking a dig at recent encounters of suspects in Uttar Pradesh, Dr Kafeel Khan thanked the STF (special task force) for not killing him in an encounter while bringing him from Mumbai, where he was arrested eight months ago. He also thanked the judiciary for ordering his release.

Bench of justice Govind Mathur and justice Saumitra Dayal Singh at the Allahabad high court ruled that the administration was wrong in invoking National Security Act (NSA) against Dr Kafeel. The court order came after hearing a petition by Khans mother Nuzhat Parveen, who alleged that Dr Kafeel was targeted by the state administration.

Watch: Allahabad HC orders release of Dr. Kafeel Khan, drops NSA charges: Key details

Earlier this year, Kafeel was given a clean chit in two of the four charges in a departmental probe in his role in the 2018 tragedy. After being exonerated, Kafeel has been demanding revocation of his suspension and has filed a plea for the same in a court.
Xcel Energy sent employees and contracting crews out to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Laura.

The company announced last week that approximately 250 employees and contractors from Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Texas are helping to restore power to the approximate 670,000 customers without.
People attend a protest in support of the students of the University of Theatre and Film Arts during their blockade in Budapest

By Krisztina Than

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Students at Hungary's University of Theatre and Film Arts have sealed entrances to the building to stop the new board of trustees getting in, and pledged to maintain the blockade until demands for autonomy from government control were met.

The prestigious institution, which nurtured many of Hungary's most famous directors and film makers over the past 155 years, has been caught up in a culture war as Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government expands its control over universities, research institutions and the media.

Some of Orban's supporters say they want to end what they view as the domination of the arts in Hungary by liberals.

"We will stay until our demands are met, and guarantees for autonomy are set in writing," student leader Mihaly Csernai told reporters on Wednesday in front of the university whose doors have been taped off. About 100 students have set up camp inside.

The university's management resigned on Monday in protest after the government appointed a board of five trustees, rejecting members proposed by the university.

The school's senate has also been stripped of its right to decide on key budgetary and organisational matters.

Some prominent directors have resigned from their teaching positions, including Hungarian film maker and screenwriter Ildiko Enyedi, whose 2017 film "On Body and Soul" won the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.

It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

In a statement to her students she said she had "foolishly hoped that common sense and respect for university traditions carried a weight and university autonomy would remain", but that those hopes had evaporated.

Talks between the former management of the university and the new board ended in a stalemate on Wednesday.

Theatre director Attila Vidnyanszky, chairman of the new board, told ATV television on Tuesday that the trustees were open to dialogue with the university.

Story continues

But he also said he wanted to introduce a "different kind of thinking" while keeping existing classes, placing some emphasis on patriotism and Christianity.

The government denies any attempt to limit freedom of expression. It has said the fact that some universities will be governed by a board of trustees will actually eliminate state influence over them.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Krisztina Fenyo; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Tullow Awards Suriname Drilling Contract

This article was first published on Rigzone here

Stena Drilling reported Tuesday that it has signed a new contract with Tullow Oil Suriname BV to drill one well in Block 47 offshore Suriname.

According to the drilling contractor, the Stena Forth drillship will mobilize to Suriname in late December or early January. Stena added that it expects the campaign to start in January or February of next year. In a July 29, 2020, operational update, Tullow stated that it will spud the Goliathberg-Voltzberg North prospect in the block.

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Block 47 makes up part of the Suriname-Guyana Basin, located approximately 162 miles (260 kilometers) north of Suriname, Stena Drilling noted.

To contact the author, email mveazey@rigzone.com.

More From Rigzone.com, The Leading Energy Platform:

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'No Separation of Powers' in Hong Kong: Leader Carrie Lam

2020-09-01 -- Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said the once semi-autonomous city no longer has any separation of powers -- a mechanism found in liberal democracies to ensure that lawmakers and judicial systems remain free of executive control.

Echoing ruling Chinese Communist Party doctrine for the rest of mainland China, chief executive Lam told journalists: "There is no separation of powers in Hong Kong. Our high degree of autonomy doesn't mean we have total autonomy."

"Our executive, legislative, and judicial arms of government aren't separate as they would be ... in a constitutional political system," she said.

"Any power we enjoy here in Hong Kong is granted to us by the central leadership [in Beijing]."

Lam's comments are the starkest admission since China imposed a draconian national security regime on Hong Kong that the city is no longer regarded as a separate jurisdiction, and that the ruling Chinese Communist Party is now treating it like anywhere else in China.

Hong Kong was promised the continuation of its traditional freedoms of press and association, as well as judicial independence, under the terms of the 1997 handover agreement.

But the imposition of the national security regime on the city from July 1, which includes a new headquarters for China's feared state security police to operate in Hong Kong, sparked an international outcry, with the U.S. imposing sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials, and many countries ending their extradition agreements with the city.

Under general secretary Xi Jinping, Communist Party doctrine has been increasingly insistent that the separation of powers is a dangerous Western import that is inappropriate for China.

That doctrine is now apparently also shared by the Hong Kong authorities.

Lam said: "The executive, legislative, and judicial branches ... balance each other and cooperate with each other, but the ultimate authority lies with the appointed representative of the Central People's Government, namely, the chief executive."

A 2011 reference to the separation of powers found by RFA on the Hong Kong government's official website was apparently deleted around the time of Lam's comments, as the link was no longer valid on Tuesday.

No respect for the judiciary

Pro-democracy lawmaker, Dennis Kwok, who represents the legal profession in the city's Legislative Council (LegCo), said Lam's statement couldn't just suddenly end the separation of powers in Hong Kong, which has until now maintained a common law jurisdiction separately from mainland China.

"This ... shows a total lack of respect for the judiciary," Kwok said. "First we had [separation of powers erased] from school teaching materials by the education bureau, and we were told that it couldn't be discussed."

"I think this was a political move, in accordance with orders they have received."

He called on the city's Court of Final Appeal to adjudicate on the matter.

Former Hong Kong Liberal Studies teacher Yeung Chi-chun agreed that the move was deliberately political, confirming that some teaching materials have indeed been edited to remove any references to the separation of powers.

"This is unprecedented," Yeung told RFA. "They may be looking to create a new normal."

"[The Chinese government] has never endorsed the separation of powers, nor judicial independence," he said. "They think that everything should be executive-led, and that the Hong Kong government should have the greatest power."

"They are hoping to weaken judicial independence," Yeung said.

Confused by statement

The pro-government camp appeared somewhat confused by Lam's statement, according to government broadcaster RTHK.

Lawmaker Junius Ho told the station: "I believe that there is still separation of powers in Hong Kong."

But he said that didn't mean the separate branches of government were able to "just do whatever they like."

Lawmaker, barrister, and Basic Law Committee member Priscilla Leung said Beijing had final power over any decisions made in Hong Kong, and any separation of powers in Hong Kong couldn't be formal.

Senior counsel and executive councilor Ronny Tong, said there was no separation of powers as a matter of constitutional order.

"All the powers of Hong Kong comes from the central government under the Basic Law. The Chief Executive is responsible for the whole of Hong Kong to be accountable to the central government," he told RTHK. But he suggested that the fact that different arms of government had different jobs to do was enough to show that there was effectively a separation of powers.

US imposes sanctions

The United States on Aug. 7 announced sanctions against Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and other senior officials for their role in curbing the city's promised freedoms, and in implementing a draconian national security regime.

The State Department said Beijing had made it clear that Hong Kong will never again enjoy the high degree of autonomy promised under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and that the city will no longer be regarded as a separate jurisdiction from mainland China by the U.S.

The U.S. has banned Americans from any business transactions with those on the list and has frozen their assets, meaning that international banks with a presence in the U.S. are barred from offering deposit accounts, loans, or credit cards to sanctioned individuals.

Lam told Chinese state media on Aug. 17 that she had been "hampered" by the loss of access to credit card and other financial services, but that she regarded the inconvenience as "meaningless."

Reported by Lu Xi and Man Hoi-tsan for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. 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 September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Firefighters have warned of the dangers of overloading hot presses with linen.

Dublin Fire Brigade said that a smoke alarm recently saved a home from being destroyed.

The firefighters said a hot press can be a dangerous combination of heat, electricity and flammable material.

Photos of a fire in a hot press showed considerable damage including burned clothes, charred timber shelves and blackened walls.

A Dublin Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "A smoke alarm and closed door at this hot press fire saved the house from being destroyed.

"Firefighters extinguished this fire earlier in Phibsborough.

"Hot presses can be a dangerous mix of water, electricity, heat and high fire load.

"Don't overload hot presses with linen.

"Allow air to circulate to keep wires and switches at the correct temperature.

"A jam-packed press can cause kinks in wires and cause leaks in pipe connections.

"A closed door is the most effective way to slow fire spread."

Hot presses or airing cupboards are often used for storing towels, bedding and items of clothing once theyve been washed.

However the clear advice is not to overload them to reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GSX Techedu Inc. (NYSE: GSX) ("GSX" or the "Company"), a leading online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring service provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

Second Quarter 2020 Highlights [1]

Net revenues was RMB1,650.3 million , a 366.6% year-over-year increase.

- Net revenues of online K-12 courses increased 412.4% year-over-year to RMB1,385.0 million .

Gross billings[2] was RMB2,401.0 million , a 300.6% year-over-year increase.

- Gross billings of online K-12 courses increased 335.5% year-over-year to RMB2,196.1 million .

Paid course enrollments[3] increased 331.7% year-over-year to 1,567 thousand.

- Paid course enrollments of online K-12 increased 366.0% year-over-year to 1,496 thousand.

Net income increased 13.4% year-over-year to RMB18.6 million .

increased 13.4% year-over-year to . Non-GAAP net income increased 133.0% year-over-year to RMB72.7 million .

increased 133.0% year-over-year to . Net operating cash inflow increased 172.4% year-over-year to RMB528.0 million .

Second Quarter 2020 Key Financial and Operating Data

(In thousands of RMB, except for paid course enrollments and percentages)



Three Months Ended June 30,





2019

2020

Pct. Change

Net revenues[4] 353,679

1,650,314

366.6%

K-12 courses 270,267

1,384,968

412.4%

Foreign language, professional and interest 76,985

260,371

238.2%

Gross billings[5] 599,373

2,400,996

300.6%

K-12 courses 504,281

2,196,077

335.5%

Foreign language, professional and interest 85,286

202,392

137.3%

Paid course enrollments (In thousands) 363

1,567

331.7%

K-12 courses 321

1,496

366.0%

Foreign language, professional and interest 42

71

69.0%

Net income 16,374

18,627

13.4%

Non-GAAP net income 31,235

72,712

133.0%

Net operating cash inflow 193,840

527,999

172.4%



















[1] For a reconciliation of non-GAAP numbers, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP

measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" at the end of this press release. Non-GAAP income from

operations, non-GAAP net income exclude share-based compensation expenses. [2] Gross billings is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as the total amount of cash received for the

sale of course offerings in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period. See "About Non-

GAAP Financial Measures" and "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP

measures" elsewhere in this press release. [3] Paid course enrollments for a certain period refer to the cumulative number of paid courses enrolled in and

paid for by our students, including multiple paid courses enrolled in and paid for by the same student. Paid

courses refer to our courses that are charged not less than RMB99.0 per course in fees. [4] The breakdown does not include amount generated from other services because it is negligible. [5] The breakdown does not include amount generated from other services because it is negligible.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Highlights

Net revenues was RMB2,947.9 million , a 373.3% year-over-year increase.

- Net revenues of online K-12 increased 427.8% year-over-year to RMB2,505.1 million .

Gross billings was RMB3,775.4 million , a 319.7% year-over-year increase.

- Gross billings of online K-12 increased 342.2% year-over-year to RMB3,286.7 million .

Paid course enrollments increased 323.3% year-over-year to 2,341 thousand.

- Paid course enrollments of online K-12 increased 350.2% year-over-year to 2,143 thousand.

Net income increased 231.2% year-over-year to RMB166.6 million .

increased 231.2% year-over-year to . Non-GAAP net income increased 282.4% year-over-year to RMB263.5 million .

increased 282.4% year-over-year to . Net operating cash inflow increased 149.9% year-over-year to RMB645.7 million .

First Six Months of 2020 Key Financial and Operating Data

(In thousands of RMB, except for paid course enrollments and percentages)



Six Months Ended June 30,





2019

2020

Pct. Change

Net revenues 622,834

2,947,894

373.3%

K-12 courses 474,577

2,505,057

427.8%

Foreign language, professional and interest 137,625

434,557

215.8%

Gross billings 899,468

3,775,395

319.7%

K-12 courses 743,347

3,286,669

342.2%

Foreign language, professional and interest 139,782

481,705

244.6%

Paid course enrollments (In thousands) 553

2,341

323.3%

K-12 courses 476

2,143

350.2%

Foreign language, professional and interest 77

198

157.1%

Net income 50,265

166,615

231.2%

Non-GAAP net income 68,948

263,453

282.4%

Net operating cash inflow 258,449

645,730

149.9%



















Larry Xiangdong Chen, GSX's founder, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Against the backdrop of a successful containment of COVID-19 in China, GSX has delivered another robust quarter with net revenues hitting a record, benefiting from a focused strategy and distinguished organizational capability. Our net revenues and gross billings both maintained over 4 times year-over-year growth for another quarter. Our K-12 courses' net revenues, in particular, has been growing fivefold year-over-year for over ten consecutive quarters, further solidifying our position among the top-tier players. We are thrilled to see the growth of paid course enrollment has accelerated to 332% year-over-year, from 259% in the prior year. Coupled with the high-speed growth, we remained profitable for the eighth consecutive quarter and non-GAAP profitable for the ninth consecutive quarter. Moreover, we generated net operating cash inflow of RMB527,999 thousand, a 172.4% increase year-over-year, thanks to the exceptional student retention in the Spring. We plan to execute a profitable growth strategy for the whole year, and we will make efforts to prioritize investments in high ROI traffic acquisition channels, focus on an online live large-class education business model, and continually enhance our organizational capabilities. As a leading player in the online education industry, we will remain humble and down-to-earth, to redefine the online live large-class to a format that delivers the quality of a large class, the learning experience of a small class, and the feelings and effects of a one-on-one class."

Shannon Shen, CFO of GSX, added, "Our graduates achieved outstanding results in the recently administered Chinese high school and college entrance exams, a testament to GSX's superior education quality. This summer vacation provided an unprecedented opportunity for online education companies. On the one hand, the pandemic deepened parents' adoption and understanding of the value of online education. On the other hand, industry leaders are increasingly reaping the benefits from market status and business scale. Resource allocation and customer acquisition strategy for this summer will not only impact the second half of 2020, but also place a solid foundation to mid-to-long term business development. The first-mover advantage is critical for success, and we strategically front-loaded investments in recruitment and training of instructors and tutors, technical support and traffic acquisition for the third quarter. Meanwhile, we executed the share repurchase program upon approval of the Board. This program reflects management's focus on generating long-term value for shareholders, and marks the confidence we have in the Company's long-term growth potential."

Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2020

Net Revenues

Net revenues reached RMB1,650.3 million, a 366.6% increase from RMB353.7 million in the second quarter of 2019. The increase was mainly driven by the growth in paid course enrollments for K-12 courses. The number of online K-12 paid course enrollments increased 366.0% year-over-year to 1,496 thousand, which was contributed by both first-time paid course enrollments and retention of existing students. The increase in first-time paid course enrollments was primarily driven by our effective investment in sales and marketing efforts and the increase in retention was primarily driven by high teaching quality and optimized services that we provided.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues rose 256.4% to RMB360.7 million from RMB101.2 million in the second quarter of 2019, mainly due to the increase in compensation for instructors and tutors, learning materials, rental expenses, as well as server and bandwidth costs.

Gross Profit

Gross profit increased 410.8% to RMB1,289.7 million from RMB252.5 million in the second quarter of 2019. Gross profit margin increased to 78.1% from 71.4% in the same period of 2019, primarily as a result of economies of scale.

Non-GAAP gross profit increased 408.1% to RMB1,305.4 million from RMB256.9 million in the same period of 2019. Non-GAAP gross profit margin increased to 79.1% from 72.6% in the same period of 2019.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB1,450.4 million, increasing from RMB236.3 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Selling expenses increased to RMB1,204.8 million from RMB169.0 million in the second quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily a result of higher marketing expenses to expand the user base and enhance our brands, as well as an increase in compensation to sales and marketing staff.

Research and development expenses increased 240.4% to RMB139.9 million, from RMB41.1 million in the second quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the number of course professionals and technology development personnel, as well as an increase in compensation for such staff.

General and administrative expenses increased to RMB105.7 million from RMB26.1 million in the second quarter of 2019. The increase in general and administrative expenses was mainly due to an increase in the number of general and administrative personnel, an increase in compensation paid to general and administrative staff, and an increase in fees for investigation purpose.

Income (Loss) from Operations

Loss from operations was RMB160.8 million, compared with income from operations of RMB16.2 million in the second quarter of 2019. The decrease was primarily due to higher investment in sales and marketing activities to extend volume growth and strengthen brand perception.

Non-GAAP loss from operations was RMB106.7 million, compared with income from operations of RMB31.1 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Interest Income and Realized Gains from Investment

Aggregation of interest income and realized gains from investments this quarter, representing the income received from cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term wealth management investments, increased 505.0% to RMB24.2 million, from RMB4.0 million in the second quarter of 2019. This increase was primarily due to an increase of cash, cash equivalents and short-term wealth management investments, as well as the realization of gains generated from short-term and long-term wealth management investments during this quarter.

Other Income

Other income increased to RMB87.7 million, from RMB91.0 thousand in the second quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily due to the value-added tax exemption offered by the government, partially offset by the related cost, during the COVID-19 outbreak, which amounted to RMB88.8 million, net of other expenses amounted to RMB1.1 million.

Net Income

Net income increased to RMB18.6 million, from RMB16.4 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Non-GAAP net income increased to RMB72.7 million, from RMB31.2 million in the second quarter of 2019.

Cash Flow

Net operating cash inflow for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB528.0 million, a 172.4% increase from RMB193.8 million in the second quarter of 2019. Further, an installment of RMB22.3 million of the Zhengzhou properties purchases, along with payments for other capital expenditures amounted to RMB76.0 million, were made during the period.

Basic and Diluted Net Income per ADS

Basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB0.08 and RMB0.07, respectively, in the second quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS, were RMB0.31 and RMB0.29, respectively, in the second quarter of 2020.

Share Count

As of June 30, 2020, the Company had 158,883,260 ordinary shares outstanding.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Short-term Investments and Long-term Investments

As of June 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments amounted to RMB2,941.9 million in aggregate, compared with a total of RMB2,735.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments as of December 31, 2019.

Inventory

As of June 30, 2020, the Company's inventory amounted to RMB69.1 million, compared with RMB8.8 million as of December 31, 2019. This increase was primarily resulting from the increase of learning materials to support the rapid growth of students.

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

As of June 30, 2020, the Company's accrued expenses and other current liabilities balance was RMB697.9 million, increasing from RMB228.8 million as of December 31, 2019. This increase was mainly resulting from the consideration of purchasing the Zhengzhou properties, as well as the increase of salary and welfare payables.

Deferred Revenue

As of June 30, 2020, the Company's deferred revenue balance was RMB1,961.1 million, increasing 46.6% from RMB1,337.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Deferred revenue primarily consisted of tuition collected in advance.

Other Payables

As of June 30, 2020, other payables in non-current liabilities totaled RMB63.9 million, all of which were payables to purchase the Zhengzhou properties.

Recent Development

Share Repurchase

In May 2020, GSX's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to US$150 million worth of its shares. In May 2020, the Company repurchased approximately 1.1 million ADSs for approximately US$39.8 million.

SEC Investigation

Following a number of short-seller reports about the Company from approximately February 2020 to approximately July 2020, the SEC's Division of Enforcement contacted the Company, requesting it to produce certain financial and operating records dating from January 1, 2017. The Company is cooperating with the SEC. We cannot predict the timing, outcome, or consequence of the SEC investigation.

Prior to the SEC contact, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company engaged third party professional advisers to conduct an internal independent review into these reports' key allegations. As work remains ongoing, we cannot predict the timing, outcome, or consequence of that review.

Business Outlook

Based on the Company's current estimates, total net revenues for the third quarter of 2020 are expected to be between RMB1,936 million and RMB1,966 million, representing an increase of 247.6% to 253.0% on a year-over-year basis. These estimates reflect the Company's current expectations, which are subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company will hold an earnings conference call on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM on the same day, Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

International: 1-412-317-6061 US: 1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong: 800-963976 Mainland China: 4001-206115 Passcode: 4536408

A telephone replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call through September 9, 2020. The dial-in details are:

International: 1-412-317-0088 US: 1-877-344-7529 Passcode: 10146943

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at http://gsx.investorroom.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook for the third quarter of 2020 and GSX's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's ability to continue to attract students to enroll in its courses; the Company's ability to continue to recruit, train and retain qualified teachers; the Company's ability to improve the content of its existing course offerings and to develop new courses; the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; the Company's ability to maintain and continue to improve its teaching results; and the Company's ability to compete effectively against its competitors. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's reports filed with, or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and GSX undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About GSX Techedu Inc.

GSX Techedu Inc. is a technology-driven education company and leading online K-12 large-class after-school tutoring service provider in China. GSX offers K-12 courses covering all primary and secondary grades as well as foreign language, professional and interest courses. GSX adopts an online live large-class format to deliver its courses, which the Company believes is the most effective and scalable model to disseminate scarce high-quality teaching resources to aspiring students in China. Big data analytics permeates each aspect of the Company's business and facilitates the application of the latest technology to improve teaching delivery, student learning experience, and operational efficiency.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses gross billings, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP income from operations and non-GAAP net income, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes.

The Company defines gross billings for a specific period as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course offerings in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period. The Company's management uses gross billings as a performance measurement because the Company generally bills its students for the entire course fee at the time of sale of its course offerings and recognizes revenue proportionally as the classes are delivered over usually no more than 60 classes for K-12 courses. For some courses, the Company continues to provide students with 12 months to 36 months access to the pre-recorded audio-video courses after the online live courses are delivered. The Company believes that gross billings provides valuable insight into the sales of its course packages and the performance of its business. As gross billings has material limitations as an analytical metrics and may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, it may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP income from operations and non-GAAP net income exclude share-based compensation expenses, and such adjustment excludes the impact on income tax. GSX believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding share-based expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. GSX believes that both management and investors benefit from these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to GSX's historical performance. A limitation of using non-GAAP measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude share-based compensation charges that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in the Company's business.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this release.

The accompanying tables have more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

Exchange Rate

The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and the significant majority of revenues generated are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("USD") solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to USD are made at a rate of RMB7.0651 to USD1.00, the effective noon buying rate for June 30, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into USD at that rate on June 30, 2020, or at any other rate.

For further information, please contact:

GSX Techedu Inc.

Ms. Sandy Qin, CFA

E-mail: [email protected]

Christensen

In China

Mr. Eric Yuan

Phone: +86-10-5900-1548

E-mail: [email protected]

In US

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

Phone: +1-480-614-3004

Email: [email protected]

GSX Techedu Inc. Unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets (In thousands of RMB and USD, except for share, per share and per ADS data)



As of

December 31,

As of June 30,

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

USD ASSETS









Current assets









Cash and cash equivalents 73,967

225,281

31,886 Short-term investments 1,473,452

2,144,386

303,518 Inventory 8,822

69,068

9,776 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 252,660

539,761

76,399 Total current assets 1,808,901

2,978,496

421,579











Non-current assets









Operating lease right-of-use assets 264,909

558,976

79,118 Property, equipment and software, net 81,860

555,031

78,560 Land use rights, net -

29,385

4,159 Long-term investments 1,188,286

572,223

80,993 Deferred tax assets 30,716

160,405

22,704 Rental deposit 18,719

33,838

4,789 Other non-current assets 1,141

1,332

189 Total ASSETS 3,394,532

4,889,686

692,091











LIABILITIES





















Current liabilities









Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

(including accrued expenses and other current

liabilities of the consolidated VIE without

recourse to the Group of RMB188,975 and

RMB347,164 as of December 31, 2019 and

June 30, 2020, respectively) 228,753

697,917

98,784 Deferred revenue, current portion of the

consolidated VIE without recourse to the Group 1,331,962

1,957,955

277,130 Current portion of operating lease liabilities of

the consolidated VIE without recourse to the

Group 59,982

102,209

14,467 Income tax payable of the consolidated VIE

without recourse to the Group 16,093

-

- Amounts due to related parties (including

amounts due to related parties of the

consolidated VIE without recourse to the Group

of RMB460 and nil as of December 31, 2019

and June 30, 2020, respectively) 460

-

- Total Current liabilities 1,637,250

2,758,081

390,381

GSX Techedu Inc. Unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets (In thousands of RMB and USD, except for share, per share and per ADS data)



As of

December 31,

As of June 30,

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

USD Non-current liabilities









Deferred revenue, non-current portion of the

consolidated VIE without recourse to the

Group 5,674

3,148

446 Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities

of the consolidated VIE without recourse to the

Group 194,228

438,695

62,093 Deferred tax liabilities of the consolidated VIE

without recourse to the Group 25

74,111

10,490 Other payables -

63,934

9,049 TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,837,177

3,337,969

472,459











SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY









Ordinary shares 106

106

15 Treasury stock, at cost (86,739)

(235,482)

(33,330) Additional paid-in capital 1,899,059

1,862,105

263,564 Accumulated other comprehensive income 17,829

31,273

4,426 Statutory reserve 6,921

6,921

980 Accumulated deficit (279,821)

(113,206)

(16,023) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,557,355

1,551,717

219,632











TOTAL LIABILITIES AND TOTAL

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 3,394,532

4,889,686

692,091

GSX Techedu Inc. Unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations (In thousands of RMB and USD, except for share, per share and per ADS data)



For the three months ended June 30,

For the six months ended June 30,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020



RMB

RMB

USD RMB RMB USD

Net Revenues: 353,679

1,650,314

233,587

622,834

2,947,894

417,247

Online K-12 Courses 270,267

1,384,968

196,029

474,577

2,505,057

354,568

Adult courses education services 76,985

260,371

36,853

137 ,625

434,557

61,508

Other services 6,427

4,975

705

10,632

8,280

1,171

Cost of revenues (101,189)

(360,661)

(51,048)

(183,234)

(643,911)

(91,140)

Gross profit 252,490

1,289,653

182,539

439,600

2,303,983

326,107

Operating expenses























Selling expenses (169,048)

(1,204,803)

(170,529)

(268,567)

(1,962,037)

(277,708)

Research and development expenses (41,128)

(139,878)

(19,798)

(71,570)

(239,288)

(33,869)

General and administrative expenses (26,088)

(105,744)

(14,967)

(40,510)

(171,500)

(24,274)

Total operating expenses (236,264)

(1,450,425)

(205,294) (380,647) (2,372,825) (335,851)

Income(Loss) from operations 16,226

(160,772)

(22,755) 58,953 (68,842) (9,744)

Interest income 2,580

274

39 3,641 519 73

Realized gains from investments 1,410

23,885

3,381

1,465

36,238

5,129

Other income 91

87,722

12,416

624

149,653

21,182

Income(Loss) before provision for income

tax and loss from equity method

investments 20,307

(48,891)

(6,919)

64,683

117,568

16,640

Income tax (expenses)/benefits (4,539)

68,520

9,698 (14,557) 50,528 7,152

Income(Loss) from equity method investments 606

(1,002)

(142)

139

(1,481)

(210)

Net income 16,374

18,627

2,637 50,265 166,615 23,582

Less: Series A convertible redeemable preferred

shares redemption value accretion 7,039

-

- 16,772 - -

Less: Undistributed earnings allocated to the

participating preferred shares 1,682

-

-

4,212

-

-

Net income attributable to GSX Techedu

Inc.'s ordinary shareholders 7,653

18,627

2,637 29,281 166,615 23,582

Net income per ordinary share

















Basic 0.06

0.12

0.02

0.27

1.05

0.15

Diluted 0.06

0.11

0.02

0.25

0.99

0.14

Net income per ADS

















Basic 0.04

0.08

0.01

0.18

0.70

0.10

Diluted 0.04

0.07

0.01

0.17

0.66

0.09

Weighted average shares used in net income

per share

















Basic 120,701,922

159,135,290

159,135,290

106,542,125

159,124,542

159,124,542

Diluted 129,617,224

167,718,073

167,718,073

115,457,427

167,759,386

167,759,386



Note: Three ADS represents two ordinary shares.

GSX Techedu Inc. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures (In thousands of RMB and USD, except for share, per share and per ADS data)





For the three months ended June 30,

For the six months ended June 30,



2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020



RMB

RMB

USD RMB RMB USD Net revenues

353,679

1,650,314

233,587

622,834

2,947,894

417,247 Less: other revenues(1)

-

999

141 - 999 141 Add: VAT and surcharges 23,121

99,332

14,060 36,051 176,904 25,039 Add: ending deferred revenue 503,655

1,961,103

277,576

503,655

1,961,103

277,576 Add: ending refund liability 20,136

82,696

11,705

20,136

82,696

11,705 Less: beginning deferred revenue 291,355

1,338,791

189,494

272,041

1,337,636

189,330 Less: beginning refund liability 9,863

52,659

7,453

11,167

54,567

7,723 Gross billings (non-GAAP) 599,373

2,400,996

339,840 899,468 3,775,395 534,373

Note (1): Include miscellaneous revenues generated from services other than courses.



For the three months ended June 30,

For the six months ended June 30,

2019

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

USD RMB RMB USD Gross profit 252,490

1,289,653

182,539

439,600

2,303,983

326,107 Share-based compensation

expense in cost of revenues 4,437

15,744

2,228

4,860

29,588

4,188 Non-GAAP gross profit 256,927

1,305,397

184,767 444,460 2,333,571 330,295

















Income(Loss) from operations 16,226

(160,772)

(22,755)

58,953

(68,842)

(9,744) Share-based compensation

expenses 14,861

54,085

7,655

18,683

96,838

13,707 Non-GAAP income(loss)

from operations 31,087

(106,687)

(15,100) 77,636 27,996 3,963

















Net income 16,374

18,627

2,637

50,265

166,615

23,582 Share-based compensation

expenses 14,861

54,085

7,655

18,683

96,838

13,707 Non-GAAP net income 31,235

72,712

10,292 68,948 263,453 37,289

SOURCE GSX Techedu Inc.

Related Links

www.genshuixue.com


Blogger Constance Hall has shared a photo of her husband Denim in a trauma ward after a horror motorbike crash left him with seven broken ribs, punctured lungs and multiple infections.

The mother-of-seven updated her 1.3million fans on Facebook on Tuesday, saying that doctors in Perth imagine it will be a 'very long road ahead' towards recovery, as Denim could be seen in a neck and arm brace.

'He did a real number on himself with the back broken in four places, seven ribs broken, two punctured lungs, a fractured shoulder and broken foot, then infections to fight... it's just a miracle he's here,' Constance, 36, wrote.

Denim was riding his motorbike with a friend in Perth on August 16 when he came off his bike and had to be airlifted to hospital.

Scroll down for video

Blogger Constance Hall has shared a photo of her husband Denim (pictured) in a trauma ward after a horror motorbike crash left him with seven broken ribs, punctured lungs and multiple infections

In happier times: Constance was initially worried that the 'fairly good knock' to the head Denim received when he fell would leave him incapable of speaking, but he 'literally cannot shut up'

His wife was initially worried that the 'fairly good knock' to the head he received when he fell would leave Denim incapable of speaking, but he 'literally cannot shut up'.

'That along with the pain medication messes with his short term and long term memory quite a bit. Some days it breaks me and others he literally has me and the nurses in hysterics all day,' she said.

Denim, who has two children from a previous marriage, was moved from the ICU to a trauma ward earlier this week, and is hoping to be in a long term rehabilitation centre soon.

According to Constance her husband has been regaling nurses with stories of his youth, but she has been assured this is all temporary.

According to Constance her husband has been regaling nurses with stories of his youth, but she has been assured this is all temporary

'I have heard some of the most spiritually profound things about the other dimensions he's visited when he came out of his coma,' she said

'I have heard some of the most spiritually profound things about the other dimensions he's visited when he came out of his coma,' she said.

Constance has been splitting her time between the Perth hospital and Margaret River, where the couple live with their seven children, and relying on help from family and friends to watch their brood when she's away.

Now - after two weeks of barely leaving Denim's side - she's ready to go back to working on her Queen The Label line.

'It is my passion and I feel a little deflated without it. I need to be strong and happy for Denz with something else to focus on,' she said.

Now - after two weeks of barely leaving Denim's side - she's ready to go back to working on her Queen The Label line

Their brood consists of Constance's four children Billie-Violet, Arlo Love, twins Rumi and Snow from her previous marriage, and Denim's two sons Zeyke and Sunny

She is preparing to release elastic belts on Thursday, which Denim was heavily involved in styling during the photoshoot stage, and feels it will 'honour' her husband.

Many of her followers have been calling on Constance to create a GoFundMe page so they can contribute to Denim's medical costs, but she directed them to instead buy from her online store.

'Charity in my position makes me really uncomfortable. Selling you rad products that we have put a hell of a lot of time and thought into and I know you will love makes me feel great,' she said.

In previous posts Constance said her husband's accident was a wake up call on what matters most in their lives.

In previous posts Constance said her husband's accident was a wake up call on what matters most in their lives

'The thought of losing him has made me realise how much needs to change in our home lives so we can start putting each other first again,' she said.

'It just sucks that I needed something this horrible to make me realise I had stopped appreciating everything he does for us all.'

It comes after Constance initially asked to be 'left alone' immediately following the motorcycle crash.



'On Sunday afternoon Denz went for a motorbike ride with his mate. He had a serious accident and was flown to a hospital in Perth,' she said on August 18.

'For the children, his parents and Denz's sake the media just needs to leave us alone.

'At this point nobody knows anything. There is absolutely no way of telling what is going to happen. He is stable now and the most loved man in the world.'

Constance split from her former husband of six years Bill Mahon in April 2017 and was engaged to Denim two months later

Constance split from her former husband of six years Bill Mahon in April 2017 and was engaged to Denim two months later.

In October 2017 the couple announced they they were expecting their first child together.

Hall and Cooke tied the knot in a bohemian forest ceremony at Karriview Lodge near Margaret River, Western Australia, in January 2018 following a whirlwind romance.

Their brood consists of Constance's four children Billie-Violet, Arlo Love, twins Rumi and Snow from her previous marriage, and Denim's two sons Zeyke and Sunny.

The couple also share toddler son Raja.
Neither Joe Biden nor Kamala Harris was my first choice among the contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination in the United States. But when Biden, by then the partys presumptive nominee, announced earlier this month that Senator Harris would be his vice-presidential running mate, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

Speakers at the recently concluded Democratic National Conventionincluding some Republicans like former Ohio Governor John Kasichstressed the importance of decency and empathy in politics. And in his inspiring acceptance speech, Biden emphasized the need for America to be a light to the world once again." Listening to these words, I felt a rush of hope.

If Biden and Harris win in November, they will introduce important policy initiatives. They will improve the embarrassing US health-care system, which walls off a large section of the population from cutting-edge medical research and the worlds finest health facilities. They will try to remedy the worsening conditions confronting Americas working class, and restore some US efforts to combat climate change. But I do not think they will push for the sort of radical reforms that someone like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders would have attempted.

Nevertheless, there are two reasons to feel hopeful. First, Biden and Harris are more likely to win the election than more radical Democratic contenders would have been. Second, they will bolster the institutions that previously made America strong and restore its leadership in the world. That will be crucial: although much has been written about what Biden and Harris should do for America, they also have a global responsibility.

One of the most damaging consequences of Donald Trumps presidency has been the loss of Americas international stature. This has had a huge adverse impact, spawning populism and authoritarianism around the world.

To be sure, Americas record of global engagement is not without blemish. In the 1960s and early 1970s, for example, it was on the wrong side of history several timesincluding prosecuting the Vietnam War, tacitly supporting the overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende, and attempting to thwart Bangladeshi independence.

Fortunately, this coldly realist" US foreign policy slowly gave way to one with some moral compass and global concern. The president who deserves the greatest credit for this shift is Jimmy Carter. Although he was low-key and not good at politicking, Carter had the rare mettleevident in his moving 2018 interview with The Late Shows Stephen Colbertto be prepared to lose for a moral cause.

In todays globalized world, we must recognize that all human beings, not just all co-nationals, are born equal. Hyper-nationalism is not only bad economics, but is also morally wrong. I have no doubt that a time will come when we regard hyper-nationalismthe belief that ones compatriots are special and more deserving than othersthe way we view racism or caste systems today.

Because we currently live in a world of nation-states, nationalism is unavoidable for now. But we need leaders who can pioneer an international mindset and help to build a better future for all of humanity, including the poor and dispossessed wherever they live. This is the big responsibility that Biden and Harris must shoulder in seeking to re-establish the global leadership from which America has retreated under Trump.

On the subject of internationalism, Biden and Harris may wish to consider the thoughts of Indias first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who spoke more eloquently about these values than perhaps any other leader. Nehru fought for Indias independence, in which nationalism was obviously a driving force. But he was mindful that we have to strive for a world in which human identity takes precedence over racial, religious and national identity.

Nehru made his position clear in a remarkable 1953 letter to Indias chief ministers. The feeling of nationalism is an enlarging and widening experience for the individual or the nation," he wrote.

More especially, when a country is under foreign domination, nationalism is a strengthening and unifying force. But, a stage arrives when it might well have a narrowing influence []."

That stage arrives, Nehru believed, because Every people suffer from the strange delusion that they are the elect and better than all others. When they become strong and powerful, they try to impose themselves and their ways on others", but eventually overreach themselves, stumble, and fall".

Nehru concluded with a warning to his newly independent country. We, in India, have to be particularly careful of this because of our tradition of caste and separatism. We have a tendency to fall into separate groups and to forget the larger unity."

I shall leave it to Biden and Harris to substitute the US for India, and draw the lesson they may. And I will not give up hope that they will affirm Americas global responsibility and revive its leadership role, using it to promote the interest of all humanity. 2020/Project Syndicate

Kaushik Basu is professor of economics at Cornell University and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

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Quake hits Armenia: 28 km northwest of Jermuk

Crete island lighthouse illuminated with colors of Armenian tricolor

Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to allocate $500,000 to projects in Artsakh

Sajid Javid: Britain must learn to live with COVID-19, it could be with us forever

Erdogan suggests Putin and Zelensky meet face to face

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus meets Aliyev

US imposes sanctions on Ukrainians related to 'Russian harmful foreign activities'

Sabah: Ankara refuses to hold next Armenian-Turkish meeting in a third country

US general discusses regional security and bilateral cooperation in Armenia

Secret graves of alleged protesters discovered in Almaty

Armenian side members to Armenian-American Intergovernmental Commission confirmed

WHO advises countries to lift or ease international travel restrictions

US sanctions against Vladimir Putin, Ruben Vardanian and members of the Russian government

Armenian Foreign Ministry discusses Mirzoyan's participation in Turkey forum

Thailand to resume non-quarantine travel scheme from February 1

Instagram introduces paid subscription feature

NEWS.am daily digest: 20.01.22

Europe considers new strategy to combat COVID-19

Norwegian prosecutors refuse release Anders Breivik, 2011 mass murderer

Erdogan urges Turks to sell foreign currency for liras

Azerbaijan not yet returned about 300 sheep of Armenia villager

Media: Israeli President thinks about visiting Turkey

Dollar quite stable in Armenia

Trade turnover between Ukraine and Armenia increases by 24%

Armenia legislature speaker meets with of International Republican Institute president, and director for Eurasia

Kremlin does not exclude new call between Putin and Biden

EU Special Representative for South Caucasus to soon visit Armenia, Azerbaijan

State Duma discusses work of biolaboratories near Russia's borders

US lawmakers to parliament speaker: Armenian POWs must be returned to their homeland immediately

Security Council chief: Armenia expects OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to visit region

Armenia government does not approve plan to considerably raise minimum wage

Turkish FM: Armenian representatives invited to diplomatic forum in Antalya

Twitter suspends Mexican billionaire's account over offensive behavior

Armenian PM says Omicron strain is slowly spreading

Azerbaijan says it supports launching border delimitation process with Armenia with no conditions

Zakharova speaks on Aliyev's visit to Kyiv

Zakharova does not comment on Azerbaijan president's threats against France presidential candidate for her Artsakh visit

Cavusoglu: Steps to increase mutual trust will be discussed at next meeting with Armenia

US gives go-ahead to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send missiles and other American-made weapons to Ukraine

Zakharova: Russia, as OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, supports continuation of work in this format

Cyber attack on Red Cross: data of over 515,000 people compromised

Pashinyan: UK has been strong partner of newly independent Armenia

Israel hopes UN will unanimously condemn Holocaust denial

Armenia, Ukraine depositories sign memorandum of cooperation

Azerbaijan advises Armenia to correctly assess the new geopolitical realities and draw conclusions

Australia, UK to fight back against cyberattacks from China, Russia and Iran

Protesting residents of Armenias Parakar community march to territorial administration ministry

Armenia government approves protocol on implementation of readmission agreement with Lithuania

Iran suspends gas supplies to Turkey

MFA: Armenia has no preconditions for border delimitation

621 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Paris to have place named after Hrant Dink

Armenias Parakar enlarged community residents protesting outside government building

Turkey opposition party MPs petition for parliamentary inquiry into Hrant Dink assassination

France, Germany, Italy and Spain call on Israel to halt construction in East Jerusalem

Armenia parliament speaker in US, meets with Nancy Pelosi

Iranian MFA: Relations between Iran and Russia have moved into a new diverse, intensified direction

Biden says invasion of Ukraine will be disaster for Russia

Newspaper: Armenia PM Pashinyan plans to hold Presidents office

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc, led by ex-President Kocharyan, starting new processes

Taliban PM calls on Muslim countries to be first to formally recognize their government

Saudi Arabia records lowest temperature in 30 years

Erdogan's visit to Ukraine scheduled for February 3

Russian peacekeeping contingent establishes order of passage through Lachin corridor

French Senate votes to ban hijab at sporting events

Armenian FM: All necessary conditions to be created for Demarcation Commission work

Olaf Scholz: Borders in Europe cannot be changed by force

Lavrov presents Armenian Ambassador to Russia, with the Order of Friendship

Bill Gates warns of pandemics far more serious than COVID-19

FM on mirror withdrawal of troops: Not a single Armenian village will be left without proper protection

Macron: EU countries must work together on agreement for stability and security

PM Pashinyan assumes accountability for Armenia special representative for negotiations with Turkey

Turkey Central banks and UAE sign agreement worth almost $5 billion

Blinken: Western countries need unity to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine

Iranian President performs evening namaz in Kremlin after talks with Putin

Turkish police detain women protesting price hikes in hygiene products

Delegation headed by Chief of the Cypriot National Guard General Staff has meetings in Armenia

Merkel refuses job in UN structure

Greece receives the first batch of French Rafale fighters

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Azerbaijan hopes Pope to mediate in relations with Armenia

Talks between presidents of Russia and Iran start in Kremlin

Armenian FM: This is not first time Baku makes nonconstructive statements

Armenian Investigative Committee: 3,809 people die in the 44-day war

Ombudsman: I urge not to give in to Azerbaijani manipulations, to visit Artsakh

Armenian FM: Armenia passes a package of proposals to Azerbaijan

France names the main favorite of presidential election

Garo Paylan concludes address in Turkey parliament in Armenian

Russian Foreign Ministry believes there is no risk of large-scale war in Europe

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Sharmazanov: Armenia ex-President Sargsyan did not decide to hold press conference, he did not change his mind

Blinken: Russia has plans to increase force on Ukraine borders

:       

Azerbaijani military participate in Turkish drills

Taliban say all conditions for recognizing legitimacy of government are met

Azerbaijan MFA statement distorts events of Armenian massacres in Baku 32 years ago

Karabakh ombudsmans office: Azerbaijans anti-Armenian, genocidal policy has clear chronology

US official, Barzani are photographed against backdrop of Greater Armenia and Kurdistan map

Armenia ex-defense minister, army General Staff chief, some others criminal case court hearing kicks off

FM: Most important direction continues to be international recognition of Artsakh
Big name: Dame Helena Morrissey made her name in fund management

Female fund managers have outperformed their male colleagues so far this year, according to research.

The investment industry has had a rollercoaster ride since the start of the pandemic, trying to cope with volatile markets and spot the next big trends.

But Goldman Sachs found that women have done best. The average female-managed fund has lagged its benchmark by 0.6 per cent this year  while the average fund with no woman as a manager underperformed by 1.6 per cent.

The investment bank told clients: 'Female-managed funds withstood many of the market swings.'

A number of senior women in UK financial services made their name in fund management, including Dame Helena Morrissey, Nichola Pease and Nicola Horlick.

Currently the likes of Aberdeen Standard's Lesley Duncan, and the Herald Investment Trust's Katie Potts, are at the top of their game.

The edge which women have was still evident when Goldman adjusted for the riskiness of different funds.

Part of their stronger performance was due to the types of stocks which the female-managed funds tend to hold.

They have a greater exposure to the tech sector, which has been booming as investors have piled in to take advantage of the expected growth of companies like Amazon and Apple.

Male-managed funds, on the other hand, prefer investing in financial companies.

Despite the better performance which women have achieved, there are still few female fund managers around.

Goldman said that out of the 496 large-cap funds it has analysed recently, 14 have an all-female fund manager team, and 380 have an all-male team.

And even though they tend to perform better, the female-managed funds have seen investors pull more money out since the start of the year than their male-managed counterparts.
But when we got to the cemetery, I found that Brian had his own individual grave, and Bobby was to be buried in his own individual grave between mom and Brian.

Then came another surprise: Brians grave also contained the small casket of my moms lost infant, the sister I never knew, and whose name I now learned was Mary Amelia Dorsel. The only way I found this out was because it was listed on a faded, 76-year-old index card that the cemetery caretaker showed me. Quite a shock to find out that just as I was losing a brother, I was finding a sister, and she was united in the same grave with my own lost son.

Today, Bobbys life might have been very different, but with the knowledge of the time, his mom and dad did the best they could and what they thought best for him over a lifetime. The one other thoughtful consideration all along was their concern that I, and my eventual family, would not be burdened with caring for Bobby. I never was, my family never was, and I am just happy that Bobby and I could reconnect in his final years, and that I could make a last, quiet pilgrimage with him to his final resting place, where he and his parents (and sister) can now rest in peace.

Dr. Tom Dorsel is a professor emeritus at FMU, now living and working as a clinical/sport psychologist on Hilton Head Island. Visit him on Facebook and at Dorsel.com.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex shocked the world when they stepped down from being senior royals earlier this year. The couple has since been spending most of their time in North America. They stayed in Canada for some time before moving to Southern California, where they recently bought a home.

Although the Sussexes seem to be getting comfortable in California, some fans think it would have made more sense for Harry and Meghan to live in Canada instead of Los Angeles.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent a few months in Canada earlier this year

In late 2019, Harry and Meghan went to Vancouver Island, Canada. It was initially thought that this would simply be a short trip abroad for the couple and their son, Archie. However, Harry and Meghan ended up staying in Canada until March 2020.

In Canada, the Sussexes stayed in a $14 million mansion. It comes with 5 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a cottage, and more. The mansion is located in a rather secluded area with a lot of privacy and security for the world-famous family.

Harry and Meghan moved to L.A. in March

RELATED: Fans Believe Prince Harry Failed Meghan Markle In 1 Important Way

In late March, Harry and Meghan decided to move to Los Angeles just as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was picking up in the United States.

For the first few months, the Sussexes stayed in Tyler Perrys $18 million mansion in Beverly Hills. It comes with 8 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. The house is also located in a gated community.

However, in early August, it was revealed that Harry and Meghan had purchased a home of their own in Montecito, a city located in Santa Barbara County. The house was bought for $14.7 million and has lots of amenities, including 9 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, saunas, a library, and an arcade.

With the pandemic happening, Harry and Meghan have not attended many events. The couple seems to be spending their time meeting with various nonprofit organizations as well as doing charity work.

Why do some fans think Harry and Meghan should have stayed in Canada?

RELATED: There Is Reportedly a Lot of Jealousy and Competition Between Royals

While Harry and Meghan are getting comfortable in California, some fans think it would have made more sense for them to just stay in Canada, especially since they are British royals and Canada is part of the British Commonwealth.

I know theres a bunch of reasons why they didnt  mainly that Meghan wanted to live in LA  and there were probably legal issues about staying when neither are citizens. However, living in a Commonwealth country would have at least made their weird pseudo-royal charity visits make more sense  they could have been some sort of Canadian arm of the BRF, one person wrote on Reddit.

The person also added that Canada could offer the Sussexes more relief from the press than L.A., the center of celebrity culture, writing, Theres no celebrity scene there so no paparazzi, and theyd definitely have more privacy in their day-to-day life.

Other users agreed, with one even saying Canada would have been a good compromise to Harry and Meghan wanting to be away from the British press.

Of course, it is not clear if this idea was ever brought up in the royal family. However, it seems Harry and Meghan ultimately decided living in L.A. was the best option for them.
Oregon sheriffs have rejected a request by Gov. Kate Brown to send personnel and resources to help keep the peace and protect free speech in Portland. Its not that the sheriffs dont want to help keep the peace. Its just that they dont believe Portland is serious about accomplishing this.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said, through a spokesperson, that in Portland its about changing policy, not adding resources. Truer words have seldom been spoken.

Roberts explained:

The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DAs Office. The next night they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again.

Why should Roberts put the safety of his men on the line in a jurisdiction not his own that operates so stupidly?

Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett (a famous name in sheriff history) also declined to send his people to Portland. He promised to support the Portland police in indirect ways, like analyzing risks associated with social media, air support, assisting with a specific criminal investigation, etc. In other words, his department will assist in ways that wont expose his folks to the physical risk inherent in Portlands lax approach to dealing with thugs.

As Garrett put it:

The lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if deputies were deployed directly.

The Oregon Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police also issued a joint statement. It said:

These are incredibly challenging times in Oregon and throughout our Country. Law Enforcement has clearly heard and recognizes the need to make improvements to ensure it is meeting the needs of all communities it serves. With that said, abandoning Law Enforcement or the need for policing, is not working. It has only shown that it undermines the rule of law and puts our community at greater risk. Over the weekend, members of our associations were approached to assist with policing in the City of Portland. Unfortunately, due to the lack of support for public safety operations, the associated liability to agencies who would be assisting in Portland and the lack of accountability for those arrested committing criminal acts, we cannot dedicate our limited resources away from the communities we serve.

In response to this clear repudiation of left-liberal policing polices, the best Brown could do was to say that her plan is meant to allow for this kind of flexibility in supporting each other as we all collectively deal with the difficult situation in Portland.

File that one under more mush from the wimp.

While Mayor Wheeler and Gov. Brown fiddle, Portland burns.
Ashgabat hosted the founding meeting of the International Association of Turkmen Alabai with headquarters in the capital city of Turkmenistan. The forum brought together via video link about 200 delegates, including heads and leading specialists of a number of Turkmen ministries, departments, public associations, the mass media, as well as representatives of foreign cynological federations, associations, clubs and research centers.

The meeting discussed issues relating to reorganization of the Association of Turkmen Alabai by replacing it with the International Association of Turkmen Alabai. Speaking at the meeting, the participants noted that the Association of Turkmen Alabai was established in May 2020 with the prime objective of preserving and developing the traditions of the national school of dog breeding, application of national methods of selection and modern scientific achievements for this breed of dogs and their popularization in the world.

Foreign participants of the meeting also supported the initiative to establish the International Association of Turkmen Alabai with headquarters in Ashgabat. Following the discussion, the delegates unanimously decided to establish the International Association of Turkmen Alabai with headquarters in Ashgabat. The delegates also approved the charter of the organization and granted membership to foreign participants. The International Association of Turkmen Alabai now accounts for 25 members from 11 countries, such as Georgia, Russia, France, Armenia, China, Iran, Turkey, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

Minister of Industry and Construction Production of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov was nominated as chairman of the association. Following the voting, Serdar Berdimuhamedov was unanimously elected to this position. Private dog breeder Annageldi Yazmyradov was elected deputy chairman of the organization.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2022
Australia has suffered its deepest economic contraction since the 1930s with new figures showing GDP collapsing by 7 per cent through the June quarter.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday confirmed the nation's first recession since 1990-1991 with the economy shrinking by 6.3 per cent over the past 12 months.

Australia is now officially in recession. Credit:Bloomberg

Australia's previous worst quarterly result was 2 per cent in June 1974 during the first global oil shock.

Australia's worst annual result occurred in 1930, during the depths of the Great Depression, when the economy shrank by an estimated 10 per cent. The economy is estimated to have contracted by 5 per cent in the wake of World War II as military production ended.
MSNBC host Joy Reid has been accused of Islamophobia after comparing radicalized supporters of President Donald Trump to 'the way Muslims act'.

Reid's comments came on Monday during her new 7pm show, ReidOut, as she discussed the murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha and political violence in Portland.

'When leaders, let's say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are 'radicalizing' these people, particularly when they're radicalizing young people,' Reid said.

'That's how we talk about the way Muslims act,' she added. 'When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?'

MSNBC host Joy Reid (left) has been accused of Islamophobia after comparing President Donald Trump's supporters to 'the way Muslims act' on her program

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: 'Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.'

'We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,' Omar added.

Reid did not address the controversy on her show on Tuesday, but wrote in a tweet on Tuesday night: 'Theres been some thoughtful commentary but also some willful distortion of the points I tried to make yesterday. Well discuss in more depth tomorrow on the show!'

Reid's remarks drew swift backlash. Zakir Khan, board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oregon, said in a tweet that the comments were 'so unbelievably Islamophobic it's ridiculous.'

Khan asked whether Reid planned to apologize for the way she 'stereotype[d] an entire group of Muslims.'

In her remarks, Reid referred to Trump liking a tweet praising Rittenhouse, who is charged with murder after fatally shooting two people during a violent confrontation in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (above), a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: 'Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous'

Trump went further at a press conference on Monday, telling DailyMail.com that the 17-year-old Rittenhouse 'probably would have been killed' if he had not opened fire.

Rittenhouse's attorney has said that the teen clearly acted in self-defense while he was being attacked by a violent mob.

Reid also referenced a video of a Trump supporter appearing to fire a paintball gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon on Friday.

Later the same day, a Trump supporter in Portland was fatally shot in the back of the head in an apparent act of political violence. Police are reportedly investigating a self-confessed member of Antifa for the killing.

Reid, 51, in July took over MSNBC's 7pm time slot from 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' after the host was forced to resign in March over allegations of sexist workplace behavior and several on-air missteps.

Reid's ratings have dropped precipitously since her launch week in July, according to Nielsen data reviewed by DailyMail.com. Above, she is pictured at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival

After MSNBC touted Reid's ratings for the first week of her show, which launched on July 20, the show's viewership has dropped off precipitously, according to Nielsen data reviewed by DailyMail.com.

For the week ending August 28, Reid was down in 16 percent in total viewers and 7 percent in the prized 25-54 age demographic, compared to her launch week.

Monday's remarks were not the first time Reid has come under criticism for alleged anti-Muslim comments.

In 2018, anti-gay remarks were found on her old blog from posts in 2006, which she blamed on hackers at the time.

Other 2006 blog posts then came to light, including one that stated 'current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression, and thus, I'd say, with the Bushian dream of Western style democracy for all.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:52:39|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) said on Wednesday it has jointly launched a 14.3 million U.S. dollar intervention program to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on the continent's coffee sector.

IACO said it has teamed up with the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) to design an emergency intervention program to ease the pain caused by the pandemic on the sector.

The initiative aims to alleviate market disruptions, food, nutrition, and income security challenges facing millions of smallholder coffee farmers across 11 countries for an initial three-year period, IACO secretary-general Fred Kawuma said in a statement.

"This pandemic has dealt a major blow to the coffee economy. World prices were already bad for producers at the beginning of the year before COVID-19," he said. "The outbreak worsened the downward trend in coffee price to the disadvantage of vulnerable smallholder producers."

"This is why we are working towards building resilience that will protect our producers," Kawuma said.

The ICO projects a loss of exports valued between 100 million U.S. dollars and 200 million dollars, potentially affecting 6.6 million jobs in the coffee sector, particularly in the east Africa region.

It said COVID-19 has revealed the critical weakness of the agricultural systems in Africa, and particularly the growing concern of its coffee value chain.

According to IACO, the risk posed by COVID-19 on Africa's agricultural sector remains critical, given the sector accounts for 23 percent of the continent's gross domestic product, with food and agricultural exports averaging 35 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars annually.

Out of this, agricultural products, including coffee and food, worth 8 billion dollars flow through intra-regional trade every year, according to a McKinsey's report calling for the need to safeguard Africa's food systems against the pandemic.

The organizations said the program adds to support systems and agricultural practices that will ensure sustainable intensification of smallholder coffee farming systems in a manner that ensures income security devoid of the price shocks in the international markets, guarantee food and nutrition security of the smallholder coffee systems, and promote the creation of entrepreneurial jobs beyond farming, both in the rural and urban areas.

Activities along the entire value chains across the continent have been disrupted, leading to stockpiling of coffee at farm levels, reduced price to growers, reduced domestic consumption due to closures of coffee roasting units, cessation of movements and meetings, and closure of distribution outlets.

Denis Seudieu, chief economist of the ICO, said the program will focus on building a system where coffee smallholders are enabled to earn living incomes by systematically incorporating high-value nutritious crops that provide income during coffee off-seasons.

"It will consequently ensure that producing countries remain food secure amid reduced food imports due to COVID-19 and mitigate any future disruptions," Seudieu said.

The organizations said the resilience created will make operators eligible for loan financing requests and the ability to consolidate their investments, thus creating business for the banks.

"In addition to ensuring income, food and nutrition security, the proposed complementary crops will form the basis for developing rural-based small and medium enterprises in aggregation, grading, packaging and distribution of coffee and produce from the associated crops," said CABI regional director Morris Akiri. Enditem
Facebook has said that it will now remove any content that could pose regulatory or legal problems for the company.

Effective October 1, 2020, section 3.2 of our Terms of Service will be updated to include: 'We also can remove or restrict access to your content, services or information if we determine that doing so is reasonably necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to Facebook, reads the companys new terms and conditions.

The change comes as the social media giant, and other technology companies, are having to deal with new threats against their ecosystems from governments.

Recently, the company said that it would no longer allow local or international news to be published in Australia if new legislation was passed that would make it pay for news content put on its platform.

It would allow news publishers to bargain with Facebook for a price for publishing content, as the current circumstance has resulted in news media businesses accepting less favourable terms for the inclusion of news on digital platform services than they would otherwise agree to.

Recommended Facebook and Twitter take down Russian network

Facebook said the decision defies logic and would harm Australias news ecosystem.

"This global update provides more flexibility for us to change our services, including in Australia, to continue to operate and support our users in response to potential regulation or legal action," a spokesperson said.

Recently, president Trump also proposed a change to Section 230, a piece of American legislation that protects all companies from legal liability from content posted by its users.

It came as Twitter decided to fact-check the presidents tweets which incorrectly linked voting by mail to election fraud.

The president said that the legislation gave companies unchecked power. Many conservatives, including the president, have stated that platforms protected by Section 230 need to be politically neutral. This is untrue.

At the time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that social media companies should not be the arbiter of truth and criticised Twitters decision.

Facebook has consistently struggled with handling freedom of speech on its platforms. It recently introduced an oversight board which would oversee the most challenging content issues for the social network.

The social media company established the board in an attempt to ensure free expression is protected when it comes up against against Facebooks terms of service.

In an op-ed written at the time, the four co-chairs of the committee the four co-chairs of the board said that they were independent of Facebook and that decisions would be made based on the judgement of the members rather than what would be beneficial to the social media company.

It is unclear how this recent change to Facebooks terms of service would interact with the oversight board.
Gov. Pritzker's COVID update for Wednesday

College students, beware: You could temporarily lose your spot on campus  or worse, get expelled  for partying with your peers this fall.

It happened at Purdue University in Indiana, where 36 students received summary suspensions earlier this month for attending an off-campus gathering that lacked face masks and social distancing, just hours after a warning from administrators.

The Ohio State University issued about 225 interim suspensions for off-campus parties and gatherings between Aug. 19 and 23, spokesman Benjamin Johnson said. More than half of the suspensions were lifted after students showed they did not attend, host or participate in unsafe activities, Johnson said.

And on the East Coast, Pennsylvania State University suspended a fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, and its student leaders for holding an event with 70 people on Aug. 22, while Syracuse University in New York took action after a large group of freshmen met up in a campus quad.

As colleges across the country allow students to return for fall classes, many are ramping up enforcement of new rules to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The stakes are high: Universities that cant contain the virus on campus have paused in-person classes or reverted to remote learning entirely, sending students home for the rest of the semester.

In recent weeks, some colleges have said they will check social media to monitor student behavior, review security footage when students mingle in large groups and, most severely, kick students out of classes for violating school policy.

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the states largest college, disciplinary cases are pending as well, according to spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

As of Monday, two students were issued interim suspensions, one faced disciplinary action and a fraternity -- Pi Kappa Phi -- was placed on interim suspension, Kaler said.

The suspended students were accused of hosting a large apartment party Friday and violating a quarantine order Saturday, Kaler said. The fraternity was also accused of hosting a large party this weekend. The student facing discipline allegedly posted a social media video showing how to override the schools COVID-19 tracking application, Kaler said.

In Indiana, the University of Notre Dame, which confronted a surge in infections attributed to off-campus parties, is also cracking down on irresponsible behavior but assured students the information would not be used against them if it was volunteered during contact tracing.

We will continue to adhere to this policy because we want students to be forthright with us so that we can discover the source of the infections in order to keep the community safe, said the Rev. John Jenkins, the schools president, during a recent video address.

But if Notre Dame learns about serious violations from other sources, they will be referred to the university conduct review process, Jenkins said.

Also in the Hoosier state, Indiana Universitys board of trustees passed a policy Aug. 5 underscoring that students who fail or refuse to comply with health and safety directives related to COVID-19 can be suspended or expelled.

That policy will be applied to a recent gathering of about 100 people off campus in Bloomington. A video of the event circulated on Twitter but has since been removed from public viewing.

IU spokesman Chuck Carney said the school began contacting involved students last week and planned to issue suspensions, though he did not know how many students were affected. The off-campus party violated local prohibitions on gatherings of more than 50 people, he said. The city has since reduced the limit to 15.

With many Illinois colleges beginning classes in the last two weeks, few local examples have yet to emerge. But many of the policies are consistent with whats transpired at other campuses.

In one of the more forceful approaches, Northwestern University is effectively enlisting nearby residents to help monitor off-campus behavior.

During a community town hall last week, Interim Dean of Students Mona Dugo asked neighbors in Evanston to use an online form to report social gatherings that dont follow health precautions. She said that providing photo evidence and specific information, such as the address of the event, will help NU follow up.

On its website, NU says students who dont comply with a host of requirements for returning to campus -- such as taking an online safety training -- could be subject to disciplinary action.

Northwestern will address the range of student behaviors, from isolated low-level incidents, like failure to wear a face covering, to the most severe cases, such as hosting a gathering that does not comply with expectations, that could lead to suspension or expulsion, the website says.

In addition, students must agree to a set of community standards that includes social distancing, limiting gatherings, hygiene protocols and cleaning shared surfaces.

Northwestern had been planning to open residence halls to everyone but announced Friday that only third- and fourth-year and graduate students would be allowed to return for classes, which starts Sept. 16.

The University of Illinois at Chicago will also suspend or expel students, in accordance with its student disciplinary policy, based on the severity of the misconduct, spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez said.

UIC expects that all students comply with all public health directives made by the university, local and state officials, she said in an email, adding that students can report concerns about peers or student organizations with an online form.

Students were also asked to sign a pledge that states violations of COVID-19 protocols can be reviewed by the Office of the Dean of Students and possibly result in campus restrictions or disciplinary action.

At Purdue, students learned their lesson quickly.

On Aug. 19, Purdue announced its code of conduct had been amended to include repercussions for violating its student pledge -- called the Protect Purdue Pledge. The revisions spelled out the consequences for students caught partying without masks and without social distancing.

On the same day, Dean of Students Katherine Sermersheim emphasized Purdues stance in an online message. She said Purdue was taking a hard line on misconduct and cautioned: If you dont abide by rules, there is no place for you here.

But that night, officials learned about a gathering at an off-campus residence. And the next day, Purdue moved to suspend 36 students who allegedly partied at the Circle Pines Mens Cooperative.

A school spokesman said the organization and the students can appeal the suspension, and that a final decision will be made after an administrative hearing.

Students had to sign the Protect Purdue Pledge and were told that violating it could lead to disciplinary action, spokesman Tim Doty said in an email, stressing that the expectations were clearly communicated.

Asked if more gatherings had subsequently come to light, Doty said that Purdue will not comment on every alleged party or student disciplinary investigation.

Kaler of UIUC said administrators will respond to student misconduct based on the frequency and severity of reports.

Hosting a large event without masks or social distancing could be considered an egregious act, resulting in interim suspension or dismissal, according to a summary of the protocol provided by UIUC.

Students will also have to follow local regulations prohibiting large gatherings, or face fines.

The cities of Urbana and Champaign both recently issued orders capping parties at 10 people -- excluding the host, the hosts immediate family or other members of the household. Hosts can be fined up to $750 per violation per day.

UIUC informed students about the emergency orders, which were implemented immediately, through an email Aug. 20.

Kaler said conduct complaints will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and that educating students about the new expectations is a priority.

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Homes are one of the biggest investments that people make throughout their lifetimes. Mr. Cooper is here to help people finance their homes and is one of the top lenders in the entire country.

Mr. Cooper is one of the largest home loan servicers and a leading home loan lender in the country, with nearly 4 million customers and 9,000 team members, focused on providing homeowners with products and tools that put their home, rather than their loan, at the center of their experience. Our team members are committed to providing a customer-centric experience and offering innovative digital tools to help homeowners better understand how their home fits into their broader financial picture. With industry-best recapture rates, Mr. Cooper strives to help customers achieve their financial goals, whether that means purchasing their first home, saving money through refinance, or owning their forever home.

What makes Mr. Cooper different from others in the lending industry is their passion for creating a customer-centric home loan experience by providing digital tools and helpful resources to better educate and assist homeowners.

The Mr. Cooper team aims to go well beyond the initial loan origination transaction and has invested in resources that put the "service" back into mortgage servicing. With a servicing portfolio of nearly $600 billion and approximately 4 million customers, Mr. Cooper believes homeowners can benefit from more self-service options and greater educational resources to demystify the mortgage experience. Mr. Cooper wants to meet customers where they want to be met - whether it's on the web or on a mobile device, over the phone, or even through live chat. Plus, they are innovating on the backend to ensure team members are better able to easily meet the needs of customers.

To make the process even easier, Mr. Cooper designed an app to help people understand their situation and provide better information on their loan choices. This app was rated incredibly well by customers and the industry.

The Mr. Cooper with Home Intelligence mobile app provides current customers with valuable insights about their home that they can use to better understand how it is an asset that fits into their broader financial picture and then leverage it intelligently. Through Home Intelligence, a winner of the 2020 HousingWire Tech100 awards, Mr. Cooper was able to arm customers with more information about the value of their homes, personalized ways to save money, and methods for managing their debts.

This app, along with Mr. Cooper's ingenuity, allows the company to generate options for customers within a matter of seconds to find the best loan for them.

Mr. Cooper is committed to providing the best end-to-end tools to agents to help customers with their best home loan solutions. During the sales process, agents can generate thousands of home loan options in a matter of seconds that can help a customer obtain the best home loan solution. The options can be readily shared with customers with minimal impact to the customer's credit. Mr. Cooper works to ensure that the loan process goes smoothly all the way from application to funding. Sales, processing, and underwriting teams are equipped with the best rules engine that streamlines information and processes, including system-generated loan conditions, customer "to-do" lists, and task-based workflows, from various applications and unifies them in one place to ensure consistency in data while simultaneously optimizing workflows. Workflow tools create a faster process to originate loans than the existing mortgage process. By creating a workflow tool using data and business rules to automate and prioritize tasks for optimal efficiency, Mr. Cooper reduces cycle times and costs to originate loans, ultimately driving revenues and better positioning the company for future growth, while continuing to delight customers. Virtual agent tools provide agents with all the existing customer data to streamline the entire process from application to funding.

You can check out Mr. Cooper's Instagram here.

CONTACT:

Paula Henderson

646-736-2071

phendersonnews@gmail.com

About VIP Media Group:

VIP Media Group is a hybrid PR agency. Their diverse client base includes top-class entrepreneurs, public figures, influencers, and celebrities.

SOURCE: VIP Media Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604491/Here-Is-Why-Mr-Cooper-Is-One-Of-The-Top-Mortgage-Companies-To-Work-For-And-Why-You-Should-Join-Their-Team
Former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 10 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday.

On the heels of back-to-back political party conventions and a climate of growing unrest in the country, likely voters support Biden over Trump 52-42 percent.

This is the first survey of likely voters in the 2020 presidential election race by the Quinnipiac University Poll. A total of 93 percent of Democrats support Biden, while 90 percent of Republicans back Trump. Independents support Biden 50-40 percent.

Is the country better or worse than 2016?

Likely voters say 58-38 percent that the country is worse off than it was in 2016, the year of the last presidential election.

Republicans say 84-15 percent the country is better off, Democrats say 95-4 percent it is worse off, and independents say 60-36 percent it is worse off.

With 6 in 10 likely voters feeling the country has lost ground, the president stares down a big gap to make up in a short time, Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a release announcing the results.

Racism: A big problem in the US

Three-quarters of likely voters agree on one thing: that racism is a big problem in the United States.

Overall, 75 percent say it's a big problem, while 23 percent say it is not a big problem.

Broken down by party, 97 percent of Democrats say it's a big problem, and independents say 72-25 percent say it's a big problem. Republicans, however, are split with 51 percent saying it's a big problem and 45 percent saying it is not.

"Overall, the majority of likely voters agree as to what has been described as America's original sin. They see racism as pervasive, Malloy said.

Biden vs. Trump on the issues

Likely voters are split 48-48 percent when asked whether Biden or Trump would do a better job handling the economy.

Asked about handling four other key issues, Biden holds a clear lead: On handling racial inequality, Biden would do a better job 58-36 percent, according to the poll.

On handling the response to the coronavirus, Biden would do a better job 56-40 percent, the poll found.

On handling health care, Biden would do a better job 55-41 percent, according to the poll.

On handling a crisis, Biden would do a better job 53-43 percent, the poll indicated.

More safe, less safe

Fifty percent of likely voters say having Trump as president makes them feel less safe, while 35 percent say it makes them feel more safe, and 14 percent say it doesn't have any impact on how they feel.

Forty-two percent of likely voters say having Biden as president would make them feel more safe, while 40 percent say it would make them feel less safe, and 16 percent say it wouldn't have any impact.

While the president has been pushing the issue of safety to the center of the presidential campaign, it raises the question: Who most has your back, the current administration, or the challengers?

As racial strife, a seemingly endless pandemic, and an economy on life support unnerve Americans, voters foresee a more reliable lifeline in the Biden Harris ticket, Malloy said.

Favorability ratings: Biden and Harris

Biden receives a mixed favorability rating, as 45 percent have a favorable opinion and 48 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

For Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, 40 percent of likely voters have a favorable opinion of her, 34 percent have an unfavorable opinion, and 25 percent haven't heard enough about her.

Favorability ratings: Trump and Pence

Likely voters give Trump a negative favorability rating with 56 percent having an unfavorable opinion and 41 percent viewing him favorably.

Vice President Mike Pences favorability rating stands at 47 percent of likely voters who have an unfavorable opinion of him and 38 percent view him favorably.

Mail-in and absentee ballots, early in-person voting

More than 4 in 10 of likely voters, 45 percent, say they think they will vote in person on Election Day.

Just over one-third, 35 percent, say they think they will vote early by mail or absentee ballot, and 16 percent say they think they will vote at an early voting location.

There are sharp divides along political party lines when it comes to the most popular mode of casting a ballot.

A majority of Republicans, 64 percent, think they will vote in person, while a slim majority of Democrats, 51 percent, think they will vote by mail or absentee ballot.

Among independents, a plurality, 45 percent, say they think they will vote in person.

Trump job approval

Trump receives a negative job approval rating with 43 percent of likely voters approving of the job he's doing and 54 percent disapproving.

He gets higher marks on his handling of the economy, with voters split 49-49 percent.

Coronavirus response

Most likely voters disapprove of the way Trump is handling the response to the coronavirus with 57 percent disapproving and 41 percent approving.

More than half of likely voters, 55-39 percent, think Trump is hurting rather than helping efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus outlook

Overall, likely voters are evenly split on whether the coronavirus situation in the United States is getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same.

Thirty-three percent say better, 32 percent say worse, and 32 percent say the same.

Along party lines, a majority of Republicans, 64 percent, say it's getting better, while a majority of Democrats, 56 percent, say it's getting worse.

Independents are mixed: 38 percent say the same, 32 percent say better, and 27 percent say worse.

More than 6 in 10 likely voters, 61 percent, say they either personally know someone who's been infected with the coronavirus or have been infected themselves.

The economy

Sixty percent of likely voters describe the economy as "not so good" or "poor," while 37 percent describe it as "excellent" or "good."

Views on the economy vary greatly depending on political affiliation.

Seventy-four percent of Republicans describe it as "excellent" or "good," 88 percent of Democrats describe it as "not so good" or "poor," and 64 percent of independents describe it as "not so good" or "poor."

A total of 1,081 likely voters nationwide were surveyed from Aug. 28-31 with a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points.

To read the complete poll results, click here.
The accused have been chargesheeted for their affiliation with the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State/Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Khorasan Province and for conspiring to create disaffection against government

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against five people for their alleged association with the banned Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of Islamic State, officials said.

Those chargesheeted include Jahanzaib Sami of Delhi; Hina Bashir, a native of Kashmir; Abdullah Basith, a resident of Hyderabad; and Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Pune.

The chargesheet was filed in a special court in Delhi.

The accused have been chargesheeted for their affiliation with the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State/ISKP and for conspiring to create disaffection against government, promoting enmity among different religious communities and for committing subversive activities in connection with the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

An article in The Hindu published in July had revealed that Shaikh and Khatri had been arrested by the NIA earlier, and had been on the police radar since 2015 when Shaikh was still a college student. She was intercepted at a time when she was exposed to Islamic State recruiters via social media and was planning to leave the country to join the terrorist organistaion in Syria.

She was counselled by the Maharashtra Police and let go after a brief detention. However, her name cropped up again in 2018 when she was detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2018 after they suspected her of planning a terrorist attack. The Jammu and Kashmir police had to release her after interrogation as they did not find sufficient proof to keep her under detention.

Sami and Bashir are a married couple from Kashmir who were detained on 8 March by the Delhi Police from their rented accommodation in Jamia Nagar. They were detained on charges of instigating anti-CAA protests and for having links to the banned ISKP organistaion. A Scroll report from the time of their arrest said that both had left the Valley for higher education. Sami got a BTech degree and post-graduate degree in management. Bashir had a bachelors in computer applications and a masters in business administration from Pune.

Another Hindustan Times report from the time quoted unnamed senior police officials as saying that the couple had been in touch with senior ISKP members in Afghanistan to exploit the ongoing agitation against the amended citizenship law to incite Muslim youth to carry out terror strikes. They also claimed that Sami had also been in touch with Huzaifa al-Bakistani, the Pakistani commander of the Islamic States Khorasan wing who played a key role in efforts to radicalise Kashmiri youth. The report said that the couple were primarily involved in spreading propaganda for ISKP and Islamic State.

Hyderabad-based Abdullah Basith was first arrested by NIA in August 2018 for his alleged links with Islamic State terror modules. A report in The New Indian Express claimed that Basith was in regular touch with Matin Azizi-Yarand, a US teen who was arrested by the FBI in May 2018 for mass shooting at a Dallas mall. The article said that Basith also came up on the Hyderabad Police's radar in 2015 but was later released on bail after which he started propagating Islamic State propaganda on social media sites, including Instagram, using five different devices and several fake accounts to throw the security agencies off his trail.

With inputs from PTI
Sept 2 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

** Belarussian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said in an interview with The Globe and Mail that she had asked Canada to help mediate the crisis in Belarus. https://tgam.ca/2YX9WzH

** Health Canada has confirmed that it will review applications for at-home COVID-19 testing devices after recently stating that it would not do so. https://tgam.ca/32Tczn8

** Payment processing company Nuvei Corp has filed to go public on the Toronto Stock Exchange, capitalizing on a surge in investor interest in digital technology stocks as the pandemic has forced more commerce online. https://tgam.ca/2QOW0mY

NATIONAL POST

** Cross-border truck traffic between Canada and the United States  that dropped steeply when the pandemic hit  is returning to near-normal levels, signalling liftoff for economic recovery. https://bit.ly/31OXCTN

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
Regulatory News:

Air Liquide (Paris:AI) announces a long-term supply agreement with Eastman Chemical Company to provide additional gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and syngas supporting Eastman's growth and production in Longview, Texas. Air Liquide will invest more than 160 million U.S. dollars to modernize existing assets and build a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) and Partial Oxidation Unit (POX).

With this agreement and additional production capacity of the new ASU and POX, Air Liquide will supply Eastman gaseous oxygen and nitrogen, as well as syngas.The new ASU and POX will begin production in late 2021 and will be integrated into the existing facilities.

The new POX will use the company's patented Lurgi technology and will capture and recycle CO2, reducing the carbon intensity of operations, in line with the Group's 2025 Climate Objectives.

"This project and supply agreement reflect Eastman's focus to invest in growth opportunities through strategic partnerships to create positive economic and environmental benefits," said Mark Costa, Eastman's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Eastman has deep roots in the greater Longview area and remains one of the area's largest employers after 70 years of operation in Harrison County. We are committed to our community and appreciate the continued support of community leaders, our dedicated employees, and our operating partners."

Michael J. Graff, Executive Vice President and Executive Committee Member, Air Liquide Group, said: "Air Liquide is pleased to further its longstanding relationship with Eastman with another significant investment at its Longview site in east Texas, the world's single largest production facility of its type, and to further demonstrate Air Liquide's ongoing commitment to deliver innovative technologies and safe, reliable and sustainable solutions for industry."

Air Liquide Large Industries activity

Air Liquide Large Industries offers gas and energy solutions that improve process efficiency and help achieve greater respect for the environment, mainly in the refining and natural gas, chemicals, metals and energy markets. In 2019, revenues were 5,629 million.

Air Liquide in the United States

Air Liquide employs more than 20,000 people in the U.S. in more than 1,300 locations and plant facilities including a world-class R&D center. The company offers industrial and medical gases, technologies and related services to a wide range of customers in energy, petrochemical, industrial, electronics and healthcare markets. www.airliquide.com/USA

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 67,000 employees and serves more than 3.7 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902.

Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders.

Air Liquide's revenue amounted to 22 billion euros in 2019 and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than 40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005727/en/

Contacts:

Corporate Communications

media@airliquide.com

Investor Relations

IRTeam@airliquide.com

Air Liquide Corporate Communications, Americas

Cassandra Mauel

+713 548-6056
Prince William has been condemned by animal rights activists for introducing Prince George to grouse shooting. Letting the poor lad watch could damage his psyche, they claim. Speaking of macho behaviour, Boris Johnson has been condemned for introducing Tony Abbott to the wilds of British politics. Even Tory MPs are worried that the misogynist ex-Australian PM could damage our fractured national psyche. The right-wingers attempts to hunt down a role on our post-Brexit Board of Trade dont seem to be going too well.

Inside the bubble

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today:
BROOKLYN, Ohio

Shoplifting: Brookpark Road

On Aug. 23, a Walmart employee observed a shopper steal merchandise from the Brookpark Road store. An arriving officer talked to the employee, who said three men had come in to return a television. They were given a full refund.

At that point, the three thieves selected a new television and left the store without paying for it. Police were unable to locate the suspects.

Resisting arrest: Biddulph Road

On Aug. 23, police were dispatched to Giant Eagle after an employee observed a customer stealing items from the Biddulph Road store.

An arriving officer talked to the employee, who said the man had taken various items and left the store without paying. The officer located the shoplifters car.

While attempting to arrest the Cleveland man, the suspect resisted. After being restrained, he was taken to jail.

During a search of his vehicle, police found a concealed weapon. The man was charged with theft, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest and possessing criminal tools.

Theft: Brookpark Road

On Aug. 22, a Walmart employee observed a customer stealing merchandise from the Brookpark Road store. An arriving officer located the Cleveland man, who was attempting to steal more than $91 worth of items. He was arrested and charged with theft.

Open container: Cascade Crossing

On Aug. 21, police were dispatched to a Cascade Crossing parking lot regarding a driver passed out behind the wheel of a semi-truck.

An arriving officer located the North Carolina man, who was indeed passed out, with an empty bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky on the drivers side floor. The driver was cited for open container.

Also, the Ohio Motor Carrier Enforcement unit took him out of service for 24 hours due to the presence of an empty liquor bottle in his commercial vehicle.

Read more from the Parma Sun Post.
By Azernews





By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijans Defence Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov will pay an official visit to Russia, the Defence Ministry said on September 2.

Hasanov will leave for Moscow tomorrow to attend a meeting of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on September 4. The visit will last until September 6.

Earlier, on 25 August, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also visited Baku. During his official visit, the Russian delegation led by Shoigu was received by President Ilham Aliyev. Furthermore, the Russian minister met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov, in which discussions were held on the military cooperation, recent Armenian military provocation in the state border and delivery of military cargos from Russia to Armenia.

Following the meeting, on the same day, the Azerbaijani and Russian ministers attended the opening ceremony of the Sea Cup 2020 competition hat is held in Azerbaijans water territories as part of the annual International Army Games.

Azerbaijan has been being the member of the CIS since 24 September 1994. Azerbaijan annually takes part at the meetings of the Council of the Heads of State, Council of the Heads of Government, Council of Foreign Ministers and in other bodies of CIS.

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also visited Russia earlier on August 26.
News broke on Monday night that Australian-Chinese journalist Cheng Lei had been arrested in Beijing and could be held for up to six months without charge.

Also this week, Chinese authorities suspended imports from one of our largest grain producers and launched an investigation into drought subsidies for Australian winemakers.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has called for a broad coalition of countries to be formed to call out the Chinese Communist Partys increased use of coercive diplomacy.

In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire joins China correspondent Eryk Bagshaw to discuss the state of the Sino-Australian relationship.
Portland's Democrat mayor has announced that he will be moving home after his condo in an upmarket area of the city was repeatedly targeted by protests which have been ongoing for months.

Ted Wheeler sent an email to other people living in the Pearl District block where his two-bed, $840,000 condo is located after activists lit fires outside the building, set off fireworks and blared music to 'celebrate' his 58th birthday on Monday night.

Wheeler apologized for 'the fear that you are experiencing due to my position' before announcing his move, saying it is 'best for me and for everyone else's safety.'

Meanwhile Portland's police chief urged political leaders to 'draw a line in the sand' and 'put and end' to violent behavior, warning that the attacks are 'escalating'.

Ted Wheeler, the Democrat mayor of Portland, has told neighbors he will move out of his $840,000 condo in an upmarket area of the city after it became a target for protesters

Wheeler was last targeted on Monday as activists lit fires in the street outside the building, looted a local business, set off fireworks and blared music to 'celebrate' his 58th birthday

'As I've stated repeatedly, the nightly violence is coming at increased cost,' the chief said. 'It is not only that occupied buildings are being targeted.

'Gun violence is skyrocketing. Emergency calls for service are not being answered. This is impacting the safety of our entire City and urgent action is needed.

'Our elected officials need to do their part to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. The violent behavior must end.'

Portland has seen more than 95 days of unrest which began in the wake of the killing of George Floyd during his arrest in Minneapolis in May.

What began with calls to defund the police and reinvest in communities has spiraled into anti-government demonstrations, including calls for Wheeler's resignation.

Those calls intensified at the weekend after the fatal shooting of Aaron 'Jay' Bishop, a member of the pro-Trump Patriot Prayer group, in the city.

Police are thought to have identified Michael Forest Reinoehl, who describes himself online as 100% antifa, as a suspect.

Amid pressure on his job, Wheeler has now decided to move home, according to The Oregonian, which saw a copy of the email he sent to residents.

Wheeler, a divorcee who has a daughter with his ex-wife, bought the home in 2017 while he was still married, the paper reports.

The property has been repeatedly targeted by protesters over the last several months, including on Monday night.

Demonstrators chanted slogans, waved banners calling for Wheeler's resignation, and sang 'happy tear gas to you' to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' outside his apartment

A dental practice, which Wheeler has since announced was minority-owned, was also broken into an looted during the demonstration, with a fire started in the lobby

Demonstrators had gathered in the area around 8pm before marching to the street outside Wheeler's apartment around 10pm.

Wearing party hats and carrying balloons, the activists played music, sounded horns, banged drums and set off fireworks in the middle of the street.

A fire was also started using a picnic table taken from a nearby business, before a dentist's office was broken into and looted, with furniture dragged on to the fire.

Police moved in around 11pm after someone tried to start a fire in the dentist's office, which sits below an occupied apartment block, declaring the scene a riot.

Officers repeatedly charged the crowd after they refused to move away from the area, making 19 arrests.

The gathering had been fully dispersed by 2am, officers said. Several of those arrested were found to be in possession of weapons, including knives and batons.

On Monday, Wheeler received a letter from Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, urging him to request federal help in quelling the protests and riots.

'I urge you to prioritize public safety and to request federal assistance to restore law and order in Portland,' Wolf wrote. 'We are standing by to support Portland.

'At the same time, President Trump has made it abundantly clear that there will come a point when state and local officials fail to protect its citizens from violence, the federal government will have no choice but to protect our American citizens.'

A protester holds up a sign during a 'meditation walk' in support of Black Lives Matter through downtown Portland on Tuesday
Yadira Alvarez-Peterson, right, talks about her daughter Berenice Felipe, 16, who was one of the 34 people who died in the Conception boat fire on Sept. 2, 2019. Alvarez-Peterson is holding her 3-year-old daughter, Renata. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

After the sun crept over the horizon Wednesday, the familiar soundtrack of this seaside city  crashing waves and circling seagulls  was, for a moment, drowned out by the reverberation of a chiming bell.

The chimes pierced the air 34 times  once for each of the victims who died a year ago when the Conception dive boat burned and sank off Santa Cruz Island, marking the deadliest maritime disaster in modern California history.

The incident has led to a flurry of civil and criminal legal actions focused on the role and responsibility of the boats crew and its owners.

Sometime around 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2019, crew members aboard the Conception, a 75-foot, wood-hulled vessel, woke up to a loud noise and saw massive flames in the boats galley. Directly below the fire, in the belly of the boat, was the main bunk room, where passengers slept, resting up for a scuba excursion.

The only escape routes were through two small exits that opened into the part of the boat that was already engulfed in flames. Five crew members escaped, but 33 passengers and one crew member sleeping below deck died in the fire. The Santa Barbara County coroner determined that the victims died of smoke inhalation.

Jenny Stafford, who maintains a memorial for Conception boat fire victims, at Santa Barbara Harbor on the anniversary of the accident. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that crew members had been asleep in the wheelhouse and that there was no one awake keeping watch, as is required by the U.S. Coast Guard during hours when passengers are asleep below deck.

The Coast Guard is conducting a criminal probe of the fire in consultation with the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.

And, according to recently filed court documents, criminal charges appear imminent.

Many of the victims lived in California, but others were visiting from as far away as China, Singapore and India, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a message recorded ahead of the anniversary.

A plaque memorializing the 34 lives lost in the Conception dive boat fire. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Among them, Brown said, were scientists, engineers, athletes, immigrants, chief executives, high school students, a nutritionist, a biologist, a marine conservationist, a hairdresser, a photographer, a venture capitalist and a visual effects designer.

Story continues

The victims were united by their mutual sense of adventure and love of the ocean, he said.

For the families of the victims, the anniversary stood as a solemn reminder of a devastating year.

Some of the victims relatives boarded the Condor Express, a large whale-watching vessel, which carried them out to Platts Harbor. They stopped for a moment of silence as they looked out at the crystal-clear water, down at the place where their loved ones had died.

Other relatives stayed on shore, spending the morning near a memorial decorated with dried sunflowers, a white rosary and a pair of swim flippers inscribed with the number 34. They stood before a boulder with a sea-foam green plaque that reads, IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES SEPTEMBER 2, 2019.

Yadira Alvarez-Peterson watched as her 3-year-old daughter, Renata, playfully jumped up and down near the plaque, but her mind raced with memories of her older daughter, Berenice Felipe, 16, who died in the tragedy.

Berenice, who was a few weeks shy of her 17th birthday, had several colleges chasing after her, said Mike Peterson, her stepfather, who noted that his stepdaughter loved to teach her little sister new things.

Peterson looked over at his wife, who was staring off into the distance, and reflected on the relationship between the mother and daughter.

So close, he said. It is hard to describe just how deep their bond was.

Earlier in the morning, Kathleen McIlvain spent some time in front of the plaque.

Petty Officer Timothy Fox, right, and other Coast Guard members visit the Conception memorial on Sept. 2. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

She reached down and ran her fingers over the fourth name on the plaque: Charles Chuck McIlvain.

She thought about her son  about how deeply she missed him  and tears traced down her cheeks, falling behind her mask.

Time doesnt heal, she said. It is like yesterday.

Her 44-year-old son  often Chuck or Charlie to those who loved him  was a visual effects designer with a broad smile. He had worked on Spider-Man, Green Lantern and Watchmen.

We shouldnt be here, McIlvain said, softly. This should have never happened.

That lament was common among the grieving loved ones.

James Adamic, who lost his sister, Diana, said he hoped to see his sister and the other victims honored not only with words, but also with actions. He hopes to see changes through legislation, he said, as well as a deeper focus on safety among boat operators.

This was a completely preventable tragedy, Adamic said. Simple things like better escape hatches and fire detection could have spared us all our grief.

Adamic said he took some solace, however, in the thought of the first responders who rushed to the scene a year ago. They faced an impossible situation, he said, but they did their best.

That brings some comfort to us all, he said.

Several families of those killed have sued Truth Aquatics, the company that operated the Conception. On Monday, the families were notified that the NTSB will hold a hearing in October to reveal the final results of its investigation into the cause of the fire, as well as an examination of the events that led up to the tragedy.

A Times investigation found that the Coast Guard had rejected prior NTSB recommendations for tougher fire safety rules for small boats like the Conception.

The Coast Guard, which has sole authority over such vessels, told The Times this week that the agency remains dedicated to ensuring proper safety standards and protocols for all small passenger vessels. The agency added that it hasn't changed the federal regulations or design criteria for small passenger vessels, saying that officials will rely on the final findings and recommendations of the NTSB and the Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation before implementing any rule changes.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guards probe into the tragedy appears poised to culminate in criminal charges, according to a court filing in a civil case over the boat owners liability in the deaths.

The criminal investigation has focused on Capt. Jerry Boylans actions aboard the boat. Civil court documents show that federal prosecutors met with Boylan, who has not commented publicly on the deadly blaze, in July and presented him with evidence that could potentially be used against him. A conviction of so-called "Seamans manslaughter" carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. It is a charge that is sometimes brought in cases involving death at sea.

Boylan could not be reached for comment.

For McIlvain, and many of the other relatives, gathering with one another Wednesday was a powerful, but sobering practice  a reminder, she said, of the loss of her precious son, but also of the other families united in their devastation.

Unimaginable grief all over again," McIlvain said.

And yet, she said, she felt so much love from the other families. Although McIlvain didn't go out on a boat Wednesday morning, her daughter-in-law rode out on a dive boat, donned her gear and dove down into the deep waters to honor her late husband.

Another memorial stone and plaque with the victims' names rests on the ocean floor.
Congress leader on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister over the state of the economy, rise in COVID-19 cases and "external aggression" at borders, alleging that India is reeling under "Modi-made disasters".

His attack comes after official data showed on Monday that the country's economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with the gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 23.9 per cent as the coronavirus-related lockdown weighed on the already



declining consumer demand and investment.

"India is reeling under Modi-made disasters: 1. Historic GDP reduction -23.9% 2. Highest Unemployment in 45 yrs 3. 12 Crs job loss 4. Centre not paying states their GST dues 5. Globally highest COVID-19 daily cases and deaths 6. External aggression at our borders (sic)," Gandhi tweeted.

Rebutting Gandhi's attack in a video earlier this week on the state of the economy, the BJP had mocked him saying he should release a video about the "G-23", a reference to the 23 leaders who wrote to the Congress chief seeking the party's overhaul.

Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian has said the economy was "experiencing a V-shaped recovery" after the lockdown was eased.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amagi , a global leader in cloud-based technology for broadcast TV and streaming TV, today announced that The Africa Channel has partnered with Amagi to streamline its entire broadcast workflow across cable, satellite and digital OTT services. This integration has helped The Africa Channel gain significant efficiencies in distribution while achieving greater transparency across its operations.

Launched in 2005, The Africa Channel is a showcase for the African continent's most outstanding English language television series, specials, documentaries, feature films, music, soaps, biographies, current business analysis, cultural and historical programs. The channel's vision is to build bridges between Africa and the world by reinforcing the continent's positive narratives and highlighting the diverse scope of contemporary Africa through diverse content and programming.

A premium cable offering, The Africa Channel is made available in the United States through its principal partners Comcast/Xfinity and Charter/Spectrum. Additionally, the service is recently available in Canada through Rogers Ignite and Bell Fibe and widely across the Caribbean through operators participating in the Caribbean Cable Cooperative. Globally, content is also made available via its OTT streaming channel called Demand Africa, that is accessible through the web, mobile apps as well as on Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) platforms such as Pluto TV, VIZIO and XUMO.

"As we cater to both cable and streaming TV audiences, having two different broadcast operations impacted our ability to scale, and swiftly respond to rapidly changing viewer and platform preferences," said Narendra Reddy, Vice President and General Manager, The Africa Channel. "Partnering with Amagi allows us to leverage their deep technical integration with leading video service platforms enabling The Africa Channel to reach the underserved African diaspora audience worldwide with premium African content."

The Africa Channel's Amagi technology stack consists of CLOUDPORT -the award-winning cloud-based channel playout platform, and THUNDERSTORM, Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) platform. Using a simple web UI, The Africa Channel moved all its content to Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, generated playlists, schedules, added dynamic graphics and created broadcast-grade linear channels to be distributed to cable and streaming TV platforms. The entire workflow can be managed from any remote location, including 24x7 monitoring of broadcast operations.

"As traditional broadcast TV networks expand to OTT and on-demand formats, the ability to seamlessly unify both offerings is an important success factor. By leveraging the right cloud and automation tools, TV networks can accrue the benefits of integration such as a streamlined approach and lower costs. We're happy to partner with The Africa Channel as it forges ahead in its mission to provide a window into modern African life to an ever-increasing audience," said Srinivasan KA, co-founder, Amagi.

Overall, Amagi manages 350+ channels, with deliveries in more than 40 countries. Amagi clients include A+E Networks UK, CuriosityStream, Discovery Networks, Fox Networks, NBCUniversal, People TV, Tastemade, VICE TV, Tegna, and Warner Media, among others.

For more information about Amagi and its cloud broadcast solutions, visit www.amagi.com .

About The Africa Channel www.theafricachannel.com

The Africa Channel and its production arm, TAC Studios, is a showcase for the African Continent's most outstanding English-language television series, specials, documentaries, feature films, music, biographies, and cultural and historical content. Demand Africa, a division of The Africa Channel, Inc, is a global OTT and streaming video service connecting audiences to the best lifestyle, movies, and TV from Africa and beyond. The channel's mission is to open a daily window into modern African life, and in the process, help demystify Africa for viewers globally. The Africa Channel, with offices in Los Angeles and Johannesburg, South Africa is available in approximately seven million homes in North America and the Caribbean on cable systems such as Comcast, Charter/Spectrum, Rogers Ignite, and Bell Fibe (Canada), and the Caribbean Cable Cooperative. Demand Africa is available on the web, mobile apps, and multiple 3rd party Free Ad-Supported platforms.

The Africa Channel Press Contact:

Claudine Moore

[email protected]

About Amagi (www.amagi.com)

Amagi is a next-gen media tech company that provides cloud broadcast and streaming TV solutions to TV networks, content owners and streaming TV platforms. Amagi enables content owners to launch, distribute and monetize live linear channels on Free-Ad-Supported TV and SVOD platforms. Amagi also offers 24x7 cloud managed services bringing simplicity, advanced automation, and transparency to the entire broadcast operations for traditional TV networks. Amagi delivers 350+ channels with deployments in over 40 countries. Amagi has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Bangalore.

Amagi Contact

Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

Head of Global Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Katie Cessna

BLASTmedia for Amagi

[email protected]

317-806-1900 x.142

SOURCE Amagi
Bay of Plenty based Comvita is helping to raise awareness of Bee Aware Month, a nation-wide celebration of bees and their importance to the eco-system.

Nearly 90 per cent of the worlds flowering plant species depends on the pollination of plants by bees and other insects.

In this way, bees play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture, plant biodiversity and maintaining the natural balance of precious ecosystems.

Looking after the bee population is vital and the home garden is great place to start. Urban gardens provide a rich habitat for bees due to the diversity of plants that can be grown in our backyards.

The theme for Bee Aware Month 2020 is Bee A Hero.

During September, Kiwis can Bee a Hero by taking steps at home to help bees.

Comvita Co-founder Alan Bougen says there are many simple things people can do at home to help bees thrive.

Planting herbaceous flowers as lavender, rosemary, borage and calendula creates a nutrient rich habitat at home for bees. Leaving a shallow dish of water with a few small rocks in it so the bees can rehydrate is another simple thing people can do at home.

New Zealand is lucky to have a relatively healthy bee population due to our diverse native flora, such as Manuka, kanuka, rewarewa and kamahi etc., and also the abundance of bee pasture flowers around our agricultural sector. However, our bees are constantly under threat from pesticides and various diseases.

This Bee Aware Month, Comvita has partnered with BEESUPTOP, a charitable organisation who rescue and re-home bee swarms in urban areas.

Their aim is to increase New Zealands bee population by supplying healthy, happy hives for urban dwellers to rent, as well as educating Kiwis about the importance of bees to our ecosystem and our economy.

Around 80 per cent of proceeds from renting their beehives goes back into helping to rescue more bees.

Were really excited to be involved with Bee Aware Month and to be partnering with Comvita to help show Kiwis how they can bee a hero and protect the bees, says Jessie Baker, owner of Bees Up Top.

To show their support Comvita is providing Auckland residents the chance to win a Bees Up Top beehive for a year, and were also working together to provide useful bee aware tips specific to our urban environments, to help support our bee population.

Head to comvita.co.nz/beeaware to find out more about Bee Aware Month, Bees Up Top and the beehive giveaway.

How Kiwis can get involved, bee heroes this Bee Aware month:
Rick Maxey (left) talks with Florida Polytechnic University Police Chief Richard Holland in September 2019. Maxey will lead the new Office of Diversity and Inclusion created at Florida Poly. We want to ensure that everyone at Florida Poly sees a reflection of themselves and realizes that they matter, and their contributions matter."

Florida Polytechnic University is starting the academic year with a strong commitment to an environment of respect, support, and adequate representation of minorities on campus. The University created the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to play a critical role in supporting students and employees of all races, ethnicities, genders, faiths, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds.

We highly value diversity as an academic institution and it is important that all of our efforts reflect that, said Dr. Randy K. Avent, president of Florida Poly. This new office will help our University become an even more inclusive campus, with a clear mission to continue growing diversity and making Florida Poly a place where everyone has a sense of belonging.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will work with human resources to build programs and processes that support diversity efforts throughout the University. These include a survey of students, faculty, and staff about the current diversity environment; scheduling speakers who represent various backgrounds and identities; coordinating culturally engaging events; and creating an infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for expanding diversity and inclusivity on campus.

The new office was established this semester at the recommendation of the Universitys Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which meets regularly to prioritize issues of diversity on campus. The chair of that committee, Rick Maxey, will lead the new office.

Studies have shown that students learn better when they see faculty who are representative of their backgrounds and identities, said Maxey, who will assume the new title of assistant vice president for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This initiative is a demonstration of the commitment by Dr. Avent and shows that he and the entire University care about each and every student and employee as people, first and foremost.

Maxey said the new office will enrich the student experience by reducing the feelings of isolation that can occur among members of underrepresented groups, and by growing the comfort in which people interact with one another. The office also aims to expand students worldviews through opportunities to work and socialize with people from diverse backgrounds.

We want to ensure that everyone at Florida Poly sees a reflection of themselves and realizes that they matter, and their contributions matter, Maxey said.
The head of the Council and Internal Affairs Commission of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, says that launching an Iranian national intranet is included in the new partnership being planned between Iran and China.

Speaking to the pro-reform website Entekhab (Choice), Jokar said on Tuesday, September 1 that Tehran had welcomed the cooperation of countries such as China and Russia in its internet development, and that the proposed document detailing Iran and China's potential partnership contains details about Iran's national intranet under the title of "cooperation between Iran and China for development of cyberspace."

The draft of the Iran-China cooperation document, which the Iranian cabinet approved on June 21, is a controversial proposal that has been strongly criticized by some critics of President Hassan Rouhani's government as well as opponents of the Iranian regime, though China has so far avoided any reference to the existence of the document.

If the partnership is established, China will offer for the first time its assistance in establishing an intranet in Iran, with the Iranian government trying for years to implement a "national network" separate from the global Internet, allegedly for security reasons.

The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly last May estimated that about 190 trillion rials (approximately $4.5 billion) had previously been spent on creating a national Internet in Iran.

In the meantime, Jokar defended the newly-elected Majlis parliament representatives' motion to "nationalize the Internet," citing the fact that social media servers are located in "the United States or Canada." He also referred to Turkey's history of restricting social networks, saying, "Social networks must respect the Islamic protocols and laws, as they do in Turkey."

Forty members of the Iranian parliament have presented a double-urgency parliamentary motion entitled "Organizing Social Media," which is currently in line for a public debate on the Majlis floor. The proposed parliamentary motion would require "all domestic and foreign messaging apps" to fall in accordance with Iranian law. The use of filter breakers is currently considered a crime and is punishable by fines and imprisonment.

The Iranian government, which notoriously shut down Internet access in the country during the November 2019 anti-regime protests, has been named by international institutions as one of the world's most egregious practitioners of cyberspace suppression.

A report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on March 11, 2020, named Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace (ISCC) as a leader of cyberspace suppression within the country. Established by Khamenei, ISCC controls cyberspace policy in Iran, uses various methods to control the Internet by filtering news websites and applications such as Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Islamic Government has so far not commented on Jokar's revelation.
Updated 4.45pm

A positive case of Covid-19 has been confirmed at a second Dublin primary school.

One pupil has tested positive for the virus, leading to a number of additional students being sent home to isolate as a precautionary measure.

The Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education & Training Board (DDLETB) has confirmed the positive case associated with one of its schools in west Dublin.

In a statement, it said all relevant close contacts in the school have been identified, contacted and advised of next steps while all necessary hygiene, health and safety protocols are in place at the school for the prevention and containment of the virus.

"The school is continuing in full operation. In line with the Return to School protocols, close contacts have been requested to stay at home where remote lessons will continue to be provided using online systems," it said.

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"DDLETB is working closely with the school principal and school management to provide every possible support and assistance... Our continuing priority is to support the wellbeing of the school community and to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning for the pupils and teachers of the school."

DDLETB said cases arising in its schools had been anticipated and there was "a high state of preparedness among our school communities where prescribed plans and protocols have been implemented and followed in full."

The case within the west Dublin school was confirmed on Tuesday and parents of pupils were informed. The mixed school has over 200 pupils. A number of pupils who have been identified as close contacts of the confirmed case will isolate pending two rounds of Covid-19 testing.

Following the confirmation of the case, the Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that priority testing will be made available to schools with a Covid-19 outbreak.

Priority testing will be provided where there is an outbreak in a school and schools will be treated no differently to the priority testing that is being provided in other environments where a situation of that nature occurs, she said.

Second school

Also on Tuesday, another Dublin school in the southwest of the county, confirmed that a pupil had tested positive for the virus resulting in 30 pupils being sent home.

The majority of primary schools reopened last week, having been closed since mid-March due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

Teacher unions have voiced their concern regarding the return of classes, with the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) claiming that some schools are failing to implement social distancing measures.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response, TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said that the union had received reports of some schools not satisfying public health requirements.

Mr Gillespie added and that its teachers will not accept any departure from the public health guidance, including the absolute necessity to maintain a physical distance of no less than one metre, preferably two metres, in our schools."
The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the Central government offices located in or near Central Vista cannot be said to fall within the Central Vista Precincts and will not enjoy the protection available to heritage buildings.

An affidavit filed in this regard by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) was presented to the Court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who presented arguments in defence of the Government action to approve change of land use for the Central Vista project that involves construction of a new Parliament and a common Central Secretariat housing 51 Central government buildings.

The affidavit said, Only the Rajpath along with the green lawns and the water bodies on either side is designated as the Central Vista Precincts.This does not include any other offices located at Central Vista. The affidavit goes on to mention that buildings such as Nirman Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Rail Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Vayu Bhawan, etc cannot be termed as heritage buildings as the same are not listed in the list of 141 Heritage Buildings notified by the Government on October 1, 2009.

This list was finalized on basis of a report received from INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and Heritage Conservation Committee.

Solicitor General Mehta informed the Court that the Central Vista precincts comprising Rajpath along with the green lawns and water bodies on either side will remain untouched in the proposed Central Vista Project that involves a budget of Rs 20000 crore. Mehta added that the Project will not hinder public access to Central Vista Precincts.

Mehtas arguments come in the wake of reservationS expressed in a clutch of petitions by Rajeev Suri, Anuj Srivastava and AG Krishna Menon who opposed the hurried manner in which the Centre went about giving approvals for the Central Vista Project. They claimed that the entire Parliament and surrounding structures enjoyed the heritage building tag and could not be destroyed. It was further apprehended by the petitioners that once the new structures are in place, the area would be marked as High Security Zone closing public access to Rajpath, lawns and water bodies adjoining it.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar posed queries to Mehta on the procedure of public hearing adopted by Government and the notification of March 20, 2020 issued by DDA approving the change in land use. Ths Solicitor General told the Court that public the hearing contemplated for amending the Master Plan of Delhi required Government only to invite objections. Close to 1292 objections were received in connection to the Central Vista Project following which a public hearing was also conducted on February 6 and 7.

As regards the March 20 notification, Mehta said that an executive order passed by Ministry of Urban Development in 2013 has delegated power to Vice Chairman, DDA to issue change in land use notification.

Although the Central Vista project has been challenged on multiple grounds, the bench is currently hearing petitioners and Centre on a limited aspect related to change in land use.

The project envisages a new Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and a common Central Secretariat housing 51 Ministries in 10 buildings. The proposed Lok Sabha chamber is expected to accommodate 876 seats and the Rajya Sabha chamber 400 seats. The new complex will provide for 1224 seats in the Central Hall, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and seamless movement between both Houses of Parliament.

Advocate Ankit Yadav, who is representing one of the petitioners, said, Assurance given by the Centre that Central Vista precincts will remain open to public, allays our concerns that area around Rajpath will not be converted into high security zone. But, the stand taken by NDMC that office buildings situated in Central Vista do not fall in heritage zone is disputed by us.
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Determined to Help People with Leg Disabilities Realize Their Desire to Stand and Walk on Their Own

TOKYO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Innovation Challenge Executive Committee has launched "Global Innovation Challenge 2021 -- Living Assistance Robot Award" under the theme of ensuring living assistance for disabled people with the aim of achieving a society where people will not have to be conscious about disabilities.

(Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106211/202008313660/_prw_PI1fl_hHEiIH91.jpg)

(Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106211/202008313660/_prw_PI2fl_KN0vA3d4.jpg)

Global Innovation Challenge's initiative

- Helping people with leg disabilities realize their desire to stand and walk on their own

There are growing numbers of people in the world who need living assistance because of advanced age, illnesses and injuries they suffered in accidents, among other factors. While both assistance providers and recipients are required to shoulder certain mental, physical and financial burdens, investors are not necessarily enthusiastic about investing in the development of robots for health and welfare because the market for this field is relatively small.

- Social structure that makes it difficult to achieve demand-supply balance for new options to help disabled people broaden the scope of their living

The improvement of public infrastructure and the promotion of barrier-free access now allow people with leg disabilities to lead their daily lives on their own to a greater extent if they have wheelchairs. Still, their activities are restricted in areas where such an environment has not been sufficiently developed. For example, if people with leg disabilities visit their friends' homes that have not been made barrier-free like their own homes, their activities will be restrained. They can travel by using wheelchairs, receiving assistance from others and using support equipment to walk, but many of them desire to stand and walk on their own. Regardless of whether sufficient public infrastructure is in place and barrier-free access is available, the organizer of the initiative believes that robots that help people walk on their own will allow those with leg disabilities to enjoy freer daily lives in their own ways to a greater extent.

- Establishment of Living Assistance Robot Award



The Living Assistance Robot Award has been established to ensure that innovative robots which help people in wheelchair fully use their residual functions to walk on their own will be broadly in use all over the world. The award will support those engaged in research and development of such robots worldwide.

- Message from Tatsufumi Kamimura, chairman of the Global Innovation Challenge Executive Committee

"Science and technology have been advancing constantly. Smartphones have realized many things that were previously regarded just as dreams. Our daily lives and business activities are moving at an increasingly rapid pace and we live in a world where we can try new things. However, once people become physically disabled because of accidents or illnesses, they find it difficult to lead ordinary lives.



"We have established this award because we believe that we can create a world where people won't have to be conscious about disabilities by applying evolving science and technology to the field of health and welfare and supporting engineers in this field.



"We would be glad if this award helps those engaged in research and development all over the world."

- Overview of Global Innovation Challenge - Living Assistance Robot Award

This award is given to organizations developing robots that help people with leg disabilities walk on their own. Specifically, the committee will commend organizations that have developed robots allowing people with leg disabilities to walk on their own and support their motions in various aspects of daily lives. Moreover, prize money will be awarded to such organizations to support their research and development.

Qualifications:

Organizations developing robots that help people whose lower limbs are paralyzed to walk on their own.



Criteria for selection:

The organizer will set up seven assumed scenes of daily life and judge whether robots entered in the contest can allow physically disabled people to walk on their own in each scene.

Sum of the prize money:

Achieving one of the given tasks / achieving some of the given tasks / achieving all the given tasks 1 million U.S. dollars (approximately 100 million yen) in total sum

Schedule:

Period of entries: from September 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021

Announcement of screening results: July 1, 2021

Award ceremony & demonstrations of prize-winning robots: September 5, 2021 (not fixed yet) at GIC Tsukuba Innovation Center

*All schedules in this press release are based on Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9).

Organizer: Global Innovation Challenge Executive Committee

Special sponsor: TKF Inc.

Sponsor: JTB Corp.

Collaborators: Tsukuba Municipal Government/Mizuho Bank, Ltd.

Supporter: Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd.

Official website: https://global-innovation-challenge.com/en

Detailed application guidelines can be downloaded from the following website:

https://global-innovation-challenge.com/en/2021/guidelines

Concept video: https://global-innovation-challenge.com/en/movie

Promotion video: https://global-innovation-challenge.com/en/2021/movie

Official Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/Global-Innovation-Challenge-109304510495923
Journalists with Radio Free Europe/Radio Libertys (RFE/RL) Ukrainian Service are the recipients of Free Media Awards 2020 conferred by the Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius for their contributions to independent journalism in Europe.

Awards were given to Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev for reporting on prisoners and life in Ukraines Donbas region, which Russia occupied in 2014; and the editorial team of the Ukrainian Service's investigative journalism program, Schemes.

The information which the award winners manage to publish, as a result of their tough achievements in hostile environments, is vitally important and crucial for the democratic movements in Eastern Europe, said Dr. Knut Olav Amas, executive director at the Fritt Ord Foundation, announcing the award on August 18.

Prof. Dr. Michael Goring, CEO of the ZEIT Foundation, commended the recipients for fearlessly uncover[ing] corruption and the abuse of power, and by so doing defend[ing] the freedom of the press that is vital for a functioning civil society.

Stanislav Aseyev wrote powerful first-hand accounts of Russias occupation of his native Donetsk before being detained by Russia-backed separatists in July 2017 and held incommunicado for 2 1/2 years for treason.

He was released in a prisoner exchange in December, 2019. His reports were published by the Ukrainian Service's Donbas.Realities unit and have been collected in two volumes, Letters from Donbas and In Isolation.

Schemes, described by the award sponsors as a mainstay of investigative journalism, is a high-profile, joint project of the Ukrainian Service and Ukraine's public broadcaster Pershiy Kanal that is dedicated to shining light on corruption and abuse of public office in Ukraine. The team's members have suffered threats, physical assault, online abuse, an arson attack on a vehicle, and possible illegal surveillance in connection with their investigative work.

The winners were selected by a distinguished six-member jury.

The awards, five annually and which carry a financial prize, this year recognized the growing repression of Eastern European journalists."

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Free Media Award ceremony is postponed until 2021.
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Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 16:35 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423d2d0 1 City anies-baswedan,Jakarta-administration,COVID-19-Jakarta,kemayoran-athletes-village,COVID-19,pandemic,COVID-19-patient,isolation,quarantine,self-quarantine Free

The Jakarta administration is set to issue a policy that will require COVID-19 patients in the capital to be quarantined at coronavirus referral centers, including the emergency hospital at the Kemayoran former athletes village in Central Jakarta.

Under the new regulation, self-quarantine will no longer be an option for COVID-19 patients regardless of whether or not they exhibit coronavirus symptoms, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said.

All this time, those who have been urged to isolate themselves in state facilities have been those who resided in densely populated areas, Anies said during a field inspection in Sunter, North Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Going forward, every [COVID-19 patient] will be quarantined in state facilities so that we may be able to break the chain of infection more effectively.

He went on to say that patients with medium or heavy symptoms would be required to check into hospitals, whereas those with light symptoms or no symptoms at all would be isolated at the athletes village.

Alhamdulillah [Thank God] we have prepared everything together, Anies added.

Anies went on to say that the regulation was a response to the lack of discipline among self-quarantining individuals who occasionally failed to abide by the existing health protocols.

Read also: Medics dying, infections soaring  its still the economy?

Furthermore, some patients have found themselves unable to self-quarantine properly since they share their house with other family members, he said.

So, the [Jakarta] administration is currently drafting [the regulation], Anies said. Those exposed to the virus are required to isolate themselves.

Jakarta -- home to some 10 million people and the country's virus epicenter -- has recently been grappling with the rising number of hospitalizations among COVID-19 patients.

According to the national COVID-19 task force on Monday, bed occupancy rates in isolation rooms and intensive care units (ICUs) in Jakarta had reached 69 percent and 77 percent, respectively. The current rate -- which task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said was "no longer ideal" -- needed to drop to 60 percent to reduce the burden on healthcare workers.

Jakarta currently has 67 COVID-19 referral hospitals and 170 hospitals providing services for COVID-19 patients.

As of Wednesday, the city recorded at least 41,250 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 8,764 active cases and 1,219 deaths linked to the disease. Among the active cases, 3,341 patients are currently hospitalized.
Rutendo Nhemachena

In a tragic turn of events, a 26 year old Seke woman drowned in Manyame River, Zimbabwe during a cleansing ceremony.

The people who were with her believed that she had been grabbed by a mermaid thus they didnt try to rescue her.

Rutendo Nhemachena is believed to have been possessed by a mermaid spirit before she turned violent and jumped into the river where the leading prophet, Isaac Manyemba, 50, was cleansing men and women with his aide only identified as Mai Manyika or Madzimai Jennifer.

Manyemba and Manyika were reportedly overpowered by Nhemachena who plunged to her death.

Manyemba confirmed the tragic event saying Nhemachena overpowered him and seemed like she was possessed by a mermaid spirit.

The two convinced me and I led them to the river where we attended to a number of men and women when Nhemachena suddenly came into the river possessed.

She pushed all of us and we failed to handle her before she immersed me and disappeared into the water.

He said they believed she was abducted by a mermaid and they decided to wait for 3pm but she failed to show up

We were comforted by one woman who claimed that her child was once taken by a mermaid when he was seven years old and returned from water at the age of 14.

Another person told them that her child had been grabbed by a mermaid as well and came back after one week.

Manyemba then informed the Mayambara village head why advised him to take the issue to Chitungwiza police station.

Nhemachena family spokesperson Patience Gwebede denied suggestions that the deceased was abducted by a mermaid.

She said the deceased was going to be buried in Chihota after a post mortem.
From Agave to Chapala

Ray Kouza lures Cesar Ochoa back to the restaurant business.

by Micheline Maynard

From the September, 2020 issue

In 2012, Cesar Ochoa thought he was finished with owning restaurants. He sold Las Palapas, a Mexican cafe in Livonia, to his brother, got married, and had children.



But this summer, he opened Chapala Mexican Restaurant and Bar on N. Main, replacing the three-year-old Agave Tequila Bar and an adjoining space that was used for a catering operation.



Ochoa says he was talked into the venture by an old friend, Ray Kouza. Kouza's family owns much of the block between Ann and Catherine, including the Heidelberg restaurant to the north; Chapala; cigar bar Siris to the south; and the Main Party Shoppe at Ann.



"I told him I have a love-hate relationship with him now," Ochoa laughs. "I love what I'm doing," he says, but he's also discovered just how difficult it is to open a new restaurant during a pandemic.



Finding enough front of house staff has been a particular challenge. Ochoa says he's been dividing his time between managing the restaurant and doing chores like washing dishes and busing tables.



However, seven cooks who worked in his Livonia restaurant have now joined him in Ann Arbor, where he can seat seventy-five people, inside and on the sidewalk, while maintaining social distancing.



Ochoa grew up in Mexico, and says he's excited to serve "what Mexicans eat when they go out." He says he focused on keeping prices reasonable, because he thinks many downtown restaurants are "way too expensive and overpriced, way too formal, way too stuffy. The average person going out doesn't feel comfortable," he says. "Who wants to spend a couple hundred dollars every time you go out for a meal?"



With a nod to coastal Mexico, Ochoa is placing a focus on seafood. His signature dish, empapelado marino, at $19, is a mix of shrimp, scallops, and a filet of tilapia with sauteed vegetables, served inside half a pineapple.



The menu also includes steak, chicken, and vegetarian dishes, as well as familiar Mexican favorites such as tacos, enchiladas, and burritos.



Already, tables out front have been filling up with daytime and evening diners under floodlit blue walls and a colorful sign. "It's a very relaxed vibe," Ochoa says. "We want people to have a good time."



Chapala Mexican Restaurant and Bar, 211 N. Main. (734) 996-1456. Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. getchapala.com



[Originally published in September, 2020.]








Opinion Article

2 September 2020

We all know of the unparalleled challenges facing hoteliers and revenue teams right now. And as the hotel industry's new mantra "Do more with less" is threaded through every industry blog, article and email, many revenue managers who read it grow increasingly frustrated and tired as they're left to scramble daily for ways to do just that.

On August 31, we launch our September release, which also happens to be my first release as Chief Product Officer at Duetto and I'm really excited to share it with you! I've never been a revenue manager, but I've spent the last 15+ years building products that customers love, and that help them become more efficient and better informed. When I joined Duetto in March, my goal was to spend most of my time speaking with customers to ramp up on the specific needs of hotels. What I didn't plan on was COVID-19. This crisis focused our customer conversations. The hoteliers and revenue teams we work with held nothing back as they conveyed their fears, challenges and pain points with more clarity, transparency and urgency than ever before.

One of the main reasons I joined Duetto was the company's uncompromising devotion to a customer-centric approach to technology. Founded by hoteliers, the focus is always on solving real problems for hoteliers. As we spoke to customers and heard of their struggles, we found more ways to help than ever before. Yes, this meant re-evaluating and re-prioritizing our entire product roadmap, but carrying on as if the world had not been turned upside down for hoteliers clashed with our company culture - as well as my own beliefs as a technology builder.

New Functionality

For our September release, we focused on functionality that would ultimately help hoteliers do more with less - but how?

We looked for ways to speed up key business processes while simultaneously giving revenue teams even more control over their rate strategies, staying true to Duetto's unique offering of controlled automation.

We identified 3 critical challenges and sought to solve them:

Segmentation

Restrictions

Notifications

As such today we are announcing 3 new functions:

Autopilot Schedule

The new Autopilot Schedule functionality in Duetto GameChanger allows revenue managers to choose which segments are on Autopilot and when. Our users can now automate chosen segments based on Date Range, Days Before Arrival, Days of the Week, Committed Occupancy, Demand Occupancy or any combination of the five. Demand has been turned upside down this year. New types of guests are emerging, and they are coming from new markets and distribution channels. Hoteliers need to capture as much of this precious demand as possible. To do this, revenue teams need to create new rate strategies tailored to each new segment.

Our new Autopilot Schedule functionality offers unparalleled granular control over automation and provides strained revenue teams with the ability to focus attention where it is most needed, such as on capturing volatile short-term demand while automating a long-term pricing strategy.

"At the moment, it's really important that we are saving our time wherever we can. The Autopilot Schedule feature is important because it's not possible to check all the future dates and also have all the other daily business going on. With Autopilot Schedule we are able to really concentrate on the dates that need our attention," said Victoria Fischer, regional revenue manager at H-Hotels in Germany, after participating in the beta release of Autopilot Schedule.

Restriction Rules

This is a first-of-its kind feature in the RMS industry and is now the fastest way to create, manage and deploy restrictions across properties, room types and segments. Eliminating the manual task of adding and removing restrictions on a daily or weekly basis, a Restriction Rule takes only a few minutes to set up or change, and can be deployed at scale manually - or fully automated - for maximum efficiency via Autopilot.

We have seen our customers struggling with the need to constantly re-evaluate restrictions for specific, high-demand inventory, such as self-contained family units, in order to capture today's volatile demand. Managing restrictions has always been a time consuming task. Prior to COVID-19, it was an exceptional event carried out maybe once or twice a year to accommodate seasonal shifts in demand. Now, revenue teams need a faster way to adjust and apply restrictions in order to keep pace with the new opportunities being presented.

Notification Center

Using our new Notification Center, customers can define which metrics are most important to track, define the benchmark or trigger for the alert, and determine who should be notified. The ability to define the benchmark period of time is critical now as we work through times when STLY is no longer relevant. Duetto customers can now customize the reference period, for example, to look at the last seven days, and receive notifications as soon as current booking levels fall behind the benchmark period.

"The new feature is great, allowing us to analyze rapidly week-on-week pick up trends and quickly adjust pricing strategy. We cannot benchmark on last year's data to understand consumer behavior today. Therefore, detecting week-on-week changes is key to understanding demand volume evolution," said Catarina Figueiredo, Director of Corporate Revenue Management at Pestana Hotel Group.

As leaner revenue teams are left to manage more properties, reviewing every single aspect of the business on a daily basis is impossible and managing by exception is now more important than ever.

Duetto is the largest independent RMS provider in the industry, developed by hoteliers who understand the challenges the hospitality industry is facing right now. See this great blog from veteran hotelier and Duetto's Director of Customer Success, Gary Glodowski: Revenue Survival: It's Time To Get Smart, Agile & Efficient, and join us for a live webinar featuring our CEO, David Woolenberg along with hoteliers from H Hotels and Village Hotels, coming up on September 22.

Our aim is to help our customers regain control and optimize on every revenue opportunity. And I am confident that the new features in our September release will help them do just that!
The Daily Beast

via TwitterA man and woman in New York have been both fired and arrested for verbally assaulting a family on a train in an incident that police have determined to be a hate crime.The Daily Voice reported that Justin Likerman and Kristin Digesaro, of Long Island, turned themselves in on Wednesday. They have been charged with aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. New Yorks Metropolitan Transit Authority said the charges were brought in conjunction with the Manhattan Distri
Afghanistans cabinet approved the proposal of including mothers' names on national identification cards on September 1, a major win for #whereismyname? campaign activists that have spent three years fighting for the issue for women's rights in the country.

The announcement has been met with positive responses from women's rights activists and supporters who already began introducing themselves with their names and their mothers' names on social media. Others, however, are still on the fence regarding the issue, suggesting it is a step too soon for a deeply conservative country like Afghanistan.

Kabul resident Samiullah is happy to have his mother's name added to his ID card. He says it's their right as parents to be included, and he criticizes people who feel differently. My name is Samiullah and my mother's name is Shukria. If my father's name is written on my ID card, writing my mother's name is not a shame; either way their name is already known. It is not a shame."

But Mohammad Wares, who came to Kabul from Laghman, says those who are not living in major cities are not ready to accept such a change. He tells Radio Free Afghanistan that "they have not reached the point of accepting it. This issue has been made too early for our people, and the people in the villages and outskirts of the country do not have the capacity to agree with this."

The decision was made after repeated demands from campaign activists to include mothers' names on official documents alongside fathers' names, whereas the current identification card only includes the names of male family members such as a father or grandfather.

Hoda Raha, a women's rights activist, said she faced many problems while participating in the campaign, but is now happy that the cabinet committee has accepted their request. My name is Hoda Raha, daughter of Khanum Gul and activist of #whereismyname? campaign. I was faced with a lot of criticism and backlash because of our religious and social beliefs in society, but the efforts of the campaigners eventually led people to support the campaign," she said.

The press office of Sarwar Danesh, the second vice president, reported that the plan was reviewed and approved at the committee's meeting. According to the office, the plan was prepared in response to continued requests by women's rights activists for the inclusion of mothers' names on the card.

A draft of the amended Population Registration Act was approved by Danesh, who chaired the meeting. The draft is expected to be forwarded to the cabinet and then to the parliament for approval before it can be enforced. If necessary, it may be enforced by a legislative decree from the Afghan president.

Danesh tweeted the major news, saying, The legal committees decision on August 31st regarding the inclusion of mothers names in the Afghan identification card is a big step towards gender equality and protection of womens rights. Hopefully, this decision will be approved and endorsed as it is in the legislation process.

Meanwhile, Shahla Farid, a social affairs expert, tells Radio Free Afghanistan that while the proposal is a step toward ensuring women's rights in the country and not a problem at the global and Islamic level, it is rather a cultural problem.

Remember, people are living in the 21st century, he said. They are literate, but still their understanding is low. These are people who want justice so that they don't have problems with the law. But people need to be understanding both religiously and culturally.

Members of the Afghan Parliament welcomed the news including Maryam Sama, a parliament member from Kabul who advocated strongly for this change. She wrote on Twitter, Our struggles paid off, congratulations to everyone, especially to those who worked tirelessly.

She continued by stressing the importance of having a strong society that is accepting and cooperative with women as they make the necessary progress to succeed. What is more important is to adapt and provide cultural contexts to digest and accept this issue, she wrote. To achieve this, more cooperation is needed between civil society, the media, human rights activists, women, and every responsible citizen of this country.

Many parliament members like Sama see the news as a steppingstone toward womens empowerment in a male-dominated society.

Since 2017, women's rights activists have turned to social media using the hashtag #whereismyname? to generate discussion on the importance of including women's identities in all aspects of society.

Along the way, they have been faced with challenges because of longstanding taboos and deeply rooted societal restraints, limiting the advancement of women's participation and presence in society.

If the bill is approved by the cabinet and approved by the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of the Afghan Parliament, it will be the first time that the mother's name will be written on Afghan ID cards, a plausible step to reducing sensitivity and ongoing debate on the matter.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 20:44:56|Editor: huaxia

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by Mahmoud Fouly

GHARBIYA, Egypt, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A couple of hours before dawn, a lot of farmers and laborers in Shubra Beloula village of Gharbiya Province in northern Egypt start picking fragrant jasmine flowers from widespread bushes until sunrise, collecting them in baskets to be sent to nearby jasmine oil extraction factories.

Egypt is distinguished worldwide for jasmine trade as it exports jasmine absolute and concrete to many parts of the world for perfume-making purposes, particularly Europe.

At one of the fields, a woman with her three daughters were busy picking and collecting the blossoming jasmine flowers.

"I've been working in harvesting jasmine petals since I was a child, and now, my three children are working with me," said the 41-year-old villager Abeer Fathy.

The woman and her daughters, along with other laborers, work for Amer Mohamed, a man in his late 30s who owns the 8,400-square-meter field and has established a small factory of his own to extract the flowers' oil.

"I have been selling jasmine oil and concrete to exporting companies in Egypt, but this year, I started to export to the United States myself and I sent samples to some other countries for potential deals," Mohamed told Xinhua.

At a nearby field, 33-year-old Sadiq Fikry was among a group of workers who were busy harvesting the remaining bushes of jasmine.

"The jasmine flower harvest season runs from June to November, and we have to pick all the flowers today because new flowers will blossom and replace the picked ones," Fikry said, adding he has been doing this job since childhood.

Egypt produces about six tonnes of jasmine concrete every year, 70 percent of which comes from the province of Gharbiya. Each tonne of jasmine concrete can produce at least half a tonne of oil.

The jasmine trade provides Egypt with 6.5 million U.S. dollars annually and contributes to the income of some 50,000 people, according to the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT), which says 95 percent of the world's jasmine extract for perfumes comes from Egypt and India.

Almost 100 percent of Egypt's Jasmine production is exported, providing a hard currency source to the country, said an IFEAT report in early 2019.

"Egypt's jasmine trade has been going on for decades and the country grows about 81,000 feddans (34,020 hectares) of medical and aromatic plants nationwide and is planning for their expansion in the near future," Hossam Awwad, a professor of medical and aromatic plants at Egypt's Agricultural Research Center, told Xinhua. Enditem
Now they have a little more time to do so.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that in-person classes would start on Sept. 21  10 days later than initially planned. The shift came as pressure intensified on the mayor to delay the school year, as many educators said classrooms would not be ready to reopen next week.

Still, New York is on track to be the only major city in the country to bring students into physical classrooms this fall.

[Read more about New York Citys plan for the start of the school year.]

Heres what else you need to know about the mayors announcement:

The details

Under the new plan, teachers will report to schools as scheduled next week, using the additional time to set up their classrooms and meet with students individually.

Once the semester starts, most families that have opted for in-person learning will send their children to school one to three days per week to allow for social distancing. Starting in October, the city will also require random monthly coronavirus testing in all schools, with results that will be ready within 48 hours, the mayor said.
Most solar panels are made of Silicon, which is a non-toxic chemical found on the human body and in the soil, Schubert said. Some solar panels are made with thin film  which are less expensive but also less efficient  that contain a chemical that becomes toxic if the panels burn, he said.
One of the things that totalitarians do is erase history to ensure that there are no historic facts that might conflict with their present policies or utopian plans for the future. That ideology lives on in Washington, D.C., where its leftist mayor, Muriel Bowser, convened a committee to comb through D.C. for signs of racism.

The committee has now recommended that Washington, D.C. erase every name from the city associated with its past. President Trump, with remarkable prescience, warned that this would happen. Americans need to rise and stop this totalitarian impulse immediately.

When most people remember the Charlottesville riots of August 2017, they think one of two things. If they're either leftists or senile Joe Biden, they believe that Donald Trump praised white supremacists. If they're informed, intelligent people, they know that this is a hoax and that Trump specifically said he "condemned totally" neo-Nazis and white nationalists. (Fortunately, most Americans have learned that the left is lying.)

At the same time, Trump had some important words about the leftist impulse to delete history:

Many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee. So this week it's Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You really have to ask yourself, where does it stop?

America's leftists immediately mocked Trump over his concerns. John Oliver represents that mindset:

"I'll tell you where it stops," Oliver replied during an episode of his weekly show. "Somewhere! Any time someone asks, where does it stop, the answer's always ... somewhere. You might let your kid have Twizzlers, but not inject black tar heroin. You don't just go, 'Well, after the Twizzlers, where does it stop?'"

Oliver's nastiness notwithstanding, leftists always give in to their inner totalitarians. In the Soviet Union, following the Great Purge that saw Stalin execute as many as 750,000 people who threatened his power, Stalin followed up by erasing all records of those people. The most famous photograph is the one showing Stalin with Nikolai Yezhov, whose image Stalin's apparatchiks erased after his execution:

In George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, which he wrote after seeing communism at work, his protagonist, Winston Smith, worked in the "Ministry of Truth." His job was to place in the "memory holes" (which led to incinerators) all documents that contradicted Big Brother's present political and social positions.

In keeping with this mindset, Mayor Bowser formed a committee to determine what institutions in the city should be renamed, given informational placards, or removed entirely to erase references to any historic person who was associated with slaves or discrimination, no matter how unrelated that association was to the reason for the person's fame. The committee came up with a doozy of a list:

The committee said in its report that it considered whether the honorees owned enslaved people or supported the institution of slavery, whether they created laws and policies that disadvantaged women and minorities, whether they belonged to "any supremacist organization," and whether they discriminated against marginalized groups in a way that would violate D.C. law.

Those who violated delicate 21st-century sensibilities included Andrew Jackson, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Woodrow Wilson, John Tyler, Alexander Graham Bell, and even Benjamin Franklin.

If you're wondering, Bell supported eugenics because he thought white people should have more children. He disapproved of doing anything to stop other races from having children. Franklin thought it was a mistake to introduce African slaves, whom he referred to as "blacks and tawnys," arguing that it was enough to have "the lovely white and red." Knowing Franklin, this was an abolitionist argument, not a racial one.

I can see the future now. We can rename the Washington Monument the Obama Tower. Or the Jefferson Memorial, after the statue is removed, can honor Al Sharpton for his contributions (ahem) to racial harmony.

Because leftists always live in an imperfect present, based upon an evil past, while looking to a glorious future, they lack any wisdom or perception. For those who lived in the 18th and early 19th centuries, abolition was a new and slowly growing concept grounded in Christian doctrine (something else leftists hate). Slavery was the norm and had been since the dawn of mankind. These men were bounded by the values of the times.

The only person on that list who ought to have known better because norms had changed was Woodrow Wilson, a progressive Democrat. Wilson was the president who took an integrated federal workforce, one in which blacks could rise in status, and deliberately segregated it, reducing blacks to solely menial tasks.

Fortunately, Donald Trump is still in the White House, and his administration pushed back hard against this revisionist madness: "President Donald J. Trump believes these places should be preserved, not torn down; respected, not hated; and passed on for generations to come."

Bowser is backing down for now. But the left never stops. It continually pushes, forcing incremental change until it's won its entire point. Or as the saying goes, give them an inch, and they'll take a mile.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. That's never more correct than when gathering the energy to fight against every leftist initiative, no matter how small or crazy.

Image: The Washington Monument at Sunset by Adampdx09, CC BY-SA 4.0.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced ROG Swift 360 Hz PG259QNR, the worlds fastest esports gaming monitor with refresh rates of up to 360 Hz. This 24-inch monitor features Fast IPS panel technology, as well as built-in NVIDIA G-SYNC and Reflex Latency Analyzer technologies. PG259QNR also includes the ROG Desk Mount Kit. PG259QNR will be available in Q4 2020, while ROG Swift 360 Hz PG259QN  a similar model without the Reflex Latency Analyzer and the ROG Desk Mount Kit  will be available this month.

Worlds fastest NVIDIA G-SYNC esports gaming monitor with NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, Fast IPS technology, and ROG Desk Mount Kit

NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer

ROG Swift 360 Hz PG259QNR features NVIDIA G-SYNC technology and the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, a revolutionary integrated system-latency measurement tool. PC performance for competitive gaming is about responsiveness  how quickly the display updates after mouse clicks or movements. The Reflex Latency Analyzer detects clicks coming from the mouse and then measures the time it takes for the resulting pixels (such as a gun muzzle flash) to change on screen. This type of measurement has been virtually impossible for gamers to do before now, requiring over $7000 worth of specialized high-speed cameras and equipment. Reflex Latency Analyzer provides a much more complete and accurate understanding of mouse, PC, and display performance. With Reflex Latency Analyzer, gamers can now start a match with confidence, knowing their system is operating exactly as it should be.

Superfast and silky-smooth gameplay

The astounding 360 Hz refresh rate offered by PG259QNR delivers up to 50% more frames per second than 240 Hz gaming monitors, giving gamers an edge over the competition.

The 24.5-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display features Fast IPS panel technology for a superfast 1 ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time, thanks to liquid crystal elements in the display that turn on and off up to four times faster than those in conventional IPS panels.

ROG Desk Mount Kit

PG259QNR can also be clamped to the edge of almost any flat work surface via the ROG Desk Mount Kit. The stock adjustable mounting arm of the monitor drops right into the desk mount, making more room for a keyboard and mouse so gamers can sit closer to the screen.

The esports-friendly design of PG259QNR allows gamers to focus on the onscreen action. The monitor keeps distractions to a minimum, thanks to a special non-reflective bottom bezel helps reduce onscreen reflections, as well as a new indicator light on the underside of the bezel thats out of the players line of sight. A space-saving V-shaped stand allows gamers to free up more space for their gaming setup.

ROG Desk Mount Kit: Bundled clamping system frees up space on the desk for gamers who prefer to sit closer to the monitor

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ROG Swift 360 Hz PG259QNR will be available in the country soon. Please stay tuned for more details.
AVer Information is increasing its presence in the global video conferencing market with Google Meet hardware certification for two of its latest USB cameras. Google Cloud has officially certified the CAM540 and CAM340+ for its Google Meet hardware systems. AVer is also the first third-party provider to include a Google certified USB 3.1 cable (Elka) to ensure its video streaming speed and stability.

The CAM540 and CAM340+ join AVer's CAM520 in the group of conferencing cameras that have been granted Google Meet hardware certification. Since the CAM540 and CAM340+ successfully completed the certification process, they can receive automatic firmware updates when attached to Meet hardware. Users can also trust these cameras to work smoothly with Google Meet hardware when they conduct multi-site conference calls, enjoy the convenience of joining a meeting via one click of a shareable link, and capitalize on the rest of the platform's features.

Support for Google Meet hardware begins with the Chrome M84 update. This support offers more flexibility to a conferencing room and ensures that the CAM540 and CAM340+ will always be up-to-date with the latest software.

AVer's CAM340+ is a highly compact yet powerful USB conferencing camera designed especially for huddle room usage. It offers an extra-wide 120 field of view to easily capture every meeting participant, and its 4K imaging at 30fps delivers a crystal-clear picture on large monitors. A unidirectional microphone enables a conference call even if the user's computer doesn't have a mic. The CAM340+ is also lightweight and fits in one hand for easy portability, and a built-in TV mount conveniently unfolds from its base.

Perfect for mid-to-large conference rooms, the USB plug-and-play CAM540 features advanced specifications and AI functionality for remote communication. The 2019 Red Dot Award-winning camera smoothly pans, tilts, and zooms while producing a beautiful 4K image. Additionally, AVer SmartFrame automatic FOV adjusting technology allows users to get meetings started quickly and avoid disruptions when people enter the room while a meeting is in progress.

For more detailed product information go to www.avereurope.com or contact Rene Buhay, VP Sales Marketing, EUROPE at rene.buhay@aver.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005504/en/

Contacts:

Press contact

Alison Scarrott

Senior PR Account Manager

alison@brookscomm.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  Sales of previously occupied homes fell in December for the first time in four months as many would-be buyers were frustrated by a lack of available houses, which fell to the lowest level in more than two...
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"It is always exciting to bring together a group of such respected members of a field, and allowing students to interact in these discussions and even present their work makes this event very exciting" - Norbert Ponweiser, Anton Paar USA

On October 14, 2020, Northwestern University and Anton Paar USA will team up to host the 1st Annual Midwest Workshop on Multiscale Surface Characterization, a 1-day virtual workshop focused on multiscale surface characterization, nanoscience, and materials behavior. The workshop will feature an impressive lineup of speakers from Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign, and Anton Paar USA, and the agenda is built with the overall mission statement in mind: inform and inspire present and future leaders while recognizing excellence across the fields of applied sciences, engineering, and physical sciences.

In addition to the featured speakers, the event will also feature a student presentation contest, allowing students to compete for cash prizes as they present in front of a panel of scientists from both industry and academia.

Dr. Ange Therese Akono, organizer and assistant professor at Northwestern, is quick to note the high priority placed on facilitating discussion and presentations between current and future innovators: My hope is for the event to bring together a community passionate about nanoscale phenomena and novel materials, she said. I want to see new collaborations flourish so that we can all witness new scientific discoveries.

Dr. Norbert Ponweiser from Anton Paar USA expressed similar sentiments. It is always exciting to bring together a group of such respected members of a field, he said, and allowing students to interact in these discussions and even present their work makes this event very exciting.

Continued Ponweiser, it is very possible that some of the experts the students present to at this event will be future research partners.

Registration for the virtual workshop is open until September 11. Students wishing to submit an abstract for a 5-minute presentation are able to do so via the registration process.

To learn more about the event or Anton Paar contact Jeff Linka at jeff.linka@anton-paar.com or 804.550.1051.

About Anton Paar USA

Anton Paar USA is a subsidiary of the Graz, Austria-based Anton Paar. Anton Paar is the world's premier manufacturer of measuring and analytical instrumentation used by laboratories and manufacturers during both research and development and quality control. Founded in 1922, Anton Paar now has subsidiaries in 31 different countries across the world.

Since the beginning of 2018, Anton Paar USA has expanded its USA operations to include four regional offices, with full sales and laboratory operations now taking place in Torrance, California, Houston, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, while the main Anton Paar USA headquarters remains in Ashland, Virginia.
Airline industry bosses are calling for testing at airports to help save their struggling industry.

Heathrow announced it may have to axe up to 1,200 frontline staff due to the pandemic's impact on air travel - while the airport's boss John Holland-Kaye warned Britons face playing 'quarantine roulette'.

Tuesday saw Scotland and Wales impose restrictions on travellers from Greece  although Westminster refused to follow suit.

Ministers are, however, on the brink of putting Portugal back on the 'red list' just days after it was removed.

Heathrow said the constantly shifting quarantine rules led to an 'unprecedented' 82 per cent drop in passenger numbers in August compared with last year.

The chief executive of AGS Airports, which runs Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow, now says the sector is facing more job cuts than in the demise of the coal industry in the 1980s.

Derek Provan told the BBC: 'That's surely not an accolade any government would like to have.'

Heathrow announced it may have to axe up to 1,200 frontline staff due to the pandemic's impact on air travel (pictured: Heathrow Airport)

John Holland-Kaye's (pictured) comments came as the airport announced it may have to axe up to 1,200 frontline staff due to the pandemic's impact on air travel

Chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss, says bringing in testing is 'essential' to reboot Britain's economy.

'Without free and fast travel with the US, we won't see a rebound of aviation and this will stall the economic recovery of the UK, which of course is already in recession,' he said.

Dozens of Tory MPs, including ex-ministers, have joined calls for airport virus testing.

They are requesting an urgent Commons debate to demand answers over the lack of government action on the issue.

The airline industry believes that testing to slash the 14-day quarantine period is the best way to give people the confidence to travel.

Derek Provan (left), the chief executive of AGS Airports, which runs Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow, now says the sector is facing more job cuts than in the demise of the coal industry in the 1980s. Chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss (right), says bringing in testing is 'essential' to reboot Britain's economy

But ministers have been cool on the issue, with sources suggesting that reluctance to back such a scheme is down to in-fighting between departments.

One senior Tory MP told the Mail: 'The Transport Secretary has urged caution on testing but I know he wants to find a solution to help the industry. The difficulty is finding one that the other departments agree with.

'The Prime Minister knows that more work needs to be done on airport testing but there is a lack of enthusiasm from senior members of Cabinet.

'They are very concerned that the proposed tests aren't accurate enough. Equally, they know the travel industry is on the brink and something will have to change sooner rather than later.'

The country's coronavirus cases hit 22.7 per 100,000 people over seven days  breaking the Government's quarantine threshold of 20.

It also emerged that dozens of Tory MPs, including ex-ministers, have joined calls for airport virus testing (pictured, Heathrow on Tuesday)

Such a move would affect an estimated 75,000 Britons, and cap off a summer of hell for the travel industry.

Speaking at an Aviation Club event yesterday, Mr Holland-Kaye said: 'Few people are going to fly if they have to play 'quarantine roulette'.

'Ultimately our aim is for testing and quarantine to happen before you fly, removing the risk of quarantine on landing.

'This requires a common international standard for biosecurity, where testing that happens in one country will be accepted in another.

'The UK could be in a perfect position to lead this common international standard.'

Former Tory aviation minister Theresa Villiers said: 'Airport testing could shorten quarantine times and encourage people to start travelling again.

'I hope the Government will work closely with the aviation industry to make to best use of airport testing.'

A Department for Transport spokesman said quarantine decisions are based on a 'risk assessment, which is informed by a number of factors, including the continued increase of coronavirus within a country and the numbers of new cases and potential trajectory of the disease in the coming weeks'.

They added: 'We keep the data for all countries under constant review, and update our exemptions list... on a regular basis to reflect the shifting international health picture.'
Iran urges JCPOA participants to stand up to US unilateralism

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Sept 1, IRNA -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that the participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action should stand up to the US unilateralism.

Due to simultaneity with the US attempts to restore previous UN resolutions to annihilate the JCPOA, the Joint Commission meeting is of special importance, said Araqchi, who is on a visit to Vienna to take part in the 16th meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission.

Referring to the fact that the UNSC members opposed the US draft resolution to invoke snapback clause of the JCPOA, he said that the US attempts will definitely be an important discussion in the meeting.

He expressed hope that the Commission will be able to reach a unanimous stance and make decisions regarding the way to deal with the US attempts to annihilate the JCPOA.

In the interview with the IRIB News Agency, he hoped that the parties to the JCPOA will stick to their stances expressed in New York and have a "constructive discussion".

He said that the meeting is "routine" that is held every three months in the context of the JCPOA, adding that the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting was delayed a bit due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The JCPOA Joint Commission meeting is to held on Tuesday at 11:00 local time in Vienna at the level of deputy foreign ministers and directors general of Foreign Ministries of the participant states.

Araqchi arrived in Vienna on Monday and has had some bilateral meetings so far and is scheduled to hold meeting with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.

He met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg on Monday and discussed the necessity to safeguard the JCPOA.

Schallenberg said in the meeting that the deal is the most effective diplomatic agreement.

9417**1416

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Dr. Kafeel Khan released at midnight

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Lucknow, Sep 02: Following an order of the Allahabad High Court Dr. Kafeel Khan, who was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police has been released.

Khan who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) was released at midnight.

It may be recalled that the NSA was invoked against Khan on February 13 following the orders of the Aligarh District Magistrate. The court said that the order was illegal as the ground submitted by the authorities was not sufficient to detain him.

Dr. Kafeel Khan ordered to be released, detention under NSA set aside

"I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers, who raised their voice for my release. The administration was not ready for release, but because of the prayers (duaa) of people, I have been released," he told news agency PTI.

He has been in jail since January 29 for allegedly delivering a provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on December 10 2019 during the protests against the amended citizenship law.

It may be recalled that he had been in the news earlier following the 2017 tragedy at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, in which several kids died due to lack of oxygen cylinders.
>>> No new COVID-19 cases recorded on September 1 morning

>>> Four new imported COVID-cases recorded on August 31 evening



>>> Youth volunteers combat COVID-19 in concentrated quarantine sites in Da Nang

According to the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, as of August 25, the central coastal city has disbursed over VND124 billion to 116,966 local residents who are subject to the support package.

Beneficiaries are people with meritorious services to the nation, social protection subjects and poor and near-poor households.

For the group of disadvantaged workers, there are currently 23,598 who have been approved for the list of disbursement with a total value of over VND23.7 billion. In which, 18,761 labourers have received financial support worth over VND19 billion, accounting for 80% of the total.

In addition, Da Nang also deducted more than VND3.2 billion from the package to assist 2,528 people who are the citys specific objects.

To facilitate the surveillance of the disbursement, Da Nang authorities have deployed online channels allowing to look up information about the disbursement via the citys open data portal at https://congdulieu.vn or https://opendata.danang.gov.vn/, as well as via the Zalo mobile app when connecting to the Da Nang 1022 Switchboard or via cell phone SMS.

On August 31, Da Nang bid farewell to the medical team from the Ho Chi Minh City-based Cho Ray Hospital after more than a month of supporting the city in its COVID-19 fight.

Da Nang authorities bid farewell to the medical team from Cho Ray Hospital. (Photo: NDO/Anh Dao)



* On the same day, the Hanois Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of required eight local hospitals to strengthen disease prevention and control measures. Local authorities at all levels were also urged to promote communications to the local restaurants to strictly comply with regulations on social distancing.

* Also on the day, Hai Phong authorities decided to ease some restrict social distancing measures in the northern port city from September 1. Accordingly, the city allows resumption of some business establishments, such as game centres, internet cafes and sauna facilities, while non-essential businesses such as bars and karaoke parlours remain closed.

Hai Phong continues its preventive measures against COVID-19 in the "new normal" state. (Photo: NDO/Ngo Quang Dung)



* On the afternoon of August 31, the People's Committee of Tam Ky City in Quang Nam Province announced the end of medical blockade on some residential areas in An My Ward from 0:00 on September 1.

* On the same day, the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) - Hai Duong branch donated VND1 billion to support the northern province of Hai Duong in its COVID-19 fight. Previously, Vietcombank Hai Duong also awarded over VND200 million to local units in support of the local epidemic prevention and control work.

* In order to proactively prevent and combat COVID-19 in the "new normal" state, the Ministry of Health has urged all Vietnamese people to carry out the 5K Message, meaning Khau trang (wearing face masks)  Khu khuan (disinfecting and keeping personal hygiene)  Khoang cach (practicing social distancing)  Khong tap trung (avoiding crowded gatherings)  Khai bao y te (making health declaration).
DAEJEON, South Korea, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PharmAbcine (KRX: 208340ks), a biotech company focusing on the development of antibody therapeutics, announced on August 31 that it had signed a contract manufacturing organization(CMO) agreement with Binex, a leading biologics CDMO(Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) company in Korea.

With the new contract, Binex will produce Olinvacimab (TTAC-0001), PharmAbcine's leading antibody therapeutics pipeline in oncology, using the new 5,000L production line while it was previously produced in the 1,000L production line. This contract will allow Binex to start the operation of its new 5,000L production line designed for large-scale commercial production.

As for PharmAbcine, this agreement will accommodate more timely and less costly delivery of Olinvacimab for its rapidly expanding list of both clinical and non-clinical studies. The list of studies includes, among others, the global clinical trial for Avastin refractory rGBM(recurrent glioblastoma multiforme) patients, the global combination trial with pembrolizumab for mTNBC(metastatic triple negative breast cancer), the research collaboration with SLBio in China for non-small cell lung cancer therapeutics, multiple investigator-initiated studies planned for solid tumors, etc.

"We are very pleased with this agreement as Binex has been a very reliable clinical manufacturing partner since the very beginning of the clinical trials," said Dr. Jin-San Yoo, CEO of PharmAbcine. "This agreement bodes well with our business strategy of aggressively expanding the indications of our front runner molecule."

About Binex

Binex (053030, KQ) is a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization located in South Korea. It has provided full range services from cell line development to GMP manufacturing for both the drug substance and drug product. CDMO services offered by Binex covers sophisticated analytic services and cGMP manufacturing for IMPs and commercial products (mAb/recombinant protein), leading to successful approval for INDs and BLAs of clients' project. Binex' CDMO capability has already been acknowledged not only by regulatory authorities in advanced countries but also by top pharmaceutical companies who want to in-license and commercialize biologics pipeline manufactured by Binex. For more information, please visit http://www.bi-nex.com.

About PharmAbcine Inc.

PharmAbcine is a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on the development of fully human antibody therapeutics to treat neovascular disorders, tumors, and other medically unmet diseases. It provides therapeutic antibodies for a wide spectrum of indications from oncology, immuno-oncology, ophthalmology, respiratory, to renal pathology.

PharmAbcine's leading pipeline, olinvacimab, an anti-VEGFR2 neutralizing fully human IgG, is currently in a phase II study for bevacizumab-nonresponding rGBM (recurrent glioblastoma multiforme) patients in both US and Australia. In collaboration with MERCK, olinvacimab plus pembrolizumab Phase Ib trials for mTNBC and rGBM are on-going.

PharmAbcine has its own HuPhage library and innovative selection system. PharmAbcine's advanced 3G expression system accommodates high levels of antibody production with high reproducibility. With its highly advanced technology platforms, it provides high-quality antibody generation services. The high standards have allowed PharmAbcine to expand co-development opportunities with not only existing but also potential partners.

Additional information about PharmAbcine can be found on website at http://www.pharmabcine.com.

SOURCE PharmAbcine

Related Links

http://www.pharmabcine.com/


By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/02/2020



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

couple Narkyia Lathan and Olulowo Shodipe have welcomed a new little bundle of joy into their lives.Narkyia and Olulowo, who starred on Season 4 of , revealed they are now parents of a baby girl on Instagram."I can't help but say thank you Lord and in love all over again. #grateful #daddysgirl #girldad #inlove #beard #beardgang #bearddad #blackskin #naija #naijagirl #girldadlife #love," Olulowo captioned an August 28 photo showing him cradling his newborn daughter.And Narkyia shared a video of Olulowo dancing with his daughter in his arms late last week."1st Daddy Daughter Dance," Narkyia wrote alongside the video taken in the hospital."@lowoshow @oxladeofficial @thegr8khalid @temsbaby @davido #daddysgirl #girldad #lowo #kyia #lowkey #90dayfiance #tlc #realitytv #babygirl."Narkyia could be heard calling the dance "sweet" and "cute" while filming the video, and she pointed out her baby girl was "about to be spoiled.""I think she's going to be a daddy's girl for sure," Narkyia said in the video.At the time, Narkyia was waiting for the naming ceremony, which is a tradition in her husband's Nigerian culture.Narkyia welcomed her baby via C-section after being diagnosed with preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure that can impair kidney and liver function.After giving birth, Narkyia also posted a hilarious video of Olulowo dancing for her in a towel in her hospital room."Omg! It hurts to laugh," Narkyia captioned the video."I literally just had a C-Section! He plays wayyyyy too much!! @lowoshow #postpartum #csectionrecovery #csection #preeclampsia #babygirl #naijaprincess #kyia #lowo #lowkey #90dayfiance #tlc #realitytv #striptease #funny."The couple has yet to announce their newborn's name, but Narkyia teased she will probably post a photo of her daughter along with her name in the near future.Narkyia was 36 and from Camp Hill, PA, when she met Olulowo, a 28-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria, through an online dating service for overweight women.Narkyia and her loved ones feared Olulowo was involved in some type of romance scam, but he did not ask for any money. They first met in February 2016.The couple temporarily split but eventually reconciled, and they now live together as a married couple in the United States. Olulowo calls his wife his "queen."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
MINNEAPOLIS - If you have moderate-to-high risk of kidney failure as a young adult, you may be at risk for worse cognitive function in middle age, according to a study published in the September 2, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"We know that people with complete kidney failure are about three times more likely to have thinking, learning, and remembering problems than their peers," said study author Sanaz Sedaghat, Ph.D., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, Ill., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study shows that if your kidney function starts declining as early as your 30s, you may perform like someone nine years older on certain cognitive tests 20 years later. Yet many people can have a decline in kidney function without being aware of it."

The study involved 2,604 people with an average age of 35 at the start of the study. Participants had blood and urine tests to measure kidney function every five years for 20 years. The results of those tests were used to estimate each person's risk of kidney failure at each visit. The participants were then put into three groups: no episodes of kidney failure risk, one episode of kidney failure risk, and more than one episode of kidney failure risk. At the end of the study, participants took thinking and memory tests, including tests that measure executive function, memory, impulse control and verbal fluency.

Over the course of 20 years, 427 participants had one or more episodes of kidney failure risk, putting them in the higher risk group. Controlling for other factors that could affect thinking skills, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, the high-risk group scored on average four times lower on overall thinking tests compared to the group with no risk.

"Comparing the estimated effect of age on thinking skills to the effect of kidney failure risk, we observed that the people who had high risk of kidney failure were performing in their thinking tests as if they were about nine years older than those in the group with no risk," Sedaghat said. "Recent studies indicate that even losing just a small amount of kidney function can be toxic for the brain and increase the risk of cognitive decline. Our study adds to the evidence and suggests preserving kidney function in young age needs to be investigated as a potential strategy to keep thinking skills sharp in midlife."

A limitation of the study is that while blood and urine tests were conducted every five years, thinking and memory tests were only conducted at the end of the study. Future studies should include multiple measurements of thinking and memory skills.

###

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota and Kaiser Foundation Research Institute.

Learn more about brain health at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology's free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience.

The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit AAN.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
MONTREAL, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) and Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA) (collectively, the "Corporations") today announced that the independent members of their Boards of Directors have rejected an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Altice USA, Inc. of New York and Rogers Communications Inc. of Toronto.

The rejection followed meetings of both Boards held earlier today and discussions with members of the Audet family to review the unsolicited proposal.

ABOUT COGECO INC.

Cogeco Inc. is a diversified holding corporation which operates in the communications and media sectors. Its Cogeco Communications Inc. subsidiary provides residential and business customers with Internet, video and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks, operating in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, under the Cogeco Connexion name, and in the United States under the Atlantic Broadband brand (in 11 states along the East Coast, from Maine to Florida). Its Cogeco Media subsidiary owns and operates 23 radio stations with complementary radio formats and extensive coverage serving a wide range of audiences mainly across the province of Quebec, as well as Cogeco News, a news agency. Cogeco's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

ABOUT COGECO COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Cogeco Communications Inc. is a communications corporation. It is the 8th largest cable operator in North America, operating in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and along the East Coast of the United States under the Atlantic Broadband brand (in 11 states from Maine to Florida). The Corporation provides residential and business customers with Internet, video and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Cogeco Communications Inc.'s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

SOURCE Cogeco Inc.

Related Links

http://corpo.cogeco.com


Only three schools will open later than September 2.

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Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope.

Some 693,000 children returned to schools on September 2. The start of the new school year is affected by measures to counter the coronavirus pandemic.

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The first two weeks will be crucial, as Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) stressed.

This school year will be non-traditional and different, but I believe that well manage it with the measures set by the Public Health Authority, and well be able to launch the full education process after two weeks, Grohling said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Three schools open later

Of the total number of school children, some 498,000 returned to primary schools, including more than 59,000 first-graders. Another 196,000 are secondary school students, the Education Ministry informed.

Related article

Related article FAQs: Two masks in a school bag, gym closed for first three weeks Read more

At the same time, altogether 2,074 primary schools, 433 secondary vocational schools, 219 grammar schools, 198 conservatories, and 16 secondary sport schools opened their doors. Children will also attend 525 special schools including those running near the medical facilities.

Only three schools will open later, Grohling confirmed.

Several measures to follow

The Education Ministry does not plan across-the-board closure of schools, with measures being taken locally.

It has also prepared a manual for schools. One of the rules will be to follow the COVID-19 semaphore warning system, with every stage containing specific measures of what to do if coronavirus is suspected or confirmed.

Related article

Related article Rules for wearing masks and organising mass events will change Read more

At the entrance door schools will have to display information under which conditions pupils and the people that accompany them can enter the building.

Children should also bring two documents signed by their parents: a form about their health condition, and the declaration whether children were abroad between August 17 and September 1, or if they went to some mass event in the given period.

All fifth to ninth graders at primary schools and all students of secondary schools have to wear masks in the classroom, while the ministry recommends younger schoolchildren to wear them as well. The masks are compulsory outside the classrooms if children are inside. Also, each child needs to bring two masks to school.

Related article

Related article The Education Ministry is "ready for the new school year" Read more

Teachers have to wear masks or can use protective shields.

There are also certain restrictions for PE classes. Pupils will not be allowed to exercise in the gyms until September 20. There are also some limitations for swimming pools and fitness gyms.

There will be a special isolation room in schools if any child shows COVID-19 symptoms.

The Education Ministry recommends giving lectures in one classroom and children not to spend breaks in the corridors.

Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Slovakia:
In Prodigal Son, Michael Sheen plays Martin Whitly, a highly intelligent, charming and cultured medical practitioner. But he's also a serial killer, kept under close surveillance in a prison where he is visited by profiler Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne), who comes seeking insights into a copycat killer using Whitly's murderers as a template.

There's an unmistakable echo in all this of The Silence of the Lambs, and not only because Sheen is, like Anthony Hopkins, who played Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 film, so proudly Welsh.

Michael Sheen as Dr Martin Whitly in Prodigal Son. Credit:David Giesbrecht / FOX

"One of the useful things about this story is that it touches tropes and little motifs from other shows and stories in the genre," says Sheen, speaking via Zoom from his home in Port Talbot, Wales, where he is spending  and largely enjoying  lockdown with his partner and young child.

"Obviously, the relationship between Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Lecter is a reference point, and it means you can move quite quickly because the audience has a sort of shorthand with you. But there's a big difference in that Martin and Malcolm are father and son, so there's the family bond that takes it into a whole other area."
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
Victory State Bank locks the door and allows customers only into the building one at a time. It's a safety measure due to the neighborhood's current state as well as precautions in the pandemic.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders from LCMC Health will present employees with a VISA gift card to spend in Louisiana restaurants as an expression of gratitude for the incredible work that has been done at every level during the pandemic. Dubbed "Operation Bon Appetit," full-time employees will receive a $100 gift card, with part-time and contract employees given a card valued at $50.

"Louisiana restaurants have been incredibly supportive of our frontline workers throughout the pandemic, keeping their spirits high and providing much needed relief with food donations," said Greg Feirn, CEO, LCMC Heath. "This gift to our employees allows us to say thank you for their hard work and dedication to serving our community while giving back to those who gave to us."

LCMC Health, which includes Children's Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center, and West Jefferson Medical Center, employs more than 9,900 people, caring for patients from across the Gulf South region and beyond. Many of those patients and their families are employed in the local restaurant industry and seek healthcare from an LCMC Health hospital or clinic.

"We appreciate LCMC Health rewarding our healthcare heroes by providing them a bit of normalcy by dining out or ordering take at one of our great restaurants," said Stan Harris, President and CEO, Louisiana Restaurant Association. "This is truly an example of paying it forward."

Since the onset of the pandemic, LCMC Health has cared for more than 2,400 patients across its five hospital system with COVID-19 and implemented multiple testing strategies throughout the greater New Orleans area, serving as a national leader in providing access to viral testing for this community, including:

The region's first drive-through testing for symptomatic patients at West Jefferson Medical Center.

Tent-based Emergency Room annex testing at New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, and University Medical Center.

In partnership with LSUHSC New Orleans, the New Orleans Health Department, and Jefferson Parish , LCMC Health has conducted over 16,000 tests at community, neighborhood-based walk-up sites.

, LCMC Health has conducted over 16,000 tests at community, neighborhood-based walk-up sites. New Orleans East Hospital offered free testing to all Orleans Parish Criminal Court employees.

Testing First Responders from Region 1 on the campus of University Medical Center.

LCMC Health also launched a Nurse Hotline through which the community can get an initial health and COVID screening and up-to-date information on testing locations and availability in the greater New Orleans area, return-to-work screenings, and questions related to flu and other general health issues.

"The only way we will recover is if we all come together and support our local business community  including the restaurant industry" said Feirn. "This is one creative way that we can thank our loyal, hardworking team and provide a much needed, million-dollar boost for the local New Orleans restaurant community."

LCMC Health employees are encouraged to take photographs while safely enjoying their meal and uploading the images to the system's website using #eatlocalLCMCHealth.

This investment comes during a traditionally slow time for the hospitality industry, made even more strained by the pandemic. It's also the time when New Orleans & Company, the city's destination marketing organization for the New Orleans tourism industry, presents its restaurant promotion, "Coolinary," with some of the region's iconic restaurants offering specially curated prix-fixe menus at discounted prices through September 13.

About LCMC Health

Established in 2009, LCMC Health is a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system serving the healthcare needs of the Gulf Coast region. LCMC Health currently manages Children's Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center.

SOURCE LCMC Health

Related Links

lcmchealth.org


Photograph: Morry Gash/AP

As Donald Trump toured parts of the Wisconsin city of Kenosha on Tuesday  against the wishes of local government officials  the family of Jacob Blake, the young Black father now paralyzed after being shot by city police, had a message for the visiting US president.

Related: Trump and Barr in Kenosha as protests continue over police shooting of Jacob Blake  live

Justin Blake, Jacobs uncle, kicked off a community party on the same Kenosha block where his nephew was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer. The shooting triggered yet another harsh examination of US police practices and led to the gun deaths of two protesters, killed by a white militia supporter last week.

Were not going to let anyone smudge my nephews name, said Justin Blake, as Trump held court elsewhere with local law enforcement and criticized the protesters who had taken to streets after the shooting.

We dont have any words for the orange man in the White House, Blake added.

Trumps visit came to a town at the center of US politics following Blakes shooting, the nights of protest and vandalism that it triggered, and finally the deaths of two protesters allegedly at the hands of Kyle Rittenhouse, who now stands charged with murder.

Trump had billed his trip to Kenosha as a unifying move, but Blakes family declined to meet with him and his schedule was dominated by meetings with local police officials and business leaders. He toured damaged property and paid far more attention to the destruction than to the police shooting that preceded it.

To many residents, especially Black citizens, Trumps visit was roundly unwelcome, echoing the local mayor, John Antaramian, and Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers, who had asked the president not to come. At the local courthouse, about 100 Trump supporters and a similar number of Black Lives Matter supporters traded chants back and forth. About 50 yards away, members of the national guard sat laughing and joking behind the courthouse wall.

Story continues

Jacob Ansari, a 42-year-old IT security adviser, wore a shirt depicting the Republican party being thrown into the trash. He said: The president has no business being here and inflaming tension. Hes riling up his supporters and bringing in all these people who arent wearing masks and who have the potential to incite more violence.

He added: People frame everything around broken windows and property, and not the actual human lives that are being hurt by bad cops and white supremacists. I think we all need to come out and stand up in this moment and say that none of this is OK. Its not OK for the president to come out and whip up his potentially violent supporters.

Protesters oppose a Trump supporter during a demonstration against police brutality in Kenosha on Tuesday. Photograph: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images

Others agreed, saying that Trumps visit was hardly likely to calm the situation in town, especially as it brought many Trump supporters out into the streets and came after widespread support for the shooter among Republicans and conservatives.

Trump coming here is counter-productive, because he essentially endorsed the armed assassin who came in here. Thats patently racist, said Mike Edwards, who lives in nearby New Glarus.

Rioting gives the movement a black eye, but I hope that people can see the frustrations behind it. I hope Kenosha motivates people to come out to the polls and vote him out.

Trumps motorcade had passed a mix of supporters on the drive into town, many of whom were holding American flags, and also protesters, some carrying signs that read Black Lives Matter. As a massive police presence, complete with several armored vehicles, secured the area, barricades were set up along several of the citys major thoroughfares to keep onlookers some distance from the passing presidential vehicles.

Among those waiting for Trump were two elderly women, Joyce and Kathy, who declined to give their last names. They said they had lived in Kenosha for 60 years and had sat outside the local courthouse since 9.30am in support of the president and wearing Maga hats and Trump T-shirts.

We love Trump coming in here! The ones who are against him, theres nothing to do to satisfy them. But those of us who love him, hes coming in here to help us and support us. Hes going to make it better for all of us, said Joyce.

Kathy added: People have a right to protest. Its not all bad, but its stirring up more trouble and promoting more violence. I wish they would just listen to what Trumps trying to do. He has done so much good for our country.

Meanwhile, back at the block party, Blakes uncle Justin had one parting comment for Trump from a family and a community still grieving over the horrific injuries to one of their own.

Keep your disrespect and foul language away from our family, he said.
Dr Trisha Stratford has confirmed that she has parted ways from Married At First Sight after seven seasons.

Daily Mail Australia first reported the news on Tuesday and revealed that producers have decided to shake things up by introducing a 'sex therapist' on the expert panel for the next season.

In a statement on the show's Instagram account on Wednesday, the relationship expert announced she was 'taking a step back from the series to focus on her writing, research and neuropsychotherapy'.

Goodbye: Dr Trisha Stratford has confirmed that she has parted ways from Married At First Sight after seven seasons

In response to her resignation from the role, a statement from the MAFS team read: All our thanks to Trisha for the extraordinary contribution she has made to the success of #MAFS! .'

A production insider told Daily Mail Australia that the New Zealand-based therapist was notably missing during the second and third stages of castings last week.

Instead, participants were introduced to an 'American female sex therapist' who asked each of the stars what they were hoping to find in a match.

Moving on: In a statement on the show's Instagram on Wednesday, the relationship expert announced she was 'taking a step back from the series to focus on her writing, research and neuropsychotherapy'

Changes: Daily Mail Australia first reported the news on Tuesday and revealed that producers have decided to shake things up by introducing a 'sex therapist' on the expert panel for the next season

For the first time, the show's relationship experts will be forced to meet the loved-up hopefuls via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year, angry fans expressed outrage over the role, or lack thereof, Trisha, and fellow experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling played in the 2020 season.

Many were perplexed by the shortage of advice the trio gave to the struggling couples and 'dud' pairings.

End of an era! Trisha is pictured alongside experts Mel Schilling (left) and John Aitken (right)

Screen time: Earlier this year, angry fans expressed outrage over the role, or lack thereof, Trisha, and fellow experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling played in the 2020 season. Pictured: John Aiken

Trisha doesn't fare much better when it comes to interviewing the participants in previous seasons.

In the past, she has often asked one or two questions, usually about sex, before letting John and Mel take over the conversation.

Earlier this month, it was revealed producers have decided not to cast any Victorians this season after the state recorded a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.

What happened? In recent seasons, John and Mel have dominated discussions at the dinner parties and commitment ceremonies while Trisha would sit in relative silence
A 2bn ($2.7bn) scheme to help young people into work in the UK has launched with support from major employers like Tesco (TSCO.L).

The Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday that its Kickstart jobs scheme was officially launching. The programme, first announced in July, will see out-of-work 16-to-24 year olds offered six week job placements with their wages paid by the government. Employers will also be given up to 1,500 to pay for uniforms and other costs associated with the programme.

The Treasury said Tesco was one of the first major employers to sign up to offer placements through the scheme.

The Kickstart programme forms part of the chancellors multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs announced in July. The programme is intended to help spur the UKs economic recovery.

The targeted measures to help young people come in response to the disproportionate economic hit they suffered in the COVID-19 downturn. Over 60% of 17 year olds in employment were furloughed when the crisis struck, the Treasury said, and the number of under-24s claiming jobless benefits has risen by more than a quarter of a million since March. Experts fear many of these people could fall into long-term unemployment unless they pick up skills and experience during the crucial early years of their working life.

Apprentice barber Sam Scott practices his scissor skills on a mannequin ahead of the Barber Barber salon in Manchester re-opening in July. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

READ MORE: UK chancellor unveils 30bn plan to protect millions of jobs

This isnt just about kickstarting our countrys economy  it is an opportunity to kickstart the careers of thousands of young people who could otherwise be left behind as a result of the pandemic, chancellor Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

The scheme will open the door to a brighter future for a new generation and ensure the UK bounces back stronger as a country.

Jane Gratton, head of people policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, said: At a time when cashflow is tight, this fully funded scheme will help employers bring young people into the workplace and develop new talent for the future.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the Kickstart programme was important but called on the government to do more to support apprenticeships.

Incentives for apprenticeships aren't enough on their own to keep businesses afloat as well as hiring an apprentice, so more must be done to ensure small firms have all the support they need to survive and then thrive after this pandemic, Cherry said in a statement.
Projected dark matter density map, created using a simulation measuring 2.4 billion light years on each side. . The intermediate square (top right) is just under a million light years across. The smallest square (bottom left) is the deepest zoom: it is only 783 light years across, equivalent to 500 times the size of the solar system. In the intermediate square(top right) the largest dark matter haloes have a mass similar to that of a rich galaxy cluster (a million trillion times the mass of the Sun). In the smallest square (bottom right) the smallest clearly visible haloes have a mass comparable to that of the Earth (0.000003 the mass of the Sun). Credit: Dr Sownak Bose, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University

Cosmologists have zoomed in on the smallest clumps of dark matter in a virtual universewhich could help us to find the real thing in space.

An international team of researchers, including Durham University, UK, used supercomputers in Europe and China to focus on a typical region of a computer-generated universe.

The zoom they were able to achieve is the equivalent of being able to see a flea on the surface of the Moon.

This allowed them to make detailed pictures and analyses of hundreds of virtual dark matter clumps (or haloes) from the very largest to the tiniest.

Dark matter particles can collide with dark matter anti-particles near the center of haloes where, according to some theories, they are converted into a burst of energetic gamma-ray radiation.

Their findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature, could mean that these very small haloes could be identified in future observations by the radiation they are thought to give out.

Co-author Professor Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, at Durham University, UK, said: "By zooming in on these relatively tiny dark matter haloes we can calculate the amount of radiation expected to come from different sized haloes.

"Most of this radiation would be emitted by dark matter haloes too small to contain stars and future gamma-ray observatories might be able to detect these emissions, making these small objects individually or collectively 'visible'.

"This would confirm the hypothesized nature of the dark matter, which may not be entirely dark after all."

Most of the matter in the universe is dark (apart from the gamma radiation they emit in exceptional circumstances) and completely different in nature from the matter that makes up stars, planets and people.

The universe is made of approximately 27 percent dark matter with the rest largely consisting of the equally mysterious dark energy. Normal matter, such as planets and stars, makes up a relatively small five percent of the universe.

Projected dark matter density map, created using a simulation measuring 2.4 billion light years on each side. The inset square (bottom left) is the deepest zoom in the simulation: it is only 783 light years across, equivalent to 500 times the size of the solar system. In the inset square, the smallest clearly visible dark matter haloes have a mass comparable to that of the Earth (0.000003 the mass of the Sun). Credit: Dr Sownak Bose, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University.

Galaxies formed and grew when gas cooled and condensed at the center of enormous clumps of this dark matterso-called dark matter haloes.

Astronomers can infer the structure of large dark matter haloes from the properties of the galaxies and gas within them.

The biggest haloes contain huge collections of hundreds of bright galaxies, called galaxy clusters, weighing a 1,000 trillion times more than our Sun.

However, scientists have no direct information about smaller dark matter haloes that are too tiny to contain a galaxy. These can only be studied by simulating the evolution of the Universe in a large supercomputer.

The smallest are thought to have the same mass as the Earth according to current popular scientific theories about dark matter that underlie the new research.

The simulations were carried out using the Cosmology Machine supercomputer, part of the DiRAC High-Performance Computing facility in Durham, funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and computers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

By zooming-in on the virtual universe in such microscopic detail, the researchers were able to study the structure of dark matter haloes ranging in mass from that of the Earth to a big galaxy cluster.

An artist's impression of dark matter haloes with various mass in the Universe. Credit: YU Jingchuan, Beijing Planetarium

Surprisingly, they found that haloes of all sizes have a very similar internal structure and are extremely dense at the center, becoming increasingly spread out, with smaller clumps orbiting in their outer regions.

The researchers said that without a measure scale it was almost impossible to tell an image of a dark matter halo of a massive galaxy from one of a halo with a mass a fraction of the Sun's.

Co-author Professor Simon White, of the Max Planck Institute of Astrophysics, Germany, said: "We expect that small dark matter haloes would be extremely numerous, containing a substantial fraction of all the dark matter in the universe, but they would remain mostly dark throughout cosmic history because stars and galaxies grow only in haloes more than a million times as massive as the Sun.

"Our research sheds light on these small haloes as we seek to learn more about what dark matter is and the role it plays in the evolution of the universe."

Explore further Dark matter and massive galaxies

More information: Universal structure of dark matter haloes over a mass range of 20 orders of magnitude, Nature (2020). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2642-9 Journal information: Nature Universal structure of dark matter haloes over a mass range of 20 orders of magnitude,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2642-9
The crisis engulfing Boeing and Airbus intensified as another major customer asked to push back orders for more planes.

Qatar Airways has struck a deal with European plane maker Airbus to delay the delivery of new aircraft, after the coronavirus pandemic triggered a slump in global air travel that is expected to last for several years.

But the airlines chief executive Akbar Al-Baker said it was still in talks with US group Boeing about its order, and hinted it could stop doing business with it in future if the two cannot agree.

Qatar Airways has struck a deal with European plane maker Airbus to delay the delivery of new aircraft, after the coronavirus pandemic triggered a slump in global air travel

He said: As far as Boeing is concerned we are still in negotiations with them, but regardless of what they feel, an aircraft manufacturer needs to oblige customers in difficult times. People who will not oblige and stand with us in this difficult time will not see us again.

Al-Baker did not say how many planes had been delayed with either company.

Airlines are bracing to carry fewer passengers until around 2025.

It is thought it will be especially difficult for companies that make a lot of their money from long-distance routes, as the short-haul market for holidays and business travel is expected to pick up a lot sooner.

Qatar has made a name for itself for being a connecting hub in the Middle East between the East and the West  so it is likely to suffer sorely from the collapse.

Al-Baker said: We have the ability to bring forward the deliveries if there is a rebound in air travel.

But, he added, the airline had not reached an agreement with Boeing. Qatar has dozens of orders with both firms, including 50 for Airbuss A321neo and 60 Boeing 777X planes.

Al-Bakers threat comes as Boeing and Airbus have seen a slew of orders cancelled or pushed back since the Covid crisis began.

In July alone Boeing customers cancelled plans to buy 43 of its 737 Max planes.

In April, Easyjet pushed back orders for 24 aircraft from Airbus until between 2025 and 2027.

It followed a bust-up with the budget carriers founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who wanted Easyjet to cancel the 4.5billion order for 107 planes entirely to save cash.

The jets were originally meant to be delivered this year, next year and in 2022. Both plane makers have now scaled back their production schedules  with Boeing retiring its iconic 747 jumbo jets by 2022 and cutting the number of 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner jets it makes every month.

And Airbus is planning to make just five of its A350 jets per month  down from 9.5 in April.

They are also planning mass lay-offs to counter the collapse in demand, as well as making swingeing cost cuts throughout their businesses.

Boeing is axeing 10 per cent of its 160,000-strong workforce, while Airbus is cutting 15,000 of its 34,000 staff.
As a global leader in innovative water technologies, we are continually expanding our portfolio of high-quality solutions to help our customers purify, conserve and reuse water, said HP Nanda, Global Vice President & General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions.

To better serve its diverse global customers, DuPont Water Solutions has entered into an exclusive global partnership with Sun Chemical and its parent company, the DIC Corporation, to bring membrane degasification modules to market. The degasification of liquids is becoming increasingly critical to several water treatment processes, including industrial demineralization, oil and gas production, microelectronics manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, and drinking water treatment. The membrane degassing modules branded Ligasep are now part of DuPonts leading portfolio of water purification and separation technologies, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ion exchange resins.

The partnership supports DuPonts goal to increase access to the products and technologies needed to meet global customers current and future challenges, including the increased need to recycle water while reducing the energy requirements to generate clean water.

As a global leader in innovative water technologies, we are continually expanding our portfolio of high-quality solutions to help our customers purify, conserve and reuse water, said HP Nanda, Global Vice President & General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions. We look forward to working with Sun Chemical and DIC to better meet the needs of our customers focused on water treatment and reuse.

Ligasep modules can be easily integrated into a degassing system and offers minimum water pressure drop with no added chemicals or airborne water contamination.

Were extremely proud to be partnering with DuPont Water Solutions to bring an all-encompassing solution to the market, said Mehran Yazdani, President, Advanced Materials, Sun Chemical Corporation. This collaboration will allow our water treatment customers to be better served with a single sourced product solution that meets their requirements and expectations.

The Ligasep product line utilizes a PMP (polymethylpentene) hollow fiber membrane which is used to remove dissolved gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, from water to prevent oxidation and reduce the ionic load on downstream processing equipment. Control of these gasses is an integral part of producing high quality water used in the power generation, industrial manufacturing and semiconductor industries. These modules can be installed in series within the same water treatment system, ensuring sufficient degasification and achieve ppb levels (parts-per-billion) of dissolved gasses for a range of flow rates in water treatment applications.

Were excited to enter into a partnership with DuPont Water Solutions. This is an incredible opportunity for DIC and DuPont to introduce a single water treatment solution for customers, said Kaoru Ino, President and CEO, DIC Corporation. One of our goals as an organization is to provide comfort to the world around us. One way to do that is through water safety.

The exclusive alliance with DuPont Water Solutions only applies to the water treatment marketplace. Sun Chemical will continue to manufacture and sell its SEPAREL membrane degassing technology to other industrial markets, including the inkjet marketplace.

About DuPont Safety & Construction

DuPont Safety & Construction is a global leader in delivering innovation for lifes essential needs in water, shelter and safety; enabling its customers to win through unique capabilities, global scale and iconic brands including DuPont  Corian, Kevlar, Nomex, Tyvek GreatStuff, Sytrofoam, and FilmTec. More on DuPont Water Solutions can be found at https://www.dupont.com/water

About DuPont

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food and worker safety. More information can be found at http://www.dupont.com.

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9/2/20

DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ,  or  are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.
Gwengoat/iStockBy JOSH MARGOLIN, LUCIEN BRUGGEMAN, WILL STEAKIN and JONATHAN KARL, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- In early July the Department of Homeland Security withheld publication of an intelligence bulletin warning law enforcement agencies of a Russian scheme to promote allegations about the poor mental health of former Vice President Joe Biden, according to internal emails and a draft of the document obtained by ABC News.



The draft bulletin, titled Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election, was submitted to the agencys legislative and public affairs offices for review on July 7. The analysis was not meant for public consumption, but it was set to be distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement partners two days later, on July 9, the emails show.



Just one hour after its submission, however, a senior DHS official intervened.



Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to [acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf]," wrote DHS Chief of Staff John Gountanis, according to an email obtained by ABC News.



That was nearly two months ago. But the bulletin was never circulated.



In a statement to ABC News, a DHS spokesperson confirmed that the product was delayed, explaining that it failed to meet the agencys standards.



According to the draft bulletin, analysts determined with high confidence that Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.



High confidence means what it sounds like -- that they are highly confident that their assessment is accurate and they dont use that language very often, Elizabeth Neumann, a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, told ABC News.



The document mentions Iranian and Chinese efforts to criticize Trump, but focuses on -- and takes its title from -- Russias attacks on Bidens mental fitness. It is a line of attack also utilized by both President Donald Trump and his reelection campaign.



Beyond warnings of Russia's purported activity, critics said the decision to withhold the document will fuel concern that the Trump administration has sought to politicize intelligence, particularly after an announcement over the weekend that senior intelligence leaders will cease congressional election security briefings due to alleged leaks from lawmakers, and will instead provide only written reports.



We are hearing concerns being raised publicly that, in this administration, intelligence community reporting is being modified or blocked for political reasons -- or to not anger the president, said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and the former undersecretary for intelligence at DHS under President Barack Obama.



By blocking information from being released that describes threats facing the nation, Cohen continued, it undermines the ability of the public and state and local authorities to work with the federal government to counteract the threat.



As an example of Russian efforts to raise doubts about Biden's mental acuity, the draft bulletin points to a March story on a Russian proxy website that "refuted media claims that the candidates gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.



The DHS spokesperson said that while the agency generally does not comment on leaked documents, this particular draft product lacked the necessary context and evidence for broader dissemination outside of the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis.



After briefing the Acting Secretary and he asked questions, the spokesperson continued, [Office of Intelligence and Analysis] career leadership decided to delay the product for further review.



In a statement to ABC News regarding the DHS bulletin, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said, We dont need or want any foreign interference.



Theres no question that the President has been tougher on Russia than any president before him, imposing sanctions and expelling diplomats, in contrast to the Obama-Biden Administration, which choked in the face of Russian interference, he said. President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square.



The White House declined to comment.



Biden camp accuses Trump of 'speaking from the same script' as Russia



The Trump campaigns effort to depict Biden, who turns 78 shortly after Election Day, as mentally unfit for office has emerged as a central tenet of its multi-million dollar strategy to paint Biden as a feeble puppet of the radical left.



It dates back to 2018 when, at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner, Trump jabbed his future 2020 opponent: There's talk about Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe, getting into the race  the guy who keeps making outrageous statements thinks he has a shot at being president?



And while Trump, himself 74, first tweeted the Sleepy Joe nickname in April of last year, he and his campaign increased attacks on the former vice president's mental state earlier this spring as Biden emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Trump repeatedly targeted Biden in remarks and on Twitter while his campaign in May launched a Facebook ad blitz that raised questions about his "geriatric mental health."



In June, the Trump campaign ran a television ad titled "Fortitude" that worked to paint a dire picture of Bidens mental state.



The next month -- around the time the DHS memo was submitted -- Trump said in a radio interview, "[Biden's] record is terrible. He can't even talk about his record. He forgets his record, he forgets everything."



On Tuesday, the president said, "Biden doesn't know he's alive."



In a statement to ABC News, Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, decried the lengths to which Donald Trump will go to manipulate and conceal intelligence for partisan political purposes.



He is blocking the intelligence community from sharing with federal and state law enforcement a crucial finding: that Russia is disseminating false and scurrilous attacks on the health of Joe Biden -- one that aligns with Trump's own constantly-backfiring attacks, Bates added. And why would he do this? Because Russia and the Trump campaign are speaking from the same script of smears and lies.



In the intelligence draft bulletin, analysts point out that Russias current line of attack targeting Bidens health echoes its efforts in 2016 to [raise] serious doubts about [then-candidate Hillary Clintons] physical capability, particularly after she fell ill at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City.



At the time, Trump and his surrogates leveled similar attacks against Clinton, calling into question her physical fitness for office. Weeks after the 9/11 memorial incident, Trump said during a debate that Clinton doesn't have the stamina to be president.



Intel chiefs move to limit congressional briefings sparks outcry



After months of warnings from law enforcement and the intelligence community of Moscows ongoing efforts to meddle in the November election, if it had been circulated, the July bulletin would have served as one of the most explicit and specific examples to date of Russias intentions.



In August, the Office of Director of National Intelligence publicly reported that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate Biden, adding that some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trumps candidacy on social media and Russian television.



Trump later disputed that finding, claiming that the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump, because nobodys been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.



On Saturday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) announced it would halt in-person congressional briefings about election security, citing concern over "unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information."



Newly minted Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe wrote to congressional leaders that "this approach helps ensure that the information ODNI provides the Congress  is not misunderstood nor politicized."



Democrats fired back, calling Ratcliffes decision a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed, and a betrayal of the public's right to know how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy.



Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf reacted Sunday on ABC News This Week, saying his agency will continue to have in-person briefings with members of Congress and staff, but defended Ratcliffes decision.



In their statement to ABC News, the DHS spokesperson added that [the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis] is committed to fulfilling its mission to keep the Homeland safe and secure, which included the sharing of three reports on election security in August 2020 with state and local partners.



On This Week, Wolf added that Russia, China, and Iran continue to engage in disinformation campaigns to sow discourse within the U.S.



In the August statement from ODNI, intelligence officials concluded that China prefers that President Trump -- whom Beijing sees as unpredictable -- does not win reelection. Iran, it found, seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections.



In the July draft bulletin, in addition to reports of Russian interference, analysts said Iranian state media has amplified public discussion by medical professionals alleging that [President Trump] suffered from psychosis and narcissistic personality disorder. In China, state media outlets have questioned [President Trumps] health and suggested that a debate about the mental health of a U.S. president is indicative of deeper problems with democracy.



With just two months until ballots are tallied, Cohen said the safety and efficacy of our election depend on collaboration within the law enforcement community and transparency about malign foreign meddling.



One of the ways you counteract these threats, Cohen said, is by providing state and local authorities, political parties, and the general public access to information about both the methods being used to spread this disinformation and the contents of this disinformation campaign so people know, when they see this material, that it is inaccurate and is to be disregarded.

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will launch the first phase of the resumption of metro services from September 7 as permitted under the Unlock 4 guidelines. Metro trains will be allowed to operate in a graded manner starting Monday. However, stations in containment zones would remain closed.

Officials of the urban transporter also cautioned that trains may not stop at some of the stations" if social distancing norms are not adhered to by the passengers.

The assertion from the DMRC came on a day the city recorded 2,509 cases, the highest single-day spike in the last nearly 60 days. The Delhi Metro services will be resumed in a graded manner in three stages from September 7-12 with the Yellow Line or Line 2 connecting Samyapur Bali in Delhi to HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon and Rapid Metro to be the first ones to be made operational on September 7," the DMRC said in a statement.

In the first phase of resuming metro services, selected gates will be opened at the metro stations and only cashless top-up of metro smart cards will be allowed.

Heres the schedule for the Phase I:

- The trains will operate from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm until September 10.

- On September 11, metro trains will operate from 7 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 10 pm.

- From September 12, Delhi Metro service will be available between 6 am and 11 pm

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Wednesday announced guidelines for the 17 metro corporations across the country, which can now release their own details keeping in mind local requirements.

The HUA has made wearing of face mask mandatory for all passengers and staff. Metro rail corporations may make arrangements for supply of masks on payment basis to the persons arriving without mask.
Dont get them wrong, the plaintiffs argue, they want thoughtful and deep police reform. But they want both a better police force and enough police officers to protect their kids and their streets  not either the present unreformed police or a disbanded police department and an uncertain replacement.

The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported on Aug. 1 that since the killing of George Floyd in late May, the citys police force is down at least 100 officers, more than 10 percent of the force, straining department resources amid a wave of violence. The department, the newspaper added, is budgeted for 888 officers this year, but could lose as much as a third of its work force by years end  through resignations, firings and medical leave for post-traumatic stress from the violence that followed Floyds death.

In an Aug. 24 op-ed in The Star Tribune, Sondra and Don Samuels, two of the Black plaintiffs, explained why they are suing. I know them both, and they are deeply involved in improving their Northside neighborhood. Sondra is the chief executive of the Northside Achievement Zone, and Don, her husband, is a former City Council member, former Minneapolis school board member and chief executive of Microgrants, a local nonprofit.

We want radical police reform, where all citizens are treated as fully human by all cops, and not just by the good ones we all know well, they wrote. We support the reform moves of the mayor and chief, which include community alternatives to policing that work hand-in-hand with our police force.

The State Legislature, they also argued, must change arbitration rules that too often demand bad cops be rehired after being fired for abusive policing.

But, they added: We will not sacrifice the safety of our community in the pursuit of the City Councils lofty goals with no plan to back them up. In the months since George Floyds murder, we have seen an explosion in crime and homicides. Five of us live just a few houses apart. Four of us have children in our homes. Heres what weve experienced on our block alone over the last two months:

A mothers car was shot up with eight bullets, with her infant on board. Another car was shot four times. A bullet went through the front door and a wall of our neighbors home. A woman was kicked and stomped within inches of her life in the middle of the street. The drug trade has been revived in two homes, to unprecedented levels, with conflicts resulting in fights and shootouts.
African Americans as a voting bloc have been completely owned by the Democrat party. It has long been considered an immutable fact that Republicans, regardless whether or not their policies were in fact something African Americans wanted or needed, were never going to break through the Democrat stranglehold. Republicans tried in vain for 60 years to recapture a voting bloc that they had lost due to a combination of bad optics and poor decisions. Then came President Trump.

Admittedly Trump didnt win the African American vote in 2016, nor did he really fare any better than his Republican candidate predecessors for President. African Americans sided with Hillary Clinton by a 91% margin. Arguably Trump didnt need the African American vote in 2016. The difference between Trump and folks like Mitt Romney, John McCain, and even the last Republican presidential winner George W. Bush was that Trump made an effort to court these voters with a level of earnestness not seen in a Republican President in the modern era.

I have to believe that Trump knew it wouldnt be an easy process. Being a businessman, he had to know it was a hard sale. You had an entrenched demographic staunchly opposed to him based merely on his party affiliation and his appearance. Perhaps Trump reasoned that his good relationships with many prominent African American figures in the 1990s, people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and others, would give him some credibility. Yet even Trump had to know voting blocs in the United States dont usually shift a great deal, particularly ones along racial lines. But a curious thing happened. Trump went to rallies and talked to African Americans directly, pointing out that they had remained loyal to a Democrat party for 60 years that had promised them an end to poverty, yet their neighborhoods were plagued with high crime, poor job prospects, and single motherhood rates over 70%. They had promised to help the blighted inner cities, but they were more crime-ridden than ever before. Chicago became Chi-raq under the Democrat watch. Trump famously asked, what did they have to lose?

Of course, all this could have been written off as election rhetoric. Pretty words that make folks feel good with little action to back them up. However, Trump did back them up. He passed criminal justice reform, something the African American community had wanted for years to help with mass incarceration. He reduced African American unemployment to its lowest percentage ever. Wages were increasing, entrepreneurs were thriving. Trumps border policies had drastically reduced the influx of illegal immigration, which helped unskilled labor workers see wage increases, something that affects the African American community by a significant margin. The voting bloc that had thrown their lots in with the Democrats for decades was seeing more attention from a Republican whom they didnt even vote for than any of their elected leaders had shown them. Of course, the Democratic response to this was to pull out the tried and true racist smear and label Trump the second coming of Jefferson Davis, George Wallace, and David Duke all rolled into one. They pushed fake hate crime narratives, tried to claim Trump was associated with white supremacists, despite Democrats in the 1990s absolutely loving the man and claiming he saved New York with his investments in the city.

The other factor that shouldnt be overlooked is Trumps endorsement of the #Blexit movement. Trump invited Kanye West to the White House, and gave legitimacy to #Blexit leaders such as Candace Owens, Anthony Brian Logan, and Rob Smith. Suddenly these YouTube commentators were contributing on Fox News and Reuters. While the left has tried to write off #Blexit as a small minority of Uncle Toms and race traitors who broke away from the thought planation, their message has only grown over the years of Trumps first term.

These developments have been terrifying to a left that needs the African American vote to remain exactly where it is, docile and controlled on their thought plantation. Its no secret that African Americans are the key to the coalition strategy popularized during Obamas administration. They wanted the African American voting bloc to keep blindly voting Democrat while they import millions of illegal immigrants, give those illegals voting rights, hook them all up to government benefits, and never lose power again.

The most recent events in Democrat cities have shown exactly how dumb the Democrat party thinks African Americans truly are. They thought blacks would be for defunding the police while rioting and looting takes place across major cities in the country. They thought they would just blindly blame Trump for the unrest without realizing these are Democrat mayors with Democrat governors openly refusing federal aid from Trump, while refusing to prosecute or even arrest rioters terrorizing their cities. They thought the African American voting bloc would never question the lefts fanatical stances on abortion, something that has never sat well with African Americans, who tend to be more religious than other voting blocs.

The result has been truly mind-blowing poll results showing Trump may in fact be looking at taking 30% of the African American vote. While this is certainly not a majority, it would be utterly devastating to Democrats, and almost assuredly guarantee a re-election for Donald Trump. People are wondering how this dramatic shift has occurred, and the answer is not a simple one. But I would wager a lot of it has to do with Trump putting in the effort in 2016 and playing the long game to garner a grassroots movement inside the African American voting bloc to possibly give him his greatest electoral victory in 2020.

Image: Pixabay
According to pictures released on the internet, the first advanced diesel-electric submarine of the german project 218SG built for Singapore Navy has started factory sea trials. The ship is the first in a series of four units being built in Kiel by the Kieler Werft shipyard (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems), and is due to be handed over to the Singapore Navy in 2021.

According to pictures released on the internet, the first advanced diesel-electric submarine of the german project 218SG built for Singapore Navy has started factory sea trials. The ship is the first in a series of four units being built in Kiel by the Kieler Werft shipyard (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems), and is due to be handed over to the Singapore Navy in 2021.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

New Type 218SG submarine "Invincible" built for Singapore Navy starting factory sea trials. (Picture source: Shipandmaritimephotography Facebook account)

The launch of the advanced diesel-electric submarine represents a significant milestone in the ongoing submarine programme for the Republic of Singapore, noted ThyssenKrupp.

The displacement of the project 218SG reaches 2000 tons, the length is 70 m, and the width is 6.3 m. Set to replace the Republic of Singapore Navys (RSN) current Archer-class and Challenger-class submarines, Type 218SG vessels offers longer endurance, more firepower and greater weapons-carrying capacity.

Launching ceremony of Type 218SG submarine. (Picture source: Singapore Navy)

The Type 218SG will be fitted with a more advanced Air Independent Propulsion system based on fuel cell technology, which allows it to stay submerged for about 50 per cent longer than the Archer-class submarines. It can travel at a surface speed of more than 10 knots, and a submerged speed of more than 15 knots. It is armed with eight torpedo tubes and manned by a crew of 28.

Once construction and outfitting are completed, Invincible will undergo sea trials in Germany before it is delivered to Singapore in 2021. Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen also announced the names of the other three Type 218SG submarines Singapore will acquire - Impeccable, Illustrious and Inimitable. They are under construction and will be delivered from 2022.
(TNS)  Colorados county clerks have worried the coronavirus pandemic would leave them short on election workers, since the older folks who tend to sign up to run voting centers, process mail-in ballots and verify signatures are the ones most at risk.But other Coloradans have stepped up  in a big way.Weve seen a remarkable response. Weve have had hundreds per county, said Pam Anderson, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association.She and others charged with recruiting workers to fill election judge slots say theyre seeing people from a broader range of ages and backgrounds express interest, either directly or through a form on the Colorado secretary of states website. The major parties also will soon send clerks lists of potential workers, which get priority.Its all part of a process that aims to keep multiple sets of eyes  from differing political backgrounds  on each step of the process to ensure the Nov. 3 election will be run fairly and transparently.In Denver, more than 550 applications to be an election judge came in Tuesday alone, largely due to the fact it was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. That pushed the countys total to more than 4,000, said Elizabeth Littlepage, the Denver Elections Divisions election judge coordinator.At this time four years ago the division hadnt even hit 100 election judge applicants yet.In southwest Colorados La Plata County, home to Durango, Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Parker said the awesome response so early means the election should have ample staffing.A likely factor is the fact that so many people have been out of work  and looking for ways to make extra money. The positions are multiday commitments, paying at least $10 an hour but often quite a bit more.Theres also high interest in this particular election, officials said, along with extra public scrutiny on election security in the wake of baseless claims made about mail voting by President Donald Trump this summer.Colorados status as a mail-voting state means it must recruit far fewer election judges than states with traditional Election Day polling places. But it still needs dozens of them in small counties and hundreds in larger ones.We havent seen some of the same impacts that other states have seen, Anderson said, but were certainly contingency-planning.Denver officials are seeking to hire about 1,050 election workers  nearly double the 590 hired in 2016  because of the need to staff 10 additional voting centers and to make pandemic-related changes, including the use of staggered shifts downtown for ballot-processing closer to Election Day.The strongly left-leaning city and county still faces the perennial challenge of recruiting enough Republicans, while some GOP-heavy counties face the flip side of that problem.So far, GOP voters account for a small fraction of Denvers applications  Littlepage said she would need 234 more to achieve parity with Democrats and unaffiliated voters. The Denver Republican Party is trying to recruit both election judges and poll-watchers.Its always a concern if we cant staff our full quota  we want to make sure we can do that, party Chairwoman Kristina Cook said, adding: We do want to participate and show we are part of this community, and part of that is stepping up to be part of the election process.Another challenge as the presidential election approaches: Some smaller clerks offices are cramped, Anderson said, and may hire fewer election judges than normal to maintain safe distancing. That could slow ballot-processing times.
The School Nurse Files is an upcoming South Korean television series starring Jung Yu-mi and Nam Joo-hyuk. Based on the 2015 award-winning novel School Nurse Ahn Eun-young by Chung Serang, it is set to be released on Netflix on September 25, 2020.

Ahn Eun-Young (Jung Yu-Mi) is a new nurse teacher at school. She has a special ability to see monster like creatures that have a jelly like appearance that are born from the remnants of human desire. She is also the one equipped to eliminate these jellies. What's even more fascinating is that she uses a toy knife and a BB gun to take them out.

Hong In-Pyo (Nam Joo-Hyuk) is a Chinese language teacher at the same school who may seem aloof and shy but is a man full of curiosities and an endearing personality. Hong In-Pyo has a special energy about him that allows Ahn Eun Young to recharge. Eun Young senses mysterious happenings in and around the school she's appointed in. In order to protect the students, An Eun-Young and Hong In-Pyo work together to eradicate these jellies.

The drama has recently released the first stills portraying the various charms of Nam Joo Hyuk as the Chinese teacher Hong In Pyo which are only adding to the growing excitement and anticipation for the film. When asked about why he chose to star in this series, Nam Joo Hyuk said, "It's such a refreshing topic, and I became curious about the 'jellies' (ghosts)." The actor further explained that, "Hong In-pyo is like a 'healer' who always re-energizes Ahn Eun-young. He may look indifferent on the outside, but he is actually full of curiosity."

We can't wait to see this incredible duo onscreen!
Leftist Policies Surge When the Centre Yields and the Right Retreats

Commentary

There is a remark attributed, somewhat dubiously, to future Allied Commander-in-Chief Ferdinand Foch at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914 that goes, My centre is yielding. My right is retreating. Situation excellent. I am attacking. But if he did not say it, Canadas Liberals can as, awash in red ink, they prepare to unleash a green counterflood.

There is a certain logic to their position. Many prominent figures in the party have long believed Canada urgently needed to get rid of its old habits including capitalism and adopt the full SJW program. So they get marks for consistency; its what theyve always wanted to do and when a crisis hits they think its all the more urgent and opportunity knocks.

There seems to be some debate over who said you should never let a crisis go to waste. Some attribute it to Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and Barack Obama chief of staff; if you Google his name crisis pops up as one of the search completion suggestions. And some deplore the statement and its author as cynical and manipulative. But as Emanuel later explained, what I said was, never allow a good crisis to go to waste when its an opportunity to do things that you had never considered, or that you didnt think were possible, which makes sense. And since there is evidence that Winston Churchill among others said it earlier, lets avoid personalities and consider the idea on its merits.

They are considerable. There may well be things you think are necessary to avoid a crisis in the future, in public affairs, private organizations, or your personal life, that people arent ready to consider when everything appears to be going well and theres no need to take risks. But when disaster strikes and business as usual clearly wont do, it opens minds to new possibilities. And if youre sure you understand how the world works, what principles are sound, and what methods derived from them are therefore appropriate, you rightly employ the famous self-help rule of turning problems into opportunities.

So its all fine and good unless youre badly wrong about what works. Pragmatists usually are. Besides which the Liberal veneer of pragmatism is, as it often is, thin and poorly attached.

Indeed its ironic that the Conservatives are forever being accused of having a hidden agenda. But it always turns out to be so well hidden that not even they can find it at the time, and neither can anyone else later. Whereas the Liberals, who present publicly as centre-left pragmatists, generally secretly harbour far-left fantasies.

Perhaps secretly isnt the right word. Certainly our current PM made no real effort to conceal his admiration for Chinas dictatorship, his belief that Quebeckers were better than other Canadians, his contempt for the tenets of the religion he professes, and so on. But these things are treated as oddities rather than significant indicators by mainstream commentators, at least until the crisis hits.

So in this crisis lets review the facts. With a looming $343 billion deficit and GDP having fallen in the second quarter of 2020 at a rate that would be nearly 40 percent annually, the fiscal centre is definitely yielding. And the right is retreating, both the private economy and the tepid Conservative Party. So the situation is excellent and the Liberals attack: Bloomberg reports that Justin Trudeau Plots Canadas Sharpest Turn Left in Economic Policy in Decades. Since, um, his fathers disastrous foray into deficit spending, printing money, and attacking the oil industry.

Like the French in the Franco-Prussian War, the Champagne Offensives, the Somme, and the Nivelle Offensive, the Liberals are not afflicted by self-doubt or a search for new ideas even when the results of their actions might have induced such things in lesser mortals. From the SNC-Lavalin and WE scandals to the sloppy design of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, not to mention Trudeau Sr.s National Energy Program and fiscal recklessness, they have rushed in where angels might have feared to tread. And now theyre limbering up again.

In a way its not surprising. Our Natural Governing Party has never really understood that anyone of sound mind and warm heart sees the world differently than they do. Thus, new finance minister and sitting deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, a guru of economic transformation in the name of equity, just said that I think all Canadians understand that the restart of our economy needs to be green.

That all Canadians understand this proposition is unclear. Indeed, it is doubtful whether even the administration and public service understand it in the sense of being able to explain it or put it into practice. But the ministry may well nevertheless be convinced that it is wise and obvious, popular and practical, and once they have done it no sane person will question its effectiveness. As Freeland went on to say, It also needs to be equitable. It needs to be inclusive. And we need to focus very much on jobs and growth. That she might not be able to do such a thing, let alone without really breaking a sweat, does not seem to occur to her.

Well, it occurs to me. Indeed, it strikes me as extraordinarily reckless given the fragility of the private and public sector due, in large part, not to the Liberals failing to act on their beliefs but on their already having done so. Before the CCP virus hit they believed they could shut down the energy sector that contributes over 10 percent of our GDP and run deficits forever. And when the pandemic hit they thought they could shut down the silly old private economy more or less completely and make it up by conjuring wealth out of thin air. And now they seem to think that it worked and they can and must do even more of it in this crisis. Way more.

For instance, the green restart presumably means the fossil fuel energy sector can be left off. And that we can all make lots of money being consultants on alternative energy with lucrative unsourced government contracts.

That last bit was unkind. Perhaps they think we can all get jobs doing CGI for online games or working for some nebulous government ministry. But it is curious that members of the Trudeau administration seem certain they know how to create wealth and jobs despite their lack of a relevant public or private track record. Im all for seizing the moment, but you need to make sure your grip is correct.

To return to the Marne, the Allies did hold there in 1914, and again in 1918 with Foch as commander-in-chief, and eventually win the war. But the French armys doctrine of loffensive a outrance would have lost the war, and quickly, had not the British and Canadians acted more sensibly and with more regard for actual circumstances on the difficult battlefields of the Great War.

So I cant help mentioning to the Liberals that it might be a good time to ditch the red pants and start digging deep defensive trenches in preparation for a long, hard war.

John Robson is a documentary filmmaker, National Post columnist, contributing editor to the Dorchester Review, and executive director of the Climate Discussion Nexus. His most recent documentary is The Environment: A True Story.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
It seems like a lifetime ago, fall 2019, when we decided to devote the September 2020 issue of this magazine to an examination of cloud technologies and their adoption in state and local government. Were fortunate in so many ways to work in print journalism, a realization we on theeditorial staff strive never to take for granted. But one of the greatest challenges of working ahead is projecting into the future, trying to predict what issues might be salient for readers in the coming months and years.Every aspect of modern life has been upended by the global pandemic and few could have predicted the scale of the changes it has wrought. Interestingly, though, those changes have underscored the need for creative, flexible leaders who expect the same from their technology.Anecdotally, the tech teams that pivoted most quickly to new service delivery models had some tools in place that they could build upon when the pandemic hit. As-a-service technologies played a significant role in that, especially as security concerns that dogged cloud solutions in early years have abated. Evidence of the clouds prominence abounds in our news coverage of government response efforts over the past few months.Many, if not most, states used cloud technologies to increase the capacity of their unemployment systems to handle massive surges in applications created by pandemic-related job loss. Rhode Island, for example, duplicated its unemployment system in the cloud, enabling new claims to then feed into its legacy mainframe system during off hours. A new cloud-based call center, a tool used by many states, also helped officials better track call volume. This new generation of cloud-based computing is really, really suited to the kind of work we do, said Scott Jensen, director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, in April.The Maryland IT Department teamed with the Department of Commerce to meet another COVID-19-related need: distributing CARES Act grant money to struggling small businesses. The project built on a years-long effort for a robust online OneStop portal, hosted in the cloud. Built with capacity to expand and adapt to future needs, the state and its partners made quick work of adding the new functionality. Read more about their journey here Survey data backs up the fact that the adaptability inherent in many cloud solutions has made them essential during the pandemic. Further, it demonstrates that COVID-19 response efforts are changing minds about the cloud, inside and outside the CIOs office. A broad-based survey from The Harris Poll in May revealed that nearly two-thirds of companies are now more likely to pursue cloud solutions because of the pandemic.But the urgency is more proof of a trajectory that was already in motion. The Center for Digital Government, owned bys parent company e.Republic, has been gathering data on cloud acceptance in cities, counties and states for a number of years. Some of this information is visualized in our cover story, 2020 Puts Cloud Computing in Government to the Test . The numbers demonstrate a growing confidence in, and commitment to, cloud technologies as an important component of overall IT infrastructure strategy.But the cloud, now well past its initial hype cycle, is not the solution to every need. Tech leaders who voiced aggressive cloud first strategies early on, following a declaration to that effect from the federal government under then-CIO Vivek Kundra in 2010, have come around to more nuanced approaches. But even the shift in terminology to terms like cloud right and cloud smart, as outlined by Arkansas CTO Yessica Jones and California CIO Amy Tong, respectively, suggest the future is bright for cloud technologies in government.
Sons of David and Victoria Beckham, Romeo Beckham (2nd L) and Cruz Beckham (3rd L), David Beckham (C) and his daughter Harper (2nd R) take their seats in the front row for the catwalk show by fashion house Victoria Beckham (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham has paid tribute to son Romeo as the sweetest, kindest soul on his 18th birthday.

The fashion designer and former Spice Girl shared a montage of family photos of her middle son on Instagram, including selfies of the pair of them and shots of him with his younger sister Harper.

She wrote: Happy 18th birthday @romeobeckham. We couldnt be prouder of the young man you have become x.

You are beautiful inside and out and we love you so much.

The sweetest, kindest soul, our everything. So many kisses from us all xxxxx.

She also shared a photo of him celebrating with brothers Brooklyn, 21, and Cruz, 15, as well as Harper, nine.

The four siblings wrapped their arms around each other as they smiled behind a variety of bouquets and a large rainbow layered birthday cake.

Romeos father David also shared a montage of photos and home videos, including of his son shaving for the first time.

Video of the Day

He wrote: Happy 18th to my little man ( or not so little anymore ) You have grown into the most beautiful person and that as you say yourself (a man finally) we love you so much never give up on your dreams & goals, this shows from day one in my arms with the song you were born to up until our latest moment where yes I had to finally admit my son is taller than me. Happy Birthday mate.

Brooklyn shared photos of the two brothers together when they were little, writing: Happy 18th birthday Romeo x you are amazing and I hope you have the most amazing day. I love you so much.

Cruz wrote: Happy birthday bro love you so much have a good one.
By Express News Service

India on Wednesday banned 118 more Chinese mobile apps, including the famous gaming app PUBG over user privacy or national security violations.

According to reports, there are close to 33 million active PUBG players in India.

The new ban comes amid the escalated tension between India and China following Beijing's provocation in the Ladhak region.

When tension between the two nations first escalated in June, India had banned 59 Chinese apps, including Tiktok. Later in July, India banned additional 47 apps which were mostly replica and clones of earlier banned apps.

"This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace," said India's IT ministry in a statement.

It added, "The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 118 mobile apps since in view of the information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order."

The government said that the ministry has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.

"The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," the statement noted.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps, the government said.

Check out the list of newly banned 118 applications:

1. APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart

2. APUS Launcher-Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps

3. APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner

4. APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus

5. APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright

6. Cut Cut  Cut Out & Photo Background Editor

7. Baidu

8. Baidu Express Edition

9. FaceU - Inspire your Beauty

10. ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals

11. CamCard - Business Card Reader

12. CamCard Business

13. CamCard for Salesforce

14. CamOCR

15. InNote

16. VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing

17. Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster

18. WeChat reading

19. Government WeChat

20. Small Q brush

21. Tencent Weiyun

22. Pitu

23. WeChat Work

24. Cyber Hunter

25. Cyber Hunter Lite

26. Knives Out-No rules, just fight!

27. Super Mecha Champions

28. LifeAfter

29. Dawn of Isles

30. Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

31. Chess Rush

32. PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik

33. PUBG MOBILE LITE

34. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

35. Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon

36. Dank Tanks

37. Warpath

38. Game of Sultans

39. Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos

40. Smart AppLock (App Protect)

41. Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team

42. Hide App-Hide Application Icon

43. AppLock

44. AppLock Lite

45. Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner

46. ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online

47. ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app

48. Music - Mp3 Player

49. Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

50. HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera

51. Cleaner - Phone Booster

52. Web Browser & Fast Explorer

53. Video Player All Format for Android

54. Photo Gallery HD & Editor

55. Photo Gallery & Album

56. Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download

57. HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama

58. HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

59. Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

60. Gallery HD

61. Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

62. Web Browser - Secure Explorer

63. Music player - Audio Player

64. Video Player - All Format HD Video Player

65. Lamour Love All Over The World

66. Amour- video chat & call all over the world.

67. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community

68. MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

69. APUS Message Center-Intelligent management

70. LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

71. Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-

72. Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games

73. Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games

74. Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game

75. Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage

76. GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji

77. U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate

78. Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style

79. Tantan - Date For Real

80. MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen

81. Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat

82. Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles

83. Alipay

84. AlipayHK

85. Mobile Taobao

86. Youku

87. Road of Kings- Endless Glory

88. Sina News

89. Netease News

90. Penguin FM

91. Murderous Pursuits

92. Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology

93. Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

94. HUYA LIVE  Game Live Stream

95. Little Q Album

96. Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords

97. Hi Meitu

98. Mobile Legends: Pocket

99. VPN for TikTok

100. VPN for TikTok

101. Penguin E-sports Live assistant

102. Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices

103. iPick

104. Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie

105. Parallel Space Lite - Dual App

106. "Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC

107. MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

108. AFK Arena

109. Creative Destruction NetEase Games

110. Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

111. Mafia City Yotta Games

112. Onmyoji NetEase Games

113. Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games

114. Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded

115. Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

116. Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

117. Soul Hunters

118. Rules of Survival
WASHINGTON/MINSK-- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States is demanding an immediate end to the violent crackdown by Belarus's government on opposition supporters after a disputed election on August 9 that gave longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a new six-year term.



Pompeo, speaking at a news conference on September 2, also said that the United States, in consultation with its transatlantic partners, was reviewing significant targeted sanctions on anyone involved in human rights abuses in Belarus.



George Kent, who serves as deputy assistant secretary overseeing policy towards Belarus, said the United States will continue to talk to allies to coordinate on possible sanctions against those responsible for the beatings and election manipulation.



Kent, speaking at a conference in Washington, said the United States and its allies would have a tough response if Russia intervenes in Belarus, adding that if Moscow thinks relations with the West in the last few years have been tough, "it can get worse."



Lukashenka's government has "lost all legitimacy in the eyes" of the Belarusian people, he said. Thus it would be "catastrophic" for Russia's image in Belarus to intervene militarily on his behalf.



Hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the "rigged" results that gave Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote. The protesters are calling on the 66-year-old Lukashenka to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.

Many countries around the world have rejected the election results and criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members both before and after the vote.

Anti-government demonstrations have continued in Belarus, a day after more than 120 people were detained for taking part in unsanctioned rallies against longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

A total of 128 people were held across Belarus on September 1 amid a crackdown on a weekslong protest movement, the Interior Ministry said on September 2.

In Minsk, a total of 95 people, including more than 30 students, are accused of legal violations for attending unauthorized protests the previous day, the ministry said, adding that 39 of them will remain in custody until courts hear their cases.

Meanwhile, several dozen journalists gathered outside a police station in the capital in support for six of their colleagues from Belarusian news outlets who were detained while covering the protest.

Elsewhere, more than 100 students of the Minsk State Linguistics University formed a human chain to protest the detentions of students and professors. At least eight participants were detained, according to the Vyasna human rights center.

The authorities raided the Minsk office of software company PandaDoc and detained its director in a move the company's chief executive said was politically motivated.

PandaDoc CEO Mikita Mikado, who has launched an initiative to help law enforcement officers who will leave the service, said that the homes of employees had also been searched.

Much of Europe, as well as the United States and other countries, have rejected the election results and criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members both before and after the vote.

Amid growing Western pressure, Lukashenka has vowed to cement ties with neighboring Russia.

Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent.

During a visit to Moscow on September 2, Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey thanked Russia for supporting the Belarusian government in the face of what he described as protests orchestrated from abroad.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, appearing alongside Makey, criticized "destructive" Western criticism of the Belarusian authorities and made an unsubstantiated claim that "some 200 extremists trained on Ukrainian territory are now in the Republic of Belarus."

He said Moscow would respond "firmly and with dignity" to any attempts to destabilize Belarus or loosen its strong ties to Russia.



Lavrov also said the chiefs of staff of the Russian and Belarusian armies discussed preparations for a joint military drill in Belarus this year ahead of a visit on September 4 of the Belarusian defense minister to Moscow.

Belarusian Defense Minister Major General Viktar Khrenin is to attend meetings of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is set to visit Belarus on September 3.

The next day in Moscow, Belarusian Defense Minister Major General Viktar Khrenin is to attend meetings of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Reuters, AP, dpa, AFP, and Interfax
The Greenland ice sheet likely lies above an ancient tundra landscape with its own complex topography. Credit: Michalea King

At the turn of the 21st century, unbeknownst to the world, the Greenland ice sheet likely entered a state of sustained mass loss that will persist for the foreseeable future, according to a new study. Though the finding has raised concern over the future of the ice sheet, scientists emphasize that reducing emissions remains critical.

The study, which looked at 40 years of satellite data, was released on August 13 in Communications Earth & Environment. Second in size only to the Antarctic ice sheets, the Greenland ice sheet covers nearly 80 percent of the vast island. It contains the equivalent of about 24 feet of global mean sea level rise and, due to its accelerated retreat, is considered the largest single contributor to rising sea levels worldwide.

While the ice sheet's decline has been well-documented over the past two decades, this latest study, led by Michalea King of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, found that widespread glacier retreat helped push the ice sheet from a balanced to an imbalanced state. This work suggests that even if the oceans and atmosphere were to stop warming today, the ice sheet will continue to lose more ice than it will gain.

In the decades leading up to the turn of the century, the ice sheet was in a state of relative equilibrium. The ice lost in a given year would be replenished by wintertime snowfall, and the sheet maintained a near-constant mass. But beginning around the year 2000, ice discharged through outlet glacierschannels that flow outward to the seastarted to outpace annual snowfall that, in a balanced year, would replenish lost ice. The authors sifted through 40 years of satellite data, tracking outlet glacier velocity, thickness, and calving front position over time to determine the rate of ice loss. The shift they found represents a tipping point that is unlikely to be reversible in the near future. King told GlacierHub, "It's like a gear change we've accelerated the drainage at the edge of the ice sheet, and now we expect mass loss to be the new norm for the ice sheet in the near future."

Members of the research team place equipment atop the ice sheet. Credit: Michalea King

Ian Howat, director of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and co-author of the paper, explained to GlacierHub that the dynamics of ice loss through outlet glaciers can be likened to the functioning of a dam. "Those glaciers act just like a spillway on a dam," he said. "The more you open the spillway the faster the reservoir gets drawn down." The study suggests that longer-term thinning throughout the 20th centurylikely due to warming oceansled up to a mass retreat event in the early 2000s. The result was a "step-increase" in the rate of discharge through outlet glaciers; before 2000, 420 gigatons of ice were discharged annually. In the years following, the rate increased to 480 gigatons of ice discharged annually. A gigaton is equal to one billion metric tons, roughly the mass of all land mammals (excluding humans) on Earth. "When all of these glaciers retreated at once, it was enough to significantly increase the rate at which ice flows into the ocean. It's like the spillway on the dam was opened up," Howat said.

According to King, the significance of this new rate of discharge is that "consistently, more ice is being lost through the flow of these glaciers than is being gained by snow accumulation." Returning to a balanced state would require an extra 60 gigatons per year of snowfall or reduced melting. Yet under essentially all climate change scenarios, the opposite is expected.

The findings of this studyalong with others that document the decline of the Greenland ice sheetspell worrying news for sea level rise trajectories. Marco Tedesco, research professor of marine geology and geophysics at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explained to GlacierHub that the Greenland ice sheet has been, and will increasingly be, a major contributor to rising sea levels. The two primary causes of sea level rise are thermal expansionocean water expands as it warmsand the melting of land-based ice. With sea level rise projected to submerge land home to 150 million people permanently below the high tide line (and that estimate assumes stability of the Antarctic ice sheet), Greenland finds itself in the spotlight. "In terms of direct contribution," Tedesco said, "Greenland is actually the largest contributor now, with about 20 to 25 percent of sea level rise due to Greenland." Moreover, the percentage of contribution could increase to 30 or 40 percent by the end of the century, according to Tedesco.

The ice loss shown above has resulted in about 0.8 millimeters per year of sea level rise. Credit: NASA

Another study on the Greenland ice sheet, coauthored by Tedesco, made international headlines recently, concluding that 2019 was a year of record ice loss. According to scientists, the ice lost in 2019 was double the yearly average since 2003. Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington's Polar Science Center, connected the dots between these two major studies. "Nobody really, 20 years ago, was expecting glaciers to speed up as rapidly as what we've seen," he told GlacierHub. In terms of annual loss of ice, "people think of it as melting, but it's basically the balance between how much snow falls each year, and how much icebergs calve off and how much melting actually occurs on the ice sheet itself." Ultimately, neither melting nor ice discharge alone can explain the changing ice sheet. They are, rather, two processes in a complex dynamic, which glaciologists are racing to understand using a combination of field work, remote sensing, and modeling.

Coastal waters of Greenland from above. Credit: Michalea King

Rapid international action is needed to limit global warming to 1.5C, which would allow more time for adaptation to rising sea levels. Addressing recent headlines declaring that the ice sheet has reached the point of no return, a statement that has since been discussed within the scientific community, Howat said, "I think it's very important to emphasize that this loss of the ice sheet is not irreversible. We've witnessed a step-change that is unlikely to be reversible in the near future, but we still have a long way to go and we still have a lot of say in how quickly the ice sheet will continue to retreat."

Explore further Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
NEW YORK: President Donald Trumps attempt to make civil unrest a central theme of his re-election campaign has yet to boost his political standing, as most Americans do not see crime as a major problem confronting the nation and a majority remain sympathetic to anti-racism protests, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.

The Aug. 31-Sept. 1 national opinion poll showed that 40% of registered voters support Trump, a Republican, compared with 47% who said they will vote for his Democratic opponent Joe Biden. Bidens lead is largely unchanged over the past three weeks during which both parties held conventions to nominate their candidates Trump and Biden for the presidency.

Trailing Biden in most national opinion polls since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus this year, Trump has sought to change the subject from a pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans, blaming Black Lives Matters protesters for violence in the cities and accusing Biden of being weak on crime.

But the poll showed the majority  78%  remain very or somewhat concerned about the coronavirus. Nearly 60% said Trump is at least partly responsible for the protracted school and business closures due to the virus, as well as for the high number of coronavirus cases in the United States. More than 6 million Americans have been infected with the virus, more people than in any other country.

Only about 8% of American adults listed crime as a top priority for the country, compared with 30% who said it was the economy or jobs, and 16% who said it was the healthcare system.

And 62% of registered voters, including 62% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans, said crime was not increasing in their communities

According to the poll, 53% of American adults said they remain sympathetic to people out protesting against racial inequality, nearly unchanged from 52% in a similar poll that ran in late July.

While support for the protesters has declined overall since the immediate aftermath of the police killing in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked a national conversation on race, the poll showed more than half of suburban Americans and more than half of undecided registered voters are still sympathetic to them.

Trump and his Republican allies tried to re-focus the countrys attention on crime in America during their convention last week, as new confrontations erupted following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a crucial battleground that will help decide Novembers election.

Trump also has attempted to stoke fears, especially among suburban white voters, about crime-ridden cities and falsely asserted that Biden would defund the police." Biden has rejected that position.

No one will be safe in Bidens America, Trump said last week at the Republican national convention.

Biden has pushed back, accusing Trump of stirring up racist fears in the U.S. in hopes of reviving his campaign.

The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So now hes trying to scare America," Biden said in Pittsburgh this week.

The Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,335 American adults, including 551 Democrats and 523 Republicans. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 to 5 percentage points.

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
This article, China on TikTok sale: Not so fast, originally appeared on CNET.com.

Chinese officials apparently have something to say about a TikTok sale to a US company, with two bits of news coming out of China that reportedly could make potential buyers such as Microsoft and Oracle wary.

China updated the country's export-control rules on Friday, to cover what it considers sensitive technologies, including, possibly, the popular video app's personalized recommendation engine, The New York Times reported Saturday.

And China's official Xinhua news agency published a commentary Saturday saying the new rules might mean TikTok parent ByteDance -- a Chinese firm -- would need to be granted a license before it could sell, the Times noted.

The news comes amid reports that a TikTok sale is imminent, and, the Times said, it indicates China's desire to prescribe the terms of a sale, though the government there might not prohibit one altogether. It's also another jab in the ongoing sparring match between China and the Trump administration.

"It could be an effort to outright block the sale, or just raise the price, or attach conditions to it to give China leverage down the road," a specialist on Chinese economic policy told the Times.

Citing fears over national security, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order Aug. 6 saying transactions with ByteDance or its subsidiaries would be prohibited. The order was set to kick in 45 days after it was issued, unless TikTok found a US buyer for its operations in the states. Trump later doubled that time frame, in an Aug. 14 follow-up order.

Trump and others say they're concerned because TikTok collects data on its users and could, these critics say, be forced by China's communist government to hand over that information. TikTok has repeatedly said the fears are ungrounded.

If the ban against transactions were to go into effect, it would likely mean that Apple and Google would no longer be able to list the app in their respective app stores.

So far, Microsoft, Oracle and "a third US company" have made bids on TikTok, CNBC reported on Thursday. (Microsoft had acknowledged early this month that it was pursuing a deal for TikTok's operations in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.)

But the news about the export-control rules could make corporate shoppers nervous, the Times reported, saying, "Beijing's displeasure alone could scare off TikTok's suitors, many of whom have operations in China."

Asked about the Times report, both Oracle and Microsoft declined to comment. Requests for comment didn't immediately receive responses from ByteDance, TikTok, the White House, or the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States.
Qatar on Wednesday accused the United Arab Emirates at the UN's top court of inflicting "maximum suffering" on Qataris as part of the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

Doha alleges that measures taken by Abu Dhabi after several Middle Eastern states severed ties with Qatar in 2017 breached a UN treaty against racial discrimination.

The two energy-rich states are arguing this week before the International Court of Justice in The Hague about whether the tribunal has the jurisdiction to deal with the case.

"The UAE seeks to avoid the jurisdiction of this court because it seeks to avoid the truth," Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, representing Qatar, told the court.

"This dispute is about the UAE's punitive discriminatory measures, which are intended to bend the state of Qatar to the UAE's political will by inflicting maximum suffering on the Qatari people."

"The UAE's actions go to the very core of the evil the convention was designed to eradicate," said Al-Khulaifi.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Egypt and several other allies cut relations with Qatar after accusing it of backing terrorism and siding with their regional rival Iran.

They imposed an effective blockade by land, air and sea and the alliance has issued a raft of terms Qatar must accept before it will lift the embargo.



Qatar dragged the UAE to the ICJ a year later seeking to get the measures lifted.

The United Arab Emirates accused Qatar on Monday of backing "terrorism and extremism" as the three-year-old Gulf diplomatic crisis returned to the UN's top court.

The allies faced a "grave threat brought by Qatar's support for terrorism and extremism," Abdallah al-Naqbi, director of the international law department at the UAE foreign ministry, told the court via videolink.

"This has nothing to do with racial discrimination."

The ICJ, set up in 1946 to rule in disputes between UN member states, is expected to decide in coming months whether the case can go ahead.

The rest of the hearings about this case -- which are all taking place by videolink due to the coronavirus pandemic -- due on Friday and Monday.

A final judgement could however take years, and while the ICJ's rulings are final, it has no means of enforcing them.

The court issues binding judgments but has no means of enforcing them.

The case has gone Qatar's way so far, with the ICJ in 2018 ordering the UAE to take emergency measures to protect the rights of Qatari citizens.

Doha has also won a separate but related case at the ICJ in July that is specifically about the air blockade.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online

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By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said 75 per cent of JEE-Main candidates in the state could not appear for the exam held on September 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and blamed the Centre's "ego" for it.

In other states, only half of the examinees managed to turn up due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, she claimed.

Banerjee, who has been against the Centre's decision to hold JEE-Main and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate exams urged the Centre to rethink about those who could not manage to appear for the crucial test.

"Our students are in great trouble. So many of them were not able to attempt JEE. That's why we had requested the central government to appeal to the Supreme Court or review the matter again so that students are not deprived," she told reporters.

"Yesterday, out of 4,652 candidates for JEE in West Bengal only 1,167 could appear for it despite all arrangements by the state government for them. This means only 25 per cent could attempt to write the examinations and the rest 75 per cent could not in West Bengal. We had made the arrangements as per the instructions (of the central government)," she added.

Banerjee expressed her displeasure with the BJP-led Central government for its stand on holding JEE/NEET despite several appeals.

"Who will be held responsible for those who could not sit for the examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic?" she asked.

"What would have gone wrong if the examinations were deferred by another few days? Why is there so much of ego? Why are you (central government) so stubborn? Who gave you the right to spoil the future of the students," the TMC supremo hit out.

She said the students didn't refuse to sit for the exams and had only requested to defer them by a few more days during the pandemic due to concerns about their health.

The parents of the JEE (Main) candidates PTI spoke to said they had to shell out steep fares to take their children to various test centres from their home districts.

The father of candidate Ayan Roy Mahapatra said he had to cough up Rs 25,000 to cover a distance of 365 km from Malda to Kolkata for hiring a SUV.

Ayan had appeared for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Mains from a test centre in Salt Lake area here on Tuesday.

Another candidate Biltu Dey who travelled in a private luxury bus from Malda to Kolkata spent Rs 800 on one-way fare as he did not want to board crowded public transport.

Vivekananda Kundu, father of candidate Rohan Kundu, did not divulge the fare he had to pay for the journey from Midnapore town to Esplanade here.

The journey on a crowded bus made him jittery about the possibility of getting infected by coronavirus.

"We had to pay thrice the regular fare but the conductor still kept on picking up passengers without thinking for our safety. We couldn't afford to pay Rs 25,000 for a car so we chose the public transport," he said.

They will come back to the city again on September 13 for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) but are apprehensive.

Stating that she felt sad for those students who could not appear for the examinations, the chief minister said, "I am pained and I am shocked. I will again ask the Centre to review how many students could sit for the tests and how many could not in different states".

Banerjee had written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week seeking postponement of the entrance examinations.

Supporting her demand, chief ministers of seven non-BJP ruled states had jointly moved the Supreme Court on the issue.

Another plea was filed by 11 students from as many different states seeking quashing of the July 3 notices issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the holding of JEE and NEET in September.

The Supreme Court had on Monday dismissed a plea seeking postponement of the JEE-Main and NEET undergraduate examinations saying a "precious year" of students cannot be wasted and life has to go on.

The JEE-Main is scheduled to be held from September 1-6, while the NEET UG 2020 exam is scheduled for September 13.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that he has reached a deal with the citys teachers unions to delay the start of the school year by more than a week, narrowly avoiding the threat of a teacher strike.

There is nothing more precious than taking care of the children of New York City, de Blasio said at a press conference with union leaders. Resolution has been found in a constructive spirit. Weve come to an agreement to move forward.

The first day of classes for New York City, the largest school district in the country responsible for teaching 1.1 million students, was scheduled to be September 10 but classes will now begin September 21 to allow schools to implement safety measures to guard against the coronavirus.

The citys largest teachers union threatened last month to go on strike unless the citys education department complied with a list of safety demands before public schools reopen for in-person classes, including that every person who enters a school building be tested for coronavirus.

The president of the powerful United Federation of Teachers union, which represents 75,000 of the citys teachers, said the union is prepared to strike if schools open before meeting its demands, which also include implementing one-way lines in hallways and providing schools with N95 face masks and other personal protective equipment.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew warned that allowing schools to open before the unions conditions were met could end up being one of the biggest debacles in the history of the city.

What weve agreed to is to make sure that the health measures are in place, to make sure there is time for the appropriate preparation for our educators, to make sure that we can have the smoothest beginning of the school year, de Blasio said.

Mulgrew said Tuesday that he supports de Blasios plan, which includes monthly coronavirus testing for students and school staff.

I can say to you now  New York Citys public school system has the  greatest safeguards of any school system in the United States of America, the union head said.

More from National Review
BUCHAREST (dpa-AFX) - Romania's producer prices declined for the fourth straight month in July, data from the National Institute of Statistics showed on Wednesday. The producer price index declined 0.75 percent year-on-year in July, following a 0.47 percent decrease in June. Prices in the domestic market and non-domestic market decreased 1.06 percent and 0.26 percent, respectively in July. Among the main industrial groups, prices for energy declined by 11.33 percent annually in July and those for intermediate goods fell 0.45 percent. Meanwhile, capital goods grew 5.36 percent. Prices for durable goods and non-durable consumer goods rose by 3.15 percent and 3.47 percent, respectively. On a month-on-month basis, producer prices rose 0.45 percent in July. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainable development is the theme gaining unparalleled levels of attention and importance across the globe. The Middle East hosts top oil exporters in the world along with some of the top carbon emitters.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955415/?utm_source=PRN







The onus to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) has fallen on the region and, therefore, the countries in the region have ambitious targets to promote renewables and thereby, reduce the carbon footprint. Therefore renewable energy presents a $341.1 billion opportunity for companies wishing to ride on the growth in this decade.Key drivers of market growth are climate change commitments, abundance of resources, falling costs of renewables, and progressive policies being implemented by countries in the region to promote clean energy and reduce carbon footprint.This study explores the avenues for investments available for renewables companies in this region that arise as a result of this serious effort towards promoting renewables in the region and also as a result of localisation efforts by these countries as they move towards building well-diversified and non-oil dependent economies. The scope of the study is limited to solar (PV and CSP) and wind (onshore) technologies and geographic coverage is the Middle East, covering the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and also Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.Opportunities are abound with capacity additions of more than 57.0 GW in the pipeline. This study explores critical success factors and growth opportunities available for companies with the right strategy, along with technology trends and growth themes.While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the leader in terms of planned capacity addition, other key markets include Qatar and the UAE. In terms of technologies, solar PV is expected to gain maximum traction during the next 5 years compared to other technologies. The study touches upon the current capacity of local equipment manufacturers, the key participants in the market and possible future capabilities of manufacturers.This is a market that requires strategic partnerships and critical local market knowledge for success. Besides, due to limitations in resources other than oil, a robust procurement strategy is key to sustain profits.



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Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Iran's security forces of using torture to extract confessions, saying hundreds of people have been jailed since a sweeping crackdown against protests last year.

Demonstrations erupted across Iran in November 2019 after a major petrol price hike, but they were put down by security forces with mass arrests amid a near-total internet blackout.

Amnesty said it had gathered dozens of testimonies from the 7,000 people it estimated were arrested, which included children as young as 10.

The accounts reveal 'a catalogue of shocking human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment', the London-based human rights group said.

Torture techniques included water boarding, beating, electric shocks, pepper spraying genitals, sexual violence, mock executions and pulling out finger and toe nails, Amnesty reported.

Pictured: Methods of torture allegedly used by police in Iran against citizens who took part in the November 2019 demonstrations against the petrol price hike and the government. Amnesty International released the above images to demonstrate the methods

Those arrested were tortured into 'confessions' of involvement in the protests, membership of opposition groups or contact with foreign governments and media, it added.

Torture and other ill-treatment by police, intelligence operatives and others 'was widespread', the rights group said.

Amnesty said it had recorded the names of more than 500 people 'subjected to unfair criminal proceedings in connection with the protests'.

'Hundreds have since been sentenced to prison terms and flogging and several to the death penalty following grossly unfair trials which were presided over by biased judges behind closed doors,' Amnesty said.

Prison sentences ranged from one month to 10 years, the report said, for charges such as gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security', 'spreading propaganda against the system', 'disrupting public order' and 'insulting the Supreme Leader'.

One man allegedly tortured with electricity told Amnesty: 'It felt like my entire body was being pierced with millions of needles.'

Pictured: Demonstrators gather during a pro-government demonstration to react to protests due to fuel price increase of Iran, on November 25, 2019 in Tehran, Iran

The protests divided Iran, with some coming out in support of the government following the demonstrations. Pictured: Iranians burn US flags during a rally to show their support to the Islamic Republic system and to condemn the demonstrators

Another man said he was suspended from his hands and feet from a pole - a method reportedly called 'chicken kebab' by his interrogators - the report read.

'The pain was excruciating,' he said. 'There was so much pressure and pain in my body that I would urinate on myself My family know that I was tortured, but they dont know how I was tortured. I feel choked with tears because there is no one here I can speak to.'

A third man, from from Khorasan Razavi province, spoke of how he was subjected to waterboarding, telling the activist group: 'They [my interrogators] would drench a towel in water and place it over my face.

'Then they would pour water slowly over the towel, which made me feel like I was suffocating They would stop until I started to feel better and then they would start torturing me this way again. They also punched, kicked and flogged me on the soles of my feet with a cable.'

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, gave a statement on the findings.

'Instead of investigating allegations of enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment and other crimes against detainees, Iranian prosecutors became complicit in the campaign of repression by bringing national security charges against hundreds of people,' she said.

The research done by Amnesty International (pictured, file photo) took 500 names of people who claimed they were subject to torture methods, forcing them to confess to crimes

People were subject to these charges 'solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, while judges doled out guilty verdicts on the basis of torture-tainted "confessions"', Eltahawy added.

The Regional Director said that people were made to make televised confessions for state propaganda videos, accompanied by 'grotesque statements from top officials who have praised intelligence and security forces as heroes for their role in the brutal crackdown.'

In Amnesty International's release, the group urged member states of the UN Human Rights Council and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to address the human rights violations in Iran by establishing a UN-led inquiry.

In May, Iran's interior minister suggested that up to 225 people were killed during the November protests, when petrol pumps were torched, police stations attacked and shops looted.

A group of independent UN rights experts said in December that more than 400 people could have been killed in the crackdown, based on unconfirmed reports.

Iran blamed the violence that broke out during the protests on 'thugs' backed by its foes the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The work will lead to a better understanding of the origins of modern humans at the time they migrated out of Africa

University of Arkansas anthropologist J. Michael Plavcan will co-lead an international project focused on Natodomeri, a newly discovered fossil site in Kenya that will expand scientists' understanding of the origins of modern humans around the time of their migration out of Africa.

"Natodomeri is possibly the best overall paleontological site ever discovered from this time period," Plavcan said. "It is a truly extraordinary fossil site, yielding not only the remains of our immediate ancestors and the tools they made, but also information about the environments in which they lived. Our work there is critical for a deeper understanding of the origins of modern humans during this time."

Plavcan, professor of anthropology in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, received a $211,064, four-year award from the National Science Foundation for the project. He will collaborate with Kyalo Manthi of the National Museums of Kenya; Nick Blegen at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom; Carol Ward at the University of Missouri; Patrick Gathogo from Austin, Texas; and an international team of experts in paleontology, geology and archeology, including Amelia Villasenor, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas. Manthi will lead the field work, while Blegen will direct archeological work.

With fossils and artifacts roughly 200,000 years old, the Natodomeri site in northwest Kenya so far has yielded a complete skull and partial skeleton of an early modern human, as well as the remains of several other individuals. The site has also produced extensive archeological material, especially tools, and many fossils of animals that these early humans lived with. The site is comparable in age to another famous hominin site, Omo Kibish in Ethiopia, and thus presents an excellent opportunity to compare early humans from the same time period but existing in different places.

The NSF award will fund three field seasons during which researchers will systematically gather and study fossils of all species at the site, including excavating the skeleton associated with the skull. Researchers will also gather and study tools and document the geology of the site. Students will learn field methods and use new technologies to study fossils.

The fossil of the human skull will be digitally reconstructed, and 3-D models of all human remains, as well as archeological and animal remains, will be made available to the public. When field work is finished, a large international team of researchers will convene to analyze the anatomical, environmental, geological and archeological remains. Their analysis will provide a complete and in-depth assessment of these early modern humans.

A year ago, Plavcan and Manthi, along with collaborator Carol Ward at the University of Missouri, announced the discovery of Nanopithecus browni, a new species of monkey found at Kanapoi, a different site in Kenya.

To listen to Plavcan discuss his work in Kenya, tune in to Short Talks From the Hill, a research podcast of the University of Arkansas.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 19:38 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4247fd6 1 National data-protection-bill,house-of-representatives,Communications-and-Information-Ministry Free

The House of Representatives plans to conclude deliberations on the personal data protection bill in November, a delay from its initial target of finishing it in October.

Based on the schedule set by the House Commission I [overseeing information and defense], the bill will be concluded in the second week of November, the commissions deputy chairman, Abdul Kharis Almasyhari, said during a meeting with the government on Tuesday.

Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate, who attended the meeting, expressed his hope that the bill could be passed into law immediately to build a sense of security among internet users.

Hopefully, we can step on the gas to finish the bills deliberation soon, the minister said.

The personal data protection bill, a draft of which had been assessed by the ministry since 2014, reportedly adopted several principles and aspects of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which focuses on five main areas: data collection, data processing, data security, data breach and the right for individuals to have their personal data erased.

The country is lagging behind as hundreds of countries around the world have already adopted their own version of the GDPR, including neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. (vny)
US steps up support for Taiwan in defiance of China

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 10:23 AM

The United States has stepped up its support for Taiwan in defiance of China, which views the self-ruled island as part of its territory.

Washington on Monday announced the establishment of a new bilateral economic dialog with Taipei in a bid to strengthen their bilateral relations.

The US also said it had declassified six security assurances given to Taiwan under the administration of former US president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. They include statements that the US has not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, nor agreed to prior consultation with Beijing on such sales.

The State Department's top diplomat for East Asia, David Stilwell, claimed the latest moves were not a policy shift but were part of a set of "significant adjustments" within Washington's "One China" policy.

China considers the self-ruled island as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland under the internationally-recognized "One China" policy. Almost all world countries, including the US, recognize that sovereignty.

Under that policy, countries are not allowed to have formal relations with Taiwan.

Speaking at a virtual forum hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation, Stilwell attributed the latest measures to the "increasing threat posed by Beijing to peace and stability" and China's attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.

"We will continue to help Taipei resist the Chinese Communist Party's campaign to pressure, intimidate, and marginalize Taiwan," Stilwell said.

The announcements come amid a widening rift between Washington and Beijing over a litany of political and economic issues.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry thanked the US for the moves, and vowed to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Although Washington has no formal relations with Taipei, it is the island's largest weapons supplier and an avid backer of Taiwan's secessionist president.

China said nobody should underestimate its resolve to defend its sovereignty, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling on the US to stop promoting its ties with Taiwan.

Last week, Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen unveiled a US-backed maintenance hub for upgraded F-16 fighters, saying the hub marked a milestone in her years-long drive to build up the island's defense industry.

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The Commission's Bio-diversity Strategy for 2030 estimates that Natura 2000 lands are worth 200-300 billion annually to the union's economy

IFA President Tim Cullinan has said he has got a 'clear and unequivocal' commitment from Minister for Heritage Malcolm Noonan that there are no plans for more land designations.

At an online meeting with the Minister today, the IFA President said the Programme for Government has no mention of more designations and IFA will be holding all parties to account on this.

Farmers from Connemara, west Mayo, the Shannon Callows, south Kerry and south Galway and other areas were part of the delegation.

IFA made it very clear that where designations exist at the moment, the compensation in place is insufficient, he said.

Commenting on the Life Nature Project for parts of the west and north west, IFA Hill Chairman Flor McCarthy said that must not lead to increased restrictions on farms and farmers must be allowed to stock their land to its potential. Furthermore, any State land purchases by NPWS to increase national parks will not be accepted.

The Minister assured IFA that he would fully engage with farmers in the areas where this project will apply.

IFA has consistently said where Natura designations are imposed under the EU Habitats or Birds Directive, farmers and landowners must be properly compensated.

It is also opposed to any suggestion of destocking of sheep in hill areas as it seriously impacts on the livelihoods of farmers and will lead to further economic decline in areas which are already struggling.

Current payment arrangements under locally-led or the NPWS scheme are totally inadequate as they dont address the fundamental issue of loss of income and the devaluation of land values, he said.

IFA is seeking a substantial increase in the allocation to the NPWS Farm Plan scheme in the Budget next month. The Minister indicated that he will be looking for additional funding.





We will be demanding a proper consultation on any projects that are taking place in Natura areas such as the Life Nature Project in blanket bog areas in the west and north west and the rewetting of bogs as part of the Just Transition Programme on raised midland bogs, he said
Washington, Sep 2 : Progressive Democrat Ed Markey, who advocates combating climate change and passing the Green New Deal, defeated the party's House Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Senate primary.

"Tonight is more than just a celebration of a movement. It is a real reaffirmation of the need to have a movement, a progressive movement of young people demanding radical change, demanding justice," Xinhua news agency quoted Markey as saying to supporters in his hometown of Malden on Tuesday night.

The 74-year-old Senator's campaign slogan read: "It's not your age -- it's the age of your ideas that's important." His rival Kennedy III is 39 years old.

Regarding the Green New Deal, Markey said: "This is a matter of life and death. The very future of our civilization depends on it.

Turning his attention to the November 3 election, he said: "Priority number one is to move (President) Donald Trump from the White House. We must banish his agenda of division and destruction to the history books." Markey's primary win paves the way for his expected re-election in November against Republican Kevin O'Connor, The Hill new website reported.

The result marked the first loss by a member of the Kennedy family in a Massachusetts election.

Kennedy called Markey to concede on Tuesday evening.

"No matter the results tonight, I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat," Kennedy told supporters later.

"We may have lost the final vote tonight, but we have built a coalition that will endure."
The first response of governments in Europe and around the world to the developing coronavirus pandemic was to protect profits and private wealth. Various forms of grants, interest-free loans, and other schemes funnelled trillions from the public purse into the accounts of shareholders and the super-rich.

The scale of this state-funded largesse dwarfed even the bailout of the banks following the 2008 crash.

With coronavirus infections spiralling exponentially, and massive public pressure to protect lives by stopping all non-essential production and other social activities, such as keeping schools open, governments belatedly imposed various forms of lockdown. Millions faced the prospect of losing their paycheques. The spectre of mass protests developing that could rapidly careen out of the control of the usual reformist and trade union channels forced the introduction of various measures to provide some degree of income protection.

Furlough schemes were introduced in most Western European countries, providing state finances to subsidise the payrolls of companies who could no longer operate due to the pandemic.

Nevertheless, while multi-billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk saw their already grotesque wealth increase during the pandemic, workers saw their incomes fall, or disappear altogether. Now, with COVID-19 cases approaching 4 million in Europe and over 207,000 deaths, workers are being driven back into unsafe factories, offices and schools so that the flow of profits can be restored and increased. To that end, furlough schemes are either being phased out or the level of support cut back, to provide an economic imperative to return to work.

It is estimated that over the course of pandemic, the wages of more than 40 million workers in Europe were covered by the state. Without these payments, the employers would undoubtedly have fired millions straight away.

In Britain, the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) has covered up to 10 million workers and provided employers 80 percent of gross wages, to a monthly income limit of 2,500. The governments homicidal back to work agenda has significantly reduced the number of workers on the furlough scheme down to about 12 percent, according to a survey of businesses by the Office for National Statistics.

There was no compulsion for employers to make up the other 20 percent of wages not paid by the JRS, meaning many low-paid workers placed on furlough saw a significant cut in their monthly pay packet. The level of state subsidy was reduced in August and will fall to 70 percent this month and 60 percent from October, with the scheme ceasing altogether from November 1.

In France, 2 million workers remained on the partial unemployment scheme in July, down from a high of around 11 million. The level of support has been reduced from 84 percent of net salary, falling to 60 percent in October, although the duration of the scheme has been extended and employers will pay a larger share.

In Spain, temporary furlough scheme payments known as ERTEs, which cover up to 70 percent of salary, are due to expire in September. Between April and May, 3.4 million Spanish workers were furloughed, reducing to 843,000 in August as the Socialist Party/Podemos government pushed the back-to-work drive.

The scheme, already prolonged twice, is due to expire at the end of September. A tripartite meeting between government officials, unions and employers organisations is set for September 4 to discuss prolonging it again. Spain will receive some 21.3 billion from the European Unions recently established SURE (Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency) towards its social shield. There remain some 550,000 Spanish workers left without receiving any benefits or subsidies.

In Italy, the programme paying furloughed workers for up to 18 weeks is to be extended to the end of the year, with a ban on firings. However, the share paid by the employer is set to increase, meaning many companies will simply lay off workers rather than pick up the tab.

In Germany, the system of Kurzarbeit (short-time working) can pay up to 87 percent of net wages. At the height of the lockdown, 10.1 million workers were on furlough, including a third of the workforce in industry. In May, 7 million workers received such payments, with the number falling to 5.6 million in July. The coalition government is extending the programme until the end of 2021.

In the Netherlands, the furlough scheme will expire at the end of September. In Portugal, it ended in most cases in July. Greece has extended its measures to the end of September, but workers only receive a pittance of 534 if they do not work for a month.

Mass unemployment threatens

Governments have paid the wages of private sector employees, with corporations benefitting from the state-funded bailout to the tune of hundreds of billions of euros. The same firms have responded by massively downsizing their workforces. The number of layoffs has steadily risen throughout the course of the pandemic. Employers have been able to use the time to bring forward long-planned restructuring measures that threaten tens of millions of jobs in Europe.

A recent study by the think tank McKinsey Global Institute estimated that 59 million workers in Europeover a quarter of the entire workforceare in jobs that are seriously at risk.

The future of work in Europe found that the coronavirus crisis had strongly affected Europes labour markets, which it says, may take years for employment to return to its pre-crisis levels.

According to the authors, the areas most threatened are wholesale and retail (14.6 million), accommodation and food (8.4 million) and a substantial number in manufacturing and construction.

The threat to employment arises not simply from the pandemic, but from longer-term structural changes that have far-reaching consequences. McKinsey lists automation and AI (artificial intelligence) as the two most significant factors that will impact on jobs. The report argues that nearly 70 percent of jobs at risk due to automation are also threatened by COVID-19, which could accelerate some displacement [a euphemism for mass sackings] once projected to take 10 years.

Those most likely to lose their employment are low-skilled workers, with 80 percent of jobs at risk (46 million) held by people without a degree.

Christophe Catoir, president in France of recruitment and employment agency Adecco, spoke of a huge wave of restructuring coming, especially in Germany, France and the United States. September and October would see an additional 1 million unemployed in France, not just people on short-term work, but highly skilled people.

Senior research manager at the EUs research arm Eurofond, John Hurley, said, unemployment is going to come home to roost, especially when generous furlough programmes start to ease off. There is going to be a shakeout, and its going to be fairly ugly.

The prospect of a jobs massacre was underscored in the comment of Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey, who said it was unlikely that many jobs will return after the crisis.

In an August 22 piece, the Economist magazine warned, Mass unemployment threatens, in presenting the brutal situation facing British workers. Millions will be thrown onto the dole as the furlough scheme winds down and the deepest recession for a century hits employment.

The official unemployment rate, as of the end of June, was just 3.9%remarkably low at any time, let alone when GDP had dropped by more than a fifth. Americas June figure was 11.1%. It has stayed low in Britain because of the furlough scheme, under which the government paid 80% of the wages of employees.

It continued, Britain produces its unemployment figures with a two-month lag, so nobody knows what the jobless rate is now; but huge redundancies are being announced.

The magazine cited predictions by the Bank of England that unemployment is set to nearly double to 7.5 percent and around 12 percent by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Other surveys predict unemployment may treble to nearly 15 percent.

It concluded. Britain will soon have neither a furlough scheme nor generous unemployment benefits. Universal credit [welfare benefit] was increased by just 20 a week at the budget in March. The replacement ratiothe percentage of their previous income that British workers receive from benefitsis among the lowest in the OECD, and lower than in the early 1990s. A rise in unemployment will thus not only be painful for victims, but also suck spending power from the economy.
Pakistan damaged several structures when it targetted civilian areas during ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to reports, six structures, including four residential houses and two schools, were damaged. The Pakistani Army resorted to motor shelling in Gurez area of the district on September 1 (Tuesday) night.

A police officer said that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked motor shelling in forward areas of Gurez late in the evening. However, no injury or casualties was reported.

Indian troops gave befitting reply to the unproved ceasefire violation of Pakistan in the area and exchange of fire was going on till late night in the area.

On Wednesday too, an infiltration bid was foiled in Nowgam sector of Handwara area of Kupwara district where after suspicious movement Indian troops challenged the intruders. A brief exchange of fire took place and a large scale search operation was launched in the area. It was still going on when last reports came in.
Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.

While one or more options could be available toward the end of this year or early next, the path to delivering vaccines to 330 million people remains unclear for the local health officials expected to carry out the work.

"We haven't gotten a lot of information about how this is going to roll out," said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Texas' Harris County Public Health department, which includes Houston.

A series examining how the U.S. public health front lines have been left understaffed and ill-prepared to save us from the coronavirus pandemic. The project is a collaboration between KHN and the AP.

In a four-page memo this summer, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health departments across the country to draft vaccination plans by Oct. 1 "to coincide with the earliest possible release of COVID-19 vaccine."

But health departments that have been underfunded for decades say they currently lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track hundreds of millions of doses. Nor do they know when, or if, they'll get federal aid to do that.

Dozens of doctors, nurses and health officials interviewed by KHN and The Associated Press expressed concern about the country's readiness to conduct mass vaccinations, as well as frustration with months of inconsistent information from the federal government.

The gaps include figuring out how officials will keep track of who has gotten which doses and how they'll keep the workers who give the shots safe, with enough protective gear and syringes to do their jobs.

With only about half of Americans saying they would get vaccinated, according to a poll from AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it also will be crucial to educate people about the benefits of vaccination, said Molly Howell, who manages the North Dakota Department of Health's immunization program.

The unprecedented pace of vaccine development has left many Americans skeptical about the safety of COVID-19 immunizations; others simply don't trust the federal government.

"We're in a very deep-red state," said Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, a group of community health centers that serve mostly low-income people in five rural counties in South Carolina. "The message that is coming out is not a message of trust and confidence in medical or scientific evidence."

Paying for the rollout

The U.S. has committed more than $10 billion to develop new coronavirus vaccines but hasn't allocated money specifically for distributing and administering vaccines.

And while states, territories and 154 large cities and counties received billions in congressional emergency funding, that money can be used for a variety of purposes, including testing and overtime pay.

An ongoing investigation by KHN and the AP has detailed how state and local public health departments across the U.S. have been starved for decades, leaving them underfunded and without adequate resources to confront the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation further found that federal coronavirus funds have been slow to reach public health departments, forcing some communities to cancel non-coronavirus vaccine clinics and other essential services.

States are allowed to use some of the federal money they've already received to prepare for immunizations. But KHN and the AP found that many health departments are so overwhelmed with the current costs of the pandemic  such as testing and contact tracing  that they can't reserve money for the vaccine work to come. Health departments will need to hire people to administer the vaccines and systems to track them, and pay for supplies such as protective medical masks, gowns and gloves, as well as warehouses and refrigerator space.

CareSouth Carolina is collaborating with the state health department on testing and the pandemic response. They used federal funding to purchase $140,000 retrofitted vans for mobile testing that they plan to continue to use to keep vaccines cold and deliver them to residents when the time comes, said Lewis.

But most vaccine costs will be new.

Minneapolis Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant visits a COVID-19 testing event at Incarnation-Sagrado Corazon Church on Aug. 15, 2020, in Minneapolis. As the coronavirus spread through Minneapolis this spring, Musicant tore up her budget to find money to combat the crisis. It was not until Aug. 5  months after Congress approved the pandemic relief aid  that her department received $1.7 million, the equivalent of $4 per Minneapolis resident.(AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Pima County, Arizona, for example, is already at least $30 million short of what health officials need to fight the pandemic, let alone plan for vaccines, said Dr. Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator and chief medical officer.

Some federal funds will expire soon. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from a fund in the CARES Act, for example, covers only expenses made through the end of the year, said Gretchen Musicant, health commissioner in Minneapolis. That's a problem, given vaccine distribution may not have even begun.

Although public health officials say they need more money, Congress left Washington for its summer recess without passing a new pandemic relief bill that would include additional funding for vaccine distribution.

"States are anxious to receive those funds as soon as possible, so they can do what they need to be prepared," said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition, a national vaccine education and advocacy organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. "We can't assume they can take existing funding and attempt the largest vaccination campaign in history."

Whats the plan?

Then there's the basic question of scale. The federally funded Vaccines for Children program immunizes 40 million children each year. In 2009 and 2010, the CDC scaled up to vaccinate 81 million people against pandemic H1N1 influenza. And last winter, the country distributed 175 million vaccines for seasonal influenza vaccine, according to the CDC.

But for the U.S. to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus, most experts say, the nation would likely need to vaccinate roughly 70% of Americans, which translates to 200 million people and  because the first vaccines will require two doses to be effective  400 million shots.

Although the CDC has overseen immunization campaigns in the past, the Trump administration created a new program, Operation Warp Speed, to facilitate vaccine development and distribution. In August, the administration announced that McKesson Corp., which distributed H1N1 vaccines during that pandemic, will also distribute COVID-19 vaccines to doctors' offices and clinics.

"With few exceptions, our commercial distribution partners will be responsible for handling all the vaccines," Operation Warp Speed's Paul Mango said in an email.

"We're not going to have 300 million doses all at once," said Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Health and Human Services Department, despite earlier government pledges to have that many doses ready by the new year. "We believe we are maximizing our probability of success of having tens of millions of doses of vaccines by January 2021, which is our goal."

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said it will take time for the vaccines to be widespread enough for life to return to what's considered normal. "We have to be prepared to deal with this virus in the absence of significant vaccine-induced immunity for a period of maybe a year or longer," Adalja said in August.

In preliminary guidance for state vaccine managers, the CDC said doses will be distributed free of charge from a central location. Health departments' local vaccination plans may be reviewed by both the CDC and Operation Warp Speed.

The CDC has vetted state and federal vaccination plans in five locations: North Dakota, Florida, California, Minnesota and Philadelphia. No actual vaccines were distributed during the "microplanning" sessions, which focused on how to get vaccines to people in places as different as urban Philadelphia, where pharmacies abound, and rural North Dakota, which has few chain drugstores but many clinics run by the federal Indian Health Service, said Kris Ehresmann, who directs infectious disease control at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Those planning sessions have made Ehresmann feel more confident about who's in charge of distributing vaccines. "We are getting more specific guidance from CDC on planning now," she said. "We feel better about the process, though there are still a lot of unknowns."

Outdated technology could hamper response

Still, many public health departments will struggle to adequately track who has been vaccinated and when, because a lack of funding in recent decades has left them in the technological dark ages, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

In Mississippi, for example, health officials still rely on faxes, said the state's health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs. "You can't manually handle 1,200 faxes a day and expect anything efficient to happen, he said.

When COVID-19 vaccines become available, health providers will need to track where and when patients receive their vaccines, said Moore, the medical director of Tennessee's immunization plan during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 and 2010. And with many different shots in the works, they will need to know exactly which one each patient got, she said.

People will need to receive their second COVID-19 dose 21 or 28 days after the first, so health providers will need to remind patients to receive their second shot, Moore said, and ensure that the second dose is the same brand as the first.

The CDC will require vaccinators to provide "dose-level accounting and reporting" for immunizations, so that the agency knows where every dose of COVID-19 vaccine is "at any point in time," Moore said. Although "the sophistication of these systems has improved dramatically" in the past decade, she said, "many states will still face major challenges meeting data tracking and reporting expectations."

The CDC is developing an app called the Vaccine Administration Monitoring System for health departments whose data systems don't meet standards for COVID-19 response, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, a nonprofit based in Rockville, Maryland.

"Those standards haven't been released," Hannan said, "so health departments are waiting to invest in necessary IT enhancements. The CDC needs to release standards and data expectations as quickly as possible, she added.

Meanwhile, health departments are dealing with what Minnesota's Ehresmann described as "legacy" vaccine registries, sometimes dating to the late 1980s.

A historic task

Overwhelmed public health teams are already working long hours to test patients and trace their contacts, a time-consuming process that will need to continue even after vaccines become available.

When vaccines are ready, health departments will need more staffers to identify people at high risk for COVID-19, who should get the vaccine first, Moore said. Public health staff also will be needed to educate the public about the importance of vaccines and to administer shots, she said, as well as monitor patients and report serious side effects.

At an August meeting about vaccine distribution, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois' health department, said her state will need to recruit additional health professionals to administer the shots, including nursing students, medical students, dentists, dental hygienists and even veterinarians. Such vaccinators will need medical-grade masks, gowns and gloves to keep those workers safe as they handle needles amid the contagious coronavirus.

Many health officials say they feel burned by the country's struggle to provide hospitals with ventilators last spring, when states found themselves bidding against one another for a limited supply. Those concerns are amplified by the country's continuing difficulties providing enough testing kits; supplying health workers with personal protective equipment; allocating drugs such as remdesivir; and recruiting contact tracers  who track down everyone with whom people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been in contact.

Although Ehresmann said she's concerned Minnesota could run out of syringes, she said the CDC has assured her they will provide them.

Given that vaccines are far more complex than personal protective equipment and other medical supplies  one vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit  Plescia said people should be prepared for shortages, delays and mix-ups.

"It's probably going to be even worse than the problems with testing and PPE," Plescia said.

Associated Press writer Michelle R. Smith and KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber contributed to this report.

This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public today announced the Top 300 MASTERS in the 10th annual Broadcom MASTERS   the nation's premier Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle school students. The Broadcom MASTERS, a program of the Society for Science & the Public, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the 21st century.

Each of the Top 300 MASTERS will receive a $125 award from DoD STEM. With this new prize, the Department of Defense continues its support of youth in STEM, working towards a more diverse pipeline of highly qualified STEM professionals in the future.

The Top 300 MASTERS were selected from the largest pool of applicants the competition has seen, with 3,476 students from 42 states and Puerto Rico applying to be a Broadcom MASTER. Science fairs across the country had to cancel their competitions in the spring of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reaction to move, the Society and Broadcom Foundation opened up the Broadcom MASTERS competition to any student who registered to compete in a Society-affiliated science fair. Previously, only students who are named in the top 10% of their science fair were eligible to enter the Broadcom MASTERS, which is the only middle school STEM competition that leverages Society-affiliated science fairs as a critical component of the STEM talent pipeline.

By opening up the competition, the Society and Broadcom have ensured equitable access to the Broadcom MASTERS, regardless of where in the country a student may live and whether their fair was affected by the pandemic.

The Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS include:

More girls than boys, with 52% females and 47% males.

Students from 34 states, plus Puerto Rico , with the majority of students hailing from California (88), Florida (37), Texas (24), Ohio (14) and Pennsylvania (14).

, with the majority of students hailing from (88), (37), (24), (14) and (14). 167 students are educated in public schools, 90 from private schools, 23 from charter schools, 10 from magnet schools and 10 from home schools.

The students' names and a state-by-state breakdown of the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS can be found at https://www.societyforscience.org/broadcom-masters/2020-top-300-masters/.

Thirty of the top 300 Broadcom MASTERS will be selected as finalists by a panel of scientists, engineers and educators from around the nation on September 16 and will be competing for over $100,000 including the coveted $25,000 Samueli Prize, $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award, the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation and the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement.

"I am honored to congratulate the top 300 Broadcom MASTERS during what is a very challenging time," said Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. "We are thrilled to be able to celebrate these amazing young scientists, who are poised to solve the world's most intractable challenges."

The Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS' independent STEM research projects tackle a broad range of challenges such as:

Identifying a more ecofriendly way to do laundry

Exploring the impact of electromagnetic frequencies on E. Coli

Determining if there is a correlation between being on a beta-blocker and the ability to taste

Testing concussion guards

Determining if the settings of a 3D print affects it's strength

Impact of vaping on cellular function

"Every Middle School student who had the passion and fortitude to complete his or her science or engineering project with hardships imposed to schooling and research is a hero and heroine in our eyes, and the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS semifinalists exemplify their remarkable grit," said Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation. "They inspire us all and give us hope for the future."

In addition to the $125 cash prize, the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS will receive a prize package containing an award ribbon; semifinalist certificate of accomplishment; Broadcom MASTERS backpack; a Broadcom MASTERS decal; a specialized Invention Journal, courtesy of The Lemelson Foundation; a one-year subscription to Wolfram Mathematica software, courtesy of Wolfram Research; a special prize from Jeff Glassman, CEO of Covington Capital Management; and a one-year family digital subscription to Science News magazine. In recognition of the role that teachers play in the success of their students, each designated teacher also will receive a Broadcom MASTERS tote bag; a special edition booklet of Science News for Students Invention and Innovation articles from The Lemelson Foundation; and a one-year digital subscription to Science News magazine.

Resources:

For more information on the Broadcom MASTERS, visit the Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public . To keep up with the Broadcom MASTERS, use hashtag #brcmMASTERS or follow Broadcom Foundation and the Society on Twitter or the Society on Instagram. And to stay connected, visit the Broadcom MASTERS and Society Facebook pages. You can also follow the Society on Snapchat (Society4Science).

About Broadcom Foundation

Founded in April 2009, the Broadcom Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with its main mission to advance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity.

The foundation inspires young people to pursue careers in STEM through its signature programs, the Broadcom MASTERS and the Broadcom MASTERS International, premier science and engineering competitions for middle school students around the United States and the world. Learn more at www.broadcomfoundation.org/masters.

About Society for Science & the Public

Society for Science & the Public is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the International Science and Engineering Fair and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazines, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science & the Public is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).

Society for Science & the Public Press Contact:

Gayle Kansagor

703-489-1131

[email protected]

SOURCE Society for Science & the Public

Related Links

http://www.societyforscience.org


Luke Anthony Pena, executive director of admissions and financial aid at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business, will leave that position on September 18 to return to Stanford University, where he served as director of MBA admissions at the Graduate School of Business from 2012 to 2017.

An economic recession and severe application downturn were only the opening acts of the turbulent era during which Luke Anthony Pena served as executive director of MBA admissions and financial aid at the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business. Then coronavirus hit. Yet as Pena prepares to leave the Tuck School this month after just three years, he leaves behind a B-school with as strong an incoming MBA class in key metrics as any in recent history  and one that also makes history with the proportion of women enrolled.

In a move announced to the school community last Friday (August 28), Pena will leave this month to return to his alma mater, Stanford University, where he will take over admissions for the worlds largest graduate scholars program. His last day at Tuck is September 18.

There is no other business school community like Tuck, Pena tells Poets&Quants. I have a deep affection for the people here, most of all my truly remarkable and resilient Admissions and Financial Aid colleagues. Only an opportunity to build a multidisciplinary cohort could pull me away from Tuck. I will continue to be a champion for Tucks mission and Tucks people who live that mission.

LOOKING FOR NICE STUDENTS

Amy Mitson. Tuck photo

Pena came to Tuck from Stanford Graduate School of Business, from which he earned his MBA in 2012 before becoming its director of MBA admissions. He served in that capacity for five years until joining Tuck in the summer of 2017. When he returns to Stanford he will assume the admissions directors role at the Knight Hennessy Scholars program, the largest fully endowed graduate fellowship with founding gifts totaling more than $750 million. Each year as many as 100 students across Stanfords graduate programs receive full funding through the program, including tuition and on-campus room and board.

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Pena will be taking over from his previous boss at Stanfords business school, Derrick Bolton, who held the Knight Hennessy role for four years until rejoining the GSB as the new associate dean for external relations in mid-June.

When he joined Tuck more than three years ago, the school had a long-held reputation for being the most transparent and applicant-friendly admissions team among all prominent business schools (see Most Transparent MBA Admissions: Tuck, HBS, Ross & Fuqua). Pena immediately changed the schools admissions paradigm. By the close of his first admissions season, the school was making headlines with a new approach, particularly its focus on four key attributes: Tuck students, Pena and the school posited, are Smart, a nod to academic achievement and strong test scores; they are Accomplished, something revealed in their resumes; they are Aware, ambitious, and purposeful; and they are nice  though that last quality, after gaining much attention, has since been amended to Encouraging, along with collaborative and empathetic.

In the year after Pena joined Tuck, however, the schools admissions office found itself eclipsed by two other schools in an annual survey of applicants by the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC). Instead of being recognized by applicants as the school that got to know its MBA candidates best in the admissions process, Tuck slipped to third behind Cornell and UVA Darden.

Applications to Tucks MBA program plunged in 2018-2019, falling 22.5% to 2,032, their lowest level in recent memory. The decline, among the most severe for a prominent business school last year, sent the schools acceptance rate soaring to 34.5% from 23.3% only a year earlier. The drop occurred after Tuck fell in U.S. News MBA ranking from 8th to 10th last year and further to 12th earlier this year. Without divulging the numbers for the admissions season just ended, Pena says apps were up overall, but the acceptance rate for this falls cohort is very similar to last years, suggesting that the schools application volume has not fully recovered. That stands in contrast to Columbia Business School, which just reported an 18.6% rise in MBA applications to a new record, and the University of Virginias Darden School, which saw applications to its full-time MBA program jump by 25%.

CONSIDERING THE HEADWINDS, TUCKS CLASS OF 2022 IS IMPRESSIVE

Pat Harrison. Tuck photo

Earlier this year, Pena decided to do away with a long-time Tuck admissions practice of offering applicants a sit-down interview without the need to pass an initial application hurdle. The decision puzzled many because that open interview policy was instrumental in gaining Tuck a reputation for knowing its MBA applicants better than any other business school. Not surprisingly, the move backfired, causing Pena to reverse courseat least somewhat. The school ended up guaranteeing applicants who complete an application by Sept. 1 an opportunity to interview.

In key metrics, however  and considering the headwinds facing all of graduate business education  Dartmouth Tucks MBA Class of 2022 of 289 is impressive. Not only is the schools international population up to 37%, with representatives from a school-record 47 countries, but its U.S. minorities are at 32%. Tuck admissions under Pena clearly set about to increase opportunities and tap new talent pools, as the schools percentage of GRE-submitting admits grew to 39% from 15% in just two years, and the lower end of the GMAT range of admits this year dipped below 600, to 590.

But the biggest news this fall is that Tuck set a mark all of its elite peers will find tough to match, enrolling 49% women  a school record and 2 percentage points better than any top-25 school last year. Tuck enrolled 42% women in its MBA Class of 2021 last year, well behind Stanford and Whartons 47% each and also trailing Michigan Ross (45%) and Harvard, Northwestern Kellogg, and Duke Fuqua (43% each).

Achieving our mission of educating tomorrows wise, decisive leaders begins by attracting not only the best and brightest students, but those for whom our mission is deeply resonant, Sally Jaeger, associate dean of the Tuck MBA program, wrote in an August 28 email to students, faculty, and staff announcing Penas departure. Since arriving to Tuck in 2017, Luke  has refined our schools admissions processes and criteria, built a strong and high-performing team of admissions and financial aid professionals, and led the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of three record-setting Tuck classes.

PARTING WORDS FOR A COURAGEOUS MBA CLASS

Upon Penas departure, Amy Mitson and Pat Harrison will serve as interim co-executive directors of admissions, roles they have filled before, having between them more than 36 years of experience stewarding admissions for the Tuck School. Mitson currently serves as Tucks director of admissions, recruitment, and marketing; Harrison is the schools director of admissions, evaluation, and yield.

In an interview just last week to talk about Dartmouth Tucks latest MBA class, Pena sounded almost wistful in praising the students who had enrolled this fall, braving the unknown of a semester made chaotic by a coronavirus.

Im thrilled and delighted and excited by this class, Pena said. These are historic times and this is an unforgettable class that has chosen to proceed with their investment in business school and their investment in the Tuck School, even amidst these circumstances. So I have just incredible fondness and pride and affinity for this group of students that has the courage to move forward and to place their trust and faith in each other and in us.

I am proud of every class enrolled at the Tuck School, but there will never be another class that enrolled under circumstances quite like this. And so I am just incredibly proud and excited by this class thats coming up.

DONT MISS: DARTMOUTH TUCK STANDS ON THE PRECIPICE OF GENDER PARITY or A CANDID INTERVIEW WITH TUCKS HEAD OF MBA ADMISSIONS

The post Dartmouth Tuck Loses Its Admissions Chief appeared first on Poets&Quants.
WASHINGTON  No masks in Kenosha for President Donald Trump.

Trump, who has expressed off-again, on-again support for mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, was maskless again Tuesday as he surveyed businesses damaged during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

At the start of a roundtable meeting with law enforcement personnel, local officials, and business owners, Trump told them they could take off their face masks "if you feel more comfortable" doing so.

"Look how fast you took that off," he told one person.

None of the roundtable participants wound up wearing masks, a group that included Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

Some members of Trump's entourage were seen wearing masks during a tour of torched areas in a state that has suffered its share of coronavirus cases. On Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 75,603 total positive coronavirus test results in the Badger State and a total of 1,122 COVID-19 deaths.

In late July, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued an order requiring all Wisconsin residents to wear masks indoors, except in private residences. The order "strongly recommends" face coverings outside "when it is not possible to maintain physical distancing."

More: 'Worse before it gets better.' Trump delivers sober warning in return to coronavirus briefings

More: Joe Biden says he would require wearing masks in public to prevent coronavirus spread

President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he tours an area damaged during demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis.

For months, Trump refused to wear a mask, even during a highly publicized May visit to a manufacturing plant in Phoenix  a plant that made face masks. Almost everyone else at the plant during Trump's visit wore some kind of face covering.

Trump has worn masks on a few occasions, most notably during a July 11 visit with ill troops at Walter Reed hospital. On July 21 he urged all Americans to do so, saying he was "getting used" to the idea.

"We're asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask," Trump said then. "Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they'll have an effect. We need everything we can get."

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A few weeks later, Trump criticized Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden for proposing a policy to have all of the nation's governors require mask wearing in their states.

Calling it an unnecessary mandate, Trump said: We want to have a certain freedom. Thats what were about."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump: No mask in Kenosha, despite COVID-19 spread in Wisconsin
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Market Research Future (MRFR), reveals the impact of COVID-19 on the homogeneous charge compression ignition market 2020 in its latest report. As per MRFR study, the global market of homogeneous charge compression ignition is likely to rise at 15% CAGR across the evaluation period. As per MRFR study, the homogeneous charge compression ignition market value can rise considerably through the study period. Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), an internal combustion engine that aid in the homogeneous mixing of air and fuel. The combustion process of HCCI is very lean and offers simultaneous reduction in NO and soot emissions from the internal combustion engine. In the automotive sector, HCCI solutions are observed as effective alternatives to conventional diesel combustion, which is due to rise in the global stringent diesel emissions limits. The significant role played by HCCI to improve engine performance and curb infamous vehicle emissions are other major causes that can drive the worldwide homogeneous charge compression ignition market in the years to come.

Read More:

https://www.openpr.com/news/2091988/homogeneous-charge-compression-ignition-market-2020-covid-19

Market Segment

The segment study of global homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) market are based on vehicle type and product type. The product type, based segments of the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) market are four-stroke HCCI engine and two-stroke HCCI engine. The vehicle type based segments of the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) market are commercial vehicles and passenger cars.

The rise in commercial utility of homogeneous charge compression ignition can significantly boost the market growth across the review period. The growing need for vehicles that have improved engine performance and can aid in attaining better safety can accelerate the rise of the world homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) market. The intensifying competition among reputed producers of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), such as General Motors, Daimler, and Mazda, plus the entrance of new HCCI manufacturers can boost the expansion of the market in the years to come. The increased support from governments across the globe to curb carbon emissions prompts automobile manufacturers to design solutions as per guidelines registered by governing bodies, such as automobile manufacturers association and automotive engine manufacturers associations (EMA). These can boost the rise of the homogeneous charge compression ignition market in the years to come.

Regional Study

MRFR regional study of the homogeneous charge compression ignition market across prominent economies, such as North America and Europe, followed by Asia Pacific and others; the Rest of the World, reveals demographic and area-specific factors that can influence the market in different regions. In Asia Pacific, the homogeneous charge compression ignition market can hold the largest share of the global market in the forecast period. The presence of robust automotive infrastructure and the increase in government efforts to eliminate vehicular emissions in the region. The rise in disposable income of people in India and Japan is supporting the sales of HCCI engines across the assessment period. In North America, the homogeneous charge compression ignition market can witness significant expansion at a high pace across the forecast period. It is due to the rise in sales of passenger cars in the US, followed by the rest of North America.

Key Players

MRFR listed some prominent names in the world homogeneous charge compression ignition market. They are; Daimler AG (Germany), BMW (Germany), Honda Motor Company, Ltd. (Japan), Audi AG (Germany), Hyundai Motor Company (South Korea), General Motors (US), Mazda Motor Corporation (Japan), Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Germany), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., (Japan), and Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, (Germany) are among others key players.

FOR MORE DETAILS 

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/homogeneous-charge-compression-ignition-market-7617
Nathan Howard/Getty

Less than 24 hours after a man was fatally shot in downtown Portland, Oregons governor offered what looked like a way forward: a six-point, unified law enforcement plan enlisting the help of local, state, and federal officers to protect free speech and bring violence and arson to an end in Portland.

But with Portland now close to 100 consecutive nights of protests, most of which have resulted in violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement, the plan doesnt have much in terms of substance. Local jurisdictions are declining to send in backup. State troopers are deputizing their own, effectively circumventing the local district attorneys office. And the federal government is, once again, threatening to send in troops.

We have a schoolyard beef going on and people are acting like adolescents, said Mike German, retired FBI agent and fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Rather than taking responsibility for the errors theyve made thus far and trying to actually resolve the issues the protesters are trying to raise, we instead see these agencies look to gain some political edge.

Portland has been mired in nightly protests since the end of May, when rage over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody led people to take to the streets nationwide. Most nights have seen law enforcement officers rushing protesters with fists, batons, and crowd control munitions including tear gas, pepper balls, and smoke bombs, often in response to a small number of black-clad demonstrators lighting fires, breaking windows, vandalizing buildings, and throwing projectiles at officers, such as rocks, water bottles, and paint.

As of this writing, local and state police officers have made close to 800 arrests related to the protests, according to Oregon State Police. Of those 800, close to 700 arrests are claimed by PPB, according to the bureaus own numbers.

The overwhelming majority of charges are interfering with a peace officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Cops have arrested protesters for alleged crimes such as setting fires and shining lasers in officers eyes. Often, however, officers arrest protesters for talking back to them and failing to move out of their way.

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Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced in mid-August a policy against prosecuting protest-related cases that didnt include the use of force against someone else, deliberate property damage, or theft. As prosecutors, we acknowledge the depth of emotion that motivates these demonstrations and support those who are civically engaged through peaceful protesting, Schmidt wrote in a statement at the time.

Oregon State Police, sent to Portland at the beginning of August to take over for federal law enforcement officers defending the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse, withdrew in a huff. At this time, we are inclined to move those resources back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority, said OSPs Timothy Fox.

Since then, Portland Police have been mostly going it alone, with a backlog of cases piling up at the County DA. When asked about a total number of prosecutorial cases, the Multnomah County DAs Office did not offer any figures. We still dont have a final number of the cases we will be prosecuting because we continue to review new cases each day, many older cases remain under follow-up investigation, and because each new case is still being independently reviewed by our team of 10 attorneys.

Last weekend, the violence turned deadly. After a miles-long caravan of Trump supporters drove through downtown Portland on Saturday evening, a man associated with the far-right group Patriot Prayer was fatally shot in the chest. For the last several years, and escalating in recent months, President Trump has encouraged division and stoked violence, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the following day. It happened in Charlottesville. It happened in Kenosha. And now, unfortunately, it is happening in Portland, Oregon.

It was in the aftermath of that shooting that Browns office unveiled the unified law enforcement plan to protect free speech and bring violence and arson to an end in Portland.

With months of nightly protests stretching the Portland Police Bureaus resources thin, additional local and state personnel, as well as federal resources, will give the Police Bureau the investigative capacity to arrest and charge those individuals who have engaged in violent or destructive acts and endangered public safety, her statement read.

The plan instructed the Multnomah County DAs Office to continue prosecuting serious criminal offenses, including arson and physical violence, related to the protests. It requested that Oregon State Police send backup officers to support the PPB and asked the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to commit additional resources for investigations. Nearby jurisdictions were also asked for additional personnel and resources to support PPB.

But local jurisdictions refused. The City of Greshams police chief released a statement the following day: Governor Brown released her plan without consultation with the listed agencies. At this time, Gresham Police Department will not be assisting our colleagues at Portland Police Bureau.

Both sheriffs offices for Washington County and Clackamas County took a more strongly worded approach.

At this time, I do not plan to send deputies to work directly in Portland, wrote Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett in a statement the same day.

PPB is a terrific partner and I am very sympathetic to what they are enduring. However, the lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if deputies were deployed directly.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts took direct aim at the Multnomah County DAs Office in a statement the same day.

Increasing law enforcement resources in Portland will not solve the nightly violence and now, murder. The only way to make Portland safe again is to support a policy that holds offenders accountable for their destruction and violence.

Oregon State Police say they are ready to help local law enforcement, as they did in mid-August after federal troops withdrew from the protest area. Now, a group of roughly 50 state troopers, as part of OSPs Mobile Response Team, are in Portland to assist local law enforcement.

Only this time, the majority of state troopers deployed have been deputized, which means they have the dual authority of state and federal law enforcement. This effectively bypasses the local district attorneys office by allowing the U.S. Attorneys Office, instead, to prosecute offenders.

OSP is not criticizing any officials and we respect the authority of the District Attorney, but to meet the Governors charge of bringing violence to an end we will use all lawful methods at our disposal, Fox said in an email to The Daily Beast.

The governors office said state troopers were deputized over the summer to allow them to work more effectively with federal law enforcement, according to a statement from Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Governor Browns office.

Also critical of the local district attorney is the federal government. In a letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Monday, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf criticized the citys lack of action in tamping down on protest-related violence, and threatened to, once again, send in federal troops.

As part of President Trumps July 4 executive order to protect federal monuments, troops from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement began confronting protesters outside the federal courthouse. That led to consecutive nights of arrests, injuries, and wide sections of downtown Portland being coated in tear gas.

For whatever reason, police departments have adopted these escalating force models that have created this violence, explained German, whose own civil rights work revolves around national law enforcement issues.

German points to a 2015 article by the St. Louis University School of Law that envisions a new model of protest policing that includes police officers facilitating protests and showing support toward crowd members as de-escalation tactics.

Id be interested to see how this kind of policing model could ever bring an end to this, he said.

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An Arkansas sheriff has resigned after a recording of him using racial slurs and offensive language began circulating on social media.

Arkansas County Sheriff Todd Wright resigned after the Arkansas County Quorum court passed a resolution asking for his resignation, according to the Stuttgart Daily Leader.

In the recording, Mr Wright uses a racial slur nine times after becoming upset that a woman he was with talked to a black man at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. During the five minute recording, Mr Wright calls the woman a "n***** lover."

"I don't understand why you're so mad at me," she asks.

"Why you got to holler at f****** n****** when I'm around," the man responds.

The court unanimously approved the resolution to call for his resignation.

Mr Wright asked if he could have a month to get his affairs in order and search for a new job before giving his resignation, but the court pushed him to leave immediately.

A friend of Mr Wright's, Bobby Webb, pleaded with him to resign immediately.

"I've known you all my life. You need to take that badge and you need to lay it on that table and you need to walk out of here," he said. "You know I love you."

Mr Wright gave an emotional verbal resignation before offering a written resignation later during the court session.

County Judge Thomas Best said the situation saddened him.

"It saddens me that anyone would disrespect God's creation in this manner," Mr Best said. "No way will I condone this action from anyone."

During the court session, Mr Wright apologised to "everyone" and said he made the comments while he was "upset over certain things."

"That's not me," he claimed. "People who know me, know that's not me. I was angry."

Despite the recording, he claimed he was not a racist.

The mother of the man Mr Wright made the disparaging remarks about voiced her anger, calling her son a "hardworking man with two jobs" "names like that."
MINSK -- Throngs of women peacefully protested in central Minsk late on September 1 after earlier in the day security forces detained dozens of university students rallying in response to a call from Belaruss opposition for a nationwide strike to coincide with the first day of the school year.



Several hundred women gathered near Independence Avenue in the capital, some singing and dancing as police looked on without intervening.



Women have taken a leading role in more than three weeks of protests against President Alyaksandr Lukashenkas rule, often forming lines to shield men from arrest.



Earlier in the day, columns of students carrying banned red-and-white flags representing the opposition gathered in front of universities and flocked into the center of Minsk.



"September 1 is a day of knowledge. Knowledge of the meaning of Belarusian solidarity. Join this one-day strike, support the workers and show the government who is the real source of power," opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskayas team said in a statement.



At least 55 people were detained as riot police dispersed protesters at several locations, according to the Vyasna human rights group. Video posted on social media showed police dressed in black charging into a line of students and forcefully dragging them away.



The Belarusian Journalists Association said eight journalists covering the protests were detained for attending unauthorized protests. Last week, authorities stripped at least 17 journalists of accreditation in a bid to control information about protests.

Lukashenka, who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner in an August 9 presidential election, which was widely viewed as rigged.



Hundreds of thousands of citizens have since taken to the streets across the country to protest the results, calling on Lukashenka to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.

Diplomatic Pressure

Much of Europe, as well as the United States and other countries, have rejected the election results and criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members both before and after the vote.



In a statement on September 1, UN human rights experts said they had received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people held in custody since the election.



Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent.

Any violation of the non-derogable prohibition of torture and ill-treatment must be prosecuted and punished," they said.



The experts also said that most people reported missing have been accounted for, but the whereabouts and the health situation of at least six individuals are said to be unknown to their relatives.



Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on September 1 called on the UN Human Rights Council to immediately convene to discuss the situation in Belarus.



Separately, Lithuania along with Latvia and Estonia announced on August 31 that they had slapped travel sanctions on several top Belarusian officials, including Lukashenka.



The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on up to 20 senior Belarusian officials suspected of involvement in election fraud and the brutal crackdown on protesters.



With the goodwill built up during a thaw in relations with the West quickly evaporating, Lukashenka, who has rejected the oppositions demands, has turned an eye towards the Kremlin, a traditional ally despite recent strains sparked by Minsk's courting of others.



On September 1, Lukashenka said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will safeguard "our common homeland from Brest to Vladivostok" and that he was ready to reroute the countrys cargo from Baltic ports to Russian ports in response to the sanctions imposed by Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.



"They say, it would be more expensive for Belarus," BelTa news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying.



"Of course, it would be a little bit disadvantageous for us. But we can agree with the Russians on tariffs," he said



Addressing students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on September 1, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of "delivering verdicts" on the crisis in Belarus, which he said is unacceptable in the modern world."



Moscow has consistently accused the West of interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus.

With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AFP
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 13:05:02|Editor: huaxia

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HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 4,000 patients suffering organ failure in east China's Zhejiang Province have gained a new lease of life thanks to voluntary organ donations since 2010.

A total of 1,474 people in Zhejiang had voluntarily donated more than 4,000 human organs by the end of August this year, according to the Red Cross Society of China, Zhejiang branch.

"With the awareness of organ donation, more and more people in Zhejiang are signing up for the cause," said Ruan Weixiu, head of the human organ donation center under the Red Cross Society.

By the end of August 2020, more than 76,000 people in the province had registered as organ donation volunteers, 60 percent of whom are under 30, according to Ruan. Enditem
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the relationship between America's Black and Jewish communities, and in opposition to antisemitism and racism, the National Urban League and American Jewish Committee are partnering to designate the week of September 7th Black-Jewish Unity Week. The hashtag #BlackJewishUnity will be used to promote the unity week's themes and programs to strengthen Black-Jewish understanding and joint advocacy.

"American Jews have been among the staunchest allies of Black Americans since the Great Migrations," National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said, noting that one of the founders and first chairman of the board of the National Urban League was the prominent Jewish American economist Edwin R.A. Seligman. "Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who fought for civil rights and died alongside James Chaney, are among the most revered martyrs of our movement."

David Harris, AJC's CEO, said, "Black and Jewish Americans share a special responsibility and burden to stand together against hate, racism, antisemitism, ignorance, and intolerance."

A key objective of Black-Jewish Unity Week is urging Congress to pass the National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act, which would improve hate crime reporting through law enforcement trainings, the creation of reporting hotlines, increasing resources to liaise with affected communities, and public educational forums on hate crimes.

"Hate crimes are on the rise all over the country," Morial said. "Yet a shocking number of cities are failing to report these crimes to the FBI, hindering the nation's ability to address this increase."

Harris said, "Jews have for too long been the primary target for religiously-motivated hate crimes, while African Americans are by far the most targeted for racially-motivated crimes. When we stand together against bigotry and hate, we stand stronger."

Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations will introduce a resolution officially designating the week in honor of mutual understanding and recognition of the joint need to combat antisemitism and racism.

The organizations will jointly observe the week with a series of events aimed at fostering a deeper cultural and historical understanding and appreciation between the two communities. Daniel Elbaum, AJC's Chief Advocacy Officer, will appear on National Urban League's "For the Movement" podcast, and Clint Odom, National Urban League's Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, will be a guest on AJC's podcast, "People of the Pod."

Morial and Harris will appear together on a joint NUL and AJC Advocacy Anywhere Zoom Event at 12 PM (EST) on September 8.

Using the hashtag #BlackJewishUnity, the organizations will promote educational and entertaining features, including book and film recommendations and moments from Black and Jewish history.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


By Johnathan Gilmore

EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider produces exclusive weekly content and monthly events geared toward those interested in the marijuana and hemp industries.

Im a combat veteran. I start my op-eds like this because people perk up their ears when they hear it. They do that for several reasons, but right now, I hope youre listening because you know I love this country, and that I fought and bled for it.

I want to compare two experiences Ive had with alcohol and cannabis  one in the Marines, and one after the Marines  in order to convince you that marijuana should be legalized.

Drinking alcohol in the Marine Corps is engraved in its traditions. I had the most amazing nights getting absolutely hammered with my brothers and sisters in arms. Wed dance the night away or jump in the ocean, and no one knew what was going to happen.

But, I saw darker things while drinking in the corps. I saw a Marine slice his hand while breaking another Marines window to fight him while he was asleep. I once convinced myself to swim 100 meters into the ocean at 1 a.m. after a night of heavy drinking. I saw brutal fist fights, and suicidal behavior was almost normalized.

Im not saying this to shame the use of alcohol, but its downside is violence, suicide and life-lasting mistakes.

After the Marine Corps, I moved to Washington State to attend community college in peaceful Bellingham. Marijuana had been recently legalized at the time I moved there. I remember how freeing it felt to buy my first joint in public view without the weight of the justice system looming over me. I remember how hard I laughed when my brother and I smoked together after years of being apart. Arguably, we smoked way too much that night, but the next-day result was less than exciting: We both fell asleep and woke up well-rested.

Throughout college, my veteran friends and I would smoke marijuana and consume edibles. We all got amazing grades, contrary to the lazy stoner stereotype. If someone smoked too much, theyd want to go back to their house. Too fearful to drive, theyd simply go to sleep. Not once while strictly smoking with my friends did I see a violent fight or a broken bone. Ive seen my friends laugh to the point of tears, or get incredibly silent and insecure. That is the downside of marijuana: minor paranoia.

I moved to New Jersey in the summer of 2019. My partner and I instantly fell in love with this state because of its organized townships, diverse politics and beautiful greenery. I also love the way people in New Jersey dont bullcrap. Its refreshing. I got my medical marijuana card shortly after moving to Moorestown, and was incredibly happy that New Jersey considered the drug essential for me through this recent pandemic. It makes me love New Jersey all that much more. But, then I was saddened to see legislation to legalize recreational use shut down. It just didnt make sense to me.

New Jersey is a state that values facts and reality over charlatan narratives and fear. After all, our state committed to the Paris Climate Agreement after the federal government backed out. Republicans and Democrats alike should be aware that demonization of marijuana is simply wrong. I believe that marijuana in moderation is not dangerous and, beyond moderation, it is certainly no more dangerous than alcohol.

Ive recently purchased a home and have hopes of raising children here in our excellent public school system. Now that Im officially a New Jersey resident, I want to make a plea to the public to vote to legalize adult use of marijuana.

As a former Marine, I value hard work, dedication and states individual rights, and truly believe that legalizing marijuana will not harm our great state.

Johnathan Gilmore writes from Voorhees Township. Statewide ballots on Nov. 3 will ask whether New Jersey should legalize cannabis possession and use for persons 21 and older, by amending the state constitution.

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Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

The longer COVID-19 rages on, the more the United States appears to be hanging its hopes on the development and rapid, mass distribution of a vaccine.

Getting a safe and effective vaccine out to the public could be a game changer, health experts believe. But stopping the viruss spread will only happen if enough people choose  or are required  to get vaccinated.

But while some people may see it as their patriotic duty to get vaccinated, others wont.

Opponents may challenge vaccination requirements based on claims of religious liberty or under specific laws that would allow for a religious exemption from any COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In some states including Indiana and Massachusetts, there are laws allowing parents to cite religious reasons to opt out of childhood immunization requirements.

As a public health lawyer and ethicist who has researched issues related to vaccination policy, Im often asked about the role a vaccine mandate could play in our COVID-19 response. My answer is a common lawyers response: It depends, as this question raises numerous questions of its own.

Safe and effective?

Whether or not a vaccine mandate is appropriate will depend upon how safe the vaccine is determined to be, what it protects against and how well it offers protection. The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn has been adamant that the agency will not cut corners in their vaccine review process, and that the decision will be based on science and data. Any suggestion otherwise would damage public trust.

But public hesitancy to vaccines was already one of the biggest global public health concerns even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Added to this are the vaccine misinformation and conspiracies that have flourished during the epidemic.

These may explain why 35% of Americans say they will not get the vaccine. While troubling, its unclear how many in this camp will keep that opinion if COVID-related illnesses, injuries and disruptions to our lives continue, and a vaccine becomes readily available.

Story continues

And we do not know enough about COVID-19 immunity yet to know what share of the population would need to be vaccinated for a community to achieve herd immunity and stop the viruss spread. A mandate may not be necessary, although those refusing vaccination tend to cluster, leaving potential pockets of continued vulnerability.

If/then mandates

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said he would be pretty surprised if vaccination became mandatory for any part of the population.

But other experts have raised the possibility of a vaccine being mandatory as part of a if/then proposition  in other words, someone can only do something if they are first vaccinated. For example, proof of vaccination could be required to engage in certain jobs, such as prison staff or line workers in meat processing plants. Some businesses, such as nursing homes and hospitals might require vaccination for those who work with certain high-risk populations.

It also could be required to gain access to certain spaces, such as schools or sporting events, or to qualify for certain benefits, like freedom to travel to other states without having to quarantine. These types of rules already exist, for example, in many universities, which require students living in dorms be vaccinated against meningitis.

Another approach would be to mandate the vaccine for certain populations based upon risk characteristics, such as those who live in nursing homes.

Under these scenarios, would religious or personal exemptions override any mandate? That depends on who issues the mandate.

Recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suggests that a request to be exempted from an employers flu vaccination mandate based on sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observances would be protected under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The guidance doesnt explicitly state that the same rule would apply for COVID-19  because there is no COVID-19 vaccine at this time  but it seems clear that the commission would prefer that employers consider simply encouraging employees to get vaccinated.

That said, there is a provision under the law that would allow businesses not to honor this exemption if it created undue hardship. In care facilities, where employees interact regularly with vulnerable populations, employers likely will be able to make undue hardship arguments and prevent exemptions. But people working in a typical office environment, or in a service industry position, would probably be able to make a religion-based claim to opt out.

It gets a little more complicated when it comes to any state-issued vaccine mandate. A number of states have created laws protecting religious rights beyond the First Amendment. Florida and Texas, for example, allow parents to opt their children out of school vaccinations citing deeply held religious beliefs or philosophical opposition.

Twenty-one states have religious freedom laws prohibiting even minimal interference with residents right to practice their faith. In states with these laws, legislatures may need to amend the statute to avoid challenges and allow for universal vaccination mandates for adults.

These exemptions for religious beliefs are political choices. There are no Constitutional or ethical obligations to require an opt out to a vaccine that may be key to stopping a pandemic, should a state wish to prioritize protecting their residents from COVID-19 through mandating vaccination.

Even during this pandemic, most courts, including the Supreme Court, have been hesitant to interfere with the decisions made by state officials taking steps to keep the community safe from a dangerous outbreak. As Chief Justice Roberts recently described, these are emergency circumstances fraught with medical and scientific uncertainties, and moment-to-moment management of such situations are best left to the elected officials who are directly accountable to the public.

[Research into coronavirus and other news from science Subscribe to The Conversations new science newsletter.]

No liberty to expose community

A requirement that someone be vaccinated imposes a greater burden on personal liberty than, say, having to attend church virtually as opposed to in person. However, as the Supreme Court stated in 1941, The right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community  to communicable disease. Justice Antonin Scalia, speaking for the court nearly 50 years later, came to a similar conclusion that laws advancing civic obligations such as compulsory vaccination may override claims of religious freedom.

In any case, as Dr Fauci alludes to: Talk of a mandate may be moot. Almost two-thirds of the American public have said they would get the vaccine if it were available today. Should a safe, effective vaccine be developed, there will likely be tremendous demand to get the shot.

But should states or businesses feel it is necessary to require vaccination to bring about the end of the pandemic, I believe it is likely that courts will support them in these protective efforts.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:



Ross D. Silverman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the world's largest jobs guarantee programme

The government is weighing an extension of the rural employment guarantee scheme to cover workers in cities and urban areas who have been rendered jobless amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Bloomberg report, the plan being considered involves an initial rollout of the scheme, which is expected to cost around Rs 35,000 crore, in smaller cities and towns.

In the country's rural areas, people are able to secure work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the world's largest jobs guarantee programme.

It is basically a social security scheme that guarantees 100 days of wage employment to all rural households in the country.

In the Budget 2020-21, the allocation for MGNREGA stood at Rs 61,500 crore, and the Centre has released Rs 56,683 crore under the scheme so far in the year.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

A survey conducted by the London School of Economics (LSE) showed that around 52 percent of urban Indian workers went without work or pay and received no financial assistance for atleast a month, as coronavirus-related lockdowns led to loss of lives and livelihood.

On an average, earnings fell by 48 percent in April and May, compared to the pre-Covid months of January and February. Financial assistance from the government or employers was available to less than a quarter of the workforce, the survey added.

The pandemic-led lockdowns have ravaged the economy, with nearly 50 lakh salaried people having lost their jobs in July, taking the total number of job losses in the category to 189 lakh, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data.
Macys Inc will drastically change how it does business this holiday season, executives said on Wednesday, placing a sharper focus on its online business and selling more beauty and home items to shoppers opting to stay home due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

Shares of the largest U.S. department store operator rose more than 6% after it reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and beat sales estimates as shoppers bought more activewear, shoes and handbags on its app and website amid the pandemic.

Our immediate priority is successfully executing Holiday 2020," Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gennette said.

The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for retailers, accounting for a huge chunk of annual sales. This year retailers are rolling out their earliest-ever holiday deals and promotions.

Gennette said nearly 50% of the companys total gift assortment will be new, led by items in beauty and home, with products at every price point. Macys will also reimagine iconic events including the Thanksgiving Day Parade, local tree lightings and holiday window displays, the company said.

Recently announced holiday surcharges will lead to higher delivery expenses that will weigh on the holiday quarter, the company said.

To cope with the closure of malls and stores due to coronavirus-related lockdowns, Macys has been focusing on its online business, giving shoppers the option to buy online and collect from stores.

Though Macys sold more merchandise online, with digital sales surging 53% for the second quarter ended Aug. 1, the lower footfall in stores was not enough to make up for lost sales.

Macys, along with its department store rivals, depends heavily on tourists - particularly those traveling from overseas - to drive sales, especially at stores like its flagship Herald Square location in New York City.

Net sales fell 35.8% to $3.56 billion but beat analysts estimates of $3.48 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

On an adjusted basis, the company lost 81 cents per share, compared with estimates of a loss of $1.77 per share.

Net loss came in at $431 million, or $1.39 per share, in the quarter, compared with a profit of $86 million, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier.

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
- Victoria Rubadiri was happy to play a part in honouring the life and achievements of late BBC journalist Komla Dumor

- She thanked everyone who ever supported her journey and encouraged her through her career

- The news anchor said she looked forward to conquering greater milestones in the future

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Citizen TV news ancho Victoria Rubadiri is both a humble and a happy woman after learning she bagged the prestigious Komla Dumor award.

The mother of one who climbed the ranks expressed how honoured she was to play a small role in elevating the memory of the late Komla Dumor.

READ ALSO: Machachari's mama Baha welcomes TV son to pool game date in heartwarming IG post

READ ALSO: Man causes stir online after jumping on money truck for a ride

Thanked everyone

She thanked BBC for rewarding her and appreciating the efforts she had put in her work as a journalist.

The witty scribe who always brings light to the screens was grateful to everyone who walked the journey with her and supported her in the course of her career.

To every person and institution that walked the journey with me, I am grateful. Here is to African journalism and telling our authentic stories, Victoria wrote.

READ ALSO: Kenyan woman who asked netizens to help her find biological father meets his siblings

READ ALSO: Samuel Iling-Junior: Chelsea youngster joins Juventus

Congratulations

Fellow celebrities, colleagues and fans from across the country congratulated the presenter yet again for her achievement and reminded her she deserved it all.

Kate actress, Julie Gichuru and Joyce Omondi were among many women who lined up in Victorias comment section armed with pride and positivity.

As previously reported, the news was announced on Tuesday, September 1.

READ ALSO: Wakati wa Obado kuvuka mto wa mamba umefika, ODM chamsukuma kwa MCAs

Victoria was humbled by her big win. Photo: Victoria Rubadiri

Source: Instagram

She was the sixth person to ever win the award which was created to celebrate a great BBC journalist.

She was the second Kenyan to bag the prize two years after her colleague Waihiga Mwaura won the award.

Victoria is expected to begin her three-month placement at the international. Media which will include training at the BBC Academy.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

My wife abandoned me when i needed her most | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Erick Morillo, the producer and DJ best known for the 1993 hit I Like to Move It, was found dead this morning (September 1) in Miami Beach, TMZ and Miamis Local 10 report. A cause of death has not been revealed. Morillo was 49 years old.

Erick Morillo spent his childhood in Cartagena, Colombia, New York, and New Jersey. He began making music in the early 90s under the name Reel 2 Real. In 1993, he collaborated with Trinidadian vocalist the Mad Stuntman for his iconic song I Like to Move It. The track appeared on 1994s Move It! and regained popularity when it was featured heavily in the 2005 DreamWorks animated film Madagascar.

Morillo made just one more album as Reel 2 Real (1996s Are You Ready for Some More?) before launching his own label, Subliminal Records, in 1997. He released numerous singles and remixes, as well as his 2004 full-length My World, on Subliminal.

According to Local 10, Erick Morillo was arrested and charged with sexual battery of a woman last month. The alleged incident took place in Miami Beach in December 2019. Morillo denied the allegations, according to Local 10. He was reportedly scheduled for a court hearing this Friday, September 4.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:21:21|Editor: huaxia

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People do shopping at a market ahead of the new school year in the West Bank city of Nablus on Sept. 1, 2020. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)



by Sanaa Kamal

RAMALLAH, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian merchants from the West Bank have complained about the local markets' recession ahead of the new school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sept. 6, Palestinian students are slated to return gradually to their schools. Each student will attend classes for only three days a week as part of the precautionary measures to contain the virus.

Many Palestinians rushed to the local markets that have already been crowded to buy the basic needs for their children.

However, Hamada Qoddous, a merchant from the West Bank city of Ramallah, told Xinhua that this year, he feels the sharp decline in revenue compared with the previous years.

The 36-year-old man said that the deteriorating economic conditions have prevented the majority of the customers from purchasing their basic needs.

In an attempt to sell more, the man has been forced to reduce the prices on his goods piled up in his stores. He hopes that the Palestinian Authority (PA) employees' payment will help people to stay afloat.

Some merchants told Xinhua that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the Palestinian territories has negatively affected the economic situation in the area, which led to the weak purchasing power.

Over the past two days, the PA has released 50 percent of its government employees' salaries in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

This is the third time that the PA has been forced to release partial payments of employees' salaries since last May. On June 3, the PA refused to receive the tax revenue dues from Israel because the Palestinian leadership ended all agreements with Israel because of its annexation plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

Samer Sowan, a PA's employee from Nablus city, told Xinhua that the deducted salary does not allow him to buy school stationery and clothes for his three children.

The 42-year-old man said that the situation does not allow him "to buy anything, especially since we are required to pay school fees and provide other basic needs."

He called on the Palestinian government to provide school supplies for all students, who are suffering from poverty in the West Bank.

Suhair Akkel, another customer from Ramallah, told Xinhua that the markets' situation has reflected the worsening economic conditions in their area.

The 40-year-old mother of three said that she just bought the necessary goods for her children as "we really do not know if schools will continue to operate," adding the Education Ministry has not yet announced its educational plan.

For his part, Marwan Awartani, the Palestinian Minister of Education, told Xinhua that the ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has established an early warning system, to track the virus in real-time when the educational process resumes.

The early warning system would allow the immediate follow-up of any infection cases among school staff or students.

Palestine has recorded till Tuesday 30,490 COVID-19 cases with 180 deaths in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Enditem
<! Nigerian Movie Producer and Director, Zeb Ejiro. >

Nigerias celebrated movie producer and director, Zeb Ejiro, was reportedly threatened in Asaba during the Association of Movie Producers Election (AMP) in Asaba on Saturday, 29th August, 2020.

According to reports from sources who were present at the just concluded election, Ejiro who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of AMP was faced with serious pressure to support one of the presidential candidates named Mrs Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

One of the power broker behind Anyiam-Osigwes candidacy, Mr. Adedayo Thomas, the Executive Director of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) supposedly wanted Ejiro to declare openly his support for Mrs Anyiam-Osigwe.

Thomas was alleged to have offered huge amount of money to Ejiro but the BOT Chairman, Ejiro, rejected all his offers because he, as the Board Chairman was expected to be neutral and not be seen to support any candidate for the election.

Sources close to AMP alleged that Thomas, the Censors Board, ED, called Ejiro over five times mounting pressure on him to support his candidate, Anyiam Osigwe, but Ejiro maintained his ground.

A night before the election in Asaba while Ejiro was in his hotel room there in Asaba, he started receiving calls from strange numbers all threatening his life and warning him he must come down the next day to endorse the election.

The last caller then says, Mr Ejiro, if your life is important to you, better leave that hotel or die in the morning. It is either you support us or you die.

Ejiro was reported to have been scared to death and so he quickly called his friend, Upper Willy who was also in the hotel.

Willy now arranged a cab and Ejiro disguised himself and escaped from the hotel and slept in an hotel at a remote village in Asaba.

On the morning of the election, Ejiro rushed back to pack his belongings to return to Lagos. But the Censor Board ED, who came to the venue with over 50 thugs blocked the gate with thugs and vowed that Ejiro would not leave the venue until he openly endorsed Mrs Peace Anyiam-Osigwe otherwise.

Delegates to the election were said to be too shocked at how the head of a government agency and the regulatory body for movie producers could be parading thugs and so involved in the election he was not supposed to come near in the first place.

Thomas was said to have boasted that he had the support of the Minister of Information to deliver Mrs Peace Anyiam-Osigwe at all cost.

It, therefore, took the intervention of many top members of AMP to release Ejiro from Thomas hostage and the Domitila producer quickly rushed back to Lagos.

AMP sources revealed that AMP election crisis started when the Censors ED started calling Michael Parish the second candidate for President to step down for Anyiam-Osigwe.

As Parish refused to step down Thomas started using threats. He was reported to have threatened Zeb Ejiro and a former president, Zik Zulu Okafor for their refusal to support Anyiam-Osigwe.

He was reported to have compromised AMP President, Ralph Nwadike who was running errands for him.

Nwadike reportedly hired over 100 strange people from Anambra state issued them AMP identity cards to vote for Anyiam-Osigwe.

It was Thomas use of money and power to frustrate AMP traditional way of holding election that led to split of AMP and the parallel election in Lagos.

Now AMP has two elected officials for every post. The Lagos faction was accused of emptying AMP account, withdrawing over N2million without the Presidents approval.

But the Lagos faction in turn accused Nwadike of withdrawing over N1million in one day to solve personal problems claiming it was for election and to support Mrs Anyiam-Osigwe.

Nwadike was reported to be directing AMP members and new members to pay annual dues to his company called Content Warehouse Ltd. while he personally issued them AMP receipts.

The Lagos splinter group is alleged to have put their documents together now to file criminal proceedings against Nwadike and to seek annulment of Asaba election for not following due process.

However, Anyiam-Osigwe, the Asaba elected President who was reported to have been peaceful all through the elections is said to reaching to all AMP members and even the Lagos version of AMP President, Parish, begging all to come together for the sake of AMP.

Her mature approach is said to be winning her sympathy and many AMP prominent members sharing her views. They are seeing more and more that she means well for their association. But the challenge is how to convince the Lagos faction to shield their sword and negotiate.

Another problem they say is how AMP could now get Adedayo Thomas out of their midst to solve their internal problems. For holding their BOT Chairman hostage and threatening his life
On his way to the state Capitol for a second interview before Gov. Ned Lamont nominated him Wednesday to become the first Latino commissioner of the state Department of Correction, Angel Quiros took a detour and drove around his old Park Street neighborhood in Hartford.

The memories came thick and fast as he drove past childhood haunts. He thought of the mentors who helped him along the way from Bulkeley High School, and into his 31-year DOC career, which started with a job as a correction officer. He also thought of the many overnight shifts he spent away from family.

It reinforced the obligation, the responsibility you have given me, Quiros said of his trip down memory lane.

Quiroz said that prison inmates from his old hometown, along with New Haven and Bridgeport, make up a large percentage of those in DOC custody. Now I have been given the amazing opportunity to have a positive impact on these communities and the offenders returning back into our society, he said.

Quiros, 52, of Puerto Rican heritage, will serve as interim commissioner in the $167,500 job until the General Assembly meets next year to formally consider the nomination. He said that the 9,500 inmates are supervised by officers who have the toughest job of any law enforcement agency.

I dont take this responsibility lightly, Quiros said during a morning news conference in which he was introduced as commissioner nearly three months after he assumed acting duties following the resignation of Rollin Cook, who came to the job from Utah. Quiros has moved up the DOC ranks to lieutenant, captain, major, deputy warden, warden, district administrator, and is deputy commissioner of operations and rehabilitative services, while acting as commissioner.

With crime at a 51-year low in the state, and the prison population less than half it was in 2008, Quiros said he wanted to focus further on stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Its about keeping us safe and giving people a second chance when they deserve it, Lamont said, stressing that early on during the pandemic, the DOC established a special COVID unit. And youve been at the forefront of that. You guys did an extraordinary job throughout this COVID crisis. Weve had a much-lower rate of infections in our prison system than just about anywhere else.

But Melvin Medina, public policy and advocacy director for the ACLU of Connecticut, criticized the nomination, charging that Lamont did not fulfill a promise to keep the search process transparent.

At the beginning of his administration, Lamont promised to hold a national search for his DOC commissioner within his first 100 days in office, to create a search committee that included formerly incarcerated criminal justice advocates, and to hold public hearings for community input in the states largest reentry zones, Medina said. Lamont broke that promise during his appointment of the previous DOC commissioner, and he appears to have broken that promise again today.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
Seven Mount Sinai Health System hospitals have received top quality achievement awards from the American Heart Association for ensuring that patients with stroke, heart failure, and severe heart attacks receive the most appropriate and safest treatment for the best possible outcomes.

Congratulations to our teams for these significant achievements that demonstrate Mount Sinai's dedication to quality of care. The experts across our Health System have executed innovative approaches to diagnosis and treatment of stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. I commend them for their dedication to setting standards for excellence and making the care and safety of our patients a top priority." Kenneth L. Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai Queens, and Mount Sinai South Nassau received the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Awards. The award recognizes each hospital's commitment to ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. Additionally, Mount Sinai West was honored with Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus award, which highlights its goal of treating patients with compliance to high standard levels of care.

Each of these Mount Sinai Health System hospitals earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health and get a follow-up visit scheduled, and have access to help transitioning their care from a hospital to home setting.

Additionally, The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and Mount Sinai South Nassau received the association's Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll Award. Mount Sinai Queens received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Award. Mount Sinai West received the Target: Stroke and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award, and Mount Sinai Morningside also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke each year. The "Get With The Guidelines" quality improvement initiative can often lead to fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.

For cardiac care, The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and Mount Sinai South Nassau also received Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Award and Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association.

This program helps hospital teams follow the most up-to-date research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. The hospitals earned these awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the patient, proper use of medications, and aggressive risk-reduction therapies, such as ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, diuretics, anticoagulants, and other appropriate therapies. Before patients are discharged, they must also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, schedule a follow-up visit, and have a plan to transition their care from hospital to home.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans are living with heart failure and its prevalence continues to rise, with more than 8 million Americans projected to be diagnosed by 2030. The chronic condition accounts for approximately 900,000 hospitalizations annually, which is nearly two hospitalizations every minute. Numerous published studies demonstrate the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure programs have achieved significant improvements in patient outcomes including reducing 30-day readmissions.

Additionally, Mount Sinai Morningside has been honored with the Lifeline Gold Plus Receiving Quality Achievement Award and Mount Sinai Beth Israel and The Mount Sinai Hospital have been given the Lifeline Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award. These recognize the implementation of specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it's critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

The American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline program's goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The initiative provides tools, training, and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Secret concerts will pop up across Brisbane suburbs offering performances by some of Queensland's best-known artists, to surprise and delight residents throughout September.

Busby Marou, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and many other artists across the musical spectrum will perform quick 35- and 20-minute sets in cul-de-sacs, parks and community centres as part of Brisbane Festival.

Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina has curated a pandemic-proof program. Credit:Jane Ferguson

On Tuesday, Brisbane City Council's community, arts and night-time economy committee heard from festival director Louise Bezzina about how the festival, celebrating all of the city, can go ahead during the pandemic.

A Queensland-Health-approved COVID-safe plan has allowed the festival to proceed when, globally, many other festivals have been shut down.
Personal data exposure notification service Have I Been Pwned? has sent notifications to over a million South Africans regarding a data breach that has been connected to Experian.

The South African Banking Risk Centre (SABRIC) announced on 19 August that a data breach at Experian exposed the personal banking-related information of as many as 24 million South Africans and nearly 793,749 businesses.

Following the report, Experian issued a statement to clarify the nature of the incident, saying it was not hacked and that no financial information was compromised.

According to Experian, an individual in South Africa who claimed to represent a legitimate client fraudulently requested services from the company in May 2020.

Experian discovered the alleged fraud in July 2020 and disclosed the matter to South Africas information regulator and the public in August.

Experian Africa CEO Ferdie Pieterse has also stated that they are pursuing criminal charges against the alleged fraudster.

While Experian was trying to downplay the severity of the leak, South African banks were providing clients with tips on how to keep themselves safe from potential identity theft and phishing attacks.

This caused a lot of confusion and raised questions regarding the severity and potential impact of the leak.

iAfrikan, together with Troy Hunt from Have I Been Pwned, have now reported that they have found a database containing the stolen data from Experian on the public Internet.

Sensitive personal information exposed

Hunt stated that only 1.3 million of the records contained in the data leak contained e-mail addresses. However, the whole database contains entries for tens of millions of individuals.

iAfrikan also reported that the dataset contains far more personal information than Experian initially let on.

This includes ID numbers, names, addresses, occupations and other employment information.

Company data found in the breach includes fields for financial information such as bank account numbers and branches.

Experian  We continue to investigate the leak

According to Hunt and iAfrikans reports, this dataset is connected to the leak originally disclosed by SABRIC on 19 August. Experian has also confirmed this.

Experian continues to investigate the isolated incident in South Africa involving a fraudulent data inquiry, the credit bureau told iAfrikan.

As part of this investigation, we have identified files which we believe contain Experian data relating to the incident on the internet. We continue to investigate these files and will take all steps available to us to reduce further dissemination if possible.

Experian dataset contains old e-mail addresses

Following the Have I Been Pwned notification of the breach, a MyBroadband forum member whose e-mail address was in the database contacted us.

This MyBroadband forum member explained that the email address contained in the Experian data leak is a unique address that he has not used since 2012.

It was an email address I used exclusively for FNB back in 2012 before I changed to a different, unique email address due to spam as FNB gave out my unique FNB-only email address to its marketing partners, he said.

I am surprised that the unique email address I used after 2012 for FNB is not included in the Experian data breach.

Now read: How to protect yourself after the Experian data breach
Roxi Kenny and Locky Gilbert shared a steamy kiss on Wednesday's episode of The Bachelor.

But Australian model Simone Holtznagel has slammed the reality star on Twitter for being a hypocrite after she previously called out Kaitlyn Hoppe for kissing the 31-year-old.

'I'd just like to take this time to point out that just the other week, Roxi, sl*t shamed another contestant for giving Locky a kiss on the mouth. The hypocrisy #TheBachelorAU,' she wrote.

Ouch: Australian model Simone Holtznagel (left) has slammed Roxi Kenny (right) on Twitter for being a hypocrite after she previously called out Kaitlyn Hoppe for kissing Locky Gilbert

Harsh words: Simone took to Twitter to share her frustration over Roxi's behaviour on Wednesday night's episode

Fans flocked to Twitter to agree with Simone's statement, calling out Roxi for being jealous.

'Roxi being "a little bit jealous" might just be the understatement of the millennium,' wrote one user.

Another wrote: 'Whose [sic] Roxi kidding, she got jealous when Locky sat next to Bella lol.'

Reaction: Fans flocked to Twitter to agree with Simone's statement calling out Roxi for being jealous

Of course, there were some who came to her defence, with one saying that the negative comments made them 'uncomfortable'.

'Feeling pretty uncomfortable over the trolling and hate towards Roxi. You'd think as audiences we would realise by now how integral editing is to the way someone is portrayed in TV,' they wrote.

'Have we not learnt from the last 20 years of reality TV?'

Locking lips: Roxi Kenny and Locky Gilbert shared a steamy kiss on Wednesday's episode of The Bachelor. Both pictured

Defence: There were some fans who came to her defence with one saying that they felt 'uncomfortable' over the comments about Roxi

Last week, Roxi, became furious after learning that Kaitlyn, 26, had kissed Locky earlier in the evening.

At one stage, she said within earshot of Kaitlyn: 'I'm sorry but I think that's really rude to everyone else. You kissed someone at a cocktail party.

'That's classless. She's Gold Coast trash. This little silly b***h over here is saying she pecked on with someone. It's disgusting. The b***h is a sl*t.'

The Bachelor continues Thursday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
The Edo State Police Command has reassured residents of the state of adequate security ahead of the September 19 governorship poll in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, said this while briefing the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, on the preparations for the election at his palace in Benin, Edo State capital, on Wednesday.

Mr Kokumo said adequate security would be provided before, during and after the election in spite of the seeming rising tension in the state.

He said that measures have been taken to nip in the board any act of violence or break down of order before, during and after the poll.

He said that anyone found wanting, irrespective of his or her position, would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

He said that the police are collaborating with other security agencies, including the military, to ensure that the election is violence-free.

Responding, the monarch advised youth in the state not to allow themselves to be used as thugs by politicians to disrupt peace during the poll.
Representative image

Malaysia would bar entry of citizens of India, Indonesia and the Philippines from entering the country starting September 7, in a bid to curtail imported COVID-19 cases amid a spate of new clusters in the country.

Health authorities in Southeast Asia's third-largest economy have recorded over 9,300 cases as September 1, and 128 deaths, with new cases found in clusters detected in at least four states.

The entry ban on pass holders from the three countries will include long-term immigration pass holders, permanent residents, expatriates, students and those on spouse visas and participants of Malaysia's My Second Home programme, senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, reported Bangkok Post.

"The decision was made on the advice of the health ministry to clamp down on the spread of imported COVID-19 cases," Ismail Sabri said in a televised news conference.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

India is the third most affected country by the pandemic behind the United States and Brazil, with its coronavirus tally reaching nearly 3.7 million on September 1.

A total of 7,505 people have died of the coronavirus in Indonesia, the highest in the region, while the Philippines, which has reported over 2,24,000 cases, has seen a continuous rise in infections.

Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here
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A province-wide grief counselling program is in the works to help Manitobans cope with the impact of miscarriages, stillborn babies and infant deaths.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A province-wide grief counselling program is in the works to help Manitobans cope with the impact of miscarriages, stillborn babies and infant deaths.

In August, health officials started the process of trying to find an organization that can develop and run a pregnancy and infant loss program across Manitoba  a request for proposal closes next week, with $275,000 budgeted for 2020-21 and 2021-22 to get the program off the ground.

The program is expected to offer one-on-one and group counselling, as well as training for health providers, and aims to serve at least 200 clients a year, according to the RFP. It notes an estimated 15 per cent of women experience perinatal mental health issues.

"The complexity of grief that can be associated with pregnancy and infant loss presents additional risk for worsening mental health issues," the document states.

About one in four pregnancies are lost.

Shared Health wouldnt discuss the program while the tender process is ongoing, but those who offer similar support to mothers and families say theres still high demand for services that give Canadians tools to cope with a once-taboo, but all-too-common, type of loss.

"We already do a lot of work in this area and we do see a need, and there is more of a need than is being met, so we are very happy to see that request for proposals, because it will mean more support and more programming in that area in Winnipeg," said Erin Bockstael, team leader of the mothers program and health promotion at Womens Health Clinic.

Womens Health Clinic officials say they have seen a need for pregnancy and infant loss counselling among its clients who attend various prenatal and parenting programs.

About two years ago, the clinic put together brochures geared toward grieving mothers and health-care providers. A peer-support program for families has been running in Winnipeg for more than five years, and the clinic still hears from doctors and clinicians who want to know how they can help families cope with pregnancy and infant loss  a term meant to include everything from a miscarriage (loss of pregnancy under 20 weeks gestation), stillbirth (over 20 weeks gestation), and the death of a baby in their first year of life.

"I think there is a change in attitude, theres a change in the way people talk about it, and I think people want to acknowledge that this is part of their lives," Bockstael said.

"Were really looking to break the isolation that people feel when they experience these losses."

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In Ontario, where provincial legislation began mandating pregnancy-loss education for health-care providers and expanded support for families about five years ago, Michelle La Fontaine has been advocating for greater change  including a federal bereavement leave for parents who dont qualify for maternity leave because their babies died.

She wants to see pregnancy-and-infant loss programs functioning across Canada the same way programs exist to support cancer patients.

The program manager of Ontarios volunteer-run Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network was involved in surveying nearly 600 families who were grieving pregnancy or infant loss. In research published last year, most of them expressed wanting to feel validated, but not knowing where to turn for help.

"Families did not feel that they were being cared for in a way that was kind and sensitive and that met their needs, so I think thats been a really difficult thing for our health-care providers in Ontario to recognize that," La Fontaine said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session this year will be held virtually. World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the session

United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the UN General Assembly on 26 September, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the world body for the high-level meeting.

For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session this year will be held virtually and heads of state and government will not be physically attending the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic. World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the session.

The Department for General Assembly and Conference Management at the UN on Tuesday issued the provisional list of speakers for the General Debate of the 75th session of the General Assembly to permanent missions.

According to the list, Modi is expected to address the General Debate on the morning of 26 September. However, it must be noted that the list is provisional and two more iterations will take place as scheduled and speakers for the General Debate can change in the course of the next few weeks. The final speaking order for the General Debate could be different.

The General Debate will commence on 22 September and run through 29 September.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is listed as the first speaker. The US is traditionally the second speaker on the opening day of the General Debate and it is expected that President Donald Trump will travel to New York to deliver the final address of his presidencys first term in-person.

According to the provisional list, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to address the virtual General Debate on an opening day.

The US is the host country of the United Nations and Trump will likely be the only world leader to address this years virtual high-level week in-person.

This would be Trump's final address to the General Assembly of the first term of his presidency before the US heads into elections in November. Trump could use the UN platform to highlight his foreign policy achievements, while also touting his campaign agenda.

The Department for General Assembly and Conference Management said in accordance with the existing practice at the General Debate, a voluntary 15-minute time limit needs to be observed by the speakers.

In the case of pre-recorded statements, the time limit would include remarks by the representative physically present in the Assembly Hall to introduce the pre-recorded video along with the video itself.

The meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations will take place on 21 September and the Declaration will be formally adopted at the meeting.

Along with the General Debate and the anniversary commemoration, other key sessions will also be held virtually at the UN.

The Summit on Biodiversity will be held on 30 September, the meeting of the General Assembly on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women on 1 October, and the meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 2 October.

Member states will submit their pre-recorded video statements for these meetings as well.

The General Assembly had adopted a decision in July that each member state, observer state, and the European Union can submit a pre-recorded statement of its head of state, vice-president, crown prince or princess, head of government, minister or vice-minister, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall during the General Debate after the introduction by their representative who is physically present in the Assembly Hall.

The General Assembly session had particular significance this year as it would have commemorated 75 years of the existence of the United Nations and would have seen tremendous participation from leaders of the 193 member states to mark the event.
Leading scientists and wildlife experts including Jane Goodall and Virginia McKenna have issued a direct plea to Boris Johnson to cancel this months planned badger cull expansion.

A former government deputy chief vet and former government adviser on culling are also among those urging the prime minister to intervene.

In a letter sent today, seen by The Independent, the 23 lobbyists remind Mr Johnson of a government promise earlier this year to phase out intensive culling and instead move to badger vaccination.

The experts, including Green MP Caroline Lucas and broadcaster Chris Packham, ask Mr Johnson to honour those words and step in to stop the expansion.

They warn him: If, however, your government chooses to continue the discredited and ineffective badger culling policy, you will be remembered as the prime minister who presided over the greatest slaughter of a protected animal in living memory.

Last month, leaked documents suggested the badger cull, which was begun in an attempt to stop dairy cattle from catching tuberculosis (bTB) from badgers, would be expanded to 11 new areas, bringing the total this year to 54.

The widened operation, due to begin this month, would kill 65,000 badgers, conservationists estimate.

They include for the first time Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, which is considered a low-risk TB area.

Derbyshire has the biggest badger vaccination project in the country, and an expansion would mean even inoculated animals could be killed.

The letter is also signed by Ranald Munro, the government-appointed former chairman of an independent panel examining culling, former government deputy chief vet Alick Simmons and Will Travers, executive director of Born Free.

It argues that culling is ineffective in curbing bTB. The prevalence of the disease in cattle herds in Gloucestershire and Dorset was higher following pilot culling than before, it claims.

In Cumbria, only three badgers out of 317 killed last year tested positive, the letter adds, also citing evidence that the cattle skin test is ineffective.

We applaud your governments stated aim of phasing out badger culling, but this appears to be in stark contrast to your apparent intention, the experts write.

And they add that public opinion will be with Mr Johnson if he halts the expanded cull.

Since 2013, more than 100,000 badgers have been killed in England in efforts to prevent the disease spreading. More than 30,000 infected cattle are slaughtered each year.

The NFU last year cited research, published in Scientific Reports, that showed a 66 per cent reduction in new TB breakdowns in cattle in Gloucestershire and a 37 per cent reduction in Somerset.

The Independent asked Downing Street to respond, but it referred questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which said recently: Bovine TB remains the greatest animal health threat to the UK, costing taxpayers over 100m every year as well as causing devastation and distress for farmers and rural communities.

There is no single measure that will provide an easy answer to beating the disease and we are pursuing a range of interventions to eradicate it by 2038, including tighter cattle movement controls, regular testing and vaccinations.

Defra added that it does not comment on leaked documents, and that no cull licences had been granted this year. An update on the governments bTB strategy is expected to be published in the autumn.
When homeowners agree to sell but neglect to note the propertys heating and cooling system is rented, chances are they will eventually have to buy out the rental contract.

Thats what happened in October, 2016, when Edward Yip agreed to buy a house in Richmond Hill, from Noorullah and Zahra Behboodi, for $2,175,000. Some appliances were listed as being included in the purchase. No fixtures were excluded in the contract.

The buyer only discovered that the sellers did not own the HVAC equipment after the agreement was signed and his lawyer did a title search.

A warranty clause in the purchase agreement stated that any contractual rights survived the closing of the transaction, and were binding on all parties. The sale contract was never amended to say the HVAC system was subject to a registered lien in favour of Enercare  the owner of the equipment.

On closing, the Behboodis delivered to Yip a standard bill of sale transferring ownership of the appliances and the fixtures. But it contained the handwritten words except HVAC. The bill of sale did not match the terms of the purchase and sale agreement.

When Yip notified the sellers that he would close under protest, the sellers refused to close unless the notification was withdrawn. He reluctantly withdrew the notice.

After closing, Yip sued the Behboodis for the cost of buying out the HVAC rental from Enercare. The case was heard in Newmarket Small Claims Court in December, 2018, and the courts decision was released in March last year.

In an extremely detailed ruling of more than 9,300 words and 28 pages, deputy judge Abraham Davis ruled in favour of the buyer.

Davis noted that the sellers were fully aware that the HVAC system was subject to a rental agreement.

The judge awarded Yip damages of $17,488.27 for the HVAC system buyout, as well as five chandeliers the sellers had removed  contrary to the terms of the agreement.

Unhappy with the decision, the Behboodis appealed to the Ontario Superior Court. Justice Gregory Mulligan dismissed their appeal this past February, and awarded the buyer costs of $3,500.

Both sides had to pay lawyers for two court appearances, but clearly a matter of principle was at stake for Yip. Nevertheless, the case does provide a number of lessons to future buyers and sellers:

When sellers list their properties for sale, whether its a house or a condominium, the listing agreement should be very clear about what appliances and fixtures are included and which ones are rentals.

Sellers who remove attached fixtures, such as chandeliers, which are not excluded from a sale agreement are at risk of having to compensate the buyers for their value.

Particular care should be taken to clarify whether the hot water tank and HVAC systems are rentals or included in the purchase price without extra payment.

A buyer who is faced with having to pay for a rental appliance in similar circumstances cannot refuse to close but can sue the seller afterwards for damages.

Bob Aaron is a Toronto real estate lawyer and a contributing columnist for the Star. He can be reached at bob@aaron.ca or on Twitter: @bobaaron2

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Today

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

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MEXICO CITY - Mexico leads the world in coronavirus deaths among its health care workers, Amnesty International said in a new report Wednesday.

It said Mexico has reported 1,320 confirmed deaths from COVIID-19 so far, surpassing the United States at 1,077, the United Kingdom at 649, and Brazil at 634.

The report is likely to revive debate about Mexicos extremely low coronavirus testing rate, with fewer than one in 100 Mexicans tested. While Mexican officials have bragged that all health care workers have gotten one test, that appears insufficient for people who face daily exposure over months.

Health professionals in Mexico have also held many protests over a lack of adequate personal protective equipment.

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty Internationals head of economic and social justice at Amnesty International, called the worldwide death toll of over 7,000 health workers a crisis on a staggering scale.

Every health worker has the right to be safe at work, and it is a scandal that so many are paying the ultimate price, he said.

Cockburn urged an international co-operative effort to ensure that every health care worker has adequate protective equipment.

According to figures released last week, 97,632 nurses, doctors and other hospital employees in Mexico have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began  about 17% of all the countrys cases at that point. Mexicos health sector statistics are normally announced on Tuesdays, but there hasnt been a report this week updating the figures.

Nurses accounted for 42% of those infected, doctors made up 27% and other hospital employees such as technicians, aides and maintenance and cleaning staff were 31%.

The government has claimed since March that hospital workers have had all the protective gear they need, but on several occasions hospital employees have blocked streets in Mexico City displaying what they said was ill-fitting, insufficient or substandard gear.

Death statistics vary, depending on who each country classifies as a health care worker, how deaths are considered confirmed, and how they are reported.

The PanAmerican Health Organization, for example, lists 2,506 COVID-19 deaths among health workers in the Americas, including the same 1,320 deaths for Mexico but only 240 for Brazil and 660 for the United States.

Carissa F. Etienne, director of the agency, said Wednesday that the Americas has the highest number of health care workers infected in the world.

In the U.S. and Mexico  which have some of the highest case counts in the world  health workers represent one in every seventh case, Etienne said. Countries must ensure that health workers can do their jobs safely.

She said that means providing sufficient protective equipment for the workers and adequate training for them in effective infection control.

Such advice doesnt seem to have been followed in Mexico, where early in the pandemic there were at least two confirmed outbreaks at hospitals that sickened dozens of health care professionals.

In April, a public hospital in the northern steel town of Monclova became the centre of a coronavirus outbreak that sickened at least 26 members of the medical staff and killed one of its doctors.

According to one hospital employee, a patient came to the emergency room at the Monclova hospital March 15 with acute respiratory distress. Once an intensive care doctor diagnosed it as a probable coronavirus infection, emergency room staff requested personal protection equipment, but it was not provided. During the week the patient was treated in the emergency room, three shifts of medical staff were exposed to him. The patient eventually died. Hospital workers began falling ill soon afterward.

The Amnesty report also notes that there have been reports that hospital cleaners in Mexico are especially vulnerable to infection. Many cleaners in health settings in Mexico are outsourced, which means they have less protection.

In addition, there have been several confirmed cases of infectious medical waste piling up at Mexican hospitals or being illegally dumped elsewhere.

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In the past few days, the number of positive cases has increased at a rate that is on track to double the number of cases every week, UIUC leaders said in a news release. If that trend continues, the university would experience 75-100 new cases each day and would expect to have as many as 8,000 positive cases over the course of the semester.
CHURCHILL  For weeks, the fear has been on the lips of tourist operators and hoteliers in this town: will the North be shut down from the world once again?

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHURCHILL  For weeks, the fear has been on the lips of tourist operators and hoteliers in this town: will the North be shut down from the world once again?

And if it is, what will it mean for the meat of the tourism season that begins in October and November, known locally as bear season?

Manitobas chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced Monday that travel restrictions north of the 53rd parallel in the province would be reintroduced beginning Thursday, blocking travellers  even from within the province  heading north beyond Grand Rapids.

With a swell in the number of COVID-19 cases in southern regions of the province over the past few weeks, the travel restrictions that had been implemented earlier this year were reinstated. Churchill, however, did receive an exemption for visitors travelling directly into town by air. But people who may have planned trips by train are now cancelling.

Alex de Vries-Magnifico has been leading tours out to the ship-wreck Ithaca at low tides for tourists to Churchill this summer. (Sarah Lawrynuik / Winnipeg Free Press)

Bill Fong owns the eight-room Iceberg Inn hotel and, in less than 24 hours, hes had 15 cancellations for September and October, he told the Free Press.

"We cant control what the government does, we just hope there will be a way for the guests to come see the bears," Fong said. While he has no plans to get rich running a small hotel in his retirement, he does want to be able to cover his costs.

Churchill's tourism industry was rocked this year when virtually overnight all international bookings  which make up the bulk of business  dried up.

Fong said it meant that he went from steady bookings that were made months or even a year in advance, to reservations made by Manitobans and western Canadians in some cases only days or hours ahead of their arrivals. Its changed the fundamental way business is conducted in the community of 900.

"We cant control what the government does, we just hope there will be a way for the guests to come see the bears."  Bill Fong, Iceberg Inn owner

A Travel Manitoba study in 2017 valued Churchills tourism industry at $41.7 million, with the bulk of business being done during the roughly six weeks when polar bears move from the tundra landscape out onto Hudson Bay as it freezes. The industry generated $19.2 million in annual tax revenues to all three levels of government and created roughly 840 full-time jobs that year, according to the study.

Travel Manitoba has been running ad campaigns all summer trying to encourage Canadians to visit Churchill. The agency declined to comment on the likely impact of the new restrictions until receiving further clarification from the province.

Alex de Vries-Magnifico is a tour guide and owner of Discover Churchill, which principally offers photography tours. Contrary to what he was expecting, de Vries-Magnifico said he had one of the best summers hes had since opening his business.

He attributed that to an influx of Canadian tourists looking for a la carte tours, instead of purchasing packages with bigger outfitters. But most of those people who book with him are also looking to save some money and they take the train, he said. With the Churchill exemption applying only to direct travel, that business will likely dry up.

THE CANADIAN PRESS An aerial view of Churchill's Kelsey Blvd. (John Woods / Canadian Press files)

"Im getting tons of people asking me about what the travel restrictions mean and until we see exactly what it entails on Sept. 3, were not sure," he said. "Its a big question mark. And then even if Churchill is exempt, is that something I personally agree with? I dont know yet."

Hes considering cancelling his tours regardless.

"Im trying to think big picture," he said. "Im just not sure if I should run tours this season."

The economic importance of bear season undoubtedly played a role in the decision to exempt Churchill from the public health order. Dwight Allen owns the Polar Inn hotel in Churchill and said a tourist-free fall would be a "mighty blow" for the community.

"(Tourism operators) that can weather the storm, are going to weather it. The ones that are newcomers and have heavy burdens and finance loads, theyre not going to do well," Allen said.

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Both Allen and Fong acknowledge that COVID-19 has made this year unlike any other.

"It is what it is," said Fong, who has owned his business for a year-and-a-half but said he says he feels like hes seen it all already.

Allen said he understands the fear in some northern communities  especially First Nations  that cases will spread in what has otherwise been a safe area. But its also hard not to think about what the loss of tourism will mean longer term for the health of the town and its people.

"I want to protect my community. And deep down thats what I personally want to do," Allen said. "But its a very hard and tough decision to make."

sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik
Dr. Philip Salem said the United States has an elaborate system to prevent a nuclear attack but was caught off guard when a viral threat hit instead.

Salem has spent 52 years in medicine and is the president of Salem Oncology Center in the Texas Medical Center and the director emeritus of cancer research at Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center. He said COVID-19 has had serious impacts on cancer diagnoses, treatment and research. Salem said to effectively combat pandemics, the United States needs to have a task force that focuses solely that issue.

Job fair: Fort Bend County Virtual Job Fair looking for employers, candidates

That department should have only one leader now. In America, were five to six months into the pandemic, and we still dont know who is the leader of the war against this pandemic. Is it President Trump? Is it Vice President Pence? Is it Dr. Fauci? Is it the FDA? Is it the CDC? We dont know, Salem said. Theres no organized body of scientists and the politicians that would run in a cohesive, scientific manner to deal with this problem.

He added that the person who heads such a department should be a scientist and not a politician.

Salem shared that COVID-19 has greatly impacted the cancer community. For one, many people have not been getting their screenings when they needed to because they were afraid of catching the virus at medical facilities. But according to Salem, cancer is much more deadly than COVID-19. For breast cancer, he said early detection and diagnosis can mean 95 to 98 percent cure rates while finding it much later can mean only a 20 percent cure rate.

The major weapon we have against cancer is education and education to make sure that people would go for screening for early detection, Salem said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Empty Bowls Houston feeds Houstons hungry during pandemic

Some cancer patients have not sought treatment or have stopped treatment because they also were afraid to go to hospitals or clinics amid COVID-19. Salem said with precautions being taken, most hospitals are COVID-19-negative. He said people should not fear getting COVID-19 while they are receiving cancer treatments, adding that U.S. hospitals can provide top-quality care while keeping patients safe.

Salem did however urge cancer patients to be mindful so that people around them dont bring them COVID-19 because cancer patients immune systems are weakened. He encouraged them to avoid going out to do activities like shopping because the risk of catching the virus increases there. And Salem suggested those that live with a cancer patient get tested for COVID-19 every three weeks and definitely if they are showing any symptoms. A person that is COVID-19-positive needs to stay away from a cancer patient, Salem said.

Salem explained that COVID-19 has also affected cancer research because many patients did not want to participate in trials out of fear of going to hospitals. Therefore, clinical trials, which are the most important part of clinical research have been disrupted, so its made a major impact on research, Salem said.

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From April through August, Salems office saw fewer patients because of COVID-19 fears and also because the Texas Medical Center attracts people from other countries all over the world, some of which were afraid to come to Houston because of the pandemic.

Salem said people should go to the doctor when they are need to and not act out of fear because the overwhelming majority of people that do contract COVID-19 will recover, but that is not the case with cancer.

We have to remember that the mortality rate for COVID-19  the worst, the highest mortality rate  is less than 5 percent, but the mortality rate for cancer is significantly higher. So we should not ignore cancer for a lesser problem, which is COVID-19, Salem said.

tracy.maness@hcnonline.com
The audit statement has been uploaded on the PM-CARES fund website but the "accompanying notes 1 to 6" in the statement have not been made public. Which means, details of the domestic and foreign contributors or donors have also not been disclosed by the government.

Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday slammed the Central government for not revealing the names of the donors of PM CARES FUND and questioned Why are the trustees afraid to do so.The auditors of PM CARES FUND have confirmed that the Fund received Rs 3,076 crore in just 5 days between March 26 and 31, 2020, he said in a tweet.

But the names of these generous donors will not be revealed. Why? Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES FUND exempt from this obligation? The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?, the Congress leader said in another tweet.

Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.Last month, the Supreme Court had said that the money collected under the PM-CARES Fund for the coronavirus pandemic need not be transferred to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). It said that the funds collected by the PM-CARES Fund are those of charitable trusts and entirely different. The government is free to transfer money to the disaster response fund if it feels it is appropriate to do so, the top court said.

PM CARES FUND        26  31 , 2020    5     3076     P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 2, 2020

The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 2, 2020

ALSO READ: Delhi LG gives nod to resume Delhi Metro services: Sources

PM-CARES or the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund was set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March to deal with emergency or distress situations like the coronavirus pandemic. It is managed by a trust with PM Modi as its chairperson and senior cabinet members as trustees.

Shrikar K Pardeshi, Joint Secretary in the PMO, has signed the audit statement on behalf of PM-CARES Fund as Secretary while Gujarat cadre IAS Officer Hardik Shah, the Private Secretary to PM Modi, has signed the statement as Deputy Secretary of the Fund.
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

The UK's University of Oxford retains top spot for the 5 th consecutive year

UK loses a top 10 place for the first time in a decade as Imperial College London slips to 11th

University of Cambridge fall to 6 th , its lowest position since 2014

UK at risk as institutions outside of top 200 show signs of decline and THE survey of global university leaders suggests Covid-19 could significantly damage higher education sector

US dominates top 10, claiming a record 8 positions, but US institutions outside top 200 show signs of decline

Mainland China's Tsinghua University becomes the first ever Asian university to make the overall top 20 (joint 20th)

Record number of universities qualify for the 2021 ranking (1,527) from 93 countries and regions

View the full THE World University Rankings 2021 here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking View the THE World University Rankings 2021 methodology here:https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2021-methodology

Times Higher Education (THE), has today announced the results of its World University Rankings 2021, which underline the shifting strength of higher education and research around the world. The UK's University of Oxford claims top spot for the 5th consecutive year, while US domination of the top 10 masks wider decline, and mainland China's Tsinghua University becomes the first ever Asian university to break into the top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011.

Notwithstanding the success story of the University of Oxford, the UK's status as a higher education superpower is under challenge, as institutions from Asia continue to impress. Of the UK's 20 highest ranked institutions last year, only five were able to improve their position in the table and institutions outside of the top 200 show signs of decline.

CHART: Downward Trend of UK universities ranked 200+ in the THE World University Ranking 2016

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1246454/Times_Higher_Education_Downward_Trend_Infographic.jpg

The US also sees the challenge from Asia affecting its performance. Its universities continue to perform well at the top end of the ranking, commanding the highest number of positions in the overall top 10 (8) since the rankings began, as the University of California, Berkeley, climbs 6 places, from joint 13th to 7th. However, 50% of the US's top 20 performing universities from last year's ranking fail to maintain their position. Over the past five years, the US has lost 4 positions in the overall top 200 (63 in 2016, 59 in 2021) as competition rises for the top places.

University Name Country / Region 2021 Rank 2020 Rank Change University of Oxford United Kingdom 1 1 = Stanford University United States 2 4 + 2 Harvard University United States 3 7 + 4 California Institute of Technology United States 4 2 - 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 5 5 = University of Cambridge United Kingdom 6 3 - 3 University of California, Berkeley United States 7 =13 + 6 Yale University United States 8 8 = Princeton University United States 9 6 - 3 University of Chicago United States 10 9 - 1

TABLE: Top 10 - THE World University Rankings 2021

A survey of 200 global university leaders - conducted earlier this year and focused on understanding the perceived impact of Covid-19 on global higher education - reinforces the challenges facing the west as UK and US leaders overwhelmingly agree that they will be able to recruit fewer international students (UK 67% agree, US 92%) and this could have a significant negative effect on their institution's finances (UK 71% agree, US 64%). Perhaps most worrying is the belief of UK and US leaders that the impact of Covid-19 is likely to result in institutions going bankrupt (UK 81% agree, US 92%). This is in contrast to the belief of Asian university leaders (South Asia 27% agree, East Asia 17%, Japan 7% and China 0%).

The UK is at particular risk from the failure to secure international student fees, as the THE World University Rankings show that 25 of its 29 universities in the top 200 have low overall institutional income and very high numbers of international students compared to their global counterparts.

CHART: UK top 200 universities reliance on international student income where overall institutional income is low

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1246455/Times_Higher_Education_UK_top_200_Infographic.jpg

Asia's rise is fronted by mainland China's Tsinghua University (joint 20th), which becomes the first Asian university ever to break into the THE World University Rankings top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011. This achievement is an indicator of the wider positive movements in higher education for mainland China, and the rest of Asia in recent years. Since 2016, mainland China has gained 5 additional places in the top 200 (2 in 2016, 7 in 2021). It has also doubled its representation in the top 100 since last year, gaining 3 additional places (6 in total). Of the 7 universities that achieved a top 200 place in 2020, 85% improved their position in 2021, as mainland China continues to challenge the world's very best.

In total, there are 16 Asian universities in the top 100, the highest total for Asia since the rankings began. Mainland China's Fudan University (joint 70th), Zhejiang University (joint 94th), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (100th, and South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) (96th), all move into the elite group. Of those 16 institutions, 13 of them either improved or maintained their position from last year, demonstrating the rising competition from Asia at the expense of western higher education systems.

In terms of top 200 representation, the US dominates (59), with the United Kingdom (29) and Germany (21) following in second and third. Overall, European representation is in a steady decline, losing 9 places in the past 5 years (105 in 2016, 96 in 2021). This is a result of China, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Canada all gaining positions in the same period. However, it is not all doom and gloom for Europe, as Germany's top five performing universities in the 2021 ranking all improve or equal their 2020 ranking positions.

Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at THE, commented:

"For several years we have been observing a slow shift in global higher education as Asian universities have climbed at the expense of their western counterparts. With mainland China's Tsinghua University breaking into the top 20 for the first time, and the country doubling its year on year representation in the top 100 from 3 to 6 in the THE World University Rankings 2021, it's clear this is not a short term thing.

This trend is likely to accelerate further as the coronavirus pandemic heralds a perfect storm of huge challenges for primarily western universities, particularly those in the UK who, along with the US, face the very real risk of losing significant international student talent, and the huge amount of income that they bring. In the longer term, possibly permanent shifts in the global flow of academic talent that has traditionally fuelled the elite institutions of the US and UK could create real challenges.

While the universities at the very top of the table, with long histories of success and prestige, will prove hard to unseat, these factors, combined with the effects of a possible deep and long-lasting global recession and its likely impact on university funding levels, could herald the start a dramatic re-balancing of the global knowledge economy."

The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Louise Richardson, said:

"We are delighted to have consolidated our position at the top of the THE World University Rankings this year.

"The international standing of British Higher Education is a testament to generations of investment in education as well as to our extraordinarily talented staff and students.

"The Covid 19 Pandemic, which has posed such a threat to higher education around the world, has also demonstrated the critical role universities play in addressing global challenges."

LINKS TO APPENDICES:



1.About the World University Rankings and Methodology

2.THE Global Leaders Survey Responses

3.Table: Top 200 - THE World University Rankings 2021

4.Table: Full UK Results - THE World University Rankings 2021

5.Chart: Downward Trend of UK universities ranked 200+ in the THE World University Ranking 2016

6.Chart: International Student v Institutional Income

About THE

THE is the trusted global data partner for higher education. Drawing on five decades of expertise in the sector, millions of individual data points, more institutions participating in our flagship university rankings than any other and 28 million website users in 2019, we offer deeper and richer insight into university performance than anyone else. From powerful data-driven insights and strategic consultancy support to agenda-setting events and hiring solutions, our products and services enable everyone in higher education to make smarter, more informed decisions.

For more information, please contact:

Harry Huskisson

Head of Communications, THE

communications@timeshighereducation.com

07471 355250
Imperial Valley News Center

Ghanaian Citizen Extradited in Connection with Prosecution of Africa-Based Cybercrime and Business Email Compromise Conspiracy

Memphis, Tennessee - A Ghanaian citizen residing in Tamale, Ghana, has been extradited to stand trial for an indictment charging him with wire fraud, money laundering, computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski of the FBIs Memphis Field Office made the announcement.

On Aug. 23, 2017, a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee indicted Maxwell Peter, 27, whose given name is Maxwell Atugba Abayeta, and others with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. Following his extradition, Peters initial appearance was made Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charmiane G. Claxton for the Western District of Tennessee.

The indictment alleges that various Africa-based co-conspirators committed, or caused to be committed, a series of intrusions into the servers and email systems of a Memphis-based real estate company in June and July 2016. Using sophisticated anonymization techniques, including the use of spoofed email addresses and Virtual Private Networks, the co-conspirators identified large financial transactions, initiated fraudulent email correspondence with relevant business parties and then redirected closing funds through a network of U.S.-based money mules to final destinations in Africa. Commonly referred to as business-email compromise, or BEC, this aspect of the scheme caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to companies and individuals in Memphis. The defendant is specifically alleged to have directed the transfer of funds from a June 2016 BEC to a co-conspirator in Africa.

In addition to BEC, the defendant is also charged with perpetrating romance scams, fraudulent-check scams, gold-buying scams, advance-fee scams and credit card scams. The indictment alleges that the proceeds of these criminal activities, both money and goods, were shipped and/or transferred from the United States to locations in Africa through a complex network of both complicit and unwitting individuals that had been recruited through the various Internet scams. The defendant is specifically alleged to have created and used the alias Sandra Lin in furtherance of these crimes. From May through June of 2017, Peter is alleged to have communicated with an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity to receive the proceeds of fraud. Along with his coconspirators over the life of the conspiracy, the defendant is believed to have caused millions of dollars in losses to victims across the globe.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Seven other individuals have pleaded guilty to being involved in these schemes. Benard E. Okorhi, 41, was extradited in March 2020 from Canada, and is detained pending trial. Two others, Olufalojimi Abegunde, 33, and Javier Luis Ramos-Alonso, 30, were convicted in March after a seven-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Abegunde received a 78-month sentence and Ramos-Alonso received a 31-month sentence for their roles in the scheme. Several individuals remain at large.

The FBI led the investigation. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs, as well as the FBIs Legal Attache in Accra, the FBI Transnational Organized Crime of the Eastern Hemisphere Section of the Criminal Investigative Division, the FBIs Major Cyber Crimes Unit of the Cyber Division, FBIs Money Laundering, Forfeiture, and Bank Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigative Division, and FBIs International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center all provided significant support in this case, as did the U.S. Marshals Service, INTERPOL Washington, the INTERPOL Unit of the Ghana Police Service, the Republic of Ghanas Office of the Attorney-General & Ministry of Justice, and Ghanas Economic and Organised Crime Office.

Senior Trial Attorney Timothy C. Flowers of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra L. Ireland of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

For more information or to view a list of aliases used by members of the conspiracy on dating websites and social media, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/victim-witness-program.
'Why should I believe you?'

I blinked in surprise.

The teenage boy looked back at me, polite interest on his face.

In the course of delivering a school session about gender equality, sexual violence and consent, I'd just discussed my own experience of being sexually assaulted on a bus.

His immediate response was to ask if I was lying.

It hasn't always been like this. I started working in schools eight years ago, after creating the Everyday Sexism Project, a website which catalogued thousands of experiences of harassment, assault and abuse.

Laura Batessays teenage boys are being brainwashed online to violently hate women. Pictured: File photo

After I realised just how many of the stories came from young people, it became clear that we needed to have conversations about these things in schools, something that largely wasn't happening at the time.

So I visited hundreds of schools, giving young people an opportunity to discuss their own experiences, gender roles, sexism and more.

Naturally, the responses to me and the debates I was initiating were very mixed.

There was awkwardness and confusion, resistance and embarrassment. There were nervous giggles and a few outrageous comments.

At a West Midlands school the boys plotted in advance and wolf-whistled in unison as I walked out on to the assembly hall stage.

But underneath the usual prickly teenage surface, young people were usually willing to talk and to share experiences.

Yet in the past two years, that has all changed. I have started to experience fierce and angry resistance.

Teenage boys arrived at my sessions prepared, with hate-fuelled arguments about lying women and false rape accusations.

They didn't want to talk. They weren't prepared to listen. They already knew that 'feminazis are out to destroy men'.

Men, especially white ones, they said, were the real victims in society.

The boy who told me he didn't believe my story of assault was not an isolated case.

From inner city London to rural Scotland, teenage boys  usually aged around 15  came out with the same arguments, word for word.

Or they'd repeat the same false statistics which claimed, for example, that men are raped far more frequently than women.

(In reality, according to the Office for National Statistics, around 560,000 women experience sexual assault each year, compared with 140,000 men).

So I started to ask how they knew women lie about rape. Or that the gender pay gap is a feminist conspiracy.

Where did they hear this? The answer was always the same: online.

When I asked some teenage boys to show me the online forums they frequented, things became clearer.

They were interacting with an extremist, mainly online movement encompassing a number of groups and communities, from 'incels' ('involuntary celibates', who believe attractive women should be punished for denying them sex), to men's rights activists, who argue that the world is stacked against men.

After she described her own experience of being sexually assaulted, she said one school boy's immediate response was to ask if she was lying

There are men obsessed with the risk of false rape accusations, who believe women should be avoided at all costs.

And 'pickup artists', who promise to teach men how to trick, harass or control women for sexual gain.

Though it's difficult to count members precisely, online activity shows the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia are hotspots.

It is a network of websites, forums and platforms, with hundreds of thousands of members.

These communities overlap with white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, using the same secret language, or repeating the same ideas about sexually enslaving women.

When I talked to some schoolboys, their reference points and the figures they quoted made it clear that they were already immersed in these communities.

But they hadn't necessarily gone looking for them.

Many were introduced via Instagram meme accounts and YouTube videos. A picture of a woman with a black eye and the caption: 'Women deserve equal rights . . . and lefts.'

A joke about 'feminazis' not being able to change a light bulb because they were too busy being 'triggered'.

I spoke to a teenage boy who explained how content that started out as 'just jokes' on Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram gradually became 'quite nasty'.

One mother has written for an online paper about how her 13-year-old son found himself sucked into extremist online groups, which provided him with a sense of community and treated him like an adult when he felt dismissed and lonely.

That longing for community and respect is understandable in teens. The problem was, his new online friends were also 'happy to explain that all girls lie  especially about rape'.

The cloak of humour and 'irony' is powerfully used to convince teens that what they're looking at is all just a bit of fun . . . until it isn't.

The same mother wrote: 'When we did confront Sam  say, if we caught a glimpse of a vile meme on his phone  he assured us that it was meant to be funny and that we didn't get it.'

One interviewee told me he was just 11 when he started browsing generic online chat boards.

For him, the attraction was 'a culture of people being open about their loneliness and their lack of success with women and talking about how they don't really have social lives.'

As a misfit teen without many friends, suddenly feeling part of the group instead of an outsider is understandably appealing.

But his journey was one of gradual radicalisation, with chats about loneliness subtly morphing into blaming girls for that loneliness, until he found himself in the woman-hating 'incel' community.

And by then, the gradual drip-drip of online misogyny had become so normal that even content inciting rape and violence didn't seem shocking any more.

Chillingly, older members of these communities are deliberately targeting teenage boys for recruitment. In a 'style guide', a leading figure in this deeply misogynistic and racist online world says his followers should specifically look for boys aged ten and up.

From inner city London to rural Scotland, teenage boys  usually aged around 15  came out with the same arguments, word for word

'We want to look like superheroes. We want to be something that boys fantasise about being a part of,' he wrote, adding that anti-feminism is an ideal 'gateway' to white supremacy.

Encouraging teenage boys to dehumanise their female peers is the thin end of the wedge. From there, for some, things can quickly spiral out of control.

In 2019, two British teenage boys were jailed for encouraging far-Right terrorism online.

The boys were neo-Nazis, but they also ran blogs advocating the rape, torture and murder of women.

These extremist communities also explicitly advocate using cultural references, jokes and memes to help smuggle hateful ideas into young people's minds.

'Like adding cherry flavour to children's medicine,' wrote Andrew Anglin, the founder of one such website.

The spaces boys frequent online, from bodybuilding forums to gaming channels, are used as a kind of hunting ground.

They might have liked an 'ironic' Instagram meme, for example, before following a link down a rabbit hole of increasingly extreme content about women stealing men's jobs.

On one bodybuilding forum, there seems to be more misogynistic content than actual chat about bodybuilding.

Tragically, those who might have real fears and anxieties are likely to be met with vitriol and extreme opinions.

Take, for example, over 15 different queries from users of that forum, all asking: 'Is it rape if . . . ?'

The responses include: 'Rape is the most common female fantasy. You're just playing into her fantasy.'

'They enjoy it even if they say they don't.' And: 'If she's not conscious IT AINT RAPE [sic].'

Hardly the guidance you'd want your teen to receive in answer to such questions.

Gaming is a particularly rich recruiting ground given that 97 per cent of teenage boys play video games, often with parents having no idea who they are communicating with.

Online extremists take advantage of multiplayer games, where players can team up with strangers online and communicate via headsets.

It starts with casual sexist jokes and slurs (which might be appealing to a teenager who feels rejected by girls), then escalates to private chat rooms, where misogynistic propaganda and links to more extreme content are shared.

One mother contacted me in horror after she heard a man shouting 'feminism is cancer' over the speakers as her teenage son played a popular game online.

A 2018 Ofcom report revealed that more than 450,000 children aged 12 to 15 spend six to eight hours a day online at weekends.

But a lot of parents have little idea of the content their children might be accessing. I spoke to a teacher of 14 to 18-year-old pupils at an inner-London comprehensive, who told me: 'There's a significant, dangerous lack of awareness from parents and teachers.

'If young people are watching videos on their phones in their bedrooms, their parents have no idea what they are engaging with.'

We are familiar with the challenges posed by pornography, but there are other dangers facing our boys (and, by extension, our girls), that we don't even realise exist.

I spoke to Ben Hurst, project co-ordinator at the Good Lad Initiative, an organisation that delivers workshops on gender inequality, particularly focusing on talking to boys in Year 8 and above.

Laura started working in schools eight years ago, after creating the Everyday Sexism Project

He says: 'About 70 per cent of the boys we have contact with have come into contact with that kind of material.

'It is almost completely under the radar. Staff in schools aren't aware of the kind of materials boys are accessing, or aware they're doing it.'

So we end up with cases like that of Ben Moynihan, a video game player with a 'normal upbringing' who was 17 when he stabbed three women in Portsmouth in 2014.

He wrote: 'All women needs to die and hopefully next time I can gauge [sic] their eyeballs out.'

One note continued: 'When women won't talk to you it's heart-breaking, why are they fussy with men nowadays.' With it was a symbol from the Tomb Raider game.

It should go without saying that no teenage boy is automatically sexist or woman-hating. Nor will all of them respond in the same way to these online influences.

But the risks are very real. This deliberate targeting of children ought to be described as radicalisation. Indeed, if it were any other group, it would be.

But this particular kind of grooming seems to escape our attention entirely.

When I spoke to counter extremism organisations about the issue, they didn't even seem to have heard of incels or other extremist misogynistic groups at all.

Ultimately, this is tragic: both for the boys and young men who are exploited and offered hate instead of support, and for the young women and girls who find themselves on the receiving end of the vitriol some of their male peers learn online.

We might not use the word terrorism to describe the acts of these men when they slaughter women in the name of their ideology, but that is what it is.

And their deliberate grooming of young boys deserves to be seen for what it is: radicalisation.

Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates (16.99, Simon & Schuster) is out today.
Euromonitor International is the world's leading independent provider of strategic and tactical market research. We create data and analysis on thousands of products and services around the world.
ATHENS, Greece - Greece raised 2.5 billion euros ($2.96 billion) in a bond auction Wednesday, taking advantage of low borrowing rates to boost state cash reserves needed for pandemic relief and emergency defence spending amid a tense dispute with neighbouring Turkey.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said the money was raised by reopening a June 10-year issue.

The country has borrowed at the lowest cost ever achieved in a Greek government bond issue: through the issuance of a 10-year bond, raising 2.5 billion euros, with a yield of about 1.2%, the minister said in a statement.

At the June auction, Greece had raised 3 billion euros ($3.55 billion) with a yield of 1.50%.

The latest auction was held as Athens seeks to raise money for additional support to pandemic-hit businesses, as well as to increase military spending amid the crisis with Turkey over eastern Mediterranean drilling rights.

Greece and Turkey remain locked in a tense dispute over maritime boundary limits and commercial exploitation rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Both countries are carrying out military exercises and increased naval deployments in the region after Turkey expanded oil-and-gas survey missions in an area between the Greek island of Crete, Cyprus and Turkeys southern coast.

Government officials in Athens say they are planning to boost spending for all three branches of the armed forces in an expansion that is expected to start before the end of the year.

Officials have not commented on Greek media reports that the purchases may include French-made Rafale fighter jets and at least one French frigate.

France has sided with Greece in the dispute with Turkey. The European Union says it will impose sanctions on Turkey unless it takes steps to de-escalate the crisis. Defence Ministers Nikos Panagiotopoulos of Greece and Frances Florence Parly discussed the eastern Mediterranean crisis in a call Wednesday, as well as armament programs and ways to forge closer military co-operation, the Greek Defence Ministry said.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to announce details of the defence spending increases at an annual speech on the state of the economy later this month. ___ Follow Gatopoulos at https://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

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Its That Boutique-y Whisky Companys birthday and to celebrate were treating to you some incredible bargains!

Did you know that the wonderful That Boutique-y Whisky Company turns eight years old on the 12 September? Time really does fly when youre bottling amazing spirits. To mark this delightful occasion, weve decided to do something wonderful for the fans of not only TBWC but also That Boutique-y Gin Company and That Boutique-y Rum Company who have supported the brands over the years. How? By slashing the prices on all kinds of delicious Boutique-y booze! In this blog, weve rounded up a selection of some of the finest deals on offer, including expressions from Bowmore and Foursquare. Oh, and happy birthday TBWC!

Auchentoshan 10 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

Lowlands very own Auchentoshan distillery is home to all kinds of delicious whisky, from Three Wood to American Oak, so it shouldnt come as a surprise when That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottled up some for itself. Expect notes of yellow plum, white grape, subtle baking spice and lemongrass from this beauty and be sure to play around it because its delicious mixed as well as neat. If you dont believe us, check out cocktail genius Ryan Chetiyawardana putting together something special on the bottles label, complete with the recipe!

Whats the deal?

It was 58.95, now its 48.95.

Chocolate Orange Gin (That Boutique-y Gin Company)

Everyone knows chocolate and orange go hand-in-hand, so it was only a matter of time before they brought together in perfect harmony in a tasty bottle of gin. That Boutique-y Gin Company made this treat using a mix of classic gin botanicals, orange peel, and cocoa nibs, giving it a profile that we think would make a great base in an interesting Negroni

Whats the deal?

It was 29.95, now its 21.95.

Foursquare 12 Year Old (That Boutique-y Rum Company)

The first offering from Foursquare Distillery to make an appearance as part of That Boutique-y Rum Companys line up, this blend of pot and column distilled rum lives up to the high standard the Barbados-based producer sets with its independent bottlings. Its also got one of the most mysterious Boutique-y labels, featuring a specific number of a specific variety of birds, delicious crisps and a famous face. What does it all mean?

Whats the deal?

It was 64.95, now its 54.95.

Bowmore 19 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

This is a 19-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from the Bowmore distillery, independently bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Do I really need to say anything else? You all know how good this is going to be. Who wouldnt want a well-aged expression from the oldest distillery on Islay? Nobody I know.

Whats the deal?

It was 172.95, now its 152.95.

Alamedapocalypse Gin  St. George Spirits (That Boutique-y Gin Company)

That Boutique-y Gin Companys collaboration with Californias St. George Spirits was made using botanicals that include juniper berries, angelica, and coriander, but you dont care, do you? You want to know whats going on with that label. Well, it shows the post-apocalyptic Alameda Island (thats San Francisco smouldering in the background), an explosive mushroom cloud from a recently dropped atomic bomb and some kind of holy ninja knights, fighting an anthropomorphic shark with a laser cannon. Any questions?

Whats the deal?

It was 31.95, now its 16.95.

Secret Distillery #3 10 Year Old (That Boutique-y Rum Company)

This bottle of rum is from an undisclosed distillery, which basically means that all we know about it is that its a 10-year-old expression from Jamaica that was snapped up by That Boutique-y Rum Company. Oh, and that its utterly delicious with notes of charred tropical fruit, spiced molasses, salted vanilla ice cream, Madeira cake and red cola cubes. Plus its got a really cool label with dogs on it. Thats all I need to know!

Whats the deal?

It was 44.95, now its 34.95
India on Tuesday called out Pakistan for propagating fake news through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

"Malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news. Call it what you may. Do read this report from the @stanfordio on motivated false propaganda from Pakistan. The truth is out for the world to see," Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (New York) tweeted.

This follows a report by Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) on its investigation exposing a network of Pakistan-based Facebook and Instagram accounts that leveraged mass reporting to silence critics of Islamabad.

"On August 31, 2020, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As it notes in its takedown report, Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan," the SIO report reads.

Facebook shared a portion of this network on August 28 with the SIO which then conducted its own investigation and brought out its report.

The report highlights how a network of social media accounts originating in Pakistan posted Pakistani nationalist messages and criticized the Indian government. It also highlighted how the mass reporting networks operated, with Group and Page administrators mobilizing social media users to report accounts that were critical of Islam or the Pakistani military/government.

Moreover, many pages and Groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, praising ISI, the Pakistan's intelligence agency and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

It further said this is not the first public suspension of coordinated activity in Pakistan and that in April 2019 Facebook suspended a network of accounts linked to the InterServices Public Relations wing of the Pakistani military.

According to Digital Forensic Research Lab, that network "represented a significant influence operation, apparently aimed at boosting support for the army inside Pakistan and boosting support for Pakistan abroad."

Additionally, reporting shows that Pakistani politicians work directly with prominent social media trolls to get pro-Pakistan hashtags trending on Twitter.

The SIO report also noted "the repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting".

-ANI

Also Read: Pakistan's house of cards may be failing, with Gulf states openly moving closer to India
The value of contactless transactions is set to nearly double the digital payments business from $4.4 trillion in 2020 to $8.26 trillion in 2024, according to research by Statista, a global market intelligence provider.



Of this $2.92 trillion are in digital commerce and $1.47 trillion worth of transactions will take place in the Mobile Point-Of-Sale (POS) payment channels this year. In 2024, the digital commerce sale value will exceed $4.11 trillion while Mobile POS payment will jump to $4.15 trillion.



In the Mobile POS Payments segment, the number of users is expected to amount to 1.74 billion by 2024. The number of users of the digital commerce channels will exceed 4.63 billion, the report says.



Businesses and retailers are shifting from brick-and-mortar to the digital space faster following the Covid-19 pandemic, officials and experts said at a virtual roundtable on Intelligent Retail Marketing organised by RetailME, the regions only dedicated market intelligence provider in the retail sector.



According to Visas Back to Business study, 92 percent of the businesses surveyed in the UAE are shifting their business online or increasing its online presence, compared to 74 percent globally.



More than 90 percent of the UAE consumers say they would switch to a new store that accepted contactless payments, compared to 63 percent globally, Kalika Tripathi, Head of Marketing for the Mena Region, Visa, told audiences at the webinar.



In fact, almost three in four or 72 percent of UAE consumers surveyed wouldnt shop at a store that only offers payment methods that require contact with a cashier or other shared device, compared to 48 percent globally. More than 90 percent of UAE consumers surveyed have made changes to the way they pay for items due to Covid-19, primarily shopping only online when possible (59%), using contactless payment (52%) and not using cash as much (40%), compared to 78 percent globally.



Consumer behaviour in the GCC countries has seen a drastic shift towards online payment following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.



This says a lot about the consumer mindset. Digital payment experiences  especially contactless and eCommerce  are what consumers need and want right now. And as they experience the convenience and security of digital payments, it will become the norm, Tripathi said.



That is why it is crucial for businesses in the region, particularly those that still have cash-on-delivery as the primary mode of payment, to understand this shift in consumer expectations and plan accordingly. It is not only critical for businesses to survive COVID-19 but also to thrive in the future.



Justina Eitzinger, Chief Operating Officer of Images RetailME and host of the Webinar, said: In 2019, retail e-commerce sales worldwide amounted to $3.53 trillion and e-retail revenues are projected to grow to $6.54 trillion in 2022. Online shopping is one of the most popular online activities worldwide.



Through a series of webinars, we are trying to reflect on the changing retail landscape of the Middle East and help the retailers to develop the best strategy to navigate out of the crisis.



RetailME has helped the retail industry stay well informed, up to date and learn from success stories. We have the maximum reach amongst the Whos Who of retail in the region. RetailME is very respected and vouched for in the industry. Our coverage spans from the biggest retail entrepreneurs to the budding start-ups. RetailME through its digital, print and event platforms deliberates, connects and shares knowledge on AtoZ in retail! Eitzinger added.



During COVID-19 many consumers in the Arab world and Africa are choosing online stores for their essentials such as groceries and pharmacy items for the first time, Visa said.



Two-thirds of UAE and Saudi consumers and 71 percent Kenyan consumers surveyed say that COVID-19 has led to their first online grocery shopping. The comparable number for the first-time online buyers from pharmacies stands at 70 percent and 69 percent in Kenya.  TradeArabia News Service
CT Folk is hosting its Virtual CT Folk Fest & Green Expo on Wednesday, Sept. 9, through Saturday, Sept. 12. CT Folk Fest will be live-streamed as a free event, with a suggested donation of $10 per day.

The New Haven-based organization thanked our growing community for its continued support, and for tuning in to our virtual programming, including the CT Folk at Home concert series.

Our goal is to continue bringing music to our Connecticut audience through an online platform; but this virtual shift also allows us to reach out beyond our current fanbase and listenership geographically and demographically, Festival Director Nicole Heriot-Mikula said in a news release. We ask our listeners to share news of this years virtual festival  which also includes a half-day Virtual Green Expo  with their friends and family, whether near or far.

With safety a priority and in keeping with CDC guidelines, CT Folk said it is committed to bringing four days of folk directly to living rooms for the 28th edition of the CT Folk Fest & Green Expo. The line-up features Keller Williams, Ruthie Foster, Special Musical Guest Dom Flemons, Buffalo Rose, Among the Acres, Phat A$tronaut, Bumper Jacksons, John John Brown, Monica Rizzio, Diana Alvarez, Golden Oak, Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition and more.

Board President Lisa Kaston said in the release she believes that this year, with its complex narrative, has presented arts organizations with an opportunity to re-examine their core values, and the ways in which they can reach out to larger and more diverse audiences.

CT Folk relies on the folk tradition of building community, and looks to continually expand that community. And these times call for creative and collaborative ways to support the artists who provide us with great music  but who have also been hard hit by this shifting landscape, she said. While we will miss the camaraderie and spontaneity of a live festival, we have already seen that virtual musical events have a great ability to spread joy, while helping to showcase and support an increasingly more eclectic group of performing artists.

CT Folk said it is dedicated to the furtherance of social justice and environmental initiatives that impact our local, as well as global community, and to the advancement of music in all of its varied forms. The organization said it also embraces an evolving and more expansive definition of the term folk, to better reflect, nurture and celebrate a culturally rich listening and artist community.

Register at CTFolkFest.eventbrite.com.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement by Saudi Arabia earlier today allowing flights from all countries to cross over its airspace while traveling to or from the United Arab Emirates.

The Saudi announcement did not mention Israel, but clearly means that flights from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi and back can take the shortest route. Instead of seven and a half hours, a Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi flight will now take only three. The first commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi on Aug. 31, operated by the Israeli national carrier El Al, received an exceptional authorization from Riyadh to take that route.

In a tweeted video, Netanyahu qualified the Saudi decision as a huge breakthrough that will help the Israeli economy and reduce airfare. For years, I have been working to open the skies between Israel and the East. It was spectacular news two and a half years ago when Air India received approval to fly directly to Israel. Now there is another tremendous breakthrough: Israeli planes and those from all countries will be able to fly directly from Israel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and back. Flights will be cheaper and shorter, and it will lead to robust tourism and develop our economy.

Netanyahu said that the new Saudi policy will open up the East, adding, When you fly to Thailand or anywhere else in Asia, it will save time and money. This is amazing news for you, the citizens of Israel. These are the benefits of a peace that is genuine."

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi also welcomed the Saudi decision. In a press statement that did not mention Saudi Arabia by name, Ashkenazi said, "The opening of the skies to the east for flights from Israel to Abu Dhabi constitutes the first step in advancing talks and for the normalization agreement with the UAE." Earlier in the day Ashkenazi said he hopes direct flights between Israel and the UAE will be established within a few weeks. For the moment, according to publications about bilateral talks, it seems that Israelis would need to apply for a visa before booking a future flight to Abu Dhabi or Dubai. UAE citizens wishing to visit Israel will have to do the same.

Netanyahu spoke today on the phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who said that Egypt supports any steps that allow for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and provide security to Israel."
Trump's electoral appeal may turn on domestic politics, but his effect on world politics could be transformational, particularly if he gains a second term. As the United States enters the home stretch of the 2020 presidential election campaign, and with neither partys nominating convention featuring much discussion of foreign policy, the contest between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden apparently will be waged mainly on the battleground of domestic issues. In the long run, however, historians will ask whether Trumps presidency was a major turning point in Americas role in the world, or just a minor historical accident. Will Donald Trumps presidency mark a major turning point in world history, or was it a minor historical accident? Joseph S. Nye, Jr. asks the question in his article Is Trump a Turning Point in World Politics? for Project Syndicate.

At this stage, the answer is unknowable, because we do not know if Trump will be re-elected. My book Do Morals Matter? rates the 14 presidents since 1945 and gives Trump a formal grade of incomplete, but for now he ranks in the bottom quartile.

Top-quartile presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt saw the mistakes of Americas isolationism in the 1930s and created a liberal international order after 1945. A turning point was Harry S. Trumans post-war decisions that led to permanent alliances that have lasted to this day. The US invested heavily in the Marshall Plan in 1948, created NATO in 1949, and led a United Nations coalition that fought in Korea in 1950. In 1960, during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the US signed a new security treaty with Japan.

Over the years, Americans have had bitter divisions  among themselves and with other countries  over military intervention in developing countries like Vietnam and Iraq. But the liberal institutional order continued to enjoy broad support until the 2016 election, when Trump became the first nominee of a major party to attack it. Trump was also a skeptic about foreign intervention, and while he has increased the defense budget, he has used force relatively sparingly.

Trumps anti-interventionism is relatively popular, but his narrow, transactional definition of US interests, and his skepticism about alliances and multilateral institutions, is not reflective of majority opinion. Since 1974, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has asked the public whether America should take an active part or stay out of world affairs. Roughly a third of the American public has been consistently isolationist, reaching a high point of 41% in 2014. Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, 64% favored active involvement by the time of the 2016 election, and that number rose to a high of 70% by 2018.

Trumps election and his populist appeal rested on the economic dislocations that were accentuated by the 2008 Great Recession, but even more on polarizing cultural changes related to race, the role of women, and gender identity. While he didn't win the popular vote in 2016, Trump successfully linked white resentment over the increasing visibility and influence of racial and ethnic minorities to foreign policy by blaming economic insecurity and wage stagnation on bad trade deals and immigration. As president, however, according to former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump had little strategy, and his foreign policy was driven primarily by domestic politics and personal interests.

Just before Trump took office, Martin Wolf of The Financial Times described the moment as the end of both an economic period  that of Western led globalization  and a geopolitical one, the post-cold war unipolar moment of a US-led global order. In that case, Trump may prove to be a turning point in American and world history, particularly if he is re-elected. His electoral appeal may turn on domestic politics, but his effect on world politics could be transformational.

The current debate over Trump revives a longstanding question: Are major historical outcomes the product of political leaders choices, or are they largely the result of social and economic forces beyond anyones control? Sometimes, history seems like a rushing river whose course is shaped by precipitation and topography, and leaders are simply ants clinging to a log in the current. In my view, they are more like white-water rafters trying to steer and fend off rocks, occasionally overturning and sometimes succeeding in steering to a desired destination.

For example, Roosevelt was unable to bring the US into World War II until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but his moral framing of the threat posed by Hitler, and his preparations to confront that threat, proved crucial. After World War II, the US response to Soviet ambitions might have been very different had Henry Wallace (who was replaced as vice president on the Roosevelt ticket for the 1944 election), not Truman, been president. After the 1952 election, an isolationist Robert Taft administration or an assertive Douglas MacArthur presidency might have disrupted the relatively smooth consolidation of Trumans containment strategy, over which Eisenhower presided.

John F. Kennedy was crucial in averting a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis and then signing the first nuclear arms control agreement. But he and Lyndon B. Johnson mired the country in the unnecessary fiasco of the Vietnam War. In the centurys last decades, economic forces caused the erosion of the Soviet Union and Mikhail Gorbachevs actions accelerated the Soviet blocs collapse. But Ronald Reagans defense buildup and negotiating skill, and George H.W. Bushs skill in managing crises, played a significant role in bringing about a peaceful end to the Cold War, with a reunified Germany in NATO.

In other words, leaders and their skills matter  which also means that Trump cannot be easily dismissed. More important than his tweets are his weakening of institutions, alliances, and Americas soft power of attraction, which polls show has declined since 2016.

Machiavellian and organizational skills are essential for successful US presidents, but so is emotional intelligence, which leads to self-awareness, self-control, and contextual insight, none of which is evident with Trump. His successor, whether in 2021 or 2025, will confront a changed world, partly because of Trumps idiosyncratic personality and policies. How great that change will be depends on whether Trump is a one-term or two-term president. We will know after November 3 whether we are at a historical turning point or at the end of an historical accident.
Thailand's king has officially reinstated his mistress as his royal consort after releasing her from jail to rejoin his harem.

The restoration of Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi to the good graces of King Maha Vajiralongkorn was confirmed by an official announcement published today in the Royal Gazette.

The announcement, dated August 29, said she was being given back her royal and military titles after she was previously accused of seeking to undermine the monarch's official wife, the country's queen.

It said Sineenatra was not tainted by any wrongdoing, and the record should not show that she ever lost her privileges.

Thai monarch Maha Vajiralongkorn has resinstated former royal bodyguard Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi as his consort

Bloggers who follow royal news had reported last week that Sineenatra had been rehabilitated. She had not been seen publicly after her fall from grace last year and her whereabouts were never made clear.

In July last year, Vajiralongkorn gave Sineenatra the royal consort title of chao khun phra sineenatra bilasakalayani, reviving an old palace tradition of taking a junior wife that had not been practiced for almost a century.

In May last year, Vajiralongkorn named longtime companion Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya his queen when they were married a few days before his formal coronation.

Vajiralongkorn assumed the throne after the 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years.

Then last October, less than three months after making Sineenatra his royal consort, the king issued a command rescinding the appointment.

In a statement, he accused her of misbehaving by actively seeking to block Suthida's appointment as queen in order to take the position herself, and saying that when she failed to block Suthida, her 'ambitions and aspirations' led her to continue to seek ways to promote herself.

That statement said the king tried to alleviate the problem by appointing Sineenatra his official royal consort but that she remained unsatisfied and continued to compete with Queen Suthida.

Both Queen Suthida, 42, and Sineenatra, 35, have served as senior officers in palace security units. Suthida was previously a flight attendant with Thai Airways, while Sineenatra was an army nurse.

The 68-year-old king has seven children by three previous marriages, all of which ended in divorce.

Sineenatra's fall had been particularly stunning because only two months earlier, a palace website released scores of photos of her and the king, some in formal settings and others in markedly casual poses, such as taking part in flying, shooting and skydiving.

Others showed her and the king holding hands, unusually intimate photos for members of the royal family.

It emerged earlier this week that the king, who has spent much of the pandemic in Germany with a reputed entourage of 'sex soldiers' assembled as a military unit at a four-star hotel, had pardoned Sineenat and went to Munich Airport himself to pick her up.

Experience: Sineenat had trained as a pilot in Thailand and abroad, served in the King's royal bodyguard unit, and in 2019 was awarded the rank of a major-general

The consort, also known as Koi Wongvajirapakdi, was gifted the title of royal consort to mark the king's 67th birthday last July.

It was the first time in nearly a century that a Thai monarch had taken a consort, after the king married his fourth wife Queen Suthida earlier in 2019.

Sineenat had trained as a pilot in Thailand and abroad, served in the king's royal bodyguard unit, and in 2019 was awarded the rank of a major-general.

During the king's elaborate three-day coronation ceremony, Sineenat was seen marching in full military uniform in a procession that travelled from the palace to several Buddhist temples.

However, Sineenat was out within three months and stripped of all her titles for 'disloyalty' and alleged 'ambition' to match the Queen's position.

Her actions showed 'she does not give any honour to the king and does not understand royal tradition... her actions are to benefit herself', a statement claimed.

Koi has apparently been in prison since then, although her exact whereabouts were unclear.

According to Bild, she was in the Bang Kwang maximum-security prison where inmates including drug dealers are constantly monitored with webcams.

The prison is said to include around 1,000 people on death row, and was the venue where Thailand carried out its first execution for nearly a decade in 2018.

Thailand expert Andrew MacGregor Marshall said she had been in a women's prison at a different compound in Bangkok.

However, he cited palace sources on Friday saying that Sineenat had been released and was due to fly to Germany imminently.

The report by Bild said she was taken straight to the airport and flown to Munich on a private plane, with a refuelling stop in Dubai.

The Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in southern Germany where the King of Thailand has reputedly been staying with a harem of women during the pandemic

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida during their wedding ceremony in Bangkok in May last year. According to tradition, the King has a semi-divine status and must be seated higher than those around him

On Saturday morning, the king himself is said to have picked her up wearing his customary tank top at Munich Airport.

The king and his entourage then drove straight to the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in the German resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it is claimed.

Reports earlier this year said the king had booked out the whole fourth floor which includes a 'pleasure room' and is decked out with 'treasures and antiques' from Thailand.

His 'sex soldiers' are said to be assembled as a military unit called the SAS like Britain's special forces - with the same motto, 'who dares wins'.

One hotel worker said staff are forbidden from the fourth floor where the king and his entourage have set up camp.

However, the king's diplomatic immunity means that there is little German authorities can do about it.

Queen Suthida reportedly spends most of her time at Hotel Waldegg in Engelberg, Switzerland, without her husband.

The king is protected from criticism in Thailand by one of the world's toughest defamation laws, with prison sentences up to 15 years.

However, some protesters have made veiled criticisms by asking what the weather was like in Germany.

A hashtag that translates to 'why do we need a king?' became popular in Thailand after an overseas activist posted about Vajiralongkorn's activities in Germany.

Others have dressed as Harry Potter characters and held up pictures of the series' villain Lord Voldemort, also known as He Who Must Not Be Named.

A room inside the Alpine hotel where the king's harem is reportedly about to be joined by his former consort

An outdoor area at the Bavarian hotel, where the Thai monarch has been spending much of the pandemic except for occasional visits to his home country

A view over Alpine scenery from a window of the hotel - which was closed to the public during the lockdown

One of the suites available in the hotel where the king is said to be staying

Critics' demands have included the reversal of a 2019 order that transferred two army units to the King's personal command, and a 2017 law that gave him full control of the crown's extensive property holdings.

Estimates of Vajiralongkorn's personal wealth start at $30billion and he has spent much of his time in Europe.

However, the monarchy is backed by the arch-royalist military, which has staged more than a dozen coups since the end of absolutism in 1932.

While the country has been roiled by decades of political turmoil, the constitution says the monarchy must be held 'in a position of revered worship.'

Vajiralongkorn succeeded to the throne in 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had reigned since 1946.

The new king was not formally crowned until May 2019 when carried on a golden platform in a six-and-a-half-hour procession through Bangkok.

During the ceremony he was carried on a golden platform in a spectacular six-and-a-half-hour procession through Bangkok's historic quarter.

Just days before the coronation, the King married his long-term consort and gave her the title Queen Suthida, in a surprise move.

Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, a former Thai Airways flight attendant, had to lie on the floor as she was given a gift by the king during the marriage ceremony.
DUBLIN, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Industrial Gearbox Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global industrial gearbox market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period of 2020-2025.

The key driver of the market includes the growth in the power sector, steel sector, mines and minerals sector, waste-water treatment development and food industry. However, changes in industrial policies are is expected to hinder the market growth in the coming years.

Market Highlights

The power industry, especially the renewable industry is one of the prominent industries that use gearboxes in its various segments such as wind turbines and hydro turbines. The gears are used to transmit the absorbed kinetic energy into the generator for electricity generation.

With an expected growth in urbanization rate from around 55% in 2018 to 68% in 2050, it is expected to have a significant growth in various sectors, such as power, mine, and minerals, etc. Growth in these sectors is expected to create an opportunity for the market in the future.

Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the market, with the highest growth of urbanization across the globe. The wind turbine is one of the sectors that is growing in the region and is expected to grow rising initiatives to reduce carbon footprint.

Key Trends



Power Industry as a Significant Gearbox Application

The global power industry is majorly dominated by fossil fuel operated power plants but with rising initiatives to stabilize the carbon emissions power generation from renewable sources is getting prioritize. Wind energy is one renewable source, which contributes a significant percentage to the global electricity generation.

Wind energy is generated from a wind turbine, that holds various components, to convert wind energy into electricity. Gearbox in a wind turbine is used to increase the rotational speed from a low-speed rotor to a high-speed electrical generator.

With depleting fossil fuel reserves, declining cost of wind power generation, growing sensitivity toward environmental issues, and support from various governments around the world, through financial incentives support the exponential growth in the wind turbine market.

Global wind power installations increased from 14.86 GW in 2006 to 591 GW in 2018. The overall growth of the number of turbine installations made between 2006-2018 was primarily driven by declining costs due to improved materials and design and favorable government policies for wind power in major wind power countries, such as China , the United States , Germany , the United Kingdom , and India . As wind turbine gearbox is an integral component of a wind turbine, so an increase in installation in the region has increased the wind turbine gearbox in the region.

, , , the , and . As wind turbine gearbox is an integral component of a wind turbine, so an increase in installation in the region has increased the wind turbine gearbox in the region. Government policies and targets play a crucial role in wind power development. As countries become increasingly concerned about climate change and the role of renewable energy in curtailing it, wind power is expected to grow during the forecasting period. The expectation for wind power growth is obviously to have an increasing demand for wind turbine gearbox.

Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market

Asia-Pacific consists of 18 countries, with 52% of the world's population, represent 88% of the people living in the region and account for nearly 39% of the global primary energy supply. China , Japan , and India dominate the region, with the highest gross domestic products.

consists of 18 countries, with 52% of the world's population, represent 88% of the people living in the region and account for nearly 39% of the global primary energy supply. , , and dominate the region, with the highest gross domestic products. China is one of the major countries in the region that contribute nearly 29% of the total GDP from manufacturing facilities. A higher contribution indicates a higher volume of goods from the manufacturing units and higher uses of gearbox during the manufacturing process.

is one of the major countries in the region that contribute nearly 29% of the total GDP from manufacturing facilities. A higher contribution indicates a higher volume of goods from the manufacturing units and higher uses of gearbox during the manufacturing process. The region is dominating the renewable energy market with the highest installed capacity of around 1000 gigawatts and generating more than 2000-terawatt hour electricity. The majority of the install capacity is from wind energy and hydropower. Increase in the install capacity of the technologies indicates an increase in gearbox installations.

The global urban population has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. Asia-Pacific , despite having a lower level of urbanization, the region is home to nearly 54% of the global population. Between the year 2018 and 2050, India and China are expected to account for nearly 30% of the global projected urban population. The increase in urbanization is expected to increase the demand for industries and for the gearbox market.

Competitive Landscape



The industrial gearbox market is fragmented. The key owners in the market include NGC Group, Lenze SE, Flender Ltd., Nord Drivesystems Pvt Ltd., Bosch Rexroth AG, ZOLLERN GmbH & Co. KG, Rossi SpA, Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co KG, Essential Power Transmission Pvt. Ltd., and Bonfiglioli Drives Co. Ltd. among others.



Key Topics Covered



1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope of the Study

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Study Assumptions



2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



4 MARKET OVERVIEW

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Industrial Gearbox Market in USD billion, till 2025

4.3 Recent Trends and Developments

4.4 Government Policies and Regulations

4.5 Market Dynamics

4.5.1 Drivers

4.5.2 Restraints

4.6 Supply Chain Analysis

4.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Type

5.1.1 Worm Gear Box

5.1.2 Helical Gear Box

5.1.3 Bevel Helical Gear Box

5.1.4 Planetary Gear Box

5.1.5 Others

5.2 Application

5.2.1 Power Industry

5.2.2 Steel Industry

5.2.3 Mines & Minerals Industry

5.2.4 Waste Water Treatment Industry

5.2.5 Others

5.3 Geography

5.3.1 North America

5.3.2 Europe

5.3.3 Asia-Pacific

5.3.4 South America

5.3.5 Middle-East and Africa



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.2 Strategies Adopted by Leading Players

6.3 Company Profiles

6.3.1 Nanjing High Accurate Drive Equipment Manufacturing Group Co. Ltd.

6.3.2 Lenze SE

6.3.3 Flender Ltd.

6.3.4 Nord Drivesystems Pvt. Ltd.

6.3.5 Bosch Rexroth AG

6.3.6 Zollern GmbH & Co. KG

6.3.7 INGECO GEARS Pvt. Ltd.

6.3.8 Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG

6.3.9 Essential Power Transmission Pvt. Ltd.

6.3.10 Bonfiglioli Drives Co. Ltd.

6.3.11 Kngear



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i8hecr

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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But my moms in town, too, so we got a chance to get out a little bit. We got some barbecue here, and by get out, I mean, we drove, ordered, they came to our car, gave us the food and we drove off. We havent really been into any establishments like that, but drove around a little bit just to see some of the area. Its my moms first time here.

Downtime

I watch comedies. Ramy is one of those shows on Hulu that has more than just jokes to it, so I usually lean toward some of those shows that leave each episode with a cliffhanger. I really loved High Fidelity. It was sad to see that one go. But the real dark British shows, I really love those. I think The Five was a show that I loved watching. If Harlan Coben did it, Im all about watching it.

Monday

The shift came with Jacob Blake [news of the shooting broke that day]. Once that happened, it was like, My goodness. You start to think a show like [Woke] will always be timely, because this type of stuff keeps happening. So, my mind moved away from the show a little bit and more on what else could be done or whats happening. Thats where my mind has been. When you open the door, the world around you is chaotic. So, its hard to stay focused, but were making do as best as we can.

Thursday

For me, Im clueless and aimless as to what to do now that theres no basketball happening, but if there was a silver lining outside of this, Im all for it. [N.B.A. play was halted for three days last month in the aftermath of the shooting.] Let me tell you something. Im miserable. Hopefully things start to resume quickly, just because I just like watching basketball. However, Im a huge fan of what theyre doing. If they want to boycott the rest of the season, thats perfectly fine with me. As long as theres a plan in place, and as long as its getting the attention from the people and the powers that be.

You still keep thinking about the people out there who are being affected by all kinds of things, not just the racial injustice. There are people out of work right now. There are people who dont have the ability to vote. Its people all over the world that have ever been going through this type of stuff. All these things are at the forefront of my mind, but theres other things going on that I want to focus on, but you just cant. Ill be honest with you. Im a little cloudy. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Im very optimistic about where we are. I think more and more young people are engaged. Today, its cloudy, but its a light cloud. Light cloud, no chance of rain. Just a little cloudy.

The Last Few Nights

Its usually just saying good night to my mom. Once I say good night to my mom and I go to my room, then thats the end. Ill put YouTube on; if I havent seen the highlights, Ill check the highlights out, and thats how I fall asleep.

The last two days have been slightly different. Someone suggested something for me. The Fire Next Time. I just got the audiobook. So, I feel like thats going to be how I end every night, just so I can take all that in.
Inflight feed, the airline food guide online since 2012, has launched a redesigned website and logo.



(TRAVPR.COM) AUSTRALIA - September 2nd, 2020 - The newly designed website provides helpful tips, including inflight guides that show passengers how to pre-order special meals, new COVID-19 inflight service updates, and an inflight service news section.

The websites creator Nik Loukas arrived from overseas in Melbourne, Australia in April completing his 14-day hotel quarantine and documenting it for the Inflight Feed Youtube channel and Instagram page.

"Since being grounded and not able to fly since April, I wanted to use this time to rebrand and launch a better web experience for users," said Loukas.

Loukas began work on the project during his hotel quarantine stay and continued the work during the various phases of lockdown in Melbourne.

Like other travel websites, he has seen a considerable reduction in overall visitors, especially since March, however as airlines around the world continue to open air routes visitors are slowing coming back.

"It's interesting to see the various inflight meal offers from around the world post COVID. Considering that so many airline caterers have reduced staff and their operations, it's still great to see that most airlines are trying to offer something as per the ICAO guidelines", said Loukas.

About  Inflight Feed http://www.inflightfeed.com is a combination treasure trove of information about airline food and record of the inflight meal experiences of Nik Loukas. It offers passengers the scoop on airline food from more than 150 airlines worldwide: how to order special meals, what food might be on offer inflight and how to upgrade inflight meals.

Links:

http://www.inflightfeed.com

http://www.instagram.com/inflightfeed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9clH-TOYjMk

https://www.icao.int/covid/cart/Pages/Aircraft-Module---Passenger-and-Crew-%E2%80%93-General.aspx

###
India on Wednesday attended a key a meeting of the regional grouping BIMSTEC which discussed ways to further expand cooperation among its member nations to effectively deal with key challenges including impact of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. The Indian delegation at the virtual meeting of the grouping was headed by Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, they said.

The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of BIMSTEC under the chairmanship of Sri Lanka discussed ways to deepen cooperation among the member nations and holding of the next summit of the grouping, they said. A number of issues including ways to boost cooperation in dealing with economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic was discussed in the meeting, the officials said.

The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.8 trillion.

India has been pushing for making BIMSTEC a vibrant forum as various regional initiatives under SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional) were not moving forward primarily due to non-cooperation from Pakistan. For India, BIMSTEC is a natural choice to take forward key foreign policy priorities like Neighbourhood First and Act East as the bloc enjoys the strength of connecting South and South-East Asia.
Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) meets with Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, Sept. 1, 2020.

Chinas top diplomat visited Myanmar this week to reconfirm major infrastructure plans with its Southeast Asian neighbor, his second trip to Naypyidaw in 2020 and a sign Beijing is shoring up relations in the region to help offset deteriorating ties with the West, analysts said Wednesday.

The visit by Yang Jiechi, head of the Chinese Communist Partys foreign affairs office, follows weeks of strident U.S. criticism of Chinas policies in the South China Sea, as well as pointed complaints about Beijings role in Myanmar by a senior U.S. diplomat in Naypyidaw.

Yang, a member of Chinas powerful Politburo, met separately Tuesday with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw.

They discussed speeding up work on the massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, advancing the build-out of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)  a subsection of the BRI  improving bilateral trade and investment, and ongoing support for Myanmars peace process, according to Chinese and Myanmar media reports.

Yang also said China would prioritize the sharing of a COVID-19 vaccine with Myanmar once it is developed, the reports said.

Myanmar political analysts and observers said that the Chinese diplomats visit  his second to the country this year  was driven by a desire to keep Myanmar firmly in its corner amid the intensifying rivalry between China and Western countries.

Rather than pulling Myanmar into China-U.S. tensions, this is a good thing that the two countries show mutual understanding and cooperation, political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA on Wednesday.

They say they will continue to implement projects already agreed to and will increase cooperation in the post-COVID period, he said.

Sino-Burmese destiny

Yangs meeting comes nearly eight months after he accompanied Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit to Myanmar to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and to sign several deals to implement infrastructure projects under Xis signature BRI.

Xis visit  the first by a Chinese leader in nearly two decades  marked a new era of bilateral relations, Yang said during his current visit, adding that leaders of the two nations should jointly build a community of Sino-Burmese destiny, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Yangs visit shows that Myanmar is becoming more and more important to China and highlights Myanmar's great importance to its diplomacy, said Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee, lead researcher at the Institute for Strategy and PolicyMyanmar, an independent, nonpartisan think tank.

China also wants to make sure that the big projects it is backing in Myanmar will continue as planned in light of a possible change of government in 2021, she said.

China wants to secure the agreements for certain projects before the upcoming election, said Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee, whose research focuses on Myanmar-Chinese relations and the BRI. Myanmar will hold general elections on Nov. 8.

China has invested in many large infrastructure projects in Myanmar, including the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port on the Bay of Bengal in Rakhine state, a high-speed rail line connecting Kyaukphyu to southwestern Chinas landlocked Yunnan province, and the New Yangon city development project.

RFA contacted government spokesman Zaw Htay for comment about Yangs visit on Wednesday, but he did not respond to questions.

Political analyst Maung Maung Soe, who used to live in the Burmese Communist Party-controlled region along the border, said Yang is likely focused on shoring up Chinas relations with its neighbor.

There is increasing rivalry between China and Western countries over winning Myanmar over to their sides, he said.

China might be seeking to consolidate its foreign relations, he said.

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) meets with Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, Sept. 1, 2020 Credit: AFP US diplomat blasts China

In a July 18 op-ed in the online journal The Irrawaddy, George Sibley, the charge daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar, blasted Chinas crackdown on Hong Kong, and its intimidation of neighbors and aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

These events are taking place far from Myanmar, but the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] has used similar behavior to intimidate, threaten, and undermine Myanmar sovereignty closer to home, he wrote in an essay that blamed China for Myanmars troubles with unregulated banana plantations, forced labor, and corruption in the mining and forestry sectors.

Reiterating U.S. criticism of Xis BRI program, Sibley took aim at infrastructure projects and special economic zones that pile on debt and cede regulatory control, and benefit China far more than they do the people of Myanmar.

Hla Kyaw Zaw, a political analyst based in Yunnan province on the Myanmar-China border, said the visit was part of a larger effort by China to get the 10 countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to back its greater agendas.

China has two main agendas for ASEAN countries this year, he said. The first one is to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement with the ASEAN countries, [while] the second issue is to adopt a Code of Conduct for South China Sea issues.

The RCEP is a trade deal involving 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the 10 ASEAN members, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, and will become the worlds largest trade pact when signed later this year.

China has been pushing for the RCEP, seeing it as an opportunity to set regional trade rules without U.S. influence and to gain economically on account of a drop in U.S.-China commercial activity.

China also has been lobbying Southeast Asian countries to agree on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, a set of norms and rules for avoiding conflicts in disputed waters of the sea, which provides vital shipping lanes and is thought to contain abundant mineral and marine resources.

China is now trying to win Myanmars support for these issues amid the tensions with U.S. over the South China Sea, Hla Kyaw Zaw said.

Regarded as Chinas foreign policy czar, Yang served as ambassador to the U.S. from 2001 to 2005, and Chinas foreign minister between 2007 and 2013.

Reported by Kyaw Lwin Oo, Waiyan Moe Myint, and Nay Myo Htun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Actimed Therapeutics, the clinical stage company focused on bringing innovation to the treatment of muscle wasting disorders, with a focus on cachexia, today announces the appointment of Dr Chika Yoshinaga as Advisor to the company to provide support for its development, partnering and financing efforts in the key Asian markets.

Robin Bhattacherjee, CEO of Actimed Therapeutics, said: "We are delighted that Chika has agreed to become an Advisor to Actimed. She has an exceptional background in venture capital, pharmaceutical business development and clinical operations in Japan and China. These are strategically important markets and we expect the region to contribute to building significant investment in and value for our Company. Chika's experience and network amongst local investors and potential partners will be invaluable to Actimed as we move forward with our plans for ACM-001 (S-pindolol). Chika has already been pivotal in bringing a significant investment into Actimed from SRD Holdings, a strategic institutional investor based in the region."

Dr Yoshinaga is the founder of Asajes Ventures. Asajes Ventures provides local operational support including regulatory, clinical, and business development as well as financing to western biotech companies to speed up innovative product development in a more time and cost effective way in Japan and China, the two key markets in Asia. With over two decades of cross-border industry experience, she has built a deep understanding of Chinese and Japanese healthcare markets, including the regulatory, clinical and commercial as well as financial environments. Her broad network of contacts at Asian and European companies has also been instrumental in successfully facilitating cross-border company transactions.

Prior to launching Asajes Ventures, Dr Yoshinaga worked as an independent consultant in Asia to provide advice to western companies. Before that, she worked as head of Corporate Development in Japan and China for Quintiles (IQVIA), responsible for inorganic growth including M&A in these markets.

She previously worked for one of the largest European venture capital firms, Sofinnova Partners, as VP Asia, Chief Representative in China. She started her venture capital career at NIF SMBC Ventures Co, Ltd, the second largest VC firm in Japan, where she headed the European life sciences area and directed equity investments in a number of biotech companies that achieved successful exits.

Dr Yoshinaga earned her M.D. degree from Shanghai (China) Medical University and Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at Yokohama (Japan) National University. Dr Yoshinaga speaks fluent Chinese, Japanese and English.

Dr Yoshinaga commented: "I have been deeply impressed with the team at Actimed and the world-leading expertise that exists in the Company. I have seen many Western biotech companies that missed precious opportunities to enter key Asian markets due to lack of local market intelligence and support. This was the reason that I launched Asajes Ventures, with the goal to provide this support to Western companies as well as bring benefit to patients in Asia. I truly believe that the decades of experience and track record of SRD will greatly enhance the development of ACM-001.1 and potentially other products in the Actimed portfolio. I am hugely excited by the opportunity to be involved in bringing potential benefit to patients suffering from cachexia in key global markets including those in Asia. I look forward to using my unique cross-sector, cross-border skill set and network of contacts in Japan and China to provide strategic support to Actimed along with SRD."

About Actimed Therapeutics

Actimed Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovation to the treatment of muscle wasting disorders to transform the care of an underserved and vulnerable patient population. Actimed was founded in 2017 by Stefan Anker and Andrew Coats, two world leading physicians in muscle wasting research.

The lead area of focus for Actimed is specifically in cachexia. Cachexia is a wasting disease that accompanies cancer and other serious chronic illnesses and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite its prevalence and devastating clinical effects, there is no approved drug for the treatment or prevention of cancer-related cachexia.

It has been estimated that cachexia affects 50-80% of cancer patients and accounts for up to 20% of cancer deaths. Treating cancer cachexia successfully may increase both the length and quality of life for cancer patients.

The lead product of Actimed, ACM-001 (S-pindolol), formerly known as MT-102, targets multiple pathways that drive cachexia and has generated promising proof of concept Phase II clinical data in cachexia patients. Actimed is currently preparing for further clinical studies in cachexia in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Colorectal Cancer (CRC).

www.actimedtherapeutics.com

For More Information

Actimed Therapeutics

Email: info@actimedtherapeutics.com

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Frazer Hall, Nathaniel Dahan, David Dible

Tel: +44 (0)20 7638 9571

Email: actimed@citigatedewerogerson.com
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The mayor of Cincinnatti has urged Ohio's governor to keep bars in the city open later, arguing the 10pm alcohol curfew has led to an increase in shootings.

In a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine, Mayor John Cranley wrote: 'We have no doubt that the 10 p.m. closures were imposed to save lives, but as we gather more evidence, we believe we should adjust accordingly. We know that the current shutdown rule is leading to more shootings; therefore, we should try something different.'

At least 18 people were shot, including four killed, as gunfire erupted in several places around Cincinnati over the weekend of August 16. Gov. DeWine said his office are looking into whether Cincinnati may be exempt from the curfew.

Police chief Eliot Isaac also wrote to DeWine, asking that the curfew be lifted. He said: 'Many of these incidents have occurred at 'after-hours' gatherings such as short-term Airbnb rentals or publish areas where citizens are gathering as alternatives to liquor-permitted establishments.'

Mayor John Cranley, left, said 'the current shutdown rule leads to more shootings'. Police chief Eliot Isaac, right, also wrote to DeWine, asking that the curfew be lifted

Gov. DeWine said his office are looking into whether Cincinnati may be exempt from the curfew

Chief Isaac added: 'CPD has recognized the increase in these assemblies has coincided with the regulations implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19.'

Mayor Cranley, a Democrat, had said the city was facing 'unprecedented circumstances and challenges' in fighting crime during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said guns are 'far too prevalent' at private gatherings after bars close early under pandemic restrictions.

At least 18 people were shot, including four killed, as gunfire erupted in several places around Cincinnati over the weekend of August 15 and 16

In July, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the city had experienced a rise in shootings and homicides from gun violence during the first half of the year as compared to the same time period in 2019

In July, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the city had experienced a rise in shootings and homicides from gun violence during the first half of the year as compared to the same time period in 2019.

Mayor Cranley added in his letter: 'We believe that working with public establishments with the proper safety protocols is more likely to save more lives than shutting them down at 10 p.m.

'We respectfully ask that you no longer impose a closure requirement on restaurants and bars at 10 p.m. so people can gather safely, wear masks and be subject to the safety offered by public establishments.

Cincinnati firefighters use bleach to clean and remove pools of blood left at the scene of a mass shooting near Grant Park in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati on August 16

Bystanders look around the scene of a shooting on Chalfonte Place in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati on Sunday, August 16

Police tape blocks off the front entrance of the Chalfonte Plaza apartment building at the scene of a shooting Chalfonte Place in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati on August 16

He added: 'Of course, we should always be willing to adjust these decisions as we gather more evidence as to what factors lead to less or more loss of life.'

The governor has said: 'They have described unintended consequences where people leave the bar because people can't drink there anymore and they go off to a park or someplace else. And we understand that.

But clearly the majority of mayors in the state by far believe just the opposite.'
The former deputy chairman of Rwandas ruling party during the 1994 genocide has died in a Senegalese prison, where he was serving a life sentence for his role in the slaughter, a court official told AFP Wednesday.

Edouard Karemera, the deputy of Rwandas then-ruling National Revolutionary Movement for Development, was jailed by a UN-backed special tribunal in 2011 for genocide and crimes against humanity.

I confirm the death of Edouard Karemera in Senegal. The cause is as yet unknown, said Ousman Njikam, spokesman for the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which took over from the special tribunal when it formally closed in 2015.

A former Rwandan minister who was acquitted by the international tribunal told AFP that Karemera had been sick for several days and died on Tuesday morning aged 69.

He was transferred from Arusha, Tanzania, where the court was based, to Senegal in 2017, where he was held in the Sebikotane prison outside Dakar.

Karemera was also Rwandas interior minister in 1994.

He was convicted alongside former ruling party chief Matthieu Ngirumpatse.

After decades of tensions between Rwandas Hutu ethnic majority and the minority Tutsi, a killing spree erupted in April 1994 after a plane carrying Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down.

Over the next 100 days, some 800,000 people  mainly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus  were killed.

The international tribunal was set up to try those who bore the greatest responsibility, while thousands of others were judged by Rwandan courts and grassroots tribunals known as gacaca that were set up to deal with the sheer number of cases.

After one of the key remaining fugitives, alleged genocide financier Felicien Kabuga, was caught in France in May, only six key suspects remain on the run.

A top French appeals court said on Wednesday that it would rule on September 30 whether Kabuga, who is 84 according to officials, will stand trial in France or before the UN tribunal in Tanzania.
OTTAWAThe RCMP says it is addressing lessons learned from the forces handling of employee complaints about bullying by a senior director who now awaits trial on national-security charges.

The Mounties asked consultant Alphonse MacNeil to examine the RCMPs response to allegations that Cameron Jay Ortis, who led the forces National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre, engaged in degrading and abusive behaviour from 2016 onward.

Ortis made international headlines one year ago upon being charged under the Security of Information Act for allegedly revealing secrets to an unnamed recipient and planning to give additional classified information to an unspecified foreign entity.

MacNeils review, completed earlier this year, has just come to light through a lawsuit filed by three employees who describe miserable experiences working for Ortis. The employees say the RCMP failed to act on complaints that Ortis belittled them, undermined their value and work, and caused significant distress and mental suffering.

MacNeil interviewed close to 60 people, including senior RCMP leaders past and present, and reviewed policies and procedures to determine if they were adequate, said Catherine Fortin, an RCMP spokeswoman.

The objective was to document findings, and identify lessons learned to inform policies and practices going forward, she said Tuesday in response to questions from The Canadian Press.

The Mounties have not publicly released MacNeils report.

However, a statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court by the three employees says MacNeil concluded that a failure in leadership occurred at all levels of senior management in the handling of the concerns and complaints about Ortis.

The lawsuit, citing a redacted version of the MacNeil report provided to the plaintiffs in late June, says the consultant also found:

the failure in leadership reflected a lack of concern or consideration for the experiences of, and potential long-term impacts on, intelligence centre employees;

senior management failed to act despite being made aware of Ortiss behaviour;

a need to more carefully screen who is placed in leadership positions;

the harassment complaint system is significantly flawed, ineffective, and as it stands today is not serving the RCMP well;

the internal grievance system as it exists today in the RCMP is broken, does not work for the employee or the organization, creates a feeling of insecurity and lack of confidence in the organization, and is not effective and is not achieving the desired outcome;

the intelligence centre employees affected by Ortiss conduct have experienced, and continue to deal with, harm and damages flowing from his behaviour and the forces inaction.

Fortin said while the RCMP cannot comment on matters before the court, there is no room for harassment in the force, and a management action plan is in the works to address MacNeils findings.

The statement of claim filed in court, however, says the RCMP continues to fail to act on employee concerns.

With the exception of vague references to providing some amorphous future training to affected employees, the RCMP has taken no action, nor provided any particulars of planned action, in response to the concrete findings and recommendations of the MacNeil report.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, the cabinet member responsible for the RCMP, was looking into the matter.

Blairs office said he was unavailable for an interview, and provided no information on what he was doing about the case.

Canadas intelligence and security agencies work tirelessly to protect the safety of Canadians, and all employees deserve to be treated with respect, said Craig MacBride, a spokesman for Blair.

We remain committed to taking whatever action is necessary to ensure the RCMP is free from workplace harassment and discrimination.
YORBA LINDA, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nobel Biocare USA is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Reena Gajjar as Vice President, Clinical & Professional Development.

As a prosthodontist and entrepreneur, Dr. Gajjar has founded and scaled services, software and physical solutions in the dental, technology, education and aesthetic industries. She completed her dental education at the University of Western Ontario and practiced as a general dentist for 6 years. She then obtained her specialty in prosthodontics at the Eastman Dental Center and maintained a private prosthodontic practice in London, Canada.

Dr. Gajjar cofounded the Hands-On Training Institute in 1991, a leading dental implant training facility. She was also the cofounder of My Dental Hub, an online dental patient education software company. Her clinical proficiency, combined with her technology and education expertise, makes her a compelling addition to the Nobel Biocare team. Dr. Gajjar recently completed a graduate program in business strategy and data analytics at Harvard University, where she was the winner of the inaugural pitch competition.

"With this addition, we are adding an exceptional talent to our leadership team to lead all aspects of clinical technologies and the advancement and implementation of our professional development programs. In addition, Dr. Gajjar will set the strategic direction of our restorative and referral-based dental business in North America, with a strong focus on the development and relationship management with key experts, speakers, universities, and third-party partners, to assure successful operation and execution of programs," said Pamela Bonnett, Nobel Biocare Vice President, North America.

Dr. Gajjar will leverage her track record in building progressive dental learning systems to help Nobel Biocare continue to evolve as a leader in dental education throughout North America.

Nobel Biocare is a world leader in the field of innovative implant-based dental restorations. The company's portfolio offers solutions from single tooth to fully edentulous indications with dental implant systems (including key brands NobelActive and NobelParallel), a comprehensive range of high-precision individualized prosthetics and CAD/CAM systems (NobelProcera), digital solutions for treatment planning (DTX Studio suite) and guided surgery, as well as biomaterials (creos regenerative solutions). Nobel Biocare supports its customers through all phases of professional development, offering world-class training and education along with practice support and patient information materials.

SOURCE Nobel Biocare USA

Related Links

https://www.nobelbiocare.com


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - Mariner Resources Corp. (CSE: RNR) ("Mariner" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in Exploits Gold Corp., a private company focused on gold exploration in the prolific Exploits Subzone of central Newfoundland and Labrador.

Exploits Gold Corp. holds a strategic land position, with its core mineral land holdings predating the 2019 New Found Gold Corp. discovery. The two projects are known as the Mt. Peyton and Jonathan's Pond gold projects. The Mt. Peyton and Jonathans Pond properties are located two and twenty-five kilometers west and northeast respectively of New Found Gold's Queensway Discovery. Both projects are easily accessible via the Trans Canada Highway and together consist of 939 mineral claims encompassing a land area totalling 234.75 km in the Exploits Subzone Camp.

Acquisition Highlights

The addition of Exploits Gold Corp.'s key holdings now makes Mariner the largest land tenure holder in Newfoundland with 1,760 km of gold exploration ground.

The Jonathan's Pond project hosts visible gold bearing quartz veins up to 3m wide, with a current strike length of 450m, open in all directions with grab samples from outcrop of up to 28.82 g/t Au.

The Mt. Peyton project is situated on a 15 km strike length airborne magnetic anomaly , coincident with the anomalous float grab samples of up to 25.8 g/t Au and elevated lake sediment samples of 1010 ppm As.

Both projects contain high priority exploration targets and are fully permitted for mechanical trenching, geochemical sampling, and geophysical surveys.

Mariner has mobilized an experienced local geologic field team. The team will start trenching at the Jonathan's Pond project in the attempt to extend new surficial exposure of gold mineralization on the claims. A second exploration team is focused on the Dog Bay gold showings, described in a previous news release (see August 20, 2020 new release).

Story continues

CEO of Mariner Michael Collins comments, "This transaction marks Mariner's pivotal point in its efforts to become the premier explorer in the Exploits Subzone camp. Exploits Gold Corp.'s land holdings and key management personnel are second to none. This acquisition consolidates major prospective historical showings, which have never been drilled. The consolidated land package is ideal for the structurally hosted, epizonal orogenic gold model. New government geophysics and fragmented exploration data compiled into one data model show us a better pathway to a gold discovery in the Exploits Subzone."

President of Exploits Nick Rodway comments, "As a Newfoundlander, I am extremely fortunate to have been able to play an instrumental role in this transaction. For management, this transaction marks eight months of hard work and strategic planning, but for some shareholders, this marks something far more significant. The property vendors of the two projects that Exploits held were a result of over 25 years of hard field work. I would like to thank all property Vendors and shareholders of Exploits for believing in our vision and helping us every step of the way. I am excited to move forward with Mariner in our mission to make a world class discovery in the Exploits Subzone."

In recognition of the Company's clear focus on the Exploits Subzone in Newfoundland, the Company has applied to change its name to Exploits Discovery Corp. and to change its stock trading symbol on the Canadian Securities Exchange to "NFLD". The Company also appoints Michael Collins as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company and David Groves, PhD to the Advisory Board.

Pictures from Exploits Gold Corp's Land Holdings





Figure 1: Ariel view of exposed quartz veining at the Jonathan's Pond project (2020) (Looking southwest).

*White arrows represent strike length of veins at surface. Veins are open in strike length.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6393/63069_08cfa2ec94a6485a_001full.jpg





Figure 2: Exploits local field team analysing exposed quartz veining at the Jonathan's Pond project (2020) (looking south).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/19451999432831a03f7401ffdaeb9f14





Figure 3: Visible gold from exposed quartz vein outcrop from the Jonathan's Pond Gold project (2020).

*Rock Sample returned 28.8 g/t Au and was analysed at Eastern Analytical using Au (Fire Assay) @ 30g + ICP-34.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/5afe715fd1ca72b422f75226b7ebd997

Mariner believes the Exploits Subzone, which runs 200 km from Dog Bay southwest to Bay d'Espoir, has been neglected since the last major exploration campaigns in the 1980's. Over the last 40 years there have been incremental advancements in the understanding of gold mineralization in the camp. The sum of this knowledge is now coming together in a cohesive and effective exploration model, which the Company believes will drive to a major discovery. Mariner intends to leverage this shift in understanding and become one of the most extensive explorers in the Exploits Subzone.

Mariner's team with significant local expertise have studied the entirety of the Exploits Subzone and picked individual land packages for staking or joint venture. Mariner's team believes there is an opportunity for world class discoveries and mine development in the Exploits Subzone.

The acquisition of Exploits Gold Corp. is yet another demonstration of this strategy, as we continue to pursue project negotiations and unveil and explore more assets in the Exploits Subzone.





Area Map Mariner & Exploits Gold Land Holdings

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6393/63069_08cfa2ec94a6485a_004full.jpg





Exploits Subzone District Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6393/63069_08cfa2ec94a6485a_005full.jpg

Jonathans Pond Project Geology

The Jonathans Pond project is situated around the Gander River Ultramafic Belt (GRUB) fault zone, a regional scale trans-compressional thrust fault marked by a discontinuous belt of ophiolitic rocks that forms the easternmost boundary of the Exploits Subzone (O'Neil and Blackwood, 1989). The fault zone was created by extensive, crustal scale thrusting during the closing of the Iapetus Ocean, signifying a potential deep seated, mantle tapping conduit for gold bearing fluid to migrate up and into proximal secondary and tertiary structures on the property.

The property geology was mapped by the Newfoundland Geological Survey as being Late Cambrian to Middle Ordovician ophiolites associated with the GRUB on the eastern half of the property, and Ordovician siliciclastic marine rocks of the Davidsville Group in the Exploits Subzone to the west. The contact between the two groups trending north-northeast through the center of the property, which is highlighted by airborne magnetics (Fugro, 2003).

A major structural domain coupled with contrasting brittle siliciclastic sedimentary rocks and ductile mafic to ultramafic plutonic rocks of an ophiolite sequence on the property create an increased opportunity for structurally hosted, epizonal, orogenic gold mineralization to occur.

Jonathans Pond Property History

Historical trenching by local prospectors in 2004 has uncovered northeast trending visible gold bearing quartz veins up to 3m wide. Work by Exploits Gold Corp.'s geologists have expanded the strike length of this quartz veining system to over 450m to date and remains open along trend. Grab samples from outcrop taken by Exploits Gold Corp. in 2020 within the trench assayed up to 27.96 g/t Au. Additional outcropping quartz veins, striking parallel to the aforementioned veining 1.2 km away on the claims, returned assays of up to 28.82 g/t Au. The company is focused on identifying and quantifying additional gold mineralization in the hanging wall and footwall of this gold bearing structure.

From 2003 to 2005, Rubicon conducted a sparse soil sampling and grab sample program. Results displayed anomalous gold and arsenic in soils that trace the veins and provides evidence for multiple vein sets, with potential to continue in strike for greater than an additional 350m. Additionally, Rubicon assayed a float grab sample that returned 50 g/t Au, and three trenches exposed quartz veins in altered gabbro which returned grab sample values of up to 2.8 g/t Au.

Mt. Peyton Project Geology

The Mt. Peyton Project is located within the Exploits Subzone of the Dunnage zone, which is dominantly underlain by Newfoundland Geological Survey mapped Silurian to Devonian Mt. Peyton Intrusive Suite rocks. Ordovician to Silurian siliciclastic marine and non marine sedimentary rocks of the Davidsville Group, Ten Mile Lake Formation, Botwood Group, and Badger Group contact the intrusive suite along the eastern and northern portions of the project boundary. The Mt. Peyton Suite is predominantly gabbro, crosscut by granitic, aplitic, and tonalitic dykes.

The property straddles a significant regional structure of the Dunnage Zone known as the Dog Bay Line. This structure is spatially associated with significant gold mineralization in the region and is underlain by the Silurian siliciclastic sediments of the Exploits Subzone. The Mt. Peyton Intrusive Suite, which covers the western half of the property, is a large Siluro-Devonian batholith and potential heat source that has intruded the Botwood, Indian Islands and Davidsville sedimentary groups.

Mt. Peyton Property History

Exploits Gold's Mt. Peyton property is situated contiguous with one of Mariners previously acquired properties (the Shirley Lake property). There is a long history of early stage exploration on the property and surrounding area.

During the summer of 2020, Exploits Gold Corp.'s Qualified Person visited the property taking three samples on historically known anomalies, which yielded values of up to 4.10 g/t Au. The property hosts limited bedrock exposure and the sampling represents only a small portion of the interpreted 15 km long Mt. Peyton Linear.

A more detailed property history begins in 1988, when the Department of Energy and Mines of Newfoundland released results from a regional lake sediment geochemical survey. The survey featured a highly anomalous sample with arsenic values of up to 1010 ppm on the Shirley Lake portion of the Mt. Peyton property. This led to an increase of industry focus in the area.

From 1988 to 1991, Noranda, as a result of the 1988 Government Lake sediment sample release, initiated a reconnaissance prospecting and regional till and lake/stream sampling program in the Mt. Peyton area. Initial discoveries of auriferous frost-heaved bedrock showings were made, with assays of up to 25.8 g/t Au, 15.7 g/t Au and 7.6 oz/ton Ag (Tallman, 1990). Detailed exploration (geophysics, trenching and diamond drilling) in 1990 led to the discovery of the Hurricane prospect (drilling of 2m near surface of 6.0 g/t Au, grab samples of 15.6 g/t and 7.6 Oz/t Ag) and Corsair prospect (drilling of 1m near surface of 3.6 g/t Au), along with the initial recognition of the Peyton Trend. Other showings discovered at this time include the Apache/Comanche (1.3 g/t Au in outcrop grab sample) and Sabre showings (2.1 g/t Au, 47.0 Oz/t Ag in outcrop grab sample) (Tallman, 1991).

From 2002-2003, Rubicon Minerals completed a limited prospecting and reconnaissance soil sampling program, as well as an IP/resistivity and magnetic/VLF-EM survey over the Shirley lake area. As a result, grab sampling returned values of 17.0 g/t and 18.9 g/t Au from angular float boulders. The "SS" showing was located 2.5 km north of Shirley Lake returning values of 1.0 g/t Au and 1.26 g/t Au. The IP/resistivity survey outlined a prominent east-west conductor and the magnetic/VLF-EM survey identified an area of higher relief in the northwestern portion of the property (MacVeigh, 2005). These geophysical signatures were overlain by angular gold bearing float samples and provides potential evidence that the bedrock source is proximal. These targets remain untested by drilling.

The only drilling done on the Mt. Peyton property area to date was in the southernmost area (Hurricane and Corsair prospects). The Mt. Peyton property hosts one of the highest recorded lake sediment samples on the island and consists of 15 km of undrilled exploration targets to be followed up on.

Transaction Outlined

Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will acquire a 100-per-cent interest in Exploits Gold Corp. by issuing an aggregate of 18,810,752 common shares. The shares will have a hold period of 1/3 at 6 months, 1/3 at 12 months and 1/3 at 18 months. An additional 600,000 stock options in Exploits Gold Corp. will also convert into stock options in the Company with a strike price of $0.15.

Crest Resources Inc. ("Crest"), a major shareholder of the Company, also holds 47.84% of Exploits Gold Corp. and will receive 5,000,000 shares of the Company in the transaction. Following the proposed transactions, Crest will own and control 13,602,500 common shares of the Company representing 25.5% of the then issued and outstanding common shares based on an estimated total of 53,294,052 common shares outstanding. Crest together with its joint actors will own and control 14,630,000 common shares representing 27.5% of the pro-forma issued and outstanding common shares. Michael Collins is the President, CEO and a director of both Crest and Exploits Gold Corp. and will receive 175,000 common shares in the transaction to bring his total ownership to 595,000 common shares of the Company.

Private Placement

The Company proposes to undertake a non-brokered private placement concurrently with the Exploits Gold Corp. transaction to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,500,000 (the "Offering") through the issuance of up to 10,000,000 units at a price of $0.35 per unit (each, a "Unit"). Each Unit consists of one common share and one half of one share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable into one further common share at a price of $0.75 for a term of one year.

The proceeds raised from the Offering will be used by the Company to conduct further exploration work on its properties in Newfoundland, project acquisition, and for general working capital.

Board of Directors/Advisory Board Appointments

The Company is pleased to appoint Michael Collins as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and to the Board of Directors. Mr. Collins has an exceptional skill set in project development and analysis which is supported by a wide industry network. Through his work as a geologist and running a mining engineering office in Vancouver, he has developed an understanding of numerous mineral camps and deposit types around the world. His experience steps beyond mineral deposits with a breadth of experience in the feasibility process and the pitfalls of project construction and optimization. With over 14 years as an officer and director of public companies, Mr. Collins understands the intricacies of building corporate structure, marketing and value accretion. Mr. Collins graduated with a BSc. Honours from Dalhousie University in 1996 and is an accredited P.Geo. with EGBC. With this transaction, John Williamson will step down from his position as CEO but will remain on the board of directors. The Company thanks Mr. Williamson for his hard work in progressing the Company to this stage of development and looks forward to his continued involvement in the Company as a director.

David Groves, PhD has been appointed to the Advisory Board where the Company will be able to tap his unique insights into the exploration discovery process. Born in Brighton, England, Dr. Groves was educated at Hobart High School and University of Tasmania, completing a PhD on the giant Mt. Bischoff tin deposit under the mentorship of Mike Solomon. After a period with the Geological Survey of Tasmania, Dr. Grove was appointed Lecturer in Economic Geology at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1972. In 1987, he was awarded a Personal Chair at UWA and formed the Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits, which morphed into the Centre for Global Metallogeny with him as Director, and which became the Centre for Exploration Targeting after his retirement as Emeritus Professor. He had a very successful academic career in terms of approximately 500 highly-cited published papers and book chapters, many keynote and invited lectures, and mentorship of many outstanding postgraduates, being awarded 13 medals and prizes, including the SEG Silver and Penrose Gold Medals and the SGA-Newmont Gold Medal, and being inducted into the Australian Academy of Sciences as a Fellow. He has been President of GSA, SEG and SGA during his career and represented Australia on UNESCO committees.

Since his retirement from UWA, Dr. Groves has continued to write papers and mentor staff and students at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing (CUGB), as well as consult to industry in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America, being involved in discovery of two gold deposits during greenfield exploration in Tanzania and Ethiopia. In 2018, he was made an Australian Geoscience Champion by the Australian Geoscience Council. In 2020 he was made Distinguished Lecturer for 2020 and recognized as one of the 125 Faces of Geoscience by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Ian Herbranson, P.Geo, is a consultant for the Company, shareholder and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Herbranson supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Mariner Resources Corp.

Mariner Resources Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral projects in Newfoundland, Canada. On the close of this transaction the Company will hold the Middle Ridge, True Grit, Great Bend, Mt. Peyton, Jonathans Pond, and Gazeebow projects, which cumulatively cover an area of 1,760 km. All projects within Mariner's portfolio lie within the Exploits Subzone and Gander River Ultramafic Belt (GRUB) of the Dunnage Zone, which contain the majority of Newfoundland's gold mineral occurrences and exploration efforts, including New Found Gold's 2019 discovery of 92.86 g/t Au over 19.0 meters near surface. The Exploits Subzone and GRUB regions have been the focus of major staking and financing throughout 2020, with increased exploration activities forecasted in the area moving into 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Collins

President and CEO

Mariner Resources Corp.

Telephone: 604-681-3170

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of the Company's exploration and other activities, environmental risks, future metal prices, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law.

THIS NEWS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL SECURITIES AND THE COMPANY IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM.



NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63069
CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a unanimous vote Tuesday, emergency room and endoscopy technicians at University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) on Chicago's South Side chose to join Teamsters Local 743. There are 80 workers in the bargaining unit.

"We are thrilled to welcome this group into the Teamster family," said Local 743 President Debra Simmons-Peterson. "We've seen how COVID-19 has rocked the health care world, and put employees at odds with managers over safety and pay. We want our new brothers and sisters to know we will be fighting for them every step of the way to receive the wages and benefits they deserve, and to make sure the hospital is doing everything in its power to ensure the safety of these members."

Sending a clear message of strength and unity, every member of the bargaining unit that cast a ballot voted to join Teamsters Local 743, making the decision unanimous. The new members said they were feeling disrespected by management and were not being paid for the high level of stress involved in their jobs. Local 743 Organizer Denise Stiger said the emergency room technicians sought out Local 743 because they saw the gains the union fought for while representing some of their UCMC co-workers.

"This group has a very stressful job. UCMC sees a lot of victims of Chicago's gun violence and individuals involved in severe car accidents. You add a pandemic to that, and they're dealing with a lot more stress, a lot more danger. They felt it was the right time to join a powerful union like the Teamsters," Stiger said.

Stiger organized the group with the help of UCMC Clerical Steward Debra McCaa. Stiger and McCaa also had the support of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Teamsters Joint Council Organizers Pasquale Gianni and Eduardo Farrera. Teamsters Joint Council 25 President Terrence J. Hancock applauded the team effort and welcomed the new members.

"I would like to personally welcome our new Teamster brothers and sisters from the University of Chicago Medical Center. They are now part of a Teamsters Joint Council 25 family that is 100,000-strong, and fighting for our members every day," Hancock said. "I would also like to congratulate the organizing team at Local 743 on this major victory. Organizing during the COVID-19 pandemic poses a difficult challenge, and I am proud of the hard work put in by everyone involved."

Gianni said he hopes more health care workers see the benefits of unionizing to protect their rights.

"These workers sent a loud and clear message to UCMC that they deserve better," Gianni said. "Hopefully this is the first of many in a wave of health care workers asserting their voices in the workplace, via union representation, in the age of COVID-19."

"Frontline health care workers are building power with the Teamsters in Chicago and across the country. Not just in this time of crisis, but at all times, we recognize the value and importance of health care workers, and we are so proud to have them as our sisters and brothers in the Teamsters Union," said Nina Bugbee, Director of the Teamsters Health Care Division.

Teamsters Local 743 represents more than 6,000 health care workers at various hospitals and clinics in the Chicago area. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Health Care Division represents more than 50,000 health care workers nationwide.

Contact: Jake Berent, (847) 440-6183

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 743
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Has the Cuyahoga County Jail slipped back to the conditions that caused a crisis?

Were talking about jail population and lockdowns on This Week in the CLE.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour coronavirus news podcast, with editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky and me, answering all sorts of questions from the news.

Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares once or twice a day what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802.

And youve been offering all sorts of great perspective in our coronavirus alert account, which has 13,000-plus subscribers. You can sign up for free by texting 216-279-7784.

Here are the questions were answering today:

A few months after things seemed to be under control at the Cuyahoga County Jail, where eight people died two years ago, how bad have conditions become recently? While it dropped to 900 in March, the jail population is back up to 1,511, with the coronavirus pandemic, a crush of new inmates arrested on violent crime charges, courts that havent held trials for nearly six months and the states prison system limiting the number of inmates they will accept from local jails.

Ohio saw a striking spike in coronavirus cases Tuesday, and despite the states ridiculously poor performance at analyzing contact tracing data to spot trends, what can we tell from the age breakdowns of the new cases? Ohioans under the age of 30 account for more than half of the known new coronavirus cases in the last week, with the biggest jump since July. DeWine attributed a significant part of the spike to colleges going back as well as our grade schools and high schools going back.

Ohio saw a spike in highway deaths in July, so whats the cause and what does Gov. Mike DeWine want to do about it? July was the deadliest month on the highways since 2007, with 154 people killed. DeWine urged Ohio General Assembly to pass a bill that would increase criminal penalties on drivers who text and use other devices.

What will 7.8 million voters find in their mailboxes in the next few days? Ballot applications. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is urging Ohioans who plan to vote by mail send in their ballot applications as soon as possible.

Did ousted Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder really show up to do his duty as a House member Tuesday, regardless of being at the center of the biggest bribery scheme in Ohio history? Yes. It was the first time hed been back since being charged with overseeing a $60 million bribery scandal to pass the states nuclear bailout. He said he intends to plead not guilty and defended the bailout as good legislation.

How is the Cleveland Foundation putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to attacking the racism that is prevalent in Cleveland? Yes. $2.5 million. The Cleveland Foundation announced a Cleveland Black Futures Fund, which will invest in social change organizations led by the Black community.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority took a step Tuesday top help people out during these coronavirus-afflicted times. What was it? The RTA reduced the price of all-day passes and rescinded fare increases scheduled for 2021 and 2022.

What does the latest poll say about the presidential race in Ohio? Its tight. Republican President Donald Trump has a slight lead over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a tracking poll of Ohio likely voters following the national conventions.

Want more? You can find all our past episodes here.

Do you get your podcasts on Spotify. Find us here.

If you use Stitcher, we are here.

RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here.

On Google Podcasts, we are here.

On PodParadise, find us here.

And on PlayerFM, we are here
By Laman Ismayilova

US-based Azerbaijani film director Elmar Bayramov has begun work on a new short film.

The director is filming drama "After", which tells about a man who was taken as a hostage during the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. After 17 years, he decided to start looking for his daughter, Day.Az reported.

Notably, Bayramov's another work-short film "Let me run" has been awarded at the Los Angeles Cinematography Awards, where it won two nominations for "Best Sound" and "Best Aerial Cinematography".

The film was recognized as the best in the Best Action / Adventure category and at the Canadian & International Short Film Festival held in Toronto in November, and received a series of awards at other festivals.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Since 1994, hostilities between the two countries have persisted despite the temporary cease-fire agreement. Usually, Armenian forces violate the ceasefire regime on the line of contact. But recently Armenia has increased military aggression on the border.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week?

local
The BS Yediyurappa-headed government in Karnataka has decided to withdraw 62 criminal cases which implicated various BJP leaders, including sitting MPs and MLAs even as the law department advised against it.

The decision by the cabinet was based on recommendations of a subcommittee headed by Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is of the opinion that these cases should be withdrawn. This despite the fact that the three governing bodies  the director general and inspector general of police, the director of prosecution and government litigation and the law department  all recommended against the withdrawal of these cases.

Among the cases being withdrawn is the one against Law Minister JC Madhuswamy and Tourism Minister CT Ravi, who were accused and charged under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly) 147 (Rioting with dangerous weapons) and 339 (wrongful restraint). The case pertains to a fight that had broken out between students of two communities at Hunsur in Mysuru district in November 2015.

Another such case is that of Hospete turncoat MLA Anand Singh in a case dating back to 2017 when he was a Congress representative. The incident was about the blocking of the Hospete taluk office by about 300 people, followed by pelting stones and vandalising property, causing damage worth Rs 3 lakh. Singh was charged with offences like criminal intimidation, assault on public servant to not allow him do his duty along with damage to public property.

Agriculture Minister BC Patil is also among the ruling camp leaders likely to escape trial. Patil was charged in a case in 2012 when the then Congress MLA had taken a prohibited route for Ganesh idol immersion. He was also part of a mob that abused police personnel by throwing stones and chappals and damaging police vehicles.

The case involving Mysuru MP Pratap Simha is about overspeeding, breaking down barricades and injuring additional superintendent of police, who tried to stop him during a Hanuman Jayanthi procession in December 2017. Besides being charged under IPC sections, he was also accused of voluntarily causing hurt to public servant in discharge of his duty. He would not face any trial now.

Some of the other cases withdrawn involve BJP supporters and leaders like Independent MP Sumalatha Ambarish, Yelburga MLA Hallapa Achar, the chief ministers political secretary MP Renukacharya, former Kagwad MLA KP Megannavar.

Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said this is a routine affair by the Cabinet, which at various instances in the past, has withdrawn such cases in public interest.

Decision on these 62 cases was taken earlier, we have withdrawn cases in the past as well in which Congress and JD(S) leaders were involved. But this cannot mean that those involved in cases like the Bengaluru riots and loot will be spared," Madhuswamy said.

On suggesting that these withdrawals seem to only benefit BJP leaders, the law minister said that cases filed against individuals would remain. If Pratap Simha or Renukacharya fight for a public cause, we will withdraw cases against them. If they were fighting for fundamental rights of people of their constituencies and cases of public importance where people stage a stir against the establishment, which they have the right to and at that time, police filed suo moto cases, such cases are being withdrawn," he added.

Further, the minister said the sub-committee does a routine evaluation of such cases and that it was actively withdrawing many of them to reduce the burden on the courts, as many of these cases involve many people and would have led to minor punishments.
Many markets use anti-dumping measures for steel products, photo: Le Toan

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) last week extended the time of an ongoing investigation to decide whether to apply anti-dumping measures for cold-rolled steel products from China, nearly a year after the investigation started. The investigation was initially requested by local producers such as Posco Vietnam Co., Ltd., China Steel Sumikin Vietnam JSC, and Phu My Flat Steel Ltd.

The MoIT said that the deadline for the investigation of this case would be March 2021 as it needs more time to review and clarify problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, local steelmakers complained in a petition sent to the MoIT last year that these imported products originating from China have been causing damage to their business and cited that these Chinese steel products have been being sold at prices 4-14 per cent lower than local ones, and 9-19 per cent lower than imports from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Cold-rolled steel sheets offer a variety of outstanding properties, including easy formability and a smooth, clean surface, and are used in automobiles, appliances, furniture, and many other everyday items.

Anti-dumping measures, such as the requested ones, are nothing new in Vietnams steel sector as the country last year decided to extend the validity of anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled stainless steel products originating from China, Indonesia, and Taiwan for an additional five years, starting from last October, following another request by Posco and Inox Hoa Binh JSC, which account for 80 per cent of domestic stainless steel production.

According to the Vietnam Steel Association, it is hard to export cold-rolled stainless steel, as there are many large manufacturers in Southeast Asia and the regional supply exceeds the demand. It is also difficult to export steel to the US and EU markets, which themselves apply anti-dumping policies to steel products.

At first, the MoIT said that if there are no anti-dumping measures and the imports into Vietnam further increase, the domestic industry could hardly survive and develop. Previously, the local stainless steel market only had Posco and a few other small domestic enterprises. The ongoing recovery of the stainless steel industry has attracted many enterprises investment in the industry, with healthy competition.

During the investigation and the eventual application of measures, the MoIT already considered an exemption from anti-dumping measures for cold-rolled stainless steel products as input materials that have not been produced domestically ensure the interests of consumers. However, the MoIT also laid down concerns that further anti-dumping measures could create an exclusive position for Posco.

To control the influx of cheaper imports and offer assistance for local steelmakers, a number of markets have slapped anti-dumping obligations on steel from China, such as India, Brazil, Thailand, the European Union, and the United States.
NORRISTOWN  Discussions surrounding the controversial topic of the local sewer system continued Tuesday evening during a Norristown Municipal Council meeting.

Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones gave a detailed presentation relaying the origins, timeline and community impacts. Its status has been a point of contention for several months following the approval of an $82 million sale to Aqua Pennsylvania in June.

Jones previously said the revenue associated with the sale would allow the borough to look at the big picture for the future sustainability and resilience of Norristown.

He added that municipal staff have explored options to pay off existing debts and finance programs including establishing a scholarship fund for Norristown Area High School students, merging the boroughs fire department stations and improving the Norristown Recreation Center.

Revitalization was also a priority as the municipality continued to progress with the riverfront redevelopment, Lafayette Street corridor and a 68-acre conveyance at the state hospital, according to Jones.

Norristown had first inquired about selling the assets of the Norristown Municipal Waste Authority in mid-2017, and received two bids earlier this year, according to a May 12 presentation. Borough officials held virtual meetings and informational sessions in May for Norristown Municipal Waste Authoritys customers in Norristown and West Norriton Township.

The intent of the discussion has always been to bring about tax burden relief to residents in Norristown and its long term. Thats been the discussion all along, Jones said on Tuesday. Thats whats been in presentations is to relieve the tax burdens and improve the quality in life for the residents.

In a separate discussion last month, the Norristown Municipal Sewer Authority board had pressed pause on moving forward with the sale by tabling a resolution during a meeting last week, according to McMahon, a member of Norristown Opposes Privatization Efforts.

McMahon said in an interview on Aug. 14 with The Times Herald that the sewer authority has the power to put the brakes on the sale, since their vote is required to finalize it. Delaying the sale would allow time for the public and ratepayers to truly weigh in.

However, days later, Norristown Municipal Council President Derrick Perry first moved to open the agenda to the public, and then brought forth a request to advertise the resolution dissolving the authority just before the end of the Aug. 18 work session.

The resolution stated that it would effectuate the Municipalitys right to own, operate and maintain the System for its residents, the Municipal Council hereby commands and orders the Authority, through its board members, to convey the System and all property of the Authority to the Municipality pursuant to the Act by written instrument(s) in form and substance acceptable to the Municipality on or before Oct. 6 (the Deadline).

Despite objections from Vice President Rebecca Smith and Councilman Hakim Jones, the advertisement passed in a 5-2 vote that same night.

The explosive work session had several disagreements between council members, at one point Jones and Councilwoman Heather Lewis were in a shouting match on the GoToMeeting grid.

I gave you your time. Councilman Jones, I did not interrupt you. I did not. So dont derail me from my comment by interrupting, Lewis said on Aug. 18.

A number of residents took issue with the last-minute agenda item during the public comment portion of Tuesdays council meeting.

Council members, STOP using MACHIAVELLIAN maneuvers like amending the agenda at the last minute or when you think people arent paying attention and try going out into the community, you claim to represent, to speak with residents to see how we feel about the sale, said Norristown resident Lauren Hughes in a submitted statement. I can honestly say I have never paid attention to council actions but after the ignorance of last months meeting, I am paying attention and encouraging anyone who will listen to pay attention as well.

More than a dozen community members submitted comments to be read aloud during the council meeting, the majority criticizing the sale entirety

By selling the sewer plant you are selling out your constituents. Keep our public utilities in the publics interest, said Norristown resident Pat McLaughlin.

David Hodo, a former council member who served the municipality from 2006-09, encountered this situation years ago and cautioned current leaders about moving forward with the initiative.

At that time it seemed to not be in the best interest of our town to quick sale such a valuable and necessary Norristown possession for short term dollars today BUT at the expense of a long term financial debt load on our future young and elderly, Hodo said in a submitted comment.

If council has really done its homework and due diligence on this matter, then why have you done such a poor job informing the residents (the people you represent) about the pluses, the minuses and the possible gray areas of the sale? he continued. What have you as a council, as a TEAM, really done to totally investigate and inform yourselves of all the facts so that you can without a doubt stand before WE the residents and citizens and state that this is a must do action for the good of Norristown?

While Jones acknowledged the obstacles the municipality faces and the importance of revitalization, he charged his colleagues to listen to overwhelming consensus of their constituents and how this could affect them down the line.

I get the list of things that we want to do as a community, the issues that we have financially as a community, but if you heard the public comment not just tonight but throughout the past several months, and if youve been out in the community speaking to people not just those who are struggling but those who are pretty fortunate, I think across the board youll hear a similar sentiment that these fees are gonna be recuperate somewhere down the line and the average citizen really needs confidence the sale proceeds will directly impact them and not necessarily what were trying to accomplish in the downtown, or on the waterfront or many places where theyre currently not right now, Hakim Jones said.

According to the May 12 presentation, Aqua Pennsylvania offered two scenarios of proposed rate increases from 2021 to 2030. One scenario without the use of Act 11, which is state legislation surrounding sewage treatment plant and waterworks operators certification, had monthly rates starting at $27.27 per month at the beginning of the decade and $74.70 by 2030.

The second proposal, which is intended to be used with Act 11 and filed with the Public Utility Commission, would start rates at $27.50 per month in 2021 and end the decade with $56.18 per month.

Jones and Smith have vocalized concerns with the potential rate increases as Norristown struggles with an estimated 21.7 percent poverty rate, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Crandall Jones stressed that creating commercial and residential density in the municipalitys downtown sector is crucial.

Hakim Jones and Smith appeared to take issue the additional increase.

Density is one thing we dont have to worry about, Hakim Jones said.

Were gonna ask poor people to pay more to build property in areas that doesnt belong to them apartments, etc., which will increase property values, which will make cost of living more expensive for the poor people who paid for the gentrification that doesnt belong to them, and  the people in the neighborhoods lose flat out over and over again even if 20 years from now it might mean theres enough extra people here that offsets some of the tax burden, Smith said.

Smith did acknowledge the importance of development when it comes to overall revitalization  to an extent.

I see the need to have some development, and Ive been supportive of some projects like The Times Herald building or the new development on Main Street  I just dont see the need to pay for it through increased costs to residents and homeowners who already cant afford it, she said.

So what comes next? Hakim Jones queried Crandall Jones for an answer.

I think many in the public need to know what Norristown [Municipal] Council, and the administration wants to do, plans to do and intends to do regarding this sale, Hakim Jones said.

To that, Crandall Jones said in his presentation that dissolving the municipal sewer authority could be up for a vote at the next work session on Sept. 15.

Crandall Jones emphasized that he serves at the governing bodys pleasure.

From my standpoint, wherever the council goes with  this decision, we as staff will do what we do to support wherever council goes with that decision, he said.
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With India reporting over 70,000 positive cases per day for the past one week, there is no debating the fact that our health system has been under an unprecedented level of stress.

Even though our doctors have been overworked, the medical staff completely spent and hospitals running out of room to accommodate more people, the sheer volume of the infected patients is understandably overwhelming.

Having said that, over the months, horrible stories have made their way online to show the misfortune Covid-19 patients and their family members have had to go through:

Patients Made To Sleep Next To Dead Bodies

This is Sion hospital in Mumbai. #COVID Patients left to fend for themselves amid countless dead bodies. I have never seen anything as horrific as this! Please watch this video at your own risk! #MahaEmergency pic.twitter.com/n3LWdYVOPE  Priti Gandhi -   (@MrsGandhi) May 7, 2020

A common ward of the hospital lined with stretchers and beds makes patients sleep right next to or in front of the remains of those who lost their lives. It is visible in the video that the dead bodies are packed in black body bags adjacent to those are alive but weak patients.



Patients Left Unattended

Yet another hospital shows the lack of assistance provided to a bunch of patients simply because there werent enough nurses in the institution. According to reports, because the wards were overflowing with patients, the corpses of the deceased were placed in the waiting room of the hospital. Even though the WHO has confirmed that

COVID-Positive Report Comes After Death

 iStock

A 57-year-old man was sent home by the authorities of a Noida hospital after being tested, despite the patients complaining of symptoms such as coughing, high fever and difficulty in breathing. Whats even worse is the fact that the positive report of him contracting the virus came hours after he succumbed to the pandemic.



Son Packing The Dead Body Of Father

 iStock

Shuttling among three hospitals with his 68-year-old father just to give his sample for a coronavirus testing, another man from Noida had to come back home where his father died due to lack of medical attention within hours. Subsequently, the body was returned to the son who had to pack it himself with the help of his wife and the kind-hearted ambulance driver.



8-Month Pregnant Lady Dies After Being Turned Away

 iStock

After being rejected medical assistance by eight hospitals all over Greater Noida, a 30-year-old lady who was eight-months pregnant, passed away due to the lack of available beds in the city. She was complaining of major coronavirus symptoms, and was feeling breathless but couldn't receive timely assistance despite being rushed from one hospital to another in an autorickshaw for over six hours.


Jill Biden lashed out at Donald Trump Wednesday morning, claiming he is to blame for the chaos in America even though the president continues to push the narrative that Joe Biden would exacerbate the issues stemming from the pandemic.

'We are in Donald Trump's America,' the Democratic nominee's wife told CNN. 'And there's just so much chaos. And I feel that, you know, educators don't know what to do, students don't know what to do.'

The lifelong educator was speaking from a classroom as she discussed education in the time of coronavirus.

She railed against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, claiming her husband's first initiative when it comes to schools will be appointing someone who has worked in public education their whole life.

'It doesn't surprise me coming from Betsy DeVos,' Biden said when asked about an apparent lack of national strategy on education in the time of coronavirus.

'I don't think she ever felt invested in America's public schools. She didn't have a strategy, Trump didn't have a strategy,' she said. 'There's so many things that Joe already has planned to do.'

'We are in Donald Trump's America': Joe Biden's wife Jill, a lifelong educator, said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is to blame for the 'chaos' in American schooling during the pandemic

She also railed against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, saying, 'I don't think she ever felt invested in America's public schools. She didn't have a strategy, Trump didn't have a strategy'

'Joe Biden will listen to the educators,' the former second lady insisted.

She also said if her husband is elected president, he will bring 'empathy' and hope to the Oval Office.

Biden was shown a viral image of a kindergartener crying into his shirt at his computer because his mother claimed he was 'frustrated' with online learning and sad that he could not see his friends in person.

'What is your message to boys like this one, his mother  and of course he speaks for millions?' CNN's senior global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga asked Biden.

'My message is when Joe Biden is elected that he won't be sitting there crying,' she assured. 'He will be sitting there with his laptop with a smile on his face. Joe has empathy, he understands what families are going through.'

She did not propose why the child would be happy in a Biden America other than claiming her husband 'understands' the struggle.

Schools have been closed since the spring, and many were hopeful of full reopenings in the fall.

Many schools are operating on a partial in-person and partial remote learning structure.

Jill said her husband would bring 'hope' to students, teachers and parents and she responded to a viral image of a kindergartener crying because he could not go back to school and had to learn at a computer

'When Joe Biden is elected... he won't be sitting there crying,' Biden assured. 'He will be sitting there with his laptop with a smile on his face. Joe has empathy, he understands what families are going through'

Trump has demanded that schools fully reopen and students get back into the classroom full time  and even threatened early this summer to withhold funding from schools that do not do so.

Parents have shared concerns and hurdles in remote learning  including the fact that their children are now home either full-time or part-time and they have had to take time from work to accommodate to that new normal.

Others in the community have expressed worry over other issues stemming from not being in school, like an increase in domestic violence and abuse.

Jill Biden admitted those issues are evident, claiming educators demand more mental health experts now that students are returning to the classroom and bringing some of these new issues with them.
Beirut: French President Emmanuel Macron has given Lebanese politicians until the end of October to start delivering on reforms, saying financial aid would be withheld and sanctions imposed further down the line if corruption gets in the way.

Macron told a news conference in Beirut that political leaders had agreed to form a government of experts in the next two weeks to help chart a new course for the Middle Eastern nation collapsing under the weight of an economic meltdown.

Emmanuel Macron returned to Lebanon for the second time since a blast devastated the capital Beirut, calling for sweeping changes to help the former French colony overcome a financial and political crisis decades in the making. Credit:Bloomberg

"There is no blank cheque given to Lebanon, this is a demand with an appointment in six to eight weeks," Macron said in his second visit in less than a month to press for action to tackle a financial crisis rooted in corruption and mismanagement.

"If your political class fails, then we will not come to Lebanon's aid," he added.
EDWARDSVILLE  The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) has welcomed Visiting Research Fellow Brad Smith.

Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month Fellowship Program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid-to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy.

A Smithton native, Smith earned a bachelors in mechanical engineering from SIUE in May 2019. He worked as an NCERC extra help operator and as a lead operating technician, during a 2019 contractual research project.

NCERC benefits from mentoring recent college graduates, who have specialized areas of study in instrumentation, electronics, process control and mechanical engineering, said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. In the role of engineering fellow, Brad will serve under the guidance of two supervisors. A faculty mentor/advisor will work with him to connect their industrial research to academic theory, and an NCERC research engineer will oversee his daily projects and provide professional mentorship. This joint supervisory model ensures the connection of theory to practice, and builds upon the Fellows academic degree through applied, hands-on learning in an industrial setting.

During the Fellowship, Smith will gain experience through assignments in process control and programming, project design and implementation, instrumentation and electronics coding and maintenance, revising and developing standard operating procedures, troubleshooting and maintenance, data collection, analysis, reporting, and more.

Im hoping to familiarize myself with the PCS 7 (a distributed control system), so I can handle whatever it throws at me, Smith said. Im also looking to gain some leadership experience once more trials start up again, and hopefully when the Fellowship is over, I will have the opportunity to stay on full-time at NCERC.

Upon completion of the Fellowship Program, graduates will be qualified to work in the biofuels, pharmaceuticals, refining, brewing and chemical industries.
02.09.2020 LISTEN

Daminabo Briggs has emerged winner of the monthly Princewill Trust help the hard worker competition put together by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Prince Tonye Princewill.

Briggs was nominated for the August 2020 edition of the Princewill's Trust "Help the Hard Worker" contest by Alabo Iso-Iyalla.

Daminabo Briggs holds a Masters in Public Administration but for his passion for entrepreneurship is into supplies of all kinds of drinks and table water with the brand name "Dami's Drinks". His shop, which he prides as his office, is located at No. 250 Ikwerre Road, opposite RIVCOSTECH, PH.

His nominee, Alabo Iso-Iyalla, stated before the contest that "The under-listed are the justifications for my nomination: (1) to provide him with the necessary business support, strengthen his capital base. (2) To renew his shop rent. (3) To expand on products he deals on. (4) He is also an employer of Labour in his small capacity for now. I shall be glad if this nomination is considered. Thank you."

Interestingly, Daminabo Briggs, who holds a Masters in Public Administration but for his passion for entrepreneurship, is into supplies of all kinds of drinks & table water with the brand name "Dami's Drinks" was successfully screened and verified for the contest. Interestingly, he battled with the other contestants to emerge the winner of the August contest of the Princewill's Trust help the hard worker contest.

A statement from the Princewill Trust quotes the APC Chieftain who approved the cash award on behalf of his Foundation that the aim of the Trust was to contribute to the economic development of Rivers State.

He advised the winner to make judicious use of the money in upgrading his business.

He said that the foundation has a special place for the voiceless and encouraged more women, more youths and the disabled to enter the contest.

Jubilation was observed to be escalating on the side of the winner, Daminabo Briggs, whose supporters appeared to be overwhelmed with joy and excitement.

They praised and thanked the founder of the foundation and asked other Political Leaders in Nigeria to emulate the kind nature of Prince Tonye Princewill by empowering the Youths instead of using and dumping the Youths during and after elections.

The Help the Hard worker monthly competition is organized by a non-governmental organisation, Princewills Trust for entrepreneurs, youths and Rivers residents engaged in micro business ventures and all forms of hard work in Rivers State.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - Austral Gold Limited ("Austral") (ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) and Revelo Resources Corp. ("Revelo") (TSXV: RVL) are pleased to announce they have entered into a conditional non-binding letter of intent ("Offer Letter") pursuant to which Austral would purchase all the outstanding shares of Revelo (the "Revelo Shares") in exchange for shares in Austral and cash (the "Transaction"). The key terms of the Offer Letter are non-binding, except for exclusivity, confidentiality, term, termination fees and other standard clauses.

Accordingly, the Transaction remains subject to further due diligence, negotiation, and satisfaction of material conditions, such as entering into definitive agreements (which will make the Transaction and all key terms legally binding between the parties). However, as a similar release is being made on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") by Revelo and Austral, the Transaction is also being announced by Austral on the Australian Securities Exchange (the "ASX") to keep the Australian market fully informed.

The parties will continue to negotiate exclusively and in good faith to enter into definitive agreements during September 2020. If and when definitive agreements have been entered into by the parties, a further announcement will be released.

At present, the key details of the Transaction are as follows:

Each Revelo shareholder (collectively, the "Revelo Shareholders") to receive, in exchange for each Revelo Share held immediately prior to the effective date of the Transaction, 0.9184 (the "Exchange Ratio") common shares of Austral (each whole share, an "Austral Share").

The Exchange Ratio to result in the current Revelo Shareholders owning approximately 5.90% of the outstanding shares of the combined entity on an undiluted basis and 5.80% on a fully-diluted basis. The Austral Shares will be issued utilising the Company's existing capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1.

In addition, Austral to pay C$ 1,176,471 (the "Cash Consideration") to the Revelo Shareholders, pro rata, based on their respective shareholdings as of the completion date of the Transaction. Austral proposes to fund the Cash Consideration utilising its existing cash reserves.

Based on the 30 day volume-weighted trading price of Revelo's and Austral's shares on the TSX-V prior to signing of the Offer Letter, the Austral Shares being issued represent a 55% premium to the price of Revelo's stock and the aggregate of the Austral Shares being issued and the Cash Consideration represents a 77% premium.

Austral and Revelo have mutually agreed to pay the other party a termination fee of US$ 500,000 if the Transaction does not close by February 28, 2021, for any reason other than certain exceptions agreed to between the parties in the Offer Letter (which includes the entering into definitive agreements). Therefore, if definitive agreements are not entered into by the parties and the Transaction does not proceed, the termination fee will not be payable.

The Transaction is expected to proceed on a friendly basis with the unanimous support of the Board of Directors of both Austral and Revelo.

There will be no changes to the Board of Austral as a consequence of the Transaction.

Chairman, Michael Winn, and President and CEO, Timothy Beale, holding an aggregate of 19,938,869 common shares of Revelo, representing approximately 51.6% of the outstanding common shares of Revelo, have entered into a voting support agreement with Austral pursuant to which they and entities controlled by them have agreed, among other things, to support the Transaction and vote their common shares of Revelo in favour of the Transaction.

As noted above, completion of the Transaction remains subject to a number of material terms and conditions being satisfied, including:

Revelo Shareholder approval;

entering into of definitive agreements, including support agreements by Revelo's officers and directors and significant shareholders;

obtaining all applicable regulatory, court and stock exchange (TSX-V and ASX) approvals;

the absence of material adverse changes to Revelo or Austral; and

completion of satisfactory due diligence activities by Revelo and Austral.

Austral does not consider that the Transaction, if it proceeds, will require Austral to seek shareholder approval.

Austral's Chief Executive Officer, Stabro Kasaneva, said: "We are pleased to make an offer for the acquisition of Revelo as they own seven interesting assets, three of which are precious metals projects located in the Paleocene-Eocene belt, which is in the vicinity of our Guanaco/Amancaya mining complex. In addition, Revelo is pursuing an attractive transaction with West Pacific Ventures Corp. which should result in Revelo owning a 19.9% interest in a new vehicle that will control an interesting set of copper projects in the same area. This transaction would allow us to consolidate our leading role in the Paleocene-Eocene Belt in Chile and increase our portfolio of exploration assets."

Revelo's Chairman, Michael Winn, commented: "This is a very attractive deal for Revelo's shareholders. Austral Gold is a growing producer of gold and silver with what we believe to be great upside potential. The proposed business combination between Austral's production and Revelo's exploration assets, with three of Revelo's gold-silver exploration projects within easy trucking distance of Austral's processing plant at Guanaco, make for a compelling story."

Revelo and Austral are working to complete due diligence activities and sign definitive documentation in mid-September with a view to closing the Transaction in mid-November.

Revelo continues to work towards the closing of its previously announced "spin-out" transaction whereby eight of Revelo's projects are being sold to West Pacific Ventures Corp., following which West Pacific will participate in a reverse take-over transaction with Fireswirl Technologies Inc. (see Fireswirl's news release dated August 17, 2020). The agreement is subject to the raising of a minimum of C$ 4,000,000 in financing for the new venture, which will be invested in the exploration of the properties being sold. Austral is fully supportive of this transaction being concluded as soon as possible.

ABOUT AUSTRAL

Austral Gold Limited is a growing gold and silver mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile, the US and Argentina. Its flagship Guanaco/Amancaya project in Chile is a gold and silver producing mine with further exploration upside. Austral also holds the Casposo Mine (San Juan, Argentina), a 26.46% interest in the Rawhide Mine (Nevada, USA) and an attractive portfolio of exploration projects including the Pinguino project in Santa Cruz, Argentina (100% interest) and the San Guillermo and Reprado projects near Amancaya (100% interest). With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral Gold Limited is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: AGLD), and the Australian Securities Exchange. (ASX: AGD). For more information, please consult Austral's website www.australgold.com.

ABOUT REVELO

Revelo is a Canadian company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: RVL). Revelo holds interests in a substantial portfolio of gold-silver and copper projects located along world-class mineral belts in northern Chile. Discounting the eight properties in the process of being sold to West Pacific Ventures Corp., as described above, Revelo's land holdings include 4 projects focused on gold and silver totalling approximately 38,000 hectares, together with three projects focused on copper-gold totalling approximately 30,000 hectares, and represents an important portfolio in the country with many highly-prospective indicators of precious metals and copper porphyry mineralization, including, in some cases, historic drill intercepts. Additionally, Revelo has a 15% equity interest in a private company, Atacama Copper Exploration Ltd., and will have a 19.9% equity interest in the new spin-out venture involving West Pacific Ventures Corp. once that transaction closes.

For more information, please visit Revelo's website at www.reveloresources.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Austral Gold Limited:

"Stabro Kasaneva"

CEO



Release approved by the Chief Executive Officer of Austral Gold Limited, Stabro Kasaneva

On behalf of Revelo Resources Corp.:

"Timothy J Beale"

CEO

For Further Information please contact:

Jose Bordogna

Chief Financial Officer

Austral Gold Limited

jose.bordogna@australgold.com

+54 (11) 4323 7558

Ben Jarvis

Director

Austral Gold Limited

info@australgold.com

+61 413 150 448

Timothy J Beale

President & CEO

Revelo Resources Corp.

+1-604-687-5544

info@reveloresources.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements are statements that are not historical and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include that Austral is to purchase all the outstanding shares of Revelo and the terms agreed to in the Offer Letter.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, business integration risks; uncertainty of production, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets especially in light of the effects of the novel coronavirus, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral reserves and resource estimates, Austral's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and management, potential labour unrest, reclamation and closure requirements for mineral properties; unpredictable risks and hazards related to the development and operation of a mine or mineral property that are beyond the Company's control, the availability of capital to fund all of the Company's projects and other risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on the ASX and on SEDAR. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral and Revelo cannot assure readers that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's and Revelo's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral and Revelo do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law.

For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63095
A woman walks past a child care centre that's closed due to the pandemic, in Toronto on April 10, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Expected Child Care Program Raises Hopes and Concerns

Universal child care announcement likely in throne speech, but research points to problems in Quebec example

Support for a universal child care plan has been voiced by both the minority Liberal government and the NDP. Child care advocates welcome the news, but the approach and expenditure also have critics.

Morna Ballantyne, executive director of advocacy group Child Care Now, told The Epoch Times that child care is on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus radar.

There were commitments made in the 2019 election by the Liberal Party, and there were also big promises made by the NDP. And given the minority situation of the Liberals, we may very well see something in the throne speech and in the next budget. Were cautiously optimistic, she said.

Female participation in the workforce fell by 1.5 million in the first two months of the pandemic, according to a study by the Royal Bank of Canada. At the end of March, Child Care Now launched a Child Care for All campaign. In April, four child care advocates issued a report that called for more collaboration among all levels of government and urged the creation of a federal child care secretariat.

Theres been a long-standing lack of regulated child care, Ballantyne says. Its very expensive and there needs to be much more government attention paid to the quality of the programs.

In the 2017 federal budget, the Liberals committed $7 billion over the next 10 years to child care. The pandemic response included $625 million to fund more child care spaces as part of a $19 billion transfer to the provinces announced this July.

Ballantyne wants the federal government to give $2 billion to address the current child care shortfall, with amounts rising by an additional $2 billion annually to build capacity.

She says the federal government should negotiate agreements with the provinces to meet certain benchmarks on a timetable. The agreements should also include monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the tax dollars used.

Nobody knows right now [the cost] to have affordable, high-quality, accessible child care in Canada  because theres so many variables in making that calculation. What we do know is that we need a lot more public money. We need at least $10 billion, possibly more, on an annual basis.

Peter Jon Mitchell, the acting program director for Cardus Family, says this approach has problems.

One of the challenges of funding child care directly is that it funds spaces, it doesnt fund children. So even when those spaces go unfilled, money is still directed to unfilled spaces, Mitchell says.

It funnels a tremendous amount of money into one or two forms of care, primarily centre-based care. So it really doesnt leave a lot of options on the table for parents who might choose other forms of care, or [none].

In 2019, Statistics Canada reported that about 60 percent of children under 6 had had non-parental child care within the previous three months. For these 1.4 million children, daycare was the most commonly used type of arrangement, used by 52 percent of the children, followed by care provided by a non-parental relative, at 26 percent, and care in a family child care home, at 20 percent.

We know from that same study that [parents] use those forms of care for various reasons, the top reasons being location, the characteristics of a caregiver, the hours of operation. So I think the best option is to put that money back in the hands of parents to allow them to make the best decisions, Mitchell says.

Quebec launched a universal child care system in 1997 that cost parents only $5 per day per child; that rose to $7 a day in 2004 and then to $7.30 in 2014. Public costs have grown even more. A 2015 study published on ScienceDirect, an online platform for peer-reviewed literature, showed that regulated child care places in Quebec rose from 78,864 in 1997 to 245,107 in 2012, while provincial subsidies rose from $288 million in 1996-97 before the program began to $2.2 billion in 2011-12.

A 2019 study in the American Economic Journal showed that young children in Quebecs government-subsidized child care experienced a large decline in measured non-cognitive skills. At older ages, program exposure is associated with worsened health and life satisfaction, and increased rates of criminal activity. Increases in aggression and hyperactivity are concentrated in boys, as is the rise in crime rates, the authors wrote.

The findings are linked to the lower quality of care in the government-run program. It is not clear how a federal program would avoid similar problems. In mid-August, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said in a CBC interview that we are looking at ways to directly support women  on the barriers to employment, and I think of child care in particular.

Qualtrough offered no specifics and said it would be unwise for her to scoop the prime minister ahead of the throne speech after Parliament returns on Sept. 23.

The participation rate of women aged 15 years and over in the labour market, which includes those who were either working or looking for work, dropped from 61.2 percent in February to 55.5 percent in Aprilthe lowest level since 1986, according to Statistics Canada. The rate rebounded to a near-normal level of 59.4 percent in July.
Manjhi is considered a strong Mahadalit face in the state

Patna: Days after quitting the grand alliance, the Jitan Ram Manjhi led Hindustan Awam Morcha is set to join NDA in Bihar. According to HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan, Manjhi will make the official announcement on Thursday.

Manjhi is considered a strong Mahadalit face in the state. His entry into the NDA is being seen as a major setback for the grand alliance ahead of Assembly elections slated to be held in October-November this year.

Sources said that after quitting the grand alliance in August, Manjhi also explored the possibility to ally with several political parties. HAM insiders said that he discussed the issue with Pappu Yadav of Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) and Mukesh Sahani of Vikasheel Insan Party but his talks failed.

A week earlier, Manjhi met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to discuss his entry into the NDA. HAM insiders said that during his meeting he asked for around 15-20 seats in Magadh region and one MLC seat for himself. But the JD(U) is believed to have offered 10-12 seats.

Clarifying partys position on the issue of seat adjustments, Rizwan told this newspaper, "Seats are not the issue. Our party is willing to accept any number of seats being allotted by the NDA. Our motive is to stand firmly behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is trying to deal with the current economic condition of the country and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has been working for the states development."

A section in the JD(U) feels that Manjhis entry could help the NDA in the expansion of Dalit voters base in the state. Dalits in Bihar are over 15 per cent of the total voters and about 40 seats in the 243 member house are reserved for them.

Besides Manjhi, Ram Vilas Paswan is also a strong Dalit leader in Bihar. Currently, the NDA in the state comprises of JD(U), BJP and Ram Vilas Paswans LJP.

Manjhi was ousted from the JD(U) in 2015 for rebelling against Nitish Kumar who had installed him as Chief Minister. He later formed HAM and contested 21 seats in the 2015 Assembly elections as an NDA constituent. In March 2018, he joined the grand alliance led by RJD. However, after his differences with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on the issue of coordination committee he walked out of the opposition coalition on August 20.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.s lead over President Trump among registered voters in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania has shrunk from 13 percentage points to just four points, according to polling released Wednesday by Monmouth University.

The narrowing is largely because Mr. Trump has begun consolidating support from Republicans and conservative voters who have disapproved of his stewardship, but it is also is due to declining support for Mr. Biden among men over all and among voters under age 50.

Mr. Biden has led 36 of the last 37 public polls of Pennsylvania, a state Mr. Trump carried by 44,000 votes out of 6 million cast in 2016. Mr. Trumps victory there, powered by a combination of stronger than expected support for him in the states rural areas and weak turnout in major cities, prompted a multi-year Democratic reckoning that the Scranton-born Mr. Biden and his allies are still struggling to process.

The Monmouth poll also shows that a high turnout model narrowly benefits Mr. Biden. The Democratic nominee leads the race by three points when the poll assumes a high turnout, but by just one point if there is low turnout.
Gibson said his group is not the threat that experts say it is. Although he admits that he injected himself into volatile protests in the immediate aftermath of Trumps victory, he said he has shifted the group to be less confrontational. Instead of charging into liberal cities to confront far-left protesters, Gibson said, he is now focused on organizing conservatives in smaller cities where he believes his anti-government message has more opportunity to resonate.
In normal times, Bruneau Laurette spends his days providing armed escort to ships dodging pirates as they head through the Indian Ocean.

But in recent weeks, the maritime security expert has surged into a new role: the voice of a nation's anger after an oil spill soiled the coast of his native Mauritius.

The disaster occurred after a 100,000-tonne Japanese bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, ran aground on a coral reef on July 25.

It spewed more than 1,000 tonnes of oil into pristine waters that are home to mangrove forests and endangered species and are vital for fishermen and the country's tourist industry.

After the 300-metre (1,000-foot) ship split in two, the larger piece was towed out to sea and sunk, but the smaller section remains stranded on the reef.

A satellite picture of the wrecked Wakashio, obtained on August 18 by Maxar Technologies. By Handout (Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies/AFP)

Public anger continues to mount. On Saturday, in one of the country's biggest rallies in years, tens of thousands of black-clad people took to the streets of the capital Port Louis in response to Laurette's call for a protest over what he sees as a flawed government response.

"The number exceeded my expectations," Laurette said of the crowd size during an interview with AFP.

Government 'breakdown'

The outspoken Laurette -- a muscular 46-year-old with a shaved head who often wears military-style garb -- has given voice to Mauritians concerned about the long-term damage caused by the spill.

"I don't feel anger. My feelings are more of sadness, when I see the incompetence," he said.

Endangered coast. By Gillian HANDYSIDE (AFP)

It is still unclear why the MV Wakashio veered so close to the coast, and Laurette believes an explanation is long overdue.

He has also chastised the government for failing to recognise the gravity of the threat and for taking too long to start pumping oil from the ship, which only began leaking fuel more than a week after it ran aground.

In a crisis "we cannot carry on as we do every day," he said. "We have to adapt to the situation and evolve. But here we have a tendency to wait and wait. But we cannot do this. That's why I say there was a breakdown."

The government has vowed to seek compensation from the owner and the insurer of the ship for "all losses and damages" caused by the spill as well as clean-up costs.

But Laurette says he doesn't trust the government to hold to account local officials who may share in the blame.

Nine melon-headed whales, also called electra dolphins, washed up on the shores of Mauritius after the disaster, boosting speculation of a link to the spill. By Beekash Roopun (L'Express Maurice/AFP)

This is why he filed his own legal complaint -- dragging two government ministers in front of a court -- saying he was "aggrieved and afflicted" by the massive spill.

He also filed a complaint against the Indian captain of the ship, who was separately arrested by Mauritian authorities.

In his affidavit, Laurette described how he would go swimming in Blue Bay and take his children for picnics on the Ile aux Aigrettes -- both areas affected by the spill.

"I also used to buy fish and seafood, oysters and crabs, from local fishermen at Mahebourg."

'Hungry for justice'

Laurette has also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, a move praised by many Mauritians who took part in Saturday's protest.

Jugnauth, who took office in 2017, is the son of former Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth.

His critics, Laurette among them, lament the fact that a select group of families have played an outsized role in Mauritian politics.

Tens of thousands took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate at the government's response to the disaster. By Fabien Dubessay (AFP)

Protesters on Saturday went beyond the oil spill to denounce corruption, inequality and a government they say is increasingly authoritarian.

"I don't believe he is humble enough to step down," Laurette told AFP, denouncing Pravind Jugnauth's "oversized ego" and "arrogance".

In the first weeks after the oil spill, the prime minister dismissed criticism of his response and refused to apologise.

But in a televised address Monday evening, he said he had "heard" his critics and vowed to open a public inquiry into the disaster.

In the interview with AFP, Laurette described himself as "hungry for justice" and suggested his activism related to the oil spill was just the beginning of a longer process.

"That's just the warming up," he said. "It hasn't started yet."
Its been a long six months out of work during the coronavirus pandemic, but at least a few thousand casino workers will be back on the job in Atlantic City starting Friday when the states ban on indoor dining is lifted.

Casinos in the shore city have been able to open since the beginning of July, but with indoor dining still off the menu, guests couldnt eat in interior restaurants or flag down a cocktail waitress for a drink while playing the slots or table games.

Bob McDevitt, president of Unite Here Local 54, which represents 10,600 Atlantic City hospitality workers, said hes seen roughly 5,000 of them laid off since casinos shut down in March.

We hope half of them are back to work Friday, McDevitt said Tuesday. Maybe even more.

He is also optimistic that the return of food and beverage service  especially on the casino floor  will lure back many patrons who have not returned to casinos and thus mean even more workers get their jobs back.

Were hoping for more of a resurgence of the bread-and-butter patrons, he said.

A woman plays a slot machine at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City N.J. on July 2, 2020. Figures released Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, by New Jersey gambling regulators show Atlantic City's casinos lost $112 million in the second quarter of 2020 when all nine casinos were closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, compared to a profit of nearly $160 million in the second quarter of 2019. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)AP

Still, casinos remain on worse financial footing than theyve been in years due to the shutdowns and gamblers reluctance to hit the casino floor.

In their first month back in business, New Jersey casinos and sportsbooks brought in $264.5 million, a 21% decrease compared to $334.4 million in July of 2019, according to the states Division of Gaming Enforcement. They lost $112 million when they were closed for the entire second quarter of 2020, compared to nearly $160 million profit they made in the second quarter of 2019.

This weekend, MGM Resorts International announced that for 18,000 of its workers  already furloughed for the last six months  their employment would officially be terminated Aug. 31.

The company told NJBiz this affected more than 2,000 workers at the Borgata. But since theyve already been out of work for six months, its not clear if it changes much for those workers. McDevitt said he wasnt aware of any changes for the roughly 2,000 Unite Here Local 54 workers at the Borgata.

A spokeswoman for the Borgata said the return of indoor dining meant the number of employees affected was in flux.

We cannot give an accurate account at this time, but it will be less than originally thought (and previously reported.) Liza Costandino said in an email. MGM and Borgata will continue to welcome employees back as our reopening plan progresses, regulatory restrictions are lifted, business demand grows and our amenities, occupancy and operations expand and require additional support.

Gov. Phil Murphys decision  days before the July 2 reopening of casinos  to postpone the start of indoor dining indefinitely threw a wrench in the nine establishments grand opening plans. Some ramped up their outdoor dining options and others hired beer and food trucks to give patrons refreshment outdoors.

Starting Friday, casinos can open their indoor dining at 25% capacity and with 6 feet between each table. Masks must be worn indoors unless people are eating and drinking at a table.

The Ocean Casino Resort plans to bring back 150 workers to help prepare for indoor dining, a spokesman said.

A spokesman for the Golden Nugget declined to answer questions about how many workers would be brought back, but called the opening of its seven restaurants Friday a step in the right direction to putting them back to work.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Courtesy, Mi Tierra

Along with being known for 24/7 Tex-Mex dishes, Mi Tierra is also known for an ambiance made up of papel picado-covered cielings, fresh pan dulce, mariachi serenades and Elvis.

For years, the beloved San Antonio Elvis impersonator has set up an unofficial perch at the Market Square restaurant, always ready for a photo opportunity. The coronavirus pandemic has forced restaurants and residents to make some adjustments in response to mitigating the virus, but the Elvis impersonator is back.
Sales growth of 7.1%

Comparable store sales growth of 5.4% (excluding temporarily closed stores)

Net earnings of $142.5 million and diluted net earnings per share of $0.46

and diluted net earnings per share of 13 net new stores opened in the quarter, bringing total store count to 1,314 across Canada

Continued execution of COVID-19 measures and related investments to protect the health and safety of employees and customers

MONTREAL, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Dollarama Inc. (TSX: DOL) ("Dollarama" or the "Corporation") today reported its financial results for the second quarter ended August 2, 2020.

"Our strong financial performance in the second quarter reflects Dollarama's positioning as a shopping destination of choice for Canadians from coast to coast for convenience and a compelling assortment of affordable, everyday products. Our sales were strong, driven by the demand for summer seasonal items, and store traffic improved with each month as provincial reopening plans unfolded," said President and CEO Neil Rossy.

"All of our stores were open to serve customers entering the third quarter and we continue to closely monitor consumer shopping patterns to ensure our store offering remains relevant to Canadian families in the evolving socio-economic environment shaped by the pandemic. The health and safety of our employees and customers remain paramount. We will diligently maintain our COVID-19 operating procedures and health and safety measures in accordance with public health directives and as the situation continues to evolve," added Mr. Rossy.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Highlights Compared to Second Quarter Fiscal 2020

Sales increased by 7.1% to $1,013.6 million .

. Comparable store sales (1) excluding temporarily closed stores grew 5.4% and comparable store sales (1) including temporarily closed stores grew 2.5%.

excluding temporarily closed stores grew 5.4% and comparable store sales including temporarily closed stores grew 2.5%. Gross margin (1) was 43.9% of sales, compared to 43.7% of sales.

was 43.9% of sales, compared to 43.7% of sales. EBITDA (1) decreased by 1.3% to $277.9 million , or 27.4% of sales, compared to 29.8% of sales.

decreased by 1.3% to , or 27.4% of sales, compared to 29.8% of sales. Operating income decreased by 4.6% to $211.4 million , or 20.9% of sales, compared to 23.4% of sales.

, or 20.9% of sales, compared to 23.4% of sales. Diluted net earnings per common share increased by 2.2%, to $0.46 from $0.45 .

from . Direct costs related to COVID-19 amounted to $34.3 million (which includes $1.9 million in gross margin and $32.4 million in SG&A).

(which includes in gross margin and in SG&A). 13 net new stores were opened, compared to 14 net new stores.

Dollarama Store Network Update

As at the end of the first quarter on May 3, 2020 , 104 stores remained temporarily closed due to government-mandated closures, primarily in Quebec malls.

, 104 stores remained temporarily closed due to government-mandated closures, primarily in malls. By June 19, 2020 , all stores had reopened but 107 stores operated with a 10% or more reduction in opening hours.

, all stores had reopened but 107 stores operated with a 10% or more reduction in opening hours. As at September 1, 2020 , only 83 stores had reduced opening hours.

____________________________ (1) We refer the reader to the notes in the section entitled "Selected Consolidated Financial Information" of this press release for the definition of these items and, when applicable, their reconciliation with the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Financial Results

All comparative figures that follow are for the second quarter ended August 2, 2020 compared to the second quarter ended August 4, 2019. All financial information presented in this press release has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada ("GAAP") as set out in the CPA Canada Handbook  Accounting under Part I, which incorporates International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").

Throughout this press release, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, total debt and net debt, which are referred to as "non-GAAP measures", are used to provide a better understanding of the Corporation's financial results. For a full explanation of the Corporation's use of non-GAAP measures, please refer to footnote 1 of the "Selected Consolidated Financial Information" section of this press release.

Throughout this press release, all references to "Fiscal 2020" are to the Corporation's fiscal year ended February 2, 2020, and to "Fiscal 2021" are to the Corporation's fiscal year ending January 31, 2021.

Sales for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021 increased by 7.1% to $1,013.6 million, compared to $946.4 million in the corresponding period of the prior fiscal year. The increase in sales is attributable to the growth in the total number of stores over the past twelve months, from 1,250 stores on August 4, 2019 to 1,314 stores on August 2, 2020, and to an increase in comparable store sales, driven by higher sales of summer seasonal items as well as household and cleaning products. This was partially offset by lower in-store traffic, a reduction in demand for certain product categories, such as party supplies and greeting cards, and reduced opening hours in some locations.

At the beginning of the second quarter, 104 stores remained temporarily closed due to government- mandated closures, primarily in Quebec malls. In addition, about 84% of stores were operating with reduced hours to allow more time for re-stocking outside of opening hours and due to mandated closures on Sundays in Quebec. Over the course of the quarter, provincial governments began to lift certain restrictions resulting in the re-opening of enclosed-mall stores, the resumption of operations on Sundays in Quebec, coupled with a gradual return to regular opening hours in all markets. By June 19, 2020, all Dollarama stores were open but 107 were still operating with a 10% or more reduction in opening hours. As a result, there was a gradual increase in store traffic throughout the quarter. However, customer habits continued to be impacted by the pandemic and the various public health measures in place, including physical distancing.

Comparable store sales excluding temporarily closed stores grew 5.4%, consisting of a 41.7% increase in average transaction size and a 25.7% decrease in the number of transactions. Customers reduced the frequency of store visits but purchased larger quantities of goods at one time. Comparable store sales were negatively impacted by low traffic in stores located in malls and which remained open across Canada for the convenience of customers. Comparable store sales including temporarily closed stores grew 2.5%.

Gross margin was 43.9% of sales in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, compared to 43.7% of sales in the second quarter of Fiscal 2020. Gross margin was slightly higher quarter over quarter due to higher sales of higher margin products, namely summer seasonal items, and the positive impact of scaling. This increase was partially offset by incremental direct costs related to COVID-19 measures implemented throughout Dollarama's operations, including in its logistics chain, representing approximately $1.9 million in cost of goods sold and a 20 basis-point impact.

General, administrative and store operating expenses ("SG&A") for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021 increased by 28.5% to $169.3 million, compared to $131.7 million for the second quarter of Fiscal 2020. SG&A for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021 represented 16.7% of sales, compared to 13.9% of sales for the second quarter of Fiscal 2020. This 2.8% variance mainly reflects the equivalent of an additional shift in each store to staff a dedicated position responsible for limiting the number of customers in-store at one time and for the execution of additional cleaning and physical distancing measures, as well as temporary wage increases for store employees (effective March 23, 2020, and extended to August 2, 2020), amounting to approximately $32.4 million in total and representing a 320 basis-point impact. SG&A was positively impacted by higher labour productivity in stores due to the processing of fewer transactions but larger baskets.

Incremental direct costs related to COVID-19 measures implemented by Dollarama to support employees and protect the health and safety of customers and employees are estimated at approximately $34.3 million in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. This amount does not reflect any indirect costs related to COVID-19 such as lost sales and changes in the sales mix.

For the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, the Corporation's 50.1% share of Dollarcity's net earnings for the period from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020, was $2.5 million. The Corporation's investment in Dollarcity is accounted for as a joint arrangement using the equity method.

Financing costs decreased by $2.0 million, from $24.6 million for the second quarter of Fiscal 2020 to $22.6 million for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. The decrease is mainly due to a lower average borrowing rate following the implementation of the commercial paper program in the United States.

Net earnings were $142.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted common share, in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, compared to $143.2 million, or $0.45 per diluted common share, in the second quarter of Fiscal 2020. Net earnings in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021 reflect higher sales and improved gross margin, offset by the incremental, direct costs incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Capital expenditures increased by $4.1 million, from $30.4 million for the second quarter of Fiscal 2020 to $34.5 million for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. This increase reflects additional store-related transformational capital expenditures, including but not limited to, the purchase of additional self-checkout machines for certain high-traffic locations across the network, the continued roll-out of security cameras, and other store optimization projects.

Dollarcity Update

At its latest quarter ended June 30, 2020, Dollarcity had a total of 232 stores with 121 locations in Colombia, 48 in El Salvador and 63 in Guatemala. This compares to a total of 228 stores as at December 31, 2019. Due to strict COVID-19 confinement measures and other related restrictions, no new stores were opened in the quarter. Dollarcity was recognized as an essential business in all three countries of operations from the outset of the pandemic. As at June 30, 2020, Dollarcity had only 2 temporarily closed stores, compared to 40 in mid-March 2020. As at June 30, 2020, 42 stores were operating with reduced opening hours.

Estimated Purchase Price Revision

Based on Dollarcity's preliminary unaudited financial statements for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, the estimated purchase price for the Corporation's 50.1% interest in Dollarcity has been adjusted to US$92.7 million ($123.5 million) from the previously reported estimate of US$80.4 million as at May 3, 2020. A gradual lifting of strict government-mandated confinement measures in countries of operation and an increase in store opening hours during the course of Dollarcity's latest quarter ended June 30, 2020 resulted in higher sales, EBITDA and lower debt levels than previously forecasted and anticipated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The adjustment to the estimated purchase price is reflected in the cost of the equity-accounted investment on the statement of financial position.

Dollarama made an upfront cash payment of US$40.0 million ($52.8 million) when it acquired its 50.1% interest on August 14, 2019. As such, based on the latest adjustment, the remaining balance of the purchase price is estimated at US$52.7 million ($70.7 million). It is recorded in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and will be due, subject to final adjustments following completion of the audit of results for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, in the third quarter of Fiscal 2021.

Dividend

On September 2, 2020, the Corporation announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend for holders of common shares of $0.044 per common share. This dividend is payable on November 6, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 9, 2020. The dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian tax purposes.

Normal Course Issuer Bid

On July 3, 2020, the Corporation announced the renewal of its normal course issuer bid and the approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to repurchase for cancellation up to 15,548,326 common shares, representing 5.0% of the common shares issued and outstanding as at the close of markets on June 30, 2020, during the 12-month period from July 7, 2020 to July 6, 2021.

No common shares were repurchased for cancellation under the normal course issuer bid since the beginning of the fiscal year as the Corporation chose to preserve liquidity due to the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As at August 2, 2020, the Corporation's adjusted net debt to EBITDA ratio stood at 2.80x, a 14 basis-point improvement over the ratio of 2.94x at the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2021.

Fiscal 2021 Guidance

Due to the uncertainty related to COVID-19, including its duration, severity, the scope of government-mandated measures in the event of a potential second wave and the extent of its public health and economic impacts on the Corporation's operations and future financial performance, the Corporation does not provide guidance for Fiscal 2021.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release about our current and future plans, expectations and intentions, results, levels of activity, performance, goals or achievements or any other future events or developments constitute forward-looking statements. The words "may", "will", "would", "should", "could", "expects", "plans", "intends", "trends", "indications", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "likely" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to management and on estimates and assumptions made by management regarding, among other things, general economic conditions and the competitive environment within the retail industry in Canada and in Latin America, in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the factors which are discussed in greater detail in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Corporation's annual management's discussion and analysis for Fiscal 2020 and management's discussion and analysis for the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Corporation or Dollarcity; however, they should be considered carefully. The purpose of the forward-looking statements is to provide the reader with a description of management's expectations regarding the Corporation's and Dollarcity's financial performance and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made herein. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at September 2, 2020 and management has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Conference Call

Dollarama will hold a conference call to discuss its Fiscal 2021 second quarter results today, September 2, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. (ET). Financial analysts are invited to ask questions during the call. Other interested parties may participate in the call on a listen-only basis. The live audio webcast is accessible through Dollarama's website at https://www.dollarama.com/en-CA/corp/events-presentations.

About Dollarama

Dollarama is a recognized Canadian value retailer offering a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items both in-store and online. Our 1,314 locations across Canada provide customers with compelling value in convenient locations, including metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities and small towns. Select products are also available, by the full case only, through our online store at www.dollarama.com. Our quality merchandise is sold at select, fixed price points up to $4.00.

Dollarama also owns a 50.1% interest in Dollarcity, a growing Latin American value retailer. Dollarcity offers a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items at select, fixed price points up to US$3.00 (or the equivalent in local currency) through its 232 conveniently-located stores in Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Selected Consolidated Financial Information











13-Week Periods Ended

26-Week Periods Ended (dollars and shares in thousands, except per share amounts) August 2, 2020

August 4, 2019

August 2, 2020

August 4, 2019

$

$

$

$ Earnings Data













Sales 1,013,592

946,405

1,858,390

1,774,441 Cost of sales 568,842

533,162

1,064,589

1,012,307 Gross profit 444,750

413,243

793,801

762,134 SG&A 169,337

131,651

307,075

253,774 Depreciation and amortization 66,507

59,965

130,482

118,164 Share of net earnings of equity-accounted investment (2,503)

-

(4,877)

- Operating income 211,409

221,627

361,121

390,196 Financing costs 22,604

24,618

49,806

50,176 Earnings before income taxes 188,805

197,009

311,315

340,020 Income taxes 46,309

53,826

82,740

93,325 Net earnings 142,496

143,183

228,575

246,695















Basic net earnings per common share $0.46

$0.45

$0.74

$0.78 Diluted net earnings per common share $0.46

$0.45

$0.73

$0.78















Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:













Basic 310,748

314,757

310,515

314,729 Diluted 312,527

318,533

312,299

318,220















Other Data













Year-over-year sales growth 7.1%

9.0%

4.7%

9.2% Comparable store sales growth (2) 5.4%

4.7%

3.2%

5.2% Gross margin (3) 43.9%

43.7%

42.7%

43.0% SG&A as a % of sales (3) 16.7%

13.9%

16.5%

14.3% EBITDA (1) 277,916

281,592

491,603

508,360 Operating margin (3) 20.9%

23.4%

19.4%

22.0% Capital expenditures 34,502

30,362

82,500

61,042 Number of stores (4) 1,314

1,250

1,314

1,250 Average store size (gross square feet)(4) 10,289

10,262

10,289

10,262 Declared dividends per common share $0.044

$0.044

$0.088

$0.088



As at

August 2,

2020

February 2, 2020

$

$ Statement of Financial Position Data





Cash 218,357

90,464 Inventories 585,752

623,490 Total current assets 841,266

764,497 Property, plant and equipment 678,492

644,011 Right-of-use assets 1,305,161

1,283,778 Total assets 3,883,099

3,716,456 Total current liabilities 1,560,846

1,092,484 Total non-current liabilities 2,207,649

2,716,168 Total debt (1) 1,744,915

1,883,407 Net debt (1) 1,526,558

1,792,943 Shareholders' equity (deficit) 114,604

(92,196)













(1) In this press release, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, total debt and net debt are referred to as "non-GAAP measures". Non-GAAP measures are not generally accepted measures under GAAP and do not have a standardized meaning under GAAP. EBITDA, EBITDA margin, total debt and net debt are reconciled below. The non-GAAP measures, as calculated by the Corporation, may not be comparable to those of other issuers and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, or superior to, the comparable measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.





We have included non-GAAP measures to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating and financial performance. We believe that non-GAAP measures are important supplemental metrics of operating and financial performance because they eliminate items that have less bearing on our operating and financial performance and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP measures. We also believe that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-GAAP measures in the evaluation of issuers, many of which present non-GAAP measures when reporting their results. Our management also uses non-GAAP measures in order to facilitate operating and financial performance comparisons from period to period, to prepare annual budgets, and to assess our ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditure and working capital requirements.



13-Week Periods Ended

26-Week Periods Ended

(dollars in thousands) August 2,

2020

August 4,

2019

August 2,

2020

August 4,

2019

$

$

$

$ A reconciliation of operating income to EBITDA is included below:





























Operating income 211,409

221,627

361,121

390,196 Add: Depreciation and amortization 66,507

59,965

130,482

118,164 EBITDA 277,916

281,592

491,603

508,360 EBITDA margin(3) 27.4%

29.8%

26.5%

28.6%

A reconciliation of long-term debt to total debt is included below: As at

(dollars in thousands) August 2,

2020

February 2, 2020

$

$ Senior unsecured notes bearing interest at:





Fixed annual rate of 3.55% payable in equal semi-annual instalments,

maturing November 6, 2023 500,000

500,000 Fixed annual rate of 2.203% payable in equal semi-annual instalments,

maturing November 10, 2022 250,000

250,000 Fixed annual rate of 2.337% payable in equal semi-annual instalments,

maturing July 22, 2021 525,000

525,000 Variable rate equal to 3-month bankers' acceptance rate (CDOR) plus 27 basis

points payable quarterly, maturing February 1, 2021 300,000

300,000 Variable rate equal to 3-month bankers' acceptance rate (CDOR) plus 59 basis

points payable quarterly, repaid on March 16, 2020 -

300,000 Unsecured revolving credit facilities -

- Accrued interest on senior unsecured notes 6,368

8,407 Total long-term debt 1,581,368

1,883,407 Notes issued under US commercial paper program 163,547

- Total debt 1,744,915

1,883,407







A reconciliation of total debt to net debt is included below:





Total debt 1,744,915

1,883,407 Cash (218,357)

(90,464) Net debt 1,526,558

1,792,943





(2) Comparable store sales growth is a measure of the percentage increase or decrease, as applicable, of the sales of stores, including relocated and expanded stores, open for at least 13 complete fiscal months relative to the same period in the prior fiscal year. For the first and second quarters of Fiscal 2021, comparable store sales growth excludes temporarily closed stores. (3) Gross margin represents gross profit divided by sales. SG&A as a percentage of sales represents SG&A divided by sales. Operating margin represents operating income divided by sales. EBITDA margin represents EBITDA divided by sales. (4) At the end of the period.

SOURCE Dollarama Inc.

Related Links

www.dollarama.com


UP doctor Kafeel Khan, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) for his speech during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) last year, was released from the Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

After his release around midnight, Khan said the Uttar Pradesh government instead of doing Raj Dharma was indulging in Baal Hatth or childlike-stubbornness and could frame him in another case.

I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers, who raised their voice for my release. The administration was not ready for release, but because of the prayers (duaa) of people, I have been released, he told news agency PTI.

Khan claimed that he and his family had to face many hardships as the state government was after him because of the oxygen issue in BRD Medical College.

The Allahabad High Court had on Tuesday morning ordered the release of Khan and stated that his speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on December 10, 2019 did not promote any kind of hatred or violence.

The court also set aside his detention under the NSA saying that the February 13 order against Khan by the Aligarh district magistrate was illegal.

Also read| Kafeel Khans speech didnt promote hatred: HC orders his release, says invoking NSA illegal

A complete reading of the speech also no where threatens peace and tranquility of the city of Aligarh. The address gives a call for national integrity and unity among the citizens. The speech also deprecates any kind of violence. It appears that the District Magistrate had selective reading and selective mention for few phrases from the speech ignoring its true intent, it said.

Also read| Privacy, Migrants: How judge who freed Kafeel Khan bats for fundamental rights

The court was hearing a plea filed by the doctors mother Nuzhat Parveen that sought his release on grounds that Khan was granted bail by a competent court but wasnt freed and three days later, the NSA was invoked against him.

Khan was in lodged in the jail since January 29 for his alleged provocative speech at the AMU.

His detention under the NSA was extended by three months on May 12 and then again on August 4 for three more months.

Khan said he now wants to help flood-affected people in Bihar and Assam.

(With PTI inputs)
Controversial rapper and convicted felon Tekashi 6ix9ine has said that he gets compared to Donald Trump every day for his social media use and 'would jump off that ledge' if he were no longer famous - but intends to use his new-found freedom to 'keep making music and keep dominating.'

The Brooklyn-born rapper, real name Daniel Hernandez, was released from prison in April, amid concerns about COVID-19, and remains under house arrest.

In February 2019 he pled guilty to nine charges including conspiracy to commit murder and armed robbery, and was given a two-year prison sentence after testifying for the prosecution against the his former drug-dealing street gang, Nine Trey Gangster Bloods.

Tekashi 6ix9ine pled guilty in Feb 2019 to conspiracy to commit murder and armed robbery

In court in New York he testified against his fellow Nine Trey gang members

In his first interview since his release, Hernandez, 24, told The New York Times he had no regrets about joining the violent gang.

'I knew what I was doing with Nine Trey. I knew what I was getting into,' he said, adding that he did it to bring 'credibility' to his music.

Hernandez said gang members kidnapped him, stole money from him, and threatened to kill him.

He said he felt betrayed by his former 'crew', and became a 'snitch' because he feared for his life.

'I really want this to hit home: When I was kidnapped, was I a victim? Did I cooperate? No,' he said.

'When they were stealing money from shows, did I cooperate? No.

'Did I have many chances to tell the police what I saw? Yes.

'I was following a street code that was upheld by me and that I thought was real.

'Before I broke the street code, how many times was it broken to me? Its all about honor, loyalty.

'Well, lets talk about if sleeping with somebodys girl is honor, kidnapping somebody is honor, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them is honor, trying to kill them is honor.

'Snitchings not street! But street is taking advantage of one of your homies?'

The 24-year-old rapper was released early from prison in April and remains under house arrest

Prosecutors told Hernandez about threats to his life, and Hernandez testified on their behalf

Unrepentant about his involvement with Nine Trey, he did admit to being 'torn apart' by the 2013 use of a child in a sexual performance.

Hernandez was seen in videos miming graphic acts and touching a 13-year-old while she performed sex acts on other men.

He was sentenced to four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service as part of a plea agreement in that case, but insisted: 'I was 18 at the time. Am I this 40-year-old Jeffrey Epstein-type?'.

He compared himself to Tupak Shakur, who in 1994 was convicted of felony sex abuse.

'Is Tupac Shakur loved or hated? Loved!' he said.

'Whats the difference between me and Tupac Shakur? I never caught a rape charge - ever.'

He also discussed the physical abuse he inflicted on the mother of his child, Sara Molina, from 2011-18.

'Me and Sara spoke. Ive been visiting my daughter, Ive been giving my daughter money.

'I admitted my truth. Its the worst thing ever.

'But Im not going to sit there and lie to you. Im telling you, I did it. I admit to it, and I apologize.

'I dont owe the world an apology, the person I owe an apology to is Sara Molina. She got that apology. Thats where it matters.'

The Brooklyn-born rapper also confessed, in 2013, to use of a child in a sexual performance

He further discussed the physical abuse he meted out to the mother of his daughter over years

Hernandez, whose second album, TattleTales, is out on September 4, insisted that he was interested in making music, rather than fame.

But he admitted that, with 760,000 followers on Instagram, he loved being a celebrity.

Asked if he was addicted to attention, he replied: 'Oh, of course. I love it. I grew up being a nobody. Genuinely, as a kid, I felt like I was just walking invisibly. I never want to feel that way. My goal is to feed me and mine.'

He said he has no feelings about police brutality and racial justice - 'I feel like I got no say. Its like, Shut up, just make us laugh. Im not an activist. People do that for the cameras' - but said he was frequently compared to Trump.

'I dont think Trump trolls. I think Trump is genuinely Trump,' he said.

'I get compared to Trump every day. But I love Mexican people. I dont think were the same.'

Asked if he had ever voted, he replied: 'I would vote for Trump,' then laughed.
Touching upon his clamorous statement that there was no air defense in Stepanakert during the Four-Day Artsakh War, President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Haroutyunyan today told reporters that there were several UAVs hovering over Stepanakert and that Artsakh managed to strike one of them.

Touching upon the statement of Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh Samvel Babayan that the return of regions was on the negotiating table during the administration of the former authorities of Armenia, Haroutyunyan said the following: Samvel Babayan isnt the only one who has made this statement. We know what was discussed in regard to the Madrid Principles. There were two specific recommendations. One option was the return of five regions and discussion on status, and the other option was, I believe, the return of seven regions, a certain corridor, recognition of Karabakhs independence, but not by Azerbaijan. Recognition or no recognition, what matters to me is our security. In this regard, the current government of Artsakh isnt considering any option that may lower the degree of security. We have discussed the matter with the authorities of Armenia, we have our stance and our notions. In the past, we would talk more about recognition of the right to self-determination and then security, but now, security is the main issue, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 06:57:13|Editor: huaxia

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RIGA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Free travel inside the territory of the three Baltic states, or the so-called Baltic bubble, is about to end this week as COVID-19 cases are mounting in Latvia's neighbor countries Lithuania and Estonia, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said Wednesday.

As Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia succeeded in bringing the coronavirus under control in May, they agreed to lift mutual travel restrictions and create the Baltic bubble in which people could move freely without self-isolating after crossing the countries' borders.

The three Baltic countries also agreed on uniform safety measures that would be implemented to keep COVID-19 infections in check.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the COVID-19 incidence in Lithuania has already exceeded 16 cases per 100,000 population over the past 14 days, and the infection rate in Estonia might cross that mark in a matter of days.

According to the COVID-19 rules currently effective in Latvia, all travelers who arrive in Latvia from countries where the cumulative 14-day COVID-19 incidence exceeds 16 cases per 100,000 population are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The application of that rule to arrivals from Lithuania and Estonia would mean an end of the Baltic travel bubble. Lithuania and Estonia have asked Latvia for a temporary exemption in a bid to save the travel bubble, but Prime Minister Karins said that Latvia would not ease the self-isolation requirement, citing the need to protect public health.

Latvia revises its list of countries to which travel restrictions are applied on a weekly basis. The national Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is due to release an updated list this Friday. Enditem
S Lalitha By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: In one of the biggest drug seizures effected at the Kempegowda International Airport, 8.5kg of high-quality marijuana, a psychoactive drug banned in India, was intercepted in huge parcels which landed here in a cargo flight from Washington. The drugs, valued at over Rs 2 crore in the market, were meant for dispatch to Bengaluru, Tumakuru and Hyderabad, said a highly-placed source in the Customs department.

The marijuana was cleverly concealed inside some equipment in the form of three parcels, on a DHL cargo flight which reached KIA on Sunday. Following a tip-off in our internal network about its contents on Monday, we slashed open the huge packages which contained water dispensers and a powered air compressor. The drugs were neatly packaged inside with a carbon kind of coating around them to avoid detection.

The maximum quantity of 4.5 kg of marijuana in a single big package was intended for an addressee in Bengaluru, while two parcels totally containing 3.5 kg of marijuana were intended for Hyderabad, and 0.5 kg was for bound for Tumakuru, a top official said. It is a kind of concentrated marijuana, so the rate is very high. While one gram would cost around Rs 2,200 in the US, it would be sold for a much higher price in India as it is highly sought after, the source said.

This is one of the biggest consignments we have seized so far, he added. Just recently, the Customs department had provided TNIE with stats that showed that smuggling of both narcotics and gold had dipped massively at KIA due to the nearly 90% dip in passenger traffic.Marijuana is a combination of the leaves, stem and buds of the cannabis plant and can cause a range of physical and psychological problems.

Trafficking or even possession of marijuana is a serious offence and cases are booked under the stringent Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Act, 1985 against those found with it.
Oregon voters will not likely see an initiative on the November ballot to insulate the states redistricting process from the Legislature and hand it to a new independent commission, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday.

With the deadline for initiatives to be placed on the ballot looming Thursday, the appeals court concluded it is unlikely the U.S. Supreme Court will lift a stay keeping the measure off the ballot.

Democrats including former President Barack Obama have advocated switching to independent commissions to redraw states electoral maps and worked to do so in red states. In blue Oregon, Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum instead worked to block the proposal from reaching voters and appears to have succeeded.

Through a spokesperson, Rosenblum declined to comment on her win Wednesday. Karynn Fish, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, wrote in an email that Rosenblums decision to ask the appeals court to overturn the lower courts decision that the initiative should go on the ballot had nothing to do with the substance of (the initiative), on which we have no position.

While we take no position on (Initiative Petition) 57, we have defended its constitutionality in other proceedings, and Attorney General Rosenblum has spoken out unequivocally against partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts, Fish wrote. She said the issue of a campaign seeking adjustments to the signature requirements due to COVID-19 could just as easily have come up in connection with any other measure that was gathering signatures when COVID-19 hit.

In a statement Wednesday morning, initiative chief petitioner and campaign chair Norman Turrill said supporters will continue to push for a fair redistricting process in 2021 and beyond. Turrill, a past president of the League of Women Voters, has pointed out the Legislature only once successfully completed redistricting in the last century, as documented by the City Club of Portland in a 2012 report. That means in nearly all cases Oregon relied on its fallback option, having the partisan secretary of state redraw the electoral lines.

People Not Politicians, a broad, diverse coalition of organizations and individuals from across the state has run an extraordinary campaign under unprecedented circumstances of a public health pandemic, Turrill wrote. More importantly, tens of thousands of Oregonians have raised their hands to say that they want a redistricting process that puts people, not politicians, in charge of drawing district lines. We will pursue our case at the district court and continue our efforts to ensure an impartial and open redistricting for Oregonians.

Initiative Petition 57 would transfer the once-a-decade job of redoing Oregons legislative and congressional district lines from the state Legislature to a new 12-member commission. Supporters include good government groups, business associations and branches of the NAACP.

With Oregon in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic and under Gov. Kate Browns stay-home orders in the spring, the campaign struggled to gather the 149,360 valid signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot by July 2. Only two citizen petitions, one to allow supervised use of psilocybin and the other to decriminalize drug possession and fund addiction treatment, qualified for this falls ballot.

In late June, People Not Politicians filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge for the U.S. District Court in Eugene to require Secretary of State Bev Clarno, a Republican, to lower the threshold for it to qualify its proposal for the November ballot. The group argued Clarnos strict enforcement of the signature requirements in the state Constitution violated their First Amendment rights to political speech and association.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane agreed with the campaign and issued a preliminary injunction requiring Clarno to either accept the signatures the group had gathered by that point or extend the deadline to Aug. 17 and lower the requirement to 58,789 signatures.

Clarno said she would not appeal the district courts ruling, so it appeared voters see the initiative on their November ballots.

But Rosenblum appealed the district court ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also sought a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court in order to keep the initiative from being placed on the ballot while the appeal was decided. On Aug. 11 the Supreme Court granted the stay, drawing national attention.

On Tuesday, a panel of judges from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that the practical effect of the stay is that even if we affirm the district courts injunction, the Supreme Court is not likely to lift the stay until after the Sept. 3, 2020 deadline to place the initiative on the November 2020 ballot, likely rendering this action moot as to this election cycle.

Still, a majority of justices on the opinion pointed out the U.S. Supreme Court has held courts may review election-related cases even if too little time remains for the questions to be decided before the imminent election, if there is a reasonable expectation that the same complaining party would be subjected to the same action again. Otherwise, many challenges to election restrictions citing the First Amendment would avoid judicial review because of the often short time span between the filing of such lawsuits and the election, the justices wrote.

A lawyer for People Not Politicians told the appeals court that if the U.S. Supreme Court does not lift its stay in time for the initiative to get on the ballot this year, supporters will attempt to gather signatures to do so in November 2022.

Since the Supreme Court issued a stay before the campaign and the attorney general even had a chance to make the case that the issue would, or would not, arise again leading up to the November 2022 election, the appeals court remanded the case to the federal district court in Eugene to consider those arguments.

 Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | @hborrud

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Multiple pupils at Sir William Borlases Grammar School in Buckinghamshire have tested positive for coronavirus. (Wikipedia)

A secondary school in Buckinghamshire has delayed a full reopening after multiple pupils tested positive for coronavirus.

The students, who attend Sir William Borlases Grammar School, had reportedly been on a group holiday and tested positive for the virus on their return, along with some family members.

The affected teenagers, who are believed to be in the schools sixth form, are now self-isolating after they were contacted by test and trace staff.

There are some linked cases of coronavirus amongst a group of young people & their families in the Marlow area. All households are isolating, no cause for wider alarm but pls stay vigilant. Self-isolate straight away if you get symptoms & follow NHS advice https://t.co/VpKiwsYes6  Buckinghamshire Council (@BucksCouncil) September 2, 2020

As a result of the positive tests, the school will now have a staggered start to allow the older pupils to complete their self-isolation period, according to Buckinghamshire Councils cabinet member for education and skills Anita Cranmer.

She said: The school is clean and safe to return to and there will be a staggered start to the school year with the older students returning slightly later to allow pupils to complete the self-isolation period.

Public Health England are actively investigating these cases and have traced contacts to ensure that they are aware of the need to self-isolate.

Full opening of the school will now be put back until Thursday 10 September.

The Bucks Free Press quoted a parent who said the affected teenagers were part of a group of around 60 students from the school who visited the Greek island of Zante in August.

Holiday firm TUI has cancelled all trips to a party resort on the island following reports that six clusters of cases were linked to flights from the island.

The Scottish government has already announced a compulsory 14-day quarantine of all travellers arriving from Greece.

Story continues

A newsletter from headteacher Kay Mountfield sent to parents on Friday informed them of the delayed opening, according to the Maidenhead Advertiser.

Tourists eat at a restaurant on Zante. (Getty)

The newsletter reportedly asks parents and students to be vigilant in monitoring their health through these last weeks of the holiday.

The head added: "I would like to emphasise to all students and families the importance of observing the guidelines on social distancing, gathering with others and on isolation as appropriate.

Yahoo News UK has contacted Sir William Borlases Grammar School for a comment.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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The cluster of buildings comprising the IFC on Yeouido, Seoul / Korea Times file
The government is likely to announce new guidelines to resume Metro services under the Unlock 4 today. A meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority will be held today in which the decision regarding the guidelines for Unlock 4 and resumption of Delhi Metro rail services will be taken. The Delhi Metro on Saturday said that it will resume its services from September 7 in a calibrated manner in the wake of guidelines issued by Home Ministry under Unlock 4.

Here is what to expect:

Metro services to resume on 7 September

After nearly six months, metro services are set to resume in a graded manner" from 7 September in the fourth phase of Unlock announced by the home ministry on Saturday.

Hardeep S Puri to announce SOPs

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) ministry is likely to issue detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the functioning of metro trains today. It is expected that Hardeep S Puri, will be announcing guidelines in this regard .

Services may not resume at all stations

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had said a list of Metro stations where travel services are being restored is being prepared and will be made public soon.

No tokens, only metro cards

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, tokens won't be allowed for travelling in metro trains. The Centre has planned on implementing a contactless ticketing system using only metro cards. For the time being, no tokens will be issued to passengers due to a high risk of virus spreading through it. There will be a system of purchasing smartcards at every station and passengers will be able to travel only with smartcards," PTI had quoted Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot as saying.

Few stoppages

In order to keep the coronavirus disease from spreading, there are likely to be fewer stoppages and stations will be opened in a stations in a callibrated manner.

Masks mandatory in metro premises and inside the train

Commuters will be required to strictly adhere to guidelines on wearing masks and practicing social distancing norms.

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A Victorian father's hilariously accurate impression of Premier Daniel Andrews at a press conference has taken social media by storm.

Father-of-three Tim Penhalluriack posted a four-minute video of himself pretending to be Victorian Premier to Facebook on Monday, where it has since amassed more than 80,000 views.

In the video, Mr Penhalluriack wore a blue suit and glasses to imitate Mr Andrew's signature look while recreating some of his most recognisable mannerisms.

'Are we good to go? Great,' he said at the start of the video, referencing how the Premier often kicks off his daily press conferences.

Even Mr Andrews himself is in on this joke, as his current profile picture is captioned: 'Everyone right to go?'

Father-of-three Tim Penhalluriack (left) posted a four-minute video of himself pretending to be Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (right) to Facebook on Monday, where it has since amassed more than 80,000 views

Continuing his impression, Mr Penhalluriack then proceeded to jokingly criticise Melbourne's current Stage 4 lockdown.

'Can I start by saying, the vast majority of Victorians - the vast majority - are following the advice, following the rules,' Mr Penhalluriack continued.

'I'd firstly like to extend my thanks and my gratitude to those Victorians and of course to our heroes in the frontline, our frontline workers, our healthcare workers.

'In fact, they're pretty much the only workers that we have here in Victoria at the moment because of me and my restrictions.'

In the video, Mr Penhalluriack exaggerated some of Mr Andrew's tendencies by taking long dramatic pauses as he looked down at his paper and fixed his glasses.

A camera shutter sound can even be heard in the background in a bid to imitate a real press conference.

'If you wish to gather together in groups or get your mates around and continue to get on the beers, if you fail to socially distance, you'll be caught,' he continued.

The father was referencing Mr Andrew's famous 'get on the beers' quote from March, which has since been remixed into a song by DJ duo Mashd N Kutcher.

Mr Penhalluriack jokingly criticised Melbourne's Stage 4 lockdown, saying healthcare workers are 'pretty much the only workers that we have here in Victoria at the moment because of me and my restrictions'

But Mr Penhalluriack then delved into conspiracy-theory territory when he suggested that elderly Australians in nursing home are actually dying of 'complications totally unrelated to COVID-19'.

He falsely claimed there are 'significant financial incentives for families' to have coronavirus listed on their loved one's death certificates.

Earlier this month, a rumour that a family was offered $9,000 by a nursing home to put coronavirus as the cause of death on their elderly father's death certificate began circulating on social media.

The rumour also suggested nursing homes were being paid $25,000 by the Australian Government for each COVID-related death.

However, an AFP fact check has since debunked this rumour as completely false.

Mr Penhalluriack then finished off the video with a cheeky dig at the way politicians dodge questions.

'Are there any questions that I can side-step, perhaps? And perhaps not answer properly as so as to further frustrate the Victorian people,' he concluded.

The video comes as Victoria recorded 90 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths on Wednesday.

There are 2,415 active cases across the state, including 1,177 cases in aged care facilities and 35 cases in disability care settings.

Melburnians are currently in their fifth week of Stage 4 lockdown, which is set to last six weeks unless it is extended.
Processing and profiting from failure: Moving from the swamp of failure to the zone of excellence (pt 3)

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One of the truly dismal days of my life dawned in March 1966. I dont remember the date but can still feel the urgency that prodded me to decide and act.

I stared deeply that day into the quicksand of failure and realized I was already up to my neck. The big question was how to extract myself and family before the quagmire swallowed us whole.

As I detailed in Parts I and II, in 1965, against the advice of family and friends I abruptly resigned the noted megachurch where I was a staff pastor, left the Texas seminary where I was a second-year student, and relocated across the Atlantic, thousands of miles from loved ones. I was buoyed by a vision of building a strong, vibrant church in Europe while simultaneously earning a prestigious degree from the University of Erlangen.

But on that March day in 1966  barely four months after our arrival in Germany  I had to face up to the possibility I had missed the Lord and His will and made a disastrous decision that seemed irreversible.

The military people who made up the membership of our struggling church were being transferred to Vietnam, and our little family was down to our last $500. We either use this to live on here in Germany or to get ourselves back to America, I told my wife.

As I thought about her and our baby, I knew it was imperative to move my family home. There would also be another move I would have to make. It would take me from the dismal swamp of failure to the bright horizons of what I would come to call the zone of excellence.

That zone is a narrow strip in which you are positive, confident, and effective. There, success happens, and it appears you cannot fail. Writer Emily Hill commented on what athletes said about being in the zone: a hyper-focused, sometimes spiritual state of mind where anything is possible... where we become our most productive, creative, and powerful selves.[1]

But anyone who has experienced being in the zone in ministry under the Holy Spirit can testify that it is even more wonderful than that.

However, failure thrusts us out of our zone, leaving us with frustration, guilt, and a wearisome struggle to find our way back.

To understand the zone of excellence, think of a rectangle marked off top, bottom, right, and left with bold perimeters.

The top boundary is your identity in Christ. Our sense of self arises from our own self-perception and shaped by other people and their responses and relationships with us. Neither self nor another individual will give us a true sense of identity. If we rely on those interactions, we will make one of two mistakesand sometimes both: We will either overestimate or underestimate ourselves.

Christs transcendent opinion and understanding of the person we are and why God put us in the world is what counts. Although I was tempted to be angry at God some days and embarrassed to come before Him at other times, eventually I had to re-engage with my Lord and Savior. When I did, I began to get back some sense of who I am in Him.

The left boundary of the zone of excellence is your spiritual gifts. The right marker is natural talents and skills. Excellence happens when spiritual gifts and natural talents and skills align.

The bottom marker on the zone of excellence is things learned and character developed through trial and suffering. As I studied scriptural characters it became evident that all those who were so effective at leadership suffered greatly. That included Jesus, who learned active, special obedience through what He suffered. (Hebrews 5:7-10 Amplified).

Saul of Tarsus met the resurrected Christ on the Damascus road, and was shifted to a new sphere where he and success trekked together across the Roman Empire. Inside his sphere he suffered and learned much, and wrote,

We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you (2 Corinthians 10:13-14)

Boundaries is the Greek word, metron, the measure that establishes a certain place and its distinctives. We fail to achieve excellence when we try to step beyond our measure. Sometimes God will allow us to fail in spheres and places to which we were not called and gifted by Him for the work needed there. This is one of shocking discoveries that first, hurt, and then blessed my life.

I did not want to face the fact that I had allowed my own ambitions to put me in a place for which I was not equipped. But what a joy to discover that God was not through with me but would Himself get me to the places where I could serve without me manipulating my way there.

As he got older, C.S. Lewis could look back on his life and see his failures and feel again his pain. From that lofty time-perspective things made better sense. You cant go back and change the beginning, he wrote, but you can start where you are and change the ending.

So, you and I will not see the sweep that includes and provides perspective on our failures and pain until we get higher up the slopes of time. Despite our weaknesses and slides back down the mountain we must brush off the rocky grit of failure and keep climbing Mount Hoary.

Climbing Mount Hoary will be the final installment in this series.

[1]https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-it-really-means-to-b_b_10300610
By Pham Binh Minh - Member of the Politburo Deputy Prime Minister,Minister of Foreign Affairs

Diplomacy has also supported the nations revolution through massive difficulties, leaving great imprints on each of the countrys development periods, from contributing to seizing and firmly maintaining national independence in the revolutionary governments beginning days to fighting against invaders and bringing the whole nation to reunification and to the current times national construction and protection.

Right after the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and under the clear-sighted leadership of Uncle Ho and Party leaders, diplomacy played a leading role in firmly keeping national independence and successfully protecting the nascent revolutionary government. The diplomatic corps also took the lead in convincing nations to recognise the sovereignty and independence of Vietnam.

During the fight against the French colonists and the US imperialists, the Vietnamese revolutionary diplomacy became an important strategic front and an important part in the countrys revolutionary strategy, standing shoulder to shoulder with the military to bring the country to triumph.

The victories of Vietnamese diplomacy in Geneva in 1954 and in Paris in 1973 were all major milestones in the countrys journey to regaining independence and in the nations reunification.

After the war ended, diplomacy was a key channel in supporting the nation to dispel political blockage and economic embargo, and in normalising relations with neighbours and major countries.

In the time of doi moi and deepened international integration, the key task for foreign affairs is to continue creating a more favourable international climate for national socioeconomic development, boosting national industrialisation and modernization, as well as national construction and protection while actively contributing to the shared fight of the worlds people for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress.

The diplomatic corps have also helped expand and deepen Vietnams relations with diverse nations and territories, with the expansion of markets and new fields of cooperation, and the attraction of resources to serve socioeconomic development. At the same time, it has also contributed to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, firmly protecting our national and territorial integrity, and gradually building up the countrys international position and prestige.

At present, Vietnam has diplomatic ties with 189 out of 193 members of the United Nations, and has established long-term, stable relations with 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, creating a firm foundation for the country and other nations to advance mutual benefits, and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the wider world.

The diplomatic apparatus has made great efforts in implementing the countrys strategy of active international integration. It has provided consultancy for the Party and the government on sturdy and strategic measures which allowed the country to become an important link in many regional and global economic groupings, with the inking of many free trade agreements (FTAs), including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam FTA. This has generated major momentum for national development. Furthermore, diplomatic corps have also actively cooperated with relevant ministries and sectors to boost international integration in terms of security-defence, society, culture, and science and technology.

Multilateral diplomacy has grown strongly with many important achievements, affirming Vietnam as a responsible member of the international community. Not only playing a key role in successfully organising many big international events, especially acting as host of the Francophone Summit (1997), ASEAN summits (1998, 2010, and 2020), ASEM (2005), or APEC (2006 and 2017), Vietnam has also advanced many ideas and intiatives to contribute to solving shared issues of the region and the wider world. Especially, it played a crucial role in organising the second summit between the US and North Korea  which it hosted in Hanoi  boosting dialogues, reconciliation, and peace in the Korean Peninsula, and this has earned high appreciation from the international community. Vietnam has joined and made positive contributions to almost all important organisations, especially ASEAN, ASEM, APEC, and the UN, G7, and G20.

Regarding security and defence, the countrys diplomatic efforts have contributed to firmly protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It, together with relevant ministries and sectors, has made great efforts in negotiating and constructing road border lines with Laos, Cambodia, and China. It has also worked closely with the defence and public security agencies in protecting the countrys sovereignty in the East Sea.

Furthermore, the diplomatic corps have also helped cement the nations ties with people, localities, and enterprises. Many economic diplomatic activities have been organised, expanding markets and partner networks for businesses. Cultural diplomacy has also promoted Vietnam as a culturally rich nation with successful renovation. Currently, 39 heritages of Vietnam have been recognised by the UNESCO as the world cultural heritages.

At the same time, it has also actively deployed activities to protect Vietnamese citizens and overseas Vietnamese.

To reach all these achievements, in addition to being steadfast to the principles of independence, self-reliance, and placing the nations benefits above all, the diplomatic sector has always thrown its full weight behind other external activities like those of the Party, the National Assembly, people, and defence-security, and of each ministry, agency, and locality in order to effectively implement the countrys diplomatic and international integration activities, for the shared goals of maximising national benefits about security and development, and further enhancing the countrys prestige in the international arena.

The world is about to embark upon the third decade of the 21st century with intensive, rapid, and unpredictable developments. Peace, cooperation, and development remain a shared aspiration of all peoples in the world. However, the world is now facing numerous challenges, especially the global economic downturn, strategic competition among powerful nations, as well as traditional and non-traditional challenges such as pandemic, environmental pollution, climate change, and the security of our water resources.

Under the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the international landscape have become more pronounced, having direct and multi-faceted impacts on Vietnams security and development climate. This has generated both opportunities and challenges.

In this new situation, diplomacy will need to continue enhancing its proactive role in building a more peaceful environment that better facilitates national development and our stature in the world. Accordingly, we would need to develop a diplomatic apparatus that is larger, more modern, and of higher quality, with more efficient operations, based on the inheritance of the Vietnamese diplomatic tradition and the ideology of Ho Chi Minh diplomacy. At the same time, the diplomatic sector must also take the initiative to nourish and strengthen the spirit of innovation, with dynamic adaptation to the swift changes in the existing situation, in order to be able to fulfill its role in the time to come.

With the new position and strength of the country, our diplomacy will continue enhancing the glorious tradition and significant achievements of the past 75 years. It will also continue accompanying the countrys development, with great devotion to the nation and people. Under the leadership of the Party, Vietnamese diplomacy will continue marching forward and creating new milestones in the countrys history, greatly contributing to the nations construction and protection.
No casualties were reported in the past day.

Ukraine has reported three violations of the latest ceasefire agreements by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Tuesday, September 1.

"In total, over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military recorded three ceasefire violations by enemy forces," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Command wrote on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on September 2, 2020.

In particular, the enemy opened fire using automatic grenade launchers and small arms near the village of Vodiane, a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher near the village of Mayorsk, as well as rifles near the town of Maryinka.

Read alsoFokin's "compromise." Why Ukraine should forget about forgiving enemy in DonbasThe shots posed no threat to the lives and health of Ukrainian troops so Joint Forces did not return fire.

No casualties were reported in the past day.

Since Wednesday midnight, no attacks by Russian Federation's armed formations have been recorded, the JFO HQ said.

The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military, the report says.

Donbas truce: background
Dr Harish Shetty, who is a psychiatrist by profession, told Mumbai police that late actor Sushant Singh Rajput had visited his clinic in 2014, and complained about sleeplessness and insomnia. The psychiatrist also added that the deceased actor didn't complain of anything serious.

In his statement to the Mumbai police, accessed by India Today, Dr Harish Shetty said, "While treating or examining any patient, I ask for detailed information from them. During primary examination, I ask them whether they have any suicidal thoughts. Whether they fear anything or have any kind of phobia. Whether they are getting proper sleep and if their appetite is normal. Only after that, as needed, I prescribe medicines to the patients. The patients are also asked to regularly follow up visits. If required, I also refer them to other psychiatrists."

He further added that in 2014, the Raabta actor had visited his clinic in Andheri.

"He did not have any prior appointment to see me. That time the clinic was crowded and lot of people were present inside. Sushant then told me that he couldn't provide all the details of his ailment then and if needed he will come and see me again. He told me that he was suffering from sleeplessness and insomnia. So, I screened and examined Sushant and didn't find any serious issues then. For sleeplessness and insomnia I prescribed some medication and gave him a future date for appointment," said Dr shetty.

However, the doctor also stated that Sushant didn't visit him after that. He concluded by saying, "He didn't come on the next date and never communicated after that for treatment."

Sushant was found dead on June 14, 2020, and since then people are curious to learn the truth behind his death.
Coronation Street star Beverley Callard was one of the rumoured stars set to take on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! this year.

But since she revealed last week she can't walk, following her botched hip surgery, a TV source has stated the obvious and told The Sun they believe Beverley's involvement is off the cards.

'Beverley was signed up for the show when it was still planned to be in Australia. She was so excited to be able to come on board,' the source said. 'Obviously, with the surgery, shes had complications no one could have foreseen.

Scuppered plans: Coronation Street star Beverley Callard was one of the rumoured stars set to take on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! this year

'Theres no way shes able to take part in the show and fully experience it. At best, she might have been able to do the smaller tasks. But for most of them shed have to sit out for medical reasons, which is no fun for Bev, nor for viewers.'

These comments are somewhat of an understatement seeing as the soap star, 63, revealed recently that she has been in excruciating agony for the past six months, after her routine hip operation left her fearing that she'd need a wheelchair, forcing her character to suddenly disappear from Corrie.

I'm A Celeb! - which is known to throw its stars out of helicopters and dangle them off the sides of buildings - is not taking place in Australia this year, but this doesn't make the lesser commute easier for Beverley.

The 2020 season will take place in a ruined Welsh castle in the middle of November - making conditions even tougher for those taking part.

Off the table? Since she revealed last week she can't walk, following her botched hip surgery, a TV source has stated the obvious and told The Sun they believe Beverley's involvement is off the cards

Queen of the castle? The 2020 season will take place in a ruined Welsh castle in the middle of November - making conditions even tougher for those taking part

Focused: She has revealed her hopes to be walking again by the end of 2020 after undergoing botched hip surgery

The actress has, however, vowed to film a proper sendoff for her long-running character Liz McDonald - insisting that she'll strut away from the cobbles in a pair of Liz's trademark high heels by hook or by crook.

Talking to The Mirror last weekend, Beverley said: 'I hope Ill be back on my feet without crutches by the end of the year...

'Being physically fit and having that taken away from me was a shock. My heart goes out to people suffering with pain every single day. The pain drives you insane.'

She will be leaving the iconic ITV soap, but is determined to go out with a bang, even revealing that her character won't be killed off and that she may even return again one day in the future.

'As much as I hate Lizs outfits, I cant wait to get those heels on again,' she went on. 'This is the toughest fight of my life but I am determined to win it...

An exit to remember: The 63-year-old actress has vowed to film a proper sendoff for her long-running character Liz McDonald

'I am a strong woman but another strong woman in my life is Liz McDonald and she has been for 31 years.

'I love playing her and she has inspired me to want to get on my feet again so I can do it one last time. If there is anything apart from my family that makes me want to get back on my feet, its being Liz again.'

Beverley also revealed that producers were willing to write a wheelchair into Liz's exit, but that she refused this.

Sashay away! She insisted she'll strut away from the cobbles in a pair of Liz's trademark high heels by hook or by crook [pictured in character in 1990 with on-screen husband Charles Lawson]

'It wouldnt work for me or for Liz! As soon as Im well enough I will film Lizs exit. I just hope its a belter.'

Liz first appeared on Corrie in 1989 and has appeared almost consistently on the show for three decades, taking years off here and there.

The feisty character - who has dealt with feuds, death and divorce - is unlikely to find a happy ending, however, according to Beverley.

Pain: The 63-year-old actress opened up on the excruciating agony she has been enduring amid her sudden disappearance from the show

'Id love for Liz to find happiness, romance and everything else. I doubt that will happen as they never do that for Liz,' she said, before confirming soap bosses want to 'leave the door open' for a return.

Beverley is suing the hospital responsible for her operation after a second opinion from a doctor led to her minor keyhole surgery being changed to a full hip replacement.

'It has been the worst six months of my life. I have been in the most excruciating pain you can imagine  like teeth grinding inside my hip,' she previously told The Mirror.

'Worse than that was the mental torture of thinking, "Is this the end for me?" A huge part of me thought Id never be able to return to Coronation Street  that I wouldn't even walk again.'

Queen Liz: 'Id love for Liz to find happiness, romance and everything else. I doubt that will happen as they never do that for Liz,' she said, before confirming soap bosses want to 'leave the door open' for a return

The star, who admitted that she had even considered installing a stair lift as she could barely walk, opened up on her fear of losing her job and ability to walk.

She explained: 'Liz is famous for mini skirts, stockings and high heel shoes. Not crutches and a mobility scooter. I thought I wouldnt be able to do my job any more. That is how bad it has been. There was definite doubt over whether I would walk again.'

The blonde revealed that after initially quitting the cobbles, she changed her mind and had agreed to stay another year.

But earlier this month fans were left baffled as Liz suddenly left Weatherfield off-screen, with it revealed that she had moved to Spain.

Nightmare: In a new interview, Beverley reveals she's had the 'worst six months of my life' after a routine hip operation left her fearing that she'd need a wheelchair

However, her plans to continue on the show were scuppered by the operation, with the star explaining the pain in the aftermath was 'absolute hell'.

Beverley's nightmare began when she visited her GP in March to seek advice on a 'niggle in my hip, in my groin on the right side'.

Her doctor said it could easily be fixed with a small operation, however, what followed was a world of pain for the star.

Beverley explained that following what she thought was a 'minor operation' at the hospital, which she is not naming for legal reasons, she was told that the surgery didn't go as planned.

Shock: The star revealed that she is suing the hospital which carried out the operation after a second opinion from a doctor led to her minor keyhole surgery being changed to a full hip replacement (pictured in character in 2015)

She explained to the publication that she was told afterwards that during the procedure, her hip had 'crumbled' and that she needed 'further operations' while there.

Days after being released from the hospital, Beverley began to experience excruciating pain which only grew worse.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the thespian was left in agony for months while she waited for a new operation.

It wasn't until a trauma surgeon pal stepped in that Beverley, who was left in constant 'tears' over the pain, got a new appointment the next day, with the surgery following afterwards.

Agony: 'I have been gone because it has been the worst six months of my life. I have been in the most excruciating pain you can imagine  like teeth grinding inside my hip'

Earlier this month, Coronation Street fans said they were 'gutted' after Beverley's character Liz was given a quiet exit despite being on the soap for 31 years.

The popular character, was said to have left the cobbles and moved to Spain during the episode.

After the episode aired several people took to Twitter to express their confusion and frustration at the storyline, with one saying Liz 'did not deserve an off-screen exit'.

During the episode Liz's absence was mentioned by Leanne Battersby, played by Jane Danson, and Steve McDonald, played by Simon Gregson, her son.

During one conversation Leanne said to Steve: 'I don't suppose it helps that your mum's in Spain either.'

Change of plan: The blonde revealed that after initially quitting the cobbles, she changed her mind and had agreed to stay another year (pictured with onscreen ex husband Jim in 2018)

'Hell': However, her plans to continue on the show were scuppered by the operation, with the star explaining the pain in the aftermath was 'absolute hell' (pictured with onscreen son Steve in 2010)

Several avid fans were left 'gutted' at Liz's underwhelming exit and took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

Corrie fan account Coronation Street Memories wrote: 'Gutted at this. Bev /Liz deserved a proper exit!'

While another fan said: 'What's the storyline with Liz McDonald in #corrie. I must have missed something'

Someone else added: 'So apparently Liz won't be returning to Corrie and last night's episode where they mentioned she had gone to Spain will be the last we hear about her. LIZ MCDONALD DID NOT DESERVE AN OFF-SCREEN EXIT'

And another disappointed fan questioned: 'Has Liz McDonald left #corrie for Spain??? Did they not film any final scenes?'


The Sushant Singh Rajput case has many angles attached to it and the truth somewhere seems to have gotten mixed in the chaos being created publically. Another angle that has now come to the fore is regarding Sushant's sisters who have maintained that they had no idea about their brother's mental health. Chats between Sushant and his sister Priyanka have come out in the media where one can clearly see that she is advising him to take some medicines to keep himself mentally fit. The medicines mentioned by Priyanka for Sushant were Librium, Nexito 10 mg and Lonazep. The chats reveal that Priyanka was talking to Sushant on the day he asked Rhea Chakraborty to leave the house.







Satish Maneshinde, Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer, reacting to these messages, said, "Sushant Singh Rajput's family made an allegation before the court, CBI, Patna Police and other agencies that Rhea was administering medicines, that she was giving him an overdose and manipulating his health. But the truth is that she was taking him to top doctors in the city. The first doctor he went to was in 2013, and the last one was in 2020, before Rhea left Sushant's home. She didn't do anything that wasn't prescribed by the doctors."

Maneshinde added, "Now, Priyanka's messages reveal that they were aware of Sushant Singh Rajput's condition in November 2019. On top of that, under the mental health act, the doctor has committed a crime by administering a drug that shouldn't be prescribed without proper consultation. Secondly, Sushant is mentioned as an OPD patient which is false. Though online consultation in pandemic times is allowed for smaller issues and for known patients, but these don't apply in Sushant's case. Therefore, this is forgery. And all electronic messages are admissible in the court of law." Keep watching this space for more updates on the case.
As Afghan Violence Continues, US Calls For Peace Talks 'Without Delay'

By Ayaz Gul September 01, 2020

Taliban insurgents have staged a suicide car bombing and armed assault against a police base in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least three security officers and injuring several others.

Tuesday's attack in the border province of Paktia came hours after U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien renewed Washington's call for Afghan warring parties to urgently begin peace talks.

The early morning insurgent raid targeted a security compound in the provincial capital, Gardez, an area police spokesman told VOA.

Wahedullah Nizami said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-filled vehicle at the entrance gate before two heavily armed men stormed the facility. Afghan forces swiftly engaged and killed the assailants after a brief gunfight, Nizami added.

The Taliban took responsibility for the plotting the attack, claiming it inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan security forces.

On Monday, NSA advisor O'Brien spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about a U.S.-led push for peace talks with the insurgents to end the war.

The NSA's office tweeted that O'Brien discussed "the need for intra-Afghan talks to start without delay." He reiterated U.S. support for "a sovereign, democratic, and unified #Afghanistan that never again serves as a source of international terrorism."

An Afghan presidential spokesman tweeted Tuesday that both sides "emphasized the importance of a cease-fire for a durable peace."

The proposed negotiations are stipulated in the February U.S.-Taliban agreement that called for the insurgents to free 1,000 Afghan security forces they held captive in exchange for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

Ghani has freed all but 320 insurgent inmates, waiting until the Taliban free more captured Afghan soldiers and thus delaying the much-hoped-for peace negotiations. The insurgents have linked their participation in the talks to the release of all their prisoners.

The U.S.-Taliban deal aims to end the nearly two-decade Afghan war, America's longest.

Washington has reduced U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 13,000 to 8,600 in keeping with the accord, which binds the Taliban to prevent the use of Afghan soil for international terrorism and seek a political settlement with rival factions to end the country's long conflict.

The United Nations says Afghan civilian continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. The U.N. office in Kabul has documented nearly 3,500 civilian casualties, including about 1,300 deaths, in the first half of this year, though the figures represented a 13% decrease in comparison with the first half of 2019.

Russia has also criticized the Ghani government for having "put forth new conditions" for the release of Taliban prisoners. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged Kabul to urgently complete the exchange of prisoners to pave the way for intra-Afghan negotiations.

"We have pointed out that any delays in launching the intra-Afghan talks undermine the international efforts towards a settlement in Afghanistan and throw into question the Afghan authorities' desire for an early restoration of peace in the country," Zakharova warned.

Meanwhile, Afghan authorities confirmed Tuesday the deaths of 190 people in last week's rains-triggered flooding in the country. An official announcement said nearly 4,000 houses have also been destroyed or damaged.

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Jangada Mines PLC - natural resources company - Says 18%-owned investee ValOre Metals Corp posted positive results from drilling conducted at Pedra Branca platinum group element project in northeastern Brazil. Highlights include the intersection of 9.49 grams per tonne of platinum group elements plus gold over 2.45 metres, within a broad mineralized ultramafic unit of 0.76 grams per tonne over 61.85 metres from 217.50 metres downhole.

"Our Phase 1 drilling has successfully identified near surface mineralization in the southern portion of the current Trapia 1 resource area; extended and thickened the easterly down-dip mineralization across the full width of the resource; and proven that the mineralized ultramafic intrusion remains intact and open to expansion along a 1 kilometre geophysical target to the south. We plan to return to Trapia 1 near the end of Phase 1 due to the considerable resource expansion potential," says ValOre Chair & Chief Executive Jim Paterson.

Current stock price: 3.05 pence

Year-to-date change: up 85%

By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Bunny Welsh, former Chester County sheriff, has stated that a civilized society needs law and order, and she is correct, but only presents part of the issue. (Daily Local News, Sept. 1, 2020).

(As H.L.A. Hart points out in The Concept of Law, the most celebrated book in legal philosophy of the past 100 years, the rule of law exists if two requirements are met: the first is general obedience of the law by the citizens. Bunny is right that rioting, burning properties and looting do not represent the rule of law. There is, however, a second requirement. To have the rule of law, you also need general compliance with the applicable legal norms that apply to governmental officials.

Let me cite one obvious example of the lack of law and order. During the days of Jim Crow, when African Americans were lynched by vigilante mobs and the perpetrators of these crimes (and they were crimes then and now) were not prosecuted, there was no law and order.

Similarly, when an unarmed citizen is shot in the back seven times by a police officer, there is no way that this can be called law and order. Armed militia caravans, encouraged by the President, firing paint guns and tossing pepper spray on peaceful demonstrators, is not law and order.

Bunny contends that one political party has abandoned the rule of law. She is correct, but the political party in question is the Republican Party. President Trump has stomped on the constitutional norms (refusing to respond to lawful subpoenas; ordering the DOJ to investigate enemies; seeking and receiving electoral help from Russia). He has claimed that one of his supporters who shot 3 people in Kenosha was acting in self-defense, with no proof and in conflict with the law prohibiting him from carrying the weapon that he used to kill and wound others.

As Joe Biden has declared, rioting is wrong, and that is one-half of the rule of law. But, the other half, the other necessary requirement for there to be a rule of law, is for governmental officials to themselves obey the law. We have never had a president, not even Richard Nixon, who disregarded the rule of law as much as Donald Trump. We should restore the rule of law by electing a new president, someone who respects the law.

Dr. David H. Moskowitz

West Chester
,



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The Nord Stream 2 project will be completed despite U.S. threats of sanctions, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday, as quoted by the MDR TV channel.

According to the broadcaster, Merkel spoke against the sanctions during her visit to Stralsund.

In early August, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson wrote a letter to Sassnitz GmbH, operator of Mukran Port, threatening them with "financial destruction" if they did not stop providing logistical support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

The German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations responded to the threats, demanded that Berlin and the European Commission react and protect German and European companies from such "attacks by third countries". The committee also asked for financial and legal support from extraterritorial sanctions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, dismissed allegations levelled against its resident electoral commissioners and other officials by politicians as mere distractions.

The INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said this after the swearing-in of a new REC from Osun State, Tella Rahman, at the commissions headquarters in Abuja, according to a report by PUNCH.

The chairman was reacting to a statement credited to the Chairman of Edo State APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, accusing the Akwa Ibom State REC, Mike Igini, of plotting to rig the governorship election in Edo in favour of the states ruling PDP.

Mr Igini had in a statement on Monday described the allegation as needless and malicious.

He said, Let me state without any shadow of a doubt to those characters, who made this atrocious allegation that I had meetings with political actors where anti-democratic schemes were discussed, I have not met Gov. Obaseki since he was sworn into office up until the moment of the press statement in contention.

In his reaction, Mr Yakubu said such allegations were not new to the commission given the kind of job it does especially during an election season.

Mr Yakubu promised free, fair, and credible elections ahead of the Edo and Ondo states governorship polls scheduled for September 19 and October 10 respectively.

He said, Let me say this that we stand by our resident electoral commissioners. You know the kind of job we are doing; all manners of people come with all manners of accusations to slander officials of the commission to divert our attention from the onerous task of conducting elections in Nigeria.

We wont be distracted. We know all these shenanigans, people have been doing this to distract us from doing what is right.

My assurance to the people of Edo and Ondo states and the people of the 14 constituencies where we are going to conduct bye-elections on October 31 is that they should expect from INEC free, fair, credible elections, professional conduct, he said.
The delegates also focused on preparations for the 27th meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council to be held this month.

They highlighted the establishment of the COVID-19 ASEAN response fund, and progress in the establishment of the regional warehouses of medical supplies, and the building of standard operating procedures in public health emergencies.

Expressing their concern over the complexity of the new waves of the pandemic in the region and the world, the delegates shared the view that the fight largely depends on vaccine and drug research.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister and head of SOM ASEAN-Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA)



They agreed to adjust regulations of the COVID-19 respond fund to make it easier for countries to contribute to the fund, and enhance cooperation with East Asia Summit (EAS) partner countries at the official and expert levels in the pandemic combat.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister and head of SOM ASEAN-Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung called on ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat to continue with their coordination to promote initiatives on COVID-19 response.

He urged completing procedures soon so as to announce the establishment of the medical warehouses at the 27th meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council, and complete standard operating procedures in public health agencies to be submitted to the 37th ASEAN Summit.

Regarding the ASEAN framework recovery framework, Dung proposed the ASEAN Secretariat swiftly complete documents and focus on addressing the impacts of the pandemic, helping businesses and people resume their normal activities, and promoting comprehensive, sustainable recovery.

Also on September 1, Deputy Minister Dung attended the 12th Coordinating Conference for ASEAN Political-Security Community (ASCCO-12) which was held in the form of teleconferencing.

The meeting looked into the draft mid-term review report for the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025.

In his remarks, Dung highlighted achievements in the implementation of the blueprint over the past five years, with 96 percent of the 290 action plans materialised.

He, however, pointed to challenges such as how to ensure the quality and efficiency of the implementation, difficulties in coordination between ministries and agencies, and shortcoming in the communication work.

The official suggested the meeting identify priorities and include them in the blueprint, thus ensuring political-security cooperation within ASEAN effectively adapt to emerging challenges.

Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair, will coordinate with the ASEAN Secretariat to perfect the mid-term review report on the APSC Blueprint 2025 to submit it to the APSC Council for approval before it is sent to the 37th ASEAN Summit in November./.
Local government budgets are tight currently as costs grow and the coronavirus threatens some revenue streams, but Georgetown County leaders are working on plans to serve its citizens regardless of which area of the county they live.

What started as an opportunity for Georgetown County council members to become better acquainted turned into a deep discussion on what challenges and opportunities the whole area faces.

The in-person meeting lasted for four hours, with lunch included. Since it was a workshop meeting, no votes were taken on any official matters.

Were planning, said Georgetown County Administrator Angela Christian. As we come out of this we are thinking what investments do we want to make in our communities ... we may see opportunities come our way, but we only have one pot of money. So where are we going to focus our time and resources?

For South Carolina government employees, creating the annual budget is a year-long process. The county council gives staff budgetary priorities, and ultimately approves it ahead of the end of the fiscal year.

Christian said there are already red flags emerging as the budget is being completed. She specifically cited increasing insurance and retirement costs, coronavirus-related revenue shortfalls and increasing expenses in the stormwater management division.

These red flags are not unique to Georgetown County as local governments across the state grapple with many of the same issues. Both Horry and Georgetown counties are facing financial issues in their stormwater departments.

Council Chairman John Thomas said his goal is to protect the current level of government service and ensure public employees keep their jobs. He said many residents expect quality service in exchange for their tax dollars.

Georgetown County employees deliver government resources very efficiently, Thomas said. They dont have the resources of other counties, but they are demonstrably delivering services to the people of Georgetown County.

County services include stormwater management, planning and zoning, and public safety departments. The county currently employs nearly 700 people across more than 30 departments.

Council Member Everett Carolina said there needs to be consistency across the county and making sure residents in the western, more rural areas have the same level of services as the eastern areas.

The areas of Georgetown County closest to the ocean, typically referred to by council members as the Waccamaw Neck, tend to be more developed with business catering to tourists and a growing local population.

Carolina said the county council cannot focus only on these more urban areas and needs to figure out how to serve all its citizens fairly.

Do the best you can do, but also somewhat consistently, Carolina said. How can we balance it out?

Christian said in her first month as administrator, infrastructure and stormwater concerns are the most pressing issues she is hearing from citizens across the county. She said there will be a workshop meeting soon for county council members to only discuss these topics.

Additionally, the county is currently working on a new comprehensive plan that will influence the growth and development of the county for the next 10 years. State law requires county governments to create a new plan every decade and to update the plan every five years.

Council Member Lillie Jean Johnson believes a key challenge facing Georgetown County is the ability to keep young people in the area and to provide them economic opportunity. She listed housing, industry and diversity in leadership positions as reasons many young folks dont wish to stick around.

Horry County approved a comprehensive plan last year called Imagine 2040. These plans include a land use element that outlines what types of development, like residential or commercial growth, are appropriate in certain areas.

Christian said a part of this plan is deciding how the county can get more affordable housing so that new businesses can hire more employees and expand the countys tax base.

If you pull up Zillow, you see lots of housing in Horry County and lots of housing in Charleston County, but none in Georgetown County, Christian said. We need people to live here and play here.

And thanks to excess revenue from the countys penny sales tax program that ran from 2014 to 2019, the council has another avenue to fund needed projects across the county.

Council members were given $1 million each that can fund two projects in each district. The money cant be used for routine maintenance, but can go to new or significantly upgraded infrastructure projects.

Project ideas must be submitted back to county staff by Oct. 2 and council as a whole will have to approve what each individual member proposes.

Council member Raymond Newton said hed like to see the money used for several smaller projects in his districts instead of two big ones. Christian said that would be fine as long as the rest of the council could approve it.

While discussing the possibility of a new penny sales tax program, Christian said given the economic uncertainty at this time, its probably better to wait. Experts are telling her the economy might not get back to normal for a couple of years.

Theyre really not optimistic the economy is going to settle down before 2022, she said.
Giuliana Rancic took to social media Tuesday to wish her husband Bill Rancic a happy 13th wedding anniversary.

The 46-year-old television personality posted a tender picture on Instagram of her and Bill, 49, embracing outdoors with a gorgeous sunset behind them.

'Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @billrancic What an incredible 13 years..heres to a lifetime together. I love you forever honey,' Giuliana wrote in the caption for her roughly 2.6 million followers.

Thirteen years: Giuliana Rancic took to social media Tuesday to wish her husband Bill Rancic a happy wedding anniversary

The Naples, Italy native and Bill got married on September 1, 2007 during a ceremony on Capri at Sancta Sophia Church in Anacapri.

Giuliana and Bill have an eight-year-old son Edward together.

They welcomed Edward on August 30, 2012 when he was born via surrogate in Denver.

Giuliana joined E! News as a reporter in 2002 and became an anchor in 2005.

Going strong: The 46-year-old television personality, shown in October in New York City with her husband, posted a tender picture on Instagram of her and Bill, 49, embracing outdoors

Loving father: Bill was shown with their son Duke on Instagram in a Father's Day post

Family first: Giuliana in May shared a photo of herself and Duke

She also co-hosted E!'s Fashion Police and starred with her husband in the reality show Giuliana and Bill on the E! network.

Giuliana received backlash in February 2015 after she made controversial comments about dreadlocks worn by Zendaya, 24, at the Oscars saying her hair looked like it smelled of 'patchouli oil' or 'weed'.

She announced in July 2015 that she would be leaving her position as co-anchor on E! News.

TV star: The Naples, Italy native, shown in February in Los Angeles, joined E! News as a reporter in 2002 and became an anchor in 2005

Giuliana returned in September 2018 to the role of anchor.

It was reported last month by Variety that E! News was canceled by E! along with Pop Of The Morning and In The Room as parent company NBCUniversal looks to 'streamline its programming and restructure internally'.

Bill competed on the first season of The Apprentice in 2004 and was hired at the conclusion of the 14-week job interview by Donald Trump, 74.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is still struggling to recover GH778.6 million owed it by the government and its related agencies since 2015.



Although the amount, owed by the government, the Ministry of Finance, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the Ghana National Gas Company Limited (Ghana Gas), has been sitting on the corporation's books since 2015, there is no clear payment plan by the debtors to clear their indebtedness.



This came to light when officials of the GNPC appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament yesterday to respond to issues raised against the GNPC in the 2017 Auditor-General's report.



The team from the GNPC was led by its Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of Commercials, Mr Joseph Dadzie.



PAC sitting



The PAC scrutinised the Auditor-General's report on public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions for 2017.



Appearing at yesterday's sitting were three agencies under the Ministry of Energy  the GNPC, the Petroleum Commission (PC) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo).



The National Electrification Scheme (NES)), another agency of the ministry, was billed to appear before the PAC, but its officials did not turn up.



Details of debts



Giving details of the indebtedness to the GNPC, Mr Dadzie said the government owed the corporation GH102.5 million, while the Ministry of Finance, TOR and Ghana Gas owed GH261.1 million, GH198.8 million and GH216.2 million, respectively.



He said the failure of the debtors to redeem their indebtedness had negatively affected the liquidity of the corporation and indicated that there was no immediate plan to recover the money owed the company.



We do not have a choice because we are owed by the state and if the state refuses to pay the amount, there is really nothing you can do; but we have had challenges with cash flow, especially this period when we have seen crude oil prices go down, he said.



He said the Ministry of Finance had made some payments on behalf of the GNPC towards gas purchases and so there would be the need for broader reconciliation of the payments to get a real picture of the debt levels of the corporation.



Drama



Drama unfolded at the PAC sitting when the leadership of the committee crossed fire over GH4.5 million paid by the GNPC to some state agencies and private entities as corporate social responsibility (CSR).



A public interest question put to Mr Dadzie, on why the corporation gave GH500,000 to the Economic and Organised Crime Organisation (EOCO) and specified amounts to the Rebecca Foundation and the Okyenhene, incurred the displeasure of the Deputy Ranking Member of the committee and Member of Parliament for Nantong, Mr Mohammed Hardi Tuferu.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ningo-Prampram, Mr Sam George, who asked the question, sought to know what had gone into the decision by the GNPC to fund the activities of such entities.



Although the question was approved by the Chairman of PAC, Mr James Avedzi, Mr Tuferu accused the chairman of acting unfairly by unilaterally allowing the question.



We have a practice that every public interest question must pass through the committee for approval, but this time round the chairman never referred any of such questions on a matter relating to 2019, which is far away from the audit accounts of 2017, which we are looking at today, he said.



The reaction by Mr Tuferu generated heated exchanges between the two leaders, as each of them spoke simultaneously to make their case.



After a period of back and forth, Mr Avedzi discharged the officials of the GNPC and adjourned sitting for the day to today.



Petroleum Commission



The team from the PC had to answer questions on issues related to management, as raised by the Auditor-General.



For instance, the audit report cited the commission for engaging seven consultants to mentor its staff, without provisions in the job description of the consultants for periodic reporting.



It also cited the PC for transferring cash into some accounts, in violation of the directive by the Ministry of Finance for all money payable to the Energy Ministry to be paid through the ministrys account at the Bank of Ghana.



Responding to those charges, the CEO of the PC, Mr Egbert Faibille Jnr, said the number of consultants had been reduced to just one.



Immediately this matter was brought up in the audit finding, we took it up and I am able to report that from the date of the audit issue up to now, we have caused changes to be made to the contract of the existing consultant, he said.



He said also corrective measures had been taken to resolve those management lapses, as recommended by the Auditor-General.



NEDCo



The NEDCo was discharged by the committee after just two minutes after its officials had satisfactorily responded to the only infraction the company had been cited for.



It was cited for not properly keeping key records because of a malfunctioning software called the Oracle, but its officials said the software had been put in good shape.

Source: Graphic.com.gh









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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 2 : Another 1,547 people in Kerala tested Covid positive on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 77,705, of which 55,782 have been cured.

This was stated by Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja in a press release issued here.

With Kerala seeing a string of holidays on account of Onam, the daily testing continued to be low with 23,850 people undergoing tests in the past 24 hours.

The death toll rose to 305 as seven patients succumbed to the virus.

Across the state, 1,93,736 people are under observation which includes 18,354 people in various hospitals.
Inside Hook

Luxury. Extravagance. Opulence. Thats not an impression of Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong; these are the bona fide, unironic labels Rolls-Royce has been achieved during its 116-year history. But while the British marque is the definition of automotive luxury for some, for others it puts too much emphasis on the luxury half of that equation and not enough on the automotive. As Jerry Seinfeld said of a 1960 Silver Cloud II, As a car, its horrible, but its a nice living room with wheels.



Instead of staying the course, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today christened a new era with the unveiling of the latest Ghost, a revamped version of the best-selling car in its history. Theres plenty of tech, engineering and amenities to dig into, but the most important detail of this release is the brands statement that the Ghost reflects Post Opulent design philosophy, rejecting superficial expressions of wealth.



Is the automaker taking a potshot at the maximalist, chauffeured vehicles from its past? Is it positioning the new Ghost as the antidote for Rolls-Royce owners who are mad that the once-exclusive brand is caving into the SUV hype? It all seems plausible, especially as the company describes the new Ghost as minimalist, a word that has never seriously been used to describe Rolls in the past.

How is Rolls-Royce following through on this change of brand identity? First, as CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos says in the launch video, [the designers] removed all unnecessary design embellishments from the interior and exterior. The all-white color scheme of both the promotional photos and the video certainly accentuates that new philosophy, but just because its not chock-full of snakeskin accents and redundant badging doesnt mean they didnt go overboard in other respects.



Inside the car on the passenger side of the dashboard, there is a new element called the Illuminated Fascia, a lighting effect whereby 850 individual stars glow around the Ghost nameplate, which pairs well with the Star Headliner, a Rolls-Royce feature available in other vehicles that turns the roof into a starry night.



As for the actual automotive aspects, the old Ghost shared a platform with a BMW 7 Series (BMW Group owns Rolls-Royce Motor Cars), while the new iteration upgrades to an aluminum spaceframe architecture which is already used in the automakers Phantom and Cullinan, as Car and Driver noted. The engine also carries over: a massive 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12, which will for the first time be paired to an all-wheel drive system.



As for the price, Car and Driver wrote, We are predicting a starting price in reasonable proximity to the $314,400 of the outgoing model.



If nothing else, thats one area where Rolls-Royce will never be post-opulent.
Bill & Ted Face the Music shows Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in several new lights. When Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) travel to the future, they find each future version of themselves worse and worse. Eventually, they visit themselves in prison where their future selves have packed on the muscles in the prison yard.

L-R: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter | Orion Pictures

Reeves spoke about Bill & Ted Face the Music in a Zoom press conference and Winter, director Dean Parisot and producer Scott Kroopf spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by Zoom. Bill & Ted Face the Music is now in select theaters and on VOD so many fans have already met prison Bill and Ted.

Keanu Reeves said even at their worst, Bill and Ted retain this quality

Asked to choose his favorite future Bill and Ted, Reeves couldnt. However, he did appreciate that even as prisoners, they were still very Bill and Ted at their worst.

I think it was more just emotionally the characters kind of got kind of dark, Reeves said. So it was nice to play this kind of darkness against the lightness of it. Theyre almost like exuberantly darker.

The premier Hollywood makeup artist turned Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter into muscleheads

Kevin Yagher designed the prison inmate muslce suits for Reeves and Winter. Yagher designed Freddy Krueger for A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and 3 and designed the very first Chucky puppet for Childs Play. Bill Corso applied the makeup. Corso worked with Parisot on Galaxy Quest and also did makeup for Tim Burtons Planet of the Apes, Jackass: The Movie and Deadpool 2.

We had a smaller independent budget so we sort of relied on favors from people we had all worked with in the past, Parisot said. People love this franchise so much that Kevin Yagher showed up to do those muscle suits. We only had one of each and normally you get two or three, but we couldnt really afford to do that. He built those specifically to Bill and Ted.

Chucky | United Artists/Getty Images

RELATED: Bill & Ted Face the Music Is Actually William Sadlers Third Appearance as Death

Corso had also worked with Winter on his directorial debut, Freaked. Winter played a spoiled Hollywood star turned into a carnival exhibit, with a heavy prosthetic makeup. Reeves also played a dog boy in Freaked.

The makeups are more sophisticated in terms of what you can do now, but it was quite similar, Winter said. Freaked was a different ballgame. Freaked was four or five hours in and two hours out every single day, every single shot of the entire shoot. It was very, very intense. Bill Corso did that and we were basically saddled to each other like the unidentical twins in the movie. So it was nothing like that. Thankfully, these were isolated days here and there and it makes a big difference when youre not doing it all the time.

Look for Easter Eggs in the prison tattoos

The muscle suits included new prison tattoos for Bill and Ted. Parisot said if you look closely, youll see they arent exactly hardened criminal gangs.

L-R: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter | Patti Perret/Orion Pictures

RELATED: Did Keanu Reeves Really Play the Bagpipes in Bill & Ted Face the Music?

Theyre all Bill and Ted tattoos from the old days, Parisot said. Theyre all sayings from Be excellent, Wyld Stallyns and theres a whole bunch of stuff. Im going to let everyone else find all those little gifts in the movie because there are lots of them.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter wanted more muscles

Kroopf said Reeves and Winter got very enthusiastic about the muscle suits.

Then Alex and Keanu kept pushing the makeup people just to make it crazier and crazier, Kroopf said. It was a big thrill, I remember, when they tried on their suits for the first time. It was just so unbelievably crazy. Plus, I dont know how heavy those things were but it was a heat index of over 110, maybe 115 when they shot it.

Parisot said Winter made his own bed expanding his muscle suit for an outdoor shoot in New Orleans, Louisiana.

L-R: Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves | Patti Perret/Orion Pictures

RELATED: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter Added More Air Guitar to Bill & Ted Face the Music

We were trying to keep them working in 100 degree heat and humidity, Parisot said. They were 40 pounds, especially Alex. Alex kept adding pecs. He said, No, I need more muscles until that thing weighed so much he really was exhausted by the last take. I looked at him and thought he was going to fall over. He said, Dude, I gotta go back inside. Those were custom made by one of the most brilliant prosthetic makers in Hollywood at this point.

Winter said it wasnt the weight of the suits. It was just wearing them in the heat.

They werent light but they werent terribly heavy, Winter said. That kind of makeup has advanced quite a bit. It wasnt super light but it wasnt what it would have been in the old days, but it was very, very hot. New Orleans itself was very, very hot. I was in an altered state and I love doing prosthetic work.
Experts warn Australia will never be able to pursue an elimination strategy, as Victoria's residents anxiously watch daily infection numbers gradually decline and wait to hear the plan for lifting the strict stage-four lockdown.

Despite falling case numbers, with new infections concentrated in hospitals and aged care facilities rather than the wider community, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton's talk of achieving "the lowest possible" number of cases has sparked concern that Victoria may be pushing for the impossible.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, right, has attacked Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for his harsh pandemic lockdown. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Former prime minister and Health Minister Tony Abbott used a speech in the United Kingdom on Tuesday to accuse Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of presiding over a "health dictatorship" by putting five million Melburnians under "house arrest", as the state government passed laws extending its emergency powers by six months.

Mr Andrews, who will announce his plan for a path out of stage four lockdown on Sunday, has warned against easing restrictions "too quick[ly] ... chasing something that might be popular for a few weeks" and vowed to "find a COVID normal" with rules that can be locked in "for months".
In reality, mayors alone wield limited control over crime rates. Several researchers could point to no studies suggesting that the partisanship of a mayor has an effect on this. And while homicides have spiked this year in big cities, they have risen by similar amounts in a number of smaller cities with Republican mayors, including Tulsa, Okla., and San Bernardino, Calif.

The president, however, has never mentioned these places  or Republican-led Miami, Jacksonville, Fla., or Fort Worth  in his vows to deploy federal forces to help control urban crime.

Numerous studies suggest that the partisanship of mayors has limited effect on much of anything: not just crime, but also tax policy, social policy and economic outcomes.

The researchers Justin de Benedictis-Kessner and Christopher Warshaw have found that Democratic mayors spend more than Republican mayors. But the differences are pretty small, said Mr. Warshaw, a political scientist at George Washington University. Theyre not enough to drive large differences in societal outcomes in things like crime rates.

This is partly because mayors are constrained in their ability to execute ideological agendas. Cities cant run deficits. States limit their authority to raise taxes and enact laws on many issues. And cities lack the power the federal government has to shape labor laws, or immigration policies that can affect their population growth.

The president has effectively ascribed a level of power to mayors that they simply do not have.

The assumption is that cities are city-states, said Joshua Sapotichne, a political scientist at Michigan State University. What that means is that they have the autonomy to act on the preferences of their constituents. And thats not even true with respect to social distancing, mask mandates and lockdowns on the Covid side.

The president has harshly criticized Chicago for failing to control gun violence. But in the past the city took relatively severe policy responses, outlawing handguns and gun sales. Federal judges overturned those efforts, making clear again how constrained local officials are.
Attorney Shannon Beth Bayona

East Coast Trial Lawyers is pleased to announce the addition of Shannon Beth Bayona to the firms legal team. Ms. Bayona will focus on family law, personal injury, and civil litigation, practicing out of the firms Virginia Beach office. The addition of Ms. Bayona will enable East Coast Trial Lawyers to meet the growing demand for the services it provides to its clients.

Prior to joining East Coast Trial Lawyers, Ms. Bayona engaged in constitutional litigation and appellate advocacy and served as an advisor on legislation and policy for state and federal legislators, as well as for government and private agencies. As a result of her experience, television and radio networks have invited her to speak on multiple occasions regarding cases and public interest stories and she has testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution. Ms. Bayona has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Regent University School of Law.

Ms. Bayonas passion for justice and confidence in the courtroom gives her clients an advantage. She puts her clients at ease by providing them with a compassionate ear and a personal touch that is not often found in the practice of law. Ms. Bayona earned her J.D. from Regent University School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is admitted to practice throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

About East Coast Trial Lawyers

Located in Virginia Beach, East Coast Trial Lawyers is a national law firm with a local feel, serving clients nationwide. Practice areas include personal injury, Workers Compensation, criminal law, family law, civil litigation, estate planning, non-profit and church representation, and corporate law. Around the corner or around the world, East Coast Trial Lawyers delivers results. For more information, call 757-352-2237 or visit http://www.eastcoasttriallawyers.com.
BRIDGEPORT  Police detectives continued to investigate the fatal shooting Monday of a 22-year-old pregnant woman in her Washington Terrace home.

Its still an ongoing investigation, Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said Wednesday afternoon. He declined further comment.

Karla Bermudez, who police said was 23 weeks pregnant, was shot multiple times when a hail of bullets came through the walls of her apartment shortly after 5 a.m.

Both Bermudez and her unborn baby died on arrival at the hospital.

Members of Bermudezs family declined comment on Wednesday.

Bermudezs 23-year-old boyfriend, who police have not identified, was in bed with her at the time of the shooting and suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Police said at least two men stood in the street and fired more than two dozen shots at the outside of the apartment. When officers arrived at a notification of ShotSpotter, they found the street littered with spent bullet casings.

Police said the boyfriend, who they believe was the target of the shooting, had been questioned by detectives but claimed he didnt know who was shooting at the apartment or why they were shooting. Police sources said a number of other potential witnesses are also not cooperating with the investigation.

Its frustrating, said one investigator.

Police would not say whether the boyfriend has a prior record or any gang associations.

However, neighbors said they have seen police cars outside the couples apartment several times in the past.

Neighbors said Bermudez moved into the large multi-family house at the corner of Washington Terrace and Washington Place with her boyfriend and his mother about four months ago. They said Bermudez seemed pleasant and often waved as she left the apartment.

Police said they are also getting little cooperation from the public as they investigate the two other recent fatal shootings in the city, including the death of Bermudezs cousin, 23-year-old Heriberto Marquez on Sunday on Iranistan Avenue. Police said there does not appear to be any connection between Bermudezs and Marquezs deaths.

Police are also continue investigating the fatal shooting late Friday of 25-year-old George John of Shelton.

John had only recently gotten out of prison after serving a six-year term for attempted murder of a police officer after he fired a .357-caliber handgun at police officers who responded to a fight inside a club in 2013. None of the officers fired at was injured.
Sahaya Novinston Lobo By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Senthamizh's dream was to study agriculture but her police parents were busy on Covid duty and getting admission in colleges was out of reach. She along with 123 children of police personnel, however, received college admissions for their desired course at colleges and over 50 of them received full waiver of fees for their entire course duration, thanks to Chennai police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Agarwal.

While the men and women in khaki were struggling as frontline warriors during the Covid-19 pandemic, getting college admissions for their children was stalled as they were on the ground every day. The police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, initiated the programme and sent requests to various institutions to provide admission to the children of police personnel as they held up on frontlines fighting Covid-19.

I always aspired to be a farmer and learnt a lot about them. My parents sent me to my native place in Chidambaram during the early days of the pandemic outbreak. I have never lived alone so long away from them. Whenever I contacted my parents to talk about college admission they were busy and the course I like is in very few colleges. I thought it would slip away by the time the pandemic ends and my parents get their free time, said V Senthamizh. Her father V Vetrivel Murugan, Sub Inspector of Police and mother G Amutha, a police constable are one of the thousands of Covid-19 frontline warriors.

When the Commissioners initiative stepped in Senthamizh had her fingers crossed, but it was a relief when she got admission in B.Sc., Plant Biology and BioTechnology. Its the first step towards my dream. We have a farmland in our native place and I wish to do mixed farming of fisheries, horticulture, and poultry, all organically

Sathish Babu, Head Constable attached to the Chennai city police is a Covid survivor. His daughter Pavurnika wanted to study Information Technology. After Sathish Babu survived covid-19 he couldnt concentrate on getting admissions for his daughter. I was busy and I had promised my daughter that I would try. The Commissioners initiative came as a relief. But I did not expect that her entire fees for four year would be waived, said Sathish Babu.

Over eleven institutions in Chennai had come forward to provide admissions to the children who have just finished Class 12, as a token of appreciation for the untiring service of cops as Covid-19 warriors.

Police personnel are working tirelessly yet there is an image they are appreciated less. Gestures like these will always prove that the good work of police is rewarded and respected. The wellbeing of the police families will be continued, said Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, the Chennai city police commissioner.

So far over, 2262 police personnel have been affected by Covid-19 and over 1800 returned to active duty after recovering.
Apple on Wednesday highlighted Texas and the regional grocer H-E-B as success stories in an app economy that is creating thousands of jobs as the tech giant fights back against a rebellion by some its highest-profile developers and increased scrutiny of by federal and state regulators.

Apple has come under fire from app developers chafing at the rules of the companys App Store marketplace particularly the 30 percent cut it takes from sales of apps, products and services sold through the platform. State and federal officials, meanwhile are worried that Apples tight control of the App Store may be anti-competitive.

Apples response has brought Texas and H-E-B into the debate over the power and reach of Big Tech and its impact on the economy. Apple cited San Antonio-based H-E-B, which launched a revamped version of its shopping app for both iOS and Android devices in December, as an example of the good the App Store does for jobs and the economy.

Apple said the number of H-E-Bs active monthly iOS users increased by 1,050 percent since the launch, and the grocer added more than 150 new employees to its digital team. Texas accounted for 36,000 jobs, or more than 10 percent nearly 300,000 new jobs across the country that Apple says apps based on its iOS operating system have created since April 2019.

Only California, with 169,000 new iOS app-related jobs, had more, the company said.

There are 2.1 million jobs in the United States related to software made for iOS apps, it said, an increase of about 10 percent nationally over the 1.9 million jobs the company touted in August 2019. The company said that apps have provided a refuge from the COVID-19 pandemic as Americans seek out new and safe ways to learn, work and stay engaged with friends and family during the pandemic.

GOING DIGITAL: H-E-Bs digital outpost in Austin is changing the company

Pandemic spike

Mike Georgoff, chief product officer for H-E-B Digital, said in an interview that about half of the increase in monthly users came since the pandemic began in the United States. Usage of the Android version experienced similar growth, he said.

The new version of the app turned on the ability to place delivery and curbside orders, something that previously had been possible only via H-E-Bs website.

Our consumer strategy is to focus on mobile first, Georgoff said. These devices have taken over our lives. They are in our customers pockets and in their hands as they shop in our stores.

He said the 150 new digital hires include employees who work on both the iOS and Android apps, as well as the website.

Apple doesnt take a cut of sales of physical goods, so the 30 percent commission doesnt apply to products sold through H-E-Bs app, Georgoff said.

Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst with Forrester Research, said more than half of e-commerce now takes place on mobile devices, and retailers are encouraging app use.

There are certain functions you can get with an app that you cant get on a mobile website, and retailers can capture more data about customers, Kodali said.

PREVIOUSLY: Apple's ecosystem begets thousands of jobs

In late July, Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of four Big Tech executives who appeared before a congressional hearing examining alleged antitrust behavior by his company, Amazon, Facebook and Google. In addition, the U.S. Justice Department and a coalition of state attorneys general - including Texas Ken Paxton - are investigating Apples app store rules.

Last month, Epic Games openly challenged Apples required 30 percent commission on in-app purchases by letting users of its hit title Fortnite pay Epic directly for virtual currency. Epic did the same with Google, which also requires a 30 percent commission from sales out of its Play Store for Android devices. Both Apple and Google banned Fortnite.

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But Apple went a step further, threatening to cut off all developers whose apps use the Epics Unreal Engine, which generates the graphics and physics for a game. A federal judge ruled that Apple could ban Fortnite, but not other games.

Apple has been criticized by other tech giants, including Microsoft and Facebook, for its app store rules. Microsoft wanted to introduce games that stream from servers into an iOS app, which Apple would not approve. And Apple told Facebook it couldnt tell users of a paid event service that Apple takes its 30 percent cut of what the customers would pay to Facebook.

Apple argues that its rules protect customers from malicious software and provides quality control. It says the 30 percent cut is a fair price for providing vetting and e-commerce services to developers who sell through its app store.

On Monday, Apple went live with changes to its App Store that allow developers to challenge rules and suggest changes, as well as not delaying bug-fix releases if a rule violation against that app is pending. The changes were planned before the Fortnite brouhaha, and were seen as an attempt to quell a brewing developer revolt.

Forresters Kodali said Apples Wednesday news release was part of the typical PR playbook of Big Tech.

Apple is kind of getting beat up a bit, there are a lot of companies ganging up on them, she said. They need to own the narrative and say, Hey, hey, we are really good for society, we do a lot of good things, our apps create jobs.

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President Trump's daughter in law Laura Trump campaigned in Florida with House GOP candidate Laura Loomer, who has latched on to numerous conspiracy theories and raised doubts about the survivors of the Parkland shooting.

Laura Trump, who snagged a prominent role speaking at the Republican National Convention as did her husband, Eric, campaigned with Loomer Tuesday in her Palm Beach district.

The district includes Mar-a-Lago, which the president now lists as his permanent residence and where he has filed to vote absentee by mail.

Congressional candidate Laura Loomer (R), campaigned with Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump on Tuesday

Loomer has called herself a '#proud Islamophobe' and has has promoted conspiracy theories online.

After the Parkland shootings she sent tweet suggesting they were acting, writing: 'Its obvious these kids are reading a screen or notes.'

She beat back five Republican opponents in the primary, and got fundraising help from longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone and Infowars' Alex Jones. But she faces an uphill fight against four-term Democratic Rep. Louis Frenkel.

Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer celebrates with Milo Yiannopoulos, left, and campaign director Karen Giorno, right, at an election night event at the airport Hilton in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020

Laura Loomer campaigned with Lara Trump after winning the GOP primary in her Florida district

Loomer has called herself a '#ProudIslamophobe'

The president's daughter in law spoke at the GOP convention and is a campaign advisor

Trump wrote 'Great going' after Loomer won her primary

The Trump campaign tweeted out images of Lara Trump and Loomer campaigning in Boca Raton.

Even as some mainstream Republicans have shunned Loomer, the president congratulated her on her win last month, writing: 'Great going Laura.'

'You have a great chance against a Pelosi puppet!' Trump told her.

After Parkland shooting Loomer sent tweet suggesting they were acting, writing: 'Its obvious these kids are reading a screen or notes.' The shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas resulted in the deaths of 17 people and helped spark new student protests and calls for gun control.

Twitter and Facebook banned Loomer in 2018 after her attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who is Muslim.

'Im late to the NYPD press conference because I couldnt find a non Muslim cab or @Uber @lyft driver for over 30 min! This is insanity,' she tweeted in 2017.

Trump also endorsed Marjorie Taylor Greene, who backs QAnon conspiracy theories.
Theyve become a familiar sight in mailboxes: flyers from companies promising to buy houses for cash without the hassle of a realtor.

But is it too good to be true?

Greg DAmico, sales representative with Peak Realty in Fonthill, received one of these flyers at his home in Port Colborne, and said for a moment he thought it was a personalized letter because it appeared handwritten.

My name is Brandon and I am writing you this letter because I am interested in buying your home, it said. We were walking in your neighbourhood and saw your property.

Despite the tone, though, it wasnt handwritten; it was a printed flyer delivered to mailboxes in south Niagara.

DAmico brought it to a Zoom staff meeting and a colleague said a client of his, a senior who lives in Welland, contacted the person on the flyer and had started the process of selling his house when a family member suggested he speak to a realtor first. DAmicos colleague told him the house was worth $50,000 more than what had been offered.

DAmico said he doesnt think people who want to buy houses for cash are trying to take advantage of homeowners, but said they dont know the market, and in most cases, wont offer a fair price. And if homeowners dont know the value of their homes, they risk losing money. Hes particularly concerned about seniors, who may not know what their homes are worth after living in them for decades.

We see all the time seniors not knowing the market, not knowing what their house is worth, all those kinds of things, said DAmico, who is an accredited senior agent. Its a horrible situation to put them in after a lifetime in their house.

Rich Hall, a sales representative with Royal LePage NRC Realty in Niagara, said hes seen an increase in the number of these flyers in the last three to five years as more Toronto investors look to buy real estate in Niagara.

(I think) 30 to 40 per cent of houses purchased in Niagara in 2018, 2019, were purchased from out of town, he said. And I think thats even going to be higher this year because of COVID.

Brandon, who answered the number listed on the flyer, declined comment for this story.

Steven Butera from Niagara Cash Home Buyers said in an email his company buys houses from people who cant get financing, or that require too much work. For people who dont mind trading some equity for hassle, were simply another solution, he said.

The Niagara Cash Home Buyers website said selling with a realtor can take months.

(Real estate) agents provide a great service for those that can wait six to 12 months to sell and dont mind giving up some of that sale price to pay for the commissions, the company said on its FAQ page.

However, according to the Niagara Association of Realtors, the average length of time a house was on the market in July 2020 was 49 days in Pelham and 29 in Welland.

Hall said the current market in Niagara is competitive.

There just might be people that are willing to pay $25,000 or $50,000 or $100,000 over what you think your house is worth, said Hall. And ... (even) not having to pay a commission, youre still not going to make as much money at the end of the day.

DAmico said while no commission and a simpler transaction could be appealing, realtors bring value to the process.

Its integrity, its the ability to say that you know the market, he said. And we have accountability.

For those who want to pursue a cash sale, Hall recommended asking the buyer for a large non-refundable deposit and retaining a lawyer right away. He also said to speak to the buyer on the phone so sellers know exactly who the people are.

Hall and DAmico suggested sellers have a market assessment completed on their property so they know its worth. But Hall said while sellers can ask for fair market value, they may not get it in this situation.

Any investors going to try and get it as cheap as possible, he said.

The Niagara Cash Home Buyer website said they are looking to get a fair discount on a property so they can resell at a profit.

DAmico said realtors are experts who know not only the market, but the paperwork and the process and can help clients when something goes wrong.

As much as they say, well, selling houses isnt rocket science, maybe not, but at least we know how to take care of our people, he said. Realtors take care of their people.

Said Hall, Its always said its your biggest investment. So just trusting one person who wrote a note in your mailbox might not be the right way to go.
The push to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced in August has spurred a flurry of speculation among Israelis technology community about the potential for IT synergies and trade.

The UAE would become only the third country in the Arab world to establish full relations with Israel. To inaugurate formal normalization talks, El Al Airlines, Israels national carrier, flew Israeli and U.S. officials on Monday directly from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabia symbolic first that also included a maiden trip over Saudi airspace.

Though Israel has enjoyed normalized ties with Egypt and Jordan for decades, it didnt spur much technology cooperation. However, the fit between the UAE and Israels economies is different, say Israeli business people.

With the Arab worlds second largest economy and the highest GDP per capita, companies in the UAEs financial, energy and tourism sectors may avail themselves of Israels rich ecosystem of innovative financial technology, cybersecurity, digital health and agritech software makers. At the same time, Emirati venture investors may want a slice of ownership in promising startups founded by Israeli technology entrepreneurs.

UAE finances a match for Israeli tech center

It feels like a match made from heaven, said Shmulik Ben Tovim, the president of the Fintech Community of Israel. You have a much more developed and internationally oriented financial center in Dubai, on the other hand, you have here [a] technological center in Israel.

In recent years, Israeli and Emirati businesspeople have quietly struck up a working relationship, though the ties are indirect. Israeli vendors rely on headquarters located outside of the Middle East or through or through third party resellers. If Israeli representatives of companies based in the so-called Startup Nation travel to the UAE, they have done it using the passports of a second country.

Normalization would bring those under-the-table ties out into the open and has the potential to pave the way for a tide of new business. The Israeli response to news of the normalization has been breathless, with speculation of news of normalized relations with other Arab states and public displays of the Emirati flag from the Tel Aviv city hall to highway bridges.

UAE firms want to preserve Saudi relations

On Saturday, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayid Al Nahyan abolished a 1972 law banning relations with Israel. However, some Emirati businessmen suggested that the decades-long taboo of open business with Israel will not disappear overnight. Some Emeriti companies may not want to get ahead of Saudi Arabia, despite the potential for Israeli solutions.

The biggest concern would be that UAE companies depend a lot on Saudi business, wrote Kushal Shah, head of digital for Asia and the Middle East at Roland Berger, a German global consulting firm. So, until the Kingdom also signs off on a deal with Israel  there will remain caution on leveraging Israeli technology explicitly.

Shah added that restrictions on data sharing could put another crimp on business, especially cloud computing, noting that Gulf countries need to comply strict rules to ensure data is kept onshore.

Already, business people in Israel are planning to open offices in the UAE. Others say they are getting connection requests from business people in the Gulf in the days since the announcement.

Gulf businesses reach out to Israelis

Ive received numerous LinkedIn emails from family offices, local VCs, and others in that region which I think is a great signal, said Omry Ben David, a partner at Viola, an Israeli venture capital fund. We expect to see LP investment coming into Israeli funds, which typically is an ideal path toward innovation, discovery and adoption. The synergies are clear.

Dubai, which ranks No. 12 on the Global Financial Centers Index, holds out a rich potential for Israeli fintech companies. Israeli financial tech innovators can offer Emerati institutions solutions in a variety of categories, Ben David said.

Incumbent banks can use Israeli artificial intelligence technology to personalize their customer service on banking apps; They can make their back office more efficient using Israeli technology, they can use underwriting algorithms with Israeli DNA to provide better loan and lending services to consumers and SMBs. They can use digital transformation technology to allow their customers to do everything remotely and digitally on mobile or the web.

With expatriates accounting for about 85 percent of its population, UAE financial companies and guest workers may be able to make use of Israeli payment innovation to streamline and cut the cost of making remittances to relatives back home, said Shmuel Ben Tovim, the president of the Fintech Community of Israel. He said that the liberalization of the financial industry is also an opportunity.

UAE regulation reform paves way for deals

Until 2017, the local financial regulations didnt make room for innovations in the industry. It was mostly legacy banks and fund managers, Ben Tovim said. A reform three years ago enabled the establishment of venture accelerators. Israeli technology together with local partners could develop technology that fits the local market in Dubai in such accelerators. We believe that once you have the right idea, funding is not a problem.

Cyber security is another category of IT systems that Israeli companies specialize in with a potential market in the United Arab Emirates.

UAE organizations responsible for critical infrastructure  like electricity grids, water networks or airports  face threats from state-sponsored actors, while other organizations face the same information security challenges as anyone else around the world, said Yoav Tzruya, a general partner at Jerusalem Venture Partners, which focuses on investing in cyber security companies. He said that companies that specialize in cyber training, simulation, authentication, incident detection and response are likely to find business in the UAE.

The Israeli venture capitalist expressed hope that new business links could pave the way for an expansion of Israeli-Arab technology cooperation throughout the Middle East and lead to new diplomatic ties.

Israel security, agritech firms stand to benefit

High tech preceded the diplomatic relationship with the UAE, and I think that the UAEs central positioning in the region can help bridge Israeli high tech  and not just in cyber, in agritech, in digital tech, and food tech  to other countries in the region and eventually build the infrastructure on which diplomatic relations can be established.

According to the Israeli press, some Arab governments have already availed themselves of surveillance technology: the left-leaning Haaretz reported that in recent years, Israels NSO Group Technologies, a firm which enables governments to hack into cell phones, has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of systems to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman  sometimes with the assistance of Israeli government officials.

Israeli media have also reported that Israeli vendors that specialize in cyber defense, like CyberArk, Cybereason and Check Point Software Technologies, have also quietly done business in the Gulf before the announcement.

Israeli executives that traveled to Dubai used to joke among each other about having to prepare to hand out their business cards with U.S. addresses, said Jonathan Medved, the founder of OurCrowd, a Jerusalem-based venture investor. Last December, he addressed an investment conference in Dubai for the first time without covering up his Israeli identity.

Beyond fintech and cyber security, Medved said Dubais shipping and health care industries might find potential for cooperation.

The good thing about the Israeli ecosystem, it isnt dependent on one or two sectors, he said. The UAE is the most innovative part of the Arab world. They are no strangers to venture capital. This has remarkable, almost endless potential. Theres a big market that needs to be served, a country thats close to us, and committed to building their technological presence.

Edouard Cukierman, the chairman of Cukierman & Co. Investment House and the founder of Catalyst Investment, a venture capital investor, said hes planning a trip to the UAE in September with the goal of opening an office there.

For us, assessing the potential for our portfolio companies and for our investment banking clients to see what could be achieved there is something we want to explore on a long term basis, he said. We can develop the ability of Israeli companies in the region, and use the UAE
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 07:07:07|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations official in Libya on Wednesday urged the Security Council to press for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a return to negotiations, following the call from rival political leaders for a ceasefire on Aug. 21.

"It is becoming a regrettable cliche to appear before you and warn that Libya is at a critical juncture, but yet I am compelled to pronounce these same words again," Stephanie Williams, the deputy head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya for political affairs, told Council members via video-teleconference.

"Libya is indeed at a decisive turning point. Your support - not only in words, but most importantly in action - will help determine whether the country descends into new depths of fragmentation and chaos or progresses towards a more prosperous future," she added.

Updating the situation since Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the Council on Libya in early July, Williams said that an uneasy standoff continues around the city of Sirte, imperiling the lives of its 130,000 inhabitants as well as the country's vital oil infrastructure.

While the frontlines have remained relatively quiet since June, foreign sponsors are continuing to deliver advanced weaponry and equipment - in violation of a UN arms embargo - to the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), or Libyan Arab Armed Forces, led by General Khalifa Haftar, and forces controlled by the internationally recognized GNA.

"The mission continues to receive reports of large-scale presence of foreign mercenaries and operatives, further complicating local dynamics and chances of a future settlement," she said, adding that reports of imminent offensives - often through social media - "exacerbate the rate of miscalculation."

"It is imperative that you use your influence to impress on all sides that now is the time for restraint," she said.

Adding to the sense of instability are worsening socio-economic conditions that are fueling popular unrest - notably in the capital Tripoli - and threating the fragile calm required to move political and security talks forward, she added.

"The surge in the use of hate speech and incitement to violence - occasionally stirred through foreign-based media outlets and electronic armies - appears designed to further divide Libyans."

The COVID-19 pandemic meanwhile appears to be spiraling out of control in Libya, with the number of confirmed cases more than doubling in the past two weeks, with 15,156 cases and 250 recorded deaths as of Tuesday.

"Nearing full collapse after more than nine years of conflict, the health care system is unable to respond to the additional weight placed by COVID-19 patients along with maintaining normal health services," she said.

While the UN and its partners are providing medical supplies and increase public awareness of the coronavirus, the Libyan authorities must "cooperate transparently" in a joint fight to control the outbreak, she added.

Underscoring humanitarian challenges, she emphasized that migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers - "at great risk to their lives" - are still trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, including 45 people who perished on Aug. 18 when their boat sank off Libya's east coast.

With more than 7,000 migrants and refugees attempting the crossing this year, and more than 300 killed whilst doing so, she said European countries should consider "a more humane and predictable disembarkation mechanism" in line with their international human rights and search and rescue obligations.

"Libya cannot be considered as a safe port for disembarkation," she said, noting that almost 2,400 migrants and refugees are in official detention centers in Libya where their human rights are routinely violated. Enditem
The number of people dying from coronavirus every week has fallen to double digits for the first time in five months, official data shows.

A total of 88 people died from the disease in England and Wales in the week ending August 21, according to the Office for National Statistics.

It's the first time weekly Covid fatalities have dropped below 100 in 23 weeks, when 44 people succumbed to the virus in the week ending March 13.

Today's figure marks a 35 per cent dip on the previous week's 135 deaths and a huge fall from the 8,000-plus weekly deaths at the height of the crisis in mid-April.

But the ONS report showed that fatalities from all other causes are above the five-year average for the second week in a row.

The number of people dying in hospitals and care homes remains lower than would be expected, but there has been a steep rise in people passing in their own homes.

More than 800 additional people are dying in their homes compared to the five-year average, from a slew of conditions including strokes and heart attacks.

Experts say many people are still too scared to use the NHS for fear of catching Covid-19, while others don't want to be a burden on the health service.

The statistics show the continued fall of Covid-19 in Britain, and also reveal that eight times as many people are dying from the flu and that that is getting worse.

At least 1,151 people had flu or pneumonia mentioned on their death certificate in the most recent week, up from 1,002 a week earlier and the highest since mid-May.

But the ONS report showed that fatalities from all other causes are above the five-year average for the second week in a row. Flu and pneumonia deaths (pale blue line) are now eight times higher than those involving Covid-19

The number of people dying from coronavirus every week has fallen to double digits for the first time in five months. A total of 88 people died from the disease in England and Wales in the week ending August 21

The number of excess deaths in private homes in England and Wales not linked to coronavirus has overtaken the number of Covid-19 deaths in all settings per week

There were a total of 9,631 deaths in the week up to August 21, which is 474 more fatalities than would normally be expected at that time of year (5.2 per cent).

It is the second week in a row that deaths are above the five-year average, after 9,392 people passed in England and Wales last week.

Only two regions in England - the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber - saw fewer overall deaths than the five-year average, at 1.8 per cent and 2.6 per cent lower respectively.

London suffered the highest volume of excess deaths, with 853 more people dying than statisticians expected (8 per cent).

Boris Johnson is branded 'heartless' by families of Covid victims for declining a meeting Boris Johnson has been accused of a fresh U-turn after declining to meet campaigners representing families bereaved during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister said 'of course I will meet the bereaved' when questioned last week in an interview about attempts by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to secure a meeting. But the campaigners trying to secure a swift public inquiry into the Government's handling of the crisis shared a letter from Mr Johnson in which he 'regrettably' declined to meet with the group. 'It's a U-turn followed by a U-turn,' said campaign co-founder Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus. 'The Prime Minister has done a 360: dodging five letters, then agreeing on live TV to meet with us, and now quietly telling us he's too busy. It's heartless.' Advertisement

Care homes and hospitals are still recording fewer deaths than they normally would at this time of year.

This, the ONS says, is because hospitals are treating fewer patients due to Covid precautions and social distancing measures.

Care homes are also reporting fewer deaths than the five-year average. ONS experts explained that Covid-19 likely sped up the deaths of people who would have died of other causes, meaning the year's fatalities have been front-loaded.

However, the number of deaths in private homes continued to be higher than the five-year average, with 825 more people dying than average.

The ONS said: 'Some of these deaths at home may be people who would have otherwise died elsewhere, particularly in hospitals, where we see much lower levels of mortality than is usual for the time of year.

'This could indicate patients are not being admitted to hospital or being discharged sooner. For deaths at older ages, it could be that individuals choose to die at home rather than be admitted to hospital.' The rise in deaths in private homes will be investigated further by the ONS.

The Government-run agency also published a new figure showing that more than 57,300 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.

The ONS said 52,217 deaths involving the disease had occurred in England and Wales up to August 21. In Scotland, 4,222 fatalities caused by the virus were registered by August 23.

Northern Ireland has reported 871 deaths up to August 26, meaning a total of 57,310 Covid-19 fatalities have been registered in the UK in total.

These include all patients who had the virus mentioned on their death certificates, even if they weren't diagnosed with the virus or had a confirmed test.

Only two regions in England - the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber - saw fewer overall deaths than the five-year average, at 1.8 per cent and 2.6 per cent lower respectively

Care homes and hospitals are still recording fewer deaths than they normally would at this time of year. However, the number of deaths in private homes continued to be higher than the five-year average, with 825 more people dying than average

Meanwhile, the number of excess deaths in private homes in England and Wales not linked to coronavirus has overtaken the number of Covid-19 deaths in all settings per week.

Since the week ending June 26 there have been more non-coronavirus deaths registered above what would usually be expected in private homes than deaths registered involving Covid-19, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Private homes have also experienced the highest number of excess deaths not linked to Covid-19 out of all settings. This is despite overall non-coronavirus deaths falling to below average levels.

The ONS analysed registrations of excess deaths which were not linked to Covid-19 up to July 10 in England and Wales.

In the week ending July 10 there were 672 deaths registered in private homes above the five-year average that did not involve coronavirus.

Hospitals, care homes and hospices all had fewer than average deaths not involving Covid-19 that week.

In comparison, there were 366 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales that week in hospitals, care homes, private homes, hospices and other settings.
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar was allowed to enter inside Vitthal temple at Pandharpur by the administration on Monday after he led a protest demanding the opening of temples across Maharashtra.

Ambedkar later claimed that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has assured him of reopening all religious places in the next eight days.

Earlier in the day, the VBA leader arrived at Pandharpur where he was stopped by police as a large number of supporters gathered. After two hours, the district administration allowed Ambedkar along with a select number of warkaris (pilgrims) to visit the temple.

I along with 15 others went inside Lord Vitthal temple. The CM has now assured me that the government will issue standard operating procedures for devotees and open temples in the next eight days. I welcome his decision, Ambedkar told reporters after taking darshan.

When Ambedkar arrived at the Shivaji square, a massive crowd accompanied him to enter the temple. As he began marching towards the temple with a select number of followers, police stopped him and asked him to wait for the administrations response to the letter Ambedkar had handed over to the district collector.

I had given a letter to Solapur district collector for allowing us to enter the temple. The collector responded after talking to the government and allowed 15 persons to enter into the temple, Ambedkar said.

To prevent protesters from entering in the temple, the local administration at Pandharpur had put up checkpoints at entry and exit points to the temple town while barricading the roads leading to the Vitthal temple in view of Mondays agitation by the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA).

Several warkari organisations (pilgrims) have extended support to the VBA agitation that demands the opening of religious places across Maharashtra.

According to Solapur superintendent of police, Manoj Patil, cases are being filed against all those who violated government order by crowding at one place during the pandemic.

The police have registered an FIR against Ambedkar and 1,000 others on Monday, they have been booked under IPC section 143 and 144,  Patil said.

Earlier on Sunday, police issued notices to VBA workers under section 149 of CrPC.

To prevent anyone from entering into the temple town, the state transport bus service was also suspended in Pandharpur for a day.

Since March 25, all places of worship across the state have been closed for devotees in view of the Covid pandemic. However, there is a growing chorus from various sectors for opening temples and other religious places. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged ghanta-nad (bell ringing) agitation across the state pressing for its demand to open temples
Up to 200 jobs are at stake as Perth's Murdoch University is looking to slash a further $25 million in salary costs from 2021, on top of $30 million savings flagged this year.

Vice-chancellor Eeva Leinonen announced the plans in an email sent to staff on Wednesday morning, just a day after Curtin University flagged mass redundancies as it looked to cut $45 million in costs.

The university flagged further staff savings after COVID-19 pandemic and looming higher education reforms caused financial uncertainty. Credit:Bohdan Warchomij

Ms Leinonen said the scale of the challenge the university faced, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, was even more significant, and the federal government's higher education reforms added to the uncertainty.

She said the university had already implemented savings of $30 million in 2020 through measures such as discretionary expenditure saving, a recruitment freeze, vacancy management, a senior staff salary freeze, reviewing workload allocations, and lowering leave balances.
McDonald's Corp has been sued by 52 Black former franchise owners who accused the fast-food giant of racial discrimination by steering them to depressed, crime-ridden neighborhoods and setting them up for failure. In a complaint seeking up to $1 billion of damages, the plaintiffs said McDonald's has not offered profitable restaurant locations and growth opportunities to Black franchisees on the same terms as white franchisees, belying its public commitment to diversity and Black entrepreneurship.

The plaintiffs said McDonald's saddled them under its standard 20-year franchise agreements with stores requiring high security and insurance costs, and whose $2 million average annual sales from 2011 to 2016 were $700,000 below the nationwide norm. Bankruptcy often resulted, they said. "It's systematic placement in substandard locations, because they're Black," the plaintiffs' lawyer Jim Ferraro said in a phone interview. "Revenue at McDonald's is governed by one thing only: location."

Also read: Here's why Trump wants Americans to boycott Goodyear Tire that helps run his limousine

The lawsuit was filed in the federal court in Chicago, where McDonald's is based. McDonald's denied treating Black franchisees differently, or that they were unable to succeed because of discrimination. It also said that while it may recommend store locations, franchisees make the decisions "McDonald's stands for diversity, equity and inclusion," Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said in a video to employees. "Our franchisee ranks should and must more closely reflect the increasingly diverse composition of this country and the world."

The plaintiffs sued five weeks after McDonald's updated its corporate values, pledging a greater focus on diversity. More than 90% of McDonald's 14,400 U.S. restaurants were recently operated by about 1,600 franchisees. Ferraro, however, said the number of Black franchisees had fallen to 186 from 377 since 1998. McDonald's has denied claims in a separate discrimination lawsuit filed by two Black executives in January, also in Chicago.

Also read: Cisco accused of discrimination against Indian employee in US

Their allegations included that McDonald's used harsh grading of stores and other "strong-arm" tactics that drove a disproportionate number of Black franchisees out of its system.

Also read: Infosys faces racial discrimination suit amid 'Black Lives Matter' protests in US
The Gandaki provincial government of Nepal is prepping itself to impress the Indian tourists after the COVID-19 situation improves and travel restrictions are lifted. Nepal is working on a plan, and according to the plan the government has decided to keep the Indian tourists at the top of the list. Nepal's Tourist Minister Bikash Lamsal said that Indian tourists constitute the maximum portion of Nepal's foreign tourists.

Bikash Lamsal: 'Working on plans to cover loses'

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Most numbers of Nepal's tourists are Indian and this is probably why the government has decided to keep them on top of their priority list. Out of 12 lakh tourists who visited Pokhara-The City of Lakes last year, 40% were Indian tourists. In the year 2018, approximately 11.73 lakh tourists visited Nepal and the majority of the tourists were from India. Activities like trekking, boating, paragliding, kayaking, etc are very popular in Nepal. Bikash Lamsal said as they were not able to host the tourists this year due to COVID-19, but they are making efforts to welcome more foreign tourists in the upcoming years

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The minister said, "We are celebrating the year 2019-2022 as Tourism Year with a target to host two million tourists. 2019 was Domestic Tourism Year, 2020 Neighbour Tourism Year, 2021 Tourism Infrastructure Improvement Year and 2022 International Tourism Year. As the situation is not favourable, we are working on plans to cover the loss incurred this year and will be focusing on revamping efforts next year."

READ | COVID-19: Nepal Decides To Extend Lockdown In The Valley For Another Week

Due to the spread of pandemic Coronavirus, Nepal has suffered a loss of around 13 crore Nepali rupees on a daily basis because of the stop on all the tourist activities. According to a study conducted by the provincial government of Nepal, approximately 10,674 companies have been shut down due to the recession. Nepal's tourism sector suffered huge losses in the last four months due to COVID-19.

READ | Nepal Resumes Airing All Indian News Channels After Ban For 'hurting Country's Sentiments'

READ | COVID-19: Nepal To Resume International Flights From Sept 1 With Restrictions
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) will be part of a global 100-year experiment to know how long seeds live at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. For this experiment, data from seeds of 13 crops will be collected, four of which will be provided by ICRISATs genebank.

The institute will add seeds of chickpea, groundnut, pearl millet, and pigeonpea to the experiment during the year 2022-23.

According to a media release by ICRISAT on Tuesday, the experiment will prove crucial in understanding the conservation of seeds and could someday prove essential in the restoration of the worlds food resources.

It said, The main principle for conserving seeds is that well-dried and frozen seeds from many important food crops can stay alive for a very long time in a genebank. Exactly for how long seeds can maintain germination after storage under optimal conditions is not fully explored.

Dr Vania Azevedo, Head of ICRISATs RS Paroda Genebank, said, The seeds will be tested initially before being put in the vault for storage at -18 degrees Celsius. They will be taken out for testing once every decade during the course of the next 100 years to determine longevity.

The five other institutions that will be participating in the experiment along with ICRISAT are National Rice Seed Storage Laboratory for Genetic Resources (NRSSL) in Thailand, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV) in Portugal, Embrapa in Brazil, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Germany and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) in Sweden, according to the media release.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media at the daily briefing in Melbourne, Australia on Aug. 3, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Victorians Oppose Belt and Road Initiative: Poll Reveals

Victorians believe Daniel Andrews government should withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement signed with Beijing, according to a new poll released on Sept. 2.

The poll conducted by the free-market think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, found 54 percent of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed, that Victoria should withdraw from the BRI.

It also found 34 percent had no opinion on the matter, and just 12 percent disagreed.

The poll surveyed 1,040 individuals living in Victoria between Aug. 14 to 17 and was conducted by Dynasta.

The Belt and Road scheme has provided the Chinese Communist Party with significant political and economic leverage over Daniel Andrews which is a threat to our freedoms and to democracy itself, Daniel Wild, director of research at the institute said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

The potential magnitude of Chinese Communist Party interference in Australias democratic institutions is a fundamental threat to the Australian way of life and must be investigated, he added.

The poll also found that those over 55 years leaned heavily towards agreeing to withdraw from the BRI. Meanwhile, age groups between 18 to 44 leaned towards having no opinion on the matter.

Belt and Road Initiative protest rally held on the steps of Victorian parliament on June 7, 2020. (Grace Yu/Epoch Times)

The BRI has been a divisive issue for the Andrews Labor government, with the premier standing firm on the agreement arguing it would grow jobs for the state.

To date, Andrews has signed two Memorandums of Understanding with Beijings National Development and Reform Commission, once in 2018 and the other in 2019. A third agreement was due to be signed this year.

The agreements have been engulfed in a wave of controversy over concerns the BRI is a debt-trap.

Several developing nations have been saddled with massive debt-to-finance projects built under the initiative.

Federal Labor and Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese has publicly opposed the BRI agreement saying, There shouldnt be agreements that are inconsistent with Australias national interests or our foreign policy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrisons recently announced Foreign Relations Bill is also expected to turn up the pressure.

The bill will give the federal government the authority to review and veto agreements between foreign governments, and Australian state and local-level governments.

The prime minister has earmarked over 135 such agreements for review, a large portion having been signed with Beijing-connected entities. Subsequently, the BRI, Confucius Institutes, foreign interference at Australian universities, and all Sister-City arrangements are all expected to come under the microscope.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has announced $41 million in emergency funding to the Government of Wisconsin and local jurisdictions to address a recent surge in community violence and ongoing civil unrest in the state. Trump made the announcement during a Community Safety Round table after visiting the riot-hit city of Kenosha on Tuesday, accompanied by Attorney General William Barr. Grant awards will support community-based crime-fighting initiatives, local victim service programs, and the hiring and training of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. Trump and Barr toured the city, meeting with local officials and community members to express their concern for those affected by the unrest. The President issued a stern warning to lawbreakers, saying that there would be no tolerance for violence and anarchy. 'My administration is restoring public safety. We're hiring more police, surging tough-on-crime federal prosecutors, increasing penalties for assaulting law enforcement and for dismantling Antifa,' Trump told the Round table. Trump lashed out against those who want to slash police funding and oppose using the National Guard. He also promised $1 million to Kenosha law enforcement. The grants will support proven violence reduction efforts like Project Safe Neighborhoods, which enables federal, state and local agencies to coordinate enforcement activities in collaboration with community organizations. Grants will also help to hire police officers and prosecutors and to support local organizations that provide services and support to victims affected by the recent violence and unrest, the Department of Justice said in a press release. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
El presidente del Consejo de Ministros, @WalterMartosR, y la ministra del @MEF_Peru se presentan ante el Pleno del @congresoperu para la sustentacion de los proyectos de Ley de Presupuesto, de Endeudamiento y de Equilibrio Financiero del Sector Publico para el ano fiscal 2021. pic.twitter.com/r6ej5dxXOt
by Vladimir Rozanskij

He had been in Poland for a few days to participate in some Marian celebrations in Czestochowa. The Belarus State Border Commission gives no reasons for the ban. Suspicions that Lukashenko did not like the archbishops gestures and comments on the elections and his closeness to the prisoners. The Orthodox Metropolitan of Minsk, Pavel, is transferred to Russia. The new Orthodox Metropolitan of Minsk is Venjamin Tupeko.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, Mgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, was blocked yesterday at the Belarusian border, returning from Poland where he had participated in some celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Kondrusiewicz himself told Radio Svoboda that he was stopped at the border post of Kuznitsa Belostokskaja, a few kilometers from his hometown of Grodno, where border guards prevented him from returning to his homeland.

Yesterday evening, the official car of the prelate with the driver crossed the border and arrived in Minsk, while the metropolitan returned to Poland, awaiting developments. The press office explains that the prelate trusts in article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, which states: "Every citizen of the Republic has the right to move freely, and choose his residence throughout the territory of the Republic of Belarus, of leave the territory and go back without obstacles ". The right to return to one's homeland is also guaranteed by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Belarus.

Questioned by journalists, the Belarus State Border Commission replied with a "No comment".

Through the catholic.by site, local Catholics ask for prayers for their metropolitan: "In a difficult time for all of us, let's mobilize in prayer, show special solidarity and support each other in every situation, because we are one big family ".

Some Catholics speculate that the ban is caused by the prelate's interventions and appeals to dialogue, in addition to the initiative to assist those arrested in the latest demonstrations. Although Kondrusiewicz had good relations with President Alexandr Lukashenko in the past, his latest comments were not welcomed by the Belarusian leader.

In recent days, the archbishop gave an extensive interview to the Polish religious television channel TV Trwam, defending the rights of the Belarusian population.

On the same day, the Orthodox Metropolitan Pavel (Ponomarev, photo 3) was transferred from Minsk to a southern Russian seat in Kuban, together with a group of priests among those closest to him. The prelate thanked the many faithful present at the morning farewell liturgy, assuring that "he never made distinctions between people for political reasons, indeed, woe to the priests who get involved in politics ... we must speak only in church, not in the press or on the internet, there are already people in charge of this.

In the evening, the new Metropolitan of Minsk, Venjamin (Tupeko, photo 4), presided over a moleben to the Mother of God. In his homily he observed that "the Belarusian people have had a great trial, precisely in the year of the coronavirus pandemic, with the social unrest of these days ... when a building falls apart, you don't argue about how it was built, but you work together to put it back on its feet. Venjamin proposed that everyone commit themselves to "great and fruitful prayer, the only work that gives real results".
MONTREAL - Health officials in Quebec City said they're fighting a spike in the number of infections in the region after a karaoke bar was linked to dozens of COVID-19 infections, including at three local schools.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A school bag and a lunch bag are seen in the school yard at the Bancroft Elementary School as students go back to school in Montreal, on Monday, August 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

MONTREAL - Health officials in Quebec City said they're fighting a spike in the number of infections in the region after a karaoke bar was linked to dozens of COVID-19 infections, including at three local schools.

Jacques Girard, the interim director of the regional health authority, said Wednesday an investigation indicates some of the patrons of Le Kirouac bar went to other bars while contagious, spreading the virus.

"We now have evidence that those people who were COVID-positive, who maybe hadn't had the results of their tests but who were contagious, went to other places," he said.

"It's there when our alarm signal went off."

He said the recent rise in cases in the Quebec City area has been traced back to the evening of Aug. 23 at Le Kirouac. That evening alone generated 40 cases of COVID-19.

A man walks by the Bar Kirouac, which was closed after people were infected with COVID-19 while participating in karaoke earlier in the week, Wednesday, September 2, 2020 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Some of those people then went on to visit at least six other bars in the Quebec City area, Girard said. He said there hasn't yet been any evidence of further transmission at those bars, but that could change in the coming days.

Girard says those cases have led to 10 more infections among family members  including three students who returned to school.

The cases have prompted Le Kirouac to close until Sept. 9, and officials to urge the population to respect health directives, especially during alcohol-fuelled gatherings.

Girard is asking anyone in the Quebec City area who visited a bar in the last week to get tested for COVID-19.

The Quebec City region has been grappling with a spike in cases, prompting Girard to urge both bar owners and individuals to be more careful.

On Wednesday, the region reported 23 new positive cases, compared to between two and four a day the previous week.

Girard said it was imperative to avoid a "domino effect" of secondary cases and community spread.

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.

"I think most people understand the importance of respecting the measures, but it's as if sometimes we forget the virus is still with us," he said.

The province as a whole reported 132 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as well as two additional deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Hospitalizations declined by one to 109, while the number of people in intensive care remained stable at 20.

There has been a total of 62,746 COVID-19 cases and 5,764 deaths linked to the virus in the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.

--With files from Caroline Plante in Quebec City
90 Day Fiance's Paul Staehle implied that his estranged wife Karine Martins is pregnant, adding that he might never meet the child amid a restraining order on him.

Staehle, 37, took to Instagram Stories on Monday to complain about his life problems with the Brazilian beauty, 23, who he shares one-year-old son Pierre with.

'I have to cope [with] the fact I probably will never see my wife and son again,' he said. 'Or see the birth or ever see my unborn child.'

The latest: 90 Day Fiance's Paul Staehle implied that his estranged wife Karine Martins is pregnant adding that he might never meet the child amid a restraining order on him

Staehle previously shared apparent documentation on social media that Martins, who exchanged vows with him in 2017, was issued a protective order against him earlier this summer.

Staehle said that he was working at making his home in Brazil 'sanitary and baby safe' for Pierre's sake.

'For everyone thinking I am chasing Karine in Brazil. Karine is in Indiana USA,' he wrote. 'I came here alone to clean and organize our Brazil home ... My life revolved around them.'

Staehle said that his 'next court date is now in December,' so he was focused on 'keeping busy and constructive.'

Staehle, 37, took to Instagram Stories on Monday to complain about his life problems with the Brazilian beauty, 23, who he shares one-year-old son Pierre with

Update: Staehle said that he was working at making his home in Brazil 'sanitary and baby safe' for Pierre's sake in a detailed Instagram Stories post

Staehle previously shared apparent documentation on social media that Martins, who exchanged vows with him in 2017, was issued a protective order against him earlier this summer

Staehle said that he 'will not see [his] sons for a very long time' and that his mother has been 'having a mental breakdown' in not being able to see her grandchild.

He continued, 'I have to accept the fact that I will probably never see my wife and son again. Or see the birth or ever see my unborn child. That being said I think I am doing what is best staying constructive and busy.'

Martins last month took to Instagram Stories about how she got a protective order against Staehle following a sequence of disturbing instances.

'All this past days I had a lot going on,' she said. 'I had issues where the police was called because I feared for my life and my son's life which led me to ask for help and ultimately be rescued from an environment that no longer was healthy for none of us involved in the situation.

Where things stand: Martins last month took to Instagram Stories about how she got a protective order against Staehle following a sequence of disturbing instances

Bundle of joy: The couple welcomed son named Pierre Martins Staehle last year

Better times: Paul and Karine got married in November 2017

'I'm getting the best help I could ever get and I'm really thankful for all the people involved in this.'

She implied she was abandoning any hope of a reconciliation with Staehle.

'Relationships are hard and sometimes it just can't be fixed anymore,' she said. 'I need this time to organize my thoughts, work on myself and care for my son after everything we have been through in the last year and a half.'

Staehle last month posted on Instagram a clip of himself talking to a police officer saying he had footage of an unnamed woman assaulting him.
WARNING - DISTRESSING IMAGES: A man has been charged with attempted murder after a policeman was slashed on the head and shoulder with a knife and two other officers were injured in Sydney's CBD.

Officers were contacted after a food delivery rider was allegedly harassed by a man on George Street about 12.20am on Wednesday.

Police say one officer was slashed across his head and shoulder after a man pulled out a knife when they approached him as he was walking along York Street near Market Street.

Source: NSW Police

Another officer was slashed on the hand and a third officer was bitten on the arm.

The man was disarmed and arrested, before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital for assessment.

The injured officers were also taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where a 40-year-old male senior constable was treated for a laceration to the left side of his head and a cut to his left shoulder.

A 39-year-old male acting sergeant was treated for a cut to his finger and a knee injury, while a 20-year-old male probationary constable was treated for a bite to his tricep.

Source: NSW Police

A 32-year-old Lakemba man faces multiple charges including grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, assaulting police and resisting arrest.

Detectives and the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team conducted a search warrant at a hostel on York Street and seized a number of items.

The man will face court on Thursday.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Manchester United are reportedly unwilling to abandon their pursuit of Jadon Sancho this summer until the England star publicly admits he wants to remain at Borussia Dortmund.

A move for the 108-million-rated forward had looked dead in the water with talks stalling but United now have renewed hope a deal may be able to be salvaged.

Sancho, 20, has remained tight-lipped throughout the saga while Dortmund chiefs have insisted he will spend at least one more season in Germany.

Manchester United do not want to give up Jadon Sancho pursuit until he comments on future

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made Sancho his No 1 target but talks over a 108m deal have stalled

20-year-old Sancho - who has remained coy throughout saga - is currently on England duty

Negotiations to bring Sancho to Old Trafford were encumbered by the two clubs' difference in valuation and the players' wage demands but The Sun claim United are still not ready to give up on a deal.

United are believed to have offered between 60m and 70m up front with significant add-ons for Sancho - which was rebuffed by Dortmund - and conceded earlier this summer that his 300,000-a-week wages would shatter their pay structure.

However, they believe they could still land their man if he pushes for a move this summer and want the England international to make a statement clarifying his plans for the immediate future.

Despite this, United have already turned their attentions to other targets with Ajax's Donny van de Beek set to sign after a 40m fee was agreed.

United believe they can still sign him this summer if the England ace pushes for the move

The club, meanwhile, are closing in on signing Donny van de Beek from Ajax for 40m

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also wants to add a centre-back this summer and is looking at RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano.

The highly-sought after Frenchman won't come cheap and it's understood United are open to the idea of offloading Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo in a bid to fund a move.

Meanwhile, a move for Aston Villa's Jack Grealish continues to be mooted and Sportsmail understands the two clubs have held talks over a possible 80m deal.

Grealish is a prime target for United but if they could revive talks for Sancho that would likely spell the end of their interest in the England new boy.
By Online Desk

NEW DELHI: Amid a political slugfest over the Facebook issue, a parliamentary panel will meet on Wednesday to discuss alleged misuse of the social media platform.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has summoned representatives of Facebook and will hear their views "on the subject of safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space," according to the agenda of the meeting.

It has also called representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the same issue.

The meeting of the panel was adjourned on Tuesday in view of the national mourning due to the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Its agenda for the day was suspension of internet services in several parts of the country.

However, panel members were intended to discuss the suspension of internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, a source said.

Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook about the report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored applying its hate-speech rules to politicians of the BJP in India, evoked strong reaction from BJP members of the panel.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that the Congress leader has been using the platform to further his and his party's political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman of the panel.

A fresh political slugfest has started on the matter as alleging a "nexus" between the BJP and Facebook, the Congress on Tuesday demanded a probe into it, with Rahul Gandhi saying that international media has "exposed" the social media giant's "brazen assault" on India's democracy and social harmony.

With his tweet hitting out at the social media giant, Gandhi tagged a recent report by the Wall Street Journal on how questions were raised by Facebook employees on its India team's neutrality after an executive posted internal messages allegedly favouring the BJP.

ALSO READ | Name Facebook as co-accused in Delhi riots case: Peace and Harmony panel

"International media have fully exposed Facebook's and WhatsApp's brazen assault on India's democracy and social harmony," he said.

"No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nation's affairs. They must be investigated immediately and when found guilty, punished," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress also issued a statement on Tuesday saying that as "elucidated" by Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine, Facebook India and WhatsApp have been used to "fire Mr. Modi and BJP's social media campaign".

Meanwhile, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a three-page letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, alleged "bias and inaction" by individuals in the Facebook India team on complaints by people supportive of right-of-centre ideology.

"I have been informed that in the run up to 2019 general elections in India, there was a concerted effort by Facebook India management to not just delete pages or substantially reduce their reach but also offer no recourse or right of appeal to affected people who are supportive of right-of-centre ideology," Prasad wrote.

Tagging Prasad's letter to Zuckerberg, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed, "Modi Government comes to the rescue of prejudiced offenders of Facebook India as the ugly nexus is exposed! This is 'pot calling the cattle black'."

He also questioned why the Modi government was not agreeing to a JPC probe into the issue.

Dismissing the Congress' allegations, BJP leaders have been alleging that Facebook favours other parties, with the ruling party's IT cell head Amit Malviya alleging a "Congress-Facebook nexus".

The popular messaging app WhatsApp is also owned by Facebook.

Another report in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month and one in the Time magazine had brought to fore similar allegations.

ALSO READ | Facebook removed accounts of supporters in run up to foundation day event, alleges Trinamool

Citing international media reports, the Congress in its statement alleged that Facebook's global leadership has been aware of the biases and partisanship but remained willing participants, "proving that the unholy nexus between BJP-FB has hit the nerve-centre of our nation's democratic functioning".

This blatant "shielding of BJP-leaning Facebook pages" is nothing short of a deliberate attempt to manipulate the public opinion in India, the party alleged.

"The blasphemous nexus between the BJP and Facebook is for all to witness and must be investigated without delay," it said.

The Congress has written two letters to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeking action against its India team, an independent probe into their functioning and replacing them.

Hitting out at the Congress for alleging a nexus between the BJP and Facebook, Malviya had on Saturday said it is not some social media firm but the people of India who have rejected Rahul Gandhi and his party.

After a major political row erupted over the allegations against it, Facebook had earlier said its social media platform prohibits hate speech and content that incites violence, adding these policies are enforced globally without regard to political affiliation.

(With PTI Inputs)
His brother Karl Stefanovic is a longtime star at Channel Nine and the co-host of the Today show.

But despite his family connections at the network, Tom Stefanovic made a surprise appearance on rival station Channel Seven on Wednesday.

Tom and his wife, Jenna Dinicola, appeared on The Morning Show to promote her family's almond farm, Mandole Orchard.

What is Karl's brother doing on Seven? Tom Stefanovic made a surprise appearance on a rival network on Wednesday. Pictured: Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon on the Today show

Jenna's parents also appeared in the segment, which was filmed at their almond milk farm in Wynangan, New South Wales.

Jenna and Tom gave up their media jobs to move back to the country.

'When you look around, it isn't hard to see why we moved back to the country,' Jenna said.

'But more importantly we're really passionate about educating people about the health benefits of Australian almonds.'

They mean business! Tom (right) and his wife, Jenna Dinicola (centre), appeared on The Morning Show to promote her family's almond farm, Mandole Orchard

Tom added: 'They're a super food, or a super nut if you'd like. They're packed with all the essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants... all the good things in it.'

Tom's appearance on Channel Seven is rather interesting.

Not only does Karl work for Channel Nine - he signed a contract extension last week - but Tom used to be a cameraman for the network.

Family ties: Tom's appearance on Seven is rather interesting. Not only does Karl (right) work for Nine - he signed a contract extension last week - but Tom (left) used to be a cameraman for the network. Their brother Peter (second from right) also worked for Nine for 15 years as a reporter

Their brother Peter also worked for Nine for 15 years as a reporter and foreign correspondent, before joining Sky News in May 2019.

Peter's wife, Sylvia Jeffreys, also works for Nine and co-hosts Today Extra.

In 2018, Karl and Peter were embroiled in the Ubergate scandal, which saw a transcript of their 'b**chy 'phone conversation about their colleagues at Nine published in New Idea, a tabloid magazine owned by Seven West Media.

Making headlines: In 2018, Karl (right) and Peter (left) were embroiled in the Ubergate scandal, which saw a transcript of their 'b**chy 'phone conversation about their colleagues at Nine published in New Idea, a tabloid magazine owned by Seven West Media

Peter previously reflected on the scandal and his feelings of shame and embarrassment in an interview with The Herald Sun.

'I was embarrassed, I was ashamed about it all too because I got my network into trouble... I got my wife and brother into trouble, and I took that really hard,' he said.

Karl was axed from the Today show in 2018, several months after the Ubergate scandal, but he returned to the desk alongside Allison Langdon earlier this year.

Nine declined to comment on Tom Stefanovic's appearance on The Morning Show.
Kabul resumes Taliban prisoner release: insurgent spokesman Following a prisoner release Taliban negotiators may soon be sitting down with the Afghan government to talk peace

Afghan authorities have resumed a controversial release of Taliban inmates, an insurgent spokesman said Tuesday, marking an important step toward breaking an impasse that has delayed the start of peace talks for months.

Negotiations were supposed to begin in March but were repeatedly pushed back as the Taliban and the Afghan government squabbled over the prisoner exchange, which included hundreds of battle-hardened insurgents.

"Our prisoners have been released and we see this as a positive step that paves the ground for the start of intra-Afghan talks," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP late Tuesday.

Another Taliban official from the group's prison commission said 200 prisoners had been released by Kabul since Monday.

He said in return for their prisoners, the militants had released four Afghan commandos who had been held captive, adding that two more would be freed on Wednesday.

A senior Afghan government official told AFP on condition of anonymity that "dozens" of Taliban prisoners had been released on Monday.

"The remaining prisoners will be released within a couple of days," he said.

Eight of the freed Taliban prisoners were paraded in front of local media in Kandahar, the insurgent bastion.

- Final 400 prisoners -

Under the terms of a US-Taliban deal in February, Kabul was supposed to free 5,000 militants and the Taliban were meant to free 1,000 Afghan troops.

Both sides met most of their obligations, but Kabul had balked at the release of a final 400 inmates who President Ashraf Ghani himself said were "a danger to the world".

On August 9 thousands of prominent Afghans approved the release of these 400 prisoners, which included many prisoners who had carried out brutal attacks against Afghans and foreigners.

Their release was opposed by officials in Paris and Canberra because those on the list included militants tied to the killing of French and Australian civilians and troops in Afghanistan.

Story continues

It was not immediately clear if those insurgents were among the prisoners freed since Monday.

Washington has pushed for the release of the imprisoned militants.

US President Donald Trump has made ending the war in Afghanistan and bringing US troops back home a foreign policy priority of his administration.

The Taliban have said they are willing to begin peace talks "within a week" after all 400 prisoners are freed, and blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations so far.

Afghanistan's State Ministry for Peace Affairs said on Tuesday that authorities had taken all efforts to ensure that peace talks begin soon.

"These efforts have put us closer than ever to the start of direct talks," Najia Anwari, spokeswoman to the ministry, told AFP.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, meanwhile, hailed the resumption of the prisoner release on Twitter as "a positive step" towards peace in Afghanistan.

"I hope necessary steps will be taken to pave the way for intra-Afghan talks and that delegations from both sides will meet very soon," he tweeted.

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  President Donald Trumps postmaster general was asked to immediately return sorting machines that were removed by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and 10 of Pennsylvanias members of Congress on Tuesday, as union officials say the machines removal has contributed to a slowdown in mail delivery.

The letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was signed by the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, all nine Pennsylvania Democrats in the U.S. House and one of its nine Republicans, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County.

Over the past several weeks we have heard from people in every county across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are gravely concerned about delayed mail delivery, they wrote. We call on you to immediately return to service machines that have been removed in recent months.

A postal service spokesperson, however, said Tuesday that slowdowns in mail service are beginning to improve and reiterated that it will not return the machines. The order to remove them was given before DeJoy  a former supply-chain CEO who is a major donor to Trump and the Republican Party  took over the post in June, the spokesperson said.

The machines, the spokesperson said, were not needed, a contention disputed by two postal worker union officials in Pennsylvania, who said Tuesday the removal of the machines was extraordinarily unusual and continues to contribute to the slowdown in mail delivery around the state.

The partisan fight over postal service is casting a shadow over the coming presidential election, with millions in Pennsylvania expected to vote by mail amid the pandemic.

Trump has baselessly claimed that mail-in voting will lead to fraud and acknowledged that he is withholding emergency aid from the postal service to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election.

In testimony during a six-hour House Oversight Committee hearing last week, DeJoy vehemently refused to restore decommissioned mail-sorting machines and blue collection boxes, saying they are not needed.

DeJoy also said he would continue policies limiting when mail can go out, as well as halting late delivery trips.

DeJoy, however, insisted he is not trying to sabotage the election.

If every American voted by mail this year, that volume would be three-quarters of what the Postal Service delivers in one day, or 330 million ballots compared to 433 million pieces of mail in a regular day, the Postal Service said. That could amount to less than 2% of total mail volume from mid-September to Election Day, it said.

Nick Caselli, president of the Philadelphia-area local of the American Postal Workers Union, said Tuesday that its clear that sabotage is DeJoys aim.

Its blatant, its deliberate, Caselli said. Its the only way to look at it.

Casey and the other lawmakers say at least 30 letter-sorting machines have been removed from Pennsylvania mail facilities.

Dozens of the machines remain, but machines are never simply just removed, union officials said.

Sometimes, machines are removed and replaced with an updated machine, and sometimes a machine is loaned out to another distribution center that needs it, they said.

But to remove three machines that we need doesnt make sense at this time when youre going into your heaviest time of the year, said Kim Miller, president of the Philadelphia-area local of the American Postal Workers Union.

Millers area lost three letter-sorting machines and has 30 to 35 left, she said. Caselli said his distribution center lost eight letter-sorting machines and is left with 35 to 40.

Meanwhile, the Postal Services warning that its delivery times appear to be incompatible with Pennsylvanias mail-in ballot deadlines has invigorated a partisan fight over changing those deadlines.

Gov. Tom Wolfs administration, along with his Democratic allies, is asking the state Supreme Court to require counties to count ballots that arrive up to three days after the Nov. 3 election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The current deadline is the close of polls.

Republicans oppose that and, to minimize late-arriving ballots, are seeking to shorten the deadline to request a mail-in ballot, from one week to 15 days before the election. Democrats oppose that.
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BERLIN - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalnys poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said.

The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon outrageous. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was completely reprehensible.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, Ullyot said.

The European Unions foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was a breach of international law.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction. Today accusing #Russia is a must-do for any Western country, he said in a tweet.

In Moscow, Russian authorities were quick to blame Germany for not sharing its findings.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities are ready and interested in full co-operation and exchange of information with Germany but added that Berlin still hasnt provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor generals office and doctors who treated Navalny.

Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didnt find any poisonous substances in Navalnys system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred public statements without providing any facts whatsoever to a thorough investigation.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care but continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Navalnys prognosis is hard to predict. He said that very swift action is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the significant delay, given that Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.

The problem is that even if Mr Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues, Sella said.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putins name and a signature next to it.

It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way  or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.

Navalnys allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.

The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.

The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.

The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalnys (possible) death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed, Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at Kings College London, said. It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

___

Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London, Raf Casert in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this story.

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BENZIE COUNTY  Todd Alan Norris, 49, of Lander, Wyoming, has been arraigned on assault charges after using his truck to run another person down in Beulah.

Norris was arraigned in the 85th District Court in Benzie County on one count assault with a dangerous weapon and one count reckless driving. His bond was at $3,000 10%. His next scheduled court appearance is at , at 1:30 p.m.on Sept.17.

He is currently lodged in the Benzie County Jail.

Around 3 a.m. on Aug. 22, Benzie County dispatch reported they received multiple calls of a man driving erratically on Benzie Boulevard in downtown Beulah. It was reported a man was chasing another man on foot and then used his vehicle to chase him down.

The investigation led to the arrest of Norris for felonious assault. Troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Cadillac Post arrived and found Norris lying on the ground next to a Ford F-150 parked on the sidewalk, according to a press release from the Michigan State Police. Norris appeared to be resting and was not injured. The truck had heavy front-end damage. The Norris claimed the man he was chasing attempted to steal his vehicle.

The man being chased, a 47-year-old from Silverdale, Washington, told troopers he was awakened by loud music coming from the road. He went outside to investigate and found a Ford F-150 parked in the middle of the road with the drivers door open and music playing extremely loud, according to police. He turned down the radio down and took the keys out of the ignition and placed them on the seat. He called 911 when a man came running toward him screaming.

The Norris chased him on foot, then got in the truck and continued the chase, police said. Neither men sustained any injuries.
A Russian news article this week claimed hackers accessed and shared the Connecticut voter registration database on the Russian dark web, along with the information of millions of American voters across the country.

Of course, hacking skills werent required, nor do they appear to have been used. The Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity arm and the FBI issued a joint statement Tuesday saying that there have been no cyber attacks this year on voter registration databases or on any systems involving voting.

And besides, in Connecticut, the database is a public record available to anybody willing to pay the state $300.

But that didnt stop the story from spreading online, causing some voters to question the cyber security measures in place for the upcoming election and highlighting the ease with which misinformation spreads online.

The now debunked story from the Russian newspaper Kommersant  which attempted to portray Connecticuts voter database, among others, as susceptible to cyber attacks  is at the intersection of several key issues: voter privacy, election security, the spread of misinformation and the importance of public information.

Its a really powerful reminder of how quickly these things happen and how quickly bad information can spread, said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, who first learned of the fake hack through American media outlets who asked about the Russian story. She said the story is an attempt to undermine confidence in elections systems across the country ahead of the November election.

Its just one more attempt to give people a reason to distrust the elections, Merrill said. Right now we need to assure people as much as possible that our elections are secure. Were doing a lot to prevent these sorts of attacks, and to prevent the misinformation attacks.

Merrill said Connecticut has spent much of the past three years beefing up the states cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent the sort of interference attempts that occurred during the 2016 election, and which targeted Connecticut.

Using federal grants Merrill said the state has worked to shore up local networks, increase password protections with dual authentication and increasing technology training for local officials about the risks of phishing emails and how to prevent cyber breaches.

Still, the Connecticut voter database is a public record that includes every registered voters full name, date of birth and address, among other information. Merrill has argued the information in the database should be limited  including only a voters birth year, for example, instead of their full birth date  to increase voter privacy because while Russian hackers may not have entered the Connecticut election system, theres no telling what those who are purchasing the data are actually doing with it, Merrill said.

Our voter file is one of the largest databases in the state, Merrill said. Its ripe for marketers or anybody who wants that information. Weve done a lot to shore up our protections, and were doing all this to protect the database, but it is public information. Thats what makes this such an odd issue. People get very upset when they hear their information is public, when they find out anyone can buy that list for $300. I have made many proposals to change that, but its been opposed by the FOI Commission among others who say its a matter of public record.

Public records advocates say the file is important for journalists and members of the public to hold public officials accountable over the integrity of the voter rolls, as well as confirm people they come across in daily life are who they say they are.

Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said there arent many examples of the information being used nefariously -- for identity fraud or other scams -- but that the voter databases in states across the country have been used for good on numerous occasions.

Ultimately these voter rolls should be public and we should have access to them because they provide a way for us to make sure that these records are being maintained properly and that they're accurate from year to year, Silverman said. That type of transparency allows citizens to go into the rolls to make sure that those who are registered didnt pass away or live where they say they live.

He said removing portions of birthdates would make it difficult to distinguish between people who have the same name, and that the birthdays can be useful in analyzing population trends and how communities are voting and registering.

I havent seen much, if any, evidence to support this fear that people's privacy will be infringed, Silverman said.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:43:15|Editor: huaxia

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BANGKOK, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Thai cabinet meeting has approved a budget of 883 million baht (28.2 million U.S. dollars) on Wednesday from the Central Fund for the Ministry of Defense to continue running the state quarantine accommodation as more Thais return from overseas in the midst of the global pandemic.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 22,470 Thais living or working abroad have applied to return to Thailand in July and August.

The newly acquired state quarantine fund will accommodate for up to 41,000 arrivals.

Returning Thais are waived from paying state quarantine fee.

However, non-Thais arriving in Thailand will have to pay for their own hotel quarantine fee. Enditem
Virgin Atlantics 1.2billion rescue has been signed off by a High Court judge.

Last week, the airlines creditors voted to approve the deal, which the firm said was a significant milestone in safeguarding its future.

At a remote court hearing on Wednesday, Mr Justice Snowden sanctioned the restructuring plan  a key step of the process for Virgin Atlantic to implement the rescue package.

Cleared: Last week, Virgin Atlantic's creditors voted to approve the deal, which the airline said was a 'significant milestone in safeguarding its future'

The judge said this will allow the airline to make the plan effective by Friday.

The 1.2billion rescue deal, announced in July, involves only private funds, and includes a cash injection of 200million from founder Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group.

David Allison QC, for Virgin Atlantic, told the court that four creditor meetings were held last week, with 100 per cent attendance and 100 per cent approval at three of them.

The fourth saw the deal approved by the vast majority of those present and voting.

Allison said it was in the best interests of all stakeholders to reach an agreement. A US procedural hearing will follow today.
A 25-year-old Queensland vet was one of two Australians on a ship, carrying thousands of cattle, that capsized off the coast of Japan.

The family of Lukas Orda, who only recently landed a job as a veterinarian in the live export sector, is desperately hoping the young father and husband is found.

Queensland vet Lukas Orda. Credit:Facebook

Mr Orda went to Good Shepherd Catholic College in Mount Isa in north-west Queensland, studied at James Cook University and recently worked as an equine vet on the Gold Coast.

"Its tragic, you know, not only the loss of him but the family left behind," said Mount Isa Catholic priest Father Michael Lowcock, who knew Mr Orda when he was a school student and has been in contact with the Orda family.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has told former British prime minister Theresa May that from an Australian perspective it was "the stuff of dreams" to see her conservative government legislate net-zero carbon emissions targets by 2050 last year.

Speaking in an online forum hosted by the Liberal Party-linked environment group Coalition for Conservation, Ms Berejiklian said Ms May's climate policy set an example to other conservative governments. She joked that NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean should inform the federal government that the state was adopting Britain's climate strategy.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Environment Minister Matt Kean. Credit:Nick Moir

"To have a conservative Tory government legislate 2050 emissions is the stuff of dreams in Australia ... We can only hope to emulate it," Ms Berejiklian said on Wednesday night.

Asked how she overcame political obstacles to legislate for net-zero emissions Ms May said there was little opposition and historically the Conservative Party has embraced action on climate change, noting that one of the first world leaders to address climate change was Margaret Thatcher.
For most of the 60-year history of the Kennedy dynasty, its been easier to imagine its last act as coming in a burst of triumph, a spasm of violence or a dream-shall-never-die promise of enduring hope. On Tuesday, however, what might be the final note of this political symphony was written not in glory or tragedy, but in numbers, the sad prose of politics.

Sen. Ed Markey 55.6 percent, U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III 44.4 percent.

In a Democratic primary. In Massachusetts.

The 74-year-old Markey, who was first elected to the House in 1972, was supposed to be the type of proud, uncharismatic incumbent whom Kennedys routinely dispatch to retirement homes or ambassadorships. Joe Kennedys grandfather, Robert, famously ended the 18-year political career of New York Sen. Kenneth Keating, a 64-year-old Rockefeller Republican, without even moving to the state until shortly before the election. In a 1962 debate, Massachusetts Attorney General Edward J. Eddie McCormack Jr. told political neophyte Edward Moore Kennedy that if his name had been Edward Moore, his Senate candidacy would be a joke. The joke, of course, was on Eddie McCormack, who lost the Democratic primary, 69-30.

Those victories were, however, a long time ago. JFKs assassination will have its 57th anniversary this fall. Its been more than 52 years since the murder of Robert Kennedy, and 11 since Teds death from a brain tumor. Only voters old enough for retirement have real-time memories of the Kennedy administration. Even fewer feel the powerful sense of attachment that followed the Kennedy assassinationsthe belief that this familys name was synonymous with enlightened public service. And much of what remains in photos and video clips of the once-famous Kennedy style is obnoxious to the public mood: Sleekly dressed men with sometimes leering eyes, captive spouses, cocktails and cigarettes.

Joe Kennedy knew this. What made the 39-year-old grandson of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy special was that he wasnt like the Kennedys of the 60s, at least in personality. He had all the familys looks and charm, and more native intelligence than most of his kin. But he was also kind and deferential to his elders, unassuming in his manner, studious in his approach to politics and warmly conventional in his personal life.

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He was different from other Kennedys in part because he was raised to be, by his divorced mother. She, and he, knew that if the Kennedy tradition of public service were to continue it would require a different kind of standard-bearer. He was raised for the job.

The irony on Tuesday was not that the Kennedys finally got the electoral slap in the face, the comeuppance, that they managed to evade after sex scandals and Chappaquiddick. Its that nice, earnest young Joe Kennedy somehow allowed himself to get tangled up in a tired mystique that was ripe for a backlash and offensive even to some of his closest relatives.

Joseph P. Kennedy III was in high school when his mother wrote the book that effectively destroyed his fathers political career.

His parents had been divorced for two years when his father, U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, the anointed successor to the family dynasty, tried to get their marriage annulled. He was Catholic; his ex-wife, Sheila Rauch Kennedy, was not. He wanted to marry his secretary. The only way to do so and remain in good standing with the church was to claim that their marriage, despite the presence of twin sons, had been invalid from the start.

To Joe IIs apparent surprise, Sheila objectedso viscerally that upon receiving his written request she was sick to her stomach. It was well-known that the church had been granting annulments to certain rich, powerful Catholics who wished to remarry. Joe II, seemingly oblivious to his privilege, regarded annulment as simply the Catholic way of divorce. Sheila, the non-Catholic, set about studying the matter, and discovered that an annulment meant the marriage had never existed in the eyes of God. When she presented the facts to her former husband, he replied, according to her account, I dont believe this stuff. Nobody actually believes it.

Damage was done, and kept on being done. Four years later, in 1997, Sheila wrote her book about the subject, casting herself as a well-meaning divorced mom, with no serious resentment against her ex, who nonetheless refused to be tossed in the dumpster by her former husband and the Catholic Church: My concern was for my childrens moral development ...  The book, Shattered Faith, featured on its cover a wedding picture of a lightly smiling Sheila and a broadly beaming Joe II. Her dedication read: For our children.

Within a year, Joe II announced he would not seek reelection to the House seat he had held for 12 years. The decision was widely attributed both to the annulment and the death in a skiing accident of his brother Michael, whom he had made his successor as head of Citizens Energy, the nonprofit company he founded to deliver low-cost heating oil to needy families. Michael himself had been the focus of a recent scandal over a long-standing affair with his childrens teenage babysitter.

Those werent the first reversals in Joe IIs life. The eldest son of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy carried the burden of having been deeply affected by his fathers death. His subsequent years included his expulsion from several private schools and an accident in which he was cited for reckless driving and a young woman was paralyzed. He was serving in Congress when his first cousin, William Kennedy Smith, was accused of raping a woman at the family compound in Palm Beach, Fla., and later acquitted.

Bombastic in manner, and clumsy with words in the same manner as his Uncle Ted, Joe II confronted a fair amount of skepticism in his political career. He was hardly the charismatic figure his father and Uncle Jack had been. But like his Uncle Ted, he stuck his neck out for causes that other politicians shunned, such as peace in Northern Ireland, the creation of the Community Reinvestment Act to force banks to end discriminatory lending and his signature issue, the provision of heating oil to needy families in cold parts of the country. In his outspoken style could be seen both the power and detriments of entitlement. He could seem obnoxious and courageous in the same breath.

Growing up in the house Sheila bought in a middle-class area of Cambridge, overseen by a diligent, attentive mother who nonetheless seemed wise to all the ways that Kennedys could run amok, Joe III and brother Matthew were instilled with the modesty that some others of the clan lacked. Joe III visited Hyannis Port in the summers, drinking in the Kennedy aura and sharing in the family playfulness, but then returned to Sheilas more disciplined abode.

The young man that emerged was both the perfect flower of the Kennedy political speciesa red-haired amalgam of Bobby and Jack, but with a quieter mannerand its antithesis. Where Ted had been caught cheating at Harvard and Joe II struggled to obtain any sort of college degree, Joe III buckled down and studied his way through Stanford and Harvard Law School before becoming an assistant DA on Cape Cod.

Joseph P. Kennedy III, left, sits with his father, former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II as they attend a campaign event for the senate candidacy of Martha Coakley in Medford, Mass. Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010.

When Barney Frank announced his retirement from Congress, Joe III joined a crowded field to replace him. Taking nothing for granted, he worked hard and met thousands of voters face to face. His victory in 2012, with memories of Teds emotional send-off still fresh in voters minds, was both an affirmation of the power of the Kennedy name and a recognition of its limits: Joe seemed likely to succeed as long as he followed his anti-Kennedy script, earning his way ahead, respecting senior colleagues, taking pains not to appear presumptuous.

But a certain presumptuousnessa willingness to use fame to give voice to the voicelessis built into the Kennedy image, and voters could only wonder if this new-generation Kennedy was really a Kennedy at all.

Over four terms in Congress, Joe III behaved like a scaled-down version of the family archetype. He championed health care, like his Uncle Ted, but seemed content to accept a lesser role on the crowded roster of Democrats scrambling to remake the system. He raised his voice at times, particularly in delivering the Democrats rebuttal to Donald Trumps State of the Union speech in 2018. But he was nothing like the passionate crusader that his former law professor, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, has been in pushing progressive causes. At times, he expressed a preference to spend more time with his young family: He and his wife, Lauren, a former law school classmate, have a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

But being a Kennedy means being perpetually groomed for greater things. Ted Kennedy struggled with these kinds of expectations on a far grander scale. Like the inheritor of a family business, he felt a responsibility to the hundreds of high-profile minionsmany of them eminent in their own fieldswho had attached their fortunes to the Kennedy name. Despite the inevitable fraying of family ties in the absence of Teds unifying presence, and the competing ambitions of some cousins, the family torch was being carried by Joe. Its fuel was ambition. There was a real danger of it being extinguished on his watch.

In July 2019, POLITICOs Stephanie Murray reported that many Bay State Democrats believed Markey was ripe for a takedown in the Democratic primary. It seemed like a smart bet. Just a year earlier, Ayanna Pressley had routed long-serving Rep. Michael Capuano in a district that covered Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. Her appeal to generational change, diversity and a firmer commitment to progressive causes mirrored that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in defeating Joe Crowley, a seemingly entrenched New York incumbent. Markey bore more than a passing resemblance to Capuano and Crowley.

Markeys dilemma was also Kennedys: What if another young upstart took down Markey? That person might be expected to hold the Senate seat for decades, while Joes own sense of promise would fade as he passed through middle age. Kennedys supporters put out word that Joe was open to challenging the incumbent. No doubt many felt that Markey, staring at his 75th birthday, might prefer to be handed a gold watch and key to K Street riches rather than go toe-to-toe with a man 35 years his junior; plus, Markey would be handing the seat to someone he evidently liked and shared his values.

This was hardly an unlikely scenario. Markey seemed far more comfortable on the floor of Congress than on the campaign trail. He had enjoyed 40 years of easy, pro-forma reelections to his House district north of Boston. When he advanced to the Senate, in the special election following John Kerrys elevation to secretary of State, his victory was a tribute to his long years of service more than dynamic campaigning. The race was the most lackluster for a highly contested seat in recent Massachusetts history.

But Kennedy, his advisers and many other people underestimated Markeys vitality, campaign skills and, especially, his sense of determination. Being put out to pasture by a Kennedy seemed to him the greatest affront, the height of indignity, and he made others see it that way, too. Soon, Markey was appearing in ads shooting baskets with a panther-like agility that Trump and Joe Biden could only dream of; in recognition of Markeys decades of support for clean energy, none other than Ocasio-Cortez offered her endorsement, cementing Markeys position to Kennedys leftthe key to a huge trove of votes in a Massachusetts Democratic primary.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey speaks, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Malden, Mass., after defeating U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary.

Kennedy, meanwhile, struggled to articulate a reason for running. His politeness seemed to prevent him from offering the most plausible answer, that Markey had lost his effectiveness. Instead, he made oblique references to generational change, while Markey essentially accused him of running a vanity candidacy, funded in part by a PAC led by Joe II. Then, with his back to the wall, Kennedy played the very card he had been raised not to play, the family legacy. If he had to bear the burden of being a Kennedy, he seemed to believe, he might as well reap the benefits. It was a disastrous calculation.

Ethel Kennedy, Joes 92-year-old grandmother, cut a video for his campaign. Shot in extreme closeup, as if someone shoved a cellphone camera in her face, the withered matriarch repeats, I hope with all my heart you vote for Joe. ... He reminds me of Bobby and Jack and Teddy. Black-and-white photos of the Kennedy brothers in their prime crawl across the screen. The presence of the rarely seen Ethel and the vintage photos seemed to emphasize the vast number of decades that had passed since Camelot. She is a living link, to be sure, but only in the sense of the last survivors of D-Day or Iwo Jima, offering their frail salutes at Memorial Day parades.

Suddenly, Joe Kennedy became the candidate of the past, older than Ed Markey.



A few states away, in New Jersey, Amy Kennedy, the wife of Joes cousin Patrick, is making a surprisingly plucky campaign for a House seat against Democratic Party turncoat Jeff Van Drew. But no one is comparing her to Bobby, Jack and Teddy. Shes running as part of a more ordinary dynasty: Her father, Jerry Savell, was an Absecon City Council member. Patrick Kennedy, himself an ex-congressman, appears only in a family photo with their kids. The race, which once seemed to be Van Drews to lose, is now rated as a toss-up. So Congress may yet have a Kennedy family member in January.

Amys victory, if it comes to pass, would only be further proof that the Kennedy political dynasty, like the Kennedy mystique and all the sepia-toned memories that it engenders, has reached its generational end. But the Kennedy legacy of public service continues, not just in the person of Amy but in the causes advanced by other family members, from the Shrivers Special Olympics, to Joe IIs Citizens Energy, to Bobby Jr.s global environmental campaign and more. They stand as proof that Kennedys can play roles in public life without having to don the clothes of their grandfathers.

And some qualities once associated with the dynasty, forgotten in the fugue of privilege and entitlement, havent lost their viability, either. Arguably, the Kennedys practiced a form of charismatic politics that bridges the gap between todays anti-establishment populism and government as usual: The Kennedys were populist believers in government. And Joe Kennedys talents seem too useful to slumber forever in a law firm or on the board of his fathers energy nonprofit. In two years, Massachusetts popular attorney general, Maura Healey, is expected to give up her job to run for governor. It would be a perfect venue for a skilled lawyer and politician to prove himself to be his own man.

The Kennedy dynasty is dead. Joes Senate loss places a 2020 marker on its gravestone. Yet no one should be more relieved than the Kennedys. Now they are free to be themselves and discover their own ways to make a contribution.
CPI(M) MP P R Natarajan has written to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is the chairman of the parliamentary panel on information and technology, demanding criminal investigation into Facebooks alleged links with the BJP. Nararajan, an MP from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, took note of the notice that the committee had served to the social media company for its alleged questionable practices in India and promoting hate.

The committee has summoned representatives of Facebook and will hear their views on the subject of safeguarding citizens rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms, including special emphasis on women security in the digital space, according to the agenda of the meeting.

The conduct of Facebook is serious in nature and has far-reaching implications on our right to unbiased information, Nararajan said in the letter. The matter concerns the rights of citizens to information free from biases which the social media platform has violated.

We need to take clear measures given the perilous state of democracy in India today. We face a growth in authoritarianism, diminished institutional independence and curbs on fundamental rights, the Lok Sabha MP said.

Nararajan underscored that the role of social media platforms like Facebook, and even WhatsApp, which also till recently was controlled by the same public policy team, should be to support democratic values rather than undermining them. He pointed out to a UN fact-finding report that found Facebook playing a central role on the genocide in Myanmar.

Natarajan alleged that the manner in which Facebook had intervened to influence voters in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party was an interference in the Indian electoral process by a foreign corporate house. This also brings into question the use of such a dubious company, which has a poor track record globally, by the ruling party to further its own electoral interests, while subverting Indian democracy.

It is equally worrisome that many government bodies, institutions and departments have worked in close cooperation with FB, which has possibly compromised Indias interests, he said. The CPI(M) leader stressed that was imperative that a criminal investigation be launched to establish the nature of the relationship between the BJP and FB, and its access to the government and constitutional bodies.

Pending such an inquiry, FB should not be allowed to operate with any government department or constitutional body, he added.
Venturelli/Getty; John Phillips/Getty Amber Heard and Johnny Depp

Amber Heard has launched a countersuit against her ex-husband Johnny Depp for $100 million, accusing him of initiating a "smear campaign" against her.

Per court documents filed on Aug. 10 in Fairfax County, Virginia, Heard, 34, has asked Depp's $50 million lawsuit to be thrown out of court and is seeking twice the amount against him in her countersuit.

Depp, 57, is currently seeking damages against his ex-wife for an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post claiming to be a domestic violence victim. The trial is set to begin in Fairfax County on Jan. 11.

In her court filing, the Aquaman actress alleged that Depp and his team orchestrated a false and defamatory smear campaign against her.

In the court papers, Depp allegedly "controlled and/or manipulated" social media accounts specifically with the goal of targeting Heard.

PEOPLE has reached out to Depp's lawyers for comment.

RELATED: Biggest Bombshells from Johnny Depp's U.K. Libel Case: From Early Drug Use to Losing $750 Million

Heard also claimed that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor "initiated, coordinated, overseen, and/or supported and amplified" two change.org petitions, the first to get her kicked off Aquaman, and the second to remove her as a spokeswoman for LOreal, the papers state.

"This stream of false and defamatory accusations against Ms. Heard is all an attempt to ruin her life and career, simply because she was a victim of domestic abuse and violence at the hands of Mr Depp," the court filing states.

According to the documents, Heard is "finally, after all these years, fighting back" by launching the countersuit against Depp.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

On Aug. 21, Depp and his team submitted documents asking to reschedule the defamation trial to "sometime between March and June 2021" so it doesn't interfere with filming the latest Fantastic Beasts film, according to USA Today.

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Depp's legal team filed the motion after Depp's manager received a letter from Warner Bros.' legal team reminding the actor that he was contractually obligated to report to London for filming "on an exclusive basis commencing in early October 2020 and running through and including the middle of February 2021," USA Today reported. (Depp plays the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spinoff.)

The original court date did not conflict with filming, but the novel coronavirus pandemic created " an untenable situation over which [Depp] has no control," his team said.

Marc Piasecki/WireImage; Phillip Faraone/Getty Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

RELATED: Johnny Depp's Alleged Violence Against Amber Heard Comes from 'Deep Misogyny,' Court Hears

Last year, Depp filed a $50 million defamation suit against Heard over her Dec. 18, 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post titled, I spoke up against sexual violence  and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

In response, Heards rep said in a statement: This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depps repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard. She will not be silenced. Mr. Depps actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behavior. But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self destruction, we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile harassment of my client by Mr. Depp and his legal team.

Depps lawyers go on to say that op-eds implication that Mr. Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false, and that the allegations were refuted by police officers, a litany of neutral witnesses and 87 surveillance camera videos.

Depp and Heard met on the set of 2011s The Rum Diary and were married from February 2015 to May 2016.
MINNEAPOLIS - A class of drugs used for many conditions, including allergies, colds, high blood pressure and depression, may be associated with an increased risk of developing mild thinking and memory problems, particularly in people who have genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease or markers of this condition, according to a study published in the September 2, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These types of drugs, called anticholinergic drugs, are used for motion sickness, urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, Parkinson's disease and high blood pressure. There are approximately 100 such drugs in widespread use, with some requiring a prescription and many others that may be purchased over the counter.

The study found that cognitively normal people taking at least one anticholinergic drug were 47% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia, over the next decade than people who were not taking such drugs.

"Our findings suggest that reducing the use of anticholinergic drugs before people develop any cognitive problems may be an important way to prevent the negative consequences of these drugs on thinking skills, especially for people who have an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," said study author Lisa Delano-Wood, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego. "Future studies are needed to see if indeed stopping the use of these drugs could lead to a reduction in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease down the road."

The study involved 688 people with an average age of 74 who had no problems with thinking and memory skills at the start of the study. The participants reported if they were taking any anticholinergic drugs within three months of the start of the study at least once a week for more than six months. They took cognitive tests once a year for up to 10 years.

One-third of the participants were taking anticholinergic drugs, with an average of 4.7 anticholinergic drugs taken per person. Metoprolol, atenolol, loratadine and bupropion were the most common.

Since different drugs have different levels of anticholinergic activity, the researchers also determined participants' overall anticholinergic burden based on the number, dosage, and strength of anticholinergic drugs they were taking.

Of the 230 people who were taking anticholinergic drugs, 117 people, or 51%, later developed mild cognitive impairment, compared to 192 people, or 42%, of the 458 people who were not taking the drugs. After adjusting for depression, number of medications being taken, and history of cardiac problems, individuals taking at least one anticholinergic drug had a 47% increased risk for developing mild cognitive impairment. Furthermore, those with higher overall exposure to anticholinergic drugs had additional increased risk.

Researchers also looked at whether people had biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in their cerebrospinal fluid or had genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

The study found that people with biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in their cerebrospinal fluid who were taking anticholinergic drugs were four times more likely to later develop mild cognitive impairment than people who were not taking the drugs and did not have the biomarkers.

Similarly, people who had genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and took anticholinergic drugs were about 2.5 times as likely to later develop mild cognitive impairment than people without the genetic risk factors and who were not taking the drugs.

Because older people metabolize anticholinergic drugs differently than younger people, many anticholinergic drugs have different recommended daily dosages for elderly people than for younger people. Delano-Wood said that the majority of medications in the study were being taken at levels much higher than the lowest effective dose recommended for older adults, with 57% taken at twice the recommended dosage and 18% at least four times the recommended dosage.

"This is of course concerning and is a potential area for improvement that could possibly lead to a reduction in cases of mild cognitive impairment," Delano-Wood said. "It is also a possible target toward a future precision medicine approach because we can more carefully consider and prescribe medications for people depending upon their risk profile for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease."

People who take anticholinergic medications are encouraged to discuss medication appropriateness with their doctors or pharmacists before making changes to their medications, since some of these medications may cause adverse effects if stopped suddenly.

A limitation of the study was that only one-third of the participants in this study were taking anticholinergic medications, when other studies report that up to 70% of older people take them. However, Delano-Wood noted, "These findings are compelling given that meaningful effects of these drugs on cognitive function were detected even though the volunteers in the study were generally very healthy and not taking as many medications as many older adults living in our communities."

###

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and Department of Defense.

Learn more about brain health at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology's free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience.

The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit AAN.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Kawasaki syndrome has not been registered in Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the country's Ministry of Health reported, Trend reports citing Kabar.

The ministry held a meeting of an expert working group to develop guidelines on the features of the impact of coronavirus infection on children with possible complications in the form of Kawasaki syndrome.

The press service of the ministry said that, the expert group included experienced children's specialists (pediatricians, pediatric hematologists, cardiologists, cardio-rheumatologists, rheumatologists, resuscitators).

The meeting participants discussed methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of emerging diseases in children.

Deputy Minister of Health Bakyt Dzhangaziev said that the Ministry of Health is preparing to identify, treat and prevent this dangerous disease in Kyrgyzstan.

Previously, if we thought that COVID-19 was dangerous for the elderly and those with chronic diseases, now there is information that there are cases of severe course among children. Therefore, recommendations were developed for the treatment of coronavirus infection in children. There is also a need to separate Kawasaki syndrome in combination with COVID-19 into a separate block, and in this regard, an expert working group was created to develop a document that will help doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki syndrome in children. It should be noted that today the Kawasaki syndrome has not been registered in Kyrgyzstan, the deputy minister said.

Pediatrician Venera Shukurova said that the work of the expert working group is not limited to Kawasaki syndrome. She said that in the autumn-winter period it is necessary to prepare for all possible diseases. World practice shows that 10% of people infected with COVID-19 are children. 2% of them are clinically confirmed. 1% of infected babies have a severe infection. Such statistics should not calm us down. Pediatricians must be prepared for any situation, the pediatrician said.

According to the experts of the working group, routine immunization of children and breastfeeding of newborns is one of the ways to prevent dangerous diseases.

Currently, the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis is conducting mass vaccination of the population.
CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago-based Ziyad Brothers Importing (ZBI), one of America's largest distributors of quality Middle Eastern foods, has brought together leading Lebanese food manufacturers to provide food donations to help victims of the tragic events that unfolded in Beirut, Lebanon on August 4th.

Ziyad team is currently in Beirut organizing the food distribution drive and coordinating donations from eight of the most popular local food manufacturing companies in Lebanon including Al Rabih, Castania, Grapeful, Mechaalany, Second House Gourmet Foods, Al Forno, Msallem and Ziyad. The donations will be distributed by our trusted nonprofit partners.

Ziyad CEO Nemer Ziyad said that the drive is intended to boost the spirit and morale of the people of Beirut and Lebanon.

"With our local efforts along with our partners in Lebanon, we hope to empower our communities, help the local economy and provide a glimpse of hope for a better future," Nemer Ziyad said.

"We believe that hope starts with food. We want to remind Beirut that they are important to us by providing special high-quality food that we hope will comfort them during these difficult times. We also want them to know that they will not be forgotten and that the world cares. Ziyad truly cares and we want to do our best to strengthen their will to restore, rebuild and move forward. That is the Lebanese spirit."?

Nemer Ziyad adds, "We are especially grateful to the food manufacturers who partnered with us in this effort. They have all made a commitment to help and we are so proud of their involvement and support."

Maher Chebaro, a renowned food specialist, chef and critical member of the Ziyad team is on the ground in Beirut overseeing the support drive.

"Being Lebanese, this is coming from my heart but being a member of Ziyad Brothers, is also coming from the spirit of community support that Ziyad has built over the years, and I am proud to be a part of that. In a time filled with so much loss and heartache, we're dedicated to giving families the joy and peace of eating together," Maher Chebaro said.

Ziyad Brothers Importing is one of the most recognized producers of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods in the United States, distributing products to more than 2,500 ethnic grocery stores and over 10,000 major mainstream American food retailers.

For more information on Ziyad Brothers Importing and their Support Beirut Campaign, visit them online at www.Ziyad.com/beirut and follow on social media @ziyadbrand. Food items donated are viewable online at?Ziyad.com, including additional photos and pictures of the food donation packaging.

Note to Editors:

Both Nemer Ziyad in Chicago and Maher Chebaro in Beirut are available for interviews.

MEDIA Contacts: Marissa Ziyad,?708-307-5965

Marissa@Ziyad.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1247873/Ziyad_Brothers_Importing.jpg
I expect that President Trump will be re-elected in November. The Democrats apparently expect that as well. At least, the Democratic Party web site Axios does. Thus, Axios is warning the partys faithful that President Trump is likely to winapparentlyon November 3. But never fear: weeks remain in which the Democrats can harvest fake ballots!

A top Democratic data and analytics firm told Axios on HBO its highly likely that President Trump will appear to have won  potentially in a landslide  on election night, even if he ultimately loses when all the votes are counted. Why this matters: Way more Democrats will vote by mail than Republicans, due to fears of the coronavirus, and it will take days if not weeks to tally these. This means Trump, thanks to Republicans doing almost all of their voting in person, could hold big electoral college and popular vote leads on election night.

An alternative explanation: Democrats are not that much more afraid of the mild COVID virus than Republicans. Rather, fake Democratic ballots are far more likely to come in by mail, mysteriously mailed in by persons to whom they may or may not have been addressedmillions of those people being dead, moved away, or ineligible to vote. The vote by junk mail regime established in a number of states by the Democrats opens the door to voter fraud to an unprecedented degree. Which was, of course, the idea.

Under one of the groups modeling scenarios, Trump could hold a projected lead of 408-130 electoral votes on election night, if only 15% of the vote by mail (VBM) ballots had been counted.

* Once 75% of mail ballots were counted, perhaps four days later, the lead could flip to Bidens favor. * This particular modeling scenario portrays Biden as ultimately winning a massive victory, 334-204.

Yeah, right. Most people would say the salient point is that on election night, the Democrats know exactly how many ballots they need to fabricate to win a particular statemuch like the ballot harvesting campaign that they carried out in California in 2018.

Perhaps the most notable feature of this story is that a relatively prominent Democratic Party news outlet acknowledges it is likely that President Trump will seem to have won a landslide victory on Election Day, so that weeks of post-election fraud by the Democrats will be needed to throw the election into chaos. Will that happen? At the moment, it seems likely.
The Antifa member under investigation for shooting dead a Trump supporter in Portland was abusive to his mother and stole from his family, his sister claimed to DailyMail.com.

April Reinoehl, 36, believes the man caught on camera in a shooting in the downtown area of the riot-torn Oregon city was her brother, Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48  and even identified him to local police.

In an interview at her Oregon home, April told DailyMail.com her brother had been estranged from their family for three years after stealing medication from their mother who has dementia.

For years he would verbally abuse and bring their mother to tears, manipulating her into giving him what little spare money the single, retired teaching assistant had, April claimed.

April said the morning after Saturdays shooting where Aaron 'Jay' Danielson, 39, was killed, she received death threats and more than 60 threatening phone calls and messages. Some were from members of Patriot Prayer, the right wing group Danielson had joined in a protest that weekend.

Michael Forest Reinoehl, the Antifa member under investigation for shooting dead a Trump supporter in Portland, was abusive to his mother and stole from his family, his sister claimed to DailyMail.com

The victim of Saturday night's shooting in Portland was Aaron 'Jay' Danielson. He was a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and also used the last name Bishop

His sister April Reinoehl, 36, believes the man caught on camera in a shooting in the downtown area of the riot-torn Oregon city was her brother  and even identified him to local police. This is one of the videos that was circulating on social media from Saturday's shooting. It's unclear if this is the image Reinoehl's sister April had seen

In an interview at her Oregon home, April (pictured) told DailyMail.com her brother had been estranged from their family for three years after stealing medication from their mother who has dementia

She explained: At 7.50am I got woken up by a phone call from somebody who thought I was my mom.

They named our address, and said Your brother is a murderer and we know youre hiding him. If you dont turn him over to the police bad things will happen. Your whole family is in danger.

My mom has dementia and stress-induced seizures. This could have literally killed her if they had found her.

When I tried to reason with them they kept shouting, screaming the same thing until I hung up on them.

Then Facebook got attacked. I got contacted in messenger and we started getting texts. My husband got targeted, April said. One message said Patriot Prayer says hello, with a picture of me sent to my husband. It was very threatening.

The distraught sister of Reinoehl said in the past few years her brother had been in a downward spiral, racking up debts after leeching off her family for decades when he stopped making money from his professional snowboarding career.

Hes a lot older than me, she said. He was this nebulous figure who popped in and out of our lives, usually demanding money from our mom, and if she didnt have it hed guilt her until she did  not that she had money to give.

We were a poor family growing up. But she always gave to him.

The younger sister said that aged 12 she made the mistake of lending Michael her grandmothers inheritance, only to see the money vanish.

I would describe him as a jerk, verbally cruel sometimes when hes not getting his way, she said.

Police arrived on the scene 'within a minute' of when gunshots rang out. The victim, later identified as Danielson, is seen wearing a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past

Portland police hold back a man who was friends with Danielson, the victim of Saturday night's fatal shooting, minutes after the incident

I eventually gave up trying because I saw this pattern that he only reaches out to us when he wants something from us  either watch my kids for free, give me money, or telling us he should inherit the family property.

He said Ill look after the property and take care of mom, you should leave. This is the same guy who only ever talks to her when he wants something from her, makes her cry if she cant give it to him by guilting her, shaming her. Every kind of bullying and abusive tactic he could think of, thats what he would do with her.

April told DailyMail.com that Michael still asked his mother for a slice of her modest pension even when he was enjoying a successful career as a professional snowboarder  and that he went into a downward spiral when that career ended.

For a while he succeeded, he was a pretty big name in the snowboarding world, she said. I believe he became very depressed after that life went away.

And it didnt matter how much money he was making, he always needed more from mom, who made almost nothing.

He got into huge debt. He used our address and phone number for the purposes of avoiding collectors. My husband had to explain to somebody on more than one occasion that he was not Michael and to not take his car.

April said that soon after he went into debt, Michaels marriage ended in a gruesome divorce that upended his childrens lives.

His relationship with his wife took a swan dive. There was a massive, brutal custody battle between the two of them. Every kind of nastiness that could happen between both sides, did.'

The distraught sister of Reinoehl (left and right) said in the past few years her brother had been in a downward spiral, racking up debts after leeching off her family for decades when he stopped making money from his professional snowboarding career

Michael Reinoehl with son. Said his sister: His relationship with his wife took a swan dive. There was a massive, brutal custody battle between the two of them. Every kind of nastiness that could happen between both sides, did'

A young Michael in 1980 salutes when he was a Boy Scout

Michael still shares custody of his children. In June he and his 17-year-old son were charged with DUIs after allegedly racing at 111mph on the highway.

April said she cut him out of her familys life in 2017 when they found he had been stealing their mothers medication.

The only reason I hadnt written him off more than three years ago is because I knew it would break her heart to know her children were that estranged, she said.

His behavior became even more verbally violent when he found out he wasnt getting any more from mom.

April added she had never known her brother to be physically violent, and did not know if he owned a gun.

The younger sister said after she reported death threats to police, detectives called her and asked her if the man caught on camera was Michael. She told them that after seeing stills from the video, including pictures of a distinctive tattoo on his neck, she believed it was him.

Its been confirmed that he did get that ridiculous tattoo. Does he have any brain cells at all? Thats such an easily identifiable thing. How are you going to say Its not me in those pictures. she said.

April added she was worried her brother would ill-advisedly demand to represent himself in court if he was charged with murder, but said she hoped that for his own safety, police would get him into custody.

Breathing heavily and trying not to cry, April apologized to the victims family for her brothers alleged actions. To the family of Aaron Danielson, I am so, so sorry this happened to you. He didnt deserve this, nobody does, she said

In this post, from June 16, he claims to be 100% 'ANTIFA' and says 'We do not want violence but we will not run from it either'

Reinoehl has been sharing photos and videos from the riots since they began. Above, a post in July

Hes always tried to defend himself in court for anything thats happened. I dont know if hell accept a court-appointed lawyer or not, she said. The internet has already judged him guilty.

With the amount of vigilante violence, if he is in custody, and Im guessing he must be, hes safer there.

If they had any way of finding and getting to him, theyre going to take justice into their own hands.

Theres a lot of people who want a war here right now.

Breathing heavily and trying not to cry, April apologized to the victims family for her brothers alleged actions.

To the family of Aaron Danielson, I am so, so sorry this happened to you. He didnt deserve this, nobody does, she said.

Before the shooting, her brother had tweeted that he was a member of the left-wing anarchist group Antifa and said he was willing to engage in violence. But April appealed for dialogue rather than violence between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter activists.

I dont think the two sides are that different. They're all angry, scared, disillusioned people looking for a way to fix the problem, and theyre letting their emotions dictate their actions, she said.

The enemy isnt the left or the right, the enemy is violence itself. The only way to beat that is to stop yourself letting your emotions dictate how you act, choosing rationality, compassion and understanding.
(Photo : Screenshot from: Dinosaur Pictures Website ) Google Map-Alike App Allows You to Look For Your Address 750 Million Years Ago (Photo : Photo by NASA on Unsplash) Google Map-Alike App Allows You to Look For Your Address 750 Million Years Ago

A new Google Map-alike software is now trending in social media, and everyone's using it to find their addresses. Compared to the standard Google Map, this new 'Ancient Map' shows your country's placement from way years ago-- specifically up to 750 million years ago. Here's how you can use it.

Have you tried the Ancient Earth Globe?

In 2018, a lot of people wanted to know how their countries were like a million years ago. And the software was there to guide them called the Ancient Earth Globe website.

If you wanted to know how your country was like before the dinosaurs or the Pangaea (a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras), this software helps to identify the position and structure of your area before all the histories happened.

The Sun reported that the Ancient Earth Globe might be one of the coolest apps you will see today. Since its all pandemic, it is pretty great to see countries, way million years ago.

Paleontologist Ian Webster releases this software via Hacker News and it is now gaining more popularity than ever.

According to his narrative, he was amazed to see software that could track his place before Pangaea even started to be divided into continents.

"I'm amazed that geologists collected enough data to actually plot my home 750 million years ago, so I thought you all would enjoy it too. Even though plate tectonic models return precise results, you should consider the plots approximate (obviously we will never be able to prove correctness)," said by him. "In my tests, I found that model results can vary significantly. I chose this particular model because it is widely cited and covers the greatest length of time."

How to use the map to track your place?

If you want to know how your place was million years ago, here's how you can use the Ancient Earth Globe software.

Just go to the link of the website named dinosaurpictures.org, and you will see a standard-looking world map. A question will pop at the website's upper side, asking you, "What did Earth look like (number of years) million years ago?"

At the 'enter the city' tab, type your country's name-- or even your city if you can. Then choose the number of years you want the map to rewind, and that will do the trick.

Walk from New York to Kenya

How cool is this map? Technically, this ancient map can make you walk from New York and head to Kenya, Africa. Of course, this will happen once you set the timeframe 240 million years ago, wherein the Pangaea was not yet breaking apart.

The super continent started to divide into seven continents until about 175 million years ago. So that map seemed to be right on that part.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Jamie Pancho

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Night and weekend curfew in Jammu and Kashmir 2022: Know guidelines, rules: What is allowed, what is not

Hindi, Kashmiri and Dogri to become official languages of Jammu and Kashmir

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Sep 02: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Announcing the decision at a news briefing, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session.

The Bill received the Cabinet nod on Wednesday at a meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister did not divulge further details saying the Bill be debated in Parliament soon.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the government has accepted the long pending demand of the region for the inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri as officials languages in J-K.

"It is not only a fulfilment of a long-pending public demand of the region but also in keeping with the spirit of equality which was ushered in after August 5 last year," he told reporters.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 17:32 [IST]
New Delhi: A meeting of the brigade commander of the Indian Army with his Chinese counterpart is scheduled to be held at 10 AM in Chushul/Moldo to discuss issues related to the situation on the southern bank of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army sources said on Wednesday (September 2, 2020).

This comes after the Indian Army thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday, brigade commander level talks were held as well. The two sides held talks for around six hours on Monday as well but no concrete outcome emerged from the engagement.

In the last three days, the Chinese Army has made three attempts to transgress into Indian areas on the southern bank of Pangong lake in Ladakh.

"On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand had said in a statement on Monday.

Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh, sources said.

While the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is now very tense. India has said that China again engaged in "provocative action" and termed the PLA bid a reflection of "complete disregard" to bilateral understandings.

Following the first Chinese attempt, the Indian Army significantly strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" around the Pangong lake besides further bolstering its presence in the area.

A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area. Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane also reportedly reviewed the overall situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting in the Army headquarters.

The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The satellite images show that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.
CENTER CITY, Minn., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- September is National Recovery Month, and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is marking the occasion with special webinars, podcasts, helpful resources and activities to celebrate the millions who have overcome addiction and mental health concerns; and to advocate for the millions more who need and deserve help now.

"In this extraordinary time, with so many people struggling amid the stress of the pandemic, recovery is more important than ever," said Kim Albers, Hazelden Betty Ford's director of recovery management. "National Recovery Month provides an opportunity to increase awareness and shine light on the hope, healing, help and community that is available and needed throughout the country."

Here are some highlights of Hazelden Betty Ford's Recovery Month plans:

LIVE WEBINARS

9/15, 3 p.m. CDTLiving in Recovery: Your Ability to Empower Everyone in Recovery

Panelists from Hazelden Betty Ford, Minnesota Recovery Connection and Oregon Recovers discuss how to effectively empower people.

9/29, 3 p.m. CDTLiving in Recovery: Powering Through the Pandemic

Bestselling author and national recovery advocate William C. Moyers, Hazelden Betty Ford's vice president of public affairs and community relations, hosts a panel of people in recovery, who share coping strategies and recovery practices.

PRE-RECORDED WEBINARS

Recovery's Evolution: Moyers and a panel of experts discuss recovery's evolution as a result of the pandemic, and how people in recovery are adapting. (See more pre-recorded webinars.)

PODCASTS

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery: The award-winning, Moyers-hosted interview series features several new and recent episodes for Recovery Month, including thought-provoking talks with former First Lady Betty Ford's daughter Susan Ford Bales; trauma and addiction survivor, and Blackout Girl author Jennifer Storm; and North Dakota First Lady Kathryn Burgum, among others.

Recovery Road: This new series featuring thoughts, excerpts, and reflections from popular Hazelden Publishing authors and books will include eight new episodes, every Monday and Thursday, during Recovery Month. These brief nuggets of wisdom will cover everything from the brain science of addiction to overcoming anger and resentments during the pandemic.

ADVOCACY

To kick off Recovery Month, Hazelden Betty Ford launched a new monthly Advocacy Update featuring news, views and engagement opportunities on a range of topics important to people and families affected by substance use disorders and recovery, offering free subscriptions here.

Hazelden Betty Ford also is partnering with state and local organizations such as Minnesota Recovery Connection and sponsoring events such as MRC's Virtual Walk for Recovery to lift up recovery voices and help the public and policymakers see that recovery is not only possibleit's everywhere.

CROWDSOURCING RECOVERY VOICES

In a unique, new crowdsourcing approach launched just in time for Recovery Month, Hazelden Publishing is inviting people in recovery to add their voice to one of its next meditation books, allowing people all over the world to be part of an anthology helping others for years to come.

MOBILE APPS & RESOURCES

Throughout Recovery Month, people everywhere can download several free and helpful apps from Hazelden Publishing, including the popular daily meditation app, Twenty-Four Hours A Day. Other free support resources are also available to support people during Recovery Month and beyond.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the nation's leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults and youth, the Foundation has 17 locations nationwide and collaborates with an expansive network throughout health care. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation today also encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, an addiction research center, recovery advocacy and thought leadership, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children who grow up in families with addiction. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter @hazldnbettyford.

SOURCE Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Related Links

http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org


RADFORD  Charges that Andrew Jonathon Byrd attacked his former girlfriend during an April altercation will go to a Radford grand jury, a judge ruled Tuesday.

A grand jury also will be asked to bring charges related to the death of 2-year-old Harper Mitchell, the daughter of the woman Byrd allegedly attacked, Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak wrote in an email after a preliminary hearing Tuesday in the citys Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Rehak wrote that he could not say yet who he will be seeking to indict for the childs death.

Grand juries decide if evidence is sufficient for charges to be tried in circuit court.

Byrd, 34, was arrested April 17, the morning after he was accused of beating and choking Amanda Mitchell, 30, and preventing her from obtaining help for her daughter. Radford police said in April that a juvenile in Byrds care died.

At Tuesdays preliminary hearing, Mitchell testified that before the attack, she had dated Byrd and lived with him for nearly eight months in a residence owned by his mother in the 100 block of Radfords 9th Street. Her three children, two boys and Harper, were with them every other week, she said.

On April 16, Mitchell said, Byrd picked her up at about 11 p.m. from her clerical job at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center. Her children were in the back seat of the 2016 Ford Focus.

Mitchell testified that she was driving and had just begun the 10-minute trip home when she realized that something was wrong with Harper. My daughter was not acting right, and I wanted to take her to the hospital, Mitchell said.

But Byrd began yelling at her and saying she could not go back, Mitchell said. She testified that at one point, near Rock Road, she abruptly stopped the car, but Byrd put his foot over the center console and pushed down on the gas pedal. Mitchell said she still was pressing the brake and the car shut off.

Eventually, the couple reached 9th Street and went inside with the children. The boys went to their bedroom and Harper was put on a mattress on the floor in a room.

Mitchell said she and Byrd kept arguing about getting help for Harper. Byrd knocked Mitchells cell phone out of her hand and began hitting her, she testified.

During the next few hours, Mitchell testified, Byrd punched her in the face and body, bit her face and hand, stomped on her foot, and lifted her off the ground in a chokehold so that she could not breathe.

At one point, Mitchell testified, Byrd got a shotgun. Standing over her and pinning her against a couch, Byrd shoved the guns barrel into her mouth and said he would kill her, Mitchell said.

Byrd also said that if police came, he would kill whoever came through the door then kill himself, Mitchell said.

Rehak introduced into evidence about 30 pictures of bruises and other injuries that were taken after Mitchell went to a hospital the next morning. A detective showed the shotgun that officers later took from the home.

Mitchell said that she would not leave without her children. About three hours into the altercation, she said, Byrd went outside. Mitchell said she grabbed her phone from the kitchen floor, locked herself in a bathroom and called Byrds mother. Mitchell said she asked her to call 911 for Harper.

Byrds mother did so, and also came to the house, where Byrd backhanded Mitchell across the face in front of her, Mitchell said.

Soon emergency crews and police arrived. Detective Austin Cox of the city police department testified that officers were at the hospital with Mitchell when they were told that Byrd, still at the couples home, was texting his mother and threatening to shoot police. A city SWAT team went to the 9th Street residence and arrested Byrd, Cox said.

Byrd at first denied arguing with Mitchell, then denied hitting her or doing anything physical to her, Cox said. Later he said that he could not recall what occurred, but if she has bruises, it probably happened, Cox testified.

Search warrants filed in the case said investigators located what appeared to be drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Defense attorney Lindsay Phipps of Pulaski, one of two lawyers representing Byrd on Tuesday, asked Mitchell how long before the incident she had used methamphetamine. Mitchell said that she had used it a month or so before the fight with Byrd. Phipps also asked Mitchell if her injuries could have come from rough sex with Byrd the night before and Mitchell said that no, the injuries were not from that.

Phipps asked Mitchell if she had added to her accusations against Byrd each time she talked to police and Mitchell said she had.

Rehak asked Mitchell why the initial statement was not complete and Mitchell said she was under a lot of stress when she wrote out a first account in the hospital at about 6 a.m. on April 17.

Phipps asked Mitchell if she had talked to anyone about her statements between making them, and Mitchell said only to her parents.

Judge Stephanie Murray Shortt certified felony charges of strangulation and abduction to a grand jury. Shortt convicted Byrd of a misdemeanor domestic assault charge and sentenced him to 12 months in jail. Phipps said he would appeal, and Shortt said the assault charge likely would be decided in Circuit Court with the other matters.

Shortt also extended a protective order  a separate matter in which Byrd was represented by attorney Matt Roberts of Blacksburg  that barred any contact between Byrd and Mitchell. Byrd was being held Tuesday at the New River Valley Regional Jail.

On Tuesday, the state medical examiners office referred questions about Harper Mitchells cause of death to the Radford Police Department. Chief Jeff Dodson declined to answer questions, saying it still is an active investigation.

In an email, Dodson wrote that he hoped to have additional information about the case to release soon.

Byrd attended Tuesdays hearing by a video link from jail. He did not testify but watched impassively as witnesses, attorneys, and the judge spoke.

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Mumbai, Sep 2 : Actress Akriti Singh is all set to come up with a feature film, Toofan Mail, which is based on events of 1970s, when a woman took up residence on a platform in New Delhi Railway station, proclaiming herself the Begum of Oudh.

"I was intrigued by the story a woman who arrived at New Delhi railway station claiming to be the Queen of Oudh, seeking to meet Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and demanding to be allotted a palace to live in. So, I tried to re-live the story on screen with a fictional take," Akriti told IANS.

"I got to know about this story from a play, and since then I started reading about it. I even spoke to railway employees to get an understanding. Of course, several articles on the internet helped me a lot," she added.

Akriti claims that there is no political angle involved in her film.

"No political angle has been involved in my movie. All the incidents are real but I don't take a side. It's a fictional film," she said.

"Toofan Mail" features Akriti with Surya Rao and Arshad Mumtaz. Apart from playing the central role, Akriti has also directed and edited the movie. She plans to release the film in a month or two.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
All you need to know about surfing in Italy.

Italian swells draw all kinds of surfers, not only from the beautiful little towns perched along the dramatic coastlines, but from all over the world.

Let's be honest. When people visit Italy, they usually don't think to pack surfboards along with their cameras and hiking boots.

A country highly sought after for its rich history, prehistoric architecture and food culture that is world class, walking around Italy with a surfboard nestled under the arm could strike locals and tourists alike as, well, a little odd.

That said, however, Italian swells draw all kinds of board riders, not only from the beautiful little towns perched along the dramatic coastlines, but from all over the world.

Liguria

Surfers at Levanto with wavy sea in five lands park. Ph: auralaura / Shutterstock.com

Firstly, the Ligurian Sea.

Liguria offers one of the best selections of surf spots that Italy has. Stretching some 350 kilometres (220 miles), surfers of all abilities can find what they are hunting for in Liguria.

Levanto boasts one of the most popular waves in Italy and offers over 500 metres of beautiful coastline. Although almost always crowded, there's waves on offer for all board riders due to the range of peaks that operate at different difficulties when swells hit and the lengthy stretch of beach which facilitates an even spread of surfers.

Heading towards the French border, spots like Sanremo and Varazze emerge. Just as popular as Levanto, these spots offer some more technical waves which challenge those who decide to paddle out. With an extensive reef running along this part of the Ligurian coast, waves tend to stand up brilliantly and offer critical take offs, the odd barrel and ample sections to rip apart underfoot.

Sardegna

West Sardinia

A short flight from major cities or a lengthy boat ride from the ports of mainland Italy, Sardegna pleads its case. This island draws most of the available swell moving in from the south all the way around to the north-west of the Mediterranean (and very rarely from the east).

Being a rather exposed part of Italy, Sardegna is extremely prone to wind, which can alter wave quality. It can be said however, that a relentless on-shore gust wouldn't deter surfers just looking to get into the action in some of the lesser-quality spots.

Mini Capo, perhaps one of the most technical waves in Italy, demands perfect conditions; a healthy dose of North West wind to stand the faces up as they emerge from the depths of the reef and a sizeable swell closing in anywhere from the west, down to the south. Adrenaline pumping take offs? You bet. Barrels? Absolutely! Spiky inhabitants? Tonnes of them. So keep an eye out for urchins!

But this is just the tip of the iceberg when discussing Italian surf spots. With hidden gems tucked away in all of the nooks and crannies of coastline, Italy may not come to mind when pondering on perfect barrels and huge walls of water to rip apart, but its quality, power and fun can not be knocked.

These solid swells may be elusive, but as they say, good things come to those who wait. And keep searching.

Tuscany

Quite similarly to Liguria, Tuscany's coast is highly sought after for its postcard-worthy views, delicious cuisine and lively towns, attracting millions of tourists each year. It is due to this that its brilliant surf spots can be overlooked.

Ansedonia is the southern-most surf spot in Tuscany and is surfable with any decent amount of southerly swell. The wave can still operate with onshore winds and offers plenty of space for surfers to avoid crowding each other, making it quite a durable location.

Further north, with swells coming more from the west, Garagolo and Lillatro activate. These spots are less than 10 minutes apart by car, so if there are waves around, there's the possibility to explore your best option in the area. Furthermore, these locations are within close vicinity to Livorno which has 3 quality spots itself, located towards its southern stretches. This means, with a car handy and some time on hand, one could choose from over 5 surf spots, all of which are unique to one another and offer quality and fun for surfers of all abilities. Ph: Stefano Carnevali / Shutterstock.com

Lazio

Aerial view of Santa Severa

Offering over 15 note worthy locations as well as containing our home city, Lazio has everything a surfer might be looking for. From playful beginner waves to those you might see the professionals slaying in the middle of a competition, it's all here in Lazio.

The closest surf location to Rome is Ostia, just south of the airport. It can get a little crowded here, however the beach is long and surfers tend to spread out. The wave is suitable for beginners making it a great option for someone wanting to have a go whilst staying in or near Rome.

No more than an hour south, Anzio juts out spectacularly and has a couple of the better spots in Lazio. Lido Garda is arguably the most consistent spot in the area and therefore can get crowded. Around the other side of the point, there's some less consistent spots, namely Marinaretti and La Chiesa which can be great alternatives to Lido Garda if it's too busy.

Ringing true to Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii, the true pinnacle of perfect waves globally, Banzai in Lazio is quite possibly one of the most popular waves in Italy. It can work with swell coming from the north-west all the way around to the south-east, something not many waves can claim. This feature, in and of itself, is potentially why this wave is so popular. The wave itself is powerful, fast and breaks on a shallow reef, so it might be a spot novice surfers aspire to. Banzai beach is just a short drive North from Rome, close to Santa Marinella and Santa Severa.

Main Ph: LongJon / Shutterstock.com
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra Clasico, the Spanish-language channel comprised of digitally re-mastered classics and award-winning movies from the Golden Age of Mexican and Latin American cinema starring some of the region's most iconic stars from the 1930s through the 1980s, premieres three excellent coming-of-age tales that have stood the test of time: Amanecer en Puerta Oscura (Whom God Forgives), El Tigre de los Siete Mares (The Sea Pirates), and El Corsario Negro (Blackie the Pirate).

Amanecer en Puerta Oscura (Whom God Forgives) is a 1957 Spanish action film directed by Jose Maria Forque. Set in the 19th century, tells the story of a group of outlaws, from very different origins, trying to survive, hiding from the law enforcement officers in caves located in a mountain, and their struggle against the evil mining company that exploits the poor people of their town.

El Tigre de los Siete Mares (The Sea Pirates) is a 1966 French-Italian-Spanish action film directed by Sergio Bergonzelli and Roy Rowland. Tells the story of a young naval officer who becomes a corsair to make enough money to marry his girlfriend since her father wants a wealthy son-in-law. Vowing to make a fortune, he goes to France and joins the French pirates fighting the British in the Indian Ocean.

El Corsario Negro (Blackie the Pirate) is a 1971 Italian action film directed by Lorenzo Gicca Palli. It is based on the story Il Corsaro Nero by Emilio Salgari, tells the story of the ship that transports a valuable gold treasure from South America to Spain. Which is always followed by pirates as the well-known Blackie. What he does not know this time is that the ship was loaded with sand - and the real gold is hidden somewhere else.

Ultra Clasico is owned and operated by Olympusat Inc., and it's currently available on Charter Spectrum, Hotwire Communications, Liberty Cable, and Verizon FiOS.

For more information on Ultra Clasico's programming, including tune in dates and times, please visit ultra clasico at Olympusat.com/networkshttp://www.vemox.com/

Olympusat - Editorial Contact:

Jesus Pinango

Senior Director of News

[email protected]

SOURCE Ultra Clasico
Parties To Iran Nuclear Deal Meet In Vienna Amid U.S. Pressure

Radio Farda September 01, 2020

The remaining parties in the faltering nuclear deal between Iran and world powers met in Vienna on Tuesday to discuss ways to rescue the agreement amid pressure from the United States to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran with Iran's arms embargo scheduled to be lifted this month.

The meeting in Vienna is being chaired by EU senior official Helga-Maria Schmid with representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, and Russia attending, and the Iranian delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

Araghchi is also scheduled to meet with IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi after the meeting.

The United States withdrew from the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement in May 2018, and has since reimposed sanctions on Iran. In turn, Iran has progressively been stepping up its nuclear activities in protest, including uranium enrichment and stockpiling beyond what was permitted by the deal.

Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia are struggling to save the accord, which swapped sanctions relief for Iran's agreement to scale back its nuclear program, with the group of nations expressing their opposition to the U.S. draft resolution submitted to the U.N. Security Council on August 20. The U.S.-led resolution calls on the Council to invoke the "snapback" mechanism, which allows any participant of the deal to seek the reimposition of the multilateral sanctions lifted in 2015 in accordance with resolution 2231.

In a joint statement on August 20, the European sides of the nuclear accord officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) said the U.S. ceased to be a participant in the JCPOA following their withdrawal from the deal and defended their decision not to support the U.S. move. Britain, France and Germany also abstained from voting on August 15 when the United States submitted a resolution to the Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Iran.

"Our position regarding the effectiveness of the U.S. notification pursuant to resolution 2231 [to invoke the snapback mechanism] has consequently been very clearly expressed to the Presidency and all UNSC members. We cannot therefore support this action which is incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA," the statement said.

Iran calls the U.S. move "unilateralism" and says the position of the Security Council members proves that the world is rejecting the U.S. attempt to bring Iran to its knees by reimposing of U.N. sanctions in addition to its own sanctions and preventing an arms embargo on Iran. The United States, however, has protested that the Security Council has failed to "hold Iran accountable".

China and Russia, Iran's veto-wielding allies, have also opposed the U.S. move.

In a boost to the Vienna talks, Iran met with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Tehran last week, and agreed to allow IAEA investigators visit two sites suspected of having hosted undeclared nuclear activity in the early 2000s.

The Vienna-based agency had criticized Iranian officials for denying access to the two locations, and for not answering questions about past activities at the sites, and on June 19 its Board of Directors passed a resolution against Iran. The resolution proposed by Britain, France and Germany was the first IAEA resolution against Iran since 2012. The European trio, however, are now willing to work with Iran to preserve the JCPOA as Iran has agreed to grant access to IAEA inspectors to the disputed sites.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/parties-to -iran-nuclear-deal-meet-in-vienna- amid-u-s-pressure/30815465.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Theres more: Tobolski also admitted in the plea that he extorted or collected bribes with at least four other people by abusing his official position as mayor or county commissioner, Meisner writes. The amount of bribes he collected totaled at least $250,000, though the plea does not spell out how many victims were involved. Read the full Tribune story, including a cast of Democrats linked to the sprawling federal investigation, here.
Child abuse is one of the biggest problems that plague our society and yet, we have done very little to protect our children.





by Dr W. A. Wijesinghe





Sri Lanka continues to battle the problem of child abuse. There has been an increase in the number of reported cases of child abuse in the country over the past few years. It was recently reported that 5,891 of child abuse cases were reported in the country from 2012 to 2020. There have been 54 cases of child abuse reported within the first 15 days of this year.













The worst part is, of course, the fact that even now a significant number of child abuse cases are not reported because of taboos around child sex abuse and mistrust of authorities. When reported, the weakness of our criminal justice system has ensured that the perpetrators of the crime are not punished and go scot-free.





Sexual abuse of children can be defined as contacts or interaction between a child and an older or more knowledgeable child or adult (a stranger, sibling or person in a position of authority, such as a parent or caretaker) when the child is being used as an object of gratification for an older childs or adults sexual needs. These contacts or interactions are carried out against the child using force, trickery, bribery, threats or pressure.





The studies have found a high rate of sexual abuse of both boys and girls within the family and in the community. Local newspapers, in recent times, have been carrying a disturbing number of reports on child rape and sexual harassment. A child is abused once in every two hours while at least four women are raped a day in Sri Lanka, according to a top police officer.





The police will always lay charges when they believe a crime has been committed. However, In Nirantha Edirisinghes and XXXs ( name withheld due to the ongoing investigation by the Australian authority) child abuse case The Police and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) are acting very lethargically.





Nirantha Edirisinghe and XXX (name withheld due to the ongoing investigation by the Australian authority) were involved in serious child abuses and trading in child pornographic material. Nirantha Edirisinghe, was arrested by the Kollupitiya Police following a tip-off that underage boys were being sexually abused. It is alleged that video footages were sold to clients in foreign countries with the help of XXX (name withheld due to the ongoing investigation by the Australian authority)  a doctor practicing in Adelaide Australia. The Police seized 135 CDs containing footages of child abuse, a pen-drive, hard disk, memory card, camera, and mobile phone from the suspects house. Many photographs of children being sexually abused were discovered in the possession of the suspect and Police say footage saved on storage devices such as CDs recovered will be sent to the Government Analyst and Experts in IT, for a full report. The police report indicates that over 20 boys within 10-12 years of age being sexually abused by Nirantha Edirisinghe.





Although this is a serious crime the suspects seem to be manipulating the investigations and obstructing justice. Recently the key investigator Mrs. Waruni Bogahawaththa had been removed from the investigation. Mrs. Waruni Bogahawaththa is a very efficient and experienced woman police officer who handled many child abuse cases successfully. Due to strange circumstances, Mrs. Waruni Bogahawaththa no longer handles this case. According to some reports the suspects have influenced the investigation by various methods. The suspects have spent a lot of money to conceal the crime. Ironically the National Newspapers maintain silence without reporting this child abuse case. We know that corruption remains part and parcel of daily life in Sri Lanka and it is a sad reality.





Last week the Child Activists came to know that several powerful Politicians are trying to whitewash this case by eliminating vital evidence. Therefore many speculate that the offenders will go unpunished and walk free. This has happened in the past and this will happen again. The failures of Police, Judiciary System in protecting children and promoting their rights have resulted in frustrating inadequacies and lengthy and painful progression of inquiries in the past.





Several years ago when XXX (name withheld due to the ongoing investigation by the Australian authority) was working in the Teaching Hospital Kandy, he sexually molested a 9-year-old boy and he was able to get away from the case. A few senior doctors helped him and they discharged the child victim without informing it to the Police. No charges were ever laid against him. Then he went to Australia and started to work as a Physician. This time he was involved with the ill famous TV reality show set designer -Nirantha Edirisinghe. We know the utter corruption and deterioration of the standards in the system of justice and law enforcement in Sri Lanka and however, even this time he will walk free.





There are corrupt judges, corrupt and Police officers who have been abusing the system to enrich themselves. There were instances where wrong verdicts were given and child abuses went free. Children suffer as a result of shortcomings in the judiciary. Judicial corruption is endemic and the public confidence in the Judiciary is very low. Political interference in the judicial process by influencing judges is common in Sri Lanka. A 2017 survey carried out by the Transparency International (TI) in the Asia-Pacific region has revealed Sri Lankans pay more bribes to police. They survey results showed Sri Lanka has a bribery rate of 15 per cent among 17 countries and its citizens frequently pay bribes to Police.





Child abuse is one of the biggest problems that plague our society and yet, we have done very little to protect our children. The culture of silence and impunity that is offered to predators in all guises, works to protect them as they prey on more little kids. Our communities are structured in such a way that it turns a blind eye to the abuses of the powerful, instead of blaming the victims for tempting the abuser to violate them. Sri Lanka lacks a national child protection framework. This means that well-meaning stakeholders at every level lack nationally accepted guidelines and a defined hierarchy within which to carry out their tasks.





The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences is highly important. The society must protect the children against offences like sexual abuse, pornography and provides a child-friendly system for trial against the perpetrators. In cases of child rape, the sad fact is that the cases drag on for long periods of time and after five or six years, the child is of marriageable age, and would not want to come forward. Thus, the perpetrators often walk free.




India's Indigenous Aircraft Carrier will be commissioned next year: Rajnath Singh in Kochi

Rajnath Singh to begin three-day visit to Ladakh from Sunday; To review India's operational preparedness

Defence Minister embarks on 4-day Russia visit, military procurement programmes on agenda

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Sep 02: Amid a fierce standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh embarked on a four-day visit to Russia on Wednesday to attend the crucial Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.

''Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II,'' Singh tweeted.

Rajnath Singh to formally induct Rafales into IAF on September 10

Defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them "collectively" in Moscow on Friday, officials said.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan''s Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

"Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II," Singh tweeted.

He said issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

"India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit," Singh said,

In his meeting with Shoigu, Singh will press for expediting supply of a number of weapons systems, ammunition and spares to India by Russia under contracts which were concluded earlier, officials said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.

Sushant Singh probe: BJP leader seeks dope test on actors

The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions

Singh will depart for India from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.

The SCO defence ministers'' meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following the Chinese army''s unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

The two sides held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to end the border standoff which began on May 5. The fresh attempts by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area escalated the tension further.

On Saturday, India announced withdrawal from a multilateral war game in Russia this month after it emerged that Chinese and Pakistani troops will also be part of it. However, officially it was announced that India is not joining it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is Singh''s second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting on September 10.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of SCO in 2017.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 11:23 [IST]
Police in Northern Ireland do not have the resources to deal with the outstanding caseload of unsolved Troubles cases, the regions chief constable has warned.

Simon Byrne told MPs it would take 20 years to review the thousands of outstanding legacy cases with current funding and staffing levels.

But he said he would be extremely cautious about a Government proposal to shut down or close off the prospect of future prosecutions in the majority of cases.

Giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, he said the resourcing challenge was not just about money.

We are hearing from Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI), Chief Constable, PSNI, and Bobby Singleton, Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of the Legacy Branch, PSNI, as part of our Legacy inquiry.



Watch live on Parliament TV: https://t.co/bCI55S0Arf pic.twitter.com/n3tqrY5J8i  Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (@CommonsNIAC) September 2, 2020

The commander said the PSNI would struggle to find enough detectives to do the work, as there was a shortage of such officers across the UK.

I certainly think that there are really, really difficult issues for us to resolve, he said.

I would always try to remain an optimist but I dont think its deliverable within the current resource base that we have.

Mr Byrne also highlighted the huge task police faced to digitise the case archive, which includes 95 tonnes of hard copy evidence and 44 million items of intelligence data.

He said two-thirds of the PSNIs current 30 million annual legacy funding was spent resourcing coroners inquests and civil litigation.

The police chief was giving evidence to the committee on the Governments latest plans for dealing with historic cases.

In March, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis announced that only Troubles killings with compelling new evidence and a realistic prospect of prosecution would receive a full police re-investigation.

Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis (Niall Carson/PA)

The Government said that, after a review, most unsolved cases would be closed and a new law would prevent those investigations from being reopened.

Mr Byrne told the committee he had yet to see any detail on the Government proposals, noting that neither Mr Lewis nor his predecessor Julian Smith had discussed the plans with him.

He said he was surprised that his organisation was not briefed about the plan before it was announced.

Mr Byrne expressed broad concern that the PSNI does not have the resources to complete case reviews and re-investigations in a timely manner.

He also highlighted the challenges the police faced in taking on historic investigations that often saw their impartiality questioned.

The Governments statement in March marked a significant step away from mechanisms agreed by the UK and Irish governments and main Stormont parties in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.

The Stormont House proposals included a new independent investigation unit to re-examine all unsolved killings.

While details have yet to be fleshed out, the thrust of the new plan places less emphasis on criminal re-investigations and more on information retrieval for families still seeking answers.

Mr Byrne said it was still not clear whether the Stormont House model would be discontinued, but the problem of finding enough detectives to take on the work would stand whether the PSNI retained responsibility for the probes or it was handed to an independent unit.

Whether its us, or any other body, I think practically, purely on the detective capacity side, Im not sure how you actually square the circle and meet the desire to bring a criminal justice resolution to people with the resource base weve got to do it in a timely and effective manner, he said.

Former Bedfordshire police chief Jon Boutcher, who has been commissioned by the PSNI to take on a number of sensitive historic Troubles investigations, also gave evidence to the committee.

Ahead of his appearance, SDLP MP Claire Hanna asked Mr Byrne whether he agreed with Mr Boutchers previously stated position that any proposal to close down murder investigations should be approached with extreme caution.

Yes, Mr Byrne replied.

Expand Close Jon Boutcher also gave evidence to MPs (PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Jon Boutcher also gave evidence to MPs (PA)

Among the 236 murders being investigated by Mr Boutcher and his Operation Kenova team are killings allegedly linked to Stakeknife  the high-ranking Army agent within the IRA  and a notorious loyalist murder gang that operated from a farmhouse in Glenanne, Co Armagh.

Mr Boutcher said legacy was the missing chapter of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

He said bereaved families had spent 22 years in a no mans land without knowing what happened to their loved ones and it was time for a fulsome, proper and fair way to deal with legacy.

He told the committee that he had faced battles with organisations like the Security Services to access information he needed to carry out his investigations.

On the proposal to shut down most cases, the officer said any move to close off investigations would be unique in UK law.

Mr Boutcher said he had concerns about the proposition but said he would not rule it out.

He said future prosecutions would be incredibly unlikely and the focus should be on information recovery for families.

He said he would be uncomfortable with any suggestion of an amnesty.

The senior officer said if new information did emerge after a case was closed it was vital it was made available to bereaved relatives.

The dilemma there, and it would be I think a unique position in UK law, is what happens if someone comes forward after this case has been closed to say what happened and give information that is new and compelling? he asked.

At the very least, the families need to know that information.

Mr Boutcher said all stakeholders in legacy, including the UK and Irish Governments, should seek to find consensus on the way to deal with unsolved cases.

This should be something that all of those parties are party to, an agreement as to how this can be done, he said.

And then hopefully we will see a consensus that we saw similar to the Good Friday Agreement, and we could finally give these families the truth that they deserve.
Pharmaceutical GMP grade QIXLEEF shipped

OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX:TBP) (OTCQB:TBPMF), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development, is pleased to announce that it has initiated the in-life phase of the clinical trial operations now that the investigational QIXLEEF drug has been shipped by Aphria Inc.

The Plenitude trial is designed to prove the efficacy and safety of QIXLEEF for the relief of pain in cancer patients. This trial, and its clinical sites across the Unites States, have already received the authorizations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Since the authorization from the US FDA in November 2019, Tetra has been working with Aphria Inc. to manufacture sufficient quantities of high quality pharmaceutical GMP grade QIXLEEF product according to upgraded specifications on drug product composition as approved by the FDA.

The Plenitude trial involves ten clinical sites across the United States. Tetra is using a DEA-licensed centralized pharmacy to distribute QIXLEEF to the clinical sites and ensure random and double-blind allocation of the product to the patients in accordance with Good Clinical Practices and the USA Food and Drug regulations. With these critical pieces in place, patient recruitment, enrollment and treatment will now begin. Plenitude is a 4-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group design trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of inhaled QIXLEEF to relieve uncontrolled cancer related pain in 78 adult patients with advanced incurable disease.

Dr. Guy Chamberland, CEO and CRO commented, "last week we announced the significantly lower levels of CBD metabolites and today we are pleased to announce that QIXLEEF has been shipped by Aphria Inc. The Plenitude trial has been anticipated for a long time and we are proud that the challenge of ensuring high quality pharmaceutical grade GMP product for patients with a plant-based drug has been overcome. Now, with last week's data, we are confident that we will not have any drug-related liver injury events in the trial. This is a major scientific milestone as it addresses the safety of vaporized QIXLEEF after the discouraging liver injury safety results observed in oral CBD trials for the treatment of seizures."

About Tetra Bio-Pharma

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF), is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development with a Health Canada approved, and FDA reviewed and approved, clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. The Company has several subsidiaries engaged in the development of an advanced and growing pipeline of Bio Pharmaceuticals, containing cannabinoid and other medicinal plant-based elements. With patients at the core of what we do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing bio pharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies.

For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

For further information, please contact Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.:

Investor Contact:

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc

Dr. Guy Chamberland, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

Phone: + 1 (833) 977-7575

investors@tetrabiopharma.com

Alpha Bronze, LLC

Mr. Pascal Nigen

Phone: + 1 (646) 255-0433

tetra@alphabronze.net

Media Contact:

energi PR

Ms. Carol Levine APR, FCPRS

Phone: + 1 (416) 425-9143 ext. 226Mobile: + 1 (514) 703-0256

carol.levine@energipr.com

SOURCE: Tetra Bio-Pharma

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604386/Tetra-Bio-Pharma-Announces-Plenitude-Clinical-Trial-is-Initiated
Of course, people were tired of the government in power, that is, the Republican Party of Armenia. This is what second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said in an interview with RBK, talking about the reasons behind the Velvet Revolution that took place in Armenia in 2018.

However, I believe there was a clear trend of a wave of populism which, by the way, passed across Europe over the past years, and this was probably due to the development of social networks and decentralization of the information field. The authorities didnt manage to adapt their political toolkit to this situation. The forces that took advantage of this situation were managing the seeming information chaos rather well, and, of course, they are technologies that are used the right way. If we recall the events in 2018, it was a certain drive to go out and make a change, close streets, etc. I believe this was a good and literately used technology. Of course, if there was no disappointment, the technology would be useless, he said.
In touting the need for unity among the American colonists seeking their independence from Britain, Ben Franklin pointedly observed that we must hang together, or else well surely hang separately.

The stakes for Americas dairy farmers, 250 years later, arent quite as dramatic or revolutionary. However, the message is the same: We in the dairy sector must work together to marshal our resources to achieve shared objectives in the face of larger, often daunting forces.

The U.S. dairy community has a laudable history in that regard, as the cooperative movement in agriculture in the early 20th century took root in dairy farming more so than in any other major commodity group. Thanks in part to that model, few other major ag commodities are as diverse in production model, management style, and geographic location as dairy. And that variety has been fostered by a collaborative spirit channeled through the cooperative system.

A recent NMPF Dairy Defined column reflects on the continued importance of cooperatives in helping producers market their daily milk harvest, using farmer-managed business distribution enterprises for themselves and their peers in a production chain increasingly defined domestically and internationally by large retail businesses. Cooperatives themselves are as diverse as the farmers they serve, but each provides a platform in which those farmers can speak with one voice.

Beyond co-ops, the ongoing, inevitable consolidation of farms affecting all ag commodities means we must continue to find additional methods of working across business boundaries and regional borders. Farmings economic footprint is as important as ever, but smaller numbers of farmers create an imperative to devise new and better ways of channeling our political outreach.

Garnering grassroot comments

For NMPF, this means weve placed a renewed emphasis on teamwork with the state dairy policy organizations that exist in more than half of the 50 states. State dairy associations, just like cooperatives and individual farmers, vary widely in their resources and scope. But they offer an important grassroots presence in many states and a channel for farmers to coordinate their resources aimed at the public policy.

The past two years, NMPF has organized a national summit of state dairy associations to allow them to meet face-to-face to exchange ideas and find common ground  last year in person, this year virtually. We have a private Facebook chat group for state associations and are exploring other means of sharing information among all stakeholders. We plan on arranging more virtual and in-person events in the future, particularly in years when we have new members of Congress to educate, as well as new or more urgent issues to discuss with elected officials.

This effort wont achieve its optimal potential unless farmers across the country get and stay involved in policy issues important to them. Cooperatives and state associations alike offer opportunities for grassroots engagement at the local and national level, but such organizations can only open the door. The next step in hanging together must be taken on an individual basis. Thats particularly true in an election year, but there will be plenty of work ahead in the years to come. Everyone needs to be involved.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2020

August 31, 2020
Left: Virgin Amazon jungle in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, May 18, 2005. Right: Logs cut from the rainforest near the city of Realidade, Amazonas state, Brazil, August 22, 2019. Left: Rickey Rogers/Reuters; Right: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters

Many of the world's deadliest diseases  including the novel coronavirus  came from animals.

Experts in animal-to-human disease transmission say increased deforestation and wildlife trading are causing more and more of these zoonotic spillover events.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Two new diseases have jumped from animals to humans every year, on average, over the last century. Some are mild, but others  like Ebola and HIV  are devastating.

Most experts now agree that Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from bats, though we still don't know exactly how or when that happened. It's likely the coronavirus passed through an intermediary species before infecting people.

What scientists are sure about, however, is that due to widespread deforestation and a rampant global wildlife trade, humans are mixing with animals more often than ever in our history. The more those interactions occur, the more zoonotic spillover  the scientific term for animal viruses infecting humans  we're likely to see.

Peter Daszak, the president of EcoHealth Alliance, told NPR in April that his colleagues are "finding 1 to 7 million people exposed" to zoonotic viruses in Southeast Asia each year.

Currently, three out of every four emerging infectious diseases come from animals.

"We're going to encounter more of these diseases," Stuart Pimm, a biologist at Duke University, told Business Insider. "I can't tell you when, and I can't tell you how bad they're going to be. Some are going to be terrible, some less terrible. What we can clearly say is these trends are continuing."

In July, Pimm and several other researchers calculated in a paper that global leaders could prevent many zoonotic spillover events by spending about $20 billion per year on prevention efforts. To put that into perspective, the estimated cost of the coronavirus worldwide is $5 trillion this year, a figure that doesn't count the loss of human life.

Story continues

That money, they said, should be spent in three major ways: to prevent deforestation, enforce the safe trade of wildlife, and study emerging infectious diseases that come from animals.

Fight deforestation, especially of tropical forests

Cutting down tropical forests contributes to the spread of zoonotic diseases for a couple of reasons. For one, disease-carrying mosquitoes thrive in tropical areas that have fewer trees and more puddles of water. Additionally, cutting down trees and moving people into previously forested areas puts people and wild animals into closer contact. Bats are more likely to feed near human settlements when their own habitats get disturbed, for example.

Left: Virgin Amazon jungle in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, May 18, 2005. Right: Logs cut from the rainforest near the city of Realidade, Amazonas state, Brazil, August 22, 2019. Left: Rickey Rogers/Reuters; Right: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters

Funding programs that monitor deforestation in tropical regions and enforcing laws that penalize illegal logging could reduce deforestation by 40% in areas most likely to see virus spillover, Pimm said. That change, in turn, could lower the number of new diseases introduced into the human population.

Such programs have worked to curb deforestation before: In Brazil, incentives for preserving forests and procedures to enforce logging restrictions reduced deforestation significantly between 2005 and 2012. However, deforestation rates there are back up. In 2019, nearly 3,800 square miles of forest disappeared  an area more than twice the size of California and a 30% increase from 2018.

Create a safer legal wildlife trade, and fight the black market

It's not yet known precisely where or when the coronavirus originated in Wuhan (a wet market originally thought to be the outbreak's origin point instead was simply the site of a super-spreader event). But experts are sure that the global wildlife trade, an industry worth more than $300 billion, has contributed to multiple disease outbreaks. For example, an outbreak of monkeypox virus that sickened 47 people in 2003 was linked to pet prairie dogs brought to the US from Ghana.

Customers select seafood at a market in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, August 8, 2017. Philip Wen/Reuters

Pimm and his colleagues say that such outbreaks could be prevented by funding networks like the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, which help law-enforcement agencies from different countries coordinate their responses to the wildlife black market. Enacting stricter laws could make legal wildlife trading safer, too  China was following this logic in February when it banned the consumption of terrestrial wildlife.

In their paper, Pimm's group proposed the creation of a new global agency that could monitor animals that get traded to detect emerging diseases.

Increase animal monitoring and studies of animal diseases

Studying how diseases hop from animals to humans can help scientists figure out how to address epidemics as soon as they emerge, Pimm said  and potentially prevent future ones.

However, the Trump administration in April cut government funding for a long-term project studying virus transmission between bats and humans. That research had ties to a Chinese lab falsely accused of leaking the coronavirus.

Additionally, the Trump administration cut the PREDICT program last September, which was designed to give early warnings of possible pandemics by identifying new emerging zoonotic diseases.

The US and other countries need more of these types of programs, not fewer, Pimm said.

"Americans have lost more lives to COVID than every war since World War II combined," he said. "This has had a devastating impact on our economy; there are national security issues at play here."

Pimm added that he doesn't think the Trump administration is willing to support the research necessary to protect people.

"I am desperately worried that science is now disparaged in our country," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks to the media at City Hall in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Portland Mayor: Rioters Terrorizing Families With Children

Portland Mayor and Police Commissioner Ted Wheeler said rioters who this week set fire to a business thats part of an apartment building were engaging in criminal acts.

Another minority-owned, local business was destroyed by a violent group of individuals. A police officer was filmed repeatedly striking an individual at a protest. Even the building where I live, along with dozens of other families, was violently attacked, Wheeler said in a rare statement about the riots, which have continued nearly every night since May 28 in various parts of the city.

These acts range from stupid, to dangerous, to criminal. The violence must stop. None of this should sit well with any thinking Portlander. Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal, and distract from, the important message of the racial justice movement, he added.

Wheeler was supportive of the demonstrations despite the violence perpetrated by some involved through July. A turning point appeared to come in early August, when the mayor said rioters committed attempted murder when they tried to light a police precinct with people trapped inside on fire.

Wheeler and other city, county, and state officials have failed to quell the rioting. They have rebuffed offers from President Donald Trump for federal assistance.

If you are participating in violence, I want to be clear: I denounce your actions. State and local law enforcement is working together to hold you accountable. Your actions demonstrate a level of hate and destruction that we WILL NOT condone or tolerate, Wheeler said.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler appears at a demonstration outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in support of demonstrators, in Portland, Ore., on July 22, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Police Chief Chuck Lovell issued a statement saying officials have seen fires lit at occupied police precincts in recent weeks, as well as a police union office thats tucked into a residential neighborhood.

Still, last night marked yet another escalation of the senseless violence, he said. The families that live inside have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives.

Lovell pointed to the number of police officers required to respond to riots and linked that to rising crime in Portland.

The nightly violence is coming at increased cost. It is not only that occupied buildings are being targeted. Gun violence is skyrocketing. Emergency calls for service are not being answered. This is impacting the safety of our entire City and urgent action is needed. Our elected officials need to do their part to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. The violent behavior must end, he said.

According to police officials, 911 calls have been placed on hold for hours on some nights because of the personnel tied up with riots.

Portland police disperse a crowd after protesters set fire to the Portland Police Association (PPA) building early in the morning in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

The shooting death amid demonstrations over the weekend prompted statements from other commissioners who sit on the Portland City Council with Wheeler.

Commissioner Amanda Fritz urged all sidesincluding the Portland Policeto change strategies.

Stop confronting each other, stop endangering lives, and inflicting harm. Ignore outsiders when they come seeking to attract attention and provoke indignation. Engage in meaningful dialogue, she wrote.

We must return the focus to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and the changes needed to end systemic racism evidenced in health, economic, education, police shootings, arrests, incarceration, housing and so many other outcomes where black, Indigenous and People of Color communities have been disadvantaged and oppressed for centuries. White supremacy must be overcome in 2020. That wont happen by force, but by lasting reforms, she added.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who has tried to pressure Wheeler into giving her control of the Portland Police Bureau, blamed the shooting on inconsistent polices [sic] and messaging from the bureau, claiming officers treat Black Lives Matter protesters different than those from rightwing groups.

Aaron Jay Danielson in an undated photograph. He was shot dead in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Danielson family via AP)

A supporter of Patriot Prayer, a conservative group, was killed in the shooting. President Donald Trump told reporters in Maryland on Tuesday that the man, Aaron Jay Danielson, was executed, the same wording a witness used.

He was targeted. They targeted him. They shot him in the street, and then they were so happy, and he died. You dont mention that, he told reporters.

Hardesty said her office is working on a plan that would give her control of the police bureau as early as the end of September.

Deborah Kafoury, chair of the Board of Commissioners in Multnomah County, blamed the shooting on the groups that organized the pro-Trump rally.

Last night, an event that was clearly intended to intimidate, provoke, and endanger individuals resulted in a fatality. The loss of life is tragic and unacceptable, she wrote, adding, We are witnessing the self-perpetuating cycle of violence fueled by white supremacy.

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly didnt issue a statement but shared Kafourys on Twitter.

City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero has not reacted to the shooting death. An inquiry sent to her email was blocked. Her last two tweets are about police misconduct.
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - A court in Slovakia is expected to issue a verdict Thursday in the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee, a crime that shocked the country and led a government to fall.

The state prosecution has requested 25-year prison terms for three remaining defendants, one of them a businessman accused of masterminding the killings. They all pleaded not guilty to murdering journalist Jan Kuciak, and fiancee Martina Kusnirova, both aged 27.

But the trial at the Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok, which handles Slovakias most serious cases, might not be coming to an end, yet.

A three-judge tribunal originally was set to deliver a verdict in early August but delayed its decision, citing a need for more time.

Prosecutors submitted additional evidence on Monday. The panel could decide to postpone the verdict again to give them a chance to present the evidence in court.

Kuciak was shot in the chest and Kusnirova was shot in the head at their home in the town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, on Feb. 21, 2018.

The killings prompted major street protests unseen since the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. The ensuing political crisis led to the collapse of a coalition government headed by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico and to the dismissal of the national police chief.

Kuciak had been writing about alleged ties between the Italian mafia and people close to Fico when he was killed, and also wrote about corruption scandals linked to Ficos leftist Smer - Social Democracy party.

The accused mastermind, Marian Kocner, allegedly threatened the journalist following publication of a story about his business dealings, prosecutors maintain. Overall, Kucial published nine stories about Kocner.

Kocner has said Kuciak was not a threat for him.

Im not a saint, but Im also not a murderer, he said.

The other two defendants on trial, Alena Zsuzsova and Tomas Szabo, are accused of being accomplices who helped the businessman organize the fatal shooting of the couple in February 2018.

Two more defendants already were convicted and sentenced. Former soldier Miroslav Marcek pleaded guilty to shooting Kuciak and Kusnirova and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in April. Prosecutors said Kocner paid Marcek for the killing.

A fifth suspect, Zoltan Andrusko, who acted as a go-between, agreed to co-operate with prosecutors in exchange for a lesser sentence and received a 15-year prison term in December.

Prosecutors say the investigation revealed Kocner had created a wide network of contacts with politicians, judges and prosecutors, including the prosecutor general who allegedly helped Kocner with his business dealings.

The revelations resulted in a number of resignations, including of judges, the deputy parliament speaker and a senior Justice Ministry official.

The long dominant but scandal-tainted Smer party was punished in Slovakias parliamentary election in February, a result that analysts said showed a strong desire by voters to end corruption.

Smer, which was in power for most of the past 14 years, was replaced as governing party by a centre-right coalition.

The slaying case also has put Slovakias legal system under pressure, a possible reason for trial delays, said Samuel Abraham, a political scientist who is rector of the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts.

Its very difficult for judges to deliver a verdict if theyre not hundred per cent certain about it, Abraham said.

If convicted, Kocner is likely to appeal at a European court, he said.

And there, any doubts about the verdict might free a person who obviously corrupted judges, prosecutors, police and politicians and belonged to the Slovak underworld, if the lawyers, prosecutors and judges dont do their job properly, Abraham said.

Kocner was sentenced to 19 years in prison in a separate case over alleged forgery and securities crime in February.

In December, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Kocner and six of his businesses for threatening Kuciak.
Two men and a woman appeared before a federal judge Wednesday in Portland, becoming the first in Oregon to face the rare federal charge of civil disorder for alleged violence during this summers turbulent protests.

A Seattle man is accused of launching a ball bearing with a slingshot during a downtown demonstration in July and striking a Portland Fire Bureau medic.

A Portland woman is accused of throwing a helmet that struck a police sergeant in the head last week outside the Police Bureaus North Precinct.

A Kelso man is accused of repeatedly using a hammer to strike the glass above the front door of the Police Bureaus East Precinct and elbowing an officer in the face in early August and then throwing frozen eggs and other objects at police three days later outside the Penumbra Kelly Building on East Burnside Street.

The felony cases against Jesse Herman Bates, 38, Michelle Peterson OConnor, 31, and Krystopher Michael Donnelly, 27, mark a significant detour from past practice in Oregon -- federal prosecutors here havent used the charge in recent memory.

But U.S. attorneys in half a dozen other cities have brought similar civil disorder charges tied to violence that has erupted during protests nationwide decrying the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.

The Oregon U.S. Attorneys Office is reviewing other violent actions from the last three months of protests and is expected to pursue similar civil disorder prosecutions.

The move reflects the repeated pledge by President Donald Trump to charge violent agitators who have hijacked peaceful protest. Administration officials at Trumps behest sent teams of federal officers to Portland in July to help guard the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse from vandals.

Until now, federal prosecutors in Oregon have filed more specific allegations, such as assault on a federal officer, arson, attempted arson and disobeying a federal officer.

Critics have argued that the new charges represent a stretch of federal authority to appease Trumps desire for forceful intervention in the protests. They say the Constitution limits the role of the federal government in what have routinely been handled as state crimes.

Its dangerous to allow the federal government to dip in and supersede state and local criminal authority, except in the most extreme, most justified cases, said attorney Steven Kanter, dean emeritus at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Kanter noted that the federal civil disorder statute was adopted in 1968 in the midst of civil rights turmoil. Often times, these kinds of broad statutes can be misused when there are not more substantive, underlying crimes, he said.

If the allegations dont directly apply to federal property or acts against federal officers -- which is absent in the cases brought against these first two defendants -- its also wiser for the federal government to defer resolution to the state for the same allegations, Kanter said.

Jonathan H. Adler, a law professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, wrote for Reason Magazine this summer, that property destruction and violence against others at protests on city streets should be prosecuted by state and local governments, not the feds.

He said such a broad federal criminal statute allows federal prosecutors to select cases for federal prosecution not based upon any legitimate federal interest, but rather on whether a given case serves the political interests of the office, the Justice Department, or the Administration.

WHAT IS THE CHARGE

Civil disorder is defined under federal law as a public disturbance involving acts of violence by three or more people which causes an immediate danger of or results in injury to people or their property.

To prove the crime has occurred, prosecutors must show someone committed or tried to obstruct, impede or interfere with any law enforcement officer or firefighter engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties during a civil disorder.

Further, prosecutors must prove that the civil disorder obstructs, delays, or adversely affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce or the conduct or performance of any federally protected function.

In Bates case, prosecutors intend to show his alleged slingshot attack occurred when police had declared an unlawful assembly or riot as demonstrators blocked a street.

About 2 a.m. on July 13 at Southwest Third Avenue and Main Street, a fire medic was struck on the left side of his chest by a silver ball that was about a centimeter in diameter. Bates is accused of using a wrist rocket to launch the ball bearing near Southwest Third and Main.

The medic was assigned to a Portland police Rapid Response Team of officers and wearing a special gray uniform that displayed Fire Bureau patches and large lettering on the back of his vest that said Medic. At the time, the medic was assisting firefighters attempting to put out a fire set in the middle of the intersection amid a crowd of about 300 people. The medic suffered bruising, police said.

About 3:50 a.m., Portland police moved in to arrest Bates in Lownsdale Square across from the federal courthouse, but police said he ran holding a crowbar and was arrested after officers used some type of impact munition.

Police said they seized a crowbar, a knife, flares, spray paint and two slingshots from Bates. Bates, 38, initially faced state allegations, including third-degree assault, assaulting a public safety officer, interfering with a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.

On Wednesday, the FBI returned him to Portland after taking him into custody in Seattle. He had been released earlier on the state charges.

Bates appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo, and prosecutor Thomas Ratcliffe asked that he be released with a curfew from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. and GPS monitoring. Bates assistant public defender Robert Hamilton urged that he be released with no conditions, noting he faces a pending case in state court in the same incident.

This is a very different case for two reasons, Ratcliffe said. The defendant is charged with attacking a firefighter using a wrist-rocket slingshot and a steel ball.

The judge released Bates with the curfew but didnt require GPS monitoring.

OConnor is accused of throwing a helmet that struck a Portland police Sgt. Justin Damerville as he and other officers were trying to arrest OConnors friend at 1:17 a.m. Aug. 24 near the North Precinct building.

The sergeant later said his bell was rung and he felt neck pain, according to a federal affidavit.

OConnor was arrested by Portland police on suspicion of attempted second-degree assault, interfering with police and disorderly conduct. She told police in an interview that she was worried about her friend, who was on the ground with an officer on top of him.

She intentionally threw the helmet at the sergeant but realized it was a mistake, the affidavit said. Her lawyer noted that OConnor has no criminal history.

The prosecutor acknowledged that the allegations against OConnor are less serious than the circumstances of Bates case but argued it still involves assaultive behavior against an officer. The judge released OConnor with the curfew.

Donnelly was caught on video about 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 pounding glass at the East Precinct with a hammer. He was among a group of people who had pulled plywood off the precinct doors while some started a fire in a dumpster outside.

When police declared an unlawful assembly and moved to clear the crowd, officers fired CS gas canisters into the center of Southeast 106th Avenue. Donnelly was seen picking up two canisters and throwing them back at officers, according to police. As he was being arrested, Donnelly elbowed an officer in the face, an affidavit said.

Three nights later, Donnelly was rearrested outside the Penumbra Kelly Building, where hes accused of throwing frozen eggs at officers, court documents allege.

Donnelly, whose address is unknown, has been indicted on state charges, including riot, first-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest in connection with the Aug. 5 incident. Those are pending.

A spokesman for the Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schmidt said in a statement about Donnellys repeated arrests that the office needed more information to issue a case against Donnelly. Our initial charging decision is based on the available police reports submitted to our office. In some circumstances, we will ask the investigating agency to conduct additional follow up and then resubmit the case, the statement said. We have seen a small number of people repeatedly arrested for committing crimes during the nightly protests. We will initiate prosecution for those small number of cases when we identify a strong public safety reason.

A conviction on a civil disorder charge brings a sentence of up to five years, a fine up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

The law was adopted in 1968.

CHARGE USED IN CHERRY BOMB CASE

Limited case law exists on the civil disorder charge because it hasnt been used much.

But a 1972 case provides some guidance. A federal appeals court upheld a civil disorder conviction of two men who threw cherry bombs at a line of police officers responding to a fire at a riot on a university campus.

The case involved a demonstration May 4, 1970, outside the Air Force and Army R.O.T.C buildings on the Washington University campus in St. Louis County, Missouri, to protest the killing of four college students by National Guardsmen at Kent State University in Ohio earlier that day.

The defendants in the appeal argued that the federal civil disorder statute was invalid because it exceeded congressional power under the Constitutions Commerce Clause.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals didnt consider that. We need not determine whether Congress has power to reach the conduct involved in this case under the Commerce Clause, since the statute is also directed at such activity when it affects  the conduct or performance of any federally protected function.

The appeals court did find that the criminal charge should apply only to violent physical acts and that the First Amendment doesnt preclude such prosecution.

This Court stands ready to protect constitutionally guaranteed activities or conduct from interference by either the State or private individuals. We are willing to do so even though the conduct may be offensive to others.  But the conduct involved here is not entitled to constitutional protection, the court ruled then.

The First Amendment has not been extended to protect rioting, inciting to riot, or other forms of physical violence, it said.

The appeals court noted that the crime is not mere presence at a civil disorder but must apply to an act committed during the course of such a disorder. The term civil disorder simply describes the environment in which the act must be committed in order to be subject to prosecution.

The civil disorder crime includes only public disturbances that involve an act of violence, three or more people and cause immediate danger or result in injury to the property or person of another, the appeals court found.

Reference to a law enforcement officer includes federal, state or military personnel, yet prosecutors must show that the officer acted lawfully during the alleged crime, according to a June paper by the Congressional Research Service written by legislative attorneys Peter G. Berris and Michael A. Foster.

This week, Gov. Kate Brown announced she was sending Oregon State Police troopers back to Portland to help local police in protest response.

The U.S. Marshals Service earlier this summer deputized state troopers who were sent to Portland to help safeguard the downtown federal courthouse. The deputization lasts for a year, according to the Marshals Service.

If a state trooper who has been deputized as a federal officer is assaulted during a protest, federal prosecutors could choose to bring an assault on a federal officer charge.

The state troopers will work alongside Portland police in making arrests, as theyve done in the past. When necessary, theyll also protect and defend federal government buildings and personnel during a civil disturbance, said Kevin Sonoff, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The U.S. Attorneys Office will evaluate all arrests made by state police and local police for potential federal prosecution. The action also follows the Multnomah County District Attorneys decision not to pursue certain charges stemming from protests, such as disorderly conduct, interfering with police or the sole allegation of riot.

OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE USED THE LAW

Similar civil disorder prosecutions are pending in Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Tenn., Boston, Mobile, Alabama, and Naperville, Illinois.

An 18-year-old in Worcester, Massachusetts, faces the charge, accused of possessing a Molotov cocktail with the intent to obstruct officers from responding to a violent demonstration in Worcester on June 1.

A Pittsburgh man was charged with civil disorder, accused of spray-painting an unoccupied police car on May 30, smashing its windshield, jumping on its hood while others then set it on fire and threw objects at officers who attempted to respond on horseback, according to a federal complaint.

In Knoxville, an 18-year-old man was charged with civil disorder in June, accused trying to use his Snapchat account to incite and organize a riot at a mall in the city, instructing people to bring hammers and bricks at a certain hour. The next day, he struck an officer sitting in a car in the head with a trash can lid, prosecutors allege.

A Boston man was charged with interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, accused of firing a gun 11 times toward officers about 3 a.m. on June 1 after he had been ordered a short time earlier to drive off from an area where a business was getting looted.

Near Chicago, a man also faces a civil disorder charge, accused of throwing an explosive device near a Naperville police car where officers were standing in June.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
Statistically speaking, long term investing is a profitable endeavour. But along the way some stocks are going to perform badly. For example, after five long years the Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ) share price is a whole 69% lower. That's not a lot of fun for true believers. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 35% in the last year. There was little comfort for shareholders in the last week as the price declined a further 3.7%.

View our latest analysis for Invesco

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the five years over which the share price declined, Invesco's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 16% each year. Readers should note that the share price has fallen faster than the EPS, at a rate of 21% per year, over the period. This implies that the market is more cautious about the business these days. The low P/E ratio of 9.95 further reflects this reticence.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Invesco's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Invesco, it has a TSR of -60% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

Invesco shareholders are down 30% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 25%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 9.9% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Invesco that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
This weekend the seventh Grand Prix of 2020 is on the agenda, the first of two races in Italy. Coming weekend in Monza, a week later in Mugello - home of Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo is looking forward to the race, but also to the Italian pizzas.

After his excellent fourth place at Spa-Francorchamps, Ricciardo will travel to Italy with great confidence. In Belgium there was little to be credited to the Renault driver's performance, which was also rewarded with a perfect score for the Belgian Grand Prix in the Power Rankings standings. He will be only too happy to continue this line.

"Monza is one of my favourite tracks", said the Australian in the Renault preview of Monza. "Its probably not typical for my style as I love street circuits with walls and the close shaves. But Monza is high-speed and a lot of fun, especially with the low downforce."

Once again the fans on the track have to be missed. "You can still feel the awesome energy about the place. My background is Italian, so I do love it there," said Ricciardo, who sees another plus at the Italian Grand Prix. "Its also home to the best pizza in the world, which is my weekend fuel.


By ANI

NEW DELHI: Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, who took over as a Supreme Court judge back in the year 2014, retires from the apex court on Wednesday.

Keeping with a long-standing tradition of the court, Justice Mishra was today set on a bench with Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde. The CJI, after hearing cases through video-conferencing, said Justice Mishra has been a beacon of light, courage and fortitude in face of all adversities.

CJI Bobde said that Justice Mishra is leaving behind a "legacy of hard work, erudition, great courage and fortitude". The CJI said he is "aware of the great difficulties which Justice Arun Mishra had to face on the personal front and despite that he carried on his duties. He had excellent relations with all his colleagues ."

Also speaking on the occasion, Attorney General KK Venugopal called Justice Mishra the "iron judge" of the Supreme Court. "I have not seen in the Supreme Court a judge so firm and unshakeable. I would describe him as an iron judge of the Supreme Court. He has contributed tremendously," Venugopal said.

"Many of his judgments are earth-shattering. Even in the last contempt case, he has laid down the law elaborately, though it will be a matter of debate. He will have a very useful role to play in future also. We will miss him and we wish him all the best and good health," he added.

Justice Mishra said whatever he could do came from the Supreme powers of the apex court. "All of you were the power behind whatever I have done," he said.

"Sometimes I have been very harsh in my conduct directly or indirectly. Nobody should feel hurt. If I have hurt anybody then please pardon me, pardon me, pardon me," Justice Mishra concluded by saying heartfelt thanks to all.

Justice Mishra became a judge of the Supreme Court on July 7, 2014. Justice Mishra recently delivered key judgments including granting 10-year time to telecom firms like Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices for paying the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

He also recently held activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty in a contempt case for his two tweets which were critical of the top court and imposed fine of Re 1 on him.

By his August 11 judgement, a bench headed by Justice Mishra held that daughters, like sons, have an equal birthright to inherit joint Hindu family property. The court had decided that the amended Hindu Succession Act, which gives daughters equal rights to ancestral property, will have a retrospective effect.

Yesterday, Justice Mishra delivered his last judgement by issuing directions on the protection of 'Jyotirlingam' of Ujjain's ancient Mahakaleshwar Temple. After delivering the judgement he said, "Shivji ki kripa se ye aakhri judgment bhi ho gaya (the final judgment has also been delivered, by the grace of Lord Shiva).

Recently, he had turned down the invitations of farewell functions of Supreme Court Bar Association and the Confederation of Indian Bar saying citing "severe situation and sufferings the world over" due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Taking into consideration the severe situation and sufferings the world over on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, my conscience does not permit me to participate in any farewell function," Justice Mishra had written in a letter declining the requests, however, assured them that he would visit the bar to pay his respects when the situation improves.

In February this year, Justice Mishra while speaking at an event, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "versatile genius" who "thinks globally and act locally" setting off sharp criticism from the Bar which said such statements "reflect poorly on the independence of the judiciary".

Last year, Justice Mishra had apologised for his conduct in court after a group of senior advocates urged him to be patient while dealing with lawyers. Apologising, Justice Mishra had said, "If anyone feels hurt, an animal or a tree even, am ready to apologise. I apologise a hundred times."

Before his elevation to the top court, Justice Mishra has served as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta and the Rajasthan High Courts.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court is the parent High Court of Justice Mishra. His father late Hargovind Mishra was also a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Justice Mishra first became a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in October 1999 and remained there till 2010. He was transferred to Rajasthan High Court as Chief Justice in November 2010, where he remained till December 2012. After that Justice Mishra became the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court before being transferred to the Supreme Court.
Prakash Javadekar said that the scheme 'Mission Karmayogi' will help govt employees get opportunities to improve post-recruitment training mechanism

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Additionally, the Cabinet also approved 'Mission Karmayogi', a scheme for bringing post-recruitment reforms in civil services.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the decisions during a press conference on Wednesday.

He said the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session. The Bill received the Cabinet nod on Wednesday at a meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister did not divulge further details saying the Bill will be debated in Parliament soon. Union Minister Jitendra Singh added that the government has accepted the long pending demand of the region for the inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri as officials languages in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is not only a fulfilment of a long-pending public demand of the region but also in keeping with the spirit of equality which was ushered in after 5 August last year," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Javadekar added that through 'Mission Karmayogi', officers and government employees will get an opportunity to improve their performance.

A council, headed by the prime minister and having chief ministers as members, will approve the civil services capacity building plans under the scheme, he said.

"Today the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to bring this very big, post-recruitment reform, where an opportunity will be given to officers and employees to improve their own performance," he said.

Javadekar said this is the biggest human resource development programme proposed by the government.

He said during its last meeting, the Cabinet had approved the setting up of a National Recruitment Agency which was a pre-recruitment reform.

This will help end subjective evaluation, and ensure scientifically-devised, objective and real-time assessment of employees, Singh added, about 'Mission Karmayogi'.

"Mission Karmayogi is an endeavour to reincarnate a government servant into an ideal karmayogi to serve the nation by enabling him to be creative, to be constructive, to be pro-active and technically empowered," he told reporters.

"The endeavour is also to end the culture of working in silos and to overcome the multiplicity of training curriculum which we have because of the institutions spread all over the country, with the introduction of a common platform for uniform realisation of nation''s vision and of our shared aspiration and our shared future goals," Singh added.

This way, Singh said, it will provide a mechanism for continuous capacity building, a constant updating of the talent pool and also provide an equal opportunity of professional as well as personal growth and a stream of self training for value addition at all levels.

Department of Personnel and Training secretary C Chandramouli said Mission Karmayogi is constituted to build future-ready civil servants with right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of a "New India".

It focuses on competency-led capacity building, he said, adding that it seeks to create a new architecture for civil services capacity building.

He said it looks at a new national architecture for civil services capacity building and focuses not only on individual capacity building but on institutional capacity building and also on process.

In a presentation, he said at present, there is a diverse and fragmented training landscape and there are inconsistencies in training priorities by various training institutions in various ministries which has prevented shared understanding of India''s developmental aspirations.

He said the mission will have a total outlay of Rs 510 crore over a period of five years.
FCTA continues to give free rides to those affected by the tornado
Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts defeated Representative Joe Kennedy in the states hotly contested Democratic Senate primary, besting the scion of a political dynasty by galvanizing the partys progressive wing.

Its a come-from-behind win for Markey, who is all but certain of a second full term in the November election in the solidly blue state. He trailed Kennedy after the 39-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy announced his challenge in the fall of 2019; some had expected him to simply retire. But he campaigned aggressively as a liberal insurgent, out-raised his opponent and won a raft of endorsements, including from outspoken progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The results make Kennedy, who trailed in polls in the days leading up to the Bay State primary, the first member of his storied family to lose a political race in Massachusetts. Polls showed Kennedy had stronger support among minority and working-class voters, but struggled to win over wealthier, educated white voters and younger liberals.

In another race pitting a Pelosi-backed candidate against a contender supported by Ocasio-Cortez, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal defeated Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. Neal will run for re-election in November in the solidly Democratic 1st Congressional District in the central and western portion of the state with no Republican opponent.Pelosi had put her clout behind Neal to help him fend off a 31-year-old progressive challenger who was seeking to replicate the success of three other insurgents who ousted incumbent Democrats in earlier primaries this year.

Neal, 71, first elected to Congress in 1988, took the lesson from those earlier contests and campaigned hard to keep his seat. In addition to the backing of Pelosi and other influential Democratic Party leaders, he had an unusual cross-party endorsement from the states popular Republican governor, Charlie Baker.

The Senate contest divided Democratic leaders in the Massachusetts and in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Kennedy, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer backed Markey. Markeys co-sponsorship of the Green New Deal with Representative Ocasio-Cortez was central to her decision to support him.

The drive by Markey, 74, to run as an insurgent was a remarkable choice for a lawmaker who had served in the House from 1976 to 2013 before he ran for the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry when Kerry was confirmed as President Barack Obamas secretary of state. Kennedy, wasnt even born when Markey first ran for Congress.

Markeys victory comes after candidates backed by progressive groups ousted three Democratic incumbents in this years primaries: Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel in New York, Representative William Lacy Clay of Missouri and Representative Dan Lipinski of Illinois.

Massachusetts voters had a choice between two candidates with liberal voting records. Markey and Kennedy agree on many policies, including the Green New Deal to combat greenhouse-gas emissions, a single-payer health care system and overhauling policing practices in the U.S. In August debates, they argued more about outside spending in the race and the increasingly bitter tone of the contest.

Markey called Kennedy at one debate a progressive in name only.

In his advertising, Kennedy accused Markey of forgetting about the working-class residents of his home town of Malden and focusing more Washington than Massachusetts. One recent spot featured footage of late President John F. Kennedy and his grandfather, the former attorney general. He said that he has the fight for racial justice in his blood.

Kennedys political future is now uncertain as he faces his congressional exit. The Boston Herald reported earlier this week he didnt plan to run as a write-in candidate for his House seat.
This is the first time the Pentagon has stated a specific number of Chinese warheads, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia told reporters this week. "We're certainly concerned about the numbers," Sbragia said, "but also just the trajectory of China's nuclear developments writ large."

The report said the number of Chinese nuclear warheads is currently estimated to be slightly more than 200 and includes those that can be fitted to ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

China's modernization and expansion of its nuclear force is part of a broader effort aimed at matching, and in some cases surpassing, the United States military by 2049 as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon's annual "China Military Power" report to Congress that was released Tuesday.

A new Pentagon report predicts that China will "at least double" the size of its nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade as it pursues its own nuclear triad to conduct nuclear strikes by land, sea and air.

 U.S. Capabilities

The United States' nuclear arsenal, with an estimated 3,800 warheads in active status, would still dwarf the Chinese arsenal. The U.S. has submarines and aircraft capable of delivering a nuclear strike, along with intercontinental ballistic missiles on land.

China lacks the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air, but the Pentagon said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear capable air-to-air refueling bomber late last year.

In the past 15 years, the Chinese Navy has constructed 12 nuclear submarines, six of which provide China's first "credible, sea-based nuclear deterrent," according to the report. By the mid-2020s it will likely build a new, guided-missile nuclear attack submarine that could provide a secret land-attack option if equipped with land-attack cruise missiles.

China has declined urgings from the Trump administration to join the U.S. and Russia in a deal to limit strategic nuclear arms. Without China's added participation, the U.S. appears poised to let an existing U.S.-Russia arms treaty known as New START expire in February 2021.

 'Rule-Breaking Behavior'

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the world's "free and open" system forged in the wake of World War II was under attack by what he called China's "rule-breaking behavior" in the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke in Hawaii ahead of travel in the Indo-Pacific region to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Wednesday.

Esper called the Indo-Pacific region the "epicenter" of great power competition, vowing not to "cede an inch" to countries that threaten international freedoms, in an apparent dig at China. Amid Chinese military exercises last week, Beijing fired four medium-range ballistic missiles from mainland China into the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a U.S. defense official told VOA.

The Pentagon issued a statement of concern, saying China's actions "stand in contrast to its pledge to not militarize the South China Sea and are in contrast to the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 20:13:12|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The government of Afghanistan has resumed the release of Taliban detainees to clear hurdle on the way for talks with the armed group to find negotiated settlement to the country's lingering crisis, a local media outlet reported Wednesday.

The Afghan government set free 200 Taliban detainees on Monday and Tuesday and would soon free the remaining 120 others to meet the Taliban demand for intra-Afghan dialogue to end the war in Afghanistan, 1TV said in its report.

Some 80 Taliban detainees out of 400 demanded by the Taliban were set free a couple of weeks ago.

The exchange of 5,000 Taliban inmates with 1,000 Afghan security personnel is part of the U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed late February. Enditem
These redactions were only made in the past few days after McMurdo announced to Victoria Police and affected parties on August 24 that she would make no findings in her final report that any individuals may have committed criminal offences. Her reasons are both legally sound and politically naive. Commissioner Margaret McMurdo. McMurdo made her decision on the assumption there may be criminal proceedings against current and former Victoria Police officers who, by either facilitating or failing to stop Gobbo informing against the interests of her own clients, may have engaged in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Public discussion of whether named individuals may have committed specific criminal offences in submissions or in my final report could unfairly prejudice any future trials and could put at risk the presumption of innocence and charter rights to a fair trial, she said.

In doing so, McMurdo has extended to police a fundamental legal right of the kind denied to Mokbels drug cook and Williams henchmen when, unbeknown to them, Gobbo was purportedly defending them while working for police. McMurdo has also ensured that, on November 30, when she hands down her final report and makes it available to Victorias Office of Public Prosecutions and the Independent, Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, her findings will not carry the weight of a recommendation to charge. Nicola Gobbo and her former client Tony Mokbel. Credit:Nine In the absence of such a recommendation, what are the chances of Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd, QC, or IBAC  a body that secretly examined the Informer 3838 scandal five years ago  initiating criminal proceedings against any cops involved in this mess? The Office of Public Prosecutions in its own submission makes clear that to prosecute anyone for a criminal offence it needs a brief of evidence  not royal commission findings. Any recommendation that an investigative agency consider any such offences is better effected by a direct referral to the agency itself, it concludes.

In the absence of a fresh IBAC probe, it will be left to police to investigate their own. Victoria Police, in its submissions to the royal commission, appears to have read the play well on this. In one breath, it accepts without qualification or reservation that it was reprehensible to allow Gobbo to rat on clients whose interests she had a solemn duty to defend. In the next, it staunchly defends all of its members facing allegations of professional misconduct and criminal conduct.

Victoria Police is absolutely committed to restoring the loss of faith that these events have caused. However, it is also critical that while examining why and how these events occurred, that the women and men who serve this state are not unfairly tarnished. The police submissions challenge the jurisdiction of the royal commission to make any findings of misconduct against its members, claim a lack of procedural fairness and warn against the dangers of hindsight bias. The police view, unchanged from when the royal commission started, is that any failings were systemic  the product of inadequate checks and balances or poorly understood processes  and cannot be traced to corrupt behaviour by individual officers. Victoria Police still contends that, when Gobbo was recruited as a human source, their intention was for her to provide information about criminal associates, not clients. This became impossible to manage, not least because Ms Gobbo appeared to have no desire to manage it,'' the police submissions read. "Again, this is not to deflect responsibility onto Ms Gobbo.

Only they do. Time and time again. Where does this leave the worst scandal in Victorian legal history? There are, according to the royal commission, 124 convictions tainted by Gobbos involvement as a police informer. Some of these relate to people who have served their sentences, been released from jail and have no desire to revisit that time in their lives. Others relate to serious criminals, such as Mokbel and Francesco Madafferi, who will be hoping that McMurdos findings give them the keys to an early release from prison. An astronomical legal bill will be paid for, almost in its entirety, by taxpayers.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, says that during this time of global crisis, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis has demonstrated concrete solidarity through prayer, various interventions, gestures, and words of witness and comfort.

The National Coordinator for Communications at the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), Brother Alfonce Kugwa, based in Harare, spoke to the Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli. Below are highlights from the interview. The Apostolic Nuncio outlines Pope Francis various interventions during the global crisis of the Coronavirus pandemic. He also draws attention to Pope Francis call to a just world order where people live as brothers and sisters. Archbishop Rudelli first underlines the aspect of prayer



Prayer

In this time of trial and suffering, the Pope has been leading the world in prayer. We all remember Pope Francis standing alone in St. Peters Square on the evening of 27 March. The Pope was alone, but the entire world was there. He echoed the cry of the Apostles in the boat: Lord, we are perishing. At the same time, he invited us to meditate on Jesus answer: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? The Lord, said the Pope, asks us and, in the midst of our tempest, invites us to reawaken and put into practice that solidarity and hope capable of giving strength, support and meaning to these hours when everything seems to be floundering. And he added, prayer and quiet service: These are our victorious weapons. We can also remember the Pope celebrating the Easter liturgies in an almost empty St. Peters Basilica. Also in other initiatives, like the interreligious Day of Prayer for Humanity, celebrated on 14 May, the Holy Father invited people of all creeds to have a day of prayer, fasting and works of charity, to beseech God the Almighty to safeguard the entire world and to help us to foster human fraternity.

Together with prayer, there is the quiet service, as the Holy Father called it, the necessity to strengthen solidarity. We have to recognise that this time of suffering has also been, all over the world, a time of incredible acts of generosity and self-denial. We can think of the engagement of doctors and nurses, but also of all the people that allowed our societies to continue to work in this extremely dire situation: Shops, the transport system and social services. In many countries, people have put their lives at risk in order to make the life of others possible.

Pope Franciss solidarity with Zimbabwe

Also, in this field of solidarity, Pope Francis led by example. He promoted an extraordinary effort in order to give to all Churches, particularly in poorer countries, a sign of his presence and charity. These contributions, although modest compared to the necessities of the different countries, represent a huge sum if we put them together. Concretely, speaking about Zimbabwe, I have to mention first of all the donation of US$100 000 which the Pope sent last June to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) through the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. This was a grant for humanitarian purposes, meant to meet basic needs, like food for the people impoverished by the pandemic. This was divided among the countrys eight dioceses. The Pontifical Mission Societies, on the other hand, always on behalf of the Pope, established in Rome a special fund to help local churches in their pastoral activities. We know that even the life of parishes and other Catholic institutions all over the world has also been severely affected by the lockdown. Around US$20 000 was distributed among the Zimbabwean dioceses. Then, the Holy Father granted help in the specific field of health care. In April, through the Apostolic Nunciature and thanks to the assistance of the ZCBCs Health Commission, a quantity of sanitisers and PPEs reached all the Catholic health institutions in Zimbabwe. To that we have to add the donation of two Non-Invasive Ventilators, many infrared thermometers and other PPEs, sent, always on behalf of Pope Francis, by the Papal Almoner Cardinal Krajewski. Finally, the Papal Foundation in Rome, funded by Catholics in the United States, is considering a couple of COVID-19 related projects for our country. In total, the assistance channelled from the Holy Father is worth around US$200 000. More than its economic value, it is important to underline that all this is a living sign of the universality of the Catholic Church. This donation has been, in fact, possible, because many Catholics in the world supported the Popes charity. And, speaking about the role of the Catholic community worldwide, we do not have to forget that an even greater amount of assistance reached Zimbabwe from Catholic charities of countries like, among others, German, Italy, Spain, England, the United States. It is worth noting that people that have been severely affected by the pandemic, like the in the case of European countries, have been so generous in supporting the needs of brothers and sisters in other nations.

Call for a just world order

Along with prayer and charity, a third element has marked the activity of Pope Francis in this time of pandemic; His call to action for building a more just world. The pandemic, said Pope Francis, has revealed that our world is sick because of another virus that is the virus of selfishness. The present economic system continues to increase inequalities at world level, raise poverty and destroy our common home, the earth. If we really want to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, we also have to reflect on which kind of economic order we want to build. Pope Francis created in the Vatican a commission in order to reflect and give concrete input on these topics.

In this context, Pope Francis has asked the Vatican diplomacy to advocate, in the international community and at the UN level, for a number of concrete goals, in order to alleviate the consequences of the pandemic. The concrete goals being advocated for include full accessibility of vaccines; restructuring, or even forgiveness of debt for poor countries; access to humanitarian and health assistance for those most in need, including migrants and the opportunity to reconsider economic and trade block or sanctions. Pope Francis has also endorsed the UN Secretary Generals call for a world ceasefire during this difficult period.

The Papal representative stressed that prayer, charity, and action for building a better world were at the centre of Pope Francis heart. He said these are the three main engagements Pope Francis took in the time of the pandemic, and he is inviting Catholic communities all over the world to embrace these three principles.
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Ballerina Misty Copeland is showing off her $3.125 million New York City apartment, where she lives with her lawyer husband, Olu Evans.

The 37-year-old, who was the first African American woman to be named principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater, purchased the three-bedroom apartment in 2018 and only recently moved in.

In a new video for Architectural Digest, she takes viewers on a tour through her home, showing off a stunning art collection by black artists, her 'serene' master bedroom, and a large walk-in closet that was inspired in part by Mariah Carey.

Classy digs; Ballerina Misty Copeland is showing off her $3.125 million New York City apartment

Spacious home: The 37-year-old purchased the three-bedroom apartment in 2018 and only recently moved in

Cozy: She lives there with her husband, lawyer Olu Evans. The living room, pictured has a custom walnut wall cabinet and blue velvet sofas and chairs

The grand tour: In a new video for Architectural Digest, she takes viewers on a tour through her home, starting with the living room. 'Something that's been important to us is just to have a really solid neutral base,' she says

The apartment is one of several that Misty has lived in on the Upper West Side, but she seems to have made this one a permanent home.

'It's the first home that we've owned together, so it's really nice to be able to share our interests and love and bring it into our home,' she says in the video.

First, she shows off the living room, which has hardwood floors and a matching custom walnut wall cabinet. There are blue velvet sofas and chairs, which she calls the 'pops of color' that bring the room to life.

'Something that's been important to us is just to have a really solid neutral base,' she explains, adding that it sets a tone to be able to do 'whatever' and make it feel 'elegant and homey.'

For decor, she points out one of several pieces of art spotlighted in her home: a photo shot in Africa by her husband's cousin, Shane Evans.

'I think the theme is a lot of artists of color,' she says.

Dinner parties: Attached to the living room is the dining room, where six white chairs are reflected in a large wall-size mirror and a crystal chandelier hangs above the table

Gorgeous: The home is filled with fresh flowers in vases on several of the surfaces

'What's been important to me is to bring in the elegance, so having chandeliers is, like, a dream,' Misty, who was the first African American woman to be named principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater, says

'I just love the mix of the elegance with the chandelier, and the texture on the mirror, that makes it look so big and open,' the dancer adds

Connected: The living room and dining room are open and connected, with Misty revealing that the couple likes to entertain

'I practically live in here because I'm a really big food lover and I cook a lot, so I just put on music and drink some wine while I'm cooking. It's one of my favorite rooms,' she says of the kitchen

Drink up! The kitchen has a 'cool little entryway' with a tiny wine cellar built in, complete with fridge for her champagne and prosecco

She also gestures to a piece by the 'incredible artist' Nathaniel Mary Quinn hanging on her wall.

Attached to the living room is the dining room, where six white chairs are reflected in a large wall-size mirror and a crystal chandelier hangs above the table.

'What's been important to me is to bring in the elegance, so having chandeliers is, like, a dream,' she says. 'I just love the mix of the elegance with the chandelier, and the texture on the mirror, that makes it look so big and open.'

She moves past her husband's favorite part of the house, a bar he designed, and walks into the kitchen  which has a 'cool little entryway' with a tiny wine cellar built in, complete with fridge for her champagne and prosecco.

The kitchen is narrow and done in all white with gold accents, narrow kitchen done all in white with gold accents  and though perhaps small by suburban standards, actually has quite a lot of counter space for Manhattan.

'I practically live in here because I'm a really big food lover and I cook a lot, so I just put on music and drink some wine while I'm cooking. It's one of my favorite rooms,' she says.

Pop of color: She then moves out into a long hallway, which is painted with a shiny light blue color

Art collection: The hallway is home to Misty's favorite piece, a huge painting by Dedee Mathieu of a girl blowing bubble gum

Reading material: There are also built-in bookshelves with books arranged by colors

Something special: Off the hall is a bar cart that her husband designed with Japanese whiskey he loves

'I remember Mariah Carey's [MTV] Cribs, and I remember in her dressing room, she had these, like, candy-coated walls, and it was in this pink color. So that's what I think of when I think of these walls,' she says of the color of the walls

She then moves out into a long hallway, which is painted with a shiny light blue color.

'As someone who didn't come from a lot, in my youth and growing up, I remember Mariah Carey's [MTV] Cribs, and I remember in her dressing room, she had these, like, candy-coated walls, and it was in this pink color. So that's what I think of when I think of these walls,' she says.

Here, she and her husband have hung even more art, including a print from photographer Mark Seliger, a 'dear, dear friend' of Misty's, which shows the hands of modern dancer Merce Cunningham's hands.

There's also Misty's favorite piece, a huge painting by Dedee Mathieu of a girl blowing bubble gum.

Off the hallways is the guest bathroom with a textured wallpaper, a brass sink, and a work of art by Deborah Roberts.

The guest bedroom, nearby, also has textured walls, which give it 'that something special so it's not just your typical New York City apartment with white walls.'

Sleepovers! The guest bedroom, nearby, also has textured walls, which give it 'that something special so it's not just your typical New York City apartment with white walls'

'I'm often like, "Can I just sleep in the guest bedroom?" Because it's so beautiful and also really relaxing,' Misty says

Decor: Off the hallways is the guest bathroom with a textured wallpaper, a brass sink, and a work of art by Deborah Roberts

Catching some zzz's: The master bedroom, which has tons of natural light, also has padded walls  which are great for her because she's 'clumsy'

'Clearly the star of this room is this amazing work of art,' she adds, gesturing to a painting by Asuka Anastacia Ogawa

'I'm often like, "Can I just sleep in the guest bedroom?" Because it's so beautiful and also really relaxing,' Misty says.

The penultimate room on the tour is the master bedroom, which has tons of natural light.

'It's just got a lot of beautiful light dancing eight hours a day, five days a week,' she says, calling the room 'serene.'

Misty points out the tufted, padded walls  which are great for her because she's 'clumsy'  and more art by Shane Evans and Lorna Simpson.

Finally, the ballerina walks into her dressing room, which is lined with open shelves and closet space where everything, including her enviable shoe collection, is on display.

The room is also outfitted with a vanity table with a gold chair and white rug, another chandelier, textured champagne-colored walls, an 'amazing vintage mirror,' and fresh flowers.

Envy-inducing: Finally, the ballerina walks into her dressing room, which is lined with open shelves and closet space where everything, including her enviable shoe collection, is on display

'It's like, I think, every girl's dream. But this was really important for me when we were picking out the home that we wanted to purchase,' Misty says

Shoes! The camera pans up and down her massive shoe shelf where all her footwear is on display

So pretty! The room is also outfitted with a vanity table with a gold chair and white rug, and another chandelier

Familiar: She wanted the room to have an Old Hollywood feel  and also thinks back to Mariah Carey's Cribs episode when she steps inside

Luxe life: Another crystal chandelier glitters from the ceiling of her dressing room

Girly: The room also houses her tutus, but Misty notes, 'I'm not a really girly girl, and I think people would assume, because I'm a ballerina, that I am. But it is nice to play dress-up and have a place that's really elegant'

Misty is pictured dancing at the Grammy Awards in January

'It's like, I think, every girl's dream. But this was really important for me when we were picking out the home that we wanted to purchase,' Misty says.

She wanted the room to have an Old Hollywood feel  and also thinks back to Mariah Carey's Cribs episode when she steps inside.

She says she remembered watching and thinking, 'Is that something that a little biracial girl that grew up poor could really have?'

'Especially as a black woman, it's really powerful,' she adds.

The room also houses her tutus, but Misty notes, 'I'm not a really girly girl, and I think people would assume, because I'm a ballerina, that I am.

'But it is nice to play dress-up and have a place that's really elegant.'

In the new issue of the magazine, Misty says that she hired interior designer Brigette Romanek to work on the space.

'There are things we just cannot do on our own, and we realized how necessary it was to have a professional team,' she explains.

'I did not comprehend how many layers there are to creating a beautiful home that feels organic.'
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So far a total of 40 staff members have been identified as potential contacts and are currently self-isolating

Fourteen patients in the haematology ward of Craigavon Area Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Southern Trust confirmed yesterday that 16 members of staff had also tested positive and were self-isolating. Their contacts have been identified and are in quarantine.

So far a total of 40 staff members have been identified as potential contacts and are currently self-isolating.

A detailed investigation is ongoing and the ward remains closed to new admissions. The news came as two cases in Ward Three South of the hospital were confirmed overnight.

One member of staff and one patient have tested positive. There are currently 11 staff members self-isolating.

In the emergency department the situation is returning to normal, with no further cases identified.

The hospital is temporarily suspending visitors from today to minimise the number of people potentially coming into contact with the virus. This will be reviewed after seven days.

A spokesman said the measure was necessary.

Visiting is only for end-of-life care and must be arranged with the ward manager, he added.

Virtual visiting is available on request by contacting 077 7651 6419 between 9am and 5pm.
London: Tony Abbott has evaded questions from British MPs about his looming appointment to the British Board of Trade saying only that it involved a "role" and not a "job".

Abbott would not confirm any details about his new gig when questioned by the Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee in London on Tuesday.

Tony Abbott gives The Margaret Thatcher Lecture in London in 2015. Credit:Julian Andrews

He appeared before the panel in his capacity as a former prime minister to speak about how Britain could strengthen multilateral institutions. The same committee has previously heard from Kevin Rudd on foreign affairs. But on this occasion, Labour MPs took the opportunity to press Abbott on the scant details of his appointment.

"Yes, I've had some discussions with members of the British government and I'm more than happy to help but there's nothing official as yet," he said.
The world of crypto has always attracted peddlers of get-rich-quick products when fans of rewiring the global financial system start buying into a new idea. In 2017, it was Bitcoin and the end of fiat currency. This time, buzz is growing over decentralised finance applications that seek to cut out institutions from things like lending.

Fuelled by a spike in speculative appetite, cryptocurrency entrepreneurs are offering new digital coins at a torrid pace reminiscent of the Bitcoin boom three years ago. Among the freshly listed: Porkchop, Davecoin, Spaghetti, Newtonium and Whale. Many have no obvious utility, but investors have poured billions into them up in hopes of riding one to an easy profit.

Risk is running rampant in financial markets. Stocks trade at dot-come-era valuations, the IPO pipeline is full, Bitcoin's headed toward a record. And right on cue, here come the crypto opportunists.

"I lived through and profited through the 2017 crypto bubble and this feels somewhat reminiscent to it," said Michael Novogratz, founder and chief executive officer of Galaxy Investment Partners in New York.

"It was the ICOs back then," he said, referring to the initial coin offerings that were the cryptocurrency market's equivalent to company IPOs on the sharemarket. "A new ICO every day and the herd would swim to that ICO and jam the price up and there'd be a frenzy of liquidity and price and then it would collapse and they'd move on to the next thing. And it feels a little bit like that."

More than 500 coins have been listed in the past month, according to CoinMarketCap.com. While exact figures for comparison are hard to come by, the boom hearkens back to when the blockchain frenzy saw iced tea makers, office-product resellers and even Kodak among those issuing thousands of coins with the promise of decentralised wealth. Those took in billions before a crackdown by regulators revealed almost all were nothing more than marketing proposals. There's little reason to expect that investors will fare better this time.

Perhaps memories are short in the world of crypto, or maybe it's a new generation of coin fans driving the latest surge in demand. Either way, it's of a piece with the explosion of account openings at retail brokerages, where newbie traders piled into bankrupt companies and chased rallies in little-known stocks that barely have revenue. The same forces are at work in the world of speculative asset companies, where investors buy into a publicly traded shell that aims to find a private gem to acquire.
Sohum Shah puts an end to speculations around Tummbad 2, says he's working on another project
Huntington Beach Generating Station, which is owned and operated by AES Corp. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

State officials threw a lifeline to four fossil fueled power plants along the Southern California coast, deciding the facilities are still needed to provide reliable electricity even as they contribute to the climate crisis.

Tuesday's vote by the State Water Resources Control Board to let the gas plants keep operating past the end of this year followed brief rolling blackouts over two evenings last month, as a heat wave caused air conditioning demand to soar, and California found itself short on electricity supplies.

Energy regulators are still investigating the causes of the power shortage. But they said allowing the coastal gas plants to stay open a few more years would help prevent more outages as California continues its transition to cleaner energy sources  an ironic solution given that climate change almost certainly exacerbated the recent heat wave.

The four facilities were supposed to shut down by Dec. 31, 2020 under a regulation requiring coastal power plants to stop using ocean water for cooling, a process that kills fish and other marine life. But Tuesday's decision granted a three-year extension to natural gas plants in Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Oxnard, and a one-year extension to a Redondo Beach plant.

The vote was unanimous, even as one water board member expressed frustration that energy regulators didn't do a better job planning for gas-plant closures that have been scheduled since 2010.

"Its important for us to have our deadlines mean something, and thats especially true when theres a decade of runway time to achieve them," said board member Laurel Firestone, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.

The Public Utilities Commission and the California Independent System Operator began warning last year that the state might face power shortages on hot summer evenings, when electricity demand remains high even as solar farms and rooftop solar panels stop generating electricity. That prediction seemed to come true on Aug. 14, when the Independent System Operator ordered utilities to implement rolling outages for 75 minutes, and again on Aug. 15, when the energy shortfall lasted 20 minutes.

Story continues

However brief, the blackouts ignited a political firestorm. Newsom called them unacceptable and unbefitting of the nations largest and most innovative state. And some policymakers expressed concern that a repeat performance could put the state's clean energy progress in jeopardy.

"We need to pay attention to the integrity of the electrical grid. Because if we do not, we are going to lose this whole green thing were doing. Were going to lose the public," Patrick O'Donnell, a state Assemblyman from Long Beach, told the water board Tuesday. "When people go to turn on their light switch, they need to know that those lights will go on."

"If we go too fast, if we truncate this process, its going to blow up in our face," he added.

For climate advocates, the biggest risk is moving too slowly, not too fast.

Scientists have found that averting the worst impacts of climate change will require humanity to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions roughly in half over the next decade. In California, emissions fell just 14% between 2007 and 2017, the most recent year for which data is available.

Americans are currently experiencing the consequences of just a small amount of global warming, not only hotter heat waves but also worsening wildfires in California and across the West, more destructive hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and a pandemic the likes of which has been made more likely by rising temperatures.

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The gas-fired Redondo Beach power plant operated by AES Corp. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

The strongest opposition to Tuesday's decision came from elected officials in Redondo Beach, who had already bargained state officials down to a one-year extension for the local gas plant but had hoped for no extension.

Nearly 22,000 people in Redondo and neighboring Hermosa Beach live within one mile of the AES Corp.-owned facility.

Residents said they were sick of being forced to breathe hazardous air pollutants, especially during a pandemic in which weakened lungs might make people more susceptible to COVID-19. Locals also cited the black smoke that occasionally spews from the plant, and jet engine-like noises that sometimes accompany startup.

"I have lived four-tenths of a mile from this belching, smelling, loud plant. And I go to the doctor every six weeks, and my lung capacity is going down," Melanie Cohen told the water board. "Im begging you to listen to the people of Redondo."

State law requires California to get 60% of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines by 2030, and 100% from zero-emission sources  a broader definition that could include hydropower and nuclear  by 2045. Last year, California was up to 32% renewable electricity and 55% zero-emission electricity, data released this week show.

But 34% of California's energy came from natural gas-fired power plants in 2019. Figuring out how to replace that power  especially during the post-sundown hours  is one of the biggest challenges facing state officials as they work to reduce emissions and to show other states and nations that fighting climate change and a thriving economy can go hand in hand.

Energy regulators are working on bridging the gap.

Last year, the Public Utilities Commission ordered electricity providers to add 3,300 megawatts of new power capacity, most of which is expected to be lithium-ion batteries than can store solar power for use at night.

But thats a small fraction of the energy storage the state will ultimately need. And the batteries will take a few years to build, which is why the utilities commission and other energy agencies asked the water board to grant a deadline extension for the four coastal gas plants.

Luis Amezcua, a senior campaign representative with the Sierra Club, said the Public Utilities Commission needs to order even more clean energy purchases  and not just to make sure the coastal gas plants can shut down by the new deadlines, but also to replace the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which is scheduled to begin shutting down in 2024.

Amezcua also knocked officials at the Independent System Operator and the Public Utilities Commission for pointing fingers in the wake of last month's blackouts rather than taking action.

This is a pattern that were seeing with state agencies, that theyre trying to cast blame on others when its really everyone that needs to be doing their job," Amezcua said.

The state water board's approval of three-year extensions for gas plants in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, both of which are owned by Virginia-based AES Corp., was relatively noncontroversial. AES chose to comply with California's ban on "once-through cooling" by converting some generators at both sites to air-cooling technology, meaning fossil fueled electricity production likely would have continued for years or decades regardless of Tuesday's decision.

In Oxnard, city officials grudgingly agreed to support a three-year extension for the Ormond Beach gas plant in exchange for the facility's owner, GenOn Energy Inc., pledging to set aside $25 million to pay for tearing down the plant.

Ormond Beach Generating Station in Oxnard, Calif. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The debate in Redondo Beach has been much more contentious.

AES recently sold the site to a developer who hopes to build retail and commercial space along the waterfront. But with support from the buyer, AES pushed the water board for a three-year extension for the gas plant  a lease on life that Redondo officials estimated would be worth more than $100 million in revenue to the company.

The water board approved a one-year extension, satisfying neither side. But the debate might continue in court. During public comments preceding the vote, lawyers for Redondo Beach suggested the city might sue the agency, saying it had failed to do a proper analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act of the harm to marine life that will occur if the gas plant keeps operating, a claim water board officials rejected.

Redondo officials also pointed out that the California Coastal Commission issued a "notice of violation" to AES earlier this year, telling the company it was illegally drying up six acres of resurgent coastal wetlands that have persisted at the power plant site despite being paved over decades ago. The city suggested the Coastal Commission could force AES to shutter the gas plant if the company keeps pumping the wetlands, making the facility a poor "insurance policy" for keeping the lights on in California.

Lisa Krueger, president of AES United States, said the company has provided the Coastal Commission with studies showing "there is virtually no impact to the presumed wetlands due to the operation of our electrical vault pumps."

"We fully expect this matter to be resolved and have no impact on plant operations," Krueger said in an email.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is also planning to shut down three seawater-cooled gas plants in the L.A. area, known as Harbor, Haynes and Scattergood, over the next decade.

Although it's not yet clear how LADWP will replace those facilities, the utility currently has enough power on hand that it didn't have to resort to rolling blackouts during the recent heat wave. Los Angeles actually supplied thousands of megawatt-hours of surplus electricity to the rest of the state, helping to minimize the need for outages.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fabiana Pierre-Louis was sworn in Tuesday as the newest member of the New Jersey Supreme Court, officially becoming the first Black female justice in the states 224-year history.

A former federal prosecutor who grew up the daughter of Haitian immigrants, Pierre-Louis took the oath during a private ceremony in Trenton. Gov. Phil Murphy, who nominated her in June, was there to look on.

Pierre-Louis is only the third Black justice in the courts history and its youngest current justice by about two decades. She turns 40 later this month.

New Supreme Court Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis was sworn in this afternoon by Justice Jaynee LaVecchia in a private ceremony. pic.twitter.com/uzngaJHwOF  New Jersey Courts (@njcourts) September 1, 2020

Pierre-Louis, who most recently worked as an attorney in South Jersey, was confirmed by the state Senate last week.

Murphy and state lawmakers have said Pierre-Louis was chosen because of sterling resume and sharp mind. But they also stress that she will give a new perspective to the bench at a time when the nation continues to wrestle with unrest over racial injustice.

The governor said in a tweet that history was made Tuesday.

Today, history was made. Thrilled to attend the swearing in of Fabiana Pierre-Louis to the New Jersey Supreme Court  the first Black woman to be seated on the states highest court. pic.twitter.com/yavier71Wj  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 1, 2020

Pierre-Louis replaces Justice Walter Wally Timpone, an appointee of former Gov. Chris Christie who stepped down from the bench Monday, a few months before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Like Timpone, Pierre-Louis is a Democrat  which means the Supreme Court will continue to be made up of three Democrats, three Republicans, and one independent.

Pierre-Louis must serve seven years before state lawmakers will consider giving her lifetime tenure. Because shes so young, she has the possibility of helping shape the court for three decades.

A first-generation American, Pierre-Louis grew up in a seven-member family and lived in a two-bedroom Brooklyn apartment before moving to Irvington. Her father drove a New York City taxi and her mother workers for years at a Manhattan hospital.

English was Pierre-Louis second language, and she received financial aid for college from New Jerseys Educational Opportunity Fund, which helps students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

After getting her undergrad degree from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Pierre-Louis graduated with high honors from Rutgers Law School in Camden and later served as a law clerk for state Supreme Court Justice John Wallace Jr., the last Black member of the court.

Pierre-Louis then spent nine years as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. She was the first woman of color to run both its Trenton and Camden offices.

Last year, Pierre Louis  a Mount Laurel resident  returned to private practice at Cherry Hill firm Montgomery McCracken, where she has focused on white collar crime, government investigation, and complex commercial litigation.

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NJ Advance Media staff writers Blake Nelson and Sophie Nieto-Munoz contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.
The ancient Egyptian Kings of the Sun paid their first ever visit to the historic city of Prague in the Czech Republic this week for a new exhibition

The ancient Egyptian civilisation, which flourished and lasted for more than three millennia, has always stirred up curiosity worldwide owing to its art, its many inventions, its culture and philosophy, and its daily life traditions. For centuries, archaeologists from all over the globe have been under its spell and have come to Egypt to try to uncover its mysteries.

On Sunday, it was the turn of the Czech Republic to be seized by Egyptomania when the Kings of the Sun exhibition was officially inaugurated at the National Museum in the Czech capital Prague by Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babisalong along with the Czech ministers of culture, environment, finance, and health.

Streets, shops, buses, the subway, and train stations throughout the historic city of Prague all carried posters featuring photographs from the exhibition, including of the treasures of the ancient Egyptian Fifth-Dynasty kings of Abu Sir. One depicted a statue of princess Sheretnebty and official Nefer. Others were of the Fifth-Dynasty king Neferefre and the 27th-Dynasty high-priest Iufaa.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to go back in time to the era of the Pyramid-builders, and the exhibition design, using the latest audio-visual technology, allows them to explore the earliest ancient Egyptian kingdom whose remains are at the archaeological site of Abu Sir where a Czech-Egyptian archaeological mission has worked for 60 years.

They will also be able to experience the atmosphere of the era of these great Egyptian kings through replicas of the tomb of princess Sheretnebty, daughter of the Fifth Dynasty king Niuserre, and the pyramid complex at Sahuraa.

El-Enany described the exhibition as an exceptional event at a challenging time. In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, he said that after five years of preparation the exhibition had finally come true and was unique both in terms of the value and the origins of the objects on display.

The exhibition is the first time that Egypt has loaned such an impressive collection of Old Kingdom items for an exhibition abroad. El-Enany said that when the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opens on the Pyramids Plateau in 2021, the objects in the exhibition will be on permanent display.

He said that Egypt and the Czech Republic have always enjoyed a strong relationship on all levels, especially in the field of archaeology, which has seen a great deal of successful scientific cooperation over the past 60 years. From 1958 to 1965, Czech archaeologists helped in the international campaign to safeguard the Nubian temples in Upper Egypt during the building of the Aswan High Dam by carrying out the documentation of rock inscriptions.

Meanwhile, excavations at the Abu Sir Royal Necropolis have led to several discoveries, among the most important being the pyramid complex of the Fifth-Dynasty king Neferefre, the intact tomb of the 27th-Dynasty high-priest Iufaa, and the tombs of princess Sheretnebty and top official Nefer.

A Czech team played a very important role in the conservation of the tomb of the nobleman Ti, completed in 2019, El-Enany said.

The exhibition allows the Czech people and the international public as a whole to admire some of our treasures, and we encourage them to visit Egypt and explore the uncountable fascinating monuments and museums in our country, El-Enany said.

He said that though the Kings of the Sun exhibition was the first Egyptian temporary exhibition to be held in the Czech Republic, he was sure it would not be the last. It is another milestone showcasing an important part of the worlds culture heritage to the Czech people and the world as a whole, he said.

By organising this exhibition, the National Museum and several generations of Czech Egyptologists have seen their dreams fulfilled, Michal Lukes, director of the National Museum, told the Weekly.

He said that the exhibition was one of the most remarkable shows ever to have been held in the museum. For almost half a year, visitors to the National Museum will have the chance to admire a globally exceptional collection of millennia-old Egyptian artefacts.

To prepare such a vast international exhibition is always an immensely difficult task, but to me it is miraculous that our team managed to organise it despite all the challenges posed by the coronavirus, Lukes said.

I must thank all Czech and Egyptian colleagues who have put such great efforts into making this happen. It is thanks to them that the Czech Republic can be proud of hosting an exhibition that is without parallel anywhere in the world.

OLD KINGDOM: The ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom is regarded as the first territorial state in human history. Between the 27th and 22nd centuries BCE, ancient Egyptian civilisation recorded unprecedented growth, evolving into an awe-inspiring culture admired for its advances, skills, and mysteries.

The archaeological site of Abu Sir, from which many of the artefacts in the exhibition come, is part of the pyramid fields extending dozens of kilometres from todays Cairo all the way to the Fayoum Oasis in the south.

During the time of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, some of the largest pyramid complexes of Egyptian kings and funerary structures of members of their families, high-ranking dignitaries, and ordinary Egyptians were built there. Abu Sir and neighbouring Saqqara are located in the heart of the site, which is home to most royal and non-royal monuments preserved to date.

Kings of the Sun is the name given to the kings of the Fifth Dynasty, who chose to worship primarily the sun god Ra from among the many ancient Egyptian deities. Four of the kings erected their mortuary complexes in Abu Sir. During their rule, ancient Egyptian architecture, art, philosophy, and state administration all reached their peak.

The exhibition presents the world-class achievements of Czech Egyptologists and explains the basic facts about the ancient Egyptian civilisation. Its aim is not only to showcase a collection of rare artefacts, but also to provide a deep understanding of the structure of the civilisation and of some personal stories of its officials.

The show illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary research and of the huge potential for collaboration between archaeology and other technical and scientific fields. It is a means of showing that archaeology is crucial to the understanding of our own civilisations, for example.

Highlights of the exhibition include precious artefacts from the third to the first millennium BCE, culminating in a set of globally unique royal sculptures of king Raneferef, one of the largest collections of preserved royal statutes from the Old Kingdom to date.

Other objects include stone vessels, ceramics, writings, and reliefs from the royal complexes in Abu Sir. The total value of the objects amounts to some CZK1 billion.

The discoveries from the king Raneferef temple complex are indisputably one of the most valuable achievements of Czech exploratory missions in Abu Sir. Considered to be one of the largest sets of royal statutes from the age of the Pyramid builders, they include a rare papyrus archive describing the cult and ceremonies in the royal temple.

The exhibition also features an unprecedented corpus of objects loaned from many international museums, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and museums in Berlin, Leipzig, Hannover, Heidelberg, Hildesheim, and Frankfurt am Main. It also displays items acquired by the National Museum thanks to the archaeological missions in Abu Sir led by Czech scholars from Charles University in Prague.

Professor Miroslav Barta, director of Czech archaeological missions in Egypt and vice-rector of Charles University, explained that the Kings of the Sun exhibition provided an exceptional chance to view for the first time ever outside Egypt the greatest discoveries made during yearly missions led by teams from the Czech Institute of Egyptology.

Prague would become the home to dozens of rarely seen artefacts that tell the story of the ancient Egyptian civilisation of the Pyramid builders, he said. I am glad that, in close cooperation with the National Museum, we managed to organise this exhibition both for Czech and international visitors, he added.

Professor Tomas Zima, rector of Charles University, said that the missions of the Czech Institute of Egyptology and the Faculty of Arts at Charles University were the most important Czech scientific expeditions working abroad. Their achievements and discoveries, including the present spectacular exhibition, proved that their work met the highest international scientific standards of excellence, he said.

I greatly appreciate their contribution to Czech and global science. This is yet another example of the quality of science, research, and teaching at Charles University, Zima said.

The exhibition is unique in content and form, he added, saying that it not only showcases precious and never-seen-before objects, but also uses a modern design. As a result, it whisks visitors back to the age of the ancient Egyptian empires. Thanks to the use of audio-visual installations, visitors can soak up the unique atmosphere of royal Abu Sir.

The Kings of the Sun exhibition is sure to become an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages. The National Museum has prepared a diverse accompanying programme for the exhibitions duration, including lectures by Czech Egyptologists, film screenings about Egypt, activities for children, and guided tours, as well as a unique Egyptological night tour.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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UNSEASONAL flooding due to heavy rainfall in Connemara has forced evacuation of homes and closure of two schools in Clifden town earlier this morning.

Galway Fire Service crews, Gardai and Galway County Council staff have been assisting residents and businesses in Clifden, after the Owenglen river burst its banks.

The Clifden Glen holiday village was evacuated, as were a number of houses near the Station House Hotel in the town.

Gardai advised Scoil Mhuire and Clifden Community School to close, due to the deteriorating weather conditions  with a yellow rainfall warning issued by Met Eireann for Connacht.

The N59 at Kylemore and a stretch of road between Maam Cross and Recess were impassable earlier, with one lane from Maam Cross west re-opening to traffic from mid-morning.

The route from Clifden to Ballyconneely was also closed after heavy flooding.

Abbeyglen Castle Hotel manager Brian Hughes told RTE Radio 1 said that there was a deluge of rain coming down the Owenglen river.

Mr Hughes said he had lived in Clifden all his life, and had never seen the river burst its banks in this way.

Gardai have warned motorists to slow down and to avoid the affected areas if possible.

Met Eireann has forecast that there will be more localised flooding and hazardous driving conditions today. The status yellow rainfall warning is valid until 9pm tonight (Wed) for counties in Connacht, and for Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.
Appointment

2 September 2020

Kew Green Hotels, one of the leading international hotel management companies with over 55 hotels in its portfolio, has promoted Joanna Fisher to Group Commercial Director, a newly created role, to support the group's continued domestic and international growth strategy. This key appointment follows the recent announcement that Kew Green Hotels is expanding into South East Asia with seven hotels and is to launch a new Commercial Hub to support the region, based in Bangkok.

With over 20 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Starwood, Ramada Jarvis, GLH and The Ascott Group, Joanna played an integral role in delivering outstanding results across all segments and devising new and highly innovative solutions for modern day leisure and business travellers.

Bringing her wealth of knowledge, skills and experience with her, Joanna joined Kew Green Hotels in 2015 as Group Sales and Marketing Director. Since joining the group, Joanna has led the UK-based sales team in delivering profit for all of Kew Green's properties in each of its major market segments including leisure, MICE, Christmas, weddings and corporate. Joanna pioneered a brand-new sales structure in 2016 which saw the creation of its Commercial Hub, Kew Green's centralised sales, revenue and reservations function. As part of the creation of the Commercial Hub, Joanna and the team developed a bespoke CRM platform to improve efficiencies and flexible resourcing according to future business needs. The CRM system, named WAVES, is used across both the corporate sales team and meetings and events team.

The remit of Joanna's new role as Group Commercial Director is to lead all of the UK award-winning sales, marketing and revenue management teams and drive the commercial activity for the Group both in the UK and overseas. This will include spearheading the launch of its new Commercial Hub based in Bangkok to underpin the group's international expansion. Joanna believes in inspiring her teams to find solutions, both strategically and on the ground, to deliver profit through sales across all segments of the business.
Civilized Coffee Gourmet Craft Ingredients There is nothing more civilized than friends and family spending time together in the kitchen drinking coffee, or baking their favorite desserts, so these new products create an even closer connection for our products with those special moments, said Mark Patterson, Founder.

Civilized Coffee has officially launched their Craft line of baking ingredients just in time for the holidays and prime baking season.

Civilized Coffee, one the fastest growing coffee companies in the Southeast, has taken their success in the specialty coffee world and translated it into a growing assortment of sugars, spices and cacao from around the world. Their growing assortment of Non-GMO & Gluten-Free products includes Crystalized Ginger Slices, Espresso Chili Rub (Barbeque & Steak Seasoning), Cacao Nibs, Honey Crystals, Cocoa Powder, Espresso Powder, Panela and Instant Coffee Granules.

There is nothing more civilized than friends and family spending time together in the kitchen drinking coffee, or baking their favorite desserts, so these new products create an even closer connection for our products with those special moments, said Mark Patterson, Founder.

Building on their successful coffee business, the founders of Civilized Coffee went directly to their customers and discovered that their Instant Coffee and Espresso powder were a huge hit among baking enthusiasts. Not only were their customers creating amazing desserts, but bloggers and influencers were also lauding their coffees in social media posts.

"A necessity for bakers, cooks, or anyone looking to add flavor using quality ingredients. The only brand I trust to help me create THE most loved goodies!" - Stacie Zollars (SugarFace Bakes)

As a true e-commerce company, we are able to act quickly, create and add new products. We are always listening to our customers, paying attention to trends and talking to suppliers to open up new opportunities for innovation, said Jeff Norton, Founder.

Civilized Coffee has crafted a truly global sourcing network, highlighted by established relationships in their contacts Colombia (Panela), India (Crystalized Ginger) and to the U.S. (Honey Crystals). Purchases can be made directly from their website (http://www.civilizedcoffee.com) or on Amazon.com. The new products have already earned acclaim from Amazon, including #1 New Release for both Honey Crystals & Espresso Chili Rub.

Civilized Coffee was founded in 2017 (Jacksonville, Florida) by Mark Patterson and Jeff Norton. Their business experiences and expertise range from restaurant, ice cream to coffee but most importantly customer service. Civilized Coffees mission is to help bring Civilized Conversations back whether it is over a cup of coffee or baking in the kitchen. {civilizedcoffee.com}
Singapore, September 2 (ANI/BusinessWire India): The Singapore International Foundation's (SIF) Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) programme kicked off its 2020 edition as a digital experience, undeterred by restrictions imposed by the pandemic to continue nurturing young global change-makers. 109 youths from 19 countries gathered virtually for the YSE Workshop from 3 July to 29 August.

This year, the 11th cohort presented social business ideas ranging from leveraging new technologies for a more inclusive society and proposing alternative means to save the environment, to empowering vulnerable communities through education and job training. In spite of the diverse impact areas and cultural backgrounds, all teams shared the common goal of bringing about sustainable change in the communities in which they operate.

The YSE Workshop comprised an intensive series of webinars and business clinics led by social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business strategists. Participants gained knowledge to become effective social entrepreneurs including sessions on finance, marketing, and impact measurement.

They also got to interact with like-minded peers of different nationalities, gaining a deeper cross-cultural understanding to make new friends and forge professional relationships. In the end, 54 teams presented their business plans to a panel of judges and 15 teams were shortlisted to proceed to the next phase of the YSE programme.

The shortlisted teams, comprising 29 young change-makers representing nine nationalities, were chosen for further grooming because their business ideas held the potential for significant social impact, promise for sustainability, and scalability of the business model.

Four teams representing India are part of the 15 teams moving on to the next phase of the programme - Built Empathy, Canfem, International Changemaker Olympiad, and Shoonya Environmental Solutions. These India-based social enterprises are offering sustainable solutions in areas of urban design, healthcare, as well as education and training.

Over the next six months, the shortlisted teams will be mentored by leading business consultants from McKinsey & Company and Temasek International and established entrepreneurs relevant to their sectors.

The teams will have the opportunity to hone their business acumen, broaden their cultural perspectives, and tap on a global YSE alumni network of over 1,200 members. In March 2021, all teams will reconvene at the YSE Pitching for Change event. They will present their refined business plans to a panel of judges for a chance to receive seed funding of up to S$20,000.

"At the SIF, we believe in bringing people of different cultures together to inspire ideas and action for good. While we are unable to have the YSE participants physically in Singapore this year, the digital platform offers new opportunities to nurture the energy, innovative spirit, and passion of young change-makers driven by a strong sense of social purpose. In current times of great economic, climate, and global health challenges, it is even more important that we accelerate the pace of social innovation," said Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, SIF Chairman.

The shortlisted participants were encouraged by the Workshop and are looking forward to their YSE journey. "It has been an eye-opening experience and I am grateful to be a part of the YSE programme. It is great to connect with like-minded individuals from all around the world who are also looking to carve a path towards social change. My team and I looking forward to working with our mentors in the coming months to learn how we might take our social enterprise idea to the next level," said Rahul Milan Paleja, Co-founder of Heirloom from Singapore.

Bhavya Singh, founder of Built Empathy from India, also shared her thoughts on the experience. "Through the YSE programme, we were exposed to the social enterprise landscape outside of India. We were introduced to market players from Singapore and around the world and gained valuable insights into managing a social enterprise. This has been an enriching journey for me, and I hope to achieve great things in the coming months as I work with my mentors," said Bhavya.

Since 2010, the YSE programme has enabled youths from around the globe to change the world. They learn new skills that empower them to shape and strengthen their business model while establishing professional networks for potential collaboration and sustainable growth.

This SIF signature YSE programme has since nurtured more than 1,200 alumni across 39 nationalities, and a network of 525 social enterprises in Singapore and beyond.

Based on an impact study conducted on its tenth year, 75 per cent of social enterprises grew from seed stage to start-up stage and beyond after joining the YSE programme, with 70 per cent of shortlisted YSE alumni still active in creating positive social impact and 86 per cent of funded teams still in operation.

List of YSE 2020 shortlisted Indian team profiles

1. Built Empathy (India) - Built Empathy, headed by Indian Bhavya Singh, improves liveability in Indian cities by making the community and public spaces safer, sustainable, and more inclusive. With a practice rooted in human-centred design, they bring design to the communities that need it most.

2. Canfem (India) - Canfem, headed by Indian Akriti Gupta, enables breast cancer survivors to have a better quality of life by manufacturing and marketing unique and affordable product-service solutions. Their external breast prosthesis and mastectomy brassier help survivors get back into the society with dignity and improve their physical and mental health. Their pilot, completed on over 3,200 patients, had shown a 93 per cent satisfaction rate.

3. International Changemaker Olympiad (India) - International Changemaker Olympiad, headed by Indians Rahul Adhikari and P Sai Sindhu, provides a platform for children in schools to identify social and environmental problems around them, and launch initiatives to tackle them. Through their programme, students participate in teams to identify real-world problems, develop solutions, and implement them over a span of five months. They aim to develop children into empathetic, conscious citizens of the world with an action-oriented mindset.

4. Shoonya Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd (India) - Headed by Indian Manik Dhingra, Shoonya Environmental Solutions' vision is to enable zero waste human settlements across the world. They are presently engaged with the scientific disposal of non-recyclable plastics across 20 States in India and aim to be an organisation with the capability of designing an entire ecosystem which is ecologically wise, socially inclusive, and economically sustainable

This story is provided by /BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI//BusinessWire India)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
London/New York, Sep 2 : In a significant discovery, data pooled from 121 hospitals in eight countries by clinicians and scientists have found that inexpensive, widely available steroids improve the odds that very sick Covid-19 patients will survive the illness.

The analysis was conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Based on the newly-published data, the WHO has issued new treatment guidelines calling for corticosteroids to become the standard of care for patients with "severe and critical" Covid-19.

Such patients should receive 7-10 days of treatment, a WHO panel said, cautioning against the use of steroids in patients with non-severe illness, saying that "indiscriminate use of any therapy for Covid-19 would potentially rapidly deplete global resources and deprive the patients who may benefit from it most as potentially life-saving therapy." "It is relatively rare in medicine that you find drugs where the evidence of their effectiveness in saving lives is so consistent," said lead author of the study Derek Angus, Professor and Chair at the Department of Critical Care Medicine in the University of Pittsburgh.

"This is, in many respects, the single clearest answer we've had so far on how to manage terribly-ill Covid-19 patients. People on ventilators or oxygen and under intensive care should definitely be given corticosteroids," Angus added.

This research suggested that steroids improve the survival of the sickest Covid-19 patients.

"At the beginning of the year, at times it felt almost hopeless, knowing that we had no specific treatments. It was a very worrying time. Yet less than six months later, we've found clear, reliable evidence in high quality clinical trials as to how we can tackle this devastating disease," said Professor Gordon, Chair in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at the Imperial College London.

These findings offer further evidence that corticosteroids can be an important part of Covid-19 treatment for severe patients.

Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, and evidence strongly suggests that they reduce the lung inflammation in patients with Covid-19 who are seriously ill and require oxygen support for their breathing difficulties.

The findings were made through the "Randomized Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform-Community Acquired Pneumonia" (REMAP-CAP).

REMAP-CAP is one of seven randomised control trials to test corticosteroids for treating Covid-19 in critically-ill patients.

Between March and June, the REMAP-CAP corticosteroid trial randomised 403 adult Covid-19 patients admitted to an intensive care unit to receive the steroid hydrocortisone or no steroids at all.

The trial found 93 per cent probability that giving patients a seven-day intravenous course of hydrocortisone would result in better outcomes than not giving the steroid.

The results were consistent across age, race and sex.

REMAP-CAP and the other corticosteroid trials did not test the drugs in patients with less severe Covid-19.

Other groups, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, have already issued similar guidelines recommending the use of steroids to treat patients with severe Covid-19.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Jasmine Mansbridge sees the poetry and the irony: her sculpture has gone where she can't.

Installed on a Gold Coast beach for this month's SWELL festival, her work You/Me/Sky/Sea, a 'thought catcher' constructed of mirrored stainless steel will reflect the sunrise and the sunset, the movement of the ocean, the line and the light of the horizon. It will merge with its environment.

Sculptor Jasmine Mansbridge with her new work You/Me/Sky/Sea Credit:@georgie.mann.photos

Mansbridge will still be at home in Western Victoria, under the pandemic lockdown, where she built the sculpture in her backyard.

"The work goes where I physically cannot go," Mansbridge says. "It holds my thoughts and ideas beyond my ability to take them. And that's what art's always done. It tells stories, it conveys the emotions and the ideas of the artist beyond the present  beyond here and now."
News Blaze has published an article about massive deliveries of Russian weapons to Armenia. Below is the text of the report.

Vladimir Putin is intensively arming Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan. Massive deliveries of Russian weapons to Armenia threaten a possible new war in the South Caucasus.

In 1991, almost 30 years ago, the Soviet Union formally collapsed, resulting in the breakaway from and the independence of all former Soviet satellite-republics. One such satellite is the Republic of Azerbaijan and another is Armenia.

However, during those years, Russian political leaders, especially its current president Vladimir Putin, have not been hiding their anger and regret for the dissolution of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). More so, the independence the former Soviet republics gained.

Not letting go of its neo-imperialistic slant and part of its near abroad concept, referring to the newly independent republics which emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia still considers the South Caucasus that is Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, its exclusive influence zone.

Taking advantage of the absence of pro-active European Union and US leadership in the Caucasus, Russia has been getting more aggressive in the region, especially with regard to the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

About the Conflict

This conflict began in the early 1990s, when Armenia, aided by Russia, invaded and ethnically cleansed Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts. Armenia forced almost one million Azerbaijani civilians to flee their ancestral lands, to become internally displaced people (IDPs) in Azerbaijan. Despite the U.N. Security Councils 1993 four resolutions: 822, 853, 874 and 884, all condemning the Armenian occupation and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian troops from Azerbaijans occupied lands, Armenias belligerence continues. Armenia, ignoring the UNSC resolutions, continues to hold under illegal military occupation around 20 percent of Azerbaijans sovereign territory. Sadly, almost three decades later, Azerbaijani forcibly displaced people are still waiting for Armenias greenlight to allow them to return to their homes and lands.

Azerbaijan Moving on Regardless

Since it was Russias military and financial aid to Armenia that helped carry out the invasion against Azerbaijan, one can say, this was the price Azerbaijan paid for gaining independence. Azerbaijan was the first country in the South Caucasus to kick the Russian military forces out of its territory.

During those years, since the Armenian invasion, while struggling with the illegal Armenian occupation of some of its territory and attending to the welfare of the internally displaced Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijanis, the Republic of Azerbaijan has become the South Caucasuss largest economy and the Wests most important ally and partner in the region.

Moreover, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has refused to become a member of any Russia-led military and economic union.

Russia-Armenia Nexus

It is therefore totally clear why, over the last 30 years, Russia has continued to arm Armenia. Russias 5000-troop military base in Armenia is among its largest in the world. Russian military forces guard Armenias borders and airspace and 80% of Armenias economy is owned by Russian companies. Furthermore, Armenia is a member of the Russia-led anti-NATO military block, called Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), also a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Latest Hostility Escalation

On July 12, 2020, Armenian armed forces heavy artillery fired at Azerbaijans armed forces positions on Azerbaijans northwestern border. This was the most violent breach of the ceasefire between the two countries in years. Subsequently, 15 Azerbaijani soldiers and a 76 year-old disabled Azerbaijani civilian were killed.

The Armenian attack on Azerbaijans Tovuz district occurred along the countries border, far from the occupied Karabakh territories.

The Tovuz district is a strategic one. Several strategic oil and gas pipelines are there, most essential to Azerbaijans sovereignty and economy, as well as to Europe and the United States. Transportation routes pass through the Tovuz district. The South Caucasus natural gas pipeline (SCP), a key part of the EUs Southern Energy Corridor, to be fully operational in the coming few months, routes through Tovuz.

The SCP will deliver Azerbaijani gas to European markets via Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), passing through Georgia, Turkey and Southern Europe. Most importantly, this pipeline bypasses both Russia and Iran, delivering non-Russian and non-Iranian natural gas directly to Europes consumer market. The pipeline will help to reduce Europes dependency on Russian gas and improve the continents energy supply source diversification.

Seeking to control energy deliveries to Europe via its own networks, naturally, Russia fiercely opposes the SCP project. Bearing this in mind, it is no coincidence that Armenias latest military attack on Azerbaijans important Tovuz district happened just a few months before the completion of this strategic gas pipeline.

Russian Armaments Flow to Armenia

Russia has been actively positioning its ally, Armenia, against Azerbaijan, arming the former with offensive weapon systems. Since the July clashes, Moscow has been arming Armenia. On July 17, 2020, in the middle of the latest military escalation, Azerbaijans intelligence services reported on the first military equipment and ammunition shipments. Since then Russia delivered to Armenia almost half a million tons of weapons.

Azerbaijans President, Ilham Aliyev, expressed his ire and asked Vladimir Putin to clarify the Russian shipments to Armenia. It is totally unacceptable for Russia, being one of the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked with resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, to heavily arm one of the parties to the conflict. Therefore, Russia ups the ante, not mitigates, in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

Russia has been using the route around the Caspian Sea and via Iran to deliver the weapons to Armenia. Almost every day a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter lands in Armenias capital Yerevan with huge loads of armaments. It is becoming rather obvious that Russia is preparing Armenia for another war against Azerbaijan.

Iran always regarded Azerbaijans secular governance with much suspicion, adding that Azerbaijan is a strategic partnership with the U.S. and Israel. Iran is therefore a willing participant in what has been called a dangerous energy gambit adventure in the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan has an ongoing claim that Armenia sides with Russia in Syria, sending contingents to Syria, and its territory is used by Russias military operating in Syria. This means that Armenia is an active participant in the conflict in Syria, it has personnel in this country and Armenia also deals with the black trade purchase of weapons from Syria.

The latest developments in the South Caucasus are alarming, especially Russias neo-imperialist policies and arms deliveries. Considering Azerbaijans geostrategic and geo-economic importance, and its significant role in connecting Central Asia with the West, the United States and Europe should be alarmed by Russias continuing weapons shipments to Armenia.

Without some kind of diplomatic intervention, unrest may erupt in the South Caucasus region from which only Russia can benefit.
Loan moratorium can be extended by two years, govt, RBI tell SC

The central government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the moratorium on loan repayment, which ended on 31 August, can be further extended by up to two years, clearing the uncertainty among borrowers stuck with bank loans.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a three-judge bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan that the RBI and banks are working out a solution, but a formal decision was yet to be taken.

Mehta also informed the court that a fresh affidavit by the centre and the RBI has been filed on the issue. "We are in the process of identifying the distressed sectors to vary benefits as per the impact of hit they have taken," he said.

"Please let the centre, RBI and Bankers Association put their heads together, Mehta said.

Announced by RBI in March for three months, the loan moratorium allowed debtors to postpone payment of EMIs. It was extended to six months till 31 August 2020.

The moratorium, however, did not give borrowers any relief in interest payment as the government and the RBI maintained that a complete interest waiver was not possible as banks too had to pay interest to depositors.

Mehta said the government and the RBI are mindful of the economic stress in various sectors even as the Covid-19 related lockdown has caused a 23 per cent contraction of the economy.

Hearing petitions demanding waiver of interest, including interest on interest on the suspended EMIs during the moratorium the top court had earlier commented that there was no point in charging interest on interest.

The government and the RBI maintained that a complete interest waiver was not possible as banks too had to pay interest to depositors.

Responding to a PIL filed by Gajendra Sharma, RBI had told the court that forced waiver of interest on term loans would jeopardise the financial health and stability of banks and would also harm debtors' interests.

The bench, however, had said many customers didn't avail of moratorium as they knew they weren't getting any benefits.

Hearing the case on 17 June, the court had said everything can't be left to banks, and had asked the government to consider interfering on the issue of interest waiver for the loan moratorium announced in view of Covid-19 lockdown.

"Our limited concern is to ease the burden on borrowers during these trying times," it had said, adding everything can't be left to banks.

"Central government can't raise its hands in helplessness... After announcing moratorium, it can't now say it's between banks and customers. If you announced moratorium, you must ensure the benefits are given to customers purposefully," the bench had said.

The bench posted the case for further hearing on Wednesday.

"Mr Mehta, this Bench is not scheduled to sit tomorrow. We will sit tomorrow only to hear this case," the court said.
(Photo : Downloaded from Getty Images)

Solar energy is a growing industry as an alternate source of energy to help reduce the use of fossil fuels as climate change continues to worsen. In a recent discovery, a new type of molecule capable of storing solar energy has been identified.

Historians believe that solar energy dates back to the 7th century when people used magnifying glass materials to light fires. Eventually, this form of using the sun for energy was made into 'burning mirrors.'

Later on, sunrooms were developed, where windows were used to direct sunlight into designated areas such as Roman bathhouses. The Anasazi also adapted sunrooms, or early ancestors of Pueblo Native Americans, to harness sunlight for warmth during the winter.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, sunlight was harnessed to power ovens for voyages as well as steamboats. Soon, solar cells were associated with Edmond Becquerel, who intended to use the sun's energy to generate electricity.

Today, photovoltaic solar energy converts sunlight into electricity to power anything from calculators to houses and buildings. Excess energy is typically stored in solar batteries for later use.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xKxrkht7CpY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Storing Solar Energy in a Molecule

A team of researchers from Linkoping University published their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society: Nanowerk. The study describes how a molecule can absorb sunlight, then stores the energy within chemical bonds.

Bo Durbeej from Linkoping University described that the molecule has two different forms. The parent form absorbs energy from sunlight while the alternative form, where the parent molecule is in an alternative structure, has 'become much more energy-rich while remaining stable. This makes it possible to store the energy in sunlight in the molecule efficiently.'

The team explains that the Earth receives more solar energy than what is currently in use by companies around the world. Although energy from the sun can be absorbed using all kinds of devices and instruments, developers have struggled with storing excess energy efficiently.

The newly discovered molecule is part of the 'molecular photoswitches' group, shared the team. Molecules within this group typically have two different forms which have unique properties. All chemical structures of molecular photoswitches are associated with light energy, meaning that their structure and properties can be altered by illuminating it.

To store large amounts of solar energy in the new molecule, the team experimented with various mechanisms, discovering that the parent form is the most stable. Durbeej explained that most chemical reactions occur when the molecule has high energy and passes to another molecule with low energy, which processes differently. As a result, the molecule that initially had low energy will eventually convert into a high energy molecule.

Read Also: Development of Solar Energy Gets a Boost With Molecules That Produce Hydrogen for Alternative Energy

Molecular Forms

Photoswitches can be applied in molecular electronics and photopharmacology. One form of a molecule may be pharmacologically active then bind to a protein while another form of the molecule is not active.

Most of the team's calculations and simulations of chemical reactions were done using supercomputers at the National Supercomputer Center. Researchers from the Research Centre from Natural Sciences in Hungary helped the Swedish team by building the new molecule to confirm the theoretical predictions of Durbeej's team.

The new molecule is believed to be a long-term solution to store solar energy efficiently. Durbeej and the team are conducting further studies to discover how stored solar energy can be released from the molecule in the best way.

Read Also: Breakthrough Concept for Storing Energy without Batteries



Check out more news and information on Solar Energy on Science Times.
Leader: UAE betraying Islam, Arabs, region

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 1, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has betrayed the Islamic world, Arab states, the regional countries, and Palestine, with letting the Zionist regime into the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a video conference with the Ministry of Education officials due to COVID19 conditions Tuesday morning.

He said that the act of the treason by Abu Dhabi will not last long, but the disgrace will stay with them.

"The UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the region's countries, and Palestine. Of course, this betrayal won't last long."

They let the Zionists into the region and consigned the issue of Palestine, which is the issue of usurping a country by normalizing their relations, the Leader said: "The UAE rulers opened the door to the region to the Zionists, and they have ignored and normalized the question of Palestine, which is a question about the usurpation of a country. This stigma will remain on them."

He went on to say that despite the fact that the Palestinians are under severe pressure from different directions, the UAE is cooperating with the Israelis and the Americans, including that Jewish person who is present in the Trump family, against the interests of the Islamic world and deal with absolute cruelty with the Islamic world.

"The nation of Palestine is under various, severe pressures. Then, the UAE cooperates with the Israelis and the filthy US agents - such as the Zionist in Trump's family - against the interests of the world of Islam and commits the greatest atrocity against it," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He hoped that the Emiratis will wake up soon and repent from what they have done.

Referring to the 2030 educational document, he said that the document is for spreading the Western lifestyle, which has already been done in some regional countries.

The Leader added that the social philosophy of the west has failed, which is clearly seen in the corruption of the Hollywood and the Pentagon.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enemy wants to do through 2030 document what they cannot do through military action; they want to raise humans like themselves to try for their goals so they can plunder wealth of the other nations.

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VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunniva Inc. ("Sunniva", the "Company", "we", or "our") (CSE: SNN, OTC Pink Sheets: SNNVF) reports that on September 1, 2020, a Unified Trustee's Sale was held in Corona, California whereby Bobs LLC, successfully foreclosed on the Cathedral City Glasshouse in Cathedral City, California which was owned by the Ramon Road Production Campus, LLC ("RRPC"). Bobs LLC now becomes the sole owner of the Cathedral City Glasshouse and land and in turn, the landlord at the Ramon Road property.

Notwithstanding the foreclosure, CP Logistics LLC ("CPL"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunniva, remains the tenant in the Cathedral City Glasshouse under the existing Build to Suit Lease subject to the terms of the Lease and a Subordination, Nondisturbance and Attornment Agreement previously entered into between RRPC, Bobs LLC and CPL. The CPL lease rights are subject to arbitration currently underway through JAMS in California. JAMS is the world's largest private alternative dispute resolution provider.

For more information about the Company please visit: www.sunniva.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information or Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or statements. All statements or information that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, statements regarding Sunniva's operations and uncertainty regarding the future outcome of the arbitration process, are "forward-looking information or statements". Forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planned", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking information and statements contained herein, Sunniva has made numerous assumptions including, among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in Sunniva's continuous disclosure documents available on www.sedar.com and risks and uncertainties arising from the adverse impact of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic on the business, operations, personnel and results of Sunniva. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information or statements. Although Sunniva has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information or statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking information or statements. Sunniva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

Company Contacts:





Sunniva Inc. Sunniva Investor Relations: Dr. Anthony Holler Rob Knowles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer VP Corporate Development Phone: (866) 786-6482 Phone: (587) 316-4319

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Sunniva Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sunniva.com


Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 00:18:56|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that the one-China principle serves as the political foundation of China-Czech relations.

Wang made the remarks during a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, when answering a question over China's strong reaction to Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil's visit to Taiwan.

Wang said that Vystrcil's Taiwan trip is an act that seriously interferes with China's internal affairs, and China has no choice but to make necessary response.

It is widely acknowledged by the international community that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, he said.

Wang said that adhering to the one-China principle is the political foundation for China to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, including the Czech Republic, and it is also a political commitment made by the Czech Republic to China.

The Czech government and those in public power should abide by that commitment, he added.

In defiance of the opposition from China and the Czech government, the Czech Senate president insisted on visiting China's Taiwan region, openly supported the "Taiwan independence" separatist force, and even instigated other countries to follow suit, which is an open provocation, Wang said.

"China must tell the Czech Senate president: You've crossed the line!" Wang added.

Maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the responsibility of every Chinese, particularly the responsibility of China's diplomatic corps, the Chinese state councilor said.

China is the victim rather than the trouble-maker, Wang said, noting that with regard to safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, China must lay out its clear stand. Enditem
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that she fell for a 'set up' by the salon where she was caught on camera having her hair done despite a COVID shutdown without wearing a face mask - and added the salon owes her an apology.

Pelosi held a press conference in San Francisco to address her controversial visit after a report from Fox News revealed she had visited the eSalon in her district on Monday for a wash and blow-out.

She was seen on the salon's security footage walking around without a mask, an image that went viral on social media and resulted in her getting mocked by many people, including President Donald Trump.

'I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon I've been to over the years many times, and when they said we're able to accommodate people, one person at a time, and that we can set up that time, I trusted that. As it turns out, it was a setup,' she said.

'It was a set up, and I take responsibility for falling for a setup,' she added.

At times during her press conference, the speaker ran her hands through her hair, which had its normal perfectly coifed look.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she fell for a 'set up' by the salon where she had her hair done and that it owes her an apology

Speaker Pelosi said 'there's more' to the situation and it 'was clearly a set up'

The eSalon in San Francisco where the speaker had her hair washed and blown dry

She then turned to blast the eSalon owners, saying they owe her an apology. And, she threatened, there could be more to the situation than the camera revealed.

''There's more to this that I'm not going to ask to the motivation for a salon to say to me, 'Yes, come in' and then they go for me. It was clearly a set up,' she said.

'I think that this salon owes me an apology, for setting me up,' she added.

And she said she wasn't wearing a face mask because she just had her hair washed, asking the reporters questioning her if they wore a face mask when washing their hair.

'I just had my hair washed. I don't wear a mask when I'm washing my hair. Do you wear a mask when you're washing your hair? I always wear a mask,' she said. 'And that picture is when I just came out of the bowl.'

Her apology did not quite come close to one of the most infamous set-up excuses of all time, when then Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry grumbled of his girlfriend 'Bitch set me up' after he was busted in a hotel in 1990 after smoking from a crack pipe.

San Francisco beauty parlors weren't supposed to open until September 1, the day after the speaker had her treatment.

Speaker Pelosi, wearing a face mask, arrives at a press conference in San Francisco to address footage of her getting a wash and blow dry at a salon while maskless

Speaker Pelosi defended herself for being seen without a face mask, saying she just had her hair washed

POLITICIANS TANGLED IN HAIR SCANDALS Nancy Pelosi's COVID rules breach is hardly the first hair treatment to get a politician into hot water. In 1993 Bill Clinton delayed his Air Force One take off from Los Angeles Airport for nearly an hour for a visit from Cristophe of Beverly Hills - the professional name for Cristophe Schatteman, whose trims cost $200 at the time. Two of the four runways were closed and there were massive delays, with the cut being dubbed 'the most expensive haircut in history.' John Edwards upped the $200 cost when he ran for the presidency in 2007 - flying in rival Beverly Hills barber Joseph Torrenueva to Atlanta for $1,250, with even his average trims costing $300 to $500. More recently Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was accused of hypocrisy by the Washington Times for spending $300 on a haircut and lowlights, but had the last word, saying the outrage showed 'they're just mad we look good.' One hair secret which remains unresolved is Donald Trump's. His remarkable coiffure has been the subject of speculation about how real it is - with Trump claiming it is and his medical report including an anti-hair loss drug - and the origin of its color. That was perhaps best answered in the infamous Fire and Fury book of 2018, in which Michael Wolff revealed that Ivanka made fun of his comb-over, told people he had had a surgical scalp reduction, and that he used stiffening spray to keep it in place. The color was from Just for Men but impatient Trump would not wait the five minutes it took to set, leaving his trademark orange tinge as the result, the book said. Advertisement

Additionally, the California Department of Public Health requires face masks to be worn in public indoor places. Those rules also including when a person is inline waiting to enter, riding public transportation, and working at many offices and other places. People are also supposed to wear masks when they are outdoors in public spaces if they are within 6 feet of others who are not members of their household.

Pelosi's office hinted there was more to the story than originally appeared when the footage from inside the salon was revealed on Fox News.

Her Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill said in a statement Tuesday that 'the speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements.'

He added that the speaker followed the rules as they were presented to her by the stylist.

'This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business,' Hammill told Fox News. 'The speaker complies with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.'

Her staff told CNN that the speaker has a regular stylist who typically goes to Pelosi's house to do her hair. But that person was not available on Monday so referred Pelosi's staff to a stylist at eSalon because it is where Pelosi's regular stylist used to work.

New restrictions in San Francisco allow hair salons to operate outdoors, but certain procedures - such as shampooing, color and chemical treatments - are still not allowed.

Pelosi often wears a face mask when she is in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. She has also blasted President Trump for not wearing one in public more.

President Trump mocked her on Wednesday morning for her maskless hair treatment, joining many others who skewered the speaker on social media.

'The Beauty Parlor owner must really dislike Crazy Nancy Pelosi. Turning her in, on tape, is a really big deal,' Trump tweeted. 'She probably treats him like she treats everyone else...And she strongly supported a Kennedy who just lost in, of all places, Massachusetts!'

His comments come after he hosted 1,500 supporters on the South Lawn of the White House for his address to the Republican National Convention. Many did not wear masks and there was little social distancing.

President Donald Trump mocked Speaker Nancy Pelosi for getting caught mask-less and inside a San Francisco beauty salon, flaunting the city's COVID-19 rules

Fox News broke the story Tuesday that the House speaker had infuriated a salon owner for getting her hair done inside by one of the stylists who's an independent contractor

Erica Kious, the owner of the eSalon, called Pelosi's visit a 'slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feel that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work.'

Kious also explained she rents out chairs to different stylists and one of the stylists took on Pelosi as a client when the speaker's normal stylist was unavailable.

The stylist reached out to Kious Sunday night to ask to use the salon for the speaker.

'I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do? Kious told Fox News, adding that she 'can't control' what her individual stylists do.

'We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just can't - it's a feeling - a feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down,' the salon owner said. 'I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen. I am a single mom, I have two small children and I have no income.'

'The fact that they did this, and she came in, it's like a slap in the face,' Kious added.
New Delhi:

A high court can interfere with disciplinary inquiry or orders passed by the competent authority if the probe itself is vitiated on account of violation of principles of natural justice, the Supreme Court has said.

The apex court said that in a case where the disciplinary authority arrives at a finding that is unsupported by evidence or records a finding which no reasonable person could have arrived at, then the writ court is justified in examining the matter.

"It is true that a writ court is very slow in interfering with the findings of facts recorded by a departmental authority on the basis of evidence available on record.

"But it is equally true that in a case where the disciplinary authority records a finding that is unsupported by evidence whatsoever or a finding which no reasonable person could have arrived at, the writ court would be justified, if not duty bound, to examine the matter and grant relief in appropriate cases," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said.

The bench also comprising Justice A M Khanwilkar said, "Non-application of mind by the inquiry officer or authority, non-recording of reasons in support of the conclusion arrived at by them are also grounds on which the writ courts are justified in interfering with the orders of punishment.

"The writ court will certainly interfere with disciplinary inquiry or the resultant orders passed by the competent authority on that basis if the inquiry itself was vitiated on account of violation of principles of natural justice, as is alleged to be the position in the present case," the bench said.

The apex court made the observation while quashing the order of departmental authority against a former Allahabad Bank employee whose services were terminated in 2005 following an inquiry against him, saying "the inquiry officer, the disciplinary authority and the appellate authority have faltered in discharge of their duties resulting in miscarriage of justice".

It had also noted that the bank employee Krishan Narayan Tewari's claim that he was not given a fair chance to lead evidence in his defence was not rebutted effectively by the bank.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, on Tuesday evening defeated his primary challenger Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District, the AP reports.

Why it matters: It's a victory for the establishment wing of the Democratic Party, which took a hit with the primary defeat of House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (N.Y.) earlier this year. Neal had been targeted for his ties to corporate lobbyists and resistance to progressive policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Morse, 31, is the first openly gay mayor of the small Massachusetts city, and earned endorsements from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the political action committee Justice Democrats, per the Washington Post.

Establishment Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stood behind Neal.

Between the lines: Neal's position chairing the House Ways and Means Committee, a key panel for passing major health care and tax legislation, gives him immense power in Congress.

"People will say what they will say, but I know what he has done, and it would be a tremendous loss to that district to lose the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee," Pelosi said at a press conference last week.

Worth noting: The primary turned ugly last month when the University of Massachusetts Amherst chapter of the College Democrats accused Morse, who was an adjunct professor at the school until 2019, of "taking advantage of his position of power for romantic or sexual gain, specifically toward young students."
Sajin Shrijith By

Express News Service

Whats unseen can be sometimes more haunting than the opposite. In Mahesh Narayanans CU Soon, the first Screenlife (computer screen-based) experiment from Malayalam, some information is withheld from us, which helps accentuate the tension until its last moments. Its an experiment, sure, but its still dramatic storytelling. This is a mystery involving flawed people whose desperation draws them to trouble. Fahadh Faasil plays Kevin, an IT expert with work-related problems and an annoying girlfriend. He is the detective of this story and the coolest character in it. When his cousins girlfriend, Anumol Sebastian (Darshana Rajendran), goes missing he is brought in to investigate, which he does by sitting in his chair for a major portion of the film.

CU Soon is constructed in such a way that I didnt get up from my chair until I was done with it. It would be unwise to get distracted with a film like this, as there is a lot of information up on the screen. I mean, its only 98 minutes. Since this is a film that narrates its events through video chats, emails, Messenger, and WhatsApp interfaces, I expect viewers to be less inclined to check their phone screen every once in a while because the film itself looks like one of their own phone/computer screens.

ALSO READ: INTERVIEW | 'CU Soon' took three weeks to shoot but two months to edit, says Fahad Faasil

I dont think anyone should have difficulty orienting themselves to this convention-breaking format which has been tried, successfully that too, by international filmmakers recently. Those who have not been acquainted with it yet should find it to be a novel experience. Whatever minor concerns I had initially about following a Malayalam film made in this format was soon put to rest after the first 10 minutes. One can tell Mahesh has done his research well. This is on par with anything made abroad.

The film is driven by its characters, and after a point, the form doesnt really matter. Although there is not much space for character development, the film does a decent job of getting us sufficiently acquainted with these people. We want to keep watching because they either have a little bit of us in them or are similar to those we have interacted with before. CU Soon starts with a quick scan of Jimmys (Roshan Mathew) Tinder bio. He immediately finds a match, who happens to be Anumol.

Like any young man who thinks he has struck gold as soon as a woman finds time to respond to him, Jimmy doesnt take long before deciding that she is the one. He just wants to marry Anumol as soon as possible without even doing a thorough background check. That takes place only after he proposes to her. And who does his mother entrust that job to? Kevin. When she disappears one day without warning, problems begin.

And although the minor details of Kevins personal life  the conflict with his bosses, his carefree lifestyle, and his irritated girlfriend  are not so important, they are welcome distractions and offer a brief respite from his cousins issues. They allow some space for humour and a fair amount of f-words. Kevin is basically the audience surrogate. Its through him that we track each bit of information as he hops from one website to another to another. He even manages to intrude an UAE-based police stations website. And in the films most haunting scene, we go through the same emotions as he does, and it feels like a group therapy of sorts.

CU Soon is an immersive experience like no other. This is a neatly written and executed film elevated to a great degree by the right cast and the right music composer. Gopi Sundars atmosphere background score lends a great sense of urgency. Unlike in a conventional film, where frame sizes and camera movements can be occasionally used to dictate the emotions, CU Soon benefits from the anxiety-inducing performances of the actors, especially Darshana Rajendran around whom the whole film revolves. I believe this film will finally bring a talented actor like her the much-needed recognition. This film should get a lot of people, especially filmmakers, talking.

Film: CU Soon

Director: Mahesh Narayanan

Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran, Saiju Kurup

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) welcomed the State Department's announcement today that it would lift the U.S. arms export restriction of non-lethal defense equipment and services to the Republic of Cyprus for a full year.

This decision was taken pursuant to the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019  a joint legislative priority of AJC and HALC last year  which was co-authored by Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio, and Representatives Gus Bilirakis, David Cicilline, and Ted Deutch.

AJC and HALC championed the Eastern Med Act from its inception as a fundamental next step in creating ever stronger bonds among key democratic countries, and advocated for steps to make the Republic of Cyprus a full strategic partner of the United States, Greece, and Israel. The legislation prioritized lifting the outdated arms embargo on Cyprus.

"Secretary Pompeo's action is a milestone in the U.S.-Cyprus bilateral relationship, one that will have a positive effect on the increasingly integrated Eastern Mediterranean," said AJC CEO David Harris, who has been an outspoken advocate for advancing U.S., Cyprus, Greece, and Israel ties for more than three decades. "Given Cyprus' strategic location and key diplomatic ties in the region, the U.S. needed to have a substantive security relationship with Nicosia. Today's move, coupled with the inclusion of Cyprus in the International Military Education and Training Program, reinforces a critical relationship with a sister democracy in a strategically vital region."

"Since 2014, when Vice President Biden declared that Cyprus is a 'strategic partner' of the United States, we have been looking forward to this development," added HALC Executive Director Endy Zemenides. "Thanks to the East Med Act, the State Department was given the impetus to take a significant leap forward in the U.S. relationship with Cyprus. It also signals that Ankara is no longer being given a veto over the bilateral relationship between Washington and Nicosia."

For the past seven years, AJC and HALC have advocated for a more comprehensive U.S. strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean. The two groups collaborated on the creation of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance caucus in Washington, as well as on multiple policy initiatives in the region.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


Brunswick has hired Qing Xi as a partner in Shanghai and has also elevated Pru Bennett to the same role in Sydney.

Qing had spent more than a decade with Pfizer and has a strong focus on healthcare and life sciences. Qing was VP of government affairs, communications, market access and overseeing the corporate affairs activities for Pfizer's brands in China.

In his previous role, Qing also worked at Intel supporting communications across China.

Bennett specialises in corporate governance and had arrived at Brunswick a year ago as senior advisor. Before this, Bennett spent almost a decade as MD and head of investment stewardship for Blackrock in Asia-Pacific.
TRENTON  This is chess, not checkers.

The city risks getting checkmated if it doesnt approve $83 million in bonds to fund improvements to Trenton Water Works on the second go-around, an attorney warned the legislative body Tuesday.

In June, DEP sued the capital city for failing to meet deadlines for lead service line replacement and other projects outlined in two consent orders. Since then, three municipalities have joined the lawsuit with stiffer demands.

The Mayor Reed Gusciora administration is bringing back the failed bonds, but they seem destined to fail again, as council president Kathy McBride launched into a lengthy tirade against the Department of Environmental Protection during Tuesdays meeting.

McBride said the state agency was flexing their muscles in litigation to get the city to cave to demands in two consent orders.

Edward DeHope of the high-powered law firm Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland Perretti LLP, which represents the city against DEPs high-stakes lawsuit, advised the council to push the bonds forward ahead of an upcoming Sept. 17 hearing before Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy.

The townships of Ewing, Lawrence and Hamilton were allowed to join DEPs suit against the capital city, hoping to wrest control of the public utility from Trenton.

The municipalities alleged that city officials have shirked their responsibilities to suburbanites for years.

We would like to go in there saying Trenton is willing, ready and able to meet the consent-order benchmarks, DeHope said, and negotiate with DEP over some of its unrealistic and unreachable deadlines.

He said the judge would not be sympathetic to [the citys position] if the city does not fund the projects.

You could have a big problem. I think you would be well-versed to support this funding. Dont risk the water system over [this], DeHope said.

Council members seem unwilling to budge on the funding, concerned with saddling taxpayers with more debt.

Theyve insisted on a forensic audit, which the administration previously balked over saying it came with a hefty price tag.

The administration appears to have softened its stance, and city law director John Morelli said he was working on a proposal for the audit that would likely appear on the next meetings docket.

McBride took DEP to task at Tuesdays meeting, partly blaming the state agency for TWWs continuing woes.

She claimed DEP has sabotaged the public utility, claiming it tried to force city officials to keep outside contractor Wade Trim.

This is a sham, and to me, it reeks of corruption, McBride said. DEP, come on and bring it. The bottom line is you want that water department. Period. You should have taken it under Eric Jackson.

DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe said her agency exercised patience with the city but was left with no choice but to sue once the council rejected millions in bonds for improvements and enhancements to the struggling public utility earlier this year, only approving $25 million of the bond package, for lead service line replacement.

Its sad when you see the actual motives, but because they are the powerbrokers, and they have all the tools and resources at their hands, were just peons, McBride said. Now theyre coming at us because we wouldnt play their game.

The suburbs have asked the judge to go beyond DEPs demands and award them an ownership stake or force the city to privatize the public utility.

Short of that, the municipalities demand increased oversight of TWW from state regulators like the Board of Public Utilities.

For more than a decade, the townships say, Trenton has shirked responsibilities to address water-quality issues and diverted millions in surplus funds that should have gone toward maintaining and repairing crumbling infrastructure.

The municipalities estimate TWWs surplus at $14 million, based off a certification from DAG Robert Kinney. The utility had a $14.1 million operating surplus in 2019 and anticipated having a $9 million surplus in the 2020 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to budget documents.

McBride felt like DEP has ignored the councils role in improving TWW, including filling dozens of positions left vacant under the previous administration.

McCabe has credited the Gusciora administration for making progress addressing the water-quality issues and saddled much of the blame on council for not approving crucial funding.

The funding issues have been only part of the issues for TWW, which is on to its fourth water director, Mark Lavenberg. Shing Fu-Hsueh, one of the states top water quality experts, resigned in part over frustrations with how he was treated by members of the legislative body.

His successors have been unable to convince council members to support the funding.

At-large councilman Jerell Blakeley urged colleagues to reconsider their positions on the bonds.

This is not a joke. This is not a game. This could lead to us losing the Water Works, he said. Its going to take the court showing you rather than telling you the error of your ways. I hope you all reconsider your rejection of these bond ordinances.

The bonds are being re-introduced Thursday, and require a supermajority to adopt.

If he hadnt impressed the urgency of the situation upon council members, DeHope ended by saying his goal was only to give [the council] the best advice I can.
South Africa: 2021 school registration goes online in the Northern Cape

The Northern Cape has launched its first user-friendly online schools registration system for 2021 admissions.

Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, has described this move as a major milestone to modernise the province.

As this new administration, we articulated a vision of building a modern, growing and successful province. Modern, is a province that keeps pace with technology and its at the cutting edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), he said on Wednesday.

I also made the undertaking that there will be two immediate and important focus areas for this administration, mainly in the areas of health and education, as these two departments take up the bulk of the provincial budget.

He said changes needed to occur in these departments as they strive to turn the situation around for the benefit of the people, especially the youth.

The launch today of this online admission system is not only at the centre of creating an admission system that will be without glitches, but it also sets the tone and adds to our vision of creating a government that keeps pace with technology.

He hopes the initiative will also restore dignity in communities and save parents from spending nights queuing to get their children registered at a school.

We are pleased to announce that the online admission system eliminates possible delays of over 1 000 applications per year. This implies not only a dignified service but also an efficient system and for that, we reassure our society that we are a government that cares about your dignity.

The province said the system would open from 14 to 30 September 2020, while 199 fully equipped walk-in centres across all five districts will be available to assist parents without access to the internet and related services.

He has appealed to parents to note that the success of their application will be determined by selection criteria that they adopted.

According to the Premier, the department will look at whether the learner has a sibling or a parent or guardian working at the school.

They will also take into account if the place of residence of the applicant learner is in the same suburb or adjacent to the school.

If spaces remain after all the above-mentioned applicants have been admitted; other applicants in the order of the position will be considered, he explained.

Saul said it was important for parents to make an effort to understand the admission criteria before the system officially opens on 14 September to avoid unnecessary appeals and delays on the system at the beginning of the year.

I must highlight that the delays and the appeals have a tendency to be disruptive on the ability of the schools to effective learning and teaching on the first day of schooling.

The Premier said they were planning to have a 100% enrolment in the province in three years.

Soon we will launch our enrolment brigades, people that will go door-to-door to ensure that all children of school-going age are at school, Saul said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cynthia King is helping to break new ground for women entrepreneurs in America. In June 2020, The Body Shop UK launched a new commerce model, making it possible for United States citizens to become independent consultants for the brand. This means owning and operating a business with the potential to become extraordinarily successful. Ms. King took advantage of this opportunity and encourages others to follow in her footsteps.

Excellent Products Start Now

Ms. King also wants American citizens to get to know the beauty products available through her web-based shop. She urges everyone interested in quality skincare to browse the items available on her website. Some of the stand-out products available for purchase include the following:

Professional quality makeup brushes and accessories

Tantalizing fragrances for both the body and home

Tea tree and seaweed skin cleansers and moisturizers

Luxurious hair care products rich with vitamin C and other healthy ingredients

Ms. King hopes you will visit her online store and share in the excitement she feels about the products offered in her shop. She also hopes you will consider joining her on her journey to success by becoming an independent consultant for the Body Shop at Home USA. The opportunities to achieve financial independence by selling quality, affordable beauty products are nearly endless.

About Cynthia King:

Like many other American women, Cynthia King wanted a way to earn a good living in her own time and her own way. She discovered that the Body Shop at Home USA was just the solution she needed. Now, she can feel confident in the quality of her products as well as the transparency of working with a well-established and respected company.

Media Contact:

Cynthia King

(310) 462-7458

[email protected]

https://www.thebodyshopathome-usa.com/cynthiaking

SOURCE Cynthia King
TORONTO, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INV Metals (INV Metals or the Company) (TSX:INV) provides an update on the Loma Larga gold-silver-copper project (Loma Larga), located in Ecuador.



On September 1, 2020, the Council of the City of Cuenca approved a referendum application for submission and consideration to the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court (the Constitutional Court) related to mining activities in Cuenca water sources at the request of a special interest group called the Cabildo Popular Por El Agua De Cuenca. The Company continues to be of the opinion that the request, and any other potential referendum requests, are politically motivated. We have been advised by legal counsel that the request is unconstitutional and, like the four previously denied requests as detailed below, does not meet all the criteria and standards for approval by the Constitutional Court. We expect that this new request will also be rejected by the Constitutional Court. The Loma Larga deposit is located in the Canton of Cuenca.

Historical Referendum Applications

The Constitutional Court has denied four such requests since June 2019 to hold referendums related to mining activities within the Province of Azuay and other provinces. The Constitutional Court denied the requests stating the standards and criteria previously established by the Constitutional Court to hold a referendum regarding mining activities were not met in each request.

Previously, the Constitutional Court reviewed the issue of holding referendums related to the cancellation of valid and legally granted mineral rights which would by extension impact the historical and future investment of concession holders in mining, development and exploration projects. The Constitutional Court ruled substantively that local referendums that would have retroactive effects on legally granted mining rights violate the rights of mining concessionaires. The conclusion reached by the Constitutional Court was based on the principle of legal certainty which is granted by the Constitution to Ecuador.

We have been advised by our legal counsel that previous rulings set a precedent that any future referendum requests related to mining activities should not impact our legally granted mining concessions within Ecuador, and the related potential future exploration, development and mining activities on such concessions. If future referendum requests which meet the criteria previously set by the Constitutional Court are allowed to proceed, the potential impact should be related to future mineral rights not yet granted based on legally valid laws, rules and regulations.

About INVTM Metals

INVTM Metals is an international mineral resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and base metal projects in Ecuador. Currently, INVTM Metals primary assets are: (1) its 100% interest in the Loma Larga gold exploration and development property in Ecuador, and (2) its 100% interests in exploration concessions in Ecuador, including the Tierras Coloradas, La Rebuscada and Carolina exploration projects.

For more information please contact:

Sunny Lowe

Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (416) 703-8416

E-mail: slowe@invmetals.com

Doug Flegg

Capital Markets Advisor

Phone: (416) 703-8416

E-mail: dflegg@invmetals.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this new release includes, but is not limited to, the potential for future applications or referendums, and statements with respect to the Companys intentions with respect to any future referendum requests. These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. In certain cases, forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as anticipates, believes, could, estimates, expects, may, shall, will, or would. Forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on certain factors and assumptions made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to grade or recovery rates, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, regulatory, capitalization and liquidity risks. Please refer to the Companys Annual Information Form dated April 14, 2020 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for other risks that could materially affect the Company. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Companys forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.




Providing career exploration opportunities for future generation

TopLine Marketing Team and BrookLynk Intern

TopLine Marketing Team and BrookLynk Intern

TopLine Marketing Team and BrookLynk Intern

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TopLine Federal Credit Union , a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial cooperative, hosted our 5th summer youth intern through BrookLynk , a youth employment program responding to community needs, a youth work-readiness training program. BrookLynk bridges the gaps between the needs of our local employers and the opportunities that our young people need to develop their pathway to college and career.



BrookLynk connects youth ages 14-21 that live or attend school in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, who face barriers to employment, with local business partners for a 6-8 week internship. All youth receive work readiness training and the program offers youth ages 16 and older the opportunity to learn essential job skills, gain valuable work experience, develop a professional social network to help develop pathways to college and career and prepare for tomorrows skilled workforce.

TopLines BrookLynk intern graduated this past year from Champlin Park Senior High School and will be attending Augsburg College in the fall. During the 8-week internship, she assisted in multiple departments, including Marketing and Communications, Loan Servicing, Mortgage Services and Business Services. The intern also worked on a capstone project, which focused on how to better prepare young adults for their financial futures by learning about the basics of personal finance and how to best select a financial institution partner. A virtual achievement celebration at the programs end was held to recognize the interns and supervisors.

Each week of the TopLine internship focused on honing professional skills including professional attitude, time management, team work ethics, problem solving, verbal communication, with Friday check-ins to share experiences with their peers. The intern also attended the annual Young Adult Summit, which brought together young leaders from across the metro to discuss change. TopLine also included the opportunity for the intern to participate in a community volunteer give-back event  to provide a glimpse of the importance of volunteering and supporting our communities.

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We are so fortunate to participate for the 5th year in a row in the BrookLynk summer intern program to support personal and professional growth for our next generation of leaders, said Vicki Roscoe Erickson, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, TopLine Federal Credit Union. 2020 has been a unique year, a lot has changed for all of us personally and professionally, though TopLines commitment to support our communities and provide young adults with the opportunity to learn and grow remains unchanged. We are honored to help inspire and prepare young adults on their next journey of post-secondary education and career exploration, along with providing basic financial knowledge . We were sad to say goodbye to our intern, however happy to note that we hired her to be a Mortgage Assistant.

BrookLynk launched the program in 2015, and has successfully increased participation in the program each year. Since inception, over 900 young people have been trained with essential job skills and over 300 completed summer internships.

BrookLynk has become a household name for youth in Brooklyn Park & Brooklyn Center. Known for equipping youth with work readiness skills and on the job experiences, BrookLynk sets youth up for success to land their next job and launch them into their college and career pathway, said Catrice ONeal, BrookLynk Program Manager.

BrookLynk gives participants a platform to network with professionals and gain valuable work experiences, as seen with TopLine and Sumei, said Paul Vang, BrookLynk Program Coordinator.

BrookLynk and its business partners are committed to building pathways to college and careers. Their mission is to coordinate partnerships that prepare employers to engage the next generation of workers and to connect young people in the Brooklyns facing barriers to employment with the skills, experience, and professional social networks needed to develop their pathway to college and career. For more information, visit https://www.brooklynk.works or https://www.facebook.com/BrookLynkWorks .

TopLine Federal Credit Union , a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 13th largest, with assets of more than $525 million and serves nearly 46,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five branch locations  in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park  as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com . Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members. To learn more about TopLines Youth Financial Literacy sessions, visit https://www.toplinecu.com/financial-education/youth-financial-literacy .

Visit us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion .

CONTACT:

Vicki Roscoe Erickson

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications

TopLine Federal Credit Union

verickson@toplinecu.com

763.391.0872

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbc48641-4106-4c2c-92ec-4184c842f8b9




Muslims make up only 14.2 percent of India's population but 16.6 percent convicts, 18.7 percent undertrials and 35.8 percent detenues followed Islam as of 31 December 2019, shows NCRB data

The state of Indian prisons has only marginally improved over the last five years, and if demographic break up of inmates is any indicator, Muslims, Dalits and the tribal population is disproportionately subjected to the criminal justice system when compared to upper class Hindu population.

Latest prison statistics released by the National Crime Information Bureau shows that the number of Muslims, Dalits, and tribal population incarcerated in jail is disproportionately higher than their numbers outside.

Muslims make up only 14.2 percent of India's population but 16.6 percent convicts, 18.7 percent undertrials and 35.8 percent detenues in Indian prisons are Muslims as of 31 December, 2019.

The statistics for Dalits is equally skewed: Over 21.7 percent of convicted inmates, 21 percent undertrials and 18.15 percent detenues in Indian prisons were Dalits. Their share in population is, however, around 16.6 percent.

In the end of 2019, tribals made up 13.6 percent of convicts in Indian jails, while 10.5 percent of undertrials and 5.68 percent of detenues were from the Scheduled Tribes. Their share in the Indian population is 8.6 percent as per the 2011 census.

State-wise, the maximum number of Dalit undertrials were in Uttar Pradesh (17,995), followed by Bihar (6,843) and Punjab (6,831). Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of tribal undertrials incarcerated (5,894) followed by Chhattisgarh (3,471) and Jharkhand (3336).

Uttar Pradesh stood out for the number of Muslim undertrial inmates too, with a whopping 21,139 people in jails. West Bengal was a distant second with 6,032 Muslim undertrial prisoners, and Bihar stood third with 4,758 undertrial Muslims in jail.

Five years ago, in 2014, the percentage of Muslim convicts, undertrials and detenues was 15.8 percent, 21.1 percent and 20.3 percent respectively, showing a slight decline in percentage undertrials but a massive jump in the number of detenues. The percentage of convicts has only marginally declined in five years.

The situations, however, has hardly changed for Dalits and the tribal population over the last five years. Dalits comprised 21.3 percent of convicts and 20.2 percent undertrials. However, there was a marked decline in number of Dalit detenues as in 2014, prison statistics reported 38.1 percent of detenues were from the scheduled castes.

For tribals, the percentage share has gone up among convicts (11.9 percent in 2014, 13.6 percent last year), while falling marginally among undertrials (11.2 percent in 2014 to 10.5 percent in 2019). The percentage of people detained from the Scheduled Tribe went slightly up in five years (5.1 percent in 2015 to 5.68 percent last years).

The data also shows that Indian jails are largely overcrowded and understaffed. The sanctioned strength of jail-staff was 87,599 while the actual strength was 60,787 as on 31st December, 2019.

Among the jail-staffs, the sanctioned strength of Officers (DG/Addl. DG/IG, DIG, AIG, Supdt. etc.), Jail-cadre Staff (Head Warder, Head Matron, Warder, etc.) and Correctional Staff (Probation Officer / Welfare Officer, Phychologist / Psychiatrist, etc.) were 7,239, 72,273 and 1,307 respectively while the actual strengths were 4,840, 51,126 and 761 respectively. The sanctioned strength of Medical Staff was 3,320 while the actual strength was 1,962.

Sanctioned Strength Current Strength Vacant posts Total 87,599 60,787 30.60% Officers 7,239 4,840 33.13% Jail-cadre staff 72,273 51,126 29.25% Correctional staff 1307 761 41.77%

Almost all prisons across states were filled beyond their capacity. According to the NCRB report, Indian prisons had the capacity to hold 4,03,739 prisoners while the population in jail was estimated to be 4,78,600 as on 31 December 2019, which means that the occupancy rate is as high as 118 percent. In 2018, the occupancy rate was 117.6 percent while in 2017 it was 115.1 percent.

Uttar Pradesh has reported the most number of convicts (19.2 percent, 27,612) in the country followed by Madhya Pradesh (14.1 percent, 20,253) and Maharashtra (6.3 percent, 9,096) at the end of 2019.

These statistics stood even as the NCRB report said that the actual capacity of prisons has increased to 4.03 lakh in 2019 from 3.91 lakh in 2017 and 3.96 lakh in 2018 (as on December 31 of these respective years).
The PM CARES Fund, set up in March to deal with emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, received Rs 3,076.62 crore in just five days of its formation, as per an account statement made public by the fund on Wednesday.





The 'receipt and payment account' showed nearly Rs 3,075.85 crore as 'voluntary contributions', while Rs 39.67 lakh came as foreign contributions.

It put the fund's closing balance as on March 31, 2020 at Rs 3,076.62 crore, after including interest income and deducting service tax on forex conversion.

The fund started with an initial corpus of Rs 2.25 lakh, as per the account statement posted on the fund's official website.

It also referred to "accompanying notes to the financial statements", but those were not made public on the website.

According to details posted on the website of the 'Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)', the fund consists "entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organisations and does not get any budgetary support".

"During 2019-20 (from March 27-31, 2020), an amount of Rs 3076.62 crore has been collected under PM CARES Fund," it said.

It further said this fund has been set up as a public charitable trust "keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected".

The fund generated a lot of interest immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced its formation of the fund in the last week of March after the COVID-19 outbreak and appealed for donations, prompting several private firms, government bodies and individuals, including celebrities, to donate money.

The fund's objectives include undertaking and supporting relief or assistance of any kind relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or natural, including the creation or upgradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support, according to its website.

The government has used a part of the money to buy medical equipment, including ventilators, to boost the battle against the COVID-19 and has also provided relief to migrants.

Opposition parties have, however, criticised the fund, claiming that its contributions and expenses are not transparent, a charge denied by the government.

Reacting to the account statement of the fund, Congress leader P Chidambaram said the auditors of the fund have confirmed that the fund received Rs 3,076 crore in just five days, but the "names of these generous donors will not be revealed".

"Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES Fund exempt from this obligation," he tweeted.

"The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?," Chidambaram said.

Last month, the Supreme Court had refused to direct the transfer of contributions made to the PM CARES Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund.



The top court had also ruled that at this need of the hour no exception can be taken to the constitution of a public charitable trust PM CARES Fund to have necessary financial resources to meet the emergent situation, adding this fund and the NDRF were entirely different funds with separate object and purpose.

While the prime minister is the ex-officio chairman of the PM CARES Fund, the minister of defence, minister of home affairs and minister of finance are its ex-officio trustees.

The chairperson (Prime Minister) has the power to nominate three trustees to the board of trustees, who can be eminent persons in the field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration and philanthropy.

Also, any person appointed a trustee will act in a pro bono capacity.
I requested an absentee ballot for the special election in July in Arlington. The ballot arrived in an envelope with a bar code unique to me. After I completed the ballot and put it in an envelope, which I signed, I put that envelope in the mailing envelope provided, which had the same bar code printed on it. Thus, the registrars office had a record of having sent me a ballot and, when it received my returned ballot, I was recorded as having voted. So if I had tried to request another absentee ballot, or someone else had tried to request a ballot pretending to be me, that request would have been rejected. The senator seems to further think that our registrars would simply accept randomly dropped bundles of ballots or even single ballots that are in unmarked envelopes or are otherwise clearly not valid. With the tracking, paper stock used and other measures in place, the chances of fraudulent ballots are minuscule. Rather, he is supporting a form of voter suppression, thinly, very thinly, disguised as supporting and ensuring election integrity.
Cathy Dice and Warren Barhorst We are excited to have Cruse and Dice join the Iscential family. We believe their approach will align nicely with Iscentials promise of providing trusted advice and peace of mind to our clients.

Iscential Inc. is pleased to announce Cruse & Dice Insurance Agency of Northwest Houston, Texas has joined Iscential Inc. The Cruse & Dice team will remain under the operational leadership of Cathy Dice.

Cathy Dice, Owner and Agent, of Cruse & Dice Insurance Agency, said "We are thrilled to be partnering with Iscential! Cruse & Dice clients will reap the benefits of our new partnership as we will offer additional top insurance carriers, extended hours for customer service, and continue the knowledgeable and personalized service that our clients are accustomed to."

The number one thing we look for when considering prospective agencies to add to our team is that they align with our values, said Chief Executive Officer Warren Barhorst. They must align with our corporate vision and goals. I am happy to say Cruse & Dice does.

After founding the agency from scratch in 1993, Warren Barhorst has evolved Iscential Inc. into the industry-leading financial service, risk management, insurance, and consulting firm it is today. He started the company with the goal to make it someplace he would want to work. This meant building a company that truly cared for its clients and associates.

We are excited to have Cruse and Dice join the Iscential family. Since 1964, Cathy Dice and her father Tommy Cruse have built a business focused on helping their valued clients with their insurance needs. We believe their approach will align nicely with Iscentials promise of providing trusted advice and peace of mind to our clients, said Chief Sales Officer Devin Wisener.

Through the partnership, Iscential Inc. will also be adding Central Insurance Companies to its carrier product offering. Central Insurance Companies is a wonderful carrier that our agents are very excited to begin placing clients with, said Chief Executive Officer Warren Barhorst.

Throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, Iscential Inc. has remained steadfast in its commitment to provide trusted advice that leads to peace of mind. Iscential Inc. has remained open and fully operational throughout the pandemic. This was made possible by adopting technologies and strategies allowing their staff to work from home, providing their customers with virtual consultations and private appointments, and facilitating virtual weekly communication meetings to maintain their company culture. This operational commitment made the new partnership with Cruse & Dice possible during the pandemic.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, I feel as an organization our communication has never been better, said Chief Implementation Officer Brad Sorensen. We have weekly meetings led by our CEO with all 150+ associates we never had before. We have worked hard to not lose those lines of communication, and we succeeded more than we could have imagined.

While Iscential Inc. manages the successful merging in of Cruse & Dice, the company will still focus on serving its client base and being a great place for its associates to work. With this partnership, leadership believes the organization is one step closer to achieving its corporate vision. A vision of a world where all of their clients claims are covered, and they have the financial wherewithal to retire financially independent, leading the life of their dreams.

About Cruse & Dice Insurance Agency

Cruse & Dice Insurance Agency has operated in Northwest Houston since 1964. Founded by Tommy Cruse, the agency expanded when his daughter Cathy Dice joined the business in 1992. Cruse & Dice pride themselves on being an independent agency, allowing them to review multiple policies and pricing and help clients understand and meet their needs through personal consultation.

About Iscential Inc.

Iscential was founded in 1993, and in 27 years the agency has grown to more than 125+ employees and 30+ market locations across the US. Iscential is licensed and hires in over 40 states and represents over 140 insurance companies. The agency provides a full range of risk management, insurance, and financial & consulting services for individuals, families, and businesses.


Ecorse is one of 12 new Neighborhood Testing Sites to launch by the end of the week, and more than 20 will be up and running across the state in coming weeks.

These new locations are being introduced as a means of expanding testing opportunities and to make it easier for Michiganders to access testing in their own backyards. Its a joint venture between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local community organizations.

Testing will be free and hosted by community partners including churches, community colleges and nonprofit organizations. Locations were chosen in part to help address racial and ethnic disparities that had existed prior to the pandemic and were exacerbated by the virus  a focus of the Racial Disparities Task Force.

Expanding access to testing will help us protect ourselves, our families, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a written statement. Thats why we are working to remove as many barriers as possible to ensure COVID-19 testing is accessible for all Michiganders. After looking closely at the data and working with community partners, we believe these sites will provide the greatest access to testing for Michiganders across the state. We appreciate the willingness of these community partners to open their doors for this very important effort.

Three sites have started testing in Detroit with additional sites coming online this week in Albion, Ecorse, Flint, Grayling and Roseville. Additional sites are slated in Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon, Niles, Saginaw and Wayne in coming weeks.

The Downriver Neighborhood Testing Site is at International Gospel Center, 375 Salliotte Road, Ecorse. Testing hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The testing site opens on Sept. 3.

The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan is providing $55,000 to help support the 11 southeast Michigan sites.

These Neighborhood Testing Sites will provide more than a place to get a COVID test, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. We know there are gaps in services in many communities in our state and these locations were chosen in an effort to address as many of these issues as possible.

Testing sites will offer saliva tests, which are less invasive than nasal swabs and may make the testing process more tolerable for some people. Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made either by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 and selecting 1 or online. Walk-ins will be taken as space allows, but pre-registration is strongly advised.

Online registration is available at Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest through Solv.

Both patients who book online in advance or walk-in to a testing site can use a mobile device to fill out their information including name, date of birth and phone number.

Michigan residents arriving at the testing site can check in online to secure their place in line, making it easy for them to safely wait in their car or at a safe social distance from the testing site until their appointment.

Helping Michigan residents easily access COVID testing sites is critical to safely reopening and were proud that our technology will help the state reach their testing goals more quickly, said Heather Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of Solv. Neighborhood Testing Sites are just the start. We look forward to working with the state to open up online registration for more testing sites over the coming months in Michigan.

Test results can be obtained via phone, email or by logging into the results portal.

Additional sites will be announced as they are confirmed.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
A visually-impaired woman was left distraught when two taxi drivers refused to allow her guide dog in their cars.

Allie Reilly (30) was trying to get home with Evie when she approached the rank outside the Navan Shopping Centre in Co Meath.

Two drivers refused to take her because of the dog.

Heartbroken

Allie is blind in her left eye and has only 20pc to 40pc vision in her right. She said getting Evie last March has transformed her life.

However, she was left heartbroken when the drivers refused her fare.

"Myself and my partner Noel Farrelly went to get a taxi last Thursday evening and the first taxi driver at the top of the rank just said he didn't take dogs, end of story," she said.

"The driver in the next car along the rank also just waved no with both hands and said he didn't take dogs.

"I felt so saddened. I just couldn't believe it. They would have left me stranded.

"Thankfully, Noel noticed a taxi driver at the back of the rank who was beckoning to us. He couldn't believe anyone would refuse a guide dog.

"I've never been refused a taxi before in my life. I was embarrassed at the time, but I'm absolutely disgusted now.

"Evie cost 53,500 to train. Did they think she was going to get sick or go to the toilet in the car?

"I'm sure she's much better behaved than some of the customers coming home from a night out."

Allie lived in Celbridge, Co Kildare, before moving to Navan, and reached the finals in the Kildare Rose of Tralee competition three years ago.

She said getting matched with Evie earlier this year has had a massive impact on her life.

"She made me more confident," she said.

"I really think taxi drivers should be made more aware of the intensive training guide dogs undergo."

A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority said: "It is a legal obligation to accept a passenger with a guide dog or an assistance dog."

Lean Kennedy, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind's advocacy and policy officer, said: "People who are blind or vision-impaired, travelling with their guide dog, should not face difficulties when getting a taxi.

"It is distressing to blind or vision-impaired people when they are refused a service by a taxi or hackney driver."
As the first case of a student contracting coronavirus since schools reopened has been confirmed in the State, what is the protocol in place for dealing with such an incident?





When should a student be sent to the isolation area?

If a pupil is displaying any symptoms of Covid-19, they should be sent to the designated isolation area and kept away from other students.

The school must then immediately contact the child's parent or guardian. The student should be given a mask while waiting to be brought home and a test should be arranged with their local GP.





If the case is confirmed, what happens next?

As seen with the case at the primary school in Dublin, students in the same class as the child diagnosed were asked to go home and restrict their movements for 14 days.

The school sent out an email to parents alerting them about the confirmed case. However, under HSE guidelines, schools do not have to contact all parents, only the "close contacts" of the affected students.

In an email to parents, the school said that while it was alerting all parents this time, it would not be doing so in the future.

It is up to the HSE to inform any staff/parents who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing process.





What if the confirmed case has siblings in the school, can they still attend?

The Government's roadmap to reopening schools said if a child or anyone in their family is displaying symptoms, they should stay at home. Likewise, HSE guidelines say that anyone living in the same household as someone infected should stay at home and restrict their movements for 14 days.

However, it appears siblings of people in the same class as a confirmed case can still attend unless they are symptomatic or directed not to by the HSE.





So, will everyone be tested?

According to health guidelines published, all pupils will not be automatically referred for testing if there's a confirmed case in the class.





Will children still have classes remotely if sent home?

The school should facilitate online learning where possible. For example, the school affected yesterday confirmed to parents it will be holding live Zoom lessons for the next two weeks.





Could a school be forced to close?

Closures may happen if evidence shows that a school has become a primary driver in the spread of coronavirus, or if there are a high number of cases.

Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said cases in children were inevitable and the focus was to keep schools open.
A Nasa spacecraft has safely dropped down to Earth and burnt up in its atmosphere, the space agency has said.

It safely dropped back onto Earth over the South Pacific on Saturday, burning up as it did. Nasa had assured the public before the event that it would pose "no threat to our planet  or anyone on it  and this is a normal final operational occurrence for retired spacecraft".

The old scientific craft was originally thought to be an object on an impact trajectory with Earth when it was spotted last week.

But further observations revealed it was not an asteroid but in fact a man-made object: the Orbiting Geophysics Observatory 1 (OGO-1), which was launched in 1964.

Between 1964 and 1969, Nasa sent one of the spacecraft up each year in an attempt to better understand the Earth. The spacecraft was sent on an eccentric orbit that took it around the Earth roughly every two days, flying through the radiation belts and studying the magnetosphere around the planet.

OGO-1's work lasted for five years. In 1969, it was placed in a standby mode when scientists were unable to return any more data, and the mission was fully terminated in 1971.

OGO-1, as its name suggests, was the first of the OGO spacecraft to be sent into space. But it was the last to come back, with the other five spacecraft that were part of the series having dropped down from orbit and landed in various parts of Earth's oceans.

Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Mystic Mountain, a pillar of gas and dust standing at three-light-years tall, bursting with jets of gas from fledgling stars buried within, was captured by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope in February 2010 Nasa/ESA/STScI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever selfie taken on an alien planet, captured by Nasa's Curiosity Rover in the early days of its mission to explore Mars in 2012 Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Death of a star: This image from Nasa's Chandra X-ray telescope shows the supernova of Tycho, a star in our Milky Way galaxy Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Arrokoth, the most distant object ever explored, pictured here on 1 January 2019 by a camera on Nasa's New Horizons spaceraft at a distance of 4.1 billion miles from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory in January 2012. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever image of a black hole, captured by the Event Horizon telescope, as part of a global collaboration involving Nasa, and released on 10 April 2019. The image reveals the black hole at the centre of Messier 87, a massive galaxy in the nearby Virgo galaxy cluster. This black hole resides about 54 million light-years from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Pluto, as pictured by Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft as it flew over the dwarf planet for the first time ever in July 2015 Nasa/APL/SwRI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures A coronal mass ejection as seen by the Chandra Observatory in 2019. This is the first time that Chandra has detected this phenomenon from a star other than the Sun Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks running downhill on the surface Mars were believed to be evidence of contemporary flowing water. It has since been suggested that they may instead be formed by flowing sand Nasa/JPL/University of Arizona Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Morning Aurora: Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station in October 2015 Nasa/Scott Kelly

Even though OGO-1 turned out to be a spacecraft, and not the asteroid that first observations had suggested, it will nonetheless help the space agency track future possible objects on a collision course with Earth. Nasa tracked the object's re-entry so that it could "exercise its processes for tracking and predicting impacts of natural objects on Earths atmosphere", it said in a statement.
No Time To Die (Credit: Eon)

Daniel Craig looks the archetypal Bond in the latest poster for No Time To Die, just unveiled on social media.

Busting the classic tux, bow-tie and Walther PPK pistol, the promo comes ahead of the final trailer for the 25th Bond movie, which is due to land on Thursday.

Man on a mission. Check out the new poster for #NoTimeToDie in cinemas this November. New trailer coming this Thursday. pic.twitter.com/4ZHOJSfyZq  James Bond (@007) September 1, 2020

The movie is currently scheduled for release on 12 November in the UK, and then 20 November in the US.

This is bumped back a whole year from the original release date of 20 November, 2019.

Read more: New look at Rami Maleks Bond villain

That date was amended following the departure of Danny Boyle as the movie's director back in August 2018, which saw the movie first moved to February 2020, and then April 2020, once director Cary Fukunaga had been installed.

However, come March of this year, producers Eon elected to postpone the April release date to November, as the coronavirus pandemic began shuttering cinemas around the world.

The November release date is in fact rather more traditional for Bond films, with every movie since GoldenEye in 1995 having premiered in November.

With its moody theme recorded by Billie Eilish, the movie finds Craig's 007 out of active service and enjoying early retirement in Jamaica.

Read more: Sean Connery named best ever Bond

However, when Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter contacts him for help on a case, he's thrust back into the fray, searching for a missing scientist.

Joining him on the bill is Rami Malek as the terrorist Safin, with Lashana Lynch as new 00 agent Nomi and Ana de Armas as CIA agent Paloma.

Meanwhile, Lea Seydoux is back as Dr. Madeleine Swann, with Christoph Waltz returning as Blofeld, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Rory Kinnear as Tanner and Ralph Fiennes as M.
Students walk on the campus of University of CaliforniaLos Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 11, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

University of California Must Stop Using SAT, ACT in Admissions, Judge Rules

The University of California (UC) system must stop considering SAT or ACT scores in decisions on admissions and financial aid, a judge has ruled, citing pandemic-related difficulties faced by some students in accessing test sites.

The decision to mandate a so-called test-blind arrangement, issued Sept. 1 by Alameda Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman, is a victory for critics of admissions and scholarship-related testing amid the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus outbreak, which has made it more challenging for students with disabilities.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in restrictions in the availability of test-sites. While test-taking opportunities for all students have been limited, for persons with disabilities, the ability to obtain accommodations or even locate suitable test locations for the test is almost nil,' Seligman said in a 17-page decision (pdf).

The pandemic has led to constraints in the availability of testing locations, as illustrated by a recent announcement by the College Board, the New York City-based company that administers the SAT college admissions test. It stated in mid-August that 178,600 of 402,000 students who signed up to take the test on Aug. 29 will be unable to do so because nearly half of the test centers have closed due to the outbreak.

The UC school system waived standardized testing requirements months ago, moving to adopt a test-optional arrangement for the fall 2021 and fall 2022 admissions seasons, before going fully test-blind for fall 2023 and fall 2024. Test-blind means that campuses are prohibited from using SAT or ACT scores in deciding on admissions and scholarships, while test-optional gives them that option if students choose to submit them, a practice that the presiding judge found was unfair to students with disabilities.

In short, students with disabilities are denied the same option and second chance for admissions that non-disabled applicants enjoy in the test-optional regime, Seligman noted.

The Office of the UC President said in a statement it planned to abolish SAT/ACT testing by 2025 and would instead develop a new test that aligns with the content UC expects students to have mastered to demonstrate college readiness for California freshmen.

Seligmans decision, while preliminary and subject to a potential legal challenge, effectively moves the prohibition forward.

UC respectfully disagrees with the courts ruling. An injunction may interfere with the universitys efforts to implement an appropriate and comprehensive admissions policies [sic] and its ability to attract and enroll students of diverse backgrounds and experiences. The university is evaluating whether further legal actions are called for, according to a UC statement, as cited by Inside Higher Ed, an education-related publication.

Some campuses have decided that they will not consider ACT or SAT scores in evaluating applications for fall 2021 applicants, while other campuses have decided to follow a phased approach or are in the process of making a final decision. University admissions officials and faculty are best positioned to determine appropriate admissions decisions and procedures, taking into account the individual needs and priorities of a particular campus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in all 50 states and five large cities to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November.

The new C.D.C. guidance is the latest sign of an accelerating race for a vaccine against a disease that has killed more than 184,000 Americans. The documents were sent out last week, the same day that President Trump said in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year.

Over the past week, both Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, who heads the Food and Drug Administration, have said in interviews with news organizations that a vaccine could be available for certain groups before clinical trials have been completed, if the data were overwhelmingly positive.

Public health experts agree that agencies at all levels of government should urgently prepare for what will eventually be a vast, complex effort to vaccinate hundreds of millions of Americans. But the possibility of a rollout in late October or early November has also heightened concerns that the Trump administration is seeking to rush the distribution of a vaccine  or simply to suggest that one is possible  before Election Day on Nov. 3.

This timeline of the initial deployment at the end of October is deeply worrisome for the politicization of public health and the potential safety ramifications, said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist in Arizona. Its hard not to see this as a push for a pre-election vaccine.

Three documents were sent to public health officials in all states and territories as well as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and San Antonio on Aug. 27. They outlined detailed scenarios for distributing two unnamed vaccine candidates  each requiring two doses a few weeks apart  at hospitals, mobile clinics and other facilities offering easy access to the first targeted recipients.

The guidance noted that health care professionals, including long-term-care employees, would be among the first to receive the product, along with other essential workers and national security employees.
Hanoi is drawing up a detailed plan for quarantine charges on arrivals to Vietnam in response to a new prime minister direction.

According to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs order, all arrivals to Vietnam will have to pay for the cost of their mandatory 14-day quarantine from Tuesday.

Costs associated with their COVID-19 treatment, if any, remain funded by state coffers.

Previously, stays at quarantine centers in Vietnam had been free of charge, but people could opt to spend their quarantine at local hotels for a fee.

Speaking at a meeting of the Hanoi Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dao Duc Toan emphasized that in implementing the paid quarantining policy, the most favorable conditions for citizens and foreigners to enter Vietnam must be ensured while quarantine regulations are to be strictly enforced.

Most importantly, [people in charge] should not make light of quarantine management only because it is more open and carried out on a pay-to-stay basis, Toan said.

The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance had yet to announce a ceiling price for quarantine costs to be paid by arrivals by Tuesday.

Before Tuesday, all costs of quarantining arrivals to Vietnam  including VND100,000 (US$4.30) for food per person per day and other expenses for necessities, accommodations and Internet service  were covered by the state budget, according to the Hanoi Department of Healths director Nguyen Khac Hien.

The family of T.T.H., an overseas student in Australia who is expected to return to Vietnam on a 200-student charter flight in five days, has booked a pay-to-stay quarantine service for him in Ha Long City, located in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

According to a quotation published on the website of the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia, the quarantine fees for students traveling on this flight range between VND22.5 million (US$976) and VND87.7 million ($3,800) per person for a 14-day stay at a 4-star hotel in Ha Long.

But the above quotation is unique to the specific case only and not a general reference to quaratine costs in Vietnam.

In order to address this issue, the Hanoi departments of health and tourism and related agencies on Tuesday reviewed such information as the capacity of hotels to offer pay-to-stay quarantine, and which units to be in charge of implementing and monitoring the transportation of arrivals from the airport to the hotels, according to Hien.

More than 1,100 people were being quarantined at hospitals and over 16,000 others had stayed at other centralized quarantine facilities in Vietnam as of Monday.

Vietnam has recorded 1,044 COVID-19 cases, with 735 having recovered and 34 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

The country has logged 550 local cases since July 25, when Da Nang detected the first domestic infection after Vietnam had gone 99 days without documenting any community transmission.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
(Natural News) With the CDC releasing comorbidity numbers on COVID-19 deaths, the alt media in America has just declared that no death counts unless its the death of a perfectly healthy individual with zero underlying health conditions. People who died from COVID-19 when they also had high blood pressure, claim indy media outlets, didnt really die from COVID at all.

This is the message from videos, podcasts and articles that span the conservative, independent media which has been hyperventilating over the claimed CDC bombshell that revealed COVID-19 deaths occurred among people who also had other underlying health conditions. That shouldnt be a shock to anyone, as most of the U.S. population walks around with diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure every single day. Yet somehow the indy media thinks this is a bombshell that reveals, in their view, the hoax of the coronavirus and proof that no one died from COVID-19.

Some indy media outlets have even gone so far as to claim the CDC has now updated their death statistics to show just 9,000 deaths from COVID-19. Thats not true at all. In fact, the only honest way to describe such a mischaracterization of the CDCs data is to call it, deliberately dishonest fake news.

But even the core argument of those publishing such propaganda fails the most basic test of reason. By their logic, if youre shot and killed by Antifa terrorists on the streets of Portland, you didnt actually die from the gunshot if you had diabetes. Comorbidity factors such as heart disease and high blood pressure nullify the proximal cause of death, say numerous alt media news publishers and pundits, none of whom have anyone on staff who has any credentials in medicine or science, by the way. And thats why they absurdly conclude this non-story is a bombshell.

So if a bomb goes off in a restaurant and kills 100 people, none of those people were actually killed by the bomb if they already had cancer, according to these independent media outlets. Thats what pro-Trump indy media outlets across America are now absurdly arguing, and in doing so they discredit themselves and demonstrate their shocking lack of knowledge about medicine and science.

Almost no one dies in America without several underlying health conditions

Each day in America, around 8,200 people die from all causes. Do you know how many of those 8,200 people have no secondary health conditions at all? Nearly zero.

But according to indy media publishers, none of those (nearly) 8,200 daily deaths should count because the people who died had secondary health conditions.

That makes no sense at all.

Nearly all those who die have multiple diseases or heath conditions at their time of death. For obvious reasons, its very rare for perfectly healthy people to die, although it does happen with things like motorcycle accidents or rare fatal heart attacks in extreme athletes, for example. But the numbers are extremely small.

It should also be no surprise that COVID-19 tends to kill people who are less healthy than the rest of the population. Thats not a bombshell: its common sense. Infectious diseases have always killed people who were more vulnerable. This is precisely why a biological weapon poses such a danger to the American people: Because Americans are so unhealthy. That makes them vulnerable to infectious diseases that can piggyback on top of already-compromised immune systems and respiratory problems to push a patient over the edge into a fatality.

Even worse, the bad logic now being invoked by these indy media publishers is only selectively cited for COVID-19 only, but not for other infectious diseases. Youll notice that the very same indy news publishers who claim COVID-19 deaths dont count when victims had underlying health conditions are more than happy to claim that all flu deaths count, regardless of whether the flu victims also had heart disease or cancer, for example. They dont dismiss flu deaths merely because the victims suffered from other chronic health conditions.

And when coronavirus vaccines start killing people, you can bet these very same indy media publishers will argue that the vaccines are causing those deaths. They wont excuse the vaccine merely because most of the people who died also had underlying health conditions.

So as you might suspect, a lot of todays indy media reporting on COVID-19 deaths is intellectually dishonest. They pick and choose which deaths count based on the narrative they want to push, regardless of the truth. There is no consistency in their logic, and deaths only count when they want them to.

Thats not real journalism, is it? Its just partisan political propaganda being catapulted into the arena of public discourse, even though its blatantly false and deliberately misleading.

You dont get to invent your own fairy tale reality and claim its fact

As a thought experiment, lets hold these misguided reporters to their new rules of what constitutes a death. The next time patriots are killed by Antifa  which seems to be happening every weekend now  we should expect to see indy media claiming the deaths werent really caused by Antifa because the people who were shot had underlying medical conditions.

Thats their logic, right? If Antifa lunatics manage to kill Rand Paul  as they seem to be repeatedly trying to do  will a prominent indy media network claim Sen. Paul wasnt killed by Antifa because he has an underlying medical condition?

You cant just make up your own fake reality and call it real. Indy medias comorbidity claim about deaths not counting sounds a whole lot like left-wing claims of transgenderism and mermaids. Both are rooted in delusional thinking and make believe fantasy worlds.

In the real world, there are now 223,000+ Americans who are dead because of the Wuhan coronavirus. Thats an irrefutable fact thats derived from national death statistics covering all causes of death. Yet conservative-leaning indy media outlets have now convinced themselves the true number of deaths is either just 9,000 or zero, depending on which delusional guest theyre interviewing on that particular day. (Many guests claim there is no virus and that no one died from COVID-19, thrusting themselves into the Flat Earth category of fake science virology.)

You cant effectively counter the fake news mainstream media if youre pushing obviously fake news yourself

The reason all this matters, by the way, is because alt medias primary goal should be to counter the fake news medias fabricated lies with authentic truth. But when the alt media is spewing obvious falsehoods because it fits a particular pro-Trump narrative, they shred their own credibility and ultimately prove to be no different than the corporate-run media.

Thats why this is so sad, and its why Im commenting publicly on this. Because what were watching with COVID-19 is not merely the deliberate economic destruction of human civilization, but also the willful, ignorant suicide of independent media, which is obliterating its own credibility with each passing day that clueless talking heads are allowed to keep spewing 100% fake science in the name of truth.

Surely the people in charge of indy media are interested in the real truth here, right?  right?

Yet in exactly the same way that no prominent Democrat has denounced BLM violence, no prominent alt media personality has dared to question the absurd fake news reporting on the CDCs numbers. Its almost as if a cult-like mentality has a relentless grip on the entire industry, and everyone has lost the ability to think for themselves. Over the last several days, all I see are carbon copy talking heads repeating the same mindless scripted talking points, almost as if theyve been programmed to push propaganda for as long as it takes to truth a falsehood into a truth. And isnt that what were supposed to be opposing in this fight?

I cover all this and more in todays podcast:
A former leader of the New Bedford chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, who went by the name King X, has pleaded guilty to drug charges in federal court, officials said Wednesday.

Xavier Valentin-Soto, 33, was charged in connection with Operation Throne Down, an investigation that led to grand jury indictments alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings last year. Valentin-Soto is the tenth defendant to plead guilty in the case, according to the office of Andrew Lelling, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

Valentin-Soto, who was the second-in-command of the New Bedford chapter of the Latin Kings, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16. When Valentin-Soto was charged in December, he was already serving a related sentence in state prison, Lellings office said in a statement.

During the plea proceedings, Valentin-Soto admitted that he conspired with other Latin Kings members and leaders to distribute cocaine and cocaine base in and around New Bedford. As second-in-command, Valentin-Soto had a leadership role in the drug distribution as the Latin Kinds maintained several trap houses on the north side of New Bedford, the statement said.

Valentin-Soto was arrested in July 2017 when local police executed a search warrant at a Latin Kings trap house and located cocaine and materials for packaging and distributing the drug. He was charged in state court and posted bail. While out on pretrial release, Valentin-Soto sold 160 grams of cocaine powder to a cooperating witness during three recorded purchases in early 2019, Lellings office said.

Valentin-Soto faces a sentence of 65 months in prison and three years of supervised release per the terms of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

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MELVILLE, N.Y. - Authorities are investigating a Long Island bar that posted on Instagram that it was taking bets on whether Chicago or New York City would see more shootings over Labor Day weekend.

The Cliffton, a bar in Patchogue, New York, shared photos of a paper grid hung in the bar with patrons placing bets on the number of shootings in the two cities, Newsday reported Tuesday. The winner would take home an unspecified cash prize.

The betting is not only sickening, but also appears illegal under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law, the State Liquor Authority said in a statement to the newspaper.

The states alcohol and beverage law prohibits gambling at establishments with a liquor license, with few exceptions.

The caption of the post read, Let the shooting sprees begin! the newspaper reported. The Clifftons Instagram page is private.

These reports are repugnant and those responsible for this gambling pool should be ashamed, Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said to the newspaper.

The Long Island bar also refused to let representatives of the State Liquor Authority conduct an inspection this week, the newspaper reported, which the agency says is itself grounds to revoke the bars liquor license.

Brian Neal, owner of The Cliffton, did not return a request for comment from the newspaper.

All it does is raise the angst and anger of others, Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said. To be buying a box to see how many people die is something I cannot fathom. Its not who we are as a community.

Cities across the country have seen a surge in shootings over the summer, but the spike defies easy explanation. The increase in violence likely represents a mix of factors, including record unemployment levels, the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic, stay-at-home orders, intense stress and the weather.

In April 2019, the bars Instagram account drew condemnation after posting a photo that outed a patron as a transgender woman and referred to her as a man, Greater Long Island reported. The bar removed the post and apologized.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:21:15|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A joint-military operation conducted by the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian National Military (TNI) has led to the arresting of a man for suspicion of being a sympathizer of a terrorist group in Central Sulawesi province's district of Poso.

The man, identified with his initial S, had allegedly been actively spreading the doctrine of the terrorist group in the community, the Central Sulawesi Police's Chief Abdul Rakhman Baso said in Palu, the province's capital, on Wednesday, as cited by state news agency Antara.

S was arrested on Tuesday and currently being interrogated by personnel of Densus 88, the National Police's elite counter-terrorism squad.

The Indonesian government is carrying out Tinombala Operation, the biggest operation jointly conducted by the Polri and the TNI in history, to arrest members of the terrorist group.

Besides the leader being killed in the operation, several group members have been arrested. Enditem
Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Sir Keir Starmer of supporting Jeremy Corbyn despite his "IRA-condoning" in a fiery clash in the Commons on Wednesday.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle implored Mr Johnson to withdraw his remarks after the pair rowed over the exam results fiasco, which left thousands of pupils unhappy with their grades before a Government u-turn.

Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of being "tin-eared and making it up as he goes along" over the issue.

"He's fooling nobody, even his own MPs have run out of patience," he said.

"It's mess after mess, his own MPs, U-turn after U-turn, it's a fundamental issue of competence, God knows what's going on, there's no grip. His own MPs are right aren't they?"

Expand Close Sir Keir Starmer alongside then Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (Jonathan Brady/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sir Keir Starmer alongside then Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (Jonathan Brady/PA)

In response Mr Johnson shot back that Sir Keir supported remaining in the EU and Mr Corbyn as Labour leader.

"This is a leader of the Opposition who backed remaining in the EU and now is totally silent on the subject, now has performed a U-turn.

"He backed - in fact he still does Mr Speaker - this is a leader of the Opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato and now says absolutely nothing.

"This is a leader of the Opposition who sat on the front bench whilst there was anti-Semitism...," the Prime Minister said.

Mr Johnson's comments were cut off by the Speaker who called for Order.

Mr Corbyn has always stressed that he does not and has never supported the IRA, citing his work for peace and human rights.

Sir Lindsay asked if the Prime Minister wanted to withdraw his allegation, after Sir Keir had called for him to do so.

"I am very happy to say that I think... I listened to the protestations of the right honourable gentleman and think they have would have been more in order throughout the long years in which he supported a leader of the Labour Party [Jeremey Corbyn]," Mr Johnson replied

Sir Lindsay then signalled for the Prime Minister to sit down.

In response, Sir Keir pointed out that he had worked in Northern Ireland with the PSNI and prosecuted terrorists during his legal career, where he rose to the position of Director of Public Prosecutions.

"When the Prime Minister has worked with the intelligence and security forces prosecuting criminals and terrorists he can lecture me," he said.

"I asked him to do the decent thing, but doing the decent thing and this Prime Minister don't go together."

Sir Keir served in Mr Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Brexit Secretary and Shadow Minister for Immigration.

During his time as Labour leader Mr Corbyn was heavily criticised over alleged links to Sinn Fein and the IRA.

Expand Close Jeremy Corbyn (left) with then Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, at the House of Commons, London in 1995 (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Jeremy Corbyn (left) with then Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, at the House of Commons, London in 1995 (PA)

Mr Corbyn regularly met with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams at the height of the Troubles.

In October 1984, two weeks after an IRA bomb killed five people at the Tory Party conference in Brighton, Mr Corbyn invited convicted IRA volunteers Linda Quigley and Gerry MacLochlainn to the House of Commons, causing uproar the time.

In 2017 Sir Keir said past comments made by Mr Corbyn about the IRA were "regrettable".

"l think any remarks about the IRA are regrettable," he said.

"We have to call out terrorism for what it is and I have always done that, and the Labour Party has always done that. Jeremy has been very clear that public safety is the number one priority.

"I have prosecuted very serious criminals who are now serving very long jail sentences."
worker burnout



The days of the strict 40-hour workweek, with weekends and evenings spent relaxing, are a distant memory for many people. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from 2019, more than 10 million Americans work at least 60 hours per week. And for those lucky enough to have a job amid the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter-in-place rules have kept many working from home, a fact that has reduced the separation between the office and home-life. In fact, recent data from NordVPN shows Americans are working three hours more per day during coronavirus lockdowns than before. Though the constant connectivity and persistent Zoom meetings may exacerbate exhaustion as workers grind to build up their savings, there are a whole host of factors that are fatiguing the workforce. With all that in mind, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find the cities where worker burnout is most likely.



Specifically, we considered data for the 100 most-populous U.S. cities across the following five metrics: average number of weeks worked per year, average number of hours worked per week, percentage of population working more than 1,700 hours in a year (the equivalent of 35 hours per week for 51 weeks), percentage of workers with a commute longer than an hour and housing costs as a percentage of income. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

Key Findings

Worker burnout is less likely in the Midwest. None of the top 11 cities in our study are located in the Midwest. In fact, the first Midwestern city to rank in the study is Chicago, Illinois, appearing at No. 28.

Long hours across the top 11. An average of 58.2% of workers in our top 11 cities work more than 1,700 hours a year, compared to just 52.2% across all cities. For that metric, all cities in our top 11 rank in the top 20, except for Dallas, Texas at 21.

1. Aurora, CO

Aurora, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, is the city most prone to worker burnout. Residents there work an average of 38.5 weeks each year, the eighth-highest amount for this metric in our study. Aurora also ranks in the bottom 20% for two other metrics: its high percentage of workers averaging at least 35 hours a week over 51 weeks  at 58%  and high percentage of workers with a commute of longer than an hour, at 9.7%.

Story continues

2. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, California workers are on the clock for an average of 39.8 weeks per year, the second-highest rate for this metric in the study. They also work an average of 40.5 hours per week, the seventh-highest rate for this metric in the study. Around 59% of workers average more than 1,700 hours a year, the fifth-highest rate across all 100 cities we studied. Additionally, San Francisco ranks 11th-worst overall for its relatively high percentage of workers with a severe commute (a commute longer than one hour), at 14.3%.

3. Jersey City, NJ

Right across the Hudson from New York City, Jersey City ranks in the worse half of the study for all metrics we considered. It has the fourth-highest percentage in the study of workers who commute for more than an hour, at 19.5%. It also has the 19th-highest rate for average number hours worked per week, at 39.7. Around 56.7% of workers in Jersey City are on the job at least 1,700 hours per year, the 17th-highest rate for this metric across all 100 cities we examined.

4. Miami, FL

Miami, Florida workers might be relatively stressed out by their expenses, as housing costs represent 34.49% of income, the third-highest percentage in the study for this metric. Miami ties with Jersey City for the 19th-longest workweek, which is an average of 39.7 hours. Furthermore, it ranks 21st of 100 for its relatively high percentage of workers with a commute of at least one hour, at 9.5%.

5. Washington, DC

Washington, D.C. has the ninth-highest number of average hours worked per week in this study, at 40.3 hours. The city ranks 11th for its high percentage of residents work at least 1,700 hours per year, at 58.20%. Workers in the nations capital spend an average of 36.9 weeks per year on the job, the 33rd-highest across all the cities we examined.

6. Denver, CO

Denver, Colorado workers put in 39.6 weeks per year on the job, the fourth-highest rate for this metric in the study. Denver also had the third-highest percentage overall of workers who logged at least 1,700 hours per year, at 59.5%. Employees there are at the office or on the jobsite for an average of 40 hours per week, the 14th-highest rate for this metric across all 100 cities we analyzed.

7. Arlington, VA

Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., has the highest rate in the study for the following three metrics: average number of weeks worked per year, at 41.3; average number of hours worked per week, at 41.7 and percentage of residents working more than 1,700 hours in a year, at 62%. It may not be as stressful to live in Arlington when it comes to homeownership expenses, though, as housing costs are only about 20% of income, the 9th-lowest figure for this metric.

8. Dallas, TX

Dallas, Texas workers log an average of 40.7 hours per week on the job, the third-highest total of the cities we studied. The city ranks toward the middle of the study for its average number of weeks worked in a year, at almost 36 weeks. Around 56.3% of workers in Dallas work more than 1,700 hours in a year.

9. Seattle, WA

Seattle, Washington has the third-highest rate in the study for its average number of weeks worked per year, at 39.7. The Emerald City also comes in 17th of 100 for its relatively high percentage of workers putting in at least 1,700 hours to work each year, at 56.7%.

10. Austin, TX (tie)

Tied for the No. 10 spot on our list is Austin, Texas. The city has the ninth-highest average number of weeks worked per year, at 38.4, and the eighth-highest percentage of the population working more than 1,700 hours per year, at 58.8%.

10. Charlotte, NC (tie)

The other city tied for No. 10 is most likely is Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte ranks 10th out of 100 cities for the high percentage of its population working 1,700 hours per year, at 58.30%. Additionally, workers there average 39.7 hours per week on the job, the 19th-highest rate for this metric in this study.

Data and Methodology

To find the cities where worker burnout is most likely, SmartAsset analyzed the 100 largest U.S. cities across the following metrics:

Average number of weeks worked per year.

Average number of hours worked per week.

Percentage of the population working at least 1,700 hours per year (the equivalent of 35 hours per week for 51 weeks).

Percentage of workers with a commute longer than one hour.

Housing costs as a percentage of income.

All data comes from the Census Bureaus 2018 1-year American Community Survey.

First, we ranked all cities for every metric. Giving them all an equal weight, we found each citys average ranking. We used this average ranking to create our final score. The city with the highest average ranking (i.e. the city where worker burnout is most likely) received a score of 100 and the city with the lowest average ranking (i.e. the city where worker burnout is least likely) received a score of 0.

Tips for Managing Your Money

If you lack time from working too much, get hands-on help. Work may be stressful, but a financial advisor can help make your life a little bit easier. SmartAssets free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes. If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that will help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Work on your savings. Saving for retirement is sure-fire way to reduce your stress about your financial future. Make sure to start saving as early as you can.

Dont burn through your budget. A budget can help cut down on financial stress and make sure you have enough cash to pay for the rest and relaxation that will keep you sane.

Questions about our study? Contact press@smartasset.com

Photo credit: iStock.com/martin-dm

The post Cities Where Worker Burnout Is Most Likely  2020 Edition appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Union Ministers and Dr to brief media on cabinet decisions at 3 pm on Wednesday.

The briefing is scheduled to be held at the Media Centre in the capital.

In a tweet, KS Dhatwalia, Principal Spokesperson, Press Bureau of Information, said, "Media Alert: Union Ministers @PrakashJavdekar and @DrJitendraSingh to brief media on #CabinetDecisions at 3 PM today i.e. 2nd September at #NationalMediaCentre, New Delhi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Akanksha Rana and Tina Bellon (Reuters) - Tesla Inc on Tuesday unveiled its biggest program of new share sales as a public company, seeking to cash in on soaring Wall Street interest in the electric carmaker to raise up to $5 billion that will ease future debt pressures. The move comes a day after a 5-for-1 stock split took effect, Tesla's first since its initial public offering in June 2010, and follows a nearly six-fold increase in the value of its shares this year. Tuesday's share sale comes as Tesla seeks to massively expand production of its existing vehicles ...
The accidental deaths of two more monkeys at an Oregon Health & Science University-operated research facility in Hillsboro has prompted an animal rights group to file a federal complaint.

On Aug. 13, an animal care technician at the Oregon National Primate Research Center placed a 6-foot-tall rack of monkey cages into a cage-washing machine and turned it on without realizing there were still two monkeys locked in one of the top cages, OHSU said in a statement Aug. 28.

The technician quickly realized the error and immediately called veterinary staff for help, but one monkey died and the second was later humanely euthanized, read OHSUs statement. All cage washing immediately ceased and the director of animal care and use, Vickie Jarrell, Ph.D., was notified.

Jarrell reported the deaths of the adult rhesus macaques to two federal regulatory agencies overseeing animal research as soon as she learned of the incident, according to the OHSU statement titled OHSU grieves loss of two nonhuman primates. She also contacted an international organization that offers voluntary accreditation for animal research programs.

The incident has drawn the ire of the Ohio-based animal rights advocacy group Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, which filed a complaint Aug. 30 with the U.S. Department of Agricultures division overseeing animal welfare.

(This) device sterilizes with heat, meaning these monkeys were boiled alive, the group said in a statement, referring to the cage-washing machine where the monkeys were killed.

The incident violates the Animal Welfare Act, of which OHSU has been cited in violation 19 times in the last four years, according to the complaint.

OHSU chief research officer Peter Barr-Gillespie plans to establish an independent, external review committee to more broadly examine hiring, training, safety and operations in animal care at the research center, OHSU said.

The universitys institutional animal care and use committee is also conducting an internal investigation, which will take several weeks to complete, OHSU said.

In the complaint, SAEN also highlighted an OHSU report discussing an incident this January in which a monkey was injured after becoming trapped in a drain opening, left uncovered by OHSU staff.

The Primate Research Center houses nearly 5,000 monkeys, many of which are part of a breeding colony that supports National Institutes of Health-funded research on human and animal health, including research into potential vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, OHSU said.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy took a jibe at filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, questioning if he has converted to Islam.

"Has Cinema Dada Mahesh Bhatt converted to Islam and taken name of Ashraf Butt? If not please ask him to correct the police records," Swamy tweeted on Wednesday.

Swamy has been leading a campaign to get justice for actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead on June 14. Mahesh Bhatt has been questioned by Mumbai Police during investigation pertaining to the case.

In another tweet, Swamy stressed on the importance of fighting the narcotic menace in society.

"Fighting narcotics in society including Bollywood is a national security matter which when brought to the knowledge of PM, he must make take a call. Of course after the Boston experience of Fmr President of Congress, Congi hacks should be nervous," he tweeted.

Earlier, Swamy pointed a finger at the role of Mumbai Police and Bollywood in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.

"For day 1 (July 9) I had said Sushant was murdered, that CBI inquiry should be instituted because Mumbai Police was complicit, and that Dubai is involved. I have been vindicated Now the Bollywood Cartel remains to be identified and made as 'accessory before the murder'," Swamy tweeted last month.
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) will be hosting its regularly scheduled quarterly management meeting on Wednesday, September 16 from 8:00 a.m. CT until approximately 10:30 a.m. CT. This quarter's meeting will take place virtually via a conference call. During the call, the company's operating and financial leaders will present background information and commentary on the company's business operations and financial outlook, and will take questions from the investment community.

The conference call will be broadcast live through Gallagher's website at www.ajg.com/irmeeting and a conference call replay will be available at the same link through September 25, 2020 at midnight ET. Any information distributed in conjunction with this meeting will be available on September 16 at 7:30 a.m. CT at http://www.ajg.com/September16materials.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Contact:

Raymond Iardella

VP Investor Relations

(630) 285-3661/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
To keep our community informed of the most urgent coronavirus news, our critical updates are free to read. Ongoing coverage is available to subscribers. Subscribe now for full access and to support our work.

Bexar County residents will be able to vote at mega-centers with ample room for social distancing during the general election.

Theyll also be able to drop off mail ballots as early as September  but only at one location.

And there likely wont be any 24-hour polling sites.

The decisions caused friction between Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen and Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, who had proposed numerous innovations for the Nov. 3 election to make voting both convenient and safe during the pandemic.

Rodriguez said hed been called a meddler and accused of attacking the elections office in his attempts at shaking up the status quo.

Callanen denied using the words meddler or attack.

But I told him with the recommendations he was doing, he was creating a lot more work and turmoil, she said.

Callanen said shes planning on operating 44 early polling sites from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30.

The locations will include the AT&T Center, Alzafar Shrine Auditorium and Palo Alto College, which will function as mega-voting centers with abundant space for voters to keep their distance from one another.

Josie Norris, The San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer

Were just praying that the number of cases keeps going down here, so that maybe it wont be as much of a concern. But we are still going forward with our protocols and with our social distancing to get ready for this major election, Callanen said after Tuesdays meeting of Commissioners Court.

Mail-in ballot applications will be sent by mid-September to more than 150,000 Bexar County voters age 65 or over as part of a plan supported by county commissioners Tuesday to prepare for a high-volume election.

Commissioners approved spending up to $46,940.90 for printing, envelopes and return postage to send out the mail-in voting forms.

They also passed standard orders to hire election judges, clerks and temporary workers in what could be a record-turnout election, with 60 percent or more of Bexar Countys 1.14 million voters expected to complete long ballots for president and other federal, state and local offices, as well as local initiatives.

On ExpressNews.com: County considers mega vote centers, 24-hour early voting cycles

Callanen said the elections department will look at expanding early voting hours.

But her plan, which departed from options proposed by Rodriguez and included in a resolution approved by commissioners last month, does not include 24-hour early voting on selected days.

In addition, its unlikely the county will be able to provide multiple dropoff locations for mail-in ballots, as planned in Harris and Travis counties, because of a technicality in state law.

Unlike those counties, which use a county clerk with satellite offices to run elections, Bexar County has an elections administrator with just one central office, at 1103 S. Frio St. downtown.

Callanen said that office will have a dropoff location in a few weeks. A proclamation by Gov. Greg Abbott allows voters to return the ballots as early as the day after they receive them in the mail.

So we are planning that we have to have this set up by the end of September. Because its conceivable that somebody could get their ballot and drive it down the next day, Callanen said.

Another proposal from Rodriguez thats still being scrutinized is expansion of curbside voting, traditionally limited to voters physically unable to stand at the polls for long periods.

Rodriguez said the county is awaiting public health guidance from Dr. Barbara Taylor, who leads the city-county COVID-19 health transition team, and Dr. Ruth Berggren, director of UT Healths Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, on whether and how curbside voting could be expanded safely.

In the scramble to prepare for a big election, friction has surfaced between Rodriguez and Callanen.

In a Zoom meeting that included Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and County Manager David Smith, Callanen told me very frankly on Friday that she felt like I was attacking her and her office, Rodriguez recalled Tuesday.

He said he earlier had heard an accusation that came indirectly from someone who told me that Jacque basically said I was meddling.

On ExpressNews.com: Early voting in pandemic will be different

Rodriguez said Callanen has failed to provide a detailed plan commissioners had requested months earlier. He believes the 11th-hour decision by about 50 election judges and poll workers not to work during the July 14 primary runoff, out of fears of being exposed to the coronavirus, revealed a vulnerability in the election departments operations during the pandemic.

Why not think about being innovative and doing things differently and maximizing the amount of time people have, the convenience, for them to cast their ballot? Those are the things that Im simply challenging us to think a little bit harder about, and I guess thats the input thats not necessarily welcome, he said.

Callanen, who has served as the countys elections chief since 2005, countered that her office has a track record of processing large numbers of ballots. In 2016, it counted some 600,000, including 475,000 in early voting.

She attributed the discord partly to anxiety created by the pandemic.

But I think its someone who doesnt have the history of trusting us to do a presidential election, she said.

Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Scott, become a subscriber. shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Starburst, the world's first and only global aerospace and defence accelerator, today announced the launch of the Aviation Tech Accelerator Program, designed to champion technology and innovation in Singapore and strengthen the country's opportunity for future innovation, disruption, and partnerships relating to new aviation technologies. The program is supported by Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Airlines, SATS and Panasonic Avionics Corporation, with mentorship support from community partners including Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore), Microsoft, Cocoon Capital and HFW

Starburst's renowned brand strength and reputation as a leader in the aviation industry combined with Singapore's innovative nature will contribute to the program's success and lasting impact on the country's next generation of emerging aviation & aerospace technologies, talent pool of aviation and technology professionals, and accelerated startup ecosystem.

The program will primarily focus on relevant challenge areas shared by airlines, airports, ground handlers, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies and other connections to the aviation ecosystem. It will also focus on positioning Singapore Airlines Group & SATS for the next upturn by looking at tech to enhance the passenger experience and enable passengers to fly with a peace of mind in view of the COVID situation.

The program will accelerate 10 promising Aviation startups per year from a global pool of hundreds of applicants, through an intensive 13-week program with hands-on mentorship from the participating corporations as well as Starburst's global and local network of alumni, who will assist with investment, business development and talent acquisition.

Participating early-stage startups will have access to top-tier mentorship from the program's partner corporations as well as experts from the Starburst mentor pool, support from Singapore Government regulators, and access to work with Asian VC companies for the seed stage and a global VC network for later business stages.

"These times pose an incredible opportunity for the aviation industry to pioneer boundary-pushing technological innovations," said Francois Chopard, CEO of Starburst. "We're proud and honored to launch this initiative in Singapore and work with such prestigious authorities in the country's aviation community as well as esteemed mentors, to help create a thriving startup ecosystem that's innovating the passenger experience and solving new industry challenges."

"Singapore Airlines is glad to be a corporate partner of the Singapore Aviation Tech Accelerator Program. Nurturing the next generation of emerging aviation technologies and talent pool is an area we are passionate about. Collaborating with startups and further elevating our strong ecosystem will help us to emerge stronger after the COVID crisis and strengthen Singapore's position as the aviation hub in the region," said Mr George Wang, Senior Vice President for Information Technology at Singapore Airlines.

Mr Law Chung Ming, Director for Transport and Logistics, Enterprise Singapore said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of innovation in the aviation sector to develop new capabilities, spur transformation, and introduce new business models. Held in Singapore, Starburst's inaugural Aviation Tech Accelerator Program in Asia comes at an opportune time when the sector is looking to reinvent new ways for air transport and build Singapore's next generation of talent through partnerships with the local Institutes of Higher Learning. We look forward to collaborating with Starburst to add vibrancy to Singapore's aviation sector."

Applications open on September 2, 2020 through October 30, 2020. For further information, visit https://starburst.aero/ or email [email protected]

About Starburst

Starburst is an innovation catalyst in the aerospace and defense industry. It is the first and only global aerospace and defense accelerator, connecting industry and government with startups while providing strategic innovation and growth consulting for all. With offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, London, Seoul, Singapore and Tel Aviv the team has built an ecosystem of key players in the aerospace and defense industry as well as 6000+ startups. Every year Starburst hosts numerous international and national events bringing together entrepreneurs in aviation, space and defense putting innovation under the spotlight. Starburst supports its clients to acquire and maintain leadership in new markets and identify and fend off disruptive threats. Starburst invests in leading aerospace and defense innovators. Visit starburst.aero .

Contact:

Brooke Qilafi

[email protected]

SOURCE Starburst

Related Links

https://starburst.aero


2 1 of 2 Houston Fire Department Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Houston Fire Department Show More Show Less



Houston firefighters on Wednesday rescued two window washers whose platform collapsed near the top of a multi-story building, according to authorities.

The building was located at 3131 Memorial Ct. near Buffalo Bayou.


By Baek Byung-yeul



Amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainties surrounding Samsung Group are rising as its de facto leader Lee Jae-yong is set to face multiple court battles again.



Industry officials said Wednesday that the prosecution's decision to indict Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee could eventually make Lee concentrate less on the management of the country's most valuable conglomerate and also impede the group's business operations and investment activities.



They also expressed worries that the continuous exposure to uncertainty may lead to a discount of its brand value as investors of Samsung Group think the prolonging governance risk could be reflected in its valuation.



The prosecution indicted Samsung heir Lee for alleged violations of capital market laws and external audits and breach of trust regarding the merger between Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T in 2015. It also alleged that Lee violated accounting rules to inflate the value of Samsung Biologics in 2015, a year before its initial public offering.



"Samsung has undergone a number of investigations and trials over the past years. Though anything regarding Lee's indictment was yet to appear, concerns are increasing that business operations of Samsung will shrink," an official from a conglomerate here said.



Investment in large-scale equipment for producing semiconductors may also hit a snag if the risks surrounding the group's leader continues to grow, which will likely set Samsung behind its competitors.



In 2017, when Lee was imprisoned on a charge of bribery, Samsung Group's investment and merger and acquisition activities were almost stopped.



"It is too early to say whether the indictment of the Samsung leader would disrupt the company's future investment strategies because nothing has been decided yet. However, it is natural to have such questions since the indictment will certainly affect the group's business operations," a top industry official who requested anonymity said.



The official added the increasing difficulties for Samsung may impede the corporation's business investment and expansion. "Lee will be unable to concentrate on his work, which is executing large-scale investment and setting up the future vision of the group," he said.



Samsung Electronics has set a goal to become a top player in the entire semiconductor industry by 2030. To achieve the goal, the world's largest memory chipmaker has to be capable of competing against TSMC of Taiwan, which has the largest share in the foundry business.



To be able to vie for the foundry business leadership, Samsung needs to make a decision about how quickly and where it has to spend an astronomical amount of money. For the company's newly built Pyeongtaek Line 2 plant, the company invested 9 trillion won in building its foundry line and 8 trillion won to the creation of production lines for memory chips.



The company said it began construction of the Pyeongtaek Line 2 plant starting January 2018. It plans to invest more than 30 trillion won in the facility which will produce chips ordered by other companies and its own memory chips such as DRAM and NAND flash chips. Both facilities will be in full operation from the second half of 2021.



Samsung is also competing with TSMC in developing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, which is used to produce smaller and more energy efficient chips.



For the so-called EUV race, both companies are scrambling to purchase EUV exposure equipment from a Dutch company ASML. Given the equipment is priced at between 150 billion won to 200 billion won, which is similar to purchasing a fighter jet, industry officials said it is essential to have an owner for executing the massive scale of investment.


The economic growth will come into positive territory only by March or June quarter 2021, but India will have to turn the crisis into an opportunity by introducing reforms, Nilesh Shah, a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said on Wednesday.

Shah, who is the managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, attributed the surge in equity markets to the optimism they get by looking at the future and not at the data of the past.

Indias GDP contracted 23.9 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the June 2020 quarter, which saw COVID-19 lockdowns, making the country one of the worst performers across the world during the pandemic.

At the current level, it looks like March 2021 quarter or June 2021 quarter will show YoY positive GDP growth, Shah said speaking at a webinar organized by professional networking platform Linkedin.

He hinted that GDP will be hit by the pandemic for two years but stressed that we need to take advantage of the challenging situation, just the way we did in 1991 during the forex crisis which put the growth momentum in a new orbit.

Shah said companies want to shift out of China and that India ought to roll out the red carpet for them and also cut the red tape.

The cost of logistics, which makes Indian goods uncompetitive at the global level, has to be reduced.

Besides, the cost of power has to go down as subsidized supply to farmers makes it expensive for the industry to get electricity, he said.

Drawing from mythology, Shah compared the condition of an entrepreneur in the Indian context with that of the character Abhimanyu in Mahabharata and said the market forces are akin to the Kauravs while the role of Pandavs is played by the regulation, infrastructure support and policies.

Commenting on the surge in markets, he said while the past is about lockdowns, the future is about reforms which will change the growth orbit of India and markets are reading into the same.

He said high capital flows, low oil prices , a good monsoon are among the factors which can make one hopeful about the future and added that the market is looking ahead with optimism.

Shah said Indian IT stocks are fairly priced and not over-expensive and added that the technology companies will be able to flourish in the future as well if they tap into the digital opportunity.

He said the mutual fund industry is targeting a four-times growth in the number of those investing, to 10 crore people from the present 2.5 crore in the next five to six years.
Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST

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Free GP care for all children aged between six and eight will not be introduced until at least next year as Health Minister Stephen Donnelly came under pressure from the Tanaiste over the delay yesterday.

Leo Varadkar raised the issue at the weekly Cabinet meeting on foot of a report in the Sunday Independent about the delay in rolling out free GP care to children under eight, which had been due to go ahead this month.

The report said Government plans to introduce the programme had been delayed indefinitely as talks with the Irish Medical Organisation had yet to begin.

According to Cabinet sources, Mr Varadkar told ministers he was disappointed to read about the delay, noting it was the Government position to expand access to older children and this had already been legislated for.

Mr Donnelly sought to assure Mr Varadkar it remained his intention to press ahead with the plans, but noted the ongoing uncertainty and pressures on the health system brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

One source said Mr Donnelly told the meeting he was seeking the money as part of the estimates process, which prompted the Tanaiste to point out that the money had already been secured. A second source said there was no major disagreement over the issue.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin told ministers it was the Government's intention to press ahead with expanding free GP care.

However, the ongoing pandemic situation means it will now be next year before the free GP care scheme is widened to more children.

A spokesperson for the Tanaiste told the Irish Independent last night: "The extension of free GP care to all six and seven-year-olds was due to happen in the second half of this year. The necessary enabling legislation was passed by the Oireachtas a few months ago.

"It is fully understood that the project is delayed as a consultation on fees with the Irish Medical Organisation has yet to commence due to the pressure on general practice and on the Department of Health in dealing with the pandemic itself.

"It remains Government policy, it's in the Programme for Government and is now provided for by the Oireachtas.

"It is the Government's intention to introduce it next year."

Mr Donnelly's spokesperson said last night that the expansion of free GP care remains a priority and the minister intends to introduce it next year.
Chinas rapid military buildup means the country is closer to joining the US and Russia as the top nations capable of deploying nuclear weapons on land, in the air and at sea, the Pentagon warned in a new report.

Chinas progress in upgrading its strategic bombers to carry nuclear payloads puts it on the cusp of achieving a triad" of delivery systems, punctuating a two-decade investment that coincided with the countrys economic rise, according to an annual Defense Department report to Congress published on Tuesday.

Over the next decade, China will expand and diversify its nuclear forces, likely at least doubling its nuclear warhead stockpile," according to the 200-page report. Chinas nuclear forces appear to be on a trajectory to exceed the size of a minimum deterrent as described in the PLAs own writings," it added, referring to the Peoples Liberation Army.

The development of a nuclear triad raises the long-term stakes in the complex relationship between Beijing and Washington. Although the two sides have limited their responses to current tensions to measures such as economic sanctions, tariffs and harsh rhetoric, Chinas growing arsenal of nuclear weapons will provide an added rationale for U.S. officials who want to accelerate the modernization of Americas nuclear forces.

Chinas defense ministry denounced the report as a document created with a zero-sum-game mindset and Cold War mentality," saying that the US had misinterpreted" the countrys nuclear policy and stirred up confrontation with Taiwan. Its extremely wrong and China firmly rejects it," the ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

The report arrives during one of the most tense periods in US-China ties in decades. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused China of not doing enough to stop the Covid-19 pandemic that has now killed about 184,000 Americans. The two nations are also at loggerheads over Beijings treatment of Hong Kong, the use of technology such as 5G and apps including TikTok which are tied to China and disputed claims in the South China Sea.

Alarmist View

Analysts questioned what Amy Woolf, the top nuclear weapons analyst for the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, called the reports alarmist view." The US has long believed" that, at least for the US and Russia, a triad is stabilizing because it reduces the vulnerability of the retaliatory force, reduces the risk of crisis instability and strengthens deterrence," Woolf said.

Kingston Reif, a director with the Arms Control Association, said the Defense Departments estimate of the size of Chinas warhead stockpile is even less than open-source estimates." He said it cant be overstated" that Russias arsenal is much larger and more dangerous."

The Trump administration has been pressing to bring China into its nuclear arms control talks with Russia.

As part of President Xi Jinpings efforts to build a world class" military by 2049, the Defense Department report said the Peoples Liberation Army has already achieved parity with or exceeded the US in at least three key areas: shipbuilding, land-based conventional ballistic and cruise missiles and integrated air defense systems.

Chinas government has marshaled the resources, technology and political will over the past two decades to strengthen and modernize the PLA in nearly every respect," according to the report. Increasingly, it says, Xis government sees the armed forces as having a key role to play in supporting Chinas foreign policy efforts.

While the country has one overseas military base, in the East African nation of Djibouti, Chinas government is very likely already considering and planning for additional overseas military logistics facilities to support naval, air and ground forces," the report said.

There is no area that I know of thats off the table," Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Chad Sbragia said in a briefing to reporters before the report was released.

China-Taiwan balance

Of keen congressional interest in the report is the Pentagons assessment of the military balance between China and Taiwan.

Chinas official military budget last year was 15 times that of the island democracy with much of it focused on developing the capability to unify Taiwan by force," the report said. China appears willing to defer the use of military force as long as it considers that unification" with the island could be negotiated over the long term and the costs of conflict outweigh the benefits," the report said.

Chinas current nuclear arsenal includes 100 silo or road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles, as many as six Jin-class nuclear missile submarines capable of carrying 12 missiles each and a new air-refuelable H-6N long-range bomber. The bomber is an upgrade on a previous model and comes with a modified fuselage that allows it to carry either a drone or an air-launched ballistic missile that may be nuclear-capable," according to the report.

Even if by 2030 China more than doubles a stockpile thats now estimated to be in the low 200s," as the Pentagon projects, it will be much smaller than the USs 3,800 warheads and Russias 4,300, based on data from the Federation of American Scientists.

The Pentagon also flagged US concerns about Chinas nuclear doctrine. As its capabilities improve, the report said, Beijing is believed to be putting more of its nuclear forces on a launch on warning" posture, which would let it respond more quickly to threats.

China for decades has maintained a No First Use" nuclear weapons policy although there is ambiguity over the conditions under which China would act outside" of that policy, the US military said.

The report also said that major gaps and shortcomings" remain in Chinas military capabilities that could require decades to fix. Yet, the Pentagon warned, the country has a strategic end state that it is working towards, which if achieved and its accompanying military modernization is left unaddressed, will have serious implications for US national interests and the security of the international rules-based order."

US Unpredictability

China views global instability and unpredictability in the US as key threats it faces, according to the Defense Department. It said Chinese leaders believe there is a greater political will in the US to confront Beijing on matters where US and PRC interests are inimical."

The heavy emphasis on Chinas nuclear improvements will probably be used by the Pentagon to press lawmakers and the public to support the massive reinvestment already underway in modernized nuclear weapons. This includes the B-21 bomber, an $85 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ICBM program and the $128 billion Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.

China has an operational ground-based antisatellite missile intended to target low-Earth Orbit satellites, according to the Pentagon, and China probably intends to pursue additional ASAT weapons capable of destroying satellites up to geosynchronous Earth orbit," or 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers.)

The report also discloses that last year:

China launched more ballistic missiles for testing and training than the rest of the world combined."

The PLA attempted to obtain random access memory chips and aviation and antisubmarine warfare technologies both through theft and by leveraging legitimate joint ventures.

China deployed limited numbers of its first J-20 stealth fighter. It plans upgrades that will increase the number of air-to-air missiles carried in stealth mode and will add super-cruise capability by installing the indigenous WS-15 engine.

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BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The meeting reviewed a guideline on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, and a report on the fifth round of disciplinary inspections by the 19th CPC Central Committee.

The Yellow River is the "mother river" of the Chinese nation, and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin should be regarded as a long-term project concerning the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said an official statement issued after the meeting.

Coordinated management measures covering mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts are needed to improve the ecological environment, optimize the allocation of water resources, and promote the high-quality development of the whole basin, according to the meeting.

Differentiated measures should be adopted to improve the ecological environment of the Yellow River basin and vigorously promote the economical use of its water resources, said the statement.

The country will also improve the disaster prevention and reduction system and build up capabilities to respond to various disasters.

Effective steps should be taken to promote the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, build a modern industrial system with special advantages, optimize urban development structures, and promote rural vitalization, said the statement.

The meeting also underlined preserving and promoting the Yellow River culture.

Provincial-level regions along the Yellow River and relevant departments should strengthen coordination and take main responsibilities to formulate and implement detailed plans to make significant progress during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The meeting also reviewed the report on the latest round of disciplinary inspections, in which 15 teams were dispatched to inspect 35 central Party and state institutions from May to July this year.

According to the results of the Party discipline inspections, leading Party members groups or Party committees of the central and state organs showed a more active attitude to implementing the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee, and positive outcomes had been achieved in ensuring full and strict governance over the Party, the meeting said.

In the meantime, the meeting urged concrete and effective moves to address prominent problems and intensify day-to-day supervision.

The meeting required the central authorities to ensure the principle and oversight responsibilities for exercising strict governance over the Party are fully assumed.
All lives are equally valuable. That's the strong consensus emerging from the many different countries and organizations that have struggled with the question of who should get first access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Why it matters: The current scarcity of the vaccine looks like an economics problem  too much demand, and not enough supply. But no one is seriously proposing a market-based solution, where the vaccine goes first to those willing and able to pay to jump to the front of the line.
These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriffs Office and the Maryland State Police for this edition of Local Living. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call 410-535-2800 or 301-855-1194 or use the Submit a Tip feature on the mobile app. Call the Crime Solvers line at 410-535-2880 or the state police Prince Frederick Barrack at 410-535-1400.
Amid what she describes as a global reckoning when it comes to inequality generally and anti-Black racism specifically, Charlene Theodore sees the possibility of making the legal profession better and more inclusive.

As she says herself: If not now, when?

On Sept. 1, she became the first Black lawyer, and only the 10th woman, to assume the presidency of the 113-year-old Ontario Bar Association, the provincial organization representing more than 16,000 legal professionals.

Her ascendance to the presidency in 2020 highlights, I think, the slow pace of change within our profession, she says, as she prepares to chart the organization on a course to substantially change the legal profession within the next 10 years  both in terms of its makeup and its workplace culture.

Its bold, she agrees, but stresses that the time for reports and debates on the existence of systemic racism in the profession must come to an end and make way for actual solutions.

I had to think about it as a Black woman that has the lived experience of being Black in this profession, she said in an interview with the Star this week.

As many advantages as I have, I am not immune from some of the discrimination and bias....both as a woman and by virtue of being Black.

With that in mind, one of her first moves as president is to launch Not Another Decade, which she said will become a core part of the OBA and outlive her one-year term as president.

Its basically weve done a lot of talking, theres a lot of reports, we want to set goals every year and want to see a shift in the legal profession at the end of 10 years, she said.

Listen to Ryan Watkins discuss why there are not enough Black lawyers

This year, the focus will be on Work that works, aiming to provide tools, education and other resources so legal professionals can take advantage of this moment, she said, and re-imagine their workplaces to make them modern, healthy and productive.

Were at a crossroads of what we see is a younger, more diverse workforce and quite frankly a homogenous boardroom culture that leaves many people on the outside looking in, she said.

So when it comes to legal workplaces...if youre a lawyer who is an employer of other lawyers, you are really facing tough dilemmas and have been for some time about how to implement tangible and measurable diversity initiatives.

Like most professions, law has lagged in improving diversity among its ranks. Black people make up about 3.2 per cent of Ontarios 55,000 lawyers, while women, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour continue to be underrepresented in the senior ranks of most major firms.

Born in Toronto and raised in Brampton, Theodores interest in law developed in high school when she came across a book about Steven Truscott at a garage sale, one of Canadas most notable wrongful murder conviction cases.

It struck me as I read the book as a kid that the law was the tool for this huge travesty, and the law was also the only tool to use to right that wrong, she said.

Educated in law at Dalhousie University, Theodore has pursued a career that has seen her focus on issues including international human rights, diversity and inclusion. Her work has taken her all over the world, including time spent working for the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination.

She currently serves as in-house counsel for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.

Her term as president at the OBA also comes as the board of the Law Society of Ontario  the legal regulator that licenses and disciplines lawyers and paralegals  continues to be split on issues including systemic racism in the profession, with some board members openly questioning whether it exists.

The board scrapped last year what was known as the statement of principles. The key diversity initiative mandated each lawyer and paralegal to adopt a statement (which they could write themselves) acknowledging their obligation to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

Theodore described the drawn-out debate over the statement of principles as hurtful and divisive. On Blackout Tuesday in June, when the law society tweeted that it supports the need to address the barriers facing Black lawyers and paralegals, Theodore quickly shot back:

How has your organization supported your diversity partners? Where is the recognition of your own obligations in this area? You govern Black lawyers. The public interest you serve includes Black Ontarians. Solidarity is important but you have your own work to do.

She reiterated this week that the law society still has its own work to do on these issues, while shes focused on her work finding solutions at the helm of the OBA.

She believes that overall, lawyers will be receptive to what shes proposing.

Whats especially true of lawyers is we recognize the fundamental importance of everyone being able to trust that the justice system works for them, she said. And lawyers never see the work of justice as being done. We always see room for improvement.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event Monday at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh. (Associated Press)

Joe Biden has finally emerged from his basement  and Democrats are relieved.

After months of near-seclusion at his home in Delaware, the Democratic nominee has given two well-crafted speeches in two weeks: an eloquent and hopeful acceptance speech at his partys convention and a forceful attack Monday on President Trump over the boiling issue of urban violence.

So far, so good  but two speeches do not a winning campaign make. Biden needs to do much more in the two months before election day, pandemic or not.

Aides handle the 77-year-old candidate as if he were as fragile as a Faberge egg. He still holds most meetings remotely. A recent conversation with his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, occurred across a socially distanced expanse of conference room.

His speech Monday in Pittsburgh was in a cavernous former steel mill, with only television crews and reporters present. But he later donned a mask and stopped by a union local to hand out pizza to firefighters  proving that it's sometimes worth bending the rules for a good visual.

The most important element of the Pittsburgh speech, a rebuttal of Trumps overheated charge that Biden is a puppet of anarchists, was the controlled anger of his tone.

You know me, he told voters. Do I look to you like a radical socialist?

Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting, he added. Those who do it should be prosecuted.

The real problem, he said, is Trump, whom he called a toxic presence who is rooting for chaos and violence.

That wasnt just defense. It was offense, too.

In Pittsburgh, Biden showed that he doesnt intend to let Trump get away with constant accusations and insults unanswered. This is a sharp-elbows game, and the Democrat showed he can compete.

So what does he need to do now? Plenty.

He needs to do a series of substantive speeches on the big issues that Democrats want to define this election: COVID, the economy, healthcare, race relations, climate and our role in the world, Tad Devine, a veteran party strategist, told me.

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That doesnt require nonstop campaigning and giant rallies.

Theyre doing the right thing by keeping him not just alive, but fresh," Devine said. "Doing too many events a day is a huge mistake.

Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan often did only one event a day, he noted. Both, it should also be noted, won reelection.

Here's my to-do list for Biden.

He needs to show up in more states than just Delaware and Pennsylvania. He said last week that he plans to hit major battleground states after Labor Day, including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona.

But the election also will be decided in Michigan, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and New Hampshire. Trump hit New Hampshire a day after the Republican convention ended. He went to Kenosha, Wis., on Tuesday and will go to North Carolina on Thursday and western Pennsylvania on Friday.

Biden needs to get to all of them  now. Aides say the campaign is considering a trip to Wisconsin as early as Thursday.

Biden needs to find more ways to focus the campaign on issues central to his pitch: taming the pandemic, rebuilding the economy, expanding Obamacare. He doesnt want to be caught in an endless loop of punching back at Trump, especially on Trump's terms.

Aides said he plans to begin with a speech on school reopenings Wednesday near his home in Wilmington, Del.

He needs to reach out directly to blue-collar voters who backed Barack Obama in 2008 or 2012 but defected to Trump in 2016  an important demographic in the industrial Midwest.

He needs to find a way to speak in front of live audiences without violating social distancing  a difficult task for a campaign that wants to emphasize that the pandemic is still a crisis, but not an impossible one.

He needs to hold regular news conferences  not only to show that he can handle unscripted questions but to tune up for his three debates with Trump, which begin Sept. 29.

He needs more help from surrogates, beginning with Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist from Vermont who lost to Biden in the primaries. Obama can help energize Black voters and white voters who supported him before; Sanders can appeal to young progressives, a weak spot in Bidens support.

And of course, he could use more help from Trump, who has already stumbled by setting low expectations (Biden doesnt know hes alive," the president said  again  on Tuesday) and by refusing to condemn violence by his own supporters.

Perhaps most important, Biden needs to maintain the discipline he has somehow found in the last few months after a long career in which he was often most famous for his verbal gaffes.

He has made a better start than some of his supporters expected. Now he has to keep this up for nine mistake-free weeks  and that, for Biden, will be a major challenge.
Harris County now has study spots with free Wi-Fi for students who need it while remote learning.

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia launched a new "study zone" program on Tuesday.

"Kids, the message is very clear. Pandemic or no pandemic, you're going to school one way or another," Garcia said in a statement. "Come on over to our study zones. Use our hotspot. Learn in a clean, healthy, cool environment. Bring your mom and dad with you so everyone is benefiting."

The Harris County Public Library's Curiosity Cruiser will also stop by on Tuesdays to give students access to books and other library resources.

Registration and masks are required to use the study zones. Parents are also required to stay with their children.

The study zone will be open every weekday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. until Dec. 14., excluding Sept. 7 and Nov. 26-27.

Registration is currently open for the North Shore Rotary Pavilion location at 14440 Wallisville Road.
The Rigetti-led consortium to bring the first commercial quantum computer to the UK includes Oxford Instruments, University of Edinburgh, Phasecraft and Standard Chartered Bank.

The Rigetti-led consortium to bring the first commercial quantum computer to the UK includes Oxford Instruments, University of Edinburgh, Phasecraft and Standard Chartered Bank.

The consortium will build and operate a quantum computer based on Rigettis superconducting quantum processor technology. Photo by Justin Fantl

The consortium will build and operate a quantum computer based on Rigettis superconducting quantum processor technology. Photo by Justin Fantl

London, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigetti UK announced today it will lead a 10 million consortium to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum computing in the UK. The three-year programme will build and operate the first quantum computer in the UK, make it available to partners and customers over the cloud, and pursue practical applications in machine learning, materials simulation, and finance. Rigetti is joined by Oxford Instruments, University of Edinburgh, quantum software start-up Phasecraft, and Standard Chartered Bank.

Our ambition is to be the worlds first quantum-ready economy, which could provide UK businesses and industries with billions of pounds worth of opportunities, said Science Minister Amanda Solloway. Therefore, I am delighted that companies across the country will have access to our first commercial quantum computer, to be based in Abingdon. This is a key part of our plan to build back better using the latest technology, attract the brightest and best talent to the UK and encourage world-leading companies to invest here.

Many industries central to the UK economy are poised to benefit from quantum computing, including finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals. A recent BCG report projected the global quantum industry to reach 4B by 2024.

We are excited to deliver the UKs first quantum computer and help accelerate the development of practical algorithms and applications.  said Chad Rigetti, CEO of Rigetti Computing. By providing access to quantum hardware, the collaboration aims to unlock new capabilities within the thriving UK ecosystem of quantum information science researchers, start-ups, and enterprises who have already begun to explore the potential impact of quantum computing.

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Rigetti will build the superconducting quantum computer in a Proteox dilution refrigerator provided by Oxford Instruments. The University of Edinburgh will develop new ways of testing quantum hardware and verifying the performance of quantum programs, and will work with Standard Chartered Bank to advance quantum machine learning applications for finance. In addition, Phasecraft will use its deep knowledge of quantum algorithms and high-efficiency quantum software to harness this hardware for near-term applications in materials design, energy, and pharmaceuticals.

In addition to delivering a practical quantum computer in the UK, a key goal of the initiative is to further develop the countrys quantum computing talent, infrastructure, and national supply chain, and to advance the high-performance computing industry.

The UK is investing in quantum technologies not only to create society-changing products and services but also to grow talent and expertise, create new jobs and turn outstanding science into economic prosperity, said Roger McKinlay, challenge director for quantum technologies at UK Research and Innovation. I am delighted that Rigettia global leader in quantum computinghave chosen to invest in the UK through this project, building on the close relationships they have already forged with UK companies and research organisations.

The consortium is backed by 10 million government and industry investment, including funding from the governments Quantum Technologies Challenge, led by UK Research & Innovation.

About Rigetti UK

Rigetti UK Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rigetti Computing. Rigetti builds superconducting quantum computing systems and delivers access to them over the cloud. These systems are optimized for integration with existing computing infrastructure and tailored to support the development of practical software and applications. Learn more at rigetti.com.

About Oxford Instruments NanoScience

Oxford Instruments NanoScience designs, supplies and supports market-leading research tools that enable quantum technologies, new materials and device development in the physical sciences. Our tools support research down to the atomic scale through creation of high performance, cryogen free low temperature and magnetic environments, based upon our core technologies in low and ultra-low temperatures, high magnetic fields and system integration, with ever-increasing levels of experimental and measurement readiness.

About Phasecraft

Phasecraft is a UK quantum software startup whose goal is to get the most out of near-term quantum computers. The companys contributions range from underpinning mathematics through to developing software on real or emulated quantum hardware. The Phasecraft team uses expertise in the theory of quantum computing to solve the hardest problems in this area.

About The University of Edinburghs School of Informatics

With over 100 academics, 120 research staff and over 1,600 students from over 80 countries worldwide the University of Edinburghs School of Informatics is the largest European centre of its kind. It is ranked 23rd in QS World University Ranking for Computer Science and 24th in THES World University Ranking for Computer Science. It is among the top institutions in the UK for research power. Working in this rich and fertile environment Professor Kashefi's group has pioneered a trans-disciplinary research environment investigating all aspects of quantum information processing from protocols design towards experimental implementation all the way to actual industrial applications.

About Standard Chartered Bank

Standard Chartered Bank is a leading international banking group, with a presence in 60 of the worlds most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Standard Chartereds Data Science & Innovation group, with a proven research track record in quantum computing and machine learning/AI, has been active in quantum computing since 2017. SC Ventures is the banks innovation, fintech investment and ventures unit, focused on developing an innovation culture and mindset, deepening capabilities and experimenting with new business models through an open platform and network of people and partnerships.

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CONTACT: Lauren Rugani Rigetti Computing press@rigetti.com




U.S. Democratic Senate candidate and current U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III, who is running for the seat held by U.S. Senator Ed Markey, speaks at his primary election rally in Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S., September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks outside his campaign headquarters in Watertown, Mass., after conceding defeat to incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

U.S. Senator Ed Markey on Tuesday defeated Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Democratic primary, positioning himself to win another six-year term on Nov. 3 and a platform for a progressive agenda in 2021.

With his unsuccessful challenge, Kennedy became the first member of his fabled political family to suffer a defeat in a Massachusetts election for a congressional seat.

While his political stances aligned closely with Markey's, Kennedy was seen as a favourite when he made his surprise announcement last September that he would leave the House of Representatives after eight years and try to stop fellow Democrat Markey's nomination to run in the Nov. 3 election.

But Markey, who has been at the forefront of liberal causes ranging from stopping nuclear weapons proliferation to imposing strict new carbon emissions standards to curb climate change, mounted an aggressive campaign that was bolstered by progressive stars such as fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Expand Close Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey celebrates with wife Susan, left, in Malden, Mass., after defeating U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey celebrates with wife Susan, left, in Malden, Mass., after defeating U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Incomplete results had Markey's lead over Kennedy at 55.4% to 44.6%, according to a New York Times tally.

In his victory speech, Markey emphasized the urgency of tackling climate change after years of sputtering legislation.

"There will be no peace, no justice, no prosperity unless we stop the march to climate destruction. This is a matter of life and death," Markey said.

Last year, he and Ocasio-Cortez unveiled the "Green New Deal" calling for slashing carbon emissions blamed for climate change.

With Markey's deep legislative record after more than four decades in the House and Senate and no personal controversies, Kennedy had a difficult time convincing Massachusetts voters to dump the veteran lawmaker.

In public opinion polls, Markey, 74, was capturing the support of young voters in his run against Kennedy, 39, the grandson of slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy. His grand-uncle was President John F. Kennedy.

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While progressives helped propel Markey to victory, they suffered stinging setbacks in other Massachusetts contests.

The New York Times declared Democratic U.S. Representatives Richard Neal and Stephen Lynch primary winners, soundly defeating challenges from Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and physician Robbie Goldstein, respectively.

Neal chairs the powerful tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

Since 2018, progressives running in other states have unseated some more moderate, veteran House Democrats.

In conceding defeat, Kennedy called Markey "a good man" and said his coalition of supporters "who do not have the luxury of accepting the status quo" will continue their fight for universal healthcare and civil rights improvements.
Rajya Sabha member and BJP media head Anil Baluni said that the uproar caused by Opposition over the Question Hour suspension is nothing but a 'masterclass in hypocrisy'

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress over its criticism of the Union government for suspending the Question Hour during the upcoming Parliament session, saying it is "amusing to see Opposition members who don't have power to question even their party president create a fake narrative" on this issue.

Rajya Sabha member and BJP media head Anil Baluni said that the uproar caused by Opposition members over the Question Hour suspension is nothing but a "masterclass in hypocrisy".

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two Houses of Parliament will convene only for four hours daily and so naturally there is a paucity of time, he said, citing the reason behind not keeping the Question Hour a part of the 18-day session.

Unstarred questions, answers to which are given to members in a written form, will be allowed, he added.

BJP sources also said that the government is working to see if the Question Hour can be accommodated in the session, which starts from 14 September.

Baluni noted that several state Assemblies have functioned after March, the month when COVID-19 began to spread and brought about the nationwide lockdown, and that there has been no Question Hour in the Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

All these states are ruled by non-BJP parties, and his party did not raise a hue and cry there, he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had spoken to all parties where they all supported this move, but they have changed their stand now, he said.

Baluni pointed out that when Question Hour was a normal feature in Parliament, it was routinely "disrupted" by Opposition parties.

"The extent of disturbance of the Question Hour is visible from the fact that in the last eight sessions, out of the 162 hours allotted for it, only 59 hours were used and more than 102 hours were lost due to disruptions and adjournment," he said.

"For the parties creating an uproar, can they tell how many questions have their top leaders asked in the question hour?" he asked.

Rebutting the Opposition's charge, he said it is far-fetched to say that this is being done by the government to evade questions.

"This is simply a case of extraordinary measures for extraordinary times. The government has always answered each question with sincerity," he said.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and the party''s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma have criticised the proposal to exclude Question Hour during this session, saying this is arbitrary and undemocratic as it is the members'' right to ask questions to the government on key issues.

The Left and the Trinamool Congress have also attacked the government for this.
Coursera has opened up thousands of free online courses to unemployed workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative is known as the Workforce Recovery Initiative, and it gives the unemployed access to 90 percent of Coursera's catalog of free online courses.

Those who wish to access it can learn certificate programs through government agencies and community colleges.

Coursera launched the initiative in the hope of giving unemployed workers a means to re-skill and re-enter, the Business Insider reported. Some of the free online courses in the Workforce Recovery Initiative are from state governments and leaders worldwide.

There are about 3,800 offered courses from top names like Amazon and Google, said a CNBC report.

An example of professional credentials that can be obtained through Coursera is the Google I.T. Support Professional Support Certificate. This course can open various opportunities in on-demand tech jobs.

Unemployed workers can take classes as long as they want to, for free. Without free access, it will cost them about $399 a year.

According to Business Wire, some U.S. states like Illinois, Arizona, and Oklahoma will be the first to make the service free. This set of locations is expected to increase in the next few weeks.

How it Works

By design, the course offerings are already workforce-ready. The company creates courses and pairs them with expert instructors.

Using the program, the jobless can get free access to the thousands of courses from top universities such as Duke and Yale. There are also companies like IBM and Google, offering free online courses.

Students can pick if they want single courses or Job Paths, a collection of courses that prepare them for specific roles. There are also certificate programs that can help boost a person's resume.

The company's Chief Enterprise Officer Leah Belsky said the first thing they noticed in the world after the COVID-19 shutdown was education's shutdown. She said they were looking for ways to support people who were forced to let go of their jobs.

Demand for Coursera Increased

According to the site's CEO, Jeff Maggioncalda, their service has been seeing better demand lately. As 1.6 billion students are stuck at home due to stay-at-home orders, they moved to online learning.

The increase in users was the reason why the company decided to take down the paywall for a while.

As per the 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, Coursera has about 56 million registered users worldwide. This year is particularly good for the company as they only had about 40 million users a year ago.

About 10 million users signed up for the past month, as the company partnered with more colleges, enabling schools to offer free access to their course catalog.

"We hope this initiative can serve many millions of impacted workers around the world," Maggioncalda said.

This is not the only program the Coursera has led amid the pandemic. The site is also offering those with a ".edu" email access to 90 percent of the catalog until the end of the month.

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US Schools Face Laptop Shortage as Students Return to Classes this Fall

Common Challenges of Online Teaching

YouTube Filter Removes 11 Million Videos in 3 Months
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Owl Ventures, the largest venture capital fund in education technology, announced today that it closed $585 million across two new funds. The Silicon Valley and San Francisco based firm closed $415 million for its fourth fund and $170 million for its first Opportunity Fund. The new funds will help fuel its strategy of making early, growth and later stage investments in the world's leading education technology companies across the education spectrum including PreK-12, higher education and future of work (career mobility/professional learning).

Since its founding in 2014, the firm has been a major investor in many of the fastest growing companies in the global EdTech market including U.S. companies Accelerate Learning (acquired by Carlyle Group), Degreed, DreamBox Learning (acquired by TPG Rise), Hazel Health, MasterClass, Newsela, Noodle Partners, Quizlet, Remind and international companies such as BYJU's, Labster, Lele Ketang, Sanjieke and WhiteHat Jr. (acquired by BYJU's).

"Since we began the firm, we have seen the digital revolution rapidly unfold in education and workforce development," said Tory Patterson, Managing Director at Owl Ventures. "Due to the shift to remote learning and work, we find ourselves in a watershed moment for the over $6 trillion education and training market as the rising digital penetration in the sector that had already been taking place has surged."

"We are finding that our portfolio companies based in the U.S., China, Europe and India are mission-critical elements to continued learning," said Ian Chiu, Managing Director at Owl Ventures. "Inbound inquiries, user growth/engagement, and customer pipelines have dramatically spiked across our portfolio with our platforms being leveraged globally."

The success of Owl Ventures global investment strategy was recently highlighted by two of its portfolio companies in India when BYJU's, the most valuable privately held EdTech company in the world, acquired 18 month old start-up WhiteHat Jr for $300 million. Owl Ventures was the only fund that was an investor in both companies.

"The meteoric growth of both Whitehat Jr and BYJU's is illustrative of the rapidly growing and maturing EdTech market in India and throughout the world," said Amit Patel, Managing Director at Owl Ventures. "We seek to partner with visionary entrepreneurs who are tackling large problems in education as well as training and help them build transformative category leading companies."

Owl Ventures is the lead investor in the vast majority of its deals and typically joins the board of each of its companies. This hands-on approach helps companies across numerous functions including distribution, partnerships, talent, fundraising and outcomes measurement. The firm has also helped foster a robust community within the portfolio companies through CEO Summits and industry specific events that allow fellow EdTech entrepreneurs to share best practices, insights and explore partnership opportunities. As an education sector specialist, the fund has successfully partnered with leading diversified venture capital and private equity funds to help accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies.

Owl Ventures is backed by top global Limited Partners consisting of prestigious college & university endowments, foundations, strategic education institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices from across the U.S., Asia, Europe, Middle East, and South America.

"Our global LP base and network of education institutions and leaders is a major competitive advantage as we have valuable partners throughout the world that can uniquely help change the trajectory of our portfolio companies," said Tom Costin, Managing Director at Owl Ventures.

About Owl Ventures

Owl Ventures is the largest venture capital fund in the world focused on the education technology market with over $1.2 billion in assets under management. The Silicon Valley based firm invests in the world's leading education technology companies across the education spectrum encompassing PreK-12, higher education and future of work (career mobility/professional learning). Owl Ventures has deep domain expertise and leverages a global network of Limited Partners, investors, and strategic partners to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses into transformative category leading companies. Learn more at www.OwlVC.com

Contact: Tom Costin, [email protected]

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The Congress leader's remarks comes after official data showed on Monday that the country's economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with the GDP contracting by 23.9%

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the state of the economy, rise in COVID-19 cases, and "external aggression" at borders, alleging that India is reeling under "Modi-made disasters".

His attack comes after official data showed on Monday that the country's economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with the gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 23.9 percent as the coronavirus-related lockdown weighed on the already declining consumer demand and investment.

India is reeling under Modi-made disasters: 1. Historic GDP reduction -23.9%

2. Highest Unemployment in 45 yrs

3. 12 Crs job loss

4. Centre not paying States their GST dues

5. Globally highest COVID-19 daily cases and deaths

6. External aggression at our borders  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 2, 2020

Rebutting Gandhi's attack in a video earlier this week on the state of the economy, the BJP had mocked him saying he should release a video about the "G-23", a reference to the 23 leaders who wrote to the Congress chief seeking the party's overhaul.

Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian has said the economy was "experiencing a V-shaped recovery" after the lockdown was eased.
Yatish Yadav's conversations with Indian spies provide insight into how covert operations actually work.

In RAW: A History of Indias Covert Operations, investigative journalist Yatish Yadav presents a comprehensive account of Indian spy networks and their intelligence gathering, and their role in securing and advancing Indian interests. Yadav's conversations with Indian spies provide insight into how covert operations work.

The following is an excerpt from the book's fourth chapter, Sri Lankan Affairs, which discusses the 'most disastrous' spy operation conducted by the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and its aftermath.

This excerpt from RAW: A History of Indias Covert Operations, written by Yatish Yadav, has been reproduced here with kind permission from the publisher, Westland Publications.

***

Sri Lanka remains one of the R&AWs most disastrous espionage operations ever. The political decisions to first support the insurgents and subsequently turn the guns against them had little gains for India besides holding onto influence in the neighbouring country for a few decades. The spies believe Indias reaction in 1983 had been appropriate when the decision to support the insurgents was taken, as the country could not remain unmoved by atrocities against ethnic Tamils. But the battle was too long and arduous. Sustaining a covert operation for more than two decades doubled the danger. Plus, international community pressure was clearterrorism in Sri Lanka must stop. The UPA thus gave its support to Mahinda Rajapaksa and so did its ally, the DMK, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Any debate over the DMKs support to Rajapaksa against the LTTE was clarified by a US embassy cable dated 27 October 2008 titled Karunanidhi concern mostly political theatrics, based on a conversation between the US ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan president. The cable said:

Ambassador asked for the Presidents views on how far he expected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi to press the Indian government on Sri Lanka. The President responded that Karunanidhis recent tough line was mostly to keep his opponents in Tamil Nadu off balance. Rajapaksa even admitted he had received word from Karunanidhi that as long as Sri Lanka took care of the civilians, spoke of a political solution and did not criticize Karunanidhi, he would be satisfied. With fewer demands from Tamil Nadu, continued good humanitarian resupply, and care for low civilian casualties, President Rajapaksa thought he would likewise be able to keep the Indian government happy.

Around the same time, Mahinda Rajapaksa sent his younger brother Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi as a special envoy. It was a political gesture and India conveyed its concerns over the humanitarian situation in the northern part of Sri Lanka, especially the civilians and internally displaced persons caught in the crossfire. In the background, Sri Lanka knew the power of the R&AW and under the cover of the civil war, they covertly worked to neutralise the spy agencys influence and network.

Avinash said that between 2006 and 2009 when Sri Lanka waged an all-out war against the Tigers, a Tamil boat owner and a maid were the R&AWs only effective arsenal in the island nation. There is no single documented account of Operation Satori carried out with the help of an Indian maid named Sundari. The fifty-five-year-old Tamil and Sinhalese speaking woman worked to rescue and evacuate R&AW sources when the Indian spy agency stopped personal meetings with local informers to ensure their safety.

Avinash said: We were scrambling to find innovative means to communicate with our informers and assets caught in the crossfire when one officer suddenly looked at Sundari, who was serving us tea. The most frightening aspect of the operation was to maintain utmost secrecy about the movements of the assets, which were more or less banned. We had to save the assets from both sides and also assess the strengths and weaknesses of the intelligence services of Sri Lanka and the LTTEs espionage network to carry out the operation.

The government had restricted the movements of people in the battle zone and assets were stranded. Informers were being hunted by both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers. The LTTE espionage network was quite strong and there was a standing order that any leader leaving the battle zone must be shot dead. Although the R&AW knew the weaknesses of Sri Lankan intelligence, they realised that Rajapaksas spies were also keeping an eye on the northern and eastern provinces, scouting for prize catches. Within a week fictitious papers were arranged for Sundari through Kosala that would allow her to travel inside the battle zone freely to help the badly wounded in their makeshift hospitals. There was hopelessness and misery all around Jaffna and Sundari was trained to deal with this anxiety while on her rescue missions.

Sundari was pivotal to Operation Satori. Though she was not a conventional spy, she was a thorough professional. With the help of Asanka, an ambulance driver, and Ramanuj, an animal activist, she managed to rescue several leaders who were R&AW recruits and thus on Gotabaya Rajapaksas hitlist. On the one hand, the R&AW was providing satellite imagery to the Sri Lankan army to help neutralise the LTTE, and on the other hand, Sundari, Asanka and Ramanuj had the task of evacuating Indian informers and political assets from Jaffna. The area where Sundari operated was darkened via PhotoShop before images were shared with the Sri Lankan army and its intelligence unit, and Kosala had bribed certain senior personnel in the army so that people could safely be smuggled out of the war zone. Avinash, Kosalas official handler, provided reports of the evacuation to Indian spies stationed in Singapore, Cambodia, Maldives and New Delhi. Although Avinash had dark thoughts about Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his scheming followers, he believed the Indian network with Kosalas help would save the day.

Gotabaya had the unique distinction of torturing those he considered the enemy, including suspected informers. We had never witnessed such brutal killings in our careers, Arora told me.

As an ambulance driver, Asanka witnessed dangerous and dirty games orchestrated by political leaders. In 2006, when the war started, he had been involved in rescue operations in the southern provinces, where the Sri Lankan Air Force kept LTTE targets to keep the Sinhalese population happy. A Sinhalese himself, Asanka knew human rights violations were a reality and that Mahinda Rajapaksas assurances that his forces were trained to prioritise human rights were merely lip service. He was privately furious but continued to work in the armys medical unit, waiting for a day of redemption.

Sundari and her team let the rescued assets and leaders know that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was targeting them and that their evacuation was being done in complete secrecy. According to Arora, Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed on several occasions that his intelligence operatives had accurate information about Prabhakarans whereabouts but in reality they were dependent on Indian sources to supply information about the Tigers positions.

The guns fell silent in May 2009 and Rajapaksa announced the victory in parliament on 19 May. Although he announced development programmes for the Tamil and Muslim minorities, he also said that the Tamils had been reduced to misery by the LTTEs terrorism and the Tamil diaspora that supported the insurgents must stop such assistance for a separate Eelam. In Rajapaksas view, the victory of the Sri Lankan army in the civil war was in fact the victory of the Tamil people, as they had gained nothing from the years of bloody war. He argued that the LTTE had falsely promised Sri Lankan Tamils a separate autonomous state via terror activities against the government. This stalled development in LTTE dominated areas and the large Tamil population had had to suffer because of that. In his view Tamils were victims of the insurgency and the victory would ensure that they became part of mainstream society.

Rajapaksa knew the international community was readying itself to criticise the Sri Lankan army for war crimes and he launched a major offensive immediately after the Sri Lankan television channels beamed images of Prabhakarans dead body. Without naming any particular country, Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka had cared for and sustained all its people, including the Tamils, throughout the two decades of the LTTEs violence and terrorism and he needed no advice on better treatment for the Tamils.

According to Arora, in April 2009, before Prabhakaran was killed, India had requested the Sri Lankan government to stop the attacks on LTTE strongholds. National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon had travelled to Colombo on 24 April, focused on ensuring the cessation of the war on the Tigers. Their visit coincided with the Sri Lankan armys operation in Mullaitivu. The armys intention was to capture Prabhakaran alive. Narayanan promised Rajapaksa that India had plans to provide assistance and rebuild Sri Lankas strife-torn regions after the end of the war. In return, Rajapaksa promised to silence the guns, but he did not do so till his army chief Sarath Fonseka confirmed that Prabhakaran and thirty of his trusted aides were dead. After the war ended in May, Gotabaya Rajapaksa claimed that the LTTE had developed a strong base in Eritrea, complete with boat-building operations, and that LTTE operatives had employed middlemen in India, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. He also admitted to some diplomats that the R&AW had supplied information on suspects infiltrating Sri Lanka and that Sri Lanka had carried out a few operations with the help of the Indian spy agency. This was enough to show the deep relationship between the two countries and the sharing of actionable inputs with each other.

Arora argued that while the UPA government invested the maximum in Mahinda Rajapaksa, it was only able to extract the minimum. The Indian mission in Colombo after the civil war had become completely ineffective and inefficient in maintaining a hold over the Sri Lankan government. A top official of the Indian embassy was in fact leaking information harvested by the R&AW and he could only be removed after persistent protests by K.C. Verma, the then spy chief. His predecessor, Ashok Chaturvedi, had not been very interested in Sri Lanka, but Verma wanted to keep the island nation in the R&AWs control. The agency had warned of growing Chinese penetration but the Indian diplomats were busy elsewhere. Sometime in 2010, the diplomats indifference towards the Chinese presence in Sri Lanka triggered a storm in New Delhi. The Chinese were about to grab a mega contract to build massive highways in the country, but the Indian diplomats were certain Colombo would ultimately pass on the contract to the Indians. A document revealing the contract was faxed to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) by a R&AW agent when a delegation from the MEA was meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was furious and pulled up the officials posted in Colombo. The UPA had returned to power a year earlier and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Rajapaksa that his victory in Sri Lankas January 2010 elections provided a historic opportunity for the countrys leaders to address all outstanding issues in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation and to work towards genuine national reconciliation. Rajapaksa expressed appreciation for Indias substantial and generous assistance including a grant of five hundred crore rupees for the humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and assured Singh about the rapid and sustainable resettlement of the bulk of the IDPs. Though polite words flowed from both sides, the R&AW spies knew the relationship between the two countries was not as cosy as it appeared in the beautiful pictures immortalised at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Rajapaksa was coldly cunning and was flirting with China and Pakistan to counter India. The R&AW was aware that Rajapaksa would land in Beijing within no time to start a renewed relationship with the Chinese.

Now the RA&W agents began to enquire in Beijing and Islamabad about Colombos plan. The liaison unit, working with friendly foreign intelligence agencies, reported that China had secretly provided arms and ammunition to the Sri Lankan army during the civil war and was now ready to invest more than $2 billion in Sri Lanka. The civil war had provided Beijing with an opportunity to considerably expand its footprint in Sri Lanka. China had not only provided fighter jets to the Sri Lankan army, it had also trained the pilots with the help of Islamabad.

Avinash said: When we warned the India foreign service about the Chinese, a senior officer told me not to worry. Let the China build the roads, he said, and we will ply our buses on those roads. When we complained about him, he was immediately removed and shifted to some insignificant position at the Delhi headquarters.

The officer codenamed PAS was fond of scotch and the Indian spies had reported on various occasions that he was more interested in attending high-spirit parties than protecting and preserving Indias interests in Sri Lanka. Once he was trapped by our spies and subsequently confronted with the evidence, we wanted him out of Sri Lanka. He was a compromised man, Avinash said, quoting a report that the R&AW had ciphered to New Delhi.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 05:03:28|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chile's government on Wednesday announced it will relax social distancing measures so nuclear families can celebrate the upcoming national holidays together.

The Undersecretary for Crime Prevention, Katherine Martorell, said family gatherings will be allowed on Sept. 18, 19 and 20, the dates Chile celebrates Independence Day and other national holidays.

"The general rule for the whole country ... is that in enclosed spaces up to five people can be received. That's to say that with my family or the people I live with, I can receive up to five people as guests. And in open-air spaces, up to 10" people can gather, said Martorell.

Also on Wednesday, the government reported a total of 414,739 cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and 11,344 deaths from the disease after tests detected 1,582 new cases and 23 more patients died in the previous 24 hours. Enditem
Prosecutors in South Korea have indicted Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTC: SSNLF) Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee for stock manipulation and breach of trust, Reuters reported Tuesday.

What Happened: The Samsung heir was reportedly charged by the prosecutors despite a citizens panel recommendation that made a contrary suggestion, according to BBC.

Lee is the son of Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of the Samsung Group. He is reportedly unlikely to be detained by prosecutors as he prepares to face a fresh trial.

Why It Matters: In 2017, Lee was found guilty of charges including bribery, embezzlement, hiding assets overseas and perjury and sent to prison for five years but six months later the sentence was halved and the Seoul High Court suspended the jail term setting him free, noted BBC.

In June, prosecutors requested an arrest warrant against Lee in a case involving accounting fraud and a merger between Samsung C&T, a construction firm and Cheil Industries Inc., a theme park operator.

Price Action: Samsung shares closed 0.37% higher at $45.82 in Seoul on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy: Oskar Alexanderson via Flickr



See more from Benzinga

 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
RTHK: Khmer Rouge torture chief Duch dies at 77

The Khmer Rouge commander known as 'Comrade Duch', Pol Pot's premier executioner and security chief who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Kaing Guek Eav or 'Comrade Duch' was the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to face trial for his role within a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in the "killing fields" of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Duch died at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

In 2010, a UN tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, the former Phnom Penh high school which still stands as a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.

He was given a life sentence two years later after his appeal that he was just a junior official following orders was rejected. Duch  by the time of his trial a born-again Christian  expressed regret for his crimes.

Under Duch's leadership, detainees at Tuol Sleng prison, codenamed "S-21", were ordered to suppress cries of agony as Khmer Rouge guards, many of whom were teenagers, sought to extract confessions for non-existent crimes through torture.

The guards were instructed to "smash to bits" traitors and counter-revolutionaries. For the Khmer Rouge, that could mean anyone from school teachers to children, to pregnant women and "intellectuals" identified as such for wearing glasses.

Beneath Tuol Sleng's chaotic facade, Duch  himself a former maths teacher  had an obsessive eye for detail and kept his school-turned-jail meticulously organised.

"Nothing in the former schoolhouse took place without Duch's approval. His control was total," wrote photographer and author Nic Dunlop, who found Duch in 1999 hiding near the Thai border, two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

Norng Chan Phal, one of the few people to have survived S-21, was a boy when he and his parents were sent to Duch's prison and interrogated on suspicion of having links to the Khmer Rouge's mortal enemy, Vietnam.

His parents were tortured and killed but Chan Phal survived to give testimony at Duch's trial in 2010.

"He was cooperative, he spoke to the court frankly. He apologised to all S-21 victims and asked them to open their hearts. He apologised to me too," Chan Phal said. "He apologised. But justice is not complete". (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
International

Denmark summons Russian envoy over airspace violation

Russian Su-27 fighter planes flying in Denmark airspace.

COPENHAGEN, SEP 2 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/2/2020 12:37:37 PM IST

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin amid escalated tensions following the alleged incursion into the countrys airspace by a Russian Su-27 fighter in the Baltic while in pursuit of a US Air Force B52 bomber.

According to NATO, the incursion on August 28 was the first of its kind in several years, reports Xinhua news agency.

Completely unacceptable violation of Denmarks airspace by Russian Su-27 fighter. (I) will raise issue with Russian authorities to avoid repetition, Kofod tweeted on Tuesday, adding: DK (Denmark) will always defend our airspace, insist on international law.

The Russian action prompted the immediate launch of the Danish Quick Reaction Alert aircraft to counter the violation, near the island of Bornholm, resulting in the lone Russian fighter to turn back before the interception. Earlier Tuesday, Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen called it an unacceptable violation of Danish airspace.

The Russian Defence Ministry has however denied that the fighter jet violated the Danish airspace.

On August 28, 2020, a Su-27 fighter from the air defence duty of the Baltic Fleet was raised to identify and prevent a US Air Force B-52H strategic bomber from violating the Russian state border, the Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The flight of the Russian Su-27 fighter, accompanied by an American bomber, was carried out over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in strict accordance with international rules..., without violating the borders of other states.
Fans of medical dramas can catch the heart-pounding newcomer Transplant, which begins tonight, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. You can also watch it on FuboTV.

Syrian refugee Dr. Bashir Hamed (Hamza Haq) flees his war-ravaged homeland to start a new life in Canada and, through quick-thinking during a horrific accident, secures a residency in the emergency department of Torontos best hospital. But his challenges are just beginning.

In addition to dealing with the loss of his parents and struggling to raise his little sister singlehandedly, he faces competitive colleagues, culture shock and other daunting obstacles. Will his new home reject him or will the transplant take? Youll have to watch to find out.

Laurence Leboeuf, Ayisha Issa, Jim Watson and John Hannah star with Haq in Transplant, which first aired on Canadas CTV, where it earned critical acclaim and became one of the years most watched shows.

What channel is NBC on?

You can find which channel NBC is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

Where can I watch Transplant if I dont have cable?

You can live stream it on FuboTV (7-day free trial, then $59.99/month). FuboTV is a streaming service that offers access to your favorite TV shows, live sports events and much more.
A unified classification of diverse cell types proposed by a Columbia-led team could shed light on how our brains are wired.

The human brain has about 100 billion neurons, linked in intricate ways, that the Spanish neuroanatomist Ramon y Cajal compared to "the impenetrable jungles where many investigators have lost themselves."

But to decipher how the brain works and understand how it can go awry in many diseases, it is essential to figure out how many classes of neurons it actually has and how they are connected with each other.

Now, in a paper published recently in Nature Neuroscience, a Columbia-led international group has proposed a unified nomenclature of the neurons of the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain that plays a key role in attention, perception, awareness, memory, language, and consciousness.

"A broadly agreed-upon classification is essential to archiving the hundreds of neuron types and their properties," said Rafael Yuste, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University. "If we could decipher how the cortex is built and what it does, one could scientifically understand our minds."

How to classify neurons has been much debated since the inception of modern neuroscience. Many efforts to describe their anatomical, physiological, and molecular features have been unsuccessful due to their cellular diversity, Yuste said.

During the last two decades, however, the Human Genome Project has produced a host of molecular methods that enable identifying and phenotyping cells in great numbers.

"This molecular revolution is generating databases that are complete, accurate, and permanent--a triumvirate considered the golden standard of biology," Yuste said.

In particular, using highly automated techniques that sequence the RNA of individual cells rapidly and cost-effectively, several groups have started to assemble datasets to classify cell types in the cortex. "The approach enables sampling tens of thousands of cells, generating what could be an essentially complete coverage of all the existing cell types in the cortex," Yuste said.

Two years ago, during discussions at an international meeting on cortical neurons in Copenhagen, participants agreed that the time was right to finally tackle the creation of a unified classification.

A group of 74 scientists proposed the use of single-cell RNA sequencing as the skeleton for a unified classification of cortical neurons. Known as the "Copenhagen Classification," the proposal is described in the Nature Neuroscience article.

"This could be a historic event, as it tackles one of the core problems in neuroscience," Yuste said. "A unified framework is important not only for researchers and clinicians interested in understanding how the cortex works but also could inspire similar community classifications of cells."

In fact, he added, "there are major consortia worldwide charted with classifying all the cells in the body something that could be a breakthrough for biology and medicine."

With neuroscience rapidly transitioning to digital data, the researchers propose the classification be updated regularly using a type of algorithm often employed by the software industry for automatic data aggregation.

"It's exciting to think that neuroscientists in the not-too-distant future could finally, through technology, break the impasse that has plagued us for centuries," Yuste said.

###
The Government of India has banned 118 mobile apps which could have been cybersecurity threats to India. These apps include the highly popular game PUBG MOBILE, alongside its alternate version for low-spec devices, PUBG LITE, WeChat Work, WeChat Reading, etc.

Amid escalating border tensions between India and China, India has for the third time issued a list announcing a ban on apps made in China. The Government of India has banned 118 mobile apps which could have been cybersecurity threats to India. These apps include the highly popular game PUBG MOBILE, alongside its alternate version for low-spec devices, PUBG LITE, WeChat Work, WeChat Reading, etc.

Earlier, towards June end, GOI had banned 59 Chinese-developed mobile apps from download and use in India. Some of these apps had a large user-base in India, these include Clash of Kings, Helo, SHAREit, TikTok, UC Browser. The government took these actions after the Indo-China border skirmish which, although inconclusive with unclear reasons behind it, resulting in many casualties on both sides by standards of peace.

The incident led to public outrage and prompted the government to ban 59 Chinese apps, which were already said to have data leaks. The government of India had the telecom companies no longer support these apps and their respective websites soon after revealing this step. Apple and Google also had to withdraw these apps from its online stores in India.

Also read: India gains advantage over China, forces capture key heights near S Pangong lake

Government blocks 118 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, Defence of India, Security of State and Public Order: Govt of India PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE, WeChat Work & WeChat reading are among the banned mobile apps. pic.twitter.com/VWrg3WUnO8  ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2020

Also read: Third Brigadier level talks between India-China underway after Chinas Pangong bid fail

The second ban on apps was announced by GOI in the month of July on 47 apps that were developed as an imitation to the Chinese apps banned in June. A ban on PUBG in India directly means that PUBG would now lose approximately 25% of its user-base as the downloads for India total 175 million.

Also read: Outrage over no question hour move, Oppn calls it an excuse to murder democracy
A Ballarat mother and controverisal television identity Sam Newman are the latest people to be spoken to by police for allegedly encouraging Victorians to take part in anti-lockdown gatherings this weekend.

The moves are part of a crackdown by detectives on planned protests surfacing in regional parts of the state.

It comes as Family Food Fight contestant Fanos Panayides is identified as one of two men arrested and charged with incitement on Tuesday over Saturday's planned protest for Melbourne's CBD.

On Wednesday, Newman took to Twitter to reveal police had visited to advise "against protesting".
'The government has said it has kept its powder dry to fight the true battle against the debilitating influence of the pandemic.'

'The release of the shocking economic data this week should act as the fuse for using that powder now.'

'Further delays will make the battle that much harder,' notes Shreekant Sambrani..

Impact of the pandemic

Except for those just returning to the earth after a long sojourn in outer space, everyone knows what an enormous toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken in terms of lives lost and stalled economies worldwide in the first eight months of the year.

We also know that virtually every national government and its head has enforced restrictive measures varying in degrees of harshness to contain and combat the spread of the virus.

Even the patently recalcitrant ones such as Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil have been compelled by circumstances to do so.

The immediate consequence of any lockdown, even the mildest one, is a slowing down of the economy, local, national and global. And in 2020, it materialised in next to no time.

Closed offices and factories caused significant unemployment and resulted in massive losses of household incomes.

In the developed world of Europe and North America, the ranks of people rendered freshly jobless applying for unemployment benefits swelled week after week.

In India, heart-rending pictures of urban workers from out-of-state trudging on foot to their homes, hundreds and thousands of kilometres away, in the wake of the worlds harshest lockdown, spoke louder than any interpretation or analysis.

That made economists and policy-makers everywhere scour experiences of the past in search of a feasible course of action.

The recession following the financial crisis of 2008 seemed relevant at first, but it soon seemed to be too modest in scale.

We turned our attention to global depression after the crash of 1929 and rediscovered the greatest economist of the 20th century, John Maynard Keynes, who wrote the playbook to deal with that catastrophe.

The world realised anew the need to prime the pump through consumer spending. Countries rushed to announce stimulus packages worth billions of dollars and Euros which would put sizeable amounts of money in the hands of those affected.

India, too, sought to create its own stimulus package. Despite the hype surrounding it, this turned out to be a patchwork collage of some measures announced earlier, some welfare schemes of free grain distribution and reincarnations of several other tried, trusted and failed schemes of the past.

The actual additional expenditure amounted to just over 1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), rather than the Rs 20 trillion (10 per cent of the GDP) the government claimed.

More importantly, it provided nearly nothing by way of additional disposable income. Many economists criticised it on various counts.

I called it the stimulus that wasn't because it did nothing to spur household consumption which had collapsed (Business Standard, May 19, 2005).

The mood now, in late August and early September, is very sombre. Most large economies, including those which had administered very large stimuli, experienced double digit declines in the April-June quarter, coming on top of similar, if smaller, declines in the previous quarter.

India now has the entirely unenviable distinction of not only reporting the highest daily increases in coronavirus cases worldwide, but also topping the major economies in terms of economic downturn in the most recent quarter with a 23.9 per cent decline.

Clearly then, the stimuli were not working as effectively as expected, if they were working at all.

The fate of economies with very large stimulus packages was not significantly different from those with more modest ones. And yet, after a severe initial fall in March and April, share prices in all major markets had nearly reached their pre-pandemic highs!

Thus our thinking on economic policies and growth has become a major victim of the dreaded coronavirus. Why did this come about?

***

Irrelevance of stimulus in pandemic

We know from basic economic theory that consumption has a multiplier effect. One family's expenditure becomes income to the supplier families or firms, who in turn spend it on their own consumption needs and the wheels of the economy keep running.

The higher the consumption, the greater is the multiplier. That is why an addition to the income in the form of dole in times of collapsing demand is considered to be an essential stimulus.

The devil, as always, is in the detail. In this case, not all additional income leads to either added consumption or investment and not all consumption has the same multiplier.

This is best illustrated through a parallel. Many years ago, a knowledgeable person in the film distribution business told me that people like me who see a film once in an auditorium do not even help it recover its production and distribution costs.

It is the crowds which throng cinema halls for their nth viewing of Sholay or Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and repeat dialogues and shower coins who make films money-spinners.

That made abundant sense to me. I realised that people like me who bought perhaps a couple of sets of clothing and a pair of shoes a year did not set the apparel and footwear business on a growth spiral.

Those who liked to have a closet full of clothes and a rack overflowing with shoes, who did not repeat the same outfit for many weeks on end, actually provided the acceleration for these activities.

Big fat weddings, Indian or Ruritanian, holidays abroad, repeated acquisitions of white goods, even monthly family splurges at the local multiplex with movies and outrageously priced snacks, all fall in the same category.

In other words, Joseph Schumpeter and Thorstein Veblen were spot on with their theories of creative destruction and conspicuous consumption being engines of growth.

Now in the time of pandemic, it is not just that demand has collapsed, but the discretionary expenditure as described above has all but disappeared.

Those who have lost their livelihoods or have had their income severely reduced simply have no means to engage in this behaviour.

Their main struggle is to keep the body and soul together by any means. Those who are not so constrained are not forthcoming to indulge in such expenditure either.

Everyone is scared of what the future holds with the rampaging virus. The natural tendency is to hoard any surplus income for meeting contingencies if the family should unfortunately become a victim.

This is not invested and is in the form of idle, unproductive cash. The media is full of horror stories of astronomical expenses incurred by the sufferers of the virus which makes an average family conserve all its liquid resources.

And then there are the restrictions imposed even when the lockdowns are partially lifted.

Travel is no longer an experience that an average person looks forward to and avoids it with a vengeance even required for business purposes. The same is true of eating out.

Movies are what one watches on television or OTT platforms, not in theatres or multiplexes. Soon most people will not remember when they took a family holiday or a long leisurely drive. And many are actually seeing virtues in the new normal.

No wonder then that apart from manufacturing, construction and trade, hotels, travel etc have been the major contributors to the decline of the Indian GDP in the last quarter, all shrinking by 40 per cent or more. Some of these, such as travel and leisure activities may never regain their previous vigour.

When will this change and will we return to our pre-covid behaviour patterns? Not any time soon.

Even if the pandemic in any given geography recedes or is under control, the uncertainty will persist as will the fear arising out of it and consumers will not easily abandon the caution they have learnt through hard knocks.

It is only when there is more than adequate reassurance of safety from the ravages of coronavirus will our thinking start to get back to the earlier normal.

For that to happen, we will need a reliable and affordable vaccine readily available with proven results of giving us immunity for a reasonable length of time, and not like the swine flu vaccine of the late 1970s which caused more harm than good.

Present indications are that despite political coaxing, a trusted vaccine is at least six months away, in the spring of 2021.

It would then be several more months before we begin to be comfortable with it. That means that until the end of 2021 at the earliest, we will continue to be chary about doing anything that even remotely jeopardises what little ability of fighting the virus we have.

This is as true of a family in Dharavi as it is of one on Long Island or in Monaco.

The traits of self-preservation are universal, irrespective of race, religion or economic status. This is why Bill Gates recently said that he does not expect any return to normalcy before 2022.

And as for the exuberance of the stock market, former finance minister P Chidambaram had observed long ago that whoever thought they were indicators of economic health?

So the failure of the stimuli was a chronicle of the possibility foretold.

***

The prognosis: Massive public spending

The question asks itself: Is there a way out of this doom and gloom? Yes, there is.

The mistake that people like me made while strongly advocating pump priming through private consumption is not realising these underlying fears and uncertainties will overpower any stimulus.

We forgot what the sagacious Keynes had said: If private consumption has collapsed, it must be replaced by accelerated, sizeable public spending.

Americans wisely undertook massive public projects in the 1930s, such as the Tennessee Valley project. Added public expenditure for munitions and war materiel in the latter half of that decade created massive employment.

In the post-war Eisenhower era, spending on the Cold War with the emergence of the military industrial complex and the creation of an enormous Interstate highway system created and sustained unprecedented growth.

The populist governor and presidential aspirant Huey Long of Louisiana was prescient enough to instinctively realise this.

He built thousands of miles of tarred highways in the 1930s in his poverty-affected state with not many automobiles to ensure that his electorate had a chicken in every pot. That made him virtually a god-like figure in his state.

In India, we do not often attribute the high growth in the 2000s to the right reason. We customarily believe that it is because of the enlightened policies of the government under the wise economist Dr Manmohan Singh.

We ignore that the very large highway building and widening programme ushered in and nearly completed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government not only created a very large number of jobs but also opened up the hinterland and provided incentives.

The continued opening up of the economy resulted in families satisfying their pent-up demand for the good things of life through higher and accelerated spending out of their increased incomes. Thus set in motion a virtuous cycle of growth never before seen in India.

Of course, no two situations are ever alike and therefore, the replicability of solutions must be judiciously assessed and subject to fine-tuning in view of ground realities.

But all previous experiences suggest that large public spending on infrastructural activities has almost always had salutary effect on the economic well-being of society.

It is not as if there is a dearth of areas in India which can absorb such expenditure. Many of the favourites of the present political dispensation, such as assured supply of electricity to all houses and farms, optical fibre connectivity and availability of broadband Internet in all villages and more recently, piped water supply to all houses, all have enormous last mile problems.

Solving them is not glamorous, but adds hugely to their effectiveness in delivering the envisaged benefits and has tremendous potential of generating multiplier effects.

In fact, undertaking such activities on a very large scale would be a great boost to the advancement of the most recent favourite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, atmanirbhar Bharat.

The government has said that it has kept its powder dry to fight the true battle against the debilitating influence of the pandemic.

The release of the shocking economic data this week should act as the fuse for using that powder now. Further delays will make the battle that much harder.

There is hope yet in the time of pandemic, but only just.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Journalists staged a protest outside a police station in Minsk on Wednesday, September 2, in support of colleagues detained during the ongoing anti-government protests in Belarus.

Reuters reported that seven journalists were detained on September 1 as they covered student protests. Thousands of students boycotted the start of the new school year, according to RFE, with dozens detained.

The Viasna Human Rights Center said courts were scheduled to hear cases against both the detained students and the journalists on Wednesday.

The footage here, via Onliner.by, shows journalists gathered at the police station. Credit: Onliner.by via Storyful
NEW DELHI : Indias economic response against border transgression by China is playing out in the solar space with delays by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in certification and testing approvals for imported solar equipment from China, said two people aware of the development.

The approval is necessary to be eligible to sell in India after the government made it mandatory for all imported solar equipment to meet stringent quality norms after instances of poor quality solar modules being sold in the domestic market came to light.

The delays in testing and certification assume significance given that 80% of solar cells and modules used in India are imported from China and such imports in 2018-19 were valued at $2.16 billion. Major Chinese solar module producers such as Trina Solar Ltd, Jinko Solar, JA Solar Holdings, ET Solar, Chint Solar, and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd are some of the suppliers to India, which is implementing the largest clean energy programme in the world.

Clean energy projects comprise more than a fifth of Indias installed power generation capacity. India has 34.6 gigawatts (GW) of solar power and seeks to produce 100GW from solar projects by March 2022.

The Chinese manufacturers have BIS certification, but for every new model to be exported here, it has to be first tested and certified by the BIS. That is getting delayed," said one of the two people mentioned above, the chief executive of a New Delhi-based green energy firm, requesting anonymity.

Chinese modules are not being approved. This is happening for the first time," said the other person mentioned above, the chief executive of another New Delhi-based clean energy firm, who also requested anonymity.

The hardening of the stand by India comes against the backdrop of fresh tensions with China even as the earlier issues that led to a deadly border clash in Ladakh in mid-June, which left 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers dead, remains unresolved.

Any change in material has to be approved by BIS. Apart from the geopolitical issue that may or may not be the reason behind such delays, the testing capacity is woefully inadequate. As a result, latest technology is not getting used in India," said second person quoted above.

Queries emailed to the spokesperson of Indias ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) and BIS officials on Tuesday morning remained unanswered.

Queries emailed to Trina Solar Ltd, Jinko Solar, JA Solar Holdings, ET Solar, Chint Solar and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd also remained unanswered.

More tariff barriers, subsidised financing for encouraging domestic equipment usage, rigorous testing of foreign equipment, and prior permission requirements for imports from adversary countries, are some of the focus areas of Indias proposed power sector overhaul.

India is working on a plan to impose tariff and non-tariff barriers to put a check on imported solar equipment that will make their sourcing from China costlier. Facilitating local manufacturing in sectors, such as solar equipment, is expected to help Indias goal of playing a larger role in global supply chains against the backdrop of the disruptions caused by covid-19.

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Youll Be Back may be the break-up song between America and the eccentric, yet forceful King George, but even Harry, Duke of Sussex enjoys the song.

In fact, King Georges sixth great-grandson surprised one audience in London, singing a few words from the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton. Heres our look at the brief performance.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote Hamilton, the story of the founding fathers of America

Even though Hamilton tells the story of Americas creation, its impact extended beyond the states, with some productions taking place in the UK.

In 2018, Lin-Manuel Miranda travelled overseas, to the Victoria Palace Theater, for a charity event featuring his Tony Award-winning musical.

However, he wasnt the only celebrity guest joining the actors on stage. Harry, Duke of Sussex surprised the London cast of Hamilton, as well as an audience of fans.

Prince Harry attended 1 production of Hamilton in 2018

After the performance, the writer behind the musical explained that he came up with the idea of adding King George to the production on his honeymoon. It was there that he began writing the song Youll Be Back, which is performed by the character.

Smash cut to 2018 and I am sitting next to his sixth great-grandson, Lin-Manuel Miranda said.

The Duke of Sussex walked forward after his introduction from Lin-Manuel Miranda and sang the first two words of Youll Be Back. The cast and audience cheered as a response, but he quickly stated, thats definitely not going to happen. He did try, but I said no.

Reportedly, the then-Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the special performance to raise money for Sentebale, a charity he set up with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, which works with children affected by HIV in southern Africa.

Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex also took pictures with the cast following the performance.

RELATED: From Captain America: The First Avenger to Hamilton  Here Are the Most Patriotic Films to Watch on Disney+ This 4th of July Weekend

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks at Hamilton | Dan Charity  WPA Pool/Getty Images

The actor behind King George even earned a Tony Award nomination for this character

Although this wasnt the same actor in the 2018 charity production, Jonathan Groff earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of King George  Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. The character is somewhat of a comedic relief in the show, with Groff even earning admiration from celebrities like Beyonce.

This character appears for a number of songs, including Youll Be Back and I Know Him. King George is also present in the Disney+ exclusive version of the musical, which features the original cast and a live stage production.

Lin-Manuel Mirandas stage production of Hamilton is now available on Disneys streaming platform, as are musicals like The Sound of Music, Annie, and Newsies. To learn more about Disney+ and to subscribe, visit their website.

RELATED: Are the Live-Action and Animated Versions of Beauty and the Beast on Disney+? How Subscribers Are Celebrating the Upcoming Gaston and Lefou Prequel Sequel
AMRITSAR The row over the missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib has deepened as an internal note of the SGPC office has surfaced that puts the number of the birs damaged in the 2016 fire at 80, not 14 as cited by the SGPC office-bearers before police, media and inquiry penal.

Carrying signatures of former SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh, the note reads, Total 80 saroops along with related items were damaged in fire and due to water used to douse the blaze. As these saroops were not worth parkash (installation), these were sent to Goindwal Sahib for cremation.

The saroops were damaged in a fire incident at the Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib-based SGPC publishing house on May 16, 2016.

Dated February 20, 2020, the note is addressed to Roop Singh by Kanwaljit Singh, who was an assistant supervisor of the publishing house. Roop Singh resigned from the post on August 27 this year after the SGPC executive took action on the basis of an inquiry report.

Kanwaljit is the man on whose statement, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) uncovered the issue of missing saroops. He retired on May 31 this year. When he gave charge to his predecessor, 267 saroops were missing. The SGPC had accused him of using the 2016 fire incident to save his skin. He has also been indicted by the Akal Takht-appointed panel that probed the issue.

A day after the PHRO accused it of hiding the matter and understating the damage to the saroops, the SGPC top functionaries on June 26 this year refuted the charges, terming the accusations as misleading and condemnable. In a press conference that day, SGPC senior vice-president Rajinder Singh Mehta, chief secretary (now former) Roop Singh, secretary Manjit Singh and additional secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhoora said 14-15 saroops were burnt and nine got damaged in the fire-control operation.

PHRO writes to SGPC chief

Attaching a copy of the office notes, the PHRO on Wednesday wrote to the SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal and the sub-committee set up to initiate legal action against those indicted in the inquiry panel. Mehta and other SGPC functionaries lied about the damage to saroops. He was also a member of the sub-committee constituted in 2016 to probe the incident. For misleading the community, he must be disqualified as the SGPC member, reads the letter signed by the PHRO investigator Sarbjit Singh Verka.

Mehta said, What we stated was based on office record. Actually, 80 was the total figure. Barring 14 saroops which were damaged heavily and sent for cremation, others carried minor damage and were repaired. The PHRO are playing into the hands of the anti-panthic forces and causing divisions among the Sikhs.

SGPC chief Longowal did not take a call.

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Plakiotakis would not elaborate on how the boats were prevented from entering Greek waters, which also mark the southeastern border of the European Union. But he stressed the coast guard operates based on international law and international legality, based on the rules of engagement at sea, and ... with complete respect for human dignity and of course for human life.
1MDB board not briefed on US$699.3m transferred to 'fake' Aabar, court hears

1MDB TRIAL | 1MDB's board of directors never approved the transfer of US$699.3 million from its energy subsidiary to an alleged fake Aabar entity incorporated in Seychelles, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Its former CEO, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi said this during the RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, ninth prosecution witness Shahrol said that the sovereign wealth fund's board was never briefed, nor its approval sought, on the fund transfer from 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited to Aabar Investments PJS Limited (Seychelles).

Wan Aizuddin was questioning Shahrol over the transfer in 2014 that was made in two tranches, whereby the first tranche was for US$233,333,000 on Sept 3 and the second tranche of US$457,984,607 on Sept 30.

The funds were deposited into Aabar's account at Swiss multinational bank UBS.

Having stepped down as 1MDB's CEO in March 2013, Shahrol remained on the sovereign wealth fund's board of directors until 2016.

It was reported that the real subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) is Aabar Investments PJS.

The US$699.3 million allegedly originated from a US$1.225 billion loan given by bank Deutsche Bank Singapore to 1MDB Energy Holdings between May and August 2014.

Wan Aizuddin: Was the 1MDB board of directors ever briefed about these transactions?

Shahrol: No.

Wan Aizuddin: Was approval sought by the (1MDB) management to make the transfers?

Shahrol: No.

When Wan Aizuddin asked whether Shahrol was aware that there are two alleged "fake" Aabar entities, with one incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the other in Seychelles, the witness said he might have been shown related documents during the investigation.

As the lawyer reiterated that both Aabar entities have nothing to do with the real Aabar from Abu Dhabi, Shahrol said he could not comment as he has no direct knowledge on the related documents.

Story continues

Meanwhile, during proceedings, Shahrol also testified that Najib's words carry a lot of weight with 1MDB as the accused wore multiple "hats" concerning the sovereign wealth fund.

The witness said that this is because Najib not only wore the hat of then chairperson of the board of advisors of 1MDB but also as 1MDB's sole shareholder via Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) as he was both prime minister and finance minister at the time.

Shahrol was answering a question from Wan Aizuddin on whether Najib had the power to make final decisions concerning 1MDB's affairs.

"The Board of Advisor advise, but he (Najib) is also wearing the hat of finance minister, prime minister and sole shareholder of 1MDB.

"His words carry a lot of weight," Shahrol said.

When Wan Aizuddin asked whether Najib needed to be specific which "hat" he was wearing when he signed off on 1MDB-linked documents, Shahrol said that those in 1MDB still took Najib's instructions seriously due to the various "hats" the latter wore.

"He can choose to sign using whatever hat he chooses, but from our perspective, when one person wears those hats, we take his instructions as serious," Shahrol said.

At the end of proceedings today, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the court that the defence expects to wrap up their cross-examination of Shahrol by noon tomorrow.

DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib then told the court that the prosecution, in turn, would only need around three hours to conduct Shahrol's re-examination.

If both the defence and prosecution manages to wrap up their questions to Shahrol during tomorrow's full-day proceedings, the witness would be released from the stand for a new witness to testify.

Proceedings before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes tomorrow morning.

Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion of funds allegedly from 1MDB.

Editor's note: Based on legal advice, the commenting feature for the above article has been disabled.
When Steve Carell left The Office, the loss of the Michael Scott character was definitely felt by the shows fans and the ratings dropped after his departure. Jenna Fischer, who played Pam, explained what her biggest fear was after Carell left, as she and the cast prepared for the next chapter of the series.

Steve Carell as Michael Scott, Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone, and Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly on The Office | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Steve Carell left The Office

Carells final episode, Goodbye, Michael in season 7, included an idea that was pitched by the actor himself.

On the August 25 episode of An Oral History of The Office podcast, Carell explained that he knew how Michael should end his time in Scranton before heading off to Colorado with Holly Flax.

Six months before, I talked to Greg [writer and showrunner Daniels] about how I wanted Michael to go out, like what I thought sort of a final arc would be, Carell explained. And the idea that I pitched was  you know, obviously he and Holly would be together  but I said, specifically, on his last day I thought that there should be a party being planned but that he should basically trick people into thinking he was leaving the next day.

Carell believed that playing Michaels final day that way would be the most elegant representation of his growth as a human being. He added that Michael would typically want to be the center of attention, so passing up a big party showed he changed in a huge way.

But the fact that hed walk away from his big tribute, his big sendoff, and be able to, in a very personal way, say goodbye to each character  that to me felt like it would resonate, Carell noted.

RELATED: The Office: This Touching Pam and Michael Moment Was a Writers Room Favorite; Its So Meaningful

Steve Carell called his last episode emotional torture

Carell may have come up with the perfect way for Michael to connect with each of his co-workers, but the reality of filming his last show was very difficult for the actor.

It was almost more than I bargained for because thats what happened. I had scenes with everyone in the cast and it was emotional torture because imagine saying goodbye for a week, Carell explained.

He added, It was just fraught with emotion and joy and sadness and nostalgia. But it was also really beautiful. I treasure it. I treasure just doing that episode because it did allow me to kind of have a finality with everybody.

Jenna Fischer revealed her biggest fear after Steve Carell left

During the Sept. 1 episode of An Oral History of The Office, host Brian Baumgartner did a deep dive into how the show moved forward after Carell left and there was definitely some uncertainty for everyone involved with the show.

Fischer shared the concerns she felt at the time. My biggest fear was even just, what is the on-set vibe going to be like without Steve?, she explained.

She added, Not to mention what stories are we going to tell? Who are we without this leader?

Baumgartner asked John Krasinski, who played Jim, Did you think the show could go forward when Steve left?, and he also had some worries. I knew the show could go forward, I didnt know what the plan was. I couldnt see through the trees, he explained.

Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight, shared during the podcast, I had great reservations about the show existing without Steve.

The show managed to move forward, but fans definitely missed Michael Scott.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo State governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Tuesday called off electioneering campaign at Usen, following a road crash that claimed lives of some APC members and supporters. The ghastly accident occurred at Oluku junction on Tuesday when a trailer ran into the travelling campaign entourage of top chieftains of the APC.

The Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, in a statement in Benin City, indicated that the party suspended the scheduled campaign for the day in order to honour the dead.

Accordingly, on behalf of Pastor Ize-Iyamu and the APC, Mayaki condoled with the families of the victims, saying they were not alone in their grief.

Mayaki disclosed that the APC pledged that the campaign organization would do everything within its powers to ameliorate their grief.

APC further assured families of the policemen involved in the fatal crash that Edo would never forget their supreme sacrifice.

The party called on all stakeholders to pray for the soul of dead, and against the recurrence of such tragedies.

PV: 11
Still No Schengen Visa For Iranians

Radio Farda September 01, 2020

The Secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines, Maqsoud Ass'adi Samani, said that despite direct flights continuing to depart between Iran, France, the Netherlands, and Austria, Iranians cannot still visit Europe as tourists.

Speaking to the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA), Ass'adi Samanii also noted that Schengen (European Union) visas are not currently being issued to Iranian citizens.

"Although Iranian airlines have resumed their flights to some European countries following months of suspension over the coronavirus outbreak, there is still no possibility of unnecessary tourist trips to these countries and Schengen visas are not currently issued to Iranian citizens," Ass'adi Samani said.

Austria, Britain, France, and the Netherlands are among the European countries with direct flights to Iran that announced new travel regulations for Iranian citizens, ISNA reported on Monday.

France allows Iranians holding EU, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swiss, British, Canadian, and Australian passports to enter the country. The country recently eliminated the COVID-19 PCR test for travelers, but still says that Schengen visas will not be issued for Iranian citizens until further notice, due to the widespread outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran.

However, the European Union announced two months ago that it allows citizens of Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, and Rwanda. Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay to visit 27 countries in the Schengen zone. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland (four non-EU countries and Schengen allies) are also subject to such regulations.

Meanwhile, the Dutch government announced that even those who have obtained a Schengen visa might be tested for coronavirus upon arrival. The non-Schengen UK has allowed entry to Iranians who hold EU, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swiss, British, Canadian, American, and Australian passports and those with residence permits, student visas and UK tourist visas.

Iranian citizens must be quarantined for 14 days after entering the UK, and are required to complete a self-declaration health form provided to passengers by the embassy and the airline. Otherwise, the passenger will be fined, Tehran Times reported, cited ISNA.

According to the British Embassy in Iran, its visa section in Tehran has resumed operations since late July.

Since the coronavirus outbreak, Iran's air and land borders have been largely closed, but with the gradual easing of restrictions, some international flights resumed. Ass'adi Samani said that Iran's foreign flights to Amsterdam, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manchester, Paris, and Vienna are currently operational.

Meanwhile, ISNA reports that further studies show that there have been direct flights from Tehran to Guangzhou, China; Moscow, Russia; Delhi, India; and Beirut, Lebanon. However, travelers need to follow the health protocols announced by these countries.

Most countries require a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result and self-isolate for fourteen days.

In a sermon on June 15, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini lamented that Iranian are "travelling abroad too frequently" and told them to "quit this bad habit."

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/ a/still-no-schengen-visa-for -iranians/30815077.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The two political conventions are finally over. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, one convention promoted the best of times, the other the worst of times.

If you are a Democrat, or a virulent anti-Trumper (not necessarily the same), you saw their virtual convention paint a picture of America that was depressing to the core. Nothing is working. We are a people carrying the permanent stain of systemic racism, full of hate, police brutality and hopelessness, at least while Donald Trump remains president.

If you are a Republican, you saw a convention portraying America coming back from the pandemic  economically and spiritually (the names of God and Jesus Christ were mentioned favorably more than once). Our best days are ahead of us said speaker after speaker unless Joe Biden, whom Trump has portrayed as the Trojan Horse for Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of the far-left extremists prevail in the November election.

For the Republicans it was a diagnosis. For Democrats it sounded like an autopsy.

Ann Dorn, the widow of a retired Black police officer killed amid protests and looting in St. Louis, spoke movingly at the RNC about her husband, David Dorn. To anarchists some Black lives appear to be more equal than others and their hatred for police officers dulls any compassion for cops who daily put their lives in jeopardy to defend especially minorities and their neighborhoods.

Writing in National Review, Kathryn Jean Lopez said: This is where Democrats failed  as they attacked Trump, they didnt leave room for something other than anger, or even owning up to their own mistakes.

Among those mistakes is peddling the notion that government can fix problems such as racism, income disparity and crime. If government could solve these problems, would it not have done so by now? We have seen trillions of dollars spent on dubious anti-poverty and racial justice government programs. Laws have been passed. Studies have been done. White papers have been written. Not much seems to have changed in the eyes of Democrats, though in fact much has changed for the better.

How does legislation or money create a stable family that includes a loving father in the home with proper discipline for his children? Who teaches ways to overcome bad circumstances, not just the words of an anthem?

The personal example of Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chambers only Black Republican, should be taught everywhere. It was Scott who co-authored a police reform bill that Democrats walked away from because, he said, they wanted the issue, not a solution. In one of the best lines at the RNC convention, Scott said he went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.

Then there was the sparkling personality of 34-year-old Daniel Cameron, attorney general of Kentucky. Cameron eviscerated Joe Biden, who has said people like him aint Black if they cant decide whether to vote for him, or President Trump: Mr. Vice President look at me, I am Black. We are not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own. And you cant tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin.

Can I get an Amen?

Which tale of the two conventions  sad or optimistic  will prevail? Well know in two months, maybe. As for me and my house, we are embracing the optimistic tale.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for his new book, Americas Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States.

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MADISON  Surgeon, Vietnam War veteran, naturalist, environmentalist, humanitarian, educator, friend and family man - that was Don Rankin.

He knew everybody, said Christine Koster, president of Friends of Hammonasset. Everybody liked him.

He was super smart, he could make anybody laugh, he was a jokester, she added. He was definitely a unique guy and theres not many people who were or are like him.

Rankin died Aug. 28; he was 80 years old.

He didnt appear to be his age or look his age or move around like his age, said Koster.

Westbrooks Gary Nolf, a friend who collaborated on many projects with Rankin, talked about Rankins commitment to his family, including his wife, Nancy, and his granddaughters, Gigi and Sophie.

He worshipped his granddaughters, Nolf said. He talked about them all the time. Nan was his rock. She supported him 100 percent.

Ranger Russ Miller, director of the Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach State Park, was in awe of Rankins boundless energy.

He had so much energy, Miller said. When he first started getting sick the thing that he talked to me about was  hes doing these treatments that would drain most people and hes out all day doing all of these things and he would tell me, I did this and this and this and you know what, I had to take a nap at 4:30 in the afternoon. Who takes a nap at 4:30?

He was so beside himself, Miller recalled. He had this entire list of things that he had already done that day and now he needed to take a nap and that really bothered him.

Community involvement was a cornerstone of Rankins life, including work with Friends of Hammonasset, Habitat for Humanity, Bushy Hill Nature Center, A Place Called Hope and St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

That list of community organizations that he worked with, it didnt have a limit, and he connected all those people together and had them work together for larger projects. So, he was all about making connections, said Miller.

He added that Rankin had a passion and enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge.

When Rankin got up in front of a live audience, Miller said, he was a captivating speaker.

He would get up in front of a group of people and just say, Oh, this is so fantastic. This is so amazing. You guys are going to be so excited to learn about this, and then start talking about rocks and things most people would just put them to sleep, his friend recalled.

With his energy and enthusiasm everybody was on the edge of their seat before he even started talking, he said. It was incredible to see and it was genuine.

Rankin used that energy to raise more than $1 million through the annual Christmas tree, plant and mum sales for the Friends of Hammonasset over 20 years.

Of this, $500,000 was earmarked for the educational exhibits at the Meigs Point Nature Center.

Starting in 2000, Rankin tirelessly worked on the plant sale.

I think the most we ever raised, in one plant sale, was over $50,000, Miller recalled. It started out very small, him just cutting trees and bringing them down to the park and selling them. Before long we were buying 500 trees.

Miller said Rankin totally immersed himself in the project.

I always joked that he needed a watch, he said. The Christmas tree sale would end at about 4 oclock and it gets dark in the winter.

I would drive back after work and he would be standing out there with a flashlight, shining it on a tree for somebody who couldnt make it on time, he said.

It was not unheard of for Rankin to deliver the trees. That kind of selflessness was evident when he donated all the leftover plants to the Madison Little League.

Little League used them to plant in the Jaycee Field, were talking probably 16 years ago, remembered Madison Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eileen Banisch, a friend of Rankin.

Hes just very generous, she said. He would deliver them. He just had a very generous spirit.

Banischs husband, former First Selectman Tom Banisch, echoed that sentiment.

Don is the nicest guy you would want to meet, said Tom Banisch. Funny and very self-deprecating. He was kind of the guy who would joke about himself as much as you would joke with him.

Rankin loved to talk and by all accounts he had a lot to talk about.

Don would stop by my office probably once a month, to talk about something that was going on in town or just to say hi Eileen Banisch said. I would tease him because hed talk for so long and Id say, Don, weve already killed 45 minutes, Ive got to get back to work.

Then hed leave and then hed pop back and say, One more thing or Can I have one more minute of your time? she said.

Now, she said, she wishes she had one more minute with him.

Tom Banisch remembered Rankins gift of gab in his time as first selectman.

We used to kid him because he would come in to talk, Tom Banisch recalled. Wed say, OK, youve got 10 minutes, and hed say, I promise, Ill only use 10 minutes, and 20 minutes later wed still be talking.

He loved to talk and he was so much fun, so funny, he added. He had a great sense of humor. You never minded when he went on too long.

Well miss him because he was such an addition to this town, said Tom Banisch. In so many ways.

Nolf worked with Rankin to start the Connecticut Archeology Road Show, traveling the state doing presentations. The duo also started the archeology club at Daniel Hand High School in town as well as Westbrook High School.

Don was a real people person, Nolf said. He loved talking to people. He listened to people and he remembered everything anyone ever said to him. He had the most amazing memory that Ive ever seen.

Miller said that in addition to all of Rankins community contributions, he was a true friend and family man.

Everybody that knew him knew that they could count on him, if needed, he said. So, thats part of his legacy, too.
Czech Republic Pushes Back on China Over Senate Visit to Taiwan

By Joyce Huang September 01, 2020

Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek Monday pushed back on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi's assault over the Czech Senate delegation's visit to Taipei  signs, observers say, that suggest the tide is turning against China in Europe.

Relations between Prague and Beijing may take another plunge.

While visiting in Slovenia, Petricek tweeted that Wang's comments toward the delegation were "over the edge," shortly after the Chinese official warned of "a heavy price" for Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil to pay, now that he has defied China's objection to him visiting Taiwan.

Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province.

"Minister Wang's statements are over the edge. Such strong words do not belong in the relations between the two sovereign countries," Petricek tweeted, calling on China to pursue "factual, practical cooperation without emotions that do not belong in diplomacy."

Exchanges of protests

The Czech foreign minister said he had instructed his deputy to summon China's ambassador in Prague and expressed the Czech ministry's "fundamental disagreement" with China's repeated negative words toward the delegation.

Although the Czech government does not support the delegation's visit to Taiwan, Petricek added that he has demanded an explanation from China and anticipated the delegation's trip would have a negative impact on its relations with China.

The Czech government, led by Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, still favors closer ties to China.

But while meeting U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in the Czech Republic in mid-August, Babis complained that the Chinese have not invested in the Czech Republic in the way he would imagine they should.

Pompeo's warm reception was considered a warning sign to the once-promising relationship between Prague and Beijing.

A heavy price to pay

According to a statement released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Wang described Vystrcil's trip to Taipei as "an unendurable provocation for which there will be retribution."

He was quoted as saying "the Chinese government and Chinese people won't take a laissez-faire attitude or sit idly by and will make him pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behavior and political opportunism," the statement said.

In return, China's Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang Monday also summoned the Czech Republic's ambassador in Beijing to tell him that Vystrcil "violated China's sovereignty by openly supporting Taiwan 'independence' and splittist forces."

Another outcry in Czech

Wang's threats, part of China's coercive diplomacy that backfired and failed to stop the Senate delegation's visit to Taiwan, are expected to provoke another public outcry, said Karel Picha, a Czech who has lived in Taiwan for eight years and currently runs the only Czech cuisine restaurant in Taipei.

"I think most of the Czech people, they will respond negatively to these threats. They are probably not going to be polite," Picha told VOA.

He said that the wounds from 21 years of occupation by the communist Soviet Union are too fresh to the Czech people, who hate it more than anything else when another communist country threatens them.

Doing the right thing

Vystrcil also responded to Wang's threat in Taipei by saying that "delegation members made the trip voluntarily, and we believe we are doing the right thing. In the short run, the outcome looks negative. But there will be long-term benefits."

He said the Czech people know how it feels to be controlled by a big brother who will never relent.

Two analysts who spoke to VOA said China's repeated bashing of Vystrcil can only result in soured relations, while it is also likely for China to make good on its threat.

"China is too pushy. It turns even more aggressive when other countries or companies have been willing to go along (with its one-China policy)," DPP legislator Lo Chih-cheng told VOA. "But there comes a time when people say, 'Enough is enough.'

"China has turned into such a bully because for a long time, Western countries have put up with it," he added, referring to Wang's threat to punish the Czech Republic.

Worsening relations

Lo urges China to realize that any coercive move it plans to take will only backfire and worsen their relations.

Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, agreed that China will make the Czech Republic pay. But it remains to be seen how damaging China's sanctions will be, since the Czech economy isn't heavily dependent upon China.

He said the Czechs are "courageous" to have made the trip to Taiwan regardless of the Chinese pressure.

"I think it kind of underscores a pushback from a number of countries in Europe which feel much more sympathy with Taiwan, a democratic country, as opposed to authoritarian China," Cabestan told VOA by phone.

China-Europe relations are on a rocky path, as more European countries have become vocal over the situation in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the potential flash point in Taiwan or the South China Sea, according to Cabestan.

China's popularity in Europe has fallen in recent years and will take some time to improve, he said.

Cabestan said Wang was touring Europe because the country's "wolfish" diplomacy has done harm to its relations with many European countries, and Wang was there to minimize the damage.

A previous version of this story misstated the number of years the Czech Republic, then part of Czechoslovakia, was under Soviet control. VOA regrets the error.

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Stonnington Council has backflipped at the 11th hour on a plan to lift its rates, while other Melbourne municipalities have held firm on a 2 per cent increase.

A backlash by traders and residents forced the inner-city council, which takes in well-heeled suburbs Toorak, South Yarra and Prahran, to offer a 2 per cent rebate in its revised budget.

Melissa Glentis, owner of Dilly Daly cafe in South Yarra, says the rate rebate is a relief. Credit:Joe Armao

There were a record 96 of submissions to the draft budget, with 87 opposing a rate increase and many arguing for a reduction, due to the economic impact of coronavirus.

The Chapel Street Precinct Association had been incensed at Stonningtons proposed hike, with a survey finding all of its 2200 members opposed it.
Across state and local government, agencies by and large have adjusted to the new teleworking environment. Spurred by IT modernization efforts, organizations have rapidly and successfully set up the infrastructure to support remote employee access while defending government systems against bad actors and ransomware attacks.

While agencies have adjusted to the requirements dictated by the COVID-19 outbreak, with a second wave expected, they must now consider lessons learned and determine what can be done differently should telework capabilities need to rapidly scale up for a second time. Crucially, now is the time for agencies to refine their business continuity and disaster recovery plans. In stressful and uncertain times like these, the risk of human error rises. Coupled with todays teleworking environment and increased security risks to state and local networks, systems are more likely to be compromised. Data-protection features, such as backup and rapid restore, are essential for quickly recovering data after a disruptive event and ensuring mission-critical support.

State and local government IT leaders should consider several best practices to create a robust, yet secure foundation for permanently expanded telework:

Remain vigilant and proactive. Despite the fact that agencies rose to the occasion, their response was a reaction to an emergency, and decisions regarding technologies that support critical government services and business continuity may have been rushed. Now, agencies must continue to innovate to further enhance and sustain their remote workforces by adopting long-term solutions with new consumption models. While short-term fixes got agencies past initial telework obstacles, these same solutions will not necessarily get them to where they need to be in the long term. Permanently expanded telework, for example, requires agencies to rethink their approach to storage. Storage as a service offers agencies a way to expand capacity as they need it and ensure employees have continued access to the resources they need to work and collaborate.

Embrace cultural shifts. Many agencies may have opted for infrastructure and security products and services under the assumption that the telework situation was only temporary. As public health information and guidelines evolve, however, its becoming clear that virtual work is here to stay. It may not be feasible to have all employees work in a fully remote environment, but many workers could see increased flexibility when it comes to telework. More than ever, leaders must challenge assumptions about ways of working and seek partners that can help them match the rapid pace of change. They must have the courage to avoid the status quo  by implementing next-generation technologies and consumption models. For example, deploying a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) offers simplified management, enhanced security and better performance, enabling greater agility across dispersed workforces.

Address the people factor. As we have seen, whats been successful for in-office work arrangements does not always translate to telework environments. Leaders are responsible for steering their teams through such disruptive change, ensuring employees can connect, support the mission and sustain productivity for the long haul. Therefore, it is crucial they proactively talk with their teams about their needs and performance and integrate this feedback to make sure employees feel part of a cohesive organization. Leaders ability to leverage their soft skills and demonstrate them in a virtual work environment will be paramount.

With these best practices in mind, agency leaders will be better prepared to continue accelerating the governments shift to digital. They will be able to leverage budget and emergency funding to update old infrastructure and avoid the need for future upgrades. Specifically, success starts with the right foundation: a modern data experience to support leaders and remote employees over the long term.

As agencies look to our new future, they need a simple, modern data experience that enables them to use more of their data, while reducing the complexity and expense of managing the infrastructure behind it. A modern data experience should be API-defined, with easy, common management tools and proactive analytics that are actionable at the scale of numerous government employees and VDIs. It should be seamless and span any protocol, any tier of service level and multiple clouds in a single environment.

Lastly, the modern data experience must be sustainable in the midst of rapid change; agencies should be able to buy only what is needed, and the experience should be self-upgrading.

The increase in remote workers will not snap back when the pandemic subsides  in many cases, these changes are permanent. Establishing and maintaining a telework-ready environment is critical for agencies moving forward. Agencies must focus on building a sustainable remote workforce that enables the flexibility, reliability, and agility needed in todays unpredictable environment.
This is the Coronavirus Schools Briefing, a guide to the seismic changes in U.S. education that are taking place during the pandemic. Sign up here to get the briefing by email.

Today, were looking at the implications of New York Citys decision to push back the start of school. And were taking a deep dive into a crucial question: Is it safe to send kids back into the classroom?

New York Citys last-minute delay

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City would delay the start of its school year, shortly before it was set to begin. The citys 1.1 million public schoolchildren will not attend any in-person or remote classes until Sept. 21.

The delay seemed inevitable for weeks, said our colleague Eliza Shapiro, who writes about education in New York City. The question was whether the mayor was going to acknowledge what so many educators were telling him  that they needed more time.
A Portland driver is accused of hitting federal officers rental car twice over the weekend  once on Interstate 84 and again near a hospital, authorities say.

Lonnie Vantewa Albert, 55, has been charged in federal court with assaulting a federal officer. He appeared in court Tuesday and was released from Multnomah County custody the same day.

The two Federal Protective Service officers are not identified by name in court documents. They were deployed to Portland to support ongoing federal law enforcement operations in the city, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The officers left the downtown Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, which is next to the Multnomah County Justice Center, in Sundays early-morning hours, court documents show.

They were on Interstate 84, heading to their hotel in a rental car, when one of them noticed an SUV passing them on the left.

The officer who was driving noticed the SUVs driver, later identified by authorities as Albert, glance toward him. The officers shoulder patch was visible, according to court documents.

Albert turned sharply in front of the officers car, almost hitting it, according to the documents, and later hit the car. His car spun after hitting the officers car, and one of the officers got out to see if he was hurt.

But Albert left the scene, according to the documents. The officers tracked him to get identifying information and his license plate number, and he eventually stopped near Adventist Health Portland, 10123 S.E. Market St.

Albert eventually pursued the officers car and hit it a second time, the documents show. Portland police arrested him.

The officers car was dented, scratched and otherwise damaged, according to the Department of Justice. Court documents state that Alberts car was significantly damaged.

He told police a story that differed significantly from the federal officers account, claiming he believed the people driving the officers car were friends with a stalker of his from California, documents show.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

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Two postmen died while working during the August heatwave, sparking an investigation by Royal Mail and union chiefs, as hundreds of workers held a minute's silence in memory of their colleagues.

Mark Cremer, 55, and 59-year-old Phil Bentham are understood to have died on their routes in mid-August, as temperatures in the UK soared beyond 34 degrees.

Mr Cremer, who was based at the Lancing Delivery Office in West Sussex and had worked for Royal Mail for almost 20 years, collapsed and died on August 13, on an 'undulated' round with a 'reasonably high' gradient.

The postman, who had known underlying health conditions, was found slumped at the end of a pathway by a resident who called for an ambulance, but he died shortly after.

A medical report into his death showed he died of natural causes, while the coroner today confirmed his death will not be the subject of an inquest.

Meanwhile, Mr Bentham, a step-father-of-four from Barrow-on-Furness in Cumbria, died at the end of his round on August 12. According to union chiefs, he had recently returned to work after 17 weeks of shielding from Covid-19.

A coroner also confirmed his death was as the result of natural causes and will not be the subject of an inquest.

But after mounting pressure from bosses at the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Royal Mail have agreed to a joint internal investigation to determine whether or not there were any deficiencies in the Royal Mail Severe Weather Risk Assessment process.

The union say that although they are 'not in a position to comment further' on their deaths.

However, in a letter to colleagues, CWU chiefs say that 'despite representations' there had been 'little or no bottled water provision for staff on delivery in many units, even though water fountains had been switched off' as a Covid-19 precaution.

Meanwhile Royal Mail said it was 'deeply saddened' to learn of the deaths of the two colleagues - adding it was 'waiting for the results of our own internal investigations and any medical findings before commenting further in order to avoid unhelpful speculation'.

A spokesperson also said that drinking water is available to staff 'as required'.

It comes as postal workers gathered at Royal Mail's Southend depot in Essex to pay their respects during a minute's silence in memory of their two colleagues.

Postal workers gathered at Royal Mail's Southend depot in Essex to pay their respects during a minute's silence in memory of their two colleagues

Postman Luke Elgar shared a picture of his colleagues observing a minute's silence to pay their respects and urged Royal Mail to take action and protect staff working in extreme weather.

The 28-year-old said: 'We were really gutted. They're not particularly old guys, it could be anyone in our office. It's worrying and concerning for the families involved.

'You could see it happening because we're trudging around during long hours in that heat, which we'd never experienced [before], for quite long periods.

'We hadn't heard anything from Royal Mail. We found out about [the deaths] from Facebook pages and group chats online.

'The main thing for us is because of COVID a lot of the water machines were unavailable so we couldn't fill up water bottles to take with us, and there isn't always a place where you can get to water on a round.

Postman Luke Elgar shared a picture of his colleagues observing a minute's silence to pay their respects and urged Royal Mail to take action and protect staff working in extreme weather

'Union reps in local offices have been buying bottled water for staff out of their own pocket in some cases.

'They need to listen to the posties about their concerns and acknowledge there needs to be less pressure to get as much work done in a day than there would be under normal circumstances.

'They need to understand that what normally is possible isn't in those circumstances. In the heat you need to slow down a bit.'

On the minute silence, he said: 'We wanted to observe a minute's silence for them and it was an opportunity to speak to the guys on the floor to say 'take care of yourself, this could happen to any one of us'.

'It was my idea to do the silence. I addressed the guys for a minute and we took the silence then went back to our work. We decided at our depot to show our respects.

On social media, Royal Mail employees and members of the public expressed their condolences and shared their own concerns.

David McGarvey commented: 'It's hard work in that heat. I thought I was going to collapse myself last week.'

Roy Worden wrote: 'I went out the other day during the hottest part of the day, I couldn't touch the steering wheel it was so hot.

'Before getting into my car I stopped to ask my postie if he was ok.

'He was carrying a heavy bag and sweating [profusely] and clearly struggling. I asked him if he would like a drink.

'It's not on, [he] shouldn't be carrying heavy weights in that heat.'

In response to the news of the deaths, the CWU sent a letter to Royal Mail demanding an investigation.

Dave Joyce, CWU national health and safety officer, said: 'Our Royal Mail members provide the best postal service in the world and after the government declared that postal workers were 'essential workers' at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, postmen and women have worked tirelessly through the six-months of the pandemic without the luxury of being furloughed.

'The loss of the two postmen is a huge blow to postal workers across the country.

'CWU HQ has expressed our condolences and deepest sympathies to the families, friends and work colleagues of our two members who died in sad circumstances and we fully understand the grief and anxiety amongst Phil and Mark's work colleagues in their respective Delivery Offices where emotions are naturally running high.

'Staff shortages, one-person per van, a 50 per cent increase in parcels and the recent record-breaking heatwave obviously piled the pressure on postmen and women, made worse by the fact that water fountains had been shut off due to the risk of virus transmission.

'All in all working conditions have been tough on the workforce.

On the deaths of the two postmen, he said: 'We are not in a position to comment further until such time as investigations have been completed by the appropriate medical and, if necessary, the judicial authorities and their respective conclusions published.

'However Royal Mail and the CWU have agreed to joint internal investigations which will look at any possible contributory factors.

'Royal Mail have also now agreed to our request for the provision of water bottles for all outdoor workers and a campaign on the importance of staying hydrated at all times which are welcomed.

'This is an important health and safety issue when carrying out a manual job, walking many miles, outdoors in excessively hot weather conditions when temperatures are in the mid-90s as they were recently.

'We'll be looking to ensure that in future Severe Weather Risk Assessments are carried out in heatwave weather to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion and sun stroke and so protect the outdoor delivery workforce.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We were deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of both our colleagues who will be greatly missed.

'We are waiting for the results of our own internal investigations and any medical findings before commenting further in order to avoid unhelpful speculation.

'The health and safety of our people is our number one priority at Royal Mail.

'We have robust processes in place to safeguard our people's safety, health and wellbeing, especially during extreme weather, both hot and cold.

'We provide clear guidance aimed at protecting our people's safety, health and wellbeing as they carry out their work. We also ensure access to drinking water as required.

'Our thoughts and condolences continue to be with their family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.'
Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, are making huge strides for their family independent of the rest of the Duggars. While Jill was homeschooled her entire life, shes choosing to send her kids to public school. And her son, Israel, looked like he had a great first day of kindergarten.

Jill posted a video showing how Israels first day went. And she mentioned one aspect of public school that she never considered until now. Heres what she said.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar believed in homeschooling their kids

Jill might be the only one of Jim Bob and Michelles kids to send her children to public school. While homeschooling 19 kids is no joke, Jim Bob and Michelle are devout Baptists and want to instill those same values in their kids. They can better incorporate their religious teachings if all their kids are at home learning.

Michelle even explained to TLC that the curriculum she wanted to use for homeschooling was Christian-based with emphasis on character building like responsibility, honesty, self-control. And Michelle also relied on some of the older kids in the house with helping their younger siblings get their work done.

Working within an assigned buddy system, each of our older children assists in helping with the needs of a younger sibling, Michelle told Alpha Omega Publications. Plus chores are assigned and posted on a master schedule on the wall so they all know what to do and work together to complete their assigned jurisdictions.'

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard recapped their sons first day of public school

RELATED: Jill Duggar Defied Her Family Even More With the Outfit She Chose for Israels Back-to-School Photos

While Michelle and Jim Bob still believe in the power of homeschooling, Jill and Derick made it clear theyre excited for their kids to go to public school. The couple both posted photos of Israels first day of kindergarten. And Israel looks more excited than ever to meet other kids his age and learn in a new setting.

Happy first day of school for these two! Jill captioned her post. 1st day of Kindergarten for Israel and 1st day of last year of law school for Derick!

Now that Israel had a successful first day, Jill also posted a video to Youtube recounting how it went. The video starts with the night before Israels first day and goes into the following day. And Israel seems happy from start to finish.

Jills younger son, Sam, isnt as excited to see Israel go, though. Sam asks where Israel is after the drop-off, and the childs extra excited to see his older brother return home.

Jill mentioned 1 aspect of public school she didnt anticipate

Both Jill and Derick went back to the school to pick up Israel once his day ends. And Jill films the few moments prior to Israels release from class. While shes in the car, she noticed how long the car pick-up line is  and its definitely not something shes used to.

Hey guys, so, I was homeschooled. And I had no idea that these lines would take so long, Jill explained. Derick, whos in the drivers seat, also pretended to be asleep. And Jill then noted in the video that she and Derick were waiting in line to pick up Israel for an hour.

They made two lines the next day and cut the wait time in half, text over the video then explained as Jill continued to talk. Excited to see Israel if he ever comes out, she added.

Finally, Israels released from class and hops in the car. And its clear he had a fantastic first day. While Jill didnt anticipate the long line to pick him up, its clear shes ultra-happy about her son finally heading off to school. Were excited to hear even more updates!

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U S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been spotted not wearing a mask in a hair salon  despite repeated criticisms of Donald Trump for not wearing one.

Ms Pelosi, a Democrat, has come under fire for the footage taken in eSalon in San Francisco on Monday, which shows staff wearing masks while hers remains around her neck.

The salon was reportedly reopened just for Ms Pelosi. Outdoor haircuts are allowed under California coronavirus rules but indoor salons have not reopened.

eSalon owner Erica Kious, who rents space to stylists, spoke out about her frustration after one of her hairdressers told her Ms Pelosi was coming in for a wash and blow dry.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi wearing a mask / REUTERS

"It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work," Ms Kious told Fox News.

"We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just can't - it's a feeling - a feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down."

The Speaker's Republican opponents also labelled Ms Pelosi hypocritical after the footage was aired on Fox News.

Senate Republicans tweeted: Speaker Pelosi has pushed policies that would keep our economy closed and our small businesses shut down. But for herself? A salon visit whenever she pleases.

People mostly not wearing masks at a Republican convention event last week / REUTERS

Ms Pelosis spokesman said she was complying with the rules as presented to her by eSalon.

Spokesman Drew Hammill said: This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business.

The speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.

Ms Pelosi has repeatedly criticised Mr Trump for mostly avoiding face coverings, calling him a "coward" and adding: "Real men wear masks."

She said this week that the president had "slapped science right in the face" for a Republican convention event where attendees were not wearing masks.
The logo of Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) is pictured along a roadside in Ahmedabad

By Nidhi Verma and Sachin Ravikumar

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's top explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp is unlikely to buy overseas oil and gas assets at current prices of about $45 a barrel, its finance chief said on Wednesday.

Its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh (OVL) has already seen a decline in profit, as some of its acquisitions, such as Imperial Energy in Russia, were made when global oil prices were above $100 a barrel.

"...prices are stuck at $45 ( per barrel) so any acquisition should be made at significantly lower prices only," Subhash Kumar told an analyst conference.

He said OVL is comfortable with oil prices remaining above $45 a barrel, as $40 a barrel is the lowest price at which the company can make a profit.

OVL has a debt of 420 billion Indian rupees ($5.74 billion), with its long term borrowings backed by ONGC. Its profit in the last fiscal year to March 31 declined by about 73% to 4.54 billion Indian rupees ($62 million).

Kumar, however said, ONGC will help OVL in raising funds if the acquisition is seen adding value.

Separately, ONGC sees an almost 19% cut in its capex for this fiscal year to 260 billion rupees as pandemic-related lockdowns have affected some of its activities.

Oil companies across the globe have cut their spending plans as the pandemic has driven down oil prices, fuel demand and hurt supply chain.

He expects ONGC's annual crude production to decline by 3% to 22.69 million tonnes in this fiscal year while gas will be almost flat at 24.89 billion cubic meters.

($1 = 73.1810 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma, editing by Louise Heavens)
Union Minister has suggested that senior leaders and should resign from the party and join the

Athawale said that the NDA government in the Centre will keep returning to power and that since veteran leaders like Sibal, Azad and others have been accused of colluding with the BJP, they should submit their resignation just like Jyotiraditya Scindia did and join the BJP.

"There is a controversy over the post of Congress chief. Rahul Gandhi has accused Sibal, Azad of working on BJP's behalf. Therefore, I request Sibal, Azad to resign from Congress. They have spent many years expanding the Congress, but they should exit the party and join BJP now," Athawale told ANI here.

"If they are being disrespected there they should leave just like Jyotiraditya Scindia did, even Sachin Pilot did so but he reached a compromise. Rahul Gandhi is wrong in blaming people who built the Congress," he added.

Athawale said that the BJP led NDA would stay in power for many more years, and expressed the hope that it will win over 350 seats in the next general elections.

"BJP is the party of the masses today, people of all castes, sects, and religion are joining BJP. It will win keep winning in the coming elections and eradicate Congress," the Union minister of state for Social Justice said.

Sibal and Azad were among the 23 big leaders from Congress who had written to interim president Sonia Gandhi for sweeping changes in the party.

Later defending the letter, Azad had said it was no big deal if their letter got leaked and asked if action should not be taken for "indiscipline" against leaders who targeted them.

Azad also said that party leader Rahul Gandhi initially had issues with the letter which was discussed during the stormy meeting of Congress Working Committee held last month.

(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.)
Experts say it's not a good idea to warm up your car in winter

Experts say it's not a good idea to warm up your car in winter. Here's why.
Mathias Marty Ometu woke up Aug. 25 thinking it would be just another Tuesday. He would log into work at 8:30 a.m. sharp, maybe go for an afternoon jog during his lunch break, and join a friendly basketball game after work.

He was about five minutes into his jog that afternoon, running along Woodstone Drive, when he saw a San Antonio police officer drive toward him and slow down. A Black man conscious about racial bias in policing, Ometu grew suspicious.

Soon, Ometu was at the center of an international news story  a Black man stopped and questioned by police about a crime he didnt commit, before being wrestled into a patrol vehicle, transported to jail and charged with assaulting two police officers. He wouldnt divulge his name, as is his right.

William Luther/Staff

I was guilty before being proven innocent, Ometu said, speaking publicly for the first time Wednesday. I was told to calm down, but there is nothing calm about placing an innocent man into the back of a police vehicle.

Pausing to gain his composure, Ometu described the frustration he felt being stopped by officers, the humiliation of being strip-searched at the jail and the hopelessness of being trapped behind metal bars for nearly two days.

I experienced true darkness during this period of isolation, said Ometu, an insurance agent at USAA. I thought about my job, what people would think of me, my record. Thousands of thoughts flew into my head, each gaining momentum of completely breaking me.

Now Playing: Clips from body camera footage show SAPD officers detaining Mathias Ometu because Ometu fit the description of a suspect of a domestic violence incident. When Ometu refuses to give officers his name, they detain him. A scuffle ensues, ending in Ometu's arrest. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Ometus arrest stood out against a backdrop of local and national protests against police bias and violence.

USAA, in a statement Wednesday, said it had been in touch with Ometu since his arrest. These are emotional, complicated times and our primary focus is on providing all USAA teammates with assistance to support their well-being, it said.

Ometu was freed Aug. 27 after several friends paid a portion of his $20,000 bond on behalf of his family, who lives in Seattle. Its money the family likely will not get back.

On ExpressNews.com: Charges dropped against jogger as police chief backs officers

Days later, as a bystander video of the incident went viral, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales sought to dismiss the two pending assault charges filed by police and a judge agreed.

I think its in the interest of justice to reject these cases, Gonzales said Tuesday. Its an effort to bring some healing to the community.

Police Chief William McManus said he concurred with Gonzales decision, as did the two officers  both of whom have less than two years on the force. In a rare move, McManus released body-camera video from one officer on the call, though it did not include clear video of Ometu being wrestled into the back of the police vehicle.

McManus said the officers acted appropriately in taking Ometu into custody to be identified  even after the family violence victim arrived at the scene and told officers that Ometu was not her ex-husband, the man who had assaulted her.

Two lawyers representing Ometu pushed back Wednesday, calling on McManus to retract his statement. They also said the police department to improve hiring and training practices, including a focus on implicit and explicit bias.

When (Chief McManus) comes out and says that his officers acted appropriately, thats a problem, said Adam Kobs, Ometus court-appointed attorney. That not only endorses this type of behavior. It blesses this type of behavior.

Change needs to start from the top, he added. If you make a mistake, if you do something wrong, you own up to it. You admit it. You apologize.

Sgt. Michelle Ramos, a police spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Artessia Tess House, a civil rights attorney for Ometu, said she is considering several approaches to highlight his case and larger issues about the police. Asked for specifics, House said Ometu might file a complaint with SAPDs Internal Affairs Unit, which looks into allegations of officer misconduct.

It is not clear how an Internal Affairs investigation would be conducted, if at all, as McManus has said the officers did not violate any policies.

Ometu, whose family emigrated from Nigeria before he was born, said the two-day experience forever changed his life. He said he was thankful to be free again, but issues remain.

I was punished for invoking my rights, and that has to be addressed, Ometu said. I was treated unfairly, and that has to be addressed. I was physically, emotionally and mentally harmed, and that has to be addressed.

Multiple cops either not knowing or ignoring the rights of Texas residents, this has to be addressed, Ometu continued. I will not stop until all these matters are taken care of.

I felt targeted

Ometu, a self-described night owl, scrambled to log into work Aug. 25.

About 12:45 p.m., after completing some work, Ometu put a pot of beans on the stove and decided to go for a quick run. Ometu, a frequent jogger, had a 25-minute route through his North Side neighborhood mapped out.

Ometu put on his headphones and left his apartment complex, less than a block from the Gunn Acura car dealership on the Interstate 10 access road. He noticed a police officer arriving but thought nothing of it.

Then he saw another officer drive up behind him, asking for his name.

Not wanting to be bothered during his jog, he told the officer he didnt want to provide it.

Soon, another officer, later identified as Richard Serna, arrived. He, too, asked for Ometus name. He said Ometu matched the description of a man suspected of choking his ex-wife at a nearby apartment complex.

I felt targeted, Ometu said Wednesday. I felt like I became the victim, when theres another woman who was out there seeking justice.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio police wrestled a Black man into a squad car and took him to jail. He wasnt the suspect they were searching for.

Ometu, a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio, said he doesnt know much about Texas law but remembered that he was not required to provide his name unless he was under arrest.

I continued to deny their requests, Ometu recalled. When I refused to provide it, I was placed in handcuffs aggressively to the point where Im still feeling pain in my wrists.

At that point, the body-camera footage shows, Serna hopped in his patrol car and called the victim. For several minutes, he questioned her about her ex-husband: the length of his beard, the color of his shorts, the shade of green of his shirt.

After some time, the woman told officers that her ex-husband had on a green shirt the color of grass and black basketball shorts. She said he had a short, scruffy beard.

Ometu was wearing a neon green T-shirt and white basketball shorts. His beard is full and several inches long.

House, the civil rights attorney, questioned why officers didnt let Ometu go at that point.

McManus stated that it was important to find out who he was, House said. Why? He was no longer a suspect. He hadnt committed any crime. He was a productive member of society minding his own business.

When asked why Ometu didnt provide his name earlier to officers  even if he was within his legal rights  House said: I dont believe that that burden shifts upon the innocent. That burden shifts onto the police officers to do what they should have been trained to do and that was to conduct a thorough investigation.

I felt each finger

About 30 minutes after Ometu was detained, Serna told him that the officers planned to transport him to the womans apartment. He asked him to get in the patrol car.

Ometu, not knowing the victims state of mind, told Serna he did not want to go.

Once those doors are closed on you, you never know when they are going to open again, Ometu said.

The officers began leading Ometu toward the car. Ometu stiffened. He pushed back, slightly. The officers continued pushing him forward, leading him by both arms. Soon, the officers were wrestling him into the car.

My face hit the top of the roof of the vehicle, Ometu said. I was bent forward with two grown men pressing on my back. I was yanked by an officer by my neck.

My legs were twisted and contorted into awkward and uncomfortable positions, Ometu continued. I felt each finger the officers pressed into my throat.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio mayor calls for release of body camera video as questions mount in arrest of Black jogger

In the body-camera footage, Ometu can be heard yelling several times that the officers were choking him. Each time, they told Ometu that they were not.

In total, the struggle lasted about two minutes. Several more officers arrived on scene.

After another 20 minutes, the officers acknowledged that Ometu was not the suspect.

Still, the officers decided to take him to municipal court on Frio to be identified. There, he was fingerprinted and strip-searched, before being put into what Ometu said was an unbearably cold cell.

It wasnt until 11 p.m.  nearly 10 hours after being stopped by police  that his handcuffs were removed, Ometu said. It was his first chance to get a drink of water and use the restroom.

About 1 or 2 a.m., police officers escorted him to the county jail, Ometu said. While there, he said, Ometu saw a sheriffs deputy body-slam a man face first into the concrete floor, leaving a large puddle of blood.

(A spokeswoman for the Bexar County Sheriffs Office said Wednesday that a man was injured about 1:10 a.m. Aug. 26 after aggressively standing up and refusing to follow a deputys commands. It is not clear whether this is what Ometu witnessed.)

Unable to remember any phone numbers for family or friends, and unable to get in contact with an attorney, Ometu at one point resigned himself to spending over a month in jail, until his court date, which had been set for Sept. 29.

About 6 p.m. Aug. 27, he learned that several friends were outside the jail to bail him out.

It was one of the greatest feelings in the world, Ometu said. Knowing that someone was still watching you, even when you had given up hope.

But the scars are far from gone.

The impact was significant, Ometu said. I felt like I was trapped and held against my will, and there was no end to what I was going through.

Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Emilie, become a subscriber. eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton
The cheap steroid hydrocortisone can cut Covid-19 deaths by almost a third in the sickest patients, research has found.

An analysis co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of seven different studies found three steroids - hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone - reduce the risk of death in critically ill coronavirus patients by 20 per cent.

It bumped up to 31 per cent for hydrocortisone, a drug widely used to treat allergic disorders, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, or lung problems.

The study, from the University of Bristol, is one of three published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), that suggests steroids improve survival of the most seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

Another found hydrocortisone can improve outcomes by up to 93 per cent in critically ill patients - measured by either a greater chance or survival or a reduced need for organ support in intensive care.

The results come from the REMAP-CAP trial, which involves more than 50 research teams around the world in around 13 countries, including 88 patients treated at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Hospitals.

Today's announcement makes hydrocortisone the second widely-used steroid to become a breakthrough treatment for Covid-19.

Dexamethasone has already been approved by NHS officials for use on critically ill patients after results showed it cut their risk of death.

Oxford University scientists claimed dexamethasone may save up to 35 per cent of patients relying on ventilators  the most dangerously ill  and reduce the odds of death by a fifth for all patients needing oxygen at any point.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said today: 'Just as we did with dexamethasone, the NHS will now take immediate action to ensure that patients who could benefit from treatment with hydrocortisone do so, adding a further weapon in the armoury in the worldwide fight against Covid-19.'

The World Health Organization issued the same guidelines and said it recommended the use of the drug.

Critically ill patients who received hydrocortisone (pictured) intravenously for seven days had a 93 per cent better recovery odds - measured by either a greater chance or survival or less need for organ support

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said today: 'The NHS will now take immediate action to ensure that patients who could benefit from treatment with hydrocortisone do so'

The journal edition today, publishing three clinical trials and a meta-analysis, concluded that a range of steroids  all safe, cheap and readily available - can improve the outcomes of patients receiving intensive care.

Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, and evidence strongly suggests that they reduce the lung inflammation in seriously ill patients with Covid-19.

WHAT IS HYDROCORTISONE AND HOW DOES IT HELP COVID-19 PATIENTS? Hydrocortisone is a common steroid which is used to control the body's immune system and to reduce swelling, itching and pain. It is used for a huge range of conditions and can come in the form of creams, pills, or injections. People who might have had hydrocortisone in the past include those who have had skin problems like eczema or dermatitis, people with arthritis, asthmatics, or those with haemorrhoids, painful joints, persistent mouth ulcers, or colitis. The steroid is an anti-inflammatory drug and evidence strongly suggests that they can reduce lung inflammation (swelling) in patients with Covid-19 who are seriously ill and require oxygen support for their breathing difficulties. Greg Kyle, a professor of pharmacy (Head of Discipline) at the Queensland University of Technology, said: 'These drugs dampen down the immune system response to Covid. 'In some people with Covid-19, the immune system generates a hyper-response, for reasons that are not clearly understood. 'This severe reaction results in the body attacking itself and generating severe symptoms and death. The steroids calm this reaction down  just like pruning a hedge. We dont want to kill the hedge (that is, completely stop the immune system), we want to trim it back so it is not running rampant, but rather is controlled and still able to function.' Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, who leads on the RECOVERY trial, said data showed hydrocortisone was not effective in patients with milder cases of disease. He said: 'This is not a treatment for prevention, this is not a treatment for early out patients, general practice type cases, this is a treatment for people who are sick. 'This is a treatment for people who are in hospital who need oxygen, who've got complications from Covid.' Steroids are immunosuppressants  that is, they suppress the immune system. They are useful for conditions like lupus, which causes inflammation to the joints, skin and other organs. Professor Kyle said: 'They are useful when the immune system is running rampant, but using them in an otherwise healthy person will suppress their immune system and might leave them more vulnerable to an infection  including Covid-19 or any other pathogen, for example influenza.' Advertisement

The review co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and analysed by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the University of Bristol, involved an international team of researchers who analysed seven trials spanning 12 countries.

They involved three different types of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

It looked at patient mortality over a 28-day period after treatment with one of three types of corticosteroids - dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone.

The seven control trials recruited 1,703 critically ill coronavirus patients from 12 countries from February to June. The study included patients who were taking part in the Oxford University-based RECOVERY trial.

Patients were randomised to either receive one of the three drugs or a placebo.

The study found that the steroids benefited patients regardless of whether they were on a ventilator.

But researchers said it appeared to have a greater effect on those who did not require medication to support their blood pressure.

There were 222 deaths among the 678 patients randomized to corticosteroids (32 per cent) and 425 deaths among the 1,025 patients randomized to usual care or placebo (41 per cent).

The researchers said overall the steroids reduced the risk of death in critically ill coronavirus patients by 20 per cent, but to different degrees.

Researchers said the mortality results were consistent across the seven trials, with dexamethasone and hydrocortisone giving 'similar effects'.

Dexamethasone reduced deaths by 36 per cent and hydrocortisone by 31 per cent.

But there were too few patients involved in tests of methylprednisolone to enable researchers to estimate its impact with precision.

Only one trial, which enrolled 47 patients of whom 26 died, evaluated methylprednisolone. It suggested the drug reduced deaths by nine per cent.

Although the findings are promising, it is important to note researchers only followed up whether patients had died 28 days later.

Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: 'The findings are generally consistent and show that mortality is notably reduced, to about 30-32 per cent. It is important to acknowledge that, though this is a notable benefit, nearly a third of these critically ill patients were still dying.'

He said the analysis reported in the paper was a 'tour-de-force'.

'The methods are of the very highest standard for combining results from several trials answering the same question,' he said.

Lead researcher Jonathan Sterne, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Bristol, said: 'Steroids are a cheap and readily available medication, and our analysis has confirmed that they are effective in reducing deaths amongst the people most severely affected by Covid-19.

'The results were consistent across the trials and show benefit regardless of age or sex.'

He explained that the findings pointed to 'eight fewer deaths for every a hundred critically ill patients assigned to corticosteroids'.

Commenting today, Dr Gaetan Burgio, Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease at the Australian National University, who was not involved in the research, said: 'I would anticipate recommendations from the WHO to widely implement the use of systemic corticosteroids for critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen as a standard of care.'

But the study leaves a major question unanswered, said Dr Elena Schneider-Futschik, a researcher in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne.

'What is the optimal dose?,' she said, noting that all seven trials had looked at varying levels.

'Low-dose corticosteroids have been shown to be beneficial. But using high-dose corticosteroids for Covid-19 has been associated with the risk of secondary infections, long-term complications and prolonged virus shedding.

'Corticosteroid treatment is a double-edged sword but the evidence shows that severely ill patients benefit from corticosteroid treatment.'

One of the three randomised trials published today was the REMAP-CAP trial, led in the UK by Professor Anthony Gordon from Imperial College London with collaborators from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre.

Professor Gordon, Chair in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Imperial and a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: 'At the beginning of the year at times it felt almost hopeless, knowing that we had no specific treatments. It was a very worrying time.

Dexamethasone has already been approved by NHS officials for use on critically ill patients after results of the world's biggest Covid-19 drug trial found it could cut their risk of death

WHAT IS DEXAMETHASONE? Dexamethasone is a type of corticosteroid medication which is used as an anti-inflammatory to treat a wide-rang of conditions. It was first made in 1957 by US physician Philip Showalter Hench and was approved for medical use in 1961. The drug, which is sold under the brand names Ozurdez and Baycadron, is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is given via an injection or a once-a-day tablet and is used to treat a variety of afflictions. It is even used to help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. The steroid is also used to treat conditions that cause inflammation, conditions related to immune system activity, and hormone deficiency. These include: allergic reactions

rheumatoid arthritis

psoriasis

lupus

eczema

flare-ups of intestinal disease, such as ulcerative colitis

multiple sclerosis

pre-treatment for chemotherapy to reduce inflammation and side effects from cancer medications

adrenal insufficiency (a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough hormones) Dexamethasone is known to cause a number of mild to moderate side effects, including vomiting, heartburn, anxiety, high blood pressure, muscle weakness and insomnia. What did the RECOVERY trial show? On June 16, 2020, a trial to test possible treatments for coronavirus patients was started by the Nuffield Departments of Public Health and of Medicine at the University of Oxford. While the trial is expected to continue until June 2021, a preliminary report on its findings was published on July 18. Some 11,800 Covid-19 patients had enrolled in the trial as of June. The trial, Randomised Evaluation of Covid-19 therapy (RECOVERY) trial, found dexamethasone improves survival rates of hospitalised patients with Covid-19 receiving oxygen or on a ventilator. However, this was only the case in patients who were struggling to breathe and needed respiratory support. People who didn't require breathing support saw a worse survival rate if they were treated with the drug, although this may have been coincidence. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that dexamethasone should be reserved for seriously ill and critical patients receiving Covid-19 treatment in a hospital setting. The WHO Director-General said: 'WHO emphasizes that dexamethasone should only be used for patients with severe or critical disease, under close clinical supervision. There is no evidence this drug works for patients with mild disease or as a preventative measure, and it could cause harm.' Based on those preliminary results, dexamethasone treatment has been recommended by the National Institutes of Health in the US, and by the NHS in the UK. It's only for patients with Covid-19 who are mechanically ventilated or who require supplemental oxygen but are not mechanically ventilated. Dexamethasone has not been recommended in patients with COVID-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen or hospitalisation. How does it help Covid-19 patients? In coronavirus patients, the steroid reduces inflammation in the lungs triggered by an overreaction by the immune system. One in 10 symptomatic Covid-19 patients are thought to suffer from the nasty symptom, known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS causes the immune system to become overactive and attack healthy cells in the lungs. This makes breathing difficult and the body eventually struggles to get enough oxygen to vital organs. Advertisement

'Yet less than six months later, we've found clear, reliable evidence in high quality clinical trials of how we can tackle this devastating disease.'

Professor Gordon added: 'The studies published today show that we now have more than one choice of treatment for those who need it most.

'Steroids are not a cure, but they help improve outcomes. Having a choice of different types of steroids, all of which seem to improve patient recovery, is great as it helps ease the problem of drug supply issues.'

In the REMAP-CAP study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research and supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, 403 patients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 were enrolled between March and June 2020.

They each required respiratory or cardiovascular organ support, such as mechanical ventilation or drugs to support their blood pressure.

The cohort included patients of mixed ethnicities in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and France.

Patients were randomly assigned to different treatment regimes. One group were treated with a fixed dose of 50mg hydrocortisone four times a day for seven days, while another group were treated with hydrocortisone only if their blood pressure dropped, known as the 'shock-dependant group'.

A third group received no hydrocortisone known as the 'control group'.

The trial showed that using the fixed dose of hydrocortisone led to a 93 per cent chance of a better outcome, measured by a greater chance of survival and less need for organ support, than not using hydrocortisone.

If the hydrocortisone was given only when the blood pressure was low, the chance of a better outcome was 80 per cent.

Confirming the NHS would fast track hydrocortisone into hospitals, Sir Stevens said: 'One of the distinctive benefits of having our NHS is that we've been able to mobilise quickly and at scale to help researchers test and develop proven coronavirus treatments.'

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer, hailed the work of UK researchers and trial participants.

He said: 'It is impressive to see so many UK participants willing to take part in studies, and able to volunteer due to the rapid recruitment response of the NIHR's Clinical Research Network.

'Research such as this will make the difference in controlling this virus.

'These findings offer further evidence that corticosteroids can be an important part of COVID-19 treatment for severe patients.'

The findings follow the groundbreaking results of the RECOVERY trial in June, which revealed that another steroid, called dexamethasone, helped improve recovery of patients with Covid-19.

Dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to a third among patients on ventilators, and by a fifth for those on oxygen, leading to its use in the NHS ever since.

Scientists from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Spain, the UK and the USA were involved in the study.

Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, who leads on the RECOVERY trial, said: 'These drugs have been around for decades, they are the sort of drugs that every medical student learns almost as soon as they open a clinical pharmacology text book.'

He said dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, which can be taken orally or intravenously, were 'widely available, cheap, well understood drugs'.

As an example, he said treating 12 people with dexamethasone costs around 60.

But he warned that the 'impressive' results 'are not sufficient to lead to a complete resumption  of life as we knew it'.

He said that social distancing and wearing face masks 'remain as important as ever'.

Professor Gordon, an intensive care consultant, said hydrocortisone could be used 'straight away', with it being available in intensive care units in the UK.

But Professor Landray said data showed hydrocortisone was not effective in patients with milder cases of disease.

He said: 'This is not a treatment for prevention, this is not a treatment for early out patients, general practice type cases, this is a treatment for people who are sick.

'This is a treatment for people who are in hospital who need oxygen, who've got complications from Covid.'

The second randomised trial published today in JAMA was conducted on France, led by Dr Pierre-Francois Dequin, Chru Hopitaux De Tours.

But unlike its comparative studies, it did not any benefit of hydrocortisone for reducing death or dependence on mechanical ventilation after 21 days.

Hydrocortisone was given to 76 Covid-19 patients who were compared to 73 given a placebo. Some 42.1 per cent and 50.7 per cent of patients died in each group, respectively.

But the researchers believe there was not enough enrolled in the study to sufficiently assess if hydrocortisone was useful for Covid-19 patients.

The trial was terminated prematurely after the positive findings of the dexamethasone trial. The same happened in the REMAP-CAP trial.


A Kildare man who returned home to attend the funeral of his brother, who died in tragic circumstances, says he has been left stranded by his airline.

Mark Hopkins came back to Rathangan following the tragic passing of younger sibling Roy, who died following an incident on the towns outskirts on July 31.

A local man, Robert Broughan of St Patricks Park, has subsequently been charged with the murder of Mr Hopkins.

Mark flew with Qatar Airways, stopping in Doha en route and was due to return to Sydney on August 21 (two weeks after Roys funeral), with another stop in the Qatar capital.

I booked the return flight when I left and I had no warning that this would happen until two nights before when I got an email from the airline informing me that the flight had been cancelled as far as I was concerned, said Mark.

He added: My brothers funeral was hard enough in itself but for now I dont know when I can return.

In the end the flight left with only 50 people on board.

I was bumped off and I have been on to Qatar Airways numerous times but they are only flying out so many people every day and theyre not really not giving me much at all.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the Australian authorities are limiting the number of people allowed into the country because of Covid-19

Marks Australian partner Amy and children Sienna (4) and Ayla (1) are back in Sydney, awaiting his return.

Another complicating matter is Marks medical condition.

He has haemochromatosis, a blood disorder not uncommon in Ireland, which leads to a build up of iron which can affect the liver, pancreas and heart and is treated by venesection  the removal of the patients blood at regular intervals.

Mark, 37, has the procedure done every two weeks. His return options are limited.

He could upgrade to business class  at a cost of 15,000 Australian dollars (9,300).

Alternatively, he could fly with another airline which would result in three to four stops, but any of these could lead to long delays because of the virus. I need to get home and back to work. Its getting harder to pay the rent.

Ive made Qatar aware of this; they should be telling people when they book that they may not be able to get back out. Theyre accepting bookings without saying they wont be able to get them back.

Mark has also contacted both the Australian and Irish embassies and the advice from both is to keep pressuring the airline.

Senator Mark Wall is trying to find a solution as is Senator Fiona OLoughlin, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Laois Offaly TD Carol Nolan.

He has also contacted the health authorities in New South Wales to get an exemption on medical grounds from the 14 day quarantine period because this might mean he could find it easier to get a flight.

He is fearful that even the October 24 date could be changed.



Begging



I need to get home, Im pretty much begging them but all they say is Im on a list and theyll be in touch. If Id known this in advance I would not have been able to come because of the financial cost.

Friends have suggested a crowdfunding initiative to help him get back but he is reluctant to do this.

I could probably scrape up the money for the business class flight. I appreciate people are willing to help but I dont want to give the airline any more of my money after the way Ive been treated and I definitely wouldnt give them other peoples hard earned money.

Efforts to make contact with Qatar Airways for this article were unsuccessful.




Denis Buckley, Liam Horan and Tom Foley at the Born to Run Couch to 5k graduation run which set off from the Brandon Hotel car park on Thursday evening

Kathy Jordan, Ted Moynihan and Aoife OConnor pictured at the Born To Run Couch to 5k graduation run at the Brandon Hotel Car Park on Thursday evening

Trainers of the Couch to 5k running programme pictured at the groups graduation run at the Brandon Car Park on Thursday evening. Photos: Joe Hanley

Tralee Born to Run's hugely popular couch-to-5k programme came to a conclusion this week as its participants completed their 5km graduation runs.

The programme started back in January but just hours before the participants were set to undertake their final graduation run in March, it had to be called off as the first of Ireland's lockdown restrictions were announced.

With the lifting of lockdown, the club was able to return to action and training for the couch-to-5k recommenced on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Lead mentor Ann O'Shea and her team of volunteer mentors put the participants through their paces using a gradual walk/run strategy which built up the runners' fitness over the weeks.

The graduation runs held over the last week marked the culmination of the programme.

In line with the latest draft of restrictions, they were split up over a number of nights allowing participants complete their final run around Tralee Town Park and cross the line as a fully-fledged runner capable of running 5km at their own pace.

"It's a great achievement for all involved," said chairperson of Tralee Born to Run JJ O'Connell.

"Training for the couch-to-5k was very fractured due to the Covid pandemic. We had a great start to the year, great numbers and we kept it going up until March when the restrictions came in and unfortunately we couldn't have our final graduation night," said JJ.

"As soon as we got back, we got the couch-to-5k back up and running again. This is the completion of their hard work and effort and now they can celebrate their achievement.

"We had them split up into groups to keep in line with the restrictions. Well done to all, this is just the beginning of their journey with the club," he continued.
On the eve of President Donald Trumps visit to Kenosha, where a police shooting and related protests have spurred calls for reform, Wisconsins Republican-controlled Legislature took a pass on swift action.

The Legislature on Monday afternoon opened a special session called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on police accountability and transparency. But in what is known as a skeletal session, there was no debate and most senators were absent. The session will remain open until Thursday, when it could be closed or extended.

Evers ordered the session last week after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha in order to take up legislation he introduced in June that would ban no-knock warrants, mandate training on de-escalation techniques and create statewide standards on police use of force.

Trump reiterated late Monday his plan to visit Kenosha amid heightened tensions and a week of protests over Blakes shooting. Trump is moving forward with the visit despite Evers request he cancel because it would distract from the citys healing process.

Trump had a different view.

It may also increase enthusiasm and it could increase love and respect for our country, and thats why Im going because they did a fantastic job, Trump told reporters, referring to National Guard members who were called to respond to Kenoshas civil unrest.

Trump isnt planning to meet with Blakes family, who Trump said wanted to have lawyers involved in any conversation. On Monday, seven members of the 23-member Kenosha County Board urged Trump not to cancel his visit.

A quiet start

Midday on Monday, Reps. Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, and Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, gaveled in the Assembly, while Senate Chief Clerk Jeff Renk gaveled in the Senate.

Few Republicans were present during the session, while a group of Democrats, including the Legislative Black Caucus, addressed media beforehand.

Steineke, addressing reporters in front of a darkened Assembly chamber filled with scaffolding for renovations, said meeting in a spur-of-the-moment special session to debate a package of major legislation is just not how it works. He said the bills should go through the normal legislative process, which would involve months of review by lawmakers and committees before possibly going to the floor.

He said a new task force created by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to examine public safety and police policies and standards will instead review the legislation over the coming months and potentially develop other ideas to address police accountability.

Steineke, who was appointed chairman of the task force, said it will be composed of a diverse set of participants, with few legislators. Steineke said he anticipates the Legislature would come to the floor by Jan. 1 with a broad package of bills.

I think the momentum for change is clearly with us now, and so I want to capitalize on that, Steineke said when asked why Republicans didnt begin the process of developing policing legislation months ago, after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

Evers cites letdown

Under state law, the governor has the power to call lawmakers into session, but cannot force them to act and pass legislation. Republican lawmakers did not take action on Monday, just like in other special sessions called by Evers on topics such as gun control and changes to the spring election in response to COVID-19.

The people of Wisconsin dont want another task force or more delays  they want action and results, and they want it today, not tomorrow or some day months down the road, Evers said in a statement.

Its disappointing that theres no sense of urgency from Republicans, and its a letdown to all the people who are asking us to lead. We have been talking about these bills for months, and Republicans have had plenty of time to consider them on the merits.

Outcry over racism

Black legislators tore into Republicans for not taking action, and said the bills introduced by Evers are just one step in the right direction. Black leaders also called for the Legislature to take up Medicaid expansion and other policies that would help reduce racial disparities within Wisconsins Black community.

Blame for Jacob Blakes shooting does not fall at the hand of just one officer, said Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison. That day, our community was failed by leaders in action, leaders who have long overlooked the systemic injustices in our policing system. They failed us.

On policing, Rep. Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee, said he believes not all police officers are bad apples, but that just one or two can affect the entire police force.

Why is it that when men, women, children, Black and Brown people are being murdered, we dont change policy? Haywood said. Were faced with barriers, excuses, political posturing and every reason in the world why we cant make change. We must address excessive force immediately.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said last week the chamber over the coming months plans to examine the police accountability legislation put forward by Evers, as well as a package of bills by Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, to increase transparency and community involvement in law enforcement. Fitzgerald, however, provided no details on when, if ever, the Senate would meet to pass legislation.

Fitzgerald, who is running for Congress, also said he wants to see legislation that would enhance penalties for violence against police, firefighters and emergency responders.

Evers highlights

The legislation proposed by Evers would, among other things:

Establish statewide use-of-force standards for all law enforcement agencies that would allow deadly force only as a last resort.

Prohibit discipline of law enforcement officers for reporting violations of the use-of-force policy.

Develop a model use-of-force policy.

Require eight hours of annual training on use-of-force options and de-escalation techniques.

Ban chokeholds.

Require the Department of Justice to publish an annual report on use-of-force incidents.

Prohibit no-knock search warrants.

Wanggaards highlights

Wanggaards package of bills doesnt go as far as Evers on use of force. Among other things, it would:

Penalize cities and towns for reducing their law enforcement budgets.

Create an Independent Use of Force Review Advisory Board that would investigate police use-of-force incidents and make recommendations on how to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Require law enforcement agencies to have a policy on use of force.

Require the public be involved in selection of police and fire commissioners in Madison and Milwaukee.

Require the Department of Justice to publish an annual report on law enforcement use-of-force incidents.

Prohibit training in the use of chokeholds.

Photos: Scenes from a week of unrest in Kenosha

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There is no breach of the citizenship by naturalisation eligibility requirement: Citizenship Commission Chairman Ronald Warsal. Photo: Kizzy Kalsakau
Crosshairs, Catherine Hernandezs dystopian follow-up to her renowned debut Scarborough, takes the form of an epistolary novel, replete with flashbacks and observations of an ongoing struggle against white supremacy and capitalism in a frighteningly familiar, future Toronto.

The narrator of Crosshairs is Kay, who describes himself as a Queer, femme, Jamaican-Filipino man. The letter he is writing is illusory, done without paper or pen, known as a Whisper Letter, and addressed to his partner Evan whose whereabouts are unknown. Quickly, through the letter, the current state of affairs becomes apparent  Toronto has been captured by a militant group known as the Boots, led by a Christoph Waltz type (think Inglourious Basterds, not Django Unchained) and backed by Canadas prime minister and the president of the United States, who have formed an insidious union to protect the rights of the True Canadians, or the white and wealthy, by enslaving and slaughtering the Others, or the Black, Brown, and Indigenous residents of the city.

Kay is on the run, seeking hiding places in backyards and abandoned buildings, with memories of his life before the Renovation punctuating the present day horrors.

Vivid and mournful are Kays memories of his childhood, and of his mothers life before he was born  a young Filipina woman who loves karaoke and works as a live-in caregiver for a loathsome family. The novel sparkles most when Kay recalls his days as a drag performer at clubs like Epic or Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, where he is better known as Queen Kay on the stage, throwing shade, kiki-ing with the other queens, and falling in love with Evan.

However, what the novel earns in these moments of charm, pacing and thrill, it diminishes with its frequent pedantries. Too often the characters announce, unprovoked, who they are, their politics, their identities, like a badge. Otherwise unnamed and unobserved characters get they/them pronouns, alerted with an asterisk, and, indelible, is the chant white allies of the resistance all over the country perform while lunging and holding staffs above their heads: When the oppressed tell me I am wrong, I open my heart and change! When change is led by the oppressed, I move aside and uplift! Caught in this private, daily act of unlearning his white privilege, a character apologizes, if it were my choice, it would be us allies fighting for your safety while you all were on a beach somewhere enjoying a pina colada. Perhaps one of these uncomfortable, performative exchanges could be overlooked, but they occur so often that one begins to question Hernandezs confidence in her characters to illustrate the story and her readers to understand it.

Hernandezs storytelling throughout is compelling, and she builds tension and intrigue as the story moves forward, leaving the reader ravenous for the outcome of this war, curious as to how our beloved 519, Gibraltar Place, and Don Valley became concentration camps, sites of cruelty, stolen labour, and death.

However, as she aims to ensure everyone and every cause is included, she leaves very little, in terms of the character and values of the people in these pages, to be presumed or interpreted by her reader. From Palestine, to pipelines, to transgender people and bathroom access, to gender neutral pronouns, to the sterilization of Indigenous women, to the policing of Black lives, every relevant and contemporary socio-political issue is given occasion. It illustrates, perhaps, that being included, in and of itself, is not enough, and shouldnt be the goal. Still, even in these moments where Hernandez misses the mark, it is strikingly apparent what she is striving for  to decentre whiteness. This is no easy task, and her only fault, perhaps, is that she has taken on too much.

Still, Hernandezs novel brings Toronto, as it is known by its Queer Black, Brown, and Indigenous residents, to life. A rare and wonderful and formidable feat.
Five nuclear-weapon states issue first joint statement: N-war cannot be won, must never be fought

Move over Omicron, 'IHU' is the new Covid-19 variant with '46 mutations' detected in France

France supports India, other G4 nations in bid for permanent UNSC seat

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Sep 02: France on Wednesday expressed "strong support" for India and the other G4 countries in their bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council.

The reiteration of backing by France came after India''s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, on Monday wrote a letter to President of the 74th Session of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

In the letter, Naidu said the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform are being "held hostage" and used as a "convenient smokescreen" by countries that do not wish to see any changes in the most powerful UN organ.

"France strongly supports India and the G4 in their bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC," French Ambassador to India Emmaneul Lenain said in a tweet.

He also tagged a media report on India and the other G4 countries -- Brazil, Germany and Japan -- to call for expediting the process for reforming the UN Security Council.

India will join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021.

India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the Security Council saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member of the Council, which in its current form does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st century.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 22:29 [IST]
The UAE and Israel have reviewed prospects for consolidating cooperation between the two countries during talks in Abu Dhabi between Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Meir Ben-Shabbat, National Security Adviser and Head of the Israeli National Security Council.

Ben-Shabbat is leading an Israeli delegation currently visiting the UAE, a Wam news agency report said.

The two sides discussed ways of promoting peace and stability in the region and deliberated the latest regional developments of concern, with Gargash reiterating that the UAE-Israeli peace accord is a positive step toward advancing prospects for peace in the region.

Gargash added that the accord will establish solid bilateral relations across various fields, namely the economy, science, technology, development, culture and tourism, to the best interests of the two countries and the entire region.

"The accord contributes to suspending Israel's annexation of swathes of Palestinian territory and provides a historic opportunity to return to negotiations as part of our joint endeavours to reach a sustainable peace that ensures regional security and stability," Gargash added.
United States President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have condoled the demise of former president Pranab Mukherjee, terming him a "great leader" whose "visionary leadership" helped India's rise as a global power and paved the way for a stronger US-India partnership.

Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Mukherjee died on Monday evening following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments. He was 84.

The long-time Congress leader and seven-time parliamentarian had tested positive for COVID-19 when he was hospitalised and was being treated for a lung infection.

He suffered a septic shock on Sunday due to it. Doctors said he died of a cardiac arrest.

"I was saddened to learn of the passing of India's former President, Pranab Mukherjee," Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

"I send my condolences to his family and the people of India as they grieve the loss of a great leader," he said.

Earlier, Pompeo said that the United States was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Mukherjee.

In a distinguished career spanning more than half a century, Mukherjee worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of India as a parliamentarian, cabinet minister, and as the president of the world's largest democracy, Pompeo said.

"His visionary leadership helped drive India's rise as a global power and paved the way for a stronger US-India partnership," he said.

"President Mukherjee's many accomplishments resulted in a more prosperous and secure India. As Minister of External Affairs and Defense, he championed the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, a foundation of the US-India strategic partnership, and signed the Defense Framework Agreement to enable the US-India security relationship we witness today," Pompeo said.

"Few Indian statesman played a more vital role in preparing India for the mantle of global leadership in the 21st century. On behalf of the American people, we extend our deepest condolences to the people of India and to President Mukherjee's family during this time of mourning," he said in his statement.

Mukherjee is survived by two sons and a daughter. His son Abhijit Mukherjee was the first to break the news of the death of the veteran politician.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also paid his last respects to Mukherjee, describing the departed leader "a dear friend of Sri Lanka and its people."

Rajapaksa visited the India House and wrote in the condolence book being maintained by the Indian High Commission here, the prime minister's office said.

"The late president was a dear friend of Sri Lanka and its people. The absence of his friendly leadership would be felt by the Indian public, Sri Lanka and the entire world," Mahinda said in his condolence message.

The Indian high commission said Mahinda was the first to write in the condolence book.

The high commission thanked the prime minister for his tributes. "In this sad moment, the condolences offered by you (Mahinda) and the Sri Lankan people would provide solace to the family of the former president and the Indian people," the high commission said in a Twitter post.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier condoled Mukherjee's demise.

"I am deeply saddened to learn the demise of former Indian president #PranabMukherjee. He will be remembered for his service to the people of #India. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," the Sri Lankan president tweeted on August 31.
D onald Trump has declared he did not suffer a "series of mini strokes" in a baffling tweet after responding to fresh questions about a mystery hospital visit last year.

The US President was responding to claims Vice President Mike Pence was "put on standby to temporarily assume the powers of the presidency" if Mr Trump had to receive anaesthesia for a medical procedure during his visit to Walter Reed hospital in November 2019.

A new book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, Donald Trump v. the United States: Inside the Struggle To Stop A President, said: "In reporting for this book, I learned that in the hours leading up to Trump's trip to the hospital, word went out in the West Wing for the vice president to be on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anaesthetized.

"Pence never assumed the powers of the presidency, and the reason for Trump's trip to the doctor remains a mystery."

Trump speaks to officials during a roundtable discussion on community safety / AFP via Getty Images

But Mr Trump said the reason for the visit "was to complete my yearly physical" and took to Twitter to claim he never suffered a "series of mini strokes".

"It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!"

However, no major media outlet appears to have reported that Mr Trump had a series of mini strokes.

"So the president is denying something that no one has actually reported - that he had a series of mini-strokes," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said on Twitter.

Mr Trump later added: "Mike Pence was never put on standby, & there were no mini-strokes. This is just more Fake News by @CNN, a phony story," Mr Trump tweeted in response.

"The reason for the visit to Walter Reed, together with the full press pool, was to complete my yearly physical. Short visit, then returned (with press) to W.H..."

Mr Trump's White House doctor, Dr Sean Conley, followed up with a statement in which he said Mr Trump has not experienced or been evaluated for a stroke, a mini-stroke or any acute cardiovascular emergency.

He said: "I can confirm that President Trump has not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke), or any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported in the media."

Dr Conley said the president "remains healthy" and "fit to execute the duties of the presidency".

Mr Pence said in an interview on Tuesday evening that he doesn't recall being told to be on "standby".

He said he is always informed about the president's movements, but there was "nothing out of the ordinary about that movement or that day".

The White House said the president's hospital visit, which raised questions at the time about Mr Trump's health, was part of his routine physical examination.

A president's routine medical checkup is typically announced ahead of time and the White House provided no other details at the time.
The Environmental Protection Agencys Region 6 reported Tuesday that there have been limited impacts to air quality after Hurricane Laura, but  as the states environmental agency still works to restore some air monitoring stations  most serious detections have been found in one Southeast Texas neighborhood.

Since Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, on Aug. 27, the EPA and state agencies have been trying to monitor the potential emissions and accidental releases from the oil and gas industry across the Gulf Coast through monitoring by plane and handheld devices on the ground.

On Tuesday, the EPA gave a glimpse of what those efforts have revealed in Southeast Texas.

Results from air monitoring and imagery and on-the-ground, handheld monitoring indicate that, overall, hazardous impacts to air quality from Hurricane Laura in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area have been limited, the agency said in a statement.

There were still some detected issues, including two detected concentrations of isoprene above west Port Arthur. Isoprene is a component found in rubber and plastic production processes and can cause irritation of the eyes and nose when inhaled in large concentrations.

A passby from an EPA plane detected the releases, one of which was found at 1.55 parts per million.

Planes also found 16 sites between Sunday and Monday that had elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but concluded they were temporary and not associated with plumes.

The EPA reported it has conducted 18 daytime readings with mobile crews in Port Neches, Port Arthur, West Orange and Ridgecrest. Combined with 85 nighttime readings in Beaumont, Little Cypress, Forest Heights, Ridgecrest, Mauriceville and on the northern side of Orange, the agency has compiled just over 100 readings in an extended two-county area.

From these readings, results were reported above the detection limit at two locations for total volatile organic compounds. Again, the EPA concluded that they were temporary and do not seem to indicate a contaminant plume.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also deployed vans with mobile monitoring equipment on Friday as soon as it got the all clear that crews could operate safely in the hurricane impacted area, but dedicated air monitoring stations have had some delays in restarting.

The agency reported all Houston stations were returned to operational status by Friday night, but five stations in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange were still without power Monday.

Even if an air monitoring station is not damaged by a storm, it is still taken offline before a major weather event to help protect it, which is why environmental agencies rely on mobile monitoring to keep an eye on releases before and after a hurricane.

That is also why Catherine Fraser, clean air associate with Environment Texas, said advocates would have liked to see agencies deploy monitors before Friday.

We understand they have safety concerns about working in the impact zone of the hurricane, but we would like to see them have those mobile monitors on the ready for when the storm hit instead of parking them in Austin, she said of TCEQs monitoring deployment.

TCEQ has suspended some rules and regulations since Aug. 26, after receiving permission from Gov. Greg Abbotts office. The agency didnt provide a timeline for when those rules will be reinstated but said it was likely to be soon given the limited impact of Hurricane Laura in Texas.

The agency has said that the suspension of certain regulations before and after a serious storm event is supposed to give companies more flexibility in preparing for potential issues at a site, but doesnt excuse their obligation to prevent releases or spills.

State and federal agencies mostly rely on self-reported estimates from companies during events like Laura, which have been numerous for the Beaumont and Port Arthur area.

An estimated 4 million pounds of emissions were released from facilities in Beaumont and Port Arthur in just four days before Laura made landfall, according to notices filed to state regulators.

At least one equipment failure was associated with the shutdown process. Motiva Enterprises, which operates the largest refinery in North America in Port Arthur, reported a leak on Aug. 27. Motiva estimated that the release contained 101 pounds of potentially cancer-causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 101 pounds of hydrogen sulfide and 11 pounds of benzene over a 24-hour period.

The release from the refinery was on top of an estimated 7,750 pounds of VOCs the company predicted through modeling would be released from its 31 storage tanks during the shutdown process.

Motiva also expected releases from its Port Arthur chemical plant from Aug. 25 to Tuesday of about 48,950 pounds of various chemicals, including 15,000 pounds of carbon monoxide.

There have been no local or state agency issued warnings about human health issues associated with detected releases, but environmental and community activists often warn people with preexisting health conditions and respiratory problems to be aware when plants are in their start-up processes, especially those who live near a plants fence line.

Environment Texas has repeatedly highlighted in its yearly reports the need to allot more resources to environmental agencies for situations like hurricanes, but Fraser said public safety can also be improved by establishing county level pollution offices like the one in Harris County.

People in Texas are increasingly affected by climate change-fueled events like hurricanes and industry is creating an added issue with their role in these events, she said. But were repeatedly shown it doesnt have to be this way. No one should have to worry about whether they are breathing in toxic pollution.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth addressed recent speculation about whether the virus might be less transmitted during the summer months as influenza would be.

"We have to be clear that we do not yet know the impact of the seasons on COVID-19 - we absolutely cannot assume that because we're moving into the summer months, when other respiratory viruses traditionally decrease, that COVID-19 would also decrease," he said.

"What we do know about summer, though, is that Australians will get outside. And they should in the states where they're able to do so, and as restrictions are lifted in Victoria."

Dr Coatsworth said that would lead to two things: movement across cities, and an increase in crowds.

"If we can't assume that COVID-19 will be any less transmitted, we have to assume that ovement in crowds will potentially bring risk.

"We have seen in the Northern Hemisphere COVID running rampant across many nations during the summer months. As holiday-makers go to and from countries in Europe, bringing the disease back into their own country and sparking new outbreaks of COVID-19."

He urged people to treat the summer with as much caution as they've treated winter, keeping physical distance and being responsible if they feel unwell.

"Don't go to a family gathering down at the beach if you're unwell or the kids are unwell. Stay at home and get yourself tested. Wear a mask if you're on public transport going to and from those areas."
Report says China aims to double its arsenal from current level of about 200 warheads in next decade, US has over 6,000.

China is expected to at least double the number of its nuclear warheads over the next 10 years  from an estimated figure in the low 200s it has now  and is nearing the ability to launch nuclear attacks by land, air and sea, a capacity known as a triad, the Pentagon has revealed.

The annual report to Congress on Chinas military marks the first time it has put a number to Chinas nuclear warheads. The Federation of American Scientists has estimated that China has about 320.

The Pentagon said the growth projection was based on factors including Beijing having enough material to double its nuclear weapons stockpile without new fissile material production.

Were certainly concerned about the numbers  but also just the trajectory of Chinas nuclear developments writ large, Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, told reporters.





The annual report comes as the US Congress debates the pending $700bn defence authorisation bill amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Al Jazeeras Heidi Zhou-Castro, reporting from Washington, DC, says the bill amounts to three times Chinas annual defence budget.

She said US President Donald Trumps Republican allies want some of the money to cover potential nuclear testing, which is opposed by the Democrats.

Nuclear triad capacity

In his statement, Sbragia said China was also nearing completion of its nuclear triad capacity, as it develops an air-launched ballistic missile that would have nuclear capability.

The report said that in October 2019, China publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear-capable air-to-air refuelling bomber.

Washington has repeatedly expressed its desire to expand an Obama-era nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia to include China instead of simply extending the pact, known as New START, when it expires in February.

China has shown no interest in joining the negotiation.

In July, a senior Chinese diplomat said Beijing would be happy to participate in trilateral arms control negotiations, but only if the US was willing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to Chinas level.

Earlier this year, the Communist Party-backed tabloid Global Times said Beijing needed to expand the number of its nuclear warheads to 1,000 in a relatively short time.

Trucks carrying weapons including a nuclear-armed missile designed to evade US defences were displayed in Beijing in 2019 as the country marked the 70th anniversary of the Communist Party taking power in China in 1949 [File: Mark Schiefelbein/AP]

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, China analyst Andrew Leung said Chinas nuclear posture was largely defensive, adding that even if China doubled its nuclear warheads, from 300 to 600, it would still be only a tiny fraction of the US arsenal.

The US is said to possess something like 6,000 nuclear warheads, and the US has much more extensive military bases, with about 800 bases in more than 20 to 30 countries around the world. And so, even if China built some bases, its still way behind the US.

Russia has roughly 4,300 warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group, said Chinas growing nuclear arsenal should not be used as an excuse for the US and Russia to not extend New START.

It further reinforces the importance of extending New START and the folly of conditioning extension on China and Chinas participation in arms control, Reif added.

Tensions have been simmering between China and the US for months.

Washington has taken issue with Chinas handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak and moves to curb freedoms in Hong Kong. The increasingly aggressive posture comes as President Donald Trump bids for re-election in November.

Another source of tension has been Taiwan. China has stepped up its military activity around the democratic island Beijing claims as sovereign Chinese territory, sending fighter jets and warships on exercises nearby.

The Pentagon report, based on 2019 information, said Chinas military continued to enhance its readiness to prevent Taiwans independence and carry out an invasion if needed.
{byline}{&by1}By The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Voting is a right, not a privilege. And casting a ballot  that most fundamental exercise of American citizenship  should be as accessible as possible.

And in this age of pandemic, voting safely should not be an issue. Voters shouldnt have to potentially forego a trip to crowded polls to cast ballots in person if they dont feel secure because of the highly contagious coronavirus.

So we urge the General Assembly, during its special session, to pass measures proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam to make it easier  and safe  to vote in the Nov. 3 election.

[W]e need to continue to make it easier to vote, not harder. Voting is fundamental to democracy, Northam said in a virtual address to the legislatures money committees.

During the special session, lawmakers will focus on the budgetary impact of COVID-19 on the state. A key component of that is election security during a global pandemic. The integrity of our elections must be protected.

Northams proposals include language that would expressly allow localities to set up drop-off systems for absentee ballots  either boxes or staffed locations  and require the Virginia Department of Elections to create security standards for the process. More than 30 states now permit voters to deposit their ballots in strong, tamper-proof drop boxes, according to the League of Women Voters.

The governor also called for $2 million to pay for prepaid return postage for all absentee ballots sent out for the Nov. 3 election.

We have questions about another proposal that would allow voters who cast absentee ballots to have the chance to correct them if the error would lead to their vote being discarded. How would this work? What sort of safeguards are in place to ensure the integrity of the ballot? Oregon, one of five states that conducts voting entirely by mail, has an 88-page manual with explicit instructions for a multitude of scenarios and procedures. Will Virginia follow this example?

Virginians have more voting options this fall. They can cast ballots at the polls. Or, under a new law passed this year by the General Assembly, they can vote in person at their local registrars office starting 45 days before Election Day. They also can request no-excuse, absentee ballots by mail, which will be sent to voters in mid-September.

And mark your calendars: Election Day will be a state holiday this year, so for many Virginians, there absolutely is no excuse not to make their voices heard.

The Postal Service has said it would halt administrative and policy changes until after the November election. Politics shouldnt derail the mail: The job of the Postal Service exceeds the safe delivery of ballots  everyday needs such as lifesaving medications and checks arrive via the mail to Americans. That should not be disrupted.

The value of funding mail-in-voting is only as good as the rate of return and the validity of the ballots received.

Applications for absentee ballots by mail for the upcoming election are surging in the commonwealth. Novembers election will far surpass totals from the springs municipal elections and congressional primaries. Virginia does not have a precedent for how much to spend or how to organize election safety around mail-in-ballots. We know the moment calls for safety and security.

The question is: What kind of timeline and controls are necessary to ensure mail is an effective option, and the money to implement it is well spent and executed?

Richmond Times-Dispatch
Rating Action: Moody's changes SQM's outlook to negative; affirms Baa1 rating

Global Credit Research - 01 Sep 2020

New York, September 01, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has changed Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A.'s ("SQM") outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the Baa1 of SQM's senior unsecured notes.

RATINGS RATIONALE

The change in SQM's outlook to negative reflects our view of high uncertainty over the future performance of the company's lithium revenues given downward pressure on lithium prices, which are key for the company to be able to deleverage and return to levels below our downgrade trigger of 2.5x in the next 12-18 months (3.2x as of the last twelve months as of June 2020). The negative outlook also reflects our concern over SQM's large dividend payouts, which have contributed to the company's negative free cash flow generation since 2018.

SQM's Baa1 ratings are supported by the company's sound market position in the lithium, iodine, potassium nitrate and thermos-solar salts markets, with significant cost advantages relative to industry peers as a result of its access to rich natural resources in northern Chile. SQM benefits from a broad universe of industries and customers for its products, which are sold globally for diverse applications such as plant nutrition, X-ray contrast media, pharmaceuticals, LCD polarizing film, batteries and alternative energy. SQM's strong liquidity position also support its Baa1 rating. The company's narrow commodity product line, relatively small size and high dividend payout policy in 2015-19, are also incorporated into the rating.

SQM's broad diversification in terms of business segments, clients and geographies have been supporting the company's operating performance during the Coronavirus pandemic and partly offsetting the very low lithium prices. For example, in the first half of 2020 SQM posted higher revenue and operating margin in its iodine and industrial chemicals business segments. Although demand for iodine declined as a result of the pandemic, the increase in prices more than compensated the fall in units sold and gross profit rose by 30% relative to a year earlier to $92 million. In addition, higher solar salts sales, resulting from a three year contract to supply solar energy plants in the Middle East, more than doubled the industrial chemical segments revenue to $74 million and gross profit to $21 million in same period.

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However, falling lithium prices since mid-2018 have reduced the segment's contribution to gross margin to 15% or $37 million in the first half of 2020 from 42% or $120 million in the first half of 2019. Furthermore, lower demand from Asia as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has prevented SQM from expanding lithium sales volumes in 2020. Since mid-2018 lithium prices have dropped considerably, to around $7.000/MT today from around $16.300/MT in 2018 (SQM's realized price), reflecting growing lithium production capacity (from Australia in particular), that in turn led to excess supply in 2019. The fall in lithium prices was also aided by lower than expected growth for Lithium-ion batteries demand derived from lower than expected growth in electric vehicles(EV) sales in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It is highly uncertain how the EV market will perform in the next few years, particularly because the sector is highly dependent on government incentives for new vehicle purchases, mostly in China. Therefore, the trajectory for lithium prices is also very uncertain. Still, SQMs low cost position among lithium producers is a key competitive advantage that will allow the company to remain profitable even under a stressed lithium price environment.

SQMs free cash flow generation has been negative since the start of the company's ambitious capital spending program in 2018, and we expect it will remain so at least until 2021-2022, because most of the new capacity in lithium related projects is due in the second half of 2021. Furthermore, SQM's high dividend payout will also continue to contribute to negative cash flow generation.

SQM's has a significant lithium production capacity expansion underway. The company plans to take lithium carbonate production capacity to 120,000 MT/year by the second half of 2021, from 70,000 MT/year today. This project includes a whole new production facility and its construction will not interfere with the existing capacity installed. In addition, the new plant will meet the highest quality standards and requirements from battery technology industry. Furthermore, SQM's is also undertaking a project to expand lithium hydroxide capacity by 2021, now working on the first of two new plants of 8,000 MT/year capacity, that will increase SQM's 13,500 MT/year capacity today.

We expect SQM's credit metrics to weaken in 2020 driven by weaker performance in the lithium segment, partially compensated by higher iodine and solar salts revenue. Overall, we expect EBITDA as adjusted by Moody's to be around $630-650 million in 2020, similar to the $646 million in 2019, ending the year 2020 at around 3.0x debt to EBITDA ratio, up from 2.8x as of year-end 2019, which are above our downgrade trigger of 2.5x. We expect EBITDA levels to recover in 2021-2022 as the company's lithium projects ramp-up and leverage metrics lower to around 2.7x in 2021 and 2.1x in 2022.But we believe there is downside risk to this scenario stemming from the uncertainty over the performance of the lithium market in the next few years, which is where SQM's is concentrating most of its investment efforts. Our base case projections incorporate a scenario of lithium carbonate prices at $6,800 /MT average during 2021-22, so the company could deleverage at a slower pace if lithium prices fall below these levels.

SQMs good liquidity profile, with $1.1 billion in cash and marketable securities as of June 30, 2020, and the absence of significant debt maturities until 2023 ($383 million), will support SQMs cash requirements until the new capacity comes online in 2021. Additionally, the companys projects in lithium are carried out in separate modules, which provides SQMs flexibility over the timing of the disbursing of capital spending if market conditions change.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

The ratings could be upgraded if the company were able to (1) materially increase its size; (2) expand its product profile such that it has stable cash flow generation across industry and economic cycles; and (3) maintain strong credit metrics, with Moody's-adjusted debt/EBITDA below 1.0x, EBIT/interest expense higher than 15.0x and retained cash flow/debt above 30%. SQMs negative outlook could be stabilized if the company is able to deleverage debt to EBITDA to levels closer to 2.0x-2.5x and increase interest coverage as measured by EBITDA to interest expense above 10.0x (7.6x as of the last twelve months ended June 2020), while maintaining its overall good credit profile.

The rating could be downgraded if SQM's operations, size or profitability is consistently and materially hurt in any way. A deterioration in its liquidity or credit profile such as the inability to return to debt to EBITDA closer to 2.0x-2.5x on a sustained basis, could also lead to a downgrade.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Chemical Industry published in March 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1152388. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Headquartered in Santiago, Chile, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces fertilizers, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, and industrial chemicals. SQM's production assets are located in the northern part of Chile, but the company sells mainly to export markets, and boasts large world market shares in its specialty plant nutrition, iodine and lithium product lines. SQM reported revenues of $1.8 billion for the last twelve months ended June 2020.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.

The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.

These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Martina Gallardo Barreyro VP - Senior Analyst Corporate Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Marianna Waltz, CFA MD - Corporate Finance Corporate Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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By ANI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended till September 8 the interim protection from arrest to veteran journalist Vinod Dua in connection with a sedition case registered against him in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, today extended the interim order that no coercive actions, including no arresting of Vinod Dua, can be made till further hearing in the case, on September 8.

Dua is accused of making certain alleged statements in his YouTube program, the Vinod Dua show, which was allegedly of the nature to incite communal hatred and may lead to some kind of breach of peace and communal disharmony, the prosecution submitted.

Himachal Pradesh Police had earlier also submitted its report in a sealed cover, before the Supreme Court regarding the probe against Dua under sedition charges.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh, appearing for Dua, had submitted that the accused being a journalist has all the rights to freedom of speech and has also the legitimate right to criticise the government.

"Where is the sedition? Sedition is when you incite violence. When you incite public disorder, but where it is in my case?" he asked.

Citing a judgement, Singh stated that the democratic form of government allows participation of public and this is a basic feature. Democracy can neither work, nor prosper, if people do not go out and share their views, he said.

Singh also submitted to the top court that the meaning of public order has been narrowed, which leaves out the possibility of remote connection. The idea here is a fundamental right vis-a-vis a false prosecution, he added.

"If this happens, I will not be able to speak at all. A journalist will have to stop working till he gets exonerated", Singh told the Apex Court.

The top court was hearing the petition filed by veteran journalist, Vinod Dua, against FIR related to sedition lodged in Shimla for his YouTube video, against the Central government. (ANI)
A Florence pair were indicted Monday in the murder of a 3-year-old north Alabama boy who died last month in a case that was initially investigated as a hot car death, police said Tuesday.

Blake Joshwell Townsend, 20, was indicted by a Lauderdale County grand jury on one count of capital murder in the Aug. 12 death of Kaiden Garner, Florence police said.

Florence police dispatched to North Alabama Medical Centers emergency room shortly before 11:30 p.m. following Kaidens death. It was initially reported that Kaidens death was possibly due to heat exposure.

Since that time however, police said an autopsy showed that Kaiden died from blunt force trauma.

The grand jury also indicted 20-year-old Yalrick Zeonsha Pride on one count of child abuse in connection with Kaidens death.

Both Townsend and Pride are in the Lauderdale County Detention Center; no bond was issued for Townsend while Pride did not post $15,000 bond, police said.
DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Connected Medical Devices Market by Device Type, Product, End-user, Applications, Geography and the Impact of COVID-19 (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Connected Medical Devices Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Device, Product, End-user, Application and Region.

The introduction of IoT has benefited the healthcare industry in various ways. The connected medical devices are poised to solve the challenges the healthcare industry is facing. The Healthcare industry in recent years has witnessed as the growth of medical devices connected with each other via wireless monitoring services. The adoption of these devices is also increasing day by day owing to their reliability, effective patient monitoring and increasing awareness in the patients etc.

Moreover, advancement in technology, spending on R&D and fast approval from regulatory authorities to the connected medical devices are contributing to the growth of the market. For instance, in the year 2019 more than 45 new medical devices and technologies were approved by the US FDA. As of June 2020, more than 20 connected devices are sanctioned by the FDA. However, barriers such as high cost, security challenges, and insufficient IT infrastructure in developing economies may hamper market growth.



Market Dynamics



Drivers

Increasing adoption of wearable devices in the healthcare segment

Government initiatives for promoting digital health and fast approval to the connected medical devices

Advancement of technology and increased R&D spending

Restraints

High cost of manufacturing smart medical devices

Data security challenges

Insufficient IT infrastructure in developing economies

Opportunities

Low Doctor-to-patient ratio leading to self-operated mHealth platforms

Mobile payment and telemedicine services

Healthcare IT collaborations

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Connected Medical Devices market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 force model. The impact of COVID-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

Report Highlights

A complete analysis of the market including parent industry

Important market dynamics and trends

Market segmentation

Historical, current, and projected size of the market based on value and volume

Market shares and strategies of key players

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Key Topics Covered

1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Overview

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Global Connected Medical Devices Market Size, by Geography



5 Market Dynamics

5.1 Drivers

5.2 Restraints

5.3 Opportunities

5.4 Trends



6 Market Analysis

6.1 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

6.2 Impact of COVID-19



7 Global Connected Medical Devices Market, By Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Connected Capital-Intensive Device

7.3 Connected Physiological Monitor

7.4 Connected Wearable Medical Device



8 Global Connected Medical Devices Market, By Device

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Non-wearable

8.3 Wearable



9 Global Connected Medical Devices Market, By Product

9.1 Introduction

9.2 BP Monitor

9.3 ECG Monitoring Device

9.4 Glucose Monitor

9.5 Heart Rate Monitor

9.6 Insulin Pump

9.7 Portable GPS PERS

9.8 Pulse Oximeter

9.9 Smart Pill Dispenser



10 Global Connected Medical Devices Market, By End-User

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Ambulatory Surgical Centre

10.3 Home Care Setting

10.4 Hospital

10.5 Specialty Clinic



11 Global Connected Medical Devices Market, By Application

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Consumer Monitoring

11.3 Internally Embedded Device

11.4 Stationary Device

11.5 Wearable Device



12 Americas Influenza Vaccine Market

12.1 Argentina

12.2 Brazil

12.3 Canada

12.4 Mexico

12.5 United States



13 Europe, Middle East & Africa Influenza Vaccine Market

13.1 France

13.2 Germany

13.3 Italy

13.4 Netherlands

13.5 Qatar

13.6 Russia

13.7 Saudi Arabia

13.8 South Africa

13.9 Spain

13.10 United Arab Emirates

13.11 United Kingdom



14 Asia-Pacific Influenza Vaccine Market

14.1 Australia

14.2 China

14.3 India

14.4 Indonesia

14.5 Japan

14.6 Malaysia

14.7 Philippines

14.8 South Korea

14.9 Thailand



15 Competitive Scenario

15.1 Merger & Acquisition

15.2 Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership

15.3 New Product Launch & Enhancement

15.4 Investment & Funding

15.5 Award, Recognition, & Expansion



16 Company Profiles

16.1 GE Healthcare, Inc.

16.2 Medtronic plc

16.3 OMRON Corporation

16.4 Philips Healthcare

16.5 McKesson Corporation

16.6 Fitbit, Inc.

16.7 Johnson & Johnson

16.8 Boston Scientific Corporation

16.9 St. Jude Medical, Inc. (Abbott)

16.10 AgaMatrix, Inc.

16.11 Dexcom

16.12 F. Hoffmann-La Roche

16.13 Polar Electro

16.14 IHealth Labs (Subsidiary of Andon Health)

16.15 Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d5uhbd

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets

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A Disney loving little boy has gone viral after his father shared pictures of him recreating a scene from Toy Story as he headed off to school.

Sean Donnelly, 32, from Loughborough, Leicestershire collected all his son's favourite toys and lined them up in the doorway to say 'goodbye' to his four-year-old son Vinny as he headed to the first day of class.

In an adorable photo, the toys, which include Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Slink, Jessie and Woody wave goodbye to him in an image that echoes the famous scene from Toy Story 3 where Andy leaves for University.

'We decided to recreate the moment in Toy Story 3 where Andy leaves his toys behind when we did the traditional back to school photo,' Sean explained.

Sean Donnelly, 32, from Loughborough, Leicestershire collected all his son's favourite toys and lined them up in the doorway to say 'goodbye' to his four-year-old son Vinny as he headed to the first day of class

In an adorable photo, the toys, which include Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Slink, Jessie and Woody wave goodbye to him in an image that echoes the famous scene from Toy Story 3 where Andy leaves for University (pictured)

'I do quite like doing photography myself to get interesting shots and what have you.

'I think that story connected with the pictured is one people can identify with too. If you have got kids you kind of know that feeling,' he added.

Since posting the heartwarming images on Facebook on Tuesday more than 30,000 people across the world have viewed and shared them.

Lorry driver Sean added: 'He's a massive Toy Story fan and he has all the toys, characters and watches the films a lot.

'My partner Charlotte shared it on a lockdown page on Facebook where it had over 30,000 likes and so many comments on it.

'Lots of people found it emotional and that it made them cry. I tried to make it look dark inside where the toys were and light outside where he was.'

Since posting the heartwarming images on Facebook on Tuesday more than 30,000 people across the world have viewed and shared them

Children across the country headed back to class yesterday after a five-month break following Boris Johnston's decision to close school's in March

Part of the Covid-secure measures mean modern arrangements, which used to see pupils opposite each other around desks, have been axed to prevent any risk of infection.

Instead they are now required to sit in rows facing their teacher in a move expected to have the welcome side-effect of greater learning.

Sean explained that he wanted to make sure his little one got a good send off following a difficult year.

'I wanted it to look like his future was bright, that sort of thing. It's been quite tough for all children really this year,' he explained.

'It's a weird situation to be in and just starting school for Vinny has been strange for him.

'He's been stuck by his mum's side constantly for five months.

'He will certainly be out of his comfort zone for a while. Fortunately, he is loving it so far.

'His older sister Darcy is in Year 3 now so he has her to go with him.

Toy Story was Pixar's first feature film, and the first entirely computer-animated film. It was a huge smash hit, and led to a whole subgenre that includes Frozen, Moana, Coco, Zootopia, Inside Out, Brave, Tangled, and many more

'It's quite scary with what is going on at the moment, even mentally for the kids.

Toy Story was Pixar's first feature film, and the first entirely computer-animated film.

It was a huge smash hit, and led to a whole subgenre that includes Frozen, Moana, Coco, Zootopia, Inside Out, Brave, Tangled, and many more.

The third installment, which came out in 2010, starred Tom Hanks and Tim Allen and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, making it only the second Pixar film to nab the honour.

It won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the awards, and made over $1 billion worldwide.

Speaking of the photo of his son, Sean added: 'We will definitely blow it up and have it on the walls of our house somewhere. It will be a great picture for him to have and look back on.

'It's great to have a positive image for him to have. His mum and I are really proud but he isn't that fussed.'

'Being stuck at home, people wearing masks and washing your hands, it must be hard for them to go through.

'They are getting fed up too, wanting to see their friends and go out and do stuff more regularly.
Amnesty International has accused Iran of committing a catalogue of shocking human rights violations against those detained in connection with the November 2019 antiestablishment protests, including children as young as 10.

The violent demonstrations were sparked by a sudden hike in the price of gasoline and spread to some 100 Iranian towns and cities.

The authorities responded with force, killing at least 304 protesters, according to Amnesty International, and arresting several thousand while also shutting down the Internet for several days to disrupt the free flow of information.

In a report released on September 2, the London-based human rights group says Irans police, intelligence, security forces, and prison officials have resorted with the complicity of judges and prosecutors to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment against protesters, bystanders, and others who were arrested during and after the 2019 protests.

Amnesty says the report is based on interviews with 60 victims of the state crackdown or their relatives or close acquaintances, two protesters who were hiding, and 14 informed individuals. The groups says it has also received information from several hundred others inside the country while also analyzing video footage and court documents.

In the days following the mass protests, videos showing Irans security forces deliberately killing and injuring unarmed protesters and bystanders sent shockwaves around the world, said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty Internationals deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Much less visible has been the catalogue of cruelty meted out to detainees and their families by Iranian officials away from the public eye, Eltahawy added.

Amnesty International says it has recorded the names and details of more than 500 protesters and others, including journalists and human rights defenders, who have been subjected to unfair criminal proceedings in connection with the protests.

The rights group says prison terms for those convicted have ranged from one month to 10 years for vague charges, including gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security, spreading propaganda against the system, and insulting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Three protesters were sentenced to death. Their cases are reportedly being reviewed following a public outcry.

Amnesty International says many of those arrested were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment.

Victims were punched, kicked, flogged, suspended or forced into holding stressful positions for prolonged periods, placed in prolonged solitary confinement, and denied medical care for injuries sustained during the protests, the watchdog said.

The report quoted one victim as describing being waterboarded.

[My interrogators] would drench a towel in water and place it over my face. Then they would pour water slowly over the towel, which made me feel like I was suffocating, the victim from the northeastern Khorasan Razavi Province said.

A victim from Tehran described being suspended from his hands and feet from a pole in a painful method.

The pain was excruciating. There was so much pressure and pain in my body that I would urinate on myself, the man in the Iranian capital told Amnesty International.
Days after China's "provocative actions" in Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh, the situation in the region remained sensitive on Wednesday while army commanders from both sides held another round of talks to defuse tensions, government sources said.

The army of the two countries held Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul with a focus on bringing down tensions in the Pangong lake area, they said, adding similar dialogue on Monday and Tuesday, each lasting over six hours, did not produce any "tangible outcome".

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations.

On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese PLA was engaged in "provocative action" again on Monday when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation following China's attempt to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area two days back.

"The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source.

The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it was for the first time such an incident occurred on its southern bank, they said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

It was decided at the nearly two-hour meeting that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", the sources said.

They said the Indian Army has further bolstered its presence around the Southern Bank area of Pangong lake by deploying additional troops and bringing in more weaponry including tanks and anti-tank guided missiles.

A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area.

The sources said the Indian Air Force has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public.

According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.
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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:37:58|Editor: huaxia

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SHENYANG, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The 19th China International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition kicked off on Tuesday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

This year's expo features both online and offline events. Offline events last five days, and the online expo will be held from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30.

Over 500 enterprises from both home and abroad attended the expo, which has the theme of upgrading for win-win cooperation.

The offline event has a total exhibition area of 60,000 square meters and 2,016 booths. According to official statistics, over 36,000 people visited the offline exhibition on the opening day.

The online event is attended by about 1,500 enterprises from China, Germany, Japan and other countries.

The annual event was launched in 2002 by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the leading group office of the State Council for Revitalizing the Northeast Industrial Base, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Liaoning provincial government. Enditem
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Mission Karmayogi', dubbed as the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, aimed at capacity building of government employees to make them more "creative, proactive, professional and technology-enabled".

IMAGE: Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state for development of North Eastern Region, Prime Ministers Office, personnel, public grievances and pensions, atomic energy and space, inaugurates the IAS Professional Course Phase-II (2018 batch) of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, through a video conference, in New Delhi, on July 6, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo.

The core guiding principles of the competency-driven programme will be to support a transition from rules based to roles based HR management to prepare the Indian civil servant for the future, according to a government statement.

"This is the biggest human resource development programme in the government," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said during a press briefing after the cabinet meeting.

To cover around 46 lakh central employees, a sum of Rs 510.86 crore will be spent over five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 under Mission Karmayogi or the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), according to the statement

A council, comprising select union ministers, chief ministers, eminent public HR practitioners among others and headed by the prime minister, will serve as the apex body for providing strategic direction, while a Capacity Building Commission is also proposed to be set up.

The programme will help in overcoming existing impediments like lack of lifelong & continuous learning environment, evolution of silos at department level preventing shared understanding of India's development aspirations and diverse and fragmented training landscape, among others.

"Today the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to bring this very big, post-recruitment reform, where an opportunity will be given to officers and employees to improve their performance," Javadekar said.

Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, who was also present at the briefing, said the scheme will help end subjective evaluation, and ensure scientifically-devised, objective and real-time assessment of employees.

Mission Karmayogi is an endeavour "to reincarnate a government servant into an ideal karmayogi to serve the nation by enabling him to be creative, to be constructive, to be pro-active and technically empowered", Singh told reporters.

The endeavour is also to end the culture of working in silos and to overcome the multiplicity of training curriculum, which we have because of the institutions spread all over the country, with the introduction of a common platform for the uniform realisation of THE nation's vision and our shared aspiration and our shared future goals," he said.

This way, Singh said, it will provide a mechanism for continuous capacity building, a constant updating of the talent pool and also provide an equal opportunity of professional as well as personal growth and a stream of self-training for value addition at all levels.

It is a competency-driven human resource management policy, aimed at assigning the right person to the right role and align the work allocation of civil servants by matching their competencies to the requirements of the post, the statement said.

Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare the Indian civil servant for the future by making him more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled, said the statement issued by the personnel ministry.

It will build future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of new India, according to a presentation given during the media briefing by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary C Chandramouli.

A Public Human Resources Council comprising of select Union ministers, chief ministers, eminent public HR practitioners, thinkers, global thought leaders and public service functionaries under the chairmanship of hon'ble prime minister will serve as the apex body for providing strategic direction to the task of civil services reform and its capacity building, it said.

It is also proposed to set up the Capacity Building Commission with a view to ensure a uniform approach in managing and regulating the capacity building ecosystem on a collaborative and co-sharing basis, the statement said.

The Commission will also come out with an Annual State of Civil Service Report', it said.

There will also a Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating the digital assets and technological platform for online training and a coordination unit headed by the Cabinet Secretary for the programme, the statement said.

NPCSCB has been carefully designed to lay the foundations for capacity building for civil servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian culture and sensibilities and remain connected with their roots, while they learn from the best institutions and practices across the world, it said.

The expenditure is partly funded by multilateral assistance to the tune of USD 50 million, the statement said.

An integrated government online training platform -- iGOTKarmayogi -- will be set up for the mission.

iGOT-Karmayogi platform brings the scale and state-of-the-art infrastructure to augment the capacities of over two crore officials in India, it said.

Besides capacity building, service matters like confirmation after probation period, deployment, work assignment and notification of vacancies, etc would eventually be integrated with the proposed competency framework, the statement said.
In Robins Wish, a documentary about the last days of Robin Williams, the comedians widow, Susan Schneider Williams, recalls one of the first times that she could tell something was seriously off. Robin called her from Vancouver, where he was shooting the third Night at the Museum film, and he couldnt calm himself down. He was having a panic attack over the fact that he couldnt remember his lines; at times, he was having trouble remembering even one line of dialogue. That wasnt a problem hed ever had before, and given that he was one of the most mentally nimble people ever created, you can see how disturbing this might have been. Shawn Levy, the Night at the Museum director, recalls Robin telling him, I dont know whats going on. Im not me anymore. His mind, says Levy, was not firing at the same speed. That spark was diminished.
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In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days.

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The latest version of iOS, released today, includes a new system for tracking and notifying users that have been exposed to COVID-19. iOS 13.7 now drops the need for public health officials to maintain an app for exposure tracking. Instead, the system is baked directly into iOS 13.7.

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Apple launched the latest update to iOS today, iOS 13.7. Among the usual bug fixes and security updates is a built-in tool that public health authorities can tap into to track the spread of COVID-19.

The new tool is called the Exposure Notifications Express system. It builds on an earlier API (introduced in iOS 13.5) that public health officials could use to build an app for tracking exposure to the novel Coronavirus. The new system no longer requires these officials to create an application or for users to download anything.

Exposure Notifications Express still requires public health officials to opt into the service, and part of that opt-in process requires them to submit how users will be notified when they are exposed to a carrier of COVID-19.

Essentially, the system uses anonymized Bluetooth tags that are stored locally on users phones to track who has tested positive for COVID-19. If another iPhone user comes within close contact of a positive individual, the phones will communicate with each other and notify the user that someone who tested positive for the virus has come within close proximity, possibly exposing them to COVID-19.

When the feature rolled out in iOS 13.5, it required users to download an app from their local public health officials. Exposure Notifications Express removes the need for an app while still allowing health officials access to and control over the system.

Users have to intentionally opt-in for Exposure Notifications Express; the update will not automatically opt them into the program unless they have already done so in a previous version of iOS. Users can also turn off the system at any time through the Settings in iOS.

Interestingly, there is no mention of the new system in the update description in iOS (see the photo above). Curiously, Apple did not shine a spotlight on the feature where most people tend to learn about the new features of an update.
FUERTEVENTURA, Spain - The only person who wasnt crying on the boat was 2-year-old Noura.

Nouras mother, Hawa Diabate, was fleeing her native Ivory Coast to what she believed was continental Europe. Unlike the 60 adults on board, only Noura was oblivious to the risks of crossing the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean in an overcrowded rubber dinghy.

As the waves quickly got bigger and people more nervous, Noura told her mother, Be quiet, mama! Boza, mama! Boza!, Diabate recalled. The expression is used by sub-Saharan migrants to celebrate a successful crossing.

After several hours in the ocean, it was finally Boza. Spains Maritime Rescue Service brought them to safety on one of the Canary Islands.

Migrants and asylum-seekers are increasingly crossing a treacherous part of the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago near West Africa, in what has become one of the most dangerous routes to European territory. Noura and her mother are among about 4,000 people to have survived the perilous journey this year.

But many never make it. More than 250 people are known to have died or gone missing so far this year according to the International Organization for Migration. Thats already more than the number of people who perished trying to cross the Western Mediterranean in all of last year. In the week that The Associated Press spent in the Canary Islands to report this story, at least 20 bodies were recovered.

____

This story was funded in part by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

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The increase in traffic to the Canaries comes after the European Union funded Morocco in 2019 to stop migrants from reaching southern Spain via the Mediterranean Sea. While arrivals to mainland Spain decreased by 50% compared to the same period last year, landings in the Canary Islands have increased by nearly 580%. In August alone there were more than 850 arrivals by sea to the Canaries, according to an AP tally of numbers released by Spains Interior Ministry and reports by local media and NGOs.

Arrivals this year are still low compared to the 30,000 migrants who reached the islands in 2006. But they are at their highest in over a decade since Spain stemmed the flow of sea arrivals to just a few hundred a year through deals with West African countries.

The striking shift in migration back to the Canaries has raised alarms at the highest levels of the Spanish government. Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs first trip abroad following the pandemic lockdown was to Mauritania, one of the main departure points. Most recently, the interior ministry announced a donation of 1.5 million euros in border surveillance equipment to six West African countries.

But human rights organizations say those arriving to Spanish shores are only a fraction of those departing.

We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, said Sophie Muller, the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees representative in Spain, who recently visited the archipelago. They are taking impossible routes.

For every 16 people who make it to the Canaries via the Atlantic Ocean, one person dies, according to the IOM. That compares to one death for every 98 that make it to Spain via the western Mediterranean, one death for every 49 that make it to Italy or Malta via the central Mediterranean and one death for every 120 that make it to Greece via the eastern Mediterranean.

The data show that in comparison to other maritime routes to Europe, the route to the Canaries has the highest number of deaths compared to the number of people who survive the journey and reach their destination, the IOM told the AP in a written statement.

It can take one to 10 days to reach the Spanish islands, with the closest departure point being in Tarfaya, Morocco (100 km, 62 miles) and the furthest recorded this year in Barra, in The Gambia (more than 1,600km, 1,000 miles). It is common for migrants to run out of food, water and fuel after only a few days.

On August 19, 15 lifeless Malians were spotted inside a wooden boat by a Spanish plane 148 km, (92 miles) from the island of Gran Canaria and towed back to port. At nightfall, workers pulled the bloated corpses, one by one, out of the boat with a crane. The next day, police collected what was left behind as evidence: a wallet, a dozen cellphones, windbreakers and waterproof boots.

Less than 24 hours later, another migrant boat was rescued and brought to the island with 12 people and four dead, as the AP watched. The survivors had witnessed their comrades die along the way.

They almost didnt speak, said Jose Antonio Rodriguez, who heads the regional Red Cross immediate response teams. They were in a state of shock.

One of the 12 rescued died before he could reach a hospital.

Human rights organizations arent just concerned with the high number of deaths.

Theres been a change in profile, said Muller, the UNHCR representative in Spain. We see more arrivals from the Sahel, from the Ivory Coast, more women, more children, more profiles that would be in need of international protection.

The Interior Ministry of Spain denied requests by the Associated Press to share nationalities of recent arrivals to the Canary Islands, claiming the information could impact international relations with the countries of origin. But UNHCR estimates that around 35% of those arriving by boat come from Mali  the nation at war with Islamic extremists where a coup detat recently toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Around 20% of arrivals are women and 12% under 18, Muller said.

Kassim Diallo fled Mali after his father was killed in an extremist attack targeting an army base near his village in Sokolo in late January.

On Feb. 29, the 21-year-old got aboard a rubber boat in Laayoune in the Western Sahara with 35 other men, women and children. After nearly 20 hours in the water, his group was rescued and brought to the island of Fuerteventura.

It is not normal. A human being shouldnt do this. But how else can we do it? said Diallo.

Like most of those who crossed by boat to the archipelago this year, Diallo has been stuck on the islands for months. Although forced return flights to Mauritania have been halted by the pandemic, the Spanish government has also forbidden newly arrived migrants from going to the mainland, even after travel restrictions were lifted for nationals and tourists. Only a few groups, mainly women and children, have been transferred on an ad-hoc basis via the Red Cross.

Blocking people from leaving the Canaries has turned the islands into an open-air prison, said Txema Santana, who represents the local office of the Spanish Commission to Help Refugees.

Until Diallo is granted asylum, which he has yet to apply for, he cannot work. He would love to learn Spanish, but there arent classes available to him.

The Canary Islands were meant to be just a stepping-stone to reach The Big Spain or continue to France where he can at least understand the language. But for now, he remains closer to Africa than to continental Europe.

On a European level, it should be like managing a land border, said Angel Manuel Hernandez, an evangelical pastor whose church is the main shelter for rescued migrants on Fuerteventura. Borders are meant to be areas of transit, not areas to stay.

Hernandezs church, the Modern Christian Mission, went from hosting 30 migrants two years ago to 300 this summer.

We dont have the resources or the capacity to care for all these people with the dignity and the respect that these human beings deserve, he said.

As shelters fill up, recently arrived migrants sometimes have nowhere to sleep. More than 100 people, including women and children are currently sleeping on the floor in makeshift tents on the docks of Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, following disembarkation. The coronavirus only adds another layer of difficulty as passengers on migrant boats must be tested and quarantined as a group if any of them are found to be positive.

In response to questions emailed by the AP, Spains government delegate in the Canary Islands Anselmo Pestana wrote: Our effort has to focus not so much on thinking how we distribute immigrants, but on working at origin, so that we can prevent anyone from risking their life.

Spains government has yet to reveal where it will place hundreds of migrants now housed in local schools when classes resume in September.

Ironically, half of the islands hotels and resorts are closed due to the effects of the pandemic. Across the island, tourists sunbathe in the largely empty resorts as exhausted Spanish maritime rescuers continue their every-day search in the Atlantic for migrant boats in distress, hoping to reach survivors before its too late.

Diabate, the Ivorian mother, hopes one of them will be her eight-year-old son Moussa. They got separated back in Morocco as smugglers rushed them to the beach and onto the rubber boat that would take them to the Canary Islands.

Moussa stayed behind.

Ive been crying every day from the moment I got on that boat, she said.

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Contributed photo / Congressman Jim Himes

WILTON  Congressman Jim Himes (D-4th) visited Weir Farm National Historic Site on Aug. 28 to celebrate the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. This bipartisan legislation will bolster the Land and Water Conservation Fund and help address deferred maintenance projects at national parks across the country.

Himes was joined by Peter Linderoth from Save the Sound, Patrick Comins from CT Audubon Society, Mason Trumble from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and other supporters of environmental conservation.
I have lived in San Francisco for well over a decade. During that time, rents soared year upon year. Then COVID-19 hit. While its terrible to be in this pandemic, one silver lining is that rent prices have gone down significantly. Ive never had to renegotiate a rent decrease before. It simply wasnt an option here in the past. Now, however, Im studying all that there is to know about the topic. Here are ten ways to renegotiate a rent decrease:

1. First, Simply Ask

If you are on good terms with your landlord then you might just come right out and ask for a rent reduction. This is particularly common during the coronavirus pandemic when landlords certainly understand that people are facing economic hardship. This tends to work best in small buildings where you deal directly with the landlord rather than large complexes where you work with a property manager.





2. Write a Letter Explaining Your Case

Unfortunately, many people simply arent in the position to ask their landlord face to face to renegotiate a rent decrease. You may feel anxiety, not have a strong relationship with your landlord, or otherwise want to go through a more formal process. In this case, its smart to write a letter to your landlord. Heres a sample template to get you started.

Generally speaking, youll want to include the following things in your letter:

A dated statement that you are writing to renegotiate a rent decrease.

Information about what the current market rate is for comparable housing.

Comparison of what you pay compared to that market rate.

A clear statement of the amount you wish to pay.

Examples of the ways youve been a good tenant (on-time payments, etc.)

During the current climate, you might also point out that approximately one-third of renters arent paying their rent during COVID-19. Emphasize that you have options such as eviction moratoriums but that you would rather work directly with the landlord to lower the price to something more manageable.

3. Ask for a Property Assessment

Ive lived in my apartment for over a decade. The landlord has done little to nothing in that time to upgrade the apartment. Therefore, what was a good deal on my rent ten years ago isnt such a good deal today. After all, everything from the appliances to the paint is ten years older. If someone else was going to move in, the landlord would have to invest money to bring the place up to date.

Therefore, one option is to request a property assessment. You might have an appraiser come in on your own or you might work with your landlord on this. The point is to highlight to the landlord all of the things that the apartment needs. Then offer to renegotiate a rent decrease instead of having the landlord make all of those improvements. Doing this allows the landlord to see that its to their benefit to reduce your rent.

4. Barter Services for Lower Rent

Are there things that you could do around the apartment building to make life easier, and perhaps cheaper, for your landlord? For example, we have some common areas in my building that need regular cleaning. Perhaps I could get some money taken off of my rent in exchange for maintaining those areas for the landlord. Property maintenance, painting, lawn care, marketing, showing other units to prospective renters, and other similar tasks may be worth it to your landlord.

5. Offer to Give Up Some Things

Maybe your apartment comes with a parking space but you dont need or use it. Ask the landlord if you could give up the parking space (allowing them to rent it to someone else) for a rent reduction.

6. Offer Advance Payment

If you have some savings then you might be in a position to pay your rent in advance. Some landlords will accept a significantly reduced monthly rate if you pay three months, six months, or even twelve months in advance. While most of us arent currently in that position, its a great option to consider if you are.

7. Sign a New Lease

If youre on a lease thats coming up for renewal then thats the perfect time to renegotiate a rent decrease. When your landlord sends the new lease, let them know that you wont be signing it before you discuss the rent. This is when you can go step-by-step over the details.

Even if your landlord decides not to lower your rent, they might be willing to negotiate other terms of the lease to your benefit. For example, a landlord that previously didnt allow pets might be flexible on that. Or they might agree to pay utilities if you keep your rent rate the same. Getting more for the same price is effectively a rent reduction.

Another thing to consider is extending your lease. If you typically sign a one-year lease, ask the landlord if they would consider lower rent if you commit to a two-year lease instead. Landlords like good tenants to stay put so this can be a good incentive for them.

8. Suggest a Temporary Rent Reduction

Realtor.com explains that some landlords are willing to offer a temporary rent reduction for short periods of time. For example, if youre facing financial hardship, have been a good tenant, and happen to be in the off-season for the landlords properties then theres a good chance that you could renegotiate a rent decrease that lasts 3-6 months. Its better than nothing and can help you save some money.

9. Ask What Would Help Lower Your Rent

Perhaps youre not getting anywhere with your landlord. Sometimes it can help to put the ball in their court. Ask them what you can do to renegotiate a rent decrease.

This changes the narrative. Instead of you asking for a decrease and the landlord simply saying no, you give them the chance to get creative with what they would like to see happen to lower your rent.

The answers might surprise you. Your landlord might want you to reduce water waste in a place where they pay the water bill. Perhaps theyd charge less if you pay on the 25th of the previous month instead of paying on the 1st during the month rent is due. Ask, review their answer carefully, and decide if its the right choice for you.

10. Threaten to Leave

If your landlord isnt budging on the rent, and the market is right for it, then you might want to consider moving. You shouldnt threaten to do this unless you truly intend to. If youre at this stage, you can begin looking at comparable apartments to move into. As you make those applications, you can keep your landlord abreast of the places youre finding and where you might consider moving. Dont be shy about sharing the (lower) rent offered at these places. When your landlord realizes that you are serious about moving, they might get more flexible about the amount of rent that you pay.

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The arrest of acting supreme guide Mahmoud Ezzat will further undermine the Muslim Brotherhood

On 28 August the Interior Ministry made a surprise announcement: it had arrested Mahmoud Ezzat, the acting supreme guide of terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group.

Ezzat, who was arrested in a flat in New Cairo, had been on the run since the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood regime and arrest of most of its leaders in the summer of 2013. It was widely believed that like thousands of other Muslim Brotherhood members Ezzat had fled Egypt and travelled to either Qatar or Turkey via Sudan.

The Interior Ministry described Ezzat as the Brotherhoods most wanted man, the groups black box and mastermind.

The Interior Ministrys statement said that the search of the flat where Ezzat was living produced a cache of computers and mobile phones with encrypted software necessary to secure his communications with leaders and members of the groups International Organisation inside and outside the country as well as papers containing plans to target the state.

Following the arrest of the Brotherhoods supreme guide Mohamed Badie, Ezzat, 76, was named the groups acting leader in August 2013. He was also the head of the Brotherhoods London-based international organisation.

It would have been difficult to locate Ezzat without the security forces being given information from Brotherhood members who were in contact with him and knew his whereabouts, says security expert Khaled Okasha.

Ezzats strategy had been to change his hideouts regularly, and spread rumours that he had fled Egypt. But security officials knew he was still here and that he was trying to mislead them. What helped him escape arrest for so long was probably the fact he depended on a very limited number of aides.

Former deputy interior minister Mohamed Noureddin said in a TV interview that the laptops and mobile phones which security forces found in Ezzats flat will provide a treasure trove of information about the terrorist group.

Maher Farghali, an expert on Islamist movements, said the fact that Ezzat was temperamentally an isolationist had allowed him to escape the security radar for years. Even during the massive Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins organised in public squares in Cairo and Giza in the summer of 2013, Ezzat, unlike other leaders, chose not to appear in public, even though he was the one orchestrating the sit-ins.

The arrest of Ezzat will, for a while at least, disrupt links between Muslim Brotherhood elements inside Egypt and branches of the international organisation abroad.

According to the Interior Ministry, Ezzat was in charge of forming the Brotherhoods armed wings and oversaw major terrorist operations.

Operations masterminded by Ezzat included the assassination of former prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat in 2015, policeman Wael Tahoun in 2015, army officer Adel Ragei in 2016, and the attempted assassination of the prosecutor-generals former aide Zakaria Abdel-Azim in 2016. The Interior Ministry statement further accused Ezzat of planning a deadly car blast outside Cairos main cancer hospital in August 2019 which killed 20 people, overseeing the Brotherhoods cyber militias which spread fake news to stir up confusion and provoke public opinion in Egypt, and managing the movement of the groups funds to sponsor terrorist activities.

Security expert Magdi Al-Bassiouni, a former deputy interior minister, believes that during his years in hiding Ezzat also orchestrated terrorist activities carried out by the Brotherhoods armed wings, Hasm and Gond Masr (the Soldiers of Egypt).

The fact that this old man was able to use modern technology and orchestrate operations from his hideout individually, or depending on a limited circle of assistants, made it a challenge for security forces to arrest him, says Bassiouni.

Farghali argues the arrest of Ezzat is a debilitating blow to the Brotherhood both organisationally and in psychological terms.

The Brotherhood will now resort to its usual narrative of victimhood as it tries to mobilise international human rights organisations against the regime in Egypt.

That process has already begun. On 28 August a Muslim Brotherhood statement said Ezzat was suffering chronic health problems.

Okasha thinks the Brotherhood may now name a younger leader to replace Ezzat as acting supreme guide, and break with the convention the acting guide be present in Egypt. He suggests Mahmoud Hussein as a likely replacement.

Ezzat, born in 1944, joined the Brotherhood in 1962, when he was just 18. In 1964 he was arrested, alongside Badie, and convicted of leading a conspiracy against the regime of Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

Ezzat was released from prison in 1974 under pardon from late president Anwar Al-Sadat. In 1981 he was named a member of the Brotherhoods Guidance Bureau, and put in charge of its economic activities. In 1995 he was arrested once again and sentenced to five years in jail.

In 2009, Ezzat was one of the group of hawks who took over the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was named the groups acting leader in August 2013, following the arrest of supreme guide Badie.

He has received several sentences in absentia, including a death penalty, during mass trials of the Brotherhoods leading members.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against five accused, including a Kashmiri couple, in the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) case, for provoking youths to protest effectively against the CAA, and if this failed, planning arson attacks on government buildings and IED bombs in crowded places.

In the charge sheet filed at a special NIA court here, the NIA has named Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh, both residents of Jammu and Kashmir and presently residing in Delhi's Okhla area, Abdullah Basith of Hyderabad, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Pune.

Abdullah Basith is already lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail in connection with another IS Abu Dhabi module case of the NIA.

An NIA spokesperson said the accused were conspiring to utilise the anti-CAA protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian government by coining seditious slogans and inscribing graffiti at public places and highlighting the same on social and international media.

The official said they were allegedly provoking some gullible youth to participate in anti-CAA protests actively.

"In case these protests failed to provoke the Muslims, they were planning to carry arson attacks on government buildings and public property so that riots could happen and they could exploit the sentiments of Muslims," the official said.

"During the probe it was found that Jahanzaib, Beigh, Basith and Siddick tried to make an improvised IED and were planning to carry out mass killings in crowded places to further the activities of ISIS/ISKP in India." The official said that the accused had carried out reconnaissance of certain sensitive locations in Maharashtra which are frequented by foreigners.

The five accused have been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for their affiliation with the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/ISKP and for conspiring to create disaffection against the government, promoting enmity among different religious communities and for committing subversive activities.

The official said that during investigation it was revealed that Wani, a B.Tech from Punjab's Ferozpur, got radicalised and inclined towards the ISIS/ISKP by reading about it on the internet. He established contact with ISIS handler Huzaifa-al-Bakistani and latter's father-in-law Abu Usman-al-Kashmiri (Head of Indian affairs of ISKP) in 2017 on secure messaging platform.

"Huzaifa-al-Bakistani further introduced Wani to Basith," the official said.

Beigh, who had done her higher education from Pune, also got radicalised since 2014-15 by reading ISIS-related content on social media. Wani and Beigh married in 2017 as both supported the ideology of the ISIS, the official said.

"Wani, Beigh, Basith and Shaikh were continuously in contact with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan and Syria. On receiving instructions from Abu Usman-al-Kashmiri, Wani and Basith prepared a magazine titled 'Voice of Hind' to incite Muslims against non-Muslims and exhort them to rise against the government and join ISIS," the official said.

The official said that the magazine eulogises ISIS/ISKP terrorists including Huzaifa-al-Bakistani who was killed in July 2019 in a drone strike in Afghanistan and denigrates the Indian Constitution and democratic system.

A case was initially registered by Delhi Police Special Cell in March 2020 after the arrest of Wani and his wife from Okhla Vihar in Jamia Nagar area here for having links with the ISKP.

The official also said that the anti-terror probe agency has arrested another accused, Abdur Rehman aka Dr. Brave, from Bengaluru on August 17, as he was also in contact with Wani as part of the conspiracy to promote the activities of ISIS/ISKP and had also visited an ISIS medical camp in Syria in 2014. Investigation into the activities of Rehman and other suspects in this case is continuing.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)
The video, which featured doctored photos of Mr. Navalny wearing swastika armbands, was widely shared, setting off a torrent of mockery from Mr. Navalnys fans and applause from his enemies.

The Kremlin, widely suspected of having commissioned the film, claimed that Mr. Navalny produced the video himself.

That Mr. Navalny has inspired such vividly improbable theories over the years is a measure of his success not only in getting under the skin of Russias governing elite but in messing with its head, said Mark Galeotti, an expert on the Russian security services.

His videos exposing the lavish lifestyles and apparent corruption of the pro-Kremlin elite, Mr. Galeotti said, have attracted huge viewership not only among rebellious youths and liberal intellectuals but also among members of the elite, who worry that some of Mr. Navalnys information was leaked by rival factions within the leadership and that they could be next.

Nobody inspires such hostility and fear as Navalny, said Nikolai Petrov, a senior research fellow at Chatham House in London and an expert on Kremlin decision-making. This, he added, means there is a very long list of potential enemies who might want him dead, or least incapacitated.

But, he added, Mr. Navalny is such a high-profile target that no one with a personal grudge would move against him without at least the tacit assent of Mr. Putin.

It is like the mafia: Nothing can be done without the approval and guarantee of impunity of the boss, he said. I am not saying Putin gave a direct order to poison him, but nobody can act unless they are sure that the boss will be happy and wont punish them.

Sophia Kishkovsky contributed reporting.
After the murder of two Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists, Kerala has been witnessing a series of violent incidents in the last two days. State Congress president Mullappally Ramachandran said at least 140 party offices and memorials were vandalised and he asked the CPI (M) leadership to restrain its workers.

Former Youth Congress state general secretary and PCC member G Leena and her minor son received minor injuries after an alleged group of CPI (M) workers attacked her house on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram in the early hours of Wednesday. Later, former chief minister Oommen Chandy and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala visited her house.

Tension gripped many parts of the state after the murder of two DFYI activists, Midhilaj (30) and Mohammad Haq (28), on Sunday. While the Congress disowned the murder saying it was part of a gang rivalry between two groups the ruling CPI (M) insisted that it was a political murder. But later the Congress released CCTV visuals which showed the deceased also carried lethal weapons and resisted the attack which continued for 15 minutes.

The state is witnessing government-sponsored violence. Police remain, mute spectators, while CPI (M) workers target Congress offices. More than 140 party offices were vandalized, said PCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran. He reiterated the youngsters were killed in a gang rivalry and the CPI(M) conveniently put the blame on the party to distract attention from the gold smuggling case and other corrupt deals.

He said at least two dozen party workers were injured in the attack and even busts of Mahatma Gandhi and other Congress leaders were vandalised.

However, the CPI (M) said it was a well-planned and executed murder and many leaders including Attingal MP Adoor Prakash knew about it. Adoor Prakash has a role in the double murder. We have information that some assailants called him after the murder, said state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
The Army announced on Tuesday that there will be an "in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions" at Fort Hood related to the death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen.

Gen. John Murray, the commanding general of Army Futures Command, will lead the probe, the Army said. The remains of Guillen, 20, were found in June, several months after she was reported missing. The Army's Criminal Investigation Division said the suspect in her disappearance was another Fort Hood solider, who died by suicide when approached by authorities.

Located in Texas, Fort Hood houses 36,500 soldiers. As of late July, CNN reports, there have been 23 deaths at the base this year, including four homicides, seven suicides, and seven off-duty accidents. The Army said there are now "several investigations underway at Fort Hood which are tasked with reviewing a wide range of topics and concerns. Gen. Murray will roll those efforts into a more complete and comprehensive investigation that will delve into all activities and levels of leadership."

This new investigation is separate from an independent review of Fort Hood that began in August, the Army said, and "will look at all the actions of the command from the lowest level to the senior level at the post," Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday that this year, there has been a major increase in the number of felonious crimes and sexual assault reports at Fort Hood, and the Army must "understand the root causes so that we can make the appropriate changes."

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New NSW Gold Tenement Acquisition Agreement Executed

Sydney, Sep 2, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Thomson Resources Ltd ( ASX:TMZ ), advises that the Company has entered into a binding Terms Sheet to acquire the Hortons gold tenement from private company, Syndicate Minerals Pty Ltd ("Syndicate").The Hortons gold tenement (EL8927) is situated 30km of Tenterfield in Northern NSW (see Figure 1*) and has high potential for Intrusion-Related Gold System ("IRGS") type gold mineralization. The tenement covers 58 sq. km and has a number of gold targets, of which some have historic drilling (see Figure 2*).Thomson's Chairman, David Williams, said:"The Hortons gold project acquisition represents a further building up of a quality Australian focused gold portfolio, able to be worked all year round. The historic drilling at the Hortons prospect, with intervals like 27.5m at 7.5 g/t Au, including 4m at 40 g/t Au in hole HOD100 illustrates the great potential of this Tenement.Thomson has now pulled together a great flow of exploration work going forward and we look forward to outlining this program in the very near future."The most developed of these prospects is Hortons which has a gold soil anomaly over 400m in length with multiple individual soil samples over 1ppm Au, and rock samples to 12.3 g/t Au. Previous exploration work was focused on shallow low grade (<1 g/t Au) open pit resources. Despite that low grade focus results indicate a high grade ~6 g/t Au shoot contains the bulk of the gold mineralisation and this has not been adequately tested down plunge.Highlights from the previous drilling at Hortons are:- RSMPQ4 - 67m at 3.8 g/t Au from 15m depth- HOD100 - 27.5m at 7.5 g/t Au from 24m depth, including 4m at 40 g/t Au- HOD102 - 44m at 4.3 g/t Au from 46m to end of hole- HOD109 - 34.5m at 4.6 g/t Au from 31m depth- RSM111 - 42m at 3.9 g/t Au from 34m depthThe Surface Hill gold prospect contains a large coherent gold soil anomaly over 800m in length with individual soils up to 3.3 g/t Au with rock chip sampling up to 6.9 g/t Au. A 14 hole RC drill program was conducted in 1995 and showed a large gold mineralised system with signs of high grade, with 13 out of 14 holes mineralised and 5 of those mineralised to end of hole. Soil anomalies are open to the east and west, and additionally a number of anomalous stream sediment samples near the prospect have not been followed up with soil sampling.Highlights from previous drilling at Surface Hill are:- SHRC2 - 80m at 1.14g/t Au including 30m at 2.2 g/t Au, mineralised surface to EOH- SHRC5 - 2m at 10.1 g/t Au from 2m depth, and 26m at 0.9 g/t Au from 36m depth- SHRC11 - 6m at 1.0 g/t Au from 2m depth, and 58m at 0.4 g/t Au from 16m depthThe Chance Creek gold prospect is a large high tenor soil anomaly over 750m in length with individual soils up to 1 g/t Au with rock chip sampling up to 18.5 g/t Au. The style of mineralisation at Chance Creek is more sulphide rich and mine dump / float samples are higher grade on average than the rest of the field. A small, wide spaced 4 hole RC drill program was conducted in 1995 and showed mineralisation in one hole, CCRC1 with 2m at 2.3 g/t Au from 6m depth. Soil anomalies are open to the south and a historic hard rock working to the east "Chance Creek East" has not been sampled.The Lookout gold prospect contains a large coherent soil anomaly over 600m in length with individual soils up to 0.9 g/t Au and rock chip sampling up to 8.8 g/t Au. A 4 hole RC drill program conducted in 1995 only returned mineralisation in one of four holes - NLRC1 - 22m at 0.3g/t including 2m at 2.6 g/t Au from 16m depth. Soil anomalism appears to be open to the south.Acquisition TermsThomson will acquire 100% of the interest of Syndicate in the tenement, EL8927 (as detailed above) and the associated information and agreements ("Sale Interest").The Consideration for the Sale Interest shall comprise:(a) The Share Consideration shall be 5,700,000 fully paid ordinary shares in Thomson and shall be issued on the registration of the transfer of the Sale Interest ("Completion");(b) The Option Consideration shall be 5,000,000 Options on the same terms as the options issued pursuant to the approval given by Thomson shareholders at the AGM held on 29 November 2018 in resolutions 7 to 10 (both inclusive), namely an exercise price of $0.06 per option and an expiry date of 30 November 2021, and shall be issued on Completion;(c) The NSR Consideration shall be a 1% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") on any ore or minerals extracted from the Tenement, except for gold, silver and platinum group metals, which will have an NSR calculated as follows where at the time the NSR is incurred the gold price is:(i) Under US$3,000/oz, the NSR will be 1%;(ii) US$3,000 to US$5,000/oz, the NSR will be 1.5%; and(iii) Greater than US$5,000/oz, the NSR will be 2%;The NSR will be granted in a royalty deed executed by Thomson and Syndicate which will take the form of the attached to the Terms Sheet, with no modifications to be made except for its execution. Thomson must deliver an executed counterpart of the royalty deed prior to the transfer of the Sale Interest.(d) The Performance Consideration shall be Performance Rights as follows:(i) Milestones:(A) the definition of a Resource compliant with JORC 2012 relating to the area of the Tenement as at Completion of a minimum of 1,000,000 oz of gold at a cut-off grade of 0.5g/t Au for an open pitable resources and 2g/t Au for underground resources, with at least 50% of the Resource in the Indicated category - the Milestone 1 Performance Right shall have a value equal to A$1 per oz gold of the Resource so defined for oz gold from 1,000,000 oz up to but not including 3,000,000 oz;(B) a Resource compliant with JORC 2012 relating to the area of the Tenement as at Completion of a minimum of 3,000,000 oz of gold at a cut-off grade of 0.5g/t Au for an open pitable resources and 2g/t Au for underground resources, with at least 50% of the Resource in the Indicated category - the Milestone 2 Performance Right shall have a value equal to A$1.25 per oz gold of the Resource so defined for oz gold from 3,000,000 oz up to but not including 5,000,000 oz; and(C) a Resource compliant with JORC 2012 relating to the area of the Tenement as atCompletion of a minimum of 5,000,000 oz of gold at a cut-off grade of 0.5g/t Au for an open pitable resources and 2g/t Au for underground resources, with at least 50% of the Resource in the Indicated category - the Milestone 3 Performance Right shall have a value equal to $1.50 per oz gold of the Resource so defined for oz gold from 5,000,000 oz and above.(ii) where the relevant Milestone is achieved, Thomson can elect to satisfy the applicable Performance Right by either:(A) the payment of the amount in cash; or(B) the issue of fully paid ordinary shares in Thomson (where the number of shares to be issued is equal to the cash amount divided by the 20 day VWAP immediately prior to the applicable Resource announcement by Thomson); or(C) any combination of paragraphs (A) and (B).(iii) The Performance Consideration Milestones must be achieved within 5 years of approval of the Performance Consideration by the shareholders of Thomson and are subject to meeting both ASX and Thomson shareholder approval, to occur prior to Completion.Completion will be subject to a number of conditions precedent:(a) Thomson undertaking and being satisfied with reasonable due diligence on the Tenement, such due diligence being completed within 2 months from the date of this Key Terms Agreement;(b) Approval, as required, from the ASX and shareholders of Thomson to the issue of the Consideration;(c) Ministerial consent to be obtained in relation to transfer of the Tenement;(c) the parties are to comply with all the Corporations Act and Listing Rule requirements and any other applicable laws or government policies.The conditions must be satisfied (or waived) on or before 31 December 2020 (or such other date as the parties agree).Thomson is required to undertake at least 1,000 metres of reverse circulation or diamond drilling during the 3 year period following Completion of the sale and purchase of the Tenement. Failure to do so will enable Syndicate to have the Tenement transferred back to it.Work ProgramThomson will now undertake further due diligence and develop work programs going forward after Completion.Corporate ChangesGiven the increasing activities of the Company and the workload of existing Directors, the Board has determined to implement the following changes with effect from 1 September 2020:- David Williams, the current Chairman, will become Executive Chairman focused on corporate and capital activities of the Company and his remuneration will be increased to $100,000 per annum plus statutory superannuation - notice period: 3 months' by Mr Williams, 6 months' by the Company;- Eoin Rothery, the current CEO, will become Technical Director focused on all of the Company's exploration activities and his remuneration will be increased to $180,000 per annum plus statutory superannuation - notice period: 3 months' by Mr Rothery, 6 months' by the Company.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Thomson Resources Ltd

Thomson Resources Ltd (ASX:TMZ) is an NSW active mineral explorer. Thomson has several tin projects (including an advanced project near Ardlethan), as well as gold, copper and zinc targets in a range of settings. Thomson has a good record of discovery, with multiple new Intrusion-Related Gold (gold with copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten) systems discovered in the Thomson Fold Belt in the NW of the state.
London: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Kremlin has "difficult questions" to answer after tests found "unequivocal proof" that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned using a Soviet-era nerve agent.

Britain and Canada have also called on Russia to explain the episode.

Novichok was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury in 2018. The British government blamed that attack on the Russian Military Intelligence Service, also known as the GRU.

In a blunt statement aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, Merkel said Navalny was the victim of attempted murder and challenged the Russian government to explain what happened.
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is raising its surcharges on domestic flights in response to a 30 per cent rate increase by Nav Canada, which operates air navigation across the country.

The airline says it has hiked the fee it charges for air traffic control services by between $4 and $7 per passenger, depending on flight duration.

It also says it is looking into an appeal of the rate increase, which is effective Tuesday, and will scrap the surcharge if the move is successful.

We are deeply concerned the Nav Canada rate increase will lead to a further reduction in the number of travellers, WestJet CEO Ed Sims said in statement.

We are sympathetic to their situation, like ours, where a lack of sector-specific federal support has hindered their ability to recover. Burdening travellers who have been severely impacted by this pandemic with incremental costs will only serve to undermine Canadas economic recovery.

Air Canada said it is still reviewing the impact of the decision, which Nav Canada announced in May. Transat plans to adjust its fares to reflect the higher cost, rather than include it as a surcharge.

The rate hike represents a significant additional cost for carriers, underscoring the shortcomings of the countrys user-pay model and hindering the industrys already uncertain recovery, said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick.

Meanwhile some airports have said they will increase their airport improvement fees by half after laying off hundreds of staff, adding to carriers financial worries.

Robert Kokonis, president of Toronto-based consulting firm AirTrav Inc., says the fee boost at Nav Canada will hit travellers trying to visit friends and family the hardest, as domestic business travel has largely dried up.

These are people that are also suffering economically, and to ask them to come up with an additional X amount of dollars is adding insult to a very grievous injury, Kokonis said.

The higher surcharge at WestJet could cost a family of four up to an extra $56 on a round trip.

Canada, unlike countries including France, Germany and the United States, has held off on sector-specific support for carriers. Instead Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rolled out financial aid available across industries, including the federal wage subsidy  now extended to December  and loans starting at $60 million for large firms.

Ottawa is fiddling while the house is burning. I cant say it any better. They are all frustrated that nothing is coming out of Ottawa, Kokonis said of Canadian airlines.

Transat spokesman Christophe Hennebelle criticized Canadas continued blanket restriction on foreign travellers and called for more financial aid.

Nav Canada has no other option but to increase its service charge. However, this can only worsen the situation, Hennebelle said in an email, highlighting the complete collapse in passenger volumes.

To draw customers back to the skies, carriers north of the border have largely done away with change fees until a couple days before takeoff.

In the U.S., United Airlines scrapped its US$200 change fee for domestic flights on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ)
born.4thnov BHPian

Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: TN09/KA04/KL05 Posts: 40 Thanked: 41 Times

Re: Current-gen Honda City to be sold alongside 5th-gen model



I have a question here. My cousin is planning to upgrade his Honda Jazz to a bigger car.

His priorities are Price - Around 13 lakhs Good to drive Space After sales.

His Jazz has done 50k kilometres in 5 years. Since the run is mostly in the city for office purpose and occasionally on highways, a petrol mill is preferred. He was waiting for the New City to get launched, but it looks like Honda is not in a hurry.



So, he has test driven and almost shortlisted 2 cars



1. Hyundai Verna - For looks and power. Seating is low and rear space is a compromise for the price. Cost of petrol manual SX is 12.5 lakhs approximate.



2. Old city - For power and driving ease. Service is also not an issue as he is an existing Jazz owner and is also getting better resale value for his Jazz. Cons - New model could arrive any time now



While his mind was almost fixed on the Verna, there came a twist. His project director is moving to Canada permanently in the next 1-2 months after the situation eases. He owns a Corolla petrol GL manual. The car is well maintained and my cousin sees it almost every day. It has done < 30k milometers (2018 Feb model). He is now in a fix. Can you please post your suggestions.



NB administrators: This post is being sent on his behalf as he has been rejected twice by the forum. Feeling proud to be a Bhpian. Dear People,I have a question here. My cousin is planning to upgrade his Honda Jazz to a bigger car.His priorities areHis Jazz has done 50k kilometres in 5 years. Since the run is mostly in the city for office purpose and occasionally on highways, a petrol mill is preferred. He was waiting for the New City to get launched, but it looks like Honda is not in a hurry.So, he has test driven and almost shortlisted 2 cars1. Hyundai Verna - For looks and power. Seating is low and rear space is a compromise for the price. Cost of petrol manual SX is 12.5 lakhs approximate.2. Old city - For power and driving ease. Service is also not an issue as he is an existing Jazz owner and is also getting better resale value for his Jazz. Cons - New model could arrive any time nowWhile his mind was almost fixed on the Verna, there came a twist. His project director is moving to Canada permanently in the next 1-2 months after the situation eases. He owns a Corolla petrol GL manual. The car is well maintained and my cousin sees it almost every day. It has done < 30k milometers (2018 Feb model). He is now in a fix. Can you please post your suggestions.NB administrators: This post is being sent on his behalf as he has been rejected twice by the forum. Feeling proud to be a Bhpian. Last edited by bblost : 25th May 2020 at 18:00 . Reason: Fixed formatting issues. Please break down the post into paragraphs as it makes for easier reading.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is not likely to meet his Chinese counterpart during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting scheduled to be held in Russia, sources said on Wednesday.

Singh left for Russia on a 3-day visit today to attend crucial meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them "collectively" in Moscow on Friday. The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan's Pervez Khattak are also expected to attend the SCO meeting.

Singhs Russia visit comes at a time when a meeting of the brigade commander of the Indian Army with his Chinese counterpart is currently underway in Chushul/Moldo to discuss issues related to the situation on the southern bank of Pangong lake.

This comes after the Indian Army thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday, brigade commander level talks were held as well. The two sides held talks for around six hours on Monday as well but no concrete outcome emerged from the engagement. In the last three days, the Chinese Army has made three attempts to transgress into Indian areas on the southern bank of Pangong lake in Ladakh.

"On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand had said in a statement on Monday.

Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh, sources said.

While the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is now very tense. India has said that China again engaged in "provocative action" and termed the PLA bid a reflection of "complete disregard" to bilateral understandings.

Following the first Chinese attempt, the Indian Army significantly strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" around the Pangong lake besides further bolstering its presence in the area.

A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area. Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane also reportedly reviewed the overall situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting in the Army headquarters.

The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The satellite images show that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.
A report presented at the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Conference 2020 suggests that heart patients with COVID-19 can safely continue to take ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, enters host cells through ACE2 receptors (a close relative to ACE). Research suggests that these receptors are present in various tissues in the body including the lungs, nose, heart and kidneys.

ACE inhibitors and ARBs are drugs that are used to manage blood pressure and treat heart failure. However, previous studies had indicated that regular consumption of these drugs increases the expression of ACE2 receptors on healthy cells. The COVID-19 causing virus can take advantage of this increase and infect more cells quickly.

To understand the effect of ACE2 inhibitors and ARBs at the time of COVID-19 infection, a group of researchers at the Brazillian Clinical Research Institute are currently conducting randomised phase 4 clinical trials under the name BRACE Corona.

The final results of the study are expected to be released in December 2020.

ACE inhibitors and ARBs

ACE and ACE2 are two proteins that are part of the RAAS (Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System) in the body. RAAS is responsible for maintaining blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.

Renin, angiotensin and aldosterone are three hormones that are released by various organs in our body.

When you have low blood pressure, your kidneys release renin to convert the protein angiotensin into angiotensin I. The latter is an inactive protein which is activated by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and converted into angiotensin II. Angiotensin II then constricts blood vessels (vasoconstriction) and increases blood pressure.

So in case of high blood pressure, ACE inhibitors would help control the condition.

ARBs, on the other hand, block the receptors of angiotensin II on blood vessels so it cant lead to vasoconstriction and raise blood pressure.

ACE2 is the other arm of RAAS. When the blood pressure is high, ACE2 converts angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7), which then dilates blood vessels and reduces blood pressure.

The study

In the latest study, researchers enrolled about 659 COVID-19 patients at over 29 different sites in Brazil. All of these patients have been using ACE inhibitors or ARBs for a long time. They were randomly divided into two groups - one group was asked to continue taking their medications while the other group was asked to stop taking the medicines. Results were to be noted after a period of 30 days. Here is what was found:

Those who stopped using ACE inhibitors or ARBs were discharged within 21.9 days, while those who continued using the drugs took 22.9 days to get discharged.

About 91.8 percent of patients in the first group were discharged and alive at the end of 30 days while about 95 percent of those who continued medications got discharged by the end of the same period.

Over 2.8 percent of people in the continuation group died in the 30 day period while about 2.7 percent of the other group died during the study period.

In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, suspending ACE inhibitors and ARBs for 30 days did not impact the number of days alive and out of hospital. Because these data indicate that there is no clinical benefit from routinely interrupting these medications in hospitalised patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, they should generally be continued for those with an indication, said Dr Renato Lopes, the chief investigator of the study and a professor of medicine at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, US, in a news release by the European Society of Cardiology

For more information, read our article on Why coronavirus affects lungs.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
An NDP MP is calling on Youth Minister Bardish Chagger to resign saying she misled Canadians when she testified before MPs probing the federal governments WE Charity deal.

During a Tuesday press conference, Charlie Angus, the NDPs ethics critic, laid out a timeline of events that he said showed WE Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger were in the drivers seat leading up to the federal government announcing the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) in late April.

Angus said Chagger put them there when she met with Craig Kielburger on April 17, a meeting that went unmentioned during her first appearance testifying before MPs this summer. Documents released last month suggest this was around the time WE was told to start drawing up a proposal for a grant program similar to the CSSG.

She should step down from her failure to come clean and explain why she had that meeting, Angus told reporters on Tuesday.

I really dont know how Minister Chagger stays in this position having so clearly misled two committees and misled the Canadian people at this point, said Angus.

The assertions made by Angus deal with a central issue in the WE affair, a controversy that has plagued the government for months: whether the public service came up with the idea for WE to run the CSSG program or whether that decision was politically motivated.

A spokesperson for Chagger said that the documents supported the ministers repeated assertions that she never spoke with WE Charity about the Canada Student Service Grant.

The documents that have been disclosed support that comment and further support that this was a recommendation by the professional public service for WE to administer the program.

The CSSG agreement was eventually awarded to WE and the group was expected to administer the federal funds to students through grants for volunteering.

But the program was quickly nixed when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced conflict of interest questions due to his familys ties to the organization.

Parliamentary committees began hearing testimony from ministers, including Chagger, public servants, and witnesses from outside government about the deal. Two ethics investigations were launched and thousands of documents were turned over to the committees this summer.

On July 16, Chagger testified in front of one committee that she hadnt discussed the CSSG program with anyone at WE before meeting with cabinet ministers about the agreement.

The Star later broke the story that Chagger had met with Craig Kielburger on April 17, prior to the April 22 announcement of the program. At the time, the minister said the CSSG was not discussed and that the meeting dealt with a separate proposal WE had submitted weeks prior.

Then, on August 11, Chagger testified before another committee probing the deal, and Angus asked her why she hadnt been forthcoming about the April 17 meeting. Chagger told Angus she hadnt discussed the CSSG during that meeting.

But it was during that April 17 meeting that the suggestion for WE to adapt the separate proposal around social entrepreneurship to include a volunteer service aspect was raised, according to an email from a government relations employee with WE.

The program would include microgrants for young people and the ability for WE to work with non-profits across the country, said the email.

Craig Kielburger wrote in an April 22 email that Chagger herself suggested WE Charity include a volunteerism component to their proposed social entrepreneurship pitch during the April 17 call, which took place five days before Trudeau announced the government-funded program to pay young Canadians who volunteered during the pandemic.

Chagger has previously denied she made that recommendation: I at no time directed WE Charity to amend or adjust or add any proposal.

But Angus said that after the April 17 meeting, WE was the only entity being considered for the deal, according to correspondence included in the documents that were turned over. Before that, other options were on the table, he said.

After April 17, theres only one plan, he said. Its the Kielburger plan.

Why did she cover up? Was she doing this on her own? Was she trying to garner a relationship to the prime minister when everyone knew that the Kielburger organization was extremely close to the Trudeau family?

Angus said Chaggers resignation wasnt a condition on which the New Democrats would rest their potential support for the governments upcoming throne speech, which could be crucial for the Liberals who need Opposition support to keep their minority government in power.

The ethics commissioner is probing the agreement between the federal government and WE Charity, including former finance minister Bill Morneau and Trudeaus family ties to the organization.

Since 2015, WE has paid around $500,000 to Trudeaus mother and brother in speaking fees and expenses, along with covering expenses for his wife attending events. Morneau also had a daughter working for the group when the deal was struck.

Morneau resigned his cabinet position this summer as the government dealt with the scandal.

The move came after he told a committee during testimony that WE had covered $41,000 in expenses during two overseas trips his family took in 2017.

Neither Trudeau nor Morneau recused themselves from the decision making during a cabinet meeting where WE was given the green light to work on the grant program.

Trudeau prorogued Parliament this summer, ending the probes being carried out by the all-party committees.
Unilever Plc said on Wednesday it would invest 1 billion euros to eliminate fossil fuels from its cleaning products by 2030, cutting the carbon emissions created by the chemicals used in making the products.

The household goods conglomerate behind the Omo, Cif, Sunlight and Domestos brands said that, instead of petrochemicals, the products would use constituents created from plants and other biological sources, marine sources such as algae and waste materials.

Chemicals in its cleaning and laundry products make up 46% of its Home Care divisions carbon emissions across their life cycle.

The switch - which Unilever said it is the first company to commit to - will cut those emissions by a fifth.

Surfactants, or de-greasing agents, are the biggest petroleum-derived components, Peter ter Kulve, Unilevers president of Home Care, told Reuters.

He said the company was working with small biotech companies and chemical makers such as Dow Chemical to create environment friendly product formulations.

The writing is on the wall.. the next phase is industry change in chemicals and cleaning agents .many of these big suppliers still have a lot of capital still locked in the old carbon economy," he said.

Unilever said its 1 billion euro investment would be used to finance biotechnology research and carbon dioxide utilisation, as well as boost the production of biodegradable and water-efficient product formulations.

The company emits about 100 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents globally, but aims reduce this to net zero from its own operations and its suppliers by 2039, a plan that is 11 years ahead of a deadline enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement on combating global warming.

The move comes at a time the Anglo-Dutch maker is facing unprecedented demand for cleaning products in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It reported in July that Cif surface cleaners and Domestos bleach sales jumped in the double-digits in the first half of 2020.

But the major hurdle at this time of heightened demand is getting new suppliers to scale up ingredient production to meet Unilevers requirements, ter Kulve said.

He, however, is confident that in choosing skilled" partners, such as specialty chemical maker Evonik, which have been able to produce plant-based formulations at an industrial scale, the company will hit its 2030 targets in time.

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
Sept 3 marks the 75th victory anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The war, which lasted 14 years, was an important part of the worldwide anti-fascist struggle.

The victory came at a heavy price, with more than 35 million Chinese killed and injured, but earned China respect from the rest of the world. Today, we reflect on the war to commemorate the heroic sacrifices in the anti-fascist struggle and remember to cherish peace.
A symbol of TikTok (Douyin) is pictured at The Place shopping mall at dusk on August 22, 2020 in Beijing, China.

A deal for TikTok's U.S. business is facing new hurdles as Washington's deadline for a sale approaches, putting the app in danger of facing an effective ban.

An announcement of a deal had been expected as soon as Tuesday, CNBC previously reported, but that day came and went with no news of a transaction. On Friday, Chinese officials introduced new restrictions on technology exports that could require Chinese approval for TikTok to sell its algorithm, which is part of the core value of the app.

As of Monday, Oracle and a joint bid from Microsoft and Walmart were the top contenders for the sale, but The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that China's new restrictions had complicated and extended the talks. A deal with the algorithm had been expected to fall in the $20 billion to $30 billion range, sources previously told CNBC. That price would likely drop if the key technology could not be included.

The new rules out of China have prompted Zhang Yiming, founder of TikTok's parent company ByteDance, to reconsider his options, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. The need for approval from officials in the U.S. and China could push the deal past the November U.S. presidential election, a source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

ByteDance and the companies seeking to buy TikTok's U.S. business are considering four options to navigate the new restrictions from China, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The first option is to sell TikTok without the algorithm, potentially expediting the sale but requiring the new owner to inject an alternative into the app.

The second option is to negotiate an up to a year-long transition period with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), though its unclear if China's rules would allow this in the required time frame.

The third option is to seek approval from China to sell the algorithm to the chosen U.S. company.

The fourth option is for the new buyer to license TikTok's algorithm from ByteDance. However, it's unclear if U.S. authorities would be content with any continuing relationship between TikTok and the China-based ByteDance after the sale.

If deal talks extend into November or later, the app could face an effective ban in the U.S. under President Donald Trump's executive orders. Trump initially signed an order that would bar U.S. businesses from transacting with ByteDance as of Sept. 20, and later signed an order forcing ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business by Nov. 12.

A potential change in administrations after Election Day could give TikTok another chance to negotiate with the U.S. government. TikTok has sued the Trump administration over the ban, claiming it denied the company due process.

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WATCH: TikTok is growing rapidly, even as it fights a U.S. government ban
MOSCOW, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Allies of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday that the German government's identification of the poison used against him suggested that the Russian state had been behind the attack on him.

Navalny, 44, was airlifted to Germany late last month after collapsing on a flight after drinking a cup of tea his allies said was poisoned, something Russian authorities said they could find no evidence of.

A German government spokesman said on Wednesday Navalny had been attacked with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent.

Leonid Volkov, a Navalny aide, said on Twitter that the use of Novichok was like leaving the signature of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the scene of the crime.

The Kremlin has flatly rejected any suggestion that it or the Russian state was involved in the incident.

Ivan Zhdanov, another close Navalny ally, said on Twitter that Novichok could only be administered by Russia's intelligence agencies. (Reporting by Maria Vasilyeva Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Michael Zenn, CEO of University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics, said in a statement Wednesday he was disappointed the nurses have decided to strike, but, We are hopeful that both parties will reach an agreement that reflects our commitment to our nurses while being fiscally sustainable for the hospital.
Nicola Gobbo boasted of having a fling with former AFL star Brendan Fevola in explosive messages she sent to her sister.

The double-dealing lawyer exchanged texts with her sibling Catherine back in August 2010, accusing a police officer she refers to as 'Slimey' of 'interfering' in her relationship with the former Carlton and Brisbane player.

The text messages are detailed in Ms Gobbo's submission to the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.

Ms Gobbo alleged she had a sexual relationship with Jeff Pope - the senior officer who was her handler when she was registered as an informer in 1999.

Infamous 'Lawyer X' Nicola Gobbo (pictured) claims to have had a casual relationship with AFL star player Brendan Fevola

Ms Gobbo submitted text messages to the Lawyer X royal commission where she claimed she had a fling with AFL star Brendan Fevola (pictured, left, with his wife Alex)

The text exchange began when Gobbo saw Mr Pope an television, telling her sister she could remember him from her 'alcohol fling days'.

'Definitely him. Multiple times... Perhaps I should write to Slimey? Or leave it to 4 Corners instead,' Gobbo wrote to Catherine on August 26, 2010.

According to the submission, Gobbo's sister mentioned Four Corners, Ben Cousins and Fevola in her reply.

Gobbo sent another text message back, where she alleged to have had a sexual relationship with Fevola.

'You are correct as usual. Momentarily forgot about Slimey interfering with my sex life re the Fev.

'What a f***ing disgrace that Pope didn't declare his frolicking to his bosses.

'I even remember when he bought his house in [a Melbourne suburb] 10 years ago!'

The commission stated Gobbo's alleged sexual relationship with Mr Pope cannot be proven.

Mr Pope denies ever having a sexual relationship with Ms Gobbo.

Ms Gobbo sent another text message to her sister, where she alleged to have had a sexual relationship with AFL star 'Fev'

Fevola is pictured with his wife Alex. Ms Gobbo claimed she had a sexual relationship with the former AFL star

Gobbo was registered as an informer three times, her longest stint between 2005-09 when she helped police bring down a number of her former clients, including Tony Mokbel and Carl Williams.

Jailed underworld figure Mokbel is one of nearly a dozen people currently appealing convictions they claim were tainted by Ms Gobbo's informing.

He spent 15 months on the run after fleeing his 2006 drug trial, in which more than 15 million pills hidden in tomato cans from Italy.

Evidence suggests both federal and state prosecution agencies knew Ms Gobbo was working as an informer during the trafficking case.

Tony Mokbel (pictured) spent 15 months on the run after fleeing his 2006 drug trial, in which more than 15 million pills hidden in tomato cans from Italy

Zlate Cvetanovski was freed on bail while he awaits his appeal, after spending almost a decade in jail, while Faruk Orman had his murder conviction quashed by Victoria's Court of Appeal last year.

Victoria Police sensationally apologised for the gangland barrister's involvement as a police informant, and said steps had been taken to ensure it could 'never happen again'.

'It was an indefensible interference in the lawyer/client relationship, a relationship that is essential to the proper functioning of the criminal justice system and to the rule of law,' a police spokeswoman said.

'Our failure at that time to ensure that these circumstances were identified and disclosed was also a significant and missed opportunity to right a wrong.'

'We have taken steps to make sure that what happened with Ms Gobbo can never happen again.'
T he German government says tests have showed nerve agent Novichok in samples from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia.

Mr Navalny, a long-time opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, collapsed on a plane on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was later transferred to Berlin's Charite hospital, where doctors said there were indications that he had been poisoned.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement on Wednesday that testing by a special German military laboratory had shown proof of "a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group".

Toxology tests of blood samples from Mr Navalny produced "unequivocal evidence" that he was poisoned with Novichok, Mr Seibert said.

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny / REUTERS

Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent, was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain.

It is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at the Charite initially identified in Mr Navalny.

"The federal government will inform its partners in the EU and NATO of the results of the investigation," Mr Seibert said.

German army emergency personnel load a portable isolation unit into their ambulance that was used to transport Alexei Navalny / Getty Images

He said that it will consult with its partners in light of the Russian response "on an appropriate joint response".

Mr Navalny's allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the country's authorities, accusations that the Kremlin rejected as "empty noise".

The Russian doctors who treated Mr Navalny in Siberia have repeatedly contested the German hospital's conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and that their tests for poisonous substances came back negative.

Mr Navalny's supporters believe that tea he drank before boarding his flight to Siberia 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.

The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity which had organised the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors had examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported.

The Kremlin denied that resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was purely a medical decision.
Advice from our readers to our young people

To Everyone:

This advice is timeless and will never change from generation to generation. It is easy to say but more difficult to do and continue to do. It revolves around basic common sense, logic, and love. Here is my advice to everyone in one short sentence: Always remember the past, live in the present, and plan for your future. Now here are the details.

Always remember the past. Embrace the good and learn from the bad. Remember those who sacrificed so much and paved the way to allow you to succeed. We all have made mistakes. Understand and accept them as teachable moments that have allowed you to grow as a person. Honor and celebrate your ancestors and loved ones.

Live in the present. Be humble, fair, and kind to others. Have compassion and empathy for those who are suffering or are in pain. Be considerate and tolerant of opposing viewpoints. Be a problem solver and not a complainer. Help others whom you can help. Be a positive influence for those around you. Be in the moment when others need you and be a good listener. Commit to a lifetime of learning and being a better version of yourself.

Be charitable if you are able. Lose the hate and be grateful for what is wonderful in life. Use more logic and less emotion to evaluate situations and in making decisions. Be an independent deep thinker and self-reliant. Have some balance in your life. Follow a healthy lifestyle and manage your stress properly. Keep your faith and maintain your composure. Tune out the noise and the poison all around you. Have fun and laugh!

Plan for your future. Use your past experiences and your present self to draw upon. Dream and have a vision of your future. Be realistic and honest about it. Settle on a path forward. Do not compromise your core values to achieve your goals. Embrace education. Pay attention to the details. Budget properly and save for retirement. Seek out help when you need it. Do not be afraid to fail because it can be a valuable life lesson in the long term. If you fail, do not feel sorry for yourself. Instead, pick yourself up and start over. Never forget where you came from, and continue to remember and learn from the past. Be honest to yourself and everyone you meet. Stay positive even in darker times, and keep everything in perspective. There are always others who are worse off than you. Remain hopeful and take control of whatever direction your life is headed into.

Barry E. Moschel

____________________

To Our Upcoming Leaders of the Future America:

We baby boomers are looking on at our young people as they graduate from college, and we are wondering how an estimated 40 percent of them believe that socialism (communism masqueraded as social democracy) is a healthy system to pursue here in this great country.

We are finally seeing the result of an educational system that has indoctrinated students, teaching the Marxist principles that decry capitalism and liberty, as well as personal responsibility and the ability to create ones own destiny, as we here in America are privileged to do in a free-market society.

We urge you, the hope of our future, to explore ideas outside of the purview of academia.

Take your own initiative and listen to others on the conservative side, others who have been censored by your universities, and find out how the free-market society we enjoy has improved living standards all over the world in the past century.

Find out how a society which encourages innovation and creativity in our business communities and in our volunteer organizations on a regional level, is successful at local as well as national levels.

Use your education as it was meant to be used, as a mind-opening experience, expanding to include a wide variety of ideas.

Learn your true history, of this great country called America, as well as the history of the world.

Read about the scourge of communism, the death of millions in Russia under Stalin, under Mao in China, in Italy under Mussolini, and 6 million Jews under Hitlers fascism in Europe.

Listen to the Chinese here in America who are decrying the censorship, and outright persecution of Chinese citizens under the Chinese Communist Party today.

Go to PragerU, a platform founded by Dennis Prager, and watch the five-minute videos on a wide variety of subjects and explaining some of the complex issues we face today. Issues that young leaders like yourselves will be solving in your new business ventures or in your political careers.

Go to American Thought Leaders, the interviews by Jan Jekielek of The Epoch Times.

Listen to well-read, intelligent leaders in our policy institutions like the Hoover Institution or The Heritage Foundation.

Above all, embrace something greater than yourself. Believe in God, in whatever form you choose. Having a greater power than yourself will give you hope, optimism, and courage to accept the challenges you face in your life going forward. This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and the trinity of ideas consisting of Liberty, E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one), In God We Trust. It is a young idea, this nation. Only 240 years old, and not perfect, as we know, but it is still the best hope for our world. Stand behind this idea with enthusiasm.

We are counting on you to defeat the lies of the left. Reject the idea of Big Government. It will only imprison you.

Stand strong and carry on.

God bless you,

Jan M. Clement

____________________

Heres my advice to the next generation:

Make sure that your sense of right and wrong is always geared toward a decent, peaceful, and civil society; trust your judgment, be firm but kind, stick to your guts and principles, and keep your God your unshakable life anchor.

Rico Cadayona

____________________

Heres what Ive told my grandsons, which sums up my philosophy in a nutshell: Love many, trust few, and learn to row your own canoe.

Donna Wierzbowski

____________________

What advice would you like to give to the younger generations?

We call on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong, and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time, and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive.

Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to NextGeneration@epochtimes.com or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001
Scores of residents of Makoko, the biggest floating slum in Lagos, on Wednesday protested the proposed development of the community by the Lagos State government.

The residents who gathered at the Yaba local government development council area (LCDA) on Wednesday, expressed their displeasure at the proposed development.

The protesters, holding different placards, expressed their disapproval of the plan with messages such as Do not evict us, Makoko is our land, and many others.

The protesters also accused one of their leaders, Baale Aji, of selling them out to the state government.

Thief, ole, thief, they kept chanting at the sight of the accused Baale.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that there is a proposed redevelopment of Makoko by a private developer who has already secured approval from the state government.

Following the approval, meetings were held with selected leaders of the community to inform them of the proposed development, which will affect parts or all of the community.

Makoko is the worlds largest floating side, located across Third Mainland bridge, Lagos most-travelled bridge.

Makoko community, mostly surrounded by water comprises different tribes, including the Egun, Ijaw, Ilaje and many others.

The community which has always been like a favoured punching bag for the Lagos State Government as it has conducted several demolitions under different administrations.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Lagos government demolished parts of Makoko in 2012, forcefully evicting several households and displacing about 4,037 people.

The reason given then by the state government for the demolition and forceful eviction, was that the buildings were erected under high tension power lines.

Makoko to receive a face-lift

After several attempts by the Lagos State government to give the community a face-lift, plans have been concluded this time to develop Makoko, PREMIUM TIMES gathered on Wednesday.

The community was formally informed at the stakeholders engagement at the Yaba LCDA on Wednesday.

The meeting, which was attended by representatives of the community, saw reporters and third parties barred from gaining access.

Leaders and members of the community that were in attendance had access letters, stamped and signed by the local government. PREMIUM TIMES reporter was able to obtain such an access letter to gain entrance.

Addressing the community representatives on Wednesday, Omiyale Kayode, the chairman of Yaba LCDA, said that plans to develop Makoko have been signed by the state governor and there is no going back.

The issue on ground has been on before I came to office, I came to office in 2017, and I learnt its been on ground since 2013 or 2014 thereabouts.

I met one or two Baales on the issue and told them until I hear from the state government, nothing will be done about it, he said.

Mr Kayode said he was formally informed about the plans to develop Makoko towards the end of 2019 and was introduced to the consultant that will handle the job.

We selected 13 delegates from the communities, to attend state executive meeting in February.

The residents who gathered at the Yaba local government development council area

Virtually all the people at the meeting attested that the issue has been on. This is a government project and the government is recognizing the people and so it is not coming unawares.

We thank God we have a governor that wants to listen and help and not put the people into any problem, he said.

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Mr Kayode informed the community that the development will happen in the shortest time possible and cannot be resisted by the people.

In the situation on ground, it may not be possible for us to eat our cake and still have it. It is a matter for us to choose our interest and present to the government. The government will still carry out the project, he said.

He added that he had attended several executive meetings at the state level where different portions of the community have been assigned to different developers.

It is no more a rumour, it is fact. In a short time, development will come to Makoko, he said.

The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Kabiru Ahmed, who was also at the meeting, assured the community that no one will be left behind by the government, but that everyone must be on the same page.

We are here to intimate you that that place cannot continue to be the way it is, there is going to be development and progress.

Mr Ahmed said the government has put the welfare of the people first and will also ensure that the interests of the people are protected.

Avoid fictitious claims, because that is what causes problems. Put the right thing together, the governor is a very humane and humble person, he said.

Resettlement or compensation

Mr Kayode said to the representatives of Makoko community that there are only two options presented to them by the state government; to resettle them or compensate those with valid documents of their property.

Government can provide land in another area where many of us can be settled, government is capable. Or tender appropriate documents containing the value of the properties to the government to receive compensation, he said.

The local government chairman said he is unaware of a third option.

Reacting to the representatives of the government, Baale of Makoko, Adekunle Olaiya said those selected to represent Makoko at the state level have no claim to lands there.

When we start playing politics with the lives of the people, we are starting a fire that cannot be quenched. No development can be done with the Olaiya family, the initial owners.

For peace to reign, we want development but things must be done appropriately. We want progress, but you are not tackling it from the root. Call a meeting of people who own Makoko and not a meeting of politicians, he said.

Mudashiru Odekunle, a leader in the community, said they have had several discussions with the contractor to show them the survey of the proposed development, but he has refused.

We need to know where exactly will be affected and what the government wants to do there, he said.

Some representatives present added that it is alleged that some of their leaders have signed documents and collected money to allow the government carry out the development.

The commissioner and the council chairperson debunked the rumours saying they are untrue.

No one has ever been given a dime and no agreement has been reached concerning the development of the community. All plans are still in progress, the commissioner said.

The protesters who started their protest at the end of the meeting, chanting that they do not want to be evicted, were dispersed from the council premises.
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Leah Jennings said shes never been afraid of living in the city until the other day when 16-year-old Kyan King was shot and killed near her home.

I moved to 18th Street a year ago and have lived here for one year, she said in a video interview. I really feel that its wrong that that happened in my neighborhood. I want these kids to be able to go outside to play and be safe.

Jennings and her daughter, Jamicia Johnson, have organized a march to honor Kings life and to get the attention of decision-makers when it comes to issues like pedophilia, child molestation, and youth sex trafficking. The march is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. It will begin at 18th and Forster streets and end at the state Capitol.

King was shot at around 1 p.m. Aug. 29 near that intersection.

Orlando P. Duarte, 45, has been charged with criminal homicide and prohibited possession of a firearm. Harrisburg Police officers were able to arrest him and take him into custody immediately following the shooting. Duarte is being held at Dauphin County Prison without bail.

Countless people, including Johnsons son, who lives with Jennings on 18th Street, have told the women that they wish they had been in the area at that time to help King.

I dont want anybody to get shot, Johnson said in a video interview. There are children who are scared to speak out. The law isnt protecting them. We dont know who the sex offenders are or where they live.

The mother-daughter duo said theyve heard from many people, who have confirmed that they are going to walk with them on Saturday.

This was not my child, Jennings said. But, in my heart, this was my child."

Jennings, a school bus driver, said she wouldnt want to see any child suffer.

I am a great-grandmother, a grandmother, a mother, and most of all, I am a woman, she said. I dont know why God put it on my heart to do this, but were going to stand up. Were going to stand up for the children of Harrisburg. We need to show this family love and support, and support any other family who needs to know that theres somebody who cares.

Johnson and Jennings admitted they are angry, but they are putting that energy into finding solutions.

Were in the middle of a pandemic, Jennings said. There are people dying. Yes, this is important, very important. These children are our future. If we dont do something now, we wont have a future.

READ MORE

Harrisburg homicide suspect was under parole orders to avoid anyone under 18

Harrisburg community invited to meeting to speak freely about issues involving child predators

If youre reading this Im dead: Teen left note at accused shooters Harrisburg apartment, court documents reveal
By Trend





It is better for the Armenian community of Italy to focus on the deplorable internal political processes in Armenia rather than holding a low-standard slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani ambassador to Italy, Mammad Ahmadzade said, Trend reports on Sept. 1.

The ambassador's article entitled "The conflict can only be resolved through the restoration of Azerbaijans territorial integrity", published in various Italian newspapers, in particular Politicamente corretto, L'Opinione, Notizie Geopolitiche, Sicurezza internazionale, Sardegnagol, Kmetro0, Giornale Diplomatico, triggered a reaction from the Armenian community of Italy.

While sending the letters of protest on behalf of the "Council of the Armenian Community of Rome" to the media outlets, which published the article, the senders made poor judgments intended to distract the Italian public from Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.

In this regard, each of the media outlets (Notizie Geopolitiche, Giornale Diplomatico, Politicamente corretto, Sardegnagol), published the letter of the council, in addition to publishing a response letter from the Azerbaijani ambassador to Italy.

In the letter, the Azerbaijani ambassador expressed gratitude to these media outlets for the attention shown to the processes in the region, as well as conveying clear information about the situation in the region to the Italian readers by publishing the ambassador's article and stressed that the truth can only be revealed this way.

As for the attempt to "respond" to the ambassadors article by the "Council of the Armenian Community of Rome", the Azerbaijani diplomat said that this structure did not provide weighty arguments for denial of the aggressive foreign policy of Armenia and they intentionally tried to divert public attention with a derogatory campaign against Azerbaijan. This attitude is another example of the recognition of the fact that Armenia is the aggressor, and Azerbaijan is the party that has been subjected to aggression.

The diplomat recommended this structure to focus on the regrettable internal political processes in Armenia, instead of defamatory campaign against Azerbaijan.

"The tenure of the first president of Armenia has been remembered in the history by Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, the death of thousands of people, war crimes, crimes against humanity, which plunged the region into one of the most severe political and demographic crises in modern history, Ahmadzade added.

Later, the first Armenian president, realized that this situation led Armenia to deep crisis and saw the only way out in achieving peace with Azerbaijan. He was later overthrown by a criminal military junta, the ambassador said.

This junta, led by the Armenia's second and third presidents, whose hands were stained with the blood of Azerbaijani civilians during the military aggression against Azerbaijan, during its 20-year rule brought the country to the brink of destruction, Ahmadzade said.

In such a deplorable situation, the current prime minister, who seized power, taking advantage of the discontent and protests of people, created a revolutionary dictatorship in the country, the diplomat said.

The current prime minister, who quickly declared war to all his political opponents, the judiciary, the media and non-governmental organizations, is said to be involved in various scandals related to financial and economic fraud and crimes, Ahmadzade said.

Armenias another military provocation, committed against Azerbaijan on July 12, was also directed by Yerevans regime to divert attention from deplorable internal political situation inside Armenia, Ahmadzade said.

The Azerbaijani diplomat stressed that in reality, the goal of the diaspora living abroad must be the development and prosperity of the homeland, but the Armenian side does everything the

"Unable to correctly assess the processes in the region, the Armenian organizations abroad have turned Armenia into a hostage of their personal ambitions by their harmful actions, the diplomat said.

If the Armenian diaspora cares about the future of the Armenian people and wants to see Armenia as a stable, developed and prosperous country, it must first encourage it to normalize relations with its neighbors as the future of Armenia, which does not have internal resources, depends on normal relations with all its neighbors and, in particular with Azerbaijan, the diplomat said.

For this purpose, Armenia must first of all withdraw its armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories," Ahmadzade said. The Armenian community must understand that to send financial donations to Armenia from time to time does not mean love.

"Neither these financial donations, nor the concealment of Armenia's mistakes by holding a slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan will solve the country's problems, the diplomat added. The fact that today Armenia remains poor and is going through severe political, economic and social crises is directly related to its military aggression against Azerbaijan.

If this policy does not change, regardless of who is in power, the situation in Armenia will only get worse," Ahmadzade said.

As for the "Appeal to Armenia and Azerbaijan to sit down at the negotiating table and find a peaceful solution to the problem instead of waging an armed conflict and making claims to each other in the press" in Giornale Diplomatico newspaper, which published a letter by the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani diplomat said that Azerbaijan is committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict despite the military occupation of 20 percent of its territory for almost 30 years.

Our goal is to conduct the substantive, results-oriented negotiations, achieve the settlement of the conflict, the diplomat said. However, Armenias goal is to prolong negotiations and maintain the status quo.

We welcome the editorial office's call for the rapid settlement of the conflict, but this call must be addressed not to Azerbaijan, but to the party that occupied its territory," the Azerbaijani ambassador said in a reply letter.

The articles by the Azerbaijani ambassador can be found below:

https://www.politicamentecorretto.com/2020/08/31/lettera-dellambasciatore-della-repubblica-dellazerbaigian-in-italia-0345-20-15-07/

https://www.notiziegeopolitiche.net/nagorno-karabakh-lambasciatore-ahmadzada-replica-alla-comunita-armena-di-roma/

https://www.sardegnagol.eu/2020/09/01/la-risposta-dellambasciatore-alla-comunita-armena-in-italia/

https://www.giornalediplomatico.it/Azerbaigian-amb-Ahmadzada-a-GD-Ada-decenni-impegnati-per-soluzione-politicaA.htm

https://it.notizie.yahoo.com/ambasciatore-azero-roma-noi-per-soluzione-diplomatica-nagorno-154358369.html

https://it.finance.yahoo.com/notizie/ambasciatore-azero-roma-noi-per-soluzione-diplomatica-nagorno-154358369.html
Police are looking for a man they say was involved in a violent attack in Carlisle on Tuesday morning.

Glenn Alfred Whiting, 27, has ties to Carlisle and Philadelphia, according to police. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Officers went to the first block of West Willow Street on Tuesday morning, for a report of an assault, according to police.

A person not identified by police had suffered several injuries from a knife and was pistol-whipped. Police say a handgun had been fired several times during the assault.

The injured person was treated at a local hospital and is expected to survive, according to police.

Whiting is described as being 6 foot 2 inches tall, approximately 185 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He has several tattoos on his arms and hands.

Tattoos on Glenn Alfred Whiting, wanted for attempted homicide in Carlisle, Cumberland County. Photo provided by Carlisle Police Department

A warrant for his arrest on charges of attempted homicide and aggravated assault was filed in Cumberland County. Police say the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.

Police say Whiting knew the injured person, so they do believe it is an isolated incident. However, Whiting is not in custody and the weapons involved in the assault were not recovered.

Anyone with information on Whitings whereabouts is asked to contact Carlisle police at 717-243-5252 or submit a tip through the departments Crimewatch website.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Santiago, Chile  Wed, September 2, 2020 18:02 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42446ec 2 Books poet,Chile,Literature,prize,Mapuche,Elicura-Chihuailaf Free

Mapuche poet Elicura Chihuailaf has won Chile's highest literature award for helping to bring the southern indigenous people's oral tradition to a wider public, the country's culture minister announced Tuesday.

Consuelo Valdes paid tribute to the 68-year-old's "capacity to instill the oral tradition of his people in powerful writing that transcends Mapuche literature."

Chihuailaf, currently stranded in Barcelona because of global travel restrictions due to the coronavirus, is the first Mapuche poet to win Chile's National Literature Prize.

"With mastery and through his own unique voice he has contributed in a decisive way to the spreading of his poetic universe around the world and amplifying the voice of his ancestors," Valdes said in announcing the winner.

Twice nominated for the award, Chihuailaf's writing highlights the Mapuche people's relationship with nature and their place in Chilean society.

Read also: Ode to silent prayers: Poet Joko Pinurbo finds inspiration in the ordinary

The recognition comes as militant Mapuches have increased their attacks on trucks and agricultural machinery in the south of the country.

Mapuche communities have long-standing land disputes with the state, especially in the southern region of Araucania, around 600 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.

Chihuailaf belongs to a generation of writers that began to emerge after Augusto Pinochet's 1973 military takeover of the South American country, many of them in exile.

His poems, originally written in Spanish and Mapudungun, the Mapuche language, have been widely translated.

In addition to his poetry, Chihuailaf is also recognized as an essayist and translator.
India on Wednesday banned more than 100 mobile applications including the hugely popular mobile gaming app PUBG, after banning 59 Chinese apps in the first round earlier this year. The apps were banned citing concerns of data security after fresh tensions between India and China in the border area in eastern Ladakh.

A total of 118 apps have been banned by the ministry of information and technology, according to an official statement. The banned mobile applications are prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity, defence of India and public order, the ministry said.

WATCH | Explained: India bans PUBG, 117 more Chinese apps amid fresh border tussle

The banned apps include Baidu, Baidu Express Edition, Tencent Watchlist, FaceU, WeChat Reading and Tencent Weiyun, besides PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite, the statement read. According to some reports, there are nearly 33 million active PUBG players in India, making it one of the most popular apps downloaded in the country. PUBG reportedly clocks 13 million users per day.

The ministry of electronics and information technology received several complaints from various sources, including reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on the Android and iOS platforms. The complaints alleged stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which possibly had locations outside India.

Also Read | IT ministry bans 118 more Chinese apps including PUBG: Here is the full list

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures, the statement said.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, under the Ministry of Home Affairs also sent a recommendation for blocking these controversial apps. In the public domain too, there has been a strong demand for some time to take strict action against mobile applications that harm Indias sovereignty as well as the privacy of citizens.

The move will also safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. The decision is a targeted one meant to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace, the statement said.

Earlier in June, the Centre had banned 59, mostly Chinese, mobile applications such as TikTok, UC Browser and WeChat, citing concerns that these are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

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By PTI

MUMBAI: South star Nivetha Thomas says her early stint as a child actor on television made her transition to films "extremely seamless".

The 24-year-old began her career at the age of five with 2000 Tamil show "Raja Rajeswari". She followed it up with "My Dear Bootham" and "Shivamayam" in 2004.

Her film journey began with Malayalam drama "Veruthe Oru Bharya" in 2008 and since then, she has starred in critically-acclaimed films and blockbusters such as "Papanasam", "Money Ratnam", "Gentleman" and "Darbar".

Nivetha said she doesn't have a "strategy" for her career as she never thought about becoming an actor in the first place.

"I never had a strategy because I never planned to become an actor. I was used to watching films but I didn't know acting was a profession. I was very young when I went on a set where I was told only to react. I wasn't bothered if the camera was rolling, I had no inhibition," the actor told PTI.

Recalling her days as a child artiste, Nivetha said her days were divided between shoots and school.

"I used to spend half the time at work and half the time at school, where I would plan about going back to work again. I was constantly working, one after the other with some of the most renowned people in the industry."

The actor believes that her early introduction to the world of showbiz has kept her grounded.

"May be because I started as a kid, I was just trying to go with the flow and not think too much. I didn't know if I had to be different just because I was a female lead. I was fortunate to have a great team, good people."

"I would always observe what was good and make sure I didn't take a path that would have been bad for me and those around me. The transition was extremely seamless."

Nivetha is now awaiting the release of her latest, "V" which reunites here with "Gentleman" team of superstar Nani and filmmaker Mohan Krishna Indraganti after four years.

Originally scheduled to release theatrically, the film's release was pushed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is now set to stream on Amazon Prime Video from September 5.

"'V' gave me an opportunity to work with Mohan again, who is one of my most favourite directors. I completely trust the way he writes his characters irrespective of the duration of a role. I trusted him with this and he didn't let me down with Apoorva, which is my one of my favourite characters."

In the movie, Nivetha plays the role of a crime novelist, a part the actor found immensely "relatable".

"When I was reading the brief of the character, I thought she was extremely relatable. I knew people exactly like her but may be not as weird. I could see certain traits in her which I have too but people don't know."

"She is unapologetically herself. She's a self-made woman with a goal to become a crime novelist. Her method, her investigation is quite twisted. It was a wholesome role," she added.

The film also stars Sudheer Babu and reportedly features Nani as an antagonist for the first time.
Allschwil, Switzerland - September 2, 2020



Idorsia Ltd (SIX: IDIA) today informed that the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the presentation of additional data on the effect of treatment with ponesimod versus teriflunomide on disability measures in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis as part of MSVirtual2020: 8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting.

For further details on the 13 company-sponsored data presentations from its multiple sclerosis research program please read the full announcement from Janssen available at www.janssen.com (http://www.janssen.com/).

Idorsia and Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, have entered into a revenue-sharing agreement in respect to ponesimod. Under the terms of the revenue-sharing agreement, Idorsia is entitled to receive quarterly payments of 8% of the net sales of ponesimod products from Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Notes to the editor

About Idorsia

Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more - We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into one of Europe's leading biopharmaceutical companies, with a strong scientific core.

Headquartered in Switzerland - a biotech-hub of Europe - Idorsia is specialized in the discovery and development of small molecules, to transform the horizon of therapeutic options. Idorsia has a broad portfolio of innovative drugs in the pipeline, an experienced team, a fully-functional research center, and a strong balance sheet - the ideal constellation to bringing R&D efforts to business success.

Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 800 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realizing our ambitious targets.

For further information, please contact

Andrew C. Weiss

Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hegenheimermattweg 91, CH-4123 Allschwil

+41 58 844 10 10

www.idorsia.com (http://www.idorsia.com)

The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and research and development programs and anticipated expenditures in connection therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

Anhang
Texas officials will gather soon for the next state legislature, and members from the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce met to discuss what some of their priorities will be going into the 2021 session.

Taylor Landin, chief public policy officer at the Greater Houston Partnership, met with chamber members to talk about their priorities, and said next years session would be different due to the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Looking ahead: Tomball EDC, City Council discuss three-year, one-year strategic plans

One of the biggest unknowns about the upcoming session is we have no idea what COVID is going to mean in terms of operations of the session, Landin said.

The pandemic means there could be limited access to the Capitol. Typically, cities will have their own day where they go to the capitol to express their needs and important issues, but Landin said that may not happen this year.

There could also be a limited scope of this years session due to the pandemic, he said, meaning the state legislature could just address budget items. A budget is all the Texas legislature is required to pass when they meet every other year.

The state budget will also be significantly reduced from the last session, Landin said. State agencies were asked over the summer to send budgets with significant cuts and the state comptroller released his budget estimates in July, which had a $4.59 billion shortfall.

Redistricting is another issue the legislature is supposed to address, but because of the pandemic, Landin said it may have to be done in a special session later in 2021.

Had things unfolded normally, most of the session would have been animated by this redistricting conversation, Landin said. It gets political very quickly and slows down the pace of which things can get done in the legislature.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Republicans ask Texas Supreme Court to boot Libertarians off ballot

Landin said the Greater Houston Partnership would be focused on preserving HB 3 passed last session, which helped implement literacy programs, compensatory education and teacher incentives. Along with that, they will also be advocating for energy competitiveness, to help create an approach to a clear path for permitting for energy projects to attract capital investment to Texas.

We need to make a handful of changes so Texas can be as competitive on these projects as North Dakota and Louisiana, Landin said.

Tomball City Manager Rob Hauck said one of the important issues from last session that was damaging to Tomball was the taking away of local control from city governments. One example he gave was the taking away of cities rights to require facade standards on their major roadways, which he said helped draw businesses and developers to Tomball, knowing they wont have unsightly buildings built next to their properties.

Economic development in the region: Central East Texas Alliance works to grow biomedical presence along route from Houston to Waco

I just believe that we as the Houston area know whats best for our areas, Hauck said.

GTACC President Bruce Hillegeist said Tomball has advocated for more local control for years.

State officials still want that control and power, Hillegeist said. We just feel like (Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack) Cagle is hired and he knows our county best and Mayor Fagan is hired and she knows our city best.

Colleen Gilbert, who leads the chambers government & legislative affairs committee, said the chamber would pull together priorities important to Tomball before the session starts in January.

Were gonna have to figure out a way to advocate, Gilbert said. Its gonna be a weird session.

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com
Our hero: Jeremy Worth with the two rescued sheepdogs Zoey and Alfie. Photo: Stephen Maguire

A man has been praised for his bravery after twice scaling a 61-metre cliff to rescue two stranded sheepdogs.

Jeremy Worth was enjoying a leisurely kayak with his friends Boyd Robinson and Pauric McGinty at Horn Head near the coastal village of Dunfanaghy in Co Donegal when they came to the dogs' rescue.

The three friends were chatting when they heard barking and noticed the sheepdogs trapped high above them on the cliff on Sunday morning.

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The dogs, Zoey and Alfie, had got into difficulty while rounding up sheep with their owner on lands above the cliff.

They had tumbled down on to the cliffs and despite attempts by the farmer who owned them, they could not get back up again.

The three friends immediately paddled towards the bottom of the cliff to launch a rescue.

Determined

Jeremy, an orthodontist in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, decided the only way to get the dogs down was to scale the cliff.

However, when Jeremy reached the dogs he realised he could only take one down at a time.

He managed to retrieve one of the dogs, climbed back down the cliff and put it into his kayak before then handing it over to members of the local Sheephaven Sub-Aqua Club, who had also joined the rescue and were in a nearby boat.

With one of the dogs safe, a determined Jeremy went straight back up the cliff for the second time.

However, when he got there, the dog's owner was at the top of the cliff and Jeremy managed to get the dog to safety with its master.

Jeremy, Pauric and Boyd and the two dogs were all reunited at nearby Portnablagh Pier later with the dogs delighted to see their rescuer again.

Boyd said his friend Jeremy deserves all the credit for the rescue. He said: "We didn't even have time to hatch a plan to save the dogs.

"He was just straight up the cliff and I decided to film it.

"It was brave enough that Jeremy scaled the cliff once to get the first dog and hand it over to the Sheephaven Sub-Aqua lads, but to go up a second time was really brave.

"He didn't give a thought to his own safety.

"I don't think too many people would have done that.

"Everybody is safe and well and it was just great that we were in the right place at the right time to see the dogs and help them get down," he added.




Haiti - Politic : 4 new presidential decrees including 2 new appointments





President Jovenel Moise published 4 orders in the official journal "Le Moniteur" #140 dated August 31, 2020, including 2 appointments in the public administration:



The citizen Gerard Jerry Chandler is appointed Director General of the Directorate of Civil Protection;



The citizen Mario Claude St-Tome is appointed Deputy Director of the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC);



In addition, 2 other orders were published :



Order setting the early closing date for commitments for the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year.



Order declaring Monday August 31, Tuesday September 1 and Wednesday September 2, 2020, days of national mourning, in tribute to the honest citizens murdered in the Territory of the Republic in recent months, in particular the President of the Bar of Port-au- Prince, Me Monferrier Dorval shot dead, at his home in Pelerin 5, on the evening of Friday August 28, 2020 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31661-icihaiti-pelerin-5-assassination-of-the-president-of-the-bar-of-port-au-prince.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31668-haiti-insecurity-rain-of-reactions-around-the-assassination-of-me-monferrier-dorval.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  After waiting for months, New Mexico cities and counties hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic found out this week how much they will get from $100 million in federal relief funds distributed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration.

While some cities and counties  including Santa Fe  got a hefty portion of the federal CARES Act funds they sought, other local governments were awarded less than half of what they had requested.

AJ Forte, director of the New Mexico Municipal League, said the final award amounts seemed to benefit cities that requested larger amounts.

He also said there was some uncertainty among municipalities about whether public safety expenditures, for instance, would be eligible for reimbursement with federal funds.

Its not the silver bullet, but its going to help, Forte told the Journal, adding that cities around New Mexico are in different financial conditions.

Santa Fe has been among the states hardest-hit cities, as the pandemic has decimated the capital citys tourism-driven economy.

Recent estimates suggest the city faced an $82 million budget deficit, as a decline in visitors and the cancellation of several high-profile arts markets led to a collapse in gross receipts tax revenue, the citys main revenue source.

As a result, the $17.6 million in federal CARES Act funds received by the city of Santa Fe  the figure is about 70% of the roughly $25 million city officials had asked for  was by far the largest amount in the state. Santa Fe County also received a comparatively high amount, $10.5 million, the fourth-highest on the list.

Mayor Alan Webber said Tuesday that most of the money will go to community members seeking financial assistance but that some money will go toward offsetting additional costs related to the pandemic.

Webber said CARES Act funding is not going to resolve the citys budgetary problems but will go to helping residents who are struggling financially.

Were still dealing with a significant budget shortfall thats chronic, he said.

Asked why he thought his city received the largest allocation, Webber said he thought the state government recognized Santa Fe for its proactive response to COVID-19, including a city requirement to wear masks.

I think the governors team, in evaluating our performance and our request, rewarded that response, he said.

In scoring the grant applications, the state Department of Finance and Administration used 10 criteria that included whether cities and counties complied with the states public health orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That prompted criticism from some Republican lawmakers, who accused Lujan Grisham of being vindictive and questioned her authority to include compliance with the public health orders as a criterion for federal relief funds.

Pandemic devastating

Under the plan announced by the Lujan Grisham administration in July, local governments around the state could apply for a slice of $150 million in grants funded by the federal CARES Act, with an additional $28 million earmarked for tribal groups.

Of the $150 million in total grants, $100 million was earmarked for local governments to reimburse them for pandemic-related expenditures.

The remaining $50 million is going toward local businesses grants  they will be administered by cities and counties  made available to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees.

Demand for the federal relief funds was high, as cities and counties submitted applications seeking a combined $191 million in federal aid for virus-related expense reimbursements  or nearly double the amount available.

The pandemic has been devastating for all of us, not least local governments and small businesses across our state, Lujan Grisham said in a Tuesday statement. My administration will continue to deliver whatever resources we have and can make available to help our communities maintain essential services and respond to the public health emergency.

While no local government application was denied, Santa Fe received not only a lot more money but a larger percentage of its request than many other municipalities.

By comparison, Bernalillo and Hobbs both got less than half of what they sought. And Farmington received only about one-third of its requested funding  it was awarded $1.2 million of the $3.5 million it applied for.

Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo, whose city received $2.4 million, or about 54% of its request, said that hes grateful for the money he did receive but that its unclear why some governments got a larger percentage.

I couldnt understand why certain communities got what they got, he said.

Direct funding

Albuquerque and Bernalillo County were not on the list of cities and counties getting federal funding that was released Tuesday by the Lujan Grisham administration.

Thats because the city and county were among the more populous communities nationwide that received direct funding from the federal CARES Act.

Meanwhile, the grant program is New Mexicos latest attempt to address the economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, which has caused many businesses to close and the states jobless rate to skyrocket to 12.7%, as of July.

Lawmakers also approved legislation to make low-interest loans to help small businesses and local governments. Money from the Severance Tax Permanent Fund will fund the loans  up to $400 million for businesses and $50 million for governments.

In addition, the State Investment Council in April approved a separate program that made $100 million from the permanent fund available for short-term loans for mid- to large-sized businesses.
Mumbai: Actress Vaani Kapoor is off to Scotland to shoot for her upcoming film 'Bell Bottom', starring Akshay Kumar. She is thrilled and says she has been waiting to be back on the sets.

"It feels surreal that I'm starting to shoot for a film! Being back on the set is a moment I have been dearly waiting for, and I can't wait to finally start shooting. I will be stepping out of Mumbai too after five months, and boarding a flight to work. It seems I did all this in another lifetime," Vaani said.

The actress is happy that the industry is looking to restart after taking a hard hit due to the pandemic.

"It's been a testing year for all of us, but I'm glad that things are slowly starting because we have to adapt to this new normal," she said.

Vaani is looking forward to shooting with Akshay, because she feels she will learn a lot from the superstar.

"This is the first time that I'm working with Akshay sir and I know it will be a really special one. I know I will learn a lot from him. His level of dedication and passion towards his craft is just exemplary and he is an inspiration to us all. Hopefully, people will love our pairing," she said.

"Bell Bottom" is a thriller set in the 1980s. The film also features Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta.

Apart from "Bell Bottom", Vaani currently has two other films in her kitty. The first is "Shamshera", co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, a dacoit drama set in the 1800s. The film casts Vaani as a dancer. The other film is Abhishek Kapoor's untitled next opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. The film is a love story.
Professor SM Akhtar, Head, Faculty of Architecture, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University has been appointed as the consultant architect for the mosque to be built in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village by the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust.

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board had created the IICF, a 15-member trust, for building a mosque and other facilities on the land allotted in Ayodhya by the Uttar Pradesh Government on the Supreme Court's instructions.

In the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid land case, the Supreme Court had, on November 9 last year, directed the Central government to hand over the site at Ayodhya for the construction of a temple and set up a trust for the same.

The apex court had further directed the government to allocate an alternative five acres of land at a prominent location in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque to the Sunni Waqf Board.

In February, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board accepted the five acres of land provided for construction of the mosque in Ayodhya.

Apart from this, the Trust will also construct a charitable hospital, public library and a centre showcasing the heritage of Indo-Islamic civilisation which will also serve as a research and study centre for the same, according to a press release by the Board.

(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.)
After reporting more than 500 active coronavirus cases less than a week after in-person classes started, James Madison University on Tuesday announced it would shift to primarily online courses and ask students to leave campus by Sept. 7.

After consultation with the Virginia Department of Health, James Madison University will transition to primarily online learning, with some hybrid instruction for accreditation and licensure requirements, graduate research, and specialized upper-class courses requiring equipment and space, through the month of September, University president Jonathan R. Alger said in a message on the schools website Tuesday evening. Over the next month, university officials will carefully monitor health trends and other developments, and will be in touch with the campus community by Sept. 25 regarding the possibility of returning to in-person instruction on or after October 5.

The school becomes the first in the state to retreat from in-person classes after trying them to start the semester, though some licensure, graduate and upper-level course work will continue to meet through the end of the month.
Ten guards taken hostage by gang members in a Guatemala prison were released early Tuesday after hours of captivity and negotiations with police.

Imprisoned members of the Barrio 18 gang had seized the guards Monday in retaliation for the transfer of some of their leaders to another prison.

Guatemala's Interior Minister Gendri Reyes said three guards were released first and then the remaining seven followed.

Reyes said authorities had just made clear to the inmates that one way or another, they were coming in.

On Monday night, President Alejando Giammattei said he had ordered the transfer of the gang leaders to another prison because they had ordered kidnappings, murders, extortion and other crimes.

The prison known as "Little Hell" is in the southern Guatemala department of Escuintla.

(Image Credit Pixabay)
Murdered: Michael McGibbon was shot three times in an alleyway in 2016

Emergency services at the scene where Michael McGibbon was shot in north Belfast

The coronavirus lockdown must not be used as a "blanket defence" to delay access to sensitive materials, a coroner warned yesterday.

Coroner Patrick McGurgan made the remarks during a preliminary inquest hearing in relation to Michael McGibbon - who died following a suspected paramilitary shooting.

The 33-year-old married family man was shot three times in the leg in an alleyway at Butler Place in north Belfast on April 16, 2016.

He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he later died.

At the time the PSNI said Mr McGibbon was not known to police and they did not know why he had been murdered.

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It was later reported that the group known as the 'IRA' later claimed responsibility for the killing, saying in a statement that it had not intended to kill Mr McGibbon.

During yesterday's proceedings at the Belfast Coroner's Court, Mr McGurgan heard that the PSNI's legal representative has not been able to gain access to sensitive police materials "since before lockdown".

The materials are part of a public interest immunity issue (PII) in which an interested person or other party may hold material or information which they claim would be damaging to the public interest if disclosed by the coroner to interested persons.

Fiona Fee, who represents the PSNI, told the coroner that the matter will be progressed "as soon as it is possible to do so", adding that there are "logistical restraints" involved.

"The last preliminary hearing you had directed that the PSNI give priority to this inquest on the basis of the listing date and so those directions were forwarded and shared with the PSNI," she continued.

"As you'll appreciate and you'll know from other inquests, there is a backlog issue which has been caused by lockdown and there are obviously a number of inquests in which sensitive material needs to be dealt with very quickly, given the listing date."

The full inquest is due to take place in November.

Coroner McGurgan, however, insisted he was aware of other cases where counsel have been given access.

"Tell the PSNI how you need to get access and you need to get it now," he told Ms Fee.

"I'm not saying it's happening in this instance but I'm getting concerned that Covid is being used as a blanket defence mechanism for delay. It's going to take a lot to convince me otherwise. We need to get you access.

"If you're not granted access I'll go up myself and access the material. I'll be granted access, no doubt. I'll trust that won't be necessary."

In response the barrister said she would "certainly ask for access as a priority".

Mr McGurgan added that if access delays persist, he was to be made aware of the issue.

The coroner's counsel, Philip Henry revealed that he is to examine the materials in a bid to try and "cut down the amount of material" in relation to the PII claim and what Ms Fee has to "opine on".

A further preliminary hearing was set for September 17.
Sushant Singh Rajput

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday arrested an alleged contraband dealer who has links with the drugs trafficking case pertaining to the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, officials said.

The man identified as Zaid is involved in the supply of narcotics like bud or curated marijuana to the high-end party circles of Mumbai.

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Sushant Singh RajputThe best quality of bud is sold at the rate of about Rs 5,000 per gram, NCB officials said.

Agency sleuths claimed he was arrested after they obtained some vital leads into the narcotics case registered against Rhea Chakraborty and others.

The agency last week had arrested two men for alleged drug trafficking in the western metropolis and it is understood that the leads against the detained man came after questioning them.

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ArrestSome more such operators based in Maharashtra, Delhi and Goa are under the scanner of the agency, they said.

The agency filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) after the Enforcement Directorate shared with it a report after it cloned two mobile phones of Rhea.

As per officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI.
Los Angeles sheriffs deputies fired 15 to 20 rounds after Kizzee punched one officer and dropped a pistol on the ground, authorities said

Protesters clash with deputies of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department during protests following the death of Dijon Kizzee. (AP)

Los Angeles: A Black man who was stopped on his bicycle for an alleged vehicle code violation was shot to death on Tuesday.

A semiautomatic handgun apparently fell from a bundle of clothes that the man, identified as Dijon Kizzee, 29, had been clutching and dropped when he struck an officer in the face, said Lieutenant Brandon Dean, a Los Angeles County sheriffs spokesman.

Dean said the two officers opened fire when Kizzee made a motion that hes going to pick up the firearm.

Whether the firearm was actually in his hand, if he was motioning towards it, I dont have those specifics because we havent interviewed the actual deputies who were there yet, Dean said.

Initial news of Monday afternoons shooting drew scores of angry demonstrators to the scene of the Westmont community on the southern edge of Los Angeles, becoming the latest flashpoint in a summer of protests over African-Americans killed at the hands of police.

You dont kill any race but us, and it dont make any sense, Fletcher Fair, Kizzees aunt, told reporters on Tuesday at the shooting scene, where activists called for an independent investigation by Californias attorney general.

A protest march was being organized for Tuesday evening by local activists from the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was retained to represent Kizzees family, posted on Twitter: They say he ran, dropped clothes and a handgun. He didnt pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours.

A neighbor who said she watched the scuffle and the shooting that followed from her home directly across the street from the scene told Reuters on Tuesday that she never saw Kizzee throw a punch, never saw a gun, and that he wasnt a threat.

Deja Roquemore, 31, said the two deputies kept firing at Kizzee even as he lay motionless, face down, on the ground.

I watched him go from living, to dying to dead, Roquemore said in a telephone interview. Roquemore, who is home during the day overseeing her 6-year-olds online school lessons, said she was interviewed by investigators.

Dean told Reuters that the deputies, together, fired a total of 15 to 20 gunshots. He said Kizzee sustained several wounds to his upper torso, but the number of bullets that struck him would not be known until an autopsy was performed.

The two officers involved have been removed from patrol duty for the time being, he said.

According to Dean, events leading to the shooting began when the deputies saw a man, since identified as Kizzee, riding his bike in violation of the vehicle code and tried to stop him.

Kizzee jumped off his bike and darted away on foot, before the two officers caught up with him a short distance away, where the deadly encounter occurred.

In the version of events given by Roquemore, she said she witnessed Kizzee and one of the officers tussling over the clothes bundle before it fell to the ground.

At that point, she recounted, Kizzee threw both hands in the air, yelling, I dont have anything. What do you want? before turning to run away. She said an officer then fired a Taser into Kizzees legs, and the two deputies gunned him down when he pivoted back toward them.

Dean denied that officers ever deployed a Taser, and he offered no explanation for the differing accounts.

Dean said he did not know what vehicle code Kizzee was suspected of violating. He told reporters on Monday: It is not uncommon for deputies to conduct vehicle stops of bicycles. They have to adhere to the same rules of the road as a vehicle does.
The rapper and internet troll 6ix9ine, one of the most polarizing figures in popular culture today, is by turns grating, defiant, relentless, hostile and savvy, a self-proclaimed car crash, a rat and an admitted domestic abuser. At 24, he is also inarguably compelling to many, having landed two Top 5 hits  including Trollz with Nicki Minaj, his first No. 1  and racked up more than one billion new YouTube views in less than four months, since his early release from federal prison this spring.

6ix9ine, born Daniel Hernandez and also known as Tekashi69, was not supposed to come back like this. In February of last year, he pleaded guilty to firearms and racketeering charges stemming from his role in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a violent, drug-trafficking Brooklyn gang, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, delivering what the judge in the case called game-changing testimony against his former associates.

The legal maneuvering probably saved him decades behind bars  he was sentenced to two years, including the 13 months hed already served  but it also put his life and rap career in jeopardy, undermining the exaggerated gangster persona he had so carefully cultivated and leaving him labeled a poser and a snitch. (Days before his arrest, 6ix9ine had split publicly from the gang, claiming that its members had orchestrated his kidnapping, stolen money from him and more.)

6ix9ine, a rainbow-haired, suggestively tattooed attention addict, was already controversial  an endless source of Instagram beefs that often devolved into real-world violence, and a convicted sex criminal, having pleaded guilty as a teenager to the use of a child in a sexual performance. Then he repeatedly doubled down on his villain status. His new album is called TattleTales, out Friday via the independent distributor Create Music Group, though 6ix9ine remains connected to his first label, 10K Projects. But the rapper has also re-entered the world at a moment of life-or-death upheaval for many  from the coronavirus to the Black Lives Matter protests  leading some to wonder how long it will be before his antics fully curdle, if they havent already.
WILMINGTON, Del.  Joe Biden is hammering President Donald Trumps handling of the coronavirus outbreak ahead of a planned trip to Wisconsin, a pivotal swing state thats become a focal point for political debate over protest-related violence, police treatment of people of color and the actions of vigilante militias.

Bidens itinerary reflects his efforts to keep the election spotlight on the presidents handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nations overall security, while Trump emphasizes civil unrest in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Biden will be visiting Kenosha on Thursday, where there have been protests following the wounding of a Black man, Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by police as he was trying to get into a car while police were trying to arrest him.

Trump on Tuesday used the unrest to underscore his blanket support for law enforcement, blaming domestic terror for looting and arson thats taken place in the city. The violence included the burning of several buildings and the killing of two protesters by a 17-year-old, who said he went to Kenosha to help protect businesses, and is now in custody.

On Wednesday, meanwhile, Biden and his wife, Jill, a longtime community college professor and former high school teacher, are meeting with public health experts in their home town of Wilmington, Delaware, to talk about school reopening options. Then Biden will deliver remarks  his second speech in three days to excoriate Trump  outlining his ideas and accusing the president of making the country less safe.

The Wilmington event is the latest in a series of dueling efforts by Trump and Biden to cast the other as a threat to Americans day-to-day security. It serves to highlight their vastly different arguments, with Trump using law and order as his rallying cry and Biden pushing a broad referendum on Trumps competence.

President Trump has no plan, said Biden adviser Symone Sanders, previewing the former vice presidents remarks on schools and the pandemic. Instead, he thinks that a fear-mongering campaign stoking violence is going to help him.

Biden, she said, is demonstrating what a safe America could look like by talking to experts about school options in a pandemic while Trump tries to capitalize on the fact that some racial justice protests have led to property damage or turned into violent clashes with counter-protesters.

 READ MORE: The Trump administration is canceling some ventilator contracts, saying the stockpile is full

Ahead of his Wisconsin trip, Bidens campaign has launched a $45 million advertising buy for a one-minute ad featuring his condemnations of violence during a speech Monday, along with his assertions that Trump is fomenting the unrest. The ad, which has English and Spanish language versions, is running on national cable networks and in local markets across Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Violence will not bring change. It will only bring destruction, Biden says in the ad. Trump adds fuel to every fire, he says, and shows how weak he is by his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia.

Trump put his approach on display again Tuesday with his own trip to Kenosha. The president praised local law enforcement and toured a block charred by protesters fire. He called the destruction anti-American and suggested Bidens election would ensure similar scenes in U.S. cities across the country. It was the latest rendition of a theme voiced throughout the Republican National Convention: You wont be safe in Joe Bidens America.

Trump again did not condemn the 17-year-old charged in the killings of two protesters in Kenosha, and he again rejected that systemic racism plays any part in U.S. society.

On Wednesday, Sanders previewed the retort to Trump and the pivot Biden was expected to deliver later that day. To be clear, we are currently living in Donald Trumps America, and folks have to ask themselves across the country: Are you safe? she said. With the U.S. COVID-19 death toll nearing 190,000, Sanders declared the answer is unequivocally no.

 READ MORE: How Haverford, Swarthmore, and other small college campuses hope to fend off the coronavirus

Trumps advisers argue that his stance  which includes falsely accusing Biden of championing violent protesters and wanting to defund the police  shifts attention away from the pandemic. They also believe the tactics help Trump attract white voters in suburbs and exurbs, key slices of his 2016 coalition. Trump won Wisconsin by less than 23,000 votes out of more than 1.9 million in 2016, the first Republican to win the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

This will be the first time since 2012 that a Democratic presidential candidate campaigns in Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton did not campaign in the state after she lost the primary in 2016, one of the reasons often cited for Trumps narrow victory.

White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said Biden is playing politics by traveling to Wisconsin; Trump himself said ahead of his Wisconsin trip that his own travel could increase enthusiasm. The president, meanwhile, took to Twitter to repeat his mockery of Biden for anchoring his campaign from Delaware during the pandemic. Before Bidens campaign confirmed his Wisconsin itinerary, Trump wrote: Joe Biden is a Low Energy Candidate the likes of which we have never seen before. ... Hes back in his basement now  no schedule! Trump was to campaign Wednesday in North Carlolina.

Some Democrats have quietly worried that recent violence might boost Trumps prospects. Bidens team insists he simply must counter with steady warnings that Trump is dangerously inept. They see that as an umbrella argument for any number of scenarios  including a discussion of how to reopen schools.

Trumps cries of law-and-order and radical leftists might work, said Bidens campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, if he was the only one talking. But the Louisiana congressman said Biden has a megaphone, too, and that Trump, even as a p.r. master, cannot erase Americans own realities on coronavirus, systemic racism or anything else.

Look, you cant argue that the country is so screwed up only you can fix it when youve been president for almost four years, Richmond said in an interview. His argument is basically, I broke the country. Now reelect me so I can fix it.

_____

Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporters Jonathan Lemire in Washington and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra hosts Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to President Donald Trump, for a tour of a GM training center in Warren, Mich., on Sept. 2, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

GM CEO Barra, Ivanka Trump Talk Jobs in a 2020 Battleground

WARREN, Mich.General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra hosted Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, for a tour on Wednesday of a GM worker training center in one of the hottest battlegrounds of the U.S. presidential race.

GM and White House officials said the meeting at GMs technical center in Warren, Michigan, was scheduled long ago, and was not a political event.

Warren is in Macomb County, north of Detroit, which will be pivotal to winning Michigans electoral votes in November. Preserving U.S. manufacturing jobs has been a focus of President Trumps administration since its first day.

Big U.S. corporations face a challenge during a charged campaign season. Barra and GM have not endorsed a candidate in the presidential contest, and will not, company officials said. Still, GM has much at stake in policy decisions Trumpor his successorwill make on issues such as tailpipe emissions, autonomous vehicle safety rules, trade, and taxes.

GM is among several corporations supporting White House programs to promote investments in worker training. Ivanka Trump is leading those efforts, including an advertising campaign called Find Something New.

Among the students in the GM program who met with Barra and Trump was Zephirin Hunt, who started with GM as a temporary worker at the automakers Flint truck assembly plant. Now, Hunt said, he is a skilled trades worker at an assembly plant near Lansing, Michigan, pursuing a course of training in electronic machine and robot controls. Every 890 hours, of training, we get a raise, Hunt said.

GM and Barra have had an up and down relationship with the president, who attacked Barra and the automaker for a November 2018 decision to close an assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. That shutdown was part of a broader retrenchment at GM in 2019 that resulted in the closure of a transmission plant in Warren, and thousands of layoffs at the GM technical center.

Trump has also blasted GM for investing in China, and criticized the company earlier this year during a negotiation that led to GM building ventilators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GM has sided with Trump in a legal fight with the state of California over its authority to set stiffer vehicle emissions standards than those established by the U.S. government, however.

By Joe White and David Shepardson
County School officials are urging school personnel and students to practice social distancing over the Labor Day weekend in order to try to keep schools open and prevent a surge in coronavirus.

The county schools on Monday had all schools open and all students at school after an opening that included a hybrid plan with groups alternating in coming to school.

Officials said, "Keeping schools open is vital for the growth of children and the community. Hamilton County Schools encourages families to be SAFE this Labor Day weekend as you plan activities, so there is not an increase in COVID-19 transmission over the holiday. SAFE activities will help schools stay open when children return to the classroom after the short break. SAFE is the acronym the school district has used to remind families to S tay home when you are sick, A void getting too close to others, F ace coverings are a must, and E veryone wash your hands regularly. During the long holiday weekend, the S could also stand for Stay away from group gatherings that could transmit COVID-19 to more people in the community.

"Recent Hamilton County Health Department data indicates an increase in new COVID-19 cases among those in the community in the age group of 11-20 years-old.

Case investigations often reveal transmissions are linked to social gatherings such as neighborhood gatherings, parties, special events, carpooling, and close contact with friends.

"Parents can help keep their children healthy, and schools open by following the SAFE guidelines and talking with their children about ways to minimize transmission risk this weekend.

SAFE

 Staying away from gatherings

 Always maintaining six feet distance from people who dont live in the same household

 Face coverings are a must, so always wear a mask when around others, including in a shared vehicle or bus

 Everyone wash hands frequently and dont share water bottles or other food or drink items

"The Labor Day holiday traditionally sees large gatherings for picnics, extended family activities, and the sharing of fun and food. These types of gatherings are great during normal times, but during a pandemic, they significantly increase everyones risk for spreading the virus. Hamilton County Schools joins the Health Department in encouraging you to play it SAFE this weekend. The community hopes to avoid spikes in new cases, as were seen following the Memorial Day and July 4th weekends."
With distressed communities disproportionately hurt by the economic effects of this pandemic, impact investing will be a key driver of economic stimulus, job creation and recovery as government stimulus monies ultimately wind-down.

Specialty financial administrator NES Financial, a JTC Company (LON: JTC), announced today that it will host its next webinar, Insider Insights Series: Opportunity Zones and Impact Investing, with Kunal Merchant, President & Co-Founder of CalOZ; Robert H Hutchins, Managing Director of ELLAVOZ Shared Values Opportunity Fund and CEO of ELLAVOZ Impact Capital; and DJ Van Keuren, Managing Partner of Evergreen Property Partners.

The informational webinar is scheduled for September 9 at 11 a.m. PT and will be moderated by Reid Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director at NES Financial. The event is free and open to the public to attend.

With distressed communities disproportionately hurt by the economic effects of this pandemic, impact investing will be a key driver of economic stimulus, job creation and recovery as government stimulus monies ultimately wind-down, said Thomas. By putting private investment capital to good use for communities, OZ funds can lead the way to a rapid and equitable economic recovery.

The Opportunity Zones initiative was enacted in 2017 to help incentivize economic development and growth in communities previously overlooked by investors. The initiative has grown considerably, with recently released final Treasury regulations and multiple legislative proposals to provide more in-depth reporting.

In addition to discussing economic recovery and social impact, NES Financial will provide key industry insights. To RSVP and attend this webinar, please click here for more details or visit nesfinancial.com.

About NES Financial

NES Financial, a JTC Company, is a multi-jurisdictional provider of fund, corporate and private client services. The company administers more than $130 billion in assets and employs more than 900 people worldwide. A leader in specialty financial administration, NES Financial serves markets characterized by high administrative complexity, elevated transaction security needs and challenging compliance requirements.

As the North American division of JTC, NES Financial is the leading provider of third-party administrative solutions to US impact investment sectors, including Opportunity Zones and EB-5 visa funding, as well as to US private equity and 1031 exchanges. The companys technology-driven solutions streamline new best practices in these markets by simplifying specialized financial transactions, reducing back-office overhead, curtailing fraud and abuse, and ensuring security, transparency and regulatory compliance during each step of an investments life cycle.

For more information, visit nesfinancial.com.

About CalOZ

CalOZ is a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to maximizing the transformative potential of Opportunity Zones (OZs) in California. By uniting and mobilizing voices from across the spectrum of business, government and community leaders, CalOZ seeks to ensure this once-in-a-generation community investment tool reaches its full potential in the Golden State. CalOZ pursues its mission by building community, education and training, advocating for sound policies, and developing a pipeline of quality OZ projects. For more information, please visit caloz.org.

About ELLAVOZ Impact Capital

Ellavoz Impact Capital is a social impact private equity management firm focused on community development and affordable housing in partnership with New Jersey Community Capital, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit community development financing institution, and Community Asset Preservation Corporation, one of the largest non-profit affordable housing developers in the country. As managing member of the Ellavoz Shared Values Opportunity Funds, our team of professionals include CPAs and attorneys that bring unmatched experience in utilizing community development financing incentives and sophisticated tax planning structures to create a new investment asset class that reflects the shared values of positive social impact and risk adjusted market returns for our Impact Angel investors. For more information, visit ellavoz.com.

About Evergreen Property Partners

Evergreen Property Partners is an institutional caliber real estate platform strictly for family offices to maintain and create generational wealth through real estate. The team utilizes its institutional investment experience and its extensive family office real estate experience from working directly for several prominent family offices, becoming the "go-to" real estate investment manager for families.


The more desperate the media becomes to elect the corrupt, incompetent Joe Biden, the bigger and more numerous the lies.

We have been treated to Democrat campaign workers, posing as journalists, and other Democrats throwing crap against the wall for five years to elect one corrupt Democrat after another. No matter how obvious the lies become, the more they repeat them.

One of the biggest loads of excrement I have seen came out of the mouths of the Washington Post editorial board on Friday when they had the garbage headline "Global Freedom would suffer grievous harm in a second Trump Term." They claim that this will happen because he embraces dictators and he is rejecting U.S. democracy. They know they are lying because the facts show that it was Obama/Biden who catered throughout their eight years to dictators, and they know that Trump's policies and actions have been much harsher toward the dictators and tyrants. If they don't know they are lying, they clearly have had their brains removed as they are rewriting history.

Global freedom would suffer grievous harm in a second Trump term His embrace of dictators and rejection of U.S. democracy can only get worse.

As for catering to dictators around the world and global freedom:

Obama and Biden refused to honor the U.S. commitment to provide missile shields to Poland and the Czech Republic to appease Putin. They did not care about the freedom or safety of the Eastern Europeans, only pleasing Putin. Trump gave the weapons systems because he cared about the people, not Putin.

Obama and Biden refused to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine to appease Putin. They did not care about the freedom or safety of the people in Ukraine, only pleasing Putin. Trump gave the weapons because he cared about the people, not Putin.

Obama pulled troops out of Iraq and allowed ISIS to build a power base to threaten the freedom of the people in the area. This allowed Iran and Syria to become more powerful. Trump took out ISIS.

Hillary and Biden enriched themselves and their families with huge kickbacks from foreign parties including from countries run by dictators. They clearly didn't give a damn about the freedom of the people, only themselves.

The Obama administration approved selling uranium to Russia's Vladimir Putin after the Clinton family got huge kickbacks. They clearly cared more about Putin than the freedom or safety of the people.

Obama drew a fictional red line in Syria and then refused to enforce it to appease Putin, Iran, and Assad. That allowed ISIS and Assad to maintain power. How stupid was it for Obama and Kerry to trust Putin to monitor the chemical weapons in Syria? Obama/Biden clearly cared more about the dictators than the freedom of the people. We don't hear much about Syria after Trump destroyed ISIS.

The Paris climate accord had to please all the energy-producing countries run by dictators. Think how much they could control prices and limit freedom if other countries quit producing. Trump pulled out of this disastrous pretend agreement.

Obama/Biden and the Democrats want the U.S to stop drilling and producing which certainly would please all the dictators in oil producing countries because they won't stop producing. Thank goodness Trump knows that freedom and democracy depend on energy independence.

Trump lectured Germany that it should stop relying on Putin for so much of its energy. Biden always catered to Putin.

Obama/Biden continually lied to get the dangerous Iran deal through. This gave the dictators in Iran access to hundreds of billions of dollars they could use to spread terrorism around the world. This gift to the Iranian tyrants had to please the dictators in Russia, China, North Korea, Syria, and elsewhere because Iran now could buy more stuff from them, including weapons. Think how nice it is that Obama sold U.S. uranium to Russia, which the Russians then could sell to other dictators. Not once does it appear that Obama/Biden cared about the freedom of the Iranian people or others in the region. Trump cut Iran off from the cookie jar, and Biden and the Democrats want the jar reopened. That threatens freedom everywhere.

Obama also gave the Iranian dictators and terrorists a huge kickback when he dictatorially stopped the Justice Department from investigating a billion-dollar-a-year drug running operation by terrorists to appease Iran. I see no indication that Obama/Biden, most journalists, or other Democrats care about all the people killed by drug overdoses and terrorism because of this despicable act. Freedom for the people didn't matter. Trump is trying to block drugs at the border from all sources.

Trump pressured NATO to spend more money on its defense to protect against dictators to ensure freedom and safety for the people. Obama/Biden didn't care.

Trump moves the U.S. embassy in Israel, finally keeping a promise. Trump gets a peace deal in the Mideast. Obama spends taxpayer money to interfere in the Israeli election and builds up Iran. Which president cares about global freedom?

Obama/Biden catered to the dictators in Cuba. They didn't care about freedom for the Cuban people. Trump cares about the Cuban people, not the dictators.

As for domestic freedom and democracy:

Obama/Biden used IRS to target political opponents to violate their freedom of speech and freedom of association rights. Trump uses IRS to enforce the tax code.

Obama/Biden used EPA, Justice Department and CFPB to shake down corporations to establish slush funds which were used for political purposes and to give kickbacks to leftist supporters. Trump shut down the slush funds.

Obama/Biden used intelligence agencies to illegally spy on thousands of Americans. Trump uses intelligence agencies to keep an eye on our enemies around the world.

Obama dictatorially and unconstitutionally issued executive orders changing immigration laws. Obama/Biden also supported lawless sanctuary cities and states. Trump enforces immigration laws Congress passed and wants cities and states to comply with the laws.

Obama/Biden used the Justice Department to spy on and destroy Trump and associates based on fake dossier from a foreign spy paid for by Hillary and the DNC. The Justice Department was also used to protect many members of the Obama crime family, including Hillary from prosecutions. Trump uses the Justice Department to enforce the law. Most of the media not only didn't care about this absolute abuse of power and pure lawlessness, they participated in it.

Obama/Biden and other Democrats support ballot harvesting, universal voting by mail and block photo ID's to vote. They and the media know all of this encourages fraud and threatens election integrity but don't care.

They use COVID-19 as an excuse to vote by mail but in the last few days we have seen reports that 90% of positive tests are essentially wrong. If the media reported truthful numbers everything would be open and no one would be scared to vote. Very few deaths are caused by COVID-19 by itself. CDC estimates 6%.

One of the greatest threats to our freedom, prosperity and democracy is when tyrannical governors keep the economy and people in intentional depression long after the curve was flattened.

Another great threat to our freedom, prosperity and democracy is when the media and other democrats essentially encourage anarchists and Marxists to take over our cities.

For five years they have ginned up racial hate and violence by calling Trump and his supporters every racist and sexist term in the dictionary.

They ginned up racial hate and violence, especially against white cops with the fictional "hands up don't shoot" narrative. How many cops have been injured or killed because of this intentional lie?

The media continues to allow Biden, Harris and others to continually lie about what Trump said in Charlottesville to gin up racial hate and violence.

The media and other Democrats use the racial terms "systemic racism" and "white privilege" to gin up racial hate and violence. Why weren't those terms used when Obama/Biden resided in the White House?

They will gladly destroy white Christian boys or people like Kavanaugh with no evidence. People are disposable to Democrats. All that matters is power.

Look how the media trashed blacks and women at the Republican convention that dare disagree with the far-left Democrat agenda.

Most of the media and other Democrats are as racist as their chosen candidate who said you ain't black if you don't vote for me and all blacks think alike. Blacks essentially aren't allowed to stray from the plantation. Democrats believe they are entitled to their vote. Sort of like slaves.

Then after years and decades of playing the race card and ginning up racial hate and violence the puppets in the media, along with other Democrats blame Trump for the violence when it is they who foment the violence every day. BLM and the other supposedly peaceful protesters don't care about all the black children being killed throughout the country. No one knows their names. They only care when someone dies who happens to fit their agenda.

The only time Biden, Harris and others care about all the destruction and killing in cities throughout the U.S. comes when their poll numbers drop.

Another piece of manure came out from AP this weekend.

The headline was: "GOP Portrayal of Urban Mayhem doesn't Always Match Reality"

The truthful headline would be The media and other Democrats Portrayal that the Protests are Mostly Peaceful is a lie"

The greatest threat to peace, freedom, democracy and prosperity throughout the world and in the U.S. is when the media intentionally lies to the public in order to elect power hungry corrupt politicians who cater to dictators if it fits the agenda, which it almost always does.

The choice is easy. Vote against who most of the media campaigns for. They will lie reflexively to mislead the public because power for leftists is all that matters.

Photo illustration by Monica Showalter.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday left for Russia on a three-day visit to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leaves for Moscow to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Photograph: ANI

he defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them "collectively" in Moscow on Friday, officials said.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan's Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

"Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II," Singh tweeted.

He said issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

"India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit," Singh said,

In his meeting with Shoigu, Singh will press for expediting supply of a number of weapons systems, ammunition and spares to India by Russia under contracts which were concluded earlier, officials said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.

The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions

Singh will depart for India from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.

The SCO defence ministers' meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following the Chinese army's unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

The two sides held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to end the border standoff which began on May 5. The fresh attempts by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area escalated the tension further.

On Saturday, India announced withdrawal from a multilateral war game in Russia this month after it emerged that Chinese and Pakistani troops will also be part of it. However, officially it was announced that India is not joining it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is Singh's second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting on September 10.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of SCO in 2017.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China amounted $7.3 billion over 1H2020, compared to $6.9 billion during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

The share of China in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 17.3 percent during the reporting period compared to 15.1 percent during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export to China amounted to $4.8 billion over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $4.03 billion during the same period of 2019.

Chinas share in the total volume of Kazakhstans export also amounted to 18.6 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 14.1 percent during the same period of 2019.

In turn, Kazakhstans imports from China stood at about $2.5 billion over the reporting period, compared to $2.9 billion during the same period of 2019.

Chinas share in the total volume of Kazakhstans import amounted to 15.2 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 16.9 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 imports amounted to $16.5 billion ($17.5 billion in 2019).

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Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
In this article MORN

ELE-V

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images

It's all on you (probably)

Nick Aguilar, 25, says people in their 20s have to learn some of the basics, like learning what a 401(k) is. Source: Nick Aguilar

At the same time younger generations must increasingly shoulder the burden of their own futures, they are also more interested in learning how to manage their money, says Stan Treger, senior behavioral scientist at Morningstar in Chicago. "Their optimism was a pleasant surprise. "They're very interested in learning to invest, and in retirement." Like many of his generation, Nick Aguilar, 25, isn't counting on Social Security. "Anything would be just extra unexpected money," he said. That's why the West Hartford, Connecticut, CPA says he contributes about 12% of his income to retirement funds at work.

Even before retirement 101

Start with a budget. Everything you must spend money on goes in your plan. "Put retirement savings at the top, and everything else after," Parks said. The reason: If you start by saying you'll save what's left over, you'll never save a dime. Once you've calculated a figure you can afford to save, in the beginning, Parks recommends putting 80% toward your emergency savings  three months of fixed expenses as a minimum  and 20% toward retirement. "It might take you a year, year and a half to hit your emergency savings goal," Parks said. "Once you do, allocate 100% of your savings amount to retirement."

Trust in the market

The way to get to retirement in 40 or so years is by investing. But this generation has had a rough introduction to the stock market, says Elijah Kovar, co-founder of Great Waters Financial in Minneapolis. In middle or high school, they may have seen their parents get crushed in the 2008-09 financial crisis, he says. They may have seen bad decisions if their parents locked in losses by selling. "They don't trust the markets," he said. The reality: The S&P 500 index is up more than 400% since the bottom of the Great Recession. "People got everything back  as long as they didn't panic and sell," Kovar said.

Learn the basics

Kareena Woolcock, 28, knows it's important to get started saving for retirement in your 20s. Source: Kareena Woolcock

Take time to study and learn the basics of personal finance, such as budgeting, savings and investing, whether you are working or not. You'll have time to come up with a great game plan instead of making rushed decisions, Parks says. Kareena Woolcock, 28, has retirement on her mind, though she hasn't yet hasn't started saving for it. Ever since a friend told her she should be putting money aside instead of spending it on unimportant things, she's been looking into learning about investing. "The only reason I didn't start [saving in the company 401(k)], I was thinking it's a waste of time because they don't give a match," said Woolcock, a concierge at an assisted living facility in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.

That small amount can grow into a big amount one day. Kareena Woolcock concierge

She's beginning to sort out her long-term goals, such as retirement, from short-term ones, such as opening a nail salon, and understanding the difference between saving in a bank account versus investing. When you're younger, you equate saving with putting money into a bank account so you can buy a car or a new video game. "Funding for a retirement is a combination of savings and investing," said Dan Herron, a CFP and CPA at Elemental Wealth Advisors in Pismo Beach, California. "You are saving for a goal  funding retirement  in which your contributions are invested in vehicles which hopefully compound over many years to fund the retirement you are striving for." Thanks to her friend, Woolcock says, she's set to begin investing even with modest sums. "That small amount can grow into a big amount one day," she said. "You have to play your cards right and have some patience. "Ten dollars could give you many thousands in the long run."

The simpler, the better

Alivia Sawyer, 23, plans to save for retirement when she starts a first job after graduating from college in the spring. Source: Alivia Sawyer

Between getting used to a first job and getting acclimated to living on a budget, people in their 20s have enough on their plate. If investing seems like another overwhelmingly complex project, pick a target-date fund inside your 401(k). These funds usually have a name that ends in a year. "Pick one that is relatively close to when you are going to retire," Parks said. Do not worry about what the market does over the ensuing years. "The fact that you are saving is more important," Parks said, than learning all the nuances of investing. "But do invest." Alivia Sawyer, 23, is just getting started. Still in college with a planned graduation in the spring, she was motivated to learn about investing because of her internship at an accounting firm. Sawyer, who lives in San Luis Obispo, California, has already met some financial goals. "I saved up a good deal of money to pay for my first year of college," she said. She recently opened an account at Schwab. A month ago, she opened one with Acorns, the investing app, whose simplicity she likes. "I don't know anything about investing," she said. "It's great for anyone trying to get into it."

No 401(k)? No problem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 10:13:47|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Australian State of Victoria recorded 90 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the seven-day average below 100 for the first time in nearly two months.

Strict lockdown conditions have seen daily case numbers in Victoria steadily decline since peaking at over 700 in late July and early August.

Meanwhile, an additional six deaths recorded on Wednesday took the state's toll number of fatalities to 576 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Victoria's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brett Sutton said that should case numbers continue to drop, officials would move ahead with plans to ease lockdown restrictions, due to be outlined in detail on Sunday.

Victoria's parliament passed legislation overnight, allowing the state to extend a state of emergency for a further six months. The laws are required for the government to enforce lockdown conditions on residents.

Critics of the law changes said they grant the government and police officers too much power including being able to enter private properties without a warrant.

However government officials say that they are necessary in order to keep case numbers down, with Health Minister Jenny Mikakos saying those who voted against the changes were voting for a "third wave" of infections.

"This pandemic will not be finished in two weeks' time, it won't in fact be finished in six months, this will be going into 2021 because we know in all likelihood there will be no vaccine...within that six-month period," she told the Parliament. Enditem
Facebook has rarely faced the sort of heat that it has in India lately, with its social media interventions being slammed by political parties on both sides of the aisle, and it seems unlikely that its efforts to shield itself will lessen the censure. On Tuesday, the US-based company issued a notification to users that it would remove or curtail access to your content, services or information if we determine that doing so is necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to Facebook". This Terms of Service update is scheduled to take effect from 1 October. As far as its legislative exposure goes, it is Australias initiative to make it pay local publishers for their content that appears to have worried it. But the prospect of regulatory strictures in larger markets, such as India, could not have escaped its management. Facebooks latest attempt at insuring itself through tighter self-regulation does not weaken the case for external oversight. Under its updated usage terms, it has given itself overarching discretion that would let it exercise even more authority over what can or cannot be aired on its online platforms. It already has a glaring record of arbitrary action.

Indeed, Facebook has often been accused of a zealous pursuit of financial objectives at the cost of those whose interests its apps were intended to serve. A US-based daily recently ran an expose of what seemed like its readiness to shrug off its own hate-speech rules in India, so as to please some members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This revelation not only set off a slanging match between the party and the opposition, it also resulted in its local managers being summoned by a parliamentary panel headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. The questioning session, held on Wednesday, was expected to make Facebook squirm, express regret and mend its ways. If the Congress had charged it with a rightist bias, the BJP accused it of a leftist tilt. On the eve of the event, Union communications and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had shot off a scathing letter to its chief Mark Zuckerberg, alleging that the platform had been hijacked by a vested lobby" that was trying to impose its views on others. The minister also charged it with an effort made during our 2019 general election to delete or minimize the reach of material supportive of the right-of-centre ideology".

It should worry Facebook that its influence on politics is seen as scandalous by parties across Indias political spectrum. The companys top brass may yet be tempted to dismiss this as just another brouhaha that can be put down to the nature of the social media beast. It should not. And, even if it does, its response should have no bearing on how we tackle the problem. We have in place a constitutional order, complete with sovereign laws. To be sure, our provisions on freedom of speech do have some grey areas that make space for interpretation and lend themselves to gross misapplication. However, a functional political system should be able to frame a set of rules for social media expression. These could be thrown open for public debate and then amended to the satisfaction of all stakeholders before adoption. Both the Congress and BJP have professed deep unease over what gets posted online. Perhaps we could hope for a domestic consensus on a rulebook that everyone considers fair. A country acquainted by history with the divide-and-rule tactics of a foreign power should be especially wary of divisive influences, online or otherwise.

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Kristoff Terryn will succeed Savio as North America CEO. He joined the group in 2004 and became group chief operating officer in 2016 following roles including head of global life and general insurance.

In a statement, the insurer said that its new Global Business Platforms unit will be headed by current Asia-Pacific CEO Jack Howell, effective January 01, 2021. Howell joined Zurich in September 2016, and, according to the company, has a proven record of leading people, driving change and transforming businesses. He was also credited with helping grow the companys presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

UK CEO Tulsi Naidu will take over Howells soon-to-be vacated role as Asia-Pacific CEO. She has been Zurichs CEO for the UK market since 2016, and, prior to that, was an executive director at Prudential. Her replacement has not yet been named.

Meanwhile, Ericson Chan has been appointed group chief information and digital officer, effective October 01. In this role, he will spearhead the planning, development and operation of Zurichs technology functions and online ecosystems. Chan is currently CEO of Ping An Technology, a role he has held for four years.

From 1998 to 2016, Chan held several technology leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. He also has six years of health technology experience gained in the US.

As lifestyles change globally, consumers seek personalized, convenient and transparent interactions, said group CEO Mario Greco. Zurich continues to launch innovative offerings to meet the demands of our customers and partners for a fully digital and streamlined experience.

Jack has significant experience in insurance and is skilled at launching innovative products and services, and Ericson brings a passion for fintech and using emerging technology to deliver what people want, Greco added. This is the perfect combination to bring extra momentum to our customer-led strategy.

In support of the groups transformation efforts, Zurich has made several other changes to its senior leadership.

Laurence Maurice has joined Zurich as CEO for Latin America. She served as chief financial officer of a leading European insurers Brazilian and South American operations and, most recently, as the companys CEO for Spain and Southern Europe. Maurice succeeds Claudia Dill, who has left the company.

Zurich also named Katja Roth Pellanda as new group general counsel to lead the legal team, effective October 01. Roth Pellanda joined Zurich from Novartis as deputy group general counsel in April. She succeeds Yannick Hausmann, who has decided to transition to new professional activities after 12 years in the role. Hausmann will remain engaged with the company as a senior advisor to the group CEO.
The Radiochemical Processing Laboratory at PNNL is home to a JEOL GrandARM-300F scanning transmission electron microscope, here operated by materials scientist Steven Spurgeon. This specialized facility allows unprecedented atomic-scale characterization of nuclear materials, structural alloys, and functional systems in dynamic conditions. RPL is a Hazard Category II non-reactor nuclear research facility. Credit: Andrea Starr | PNNL

Powerful atomic-resolution instruments and techniques at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are revealing new information about the interaction of uranium dioxide (UO2) with water. These new insights will improve the understanding of how spent nuclear fuel will degrade in deep geologic repository environments.

UO2 is the primary form of fuel used in commercial nuclear power reactors. During nuclear fission in a reactor, various radionuclides are created within the fuel. Researchers want to know more about UO2, particularly the dissolution mechanisms that come into play when the ceramic material's surface contacts water. These mechanisms control the release of the majority of the radionuclides, which could have implications for the environment.

Many laboratory instruments today lack the sensitivity, resolution, and radiological controls necessary to effectively explore UO2 surfaces. However, a one-of-a-kind instrumentation suite at PNNL recently enabled a multi-institute research team to take a closer look at surface areas. The team, representing the University of Cambridge, the European Commission's Joint Research Center, and PNNL, uncovered key revelations for nuclear energy.

Geologic disposal and science challenges

Deep geologic repository concepts being proposed around the world are focused on the saturated zone, where the water is reducingwhich can eventually lead to a loss of oxygenand where UO2 is thermodynamically stable. The challenge remains to develop an approach to examine UO2 with sufficient chemical resolution and fidelity to predict how it might behave in these environments.

High-resolution imaging reveals defect formation during anoxic dissolution of UO2 thin films. Credit: Steven Spurgeon | PNNL

"We're just now developing the tools we need to answer longstanding questions about nuclear materials," explains PNNL materials scientist Edgar Buck.

New techniques produce new information

In the study, researchers from the University of Cambridge collaborated with PNNL scientists to explore UO2 samples exposed to controlled anoxic corrosion using PNNL's flagship instrumentation in the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory's Radiological Microscopy Suite. Also called the "quiet suite," this belowground room is home to the JEOL GrandARM 300F scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), the team examined the progression of atomistic structure and defects.

The PNNL team has previously shown that EELS can map nonequilibrium pathways for oxidation in UO2 that are difficult to probe using other methods.

"Our approach provides direct information at the atomic scale to improve our models for dissolution," explains PNNL materials scientist Steven Spurgeon. In turn, better models can help make more accurate, long-term predictions regarding the fate of spent nuclear fuel under anoxic disposal conditions.

Materials scientist Bethany Matthews uses the Thermo Fisher Helios 660 DualBeam Focus Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) in PNNLs RPL for preparation and analysis of radioactive and non-radioactive samplesincluding metals, oxides, and geologic materials. Credit: Andrea Starr | PNNL

Instruments inform dissolution questions

In their study, the researchers determined that dissolution initiates at material surface grain boundaries and film cracks. Importantly, they observed no amorphous surface layer formationor, no loss of its crystalline structure during the dissolution process. This points to a different process for oxygen substitution. Rather, oxygen substitution occurs at sites in the surface layers of the UO2 lattice. This substitution mechanism appears to create an oxidized passivating layer, which would be responsible for the observed reduction in uranium release as a function of leaching time.

"The collaboration with PNNL provided us with unique tools to uncover a behavior that would be inaccessible by other means," says co-author Prof. Ian Farnan of Cambridge. "Through our shared expertise, we were able to show how subtle changes in the surface chemistry of used nuclear fuel can control its dissolution and the release of radioactive elements to the environmenta fundamental requirement for safe disposal."

The findings from the study are reported in the team's paper, "An Atomic-Scale Understanding of UO2 Surface Evolution During Anoxic Dissolution," published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Explore further Rad revelations: Future fuel designs from noble metals

More information: Aleksej J. Popel et al. An Atomic-Scale Understanding of UO2 Surface Evolution during Anoxic Dissolution, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2020). Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Aleksej J. Popel et al. An Atomic-Scale Understanding of UO2 Surface Evolution during Anoxic Dissolution,(2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c09611
Jin Yuepin is more than just a chef. He is also the chairman of an ecological agriculture development company in east China's Zhejiang province pioneering a unique method of farming.

Jin Yuepin (right) checks the growth condition of rice. (Photo/Lin Dajun)

After living in France for 29 years, he has come back to China and has been awarded the title of "Model Farmer" by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

In February 2007, Jin came back with his parents to visit their relatives in China during the Spring Festival. When Jin saw the farmland in his hometown and the fish swimming in the pond, he felt a strong sense of nostalgia and the impulse to come back to China after living in France for 29 years.

At that time, the rice-fish farming system in Qingtian, Jin's hometown, had just been designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as one of the first batch of Globally Important Agricultural Heritages in the world. This further prompted him to make up his mind to return to his hometown and start a business raising fish in rice field waters.

Just half a year later, Jin took care of his foreign assets and returned to his hometown.

"At that time, it was easy for me to earn millions of yuan a year in France," Jin recalled, adding that most of his relatives and friends could not understand his decision to go back to his hometown.

Thanks to his many years of entrepreneurial experience abroad, Jin was aware of the need to "manufacture products with their own brands and trademarks". While others hesitated, he started thinking about how to start a brand for "raising fish in rice field waters".

"At first, I rented 50 mu (about 3.3 hectares) of rice fields and built a base to raise fish," Jin said, noting that at the time, fish were traditionally bought at a high price from local farmers and spawned. Although many fish did spawn, few survived.

He consulted several people, but was unable to find a solution. In order to master the skill of raising fish, he made a special trip to a university in Shanghai to learn how to cultivate and spawn fish fry.

After half a year of study, he finally mastered the skill of raising fish in rice field waters. The survival rate of his fish fry began to increase year by year, and Jin became a fish culture expert in the village.

In 2010, Jin organized a rice-fish farmers cooperative, established a 2,000-square-meter fish breeding base and contracted more than 400 mu of rice fields from villagers to set up a rice-fish farming base.

Thanks to his efforts, more than 80 members of the cooperative have made profits from the rice fields, with each reaping a per capita net income of over 15,000 yuan ($2,196).

He also registered trademarks for the products and helped to win national certification for both the rice and the fish as green food in recognition of its natural qualities and environmental value.

In 2014, Jin was awarded the title of Model Farmer by the Food and Agriculture Organization for his contribution to meeting the requirements of consumers for product quality and safety, increasing farmers' incomes, protecting the agricultural ecological environment, and optimizing the agricultural industrial structure.

As for his future plans, Jin said that he is preparing to apply for quality certification for dried fish, and plans to build an experimental base for middle school students, and create one-stop services for experiments, sightseeing, and farm music. At the same time, he will also help with efforts to sell agricultural products from his hometown overseas.
Beijing/San Francisco, Sep 2 : As the Donald Trump administration has asked ByteDance to sell operations of its most popular short video platform TikTok in the US, a Chinese hotel management solutions provider has become another victim to sell its business in the country.

Shiji Group, a China-based global hospitality technology provider which has Kempinski hotel as one of its clients, said on Tuesday that its board has approved the decision to sell its 100 per cent controlled US subsidiary StayNTouch to MRC, a US hotel operating company, after a White House administrative order, reports The Global Times.

"Shiji will apparently become another Chinese victim to be forced to sell its US business after ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, amid a trend of US government's crackdown on Chinese technology companies on the ground of 'threatening national security,'" Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based independent Internet analyst, told the Global Times.

According to the Shiji's official website, the company had acquired StayNTouch, a US-based company that provides cloud-based hotel management solutions.

Trump signed an administrative order recently, requiring Shiji to divest all interests related to StayNTouch, claiming that the "company poses a potential threat to US national security".

"Since March, when the US administration ordered that Shiji divest our interests in StayNTouch, our concern was to find the right custodian for the company and its customers," Shiji Group COO Kevin King said on the company's website.

The company reached a deal to sell 100 percent of StayNTouch for $45.5 million to MRC, the fifth-largest hotel owner-operator in the US.

"The US crackdown on Chinese tech companies has become a trend since the US government started to corner Huawei, with its aim to suppress the development of China's high-tech sector," Dingding was quoted as saying.

Some speculations surrounding the sale of TikTok's US operations may soon come to an end as the short video-sharing platform owned by Chinese unicorn ByteDance has reportedly reached a deal.

A successful bidder for TikTok's US, Australia and New Zealand services could be announced at the earliest, CNBC reported on Monday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

While Walmart entered into the fray in partnership with Microsoft, Oracle is another top contender for the deal.

An earlier report tentatively pegged the price of the deal in the $20-$30 billion range.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Residents, on Wednesday, hailed Centres decision to include Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri, Urdu and English as the five official languages of Jammu and Kashmir.

We hail the cabinets decision to include Dogri, Hindi, Kashmiri Urdu and English as official languages, stated Manu Khajuria Singh, London-based founder of Voice of Dogras.

It was oppressive that Dogri was not the official language of J&K. This was affecting those seeking vernacular jobs and was leading to existential threat to the language, she added.

Inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri as official languages is not only fulfilment of a long pending public demand, but is also keeping up with the spirit of equality, Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh posted on Twitter

Advocate Ankur Sharma, chairman of IkkJutt Jammu, said, Inclusion of Dogri as an official language is a welcome move. This was long overdue. Status of official language will help in development and spread of Dogri.

Professor Lalit Magotra, a prominent Dogri language writer and activist, also welcomed the decision.

He, however, added that legal connotation of it also needs to be seen as Dogri is among six regional languages including Gojri, Pahari, Kashmiri, Bodhi and Urdu under the 6th schedule of the erstwhile J&K constitution.

Another prominent Dogri writer Mohan Singh welcomed the inclusion but was sceptical about its promotion in right earnest.

It is a welcome move but will Dogri be the first language in Jammu division and will it be given impetus in right earnest? he asked.

Zaffar Choudhary, a senior journalist and political analyst, referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, which clearly states that official language(s) shall be chosen by new legislature.

Section 47 of the J&K Reorganisation Act empowers the new legislative assembly of the UT of J&K to adopt any one or more languages in use in the UT or Hindi as the official language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes, Choudhary said.

The Union government, on Wednesday, approved a Bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be official languages in J&K.

Announcing this, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, will be introduced in the Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session. The Bill received the cabinets nod at a meeting presided by PM Modi.

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WINNIPEG - Manitoba has laid out more details for parents and teachers about what can be expected when kids are back in classrooms next week and how schools are to respond to cases of COVID-19.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen speaks at a media news conference at the Manitoba Legislative Building, in Winnipeg on August 13, 2020. Manitoba is giving out more details to parents and teachers about what can be expected when kids go back to school next week. Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the information package posted on the government's website will help answer some of the most frequently asked questions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

WINNIPEG - Manitoba has laid out more details for parents and teachers about what can be expected when kids are back in classrooms next week and how schools are to respond to cases of COVID-19.

"There is a lot of anticipation about the Sept. 8 start date, but there's also a lot of anxiousness," Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said Wednesday.

He said an information package posted on the government's website will help answer some of the most frequently asked questions from parents and teachers.

The package provides more details to what has already been announced by the government over the past two months. It includes a guide for parents, information on the use of masks and a COVID-19 screening guide to identify signs and symptoms of the illness.

The province has said masks will be mandatory for students and staff in Grades 4 to 12 and in classes where physical distancing of two metres cannot be maintained.

There is also information on how public health and schools will respond if a student tests positive for the novel coronavirus.

"Everyone is working to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Manitoba, but we will see cases linked to schools," Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, said in a letter to parents included in the information.

If health officials confirm a positive case in a school, contact tracing is to begin within 24 hours. Close contacts of a student will be advised to self-isolate and whether testing is necessary.

Health officials are also to inform the school and other parents will be notified if there was a risk the child was infectious inside the classroom.

The province also says it will be up to health officials to inform families when students can return to school after they have quarantined.

Manitoba has had some of the lowest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country. But infections have increased significantly over the past month, with multiple outbreaks linked to Hutterite colonies and employees at a meat-processing plant in Brandon. Health officials recently warned the amount of community transmission in Brandon and Winnipeg is on the rise.

On Wednesday, the province reported 13 new cases, with eight of them in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, which includes Brandon.

The province has developed colour codes that can impose harsher restrictions on specific communities, business sectors and schools.

The Prairie Mountain region was placed under more strict conditions in August due to an increase in cases. However, schools are to open in the area with the same rules as elsewhere.

The Opposition New Democrats have criticized the Progressive Conservative government for not making class sizes smaller or investing in mental health clinicians and other supports. NDP leader Wab Kinew said the detailed information should also have been provided sooner.

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"Parents are being asked to do a ton more homework this year than any year before," Kinew said. "The government, just a few days before school is open, is now finally sharing their plans."

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont echoed those concerns.

"It's a little bit like somebody who waits too long and tries to slip their essay under the door of the (professor) before midnight," Lamont said.

Goertzen said he understands parents have concerns, but it's important for children's education and social development that they return to school.

"The best place for a child's learning is in the classroom."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020
The As have returned no positive coronavirus tests since the one that paused their season over the weekend and expect to resume playing Friday, manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday.

The As practiced in small groups Wednesday at the Coliseum and likely will expand to position player and pitcher workouts Thursday, Melvin said. Theyre scheduled to host the Padres on Friday for their first game since Saturday at Houston.

Melvin did not say whether or how many people from the As traveling party had to remain behind in Houston as the team flew back to Oakland on Tuesday. MLB said in a statement Tuesday that As personnel who (had) not been identified as close contacts of the positive individual were approved to leave Houston.

The As have not said whether the person who tested positive is a player or staff member.

Something I want to emphasize is nobody broke protocol, Melvin said. And weve had no positives since, which means were doing the right things.  This was kind of a hit for us. But no one went out and did something that broke what the CDC or MLB considered protocol.

Melvin said the past several days have been hard for the As, who isolated in their hotel rooms after learning of the positive test.

In a year when weve talked often about, Dont expect anything to go smoothly, its been exactly that, Melvin said. It seemed like especially this last week, whatever could go wrong actually did. Its something that were going to have to work through.

After games last Thursday at Texas and Friday at Houston were postponed in demonstrations against racial injustice, the As played a doubleheader Saturday at Houston, losing both games and shortstop Marcus Semien to left side soreness.

The As (22-12) face a demanding schedule in September. Because of postponements, they have doubleheaders scheduled Tuesday in Oakland against the Astros, Sept. 12 at Texas and Sept. 14 at Seattle. The last was originally an off-day; now, the As will play at Texas on Sept. 13, fly to Seattle to play twice in one day and then fly to Colorado to begin a two-game series Sept. 15.

It will test their pitching staff. Melvin said the rotation will be the same as before the layoff, with Jesus Luzardo starting Friday, and newly acquired Mike Minor will be available as a reliever and spot-starter as needed.

What looks to be a logjam in the rotation is not, Melvin said. Minor is willing to do anything. But hes going to have several starts coming just because of the doubleheaders alone.

Semien is not expected to play Friday because of his side but Melvin said the As have not discussed placing him on the injured list. Semien played catch and took groundballs Wednesday but swinging the bat is the issue, Melvin said. Chad Pinder and Vimael Machin will platoon at shortstop as long as Semien is out.

Marcus is a tough guy  you know if he says he cant play, it means its bothering him, Melvin said. We just have to see how he progresses.

The As did get some good news Wednesday: Closer Liam Hendriks was named AL Reliever of the Month for July-August, his second such recognition. In 16 outings, Hendriks went 2-0 with 10 saves and a 1.10 ERA. He began Wednesday tied for the league lead in saves.

Matt Kawahara covers the As for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mkawahara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara
The 2020 edition of the upcoming Dodge HEMI Challenge looks to be a memorable one for all the right reasons; a special guest of honor and some record-setting achievements are revving up National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Sportsman class fans.

More than 50 years after the iconic 1968 HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas first appeared on the drag strip, loyal racers and fans will once again be able to see the legendary cars race head-to-head in the ever-popular Dodge HEMI Challenge at the 66th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis, Indiana, on Labor Day weekend.

The popular Sportsman class event, dedicated to showcasing Super Stock/A-HEMI (SSAH) competitors powered by the iconic 426 HEMI engine, was first launched in 2001 at "The Big GO" in Indy with support from FCA brands Mopar and Dodge. The 20th edition of the annual Dodge HEMI Challenge returns with qualifying scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3, and four rounds of eliminations competition to be contested on Friday, Sept. 4.

The final shootout will take place Friday evening with the participants vying for the custom-built 42.6 lbs. Dodge HEMI Challenge trophy crafted with a 426 HEMI cylinder head, a $15,000 prize to the winner, $1,500 to the runner-up, and cash payouts for semifinal and quarterfinal finishers. All competitors will also receive the coveted Dodge HEMI Challenge participant decal and event hats.

Acclaimed Mopar Super Stock and Pro Stock racer Herb "Mr. 4 Speed" McCandless will be the guest of honor for the 2020 edition of the Dodge HEMI Challenge. Prior to the first round of eliminations, McCandless will lead the parade of participating Darts and Barracudas down Indy's fabled return road aboard his own original 1968 Super Stock HEMI Dart in celebration of the classic muscle cars that contributed to Mopar and Dodge brands' legendary reputation and success at the drag strip.

The 77-year-old fan favorite was the recipient of the Mopar President's Award in 2017, honoring him for his racing excellence, his service as a Mopar ambassador and his unwavering commitment to FCA brand and Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth vehicles.

McCandless secured his place in drag-racing history by driving his Sox & Martin HEMI-powered Plymouth Duster to a win against a field of 90 entries vying for 32 spots in the first Pro Stock competition held in 1970 at the prestigious U.S. Nationals. As part of this year's 50th anniversary celebration of the NHRA Pro Stock category, an exact replica of McCandless' 1970 Pro Stock HEMI Duster will be on display at the Mopar Road Show in the manufacturer's midway throughout the race weekend.

A strong field of "package" Mopar vehicles are expected to compete in the specialty event while showing off beautiful and vibrant paint schemes and wheelstands. Originally commissioned by Chrysler in 1968, a limited number of Super Stock HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas were built solely to compete on the drag strip, just as the modern-day Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is now. The Dodge HEMI Challenge is a tribute to those original muscle cars, now too valuable to race, and provides an opportunity to showcase today's Super Stock versions as throwback clones of those historic vehicles.

Among this year's expected front-runners is defending winner, 24-year-old Jimmy Daniels, who has not lost a single round since first taking the wheel of his father Jim Daniels Sr.'s 1968 Dodge Dart in 2016. The younger Daniels comes into this year's event looking to extend two unprecedented win streaks; an incredible 18-0 round win record and an unprecedented four consecutive Dodge HEMI Challenge title victories.

The 2001 inaugural edition of the then Mopar HEMI Challenge was won by driver Bucky Hess. Other previous winners include Richard Beshore (2002), Jerry Jenkins (2003), and five-time NHRA Pro Stock champ, Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2004), Charlie Westcott Sr. (2009), Jim Daniels Sr. (2010) and Rick Houser (2007 and 2013). Charlie Westcott Jr. is the winningest HEMI Challenge driver with six titles (2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014) to his credit.

Fans who can't make it to the 2020 Denso Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway to watch the Dodge HEMI Challenge in person can catch all the action online via NHRA.TV and its subscription-based, video-on-demand coverage of live racing action throughout the weekend. The final elimination round of the Dodge HEMI Challenge, as well as highlights from the parade of participating Darts and 'Cudas, will air on FS1 during the qualifying broadcast on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. EDT with a repeat broadcast on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. on FS1. Fans can also look for Dodge HEMI Challenge highlights during NHRA coverage on the FOX national broadcast network on Sunday, September 6 from 1-4 p.m. EDT.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA's action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads, and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Official Driving School of Dodge//SRT

Dodge is the official sponsor of the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona, where guests get behind the wheels of the fastest street-legal cars in the world with professional instruction and time on the track. Customers who buy a new SRT model receive one full-day session as part of the Dodge//SRT Package and have the opportunity to learn how to get the optimum performance from their new vehicles in a controlled environment. For more information, visit dodgegarage.com/track-experience.

Mopar

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) is the service, parts and customer-care brand for FCA vehicles around the globe. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era, with Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, and expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, the Mopar brand's global reach distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in more than 150 markets. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 25 customer-contact centers globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on the Mopar brand is available at www.mopar.com. Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

2021 marks the year that Dodge is distilled into a pure performance brand, offering Hellcat-powered, 700+ horsepower SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2021 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the new 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the new 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry's most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In June 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com.

Follow Dodge, SRT and FCA news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Dodge Garage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dodge or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica

SOURCE FCA

Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com


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This article was produced in partnership with OPB and The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can sign up for The Oregonian/OregonLive special projects newsletter here and OPBs newsletter here. OPB is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown this week requested an audit of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive, OPB and ProPublica revealed that the tax-funded agency worked to discredit academic research and acted as a lobbying and public relations arm for the timber industry.

In a letter dated Aug. 31, Browns office asked Secretary of State Bev Clarno to conduct a thorough audit of the agency, pointing to a need for an investigation in light of facts recently disclosed in public records and media reports that allege a variety of statutory and ethical concerns.

An audit is necessary to bring transparency to whether OFRI conducts its mission in keeping with its statutory authority, including the clear prohibition on OFRI influencing, or attempting to influence state policy, Jason Miner, the governors natural resource policy director, wrote in the letter. He added that the audit should also determine whether there is any public benefit to OFRI.

The Oregon Forest Resources Institute, known as OFRI, was created in 1991 to educate the public about forestry and to teach landowners about logging laws and sound environmental practices. Lawmakers established a tax on logging to pay for the institute while cutting taxes paid by the timber industry that helped fund schools and local governments.

By law, OFRI is prohibited from attempting to influence policy.

Thousands of records obtained by the news organizations found the agency targeted university climate change research and spent millions of dollars on advertisements that promoted Oregons logging laws as strong, even as federal biologists said they did not do enough to protect coastal rivers from pollution. Its leaders also sat in on a lobbying groups deliberations about attack ads against Brown during her 2018 bid for reelection.

The revelations recently uncovered by OPB, the Oregonian, and ProPublica  that the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) engaged in activities seeking to influence campaigns and legislation and interfere with university climate research  are deeply concerning, Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Brown, said in an email.

Boyle noted there have been only two other audit requests during the governors five years in office. He said the institutes use of tax dollars merits further examination, particularly at a time when the economic impacts of the coronavirus have forced the state to weigh difficult budget decisions to preserve health care, education and senior services.

OFRIs work and stewardship of tax dollars have escaped public scrutiny for more than a decade, Boyle said. In this fiscal climate, its worth asking the question whether those tax dollars are needed elsewhere.

Erin Isselmann, OFRIs executive director, said in an email that the institute welcomes the audit from the secretary of state. She has previously said that, under her leadership, the institute has operated under the highest ethical standards.

We look forward to working with the audit team and learning from their analysis and recommendations, Isselmann said.

The institute has not been audited since 1996, according to the secretary of states office. The offices Audits Division said it would begin its work soon, but it is unclear how long the probe will take.

Our independent auditors look forward to working with the Governors Office, OFRI leadership, and stakeholders to review how the agency can best deliver on its mission, Kip Memmott, the secretary of states audits director, said in a statement.

Browns request comes as several Democrats in the Oregon Legislature, including the chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and a high-ranking House member, said there would be legislation in the upcoming session in response to the yearlong investigation by the three news organizations.

A citizens group of 70 teachers, nurses, water managers, foresters and others last week also announced plans to introduce a ballot initiative, citing the investigations findings. In its current form, the initiative, which would need to gather more than 100,000 valid signatures before qualifying for the ballot, would redirect OFRIs budget to support outdoor education programs and rural job training. It also would reinstate timber severance taxes, which are based on the value of the trees that are logged.

In a story published in June, the three news organizations found that the states largest timber companies received billions of dollars in tax cuts since the 1990s. The investigation, which analyzed data from the state Department of Forestry and Department of Revenue, found that without the tax cuts cities and counties would have collected about $3 billion in severance taxes from the timber industry during the past three decades. Instead, they got about $871 million.

State Sen. Jeff Golden, a Democrat from Ashland, who leads the Senate environment committee, said lawmakers would take a hard look at the institute when the Legislature convenes in February. He said details on how lawmakers will address concerns related to the institute, including plans to redirect its budget, would emerge during committee hearings in December.

Golden also expects lawmakers will more seriously debate reintroducing the states severance tax for timber companies. He said the investigation generated significant interest among lawmakers and constituents.

I cant tell you how many people wrote me after those, sent me the links and said, Did you know about this stuff? Golden said. It really brought things that have been on the back burner to the front burner.

Among the measures already being drafted, state Rep. Marty Wilde, a Democrat from Eugene, said he is crafting legislation that would increase property taxes for industrial timberlands and give forest owners incentives to allow trees to grow older before cutting them down. Andrea Salinas, a state representative from Lake Oswego, said she would file a bill to restore severance taxes. The measure would offer tax breaks for ecological forestry that would promote selective tree logging instead of clearing large swaths of forest at once.

Democrats have a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature, allowing them to pass laws without Republican support, but efforts to reform forest policies have stalled in recent years.

State Rep. Paul Holvey, a Democrat from Eugene, has been pushing legislation unsuccessfully to revisit timber taxes since 2014. Holvey said legislative action feels closer to reality than in previous years.

In 2018, Holvey tried to shrink OFRIs budget by 60% and use the savings to help combat wildfires. His bill died after the timber industry opposed defunding the institute. Holvey also previously attempted to introduce a new severance tax that would fund the states wildfire response.

I think people are much more concerned about it now, which has kind of elevated the conversation. And I think the industry has come to the realization that the conversation is going to happen so they need to be in it, Holvey said. But at the end of the day, Im not seeing everything through rose-colored glasses, because the political power of that industry inside the state of Oregon is very strong.

 Tony Schick

aschick@opb.org; 503.293.1931; @tonyvschick

 Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com; 503.294.7657; @robwdavis

Sign up for The Oregonian/OregonLive special projects newsletter here and OPBs newsletter here. OPB is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.
Appointment

2 September 2020

Thomas Maechler has been appointed as the new General Manager of La ReserveEden au Lac in Zurich. A Zurich native, Maechler brings over 25 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry to this role when he begins on September 1. Before joining La Reserve, Thomas was General Manager at the Beau-Rivage Hotel in Neuchatel for 16 years. He has also held positions at The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Pierre New York and The Drake New York. Thomas is currently on the Executive Committee of Relais & Chateaux and on the Executive Board of Swiss Deluxe Hotels.

La Reserve Eden au Lac Zurich began welcoming back guests on May 12 after a short closure due to Covid-19. The property opened on January 8, 2020 following a two-year restoration project helmed by Philippe Starck. The French Empire-style building dates back to 1909 and houses the only luxury hotel located on Lac Zurich. Taking inspiration from the location, Starck wanted to give guests the feeling of being on a yacht. He lent his signature contemporary touch with neutral tones and sleek metal accents, while honoring the building's historical elements, revealing the original exposed red brick, marble and hardwood floors, and keeping the iconic blue-and-white-striped awnings that adorn the lake-facing facade. The majority of the 40 rooms and suites have views of the lake and many have their own private balcony or terrace. La Reserve Eden au Lac joins hotelier Michel Reybier's La Reserve collection of hotels in Geneva (2003), Ramatuelle (2009) and Paris (Apartments in 2007 and Hotel in 2015).
Cosmologists have zoomed in on the smallest clumps of dark matter in a virtual universe - which could help us to find the real thing in space.

An international team of researchers, including Durham University, UK, used supercomputers in Europe and China to focus on a typical region of a computer-generated universe.

The zoom they were able to achieve is the equivalent of being able to see a flea on the surface of the Moon.

This allowed them to make detailed pictures and analyses of hundreds of virtual dark matter clumps (or haloes) from the very largest to the tiniest.

Dark matter particles can collide with dark matter anti-particles near the centre of haloes where, according to some theories, they are converted into a burst of energetic gamma-ray radiation.

Their findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature, could mean that these very small haloes could be identified in future observations by the radiation they are thought to give out.

Co-author Professor Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, at Durham University, UK, said: "By zooming in on these relatively tiny dark matter haloes we can calculate the amount of radiation expected to come from different sized haloes.

"Most of this radiation would be emitted by dark matter haloes too small to contain stars and future gamma-ray observatories might be able to detect these emissions, making these small objects individually or collectively 'visible'.

"This would confirm the hypothesised nature of the dark matter, which may not be entirely dark after all."

Most of the matter in the universe is dark (apart from the gamma radiation they emit in exceptional circumstances) and completely different in nature from the matter that makes up stars, planets and people.

The universe is made of approximately 27 per cent dark matter with the rest largely consisting of the equally mysterious dark energy. Normal matter, such as planets and stars, makes up a relatively small five per cent of the universe.

Galaxies formed and grew when gas cooled and condensed at the centre of enormous clumps of this dark matter - so-called dark matter haloes.

Astronomers can infer the structure of large dark matter haloes from the properties of the galaxies and gas within them.

The biggest haloes contain huge collections of hundreds of bright galaxies, called galaxy clusters, weighing a 1,000 trillion times more than our Sun.

However, scientists have no direct information about smaller dark matter haloes that are too tiny to contain a galaxy. These can only be studied by simulating the evolution of the Universe in a large supercomputer.

The smallest are thought to have the same mass as the Earth according to current popular scientific theories about dark matter that underlie the new research.

The simulations were carried out using the Cosmology Machine supercomputer, part of the DiRAC High-Performance Computing facility in Durham, funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and computers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

By zooming-in on the virtual universe in such microscopic detail, the researchers were able to study the structure of dark matter haloes ranging in mass from that of the Earth to a big galaxy cluster.

Surprisingly, they found that haloes of all sizes have a very similar internal structure and are extremely dense at the centre, becoming increasingly spread out, with smaller clumps orbiting in their outer regions.

The researchers said that without a measure scale it was almost impossible to tell an image of a dark matter halo of a massive galaxy from one of a halo with a mass a fraction of the Sun's.

Co-author Professor Simon White, of the Max Planck Institute of Astrophysics, Germany, said: "We expect that small dark matter haloes would be extremely numerous, containing a substantial fraction of all the dark matter in the universe, but they would remain mostly dark throughout cosmic history because stars and galaxies grow only in haloes more than a million times as massive as the Sun.

"Our research sheds light on these small haloes as we seek to learn more about what dark matter is and the role it plays in the evolution of the universe."

###

The research team, led by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and including Durham University, UK, the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany, and the Center for Astrophysics in Harvard, USA, took five years to develop, test and carry out their cosmic zoom.

The research was funded by the STFC, the European Research Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Max Planck Society and Harvard University.
KCTV5 joins group in supporting better transparency in reporting slaughter houses, livestock FAIRWAY, KS (KCTV/AP) -- KCTV5 along with 17 other national media organizations are arguing that the First Amendment protects the taking of photographs and making of video and audio recordings. In January, a federal judge ruled that provisions in a Kansas law ban the secret filming at slaughterhouses and other livestock facilities unconstitutionally criminalize free speech.

An interesting development and online declaration . . . Not so long ago, the newspaper once championed free speech, now TV newsies are leading the charge for freedom of the press and public access . . . Read more:
02.09.2020 LISTEN

Customers of collapsed Fund Management Companies have threatened to cause an Arab Spring in Ghana should the police continue to harass them in their effort to demand payment of their locked up funds.

Three members of the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of the collapsed 53 Fund Management Companies were on Tuesday arrested for leading a protest at the premises of the Finance Ministry.

Police say the leaders were arrested for staging an unlawful protest.

Members of the group besieged the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, to protest over the exclusion of members of Blackshield Capital Limited from the governments proposed bailout packages for customers of the defunct fund management companies.

The group embarked on the protest after reports that some affected customers would not be part of the governments bailout package for the sector.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which made the announcement in a statement said customers of Blackshield and three other firms would not be part of the bailout package because owners of such companies had challenged the revocation of their licenses in court.

Speaking to Akwasi Nsiah of Kasapa News, the Spokesperson for the Coalition, Charles Nyame stated that the customers will not fall for what he described as Police intimidation but theyll continue to raise their voices high in all legitimate means and agitate for their locked funds to be released until the government intervenes.

The customers warned that should the police stand in their way during their next action after they dutifully serve them (police) notice, they may be forced to explode.

Well continue to use our civil rights to demand what is ours. The Police will say we didnt serve them notice but it was not a planned activity it was a spontaneous thing. People wanted to go to the Finance Ministry themselves to find out why they are not part of those penciled to be paid. We are going to make sure that in our subsequent event as such we will serve the police notice and we beg them, if we serve them they shouldnt be an impediment because we the customers are in desperate times. If the Police should impede our efforts we may be forced to cause something similar to the Arab spring, but we dont want to get there. Well continue to agitate within our civil right to get our monies, Spokesperson for the Coalition, Charles Nyame stated.

---kasapafmonline
The battle between Saks Fifth Avenue and Bal Harbour Shops in north Miami is heating up.

Saks Fifth Avenue on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Bal Harbour Shops and Matthew Whitman Lazenby, president and chief executive officer of Whitman Family Development LLC, which owns the luxury shopping center.

More from WWD

According to Saks, a division of the Hudsons Bay Co., the suit was filed Wednesday in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida following statements made by Lazenby that breached the parties contract and Bal Harbours fiduciary duty.

Saks also indicated that the suit asserts that in an effort to increase pressure on the retailer to resolve a dispute related to lease payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lazenby disclosed confidential information provided by Saks Fifth Avenue to Bal Harbour in accordance with its lease agreement.

The suit alleges that Bal Harbour and Lazenby caused damage to Saks Fifth Avenues business and reputation by making public defamatory statements to the media that omitted facts relating to the dispute.

Saks suit against Bal Harbour follows a lawsuit filed in August by Bal Harbour Shops seeking to evict Saks due to what the luxury shopping center said was extensive arrearages, including overdue rent. That lawsuit was also filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Miami Dade County.

Bal Harbours complaint alleged that Saks owed about $1.9 million, for some past due rent, a percentage of sales for the first quarter of 2020, as well as certain charges, including common area maintenance and marketing.

Ian Putnam, president and chief executive officer of HBC Properties and Investments, said in a statement Wednesday, We are disappointed that Mr. Lazenby chose to breach our longstanding agreement and disparage Saks Fifth Avenue, an iconic luxury retailer that has been vital to Bal Harbours success for 45 years.

Story continues

Over the past few months, we have been working with our landlord partners across North America to amicably and logically share the burden of losses stemming from the ongoing global pandemic. Unlike others, this landlord has resorted to providing denigrating statements and confidential information to the media for the sole purpose of coercing Saks into settling a disagreement. Nonetheless, we have remained eager to reach a fair resolution, just as we have done with other landlord partners. Unfortunately, instead of coming to an agreement, Saks has been forced to grapple with the damage to its business and reputation among customers, associates and partners.

Across the country, retailers and landlords are in discussions on rents and other items because of the temporary store closures caused by the pandemic. In most cases, compromises and adjustments in rents and leases are being negotiated, though its expected that more lawsuits will emerge in the months ahead.

In the case of Saks versus Bal Harbour Shops, its possible that differences get settled through arbitration. If that doesnt happen, it would get adjudicated in court.

Industry sources believe Saks wont leave Bal Harbour Shops, because both parties want the store to remain in place. Bal Harbour Shops is among the most productive shopping centers in the country and the Saks unit there is said to be among the luxury retailers top five performing units.

Theyre arguing over hundreds of thousands of dollars, one industry source said. Defamation damages could be as high as $50 million.

The source also believes Bal Harbour Shops filed a lawsuit against Saks to put pressure on some other tenants in the center that might have held back payments due to the pandemic.
(TNS) - Women line a hallway at the Salvation Army as a computer tablet rests on a stand atop a pole near the check-in desk.The equipment resembles a skeletal robot, but the human face of nurse Bre Loughlin appears on the screen. Its 4 p.m., time to screen 40 or so women for COVID-19 before they sign in for the night at the homeless shelter on East Washington Avenue.Loughlin asks the women, one by one, if they have a long list of symptoms, including cough, fever and a loss of taste or smell. She reminds them to stay 6 feet away from each other. If their face masks slip down, she says, they should adjust them from the side straps to avoid contamination.Anytime you touch something, you need to rub the hand sanitizer in and let it dry for 10 seconds, Loughlin says. Even better is when you can wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.Loughlin is CEO of Nurse Disrupted, a company she started in April with president Tracy Zvenyach. They and other nurses have been providing online COVID-19 screening at Porchlights homeless shelter for men since late March and at the Salvation Army womens shelter since May.Theyre looking to expand the business by working at other homeless shelters, perhaps with money from the federal CARES Act, and talking to campuses and businesses about providing response planning and employee screening.Long-term, they see potential for their virtual nursing service at public schools, which have seen a reduction in staff nurses, and in prisons, where they could help manage the chronic diseases and mental health of inmates.With Wisconsin forecast to have a shortage of nearly 12,000 nurses by 2030, Nurse Disrupted could also extend the reach of the workforce while helping train student nurses to increase supply, Zvenyach said.Were very committed to the future of the nursing workforce, she said.Loughlin, who previously worked at Verona-based Epic Systems Corp., donated gift cards at Porchlight on March 23. She learned that non-medical staff were struggling to screen guests for the coronavirus and deciding when to send people to hotels or emergency rooms.Two days later, she volunteered to provide online screening at Porchlight, with a nurse on one tablet asking initial questions and offering prevention tips, and another available for detailed discussions with guests who said they had symptoms.Im a nurse, and Im a technology person, Loughlin said. We can take two tablets and a wi-fi and roll out an evidence-based protocol.Nurses have that ability to observe and ask for a little more information if needed, she said.She teamed up with Zvenyach, a nurse who has worked in health policy, including in Washington D.C., to form Nurse Disrupted, leaving Epic in May.Now Zvenyach is talking to other counties about conducting COVID-19 screening at homeless shelters, a service that may qualify for CARES Act funding. She and Loughlin are talking to academic institutions and companies about workplace contracts.Nursing students from Marian University in Fond du Lac have helped provide the homeless shelter screening, logging hours of experience needed for their degrees. Nurse Disrupted has set up similar arrangements with Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, Edgewood College and Madison Area Technical College.By providing screening online, the nurses are reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and helping to preserve medical masks and other protective equipment that would be needed to conduct the service in person. We can get our nursing resources where they need to go without burning through the supply that we need more in our acute care setting, Loughlin said.As guests were screened at the Salvation Army shelter one afternoon last week, most seemed to welcome the online exchange with Loughlin, some waving to her before and after her questions and tips. With many staying there several nights in a row, it has become a daily ritual.The education gets reinforced, Zvenyach said. Sometimes they recite it back to us.2020 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
New Delhi: Bangladesh's national flag is at half-mast on Wednesday (September 2, 2020) as the country pays homage to former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. Bangladesh is observing one day of national mourning for Mukherjee, who was a well-known figure in the country and had close ties with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hours after Pranab Mukherjee's death on Monday, the Bangladeshi PM had written to Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi offering her condolences and called him a "true friend of Bangladesh".

She said, "He has always been highly revered and loved by the people of Bangladesh. His steadfast support and contribution in strengthening the relations between the two countries especially during his tenure as the 13th President of India. He will always be remembered with the deepest respect."

In 2013, the Bangladeshi government had conferred him with "Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sommanona" or Liberation war honor for his contribution to Bangladesh's Liberation war of 1971.

The Bangladesh flag is also at half-mast the Bangladesh mission in Delhi and an event will be organized later in the day to pay respects to Pranab Mukherjee.

India has already announced seven days of state mourning in honour of the former president and during the period this time the national flag will fly at half-mast on all official buildings throughout the country.
A LIMERICK man extradited to America in a private Gulfstream business jet in May is now back home and enjoying his freedom.

The US authorities sought John Slattery, aged 31, from Rathkeale, to face charges of illegal wildlife trafficking in relation to the sale and transport of horns from endangered wild black and white rhinoceroses.

On July 7, he pleaded guilty in a court in Waco, Texas to conspiring to traffic in horns from black rhinoceros.

Slattery was flown to the Lone Star State on the private jet on May 23 at a cost of 200,000 to the American government.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison by the American judicial system. However, as he had spent nine months on remand in Cloverhill he was released after three months.

The Irish Sun newspaper printed photographs of Slatterys arrival in Dublin Airport on Thursday, August 27. He was welcomed by members of his family. Slattery then returned to Rathkeale.

He has since been spotted celebrating his return in a number of locations in West Limerick, including pictured in the photo received by the Limerick Leader above. Slattery is wearing a navy tracksuit top with the "Boss" logo on it.

According to The Irish Sun, Slattery was identified as a member of the Rathkeale Rovers, a global rhino horn theft and smuggling mob, by investigators working on Operation Oakleaf.

Slattery was convicted of buying the horns from a taxidermy shop in Austin, Texas, before they were sold in New York for $50,000.

The Rathkeale man spent the three months at the Federal Medical Centre in Fort Worth, Texas, which according to The Irish Sun was hit by a coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.
KALAMAZOO, MI  A major national packaging company is accused of failing to control noxious odors and dust around one of its Michigan paper mills in a new class action lawsuit.

Graphic Packaging International is named as a defendant in a complaint filed Tuesday, Sept. 1 in U.S. District Court by a Detroit firm representing clients who live near the companys mill at 1500 N. Pitcher Street in Kalamazoo.

The filing names four lead plaintiffs living in the citys predominantly Black Northside neighborhood, who say dust and a persistent industrial stink from Graphic Packaging has invaded their homes and diminished their property values.

The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $5,000.

Weve been contacted by more than 100 families already, said Steve Liddle, partner at the Liddle & Dubin firm, which began canvassing for clients in Kalamazoo this summer.

The 19-page complaint quotes multiple Kalamazoo residents, some of whom allege the smell burns their eyes, makes them cough and forces them to stay indoors.

The smell is unusually frequent, the filing says.

Brandi Crawford-Johnson lives on N. Church Street and calls the smell unbearable in the filing. I cant enjoy my yard because the odor causes me to stay indoors with air purifiers.

The fallout is like shredded paper falling and the odor is so horrible we cant enjoy our backyard for parties or bbqs, residents Nayakia and Dion Bates say in the filing.

The filing cites multiple noxious odor violations by Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) regulators, whove cited Graphic Packaging eight times in the past decade for odors and forced the company to study the issue this summer.

Regulators have also cited the company for fallout dusting.

The violations were revealed by an MLive investigation in August, which found that an open-air industrial wastewater clarifier along the Kalamazoo River near Paterson Street was releasing odorous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas with peaks well above the odor threshold, according to a June report by the Jones & Henry engineering firm.

The report, prepared for the city public works department, identifies oversized piping between Graphic Packaging and the city wastewater plant as problematic because turbulent mixing helps propel gas up through manhole covers.

Related: Odor violations mount at Kalamazoo paper mill

Industrial odors along Riverview Drive north of Gull Road have long been associated with the city wastewater plant, which recently installed $15 million worth of odor-related improvements that include a new odor tracking system.

The Envirosuite system at the wastewater plant has recorded regular hydrogen sulfide readings at or above the minimum risk level (MRL) of 0.02 parts-per-million (ppm) for intermediate exposure by inhalation set by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the toxicology arm of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hydrogen sulfide exposure can harm a persons nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, depending on dosage levels. Lower exposure is less severe, according to the ATSDR.

The lawsuit comes as city leaders are weighing a major tax break for Graphic Packaging, which is asking for an abatement worth about $1.6 million on a $600 million expansion at its Kalamazoo mill. The company is attempting to strengthen its position in the recycled paperboard market and received a similar tax break last year on a Brownfield project.

The City Commission tabled approval of Graphics request in August and plans to resume consideration on Sept. 21. Commissioners asked for a presentation by a city odor task force comprised mostly of city staff and company representatives.

Jeff Chamberlain, deputy city manager, said city staff are compiling the information which commissioners requested. It will be provided for that meeting.

Graphic Packaging communication manager Sue Appleyard wrote that the company is working with city and state officials to address odors.

We have not yet been served with this lawsuit and typically do not comment on pending litigation, she wrote. We do plan to continue to work with neighbors and the city to address odor concerns. Graphic Packaging is firmly invested in the community, and we will continue to do our part to listen to and address concerns. We will also take whatever steps are appropriate based on the results of ongoing odor investigations.

If a judge certifies a plaintiff class in the case, Liddle said it could number in the thousands based on the amount of people living within a mile-and-a-half of the Kalamazoo mill.

The firm did not file against the city of Kalamazoo due to issues of government immunity that are pretty strong in the state of Michigan, he said.

Liddle & Dubin is also representing class action litigants suing 3M and Georgia-Pacific in federal court following the 2018 discovery of high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in the nearby city of Parchment municipal drinking water supply.

Liddle said that case continues to move through discovery.

Related stories:

Georgia-Pacific wants to spread the blame for PFAS pollution

Major tax break approved for Graphic Packaging

Anti-odor efforts part of wastewater plant upgrade

Mystery odor is back in Kalamazoo

Locals dont know source of stink, but want it gone
New Delhi: Amid a raging row over Facebook's alleged political "bias", a Parliamentary panel on Wednesday questioned the company's India head, Ajit Mohan, for over two hours, with both BJP and Congress members of the panel accusing the social media giant of colluding and influencing opinion, a charge denied by the firm.

While BJP members raised questions about alleged political links of the Facebook employees, claiming that many of its senior executives have worked with the Congress and its leaders in different capacities, the opposition members asked why content, including videos containing hate speech were still available online and not taken down by the social media giant.

Sources said Ajit Mohan was questioned by ruling as well as opposition members of the committee, he gave an oral reply to some questions while he has been given nearly 90 questions, to which he has to respond in writing.

According to sources, questions were also asked about Mohan's association with the Congress Kerala unit during the 2011 assembly elections and the UPA government, to which he responded that he was associated as a professional and not in any political capacity.

BJP MPs also alleged that those who follow Left ideology or have worked with the Congress are dominating the third party firms which do fact-checking for Facebook and cited many names of the top management of the social media firm and its fact-checking partners.

According to sources, the Facebook executive denied these allegations, saying the company respects freedom of speech and have a system where rules are followed and action is taken.

"There were several issues related to Facebook which were discussed and Congress raised the issue of the articles and the alleged collusion between BJP and Facebook. However, the representative from Facebook denied the charges and asserted that they followed global standards in reporting posts. He also denied that there was any collusion with the BJP," a source, who was present in the meeting said on the condition of anonymity.

After the hearing, a Facebook company spokesperson said, "We thank the Honorable Parliamentary Committee for their time. We remain committed to being an open and transparent platform, and giving people a voice and allowing them to express themselves freely."

Senior Congress leader and panel chief Shashi Tharoor tweeted "in response to overwhelming media interest in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology....This is all I can say: We met for some three and a half hours and unanimously agreed to resume the discussion later, including with representatives of Facebook."

Apart from the Facebook representatives, few others also appeared before the panel, taking the total proceedings to almost three and a half hours.

According to sources, as discussions could not be concluded with the Facebook representatives, there was a view to calling the meeting again on September 10, but consensus could not be achieved with some members objecting to it on the grounds that the committee's tenure was ending on September 12 and will be reconstituted.

Sources said, there was also a feeling that some in the committee want to remove Tharoor as chairperson and one member also gave a sort of a 'farewell speech' for Tharoor, suggesting he may not remain the head of the Parliamentary panel.

The panel had called representatives of Facebook to hear their views "on the subject of safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space".

The panel had also called representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the same issue, while a few others including some digital media activists also deposed before the panel. An official said 18 members of the panel including the chairman were present.

Meanwhile, after the Congress and the BJP, the Trinamool Congress also wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg raising the issue of alleged bias of the social media giant towards the BJP and claimed that there is enough evidence in the public domain to substantiate this charge.

In his letter, party MP Derek O'Brien also makes a reference to an earlier meeting with Zuckerberg where some of these concerns were raised.

In a related development, CPI(M) MP P R Natarajan has written to Tharoor, demanding a criminal investigation into Facebook's alleged links with the BJP.

The political slugfest was triggered by Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook about a recent report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored applying its hate-speech rules to some BJP politicians had evoked a strong reaction from the ruling party members in the panel.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had alleged that the Congress leader has been using the panel's platform to further his and his party's political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman.

A fresh round of political slugfest started on the issue on Monday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claiming that the international media has "exposed" Facebook and WhatsApp's "brazen assault" on India's democracy and social harmony.

"No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nation's affairs. They must be investigated immediately and when found guilty, punished," Gandhi tweeted.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also wrote to Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, accusing the social media platform's employees of supporting people from a political predisposition that lost successive elections, and "abusing" Prime Minister and senior cabinet ministers.

In a three-page letter to Facebook Chief Executive Zuckerberg, Prasad alleged "bias and inaction" by individuals in the Facebook India team on complaints by people supportive of right-of-center ideology.
DAMASCUS, Syria - Syrian air defences opened fire late Wednesday on missiles launched by Israeli warplanes at a military airbase in the central province of Homs, shooting down some of them, state media said.

State news agency SANA said the Israeli warplanes fired the missiles from southern Syria soon after 10 p.m. The missiles were aimed at the T-4 airbase in Homs province, SANA said. The Syrian air defences intercepted most of the incoming missiles, SANA added. It said that there was only material damage but didnt specify if it was inside the base.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, also reported the strikes.

There were also Israeli strikes Monday night, reportedly hitting military posts south of the capital of Damascus and killing two Syrian soldiers and wounding seven others.

Israel rarely comments on such reports, but is believed to have carried out dozens of raids targeting Irans military presence in Syria.

Since June, Syria has accused Israel of conducting at least nine air raids on its territory.

Iran, a key ally of the Syrian government, is considered by Israel a regional and security threat. Israel has vowed to prevent any permanent Iranian military buildup in Syria, particularly near the frontier.

In recent months, Israeli officials have also expressed concern that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group that operates in Syria, is trying to establish facilities to produce precision-guided missiles. Tensions have also risen along the Israel-Lebanon border.

During last months strikes on Syria, a Hezbollah member was killed and the Lebanese militant group vowed to retaliate. On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to kill Israeli soldiers whenever Israel kills Hezbollah fighters in Syria.

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ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA has opened enforcement proceedings against Credit Suisse in the 2019 spying activities at the Swiss bank.



FINMA opened the proceedings after an auditor appointed by the Swiss watchdog last December completed its investigation of Credit Suisse. which has acknowledged observation activities against two former executives of the Swiss bank.



FINMA said it will pursue indications of violations of supervisory law in the context of the bank's observation and security activities and in particular the question of how those activities were documented and controlled.



In February 2020, Tidjane Thiam resigned as Chief Executive officer of Credit Suisse following spying scandal at the bank.



In December 2019, Credit Suisse had confirmed that a second top employee was placed under surveillance earlier last year.



Peter Goerke, who was a member of the Executive Board at the time, was placed under observation by a third-party firm on behalf of the bank for a period of several days in February 2019.



An investigation by the bank-enlisted Swiss law firm then concluded that Pierre-Olivier Bouee, a former member of the Executive Board, initiated spying on Peter Goerke. As was the case with former wealth management head Iqbal Khan also, the observation was carried out via an intermediary. Khan had subsequently moved on to UBS.



The Swiss law firm's investigation did not find any indication that Tidjane Thiam, other members of the Executive Board, or members of the Board of Directors had any knowledge of the observation of Peter Goerke until media reported on it.



The bank had terminated the employment agreement with Pierre-Olivier Bouee.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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A Canadian cancer sufferer was left in tears after twice being turned away from her local bingo hall for not covering the breathing hole in her neck with a mask.

Elaine Arbeau, 67, from Whitby, Ontario, planned on going to the Delta Bingo in Pickering earlier in August.

Arbeau has suffered from various types of cancer over the last 20 years, and now relies on a hole inserted into her neck to breathe, her son explained on Facebook.

She cannot breathe if she covers the hole.

Scroll down for video

Elaine Arbeau, 67, from Whitby, Ontario, was left in tears after being turned away from bingo

'My mom doesn't go out much unless its to play at a casino or bingo hall these days for her enjoyment with her friends,' wrote her son, Joe Gilbert.

'With Covid happening she was home bound for 6 months before they opened up a bingo hall. Not to play bingo yet the machines were available. Like most people she too was excited to go play and see her friends again.'

However, on arriving at the bingo hall she was turned away by the manager for not covering up her breathing hole with a mask.

Gilbert said his mother was escorted out of the building by Lucy, the operations manager - bursting into tears when she left.

Feeling bad, Lucy then tried to invite her to return, but Arbeau left feeling humiliated.

Arbeau, who has suffered multiple different cancers, is unable to cover up her breathing hole

Arbeau got in touch with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, who said that she should be allowed to enter, regardless of the breathing hole.

On Saturday, Gilbert said, she tried again - but was once again refused entry.

This time his mother captured the incident on camera, as the manager on duty explained that she could not enter the bingo hall.

When she struggles to explain that she believes the rules allow her to enter, the man says that it is a decision for head office to make, and hands her a phone number to call.

In the video, the employee says: 'This is private property and they can mandate any rules that they want.'

Arbeau was once again left in tears.

She filmed the duty manager turning her away, insisting she call the head office

Delta Bingo in Pickering, Ontario, turned Arbeau away from their bingo hall twice

'My poor mom has no voice so I'm hoping by getting this out there many people will join me to give her one,' said Gilbert.

'This should never happen to anyone in my mom's position.'

Joe Gilbert, Arbeau's son, said no one in his mother's condition should have to suffer the humiliation of being turned away

Cam Johnston, the CEO of Delta Bingo, told CTV News Toronto on Sunday that he will take a 'hard look' over the case.

But he said people who cannot wear masks should not be visiting their establishment at this time.

'I'll make a judgement shortly,' Johnston said.

'But we would prefer that people who are unable to wear masks do not attend. I think it's best for them.'

Johnston told the station that he empathizes with Arbeau but said safety has to be his 'number one priority at this time.'

'We're trying to protect everyone but my first concern and first obligation is the health and safety of all our customers and staff,' he said.
Sword Group - Latest News



Sword's business remains buoyant



2.40 interim dividend decided by the board



H1-2020 Results

Confirmation of the performance during the first semester: overall growth despite the health crisis.

Disposal of the French Activities

The disposal project of our French activities in Services will be completed by the end of September.

Dividend

The positive impact of this disposal operation led the board to decide on an interim dividend of 2.40 per share to be paid on September 14th.

Q3-2020 Results

The overall Q3 trend at the end of August remains promising.

Acquisition

Sword is in the process of taking a majority stake in Lemonade Software Development.

Lemonade is a software development company devoted to assisting customers in their digital strategy, co-creating IT solutions that deliver value. Lemonade operates in Spain, Belgium and Argentina.

This operation will not significantly change our perimeter but will bring us new skills in EU Customs and Education.

Signatures

2 new signatures with the European Institutions:

- New contract of 28 Million signed with the Court of Justice of the European Union. Sword Technologies S.A., a Sword Group company, as member of the MELIUS consortium, has signed a framework contract for the operations and user support of

all IT systems of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

- A 32 Million extension of a Framework contract with the European Parliament.

Tipik SA, a Sword Group company, as member of the CronoComm consortium, has renewed a framework contract aimed at designing and producing content and publications for the internal services and the public of the European Parliament.

Increase of the backlog by 22 Million thanks to these 2 contracts.

Meeting

More information on September 8th at 10:00 am



Sword Group



Sword has 2,300+ IT/Digital & Software specialists present over 5 continents to accompany you in the growth of your organisation in the digital age.



As a leader in technological and digital transformation, Sword has since 2000 acquired a solid reputation in software publishing and in complex IT & business project management.



With Sword you have the guarantee of strong close and qualified local commitment, the aim of which is to optimise your processes and data.



Attachment
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  Philippine Embassy in Lebanon has announced that overseas Filipinos who earlier enlisted then backed out from its free repatriation will be blacklisted and would not be able to join the next evacuation flights.

Ang pag-back out at pag-atras sa flight kapag ikaw ay naaprubahan na at nabayaran na iyong mga multa, at ang pagiging no-show or hindi pagsipot sa araw ng flight ay malaking pagsasayang sa pondo ng bayan, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon said in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday.

[Translation: Not showing up on the day of scheduled evacuation is a waste of Filipino taxpayers money.]

The DFA brought home 386 Filipinos from Lebanon on August 17, following the deadly blast in Lebanons capital Beirut earlier this month. Some 400 overseas Filipinos were supposed to join the said flight.

The agency earlier said there are some 31,000 Filipinos in Lebanon.

It said that it has been offering free repatriation even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck to "arrest the worsening condition of Filipinos in the country due to economic woes."
The Indian government on Wednesday banned 118 mostly-Chinese mobile applications, including the popular online multiplayer game PUBG, after a fresh round of border confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.

In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology said the apps were banned as they are engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

This is the third round of crackdown by the government on Chinese-linked applications following the Galwan Valley clashes in June in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

News18 last month had reported on the proposed ban on apps like PUBG, Ludo and li Express. Other apps banned on Wednesday include avatars of applications banned previously, like TikTok and WeChat, Youku, Baidu, Baidu Express and Ali Pay.

This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace," said the ministry statement. It added that it has received many complaints from various sources, including reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms, for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India.

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," it said.

Welcoming the ban, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal said, On behalf of the business community of the country, we express our gratitude and compliments to government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking such an important step as per the wishes of the people of India. Apps like PUBG were spoiling the next generation."

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps, said the statement.

Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm Indias sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens," it added.

On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above stated Apps raise serious concerns that these apps collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the state," it said.

The list of banned apps includes:

1. APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart

2. APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps

3. APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner

4. APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus

5. APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright

6. Cut Cut  Cut Out & Photo Background Editor

7. Baidu

8. Baidu Express Edition

9. FaceU - Inspire your Beauty

10. ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals

11. CamCard - Business Card Reader

12. CamCard Business

13. CamCard for Salesforce

14. CamOCR

15. InNote

16. VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing

17. Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster

18. WeChat reading

19. Government WeChat

20. Small Q brush

21. Tencent Weiyun

22. Pitu

23. WeChat Work

24. Cyber Hunter

25. Cyber Hunter Lite

26. Knives Out-No rules, just fight!

27. Super Mecha Champions

28. LifeAfter

29. Dawn of Isles

30. Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

31. Chess Rush

32. PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik

33. PUBG MOBILE LITE

34. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

35. Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon

36. Dank Tanks

37. Warpath

38. Game of Sultans

39. Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos

40. Smart AppLock (App Protect)

41. Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team

42. Hide App-Hide Application Icon

43. AppLock

44. AppLock Lite

45. Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner

46. ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online

47. ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app

48. Music - Mp3 Player

49. Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

50. HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera

51. Cleaner - Phone Booster

52. Web Browser & Fast Explorer

53. Video Player All Format for Android

54. Photo Gallery HD & Editor

55. Photo Gallery & Album

56. Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download

57. HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama

58. HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

59. Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

60. Gallery HD

61. Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

62. Web Browser - Secure Explorer

63. Music player - Audio Player

64. Video Player - All Format HD Video Player

65. Lamour Love All Over The World

66. Amour- video chat & call all over the world.

67. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community

68. MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

69. APUS Message Center-Intelligent management

70. LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

71. Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-

72. Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games

73. Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games

74. Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game

75. Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage

76. GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji

77. U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate

78. Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style

79. Tantan - Date For Real

80. MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen

81. Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat

82. Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles

83. Alipay

84. AlipayHK

85. Mobile Taobao

86. Youku

87. Road of Kings- Endless Glory

88. Sina News

89. Netease News

90. Penguin FM

91. Murderous Pursuits

92. Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology

93. Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

94. HUYA LIVE  Game Live Stream

95. Little Q Album

96. Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords

97. Hi Meitu

98. Mobile Legends: Pocket

99. VPN for TikTok

100. VPN for TikTok

101. Penguin E-sports Live assistant

102. Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices

103. iPick

104. Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie

105. Parallel Space Lite - Dual App

106. Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC

107. MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

108. AFK Arena

109. Creative Destruction NetEase Games

110. Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

111. Mafia City Yotta Games

112. Onmyoji NetEase Games

113. Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games

114. Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded

115. Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

116. Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

117. Soul Hunters

118. Rules of Survival
As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Arun Mishra authored 132 judgments and he was part of 540 benches which delivered judgments in the apex court

Ending his over six-years-long tenure at the Supreme Court on Monday with judgments on the Prashant Bhushan contempt case, AGR dues and management of Ujjains Mahakaleshwar temple, Justice Arun Mishra demitted office saying, Shiv ji ki kripa se ye aakhri judgment bhi ho gaya (The final judgment has been delivered, by the grace of Lord Shiva).

Justice Mishra, who was elevated to the apex court from the Calcutta High Court in July 2014, has delivered some key verdicts, including on the legality of SC/ST Amendment Act, CJI impeachment case, Bhima Koregaon case, Election Commission appointments, sexual harassment charges against former CJI Ranjan Gogoi and the land acquisition case. As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Arun Mishra authored 132 judgments and he was part of 540 benches which delivered judgments in the apex court, according to The Wire.

Mishras contentious judgments have often invited criticism and even protests. A February 2019 order, effecting the eviction of tribals and forest dwellers whose claims over land were rejected under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act), 2006, was stayed after sharp criticism. The order, if implemented, would have impacted nearly 1 million families.

Cases challenging the office of the Chief Justice of India were heard by a panel of judges, which also included Justice Mishra. While in 2018, the case to decide if the Rajya Sabha Chairmans rejection of an Impeachment Motion against the then Chief Justice is subject to judicial review ended with the withdrawal of the petition, the sexual harassment case against Gogoi in 2019 was said to be a direct attack on the independence of the judiciary.

He also was a part of the Bench that was hearing a petition by the NGO Common Cause seeking a probe into the Sahara-Birla diaries alleging payments to top party functionaries, a case which had an impact across the political spectrum. In July 2019, as a part of a two-judge Bench, he also reversed the Gujarat High Courts order that acquitted those accused of the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya in 2003.

However, it was in 2018, that the disagreements within the judiciary came to the fore in an unprecedented press conference by now retired Justices Ranjan Gogoi, J Chelameswar, Kurian Joseph and Madan B Lokur on the allocation of important cases by then CJI Dipak Misra to junior judges. Even though the dissenting judges remained tight-lipped, it has been said that the hearing of petitions seeking a probe into the death of special CBI judge BH Loya, initially assigned to Justice Mishra, lay at the centre of the revolt. The case was later heard by Justice Gogoi.

Sources also told The Indian Express that differences arose over the allocation of the land acquisition case to a Bench, which included Justice Mishra. The 2014 ruling held that depositing the compensation in the Treasury cannot be treated as compensation paid to land owner and the acquisition could be cancelled on this ground. In 2018, a Bench, yet again with Mishra on board, overturned the judgment which held that compensation not availed of within a stipulated five-year period could not be ground for cancellation of land acquisition. Later, Mishra refused to recuse himself from the case when it was referred to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

Just like talking about a case on social media invited his ire in Prashant Bhushans matter, he told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan in the land acquisition case of maligning him and the court. Later, a battery of senior advocates, led by Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, Abhishek Singhvi and Supreme Court Bar Association president Rakesh Khanna, requested Mishra to be patient in dealing with lawyers. Justice Mishra had apologised, adding that he respects the bar more than any other judge and had never drawn contempt against any lawyer in his career.

In March 2020, he was a part of the Constitution Bench which upheld the 2018 ruling given by Mishra himself. As the contempt of court hearing involving Bhushan continued and the activist-lawyer refused to apologise, Mishra observed that judges, when attacked, cannot run to the media to defend themselves and can only speak through their judgments.

Mishra was among the judges who also heard another similar case in December 2017, in which the Bench ruled that the CJI is the master of the roster, effectively negating Justice Chelameswars order directing the formation of a Constitution Bench in the Orissa Medical College bribery case.

Recently, he, along with Justice MR Shah, had also taken note of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullahs detention in March, adding that if he is not released, the court will hear his sister Sara Pilots plea on merit. On the other hand, Justice Mishra heard habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of the former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and the former Union minister Saifuddin Soz. While the one filed by Muftis daughter Iltija was not heard after 26 February, the plea concerning Soz was dismissed after the Jammu and Kashmir administration said he was not in detention.

As the political crisis unfolded in Rajasthan, Justice Arun Mishra and the Bench declined to provide any relief to the Congress, refusing to stay the Rajasthan High Courts order restraining the Assembly speaker from disqualifying the rebel leaders loyal to Sachin Pilot ahead of the trust vote.

Outside of the court, Mishras praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an "internationally acclaimed visionary" and a "versatile genius, who thinks globally and acts locally" had invited criticism. While the Bombay Bar Association called the remarks made at an international judicial conference improper and unnecessary, the SCBA said it reflects "poorly on the independence of the judiciary.

His farewell too became mired in controversy, with a fake statement saying that the SCBA would not hold a farewell for Justice Mishra. Dushyant Dave, president, SCBA, released a statement to dismiss the claim, calling it false and incorrect. No such statement has been issued by the EC. In fact, this matter has not been considered by the EC in any meeting. I strongly condemn the same as being mischievous and an attempt to malign the SCBA, he said.

Justice Mishra practised constitutional, civil, industrial, service and criminal law and in 1998, became the youngest chairman of the Bar Council of India. During his tenure, the Bar Council decided to shut down evening law colleges and instituted the five-year undergraduate course instead of the three-year course. Over 200 law colleges were shut down for being sub-standard and a large number of disciplinary cases were decided to maintain the dignity of the profession. The medical aid to lawyers was enhanced and rules pertaining to foreign lawyers practice in India were drafted.

With inputs from PTI
Bella Thorne's older sister Kaili has joined OnlyFans and is feuding with sex workers on social media after her sibling sparked outrage by raking in millions on the site.

Kaili, 28, followed her sister's lead by creating a profile on OnlyFans, a platform which is mainly used to sell X-rated content, and was met with immediate backlash after she claimed that what she is doing does not classify as sex work.

The elder Thorne, who charges $9.99 per month to subscribe to her risque photos, launched an attack on her critics on Tuesday by sharing a screengrab of comments she'd received on Instagram.

'There is no right or wrong way to do sex work. It's facts. If you're sucking for crack it's still legit sex work,' someone wrote in one comment.

Kaili responded: 'The argument is that sex should not be work. That's why it turns into human trafficking and should be stopped.

'Sex work does not exist. It is not real.'

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Kaili Thorne (pictured) followed her younger sister Bella's lead by creating an OnlyFans profile and immediately began feuding with sex workers on the platform used to sell X-rated content

Bella Thorne sparked outrage after she created an OnlyFans profile last week and reportedly raked in $2million in two days. Sex workers slammed the former Disney star for profiting so heavily off of the site while doing little to help distigmatize sex work

Bella, 22, and Kaili, 28, are pictured in New York City in February 2019. Kaili sought to defend her younger sister against critics in her Instagram rant on Tuesday

Kaili launched an attack on her critics on Tuesday by sharing a screengrab of comments she'd received on Instagram. She responded to one by writing: 'Sex work does not exist. It is not real'

'Would I call it legit? No. Nothing about "sucking for crack" is legitimate,' Kaili wrote over the screengrab.

'You want me SO badly to be apart of your little club and I refuse. I rather save the world,' she responded to another sex worker's post.

When one person commented: 'There are people who will not be able to feed their children or themselves because of y'all,' Kaili replied: 'Wait. A. Table.'

Kaili also sought to defend her sister against those who've accused Bella of taking work away from other women by joining the platform.

Kaili hit out at critics in a video on her Instagram story, saying: 'Get creative and maybe you'd keep your clientele'

The former Disney star created an OnlyFans profile last week and raked in $1million on her first day and has made at least $2million so far.

Sex workers slammed Bella, 22, for profiting so heavily off of the site while doing little to help distigmatize sex work and claimed that she caused OnlyFans to put caps on how much users can be paid.

Kaili refuted those claims, writing: 'Sex work is short lived. MY SISTER DID NOT DAMAGE YOUR LIVELIHOOD.

'You physically can't sell sex after a certain point in your life. Sorry for cutting that short.'

She took her attack even further in a video, telling critical fellow OnlyFans users: 'All your bios say the same thing: "Insatiable s**t.' Get creative and maybe you'd keep your clientele.'

Kaili later explained to Page Six that she was merely trying to defend herself.

'These girls have been bullying me nonstop,' she said. 'I was not calling any sex worker "insatiable s**t" or any other type of s**t. I was directing my comments back to these girls that call themselves that.

She continued: 'I'm saying that since sex is not work to me, I don't consider it a job to me. I'm not saying it about anyone else. What people do for a living is their choice.'

Kaili posted this risque photo on her Instagram amid her row with OnlyFans users on Tuesday, writing in the caption: 'I just know that all the ppl ever to know me are like, wtf did kaili get herself into this time? My poor grandpa lol'

Kaili waded into the OnlyFans fray three days after Bella apologized for 'hurting' sex workers by joining the platform, which allows creators to sell content to subscribers and has gained a reputation as a safe way for sex workers to earn money.

Bella claimed that she made a profile as research for a movie about OnlyFans and because she wanted to help destigmatize sex work.

But she drew outrage when she charged $200 for a 'naked' photo where she was not actually nude and people reportedly demanded refunds, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She said on her social media accounts that she does not offer nudity. She told the Times that a post circulating the internet claiming to offer the nude was falsified.

Content creators say Only Fans subsequently imposed payment caps of $50 on pay-per-view posts from a previous cap of $200, and a $100 cap on tips last Thursday.

The company also enacted a hold on payments that would make some international creators wait 30 days to receive their money  without any warning.



Bella claimed that she made a profile as research for a movie about OnlyFans and because she wanted to help destigmatize sex work

Thorne's OnlyFans page pictured above. She charges a $20 a month subscription

Thorne issued a lengthy apology to sex workers on Twitter on Saturday saying she started her OnlyFans page to remove the stigma behind sex work

She said she's in talks with OnlyFans regarding the new payment restrictions

Some sex workers, who earn a significant portion of their income on the platform, blamed Thorne for the new policies that now limit their abilities to make money.

'OnlyFans is a full-time job for some of us, mostly the only income some of us have, when she has movies and other outlets to continue to make money,' Jenna Foxx, who has worked with OnlyFans since 2017, told the New York Times.

'She already is rich  on top of the $2million she made. She didn't hurt anyone but the sex community and hasn't spoken out about it. That's why we are not okay with what happened.'

'Bella Thorne is the Walmart of Onlyfans,' one Twitter user slammed.

'So cute how Bella Thorne made her Onlyfans on a whim without doing an once of research on how it would impact the community and she immediately f***ed it up for us,' another user wrote.

'I finally got caught up on Bella Thorne/ Only Fans, and a white Disney star and still *working* actress f***ing up a platform that allowed sex workers to earn safely and with autonomy is basically THE snapshot of WW coopting spaces for the marginalized in the name of empowerment,' a third added.

Content creators say Only Fans subsequently imposed payment caps of $50 on pay-per-view from a previous cap of $200 and a $100 cap on tips last Thursday

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Bella insisted that she only intended to normalize sex work, not financially harm sex workers.

'I wanted to bring attention to the site, the more people on the site the more likely of a chance to normalize the stigmas, And in trying to do this I hurt you,' she wrote.

'I have risked my career a few times to remove the stigma behind sex work, porn, and the natural hatred people spew.'

She also said she's meeting with Only Fans about the new restrictions.

'Ps. I'm meeting with only fans about the new restrictions to find out why!!! This is f***ed up and I'm sorry comment any ideas or concerns you want brought up to OF!! and send me your links and a pic so I can promote you guys,' she wrote.

OnlyFans released a statement saying that the payment changes were not based on one user.

'Transaction limits are set to help prevent overspending and to allow our users to continue to use the site safely,' the company said in a statement.

'We value all of the feedback received since this change was implemented and we will continue to review these limits,' it added.
A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was killed on Wednesday in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened fire at forward posts in Keri sector, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, the sources said.

The JCO was critically injured in the Pakistani firing and later succumbed to injuries, the sources said, adding Pakistan also suffered casualties in the retaliatory action but the exact details are awaited.

This was the second such incident in the past four days.

On August 30, a JCO was killed in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

(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.)
In the past eight months, groups of Iraqi young people formed various political entities. A source within the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) told Al-Monitor that 15 new political entities are in the process of registering with IHEC.

Rahman al-Jubouri, a senior researcher at the Regional Center of the American University of Iraq, told Al-Monitor that 15 groups have submitted applications seeking to register with IHEC.

These groups are made up of Iraqi civil society activists and other activists in the recent protests who seek to run in the early elections that Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for June 6, 2021.

Iraqi population is a very young one, 56% of Iraqis are under 24; and 19.83% are between the ages of 15-24. Official Iraqi unemployment is 12.8% according to World Bank (pre-COVID), likely higher, especially among youth.

The Harakat al-Waei (Awareness Movement) is among the new parties.

A few months ago, Salah al-Arabawi, former office director for Ammar al-Hakim, the leader of the Hikma bloc, announced his withdrawal from the bloc and started setting up Harakat al-Waei, which is made up of a group of young people who specialize in the fields of economics, finance, media, energy and sports.

Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, a member of one of the parties that is yet to be officially launched said, We seek to be a successful alternative for the current parties. We are not the only youth party. There are other groups of young people that started new parties and they will be announced soon.

So far, these parties have not announced their formation because they still have to obtain registration approval from IHEC. Yet they already started working at the organizational level.

Speaking to Al-Monitor from the movements headquarters in Jadriya neighborhood in Baghdad, Arabawi said, The traditional parties  nationalist and sectarian  were made up of the ruling class from 2003 to 2018, including political Islam. The only option was to join the ranks of these parties to acquire the experience and benefit from their movements strengths and weaknesses.

He noted, The year 2018 was an important milestone and historical turning point in Iraq, as the election turnout equated to no more than 20%. That indicated that almost 80% of the Iraqi people are displeased with the ruling class, in the absence of an alternative. Based on that, we called back then for an alternative to replace the older generation.

Arabawi and his associates aim to develop a government system by amending the Iraqi Constitution, which stipulates that the president shall be elected directly by the people, shall appoint the government based on the election results, and that there should be a pro-government and another opposition coalition in parliament.

Nevertheless, the public and observers have concerns that some of these young people's parties serve as unofficial fronts for the large parties. Sources inside the protest squares told Al-Monitor that Kadhimi, Hakim and leader of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki are the most prominent figures who have worked on pushing the young people to the forefront in new formations.

Some parties reached out to the youth groups to have them join their ranks or form new entities, placing the focus on social media activists and those who are influential in the community.

Adel Badawi, professor of political science at Baghdad University, told Al-Monitor, Some political forces have begun to push young people to form political parties that would attract the youths, upon which the upcoming elections will be based. That's why they are building their tactic on new figures among the youths.

He said, The youth forces  particularly the protest forces  are not good at the electoral tactics. Some of them do not know how to market themselves in the street. And most importantly the electoral system is still unclear. This is because the most important point in the electoral law  namely the distribution of electoral districts  has not been resolved yet. Thus, the youths could be manipulated in the elections, which would guarantee the current political forces return to power.

Badawi added, The youth forces have a good chance of winning [the elections] if they put forward a unified vision and [run as] a unified entity. Yet running in the elections through multiple entities and visions will reduce their chances and could result in them having an ineffective presence in parliament.

Perhaps time will prevent these entities from convincing the public or presenting themselves as an alternative. The 10 months left for early elections are not enough for the young people to win popular bases that would have a weight in the elections, particularly if the protesters and youths run in numerous entities.

There are those who believe that the next stage is that of the youth. At the same time, and with a youth surge participating in the elections, observers see how difficult the race would be. Sajad Jiyad, former managing director of Al-Bayan Center for Planning and Studies, ruled out the possibility that the youth parties win seats running against the old parties. There are no promising signs."

He told Al-Monitor, "In case the election law remains unchanged, the large parties will achieve great results in the elections. They have the arms, money and popular base.

The recent assassinations in Iraq convey various messages, including discouraging by intimidation the young people from taking part in the elections or presenting themselves as an alternative to the existing parties.

The youth parties, which the traditional parties will push to the forefront as a substitute, are expected to be brought into prominence, particularly because of the financial and logistic support, which the independent youth parties that the October 2019 protests produced lack.

The youth do not seem to have a good chance in the elections, as they run against an integrated system armed with weapons, money, influence and foreign power. Their participation is therefore risky and could end them before they even start their journey.
A nurse who claims shes addicted to plastic surgery has spent an estimated 55,000 on treatments, including multiple boob jobs.

Tara Jayne McConachy, from Melbourne, Australia, is desperate for coronavirus travel restrictions to be lifted so she can fly out for more ops.

The 31-year-old has vowed to continue going under the knife to enhance and maintain her plastic doll appearance  with rib removal and eye colour change next on the cards.

Boasting a major Instagram following, Tara has also recently set up an OnlyFans account to fund further procedures, raking in over 5,000 in the first three days.+

She told the Daily Star: Ive had five breast augmentations  my most recent implant size is 1050cc, tip rhinoplasty, buttocks implants, veneers, botox and fillers.

I dont know the exact amount Ive spent on surgery, but its easily in the vicinity of $100k.

The nurse often posts raunchy snaps on her Insta account, @tara_jayn3.

Tara was in Europe, having yet more surgery, when the coronavirus lockdowns began.

She continued: Im also exploring changing my eye colour to an even more vibrant green, plus fixing my eyelids with a canthoplasty, blepharoplasty and a brow lift.

While Im at it Ill probably be getting cheek implants, a mini facelift and Im even looking into the possibility of having ribs removed for a more tapered waist.

Canthoplasty lifts and opens the outer section of the eye and blepharoplasty pulls up drooping eyelids.

She claims she made $10,000 (5,496) in the first three days.

Without a doubt, Taras most shocking feature is her lips.

She said: My lips are definitely my statement.

I always make sure theyre nice and plump and get regular injections.

Ive definitely lost count of how much product is in there!

Im finally happy with how they look so now its just all about maintenance.

Tara adds that she feels closer to 21 than 31.

She said: Im like a fine wine, I only get better with age.

And, of course, surgery!

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
A Melbourne man who was pulled over for breaking lockdown told police officers he was on his way to 'drop off rice to his kids'.

The motorist was intercepted by police in Broadmeadows having travelled 15km from Sunshine North in the city's west.

But when officers searched the man's vehicle they allegedly discovered drugs and $11,990 in cash.

He was slapped with a $1,652 fine for breaching public health orders.

Police are pictured enforcing coronavirus restrictions at a road blocks in Albury on the Victoria-NSW border

Victoria Police issued a total of 129 fines to individuals for breaching the Chief Health Officer's directions in the past 24-hours.

Stay-at-home orders remain in place across the coronavirus-hit state with mandatory face coverings required in public and a 5am to 8pm curfew also being enforced.

There were 18 residents fined for not wearing face masks, 64 curfew breach notices handed out and 10 infringements were issued at vehicle checkpoint for motorists travelling more than 5km from their home.

Victoria's COVID-19 cases continued to decline on Wednesday with just 90 new cases and six deaths.

Despite the downward trajectory compared to previous weeks, Victoria's State of Emergency powers have been extended for another six months following Premier Daniel Andrews' contentious bill which passed in parliament by just one vote.

A suspected was beaching Melbourne's lockdown restrictions told officers he was on his way to 'drop off rice to his kids'. But when officers conducted a search of the man's vehicle they discovered 'a quantity of drugs and $11,990 in cash' (stock image)

The latest figures come after police arrested a man, 62, for allegedly spitting on two women at a supermarket in Melbourne's east.

'It is alleged the man spat on a woman at a Malvern East shopping centre on 20 March before spitting on another woman at a Doncaster shopping centre on 22 July,' police said.

'The man was interviewed and charged with two counts of common law assault, unlawful assault and offensive behaviour in a public place.'

Police said members of the local community and the media were pivotal in identifying the alleged spitter.

The man was granted bail and will appear before Ringwood Magistrates' Court on December 17.
Cloud Agronomics Inc., a Boulder, CO and Providence, RI-based enterprise technology startup, closed $6m in seed funding round.

The round was led by SineWave Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to foster the expansion of their carbon monitoring and digital agronomy products throughout the US, Brazil, and Australia.

Cloud Agronomics collects hyperspectral data and uses machine learning models to produce analytics on proprietary geospatial data containing high information per pixel. Through their integrated platform, they evaluate the performance of crops and soil in real-time, providing the industry with soil and nutrient management solutions that accelerate restorative farming practices.

The founding team includes:

CEO Mark Tracy (Indigo Agriculture, Cargill),

Executive Chairman Jaymin Patel (former CEO of GTECH Corporation, now IGT, and Brightstar Corp.),

Chief Science Officer Jim Kellner (Brown University), and

cofounders Jack Roswell, David Schurman, and Alex Zhuk.

FinSMEs

02/09/2020
Q. I am a partner in an LLC that owned a vacation home for 15 years. The property was sold in 2020 and sale proceeds were split according to share ownership. I am now purchasing another property in the same New Jersey town. Will I still need to pay the exit tax?

 Seller

A. Were going to assume you are a New Jersey resident for the answer to this question.

We get lots of questions about the exit tax when you sell a home and then move out of the state.

This exit tax is actually a withholding or estimated tax that is paid in advance if you are moving out of state. The cost is the greater of 8.97% of the profit on the sale of the home or 2% of the selling price, said Gerard Papetti, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with U.S. Financial Services in Fairfield.

He said the state requires all real property owners to execute a special tax form that must be attached to all deeds upon sale of the property. Otherwise, or the deed would be rejected by the recording office, he said.

Form GIT/REP3 - Sellers Residency Certification/Exemption is for New Jersey resident taxpayers and contains 14 exemption choices, actually called sellers assurances, that allow for any taxes on the gain to be paid when filing your NJ Resident NJ-1040 Gross Income Tax return, he said.

Exemption No. 1 applies to New Jersey residents and states that all applicable taxes on the gain from the sale will be reported on a NJ Resident Gross Income Tax Return, he said. Exemptions No. 2 through No. 14 apply to non-residents and will not apply to you.

Papetti said a New Jersey resident that sells real estate in the state, and then moves out of the state, is considered a non-resident on or after the day of transfer.

Part-year residents are considered non-residents.

The forms must be completed at the time of closing and given to the buyer/buyers attorney, he said. The buyers attorney must submit the original Sellers Residency Certification/Exemption Form GIT/REP-3 or Non-Resident Form GIT/REP-1 to the county clerk at the time of recording the deed. Failure to do so will result in the deed not being recorded, he said.

While some may feel the 2% minimum realty transfer tax is an exit tax, it applies to any non-New Jersey resident selling real property in New Jersey regardless of if they were a New Jersey resident prior to the sale, Papetti said. Assuming you are a New Jersey resident and will file a New Jersey resident tax return and qualify for Exemption No. 1, there will be no 2% exit tax at the time of closing.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
Life insurers could soon face an inquiry into the 'cruel and unfair' way they treat dying customers, Money Mail can reveal.

The insurance is supposed to provide you with the peace of mind that your loved ones will be financially secure if you die. Many policies will also pay out early if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.

However, some are using small print to deny dying policyholders vital payouts.

Twice rejected: Grandfather of seven Peter Bull, who has terminal prostate cancer, with his wife Eileen

The problem is that many firms require customers to prove they have less than 12 months to live. But it is difficult even for doctors to predict how long someone has left, with many reluctant even to try.

It can mean customers end up going back and forth between their doctor and insurer to get the distressing paperwork required.

Even then, the insurer can still refuse to pay out if their own medical experts disagree with the policyholder's specialist.

Money Mail has long campaigned for fairer treatment for the terminally ill. Time and again we have exposed how devastated families have been forced to spend their last months together battling insurers.

In some cases they have faced losing out on thousands of pounds because the amount policies pay out often reduces each month.

Now, major providers  including Aviva, AIG, Legal & General, LV=, Scottish Widows, Royal London and Zurich  are finally set to face an inquiry by a cross-party group of MPs.

Five vital questions to ask... 1. How long will it last? Some policies are for a fixed period of time, and if you die after they expire you will not receive a payout. 2. Will my premiums stay the same? Reviewable premiums may be cheap to begin with, but they typically increase as you get older and develop more health problems. 3. Do I have a pre-existing condition? If you fail to declare a health condition, your loved ones wont receive a penny if you die. 4. Am I planning to move abroad? Some policies will not pay out if you move overseas because the insurer may consider the country a riskier location. 5. Will my payout shrink? If you buy level term life insurance, your payout will remain the same. However, a decreasing term policy will cut your payout over time.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Terminal Illness told Money Mail that it plans to investigate how insurers define terminal illness.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, vice-chair of the group, says: 'We are hoping to set up an inquiry this month, as we know this issue is affecting a lot of terminally ill people. The group will first need to formally agree to proceed with it.'

The same group conducted a similar review of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) last year.

At present, benefit claimants can get higher payments and faster access to money if a doctor says they are not expected to live for more than six months.

But following an investigation, the group said this means terminally ill patients can be left without help because many doctors would not put this in writing.

A report later added that 'the distress, delay and financial difficulties faced by terminally ill people and their families waiting for benefits' were 'not justifiable'.

It's understood the DWP is looking at how to better support people nearing the end of their lives.

Scott Sinclair, of terminal illness charity Marie Curie, says: 'Dying people should not be denied an insurance payment because health professionals cannot say for certain how long they have to live. Forcing terminally ill people to prove they have less than 12 months to live is cruel and unfair.'

Mother-of-four Ruth Lamont had her claim rejected after being told she was terminally ill.

The nursery school teacher had been rushed to hospital with suspected sepsis in December 2017 after visiting her GP because she felt sick and lethargic. She was later diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer.

Ruth, 53, says: 'I was devastated when I found out it was terminal and immediately thought of my children.'

Cruel blow: The insurer can still refuse to pay out if their own medical experts disagree with the policyholder's specialist

Ruth and her husband, a 55-year-old engineer, had paid 210 a month for life cover with AIG since September 2017. The policy entitled them to a 380,000 payout if one of them died or was diagnosed with a terminal illness. But when the couple made a claim eight months after Ruth's diagnosis, it was rejected.

The policy stated that a terminal illness meant she must have less than 12 months to live, and her consultant had said the 'median' life expectancy of someone with her condition was 83 months.

Ruth, who lives in County Down, says: 'You are basically being told you are not terminally ill enough to receive the money.'

An AIG Life spokesman says: 'We assess claims based on policy conditions to ensure that customers are treated fairly and equitably.'

Peter Bull, 66, is unlikely ever to receive his 150,000 payout from Aviva. When the grandfather of seven was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015, it had already spread and is incurable.

The retired NHS manager, who is married to Eileen, 61, a retired admin worker, had been paying 49 a month into a life insurance policy with Aviva, but when he tried to make a claim it was rejected because he was not expected to die within 12 months.

The rejection letter stated that patients entered into a clinical trial he was due to take part in survived for at least two years, according to median figures.

Peter tried to claim again a year later, but received another rejection. He took his case to the Ombudsman, but it ruled in Aviva's favour. Since taking early retirement due to his illness, Peter has had to draw down 100,000 from his pension and downsize his house in Exeter.

His policy, taken out in 2013, had only a six-year term and expired in April last year.

The father of four hopes to take legal action against Aviva, but cannot afford to do so at present.

He says: 'I try not to think about the fact I may never get my payout, because I feel awful when I do and I know how important mental health is when you're fighting a terminal illness.'

An Aviva spokesman says: 'We understand Mr Bull remains disappointed that we did not pay his claim, but the medical evidence that we received during those years did not support the criteria for terminal illness benefit.'

An Association of British Insurers spokesman says: 'Insurers know this is an extremely difficult time for policyholders and their families, so will assess claims based on the individual's circumstances as quickly as possible.'

f.parker@dailymail.co.uk
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 02, 2020 / Core Assets Corp., ("Core Assets" or the "Company") (CSE:CC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in 8 mineral claims that will expand and consolidate ... Core Assets Corp.,

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 02, 2020 / Core Assets Corp., ("Core Assets" or the "Company") (CSE:CC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in 8 mineral claims that will expand and consolidate its flagship projects located in the Atlin Mining District of British Columbia, Canada.

The Company's property holdings known as the "Blue" and "Silver Lime" properties have now been amalgamated and increased from a land area of 1,657.66 Ha (16.58 Km) to 14,814.86 Ha (148.15 km).

Acquisition Highlights

Land position increased substantially by nine times the original size to 148.14 Km

Core Assets now holds 100% (15 km) of the glacially retreated portion of the Llewelyn Fault Zone , running from the northernmost extent of the existing Llewelyn Glacier, north to Atlin Lake. The Llewelyn Fault is a regional thrust fault that runs directly through the property and thought to be the main transport corridor for the mobilization and concentration of high-grade metals seen at surface on the property.

The Blue property hosts a historical diamond drill hole that assayed 173.2 meters of 0.27% Cu from surface, 1.60% Cu from 173.2-179.2 meters , 1.40% Cu from 186.2-194.0 meters and is open in all directions.

The Silver Lime property hosts massive sulfide at surface with historical channel samples of 3.3 g/t Au, 2,641 g/t Ag, 0.15% Cu, 2.5% Pb, 3.32% Zn, and 2.56% Sb over 2.2 meters and has never been drilled to date.

Core Assets hopes to formulate and execute a regional magnetic geophysical survey to better delineate secondary and tertiary structures associated with mineralization on the property and better define drilling targets.

Story continues

CEO David Hodge comments, "Core Assets continues to build its land position within the Atlin Mining Camp, and hopes to become the premier explorer of the northernmost extent of the Golden Triangle saga. In addition to this, these newly acquired claims will help solidify potential deep seated secondary and tertiary structures that are fed by the Llewelyn Fault Zone. This will allow for a more effective exploration program as we move to active exploration at the Blue and Silver Lime projects."

Core Assets believes that the south Atlin Lake area and the Llewelyn Fault Zone, which runs approximately 140 km from the Yukon border to the Juneau Ice Sheet in the United States, has been neglected since the last major exploration campaigns in the 1970's. The last 50 years have seen incremental advancements in the understanding of porphyry, skarn and carbonate replacement type deposits both globally and in the Golden Triangle area, with new discoveries being made annually. The sum of this knowledge is now coming together in discrete and effective exploration models that the Company believes could drive a major discovery. Core Assets intends to leverage this shift in understanding and become one of the most extensive explorers in the northernmost extent of the Golden Triangle saga.

The Core Assets team has significant experience and knowledge in the Atlin Mining District. They have studied the entirety of the south Atlin Lake, where there is an opportunity for world class discoveries and mine development. The acquisition of these additional claims is yet another demonstration of this strategy as we continue to define high priority targets.

Map of the Land Acquisition

About the Blue and Silver Lime projects

Blue Property

In 2018, the Company sent a geological team to the Blue property for preliminary surface sampling. The field crew observed three areas of skarn exposure with massive and disseminated visible sulfide along the western side of the Llewellyn Regional Fault Zone. 28 grab samples were taken and sent to the laboratory for geochemical analysis and returned values of up to 1.57 g/t gold, 46.5 g/t silver and 8.46% copper.

In 2019, Core Assets contracted Aurora Geosciences Ltd. for the execution of an induced polarization geophysical survey over the areas of high priority mineralization which confirmed and highlighted areas of elevated chargeability response over visible skarns and identified multiple chargeable porphyry style targets.

Later in 2019, Nick Rodway, P. Geo. (Director of Core Assets Corp) and Matthew Carter (Qualified Person of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd.) visited the property to reanalyze some of the high priority areas identified by the 2018 and 2019 programs. The program successfully confirmed elevated gold, silver and copper values.

The amalgamation of Core Asset's newly obtained geological information, and the historical exploration data, including the 1973 exploration program undertaken by Rio Plata Silver Mines Ltd., where a single diamond drill hole assayed 173.2 meters of 0.27% Cu from surface, 1.60% Cu from 173.2-179.2 meters and 1.40% Cu from 186.2-194.0 meters will serve as a bases to complete further structural analysis for placement of drill holes. This could potentially lead to a new porphyry style discovery in British Columbia.

Silver Lime Property

The Silver Lime Property is located just 10 km west of the Blue Property (now contiguous) and was originally acquired by Core Assets as a secondary project. Through rigorous desktop geological study by Core Assets' technical team, it has been deemed that the same exploration model revolving around fluid mobilization of the Llewellyn Fault Zone also applies to the west.

Historically, the Silver Lime Property consisted of two significant mineral occurrences known as the Falcon and Jackie showings. The Falcon showing was discovered by Carmac Resources in 1990 and consists of two northwest trending quartz veins. Mineralization comprises galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite and stibnite. The vein system is exposed for 25 meters and the strike extensions are covered by talus. Individual veins are up to 1.2 meters wide.

To the northwest, a quartz-feldspar porphyry breccia contains smaller quartz veins with semi-massive arsenopyrite and stibnite. A 2.20 meter wide sample of the vein system assayed 3.3 g/t gold, 2,641 g/t silver, 0.15% copper, 2.5% lead and 3.32% zinc, 5.0% arsenic and 2.56% antimony (Assessment Report 21162).

In 2018, Zimtu Capital Corp., as part of a helicopter reconnaissance program, prospected the property taking 8 samples. The results confirmed the program that Carmac did in 1990, returning values reaching 1.16 g/t gold, 913 g/t silver, 12.45% zinc and >20.0% lead.

The Silver Lime Property potentially fits a carbonate replacement deposit model (CRD). Massive sulphide pods occur in limestone and biotite-muscovite-sericite schists generally near the contacts between the units. Large zones of limonite alteration, cut by alaskite and hornblende porphyry dikes, usually surround the pods. The lenses appear to be widest near the dikes. Several faults follow the general direction of the dikes, suggesting structural control on the mineralization. Sulphides comprise galena, sphalerite chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite. The pods are up to 30 meters long and 6 meters wide. The smaller pods host sphalerite and galena mineralization and the larger pods vary mineralogically along length. Galena, quartz and calcite dominate the northwest changing to pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite in the centre and border areas (Minfile 104M 031).

Transaction Outlined

Under the terms of the agreement, the company acquired a 100-per-cent interest in the claims by paying $23,025.11 upon signing of the purchase agreement.

The vendor shall retain a 2.0-per-cent net smelter return royalty (NSR) on the property, of which the company shall have the right to purchase half (1.0 per cent) for $1 million.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Nicholas Rodway, P.Geo, is a Director of the company, shareholder and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Rodway supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Core Assets Corp.

Core Assets Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral projects in BC, Canada. The company currently holds the Blue and Silver Lime Properties, which cumulatively cover a land area of 14,814.86 Ha (148.15 km). Both projects lay within the Atlin Mining District, which is a well-known gold camp. The Atlin Mining District has been the focus of Core Assets exploration efforts since 2018, with increased exploration activities forecasted in the area moving into 2021.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

CORE ASSETS CORP.



"David Hodge"

David Hodge

President & Director

Tel: 604.681.1568



Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS



Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include the Company's plans to purchase additional Atlin district mineral claims, that there are effective exploration models that could drive a major discovery; that increased exploration is forecast into 2021; and that there may be a gold or other mineral deposit on our claims. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that the Company may not close the purchase, and even if does, the mineral claims may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; there may not be an economic mineral resource; methods we thought would be effective may not prove to be in practice or on our claims; economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. We may not have access to or be able to develop any minerals because of cost factors, type of terrain, or availability of equipment and technology. We may also not raise sufficient funds to carry out our plans. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for its recently completed fiscal period, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward looking statement risk factors.

SOURCE: Core Assets Corp.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/604361/Core-Assets-Expands-and-Consolidates-Land-Position-at-the-Blue-Cu-Au-Property-in-Atlin-British-Columbia




Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Paris:ALIMP) (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans; OTCQX: IMPZY), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, today informs the market that it will publish its 2020 half year financial results on September 15th, 2020 at 5:45pm CEST (Paris time).

On this occasion, Ludovic Lastennet, Chief Executive Officer and David Dieumegard, Chief Financial Officer, will hold a conference call in French on the same day, Tuesday, September 15th, 2020, at 6:15pm CEST (Paris time), to answer questions from analysts and investors.

To access the conference call in French, please dial +33 (0) 1 70 71 01 59 then the pin code 85 01 50 33 and follow the instructions.

To access the replay in French, which will be available for a 90-day period, please dial: +33 (0) 1 72 72 74 02 then the pin code: 41 89 49 903 #.

Upcoming financial events:

H1 2020 results, September 15, 2020 after market close

Q3 2020 revenue, October 13, 2020 after market close

About Implanet

Founded in 2007, Implanet is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around two product ranges, the latest generation JAZZ implant, designed to improve the treatment of spinal pathologies requiring vertebral fusion surgery, and the MADISON implant designed for first-line prosthetic knee surgery. Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on product traceability. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ and MADISON have obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark as well as the ANVISA authorization in Brazil. Implanet employs 36 staff and recorded 2019 sales of 7.4 million. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, Implanet established a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. Implanet is listed on Euronext Growth market in Paris.

The Company would like to remind that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, OCAPI, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding, is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005750/en/

Contacts:

IMPLANET

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO

David Dieumegard, CFO

Tel.: +33(0)5 57 99 55 55

investors@Implanet.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Sandrine Boussard-Gallien

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu
ZAMBOANGA CITY  Eight villages in the southern Philippine province of Sulu are now free from the influence of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf...
The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Harris County from sending vote-by-mail applications to all of the county's registered voters.

However, county officials had already agreed to refrain from sending the applications to voters for the November election due to a separate legal challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

On Monday, Paxton filed a lawsuit against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, who spearheaded the move to send out the mail-in ballot applications.

Paxton stated that the mailings are a "blatant violation" of Texas election laws, because the applications are only reserved for voters who are 65 and older or disabled. Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the fear of contracting COVID-19 does not qualify as a disability.

After the Texas Supreme Court's order to stop Harris County, Hollins commented on the decision, emphasizing that the plan to send the mail-in ballot applications is still in the works.

"What the Supreme Court did here was to simply put a stamp on something Harris County has already agreed to do," Hollins told ABC-13. "We made it clear that we are happy to have our day in court, and that we would be able to send out these applications on our chosen schedule while having our day in court  either this week or early next week. The Supreme Court's stay merely rubberstamps what we already agreed to do."

In response to Paxton's lawsuit, Hollins stated Monday that he was prepared to meet with the Secretary of State about Harris County's plan.

"If the Secretary of State would take the time to meet with us instead of jumping into court, they would see that the information we plan to share with voters provides clarity about voters' rights and eligibility to vote by mail," Hollins said in the statement.

The Harris County Republican Party also joined in the fight against mail-in ballot applications, alleging that Hollins is a "rogue clerk who is abusing the application to vote by mail process and compromising the integrity of elections in Harris County," according to the Houston Chronicle.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott quickly weighed in about the Texas Supreme Court's decision to block Harris County's mail-in ballot application plan.

"Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks Harris County from sending mail ballot applications to all its voters. What the Democrats are trying is simply against the law. It could lead to election fraud and must be stopped," Abbott tweeted.

alison.medley@chron.com
She also agreed with a point city officials have tried to make, that the cost of police officers getting injured is far more than the cost of the gear. Martin Lyons, Auroras chief financial officer, presented information that put injuries to knees, shoulders or the back of an officer at between $100,000 and $205,000. He said workers compensation claims could be more like $500,000 and permanent disability between $1.3 million and $1.6 million.
By the sixth day, the weight of the rescues and the destruction was beginning to build for Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney, a pararescueman from the 58th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, at the time.

Hurricane Katrina had wrought destruction across the coast of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi to a magnitude never seen before in the states' histories -- and the effects of Katrina's infamy on the people reverberated across the nation.

"It was sad and it was hard," Maroney recently told AccuWeather over a Zoom call. Discussing the nature of his job, he said, "I get to go rescue people in war, in civilian [emergencies], in wherever, whatever ... I get to go help them. But it never changes. When you see somebody who's sad and hurt and just scared and they don't know what's going on, and you can't help but feel their pain."

The pararescuemen were able to return to a Motel 6 in Jacksonville, Mississippi, each night. They slept in beds and enjoyed the luxury of air conditioning while recharging for the next day's mission, but Maroney was all too aware of what remained only an hour away by helicopter.

"You don't let it bother you while you're working," Maroney said. "But once you're done, then you go home ... you sit down and you're grateful for what you got."

Mike Maroney and his two sons on St. Patrick's Day, 2016. (Instagram/@mahroney)

But he wasn't home yet, and his job still wasn't finished. On the morning of the sixth day, his team traveled the hour south to reach New Orleans once more. The rescues seemed to emphasize how much, even six days after landfall, people still needed help.

The team picked up a man who was suffering a heart attack and later a woman who was in a coma. A neighbor had been one, if not the only, person who knew the woman was still in her home and directed the rescue teams to her during what Maroney described as "a rough morning."

Story continues

The Hurricane Katrina Memorial in Shell is seen in a morning fog in Shell Beach, La., Monday, March 11, 2019. Every year, the 163 names of St. Bernard Parish residents who died or went missing in the storm, are read out in a ceremony marking the hurricane's passing. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"In my head, I'm going, 'How many other people are having heart attacks? How many other people are out there and we're not helping them,' and I can feel the weight of every single one of them," he recalled.

His next rescue, however, would ease the weight with a simple, warm gesture.

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Maroney was no stranger to plunging into the aftermath of disasters, from responding to the destruction caused by a super typhoon in Mozambique in 2000 to flooding in Las Vegas. However, seeing New Orleans after Katrina struck a chord in him.

He had visited New Orleans before Katrina for paramedic rotations and was familiar with the city and some of its people. He had made friends in the city and eaten at the restaurants.

"It's sad to see any place destroyed," Maroney said, adding that New Orleans had by then taken on a "kinda home-ish" characteristic in his life. To be witnessing the city post-Katrina, Maroney said, "hurts even worse."

In this March 15, 2019 image taken from video, a stuffed toy, stained to look as though it was soaked in flood waters, is part of a re-creation of flood damage in a new exhibit in New Orleans by the organization Levees.org. The organization is unveiling the exhibit Saturday, March 23, in a house near the site of one of the floodwall failures that led to inundation of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. (AP Photo/Stacey Plaisance)

Even with the destruction in Mozambique, which Maroney described as the "worst one" in terms of disaster rescues in recent history that he had been sent to, the catastrophe was different compared to the kind Katrina had unleashed upon New Orleans.

"Everything was on fire or under water and/or both," Maroney said of the chaos that overwhelmed the city. "Houses got pushed off their foundation, so then the gas line is leaking and so fire's spraying into the air, so everything's on fire."

Before the storm hit, Maroney had just returned from a deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He remembered watching the storm "the size of the Gulf" approach the city.

Satellite imagery from NOAA of Hurricane Katrina's landfall over Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane. (NOAA/GOES-East)

"I've been to war, I've been to typhoons, I've seen things," Maroney said. "And you know, every time you see it, it's like a new, 'Wow, I did not think that destruction could be this much.'"

Fifteen years later, Katrina remains the costliest storm to have made landfall in the United States. The storm made its first landfall over Florida, striking the state as a Category 1 hurricane. Although Katrina weakened into a tropical storm over the land, the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico fueled Katrina into a monstrous Category 5 hurricane. At its strongest point, Katrina's maximum sustained winds reached 175 mph. To reach Category 5 status, the maximum sustained winds need to reach 157 mph.

Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana, just after 6 a.m. CDT, on Aug. 28, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph -- making landfall as a strong Category 3 hurricane. The storm made an additional landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border around 9:45 a.m. CDT the same day, retaining its Category 3 status with 120-mph sustained winds.

The infamous storm, its name now retired by the National Hurricane Center, is reportedly responsible for about 1,200 deaths, the majority in Louisiana.

Satellite imagery of Hurricane Katrina, which reached a Category 5 status before weakening into a Category 3 hurricane just before landfall in Louisiana. (NOAA/GOES-12)

Although the storm didn't hit the state at its full force, the intensity and storm surge from Katrina was enough to cause catastrophic damage to parts of southern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans. The storm surge overtopped and breeched the levees in the New Orleans metropolitan area, inundating a majority of the city -- which already sat below sea level -- and its eastern suburbs.

"And then when we flew down the rest of the Gulf Coast towards like Keesler, it looked like God just went -- " Maroney swept his arm across the screen, with a whooshing sound effect -- "and just wiped everything clean for a mile up the beach. And then at the mile up was all the debris; everything was like matchsticks."

Mike Maroney described how Hurricane Katrina had swept across the coast. "Everything was like matchsticks," he told AccuWeather in a Zoom call. (Zoom/AccuWeather)

Closer to the ground, more hazards to the survivors loomed -- much of them in the water.

Maroney recalled the deepest parts of the lingering, contaminated surge being anywhere from 10 to 14 feet in the first few days, trapping people in trees and on buildings in some areas.

During one rescue operation in the city on his fourth or fifth day, Maroney was lowered down from the helicopter into a school playground where hundreds of people had crowded, seeking dry ground.

"Hey, I want out of here," one man called to the pararescueman.

"Are you a man?" Maroney responded.

"Yeah."

"Alright, well help me get the older people, the women, the people that need help, help me get them out of here first, and then I'll get you out of here."

And he did, going through the crowd, triaging people and lining them all up.

"The guy was scared, you know. But as soon as I gave him something to do, he took control," Maroney said. "I love that guy."

Time after time, Maroney and his team returned, and the man remained, still assisting in rescuing others. The number of people remaining began to dwindle. By the sixth time Maroney's team returned, everyone had been picked up, including the man.

Sometime during the chaos, Maroney had managed to get a selfie with the man. Although he spent time after the hurricane looking for the man, he had no luck in finding him again.

U.S. Air Force Pararescueman Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney snapped a photo with the man who helped him evacuate a large group of people from a school playground. As of August 2020, he is still looking for him. (Instagram/@mahroney)

On the sixth day, after dropping off the woman in a coma, Maroney and his colleagues were flying near the Superdome when they spotted a family in the water. By then, the surge had receded to about just above waist-level, Maroney recalled.

He had his team lower him down to speak with the family. They had been in their apartment for the six days following Katrina.

With them was a girl about the size of Maroney's son, who was 3 at the time.

"Would you like to go on a helicopter ride?" he asked her, to which he received a resounding "Yes!" in response.

"I wrapped the strap around her a bunch of times because, you know, [a] 3-year-old kid, [is] real small versus your average human, so I'm hanging onto her tight," Maroney said.

Far above the city, the girl looked out across the panoramic view, pointing out places like her home, her school and her church. And when the girl's mom began to cry on the helicopter with the rest of their family, the girl went over and started rubbing her back.

"It's okay, Mom. We're safe now," Maroney heard her say to her mother.

When they landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Maroney went to take the girl off the helicopter when she wrapped him up in a sudden hug.

"And I just, my stomach didn't hurt, my heart didn't hurt, my head didn't hurt. Nothing hurt," Maroney said. Unbeknownst to him, another member of the Air Force snapped a photo, capturing the heartwarming moment.

A young Hurricane Katrina survivor hugs her rescuer, Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney, after she was relocated to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, La., on Sept. 7. Sergeant Maroney is a pararescueman from the 58th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Veronica Pierce)

"I believe I fill my cup up when I can, and I fill other people's cups up when I can," Maroney said. "My cup was dangerously low that day, and a little girl, you know, [who] suffered through a storm, came and gave me a hug and gave me the strength that I needed and keep on going."

Five or so years after Katrina, Maroney started to wonder what had become of the people he'd rescued in the immediate aftermath of the storm. He didn't have photos of everyone, but he had a few, including the one of the girl and then the man who had helped evacuate the large group of people.

He wasn't able to find the man, but the hashtag #FindKatrinaGirl began to circulate over social media, which by then was becoming a sensation. After the help of a person with a large following who Maroney just referred to only as "Andrew," he was reconnected with the family he had saved.

After speaking with her mom, Maroney reunited with the girl, LaShay Brown, in 2015 -- 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. Brown declined an interview with AccuWeather.

To this day, Maroney keeps in contact with the Brown family, and he inspired Brown to join the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), according to People magazine.

Maroney, having retired from the Air Force in 2017 and about to retire from civil service, still devotes his time to helping people. He trains people on the side to prepare them for pararescue or to be rescue swimmers with the U.S. Coast Guard at Cone Fit, LLC. He also co-owns the non-profit Waves of Change Performance Institute where he helps vets repurpose themselves and connects them as mentors with younger people he trains.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney and LaShay Brown, whose family Maroney had rescued after Katrina, were reunited about 10 years after the hurricane. Their families still keep in touch. (Instagram/@mahroney)

The photo, however, still reminds him of how someone rescued after Katrina in turn helped him.

"What they did for me was so much more than anything I ever did for them," Maroney said.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
According to a linguist from RUDN University, the number of COVID-19 cases in a country might be related to the existence of aspirated consonants in its main language of communication. This data can help create more accurate models to describe the spread of COVID-19. The results of the study were published in the Medical Hypotheses journal.

COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets of liquid coming from the respiratory passages of an infected person. The disease spreads faster through coughing or sneezing, as in these cases the speed of the droplets increases. However, a regular conversation can also lead to infection, and the amount of produced droplets depends on the sounds pronounced by an infected speaker. The exact sounds that add the most to the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses haven't been identified yet. A RUDN linguist suggested that they might include aspirated consonants, i.e. the sounds that are accompanied by exhalation.

The issue of a correlation between the spread of infections and the language of the infected people was first brought up in 2003, after the outbreak of SARS-CoV-1in South China when over 8,000 cases were registered in 26 countries. The USA accounted for 70 of them, but Japan did not have a single patient, in spite of the fact that the number of Japanese tourists in China at that time was much higher than that of US travelers (3.2 mln vs 2.3 mln, respectively). Some scientists suggested a linguistic explanation: the staff of Chinese stores spoke to US tourists in English, and to Japanese guests in Japanese. Georgios Georgiou from RUDN University found the same correlation for COVID-19.

Unlike in Japanese, in the English language the consonants [p], [t], and [k] are aspirated. When they are pronounced, numerous small droplets are released from the respiratory passages of a speaker into the air. Such droplets may contain viral particles. Japanese has fewer aspirational consonants, and therefore Japanese speakers produce less airborne droplets during a conversation. To confirm whether the speakers of the languages that are rich in aspirated consonants are more prone to the COVID-19 infection, the RUDN linguist used the official data of 26 countries with 1,000+ registered COVID-19 cases as of March 23, 2020.

"Our study did not include Switzerland because it has several official languages. We also excluded countries with too many or too few cases per 1 mln residents (e.g. Italy and Japan, respectively) to avoid extreme values," said Georgios Georgiou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of General and Russian Linguistics, Philological Faculty of RUDN University.

The languages in the study were divided into two groups by the presence or absence of aspirated consonants. According to the scientists, although the groups did not show statistically significant differences, the countries that predominantly spoke the languages of the first group had more cases of COVID-19: 255 per 1 million residents (as opposed to 206 cases in the second group).

"Although no clear relationship was observed, we do not rule out that the spread of COVID-19 can be partially due to the presence of aspirated consonants in a country's main language of communication. This can be a valuable insight for epidemiologists,' added Georgios Georgiou.

However, the researchers of this paper recognize that it is difficult to determine such a relationship due to experimental limitations. For example, the different social distance measures taken in each country and the fact that we do not know exactly the linguistic background of the speakers in each country, render the paper's initial assumption just a hypothesis. However, this hypothesis has strong fundaments and can be studied in a future large-scale study.

###
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held an unusual public event on Monday: instead of organizing a political rally attended by grassroots supporters, he marked the end of parliaments summer recess with a speech given in the presence of the countrys top business leaders. His message was one of unity amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and it was aimed squarely at the main opposition Popular Party (PP).

The mere presence of the business leaders was, in itself, a political statement. Major figures such as Ana Patricia Botin from the Santander banking group, Jose Maria Alvarez Pallete from telecommunications giant Telefonica, Carlos Torres from lender BBVA, Florentino Perez from construction group ACS, and Pablo Isla from fashion giant Inditex  which owns the popular brand Zara  were all in attendance to hear Sanchez call for unity and a new political climate.

There is no such thing as a right-wing virus or a left-wing virus Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez

The Socialist Party (PSOE) politician leads a minority coalition government backed by junior partner Unidas Podemos, and as such needs the support of other groups to pass legislation in the Congress of Deputies. His priority at the current time is to find approval for a new budget: political fragmentation and a lack of accord in recent years have meant that Spain has been stuck with the budget approved in 2018 by the former PP administration of then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

There are, however, internal tensions in the governing coalition over the new budget, with Unidas Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias unhappy about the possibility that Sanchez could seek the support of center-right Ciudadanos for the financial plans. The PP, for its part, has ruled out supporting any of the governments plans in Congress.

But on Monday, the prime minister told business leaders that the government can guarantee its stability in the 40 months that are left of the political term; or in other words, that the cohesion of the coalition is not under threat.

The worst evil of Spain has always been not believing in itself Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez

The government is choosing unity, not division, nor conflict, nor confrontation, the prime minister said during his speech. Spain must come to an understanding with Spain, just like Europe came to an understanding with Europe in July, he said, in reference to the agreement hammered out by European Union countries over the blocs financial response to the coronavirus crisis. This is the biggest challenge in a century, he continued. We cant overcome it with half of Spain turning its back on the other half, or, whats even worse, pitted against the other half. There is no such thing as a right-wing virus or a left-wing virus.

The prime minister called for a new political climate to deal with the coronavirus and the economic crisis, and insisted that without dialogue there is no solution.

In another indirect message to the PP, Sanchez referred to the attendees from the business world, saying that there are more than a hundred people here with different political preferences but that share the same desire: to see our country stand tall, marching toward the future. Im sure that they are ready to pool their efforts.

Under the slogan Espana puede, or Spain can, Sanchez offered a patriotic speech, stepping into the center of the political scene at a delicate time given the health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

On many occasions, Spain is discussed in better terms outside of Spain than inside of Spain, he continued. The worst evil of Spain has always been not believing in itself. We must stamp this out. Spain can if Spain wants to. We have demonstrated this. Spain lived through a war, a long dictatorship after a coup against the Republic. This history causes us to not value what we have done in the last 40 years. We have a country that we should feel tremendously proud of, he added.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Migrants and asylum-seekers are increasingly crossing a treacherous part of the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago near West Africa, in what has become one of the most dangerous routes to European territory.

Some 4,000 people have survived the perilous journey this year.

But many never make it.

More than 250 people are known to have died or gone missing, according to the International Organization for Migration.

That's already more than the number of people who perished trying to cross the Western Mediterranean in all of last year.

In the week that The Associated Press spent in the Canary Islands to report this story, at least 20 bodies were recovered.

Some of the survivors saw their comrades perish on the way.

"Most of the people hardly even speak. They are exhausted from the crossing," said Jose Antonio Rodriguez, who heads the Red Cross first response teams in charge of caring for migrants upon disembarkation.

But rescuers are not always able to intercept migrants at sea and bring them safely to shore.

In one case a group of migrants reached the beach of Arguineguin last year.

One of the women on board was carrying her baby on her back and jumped in the water to reach the shore.

When she finally arrived to land, her baby was not with her.

"We spent three or four days looking for this baby and we found it lifeless, unfortunately," Rodriguez recalled.

The increase in traffic to the Canaries comes after the European Union funded Morocco in 2019 to stop migrants from reaching southern Spain via the Mediterranean Sea.

While arrivals to mainland Spain decreased by 50% compared to the same period last year, landings in the Canary Islands have increased by 550%.

In August alone there were more than 850 arrivals by sea to the Canaries, according to an AP tally of numbers released by Spain's Interior Ministry and reports by local media and NGOs.

Arrivals this year are still low compared to the 30,000 migrants who reached the islands in 2006.

But they are at their highest in nearly a decade since Spain stemmed the flow of sea arrivals to just a few hundred a year through deals with West African countries.

The striking shift in migration back to the Canaries has raised alarms at the highest levels of the Spanish government.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's first trip abroad following the pandemic lockdown was to Mauritania, one of the main departure points.

Most recently, the interior ministry announced a donation of 1.5 million euros in border surveillance equipment to six West African countries.

But human rights organizations say those arriving on Spanish shores are only a fraction of those departing.

It can take one to 10 days to reach the Spanish islands, with the closest departure point being in Tarfaya, Morocco (100 km, 62 miles) and the furthest recorded this year in Barra, in The Gambia (more than 1,600km, 1,000 miles).

It is common for migrants to run out of food, water and fuel after only a few days.

On August 19, 15 lifeless Malians were spotted inside a boat by a Spanish plane 148km, 92 miles from the island of Gran Canaria and towed back to port.

After the bodies were removed police collected what was left behind as evidence: a wallet, a dozen cell phones, windbreakers and waterproof boots.

Less than 24 hours later, another migrant boat was rescued and brought to the island with 12 people and four dead, as the AP watched.

The survivors had witnessed their comrades die along the way.

One of the 12 rescued died before he could reach a hospital.

Human rights organizations aren't just concerned with the high number of deaths. According to the United Nations Human Commissioner for Refugees, many are potential refugees fleeing conflict in the Sahel.

Spain's Interior Ministry denied requests by the Associated Press to share nationalities of recent arrivals to the Canary Islands, claiming the information could impact international relations with the countries of origin.

But UNHCR estimates that around 35% of those arriving by boat come from Mali  the nation at war with Islamic extremists where a coup d'etat recently toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Kassim Diallo, who's 21, fled Mali after his father was killed in an attack by extremists targeting an army base near his village in Sokolo in late January.

On 29 February, he boarded a rubber boat in Laayoune in the Western Sahara with 35 other people.

After nearly 20 hours in the water, his group was rescued and brought to the island of Fuerteventura.

"It is not normal. A human being shouldn't do this. But how else can we do it?" Diallo said.

If he could he would have preferred flying to Europe instead of coming by boat.

Diallo finds it difficult to recount the trauma of losing his father and the journey to the the Canaries.

"I am in need of international protection, to live my life a bit and settle down so I can forget some things," he said.

Like most of those who reached the archipelago this year, Diallo has been stuck on the islands for months.

Although forced return flights to Mauritania have been halted by the pandemic, the Spanish government has also forbidden newly arrived migrants from going to the mainland, even after travel restrictions were lifted for nationals and tourists.

Only a few groups, mainly women and children, have been transferred on an ad-hoc basis via the Red Cross.

Until Diallo is granted asylum, which he has yet to apply for, he cannot work.

He would love to learn Spanish, but there aren't classes available to him.

The Canary Islands were meant to be just a stepping-stone to reach "The Big Spain" or continue to France where he can at least understand the language.

But for now, he remains closer to Africa than to continental Europe.

Angel Manuel Hernandez, an evangelical pastor whose Modern Christian Mission church is the main shelter for rescued migrants on Fuerteventura, went from hosting 30 migrants two years ago to 300 this summer.

"We don't have the resources or the capacity to care for all these people with the dignity and the respect that these human beings deserve," he said.

As shelters fill up, recently arrived migrants sometimes have nowhere to sleep.

This week alone more than 100 people, including women and children, slept on the floor in makeshift tents on the docks of Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, following disembarkation.

The coronavirus only adds another layer of difficulty as passengers on migrant boats must be tested and quarantined as a group if any of them are found to be positive.

In response to questions emailed by the AP, Spain's government delegate in the Canary Islands Anselmo Pestana wrote: "Our effort has to focus not so much on thinking 'how we distribute' immigrants, but on working at origin, so that we can prevent anyone from risking their life."

Spain's government has yet to reveal where it will place hundreds of migrants now housed in local schools when classes resume in September.

Ironically, half of the islands' hotels and resorts are closed due to the effects of the pandemic.

Across the island, tourists sunbathe in largely empty resorts as exhausted Spanish maritime rescuers continue their daily search in the Atlantic for migrant boats in distress, hoping to reach survivors before it's too late.
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The Government has been told to take urgent action to help cover the cost of parents remaining at home should children have to isolate after a confirmed case of Covid-19 was identified in a Dublin school.

A further 217 cases of the virus were reported yesterday  the largest daily increase since May.

It followed the revelation that a class of children at a primary school in Dublin were sent home as a precautionary measure after one child tested positive for Covid-19.

The child is not thought to have picked up the virus in the school, which reopened for the new term last Wednesday.

While family members have been directed to restrict their movements only if they have symptoms of the virus, the case has raised questions over the employment entitlements of parents and guardians who have to remain at home if their child is forced out of school.

The Government has long accepted that classes of children will be be sent home from schools following the reopenings in recent days, but has not made appropriate plans to deal with the issue, according to employment law specialist and solicitor Richard Grogan.

Schools are just back, and nothing has been done to plan for what was certain to happen, he told the Irish Examiner.

Under the Parents Act, employees have a limited right to leave work in the event of a family emergency, known as 'force majeure'. However, Mr Grogan believes this will not be enough if a child is sent home to isolate for 14 days.

The big one is that it's going to be very hard to get force majeure leave after day one, and therefore parents are going to have a situation where they are not going to be paid," he said.

They are certainly going to have 11 days of not being paid.

There has been zero planning around this issue, he added.

This is completely disjointed planning from the State on an issue it knew was going to arise, he said, adding that we could see a situation where an awful lot of parents are not paid.

It depends on how many outbreaks we have in schools," he said.

Sean O'Riordan, director of the National Parents Council Post Primary, said the case in the Dublin school was alarming.

"Parents are being put in a very difficult position," he said. "It's the total uncertainty of this."

He said that he was surprised to see that all of the children in the class were sent home, as it was his understanding that children would interact in 'pods' and a positive case would only affect children in the same pod, as opposed to the whole class.

"Also, if a group has to be isolated [in school], where can they do this? Are they isolated together or separately, and where? Of course you have young kids who can't be on their own," he said.

He added that parents may have to miss work to look after their child if they are sent home, and may be worried about sending their other children back to school.

The Labour Party and Sinn Fein have called on the Government to extend paid leave to parents when schools are closed because of an outbreak.

Labour has published a bill to provide cover for parents when their child's school or childcare provider is closed due to an outbreak of Covid-19.

Labour leader Alan Kelly said that parents or guardians should be entitled to take paid leave for the duration of the time a class is sent home, or a school is closed.

Separately, Sinn Fein has also called for an extension of paid leave for parents who are forced to take off work when their children cannot attend school.

Meanwhile, of the 217 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed yesterday, 70% are in people under 45 years of age, 51% are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case, and 19 are from community transmission.

Some 103 cases were in Dublin, 25 were in Kildare, while Limerick and Tipperary had 17 each, Waterford in Wicklow had seven each, six were in Clare, and five in Louth.
The Afghan government has despatched a "technical team" to Qatar to prepare for long-delayed peace talks as authorities pressed ahead with the release of Taliban inmates, officials said Wednesday.



Kabul broke an impasse with the insurgent group on Monday by resuming a protracted prisoner exchange, a key hurdle in the two warring sides launching negotiations in Doha.

"The process of releasing the Taliban prisoners will continue today too," a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, the body leading the peace process, confirmed the ongoing release.

"All obstacles have been removed," said spokesman Firdon Khawzon. "The prisoners' exchange will be completed soon."

Kabul had baulked at the release of the final 400 Taliban inmates who President Ashraf Ghani said were "a danger to the world".

Their release was also opposed by Paris and Canberra because those on the list included militants tied to the killing of French and Australian civilians and troops in Afghanistan.

It is not known if those militants have been released.

The Taliban have said they are willing to begin peace talks "within a week" of the prisoner exchange being completed and blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations so far.

Kabul has released some 200 Taliban inmates since Monday.

A "small technical team" has been sent for Doha to prepare for starting the peace talks, Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace Affairs told AFP.

"They are there for logistical preparations," she said.

Anwari said that Kabul's team of negotiators will also leave for Doha "very soon".

US President Donald Trump has made ending America's longest war a priority for his government.

(AFP)
Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in December 2019, researchers have scrambled to determine if those who have recovered have lasting immunity against the virus.

Previously, scientists showed that the bodys immune system produces antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 for an average of three months.

Immunity against SARS-CoV-2

Now, a team of scientists at the Reykjavik-based deCODe Genetics, a subsidiary of the U.S. biotech company Amgen, and several universities and hospitals in Iceland, says that the antibodies developed to fight SARS-CoV-2 last for at least four months and do not fade quickly as previously thought.

In the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the researchers tested more than 30,000 people in Iceland, in one of the most extensive works yet on antibodies against the novel coronavirus and the immune systems response to the virus over time.

The study findings will help in the development of candidate vaccines, showing that if a vaccine can trigger the production of long-lasting antibodies, it provides hope in containing the spread of the virus.

The study

To arrive at the study findings, the research team measured the antibodies in serum samples from 30,576 people in Iceland, using six assays. They determined that the most appropriate measure of seropositivity was a positive result with both Ig assays.

From there, they examined 2,102 samples collected from 1,237 people up to four months after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The team measured antibodies in 4,222 quarantined individuals who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and in 23,4523 people who did not know if they had been exposed.

Study findings

Of the 1,797 people who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2, 1,107 of the 1,215 who had been tested were seropositive. The team also found that antiviral antibody titers increased by two months after being diagnosed and remained constant for the remainder of the study period.

From the people who were quarantined, 2.3 percent were seropositive, and for those who have unknown exposure, 0.3 percent were positive. The researchers estimated that about 0.9 percent of people in Iceland were exposed and infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the infection was fatal in 0.3 percent.

Further, the team estimated that about 56 percent of all infections with SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland had been diagnosed with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), 30 percent happened in persons outside quarantine and not tested with qPCR, while 14 percent happened in quarantined persons who had not received a positive result.

Our results indicate that antiviral antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 did not decline within 4 months after diagnosis. We estimate that the risk of death from infection was 0.3% and that 44% of persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland were not diagnosed by qPCR, the researchers concluded in the study.

The researchers also noted that not everyone developed antibodies after being infected, suggesting that some people may have weaker immune systems to the virus. However, it is also possible that these people had a false negative result and were not sick with COVID-19 in the first place.

Among those who have recovered, the antibody levels were higher in older people and those who were more severely affected by the virus. Also, women, who tend to not fall as sick as men to the virus, had lower antibody levels.

In smokers they had lower antibody levels against the novel coronavirus. This may be explained because smoking increases the likelihood of severe COVID-19 illness among young adults. Further, smoking may increase the expression of ACE2, the gateway that the virus uses to enter and infect cells.

The team emphasized the importance of the relationship between the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and protection against reinfection by this virus. Based on the results, the team has found that Iceland is at a high risk of a second wave of infection if there is no available vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.

The coronavirus pandemic has now affected 188 countries and territories. The global case toll has topped 25.75 million cases, with more than 857,000 deaths.
AUSTIN, TX  Writer's League of Texas (WLT) invites the community to Austin's beloved reading series, One Page Salon, in a virtual presentation of readings and fundraising to benefit Hope Alliance in partnership with Georgetown's indie bookstore, Lark & Owl Booksellers. One Page Salon offers a literary evening alongside Texas-based writers as they share their work with the community.

One Page Salon scheduled Saturday, September 5 from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. will showcase five outstanding authors reading one page from a work in progress, offering audiences a first listen of original new material from featured writers. Novelist, screenwriter, comedian and founder of One Page Salon, Owen Egerton will serve as the evening's emcee.

Proceeds raised through donations from the virtual event will benefit Hope Alliance, an organization dedicated to assisting those affected by family and sexual violence, and providing safety, services and working toward developing partnerships leading to hope, healing and prevention. Services like those of Hope Alliance are especially critical during challenging times like these amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking about Hope Alliance, "This is an amazing group and this is a timely topic to support because of the lockdowns/remote working and learning that are happening now, inevitably putting those who were already in danger, in an untenable position. I hope this will help raise awareness to the gravity of the issue, especially as people are impacted by the pandemic. This organization serves the greater Central Texas area, as well as the entire state when needed," according to Jane Estes, one of the founder's of Lark & Owl Booksellers.

The virtual event welcomes all audiences regardless of ability to make a donation, simply select "RSVP + no donation" and be added to the registration list at no charge. For more information, including link to register and donate to the live webinar click HERE.

Story continues









This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch
On Tuesday, Republic Media Network accessed Sushant Singh Rajput's flatmate Siddharth Pithani's first statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which reveals explosive details about the angles under the scanner of the investigative agency probing the actor's death. In the statement that has been accessed by Republic TV, among other things, Pithani has said that Sushant 'became unwell' after hearing of his manager Disha Salian's death on June 9.

Pithani - who has been grilled by the CBI since the investigation began - had earlier told Republic TV that he has given 'names' to the agency. As per the statement, Pithani has told CBI that Sushant spoke to Uday, manager of a company called Cornerstone, soon after hearing the news about Disha's death. He also said that Sushant was so tense that he asked Pithani to sleep in his room and wanted to know every detail about the death of Salian, to which Pithani complied.

Read | Pithani's Statement To CBI On June 14 Events Accessed; Mystery Over Dipesh's Text Deepens

Siddharth Pithani's statement to CBI

'When Sushant got to know about Disha's death, he became unwell, after which he spoke to Uday, manager of a company called Cornerstone. This company sent Disha as Sushant's celebrity manager when Shruti Modi had an injury. Sushant had become very tense after the news of Disha's suicide on the 9th of June. Because of this tension, he asked me to sleep in his bedroom. He kept asking me for every single information about Disha's death, I gave him every information,' Pithani's statement to CBI states.

READ | ON TAPE: Disha Salian's friend who was allegedly at party tracked down; reluctant to speak

Disha's death and questions raised so far

A week ago, CBI sources told Republic TV that the investigating authority is keen to ascertain if Dishas death was due to suicide or was a murder. This aspect of the investigation will play a crucial role in the examination of the chronology of the events leading to SSRs death.

Read | Siddharth Pithani Tells CBI 'Rhea Shopped A Lot On Sushant's Card; Sold Household Items'

Disha Salian allegedly jumped off the fourteenth floor of a building in Mumbais Malad on June 8. Numerous questions have been raised on the police's claims that it was a suicide, right from politicians, Sushants family and friends to activists, and more so, why the Mumbai police didn't try to ascertain whether there was a link to the two deaths.

READ | CBI to probe Disha Salian link to Sushant Singh Rajput death in their investigation?

Sushants friend Smita Parikh on Republic TV had claimed Sushant was worried and told his sister Meetu, They will not leave me when he heard the news of Dishas death. Sushant passed away under mysterious circumstances on June 14, and Mumbai Police once again termed it as a suicide.

An activist named Prashant Kumar, who runs the campaign #InsafForSSR, had told Republic TV that Disha had called Sushant about alleged misbehaviour at a party she attended on the day of her death. Sushants family lawyer Vikas Singh too had stated that Sushant feared being implicated in Dishas death and Rhea Chakraborty, one of the accused in the case, had appointed Disha as Sushant's manager.

READ | 'Reverification started over last 4-5 days': Building security on Disha Salian death probe

READ | ON TAPE: Attendees at Disha Salian's party 'vanished' before police came, says neighbour

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Announce Critical Reforms to Enhance Compliance, Oversight, and Accountability at the FBI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

These Reforms Will Improve the FBI's Internal Compliance Program, Ensure the Accuracy of FISA Applications, and Require Proper Oversight of FISA Applications Targeting Elected Officials and Campaigns

The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation today announced key reforms that will empower the FBI to build a more robust internal compliance program and that will ensure, among other things, the accuracy of FISA applications, as well as the active oversight of applications targeting federal elected officials, candidates for federal elected office, and their staffs.

"Today, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation press forward with Foreign Intelligence Surveillance reforms. In consultation with FBI Director Wray, I issued two memoranda  one that authorizes the establishment of an FBI Office of Internal Auditing and directs the FBI to undertake aggressive compliance measures, and the other that establishes protocols to ensure the accuracy of FISA applications and the effective oversight of any surveillance applications targeting elected officials and political campaigns," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "FISA is a critical tool to ensuring the safety and security of Americans, particularly when it comes to fighting terrorism. However, the American people must have confidence that the United States Government will exercise its surveillance authorities in a manner that protects the civil liberties of Americans, avoids interference in the political process, and complies with the Constitution and laws of the United States. What happened to the Trump presidential campaign and his subsequent Administration after the President was duly elected by the American people must never happen again."

"Since the Inspector General's Crossfire Hurricane report was issued last December, I have made clear that it describes conduct that was unacceptable and unrepresentative of the FBI as an organization" said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "That's why I immediately ordered more than 40 corrective actions, including foundational FISA reforms, many of which went beyond those recommended by the Inspector General. The FBI has been working diligently to implement these corrective actions. The additional reforms announced today, which we worked on closely with the Attorney General's office, will build on the FBI's efforts to bolster its compliance program. FISA is an indispensable tool that the FBI uses to protect our country from national security threats, and Americans can rest assured that the FBI remains dedicated to continuously strengthening our FISA compliance efforts and ensuring that our FISA authorities are exercised in a responsible manner."

The first memorandum issued by the Attorney General is entitled Augmenting the Internal Compliance Functions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This memorandum makes significant improvements to the FBI's internal compliance program. It authorizes the establishment of the Office of Internal Auditing to overcome a gap in auditing capability at the FBI and requires the development of compliance and oversight mechanisms, training, and internal controls to ensure the FBI's compliance with applicable statutes, policies, procedures, and court orders that govern the FBI's national security activities. The reforms also require the FBI to perform robust auditing functions, including, for example, routine audits of the FBI's use of National Security Letters, compliance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and adherence to FISA's minimization, targeting, and querying procedures.

The second memorandum is entitled Supplemental Reforms to Enhance Compliance, Oversight, and Accountability with Respect to Certain Foreign Intelligence Activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The supplemental reforms in this memorandum build on the corrective measures undertaken by the FBI Director in his response to the December 2019 report of the Department of Justice Inspector General entitled Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation. These reforms are designed to ensure the accuracy and completeness of FISA applications targeting U.S. persons. The reforms also include oversight protocols to ensure that any use of FISA to surveil federal elected officials, candidates for federal elected office, or their advisors or staff is justified, non-partisan, and based on full and complete information. Finally, the memorandum requires the FBI to develop procedures to prevent United States persons from becoming unwitting participants in malign influence operations by foreign powers and to review its disciplinary policies and procedures to ensure appropriate disciplinary action for those who knowingly misrepresent facts to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Component(s):

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Office of the Attorney General

Press Release Number: 20-854

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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. With the support of the US government Armenia announces the launch of joint projects aimed at the reforms in the police and anti-corruption fields, Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan said on Facebook.

For that purpose we have signed cooperation documents with US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy and Police Chief of Armenia Vahe Ghazaryan. All know how important the anti-corruption and police reforms are for our government. I want to thank our US partners led by Ambassador Lynne Tracy, as well as the US Embassys Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement for joining our goal to implement them and for the cooperation, the minister said, expressing confidence that the initiatives of the government will be implemented successfully.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
The Indian Railways is awaiting a nod from Union Home Ministry to start more special trains during Unlock 4, said the official of the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday.

New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): The Indian Railways is awaiting a nod from Union Home Ministry to start more special trains during Unlock 4, said the official of the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday.



More special trains are being planned in Unlock 4 and the State governments are being consulted to finalise the number of trains and routes. We are waiting for a green signal from Union Home Ministry to run these special trains, the official said.

The announcement came amid the Unlock 4 plan, which started on September 30. Under the new guidelines, the government has relaxed several restrictions across the country in order to open economy further amid the pandemic.



Also read: Dr Kafeel Khan detained under NSA, released from Mathura jail at midnight

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: CBI questions Rheas parents

Currently, 230 special trains are being run by the Railways in wake of COVID-19 pandemic and it is planning to further ease the journey of passengers by plying more trains on the track. (ANI)

Also read: 3rd round of sero-survey begins in Delhi: AAP plans to tailor strategy to changing circumstances
President Donald Trump gave brief remarks Wednesday in Wilmington, North Carolina - a key swing state - designating the city as the first American World War II Heritage City.

At the southern stop, he brought back up his defense of keeping statues - including Confederate monuments - in place.

'Were not ashamed in America. Were not ashamed of anything,' Trump said.

'I signed a very important edict recently. Three months ago they were ripping down statues. I said you can rip them down but youre going to serve 10 years in jail if you do. And as soon as I did that, incredibly you havent heard about statues coming down, have you? Statues or monuments, he continued.

'But were not ashamed of our country, Were proud of our country,' he added.

Trump spoke in front of the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina, on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII

'Were not ashamed in America. Were not ashamed of anything,' President Donald Trump said on a trip to North Carolina

As he talked about the U.S.'s fight against fascism, he continued to go after rioters in cities who took to the streets in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake.

'American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home,' he said.

And when he joked about a World War II veteran's age who was in the audience, he also used the opportunity to knock his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

'I promised him I would not tell that he's 97 years old,' Trump said. 'I'll tell you he's 100 per cent sharp ... I know a 78-year-old who's not so sharp,' the president added.

Biden is 77 years old.

Trump's remarks at the battleship were quick, as he tried to give Wilmington its distinction before a storm rolled through. Claps of thunder interrupted his remarks.

'I want to thank you for being so nice to me,' Trump told the crowd, which included Hershel 'Woody' Williams, a medal of honor recipient who flew down from Washington, D.C. on Air Force One. He called it a 'tremendous honor' to give the distinction to Wilmington.

The move marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the second World War.

The ship provided a patriotic backdrop while Trump railed against 'violent mobs' but he had to rush through remarks as a storm approached

'American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home,' said Trump, a day after visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin

President Trump spent significant time greeting a crowd of hundreds at the Wilmington airport, going up and down the line and addressing them twice

Battleship North Carolina was the lead ship of the North Carolina battleships that were constructed in that era and saw action during World War II and also particpated in 'Operation Magic Carpet,' which brought American servicemembers home.

On Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told a reporter not to read too much into the fact that a city in North Carolina, which Trump needs to win the 2020 election, was selected.

'No, there's not a political purpose in this visit. This president is visiting to commemorate a great site in American history,' she said.

But Trump spent significant time greeting supporters at the Wilmington airport, speaking twice and going up and down the line.

'We're rounding the curve on the China virus, vaccines are happening, therapeutics are happening,' he told the crowd, who weren't social distancing, with very few in masks.

His daughter-in-law Lara and her parents greeted Trump on the tarmac and he boasted to the crowd that his granddaughter was named 'Carolina,' after Lara Trump's home state.

The crowd cheered.

He also said he planned to win all the southern states plus New Hampshire and Minnesota.

'Minnesota looks really good,' Trump said. 'It hasn't been won since 1972.'

'It's a disgrace what's happening up there,' he continued, an apparent reference to the protests and unrest that happened following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd.

He then brought up Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Jacob Blake was shot.

'We straightened up that mess,' he said. 'What a horrible situation.'

As he arrived, Trump also greeted Sen. Thom Tillis, who's in a tough political fight against Democrat Cal Cunningham to retain his seat.

Tillis got in hot water Thursday for removing his mask at the president's Republican National Convention speech at the White House after uploading a picture to social media of him wearing it.

On Wednesday, Tillis took off his mask and then had it in his hand as the president arrived.
Downing Street is planning new digital ID cards for British citizens as Dominic Cummings bids to transform the Government's use of data despite privacy fears.

People will get an online identity that can be used for daily activities such as proving ones age, registering with a GP and buying properties from a different location.

It comes after issues emerged in identifying people during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as during the self-employment income support scheme.

The government did not have any details on half of the 2.6million who applied for support at the start of the crisis.

Some - such as Tony Blair - called for new digital ID cards to prove their 'disease status' as the world relaxed lockdown measures.

Downing Street is planning new digital ID cards for British citizens as Dominic Cummings (pictured yesterday) bids to transform the Government's use of data despite privacy fears

Minister for digital infrastructure Matt Warman told the Times he was excited to 'work with partners in the private sector'.

Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez added: 'There is a need and an expectation for the government to make it easier for people to use digital identities quickly, safely and securely, and we are committed to enabling this.'

But naysayers have said the plans to 'remove regulatory barriers' would result in problems over privacy.

Matthew Rice of the Open Rights Group said: 'If the public don't trust that their data is going to be secure, they are not going to engage with the system no matter how seamless or frictionless.'

People will get an online identity that can be used for daily activities such as proving ones age, registering with a GP and buying properties from a different location (file photo)

Boris Johnson's chief adviser Mr Cummings has been a vocal critic of privacy laws in the past.

He branded the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation 'a legal and bureaucratic nightmare' on his blog two years ago.

Former Prime Minister Mr Blair has previously argued in favour of the use of digital ID cards for British citizens.

He said only if people can easily show whether they are clear of coronavirus will industries such as international travel be able to restart.

Speaking at the virtual CogX technology conference in June, Mr Blair said such a system would operate alongside track and trace programmes.

Former Prime Minister Mr Blair (pictured in February) has argued in favour of the use of digital ID cards for British citizens

He said: 'You can create a digital ID today that is much more easily protected so you can deal with a lot of the privacy and surveillance issues that worry people.

'It is a natural evolution of the way that we are going to use technology in any event to transact daily life and this Covid crisis gives an additional reason for doing that.

'I think people's disease status - have they been tested, what is the result of that test and have they had the disease, do they have the disease - unless you are able to record some of this data in a way people can use, it is going to be difficult to go back to anything like a near normal in things like transport.

'If you are going to start international travel again, how can you do that unless people can be easily tested and have some record of that test?

'There has always been a good case for introducing some form of digital ID but I think that case is even more powerful today.'

Mr Blair acknowledged the use of technology risked leaving behind people less comfortable using it, but said it could be addressed through training and education.

He said: 'That digital divide between those that are familiar and can use the new technology well and those who can't is obviously going to be a big source of difficulty.

But he said people would need to adapt as some sectors of the economy would be changed forever as a result of the virus.

He added: 'I can't see the travel, tourism, hospitality industries coming back fast. I think bricks and mortar retail has probably had its day - certainly in its present form.'
Reachdesk, a NYC-based direct mail and corporate gifting software platform for B2B companies, raised $6m in funding.

The round was led by Five Elms Capital.

The company plans to use the funds to invest in more customer service, product innovation and expand its team presence throughout the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Founded in London by Alex Olley, Meelan Radia, Jay Radia and Alex Santos in 2018, Reachdesk enables sales and marketing professionals to create, manage, scale and measure the ROI of their direct mail and gifting campaigns in one place by integrating offline channels to a companys existing marketing tech stack.

The company says it has quadrupled its revenue and doubled headcount since March 2020. The demand comes from B2B sales, marketing and customer success teams.

FinSMEs

02/09/2020
The dynamic nature of the American economy means jobs come and go with obsolete professions left in the dustbin of history. More often than not, technological advances replace the work done by humans. Stacker looks at 50 jobs that up and vanished, rendered unnecessary by technological and economic advancement.
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI - There are now more than 200 COVID-19 cases tied to students returning to Central Michigan Universitys campus for the fall.

The Central Michigan District Health Department released new numbers Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 2, showing a total of 211 confirmed cases and an additional 14 probable cases among current and former CMU students, as well as others associated with student cases in and outside of the community. The number of confirmed cases is up 21 from 190 on Tuesday, and 48 from 163 on Monday.

CMU identified 8 cases on Monday and 9 on Tuesday among its campus population in Mount Pleasant. With the additional 17 cases thus far this week, the campus total sits at 159 as of Tuesday, now above 1% of 15,562 students, staff and faculty at CMU.

In a letter to the community sent Wednesday, CMU President Bob Davies urged students to continue practicing safety precautions and avoid parties and gatherings over Labor Day weekend. In a previous letter, Davies stated most cases thus far are connected to three off campus housing units and the university hasnt seen any community spread.

Weve worked too hard to stop now, Davies said in the letter. We have the power to slow the spread of this virus on CMUs campus, in the Mount Pleasant community and among our family and friends... Its up to us to keep ourselves and our community safe.

Read more:

Central Michigan University student activists call for end to in-person classes

More than 60 new coronavirus cases at Central Michigan University in past week

Outdoor gatherings in Mount Pleasant limited to 25 after Central Michigan University coronavirus spike
Federal investigators used security system alarm data to catch nine current and former Boston police officers lying about hours worked in order to bilk overtime money, according to documents filed in the federal case announced by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Massachusetts on Wednesday.

The officers were assigned to Boston Police Departments Evidence Control Unit, where they were responsible for storing, cataloging and retrieving evidence in a warehouse, federal authorities said. The warehouse, according to the criminal complaint, was extensively alarmed. Once the security system was set, no one could remain in the building without triggering the alarm.

Using data from the security system, authorities were able to cross reference the time the alarm was set to the timecards of the nine officers accused in the overtime fraud scheme.

Authorities said, the nine current and former police officers netted them more than $200,000 from the scheme.

Using the data, the complaint filed in Boston federal court showed the officers submitted more fraudulent time slips as the scheme continued. The data also showed that officers left earlier in their shifts in 2019 compared to when the alleged scheme started in 2016.

Lieutenant Timothy Torigian, 54, of Walpole; Sergeant Gerard OBrien (retired), 62, of Braintree; Sergeant Robert Twitchell (retired), 58, of Norton; Officer Henry Doherty (retired), 61, of Dorchester; Officer Diana Lopez (retired), 58, of Milton; Officer James Carnes (retired), 57, of Canton; Officer Michael Murphy, 60, of Hyde Park; Officer Ronald Nelson (retired), 60, of Jamaica Plain; and Officer Kendra Conway, 49, of Boston will make initial appearances via videoconference in federal court in Boston on Wednesday.

Torigian received more than $43,000 for overtime hours he did not work, authorities said. Twitchell, OBrien and Doherty each received more than $25,000 for overtime hours they did not work, authorities said.

Carnes and Lopez each received more than $20,000 for overtime hours they did not work, authorities said. Murphy, Nelson and Conway each received more than $15,000 for overtime hours they did not work, authorities said

Authorities say the scheme began in May of 2016 and continued through February of 2019 specifically with two overtime shifts, one of eight hours and the other four.

A shift called purge overtime, was scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m and focused on reducing the inventory of the evidence warehouse, authorities said. Another shift, kiosk, was scheduled for 8.5 hours on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., when unused prescription drugs from each police district in the city were transported to an incinerator in Saugus.

In 2016, the criminal complaint shows 11 instances when the alarm was set prior to 7 p.m. during a purge shift. In five of those cases, the alarm was set prior to 6 p.m.

Yet for those shifts, authorities say, time slips from the defendants claim they worked four hours. Torigian was involved in all but three of the 11 incidents. Torigian also filed false timecards during three kiosk shifts in 2016. All three times the alarm was set prior to 10 a.m., but Torigian claimed working 8.5 hours or until 2:30 p.m., authorities said.

The criminal complaint shows that in 2017, the alarm was set prior to 6:40 p.m. on 17 occasions while officers claimed to have worked until 8 p.m. In 2018, the number of false timecards grew to 22, with officers setting the alarm prior to 6:15 p.m. on 21 occasions while claiming to have worked until 8 p.m.

Through just 38 days in 2019, alarm data shows the security system was set at 6:15 p.m. or earlier nine times while officers claimed they worked until 8 p.m.

The fraudulent time slips during the kiosk shift also increased each year. From three incidents in 2016, to four in 2017 and six in 2018, according to federal records filed in the case.

The officers currently work for the department have been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case, Boston police said.

The charges from the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday follow a state police overtime scandal that was also prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Massachusetts.

In the state police overtime scheme, dozens of troopers were allegedly paid for hours they did not work. State police previously referred 46 troopers for criminal prosecution for their alleged participation in the overtime scandal. Of those, 10 were charged criminally by the U.S. Attorneys office or the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Eight of the 10 have been convicted and sentenced.

Of the remaining 36 flagged in the state police investigation, 14 have retired. Twenty-two are still within the department.

Related Content:
Neither side has admitted to casualties, but report says soldier of Tibetan origin was killed during clash on Saturday.

A soldier of Tibetan origin with Indias special forces has reportedly been killed in the latest border confrontation between India and China on their contested Himalayan border, fuelling concerns of a wider military confrontation between the two regional powers.

The death is the first reported from two incidents occurring within 48 hours on the border, two months after a battle that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

India and China, which fought a border war in 1962, have each accused the other of trying to cross their unofficial frontier in the Ladakh region in an attempt to gain territory.

The Indian government has not commented on the reports of the death, but Namgyal Dolkar Lhagyari, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, told AFP news agency on Tuesday that the Tibetan-origin soldier was martyred during the clash on Saturday night. She did not identify the soldier by name.

She said another member of the Special Frontier Force, which reportedly includes many ethnic Tibetans who oppose Chinas claim to their home region, was wounded in the operation.





Chinas Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, however, said on Wednesday that no Indian troops had died in the latest flare-up on their frontier.

The worlds two most populous countries have sent tens of thousands of troops to the region since a brutal June 15 battle fought with wooden clubs and fists.

India has said 20 troops were killed. China has acknowledged casualties but has not given figures.

The two sides have blamed each other for the latest incidents.

Provocative movements

Earlier, Indias defence ministry said Chinese troops carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo at the border on Saturday.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) said that India was seriously violating Chinas territorial sovereignty with its operation on Monday and demanded that Indian troops withdraw.

A Chinese embassy spokeswoman in New Delhi also denied that Chinese troops started the latest flare-up, accusing Indian troops of trespassing across the Line of Actual Control  the de facto border  and conducting flagrant provocations.

Indias foreign ministry said on Tuesday that China had caused the latest incident even as ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation.

Due to timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts from unilaterally altering the status quo, ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.





Indian media reports, quoting military sources, said PLA forces tried to take hilltops traditionally claimed by India around Pangong Tso, a lake at an altitude of 4,200 metres (13,800 feet).

Indias defence ministry said its troops undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground.

In a statement on Tuesday, a United States Department of State spokesperson said Washington was closely monitoring the border dispute between India and China and it hoped for a peaceful resolution.

After the deadly incident in June, the most serious clash between the two countries in 50 years, both sides agreed to pull back with military chiefs in the region holding five rounds of talks.

But the Indian military said this week that Beijing had reneged on the agreement.

India secures its eastern border

On Wednesday, an Indian official told Reuters that New Delhi has moved troops to its eastern stretch of the border with China since clashes erupted in June.

The movement of troops to the eastern district of Anjaw, in Arunachal Pradesh state, which China also claims, raises the prospect of a wider face-off, though government and military officials in India ruled out any imminent confrontation.

The military presence has surely increased, but as far as incursions are concerned, there are no verified reports as such, said Ayushi Sudan, Anjaws chief civil servant, adding that several Indian army battalions were stationed there.

There has been an increase in troop deployment since the Galwan incident and even prior to that wed started, she told Reuters by telephone.

Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet, was at the centre of a full-scale border war between India and China in 1962, and security analysts have warned that it could become a flashpoint again.

But an Indian military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Wardhan Pande, said there was no cause for concern and the troops arriving in the area were part of a regular rotation.

Basically, its units changing. Thats happening as it happens every time, nothing much, Pande told Reuters from near Guwahati, the largest city in northeastern India.

As of now, theres nothing to worry about on that front.

Since Junes deadly border clashes, there have been growing calls in India to boycott Chinese goods, and New Delhi has repeatedly warned that relations would suffer unless Chinese troops pull back.

India has banned at least 49 Chinese owned-apps, including the TikTok video platform, frozen Chinese firms out of contracts and held up Chinese goods at customs posts as tensions have increased.
Tamale Central Member of Parliament (MP), Inusah Fuseini says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is well known for stealing ideas from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to govern.



He claims their criminal activities can be traced back to former President John Agyekum Kufuors era.



Did you know Kufuors policies, most of them were socialist policies, they were not liberal policies. If you see a liberal government implementing socialist policies, it should tell you something, he said on NEAT FM's morning show Ghana Montie.



According to Inusah Fuseini, his party has failed to launch its Manifesto as scheduled because again their ideologies have been stolen by the Nana Akufo-Addo led government.



The NDC has rescheduled its Manifesto launch to September 7 from August 31.



Rescheduling of NDC Manifesto Launch



A statement from the General Secretary announcing the change in date said At its weekly meeting held on Thursday the 27th of August, 2020, the Functional Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress has fixed Monday the 7th day of September, 2020 as the date for the launch in Accra of the partys manifesto for the December 2020 General Elections.



This is to enable the National Executive Committee and the Council of Elders approve the policy principles and strategies promised in the Manifesto. The event will be held virtually, in accordance with the appropriate Covid-19 regulations. It will be streamed live on various media outlets throughout the country.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Redfern in inner Sydney has had a fire station for more than a century and last year was recognised for forming Fire and Rescue NSW's first all-Indigenous firefighting crew.

But the station's future in Redfern is now in jeopardy due to plans to relocate the 16 firefighters and fire truck based there to another station site, most likely at Alexandria.

The plans have drawn the ire of local Indigenous elders such as Aunty Norma Ingram, who point to the fire station's deep links to the local community and sense of security and safety it fosters.

Nita Lyons, left, Aunty Norma Ingram and Narelle Lyons fear the loss of Redfern fire station. Credit:Nick Moir

"The fire station is right here and can act really quickly. If they had to come from somewhere else, lives could be lost," she said.
Twice a week, after he finishes his teaching duties for Richfield Public Schools, the 42-year-old father of three plans to drive to a park outside his church  once the weather gets cold, he will switch to the church basement  to teach a pod of six or seven students for an hour or two. He is not accepting payment and is hoping to recruit students from families who, like his own, could not otherwise afford pods.
The number of deaths due to Covid-19 in crossed the 4,000 mark on Tuesday while 10,368 more people tested positive.

With 84 fatalities during the last 24 hours, the death toll mounted to 4,053. became the fifth state in the country to record more than 4,000 deaths so far.

The state has already overtaken Tamil Nadu as the second worst-affected in the country in terms of the number of Covid cases. Maharashtra continued to top the list with over 7 lakh cases.

For a seventh consecutive day, registered over 10,000 cases during a 24 hour period. This pushed the tally to 4,45,139.

According to a media bulletin released by the State Command Control Room, a maximum of 14 fatalities were reported from Chittoor district, 12 from West Godavari and 10 from East Godavari district.

Seven deaths each were registered in Anantapur, Guntur, and Visakhapatnam districts, six in Nellore, five in Kadapa, four each in Krishna, Kurnool, and Srikakulam districts, while three people succumbed in Prakasam and two in Vizianagaram.

Chittoor has the highest death toll at 429, followed by East Godavari (401), Guntur (383) and Kurnool (382).

During the last 24 hours, 1,208 cases were reported from East Godavari district, pushing the district's tally to 60, 611, the highest in the state. As many as 1,068 cases were reported from Chittoor district and 1,059 from Nellore.

The 24 hour period also saw 9,350 people recovering from the virus. With this, the cumulative recoveries rose to 3,39,876.

The number of active cases in the state mounted to 1,01,210. East Godavari has a maximum 18,924 active cases, followed by 10,732 in Prakasam, 9,090 in Chittoor, 7,990 in Vizianagaram and 7,561 in Guntur.

During the last 24 hours, the authorities conducted 59,834 tests comprising 29,754 VRDL/Truenat/NACO tests and 30,080 rapid antigen tests. With this, the state has so far tested 37,82,746 samples.

--IANS

ms/vd

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A best-selling author charged with the child homicide of her seven-month-old daughter had allegedly left her in the bath with her two-year old brother.

Fiori Giovanni, 35, was charged more than a month after baby Illen was found unconscious on July 18 at the family's Southbank home in Melbourne at 7.20am.

It remains unknown how long the baby was allegedly left unsupervised before Giovanni returned to the bathroom to find her underwater.

Fiori Giovanni (pictured), 35, was charged after baby Illen was found at the apartment she shared with her partner Ben Bellinger and their two children on July 18

Giovanni wrote a moving tribute on social media after the tragic incident calling her 'our beautiful little angel'

Paramedics desperately attempted to resuscitate the infant but she sadly died at the scene.

Giovanni, who lives with her partner Ben Bellinger, had attempted to hide the allegations from the public, claiming she was afraid of repercussions.

Her lawyer, Adrian Lewin, told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court via videolink that his client had previously received hate mail because of her stance against the representation of African crime in the general media.

Giovanni is a bestselling author and humans rights activist with a raft of accolades to her name.

She appears regularly on television as a guest panelist, attends corporate functions as a keynote speaker and has sold more than 30 books.

Her autobiography Defy your Destiny talks about the challenges she overcame to arrive in Australia and how she was able to become an entrepreneur.

Mr Lewin claimed an opinion piece published in the Herald Sun had resulted in hate mail, which he claimed could escalate to further threats if the public knew what she was accused of.

He further claimed reporting of her alleged negligence could prejudice her trial and cause her toddler future pain when he was old enough to read reports on the allegations.

But media lawyers opposing the court gag argued Giovanni had already put it out on social media herself that her child had died and said there was no actual evidence that she had received any real threats over the charge she faces.

They further argued the toddler who had shared the bath with Illen was unlikely to be called as a prosecution witness and would probably read about the case when older anyway.

Magistrate Mia Stylianou agreed and dismissed the application for a suppression order, freeing up the full shocking details to be revealed when the case returns to court in November.

Giovanni did not appear in court for the hearing but is scheduled to appear when the court resumes in November.

After the death of baby Illen, Giovanni had taken to social media to post a moving tribute to her dead child, where she called her 'their beautiful little angel'.

She wrote: 'A shining star was sent to us to inspire, change, and transform our lives in the short 7 and half months we had the pleasure of being with her.

'Our beautiful angel may be gone and we can't physically hold her but her amazing presence can never be forgotten as she'll forever be in our heart.

'And the light she has sparked in us can never be put out.

'We are currently not taking calls for we need this time to heal and process and be there for our beautiful son Odis but we've decided to have her cremated so that she can always be here with us.'

The couple held her funeral over Zoom as family and friends could not attend in person due to coronavirus restrictions.

In the weeks after her child's death, the motivational speaker posted a video on social media where she spoke about her grief.

'As life would have it, I no longer have to imagine the tragedy or the pain that comes from losing something,' Giovanni said.

'I tragically lost my little girl of seven-and-a-half-months-old a few weeks ago and no, I am not ready to talk about it yet, as it is still incredibly fresh and we are still trying to go through it as a family.

She described it as 'a day by day process' and said she is learning more about herself and how she can move forward.

'Being born in a war torn country, making my way to my western country, adapt a life here with a new language, culture, people, while trying to still keep my identity and build something I could be part of.

'I thought I had been through the worst type of pain the world has to offer.

'But I'm quickly realising that the kind of pain that comes from losing a child is a different kind of pain. It's something that takes a piece of you and I don't think you ever get it back.

'It is something that I have never felt before.'

Giovanni is a bestselling author and humans rights activist regularly appears on television as a guest panelist. Pictured here on Studio 10

Giovanni (pictured on stage) appears regularly on television as a guest panelist, attends corporate functions as a keynote speaker and has sold more than 30 books

Giovanni was born in Eritrea and was 12 years old when she convinced her parents to let her escape an arranged marriage to a 25-year-old man.

At the age of 14 she started a summer camp which she later realised was preparation for mandatory army service.

She later fled to neighbouring Sudan in search of a better life.

Giovanni set up 'My Mind Valley' which is an affirmation program designed around her 'unrelenting belief that people can change their world by changing the way they speak to themselves.'
New York residents are reluctant to return to restaurants, gyms, bars and theaters amid strong concerns that the state will face a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic this fall, according to a Siena College poll released today.

About 86% of New Yorkers are somewhat or very concerned the state will face a large coronavirus outbreak in the fall, and 51% think the worst of the pandemic has yet to come to the state, the poll found.

Those concerns are affecting how New York residents feel about returning to indoor activities.

Large majorities of New Yorkers told Siena pollsters they are not comfortable dining indoors in a restaurant (58%), having a drink at a bar (72%), working out at a gym (70%), or going to a movie theater (73%) or bowling alley (65%).

New Yorkers were split on whether they would be comfortable visiting a museum, with 45% open to the idea and 47% opposed.

State residents expressed some optimism as the number of new coronavirus cases has trended downward this summer.

While 51% in the new poll believe the worst of the pandemic has yet to come, the number is down from 62% two months ago. At the same time, 34% of New Yorkers say the worst is over, up from 27 percent two months ago.

New York states infection rate has stayed below 1% percent for 25 straight days as of Tuesday. The number of patients in hospital intensive care units remained at 109, the lowest number since March 15.

The Siena poll of 745 New York residents was conducted Aug. 20 through Aug. 27. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

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Educating CNY: Syracuse.com launches initiative to inform, connect community around school reopening

New NY law requires employers to give sick leave to all workers; heres what you need to know

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
A protester holds a sign with a picture of Dijon Kizzee, who died after being shot by deputies of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department on Monday - Christian Monterrosa/AP

A black cyclist was fatally shot by Los Angeles County police - the latest police killing of a black man - as the sheriff's department and a lawyer representing the man's family gave different accounts of the shooting on Tuesday.

The cyclist, 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee, was shot more than 20 times in the back on Monday afternoon after two sheriff's deputies tried to stop him for a bicycle code violation, said Benjamin Crump, who said he is representing Mr Kizzee's family.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said Mr Kizzee, whose identity was confirmed by the county medical examiner-coroner, was shot nearly 20 times after dropping a handgun he had been carrying and punching one of the deputies.

The killing renewed protests in the city by demonstrators angered at deadly violence against black people by police. Such protests have become a near daily occurrence around the country after George Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer in May.

"You don't kill any race but us, and it don't make any sense," Fletcher Fair, Mr Kizzee's aunt, told reporters at the site of the shooting on Tuesday where activists called for an independent investigation by California's attorney general. "Why us?"

Dijon Kizzee's aunt Debra Ray is embraced by a family member as people protest the shooting of Dijon by Los Angeles sheriff's deputies - REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon

Protests also continued in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over a white police officer's shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in the back, leaving him paralysed, and the unrest has become a major issue ahead of November's presidential election.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, arrived in Kenosha on Tuesday as he seeks to rally his base of white supporters by defending police against criticism of brutality.

Mr Kizzee was riding his bike on Monday afternoon in Los Angeles County's Westmont neighbourhood when two sheriff's deputies who had been driving by tried to stop him.

Mr Kizzee abandoned his bike and ran for a block with the deputies in pursuit, Brandon Dean, a sheriff's department spokesman, told reporters on Monday evening.

Story continues

Mr Kizzee then punched one of the deputies in the face, dropping a bundle of clothing he was carrying, the department said.

The deputies said a semi-automatic handgun was in the dropped bundle, and both of them began shooting Mr Kizzee, the department said.

Mr Dean said he did not know what part of the bicycle code Mr Kizzee was suspected to have violated or how many times the deputies shot him, other than saying it was fewer than 20.

His office declined to answer questions about the shooting and the status of the two deputies on Tuesday.

The county coroner was due to conduct an autopsy on Mr Kizzee on Tuesday.

#DijonKizzee, a 29yo Black man, was fatally shot by @LASDHQ deputies. Cops stopped him while riding his bike for alleged vehicle code violation. They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun. He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours. pic.twitter.com/CF1hVihywv  Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 1, 2020

However, Mr Crump, a civil rights lawyer known for representing black victims of police violence around the US, wrote in a Twitter post: "They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun. He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours."

Mr Crump asked on Twitter for people to send him any videos of the incident, saying that sheriff's deputies are not required to wear body cameras.
Japan's ruling party said Wednesday it will vote September 14 on a replacement for outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is stepping down for health reasons.

- Yoshihide Suga -

The decision kicks off a leadership race in the world's third-largest economy, with three leading candidates expected to face off in the poll:

Yoshihide Suga is the frontrunner after years as a close advisor to Abe and a powerful role overseeing policy.

His job as chief cabinet secretary involves coordinating between ministries and agencies, as well as being the government's top spokesman.

While the role has been a stepping stone to the leadership in the past, 71-year-old Suga claimed repeatedly before Abe's resignation that he was not interested in the top job.

A self-made lawmaker in a party of hereditary politicians, Suga was raised in northern Japan, the eldest son of a strawberry farmer.

He moved to the capital after high school and worked odd jobs to put himself through night college, before being elected in 1987 as a municipal assembly member in Yokohama outside Tokyo. He won a lower house seat in 1996.

The pragmatic politician is seen as a neutral figure within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. And while he does not command a faction within the party, several of its most powerful have thrown their support behind him.

Suga's spokesman role has given him little chance to express his own views, but his somewhat anodyne image got a reboot last year when he announced the name of the new imperial era: Reiwa.

- Shigeru Ishiba -

The image of him holding the hand-drawn calligraphy for the name earned him the affectionate nickname "Uncle Reiwa".

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba is the clear public favourite but faces an uphill struggle to win support within his own party.

A military expert with a quirky side -- he is a self-confessed 1970s pop fan who has discussed the existence of aliens -- Ishiba has made no secret of his interest in the top job.

He challenged Abe for the leadership in the party's 2018 contest, when he was handily defeated, but has long been mentioned as a potential successor.

The 63-year-old former banker is the scion of a political family and seen as a strong orator with significant experience -- he entered parliament aged just 29.

Like Abe he is a defence hawk who wants to strengthen the role of the country's Self-Defence Forces in the pacifist constitution.

He has served in several cabinet posts, but struggles with his outsider status within the LDP.

- Fumio Kishida -

In 1993, he left the party, becoming an independent and then briefly joining another party before returning to the fold -- a political dalliance many in the LDP have not forgiven.

Fumio Kishida is often described as Abe's preferred successor, but the soft-spoken 63-year-old appears to be struggling to capitalise on his heir-apparent status.

A political dove and former foreign minister, Kishida is currently the LDP's policy chief and has made little secret of his ambitions for the highest political office.

He is a scion of a political family from Hiroshima and leads a major faction within the ruling party and is seen as a pair of safe hands.

Unlike some of his rivals for the top job, Kishida has never challenged the prime minister for the leadership, choosing to remain a loyal minister and aide on the understanding that he would eventually be endorsed by Abe.

But that does not appear to have panned out, with Abe saying he would not endorse any one candidate or otherwise influence the race to succeed him.

As a foreign minister between 2012-2017, Kishida dealt with several tough assignments, including negotiating accords with Russia and South Korea.

The highlight of Kishida's tenure as the top diplomat was to accompany a 2016 trip by Barack Obama as he became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, will visit Ghana on Wednesday for a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart over alleged harassment of Nigerians in the neighbouring West African country.

The Nigerian government last week warned that it would no longer tolerate hostilities towards Nigerian residents in Ghana.

Information minister, Lai Mohammed, recalled that Ghanaian officials seized a property in Accra, which the Nigerian government had used as diplomatic premises for almost 50 years.

He also alleged aggressive and incessant deportation of Nigerians from Ghana, noting that between January 2018 and February 2019, no fewer than 825 Nigerians were deported from that country.

But in a counter statement, Ghanas information minister, Kolo Nkrumah, said Mr Mohammeds account was not factual and accurate.

Mr Nkrumah added that the deportations were over criminal activities such as fraud, prostitution and armed robbery.

Legislative intervention

After meeting President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, Mr Gbajabiamila told State House reporters he will be meeting the Speaker of the parliament in Ghana on Wednesday to look at the issues on ground, as it affects our citizens, and to try and calm things down and see if theres a way forward.

He added that the legislative diplomacy move is aimed to calm nerves and reach an amicable settlement of the disputes between the two countries.

He said Nigeria is not making any demands, we are just going to discuss in the spirit of African Parliaments and we will be looking at issues from time to time as they affect African countries and this is one of them.

We are two strong West African countries and there must be symbiosis, we must work together. You dont get anything from working at cross-purposes or knocking heads together. We must, at all times, as Africans, work as best as possible together and thats what this my trip is about, Mr Gbajabiamila added.
The 2015 attacks against Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket, touched off a wave of killings claimed by the ISIS across Europe

Thousands of people gather at Republique Square in Paris. The January 2015 attacks against Charlie Hebdo and, two days later, a kosher supermarket, touched off a wave of killings claimed by the Islamic State group across Europe. (AP File)

Paris: The French satirical paper whose staff was decimated in a violent attack by Islamic extremists in 2015 is reprinting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad cited by the killers, declaring "history cannot be rewritten nor erased."

The announcement on Tuesday came on the eve of the first trial for the January 2015 attacks against Charlie Hebdo and, two days later, a kosher supermarket.

The killings touched off a wave of violence claimed by the Islamic State group across Europe. Seventeen people died 12 of them at the editorial offices along with all three attackers.

Thirteen men and a woman accused of providing the attackers with weapons and logistics go on trial Wednesday. In an editorial this week accompanying the caricatures, the paper best known for vulgar irreverence said that although it had declined to publish caricatures of Muhammad since the attacks, doing so for the opening of the trial was necessary.

"The only reasons not to stem from political or journalistic cowardice," the editorial said.

As the attackers, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, walked away from the carnage, they cried out "We have avenged the Prophet."

Claiming the attacks in the name of al-Qaida, they then killed a wounded policeman point-blank and drove away.

Two days later, a jailhouse acquaintance of theirs stormed a kosher supermarket on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, killing four hostages and claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Kouachi brothers had by then holed up in a printing office with another hostage. All three attackers died in near-simultaneous police raids.

The supermarket attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, also killed a young policewoman.

The caricatures re-published this week were first printed in the fall of 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, setting off sometimes violent protests in early 2006 by Muslims who believe depicting Muhammad is blasphemy.

Charlie Hebdo, which was then little-known outside France and regularly caricatures religious leaders from various faiths, republished them soon afterwards. The paper's Paris offices were firebombed in 2011 and its editorial leadership placed under police protection, which remains in place to this day.

Laurent Sourisseau, the paper's director and one of the few staff to have survived the attack, named each of the victims in a foreword to this week's edition.

"Rare are those who, five years later, dare oppose the demands that are still so pressing from religions in general, and some in particular," wrote Sourisseau, who is also known as Riss.

Three of the accused, including the wife of one of the attackers, will not be at the trial because they are abroad and it's not known if they're alive or dead.

Most of the 11 who will appear in court say they knew it was for a crime but claim they had no idea it was for mass killings.

Among those inside the market was Lassana Bathily, an employee whose home village in Mali was just 20 kilometers from that of Coulibaly's. Bathily hid a group of the store's Jewish customers in a cold room and slipped out to warn police about the terror attack inside. Eleven days later, the unlikely hero was granted French citizenship. He is among nearly 200 plaintiffs at the trial.

"We want to know what really happened even if the terrorists won't be there. I hope that those who worked with them, helped them financially will be punished for what they did. That's the only thing we expect," Bathily said.

"We want to know the truth because we don't know anything, we've heard nothing for the past five years."

The world rallied behind France in the days after the killings. Leaders from around the world joined millions of people who poured into Paris' enormous Republique plaza and other gathering spots in France bearing defiant signs that read "I am Charlie."

But the January 2015 attacks were seen as a colossal intelligence failure for France. At least one of the Kouachi brothers had travelled to Yemen to train with al-Qaida.

Cherif Kouachi, the younger, acknowledged as much in an interview with a French television network during their final siege. Said Kouachi was under surveillance until mid-2014.

In a 2008 interview with Le Monde newspaper, Coulibaly himself described prison, where he met Cherif Kouachi then awaiting trial on terrorism charges, as "the best crime school". Their jailhouse mentor is among those scheduled to testify.

Afterwards, the French government reorganized its intelligence structure, raised the national security budget and hired hundreds more investigators to monitor homegrown extremists.

"The opening of this trial is the moment to remember that the fight against Islamist terrorism is a major priority of the government," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Monday in a speech at the French intelligence headquarters. "We will fight relentlessly." The trial will be filmed for posterity, a rarity in France reserved for proceedings of historical import.

One of the three absent defendants is Hayat Boumedienne, Coulibaly's wife who fled to Syria days ahead of the attacks. She took a starring role in one of Islamic State's propaganda blitzes, urging French Muslims, men and women alike, to follow her path.

French media reported that a woman who returned from Syria encountered Boumedienne last year at the enormous al-Hol camp for Islamic State families, living under an assumed name. Since then, the camp has seen numerous escapes.
During her time in the White House, first lady Melania Trump has routinely used a private Trump Organization email account and the encrypted messaging app Signal, her former adviser and friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff told The Washington Post.

Trump has also used an email from her MelaniaTrump.com domain and iMessage to communicate, Winston Wolkoff said. She said she didn't write about the emails in her new book, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady, because she "just had too much" else to say. She told the Post she decided to speak about the matter now because the White House has been smearing her name as retaliation for the book.

Winston Wolkoff said she and the first lady "both didn't use White House emails," and provided the Post with emails dated after President Trump's inauguration that appear to be from the first lady's private accounts. Some of the messages were about government contracts and finances related to the inauguration, while others included schedules for state visits to Israel and Japan.

During his 2016 campaign, the president railed against Hillary Clinton for using a private email server while she was secretary of state, regularly encouraging his supporters to chant "Lock her up!" during rallies. It has since been revealed that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, both senior advisers to the president, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have all used private email to conduct government business.

Richard Painter served as the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007, and he told the Post that while the first lady is not a government employee, "if she is doing United States government business, she should be using the White House email. It's total hypocrisy. They get elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email."

More stories from theweek.com

Fox News poll: Biden leads Trump in 3 key swing states after RNC, DNC

Attorney General Barr won't agree it's illegal to vote twice, as Trump urged, claims ignorance of state laws

Nate Silver's analysis of Biden's Electoral College chances renews calls to repeal it altogether


The mother of a man who was shot and killed by an Albany County sheriffs deputy two years ago has filed a federal lawsuit against the deputy, the county sheriff, the county commission and other, unnamed officials.

Robert Robbie Ramirez was shot and killed by Albany County Sheriffs Deputy Derek Colling in November 2018 after Colling pulled Ramirez over for failing to signal before he turned. According to the lawsuit, Colling shot Ramirez, who had mental health conditions, once near the armpit and twice more in the back, after Ramirez fell to the ground.

The lawsuit alleges that Colling, who had previously shot and killed two people as a Las Vegas police officer, used excessive and unreasonable force on Ramirez, counter to his training and to federal law. It also alleges that Sheriff David OMalley and others didnt discipline Colling afterward, nor was he internally investigated. Rather, the suit alleges Colling was promoted to an investigative unit.

Within the broader protests of police killings elsewhere, demonstrators in Laramie have raised Ramirezs shooting alongside that of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minnesota police officer, in their protests. Colling had previously been cleared by a grand jury, secretly convened by County Attorney Peggy Trent. Collings name has been included in the chants and on signs in Laramie in recent months.

The suit, filed by Ramirezs mother Debra Hinkel on Tuesday, names as defendants Colling, OMalley, the commission and 10 unnamed county officials. Messages sent to Trent and to the sheriffs office were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Noah Drew, one of the three lawyers representing Hinkel in the suit, told the Star-Tribune that we look forward to telling the story of Robbie and what happened on Nov. 4, 2018, the day Colling shot and killed Ramirez.

Colling was hired after moving back to Wyoming and attending the law enforcement academy here in 2013. He was fired from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department after an eight-month investigation into the alleged beating of a man who was filming Colling as the then-officer responded to a scene.

In 2006, Colling shot and killed a man accused of threatening two ex-romantic partners, according to the lawsuit. Three years after the first shooting, Colling shot and killed a mentally ill 15-year-old who was standing behind his mother, the suit alleges. He was fired two years later after the beating of the man who filmed him.

The suit alleges that OMalley knew or should have known about Collings history and that his decision to hire the deputy was unduly influenced by his friendship with Defendant Collings father, Richard Colling, who was a highway patrolman. OMalley was allegedly warned that Derek Colling was a loose cannon who had an out of control temper.

The details of the shooting are also described within the suit. Ramirez was driving in Laramie when Colling began to follow him, the suit alleges. After Ramirez failed to signal, Colling pulled him over and approached Ramirezs passenger-side door and indicated that Ramirez needed to roll down his window. Because the window required Ramirez to crank a handle to lower it, Ramirez tried to wave Colling to his driver-side window, toward which Colling allegedly refused to move.

Ramirez, who lived close by, pointed to a nearby building and pulled away and headed toward his home. Colling followed and positioned his vehicle close behind Ramirezs truck. The deputy then exited his vehicle, wielding both his service weapon and a Taser. He ordered Ramirez to put his hands up, which  according to the suit  Ramirez did. He was unarmed.

The lawsuit alleges that available audio doesnt indicate that Ramirez was going to be tased or face any physical force. There was no reasonable warning that Robbie was under arrest, the family alleges. Colling then allegedly tased Ramirez twice, and Ramirez swatted at the stingers and backed up.

Then Collings body camera cuts to black, the suit alleges. The two moved out of view of the dashboard camera on Collings vehicle. When they returned into view, Colling shot at Ramirez, missed, and then hit him under Ramirezs armpit. That wound, according to the lawsuit, was survivable.

Ramirez then fell, the suit alleges, and Colling took two steps back and then fired two more rounds into Ramirezs back. The deputy suffered no injuries.

Defendant Colling knew or should have known that after he had struck Robbie with a bullet, Robbie would be incapacitated and defenseless, the suit alleges.

The suit also alleges that Colling provided no medical care to Ramirez, which  had it been delivered in a timely fashion  couldve saved the mans life.

At all material times, Robbie did not act in any manner that constituted a threat of imminent harm or death to defendant Colling, any member of the public, or to public safety, the suit alleges.

In the aftermath, the suit claims that OMalley and other officials in Albany County publicly dismiss(ed) and mock(ed) individuals who questioned Defendant Collings fitness for continued duty. It also accuses them of misleading or obstructing the grand jury or investigators in their investigation of the shooting death of Ramirez.

The suit goes on to claim that Collings actions ... were motivated by malice and/or involved deliberate, reckless or callous indifference to Robbies federally protected rights. It also alleges that OMalley and others ignored Collings history of excessive force as an officer in Las Vegas.

The excessive use of force, and OMalley and others role in Collings hiring, were unconstitutional and deprived Robbie of his right to be free of excessive force and search and seizure under the U.S. Constitution.

The suit also seeks damages related to wrongful death at the hands of a peace officer.

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#xHuman #xMachine #17at17 2020 has been a difficult year. The world is facing a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that has revealed just how far we havent come, from healthcare to equality. Our programming during UN General Assembly is meant to inform as well as to inspire us to action.Radia Funna, founder, Build n Blaze

Today, organizational strategy firm Build n Blaze announced that The xHuman @ the UN General Assembly will kick-off online on Tuesday, September 15, on the occasion of the opening of the UN General Assembly. Due to COVID-19, onsite programming has been shifted online premiering on Tuesdays at noon, exclusively on Build n Blaze TVs YouTube channel during the UN General Assembly on September 15, 22 and 29. Subscribe to Build n Blaze TV on YouTube and follow @BuildnBlaze and @BuildnBlazeTV on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more.

So what is xHuman? xHuman is a theory of human and machine co-evolution developed in 2017 by theorist and Build n Blaze founder, Radia Funna. Funna theorizes that a series of important moments have stacked on top of one another over space and time to convert our singularly physical existence to an existence of dualityin both physical and digital formsleading to the rise of the humans whose relationship with machines is so transformational that I have coined them the Exponential Humans or xHuman. (Funna, The Theory of the Exponential Human: Can 4ir Usher in a Gender-Neutral Economy?)

Why bring the xHuman to the UN General Assembly? Funnas time at the UN convinced her that the UN administered Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may be humanitys best chance of solving our most persistent challenges, from the devastation of war to our current climate crisis. Yet, an ever growing generational and communications gap threatened its relevance to the very stakeholders needed to make it a reality.

How does "The xHuman @ the UN General Assembly" help?



Funnas theory of the xHuman can serve as a change in perspective at the UN, providing context on just how profoundly the worlds stakeholders have been transformed in the 75 years that the organization has existed.

Bringing this perspective via Build n Blaze TV, the organizational strategy firms first public platform, provides access to anyone with online access without the proverbial fourth wall; creating a path to engagement via the hub of social interaction for a new generation and increasingly for those that came before them.

With all its pitfalls, and there are many, I still believe in the power of social media to democratize knowledge. Bringing my theory of human and machine co-evolution to the UN via social streaming was a one year experiment both to change the perspective of leaders and to bring in the voices of the global public. Watching the devastation of COVID-19 and the critical role social media continues to play in providing information and fueling disinformation; we are convinced that now is not the time to be silent. This perspective is important. This experiment must go on.Radia Funna, founder, Build n Blaze

About Build n Blaze

Build n Blaze, LLC. is an organizational strategy firm dedicated to providing our clients with data-driven and evidence-based approaches to navigate disruptions (such as technologies of the fourth industrial revolution and socioeconomic shifts) and an ecosystem to achieve transformation. We have a long-term commitment to the future of work, education and parity as well as to the United Nations administered Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a better world. Based in the Greater New York City Area, our work leverages theories by our founder, the futurist Radia Funna, including her theory of the "Exponential Human or "xHuman". https://www.buildnblaze.com/ #xHuman #xMachine #17at17
STRANEK-Africa joins the Coalition of Civil Societies Against Political Vigilantism (CCSAPV) in condemning the brutal assault of the two military men which led to the infliction of knife wounds and their uniforms torn over a piece of land at Dome Faase in Obom Domeabra Municipal. Culprits should be made to face the full rigors of law.

The military men went to Dome Faase to intervene in a possible clash through the Operation Calm Life but were rather assaulted by residents. This reminds us of the murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama who was killed at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017.

It is clear to we at STRANEK-Africa that, the wanton clashes with security agencies has become rampant and that is of great concern. The primary aim of the military and other security agencies is to protect, maintain law and order. Hence, why should the military be disrespected by civilians? Gone are days where civilians have maximum respect for the military even when they are not on duty.

This must stop but it is imperative to understand that a major cause of civilians attacking security agencies without fear or favour is the loss of trust in the security agencies due to political interference. Political interference has caused a reluctant attitude in leadership of the security agencies in cracking the whip when it deems fit with regards to professional misconduct of some security operatives.

It is not the habit of Ghanaians to attack security operatives and that is why it is prudent to rekindle confidence as well as respect for the security agencies of Ghana by divorcing political interference from the mode of operations of the security agencies. Going into the 2020 election, the whip must be cracked when there is misconduct and unethical exhibitions by security operatives.

Ghana can be assured of democratic governance at its best if steps are taken to restore confidence and respect for its security agencies.

We are all involved in building our motherland Ghana.

Happy new month!

Signed.

Nii Tettey Tetteh

Executive Director

+233 559 042 914

Emmanuel Osei

Director of Policy and Political Affairs

+47 412 45 303
In the wake of significant executive and editorial layoffs at DC Comics, Daniel Cherry, formerly chief marketing officer at Activision Blizzard Esports, has been named senior v-p and general manager of the company.

In this newly created position, Cherry will work in collaboration with Jim Lee, chief creative officer and publisher of DC Comics. Indeed, Lee, who is also one of DCs most popular superhero artists, is among the few high-level DC editorial executives to remain in place under the recent reorganization of Warner Bros and its subsidiary units.

According to reports in The Beat and The Hollywood Reporter, DC executives that remain in place are Marie Javins, executive editor of Global Publishing Initiatives and Digital Strategy, and Michelle Wells, executive editor of DC Childrens/Young Adult. These two along with Jim Lee and Cherry will now head up DCs new editorial structure.

Cherrys appointment comes after a major reorganization in early August at Warner Bros.,the parent company of DC Comics, and Warner Media, that has led to significant layoffs throughout the company. According to published reports, in addition to laying off a number of long-serving editorial executives, it has been reported that as much as a third of the editorial staff at DC has been let go.

Among those reported to have been laid off are DC editor in chief Bob Harras, senior v-p publishing strategy and support services Hank Kanalz, v-p marketing and creative services Jonah Weiland, v-p Bobbie Chase, and editors Brian Cunningham, Mark Doyle and Andy Khouri.

Cherry will be charged with handling the business affairs of editorial, talent services, marketing, sales and the direct to consumer business of DC Comics. In addition, he will oversee business development with Anne DePies, senior v-p business strategy, financial and administration.

Cherry was previously CMO at Activision Blizzard Esports, a fast-growing global videogaming platform that holds events in arenas, and he oversaw the business, brand and content portfolio as well. Before joining Activision he was chief marketing and innovation officer for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.
The Centers for Disease Control is advising public health officials in every state to be ready to distribute the coronavirus vaccine as soon as late October or early November.

A report in the New York Times said the vaccine will first be offered to healthcare workers and others in high-risk groups.

Documents related to the vaccine were distributed to states last week, the Times said. The documents refer to a pair of unnamed vaccine candidates, each of which would require two doses a few weeks apart. Early vaccinations would go to healthcare professionals, including long-term care employees, as well as essential workers and national security personnel.

Planners are advised, the guidance notes, that by January 2021 significantly more COVID-19 vaccine will be available for distribution.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told TODAY there were a number of vaccine trials with enough data that you would really feel comfortable it was safe and effective for the American public.

I believe that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year that we will feel comfortable that we do have a safe and effective vaccine, Fauci said
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attempted murder by poisoning and the aim was to silence him.

Testing by a German military lab determined that Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

After that finding was announced on Wednesday, Merkel said there are very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer and must answer.

Navalny is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, citing new test results.

The Berlin hospital treating Navalny said he remains in a serious condition though the symptoms of his poisoning are declining. It said that it expects a long recovery, and it still cant rule out long-term consequences from the poisoning.

Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said testing by a special German military laboratory at the request of the Berlin hospital where Navalny remains in a coma showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

It is a dismaying event that Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia, Seibert said in a statement. The German government condemns this attack in the strongest terms.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. He was transferred two days later to Berlins Charit hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. The nerve agent is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at Charite said last week had shown up in Navalnys system.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday and told in unmistakable" terms of Germanys call for the Navalny case to be investigated in full and with full transparency.

We now know that there was an attack with a chemical nerve agent," Mass said. That makes it even more urgent to determine who was responsible in Russia and to hold them to account."

The Kremlin remained tight-lipped and said it hadnt been informed, even though its ambassador in Berlin had been summoned.

Seibert said the German government would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results. He said it wants to consult with them in light of the Russian response on an appropriate joint response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he added.

Russia itself should have a serious interest in good relations with its neighbors in Europe," said Maas, the foreign minister. Now at the very latest, it is the time to make a decisive contribution toward this.

In an update shortly after the governments announcement, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care and remains on a ventilator. But it said that he continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putins name and a signature next to it.

The Russian doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia repeatedly contested the German hospitals poisoning conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and that their tests for cholinesterase inhibitors came back negative.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts say it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent after the Soviet Union collapsed, and that the Novichok used in the attack could have come from them.

According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, there is no record of Novichok having been declared by any nation that signed the chemical weapons convention.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed," Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at Kings College London, said. It is only dangerous when it is about to be used, i.e. mixed together. It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a local woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

British police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and sprayed on the front door of Sergei Skripals house in the city of Salisbury in southwest England. More than three months later, the bottle was found by a local man, 48-year-old Charlie Rowley. He was hospitalized and his girlfriend, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents.

____

Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this story.

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
With most state coronavirus statistical measures entering a fourth straight week of steady decline, Gov. Greg Abbott is signaling he may roll back some emergency restrictions imposed at the height of the summer surge.

In a response Monday night to concerns from workers in the battered restaurant industry, the Republican governor tweeted that new infections and hospitalizations from COVID-19 are waning, then added I hope to provide updates next week about next steps.

Since my last orders in July, COVID numbers have declined  most importantly hospitalizations, Abbott wrote.

The governor gave no indication what steps he might take next, and a spokesman did not respond to questions. But Abbott said recently he would consider allowing bars to reopen and restaurants to reopen further if current trends persist.

Abbott on Aug. 19 tjold KXAS in Dallas that to loosen restrictions thered need to be a downard trend in hospitalizations and a positive COVID-19 test rate below 10 percent for two weeks. The number dropped to 10.13 percent Tuesday, down from 24.5 percent in mid-August and the lowest since June 22. Its been between 11 percent and 16 percent the last 2 weeks.

Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined the most significantly  4,144 Tuesday, down from 10,893 on July 22  but new cases, positive test rates, daily deaths and viral spread are all dropping. They are dropping enough that one Texas modeler, Spencer Fox of University of Texas at Austin, went so far as to say he thinks that Texas may have seen the worst of the pandemic  as long as people continue to wear masks and keep their guard up.

A number of other health experts warned against lifting restrictions, noting that the coming Labor Day weekend, the expected resumption of schools and seasonal weather changes have the potential to cause a resurgence like Texas experienced earlier in the summer. They also said the amount of transmission, although improved, is still way too high.

I dont want to be Debbie Downer, but weve been surprised before, Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the UTHealth School of Public Health, said last Friday. Its a double-edged sword when things start looking better. The virus is still out there, but people think things can go back to normal.

Troisi added that some experts are hesitant because of the states data reporting problems, because its possible some other issue will surface. Those problems include under testing, coding errors that caused backlogged results and combining positive diagnostic and antibody tests.

Chris Amos, a Baylor College of Medicine quantitative scientist, said the timing could not be worse for rolling back.

Given the number who test positive reflect perhaps 10 times as many individuals who have not been tested but are positive, said Amos, there remains a large pool of individuals who can spread COVID-19 if they begin interacting with many others, and particularly if we allow large groups to start coming together again.

Amos acknowledged that optimism about opening up is natural given the slowing of COVID-19s spread. The spread is measured by a value, known as reproductivity, that suggests a slowing or growing of the virus. Over 1 means each infected person transmits it to an average of more than one person and the epidemic grows; under 1 means the virus is transmitted to less than one person and the epidemic wont sustain itself.

The value for the state overall has been under 1 since July 20.

According to Amos calculations, if the state maintains the current trend, with the number around 0.87, it would take 38 days to reduce the COVID-19 burden by another 50 percent.

Its important to keep reducing that burden before students resume in-person classes, Amos said. He and others advised against a one-size-fits-all approach.

Not every community or county in Texas is experiencing the same burden of disease, said Angela Clendenin, an epidemiologist with the Texas A&M School of Public Health. In some places, it may be justified to roll back some restrictions whereas in others, itd be ill-advised to do so. It will be critically important that rolling back restrictions does not send the message that we are somehow all clear.

Down but creeping up

Areas of concern include Houston, where the numbers have been down for the past month but have been creeping up in recent days  the seven-day rolling average of cases has grown and spread has exceeded 1 the last three days, after 20 straight days below. Officials said it is too early to tell if the increases are just a blip or the start of a trend.

Either way, Baylor College of Medicine infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Hotez calls the current situation purgatory  no longer the hell marked by sky-high levels of transmission and huge numbers of patients in hospitals and intensive-care units, but bad enough that people cant return to a normal life and existence.

Hotez, who urges tighter controls instead of rolling back, says he expects the case numbers to go back up as schools and colleges open. And although the spike after the Fourth of July wasnt as big as the one after Memorial Day, he worries Labor Day will bring more more spread.

In the last month, however, the states metrics have steadily improved. In addition to the reduced spread and fewer hospitalizations, the rolling seven-day average of cases is down from more than 10,000 in mid-July to 4,753 this week; and the rolling average for daily deaths is down from more than 330 to about 150 this week.

Fox, the associate director at the University of Texas-Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, attributes the improvement to individual behavior, local or state policies and perhaps even some limited immunity having effect as the disease has spread to a more significant portion of the population.

A report issued by the consortium last week showed the virus spread was declining  that is, the value is under 1  in all of the states trauma service areas. It also found each areas risk of exceeding general hospital capacity is now below 10 percent.

The situation is really improving pretty dramatically in almost all regions across the state, said Fox. We need to monitor the situation closely and not let our guard down. Hopefully, weve seen the worst of it  that at any sign of resurgence officials will do whats necessary to stem increases and people will react to avoid a return of the situation weve been in.

todd.ackerman@chron.com

jeremy.blackman@chron.com

stephanie.lamm@chron.com
FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leadership of the Fort Worth-based Shaken Baby Alliance announced today they are reviving a 61-year American tradition by hosting a national Labor Day Weekend fundraising and awareness building telethon on Saturday. The We Love Kids Virtual Telethon will be an eight-hour virtual event streamed to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, and will feature entertainers from around the country and speakers about their cause.

More information and links to view can be found at www.welovekidstelethon.com .

"At the Shaken Baby Alliance, our focus is on providing support for victim families and professionals, prevention of child abuse, and justice for the innocent victims," Bonnie Armstrong, executive director and founder of the Shaken Baby Alliance, said. "Launching this innovative national virtual event gives us an entertaining way to share what we do and raise essential funding for our work."

Performances for the day will include musicians and other entertainers, as well as speakers about the issue, including health care and law enforcement professionals, as well as affected family members. The schedule will be posted Tuesday morning and will be updated throughout the week.

A fun element will be celebrity charity promos delivered by such beloved figures as film and TV actress Lea Thompson, Hamilton actress Sasha Hutchings, and two-time Super Bowl champion Tony Casillas.

Founded in 1998 in Fort Worth by three mothers whose children were victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome, the Shaken Baby Alliance offers three services: Victim Family Services, Professional Support (Training and Case Consultations), and Prevention Education. Over the past 21 years, SBA has grown into a nationally recognized forensic training and case consulting agency for professionals involved in child physical abuse cases.

Most recently, Ms Armstrong was recognized as the "Best of Big D Front Line Heroes"

https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2020/august/dallas-heroes-coronavirus-best-of-big-d-2020/

CONTACT: SEAN SPENCE

[email protected] ; 573-823-1308

SOURCE The Shaken Baby Alliance
Press Release

September 2, 2020 Hontiveros welcomes filing of criminal raps vs BI personnel tagged in 'pastillas scam' Senator Risa Hontiveros today welcomed the filing of criminal charges against 19 personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) allegedly linked to the so-called 'pastillas scam,' hailing it as a "major step forward in protecting the country's borders and the welfare of Filipinos, especially women and children." "The filing of cases against these BI personnel is a welcome development in our efforts to remove the network of corruption which enabled the illegal entry of countless Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers from China, along with the various crimes associated with them. We commend the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for taking decisive action against those who have betrayed the country and contributed to the victimization of many Filipino women and children," she said. Last February, Hontiveros, as chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, spearheaded hearings which exposed the pastillas scam, a massive illegal operation in which immigration officials offered Chinese nationals - many of whom are POGO workers -'seam-less' entry into the Philippines for a fee. The committee led by Hontiveros revealed to the public digital chat logs, undercover videos and a testimony by BI whistleblower Allison Chiong, which detailed how immigration officers escorted and provided "red-carpet services" for Chinese workers as they illegally entered the country. Hontiveros said that the rampant illegal and undocumented entry of Chinese nationals may be linked to the wave of criminal activities involving POGO employees, which includes human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping and labor law violations. "Sa pagaaral ng aming komite, may mga prostitution ring para sa mga POGO workers na bumibiktima sa mga babaeng Pilipina, na minsan ay menor de edad pa. Mga kababayan natin ang nagdurusa dahil sa kasakiman ng ilang opisyal," she said. The senator said she is hopeful that the NBI's investigation of the corruption in BI will lead to the filing of cases against more BI employees as well as other private individuals like travel agency operators who are also involved in the pastillas scam. "In our committee hearings, the evidence presented pointed to how systemic and far-reaching the 'pastillas scheme' was. There were people in the higher levels of the BI who were supposedly on the take and benefiting from this illegal enterprise. Kung gusto natin matigil ang paglabag sa ating batas at ang pagabuso sa ating kababaihan at kabataan, kailangan natin mahanap at makasuhan ang bawat padrino at backer na nakikinabang sa kalokohang ito," she concluded.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration is willing to work on a bipartisan relief package.

Pressed by Democrats to quickly negotiate a new coronavirus relief package, United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday that the administration remains willing to work on a bipartisan agreement to help small businesses, the unemployed, children and schools. Democratic leaders in Congress are holding up negotiations with hardened positions, he said.

Lets move forward on a bipartisan basis on points we can agree upon, Mnuchin urged at a hearing by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The president and I want to move forward.

Mnuchin made the case that the economys recovery has strengthened in recent weeks, citing improved consumer spending, growth in manufacturing and a rebounding housing market. It is the failure of some states to reopen activity that is holding back the economy, he said.

But Democrats insisted that dire economic conditions persist for many. Millions of Americans are now facing eviction, debt and hunger, said the panels chairman, Representative James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina. As the pandemic drags on, states, cities and businesses are warning that more layoffs may be coming.

The subcommittees Democratic staff, meanwhile, said it has identified lapses pointing to possible fraud and abuse in a signature piece of the administrations relief effort, the $660bn-plus small business loan programme  including more than $1bn awarded to businesses that received multiple loans.

The staff investigators said in a report that a lack of government oversight and accountability for the programme may have led to billions of dollars being diverted to fraud, waste and abuse, rather than reaching small businesses truly in need.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin testifies before the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis [Graeme Jennings/Reuters]

With bipartisan agreement, Congress enacted an unprecedented $2.3 trillion pandemic rescue package in March. Now the Trump administration and top congressional Democrats have been in a months-long stalemate over new relief legislation, with the two sides trillions of dollars apart. Lawmakers left Washington for the August recess without an agreement.

The impasse left millions of jobless people without a $600-per-week pandemic bonus unemployment benefit that had helped families stay afloat, left state and local governments seeking fiscal relief high and dry, and held back a more than $100bn school aid package.

An estimated 27 million people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits, according to the US Department of Labor, though the figure may be inflated by double counting by states.





Mnuchin identified additional spending on aid to small businesses as the area where Democrats and Republicans are most likely to agree. In sometimes sharp exchanges, he and Democrats on the panel disagreed over the state of the economy and traded blame for the impasse over new rescue legislation.

Mnuchin pinned the blame on a refusal to compromise by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. While touting the economys partial recovery, he acknowledged that we have more work to do.

Pelosi this week said the talks faltered because administration officials do not understand the gravity of the problem facing the country.

The Small Business Administrations (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a key piece of the governments economic aid programme responding to the pandemic. The nations small businesses received a gut punch in the spring as huge swaths of the economy were shut down, millions lost jobs and consumers curtailed spending.

Economists generally credit the small business programme with helping prevent the job market meltdown from becoming worse.

The programme was overseen by the Treasury Department. Because the SBA only audited loans exceeding $2m, about 99 percent of the awards received little or no oversight, the investigators said. The agency approved hundreds of loan applications that were missing key identifying information about the borrower, according to the report.

Mnuchin said in his testimony Tuesday that loans of $2m or less may also be audited, though it would not be automatic.

Spokespersons for the Treasury and the SBA did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

The loans are forgivable if businesses use the money to keep employees on the payroll or rehire workers who have been laid off.

The investigation also found that over 600 loans, totaling $96m, went to companies that were excluded from doing business with the government because of previous violations. And more than 350 loans, worth $195m, were awarded to government contractors with significant performance and integrity issues, the report said.

In addition, the investigators said they found red flags  such as mismatched addresses  for $2.98bn in loans to 11,000 businesses from comparing a federal database on government awards with information on companies PPP applications.


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Linkedin A'an Suryana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2 2020

Billboards depicting the self-exiled leader of the Islam Defender Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab, have been dotting the streets of Jakarta. They were erected by his supporters in response to a rally in July in the capital city, in which people burned an image of him.

To some extent, the billboards are sending a message that the firebrand preachers clout remains intact, especially among hardline Muslims and adversaries of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Among the resolute and bold statements written on the billboards are Supporters are ready to fight in defense of religion [Islam], religious preachers and the state and One poster is burned down, thousands more will emerge.

The endeavor by Rizieqs supporters also aimed to shore up his popularity among Islamists as they search for a viable candidate to represent them in the 2024 presidential election. This can be clearly seen from the way Rizieqs image is presented on every billboard. His large image fills up almost the entire billboard.

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MONTVALE, N.J., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Flight Centre Travel Group has announced its latest step in bolstering its technology offering and investing in its future. The travel organization has commissioned Plug and Play to host innovation workshops for its FCM customers, in order to better leverage innovative technology to deliver a seamless and ideal travel experience for corporate travelers.

Plug and Play is one of the world's most prolific early stage investors with over 1000 portfolio companies. Their thriving ecosystem of startups connects the largest corporations to the world's best startups through industry-focused accelerator programs. Serving as a corporate liaison, Plug and Play sources startups for corporations seeking like-minded partners who aim to improve industry standards and elevate business offerings. The company starts important conversations among thought leaders and facilitates relationships between travel management companies and startups to boost the travel experience. Plug and Play invests in over 250 startups a year and has connections to 300 of the world's best VCs, with Flight Centre being one of their most active travel and hospitality partners.

"Although the industry is experiencing a severe downturn, we believe we're on the verge of a re-emergence," said John Morhous, Chief Experience Officer for Flight Centre Travel Group Americas. "We're taking this time to reassess our technological assets and examine how we can best utilize these assets with the needs and new priorities of travelers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Plug and Play's expertise and support can help us best determine how to maximize our offering and remain at the forefront of corporate traveler well into the future."

Since partnering with Plug and Play in 2017, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited (FLT) has made great strides in the travel industry, led by its deep commitment to open innovation and emerging technologies. Together with Plug and Play's consultation and support, the company has acquired Umapped and made significant investments in various companies such as, Upside and Shep.

In their newest acquisition, FLT purchased the travel management platform, WhereTo. Flight Centre's acquisition will increase advancement in their technology capabilities as well as allow them to integrate WhereTo into products and services in both its Corporate Traveler and FCM Travel Solutions brands.

"It's great to see a corporation supporting startups and investing in their future during one of the most difficult times the Travel and Hospitality industry has ever endured. I hope our collaboration with Flight Centre underscores for other organizations in the Travel and Hospitality industry just how critical innovation and digital transformation are to the longevity of an organization. I hope it propels them to follow Flight Centre's lead in partnering with like-minded companies. We believe Flight Centre will come out ahead from this pandemic vs. their competition because of their willingness to evaluate, explore and evolve." Jordan Bray, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Travel at Plug and Play.

For more information on Plug and Play's Travel & Hospitality program, visit: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/travel/

About Flight Centre Travel Group

The Flight Centre Travel Group Limited (FLT) is one of the world's largest travel groups and now has more than 20,000 people across the globe. The company's vast leisure and corporate travel sales network now extends throughout four major regions including, Australia and New Zealand, The Americas, EMEA, and Asia. FLT's global corporate travel management network, FCM Travel Solutions. Extends to about 75 other countries through strategic licensing agreements. The company now has over 30 brands. FLT has twice been judged Australia's best employer, in addition to claiming a number of other employer travel agency awards in Australia and overseas. For more information, visit https://www.fctgl.com/ .

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the largest global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 35 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

SOURCE Plug and Play

Related Links

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BANGALORE, India, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing use of technical textiles in end-use industries such as the automotive, healthcare, construction, and geotextiles is expected to increase the technical textile market size. The use of technical textiles in these industries can be attributed to the specific functional properties such as hygiene and protection, cost-effectiveness, longevity, strength, lightweight, flexibility, user-friendliness, eco-friendliness, and logistics convenience.

The global technical textile market was valued at USD 201.2 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 274.1 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2020 to 2027.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the market and the current and future technical textile market trends.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-1S127/technical-textile

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE TECHNICAL TEXTILE MARKET SIZE

Natural materials used in the manufacture of technical textiles are comparatively expensive to their synthetic counterparts like wool and silk. The high cost of finished products affects the intermediate industry's pricing structure, thus constraining the technical textile market size.

Advances in biotechnology have led to a rapid change and evolution toward a more scientific approach in traditional farming methods. It is expected that the implementation and use of highly efficient technologies in the agricultural sector will increase crop yields, thus influencing overall productivity and demand for technical textiles.

The 3D knitting technology helps in manipulating the knitting of the 3D shaped weft and the dimensionality found in the knit structures. Moreover, the technology also makes the user interface modifications and enhancements, resulting in more effective and high-performance knit product designs. This is expected to fuel the growth of the technical textile market size during the forecast period.

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TECHNICAL TEXTILE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

The Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest Technical Textile market share in 2017. The growth of the technical textile market in emerging countries such as China and India is attributed to rapid urbanization and increased disposable incomes.

Based on the process, the nonwoven segment is expected to grow at the fastest growth rate during the projection period. In terms of revenue, it is expected to grow at a growth rate of 5.7 percent over the forecast period.

Based on the application, the MobilTech segment held the largest market share in 2019. This is due to a customer base built-in developed regions such as North America and Europe. This industry is expected to show remarkable growth in the future, primarily due to the increase in demand for high-quality vehicles.

Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Auto-1S127/Technical_Textile_Market

TOP COMPANIES IN THE TECHNICAL TEXTILE MARKET

Manufacturers in the technical textile market depend on reliable and effective distribution channels to ensure a stable supply of the goods. As a result, businesses are likely to develop alliances with e-commerce portals to ensure timely access to customers' goods.

As technological textiles become an important feature in the manufacturing sector, manufacturers are moving towards advanced industrial textiles  indutech  like nonwoven nano-fiber filtration media that are used to fill loopholes in the performance of micro-filtration.

Key players are implementing various strategies, such as product launch, business expansion, acquisition, alliance, collaboration, joint venture, and agreement, to remain competitive in the market for technical textiles.

Top companies in the technical textile market include Asahi Kasei Corporation, Ahlstrom Munksjo, Baltex, Berry Global, Inc., Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Dupont De Nemours, Inc. (Dupont), Duvaltex, Freudenberg & Co. KG, GSE Environmental, HUESKER Synthetic GmbH, Kama Holdings Limited, KONINKLIJKE TEN CATE BV, Milliken & Company, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., and SKAPS Industries.

KEY MARKET SEGMENTS

By Material

Natural Fiber

Synthetic Polymer

Mineral

Metal

Regenerated Fiber

Others.

By Process

Woven

Knitted

Non-Woven

Others.

By Application

MobilTech

InduTech

SporTech

BuildTech

HomeTech

ClothTech

MediTech

AgroTech

ProTech

PackTech

GeoTech

OekoTech.

By Region

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

LAMEA.

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SIMILAR REPORTS

Technical Textile Chemicals Market Report

The global Technical Textile Chemicals market size is projected to reach USD 711.3 Million by 2026, from USD 597.1 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 3.0% during 2021-2026.

This report focuses on Technical Textile Chemicals volume and value at the global level, regional level, and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents the overall Technical Textile Chemicals market size by analyzing historical data and future prospects. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, etc.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0A304/technical-textile-chemicals

High Performance Technical Textiles Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4N298/high-performance-technical-textiles

Knitted Technical Textile Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1L341/knitted-technical-textile

Technical Textiles & Fiberglass Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3H309/technical-textiles-fiberglass

Technical Textile Sales Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4A299/technical-textile-sales

Technical Textile Fabrics Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-12G3114/global-technical-textile-fabrics

Technical No-woven Textile Market Report

https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-11W3208/global-technical-no-woven-textile

ABOUT US:

Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs.

Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs.

To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources

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SOURCE Valuates Reports
KITCHENER  A man has been arrested in connection to an armed robbery in May at a Kitchener Bell store.

Waterloo Regional Police said a 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in Kitchener, and has been charged with robbery, forcible confinement and various weapons offences.

On May 16, two men wearing masks entered the Bell store on The Boardwalk at about 5:30 p.m., demanded merchandise, and fled to a waiting vehicle. Police determined that one of the men was carrying an imitation gun.

Police said their investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call them at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
New Delhi: Five countries on Wednesday blocked the move of Pakistan to list Indians as terrorists at the United Nations (UN). Pakistan has failed to list two Indians as United Nations listed international terrorist under the 1267 committee of the UNSC.

The listing was blocked by five UNSC countries--UK, USA, France, Germany and Belgium after no evidence was found to substantiate Pakistan's claim. Pakistan was keen to list Indian nationals Gobinda Patnaik, and Angara Appaji as UN terrorists.

UNSC members gave Pakistan time to provide evidence but Islamabad could not provide it. A hold was put for Pakistan to come up with evidence but the country failed.

India's envoy to UN TS Tirumurti tweeted, "Pakistans blatant attempt to politicize 1267 special procedure on terrorism by giving it a religious colour, has been thwarted by UN Security Council. We thank all those Council members who have blocked Pakistans designs."

Earlier, it had attempted to list two other Indians-- Venumadhav Dongara and Ajoy Mistry as terrorists but the bid failed. Pakistani Foreign Ministry in a statement in June had expressed its "disappointment" for not able to list Dongar. It alleged that they were backing groups like Jamaat-ul-Ahrar etc.

The move was considered a quid pro quo move by Pakistan for India able to get Masood Azhar listed as a UN terrorist in 2019. Azhar is the chief of Pakistan-based UN listed terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) responsible for Pulwama terror attack, among other attacks in India. Pakistani nationals are listed in the largest number at the UN terror list.
Two Texas lawmakers toured one of the countrys largest postal facilities in Houston on Tuesday to address changes that could affect mail-in voting, including sorting machines that were taken out of service and local post offices refusal to stock voter registration cards supplied by the League of Women Voters.

During a visit to the million-square-foot North Houston USPS Processing & Distribution Center, U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Al Green raised concerns over 12 sorting machines had been shut down, including a universal sorter that handles thousands of packages per hour. They also brought up reports that volunteers from the League of Women Voters had been told they could not bring voter registration cards into 13 Houston area post offices.

The Congress members visit came amid a pandemic that has confined millions to their homes, an imminent general election in which a record number of voters may send ballots by mail and statements by the incumbent president that voting by mail through legal means was ripe for fraud.

Garcia said she was concerned about disruption to mail service for those who rely on medicines, benefit checks or vital merchandise they order online. Especially during this pandemic it is critical that the Post Office is fully staffed, fully supported and runs on time.

It appears that the people who manage this facility, they are following orders, all of these decisions came down from persons who are above their pay grade, Green said.

Although the facility has arranged media tours in the past, the postal service did not permit reporters and photographers to view the center with the elected officials on Tuesday.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who is facing a new congressional supoena Wednesday, addressed growing concerns about the removal of blue drop boxes and sorting machines, overtime and a potential mail slowdown in testimony before the House in August. He said no new changes that could impede prompt and reliable service would be implemented before the November election.

The Delivering for America Act, approved by the House Aug. 22 and pending before the Senate, would halt further changes through January 2021, provide $25 billion in emergency appropriations and require all election mail to be treated as first-class mail.

An audit of seven processing centers across the country in the lead up to special and primary elections in May and June found that 1.6 million mail pieces were not delivered in a timely fashion, which accounted for 8 percent of the total.

In addition, the Aug. 31 audit conducted by the postal service inspector general also highlighted concerns it hoped to address with stakeholders including compliance with states postmarking requirements, barcode tracking technology and other problematic ballot designs that impeded processing and how to handle mail to outdated voter addresses.

Garcia and Green said officials at Houstons massive sorting facility promised that equipment to replace one of the machines taken off line that handles Priority, Express Mail and big bundles would be in place by mid-October, ahead of the November election.

Prit Singh, executive vice president of American Postal Workers Union and a 35-year postal worker, said all the work of the 12 machines sitting to the side is being done manually, creating a big safety problem by upping the quantity of mail and straining the workforce to load and sweep the machines safely with current staffing levels.

We are very much worried about the safety of our workers, our members, as APW we represent 2,500 workers locally, and they are having a very big staffing problem, he said.

The House members said they planned to return to the facility in October to verify the new super-sorter machine had been installed.

Carol Hunt, a spokeswoman for Postal Service, said in response to concerns about mail delivery during the election: The Postal Service has more than enough capacity to handle election mail volume. The Postal Service is ready to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives.

The lawmakers also mentioned reports from the League of Women Voters about postal employees in Houston refusing to stock voter registration materials at local postal stations.

Annie Johnson Benifield, vice president of voter services for the Houston branch of the century-old nonpartisan group, said when registration efforts at naturalization ceremonies were curtailed due to the pandemic, the League began recruiting volunteers to adopt and stock the citys 86 post offices with kits that included voter registration materials in multiple languages, reminders about key voting deadlines and American flags.

Benifield said volunteers successfully placed these kits at many post offices, but some were informed by postal workers at Alief, Ashford West, Cornerstone, Eastwood, Fleetwood, Foster Place, Galleria, Long Point, Oak Forest, Spring and Westbury that they could not display the voter registration cards.

Some postal workers mentioned a memo saying the materials were in violation of USPS policy. Others told volunteers they would be glad to keep a stack of the cards behind the counter and provide them if customers requested them.

Garcia said officials told her the advice to ban the card displays came from the postal services legal counsel, but officials declined to provide documentation about the legal finding.

In regard to voter registration materials, Hunt from the Postal Service said, The Postal Service has not changed its policies on voter registration activities or displaying voter registration information in lobbies.

She said that while voter registration drives are permitted in postal facilities under certain circumstances, this is different from depositing unattended stacks or boxes of forms or other materials, which is prohibited. Local officials do not have authority to enter into agreements for deposit or display of such materials.

Regardless, the post office wont be hampered by an influx of mailed ballots, according to the inspector generals audit. If every one of the 152 million registered voters returned a ballot by mail in the November 2020 general election, it says, would represent less than 1.4 percent of the Postal Services average monthly volume.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
Sandalwood star Kiccha Sudeep turned 47 today (September 2) and on this day, the actor asked fans not to celebrate his birthday. Sudeep fans have always been celebrating their favourite star's birthday like a festival, but this time due to the COVID-19 scare, the actor requested his fans not to gather anywhere and help the people in need.

The Phantom star took to Instagram and thanked fans for giving him love and expressed care for them. He wrote a long post which reads, "A small request to all you frnzz. Meeting you all has been the culture for many years and no other joy can replace that part where I get to spend an entire day seeing all you fnzz coming in such large numbers to just wish me."

Considering his ageing parents' health and fans' betterment, Kiccha Sudeep said that there will not be any celebration or event on his 47birthday. "Since the present situation doesn't permit nor support, I regret to say there won't be any celebration nor any event where I can get to meet you all. I need to keep all ur health as well my ageing parents in mind. Huge gathering means,, going back 10 steps and re inviting what we all are trying to get rid of. Covid still is a huge threat and we all need to keep families in mind. Your people are my people too and it hurts equally when I hear news of people affected and suffering. Your wishes do matter to me and as I said nothing can replace the joy of seeing you all turn up in such large numbers. Im sure that day too will come by soon and we all shall meet again. But for now ,,I request you all to not turn up or gather anywhere. There won't be any celebration nor any event," Sudeep added.

See post here

The actor promised his fans to spend more time with them once the war with COVID-19 ends. Kiccha Sudeep concluded the heartfelt post by stating, "Yeah,,, if possible,,,pls do help a few in ur areas in whichever way you can.It will only do you good. Wanna thank you all for having stood by me for these many years. At times,I may not have lived up to ur expectations,, I shall surely try my best ,,,to live up to all that,,, to entertain you all more,, and yeah,, to spend more time with you all once this whole war with covid ends. Much luv to you all ,,,now & forever."

Also Read : Happy Birthday Kiccha Sudeep: Tharun Sudhir, Navin Sajju And Others Wish The Superstar

On the professional front, Kiccha Sudeep will next be seen in Kotigobba 3, directed by Shiva Karthik and Phantom, helmed by Anup Bhandari. The actor is currently busy shooting for Phantom in Hyderabad.

Filmibeat team wishes Kiccha Sudeep a Happy Birthday!
Police are cracking down on gun violence as gang wars escalate after 28 shootings in just one month.

There were shootings across regional New South Wales and metropolitan Sydney in August and another two in September.

Police believe at least two of the shootings relate to outlaw motorcycle gang conflicts and most are believed to be targeted.

One of the attacks left infamous former Comanchero bikie Fares Abounader dead outside his home in Panania on August 29.

Mark Shammo was shot in the legs and torso on Garrong Road in Lakemba on September 1

Shots were fired in a unit with three people inside on Columbine Avenue in Punchbowl on September 2

There have been six shootings in Western Sydney since August 26. Pictured: a police car at the scene of the shooting in St Johns Park on Tuesday night

Police believe Abounader, who was present during the Sydney Airport bikie brawl, was a victim of a targeted shooting amid tension between the Comancheros and Bandidos.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said NSW Police were ramping up their resources after the mass amounts of shootings.

'It is not acceptable under any circumstances.

'It doesn't matter who is involved in these shootings - it's not acceptable and we will come down on them,' Mr McKenna told reporters on Wednesday.

Ten of the August shootings took place across regional NSW while the 18 other attacks occurred in Sydney.

Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the shootings were a result of individual conflicts.

He explained they could relate to low-level drug dealing, which has been made more difficult because of border closures.

Police cordon off the area before forensic officers arrive at Knoll Avenue in Turella after a shooting last week

Mohamed Saab (pictured) was found with gunshot wounds to his shoulder, ribs and leg outside a home in Turrella

'We have seen COVID-19 putting some pressure in terms of the ability of organised crime to move illicit prohibited drugs into the state,' Mr Smith told reporters.

'There is some indication it's reflecting a higher than average price for drugs which is possible that some of this low-level stuff is a conflict occurring around the payment of drugs.'

Mr Smith said it was 'unacceptable' and 'dangerous' to other members of the public, warning the punishment could be life in prison.

'These people are taking a significant risk that they will spend a lifetime behind bars,' he said.

So far eight shootings have resulted in nine people being charged.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia  The Khmer Rouges chief jailer, who admitted overseeing the torture and killings of as many as 16,000 Cambodians while running the regimes most notorious prison, has died. Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was 77 and had been serving a life prison term for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He died at a hospital in Cambodia early Wednesday morning, said Neth Pheaktra, a spokesperson for the tribunal in Phnom Penh that handled the trials over the regimes crimes.

Duch was admitted to Cambodian Soviet Friendship Hospital after developing difficulty breathing Monday at the Kandal provincial prison, said Chat Sineang, chief of the prison where Duch had been transferred from the tribunals prison facility in 2013. He added that the body would be examined for a cause of death before being handed to his family.

Duch, whose trial took place in 2009, was the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face the U.N.-backed tribunal that had been assembled to deliver justice for the regimes brutal rule in the late 1970s, which is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people  a quarter of Cambodias population at the time.

The communist Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. Only after neighboring Vietnam pushed the Khmer Rouge from power did the scale and barbarity of their rule become absolutely clear.

As commander of the top-secret Tuol Sleng prison code-named S-21, Duch was one of the few ex-Khmer Rouge who acknowledged even partial responsibility for his actions, and his trial included his own wrenchingly graphic testimony of how people were tortured at the prison. The site in Phnom Penh which had been a secondary school before the Khmer Rouge came to power, is now a museum with stunning evidence of the cruelty with which the Khmer Rouge persecuted even its own members they accused of disloyalty.

Men, women and children seen as enemies of the regime or who disobeyed its orders were jailed and tormented there, and only a handful survived.

Everyone who was arrested and sent to S-21 was presumed dead already, he testified in April 2009.

The tribunal since Duchs trial has convicted two top echelon Khmer Rouge leaders, while two other defendants died before their trials could be completed. The regimes No. 2 leader Nuon Chea died during his appeals process. The tribunal, established in 2004 by an agreement between the U.N. and the Cambodian government, has cost more than $360 million.

The other whose appeal is under consideration, former head of state Khieu Samphan, almost certainly will be the last one to face trial, due to the Cambodian governments opposition to any more prosecutions. The top Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998 as a prisoner of his comrades in what had shrunk to a spent force of jungle-based guerrillas.

Youk Chhang, head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has collected voluminous archives about the countrys tragedy, said Duchs death is a reminder to us all to remember the victims of the Khmer Rouge. And that justice remains a difficult road for Cambodia.

Torturers under Duch beat and whipped prisoners and shocked them with electrical devices, Duch admitted to the court, but still he denied accounts from survivors and other trial witnesses that he took part in torture and executions himself. The offspring of detainees were killed to ensure the next generation could not take vengeance. Duch called himself criminally responsible for babies deaths but blamed his subordinates for battering the young bodies against trees.

He said the prisons own guards and interrogators were killed for small mistakes and showed rare emotion on the witness stand in June 2009 while speaking of seeing his fellow revolutionaries locked in the cells of his prison. Confessing to betraying his own friends, he said: That was beyond cowardly.

When a guilty verdict was finally delivered against him in July 2010, he was sentenced to 35 years, shortened to just 19 due to time served. The judges said they considered the Cold War context of the atrocities and Duchs cooperation and expressions of remorse, however limited. But outraged survivors feared he could one day walk free. On appeal, the sentence was lengthened in 2012 to life in prison for his shocking and heinous crimes against the Cambodian people.

Like many key members of the Khmer Rouge, Duch was an academic before he became a revolutionary. The former math teacher joined Pol Pots movement in 1967, three years before the U.S. started carpet-bombing Cambodia to try to wipe out Northern Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong inside the border.

The Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975 and immediately attempted a radical transformation of Cambodia into a peasant society, emptying cities and forcing the population to work on the land in the country they renamed Democratic Kampuchea. They backed up their rule with ruthless elimination of perceived enemies, and by 1976, Duch was the trusted head of its ultimate killing machine, S-21.

Tribunal judges said he signed off on all executions there and was often present when interrogators used torture to extract confessions, including pulling out prisoners toenails, administering electric shocks, and waterboarding. Despite his denials, the judges said he had at times taken part in the torture and executions himself.

The torture and executions that took place at Tuol Sleng were routinely recorded and photographed, and when the Khmer Rouge were forced from power in 1979, the thousands of documents and film negatives left at the prison became proof of the regimes atrocities.

Duch fled, disappearing for almost two decades in northwestern Cambodia and converting to Christianity until a chance discovery by a British journalist in 1999 led to his arrest.

Duch has several times asked for forgiveness, even offering at one point to face a public stoning. But his surprise request on the final day of the trial to be acquitted and freed left many wondering if his contrition was sincere.

___

Harmer reported from Bangkok.
The Indonesian digital insurance agency PasarPolis said it raised $54 million in a Series B funding round, in what it said is the largest Series B funding for an insurtech firm in the region.

The company said the investors in the round included LeapFrog Investments and SBI Investment, AlphaJWC, Intudo Ventures and Xiaomi.

PasarPolis sells micro-insurance policies to delivery couriers, ride-hailing drivers and online small-to-medium businesses from more 30 insurance companies in Southeast Asia. It sold more than 650 million policies last year through 10,00 agent partners in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, according to the company.

One of Southeasts unicorns, Gojek, a popular multipurpose app for food, ride-hailing, delivery, digital payments and even massages, is a backer of the PasarPolis.

PasarPolis is run by founders Cleosent Randing and Michael Saputra.

Topics InsurTech Tech Funding
KAMPALA  Leading roof windows manufacturer, Velux Group is throwing it weight  and wealth  behind the fight against climate change in Ugandamonths after the US also announced a whopping UGX 80b investment in countrys biodiversity programme.

Velux Group CEO David Briggs on Monday announced a 21-year partnership with World Wild Fund (WWF) in to restore the countrys biodiversity by 2041.

Announcing the commitment to becoming the lifetime carbon neutral for a sustainable future for all, Mr. Briggs said this is part of his companys long-standing commitment to protecting and promoting biodiversity in Uganda.

Mr. Briggs didnt disclose how much his company will invest in the program but said the initiative will address reforestation, wildlife protection, water preservation and reducing carbon emission dramatically.

The Velux Group will work with WWF to become Lifetime Carbon Neutral by investing in forest and biodiversity projects over the next 21 years.

Ugandas incredible biodiversity is both a global treasure and a key to the countrys economic growth and long-term stability.

Nature-based tourism accounts for seven percent of GDP and in 2018 alone created more than 650,000 jobs.

At the same time, protected areas are under unprecedented pressure from human populations, which increasingly exposes communities to wildlife.

Mr. David Duli, the WWF Uganda Country head lauded the collaboration.

He said the partnership is a huge boost to the countrys biodiversity recovery programme, noting that it will halt habitat loss, deforestation and land degradation threatening the biodiversity of forest ecosystems in Uganda.

Mr Duli whose organizations work is prominently visible especially in western Uganda said the countrys focus will be on restoring degraded forests, growing new forests, and protecting the remaining natural forests through a broad range of measures.

The project will also grow trees in woodlots, other agroforestry systems, and plantations outside protected areas to meet demand for various forest products and reduce pressure on natural forests, he elaborated.

Several other multinationals with footprints in Uganda have committed to bringing their operations in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord, in some cases following campaigns by conservationists such as WWF.

Key among others, Nile Breweries Hima cement, ResponsAbility and Absa Bank

Ms. Rita Kyategeka, the head of communications, at WWF Uganda says that owing to the swelling impacts of the climate, a bold action is urgently needed to build a more resilient and sustainable future for all.

Related
Last week was a bad one for the credibility of federal health officials, who have backtracked under fire from two ill-considered pandemic directives that were adopted under pressure from the White House.

It started Aug. 23 with the head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn, grossly overstating the benefits of giving COVID-19 patients blood plasma from people whod recovered from the coronavirus. To support President Donald Trumps announcement that the therapy was some sort of amazing breakthrough (it isnt) and that the FDA would be giving it emergency approval, Hahn had said the treatment would save an additional 35 lives out of 100 patients treated. Other medical experts quickly pointed out, however, that the data showed no such thing, and on Aug. 25 Hahn publicly apologized.

The following day it was the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions turn for embarrassment. A few days earlier the CDC had quietly updated its coronavirus testing guidelines to discourage people who have been exposed to the virus from getting tested, a move roundly criticized by scientists, doctors and virtually every U.S. public health expert in the country.

In the ensuing uproar, it was revealed that the recommendation to do less testing came from the politicos on the White Houses coronavirus task force, not the experts at CDC. Thats not hard to believe; Trump has been vocal about wanting to slow down testing because he illogically concludes that the right way to fight the infection is to pretend it isnt there. The new guidelines appeared to be in keeping with his wishes.

But its not in keeping with science or what health officials have been recommending for months as necessary to control the spread of the virus. Thats because, according to the CDC itself, as many as 40% of the people who have COVID-19 dont have symptoms but can still infect others. Someone who has been in close contact for more than 15 minutes with an infected person should be considered infected too until tested, and its astonishingly irresponsible for the CDC to suggest otherwise.

Perhaps hoping to quell the criticism of the presidents coronavirus response at precisely the moment when speakers at the Republican National Convention were praising his coronavirus response, CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield clarified the revision on Thursday. He said that maybe people who come into contact should get tested, you know, if they want one or if their doctor or state officials recommend one. Meanwhile, the new and unhelpful guidelines remain on the agencys website.

These apparently politically directed missteps are not just humiliating for hardworking staffers at the federal agencies charged with leading the pandemic response, they undermine the agencies credibility as trusted health and safety sources. Americans are confused enough by all the misinformation and mixed messaging about the coronavirus thats been emanating from the federal government since the outbreak began. This surely wont help.

Whats more, the protocols for testing shouldnt be a source of confusion at this point in the pandemic. Simply put, we started behind and we are still behind. The CDC should be pushing to do more testing  much, much more  because the information the test results provide about where and how the virus is spreading is crucial to safely reopening hard-hit industries, resuming church services and letting students go back to classrooms.

A distinguished bipartisan committee convened by the Rockefeller Foundation concluded recently that the U.S. needs to conduct 30 million diagnostic and screening tests a week if there is to be any hope of controlling the virus until a vaccine is widely available. Testing is the way public health officials identify virus hot spots, trace infections and figure out what activities are putting people at most risk.

These are not the first black eyes the CDC or the FDA has received under the Trump administration; remember when the CDC reversed itself on whether it was safe to reopen schools under pressure from the president? But for the sake of all of us, they need to be the last ones.

Los Angeles Times
A Florida couple have been arrested after authorities say they held a woman captive for 48 hours and beat, burned, cut, drugged and repeatedly sexually battered her until she managed to escape.

Alexis Crawford, 20, and Christian White, 30, were apprehended on Monday and booked into the Levy County jail on charges of false imprisonment, sexual battery and aggravated battery.

According to a statement from the Levy County Sheriff's Office, the case began unfolding on Sunday when the agency got a 'bizarre' 911 call concerning a 39-year-old woman who was held against her will at a home on NE 76th Street near Bronson.

'LCSO Detectives responded to the scene and the victim told them a horrific story,' the sheriff's office stated.

Alexis Crawford, 20 (left), and Christian White, 30 (right), have been charged with false imprisonment, sexual battery and aggravated battery for allegedly holding a woman captive for two days and torturing her

The victim recounted how she met White and Crawford, described as being on the run from Clay County authorities, through a mutual friend with whom they were staying on Saturday.

That evening, the 39-year-old woman offered to pick up dinner for the group, but when she returned to the house the situation took a violent turn.

The victim said she got into a fight with the 4-foot-11, 112-pound Crawford, who allegedly grabbed her and attempted to restrain her with zip ties.

White then got involved in the fight and allegedly helped Crawford restrain the victim's feet and arms with zip ties.

White has a vast criminal record in Clay County, including charges of domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation, burglary and a host of traffic violations

Over the next 48 hours, the woman was punched, cut, burned, drugged and repeatedly sexually battered, before she escaped on Sunday, according to the sheriff's office.

Responding detectives observed cuts and burn marks on the victim's body that were consistent with her version of events.

The woman was transported to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Later that same day, detectives tracked down and arrested Crawford and White. They are currently being held in jail on $3.25million bond each.

Online arrest records indicate that White has a vast criminal record in Clay County, including charges of domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, and a long string of vehicular offenses dating back more than a decade.

White's entry on the Levy County jail's roster lists him as a 'high risk' inmate.
Country star Miranda Lambert turns her "Wildcard" into an ace as she's the leading nominee at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards, including her first entertainer of the year nomination in five years.

The CMAs announced Tuesday that Lambert earned seven nominations. The Grammy winner was pushed by the success of songs like "Bluebird," her first country airplay No. 1 in years, as well as positive reviews of her smart and sassy "Wildcard" album. Lambert  who has won 13 CMAs throughout her career  makes history this year, breaking the record for most nominations by a female artist with 55 overall nods.

She's followed by Luke Combs, who continues his streak of success as one of country music's biggest streaming artists with six nominations, including his first for entertainer of the year. Combs earned his first all-genre No. 1 album last year with "What You See Is What You Get," which had the largest streaming week ever for a country album with 74 million on-demand streams.

"It's pretty crazy. It's been shocking to say the least," Combs said of his entertainer of the year nod, which comes two years after he was named new artist of the year. "You're kind of up in the big leagues."

Carrie Underwood joins Combs and Lambert in the entertainer of the year category, along with Keith Urban and Eric Church. Garth Brooks, who won last year, recently announced he no longer wanted to be nominated for entertainer of the year because it was time for others to win.

Combs' nominations include album, single and male vocalist of the year. He's nominated twice in the song of the year category for his own track, "Even Though I'm Leaving," and for co-writing the Carly Pearce-Lee Brice duet "I Hope You're Happy Now."

"It's a dream come true for somebody that writes their own stuff," said Combs. "Having won that award last year was just really really really special."

The CMA Awards will be held Nov. 11 in Nashville.

 Associated Press

Will Smith, 'Fresh Prince' cast reuniting

Want to feel old? Will Smith became the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 30 years ago.

Smith is reuniting the cast of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" on Sept. 10 for a 30th anniversary special. The special will run on HBO Max on or near Thanksgiving. And if it doesn't seem possible that it could be 30 years, just remember: the Fresh Prince had a Walkman.

Like the coronavirus-delayed "Friends" special that was announced in February, and still hasn't happened, the "Fresh Prince" reunion is a gimmick designed to promote a streaming library of reruns. HBO Max has exclusive streaming rights to all 148 episodes of the show, which ran for six seasons. It launched Smith's acting career, with the Grammy-winning rapper starring as a teen from West Philly sent to live with rich relatives in California. ("I got in one little fight and my mom got scared and said, 'You're moving with your auntie and your uncle in Bel-Air.")

Produced by Westbrook Media, whose founders include Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the special promises to include series regulars Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, and Alfonso Ribeiro, as well as Philly's own DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeffrey A. Townes).

James Avery, who played Philip Banks, Smith's uncle, died in 2013. Also missing from the lineup announced Monday: Janet Hubert, whom Reid replaced as Aunt Viv halfway through the show's run.

 Philadelphia Inquirer

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'I like to move it' DJ Morillo found dead

South Florida DJ and music producer Erick Morillo was found dead at his home Tuesday morning, weeks after being charged with sexual battery, authorities said.

Miami Beach police officers found the 49-year-old Morillo's body after responding to a 911 call, police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said in an email. Officials didn't report a cause of death.

Morillo was best known for house music and the 1993 hit "I Like to Move It," which is featured prominently in the "Madagascar" animated film franchise. Morillo has won several awards at the DJ Awards.

Morillo had been free on a $25,000 bond, and his next hearing scheduled for Friday. He was arrested in August after a woman he met at a party reported to police that he raped her. The woman told investigators that she, Morillo and another woman went back to Morillo's house after the party. She said she eventually went to sleep in Morillo's bedroom fully clothed and woke up later naked with Morillo standing naked next to the bed.

The woman was taken to a Miami rape treatment center, police said. Investigators identified Morillo's DNA from a rape kit.

Morillo said he had sex with the other woman, who confirmed that they had had sex.

 Associated Press
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The business telephone system, commonly referred to as a private branch exchange (PBX), predates the invention of the Internet, Ethernet and the personal computer.As such, legacy PBXs were always deployed on dedicated infrastructure.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955428/?utm_source=PRN







The call-control manager was a standalone hardware server or appliance serving as the bridge between the PSTN and hardwired extensions.Most PBXs functioned completely isolated from the rest of the business applications and infrastructure and were supported by dedicated telecommunications staffeither in-house or vendor-supplied technicians.



Threats to these legacy PBXs consisted primarily of toll-fraud attempts that exploit poorly-configured systems to make expensive long-distance or international phone calls. The creation of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) brought with it a wealth of benefits. By leveraging VoIP, the phone system can leverage the same IP-network that PCs and business applications use. This not only reduces infrastructure costs, but also links multiple business locations across the wide area network (WAN) to bring employees "on n et" and eliminate the expense of internal communications. PSTN access also became VoIP-enabled, allowing session initiation protocol (SIP) trunk providers to deliver dial tone service to businesses without the need for dedicated PSTN lines or circuits. VoIP has ultimately enabled most of what many people take for granted, such as: video conferencing with customers across the Internet; home working for employees and call center agents; and mobile apps that make business extensions and calling features accessible on smartphones.Businesses have come to rely on VoIP-based, highly-connected communications and collaboration solutions to accelerate decision making, connect key stakeholders from across the globe, streamline workflows and improve the customers' experiences. Now more than ever, reliable business communications are mission-critical for any organization, which makes them an elevated target for cyber attacks. By gaining access to a business's communications tools, hackers can not only disrupt an organization's communications or rack up expensive phone charges similar to legacy PBXs, but also potentially eavesdrop on a company's meetings to glean proprietary information, collect call records that can identify customer information, or disrupt the work of employees.Business decision makers are increasingly driven to improve the customer experience and satisfaction, as well as create operational efficiencies within their organizations. Considering the disruptive nature that cyber attacks can have on the customer and employee experience, it is no surprise that security and reliability are top priorities when it comes to purchasing decisions.This research study calls to light several of the most common security threats that can impact both on-premises and cloud-based unified communications and collaboration tools, some steps customers can take to mitigate these threats, and a set of best practices for both businesses and their vendor/provider partners should adopt.

Author: Michael Brandenburg



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955428/?utm_source=PRN



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President Akufo-Addo has broken the ground for works to begin on the Ho by-pass and inner-roads of the main campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Sokode Lokoe in the Ho Municipality.

The GH66.4 Million government-funded project is being undertaken by Messers First Sky and expected to be completed in 24 months.

It comprises a 5.2 kilometre asphalted dual carriageway that runs from Sokode Etoe through the University and joins the Ho to Aflao highway at Titrinu in the Ho Municipality.

The by-pass will have two roundabouts, drains, and walkways on both sides, and bus stops.

The 5.3km campus roads will have on both sides 2.5m walkways, two roundabouts, and also bus stops, and drains.

Professor John Owusu Gyapong, the Vice-Chancellor of UHAS, said the road was indispensable in the University's pursuit of its community service mandate and expressed gratitude to the President for prioritising its needs.

He said the bad road was a challenge to access the health and research institution, and the transport of medical samples from health facilities to its COVID-19 testing centre.

To say that the UHAS community has been looking forward to this day for a long time would be an understatement. This road, once completed, will be a lifeline in the efficient pursuit of our mandate as an institution focused on community service and care.

The importance of ease of access to our main campus cannot be overemphasised. Indeed, today is a good day for Ho, Sokode and Adaklu; today is a good day for health facilities in the eastern corridor of Ghana but today is a great day for the UHAS community."

Mr President when the success story of UHAS is written, the resolution of our commuting nightmare will feature as your responsiveness to the needs of this University and your sensitivity to the day-to-day living conditions of ordinary men and women all over Ghana, Prof Gyapong stated.

Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways said 'government's Year of Roads' project was on course, with over 30 different road construction projects ongoing in the Volta Region, including the infamous Eastern Corridor highway.

He said Government was watching closely the traffic situation in each region and was upgrading road networks to meet the demand.

Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, Founder and Chairman of First Sky Construction was confident the project would be completed earlier than the completion date and assured that its quality would not be compromised.

---GNA
In 2014, Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits and Leanne Shapton released Women in Clothes, a book that considers, as they put it, the questions we ask ourselves while getting dressed. They interviewed more than 600 women about their wardrobes and tastes, but the project began with a survey. One question asked simply: What is dressing about, for you?

How does one answer such a thing in lockdown?

When contacted, Ms. Shapton, an artist, said that, like many others, she was re-evaluating her relationship with clothes thanks to the pandemic. Since moving with her young daughter in July, she has been tearing up her old garments and using their fabrics to make rugs, inspired by the knotted Japanese nuno zori slippers that have become her house shoes of choice.

Instead of my unworn beloved clothes, I have a 40-pound knotted rug of them, she said.

Ms. Shaptons project includes garments by Rachel Comey, Stella McCartney, Hermes, Prada, Petit Bateau, Oscar de la Renta and Dries Van Noten, among others. It was created entirely by hand (Ms. Shapton couldnt figure out to how to use a rug hoop; the ripping up was cathartic, she said) in front of reruns of The Simpsons and various childrens movies. To her, the process recalls Break Down, by Michael Landy, an artwork that involved the destruction of every one of his 7,227 possessions over a two-week period.  I think about it an awful lot, because of my own preoccupation with objects and meaning, and its always in the back of my mind when Im tearing up clothes, Ms. Shapton said.
Kenosha: US President Donald Trump has said he does not believe there is a problem with systemic racism in American police departments as he toured Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is recovering from several days of deadly protests and widespread destruction of property.

Kenosha's mayor and Wisconsin's governor, both Democrats, asked Trump not to travel to the troubled city because they feared he could inflame tensions there.

US President Donald Trump talks with owners of destroyed businesses as he tours an area damaged after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha. Credit:AP

Trump toured damaged properties and met with local law enforcement officials during his brief visit. Kenosha sits inside a battleground election state.

As of late afternoon local time, there had not been any violence in Kenosha, even as pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters gathered for demonstrations in the same part of the city.
COLUMBUS, OhioOhio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, in an Ohio Supreme Court filing Wednesday, defended not allowing Kanye West to appear on the states presidential ballot, arguing that the rappers petitions had fatal defects and that he had the power to reject them.

LaRoses argument, filed by a lawyer for the Ohio attorney generals office, comes in response to a request by West and Michelle Tidball, his running mate, that the state Supreme Court order his name on Ohios general-election ballot.

LaRose, a Columbus-area Republican, rejected Wests filing because staff determined Tidballs signature and information on Wests original nominating petition and statement of candidacy did not match the paperwork actually used for petitions signed by voters.

Specifically, Tidballs signature on the copied petitions is dated the day before her signature on the original statement of candidacy. A copy of something obviously cannot predate the original, LaRoses brief states. Tidballs signatures also are noticeably different on the two forms.

This substantive and fatal defect is not a mere technical error that can be brushed aside, LaRoses brief states, adding later that such paperwork rules are meant to ensure that a candidate cant collect petition signatures for one office, then use them to run for another position instead.

But Wests attorney, Curt Hartman, stated in a legal brief that that while Tidballs two signatures look noticeably different, she confirmed under oath that they were both hers, and that LaRoses office is wrong to disregard that.

As for the paperwork differences, Hartman asserted that variations between the original statement and circulated petitions are allowed as long theres no indication of fraud or voter deception.

Hartman previously argued that LaRose isnt allowed under state law to reject Wests petitions because no one filed a formal protest ahead of time. However, he noted that LaRoses reasons for rejecting Wests petition were very similar to objections emailed to LaRoses office a couple of days prior by attorneys representing Lewis Goldfarb, a University of Cincinnati law professor from suburban Columbus with ties to Democrats.

Goldfarb, interestingly, is also a co-plaintiff with the Ohio Democratic Party in a lawsuit filed last month against LaRose to force him to allow multiple drop boxes for general-election absentee ballots this fall.

LaRoses brief stated that the secretary of state has the power to reject a petition that is unlawful regardless of whether a protest was filed, and that theres nothing wrong with people writing in with concerns.

Its unclear when the Supreme Court will make a ruling in the case. Absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election are scheduled to be sent out Oct. 6.

Republican operatives have been assisting Wests attempts to get on the ballot as an independent candidate in several swing states, leading many to suspect that his campaign is a ploy to siphon votes from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Hartman was an Ohio delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention for then-Gov. John Kasich. This year, he is the GOP nominee for a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court judicial seat.

Read more Ohio politics and government stories:

Ohioans with hyphenated names can face voter registration hurdle, but shouldnt have problems voting, officials say

Fox News Chris Wallace to moderate first presidential debate in Cleveland

Debate over repealing House Bill 6 widens partisan divide in Ohio legislature

Ohio lawmakers pass bill limiting Gov. Mike DeWines power to change elections, close houses of worship

Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder returns to Ohio House, says hell plead not guilty
1. What role does technology play in New York Citys response to COVID-19?

2. Have perceptions of digital government changed in recent months?

3. Government has a reputation for moving slowly and deliberately. Should it be able to move more quickly?

4. Have you been able to move any pre-pandemic projects forward?

If New York City were a state, it would be the 12th largest in the nation by population. So when the city deploys tech solutions, its on a massive scale. Jessica Tisch took over city IT last December, following six years of IT leadership at NYPD, so she has ample experience with large-scale projects. Her ambitions are grand: 5G across the city, next-generation 911 and wholesale modernization of IT infrastructure. We caught up with Tisch in July, four months into the COVID-19 pandemic.I think about this in threemain workstreams: The first was positioning a large portion of the citys 300,000-plus workforce to work remotely. That included purchasing and distributing tens of thousands of laptops; building out the citys remote access platforms; WebEx accounts to allow for collaboration and virtual meetings; multi-factor authentication . Everything that is required for remote work.The second was designing and delivering new services or reimagining the way that the city delivers traditional services to the public in areas ranging from public safety to human services to economic development. We worked with the Department of Education to distribute 300,000 iPads to support remote learning for kids in NYC public schools in six weeks. Another great example is our Get Food program. We built an application that allowed members of the public to sign up and say, Hey, I need food and meals delivered to my home. We built a portal for taxi drivers to pick up those meals and deliver them to residents doors. At its height, we were delivering 1 million meals a day. That platform was built and set up over a weekend. Another good example is our contact tracing system, which was built out over the course of a month. We have several thousand contact tracers, and we built out both the case management and the communication platform that they use.The third big workstream has been with our 311 system. With COVID-19, 311 has really become a lifeline for people. They call to order meals as part of the Get Food program. They call if they need to be connected to a doctor if they dont have a primary care physician. Small businesses call 311 to find out how to become eligible or apply for small business loans. We built out new service request types, but we also put a huge effort into the operation of 311 to minimize wait times. We hired hundreds of additional call takers, and we built out a whole bunch of new call centers to accommodate them. Weve spent a lot of time thinking about how to make 311 work best for New Yorkers.The major sea change that I see is around peoples perceptions of the role that technology plays in government. As agencies reimagine the way that they provide services and the types of services they are providing, tech in general has pivoted from being thought of as a support function to absolutely central and fundamental to most of what the city does. To put it another way, people take my calls, typically on the first ring now.Government has to be able to build things in a nimble and quick way, but balance that with building things in a thoughtful way, so the cybersecurity protection is built in, data privacy is built in. I do think that we did more in three or four months than we ever imagined possible. We were working around the clock though. We were on conference calls from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. every day. No one here on my executive team took a day off in three months.When you have a capable and committed tech agency working with capable and committed business owners, you can achieve a lot. But the pace of what went on in those three months is not sustainable. Thats not to say that we cant or wont continue to deliver service to the public in an expeditious way, but what went on during those months was not normal. These were extraordinary efforts.Despite all of this, the general work of our agency didnt stop. For example, on June 2, we launched the long-planned text-to-911 system. We made a commitment to New Yorkers that this service would be available in June, and there was no way we were going to allow this pandemic to stand in the way of that.My priorities really havent changed, which I think validates the clear priorities I set when I started this job. The overarching priority is to modernize the citys IT, and in so doing to put the city in a position to leverage tech as a key enabler of agencies efforts to provide services to the public. If anything, this pandemic has only highlighted the importance of these priorities.
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday hit out at Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for allegedly liking a derogatory tweet against her, accusing him of 'encouraging public teasing and bullying' of those who were fighting for Sushant Singh Rajput.

Sharing a screenshot from a tweet, Kangana Ranaut revealed how a condemnable motif of her name along with the words 'Walk of Shame' had been painted on a sidewalk. In response to the original tweet, a user suggested putting an image of her in the motif, instead of just her name. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh allegedly liked this user's comments as per the screenshots shared by Kangana.

Hitting out at the Mumbai Police, Kangana asked why she was being intimidated in this way. The actor also asked if she would ever be safe in Mumbai questioning who would be responsible for her safety.

Liking derogatory tweets about people who are fighting against the murderers of Sushant, instead of condemning public teasing and bullying like this @CPMumbaiPolice is encouraging it, @MumbaiPolice has hit all time low ... SHAME !! pic.twitter.com/9H4mhC9Nsk  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 1, 2020

When @CPMumbaiPolice is openly intimidating me like this, encouraging bullying and crime against me, will I be safe in Mumbai ? Who is responsible for my safety? @PMOIndia  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 1, 2020

The Mumbai Police, on the other hand, has officially denied the accusations stating that the Commissioner had never liked such a tweet. They have also initiated action towards checking the authenticity of the screenshots. "This tweet has never been liked by the Mumbai Police Commissioner - the cyber police station has been asked to examine the screenshot," they said in reply to Kanagan's tweets.

Read: 'More Scared Of Mumbai Police Than Movie Mafia': Kangana Prefers Central Protection

Read: Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab: Says 'I Have A Few Questions For Rhea Chakraborty'

Kangana requests police protection

This is not the first time that the actor has been vocal about the Mumbai Police when it comes to her safety. Earlier this week, Kangana Ranaut, expressed her mistrust with the state police saying that she was more scared of the Mumbai Police than the movie mafia goons, requesting police protection from either the Himachal Pradesh government or from the Centre. This comes days after the actress expressed her willingness to expose the Bollywood-Drug mafia nexus provided she is given protection.

In an interview with Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami last week Kangana Ranaut had called the film industry a gutter referring to the alleged prevalent practice of consumptions of drugs at parties. She also claimed that even politicians and police were Bollywood stars 'friends' when it came to the consumption of drugs.

Read: Rhea Chakraborty's Brother Showik Named By Drug Peddler In NCB Custody: Sources

Read: Ankita Lokhande Shares Video From Vacation With Sushant Singh Rajput, Pens Note For SSR
As unemployment continues to increase in Egypt, women seem to be particularly hard hit by the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic. And with schools reopening and many shifting to partial online learning, parents are yet again facing the challenging task of juggling work and supporting their childrens education.

This situation is significantly impacting women since they culturally take on a greater share of child care and domestic responsibilities. Adapting to a long-term reality of managing work and school could lead women to leave their jobs to better support their children and families during this time.

According to a recent report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Egypts unemployment rate rose to a near two-year high in the second quarter of this year hitting 9.6%. Mens unemployment increased to 8.5% while womens unemployment reached 16.2%, according to the same report.

Many women cite child care as a reason that they are struggling to work. When schools and companies closed in March, it was a very challenging time for me, Sarah Sayed, mother and engineering professor at a foreign university in Egypt, told Al-Monitor. The problem was having a safe space to conduct my online sessions without my daughter knocking on the door.

With her daughters school returning to full onsite learning this fall, Sayed feels relieved that she will be better able to manage her work while supporting her daughters education. Even though Im worried about her going back to school, I feel better about being able to do my job because otherwise I wouldnt have been able to manage it.

Others, however, are not so lucky. A mother in the banking sector, who wishes to remain anonymous, still doesnt know how she is going to juggle returning to work with remote learning for her daughter. With her company reopening after the lockdown, she is left struggling for child care alternatives. I dont wish for the experience of learning and working from home to continue, but at the same time my company doesnt have a supportive system in place for working parents, she told Al-Monitor.

While leaving work is not something she wishes to do, she is considering it if all else fails. There needs to be understanding and flexibility for this to work, she added.

Work flexibility is not a new concept in Egypt. Egypt introduced flexible work regulations in 2003 to help companies structure policies and procedures to move toward more flexible forms of employment.

In fact, according to Egyptian Streets, wuzzuf.net, an online platform for job listings in Egypt, saw a 124% increase in the number of remote job postings in 2016-17, and a 144% increase in employees applying for remote work opportunities.

Rania Ayman, founder of Entreprenelle, an organization that aims to support Egyptian women launch and grow their own businesses, believes flexibility is crucial for women to join and remain in the workforce. As a company that practices work flexibility, she and her team still work remotely and have even set up work stations for employees to work from home during the pandemic.

We plan to return to three days per week at the office, but still there is room for more flexibility depending on employees circumstances, Ayman said. I think employers have to be more tolerant. Womens needs are different especially in our culture and society.

Meanwhile, Samar H. Abouelkheir, founder of Content ME, a content development agency in Cairo, also has a flexible work arrangement at her office. It has enabled her to continue operating smoothly during the pandemic.

As a business, we didnt experience any disturbance and our work continued uninterrupted, Abouelkheir told Al-Monitor.

According to an ongoing survey conducted by her agency, Content ME, 56% of female employees mostly working in the Information Communication and Technology sector in Egypt prefer a flexible work arrangement and find it helpful when engaging with their teams. In addition, 75% of female employees report that flexible work has a positive effect on their lives outside the office.

While most companies have been forced to embrace remote working because of the pandemic, it is usually international organizations that are more likely to offer the option to work from home (87%) than locally based companies (69%), according to Globalwebindex, a market research company.

In May 2020, The Telegraph reported that several employers including Barclays, WPP, Next and Vodafone are exploring changes to their work practices. This is done in an effort to cut costs by reducing their office estates.

Flexibility is not the only issue at stake for women's employment. Improving gender equality at home and in the workplace is necessary for women to continue making strides in society.

Although women in Egypt make up about 50% of the population, they only represent 23% of the total labor force participation compared to 70% of men in 2019.

Recognizing this gap in the labor force, Egypts Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat, President of National Council for Women Maya Morsy and the World Economic Forum recently launched the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator, the first of its kind in the (North) Africa and the Middle East region.

The accelerator aims to prepare women for the post-coronavirus world of work, close gender gaps in remuneration between and within sectors, enable womens participation in the labor force and advance more women into management and leadership roles, according to Ahram Online, one of Egypts leading English-language publications.

Furthermore, the International Finance Corporation also recently launched a new advisory program in Egypt to improve womens employment in the country. The three-year program will help create family-friendly, flexible workplaces to make Egyptian businesses more resilient, agile and inclusive, especially in times of crisis, as outlined in CSR Egypt.

Any step toward empowering women economically is a step in the right direction, Ayman said.

Yasmin Shafei, Egyptian doctoral fellow at the American University of Beirut residing in Cairo, also believes that increasing economic empowerment of women is tied to improving gender equality.

The pandemic has highlighted gender inequalities so clearly. One gender hasnt been able to get along and one has been slightly affected, she said. We see this not only in the Middle East, but globally. There has to be a dialogue to initiate change. We need to increase gender equality and have men take on a bit more.
French President Emmanuel Macron held his first official visit to Baghdad on Wednesday, where he met his Iraqi counterpart and insisted the war-scarred country should reassert its "sovereignty" despite simmering US-Iran tensions.

Coming straight from a two-day trip to Beirut, the capital of crisis-hit Lebanon, Macron is the most significant leader to visit Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi came to power in May.

The trip was not publicly announced until Tuesday evening, with officials in Paris and Baghdad keeping a tight lid on arrangements for security reasons. On his final night in Beirut, Macron announced he was heading to Baghdad "to launch an initiative alongside the United Nations to support a process of sovereignty".

In Baghdad, he voiced his support for his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh to help Iraq fight Islamic State (IS) group sleeper cells and resist foreign interference.

"Iraq has been going through a challenging time for several years, with war and terrorism," Macron said. "You have a transition to lead. France will be by your side so the international community can help," he added.

Few details

But there were few details on the much-vaunted "sovereignty" initiative, and Iraqi officials told AFP they were not expecting announcements of new financial or military aid.

Saleh thanked Macron for France's support in the anti-IS group fight and said he hoped Macron would pay a longer visit to Iraq in 2021.

After a US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq was ravaged by waves of sectarian conflict that culminated in the Islamic State group capturing swathes of the country six years ago, before the jihadists were beaten back with international support.

At the same time, the country has been caught for years between its two main allies Iran and the US, a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washington's withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.

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France is among European nations that remain key backers of the 2015 agreement.

'Essential sovereignty'

This year alone, a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, prompting Iran to launch missiles against US troops in Iraq.

Tehran-backed groups are suspected of launching volleys of rockets on US diplomatic, military and commercial interests in Iraq in recent months.

As oil cartel OPEC's second biggest producer, Iraq has also been hit hard by the world price collapse and the coronavirus pandemic forced its fragile economy to sink even further.

France has doubled down on its signs of support in recent tumultuous months. Top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Iraq in July, insisting Baghdad "should dissociate itself from regional tensions".

"The fight for Iraq's sovereignty is essential," Macron had told reporters on Friday, before departing for Lebanon. He said Iraqis, who "suffered so much", deserved options besides domination by regional powers or Islamist extremism.

"There are leaders and a people who are aware of this, and who want to take their destiny in hand. The role of France is to help them do so," Macron said.

On August 27, French Defence minister Florence Parly stressed the need for continued support to Iraqi forces in her talks with senior military and political leaders.

Third French visit in a month

Ahead of the visit, Husham Dawood, an adviser to the Iraqi premier, said it would be of "great importance, as it's the third by French officials in a single month".

Unlike most foreign officials, the French president will not stop over in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Instead, Kurdish president Nechirvan Barzani is set travel to Baghdad for talks.

Soon after winning the presidency in 2017, Macron had tried to mediate between the autonomous Kurdish north and the federal government, but financial and security disputes between the two sides remain unresolved.

France did not take part in the invasion that toppled Saddam, but it did join the US-led coalition launched in 2014 to fight IS.

Message to Ankara?

Earlier this year, following IS's territorial defeat and the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the last contingent of French troops deployed in Iraq as part of the coalition pulled out.

France is struggling to expand its economic ties with Iraq, ranked among the 20 most corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.

Macron's "sovereignty initiative" was also an indirect message to Turkey, one Iraqi official said.

Ankara launched a cross-border air and ground assault on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq in June, infuriating Baghdad, which slammed it as a violation of Iraqi territory.

Tensions are already high between France and Turkey over the conflict in Libya, where both Paris and Ankara have accused the other of meddling, and a dispute over offshore gas rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Macron's lightning visit follows intense talks in Lebanon -- his second since a colossal August 4 explosion at Beirut port killed more than 180 people.

He chaired a donor conference on Lebanon last month and said he would be ready to hold another one alongside political meetings in October.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
When Shadi Shhadeh saw videos on his phone of a devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4, he felt a wave of empathy.

I was shocked. It's a city I know. I walked their streets, said Shadi, who fled as a refugee from Syria and lived in Beirut before traveling to Switzerland in 2013.

Refugees in Beirut, which hosts 200,000 people displaced by wars and conflict, immediately joined local residents in the rescue and clean up of the city that has given them welcome and safety. Now Syrian refugees in the wider diaspora are also stepping up to help.

See also: Grandi ends Lebanon visit with call to help country in its hour of need

Shadi acted swiftly on his feelings, asking friends who are also refugees to make video messages in support of fundraising by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to assist those impacted by the explosion that killed at least 180, injured more than 6,500, and damaged or destroyed around 200,000 homes.

In doing so, he turned a stereotype about refugees on its head. Many people see refugees as people who need help. Shadi shows they can also be humanitarians whose instinct is to reach out and help others.

"As refugees, we know what it is to be without a home."

Shadi was particularly concerned about people made homeless by the blast.

As refugees, we know what it is to be without a home, he said.

One friend, Firas, a Syrian refugee who has lived in France for the last two years, said in his video message that he felt the agony and distress of Beiruts residents and encouraged others to donate to UNHCR along with him.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi speaks with Syrian refugee Makhoul Al Hamad, 43, and his daughter Sana, 14, in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion.  UNHCR/Sam Tarling

Intersos staff unload relief items to fix damaged houses in the Achrafieh neighbourhood of Beirut.  UNHCR/Haidar Darwish

A man carries an injured child to safety following a massive blast in the port of Beirut, Lebanon.  Ritzau Scanpix

Volunteers remove rubble in the badly-affected Gemmayze district in Beirut.  UNHCR/Haidar Darwish

UNHCR is scaling up its response to all communities affected by the blast to provide immediate relief, shelter and protection support and last week High Commissioner Filippo Grandi is visiting the city.

UNHCR and its partners are providing emergency shelter materials to those most in need among an estimated 200,000 households and conducting psychological first aid and other urgent measures for those affected.

"We can tell the refugees that they are not alone."

The fundraising also sends a message of solidarity.

It's also a message to all those affected that you are not alone. Your pain is our pain  We (refugees) know these crises and today we stand with you, he said. In typically modest fashion, he said his friends who had participated were the real heroes of the effort, rather than himself.

Shadi fled from Damascus 2011. Since then he has lived in Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, as well as in Beirut. He recently completed a degree in French literature, works with a medical relief organization and wants, eventually, to work with refugees.

Yes, I am a refugee. At one time, I needed support. Today I can support someone else, he said.
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

KENOSHA, WisconsinPresident Donald Trump used his visit to this reeling Midwestern city on Tuesday to decry tremendous violence and minimize the Black Lives Matter protests that have become the largest protest movement in American history.

Meanwhile, his supporters cheered on a 17-year-old accused of murdering two protesters here after a 29-year-old Black man was shot seven times and at least temporarily paralyzed.

I think peaceful protest is fantastic, I think its great but, by and large, this is not peaceful protest, Trump said after he inspected damage left in the wake of sometimes violent unrest with law enforcement officials.

When you walk into an area and you see buildings that are burned down and, fortunately here we stopped it early and so the damage is relatively minimal, but when you look at some of these areas [where] they refuse to allow us to go in and help them, and by the time you get there the place is disintegrated, Trump added.

The president went on to claim that the people of Kenosha were not asking for structural change following the shooting and possible paralysis of Jacob Blake at the hands of police, but were instead asking for law and order.

The reality, of course, was very different in a city that has long struggled with allegations of corrupt policing, and where sentiment about Trump was bitterly divided.

Trump Defends MAGA Vigilante Accused of Murdering Two

The presidents visit was not welcomedand in fact actively opposedby many local officials, who feared Trump would inflame tensions after the shooting of Blake, days of demonstrations, and the deaths of two protesters, both allegedly at the hands of Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old pro-cop teen vigilante.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, a Democrat, accused Trump of falsely claiming in the leadup to his visit that angry mobs had tried to storm the mayors house on Monday night. Nothing of the sort happened, he said. The city of Kenosha remains peaceful and focused on healing our community.

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Dueling groups faced off in Kenoshas Civic Center Park, a locus for recent protests, as Trump arrived. Trump supportersthe president carried Kenosha county by fractions of a percentage point in 2016cheered while protesters chanted fascism and Black Lives Matter.

Meanwhile, Blakes family joined a community gathering at the site of his shooting. Free haircuts and acupuncture were on offer for those traumatized by so much violence in their midst, and children danced on bouncy castles that dangled a respite from a country in turmoil.

I and many people dont want him to come here, Kenosha resident Adelana Akindes, 24, told The Daily Beast. We feel like hes just going to escalate everything that's been happeningall of the... fear and, like, violence surrounding the protests, its going to just escalate.

She said Trumps presence in Kenosha wouldnt address the real problems, like systemic racism and police brutality.

But Angela Wojtak, a 37-year-old Trump supporter from Kenosha, told The Daily Beast that she didnt believe Trump was trying to inflame the situation.

I think he wants to legitimately come and help and see what happened and see what the community needs and offer support in any way, just like he offered federal troops in the beginning, she said.

The president kept up the theme of restoring suburban tranquility that was a hallmark of the just-wrapped Republican National Conventioneven if he often seemed to diverge from common sense along the way.

This is going to heal very quickly, Trump said of protest-related damage. Some people think those are two terrible wordslaw and orderand theyre not terrible at all, theyre beautiful.

The arrest of Rittenhouse, who allegedly murdered two men after traveling to Kenosha to act as a Blue Lives Matter-style militiaman during protests, has become a flashpoint in the city of 100,000, particularly after Trump suggested on Monday that the teen acted in self defense.

Bill Sanders, a 53-year-old Trump supporter from Kenosha, told The Daily Beast he would have done the same thing if he were in Rittenhouses position.

If he wouldn't have shot them guys it would have been him, he said.

Wojtak agreed. I think the government has a responsibility to protect our businesses and us. And if youre not taking that responsibility, then you need to protect yourself, she said.

But Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) said ahead of Trumps visit that armed vigilantism was not what this country is about.

And if we cant ensure the promise of America to everyoneand right now we dont have that promise for many people who have black and brown skinyou certainly cant be somehow condoning the actions of armed vigilantes that makes, not just Kenosha not safe, but our suburbs not safe, and all of our communities not safe, he said at a press conference.

Even some Trump supporters acknowledged he was unlikely to do a whole lot of good for the local healing process.

I don't think hes personally... trying to promote any kind of violence, said Wojtak. But unfortunately youre gonna have people that are pissed off and angry that he's coming.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Under the deal, whose value was not disclosed, the couple will produce content on issues that resonate with them.

The United Kingdoms Prince Harry and his American-born wife Meghan have signed an exclusive multiyear production deal with Netflix Inc, a major step in their plan to make a living for themselves outside the royal family.

Under the deal, whose value was not disclosed, the couple will produce films and series ranging from childrens shows to scripted content, the streaming platform said on Wednesday.

The couple moved to Southern California with their infant son Archie this year after stepping back from royal duties in January and announcing plans to be more financially independent.

They said they will produce content on issues that resonate with them and that their nonprofit Archewell is focused on.

Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope, the couple said in a statement on Wednesday. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.

Meghan, a former star of the USA Network television show, Suits, has no plans to return to acting under the deal.

The couple has no previous experience as producers, but Netflix said they already have several projects in development, including a nature documentary series and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women. They said they plan to highlight diversity in front of and behind the camera.

Were incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement.

The Netflix deal follows a similar pact in 2018 with former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

The New York Times said Harry and Meghan had been speaking with other Hollywood companies, including Walt Disney Co and Apple Inc. Variety reported earlier this month that they had met with Comcast Corps NBCUniversal.

Netflix last month released, Rising Phoenix, a documentary about the Paralympic Games, in which Harry, who founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans, makes a brief appearance.

Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth, had previously teamed up with the Apple TV+ streaming service to make a documentary with Oprah Winfrey about mental health. The documentary, which was in the works before the couple stepped back from their royal duties, has yet to be aired.

In June, the couple signed with the Harry Walker Agency in New York, which serves as an agent for lectures by clients such as former US Presidents Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as Oprah Winfrey. Harry and Meghan are expected to speak together and individually on issues such as racial justice, gender equity, the environment, and mental health.

The couple recently bought a mansion in the celebrity enclave of Montecito, north of Los Angeles, which is more sheltered from media attention. Since arriving in California in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, they have undertaken some low-profile charity work, handing out supplies to families in need.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the military has proof of a runway and other military structures built on islands located in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

"We have satellite footages. There's a runway there, we have also monitored some military aircraft landing there, warships docking there," Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay told a hearing of the Commission on Appointment's Committee on National Defense on Wednesday. "So, there is indeed military activity in the area."

As for other Chinese military facilities and equipment, Gapay said the AFP has mostly monitored radars and monitoring equipment but no missile silos or platforms.

During the hearing, Gapay was asked whether he would back plans to end local contracts with Chinese firms found to be behind incursions in the South China Sea.

"As far as that issue is concerned, we are leaving it to the expertise of the concerned agencies, particularly the DOTr, DPWH who awarded these projects to Chinese entities who allegedly participated also in the building of those artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea," he said.

Gapay said he believed all government dealings with the Chinese companies went through the proper channels.

He added that the AFP is still hoping for the peaceful resolution of issues in the area.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. told CNN Philippines he would recommend ending local contracts with Chinese firms found to be behind incursions in the South China Sea.

Also covered by the blacklist are workers of China-owned enterprises.
A former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, (GTDC), Ms Akua Djanie, has pleaded with Ghanaians to forgive her for influencing them to vote for then-candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the 2016 presidential elections.



Ms Akua Djanie, known popularly as Akua Blakofe, was appointed Deputy CEO of GTDC when President Akufo-Addo assumed the reins of power in 2017. She later resigned as Deputy CEO after she fell out with the CEO of the government-owned company.



Four years afterwards, she has expressed her regrets ever campaigning for President Akufo-Addo and, is asking for forgiveness.



She revealed that she was under the wrong impression that Nana Akufo-Addo was going to be better than former President Mahama, but has regretted that the Akufo-Addo has turned out to not be better than that of former President Mahama.



This time 4 years ago, I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. Although I knew and liked Mahama and had encouraged Ghanaians to vote for him, I was frustrated with his government and life in the Asylum.



My ex thus challenged me to campaign for Nana because if Nana cant make Ghana work, nobody can. Ill lay down my head for him. Nana is like you, no nonsense. He hates corruption. Imagine if you are President how things would be. That is Nana. So although I wasnt convinced, I allowed myself to be pushed into campaigning. The rest is history. We all make mistakes. All I can do now is forgive myself and ask those who voted Nana because of me to also forgive me. As for that ex Ive yet to forgive him for had it not been for him, I would never have campaigned for Nana. Lol. Thats the absolute truth.



Meanwhile, the word from my street hustlers is they are not voting because Im not. Sweet. Moral of the story? Follow your gut because everything I told my ex is happening big time corruption and nepotism. I was right and should never have listened to my ex. Ah well, she posted on Facebook sighted by MyNewsGh.com



Ms Djanie has become a fierce critic of the current government for its alleged corruption and nepotism among other

Source: ghanaweb.com









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Sheep farmers reliant on Government subsidies could profit from letting their land naturally return to woodland, a study suggests.

Most sheep farming in the UK is not profitable without subsidies, if farmers are paid for their labour, according to the research from the University of Sheffield.

But farmers could make money by allowing native trees to return to their land and selling credits for the amount of carbon dioxide the trees absorb as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said expecting sheep farmers to give up farming sheep and plant forests ignores two basic facts.

Firstly sheep farming is more than just a business, it is part of our culture and heritage and farmers get huge pride and satisfaction from farming sheep, he said.

Secondly, land management had to be looked at on a multi-functional basis, he said, adding: Sheep farmers are managing one of our most precious resources  grassland  while also producing a fantastic and nutritious food from it.

He said grassland stored carbon and supported wildlife, and sheep farming was at the heart of rural communities that the public benefited from when they came to the countryside.

The study comes as the Government shifts the post-Brexit farming payments regime away from subsidies for the amount of land farmed to paying for public goods such as storing carbon and stopping flooding.

Livestock farming is heavily dependent on subsidies, and also generates greenhouse gas emissions, with sheep farming accounting for around 1% of the UKs total climate pollution, the universitys Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures said.

But the UK, with tree cover of 8%, making it one of the least densely forested countries in Europe, has a large potential for restoring and creating woodlands to help soak up carbon emissions, the study said.

It found that farmers with at least 25 hectares of land (60 acres) could turn a profit if they allowed it to naturally regenerate into woodland and were paid as little as 3 a tonne for the carbon the woods store.

The credits could be bought by businesses or individuals who want to offset their emissions, for example from flights.

If they were sold for 15 a tonne  the current market price for carbon credits  they could make forests of any size profitable, the study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters said.

Sheep farming in the UK is not profitable without subsidies, but forests that sell carbon credits can be economically viable Prof Colin Osborne, University of Sheffield

Natural regeneration would work in areas close to existing woodland which would provide seeds for the land.

If farmers had to plant trees, they would need a price of around 42 per tonne of carbon stored  although Government grants in England can cover 80% of costs, which makes planting profitable from 9 a tonne, the study said.

As well as cutting carbon emissions, switching from sheep farming to native forests could boost wildlife and curb flooding.

It would make sense economically and environmentally to use the post-Brexit environmental land management scheme to pay farmers to return their land to forests, the study said.

The researchers also questioned whether it is right to pay farmers to preserve non-natural pastoral landscapes in the UK, preventing reforestation, while putting pressure on developing countries to curb tropical deforestation.

Professor Colin Osborne, from the University of Sheffield and lead author of the study, said: Sheep farming in the UK is not profitable without subsidies, but forests that sell carbon credits can be economically viable  so it makes sense for the Government to help farmers transition.

Using public money to actively prevent reforestation in the UK and Europe is morally questionable given the pressure western governments place on the global south to end tropical deforestation.

Ultimately, these come down to political questions of how we want our countryside to be used, how we value livestock production over the global costs of climate breakdown, and how the Government supports farmers and rural communities.
HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ENGIE North America announces a new owner for MultiTech, Ltd., a Canadian mechanical and electrical contractor. As of September 1st, ownership has transferred to an affiliate of Beswick Corporation, part of a group of companies owned by David and Kevin Beswick, investors in the greater Toronto area in Canada.

ENGIE decided to sell MultiTech Ltd., acquired 10 years ago, to a company that could refocus the business on profitable growth opportunities in its core greater Toronto market.

MultiTech, based out of Mississauga, Ontario, operates as a plumbing, mechanical and electrical contractor that offers fabrication and installation, new construction and retrofit and maintenance services in the greater Toronto area. The company currently employs approximately 100 salaried people, along with 300 to 400 laborers as union trades professionals.

Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Executive Vice-President responsible for ENGIE Renewable business line and CEO of ENGIE North America, stated that she "appreciates the dedication of both the local MultiTech team and the ENGIE professionals that allowed for the best option for both parties and a successful transfer of ownership to the Beswick Corporation."

"On behalf of Beswick Corp Management, our current employees and families, we look forward to welcoming our new team in servicing and growing our local areas. As a tier one, locally family owned multi trade organization, we are absolutely committed to growing MultiTech and remaining at the forefront of the industry," said David Beswick & Kevin Beswick.

FMI Capital Advisors, Inc. served as financial advisor to ENGIE in the transaction.

About ENGIE North America

ENGIE North America Inc. offers a range of capabilities in the United States and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize and digitalize their operations. These include comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resource use and expense; clean power generation; energy storage; and retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options. Nearly 100% of the company's power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE S.A. relies on their key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to customers. With 170,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, we are a community of Imaginative Builders, committed every day to more harmonious progress.

For more information on ENGIE North America, please visit our LinkedIn page or Twitter feed, www.engie-na.com and www.engie.com.

About Beswick Corporation

For more than thirty years, Beswick Corp has been dedicated to the prosperity of their Canadian company. From grassroots to a field in excess of over 200 employees, they are in a solid footprint to work with ENGIE and will continue to solidify their commitment to both their employees and their communities. In combination with real estate, infrastructure, mortgages, health care and residential home building, Beswick Corp is excited for their future.

ENGIE North America Media Contact:

Sandrine Deparis, [email protected], (202) 855 3705

SOURCE ENGIE North America
The remains of Sgt. Elder Elder Fernandes returned home Tuesday evening. Family of the Brockton native who was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, arrived at Logan International Airport as a casket draped with an American flag was removed from a plane.

The 23-year-old was reported missing on Aug. 19 after he hadnt been seen for two days. Family said he went missing on Aug. 17, the same day he was released from the hospital. On Aug. 25 his body was found hanging from a tree about 25 miles from Fort Hood, an attorney representing Fernandes family said.

Prior to his death, Fernandes transferred units after reporting abusive sexual contact, Fort Hood public affairs officer Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam said in a statement.

The soldiers family said he was bullied and hazed for reporting the allegations.

Brautigam said an Army sexual assault response coordinator had been working with Fernandes.

After his body was found, the Army announced officials had determined the allegations raised by Fernandes were unsubstantiated and briefed him prior to his death.

Members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation joined together last week in calling for an independent investigation into the death of Fernandes.

In a letter to Acting Inspector General Sean ODonnell, the delegation requested a complete and thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the disappearance and death of Fernandes.

The Congressional delegation added, We must do more than grieve the loss of SGT Fernandes  we must seek justice and answers for his family.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds her weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Pelosi Got Hair Done Without Mask, Breaking CCP Virus Restrictions

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday visited a San Francisco hair salon for a blow-out despite the store being shuttered since March as part of measures to curb the transmission of the CCP virus, security footage shows.

In security footage obtained by Fox News, the Democratic congresswoman can be seen walking through San Franciscos eSalon with wet hair on Monday at 3:08 p.m. A mask appears to hang around her neck instead of covering her nose and mouth. A hair stylist follows closely behind her wearing a black face covering.

Hair salons in the city are currently not allowed to operate as usual due to the ongoing CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Salons were told they could resume outdoor hairstyling services only from Sept. 1.

Esalon owner Erica Kious, a mother of two, told the news outlet in an interview Tuesday that Pelosi booked an appointment Sunday night through an independent stylist who rents chair space in her salon.

I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do? Kious said, noting that accepting the booking was ultimately the stylists decision as theyre not paying currently.

Kious said the fact that Pelosi received a wash and a blow-dry while salons have been shut since March was like a slap in the face.

It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I cant work, Kious said.

She also highlighted her disbelief that the House Speaker didnt wear a mask during her salon visit. Late June, Pelosi called for a nationwide mandate to wear face masks to ward against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related Coverage Pelosi Says US Should Implement Nationwide Mask Mandate

Were supposed to look up to this woman, right? Kious said. It is just disturbing.

A spokesman for Pelosi told news outlets that the congresswoman followed the rules presented to her by the hair salon.

The Speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements. This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment, spokesman Drew Hammill said.

Kious said receiving a blow-out goes against current COVID-19 safety precautions put in place for hair salons.

We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just cantits a feelinga feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down, she added.
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Uranium Royalty Corp. ("URC" or the "Company") regrets to announce that Lady Barbara Judge, a director and chair of the Company's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has passed away.

Amir Adnani, Chairman, commented: "On behalf of the board and the URC team, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Lady Judge's family and to everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. Lady Judge was a trailblazer in every sense, with a long career of precedent-setting appointments in Washington and London. She was the youngest person to become a Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Chair of both the United Kingdom's Atomic Energy Authority and the Pension Protection Fund. For her many contributions to the nuclear and financial industries, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010. Lady Judge was equally prolific in charitable causes and was a former trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts and Dementia UK. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and know Lady Judge and for her insights as a most valued member of our board."

Scott Melbye, President and CEO commented: "We are deeply saddened by Lady Judge's passing. She was an instrumental leader and supporter of the nuclear industry, having made profound impacts in the United Kingdom and globally, including through her advisory roles at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. and the Tokyo Electric Power Company. She believed nuclear energy is critical to energy and national security, and that it has a major role to play in the world's carbon reductions. On a personal level, her spirit and optimism were always inspiring. Most recently I recall her response to news of continued nuclear energy growth at our August board meetings, saying it was 'music to my ears'. She will be dearly missed both professionally and personally."

The following is a link to an obituary published by the Financial Times for Lady Barbara Judge: https://on.ft.com/2EMX9J5

About Uranium Royalty Corp.

Uranium Royalty Corp. is a pure-play uranium royalty company focused on gaining exposure to uranium prices by making strategic investments in uranium interests, including royalties, streams, debt and equity investments in uranium companies, as well as through holdings of physical uranium. The Company's strategy recognizes the inherent cyclicality of valuations based on uranium prices, including the impact of such cyclicality on the availability of capital within the uranium sector and the current historically low uranium pricing environment. The Company intends to execute on its strategy by leveraging the deep industry knowledge and expertise of its management team and the Board to identify and evaluate investment opportunities in the uranium industry. The Company's management and the Board include individuals with over 130 years of combined experience in the uranium and nuclear energy sectors, including specific expertise in mine finance, project identification and evaluation, mine development and uranium sales and trading.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Uranium Royalty Corp.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday arrived here on a three-day visit to Russia to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them collectively here on Friday, officials said.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

The SCO comprises eight member states -- India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistans Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting. Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

Before departure, Singh in a tweet said that issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit, he said.

In his meeting with Shoigu, Singh will press for expediting supply of a number of weapons systems, ammunition and spares to India by Russia under contracts which were concluded earlier, officials said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

The officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure the timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India. The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

It is Singhs second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of the SCO in 2017.
T hirteen men and one woman have gone on trial in Paris for the deadly attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in 2015.

The attacks left seventeen people dead, including all three gunmen. All the defendants in the trial are accused of helping organise the attacks and buying equipment, including weapons.

Most of the defendants have said they did not realise they were involved in a terrorist attack and thought it was an ordinary crime.

Three  including the only woman  are being tried in absentia after leaving to join IS.

A lawyer for one of the defendants / Getty Images

The attacks took place from January 7-9, 2015.

They began with brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi storming the Charlie Hebdo offices, which had been unmarked and under police guard since the paper published cartoons of the prophet Mohammed several years earlier.

The brothers shot 12 people before fleeing in a stolen vehicle.

Two days later their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly killed four hostages in the Hyper Cacher supermarket while the brothers took control of a printing office just outside Paris.

All of the attackers died that day in police raids.

Coulibaly was also responsible for the death of a young police woman the previous day, but investigators took several days to work that out.

The latest issue of Charlie Hebdo printed in the lead up to the trial / Getty Images

The complex network of criminals linking the three gunmen took weeks more to unpick  by which point Coulibaly's wife and two others now charged in the case had fled to Syria.

Lawyers for survivors dismissed claims by defendants that they did not know the extent of the crimes they allegedly helped to organise.

Since 2012, terrorism capitalised on the prevailing delinquency there is around these terrorists, said Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for one of the attack survivors.

They are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices. You know, when you provide a weapon its not to go and party.

Armed police outside the courtroom / Getty Images

Later in 2015, a separate network of French and Belgian fighters for Islamic State struck Paris again, this time killing 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants.

Wednesdays trial is opening under tight security, with multiple police checks for anyone entering the main courtroom or the overflow rooms.

At nearby news stands, the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo appeared, reprinting the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed cited by the gunmen who killed so many of the publications editorial staff.

They died so that you journalists could do your jobs, said Richard Malka, the lawyer for Charlie Hebdo.

Let us not be afraid. Not of terrorism, not of freedom.
New Delhi: The PM CARES Fund, set up in March to deal with emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, received Rs 3,076.62 crore in just five days of its formation, as per an account statement made public by the fund on Wednesday.

The 'receipt and payment account' showed nearly Rs 3,075.85 crore as 'voluntary contributions', while Rs 39.67 lakh came as foreign contributions. It put the fund's closing balance as on March 31, 2020 at Rs 3,076.62 crore, after including interest income and deducting service tax on forex conversion.

The fund started with an initial corpus of Rs 2.25 lakh, as per the account statement posted on the fund's official website. It also referred to "accompanying notes to the financial statements", but those were not made public on the website.

According to details posted on the website of the 'Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)', the fund consists "entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organisations and does not get any budgetary support".

"During 2019-20 (from March 27-31, 2020), an amount of Rs 3076.62 crore has been collected under PM CARES Fund," it said. It further said this fund has been set up as a public charitable trust "keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected".

The fund generated a lot of interest immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced its formation of the fund in the last week of March after the COVID-19 outbreak and appealed for donations, prompting several private firms, government bodies, and individuals, including celebrities, to donate money.

The Fund's objectives include undertaking and supporting relief or assistance of any kind relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or natural, including the creation or upgradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support, according to its website.

The government has used a part of the money to buy medical equipment, including ventilators, to boost the battle against the COVID-19 and has also provided relief to migrants. Opposition parties have, however, criticised the Fund, claiming that its contributions and expenses are not transparent, a charge denied by the government.

Reacting to the account statement of the fund, Congress leader P Chidambaram said the auditors of the fund have confirmed that the fund received Rs 3,076 crore in just five days, but the "names of these generous donors will not be revealed".

"Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES Fund exempt from this obligation," he tweeted. "The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?," Chidambaram said.

Last month, the Supreme Court had refused to direct the transfer of contributions made to the PM CARES Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

The top court had also ruled that at this need of the hour no exception can be taken to the constitution of a public charitable trust PM CARES Fund to have necessary financial resources to meet the emergent situation, adding this fund and the NDRF were entirely different funds with separate object and purpose.

While Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund, the Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance are its ex-officio trustees.

The chairperson (Prime Minister) has the power to nominate three trustees to the board of trustees, who can be eminent persons in the field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration, and philanthropy. Also, any person appointed a trustee will act in a pro bono capacity.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant bail to a boy accused of killing a 7-year-old boy on the premises of a private school in Gurugram, allegedly to force a postponement of examinations.

The accused had allegedly slit the throat of the victim, whose body was found in the washroom of the school at the Bhondsi area in Gurugram.

A bench comprising Justices R.F. Nariman, Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said: "We have heard learned counsel for all parties exhaustively, including learned counsel appearing on behalf of the complainant. Since the petitioner is now being tried for the purposes of bail only as an adult, we see no reason to interfere with the impugned judgment of the High Court at this stage." The bench went on to dismiss the special leave petition.

Counsel for the victim's father contended before the bench that there is likelihood of tampering of evidence, if bail is granted to the accused.

The accused had argued that due to Covid-19 pandemic, chances of the beginning of the trial in the future are very slim, and that the high court had erred in holding that there is a possibility of tampering of evidence.

In June, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed the accused's plea seeking bail. The CBI also opposed the bail plea, contending before the top court that the accused does not deserve any leniency.

The court had said that against the backdrop of the apex court order passed in February 2019, that for deciding the bail application, the petitioner be treated as an "adult", there is little scope for it to find out whether any relief could be granted under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The CBI, which had taken over the case from the Gurugram police soon after the crime in September 2017, had alleged that the teenager had murdered the victim in a bid to postpone the examination and also to cancel the parent-teacher meet.
Actor Minissha Lamba, in a new interview, has spoken about Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput, and extended her support to the Jalebi actor. Minissha also called out a section of the media who have been targetting Rhea.

Speaking to Times of India, she said that sitting idle was no longer an option. Because now enough is enough! Nothing about those wild accusations sat right with me. They didnt make sense. Post Rheas interviews, which to me, resonated with truth and reason and logic, I could not just sit any more and be quiet. Give a human being the dignity of undergoing investigations without us pronouncing judgement based on conjecture, rumour and gossip. Minishha had recently tweeted in support of Rhea too.

On the subject of Rhea stating that Sushant used to smoke marijuana and how his family had claimed that she has poisoned him, Minissha said that all she could see was a woman caring for a man she loved. From Rheas interviews and an audio tape that came out recently where Sushant-Rhea and two other people are assisting them in planning their future, they are heard discussing the idea of moving to Pawna (outskirts of Mumbai) as Sushant feels he cant work in films any more because of his condition. It was heartbreaking to hear him make the decision to leave. We can clearly hear Rhea being supportive. She is leaving Mumbai as well to live with him and take care of him. From this conversation I can only see a woman who loved Sushant and did all she could to help him get better. I dont see any logic or motive for this horrible accusation.

Minissha has a sharp word to say against a section of the media and their coverage of the issue. She also spoke about Rheas parents being questioned by various investigating agencies. She said: The investigating agencies are conducting their business in the manners and protocols that they see fit. But what is happening in the court of Indian media trials, resulting in tainted public opinion, that is just not done.

Also read: Raveena Tandon on Kangana Ranauts claim that 99 per cent of Bollywood uses drugs: Few bad apples cannot spoil a basket

Rhea had come out with a tell-all interview to India Today and later spoke to other media outlets as well. In them, she denied all the accusations levied against her by Sushants family and also gave her version of the way in which matters unfolded. Since then, a number of film personalities have come out in support of her. Telugu actor Lakshmi Manchu was the first to speak up in support of her. Since then, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan and Shibani Dandekar have all spoken about the unfair treatment meted out to the actor and her family.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
New technology can decrease healthcare costs, allowing a majority of mothers and infants to have access to a microscopic placenta examination, according to a report in The American Journal of Pathology

Philadelphia, September 2, 2020 - After a baby is born, doctors sometimes examine the placenta--the organ that links the mother to the baby--for features that indicate health risks in any future pregnancies. Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming process that must be performed by a specialist, so most placentas go unexamined after the birth. A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) report the development of a machine learning approach to examine placenta slides in the American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, so more women can be informed of their health risks.

One reason placentas are examined is to look for a type of blood vessel lesions called decidual vasculopathy (DV). These indicate the mother is at risk for preeclampsia--a complication that can be fatal to the mother and baby--in any future pregnancies. Once detected, preeclampsia can be treated, so there is considerable benefit from identifying at-risk mothers before symptoms appear. However, although there are hundreds of blood vessels in a single slide, only one diseased vessel is needed to indicate risk.

"Pathologists train for years to be able to find disease in these images, but there are so many pregnancies going through the hospital system that they don't have time to inspect every placenta," said Daniel Clymer, PhD, alumnus, Department of Mechanical Engineering, CMU, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. "Our algorithm helps pathologists know which images they should focus on by scanning an image, locating blood vessels, and finding patterns of the blood vessels that identify DV."

Machine learning works by "training" the computer to recognize certain features in data files. In this case, the data file is an image of a thin slice of a placenta sample. Researchers show the computer various images and indicate whether the placenta is diseased or healthy. After sufficient training, the computer is able to identify diseased lesions on its own.

It is quite difficult for a computer to simply look at a large picture and classify it, so the team introduced a novel approach through which the computer follows a series of steps to make the task more manageable. First, the computer detects all blood vessels in an image. Each blood vessel can then be considered individually, creating smaller data packets for analysis. The computer will then access each blood vessel and determine if it should be deemed diseased or healthy. At this stage, the algorithm also considers features of the pregnancy, such as gestational age, birth weight, and any conditions the mother might have. If there are any diseased blood vessels, then the picture--and therefore the placenta--is marked as diseased. The UPMC team provided the de-identified placenta images for training the algorithm.

"This algorithm isn't going to replace a pathologist anytime soon," Dr. Clymer explained. "The goal here is that this type of algorithm might be able to help speed up the process by flagging regions of the image where the pathologist should take a closer look."

"This is a beautiful collaboration between engineering and medicine as each brings expertise to the table that, when combined, creates novel findings that can help so many individuals," added lead investigators Jonathan Cagan, PhD, and Philip LeDuc, PhD, professors of mechanical engineering at CMU, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

"As healthcare increasingly embraces the role of artificial intelligence, it is important that doctors partner early on with computer scientists and engineers so that we can design and develop the right tools for the job to positively impact patient outcomes," noted co-author Liron Pantanowitz, MBBCh, formerly vice chair for pathology informatics at UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. "This partnership between CMU and UPMC is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when this happens."

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Centre on Wednesday increased the limited domestic passenger flight operations' capacity to 60 per cent from an earlier 45 per cent, with immediate effect.

Till now, the Centre had permitted only 45 per cent capacity utilisation in the domestic sector with effect from June 27, 2020, post the initial re-start of operations of the scheduled domestic flights from May 25, 2020.

In an order, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday increased the capacity limit.

The document stated that the partial modification of the earlier order has been undertaken after review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel.

Passenger air services were suspended on March 25 due to the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19, although domestic air services had resumed in a phased manner.

Subsequently, domestic flight services resumed from May 25.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh.

In a significant development, Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh, sources said.

This comes close on the heels of Indian Army thwarting Chinese Armys attempt on the night of August 29 and 30 to transgress into areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso.

Sources said on Tuesday that around seven to eight heavy vehicles of the Chinese army set off towards the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) from their Chepuzi camp.

In reaction, the Indian security forces also made precautionary deployments to prevent any intrusion, they said. The sources said seeing the vehicles from the Indian side along with troops, the Chinese vehicle convoy returned back towards their bases.

Also read: India and China should take concrete measures to safeguard peace in LAC: Beijing

Also read: Thailand delays purchasing Chinese submarines after public backlash

Indian security forces are on high alert all along the LAC to prevent any incursion by the Chinese in any sector, they added. The Indian Army had earlier thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand had said on Monday that on the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

He said the Indian Army took measures to strengthen its position and and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground.

The spokesperson also said that the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity through dialogue but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity. A Brigade Commander level Flag Meeting was later held at Chushul to resolve the issues.

Army sources had said that the Chinese Army had tried to transgress into Indian areas using a sizeable number of troops but Indian Army came to know about their intentions and preempted the Chinese attempt and foiled their move.

India and China are in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield results so far.

The Chinese Army has refused to withdraw or disengage completely from the Finger area and seems to be buying time to delay its disengagement from there. While efforts are underway to resolve the ongoing border dispute, India has rejected the Chinese suggestion to disengage equidistantly from the Finger area in eastern Ladakh.

Also read: Australian television anchor for Chinas state run media CGTN detained in Beijing
China's first carrier-based, fixed-wing early warning aircraft makes maiden flight: reports

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/1 21:16:34

China's first aircraft carrier-based, fixed-wing early warning aircraft, reportedly called the KJ-600, successfully made its maiden flight in late August, foreign and Chinese media reported. This type of plane will become far-reaching eyes and significantly boost the comprehensive combat capability of Chinese aircraft carriers, which currently only have helicopters for early warning purposes, Chinese experts said on Tuesday.

An aircraft identified as the KJ-600 was recently spotted in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in a commercial satellite image, Ordnance Industry Science Technology, a Xi'an-based magazine on the national defense industry, reported on Monday, citing a report on Forbes on Saturday.

Unverified photos posted on social media show it recently made its first test flight, the Chinese magazine said.

The Chinese military or the aircraft's manufacturer has not announced the maiden flight of the aircraft as of press time.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Tuesday that after China built an aircraft carrier, it was expected to develop an aircraft carrier-based early warning system as a priority project.

When China's aircraft carriers sail far away from inland to an extent that land-based early warning aircraft cannot provide early warning support, the carriers would lose their full combat potential without a carrier-based fixed-wing early warning aircraft, Wang said. He added that this kind of aircraft can quickly create an early warning and control system to allow an aircraft carrier combat group to independently carry out missions.

China's aircraft carriers currently rely on early warning helicopters to do the job, but they can only carry smaller radars, have limited speed, and only cover a radius of about 200 kilometers, while a fixed-wing early warning aircraft can cover about 400 to 500 kilometers, Wang said.

Judging from the images, Ordnance Industry Science Technology said that the KJ-600 has a very tight fuselage design, making it almost as long as the J-15 aircraft carrier-based fighter jet, and the Z-18 early warning helicopter.

The aircraft carries a radar on the top of its middle fuselage, similar to China's previous early warning aircraft KJ-2000 and KJ-500.

It likely uses two WJ-6C turboprop engines, but could switch to the newer WJ-10s in the future, the report said.

The Forbes report claimed that the KJ-600 looks like the US Navy's E-2C Hawkeye.

Wang said it is natural that similar technological requirements and approaches, including on the design of a carrier-operable aircraft platform and the development of small but capable radar, have led to this.

There is no evidence yet if the KJ-600 can operate on China's current two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, which use ski-jump flight decks without catapults. China's third aircraft carrier is expected to use a flat flight deck with electromagnetic catapults, which will be compatible with the KJ-600, analysts said.

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As Labor Day weekend nears, concerns about smoke, fires and COVID-19 have put many vacationers on edge.

The outlook is best for those with reservations at lakeside campsites in swaths of remote national forest, in the Redwood Empire and along Californias northern coast.

For Bay Area staycations: Of 352 recreation destinations in the region, 265 are open.

In an anomaly for Labor Day weekend, when park destinations are often smoky from forest fires, checks this week at Lake Tahoe and the north Sierra, Yosemite, Lassen, Mount Shasta and the Redwood Empire have shown various levels of clear air.

For weekend trips with overnight stays, do not leave home without reservations for lodging or camping, or specific knowledge of difficult-to-reach destinations where you can be guaranteed a site.

Options improve starting Tuesday, when, as if someone flipped a switch, reservations at lakeside campsites in national forests become available across the Sierra Nevada and Northern California. Many sites even become first-come, first-served, reported Recreation.gov, the federal reservation service.

In the Greater Bay Area, the most notable closures are 100% of Point Reyes National Seashore, all 23 parks operated by the San Mateo County Parks (though there is a hope that some could open before the weekend), and the giant swath of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains that includes Big Basin Redwoods, Portola Redwoods and Butano state parks. Two major lakes and their recreation lands, the Los Vaqueros Watershed and Del Valle Regional Park, are also closed.

Sam Okamoto

To keep people out of fire zones, Highway 1 is closed in several areas, including south of Half Moon Bay in southern San Mateo County and north of Jenner in Sonoma County, and can be tracked at the Caltrans road information site at 800-427-7623 or at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.

Fire danger remains high or very high across Californias 20 million acres of U.S. National Forest, according to postings by rangers at the regions 100 district offices. Rangers say privately that they are anxious as the end-of-summer crowds arrive from cities.

Use The Chronicles interactive trackers online to home in on the latest conditions for fire, COVID and Bay Area recreation.

Heres an update on conditions at popular destinations across the Bay Area and Northern California.

San Francisco: All recreation sites along the San Francisco headlands and shore are open, spanning from Fort Funston and Lake Merced on the coast, to the Presidio, Fishermans Wharf and around to Candlestick Point State Recreation Area.

The one disclaimer is at Candlestick, where parking has been closed since March, but walk-in and bike-in traffic is permitted. Mornings have been cool with high fog, calm winds and low surf.

S.F. Peninsula: All 23 parks have remained closed this week in San Mateo County, but some could re-open by the weekend. The Midpeninsula Open Space District has already re-opened nearly all of its 26 preserves. Long Ridge, located on Skyline south of Page Mill Road, remains closed due to fire operations.

North Bay: The Marin Headlands is nearly 100% open, along with the Marin Watershed lands and lakes, for access, hiking and mountain biking. The exception is Stafford Lake near Novato, still closed. In West Marin, all of Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park are closed to all access. With the active fire at Point Reyes, avoid Highway 1 and stay clear of the area.

East Bay: In the East Bay Regional Park District, where 66 parks had been shut down, all are open this week except for six: Del Valle, Mission Peak, Morgan Territory, Ohlone Regional Wilderness, Round Valley and Sunol Regional Wilderness. Of significant recreation lakes, San Pablo Reservoir and Lafayette Lake are again open, and Los Vaqueros and Del Valle are 100% closed. East Bay MUD re-opened its trailheads for hiking (with a permit). Mount Diablo is also 100% open, but with warnings posted for both fire dangers and a water shortage. Visitors are asked to bring their own drinking water.

South Bay: Red flag warnings have been posted in all 28 parks operated by Santa Clara County Parks, but nearly all are open. Joseph D. Grant County Park on Mount Hamilton Road and Sanborn on Highway 9 remain shut down. In south county, 87,000-acre Henry W. Coe State Park re-opened with heat warnings for the weekend and access with limited facilities out of headquarters off Dunne Avenue east of Morgan Hill and the Hunting Hollow staging area east of Gilroy.

Fishing reports

SF Bay and coast: The following selected scores were reported Tuesday from each harbor. San Francisco: Lovely Martha had 19 salmon to 28 pounds for 16 people; Berkeley: New Easy Rider had 14 salmon (limits) to 25 pounds for 7; Sausalito: New Rayann had 16 salmon to 23 pounds for 12 people; Emeryville: Pacific Pearl has 12 salmon (limits: to 24 pounds for 60); Sea Wolf had 170 rockfish (limits), 19 lingcod to 16 pounds for 17 people.

Recreation lakes: Going into the weekend, levels at recreation lakes are generally good for September considering the poor rain and snow totals from last winter.

Central Sierra: Tulloch (98% full), Donner (92), Union Valley (74), Bullards Bar (69), Davis (68), Frenchman (68), Loon (64), Ice House (63), Stampede (54), Beardsley (48).

Note: Lake Tahoe measured at 6,226.93 feet (down 2.17 from maximum full at 6,229.1).

Sacramento Valley/foothills: Englebright (93%), Folsom (49), Oroville (48), Indian Valley (31), Black Butte (26).

Note: Clear Lake measured 1.64 Rumsey (down 5.92 feet from brim at 7.56 Rumsey).

San Joaquin Valley/foothills: Pardee (98%), Cherry (82), Don Pedro (72), New Melones (66), Camanche (64), New Hogan (48)

North state: Lewiston (99%), Whiskeytown (98), Antelope (80), Trinity (61), Shasta (52).

Tom Stienstra is The Chronicles outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom
The State's "appallingly protracted" 18-month delay in deciding whether to deport a widowed Pakistani woman and her daughter who came here in 2014 is "no way to treat people", a High Court judge has said.

Mr Justice Max Barrett made the remark in a judgment refusing the Minister for Justice leave to appeal the judge's earlier decision overturning the deportation order.

The mother was initially refused EU Treaty rights here as a family member of her brother, a UK and EU citizen with whom she and her daughter came to Ireland in 2014 when he got a job here.

The deportation order for mother and daughter was made in 2018 after the State authorities implicitly did not accept she was a blood sister of her brother, the judge said.

It was not revisited by the minister after the woman supplied DNA evidence in 2019 showing she and her daughter were blood relatives.

His judgment quashing the deportation decision raised no points of law of exceptional public importance required for the court to grant leave to appeal, he ruled.

He had "considerable sympathy" for the daughter, now aged 18, who came to Europe as a young child and to Ireland before she was a teenager and yet has had the prospect of deportation "hanging over her for years when Europe/Ireland has been her home for most of her life".

Her mother had secured a mathematics-related qualification here and the daughter has gone on to further studies after being schooled here, he noted.

He could think of "no other walk of life in which a party could take nearly one and a half years to make a decision, offer no explanation whatsoever for why it took so long and come to court expecting that would be considered appropriate".

Counsel for the minister had described the lapse of time as "not so extreme", saying it "is not seven or eight years".

He was incredulous that seven to eight years would be offered as "an apparent benchmark for offensive delay", with an 18 month period to produce a decision being treated "as essentially fine".

Lawyers for the minister had sought leave to appeal, arguing the judge's decision had implications for other cases and raised points of law of exceptional public importance.

Read More Man charged in connection with fatal Wexford assault

The judge disagreed on both counts, saying no case can be fully divorced from its facts and it would effectively be "a miracle" if five exceptional points of law were raised in his seven and a half page judgment quashing deportation.

He rejected arguments he had made a "finding" it was incumbent on the minister to revisit the deportation order after the DNA evidence was supplied.

While he expressed surprise the decision was not revisited in light of the DNA evidence, and had said he expected some effort would have been made to revisit it, he had also said the minister was not legally required to do so, the judge stressed.

Earlier, he noted the woman lived in Pakistan until 2009 when her husband of ten years had died, leaving her and their daughter in a "precarious position".

Her brother, who had gone to the UK about 2001 and secured UK citizenship, moved to help her and she and her daughter lived with him in the UK before coming with him to Ireland when he got a job here in 2014.

She and her daughter settled here and sought EU Treaty rights in May 2015, providing 150 pieces of documentation relating to the familial arrangements in the UK. Their application was refused in November 2015 on the basis insufficient evidence of dependency on the brother had been provided.

The mother sought a review and also offered to undergo a DNA test but the State "did not welcome the offer", the judge said.

In February 2017, the woman was informed she did not meet the criteria of "permitted family member" under the EEC Free Movement of Persons Regulation 2015 and that a deportation process would ensue.

She made submissions the following month against deportation but received only a letter of acknowledgement to those before being told in September 2018 she and her daughter were to be deported. Legal proceedings ensued.
A few months ago, mornings at Vahdat Primary School when the children arrived were full of enthusiasm and energy.

Bags bouncing on their backs as they ran through the gates of their primary school, a group of girls skidded to a halt in front of the main building, waiting for assembly. At the back of a line of sixth-graders stood Parisa, the oldest in her class at the age of 16  her classmates were on average only 12 years old.

But Parisa was undaunted by the age gap and determined to make the most of her time at Vahdat Primary, in the old Persian city of Isfahan in Iran.

I love school so much, she said, clutching her books to her chest. My favourite subject is mathematics ... I love multiplication and division  they are really easy.

To have her school time interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic since then is doubly cruel given what Parisa had to endure before she got her first taste of an education.

"They started planting landmines in schoolyards."

A decade ago, her family fled Afghanistan after the Taliban terrorized their neighbourhood in Herat. If you went out to the bazaar, there was no guarantee you would return, recalled Besmellah, 67, Parisas father.

The extremists also threatened to kidnap any girls who dared to go to school. Then they started planting landmines in schoolyards, added Besmellah. We had no choice but to come to Iran.

Over the course of 40 years of invasions, civil war, power struggles and religious strife, approximately three million Afghans have sought refuge in Iran. Nearly one million are registered as refugees, while up to two million are undocumented. An additional 450,000 Afghan passport holders live in Iran either to work or complete their studies.

See also: South Sudanese teacher sets sights on university for his children

In Iran, Parisa and her six siblings had found safety but during her first years in exile she couldnt go to school. The family barely had enough to live on, let alone cover school costs. Parisas brother dropped out of school at age 15 and started working. With this extra money, Parisa was able to set foot in a classroom for the first time, at the age of 11.

At first, she found herself in an unofficial school not registered with the government, where lessons were organized in two shifts to accommodate as many children as possible. With no qualified teachers and no proper curriculum, the students only learned the basics.

"My wife and I feel disabled by our lack of education. We dont want the same to happen to our children.

As an undocumented refugee, at the time this was Parisas only option. But in 2015, Iran started allowing all Afghan children  regardless of legal status  to attend state schools. When Vahdat Primary opened with with funding from the Government of Iran, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and the European Union, Parisa got her first taste of a formal education.

Students at Vahdat Primary School try to contain their giggles for a group photo before their teacher comes to class.  UNHCR/Mohammad Hossein Dehghanian

Today, some 480,000 Afghan children in Iran benefit from this inclusive education policy, of whom 130,000 are undocumented Afghans like Parisa. At Vahdat Primary, 140 young Afghans rub shoulders with 160 Iranian students.

But the pandemic threatens to derail Parisas education once more. As Iran continues to feel the health and economic effects of the virus, both refugees and host communities are finding it harder to make ends meet. Many of those who rely largely on informal work have lost their jobs.

I havent been able to work for the past three months, said Besmellah, who is a day labourer. Parisa is supposed to start the seventh grade this year but I cannot afford it.

In a report, titled Coming Together for Refugee Education, to be published on 3 September, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR warns the twin scourges of COVID-19 and attacks on schools threatens to set back refugee education for decades.

"We had to borrow my older sisters smartphone to do our exams.

Based on UNHCR data, the Malala Fund has estimated that as a result of the coronavirus half of all refugee girls in secondary school will not return when classrooms reopen this month - a chilling prediction that would have an impact for generations to come.

While refugees are exempt from school fees in Iran, other costs associated with education, including learning materials, are still a burden. My landlord also raised the rent so I had to borrow money to pay the deposit for a new place.

Parisa has lost none of her enthusiasm for her education. My sister and I followed our lessons on the television, but we had to borrow my older sisters smartphone to do our exams, she said. Sometimes our classes would clash, so one of us would have to miss a lesson. It was difficult, but I encouraged my sister to persevere. Thankfully, we both got good grades.

As long as I can work, I will do everything for my daughters to be able to go to school  but it is getting harder, said Besmellah. My wife and I feel disabled by our lack of education. We dont want the same to happen to our children.
A southwest Mississippi city has paid $1.45 million to clean up from an April 23 tornado and now awaits reimbursement from federal and state disaster agency.

The Enterprise-Journal reports McComb made its final payment to a debris removal contractor and a monitoring company last week.

Thats more than twice the $600,000 McComb paid to clean up from a May 2019 tornado that hit the same parts of town.

The city board borrowed $1.5 million from its capital improvement fund to pay for the cleanup and must repay that money by Sept. 30.

The federal government is supposed to get 75% of the cost back from the federal government and 12.5% back from the state, leaving it to pay about $180,000.

Public Works Director Alice Barnes says she has weekly conference calls with the Federal Emergency Management Agencys program manager.

We just need to get our paperwork in, and then they will give us our schedule,?Barnes said when asked if the city has a timeline for reimbursement.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Mississippi
India's COVID-19 tally of cases galloped past 37 lakh on Wednesday with 78,357 new instances of the disease reported in a day, while the number of recoveries crossed 29 lakh pushing the recovery rate to 76.98 per cent, the Union health ministry data showed.

IMAGE: A bartender ready to serve the drinks as bars opened as per Unlock 4.0 in Kolkata. Photograph: Ashok Nath Dey/ANI Photo

The death toll climbed to 66,333 with 1,045 more fatalities reported in 24 hours.

India has so far reported 37,69,523 cases of the viral disease, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The total number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country has surged to 29,01,908, while the fatality rate has further declined to 1.76 per cent.

IMAGE: A worker wearing PPE kit sprays disinfectant inside a shopping mall after authorities eased restrictions during Unlock 4.0 in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo

There are 8,01,282, active cases in the country which comprises 21.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 and went past 30 lakh on August 23.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 4,43,37,201 samples have been tested up to September 1, of which 10,12,367 were tested on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Beauty parlours reopened in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Photograph: Chandan Paul/ANI Photo

Of the 1,045 fresh deaths, 320 are from Maharashtra, 135 from Karnataka, 96 from Tamil Nadu, 84 from Andhra Pradesh, 59 from Punjab, 56 from Uttar Pradesh, 55 from West Bengal, 39 from Bihar, 32 from Madhya Pradesh, 18 from Delhi, 17 from Haryana, 14 each from Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, 13 from Rajasthan and 12 from Puducherry.

Eleven fatalities each have been reported from Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttarakhand, 10 each from Chhattisgarh and Telangana, nine from Assam, five from Tripura, four from Kerala, two each from Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Meghalaya, while Chandigarh, Manipur, Ladakh and Sikkim have registered one fatality each.

IMAGE: A worker wearing PPE kit sanitises 'Ego' bar of Peerless Inn hotel ahead of its reopening for the guests in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo

Of the total 66,333 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra has the maximum at 24,903 followed by 7,418 in Tamil Nadu, 5,837 in Karnataka, 4,462 in Delhi, 4,053 in Andhra Pradesh, 3,542 in Uttar Pradesh, 3,283 in West Bengal, 3,034 in Gujarat, and 1,512 in Punjab.

Till now, 1,426 people have died of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, 1,069 in Rajasthan, 846 in Telangana, 717 in Jammu and Kashmir, 706 in Haryana, 621 in Bihar, 503 in Odisha, 428 in Jharkhand, 315 in Assam, 298 in Kerala, 287 in Chhattisgarh and 280 in Uttarakhand.

IMAGE: Students undergo thermal scanning outside an examination centre as they arrive to appear in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main-2020 amid COVID-19 pandemic in Jabalpur. Photograph: PTI Photo

Puducherry has registered 240 fatalities, Goa 194, Tripura 118, Chandigarh 57, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 46, Himachal Pradesh 40, Ladakh 35, Manipur 29, Meghalaya 12, Nagaland nine, Arunachal Pradesh seven, Sikkim four and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths were due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
By John Murawski, RealClearInvestigations

September 2, 2020

If much of the dire rhetoric behind Americas moment of racial reckoning seems from an oppressive world of a half-century ago, thats because it comes from "critical race theory," a decades-old philosophy deeply skeptical about the possibility of racial progress.

Unrest in Portland, 2020: "Critical race theory" has shaped a generation of students who now hold sway in academia, the workplace, the media -- and Black Lives Matter.

It turns up in the best-selling book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, in which readers are told that white identity is inherently racist and that the white collective fundamentally hates blackness.

The New York Times historically revisionist 1619 Project, published last year and distributed to more than 3,500 K-12 classrooms, similarly instructs that anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country.

In Durham, N.C., a racial task force last month issued a 68-page report to city leaders stating that all social structures were designed to subjugate blacks, to privilege the health of white bodies and to indoctrinate all students with the internalized belief that the white race is superior.

So-called equity teams of students and faculty at some high schools in North Carolinas capital region are reading a primer, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, which says African Americans arent only subjugated through hate and terror but also kept down through supposedly white cultural mechanisms of individualism, objectivity, neutrality, meritocracy and color-blindness.

These are just a few of the examples of how contemporary culture is being shaped by critical race theory, a movement born in law schools in the 1970s, influenced by Marxists, French post-modernists, the Black Power cause, radical feminists and other disaffected leftist scholars. It quickly spread to throughout the humanities and social sciences, shaping a generation of students who now hold positions of influence in academia, public school systems, corporate HR departments, publishing, the media, and, of course, Black Lives Matter -- the latter prominent in current street protests against police abuses and racism.

Richard Delgado: a founder of the critical race theory movement and co-author, with his wife, Jean Stefancic, of a primer on the theory (shown at top).

Initially dismissed as an academic sideshow, critical race theorys assumptions and precepts are now espoused as self-evident, often without awareness that this uprising has a name, a history, a literature and ambitions to advance ever-new theories of discrimination and demands for reparations. The vocabulary and concepts of the theory have been disseminated through corporate diversity workshops, social media and mass media, higher education and secondary education, best-selling books and local church discussion groups. Even the conservative Southern Baptist Convention declared last year that evangelical theologians rely on critical race theory to understand American social dynamics.

Some of its ideas  on hate speech, white privilege and implicit bias  are already widely accepted in education and in workplaces. Other concepts  the rejection of a color-blind society, standardized testing and urban policing cultures  are making headway. Meanwhile, new critical race theory ideas are in the pipeline to expand the boundaries of racism and render customs and practices accepted today as problematic in the future.

How to explain the ideology's rise?

Ive always laid it at the doorstep of the millennials, who were by and large highly receptive to our message, and maybe, as well, Trump for the opposite reason -- because hes so crude and awful, said University of Alabama law professor Richard Delgado, one of the founders of the theory and co-author, with his wife, Jean Stefancic, of Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, the primer read by the North Carolina equity teams.

Is it society that has come around to us? Delgado, who identifies as Chicano, said in a phone interview. Because the world is so terrible, that theyve hit upon us and our ways of describing it? Because it rings true?

Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean and professor at the Boston University Law School and the daughter of Nigerian immigrant parents, says the country is in the midst of a generational shift among students who have grown up in "pervasive segregation in their residential lives." She said she is continually surprised by her students fluency in the argot of critical race theory.

Youve got this open generation that grew up exposed to this language in middle school, high school and certainly in college, said Onwuachi-Willig, who identifies as black and specializes in critical race theory, gender matters, race and law, and related issues. Its not called critical race theory -- its just something you know.

Critical race theorys foundational precept is the centrality and permanence in society of racism against blacks, rejecting the idea of significant racial progress. Moreover, CRT is an activist enterprise pragmatically focused on outcomes. It takes systemic racism as a given, with racism enmeshed into social institutions and social relations, so that all racial disparities  in life spans, incarceration rates, household wealth and education levels  serve as proof that the system is rigged. Thus, critical race theory is a renunciation of Americas hyper-competitive, technocratic, capitalistic society, whose lopsided economic outcomes are treated as natural and incontestable by societys winners as was the divine right of kings in its own day.

CRT has long been denounced as simplistic, dogmatic, fatalistic, and toxic  a cult of victimhood that embraces racial conflict as inevitable. As black Harvard University law professor Randall Kennedy wrote in an early critique in 1989, chief among CRTs baneful notions is the belief that race is destiny, which leads adherents to play up their racial oppression as a coveted badge of moral authority.

A new book, Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity-- and Why This Harms Everybody, warns that critical race theory, along with similar theories promoting other marginalized identities, is a surefire formula for fomenting balkanization and social conflict.

Critical race theorys hallmark paranoid mind-set, which assumes racism is everywhere, always, just waiting to be found, is extremely unlikely to be helpful or healthy for those who adopt it, the book states. Adherents actively search for hidden and overt racial offenses until they find them, and they allow of no alternative or mitigating explanations.

One could be easily forgiven  for thinking that critical race theory sounds rather racist itself, in ascribing profound failures of morals and character to white people, assert the co-authors, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, whose campaign against activist scholarship has published sham research to expose the lax academic standards of what they call grievance studies.

Clayborne Carson, Stanford historian: Critical race theory helped us get beyond the time where a white male person in a privileged position defined the world for the rest of us -- even if the theory goes too far.

Still, the history of this idea shows that CRT, like Marxism and Freudianism before it, proved infinitely adaptable, supplying a novel perspective that led to provocative legal and historical research. Stanford University civil rights historian Clayborne Carson, an African American, said CRT has left its mark on intellectual life, even if the theory calcifies into a pessimistic dead-end when taken too far.

Its helped us get beyond the time where a white male person in a privileged position defined the world for the rest of us, said Carson, who was senior adviser for the public television series Eyes on the Prize. Any historical reality can be seen from different perspectives. That has led to some new insights.

Critical race theory arose in the afterglow of the civil rights movement, when many white Americans were still congratulating themselves for the end of legal discrimination. Radical scholars and activists were concerned that civil rights gains had stalled and warned of a looming backlash to dismantle affirmative action, halt integration and fall back on old habits. In a landmark article in 1978, white legal scholar Alan Freeman laid out a framework of resistance, depicting the United States as a society of victims and perpetrators, where racist inequalities are glossed over as matters of fate, having nothing do to with the problem of racial discrimination.

Of this white-affirming worldview, Freeman declared: It creates a class of innocents, who need not feel any personal responsibility for the conditions associated with discrimination, and who therefore feel great resentment when called upon to bear any burdens in connection with remedying violations.

Critical race theory was initially advanced through articles published in law journals, which serve as the Federalist Papers of the movement. In these legal analyses, critical race theorists deconstruct the legacy of the Western Enlightenment  or what one scholar has called the falsity of the liberal promise  as a rationale developed to justify white domination of people of color by imposing European norms as objective and scientific. The papers show that key CRT concepts, such as microaggressions and intersectionality, which started becoming commonplace in recent years, were fully developed by legal scholars in the 1990s. The concept of white racial privilege as a legal concept was already in use in the 1980s and became popularized by a white academic working outside critical race theory: Wellesley College senior researcher Peggy McIntosh, whose invisible knapsack, initially published in 1988, lists 46 examples of unearned privileges favoring whites, such as being able to shop without being followed by a security guard, and being able to talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

Critical race theorists have adopted counter-narratives -- even science fiction -- to advance their ideas. "The Space Traders," a short story by Derrick Bell Jr., was adapted for TV in 1994 and showed disc jockey Casey Kasem, above, campaigning against trading blacks, including Magic Johnson, to extraterrestrials.

Even as they published in law journals, critical race theorists flouted the staid conventions of the legal establishment, and adopted counter-narratives, fables, parables, allegories  even science fiction  to create what Delgado has called a kind of counter-reality, reflecting the perspectives of the downtrodden. The late black Harvard law professor Derrick Bell Jr. wrote four books featuring a fictional character, Geneva Crenshaw, while Delgado invented his own alter-ego, Rodrigo, who was Genevas fictional half-brother.

In Bells most famous story, The Space Traders, published in 1992, white Americans agree to trade black Americans to extraterrestrials in exchange for gold, new energy resources and environmental cleansing materials. These fictional counter-stories and revisionist histories challenge, displace or mock the pernicious narratives and beliefs of the white majority, Delgados CRT primer explains. Just as important, readable stories with a moral wallop bring the theory to the masses.

We use a number of different voices, but all recognize that the American social order is maintained and perpetuated by racial subordination, Bell explained in 1995.

The budding movement held its first conference in 1989 at a convent in Wisconsin, attended by 24 activist-scholars. The crits, as they called themselves, combined insurgent scholarship with 1960s-style activism, quickly picking up adherents; in 1990, students at more than 40 law schools boycotted classes to protest the underrepresentation of minorities on faculty.

In critical race theory, racism is not a local variant of the ancient practices of caste or slavery, but something new in the world that was born with European imperialism, colonialism, capitalism and rationalism. Racism is understood not as a smattering of intentional acts of bigotry, but as an entire system that runs on auto-pilot and operates imperceptibly to whites who are punch-drunk on the myths of color-blindness and individual achievement.

People dont exist solely as individuals, said Juan F. Perea, a U.S.-born Latino and a professor of law and social justice at Loyola University Chicago. We certainly have individual characteristics but many of our outcomes are heavily influenced by how were viewed and treated because of our group membership  such as race, such as sex.

According to CRT, racism is a constantly shape-shifting phenomenon: morphing from slavery to Jim Crow to redlining to the schools-to-prison pipeline to "I Cant Breathe." The landmarks along this moral timeline include the New Deal and G.I. Bill, federal social programs offering financial assistance for college tuition and home purchases that helped create the modern American middle class, but which are characterized by race scholars as being structured to largely bypass black Americans.

Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility author: In some ways, racisms adaptations over time are more sinister than concrete rules such as Jim Crow.

In the social justice paradigm, the protean nature of racism has over time produced the black-white wealth gap, resulting in a 10-to-1 disparity in average household net worth, according to the Brookings Institution.

That sense of unchanging gloom is reflected in rock star diversity trainer Robin DiAngelos assertion in White Fragility, her 2018 manifesto: In some ways, racisms adaptations over time are more sinister than concrete rules such as Jim Crow.

Delgado not only subscribes to this view but is one of its founders, espousing the law of racial thermodynamics  that racism can neither be created nor destroyed.

Just as the CRT movement was getting under way, the war on drugs was in full swing, leading to the expansion of a privately-run prison industry and the militarization of local police departments. The nations prison population ultimately swelled from some 300,000 to more than 2 million, handing critical race theorists a powerful narrative of a supposedly post-racial Americas physical and spiritual destruction of an entire generation of African American males.

Many CRT scholars consider the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America as part of the same phenomenon.

The early criticisms of critical race theory were imbued with a sense of shock and awe at the crits contempt for the legal system and their radical rhetoric. In the 1990s, federal judge Richard Posner reviewed Beyond All Reason, the first book-length critique of CRT, concluding that its not unusual for an intellectual movement to have a lunatic fringe, but noted that radical legal egalitarianism is distinguished by having a rational fringe and a lunatic core.

An early alarm that critical race theory would see the First Amendment and the rule of law itself as tools of capitalist oppression was sounded by Manhattan Institute scholar Heather Mac Donald in 1995.

Heather Mac Donald: Sounded an early alarm that critical race theory would come to see the First Amendment and the rule of law itself as tools of capitalist oppression.

Outside the academy, much of critical race and feminist legal scholarship is unlikely to influence policy, Mac Donald concluded. Critical race theory and feminist jurisprudence thrive in the academic hothouse where they need never confront practical reality.

Todays critics treat CRT as agitprop advancing totalitarianism in the guise of research and scholarship. As blatant racism becomes a thing of the past, they contend, leftists are left grasping for flimsy evidence, either by expanding the definition of racism or by making outrageous statements, to keep up their narrative of oppression.

Their philosophy is in some ways a form of psychosis because its not wedded to the real world, said Jason Hill, a professor of philosophy at DePaul University and author of We Have Overcome: An Immigrants Letter to the American People.

They want to recreate a freaking drama that doesnt exist, said Hill, a black Jamaican immigrant who has taught CRT and considers himself an independent conservative. They have to reenact a medieval morality play and cast a set of demonic characters versus iconic innocent characters, and replay the whole thing over and over again.

Hill and other critics warn that CRT represents a dangerous return to age-old tribal hatreds that are rationalized by self-serving us-versus-them mythologies of moral purity and intellectual superiority. Where critical race theorists depict the Western Enlightenment as the ultimate oppression narrative, CRTs foes uphold Western values as humanitys best, if imperfect, hope for progress.

What bothers me about the talk of white privilege is that its used as a kind of leverage to induce shame and guilt in white people, Hill said. Its really a form of white annihilation. Its really saying to white people: By virtue of your whiteness you need to die a certain kind of social death for me to prosper.

Without understanding CRTs assault on liberalism, one might miss the literal significance of the authors claim in White Fragility that white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color. Or the claim in How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, the director of Boston Universitys Center for Antiracist Research: The most threatening racist movement is not the alt rights unlikely drive for a White ethnostate but the regular Americans drive for a race-neutral one.

David Stovall, black studies professor: Calls for ending standardized testing and grading, criticized as an example of an objective methodology used to maintain a permanent black and Latino underclass.

Such arguments are no mere rhetorical flourishes; they are meant as indictments of the cultural software running in the background of the American way of life.

Critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law, states Delgados CRT book, originally published in 2001, updated in 2017 and now in its third edition, with sales approaching 100,000. Think how that system applauds affording everyone equality of opportunity, but resists programs that assure equality of results, such as affirmative action at an elite college or university or efforts to equalize public school funding among districts in a region.

Many of CRTs opponents are traditional liberals dismayed that so many progressives are embracing critical race theory as if it were an improved model of liberalism, not its avowed enemy.

Some critical race theorists are ready to write off Western Enlightenment traditions for non-white people.

It may be redeemable for folks who live in Western Europe, said David Stovall, professor of black studies, and criminology, law and justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and author of the 2016 book, Born Out of Struggle: Critical Race Theory, School Creation, and the Politics of Interruption.

But in the United States I think we have to continue to ask that question because in many ways it has proven itself to be irredeemable, said Stovall, who identifies as black and is among those who are concerned the current CRT wave may be mere window dressing and virtue signaling that will not lead to radical changes in American society.

One change Stovall would like to see: the elimination of standardized testing and grading, practices targeted by some critical theorists as an example of an objective methodology used to maintain a permanent black and Latino underclass.

Its a pseudo-science, Stovall said. Standardized testing is an extension of eugenics.

No discussion of critical race theory makes sense without understanding that CRT is not a single idea but a clearinghouse for more than a dozen interrelated concepts, some devised by critical race theorists, others adopted and incorporated into CRT. Key to understanding CRT is grasping the difference between equity, the social justice goal of developing policy to produce equal outcomes, as opposed to equality, the scorned liberal ideal of equal rules and procedures. Microaggressions are smaller racist acts or snubs that go unnoticed or dismissed by whites but have the cumulative effect of death by a thousand pinpricks. In an early use of the word, in 1989, a CRT scholar posited that the American legal system itself functions as a microaggression against black self-esteem.

Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, CRT scholar and feminist: Introduced the concept of "intersectionality" to describe oppression thats specific to a black woman but not experienced by either black men or by white women.

Another key concept, intersectionality, was introduced by CRT scholar and feminist Kimberle Williams Crenshaw in 1989 to describe oppression thats specific to a black woman but not experienced by either black men or by white women. Crenshaw contended that the absence of a legal category  that is: keeping a form of oppression unnamed  means that Black women are theoretically erased.

Thus, naming an oppression dovetails with the social justice emphasis on language -- or "discourse" -- as a tool of oppression and a strategy of liberation. Intersectionality has since taken off as a description of a social web of interlocking oppressions  from gender to sexual orientation to disability  leading another scholar to theorize about American society as a matrix of domination.

CRT also emphasizes the special voice of color and the subjective lived experience of people of color as the most reliable and truthful sources for what its like to live under white supremacy. When applied to journalism, literature and other endeavors, CRT endorses historical revisionism to relate stories from the perspective of the victims and to de-center the perspective of the oppressor.

Critical race theorists were early advocates for reparation payments as a way of compensating black people for the wealth they were deprived of over the centuries. The crits floated a variety of other ideas, such as cumulative voting, in which each voter is allowed as many votes as there are candidates and may give all votes to one candidate. The concept was proposed in the mid-1990s by Lani Guinier, now a Harvard law professor, as a way of boosting black electoral leverage. Georgetown University law professor Paul Butler, a former federal prosecutor, advocated for black juries to ignore prosecutorial evidence and acquit black defendants charged with non-violent crimes.

Paul Butler, law professor: It is the moral responsibility of black jurors to emancipate some guilty black outlaws.

It is the moral responsibility of black jurors to emancipate some guilty black outlaws, Butler wrote in the Yale Law Review in 1995, saying that the criminal justice system is an instrument of white supremacy.

Among CRTs triumphs has been the campaign to ban hate speech. Critical theorists began asserting that racial slurs have serious psychological and societal consequences, and that such speech should be exempted from First Amendment protections, and instead treated similarly to libel or threats. Today hate speech is prohibited at more than 200 universities, Delgado said, and generally considered taboo in workplaces, to the extent that some courts have deemed hate speech a form of a hostile work environment.

Thirty years ago one could reply, So what, laugh it off, talk back, or some other cliched response. Today thats impossible, Delgado said. If someone is guilty of hate speech they almost immediately apologize when its called to their attention. The social norm against hate speech is pretty firmly established.

The decision earlier this year by the Board of Regents of the University of California to phase out the SAT as racist and discriminatory is another example of how CRTs critique of objectivity has gained traction, critical theorists say. By some counts more than 1,000 colleges and universities have dropped or disregard the SAT and ACT, even though defenders say that when used properly standardized tests benefit disadvantaged students.

Contrary to the critical race theory narrative of relentless racism, opinion polls tell a different story. In 2015, the Gallup organization reported that more than 90% of Americans would support a black or female presidential candidate, compared with barely half in 1960. Approval rates for racial intermarriage soared to 87% in 2013 compared with just 4% in 1958. And a 2019 survey found that white liberals expressed a preference for other racial and ethnic communities above their own, an unprecedented display of wokeness.

Critical race theory doesnt put much stock in this sort of progress. Matthew Hughey, a University of Connecticut Professor of Sociology who has written extensively on race, said changing attitudes among whites are indeed real and opening a yawning gap between thought and practice that scholars call the principle-policy gap  a discrepancy a layperson might understand as hypocrisy.

"If you talk to a lot of white people today, the thing white people are most afraid of is being called a racist, said Hughey, who is white. They are not afraid of living in a segregated neighborhood, sending their child to a segregated school, or doing the thing that exacerbates racism, but being called the thing.

Wilfred Reilly, "Hate Crime Hoax" author: Says residual racism is a factor in American society but only one of many factors, not the sole or biggest one determining a persons fate.

Wilfred Reilly, a CRT critic who is black and teaches political science at the historically black Kentucky State University, said the income gap between blacks and whites nearly disappears when adjusted for such variables as age, region, education level and home life.

Furthermore, the single-bullet theory of systemic racism falls apart because many non-white ethnic groups out-perform whites economically, said Reilly, who is author of Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left is Selling a Fake Race War. Reilly said residual racism is a factor in American society but only one of many factors, not the sole or biggest one determining a persons fate.

Proponents of critical race theory are perpetually searching for new evidence of racism that is hidden in plain sight. One example Delgado mentioned as holding promise for future adoption is a theory of discrimination developed in 2000 by UCLA law professor Devon Carbado and Mitu Gulati, now at Duke University

They contend that the exhausting machinations required of people of color to overcome racial stereotypes and preempt negative assumptions constitute a kind of employment discrimination in itself. The theory here is that concern about others potential racism essentially requires black people to do more work than whites -- and that merely working in the presence of white people is a type of oppression.

We argue that both the nature of the work and the pressure to do it, the working identity phenomenon, is a form of employment discrimination, their paper states. Heretofore, antidiscrimination law has not identified, let alone addressed, this problem.

In 2001 Delgado suggested a college admissions policy that would not only reward disadvantaged applicants of color with bonus points but would also penalize privileged white applicants, by reducing their standardized scores to account for their unearned social advantages.

Were constantly looking for new topics and issues and problems to examine and critique, Delgado said. So the work were doing now will be second nature, part of what everyone knows in 20 or 30 years.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will hold a meeting with vice-chancellors of non- agricultural universities on Thursday to discuss the issue of final-year examinations in the backdrop of a Supreme Court verdict, an official said on Wednesday.

Maharashtra minister of higher and technical education Uday Samant along with junior minister in the department Prajakt Tanpure met Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan here to discuss the issue of conducting exams in light of the Supreme Court order about the same, an official release said.

According to another official statement, a letter will be sent to the University Grants Commission (UGC) explaining the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra and plans about conducting examinations in Maharashtra later.

The governor, who is also the chancellor of state universities, asked the ministers to see if examinations can be conducted in a simple manner and directed the government to consult vice-chancellors and take a decision in the interest of students, said the statement.

Koshyari will hold a meeting with vice-chancellors of 13 non-agriculture universities on Thursday, the statement said.

This will be followed by a meeting of the state disaster management authority under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, it said.

As per the statement, the government letter to the UGC will apprise the Delhi-headquartered statutory body about the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra and plans on conducting the examinations at a later stage.

Upholding the UGCs guidelines, the Supreme Court had last week held that no state and university can promote students in the final-year/terminal semester without conducting examinations.

The court also ruled that the UGCs directives to universities and colleges to hold final-year exams by September 30 was well within its domain.

An SC bench said that if any state or Union Territory, in exercise of its jurisdiction under the Disaster Management Act, has decided that it is not possible to conduct the examination by September 30, then they can make an application to the UGC for extending the deadline.

On Monday, Samant had said that a majority of the 13 non-agricultural universities in Maharashtra have urged the state government to seek an extension to hold the final-year examinations and announce results by October 31.
Nepal government has directed its forces to "closely monitor" Indian Army's activities at Lipulekh area amid escalating Indo-China border tension.

Lipulekh is the tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley in Uttarakhand. Last week, the K.P. Sharma Oli government's Ministry of Home Affairs issued the directions to the Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) to start the monitoring at the tri-juntion.

The 44 battalion of NAPF was deployed in Lipulekh. It has requested for long range patrols in the forward areas fearing possibilities of escalation between India and China.

China too, has increased its troop build-up at Lipulekh. There 150 Light Combined Arms Brigade is deployed at the tri-junction. The brigade was moved in last month. They have also reinforced troops in Pala, around 10 km from the border.

In July, around 1,000 troops were deployed near Pala and a permanent post was built there by China. "A fortnight back, 2,000 more additional troops were deployed at the post," sources said.

It was India's road construction to Lipulekh area at 17,000 feet that had sparked a diplomatic row between India and Nepal with Kathmandu claiming the area as its own. The road was aimed at shortening the travel time for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims.

Things so escalated that Nepal brought out a new political map showing the contested area as its own.

India and China, on the otherhand, have been locked in a standoff since May at multiple points along the border. China had changed the status quo on the Line of Actual Control at various places, moving inside Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

Last week itself India thwarted China's provocative military movements to change the status quo at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. This happened even when China and India were already engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the disputed border issues with several skirmishes reported between the Asian giants.

In a statement the Indian Army said that on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern Bank of Pangong Lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," the force said.

Again China attempted to enter into Indian premises on August 31 which was stopped by the Indian forces.

China has build up troops, artillery and armour in three sectors of the Line of Actual Control -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

India too, has increased deployment across the LAC to match China's military advances. In June, India lost 20 soldiers in Galwan Valley, as its troops were involved in a violent clash with Chinese soldiers, who too lost an unknown number of men.
Alison Graham has written stories about abused children, babies born with drugs in their system, overburdened social workers and a statewide social services system under strain.

She has shed light on departments that often lack accountability and have frequently failed some of the states most vulnerable people.

Now, thanks to an innovative journalistic fellowship program, she will be able to continue telling those stories in the pages of The Roanoke Times and on roanoke.com. Graham will be the first-ever Secular Society Investigative Fellow at the newspaper, thanks to a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Blacksburg-based Secular Society.

The fellowship allows Graham, 25, to spend a year doing investigative reporting on state and regional social services programs and to continue her award-winning series, Social Services Under Strain, which started late last year.

It feels like such a privilege to be able to delve into this project and put all of my time into it, Graham said. I appreciate that the editors trust me to be able to do this on my own. I have already talked to so many people who care about this issue, and to be able to share their stories and what happened to them, whether its good or bad, is an opportunity that I am grateful for.

The fellowship program is made possible by The Secular Society, a nonprofit group that strives to advance arts and professional interests of women and funds girls and women so that they can develop their skills in the service of their community, according to a description of the fellowship grant.

The fellowship will fund one year of Grahams salary and benefits, with an additional $10,000 as she focuses on her project, and will cover travel and other related reporting expenses.

The rest of the grant will help pay for expenses and a bonus for other enterprising work by women journalists at the paper through the year. A reporter will be hired to fill in on Grahams beat during her fellowship year.

After Grahams fellowship ends, The Secular Society will fund two additional grants of $100,000 each over the following two years.

In a statement released by The Secular Society, the organization said that such grants are necessary to maintain high-quality reporting in Southwest Virginia and to possibly provide a model for how nonprofits can help sustain local journalism during a time of newsroom cuts and smaller newspaper budgets.

The economic model, which has sustained print media in their essential civic watchdog activity, is now failing with newspapers increasingly being closed, merged or plundered by hedge funds, the group said in its statement. To help newspapers remain afloat and independent we propose a Fellowship Model, a nonprofit-corporate partnership, which, if proven successful, others could adopt and tailor to their own circumstances.

At the nonprofits request, the fellowship was available only to female reporters at The Roanoke Times. Reporters submitted proposals that were reviewed by editor Caroline Glickman, metro editor Megan Schnabel and reporter Luanne Rife. That group interviewed applicants and will supervise Grahams work during the fellowship period.

The Roanoke Times will have editorial control over the journalism generated using funds from the grant.

Glickman called the fellowship the first of its kind at The Roanoke Times.

This is wonderful news for the newspaper and for the community, Glickman said. Its the work of the newspaper that made this happen. We have such a strong tradition of journalism, and this is recognition of that. Im very excited for Alison and for the newspaper and for the possibilities that this fellowship can bring.

A native of Indianapolis and a graduate of Indiana University, Graham started with The Roanoke Times in 2018, first covering Botetourt and Rockbridge counties and the Alleghany Highlands.

While on that beat, she covered the sad saga of a 4-month-old child who died while under the watch of the Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services.

That coverage led to deeper reporting into the cracks that exist in Virginias decentralized social services system, which, as she once wrote, can lead to devastating consequences for Virginias children and families.

The first part of the series Social Services Under Strain appeared last year and earned a first-place award from the Virginia Press Association in the data journalism category for Graham, photographer Heather Rousseau and online editors Brandon Ross and Stephanie Sheehan.

Graham, who now covers Roanoke County government, will spend the next year focusing on the foster care system, social services across the state and potential legislative fixes.

She said her reporting has already revealed that some of the departments problems go back decades.

I found reports from 1981 that show the same things that were still happening in 2018, Graham said. This is a chance to educate people about the system, to really introduce the community to people who have been involved with these struggles for so long.

These are longstanding problems and they are complicated, and I am grateful that I have the time to work on this project.

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(Natural News) During a recent march through the streets of Washington, D.C., Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters were heard screaming about how one of the people groups they are fighting to protect from the police are black criminals.

The narrative has suddenly shifted, in other words, and BLM is now admitting that its members are not simply trying to protect innocent black men and women from unfair treatment by cops, but also black men and women who commit crimes that are worthy of arrest and prosecution.

Jacob Blake, for instance, is a violent woman abuser who committed sexual assault and all sorts of other crimes. But to the BLM mobs marching in his honor, he is a victim of injustice, even though he had entered a vehicle presumably to reach for a gun at the time when he was shot by police in self-defense.

Blakes extensive history of violent crime and abuse against women is being not just overlooked but justified by BLM, which apparently believes that black people should be able to do anything they want, crime or otherwise, without any repercussions.

This is what BLM has been about from the start, of course, defending violent criminals while shaming their victims. BLM exists to invert the truth and make heroes out of criminals, while vilifying those who do good as racist aggressors.

The conflict arising from all this is only going to intensify, by the way, which is why it is important to get prepared. One way you can do this is by learning how to properly use firearms for the protection of you and your family  check out the following episode of The Health Ranger Report with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, to learn more:

Three black lives went on violent shooting spree in suburban Chicago neighborhood over weekend; BLM to side with them over victims

This past weekend in Wheaton and Lombard, two Chicago suburbs, three black lives reportedly went on a violent shooting spree, terrorizing innocent white families and attempting to rape at least four underage white girls.

These three black lives are male, just like Jacob Blake and George Floyd, and all have since been apprehended by police. Consequently, we expect BLM to side with them since they are black criminals, rather than with the victims they terrorized while breaking into homes, brandishing firearms, and attempting to murder innocent people.

Are black leaders going to condemn this? asked one Twitter user, noting that the three black lives had engaged in a crime spree targeting White suburban families, breaking into homes and shoot (sic) a Father trying to defend his daughter from being raped by the savages.

We also wonder if BLM will stand with the black life of Darius Sessoms, who point-blank executed white five-year-old Cannon Hinant while he was playing in his familys front yard.

Since BLM has yet to condemn Sessoms for murdering this innocent boy, and only continues to terrorize white people as part of its reparations plan for rectifying social injustice, we can only assume that BLM supports the murder of innocent white children by black lives. BLM thus needs to be dealt with accordingly.

So they have reversed Martin Luther Kings wish, wrote one Twitter user about the racist hypocrisy of BLM. Instead of being judged on the content of their character, they want people to be judged by the color of their skin. Ironic.

And they always want to segregate themselves now, wrote another. We are going backwards.

For more related news about Black Lives Matter, be sure to check out Terrorism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com

ABC7Chicago.com

Twitter.com

KMOV.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The days before America's most famous horse race typically engulf this city in a whirl of activity and opulent anticipation. The Kentucky Derby is as much about $1,000 mint juleps and flamboyant millinery as a hoof-pounding competition that lasts barely two minutes.

Yet this year, with all the hoopla canceled and fans told to stay home, crowds outside the shuttered gates of Churchill Downs have been protesting instead of partying.

"No justice, no Derby," demonstrators chanted on a sweltering afternoon in the past week as they draped the racetrack's gilded entrance sign with a purple banner depicting Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman killed by police in her Louisville apartment in March. The gathering was highly strategic, aimed at a marquee event that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Many Black residents consider it an enduring symbol of Louisville's inequalities and segregation.

"It's something we've always seen, like through a window," said 19-year-old protest organizer Quintez Brown, a college student who has never been to the race.

Tensions over the Derby - as well as the juxtaposition between its colorful pageantry and the poverty of its surrounding community - have long existed. But 2020 sharpened that divide: When it appeared that a delayed Derby would still host nearly 23,000 guests, even as the city reeled from Taylor's death and calls continued for charges against the officers involved, activists condemned the race and demanded its cancellation.

"What I don't understand is how the city thinks we just go to some celebratory event while this city is hurting," said Black poet and activist Hannah Drake, 44, who lives near the track. "To just go on like that didn't happen, to me is a slap in the face."

The race, now set for Saturday, will be run without spectators because of the public health risks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Officials' unprecedented announcement in late August, which described the Derby as "a time-honored American tradition . . . about bringing people together," did little to quell efforts to boycott or disrupt it.

"Most people in the African American community sort of look at that Derby thing as a time for richer, Caucasian members of the city to have a good time, spend their money and enjoy life," Yashia Crawford, 38, explained at a recent protest where dozens of people were arrested.

It's not just that African Americans feel unwelcome at the legendary track: It's that they once dominated the race, only to be sidelined by segregation and have their contributions mostly ignored.

In the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, all but two jockeys were Black, including winner Oliver Lewis. Over the next 27 years, African American riders would win 14 more times. "Black talent was at the fore," said Leon Nichols, founder of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History.

Eventually, Black jockeys were forced out. Between 1921 and 2000, none rode here.

"Like too many things in America, what African Americans helped start and what African Americans helped become a powerhouse in the economic field, we were excluded from once money was made," said Lamont Collins, founder of Louisville's Roots 101 African American Museum. "And that's the truth of the Kentucky Derby."

The city is now nearly a quarter African American; according to the Louisville Urban League, 35% lived at or below the poverty line in 2018.

The communities in the shadow of Churchill Downs are racially mixed, with mostly modest homes and small commercial and industrial strips. They are a sharp contrast to the wealth of the track, in a section of town troubled by crime and drugs. The racetrack's grounds expanded recently, swallowing up part of a neighboring street and annoying residents by redrawing traffic patterns. Spikes on the top of some of its perimeter fence face outward - as if to signal "you aren't welcome in this place," Drake said.

For many African Americans, the Derby experience has never been characterized by the glitzy parties associated with the event.

They instead headed to the city's predominantly Black West End, enjoying a different kind of horsepower while parading souped-up cars and playing music on one of Louisville's main drags. Vendors on sidewalks would sell T-shirts and food.

But "Broadway cruising," as it was known, fell victim to deadly gunfire in 2005. The city banned it the following year.

Jecorey Arthur, a Black musician who, at 28, recently became the youngest person elected to Louisville's Metro Council, likens the ban to "modern-day Jim Crow" that perpetuates African Americans' exclusion from Derby festivities.

Arthur had pushed for Saturday's race to be canceled unless it barred spectators. Some people reacted as if he had spoken blasphemy, he said, because the race is "just such a sacred time for our city. But what they fail to realize is that it has never been sacred for us, for over 100 years now, because we haven't been included in that celebration, we haven't been included in that economic impact. We haven't been included in Louisville."

The current demonstrations echo the city's turbulence 43 years ago, when civil rights activists protesting discriminatory housing policies planned to disrupt the Derby to pressure public officials.

Black residents rallied behind the slogan "no housing, no Derby!" Protest organizer Dick Gregory said upending it would "keep those out-of-town folks from enjoying a city we can't even enjoy ourselves."

Like today, Louisville was tense. Counterprotesters chucked rocks and eggs at marchers before the race, and the Ku Klux Klan threatened to bring thousands of members to Churchill Downs. On race day, 2,500 security personnel - including over 1,000 National Guardsmen - were stationed at the track. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was in town at the time, and hours before the horses were set to run, he called off the protests because of fears of violence. "Sometimes the prediction of a race riot is an invitation to riot," King explained.

Protests are expected again in coming days, and an all-Black group that trooped hundreds of its armed members through Louisville in July has vowed to return.

Both Mayor Greg Fischer, a Democrat who has talked about the Derby as a unifying force, and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear have said they will not attend the race. By tradition, Kentucky's governor presents the solid-gold trophy to the winning horse's owner.

In a statement this week, Churchill Downs alluded to the past and present: "We know there are some that disagree with our decision to run the Derby this year. We respect that point of view but made our decision in the belief that traditions can remind us of what binds us together as Americans, even as we seek to acknowledge and repair the pain that takes us apart."

It will be a bizarre scene as the bugler plays the call to the post Saturday. The suites, boxes, grandstands and infield where more than 150,000 fans usually crowd will be silent. Outside the gates, the residents who make fast money by allowing visitors to park in their driveways and on their lawns will go without, too.

During the Derby, Drake feels like she's held captive in her neighborhood by street closures. She resents the city's eagerness to help an affluent, largely White crowd celebrate while police have aggressively confronted the racial justice sit-ins that have called for accountability for Taylor's death.

"I mean we can't even shut down a street to protest on behalf of a woman who was murdered by [officers]," she said. "But you can shut this down all weekend to get drunk and watch the horses run?"
More than half predict shopping habits to return to normal by or before the summer of 2021

80% of consumers globally feel comfortable with health safety measures put in place in stores

Many report spending less money and less time shopping in-store than before COVID-19

US consumers most concerned out of countries polled of catching COVID-19 in-store

The desire for sensory experiences in-store remains key

With COVID-19 lockdown measures around the world easing, just under three-quarters of global consumers (71%) now report feeling comfortable returning to physical stores since local lockdowns have eased, according to research published today by Mood Media, the world's leading on-premise media solutions company dedicated to elevating the Customer Experience. The new report, entitled "Shopper Sentiments: A September 2020 Global Mood Survey," surveyed consumers across four major markets the UK, U.S., China and France finding that the largest portion of consumers surveyed (31%) are spending less money and less time shopping in-store than they did before COVID-19, compared with 21% spending the same amount of money but less time than before and only three percent spending both more money and more time than before the pandemic.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901006140/en/

Mood Media's new survey finds that the return to non-essential in-store shopping varies across demographics. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Initially commenting on the findings, Scott Moore, Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Mood Media, said: "Consumers' retail habits are still evolving as businesses slowly begin to open again. Many consumers are spending less time in store and less money per visit, meaning they've become mission shoppers focused on getting in and out as quickly as possible."

Conducted in partnership with Censuswide, over 8,000 consumers across the UK, US, China and France were surveyed to gain key insights into how consumers are adjusting their in-store shopping behaviors and developing new shopping patterns in today's world. The research also finds that despite almost half (49%) of global consumers believing they might catch COVID-19 in-store, 80% feel comfortable with the new safety measures set in place, with the requirement of "all visitors wearing masks" cited as the most important measure that helps drive a sense of safety. Of the countries surveyed, the US population stands out as the most worried about catching COVID-19 in-store (60%), with the French expressing the lowest degree of concern about this possibility (39%).

Additional key US findings showcasing the impact of COVID-19 on in-store shopping behavior include:

Reassurance from Safety Measures in-store : More than three-quarters of US consumers (76%) report feeling at least somewhat comfortable with the new health and safety measures placed in stores, and 37% report that these health and safety measures make them feel safer.

: More than three-quarters of US consumers (76%) report feeling at least somewhat comfortable with the new health and safety measures placed in stores, and 37% report that these health and safety measures make them feel safer. Non-Essential Shopping: Sixty percent of US shoppers say they have already returned to non-essential retail stores, but only at a rate of 51% for those 55+ in age. US shoppers aged 16-24 are returning to non-essential shopping more conservatively than other countries surveyed, at a rate of 54% compared to a combined rate of 74% elsewhere.

Sixty percent of US shoppers say they have already returned to non-essential retail stores, but only at a rate of 51% for those 55+ in age. US shoppers aged 16-24 are returning to non-essential shopping more conservatively than other countries surveyed, at a rate of 54% compared to a combined rate of 74% elsewhere. Changing Shopping Habits Among US Consumers: Of those comfortable returning to physical stores, 28% of US respondents reported spending less money and less time shopping than before the pandemic, while 20% in the US are spending more money and less time in-store than pre-pandemic. This highlights an overarching trend of consumers trying to spend less time in-store regardless of their spend.

Of those comfortable returning to physical stores, 28% of US respondents reported spending less money and less time shopping than before the pandemic, while 20% in the US are spending more money and less time in-store than pre-pandemic. This highlights an overarching trend of consumers trying to spend less time in-store regardless of their spend. Optimism Regarding a "Return to Normal": Only 22% of US shoppers expect their shopping habits to "return to normal" by the end of 2020 (29% of males and 16% of females) while 24% don't expect to fully resume their in-store shopping habits until the summer of 2021. Additionally, 16% predict it taking until the end of 2021 before shopping norms can resume. The most optimistic group in the US are males in the Southeast, where 34% believe normalcy will return by the end of 2020. The least optimistic US group are females in the West, where 24% don't believe their consumer shopping habits will ever return to pre-pandemic norms.

"Acknowledging and fulfilling today's unique Customer Experience needs is where opportunity lies. Those of us in the physical retail business must continue to think through every aspect every step of the Customer Experience journey, finding ways to mitigate fear and assure safety along the way," continued Moore. "Those businesses that step up to elevate the Customer Experience and help their customers streamline their shopping journey from start to finish have an opportunity to create a lifetime of customer loyalty far beyond the pandemic's reach. For all parties involved, it's important we all rise to the occasion."

From a broader perspective, despite the high percentage (67%) of global consumers reporting that they have already returned to non-essential retail stores, the disparity of return rates, spending habits and optimism surrounding a return to normalcy across markets and other demographics is dramatic. Additional themes and associated highlights along these lines include the following:

Non-Essential Shopping Rates Vary Across Demographics

It is evident from the research data that those nations where lockdowns eased earlier, such as China and France, are seeing greater rates of return to non-essential shopping (81% and 77% respectively). Where some lockdowns are still in place, consumers are warier, with only half of British (50%) and 60% of American consumers having returned to non-essential stores.

Of those global consumers who have not returned, female consumers express more apprehension than males (41% vs 34% respectively).

The level of comfort in going back to stores also decreases slightly but steadily across age groups, with the youngest surveyed being the most comfortable (77% of those aged 16-24) and the oldest group being the least comfortable (64% of those aged 55+).

Key Factors for not Returning to Non-Essential Shopping

Economic reasons resulting from the pandemic are named by 20% of consumers globally as a reason for not yet going back to non-essential shopping, with Millennials being hit the hardest (27%) followed by the younger generation of 16-24 year-olds (25%). France and the US (24% and 22% respectively) reported this "lack of means" reason the most out of the markets surveyed.

Other key factors cited among global respondents for why they haven't returned to non-essential shopping include being "too nervous to visit non-essential retail" (at 38%), "doing all of my shopping online" (at 38%), and "someone does my shopping for me" (at 13%).

Changing Habits in-Store

Of those comfortable returning to physical stores, the majority of respondents globally (31%) are spending less money and less time shopping than before the pandemic, with 30% of UK respondents and 28% of US respondents reporting this combination as well.

Globally, only three percent report spending more money and more time in-store than prior to COVID-19.

However, 29% of those in France cite still spending the same amount of money and time shopping in-store as before, while 26% of those in China are spending more money and less time in-store currently.

Optimism Varies Regarding an Expected Return to Normalcy

Consumers globally are equally split between those that believe their consumer shopping habits will go back to normal by the end of 2020 (25.5%) and those that believe it will take until the summer of 2021 (25.4%).

Only 10% of the global population think their shopping habits will never go back to what they were pre-Pandemic.

The Desire for the In-Store Shopping Experience Remains Strong

The in-store sensorial experience still plays a crucial role, with the ability to touch, feel and try the product cited as the top reason for consumers globally to choose to buy in physical stores instead of online (47%), followed by the convenience of taking the purchase home instantly (46.6%) and the ability to browse and discover new things (36%). 1

Only eight percent of consumers globally cite that the safety measures put in place in stores have negatively impacted their experience.

Some Report Feeling More Comfortable in Certain Types of Physical Stores

Sixty percent of respondents deny having specific kinds of stores where they feel more comfortable over others.

Of the 40% globally who expressed feeling more comfortable visiting some types of stores, 45% cite trusting supermarkets grocery stores more which is also the most popular selection of both male and female respondents within each country surveyed. This is followed by local convenience stores and department stores (both at 29%), and technology electronics stores (at 27% of global respondents).

Technology electronics stores came in as the second most trusted type of physical store for consumers between 16-54 years of age (at 29% on average), except for those aged 25-34 who have a slight preference for department stores (at 30%). Behind supermarkets (at 57%), those 55+ are most comfortable visiting local convenience stores (at a rate of 33%).

"The findings from this survey reinforce that initiatives such as overhead messaging and digital signage that inform shoppers of the steps being taken to ensure a clean environment are of paramount importance to increase comfort levels in-store. These types of efforts can help drive measurable value creation. Additionally, it's clear that, for now, many consumers want a more efficient in-and-out experience, so retailers must find ways to help guide shoppers to what they need faster and get them through the payment process with greater ease," concluded Moore, Global CMO of Mood.

To review a more comprehensive outlook on Mood Media's survey findings, visit https://us.moodmedia.com/2020-shopper-sentiment/.

About Mood Media

Mood Media is the world's leading on-premise and connected media solutions company dedicated to elevating the Customer Experience. We create greater emotional connections between brands and consumers through the right combination of sight, sound, scent, social and systems solutions. We reach more than 150 million consumers each day through more than 400,000 subscriber locations in 100+ countries around the globe. Mood's clients include businesses of all sizes and market sectors, from the world's most recognized retailers and hotels to quick-service restaurants, local banks and thousands of small businesses. For more details: www.moodmedia.com.

About Censuswide

The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 8,120 Respondents (across UK, USA, China, France). The fieldwork took place between August 7th and August 13th, 2020. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

_________

1A report published by Mood Media in 2019 showcased this outside of the COVID-19 context as well, with 78% of shoppers surveyed stating an enjoyable in-store atmosphere plays a key factor in opting to make purchases in-store vs. online: https://us.moodmedia.com/impact/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901006140/en/

Contacts:

US Press Contact:

Caroline Traylor

Caroline.Traylor@moodmedia.com

210-365-8761
Im highly encouraged with what I see in the Companys future. The team is strong and I look forward to continuing to support the company as Executive Chairman.

Medicus Healthcare Solutions (the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Matarese to serve as Medicus Executive Chairman. Mr. Matarese will transition from his current role as the Companys Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and transition day-to-day leadership and responsibilities to Medicus current Chief Operating Officer, Robert Bob Dickey, who the Board of Directors is pleased to appoint as CEO of the Company.

We have been discussing this transition for some time, and this is a natural progression, Mr. Matarese said. He added, Bob has done a fantastic job leading Sales and Operations of the business since he joined, and with his background of over 20 years in the staffing space, we are thrilled for this transition. Im highly encouraged with what I see in the Companys future. The team is strong and I look forward to continuing to support the company as Executive Chairman.

Joe has done an incredible job building Medicus into one of the largest locum tenens companies in the country, and we appreciate his vision and leadership over the years, said Peter Magas, Partner at BPOC. In partnership with management, BPOC led a recapitalization of the Company in October 2018. Pete added, This transition is part of the Companys long-term strategy, and we know Bob will transition seamlessly into the CEO role. Bob has invaluable experience leading rapidly growing, large staffing companies, which will be instrumental for Medicus next phase of growth.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Dickey served as Chief Operating Officer since August 2017. Before joining Medicus, Bob served as a Group President at Randstad, a global staffing organization. He has more than two decades of experience in the industry and was instrumental in the organizations extraordinary growth.

As the Companys Executive Chairman, Mr. Matarese will continue to serve on its Board of Directors and focus on long-term strategy and on leading strategic initiatives for the Company.

About Medicus Healthcare Solutions:

Based in Windham, New Hampshire, Medicus assists hospitals and physician groups with the recruitment and staffing of physicians on a temporary basis. Medicus works with hundreds of healthcare facilities and thousands of physicians across multiple specialties.

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About BPOC:

BPOC is a Chicago-based private equity management firm founded in 1996 to invest in middle-market buy-out transactions, recapitalizations, and growth platforms exclusively in the healthcare industry. BPOC has structured, managed and realized investments on behalf of institutional and individual investors for over two decades. Since inception, BPOC has raised five funds with aggregate capital commitments of over $1.3 billion. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

For more information on BPOC, please visit http://www.bpoc.com.
In a three-page letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's Law and Information Technology Minister, has expressed concerns about Facebook employees abusing the Prime Minister of India. The minister asked Facebook to respect the social, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity of India, and put in place country-specific Community Guidelines.

The letter states, "It is problematic when Facebook employees are on record abusing the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet Ministers of India while still working in Facebook India and managing important positions. It is doubly problematic when the bias of individuals becomes an inherent bias of the platform. And it is unacceptable when political biases of individuals impinge on the freedom of speech of millions of people."

ALSO READ: Congress seeks probe into Facebook-BJP nexus, wants India leadership suspended

The letter highlighted that as a transnational digital platform, Facebook must not only be fair and neutral, but also visibly seen to be so, to users of diverse beliefs and ideologies. Individuals working in any organisation may have their individual likes or dislikes, but that must not have any bearing on the public policies and performance of the organisation.

"It seems from credible media reports that Facebook India team, right from the India Managing Director to other senior officials, is dominated by people who belong to a particular political belief. People from this political predisposition have been overwhelmingly defeated by the people in successive free and fair elections. After having lost all democratic legitimacy, they are trying to discredit India's democratic process by dominating the decision-making apparatus of important social media platforms. Facebook is the latest tool in their arsenal to stoke internal divisions and social disturbances," Prasad wrote.

ALSO READ: Congress demands criminal probe against Facebook over election interference row

The minister claims to have been informed in the run up to 2019 General Elections in India that there was a concerted effort by Facebook India management to not just delete pages or substantially reduce their reach but also offer no recourse or right of appeal to affected people who are supportive of the right-of-centre ideology. Dozens of emails written to Facebook management received no response. The above documented cases of bias and inaction are seemingly a direct outcome of the dominant political beliefs of individuals in Facebook India team.

Prasad wrote, "I would like to point out that there have also been multiple instances recently where Facebook has been used by anarchic and radical elements whose sole aim is to destroy social order, to recruit people and to assemble them for violence. However, we are yet to see any meaningful action against such elements. Is this action also held back by the same vested interest groups who have an incentive in stoking political violence and instability in India?"

Recently, Facebook's Public Policy Head, Ankhi Das, has been accused of supporting BJP that resulted in benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's win in 2014 General Elections.

ALSO READ: Facebook to start news service in India; to pay publishers for content
By Trend

The steps that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been taking in recent days show that this country isnt ready for peaceful negotiations, absolutely rejects this, on the contrary, it strives to escalate tensions around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to continue the aggressive policy, MP of Azerbaijan Kamran Bayramov told Trend.

The MP commented on Pashinyan's trip to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan's diplomatic "victories" in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the latest interviews that disgraced him, completely undermined his rating in society, and he went to Karabakh to receive certain political dividends and raise the spirit of the Armenian army, visited military facilities, inquired about the situation there, awarded the servicemen who "distinguished" in provocations committed in the direction of Tovuz district, said Bayramov.

On the other hand, this trip testifies to the priorities of Armenias aggressive policy. A clear proof of this is the fact that amendments to the law "On Defense", related to the replenishment of the ranks of the Armenian army by the civilians, have been submitted for public discussion in Armenia, stressed the MP.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
WASHINGTON  As crowds swelled against the backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, activists spoke of a generational moment.

The Commitment March, held in support of racial justice amid nationwide protests against police brutality, was itself an echo of an earlier generations struggle for equality.

Fifty-seven years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told an audience of more than 200,000 in the same space that Americas promise of equal rights under the law rang hollow for Black Americans, thousands of people rallied to protest continuing shortfalls of justice in the United States.

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir, Dr. King said in 1963. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.
Migrants from China, Myanmar, and Vietnam are increasingly entering Laos by boat and through lightly-guarded border crossings, avoiding more heavily inspected international checkpoints and sparking fears among residents near the border of the spread of COVID-19 infection, Lao sources say.



These smaller crossings are harder to patrol, and many people slip through in the hope of finding work in casinos now closed amid pandemic fears, a border official stationed in Luang Namtha province told RFAs Lao Service this week, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Several months ago, around 100 Chinese migrants crossed illegally into Laos on their way to work at a casino in Bokeo province, but were caught and sent home, the official said.



The casino is still closed. We think that human traffickers lied to them to entice them to come here, the official said, adding, We have to be very careful and vigilant all the time now.



Chinese migrants seeking work in Laos typically travel by bus or van to the border, and are then picked up by Lao drivers after they cross, but most are quickly caught and taken back to China, the border official said.



Lao villagers living near the border worry that COVID may be spread by migrants crossing the border without inspection, and are welcoming the heavier security presence recently set up at the formerly neglected crossing points, one villager told RFA.



Illegal entry has been going on for a long time. Its almost normal now, the villager said, also speaking on condition he not be named. But officials are paying more attention now than they used to. For example in the Long district close to the China border theyre inspecting people crossing in both directions more carefully than before.



In the neighboring northern Lao province of Bokeo, almost 200 migrants from Myanmar have been caught trying to enter Laos in recent months, with many hiring middlemen to take them across the border by boat, a provincial border official said.



After they arrive, they are approached by contacts who bring them to the casino to find work, the official said, adding, Some even cross the border over the mountains and then find their way to the casino themselves.



Right now theres not much work, though, because the casino is closed, and people trying to get into the casino area are being thoroughly inspected, he said.



Most recently, three migrants from Myanmar crossed into Bokeo on Aug. 27 but were caught and sent back, while on June 24 provincial authorities repatriated 184 workers from the country who came into the country without proper documents, he said.



Stepped-up security



Villagers in Bokeo meanwhile expressed relief at seeing the stepped-up security measures now in place along the previously lightly guarded border crossings in the province.



Even along the Mekong River, soldiers are checking passengers in the boats, and theyll be arrested and fined if they try to come across the border without permission, one villager said, while another pointed to what he said were stricter inspection routines at land crossings in Bokeo.



Police and soldiers are also inspecting in casino areas, not just along the border, and all migrantsnot just the Burmesehave to show proper identification to get into these places, he said.



Controls have also been strengthened on the Lao border with Vietnam, which has seen a surge in the numbers of COVID infections in recent weeks, with Vietnamese border guards recently arresting 13 Vietnamese nationals trying to enter Laos in the hope of crossing the country to find work in Thailand, one source said.



They had hired traffickers to take them there, but they were arrested at the border before they could get in, the source said.



Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Written in English by Richard Finney.
In its first public estimate of China's nuclear capacity, the Pentagon said Tuesday that within a decade Beijing will double the number of warheads in its stockpile, which is currently "in the low 200s".

But even with the increase, that number is "far smaller" than that of the United States and Russia, respectively 3,800 and 4,300, and should serve to discourage Washington from dragging Beijing into the trilateral arms control negotiations, several US experts have said.

"China's nuclear forces will significantly evolve over the next decade as it modernizes, diversifies, and increases the number of its land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms," the US Department of Defense (DoD) said in its annual report to Congress.

"Over the next decade, China will expand and diversify its nuclear forces, likely at least doubling its nuclear warhead stockpile," it said.

The estimate is smaller than that claimed by some US politicians who have said China has "many more than 300" nuclear warheads.

The projection has made headlines in the US and beyond as relations between the world's top two economies have plummeted to their lowest point in decades due to tensions building up on multiple fronts, including trade, technology and the South China Sea.

The annual report, "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China", was first issued in 2000 when the Pentagon assessed that China's military "was slowly and unevenly adapting to the trends in modern warfare".

Now, the 200-page report claims, China's objective is to have a "world class" military by the end of 2049, though it noted that the Chinese military strategy remains based on the concept of "active defense".

"Even if DoD is correct and China doubles its arsenal by 2030 to 400-500 warheads, China's arsenal will remain far smaller and less capable than that of the US and Russia," Kingston Reif, director of disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association, said in a Twitter post.

"The foolishness of throwing away an extension of New START due to concerns about China can't be overstated," he wrote, referring to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement in force between the US and Russia. It was signed in 2010 and is due to expire Feb 5.

Beijing has repeatedly said that it has no intention of participating in trilateral negotiations, though Washington has insisted.

Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, tweeted: "Perhaps the most surprising (thing) about the 'low-200s' warhead estimate is that it takes some of the wind out of the sail of the Trump administration's push to get China into nuclear arms control."

In addition to the US stockpile of 3,800 warheads, it has another 2,000 that are "retired" (still intact but awaiting dismantlement), according to an analysis Kristensen and his colleague Matt Korda posted on the federation's website Tuesday.

"Some Trump administration officials have recently suggested that China's modernization demonstrates that it is striving for 'a form of nuclear parity with the United States and Russia'. However, there is no evidence to support this claim," they said in their article.

But the new Pentagon report claimed China's military has already achieved parity with, or even surpassed, the US in several military modernization areas, including shipbuilding, land-based ballistic and cruise missiles and air defense systems.

The timing of the report's release is not necessarily political, but the Pentagon's assessment of Chinese military achievements will likely raise alarm bells in Washington and probably be picked up on the US presidential campaign trail, according to Jon Taylor, chair of the department of political science and geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

In the report, the Pentagon also said that pursuit of a constructive results-oriented relationship with China is an important part of US strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

Although the US and China agreed at the January 2020 Defense Policy Consultative Talks on a series of military contact events to occur this year, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated delaying or canceling events, according to the report.

Taylor said military-to-military and security relations, marked by stability and open communication, is the key to avoiding any "unfortunate and avoidable problems".

"Good military relations between China and the US can actually be the bridge that both stabilizes and improves China-US relations through conflict avoidance, mutual respect and engaged cooperation," he said.

Douglas H. Paal, director of the American Institute in Taiwan between 2002 and 2006, said the sequence of Washington's new steps with Taiwan and the publication of the report seems "more than coincidental".

"Coming as it does in the current context may add fuel to existing bilateral flames," Paal, now a distinguished fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told China Daily. "It's the context of the US election and not the report that is crucial."
BERLIN - A thousand police officers in Germany raided the homes of 50 people as part of a nationwide crackdown on the online sharing and distribution of child pornography, Cologne police said Wednesday.

None of the 48 men and two women suspected of involvement was arrested during Tuesdays raids, but investigators seized around 2,000 phones, computers and other devices upon which images were stored, police said.

The suspects are accused of sharing images of child sexual abuse through networks such as social media and messenger services, Michael Esser, director of criminal investigations for the Cologne police, said. None of them are suspected of directly abusing any children, according to the current state of the investigation.

Behind every picture there is a victim of sexual abuse, Esser said. We will never give up the fight against pedophile criminals.

The suspects present a cross section of society, young and old, single and married, Cologne prosecutor Markus Hartmann said.

The raids took places in 12 states, with a focus on Bavaria. They were part of an investigation that began in October 2019 and has so far identified 207 suspects.

Whats important is that we are seeing a new kind of crime, Esser said. The perpetrators are not acting on their own, but are part of bigger networks which are using the structures of online communication.

Police received a lot of support in their investigation from one specific messenger service operator, Esser said He declined to say which one.

Investigators are looking quickly through the seized images to see if they can find evidence indicating that children are still being abused and if so, they will try to find and rescue the victims.

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Lucknow, Sep 2 : The 15-year-old girl, accused of killing her mother and brother, is staying with her father, a senior railway officer, under medical supervision.

Women police personnel in plain clothes have been deployed at the officer's residence.

The Juvenile Court, where the girl was produced, had sent her to 14-day judicial custody under medical supervision since she was suffering from acute depression and hallucination.

"The court said she will be kept under medical supervision in King George's Medical University (KGMU) during the period of the custody," said ACP Hazratganj Raghvendra Singh.

The girl's father submitted an application requesting that she may be allowed to stay at home while in custody since she is mentally disturbed and needs emotional support from him.

"As a result, while seeking custody, we also told the magistrate that since the case comes under the rarest of rare category, the police has no objection if the court considers father's request on humanitarian grounds," the officer said.

The girl was also taken to the KGMU for examination by a child psychiatrist.

It may be recalled that the girl had reportedly shot her 47-year-old mother and 17-year-old brother while they were asleep with a .22 bore pistol, killing them on the spot. The incident had taken place on Saturday.

The girl had then reportedly confessed in the presence of her grandparents that she shot the two. She had also inflicted several cuts on her arms with a razor.

The police later found several grotesque items, including a toy skull. She had written 'disqualified human' with jam on the mirror of her bathroom.

Police officials have also approached the doctors and experts of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) to understand the behavioural pattern of the minor girl.

Meanwhile, sources said that the girl was being provided emotional support by her father and was calm.

"Her father does not make her feel responsible for what she has done. She seems comfortable in his presence and even asks him to play the piano for her," said a woman police personnel posted at the minor's residence.

Incidentally, the FIR lodged by the railway official, following the murder of his wife and son, named an 'unidentified' person as the accused.
The man accused by the police chief of creating one of the largest crime scenes in Rapid Citys history was indicted on less than half of his 15 charges but could still go to prison for the rest of his life.

Billy Robertson, a 33-year-old from Rapid City, was indicted on six of 15 counts, court records show.

A prosecutor previously said in court that Robertson harmed or threatened six victims during a 30-minute crime spree on July 21.

But Robertson was only indicted on charges related to two victims for allegedly attacking and stealing a pickup from a man and using another truck to attack a police officer.

Three of Robertson's felonies typically carry a maximum punishment of 25 years in prison but have been enhanced to a maximum of life in prison due to South Dakotas habitual offender laws. Robertson has been convicted of seven previous felonies, according to court records.

Five of Robertsons charges were withdrawn before prosecutors presented them to the grand jury.

Alex Weiss, a prosecutor with the Pennington County States Attorney Office, said the office decided not to proceed with those charges at this time but declined to explain why.

The grand jury decided there was only enough evidence to indict Robertson on six of the 10 charges it was presented with. It declined to indict Robertson on charges related to stabbing a man, stealing a pickup at knife point, and threatening others with his knife after breaking into their homes.

Robertson, who had not yet entered pleas on the indictment, recently dismissed his court-appointed lawyer. He then submitted his own motion arguing the court doesnt have jurisdiction over him due to the now-broken Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which promised western South Dakota to the Oceti Sakowin.

Its unclear if Robertson plans to obtain a new lawyer or continue representing himself.

Robertson was indicted on the following charges:

First-degree burglary for entering a home with the intent to commit a theft. This likely refers to Robertson entering Bradley Tuckers garage to steal his pickup;

Grand theft for stealing Tuckers GMC Sierra;

Two alternative counts of aggravated assault for using a GMC Sierra pickup as a deadly weapon against Tucker. Alternative counts means Robertson can only be convicted of one of the counts;

Two alternative counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer for using a truck as a deadly weapon against Rapid City Police Officer Joshua Hoefler.

Hoefler and Tucker  who spoke with the Journal about his injuries and how he tried to stop Robertson from stealing his truck  both testified to the grand jury. Robertson was apprehended by officers after allegedly driving towards Hoefler who shot at him multiple times but did not hit him, according to the Rapid City Police Department.

Prosecutors decided not to present the grand jury with the following charges:

First-degree robbery for stealing a Ford F-150 pickup from a man he threatened with a knife;

Two alternative counts of first-degree burglary for entering a home with the intent to commit an assault;

Two alternative counts of aggravated assault for stabbing a man.

Prosecutors presented the grand jury with these charges but it decided there wasnt enough evidence to indict:

Two alternative counts of first-degree burglary for entering a home with the intent to commit an assault;

Aggravated assault for threatening a minor with a knife;

Aggravated assault for threatening a woman with a knife.

The woman and minor both testified to the grand jury.

Robertson was convicted of seven burglary, theft, robbery, eluding and drug felonies between 2007-2020, according to court records. The robbery conviction may be related to the time Robertson was charged with first-degree robbery for robbing a casino at gunpoint in 2012, according to Journal archives.

 Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com.

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Russia itself has admitted to sending its "specialists" to the neighboring state, the Ukrainian diplomat said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has mentioned five main theses in response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's accusations about the alleged appearance of "Ukrainian extremists" in Belarus, saying that Russia is trying to present "green men" in Belarus as "extremists" from Ukraine.

Read alsoU.S. considering sanctions if Russia intervenes in Belarus militarily  mediaIn particular, Kuleba noted that the 200 extremists, whom Ukraine allegedly sent to Belarus, are the result of sick fancies of Lavrov's information sources.

"Ukraine has not been engaged, is not engaged, and will not be engaged in any subversive activities against Belarus," he wrote on Facebook on September 2.

The Ukrainian minister clarified that the Russian Federation itself has admitted to sending its "specialists" to the neighboring state.

"Russia's attempts to present its green men in Belarus as Ukrainian extremists are a cheap and losing trick. And most importantly. The proverb is true: A thief shouts 'Catch a thief!'" Kuleba added.

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Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has penned a song praising the police force and its personnel for their relentless service to the society ensuring safety and security of the people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mamata BanerjeeThe song, 'We salute you, Police Day, we salute you...' was composed by Banerjee, keeping in mind the Police Day earlier scheduled to the celebrated in the state on September 1, sources close to the CM said. Indranil Sen the minister of state for Information and Cultural Affairs department sang the song.

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The programme has been postponed to September 8 after the state government declared a state-wide holiday on September 1 following the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Mamata Banerjee The song starts in English and then continues in Bengali highlighting the responsibilities of the police force and how they have been serving the people during this ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The West Bengal government has declared that September 1 will be celebrated every year as 'Police Day' to honour the sacrifices of the police force.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered a stout defence of law enforcement officers during a controversial tour of Kenosha in Wisconsin, the newest flashpoint in anti-racism unrest, and further sharpened his attack on violence accompanying protests calling them acts of domestic terror.

These are not acts of peaceful protest, but really domestic terror, President Trump said at a roundtable with officials and lawmakers after a tour of areas damaged in the violence that erupted a week ago after Jacob Blake, a black man, was shot repeatedly in the back by a white police officer. Two protestors were killed days later allegedly by a 17-year-old man.

The President was accompanied by top federal law enforcement officials such as Attorney General William Barr and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, and local sheriff and officials. But not by the state governor and mayor, who had urged Trump to stay away.

We cherish our law enforcement, the US president said, offering his administrations full backing to police officers and federal agents, who have come under criticism for using excessive force. He acknowledged there were some bad apples among them, who, he said, seemingly downplaying their actions, have erred under pressure.

The President has used the word choke for them. You have people that choke, he said, adding, Theyre under tremendous pressure. They will be taken care of but the rest of them had his support. And he will never allow them to be de-funded as anti-racism activists have demanded.

Trump has shaped his re-election plank around law-and-order, and has tried to tie the violence accompanying anti-racism protests to Democrats and their presidential nominee Joe Biden. He has used phrases like left wing politicians and radical left Democrats for the protestors and their supporters to argue there will be more of this lawlessness and chaos if Biden was elected president.

Biden has countered by holding Trump responsible for the unrest, as a toxic presence. But the Democrat has also sought to distance himself from the violence by condemning it in clear terms to blunt Trumps attacks, and his campaign has planned a major ad blitz to further amplify that message.

In a potentially damaging development for the Trump re-election campaign, first lady, Melania Trump, is reported to have used private email accounts and messaging services for official communication. Winston Wolkoff, a former close friend and senior adviser, told The Washington Post, Melania and I both didnt use White House emails.

While the use of private email accounts is allowed under presidential records laws, Trump and Republicans had attacked Hillary Clinton in 2016 for using a private email account as secretary of state.

And, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker and the top Democrat in the country, came under fire for allegedly violating social distancing norms in place for the Covid-19 epidemic, during a visit to a salon. She had her mask around the neck, in a surveillance footage that aired on some channels.

Speaker Pelosi has pushed policies that would keep our economy closed and our small businesses shut down. But for herself? Senate Republicans, the twitter handle of the senate Republicans caucus, wrote in a post. A salon visit whenever she pleases.
'Nationally, there is basically a big shortage,' one primate researcher said

US researchers have warned that a shortage of monkeys could delay efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased demand for the animals, which are challenging to source for primate research even under normal circumstances due to the cost and controversy surrounding it.

Rhesus monkeys are most commonly used in biomedical research, according to The National Primate Research Centers.

'We can't find any rhesus any longer. They've completely disappeared, Mark Lewis, the CEO of contract research firm Bioqual, said. Rhesus monkey pictured above

'Nationally, there is basically a big shortage,' Koen Van Rompay, of the California National Primate Research Centre, told The Atlantic magazine.

'We can't find any rhesus any longer. They've completely disappeared,' Mark Lewis, the CEO of contract research firm Bioqual, said.

The increased demand for the monkeys during the global pandemic has been coupled with a severe decline in supply from China.

China provided 60 per cent of the nearly 35,000 monkeys imported to the US last year. However the country shut off its exports after coronavirus hit.

US researchers have warned that a shortage of monkeys could delay efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine (File image)

Further complicating the situation, monkeys infected with coronavirus must be kept in special Animal Biosafety Level 3 labs which have a unique design to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The US only has a limited number of such laboratories.

US researchers say monkeys are useful in testing out a potential Covid-19 vaccine as the animals' immune system is almost identical to that of a human.

The primates are usually tested on as a final step before human clinical trials, but now some pharmaceutical companies are reportedly considering going ahead with human trials before testing on monkeys at all.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:11:42|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 3,946 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 242,284.

The new cases included 1,212 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 268 in Duhok, 250 in Karbala, 207 in each Najaf and Wasit, 204 in Dhi Qar, and 194 in Qadisiyah, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the statement said.

It also reported 78 deaths during the day, raising the death toll to 7,201, while 3,732 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 184,205.

The new cases were recorded after 23,123 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,647,454 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement.

The ministry frequently attributed the recent increase of COVID-19 infections to the lack of compliance of the citizens to the health instructions, as well as to the increase in the testing capacity due to the increase of labs in Baghdad and the other Iraqi provinces.

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
Charu Sinha, a 1996 batch IPS officer, will take charge next week as the first woman IG of CRPF in Kashmir. She has been appointed as the inspector general of the Central Reserve Police Forces Srinagar division, which commands J&Ks capital, Budgam and Ganderbal

Given the fact that policing in Kashmir is unlike any other job in the Valley, appointment of a woman officer in the rank of IG has generated a lot of interest. But CRPF says that Sinhas ability as a police officer, and not her gender was the reason for the decision. Her gender, if anything, will be an asset for the CRPF in Kashmir," Special DG CRPF Zulfiqar Hassan told News18.

Ravideep Sahi, who served as IG Srinagar till March this year, called the Srinagar posting one of the most challenging. Being an IG in Srinagar sector is very challenging because IG here looks at deployment for all of central Kashmir, plus maintenance of law and order in Srinagar city, which is very volatile," he said.

Sinha is currently posted as IG CRPF, Jammu sector. Her counterpart in Jammu from J&K Police, Mukesh Singh, told News18 that the officer will prove to be an asset to the CRPF in the Valley. She is extremely efficient and has a humane side to her personality which will help CRPF reach out to the local people," Mukesh Singh said.

Sinha had personally intervened when Mumbai watchman Arif had decided to cycle home to Rajouri to meet his ailing father. I am waiting for him to meet his father and hug him. That will bring me great joy. For this reason, the ability to serve, I love this job," the 1996 batch IPS officer was quoted as saying by her colleagues.

On the question of gender, all officers News18 spoke to said that alienation of the people in the Valley has been aggravated after the decision to end Kashmirs special status. LG Manoj Sinha has been touring extensively, giving a message of reaching out. A woman officer at the top position could help further in the outreach. People trust a woman more than a man in a conflict situation. In Srinagar, lady officer could bring more to the table," Hassan said.

Officials in Jammu also highlighted how Charu Sinhas insistence on following the rule book and laid down standard operating procedures, could help the forces that have often come under attack for violating SOPs. She is a stickler for rules and SOPs, has a reformist bent of mind. Sinha thinks about welfare of the jawans, their issues of leaves, depression, etc which sometimes leads to suicides," a police officer, who didnt want to be named, said.

When News18 reached out to Charu Sinha she was dealing with a suicide case in Jammu and said given the seriousness of the situation she was dealing with, she wont be able to talk at length. Sinha, however, did say that the gender question in forces is of interest to her. She has even proposed Bharosa  a one stop care center for women in Jammu.

A Hyderabad girl with origin in Uttar Pradesh, Sinha has served in the Naxal areas of Bihar as IG CRPF. She has also served in the Anti-Corruption wing of Telengana police from where she was abruptly moved to CRPF. Police officers in Telengana said her sudden transfer as director of Anti-Corruption Bureau did raise eyebrows in IPS fraternity. It is commonly believed that her transfer was a result of her cracking the whip on corrupt officials with political backing.
Alabaster City Council member Russell Bedsole appears to have won a tight race for the Republican nomination for an Alabama House of Representatives seat in Shelby, Bibb, and Chilton counties.

The state Republican Party announced that Bedsole appears to have defeated Mimi Penhale of Alabaster in todays runoff in House District 49.

According to unofficial results from the Secretary of State, Bedsole received 1,249 votes, or 51%, to 1,183 votes for Penhale, or 49%.

Provisional ballots will be counted Sept. 8, the Republican Party said.

The Republican nominee faces Democrat Cheryl Patton of Montevallo in the Nov. 17 general election.

The race is a special election to fill a seat vacated by Rep. April Weaver, who resigned in May to become a regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services with the Trump administration.
They fought in every theatre of World War II, from North Africa to Europe and as far east as Hong Kong. They died and went missing in the tens of thousands. And they formed the largest volunteer force in history. But their contributions are often an afterthought in history books.

The colonial forces that dotted the battle maps of World War II were crucial for the Allies to fill out their ranks and keep up their momentum. While India contributed the largest number of volunteers, at some 2.5 million troops, Africans, Arabs and others fought and died for the freedom of the Allied powers, although they were under the yoke of colonial rule. I always say, Britain didnt fight the Second World War, the British Empire did, said Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University and author of The Raj at War.

About 15% of all the Victoria Crosses  Britains highest decoration for valour  awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese troops. The honour was bestowed upon service members from other colonies as well. If you look at Commonwealth graves, you can find burial spots of Indians everywhere, Khan said. Theres a scattered memory of their sacrifice all over Europe.

Despite their sacrifices, these troops were never treated as equals. They were largely under the command of European or American officers, although they were skilled fighters and even helped patrol the streets of London. It was difficult for them to rise up the ranks and become officers. Their compensation was far less than that of their white peers, and it worsened the darker their skin was. As poorly as Indian soldiers were treated, their African peers fared far worse.

Their skill on the battlefield helped stoke nationalism at home; however, the colonial forces were in many ways helping Britain maintain its crumbling empire, as it came under onslaught by Japanese, Italian and German forces.

Although the battlefronts of Europe were romanticized in novels, history books and films, much of the war was fought in and over British (and to a lesser extent, French) colonies, with front lines springing up from North Africa to East Asia as both sides vied for control of the regions vast resources and wealth to sustain their militaries. In June 1940, the Axis powers launched the North Africa campaign and fighting broke out across Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia as they tried to wrest those colonies from British and French rule. Japan snatched up British colonies like Singapore and Burma (now Myanmar) and tried to invade India.

It would be the entry of the worlds most vocal supporter of liberty and self-determination, the United States, that would help the Allies restore their momentum and shift the tide against the Axis.

But the alliance between the United States and Britain was forged in tension over their clashing stances on colonialism. While the United States remained on the sidelines for nearly half of the war, its calls to end colonialism irked Britain, which needed its colonies more than ever, as its financial reserves were nearly exhausted.

Indians were angry when Britain, which ruled them, declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939 and exploited their resources to support the conflict. Some Indians, such as upper-caste urbanites, were loyal to the raj  British rule over India  and fought enthusiastically for the Allies, but the vast majority volunteered because they were offered land, a stable salary and steady meals. Others joined to refine their technical or engineering skills as the military modernized over the course of the war, allowing them to gain experience with more complicated machinery as it was introduced.

In August 1941, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed what became known as the Atlantic Charter, a new vision for the postwar world, highlighting the right of all people to self-determination. Though the United States had not yet entered the war as a combatant, it was supplying military hardware to Britain and created the document as a justification for its support to the Allies, laying out its anti-fascist hopes for the world. Britain was desperate to bind itself to the United States and persuade it the join the war, and Churchill begrudgingly signed the statement, although it challenged the very foundation of the empire.

The Atlantic Charter spurred hopes of independence among the British colonies. But a month after the charter was signed, Churchill clarified that the right to self-determination outlined in the document applied only to countries under German occupation. The damage, however, was already done.

In 1942, Mohandas K. Gandhi began his Quit India movement, demanding the end of British rule, galvanizing Indians against British colonial forces and threatening the economic and natural resources London needed to continue fighting.

A star of the Indian independence movement, Subhas Chandra Bose, split with Gandhis nonviolent campaign and aligned himself with the Axis powers, who he believed would empower him to raise an army and win Indias autonomy. Bose toured the prison camps of Europe and Asia, building a force by recruiting Indian expatriates and Indian prisoners of war.

Boses military, the Indian National Army, was a roughly 40,000-strong force. By 1943, he established the Azad Hind, or the provisional government of India in exile, in Japanese-occupied Singapore and declared war on the Allied powers. Boses ultimate goal was to invade India and liberate it from the British. Once the I.N.A. and the Axis invaded, Bose bet, Indians would rise up en masse. The British forbade their media from reporting on the rogue force, worried it would spur Indian troop defections.

In March 1944, Bose had his chance to shatter British rule. The Japanese military, with the support of the I.N.A., launched Operation U-Go, a campaign to invade northeast India from Burma and smash a buildup of Allied forces in the area. If the Japanese and the I.N.A. prevailed, they could extract Indias resources to revitalize their war effort, perhaps prolonging the war, and use Indias strategic ports to cut off Allied supply lines spanning from East to West.

But they faced stiff resistance from Allied forces, which were overwhelmingly nonwhite  about 70 % of the fighting force was from India and to a lesser extent, African colonies. (British forces were reluctant to serve in India, preferring the glamour of the European front lines.) The fight, known as the Battle of Kohima and Imphal, produced some of the worst bloodshed of the war in Asia.

As Britain-backed Indian troops killed their own compatriots, those under Boses command, they also killed thousands of Japanese, considered some of the best fighters in World War II. The Japanese 15th Army, 85,000 strong at the start of the invasion, saw 53,000 troops dead or missing by the battles end.

The defeat, one of the most devastating of the war for Japanese ground forces, helped the Indian military come into its own, historians believe, and helped spur nationalist movements in India and parts of Africa.

They demanded their liberation, said the historian Kaushik Roy, a professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India. There was this feeling, why should we fight to preserve colonialism?

It took a few years after the war ended, but the nationalists prevailed. Britain dismantled its empire, and the colonial troops it used to prop up its rule across the world were rolled into the national armies of the independent states that formed out of the wreckage. India was granted independence in 1947.

Once that lifeblood of colonialism was broken, Roy added, they gained confidence in their demands to rule themselves.
The pandemic has made the world a much smaller place. Few sectors have been as badly hurt as tourism and international travel.

The impact on London, one of the world's great entrepot cities, is underlined by the sobering letter from UK Hospitality to the Prime Minister and the almost invisible mayor, Sadiq Khan.

It is loss of tourism, not just emptied offices, which is threatening a 'downward economic spiral'.

A new UN report shows that if the closure of air routes and tourism were to last eight months then the output loss to the world economy would be 1.65 trillion, or 2.8 per cent of the total

Pre-Covid, some 40m visitors came to Britain, spending 30billion, with around 55 per cent of them spending time in the capital. Spending this year is down 79 per cent to just 6billion.

Even the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who has been optimistic about recovery, warns that 'social spending' on restaurants and theatres could take longer to recover.

What is going on in the UK is frightening enough but it is a global phenomenon.

A report just released by the United Nations' trade arm UNCTAD shows that if the closure of air routes and tourism were to last eight months then the output loss to the world economy would be 1.65 trillion, or 2.8 per cent of the total.

The scarring already stretches beyond the hospitality industries with major airlines staring into the abyss. Virgin Atlantic has just been saved after a 1.2billion deal with creditors supported by Richard Branson.

Even rich state-flag carrier Qatar Airways is delaying orders of new aircraft, clogging up aerospace supply lines.

UNCTAD argues that the tourism crisis offers opportunities for fundamental change, including digital transformation and more carbon-neutral travel.

But nothing will be more important than a co-ordinated effort to ease and lift current travel restrictions. The constant chopping and changing by the Foreign Office is a travel nightmare.

A rigorous test and trace system at UK airports, taking advantage of the data management of airline booking systems, should have been in place months ago. Instead, livelihoods and output in the UK's services-dominated economy are at serious risk.

Good housekeeping

Of all the measures Chancellor Rishi Sunak put in place in the summer, the decision to support housing with a temporary cut in stamp duty may prove the most effective.

Even though the number of UK renters has more than doubled in the last two decades to an estimated 4.6m, home ownership and your own space is still an aspiration for people in Britain.

Data from Nationwide shows house prices rose at their speediest rate in 16 years in August, illustrating that in spite of furlough and unemployment Sunak has uncorked a bottle.

The combination of pent-up demand from lockdown, cheap mortgage deals and a big tax break on houses under 500,000 has done the trick.

The impact of rising demand for homes on the broader economy should not be underestimated.

The increase in the average house price to 224,100 will not be helpful to younger citizens taking the first step on the housing ladder.

They also are suffering from a tightening of lending terms requiring bigger deposits and discouragement of the bank of Mum and Dad.

Houses are the biggest purchase in most people's lifetime, and when the price of your home goes up, people feel more confident and it unlocks a willingness to spend the so called 'wealth effect'.

Similarly, when people buy a new home it doesn't stop there. What follows are decorations, new appliances, soft furnishings and much else.

Results from housebuilder Barratt Developments give insight into why the bubbling up of prices may eventually ease. Barratt disclosed a 30 per cent drop in housing completions and revenues due to the pandemic.

Replicated across the home construction industry, this represents a big supply shock pushing up the price of existing homes.

Chief executive David Thomas sounded upbeat about prospects in the light of eased planning regulations. Barratt shares shot up but the decision to leave the dividend suspended suggests jitters remain.

Missing magic

Lego has come through the pandemic with flying colours with revenues and profits sharply up in the first half of the year.

The plastic brick maker continues to capture the zeitgeist through alliances with gaming group Nintendo, digital-related bricks and learning through play.

How disappointing that when Merlin, operator of the Legoland franchise, was struggling for funding at the height of Covid-19, the billionaire Kristiansen family behind Lego (part of a 6billion buyout consortium) did not rush in.

Scared of stepping on the bricks...
(TNS)  As Mayor de Blasio warns of up to 22,000 layoffs of municipal workers this fall, New York City is paying millions of dollars in consulting fees to some of the worlds biggest corporations, thehas learned.Firms including Deloitte and KPMG are raking in about $163 million in ongoing contracts for services that are vaguely described in jargon-laden city documents.And thats only a small portion of the citys business with contractors, a murky part of the budget that receives little scrutiny from most lawmakers or the public.In the face of staggering tax revenue shortfalls, this years $88 billion city budget inflicted painful cuts to numerous city agencies  including about $770 million to the Education Department, according to the Mayors Office of Management and Budget. Meanwhile, contracts were trimmed by just over $300 million, to $17 billion, after ballooning for years.The city should cancel contracts with multinational businesses like Deloitte and review the rest of the contracts with an eye to trimming or eliminating them, says NYC Councilman Ben Kallos, who chairs the Councils Committee on Contracts.Before we start threatening to lay off and reduce wages for city employees, we should trim the fat and cut these bloated consulting contracts, Kallos toldUnder one contract worth $25 million, accounting and consulting giant Deloitte was hired to create playbooks on policy and training to accelerate adoption of ... cybersecurity capabilities across New York City government agencies, among other tasks. Deloitte employees bill $170 to $220 an hour for the work, according to a city contract. The project managers annual salary is listed as $244,200 and a senior security consultants, $240,800.By comparison, a city employee with the title of IT security specialist earns $75,000 to $180,000 per year, while a cyber security analyst receives $63,860 to $77,250.Lets cut out the middle man. Our workers can do this work. If they cant, its probably a lot cheaper to train them so they can, Kallos said.Another big contract went to international IT advisory firm Gartner. Its receiving $13 million for quality control service for the citys Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT). The contract lets the company bill up to $373 per hour for work described as development of a future-state vision for the city that summarizes the functionality required to support the daily processes for the applications target audience, among other tasks.Accounting and consulting powerhouse KPMG also has a $13 million contract for quality control for DoITT, with contractors earning similar salaries. Including nine other ongoing contracts, Kallos unearthed andconfirmed a total of $162,867,254 in city contracts with big consultancies, all of which Kallos wants to ax.Gartner and KPMG declined to comment. Deloitte did not answer a request for comment by deadline.De Blasio spokesman Bill Neidhardt declined to comment on specific contracts, saying the bigger issue is Albanys refusal so far to authorize borrowing for the city to cover operating expenses.Im glad the councilman is raising concerns and looking for creative ways to solve this problem, but it really doesnt take too much creativity to know the city needs long-term borrowing, he said.Kallos said giving millions to gigantic firms while the city is facing its biggest financial crisis in decades reflects misplaced priorities.The city of New York should focus for the time being on the homeless people who need services and the hungry New Yorkers who are unemployed, he said. We can wait on getting a cybersecurity paper from Deloitte & Touche.Like the rest of the city budget, spending on contracts has skyrocketed since de Blasio took office. In fiscal year 2015, the city allocated nearly $12 billion to contracts. By the last fiscal year, the spending had reached $17.3 billion.The Citizens Budget Commission has decried the citys contract process, saying most bids are not awarded competitively, among other problems. The civic group called for reforms including a streamlined approval process.Of course, its more imperative now, CBPs Ana Champeny said of reforming the contracting process. The city needs to be taking a long view about how to really bring expenses and revenues in alignment and contracts is definitely a place they should be looking for savings.De Blasio has said the city will have to fire or cut pay for thousands of workers if the federal government doesnt send bailout funds or the state doesnt authorize borrowing.As the city mulls cuts, it should also weigh giving municipal employees the jobs contractors would be doing, Kallos said.We should start with cutting the corporate consulting contracts, he said. And as we reduce the headcount from consultants, if theres some reduction at agencies that would be helpful for efficiency, we should have our city employees fulfill the duties that the consultants were providing.
A public interest defence should be created for people who leak information in violation of the Official Secrets Act, the government has been told.

The Law Commission, a statutory independent body that recommends reforms in England and Wales, said the 1989 law needed to be brought into the 21st century.

It said that security services personnel, members of the military, civil servants, journalists and civilians should be protected from prosecution in circumstances where illegal disclosures are made for the public good.

This would require both the subject matter being disclosed being in the public interest and the manner of disclosure also being in the public interest, the Law Commission said.

We do not outline which factors define the public interest, as this is a political question and therefore should be determined by government and parliament.

The body called for an independent commissioner to be established to assess allegations of criminality. It also said protections must be created to uphold freedom of expression.

The recommendations came after a series of controversies relating to the Official Secrets Act, which currently has no public interest defence.

In July last year, journalists were threatened with prosecution under the law if they published leaked diplomatic cables from the British embassy in Washington.

Sir Kim Darroch had resigned as ambassador to the US after his statements on Donald Trumps administration were aired.

The publication of these specific documents, now knowing they may be a breach of the Official Secrets Act, could also constitute a criminal offence and one that carries no public interest defence, said Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu.

The law makes the unauthorised disclosure of protected information  such as material concerning security, intelligence, defence, international relations and diplomatic communications  an offence.

It applies to everyone but is most commonly used against military and security officials, and civil servants.

GCHQ translator Katharine Gun was prosecuted after leaking an email in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion (Getty)

Famous prosecutions include those of Richard Tomlinson, a former MI6 officer who was jailed after trying to publish a book detailing his career, and former GCHQ translator Katharine Gun.

In 2003, she passed an email showing the National Security Agency calling for the UK to bug the offices of UN Security Council swing nations ahead of a key vote on the Iraq invasion to The Observer.

She was charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act but the prosecution presented no evidence at trial, amid suggestions that evidence over the legality of the war would embarrass the government.

The Law Commission said the Official Secrets Acts of 1911, 1920, 1939 and 1989 helped protect Britain from spying and leaks but were outdated and no longer fit for purpose.

It added: The Law Commissions recommendations aim to ensure the law can protect against the nature and scale of modern threats and allow the government to respond effectively to illegal activity.

At the same time, our aim is for the recommendations to be proportionate, in line with human rights obligations and ensure that the government can be held to account.

It called for the law to be reworded to refer to foreign powers rather than the enemy, and to remove the requirement for proof that leaks caused damage.

It said the law should apply to non-British citizens and that MPs should consider increasing the maximum sentences for serious offences.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Council on Disability (NCD)  an independent federal agency  welcomes the appointments of Mary G. Vought of Arlington, Virginia, and Daniel C. Schreck of Greenwich, Connecticut, to the Council.

Both Voughts and Schrecks appointments to NCD are by President Donald Trump. Vought took the oath of office on Aug. 27 and Schreck took the oath of office on Aug. 26. Both began their time as NCD council members on those respective dates.

Vought and Schreck join Chairman Neil Romano, Vice Chairman Jim Brett, and Council Members Billy Altom, Jim Baldwin, Rabia Belt, Andres Gallegos, and Clyde Terry.

Appointments to NCD are made by the President of the United States, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House, and the House Minority Leader pursuant to Section 451 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Pub. L. 113128).

Biography of Mary G. Vought: Mary G. Vought is the president and founder of Vought Strategies and the executive director of the Senate Conservatives Fund in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, she worked for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) as his communications director and then senior advisor. She also worked in the U.S. House for several members of Congress, including serving on the House leadership staff for then-Representative Mike Pence (Indiana). Mary has had several pieces on the topics of disability and health published in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Post. Mary has been a strong advocate for those with cystic fibrosis like her youngest daughter has. Vought has a bachelor's degree in communications and one in political science from Vanguard University of Southern California.

Biography of Daniel C. Schreck: Daniel Schreck is a partner at the investment firm Equinox Partners. Previously, Daniel was the founding director of Young Adult Outreach for the Archdiocese of New York and was an international marketing consultant for Sony Music. He is an adjunct professor of finance and strategy at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Daniel graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville with a bachelors degree in Biology, studied philosophy at the University of Santa Croce, Rome, earned a Licentiate in Bioethics from Regina Apostolorum University, Rome, and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. He serves on the boards of Avail, The Jerome LeJeune Foundation USA, The Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, The Catholic Artists Society, and the Culture of Life Foundation. Daniel has a daughter who has Down syndrome as well as two nieces with the same.

Story continues

About the National Council on Disability (NCD): First established as a small advisory Council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since the ADA became law in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting policy solutions, and in advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.

###

CONTACT: Nicholas Sabula National Council on Disability 202-272-2076 nsabula@ncd.gov




Hichem Mechichi confirmed as PM after his technocrat-dominated cabinet wins backing from nearly two-thirds of deputies.

Tunisias Parliament has approved Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichis government  the countrys third administration in less than a year.

Following a 15-hour session that started on Tuesday, Mechichis cabinet  dominated by independent technocrats  won 134 votes out of the 217 members of parliament.

A former interior minister, Mechichi replaces Elyes Fakhfakh, whose government stayed in power for just five months before he resigned as prime minister last month after questions over his business dealings.





Mechichi proposed a government with 25 ministers and three secretaries of state that includes seven women and a blind man  a first in the countrys history.

The 46-year-old has pledged to enact policies seen as critical to revitalising a tourism-reliant sluggish economy that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

He gathered the ministries of finance, investment and economy into a single department led by liberal economist Ali Kooli, chief executive of Arab Banking Corporation in Tunisia.

After the vote, Mechichi said his government would be able to move forward provided it was not bogged down in political tensions.

Before the session, which was held amid a tussle for influence between President Kais Saied and the main parties, Mechichi defended his nominations in an address to lawmakers.

He said the deteriorating situation in the country calls for competent figures who can intervene quickly and effectively to find solutions to the various problems and challenges.

The government formation comes at a time of political instability and the peoples patience has reached its limit, he said.

The new government would focus on social and economic questions and respond to the urgent concerns of Tunisians, he added.

Reform this government

Tunisias Parliament is deeply divided and many lawmakers were angry that Mechichi bypassed the main political factions in building his cabinet.

Mechichi, a lawyer by training, named judges, academics, public servants and business executives to his cabinet.

Ennahdha, the largest parliamentary force, and others had instead demanded a political government that reflects the balance of parties and factions in parliament.

But hours before the vote, the self-styled Muslim Democrats said they would back Mechichi despite reservations.

Abdelkarim Harouni, chairman of Ennahdhas advisory board, said the party would offer its support given the difficult situation of the country but would then seek to develop and reform this government.

Tunisia has been praised as a rare success story for the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region in 2011, bringing down its longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

But it is now mired in social and economic crisis, with the official unemployment rate at 18 percent, and in need of new assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

Tunisias tourism-dependent economy shrank 21.6 percent in the second quarter of 2020, compared with the same period last year, due to the coronavirus crisis.
The entire world is beginning to unite against China's unfair practices and countries like India, Australia, Japan and South Korea are going to partner with the US to push back Beijing on every front, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. The US is intensifying pressure on China, piling on visa bans, sanctions and other restrictions that are battering the already unsettled ties between the world's two largest economies.

In an interview to Fox News on Tuesday, Pompeo said, "I think you're seeing the entire world begin to unite around the central understanding that the Chinese Communist Party simply is going to refuse to compete in a fair, reciprocal and transparent way." "So, whether it's our friends in India, our friends in Australia, friends in Japan or South Korea, I think they have all come to see the risk to their own people, to their own countries, and you'll see them partner with the US to push back (China) on every front that we've talked about this evening," he said, responding to a question posed by the host, Lou Dobbs, on India reportedly sending a warship into the South China Sea.

Dobbs said India's act was in response against the clashes on the border with China, and also it appears with some affinity with the US Navy that is in the South China Sea. Dobbs wanted to know the importance of the US relationship with India in meeting the threat from China.

Also read: China seeks setting up military logistic facilities in about a dozen countries: Pentagon

"It's central that we have friends and allies in this battle. We've worked for two years now to build that out. We've made real progress. You've seen lots of countries turn away from Huawei. You've seen them acknowledge the threat. They slept on this threat the same way America did for two decades," Pompeo said. Beijing claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

India has been maintaining that the South China Sea is a "part of global commons" and it firmly stands for the freedom of navigation and overflight in these international waterways. The US had also categorically rejected the territorial claims made by Beijing in the South China Sea, asserting that the "Chinese predatory world view" has no place in the 21st century.

Also read: Ladakh border clash: China can make India suffer more 'severe' military losses, says Global Times

During the interview, Pompeo said America slept while China grew. "You talked about their missile systems, their military, all the things that have grown...the trade issues, all the economic issues that you've talked about on your show for months and months and months now. "President (Donald) Trump is taking each of these on in a serious way, and I think you see the rhetoric from the Chinese Communist Party ratcheting up because they are feeling the pressure that's being put on them by this administration," he said.

Noting that the ruling Chinese Communist Party made some choices under its General Secretary Xi Jinping, Pompeo said he has made it clear whether it's his military buildup, the diplomatic efforts, the Belt and Road Initiative to try and create vassal states, a tyrannical regime all around the world for global hegemony -- the challenges are different. President Trump will push back against China on every one of these fronts, he asserted.

Also read: India-China border row: Ready to manage all issues through talks, says Chinese Foreign Minister
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Turkey's hazelnut exports rose 27.5% to reach 343,561 tons from September 2019 to August 2020 year-on-year  a new record  a regional trade union announced Wednesday, Amadolu agency reports.

The Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Union reported that Turkey earned $2.3 billion from hazelnut exports during the hazelnut export season, which starts in September and ends in August.

In the same period last year, revenues were $1.59 billion.

The country reached a historical record by exporting 343,561 tons of hazelnuts. With around 77% of total exports, the EU continued to be the top market for Turkey's hazelnut exports.

The union's figures said 39.6% of the country's hazelnut exports were processed products worth some $882.7 million, while the rest were raw hazelnuts.

Turkey is the largest global exporter of hazelnuts.
Advocate staff photo by JOE MACALUSO -- For the bass and redfish angler, this new series of square-billed crankbaits from Rat-L-Trap is a new venture for the Louisiana-based company. It's the Bill Lewis 'Echo' 1.75 and comes in a variety of colors for Louisiana waters. The new process uses a laser-photo process to imprint the pattern on the bait blanks and uses eyes that mirro the color of each lure. It was unvelied in July at the ICAST Show, and is making its way to south Louisiana markets.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding Monday that authorizes quarterly $25,000 contributions to the Sioux City Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CVB) for one year.

The CVB will focus on recruiting new events and promoting Sioux City as a destination for tourists, conventions and sporting events.

Local leaders refocused their tourism efforts after Sioux City eliminated the city department that oversaw not only tourism, but also the Tyson Events Center and the Convention Center. The change occurred after the city hired Spectra, a Philadelphia-based venue management firm, to run the Tyson three years ago. The Convention & Visitor's Bureau Board will manage the new CVB, while the Events Facilities Advisory Board will continue to oversee the city-owned venues.

Under the proposal, which was first pitched to the council last July, member hotels in Sioux City, South Sioux City, North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes would levy a 1 percent fee to finance the regional CVB. The fee would be in addition to the 7 percent hotel/motel tax collected on all rooms in Sioux City. Half that 7 percent tax is currently earmarked for tourism purposes, while the other half goes to the city's general fund. The CVB would recommend visitors stay at properties that voluntarily collect the 1 percent fee.

The Warrior Hotel, Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, and Courtyard Sioux City Downtown/Convention Center have signed agreements, according to Councilman Alex Watters. Sioux City businessman Dave Bernstein said other hotels are "on the verge of signing." Both South Sioux City and North Sioux City have declined participation at this time.

As part of the proposal, the city will provide a total contribution of $100,000 to the CVB in quarterly payments of $25,000 beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31, 2021. The CVB agrees to present an annual budget, continue to recruit more hoteliers and businesses as stakeholders, develop a public relations plan to promote Sioux City and participating members and recruit new events to Sioux City, hire a full-time staff member dedicated to CVB efforts, and provide relevant and timely updated reports to the city.

American Airlines has filed, under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, with the U.S. Department of Transportation to terminate unsubsidized service in Sioux City.

In a statement issued Monday, the City of Sioux City and Sioux Gateway Airport said the filing was due to the significant impact of COVID-19 within the aviation industry and widely anticipated by the airport board and the city.

American's filing would request termination of service in the Sioux City and Joplin, Missouri, markets 90 days from the date of filing, subject to DOT EAS rules. If a selection is not made within 90 days, the DOT would require American Airlines to continue to serve the two markets and would begin accruing subsidy, as the DOT solicits bids from all carriers interested in serving both markets.

American will continue to provide air service to Sioux Gateway Airport during this process and until the DOT completes the EAS selection, providing for no gaps in service to Sioux Gateway Airport.

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Pemberton, an anti-tank missile operator from New Bedford, Massachusetts, was one of thousands of American and Philippine military personnel who participated in joint exercises in the country in 2014. He and a group of other Marines were on leave after the exercises and met Laude and her friends at a bar in Olongapo, a city known for its nightlife outside Subic Bay, a former U.S. Navy base.
Researchers in the UK and Taiwan have demonstrated the potential of a new candidate vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)  the virus responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Low doses of the vaccine triggered a potent neutralizing antibody response in mice and pigs that was stronger than the response induced by serum taken from patients who had recovered from COVID-19.

The virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine displays the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein  the surface structure that SARS-CoV-2 uses to bind to and access host cells.

Alain Townsend (University of Oxford) and colleagues, who used technology called SpyTag/SpyCatcher to assemble the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 onto a VLP, have called the resulting vaccine candidate RBD-SpyVLP.

The team says the potent and polyclonal antibody response the vaccine-induced highlights its potential as an effective and affordable solution to addressing the current clinical and logistic challenges faced in the fight against COVID-19.

A pre-print version of the paper I available on the server bioRxiv*, while the article undergoes peer review.

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (blue) heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (red), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

No effective vaccines are currently available

Following the first cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, late last year, SARS-CoV-2 swept the globe and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11th this year. Now, the virus has infected more than 25.59 million people worldwide and claimed the lives of more than 852,000.

Currently, no effective vaccines are available, although about 25 are undergoing clinical testing, and around 140 are in the preclinical stages of evaluation. These vaccine candidates are based on the viral vector, viral protein subunits, viral DNA and RNA, and VLPs, with most of them focused on the immunogenic potential of the SAR-CoV-2 spike protein.

Protein subunit vaccines generally have good safety profiles

SARS-CoV-2 binds the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor using the RBD of the Spike S1 subunit, which enables the virus to enter host cells.

SpyTag-RBD can be efficiently conjugated to SpyCatcher003-mi3 VLP. (A) Schematic diagram of the RBD-SpyVLP vaccine candidate, consisting of SpyCatcher003-VLP conjugated with SpyTag-RBD. The isopeptide bonds formed spontaneously between SpyTag and SpyCatcher are indicated with red dots. (B) Conjugation of SpyCatcher003-mi3 with SpyTag-RBD at various ratios. Reactions were performed at 4 C overnight and analysed using SDS-PAGE with Coomassie staining and densitometry, with the percentage of unreacted VLP shown. (C) Dynamic light scattering (DLS) characterisation of SpyTag-RBD, SpyVLP, and conjugated RBD-SpyVLP (n=3, values shown as meanSD). RH= hydrodynamic radius.

Of the many vaccine platforms, protein subunit vaccines generally have good safety profiles, and their production is rapid and easily scalable, writes Townsend and colleagues.

The researchers say numerous studies have recently demonstrated that the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein triggers the production of neutralizing antibodies. Some studies have also shown that most of the potent neutralizing antibodies isolated from SARS-CoV-2- infected patients bind to the RBD.

We, therefore, chose to study the immunogenicity of RBD, says the team.

What did the current study involve?

To improve immunogenicity, the team used SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology to conjugate SARS-CoV-2 RBD onto a VLP called mi3.

The use of VLPs to display protein antigens has previously been shown to increase immunogenicity by enabling drainage to lymph nodes and enhancing uptake by antigen-presenting cells.

Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies isolated from convalescent patients, the team showed that all of the epitopes that could potentially trigger the generation of protective RBD-specific antibodies are present in RBD-SpyVLP.

Since RBD-SpyVLPs induce antibody responses that target multiple epitopes on the RBD, the chance of selecting neutralization-escape mutants should be greatly reduced, said Townsend and colleagues. Circulating SARS-CoV-2 stains are constantly mutating, and the likelihood of persistence of the virus in the human population is high.

What happened when mice and pigs were vaccinated?

Only negligible antibody responses were seen when mice were vaccinated with 0.1 g or 0.5 g doses of RBD alone, but strong responses were seen once the RBD was displayed on the VLP.

Serum from mice that received either 0.1 g or 0.5 g doses of RBD-SpyVLP exhibited high levels of antibody against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the full-length spike protein and showed potent ACE2 blocking activity.

All of these responses were higher than the levels found in plasma from convalescent humans, write the researchers. These results confirm the enhanced immunogenicity of RBD when displayed on SpyVLPs.

RBD-SpyVLP vaccination also induced high titers of neutralizing antibodies in pigs using a dose that the authors intended to test in human trials (5 g). The team reports that at a dose of 5 g, similar neutralization titers were observed as when 100 g of spike protein was administered.

The researchers say the finding that the RBD-SpyVLP vaccine candidate is highly immunogenic in mice and pigs suggests that it could potentially elicit protective antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in humans.

The vaccine was also resilient

Furthermore, when the team tested the resilience of RBD-SpyVLP, they found it was stable at ambient temperature, resistant to freeze-thaw, and could be lyophilized (freeze-dried) and reconstituted, without any significant loss in activity or immunogenicity.

This resilience may not only simplify vaccine distribution worldwide, especially to countries where cold-chain [low-temperature storage] resources are incomplete but also reduce the overall vaccine cost by removing cold chain dependence, says Townsend and colleagues.

The researchers conclude that overall, the findings show that the RBD-SpyVLP is a potent and adaptable vaccine candidate that could potentially help to address the clinical and logistic challenges faced in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are currently investigating cheaper and more scalable alternatives to produce RBD-SpyVLP to cope with the global demand for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, they add.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The pandemic led to some changes in what universities were asked to provide so that the bureau could build a new source of administrative records, U.S. Census Bureau Statistician Lacey Loftin said.

She said many universities, including A&M, were asked to tell the bureau basic information, including the local addresses of students living off campus. This information, Loftin said, could be used to make sure everyone is counted in worst-case scenarios in which a person could not be contacted to fill out their census.

Census takers also are having a different experience this year, bureau partnership specialist Yvette Stewart said, as all are equipped with new safety equipment, including masks. Stewart said there are plenty of workers in the B-CS community and that they will visit homes multiple times if necessary to get information.

If a resident wants to verify that the worker is with the census bureau, they can call 1-800-852-6159.

The workers go out between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., including weekends. They can be identified with their photo ID badge that includes a Department of Commerce watermark and Census Bureau-branded equipment.
TDT | Manama

Minister of Health Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh chaired yesterday the first meeting of the selection committee for the Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Award for Bahraini Doctors, which is an initiative of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The award is to be presented annually, for the first time this year, during Bahraini Doctors Day celebrations on the first Wednesday of November in honour of outstanding Bahraini doctors in medical, clinical and treatment research. The Health Minister stressed that Bahrain is grateful to have a group of renowned experts in the medical field for this prestigious award.

The selection committee includes top officials from Bahrain and six international experts in the field of medical research from different countries. During yesterdays meeting, a number of topics were discussed, including the establishment and formation of a secretariat for the award, its statute, and the tasks of the committee.

The proposed schedule of the committees meetings and work was also reviewed, and the candidates form and evaluation criteria for the winners selection process were also tackled. The Health Minister called on all Bahraini doctors to apply and participate in the award, which aims to appreciate and motivate medical professionals for their dedication and efforts.

The committee noted that the final day to receive applications for the award will be on Saturday, September 5. Yesterdays virtual meeting was attended by committee members including HRH the Prime Ministers Court advisor Abdullah Abbas Hamad, HRH the Prime Ministers Court Evaluation and Analysis director Farida Abdul Rahim Khonji, Bahrain Medical Society president Dr Ghada Al Qassim, World Health Organisation Eastern Mediterranean Region director Dr Ahmed bin Salem Al Mandhari, Arabian Gulf University president Dr Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Ohaly, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain president Professor Samir Al Atoum, and medical research experts Professor Hanan Hassan Balkhi (Saudi Arabia), Professor Kenneth Christopher (US), Professor Sotirius Nedios (Germany/ Greece), and Professor Cathal Kelly (Ireland).

HRH the Prime Minister earlier this year issued directives to celebrate Bahraini Doctors Day and launch the $200,000 award carrying his name. The award shall be granted in two categories: the Innovation and Creative Award in Therapeutic, Clinical and Medical Research, and the Extended Loyalty and Giving Award.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Federal prosecutors in North Carolina announced voter fraud charges Wednesday against 19 non-citizens accused of illegally casting a ballot in 2016.

Each defendant voted in a federal election in 2016, and one defendant also voted in 2018, according to a news release from United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martins office. In some instances, the defendants were also charged with related offences such as making a false statement.

The news release did not list the defendants nationalities or say how their alleged crimes had been uncovered, although it said the matters had been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

Brief charging documents provided few details about any of the allegations. Many defendants did not have an attorney listed in court records.

The Associated Press attempted to contact all defence attorneys who were listed, reaching only two.

Helen Parsonage, who is representing three of the defendants, declined comment on the merits of the charges but said her clients would be vigorously defended.

These cases are clearly timed for partisan political purposes, she wrote in an email.

Another attorney, J. Scott Coalter, declined comment on his clients behalf but noted he found it rare to have the U.S. attorney for the Middle District handling misdemeanour cases.

A conviction of voting by a non-citizen, a misdemeanour, carries a maximum term of one year imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $100,000, or both.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global floating power plant market size is expected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 9.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Favorable regulatory policies focusing on reducing the dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation along with proliferating demand for stand-alone power generation systems across several end-use markets are anticipated to strengthen the market growth over the forecast period.

Key suggestions from the report:

Non-renewable segment occupied the largest market revenue share in 2019 owing to low operating costs and high power density and reliability of gas turbine or IC engine-based FPPs

The renewable segment is anticipated to attain the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the implementation of favorable regulatory policies supporting the usage of clean fuels for energy generation

High-power FPP segment occupied the maximum market share in 2019 owing to the large-scale power demand from end-use industries in emerging economies, such as China and India

However, medium-power FPP is projected to be the fastest-growing segment at a CAGR of 10% over the forecast period owing to the growing number of renewable energy-based FPP projects

Europe accounted for the largest revenue share in the regional segment owing to the presence of major players and floating power market specialists across the region

The market in Asia Pacific is expected to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the lack of power infrastructure and huge power demand from industry-intensive countries.

Read 90 page research report with ToC on "Floating Power Plant Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Power Source (Non-renewable, Renewable), By Power Rating (Low-power, Medium-power, High-power), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/floating-power-plant-market

The market is primarily driven by the lack of power infrastructure on land in developing economies, such as China and India. Massive power demand from several industries, such as manufacturing and construction, healthcare, data centers, agriculture, and others, has led to increased demand for distributed power generation sources, such as floating power plants (FPPs). The plant provides grid stabilization for various kinds of renewable energy and is expected to strengthen the security of power systems in these countries.

Floating power plants offer several benefits including provision of secure power supply during natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, fast electricity supply to regions with limited power infrastructure, no requirement for a large site, and easy relocation due to high mobility. These advantages are expected to boost the FPP demand despite the high installation and maintenance costs of the plants.

Industry participants are practicing local manufacturing of floating power plant equipment to offer local employment, optimize logistics cost, and minimize emissions. Moreover, operators are prone to minimum project investment risk owing to the high mobility, versatility, and adaptability of the floating power plants. These trends are anticipated to positively influence industry growth over the forecast period.

Grand View Research has segmented the global floating power plant market on the basis of power source, power rating, and region:

Floating Power Plant Power Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Non-renewable



Gas Turbines





IC Engines



Renewable



Solar





Wind

Floating Power Plant Power Rating Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Low-power FPP



Medium-power FPP



High-power FPP

Floating Power Plant Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



The U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



The U.K.





Germany





Russia





France



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





South Korea



Central & South America



Brazil





Argentina



Middle East & Africa

&

Saudi Arabia





UAE

List of Key Players of Floating Power Plant Market

Wartsila

Siemens Gas and Power GmbH & Co.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Floating Power Plant A/S

Ciel & Terre international.

Find more research reports on Distribution & Utilities Industry , by Grand View Research:

Glass Scintillator Market - The global glass scintillator market size was valued at USD 21.14 million in 2016. Increasing demand from the nuclear industry is a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period.

The global glass scintillator market size was valued at in 2016. Increasing demand from the nuclear industry is a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period. Power Plant Boiler Market - The global power plant boiler market size was valued at USD 19.8 billion in 2016. Factors such as government-led initiatives and the rising energy demand are likely to be key drivers for the product demand

The global power plant boiler market size was valued at in 2016. Factors such as government-led initiatives and the rising energy demand are likely to be key drivers for the product demand Solar Pumps Market - The global solar pumps market was 120,786 units in 2014. Increasing agricultural activities coupled with water extraction for irrigation based on renewable energy is expected to drive the global solar pumps market over the forecast period.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

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Former Khmer Rouge S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, stands in a courtroom during a pre-trial in Phnom Penh on Dec. 5, 2008. (Tang Chhinsothy/Pool (CAMBODIA)/Reuters)

Khmer Rouges Chief Jailer, Convicted of War Crimes, Dead at 77

PHNOM PENHThe Khmer Rouge commander known as Comrade Duch, Pol Pots premier executioner and security chief who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Kaing Guek Eav or Comrade Duch was the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to face trial for his role within a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in the killing fields of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Duch died at 00:52 a.m. local time at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

Khmer Rouge commander Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, speaks to his attorneys moments before the start of his trial on the outskirts of Phnom Penh on Feb. 17, 2009. (Adrees Latif/Reuters)

In 2010, a U.N. tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture, and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, the former Phnom Penh high school which still stands as a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.

He was given a life sentence two years later after his appeal that he was just a junior official following orders was rejected. Duchby the time of his trial a born-again Christianexpressed regret for his crimes.

Under Duchs leadership, detainees at Tuol Sleng prison, codenamed S-21, were ordered to suppress cries of agony as Khmer Rouge guards, many of whom were teenagers, sought to extract confessions for non-existent crimes through torture.

The guards were instructed to smash to bits traitors and counter-revolutionaries. For the Khmer Rouge, that could mean anyone from school teachers to children, to pregnant women and intellectuals identified as such for wearing glasses.

Beneath Tuol Slengs chaotic facade, Duchhimself a former maths teacherhad an obsessive eye for detail and kept his school-turned-jail meticulously organised.

Nothing in the former schoolhouse took place without Duchs approval. His control was total, wrote photographer and author Nic Dunlop, who found Duch in 1999 hiding near the Thai border, two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

Not until you walk through the empty corridors of Tuol Sleng does Stalins idiom that one death is a tragedya million a statistic, take on a terrifying potency, Dunlop wrote in his account of Duch and his atrocities, The Lost Executioner.

At S-21, new prisoners had their mugshots taken. Hundreds are now on display within its crumbling walls.

Norng Chan Phal, one of the few people to have survived S-21, was a boy when he and his parents were sent to Duchs prison and interrogated on suspicion of having links to the Khmer Rouges mortal enemy, Vietnam.

His parents were tortured and killed but Chan Phal survived to give testimony at Duchs trial in 2010.

He was cooperative, he spoke to the court frankly. He apologised to all S-21 victims and asked them to open their hearts. He apologised to me too, Chan Phal told Reuters.

He apologised. But justice is not complete.

By Chan Thul Prak
A 22-year-old Winnipeg woman faces at least 10 years in U.S. prison after a federal jury found her guilty on cocaine charges.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 22-year-old Winnipeg woman faces at least 10 years in U.S. prison after a federal jury found her guilty on cocaine charges.

Bethlehem Shah was found guilty Aug. 21 of conspiring to distribute cocaine by bringing it across the border into Canada.

She and Brittany Babiuk, also from Manitoba, were arrested in August 2018 after police in South Dakota stopped Babiuk for speeding and found nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine in a suitcase in her car. Babiuk allegedly told police she was delivering the drugs to Shah in Fargo, N.D., who would then take them across the border.

Shahs sentencing date has not yet been set, according to a news release issued last week from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of South Dakota.

Babiuk pleaded guilty, CBC News reported.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to discuss the Trump administrations FY 2021 budget request for the State Department in Washington on July 30, 2020. (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

All Beijing-Run Confucius Institutes in the US Could Be Shut Down by Year-End: Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the possibility that all Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes (CI) on U.S. college campuses would be forced to shut down by the end of the year.

I think that everyones coming to see the risk associated with them and the recruitment of spies and collaborators inside of those institutions, Pompeo said on Sept. 1 during an interview with Fox Business Network.

He added: I think these institutions can see that and Im hopeful we will get them all closed out before the end of this year.

Pompeos remark came less than a month after the U.S. State Department designated a Washington-based nonprofit that promotes CIs as a foreign mission of the Chinese regime, with Pompeo calling it an entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence campaign on U.S. campuses and K12 classrooms.

A foreign mission is defined as an entity substantially owned or effectively controlled by a foreign government and according to federal rules, are subjected to certain administrative requirements that are applied to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States.

More than 100 Confucius Institutes have been established at U.S. universities since 2004. The Beijing-funded education programs have come under increasing scrutiny by U.S. officials over concerns that they spread Chinese propaganda, restrict academic freedom, and facilitate espionage in U.S. classrooms. In February 2019, U.S. Senate investigators found that Beijing gave more than $158 million since 2006 for U.S. schools to run these institutes.

The Senate investigation also found that Chinese teachers working at CIs could see their contracts terminated if they violate Chinese law or engage in activities detrimental to [Chinas] national interests.

The National Association of Scholars (NAS), an education advocacy group, recently updated its website and stated that there were a total of 67 CIs in the United States as of Aug. 26, while 53 CIs have closed or are in the process of closing.

Among the colleges scheduled to close down their CIs are: Community College of Denver (scheduled to close on Sept. 30), University of Oklahoma (October 2020), University of North Carolina Charlotte (December 2020), and Emory University (November 2021), according to NAS.

The Chinese regime reacted angrily to the State Departments previous designation. On Aug. 14, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, in a daily briefing, accused Pompeo of oppress[ing] the Confucius Institutes under unfounded pretexts.

Chinas hawkish Global Times, in an article published on Aug. 14, painted CIs as victims of Pompeos political scheme. It also attacked Pompeo, accusing him of being the destroyer of international rules and world stability.

Several U.S. lawmakers had applauded the foreign mission designation.

The Chinese Communist Party uses Confucius Institutes to spread its propaganda and suppress free speech on campuses across the nation, stated Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) in a statement from his office.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) took to his Twitter account to say: I support exchange programs but we cannot allow these Confucius Institutes to continue to promote China communist propaganda & suppress academic debate at US schools.

Also speaking to Fox on Tuesday, Pompeo said the U.S. government will soon take certain action to address Chinas theft of U.S. intellectual property developed at universities.

In the coming days and weeksyoull see the United States confront this in a very serious way.students that are studying here in the United States that are part of this network, he said.

The Justice Department has prosecuted several Chinese researchers for hiding their connections to China or stealing trade secrets while studying or being employed at U.S. colleges. Meanwhile, the Chinese regime has recruited both Chinese and foreign researchers to work in China and drive its tech ambition via state-sponsored job recruitment programs.

Referring to the Chinese students, Pompeo elaborated: They arent all spies, but many of them are being watched, their families back home are being watched, and these are efforts for the Chinese governmentthe Chinese Communist Party in particularto identify those that might ultimately work on their behalf.
A hearing on the merits of Trumps latest appeal will be held before the November election.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trumps tax returns while the presidents lawyers continue to fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides.

Trumps lawyers had asked for a temporary stay while they appeal a lower-court ruling that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jrs office access to Trumps tax returns. A lawyer for Vances office had argued that further delays would only impede their investigation.

The question at this juncture is quite simple but also quite important, Trump lawyer William Consovoy said. Will the president be given an opportunity to appeal that ruling before his personal records are disclosed to the grand jury and the status quo is irrevocably changed?

President Donald Trump speaking from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention in Washington, DC [AP Photo/Alex Brandon]

A hearing on the merits of Trumps latest appeal will be held on September 25 after both sides agreed to an expedited schedule  meaning it is possible the matter could be decided before Novembers election.

Trumps lawyers appealed to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals last month after a district court judge rejected their renewed efforts to invalidate a subpoena issued to his accounting firm. Judge John M Walker Jr said at Tuesdays hearing that the subpoenas cover 11 entities engaged in business dealings as far away as Europe and Dubai.

Trump has blasted the long-running quest for his financial records as a continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country and predicted the case would again end up before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the presidency in itself does not shield Trump from Vances investigation, but the high court returned the case to US District Judge Victor Marreros courtroom to allow Trumps lawyers to raise other concerns about the subpoena.

Trumps lawyers then argued that the subpoena was issued in bad faith and overly broad, might have been politically motivated and amounted to harassment. Marrero rejected those claims. Consovoy told the judges Tuesday that the investigation was an arbitrary fishing expedition.

Carey Dunne, of the district attorneys office, said Trump and his lawyers have long misrepresented the scope of the investigation as focusing primarily on hush-money payments that were paid to protect Trump from adultery allegations. Vances lawyers have said they are legally entitled to extensive records to aid a complex financial investigation.

US President Donald Trump holding a campaign rally in Londonderry, New Hampshire, US [Carlos Barria/Reuters]

The president has complained at every turn that weve not announced what the grand jury is looking at as if that itself is bad faith, Dunne said. But of course, what the grand jury is looking at is secret. Were not allowed to make that public, which is what has led to his speculation about the grand jury scope. But none of this speculation is plausible.

Even if Vance does get Trumps tax records, those would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically be made public.

Vance, a Democrat, began seeking the Republican presidents tax returns from his longtime accounting firm more than a year ago, after Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the president had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets.

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.

Trump is the only modern president who has refused to release his tax returns. Before he was elected, he had promised to do so.
Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode.

The violent aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, continues to hover over the presidential race. When Joe Biden spoke in Pittsburgh on Monday, he denounced the chaos that followed protests last weekand then swiveled to assess the presidents role in the turmoil. Donald Trump then addressed the events in Kenosha on Tuesday. When a reporter brought up the protests pressing for an end to systemic racism, Trump insisted that the topic of the day was not racism but violence, blaming the unrest on Democrats and their presidential nominee. But theres a fundamental paradox in Trump pointing to strife during his presidency and saying that this is the America youll get with the other guy. To figure out what Trumps strategy is here, I spoke with William Saletan, Slates national correspondent, on Wednesdays episode of What Next. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Ray Suarez: Presidents often go places where theres been civil disturbance, natural disasters, unexpected deaths. Whats different, and whats the same, about Trump heading to Kenosha?

William Saletan: Whats different in this case is this is not a natural disasterthis is a man-made disaster. Its human beings who are causing the strife and the violence. And the president himself is a factor this time. Presidents dont cause hurricanes, but presidents can contribute to violence by humans against other humans. And that is what this president has done.

You wouldnt think a sitting president would seize on social unrest as a reason he should remain in office. But thats the pitch Trump is making to voters right now.

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This is part of a strategy that the White House has been working on ever since the uprising over the death of George Floyd. There obviously were protests around racial injustice, and some of those protests were co-opted, but there was violence around them that Republicans looked at and thought could be their salvation. Plus, when the virus hit, Trump people looked around and asked, how can we run in a country that is suffering massive unemployment, terrible health effects, over 180,000 deaths? What they saw was they could run on this theme of law and order. So they have been working ever since to try to play up the idea of unrest in this country and that we need a strong conservative president to control that. Kenosha is exactly what they wanted, and they would love to have more Kenoshas if they can get them.

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In 1968, Richard Nixon and George Wallace ran against disorder. But the thing they had in common was they werent incumbents. Is it strange to see an incumbent president running against disorder?

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If you look at Trump, its not strange at all because he has never wanted actual responsibility. He wants to run against an existing government and claim it is messing everything up and that if he were in power he would make everything better. And of course, the problem is he is in power. So what he desperately needed was to find somebody else whom he could claim was in power and pitch himself as the savior running from the outside against those people. The people he has chosen are Democratic mayors and, to some extent, Democratic governorspeople who, as Trump puts it, run these cities where the violence is happening.

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Are people buying it? Can he plausibly run as an outsider from the Oval Office?

Well, hes asking people to maintain two thoughts in their mind at the same time. One is that Donald Trump is the president: Hes leading us, all the great things that happened in the economy for the past three years were his doing, and somehow that magically stopped in January when the coronavirus came in. At that point everything was the fault of the opposition party or China. In the case of crime, hes also got to construct this weird spatial relationship where theres Trumps Americawhere crime has gone downand then theres Joe Bidens America. Never mind that during this entire time, Trump is saying that Biden is locked in his basement not doing anything and yet somehow is also manipulating crime in this Democratic America.

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Trump is saying that Biden is locked in his basement not doing anything and yet somehow is manipulating crime in America.  William Saletan

Will it work? I think, basically, it wont work. There is a little bit of preliminary evidence that its not working. There have not been many polls conducted since the Republican convention, but there are a couple. There was a Canadian poll that asked Americans which leader between Biden and Trump do you think can do a better job of handling police and law enforcement. That is as direct a measure as we have of the effects of the Republican convention on that issue. The answer is Biden leads 4441. Americans say they trust Biden to do a better job of handling police and law enforcement.

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The president has been trying to get Biden to play on his field, and there have been repeated calls from Republican leaders and opinion makers: Why is Biden silent on the violence? Why is Biden allowing this to continue without talking to his people? This is reinforcing the idea that somehow the people who are in sympathy with Biden are causing all the trouble. Then the former vice president came out and made a fairly unequivocal statement. Has he been forced to play Donald Trumps game, or did he completely sufficiently respond to that original charge that he wasnt saying anything?

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I thought that Biden would come out and just play defense on the protests. He did play that defensive game a bit, but he also went right at Trump. First, he went right at that contradiction between Trump saying theres this terrible crisis in America of violence and Trump being president at the same time. Biden simply pointed at it: Trump is the president. This is happening on his watch. He is contributing to it. And Biden wasnt shy about comparing the crime statistics under the Obama-Biden administration with that of the Trump administration. He said, when I was vice president, violent crime was down, and under Trump, the murder rate is up. Biden also escalated this into a much broader attack on Trump, that Trump is a cowardand this is really important because Republicans like to run as the strong party that will fight off the bad guys. Biden said Trump doesnt fight off the bad guys. He wouldnt stand up to his own militia supporters on the right who are contributing to the violence. He doesnt stand up to Vladimir Putin. He doesnt even fight the virus, really. Its a much broader portrayal of Donald Trump as a weakling.

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Given the presidents established argument about whos causing the violence and what the sources of the violence are, would it have been risky to be seen as scolding people who are on his side? You know, those people who jumped into pickup trucks in Clackamas, Oregon, and rode into Portland with American flags and Donald Trump 2020 flags flying? Those are unquestionably his people.

For Trump, his base is so far over there, and his brand is that he never apologizes. So for him, there is a risk because the people hes alienating, the craziesif he were to reject them, hed be going right at his own base. And so he didnt. He wouldnt.

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Is that a trap of his own making, or a choice? He didnt condemn, for instance, Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people and grievously wounded a third in Kenosha, and he then went on to defend these militia men.

Trump cannot distance himself from these people. He had a press conference on Monday night, and reporters gave him two opportunities to do so. One was about the paintballers in Portland. The other was about Rittenhouse shooting people in Kenosha. In neither question could Trump bring himself to reject the people he saw as supporting him simply because they supported him. A man comes in from out of state with a rifle and shoots people, and all Trump hears is that this guy is one of his people and is being attacked by the other side.

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So the president hasnt disowned the vigilantism because he thinks its politically useful.

It advantages him because it gives him this alternative crisis to COVID that he can continue to talk about. The approach hes taken is to say every day, The people on the other side from you are dangerous, we have to stop them, the local government is not doing anything, so somebody has to do something. That is exactly what you would say if you wanted a bunch of vigilantes to go into Kenosha or Portland or any other city and create more confrontation, which is what has happened. He is doing what you would logically expect someone who has no morals to do, who wanted to perpetuate the strife over race and violence in these cities. Will it work? I assume he will be able to keep this going in one city or another for the next two months. I dont think its enough to get him reelected. But unfortunately, I dont think it can be stopped if the president continues to foment it.

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One of the hallmarks of this election season, and Trumps presidency, has been the stability of the polls. People may dismiss the president as erratic and unpredictable, but one thing thats been very predictable and not very erratic is his approval rating, which has stayed within a fairly narrow range over 3 years. What does that tell us about the next couple months?

I think its encouraging because its negative. He has a pretty high disapproval rating, enough to lose the election. He needs to do something dramatic to shake things up, and his inability to do so, so far, bodes ill for him. This violence that Trump is trying to stoke, its not that this is necessarily going to workits that nothing else is working. Theyve tried everything on Biden. They tried to paint him as a radical leftist. They tried to go after his son in Ukraine. They tried to tie him to China. Nothing that theyve used against Biden has worked. So this attack based on the cities, this attempt by Republicans to scare you about crime and people who dont look like you, is a residual effect of Trumps failure to move the polls.

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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance Arrives Onboard NAS Pensacola

US Navy

From NAS Pensacola Public Affairs

01 September 2020

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance arrived at their new homeport onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, on August 31, after a nearly month-long patrol of the Windward Pass between Cuba, the Bahamas and Haiti.

The Reliance joins the Coast Guard Cutters Diligence, Decisive, Dauntless and Cypress onboard NAS Pensacola.

"It's very exciting to be on the pier as we welcome the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance to NAS Pensacola  the fourth of the Coast Guard cutters that will be stationed here," said Capt. Tim Kinsella, commanding officer, NAS Pensacola. "It's especially exciting to have the Reliance here  being the namesake for this class of the cutters."

Reliance departed her former homeport at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on July 6, sailing for the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland to effect repairs to the propulsion shafts.

Reliance sailed from the Coast Guard Yard to begin her patrol of the Windward Pass, August 5. While patrolling the Caribbean, the Reliance operated alongside interagency and international partners to prevent dangerous, illegal maritime migration. The patrol included the repatriation of 16 Haitian migrants, participation in a search for survivors of a capsized Haitian vessel, shipboard training and storm avoidance.

"Reliance's departure from Kittery, Maine, brings an end to 31 years of faithful service in the North Atlantic," said Cmdr. Robert Hill, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Reliance. "The crew has performed exceptionally during our patrol amidst the challenges faced by COVID-19 and multiple tropical storms that arose. I could not be prouder of this crew and know that we are ready to continue our service in Pensacola, where the Coast Guard has strategically clustered part of its 210' cutter fleet for logistical support and proximity to our mission area of responsibility."

The homeport shift to Pensacola marks the second time Reliance has been homeported in Florida; Reliance was homeported in Port Canaveral from 1982 until 1987.

"It's definitely a different environment for the crew," Hill said. "Reliance, typically in the North Atlantic, was doing a lot of fisheries enforcement boarding, so our missions down here are a change of pace, but the crew is excited to be here. We are looking forward to it."

Kinsella met Hill following the cutter's arrival and welcomed Reliance and her crew to the NAS Pensacola family.

"We look forward to working with them throughout their time here, and helping them to do their mission wherever they deploy  whether it be to the Eastern Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico or even the Atlantic," Kinsella said. "We are very happy to be partnering with them to help them continue their mission."

Reliance (WMEC-615) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. It is the first of the 210' Medium Endurance Cutter Fleet and the fourth Revenue Cutter/Coast Guard Cutter to bear the name Reliance. The cutter's primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.

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Opposition parties, human rights groups and others have criticized the restrictions as an example of the stifling of dissent under Magufulis administration. Amnesty International has warned that the October election will take place in a climate of fear as restrictions tighten.
You wake up in the morning and wonder if you can get out of bed. It was hard to sleep last night, but the kids are already fighting over who gets the good laptop for todays online classes.

You pick up the newspaper to read with your coffee and you cringe at the headlines: a hurricane barreling toward the Gulf, police violence sparking protests and pandemic deaths climbing. Youre lucky you can work from home, but your job competes for attention with your kids, your pet and your spouse.

Yes, youre getting more time with your children and you dont miss the commute, but as you try to focus it all blurs together into another day, another week, another month of this unending year. If this is the new normal, you dont think you can take much more.

Youre not alone.

Most of us in Houston and all around the world seem to be struggling to adapt to living under the threat of COVID-19 amid fear of the disease, social isolation, job losses and uncertainty. Forty percent of Americans report some symptom of adverse mental health, including anxiety and depression, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The editorial board hears from a lot of readers struggling with daily concerns amid these trying times. Our board members face the same struggles and hear from friends and family who are, too. When we reached out to mental health experts for advice, they told us that negative emotions stemming from the pandemic are completely normal and expected. But they also said when the feelings start to impact quality of life and the ability to take care of oneself or loved ones, its important to find help.

Reaching out isnt always easy. For some, a stigma about mental health lingers, prompting even those who know something is wrong to avoid seeking care. This can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms that can make things worse, such as self-harm or substance abuse, said Dr. Melanie Melville, medical director for behavioral health at Legacy Community Health.

If you think that you would benefit from care, then the answer is you should seek it, Melville said. Everybody deserves to be healthy, everybody deserves to be well, and this is part of your health, like taking care of your blood pressure or your blood sugar.

Others avoid getting help because they assume mental health care is too expensive. Community health services such as Legacy and Avenue 360 Health and Wellness take most insurance and offer pricing along a sliding scale. At Legacy, for example, session costs can be as low as $20 and no patient will pay more than $80 for a consultation. Most insurance plans are required to cover mental health and substance abuse under the Affordable Care Act.

Unfortunately, the dramatic increase in the need for mental health care since the pandemic began has made what had already been a shortage of such care much worse. Many private practitioners have stopped taking new patients and wait times for an appointment at community health providers can top four weeks.

Mental health resources Harris Center for Mental Health COVID-19 support line: 833-986-1919 Crisis Intervention of Houston: 832-416-1177, 832-416-1199 (teens) or crisishotline.org Mental Health America of Greater Houston's resource guide: mhahouston.org/find-help See More Collapse

But except in times of emergency  such as when dealing with suicidal thoughts or explosive anger  it makes sense to make the appointments, even if you have to wait.

Therapy can provide tools needed to work through feelings of anxiousness and depression even if stress caused by the pandemic remains.

In the meantime, there are coping strategies to reduce stress and manage anxiety, such as meditation, going outside for a walk and building a routine you stick to as a means to feel a measure of control. Getting enough sleep and eating well are important too, experts said.

Keeping as much social contact as possible is also key to managing anxiety, said Chris Fagundes, a stress and health expert at Rice University. Having someone to talk to, or even to just leave open a video chat screen throughout the day, can really help, he said.

Just knowing youre there for each other, even if youre not constantly talking, can make a difference, he added.

The pandemic is not going away anytime soon, and neither are the feelings and emotions that can threaten to overwhelm us every day. Learning to manage them and protect our mental health is as important as wearing a mask and social distancing is to our physical well-being.
 This model allows global counterparties to onboard into the network, and maintain full sovereignty over their business requirements and compliance obligations, said Chris Forrester, CTO, and Co-Founder of Shyft Network

Today, Shyft Networks advisors Rick McDonell and Josee Nadeau, in collaboration with global digital token businesses including Bitfinex, Tether, Huobi, HashKey Pro, Tokocrypto, Unocoin, Paycase Financial, and CoinHako, will join existing partners in the creation of the Veriscope Governance Task Force and the onboarding framework for Veriscope, a decentralized compliance framework and smart-contract platform for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).

In June 2019, the FATF issued guidance requiring VASPs to share Know-your-customer (KYC) data between a transacting Originator and Beneficiary immediately - that is, simultaneously or concurrent with the transfer itself. Specifically, the guidance stated VASPs should ensure that:

...originating VASPs obtain and hold required and accurate originator information and required beneficiary information on virtual asset transfers, submit this information to beneficiary VASP or the financial institution (if any) immediately and securely .

Veriscope is a decentralized solution for global compliance standards, including the FATFs Travel Rule guidance. The Governance Task Force is exploring solutions specific to the governance framework and rules around the types of information that VASPs need to provide with respect to onboarding with Veriscope in order to become recognized and discoverable participants.

Joseph Weinberg, Co-Founder of Shyft Network, said In a time where we are seeing global coordination challenges and incoming guidance requirements that make significant alterations to our ecosystem, it is critical that the rest of the world has strong liquidity representation and directives from our largest operators who in turn aggregate network effects for the smaller VASPs in our space. It is our responsibility to ensure we have a better voice to help direct policy and ensure we can maintain decentralization and user privacy while helping regulators gain comfort in how our ecosystem operates. This group will act as a collective to make decisions, run implementations, address interoperability challenges, and give insights into how we may be able to build regulatory requirements that reduce risk, rather than having guidance that doesnt effectively solve regulatory challenges.

The Veriscope team, along with contributing digital token businesses, advisors, and individual contributors, will develop policies in respect of initial rules of engagement, coalition-building, onboarding and data discoverability that address potential coordination and interoperability on behalf of the global digital asset system. These contributors will act as the first set of data custodians on the Shyft Network and will be globally focused on collaborating to ensure future incoming guidance requirements are addressed while being a response team to policymakers and global solution providers who are working to implement travel rule systems globally.

The Task Force will be chaired by Rick McDonell (former Executive Secretary of the FATF) and Josee Nadeau (former Head of the Canadian delegation to the FATF), and will equally include representation from the largest global liquidity venues as well as smaller VASPs in a multitude of jurisdictions. Bitfinexs Chief Compliance Officer, Peter Warrack, is among the 10 other initial team members that will make up the Governance Team.

While VASPs will each need to implement a number of solutions to the travel rule dependent upon with whom the VASP is transacting, Veriscope offers an exciting, timely, and available solution that may be attractive to large and small liquidity providers, said Peter Warrack.

The word governance often implies bureaucracy. Collaborative governance is not. This is what the Veriscope Governance Task Force is about. It provides common rules for trustworthy and reliable transactions that can meet the FATF requirements , said McDonell.

Regarding his involvement in the Task Force, Tethers Chief Compliance Officer, Leonardo Real, said: I look forward to collaborating with other industry professionals to discuss how decentralized governance models like Verisope might be used to create trust networks that allow participants to securely interact by relying on technology and not just legal agreements.

The development of the Governance Framework represents an important milestone in the development of Veriscope, which enables VASPs to, among other functions, form and manage semi-trusted coalitions, pre-validate accounts, information, and compliance policies, and ultimately, whitelist other VASPs on a public registry.

Any VASP system has to allow for any and all types of entities to have access, and with this, we have built out the world's first self-governing model for VASP participants. This model allows global counterparties to onboard into the network, and maintain full sovereignty over their business requirements and compliance obligations, said Chris Forrester, CTO, and Co-Founder of Shyft Network, adding that we don't believe anyone can be precluded from accessibility, but rather the network participants should be given the tools to allow them to choose who they do business with. This formal governance policy eliminates Core developers from being able to dictate who is "good" and "bad" and leaves those decisions up to VASP's globally, while also providing a baseline for how counterparties are expected to share information with counterparties. This is only the first iteration of what will be a global policy for coordination.

About Shyft Network:

Shyft Network is building the worlds first modern, secure, multi-stakeholder Blockchain-based digital identity ecosystem that enables KYC/AML attested data transfers. Combining privacy of data with efficiency of attestation, Shyft Network technology will radically streamline and simplify data collection, reduce cost, and minimize the cybersecurity risks inherent in traditional compliance systems. Shyft Network is a public protocol designed to aggregate and embed trust, validation, and discoverability into data stored on public and private ecosystems, and facilitate information transfer between permissioned and permissionless networks.
Dear Editor:

Its disturbing to be living in a country in which the administration doesnt care if we live or die.

President Trumps first target was the immigrants, then Blacks, then the middle class, and now its seniors dependent on Social Security benefits.

As of Sept. 1, the IRS was instructed to defer the collection of payroll taxes, which fund Social Security. By next year, many of us will lose our benefits altogether, and by the following year, all of us.

Please write to and call your representatives and senators to protest this further example of the administrations careless cruelty. We paid into the Social Security fund our entire working lives. For many seniors in this country, our survival now depends on those monthly benefits.

Diana Wilkinson

Woodstock, N.Y.
on Wednesday attended a key a meeting of the regional grouping which discussed ways to further expand cooperation among its member nations to effectively deal with key challenges including impact of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

The Indian delegation at the virtual meeting of the grouping was headed by Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, they said.

The Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) of under the chairmanship of Sri Lanka discussed ways to deepen cooperation among the member nations and holding of the next summit of the grouping, they said.

A number of issues including ways to boost cooperation in dealing with economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic was discussed in the meeting, the officials said.

The (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population, and has a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.8 trillion.

has been pushing for making BIMSTEC a vibrant forum as various regional initiatives under SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional) were not moving forward primarily due to non-cooperation from Pakistan.

For India, BIMSTEC is a natural choice to take forward key foreign policy priorities like 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East' as the bloc enjoys the strength of connecting South and South-East Asia.



(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


New laws giving the Home Affairs Minister the power to strip Australian terrorists of their citizenship could be passed before the end of the week under a deal between Labor and the Morrison government.

The powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security handed down its report into the proposed laws on Tuesday afternoon, making one recommendation that the government will accept, paving the way for the bill to pass parliament before the end of the week.

Australians who fought for terrorist groups like Islamic State can be stripped of their citizenship.

Laws passed in 2015 mean that any dual citizen automatically loses their citizenship if they engage in terrorism-related conduct while overseas. They can also lose their citizenship if they have been convicted of a terrorism-related crime and receive a jail sentence of at least six years.

Under the changes, the automatic citizenship loss will be removed. Instead the Home Affairs Minister will be given the power strip citizenship if they are "satisfied" the person would not be made stateless. The threshold that they be jailed for at least six years would also be lowered to three years.
After working 20-hour days for years, living on the cheap while bootstrapping a company in San Francisco, Sam Udotong discovered something about his body. I had trained myself to stop really enjoying food, he says. That meant he could subsist entirely on Dominos pizza and the meal replacement drink Soylent, and maintain focus. It let me work more hours every day.

That was 2016. By now, years later, he expected life to be different  or, at least, to come with better food. He and his cofounder, Krish Ramineni, have raised nearly $5 million in venture funding for that once bootstrapped company, Fireflies.ai, which is rapidly expanding across the globe. But Udotong is still drinking Soylent regularly, because Covid-19 put the founders back into 20-hour-a-day crunch mode. Fireflies.ai takes and organizes notes for people during meetings, which is highly appealing to remote workers. When the lockdowns began, I remember thinking, Holy crap, our market just jumped ahead a few years, Udotong says.

He and Ramineni, it turns out, were the right amount of early. But this is how the two of them have always operated  taking bets on the future and doing things a little differently.

Related: How Remote Work Will Transform the Innovation Landscape and Establish a New Kind of Entrepreneur

Udotong and Raminenis origin story begins unusually. The two met in collegebut Udotong was at MIT (studying aerospace engineering and computer science), Ramineni was at the University of Pennsylvania (studying engineering systems), and they were introduced virtually by a mutual friend. The two clicked, started video chatting daily, and spent 11 months collaborating extensively on projects  a cryptocurrency, a drone delivery system  before ever meeting. Ramineni graduated early, took a job at Microsoft, and then planned to do a masters program at University of Cambridge in the U.K. The summer before school began, Ramineni went to Boston to spend time with his collaborator  and thats when they conceived of Fireflies.ai. They felt they were onto something big, so Ramineni dropped out of his masters program and moved with Udotong to San Francisco to focus on the startup. (Raminenis parents had one question: Are you committed to it?)

Their vision for Fireflies.ai was big. They wanted to build an artificial intelligence assistant for work. Many startups offer some version of this  with systems that schedule calls, or bots to install on Slack. Ramineni and Udotong wanted to find an untapped market to enter with, and they realized there was a massive opportunity in meetings. When people are talking all day  say, a manager checking in on multiple projects, or someone in HR interviewing job applicants  its hard to take and organize notes. What if AI could do it instead?

Image Credit: Cody Pickens

This required some future-gazing, because back in 2016, when the startup began, voice recognition technology wasnt very good. This was beneficial, in a way. If everyone believed in it, then youd see hundreds of companies, Ramineni says. The question was: How far away was the technology from being mature? They dove into research papers and studied the market, and came away feeling maybe 70 percent sure it was worth betting on. If you want to build for a brand-new market, you have to take those sorts of bets, Ramineni says.

Related: How to Work from Home Successfully

As they saw it, their bot would act like a secretary  sitting in on meetings, understanding conversations, and taking and organizing useful notes that were searchable at any time. This would require major improvements in voice recognition technology, as well as an infrastructure to handle hundreds or thousands of meetings at once. To achieve it, they stayed in beta for roughly all of 2018.

For as forward-thinking as they were, they missed one thing: Quite candidly, says Ramineni, during our first two years of existence, we never used the words remote work. Its almost hard to remember now, but remote working was still seen as experimental then. Instead, the founders envisioned users sitting in rooms and accessing Fireflies.ai through a speakerphone. Ramineni and Udotong werent even working remotely themselves; they occupied a coworking space.

But they wouldnt be far behind the shifting trends. They discovered they were more efficient at home and built an entirely remote team spread across five countries. And when they released their product to the public in 2019, they resolved to refine it in a totally bottom-up way  first working with small startups, obsessively serving their needs, and expecting that word would spread. It has to be adopted at the grassroots by people, Ramineni says. It has to be something that people learn, recognize, and utilize without a massively expensive sales force. Even now, they employ no salespeople.

Related: 4 Ways Businesses Are Capitalizing on the Shift to Online

By pure coincidence, they rolled out their first major update this past February, just before Covid-19. hit. As the world went remote, user growth soared on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams  all of which Fireflies.ai integrates with, leading to a big bump in users. Ramineni and Udotong braced for an operational challenge. Prior to this, their users were mostly in the U.S.  meaning that there was natural downtime overnight when they could push out updates. Now people around the world are using it, and theres never downtime  so the cofounders are often in the weeds with their engineers fixing problems on the fly at 3 a.m. It is definitely an interesting transition period, Ramineni says, where we have to not only manage a team but also operationally be good at what we do as a startup.

A few years ago, Ramineni and Udotong bet on the future  and now, it seems, the world has caught up with them. Voice technology is vastly improved, and teams are in increasing need of a product like theirs. Investors have noticed and are calling with interest. Ramineni imagines a time when the team is big enough for the founders to step back from day-to-day coding, and maybe even hire a sales crew.

But some things wont change, the founders say. Its the stuff built into the beginning of their relationship, when they were two college kids who hadnt met in real life. We built trust over time with frequent communication and consistent productivity, Udotong says. We always challenged each other to deliver better work. Our strategy now informs how we build trust in our fully distributed team. Those pillars are important for every company, remote or not.

Read more from our Young Millionaires cover story here.

Related:

Meet 12 Young Founders Who Are Disrupting the Way Business Is Done

3 Lessons on Launching From 3 Young, Early-Stage Founders

These Founders Built a Perfect Remote-Work Product... Without Realizing It



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Tens of thousands of girls across Asia are being forced into marriage by desperate families plunged into poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic, as campaigners warn years of progress tackling the practice is being undone.

Child marriage has long been common in traditional communities from the Indonesian archipelago to India, Pakistan and Vietnam, but numbers had been decreasing as charities made inroads by encouraging access to education and women's health services.

These improvements are being eroded as the impact of the virus causes mass job losses leaving parents struggling to feed their families, experts say.

"All of the gains we've made in the past decade are really going to suffer," explains Shipra Jha, head of Asia engagement, at NGO Girls Not Brides.

"Child marriage is firmly rooted in gender inequality and patriarchal structures. What's happened is that it's become compounded in the COVID era," she adds.

Poverty, lack of education, and insecurity, drive child marriage even in stable times, so periods of crises exacerbate the problem, the charity says.

Worldwide, an estimated 12 million girls are wed every year before the age of 18, according to the UN.

But the organisation has now warned that unless urgent action is taken to tackle the economic and social impact of the virus -- an additional 13 million child marriages will take place in the next decade.

Hundreds of thousands of girls across Asia are being forced into marriage by desperate families plunged into poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as campaigners warn years of progress tackling the practice is being undone. Photo: AFP

In Asia, charities report the snowball of forced unions has already begun, estimating tens of thousands are already affected -- though hard data is yet to be collated.

"There has been an increase in child marriages during this lockdown period. There is rampant unemployment, job loss. Families are barely able to make ends meet, so they think it's best to get their young daughters married off," says Rolee Singh who runs India's "1 Step 2 Stop Child Marriage" campaign.

'COVID generation'

Fifteen-year-old Muskaan says she is being forced to marry the 21-year-old boy next door by her mother and father, who are street cleaners in the Indian city of Varanasi and have six other children to feed.

"My parents are poor, what else could they have done? I fought as much as I could but eventually had to give in," the teenager explains in tears.

Save the Children has already warned that violence against girls and the risk of forced unions, particularly among minors, "could become more of a threat than the virus itself".

And while education has been hailed as the central tenet in the battle against child marriage, activists warn that with lockdowns forcing hundreds of millions out of school, girls in the poorest parts of the world will be worst affected.

Child marriage has long been common in traditional communities from the Indonesian archipelago to India, Pakistan and Vietnam, but numbers had been decreasing as charities made inroads by encouraging access to education and women's health services. Photo: AFP

Earlier this month, 275 former global leaders, education experts, and economists urged governments and organisations such as the World Bank to ensure the fallout from the coronavirus does not create a "COVID generation... robbed of their education and a fair chance in life."

"Many of these children are adolescent girls for whom being in school is the best defence against forced marriage and the best hope for a life of expanded opportunity," said an open letter signed by dignitaries including Ban Ki-Moon, previously UN Secretary General, UNICEF's Carol Bellamy, and former prime ministers such as Pakistan's Shaukat Aziz, and the UK's Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.

In India, activists say there's been a surge in forced unions because families see the practice as a solution to financial woes caused by COVID-19, without realising the repercussions for young women.

"We have also seen children get married because the other party offers money or some kind of assistance in return. These families don't understand the concept of trafficking -- its a worrisome trend," says activist Singh.

Baby boom

Jha, who is based in Delhi, agrees the economic pressure is part of the problem but insists child marriage is complex, particularly in Asia where there are fears that lockdown school closures mean idle teenagers will turn to each other and damage family reputations.

"The biggest fear that families have is that (teen girls) may become close to a boy, start exploring their sexuality, or become pregnant. Honour is closely linked to this situation...That's a huge thing," she adds.

She adds the problem has been aggravated as governments shift resources from key development areas such as education, family planning and reproductive health to battle the virus.

Indonesia's family planning agency has warned the nation, already home to 270 million people, could see a huge baby boom early next year due to school closures and dwindling access to contraception.

At 18, Lia is still underage but has already been married twice. Her first union was forced on her after she was seen alone with the man who was not a relative -- taboo in the conservative region of West Sulawesi in Indonesia where she lives.

The community insisted she wed the man despite a three-decade age gap.

She escaped that unhappy situation and found new love, but her dreams of a high-flying career have been put on hold once more.

Worldwide, an estimated 12 million girls are wed every year before the age of 18, according to the UN. Photo: AFP

With little access to family planning advice, she became pregnant during lockdown. Her family insisted she marry the 21-year-old father.

"I used to dream of becoming a flight attendant," recalls the teen, who asked that her real name not be used.

"But she failed and ended up in the kitchen," interrupts her new husband Randi, who has not declared their nuptials to authorities.

Shattered dreams

Indonesia, which has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world according to UNICEF, last year raised the legal age for wedlock from 16 to 19 for both sexes in a bid to tackle the problem.

But there are loopholes -- local religious courts can approve such unions.

Indonesia's Islamic authorities officially permitted more than 33,000 child marriages between January and June of this year, compared to a total of 22,000 for the whole of 2019, according to the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection ministry.

Indian leader Narendra Modi has also said the country will raise its marriage age -- up from 18 to 21, but Girls, Not Brides says such moves are tough to enforce and do not address the root causes.

In Vietnam, the legal age to wed is 18, but UNICEF says one in ten girls are married before. Amongst ethnic groups the figure is almost double that.

Local charity Blue Dragon say they have seen girls as young as 14 get married and child unions increase since schools closed due to the pandemic.

UNICEF says ending child marriage will help break intergenerational cycles of poverty. Photo: AFP

May, 15, who is from the northern Hmong hill tribes, married her 25-year-old construction worker boyfriend in June after getting pregnant as the virus swept the country.

Her parents could not afford to keep her and the baby, so she moved six hours away to her husband's family farm.

"They're farmers and they could not earn enough for us," she explains.

Now, instead of homework, she does housework and helps harvest the crops.

"I don't think much about my future," she admits.

UNICEF says ending child marriage will help break intergenerational cycles of poverty.

It states: "Empowered and educated girls are better able to nourish and care for their children, leading to healthier, smaller families. When girls are allowed to be girls, everybody wins."


Production Update - Reids Dome

Brisbane, Sep 2, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) is pleased to advise that gas flow rates from its Nyanda-4 well have now exceeded 100 mscf (or 100,000 standard cubic feet) per day. This encouraging milestone was achieved over the weekend; since then rates have continued to increase, with the gas flow rate yesterday recorded at 114 mscf/d.As previously advised, the Company has been investigating the potential for a significant coal seam gas (CSG) resource at its 100% owned Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL231), undertaking Phase 1 of an exploration and appraisal programme to confirm the widespread presence of CSG across PL231. The successful Phase 1 confirmed significant coal seam gas across more than 12 kilometres within PL 231 through drilling and testing of three wells, Nyanda-4, Serocold-1 and Aldinga East-1A. It is currently production testing the Nyanda-4 well in the south of the permit and Serocold-1 in the centre1.Gas production at the Serocold-1 well also continues to build, albeit more slowly. As advised in earlier updates, well damage limited the depth at which the pump could be placed, and approximately 46% of the targeted coal seams are below the pump and will not be dewatered by the test. Rates similar to those being achieved at Nyanda-4 are unlikely from this test, but the gradual increase in flow rates is encouraging.Confirmed in late August, State Gas is also progressing the planning of an export pipeline from PL231. Following a desktop study of potential routes, State Gas refined the area of its survey licence to the area of the identified routes. Petroleum Survey Licence (PSL) 2049 was issued to the Company over the new area on 27 August 2020, enabling on the ground investigations into the potential routes to proceed. State Gas plans to commence ground investigations and discussions with landowners once current COVID-19 concerns recede. A map of the area of PSL 2049 is below.State Gas Executive Chairman, Richard Cottee said he was very pleased with the progress of the wells at Reid's Dome."Exceeding 100 mscf/d after less than six weeks of dewatering is very promising. Similar results from Serocold-1 are not expected from the current testing program, given the extent of well damage at that site. However, the gradual increase we are seeing in daily production at Serocold-1 is also very encouraging for the future," Mr Cottee said."The gas production data is a key input for certification of the gas resource at Reid's Dome. We expect to receive a maiden certified resource from Netherland Sewell & Associates by the end of September."About State Gas Limited

State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network.

Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4).

State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements.

The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing.

State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells.
Its Serial Killer Week at Investigation Discovery. Every night through Sept. 4 the true-crime network is airing new specials about some of the most terrifying murderers of all time, including Samuel Little  one of the most prolific serial killers in history  and the notorious BTK Killer. And then theres Robert Hansen, a man dubbed The Butcher Baker.

The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster offers an in-depth look at Hansens crimes, which included kidnapping young women, flying them into the Alaskan wilderness, and then hunting them down for sport. It premieres Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Robert Hansen killed more than a dozen young women in Alaska

Robert Hansen | Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

RELATED: Did Michelle McNamaras Book Ill Be Gone in the Dark Help Catch The Golden State Killer?

On the surface, Hansen was a mild-mannered family man with a wife and two children. Born in Iowa, he eventually moved to Alaska, where he owned a successful bakery. But Hansen, an avid hunter who owned his own plane, had a dark secret: He was a killer.

In the 1970s, Anchorage was booming due to the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The city also had a thriving red light district, where Hansen found many of his victims. After picking up a woman, he would take them into the Alaskan bush where he raped them and, in some cases, murdered them.

The Butcher Baker features Hansen in his own words

The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster Everyone knew Robert Hansen as the local bakery owner, not the serial killer he truly was. The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster premeires Wednesday, September 2 at 9/8c.#WhoIsButcherBaker Posted by Investigation Discovery on Thursday, August 20, 2020

Police were aware that a number of women had gone missing in Anchorage, but it wasnt until the early 1980s, when bodies began turning up in remote areas of the state, that they realized they might have a serial killer on their hands. Then, a woman named Cindy Paulson came forward with a horrific story. A man had picked her up for sex. When she got in the car, he pulled a gun, handcuffed her, and took her to his home, where her raped her. Later, he took her to the airport. But before he could put her on his plane, she escaped. Information she provided led the police to Hansen.

Hansen eventually confessed to murdering 17 women. The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster includes audio recordings of his interviews with police, where he describes picking up his victims and taking them into the wilderness. Viewers will also hear recordings of Paulson describing her encounter with the killer and see interviews with investigating officers and people who knew Hansen.

John Cusack played Robert Hansen in a 2013 movie

RELATED: 7 True-Crime Podcasts That Will Leave You Convinced Your Neighbor Is a Murderer

If Hansens story sounds familiar, that may be because it was the basis for the 2013 film The Frozen Ground. Nicolas Cage played an Alaska State Trooper investigating Hansenss crimes. John Cusack played Hansen and Vanessa Hudgens portrayed a woman who escapes after being kidnapped. The Frozen Ground is currently streaming on Netflix.

The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster airs Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.

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TODAYS WORD is entail. Example: Keeping a tidy house entails putting away everything after it has been used rather than letting it remain on the table or counter for a "more convenient time."

WEDNESDAYS WORD was renounce. It means to formally declare one's abandonment (of a claim, right or possession). Example: Gertrude renounced her family fortune to marry Wilbur, a neer-do-well with a bad reputation but a way with the ladies.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Stanleytown Elementary School, 74 Edgewood Drive. This is one of several in the area this week and next. Check out others in the Calendar on this page.

The need for blood now is urgent, organizers say. To make an appointment, call 800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org.

As a bonus, everyone who donates blood on that day at Stanleytown will receive a pair of Red Cross branded socks, while supplies last.

Jamison-Lovell family

The family reunion of the families of Charlie Lovell and Lillie Jamison Lovell will not be convened this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers say they look forward to seeing everyone in October 2021.

New books

Here are the new books that have come into the Blue Ridge Regional Library and are available for check-out:

Chaos by Iris Johansen

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

Shadows of the Dead: a Special Tracking Unit Novel by Spencer Kope

Interference by Brad Parks

Almost a Brideby Jody Hedlund

An Amish Singing: Four Stories by Amy Clipston

Melania and Me : the Rise and Fall of my Friendship with the First Lady by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

Proper punctuation

Note the difference your choice of punctuation can make:

"Woman, without her man, is nothing."

"Woman! Without her, man is nothing."

An observation

You don't stop laughing when you grow old; you grow old when you stop laughing.

WEDNESDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: Norman Bates in the Alfred Hitchcock 1960 film "Pyscho" said, A boys best friend is his mother." In this horror classic, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who is running from the law, stops for the night at The Bates Motel. Norman (Anthony Perkins) tells her that in response to her question about whether he ever goes out with his friends, as he's talking about how he runs the inn for his mother. What he doesn't go into detail about is that his mother, long dead, now is just a skeleton he looks after in the house.

TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: Lately we've been looking at famous quotes from movies, but today we take a slight departure to examine this well-known line that has stood the test of time: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Who originated that phrase that has been repeated for decades and in what context?

The Stroller appreciates readers calling or emailing to share jokes, stories, comments, Words of the Day and trivia questions. Were at 276-638-8801 ext. 243 and stroller@martinsvillebulletin.com.
Now Open

2 September 2020

Radisson Hotel Group is pleased to announce the introduction of two new and exciting brands at London Heathrow, joining forces under one roof. It also brings the first-ever Radisson branded hotel to the UK.

The property features one wing with 258 bedrooms showcasing the bold and playful design of Radisson RED. The other bedrooms - more than 600 - follow the Scandinavian-inspired Radisson brand style, nodding to the hotel group's heritage. Family rooms with bunk beds able to accommodate up to four people are featured at both brands.

On arrival, guests are greeted by a stylish and contemporary lobby, designed for socializing, working or relaxing. The restaurant, lounge and bar, shared by both hotels, provide enticing spaces to start the fun of a holiday or unwind after a long day. Additionally, there is a separate reception area for the exclusive use of airline crews.

Radisson RED London Heathrow features an executive lounge offering complimentary drinks and refreshments in a vibrant setting.

An existing large conference and events space is flexible to suit a wide variety of group sizes and requirements. It has two multi-purpose conference centres and 41meeting rooms, including 21 syndicate or breakout rooms.

To kick-start or wrap up a long day of travelling or meetings, guests can visit the Pace Leisure Club, featuring a gym, swimming pool, sauna and steam room.

Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow and Radisson RED London Heathrow are a short drive from Heathrow Airport, making it an ideal option for guests looking for a relaxing night's stay before or after their holiday. The location is also perfect for business travelers visiting London or looking for a multi-purpose meeting and events space in the area.

Radisson Hotel Group's highest priority is the continued health, safety and security of our guests, team members, and business partners. In May 2020, we announced our Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol in collaboration with SGS, the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

Additionally, Radisson Hotel Group supports the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)'s 'Safe Travels' health and safety protocols and stamp to create consistency across the Travel and Tourism industry.
In the wake of the Chinese 'provocations', the Indian Army has alerted all its frontline bases along the 3,400 kilometre-long LAC to remain vigilant round the clock

New Delhi: The Indian Army has further bolstered its presence in at least three strategic heights in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, days after foiling China's "provocative" actions to change the status quo in the area, government sources said on Wednesday.

Some "readjustments" in deployment of troops were also carried out on the northern bank of the Pangong lake on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LAC) as part of precautionary measures, they said.

The situation in the area was said to be sensitive.

The sources also said another round of military talks between the two sides on Wednesday to defuse tensions in the area remained inconclusive. The talks lasted nearly seven hours.

The talks at the Brigade Commander-level on Monday and Tuesday also did not yield any tangible outcome, the sources said.

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations.

The enhanced deployment came in the wake of unsuccessful attempts by China to change the status quo in the region.

The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it flared up for the first time on its southern bank, sources said.

At the military talks, the Chinese side conveyed its objection to India occupying certain strategic heights in the region, sources said.

But, the Indian delegation maintained that the heights are on the Indian side of the LAC, the sources added.

They said India wants to resolve the border row through talks, but at the same time it will effectively deal with any "misadventure" by China along the LAC.

In the wake of the Chinese attempts, the Indian Army has alerted all its frontline bases along the 3,400 kilometre-long LAC to remain vigilant round the clock.

India had rushed in additional troops and weaponry to all sensitive border areas including in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors after the Galwan Valley clashes which significantly escalated the tensions.

On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of 29 and 30 August but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) was engaged in "provocative action" again a day earlier when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation.

"The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source, adding India has significantly ramped up overall surveillance in the region.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying alleged that the responsibility for the border tensions lies entirely with the Indian side.

"The responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. China has exercised great restraint to avoid escalation," Hua claimed at a media briefing in response to questions on the Sino-India border situation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

At the nearly two-hour-long meeting, it was decided that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the LAC to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", the sources said. A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area.

The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in the strategically located Hotan airbase, which is around 310 km from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway was made for a resolution to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The 23rd AIA Council Meeting took place amid the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting last week in Hanoi

At the 23rd ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council Meeting last week on the sidelines of the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, which was chaired by Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, the economic and investment ministers of all 10 ASEAN member states and the blocs Secretary General Dato Lim Jock Hoi discussed the regions strategies for cohesive and sustainable investment cooperation.

The lessons from the pandemic show us the importance of strengthening solidarity, promoting firm development, and building comprehensive mechanisms to cope with global and regional challenges. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung

At the AIA Council Meeting, participants discussed and finalised legal documents within the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) to further facilitate intra-regional investment and remove existing barriers to strategic cooperation and promotion. Furthermore, the ministers welcomed the entry into force of the second and third protocol amendments to the ACIA on June 18, after the ASEAN Secretariat received the final ratifications.

Accordingly, the Second Protocol revised the definition of an investor as a natural person in the ACIA to refer to treatment of permanent residents under the agreement. Meanwhile, the Third Protocol amending the ACIA removed Paragraph 8 of the treatys guidelines for the application of the reserve list, which provides equal treatment for all investors from ASEAN.

In the case of Thailand, pursuant to the countrys Foreign Business Act, B.E. 2542 (1999), the removal of Paragraph 8 shall not apply to an investor from any other ASEAN state that is either a legal entity or an entity established under the laws of that state and controlled by nationals thereof. This provision will be reviewed annually by the AIA Council.

The ministers also welcomed the signing of the Fourth Protocol amending the ACIA on July 15. This document provides additional notes for the TRIMs-plus, thereby imposing operational requirements on investments within the ACIA. The TRIMs-plus refers to Trade-Related Investment Measures with the addition of some treaties that integrate performance requirements and restrictions that go beyond those under the original TRIMs.

The ministers highly appreciated the efforts of the blocs member countries in implementing necessary initiatives to maintain a rapid recovery, openness, further attract new investment and facilitate a business climate to overcome the unprecedented difficulties caused by the pandemic. Moreover, the ministers tasked staff to propose regional initiatives to further facilitate investment in ASEAN and prepare for a post-pandemic landscape.

Introducing policies

The AIA Council took place in the context of increasing trade tensions between major economies and the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, which leaves no economy untouched.

The lessons from the pandemic show us the importance of strengthening solidarity, promoting a firm development, and building comprehensive mechanisms to cope with global and regional challenges, Minister Dung said at the meeting.

He believes that promoting investment will contribute to revitalising ASEANs economy, creating jobs and enhancing cohesion and strength within the blocs business community. The challenges will be a driving force for ASEAN to actively improve and enhance the attractiveness of its investment environment through the introduction of transparent policies; the development of synchronous and modern infrastructure; and the improvement of human resources and labour productivity, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the existing trend of factories leaving China since the US-China trade tensions intensified. In 2019, a report by the US Chamber of Commerce in China mentioned that about a third of their companies would cancel or suspend investments in the country and that some US businesses would partially or entirely move their production lines from China to other destinations, such as Southeast Asia and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Japan plans to launch a subsidy programme of up to $2.3 billion to encourage its overseas manufacturers to relocate their production to Southeast Asia; and South Korea has confirmed to expand operations in ASEAN as one of its three main strategies to become an international financial hub by 2022, according to its Financial Services Commissions report.

Analysts said that shifting production from China is heating the competition among ASEAN countries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). For example, Thailands policy focuses on companies that want to move their facilities away from China. The country designed a flexible support package, with details tailored to the needs of investors from different countries, which some think is meant to take advantage of other regional countries.

ASEAN has become the fifth-largest economy in the world with a GDP of about $3 trillion in 2018  a significant increase from its position as the seventh-largest economy in 2013, according to the ASEAN integration report published in November 2019. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was established in late 2015 and marked an important milestone in regional economic integration. The AEC aims to create a common ASEAN market by liberalising the movement of goods, capital, and labour. To further focus on emerging economic issues, such as the digital economy, e-commerce, innovation, and technological advancements, as well as their impact on global value chains and business models, ASEAN has cemented its vision in the AEC Blueprint 2025. It builds on the AEC Blueprint 2015 and comprises of five interrelated and mutually reinforcing characteristics, namely a highly integrated and cohesive economy; a competitive, innovative, and dynamic ASEAN; enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; a resilient, inclusive, people-oriented, and people-centred ASEAN; and a global ASEAN.

Region of attraction

Dr. Vo Dai Luoc, general director at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies Hanoi, called the cooperation between ASEANs member states the right direction to attract FDI from the United States, Europe, and developed Asian economies.

According to Luoc, as ASEAN comprises mostly of developing countries, apart from Singapore, the bloc remains an attractive market not only for global but also intra-regional investment. Up to now, ASEAN members continue to attract FDI from major economies, such as Europe and the US, with Indonesia and Singapore leading the region in venture capital fundraising.

Although capital mobilisation has slowed down in the first quarter of 2020, Indonesia raised $161 million in this timeframe, while Singapore led the region with $865 million, according to the latest report by DealStreetAsia.

Emphasising intra-regional investment this year presents a firm foundation for the ASEAN economy to thrive more sustainably in the long term, argued Luoc. However, in the short term, it will be difficult to focus on this as each member state has certain capital limitations.

Vietnam, ASEANs fastest-growing country, has invested in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the more than $22 billion that have been flowing overseas, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investments (MPI) Foreign Investment Agency.

To further accelerate intra-regional trade, the MPI has proposed to the government to promote overseas capital movements by Vietnamese enterprises. Accordingly, Decree No.83/2015/ND-CP released in 2015 on outbound investment allows local busineses to invest abroad by simply registering their investment but without having to apply for a respective certificate.

In addition, the MPIs Circular No.03/2018/TT-BKHDT enacted in 2018 on promulgating forms used in outward investment standardises legal procedures for offshore investments, thereby creating openness and helping to ensure state agencies effectively manage non-territorial projects.
Comedian Robin William's death in 2014 is one of the most devastating things to ever happen in Hollywood. Nobody knew that he was suffering emotionally and psychologically.

Robin's spouse, Susan Schneider Williams, has revealed that doctors ordered them to sleep separately because the actor suffered insomnia.

Speaking on the documentary "Robin's Wish," "He said to me, 'Does this mean we're separated?' Schneider shared.

Calling it a challenging and shocking moment, she added, "When your best friend, your partner, you love - you realize that there's a giant chasm somewhere, and you can't see where it is but that's just not based in reality."

Robin Williams and his third spouse Susan Schneider met at an Apple store in Corte Madera, California, in 2007.

Weeks before the "Mrs. Doubtfire" actor took his own life, Schneider revealed to USA Today in 2014 that Williams surprised his wife at that same Apple store bearing flowers.

"I looked at him, 'Oh my God, what are you doing?' And he said, 'This is where it all began."

Robin Williams had a kind and gentle spirit, and he is loved for his hilarious and heartwarming portrayals in movies such as "Dead Poets Society," Good Will Hunting," and "Aladdin."

Unfortunately, his sweetness was masked with his battles as the actor struggled with depression, drug, and alcohol addiction.

Reportedly, the cause of it all is Lewy body dementia, a rare degenerative neurological disorder that left Robin Williams impaired, frustrated and confused.

"Robin's Wish" will talk about the actor's final days and his battle with the disease, as well as paranoia and hallucinations - all of which are said to be brought on by Parkinson's, the diagnosis he received just three months before Robin Williams' death.

Like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia robs patients of their motor skills and cognition. However, it typically progresses quickly, making problem-solving and comprehension hard to understand for those affected.

Schneider, who serves as the Vice-Chair of American Brain Foundation, said, "He was the bravest man in the world, playing the hardest role of his life."

"For someone as brave as Robin, who put his heart and soul into his career, to just start losing the abilities.. it was devastating for him to watch what it means to be human slipping through his fingers."

Speaking to TODAY's Hoda Kotb, Schneider also explained that Robin told him all he wants is to reboot his brain.

"At that moment, I promised him that we would get to the bottom of this, and I just didn't know what would be after he passed."

She further said that it relieved her that finding out what led to Robin Williams' death helped her put some puzzle pieces together.

"Robin and I had gone through this experience together, really chased by an invisible monster. I left there with the disease's name, the thing that Robin and I had been searching for."

On August 2014, at the age of 63, Robin Williams took his own life by hanging.

READ MORE: Katy Perry Receives MASSIVE Praise from TV Critic
Panjab University has improved by 12 notches to rank fourth among the Indian universities in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings released on Wednesday.

Last year, PU was ranked 16. On the global level, it continues to be a ranking bracket of 601-800 like last year.

Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and IIT Indore won the Top 3 positions among 63 Indian universities.

The University of Oxford retains the top spot in the ranking based on the assessment of over 1,500 universities quality of teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook.

PU has shown improvement in its overall score, which is now in the bracket of 30.2 to 36.3, up from last years bracket of 28.3-35.2.

The increase in scores is mainly due to higher appraisal in teaching and research criteria. However, PU has lost significantly in citations. There is a marginal decrease in industry income and international outlook scores as well, the university said in a statement.

But, it added, that there was a reason to cheer as PU was ranked at the top after three institutes.

University vice-chancellor Raj Kumar expressed his pleasure over PUs performance in the rankings and gave credit to the faculty, students and other stakeholders in the university.

PU is now making rapid strides towards excellence. Recently in ARIIA ranking we were ranked 2 in the country and now in Times ranking, we are ranked 4. This has been primarily due to the infusion of innovation and start-up culture in the university over the last two years, Kumar said.

The results are on expected lines, as we did in-depth survey of the data parameters this time. With the innovation buzz at the university, our research output has increased. Our faculty deserves all credit for being productive and ensuring that they walk the talk with students, said Dr Ashish Jain, director of PUs internal quality assurance cell.

Dr Jain said they were working on the grey spots as well to make a mark globally. I am confident, with the present pace, that should happen soon, he added.

SOCIAL CARD

I am aware that to compete at a global scale, we have to also focus on our industry income and international outlook. We have been receiving tremendous interest from overseas students and in due course of time we shall improve in these parameters too.

Raj Kumar, vice-chancellor, Panjab University
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  A worker's union of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. has raised concern about the appointment of Dante Gierran as their new chief amid threats that ranking officials of the embattled agency will be booted out over criminal charges.

"Practically, it's the whole of the executive committee (execom) which will be filed charges...That's why we are worried that chief Gierran will come in with no execom," PhilHealth-WHITE National President Maria Fe Francisco told CNN Philippines' New Day on Wednesday.

Francisco is referring to the recommendation of the Senate Committee of the Whole to file criminal and administrative charges against ranking PhilHealth officials over certain anomalies such as the "shady" implementation of cash advances or the interim reimbursement mechanism of the agency.

They include Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel de Jesus, Senior Vice President for Fund Management Renato Limsiaco Jr., SVP for Health Finance Policy Israel Pargas, SVP for Information Management Jovita Aragona, acting Senior Manager of Information Technology and Management Department Calixto Gabuya Jr., and resigned SVP for Legal Sector Rodolfo del Rosario.

The panel also recommended filing of raps against Health Secretary and PhilHealth board chair Francisco Duque, and ex-PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales.

"He (Gierran) has to choose his management to a team that will work with him," said Francisco.

Francisco said their group has not yet spoken with Gierran so far, but added they are willing to cooperate with him. She also said that while they were surprised with his appointment, they appreciate his "honesty and humility" regarding his lack of expertise in the field.

"We appreciate his honesty and humility to admit that he's not familiar with the industry. That speaks a lot about the person," she said.

On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque defended the appointment of Gierran, who previously headed the National Bureau of Investigation.

"Wala naman po siyang bahid ng korapsyon," he added when asked about Gierran's qualifications.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Gierran on Monday night to replace Morales, who was advised to step down due to his medical condition.

The House of Representatives has yet to finish its own series of probes on the numerous controversies hounding PhilHealth.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Comboios de Portugal

Global Credit Research - 02 Sep 2020

Paris, September 02, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Comboios de Portugal and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

The Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR), one notch below the Portuguese sovereign rating, reflects Moody's expectation that the company's credit quality will continue to benefit from a very high level of support from the Portuguese Government. The Ba1 CFR is one notch below the rating on the sovereign, reflecting the residual risk, albeit small in the rating agency's view, that the sovereign may not be able to make payments in the future or that CP's unguaranteed debt may not be treated as part of government debt in any restructuring.

The caa1 BCA is constrained by negative operating cash flow, weak liquidity profile and unsustainable financial structure.

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 methodologies used for this review were Global Passenger Railway Companies published in June 2017 and Government-Related Issuers Methodology published in February 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 00:09:52|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Around 15.2 million Ethiopians are in need of urgent humanitarian aid, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The revelation was made in a mid-year review of the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan for Ethiopia.

The mid-year review of the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan for Ethiopia was jointly prepared by the Ethiopia National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

"The mid-year review of the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks 1.44 billion U.S. dollars to assist 15.2 million people in the year 2020," it said.

"The additional needs are mainly due to the impact of COVID-19, desert locust infestation, new displacement and wide spreading flooding," said UN Ethiopia Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Catherine Sozi.

Sozi further said only 35 percent of 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan funding needs have been met, the lowest in a decade.

The UN estimates Ethiopia's humanitarian needs has been exacerbated by the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 26 million school-aged children having their learning interrupted by the pandemic.

Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 53,304 after 1,173 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed as of Wednesday morning, the country's Ministry of Health said.

The ministry said in a statement that 19 more patients succumbed to illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the last 24 hours period, which brought the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 828. Enditem
Coffee, donuts and Spic and Span: P&G finds new ways to plug products amid pandemic FILE PHOTO: The logo for Procter & Gamble Co. is displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE in New York

By Richa Naidu and Hilary Russ

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Germ-conscious in the pandemic era but still craving a donut and coffee? Procter & Gamble, which has already teamed up with Dunkin' Brands to promote the use of its cleaning products in restaurants, is looking for more partners -- and it's hoping for a payoff in the grocery store aisle.

Procter & Gamble <PG.N> is chasing deals with fast-food, hospitality, transportation and healthcare companies to stick P&G branding for products like Dawn dish soap and Spic and Span counter scrubs prominently on walls and windows to help lure back customers who began to shy away from places like restaurants and hotels in March as fears of the coronavirus took hold, the company told Reuters.

P&G in July struck agreements with several existing restaurant partners - including Dunkin' Brands' <DNKN.O> donut shops and Denny's <DENN.O> coffee shops - to tout their use of Dawn and Spic and Span counter scrubs.

It's a "halo effect," Paul Edmondson, the head of P&G Professional North America, said of the promotion's marketing advantage. "It's the same consumer that's shopping in stores that's eating out at one of the restaurants."

P&G, one of the top advertising spenders in the United States, is racing against Clorox <CLX.N> and Lysol maker Reckitt Benckiser <RB.L> to plug home cleaning brands at restaurants and other businesses.

"The reason why P&G wants to do this is because...it can produce free publicity," said Kimberly Whitler, an associate professor of business at University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a former P&G marketing executive. "It's a new outlet where consumers are not necessarily thinking about P&G products, and suddenly they're seeing them there."

Promoting household products such as Spic and Span, Dawn and Microban 24 sanitizer at major restaurant chains can serve as a cheap form of marketing for P&G, said Lisa Kane, group director for strategy at branding firm Siegel+Gale.

Story continues

"It gives them more control, and they can choose who they partner with and allow this co-branding with," Kane said. P&G's clients may tout their locations as deep-cleaned and disinfected frequently, although the promotion doesn't require an inspection or any independent verification by P&G that the locations are actually clean.

Disinfectants kill whatever is on a surface, but not long term - these businesses would have to spray things down over and over again if people are constantly sitting on chairs or using bathrooms, regulatory consultant Kevin Kutcel said. "Legally, 'deep-cleaning' doesn't mean anything," he added.

In May, Reckitt Benckiser signed a deal with Hilton Hotels <HLT.N>, which put up signs and labels in hotel lobbies saying its bed sheets and common spaces are cleaned using Lysol or Dettol products. Rival Clorox Co <CLX.N> recently began working in some cities with ride-sharing company Uber <RIC>, whose users now get a notification with each booking confirmation that their driver has Clorox wipes available - with the Clorox logo prominently displayed.

"We believe that advertising is our way to play offense, gain market share and benefit disproportionately for years to come," Clorox's chief executive, Benno Dorer, told Reuters in an interview. "We can grow market share when others do the opposite."

Clorox, which plans to spend an amount representing about 11% of sales on advertising during this fiscal full year, said it is in talks with "a lot more companies" for corporate deals, but declined to name any in the works.

"There's enough research suggesting that during a recession, market share gains are much stickier and have a much more profound long-term effect," Dorer said.

P&G says marketing its products is not the main goal of its deals, and it is not forcing any restaurants to use stickers that specifically cite P&G brands.

To lure customers who may be nervous about dining out, some restaurant chains have begun putting signs in visible locations stating that they are participating in safety "seal of approval" programs run by the National Restaurant Association and other groups.

Nearly all advertisers have confronted a chaotic marketing landscape on TV and social media this year, reworking ads to be sensitive to national reckonings over the health crisis as well as racism.

P&G has spent more than $65 million to advertise Mr. Clean on TV so far this year, and more than $36 million on commercials for its home cleaner Microban, according to data from TV ad tracking firm iSpot.

(Reporting by Richa Naidu in Chicago and Hilary Russ in New York; Additional reporting by Sheila Dang in New York; Editing by Vanessa O'Connell and Leslie Adler)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 13:10 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42288ca 1 City Jakarta-administration,coronavirus,health-worker,medical-practitioners,pandemic,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

The Jakarta administration is hoping to recruit 1,800 medical workers by next week to address the COVID-19 crisis in the capital.

We are recruiting now and by next week, there will be 1,800 medical workers ready, Jakarta health agency head Widyawati told journalists on Tuesday.

She said the additional medical workers were needed because Jakarta was expanding the citys 67 COVID-19 referral hospitals. The administration was adding more rooms, medical equipment and beds.

According to a letter announcing the recruitment circulated last week, the city is looking for pulmonary specialists, internists, pediatricians, obstetricians, general practitioners, nurses, infectious disease nurses and midwives. The administration is also looking for radiographers, surveillance personnel and educators.

Read also: Jakarta sees rising COVID-19 hospitalizations

The medical workers will be paid between Rp 4.2 million (US$286.35) and Rp 15 million a month.

Indonesia recently recorded an unprecedented spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, including in Jakarta, which saw 901 new cases on Tuesday after a record-high daily increase of 1,114 on Sunday.

Governor Anies Baswedan, however, said on Monday that COVID-19 transmission in the capital was under control, attributing the spike in cases to aggressive testing.

Widyawati said the administration would try to keep the bed occupancy rate below 60 percent, adding that private hospitals were reducing the number of COVID-19 patients they were treating so that they could handle other patients.
Some 170 Covid-19 vaccines are in development around the world, according to the World Health Organization, each one promising to protect people from the deadly coronavirus and allow them to go back to work and school.

Now, a handful are starting or nearing the final stage of testing. Depending on the results, some companies say their vaccines could be greenlighted for use as soon as this year.

The Front-Runners

Among the first vaccine candidates to start the final round of testing is one developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca PLC. Also far along are experimental shots from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, as well as Moderna Inc.

China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., or Sinopharm, has a vaccine in Phase 3. A vaccine from another Chinese company, CanSino Biologics, is expected to begin the pivotal testing soon. But remember, many vaccines that show promise in early testing fail during the final round.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is designed to provide protection by delivering into a persons cells the genetic code for the spikes protruding from the new coronavirus. Then the cells can produce the spike proteins, generating an immune response that would be able to fight off the coronavirus. Delivering those genetic instructions is a weakened, harmless version of a virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees.

In early testing, the vaccine successfully produced immune responses in humans with only minor side effects. A Phase 3 trial enrolling 30,000 subjects in the U.S. began in August. Other late-stage trials are under way with several thousand volunteers in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa.

Production capacity estimate: AstraZeneca aims to make two billion doses available world-wide, and has said that one billion may be available this year.

The Moderna vaccine also uses a gene-based technology to provoke an immune response, though the code it delivers takes the form of messenger RNA. Those molecules, commonly referred to as mRNA, are the bodys molecular couriers ferrying DNA instructions for making proteins. The vaccine delivers to cells mRNA for making the coronaviruss spike protein.

Moderna and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are testing a two-dose shot. It was the first candidate to enter human testing in the U.S. The vaccine produced an immune response in early-stage testing and was generally well-tolerated, with minor side effects observed in test subjects.

Final-stage testing is under way in the U.S. with a 30,000-person trial that could yield interim results in the fall. An mRNA vaccine has never been approved for any disease.

Production capacity estimate: 500 million to one billion doses a year starting in 2021.

The vaccine developed by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE also uses mRNA. In a Phase 1 trial, the vaccine generated neutralizing antibodies that promise to fight off the coronavirus and was generally well tolerated. Phase 3 testing began in the U.S. in July, enrolling about 30,000 people, and will expand overseas to include about 120 sites.

The U.S. government has agreed to pay Pfizer and BioNTech nearly $2 billion for 100 million doses. Pfizer aims to seek regulatory approval or an emergency-use authorization in October.

Production capacity estimate: up to 100 million doses world-wide by the end of 2020, and about 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.

Chinas state-owned Sinopharm is developing two vaccines with the government agencies Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Beijing Institute of Biological Products. Both are based on an older vaccine-making technique.

The group has entered agreements to conduct testing in several countries, including Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. The Wuhan Institute has drawn concern over its safety record, including over some of its vaccines for children.

The government says it started what it calls emergency use" of some of its Covid-19 vaccines on medical workers and border inspection officials in late July. Chinese officials have said they aim to make a vaccine available to the public before the end of the year.

Production capacity estimate: about 220 million doses a year.

Sinovac, a private Chinese company, began its final-stage trial in July in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where it is testing its vaccine to take advantage of a higher infection rate. Sinovac has also struck a deal with Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma to make up to 250 million vaccine doses each year for the Indonesian public, according to Chinas state news agency.

Production capacity estimate: about 300 million doses a year at a Beijing plant.

CanSinos vaccine is aimed initially at the Chinese military. Chinese company CanSino developed the shot with the military based on a weakened virus behind the common cold. A Phase 1 study was conducted in March in Wuhan, the early epicenter of Covid-19. The shot got government clearance in June for military use for one year.

Production capacity estimate: 100 million to 200 million doses a year starting in 2021.

Johnson & Johnson is developing a vaccine that uses a weakened form of a common-cold virus, known as an adenovirus. A single dose of this vaccine provoked a strong immune response in early animal testing. The company plans to launch by late September a 60,000-person global study, which could be the largest late-stage clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine. The company will carry out the study at nearly 180 locations in the U.S. and eight other countries where transmission rates are high, including Brazil, Chile and South Africa.

Production capacity estimate: one billion world-wide by the end of 2021, including 100 million doses for the U.S., with an option for an additional 200 million, and 30 million doses for the U.K., with an option for an additional purchase of up to 22 million.

The Russian state-owned Gamaleya Research Institute is developing a vaccine based on a combination of two adenoviruses, which it has already tested on volunteers. Russia effectively approved use of the vaccine in early August, though the shot hadnt gone through final-stage testing. The Russian government plans for mass vaccination to start in October, and will aim rollout at high-risk groups including health workers.

Production capacity estimate: 500 million doses a year, with mass production starting September 2020.

U.S.-based Novavax Inc. is making a vaccine that consists of two shots given 21 days apart that deliver proteins resembling the spike jutting out from the new coronavirus. Researchers hope the proteins will trigger the production of antibodies and immune cells that can fight off the coronavirus.

The shots also contain a component, called an adjuvant, to boost the immune response. In Phase 1 testing, the vaccine was generally well-tolerated and produced promising numbers of antibodies. Phase 2 testing began in August, and the company has said Phase 3 could start in September.

Production capacity estimate: 100 million doses for use in the U.S., with delivery beginning by the end of this year. Plans to manufacture for other countries.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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As summer in quarantine draws to a close, this reality star is feeling nostalgic for simpler times.

On Tuesday, the first day of September, Kourtney Kardashian shared a throwback gallery of images from her family trip to Italy last summer, showing her children Mason, Reign and Penelope enjoying various activities.

The Poosh founder, 41, also posted several stills of an idyllic beach town, which she geolocated as being in San Fruttuoso, Liguria, Italy.

Simpler times: On Tuesday, Kourtney Kardashian shared a throwback gallery of images from her family trip to Italy last summer

'Until we meet again,' Kourtney captioned the sumptuous flashback pictures.

In the cover image, the KUWTK star's youngest son Reign, now five, ran towards her in the crystalline waters with arms outstretched, with beachgoers, sunbathers and gorgeous Italian architecture serving as the backdrop.

Another snap saw Mason, ten, and Penelope, eight, seated at a table feasting on clams and pasta, respectively.

Buon appetito: One snap saw Kourt's children Mason, ten, and Penelope, eight, seated at a table feasting on clams and pasta, respectively

'Until we meet again,' Kourtney captioned the sumptuous flashback pictures; seen here in a more recent Instagram post

Kourt also made sure to take a snap of one of her own dishes, which looked to be a sinfully delicious plate of cheesy green pasta.

Other pictures showed the setting as a whole, which looked to be a teeny beach town rich with local flavor and culture.

The eldest Kardashian sister and her children were in that part of Italy in July 2019, and also spent time on a yacht.

Stunning: The Poosh founder also posted several stills of an idyllic beach town, which she geolocated as being in San Fruttuoso, Liguria, Italy

Vacay goals: The pictures showed the setting as a whole, which looked to be a teeny beach town rich with local flavor and culture

They were reportedly also in in Corsica during the getaway, as well as Porto Cervo and Costa Smeralda off the coast of Sardinia.

Kourtney's younger half sister Kendall Jenner was also spotted with the group at one point during the vacation.

And although travel that far afield has proven more complicated for most this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it isn't like Kourtney is sitting at home depressed.

The ex of Scott Disick was in fact seen just one day prior to posting the Italy pictures living it up with new bestie Addison Rae in Miley Cyrus's disco ball-filled Midnight Sky truck, which is currently doing the rounds in Los Angeles.

Yum: Kourtney also made sure to take a snap of one of her own dishes, which looked to be a sinfully delicious plate of cheesy green pasta
"How I Met Your Mother" has enthralled audiences throughout its nine-season run, producing numerous jokes and catchphrases among New Yorker friends, websites, one questionable book, and the elusive "mother."

Into nine seasons and over 200 episodes since Ted Mosby's long-suffering children sat down to hear the world's most long-winded love story, the comedy series finally ended on March 31, 2014 with the finale named "Last Forever."

With "HIMYM" nostalgia, viewers have been recounting some of the series' greatest moments including Barney's most legendary moments and Marshall and Lily's sweetest scenes.

The series' main character, Ted Mosby, and his defining characteristic launched the show's premise, reported Pop Sugar.

Ted's relentless romantic nature has manifested in the form of over-the-top gestures, heartbreakingly moments, and idealistic quotes.

The sitcom has romance and love at its core. Here are a handful of "How I Met Your Mother's" most memorable moments:

1. When Barney Met Ted

The random and amusing Ted and Barney's first interaction was in one of Barney's attempts to hit on women. What Barney misunderstood as a wingman move, Ted used sign language to save the women from his picking up trap.

2. When Ted and the Mother Met for the First Time

The meet-cute of the pair is such a beautiful moment.

Ted and Tracy finally met for the first time after all of the heartbreak they have experienced. The pair eventually made each other insanely happy.

The yellow umbrella is the symbol that the series has underscored for nine seasons. The scene marked a perfect beginning when they meet under the yellow umbrella, which then became one of the best "How I Met Your Mother" moments.

Also Read: 'How I Met Your Mother' Hints at Heartbreaking Ending; Has the Mother Been Dead the Whole Time?

3. Suit Up

These two words were a recurrent part of "HIMYM" forevermore as it was one of the sturdy pillars behind Barney and Ted's friendship.

Suiting up was also told in the series as leverage of Barney moving forward.

Barney would always tell Ted to come to the MacLaren's pub looking sharp clad in a suit. It would almost always not happen and you could see the pain in Barney's eyes.

4. The Mother Sings 'La Vie En Rose'

The Mother Tracy interpreted her decade-long heartbreak over losing her boyfriend in dire circumstances in the form of singing "La Vie En Rose."

Cristin Milioti deserves to be lauded for making this poignant moment beautifully melancholic, Her voice wrapped the pain that she had been carrying, making it a hauntingly beautiful rendition to make up one of the best moments of "How I Met Your Mother."

5. The Two-Minute Date

Many viewers probably thought Stella was The One, but she left Ted at the altar. Regardless of the turnout, this scene supported Ted's defining romantic characteristic as he staged an over-the-top 2-minute done right.

Stella was a busy doctor and single mom who initially turned him down due to the fact that she merely had two minutes for lunch daily. Ted worked with local restaurants to stage a two-minute date in front of her office. The date was complete with a couple of bites of dinner and movie clips played in a TV store window.

Related Article: Josh Radnor Defends 'How I Met Your Mother' Finale (VIDEO)

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Chinas stockpile of nuclear weapons numbers in the low 200s," the Pentagon told Congress Tuesday, providing its most precise estimate to date of Beijings nuclear capabilities.

The number is a fraction of the nuclear warheads that the U.S. and Russia have deployed and keep in their stockpiles.

But the Pentagon report projected that Chinas nuclear arsenal will at least double in the next decade as Beijing expands and updates its triad of land-based missiles, missile-carrying submarines and bombers.

Chinas nuclear forces appear to be on a trajectory to exceed the size of a minimum deterrent as described in the PLAs own writings as a small quantity of nuclear weapons to strike enemy urban targets," said the Pentagon report, using the acronym for the Peoples Liberation Army.

Over the next decade, Chinas nuclear warhead stockpilecurrently estimated to be in the low 200sis projected to at least double in size as China expands and modernizes its nuclear forces," it added.

President Trump has long insisted that any future arms control treaty cover Chinese and Russian nuclear warheads. Marshall Billingslea, the chief U.S. arms control negotiator, asserted in June that Beijing was involved in a crash nuclear buildup and might be trying to achieve some form of nuclear parity" with the U.S. and Russia.

The report noted that China probably already possesses sufficient fissile material to double its warhead stockpile without producing more plutonium or enriched uranium. It also said that China has built new silos south of Mongolia that may be intended for deployment of a new solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed the DF-41. There also are some indications that China may be building additional silos in its Henan province for its D-5 liquid-fueled missile, as well, the report said.

Experts who reviewed the Pentagon assessmentan annual report to Congress on military developments in Chinanoted that its estimate of Chinas nuclear stockpile remains small.

While China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal, the biggest news is that its nuclear stockpile is smaller than has been widely assumed," said Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists.

The U.S., for example, has 1,750 nuclear warheads deployed on its long-range and shorter-range systems, among the 3,800 nuclear weapons in its stockpile, the FAS said. Russia has 1,572 deployed nuclear warheads among the 4,310 in its stockpile.

China has long declined to disclose the size of its nuclear stockpile. China also has declined to join arms control talks with Russia and the U.S., arguing that its capabilities are modest compared to those nations.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has signaled that it was pursuing a new approach in which it would try to work out a broad framework" agreement on arms control issues with Moscow and try to bring Beijing on board later.

The administrations new negotiating strategy could make it possible to reach an election-year agreement between the U.S. and Moscowa possibility Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alluded to Monday in a radio interview.

Were in detailed discussions with them on an arms control agreement," Mr. Pompeo said, referring to talks with the Russians. I hope we could get that done before the end of the year."

Write to Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com and Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com

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Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

A recent market study published by FMI on the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market includes the global industry analysis of 2015-2019 & opportunity assessment for 2020-2030, and delivers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. Our analysts have conducted thorough research on the historical as well as current growth parameters of the market to obtain growth prospects with maximum precision.

Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market: Segmentation

Product Type Enteral Feeding Pumps

Enteral Feeding Tubes

Enterostomy Feeding Tubes

Standard Tubes

Standard Gastrostomy Tubes

Standard Jejunostomy Tubes

Standard Gastrojejunostromy Tubes

Low Profile Tubes

Low-profile Gastrostomy Tubes

Low-profile Jejunostomy Tubes Nasoenteric Feeding Tubes

Nasogastric Feeding Tubes

Nasojejunal Feeding Tubes

Nasoduodenal Feeding Tubes Oroenteric Feeding Tubes

Administration Sets

Enteral Syringes

Consumables Application Oncology

Gastroenterology

Diabetes

Neurological Disorders

Others Age Group Adult

Pediatric End-user Hospitals

Specialty Clinics

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Homecare Settings

Others Region North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Middle East & Africa

For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12403

Report Chapters

Chapter 01- Executive Summary

The report gives a brief with the executive summary of the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, which includes a summary of the key findings and statistics of the market. It also includes the demand & supply-side trends pertaining to the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market.

Chapter 02  Market Overview

In this chapter, readers can find the definition and a detailed taxonomy of the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, which will help them understand the basic information about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market. Along with this, comprehensive information about Enteral Feeding Medical Devices is provided in this section. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which help readers understand the scope of the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market report.

Chapter 03  Key Market Trends

This section includes key trends impacting the market as well as the major development trends associated with product type development.

Chapter 04- Key Success Factors

This section of the report provides detailed information on the critical factors contributing to the success of the market during the 2020-2030 forecast period. It takes into account the reimbursement scenario, key regulations and value chain analysis impact the growth trajectory.

Chapter 05- Market Background

This section includes the prominent dynamics (drivers, restraints & opportunities) which are responsible for shaping the markets growth trajectory during the upcoming decades forecast.

The chapter also explores the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future growth projections. It incorporates the current statistics and the probable future impact, current GDP projections and its probable impact. Furthermore, this section also incorporates the impact of the pandemic on each of the segments covered in the report, as well as the short-term, mid-term & long-term recovery scenarios.

Chapter 06- Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Demand (in Value or Size in US$ Mn) Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030

This section explains the global market value analysis and forecast for the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market for the forecast period of 2020-2030, in value terms. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical projections of the nurse calling systems market, along with an opportunity analysis for the future. Readers can also find the absolute $ opportunity for the current year (2020), and incremental $ opportunity for the forecast period.

Chapter 07- Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast 2020-2030, by Product Type

This chapter provides details about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market based on type and has been classified into feeding pumps, feeding tubes, administration sets, syringes and consumables.

Chapter 08  Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Application

This chapter provides details about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market based on application and has been classified into oncology, gastroenterology, diabetes, neurological disorders and others.

Chapter 09- Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Age Group

This chapter provides details about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market based on end-user and has been classified into adults and pediatrics.

Chapter 10- Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by End-User

This chapter provides details about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market based on end-user and has been classified into hospitals, specialty clinics, homecare settings and others.

Chapter 11- Global Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Region

This chapter provides details about the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market based on region and has been classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), East Asia and South Asia.

Chapter 12- North America Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the North America Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes the U.S and Canada. Readers can also find the pricing analysis, regional trends, and market growth based on material and countries in North America.

Chapter 13- Latin America Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Latin America Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America.

Chapter 14- Europe Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the European Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Germany, Italy, France, the U.K, Spain, BENELUX, Russia and Rest of Europe.

Chapter 15- South Asia Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the South Asian Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Rest of South Asia.

Chapter 16- East Asia Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the East Asian Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes China, Japan and South Korea.

Chapter 17- Oceania Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Oceania Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Australia and New Zealand.

Chapter 18- Middle East & Africa Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Middle East & Africa Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes GCC countries, South Africa and rest of MEA.

Chapter 19- Key Countries Enteral Feeding Medical Devices Market Analysis 20152019 and Forecast 20202030

This chapter provides the growth scenario of the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market of 21 key countries by type, and form. Additionally, COVID-19 impact in the said market in all respective countries has been included.

Chapter 20- Market Structure Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about the tier analysis and market concentration of key players in the physiology equipment market, along with their market presence analysis by region and product portfolio.

For Information On The Research Approach Used In The Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-12403

Chapter 21- Competition Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the prominent stakeholders in the Enteral Feeding Medical Devices market, along with detailed information about each company, which includes company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the market players featured in the report are ICU Medical, Boston Scientific Corporation, Fresenius Kabi, Abbott Laboratories, Cook Medical, Cardinal Health, Inc., Becton Dickinson & Company and Dynarex Corporation among others.

Chapter 22- Assumptions & Acronyms Used

This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provides a base to the information and statistics included in the physiotherapy equipment market report.

Chapter 23- Research Methodology

This chapter help readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions as well as important qualitative and quantitative information about the physiotherapy equipment market.
Nascimento Continues to Lead GGMaster POY Race

September 02 2020

Were entering the final quarter of 2020 and the race for the $500,000 GGPoker sponsorship package is well and truly on.

The top 10 performers in the weekly GGMasters over the course of the year secure some fantastic prizes. Those finishing in second through 10th receive free tickets to every GGMasters tournament in 2021. The winner, however, walks away with a GG sponsorship package worth up to $500,000.

Brazils Ricardo Sambalele Nascimento is still the man to catch in this Player of the Year race. Nascimento has topped the leaderboard since the beginning of the year and doesnt look to be relinquishing his grip on top spot. The Brazilian has 1,903.80 points, a lead of 60 points from Canadas Luka Donkbet.

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Some of the chasing pack are new names from our previous GGMasters POY update. Germanys scrabbleking soared into third-place after winning the August 16 edition for a massive $90,735. That result means the German is only 69 points away from first-place.

JustaMortal finds themselves in fifth place courtesy of triumphing in the August 30 edition of the GGMasters. The Costa Rican outlasted 4,826-opponents to turn their $150 into $94,840.

Current GGMaster Player of the Year Top 10 (September 1, 2020)

Place Player Country Points 1 Ricardo Sambalele Nascimento Brazil 1,903.80 2 Luka Donkbet Canada 1,843.46 3 scrabbleking Germany 1,832.64 4 Marlon LeNeR tt Vasmann Brazil 1,722.06 5 JustaMortal Costa Rica 1,721.12 6 PraiaBrava Brazil 1,654.52 7 Interlace Turkey 1,640.97 8 BadReligion Brazil 1,637.42 9 Luiz NoodleMuncha Duarte Brazil 1,634.09 10 Vladas Vladiator13 Tamasauskas Lithuania 1,592.68

The GGMasters takes place at GGPoker every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. CEST and it has grown into one of the must-play online events. $150 is the buy-in for the GGMasters, unless you win your way in for a fraction of the cost via the many satellites running around the clock.

The GGMasters is a unique beast because there are no rebuys or re-entries permitted, youre gone once you bust. Its great to see such an impressive freezeout tournament on the online poker tournament schedule, especially because it comes with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.

You earn Player of the Year leaderboard points each time you finish in the money places of the GGMasters. A points multiplier comes into place for reaching the final table and for winning that weeks event. With four months left of 2020, theres still plenty of time to get in on the action and see if you can reel in Nascimento from his lofty position.

Bryan "smbdySUCKme" Piccioli Leads 38 Players After WSOP Online Main Event Day 2

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The bonus releases into your account in $10 increments each time you earn 6,000 Fish Buffet Points, which is the equivalent of $60 in rake or tournament fees.
Six months after the coronavirus arrived in Pakistan, the country appears to have dodged the worst of the pandemic, baffling health experts and dampening fears its crowded urban areas and ramshackle hospitals will be overrun.

Following an initial surge, the number of infections has plummeted in recent weeks, with Covid-19 deaths hovering in the single digits each day, while neighbouring India tallies hundreds of fatalities.

Pakistan has a long history of failing to contain myriad infectious diseases such as polio, tuberculosis and hepatitis, while successive governments have underfunded its healthcare sector for decades.

Added to that, many Pakistanis live in crowded, multi-generational homes or packed apartment buildings that favour rampant virus transmission.

"No one has been able to explain this decline... We don't have any concrete explanation," said Salman Haseeb, a doctor at Services Hospital in the eastern city of Lahore.

Pakistanis have proposed numerous hypotheses for their country's seeming ability to weather the pandemic, crediting everything from the young population and the hot and humid climate to unproven claims of natural immunity.

Its median age is only 22 and the coronavirus is known to disproportionately impact older people with prior health complications.

In comparison, Italy, with a median age of 46.5, has recorded more than 35,000 deaths, while Pakistan's official toll is about 6,300.

To date, the South Asian nation has confirmed more than 295,000 infections and currently is recording a few hundred new cases per day.

Observers say that with only limited testing the true number of infections is likely considerably higher. One testing exercise in Lahore suggested as many as seven percent of the city's population had been exposed to the virus.

But anecdotal evidence from hospitals across Pakistan supports the downward trend.

While healthcare facilities were initially swamped, doctors across Pakistan told AFP they are now no longer seeing a coronavirus-related rush on emergency services.

Story continues

"Regardless of the reasons, the good thing is the first wave of the virus is almost over in Pakistan," said Khizer Hayat, a doctor at Nishtar hospital in the central city of Multan.

"The situation is now under control and the number of coronavirus cases is dropping, the wards are emptying. It's hard to know why."

- 'Smart' lockdowns -

A flattening curve is all the more curious considering how the coronavirus has hit India, which with a median age of 26 and crowded cities has a somewhat similar demographic.

Over the weekend, India set a new global record for the highest number of daily cases, with 78,761 new infections recorded in 24 hours, though Delhi is testing at a far higher rate than Islamabad.

India has also reported more than 64,000 deaths -- the third-highest globally after the United States and Brazil.

Since recording its first case in late February, Pakistan has responded in fits and bursts to the pandemic, rolling out loose lockdowns that were later reversed, while crowds shunned social distancing guidelines and continued to flock to markets and mosques.

Still, the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been quick to bask in the progress, crediting itself with "smart" lockdown policies and other measures, even though these were often not enforced.

Last month, Pakistani authorities lifted most of the country's remaining coronavirus restrictions after new cases dropped for several weeks.

Restaurants and parks have reopened while people have flocked to theatres, malls, and crowded back onto public transport. Schools and universities are set to reopen later in September.

Masks have become an increasingly rare sight, spurring warnings from experts for the public to remain vigilant over fears of a second wave.

"People think we have defeated Covid-19 but my belief is that the chances of the second wave are still there," warned Hassan Waseem, a microbiologist based in Pakistan.

However, other doctors suspect the country has experienced the peak of the pandemic.

"I would reluctantly say that there won't be a second wave in Pakistan. Most urban centres in Pakistan like Lahore and Karachi have already seen the worst when it comes to coronavirus," said Waheed Uz Zaman Tariq, head of the department of virology and infectious diseases at Chughtai Lab.

"People must also understand that (the virus) is not completely gone," he added. "Precautions must be taken still."

str-zz-ds/wat/axn
Protests at a Burlington slaughterhouse are continuing despite a new provincial law, which bars protesters from stopping trucks transporting livestock.

Around a dozen animal rights activists from Toronto Pig Save held a vigil at Fearmans Pork meat processing facility at Appleby Line and Harvester Road on Wednesday morning.

The group, which has been demonstrating at the slaughterhouse for years, would normally bring trucks transporting pigs to a halt outside the facilitys gates, but this time several protesters positioned themselves on a median at the intersection.

Once there they waved signs, but also gave water to pigs and shot video when trucks hauling the animals stopped at red lights.

Toronto Pig Save co-founder Anita Krajnc said this is a tactic the group has come up with to get around the Security From Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (Bill 156).

Part of that act, which prohibits a person from stopping, obstructing, hindering or otherwise interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals, came into force on Sept. 2.

Those who violate the act could be fined up to $15,000 for a first offence and up to $25,000 for a subsequent offence.

Were actually not breaking the law here today, said Krajnc.

We dont have to stop the trucks if they stop themselves at a traffic light.

Halton police agree.

An officer at the scene noted that while police were called about the protest at the median, what the protesters were doing there did not violate the new legislation.

He also noted a handful of protesters at the Fearmans gate had done nothing to interfere with trucks entering the plant.

In a press release issued Sept. 1, Halton police provided information about the new law and noted they would enforce it.

They also pointed out that as long as a protest is being conducted peacefully on public property, the power of the police to control the actions of protesters is limited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

We recognize the right for people to protest, but that right does not include dangerously obstructing vehicles at food processing facilities, said Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner in the release.

While there may be an opportunity for a graduated educational approach in the early stages of this new legislation, enforcement will be utilized as soon as necessary. We are thankful for this new legislation from the Province of Ontario designed to ensure safety of livestock and also of protesters, truckers and all involved in the transportation of livestock.

Krajnc called the new law unconstitutional and argued it adds a new layer of secrecy to the food industry.

Animal rights activists have criticized Bill 156 stating it will prevent journalists, activists and whistleblowers from entering food processing facilities under false pretences to investigate them.

Protesters at the vigil said they were there to expose injustice toward animals, tell the truth about animal exploitation and cruelty and demand the repeal of Bill 156.

They also paid tribute to animal rights activist Regan Russell, who was struck and killed on June 19 by a transport truck that was hauling pigs through the gates of Fearmans.

A 28-year-old man from North Perth was charged with the Highway Traffic Act offence of careless driving causing death in connection with that incident.

During the vigil, activists laid a flower at the gate for every truck that went through.

They also carried a large sign reading We Are Regan Russell.

Read more about:
A Harvard Business School class with masks and social distancing during COVIC

As Harvard Business School reopens its campus for new and returning MBA students, the school has shifted its Returning to Campus website with the name Keep HBS Healthy. The new name is consistent with HBS messaging on the need for both trust and compliance with the schools health and safety protocols.

What will campus life be like at HBS during the pandemic? The school provides a glimpse in a three-minute video of masked students, staff and faculty in classrooms, dining rooms, the business school fitness center and residence halls. Instead of students mingling in groups, engaged with each other, the photos in the video show a very different scene with people more than six feet from each other, covered in masks, with little to no interaction.

When first-year MBAs were brought to campus last year, their welcoming remarks were, in the words of Dean Nitin Nohria and Executive Dean for Administration Angela Crispi filled with many memorable linesabout making lemons out of lemonade, about drawing on self-discipline and courage, and about the opportunity to shape the world at a time when leadership is desperately needed. It was a fitting and aspirational start to what we expect will be an incredible if unusual year.

Social distancing in the hallways of Harvard Business School buildings

EVERYONE ON THE HBS CAMPUS MUST COMPLETE A WELLNESS DECLARATION EVERY DAY

The new alone-together reality at the school started with a students arrival on campus. HBS students need to provide COVID test results before arriving on campus, though they also will be tested again within a few days of arrival and again one week later through Harvard University Health Services. During this period, students must remain in self-quarantine. Tests taken before arriving on campus are not valid for purposes of clearing quarantine.

All students, faculty, and staff who are on campus or plan to enter any HBS building must complete a wellness attestation, Crimson Clear, every day they will be on campus. Those who get an all-clear will receive an email valid for 23 hours; those who do not will be directed to contact Harvard University Health Services (HUHS). This requirement applies to authorized staff coming in for even a quick visit to pick up mail, for example; to authorized faculty who are teaching or doing other work in their offices, even if infrequently; and to students, whether living on campus or in nearby off-campus housing, according to Crispi and Nohria.

Story continues

In addition to testing, face coverings, and physical distancing, this simple web-based tool is another means of monitoring and ensuring the health and well-being of our community. We plan to use Crimson Clear compliance, in conjunction with campus access data, as one of a number of how were doing measures that will determine when and whether we can loosen or must tighten restrictions on our campus. 

Inside HBS iconic Baker Library during COVID

STUDENTS REQUIRED TO SIGN A COMMUNITY CONTRACT

HBS hand sanitizer

For this falls opening, many of the MBA classes will only be available online. For those in a hybrid format, HBS intends to limit the size of a class to 25 students and to impose requirements for physical distancing and face coverings in indoor spaces, including all dining facilities and retail locations, where contact or interaction with others is expected.

Face coverings also are required outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. All campus buildings also will be locked and will require Harvard ID card access. The school is also encouraging members of the community to leverage outdoor spaces as much as possible, employing tents and heat lamps to extend the academic season.

The guidelines prevent indoor gatherings of more than 25 people or outdoor events with more than 50. Informal gatherings are limited to no more than ten people whether indoor or outside.

Outside on the Harvard Business School campus

HARVARD NOW PUBLISHING A COVID TESTING DASHBOARD

HBS has reduced the size of its core classes or required curriculum (RC) for first-year students to 72 from 90. So instead of having eight sections of 90 students each in RC classes, the school plans to have ten sections of 72 students each to allow for social distancing. Second-year MBA students, meantime, will be able to choose from classes taught entirely online and those offered in a hybrid format. Depending on demand, students in hybrid courses may physically be in class on a rotating basis with some portion of their class taking place remotely.

The university also began publishing a COVID-19 testing dashboard. You can see the impact of the MBA start-up, writes Crispi and Nohria in a recent update. If you imagine hundreds of RC (Required Curriculum) students getting tested as part of their arrival and quarantine protocols, and know that much smaller numbers of undergraduates have returned to campus, youll understand why the graduate student testing numbers are so highWith more than a thousand people on or near our campus, we are like a small town, and we cannot expect the incidence rate to be zero.

Lets Keep Harvard Healthy is the new messaging

In the past seven days, the dashboard shows, Harvard University has only ten positive cases of coronavirus out of 7,762 tents for a positivity rate of a mere 0.1% (see dashboard below). That compares with a 1% positivity rate for the entire state of Massachusetts over the past seven days, a 1.82% rate for Boston over the last 14 days and a 0.31% rate for Cambridge over the same timeframe. Since June 1, Harvard has had 25 positive cases out of 22,364 COVID tests: 13 among faculty and staff, nine among graduate students, and three among undergrads.

The Harvard dashboard of COVID cases

The school expects HBS-specific data to be published. For now, adds Crispi and Nohria, we all can be grateful that the number of positive results remains quite low.

We always hope that HBS will exemplify a well-run organization, and that is our highest wish today, added Nohria and Crispi. In the most difficult of circumstances, can wetogetherdemonstrate a commitment to our mission that is a model for the University? We need everyones partnership to succeed, and were counting on everyone to play their part by wearing masks, by avoiding risky gatherings, by maintaining physical distancing.

Outside on the Harvard Business School campus

DONT MISS: HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ADOPTS A PARENTAL TONE, ASKING MBAS TO BEHAVE

The post A Surreal Glimpse Of Harvard Business School During COVID appeared first on Poets&Quants.
A British man has reportedly drowned while swimming in the sea in Greece.

The victim, aged in his 20s, got into difficulty several hundred metres from the shore of Kerasia beach in northeastern Corfu, according to local media.

He is the second British national to have died off the coast of the island this week, after a 60-year-old woman was struck and killed by a speedboat on Monday.

The man was pulled from the sea by locals after being seen struggling in the water at about 5.30pm on Tuesday, reported the Corfu Press, which said the victim was 27.

The coastguard was called and tried to save the mans life using a defibrillator but he died before he could be taken to hospital, the website added.

Recommended British woman killed by boat propeller while swimming in Greece

The Briton was on holiday with his girlfriend and family members, according to Corfu newspaper Enimerosi, which gave his age as 24.

His death comes as the Corfu Port Authority continues to investigate the speedboat collision which killed 60-year-old Claire Glatman on Monday.

The mother-of-four, from Bedale in North Yorkshire, was swimming off Avlaki beach when she was struck by the boat.

The Greek coastguard said her body bore obvious signs of being hit by a boat propeller.

The boat was later found abandoned at a marina on the other side of the island.

Three Britons are being questioned by police over the death, according to local media, which reported the boat was pulling water skiers when the fatal collision occurred.
SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Masons, a cloud-based solution that manages data transformation and integration into ERP platforms and other business systems, is pleased to announce the silver sponsorship of DynamicsCon 2020 being held Sept. 9-10, 2020. The two-day conference is hosted by Dynamics User Group (DUG), started 25 years ago in Denmark, which has a long history and 186,000+ members. DUG is a not-for-profit group that aims to offer the Microsoft Dynamics community no-fee events for users to engage with one another.

Image showing that Data Masons is a DynamicsCon silver sponsor

DynamicsCon, themed after Comic-Con, will center around four Dynamics product tracks: Finance & Operations, Business Central, Customer Engagement, and Power Platform. Attendees can experience education sessions, live Q&A, and speakers chosen from 231 submissions from around the world that collected 11,000 votes.

"We are very excited that we can be a part of this learning community that has come together virtually in response to the current restrictions of in-person conferences. We are even more pleased that all proceeds, after expenses are paid, will be donated to a COVID-19 relief effort," explains Molly Kelly, VP of Operations at Data Masons.

All content from the event will be posted on DUG's YouTube channel and available to anyone who registers, without having to pay a fee to access the videos. For more information about the event and to view the agenda, visit https://www.datamasons.com/events.

About Data Masons

Since 1996, Data Masons has been delivering on its EDI Made Simple promise by providing a cloud-based and on-premise EDI platform that integrates any partner or external system into ERP platforms with zero ERP customizations. Data Masons is the leading EDI solution provider for companies using Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics AX, Dynamics GP, Dynamics NAV, Acumatica, Macola, and SAP. Data Masons EDI's product flexibility and Data Masons' expert service options have made it the ideal partner to deliver high-performance business-document integration. Data Masons is a privately held company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, USA, with international offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Sydney, Australia.

Media Contact:

Rachel Cook

Data Masons Software

Phone: 941-347-4781

Email: [email protected]

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The government on September 2 banned another 118 Chinese mobile applications, including the much-popular PUBG. It said these apps are engaged in activities that are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

The latest list of banned apps includes PUBG Mobile, PUBG Lite, WeChat Work and Ludo All Star, among others. This development comes amid the ongoing India-China border row and fresh incursion attempts by the Chinese troops on August 29-30 night and yet again on August 31.

"The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India," the government said in a statement.

It added, "The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures."

Over 275 Chinese apps had been under scrutiny for alleged violation of national security and citizens' privacy. In June, the Centre banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Club Factory, Cam Scanner and UC Browser, and later added 47 more to the list. In total, 224 apps have now been banned by the Indian government.

Also Read | Chinese apps banned: 5 ways you can protect your privacy on the internet

Here is a full list of the apps that have been banned:

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Enterprises worldwide have upgraded employees with Apple solutions to support remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamf CEO Dean Hager confirmed during his companys first post-IPO fiscal call.

Apple in the enterprise sees rapid growth

The deployment of Apple in the enterprise appears to be accelerating. Our business predominantly grows through the enterprise and education acceptance of using Apple products at school or work, Hager said. And that acceptance within the enterprise is actually outpacing even the device growth that you see."

A recent Wipro study indicated 59% of employees would choose a Mac if given a choice, though only 32% are already using one.

The global total addressable market (TAM) for Apple Enterprise Management is estimated to be $10.3 billion in 2019. This is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.8% to $23.4 billion by the end of 2024, according to Frost & Sullivan.

The CEO also mentioned a recent Forrester Total Economic impact study that showed the total cost of ownership of Macs is lower than that of a PC. Organizations reduced IT support costs, improved employee productivity and engagement, and enjoyed better overall security, according to the report's executive summary.

The pandemic means tens of millions of employees are now working from home, many for the first time. Even reluctant enterprises have been forced to support this, and in most cases have found that remote workers still get work done.

Most businesses will continue to support remote working in the future, as employees prefer it in most cases  though it will force a new wave of disruption across some industries. Meanwhile, they continue to deploy Macs.

Whats happening in the COVID-19 enterprise?

Jamf serves all the top 10 U.S. banks, all but one of the most valuable U.S. brands, 75% of the top 20 U.S. hospitals and seven of the 10 largest school districts.

The company says that while iOS already dominates the enterprise, Mac share is also seeing strong growth.

The company has benefitted from a change in the nature of enterprise IT. Employees want to use the tech they're used to at home when they're at work, even as Apple continues to make its mobile devices even more capable of handling tasks that once required a computer.

Specifically, we see enterprise market share for Mac continuing to expand, which we believe is still in the early stages. Jamf will help facilitate that expansion and benefit from it, Hager explained.

Hagers company also serves smaller operations, which means it has unique insights into how a range of real-world enterprises are using Apple products to guide their business through the pandemic.

Speaking during the first financial call since the company went public, he confirmed that while his company has benefited from the trend to WFH, some clients  particularly in retail  have felt the squeeze.

There remains a sense of uncertainty around IT spending as renewals, capital expenses and new IT projects are subject to more scrutiny across organizations everywhere, explained CFO Jill Putman.

Tales from the Apple enterprise

Hager shared a number of stories to illustrate how Apple is being deployed by enterprises seeking to navigate the pandemic:

Jamf works with the UKs Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. This began with support for iPads across the trust. During the pandemic it was asked to help the trust deploy Microsoft Teams to iPads to help provide remote patient care.

In the U.S., UC-San Diego Health uses a Jamf solution to support virtual doctor patient visits across the hospital, reducing disease exposure and saving PPE.

One of the leading "challenger banks," Starling Bank responded to the crisis by immediately enabling remote work. It distributed 400 Macs to staffers that were primed for zero-touch set-up and deployment, with the entire deployment handled remotely and IT staff providing support from home.

Security has become a big issue during lockdown. Scrive chose to deploy Jamf Protect to safeguard its fleet of Macs against malware.

Perhaps the best illustration of remote working and the need to support technology in the field is the use of iPads in space. Jamf manages thousands of Apple devices for SpaceX, which recently sent NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Hager also confirmed that tens of thousands of school students in the U.S. and worldwide are now seeing their Apple product deployments managed at scale using his companys solutions.

If you think that most of our momentum in the industry has been the result of the consumerization of IT, when you have the greatest movement of people from the office to their homes in the history of the world, I believe that that will fuel the consumerization of IT, he explained.

What about new employee onboarding?

One of the challenges raised by some enterprises concerns the problem of bringing new employees aboard at a time of social distancing. In this regard, Hager shared his own companys experience recruiting and onboarding new staff:

We sent everybody home on March 12, he said. Since that time, we have fully remotely onboarded over 70 employees and we brought on over 30 summer interns. We fulfilled our internships to over 30 students this summer, and they never came in to work. They were actually very productive all summer long, did a terrific job for us.

In terms of IT deployment, at least, he thinks his company has it covered with solutions for zero touch deployment of Mac, iPhone or iPad.

What about human resources?

Hager noted some of the approaches his company is taking to maintain a connection with remote teams:

Extensive use of video collaboration, including weekly all-employee meetings.

Encouraging employees to use the same tools for informal conversation.

A monthly on-boarding meeting with new employees during which Hager speaks with every new hire for two hours as they join the company.

Use of enterprise-class social media tools to stay connected.

An IT team that reviews and brings into use new tools as they emerge.

We try and help our employees stay comfortable in their homes as much as possible, he explained. But I would really say it's creating a  one of my least favorite terms is socially distance. It doesn't have to be that. You can be physically distant, but actually creating an environment of social connection is of immense value as you're leading teams.

What about the transition to Apple Silicon?

Hagers very positive concerning the upcoming move to Apple Silicon. We think it's going to create a more powerful Mac computer that will be selected by more people within the workplace, especially as more people from within the workplace go home, he said.

Historically, the company also helped guide clients through the PowerPC-Intel transition, which means it has unique insights to help guide the new migration.

Looking ahead to the transition during which organizations will have both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs within their fleets, he promised to help. "We'll be able to make sure that the right policies get applied to the right machines.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
Two children, aged 4 and 5, are missing after an overnight flash flood in North Carolina swept away their mom's car and capsized four rescue boats trying to save them.

The 5-year-old girl and her younger brother were traveling with their mother along Galilee Road in Smithfield, outside Raleigh, Monday night when rising water flooded the road and swept the vehicle away.

Rescue crews were able to initially pull the mother and boy from the water but the treacherous conditions overturned the rescue boats and the child was lost again.

Four swiftwater rescue boats capsized in the extreme currents, authorities said, meaning first responders also had to be saved from the perilous waters.

The car has since been recovered but there was no sign of the two children inside.

Two children, aged 5 and 4, are missing after an overnight flash flood in North Carolina swept away their mom's car and capsized four rescue boats trying to save them. Rescue crews searching for the children

Rescue crews were able to initially pull the mother and boy from the water but the treacherous conditions overturned the rescue boats and the child was lost again

The mother and two emergency responders were taken to hospital

Smithfield, Wilson Mills, Princeton, and Four Oaks fire departments all responded to a 911 call from the mother at around 11:30 p.m. Monday night, according to Johnston County emergency officials.

Smithfield Fire Chief John Blanton said at a press conference Tuesday rescue crews managed to get the mother and one child into recovery boats on the way to safety when the boats capsized.

The rescue teams grabbed the mother and were able to get to safety, but the child slipped away in the fast-moving water, he said.

'They got into the water and they were able to rescue the child, a child and the mother,' Blanton said.

'The water was so turbulent that the boat capsized and they lost the child.'

The 5-year-old girl and her younger brother were traveling with their mother along Galilee Road in Smithfield, outside Raleigh, Monday night when rising water flooded the road and swept the vehicle away. The car was recovered Tuesday but the children were not inside (above)

Rescue teams search for the missing children after the extreme weather swept the car off the road

Four boats were lost in the rescue mission to save the children, he added.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries when they were dragged at least a mile down the river by the current.

'The amount of water and the current is so strong, it overcomes you when you start to turn a boat, and you're in debris and tress and such, so they were fighting against that as well, so they'd hit a tree, they'd flip over. That's basically what they were in last night,' Blanton said Tuesday.

The mother and two first responders were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Family friends told WRAL.com the mom has since been discharged from hospital.

Smithfield Fire Chief John Blanton Tuesday at the scene. Four swiftwater rescue boats capsized in the extreme currents, authorities said, meaning first responders also had to be saved from the perilous waters

The aftermath of the flooding on the road. More than seven inches of rain fell in Smithfield overnight Monday, causing numerous roads to flood in the area, emergency officials said

On Tuesday morning, search crews found the family's car but there was no one inside.

A helicopter, heavy-duty all-terrain vehicles and K-9s all joined in Tuesday's search but did not locate the missing children.

Relatives of the missing children were also seen pacing the area, looking for signs of their loved ones.

Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the search for the young children had been suspended for the night at around 5 p.m. Tuesday and would resume at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

At this time - more than 24 hours after the tragic incident occurred - the search is still being treated as a rescue and not a recovery mission.

More than seven inches of rain fell in Smithfield overnight Monday, causing numerous roads to flood in the area, emergency officials said.

An elderly couple also had to be rescued when the extreme weather caused their car to overturn on the nearby I-95.

Relatives of the missing children were also seen pacing the area Tuesday, looking for signs of their loved ones
by Shafique Khokhar

David Masih is accused of ripping pages from the Quran and throwing them down a drain. The crime of blasphemy is punished with life imprisonment and in some cases with the death sentence. The story of Asia Bibi. At least 80 people, of different faiths, are detained on this charge.

Nowshera (AsiaNews) - On 30 August a Pakistani Christian was arrested on charges of blasphemy in Nowshera (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). It is the 42nd case of its kind recorded in August in the country, a real record according to the Naya Daur (New Era) website.

David Masih's arrest occurred three days after a video - which went viral  was posted on social media showing pages of the Koran being thrown down a drain. Reported to the police by some Muslim inhabitants of his neighbourhood, he allegedly confessed to having torn the pages "to practice witchcraft".

The Pakistani Penal Code states that "anyone who intentionally defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Quran or an extract from it, or uses it in a derogatory manner or for any illegal purpose, will be punished with life imprisonment". In the case of defamation of the Prophet Muhammad (section 295-C), the death sentence is foreseen.

Since 1987, when Pakistan added sections 295-B and 295-C to the blasphemy law, the number of arrests for this crime has increased. According to the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Pakistani Bishops' Conference, between 1987 and 2018, 776 Muslims, 505 Ahmadis, 229 Christians and 30 Hindus were accused of blasphemy. A striking case is that of Asia Bibi, a Christian sentenced to death for "insulting the Prophet Mohammed", who remained in prison for nine years before being acquitted of all charges in January 2019.

Shabir Shafqat, head of the Christian National Party says blasphemy remains a highly sensitive issue: accusations of this kind can lead to mass lynchings, violent protests and cases of summary justice. In the case of David Masih, he argues that officials must examine the psychological condition of the accused and organize security so that no incidents occur.

Last June, the Christian National Party staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club for the release of 24 prisoners accused of blasphemy, held in Punjab prisons. According to Naya Daur, 80 people of different faiths are in Pakistani prisons under this charge: 50% are sentenced to death or life in prison; the rest are awaiting a final verdict from the judges.
Copenhagen, Sep 2 : Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin amid escalated tensions following the alleged incursion into the country's airspace by a Russian Su-27 fighter in the Baltic while in pursuit of a US Air Force B52 bomber.

According to NATO, the incursion on August 28 was the first of it kind in several years, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Completely unacceptable violation of Denmark's airspace by Russian Su-27 fighter. (I) will raise issue with Russian authorities to avoid repetition," Kofod tweeted on Tuesday, adding: "DK (Denmark) will always defend our airspace, insist on international law." The Russian action prompted the immediate launch of the Danish Quick Reaction Alert aircraft to counter the violation, near the island of Bornholm, resulting in the lone Russian fighter to turn back before the interception.

Earlier Tuesday, Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen called it an "unacceptable violation of Danish airspace".

The Russian Defence Ministry has however denied that the fighter jet violated the Danish airspace.

"On August 28, 2020, a Su-27 fighter from the air defence duty of the Baltic Fleet was raised to identify and prevent a US Air Force B-52H strategic bomber from violating the Russian state border," the Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The flight of the Russian Su-27 fighter, accompanied by an American bomber, was carried out over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in strict accordance with international rules..., without violating the borders of other states."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
FALLS TOWNSHIP >> In an effort to be fiscally responsible while ridding Falls Township Community Park of Canada geese, the Falls Township Supervisors approved a multi-faceted, year-long geese mitigation plan at a one percent savings over 2021. Stepped up geese management efforts began in 2015 and have significantly reduced the number of geese at the park, Falls Township Parks and Recreation...
An Iranian refugee who set himself on fire on Nauru asked to see a psychologist, but his written request was not processed until the day of the blaze.

Omid Masoumali died in April 2016 from burns injuries he inflicted in front of UN representatives visiting to undertake mental health surveys.

The 24-year-old poured petrol onto his clothes and set himself alight.

Omid Masoumali died in April 2016 from burns injuries he inflicted in front of UN representatives visiting to undertake mental health surveys

With burns to 57 per cent of his body, Mr Masoumali was taken to Nauru hospital then flown to Brisbane where he died of organ failure 31 hours later.

An inquest into his death has been told an undated note from Mr Masoumali saying 'I want to see a psycologist' (sic) did not raise enough flags for the refugee to be granted an earlier appointment.

Catherine Cleary who was working for International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) said that if the 24-year-old refugee had written 'I feel bad' or 'need help' on the note, staff would have made immediate contact to check his welfare.

'In my experience, people will convey their distress by whatever means they can on the form. It will be with spelling errors or with grammatical errors,' Ms Cleary told the coroner.

'There has been many a time when a person having difficulties with English will still be able to convey their distress.'

Ms Clearly said she remembered the victim and his partner coming to the clinic on the day he set himself alight.

The 24-year-old (pictured in hospital) poured petrol onto his clothes and set himself alight

'The referral came through with Mr Masoumali's partner and we remembered them as a couple - it stayed in my mind.'

Despite having emergency appointments available, the refugee was given a counselling session on May 2, but passed away from his injuries days earlier.

It was also revealed Mr Masoumali had a history of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts while he was held on Nauru as an asylum seeker before gaining refugee status.

Ms Cleary said she was unaware of his history of mental illness and had not checked his medical file.

She maintained it would have made no difference to the triage of his request and the time his counselling session was scheduled.

'Mr Masoumali clearly had sought help before and was able to articulate when he required help or assistance.

'I would not have changed my triage .... I do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for how Mr Masoumali was triaged.'

In earlier hearings in 2019, Ms Masoumali's partner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified that she sat down with visiting UN officials and told them of her miserable plight on Nauru.

But she became 'upset and frustrated' when she believed the organisation approved of their treatment by the Australian government.

After the conversation, Mr Masoumali became angry before he left their demountable housing.

When she went to find him, she saw he was on fire, she said.

The hearing resumed in Brisbane on Wednesday after COVID-19 delays, with supporters of the detainees protesting outside the court.

The inquest's terms of reference have expanded to include Mr Masoumali's mental health status.

The hearing continues.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
FREDERICTON - A senior civil servant who had control of the former New Brunswick lieutenant-governor's finances is accused of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds into his personal coffers between 2012 and 2019.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Brunswick's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. A senior civil servant who had control of the former New Brunswick lieutenant-governor's finances is accused of siphoning thousands of dollars in public funds into his personal coffers between 2012 and 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

FREDERICTON - A senior civil servant who had control of the former New Brunswick lieutenant-governor's finances is accused of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds into his personal coffers between 2012 and 2019.

Court documents reveal the RCMP is alleging Tim Richardson, the deceased former principal secretary of the vice-regal office, shifted $719,620 of funds from the lieutenant-governor's budget into his personal bank account. The RCMP have not laid charges in this case.

The fraud allegations are found in an Aug. 17 affidavit sworn before the Court of Queen's Bench, by an RCMP commercial crime investigator seeking to prevent the sale of Richardson's home in Fredericton.

Court documents indicate government auditors were told by former Lt.-Gov. Jocelyne Roy Vienneau  who died in August 2019  that she did not have discussions with Richardson on the matter.

An RCMP spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday the New Brunswick comptroller is investigating the financial irregularities at the lieutenant-governor's office, and that no charges have been laid. The police investigation began in August following a 2019 review by New Brunswick's comptroller.

Judy Wagner, private secretary to New Brunswick Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy, said Tuesday in an email that since the 2019 review, her office has worked with the comptroller to institute several measures to improve spending controls.

"The bank accounts have been separated per federal requirements, two signatures are required on all financial transactions, and detailed bookkeeping practices are being followed," she said.

"There is significant transparency in the office respecting financial matters and there are strict limitations and controls on any cash transactions."

The RCMP investigator cited in the affidavit alleges Richardson made grant requests for non-existent employees at Roy Vienneau's office.

Richardson allegedly requested money from the province for three different positions, yet since 2010, only one person has been listed as a full-time employee under the province's payroll, along with some part-time tour guides.

A forensic accountant assisting the RCMP investigation calculated the value of the provincial grant application between 2012-19 was $383,311 more than the sum of the full-time employee's salary and that of all the tour guides.

"The office of the comptroller of New Brunswick found an absence of financial controls in all areas of their review," according to the Aug. 17 affidavit. "Timothy Richardson had sole access and signing authority for the office of the lieutenant governor's bank accounts ... was the only person with a bank card and online access."

Richardson allegedly transferred money from the federal Heritage Department, the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Government House and from public donations, into the personal bank account.

The former civil servant allegedly had several overdue credit card statements, bills and a notice from a collection agency "indicating financial pressure." Richardson is accused of sending $360,000 to one person, whose identity was redacted in the documents.

The affidavit said Richardson has died, but did not include details.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.

 By Michael Tutton in Halifax.
Franklin Resources, Inc.'s (NYSE:BEN) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.2x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 19x and even P/E's above 38x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Franklin Resources has been very sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the dismal earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping the earnings slide doesn't get any worse if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Franklin Resources

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Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Franklin Resources will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Franklin Resources would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 24%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 33% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with earnings decreasing 2.7% as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. That's not great when the rest of the market is expected to grow by 4.9%.

With this information, we are not surprised that Franklin Resources is trading at a P/E lower than the market. However, shrinking earnings are unlikely to lead to a stable P/E over the longer term. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as the weak outlook is weighing down the shares.

Story continues

The Final Word

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

As we suspected, our examination of Franklin Resources' analyst forecasts revealed that its outlook for shrinking earnings is contributing to its low P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Franklin Resources you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Franklin Resources' business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
(Natural News) Thousands of people flocked a small town in Brazil after fragments of a rare meteor fell from the sky on August 19. Up to 200 pieces have been recovered so far, and there may be more left waiting to be found.

The biggest meteorite fragment found so far weighed 88 pounds and was estimated to be worth about $ 26,000  equivalent to 10 years worth of the annual average wage in Santa Filomena, northeastern Brazil. It was found on August 27 and has attracted multiple bidders from around the world.

Locals have hailed the meteor shower as a miracle, calling the event the day when money fell from the sky. Others have said that it was sent by God as many of the bigger rocks were found near the church.

Meteorites fragments being sold to foreign buyers

Edimar da Costa Rodrigues, a 20-year-old local student, recalled seeing the sky fill up with smoke. He immediately received text messages about the meteorite shower. He went out onto the street and stumbled upon a meteorite near the church. The rock he found was small  it measured just 3 inches wide and weighed less than a pound. But Rodrigues was able to sell the fragment to an American meteorite hunter for about $ 1,340.

The price is getting close to 40 reals [$7.41], and its getting higher, Rodrigues told the Street Journal. Only a few days ago it was half that.

He added that the meteorite shower arrived just as many people needed money to pay their bills. There are not a lot of businesses around Santa Filomena, which mean job opportunities are few.

Meteorite hunters from Brazil, the U.S. and Uruguay have flocked to the town since the news of the meteorite impact broke out. Many of them have their eyes on the bigger rocks. A group of four scientists from Brazils National Museum in Rio de Janeiro tried to haggle the price for a six-pound rock. But it appears that the rock will be shipped out of Brazil; an American meteorite collector was said to have offered an attractive lump sum of money.

Local scientists say the meteorites should stay in Brazil

Not all locals, however, are happy about the influx of foreign buyers. Antonio Miranda, an official at the Federal University of Pernambuco, said that the precious meteorites are a diamond of a science. He believes that the rocks should remain in Brazil.

[For] me, they should be treated the same as the discovery of a diamond or gold deposits, and belong to the person who owns the land on which they are found, said Miranda.

But many Brazilians cannot afford to buy the meteorites on their land, added Miranda. As a result, moneyed foreign investors and collectors are snatching up the precious rocks to be sold abroad at a much higher price. Miranda hopes that the meteorites will be placed in a local museum as a tourist attraction. This way, said Miranda, local scientists will also be able to study them.

The meteorites are said to be rare chondrites that date back to the formation of the Solar System. These rocks are classified under a type of chondrite that makes up only one percent of meteorites found on Earth. Due to their rarity, they are usually sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

In 2019, fragments of a rare chondrite also fell in neighboring Costa Rica. The rocks were collectively called Aguas Zarcas after the village in which most of the rocks landed. One fragment was identified as a carbonaceous chondrite, a primitive rock that formed in oxygen-rich regions of the early solar system. (Related: Organic matter found in ancient meteorites may hold clues to understanding the birth of life on Earth.)

True to their name, carbonaceous chondrites are rich in carbon. And they may hold clues to the formation of the solar system and the origin of water on Earth.

Space.news has more on recent meteorite impacts.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

TheStreetJournal.org

ScientificMag.org
Francis Duhamel/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Some rare good news: The internet's favorite green Force-wielding 50-year-old baby is coming back soon. But patience, we must have.

Disney announced on Twitter that new episodes for the second season of "The Mandalorian" will start streaming on Disney+ Oct. 30.
The publisher of Hustler magazine has accused Jerry Falwell Jr of 'gross hypocrisy'in an op ed in which he attacked the disgraced evangelical leader for his marital turmoil and his support of Donald Trump.

Larry Flynt, 77, said that Falwell Jr, 53, was among 'a parade of charlatans' who preached moral purity, yet failed to live up to their own standards.

Falwell Jr was forced to resign as president of the evangelical Liberty University on August 25 after details emerged of his marital turmoil.

His wife Becki is alleged to have had a seven-year affair with their pool boy, Giancarlo Granda, 29. Granda told Reuters that the relationship involved him having sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell looked on.

Larry Flynt, the 77-year-old publisher of Hustler, attacked Jerry Falwell Jr on Monday

Falwell Jr's wife Becki , pictured, had a seven-year affair with pool boy, Giancarlo Granda, 29

Falwell Jr left the conservative institution after a 13-year career there, but walked away with a $10.5 million payout.

Flynt accused Falwell Jr and his fellow evangelical megapreachers of being 'obsessed above all with sexual behavior, ignoring and subverting the core message of Christianity - humility and compassion for the downtrodden - while embracing prosperity gospel, which is to say the gospel of greed above all other values.'

Writing on Monday in The Daily Beast, Flynt, a long time Democrat donor, criticized Falwell Jr and other evangelicals for their support of Donald Trump, who has been married three times.

'They support Republican politicians eager to gut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and other programs designed to do what Jesus Christ strived for: the reduction of human suffering in this vale of tears,' he wrote.

Granda said that he had an affair with Becki Falwell for seven years with Jerry Falwell's consent

Flynt criticized Falwell Jr for his staunch support for President Donald Trump

'They live in multimillion-dollar mansions and fly around in private jets, while fleecing their flock for prayer donations guaranteed to cure incurable diseases and afflictions.

'They forget that Jesus Christ only lost his temper and acted violently once: when driving the money-lenders from the temple. But they are not troubled in the least by the banksters on Wall Street, who hoovered up millions from middle-class Americans, granting the 1 percent a get-out-of-jail-free card to do it all over again.

'Instead, these evangelists reserve the whip for gays, women who want to control their own bodies, pot smokers, and other heretics who are only trying to lead fulfilling lives.

'They actually work to increase the sum of human suffering. They are peddlers of religious snake oil.'

Falwell Jr has been crucial in marshaling evangelical support for Trump - a task Flynt described as lifting 'the orange buffoon over the hump in 2016'.

When the 2005 Access Hollywood tape was released, in the closing stages of the 2016 campaign, Falwell Jr reassured evangelicals disgusted by Trump's boast about 'grabbing' women 'by the p***y'.

Falwell Jr replied: 'God called King David a man after Gods own heart even though he was an adulterer and a murderer. You have to choose the leader that would make the best king or president and not necessarily someone who would be a good pastor.'

Flynt, in response to Trump's comments, dangled $1 million to anyone who could turn over video or audio capturing Trump behaving in an illegal or sexually demeaning manner.

A year later, in October 2017, Flynt put out a $10 million offer for information leading to the impeachment of Trump and his removal from office.

Flynt also saw the downfall of Falwell Jr as the end of a long-running feud with the family.

Falwell Jr's father, Jerry Falwell Sr, president of Liberty University until his death in 2007, frequently attacked Flynt for his pornography empire.

Falwell Jr's father, Jerry Falwell Sr, was president of Liberty University before him

Jerry Falwell Sr had a long-running feud with Larry Flynt, ending in a 1988 Supreme Court case

Flynt retaliated in 1983 by posting a spoof Campari advert, which bore the tagline: 'You never forget your first time', and detailed celebrities reminiscing about their first Campari.

Flynt mocked the advert up to take a different interpretation of 'first time', and mockingly had Falwell Sr talking about losing his virginity to his mother in an outhouse in Virginia, with a goat looking on.

Falwell Sr sued, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in Flynt's favor on free speech grounds in 1988.

Falwell Sr and Flynt buried the hatchet, however, and even exchanged Christmas cards right until Falwell Sr's death.

'Its possible Jerry Falwell Jr. will find forgiveness from his flock, but even if he doesnt, the $10 million severance payout from Liberty University will surely ease his pain,' wrote Flynt.

'As for the rest of the country, I repeat the sentiment that has guided me for decades: If there were ever to be a Second Coming of Jesus Christ, I have no doubt that his first order of business would be picking up a whip and banishing forever all the hucksters and false prophets who have perverted his message.'
After scientists determined that the coronavirus likely spread from an animal to a human, there came a flurry of statements from nations around Asia promising to ban the trafficking of animals. Now there is data to suggest that authorities, at least in Vietnam, are following through with enforcing the bans.

Among the cases of trafficked wildlife that was seized in Vietnam, the percent that led to arrests reached 97% in the first half of this year, according to Education for Nature Vietnam, an environmental organization. From 2015 to 2019, the number had remained steady at around 87%.

Scientists believe the pandemic may have begun after human contact with an infected bat or pangolin in China. Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations act as a frequent conduit for illicit animal products that end up in China. In recent years police have seized pangolins, a scaly mammal that resembles armadillos, as well as endangered turtles, gibbons, and langurs in Vietnam.

'More serious'

ENVs prosecution analysis attests to the strength of the current penal code and the elevated efforts of Vietnams law enforcement and criminal justice courts to take down wildlife criminals, Bui Thi Ha, the vice director of Education for Nature Vietnam said, referring to the penal code that was revised in 2018. Since the new law has been in force, and especially this year in 2020, evidence shows that wildlife trafficking crimes are being taken more seriously in Vietnam.

Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus, ending wildlife trafficking has become more urgent to stop a potential source of disease, as well as any harm to wildlife, environmentalists say. Facebook has responded by taking down hundreds of posts offering illegal animals and animal parts in Southeast Asia.

In Vietnam, in addition to the increase in the arrest rate, more criminals are going to prison. Among trafficking cases that went to court, the percent that resulted in a prison sentence reached 68% this year, according to data compiled by ENV. That contrasts with 2015 to 2019, when the percentage did not go beyond 49%.

Prison Terms

This suggests the courts are taking a much more assertive stance to wipe out wildlife crime in 2020 than in previous years, ENV said in an analysis of 552 cases in the past five years.

It recommended that Vietnam, to fully end the trafficking, next turn its attention to the leaders of the trafficking rings, as well as the state officials who support them. The Southeast Asian nation can also focus enforcement on ports and airports, as well as on the use of money laundering, ENV said.

Vietnam says it is taking a whole of government approach to enforcement. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc published a directive in July prohibiting the import and sale of wildlife products. The premiers order assigns a task to each office, from the defense ministry increasing border patrols, to the health ministry checking that pharmacies dont sell drugs with illegal animal parts.

The state prosecutor said in a statement it will enforce the directive by increasing investigations of transnational criminals, as well as impose severe penalties on masterminds and leaders who abuse positions and powers to commit crimes.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 1, 2020 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Wirecard AG ("Wirecard" or the "Company") (OTC PINK:WCAGY)(OTC PINK:WRCDF). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Wirecard and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On June 18, 2020, Wirecard announced that it would delay publication of its annual and consolidated financial statements for 2019, and revealed that about 1.9 billion ($2.1 billion) in cash has gone missing. The Company also warned that loans up to 2 billion could be terminated. Additionally, the Company stated that Ernst & Young was unable to confirm the location of the cash in certain trust accounts and there was evidence that "spurious balance confirmations" had been provided.

Following the Company's announcement, Wirecard's American depositary receipt ("ADR") price fell $38.30 per share, or 65.47%, to close at $20.20 per share on June 18, 2020.

Then, on June 23, 2020, multiple news outlets reported that former Wirecard Chief Executive Officer Markus Braun was arrested in Germany on suspicion of having inflated the Company's balance sheet and sales. Wirecard's ADR price has fallen over 75% following these revelations.

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.

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SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP





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THE Government has moved to reassure parents that they will be informed if they need to take action over a confirmed case of Covid-19 in their child's school.

Senior Government official Liz Canavan also insisted that there is "no need for concern about students being unfairly disadvantaged" by the Leaving Cert calculated grades process.

A class was sent home from a Dublin primary school after a case of Covid-19 was identified in recent days.

Ms Canavan said it's important that there's transparency about such incidents but equally the privacy of the child or staff member involved be maintained.

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She added: "Anyone who needs more information in respect of a case to protect themselves or their families will be contacted."

Ms Canavan said there are concerns amongst the public about how schools are operating now that they've reopened and that "living with Covid-19 means accepting there will be some incidents of Covid in our communities and therefore in our schools."

She set out the public health approach to managing cases in schools, which is led by the HSE.

There will be full public health risk assessments for each case and school management will be told by the HSE when actions such as the exclusion of a child or staff member or the partial or full closure of a school are deemed necessary.

If children display Covid-19 symptoms in school their parent or guardian will be contacted and asked to collect them as soon as possible.

The child will be cared for in an isolated space while they wait.

If a GPs assessment is to refer the pupil or staff member for a test their siblings or other household members should be removed from classes until the test result is received.

In the event of an outbreak public health teams will determine between a range of possible interventions from exclusion and testing of a small group or pod of pupils up to and including closure of an affected facility.

Ms Canavan said it's known that young children can have persistent colds and said: "A child with a blocked or runny nose but no fever can attend school."

She added: "If they require paracetamol or ibuprofen they should stay at home for 48 hours and parents or guardians should phone a GP to assess whether a test is required."

She also said: "The best way to keep our children safe in schools is to follow the public health advice to suppress the virus in our homes and in our communities.

"Wash our hands, cover our coughs, practice social distancing, avoid crowds, wear a mask"

On the Leaving Cert she said the calculated grades system won't include data on how a school has historically performed and there will be a greater emphasis on the estimated marks provided by schools to individual students.

"This removes any risk that a leaving cert students results can be impacted by the performance of Leaving Cert classes in his or her school in previous years," she said.

Ms Canavan added: "Although the process is still being run the preliminary data indicates there is no need for concern about students being unfairly disadvantaged by the process."
Contractors will pump a sandy slurry from the lake, drain the water and contour the sand where it needs to be, Labovitz said, adding the focus will be in the area by the pavilion, where waves breached a small dune last year, but we should have almost enough to go to the eastern border of Ogden Dunes.
Image via the Wiltshire Museum

The burial rites of ancient and exotic peoples can seem outlandish to us, but theres nothing particularly normal about the funeral traditions in the United States and the UK, where corpses are sent off to professional undertakers and made to look alive before theyre sealed in boxes and buried or turned into piles of ash.

Andrea DenHoed at The New Yorker refers to the practice of Tibetan Buddhist sky burials, in which bodies are ritually dissected and left in the open to be consumed by vultures and of the Torajans of Indonesia, who have a ritual called MaNene, in which bodies are disinterred, dressed in new clothes, and carried in a parade around the village. These rites seem almost to mock our western fears of death.





Innovations on the funeral displace us further from the body. DenHoed writes, in 2016, of the then-relatively rare experience of attending a funeral over Skype, now commonplace by virtue of bleak necessity. Its hard to say if high-tech mourning rituals like turning human remains into playable vinyl records brings us closer to accepting dead bodies, but they certainly bring us closer to an ancestral prehistoric past when at least some Bronze Age Britons turned the bones of their dead into musical instruments.

Is it any more macabre than turning relatives into diamonds? Whos to say. The researchers who made this discovery, Dr. Thomas Booth and Joanna Bruck, published their findings in the journal Antiquity under the tongue-in-cheek title Death is not the end: radiocarbon and histo-taphonomic evidence for the curation and excarnation of human remains in Bronze Age Briton.

Whats that now? Through radiocarbon-dating, the researchers, in other words, were able to determine that ancient people who lived between 2500-600 BC were keeping and curating body parts, bones and cremated remains of people they knew well, sometimes exhuming and ritually re-burying the remains in their homes, or just keeping them around for a couple generations.

Its indicative of a broader mindset where the line between the living and the dead was more blurred than it is today, Booth tells The Guardian. There wasnt a mindset that human remains go in the ground and you forget about them. They were always present among the living. This is hardly strange. The incredible amount of loss people will feel after COVID-19 will likely bring a proliferation of such rituals.

The find making headlines is a human thigh bone that had been carved into a whistle Josh Davis writes at the British Natural History Museum, and buried with another adult male. When dated, it revealed that the thigh bone came from a person who probably lived around the same date as the man that it was buried with, meaning it is likely that it was someone that they knew in life, or were fairly close to.

There doesnt seem to be any suggestion that this was a common or widespread practice, but its not that dissimilar to wearing the remains of the dead as jewelry. The Romans did it, notes Glenn McDonald at National Geographic, The Persians did it. The Maya did it. And the Victorians, also, wore the remains of their dead, 4,000 years after their ancient ancestors. The technologies change, says McDonald, but the basic human experience of death, loss, and mourning remains the same.

The thigh bone whistle is on display at the Wiltshire Museum in the UK.

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Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness
The republishing comes as 14 people go on trial in Paris Wednesday on charges of helping two Islamic jihadists carry out a deadly terror attack on the headquarters of the French satirical magazine

Related French paper attacked in 2015 reprints Mohammed caricatures

Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism expressed on Wednesday its full rejection and strong condemnation of the decision by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdos to republish offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad again.

In an official statement, the observatory said the magazine's "insistence on the criminal act of republishing the offensive cartoons fuels hate speech and inflames feelings between followers of different religions."

It charged that the magazine's move is "an unjustifiable provocation of the feelings of around two billion Muslims globally."

It added that this decision impedes global efforts led by major religious institutions aimed at establishing dialogue between religions, as exemplified in the signing of the Document of Human Fraternity between Al-Azhars Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Vaticans Pope Francis in February 2019.

The observatory's statement came hours after Charlie Hebdo republished the offensive cartoons of the Prophet, which made them the target of a January 2015 deadly terror attack by Islamist gunmen that left 12 people killed and 11 injured, including famous cartoonists.

The attackers, brothers Said and Cherif Kouchai and a third Islamist gunman, were shot dead by the police in different standoffs days after the incident.

The front cover of the new issue of Charlie Hebdo features 12 original offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, originally published in 2005 in a controversial Danish newspaper before being featured in Charlie Hebdo on the eve of the 2015 attack on their offices.

The republishing comes as 14 people go on trial in Paris Wednesday on charges of helping two Islamic jihadists carry out the attack.

The 2015 attack on the French satirical magazine was condemned at the time by Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's most prestigious centre of learning, which said "Islam denounces any violence."

Al-Azhars observatory reiterated today its condemnation of the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdos offices, stressing Islam's "rejection to any acts of violence," while calling on the magazines editors to respect the beliefs of others.

The observatory called on the international community to take a firm stance against attacks on Muslims beliefs and symbols.

The policy of double standards in dealing with religious followers and turning a blind eye to the crimes of the far right will only bring to humanity more hatred, extremism and terrorism, it said.

Hebdo history of offensive cartoons

The satirical magazine had published offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on several occasions in the past two decades, sparking anger among Muslims worldwide.

It first reprinted the Danish cartoons in 2006 then led with a controversial cover in November 2011 that led to a firebomb attack that year on its headquarters.

A Paris court rejected in 2007 a case filed by Islamic French groups accusing the publication of inciting hatred against Muslims.

Charlie Hebdo had also published other offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammed in September 2012 and later ran a mocking cartoon biography of the Prophet in January 2013.

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Vice-Chairmen of WPK Central Committee Inspect Recovery from Damage in Various Farms of South Hwanghae Province

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, September 1 (KCNA) -- Kim Jae Ryong, Ri Il Hwan, Choe Hwi, Pak Thae Dok, Kim Yong Chol and Kim Hyong Jun, vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), made field survey of the sites for the recovery from heavy damage by typhoon in various farms of Jangyon and Thaetan counties, South Hwanghae Province.

The campaign for recovery from damage by typhoon is being dynamically waged with full efforts exerted by the Party and the state, true to the calls of the Central Committee of the WPK. A full-dress campaign to minimize damage to crops by Typhoon No. 8 is underway in South Hwanghae Province against this backdrop.

The vice-chairmen of the Party Central Committee went to the relevant farms on Aug. 30 and 31 to learn in detail about the recovery from damage.

They sprayed nutrition liquid, applied fertilizer and picked up corns together with agricultural workers and encouraged them to turn out as one in the campaign for recovery from damage, being fully aware of their mission as the masters responsible for the granary of the country.

They told them Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was very much worried about the people in the typhoon-affected areas, and called upon them to overcome on-going trials and greet the 75th founding anniversary of the Party with proud labor achievements. The frontline-style political work conducted by the vice-chairmen of the Party Central Committee greatly inspired the agricultural workers.

They sat knee to knee with the officials and farmers of relevant farms to discuss the practical measures for minimizing the drop in the harvest and gave convincing explanation about the Party's policy of scientific farming. Their field guidance greatly enlivened the recovery sites.

Officials and agricultural workers of various farms in South Hwanghae Province, much encouraged by the field guidance, are full of faith and optimism to remove the damage at an early date and greet the 8th Congress of the WPK most significantly by raising good crops. -0-

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Gardai are appealing for witnesses after two people were killed in separate road accident in Ireland overnight.

A 19 year old male was killed in Donegal following a two car collision while a pedestrian was killed near Wexford.

Gardai at Milford are appealing for witnesses following a fatal traffic collision involving two cars in Donegal on Tuesday. At approximately 9.30pm Gardai and Emergency Services were called to the scene of a two car collision on the N56 at Creeslough.

A passenger in one of the cars, a 19-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. The driver and a second passenger in the car, both male and in their 20s, were removed by ambulance to Hospital in Letterkenny. The driver of the second car, a man in his late 50s, was also taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The scene is currently preserved for examination by Garda forensic collision investigators and the road at the crash site is closed to traffic. Local diversions are in place. The local Coroner has been notified of the incident.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. They are also appealing to road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) from along the route at the time to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to Milford Garda Station 074-9153060 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Gardai at New Ross are appealing for witnesses following a fatal traffic collision involving a car and a pedestrian in Co Wexford on Tuesday.

At approximately 9.50pm Gardai and Emergency Services were called to the scene of a collision involving a car and pedestrian on the N25 at Portersland near New Ross.

A 36-year-old male pedestrian was injured when he was struck by a car. He was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford where he was later pronounced dead. The driver of the car was unharmed.

The scene is currently preserved for examination by Garda forensic collision investigators and the road at the crash site is closed. Local traffic diversions are in place. The local Coroner has been notified and arrangements are being made for a post mortem examination.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. They are particularly appealing to road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) from along the route at the time to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to New Ross Garda Station (051) 426 030 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
She has just jetted back from a sun-soaked holiday in Turkey.

And Ashley Roberts reunited with Amanda Holden to host her showbiz segment on Heart Radio's Breakfast Show at Global Studios in London on Wednesday.

The presenter, 38, showed off her bronzed tan in a silky white minidress by Hasan Hejazi which was embossed with a subtle zig-zag print.

Back from holiday: Ashley Roberts reunited with Amanda Holden to host her showbiz segment on Heart Radio's Breakfast Show in London on Wednesday

The thigh-skimming dress showed off Ashley's toned legs, while her waist was cinched in by a gold buckle belt.

She added a boost to her petite frame with pointed heels and complemented her summery outfit with a YSL handbag and aviators.

The former Strictly star wore her blonde locks in a sleek straight look and accentuated her sun-kissed complexion with a polished make-up look.

Stunning: The presenter, 38, showed off her bronzed tan in a silky white minidress by Hasan Hejazi which was embossed with a subtle zig-zag print

Leggy: The thigh-skimming dress showed off Ashley's toned legs and cinched her in at the waist with a gold buckle belt

Gorgeous: She added a boost to her petite frame with pointed heels and complemented her summery outfit with a YSL handbag and aviators

Ashley then posed for a slew of photos with Amanda after reuniting following their summer breaks.

She captioned the post: 'Girls are back in town'.

It comes after Ashley took to Instagram on Sunday evening to share a scenic bikini-clad snap by the sea in Turkey.

They're back! Ashley then posed for a slew of photos with Amanda after reuniting following their summer breaks

Reunited: She captioned the post: 'Girls are back in town'

Walk on the wild side: Amanda also put on a leggy display in a leopard print minidress which she teamed with a biker jacket

The Pussycat Dolls star looked phenomenal as she drank in her surroundings while donning a barely-there red two-piece.

She added a caption on the duo of snaps reading: 'She holy hunni. How beautiful?! Heres to looking and hoping for a brighter rest of 2020 #wecanhope #adventure #motherearth #grateful'.

Ashley revealed last month she is open to the idea of adopting a child in the future. Speaking in an interview with Fabulous magazine, she said: 'I'm definitely open to the idea of adoption.

'You just never know what the future is going to bring and the most important thing is to be happy and, whether my body naturally has kids or not, we'll see what life brings. I'm definitely open to that.'

Stunner: It comes after Ashley took to Instagram on Sunday evening to share a scenic bikini-clad snap by the sea in Turkey

Red hot: The Pussycat Dolls star looked phenomenal as she drank in her surroundings while donning a barely-there red two-piece

Hot tub: Amanda meanwhile slipped into BGT swimsuit ahead of its return

Ashley also reflected on dating following her split from Italian Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice, 29.

The couple called time on their year-long romance in January after meeting during Ashley's stint on the BBC One dance competition in late 2018.

She said: 'I'm good on my own, though. I'm pretty independent. It's nice to have that connection with someone, but at the moment lockdown is still [effectively] here, so "me" is where it is.'

She said about dating in lockdown: 'You can get to know someone a bit more before other "things" can happen perhaps that's something that's positive. We'll see.'
DOVER, Del. - Attorneys for The Weinstein Co. presented a Delaware judge Wednesday with a revised bankruptcy plan that would provide about $35 million for creditors, including victims of sexual misconduct by disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DOVER, Del. - Attorneys for The Weinstein Co. presented a Delaware judge Wednesday with a revised bankruptcy plan that would provide about $35 million for creditors, including victims of sexual misconduct by disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The settlement amount is $11.5 million less than under a previous plan, which was scrapped after a federal judge in New York refused to approve a proposed $19 million settlement between Weinstein and some of his accusers. The settlement in the purported class-action lawsuit was a key component of the initial bankruptcy plan.

Attorneys for the company told Judge Mary Walrath the reduction is due primarily to the fact that the plan no longer includes contributions from insurers for the resolution of certain Miramax era claims that arose prior to Harvey Weinstein leaving that company and forming the Weinstein Co.

Roughly half of the overall settlement amount, about $17 million, is allocated for a single sexual misconduct claims fund, down from about $25.7 million allocated for three separate categories of sexual misconduct claims under the previous plan. Another $8.4 million of the settlement amount would go to a liquidation trust for resolving non-sexual misconduct claims, and $9.7 million would be used to reimburse defence costs for company officials other than Weinstein.

Attorneys for the company made clear that they will not ask Judge Walrath to approve the plan if holders of sexual misconduct claims vote to reject it.

We will not seek to cram down the plan on the survivors, said attorney Paul Zumbro.

Meanwhile, attorneys for The Weinstein Co. asked Walrath to approve an Oct. 15 deadline for sexual misconduct claims to be filed, and a process for notifying potential claimants through online posting and publications including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The New York Post.

Walrath said that if attorneys can agree on language clarifying the consequences on future litigation for victims who file claims in the bankruptcy, she would allow the company to send out the notices.

I agree with the debtor that this should go forward and this could resolve, if not all of the claims, a large percentage of those, she said.

Zumbro said the revised plan will provide greater relief for holders of sexual misconduct claims because the proposed class of claims is smaller than under the original plan, and no money would be going to class-action counsel fees.

He also noted that Harvey Weinstein would no longer be reimbursed for any of his defence costs or receive any other distribution under the revised plan.

Zumbro noted that the New York judge had described the potential payments to Weinstein as obnoxious.

The debtors and the other settling parties heard that loud and clear, he said.

Under the new Chapter 11 liquidation proposal, holders of sexual misconduct claims would receive 100% of the liquidated value of their claims if they agree to release Weinstein from all legal claims. A claimant who elects not to release Weinstein but to retain the option to sue him in another court would receive 25% of the value of her bankruptcy claim. The other 75% would be allocated to a reversionary fund for the benefit of insurance companies, who could be on the hook for damage payments in future litigation.

In a departure from normal bankruptcy procedure, holders of sexual misconduct claims would not be asked to vote on the plan until each knows the value of her claim.

Robert Feinstein, an attorney for the companys official committee of unsecured creditors, said the committee unanimously supports the proposed settlement, as do many other individual claimants.

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We hope its received with an open mind, ... and that people will hold their fire in the press and in the courtroom until all of the facts are known to them and we can have a mature conversation about whats going on here, Feinstein said, referring to attorneys for three non-settling plaintiffs in the New York case. Those attorneys have described the latest proposal as a complete and utter sellout of Weinsteins victims.

Attorneys acting on behalf of two of those women previously asked Walrath to convert the Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Doing so would reduce the amount of money going to professionals and allow a trustee to pursue civil claims on behalf of the bankruptcy estate against Weinstein and other company officials, they argue.

But Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney who represents several women in the New York case, including lead plaintiff Louisette Geiss, told Walrath on Wednesday that nearly two dozen women support the revised bankruptcy plan.

I do think that its important that their voices are not outweighed by two women alone who do not approve of the plan, she said.

The Weinstein Co. sought bankruptcy protection in March 2018 amid a sexual misconduct scandal that brought down Weinstein and triggered a nationwide movement to address predatory sexual behaviour and harassment in the workplace. Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison earlier this year after being convicted in New York of rape and sexual assault.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles are seeking his extradition to California to face charges of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another in 2013.
For students Markian Maximiuk and Tetyana Dyachyshyn, working this summer as curatorial assistants at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Winnipeg was a chance to connect with their Ukrainian history.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For students Markian Maximiuk and Tetyana Dyachyshyn, working this summer as curatorial assistants at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Winnipeg was a chance to connect with their Ukrainian history.

"It spoke to me of home," said Dyachyshyn, 24, who came to Canada from Ukraine eight years ago.

"It was fantastic to be able to keep in touch with my heritage," said Maximiuk, 21.

The students at the University of Manitoba spent the last two months telling visitors about the special Transcarpathian region exhibit at the museum, including about its unique churches.

The churches, which could be found in many villages, werent made of stone like in many other places, but constructed of wood and without nails.

"It was kind of like Lincoln Logs," said Maximiuk, referring to the childrens toy construction set. "It was a very unique look."

Although not huge, the churches would have been among the larger structures in village, he said.

The churches were made of wood because it is a forested region, said Dyachyshyn.

"They had an abundance of timber, so it was easier to make them out of the resources that were available."

Many of the churches are still in use in Ukraine, she added.

The exhibit also features hand-crafted items such as embroidery, metal work, woodwork and paintings.

Handicrafts played an important role in Transcarpathian life, they said, with people in the region needing to create all their household items by hand.

Women traditionally did textile crafts, creating intricate embroidery and weaving, while the men were experts in wood-carving and metal work.

Of the embroidery work, Dyachyshyn said "each village had own unique embroidery styles, so you could tell where someone was from by the shirt they were wearing."

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Items that were more intricately embroidered could also indicate wealth and social status, she added.

The embroidery in the museums exhibit comes from the Vynohradiv Region of Transcarpathia, and is characterized by the strong and dramatic use of purples, reds and blues, along with intricate geometric and floral patterns.

Since music has also been a part of life in the region, the exhibit features instruments such as a bellowing horn (rih), bagpipes (Duda), and a dulcimer (Tsymbaly).

There are also paintings by artists from the region depicting things such as churches, harvests and ordinary life. "There is some really cool work by Transcarpathian artists," said Maximiuk.

The Museum is located on the ground floor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, 1175 Main St. The Transcarpathian region exhibit runs until the end of September. Admission is by appointment only and limited to groups of six people. For more information, call 204-582-1018.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
This week saw attempts to bring a semblance of stability to Lebanon with French President Emmanuel Macron making good on his promise to return to Beirut.



Macron has warned Lebanese politicians they risk sanctions if they fail to set the nation on a new course within three months, stepping up the pressure for reforms in a country that was already collapsing under the weight of its economic crisis before great swathes of the capital were flattened by an enormous blast caused by 3000 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been insecurely stored in the port for years.



Its the last chance for this system, Macron told Politico while travelling to Beirut on Monday. Its a risky bet Im making, I am aware of it... I am putting the only thing I have on the table, my political capital.



Macron said he was seeking credible commitments and a demanding follow-up mechanism from Lebanons leaders, including legislative elections in six to 12 months.



Before Macron arrived on Monday evening leaders of Lebanons Christian, Shia and Sunni political forces announced the nomination of Mustafa Adib, Lebanons ambassador to Germany, as the countrys new prime minister. Adib replaces Hassan Diab whose eight months in office started in January, against a backdrop of socio-economic protests staged by a population that had grown weary of the Lebanese political leaderships notorious corruption, and which ended amid the ruins of the chemical blast that on 4 August destroyed so much of Beirut.



Diabs main attraction, like Adibs, consisted of not being entirely mired in Lebanons discredited political establishment. Unfortunately, Diab disappointed a population exhausted from the lurch from one economic disaster to another.



He did nothing, and was good for nothing. He was just brought in as a consensual Sunni politician who was supposed to get some economic ideas off the ground but failed, says Lara, a Lebanese woman in her late 30s.



According to Lara, like Diab like Adib.



They are not empowered. They are just there to try and keep a dead political system on life support.



Like many of her compatriots, Lara views the blast that destroyed so much of the city as the last straw for the current political dispensation.



Beirut- and Cairo-based foreign diplomats who work on Lebanon agree that the funeral rites for the political regime created with the Taif Agreement which ended the countrys civil law are long overdue. The trouble, they add, is that political leaders who have benefited greatly from the system over three decades are unwilling to step down.



They want to stay, no matter what, even over our dead bodies, Lara said over the phone from Beirut.



What Macron was hoping to do when he arrived in Beirut on 6 August, just two days after the devastating blast, was to get Lebanons political players to understand that the moment of truth had arrived, and it was time for a new political dispensation to take the reins.



That was his intention and what he told them in no uncertain terms when he met with them in Beirut, said a Beirut-based foreign diplomat. But I dont think he has managed to secure enough international support for an overhaul of the political system in Lebanon.



According to informed diplomatic sources, Macron has secured some support from the UK and Germany but other international powers are dragging their feet over a new beginning in Lebanon, mainly because it is not in their interests.



The power-sharing regime in Lebanon has for years allowed regional players to use the ill-starred Mediterranean country as a battlefield for their political, and at times military, tugs of war. Most recently, Lebanon has been the proxy battleground in the escalating Saudi Arabian-Iranian conflict.



Informed Beirut-based sources say the consultations over a prime ministerial nominee over the past three weeks have reflected these conflicting vested interests, and both the Iranians and Saudis, who have considerable influence over the countrys Shia and Sunni factions, have had some nominations blocked.



French pressure was essential in ensuring a new prime minister was nominated, and might yet help make the composition of any new government more palatable to the frustrated Lebanese public by excluding unpopular politicians like Gobran Bassil, a man who has the support of some Christian leaders allied with Hizbullah. A more pressing question, though, is whether French pressure will help the Adib government adopt and implement an economic rescue plan and launch a political process capable of ending the sectarian-based political regime without Lebanon slipping into a new civil war.



In the assessment of Beirut-based diplomats it is difficult to see this happening given some countries believe a new civil war in Lebanon will tip the balance of power in their favour. Further compounding the dangers are elements within Lebanons existing political leadership who, desperate to keep their influence intact, could miscalculate and set the country aflame.



Yet many of the demonstrators who joined the protests that have rocked the country since autumn last year appear confident that they will not fall into the sectarian trap.



According to Lara, not one sectarian leader has an iota of credibility left. We want them all out. We hold them all responsible for the disasters that have befallen us, she says.



Lebanons economy is in ruins. According to an ESCWA report released this week, 50 per cent of the Lebanese population is at risk of failing to access basic food needs by the end of 2020.



Given that the country relies heavily on food imports, the massive explosion that destroyed a significant part of the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 is expected to worsen the food security situation, the report said. Lebanon-based diplomats fear looting to secure food basics is a very real prospect.



Helping Lebanon steer away from total collapse is a top priority for Macron. It is a goal that Egypt shares, and Cairo is following developments closely.



Cairo-based European diplomats argue that though Egypt is loath to take sides in Lebanon given the complex political calculations it must make with its regional and international allies, the last thing Cairo wants is to see the country descending into chaos.



Egypt has actively been promoting greater stability in the Mashrek in the hope of creating an economic climate from which the entire region might benefit. Last week in Amman, King Abdullah of Jordan, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Mustafa Al-Kazemi, the prime minister of Iraq, initialed a number of promising economic projects.



Cairo sources acknowledge that they have advised caution when it comes to replacing Lebanons discredited political system: despite all its weaknesses, they say Egypt is worried insufficient groundwork has been done to guarantee a smooth transition. Simultaneously, Egypt is also aware that given the depth of its failings the current system may be unable to survive. Cairo is also fully conscious of emerging political realities in the region, the rapprochement between Gulf states and Israel and Turkeys pursuit of greater influence in the East Mediterranean, both of which could impact on the fragile set up in Lebanon.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Lets not beat around the bush. When AMP says buyers have been sniffing around its businesses it really means "business" and by "business" it means AMP Capital  the only bit of sparkle in the group's tarnished crown.

Would-be corporate predators have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to finding a wounded business, so it's no surprise they are sniffing around AMP.

New AMP chairman Debra Hazelton appears less invested in Francesco De Ferraris leadership. Credit:Louie Douvis

Even before the Boe Pahari and Alex Wade sexual harassment scandals, which saw out AMP chairman David Murray and its most senior director, John Fraser, the companys turnaround strategy had been thrown off course by COVID-19 and the broader troubles within its wealth management business.

Only last month chief executive Francesco De Ferrari presented something of a strategic road map for recovery  nothing in the plan involved shrinking its size or liquidating assets.
BEAUMONT, Texas, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Store Space Self Storage has announced an emergency assistance program to help victims of Hurricane Laura in the greater Beaumont, Texas, area. The Company is offering one-month free storage, as well as a free lock and no administration fee for victims of the hurricane.

The hurricane victim assistance program is now available at Store Space of Beaumont, located at 260 I-10 Frontage Rd in Beaumont, TX 77707. Additionally, Store Space stores in the Greater Houston area will serve as donation drop-off points.

"We want the community to know that we support them through this weather emergency and believe in our company motto of 'Storage that Cares,'" said Rob Consalvo, COO and President of Store Space.

Stephen Sandecki, Chief Marketing officer, reiterated the need for self-storage during recovery efforts.

"We are opening our doors again to help those in need of a clean and dry storage area to store their valuables while dealing with the aftermath of this hurricane," Sandecki said.

In September 2019, Store Space provided free storage for local businesses and commercial customers in the wake of Tropical Storm Imelda.

Along with Beaumont, Store Space locations in Greater Houston will also serve as donation drop-off locations for items such as clothing, non-perishables, bottled water, toiletries, sanitizer, masks, cleaning supplies and more. Additional locations accepting donations for Hurricane Laura victims include:

Store Space is a self-storage operator and third-party management company. Located in Winter Garden, FL, the Company currently owns, has under purchase agreement, and/or operates 35 properties in 15 states. The Company fuels growth and value with their experience driven operations, state-of-the-art Storage360 proprietary platform and strategic digital marketing programs. You can contact us at [email protected] or visit us at StoreSpace.com.

SOURCE Store Space

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SANDUSKY, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PAO Group, Inc. (USOTC: PAOG) today announced having updated all formerly delinquent financial reports. PAOG has being reinstated to the OTC Markets "Current Information" reporting standard.

PAOG recently executed two acquisitions as part of an overall business revitalization strategy bringing the company into the cannabis biopharmaceutical sector. The company acquired a cannabis cultivation business from Puration, Inc. (PURA). From Kali-Extracts (KALY), PAOG acquired a proprietary CBD extract derived from a patented extraction process and formulated for the treatment of respiratory disorders.

Goldman Small Cap Research is anticipated to update a recently published analyst report now that PAOG has achieved the "Current Information" standard.

See the current Goldman Small Cap Research Analyst Report: Under The Radar CBD Pharma Player Could Offer Major Upside

www.paogroupinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Us:

Jim DiPrima

888-272-6472

[email protected]

SOURCE PAO Group, Inc.
Intel conceived its latest microprocessor four years ago, in a very different world.

No one envisioned a pandemic, millions of people working in their apartments, basements and attics. And Intel didnt anticipate a succession of manufacturing problems that have cost the company its cherished edge in semiconductor technology.

So that new processor for PCs and laptops, called Tiger Lake, arrives Wednesday at a crucial moment.

It represents an enormous opportunity for Intel to capitalize on surging demand for laptops as millions of people adjust to working from home. And its a chance for the company to prove its technology prowess at a moment when the market has begun to doubt it.

Tiger Lake, what it really shows, is the best transistors in the world still are Intels, said Boyd Phelps, an Oregon engineering vice president who helped lead design of the new processor.

Intel crafted Tiger Lake at its Jones Farm campus in Hillsboro and the first chips are already coming off the line at the companys Ronler Acres factory complex nearby. More than 1,000 Oregon employees worked to develop the chip since 2016, an especially big technical leap made possible by the intense collaboration among Hillsboro engineers.

That really helped us understand how big a swing we could take with the actual design, he said.

Key to the new chip is a redesigned transistor Intel calls SuperFin, which enables higher performance and better power management. The company says its making other improvements to the graphics processor and incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities to create a more responsive chip.

Many major laptop manufacturers, among them Acer, Dell, HP, Leonvo and Samsung, have signed on to use Tiger Lake on their machines. Intel says Tiger Lake laptops will be widely available by Christmas.

Tiger Lake is the result of real solid design and manufacturing process collaboration and optimization, and it was a processor that was really born and raised in Oregon, said Gregory Bryant, the Hillsboro executive who heads Intels PC group.

Tiger Lake is known formerly as the 11th generation of Intels brand of Core processors. Inside the company and the industry, though, Intel typically names new chips for geographic features  especially lakes. Tiger Lake is named for a lake across Puget Sound from Seattle.

Though Intels headquarters are in Silicon Valley, the companys largest site is in Washington County, where the company employs 21,000. Its Intels most advanced operation and its where the company makes each new generation of microprocessor, before replicating production at factories in Arizona, Israel and Ireland.

Sometimes, the processors are also architected in Oregon. Such was the case with Tiger Lake, with a team assembling in 2016 and 2017 to gauge what laptops would need in 2020  and what Intel could realistically deliver.

Since that time, Intel suffered a string of delays to its 10-nanometer processor, which hit the market years late last winter. Intel disclosed in July that its forthcoming 7nm chips, originally due in 2021, are now also a year behind schedule, amid persistent manufacturing defects. The news shocked investors, who knocked more than $40 billion off of Intels market value.

Before the recent delays, Intel used to deliver new processors with smaller features used to arrive regularly every two years. The advances enabled more powerful chips that used less power and  because they were smaller  cost less to make.

As features on chips approach the atomic scale, though, its become more difficult to keep up that pace. So Intel has placed more emphasis on making its interim upgrades more powerful, and thats where Tiger Lake fits in, adapting the current 10nm manufacturing process for a more powerful processor.

Intel says it capitalized on its new transistor design to create a faster, more responsive chip that uses power much more efficiently. The company says Tiger Lake laptops dont slow up to conserve power when theyre not plugged into an outlet  but dont drain the battery any faster than those that do throttle performance.

From a competitive standpoint that is a major differentiating factor, Phelps said.

Semiconductor technology is arcane and many of the most advanced chips end up in server farms that few people ever see. Tiger Lake, by contrast, is aimed squarely at the laptop market  office workers riding out the pandemic at home and students learning far from the classroom.

After four years of work, Phelps said hes looking forward to getting the new laptops into consumers hands  and showing off the work he and his Oregon colleagues put into them.

If nothing else, Phelps said, you get to tell your mom and dad.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Personal protection equipment is seen on the teacher's desk in classroom in preparation for the new school year at the Willingdon Elementary School in Montreal, on Wednesday, August 26, 2020. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)

COVID 19 in Schools Inevitable, Cost to Reduce Class Sizes Unrealistic: Kenney

COVID-19 cases disrupted the reopening of two Alberta schools on Tuesday, but Premier Jason Kenney said his government has accepted that such infections are inevitable and dont warrant closing down all classrooms.

Weve always said that there will be infections in the schools  thats why weve put in place a number of protocols based on the scientific advice of our chief medical officer of health in consultation with superintendents and school boards, he said.

We believe its a strong plan and well make future adjustments as necessary. Were all learning through this as we go.

Meadows Ridge School in Okotoks, south of Calgary, did not open as planned after a staff member was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Principal Rebecca Forchuk and Foothills School Division Supt. Chris Fuzessy wrote in a letter Monday that the staff member was last in the school at noon on Friday and that symptoms began that evening. Officials learned of the positive test result at 6 p.m. Monday.

While Alberta Health Services has indicated the school is safe to remain open, due to the late hour and to allow public health time to complete their contact tracing, we are delaying the start of school for some Meadow Ridge families, they wrote.

Contact tracing was complete by 10:30 p.m., said school division spokeswoman Candace Denison.

The school said it would inform parents whose children were to start classes Tuesday of new staggered entry dates.

At another school in Okotoks, children burst out of the doors Tuesday afternoon and many immediately tore off their masks.

Dora Helli was picking up her daughter, whos in Grade 4, and her son, who just started kindergarten, at Westmount School.

She heard about the closure at Meadow Ridge, she said, but it didnt make her hesitate about sending her kids back to class.

My kids were really excited. It was a long break but they were ready to come back and see their friends, she said.

Its time to go back to some kind of normal.

Canyon Meadows School in Calgary opened as planned, but the principal, assistant principal and administrative secretary were forced into a 14-day quarantine after someone at the school tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

In a letter to parents, principal Bobbie Schmidt said its believed exposure happened a week ago and that a retired, experienced principal would be on site while the others isolate.

Alberta chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Monday that she was notified over the weekend of a small number of schools with COVID-19 cases or exposures in staff, but she did not elaborate.

The Peace River School Division, northwest of Edmonton, posted a notice on its website saying it was delaying the start of its school year until after Labour Day to give teachers more time to get used to safety protocols, plan for at-home learning and to ensure there are enough caretakers and supplies in schools.

The Alberta government cancelled kindergarten-to-Grade-12 classes in mid-March as COVID-19 began to spread in the community.

The province had 1,398 active cases as of Tuesday with 164 new infections. Both Kenney and Hinshaw have said the risk of spread in schools has to be balanced against the significant harms of keeping kids home indefinitely.

Under Albertas school reopening plan, staff and students in grades 4 to 12 must cover their faces when theyre in common and shared indoor areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained, like hallways and buses.

The rules are eased for classrooms so that masks dont get in the way of learning and communication.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange is to announce Wednesday how $260 million in federal money for schools is to be spent.

Kenney said suggestions that the money should go toward cutting class sizes to allow for more physical distancing are unrealistic. He estimated such a proposal would cost $4 billion.

The proposals to reduce class sizes in half are actually proposals to keep the schools shut, he said.

We appreciate the additional federal funding, but there is no world in which you could reduce class sizes in half and reopen the schools for the current school year  Its simply fictitious. It has nothing to do with reality.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers Association, said Kenneys cost estimate is inflated, and the group is not advocating for reducing class sizes by half.

What we would like to see are more resources and supports provided to school divisions and principals so they have more opportunities to reduce the size of our largest classes, especially at the upper grades, he said in a statement.

Too many teachers are already reporting class size assignments in the mid-to-high 30s.

By Lauren Krugel
ULYANOVSK, Russia -- "Is mackerel healthier than chicken?"

Billboards with this absurd election slogan have appeared across this middle Volga city of some 600,000 people. On September 13, voters will go to the polls in local elections, including for a new city duma. And by all appearances, the ruling United Russia party -- which has dominated the region for more than 15 years but which now is increasingly unpopular as the economy flounders -- is on the ropes.

Other billboards urge voters to vote against all candidates. The goal, say representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), is to turn the elections into a farce and suppress voter turnout, making it easier for the authorities to falsify the results -- and for United Russia, the main political support for President Vladimir Putin's vertical power structure, to maintain its grip on power.

On August 20, the Communists struck back, holding a mock funeral for fair elections and solemnly carrying a coffin through the streets of the city before leaving it on the steps of the regional government building.

Throughout the early post-Soviet period, the Ulyanovsk region was the buckle in the so-called Red Belt of Communist-leaning agrarian regions across southwestern Russian. The capital of the region, the city of Ulyanovsk, was the birthplace both of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin and of Aleksandr Kerensky, who headed the provisional government that Lenin's Bolsheviks overthrew in 1917.

But for the last 15 years, the region has been the fiefdom of United Russia Governor Sergei Morozov. The ruling party's position has been deteriorating for some time now. In the 2018 local elections, the KPRF won the party-list race for the regional legislature, although United Russia held its majority by winning many rural single-mandate districts. The Communists also took a majority in the city council of Dimitrovgrad, the second-largest city in the region where Morozov served as mayor before rising to the governor's chair.

Now, with Putin's personal popularity slipping in the wake of a reviled pension reform, controversial constitutional amendments that could see him remain in the Kremlin until 2036, and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, United Russia faces another round of local elections from a particularly weak position.

In Ulyanovsk, as in other recent local elections across Russia, United Russia candidates are running as "independents" to avoid explicit association with the unpopular brand. The party prepared the ground at the beginning of the year by changing the way the Ulyanovsk City Duma is elected -- eliminating party-list seats and creating 40 single-mandate districts instead.

Communists vs. Communists

In addition, the Communists of Russia party, headed by regional lawmaker Maksim Suraikin, is playing the role of a well-funded "spoiler" party. As soon as the process of registering candidates was completed, the Communists of Russia filed court challenges demanding the registrations of the KPRF candidates be annulled on technical grounds.

A city court agreed, disqualifying 19 KPRF candidates. Upon appeal, a regional court reinstated seven of them. The party is currently appealing to the Russian Supreme Court regarding the others.

"And they will definitely be reinstated," said local KPRF head and State Duma Deputy Aleksei Kurinny, citing the party's experience in other regions of the country. "But the Supreme Court will meet either right on the eve of the elections or after them, so our comrades are being pushed out of the race. And there is no precedent for annulling the results of an election because of such a situation."

Kurinny noted that the Ulyanovsk City Election Commission did not bother to defend its decisions to register the candidates, leading the party to conclude that the entire situation was planned from the onset.

"One of our candidates was incorrectly advised by the commission to fill in the blank about employment with the phrase 'temporarily not working' instead of 'unemployed,'" he told RFE/RL. "And that was later cited as a reason for cancelling his registration. In the wake of such a large number of mistakes, the commission should have been disbanded."

The election commission is headed by Vadim Andreyev, who is also a member of the regional political council of United Russia and deputy secretary of its outreach department. He ignored requests to be interviewed for this article.

"This is a political fight," said independent candidate Konstantin Tolkachyov, whose KPRF rival had his registration annulled. "We are talking about competition. The Communists are suffering from their own incompetence. They should have studied the legal precedents and consulted with their Moscow leadership."

Ulyanovsk-based political analyst Nina Dergunova is certain the Communists of Russia are doing United Russia's bidding. "It looks as if United Russia is not involved," she said, "but it is obvious that Suraikin didn't come up with this idea on his own but rather was prompted by United Russia or the governor's administration. But all the negative feedback will go to Suraikin and the Communists of Russia. And United Russia will say, 'This is just a dispute among the communists.'"

Dissatisfied Voters Become Radical Voters

But Nikolai Vasin, another political analyst in Ulyanovsk, is not convinced the ruling party will reap benefits from its tactics. Many voters still dislike United Russia and want to vote for change, which could lead to radicalization. "This happens when people are deprived of the right to make their own choice and are pushed to do something else," he said. "And this creates mass dissatisfaction, that's a fact. What form that dissatisfaction will take is hard to say."

In local elections in Moscow last year, the authorities disqualified almost all the liberal-opposition candidates, sparking weeks of intense protests. In the 2018 elections to the Ulyanovsk regional legislature, many KPRF candidates were disqualified as well, and locals instead gave their votes to the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia headed by firebrand politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

"When voters see that their candidates are disqualified and that the authorities are behind it, they might give their support to someone whom the authorities like even less," Vasin added. "Not everyone understands politics very well.... The sharp conflict between United Russia and the KPRF has gotten out of hand and voters have lost the plot. So any unexpected candidate might get their votes."

On September 13, voters in 18 Russian regions will elect governors, while 11 regions will choose regional legislatures. In addition, four special elections for State Duma seats will be held, in addition to numerous municipal and local elections. The anti-Putin opposition has focused on the local elections with the aim of weakening United Russia's near-monopoly on political power ahead of the 2021 parliamentary elections.

"The Kremlin is tightening controls even further, using techniques such as new powers to disqualify unwanted candidates, extended early voting, electronic voting, mail ballots, and unlimited mobile voting at home or in makeshift locations outside regular polling places -- all of which leave plenty of room for manipulation and vote fraud by the state," wrote opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza in The Washington Post in August. "According to Golos, an independent election-monitoring group, the 2020 local elections 'will be held under the worst legislative framework of the last 25 years.'"

Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting from Ulyanovsk by Sergei Gogin of RFE/RL's Russian Service
China is expected to at least double the number of its nuclear warheads over the next decade from the low 200s now and is nearing the ability to launch nuclear strikes by land, air and sea, a capacity known as a triad, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The revelations came as tensions rise between China and the United States and as Washington seeks to have Beijing join a flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia.

In its annual report to Congress on Chinas military, the Pentagon said that China has nuclear warheads in the low 200s, the first time the U.S. military has disclosed this number. The Federation of American Scientists has estimated that China has about 320 nuclear warheads.

The Pentagon said the growth projection was based on factors including Beijing having enough material to double its nuclear weapons stockpile without new fissile material production. The Pentagons estimate is in line with an analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Were certainly concerned about the numbers  but also just the trajectory of Chinas nuclear developments writ large, Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, told reporters.

Earlier this year, Chinas Communist Party-backed newspaper Global Times said Beijing needs to expand the number of its nuclear warheads to 1,000 in a relatively short time.

Sbragia said China was also nearing completion of its nuclear triad capacity, suggesting China is further along than previously publicly known. China has only two of the three legs of triad operational but is developing a nuclear capable air-launched ballistic missile.

The report said that in October 2019, China publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear capable air-to-air refueling bomber.

Washington has repeatedly called for China to join in trilateral negotiations to extend New START, a U.S.-Russian nuclear arms treaty that is due to expire in February.

China has said it has no interest in joining the negotiation, given that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is about 20 times the size of Chinas.

In July, a senior Chinese diplomat said Beijing would be happy to participate in trilateral arms control negotiations, but only if the United States were willing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to Chinas level.

Chinas growing nuclear arsenal should not be used as an excuse for the United States and Russia not to extend New START, Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group, said.

It further reinforces the importance of extending New START and the folly of conditioning extension on China and Chinas participation in arms control, Reif added.

Chinas nuclear arsenal is a fraction of the United States, which has 3,800 nuclear warheads stockpiled, and Russias, which has roughly 4,300, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

PREVENT TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE

Tensions have been simmering between China and the United States for months. Washington has taken issue with Chinas handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak and moves to curb freedoms in Hong Kong. The increasingly aggressive posture comes as President Donald Trump bids for re-election in November.

Another source of tension has been Taiwan. China has stepped up its military activity around the democratic island Beijing claims as sovereign Chinese territory, sending fighter jets and warships on exercises close to Taiwan.

The Pentagon report, based on 2019 information, said Chinas military continued to enhance its readiness to prevent Taiwans independence and carry out an invasion if needed.
KENT COUNTY, MI  Theres a physical toll to the coronavirus. Then, theres a toll on mental health, in particular, on youth.

Law enforcement has noted a disturbing rise of gun violence, burglaries and auto thefts after the pandemic shut down schools as well as other activities designed for young people.

For example, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said that a group of eight juveniles is behind 72 burglaries. He said that too many kids have little to do. Theyre finding trouble that could last them a lifetime. Its difficult to succeed with a felony record.

Were losing a generation. Were setting these kids up for failure, Becker said.

He spoke at a press conference designed to show what he called the critical need for resources and community support.

Others noted that the pandemic has hurt many economically, too.

Young men are saying, Im not hustling to prosper. Im hustling to survive, the Rev. Jerry Bishop of LifeQuest Ministries said Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Joe Jones, a Grand Rapids city commissioner and CEO and president of Urban League of West Michigan, said residents can call his organization at 616-245-2207 to find out how to help, whether financially or volunteering time.

He and others called for help funding programs providing youth with positive activities.

You have access to opportunity, you have access to prosperity, Jones said. What happens when our children have nothing to do?

He and others urged the city to fund Cure Violence, a national program to curb violence. Speakers also said that federal COVID-19 relief funds under the CARES Act should also be used to help agencies that work with youth.

Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said that young people are in a crisis because of the pandemic. She said that the community has to help these young people find constructive things to do. This is everybodys responsibility to work together.

Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Payne said he is concerned by a rise in crime. Already, police have investigated 21 homicides this year. Eighteen have been solved, he said, but the number is already higher than last years 17 homicides. There were nine in 2018.

Police are cracking down on large, early-morning gatherings in the city.

People feel emboldened gathering in large crowds, he said.

He said that many major cities are going through the same struggles as Grand Rapids.

Annie VandenBerg of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said there are many opportunities for people at various aspects of their life to lean in and help.

Read more:

Violence reduction group says Grand Rapids SE Side area should be citys focus

6 shootings: 3 injured, houses and vehicles damaged

Grand Rapids homeless outreach team looks to add addiction specialists, social workers
China's manufacturing sector saw its strongest expansion in more than nine years in August as production and market demand firmed up in the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic, a private survey said on Tuesday.



The Caixin China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 53.1 in August, the highest level since January 2011 and up from 52.8 a month earlier, media group Caixin said in a report. The reading marked the fourth month in a row for the index to rise within the expansionary territory, indicating that the manufacturing sector has recovered at a continuously quicker pace. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below that reflects contraction.

"Manufacturing demand and supply were both robust, while overseas demand has started to pick up," said Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group.

In August, the subindexes for output and total new orders hit their highest levels since January 2011, while the gauge for new export orders entered the expansionary territory for the first time this year, mainly due to a slowing spread of the pandemic overseas, the report said.

In anticipation of a sustainable recovery in demand, manufacturers increased their inventories of finished items for the first time since April, though slightly.

Some companies have even started to increase recruitment to meet rising market demand last month, pushing the sub-gauge of employment to the highest level this year, albeit still within the contraction territory.

"Companies' future output expectations remained strong, reflecting a positive outlook for the manufacturing sector for the year ahead," Wang said.

Analysts said the country's manufacturing sector is set to continue recovering in the coming months as the epidemic situation gradually stabilizes domestically, the supportive macro policy continues, and more overseas economies resume business activity.

But the elevated uncertainties such as the global pandemic situation and the China-US trade row could limit the strength of recovery, while more efforts are needed to help small and medium-sized manufacturers, especially those in the middle and western regions of the country, they said.

Wang Tao, chief China economist at Swiss bank UBS, said the manufacturing sector is set to stay within the expansionary territory in the rest of the year but the expansion could lose some steam on a month-on-month basis.

"Unlike in the second quarter when business activities restarted after the lockdown and led to strong month-on-month recovery, the economy has now largely got back on the original growth track, leaving room for further monthly improvement limited," she said.

Despite that the recovery could moderate, the Chinese economy is expected to record a year-on-year GDP growth of between 5.5 percent and 6 percent in the second half of the year, remaining a major engine of global recovery, she said.

The official PMI for the manufacturing sector edged down to 51 last month and indicated a slowdown in expansion, in contrast to rise of the Caixin PMI, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on Monday.

Wu Chaoming, deputy dean of the Chasing Institute of Chasing Securities, said the divergence came in mainly as the NBS polled manufacturers across the nation while Caixin focused mainly on the eastern coastal parts.

The floods along parts of the Yangtze River, with the central and western regions of the country hit the hardest, have caused difficulties in business operation of SMEs in those areas, which may not be fully reflected in the Caixin report, Wu said.

Some SMEs in the manufacturing sector may still face acute difficulties, such as lukewarm demand, financing woes and the floods-related disruption, Wu said, citing that the official PMI for small manufacturers dropped to 47.7 last month from 48.6 in July.

He called on strengthening targeted fiscal and monetary support for SMEs, deepening reforms in the financial sector to better serve small business, like promoting the development of supply chain finance.
DALLAS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Texas continue to decline, it looks like Texas retailers hoping for a Labor Day spending spree to help revive their fortunes are in for a rough surprise, according to a recent survey by Eggworth.com.

The poll found that 64% of Texas voters are planning to spend less on traveling this Labor Day Weekend compared to last year. Only 5% plan on spending more.

The survey also found that upcoming Labor Day spending is heavily correlated with whether or not a voter approves of Governor Greg Abbott's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. More than 70% of those who plan to spend more this Labor Day Weekend approve of Abbott and his handling of the crisis. While 43% of those who are spending less approve of Abbott's handling of the crisis, 36% believe he has done a poor job helping Texans through the pandemic.

"Voters consistently rate the economy as the top issue of concern, and we are seeing those worries manifest in reduced spending across party lines," said Ryan Cassin, partner at Eggworth.com.

One bright spot for retailers heading into the weekend is that 18-45-year-olds plan on spending more this weekend, at a far higher rate than all other age brackets. While 18% of 18-45-year-olds will be spending more this weekend, only 5% of those over 65 plan on doing so. Almost two-thirds of those over 65 plan on tightening the belt this Labor Day versus last.

As might be expected, responses split strongly along party lines. 80% of those surveyed who identify as Republican think that Abbott has done a good job responding to the current crisis. On the Democratic side of the aisle, only 6% believe he has done a good job and 58% think he has done a poor job.

This poll was completed as a phone survey 100% IVR. The poll was completed by Eggworth.com on August 31, 2020 from a Texas registered voter sample.

SOURCE Eggworth.com
Michigan is adding 12 new coronavirus testing sites this week, and at least 20 more in the coming weeks, as state health officials aim to expand access to testing statewide.

Sites scheduled to open this week are in Detroit, Flint, Roseville, Ecorse, Albion, and Grayling, according to a Wednesday announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services. Additional sites are expected to open in the coming weeks in Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon, Niles, Saginaw and Wayne.

The sites will offer free testing, including less invasive saliva tests, and will take walk-ins as space allows, though its strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment.

Expanding access to testing will help us protect ourselves, our families, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a prepared statement. Thats why we are working to remove as many barriers as possible to ensure COVID-19 testing is accessible for all Michiganders.

After looking closely at the data and working with community partners, we believe these sites will provide the greatest access to testing for Michiganders across the state. We appreciate the willingness of these community partners to open their doors for this very important effort.

To schedule an appointment, call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 and select 1, or go online at Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest. Michiganders arriving at the neighborhood testing can check-in online to secure their place in line, making it easy for them to safely wait in their car or at a safe social distance from the testing site until their appointment.

Test results can be obtained via phone, email or by logging into the results portal.

Sites will be hosted by churches, community colleges and non-profit organizations. They were chosen in part to help address racial and ethnic disparities that had existed prior to the pandemic and were exacerbated by the virus, according to MDHHS.

Detroit-based sites will have volunteers from the Detroit Health Department present to connect community members with a variety of public health programs and human services, including state benefits, immunizations, lead testing, food and nutrition programs, and referrals to primary care providers.

These neighborhood testing sites will provide more than a place to get a COVID test, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, in a prepared statement. We know there are gaps in services in many communities in our state and these locations were chosen in an effort to address as many of these issues as possible.

All sites will have language language translation services, as well as assistance for the deaf and hard of hearing. The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan is providing $55,000 to help support the 11 Southeast Michigan sites, according to MDHHS.

Michigan has processed more than 2.8 million diagnostic tests for COVID-19 since March. On Tuesdays, 3.3% of the 24,133 tests came back positive, which followed the recent trend.

Michigans newest test sites, slated to open this week, are listed below with their hours of operation.

Historic King Solomon Baptist Church of Detroit

Located at 6100 14th St. in Detroit, the site is open noon to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Triumph Church, Central Campus

Located at 15801 Joy Road in Detroit, the site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays.

Wayne County Community College District Northwest Campus

Located at 8200 West Outer Drive in Detroit, the site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Southwestern Church of God

Located at 3032 Fort St. in Detroit, the site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Macedonia Baptist Church

Located at G5443 North Saginaw St. in Flint, the site is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Bethel United Methodist Church

Located at B1309 N. Ballenger Highway in Flint, the site is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 1 to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

All Gods People

Located at 25295 Chippendale St. in Roseville, the site is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Word of Life Christian Church

Located at 460 West Atherton Road in Flint, the site is open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3.

International Gospel Center

Located at 375 Salliotte Road in Ecorse, the site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Albion College-Washington Gardner

Located at 401 East Michigan Ave. in Albion, the site is open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, beginning Friday, Sept. 4.

Kirtland Community College

Located at 4800 West 4 Mile Road in Grayling, the site is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Saturday, Sept. 5.

Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Head Start Building

Located at 14000 West Seven Mile in Detroit, the site is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, beginning Saturday, Sept. 5.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS:

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Read more on MLive:

Michigan health officials urge coronavirus testing for asymptomatic people, despite federal pivot

Herd immunity without a coronavirus vaccine would do a lot of collateral damage

Wednesday, Sept. 2, coronavirus data by Michigan county: College outbreaks issue in Isabella, Lenawee

With 4,000 new businesses per week, Michigan entrepreneurship hits record levels during pandemic
Shootings Soar Past 1,000 in New York City

Shootings in New York City surged past the 1,000 mark on Sunday, according to police data obtained by the New York Post, representing an astonishing 87 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

NYPD crime data cited by the outlet shows that 1,004 shootings have taken place so far this year as of Aug. 30 in New York City, dwarfing the 537 that had taken place by the same time in 2019.

The last time the Big Apple saw more than 1,000 shootings was in 2015, in which 1,138 incidents were logged for the whole year.

Despite challenges, NYPD officers are undaunted. Theyve made 353 gun arrests this Augustoutpacing the tally by this time last year. And theyre keeping this pace in the face of attrition; a hiring freeze; overtime cuts; and a surge in shootings across NYC, NYPD News said in a tweet.

Earlier figures (pdf) released by NYPD, show that in the week Aug. 17-23 of this year, there were 228 percent more shootings compared to the same week last year, while the number of shooting victims was 276 percent higher.

The surging gun violence in New York City comes as the battle heats up between President Donald Trump and White House hopeful Joe Biden over who can keep Americans safe after recent protests and riots have taken a deadly turn. A 17-year-old from Illinois has been charged with killing two men during the mayhem in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while amid protest-related clashes in Portland, Oregon, a man was shot to death.

Rioters chant in front of a burning truck in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 24, 2020. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump has blamed Biden for siding with anarchists, who the president has argued are responsible for hijacking legitimate protests, while the Democrat nominee accused Trump in a speech in Pittsburgh of stoking divisions and so fueling the unrest.

No one will be safe in Bidens America. My administration will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement, Trump said during his Republican nomination acceptance speech last week, blaming local Democrat politicians for inaction in the face of riots.

In a counter-message to the presidents call for law and order, Biden accused Trump, whom he called an incumbent president who sows chaos, of seeking to instill fear in America, while claiming that Trumps second term would see more violence roil the nations streets.

Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected? Biden said. He cant stop the violence, because, for years, he has fomented it.

Biden, in his remarks in Pittsburgh, sought to challenge Trumps characterization of him as soft on crime.

The senseless violence of looting, and burning, and destruction of propertyI want to make it absolutely clear, something very clear about all of thisrioting is not protesting, looting is not protesting, setting fires is not protesting, he said. None of this is protesting. Its lawlessness, plain and simple. And those that do it should be prosecuted.

Just watched what Biden had to say, Trump wrote in a tweet soon after the former vice president concluded his remarks in Pittsburgh. To me, hes blaming the Police far more than hes blaming the Rioters, Anarchists, Agitators, and Looters, which he could never blame or he would lose the Radical Left Bernie supports!
A Perth woman who received the toughest penalty yet over COVID-19 breaches since the pandemic began after hiding in a Victorian truck to sneak into Western Australia without quarantining has been granted bail.

Asher Vander Sanden, 28, was last week sentenced to six months in jail for her "deceitful and dishonest" conduct after hiding in a car on a truck to cross the border at Eucla on August 3 or 4.

Asher Vander Sanden. Credit:Facebook

She indicated she would appeal her sentence after others with similar convictions received suspended sentences or a free ticket home, and Vander Sanden's lawyer John Hammond said his client understood she had broken the law.

"She understands she needs to be punished for doing that. She's just upset at the extent of the sentence," Mr Hammond told Nine News Perth.
The RAV4 has long been my go-to recommendation for friends and family on the hunt for a reliable vehicle and safe bet on which to spend their hard-earned cash. Hardy, practical, and best of all, drama-free, Toyotas RAV4 is not only the bestselling compact crossover in Canada, its the top non-truck passenger vehicle in North America, period.

And now Toyota has upped the ante by introducing what will surely be the most sought-after new hybrid in the country. The 2021 RAV4 Prime is a plug-in version of its popular crossover offering 68 kilometres of electric-only driving.

But Toyota already offers a RAV4 Hybrid capable of 2 km of pure electric driving, and whats more, it starts at only $32,350  compared to the new Prime, whose base price is $44,900 and tops out at $51,900 to $57,300 if you opt for the tech package.

Unlike the existing RAV4 Hybrid, which tops up its stored electricity with regenerated energy derived from braking, the RAV4 Prime has an 18.1-kWh battery that can be fully recharged in two and a half hours using a 240-volt home or public charger, or 12 hours on a 120-volt household current. The RAV4 Hybrid can travel up to 2 km on electric power only, but the engine kicks in under hard acceleration and it generally runs on a combination of both. Its total range is 767 km combined, using 7.3L/100 km.

By comparison, the RAV4 Primes 68 km of pure EV travel is available up to 135 km/h and has a total combined range of 979 km while averaging 6.0L 100/km of fuel consumption.

Why then, are we predicting such a high demand for the new RAV4 Prime? Aside from it being such a compelling package (more on that later), its all in the numbers. There are fewer than 1,000 vehicles allotted to Canada this year, and most of those have been allocated to Quebec, where its on sale now. The rest will arrive in British Columbia before the end of the year.

Which means most of us wont see the RAV4 Prime in local dealerships until 2021, and even then, their limited numbers, probably between 3,000-4,000, means theyll be snapped up quickly. This is largely due to a lag in battery production. A joint venture between Toyota and a supplier theyre reluctant to name, the 18.1-kWh battery is a new technology hamstrung by current manufacturing constraints. Then theres the vehicle itself, which is produced solely in Japan. Gasoline and hybrid versions of the RAV4 are already being built here at the Cambridge and Woodstock plants, but theyre already operating at capacity and would require enormous investment to add the RAV4 Prime to their output.

Whether that happens depends entirely on demand. And that demand depends on an entirely different set of numbers. The RAV4 Primes base price of $44,900 squeaks in just under the $45,000 limit for the $5,000 federal electric vehicle incentive. Add Quebecs whopping $8,000 rebate for a combined total of $13,000, and you can see why most of the available vehicles will be heading Quebec. That means you could conceivably pick up a plug-in Prime for only $3,000 more than a regular, base RAV4. The Prime gets you nearly 1,000 km of range at 6.0L average fuel cost. It also boasts a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of under six-seconds  making it the second fastest Toyota off the line after the BMW-powered Toyota Supra.

We spent a day behind the wheel of a RAV4 Prime XSE, starting out from Kingstons historic limestone district waterfront, and cruising the vineyards of Prince Edward County.

The RAV4 Primes default drive mode is EV mode, or electric-only, which it can maintain up to 135 km/h. The driver can also select hybrid-only mode to conserve battery power for later or Auto EV to maximize electric range with the gas motor kicking in under hard acceleration. Bridging the gap between Kingston and Belleville were several kilometres of 401 highway, where I was able to confirm the electric powertrains upper limit. Exiting the highway and gliding to a stop at the first set of lights, I can also sheepishly attest that the RAV4 Prime will chirp its tires off the line with an over exuberant application of the throttle.

The 1,920 kg Prime feels a lot more powerful than its 2.5L, 177 hp four-cylinder engine would suggest, thanks to a trio of electric motors  two in the front transaxle and one in the rear  that bring the total power up to 302 horsepower. The rear electric motor also drives the on-demand all-wheel-drive  another item in the RAV4 Primes plus column over some of its front-wheel-drive only competitors.

To differentiate the RAV4 Prime from its conventionally powered siblings, Toyota has given it a unique grille and chrome metallic lip, vertical driving lights, blue-trimmed badging and a painted diffuser. For the first time on a RAV4, the Prime introduces adaptive headlights.

While $44,900 SE models come with cloth upholstery, 18-inch wheels and choice of three colours, the XSE offers five two-tone paint schemes with black roof, new 19-inch black rims, height adjustable power lift gated and faux leather upholstery with unique red stitching and ventilated front seating.

Standard for the first time are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on an eight-inch touchscreen, or optional nine-inch screen on upper trims. Also new for RAV4 is an adjustable head-up display, and a one-year free trial of Toyotas $9.99/monthly connected services that use a smartphone app to monitor charging, set climate controls for remote start, or find information about available local charging stations.

The RAV4 Prime is a comfortable place to spend the day, with nicely bolstered, eight-way adjustable drivers seat, great visibility, and simple ergonomics that feature prominent, easy-to use control knobs instead of needlessly complex graphics. It offers plenty of head and leg room for all four passengers, although cargo space drops from 1,064 litres to 949 litres thanks to the battery pack.

Like the rest of Toyotas lineup, the RAV4 Prime comes with the now-standard safety suite of drivers aids, which includes dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert, pre-collision system with Pedestrian detection, and Lane Tracing assist. Also available are full-speed-range radar cruise control, steering assist and road edge detection, and a digital-display rear view mirror and birds eye view monitor.

In EV mode the RAV4 Prime is, of course, very quiet and helps showcase the optional JBL sound system. When the four-cylinder engine eventually kicks in, it does so fairly smoothly. The driver can opt to gear down using the paddle shifters, or just let the continuously variable transmission handle it. Under gasoline power, I regularly saw 4.9 L of fuel consumption on the highway and finished with an average of 6.2 L/100 km overall. Electric-only travel slightly exceeded the claimed 68 km at nearly 70 km, and a more careful driver could conceivably do a lot better. Of course, those numbers will change during the winter, where cold weather seriously compromises overall battery range. Then theres the additional drain of cabin heat, though a frugal driver could extend range using seat and steering-wheel heaters with only minimal draw.

With incentives, the Toyota RAV4 Prime is an extremely compelling offering with the Ford Escape, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Subaru Crosstrek its only plug-in competitors. Its closest rival is the Escape PHEV, offered in front-wheel drive only.

Going strictly by the numbers, the RAV4 Prime is one of the most impressive new vehicles on the market today, and one of the most frustratingly unobtainable  unless youre one of the lucky buyers able to snap up one of the first available models.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime

Body Style: Compact Crossover

Drive Method: Plug-in hybrid, on-demand all-wheel drive, continuously variable transmission

Engine: 2.5L 176 hp/163 lb-ft 4-cylinder; 179 hp/199 lb-ft (Front) + 53 hp/89 lb-ft (rear) electric motors. 302 horsepower combined.

Fuel Economy: 2.6 L/100 km; 4.5L/100 km

Cargo Volume: 949 litres

Tow Rating: 2,500 lb.

Price: $44,990-$51,590

Website: www.toyota.ca
Rating Action: Moody's assigns Aa3 enhanced to Depew UFSD, NY's GOs

Global Credit Research - 01 Sep 2020

New York, September 01, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Aa3 enhanced rating to Depew Union Free School District, New York's $11 million School District Refunding Bonds, 2020.

RATINGS RATIONALE

The Aa3 enhanced rating is based on additional security provided by the New York State Section 99-b Intercept Program. The program authorizes the state to withhold state aid in order to make bond payments in the event of default. The district's state aid to debt service coverage ratio is 5.1 times thus the district receives the programmatic rating. The outlook on the enhancement program is negative.

We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. The coronavirus crisis is not a key driver for this rating action but could affect the district in fiscal 2021 which begins on July 1. The district depends on state aid for approximately 49% of its revenue. The State of New York is currently experiencing significant declines and delays in sales tax and income tax revenue which, in the absence of federal assistance, will likely result in a decline in state aid to the district in fiscal 2021. Although the district expects to offset any decline in state aid by cutting expenses, a significant drop could result in a drawdown of reserves. The situation surrounding coronavirus is rapidly evolving and the longer term impact will depend on both the severity and duration of the crisis. If our view of the credit quality of Depew UFSD, NY changes, we will update the rating and/or outlook at that time.

RATINGS OUTLOOK

The outlook on the enhanced rating is derived from New York State's general obligation outlook, which is negative. The state's negative outlook reflects the potential credit impacts of the economic and financial consequences of the coronavirus crisis. The outlook also reflects the state's current position with healthy liquidity and adequate reserves as well as the state's also demonstrated willingness to both cut spending and raise revenues when necessary.

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FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATING

- Upgrade of the State of New York's general obligation rating

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING

- Downgrade of the State of New York's general obligation rating

LEGAL SECURITY

The bonds are secured by the district's faith and credit and pledge to levy ad valorem property taxes to pay debt service unlimited as to rate or amount. The bonds are further secured by the State of New York's commitment to advance available state aid to pay debt service pursuant to the state's Section 99-b intercept program.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Bond proceeds will finance reconstruction and renovation of district buildings.

PROFILE

Depew UFSD is located approximately 12 miles east of Buffalo, NY. The district provides pre-K through high school education to about 1,800 students in three buildings.

METHODOLOGY

The principal methodology used in this rating was State Aid Intercept Programs and Financings published in December 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBM_1067422. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Christopher Yared Lead Analyst Regional PFG Northeast Moody's Investors Service, Inc. One International Place 100 Oliver St Suite 1400 Boston 02110 US JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Robert Weber Additional Contact Regional PFG Northeast JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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Former UC Davis Researcher Attends Hearing, May Be Released on Bail

SANTA CLARA, Calif.Former researcher Juan Tang attended her Sept. 1 hearing via video conference on Zoom before Judge John Mendez.

Tang, a Chinese national who was a researcher at the University of California, Davis, was charged on June 26 for allegedly lying in her visa application and concealing her status as a member of the Chinese military.

Heiko Coppola, the attorney representing the United States, said they have found about 2.6 GB worth of data from Tangs devices. They expect to make more discoveries in the coming weeks.

Tang now has three lawyersMalcolm Segal, Thomas Johnson, and Patrick Wong.

Coppola filed a motion to stay and plan to have the appeal on file by Sept. 11. Segal would have about a week to respond.

According to a report by South China Morning Post, a judge ruled on Aug. 28 that Tang would be released on bail.

Judge Kendall Newman oversaw Tangs bail, which had been denied by Judge Deborah Barnes on July 31 over concerns about her ties to China. Newman cited COVID-19 concerns for her release.

An anonymous Chinese American lawyer going by Mr. C, who didnt know Tang before, appeared in court as a third-party custodian, a person who ensures that the criminal is protected and doesnt escape.

He initially wanted to bail her out with $500,000 from his home equity. However, Judge Newman will grant her release if Mr. C agrees to post $750,000. At the time of this writing, Tang is still in custody, and she will remain so until the secured bond is posted.

According to court documents, Mr. C is a civil attorney who can speak Mandarin and English.

He would keep Tang at his private residence, where he lives with his wife. Mr. C is also willing to accommodate any monitoring ordered by the court and assist with pretrial services.

They have not once talked to Dr. Tang, they are seeing her for the first time today, Coppola said. This is really a case like no other in terms of her lack of ties to the communitynotwithstanding Mr. C and his family and their offer.

Tang hid in the San Francisco Chinese Consulate for a month and was arrested on July 23 after tension between the United States and China escalated and the Chinese Houston Consulate was ordered to close by July 24.

After a federal grand jury indicted Tang on August 6, charging her with visa fraud and false statements, Tang replaced her public defender, Lexi Negin, with Sacramento lawyer Malcolm Segal. In early 2000, he defended Dr. Fidel Realyvasquez, Jr., a surgeon accused of performing hundreds of unnecessary cardiac bypasses.

Then Tang added Johnson, who is another Sacramento lawyer, and Wong, a South Bay lawyer.

Under the Speedy Trial Act, Judge Mendez will exclude time between the Sept. 1 hearing and Sept. 22 for the defendant.

The next hearing was not set. However, the judge will announce a hearing if needed, not necessarily on a Tuesday. For now, he set the case for further status on Oct. 6.
Sen. Ed Markey, less than an hour after Rep. Joe Kennedy III called him to concede a blockbuster primary battle on Tuesday night, championed progressivism and called on young people to take action.

They will save us if we trust them, the 74-year-old senator told a crowd of supporters and media outside the Malden Public Library where he learned to dream as a child and college student.

The Democrat argued that the progressive stances his campaign took on climate change, health care, the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice were aligned with a progressive youth movement that has the power to reshape American politics and policy.

We must follow these young people, he said. They want justice in our country and in our world.

Markey alluded to his humble beginnings in Malden, and said his father, a milkman for Hood, told him never to beg for your rights. You organize and you take them.

To the young people fighting in this movement for change, march in the streets. Protest. Run for school committee or city council or state legislature, and win, Markey said. Dont just challenge the status quo, dismantle it. When they say slow down, go faster. When they say youre too young, show up with your friends. Now is our moment to think big, to build big and to be big.

Markey thanked Kennedy for a hard-fought campaign, acknowledging that it had gotten bitter in recent weeks but saying both efforts were rooted in a shared goal of helping Massachusetts communities.

The senator is a good man. Youve never heard me say otherwise. I know it was difficult between us at times, Kennedy told supporters and the media at his campaign headquarters. Good elections get heated, but I am grateful for our debates, for his commitment to this commonwealth and for the energy and enthusiasm that he brought to this race.

Markey said he looks forward to working with the congressman on advancing the progressive agenda. And the senator called on Democrats to retake the Senate, and for Americans to oust President Donald Trump from the White House.

The progressive movement knows how to fight, he said. We will not surrender. We have to hit the streets.

Markey will face conservative longtime attorney Kevin OConnor in November, after OConnor defeated Shiva Ayyadurai in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

Related Content:
Jaipur, Sep 3 : A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Rajasthan government and a private company on Wednesday and investment of Rs 4,000 crore is estimated from these projects which would generate employment for more than 4,000 people, said officials.

The Rajasthan government has entered into an understanding with SVP International Group for the development of facilities related to the aviation, defence and textile sectors.

Earlier on Wednesday, the company representatives made a presentation at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wherein state industries minister Prasadi Lal Meena, state minister Arjun Singh Bamaniya and other senior officials were present.

During the presentation, the company proposed to develop a project for defence and aerospace including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, an aviation academy and a project related to textiles. The projects are proposed to be developed at a mutually agreed location in the state.

The state government has directed for constitution of a committee under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary Industries for speedy implementation of the projects.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Donald Trump invited attendees at an event in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to remove their face masks moments before beginning a round-table discussion on community safety.

The US president was meeting with community members and leaders following protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, last week.

The roundtable also included two pastors from Mr Blakes mother's church, who were the only black people in attendance.

The White House said it had reached out to Mr Blake's family to arrange a meeting, which they had declined.

Mr Trump welcomed round-table attendees without a mask.

He then encouraged them to remove their own if you feel more comfortable.

[If] youll say a couple of words, you might want to take the masks off, otherwise you can leave them on, said the president. Either way you want.

Then, as someone appeared to take off their mask, the president pointed and commented: Look how fast you took that off.

The roundtable, which was held indoors, comes amid a pandemic that has seen more than 6 million Americans contract the coronavirus and 180,000 lives lost.

Mr Trump has largely avoided wearing masks in public during the pandemic, in contradiction with the US governments own advice, and the efforts of his Democratic opponent Joe Biden.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists, meanwhile, accused the president of orchestrating division with his visit to Kenosha on Tuesday.

The president, who defended a white 17-year-old teenager charged with shooting BLM demonstrators, offered some sympathy when he said he felt terribly for anybody who goes through that, referring to the police shooting.
"Unimarket worked in partnership with the Department to ensure we achieved the best outcome for our schools and scalability of the solution for use by other NSW Government agencies," said Andrea Patrick, Chief Procurement Officer at NSW Department of Education.

Unimarket, a leading provider of procurement software and services, has implemented a cloud-based, easy-to-use online catalog solution for the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education. The new system is being used by more than 2,000 primary and secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia.

With its straightforward, user-friendly interface, the solution makes it easy for school administrators, managers and teachers to search, find and buy products they need to help keep their schools running and deliver a positive educational experience for their students.

Since implementation, the NSW Department of Education has averaged 500+ orders per day and spent over AUD$135 million (USD$97 million) through the platform.

School administration staff, and the departments corporate staff, can buy with confidence, knowing that they are using the Departments approved suppliers. Everything purchased through the online catalog aligns with the pricing and contract terms negotiated by the NSW Department of Education with its preferred suppliers.

The Unimarket solution provides automated on-account ordering and invoice matching that streamlines payments to suppliers through an integration with the Department of Educations SAP enterprise planning solution. Alternatively, users can opt to pay suppliers instantly, using an integrated payment gateway that facilitates p-card payments. This ability to make immediate payments reduces administrative overheads and makes the purchasing process much more efficient.

Unimarket is a fully scalable solution that works for suppliers of all sizes. They have the option to host and manage image-rich catalogs, or they can take advantage of full B2B integration with their e-commerce platforms for catalogs and order and invoice integration. They are also able to view and track payments through the platform.

We are approaching the first anniversary following implementation, and the Unimarket solution has significantly improved the online catalog purchasing experience for staff, said Andrea Patrick, Chief Procurement Officer at NSW Department of Education. Unimarket worked in partnership with the Department to ensure we achieved the best outcome for our schools and scalability of the solution for use by other NSW Government agencies. We had a small team relative to the scale of this implementation who were focused and accountable - everyone did what they said they would and there was openness and transparency, which built trust."

We take a strong partnership approach to all our implementations and it was exciting to work so closely with the highly capable team at NSW Department of Education, said Unimarket CEO Peter Kane. Our focus throughout was to listen and collaborate to ensure we designed and configured a solution that would meet their specific requirements.

At Unimarket, our purpose is to empower people to do their best work by helping them quickly and easily purchase the things they need and this inspired and shaped our approach throughout implementation of this project, Kane continued. By providing a straightforward, user-friendly, personalized purchasing experience, were helping teachers and support staff spend less time navigating complex processes and more time focused on what they do best  teaching students and preparing them for the future.

About Unimarket

Unimarket is a leading provider of procurement software and services. Its simple and easy-to-use cloud-based solution brings together purchasing, invoicing, payments, contracts, sourcing, expenses, and a continuously growing supplier marketplace  all in one unified platform. Founded in 2005, Unimarket supports clients in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, spanning a range of industries including higher education, government, financial services, transport and logistics, and healthcare. For more information, visit unimarket.com or follow on Twitter @Unimarket, LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/unimarket, or Facebook at @UnimarketProcurement.

###

Media contact: Courtney Allen, courtney.allen@unimarket.com, +64 9 218 6536.
By Akbar Mammadov

Istanbul Turkish-Azerbaijani Association (ISTAD) has decried Yerevans attempts to settle Armenians from the Middle East in Azerbaijans occupied territories.

In a statement published on September 1, the ISTAD said that Armenias attempts to resettle Armenians from Lebanon after Syria in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was unacceptable.

The organization pointed out to Armenias recent military provocation on Azerbaijans border Tovuz region that killed 12 servicemen and a civilian, reminding that for many years, 20 per cent of Azerbaijani lands have been under Armenian occupation. The crimes committed by Armenians in these occupied lands are known to everyone, the organization said.

The association stressed that the world must unite and demand an immediate end to this occupation, and the historical lands of Azerbaijan must be returned.

"Unfortunately, Armenia is still pursuing a policy of aggression. Ignoring the decisions of international organizations to withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani lands, Armenia continues its illegal activities in the historical Azerbaijani lands. One of these illegalities is the attempt to resettle Armenians from Lebanon after Syria in these lands.

The statement said that these actions of Armenia contradict international law, as well as the 1949 Geneva Convention and its additional protocols.

Armenians does not give up its provocative actions. With the support of some foreign forces, Armenia continues its aggressive position. This is unacceptable.

We strongly condemn those who turn a blind eye to this injustice against Azerbaijan, including the entire Turkic world. The occupation of Azerbaijani territories also threatens peace and stability in the region. The only solution to this conflict is the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," the statement concluded.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
LONDON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired a Downing Street meeting of his most senior ministers Tuesday as the parliamentary machine sprung back into action after its lengthy summer recess.

With issues surrounding COVID-19 high on the agenda, the focus was also on latest developments on the Brexit front, with looming fears a future trading deal between Britain and Brussels will not be reached by the end of this year.

According to media reports in London, Number 10 played down prospects of reaching a trade deal, with an official spokesperson for Johnson saying it will be very difficult, heaping blame on Brussels' insistence on tackling tough issues before a deal can be brokered.

Britain's chief negotiator David Frost met Tuesday his EU counterpart Michel Barnier in London for informal talks ahead of the next round of formal talks next week.

The EU side is expected to hold a critical meeting next month when it hopes to finalise a trade agreement with Britain. It said it needs the green light in October to enable the 27 member states of the bloc to have enough time to sign-off any agreement before the end of this year.

Time though, said political analysts, is running short with a deadline looming in a matter of weeks.

The Guardian said Johnson's official spokesman conceded that hopes of a deal were dwindling.

"The EU continues to insist that we must agree on difficult areas in the negotiations, such as EU state aid, before any further work can be done in any other area of the negotiations, including on legal texts, and that makes it very difficult to make progress," the spokesperson said in a media briefing after the cabinet meeting.

The spokesperson said an agreement with Brussels was still possible, but warned it would not be easy to achieve because of differences between the two sides.

The Guardian said Brussels has consistently said it wants to see issues such as the fisheries policy and state aid settled up front.

Johnson's spokesperson said: "We'll set out further detail of our domestic regime in due course. After the transition period, the UK will have its own regime of subsidy control, and will not be subject to the EU's state aid regime. We have been very clear about that throughout."

"The UK's future subsidy arrangements are a matter for the British people and parliament, not the EU."

Although Britain ended its membership of the bloc on Jan. 31, it is abiding by EU rules during a transition period which expires Dec. 31. Johnson has insisted Britain will not seek an extension.

That would mean Britain trading with the EU on WTO terms from January if there is no deal in place.

Meanwhile, Johnson is facing calls to address a meeting this week of backbench Conservative MPs, back at Westminster Tuesday. Many MPs are said to be disillusioned by the number of government U-turns on high school exam results and other issues linked to the pandemic.

Their fury was made worse by the latest opinion poll showing the Conservatives and main opposition Labour running neck and neck on 40 points each. Just months ago Johnson's party was racing ahead with a 26 point margin.

Johnson's spokesperson told the media briefing U-turns were an inevitable part of responding to an unprecedented situation.

The spokesperson said: "We have been responding to a global pandemic with an entirely novel virus and we have been guided by the scientific advice and as more is learned about the virus then we have ensured we have taken the right steps to keep the public safe. But the PM is clear the government will not be knocked off course of levelling up the country."
Bagdat Musin has been appointed as Kazakhstan's Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, according to Akordas press service.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the corresponding decree on Mussins appointment on September 2, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported,

Graduated from the Suleyman Demirel University, Mussin previously held various posts at the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Communication and Information. He was the Chairman of National Information Technologies JSC, Kazpost JSC, and the Committee for Legal Statistics of the Prosecutor Generals Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan.



From March till July 2020, he was an advisor to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for digitalization and innovative technologies. Later in July, he took up the post of the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry.
By Jonathan Cable, Leika Kihara and Lucia Mutikani LONDON/TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Factories across Europe, Asia and North America continued to shake off the coronavirus gloom in August as the global economy emerged from a downturn triggered by the health crisis, thanks in part to massive fiscal and monetary stimulus programmes. Surveys showing an expansion in manufacturing activity may reduce pressure on policymakers to take bolder steps to avert a deeper recession. J.P. Morgan's measure of global manufacturing activity rose to a 21-month high of 51.8 in August from 50.6 ...
JEE Mains 2020: The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Mains 2020 for admissions to BTech/BE programmes began on Wednesday, with full precautionary measures being taken in view of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The examination today is being held by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at 605 centres across India.

Follow JEE main 2020 Live Updates

The first shift of the exam started at 9:30 am, while the second shift will begin at 2:30 pm. Around 9 lakh candidates have registered for the JEE Mains 2020 examinations, which will be conducted till September 6, 2020. JEE Mains examination is conducted for admission to engineering courses in IITs, NITs and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs).

Also Read: JEE Mains 2020: What students across India said after the exams

Here is what students across the country said after appearing in the engineering entrance test on Wednesday:

Lucknow:

In Lucknow, candidates who appeared in JEE Main exam on Wednesday found the difficulty level of the paper between moderate and high. Candidates were happy with the social distancing protocol maintained inside the examination centres.

Rajan Singh, a student of Army Public School, SP Marg said JEE main exam difficulty level was between moderate and high. A couple of questions were tricky. The only inconvenience he experienced was the computer got shut down once, following which he lost about a good five minutes.

Before the exam, I was concerned about my safety. At the centre, I found Social distancing was properly maintained. All the candidates were made to sit at a distance from each other. Students and invigilators were wearing mask and the centre was quite clean, he said.

Another candidate, Aman Kumar said the paper was moderate. Six physics questions were tricky. He was pleased with the social distancing protocol followed at the examination centre.

Chandigarh:

Over 120 students appeared in JEE main exam for engineering at Chandigarhs JEE center in Industrial Area phase 1. Students coming out of the center wore a relieved look, glad that the exams were over. Chirag Bhatia of Chandigarh said he was able to nail the inorganic chemistry part of the exam. The delay in conducting the exam worked in my favour as I got extra time to revise the syllabus and was able to read more reference books. Other students also said that chemistry was easy but physics was tough as per Avneet Kaur of Mohali.

Tanish Kohli of Chandigarh discussed how the sample papers of the NTA were tougher than the exam on Wednesday, but Harsh Nagar from Chandigarh said his January attempt had gone much better as he was convinced that the JEE exams were going to get cancelled.

Most students said that the protocols to maintain social distancing and hygiene were followed meticulously. Even parents were impressed with the arrangements. SP Singh, a Chandigarh based banker whose son had come to give the exam said that the organisers had done a professional job and were not letting any one form outside in the centre.

Haryana:

Engineering aspirants appeared for the JEE Mains examination on Wednesday across 16 centres in Haryanas nine cities. The students reached the examination centre nearly an hour before the commencement of the exam.

Jatin Suthar, a resident of Hisars Dobhi village, who is enrolled in the state governments super-100 programme, told HT that the social distancing protocol was implemented exceptionally well.

The candidates appeared in the examination room with a distance of 2 metres between each of them. The administration provided face masks to all students. I have attempted my examination without any Covid-19 fear. I want to thank my teachers and my family for supporting me in this tough time. I had cleared Januarys JEE mains exam also but now I am hoping to secure better marks than that one, he added.

Sumit Kumar, a resident of Rawalwas in Hisar said he along with his father reached the exam centre at Ladwa in Hisar, at around 7.45am on their motorcycle.

I want to thank the school administration, the government for making good preparations for us at the exam centre. I am confident enough to crack this exam. The government has saved our one year by conducting this exam. I urge the other JEE and NEET aspirants not to panic about preparation at the examination center because the exams are conducted adhering to safety guidelines, he added.

The number of centres for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in Haryana stands at 16 this time as against 15 last time. A total of 24,763 have registered for JEE Mains in September as against 22,350 candidates who took the exam in January.

Bihar:

Majority of JEE aspirants who took exam on Wednesday shared that Physics questions were difficult while mathematics questions were of moderate difficulty level.

Students shared that exam centres strictly followed Covid-19 norms including thermal screening, social distancing and alternate seating arrangements. Several students complained that wearing mask for long-hours is difficult for them.

Akash Gupta, a JEE aspirant who took exam at Patliputra centre, said, Overall exam was good. I found Physics the most difficult. Mathematics and Chemistry parts were easy.

He said, I was satisfied with arrangements. Blocks were made on floor to maintain social distancing. Thermal screening was done followed by hand sanitisation. A fresh three-ply mask was provided before entrance. Inside exam hall, alternate seating arrangement was made.

Another aspirant Divya Rani, who took exam at Kankarbagh Centre, said, Physics questions were lengthy and time consuming. Mathematics questions were comparatively easier. I found chemistry the easiest as some questions were directly asked from NCERT book.

She said, Exam centres were strictly following precautionary measures but wearing mask for straight 3-4 hours caused suffocation and sweating.

Ayush Divang, who took exam in Gaya, said, This was my second attempt. Physics questions were hard to solve among all sections. Mathematics was moderate. Some chemistry questions were based on theory. Overall, my exam was good.

He also said that he was happy with precautionary measure followed by exam centre. He said, My exam hall was located at the third floor. Security personnel wearing face shield were standing on staircase to monitor candidates and prevent gathering.

(With inputs from Rajeev Mullick in Lucknow, Sunil Rahar in Haryana, Megha in Bihar, and Rajanbir Singh in Chandigarh.)
Two men have been charged for the kidnapping of St Helena couple Narine and Mattie Maraj.
Walker County will hold a Patriot Day service to recognize and remember first responders on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.



The public service, led by Walker County Fire Rescue and to be held at the Walker County Courthouse steps, 103 S. Duke St. in LaFayette, begins at 8:15 a.m. and includes the ringing of a bell at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. to signify the moments when two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center.

"Over 400 first responders lost their lives answering the call to help others on Sept.

11, 2001, while hundreds more have died of 9/11 related illnesses since that fateful day," officials said.Students from LaFayette High Schools JROTC and chorus programs will be participating in the program, along with Walker County Deputy Fire Chief Nathan Farrow, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson and LaFayette Fire Services and Emergency Management Director Stacey Meeks. Taps will be performed by a Ridgeland High School student.Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield will also read a proclamation recognizing Sept. 11, 2020 as Patriot Day in Walker County, encouraging citizens to observe the day with patriotism and pause for a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m.Socially distanced seating will be available, as well as plenty of space for those who choose to stand. A complimentary breakfast will be provided to first responders at 8 a.m., courtesy of volunteers with the Walker County GOP.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Eurozone producer prices continued to decline in July but the pace of annual fall slowed further, data from Eurostat showed Wednesday. Producer prices fell 3.3 percent year-on-year in July, following a 3.7 percent decrease in June. Economists had forecast an annual fall of 3.4 percent. Excluding energy, producer prices were down 0.4 percent annually versus a 0.5 percent drop a month ago. The annual fall was largely driven by an 11.6 percent decrease in energy prices. Intermediate goods prices declined 2 percent. Partially offsetting these declines, durable consumer goods prices gained 1.6 percent and non-durable consumer goods prices moved up 0.4 percent. Prices of capital goods advanced 0.9 percent. Month-on-month, producer prices climbed 0.6 percent in July compared to a 0.7 percent rise in June. But this was faster than the expected increase of 0.5 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
An indigenous tribe on Indias Andaman Islands, whose population hovers just over 50 people, is now threatened by the coronavirus and experts fear uncontacted people on nearby islands could be next.

At least 10 people from the Great Andamanese tribe have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday and were being monitored in a hospital, according to Anvita Abbi, a New Delhi-based linguist and social scientist who is in contact with the community.

It is spreading like fire, Abbi told NBC News by phone. What I gathered from them was that none of them had really serious symptoms. In fact, they all seem to be asymptomatic.

Those who are appearing to be ill are younger  in their late teens in some cases  and live in the archipelagos largest city of Port Blair, she said. But concerns are rising over the possible exposure of the tribes elders who live on the remote Strait Island, which has some contact with the general population.

At least 3,160 people have tested positive for the virus across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to local officials. Located southeast of Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal, they have a combined population of more than 400,000,

Cases are on the rise with 28 more cases confirmed Tuesday. Forty-six people there have died during the pandemic so far.

Dr. Avijit Roy, who is leading the fight against the outbreak in the islands, told Reuters last week that tests given to the Great Andamanese living on one of the coral reef islands confirmed four men were positive.

They have been moved to hospital, Roy said. Officials believe the men may have traveled to the main Andaman islands and caught the disease.

Indias Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Image: An Indian Navy boat patrols in the waters of the Andaman Sea near Port Blair (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters file)

Survival International, a British-based charity advocating indigenous rights worldwide, also said it received reports that at least five people among the Great Andamanese were infected.

Its a huge concern because theyre so vulnerable, they've got so many already existing health problems, Sophie Grig, a senior researcher for Survival International, said.

Story continues

The tribes population has significantly dwindled from an estimated 5,000 people when the British colonists arrived in the 1850s, she said. Exposure to new illnesses such as influenza, measles and syphilis that came with colonization decimated its numbers.

The community continues to struggle with cases of tuberculosis, she added.

They've already lost so much as a community, she said.

The tribe along with its ancient language and culture are at risk, and losing them means losing a window into human history, Abbi said.

They represent one of the most ancient civilizations, she said.

The ancestors of the Great Andamanese traveled from Africa to settle off the Indian coast some 70,000 years ago, Abbi said. Other tribes in the archipelago have similar ancient roots, and unlike the Great Andamanese, they are not integrated.

Image: A Sentinel tribal man aims with his bow and arrow at an Indian Coast Guard helicopter as it flies over their island for survey in India's Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. (Indian Coast Guard / AP file)

The nomadic Jarawa tribe of an estimated 400 people live relatively isolated in forests. But they risk being exposed to the virus by poachers, travelers and even welfare workers encroaching on their territory, according to Survival.

Despite being among the most isolated tribes in the world, the uncontacted Sentinelese are also at risk of exposure by poachers fishing off their remote island of North Sentinel. Survival International is calling for strict protections to ensure outsiders remain away from their territory  which linguist Abbi agreed with.

The best thing is to leave them alone, she said.

Theres no evidence yet to suggest any ethnic group is at greater risk of complications from the coronavirus because of a lack of immunity since the virus is new to all humans, said Dr. Jehan El-Bayoumi, founding director of the Rodham Institute at the George Washington University.

But other social and economic factors  such as nutrition, access to health care and poverty  do increase the risk of complications in indigenous and minority communities, El-Bayoumi said.

We know that 80 percent of the outcomes related to any illness actually has nothing to do with access to health care, it is really the social determinants of health, she said. Those include water that you drink, the air that you breathe, the food that you eat, your education, your economic background, (or) systemic racism.

In the United States, Native Americans are the group at the highest risk of death from the virus, she added.

Similar concerns can be seen around the world from increasing infections among indigenous groups in Brazil to starvation due to the pandemics disruption of food supplies for indigenous communities in Bangladesh, according to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

Whats needed is better adherence to public health guidance as well as more representation from indigenous communities at all levels of government, so they can advocate for their needs, Ralph Bunche, general secretary of the organization, said.

All too often, indigenous communities are suffering from greater impacts from things like coronavirus, Bunche said. It's just showing to a greater extent these imbalances that have had already existed.
The guest house at Kalina in Santacruz where CBI team probing the Sushant death case is staying in Mumbai.  PTI photo

Mumbai:

The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested an alleged contraband dealer and detained another in connection with the drugs trafficking case linked to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested man has been identified by the federal anti-narcotics agency as Zaid Vilatra. Indian currency worth Rs 9,55,750 and foreign currency (USD 2,081, 180 British Pounds, 15 dirhams), which the NCB claimed are "proceeds of drug peddling", have been recovered from him.

"Zaid disclosed that he runs an eatery in Bandra which was not giving any pecuniary gains since lockdown. He also disclosed that he is into drug peddling especially bud, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money," the NCB said.

According to the NCB, the best quality of bud is sold for about Rs 5,000 per gram.

Zaid came under the scanner after the agency arrested two people -- Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora -- in another narcotics case on August 27-28 in Mumbai and recovered a bud consignment from them.

Lakhani had "linkages" with Zaid, the NCB claimed.

The agency has also detained a Bandra resident identified as Basit Parihar after interrogating Zaid.

Parihar is "learnt to have linkages" with the narcotics case registered against Rajput's live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty, 28, and others.

Rhea is the main accused in the death case of the 34-year-old actor that is being probed by the NCB, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering charges and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The role of Rhea's brother Showik and his purported links with the people nabbed by the NCB are under the scanner of the agency and he is expected to be summoned for questioning soon, the officials said.

Some more drug peddlers based in Maharashtra, Delhi and Goa are also under the agency's scanner, they said.

A special NCB team from Delhi, headed by deputy director (operations) K P S Malhotra, is camping in the western metropolis to take forward the probe.

The team also includes agency officers from Mumbai and has been constituted by NCB Director General Rakesh Asthana.

The agency filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea.

According to the officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI.

Rajput was found dead at his duplex flat in Bandra on June 14.
A squirrel was captured holding its ground against a nut-stealing woodpecker.

Photos of the battle surfaced online showing a red squirrel perched on a tree stump with its paw in the air, as the screaming great spotted woodpecker squares off on the other side.

Karen Crawford was walking in a forest near Johnsfield in Scotland where she routinely stops to place the nuts in a tree for the squirrels.

Crawford watch the argument unfold and although the fury contender fought back, it eventually gave up once realizing its feathered opponent had the upper hand.

Scroll down for video

A squirrel was captured holding its ground against a nut-stealing woodpecker

'The squirrels are normally waiting for you to put nuts out for them, but the woodpecker arrived first and had to protect its territory, Crawford explained to news agency South West News Service.

'The woodpecker was on one side of the stump feeding on the nuts and as soon as it saw the squirrel it became aggressive towards it.

'The squirrel didn't back off at first but eventually it knew it had to because it wasn't going to get anything.'

Karen, who normally pictures landscapes, did not realize the shots she took until at home.

Photos of the battle surfaced online showing a red squirrel perched on a tree stump with its paw in the air, as the screaming great spotted woodpecker squares off on the other side

'The squirrel had its paw raised and the bird had its beak wide open, it was like they were going to have a fight,' she said.

'I thought 'wow' when I got home and saw the picture and the reaction I have had to it has been really strong.

'I normally take landscape pictures but in terms of nature pictures this is one of the best I have ever done.'

The red squirrel population has experienced declines over centuries in the UK and sometimes bordering extinction, according to Wildlife Online.

Researchers found the decline was caused by destruction of habitats and intensive hunting.

Specifically for those in Scotland, experts have attributed the decrease to deforestation.

James Richie, an author, wrote: 'The great far-reaching cause of the extermination of the Squirrel was the destruction of the forest.'

'We have seen that at an early date the woods of southern Scotland were destroyed to make way for cultivation and sheep pasture; and at an early date the Squirrel disappeared from the Lowlands.'

'The squirrel didn't back off at first but eventually it knew it had too because it wasn't going to get anything,' said Karen Crawford who captured the images while walking along a forest in Scotland

Along with fighting the occasional woodpecker, the red squirrels major competitor is the grey squirrel.

Not only does it push red squirrels out of their natural habitats, but greys carry a squirrelpox virus that is usually fatal to reds.

There are several projects underway to understand the decline with a view to reversing it - some have attempted to exterminate greys from prime red squirrel habitats.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:54:29|Editor: huaxia

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Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas jointly meet the press in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 1, 2020. (Photo by Peng Dawei/Xinhua)

According to Wang Yi, the three tasks that China and Germany should take on are:

- Strengthening global anti-epidemic cooperation and revive the world economy

- Advancing the China-EU relations to a higher level

- Advocating for multilateralism and oppose the "new cold war"

BERLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that as two major independent forces in the world, China and Germany should strengthen strategic consultation, deepen strategic coordination and expand strategic cooperation, in a bid to take on three tasks.

Wang made the remarks during talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Wang said the current world is facing three major choices -- multilateralism or unilateralism, openness or closeness, cooperation or confrontation.

The first task, Wang said, is to strengthen global anti-epidemic cooperation and revive the world economy. At the time when the prevention and control of COVID-19 have become a regular practice, China is willing to work with Germany to expand the "express channel" for personnel exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in vaccine and medicine development, in a bid to take care of the health of the two peoples and make contributions to global public health security.

Photo taken with a mobile phone on April 24, 2020 shows a handover ceremony of medical equipment donated by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Zhuzhou Locomotive Co. Ltd. in Berlin, Germany. (CRRC ZELC/Handout via Xinhua)

Wang said that China and Germany should advocate for global solidarity, support the World Health Organization and oppose wrong acts and words stigmatizing global anti-epidemic cooperation.

The two sides should also implement the consensus reached at the G20 summit to help Africa and other less-developed regions, in a bid to give more momentum to the world economy, Wang added.

The second task is to advance the China-European Union (EU) relations to a higher level, Wang said, adding that developing strategic partnerships with Germany and Europe is China's strategic choice rather than an expedient measure, without any influence from the third party.

As partners rather than rivals, China and the EU should accommodate and learn from each other, so as to help stabilize the turbulent world, Wang said.

Photo taken on July 28, 2020 shows the 8th China-EU High-level Economic and Trade Dialogue at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

China is willing to work with Germany and the EU to prepare for the major political agenda for the next stage, deepen exchanges and cooperation in trade and economy, climate change, green development and digitalization, and complete the China-EU investment agreement negotiations within this year, Wang said.

Wang hoped that Germany will play a constructive role in promoting China-EU mutual trust and cooperation during the current German rotating presidency of EU Council.

The third task is to advocate for multilateralism and oppose the "new cold war," Wang said, adding that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Germany in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization, so as to safeguard the authority of the UN, advance global governance and build an open world economy.

The two sides should take practical acts to maintain the stable operation of industrial and supply chains, opposing "decoupling," deglobalization and other acts in an attempt to reverse the course of history, Wang added.

Wang said that China stands ready to work with Germany to strengthen bilateral exchanges in humanities, think tanks, media and research institutions, and hold the second conference of the China-Germany high-level humanities exchange mechanism and the China-Germany cultural exchange year, so as to promote people-to-people understanding between the two countries.

Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R, front) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas prepare to meet the press in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Qing)

For his part, Maas said that Germany highly values Germany-China relations and EU-China relations, and further developing relations with China is a key target of Germany as the current EU Council rotating president, adding that Germany will work with China to promote the success of the important EU-China political agenda in the next phase.

"Decoupling" is not in the interest of any party, said Maas, adding that China is a major country with important influence, so that it is impossible to find lasting solutions without China's participation in dealing with major international issues such as tackling climate change.

Maas said that Germany hopes to work with China to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade and humanities, fight the pandemic, carry out vaccine cooperation, and ensure vaccine accessibility.

Germany is willing to conduct candid exchanges with China on issues with different views on the basis of mutual respect, Mass added.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern.

On Tuesday, Wang also met with German Chancellor's foreign policy adviser Jan Hecker and economic adviser Lars-Hendrik Roeller, and exchanged views with them on the important political agenda of China and the EU in the next phase. 
The four leaders with their legal counsel outside the Supreme Court yesterday.

Photo: Terence Malapa
Maynooth University has published research looking at the wellbeing of Leaving Certificate students in the context of Covid-19 school closures as well as students views and perceptions of the Leaving Certificate exam cancellations, the calculated grades system and access to third level education.

The survey of almost 1,000 Leaving Certificate students, undertaken in June identified amongst other things, significant concerns about their overall health and wellbeing, including, in particular, their mental health. These findings highlight the importance of providing appropriate and effective mental health support for those students entering third level education, as well as the smaller number who are likely to be entering the labour market.

Key findings of the research:

Almost three-quarters of participants identified calculated/predicated grades as their preferred alternative to the traditional Leaving Certificate.

A similar proportion were happy, to a greater or lesser degree, with their Leaving Certificate examinations being cancelled, although one-in-four (25%) were not at all happy (13%) or unsure (12%) in this respect.

However, students were almost equally divided in terms of their positive (51%) versus ambivalent (32%)/negative (17%) feelings about the new calculated grades system, thereby reflecting mixed views.

Just over three-quarters of students (76%) believed that the changes to the Leaving Certificate would impact, to a greater or lesser extent, on securing their third level place; 27% felt that this impact would be substantial.

Importantly, the Leaving Certificate students of 2020 reported low levels of health and wellbeing overall, and they are generally faring worse in this regard than a sample of Leaving Certificate students who were surveyed in 2015.

The research also found that a substantial proportion of students reported a strong sense of relief and lower levels of reported stress and anxiety following the official cancellation of the examinations, even though a substantial minority (approximately 20%) would have preferred to have sat the traditional Leaving Certificate examinations.

When asked about the extent to which they believed their teachers would be fair in their marking, almost 60% responded positively; the remainder were either neutral/ambivalent (26%) or believed that their teachers would be biased (17%) in predicting their marks.

Forty per cent of students reported negative views and or concerns and uncertainty about accessing third level courses, particularly with regard to possible variations in the required number of points for their courses due to the calculated grading method, and also whether or not they would secure a place based on their performance.

Related concerns were expressed (in almost 20% of responses) around the heavy reliance on the mock exams and in-class tests, which some students felt would not accurately reflect their performance and which they believed, would also not take into account any additional study or grinds work that they had completed since schools had closed.

Approximately 80% of students expressed general and wide-ranging concerns in relation to Covid-19, over half of which were health-related. The research also indicated generally low levels of physical and mental wellbeing amongst the sample overall.

Notably, almost half of the students (46%) who completed the survey reported high levels of depression and/or anxiety. A similar proportion (44%) reported that they were not coping well in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Substantial proportions indicated that their health and wellbeing had been significantly impacted by school closures and having to remain at home during the lock down; social distancing was also mentioned as having impacted 25% of students to a significant degree.

Commenting on the research, Professor Sinead McGilloway, Founder Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Community Research, Maynooth University Department of Psychology stated; This research is the first to give a voice to the many Leaving Certificate students who, according to our research, have been significantly impacted by COVID-19, not only in terms of school closures, but also with regard to their overall health and wellbeing, which has clearly suffered. Collectively, these findings raise important questions for all Higher Education institutions in Ireland in terms of the need to provide incoming First Year students with appropriate health and wellbeing supports as they transition from school to third level education.

Penny Quinn, Ph.D scholar in the Centre for Mental Health and Community Research, Maynooth University Department of Psychology stated: The abrupt nature of school closures as a result of Covid-19, robbed this years Leaving Certificate class of 2020 of much more than the experience of the traditional style examinations and the rite of passage typically associated with it. Amongst the many other negative effects of the pandemic, this essentially denied them a sense of closure following their 6 years of schooling, and that once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy the celebrations surrounding the end of their formal schooling years.

Dr Jolanta Burke, Chartered Psychologist, Assistant Professor at Maynooth University Department of Education stated: Our findings highlight the need for additional funding and extra measures that need to be put in place to help the Class of 2020 cohort to support their health and wellbeing as most of them move into third-level education. Those who choose to enter employment may also struggle, not only due to the growing unemployment rates, or significantly reduced opportunities, but also due to the impact that Covid-19 has on their mental and physical health. These findings suggest an urgent need for the Irish government to provide additional funding and resources to support our young people as they make the all-important transition to Third Level education or employment.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 816 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, raising the statewide total to 135,611.

The state has reported 5,075 new cases over the last seven days, an average of 725 per day. That represents an uptick over the previous week, when the health department reported, on average, 626 new cases each day.

Still, the number of new cases dropped steadily through the month of August. Its been more than a month since the state last reported 1,000 new cases in a single day; it last happened on July 28. The state regularly topped that mark in April.

Across Pennsylvania, 7,712 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including 21 new fatalities reported Wednesday, according to the health department. More than two-thirds of the states coronavirus deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.

There are 550 coronavirus patients being treated in hospitals, an uptick in recent days but well below late July, when more than 700 people were hospitalized. At the peak in the spring, about 2,800 COVID-19 patients were treated in hospitals.

The health department estimates 81% of those who have contracted the coronavirus have recovered. The department considers patients to have fully recovered when they are 30 days past the point of infection or the development of symptoms.

Most of those who contract the virus suffer relatively mild symptoms and dont require hospital treatment. But the virus poses greater risks for seniors and those with underlying health complications.

There were 22,821 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m. Tuesday. Between Aug. 26-Sept. 1, the state administered 164,110 tests. More than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians have tested negative for the coronavirus.

Gov. Tom Wolfs administration said 3.2% of all coronavirus tests last week were positive for COVID-19, down from 3.4% the previous week. The positive rate has dropped for five consecutive weeks, according to the Wolf administration.

Still, the Wolf administration on Monday named 9 counties to watch because more than 5% of those tested were positive for the virus over a 7-day period. These are the counties: Columbia (13.5%), Armstrong (8.3%), Perry (6.9%), Northumberland (6.7%), Potter (5.9%), Beaver (5.7%), Dauphin (5.3%), Fulton (5.3%) and York (5.0%).

The state is also tracking an uptick in cases among young adults. In August, the health department reported roughly 1 in 5 new cases in eastern Pennsylvania involved those between the ages of 19 and 24. In northcentral Pennsylvania, nearly a quarter of the new cases in August came in that age group.

Heres a look at the week-by-week trend going back to early July.

July 2-8: 4,906 new cases, an average of 700 per day

July 9-15: 5,517 new cases, an average of 788 per day

July 16-22: 5,731 new cases, an average of 818 per day

July 23-29: 6,822 new cases, an average of 974 per day

July 30-Aug. 5: 5,496 new cases, an average of 785 per day

Aug. 6-12: 5,216 new cases, an average of 773 per day

Aug. 13-19: 5,019 new cases, an average of 717 per day

Aug. 20-26: 4,387 new cases, an average of 626 per day

Aug. 27-Sept. 2: 5,075 new cases, an average of 725 per day

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BOSTON  Sen. Ed Markey beat back Rep. Joe Kennedy's primary challenge in Massachusetts on Tuesday, striking a blow against the longtime Kennedy political dynasty and notching a significant victory for the Democratic Party's left wing.

Voters renominated Markey, who has held a seat in Congress since the mid-1970s, over Kennedy, the 39-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, who attempted to take on a sitting senator rather than wait for a spot in the Democratic hierarchy to open up.

Kennedy called Markey to concede the race shortly before The Associated Press declared a winner, according to Kennedy campaign spokesperson Michael Cummings. With about three-quarters of the vote tallied late Tuesday night, Markey had 54 percent of the vote to Kennedy's 46 percent.

Kennedy, the scion of the state's best-known political family, was favored to win when he entered the race a year ago, and many suspected Markey might retire to avoid an embarrassing loss. But Kennedy became the underdog in the final weeks of the campaign. And unlike other primary battles, its was Markey, the 74-year-old incumbent, who morphed into the favorite candidate of young liberals taking on the party establishment.

"Tonight is more than just a celebration of a movement," Markey said in his victory speech in Malden, Mass. "It is a reaffirmation of the need to have a movement, a progressive movement, of young people demanding radical change, demanding justice. A movement giving voice and power to young people when for far too long they were ignored."

Markey also said the intraparty battle was "fierce at times," though he praised Kennedy's commitment to the commonwealth. Kennedy shared a similar message during his concession speech after speaking with Markey.

"The senator is a good man. You have never heard me say otherwise," Kennedy said at his primary night event in Watertown, Mass. "It was difficult at times between us. Good elections often get heated. But I'm grateful for the debates, for his commitment to our commonwealth and for the energy and enthusiasm that he brought to this race."

Story continues

Another incumbent prevailed in a House district in Western Massachusetts, where House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal easily dispatched his young, progressive opponent, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. He led by 20 points when The Associated Press called the race.

Because of their late spot on the primary calendar, Tuesdays Massachusetts races likely represented some of the final skirmishes between the establishment center-left and insurgent liberal wings of the Democratic Party. The primary electorate was been difficult to gauge  the state rolled out a coronavirus-inspired vote-by-mail program for the first time this year, which may have resulted in record turnout. Around 800,000 voters had already cast ballots ahead of Tuesday, and state officials expected a substantial number of in-person voters to turn out.

Sen. Ed Markey, center, is flanked by supporters as he addresses members of the media during a campaign stop on Tuesday in Boston.

Once in the shadow of his better-known colleagues, Markey used his work on the Green New Deal and an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to develop a national profile over the past year and amass a powerful small-dollar fundraising operation. Markey's strength lay with young progressives and well-educated, suburban voters, many of whom voted by mail. Kennedy was banking on support from voters of color in cities including Worcester, Springfield, Lowell and Boston.

A series of polls released last week showed Kennedy trailing Markey by a significant margin, and the Newton Democrat scrambled to turn things around. Kennedy campaigned for 27 straight hours last week, announced a last-minute endorsement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and sent members of his famous family onto the campaign trail.

No Kennedy had ever lost an election in Massachusetts, but the four-term congressman entered the primary significantly behind in the polls.

Meanwhile, at the House level, national progressive groups including Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement eyed Neal as the next powerful Democrat to knock out of office.

That energy intensified after what Morse decried as an organized smear campaign against him: Groups of College Democrats accused Morse, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts, of behaving inappropriately toward students. Morse apologized for his conduct; further reporting suggested that the revelations were engineered to benefit Neal's reelection prospects.

Neal's victory is a blow to the momentum coursing through the progressive movement.

Already, one House committee chair, Eliot Engel of Foreign Affairs, was felled in a primary, and Oversight and Reform Chair Carolyn Maloney, like Engel a New Yorker, narrowly survived her own primary challenge.

A Morse upset would have also ushered in generational change  Neal was sworn into Congress in 1989, the same year Morse was born.

But with Markey also successfully dispatching the primary challenge, both races illustrated the power of incumbency in Massachusetts politics.

"It's very hard to defeat an incumbent. We spend a lot of time on those moments when incumbents have been defeated, but even when there's a Seth Moulton or an Ayanna Pressley demonstrating how you can do it, the reality is, it's a very difficult undertaking," said Peter Ubertaccio, a political scientist and dean at Stonehill College.

Kennedy gave up his House seat to run against Markey, and the rare opening drew nearly a dozen Democrats to a crowded primary race to replace him. The expensive race  candidates and outside groups spent a collective $4.4 million on television advertising  was too close to call late Tuesday night. Jesse Mermell and Jake Auchincloss were fighting for the lead among the seven-candidate field.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, a moderate from South Boston, easily fended off a primary challenge from his left from physician Robbie Goldstein, an infectious disease specialist who staffed a Covid-19 intensive care unit at the height of the outbreak in Massachusetts. Goldstein emphasized how he differs from Lynch on health care issues, including abortion and Medicare for All.

One of the sleepier primaries this cycle was in Rep. Seth Moulton's district, where the congressman  who won his seat by defeating an incumbent, John Tierney  easily defeated Democrats Jamie Belsito and Angus McQuilken. Moulton led with 77 percent of the when The Associated Press deemed him the victor on Tuesday night.

James Arkin and Ally Mutnick contributed to this report.
'This was the first joint meeting after the inking of the accord,' said Alhadi Idris, the head of the SRF rebel coalition, SUNA reported

Sudan said Wednesday that government and rebel leaders had met to begin implementing a deal that aims to end a war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.

Rebel commanders from the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the transitional government met face-to-face on Tuesday, one day after striking the deal, state news agency SUNA said.

"This was the first joint meeting after the inking of the accord," said Alhadi Idris, the head of the SRF rebel coalition, SUNA reported.

"We discussed in this meeting what will happen going forward," Idris said, adding that there were "still issues related to the timeline to implement the deal".

The SRF, founded in 2011, is an alliance of five armed rebel groups and four political movements from the vast western region of Darfur, and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

"Our priorities now are economic progress and humanitarian issues related to people displaced by the conflicts," said Minni Minawi, who leads a faction of the Darfur-based Sudan Liberation Movement.

Monday's peace deal covers issues around security, land ownership, transitional justice, power sharing and the return of people who fled their homes because of fighting.

It also provides for the dismantling of rebel forces and the integration of the fighters into the national army.

Sudan's transitional government, which took power after the April 2019 ouster of hardline leader Omar al-Bashir, has made forging peace with rebel groups a priority.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict, where fighting killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million others, according to the UN.

The former president, who is in jail in Khartoum convicted of corruption, is now on trial for the 1989 coup in which he grabbed power.

Sudan's rebels are largely drawn from non-Arab minority groups that long railed against Arab domination of the government in Khartoum under Bashir.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Tuesday that the deal "creates a new Sudanese state, and remedies all injustices of the past", as he appealed to two rebel holdout movements who refused to take part.

Previous peace accords in Sudan, including one signed in Nigeria in 2006 and another signed in Qatar in 2010, have fallen through.

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MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will hold a meeting with vice-chancellors of non- agricultural universities on Thursday to discuss the issue of final-year examinations in the backdrop of a Supreme Court verdict, an official said on Wednesday.

Maharashtra minister of higher and technical education Uday Samant along with junior minister in the department Prajakt Tanpure met Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan here to discuss the issue of conducting exams in light of the Supreme Court order about the same, an official release said.

According to another official statement, a letter will be sent to the University Grants Commission (UGC) explaining the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra and plans about conducting examinations in Maharashtra later.

The governor, who is also the chancellor of state universities, asked the ministers to see if examinations can be conducted in a simple manner and directed the government to consult vice-chancellors and take a decision in the interest of students, said the statement.

Koshyari will hold a meeting with vice-chancellors of 13 non-agriculture universities on Thursday, the statement said.

This will be followed by a meeting of the state disaster management authority under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, it said.

As per the statement, the government letter to the UGC will apprise the Delhi-headquartered statutory body about the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra and plans on conducting the examinations at a later stage.

Upholding the UGC's guidelines, the Supreme Court had last week held that no state and university can promote students in the final-year/terminal semester without conducting examinations.

The court also ruled that the UGC's directives to universities and colleges to hold final-year exams by September 30 was well within its domain.

An SC bench said that if any state or Union Territory, in exercise of its jurisdiction under the Disaster Management Act, has decided that it is not possible to conduct the examination by September 30, then they can make an application to the UGC for extending the deadline.

On Monday, Samant had said that a majority of the 13 non-agricultural universities in Maharashtra have urged the state government to seek an extension to hold the final-year examinations and announce results by October 31.
In the late 1970s, the Pakistani and Russian militaries faced off against each other in the mountains of Afghanistan, albeit indirectly. The conflict between the two started in 1979 when the Soviet army marched into Kabul in support of the Afghan Communist Party, The Diplomat writes in the article Kavkaz 2020: Why Russias Latest Military Drills Are a Golden Opportunity for Pakistan. Pakistan and America responded swiftly, funding and equipping the mujahideen as well as providing safe haven for them to regroup in Pakistans mountainous North West Frontier Province.

The war rumbled on through the 1980s and, throughout this period, Islamabads support for the Afghan insurgency was unwavering. Three decades later, Pakistan and Russia have met again on the battlefield  but this time on the same side as part of joint military exercises. Not only do these exercises mark a significant shift from the mutual hostility of the 1980s, but they also stand to create a number of opportunities for Pakistan and the wider erstwhile Soviet world. The latest installment of exercises including both Russia and Pakistan comes with the multilateral Kavkaz 2020 military drills.

The exercises will take place close to Russias southern city of Astrakhan. The list of participating countries is impressive, ranging from Pakistan and Belarus to Azerbaijan and China. The drills include war games and joint training, as well as the opportunity for participants to show off their latest military technology and hardware. This is not the first time Pakistan has participated in the drills with Russia and Central Asian countries. For example, last year Islamabad sent a contingent to the Tsentr 2019 exercise along with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India.

However, this year is different. India has recently announced it will not be participating in the exercise. New Delhi was due to send around 200 soldiers, including infantry, naval, and air force personnel, only to announce on Saturday that it was withdrawing from the event. The stated reason was difficulties due to COVID-19, even though officials speaking anonymously pointed to Indias recent tensions with China as a factor behind the decision.

Furthermore, the prospect of training alongside the Pakistani army almost certainty tilted the balance against participation. While we are likely to see Indian officials emphasizing their close military and strategic relationship with Russia in the coming days, there is no doubt Moscow will be somewhat frustrated at Indias sudden decision to pull out of the event.

For the Russian military, the sheer number and range of participants alone marks a triumph of sorts and sends a defiant message to the West and particularly the United States. Indias absence threatens this messaging to a degree. This sudden reversal, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modis close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, provides Pakistan an opportunity to cement its friendship with President Vladimir Putin and Moscow.

However, aside from improving relations with Russia, the Kavkaz military drills are an important opportunity for Pakistan to solidify and develop its relationship with the former Soviet world. Belarus will also send a contingent to the event  another country in the former Soviet Union Pakistan has maintained a surprisingly warm relationship with. President Alexander Lukashenko  who is under significant pressure from the West over his controversial re-election  is keen to further ties with as many allies as possible, including Pakistan. Recently, he sent Independence Day greetings to Islamabad, stating Pakistan had succeeded in building an independent state and emphasizing the great prospects between the two unlikely allies. Given this background, it is unsurprising Pakistan has refrained from criticizing Lukashenko. The presence of both militaries in southern Russia could act as a catalyst for stronger defense ties between Islamabad and Minsk.

Pakistan can also use the opportunity to reset relations closer to home. The scenic Wakan corridor separates Pakistan and Tajikistan and at their closest point, the two countries are a mere 10 miles apart. Despite historical and cultural ties between the two Asian nations (both were part of the Arab Umayyad and Persian Empires) and their joint participation in several infrastructure and energy projects (the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Program), Tajikistan plays host to Indias only air force base outside of its borders. The Farkhor Air Base lies around 81 miles southeast of Dushanbe and perilously close to Pakistans northern border with Afghanistan. Indian fighter jets taking off from the base can reach Pakistani airspace in little more than a few minutes.

Naturally, this has put a significant strain on relations with Islamabad. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no major military ties or significant arms deals between Pakistan and Tajikistan, and if the former plays its cards right, it could use the drills as an opportunity to pull Tajikistan away from Indias military grip.

Military drills are often seen as a show of common strength between allies and a warning to others. However, for Pakistan it would be wise not to see these drills as a show of strength, but rather as an important opportunity to further its relationship with the former Soviet World. Indias recent decision to stay away from Kavkaz 2020 along with the sheer number of former Soviet states participating in them suggests a golden opportunity Pakistan cannot afford to ignore.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Lucky Minerals Inc. (TSXV:LKY)(OTC PINK:LKMNF)(FRA:LKY) ("Lucky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that continued exploration work at the Fortuna 1 concession continues to expand the recently discovered El Garo epithermal target area.

Structural analysis based on satellite imagery, on the Fortuna 1 concession, indicates that the El Garo epithermal alteration zone appears to be spatially related to the margins of a circular feature (caldera-like) which measures approximately 5 km in diameter. The intersections of radial/ring faults and fractures with northeast, northwest and east-west faults zones are excellent exploration targets.

The El Garo epithermal alteration zone has now been extended to an area of approximately 1.6 kms x 800 meters.

Lucky's CEO, Mr. Adrian Rothwell stated: "The outlined surface alteration at El Garo is an exciting discovery by our field team on the newly defined Shincata Gold Trend. I am pleased to report that work has continued throughout the month of August, following strict COVID-19 health & safety protocols. This has allowed our teams to forge ahead on many fronts. I am looking forward to the upcoming results on multiple other targets on the Fortuna 3, 4, 9 and 10 South areas."

To advance exploration work on the Fortuna 1 concession, Lucky has started the permitting process for initial trenching and scout drilling. Additionally, a soil grid sampling program over an area of approximately 4 kms by 2 kms is being prepared. Before outlining drill targets ground geophysics such as Induced Polarization / resistivity and mag will be completed in selected anomalous areas outlined in the soil sample results.

For more information on the Shincata Gold Trend, readers are encouraged to view the Company's news release of August 18, 2020.

Please click here to view the location map of the Shincata Gold Trend with location of El Garo area in Fortuna 1 and the south Fortuna 10 anomalies. El Mozo epithermal deposit shown just south of Fortuna 10. Also shown is the location of the El Buitre porphyry target area.

Please click here to view the caldera-like structure (Fortuna 1).

Please click here to view the structural interpretation with 9 additional target zones to be explored.

Ring fracture faults generally develop during a caldera collapse, and radial and ring structures which generally develop during resurgence of the caldera, are considered good exploration targets for epithermal type mineralization.

At El Garo most rock outcrops are mainly of a porphyritic rhyodacite, with areas of advanced-argillic alteration, alunite and silicification. Also, breccia zones with silica flooding have been observed, as well as outcrops of vuggy silica.

Please click here to view rock sample from El Garo - hydrothermal breccia with silica flooding, with presence of alunite and limonite.

Thus far a total of 17 rock chip samples from El Garo have been submitted to ALS Chemex laboratories in Quito for prep work, and the analytical work will be completed at their lab facility in Lima, Peru. ALS Chemex is an ISO certified and accredited laboratory. Analytical results will be released once these are received.

QA/QC protocols are in place and include the insertion of a coarse blank, a standard and duplicate sample on every batch of 25 samples.

Please click here to view the El Garo Alteration Zone and proposed soil grid outline.

About Lucky

Lucky is an exploration and development company targeting large-scale mineral systems in proven districts with the potential to host world class deposits. Lucky owns a 100% interest in the Fortuna and Emigrant Projects.

The Company's Fortuna Project is a royalty-free 550 km2 (55,000 Ha, or 136,000 Acres) exploration concession. Fortuna is located in a highly prospective, yet underexplored, gold belt in southern Ecuador. Lucky has a memorandum of understanding on Fortuna with First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum") whereby First Quantum is able to earn up to 70% of copper targets.

The Emigrant Creek Project covers a 15 km2 area in an intensely altered and mineralized porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum system in southern Montana.

Covid-19 Safety Protocols

After a country wide two-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government approved new health and safety protocols for the transportation of workers to and from mine sites.

The company has presented all the necessary protocols required by the national government for the restart of activities, which comply with national and international safety standards, thereby guaranteeing the health and safety of the communities surrounding the Fortuna project, as well as our team on field. Lucky has commenced field work consisting of prospecting, geophysics and geochemical testing to confirm drilling targets.

Lucky Minerals will impose every action in coordination with national and provincial authorities. The company will have strict rules in place for all workers arriving to and from field sites. All personnel will be tested upon arriving and leaving and be tested every two weeks. All personnel will be housed in separate and private accommodations and will not have opportunity to share in the community. There are no more than three workers per vehicle.

Qualified Person

Victor Jaramillo, M.Sc.A., P.Geo., Lucky's Exploration Manager and a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for supervising the exploration program at the Fortuna Project for Lucky Minerals and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Adrian Rothwell"

Chief Executive Officer

Further information on Lucky can be found on the Company's website at www.luckyminerals.com and at www.sedar.com, or by contacting Adrian Rothwell, President and CEO, by email at investors@luckyminerals.com or by telephone at (866) 924 6484.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Adjacent Properties and Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related exploration and development; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund exploration and development; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in input costs; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or inability to obtain permits encountered in connection with exploration activities; and labor relations matters. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations also include risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.

SOURCE: Lucky Minerals Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604404/Fieldwork-Continues-to-Expand-the-Recently-Discovered-El-Garo-Epithermal-Target-Area
CLEVELAND, Ohio  In a perfect world, the flu vaccine would also protect us against COVID-19. Can the flu shot do that?

Yes and no, doctors say.

The flu vaccine does not prevent COVID-19. But its still a good idea, because a healthy body has an easier time fighting off a COVID-19 infection. A new study suggests that getting a flu shot may make COVID-19 less lethal.

If you get sick with the flu, and then contract COVID-19 at the same time or soon afterward, it could lead to a serious illness because your body would be weakened from influenza, said Dr. David Margolius, an internal medicine doctor at MetroHealth System.

That would be a dangerous situation, Margolius said.

The influenza virus and coronaviruses both cause respiratory illness, but they are different genetically. The flu vaccine triggers the production of antibodies that fight the influenza virus specifically. It doesnt cross-react and fight coronavirus, said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, co-director of infection control at University Hospitals.

A study of data from more than 90,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil found that the flu vaccine was associated with lower mortality among COVID-19 patients in Brazil. Mortality was lower in all age groups in the immunized group, with the risk being 17% lower in the 10-19 age group, and 3% less in those age 90 and older.

The Brazilian study, which looked at more than 90,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, was published in the preprint server medRXIV in June.

We could be seeing bystander immunity, where our bodies nonspecifically enhance our response to other viruses after getting the flu vaccine. Thats because our innate immune cells will defend the body against multiple pathogens, including those not targeted by the flu vaccine itself, Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a board-certified family physician in Phoenix, Arizona, told the website Pop Sugar.

Some studies suggest that other vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles), dont directly protect against COVID-19 but do help keep the body healthy and able to fight off COVID-19, said Dr. Shanu Agarwal, chairman of infection control at Summa Health,

Its possible that (other vaccines) are making the immune system stronger, Agarwal said.

Even if the flu vaccine cannot prevent COVID-19, doctors recommend getting a flu shot, especially this year, when the pandemic and flu season will overlap.

The influenza vaccine doesnt guarantee that you wont get the flu, but it increased the chances that the illness will be milder. If more people get the flu shot this season, it will keep hospitals from being overrun with respiratory illnesses during the coming winter, when the COVID-19 pandemic and flu season will overlap.

Cleveland-area pharmacies are ordering extra doses of the flu vaccine, anticipating that people who skipped a flu shot in the past will want one this year. Flu shots are available now in many locations.

To meet the projected demand, flu vaccine manufacturers have boosted production by about 15 percent, to record levels, according to press reports. Nearly 200 million doses have been manufactured this flu season in the United States, compared with more than the 175 million doses produced for the previous season, industry officials said.
India on Wednesday banned 118 mobile applications linked to China including the widely popular game PUBG Mobile Lite, saying there were reports that these apps were stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorised manner. The government said these apps promoted activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MEITY) said on Wednesday afternoon, announcing the ban that could hurt some of Chinas technology giants such as Tencent Holdings Ltd, the countrys search engine leader Baidu Inc, Xiaomis ShareSave and online payments giant Ant Group Co.s platform Alipay.

India accounts for over a quarter of PUBG Mobiles lifetime installs though revenues from the country are still minuscule, a Bloomberg report said citing data from research firm Sensor Tower. PlayerUnknowns BattleGrounds, popularly known as PUBG, had seen its user numbers rocket in India as the coronavirus-related lockdowns boosted gaming. The banned versions of PUBG included PUBG Mobile Lite, a leaner version of the app suited to inexpensive smartphones, as well as PUBG Mobile Nordic Map: Livik, a newer game played on a Nordic terrain.

Also Read: IT ministry bans 118 more apps including PUBG, AppLock: Heres the full list

PUBG was developed by a South Korean company, but the mobile version that has taken off around the world was developed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, news agency AFP said.

Officials said there had been reports by parents, civil society activists and other stakeholders about PUBGs violent content. The apps have been banned to ensure there is no data theft, said the official. The official added that the Indian alternative to PUBG, Scarfall, may now gain more traction.

This is the third round of bans after India decided to take down Tik Tok and 59 other applications on June 29. The second round of blocks came on July 23, when the ministry decided to take down mirror applications that were functioning despite the ban. These applications were also banned for being a threat to the sovereignty of the country and national security. IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had then called the order a digital strike against China.

Wednesdays fresh order comes in the wake of border tensions with China spiraling in the sensitive Ladakh sector after Chinas People Liberations Army (PLA) made an abortive bid to grab Indian territory in a stealthy midnight move on August 29, officials familiar with the developments said on Tuesday. The Indian army, however, preempted the PLA and occupied key heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.

The PLA made a second provocative move on August 31 but the Indian Army took timely defensive action to thwart the Chinese attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in the sector, the ministry of external affairs said on Tuesday.

The third round of ban on China-linked mobile applications was ordered against this backdrop and is widely seen as an effort by New Delhi to send a message to Beijing that its aggressive posturing along the Line of Actual Control would come with costs elsewhere. Indias ban on TikTok had prompted several other countries to take a hard look at the company earlier and led to US President Donald Trumps decision to ban the mobile app from carrying out any transactions in the United States from mid-September.

The IT ministry, however, did not allude to the border situation. Instead, it cited a report from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre located within the Ministry of Home Affairs that had sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps.

A MEITY official, who did not wish to be named, said that the ban had been affected under the emergency provisions of the IT Act.

The ministry invoked its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 118 mobile apps since in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order, the public statement said.

We got a report of the violations yesterday and have immediately ordered blocking the applications, he said, explaining that notices are being sent to mobile apps to give their counter to the decision.

The same process was followed for the previous round of bans. They will be given a chance to put forth a representation on their behalf, he added.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India, the ministry said in a statement.

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures, the ministry said.
In early July the Department of Homeland Security withheld publication of an intelligence bulletin warning law enforcement agencies of a Russian scheme to promote allegations about the poor mental health of former Vice President Joe Biden, according to internal emails and a draft of the document obtained by ABC News.

The draft bulletin, titled Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election, was submitted to the agencys legislative and public affairs office for review on July 7. The analysis was not meant for public consumption, but it was set to be distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement partners two days later, on July 9, the emails show.

MORE: Russia working to boost Trump's reelection and 'denigrate' Biden, as China undermines Trump: US intelligence

Just one hour after its submission, however, a senior DHS official intervened.

Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to [acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf]," wrote DHS Chief of Staff John Gountanis, according to an email obtained by ABC News.

That was nearly two months ago. But the bulletin was never circulated.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump delivers remarks on immigration and border security as Acting secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf looks on at the international airport in Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 18, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

In a statement to ABC News, a DHS spokesperson confirmed that the product was delayed, explaining that it failed to meet the agencys standards.

According to the draft bulletin, analysts determined with high confidence that Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.

High confidence means what it sounds like -- that they are highly confident that their assessment is accurate and they dont use that language very often, Elizabeth Neumann, a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, told ABC News.

The document mentions Iranian and Chinese efforts to criticize Trump, but focuses on  and takes its title from  Russias attacks on Bidens mental fitness. It is a line of attack also utilized by both President Donald Trump and his reelection campaign.

Story continues

Beyond warnings of Russia's purported activity, critics said the decision to withhold the document will fuel concern that the Trump administration has sought to politicize intelligence, particularly after an announcement over the weekend that senior intelligence leaders will cease congressional election security briefings due to alleged leaks from lawmakers, and will instead provide only written reports.

MORE: Citing concern over leaks, intel community will cease in-person election security briefings to Congress

PHOTO: Russian honor guards march during ae military parade in Moscow's Red Square on Nov. 7, 2018. (Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

We are hearing concerns being raised publicly that, in this administration, intelligence community reporting is being modified or blocked for political reasons -- or to not anger the president, said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and the former undersecretary for intelligence at DHS under President Barack Obama.

By blocking information from being released that describes threats facing the nation, Cohen continued, it undermines the ability of the public and state and local authorities to work with the federal government to counteract the threat.

As an example of Russian efforts to raise doubts about Biden's mental acuity, the draft bulletin points to a March story on a Russian proxy website that "refuted media claims that the candidates gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.

The DHS spokesperson said that while the agency generally does not comment on leaked documents, this particular draft product lacked the necessary context and evidence for broader dissemination outside of the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

After briefing the Acting Secretary and he asked questions, the spokesperson continued, [Office of Intelligence and Analysis] career leadership decided to delay the product for further review.

In a statement to ABC News regarding the DHS bulletin, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said, We dont need or want any foreign interference.

Theres no question that the President has been tougher on Russia than any president before him, imposing sanctions and expelling diplomats, in contrast to the Obama-Biden Administration, which choked in the face of Russian interference, he said. President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square.

The White House declined to comment.

MORE: Senate report details Russias efforts to meddle in 2016, ties to Trump associates

PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles as he attends a meeting via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Aug. 20, 2020. (Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, FILE)

Biden camp accuses Trump of 'speaking from the same script' as Russia

The Trump campaigns effort to depict Biden, who turns 78 shortly after Election Day, as mentally unfit for office has emerged as a central tenet of its multi-million dollar strategy to paint Biden as a feeble puppet of the radical left.

It dates back to 2018 when, at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner, Trump jabbed his future 2020 opponent: There's talk about Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe, getting into the race  the guy who keeps making outrageous statements thinks he has a shot at being president?

And while Trump, himself 74, first tweeted the Sleepy Joe nickname in April of last year, he and his campaign increased attacks on the former vice president's mental state earlier this spring as Biden emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Trump repeatedly targeted Biden in remarks and on Twitter while his campaign in May launched a Facebook ad blitz that raised questions about his "geriatric mental health."

In June the Trump campaign ran a brutal television ad titled "Fortitude" that worked to paint a dire picture of Bidens mental state.

MORE: Biden to ABC's David Muir on Trump's attacks on mental fitness: 'Watch me, Mr. President'

The next month -- around the time the DHS memo was submitted -- Trump said in a radio interview, "[Biden's] record is terrible. He can't even talk about his record. He forgets his record, he forgets everything."

On Tuesday, the president said, "Biden doesn't know he's alive."

PHOTO: Former Vice President Joe Biden gestures after he landed at Allegheny County Airport on Aug. 31, 2020, in West Mifflin, Pa. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

In a statement to ABC News, Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, decried the lengths to which Donald Trump will go to manipulate and conceal intelligence for partisan political purposes.

He is blocking the intelligence community from sharing with federal and state law enforcement a crucial finding: that Russia is disseminating false and scurrilous attacks on the health of Joe Biden -- one that aligns with Trump's own constantly-backfiring attacks, Bates added. And why would he do this? Because Russia and the Trump campaign are speaking from the same script of smears and lies.

MORE: The Note: Biden turns Trump messaging against him

In the intelligence draft bulletin, analysts point out that Russias current line of attack targeting Bidens health echoes its efforts in 2016 to [raise] serious doubts about [then-candidate Hillary Clintons] physical capability, particularly after she fell ill at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City.

At the time, Trump and his surrogates leveled similar attacks against Clinton, calling into question her physical fitness for office. Weeks after the 9/11 memorial incident, Trump said during a debate that Clinton doesn't have the stamina to be president.

Intel chiefs move to limit congressional briefings sparks outcry

After months of warnings from law enforcement and the intelligence community of Moscows ongoing efforts to meddle in the November election, if it had been circulated, the July bulletin would have served as one of the most explicit and specific examples to date of Russias intentions.

In August, the Office of Director of National Intelligence publicly reported that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate Biden, adding that some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trumps candidacy on social media and Russian television.

PHOTO: John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence, waits to hear the President Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention from the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump later disputed that finding, claiming that the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump, because nobodys been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.

On Saturday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) announced it would halt in-person congressional briefings about election security, citing concern over "unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information."

Newly minted Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe wrote to congressional leaders that "this approach helps ensure that the information ODNI provides the Congress  is not misunderstood nor politicized."

MORE: 'Complete outrage' over in-person election security briefings to Congress ceasing: Sen. Klobuchar

Democrats fired back, calling Ratcliffes decision a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed, and a betrayal of the public's right to know how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf reacted Sunday on ABC News This Week, saying his agency will continue to have in-person briefings with members of Congress and staff, but defended Ratcliffes decision.

In their statement to ABC News, the DHS spokesperson added that [the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis] is committed to fulfilling its mission to keep the Homeland safe and secure, which included the sharing of three reports on election security in August 2020 with state and local partners.

On This Week, Wolf added that Russia, China, and Iran continue to engage in disinformation campaigns to sow discourse within the U.S.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany arrive for a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Aug. 31, 2020, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

In the August statement from ODNI, intelligence officials concluded that China prefers that President Trump  whom Beijing sees as unpredictable  does not win reelection. Iran, it found, seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections.

In the July draft bulletin, in addition to reports of Russian interference, analysts said Iranian state media has amplified public discussion by medical professionals alleging that [President Trump] suffered from psychosis and narcissistic personality disorder. In China, state media outlets have questioned [President Trumps] health and suggested that a debate about the mental health of a U.S. president is indicative of deeper problems with democracy.

With just two months until ballots are tallied, Cohen said the safety and efficacy of our election depend on collaboration within the law enforcement community and transparency about malign foreign meddling.

One of the ways you counteract these threats, Cohen said, is by providing state and local authorities, political parties, and the general public access to information about both the methods being used to spread this disinformation and the contents of this disinformation campaign so people know, when they see this material, that it is inaccurate and is to be disregarded.

ABC News' Beatrice Peterson contributed reporting.

DHS July Intel Draft July 2020 by ABC News Politics

DHS withheld July intelligence bulletin calling out Russian attack on Bidens mental health originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
San Franciscos hair salons are shut down tight as part of Californias COVID hysteria. You cant get your hair doneunless, of course, you are Nancy Pelosi. On Sunday afternoon, Pelosi had a private session for a wash and blow-out at a San Francisco salon. The salon owner, who was not involved in Pelosis appointment, blew the whistle.

Here you see Pelosi walking through the salonnot wearing a mask, by the way, which also violates Californias rules:

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Salons in San Francisco had been closed since March and were only notified they could reopen on Sept. 1 for outdoor hairstyling services only. Salon owner Erica Kious, in a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, shared details of Pelosis visit. Kious explained she has independent stylists working for her who rent chairs in her salon. One of the stylists who rents a chair from me contacted me Sunday night, Kious said. A screengrab of the text message she received from one of her stylists, and obtained by Fox News, said: Ill be there at 2:45 tomorrow. Pelosi assistant just messaged me to do her hair.

***

Kious cast Pelosis visit as a double standard. It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I cant work, Kious told Fox News, adding that she cant believe the speaker didnt have a mask on. 

***

Kious said Pelosi received a wash and a blow-dry, but told Fox News that youre not supposed to blow dry hair according to coronavirus safety precautions for hair salons. We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just cant  its a feeling  a feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down, Kious said. I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen, she explained. I am a single mom, I have two small children, and I have no income. She added: The fact that they did this, and she came in, its like a slap in the face. Kious told Fox News that she had expected to be able to reopen her salon in July, and prepared her space in accordance with local guidelines.

***

They never let us open, she said, while adding that she is unable to reopen outside because her salon specializes in hair color, and using chemicals outside is prohibited. But Kious said she is not alone in the hardships she has faced amid closures during the coronavirus pandemic. This is for everybody, she said. I am sharing this because of what everyone in my industry, and my city, what every small business is going through right now.

The problem is made worse by the fact that San Francisco is in a state of collapse:

No one can last anymore, she said. I have also lost 60 percent of my clientele because everyone is fleeing the city. Kious said that the area where her salon is located has turned into a third world country, saying that every other storefront is completely vacant and shut down and boarded up. And because of the shutdown, and the store closures, weve lost people, my clients, and my employees, and that is due to the politics in San Francisco, she said, adding that the homeless population is everywhere and defecating all over the city. It has gotten so extreme, she said. It is so night and day from what it was a year ago, that everyone is fleeing.

Its still OK, though, if you are rich and powerful. Like Nancy Pelosi.

UPDATE: This is how secure the Democrats feel in their hypocrisy. Carla Marinucci, a Playbook senior writer for Politico, thinks catching Democrats in the act might be illegal:

Have to ask upon seeing this: Is it legal in CA  a "two party consent" state  to videotape someone in a private home or business without their consent? https://t.co/0DYsEpnTSY #FoxNews  Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) September 1, 2020



I will venture a wild guess that even in Democrat-controlled California, it is legal for the owner of a business to publish security video from her own premises. Shocking, I know. But liberal privilege isnt what it once was.
For a politician who stands accused of pulling her punches when it comes to the various heinous acts of Vladimir Putin at home and abroad, Angela Merkel had a shock for her critics yesterday.

By confirming that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok  a lethal Soviet-era nerve agent  the German Chancellor was in effect accusing the Kremlin of attempted murder.

There were very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer and must answer about the move to silence the anti-corruption campaigner, Merkel said.

The German Chancellor has long sold herself to her Nato partners as the one person who can talk to the Russian president  after all, she grew up in Soviet-controlled East Germany and speaks fluent Russian.

Angela Merkel confirmed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (pictured with his wide, Yulia) was poisoned with Novichok  a lethal Soviet-era nerve agent

Following the Salisbury poisonings in 2018, when former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (pictured) were poisoned with Novichok, Theresa Mays government took prompt action, expelling Russian diplomats and introducing punishing sanctions

Now she is facing a cruel reality as her carefully nurtured relationship with Putin spirals out of control.

Suddenly the grim echoes of previous Russian-German crises are hovering over her.

Just like 1914 and 1941, Europes two biggest powers are teetering on the edge of a precipice.

Because the reality is that Merkel  and Germany  will pay a high economic price for her intervention.

Putin routinely plays a game of high-stakes dare with the West, but Merkels key characteristic has long been a careful calculation of each new step in domestic and international policy.

Suddenly, in the aftermath of the attempt on Navalnys life last month and his hospitalisation in Berlin, she finds herself caught as never before between Western hawks on Russia  most notably Britain and the United States  and a dangerously unpredictable Putin.

Following the Salisbury poisonings in 2018, when former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok, Theresa Mays government took prompt action, expelling Russian diplomats and introducing punishing sanctions.

Merkel finds herself under pressure to act accordingly and it will be hard to resist.

Navalny being taken to an ambulance in Omsk (left) after falling ill on a plane following a trip to an airport cafe (right) where his friends suspect he could have been poisoned

But unlike Britain, the Germans are deeply linked to Russia economically.

Above all, German manufacturing needs lots of energy  and Russia supplies it.

In recent years, new gas pipelines  part of the Nord Stream Project  have been built from Russia via the Baltic Sea to northern Germany (in fact, to the neighbourhood of Merkels own constituency), providing thousands of jobs.

Just last week, Merkel defied critics within her own party  and in defiance of international pressure  to insist that a second pipeline would go ahead.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny - pictured, centre, shortly before he fell ill on August 20 - is in a coma at a German hospital after allegedly being poisoned

Ever since Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Germanys Western allies have been unhappy about Nord Stream.

Washington has imposed sanctions not only on the Russian companies building the pipeline but also on European firms as a way of pressuring Putin over Ukraine and his intervention in Syria.

(The Americans also want Germany to buy US fracked gas instead of Russian natural gas.)

Merkel can expect little sympathy from fellow Nato members or the EU.

Although Angela Merkel's admirers portray her as the mother-figure of European integration, partners such as Poland and the Baltic States criticise her lack of solidarity with them when it comes to the Russian threat on their doorstep

Although her admirers portray her as the mother-figure of European integration, partners such as Poland and the Baltic States criticise her lack of solidarity with them when it comes to the Russian threat on their doorstep.

Now she is on the spot and must make tough choices rather than use sharp words to warn Russia off.

As for Putin, he wont be losing much sleep over yesterdays events.

He has succeeded in removing an arch critic in Alexei Navalny from the political stage and he wont be returning any time soon.
Phnom Penh: The Khmer Rouge commander known as Comrade Duch, Pol Pot's premier executioner and security chief who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Duch, real name Kaing Guek Eav, was the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to face trial for his role within a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in the "killing fields" of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Former Khmer Rouge prison commander Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch looks on during his UN-backed trial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Credit:AP

Duch died at 00:52am, Cambodia time, at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

In 2010, a UN tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, the former Phnom Penh high school which still stands as a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks on the coronavirus pandemic during a campaign event in Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 2, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Biden Calls for Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake Shootings

Former vice president to visit Kenosha on Thursday

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said that officers involved in the shootings of Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor should be charged, while also calling for an investigation into a person who shot and killed a supporter of President Donald Trump in Portland last weekend.

They should be investigated and it should follow through on what needs to be done, he said a news conference in Delaware on Wednesday. Let the judicial system work. Lets make sure justice is done.

The former vice president will visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday. Blake, who had a warrant out for his arrest for sexual assault and allegedly had a knife, was shot several times by Kenosha police officers who were responding to a woman who previously accused him of assault, leading to several nights of unrest, arson, looting, and violence.

Taylor, meanwhile, was shot and killed in March in Kentucky after police officers entered with a no-knock warrant while she was asleep. Her boyfriend fired at the officers, believing they were home invaders, before the officers returned fire, killing the woman.

The incidents have sparked Black Lives Matter protests, and, along with George Floyds death, triggered a wave of violence and civil unrest.

This week, Trump visited Kenosha to observe burned-down businesses.

President Donald Trump tours an area affected by civil unrest in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The president has not called for charges against police officers. He said the shooting in Portland was disgraceful and also said 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense when he shot two people in Kenosha. Video footage appeared to show Rittenhouse, who was charged with murder by local prosecutors, being attacked by several demonstrators before he opened fire.

Biden also attempted to distance himself from the more extreme left-wing calls to defund or abolish police departments, along with anti-police sentiments.

The vast majority of police officers are good, decent, honorable women and men, Biden said Wednesday. They pin on that shield every morning and they have a right to go home that night safely.  Theyre the ones that want to get rid of the bad cops more than anyone else does, because it reflects on them.

Trump over the summer has touted that he is the law and order candidate, saying that Democratic mayors have embraced far-left ideologies and a Biden presidency will further destabilize the United States if he is elected.

Biden responded Wednesday, accusing Trump of throwing gasoline on the fire, without elaborating.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:41:09|Editor: huaxia

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NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 7,000 candidates will compete in Myanmar's upcoming general election scheduled for Nov. 8, an official from the Union Election Commission told a press briefing on Wednesday.

"A total of 6,689 candidates from political parties and 280 individuals, totaling 6,969 will run in the upcoming general election and election campaign will be launched soon," U Myint Naing, member of Union Election Commission said.

Of them, 1,934 candidates will compete for the House of Representatives (Lower House), 976 candidates for the House of Nationalities (Upper House), 3,847 candidates for state or region parliaments and 212 candidates for ethnic minority in state or region parliaments, he added.

About 37 million people are eligible to vote in the upcoming general election.

Myanmar's previous general election was held in November 2015 in which Aung San Suu Kyi-led ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats and has run the government since 2016.

The five-year term of the incumbent NLD government will end in March 2021. Enditem
In the first six months of the year, Ultimaker experienced double-digit growth year-over-year globally, including over 30% growth in the US alone. This was due in part to disruption in manufacturing from the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a paradigm shift in the global supply chain. Localized manufacturing, reduced downtime and cost reduction have become priorities which coincided with the heightened awareness of professional 3D printing and its impact on productivity. Ultimaker's notable growth is evidence of this rising trend.

Ultimaker is the largest player in the professional 3D printing market and continues to grow. The company has on-boarded six new resellers in the Americas and implemented a new distribution model in the APAC region to support their go-to-market strategy. Ultimaker's leadership position is attributed to a customer-centric approach and commitment to maintaining transparent relationships with its business partners and end-users.

In addition to its continued business growth, Ultimaker launched two enterprise solutions in the first half of 2020  Ultimaker Essentials and Ultimaker 3D Printing Academy. Ultimaker Essentials provides professionals with an innovation-ready software platform that enables seamless control and management across distributed 3D printers, and Ultimaker 3D Printing Academy is the company's new eLearning platform that aids in bridging the skills gap for manufacturers and engineers looking to leverage 3D printing in their supply chain. Both products further Ultimaker's mission to better enable easy and intuitive 3D printing for enterprise customers.

"Reflecting back on the first half of 2020, we are proud of the momentum we've been able to drive, and our ability take over as the leader in the professional 3D printing market despite the unprecedented circumstances," said Jos Burger, CEO of Ultimaker. "We are excited to continue to build on the successes we've had this year. The current manufacturing and supply chain landscape has been altered significantly due to effects of the pandemic, but the growth and expansion Ultimaker has experienced signals the industry's strides toward recovery and points to the rising adoption of professional 3D printing across the supply chain."

About Ultimaker

Since 2011, Ultimaker has built an open and easy-to-use solution of 3D printers, software, and materials that enable professional designers and engineers to innovate every day. Today, Ultimaker is the market leader in professional 3D printing. From offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston, and Singapore  plus production facilities in Europe and the US  its global team of over 400 employees work together to accelerate the world's transition to digital distribution and local manufacturing. Ultimaker .com

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In this file photo taken on March 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaks during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Base Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



A ranking U.S. official has hinted at the need for a realignment of U.S. troops in Northeast Asia to ensure that the U.S. has the "right forces in the right places," according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).



Concerns are that it may signal a possible reduction in the United States Forces Korea (USFK), which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened as he pushes for Korea to pay more for the stationing of troops here.



"We are heavily concentrated in Northeast Asia," David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs, said, according to a report by the DOD, Monday. "Some of these troops' placements are legacies of World War II."



"We'd like to be able to make our presence more geographically distributed, more operationally resilient," he said. "Maybe the future is going to be less about bases and more about places  being able to operate across a multiplicity of locations, which give us the flexibility and the agility to respond to a variety of different threats and challenges."



His remark has raised concerns over reductions in the numbers of U.S. troops abroad, a move sought by Trump who has been openly critical of the U.S. having to spend too much on maintaining overseas bases.



In July, he approved a plan to withdraw 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, nearly a third of the 34,500 stationed in the European country. This raised further speculation here that he may decide to undertake a similar move in Korea.



The speculation gained ground after recent media reports that the Pentagon had offered the White House an option to reduce the 28,500-strong USFK amid a prolonged bilateral dispute about the cost-sharing for maintaining the troops. Trump has used the possible reduction option as a bargaining chip to increase Seoul's share of the costs for the USFK's presence while slamming Korea for paying "peanuts" to maintain this.



Observers note that that ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, the issue of a realignment of U.S. troops and cost-sharing with allies is expected to be highlighted as one of the major debate topics between Trump and his Democratic rival and two-time Vice President Joe Biden.



Some experts stress the importance of progress in the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations  the mechanism that determines how much Korea pays for the USFK upkeep  to avoid a sudden decision by the U.S. to withdraw some troops, which could jeopardize the U.S.-ROK alliance.



"In light of the changing security environment, strategic flexibility of U.S. forces is very important, but so is coordination and interoperability with allies. Washington and Seoul have significantly modernized the U.S. military footprint in South Korea and continue to transform the alliance," Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, told The Korea Times.



"The problem is U.S. allies face increased burden-sharing pressure and are trying to wait out Trump. That tactic carries risks of reduced military readiness and the discussion of partial troop withdrawals. Seoul does not want to dramatically increase its cost-sharing, but it also doesn't want to find itself in Germany's situation. So making progress with the SMA should be a priority."



Regardless of who wins, the increasingly dominant view is that U.S. troops will likely be affected given that the world has changed and the U.S. is seeking to adjust its Northeast Asia strategy accordingly. In particular, the rise of China in the region has emerged as primary factor in the need for the U.S. to re-design its military and diplomatic policies in the region.



"It is likely that any U.S. administration will pursue a reduction and transition of U.S. troops stationed in Korea," Kim Heung-Kyu, a professor at Ajou University, said in a recent media interview. "It's just a matter of time. The current deployment of U.S. troops is aimed at coping with the Cold War after the Korean War, which is not suitable for U.S.-China strategic competition."


After a 30-year career in property management, Lynn Jackson had been looking forward to retiring in December. So it's a cruel irony that the 65-year-old has been denied access to her pension because it is trapped in a frozen property fund.

Ordinary investors have around 13.5 billion of savings in property funds, which typically own office blocks, warehouses, restaurants and shops. But a slew of funds were suspended when the pandemic hit because of uncertainty in the property market.

Today, the Mail reveals how experts are predicting that investors may be forced to wait until next year before they can access their money.

A slew of property funds were suspended when the pandemic hit because of uncertainty in the property market

Diane Earnshaw, of investment research group Square Mile, says: 'Property funds rely on expert valuations to determine what the properties are worth.

'Valuing such property was extremely difficult during lockdown. It wasn't possible to value a shop building, for example, when the shop wasn't open for business.'

Industries such as retail, hospitality and fitness have slowly reopened, but normal levels of activity need to resume before restrictions on accessing funds can be lifted.

Property funds are obliged to hold a proportion of investors' money in cash, to pay to those who want their savings returned. But once this cash reserve is gone, they have to sell properties, which takes time.

Following a flood of withdrawal requests, the funds were closed to avoid being forced to dispose of buildings at fire-sale prices, disadvantaging other investors.

City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says that fund suspensions exist to 'protect investors in exceptional circumstances'. Many investors will remember when the popular Woodford Equity Income fund was frozen following a flood of withdrawal requests amid concerns about its performance.

The fund was eventually closed, with savers losing up to half their investments.

Lynn Jackson, who lives in Leeds with her husband, Dean, 71, tried to cash in her 15,000 pension pot with Aviva earlier this month.

But after submitting the forms, she received an automated email stating her request had been denied.

It emerged that this was because half of her pension is held in Aviva Investors Pensions Property Fund  reserved for pension investors only  which had temporarily barred withdrawals.

Lynn had selected to invest half of her savings in the fund because she thought property was a good long-term bet.

'I was livid,' she says. 'I wanted to access my pension during the summer so we could buy a touring caravan and start thinking about holidays for the family when I retire in December.

'At no point had I been told that there was a problem with accessing money in this fund. And besides, half of the money is in other funds that are not suspended.

'I tried to contact Aviva to challenge the decision, but got nowhere.'

It was only after Money Mail intervened that Aviva conceded that its refusal to pay any money was an error.

Bricks and mortar: Property funds typically own office blocks, warehouses, restaurants and shops

The firm says Lynn will now receive the portion of her savings not in the fund  but it is unclear when she will be able to access the rest of her money.

Ms Earnshaw says: 'The uncertainty surrounding how to value property is being lifted in some sectors, such as warehouses and factories, which are now open for business again.

However, it is difficult to know when all property funds will be open, and there is still uncertainty for the hard-hit retail sector.'

Even when funds do reopen, investors should prepare for losses, says Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell.

'The big property funds have seen falls of as much as 7 per cent since the start of 2020, which means that when suspensions are lifted, savings could drop or will have dropped by the same amount,' he says.

'Property fund investors should be prepared for a very bumpy ride over the next few months.'

Investors might be further irked to know that they will still be charged fees while their funds are frozen. A typical fee is 0.82 per cent, according to AJ Bell  slightly higher than the average 0.75 per cent for standard funds.

Things could get also worse for property fund investors who want to access their cash quickly: the FCA has proposed new rules that would mean savers have give up to 180 days' notice if they want their money.

And, while they will be committed to withdrawing their cash, they won't know what price they will get until the end of the notice period.

The consultation on the new rules ends in November. If they are given the go-ahead, the FCA expects to introduce them early next year. Experts say the proposals could put many people off investing in these funds.

However, Ms Earnshaw says: 'If there was a notice period, it might mean the funds wouldn't need to keep so much of investors' money in cash as a reserve for withdrawals, and more could be invested, which may improve returns over the longer term.'

As part of diversifying your investment portfolio it is recommended you have some exposure to property as it is not connected to how the stock market performs.

As a rule of thumb, however, you should not have more than 10 per cent of your total portfolio in property  particularly if you may need quick access to cash.

moneymail@dailymail.co.uk
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that it was safe for children to return to school in the coming days, despite concerns over the increasing spread of Covid-19 in some parts of the country.

Speaking on the Spanish radio statio Cadena SER on Tuesday, Sanchez said that one reason for the increased spread of Covid-19 was that "part of the population has relaxed levels of protection and that has allowed a wider circulation of the virus", reports Xinhua news agency.

The Prime Minister's remarks came a day after the Ministry of Health reported more than 47,000 new cases over the previous week.

He said that the "evolution of the epidemic" was not "homogenous", with some regions seeing many more cases than and explained that was why his government would not re-impose a nationwide State of Alarm to limit people's movement, as was the case from mid-March until June 21.

"There is no justification for us to raise a State of Alarm with equally harsh measures throughout the territory," said the prime minister, who singled out Madrid, which has seen 14,871 new cases over the past week as a special cause for worry.

Sanchez also said that now has a "much greater early detection capacity than we had in March", and insisted that the return to school, which will take place over the coming days, was safe.

He said the risk of "social exclusion" was greater than the risk from the virus.

Sanchez also made an appeal for unity ahead of a busy autumn in which his government will try to secure the approval of a budget which is more necessary than ever given the effect of the on the Spanish economy.

As of Wednesday, the overall caseload in increased to 470,973, while the death toll stood at 29,152.

--IANS

ksk/

(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 load is further increasing, the top health official warns.

Hospital load in terms of COVID-19 patients has reached 44% across Ukraine, says Health Minister Maksym Stepanov.

"We're seeing an increasing hospital load in terms of COVID-19 patients. Even having allocated 36,000 beds that are already in place or reserved, we're practically deploying new hospitals [for COVID-19 treatment] because in some regions, the number of hospitalized is growing very rapidly," Stepanov told a Kyiv briefing on September 2, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Some 44% of the beds already prepared for patients with COVID-19 are currently occupied.

Read alsoUkraine PM predicts further rise in COVID-19 cases"Today, in total, if we take the already confirmed COVID-19 cases and cases where patients who have been admitted with an unconfirmed diagnosis, that is, awaiting confirmation with all corona symptoms in place and receiving appropriate treatment, having pneumonia  that's already a 44% load," the minister said.

Coronavirus in Ukraine: latest
New Delhi: This is probably the first time that China has started losing on several fronts before fighting a war against India, which has now occupied the southern part of Pangong lake in Ladakh. Indian army also managed to occupy several mountain peaks which had been snatched away from India in the 1962 war, without firing a single shot.

The India Army achieved this historic success against China after fresh clashes with Chinese PLA on the banks of Pangong Lake in Ladakh on the night of August 29 and 30, according to the DNA report. The military operations began on a fateful night when it saw 25-30 Chinese soldiers moving towards China's Observation Post at Black Top, which is situated in the southern part of Pangong Lake.

The movement of Armoured Regiment of the Chinese Army and a battalion of armoured vehicles were seen, Indian soldiers came into action and took over the top of Black Top. The reports of a scuffle are also coming in but the Indian Army has denied it. On the night of August 30 and 31, the Chinese army once again tried to move forward but the Indian Army captured many more nearby hills between the Patrolling Point (PP) 27 to 31.

These patrolling points, which were annexed by China in 1962, are now under the Indian Army. The Indian troops then occupied the areas of Rekin La and Rezang La where the Indian troops never reached after 1962. Reports say that Indian troops have also captured Magar Hill and Gurung Hill near Spangur Gap near Pangong Lake, thus, the hills from the south bank of Pangong to Rezang La is currently under Indian troops.

After this development, there is a possibility that China may open a new front against India, whose Army has deployed tanks at all such places to counter PLA.

The place where the Indian Army has now established its control lies the finger area of Pangong Lake. The Chinese army has occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 for the last several months and the latest victory of the Indian Army is a befitting reply to China.

From the Black Top, China would have been able to monitor the entire Chushul sector that houses essential military infrastructure, including the airstrip of the Indian Army. Now, the southern bank of Pangong Lake will provide a strategic advantage to the Indian Army which can force the Chinese PLA to retreat from the Finger Area, Depsang, and Gogra areas.

The situation is really tension not only in Ladakh but also on the Sino-India borders covering a length of three and a half thousand kilometers. Sources in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs told Zee News that the army has been alerted in the border areas of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Sikkim.

Amid this standoff, a continuous dialogue process between Brigadier-level officers of the Indian and Chinese military are on to resolve the dispute, but it has so far failed to yield any result. China has once again reiterated that India has violated its border.

The border dispute between India and China has attracted American reaction. In conversation with a US news channel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US is with countries like India.

China is seeking to establish a more robust overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report.

According to "Military and Security Developments Involving the People`s Republic of China (PRC) 2020" report, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRC`s global military objectives evolve.

The report said, "Beyond its base in Djibouti, the PRC is very likely already considering and planning for additional military logistics facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces projection. The PRC has likely considered Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan as locations for PLA military logistics facilities."

According to the Pentagon report, China may double its number of nuclear weapons in the next ten years. Currently, China is estimated to have around 200 nuclear weapons. By the year 2030, China may have 400 nuclear weapons.

The report also said that China currently has the world's largest navy, which comprises around 350 ships and submarines. The US Navy, however, has only 293 ships in the beginning of 2020.

Chinese Army has 1250 Ballistic Missiles and Cruise Missiles covering a range of 500 km to 5000 km. In the year 2019, China launched the maximum Ballistic Missiles and these numbers are more than the total missile launches made by countries around the world.

China's air defense system can destroy any fighter jets, drones, or missiles entering the Chinese border in the air. This system can protect China from the attack of another country.

The Pentagon report further said that China is constantly increasing its defense budget. Some international organizations claim that China spends more than its budget allocated to its military. Currently, China's defense budget for the year 2020 is reported to be about Rs 13,23000 crores. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the international body tracking nuclear weapons, however, stated that China spent over Rs 18,58000 crores on its army in the year 2018 itself.

China has now become a threat not only to India but also to the whole world. China is the epicenter of the coronavirus that killed millions of people in the world, and now it wants to get ahead of other countries in the nuclear arms race.

Meanwhile, India has taken another major decision to strike against China. On Wednesday, it banned 118 Chinese Mobile Applications that includes PubG, Super Cleaner, Hide App and WeChat. This is probably India's biggest action against China after the Sino-India border clashes.

Earlier this year, 59 apps were banned in June and 47 in July. Now a total of 224 Chinese apps have been banned in India. All these apps had become a threat to the security and sovereignty of the country. Experts believe that these apps should not have been allowed to operate in India even if the relationship with China did not deteriorate.

According to Chinese law, all these companies have to share data with the government there. That means your private data can also be handed over to the Chinese government.

Earlier in June, Zee News had launched a boycott of Chinese goods in India in which more than one crore people joined the campaign by giving missed calls in about a month and a half.
As with the previous pandemics and other major events, such as the Great Depression and World War II, the coronavirus pandemic will profoundly change workplaces and the nature of work itself.

In fact, it already has, according to a new article published by an international panel of management experts, including Michael Wilmot, a new assistant professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Many of these changes, especially the massive shift toward remote work - what most people refer to as "working from home" - are probably here to stay.

"We know that previous major world events had a profound impact on workplaces and the kind of work people do," Wilmot said. "In fact, these events led to the demise of some markets and businesses and the creation of others. This pandemic is no different. It will change work in fundamental ways, and this will challenge people to learn to work in ways dramatically different than previous generations."

Wilmot, who studies the role of personality at work, was one of several researchers who contributed to "COVID-19 and the Workplace: Implications, Issues, and Insights for Future Research and Action," published in the August issue of American Psychologist. As the title suggests, the article emerged as an overview of previous research related to work and workplaces, studies that apply in the context of a pandemic. Lead authors - Kevin Kniffin at Cornell University, Jayanth Narayanan at the National University of Singapore, and Frederik Anseel at the University of New South Wales in Australia - describe the article as a generative overview, a framework for identifying work and workplace issues for producing future research.

The authors and contributors cited several previous studies pertinent to the context of the pandemic, especially those related to remote work, which communications technologies and faster internet connectivity have facilitated over the past several years. In this sense, COVID-19 merely accelerated an already growing trend. The authors pointed to a survey of 229 human resources departments showing that roughly half of the companies had more than 80% of their employees working from home during early stages of the pandemic. The companies expect substantial long-term increases for remote work after the pandemic.

The above trend, suddenly mandatory for almost all individuals who do their work from an internet-connected computer, creates or complicates a host of issues, including "presentism" - people working at home when ill - and the inability of some people to set boundaries between work and home.

As one who studies the role of personality at work, Wilmot contributed insights pertaining to disparate impacts on employees with regard to certain individual differences and personality traits. For example, how will these issues affect extroverts versus introverts?

The authors identified several other issues, including:

A loss of social connectedness and loneliness for many employees, which can negatively affect performance and commitment to organizational goals.

Increased risk among employees for substance abuse and addiction.

Related to above issues, companies might need to create or augment employee assistance programs and hire staff trained to recognize mental health issues.

The possibility that virtual work arrangements will foster more participatory relationships, given that physical cues of dominance are less salient in virtual environments.

The need for human resource departments to develop new performance management and appraisal systems for remote-working populations.

The expectation that some companies will institute new modes of surveillance due to perceived lack of control, now that employees are "out of sight."

"Considering all these issues and more, I think it's important to examine how workers will adapt," Wilmot said. "I'd like to think some of the insights we provide will make positive contributions in the face of these changes."

###
Professor V Ramgopal Rao, director of IIT Delhi said that the institute is also planning to open postgraduate and degree courses in the future

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has established an independent School of Artificial Intelligence (ScAI) on its campus. The school is going to offer its own PhD program in the next admission cycle - January 2021- as well. Postgraduate degree courses are under planning, said the institute.

Professor V Ramgopal Rao, director of IIT Delhi, spoke about the future of artificial intelligence and the role of ScAI in it. He said, "The future progress of a nation will depend on its AI capability. Therefore, many countries have started investing heavily in AI. India is also responding to this."

He mentioned how we were lagging behind in some very important aspects, specifically in the number of AI researchers in the country and the overall quality and quantity of AI research. IIT Delhi is trying to fill this very gap with the establishment of the School of AI, said the director.

One of the goals of setting up ScAI is also to strengthen IIT Delhis place on the global map of AI, the professor added.

Speaking about the AI programs that the school is going to offer in the coming future, Rao said in the official statement, A program in AI is needed because current degrees are broad-based, and do not make it easy for students to learn the depths of different subfields within AI".

IIT-Delhi also brushed upon the objectives that they would like to fufill with the ScAI. it will enhance the global visibility for the institute with its external branding. The research productivity will see a boost as over 50 IIT Delhi faculty members with expertise in the field of AI will come together. While the focus initially is on generating postgraduate level courses, the school aims at churning out professional-level educational programmes.
CALGARY - The partial shutdown of a diluent supply pipeline following a spill near Fort McMurray has halted production at the Kearl oilsands mining operation in northern Alberta, operator Imperial Oil Ltd. said Wednesday.

Analysts say the anticipated withdrawal of thousands of barrels of bitumen per day from the market is already affecting crude prices.

The facilities are to be kept ready to be restarted as soon as the pipeline is back in service and diluent supply is restored, Calgary-based Imperial said in a news release, adding it is looking at other unspecified options.

An Imperial spokesman declined to say how much production is being sidelined or offer other detail.

While this new development will be negative towards our short-term estimates, timing is uncertain, and we will adjust volumes accordingly once we have more information, said National Bank analyst Travis Wood in a report.

Kearl is 29 per cent owned by Imperials American parent, Exxon Mobil Corp., and has the capacity to produce about 240,000 barrels per day of bitumen, about 170,000 bpd net to Imperial.

Operator Inter Pipeline Ltd. shut down a segment of its two-legged Polaris system on Saturday following a leak detected on Crown recreational land just east of the Fort McMurray airport in northern Alberta.

The pipeline system is used to move light petroleum such as condensate from Edmonton to the region, where it is used by oilsands companies to dilute heavy bitumen, enabling it to flow in a pipeline to market.

In a report on Wednesday, RBC analyst Greg Pardy said the outage is only affecting the west leg of the pipeline system which supplies Kearl and the Sunrise thermal oilsands facility, co-owned by Husky Energy Inc. and partner BP.

In an brief email, Husky spokeswoman Kim Guttormson confirmed the company is affected but offered few details.

Re: Polaris, we are being impacted by the shutdown, however we have other options to help mitigate the effects, she said.

The east leg supplies Cenovus Energy Inc.s Foster Creek and Christina Lake thermal oilsands operations, Pardy said. A Cenovus spokesman confirmed they are not affected.

A spokesman for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. said its operations are also not affected by the outage.

Sunrise requires about 21,000 bpd of diluent to transport daily output of about 45,000 barrels of bitumen, said Eight Capital analyst Phil Skolnick in a note to investors early Wednesday.

He added Kearl requires about 50,000 bpd of diluent when it is producing near its capacity.

The anticipated loss of production has already caused the price discount for bitumen-blend Western Canadian Select crude to narrow compared with U.S. benchmark crude, Skolnick said.

In 2019, the Polaris system transported an average of about 238,000 bpd of diluent, Inter Pipeline says on its website.

A spokeswoman said Tuesday she couldnt say how much diluent is still being delivered or when the line is expected to be back in service.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.

Companies in this story: (TSX:IPL, TSX:CVE, TSX:HSE, TSX:IMO, TSX:CNQ).

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Vietnams state-run telecoms giant VNPT was among the ten biggest winners at the IT World Awards 2020 with ten awards, including six gold medals.

IT World Awards, hosted annually by the U.S.-based Network Product Guide, is a premier business recognition honoring outstanding achievements in the information technology industry.

Since its establishment in 2006, the award has received thousands of profiles from nominations worldwide.

The result is based on the assessment of over 50 CEOs and product managers from a number of big names in the IT world including VISA, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Microsoft.

The Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) outdid many other Vietnamese candidates to take home the largest number of titles and gold prizes at the IT World Awards this year.

Despite being a newcomer, VNPT was featured among the top ten overall winners with six gold prizes, three silvers, and one bronze.

The VNPT Check app, which verifies the origin of merchandise, was among the innovative software to win the gold medal.

The app has helped pave the way for a large number of Vietnamese products to enter international trade promotion programs and joined the list of exports to high-standard markets.

VNPT Check has been introduced to more than 5,000 enterprises nationwide with more than 100 million products verifiable through the mobile app.

VNPT Pharmacy, a cloud-based pharmacy management solution, won the gold prize in the category of IT Products & Services for Retail.

The service has been successfully delivered to over 10,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The state-run telco also received gold awards for its virtual server rental service VNPT Smart Cloud, advertising solution VNPT SmartAds, unified customer service switchboard VNPT Cloud Contact Center, and digital payment platform VNPT Pay.

Its three silver prizes were earned for the Home Combo package, inter-agency document sharing system VNPT Exchange Platform, and Education Ecosystem 4.0.

The bronze prize went to its hospital management solution VNPT HIS.

Founded in 2006, VNPT specializes in investment, production, and trading in the post and telecommunications sector.

As a giant in information technology and telecommunications in Vietnam, VNPT aims at developing and providing products and services to facilitate digital transformation in the country.

In July, VNPT Group was among the Vietnamese enterprises enjoying big wins at the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2020.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Counter-terrorism police are assisting an investigation of a man who allegedly attacked two police officers with a knife and bit another on the arm in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday night, moments after he allegedly harassed a food-delivery rider.

The 32-year-old is expected to be charged with attempted murder after he allegedly lashed out in a frenzied attack, leaving one officer bleeding heavily from the head and shoulder.

A man has been charged after allegedly assaulting three police officers, including a 20-year-old probationary constable who was treated for a bite to one of his triceps. Credit:NSW Police

The Lakemba man is alleged to have said words to the effect of, "I wanted to kill the cops" and used ideological phrases in a later police interview. However, his motive remains unknown.

Late on Wednesday afternoon, police said the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team was assisting investigators after a search warrant at a hostel on York Street where a number of items of interest were seized.
SPRINGFIELD  Besting a hard fought challenge by Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal won the Democratic primary Tuesday.

The Associated Press projected Neal the victor in the 1st Congressional District race less than two hours after the polls closed.

It looks like a resounding victory this evening, Neal told cheering supporters outside Union Station in downtown Springfield. Its important to remind all that so much of my heritage is right here in this neighborhood. Ive lived my entire life in this district.... I won tonight with working class Democrats.

The Springfield Democrat performed well throughout the district, including Morses hometown.

I want to thank the people of Holyoke, Massachusetts tonight for giving me a victory, Neal said.

Morse, speaking Tuesday in Holyoke, thanked his campaign staff and volunteers.

I believe in our potential now, more than ever, Morse said.

But he decried what he called a fundamentally broken system of big money politics, despite raising $1.3 million himself and attracting spending by a number of out-of-state advocacy organizations.

Neal raised $3.7 million.

In his remarks, Neal recalled that he grew up near Union Station. Its the neighborhood where his grandparents settled and the building has played a role his political life as hes played a role in the buildings rejuvenation.

Neal announced his first campaign for City Council from Union Station in 1978 then championed what was to become a $103-million rehabilitation of Union Station over decades in office.

He said would continue to fight for an expansion of east-west rail and the Affordable Care Act. He predicted renewable energy legislation would be passed by the Senate and signed into law by Joe Biden.

Government can change lives, Neal said in his victory speech. I have lived that truth.

There is no Republican candidate running in the Nov. 3 general election, so the primary win puts Neal back in the House for another two years.

The race gained national attention with Morse  who is gay and has made his identity a part of all his campaign  running on a progressive platform against centrist Neal, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Ways and Means handles nearly every piece of legislation and has special oversight over taxation, tariffs and revenue. Neals a top lieutenant of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed him. He also received the backing of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

Morses campaign went public in 2019 after he had lunch with billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who then ran anti-Neal ads in the market to pave the way from Morse.

Morse, 31, and a nine-year mayor of Holyoke, ran to Neals left in what proved to be a bruising campaign. He called for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All and accused Neal of kowtowing to corporate donors at the expense of his district.

Morse campaign was nearly derailed just a few weeks from election day when the Massachusetts College Democrats and its chapters sent Morse a letter saying his communications with UMass College Democrats members over dating apps made some members uncomfortable and disinviting him from future events.

He was a part-time lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which has hired an attorney to review the matter for violations of university policy and federal Title IX rules.

Morse at first apologized and said he needs to pay more attention to power dynamics in relationships . But he later pointed to evidence that members of the UMass College Democrats formulated the letter to help Neal.

Neal said neither he nor his campaign had any involvement.

The LGBTQ Victory Fund, which had backed Morse, said Tuesday night he was defeated by a coordinated homophobic attack.

Morse mentioned the incident in his election night remarks, saying it played a role in his defeat.

He said the accusations go to the top of the Democratic party leadership. were clearly coordinated and were timed just as early voting started.

Neal has strongly denied having anything to do with the accusations against Morse.

Everything we fought for, for a health care system that values health care as a human right, combating the climate crisis, getting money out of politics, standing up for racial and immigrant justice, all of those fights continue tomorrow, Morse said.

The causes that he brought up during the 14-month campaign are those which he has been fighting for his entire life and Morse said he will continue to fight for those issues no matter what position he holds.

Morse raised $1 million in August, having one of his best fundraising weeks after the UMass Democrats letter became public.

He said he would consider running again and cited many politicians, including President Barack Obama, who lost their first campaign race.

But he said his campaign was not easy and the results show that he has more work to do to fight a status quo that leaves people behind. Morse vowed to run a grassroots campaign and constantly criticized Neal for accepting donations from large corporations still he said it was possible to win.

We were up against one of the most powerful incumbents in Washington who started this campaign with over $4 million in the bank and on top of that had corporate backed dark money groups spending millions and millions of dollars in negative ads, he said.

Outside groups also ran attack ads against Neal on Morses behalf.

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Called for September 4th. Card. Parolin will go to Beirut. In his coronavirus catechesis in the San Damaso courtyard, the value of solidarity. "A solidarity guided by faith allows us to translate the love of God into our globalized culture, not by building towers or walls  like the many being built today - which divide and then collapse, but by weaving communities and supporting processes of truly human and solid growth ".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis announced today a world day of prayer for Lebanon on Friday, September 4. He also appealed to the Lebanese people not to abandon "the message" of coexistence represented by the Middle Eastern country, thus badly injured by the explosion a month ago.

"One month after the tragedy - he said - my thoughts go to dear Lebanon and this severely tried population". "Lebanon - he added - cannot be abandoned to itself", it is "a country of hope" and "a place of tolerance, respect and coexistence unique in the region". "As John Paul II said, Lebanon represents something more than a state: it is a message of freedom, an example of pluralism for both the East and the West. We cannot allow this heritage to be lost.

Towards the end of today's general audience, next to a flag of Lebanon held together with a Lebanese priest, the Pope continued: "I would like to invite everyone to experience a universal day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon, next Friday, September 4. I will send my representative to Lebanon that day to accompany the population. On that day the Secretary of State will go on my behalf. And he will go, to express my closeness and solidarity. We offer our prayers for all of Lebanon and for Beirut. We are also close through a concrete commitment of charity, as on other similar occasions. I also invite brothers and sisters of other confessions and religious traditions to join this initiative in the ways they deem most appropriate, but all together.

Previously, in his catechesis, Francis had spoken of solidarity as the way to go after the crisis of the pandemic, because we emerge from all crises better or worse and "to emerge from this crisis better, we must do it together, all of us, in solidarity ".

"Solidarity and the virtue of faith" was the topic addressed by Pope Francis in today's general audience, in which he continued the cycle of catechesis on the theme: "Healing the world".

It was his first general audience "in the presence of faithful- after almost six months in which they took place in the Library - with about 500 people gathered - spaced out and with masks - in the San Damaso Courtyard. Francis also said that at the beginning of the audience: "After so many months we resume our face-to-face meetings and not 'screen to screen', and this is nice".

"In an interconnected world - Francis observed - we experience what it means to live in the same 'global village', everything is interconnected, but we do not always transform this interdependence into solidarity. Selfishness - individual, national and of power groups - and ideological rigidities, on the contrary, feed "structures of sin" (ibid., 36).

"The word 'solidarity' is a little worn out and is sometimes misinterpreted, but it indicates much more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It requires creating a new mentality that thinks in terms of community, of the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by some "(Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 188). This means solidarity: this is good to do. It is not just a question of helping others: it is a question of justice (cf.Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1938-1940). In order to be in solidarity and bear fruit, interdependence needs strong roots in the human being and in the nature created by God, it needs respect for faces and for the earth ".

Then taking a summary from the Gospel episode of Pentecost, read at the beginning of the audience, the Pope said that "with Pentecost, God makes himself present and inspires the faith of the community united in diversity and solidarity. A solidarity diversity possesses the 'antibodies' so that the singularity of each one - which is a unique and unrepeatable gift - does not fall ill with individualism, selfishness. Solidarity diversity also possesses the antibodies to heal social structures and processes that have degenerated into systems of injustice and oppression (cf. Compendium of the Church's Social Doctrine, 192). Therefore, solidarity today is the way to go towards a post-pandemic world, towards the healing of our interpersonal and social diseases. We do not emerge from a crisis the same as before. From a crisis we emerge better or worse, we have to choose. Better and not just a veneer".

"A solidarity guided by faith allows us to translate the love of God into our globalized culture, not by building towers or walls  like the many being built today - which divide and then collapse, but by weaving communities and supporting processes of truly human and solid growth. In the midst of crises and storms, the Lord challenges us and invites us to awaken and galvanise this solidarity capable of giving solidity, support and meaning to these hours in which everything seems to be wrecked. May the creativity of the Holy Spirit encourage us to generate new forms of family hospitality, fruitful fraternity and universal solidarity.

Finally, in his greeting to the Poles, Francis recalled that "in recent days in Poland the 40th anniversary of the Agreements was celebrated which - starting from the solidarity of the oppressed - initiated the 'Solidarity' trade union and historical political changes in your country and in Central Europe
Indonesias COVID-19 case numbers are continuing to surge as new daily records were reached on three consecutive days late last week. Saturday witnessed a spike of 3,308 confirmed cases bringing the national positivity ratethe percentage of positive results from all testsup to more than 15 percent.

Over 2,000 cases have been detected every day for the past week. The viruss death toll, by far the highest in South East Asia, has risen to nearly 100 fatalities a day, suggesting that infection rates are considerably higher than official figures. In total, data from the health ministry has confirmed 174,796 cases and 7,417 deaths nationwide.

The government believes the recent spike is related to the lifting of mobility limits across the capital city, Jakarta, during public celebrations of Independence Day on August 17 and Islamic New Year on August 20. Jakarta, the countrys initial virus epicentre, saw a record increase on Sunday of 1,114 infections.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan claimed in an online discussion broadcast last Monday via YouTube that the spread of COVID-19 in the capital is relatively under control. He presented no evidence, however, to substantiate this vague assertion.

In reality, the rapid spread of the pandemic in Jakarta and across the country is the outcome of the governments disastrous efforts to reopen the economy, which began in early June. Governor Anies himself has been at the forefront of this back-to-work drive, with utter disregard for the deaths and illnesses that it is resulting in.

On Friday, the Jakarta administration extended partial social restriction measures for the fifth time, to be effective until September 10. The move demonstrates the Indonesian ruling elites resistance to imposing a full-scale lockdown, which would necessarily involve a halt to production in most industry sectors.

The reopening of businesses throughout the archipelago has created the conditions for new clusters to emerge. The latest spike has consisted largely of workplace transmissions.

In the Cikarang industrial zone of Bekasi in West Java, at least 88 workers at a factory belonging to automotive spare part manufacturer PT Nippon Oilseal Kogyu tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The company has closed some of its units as a result, according to kompas.com.

Bekasis many industrial plants, located outside Jakarta, have recently emerged as new viral hotspots. Over the past two weeks, the local administration announced 242 new cases at an LG Electronics factory, as well as 71 infections at a Suzuki motorcycle plant in the same area.

The city of Depok in West Java experienced a spate of clusters in offices. Local coronavirus taskforce spokesperson Dadang Wihana told Tempo last week that many of those who have been infected: [W]ork at offices, such as banks and hospitals. New clusters at such offices created new family clusters in Depok.

The city administration revealed previously that around 60 percent of its residents commute daily to nearby Jakarta for work. Jakarta itself has reported at least 90 office clusters since early June.

The reopening of schools has accompanied the governments frenzied drive to send workers back on the job. For example, Sragen regency in Central Java is planning to reopen 63 elementary and junior high schools in 20 districts on Monday, despite a surge of 89 new cases within the small area over the last two weeks.

Paediatricians and teachers have openly criticised the reckless and premature reopening, and have called for schools to focus on distanced learning to prevent children from contracting the disease. Education Minister Nadiem Makarim has dismissed these concerns, describing his governments decision as bold but necessary.

The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI) has received reports of at least 180 teachers and students testing positive. In addition, the Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI) found 60 children have died from the virus, while over 6,000 aged 6 to 17 have contracted the coronavirus.

The government expanded a school reopening policy early last month for schools in COVID-19 yellow zones, or supposed moderate-risk areas. When a previous policy in early July allowing schools in green zones (low-risk areas) to reopen was in force, the FSGI discovered 79 regions had violated the guidelines. Local authorities have been herding children to school and forcing parents to resume work, even when it defies the nominal official directives.

The true scale of transmission through workplaces and schools has likely not been recorded due to extremely low levels of testing. Indonesia has so far performed over 2.2 million tests, in a population of over 273 million. In other words, only 8,118 tests per million people have been conducted, placing the countrys testing rate (ranked 162nd) among the lowest in the world. By comparison, Singapore has performed 312,870 tests per million people.

Health experts have expressed growing concern over the countrys low testing capacity, urging authorities to adopt an aggressive testing regime, large-scale contact tracing and isolation for those with confirmed infections. Professor Wiku Adisasmito, chair of the national taskforce, admitted that Indonesia can only achieve 35.6 percent of the World Health Organisation standard.

The Sydney Morning Herald recently contacted two leading epidemiologists, Pandu Riono and Dicky Budiman, who both estimated the actual number of cases was now more than one million people. If this were true, Indonesia would rank at number four for infections in the world.

Indonesias understaffed and under-equipped healthcare system remains under pressure.

The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) revealed on Monday that at least 100 doctors have died from the virus. Among them are distinguished and well-known professionals from Airlangga Universitys School of Medicine and Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, East Java.

IDI Chairman Daeng Fiqih said the association was attempting to coordinate with the national taskforce to ensure the availability of protective equipment in hospitals and health facilities so as to prevent more deaths among health workers. He also urged hospitals to create a work schedule based on preventing fatigue which has made workers more vulnerable to the virus.

The current number of active cases, 41,420, is pushing the medical system to its limits. Last week, IDI spokesperson Halik Malik told the Anadolu Agency that deaths among doctors have increased significantly over the last two months. The majority of the victims were between 28 and 39 years old.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. (TSXV:YAK)(OTC PINK:MNGGF) ("MGG") or ("the Company") a commercial real estate investment company participating in the Mongolian economy, announces the passage of all resolutions and the election of all nominated directors (Nick Cousyn, Jim Dwyer, Brad Farquhar, Harris Kupperman and Robert Scott) at the Company's Annual General Meeting held on September 1, 2020.

For further information on the Corporation, please visit www.mongoliagrowthgroup.com

or contact:

Mrs. Genevieve Walkden, Corporate Secretary

(877) 644-1186

gwalkden@MongoliaGrowthGroup.com

Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. is a publicly traded and leading property investment and development company in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. owns an extensive property portfolio in diversified segments of the property market, with an emphasis on institutional-grade commercial assets.

Forward-looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to MGG that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to MGG which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that MGG anticipates or expects may, or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "forecast", "future", "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "potential", "enable", "plan", "continue", "contemplate", "pro-forma", or other comparable terminology.

In particular, forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning MGG's upcoming annual meeting of shareholders and the timing thereof, the approval of the Rights Plan, the operation of the Rights Plan in the event of certain circumstances, and the amendments to the General By-Law.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by MGG as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The assumptions of MGG used for this news release may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks which could cause actual results to vary and in some instances to differ materially from those anticipated by MGG and described in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Although MGG believes that the material factors, expectations and assumptions expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date such statements were made, no assurances can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. MGG's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements and readers should no place undue importance or reliance on the forward looking-statements. Statements including forward looking statements are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, MGG disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Mongolia Growth Group Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604401/Mongolia-Growth-Group-Announces-AGM-Results
NOVATO, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Express Mobile, Inc. (XMO), a pioneering leader in Web 2.0 and mobile technology, announced that it has filed nine lawsuits against some of the biggest names in e-commerce and technology for patent infringement. The defendants include Atlassian, DropBox, eBay, Expedia, FaceBook, Google, HubSpot, Microsoft and Squarespace.

XMO's Chair and founder Steven H. Rempell began developing the patents and technology at issue in the late 1990s.

Mr. Rempell began his career with IBM, where he co-developed the Houston Automatic Spooling Program (HASP) software system for Mobil Oil (now Exxon Mobil). He went on to cofound Beyond Words, where he invented the first Graphical Word Processing System which was licensed to IBM, Canon and IMSAI, as well as MicroPro Japan, which became the second largest microcomputer software company in Japan.

Based on Mr. Rempell's inventions, XMO now holds key foundational patents that cover What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) website development methods and the integration of web services into web and mobile solutions.

Mr. Rempell's foundational patents are fundamental to modern solutions architecture and design, particularly for Web 2.0 applications such as mobile and desktop website generation, social media, e-commerce websites, among other industries.

The technology that Mr. Rempell created allows content to be authored so that it looks optimized on any device (cross-platform and responsive design solutions). As such, it is widely used throughout the e-commerce, social media and digital presence industries.

"I am a lifelong inventor and have been developing software technologies globally for companies for close to 50 years. We don't want to stop the defendants or anyone from using our patents - we just want to be paid a fair royalty," said Mr. Rempell.

XMO is represented in the litigation by five of the country's premiere trial firms: Feinberg Day Kramer; King & Spalding; MoloLamken; Steptoe & Johnson and The Devlin Law Firm.

The lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Courts in the District of Delaware, the Northern District of California and the Western District of Texas.

XMO filed similar patent infringement lawsuits in 2019 against GoDaddy, Shopify, Web.com and Wix.

Feinberg Day Kramer partner Robert Kramer noted, "It's not every day that a small firm like XMO takes on so many of the largest e-commerce entities. Steve Rempell is a true internet technology pioneer who developed essential, valuable patents for Web 2.0 and mobile technology and should be fairly compensated for his efforts."

XMO's CEO Jeff Samuelson added, "I've known Steve for almost 50 years. He suffered a near-fatal accident in 2011, just at the cusp of XMO scaling its business operations, which caused XMO to lose its position in a burgeoning marketplace. We are so pleased that Steve has overcome his challenges to lead XMO in its patent monetization efforts."

About Express Mobile, Inc.

Founded in 2006 by inventor Steven H. Rempell, Express Mobile Inc. (XMO) is a leader in mobile and desktop website generation, social media and e-commerce websites. Since 2012, XMO has licensed its patent portfolio to a wide variety of companies. For more information, visit http://xpressmo.com.

SOURCE Express Mobile, Inc.

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ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man opened fire this week outside a Family Dollar store in the Gravois Park neighborhood after being told to leave for not wearing a face mask, authorities said.

Joc'Quinn F. Perry, 29, of the 3600 block of Iowa Avenue, was charged Wednesday with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to charges, employees of the Family Dollar store at 3411 South Jefferson Avenue told Perry and a shopper he was with Monday to leave the store for not wearing masks "in accordance with public health standards imposed" by the city health department. Court documents say Perry and the second person reacted by insulting staff and threatening "to shoot up this place" before leaving the store.

When a man, 30, walked outside the store to see if the pair had left the property, Perry responded by pulling a firearm from his bag and firing at him, charges say.

The man wasn't hit and returned fire, striking Perry in the hip, police said. Neither police nor court documents said if the man who returned fire was a store employee.

Police soon found Perry in the 3600 block of Iowa suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. He told officers he had been shot in a drive-by shooting.

Charges say Perry's criminal history includes a conviction in federal court in St. Louis for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Perry was held without bail.

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As Maharashtra launches its Mission Begin Again with further relaxations coming into force on Wednesday, authorities are apprehensive about a spike in Covid-19 cases across the state. A day ago, the state had already shot past the 800,000-mark with 15,765 new patients taking the Covid-19 case tally to 808,306.

Also read: Whats allowed, whats not in Maharashtras Unlock 4

As part of relaxations, the state government allowed inter district travel, more workforce in private and government offices, operation of hotels and lodges at the full strength.

Officials feel the spread of coronavirus in rural Maharashtra could increase with more inter-district movement. However, the state government has directed the local administration to adopt Chase the Virus programme in September. The campaign calls for increased surveillance to trace and track high-risk contacts.

We anticipate a spike in cases with freer movement between districts. We saw jump in cases after major relaxations were provided in May with opening up of industries and businesses. But the administrations have been asked to ramp up medical infrastructure beforehand. Besides, Chase The Virus programme will be adopted to break the chain of transmission, an official said, requesting anonymity.

Under the campaign, 15 people who come in close contact with a patient will be strictly put in institutional quarantine. The campaign has yielded good results in Mumbai, Malegaon and a few other locations.

Meanwhile, the state is inching towards the grim landmark of 25,000 fatalities due to Covid-19. The state, which has recorded 24,903 deaths so far, is expected to breach 25,000-mark on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Mumbai reported 1,142 cases and 35 deaths, though Pune district remained on the top in cases and fatalities. Pune city saw 1, 738 cases and 40 deaths, rural part of the district reported 776 cases and 7 fatalities, while Pimpri-Chinchwad reported 979 cases and 5 deaths.

Nagpur, Satara and Solapur districts were key contributors in new cases on Tuesday with 1, 491(22deaths), 780(17 deaths) and 467 (15 deaths) cases respectively.

The states active caseload stood at 198,523 as on Tuesday. The total of recovered patients reached 584,537 after 10,978 recoveries were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to 72.32%, against national rate of 76.63%. The number of recovered and discharged patients in Mumbai was 1,18,859 with a recovery rate of 80.88%, and active cases stood at 20,067.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 1

By Fidan Babayeva  Trend:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is ready to allocate credit resources to Azerbaijan in the total amount of $780 million in 2021-2023, Trend reports citing ADB.

According to the business plan, in 2021, ADB is ready to allocate five loans to Azerbaijan for the implementation of projects in education, irrigation, business support, economic reforms, and the development of railways.

The envisaged allocation is as follows: in 2021, loans in the amount of $85 million, in 2022 - $370 million, in 2023 - $325 million.

In 2021-2023, ADB will also provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in the amount of $4.5 million.

The government of Azerbaijan, for its part, allocated an additional $15 million for a project to develop an irrigation and drainage system, $20 million - for the restoration of the southern railway section of the North-South International Transport Corridor.

Since 1999, the ADB has allocated $4.4 billion to Azerbaijan as part of the cooperation.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva
Forming a new entity, the Arab German Company, the AOI and Toennjes Middle East International will focus on technology transfer and creating new export opportunities in the region and Africa

The Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI) has inked on Tuesday a partnership contract with the German Toennjes Middle East International Company to establish the Arab German Company for the manufacture of secure traffic metal plates, AOI has said in a statement.

The contract was signed by AOI chairman Abdel Moneim El-Terras and chairman of the Toennjes Middle East International Company Marcus Muller through video conference.

El-Terras stressed the importance of implementing the directives of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to enhance investment opportunities, deepen local manufacturing, and transfer and indigenise modern technology in the manufacture of metal traffic plates in partnership with international companies specialised in this field.

The German Arab Company is a new industrial edifice that provides many job opportunities for young engineers and technicians and training on the latest technology for manufacturing traffic metal panels secured for all types of vehicles and various means of transport according to the standards of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, El-Terras said.

He added that the agreement includes procuring the latest German-made machines and production lines with modern digital manufacturing technologies that are compatible with intelligent transport systems.

Al-Terras clarified that with this cooperation the AOI aims to meet all the needs of the ministry of interior of metal traffic plates secured in accordance with international quality standards and expand in the future for export to Arab and African countries.

For his part, Muller explained that the signing of this agreement confirms the pivotal role that AOI plays in introducing the latest production technologies and developing them in accordance with international quality standards.

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Madrid, Sep 2 : Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that it was safe for children to return to school in the coming days, despite concerns over the increasing spread of Covid-19 in some parts of the country.

Speaking on the Spanish radio statio Cadena SER on Tuesday, Sanchez said that one reason for the increased spread of Covid-19 was that "part of the population has relaxed levels of protection and that has allowed a wider circulation of the virus", reports Xinhua news agency.

The Prime Minister's remarks came a day after the Ministry of Health reported more than 47,000 new cases over the previous week.

He said that the "evolution of the epidemic" was not "homogenous", with some regions seeing many more cases than others and explained that was why his government would not re-impose a nationwide State of Alarm to limit people's movement, as was the case from mid-March until June 21.

"There is no justification for us to raise a State of Alarm with equally harsh measures throughout the territory," said the prime minister, who singled out Madrid, which has seen 14,871 new cases over the past week as a special cause for worry.

Sanchez also said that Spain now has a "much greater early detection capacity than we had in March", and insisted that the return to school, which will take place over the coming days, was safe.

He said the risk of "social exclusion" was greater than the risk from the virus.

Sanchez also made an appeal for unity ahead of a busy autumn in which his government will try to secure the approval of a budget which is more necessary than ever given the effect of the coronavirus on the Spanish economy.

As of Wednesday, the overall caseload in Spain increased to 470,973, while the death toll stood at 29,152.
And five more simply chose not to run for a second full term: James Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt (in 1908) and Calvin Coolidge. Cleveland also opted out of another run in 1896; apparently two terms, even if not consecutive, were enough. (He did wind up getting his picture on the $1,000 bill, though, which, as my mother used to say, is not nothing.)

In the postwar era, Dwight Eisenhower finished a second term in January 1961  but after him came another run of presidencies suspended. John Kennedy was killed in his first term. Lyndon Johnson, worn down by Vietnam, decided not to run again. Richard Nixon was re-elected  and then had to resign. Gerald Ford wasnt re-elected; neither was Jimmy Carter.

Im in my 60s now. I was 30 years old before I saw a president finish a second term  Reagan, in 1989.

All of which may provide some perspective for Donald Trump, who  if the current polls hold  could find himself in Jimmy Carters shoes this January. If so, hell need to consider what role he might play as an ex-president.

Here too, history provides some good (and some not so good) models.

First the bad news: A lot of former presidents kick the bucket fairly soon after they leave office (and this, of course, is not counting the eight who didnt reach the post-presidency, thanks either to an assassins bullet, heart attack or a bowl of bad cherries). Polk left office in March 1849 and was dead by June. Arthur was gone in less than two years. Four more survived less than five: Wilson, Washington, Coolidge and Lyndon Johnson.

On the other hand, theres Ford, who left office in 1977 and lived for 30 more years. Or Hoover, who lived for 31. Or Jimmy Carter  currently at 39 years and counting. So, assuming Donald Trump stays away from the death cherries, what might he do in the years to come?

One president, Andrew Johnson, was re-elected to the Senate. This was a real vindication for the first president to be impeached, although admittedly, dying of a stroke after only five months in the Senate took some of the shine off it. Then there was Taft, who first became a professor at Yale Law School, and then, in 1921, chief justice of the Supreme Court.
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Samson Oil & Gas Limited ("Samson" or the "Company") advises that the Company's Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Adams Paul Nikitins and Samuel John Freeman of EY, Level 23 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 as joint and several administrators (the "Administrators") of the Company. The Board of Directors will resign and, pursuant to Australian law, the Administrators will take control of the affairs and business of the Company. The Board of Directors adopted the voluntary plan of administration based on its determination that the Company is likely to become Insolvent within the meaning of section 436A(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

The Company's financial position and likely insolvency in the future are the result of the failure of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Samson Oil and Gas USA, Inc. ("Samson USA"), to perform certain covenants contained in the Credit Agreement dated April 9, 2019 between AEP I FINCO LLC (as Lender and Administrative Agent) ("Anvil") and Samson USA. On May 8, 2020, Anvil delivered a notice of default to Samson USA and the Company indicating widespread default as primary obligor under the Credit Agreement. A number of factors combined to make the voluntary plan of administration necessary and advisable, including the Company's failure to cure the existing defaults under the Credit Agreement, the depressed market prices for oil and gas and the current valuation of its assets being below the amounts owed to Anvil.

In Australia, voluntary administration is a process whereby an insolvent company is placed in the hands of one or more independent administrators whose role is to investigate the company's affairs, to report to creditors and to recommend to creditors whether the company should enter into a Deed of Company Arrangement, Liquidation or be returned to the Board of Directors.

SAMSON OIL & GAS LIMITED

For further information please contact

Tristan Farel, CEO on

303 524 3366 (US office)

TRISTAN FAREL

Managing Director

Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward looking statements, including but not limited to statements using words like "may," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should" or "will." Actual events results may differ materially from those predicted or projected in any forward-looking statement. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or estimated by any forward looking information, including the risk that the sale of Samson USA to Anvil will not occur as planned. A description of the risks and uncertainties that are generally attendant to Samson and its industry, as well as other factors that could affect Samson's financial results, are included in the Company's reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, which are available at www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/webusers.htm.

SOURCE: Samson Oil & Gas Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604508/Samson-Oil-Gas-Limited-to-Commence-Voluntary-Administration
British inventor Richard Browning uses a jet pack to display his technology at the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Read more

It sounds like something out of a movie: An American Airlines pilot calls the control tower at Los Angeles International Airport to warn that his plane just flew past someone in midair  a person wearing a jet pack.

But the pilot really did give that warning Sunday night, and it wasn't laughed off. The FBI is investigating.

After all, jet packs are not confined to the realm of science fiction. There are a handful of companies around the world that make devices that power a single person up into the air.

Former Swiss Air Force pilot Yves Rossy has created a type of winged jet pack, which typically requires him to be hoisted into the sky by a helicopter or balloon; he can take off from there. Another company, Zapata, has made something like a flying skateboard, which gives off a Marty McFly vibe.

JetPack Aviation Corp., based in Van Nuys, Calif., says its the only one to have developed a jet pack that can be worn like a backpack. The technology is real: Chief executive David Mayman demonstrated it five years ago by flying around the Statue of Liberty, and his company has created five of them.

So it's not out of the question that someone could have been soaring above the airport last weekend, giving pilots a scare.

Mayman was quick to say that if a jet pack was involved, it wasn't one of his. JetPack Aviation keeps its five packs locked down, he said, and they're not for sale. The company does offer flying lessons at $4,950 a pop, but he said students are attached to a wire and can't stray too far.

None of the companys competitors sells the products to consumers, either, Mayman said.

The weekend episode got us all wondering whether theres been someone working in skunkworks on this, he said, using a term for a secret project. Or maybe, he mused, the airline pilot saw some kind of electric-powered drone with a mannequin attached.

The fact remains: It's very difficult to get access to a jet pack. If you accomplish that, though, it's not hard to get permission to fly it.

The Federal Aviation Administration doesnt issue licenses specifically for operating the devices. A jet pack could be operated as an ultralight vehicle  meaning it would not be registered with the FAA and its operator wouldnt need a pilot license  if it meets weight, fuel capacity and speed requirements.

But it still wouldn't be allowed to surprise officials by freewheeling over California's biggest airport at night. Without FAA approval, ultralight vehicles can fly only during the day and are barred from flying over densely populated areas or in controlled airspace.

Jet packs that don't meet the ultralight requirements could be issued a special experimental certificate, which would require a class of pilot certificate specific to the aircraft and have its own set of flight restrictions, the FAA said.

"If you want to do something that's a thrill-seeking thing, then yes, you can fly one," said Mike Hirschberg, executive director of the Vertical Flight Society, a nonprofit professional organization.

To be clear, theyre not well-suited to becoming a common form of transportation anytime soon.

For one, they're too loud and don't have enough endurance, Hirschberg said.

For another, they're too expensive. If JetPack Aviation were willing to sell its jet packs to individuals, it would charge at least $300,000 each, Mayman said.

Besides, selling to the general public would create liability concerns.

"It's so easy for someone to misuse one of these aircraft," Mayman said. He doesn't want to be on the hook if, say, a flier were to plow into a car or building.

Mayman said that he isn't interested in selling his products to anyone but governments or government agencies, and that his company's focus is on search-and-rescue applications.

Four years ago, JetPack Aviation had a jet pack research and development contract with the U.S. military, but it did not end up selling any of the devices. Now under a different U.S. military research and development contract, the company is working on its Speeder aircraft, which it describes as a flying motorcycle that can be piloted by a human or flown as a drone.

In 2018, an engineering competition sponsored by Boeing Co. and other groups asked inventors to build a quiet, personal flying device that could carry a person for 20 miles. But instead of quiet jet packs, contest submissions were more like air motorcycles.

If quiet is the priority, there are ways to fly that don't even involve motors, propellers or combustion.

In 1982, a North Hollywood truck driver named Larry Walters tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to a lawn chair and floated up 16,000 feet in the air. He surprised at least two airline pilots, one of whom radioed the FAA. (Walters was fined $1,500.) To return to earth, Walters used a pellet gun to pop the balloons.
Britain has called on Russia to tell the truth about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny after Germany concluded the opposition leader was poisoned with novichok  the same nerve agent deployed in Salisbury.

Dominic Raab, Britains foreign secretary, said Moscow has a clear case to answer after Berlin said the Kremlin critic was targeted with the military-grade substance in an attempted murder.

Britain has long accused Russian operatives of using the Soviet-era poison to target Sergei Skripal, the former double agent attacked in Wiltshire in 2018.

In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the German government said a laboratory had identified unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent from the novichok group.

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of Nato, said the findings were shocking.

The use of a military-grade nerve agent makes it even more urgent that the Russian authorities conduct a full and transparent investigation, he said in a statement.

Nato regards any use of chemical weapons as a threat to international peace and security.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has strongly condemned the apparent poisoning, which she described as an attempt to stop Mr Navalny talking. There are serious questions that only Russia can answer, she said in a press conference.

Mr Navalny, a corruption investigator and a fierce critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, collapsed shortly after take-off on a flight from Tomsk, Siberia, to Moscow on 20 August. Aide Kira Yarmysh suggested he may have been poisoned after drinking tea at the airport.

His plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, some 450 miles away, from where he was taken, already comatose, to a local hospital.

Authorities initially refused to allow him to be evacuated to Germany, claiming his situation was too unstable for transportation. Clinicians treating the opposition politician in Omsk suggested he was suffering from a metabolic disease that caused a sudden drop in blood sugar levels.

Such claims went in the face of a tip-off from a transport police officer, who said Mr Navalny had been poisoned with a highly toxic substance, and that those attending to him were working in hazmat suits.

Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Members of the emergency services in hazard suits fix the tent over the bench where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March 2018. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Sergei Skripal The retired Russian colonel and former double agent for MI6 was in a critical condition in hospital for more than two months after being exposed to novichok in Salisbury. He was given refuge in the UK after being jailed in Moscow for treason. Mr Skripal came to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap in 2010 in which four men were exchanged for ten Russian "sleeper agents" in the US. In this image he is speaking to his lawyer from behind bars in Moscow in 2006. AP Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Yulia Skripal Yulia Skripal was struck down by a novichok poison alongside her father Sergei. Facebook Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi where the pair dined at before falling ill. It was boarded off whilst investigators worked on the building and later found traces of the chemical weapon within it. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Large areas of central Salisbury were cordoned off by police following the discovery of the Skripals. Traces of nerve agent were also found in The Mill pub. PA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Nick Bailey Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, rushed to the aid of the Russian ex-spy and his daughter who were targeted with a nerve agent. He was hospitalized after aiding them and didn't leave until three weeks after the attack. Wiltshire Police/Rex Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - Skripals home Police believe they were poisoned at home, and detectives found the highest concentration of novichok on the front door of Mr Skripals house. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Theresa May visits scene of attack Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May spokes with Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable Kier Pritchard near where the Skripal's were found. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal days before attack Sergei Skripal days before he was exposed to Novichok, that has left him fighting for life. ITV News Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - military involvement British soldiers were deployed soon after the attack to help a counter-terrorism investigation into the nerve agent attack. One of the places they were asked to help out with was Skripal's home and it's surrounding. They were asked to remove a vehicle connected to the agent attack in Salisbury, from a residential street in Gillingham. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation Personnel in protective coveralls and breathing equipment cover an ambulance with a tarpaulin at the Salisbury District Hospital. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The investigation extended to the grave of Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The Counter Terrorism Policing Network requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from Salisbury. EPA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Home Secretary visits scene of attack Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited the scene of the nerve agent attack at the Maltings shopping centre on 9 March. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time Yulia Skripal, speaking for the first time, said she felt lucky to have survived the nerve agent attack in Salisbury which left her fighting for life. Ms Skripal said her life had been turned upside down by the assassination attempt. But the Russian national added she hoped to return to her homeland one day, despite the Kremlin being blamed for the attack. Reuters

On 22 August, Russian authorities eventually bowed to international pressure and allowed Mr Navalny to be evacuated to Berlins Charite hospital. There, doctors concluded he had been poisoned by a cholinesterase inhibitor, a broad spectrum of compounds that include pesticides and nerve agents like novichok.

Mr Navalny remains in a coma and plugged into a ventilator, but with some improvement in his condition and without immediate threat to life. It is unclear what will happen when doctors attempt to bring him out of a coma  and if he will be left with long-term disabilities.

His recovery will likely take a long time, reads a statement released by the Charite hospital.

Berlin said testing showed unequivocal evidence of the presence of the nerve agent, and would be consulting partners including the EU and Nato on an appropriate joint response. Britains foreign secretary meanwhile promised consequences for using banned chemical weapons.

Mr Navalnys allies insist he was deliberately poisoned by Russias authorities. In a tweet written shortly after the news broke, aide Ivan Zhdanov said that it was beyond sensible doubt that the opposition politician had been poisoned by the state.

Novichok could be only administered by a government agency  the FSB, GRU, he wrote, referring to Russias security and military intelligence agencies.

The Kremlin, which has previously rejected such accusations as empty noise, claimed it had yet to be informed of Berlins conclusions.

At the same time, it seemed to suggest that Mr Navalnys poisoning took place in Germany.

A whole series of tests were done in accordance with international standards before evacuating the patient, and they found no poisonous substances at all, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Maria Zakharova, Russias combative foreign affairs spokesperson, rejected the accusations as information warfare.

Instead of a thorough investigation and joint inquiry, our partners prefer public statements without any accompanying evidence, she said. Once again we see another information campaign against Russia.

Novichok came to international prominence in March 2018 when it was identified as the substance used to poison former Russian spy Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The pair were found unconscious and frothing at the mouth on a bench outside a shopping centre.

Two more people, Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, were later treated for exposure to the nerve agent after Ms Sturgess used a discarded perfume bottle thought to have contained the poison. Ms Sturgess later died.

A police officer who was poisoned by novichok while investigating the attack on the Skripals had to move house with his family for their own safety.
Israel and Hamas reached Aug. 31 understandings for de-escalating tensions. Qatari envoy to the region Mohammed al-Emadi mediated the talks, under the auspices of Egypt and the United Nations. The news about the agreement came first from Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar. Israel did not explicitly confirm the agreement, but tacitly acknowledged it by promising to reopen the Gaza crossing point for commercial goods and the fishing zone if calm was maintained.

Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that following consultations with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, it was decided to reopen Sept. 1 the commercial Kerem Shalom crossing point into the Gaza Strip. Thus, goods and also fuel will be allowed to be transferred into Gaza. The COGAT office also announced that the Gaza fishing zone, which was limited to 8 nautical miles, would be increased again to 15 miles.

The COGAT office warned that the measures agreed upon depend on quiet being kept in the region. If Hamas will not keep to its commitments the easing measures would be revoked, according to the announcements. Later in the day, Israeli press reported that despite the understandings, sounds of explosive-laden balloons were detected near the southern city of Sderot.

While Hamas hurried to depict the temporary cease-fire as an achievement of the movement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) credited the latest understandings to the airstrikes carried out in the last three weeks by Israeli tanks, fighter jets, attack helicopters and other aircraft against some 100 targets belonging to Hamas. Over the last weeks, Hamas launched rockets, explosive and arson balloons from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilians. In addition, a number of violent riots were instigated along the Gaza Strip security fence. In response, the IDF struck approximately 100 military targets belonging to Hamas during 19 nights.

Apparently, those 100 Hamas targets struck across the Gaza Strip included some 35 weapons manufacturing and armament targets, 30 underground workshops and tunnel openings, several military compounds, drones and anti-aircraft missile equipment, a number of sites used by the Hamas naval commando unit and over 20 observation posts. These strikes represent significant damage to the military infrastructure and armaments of the Hamas terror group, the IDF said in a statement.

The news about the agreement was welcomed in Israel with mixed feelings. Shlomo Malka, whose home in Sderot was hit by a rocket Aug. 21, expressed skepticism over Hamas' commitments. "I dont believe what is said there. For the moment, I am just celebrating my own private miracle [of surviving the rocket attack]. I think that the situation will quickly slide back to what it was before. Its a matter of hours or days."

Hundreds of incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza toward Israel in the past three weeks, provoking more than 200 fires. Some fires burned natural reserve spaces, others broke out in farmed fields. Several rockets and projectiles were also launched from Gaza.

The IDF kept repeating it considers Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip  whether these were provoked by Hamas militants or members of other terror groups. Still, the Israeli army made a point of targeting Hamas military targets, to avoid civilians being hurt. It now seems that it was this strategy that enabled the sides to reach the temporary agreement.

According to reports in Israel, Qatar has promised Hamas to increase its monthly payments for several months. Israel also believes that the sanctions it has imposed on Gaza lately  especially the restrictions on importing fuel through the Kerem Shalom crossing and the ensuing cuts in power  pushed Hamas into accepting the compromise proposal.

Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel had agreed to the installment of a natural gas pipeline in the Gaza Strip, to advance projects that would offer Gaza residents employment and to allow additional coronavirus detection equipment to be transferred. Associates of Emadi said in a statement that he will meet with officials from the Israeli Delek gas company to discuss plans for constructing a natural gas pipeline in Gaza.

Hamas senior Khalil al-Hayya said Sept. 1 that if Israel does not fulfill the terms of the cease-fire agreement with the movement within two months, there could be another round of violence on the Gaza-Israel border.

The understandings reached Aug. 31 might open the way for a larger agreement. The sides have been negotiating for several months for a comprehensive cease-fire. Israel had hoped that such a deal would be reached during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, but that was not the case. With the coronavirus resurging in the Gaza Strip, Israeli experts estimate that Hamas could tone down its demands and opt for a deal. Reportedly, Gantz now pushes for the renewal of contacts in that direction. For Israel, a major component in such a deal would be the release of Israeli civilians and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas.
Long Queues at Hospitals, Apartment Lockdowns in Wuhan as Some Suspect Virus Resurgence

Hundreds of patients are queuing outside the infectious disease department at two of Wuhans largest hospitals, while some outdoors markets were shut down and several residential complexes resumed lockdown policiesleading some residents to suspect a resurgence of the CCP virus in the city where it first emerged.

In a phone interview, a resident in the central Chinese city of Wuhan divulged more information to The Epoch Times about what is happening there.

Long Hospital Queues

According to official data from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, apart from a total of 4 new imported cases on Aug. 1 and 7, there were no new local COVID-19 cases in Wuhan throughout August. On Aug. 15, the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park held an electronic music pool party, reportedly attended by 3,000 people. The audience was packed, with no face coverings or social distancing rules in sight.

But a Wuhan resident Wang Yuan (pseudonym) said he made observations that suggest the outbreak is still severe. Hundreds of people have lined up every day outside the infectious disease clinics of the Tongji Hospital and Union Hospital. Right outside the hospital on the main street, youll see the queues. You can see them and take pictures at any time, Wang said.

Wang also said some hospitals would not give a diagnosis to patients. He shared that a local community clinic doctor made a social media post on August 25, discussing a patient his clinic received that day. The post stated that the patient was a 31-year-old woman who became short of breath when she got out of bed on Aug. 22. The woman said she felt better after about 30 minutes. But she continued to have the same symptoms every day.

On Aug. 24, she went to the hospital for treatment. A CT scan revealed a common symptom of COVID-19: her lungs had ground-glass opacity in several areas. The electrocardiogram also showed a faster-than-normal heart rate. But a nucleic acid test and COVID-19 antibody test both turned up negative. The clinic said she may be suffering from a viral pneumonia, and the possibility of COVID-19 could not be ruled out. The doctor recommended that she take nucleic acid and antibody tests three days later and to self-quarantine at home.

The doctor pointed out that her symptoms of this case are highly consistent with COVID-19, and added that the accuracy of nucleic acid tests is low. Meanwhile, antibodies may not appear during the early phase of infection, or the patient may be asymptomatic for more than ten days.

The doctor wrote, The superiors wouldnt even dare to put down the diagnosis of viral pneumonia on the CT report, adding that two top hospitals, Wuhan Puai Hospital and Wuhan Union Hospital, took no further action on this patient.

Market Closed

The Hankou Gusaoshu Fruit and Vegetable Market is within 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles) of the Huanan Seafood Market, which local authorities initially said was the source of the outbreak. Wang Yuan disclosed that the Hankou market was also a hard-hit area during the pandemic. On Aug. 30, the market was shut down by authorities, with a notice posted outside that said it would be renovated.

Wang explained that the market was opened for a few days after the citywide lockdown was lifted in April. But then authorities closed it down and set up a temporary street market outside. On Aug. 30, the temporary market was demolished. He suspected it was because shoppers were coming into close contact with each other and spreading the virus.

Lockdown at Apartment Complexes

Wang also said some communities have experienced more and more stringent containment measures. Half a month ago, a complex near Daishan village resumed containment measures. You must wear a mask when entering and leaving, and you must take your body temperature, he said.

The Epoch Times could not independently verify the information.

He also said if residents use their health insurance card to buy anti-fever medicines at local pharmacies, community officials would soon contact them and inquire about whether they are suspected to have COVID-19. The big data is powerful, Wang said.

The pandemic is recurring all over the world. How can this place be over with it just like that? Wang opined.
CALGARY, Canada, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Guide Sensmart ("the Company"), a world leading manufacturer of infrared thermal imaging systems has supplied its mass fever screening solutions to schools in Canada in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as students are returning to school.

Guide Sensmart's IR236 Fever Warning System, which can quickly detect human temperatures at a distance, has been put to use at Webber Academy, a famous private school in Calgary, Canada, to facilitate the school's procedure of taking its students' temperatures.

Traditional thermometers can no longer fulfill the needs of many schools as they need to take temperatures of a large amount of people at the same time. Guide's contactless infrared thermal imaging system has come in handy in this case as it can detect multiple people at the same time.

The IR236 model can, at a distance, quickly detect temperatures of up to 500 people in a minute. The model adopts a 400 to 300 high-resolution metal detector, and it would sound an alarm and snap a photo once it detects a person with elevated temperature. Guide's fever warning systems have been installed in many public spaces such as airports, train stations, schools, large enterprises, hotels, and shopping malls.

To fulfill the global needs of infrared thermal imaging systems and facilitate more enterprises and schools, the Company is making efforts to speed up the production of fever screening systems and modules of 10 different series. Guide's thermal products are fully made in the industrial park of its own which covers the complete infrared industrial chain from IR detectors to IR thermal imaging systems, and are sold to over 70 countries and regions. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company shipped over 100,000 units globally to help users around the world in the fight against the coronavirus.

Guide Sensmart is the subsidiary of Guide Infrared, the world leading infrared thermal imaging systems provider. Leveraging the company's 20 years' experience in the infrared industry and mass production capacity, Guide Sensmart develops affordable infrared thermal imaging cameras and solutions. Intending to make infrared technology more friendly and accessible to the public, Guide Sensmart focuses on making everyday use products designed to make electric power inspection; facilities maintenance; industrial automation; fever screening; security monitoring; law enforcement; search and rescue, as well as outdoor night vision. www.guideir.com

SOURCE Guide Sensmart

Related Links

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Sushant Singh Rajputs newly accessed chat messages with a bank employee have pointed out that the actor did not have a strained relationship with his family, especially his sister Priyanka Singh, as he had made her a nominee in new investments made in May, 2020. The actor was found dead at his Bandra home on June 14.

India Today have shared chat messages exchanged between Sushant and the private bank employee dated May 20-21. The chats indicates the two had a conversation regarding some investments.

Earlier, chat messages dated June 8 between Sushant and Priyanka had revealed that the latter had sent him a prescription from Delhi in picture format on cellphone, recommending three antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines. In the messages, Priyanka asked Sushant to take Librium for a week, Nexito everyday and to keep Lonazep handy for when there is anxiety attack. If anything, one can say it is on online consultation, she said.

Talking about the same, Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer Satish Maneshinde had told India Today, Rhea Chakraborty in her statements to the CBI and ED said that on June 8, Priyanka had chatted with Sushant. She asked Sushant to take three different medicines without prescription. Rhea protested as she said that he was already taking medicines prescribed by Sushants doctors. Rhea had an argument with Sushant regarding the same and then Sushant asked her to leave. Rhea then called her brother, Showik Chakraborty, to take her home.

Also read: Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik asks for drugs for dad in newly accessed chat messages

Sushants father KK Singhs lawyer Vikas Singh recently said that the family was only aware about the actor dealing with anxiety. He had told Indian Express that it does not contradict our story in any manner. The family did not know he was having any psychiatric problems. Yes, he had informed the family about anxiety and his sister was doing some self-medication. Since there was a lockdown, she got a prescription from Delhi, he said.

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SACRAMENTO  California has a new partial eviction moratorium, the result of a last-minute push by state legislators to prevent struggling renters from being kicked out of their homes when courts reopen this week.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the moratorium into law late Monday, within hours of legislators passing it and just three days after the details were formally announced. AB3088 by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, grants tenants who are unable to pay their rent because of the coronavirus pandemic a reprieve and gives them five more months before they must start paying again in full.

The relief does not cover every California renter, however, or every eviction. Here are answers to questions about how the law works.

Am I protected from eviction? If you are experiencing a financial hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic that is preventing you from making rent, then this law covers you. That could be because of a loss of income  perhaps you were laid off or you had to stop working to care for a sick family member  or because of increased costs related to the pandemic, such as medical bills or child care that allows you to keep doing a job that has been deemed essential.

This law converts any rent you missed from March through August into civil debt, meaning you could not be evicted over the nonpayment, but your landlord could sue to recover the money in small claims court starting in March 2021.

From now through January, youll need to pay at least a quarter of your total rent. If you can meet the 25% threshold by Jan. 31, the rest of it will become civil debt. If you cant, then your landlord could file to evict you in February.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2020

How do I make sure my landlord knows I cant be evicted? Your landlord is supposed to give you 15 days to affirm under penalty of perjury that you cant pay your rent because of a coronavirus-related hardship. But if the landlord has proof you typically make more than $100,000 per year, and that is more than 130% of the median income in your area, you can be asked to document your loss of income.

If you dont make this formal declaration, your landlord can seek to evict you for nonpayment starting Oct. 5. If you do and your landlord tries to evict you anyway, your landlord could be fined between $1,000 and $2,500.

Other eviction cases, such as those for violating a lease agreement, can resume immediately in most of the state. Thats not true in several Bay Area communities, however  San Francisco and Contra Costa County have frozen all evictions until the end of September, and Alameda County has extended its moratorium until the end of the year.

Many tenant advocates believe the state law does not go far enough and that evicting anyone in a pandemic is dangerous and cruel. They have unsuccessfully called on Newsom to stop all evictions through the end of the year and accused him of turning his back on renters with this law.

Is there is any relief for landlords? Not much. With the state facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, several proposals to provide direct financial relief to landlords for missed rent were shelved in the Legislature because of their cost. A separate effort to require mortgage forbearance for homeowners withered after banks and landlord groups raised concerns that it was unconstitutional.

The law does temporarily extend some additional foreclosure protections to landlords who own no more than three rental properties, each containing four or fewer units. If this is you, and any of your tenants is unable to pay rent because of the pandemic, then you are now covered under a state law that requires your mortgage servicer to contact you at least 30 days before foreclosure to explore alternatives. This right expires in 2023.

Landlord groups have noted that many rental property owners are struggling themselves right now, unable to meet their mortgage bills and other financial obligations because of missed rent payments from their tenants. They have criticized the eviction deal for balancing the crisis on their shoulders.

It doesnt sound like anyone is satisfied with the law. Why the rush to pass it? Theyre not. Even Chiu called it imperfect and said he was disappointed that it did not include stronger protections for tenants. But after weeks of intense negotiations involving Newsom, legislative leaders, tenants-rights advocates and landlord groups, those involved said this was the best deal they could get.

A statewide moratorium on eviction proceedings imposed by the court system is set to expire on Wednesday. Everyone at the Capitol felt intense pressure to do something to help millions of struggling Californians who might otherwise lose their homes.

So what happens at the end of January? Thats the million-dollar question. The state could find itself back in the exact same position five months from now, fighting again over how to avoid a wave of evictions.

Lawmakers are hoping for a miracle  either that Congress, which has been at odds for months over whether to pass additional coronavirus relief legislation, will get its act together and provide aid to renters and landlords, or that Joe Biden will win the presidency and reset the debate in Washington.

But a federal bailout is no guarantee. That makes it tricky for legislators as they continue discussions this fall about a more permanent solution to the eviction crisis.

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff
By Trend

On its official website, the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) has posted the congratulatory message dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the independent Trend news agency.

Trend news agency celebrates its 25th anniversary on September 1.

"We sincerely congratulate the agency, which is the official partner of the AGF for many years. We wish the agency new achievements in its activity, to be always in the forefront not only in Azerbaijan but also outside our country!" the message said.

"We express our deep gratitude to Trend news agency for cooperation, support during many years, as well as for promptly and accurately informing the public about the latest events in the world of gymnastics. Our cooperation is very valuable to us." the message said.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabialamila arrived in Ghana Wednesday morning at the head of a Nigerian delegation for a two day visit to the Parliament of Ghana.

He was received on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by the Speaker of Parliament in Ghana, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye.



The two are expected to hold talks on matters pertaining to relations between Ghana and Nigeria following the implementation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 2013, Act 865.



Setting the tone for the visit when he welcomed the Nigerian delegation, Prof. Oquaye said Ghana and Nigeria are like the tongue and the teeth, and although they may offend each other, they also derive great pleasure from the benefits of coexistence and said it is important that the good relations between the two countries are maintained at all times.



He expressed the hope that the next two days will be mutually beneficial to the two countries and further strengthen the already strong bond between Ghana and Nigeria.



The Nigerian Speaker, bajabiamila agreed with his Ghanaian Counterpart on the good relations between the two countries and hoped that at the end of his two day visit, a good resolution will be found to the issues confronting the two countries, bearing in mind, the national interests of the individual countries.









The Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabialamila arrived in Ghana Wednesday morning at the head of a Nigerian delegation for a two day visit to the Parliament of Ghana.

Posted by Daily Graphic on Wednesday, September 2, 2020



Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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An officer from the Sheriff's Department speaks with a homeless woman pulling her cart of belongings beside the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Santa Ana Claims OC Homeless Settlement Breached by County

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CNS)Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do on Sept. 1 berated as a political stunt the city of Santa Anas filing of an amended complaint in federal court alleging the county breached its settlement agreement regarding sheltering of the countys homeless.

The city filed the amended complaint Aug. 31, alleging that since the settlement agreement in July 2019, transients continue to migrate or be ferried into Santa Ana instead of being placed in the area of the county they frequent.

Under the settlement agreement, various areas of the county agreed to accept homeless shelters because the law prevented cities from enforcing anti-camping ordinances unless they had provided enough shelter space for transients as an alternative.

City officials allege in court papers that sheriffs deputies continue their practice of transporting homeless individuals in breach of the [agreement], bringing homeless individuals into Santa Ana from across the county during the remainder of 2019, and, on information and belief, continuing throughout 2020.

Also, deputies have engaged in a sustained pattern of de facto transport by arresting homeless individuals who are then transported to the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana, where they are ultimately released without transportation back to their city of arrest, or even the ability to make a phone call, the lawsuit alleges.

Predictably, many or most such individuals remain in Santa Ana upon release, seeking shelter and services from Santa Ana, the filing states.

This is hardly surprising, given that the county has failed to take the necessary steps to provide sufficient shelter and services elsewhere. Thus, while the county purports to be in compliance with the  settlement agreement, by these practices, it is not.

City officials also alleged that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the influx of the countys homeless population into the streets of Santa Ana and shone an even brighter light on the inequities arising from the countys practices.

The lawsuit alleges that the county has imposed onerous COVID-19 testing requirements at the shelter in downtown Santa Ana called the Courtyard, which is across from the county Hall of Administration. The testing requirements make it nearly impossible for a person experiencing homelessness (or anyone) to meet, the city alleges.

The Courtyard has severely reduced capacity at the shelter, turning away transients, according to the city.

Hundreds of those individuals remain unsheltered in the vicinity of the facility, without any way to return to their cities of origin, the lawsuit alleges.

The county has turned a blind eye to the homelessness crisis and failed to address the influx of people who remain in the vicinity of the Courtyard, unsheltered.

The city claims the number of transients in the city increased 77 percent from 2017 to 2019. The city says as of April 2019, about a quarter of the transients in the county lived in Santa Ana. And the city claims it does not have the resources to handle the problem.

The county broke ground Aug. 28 on a project with Huntington Beach to open up a shelter in the seaside city with 175 beds that aims to get transients into permanent housing.

The county has also participated in state and federal efforts to house transients who are infected with COVID-19 or are at a higher risk from getting infected in hotels and motels. The county Board of Supervisors last week voted to begin efforts to buy some of the hotels to continue the program.

Do addressed the lawsuit during a Sept. 1 board meeting.

I understand this is election season and there is a lot of noise, a lot of people with no campaign platform who have a cheap stunt, Do said.

Were a punching bag. I get it. My point is it misleads the public, and those misrepresentations from those acting without the best of intentions need to be pointed out and repudiated.

We are doing the best we can, and I believe as a county we have made tremendous progress compared to many other jurisdictions that I see across the country.

After the board meeting, Do issued a statement saying the allegations by the city of Santa Ana are completely groundless.

The county has not been given any notice at any time of any incidents that would support any of the accusations levied by the city of Santa Ana, the statement reads.

One would expect that the City Council or the city manager wouldve reached out to either the Board of Supervisors or our CEO to try to resolve any issues that may come up before taking this step. My hope is that elected officials and city officials are not so cynical as to use the litigation process and take up valuable court time as a political stunt.
Portland police Chief Chuck Lovell released a statement Tuesday intended in part to call out elected officials after a protest Monday night was declared a riot. Mayor Ted Wheeler released a statement hours later denouncing what he described as senseless violence from both protesters and police Monday night, but he stopped short of directly addressing Lovells comments.

Lovells statement largely pertained to acts by protesters that included throwing burning debris into a storefront on the ground level of Wheelers condominium building. It called on elected officials to do their part and draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable.

Lovells statement described the property damage and flaming debris thrown as yet another escalation of the senseless violence.

The families that live inside have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives, Lovell added.

Protests against racism and police brutality began in Portland more than 95 days ago. Both protesters and police have routinely faced criticism for their actions during demonstrations beginning days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police.

Wheelers statement echoed Lovells condemnation of property destruction. Wheeler also acknowledged a viral video filmed by Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos that showed a Portland police officer repeatedly punching a protester in the head and face area.

Wheeler opened the statement saying, Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community.

But last night saw more senseless violence in Portland, Wheeler said. Another minority-owned, local business was destroyed by a violent group of individuals. A police officer was filmed repeatedly striking an individual at a protest. Even the building where I live, along with dozens of other families, was violently attacked.

Wheeler went on to call for all violence to be stopped and said he supports police reform efforts and peaceful protests.

Either you are with centering the heavy work of dismantling institutional racism or you are not, Wheeler said. These acts of violence distract us.

Wheeler directly addressed people participating in violence, saying state and local law enforcement were working together to hold people accountable.

Wheeler closed the statement encouraging people to vote, get involved in the community, support the POC Caucus in the Legislature and provide his office with feedback on his police reform plan.

Lovell ended his statement by tying the protests to other issues in the city, indicating problems such as escalating gun violence are not being addressed.

Emergency calls for service are not being answered, Lovell said. This is impacting the safety of our entire [city] and urgent action is needed.

Lovells statement did not mention the video of an officer repeatedly punching a protester in the head and face. Portland police did not respond to a request for clarification about Lovells comments regarding which elected officials he was referencing.

A spokesperson for Mike Schmidt, the Multnomah County district attorney who has faced criticism for his offices decision not to prosecute low-level charges stemming from protests, sent The Oregonian/OregonLive a statement in response to Lovells comments on Tuesday night.

We continue to prioritize public safety resources in Multnomah County by focusing on the violent crimes occurring at protests and in our community, including the recent and alarming increase in gun violence this summer, the statement said.

This story has been updated to include a statement issued by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidts office.

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Colombia lifts months-long travel ban and allows restaurants to reopen as it eases one of Latin Americas longest coronavirus lockdowns.

Colombia has lifted its five-month coronavirus lockdown as COVID-19 cases have begun to stabilise across the country.

Many sectors are now open for business, as the government wants to fix a struggling economy.

Al Jazeeras Alessandro Rampietti reports from Bogota.
Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the UN General Assembly on September 26, according to a report.

For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session this year will be held virtually and heads of state and government will not be physically attending the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Narendra ModiThe Department for General Assembly and Conference Management at the UN on Tuesday issued the provisional list of speakers for the General Debate of the 75th session of the General Assembly to permanent missions.

According to the list, Modi is expected to address the General Debate on the morning of September 26. However, it must be noted that the list is provisional and two more iterations will take place as schedules and speakers for the General Debate can change in the course of the next few weeks. The final speaking order for the General Debate could be different.

The General Debate will commence on September 22 and run through September 29.

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is listed as the first speaker. The US is traditionally the second speaker on the opening day of the General Debate and it is expected that President Donald Trump will travel to New York to deliver the final address of his presidencys first term in-person.

Donald TrumpAccording to the provisional list, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to address the virtual General Debate on the opening day.

This would be Trump's final address to the General Assembly of the first term of his presidency before the US heads into elections in November.

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The meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations will take place on September 21 and the Declaration will be formally adopted at the meeting.
The father of a 19-year-old Seattle man shot and killed in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone has filed wrongful death claims totaling $3 billion, seeking $1 billion each from the city of Seattle, King County and the state of Washington.

We dont exactly know where blame lies so were putting all the entities on notice and will begin the discovery process and flush out justice, attorney Evan M. Oshan, who is representing Horace Anderson, told The Seattle Times about the claims filed Wednesday.

Horace Anderson is the father of Lorenzo Anderson, who was shot June 20 and transported by volunteer medics to Harborview Medical Center, where he died, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

The city, county and state have 60 days to respond to the claims, which are precursors to lawsuits.

Last month, Lorenzo Andersons mother, Donnitta Sinclair Martin, filed a claim against the city, alleging officials created a dangerous environment by allowing protesters to occupy six city blocks and that police and fire officials failed to protect or medically assist her son. Her attorneys, who did not specify a dollar amount, say they plan to file a federal wrongful-death suit.

King County prosecutors on Aug. 5 charged 18-year-old Marcel Long with first-degree murder in the case, accusing him of fatally shooting Anderson and fleeing the state. A warrant has been issued for Longs arrest.

According to charging documents, Anderson and Long were in a fight a year ago and video of it was posted on YouTube. Anderson apparently lost the fight and he and Long had been feuding ever since, documents said.

The citys Department of Finance and Administrative Services confirmed Thursday the claim filed on behalf of Horace Anderson had been received, according to spokesperson Melissa Mixon. She said the city does not typically comment on pending claims.

Cameron Satterfield, a spokesperson for King Countys Department of Executive Services, also confirmed his department had received the claim and has started reviewing it.

Harold Goldes, a spokesperson for the the states Department of Enterprise Services, said as of Thursday afternoon, a tort claim had not yet been received.

At 2:20 a.m. June 20, several people called 911 to report the shooting, records show. Fifteen minutes later, several police officers entered the protest zone and were confronted by an aggressive and volatile crowd, according to charging documents filed against Long. Some people in the crowd yelled that the shooting victim had already been taken to the hospital.

Seattle Fire Department medics had staged nearby, but authorities said the scene was too dangerous for them to enter without police securing the area.

At 2:43 a.m., police were notified by a security official at Harborview Medical Center that a shooting victim, later identified as Anderson, had been dropped off at the hospital. Anderson was pronounced dead at 2:53 a.m.

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

Topics Claims Washington
Two-thirds of Britons will take two short UK breaks this year, with York, Cornwall and the Lake District among the favourite destinations of 2020.

A new survey suggests that over a quarter (26 per cent) of people do not feel confident taking a long holiday this year amid coronavirus fears.

Nearly half said they would feel 'safer' if they took lots of short domestic breaks during the pandemic instead of heading overseas.

A third of Britons said that taking lots of short breaks was also more cost effective and 'better for their wellbeing' than one long holiday.

And 42 per cent of those surveyed said they will visit multiple destinations during their short breaks, combining coastal breaks with rural or city trips.

The UK's top minication coastal destinations are Cornwall, Devon, North Wales and Whitby, the survey by Travelodge found. York, Edinburgh and London are the most popular cities, while Britons enjoy flocking to the Lake District and the Cotswolds for country fun

Newquay is a town on the north coast of Cornwall, in southwest England (stock photo)

York, evening cityscape view from the street with York Minster in the background (stock)

Britons most enjoy flocking to the Lake District (pictured) and the Cotswolds for country fun

The architectural remains of historical tin mines sit on the cliffs overlooking Porthtowan Bay near Truro in Cornwall, southwestern England on August 7, 2013

The UK's top coastal destinations for a 2020 'minication' are Cornwall, Devon, North Wales, Whitby and the Isle of Wight, the survey by Travelodge found.

York, Edinburgh and London are the most popular city destinations, while Britons most enjoy flocking to the Lake District and the Cotswolds for country fun.

It comes as data released by online bank Marcus by Goldman Sachs found that Britons have adopted thrifty spending habits during lockdown, with one third of adults polled saying they planned on eating out less in restaurants going forward.

Tourist at Easedale Tarn lake in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria

Properties in the popular seaside resort of St Ives on April 14, 2016 in Cornwall

Ancient 13th century half-timbered Red Lion Inn at Merchantgate in York

The Shambles, one of the most famous streets in York is almost empty as the UK adjusts to life under the coronavirus lockdown on March 18, 2020

Top city, coastal and rural destinations for UK minications 2020 City destinations - 1. York 2. Edinburgh 3. London 4. Bath 5. Cardiff 6. Brighton and Hove 7. Liverpool 8. Birmingham 9. Bristol 10. Glasgow Coastal destinations - 1. Cornwall 2. Devon 3. North Wales 4. Whitby 5. Isle of Wight 6. Blackpool 7. Bournemouth 8. Brighton 9. Whitby 10. Great Yarmouth Rural destinations - 1. Lake District 2. Cotswolds 3. Scottish Highlands 4. Yorkshire Dales 5. Peak District 6. Brecon Beacons 7. Dorset 8. New Forest 9. Scarborough 10. Snowdonia Advertisement

'Our study reveals that we have become a mighty Minication Nation and we are rediscovering what makes Britain so great,' a Travelodge spokeswoman said.

'Our 575 UK hotels are now all open and with our Covid-19 safety measures in place, we are welcoming customers from all corners of the UK.

'We are also seeing a growing trend in more Britons taking multi-location short breaks with a combination of a coastal, rural or city break.

'Taking regular short breaks helps to maximise your holiday time, reboot your batteries, discover the beauty of Blighty and it also provides interesting content to share on your social news feeds.'

The survey also suggests that nearly a third (32 per cent) of Britons are booking lots of short breaks in the UK so they can use up their holiday entitlement.

Over a fifth polled said that spontaneous short breaks help them to copy and feel in control as the coronavirus pandemic leads to increased levels of stress.

Meanwhile, people from Chelmsford, Oxford and Norwich reportedly spend the most money per minication, at 374, 320 and 316 respectively.

They take more short breaks to Cornwall and Devon, the poll found, while people from Liverpool spend the least at 289 per minication.

Earlier today MailOnline reported that one in five Britons have slashed spending on takeaways while 25 per cent of people surveyed have said they will carry on doing more home-cooking going forward.

New data published by online bank Marcus by Goldman Sachs are a blow to the Government's efforts to kickstart the UK economy after being effectively mothballed during the pandemic.

They also show that it will take more than Chancellor Rishi Sunak's hugely popular Eat Out to Help Out scheme to revive Britain's hospitality sector.

Meanwhile, 12 per cent polled said they will not return to indoor gyms, having bought home equipment and paid for online fitness subscriptions.

Eleven per cent claim they will not go back to beauty salons, while 25 per cent of all surveyed are choosing not to spend as much on clothes in future.

And 18 per cent admit they will not go on holidays abroad as regularly as they were pre-coronavirus in light of the Government's quarantine list.

Of those who have managed to save more money than usual during lockdown, 29 per cent said they have put away around 340 more than they normally would.
Heaviest black hole merger is among three recent gravitational wave discoveries

Scientists observed what appears to be a bulked-up black hole tangling with a more ordinary one. The research team, which includes physicists from the University of Maryland, detected two black holes merging, but one of the black holes was 1 1/2 times more massive than any ever observed in a black hole collision. The researchers believe the heavier black hole in the pair may be the result of a previous merger between two black holes. This type of hierarchical combining of black holes has been hypothesized in the past but the observed event, labeled GW190521, would be the first evidence for such activity. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and Virgo Collaboration announced the discovery in two papers published September 2, 2020, in the journals Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The scientists identified the merging black holes by detecting the gravitational waves--ripples in the fabric of space-time--produced in the final moments of the merger. The gravitational waves from GW190521 were detected on May 21, 2019, by the twin LIGO detectors located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, and the Virgo detector located near Pisa, Italy.

"The mass of the larger black hole in the pair puts it into the range where it's unexpected from regular astrophysics processes," said Peter Shawhan, a professor of physics at UMD, an LSC principal investigator and the LSC observational science coordinator. "It seems too massive to have been formed from a collapsed star, which is where black holes generally come from."

The larger black hole in the merging pair has a mass 85 times greater than the sun. One possible scenario suggested by the new papers is that the larger object may have been the result of a previous black hole merger rather than a single collapsing star. According to current understanding, stars that could give birth to black holes with masses between 65 and 135 times greater than the sun don't collapse when they die. Therefore, we don't expect them to form black holes.

"Right from the beginning, this signal, which is only a tenth of a second long, challenged us in identifying its origin," said Alessandra Buonanno, a College Park professor at UMD and an LSC principal investigator who also has an appointment as Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany. "But, despite its short duration, we were able to match the signal to one expected of black-hole mergers, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, and we realized we had witnessed, for the first time, the birth of an intermediate-mass black hole from a black-hole parent that most probably was born from an earlier binary merger."

GW190521 is one of three recent gravitational wave discoveries that challenge current understanding of black holes and allow scientists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity in new ways. The other two events included the first observed merger of two black holes with distinctly unequal masses and a merger between a black hole and a mystery object, which may be the smallest black hole or the largest neutron star ever observed. A research paper describing the latter was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on June 23, 2000, while a paper about the former event will be published soon in Physical Review D.

"All three events are novel with masses or mass ratios that we've never seen before," said Shawhan, who is also a fellow of the Joint Space-Science Institute, a partnership between UMD and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "So not only are we learning more about black holes in general, but because of these new properties, we are able to see effects of gravity around these compact bodies that we haven't seen before. It gives us an opportunity to test the theory of general relativity in new ways."

For example, the theory of general relativity predicts that binary systems with distinctly unequal masses will produce gravitational waves with higher harmonics, and that is exactly what the scientists were able to observe for the first time.

"What we mean when we say higher harmonics is like the difference in sound between a musical duet with musicians playing the same instrument versus different instruments," said Buonanno, who developed the waveform models to observe the harmonics with her LSC group. "The more substructure and complexity the binary has -- for example the masses or spins of the black holes are different--the richer is the spectrum of the radiation emitted."

In addition to these three black hole mergers and a previously reported binary neutron star merger, the observational run from April 2019 through March 2020 identified 52 other potential gravitational wave events. The events were posted to a public alert system developed by LIGO and Virgo collaboration members in a program originally spearheaded by Shawhan so that other scientists and interested members of the public can evaluate the gravity wave signals.

"Gravitational wave events are being detected regularly," Shawhan said, "and some of them are turning out to have remarkable properties which are extending what we can learn about astrophysics."

###

The research paper, "GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Coalescence with a Total Mass of 150 Solar Masses," was published in Physical Review Letters on September 2, 2020.

The research paper, "Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 Solar Mass Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521," was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on September 2, 2020.

The research paper, "GW190814: Gravitational Waves from the Coalescence of a 23 Solar Mass Black Hole with a 2.6 Solar Mass Compact Object," was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on June 23, 2020.

The research paper, "GW190412: Observation of a Binary-Black-Hole Coalescence with Asymmetric Masses," has been accepted for publication in Physical Review D, and was published on Arxiv on April 17, 2020.

About LIGO and Virgo

LIGO is funded by the NSF and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and lead the project. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council-OzGrav) making significant commitments and contributions to the project. Approximately 1,300 scientists from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration. A list of additional partners is available at https:/ / my. ligo. org/ census. php .

The Virgo Collaboration is currently composed of approximately 550 members from 106 institutes in 12 different countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) hosts the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, and is funded by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and Nikhef in the Netherlands. A list of the Virgo Collaboration groups can be found at http://public. virgo-gw. eu/ the-virgo-collaboration/ . More information is available on the Virgo website at http://www. virgo-gw. eu .

Media Relations Contact: Kimbra Cutlip, 301-405-9463, kcutlip@umd.edu

University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

2300 Symons Hall College Park, Md. 20742

http://www. cmns. umd. edu

@UMDscience

About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 9,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $200 million.

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Almost every day, North Lake Tahoes emergency dispatch sends fire crews to put out bonfires on the beach, charcoal grills in residential neighborhoods or campfires smoldering beneath towering pine trees.

In a single week in the middle of August  when a lightning storm ignited wildfires across the state  15 wildfires were reported to the U.S. Forest Service in Lake Tahoe. Of those 15 fires, 11 were caused by humans and four from lightning.

Even as wildfires burned across the state of California, as smoke saturated the sky in the Tahoe Basin, and the National Weather Service issued Red Flag warnings for the kind of dry, hot, windy weather that makes it all to easy to ignite a wildfire, people continue to strike matches and light campfires  either unaware or unconcerned with the fact that theyre illegal in the Lake Tahoe region.

We just had a massive lightning impact across the state of California and thats where we want our firefighters focusing their efforts, said Olivia Rahman, fire prevention officer with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the Forest Service. All of these illegal, unwanted, escaped campfires, its pulling our fire crews away from the most important work in protecting our communities.

A fire ordinance in North Tahoe and Truckee bans the burning of solid fuels  no charcoal, no firewood  from June to November. On Red Flag days, all fires and grills  including propane barbecues and gas-fired stoves with an on-off switch  are banned. The Forest Service restricts campfires everywhere in Lake Tahoe, with the exception of developed campgrounds with a host. (Portable stoves with an on-off switch may be used with a permit.) And California State Parks banned all campfires and grills in the Sierra District, even in their campgrounds.

Tahoe already has a history of campfires escaping and quickly morphing into wildfires. On a windy day in 2007, an illegal campfire ignited the Angora Fire, which destroyed almost 300 homes and structures in South Lake Tahoe. Later that summer, a barbecue caught a house on fire on Tahoes West Shore and flames from the house ignited the Washoe Fire, which raced up the mountain and burned several more homes.

So far this year, the Forest Services fire prevention team in Lake Tahoe has found evidence of illegal and abandoned campfires all over the basin  in Desolation Wilderness and Meiss Country, along the Tahoe Rim Trail, at Kiva Beach. In July, 44 firefighters were dispatched to contain a campfire that had spread near Chimney Beach. With so many people in Tahoe, Rahman said the Forest Service is seeing more people head up dirt roads into remote parts of the forest, like McKinney-Rubicon, to camp, which is also illegal. Dispersed camping is not allowed on Forest Service lands in Lake Tahoe. The Forest Service manages 78% of the land in the basin. There are three patrollers on Rahmans fire prevention staff, out of 70 Forest Service fire personnel in the Basin. Each fire prevention officer is assigned to a different region around the lake, though Rahman says all Forest Service employees are engaged in fire prevention and work closely with a network of fire agencies in the Basin.

Its a long fire season already, said Rahman. We really need the support of our community and our visitors to prevent these wildfires, to keep our firefighters safe and the people who live and come to visit and adore Lake Tahoe.

Earlier this year, a campfire started a half-acre wildfire that burned just hundreds of feet from a subdivision of homes in Meyers, outside of South Lake Tahoe. Thankfully, Tahoes network of fire agencies has been able to respond to calls just like this, and in Meyers, they contained the fire. But these types of incidents are not outliers. Because human-caused wildfires are increasingly common, the North Tahoe Fire District updated its fire code last year so it could implement stricter fire restrictions throughout the busy summer tourist season in hopes of preventing wildfires.

Point being, were cognizant of any open flame and thats why we went to this higher level restriction, said North Tahoe Fire Division Chief Steve McNamara.

McNamara said this year has been a strange one to normalize and compare with past years. The North Tahoe Fire District, which responds to calls from the Nevada stateline in Kings Beach to Alpine Meadows and all the way down to Emerald Bay, went from one of its slowest Aprils and Mays in memory  thanks to the stay-at-home order  to the busiest June on record, as far as call volume. The pace has kept up all summer.

It was unusual that we went from zero to 100 that quickly, McNamara said.

With so many calls reporting illegal fires, McNamara said people are helping the fire district enforce the ban. Every time a fire is reported, an engine rolls out of the fire house. That costs money. While theyre dealing with record call volume  a number thats correlated to visitation to Tahoe  they arent doing so with added financial support. The fire district does not receive any additional funding from the stream of revenue collected from visitors, called Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). The fire districts appeals to the county for TOT funding have been unsuccessful so far, according to McNamara.

When a fire engine arrives to break up a barbecue, McNamara said the approach is always education first.

People come to Tahoe to vacation. Vacations often include campfires, he said. Were disrupting someones vacation. We try to be reasonable, but we also realize we have to mitigate any danger before we leave.

Fire officials emphasized that anyone who sees an illegal fire in Tahoe should call 911 immediately. If you come across a stone fire pit in the backcountry that is cold to the touch, you can report the location on the Forest Services website and professional crews will come to disassemble it. If there are smoldering coals, though, call in the emergency.

Edward Miller, president of Meeks Bay Fire District, has been living in Tahoe for almost 45 years. Embers from campgrounds can travel to reach nearby residential neighborhoods. He sees the calls come in to dispatch reporting fires. While its a good thing these fires are being reported, Miller says the frequency scares him.

I can honestly say last summer was the first time I felt it. This year, because of the pandemic, I can feel it even more. I am afraid, living here, Miller said. All I have to do is look out my window and see my trees. Watching the news, we see all these photos and videos of the terrible fires. I look out my window and picture that happening here. So yes, I am afraid.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story referred to Transient Occupancy Tax as Tourist Occupancy Tax. This has since been corrected.

Julie Brown is a contributing editor for SFGATE who covers Lake Tahoe. Email: julie.brown@sfgate.com | Twitter: @imjuliebrown
Moral failure of church leaders and Christian response

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Question: How should the body of Christ corporately and Christians individually respond to the moral and faith failures of church leaders?



In the wake of what appears to be a steady stream of moral failures, outright renunciation of an orthodox Trinitarian Christian faith and embrace of sexual life-styles condemned in Holy Scripture, how should Christians respond individually and corporately?

Fortunately, as Christian we can, and should, turn to Holy Scripture to find answers.

First, we should never let another Christians moral or theological failures shake our own personal Christian faith. All human beings, even Christian leaders, are sinners who are going to have moral failure in this life. Jesus, however, will never let us down, and He will never leave us (Heb. 13:8). He will keep all the promises He made to us once we have trusted Him as Savior and Lord and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul himself set the example for us, declaring, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day (2 Tim. 1:12).

Second, should we forgive those Christians who let us down either in leadership or not?

The Lords Prayer is very instructive at this point. Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer in which He instructs them to pray, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:9). Jesus is instructing the disciples and us, to ask God to forgive us the way we forgive those who wrong us.

And Matthew also tells us that when Peter asked Jesus how many times should we forgive those who sins against us, Is seven times enough? Jesus replies, Seventy-times seven (Matt. 18:21-22), making the point that in Christ the spirit of forgiveness should be boundless.

We should forgive regardless of whether they repent or not or they request it or not. Many of us know from personal experience that an unforgiving spirit is a potion that poisons the receptacle that holds it.

Third, when the person confesses their sins and repents, then they should be welcomed back into the fellowship. The church is a corporate body of believers all of whom confessed their sin, repented, and accepted Jesus as their Savior. Each of us should say of a wayward Christian brother or sister, There but for the grace of God go I. The fellowship of Jesus followers should be suffused with the beating heart of a forgiving spirit while maintaining biblical standards of doctrinal orthodoxy and moral conduct.

Fourth, restoration to fellowship with the Body of Christ does not mean automatic elevation to the previous or a new position of leadership. The New Testament does make it quite clear that deacons are held to a higher standard of conduct than church members and that pastors are held to an even higher standard to be qualified for that position of enormous trust and responsibilities (1 Tim. 3:1-13).

The Bible gives us some guidance here, but it has to be parsed carefully. Two vivid, dramatic examples of such forgiveness and restoration are King David in the Old Testament and the Apostle Peter in the New Testament.

King David fell into the lust of the eye, which led to the lust of the flesh, which in turn led to conspiracy to commit the murder of Bathshebas husband.

God forgave King David, answering his penitential prayer (Psalm 51) affirmatively  and he remained King. However, God refused Davids deep desire to build the Temple because thou hast shed blood (1 Chron. 28:2-3).

In the New Testament the Resurrected Jesus not only forgave the Apostle Peter, but restored his previous apostolic role. The dramatic scene is described by the Apostle John who was an eyewitness. It appears from Peters declaration, I go a fishing (John 21:3), that Peter thought his 3-time denial of Jesus disqualified him from ministry, and he was going back to being a fisherman. Jesus is waiting for them on the shore, having prepared breakfast. In the original Greek, the episode becomes even more alive with emotional tension. Jesus, using Peters pre-apostolic name, asks, Simon . . . lovest thou me more than these? (probably referring to the tools of the fishing trade).

Peter replies, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus responds, Feed my lambs.

A second time Jesus asks the question, Peter replies affirmatively, and Jesus says, Feed my sheep.

Both times Jesus asks Peter if he agapes Him, the highest form of love, the love that is produced by the Holy Spirit in the yielded heart of followers of Christ. Each time Peter replies with the love of high regard (phileo), a strong word, but not even close to agape. (Agape is used for love in John 3:16).

Peters response shows evidence of a new-found humility, given his recent three time denial of Jesus. So, Peter was grieved when Jesus came down to his level with the third inquiry, do you even phileo me? Peter affirmed he did, and Jesus said, Feed my sheep. Jesus is telling Peter that he is still an apostle and that He made him a fisher of men, not a fisher of fish. And of course, Peter fulfilled his divinely assigned role magnificently.

Of course, this example is available for us to follow with one caveat. Jesus knows the future omnisciently, so Jesus at least knew Peter was going to remain faithful.

We do not have Gods omniscience, so we have to make judgment calls. And we should always remember the Apostle Pauls sobering warning that he struggled to the point of exhaustion to keep his body under subjection because if he fell into immorality, he could be a castaway or disapproved and put on the shelf  i.e., not losing his salvation but forfeiting his apostleship.

A last example from the New Testament also gives Christians today much to consider when responding to these issues. Paul and Barnabas composed a mission team evangelizing in Asia Minor. As they planned a new missionary tour, Barnabas wanted to take his kinsman John Mark, and Paul objected because John Mark had departed from the team and returned to Jerusalem. We are not given the reason for his leaving in the middle of the tour, and evidently Paul thought it not wise to trust Mark to follow through this time. Barnabas was insistent, so they departed asunder, Barnabas taking Mark and Paul choosing Silas and departed to different mission fields.

Given John Marks subsequent service to the Lord and to His church (author of the Gospel of Mark, etc.), Barnabas did a great service to the church. I am sure the Apostle Paul was delighted to see how John Mark matured, but did not feel he could trust him so soon after leaving the missionary team in the midst of an evangelistic tour. And Paul, unlike Jesus with Peter, did not possess omniscience. And, of course, the immediate impact of the split was to double the number of missionary teams in the field.

Pauls comments about being disapproved for a ministry certainly suggest that such an egregious breach of trust for a pastor as sexual immorality may very well permanently disqualify him from pastoral office, if not some other ministry. I personally cannot think of a scenario where I would vote to call a man as pastor of a church after he had been found guilty of adultery while pastoring a previous church.

The Paul and Barnabas episode suggests that we must use our best judgment, depending on the Lord for guidance and direction concerning once again bestowing the divine gift of pastoral office on someone who previously violated that sacred trust.
An Akure-based lawyer, Femi Emodamori, has alleged that the deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, submitted falsified certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the governorship election coming up in the state on October 10.

Mr Ajayi is the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) in the election.

The lawyer is asking INEC to publish the particulars of Mr Ajayi within seven days or he would compel it through the courts to do so.

In the letter addressed to the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Emodamori said his demand was in accordance with the provisions of Section 31 (2) & (3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) which states that: The list or information submitted by each candidate shall be accompanied by an Affidavit sworn to by the candidate at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or Federal Capital Territory, indicating that he has fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for election into that office.

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The Commission shall, within seven days of the receipt of the personal particulars of the candidate, publish same in the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.

Mr Emodamori said INEC failed to publish the particulars of the contestants along with the list of candidates it has published.

He said he had earlier formally applied to the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Certified True Copy of the Personal Particulars of Mr Ajayi as the candidate of ZLP.

Citing Section 31(4 &5) of the Electoral Act, Mr Emodamori said he had reasonable grounds to believe that the information given by the candidate in the affidavit or documents submitted to INEC were false.

I have very strong evidence, like many other members of the Civil Society, that Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayi has presented false certificates to INEC within the context of Section 182 (1) (j) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the recent Supreme Court decision in MODIBO V. USMAN (2020) 3 NWLR (PT 1712) 470 AT page 510, PARAGRAPHS A-H where the Supreme Court held that Certificate has a wider meaning than school certificate, and that it actually means any document that attests, testifies, vouches, ascertains, and verifies the facts therein, he said.

In the final list of candidates for the Ondo Governorship Election published at the Akure Office of INEC on 21st August, 2020, Hon. Agoola Ajayi was listed as Number 33 with his academic qualification stated as WASSC, even though he parades himself as a Lawyer.

The notorious information about him in public or official records (including Wikipedia) is that he claims to have acquired a Degree in Law from Igbinedion University and thereafter proceeded to the Nigeria Law School for the compulsory one year post Degree Program as prerequisites for Call to the Bar.

He claimed to have been subsequently called to the Bar as a lawyer in 2010. However, he was actually a member of the House of Representatives from 2007-2011 on full time employment, and could not have simultaneously attended University, and then Law School, which are also full time academic programs.

The lawyer further alleged that it was Mr Ajayis attempt to circumvent the legal consequences of his fraudulent claims of attending Igbinedion University and the Nigerian Law School that he abandoned his claim of having attended those institutions and obtained qualifications therefrom, in filling the necessary INEC Forms for his personal particulars for the upcoming governorship election.

The lawyer also noted that Mr Ajayi was the Caretaker Chairman of Ese-Odo Local Government from 2003 to 2004, and was thereafter elected as the Chairman of the Local Government where he served on full time basis as required by law, from 2004 to 2007.

According to him, Mr Ajayi could not have been an internal student of Community High School, Mobolorunduro for the May/June 2004 Senior School Certificate Examination.

In view of these crucial pieces of information available to me and many other members of the Civil Society, it is difficult for me not to conclude that the failure of INEC to publish the personal particulars of Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayi for the upcoming election is either a deliberate act of connivance with him and/or his Zenith Labour Party, or a serious dereliction of the statutory duty imposed on INEC by virtue of Section 31(3), especially when INEC claims to have published the Personal Particulars of other candidates long before ZLP purportedly substituted Agboola Ajayi for its earlier nominated candidate, Mr. Rotimi Benjamin, argued Mr Emodamori.

Now that Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayis name has been published on 21st August, 2020 as the candidate of Z.L.P in INECs Final List of Candidates, I hereby demand that INEC should consequently publish his Personal Particulars in its Ondo State office within Seven (7) Days from the date of this letter, in line with S.31 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

This would enable me and any other Nigerian who so desires, to obtain the Certified True Copy of his personal particulars and institute an action in Court to have him disqualified for having presented a forged certificate, as provided for in Section 31 (4), (5) and (6) of the Act.

He warned that in the event that INEC failed to comply with his demand, he would immediately institute a mandamus action in court to compel INEC to perform its statutory duties in this regard.

I hope INEC would avoid the damning negative connotation and perception that such failure would engender among the Nigerian populace and the International Community, as well as Civil Societies and other stakeholders/observers assiduously working with INEC to deliver a credible Governorship election in Ondo State, he added.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC in Ondo, Babalola Lebile, said he would need some time to check if the commission had received Mr Emodamoris letter, and only then could he be able to answer questions arising from it.

Mr Ajayi has, however, dismissed the call by Mr Emodamori, saying he was crying more than the bereaved.

He has no locus to ask any question because he is not a contestant, that is number one, and again INEC has published the candidates certificate, so if he is not satisfied he should go to court, the spokesperson of the deputy governor, Tope Okeowo, said.

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INEC has already done the publications required by law, the lawyer is just seeking attention, we are not bothered about such characters.

Why is he particular about Agboola Ajayi, when there are 16 other candidates? INEC has placed their certificates there, and if he is not satisfied, he knows what to do.
The government has claimed it offers plenty of legal routes for people to claim asylum, despite closing its flagship resettlement scheme for the past six months.

When challenged on what was being done to provide alternatives to dangerous crossings over the English Channel, the immigration minister told the House of Commons the UK had been resettling people directly from conflict zones.

There are plenty of legal routes by which people can claim asylum, Chris Philp said. This government has provided almost 20,000 resettlement places since 2015.

The minister claimed it was far more effective to help people who are in dangerous locations than shipping people in from other European countries, adding: I think we do more than our fair share while protecting vulnerable people.

From 2015 to 2020 our resettlement scheme took in more people directly from conflict zones than any other European country.

But the scheme was paused on 12 March because of coronavirus, and The Independent understands there is no planned date for it to restart.

At the same time, the government has resumed deportation flights for failed asylum seekers and reopened travel routes for the public and tourists.

The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said the governments approach to rising English Channel crossings had been defined by a lack of compassion and a lack of competence.

The government was warned, including by the Foreign Affairs Committee, that the collapse of safe routes would lead to growing numbers of people taking to the sea, he added.

What we need now are solutions, not empty headlines trying to sound tough, and I have deep concerns that the government in recent weeks through talking of deploying the navy and the RAF has tried to militarise a solution where lives are at risk.

Mr Philp said that boat journeys across the English Channel were dangerous, illegal and unnecessary, and they should simply not be happening.

 Priti Patel in Dover as Government face criticism over migrant crossing crisis

He added: This government certainly needs no lessons in compassion, our asylum system is extremely compassionate, extremely generous and those numbers speak for themselves.

As the debate raged in the House of Commons on Wednesday, boats continued to arrive in Dover.

At least 100 people, including young children, were brought ashore in the morning aboard Border Force patrol vessels and lifeboats, as conditions calmed following weeks of stormy weather.

Around 1,500 migrants made the crossing by small boat in August despite a vow from the home secretary to make the dangerous route unviable.

Mr Philp said the government was continuing efforts to prevent boats leaving France with increased security and intelligence sharing, as well as by prosecuting smugglers.

He said officials were working day and night to smash these criminal gangs, but the National Crime Agency recently said it was seeing a rise in DIY attempts at boat crossings that were not facilitated by criminal networks.

Among them was Abdulfatah Hamdallah, a Sudanese migrant who drowned last month after trying to reach the UK on a small dinghy.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister said he had a great deal of sympathy with people attempting crossings.

Abdulfatah Hamdallah died while attempting to cross the English Channel on 19 August 2020 (Facebook)

Boris Johnson added: They are falling prey to criminal gangs and they are breaking the law.

Theyre also undermining the legitimate claims of others who would seek asylum in this country and that is why we will take advantage of leaving the EU by changing the Dublin regulations on returns.

We will address the rigidities in our laws that make this country a target and a magnet for those who would exploit vulnerable people in this way.

British authorities are currently attempting to return around 1,000 people to European countries where they are believed to have claimed asylum previously.

But Mr Philp admitted that only 185 people had been deported in the past 18 months, and that legal challenges had caused a recent planned flight to Spain to be cancelled.

France and other safe countries travelled through are manifestly safe countries with functioning asylum systems, the minister said.

Genuine refugees seeking only safety can and should seek asylum in the first safe country they reach.

Several MPs pointed out that seeking asylum in the first safe country reached was not a legal requirement.

Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Show all 12 1 /12 Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers and gendarmes stand by tents during the evacuation of the Grande Synthe migrant camp, northern France, on September 17, 2019. Francois Lo Presti/AFP/Getty Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French gendarmes walk by tents during the evacuation of the Grande Synthe migrant camp, northern France, on September 17, 2019. Francois Lo Presti/AFP/Getty Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers move migrants on from a camp in Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Care4Calais/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers move migrants on from a camp in Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Care4Calais/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise A bulldozer at work as French police officers move migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France,17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Migrants at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk as people awaited eviction from the camp 12 September 2019. Steve Parsons/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Aran Quader, 6, and his sister Yaran, two, at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk on 12 September 2019, days before refugees were evicted. Steve Parsons/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Hamdren Quader 32, with his wife Xalat, 26, and children Kajhan, 8, Aran, 6, and Yaran, two, at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk, France, on 12 September before refugees were evicted from the camp days later. PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise A bulldozer at work as French police officers move migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA

Official figures published last month show the number of refugees arriving under the UKs resettlement scheme  which was announced last year and merges three previous programmes  fell from 894 between January and March to zero from April onwards.

In June last year, the Home Office announced that the UK would welcome between 5,000 and 6,000 refugees under the scheme in 2020-21.

Government data also shows that the overall number of asylum applications received by the Home Office between April and June 2020 nearly halved compared with the first three months of the year.

In the same period, 285 people were deported from the UK on seven charter flights along with 374 escorts, at a cost to the taxpayer of 1.1m.
Donald Trumps re-election campaign has not received a boost from the Republican National Convention or Republicans' attempts to paint the president as the law and order candidate amid civil unrest, according to a new poll.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed Joe Biden ahead of Mr Trump by seven points nationally  a lead that remained mostly consistent over the last three weeks, despite both parties holding their virtual conventions.

While the president and his allies used their convention last week to claim he was the only person capable of preventing violent riots and protests by the radical left from taking over the country, Mr Biden and Democrats countered the presidents messaging the week prior, instead focusing on the Trump administrations response to the coronavirus pandemic and its apparent inability to resolve racial tensions sparked by the high-profile deaths and police-shootings of numerous black Americans.

According to the new poll, a mere eight percent of respondents cited the issue of crime as a top priority for the US, compared to 78 per cent of those surveyed who said they remained concerned about the Covid-19 outbreak.

A majority of Americans  nearly 60 per cent  said they blame Mr Trump in part for the continued impact the pandemic has had on the country, from historic job losses to closed schools and businesses.

The majority of Americans who appear to support the nationwide demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality has also largely remained unchanged since July, with 53 percent of respondents saying they remain sympathetic to the activists and their cause.

The RNC sought to raise fears about a Biden presidency, with Mr Trump claiming voters wont be safe in Bidens America during the presidents speech on the final night of the convention.

But with more than 180,000 Americans having died as a result of the pandemic, the Biden campaign has continued to focus on the pandemic, calling for a face mask mandate and attacking the current administration for lacking a national plan to combat the virus.

Mr Biden has meanwhile continued to express his support for the protests while condemning any acts of violence, rioting or looting  a conventional practice often espoused by politicians on either side of the aisle. Mr Trump has not condemned some violent incidents in recent days, including a fatal shooting in which one of his supporters was alleged to have killed two protestors.

The former vice president has continued to counter the presidents messaging on crime, saying in Pittsburgh this week: The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So now hes trying to scare America.

Mr Biden also posted a tweet in response to Mr Trumps convention speech, writing: When Donald Trump says tonight you wont be safe in Joe Bidens America, look around and ask yourself: How safe do you feel in Donald Trumps America?
The toll in due to COVID-19 crossed the 500 mark on Tuesday with 11 fresh fatalities, while detection of 3,025 new cases pushed the states caseload count to 1,06,561, a health department official said.

The state also during the day registered recovery of as many as 3,484 patients taking the number of persons cured of the disease to 80,770, which is 75.79 per cent against Mondays recovery rate of 74.64 per cent.

With the fresh fatalities, Odishas death toll reached 503 which is 0.47 per cent of the total caseload.

The states COVID-19 toll on August 1, a month ago, was just 187, the data released by the health department said.

Of the 3,025 new cases including two MLAs, 1,181 people tested positive for COVID-19 during contact tracing while as many as 1,844 fresh infections were detected in quarantine centres, he said.The state also during the day registered recovery of as many as 3,484 patients taking the number of persons cured of the disease to 80,770, which is 75.79 per cent against Mondays recovery rate of 74.64 per cent.

Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, reported the highest number of new cases at 666, followed by Cuttack (312), Mayurbhanj (215) and Ganjam (207), the official said, adding 24 other districts reported less than 200 new cases each.

Regret to inform the demise of 11 Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals, the health and family welfare department said in a tweet.

While Khurda, Mayurbhanj and Puri districts reported two fresh fatalities each, one patient each died in Cuttack, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts, he said.

Ganjam district accounted for 191 of the 503 COVID-19 deaths in the state, followed by 67 in Khurda, the official said adding 53 patients have died due to other ailments so far.

With new cases, fresh fatalities and recoveries, Odishas active case number came down to 25,235 from 28,719. The active case ratio now stands at 23.68 per cent against Mondays 24.82 per cent, the data released by the department said.

The state has so far tested 18,39,854 samples for COVID-19, including 50,421 on Monday.

Following detection of COVID-19 infections in some government employees, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) office in Cuttack, suggested people not to visit their offices.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Tuesday reopened the Sun Temple at Konark for visitors after more than five months.

Only 2,500 tourists are allowed to visit the Black Pagoda (Konark Temple) adhering to the COVID-19 protocol, said ASI Superintending Officer Arun Kumar Mallick.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New York: India has blamed Pakistan of propagating fake news through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Tuesday pointed out that Facebook and Instagram accounts based out of Pakistan were being used to report sites and accounts that criticise Islamabad.

The tweet by India's Permanent Mission to UN reads: "Malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news. Call it what you may. Do read this report from the @stanfordio on motivated false propaganda from Pakistan. The truth is out for the world to see."

Malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news. Call it what you may. Do read this report from the @stanfordio on motivated false propaganda from Pakistan. The truth is out for the world to see. @UN @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy https://t.co/grYjBcuPXw  India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) September 1, 2020

The report published by Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) informed that as many as 103 Facebook Pages, 78 Facebook Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts were taken down on August 31, 2020 for engaging in 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour'.

"On August 31, 2020, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As it notes in its takedown report, Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan," the SIO report reads.

Facebook shared a portion of this network on August 28 with the SIO which then conducted its own investigation and brought out its report.

The report showed how a network of Pakistan-based social media accounts posted Pakistani nationalist messages and also criticising the Indian government. It also highlighted how the mass reporting networks operated, with Group and Page administrators mobilising social media users to report accounts that were critical of Islam or the Pakistani military/government.

"Additionally, reporting shows that Pakistani politicians work directly with prominent social media trolls to get pro-Pakistan hashtags trending on Twitter. The repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting," the SIO report noted.

Several pages and FB Groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, praising the Pakistan`s intelligence agency ISI and the ruling Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The report noted that in April 2019, Facebook had suspended a network of accounts linked to the InterServices Public Relations wing of the Pakistani military for coordinated group activity.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg that it is problematic when Facebook employees on record abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi while still working and managing important positions in Facebook India. It is doubly problematic when the bias of individuals becomes an inherent bias of the platform.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian addressed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Artsakh Independence Day, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The message says:

Dear compatriots,

I extend my congratulations on the occasion of Artsakhs Independence Day.

September of 1991 was fateful and momentous for the Armenian reality. Artsakh declared independence on September 2, and on September 21, Armenia held a referendum on independence.

Artsakh was the spark which lit the fire of freedom which spread all over the Armenian world. Our people rose to defend their rights and to take their worthy place in the modern family of nations. This was a truly historic time for the realization of our aspirations and abilities and its significance was duly appreciated in Artsakh as well as in Armenia.

Declaration of independence became the catalyst which allowed to form a sovereign statehood.

Today, 29 years later, the Republic of Artsakh is a mature state unit thanks to the struggle which is being fought by all-Armenian forces, thanks to the victory, which was achieved through the unity of Artsakh, Armenia, and Spyurk, thanks to the willpower which is leading the people of Artsakh, and today has become the promise of their success.

I bow to the memory of all fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the free and independent Artsakh and express gratitude to all who gave their health and well-being to achieve that goal.

Artsakh was a touchstone for our national willpower, and today it remains the pivot of our national unity. For us, as a nation, every achievement in Artsakh is a stone to the restoration of the huge Armenian world. Thus, our mind and effort, our work and ideas ought to be directed towards the protection of the Fatherland, security and peace of Artsakh and Armenia, well-being of our nation.

This notion should be the strongest in each of us because the fight for Artsakhs full freedom, for the restoration of the violated rights of our people is not over yet, it continues.

I congratulate once again on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Artsakh and wish peace, well-being, and optimism.
California would require debt collectors and buyers operating in the state to be licensed under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Legislature that now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom for consideration.

State Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) authored SB 908 with support from a coalition of consumer organizations and legal service providers as a protection for consumers from unfair or dishonest practices, particularly during current perilous economic conditions during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"Unfortunately, we know from history that when times are tough, the bad actors come out in force to take advantage of people experiencing financial hardship," Wieckowski, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "Relying on victims to enforce our consumer laws through litigation is a weak approach that leaves too many of our most vulnerable residents at risk of plunging into deeper debt."

The legislation requires licensing through the state Department of Business Oversight, creating a means for proper supervision of the debt collection industry that consumers can turn to, he said.

The bill calls for the DBO to take borrowers' complaints and enforce violations. It would provide consumers with a single location to see whether or not companies are licensed, and any actions taken against companies, including suspension or revocation.

Funding would come from licensing fees on the industry.

"For too long, the scales of justice have tipped favorably to the debt collectors' advantage," Wieckowski said. "By more vigorously enforcing our laws, we can bring real justice to consumers and eliminate the misconduct and financial abuse that exists."

If enacted, California would join 34 states requiring a license to collect on consumer debt.

Currently, enforcement of the state's 1977 fair debt collection law relies on a consumer suing the collection company, which many people do not have the time or resources to undertake, licensing supporters say, which leaves collectors free to continue unscrupulous practices.

Collection attorneys would also be licensed by the DBO.

"Some law firms operate as collection mills and send out thousands of notices on their letterhead, which often frightens and intimidates consumers," according to Wieckowski's office.

Organizations supporting the legislation include the California Low-Income Consumer Coalition, Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of California, Bay Area Legal Aid, East Bay Community Law Center, Bet Tzedek, Courage California, Western Center on Law and Poverty, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, California Indian Legal Services, and Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, among other groups.

"The passage of SB 908 means that we are one step closer to providing meaningful protections for consumers across California," said Leigh E. Ferrin, director of Litigation and Pro Bono for the Public Law Center. "Now, as more consumers are likely to be unable to pay their debts because of the pandemic, all consumers, but particularly low-income consumers and their advocates, will have a place to turn for complaints and enforcement."

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California's state legislature approved a measure this week that would allow it to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs, including insulin, to tackle rising pharmaceutical prices.

Why it matters: If passed, the motion would put California in direct competition with major generic and brand-name drug manufacturers.

Still, it could take years for the state to successfully bring products to the market.

How it works: Taxpayers would pay for the $1 million to $2 million in startup funding costs, in addition to staff costs, state fiscal analysis shows.

The bill specifically would require the state to make at least one form of insulin, provided that a viable pathway for manufacturing a more affordable form of insulin exists at a price that results in savings.

No other specifics of which drugs would be secured by the state were included.

What's next: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will have until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measure.
New Delhi: Days after China's "provocative actions" in Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh, the situation in the region remained sensitive on Wednesday while army commanders from both sides held another round of talks to defuse tensions, government sources said.

The army of the two countries held Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul with a focus on bringing down tensions in the Pangong lake area, they said, adding similar dialogue on Monday and Tuesday, each lasting over six hours, did not produce any "tangible outcome".

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations.

On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese PLA was engaged in "provocative action" again on Monday when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation following China's attempt to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area two days back.

"The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source.

The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it was for the first time such an incident occurred on its southern bank, they said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

It was decided at the nearly two-hour meeting that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", the sources said.

They said the Indian Army has further bolstered its presence around the Southern Bank area of Pangong lake by deploying additional troops and bringing in more weaponry including tanks and anti-tank guided missiles.

A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area.

The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.
Police in Dibrugarh district of upper Assam have lodged a case against a doctor for allegedly pouring hot water on the familys 12-year-old domestic help.

According to a member of the district child welfare committee, the incident took place on the night of August 27 when the minor, who had been employed as a domestic help for over a year, was sleeping on the floor late last month.

The minor was working at the residence of Dr. Siddhi Prasad Deori, a Dibrugarh-based doctor and his wife Mitali Konwar, principal of Moran College.

Based on information about a domestic help being employed at the house, a team of district child welfare committee accompanied by members of Childline rescued the minor on August 29, said Sudipta Ghosh Biswas, member of Dibrugarh child welfare committee on Wednesday.

The minor, who was traumatized, told us that the doctor poured hot water on him while he was sleeping on the floor of the couples bedroom. There were injury marks on the childs hands, cheek etc. A medical examination has been conducted and he is at present in our care, she added.

According to Biswas, the child told them that he used to do domestic chores, wash vehicles etc. and was frequently beaten with a cane. On August 31, the child welfare committee has filed a police case against the doctor who is yet to be arrested.

We have already registered a case and will take strict action. No one will be spared. I am yet to get the complete details. We are in the process of collecting evidence, medical reports etc. Action will be taken within 24 hours, said newly appointed Dibrugarh superintendent of police Prateek Thube, who joined duty on Tuesday.

The doctor is in his mid 60s and is yet to be questioned as his family is claiming that he is a cancer patient. We are verifying that. He will be questioned and action initiated soon, he added.

Though some local reports said that the accused is associated with Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh, superintendent of the hospital Dr. Indra Nath Sutia told HT that Dr. Deori is not associated with the organisation in any manner.

Dr. Deori was in the news in 2006 when he was suspended from the post of store in-charge of AMCH as he was running a private nursing home in violation of government rules.

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Oil Change Group Pressures Biden on Campaign, Admin Appointments

145 'green' groups press Biden to ban fossil fuel representatives from his staff

In an open letter (pdf), a coalition of 145 environmental groups and social justice activists has called on Democratic Party presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden to ban fossil fuel representatives, lobbyists, or executives from advisory positions on his campaign teamand, should he be elected President in November, from his cabinet and administration.

A 501(c)4 non-profit organization, the Oil Change coalition says that it is dedicated to supporting real climate leadership, exposing the true costs of fossil fuels, and building a just, equitable, and renewable energy future in the United States.

In their letter, the organization cites a recent poll by Data for Progress, a data science organization dedicated to providing data to support progressive activists and causes. Data for Progress say their June 27 poll (pdf) shows that voters oppose fossil fuel industry lobbyists working in the White House by a 22-point margin.

Praise for Bidenand a Warning

The Oil Change group praised Joe Biden for his bold plans to combat the climate crisis and create millions of good-paying, union jobs in a clean energy economy, and applauded his placement of environmental justice at the heart of his plans.

Your leadership on climate and environmental justice is why we urge you to ban all fossil fuel executives, lobbyists, and representatives from any advisory or official position on your campaign, transition team, cabinet, and administration, the groups letter said.

However, some contributors warned that the inclusion of persons in his campaign with connections to the fossil fuel industry could mean a loss of support.

L: Former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden accepts the Democratic Party nomination for president during the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Wilmington, Del., on Aug. 20, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images); R: President Donald Trump after delivering his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 27, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Joe Biden is championing the most aggressive climate and environmental justice plan of any presidential candidate ever, said Kaniela Ing, Climate Justice Director with Peoples Action. But if he hires fossil fuel representatives, hell lose any credibility he has built among youth activists, frontline communities, and all of us impacted by the climate crisis.

Bidens pledge to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies is sure to become an empty promise with fossil fuel emissaries whispering in his ear, said Karen Grainey, co-director of Center for a Sustainable Coast. We do not need a repeat of Obamas all-of-the-above strategy which gave us the largest expansion of oil and gas production in U.S. history.

Lauren Maunus, legislative manager at the Sunrise Movement, said the coming election is a matter of life or death for the young generation. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can only win if young people show up to vote for them in historic numbers, said Maunus. Its time for Biden to show young people he will fight for our generation by publicly committing to keep fossil fuel executives, lobbyists, and consultants off his team. We cannot afford this polluting influence in a Biden campaign or administration.

The Joe Biden Plan

As part of his plan to Build Back Better, former Vice President Joe Biden has said that he will prioritize environmental justice and equitable economic opportunity in his Clean Energy Plan to combat climate change.

The Democratic Partys presidential candidate says his $2 trillion Biden Plan will move to ensure a carbon-free power sector by 2035, which will be accompanied by massive investments in electricity grids and storage to support the construction of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. The upgrading of 4 million buildings and the weatherization of 2 million homes will create 1 million new jobs, according to the plan.

Biden says that his climate plan will help ensure that the U.S. economy will be less vulnerable to shocks and better able to bounce back from future threats.

Pump jacks on the Bakken Shale Formation, near Williston, N.D., on Sept. 6, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the American Petroleum Institute (API) insists that it is impossible to address climate change without involving Americas oil and natural gas industries. The Institute says that U.S. oil and gas leads the world in reducing carbon emissions while providing affordable, reliable and cleaner energy to American citizens.

We stand at a crossroads for the nations energy future, and the choices policymakers make in 2020 and beyond will determine whether we build on Americas energy progress or shift to foreign energy sources with lower environmental standards, said API President and CEO, Mike Sommers.

Referring to Bidens green energy proposal, Sommers said, This plan would require a massive amount of infrastructure buildout, a goal we all share. Unfortunately, it comes at a time when weve seen opposition to energy projects of all kinds with activist groups obstructing development every step of the way.

According to the API, the United States has reduced carbon emissions more than any other nation over the past 20 years.
Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the firing of MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid for her xenophobia and racism after she angered many by comparing radicalized supporters of the president to the way Muslims act.

Like Fredo at Fake News CNN, the very untalented Joy Reid should be fired for this horrible use of the words Muslim Terrorists.

The president continued: Such xenophobia and racism on MSDNC. Anyone else would be gone, and fast!!!

MSDNC is commonly used to denigrate the left-leaning cable network MSNBC as a propaganda tool of the Democratic Party.

The acronym DNC stands for Democratic National Committee.

Donald Trump (left) on Wednesday's called for the firing of Joy Reid (right) after the MSNBC host was accused of Islamophobia when she compared the president's supporters to 'the way Muslims act' during her nightly newscast on Monday

Like Fredo at Fake News CNN, the very untalented Joy Reid should be fired for this horrible use of the words Muslim Terrorists. The president continued: Such xenophobia and racism on MSDNC. Anyone else would be gone, and fast!!!

House Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents the fifth congressional district in Minnesota and is a Muslim woman who immigrated from Somalia, refused to accept the president's 'fascist solidarity'

Trumps tweet about Fredo is a reference to Chris Cuomo, the CNN prime time host and brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat.

Fredo is a derogatory nickname taken from the Godfather movies in which a family-run crime organization employs a dim-witted, incompetent brother named Fredo Corleone.

Chris Cuomo has been caught in secret recordings, lamenting and denying apparent rampant rumors of sexual misconduct in a phone conversation with President Donald Trump's disgraced former attorney Michael Cohen.

The tapes were revealed on Tuesday by Fox News host Tucker Carlson. They have prompted calls for Chris Cuomos dismissal.

Reid was been accused of Islamophobia after her comments on Monday, which were made during her new 7pm show, ReidOut, as she discussed the murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha and political violence in Portland.

'When leaders, let's say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are 'radicalizing' these people, particularly when they're radicalizing young people,' Reid said.

'That's how we talk about the way Muslims act,' she added. 'When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?'

Omar (above), a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: 'Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous'

Omar condemned Reid's 'casual Islamophobia' and asked for an apology from the MSNBC host

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: 'Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.'

'We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,' Omar added.

Omar also did not take too kindly to Trump's calls for Reid's dismissal.

In a direct response to Trump's tweet about firing Reid, the Minnesota congresswoman tweeted: 'Joy was right about one thing- you are radicalizing and inciting violence and must be condemned for it.

'Dont use Muslim pain to attack the talent of a strong Black woman, who has vigorously held you and your administration accountable.

'We reject your fascist solidarity.'

Reid did not address the controversy on her show on Tuesday, but wrote in a tweet on Tuesday night: 'Theres been some thoughtful commentary but also some willful distortion of the points I tried to make yesterday. Well discuss in more depth tomorrow on the show!'

Reid's remarks drew swift backlash. Zakir Khan, board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oregon, said in a tweet that the comments were 'so unbelievably Islamophobic it's ridiculous.'

Khan asked whether Reid planned to apologize for the way she 'stereotype[d] an entire group of Muslims.'

In her remarks, Reid referred to Trump liking a tweet praising Rittenhouse, who is charged with murder after fatally shooting two people during a violent confrontation in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump went further at a press conference on Monday, telling DailyMail.com that the 17-year-old Rittenhouse 'probably would have been killed' if he had not opened fire.

Rittenhouse's attorney has said that the teen clearly acted in self-defense while he was being attacked by a violent mob.

Reid also referenced a video of a Trump supporter appearing to fire a paintball gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon on Friday.

Later the same day, a Trump supporter in Portland was fatally shot in the back of the head in an apparent act of political violence. Police are reportedly investigating a self-confessed member of Antifa for the killing.

Reid, 51, in July took over MSNBC's 7pm time slot from 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' after the host was forced to resign in March over allegations of sexist workplace behavior and several on-air missteps.

Reid's ratings have dropped since her launch week in July, according to Nielsen data reviewed by DailyMail.com. Above, she is pictured at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival

After MSNBC touted Reid's ratings for the first week of her show, which launched on July 20, the show's viewership has dropped off, according to Nielsen data reviewed by DailyMail.com.

For the week ending August 28, Reid was down 16 percent in total viewers and 7 percent in the prized 25-54 age demographic, compared to her launch week.

Monday's remarks were not the first time Reid has come under criticism for alleged anti-Muslim comments.

In 2018, anti-gay remarks were found on her old blog from posts in 2006, which she blamed on hackers at the time.

Other 2006 blog posts then came to light, including one that stated 'current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression, and thus, I'd say, with the Bushian dream of Western style democracy for all.'
The former Navy SEAL walked into a house somewhere in California late on a December evening. Inside a large candlelit room, ominous spiritual music swelled as he approached nearly a dozen veterans seated in a circle.

It had been nearly three months since his first treatment, in Mexico. And overall, things had been better. But eighteen years of service, on missions across the world and in combat zones, had taken a toll.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 01:06:14|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Doreen Atta-Fynn, head of clinical services at Ghana's LEKMA hospital, on Tuesday commended the Chinese medical team in Ghana for its contribution towards healthcare delivery in the country.

She made the comments while receiving donations of medical supplies donated by the alumni association of China's Sun Yat-sen University.

"There is always a Chinese medical team working in the hospital every year. They help to augment the number of specialists that we have in the hospital to provide specialist care to the patients," She said.

"They have been extremely beneficial to us in some areas where we do not have specialists. For example, we don't have cardiologists, they fit in the spaces that we need," Atta-Fynn added.

Shi Yongyong, chief of the Chinese medical team, who handed over the medical supplies to the hospital, said the team is here in Ghana to offer specialized services to the hospital, as well as to join their counterparts to defeat the virus.

He said, "After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana, the Chinese government has donated batches of protection materials for Ghanaians. As the Chinese medical team here, we are also playing a role in helping local colleagues defeat COVID-19 by providing PPEs and sharing Chinese experiences."

"We will do our best to assist locals in winning the fight against the pandemic," Shi added. Enditem
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Commander Wu Shengli (L) inspects a guard of honor in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 3, 2008. (Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images)

China Seeks to Double Nuclear Arsenal Size in Next Decade: Pentagon Report

Chinas military has surpassed the United States in shipbuilding, air defense, and ground-based missile development, according to a Pentagon report, as the regime in Beijing strives toward its goal of becoming the worlds dominant superpower by the year 2049.

This years annual China Military Power report (pdf) indicates that in 2019, the Chinese military continued to modernize and restructurealthough it notes that the force still has major gaps and shortcomings.

The 173-page report, which was provided to Congress, repeated the Pentagons previous assertion that Beijing will attempt to double its stockpile of nuclear warheads in the next decade, but, for the first time, includes an estimate on the current arsenal size: 200 warheads.

Beijing also is nearing completion of a nuclear triad, according to the report.

The Pentagon report casts doubt on Beijings stated no-first-strike nuclear posture, saying that developments last year suggest a shift toward a launch-on-warning (LOW) posture.

Chinas near-complete lack of transparency over its nuclear forces raised legitimate questions over Chinas intent as it fields larger and more capable nuclear forces, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia said in a briefing to reporters on the report.

An ability to double the stockpile not only demonstrates a move away from their historical minimum deterrence posture but places them in a position where they can readily grow their force beyond this number, he said.

The report notes that the Peoples Liberation Armys objective is to become a world-class military by the end of 2049a goal announced by CCP leader Xi Jinping in 2017.

Although the CCP has not defined what a world-class military means, within the context of the PRCs [Peoples Republic of China] national strategy it is likely that Beijing will seek to develop a military by mid-century that is equal toor in some cases superior tothe U.S. military, or that of any other great power that the PRC views as a threat, the report stated.

The report was compiled before the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus around the world this year, and reflects the state of Chinas military up to the end of 2019.

Warships and fighter jets of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy take part in a military display in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. (Reuters)

The PLA is already ahead of the United States in some areas, according to the report.

Beijing now commands the largest navy in the world, with roughly 350 ships and submarines. The U.S. Navy has 293 ships. China has the worlds largest arsenal of land-based missilesbuilt up while Russia and the United States were bound by arms treaties.

The PRC has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The United States currently fields one type of conventional GLBM with a range of 70 to 300 kilometers and no GLCMs.

Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China, on its National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2019. (Thomas Peter/File Photo/Reuters)

Those long-range missiles were developed to hold U.S. aircraft carriers at arms length. To keep the fighter jets from those carriers at bay, the CCP also developed an advanced integrated anti-aircraft systemanother area in which it exceeds U.S. capabilities.

In many other areas, the PLA still lags behind the United States, according to the report.

Despite the PLAs progress over the past 20 years, major gaps and shortcomings remain, the report notes. The PRCs leaders are aware of these problems, and their strategy envisions the PLA undergoing almost 30 more years of modernization and reform.

More striking than the PLAs staggering amounts of new military hardware are the recent sweeping efforts taken by [CCP] leaders that include completely restructuring the PLA into a force better suited for joint operations, improving the PLAs overall combat readiness, encouraging the PLA to embrace new operational concepts, and expanding the [PRCs] overseas military footprint.

One of the ways the CCP pushes innovation in the military is through its MilitaryCivil Fusion (MCF) Development Strategy, which is described in detail in the report.

According to the report, in practice, MCF means there is not a clear line between the PRCs civilian and military economies, raising due diligence costs for U.S. and global entities that do not desire to contribute to the PRCs military modernization.

The military is also increasingly involved in broader elements of great power competition with the United States, such as its three warfares influence operations, run by the PLA.

In 2019, the PRC recognized that its armed forces should take a more active role in advancing its foreign policy, highlighting the increasingly global character that Beijing ascribes to its military power, according to the report.

Whether the CCP achieves its military goals depends on many factors, according to the report.

What is certain is that the CCP has a strategic end state that it is working towards, which if achieved and its accompanying military modernization left unaddressed, will have serious implications for U.S. national interests and the security of the international rules-based order.
Chandigarh

Theres been an enthusiastic response to Chandigarh administrations nod to reopening of bars from September 1, with most places packed to the 50% limit allowed for social distancing. However, those expecting to shake a leg and let down their hair will have to wait  as safe distances have to be maintained.

Happy about the decent response, from patrons, Manish Goel, director of Social in Sector 7, which started services from Tuesday evening, says people have been observing safety rules. Things are going better than we had expected. The public understands all the rules and is being very responsible about it.

Goel, who also runs Swagath restaurant in Sector 26 and Elante, where alcoholic beverages are also served, says, At Swagath we get people who might have a beer with their meals as alcohol isnt the main attraction for them, but from Tuesday the crowds at lunch are getting bigger.

Sunveer Sondhi, proprietor of Pyramid Bar in Elante and the head of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAIs), Chandigarh chapter, is also happy with the response. We managed to open even on Tuesday, usually a slow day, yet the place was almost packed to the 50% limit. Our regulars are calling us and starting to reserve places as well.

For minimum human contact, Sondhi adds that his bar has gone all digital from menus to payments. Staff, however, has been instructed to stop playing music to maintain social distancing should the customers get carried away and start dancing.

Local resident Shrey Budhiraja, enjoying an evening out at a bar, says, People were beginning to feel cooped up inside their homes. They will be happy to go out and have a good time.

Licence issues being sorted out

Some bars, however, have delayed opening as owners scramble to get liquor licencing issues sorted out. Sandeep Sahni, Chandigarh Club president, confirms that their bar will open over the weekend while Ramandeep Marwah, general manager, JW Marriott, adds that all safety protocols will be in place when they open on Friday.

Some microbreweries, however, expect delays. Debdip Chaterjee, manager of Great Bear microbrewery in Sector 26, says most of their staff members are from Odisha and have gone back to their home states. It will be a challenge getting them back, but some local brewmakers will start brewing the next batch of beer soon.

Picture clearer over the weekend

A number of bar owners, however, are not sure whether they will be able to drum up good business after opening up. Ankit Gupta, president of the Chandigarh Hospitality Association, says some owners face delays in getting liquor licences. Those who do not have liquor in their inventory are also facing problems. The picture of the percentage of bars already open will become clearer over the weekend , he adds.

Guptas own Himanis Vertigo Lounge in Sector 35 will start alcoholic beverage services from Thursday.

Manmohan Kohli, chairman of the Chandigarh Restaurants and Hotels Association, who is also the proprietor of Hotel Aroma in Sector 22, adds: Many bar owners remain sceptical wondering if they will be able to net business after opening. A large chunk of people including professionals and tourists are still missing in the city, and they were some of our biggest clientele. So many owners are adopting a cautious approach before starting operations.
Felix Hufeld, president of Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images

Felix Hufeld, president of Germanys Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), said he will not resign from his role, despite harsh criticism that the countrys top financial watchdog should have caught the fraud at payments company Wirecard long before its balance sheet scandal came to light.

"If you are president of BaFin, you have to endure it or look for another job," said Hufeld at a conference in Frankfurt on Wednesday.

The full extent of the fraud at the bankrupt payments company began to unfold in June this year, when auditor EY refused to sign off on Wirecards 2019 accounts as 1.9bn (1.69bn, $2.27bn) was missing from its balance sheets.

BaFin has been in the hot seat since the scandal broke in June. At the time, Hufeld described it as a complete disaster.

We were not blind, but we may have relied for too long on the formally correct procedures, Hufeld said in Frankfurt today. We didn't see the wood for the trees.

READ MORE: German lawmakers to launch parliamentary probe into Wirecard scandal

The BaFin boss said that the regulator did take a very close look at Wirecard, and filed a large number of criminal charges against the Wirecard company with the public prosecutor.

He added that BaFin is not a police authority and that Wirecard AG was not a bank, we supervised the Wirecard Bank. Wirecard AG was a technology company.

German opposition lawmakers from the Greens, the Left and the pro-business Free Democrats jointly reached enough votes to demand a parliamentary enquiry into the fraud scandal on Tuesday (1 September). The probe could investigate, among other things, how many red flags the government and BaFin had had about Wirecard, and whether they ignored warning signs about the companys behaviour.

Hufeld said BaFin would aid any inquiries. It goes without saying, he said. "We'll do our part to set out every crumb, adding that everything needs to be relentlessly examined and oversight rules and regulations may need to be changed to stop such a situation from happening in the future.

Story continues

READ MORE: Former Wirecard COO put on Interpols most-wanted list

The Wirecard scandal has turned into a major embarrassment for the government in Berlin, not only because it dents the solid, reliable business reputation of Germany, but also because Wirecard had been feted as one of the countrys super-star tech companies.

Insolvency administrators are in the process of selling off the companys assets to try and recoup some of the billions owed to its creditors. They laid off 730 of Wirecards 1,300 staff in Germany in August, including the remaining members of the management board. Former Wirecard chief executive Markus Braun is currently in custody in Munich, which former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek is at large, with an Interpol warrant out for his arrest.
Emirates restarted passenger flights to Cairo on 1 July after Egypt began a gradual resumption of regular international flights with countries that have reopened their airports

Emirates airline said it will operate three additional weekly flights to Egypt due to "increased frequencies between Cairo and Dubai," bringing the total number of flights to and from the Egyptian capital to 17 starting 3 September.

The three additional flights will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER, a statement by the airline read.

In August, the Gulf airline resumed its Airbus A380 services to Cairo, with four weekly flights from Dubai. Cairo is currently the only destination on the airlines network in Africa and the Middle East with both the B777 and A380 operating to and from Dubai.

There are clear traffic flows between Cairo and Dubai, therefore the introduction of three additional flights a week makes commercial and business sense, and will also help support the revival of the countrys tourism industry as well as reopen more trade lanes in and out of Egypt, Ibrahim Ghanim, Emirates airlines country manager for Egypt and Libya, said.

He added that the expansion of our [Emirates] schedule will offer better connectivity and will broaden travel options for business travellers and families who are looking to visit Dubai, or transit at Dubai International Airport, choosing to connect to any of our network destination.

Emirates restarted passenger flights to Cairo and Tunis on 1 July, after Egypt began a gradual resumption of regular international flights with countries that have reopened their airports.

Foreign tourists in tour groups have been allowed entry into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country.

Egypt has required travellers arriving in the country to present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab test result certificate for the coronavirus starting 1 September.

However, travelers entering Egypt at any of four airports in the Red Sea governorate and South Sinai can take a coronavirus test upon arrival.

Egypt halted all international flights on 19 March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It has since only allowed its airports to open to domestic, freight and special repatriation flights.

Egypt hopes that the resumption of regular flights will boost its coronavirus-hit tourism sector, an essential source of foreign currency.

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LANSING  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx in Lansing to discuss Michigans response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Dr. Birx as we continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. This virus remains a serious threat to our families, our frontline workers, and our economy, and whats needed is more support at the federal level to help us expand testing, ensure everyone wears a mask while in public, support our frontline workers and small businesses, and save lives, said Governor Whitmer. I reiterated the need for enhanced federal leadership and clear, consistent communication across the Administration during my meeting with Birx, and I am hopeful that she will take this message back to the president in order to help us protect our families.

The governor also expressed her concerns with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) abrupt change last week to discourage asymptomatic testing even among individuals who may have been exposed.

This updated guidance, while voluntary, runs counter to what we are learning about this disease and jeopardizes our ability to return to school and work safely, she said.

During her meeting with Birx, the governor further reiterated the need for a national mask mandate that could save thousands of American lives.

The governor also spoke with Birx about the important role the Michigan National Guard plays in implementing Michigans testing plan. The Michigan National Guard has been crucial in assisting the department of corrections with testing MDOC staff and people serving time in Michigan prisons. To date, the state has also facilitated testing for over 40,837 residents and staff in nursing homes. President Trump has imposed a 25 percent state cost share for funding the Michigan National Guard COVID-19 response from Aug. 21 to Dec. 31 This places additional financial burdens on the state, making it more difficult for the Michigan National Guard to support the states testing goals and save lives.

In her meeting with Birx, the governor requested the administration restore full federal funding for the Michigan National Guard to support Michigans testing operations in vulnerable settings like nursing homes and prisons.
ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Agora Data, Inc., a finance solution provider of predictive loan technology, announced the launch of its most anticipated offering, AgoraCapital. With AgoraCapital, Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) auto dealers will have access to low-cost financing through the capital markets. This pioneering approach is another way Agora continues to provide industry knowledge and financial solutions to help BHPH dealers reach their goals, reduce risk, grow their business, and simply make more money.

"Until now, this highly complex financial option was unobtainable by BHPH dealers," said Steve Burke, CEO, Agora Data. "With AgoraCapital, we are connecting the BHPH dealers with the capital markets. Our crowdsourcing technology combined with our deep industry knowledge and predictive AI loan technology is transformational and designed specifically for the BHPH dealer, which results in easy access to capital with very attractive terms."

AgoraCapital will make it possible for the BHPH dealer community to compete with larger lenders and dealer groups who have large credit facilities with a low cost of funds. This is in addition to the other benefits the BHPH community receives through Agora's proprietary technology platform utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning designed to improve loan valuation and performance outcomes.

"AgoraCapital will have a positive impact for this special group of entrepreneurs wanting to grow their business," said Chris Hawke, Chief Revenue/Legal Officer, Agora Data. "AgoraCapital empowers dealers by providing the tools and funding they need to compete and realize their desired potential. BHPH dealerships across the nation have never had this type of financial resource available to optimize their business."

About Agora Data, Inc. Agora is re-inventing auto finance for BHPH dealers and finance companies. Founded in 2017 by a best in class team of professionals with experience from top financial and technology organizations, the company has successfully combined billions in historical loan performance data with experiences from top executives in auto finance to develop its AI-Infused predictive loan technology and modeling. Agora's development of an easy to use platform with actionable dashboards provides direct access to the untapped BHPH auto market connecting dealers, sub-prime buyers, and capital market lenders with results-driven opportunities for growth and access to capital. www.agoradata.com. For more information, please contact Agora at (877) 592-4672 or [email protected].

Contact: Shelly Vandeven

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Weather Alert

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST FRIDAY... * WHAT...Very cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 20 to 29 below zero. * WHERE...Central, northern and southern Vermont and northern New York. * WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Friday. * IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Temperatures will drop well below zero tonight into early Friday morning with northwest winds of 5 to 10 mph expected across the region. The coldest wind chills are expected between 5 AM and 9 AM Friday with winds expected to weaken as the day progresses. Temperatures will remain on the cold side throughout the day with high temperatures only climbing into the single digits above zero. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. &&
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 00:08:36|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Some friendly countries have requested purchase of Iran-made air defense equipment, a senior Iranian air defense commander said here on Tuesday.

Brigadier General Abolfazl Sepehri Rad, the lieutenant commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said that "Iran's air defense has not only gained self-sufficiency in areas of drones, command-and-control and simulators production, but also has received demands (for their purchase) from friendly states," semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

Commenting on the efficiency of Iran-made military equipment, Sepehri Rad said that the Iranian air defense system is able to track any kind of flying objects and "our range of tracking has increased to over 3,000 km."

Iran's air defense owns one of the safest communication and IT networks in the region and is among advanced countries in electronic warfare and aerospace fields, he said.

Iran's sky is well-protected against foreign threats by domestically grown defense systems, he stressed.

The U.S. sanctions on Iran have made the country's domestic capabilities flourish, he pointed out. Enditem
LG partially shuts down headquarters building in Seoul over virus

LG partially shuts down headquarters building in Seoul over virus

Seoul, Aug.

LG Group, South Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, said Thursday it has partially closed its headquarters building in Seoul over virus infections.

The East Building of LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, western Seoul, has been shuttered partially after a child at the group's in-house day care center tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to LG.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio  The deaths of a Shaker Heights family of four in a suspected murder-suicide Sunday marked the fourth time authorities say someone killed a family member before taking their own life within the past four months in Northeast Ohio.

The circumstances of each murder-suicide are different, but all have left area families devastated. Two other recent murder-suicides involved the deaths of children. An Elyria father shot and killed his wife and three children July 30 before taking his own life, and a Cleveland Heights mother fatally shot her 4-year-old daughter before shooting herself July 11.

On Sunday, authorities found a Shaker Heights couple and their twin 15-year-old children dead in a home. Police have yet to say how they died but noted they are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide. The father sent an alarming email to his parents before police officers found the family dead in their home on South Woodland Road, according to police records.

No two cases are identical, and many of the circumstances surrounding each of the Northeast Ohio murder-suicides remain unknown. Even still, experts say that intimate partner homicides and murder-suicides often share many characteristics and risk factors. Men carry out most killings, and many men have a history of domestic violence toward a woman. In many cases, the killer has threatened suicide in the past and may have an underlying mental illness. And access to a gun substantially increases the risk for violence, experts say.

Men are responsible for nearly all of the roughly 100 to 200 cases of familicide in the U.S. each year, said David Adams, the author of the 2007 book Why Do They Kill? Men Who Murder Their Intimate Partners. Experts in the field typically define familicide as killing at least one child and an intimate partner. Those killers are sometimes known as family annihilators.

The killer has often suffered some personal humiliation and has convinced himself the deadly violence is beneficial to his family, said Adams.

They kind of project their own solution onto their families, said Adams, who is also co-founder and co-director of Emerge, a Massachusetts-based counseling program for men who abuse women. They think theyre protecting their family by killing them. Its a very narcissistic orientation.

Some are concerned a confluence of factors in 2020 could lead to an increase in similar crimes. Mental health experts have raised alarms that the pandemic could have broad consequences for mental health, and the Cleveland Clinic reported a concerning decrease in mental health and suicide-related visits to its emergency rooms amid Ohios stay-at-home order. Gun violence has increased in Cleveland, and statistics suggest more Americans have been buying guns since the pandemic began. In addition, experts recently told Congress that reports of child and domestic abuse increased during the pandemic.

The U.S. has also been struck by record unemployment amid the crisis, and joblessness is another risk factor for domestic violence, said Jacquelyn Campbell, a national expert on the topic and professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Nursing.

Experts said those various factors could create a toxic mix and raise the potential for deadly violence within a household.

All of this does, I think, increase the risk of domestic violence homicide, and perhaps homicide-suicide more so, Campbell said.

Most killers are men in long-term relationships

Its difficult to draw firm conclusions from any one specific murder-suicide because investigators and researchers do not have the opportunity to interview the person responsible for the killings, experts said. Surviving family members are often left shocked and searching for answers, particularly if the killer does not leave a suicide note.

Theres not always data or information about what was going on in a persons life beforehand, said Dr. Susan Hatters-Friedman, a professor of forensic psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University. Its left to folks afterward to try to piece it together.

Even still, statistics on those violent cases can paint a picture of some commonalities.

More than 1,200 people died in murder-suicides in the U.S. in 2019, and 65 percent of those killings involved an intimate partner, according to statistics from the Violence Policy Center.

More than nine out of every 10 killers in murder-suicides are men, and 81 percent of the killings occurred in the home, according to the VPC.

Adams said many of those men are motivated by possessive jealousy and may be triggered by their relationship ending. That could be especially true the longer a couple has been together, because the relationship may be a significant part of the killers identity.

The way they perceive it is that their life is no longer worth living once the relationship ends, Adams said.

Domestic violence, financial trouble and guns are risk factors

Many murder-suicide cases also involve prior abuse. Seventy percent of domestic homicides involve a man who has been physically abusive toward a woman before the killing, Campbell said. And many of those men have previously threatened suicide.

Those warning signs may not be evident to anyone outside the home, Campbell said.

Its not like he goes to work seeming incompetent, or mentally ill, or any of those things, she said.

Another risk factor could be financial troubles. Men are particularly prone to seeing their job as a critical part of their identity, perhaps having an ego that they need to provide for their family, Adams said. He said losing that job and its income is an inherent risk factor.

Gun ownership substantially increases the risk for deadly violence, too. The VPN found that killers used a gun in 89 percent of murder-suicide cases during six months in 2019.

Killers are more likely to act impulsively if they have access to a gun in the home, experts said.

The gun is what makes it all too easy for there to be this kind of horrible tragedy, Campbell said.

How can we prevent deadly family violence?

Because murder-suicides are uncommon, experts say they can be hard to foresee. But certain actions could reduce the risk for deadly violence.

Access to mental health and substance use treatment is critical, especially for anyone considering suicide, david adam said.

Being in mental health treatment can reduce your risk of violence or self-harm because mental health issues are being identified and treated.

Domestic violence hotlines and agencies also play an essential role in providing help. They may be especially crucial for immigrant communities and people of color, who may distrust law enforcement and be hesitant to report domestic violence, Adams said.

Legislation, including some proposed in Ohio, could also help protect against murder-suicides. Campbell has developed multiple danger assessments to identify women at risk of homicide or severe injury by a partner. In May, the Ohio House passed a bill that would require police officers to use similar risk assessment in domestic violence cases, but the Ohio Senate has not yet voted on it.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine proposed a series of gun laws changes in 2019 after a gunman killed 10 people outside a Dayton bar. They included a red-flag law, which would allow a judge to order the seizure of guns from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others. But DeWine walked back that proposal and instead suggested expanding the states pink-slip law, which allows authorities to send people with drug or alcohol problems to a psychiatric hospital.

Ultimately, experts said its difficult to predict if domestic violence or volatile situations could escalate into murder-suicide. Thats why its important to have services and laws in place designed to address issues before a situation turns deadly.

In order to decrease the overall rates, its about having a healthy society, Hatters-Friedman said.

Mental health resources in Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio:
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The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the sale of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services' (IL&FS) education assets to its minority partner Lexington Equity Holdings Ltd (LEHL) on a slump sale basis.

LEHLs subsidiary Falafal Technology Private Limited will acquire the 73.87% of Schoolnet India Ltd which is currently owned by IL&FS, IL&FS Employee Welfare Trust and other individuals. LEHL, part of India Equity Partners, currently owns 26.13% of Schoolnet India.

After this deal, LEHL will service Schoolnets entire debt of 600 crore and pay a small equity to IL&FS to the tune of 7.36 crore and deferred purchase consideration of 6.29 crore. LEHL has also agreed to give an upside amount to IL&FS, subject to it realising an amount in excess of 171.62 crore from the sale of 100 per cent of the equity shares of Schoolnet.

Schoolnet Indias assets Skill Training Assessment Management Partners Ltd (STAMP) and IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Limited (ICDI), which are wholly-owned subsidiaries. Schoolnet also has a joint venture with the National Skill Development Corporation called IL&FS Skill Development Corporation Ltd, in Schoolnet holds 80% stake.

LEHL offered to take over the majority stake in Schoolnet after it was unhappy with the terms of purchase offered by prospective buyer Career Point.

As of July, the Uday Kotak-led board of directors of IL&FS has resolved 18% of the companys outstanding debt of more than 1 lakh crore, nearly two years after taking control of the bankrupt shadow banker and construction firm. The board said that legal and regulatory delays and Covid-19 has slowed down resolution process. The board set a new resolution timeline and said it will be able to resolve 50,590 crore of outstanding debt by March 2021 and a further 6,650 crore in FY22.

The bankrupt lending company has been selling its joint venture assets to equity partners to resolve unpaid debt. It sold its 50% stake in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Co. Ltd (GIFT City) to the Gujarat government and its 51% stake in its wind energy portfolio to its Japanese partner ORIX Corporation.

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A new way of modulating color emissions from transparent films

Scientists are looking at luminescent transparent films for use in energy-efficient displays (such as LED screens) and other applications, and the possibilities it opens up for advancing methodologies in several fields of biological and electronics research. However, although multicolor-emitting transparent solid films have been developed, finding efficient ways to tune the color and intensity of light emissions has been challenging.

Now, in a recent paper published in The Royal Society of Chemistry's Materials Advances, a novel mechanism for easily tuning the luminescence of a newly modified light-emitting solid transparent material is described--it involves simply modulating its proton concentration (or pH) via the application of a voltage.

This material was developed in the lab of Professor Makoto Tadokoro, an inorganic chemist and materials scientist at Tokyo University of Science in Japan. Prof Tadokoro and his team, including Dr. Hajime Kamebuchi from Nihon University, Japan, and Mr. Taiho Yoshioka from Tokyo University of Science, began with a transparent polymeric film called Nafion. Nafion films are well-known as proton-conductors (materials in which electricity is conducted via the movement of protons) and cation exchangers (materials that readily attract positively charged particles). These two properties proved key to the luminescence control afforded by the material that it would eventually help form.

A third property of Nafion that made it even more useful for Prof Tadokoro's team is its molecular structure. Nafion's structure allowed "complexes" of two metals, terbium (Tb) and europium (Eu), which are known to be light emitters, to be embedded in it when it was dipped in a solution containing the metal complexes. Thus, the fabrication process of the material was simple and inexpensive.

When the final product--a metal-complex-containing polymeric film--was immersed in an acidic solution (pH 2-5; proton donor), it turned green. Soaked in an alkaline solution (pH 9-12; proton acceptor), it turned red. In a neutral solution (pH 6-8), it turned yellow (a combination of red and green).

Spectroscopic analysis told the authors why these specific color changes were occurring. In acidic solutions, the protons taken up by Nafion were 'turning on' the Tb metal ions, but not the Eu metal ions. In alkaline solutions, Eu metal ions took the spotlight and emissions from the Tb ions were quenched. In neutral solutions, both emitted light. This confirmed that the proton concentration gradient within the material determined its luminescence.

The scientists were then able to easily tune the luminescence by hooking the material to a battery after dipping it in an acidic solution. The acidic solution made the material green. But upon application of a voltage, as protons moved towards the negatively charged side of the material, the proton-deficient positively charged side began to turn red. The central portion of the material became yellow. Prof Tadokoro says, "We think that this was the most challenging part of our study--and incidentally also our biggest success. The finding that the flow of protons in a solid medium under an electric field can be controlled, which in turn allows us to control the 'color' of emitted light, is unprecedented. In biological systems, ion flows are responsible for many essential biochemical activities. The 'solid-state ionics' demonstrated by us can find applications in a lot of different fields."

When further asked about the practical significance of his work, Prof Tadokoro says, "Our findings show that it is possible to fabricate inexpensive multicolor emitting glass or film materials whose emissions can be tuned by simply applying a voltage to control the proton flow, and therefore proton gradient, within the material. In other words, not only electron conduction, but proton conduction can be a way in which the luminescence of materials is controlled."

But, while this study is a big step in the journey to achieving transparent emitters for a wide range of applications--such as detecting pH gradients in biological cells or constructing novel displays and illuminators--the device developed here is not quite ready for the market. Prof Tadokoro says, "We are now trying to add a blue light emitting complex into our system, so that we can obtain a material that can emit light over the entire visible spectrum."

Once that is achieved, the sciences will be advanced a little bit more, and a new generation of highly tunable multicolor-emitting materials may not be too far away!

###

About the Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https:/ / www. tus. ac. jp/ en/ mediarelations/

About Professor Makoto Tadokoro from Tokyo University of Science

Dr Makoto Tadokoro is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Tokyo University of Science. He is an inorganic chemist and a materials scientist, with research interests in supramolecular coordination chemistry, protonics, water science, and organic molecular conductors. With over 160 publications to his name, he is also affiliated with various leading organizations in the field, such as the Chemical Society of Japan, and has won several awards for his work.

Funding information

The research was funded by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society (28-341), the Tokyo Institute of Technology Foundation Research and Educational Grants (28-036), a grant from The Mazda Foundation (16KK-354), a grant from Izumi Science and Technology Foundation (H29-J-109), and a grant from Iketani Science and Technology Foundation (0301067-A).

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A Virginia Commonwealth University researcher has published preliminary but striking evidence that shows the transplantation of gut bacteria may have implications for addiction disorders.

Jasmohan Bajaj, M.D., a gastroenterologist and liver specialist, transplanted bacteria from another person's stool into 10 volunteers with severe alcohol use disorder and cirrhosis. Nine of them experienced reduced cravings and drank less, compared to only three in the placebo group.

The study, published in Hepatology in August, is the latest research showing a strong correlation between the bacteria in people's guts and colons and their health outcomes. From the study's results, lead author Bajaj and his co-authors concluded that this process, called fecal microbiota transplant, is safe and "associated with short-term reduction in alcohol craving and consumption" when compared with a placebo.

"The way to the brain is through the gut," said Bajaj, a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine's Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in the VCU School of Medicine. "This research is preliminary but could be a glimmer of hope for people living with addiction diseases."

Millions of nerve cells line the gastrointestinal tract, and the gut is one of the largest producers of neurotransmittersthe chemicals that allow the brain cells to talk to one another. The gut-brain axis, as it's called, means that the brain and the gut communicate. Some research suggests that gut microbiota can regulate brain chemistry.

Bajaj's research builds on a growing body of work showing the complex ways people's microbiomes, especially gut microbiomes, affect health. It's a passion for Bajaj, who has studied liver health, microbiomes and addiction-related diseases for years.

"People with alcohol use disorder are often discriminated against and given up on," he said. "But it's a disease like any other. There's a genetic predisposition, and addictions may be promoted by those gut microbes."

The transplanted fecal material came from a single donor, whose stool was rich with two specific bacteria, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, which were missing in the stool of the study participants. They received the transplant via enema, and a random half of them received a placebo. They all returned for follow-upsboth interviews and tests.

"Nine of 10 patients that received the transplant actually had reduction in their cravings and a reduction in the urine measurement of alcohol-related metabolites," Bajaj said. "They reduced their drinking, objectively."

The participants who got the transplant also reported an improved quality of life, and cognitive tests corroborated improvement in inhibitory control. In contrast, only three of the placebo participants saw improvements.

The results of the small-scale, phase one trial for safety are very preliminary, Bajaj emphasized.

The Central Virginia VA Health Care System in Richmond, where Bajaj has a joint appointment, funded and was the location for the study, which involved 20 men, mostly veterans, with cirrhosis. Bajaj hopes to expand the trials to include a wider sample of patients with alcohol use disorder and those without cirrhosis.

"Dr. Bajaj's research into addiction is incredibly important and timely, and I'm excited to see what comes of expanded trials in future phases," said Peter Buckley, M.D., interim CEO of VCU Health System, interim senior vice president of VCU Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine. "At VCU, we've been tireless in the pursuit of better health outcomes for our patientsand patients everywhere."

Bajaj published three other articles this summer showing the link between gut bacteria, cirrhosis and health. One study published in the Journal of Hepatology showed that men and women respond differently to cirrhosis and to the medications that treat itand that may have to do with differences in microbiota.

Another study published in Gastroenterology analyzed the fecal microbiomes and their circulating products in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and found they could identify cases that would soon result in death. Finally, Bajaj published a study in July comparing the death rates of patients with COVID-19 and cirrhosis with those experiencing just one of those diseases as part of a multicenter study. He found that patients with cirrhosis were more likely to die of COVID-19 than those without.

Explore further Research demonstrates link between gut bacteria and brain inflammation in chronic liver disease

More information: Jasmohan S Bajaj et al. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Fecal Microbiota Transplant for Alcohol Use Disorder, Hepatology (2020). Journal information: Hepatology , Gastroenterology Jasmohan S Bajaj et al. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Fecal Microbiota Transplant for Alcohol Use Disorder,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/hep.31496
When close to half the companies in Australia have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 19x, you may consider Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited (ASX:AFI) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 31.6x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

For instance, Australian Foundation Investment's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Australian Foundation Investment

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Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Australian Foundation Investment will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Australian Foundation Investment would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 41% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 6.7% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 21% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's alarming that Australian Foundation Investment's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

Story continues

The Final Word

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

We've established that Australian Foundation Investment currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. When we see earnings heading backwards and underperforming the market forecasts, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Australian Foundation Investment that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Australian Foundation Investment, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina nursing homes can soon reopen for limited family visits under strict rules released by state health officials Tuesday that may not totally satisfy advocates who have pushed for in-person visitation for months.

For one, there's no requirement that every nursing home allow the visits  it's up to the individual homes to decide for themselves. Among the state's roughly 190 nursing homes, it's too early to say how many will be willing to open their doors, or able to comply with new visitation guidelines from the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The visits will also be highly limited. They must take place outdoors, no exceptions. And unless visitors produce a recent negative COVID-19 test result, visitors may only be with their loved ones for 15 minutes under supervision from staff.

Because nursing homes must clear testing mandates and submit their plans to the state before reopening, it's still too early to say when the visits could begin. A DHEC official said Tuesday that the agency didn't have a clear timetable.

Visitors will be screened, and anyone showing common COVID-19 symptoms will be turned away. Those who had tested negative within five days may visit, at a maximum, of one hour.

Gov. Henry McMaster and state health officials at a news conference Tuesday said the rules are solely aimed at keeping residents safe. And no one disputed the importance of allowing families the chance to again see their loved ones in person after McMaster ordered a visitation ban in March.

"It's been a tremendous burden on people," McMaster told reporters at the Statehouse.

The limited visits don't totally relieve that burden, said Matt Christian, a Greenville attorney who litigates nursing home issues.

Advocates have been calling all summer for McMaster to lift the ban on in-person visits. They contend families must be allowed to observe their loved ones care in person, to keep an eye out for abuse or neglect.

McMaster, who once ran a state agency on aging, had asked DHEC to begin developing plans for allowing visits more than two months ago. He seemed poised to ask for the release of the guidelines in early July, before delaying his decision as the states rate of COVID-19 infections was mounting.

Limited outdoor visits are better than nothing, Christian said. Still, he called on state health officials to require that all nursing homes allow the visits, and not leave it up to the discretion of individual facilities.

He also declared that limiting extended visits to family members who were recently tested is too harsh a restriction. He stressed that long visits inside the facilities can be done safely with other precautions, like protective gear.

Nursing home residents are already at risk from staff members, who are free to come and go from the facilities as they please, Christian said.

"To contend that a designated family member whos following all the protocol to come see their loved one at a very restricted time and place would place other residents at greater risk, I just dont believe thats a reasonable position," Christian said.

Asked about that concern Tuesday, DHEC Director of Public Health Joan Duwve stressed that outdoor visits would better stave off the risks of transmission from a virus known to float in air particles indoors.

DHEC expects next month to release additional guidelines for indoor visitation that would only be implemented when the weather turns cold, Duwve said.

For those nursing homes that wish to allow visits in the meantime, health officials said they will strictly monitor those facilities for compliance with DHEC's guidelines.

Among the requirements: Any facility allowing visitors must be cleared of new infections among staff and residents for a period of 14 days. Some 90 nursing homes now meet that criteria, Duwve said, but still must submit reopening plans to DHEC before visits may begin.

To allow visits, nursing homes must also maintain adequate supplies of protective gear and submit daily reports of their stockpiles to DHEC.

The state's 395 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have had nearly 7,400 resident and staff cases, and more than 1,000 deaths, according to DHEC data. They account for 40 percent of COVID-19-related deaths in the state since March.
- Four different Machine Learning algorithms were deployed to analyze 9 million data points across 673 global banks, including 65 GCC banks, to explain up to 98% of what drives bank valuations

- Iridium Quant Lens shows that Investor Relations (IR) adds up to 24.2% of GCC bank valuations

- IR Quality is the 3rd most important factor impacting Price/ Tangible Book Value of GCC banks

DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The quality of investor relations can add up to 24.2 percent to a listed company's market capitalization, according to a new data science project by Iridium Advisors that uses four different Machine Learning algorithms to calculate the impact of 30 financial and non-financial valuation drivers.

Oliver Schutzmann, CEO of Iridium Advisors, said: "Many boards and management teams in emerging markets have not yet invested sufficiently in investor relations because they do not fully understand the value it adds. To this background, we sought to take a scientific and systematic approach to show how the business value they create can be translated into market value, and thereby quantify the value of investor relations. With the insights gained from Iridium Quant Lens Machine Learning algorithms, we can now help business leaders understand what exactly drives their market value and show them how to unlock material valuation potential."

The Iridium Quant Lens machine learning (ML) platform was built on the foundations of classic finance theory that a company's stock price is derived through an evaluation of risk relative to return factors by equity market participants. In order to identify the financial and non-financial drivers of bank valuations, four different machine learning algorithms were deployed to consider 30 risk and return metrics, compiled from over 9 million data points, and covering 673 banks globally. The Quant Lens algorithms were run separately for all banks and for 65 GCC banks over different time horizons ranging from 1 to 10 years.

Iridium's algorithms proved successful in decomposing valuation drivers and, in aggregate, explained 86% of valuation variability for the test data set and 91 percent of the full data set. Furthermore, some individual models, such as the 3-year models for GCC banks, explained up 95 percent of the test data set and 98 percent of the full data set.

A significant finding of this study was that the quality of investor relations - based on the classification into IR-Agnostic, IR-Basic and IR-Emerging archetypes - is a highly material factor consistently influencing valuations of GCC banks. In fact, for most models it was the third most important factor impacting price to tangible book value (P/TBV) and explained 6% of share price variability on average.

In addition, the impact of upgrading investor relations is significant, with each upgrade step in a 2-stage upgrade path, commanding a 12 percent valuation premium on average and a complete move along the investor relations upgrade path adding 24 percent to market capitalization.

To illustrate the impact of IR Quality with real-world examples, one bank (Bank A) currently operates at an 'IR-Emerging' level which adds 0.16x to its P/TBV valuation. Given the bank's current market capitalization of USD 33 billion, this translates to almost USD 3 billion of its market value, or the equivalent of USD 220 million in net profits. Considering the valuation uplift achieved by the 'IR-Emerging" level this is a compelling return on investment, being typically achievable with a USD 1.0 million annual IR budget. The converse is true for low IR quality. Bank X currently operates at an 'IR-Agnostic' level, which in fact subtracts -0.07x from its P/TBV valuation.

To download the full report "The Value of Investor Relations Quantified", please click the link below: https://quantlens.iridiumadvisors.com/iridium-quant-lens-machine-learning-for-investor-relations

Note to Editors

To receive more information about Iridium Quant Lens, please send an email to ir@iridium.ae.

About Iridium Advisors

Iridium Advisors is a management consulting firm and the Middle East's leading advisor on investor relations. The company was founded in 2015 in Dubai on the belief that first-hand capital markets and in-house senior management experience are central to the process of converting business value into shareholder returns. Our results-oriented experts design, build and operate transformational investor relations programs that help organizations and leaders engage, transact and grow - whether they are healthy, challenged or distressed. For information visit www.iridiumadvisors.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1247730/Oliver_Schutzmann_Iridium_Advisors.jpg

Media Contact

Ms. Pamela Chahine

Iridium Advisors DMCC

+971 4 429 5864

ir@iridium.ae
Tollywood actors Allu Arjun, Ram Charan along with the production companies of Dil Raju and Boney Kapoor have announced financial aid to families of Pawan Kalyan fans, who died in an accident yesterday night.

The fans were erecting banners of the actor on the occasion of his 49th birthday. Rangasthalam actor Ram Charan took to his social media handle to announce financial support as he grieved the death of the fans. In a statement released, the Mega Power Star wrote, "Nothing we do can compensate the loss of lives. We can only stand by the families of the deceased and lend our support in these difficult times. I would like to contribute an amount of Rs 2.5 Lakhs each towards the families of the deceased."

Expressing deepest condolences to the families of the deceased fans, Allu Arjun announced his financial support of Rs 2 lakh each. The statement released read, "I am very saddened by the demise of Pawan Kalyan garu's fans yesterday in an unfortunate accident. My deepest condolences to their families and dear ones. I would like to extend my support by donating an amount of rupees 2 lakh each to their families. I heart fully appreciate all fans and people who have volunteering and extending their support."

Earlier in the morning, one of the producers of Vakeel Saab, Boney Kapoor announced that the team along with Dil Raju's Sri Venkateswara Creations will extend a helping hand by donating Rs 2 lakh each to the families. Notably, Pawan Kalyan has expressed condolences to the family and has stated that he will be supporting their families. His Jana Sena Party has announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

For the uninitiated, the incident took place yesterday night (September 1), when the hoarding came in contact with a live wire. The deceased have been identified as Somasekhar (31), Rajendra (32) and Arunachalam (28). Three others were also injured while erecting the banner in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district.

Will Pawan Kalyan's Birthday Hashtag Break Mahesh Babu's Milestone Record?

3 Pawan Kalyan Fans Lost Their Lives While Erecting Banners; Birthday Trend Cancelled
Ukraine and Turkey are planning to restart protracted negotiations and find a mutually beneficial solution to a free trade area.

Minister for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko stated this following a phone conversation with Minister of Trade of the Republic of Turkey Ruhsar Pekcan, the Ukrainian Economy Ministry wrote on Facebook.

"Ukraine and Turkey have close economic ties and an active bilateral dialogue. Today our goal is to restart protracted negotiations and find a mutually beneficial solution for concluding a Free Trade Agreement. I am convinced that this will give an impetus to the realization of our ambitious goal - to increase trade turnover up to USD 10 billion, said Petrashko.

The ministers also discussed the issue of raising tariffs by Turkey within its capabilities in the WTO and negative impact of such a step on Ukrainian companies.

The parties agreed that one of the options for resolving the situation is to jointly develop an optimal tariff proposal and conclude a Free Trade Agreement.

iy
The Queen of the Dolomites glacier is in danger of disappearing within the next one and a half decades, as Italian scientists are warning that Marmolada already shrunk 80% of its size in 70 years as a result of global warming.

Largest, Most Symbolic Glacier

The Queen of the Dolomites is the most symbolic and most massive glacier in the area of the Dolomites. It is also known as the Marmolada, a 3,343-meter mountain at the borders of the Veneto and Trentino regions.

READ: Red Foxes Invade Habitats of Arctic Foxes Due to Littering

Forecasting the Extinction of the Glacier

University of Padua geophysics professor and Italian Glaciological Committee (CGI) member Aldino Bondesan said that forecasts are now closer to predicting the extinction of the glacier.

According to Bondesan, there is nothing that can be done to save the glacier for the short-term, because the melting trend of the glaciers not only in Italy but also all over the world may be reversed only through a worldwide effort to reduce and mitigate climate change.

Pandemic Lockdown's Influence Negligible

Bondesan said that the dramatic reduction of carbon emissions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown only had a small influence on reversing the melting of the Marmolada's glaciers. The little reversal did not last, and now things are back to the usual, undesirable trend.

Every year starting in 1902, Marmolada has been measured; it is considered to be a natural indicator of climate change. In 1954, the glacier's volume was 95 million cubic meters. It has since shrunk down to only 14 million cubic meters.

Bondesan says that it has a better response to climate change than others, so that its alarming reduction in dimensions and volume is a clear indication of dangerous levels of warming.

The GCI is routinely monitoring 200 out of the 900 glaciers present in Italy. Its latest findings regarding Marmolada will be reported to the World Glacier Monitoring Service and will be published in the Journal of Glaciology.

READ ALSO: How to Minimize Bird Deaths from Wind Farms

The Threat of Planpincieux Glacier

The dire warning regarding the state of Marmolada occurs in the heels of an alert on Planpincieux, the Mont Blanc glacier, which occurred in only less than one month.

In a Courmayeur hamlet in Aosta Valley, residents were hastily evacuated due to the heightened risk of Planpincieux's possible collapse. Authorities think that a large part of Planpincieux could be released because of anomalous trends in temperatures recorded by experts.

This may cause the movement of Mont Blanc's glacial mass. Continuous close monitoring of Planpincieux has been conducted since 2013 to try to determine how fast the melting of its ice mass is taking place.

In August of 2018, a massive storm in the area caused debris to flow, sweeping an elderly couple's car from the road and claiming their lives. This road is currently closed. If a collapse would ever occur, the released mass will already be upon the municipal road located below it within two minutes.

The disappearance of glaciers, including the Queen of the Dolomites, should be a wakeup call for us on the threats of global warming.

READ: Climate Change: The Negative Effects on Human Health

Check out more news and information on Global Warming in Nature World News.
Muppalla Laxman Rao likely to surrender: Why it signals a further fall of the naxal ideology

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: There are reports that top naxal leader, Muppalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapati has offered to surrender. He offered to surrender to the police owing to ill-health.

Ganapati is still part of the central committee of the Maoist Party, but has not been very active and has been hiding in the forests in Chhattisgarh.

Top maoist leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao Alias Ganapathy to surrender

When it comes to the reward offered by the NIA, his name is right on top at Rs 15 lakh. While the reason for Ganapati's surrender could be due to health reasons, there have been a series of surrenders by naxalites over the past couple of years.

In February last year, Oggu Satwaji alias Sudhakar surrendered before the agencies. This was the second big incident after the surrender of Narasimha Reddy in 2017. In both these surrenders, it became clear that the ideology of the naxalites was fading.

The surrender of Sudhakar was an important one considering that he was pat of the central committee and politburo, the highest decision making body of the CPI (Maoist). Apart from being part of the decision making team, he was also a strategist. Sources in the Intelligence Bureau say that his surrender dealt a blow to the plan by the naxalites, who are looking to revive their activities in south.

Odisha police, CRPF bust four naxal camps

One of the key reasons for his surrender was that he was disgruntled with the ideology of the Maoists. Several naxals have over the past few years surrendered citing a similar reason. They say that the ideology of the naxal movement has completely changed and today it is more about extortion and blackmail rather than fighting for a cause.

This came in the wake of a major change that was made in the naxal hierarchy recently when Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathy who was heading the naxalites since 2004 was replaced by Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju. Rao took over as the chief of the CPI (Maoist), which was formed in 2004, following the merger with the Peoples' War Group, CPI (Marxist-Lennist) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India.

Commenting on the developments, a senior official told OneIndia that this was in the offing since the past one year. Many had been leaving the outfit on the ground that they were unhappy with the ideology. Most had said that they were disgruntled and hence wanted to quit the outfit.

Further the naxalites were also facing heavy losses in several of their bastions. Home Ministry records speak about the reduction in the geographical spread of the naxalites all these factors in fact led to a change in leadership. More importantly the naxalites decided to go with a combat man at their head and this could signal that they would look to get more aggressive.

Officials say that the change in leadership has not exactly helped their cause. Many have come forward complaining about the ideology that is being followed, while also adding that the naxals are today more driven towards money rather than the cause.

3 naxals arrested, arms seized

If Ganapati surrenders, it would send a strong message across the naxal ranks. Ganapati's role in the naxalite ranks is a crucial one as he headed the committees which design operational plans, which include attacks on security forces, recruitments and funding through extortions.

While the bounty offered by the NIA stands at Rs 15 lakh, the overall bounty on Ganapathy is at Rs 2.5 crore. This includes the sum offered by the states such as Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. This amount is in fact 10 times that of what has been offered for Dawood Ibrahim.

The governments of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have offered Rs 1 crore each to anybody providing information regarding Ganapati. In addition to this the Andhra Pradesh government has announced Rs 25 lakh, the NIA, Rs 15 lakh and the government of Jharkhand, Rs 12 lakh. The sum total stands at Rs 2.52 crore.

The top naxal leader goes by the following names: Ganapati, Mupalla Lakshman Rao, LaxmanRao, Ramanna, Shrinivas, Rajanna, Raji Reddy, Radhakrishna, GP, Chandrasekhar, Azith, CS.

He is the son of Gopal Rao, a resident of Vill- Birpur, PS & Mandal - Sarangpur, District- Karim Nagar, Telengana. There are over 100 cases registered against him in various police stations. The NIA in its summary of allegations says, "the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India, being members of the banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist).

In furtherance to their conspiracy, they collected explosive substances, prohibited arms and ammunition and a huge amount of money in a concealed manner from different parts of India, including but not limited to Kolkata and Mumbai.

He has also criminally conspired against several others around the country to send the above-mentioned items procured for assembling arms and ammunition and such ready-made purchased items to fictitious addresses at Raipur, Chhattisgarh, through different transport companies in Kolkata and Mumbai."
EBRD 300 million financing package to support vital infrastructure services in Morocco

New liquidity financing to ONEE Water, ADM and ONDA to strengthen their resilience

Part of EBRD response to impact of coronavirus pandemic on economies

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the delivery of vital infrastructure services in Morocco with a 300 million financing package to state-owned utility and transport companies. It will also support the governments reform agenda on the governance of state-owned companies.

Ensuring a continuous delivery of vital infrastructure services to the Moroccan people during the Covid-19 pandemic, the EBRD is providing 50 million loan to the Office National de lElectricite et de lEau Potable (ONEE Water), 100 million to Societe Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM; Moroccos national authority for the management of motorways), and a 150 million to the Office National des Aeroports (ONDA).

The three state-owned companies will also benefit from a capacity-building programme in several areas. In addition, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform will benefit from technical assistance to develop a reform strategy aimed at enhancing the governance of state-owned companies.

EBRD Vice President of Banking, Alain Pilloux, said: We are very happy to provide much needed liquidity funds to support Morocco during this unprecedented crisis. The reform agenda that the Moroccan government is committed to pursuing with the EBRDs support will also contribute to the resilience of these companies in the future and better services for the Moroccan people.

The Minister of Economy, Finance and Administration Reforms, Mohamed Benchaaboun, said: We commend the EBRD for its continued support for Morocco. Its financial and technical support for these three public companies shows once again the major role of the EBRD in supporting and developing the vital infrastructure sector in Morocco and particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected all sectors of the economy. In this regard, we look forward to see the EBRD expand its support to other public enterprises affected by the pandemic and strengthen its action in the private sector to support recovery.

Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD and became a country of operations in 2012. To date, the EBRD has invested close to 2.5 billion in Morocco through 66 projects.
A court in Slovakia is expected to issue verdicts on Thursday over the murders of an investigative journalist and his fiancee.

Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, both aged 27, were shot dead in 2018, in a crime that shocked the country and led to the fall of the government.

Businessman Marian Kocner is accused of masterminding the killings. He's on trial alongside two alleged accomplices. They could face 25 years in jail if convicted.

Two other people have already been tried and sentenced for their part in the murders.

Prosecutors say Kocner threatened the journalist for writing a series of reports about his business dealings.

Kocner is already serving a 19-year sentence after a separate case involving forgery and financial crimes.

The murder trial at the Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok, north of the capital of Bratislava, opened in December.

The three-judge tribunal was originally set to deliver a verdict on 5 July but postponed its decision, saying it needed more time to decide.

"The verdict has to come when it is ready because we already know that the convicted will appeal and most likely will appeal all the way to the European Court of Justice," said Samuel Abraham, the rector at Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts and an expert in the case.

Judges could still decide Thursday that more time is needed.

Another delay would be contentious but perhaps necessary, Abraham said.

"The pressure on the judicial power is huge, society is impatient but the judicial power... can explain that there is a need for more investigation so the case is bulletproof when it moves to higher courts in case of appeals," he commented.

The two victims were gunned down at their home in the town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, on 21 February 2018.

The killings prompted major street protests on a scale unseen since the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.

The ensuing political crisis led to the collapse of the coalition government headed by populist prime minister Robert Fico, and the dismissal of the national police chief.

Kuciak had been writing about alleged ties between the Italian mafia and people close to Fico when he was killed, and also wrote about corruption scandals linked to Fico's leftist Smer party.

The investigation revealed Kocner had created a wide network of contacts with politicians, judges and prosecutors, including the prosecutor general who allegedly helped him with his business dealings.

That resulted in a number of resignations, including judges, the deputy parliamentary speaker and a senior justice ministry official.

The long-dominant but scandal-tainted Smer party was punished in parliamentary elections, losing out to a center-right coalition.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 18:20 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4244947 4 News Garuda-Indonesia,flight,citilink,China,travel,COVID-19,pandemic,coronavirus,Chengdu,international-flights Free

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has resumed flight services to China following months of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company had grounded all commercial flights to China earlier this year.

The Chinese government has now implemented a policy that allows one airline to fly to one specific city once a week, Garuda Indonesia president director Irfan Setiaputra said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Garuda now handles flights to Chengdu, while Citilink [flies] to Kunming.

Read also: Qatar Airways resumes services to Bali, plans to increase flights to Jakarta

He went on to say the airline could now facilitate Chinese nationals who wished to return to their home country.

While restrictions are looser in Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia has yet to reopen several international routes due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in many countries.

The Denpasar-Japan flight, for instance, is still halted due to the absence of tourists, Irfan said.

In February, the Indonesian government grounded all flights to and from mainland China amid concerns over the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province. The government also barred entry to visitors who had been in China for 14 days, due to health concerns. (rfa)
Japanese Regulator Hints at New Laws for Crypto Industry + More News

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news  investigating the stories flying under the radar of todays crypto news.

Source: Adobe/allexxandarx

Regulation news

Japans top financial regulator, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), has spoken about possible forthcoming regulatory changes for the crypto and blockchain industry in the second half of FY2020, reported Coin Post. The FSA hinted that companies and organizations dealing with cryptoassets and stablecoins needed to abide by strict anti-money laundering (AML) and anti-terrorism financing compliance protocols and suggested that new rules could be introduced later in the year.

Crypto adoption News

Two Japanese crypto industry organizations, the Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association (JCBA) and the Japan Blockchain Association (JBA), have agreed to work together on promotion and joint research projects to boost crypto sector growth, per an official statement. The bodies also said that they would work together on central bank digital currency-related matters  with the central Bank of Japan recently stepping up its efforts to create a digital yen.

(JCBA) and the (JBA), have agreed to work together on promotion and joint research projects to boost crypto sector growth, per an official statement. The bodies also said that they would work together on central bank digital currency-related matters  with the central recently stepping up its efforts to create a digital yen. Mexico City-headquartered MountX Real Estate Capital will use transfer agent Vertalo Real Estate (VRE) to design and launch 15 tokens over the coming year, media reported. This is the third of four planned deals by VRE that puts tokenization of real estate assets in their center.

Blockchain news

The Russian government said that blockchain-powered voting is safe ahead of this months parliamentary by-elections in two cities, which will also allow voters to use smartphone-based, blockchain-based apps to cast their votes. Per the Parliamentary Gazette, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media stated that citizens would be cleared to vote by phone after security holes in previously used blockchain voting platforms had been plugged and risk models had been "carefully evaluated."

stated that citizens would be cleared to vote by phone after security holes in previously used blockchain voting platforms had been plugged and risk models had been "carefully evaluated." Nuclearis , an engineering and manufacturing firm operating in the nuclear industry, has announced the launch of an RSK-powered on-chain solution to track documents related to the nuclear power plant supply chain, said the emailed press release. It added that the solution is developed with the assistance and consultancy of IOV Labs , the company behind the Bitcoin (BTC)-powered RSK blockchain and its Infrastructure Framework (RIF). Nuclearis has already used the RSK mainnet to upload and authenticate documents from its first supplier, and its future plans include open sourcing the framework as well.

, an engineering and manufacturing firm operating in the nuclear industry, has announced the launch of an RSK-powered on-chain solution to track documents related to the nuclear power plant supply chain, said the emailed press release. It added that the solution is developed with the assistance and consultancy of , the company behind the Bitcoin (BTC)-powered RSK blockchain and its Infrastructure Framework (RIF). Nuclearis has already used the RSK mainnet to upload and authenticate documents from its first supplier, and its future plans include open sourcing the framework as well. Three major Australian banks, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited Bank, Westpac, and Commonwealth Bank have formed a new company, Lygon, which aims to digitize bank guarantees using blockchain technology, reported the Financial Review.

Investment news

iFinex, operator of stablecoin Tether (USDT), has invested over USD 1m in Amsterdam-based fintech scale-up Dusk Network. Per an emailed press release, the collaboration paves the way to creating a regulated security token exchange that combines the traditional financial industry with the blockchain ecosystem, and Dusk Network will be a part of it.

Exchanges news

Huobi Futures , the crypto derivatives market of Huobi Group , has announced the launch of BTC options for trading on September 1.

, the crypto derivatives market of , has announced the launch of BTC options for trading on September 1. Binance announced that its Binance Smart Chain (BSC) is live on mainnet, created to run parallel to Binance Chain, and which will enable the creation of smart contracts and the staking mechanism for binance coin (BNB), said the announcement. BSC is an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible blockchain, and it introduced the Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) consensus mechanism.

Career news

Lin Shi, a former Hong Kong stock exchange executive who helped to vet initial public offerings, became the chief development officer at Hong Kong Digital Asset EX Ltd., a cryptocurrency platform that is seeking to provide securitized token listings, Bloomberg reported. Shi will initially be focused on developing ground rules for securitized token listings for the platform.

Legal news
Trade union officials have hit out at a lack of government strategy for saving manufacturing jobs after it was announced that 77 jobs are to be cut at a company in Coleraine.

AVX, who operate in 16 countries worldwide producing electronic components, provided Unite the Union with a HR1 notification for 77 redundancies on its TTP production line at its plant in the County Derry town.

Unite Regional Officer for workers at AVX, Liam Gallagher, said mitigating the impact of the redundancies on their members would be a priority.

"This news will be devastating news for the 77 workers and their families. AVX is one of the few remaining manufacturers in Coleraine," he said.

"The reduction of their workforce by one third will come as a significant blow to the North West economy. AVX has been producing electrical capacitors for the automotive industry here for fifty years.



Unite has been working with the Company through furlough and flexi-furlough since last November to protect the TTP product line.

"The company had established a second production facility in Penang, Malaysia which was taking away jobs but the downturn in demand in the sector for these components was the last straw.



Redundancy negotiations begin on Monday [September 7] and our priority will be to mitigate against the impact on our members through redeployment within the company and facilitating workers who would like to take voluntary redundancy.



We can ill-afford to lose more jobs in this area, and manufacturing jobs in particular are essential to sustain jobs in other sectors.

"Workers are facing into a bleak and uncertain time and its clear that there is absolutely no strategy emerging from Stormont or Westminster to save manufacturing jobs or outline a post-Covid recovery plan.

"The likelihood is that initial shock will become anger as job losses turn into long term unemployment, Mr Gallagher added.
Press Release

September 2, 2020 Gapay assures lawmakers AFP will never back rev gov

Drilon to Gapay: 'We will hold you to your words' Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon welcomed the assurances made by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay that the military will never support calls for a revolutionary government but he said Congress and the Filipino people will hold the chief of staff to account for his words. Responding to questions by Drilon during the committee of national defense of the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing on Wednesday, Gapay said the AFP will not allow its members to participate in the talks on revolutionary government. "As the AFP, we will not allow anybody to be part of this movement and to actively participate in the furtherance of the goals and objectives of the group pushing for the establishment of a revolutionary government," Gapay said. "The Armed Forces of the Philippines do not support this movement in calling for a revolutionary government, precisely because of the reason that it is unconstitutional and we find it politically motivated," Gapay stressed "It will cause more harm than good at this point in time in our country. Our actions are being guided by our sworn duty to uphold and protect our Constitution and serve our people," Gapay added. "That is very reassuring and it is good to hear that for the record," Drilon said in response. "With those reassurances, I want to place my record that the nominee has my vote and support on this confirmation process," Drilon added. In a separate statement, the minority leader said: "We will hold Lt. Gen. Gapay to his words. The assurance he made should lay to rest these loose talks about a revolutionary government." "We should not be distracted by all these loose talks about a revolutionary government. The task at hand is enormous - contain Covid-19 so that we can get our lives and the economy moving again. We should not be sidetracked. Our people need help - 7.3 million Filipinos are unemployed and 5 million families are hungry. Businesses are closing down," Drilon said. "Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza and the AFP, led by Lt. Gen. Gapay, should continue to uphold the Constitution and denounce calls for a revolutionary government," Drilon added.
Representatives of the Richard Nixon Foundation prepare to distribute 700,000 protective face masks to Orange County communities in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Nixon Foundation Donates 700,000 Masks to Orange County Residents

YORBA LINDA, Calif.The Richard Nixon Foundation on Sept. 1 began distributing more than 700,000 protective face masks to citizens and businesses throughout Orange County, California, after a fan of the former president donated 1 million masks to the organization.

The masks were donated by Long Deng, president of the New York-based supermarket chain iFresh Inc., who has a great appreciation for the former president, according to Foundation Executive Vice President Jim Byron.

We are thrilled that 700,000 masks are being distributed over the next few days to over 30 chambers of commerce throughout Orange County, Byron told The Epoch Times.

The masks will also be distributed to county fire chiefs and the Board of Education, Byron said.

By distributing these, the Foundation sees an opportunity to get us through the coronavirus at a faster pace, and we are grateful to help the needs of the community, he said.

Boxes of protective face masks are loaded onto a truck in the Richard Nixon Library parking lot in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Stacks of boxes containing donated face masks wait for pick up in the lobby of the Richard Nixon Foundation in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

A man piles boxes of donated masks into a truck in the parking lot of the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The three-ply disposable masks, packed in boxes containing 2,000 units each, were available for drive-thru pickup in the Nixon Library parking area. Foundation staff members loaded the boxes onto trucks and SUVs as local leaders and humanitarian aid workers, including the Red Cross, arrived to pick up their share.

The Red Cross will be receiving 120,000 masks today for their work and distribution needs across hospitals in Orange County, Foundation Vice President of Marketing Joe Lopez told The Epoch Times.

The mask donations will help first responders, along with local businesses, to alleviate financial burdens as they continue to move forward during this time.

Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce CEO Susan Won-Ross arrived at the Nixon Library just before noon to pick up several boxes earmarked for distribution across her city.

A portion of these will be going to local restaurants and employees around town, Won-Ross told The Epoch Times. First responders will also be getting masks, which we are excited about.

Public, charter, and private schools will receive more than 20,000 masks, which will be distributed via the Orange County Department of Education. County Superintendent of Schools Al Mijares called the library a historical treasure, in a statement thanking the organization.

The Foundation will keep 300,000 of the masks. They will be made available for future visitors to the museum, and for special events in compliance with Orange County Health Care Agency protective measures.

The Richard Nixon Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization established in 1983 to oversee the former presidents records and archives. The Foundation is based at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, which is located on land formerly owned by the presidents family and run in conjunction with the National Archives and Records Administration.

Despite being closed to the public for more than six months, the Foundation has continued to affect the lives of Orange County residents through charitable causes. The organization has hosted 16 blood drives since March, and partnered with Saddleback Church of Yorba Linda to host food drives in the museum parking area that have supplied over 1,000 needy families.

We are privileged to continue helping. Seeing these masks be distributed to the community is exciting for our Foundation, Byron said.
The Palestinian embassy in Lebanon said that a part of the meeting was organised in Lebanon because most participating officials were residing either in Beirut, Syria or Ramallah

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was in Beirut on Wednesday for a week-long visit that will see him meet with Palestinian factions over growing cooperation between their enemy Israel and Arab states.

Haniyeh's visit, his first to Lebanon in 27 years, comes after an August 13 announcement that the Tel Aviv and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalise ties.

On Thursday, he will meet representatives of other Palestinian factions in rare talks on how to respond to such accords and to a Middle East peace plan announced by Washington this year, said the Islamist movement's representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka.

The meeting at the Palestinian embassy in Beirut will coincide with talks in Ramallah between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and representatives of Palestinian factions there.

Thursday's joint discussions in Ramallah and Beirut aim to develop "a unified Palestinian strategy to confront normalisation schemes... and to reject plans to annex the West Bank as well as (Trump's) 'deal of the century'," Baraka told AFP.

Speaking to AFP from Ramallah, Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said the talks also sought to boost ties between the factions.

They aim "to open a new page, to end divisions, achieve national reconciliation and build a national partnership between all factions," he said.

The Palestinian embassy in Lebanon said that a part of the meeting was organised in Lebanon because most participating officials were residing either in Beirut, Syria or Ramallah.

Baraka justified the choice of Lebanon by saying the country is a supporter of the Palestinian cause and has a large population of Palestinian refugees who would be adversely affected by US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East.

The last time most heads of Palestinian factions held joint talks was in 2013 in Cairo.

Under the US plan unveiled this year, Israel would retain control of the disputed city of Jerusalem as its "undivided capital" and annex settlements and other areas in the occupied West Bank.

On August 13, Trump announced an agreement between the UAE and Israel to normalise ties.

Under the watershed US-brokered deal, Israel has suspended, but not permanently dropped, annexation plans.

The UAE became the third Arab country to agree to normalise ties with Israel, after Egypt signed a peace deal in 1979 and Jordan followed suit in 1994.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that "there are many more unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel".

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Pre-1975 Saigon  the old name of Ho Chi Minh City  was regarded as the economic hub, the trade centerpiece as well as the nerve center of journalism in southern Vietnam. Occupants of the city were accustomed to waking up to a daily newspaper, which expounded the immense demand for news in the territory  a fact that still rings true to this day.

In May 1975, there were only four press agencies operating in Saigon: the citys television network and radio station, the daily newspaper Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) as well as Phu Nu (Women) Newspaper.

During a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Le Duan  the incumbent General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam  spearheaded the idea of a newspaper representing the young generation of the city.

Saigon is home to a million youths who have great prospects in our cause to build the city in peacetime. Youth people in this city are of fair education levels; they inherit a long-standing tradition of urban civil movements to seek independence and freedom for the country, Duan remarked after hearing the secretary of the Youth Unions report on youth affairs in the southern Vietnamese hub.

Youths in this city need a press agency.

Ten years of financial independence

The call for a newspaper for youths was met with ardent endorsement of the students, parts of whom have been practicing journalism  either publicly or in secret  during the war era.

Taking advantage of the support, the Youth Union issued the first edition of Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper on September 2, 1975.

Under the title of a third-tier newspaper as stipulated in the framework of the then-Ministry of Culture and Information, Tuoi Tre Newspaper found itself undersupplied in terms of paper for printing, a common circumstance during Vietnams Bao Cap (Subsidy Economy) period.

This critically hindered the prowess of Tuoi Tre to meet the demand for news of the citys youths and residents.

Why is it that every newspaper owner in Saigon before 1975 were well off, but Tuoi Tre are currently trying to solicit money from the central government to run its operations? inquired Vo Van Kiet, the incumbent Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee during a working meeting with Tuoi Tre Newspaper, whose chief editor was Vo Nhu Lanh then, in 1983.

Once again, inquiries from the state leaders were met with aspiration for financial independency from the Tuoi Tre staff.

Taking cognizance of the problem, Tran Minh Duc, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre at the time, initiated the construction of a dedicated paper mill for Tuoi Tre, which sought to bring autonomy in paper supply to the newspaper. The project included a craft paper workshop and a chemical plant, which provided input for the paper factory.

Despite the initial turbulence, the paper mill sustained Tuoi Tres autonomy in paper supply, which helped elevate the newspapers circulation to a few hundred thousand copies per issue.

By 1985, Tuoi Tre had been able to stop receiving state subsidies, completely capable of operating on readers financial backing.

This file photo shows Vo Van Kiet (wearing glasses), then-Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, discussing economic policy with Tuoi Tre staff.

Siding with readers

Mid-1983 saw the departure of Vo Nhu Lanh from the editor-in-chief position of Tuoi Tre. Lanh was succeeded by Vu Kim Hanh, who steered Tuoi Tre to new apexes with the help of Deputy Editor-in-Chief Huynh Son Phuoc and the stellar roster of reporters and journalists in the newsroom.

Tuoi Tre Newspaper then published three issues per week, with new editions added, namely Tuoi Tre Chu Nhat (Sunday Tuoi Tre), socio-political magazine, and Tuoi Tre Cuoi (Laughter Tuoi Tre), a satirical magazine.

After years of hopping in-between callings at the Youth Union, Le Van Nuoi made the fateful leap to work for Tuoi Tre in 1992. During the 1992-2003 period, Tuoi Tre and its editorial board stood at a historical crossroads, prompting them to make imperative decisions.

As the journalism landscape in Vietnam adequately developed, contending newspapers were bringing information of competitive quality to the newsstands. The market economy was tip-toeing through its infant years, where opportunities were not easily accessible for upright entrepreneurs whilst corruption still ran rampant and state-owned enterprises assumed the dominant position.

The state of affairs, plus the burning demand from readers, placed apparent pressure on the Tuoi Tre cohort to enter the frontline of Vietnams anti-corruption battle.

This period gave rise to acclaimed reportage, exposes, and other noteworthy journalistic output from the devoted writers of Tuoi Tre, namely the series on corruption in public investment, bribery at highway tollbooths, inadequacies in education, decadence of lifestyles, and more.

As stories in the newspaper saw more variety, the reporting quality itself was also enhanced with perseverance in politics and the introduction of up-to-date forecast and analysis methodology. These are among the reasons why Tuoi Tre has gained a strong foothold, with readers as a trustworthy source of updates on current affairs.

Till this day, many cannot forget the burst of joy upon seeing the announcement footnote in a 2002 issue of Tuoi Tre: Catch the latest issue of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, published six issues per week.

By 2006, Tuoi Tre had completed its transformation to become a bona fide daily, with top-ranking circulation figures.

The warm reception of readers was the very reason why Tuoi Tre continued realizing its potential in this period: its financial stability gradually developed from its print newspaper and advertising operations.

During this time, the publishing department of Tuoi Tre also worked to publish for 50 other journals. Thanks to the revenue generated from advertising, Tuoi Tre boasted its position as one of the biggest taxpayers among the countrys press agencies.

A flame that never goes out

Looking back on the 45-year journey, it is apparent that the brand of Tuoi Tre was built with a determination to stay true to its central identity: sensitivity to the latest changes, an understanding of the economic reform rulebook, mobilization of resources for expansion, competitiveness and efficiency for global economy intergration, passion built on citizens demand, dedication to distressing topics of right to business opportunities, public health, environmental protection, rights to education and harmonious development of youths, as well as the uncompromising stance against wrongdoings.

Over the course of 45 years, the writers at Tuoi Tre, those whose lives are fatefully bound to the art of journalism and the service of readers, have had to hold their ground against a plethora of challenges: from the rivalry from multimedia establishments entering the market to the governments more stringent regulations on information management.

In light of the new scenario, journalists are coming to terms with a new definition of their long-standing discipline, as well as the commitment inside their hearts.

Those are the flames of devotion to the common good, the flames of steadfastness, and the yearning for an information-charged civil society. These flames, started by the cadre of Tuoi Tre, will be enkindled and kept ablaze by the exuberant successors.

On this anniversary, I wish Tuoi Tre persistence in its upward trajectory onto the coming years!
Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist, was attacked with the nerve agent Novichok  a calling card of the Russian security services  Germany's government announced on Wednesday.

The state of play: Navalny remains in a coma in a Berlin hospital two weeks after falling ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow. He is the latest in a string of Kremlin critics to have been poisoned, though Russia denies that any crime took place.

Flashback: Novichok is the same agent used in the attempted assassination in 2018 of Sergei Skripal, a Russian former double agent who had relocated to the U.K.

What they're saying: The German government said in a statement that a military laboratory found "unequivoical evidence" that a nerve agent from the Novichok family had been used on Navalny, and urged the Russian government to explain itself.

Germany added that it would inform its partners in the EU and NATO  as well as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons  about the results of the investigation and discuss "an appropriate joint reaction."

The latest: Chancellor Angela Merkel made a televised statement denouncing the attempt to "silence" Navalny as "a crime against the basic values and basic rights we stand for." She said the Russian government had been informed of the findings.

"We expect the Russian government to make a declaration vis-a-vis the incident. Of course it raises severe questions that only the Russian government can answer and will have to answer."

 Angela Merkel
A young woman viciously assaulted her father and threw eggs at her bedroom wall because her phone didn't charge and she saw him using her coffee mug.

Rhiannon Stephenson was staying with her dad in Campbelltown, south-west Sydney, when she flew into a fit of rage in October, 2019.

The 21-year-old, who had nowhere else to stay at the time, woke to find her phone had failed to charge overnight and her father was drinking from her mug.

The Campbelltown Local Court heard Stephenson shouted 'that's my cup' before smashing it and storming into her room, where she began hurling eggs.

When her father tried to intervene she punched him three times in the face, the court heard.

New South Wales woman Rhiannon Stephenson (pictured) smashed a mug, threw eggs against the wall and assaulted her father after her phone didn't charge and she saw him using her mug

Her father said he felt 'immediate pain' after the assault and reported the incident to police.

Magistrate George Breton said Stephenson had displayed a 'violent streak' which she needed to address.

He told the 21-year-old she needs to learn to control her anger when she 'sees red', The Daily Telegraph reported.

Stephenson is now five months pregnant and living with her mother on the NSW south coast where she said she is 'trying to rebuild' her life.

Magistrate Breton gave the young woman a mental health direction and placed her on an 18-month Intensive Community Corrections Order.


Sushant Singh Rajputs close friend Sandip Ssingh is all set to file a defamation case against those who are spreading rumours about him in connection with the mysterious death of the Raabta actor. His media manager Deepak Sahu shared the news on Twitter. #SandipSsingh to file a defamation case against those who are spreading rumors and are behind all the false allegations, Deepak wrote.

#SandipSsingh to file a defamation case against those who are spreading rumors and are behind all the false allegations.  Deepak Sahu (@deepaksahupr) September 1, 2020

Sandip Ssingh has been one of the suspects in the case as he was one of the few friends who reached the actors house on 14th June. As soon as the news started to go viral, people made Sandip trend on Twitter.

People on the social media platform have expressed displeasure over CBI not investigating him in the case of Sushants death. They are asking why is CBI so hesitant in asking Sandip a few questions as he claimed to be Sushants close friend.

Here's what people had to say on Twitter:

now very soon #SandipSsingh turns will come for CBI interrogation and yes you will also go along with him bcoz u whr also at the crime scene https://t.co/LxWamfnchq  Sridhar K (@Tweet_SridharK) September 2, 2020

Oh really then he should be doing it on entire people who are supporting Sushant.



Such a disgusting person he is that's why he has got a name SNAKE #SandipSsingh https://t.co/LxWamfnchq  Sridhar K (@Tweet_SridharK) September 2, 2020

Immediately arrest #SandipSsingh why this big fish in relaxing mood??#FocusOnMurderAngle  Suman Mukherjee (@Iamsuman0000) September 2, 2020

In an interview with Pinkvilla, lawyer Vikas Singh said that no one in the family knew Sandip and where he came from to take charge of the final rites of the late actor.

The lawyer said, Meetu (Sushant's sister) was devastated after seeing Sushant's body, so she went and she was lying down in the room, so he just saw an opportunity and he took charge. Nobody in the family knows him, how did he come there. Suddenly how did he start taking charge."

Sandips involvement had raised questions back then and even now, people continue to demand answers. Was it more of a publicity stunt that backfired for Sandeep?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina drivers in need of a new license will soon have to have their eyes tested before that can happen.

The Department of Motor Vehicles announced this week that vision screenings will become part of the license renewal process for the states roughly 4 million drivers beginning Oct. 1, resurrecting a one-time law that mandated the tests.

Eye exams are already a perquisite for first-time licensees.

The move to expand the requirement marks a policy shift for DMV Executive Director Kevin Shwedo. In 2018, he said adding vision screenings to renew a drivers license would create needless hardship for customers by extending wait times.

Customers can take the tests using optical machines already at DMV branches and receive a "pass/fail" on the spot.

People who fail at a DMV branch are required to visit an eye care professional for a follow-up.

A decision by the Legislature had originally set an October 2020 implementation date for the renewal screenings. The timing was set to coincide with the original start for the REAL ID switchover. However, the federal Department of Homeland Security delayed the program until October 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shwedo, a former U.S. Army deputy commanding officer at Fort Jackson, said his concerns about requiring the test remain, but he acknowledged the General Assembly has final authority.

In the military, you question a decision until its made and then you salute the flag and move on, he told The Post and Courier.

A few changes have been made, however. No longer do people over the age of 65 have to have a five-year vision test, and the 10-year renewal period for drivers licenses has been replaced by the REAL ID lifespan of eight years.

DMV officials worked closely with the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Association and the states chapter of the Society of Ophthalmology to create an electronic vision screening portal that allows results to be submitted directly to branch offices.

People who have received an eye test from their doctor within the previous 12 months can have results transmitted to the DMV, avoiding the screening.

Drivers who wear contact lenses or glasses will have an A printed on their licenses.

Exams typically cost between $50 and $100 with private providers, with coverage determined by insurance policies.

While some customers may consider the eye tests a bother, they could also be important early detection systems for conditions including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and several types of cancer, officials said.

Sometimes good things happen because of these things, said Johndra McNeely, a Greenville-based eye doctor and former association president. Nobodys vision stays the same over time, plus, the risk for eye disease increases with age.




South Korea's exports of eco-friendly automobiles rose nearly 23 percent in the first half of 2020 from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday.







Outbound shipments of eco-friendly cars, including electric vehicles, reached US$3.16 billion in the January-June period, taking up 20 percent of the country's total automobile exports, according to the data compiled by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).







Over the cited period, however, South Korea's overall exports of cars dipped 27.3 percent to reach $15 billion as the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined consumer sentiment around the world.







Exports of eco-friendly cars reached $5.9 billion for all of 2019, up from $3.6 billion posted two years earlier, KITA added.







"South Korea's exports of eco-friendly cars are expected to continue to grow down the road as the government is also lending a hand to the segment," KITA said in its report.







In May, the country said eco-friendly cars will take up at least 90 percent of the combined automobiles owned by governmental bodies by 2030, in line with the country's new energy drive that centers on breaking away from traditional sources of fuel.







South Korea's overall exports, meanwhile, extended their slump to a sixth month in August as the resurgence of the new coronavirus around the globe continued to strain business activities.







Outbound shipments came to $39.6 billion last month, down 9.9 percent from $44 billion posted a year earlier.







In August, exports of cars fell 12.8 percent on-year. Shipments of electric automobiles, however, edged down by a smaller margin of 2.3 percent. (Yonhap)


Actor Nargis Fakhri has found love once again. She shared a bunch of new pictures on Instagram on Tuesday, which showed her at a shooting range with her new boyfriend, New York-based chef Justin Santos.

The photos show Nargis at the Thunder Mountain Shooting Range in US, wielding a large rifle and trying her hand at shooting. She is seen wearing a blue denim outfit while Justin is seen in a grey T-shirt and a grey pair of shorts. When he takes you shooting.Learning to shoot a shot gun with @jsantos1923 That gun was kinda heavy, she captioned her post. The pictures also show Nargis and Justin posing together at the range. Ilena DCruz commented on her post, saying, You twos is so cute!

Justin also shared pictures from Bash Bish Falls State Park, where he posed against a beautiful waterfall. The pictures were clicked by Nargis.

Nargis broke up with her filmmaker boyfriend Matt Alonzo in January. She even got matching tattoos with him when they were dating. However, she later got it removed. Before Matt, Nargis had also dated Uday Chopra.

Also read: Amitabh Bachchans granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda opens up about struggle with anxiety, seeking therapy

Last year, Nargis has impressed everyone with her body transformation. Nargis shared her before-after pictures and captioned her post, Living life in the public eye can be very difficult sometimes. As much as it is a blessing, it also comes with its downside. Over the last 2 years, Ive gained weight. On the left I weighed 178 lbs and on the right, I was 129. I have since lost 20 lbs through making lifestyle changes. If i can do it, so can you. Nurture your mind, body, and soul with positive thoughts and healthy choices. Im going to bring you on this journey of becoming the best version of myself again, and i want you to join me on this journey too.

Nargis will be next seen in Torbaaz along with Sanjay Dutt.The film will release on Netflix soon. She was last seen in a horror film called Amavas.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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(CNN)  China's government has accused Indian troops of illegally trespassing onto Chinese territory, in comments that could set the stage for a second tense border standoff between the two nuclear powers in just three months.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India said that Indian forces had "conducted flagrant provocations" over the weekend "which again stirred tension in the border areas."

According to China, Indian troops deliberately crossed the 2,100 mile-long (3,379 kilometer) de facto border between the two countries, known as the Line of Actual Control, near Pangong Tso, a strategically located lake some 14,000 feet (4.2 kilometers) above sea level in the Himalayas.

China and India have been sparring over the area that surrounds the lake since the two fought the first of several border wars in 1962. The Line of Actual Control, which passes through Pangong Tso, was established in the wake of the original conflict, but it's not an exact border. Though it shows up on maps, India and China do not agree on its precise location and both regularly accuse the other of overstepping it, or seeking to expand their territory.

Tuesday's comments are the latest in a string of accusations and counter accusations. On Monday, India's Defense Ministry leveled a vague charge against the Chinese People's Liberation Army, accusing its troops of carrying out "provocative military movements to change the status quo."

The Defense Ministry said that Indian troops preempted Chinese military activity and undertook measures to "thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground." Though the ministry did not comment on the specifics of the operation, in a statement, it said troops had undertaken measures to strengthen their position on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.

China's Foreign Ministry denied any incursion into Indian territory, and the country's military and diplomatic officials are now accusing Indian troops of crossing the line.

"India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty," the embassy spokesperson said Tuesday. "China has made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honor its commitments, immediately stop all the provocative actions, immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control, immediately stop any actions leading to the escalation and complication of the situation."

Area of strategic importance

Pangong Tso is a long V-shaped body of water located south of the Galwan Valley. Though most of it lies in the Chinese region of Tibet, the portion that India controls is strategically important as it allows Indian forces to move into striking distance of a key Chinese mountain highway linking the western regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, said Bharat Karnad, an expert in national security affiliated with the Indian Center for Policy Research.

But while Pangong Tso's tactical importance may not have changed in nearly six decades, "the stakes are higher" now than ever, Karnad said.

For India, the lake also serves as an important buffer to help defend the nearby region of Ladakh. According to Manoj Joshi a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, the lake is a very obvious ingress route for military units looking to dominate or capture Leh, the largest town in Ladakh. "From a military stance, that's why it was defended strongly in 1962," said Joshi.

Both sides maintain a large troop presence in the border region, raising the risk of potential miscalculation in the event of sudden and unexpected clashes. "Because the China and India border has not yet been officially delineated, India is trying to consolidate its actual areas, and then to control more disputed areas through gradual encroachment," said Long Xingchun, president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs.

This weekend's incident is the latest in a long-running series of territorial flare-ups between the two sides in the Himalayas, and the second since June.

But analysts fear that rising nationalist forces in the world's two most populous countries could fuel these simmering border disputes, especially as both sides look to distract the public from the economic and human costs of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed during a bloody hand-to-hand standoff in the Galwan Valley not far from Pangong Tso in June. China has never acknowledged any casualties from that clash.

The situation was temporarily resolved after the two sides engaged in talks and withdrew soldiers. While dialogue between frontline commanders has typically been a means for deescalation, the recent spike in tensions suggest that a more comprehensive diplomatic solution may be required.

Karnad said that the likelihood of further clashes will decrease in the coming weeks, as the frigid Himalayan winter sets in, but warned that border disputes could become something of a new normal if there are no major strategic changes on either side.

This story was first published on CNN.com China accuses India of conducting 'flagrant provocations' as simmering border standoff heats up
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Adaklu Constituency has called on the ruling NP to give credit to the Mills-Mahama government for the five-district-water project including the Adaklu District project.

The opposition party says the project was conceived by the Mills-Mahama administration which sourced funding for the projects through Strabag AG of Vienna, Austria.

This was contained in a release signed by Mr Charles Agbesi, its Constituency Secretary.

The release said Raiffeinsen Bank International AG Vienna, Austria granted Government of Ghana a loan facility amounting to eight million Euros.

It added that the report was laid in Parliament on August 12, 2012.

The statement indicated that the loan was to finance the water supply scheme for the then Adaklu Anyigbe, North Tongu districts and Ho Municipal adding that the three districts have since attained local governance autonomy.

The release further noted that the funding for the first phase of the project, which included the building of the treatment plant, provision of pumping stations, overhead tanks among others was approved by Parliament on 20th March, 2012.

It stressed that the loan was also to fund the second phase of the project, which also comprised of the main distribution lines to designated points.

The release explained that the third phase, which was to care for distribution points in communities in some selected districts including Adaklu and Agortime/Ziope was to be funded with another additional loan of 11.5 RPT 11.5 million Euros from the same bank.

It noted that the five district water project also known as the STRABAG Project therefore remained an inherited project from the NDC and that President Akufo-Addo and his NPP-led government should not pretend to be starting a new water project.

"It is therefore misleading for another sod cutting for an ongoing project to be organised just for political expediency."

Meanwhile, Mr Bright Nyatsikor, Adaklu Constituency Secretary of the NPP said governance is a continuum.

He said water is life and should be prioritised by a caring government and when such projects stalls, it should be activated at once.

He said the project has entered into the third phase and urged the NDC to praise government for securing the 11.5 Euros to complete the water project aimed to bring respite to the people in that corridor.

Mr Nyatsikor alleged that policy credibility affected the third phase under Mr John Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC.

In a related development, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources in July, this year disclosed Cabinet's approval for the start of phase three of the Five District Water Supply Scheme.

She said Parliament approved a loan facility in April, 2020 to be financed by Raiffeisenbank International if AG/Vienna for implementation of phase three.
The Legacy Center's "Beehive" provides an inspiring backdrop for small business owners, creatives and entrepreneurs seeking a refreshing work environment. The energy is professional and positive and the networking opportunities are great, says member Courtney Woods. The idea of expanding my business by having access to resources, co-working and meeting spaces in the Atlanta office just felt like common sense to me.

The Legacy Center has once again opened its doors, signifying its relaunch in the heart of East Point, Georgia. The organization, whose massive 31,000 square foot production and co-working facility spans four acres, held its star-studded grand opening in January just before the global pandemic forced some of its operations to go virtual. Now, the center is excited to welcome its clientele of burgeoning entrepreneurs back to its physical location, while hoping to further connect with the community-at-large.

Designed to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, the Legacy Center, also known as The Black House, serves a dual purpose; aiming to satiate its clienteles physical and business development needs. The sleek co-working facility includes: desk space, conference rooms, a lounge area and access to a newly-built cafe.

"The Legacy Center was born out of the desire to designate a space for business owners, creatives and artists from marginalized communities who are striving towards leaving a legacy for their families," says Community Manager, Laini Davis. "Our goal is to create a community rooted in collaboration and resource sharing, while offering a modern and refreshing environment for growing businesses, small teams, meetings and private events."

Also in the works is a state of the art production studio which members and the community will be able to utilize at an additional cost. As part of the experience, Legacy Center offers several affordable master classes and programs, targeting: business development, wealth and finance; real estate investment; credit strategy; branding and marketing; and more.

The energy is professional and positive and the networking opportunities are great, says member Courtney Woods. The idea of expanding my business by having access to resources, co-working and meeting spaces in the Atlanta office just felt like common sense to me.

The organization is currently offering a Digital Media and Marketing program to help small businesses scale their operation. Led by media professionals, offered courses are set to rotate on a monthly basis and will cover web design, email marketing, social media and more.

"Its liberating to be able to nurture and provide the tools, resources and skills for our small business communities to make their own impact," says Mariah Robinson, Community Engagement Lead at the Legacy Center. Our Digital Market and Media Program is such a pivotal resource for the small business community especially those in their start up and planning phase."

Individuals seeking to join the community are also invited to learn more about forthcoming in-person and virtual events, including the staple First Fridays happy hour, on the centers Events Calendar at LegacyCenterEvents.com.

The Legacy Center is the first acquisition of the African American founded and managed real estate crowd fund, the Tulsa Real Estate Fund. It is located at 3015 R.N. Martin St. East Point, GA 30344.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1)  A Senate panel has recommended criminal and administrative raps against Health Secretary and PhilHealth board chair Francisco Duque, ex-PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and other officials over the fraud mess in the state health insurer, Senate President Tito Sotto said Tuesday.

Sotto presented the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole which stated that Duque, Morales and some senior vice presidents should be held accountable for anomalies such as the "shady" implementation of cash advances or the interim reimbursement mechanism.

Lawmakers have questioned the IRM's implementation which was intended to help hospitals continue operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the money was distributed to 279 facilities before requirements were completed. The requirements were met by June 11, but the agency already released over 14 billion from March 25, Sotto said.

The committee also found that the funds released exceeded the estimated costs for COVID-19 treatment.

"PhilHealth estimated 3.3 billion pesos for the cost of COVID for the entire 2020," said Sotto. "Pero ang budget na nilagay nila ay [But the budget they placed was] 26.8 billion pesos."

The funds were also questionably released to non-COVID-19 facilities, such as B. Braum Avitum Dialysis Centers.

B. Braum's branches received 45 million even though some of its facilities do not have dialysis machines or isolation areas and can only provide outpatient care. B. Braum had earlier denied conniving with PhilHealth, but the Senate is convinced that a "ghost patients" scheme is involved and recommended an investigation.

For this, the senate panel recommended charges of malversation, illegal use of public funds and graft against Duque, Morales, Executive Vice President Arnel de Jesus, SVP for Fund Management Sector Renato Limsiaco and SVP Health Finance Policy Sector Israel Pargas as well as other employees involved.

The committee also proposed to charge Duque, Morales, De Jesus, Limsiaco, Pargas and involved employees for violation of the Internal Revenue Code due to PhilHealth's failure to withhold taxes related to the IRM. CNN Philippines is striving to get comments from PhilHealth officials identified in the report.

Moreover, senators want healthcare institutions that got their IRM shares to liquidate the funds and return the unutilized amounts, Sotto said.

Duque told to resign

In the committee report, senators also called for President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint a new Health Secretary.

"With the evidence brought before us, basically our recommendation is for him (Duque) to resign because he was 'big brother,'" Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri told CNN Philippines' The Final Word. "He was the person in charge of PhilHealth as chairman."

Duque in response said it was "unfortunate" that his name was included in the recommendations, maintaining that he had no signature on the IRM's board resolution nor was he present in the deliberations on the program.

"This is not the best time for the Executive to have a difference with the Legislative branch," said Duque in a statement, adding that he would cooperate in any inquiry. "Certainly I intend to clear my name."

Overpriced IT

The committee also recommended charges of falsification, fraud, concealment of documents, graft, and violation of the government procurement act against the corporation's IT department officials.

Sotto said SVP for Information Management Sector Jovita Aragona and Acting Senior Manager Calixto Gabuya should be charged for proposing to buy network switches at 320,000 per unit even though they awarded much cheaper models at 62,424. The more expensive model was already obsolete and unavailable in the market, the committee found.

"Ipinipilit talaga nila na Cisco 2960XR ang binibili nila para lang majustify ang mas mataas na presyo kahit na ang totoo ay Cisco 9200 na mas mura ang binibili," said Sotto.

[Translation: They are insisting that they were purchasing the Cisco 2960XR to justify that the price is higher even though the truth is cheaper Cisco 9200 is being bought]

The committee also wants PhilHealth to start outsourcing its IT services to a reputable company, Sotto added.

Negligence

The panel raised too that resigned SVP for Legal Sector Rodolfo Del Rosario should be charged for negligence and graft for failing to act on the agency's pending cases.

The committee found that out of 7,452 cases against healthcare facilities in PhilHealth, only 5,327 of them or 71.48 percent were acted upon since the year 2000. There were also 4,792 cases against healthcare workers of which only 45.97 percent were cleared in the last 19 years.

The department also failed to implement penalties such as in the case of Perpetual Succour Hospital. PhilHealth was supposed to suspend the hospital's accreditation and have them pay a fine of 10,000 but instead the hospital was made to pay 100,000 without suspension.

Del Rosario had explained during the hearings that the change of penalty was due to an approved board resolution but the Senate maintained that the board does not have the power to amend penalties of cases decided by a court.

The committee also pushed for PhilHealth officials from the CEO to the regional vice presidents to submit their courtesy resignation to give way to a revamp of the agency's management. The panel recommended reassignment of officials every three years.

Senators also suggested more involvement of the Commission on Audit in PhilHealth's affairs over reports that the commission had trouble obtaining documents from the corporation, which led to inconsistent reports on PhilHealth's financial standing.
New York

Walmart is launching a new membership service that it hopes can compete with Amazon Prime.

Called Walmart+, it will cost $98 a year, or $12.95 a month, and give members same-day delivery on 160,000 items, a fuel discount at certain gas stations and a chance to check out at Walmart stores without having to wait at a register.

Walmart has a long way to go to catch up with Amazon Prime. Launched in 2005, Prime has more than 150 million members worldwide who pay $119 a year, or $12.99 a month, for faster shipping and other perks, such as discounts at Amazon's Whole Foods supermarkets and access to its video streaming site.

Walmart's online sales are growing rapidly, especially during the pandemic, when more people have turned to the company to order groceries online and pick them up at a store. But the world's biggest retailer is still a distant second online to Amazon. Walmart is expected to take 6 percent of all online sales in the U.S. this year, compared to Amazon's 38 percent, according to market research firm eMarketer.

Last week, Walmart emerged as a possible suitor for the U.S. business of TikTok, the fast-growing video app with more than 100 million users. Analysts have said the bid with tech company Microsoft could be a way for Walmart to grow its online shopping business and connect with millions of young shoppers.

Janey Whiteside, Walmart's chief customer officer, said it wasn't launching Walmart+ to compete with any other shopping membership.

"We're launching it to meet the needs of our customers," she said. "And it really was designed to make their busy lives easier."

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Walmart+ members will still have to spend at least $35 online to qualify for free same-day delivery. Items are delivered from stores, which typically costs as much as $9.95 for non-members. The 160,000 items that qualify include groceries, toys, electronics and household items, such as toilet paper and soap.

Members will get a discount of up to 5 cents a gallon at Murphy gas stations or at the 2,000 Walmart locations that have gas pumps. The company said it's working to add more gas-station chains to its list.

At its stores, members can unlock an app to scan items as they shop and pay without having to stop at a cashier.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based company said Walmart+ will launch Sept. 15.
OTTAWA, Ontario, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to launch a $2 circulation coin celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the Canadians who defeated enemies of freedom after six long years of service on the battlefield and on the home front. Symbolic of that heroic accomplishment, a "V" for Victory figures prominently on this new commemorative coin unveiled today on the Mint's YouTube channel.

"For nearly six years, Canadians serving in uniform or chipping in at home played a vital role in achieving a hard-won peace," said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. "The Royal Canadian Mint's circulation coin issued on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is a fitting tribute to their legacy of bravery, of service, and of tremendous sacrifice. They have our enduring thanks, and I hope we can all live up to that legacy as this coin changes hands from one generation to the next."

"The Royal Canadian Mint's tradition of honouring our troops through coins goes all the way back to 1943, when Chief Engraver Thomas Shingles created the first Victory Nickel that called on all Canadians to work together to win the Second World War," said Marie Lemay, the Mint's President and CEO. "Today, that inspirational message has found a new home on a special $2 commemorative circulation coin that is a proud 75th anniversary salute to every Canadian who played a role in ending this historic conflict."

The $2 circulation coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is inspired by the 1943-45 Victory Nickels designed by Thomas Shingles. The "V" for Victory on the inner core of the new toonie was, at the time, a rallying call to support the war effort from coast to coast to coast. The letter is overlaid with a flaming torch and flanked by maple leaves over the dates 1945 and 2020.

The words VICTORY and VICTOIRE appear on the outer ring, as does a message engraved in Morse code. "We win when we work willingly" and "La bonne volonte est gage de victoire" first appeared on wartime Victory Nickels. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt in 2003.

Limited to a mintage of three million coins, two million will feature colour. The new $2 coin is now entering general circulation. Canadians will find it in their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of $2 coins.

Veterans of the Second World War, residing at the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa, also shared their thoughts on the 75th anniversary of the end of hostilities:

Betty Bell (Royal Canadian Air Force, Women's Division, Air Woman Grade 1)

"I was in London, England, when victory was declared and the city erupted in one huge celebration. The crowd danced and sang in the streets of Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. Servicemen were sitting on top of lamp posts above the cheering crowd. Victory had been won at a price, but now Europe was free and the lights were on again. No more blackout, no more bombs."

John A. Commerford (Canadian Army, Artillery Gunner)

"I felt a great sense of relief and appreciation for still being alive."

Carl Reiser (Royal Canadian Air Force, Flying Officer)

"I was happy to be going home."

The Mint is adding to this historic commemoration by offering related collector products. There are 15,000 coloured and 5,000 uncoloured limited-edition special wrap rolls of 25 uncirculated coins each, retailing for $79.95. Customers may also purchase a collector keepsake set featuring both versions of the commemorative circulation coin, packaged with uncirculated versions of our 2020 classic circulation coins (5-cent to $1). It retails for $22.95 and its mintage is set at 100,000.

These collectibles may be ordered as of today by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca/victory.They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg boutique, as well as through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. The Mint is one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca. Follow the Mint on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Images of the circulation coin and collector products are available here.

Contact: Alex Reeves, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, Telephone: 613-884-6370, reeves@mint.ca

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1247253/Royal_Canadian_Mint_Royal_Canadian_Mint__2_circulation_coin_cele.jpg
South Africa: Abducted baby reunited with parents in Lesotho

A baby girl, who was abducted when she was just three months old, has been reunited with her biological parents in Lesotho.

The now 10-month-old baby was abducted by a South African woman from her mother in Lesotho. The woman was eventually traced in Welkom, in the Free State and apprehended and is currently in police custody.

The child was placed in a place of safety in Welkom before being reunited with her biological parents, who are both Lesotho nationals. The Department of Social Development had been working with the Lesotho Consular to ensure this was made possible.

Acting Free State Premier, Mamiki Qabathe, handed the baby to her biological parents in Maseru on Monday.

Qabathe thanked the government of Lesotho, which worked together with the South African government, to ensure the child was safely returned to her parents.

"We end Women's Month on a high note, with a happy ending where parents are reunited with their child. This occurs during a time when our government is working on means to deal with gender-based violence, which continues to manifest itself in our communities, the Acting Premier said.

Lesotho Social Development Minister, Matebatso Doti, thanked Qabathe, law enforcement officials and social workers for locating the baby.

Doti said she would suggest to the Lesotho Minister of Foreign Affairs that social workers be deployed in South Africa to enable the fast tracking of similar cases, in collaboration with the South African government.

Doti said the babys family will, through the Lesotho Department of Social Development, receive counselling and the child will receive the necessary trauma support and care.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
As colleges across the country allow students to return for fall classes, many are ramping up enforcement of new rules to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The stakes are high: Universities that cant contain the virus on campus have paused in-person classes or reverted to remote learning entirely, sending students home for the rest of the semester.
It seemed at first like a victory.

Earlier this year, New Jersey changed the law regarding the confidentiality of harassment claims, in the wake of complaints that state employees risked losing their job if they were caught discussing a sexual harassment complaint. It didnt matter if they were the target of the accusation, a potential witness, or the accuser.

Sparking the change were two lawsuits  one by Katie Brennan, who later settled her case alleging a sexual assault by a one-time Murphy administration official, and another that is still pending by Viktoriya Usachenok, who worked at the New Jersey Department of Treasury. She complained that witnesses in her case before the Division of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action faced disciplinary action if they spoke publicly about the matter.

Attorneys for Usachenok argued that such confidentiality requirements were unconstitutional and amid the widening outrage in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the law was amended in April.

But despite the change, Usachenoks lawyers say the state law still remains unconstitutional and the Appellate Division last week, in a decision issued by Judges Richard Geiger and Stephanie Ann Mitterhoff, refused to throw out her case.

The same court will now decide whether the newly amended confidentiality directive under the states harassment policy should be deemed an unconstitutional prior restraint on protected speech.

In her original complaint, Usachenok claimed she was subjected to pervasive sexual harassment by a supervisor, which included stalking, sexual propositioning and unwelcome physical touching and assault. She said she was ordered to sign a confidentiality form and told she could be fired if she disclosed any aspect of the investigation to anyone.

Her attorneys said such rules governing confidentiality in state workplace investigations serve to silence victims and witnesses from coming forward about assault, harassment or discrimination in the workplace. They also argued the rules were at odds with Gov. Phil Murphys approval of a law he signed last year banning employers from using non-disclosure agreements.

In seeking a dismissal of the Usachenok case, the state Attorney Generals office argued that the matter was essentially moot, with the change in the law in April no longer mandating confidentiality.

Witnesses and participants will be asked, but not required, to maintain confidentiality, wrote Deputy Attorney General Adam Gibbons in a court filing before the Appellate Division. Further, the amended regulation eliminates the prospect of disciplinary action when confidentiality is not maintained.

In his brief, Gibbons said witnesses and those filing a complainant may feel that they have an interest in confidentiality and have the individual discretion to exercise it, but are no longer mandated by the regulation to maintain it.

Usachenoks attorney, Christopher J. Eibeler of Eibeler Smith said although some of the language of the statute has been changed, the states confidentiality directive continued to impose an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech.

Contrary to the states position in its moving brief, an employer requesting confidentiality in all cases has the same chilling effect upon protected speech as an employer requiring confidentiality under all circumstances, he wrote. Indeed, state employees will undoubtedly adhere to the states request of confidentiality because otherwise, they are at risk of being found insubordinate and face termination for misconduct.

According to the attorney, only two other states, Oklahoma and Louisiana, impose similar confidentiality directives upon state employees.

There is no legitimate business justification for imposing confidentiality upon sexual harassment victims, said Eibeler. Invalidating confidentiality regulation imposed upon state employees would be a significant step in addressing and remediating the rampant sexual harassment that continues to plague state workers.

Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com.
A farmer walks on her cracked field due to severe drought in Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta, March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

The Mekong Delta, Vietnam's agriculture hub, needs $4.7 to $6.7 billion in 2021-2025 for smart projects to tackle climate change, the World Bank says.

A report released by the bank last week says there are considerable opportunities for further development of the Mekong Delta region, which spans 3.94 million hectares (9.7 million acres) and is home to 17.5 million people, or a fifth of the countrys population.

However, the government needs to address several challenges the region has been facing, including inadequate infrastructure and market access, fluctuations in water availability, weak inter-provincial coordination, pollution, energy constraints and, especially, climate change impacts.

The Mekong Delta is identified as one of the deltas in the world that is most vulnerable to climate change, the report says. According to the 2016 climate change projections issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, approximately 40 percent of the region is exposed to significant inundation risk under current conditions.

By 2050, as much as 60-75 percent of some provinces in the region may be inundated. Erratic rainfall and salinity intrusion into groundwater sources will also make domestic freshwater supply less reliable. In addition, infrastructure will be exposed to increased tropical storm intensity, long-term sea level rise, and rapid fluvial and coastal flooding.

"Promoting and sustaining growth in the Mekong Delta will require rethinking future development pathways for the region. Currently, development of the region is poorly coordinated with fragmented and discordant sectoral policies and investment decisions that result in inefficiencies and hidden costs including from negative environmental externalities," the World Bank report says.

Experts from the World Bank urge Vietnam to adopt policies and investments better to optimize the use of natural conditions that define the delta in an effort to mitigate negative impact from climate change.

The Mekong Delta will need to incentivize use of available public financing for more climate smart investments and mobilize additional financing to improve: infrastructure for restructuring agriculture in subregions of the delta; flood protection infrastructure; nature-based and human-engineered infrastructure for river and coastal area erosion protection; and monitoring stations, they say.

In 2016, the World Bank approved a $310 million loan to help Vietnam tackle climate change and ensure sustainable livelihoods of local residents in the delta.

For decades, the delta has been a Vietnam's rice bowl and aquaculture hub, meeting not only the country's food demand but also serving exports.

But it has suffered severe drought, erosion and flooding in recent years.

Several studies over the last decade have predicted that the Mekong Delta, which spreads over 40,577 square kilometers (over 10 million acres) and is currently home to 21.49 million people, would soon sink as sea level rises in the future, partly due to the climate crisis.
(TNS)  Boundless Immigration co-founder Xiao Wang sounds frustrated discussing the tightened rules and processing delays for visas and citizenship that have hallmarked the Trump administration.But he also sees that as an opportunity to expand his Seattle-based online company that helps streamline the immigration application process , especially amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has people worried about visiting a lawyers office or seeking additional help with an application from more traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.To that end, Boundless has acquired Las Vegas-based RapidVisa, another immigration navigation company specializing in multiple visa categories. Wang declined to disclose the purchase price.The deal lets Wangs firm expand beyond the 3,000 marriage-based visa and citizenship applications it processes annually. Wang expects the combined operations to handle about 10,000 applications, much of that growth in new categories for children, parents, fiances, tourists and others.The more products and services that we can offer, the more data that we can collect, the better the advice and the help we can provide to our (customer) families, Wang said Tuesday, adding the acquisition  terms of which were not disclosed  will double his staff from about 50 to more than 100 and makes Boundless the nations largest online immigration industry company. We can help people that have all of these additional family-based immigration needs.As an example, he said, the company could previously have helped a foreign national marrying a U.S. citizen. But if the foreign national had a child from a previous relationship, there was nothing his company could do.We could help with the marriage green card for the spouses, but we couldnt help with the child, he said. Now, we can help with the child.The company, founded in 2017, collects information online from applicants and uses technology to fill out forms for them, offering advice and support. Its website also tracks applications once submitted, sending regular alerts about how they are progressing. Wang said Boundless remains unprofitable and declined to disclose its revenue.Boundless Immigrations website and its frequently updated blog has become a go-to for information on a plethora of immigration rule changes and crackdowns by the Trump administration the past three-plus years. Wang expects the RapidVisa acquisition to increase the information Boundless has at its disposal to share with users.The acquisition was financed partly by a $7.5 million equity funding round from Foundry Group. Wang said some of that money will also go toward preparing his company to meaningfully scale for what he believes will be a huge surge in demand, regardless of who gets elected president come November.No matter what happens, theres going to be a ton of change in the immigration process, he said. If Trump wins, theres going to be all of these continued new regulations that well need to stay on top of. If Biden wins, then there will potentially be entirely new categories, especially around DACA and Dreamers and other groups that really share bipartisan support for making reforms that can help families not be in perpetual limbo.Boundless Immigrations blog posted in July that are at risk of not being able to vote in the election because of the current freeze on naturalization interviews  the final step before the 140-word Oath of Allegiance ceremony. Initially, another 110,000 people were also at risk of not voting because the oath ceremonies themselves were being held up  until U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agreed to start resuming shorter, less crowded sessions.Some jurisdictions now offer drive-thru naturalization ceremonies where applicants pull up in their vehicles in front of a judge standing six feet away and behind a plastic shield. They then take the oath and are granted citizenship without leaving the car.The political leadership of USCIS could have made this happen faster, the Boundless Immigration post stated. For instance, they claimed that it would be legally impossible to administer virtual oath ceremonies, which is not true.The Trump administration has stated the oath must be taken in a public ceremony. However, lawmakers from both parties and immigration advocates argue theres nothing in statutory language requiring the applicant to appear in-person.Wang cant understand why the government is forcing applicants into longer wait times, or making them attend ceremonies with others during a pandemic when theres an obvious virtual solution for an oath thats important  but also largely ceremonial.I think people on both sides of the aisle would agree we want government agencies to operate as efficiently as they can to achieve their mandate, he said.A big reason for Boundless Immigrations expansion, he added, is to empower those trying to navigate an increasingly backlogged system by making them aware of their immigration rights. And to streamline help in as efficient a manner as possible without entailing COVID-19 risks.I think were at an inflection point with regards to the way people think of whats possible to be done remotely, he said. I think were all experiencing this in different workplaces in different forms and with different levels of services.And I think people are far more comfortable now than they were before with doing tasks remotely. And theyre also appreciating the flexibility and benefits of that.
Indian Army has captured Pangong North Finger 4 Ridge area of the Pangong lake along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and established its positions in the region. This is for the first time since early June, Indian Army and Special Frontier Force (SFF) mounted rapid mission to take position at Finger 4 heights. The Finger 4 feature on the north bank of Pangong Tso lake and is located close to Chinese posts which are just few hundred meters from Indian positions.

Amidst escalating tensions on the border with China, Indian troops captured this post after allegedly foiling an attempt by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to occupy Indian territory in the disputed border region of Ladakh. On Tuesday, Indian Army had foiled the third attempt by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops to transgress into Indian areas in Chumar, a border patrol facility located in south eastern Ladakh. In the last three days, it was the third time when the Chinese side tried to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Both sides had held Brigade Commander-level flag meeting on Tuesday in Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC to resolve the issue which ended in a stalemate, as per sources.

Indian occupation of the pass has led to a sharp reaction from China. According to an editorial piece published in Global Times, which is an English-language Chinese newspaper, the ongoing tensions between Indian and Chinese armies are the result of India's hardline approach in dealing with its border dispute with China. It also alleged that India's actions have seriously heightened the strategic mistrust between the both sides.

The piece published on September 1 stated that from the Doklam crisis (dating back to 2017) to the Galwan Valley clash in June this year, India has been "taking a radical and hardline approach in dealing with the China-India border dispute."

Meanwhile, due to China's incessant "provocative" manoeuvres in the southern ban area of Pangong Lake, the Indian Army has bolstered its presence at the LAC. The Indian Army has deployed additional troops with more weaponry, including tanks and guided missiles near the Pangong lake.

The Indian Army issued a statement on Monday morning that the Chinese troops "carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo" on the night of August 29-30. The "provocative actions" were in violation of the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh, it had said.

Also Read: LAC standoff: Indian Army thwarts 3rd military provocation attempt by China in 3 days

Also Read: China's state-aligned Global Times calls Indian Army's actions 'fanatical', 'misguided'

Also Read: China provoked India in latest border clash at LAC in Ladakh: US
Some neighbors say Sarosh and the neighbor had been friends for years, others say they had gotten into disputes in the past

The 65-year-old man has been taken into custody

When gunfire broke out Sarosh grabbed his wife and tried to run inside the home

The neighbor responded by pulling out a gun and shooting Sarosh four times

His neighbor was mowing the front lawn and Sarosh, who was off-duty, joked to him that he was throwing grass onto his front lawn

Milwaukee police community service officer Naeem Sarosh, 35, was fatally shot Monday night around 6pm by his 65-year-old neighbor, police say

An off-duty Milwaukee police community officer was shot dead by a neighbor mowing his lawn after he joked the neighbor was throwing grass clippings in front of his home.

Naeem Sarosh, 35, a four-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department, was allegedly shot four times by his 65-year-old neighbor Monday night at 6pm.

A family friend says Sarosh was joking with the neighbor who was mowing his front lawn. Sarosh allegedly said the neighbor was throwing grass onto his front lawn near South 22nd Place and West Layton Avenue.

After the joke the suspect allegedly pulled a gun from his pocket and opened fire. Sarosh grabbed his wife and tried to run inside but was hit four times, according to KFVS.

Off-duty Milwaukee police community service officer Naeem Sarosh, 35, was fatally shot Monday night around 6pm by his 65-year-old neighbor, police say

'Im dumbfounded by it because everybody is very quiet. We always say hello. Nobody bothers anybody. Its shocking,' neighbor Tammy Mitton, who overheard Sarosh arguing with his neighbor.

'I heard loud discussion, couldnt make out any words, but then, a man just screamed at the top of his lungs, "I told you to put that down,"' Mitton said.

The 65-year-old man has been taken into custody.

Saroshs family and the suspects family were reportedly good friends before the shooting, but some neighbors say Sarosh and the suspect had gotten into fights before.

Neighbor Nicole Santiago said to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Sarosh was 'an outstanding member of the community' who leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

He lived in the neighborhood for about four to five years, but had recurring disputes with the suspect, Santiago said.

She said the suspect has lived in the area for decades but has mostly kept to himself.

On Monday night Sarosh allegedly spoke with his 65-year-old neighbor (suspect's home above) who was mowing his front lawn and joked the neighbor was throwing grass onto his front lawn

Evidence of a crime scene and life saving measures pictured in the driveway of the suspect's home

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett released a statement praising Sarosh as a well-respected employee.

'While the circumstances of the situation havent been fully determined, these types of senseless acts of violence should disturb us all,' Barrett said.

A police investigation into the shooting is ongoing and criminal charges will be presented to the Milwaukee County District Attorneys office in the coming days.

'Community Service Officer Sarosh is a four-year veteran with the Milwaukee Police Department and was assigned to District 2. He will be greatly missed by the members of this organization and by the members of our community,' the Milwaukee Police Department said in a statement.

Sarosh worked with the Milwaukee Police Department for four years as a community service officer where he responded to crimes like vandalism and no injury traffic crashes to take pictures and reports. Pictured right in an interview in 2011

In this position Sarosh responded to crimes like vandalism and no injury traffic crashes to take pictures and reports.

According to a 2017 job posting, community service officers are not sworn officers but they help respond to non-emergency calls and help with accident investigations. They are also unarmed.

Ald. Scott Spiker, who represents the Clayton Crest neighborhood where the shooting happened, called the fatal attack senseless in a statement on Tuesday.

'When guns are used to settle disputes, whether among acquaintances or complete strangers, only tragedy can result,' he said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Sarosh's family, raising over $13,000 of its $20,000 goal so far.
Nine current and former police officers in Boston were arrested and charged in connection with an overtime scheme that collectively netted them more than $200,000, the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.

The nine people were each charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday with one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

Lieutenant Timothy Torigian, 54, of Walpole; Sergeant Gerard OBrien (retired), 62, of Braintree; Sergeant Robert Twitchell (retired), 58, of Norton; Officer Henry Doherty (retired), 61, of Dorchester; Officer Diana Lopez (retired), 58, of Milton; Officer James Carnes (retired), 57, of Canton; Officer Michael Murphy, 60, of Hyde Park; Officer Ronald Nelson (retired), 60, of Jamaica Plain; and Officer Kendra Conway, 49, of Boston will make initial appearances via videoconference in federal court in Boston on Wednesday.

The officers currently work for the department have been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case, Boston police said.

I am a strong supporter of the police, especially in these difficult times. But all must be treated equally under the law, regardless of wealth, power or station, United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement. These officers are charged with stealing taxpayer money, year after year, through fraud. Beyond the theft of funds, this kind of official misconduct also erodes trust in public institutions, at a time when that trust is most needed.

Torigian received over $43,000 for overtime hours he did not work, authorities said. Twitchell, OBrien and Doherty each received over $25,000 for overtime hours they did not work, authorities said.

Carnes and Lopez each received over $20,000 for overtime hours they did not work, the DOJ said. Murphy, Nelson and Conway each received over $15,000 for overtime hours they did not work, authorities said.

The defendants were assigned to Boston Police Departments Evidence Control Unit, where they were responsible for storing, cataloging and retrieving evidence at the warehouse, the DOJ said.

Beginning in May 2016, the officers routinely departed overtime shifts two or more hours early but submitted false timecards claiming to have worked the entire shift, the DOJ said.

One overtime shift, called purge overtime, was scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m and focused on reducing the inventory of the evidence warehouse, authorities said. The warehouse, though, was closed, locked and alarmed before 8 p.m. and often by 6 p.m. during those shifts, the DOJ said. Still, the officers charged, filed timecards claiming to have worked all 4 hours, authorities said.

Another shift that was scheduled for 8.5 hours, when unused prescription drugs from each police district in the city were transported o an incinerator in Saugus. The DOJ said while slips filed included 8 hours of work, often times the task was completed in 4 hours.

Through the fraudulent slips, between May of 2016 and February of 2019 the defendants embezzled more $200,000 in overtime pay, the DOJ said.

The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.

The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The allegations and behavior alleged in todays indictments is very troubling and in no way reflect the attitudes of the hard-working employees of the Boston Police Department, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross said in a statement. I hold my officers to the highest standards and expect them to obey all the laws that they have taken an oath to uphold. News of these indictments sends a strong message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated or ignored and can damage the trust my officers have worked so hard to build with the communities we serve.

The charges from the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday follow the state police overtime scandal.

In the state police overtime scheme, dozens of troopers were allegedly paid for hours they did not work. State police previously referred 46 troopers for criminal prosecution for their alleged participation in the overtime scandal. Of those, 10 were charged criminally by the U.S. Attorneys office or the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Eight of the 10 have been convicted and sentenced.

Of the remaining 36 flagged in the state police investigation, 14 have retired. Twenty-two are still within the department.

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All three higher education communities in Winona  Winona State University, Saint Marys University and Minnesota State College Southeast  have seen a continuous increase in their confirmed COVID-19 cases since school started last week.

WSU has been impacted the most so far during the pandemic, with 97 confirmed cases in its community as of Aug. 30.

WSU released that data Wednesday.

Additionally, 136 people in the WSU community are isolation off campus and 12 are on campus in isolation. People who are required to spend time in isolation are those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are showing symptoms of it with a likely exposure.

As for people in the WSU community who are quarantining because they have been possibly exposed to the coronavirus but are not showing symptoms, 86 are off campus, while 36 are on campus.

Some of the people who have tested positive have not been on the WSU campuses in Winona nor in Rochester.

Currently, WSU is at the second level of concern, because of more than 1% of the campus students being infected in 14 days, along with other factors.

If the increase continues to happen within Winona County and the WSU community, the university may start to shift to remote-only operations.

Possible events that could lead to this is continuous increase in cases, more than 3% of WSUs students infected within 14 days, lack of following of mitigation plans and other events.

Currently, there are about 5,200 students enrolled in the fall semester that have been on the Winona campus, meaning that 1% is about 52 students and 3% is about 156 students.

Many buildings on the WSU campus are no longer open to the public.

Students and employees are required to wear masks while on campus.

Many locations on campus include instructions of where students should walk to help limit close contact and minimize possible exposures.

People who show any symptoms should stay home, and those visiting the campus are asked to take daily assessments online about COVID-19 and any possible symptoms.

Isolation and quarantine beds are available on campus. At maximum capacity, there at 69 isolation beds and 1,351 quarantine beds.

Updated WSU case totals are expected to be released each week on its websites COVID-19 dashboard.

Saint Marys University has confirmed that 19 people  a mix of students and employees  in its community have tested positive for COVID-19.

Both students living on and off campus are included in the total.

All of these cases are connected to the Winona campus, as no cases have been connected to the Twin Cities or Rochester campuses.

The level of transmission for the SMU campus was considered low last week.

This new total of cases is 14 more than what were confirmed as of Thursday in the SMU community.

As for Minnesota State College Southeast, the colleges community has experienced four positive cases overall as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.

One of these cases occurred during the spring semester, while the other three have been confirmed so far during the fall semester.

One of these students who tested positive this fall has not been on campus.

No further information about the colleges cases have been released.

Information about responses by all three institutions to COVID-19 are available on their websites.

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South Korea will set up a state organization to crack down illegal real estate transactions, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Wednesday, as the government seeks to cool home prices.







The organization will be manned by officials from the land ministry, financial regulators, tax authorities, prosecutors and police, Hong said.







The government will soon draft a bill to establish the organization, which is aimed at "swiftly cracking down on illegal activities in the property market," Hong said.







Apartment prices in Seoul have shown signs of stabilizing since the government unveiled a set of measures to cool prices and supply more homes, Hong said.







Apartment prices in Seoul rose 0.01 percent in the final week of August, compared with an increase of 0.11 percent in the first week of July, Hong said.







In July, the government announced its toughest measures yet to rein in rising housing prices, as a series of steps, including tax hikes and loan regulations, failed to put the brakes on soaring home prices.







Last month, the government also announced it will supply 132,000 homes, including 110,000 homes in Seoul, in the capital city and neighboring areas by 2028 by easing restrictions on the construction of residential buildings.







The government will unveil details of a plan to supply 30,000 homes next week, Hong said. (Yonhap)


The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which hold enough frozen water to lift oceans 65 metres, are tracking the UNs worst-case scenarios for sea level rise, researchers have said, highlighting flaws in current climate change models.

Mass loss caused by melt-water and crumbling ice from 2007 to 2017 aligned with the most extreme forecasts from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), which see the two ice sheets adding up to 40 centimetres (nearly 16 inches) to global oceans by 2100, they reported on Monday in Nature Climate Change.

Such an increase would have a devastating impact worldwide, increasing the destructive power of storm surges and exposing coastal regions home to hundreds of millions of people to repeated and severe flooding.

That is nearly three times more than mid-range projections from the IPCCs last major Assessment Report in 2014, which predicted a 70 centimetre rise in sea level from all sources, including mountain glaciers and the expansion of ocean water as it warms.

Despite this clear mismatch between the observed reality of accelerating ice sheet disintegration and the models tracking those trends, a special IPCC report last year on the planets frozen regions maintained the same end-of-century projections for Greenland, and allowed for only a small increase from Antarctica under the highest greenhouse gas emissions scenario.

We need to come up with a new worst-case scenario for the ice sheets because they are already melting at a rate in line with our current one," lead author Thomas Slater, a researcher at the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the University of Leeds, told AFP.

Sea level projections are critical in helping governments plan climate policy, mitigation and adaptation strategies.

If we underestimate future sea level rise, then these measures may be inadequate and leave coastal communities vulnerable."

Ice sheet losses at the upper end of the IPCC forecasts would by itself expose some 50 million people to annual

coastal flooding worldwide by mid-century, according to research published last year.

- Balance upended -

Several factors explain why the climate models underlying UN projections for sea level might have given short shrift to ice sheets, according to the new analysis.

Ice sheet models do well in describing the long-term impact of gradual global warming, which has seen temperatures at the poles rise far more quickly than for the planet as a whole.

But they have failed to account for short-term fluctuations in weather patterns that are, themselves, deeply influenced by climate change.

For Greenland, much of the ice loss is now being driven by surface melt events during hot summers  processes not captured in the AR5 simulations," said Slater, referring to the 2014 IPCC report, the fifth since 1992.

We need to understand these better to improve our sea level rise predictions."

Until the turn of the 21st century, the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets generally accumulated as much mass as they shed. Runoff, in other words, was compensated by fresh snowfall.

But over the last two decades, the gathering pace of global warming has upended this balance.

Last year, Greenland lost a record 532 billion tonnes of ice  the equivalent of six Olympic pools of cold, fresh water flowing into the Atlantic every second. This run-off accounted for 40 percent of sea level rise in 2019.

We have now had record breaking ice loss twice in less than 10 years," said Twila Moon, a research scientist at the University of Colorado, noting that the previous melts on this scale were 150 and 600 years ago.

If everyones alarm bells were not already ringing, they must be now."

A new generation of climate models that better reflects how ice sheets, the oceans and the atmosphere interact will underpin the IPCCs next major report, which will be completed next year, said Slater.

In another study published earlier this month in The Cryosphere, a journal of the European Geosciences Union, Slater and colleagues calculated that Earths ice masses  including mountain glaciers, the Arctic ice cap, and both ice sheets  lost nearly 28 trillion tonnes of mass between 1994 and 2017.

Less than half of that amount contributed to sea level rise. The Arctic ice cap, for example, forms in the ocean, and thus does not increase sea level when it melts.

The rate of ice loss, they found, has increased nearly 60 percent of that time period.
Abdel-Sadek El-Shorbagy said none of press publications will be suspended, but some can become digital, adding that daily and weekly publications would remain as they are in the current stage

Chairman of the National Press Authority (NPA) Abdel-Sadek El-Shorbagy said the national press institutions are one of the state pillars that cannot be given up.

In an interview with Al-AKhbar newspaper published on Wednesday, he said reforming national press institutions became an exigency which requires rallying efforts to accomplish this mission as soon as possible.

El-Shorbagy was appointed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as NPA's head in June replacing Karam Gabr in a decree reshuffling the members of a number of the countrys media bodies, including the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR).

He voiced optimism about reform measures being implemented by NPA to swiftly upgrade these institutions to be able to carry out their pivotal media role in spreading awareness.

As for merging institutions, El-Shorbagy said this is a second stage that has not been examined yet, noting that the law allows taking this measure.



He voiced hope that the eight national press institutions would remain as they are, but this depends on the institutions employees and their keenness on promoting the position of their institution.



Asked about the upcoming changes of chief editors and board chairpersons and if there would be dovetail inside one institutions, El-Shorbagy said there are 55 chief editors and eight board chairpersons, adding that the efficiency and experience would be the bases for change in the coming period in order to realize the aspired development.



He noted that none of press publications will be suspended, but some can become digital, adding, however, that daily and weekly publications would remain as they are in the current stage.



He added that the authority has a database about the sales of each institution, noting that the NPA cannot see an institution incurring loss and leave the official in charge in his post.



As for the steps taken by the NPA to realize reform , he said the NPA started about two months ago to pinpoint the challenges besetting national press institutions, noting that efforts will be stepped up at all sectors of national press institutions.



Board chairpersons and editors in chief should join forces to expedite the reform plan, stressing that the NPA would not allow disputes to hamper the course of action.



There is no time to waste, El-Shorbagy underlined.

The chairman of the NPA added that the board chairpersons and chief editors will be appointed, then the boards and general assemblies will be formed in line with the law.



As for the criteria for selecting new board chairpersons, he said these criteria are included in the NPA law no 179 of 2018.



El-Shorbagy noted that he has received current chairpersons and chief editors to stand on their standpoints and future plans for upgrading press institutions.



He noted that there will be fruitful cooperation between the NPA and boards in the coming period, noting that the performance of press institutions leaderships is assessed every three months in accordance with the law.



Under the new NPA law, the NPA has for the first time been entitled to sack any board chairman, chief editor or appointed members if proved to have committed major dereliction of duty.

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Michigan reported 718 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, Sept. 1, as well as 15 deaths.

Meanwhile, a Michigan mask maker is under investigation for predatory behavior, officials say $300 per week in federal unemployment aid to the states jobless wont last long and the University of Michigan is going to conduct a clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine.

Heres the latest on how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting people across the state:

Michigan reports 718 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, Sept. 1

Eight of the deaths reported Tuesday occurred outside the last 24 hours and were late additions discovered through regular vital records reviews.

Health officials recommend looking at seven-day moving averages to evaluate data trends during the pandemic. The state is averaging 678 new cases, and 11 new deaths per day.

Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has tallied 103,186 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

There are currently 6,495 deaths attributed to COVID-19, in which patients tested positive for the virus. There also are 272 probable deaths, based on symptoms.

Michigan mask maker under investigation for predatory business practices

Traverse City 3D printing company DreamLab Industries is under investigation from the Michigan Attorney General after the AGs office, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation received complaints from customers.

DreamLab had been 3D printing machine fixtures for small-scale manufactures but decided to start making masks in March due to the surge in mask demand from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the company couldnt keep up with the amount of orders coming in, the company owner said.

The Attorney General alleges DreamLab is violating the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by misrepresenting its product for having approval it doesnt actually have, false advertising, making false or misleading statements about price reductions, price gouging and failing to provide goods to customers in a timely fashion.

The state is subpoenaing records to shed light on the business practices. FBI agents interviewed CEO Brandon Williams  a Jackson native  in May after receiving complaints.

$300-per-week in federal unemployment to Michigans jobless wont last long

Federal money allotted for $300-per-week in additional unemployment payments to Michigans jobless could last less than a month.

FEMA confirmed in an email to MLive on Monday that it awarded Michigan about $935 million to dole out as part of President Donald Trumps Lost Wages Assistance program. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) previously said it expected nearly 910,000 residents to qualify for the supplemental payments.

Considering the program allows states to keep up to 5% for administrative costs -- about $46 million in Michigans case -- it works out to about three and a quarter weeks of $300 payments.

The UIA said the payments will be retroactive to Aug. 1, the first week after the prior round of $600-per-week supplemental unemployment payments from the federal government expired. Those payments were supported by the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Economist Paul Isely, associate dean in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, said the length of time the money will last is not surprising, calling it a temporary measure to bridge the gap between the CARES Act and whatever Congress was going to come up with next. He said theres a strong potential the money will be delivered to Michigans jobless as a lump sum.

University of Michigan to conduct clinical trial of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

The University of Michigan will conduct a clinical trial for AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccine.

Michigan Medicine will test the pharmaceutical companys COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 3 of its trial. AstraZenecas goal is to involve 30,000 people in 80 U.S. locations over two years to investigate how the vaccine works and how safe it is, according to a Tuesday, Sept. 1 news release.

UM will begin recruiting hundreds of participants until the trial is full.

The importance of a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 cannot be overstated, Marschall Runge, Michigan Medicine CEO, said in a statement. The AstraZeneca Phase III trial will bring answers as to the effectiveness of this vaccine. At the end of the day, this kind of rigorous clinical trial with the commitment of Michigan Medicine and other study sites to safety will be a key step in realizing a vaccine that will save lives when one is developed.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, click here.

Read more on MLive:

Western Michigan students protest, share concerns with universitys reopening plan

Coronavirus in local schools is inevitable, Kalamazoo County health director says

One-sided nature of Michigans COVID-19 oversight committee could compromise findings, critics warn
A new furor has erupted over Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffes decision to give some members of Congress written updates on foreign election interference instead of in-person briefings. In the past, some Hill Democrats have spun and leaked information from the old oral briefings, especially ones given to all members instead of just the intelligence committees. That has prompted Ratcliffe to seek to more carefully control what information is given to Congress in regular intelligence updates.

I believe this approach helps ensure [that intelligence on] elections security, foreign malign influence and election interference is not misunderstood nor politicized, Ratcliffe wrote on Aug. 28. It will also better protect our sources and methods and most sensitive intelligence from additional unauthorized disclosures or misuse.

The short version of Ratcliffes message to lawmakers: Youre distorting what we say and leaking anything you want, even if it is classified. Were going to make that harder to do.

Democrats and many in the media immediately went ballistic, in a way that has been seen many, many times before in the Trump presidency. The director of national intelligence is providing cover for Putin, wrote the Washington Post editorial board. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff called it a shocking abdication of [DNIs] lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed.

But what about Congresss lawful responsibility to protect classified information? Pelosi and Schiff had less to say about that. Insiders arent surprised. Its pretty clear that [the DNI] had evidence of Schiff and the Democrats leaking, said one Hill source. Its been a constant problem. The last time was just the final straw.

Thats a reference to late July, when top Democrats, worried about a possible Senate investigation into Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and business ties to Ukraine, asked for a full congressional briefing before the August recess. They said they were gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign. When they got the briefing, the leaks quickly began, so much so that the intelligence community released a public statement to clarify what had been told to Congress  that China, Russia and Iran are all seeking to influence the results of the 2020 U.S. election. (China and Iran were said to prefer a Biden victory, while Russia prefers Trump.)

That was just one episode. House Intelligence Committee Democrats pulled basically the same thing in February, setting off a series of leaks about alleged Russian intentions that caught administration officials unawares.

Ratcliffe and other intelligence officials were appalled by the wholesale leaking. In an interview with Fox Business Maria Bartiromo, Ratcliffe explained why he acted. Were not going to do a repeat of what happened a month ago, when I did more than what was required, at the request of Congress, to brief not just the oversight committees, but every member of Congress, Ratcliffe said. When I did that, I said my only condition is that you treat this information with the respect that it deserves, and you keep it private. And yet, within minutes of one of those briefings ending, a number of members of Congress went to a number of different publications and leaked classified information, again, for political purposes, to create a narrative that simply isnt true, that somehow Russia is a greater national security threat than China.

Its not a surprise that Ratcliffe finally took action. Democrats have been playing the Russia card for years now, first to try to prevent Trumps election, then to try to undermine Trumps presidency, then to try to end Trumps presidency  remember that Schiff was the leader of the House impeachment effort  and now to try to prevent Trumps reelection. Of course Schiff, Pelosi and other top Democrats are ramping up their efforts in the final weeks before the election. And they are going back to the same old source  Russia, Russia, Russia. And that is what this latest intelligence fight is all about.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK, Santa Cruz County  Californias oldest state park will stay closed for at least a year to protect the public as the state takes a cautious approach to reopening the beloved forested enclave that was badly burned in a recent wildfire.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains suffered extensive damage from the CZU Lightning Complex fires, and while many of its most majestic trees are expected to survive, the area is riddled with hazards that will take a long time to fix, said Chris Spohrer, a state parks district superintendent.

Spohrer made the comments after he helped lead Gov. Gavin Newsom, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Peter Gaynor and a host of state officials on a tour through the burned park. The public wont be safe at Big Basin for the next 12 months or more, Spohrer said, partly because parks officials still need to figure out exactly which trees must be removed and which will remain. They hope that stress from high winds in the coming months will show them which trees are best positioned to survive.

Additionally, parks officials are concerned that flames from the CZU complex may have left the soil at Big Basin unable to retain much moisture, thereby greatly increasing the risk of floods and debris flows when winter rains arrive. Those events could damage the trails and roads in the park, thereby demanding even more resources to restore the park.

LiPo Ching / Special to The Chronicle

Driving into the beloved park near the town of Boulder Creek is a dramatically different experience than it was for generations of visitors who went to the site since its founding in 1902.

What was once a constant green wall of redwood, Douglas fir and oak is now increasingly brown as one approaches the park. The entrance is barely recognizable in many ways, with the park visitor center and headquarters, the nature museum and store, and the old lodge all reduced to piles of rubble. Burned vegetation is everywhere, as are fallen or felled tree trunks. Everything smells like campfire.

My heart really does break, Spohrer said, his voice breaking with emotion. The memories here. The generational commitment ... this is a really meaningful place to all of us.

In addition to Newsom and Gaynor, the Big Basin tour also included Thom Porter, the head of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; new state parks director Armando Quintero; state Office of Emergency Services director Mark Ghilarducci; California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot; and others.

They arrived at the park several minutes past noon and began inspecting the damage with a handful of journalists observing at about 12:30 p.m. For the next 50 minutes, the group looked closely at the destroyed buildings and damaged trees while parks officials explained their significance. Newsom stood inside the hollow center of the Auto Tree, named for its ability to fit a vehicle backed into its center, and marveled at the giants apparent survival.

LiPo Ching/Special to The Chronicle

He and the other officials also walked through the badly damaged park amphitheater, where flames broke some of the log benches. And they walked to two of the most treasured trees, named the Mother and Father of the F orest, old-growth redwoods that are both still standing, though signs of fire are all around them. A portion of one nearby tree was still smoldering from the fire.

Newsom said it was an emotional experience.

If this is not a gut punch, then youre not truly conscious as a human being, he told a reporter.

Quintero, who was at Big Basin just a few hours into his first day as state parks director, said California could use the devastation at Big Basin to set a global example.

I think we have an opportunity to show the world what the parks of the future could look like, he said, suggesting that the state establish a new way of managing parkland for the next century.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo South Station apprehended a man convicted of manslaughter as he tried to enter the country illegally, authorities said.

Late Monday, agents apprehended several individuals who had crossed the border illegally. One individual was identified as Alejandro Rodriguez-Jaramillo, a 55-year old Mexican national who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Tyler in 1998 and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Gorgeous hues and elegant forms: imperial monochromes from The Alsdorf Collection

The Alsdorf Collection of Qing-dynasty ceramics  to be sold in New York on 24 September  combines quality, variety and superb condition, as specialist Vicki Paloympis explains

On 24 September Sacred and Imperial Part I, a dedicated sale in New York of works from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, will include one of the finest groupings of 18th-century imperial monochromes in private hands. We have not had a collection of imperial monochromes of this quality, in such a variety of shapes, and in such good condition for quite some time, enthuses Vicki Paloympis, a specialist in Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art.

Monochrome porcelain wares made for the three great Qing emperors  the Kangxi Emperor (r.1662-1722), the Yongzheng Emperor (r.1723-1733) and the Qianlong Emperor (r.1736-1795)  have long been revered for their beauty and technical excellence. They are widely regarded as being among the most elegant and sophisticated porcelains of the period, says Paloympis. They also have a similar aesthetic to that of contemporary ceramics, notes the specialist.

The three greatest Qing emperors were enthusiastic patrons of imperial porcelain and took a personal interest in its production, explains Paloympis: They revived the finest ceramic wares of the past, whilst encouraging the development of new colour palettes. A fine example of this is the rare Guan-type vase pictured below, dating to the Qianlong period but with a shape reminiscent of a Han dynasty (220 BC-AD 220) bronze storage vessel. Its finely crackled pale blueish-grey glaze, meanwhile, imitates the glaze on the Guan wares made for the Southern Song (1127-1279) court.

We know of the Qing emperors tastes for antiques, and, antique ceramics in particular, from literature and court paintings of the period, says the specialist. Many of the paintings depict emperors surrounded by antiques, including Song and early Ming-dynasty monochromes, archaic bronzes and jades.

The early Qing dynasty also brought many innovations, such as new glazes and shapes. This is perfectly illustrated by the Alsdorfs ruby-enamelled Yongzheng bowl, above, with the faintest decoration of dragons on the interior. According to the specialist, the vibrant colour of the bowls exterior derives from colloidal gold, and was introduced by Jesuits serving at the Qing court, and perfected in the Yongzheng period in response to the emperors desire for new colours.

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The preceding Kangxi reign had also seen the development of the peachbloom glaze, one of the Qing dynastys most widely admired and technically challenging glazes. Characterised by blushes of red against a soft pink base colour, peachbloom glaze tended to be applied to small pieces, such as the objects found in a scholars studio.

Peachbloom vessels are thought to have been a favourite of the Kangxi Emperor, and were given as gifts from the emperor to members of the court, explains Paloympis. As a result, peachbloom wares are highly sought after by collectors today. Among the Alsdorf treasures is a Kangxi peachbloom-glazed beehive water pot, above, the domed body incised with three dragon roundels. It would have been used to hold clean water in which a scholar could moisten his brush.
Protecting their citizens must be the top priority of governments," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO. Image: IATA



IATAs call reflects deep industry frustration as government policies such as closed borders, travel restrictions and quarantines continue to annihilate travel demand. This was evident in a disappointing peak (Northern Hemisphere) summer travel season that saw minimal improvements compared to the May-June period, as four in five potential travelers stayed home, based on comparisons with the year-ago period.

 Total July 2020 traffic was 79.8% below 2019 levels

 International traffic in July 2020 was 91.9% below 2019 levels



Protecting their citizens must be the top priority of governments. But too many governments are fighting a global pandemic in isolation with a view that closing borders is the only solution. Its time for governments to work together to implement measures that will enable economic and social life to resume, while controlling the spread of the virus, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.



Specifically, IATA calls for governments to grasp the seriousness of the crisis facing the airline industry and its consequences for their citizens; and IATA urges governments to focus their attention on these key issues:

 Re-opening borders

 Continuing relief measures

 Global leadership

Re-Opening Borders

The world remains largely closed to travel despite the availability of global protocols to enable the safe re-start of aviation (Take-off guidance) developed by governments through the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO). This guidance covers all aspects of the passenger journey and recommends sanitary measures to keep travellers safe and reduce the risk of importing infection.

Airlines have been largely grounded for a half-year. And the situation is not improving. In fact, in many cases it is going in the wrong direction. We see governments replacing border closures with quarantine for air travellers. Neither will restore travel or jobs. Worse, governments are changing the entry requirements with little notice to travelers or coordination with their trading partners. This uncertainty destroys demand. Ten percent of the global economy is sustained by travel and tourism; governments need to do better to re-start it, said de Juniac.



The prerequisite to open borders is the ICAO Take-off guidance. Additionally, IATA is proposing travel bubbles to mitigate risks between specific markets and foresees a much wider and strategic use of COVID-19 testing as technology improves accuracy, speed and scalability.



No government wants to import COVID-19. Equally, no government should want to see the economic hardships and associated health impacts of mass unemployment. Successfully getting through this crisis requires careful risk-management with effective measures. If government policies focus on enabling a safe re-start, aviation is well-prepared to deliver. Risk-management is a well-developed discipline that airlines rely on to keep travel safe and secure, said de Juniac.



IATA proposes a three-point action plan for governments to safely re-open borders as follows:



1. Implement the ICAO Take-off guidance universally.



2. Build on the solid work of ICAO Councils Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) by developing an agreed common framework for states to use in coordinating the safe re-opening of their borders to aviation.



3. Develop COVID-19 testing measures that will enable the re-opening of borders by reducing the risk of COVID-19 importation to what is acceptable to public health authorities with accuracy, speed and scalability that also meet the exacting requirements for incorporation into the travel process.



As a participant in the ICAO CART, IATA will work with governments, medical experts and testing manufacturers to accelerate proposals specifically focused on using COVID-19 testing to re-build confidence, re-open borders, re-start aviation, re-charge demand and restore jobs. There is much at stake and no time to lose, said de Juniac



Relief Measures



With the exception of some domestic markets there is little evidence of an early industry recovery. Airlines continue to lose billions of dollars and are facing difficult decisions to resize their operations and workforce for the future.



Many airlines will not have the financial means to survive an indefinite shutdown that, for many, already exceeds a half-year. In these extraordinary times, governments will need to continue with financial and other relief measures to the greatest extent possible. Its a solid investment in the recovery because each airline job saved supports 24 in the broader economy. And a functioning airline industry will be a critical enabler for economies to regain their full power, said de Juniac.



IATA urges governments to focus relief measures in two areas:

 Financial Relief: Facing an industry loss of $84.3 billion this year, a 50% cut in revenues and high fixed costs for aircraft and labour, the financial viability of many airlines is in question. Government relief has been a critical lifeline. But what relief has been given is quickly running out. Government measures to provide additional financial buffers against failure will be critical, and these must not increase already ballooning debt levels.

 Regulatory Relief: The most urgent regulatory relief is a global waiver on the use-it-or-lose-it 80-20 slot rule. The severe uncertainty in the market means that airlines need the flexibility to adjust schedules to meet demand without the pressure of being penalized for not using allocated slots. Airlines cannot afford to fly empty planes when market demand drops. Similarly, they cannot pass up revenue when opportunities open up.



Many governments, including China, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have granted waivers for the winter 2020 season (October 2020-March 2021) recognizing the severe constraints on planning schedules during this period of extreme disruption. Unfortunately, the European Commission (EC), which many governments look to for leadership on air transport policies, is under-estimating the severity of the crisis and dragging its feet:



o The EC has stated that traffic will be restored to between 75% and 85% of February 2020 levels (pre-COVID-19 in most markets) for the winter season. This is far more optimistic than industry scenarios.



o Moreover, the EC believes that granting a waiver in mid-October will give a sufficient window for airlines and airports to plan for what is already the most challenging time in aviation history. Given the extraordinary circumstances, over the last several weeks both airports and airlines have been calling for the governments to provide clarity as early as possible. Together with independent slot coordinators they have jointly agreed conditions to allow the EC to progress swiftly.



The European Commissions delay in granting a full-season waiver of the 80-20 slot rule for the Northern Hemisphere winter season is bad for everyone. Airlines and airports will scramble while consumer uncertainty will only increase. As the Commission returns from its summer activities, granting a full-season waiver should be at the top of the aviation priority list, said de Juniac.

Global Leadership

Governments have cooperated to set the guidelines for a safe re-start of aviation. But they have not cooperated to actually make a re-start happen. Thats why 90% of international flying has stopped. The demand is there. When borders open without quarantine, people fly. But there is too much uncertainty in how governments are managing the situation for passengers to re-build the confidence to travel.



In fact, what is killing aviation is the fact that governments are not managing the risks of opening borders. Instead, they are keeping global mobility effectively in lockdown. And if this continues, the damage to global connectivity could become irreparable which will generate its own severe consequences for economies and public health.



The global protocols for safely re-starting aviation are agreed and no industry is as experienced in successfully implementing global safety programs as aviation. But we need governments to take on the leadership to manage risks and adopt a mindset of not being defeated by this virus. Then, with testing, technology, science and determination we can re-open borders and get the world moving again, said de Juniac.
The Footsie has reclaimed 79 points today after hitting its lowest level in three months yesterday, partly helped by a weaker pound.

The FTSE 100 index closed 1.35 per cent higher at 5,940.95, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.6 per cent, or 99 points, to 17,704.

Property prices across Britain rose 2 per cent in August from the previous month, boosted by pent-up demand following the lockdown, according to new figures from Nationwide.

Natiownide said prices recovered from recent dip to reach new all-time high in August. The lender said the increase last month followed a 1.8 per cent rise in July, and it marks the highest monthly rise since February 2014.

Annual house price growth jumped to 3.7 per cent last month from 1.5 per cent in July. Across the country, the average price of a home stood at 224,123 in August, Nationwide said.

As the nation and economy tries to get back on its feet post-lockdown, the Government has today launched its Kickstart Scheme, aimed at helping young people get into work.

Businesses can join the scheme from today, with the state paying employers 1,500 to help set up support and training.

In company news, Barratt Developments has scrapped its special dividend for shareholders after suffering a 46 per cent drop in annual profits.

Meanwhile, The Gym Group reported an adjusted pre-tax loss of 26.3million for the six months to 30 June, down from the profit of 7.1million.




We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Credit Intelligence Limited (ASX:CI1).

What Is Insider Buying?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for Credit Intelligence

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Credit Intelligence

While there weren't any large insider transactions in the last twelve months, it's still worth looking at the trading.

While Credit Intelligence insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. Their average price was about AU$0.021. We don't deny that it is nice to see insiders buying stock in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today's levels, which is around AU$0.03. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Story continues

Insiders at Credit Intelligence Have Bought Stock Recently

There was some insider buying at Credit Intelligence over the last quarter. Executive Chairman Ka Sek Wong purchased AU$40k worth of shares in that period. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. But the amount invested in the last three months isn't enough for us too put much weight on it, as a single factor.

Does Credit Intelligence Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Credit Intelligence insiders own about AU$25m worth of shares (which is 72% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Credit Intelligence Insiders?

Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Credit Intelligence insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Credit Intelligence you should know about.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.


September 2, 2020

Health-at-home accelerates and is here to stay - vulnerability of our health makes people feel the pressing need for preventative care and healthy living

Philips introduces connected solutions that offer insights and empower people to make personalized, healthy lifestyle choices

COVID-19 pandemic accelerates digitalization to meet the urgent need to stay (virtually) connected to caregivers

Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today presented new approaches to health and healthcare, and the shift to health-at-home, at its virtual consumer health press event. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, the need for consumers to stay as healthy as possible is more relevant than ever. At today's virtual event, coinciding with IFA 2020, Philips announced expansion of its consumer health portfolio with a range of innovations to help people maintain health-enhancing lifestyle routines, and digital opportunities that allow them to stay in touch with their healthcare professionals virtually now that physical doctors' visits are limited.

"Confronted by the vulnerability of their health, people are increasingly focused on what's most important to them - keeping themselves and their loved ones healthy and safe," said Frans van Houten, CEO Royal Philips. "We are in the middle of a paradigm shift, both in terms of people's mind-set and in terms of the way healthcare systems are digitalizing and adding telehealth services to their portfolios. With people being at home most of the time and prioritizing their health, health-at-home is key. Philips uses the latest technologies to bring intelligent, personalized solutions that allow people to manage their health in any situation."

Meeting the needs of fast growing trends in health and healthcare, Philips is focusing on connected consumer health propositions that help people take care of their health at home, including tracking their own health, being in control of their data, and being able to share their data with caregivers remotely. With people increasingly worried about their health and the health of their loved ones, and some feeling afraid or anxious about visiting a doctor, dentist or hospital due to COVID-19, telehealth has gained more traction than ever before. More and more people are now actively looking for virtual ways of doing things.

When access to dentists is limited, Philips helps to maintain good oral health

In today's oral care industry, teledentistry is playing an increasingly important role. Due to COVID-19, many people have been unable to visit their dentist and dental hygienist for quite a while, yet they know that regular checkups are important to maintaining a healthy mouth and detecting potential problems at an early stage. Philips Sonicare teledentistry is now available to dentists across the United States [1]. By enabling dental professionals to engage with their patients virtually, dental practices can provide continuity of service with oral care advice and hygiene checks to assess common oral health issues such as gum disease, cavities, inflammation and more.

A healthy mouth not only means brushing properly as part of a daily routine, but also cleaning between the teeth, and advanced tongue care solutions, people are empowered to take the best care of their mouth.

Philips helps parents (to-be) in challenging times

From the beginning of pregnancy through to the birth and care of newborns, Philips Avent takes prospective parents on a journey that is both beautiful and challenging. Even more challenging since regular visits to antenatal and neonatal clinics have not been easy or available. With expert advice and information that is personalized to the development stage of their baby and adapted to the current COVID-19 situation, Philips' Pregnancy+ and Baby+ apps and in-app services actively engage parents looking for reliable information. Created in collaboration with healthcare professionals and parents, and with a combined total of close to 40 million downloads, these apps have already proven their relevance and impact.

Philips Avent has a broad portfolio of products and services to support young parents in taking care of their newborn babies. Its latest innovations include the Philips Avent Electric Breast Pump - a simple, fast and gentle expressing solution that mimics a baby's natural feeding movement. Other innovations include the Avalon CL Fetal and Maternal Pod and Patch obstetrics monitoring solution to support clinicians and expectant mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also new are partnerships with GlaxoSmithKline to create awareness for vaccinations, and a collaboration with Disney Music to provide free access to Disney lullabies via the Baby+ app.

More innovations

Other innovations will be rolled out across markets globally over the course of 2020 into 2021 in the areas of sleep, air purification, nutrition, oral care, garment care, floor care, male grooming and beauty. Examples are the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 , Philips Straightener 9000 with SenseIQ , Philips Shaver 7000 Series with SkinIQ technology and various domestic appliances.

Watch a replay of the fireside chat with Rianne Meijerman, Head of Consumer Marketing, and Jeroen Tas, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer during Philips' September 2 virtual consumer health press event by clicking here .

[1] Except in Maine and Texas.

For further information, please contact:

Laura Seikritt

Philips Global Press Office

Tel: +31 6 20740318

E-mail: Laura.Seikritt@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips .

Attachment
Syracuse, N.Y.  Walton Street in Armory Square will continue to be closed to traffic and opened to on-street dining on weekends through at least the end of September, city officials said today.

The city is extending the street closing that began in July as a way to boost traffic for restaurants and bars whose business has been disrupted this year by the coronavirus, dining room shutdowns and restrictions on how they can operate after reopening.

Walton Street will once again be closed to traffic from the corner of South Clinton, then west past South Franklin and around the curve along Onondaga Creek to West Fayette Street. The street is closed from 8 a.m. Friday to around 8 a.m. Monday, with restaurants allowed to set up tables along the curb until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Restaurants taking advantage of the curbside table service are The Limerick Pub, The Blue Tusk and The Hops Spot in the 100 block of Walton between South Clinton and South Franklin, and Pita Dream, Margaritas Mexican Cantina, Kasai Ramen and Sakana-Ya, all in the 200 block between South Franklin and Onondaga Creek.

All the cross streets remain open to traffic.

The response to the closing has been overwhelmingly positive, said Eric Ennis, the citys director of business development.

People are telling us theres a vibrancy in Armory Square on weekends that rivals (the time) before Covid, Ennis said.

The closing has not only drawn more people to the restaurants, but also to other retail businesses in the area, Ennis said. People are coming down to eat, then taking a look around at the other things the area has to offer.

But the closing has at least one vocal critic.

In a letter to Mayor Ben Walsh this week, James Horan, owner of Vagabond Clothing on Walton Street, said hes exploring legal action if the city doesnt reverse course on the street closing. The shutdown, he said, has decimated his business.

Its effectively putting me out of business, Horan said Monday. Its a heart attack. It shuts down the circulation downtown.

Horan reopened earlier this summer after the Covid-19 pandemic forced him and most other retailers to shut down. He said his sales were steadily climbing again before the city shut down the street. Since then, he said, his sales have been cut in half on the weekends, which are normally busy.

Horan described the street closure as a well-intentioned move thats having unintended consequences. He wants the city to find a compromise.

Youve just messed up the whole of downtown in the hopes of helping a couple of restaurants, he said.

Horan, whose shop is on the 200 block of Walton Street, said customers cant park near his shop, and many people who shop there are tourists or people coming from outside the city. Closing Walton Street also eliminated access to a public parking lot next to Horans store.

Ennis said hes been in regular contact with all the business owners downtown, both before and during the closure. He said support for the closure has been nearly universal.

Horan proposed reopening the streets at least on Sundays when restaurants arent as busy, but people typically come to shop. Or, he suggested, only close the streets at night when people come downtown for dinner.

Ennis, however, said theres been an uptick in activity in Armory Square on Sundays. He noted that one restaurant, Kasai Ramen, even began offering brunch on Sundays because of the extra outdoor seating.

Kasai Ramen owner Kyle Mastropietro said hes been getting positive feedback, too.

Every week its been building and building, he said. This week, with the Syracuse University students back after quarantine, its been awesome. And their reaction, you know these people who come from other areas, is that theyre blown away. They tell us its great we have something like this here.

The city is taking the Walton Street closure on a month-by-month basis, and will consider continuing it into October. The citys regular sidewalk cafe permits, which allow seating on the walkways, typically are valid through October.

Closing Walton Street is just one of two efforts to reclaim Armory Square street space for outdoor dining. Last week, parking spaces in front of Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub and Pastabilities restaurant on South Franklin Street were taken over by parklets  temporary mobile platforms adorned with barriers, greenery, lights etc. that can also accomodate outdoor tables. Those spaces are used throughout the week.

Michael John Heagerty, who coordinated the parklet installation, said the project team is working next on a parklet for Funk n Waffles on South Clinton Street.

Related: Put the U Back in Syrac_se invites people back downtown to dine, shop, and have fun

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
A nurse has spent $100,000 on transforming herself into a 'plastic Barbie doll' - and she has no plans to stop until she achieves the 'perfect' body.

Tara Jayne McConachy, from Melbourne, Australia, admitted she's 'addicted' to cosmetic surgery after getting five separate breast enhancement procedures, buttocks implants, a nose tip rhinoplasty, veneers, Botox and fillers.

'My most recent implant size is 1050cc,' she said. Breast implants usually start at 400cc and go up from there, with doses of 150cc to 200cc increasing a woman's bra size by up tp one cup.

The 31-year-old - who calls herself an 'upgraded limited edition Barbie doll' on social media - has travelled the world in search of the perfect 'fake sexy body'.

Tara Jayne McConachy, from Melbourne, admitted she's 'addicted' to cosmetic surgery (pictured left: Before undergoing her extensive cosmetic procedures and right: Now)

The 31-year-old has undergone multiple surgeries, including five separate breast enhancement procedures, buttocks implants, a nose tip rhinoplasty, veneers, Botox and filler

The qualified nurse has travelled the world in search of the perfect 'fake sexy body'

The qualified nurse said she was in Europe undergoing cosmetic surgery when the COVID-19 lockdown took hold in March.

'I had no time to recover properly as Australia was urging residents that were overseas to immediately return home as the borders were closing,' she said.

'Thank god I had my mum with me because I couldn't have done it without her.'

Tara is proud to say she'll stop at nothing to maintain and even enhance her 'knockout' 37-inch [bust], 17-inch [waist] - 29-inch [hips] figure.

'There is no limit for me when it comes to plastic surgery. It is incredibly addictive and I already want bigger breasts,' she said.

'As soon as travel is permitted, I have plans to go back overseas to visit my surgeon and get my breast size increased to 1500cc [from their current 1050ccc].'

Tara is proud to say she'll stop at nothing to maintain and even enhance her 'knockout' 37-inch [bust], 17-inch [waist] - 29-inch [hips] figure

Tara said her most striking feature is her lips adding they are 'definitely my statement'

Tara said she has lost count of how much product is inside her super plump, 'nice' lips

Tara has also started her own page on adults-only subscription platform OnlyFans charging fans a fee to see her X-rated content

Tara said she's also looking at changing her eyes.

'I'm exploring changing my eye colour to an even more vibrant green, plus fixing my eyelids with a canthoplasty, blepharoplasty and a brow lift,' she said.

'While I'm at it, I'll probably be getting cheek implants, a mini face lift and I'm even looking into the possibility of having ribs removed for a more tapered waist.

'Just the thought of this gets me all excited.'

Tara has started her own page on adults-only subscription platform OnlyFans charging fans a fee to see her X-rated content.

'So far it has been a very smart move,' she said.

'I made $10,000 in the first three days of making my account active.

'I love being able to get a little more personal with my fans and give them a behind the scenes tour of my life.

'And in future, I'm really looking forward to expanding and putting extra time into this venture.'

The nurse pictured here before undergoing a massive transformation on her look

She admitted she's 'addicted' to cosmetic surgery after getting five separate breast enhancement procedures, buttocks implants, a nose tip rhinoplasty, veneers, Botox and fillers

The 31-year-old nurse said she always ensures her lips are plump by getting regular injections

For Tara, the future is bright with more money, fans and cosmetic procedures on the horizon

Tara won't take long to recoup all she's spend on acquiring her perfect sexy figure

Tara won't take long to recoup all she's spend on acquiring her perfect figure.

'I don't know the exact amount I've spent on surgery, but it's easily in the vicinity of $100,000,' she said.

The most striking feature of Tara is probably her lips.

'My lips are definitely my statement,' she said.

'I always make sure they're nice and plump and get regular injections.

'I've definitely lost count of how much product is in there! I'm finally happy with how they look so now it's just all about maintenance.'

For Tara, she said the future is bright with more money, fans and cosmetic procedures on the horizon.

'I may be 31, but I feel like 21,' she said.

'I'm like a fine wine, I only get better with age. And, of course, surgery.'
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Updated COVID-19 projections released today by PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) show improving four-week forecasts for most counties throughout Florida and California, states that led the summertime surge in case counts across the U.S. However, within declining nationwide infection rates, these improvements are overshadowing worsening risk for resurgence in parts of the South, Midwest and Heartland where the reopening of universities and K-12 schools is exacerbating already tenuous situations.

In this week's modeling data, the number of repopulating college towns that have heightened risk for widespread community transmission far outnumber the few campuses that appear to be conferring no new risk to their communities. This is especially notable in regions that reported high case counts before students arrived again, such as the South and Midwest, where the reopening of colleges and some K-12 schools has quickly accelerated the risk for widespread transmission and increasing test positivity rates in the coming weeks. The increasing risk is particularly of concern for smaller college townssuch as Morgantown, W.Va., State College, Pa., and Bloomington, Ind.that have already seen campus outbreaks. Furthermore, more than two weeks into the new semester, test positivity rates remain over 10% in Iowa City, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Boone, Mo.

The researchers are watching very closely for impacts across Minnesota, which is seeing some of the highest risk in the PolicyLab model, as the state forges ahead with reopening K-12 schools and colleges simultaneously, while being located in a part of the country that sees some of the earliest arrival of colder weather. Finally, data validity concerns in Mississippi and Texas, and growing risk for virus resurgence in parts of Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, are reasons to closely monitor forecasts in the South over the next few weeks.

Aside from the challenges that school reopenings are bringing to communities, the forecasting model projects that case counts will likely continue to decline over the next four weeks in many major metropolitan areas across California, including San Diego and San Francisco, and Florida, including Miami and Orlando. The researchers also observed some stabilization in parts of New Englandsuch as Boston and Providenceand modest improvements in projections for Baltimore and other parts of Maryland, as forecasted risk declines in coastal counties. The forecasts for these northern areas, as well those for Denver, Seattle and its neighboring communities in the Pacific Northwest, are becoming more favorable for safely reopening schools for in-person learning, as per PolicyLab's school reopening guidance and recommended test positivity and case incidence thresholds, assuming college openings do not add new risk.

"While we feel relieved to see improving forecasts for much of California and Florida, and some stabilization in the Northeast, the challenging situation in the Midwest and Heartland has us very concerned for the health and safety of those communities in the weeks ahead," said David Rubin, MD, MSCE, director of PolicyLab at CHOP and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. "We know clearly now that, despite best efforts, college reopenings have not been going well in areas of high transmission. Although the virus is spreading among younger, often healthier adults, we are mindful that these students don't live in a bubble. Monitoring emergency department and hospital visit rates in these communities over the next 2-3 weeks will be informative as to the sustainability of these outbreaks."

For additional comments from lead investigators Dr. Rubin, Dr. Gregory Tasian, and Dr. Jing Huang on their updated forecasts and findings, read this blog post: https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/covid-19-outlook-labor-day-effects-have-begun-colleges-are-leading-way

Background

Researchers at PolicyLab at CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania developed the model, known as COVID-Lab: Mapping COVID-19 in Your Community, which tracks COVID-19 transmission and test positivity rates across all U.S. counties, and projects case counts for 817 counties with active outbreaks, representing 82% of the U.S. population and 88% of all identified coronavirus cases. The researchers built their model to observe how social distancing, population density, daily temperatures, and humidity affect the number and spread of COVID-19 infections over time across a county, accounting for test positivity rates and population characteristics such as age, insurance status, crowding within homes and diabetes prevalence. COVID-Lab's projections forecast the number of coronavirus cases communities could experience over the next four weeks based on a three-day average of their current social distancing practices, defined by the change in travel to non-essential businesses as compared to pre-epidemic. This is just one tool in a toolbox of resources policymakers and decision-makers can use as they manage their COVID-19 response efforts.

The application of this model, which focuses on time-varying transmission rates during the early months of the pandemic in the U.S., was released on July 23, following peer review, in JAMA Network Open. You can read more about how the team validates their models for accuracy in this blog post. The data are publicly available in the form of interactive maps and graphs.

About PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is dedicated to achieving optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. Founded in 2008, PolicyLab is a Center of Emphasis within the CHOP Research Institute, one of the largest pediatric research institutes in the country. With more than 30 highly regarded faculty and 60 passionate staff who bring expertise from myriad of fields covering health, research and health policy, our work focuses on improving public systems, improving health care delivery and improving child health outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.policylab.chop.edu .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lauren Walens, Strategic Ops & Comms Director

PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

[email protected] or (734) 904-2181

SOURCE PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Related Links

http://www.policylab.chop.edu


Rabins Hameed, a Dubai-based businessman, allegedly ran a racket that is now believed to have been involved in the smuggling of 30 kg of gold, which was recovered at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in July, people familiar with the investigations into the matter said. The gold was being smuggled in baggage addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

Hameeds name surfaced during a National Investigation Agency teams visit to Dubai last month in connection with the probe into the case. He allegedly used different couriers to smuggle gold to India, the people added.

Also read: Customs grilling Kerala CMs former IT fellow in gold smuggling case

Fazil Fareed, another Dubai-based accused in the case, was earlier believed to have masterminded the smuggling. The NIA teams probe revealed Fareed was just another courier for Hameed. The two are under the custody of UAE authorities.

Rabins Hameed is a businessman based in Dubai, who used different modus operandi to smuggle gold to India. He contacted Fareed for the last consignment of 30 kg gold, which was intercepted in diplomatic baggage on July 5. He used other methods as well which we are verifying, said an NIA official, who did not wish to be named.

NIA raided Hameeds house in Keralas Ernakulam in August and recovered hard disks and other incriminating material. The people cited above said Hameed coordinated the smuggling from the UAE, while another arrested accused Ramees K T, who is from Keralas Perinthalmanna, allegedly ran the racket in Kerala. They added efforts were being made to have both Hameed and Fareed deported from the UAE.

A second NIA official said another team of the agency will visit Dubai again to complete formalities regarding the deportation.

Two more suspects, Sidhiqul Akbar and Ahammed Kutty, are also based in Dubai but they have not been arrested yet. NIA has obtained non-bailable warrants against all the accused

We believe there are suspects linked to gold smuggling scam in other countries as well who need to be identified to unearth the whole terror conspiracy, said the second officer on condition of anonymity.

NIA has so far arraigned 25 people in the case and arrested 20 of them.

The agency has said the accused persons conspired to damage the monetary stability of India by destabilising the economy by smuggling a large quantity of gold from abroad and it is suspected that they had used these proceeds of smuggling for financing terrorism through various means.

The Enforcement Directorate is also conducting a money-laundering probe related to the smuggling.

The UAE embassy in July said an investigation was launched after the recovery and added the culprits who not only committed a major crime but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared. It said they remain committed to cooperating with Indian authorities in getting to the root of the crime.
The $70 billion Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL) project in Maharashtra is facing an uncertain future amid a lengthy delay in land acquisition followed by a sharp cut in capital expenditure plans by joint venture partner, Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest crude oil producer.

Saudi Aramco has been expressing concerns about the delays the refinery project is facing due to unavailability of land. Though it has not informed us of any plans to opt out of the project, the significant delay is a cause of concern," said a senior official from an oil marketing company, working closely on the project.

Amin Nasser, chief executive of Aramco, had on 9 August said the companys 2021 capex would be significantly lower from its official guidance of $40 billion to $45 billion, to the lower end of the $25 billion to $30 billion range. This follows Aramco posting a 73% plunge in its second quarter profit and 50% drop in revenue, leading the company to effect plans to protect its balance sheet at a time of low commodity prices. Since the outbreak of covid-19 last November, crude oil prices have fallen 26%, affecting producers like Aramco.

RRPCL and Aramco did not respond to queries emailedon 28 August.

The 60 million-tonne-per-annum Ratnagiri project is a joint venture of Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL). Aramco and Adnoc signed in July 2018 an initial agreement to jointly develop and build the integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex taking a combined 50% stake.

Announced in December 2015, the project was to be commissioned by 2022, but delay in acquiring land has pushed the deadline to 2025 and beyond.

Upstream oil-related capex is likely in the ballpark of $13 billion and the rest is spent on gas and downstream. With these cuts, it is natural that its international investment plans are being scrutinized, which includes refining projects," said Credit Suisse in a 25 August research note on Aramco. For major crude exporters like Aramco looking to secure markets for their output, there are several options including buying stakes in refineries or building refineries (domestically or internationally in partnership). China and India are two important markets for Aramco, where it so far has limited exposure in refining, said Credit Suisse.

While RRPCL completed a pre-feasibility study in January 2019, state-run refiners IOCL, BPCL and HPCL are investing a total of 100 crore to complete preliminary work on the project. IOCL is putting in 50 crore, BPCL and HPCL will contribute 25 crore each. The companies have completed the configuration study and are preparing the project report, in addition to awaiting an update from the Maharashtragovernment on land allocation.

Meanwhile, Aramcos letter of intent with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) to buy a 20% stake in RILs oil-to-chemicals business for $15 billion is also delayed following the cut in capex and differences over valuation. The deal was first announced in August 2019 by RIL.

This June, Aramco acquired a 70% stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, for $69.1 billion to strengthen its presence in the global petrochemicals industry.

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Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addresses Parliament on Tuesday, 1 September 2020. SCREENCAP: CNA YouTube channel

SINGAPORE  In hindsight, the government would have handled issues such as the quarantine of returning Singaporeans and the migrant worker dormitories differently, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged on Tuesday (1 September).

All this is wisdom after the fact. We must learn from these errors, and do better the next time. But in the fog of war, its not possible always to make the perfect decisions, said Lee, who was delivering a parliamentary speech in lieu of the annual National Day Rally (NDR). The NDR is widely considered the most important political speech of the year.

The key is to watch things closely, learn from experience, and adapt our responses promptly as new information emerges and the situation changes.

For example, if authorities had known earlier that people with COVID-19 were infectious even when asymptomatic, all Singaporeans returning in March would have been quarantined, instead of only those returning from certain countries. And we would have tested all of them before releasing them from quarantine, whether or not they showed any symptoms, instead of assuming that no symptoms meant no infection.

Lee added, We would also have recommended that everyone wear face masks sooner than we did. But at the time, we took the best available scientific advice.

Migrant worker dorms

The Prime Minister also addressed the most controversial aspect of the governments pandemic response: the management of the migrant worker dormitories, where tens of thousands of workers have been infected and many remain confined.

We would also have acted more aggressively and sooner on the migrant worker dormitories. We knew that communal living in the dorms posed an infection risk, said Lee, who admitted that the viral outbreak in the dorms threatened to overwhelm us.

Because of the scale and complexity of operations, said Lee, there have inevitably been some rough edges. For example, with many of the dorms cleared of the virus, migrant workers have been resuming work, especially in the construction industry. But the risk of cases re-emerging makes this a complicated exercise, which is difficult and burdensome for employers, said the 68-year-old.

Story continues

They have found it frustrating to deal with all the new rules, approvals and inspections, even as they try to get their businesses up and running again. But I hope they understand that we are doing our best to smooth things out for them, and are doing all this in order to keep our people safe.

Praise for the public service

Lee said the countrys pandemic response was enabled by the public service, the political leadership, businesses, and the public working closely together, each doing their part.

The officials, ministries and agencies have worked tirelessly, building new capabilities on the fly, and stepping up to do things way beyond their normal scale or scope, said the PM, who praised the high-quality, dedicated, and adaptable public service.

He noted that the political leadership had also taken tough decisions, such as whether to impose a circuit breaker and what activities to restrict, and took responsibility for explaining them to the public.

Businesses came forward to do sterling national service, said Lee, putting their people to work furiously on solutions, and setting up mask production lines, constructing Community Care Facilities and building up testing capacity, among others.

Ordinary Singaporeans also gave the government their trust and support, complying with tough and painful measures, and volunteering to take part in COVID-19 operations, said Lee. Many Singaporeans lives have been severely affected, but they have borne these difficulties calmly and stoically.

I am very grateful for their cooperation and trust. Their support will remain crucial as we continue the fight to keep Singaporeans safe.

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Related stories:

49 new COVID-19 cases brings Singapore's tally to 56,901

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At breaking point: Singapore's migrant workers struggle with isolation, anxiety amid COVID-19 curbs
Actor Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, has responded to detractors who are dismissing Rheas claims that her boyfriend, the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, didnt leave his hotel room during their Paris trip because hed had a depressive episode. Sushants fans found visuals of the actor having a grand time at Disneyland Paris, which made them question Rheas claims.

In an interview to The Quint, Rheas lawyer said, What Rhea said was absolutely correct. Sushant and Rhea were in Paris for around six days and they spent one whole day in Disneyland. Rhea had mentioned Sushant was bipolar, and any medical expert will vouch that the mood swings of such people are in extremes.

Rhea in her interview to India Today had narrated the experience of when she first saw Sushant struggle with his alleged mental illness during their 2019 Europe trip. She said that he didnt leave the room for three days after landing in Paris, which concerned her. In Switzerland, he seemed better. In Italy, Rhea said, they stayed in a Gothic hotel, which had scary images in their hotel room. That night, he couldnt sleep, and felt that the place was haunted, she said. Rhea suggested that they should check out, which he didnt agree to. Sushant once against slipped into a shell. Rhea said that they ultimately had to cut short their trip.

Also read: Fan disputes Rhea Chakrabortys claim of Sushant Singh Rajputs deteriorating mental health in Paris with photo: He was jovial

She has been accused by Sushants father of having abetted his suicide and misappropriating his funds. Rhea has denied all allegations.

Satish Maneshinde also said that Sushants family was aware of the actors history with mental illness, despite their continued denial. The claim was recently also made by his former manager Shruti Modis lawyer.

Maneshinde, reacting to recently obtained WhatsApp conversations between Sushants sister Priyanka and Shruti Modi, questioned how Priyanka could obtain a prescription for him from New Delhi, during the coronavirus lockdown. As per the prescription that has been accessed, the doctor has treated Sushant as an OPD patient. He has also consulted the late actor online. While online consultations are allowed during COVID-19, it is only for treating minor problems and also in cases where the doctor and patient know each other. Here is a case where the doctor has never met Sushant, treated him as an OPD patient and gave him prohibited drugs. This falls under forgery, he said.

Sushant died on June 14. The case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate.

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ARCHIVED - 14 boats and 184 irregular Algerian migrants on Thursday; wave of migrants continues



Boats also reached the Canary Islands and Almeria

Throughout Thursday a seemingly endless succession of pateras continued to arrive on the Murcian coastline, and although Murcia appears to have become the favoured destination at the moment, pateras were reported yesterday by the Canary Island authorities, off the coast of Andalucia (in Almeria 2 jet skis, each laden with 3 migrants were rescued by the coastguard as well as a patera) and in the last few days the Balearic Islands and Alicante authorities have also received boatloads of migrants.

The Government Delegate to the Murcia region reported that a total of 184 irregular migrants arrived in the region on Thursday, via 14 small boats.

All of the migrants on board were Algerians and all in a reportedly good state of health. All will be taken to the secure Escombreras Port in Cartagena which is ceded by the Port Authority for use until the end of August, for PCR testing.

The first boat was intercepted southwest of La Azohia with 21 immigrants, the second located 18 miles from Monte de las Cenizas with eleven immigrants, and a third boat in Cabo de Palos with 9 men, a woman and two minors.



Boats 4 and 5 were intercepted south of Monte de las Cenizas, with 10 and 5 immigrants, respectively, while boats 6 and 7 arrived south of the same point, with 11 and 14 immigrants respectively, and a woman among the latter , and 8, 9 and 10 also arrived in the same area with 15, 15 and 11 Algerians.



Boats 11, 12, 13 and 14 arrived moments later with 15, 10, 11 and 23 immigrants on board.

The sheer volume of the arrivals this week is now starting to become a logistical issue once again as every migrant has to be tested for Covid, those who prove to be Covid-positive are being hospitalised and their travelling companions quarantined.

After a series of worrying escapes with migrants breaking out of the facilities provided and disappearing off into residential areas without completing their quarantine, around 200 migrants are now being housed, fed and quarantined in the Hotel Cenajo in Moratalla, north-west Murcia.

They are being cared for by Cruz Roja personnel and 40 guards from the GRS Security reserve group of the Guardia Civil have been drafted in from Madrid and Sevilla to watch over them, relieving local officers of the vigilance duties, but there is limited space and should a number of these latest arrivals test positive, capacity may once again become a problem.

Once they have completed quarantine, they are free to leave as there is no mechanism currently available to Spain to repatriate them to Algeria until borders re-open. This is fuelling the drive for the thousands of would-be migrants waiting for a chance to get to Europe to do so at the moment, with the weather calm and the authorities powerless to repatriate.

During the last week the Region of Murcia has received multiple boatloads of irregular migrants from Algeria.

This year the number of migrations to Spain has been lower than normal, due prinicipally to the restrictions caused by Covid-19, but in recent weeks there has been an upsurge in activity as organised crime gangs take advantage of the opportunity to bring increased numbers of economic migrants into Spain.

The desire to seek a better life and try to find employment is understandable, as unemployment is high in Algeria, the country is suffering from severe economic problems, and opportunities, particularly for young people, are extremely limited. Political opposition against the current regime has lead to public protests and an increased level of dissatisfaction within the country, leading many particularly young people to look at Europe as potentially offering better opportunities.

The number of crossings by Algerians has increased dramatically recently; the Frontex border force said last week about crossings on the Western mediterranean route There were around 1 500 detections of illegal border crossings in the Western Mediterranean in July, 84% more than in the previous month.Despite the rise last month, the total for the first seven months of 2020, was less than half the figure from the same period in the previous year at 6 100.

The number of Algerians, who accounted for one out of every two detections on this route this year, was seven times the figure from a year ago. 

All of the migrants intercepted recently off the Murcian coast have been Algerians.

NB: The migrants are referred to as irregular immigrants by the EU; the Spanish media tend to call them sin papeles meaning those with no paperwork entering the country illegally, others refer to them as illegal migrants. The phrase irregular migrants is used on MT in an attempt to convey that these are not refugees, but economic migrants, in this case from Algeria, entering Spain and the EU in an illegal fashion, without passports or documentation and without any legal right to enter the EU as Algeria is not an EU member and there is no migration agreement between the two countries.

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
WHITEHORSEThe migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for todays animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper.

The paper from Hamiltons McMaster University, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, says mastodon herds that migrated north during the warm periods were less genetically diverse, which made them more vulnerable to extinction.

Mastodons, similar to todays elephants and extinct mammoths, roamed much of North America, including parts of Mexico. Mastodons went extinct about 11,000 years ago along with mammoths, large-toothed cats, giant beavers and western camels.

Emil Karpinski, a paleontologist at McMasters Ancient DNA Centre, said the report is the result of six years of research that examined the fossil bones and teeth of more than 30 different mastodons.

He said the research showed mastodons migrated north several times during periods between ice ages when the Earth warmed, but didnt survive when ice ages returned.

Mastodons were much more at home in these warmer, wooded wetland habitats with an abundance of shrubs and trees like spruce and pine for them to eat, Karpinski told a panel discussion involving about a dozen mastodon experts.

We wanted to see, which is kind of the end hope of all this research, if what we learn about these animals could be applied to present-day species, he said.

Were observing very similar travels in species like moose, snowshoe hare, beavers, not just ones in the Arctic, but also various birds, fish and other species that are rapidly moving northward in response to climate warming.

Karpinski said the research indicates the mastodon herds that migrated north were less genetically diverse and were more susceptible to extinction.

Grant Zazula, a Yukon government paleontologist and one of the reports authors, said the research shows mastodon herds migrated north more than once with the same disastrous results.

He said the northern mastodons were decimated with the arrival of an ice age 250,000 years ago and were also wiped out by a second ice age about 100,000 years ago.

Their populations would have peaked about 100,000 years ago and thats when climates were essentially as warm as they are today and the environment looked very similar to todays environment, he said.

Zazula said mastodons were not equipped to survive the colder climates of the ice ages.

What this is showing us is those populations kind of at the frontier of migrations and range extensions really lack genetic diversity, he said. It doesnt take very much to wipe them out. It could be a change in climate. It could be hunting. It could be disease.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday pronounced its judgment on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) case and allowed a 10-year payment term as against 20 years proposed by the Department of Telecommunications with 10 per cent upfront payment for repayment amounting to about Rs 90,000 crore for the three telcos.

The relatively shorter payment timeframe for telecom operators to repay AGR dues exerts additional pressure on their cash flows and necessitates sizeable average revenue per user (ARPU) increase that can have an impact on the industry structure, according to investment information firm ICRA.The Supreme Court on Tuesday pronounced its judgment on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) case and allowed a 10-year payment term as against 20 years proposed by the Department of Telecommunications with 10 per cent upfront payment for repayment amounting to about Rs 90,000 crore for the three telcos.

Ankit Jain, Assistant Vice President for Corporate Ratings at ICRA said the proposed payment pattern adds to the burden of the industry which is already saddled with elevated debt levels. This will also exert pressure on the cash-flows and leaves limited room for network capex and expansion, especially for the relatively weaker players.Assuming these payment terms are implemented on the balance amount to be paid, the telcos will have to shell out an amount of Rs 9,000 crore by March 31, 2021 as upfront payment followed by 10-annual instalments of nearly Rs 12,000 crore at 8 per cent rate of interest starting February 2022 till February 2031, he said.



The industry has been saddled with elevated debt levels amid consistently high capex requirements. As per ICRA estimates, the debt as on March 31, 2019 stood at Rs 5 lakh crore which witnessed a decline to Rs 4.4 lakh crore as on March 31 this year following the series of deleveraging measures undertook by private operators during FY20.



ALSO READ: These Made in India social apps capturing the market after TikTok ban

Moreover, despite the improvement in cash flow and moderation in capex intensity, the debt is further expected to increase to Rs 4.6 lakh crore as on March 31, 2021 owing to addition of AGR dues.Anupama Arora, Vice President and Sector Head for Corporate Ratings at ICRA, said the 10-year payment for the AGR dues dampens the relief on auction payments to some extent and is likely to weigh heavily on the balance sheet of the weaker telecom operator, especially when the two-year moratorium gets over and auction payments start in FY23.The government had earlier allowed deferral of the spectrum auction instalments for FY21 and FY22.

ALSO READ: AGR verdict: Equities close higher despite sharp dip in Q1 GDP, Airtel top winner after AGR verdict
By Jeff Mason and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his administration would help U.S. airlines facing sharp downturns in passenger traffic as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, but gave no details.

"We'll be helping the airlines. You have to help the airlines," Trump told reporters before departing on a visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin. "Airlines are a tough business in good times."

Airline shares jumped briefly on Trump's comments but later gave up the gains and were trading in negative territory. American Airlines <AAL.O> was down 0.2% around mid-afternoon, while United Airlines <UAL.O> was down nearly 1%.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows last week said Trump was weighing executive action to avoid massive layoffs at airlines if Congress fails to agree on a fresh economic stimulus package to counter the fallout from the pandemic.

Helping the airline industry is a "significant concern" for the Trump administration given its strategic importance for national security and supply chains, in addition to the large number of jobs at stake, a senior administration official said.

The official said there was significant bipartisan support in Congress for measures to help airlines and ensure they survived the prolonged collapse in demand.

"We're ready to negotiate," the official said.

U.S. passenger airlines are still collectively losing more than $5 billion a month as 30% of planes remain parked. Passenger travel demand is down about 70% and, on average, planes that are flying are half-full.

Last week, American Airlines said its workforce would shrink by 40,000, including 19,000 involuntary cuts, in October unless the government extends aid for airline employee payrolls.

United said on Thursday it will need to cut 2,850 pilot jobs between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30 if the government does not extend assistance.

Airlines received $25 billion in U.S. government stimulus funds in March meant to cover payrolls and protect jobs through September. Congress also approved another $25 billion in loans for airlines.

As bailout money runs out without a travel recovery in sight, airlines and unions have lobbied Washington for another $25 billion. However, talks have stalled as Congress has struggled to reach agreement on a broader coronavirus assistance package.

American said last month it would suspend flights to 15 small U.S. cities in October without more federal aid.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, David Shepardson and Andrea Shalal; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis and Paul Simao)
Californias nine public universities cannot use SAT or ACT test scores to determine which students are admitted and whether they qualify for scholarships, a state judge ruled on Monday.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman granted a preliminary injunction suspending the use of the test scores.

The ruling is a victory for advocates who claim the tests are broadly biased and that they put students who are unable to take the exams during the coronavirus pandemic at a disadvantage.

The barriers faced by students with disabilities have been greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic, which has disrupted test-taking locations, closed schools and limited access to school counselors, Seligman wrote in his ruling.

The judge said there was little evidence that showed test scores were reliable measures of a students potential academic performance in college.

The nine universities that make up the University of California's public higher education system will not be allowed to use SAT and ACT test scores to determine admission or awarded scholarships, a judge ruled on Monday. The campus of UCLA in Los Angeles is seen in the above file photo

The ruling applies to all California students seeking admission into the UC system.

The SAT and ACT are dead and gone as far as the UC system is concerned, said Mark Rosenbaum, a lawyer who runs the Public Counsels Opportunity Under Law project.

The historic decision puts an end to racist tests that deprived countless California students of color, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families of a fair shot at admissions to the UC system.

Rosenbaum said the Public Counsels lawsuit specifically targeted the UC system so that the case can be more efficiently managed, according to the Los Angeles Times.

But now he says that the California ruling should apply to all colleges and universities nationwide.

If other universities dont follow, well come after them as well, he said.

Rosenbaum said he will discuss further steps with advocates for minorities and the disabled in other parts of the country.

UC released a statement on Tuesday saying it respectfully disagrees with the injunction and that it was studying its legal options.

An injunction may interfere with the universitys efforts to implement an appropriate and comprehensive admissions policies and its ability to attract and enroll students of diverse backgrounds and experiences, the statement said.

SAT officials did not respond to the injunction, though they have consistently argued that their exams do not discriminate against minorities.

The ruling is a victory for advocates who claim the tests are broadly biased and that they put students who are unable to take the exams during the coronavirus pandemic at a disadvantage. The above image is a stock photo of a standardized test

Administrators of the ACT say they have made efforts to accommodate students with disabilities and are committed to ensuring access to our assessment for them despite the difficulties that COVID-19 has presented globally.

Critics of the tests have long argued they put minority and low-income students at a disadvantage because the test questions often contain inherent bias that more privileged children are better equipped to answer.

Wealthier students also tend to take expensive prep courses that help boost their scores, which many students cant afford, critics say.

In May, UCs governing body announced that it would not use the SAT and ACT tests as admission requirements through 2024 and eliminate them for California residents after that.

The Board of Regents voted 23-0 to approve a proposal by UC President Janet Napolitano that phases the tests out over five years, at which point the UC aims to have developed its own test.

With California high school campuses closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the UC had already made the tests optional for students who want to attend the fall 2021 sessions.

Under the plan approved Thursday, SAT and ACT tests will be optional for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years for all applicants.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman made the ruling on Monday

Starting in 2023 and continuing the following year, the admissions process will be test blind for California residents, meaning SAT and ACT scores wont be used in admissions decisions but could still be considered for purposes such as course placement and scholarships.

Napolitano asked the schools academic senate to work with the administration on a plan for out-of-state and international students applying as of fall 2023.

In 2025, the 290,000-student UC system will either replace the SAT and ACT with its own admissions test, or if its unable to create its own exam, will eliminate its standardized testing requirement altogether.

Napolitanos office said in a statement that assessing nonresident students presents challenges in terms of fairness and practicality, but the options include extending the new tests for California students to out-of-state applicants or using some other standardized tests.

The decision by the massive UC system could be influential as other colleges nationwide eye similar decisions.

UC officials said they would begin working on the new test this summer.

Earlier this year, six Ivy League schools, including Harvard and Cornell, said they would not require next year's applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores due to the coronavirus pandemic's impact on access to testing.
The campaign group Save Cork City has hit back at Cork City Council boss Ann Doherty and blamed her for delays in the delivery of flood defences.

Save Cork City, which is opposed to the OPWs 150m Cork City flood defence plan, and which has mounted two legal challenges to city council public realm projects which both feature flood defences, said it is time for a rethink.

Save Cork City spokesman, John Hegarty, said: By refusing to discuss a change of approach or seek the independent advice that city councillors have repeatedly called for, our chief executive is personally responsible for delaying the protection of Cork from floodwater and has additionally stagnated our more recent potential to thrive as a city by constantly pursuing the wrong development approach for Cork.

The war of words comes as work continues to finalise the OPWs Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme plans which is the single largest investment in flood defences in the history of the state.

Save Cork City has sought a judicial review of Bord Pleanalas approval of the councils Morrisons Island public realm scheme, which will feature flood defences along flood-prone quays, and it has mounted a legal challenge to the councils south docklands road upgrade, which also has some flood defences.

Writing in yesterdays Irish Examiner, Ms Doherty accused Save Cork City of objecting to anything they dont agree with, regardless of the common good.

However, Mr Hegarty said the time has come for a rethink on the OPW scheme.

The potential of the historic city and our dockland opportunity should be considered together. Successful cities care for their historic centres and that care provides the conditions to attract investment and create new development opportunities in that order, he said.

The issue of whether we create flood defences in the centre of Cork or outside the city is crucial to our future success.

Look to Bandon or Skibbereen and multiply these projects by 10 times for Cork. Add in a much-overlooked groundwater issue and almost a kilometre of demountable barriers and it is our considered belief, backed by thousands of supporters and extensive research, that Cork would never recover physically or socially from the OPW scheme.

Save Cork City has repeatedly described the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme a "walls scheme", and says that a tidal barrier at Little Island is the only way to protect Cork from flooding.

The OPW says that after 13-years of research, the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme is the only viable solution and that its design has been amended to take public concerns into account.
The region's leading free zone operator, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has agreed to extend its expertise in licensing, visas and other related activities to Gold & Diamond Park, a free zone developed by Emaar Malls Group, the region's leading shopping destination developer.

The regulatory services will be provided as part of the agreement signed by Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director of DP World, UAERegion, and CEO of Jafza and Bader Hareb,CEO, Emaar Development.

Jafza will in future handle all regulatory activities such as licenses and registration for companies, individuals and other entities that conduct business activities at Gold & Diamond Park, in accordance with applicable laws. They will enjoy the full range of service benefits that support companies operating in Jafza.

Over 90 retailers and brands currently operating in Gold & Diamond Park as well as future business investors in the Park can be governed by Jafza's Free Zone Rules, including licensing and fees structures, and will be required to comply with them.

Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones  DP World, UAE Region, said: Were both privileged and pleased to partner with a distinguished company like Emaar Malls Group to extend Jafzas time-tested service excellence to Gold & Diamond Park. As the UAE and Dubai prepare for rapid shifts in a post-pandemic business environment, existing companies and new investors alike will demand new levels of support that takes care of all their licensing, registration, visas and other regulatory requirement, so they can focus on strategising their business plans with confidence.

At Jafza, we have evolved a sophisticated and efficient legal infrastructure to meet all contingencies. We thank Emaar Malls Group for the trust theyve placed in our capabilities and ensure our partners in Gold & Diamond Park an enhanced experience.

Bader Hareb, CEO, Emaar Development, said: We are delighted to expand on our long-term partnership with Jafza, to provide high-quality services to both our retailers and customers for Gold & Diamond Park. We endeavor to ensure we are providing support and dynamic solutions to our tenants, especially in the current climate. Companies now have the option to hold 100 per cent ownership of their business in addition to extended employment visas of three years. Emaar Malls Group is honoured to work with such a reputable partner like Jafza and are excited to implement positive regulations to assist our retailers.

A combination of 96 retail spaces, 108 purpose-built manufacturing blocks and 245 offices, Gold & Diamond Park, located on Dubais Sheikh Zayed Road, presents an advantageous proposition to jewellers and businesses in search of premium commercial leasing opportunities. Established in 2011, Gold & Diamond Park is home to some of the worlds finest jewellery, gemstones, precious stones, gold, silver, platinum and high-end personal accessories, Gold & Diamond Park attracting both residents and tourists alike.

Jafza is a dynamic base for over 8,000 businesses from 140 countries. As the regions premier trade catalyst, it has evolved into a unique trade ecosystem that reduces cost, while enabling new opportunities for growth.TradeArabia News Service
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying Tuesday stressed that China has never provoked a war or conflict, nor has it ever invaded another country or taken an inch of land from others over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Hua made the remarks when asked to comment on what is the truth since China and India are accusing each other of making provocative moves to alter the status quo in the border area.

Sino-Indian border tensions flared again over the weekend after a deadly border clash between the two countries in June.

India's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Chinese troops had "engaged in provocative action" on the border on Monday even as military commanders held talks to defuse tensions. Beijing has rejected the allegations.

Hua noted the Indian side's statement may be different from that of China, but there is only one fact and truth.

"In fact, China's border defense forces have always strictly followed the actual line of control (LAC) and has never crossed it," she said.

India should respect the facts, take practical actions in the good faith of safeguarding the overall situation of China-India relations, and work with China to safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas, Hua pointed out.

"We have noticed that in recent years, Indian media have reported a lot about the Indian army's increasing troops to the Sino-Indian border areas. If it is true, India's moves run against the desire of the Chinese and Indian people to live in peace and maintain good, stable and healthy development of bilateral relations," she said.
Right now, Missouris largest monopoly electric utility is drafting its 20-year plan for sourcing energy in our state. Amerens integrated resource plan will be presented to the Public Service Commission in the fall and is perhaps the most important plan in the utilitys history. Will Ameren announce a quick transition to clean energy in order to protect public health and avert the worst impacts of climate change? Or will the utility continue to rely on its political influence to prop up its dirty, dangerous and expensive coal plants that mostly lack modern pollution controls?

For instance, Ameren is still fighting the judgment that its Rush Island coal plant is violating the Clean Air Act. The judge included in his opinion that Amerens reliance on scientific uncertainty is misguided and its reliance on fringe toxicological evidence is unpersuasive, and that when Ameren decided to make major modifications to expand Rush Islands capacity, Ameren refused to play by the rules Congress set. An expert witness from the government testified the violation caused, in his opinion, as many as 800 premature deaths. Despite this, Ameren is appealing the judges ruling that it must add modern pollution controls to its Rush Island and Labadie coal plants to make up for more than 10 years of Clean Air Act violations.

Ameren also prefers to spend serious money to rewrite regulations than to take responsibility for decades of its dirty coal plant operations. The Post-Dispatch reported in 2011 that one of the utilitys toxic coal ash ponds in the Missouri River floodplain has been hemorrhaging up to 35 gallons a minute for two decades. While other utilities like Duke Energy are removing coal waste from their vulnerable storage ponds, Ameren lobbied the Legislature to pass a new law, which it did in 2018, resulting in a Department of Natural Resources rule allowing utilities to bury toxic coal waste in floodplains while shielding water samples from open records requests. The departments final rule was so weak that President Donald Trumps Environmental Protection Agency criticized it for not meeting the minimum requirements of the Clean Water Act. The Department of Natural Resources ultimately dropped the proposal.

The utilitys lobbying to stall action moving away from outdated, toxic coal burning doesnt stop there. Ameren Chief Executive Warner Baxter and Ameren Missouris President Marty Lyons hold prominent roles on the Edison Electric Institutes board of directors. The Post-Dispatch recently reported how Ameren and the institute directly funded the Utility Air Regulatory Group, a dark money effort to roll back federal regulations meant to protect public health and the environment from the type of old super polluting coal plants that Ameren operates. Ameren paid the Utility Air Regulatory Group $265,865 in 2017  money it boldly tried to recover from its customers as a part of its daily operations. Regulatory staff said that request should be denied because, the primary purpose of these groups is to address environmental regulation on behalf of the utility industry, whose interests do not align with those of ratepayers. The regulatory group quickly disbanded in 2019 following a congressional investigation of its funders, including Ameren.

Nationwide, we are facing both a disastrous federal response to a pandemic, which has thrown this country into economic turmoil and led to the deaths of over 184,000 Americans, and a long overdue reckoning over racial injustice  injustice that also expresses itself in the disproportionate environmental impacts on the health and flourishing of Black and Hispanic communities in our state. The bottom line is that today, in 2020, Americans and Missourians are sick and tired of lies, lobbying, and diversions that take us away from addressing and ultimately solving our nations most serious issues.

As one of the most powerful entities in the state, Ameren has a special responsibility to act in the publics interest, not just in the interest of their investors. It is time for Ameren to come clean. Retire the coal plants, clean up the waste in our communities, and transition to clean energy that would save customers money, improve public health, and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Gretchen Waddell Barwick is the director of the Missouri chapter of the Sierra Club.
Since pride and profit are often the compelling factors in pigeon racing, owners have little use for birds who cant or wont win. One racer told PETAs investigators that the first thing you have to learn in pigeon racing is how to kill pigeons. Another recommended killing these gentle birds by drowning them, pulling their heads off or squeezing their breasts so tightly that they suffocate.
As COVID pandemic continues to spread, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has convened a four-day virtual conference from September 1 to bring together representatives of 46 FAO member nations in Asia and the Pacific to closely examine the food security conditions in the region.

The 35th Session of FAO APRC (Asia Pacific Regional Conference) comes in the backdrop of Asia-Pacific region's status as home to more than half of the world's undernourished, and the fear that with COVID-19, the number of hungry people in Southern Asia may rise by nearly a third to touch 330 million by 2030. The 400 plus delegates, drawn from government, private sector and civil society organisations, plan responses and recovery work to address twin pandemics-COVID-19 and hunger. Bhutan is the host country.

From Afghanistan and Iran in the west, across populous South and East Asia, and far out into the Pacific Islands, new ways and approaches will be needed to battle back from these twin pandemics. Climate change is another aggravating factor menacing efforts to increase resilience across our food systems, the conference notes.

Also read: Govt nod to 27 cold chains in 11 states with grant-in-aid worth Rs 208 crore

"We must come to terms with what is before us and recognise that the world and our region has changed. We must find new ways to move forward and ensure sustainable food security in the face of these twin pandemics, as well as prepare for threats that can and will evolve in the future," said Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. "This virtual conference brings together the people and ideas to chart a true course of action for the benefit of all."

Speaking at the conference, India's representative Alka Bhargava, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare said the country has taken prompt measures to mitigate the impacts of pandemic which coincided with rabi harvesting.

Also read: Rebooting Economy XXIII: What stops India from taking care of its crisis-hit workers?

The conference will highlight FAO's recently launched comprehensive COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme designed to provide a flexible and coordinated global response that aims to ensure access to nutritious food for everyone. The programme includes the mobilisation of all forms of resources and partnerships at country, regional and global level. The main aim is to mitigate the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while strengthening the longer-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods.

The conference will also consider new marketing channels (such as e-commerce) and new technologies (including better storage facilities) that will help reduce food losses, as these are critical to ensure the flow of nutritious foods and to generate improved incomes for those who work across the entire food and agriculture sectors.

Also read: India offers to collaborate with ASEAN for COVID-19 drugs
An Indian army convoy passes along a highway leading to Ladakh on September 1, 2020. The Srinagar-Leh highway has been closed to civilians following movements by Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. Waseem Andrabi | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

India's foreign ministry on Tuesday accused Chinese troops of taking "provocative actions" on the disputed Himalayan mountain border while commanders from both sides were holding talks on Monday to defuse tensions between the Asian giants. "Due to timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts from unilaterally altering the status quo," ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement. Indian troops had deployed on four strategic hilltops after what New Delhi called an attempted Chinese incursion along a border in the western Himalayan region of Ladakh over the weekend, an Indian official said.

China denied that it started the latest flare-up, with an embassy spokeswoman in New Delhi accusing Indian troops of trespassing across the Line of Actual Control (LAC)  the de facto border  and conducting "flagrant provocations." Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a border confrontation for months in the high-altitude snow deserts of Ladakh, and have held talks to reduce friction. The two have disputed the course of the frontier for over half a century. The Indian official, who was briefed on the latest incident, said the Indian troop move responded to an attempt by a large number of Chinese infantry to push through a key mountain pass late on Saturday. "We mobilized and occupied the four heights," the official said, adding all four hilltops were on India's side of the LAC.

The Indian official said the Chinese soldiers were backed up by military vehicles and drew close enough to engage Indian troops in verbal arguments, but there were no clashes. He said the incident occurred on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, a picturesque lake where Indian and Chinese troops have been facing off since April. The Indian official said the Chinese had also been consolidating positions on the northern bank of the lake with what appeared to be new defensive positions.

China blames India
A three-year-long U.S. court battle over a cryptocurrency fundraiser, one of the largest initial coin offerings ever, has ended with a Swiss foundation paying $25 million to participants who lost money and their lawyers.

The litigation followed a Reuters investigation in October 2017 that detailed a bitter feud between the founders of the Tezos cryptocurrency project, Arthur and Kathleen Breitman, and the then-president of the Tezos Foundation, that threatened to derail the blockchain venture.

The Zug-based foundation had handled the fundraiser, which raised $232 million in just 13 days during a cryptocurrency buying frenzy in 2017.

Lawsuits alleged that the Tezos online offering was an unregistered securities sale. As a result of the settlement, the federal court did not rule on the matter.

The settlement, initially proposed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in March, received final approval by a federal judge on Friday.

The Tezos Foundation agreed to pay the entire $25 million. The dispute with the founders and the foundations president was eventually resolved. The Swiss entity has continued to promote the Tezos technology and its website states that its assets have grown to $635 million.

The plaintiffs attorneys will receive more than $8.5 million in fees and expenses, according to a court order by the judge.

(Reporting by Anna Irrera and Steve Stecklow in London; Editing by Richard Chang)

Topics Lawsuits
T heres a brand new floating cinema experience launching in London today, and the first pictures have now been revealed.

Openaire, Merchant Square and GoBoat are welcoming members of the public to Paddington's Merchants Square to enjoy screenings on Regents Canal under the stars.

There are 16 boats waiting to take up to 128 movie lovers out onto the water, with films being shown on a 6x3m LED screen and audio enjoyed through noise cancelling headphones.

If sailing isnt for them, guests can also enjoy films from the comfort of dry land in deck chairs in the square.

Movie magic: The floating cinema launches in London today / PA

The line-up will include family favourites such as Toy Story and The Lion King, as well as sing-a-long screenings of Grease, Rocketman and The Greatest Showman.

Tickets for the experience are on sale now. They can be bought here.

Its the latest cinematic venture in the capital, with open air film screenings and drive-in events taking place after lockdown.
Some researchers propose adopting so-called challenge trials. In the final stage of testing, researchers typically give a vaccine to one group of volunteers and a placebo to another, then wait to see whether significantly fewer in the first group develop the targeted infection. That takes time. A quicker but riskier alternative is to inject volunteers with the vaccine, then deliberately expose them to the pathogen. Such challenge trials are the basis for animal studies of vaccines, and theyve been used in human tests of cholera, malaria and typhoid shots as well. Some prominent scientists have argued that the urgency of a Covid-19 vaccine justifies their use now, and the website 1daysooner.org has collected the names of tens of thousands of people who say theyd participate. Skeptics say its unethical to use this trial design until there are better, proven therapies to treat those who would become sick.
For Subscribers Senate votes to increase Partners in Education tax credit program

Senators voted to increase the amount of money the Partners in Education tax credit program can give out for scholarships to private school students.
Rating Action: Moody's assigns provisional rating to CB 4th RMBS

Global Credit Research - 02 Sep 2020

JPY222.9 Billion of Debt Securities Rated

Tokyo, September 02, 2020 -- Moody's Japan K.K. has assigned a provisional rating to CB 4th RMBS. The transaction is backed by residential mortgage loan receivables.

The complete rating action is as follows:

Transaction name: CB 4th RMBS

Class, Issue Amount, Scheduled Dividend Rate, Rating

Senior Trust Certificates, JPY222.9 billion, Fixed, (P)Aaa (sf)

Closing Date: September 10, 2020

Final Maturity Date: the last day of February, 2057

Underlying Asset: Residential mortgage loan receivables

Originator/Seller/Servicer: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Asset Trustee: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited

Arranger: SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Credit Enhancement: The Senior/Subordinate structure and the excess spreads available

Subordination: Approximately 12.6%

RATINGS RATIONALE

The seller entrusts a pool of its residential mortgage loan receivables and all related rights (excluding the Guarantor's mortgage right on collateralized properties, the rights on the Group Life Insurance and the rights on the Group Temporary Disability Insurance) and cash to the Asset Trustee and, in turn, receives the Senior Trust Certificates and the Subordinated Trust Certificates.

Entrustment of the mortgage loan receivables is perfected against third parties under the Perfection Law. Perfection against the relevant obligors is not made unless a certain event occurs.

The Seller acts as the Servicer under a servicing agreement with the Asset Trustee.

The mortgage loan receivables are guaranteed by the Guarantor. The Guarantor subrogates defaulted loans for the benefit of the Asset Trustee. Such subrogation is first be paid to the Servicer and then is transferred to the Asset Trustee according to the servicing agreement.

The Seller transfers the Senior Trust Certificates to the outside and retains the Subordinated Trust Certificates.

Story continues

The transfer of the Senior Trust Certificates is perfected against relevant obligors and third parties under Article 94 of Japan's Trust Law.

Principal redemption is made in a sequential manner. After the Senior Trust Certificates are fully redeemed, the Subordinated Trust Certificates are then redeemed.

Interest collections are transferred to the principal collection account up to the aggregate amount of the outstanding balance of defaulted receivables -- excluding the aggregate amount of these receivables which are subrogated by the Guarantor (defaulted trapping mechanism).

If a servicer credit deterioration event occurs, the Asset Trustee can dismiss the Servicer and have a back-up servicer take over the servicing operation or conduct the servicing operations itself. A back-up servicer is not appointed at closing. However, if a servicer appointment event occurs, the Asset Trustee appoints a back-up servicer.

The monies collected until the entrustment date since the pool cut-off date are transferred to the Asset Trustee and remain in the cash reserve account on the closing date.

The rating is based mainly on the credit quality of the receivables, the transaction structure and the Servicer's experience.

Having analyzed both the obligors' attributes and the Seller's historical performance, Moody's estimated an expected cumulative gross loss rate of 3.1%. Moody's also determined its portfolio Expected Loss (EL) of 1.4% and MILAN Credit Enhancement (CE) of 8.5%. In addition, Moody's used the portfolio EL and the MILAN CE to determine a probability loss distribution and conducted a cash flow analysis with multiple portfolio loss scenarios of the distribution.

Moody's assumes that, given the structure of the transaction as well as other factors, the risk of interruption to the cash flow from the assets in the event of the originator's or the Asset Trustee's bankruptcy is sufficiently minimized to achieve the ratings assigned.

Moody's considers the seller sufficiently capable of servicing the pool, after having taken into account the seller's business experience and the Servicer's operations.

The principal methodology used in this rating was "Moody's Approach to Rating RMBS Using the MILAN Framework" (Japanese) published in May 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1228958. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Factors that would lead to a downgrade of the rating:

The primary factor that could lead to a downgrade of the rating is worse performance of the underlying assets than Moody's expected.

Moody's has also conducted the sensitivity analysis below which provides the number of notches by which the model-indicated output of the deal would have varied if different assumptions had been made as to certain key model parameters. The analysis assumes that the deal has not aged.

If the expected cumulative gross loss rate and the MILAN CE were changed from 3.1%/8.5% to 3.7%/10.2% and 4.7%/12.8% and other assumptions remained unchanged, the model-indicated output of the Senior Trust Certificates would change by 0 and 1 notches respectively.

The analysis results are model-indicated outputs, which are one of the many quantitative and qualitative factors considered by rating committees in determining actual ratings. This analysis does not intend to measure how the rating of the deal might migrate over time, but rather, how the initial model-indicated output of the deal might have differed if certain key model parameters had been varied.

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 consumer assets from the collapse in Japanese economic activity in the second quarter and a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. However, that outcome depends on whether governments can reopen their economies while also safeguarding public health and avoiding a further surge in infections. As a result, the degree of uncertainty around our forecasts is unusually high. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.

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 rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent (s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.

This rating is solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above.

The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Shinichiro Kan VP - Senior Credit Officer Structured Finance Group Moody's Japan K.K. Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl 2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku Tokyo 105-6220 Japan JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110 Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100 Yusuke Seki Associate Managing Director Structured Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110 Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100 Releasing Office: Moody's Japan K.K. Atago Green Hills Mori Tower 20fl 2-5-1 Atago, Minato-ku Tokyo 105-6220 Japan JOURNALISTS: 81 3 5408 4110 Client Service: 81 3 5408 4100

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NEW DELHI: Once lavish affairs, Indian weddings have now become intimate events with focus on quality over quantity. It is a segment that pandemic-hit hotels are pinning their hopes on, praying for a revival in their fortunes as bookings witness a steady uptick especially with the government allowing up to 100 people to attend social gatherings under Unlock 4 guidelines.

With no clarity on resumption of international tourism, destination wedding clients have also trained their eyes on domestic hotels. Wedding segment, on an average, contributes 10% to a hotel's overall revenue.

Latching on to the demand while adhering to social distancing norms, hotels are offering virtual assistance in pre-planning of weddings and customising decor, food menu and gifts, with packages starting at 1.5 lakh a day which could go upwards of 30 lakh. Hotels are also being asked to organise live streaming of the wedding ceremony for guests not in attendance because of restrictions.

Known for luxurious royal-themed weddings across properties such as Rambagh Palace, Jaipur and Umaid Bhawan, Jodhpur, IHCL-owned Taj group of hotels, for instance, has introduced e-concierge to digitally assist guests with pre-planning the wedding. It includes virtual visits of hotels and locations along with video consultations, with spa and beauty specialists for brides and grooms. It also offers help with organising private charters through a partnership with Vistara and other airlines.

Renu Basu, senior vice-president, global sales and marketing at IHCL, said that recent trends show that the number of wedding bookings havent slowed down, just the size has reduced.

Delhi, for instance, has booked over a dozen weddings in the last two weeks. Other cities receiving similar interest are Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Agra. Apart from that our hotels in serene locations like Corbett and Rishikesh have hosted quite a few small-sized weddings with a huge interest in Rishikesh," she added.

Weddings, no doubt, have been driving revenue and helping in the gradual recovery in hotel business. From June till August, 60-70 weddings and related events and functions have been hosted in The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa.

Though on a smaller scale, but we are surely seeing recovery in bookings and enquiries for the wedding season in November and December, and the months ahead look promising," said Rahul Puri, multi property general manager  The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa.

The Westin Gurgaon is also offering a complimentary staycation for newly married couple as and when they like at The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa and vice versa.

French hospitality firm Accor owned hotel brands have also leveraged this segment. Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) hosted 14 weddings and related events since it reopened on 8 June. Along with 11 more confirmed events on the books for the next quarter. Pullman New Delhi Aerocity has received more than 65 queries/show-rounds in the last three weeks for Q4 2020.

Radisson Group said demand has been rising as big weddings, with farmhouses and banquets as venue, have been shifting to hotels. Rajasthan and Agra properties have received about 25 wedding bookings for the upcoming season starting October .

"The number of bookings will be higher than 2019 but the number of pax will be lower and hence lower revenue. In Agra, Radisson group have done 40% of their total business from socials in the last three months and moving forward we would see a similar trend," said a spokesperson from the hospitality chain.

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E-cigarettes are now the most popular product used for smoking cessation in the United States, ahead of all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cessation aids combined, from nicotine patches and gum to prescription medications. However, two recently published analyses of a large nationally representative longitudinal study report that e-cigarettes are not effective in helping adults to quit smoking. However, more research is needed to identify whether these findings also extend to newer e-cigarette designs, which may deliver nicotine as effectively as cigarettes.

The analyses were led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers using data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a longitudinal study of tobacco use and its effect on the health of people in the United States. The PATH Study, undertaken by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products under contract to Westat, enrolled a nationally representative sample of 45,971 adults and youth between September 2013 and December 2014 and re-interviewed them annually for the first four years.

The analysis, published online September 2, 2020 in the journal PLOS ONE, considered 2,770 daily smokers who reported trying to quit smoking during the first follow-up year; 23.5 percent used e-cigarettes in 2014-15 (before nicotine salt technology in e-cigarettes) to help with their quit attempt. At the second follow-up one year later, 9.6 percent of e-cigarette users had been abstinent from smoking over the previous 12 months compared to 9.5 percent who did not use an e-cigarette and 10.2 percent who used neither an e-cigarette or a pharmaceutical aid. There was no evidence that cessation rates differed between e-cigarette users and closely matched smokers who did not use e-cigarettes.

Among this representative sample of U.S. smokers trying to quit, we found no evidence that e-cigarettes were helpful in the quit attempt, said John P. Pierce, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Cancer Prevention at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and the studys first author. This lack of effectiveness was also apparent in the sub-sample who used e-cigarettes on a daily basis for this quit attempt.

The second analysis, published online on July 27, 2020 in the American Journal of Epidemiology, considered 2,535 daily and non-daily smokers from the PATH Studys wave 2 survey who reported making a quit attempt during the next follow-up year. Seventeen percent of these used e-cigarettes to help with the quit attempt in 2015-16 (also before the increase in sales of e-cigarettes with nicotine salt technology). At the subsequent wave 4 follow up survey, 13 percent reported not smoking for at least 12 months  a somewhat higher rate than the in first analysis (PLOS One paper), attributed to the inclusion of non-daily smokers who are known to have higher quit rates.

Again, study authors said there was no evidence that cessation rates differed from closely matched smokers who did not use e-cigarettes. However, in this analysis, it was clear that participants who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were less likely to be nicotine-free at follow-up. This was largely because many of those who did quit smoking cigarettes were still using e-cigarettes, which also contain nicotine.

In these analyses, we carefully matched each smoker who used e-cigarettes as a cessation aid with up to two similar smokers who tried to quit without using e-cigarettes, said Karen Messer, PhD, professor of family medicine and public health, director of biostatics at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and senior author on both papers. Our results suggest that these smokers would have been just as successful in quitting smoking without the use of e-cigarettes. However, without the use of e-cigarettes they would have been more successful in breaking their nicotine dependence.

###

Co-authors for the PLOS ONE study, include: Tarik Benmarhnia, Ruifeng Chen, Martha White, Sheila Kealey. and Dennis R. Trinidad, all of UC San Diego; David B. Abrams and Raymond S. Niaura, of New York University; Bridget K. Ambrose, Nicolette Borek, Blair Coleman, James Henrie, Jean Limpert, Carolina Ramoa, Ethel Taylor, and Lisa D. Gardner, all of the Food and Drug Administration; Carlos Blanco, Kelvin Choi, Wilson M. Compton, and Heather L. Kimmel, all of the National Institutes of Health; K. Michael Cummings, Medical University of South Carolina; Cristine D. Delnevo and Michael B. Steinberg, of Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies; Tara Elton-Marshall, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Maciej L. Goniewicz, Karin A. Kasza, and Maansi Bansal-Travers, all of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; Shannon Gravely, University of Waterloo; Geoffrey T. Fong, University of Waterloo and Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Dorothy Hatsukami, University of Minnesota; Eva Sharma and Cassandra A. Stanton, of Westat; Marushka L. Silveira, National Institutes of Health and Kelly Government Solutions; Andrew Hyland, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Westat; and Samir Soneji, Gillings School of Global Public Health.

This research was funded, in part, by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administrations Center for Tobacco Products under contract to Westat (HHSN271201100027C). Full study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237938

Disclosures: Cummings has received payment as a consultant to Pfizer, Inc., for service on an external advisory panel to assess ways to improve smoking cessation delivery in health care settings. He also has served as paid expert witness in litigation filed against the tobacco industry. Goniewicz receives fees for serving on an advisory board from Johnson & Johnson and grant support from Pfizer. Compton reports long-term stock holdings in General Electric Company, 3M Company and Pfizer Incorporated, unrelated to this manuscript.

Co-authors for the American Journal of Epidemiology study include: Ruifeng Chen, Eric C. Leas, Martha M. White, Sheila Kealey, David R. Strong, Dennis R. Trinidad, and Tarik Benmarhnia, all of UC San Diego. This research was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (RO1CA234539) as well as the California Tobacco-related Disease Research Program (28IR-0066).

Full study: https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwaa161/5876619

Disclosures: Pierce and Strong report grants from National Cancer Institute during the conduct of the study. White reports grants from National Institutes of Health during the conduct of the study.

Media Contact: Yadira Galindo, 858-249-0456, ygalindo@health.ucsd.edu
A barman has told a trial that he saw a murder accused "strike" the deceased in the neck but it was not until after the defendant left the pub that he saw the "horror" done.

The witness also told the jury that blood was "flowing away" from the deceased man as he lay on his side in the Limerick bar.

Cyril O'Connor was giving evidence this Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court trial of Mark Crawford (43), who is charged with murdering Patrick 'Pa' O'Connor (24) over two years ago.

Mr Crawford, with an address at Quarry Road, Thomondgate, Limerick has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr O'Connor at Fitzgerald's Bar, Sexton Street between July 7 and July 8, 2018.

In his opening address to the jury, prosecuting counsel John Fitzgerald SC said that Mr Crawford is accused of stabbing Mr O'Connor to death after a row over payment for cocaine.

The prosecution barrister said the accused man and the deceased had been taking cocaine together on the night and Mr O'Connor was aggrieved that he had paid 100 for cocaine.

The barrister said evidence will be given during the trial that the accused admitted stabbing the deceased to gardai but said he had acted in self-defence out of concern he was going to be attacked as he was not from that part of Limerick city.

Giving evidence today, Jack McGrath said he arrived at Fitzgerald's Bar at around 10pm on July 7. Mr McGrath said he was chatting to his friend Mr O'Connor as he knew him from primary school and that Mr Crawford was also in the bar at the time.

The witness said Mr O'Connor told him that he had been drinking for the day and backing horses in Paddy Power.

Mr McGrath testified that Mr O'Connor told him later that evening that he was "after getting burnt for 100 for cocaine". "He was inquisitive if he was going to get the 100 or cocaine and what the end result would be," said Mr McGrath.

The witness said he told his friend not to get too excited as the bar owner was in the pub at the time.

Mr McGrath said Mr O'Connor told him later on in the night that he had not received the cocaine and he was wondering what was going to happen. I told him to relax and it would all sort itself out. He wasn't that agitated at all," he added.

Mr McGrath said that Mr O'Connor and Mr Crawford were sitting together by the door when he left the bar shortly before midnight.

Under cross-examination, the witness told defence counsel Patrick McGrath SC that Mr O'Connor had come up to him two or three times in the bar about the 100 and cocaine.

"He was wondering if he was getting the 100 back or the cocaine," said the witness.

Mr McGrath agreed with the defence barrister that he was concerned that the owner of the establishment would not be happy if he knew people were taking drugs on his premises.

Mr McGrath said Mr O'Connor's pronunciation was still good when he was talking to him and he wasn't slurring his words.

Barman Cyril O'Connor testified that he started his shift in Fitzgerald's Bar at 6pm on July 7.

The witness said he later saw Mr O'Connor and Mr Crawford "arguing but in a whispered tone" and he heard 50 being mentioned.

He noted that the atmosphere was "edgy" in the bar that evening. "All I heard was a chair move, there wasn't a word, a shout or a scream. As I looked to the left I could see the accused striking Patrick in the neck area," he said.

The barman testified that he saw Mr Crawford "rapidly" hitting Mr O'Connor four or five times and thought he was stopping a fight when he ran over to the men's table.

He said Mr Crawford was leaning into Mr O'Connor and used his right hand to hit him as he [Mr O'Connor] sat in the chair. The barman said Mr Crawford was making his move to leave the premises when he gave chase. Mr O'Connor said he locked the front door to the pub after Mr Crawford left and then saw Mr O'Connor lying on his side with "blood flowing away from him".

The witness said the deceased had two marks to his neck and was unconscious.

Under cross-examination, the barman agreed with the defence counsel that he had told gardai in his statement that he felt there was "a niggle" between the two men and understood that Mr O'Connor was owed 50 from Mr Crawford but couldn't get it.

The witness observed that Mr Crawford's mood changed during the night and one could "see the rage in his face" but said he did not know how the fight had started.

Mr McGrath put it to the barman that he was mistaken about Mr O'Connor sitting in the chair and suggested that both men had "stood up to each other" before Mr Crawford had stabbed the deceased a number of times as he had felt under threat.

The witness denied this was the case saying: "It's a photograph in my head of the accused holding Mr O'Connor and striking him."

In summary, Mr O'Connor said "all I have is that photo in my head of Mark striking Mr O'Connor. It wasn't until after that I saw the horror that was done."

Earlier, Mark Duggan told Mr Fitzgerald that he arrived at the bar around 3.30pm and joined Mr O'Connor and Mr Crawford.

"I thought everything was great fun. Mark Crawford stood up and hugged me when I left at 10pm. Everything was happy," he said. Mr Duggan testified that he and the two men had taken cocaine in the bathroom of the pub and there had not been any discussion about money.

Pamela Stokes gave evidence that she began working her shift in Fitzgerald's Bar at 8pm on July 7.

Ms Stokes said Mr O'Connor, Mr Crawford and another man were sitting at a table close to the front door of the bar. Later that night, the witness said she heard a chair move behind her and turned around to see one person standing up and another individual sitting. "It just looked like an argument, like there was a fight. It looked like punching. I couldn't say who was punching as I just saw the backs of two people," she said.

The barmaid said she ran to get her boss and then heard someone shouting to get an ambulance so she realised the incident was more serious. Ms Stokes said she called the ambulance as Mr O'Connor was injured on the ground and there was blood coming from his neck.

The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury of 11 men and one woman. It is expected to last two weeks.

For more Limerick news click here
Most audience members at shows that Howell Binkley worked on, whether Broadway smashes like Hamilton or dance performances in small spaces, probably never gave a thought to his contributions. Thats the way Mr. Binkley, one of the most sought-after lighting designers in the business, preferred it.

I always go back to my roots  simplicity, clarity, showing the text, he once said. Not putting on a ridiculous light show. Lighting is to expand the words and music and dance, not distract from it.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, for which Mr. Binkley won one of his two Tony Awards, first experienced Mr. Binkleys artistry on his earlier hit, In the Heights, which made it to Broadway in 2008.

I peppered the show with challenges, Mr. Miranda said by email, songs titled Sunrise and When the Sun Goes Down. The first act ended with a citywide blackout and the company singing, Look at the fireworks. Howell never batted an eye, evoking all these natural phenomena with subtlety, allowing the audiences suspension of disbelief to take them the rest of the way.
With best-in-class team and targeted investment initiatives, Company optimally positioned to increase market share in highly valued hemostat market

Biom'up France SAS and its affiliates (together, "Biom'up"), a leading developer of hemostatic products used in the surgical channel, currently featuring HEMOBLAST Bellows, today announced the appointment of Stephanie Boileau-Canu as Chief Financial Officer and Emmanuel Zylber as Chief Scientific Officer. Ms. Boileau-Canu and Mr. Zylber will serve on the Company's executive committee, reporting directly to Biom'up Group CEO, Patrice Ferrand.

Ms. Boileau-Canu brings deep financial expertise, gained across more than two decades in a diverse array of executive finance positions, including with SEB Group and several privately held companies. Mr. Zylber is a well-regarded technology and innovation executive, with vast R&D and product development experience, particularly within the medical device space.

Patrice Ferrand, Group CEO of Biom'up, said, "We are most pleased to welcome Stephanie and Emmanuel to our management team at this very exciting time in our company's evolution. Stephanie and Emmanuel bring deep and complementary skills that will empower Biom'up to further expand upon our position in the highly valued hemostat market. We look forward to updating the medical community on a host of exciting near-term milestones, including clinical developments and geographic expansion."

Additional Biographic Information

In nearly two decades at SEB Group, Ms. Boileau-Canu worked across several continents, in various finance-oriented leadership positions. During her career, she has also served a number of family-owned SMEs, first at Everial and then at Implid. Ms. Boileau-Canu received undergraduate and master's degrees from IAE Dijon and an MBA from Emylon Business School.

Mr. Zylber is a proven and well-respected R&D leader. He has vast experience in product development and registration in the medical device industry, particularly the fields of spine/orthopedics, single-use medical and surgical products. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Zylber has worked at large, global companies such as Zimmer and Vygon, and private investment backed organizations such as Scient'X and Biomodex. He has a demonstrated track record or successfully working with the FDA, European and other international regulatory authorities. Mr. Zylber received his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Systems from Ecole Nationale d'Ingenieurs de Tarbes ENIT.

About Biom'up

Founded in 2005 and based in the Lyon suburb of Saint-Priest (France), Biom'up develops and commercializes hemostatic products based on patented biopolymers designed to simplify surgeons' practices for open and minimally invasive surgical procedures across multiple specialties such as cardiac, general, and orthopedic surgery. The Company's lead product, HEMOBLAST Bellows and its laparoscopic applicator are marketed in Europe and the United States.

About HEMOBLAST

HEMOBLAST Bellows is a hemostatic product used to control bleeding in a broad range of open and minimally invasive surgical procedures, including laparoscopy.

Uncontrolled bleeding is a major surgical complication associated with higher mortality, longer hospitalization and higher rates of transfusions and reoperations. Beyond its impact on patient's health, this major complication causes excess costs in all surgical specialties and is a burden for hospital budgets across the globe. HEMOBLAST Bellows is the only surgical hemostatic agent approved by the FDA based on the validated SPOT GRADE Surface Bleeding Severity Scale (SBSS), which demonstrates the ability to control a range of bleeding from minimal (oozing), mild (pooling) and moderate (flowing) bleeding. HEMOBLAST Bellows is proven to control bleeding with flow rates up to 117 mL per minute. Due to its efficacy, versatility and ease of use, HEMOBLAST Bellows is quickly becoming a popular choice amongst U.S. and European surgeons looking for new options to control surgical bleeding challenges.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005289/en/

Contacts:

Media:



For the United States:

Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

+1 212-521-4800

daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com



For France:

Elvira Pignal

Kekst CNC

+33 6 36 23 68 36

elvira.pignal@kekstcnc.com
The conviction of a father who spent 16 years in jail for the murder of his infant son has been declared a miscarriage of justice.

Yusif Ali Abdi, who was subsequently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, has been given leave to seek compensation from the State after a Miscarriage of Justice application was today granted by the Central Criminal Court.

In December of last year Somali refugee Mr Abdi was committed to the Central Mental Hospital, having been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of his son, 20-month-old Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, in a retrial.

Mr Abdi was tried before the Central Criminal Court in 2003 for the murder of his son, when a jury rejected his insanity defence and found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict.



The Central Criminal Court trial heard that on the night of the killing, his wife Ms Amanda Bailey and Nathan visited Mr Abdi at his apartment at Clane. Mr Abdi removed his son from his mother's bed around 4am and took him to the living room, where he locked the door and a number of loud bangs were subsequently heard.



When Ms Bailey gained access to the room, the child's body was limp, his head was swollen and he had blood in his nose. Ms Bailey failed to find a pulse on her son and he was pronounced dead at 5.30am that morning.



Mr Abdi had spent 16 years in jail before his murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal on February 13, 2019, and a retrial was ordered, after the court heard he had been correctly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2013.

Mr Abdi (47), with addresses at Charleville Road, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, and The Elms, College Road, Co Kildare, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge at the Clane address on April, 17, 2001.





Mr Abdi, whose father died in the Somali civil war, came to Ireland in 1997 and was granted refugee status in 2000. He married Irish woman Amanda Bailey and they had a son Nathan, who was born in August 1999.

In a victim impact statement in December, Ms Bailey told the court that she did not believe "for one second" that Mr Abdi could have known what he was doing.

A pathologist said that baby Nathan died from head injuries, which were most likely caused from his head impacting at least three or four times against a hard surface such as a wall or floor.



Four consultant psychiatrists gave evidence in the retrial that Mr Abdi was suffering from schizophrenia in 2001 and that he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.



At the original trial, Dr Damian Mohan, a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital (CMH), was called by the prosecution and gave evidence that Mr Abdi was not suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.



However, Dr Mohan told the retrial that he now agreed with three other medical witnesses that Mr Abdi had a history of paranoid schizophrenia dating back to November 1999.



Dr Mohan testified that in 2019 he had the benefit of three admissions of the accused to the mental health facility following the 2003 murder conviction, which Dr Mohan did not have at the time of the original trial.

At this afternoon's proceedings, Mr Justice Alexander Owens said that the granting of the certificate for a Miscarriage of Justice was not about "pointing the finger of blame".



Mr Justice Owens heard the application under Section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act.



The judge said that the new diagnosis by Dr Mohan amounted to a "newly-discovered fact" and that it had later become "undisputed fact" that Mr Abdi had been suffering with schizophrenia in 2001.



The judge said that the chronic illness varied in intensity and that the diagnosis had now moved to accept that.



"There are only two outcomes of a jury trial in my opinion: conviction or acquittal," said Mr Justice Owens, who added that because the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity could not be appealed it was to be regarded as acquittal.



Mr Justice Owens said that because acquittal was not available to the Court of Appeal, a retrial had to be ordered even though "it was clear the original verdict couldn't stand and was wrong in a fundamental aspect".



The judge said that the original trial had referenced behaviours by Mr Abdi, such as locking the kitchen door, to suggest that the defendant knew what he was doing was wrong.



"I suspect this is not the first time this has happened in an insanity case," said Mr Justice Owens, noting that in a special insanity defence, the onus of proof was on the defence.



The judge said that he saw no difference between a case relying on a diagnosis and one relying on forensic or scientific evidence that turns out to be erroneous.



Mr Justice Owens approved the certificate for the Miscarriage of Justice application and awarded Mr Abdi's defence team their costs.
When Vasilis Panousis and Mahmoud Hatoum threw open the doors of their translation company on March 10, they knew there was a need for their services in the City of Windsor.

Panousis, who had immigrated from Greece in 2012, and Hatoum, who came to Canada as a Lebanese refugee in 2004, had seen the long waits for translation and interpretation, and how local non-profits were struggling to keep up.

"They do excellent work," said Panousis, "But they cannot support everybody."

"They have to accommodate and assist so many people, they cannot lift the burden on their own," he said.

The pair never expected to have to close the very next day, as COVID-19 took hold, and the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic.

So they locked up, and locked down with the rest of the city.

Jason Viau/CBC

Until July 6, that is.

Since then, calls to MV United Translations have been consistent  a testament, Panousis says, to the diversity of the area.

"We cannot be accommodating 150 ethnicities without having the necessary linguistic background."

Most of the demand is for translation or interpretation in Arabic, Mandarin and Cantonese and Spanish, and the pair hire contractors to help with more rare languages like Swahili, Chaldean and Ethiopian dialects like Tigrinya.

From bank appointments to doctor's visits

Moving to a new country where you don't speak the language can be a daunting experience. When people do, they often find they need help with everyday tasks, says Panousis.

"From opening a bank account, visiting the doctor, going to the immigration office to get their paperwork: for all of that they need the services of a professionally-trained interpreter. Sure, I can bring my kid, I can bring my cousin, I can bring my wife who speaks English. But are they really trained?"

Panousis was an economist in Greece, but has since been trained, and is an instructor in, St. Clair College's Language Interpreter Certificate Program.

Story continues

Hatoum was a doctor before immigrating to Canada, and studied in English, so he uses that knowledge to help unravel the complexities of Canadian medical care for newcomers.

"I'm familiar with medical terminology so I can help them, for example, when they go to the hospitals, clinics, doctors meetings," he said. "The main idea is to help people as much as we can."

Pro-bono work

It wasn't long before non-profits were calling Panousis and Hatoum looking for MV United Translations to lighten their load.

The business is a for-profit venture, but both men have a soft side.

Sometimes people pay what they can afford  in some cases, that's nothing at all. Pro bono work is an important part of their work, said Panousis.

"We know how valuable each and every dollar has when you are in a new country," he said. "We do not send anybody away."

Even if it means the cost of paying contracted interpreters comes out of Panousis' and Hatoum's own pocket.
Panaji, Sep 2 : A 35-year-old jewellery shop owner was stabbed to death during a robbery attempt at his store in South Goa's Margao town on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Swapnil Walke, who runs a jewellery shop in Margao, located 35 km from Panaji.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured "justice", even as the Opposition on Wednesday decried the worsening law and order situation in the state.

"Shocked by the tragic incident at the jewellery outlet in Margao today. I have spoken to DGP and SP South Goa, and asked them to investigate the incident and arrest the culprits at the earliest. We will ensure that stern action is taken and the guilty are brought to justice," Sawant tweeted on Wednesday soon after a First Information Report was filed against unknown persons.

A video of the fatal assault has surfaced on social media, in which Walke is seen trying to resist the robbery attempt, before he collapsed after suffering knife injuries.

The victim was admitted to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.

"Completely devastated with the news of daylight stabbing of young businessman. Drastic collapse of law and order situation in Goa. I demand immediate action in nabbing the murderers. Appeal to all to please remain safe," Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said.
Fixed-line penetration was in decline for a number of years before the trend was reversed in 2015, with the momentum for growth supported by fixed-wireless connections based on LTE

Sydney, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Algeria outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets.

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Algeria-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Algeria has a steadily developing telecom infrastructure with growth encouraged by sympathetic regulatory measures and by government policies aimed at delivering serviceable internet connections across the country.

Government-funded efforts, including the Universal Service Telecommunications (UTS) program, are continuing to ensure that fixed-line infrastructure is extended to underserved areas and thus the slow growth in the number of fixed-telephony connections should be maintained during the next few years.

Mobile penetration is growing steadily despite the tardiness of the regulator to licence 3G and LTE services. Licence obligations have ensured that LTE services have been extended rapidly, with Mobilis providing coverage to all provinces as of February 2020.

Intensifying price competition between the three MNOs  Mobilis, Djezzy and Ooredoo Algeria  together with increases in taxes on voice and data services, have had a negative effect on operator revenue. A new roaming agreement with Tunisia will place further pressure on revenue. The MNOs have responded by investing in upgrades to LTE infrastructure, while Mobilis has also trialled 5G and is expected to launch commercial services later in 2020.

For many years the development of Algerias fixed-line broadband market was hampered by the limited reach of the fixed-line network. This created an environment which encouraged alternative operators to invest in fixed-wireless accesses. In common with other markets in the region, mobile connections account for the vast majority of internet accesses.

Story continues

This report contains an overview of Algerias fixed-line telephony market, including a review of national and international network infrastructure. The report also covers the fixed and fixed-wireless broadband market, providing key statistics, profiles of the major players, and subscriber forecasts to 2025. In addition, the report reviews the mobile market, providing analyses on operator strategies and their operating and financial performance, as well as an assessment of recent spectrum licensing.

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments :



Regulator provides MNOs with additional spectrum to address poor services;



Mobiliss LTE infrastructure reaches all 48 provinces;



Government initiates national infrastructure project to replace copper network with fibre;



Mobilis expecting to launch 5G services by end-2020;



VEON increases stake in GTH to 98.2%;



Djezzy Telecom trials smart agriculture concept;



Report update includes the regulators market data update for 2019, telcos financial and operating data to Q1 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market data developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:

Algerie Telecom (Mobilis), Optimum Telecom Algerie (Djezzy), Wataniya Telecom (Nedjema, Ooredoo), Djaweb, EEPAD, Swan Informatique, IcosNet, Smart link Communication

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Algeria-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

CONTACT: Nicolas Bombourg nbombourg@budde.com.au Europe Office +44 207 097 1241 Oceania Office +61 280 767 665




Kathmandu, September 2

The cabinet has rejected a proposal of Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai to mark the Visit Nepal Decade 2020-2030.

A high official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation says the cabinet meeting held on June 16 withdrew Bhattarais proposal citing announcing such a campaign amidst the Covid-19 crisis would give a negative message.

Earlier, the government had announced the ambitious Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign with a target of welcoming two million foreign tourists in 2020.

However, the campaign was called off owing to the crisis. In addition, some stakeholders had feared its failure as sufficient infrastructures for the campaign were not ready.

Following that, minister Bhattarai had been saying the government would announce a Visit Nepal Decade to revitalise the countrys economy.
To say educators should expect rough emotional weather this fall is an understatement.

Regardless of whether they return online or in-person, students will start school this fall amid a perfect storm of ongoing trauma: a nationwide pandemic, economic instability, and racial unrest over police killings, as well as months of anxiety and isolation caused by school and community shutdowns.

Before the pandemic, federal data suggested nearly half of all U.S. children had been exposed to at least one traumatic event , and more than 20 percent had been exposed to several. Studies from across health and education fields have found that students who experience sustained traumatic stress, known as adverse childhood experiences , are more likely to have academic and behavioral problems in school and cognitive and emotional difficulties outside of it.

By this summer , more than 3 in 4 school social workers in a national survey reported that a majority of students at their schools needed serious mental health supports in the wake of the pandemic and school closures.

Weve been told if we do basic [social-emotional learning] for these kids, everythings going to be fine. While that may be enough for upper-middle and upper-class schools, its not going to be true for these schools with major capacity issues, said study co-author Ron Avi Astor, a professor and chair of social welfare at the University of California Los Angeless graduate school of education. Everything we do there may not be effective if you dont organize and build capacity, not in a crisis mode ..., but for the long-term, like you would in a war.

Traditional aspects of trauma-sensitive instruction such as using a whole-child approach, rethinking student discipline and other policies, and promoting a sense of belonging for studentshad already started to gain traction among schools before the pandemic. But the new and disparate contexts for learning this fall will make it both more challenging and more critical for teachers to identify and support the students struggling with toxic stress.

Here are a few ways schools can address student trauma as schools reopen.

1. Expect distress, but dont pathologize students

I think theres a danger that schools will pathologize kids. I think teachers are going to see a lot more extreme behaviors, but thats not necessarily kids experiencing [post-traumatic stress syndrome], said Mary Walsh, a professor of counseling and developmental psychology at Boston College. We know all kids are being affected by the pandemic, this fluid, traumatic event, but only about a third of kids who experience trauma develop serious issues that can become PTSD. If we put the right protective factors in place, kids have enormous resilience.

Walsh advised teachers to work this fall with each other and school counselors and social workers to review the academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and health status of each student in their incoming class.

Online classes may even offer new opportunities to get a read on students. Some schools are asking counselors to sit in on academic subject classes, such as math, to check students engagement and emotional temperature while the teacher focuses on instruction.

Downloadable Guide: Identifying Stress and Trauma

Colleen Perry, coordinator of City Connects, a student support program, at Pottenger Elementary in Springfield, Mass., said she and other school counselors held weekly video conferences for K-5 students in the spring in which they could sing and play games with classmates. They plan to continue this fall.

It was really nice because we interacted with students that we normally wouldnt have interacted with because we never knew that they really needed as much interaction, she said. In school, they were the quiet ones, ones that really werent seen as high-needs kids just because they didnt act out in their behavior.

2. Coordinate holistic supports to remove sources of toxic stress

The toxic stress that hinders learning and long-term outcomes often comes not from a one-off trauma, but from deep, ongoing instability, particularly relating to a childs home and family. In Astors survey from earlier this summer, more than 60 percent of the school social workers also reported that more than half of students at their school had profound, immediate, urgent needs related to health problems, food instability, and individualized student tutoring.

To do a trauma-informed-care school where everybodys focused on great interactions, but 80 percent of your kids are hungry, doesnt make sense, Astor said.

Schools can help to buffer students from these stressors by coordinating with other agencies and community groups to provide a multi-tiered system of academic, social, and basic living supports. Districts from Bucksport, Maine, to Los Angeles, Calif., are connecting students to online mental health and sometimes school clinic services.

In Salem, Mass., where a majority of students are students of color or those from low-income families, school and city agencies have been working to create more substantive supports for vulnerable students. The shutdowns this spring exacerbated all the barriers that existed before for a lot of our kids who have experienced systematic oppression and injustice, said Ellen Wingard, the director of student and family support at Salem public schools, leaving teachers and staff concerned about students and families who were struggling.

The pandemic provided the incentive to get a long-planned interagency initiative off the ground. The school district, mayors office, local health, housing and social service agencies, and community organizations launched a website and initiative called Salem Together to provide wraparound supports to children and their families.

We were able to pretty quickly put into place a protocol for all teachers to reach out to their kids and ask a few simple questionsAre you OK? Do you need food? Whats going on with your family?and the system could report back to support staff and all our partners and coordinate a ton of volunteers ready to help, Wingard said.

Beyond streamlining help to students, Wingard said the initiative has also provided an outlet for teachers and the community who wanted to support each other. It gave us a way to know what was going on so we didnt feel completely helpless, she said.

The district is bracing for rising unemployment and housing instability this fall in addition to the pandemic, and the districts leadership team, principals, assistant principals, and special education coordinators have been receiving additional training on trauma-sensitive instruction in the runup to school restarting in mid-September.

3. Consider unintended consequences of school policies

Protests this spring and summer for racial justice following police killings of black people have reignited concerns about disproportionate discipline practices in schools, as well. A new Education Trust study on equity issues in social-emotional development found students and families of color strongly valued social-emotional development in schools but considered school policies and services to be focused on fixing them rather than supporting them.

Some students of color have already been subject to harsh discipline for not fully participating in remote learning during the school shutdown this spring. A 15-year-old Michigan student was jailed for not completing remote homework when a judge found that violated her probation. Education Trust researcher Nancy Duchesneau, an author of the Education Trust study, said that while students are less likely to experience overt exclusionary discipline like suspensions in an online classroom, teachers may more easily exclude students they consider disruptive or overlook those who are not actively reaching out online.

As school leaders develop policies and norms for new remote and socially distanced classrooms, it is important to build in ways to help students and families feel safe and respected. For example, Duchesneau recommended limiting the use of dress codes for home learning, and suggested allowing students to attend without broadcasting video, or teaching students how to set up a virtual screen behind them that can protect their privacy if they feel uncomfortable allowing others to see them or their home environments.

4. Promote a sense of belonging

Finding ways to identify and leverage students strengths rather than deficits can bolster their resilience to stress.

Studentsand especially students of color and students from low-income householdshave been stepping up in many ways during this time: taking on caretaking duties, becoming more active in protests against police brutality and racial injustice, said Duchesneau of Education Trust. Adults in schools really need to understand that these skills may not present in a very particular way. If you have a student who has a lot of caretaking duties at home and comes into school every day, but may miss a homework assignment here or there, instead of seeing that student as deficient in their self-management skills, educators should be recognizing that strength.

To ease anxiety, particularly among students who are unable to see their peers outside of school, teachers can build in time during remote classes for students to talk to each other or to share concerns about their lives in and out of school.

Koslouski worked with Massachusetts elementary teachers last year to create professional development curriculum and training in trauma-informed instruction and with administrators to review school discipline and other policies. Teachers now are using both online class meetings and parent-only online meetings to provide strategies on how parents could recognize signs of trauma and manage their own and their childrens stress.

I think we need to be really clear that what happens now with regard to our relationships and social connections can change the brain and build in resilience for kids, said Wingard of Salem public schools. Were in a place where we need to empower and acknowledge the incredible strengths of our kids, even the kids who have experienced trauma.
Photo: (Photo : Photo from Pexels by Lisa Fotios)

A newborn baby was discovered by Texas Police early Tuesday morning. The police responded to a 911 call from a concerned citizen who heard a crying infant near some mailboxes.

The newborn baby was immediately rushed to the hospital. Police are now calling for the public's help in finding the parents of the baby girl.

The 911 call

In a press conference held by the Texas police, Sgt Michael Crumrine of the Austin Child Abuse and Protection Unit said that they received an urgent welfare check at Rotherham Drive in Austin, Texas.

The report was made by someone who was out early morning for a walk and heard a baby crying.

Right after the incident, the police started conducting an investigation.

READ ALSO: Indiana Woman Confessed to Abusing a Baby, Held into Police Custody





The newborn baby's condition

According to reports, the baby was immediately rushed to the hospital by a medical emergency unit.

Texas police say that the baby is in stable condition. However, hospital staff believes that the baby was only hours old, "They believe that the child was born within the past twelve hours of that day."

Also, the police think that the baby was not born in a medical facility. Sgt. Crumrin said, "That is also concerning because childbirth, like any other medical situation, can have complications; and we're just not aware whether this mother is being taken care of."

Police also clarified that there are no signs of abuse on the child. They ensured the public that the baby is safe and is in good condition.

However, upon the medical examination of the baby, matters about the mother's health and well-being are now causing concerns.

READ ALSO: While Fighting Coronavirus, 3 Moms Gave Birth to Their Babies





Texas Police calls for the public's assistance.

Authorities said that they have no idea about the baby's identity. There is also no known information about the baby's parents or relatives.

That is why the officials ask the public who have information about the baby's identity to send it to the police.

As of writing, the police only disclosed the sex of the baby and where it was found.

Because of the baby's medical exams that raised concerns about the health and well-being of the mother, the police are very eager to make sure that the family is safe. Sgt. Crumrine said, "Our main concern is making sure that that mother and that family is okay."

READ ALSO: Texas Police Warn Parents About Leaving Children in Hot Cars





Sgt. Crumrine also shared that because the incident is very rare in Austin, it became very concerning for the police department.

Authorities are hopeful that someone who has seen the baby's mother will come forward and say something.

For those who have any information, tips may be forwarded by calling 512-974-6880 or 512-472-TIPS.

The police also reminded the public that there is a safe way to give up a newborn baby, which should be explored by parents who think they cannot take care of their child.

READ ALSO: Preterm Baby Helps Dad in Proposing to Mom
State Forest Rangers recently rescued several hurting and injured hikers, a person injured while swimming and a woman thrown from a horse  in addition to help put out a wildfire caused by a lightning strike.

These incidents and more took place between Aug. 24-30. All information below was supplied by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Town of Jewett, Greene County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 24 at 3:50 p.m., Forest Rangers received a call from DECs North South Lake Campground regarding a hiker suffering from possible heat exhaustion on the Escarpment Trail in the Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Area. Forest Rangers Dawson and Fox responded to assist, hiking 2.8 miles to the subjects location. After Rangers provided the 26-year-old man from Forest Hills with food and water, he was able to slowly hike back out to the Schutt Road parking area to his vehicle. The incident concluded at 9 p.m.

Town of Colton, St. Lawrence County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 26 at 1:20 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a man reporting that his 73-year-old wife had fallen and injured her hip near the Lows Lake Upper Dam. Forest Rangers Benzel and Evans, Assistant Forest Ranger (AFR) Woughter and Long Lake EMS responded to assist. AFR Woughter arrived on scene at 2:40 p.m., and with a coordinated effort with Long Lake EMS, carried the injured woman from Coram out to an ambulance that transported her to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Town of New Paltz, Ulster County

Wilderness Fire: DEC Forest Rangers continue assisting with the Cragswood Road Fire on the Mohonk Preserve property. The fire was first reported to the New Paltz Fire Chief at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. It is approximately five acres in size and was caused by a lightning strike. Ulster County Emergency Services, Mohonk Preserve Rangers, DEC Forest Rangers, and State Police Aviation assisted New Paltz Fire Department with initial suppression efforts. On Thursday, Aug. 27, and Friday, Aug. 28, the incident response increased to about 40 personnel from Ulster Hose, Gardiner, Highland, Accord, Esopus, Walker Valley, Rifton, Bloomington, and Marlborough fire departments, as well as the New Paltz Rescue Squad. Water and hand tools helped control the flames. DEC Forest Rangers and Mohonk Preserve Rangers will patrol the fire "

Town of Webb, Herkimer County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 26 at 3:20 p.m., Herkimer County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a 13-year-old boy hiking with his father with an injured ankle on the summit of Bald Mountain. Forest Ranger Candee responded to the scene along with the Town of Webb Police Department and Old Forge Fire and EMS. Through a coordinated effort, responders carried the young hiker from Frankfort to the trail and turned him over to Old Forge EMS for medical treatment.

Town of Warrensburg, Warren County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 28 at 1:20 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for a 78-year-old woman from Lake George who was thrown from a horse at Pack Forest Trails. Four Forest Rangers responded, arriving on scene at 1:40 p.m., and locating the woman shortly thereafter. With the assistance of Warrensburg EMS, Forest Rangers packaged up the injured woman and conducted a short carryout to a waiting Chestertown Fire Department ATV. The woman was then transported back to the gate and turned over to Warrensburg EMS for transportation to a local hospital for medical treatment. The incident concluded at 4 p.m.

Town of Long Lake, Hamilton County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 29 at 9:10 p.m., a call came into DECs Ray Brook Dispatch from three kayakers on Little Tupper Lake in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area. The kayakers were asking for assistance for a woman in the group who injured her lower leg while on a hike earlier in the day. The group had made it to a nearby island before calling for help. Forest Rangers Miller and Lewis respond to the Whitney Headquarters and then went to the boat launch where Long Lake Rescue Squad was staged to provide medical attention upon completion of the rescue. At 1:18 a.m., Rangers arrived at the injured womans location and brought her back to shore. The 38-year-old subject from Buffalo was then transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

Town of Keene, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 30 at 10:24 a.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a series of calls from the International Emergency Response Center (IERC) dispatch, the Adirondack Loj, and hikers on Gothics Mountain reporting a 20-year-old-man with a dislocated shoulder was just below the summit. Forest Ranger van Laer responded on foot from the Adirondack Mountain Reserve with the Johns Brook caretaker and Assistant Forest Ranger Raudonis. Forest Rangers LaPierre and Praczkajlo responded to New York State Police Aviation in Lake Clear to assist. At 12:29 p.m., the aviation mission was aborted due to high winds and cloud cover on the mountains summit. Caretaker Tyler reached the injured party at 1:24 p.m. The shoulder dislocation was successfully reduced allowing the injured hiker to start walking down the mountain. At 4:15 p.m., the Rangers and the subject were out of the woods. The injured hiker from Ballston Lake sought further medical treatment on his own.

Town of Hunter, Greene County

Kaaterskill Wild Forest-Fawns Leap Rescue: On Aug. 30, Forest Ranger Dawson was patrolling Fawns Leap swimming area in Kaaterskill Clove when swimmers approached him for medical help. The group reported that their friend jumped off the 30-foot cliff and injured his shoulder when he landed in the water. Ranger Dawson located the 24-year-old man from Pompton Plains, NJ, below the swimming hole, out of the water. Ranger Dawson determined that the swimmer had a dislocated shoulder, and with his permission, reduced the injury and secured the subjects shoulder in a sling. The man declined additional medical attention and walked out to a friends vehicle.
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholarship America, the nation's largest nonprofit scholarship and education support organization, is accepting applications for the 2021 Scholarship America Dream Award from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15, 2020. Awards are made to students from across the nation who have completed at least their first year of college or beyond. The scholarships are renewable and increase in amount each year.

Concerns about the rising cost of college have increased due to the financial impact of COVID-19 on college students and their families. Among students responding to a national survey by Scholarship America, 64% said that the pandemic has increased their need for financial aid.

"COVID-19 has compounded the financial hardship on students and parents," said Robert C. Ballard, president and CEO of Scholarship America. "Nearly a third of all students responding to our national survey said they have lost a job during the pandemic that is needed to help pay for college. Scholarships can help make the difference. They help students stay in school, make it to graduation and achieve their dreams."

Eligible students can apply here for the Dream Award. When applying for the scholarship, students will be notified about additional scholarship programs that they may be eligible for, from the more than 1,400 scholarship programs provided through Scholarship America.

In its eighth year, the Dream Award is Scholarship America's unique renewable scholarship program. It's open to any college student with financial need, who has overcome barriers and successfully completed at least one year toward their college education. This is inclusive of all types of students, from diverse backgrounds, seeking a 2- or 4-year degree, such as those who are first in their family to attend college, or who are parents themselves or who are choosing to attend college later in life. In the last seven years, Scholarship America has awarded over $2.3 million to 108 students, with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 based on financial need.

Past Dream Award Recipients Comment on the Scholarship

"I rely heavily on financial aid, grants, and loans to fund my higher educational journey. My education has been the catalyst that changed my future for the better." Breece Phipps, astronautical engineering, University of Southern California

"When I was nine, my family moved to the U.S. from Pakistan to make a better life for us. Everything was great until my father's employer shut down. Our lives were thrown into disarray...I studied hard and my volunteer work at local clinics drove my passion to become a doctor. The Dream Award will help me as I strive to provide medical services to underserved and vulnerable patients." Prishay Johri, neuroscience major, George Mason University

"Because I was able to receive the Dream Award and some other scholarships, I know I want to help other students do what I did and go to college despite financial obstacles. Thank you for inspiring me to help others and for supporting me in all that I have done the past four years. I will be thankful my entire life for having received these scholarships." Courtney Wiese, pursuing a degree in health & physical education to become a teacher in a rural school district, Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

"When I returned home from the Army I was in terrible shape. I sought help from the VA to face my demons and struggled with an addiction to prescription medication and alcohol. I made great strides working through challenges and combatting my addiction. The Dream Award will help me further my education." Charles Miller, organizational behavior, Northwestern University

The 2021 Scholarship America Dream Award recipients will be announced in early spring. Recipients will be celebrated on May 13, 2021, at the Dreams to Success National Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

About the Dream Award Selection Committee

Dr. Martha Kanter, Executive Director of the College Promise Campaign and a Senior Fellow, Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University, chairs Scholarship America's Dream Award Selection Committee comprised of respected business and educational leaders along with Scholarship America's President and CEO, Robert C. Ballard.

Fundraising to support Scholarship America's Dream Award was spurred by an initial donation of $350,000 from journalist and author Katie Couric in 2011. More information can be found on scholarshipamerica.org/dream-award.

About Scholarship America

Scholarship America is a non-profit organization that helps students fulfill their college dreams. Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed $4.3 billion to more than 2.6 million students. The organization works with partners to lower barriers to a college education and give students the support needed to succeed. Learn more at scholarshipamerica.org.

Media Contact:

Joan Cronson

952-830-7308

[email protected]

SOURCE Scholarship America

Related Links

https://scholarshipamerica.org


Seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Jammu have tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the past five days even though the partys headquarters in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) was shut last Saturday, for 10 days, as a precautionary measure against the contagion.

Also read: India again records over 78,000 new Covid-19 cases, tally crosses 3.76 million

BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Jugal Kishore; party vice-president Narinder Singh; general secretary Sunil Sharma; general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul; former lawmaker Shakti Raj Parihar; general secretary Vibodh Gupta and Mahila Morcha president Sanjita Dogra have been found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19.

Most of the BJP leaders are undergoing treatment at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana super speciality hospital at Kakryal in Jammus Reasi district.

Last Saturday, the BJPs J&K unit had shut its headquarters at Trikuta Nagar in Jammu for 10 days as a precautionary measure after two of its leaders  Koul and Gupta --- had tested Covid-19 positive.

We have decided to close our headquarters for 10 days in compliance with Covid-19 protocol, said a party spokesman.

Earlier, BJPs Lok Sabha member Sharma, his wife and personal secretary had tested Covid-19 positive.

Koul and Gupta had returned from Srinagar recently after attending party meetings presided over by Ram Madhav, national general secretary, who was on a two-day tour to the Kashmir valley.

Ravinder Raina, the president of the BJPs J&K unit, had also recently recovered from his viral infection that he had contracted during his visit to Kashmir following the killing of the party leader Waseem Bari, his brother and their father by terrorists.

Raina said the party headquarters in Jammu was decided to be closed for 10 days from last Saturday onwards because of the rapid spread of the contagion.

Uday Bhan Chib, president, Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC), J&K, took a swipe at the BJP leaders who are undergoing treatment at the super speciality hospital.

BJP leaders are getting the best of healthcare facilities at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana super specialty hospital, where doctors in PPE (personal protective equipment) gears are singing songs for them. However, a common man is left to fend for his life in the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Jammu, Chib alleged.

On Monday, the PYC activists had staged a protest outside the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana super specialty hospital, accusing the authorities of admitting only dignitaries and refusing treatment to common people.

An old woman, who had been hospitalised at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana super specialty hospital for another ailment, was referred to GMCH, Jammu, after she had tested Covid-19 positive. Her family members were also slapped with a hefty bill by the hospital authorities, Chib further alleged.

I took up the matter with the hospitals North Head, Colonel Bali and apprised him about the ill-treatment of an elderly woman patient, he said.

Col Bali has assured Chib and other PYC activists that such an incident would not be repeated in future.

Col Bali assured that the woman will be compensated by providing free treatment at the hospital. Besides, if any patient undergoing treatment in the hospital tests Covid-19 positive, the patient will be attended to and wont be shifted to GMCH, he added.

Chib also alleged that the hospital authorities had expressed their helplessness about admitting Covid-19 patients, who were not recommended by people in the higher echelons of power.

They claimed to me that they were asked to admit only those patients, who had the approval from the chief secretary, he further alleged.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ravi Krishnan Khajuria A principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. He covers politics, defence, crime, health and civic issues for Jammu city. ...view detail
Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on Wednesday it is supporting the delivery of vital infrastructure services in Morocco with a 300 million financing package to state-owned utility and transport companies
No intelligence or operational failure, nearly 30 Naxals killed in Bijapur: CRPF Chief Kuldiep Singh

With 40 elite commandos, Delhi has its own QAT to guard against terror

Who is Charu Sinha, CRPFs first woman IG in the Srinagar sector

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: IPS officer Charu Sinha became the first woman commander to head the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) formation in the Kashmir Valley, officials said on Tuesday.

Sinha, a 1996-batch officer of the Telangana cadre, has been appointed as the Inspector General (IG) of CRPF's Srinagar sector that oversees the deployment of the paramilitary forces' battalions in Srinagar city of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The officer was till now serving as the CRPF IG in Jammu. She earlier headed the CRPF formation in Bihar that includes the deployment of the force in anti-Naxal operations in that state.

A few years ago, Sonali Mishra, IPS officer of the 1993-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre, had served as the IG of another paramilitary force, the Border Security Force, in Kashmir.

An order issued by the CRPF headquarters on Monday also posted nine other Inspectors General including 1997-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre Deepak Ratan to head the Kashmir operations formation of the CRPF in the valley.

Amidst face off with China, why the Indian forces will not budge from the heights

The Kashmir operations formation oversees the deployment of CRPF battalions in the Kashmir valley except for Srinagar.

Ratan will replace IPS officer Rajesh Kumar who has been posted as the IG (Northern sector) in Delhi.

The CRPF, country's largest paramilitary force with about 3.25 lakh personnel, has deployed at least 65 battalions for law and order duties and undertaking specialist counter-terrorist operations in Kashmir.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 10:09 [IST]
LoVisa Jane Battenfield "Lee",96 of Leonardtown, MD formerly from Coltons Point, MD passed away on August 25, 2020 in Leonardtown, MD. She was born on September 9, 1923 in Canton, OH, and was the loving daughter of the late Marie Osborne McFarland and Wilbur McFarland. Lee was the loving wife of the late John Robert "Juggy" Battenfield, whom she married on March 26, 1944 in Washington, DC and who preceded her in death on February 11, 1980. Lee is survived by her children; Barbara Bowles (George) of Loveville, MD, Roberta Adams (Tony) Mechanicsville, MD, Rebecca Kendall (Tom) of Mechanicsville, MD, son-in-law Jack Nelson of Mechanicsville, MD,10 grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her children; Anita Meridith Nelson, and Cecelia Adams, son in law James E. Meridith, Sr, and her brother Gerald McFarland.



She graduated from Columbiana High School Columbiana, Ohio in 1941. She moved from Greenbelt, MD to St. Mary's County, MD in the early 1950's. Lee was a Nurses Aide for St. Mary's Nursing Home for 10 years, retiring in the early 1980's.



Lee was an avid book reader from the early days of her visiting the bookmobile at Coltons Point to her visits later in life to the library in Leonardtown. She was a great seamstress making and altering clothes for her "girls" and family members throughout the years. She also enjoyed taking ceramics classes in which she made many beautiful items she proudly gave as gifts. Together with daughters Anita and Barbara they also enjoyed taking classes to make, fire, paint and dress porcelain dolls. Each of us girls have special dolls gifted from mom which we treasure. We are most proud of her returning to school after she turned 50 to study geriatric nursing. After completing her courses, she worked at St. Mary's Nursing Center as a nurse's aide working the night shift. She also enjoyed crocheting and taught many of her co-workers at the Nursing Home the beloved granny square during breaks. She enjoyed working at the Nursing Home for over 10 years but following the death of her husband soon retired and began to serve the community for the next twenty years providing in home care to the elderly in her local neighborhood. During her residency at St. Mary's Nursing Center, she could always be found with one of her beloved word search books; she also loved watching the History Channel and didn't miss her nightly viewing of Jeopardy. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her "girls" and we have many, many happy memories of trips to the Lancaster, PA area, Florida, Tennessee, Las Vegas and a long road trip to the west coast in the early 90's. Mom's favorite trips were religious in nature and she stood strong in her faith. She took several pilgrimages to Conyers, GA, traveled to Medugorje in 1997 and a trip to The Holy Land with Barbara was the trip of a lifetime for her! Lee was a great cook and gracious entertainer and enjoyed preparing dinners or cookouts; she was most noted for her wonderful holiday spreads! We were always welcome at her table!! Her smile was infectious; you could count on being greeted with one! She was a treasure to many but especially her children and grandchildren who will miss her greatly; she will remain in our hearts forever!



The family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 9:00 Am to 10:00 AM in Holy Angels Catholic Church Avenue, MD; where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM with Father Stephen Wyble officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Catholic Church Bushwood, MD. Serving as pallbearers will be John Robert Bowles, Robert Battenfield, Richard Battenfield, Joey Wood, Tony Adams, and Tom Kendall. Honorary Pallbearers will be George Bowles, and George Bowles, Jr.

Contributions may be made to St. Mary's Nursing Center 21585 Peabody Street Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Undated file photo of Lao national Sangkhane Thitsy Phachanthavong, who had complained about corruption in the communist-run country on social media was arrested at his home in southern Laos, Aug. 26, 2020.

A Lao man who had complained about corruption in the communist-run country on social media was arrested at his home in southern Laos last week and is being questioned in jail about links to an anti-government group of overseas Laotians, police sources told RFA Tuesday.

The arrest on Aug. 26 of Sangkhane Thitsy Phachanthavong was condemned by human rights groups, who said he is the latest known victim of a government that locks up citizens who post popular gripes and mild criticism on Facebook about graft and abuses in the impoverished one-party state.

Before last weeks arrest, a 30-year-old woman named Houayheuang Xayabouly was jailed for five years in November for defaming the country in complaints about the government response to floods in a Facebook Live video. And three Lao workers got long jail terms in 2017 for criticizing the government on Facebook while working in Thailand.

People really understand the fact that Sangkhanes arrest is not appropriate, right or fair. In Laos, corruption and power abuse is never-ending problem  even though the police arrest Sangkhane, other persons will follow his footsteps and will speak for him, said an official with a Lao NGO.

The Lao justice system--including the courts, police and prosecutor-are not trustworthy in the eyes of Lao people. The judiciary system does not offer justice, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Sangkhane was arrested last Wednesday at his house in the Bachieng Chareunsouk district of Champassack province and is being detained at Bang Yor jail in the provinces Pakse district, authorities confirmed.

Police officers are investigating Sangkhane and we will make the outcome public, Lt Col Bounsong of Champassak police headquarters told RFAs Lao Service.

The policemen are investigating whether or not Sangkhane is associated to an anti-government group of overseas Laotians, a source close to prison authorities told RFA. The source did not identify the group or refer to any crime.

Another police officer told RFA: Sangkhanes relatives called me and they would like to send him food and water. The police on duty at jail confirmed his detention so that his relatives can bring him food at the jail.

Laos has been run by the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party since 1975 and the communist government brooks no opposition in any form.

The detention of Thitsy shows that communist Laos never stops violating the human rights of its people -- especially the right of expression and other universal basic rights enshrined in the Universal Human Rights Declaration that the Lao government has signed, Vanida Thepsouvanh, chairwoman of the Paris-based Lao Movement for Human Rights, told RFA.

Police arrested Thitsy because he did the wrong thing by criticizing the state system, a Lao villager said.

That they dont like, so he was arrested, and the prosecutor office will sentence him.

A second villager from Champassack said Sangkhanes mistake was leaving a digital trail on Facebook.

Everyone who criticizes the state on Facebook will be arrested. If you have an issue of concern you should write letter to relevant authorities for a solution but not via Facebook, he said.

They will arrest you right away. They register peoples phone number, said the villager, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely.

Washington-based Freedom House classified Laos as not free with a global freedom score of 14 out of 100 in its 2020 Freedom of the World survey. The Southeast Asian country scored 2 out of 40 in political rights, and 12 out of 60 in civil liberties.

Reported by RFA Lao service, Translated by Sidney Khotpanya and Ounkeo Souksavanh, Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Bengaluru, Sep 3 : A former Indian Bank employee has been arrested for orchestrating a Rs 50 crore scam by illegal diverting government funds meant to buy produce from farmers, a police official said on Wednesday.

"Main accused Vijay Akash, involved in misappropriation of government funds in the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), has been arrested after absconding for nine months," said Joint Commissioner, Crime, Sandeep Patil.

Akash, 57, has managed to transfer the money, kept as a revolving fund for farmers as minimum support price, into a current account in a bank branch in Uttarahalli, from where he transferred it into multiple accounts in Chennai.

Police arrested as many as 15 people for their involvement in the scam, including Akash's son Prem Raj, 34, his 31-year-old son-in-law and some bank officials even as the investigation continues.
TEDA TIANJIN, China, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Asymchem, a leading global CDMO service provider, announced a strategic investment in Snapdragon Chemistry, a private U.S. chemical technology company focused on the design and development of efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes for pharmaceutical applications. Asymchem led the investment round, along with the participation from Snapdragon's previous investors. The funding provides capital for Snapdragon to complete its expansion plan to build cGMP drug substance manufacturing suites.

"We are pleased to lead this investment round in Snapdragon to initiate our strategic collaboration," said Dr. Hao Hong, CEO of Asymchem. "Asymchem's strong technical capabilities and late-stage CDMO services, coupled with Snapdragon's advanced flow chemistry technology and suite of CDO services, creates a synergistic partnership that will enable us to provide fully integrated CDMO services moving forward. We believe this funding will increase Snapdragon's large pharmaceutical and biotech client base and allow us to transition clients from Snapdragon's early-stage services to Asymchem for late stage manufacturing and commercialization."

Matt Bio, CEO of Snapdragon Chemistry, commented "The combination of Snapdragon's technology and process development capabilities, along with Asymchem's expertise in clinical and commercial manufacturing will provide our clients with a complete solution to drug-development. The investment will also allow Snapdragon to accelerate the launch of a GMP manufacturing facility and continue to advance our technologies for process development."

This investment is another milestone in Asymchem's strategy of enhancing its integrated comprehensive service capability, improving its geographic footprint, and accelerating the delivery of an integrated service ecosphere for innovative medicines. As a CDMO service provider for over 20 years, Asymchem provides services to international and domestic markets and continuously expands its strategic reach.

About Snapdragon

Snapdragon Chemistry, a privately-owned chemical technology company based in Waltham, Massachusetts, is an expert in developing continuous manufacturing processes and providing manufacturing solutions to the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. For more information, please visit www.snapdragonchemistry.com.

About Asymchem

Founded in 1999, Asymchem (stock code: 002821.SZ) is a leading global integrated Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) providing innovative drug R&D and manufacturing. Asymchem is supported by 5000 employees based in PR China, US, and EU. Our mission is to drive efficiency through continuous technological advances for smarter, greener, and more cost-effective manufacturing to support pharmaceutical clinical research and commercialization backed by a proven track record of successful agency and industry inspections. For more information, please visit www.asymchem.com.

-No Financial Details Were Disclosed



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This press release contains projections and other forward-looking statements regarding future events or our future financial performance. All statements other than present and historical facts and conditions contained in this release, including any statements regarding our future results of operations and financial positions, business strategy, plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Asymchem nor its subsidiaries assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.

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San Francisco, Sep 2 : China'a update of the technology export ban list last week appears to have already hit TikTok's US operations sale talks as it has triggered questions about the fate of its core algorithms, suggests a report from The Wall Street Journal.

These core algorithms, often credited for the rapid growth of the platform, determine the videos users see even before they start following creators.

They were included in the deal negotiations until China updated the its list of technologies that are subject to export bans, said the WSJ report on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The new list, released jointly by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday, added 23 items to export restrictions while technical parameters of 21 items were revised.

The update covers Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies used by ByteDance, the Chinese unicron that owns TikTok.

ByteDance said on Sunday that "the company will strictly abide" by the new export rules, CNBC reported.

TikTok is currently under pressure from the Donald Trump administration to sell its US operations quickly or face an effective ban.

While Walmart entered into the fray in partnership with Microsoft, Oracle is another top contender for the deal.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Officials intensified their call for San Antonians to stay vigilant as they celebrate this Labor Day weekend to avoid starting another surge of the coronavirus as indicators continue to show the situation improving.

In Bexar County, there were 222 new cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the total case count to 46,663 since the pandemic started in mid-March, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in the daily briefing.

Just Monday, the city had its lowest number of new cases in weeks with 40 cases.

This is just a reminder again, just as we see those numbers volley back and forth a little bit, not to let your guard down, Nirenberg said. This virus is still very prevalent in our community and weve still got to work together to bring it under control.

A spike in cases occurred after the last major holiday, the Fourth of July, which officials dont want to repeat.

We dont want this upcoming Labor Day to mirror our Fourth of July, Nirenberg tweeted last week.

Metro Healths deputy director Jennifer Herriott attributed the high surge of cases reported Tuesday to labs possibly not reporting all cases during the weekend.

Metro Health verified 13 deaths Tuesday, all occurring between June 26 and Aug. 28, increasing the death toll to 822. Five of those cases were from the states database of death certificates.

These include five Hispanic men, one in his 50s, one in his 60s and three in their 70s; five Hispanic women, two in their 60s, one in her 70s, one in her 80s and one in her 90s; a Black man in his 40s; an Anglo man in his 40s; and a 15-year-old Black girl.

All were reported to have underlying medical conditions.

There were 366 patients with COVID-19 in San Antonio hospitals  39 of those were newly admitted. Less than half of these patients, 157, are in intensive care, up from 155 Monday and 93 patients were on ventilators to help them breathe, two fewer than Monday. This left 65 percent of ventilators and 14 percent of staffed beds available.

Though cases are lower than they were in previous months, We want to see a steady decline without rebounds in cases, Nirenberg said.

Schools remained in the moderate risk zone, even though in-person classes start in six days in most districts. suggesting that no more than six students in a pod with a maximum room and building occupancy of 25 percent.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff also announced the county will be spending $1.7 million to install UVC light fixtures in all county buildings for disinfecting. He said he hopes the fixtures will be installed by December.

Nirenberg and Metro Health also warned the public about scammers posing as contact tracers.

Real tracers, Nirenberg said, never sill ask for a Social Security number, a bank account number or any kind of payment. They do ask for a name, date of birth, address and locations to help identify anyone who might need to be quarantined.

Liz Hardaway is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Liz, become a subscriber. liz.hardaway@hearst.com | Twitter: @liz_hardaway
Chinas move to suspend barley imports from Australias biggest grain exporter after allegedly finding pests in shipments was a scary escalation of trade tensions and will be felt in the boardrooms of major agribusinesses, a foreign policy expert has warned.

On Tuesday, China's General Administration of Customs announced in its official WeChat account that barley shipments from WA grain co-operative CBH grain would be stopped after pests were found on multiple occasions.

WA barley has been banned for import by Chinese customs. Credit:Bloomberg

Barley has already been dragged into the trade tensions between the two countries after China slapped an 80 per cent tariff on imports in response to claims Australia was dumping low-priced grain in the country, impacting its local producers. That tariff has put a stop to most exports to China.

Perth USAsia Centre research director Jeffrey Wilson said the ban was scarier than anti-dumping investigations and tariffs because at least those could be litigated in the World Trade Organisation, but banning products on food safety grounds was more opaque.
If you're a fan of grocery shopping at Target, the retailer has some good news for you. Their flagship food and beverage brand Good&Gather is growing with the addition of 600 new items. The retail giant is expanding its grocery offer with artisanal items like organic coffee and signature pastas and sauces imported from Italy, as well as family-friendly frozen wood-fired crust pizzas and meatless burgers. The new items are starting to hit the shelves now and will continue to be added through early October.

"Food and beverage continue to play a very important role in the Target experience," Stephanie Lundquist, Target's EVP and president of food and beverage told USA Today. "Families right now, more than ever, are looking for a little inspiration and the ability to create some delicious dishes at home."

Related: 25 Groceries to Stock Up on At Target, According to Nutritionists

target good gather

Target kicked off Good&Gather, its biggest flagship brand, last year, with grocery staples like bagged salads, cheese, granola, sparkling water, deli fresh entrees and sides, fruit squeezers, frozen fruit, fresh vegetables, chips, and nutrition bars. The introduction of the new, streamlined in-house brand, which places an emphasis on high-quality ingredients, seems to be an effort to cater to shoppers looking for well-made food at a bargain.

The brand now includes a total of nearly 2,000 items. Lundquist noted some of the most popular items so far have been the avocado toast salad and strawberry mango sparkling water, while she expects the new pizzas to become customer's favorites, too. "A couple of the really fun favorites are the spinach and goat cheese or the wood-fired pepperoni and spicy honey drizzle," she said.

All the products in the line are made without artificial flavors and sweeteners, synthetic colors, and high-fructose corn syrup. Target has hired more food scientists to work on the flagship brand and is updating some of their older products to meet the Good&Gather standards. The products come with a money-back guarantee, also called the Good&Gather promise: "Love every bite or your money back."

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest grocery news delivered straight to your inbox.
The UK's priorities for Ukraine will remain unchanged after the creation of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons has said.

"Today marks a new chapter in the UK government's history as two separate ministries - the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development - will become one Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. [] With this change, the UK's priorities for Ukraine will remain the same," the diplomat said in a video address on Facebook.

She added that when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented his vision for the merger to parliament, Ukraine was one of the countries that he spoke of, emphasizing the importance of Ukraine for European security.

Simmons said that Britain would remain a strong supporter of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and would continue to support Ukraine's ambitious reforms, promote human rights and freedoms, and work closely with local partners.

"The new Department will use all the tools of British influence to have even greater impact on the world stage and in Ukraine," she said.

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Myanmar & COVID-19 Rohingya Detainee in Ayeyarwady Tests COVID-19 Positive

Rohingya from northern Rakhine detained in Mawlamyinegyun.

Pathein, Ayeyarwady RegionOne of the 42 Rohingya detained in Mawlamyinegyun Township, Ayeyarwady Region, is infected with coronavirus, according to the authorities.

A total of 42 undocumented Rohingya from northern Rakhine State who arrived at the estuary in Hlinebone Village-tract on Aug. 27 were detained.

The Ayeyarwady regional government is keeping them in isolation in a makeshift quarantine center in Kyangin Township on the Rakhine-Ayeyarwady border.

The group consists of 11 men, 29 women and two children. Their nasal swabs were tested for COVID-19 at the National Laboratory in Yangon and a 21-year-old tested positive for the virus.

He has been sent to Waibargi infectious diseases hospital in Yangon by the regional health department. As they are in quarantine and came from other places, we wont trace their contacts, head of Kyaungin Township health department U Kyaw Kyaw Hsan told The Irrawaddy.

According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, the patient is from Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State. He had no direct contact with earlier cases but had traveled to Bangladesh.

Fourteen Ayeyarwady police officers who transported the group from Mawlamyinegyun to Kyangin are also now being held in quarantine centers.

Fourteen police from Labutta and Pyapon districts transported them, and they have been quarantined since that day. We are waiting for COVID-19 test results, Ayeyarwady Region police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tun Shwe told The Irrawaddy.

Forty-one Rohingya are still in quarantine in Kyangin, receiving government health care and food.

We are planning to send them back to Rakhine State. Thats why we built a temporary quarantine center on the Rakhine border, said Ayeyarwady regional electricity, industry and transport minister U Win Htay.

Police have also detained four Rakhine boatmen who transported the Rohingya and a resident from Bogale Township in Ayeyarwady Region who helped with navigation.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

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The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued notices to Delhi University (DU) vice chancellor Yogesh Tyagi seeking a report in connection with the alleged discrimination against SC and ST ad-hoc teachers in two university colleges.

According to the notices received by the university on Wednesday, the Social Democratic Teachers Front (SDTF)  a teachers body  had filed complaints of SC and ST ad-hoc teachers at Daulat Ram College and Dyal Singh College (evening) being discriminated against. A complaint has been received regarding gross discrimination against a scheduled caste ad-hoc teacher in the department of psychology by the principal of Daulat Ram College. The commission has decided to investigate and inquire into the matter in pursuance of the power conferred upon it under article 338 of the Constitution of India, the commission said in a notice.

In another notice, the commission said, A complaint has been received by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes regarding the joining of SC and ST candidates for the post of assistant professor (ad-hoc) in the department of English, Dyal Singh College (Evening), Delhi University...The commission has decided to investigate and inquire into the matter...

The commission has asked the university to submit an action taken report in both the cases within 15 days, failing which it will issue summons to the university officials, the notices added.

Despite several attempts, DU V-C Tyagidid not respond to calls and texts sent for comment. A senior official, requesting anonymity, said, The administration will ask for a report from both the colleges and action will be taken after examining the reports.

When contacted, Daulat Ram College principal Savita Roy said that the college did not discriminate against anyone on the basis of their caste or religion. The concerned teacher was appointed on an ad-hoc basis in August 2019 in the department of psychology in our college. But after a few months, students started complaining about her teaching abilities and a written complaint was also received in October last year. In January, I decided not to renew her contract, but after a lot of protest by DU teachers association, we decided to give her another chance. But the complaints did not stop and even students stopped attending her online classes after the college was shut in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. We cannot let her continue in such circumstances, she said, adding the college will submit its response with the university.

Pawan Sharma, principal of Dyal Singh College (evening), said that the colleges governing body  the highest decision-making body  had not approved the joining of one SC and one ST ad-hoc teachers. This is a year-old case now. The selection committee had selected the concerned candidates but the governing body did not approve their joining due to some reason. The college cannot take any decision without the approval of the governing body. We will submit our report with the university, he said
CAIRO  No official Sudanese statements have been made on the details of the Aug. 25 meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sudans Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, along with Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Sudans Information Minister Faisal Saleh merely said in a press statement Aug. 25, The [Sudanese] transitional government does not have any authority to deal with the issue of normalization with Israel.

The American statements, however, were more in line with the US vision, saying that Sudans full normalization of ties with Israel is only a matter of time.

According to Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen revealed Aug. 16 contacts between Jerusalem and Khartoum, expecting the signing of a normalization agreement between the two nations before the end of the year. This was also confirmed by the spokesman for the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Haider Badawi, in a statement to Reuters Aug. 18, which caused him to be fired from his position. We don't deny that there are communications [with Israel], Badawi said in his statements.

Normalization with Israel remains the subject of widespread controversy between the political, military and civilian forces in Sudan. Some information indicates that the military camp, i.e., the Sovereignty Council, welcomes normalizing ties. Burhan had already met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda in February.

Many Sudanese, however, remain strongly opposed to such a move, namely the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC). FFC has clearly announced its rejection of normalization with Israel, stating that it is not the prerogative of the transitional government to tackle this issue.

Meanwhile, Egypt, which had already made peace with Israel 40 years ago, welcomed the normalization agreement signed between the United Arab Emirates and Israel Aug. 13.

This will bring peace in the Middle East, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wrote in a tweet Aug. 13, commenting on the agreement.

There are Egyptian concerns, however, that Israeli influence would expand in the south, starting with Sudan and the Nile Basin countries.

An Egyptian diplomatic source who is well informed on the African issue spoke to Al-Monitor as Pompeo was in Khartoum. The source said, Egypt is not a party to any measures related to facilitating a normalization agreement between Israel and Sudan. We are watching Sudans moves at the diplomatic level with regard to establishing political and economic relations with Israel, in a bid to assess the impact of such moves on Egyptian interests in the region."

The source, who refused to be named, added, Egypt maintains balanced and good relations with the Sudanese side. There are Egyptian efforts to help Sudan at the diplomatic level to have its name removed from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list. This remains the main obstacle before Sudans political and diplomatic openness to the international community.

Commenting on how normalization with Israel would contribute to solving Sudans diplomatic problems, Sabah Moussa, an Egyptian journalist and researcher in Sudanese affairs, told Al-Monitor, Removing Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list means the United States would [financially] drain Khartoum by forcing it to pay reparations and compensation. Sudan is already set to pay $70 million as part of a final settlement to the families of those killed in the 2000 USS Cole bombing [in Yemen].

She said, This is not to mention the ongoing consultations to set payment for those affected in the attack on the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Moussa added, I do not think that normalizing ties with Israel would be the key to solving Sudans [political] problems. Yet some parties in Sudan tend to believe this is true. But this is a false idea, especially since Israels investments in Sudan will mainly benefit Israel and would deplete Sudans natural resources in particular.

The transitional government in Sudan was wise to delay deciding on the normalization issue until the election of a new government in a bid to avoid further divisions, especially with FFCs strong rejection, which includes the National Umma Party, and the Communist and Baath parties, she noted.

During his visit to Sudan, Pompeo also touched on the stalled negotiations between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

According to Foreign Policy, upon his return from Sudan, Pompeo approved a plan to halt some US aid to Ethiopia estimated at $130 million, given its obstinate stances on the dam.

I dont think Sudan requested the United States to place more pressure on Addis Ababa regarding the GERD. Sudans demands from the United States in exchange for normalization with Israel are clear, [and are] mainly associated with its interests at home. Khartoum is seeking to have its name removed from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list, and to have support for its economy and its democratic transition, as well as an end to its political isolation, Moussa said.

Hani Raslan, adviser at Al-Ahram Center for Strategic and Political Studies, told Al-Monitor, The beginning of official relations between Khartoum and Tel Aviv will be one of the major changes in the Arab region, unlike the old foundations on which the entire Arab system had been based since World War II, in reference to boycotting the Israeli state.

It is not clear yet how Cairo will handle this in order to reduce the expected risks to its interests in the African continent and the Nile Basin and to adapt to the new changes. The new changes require that Cairo reevaluate and review its policy and strategy of action in the Arab and African region, and especially in the periphery of the Nile Basin countries, he added.

The pertinent questions, however, remain about the form of any understanding resulting from normalizing ties between Israel and Sudan and its repercussion on Egypt's interests in the African continent and the Nile Basin. This is especially true at a time when Cairo is facing great challenges with the Ethiopian intransigence on the GERD and its insistence on filling the dam without prior negotiations to settle any existing disputes regarding Egypts share of the Nile water.
For three months, leftists in the media and politics celebrated the riots that were tearing apart some of America's Democrat-run cities. For conservatives, it became a running joke that, even as the cities burned and rioters fought with law enforcement, Democrats insisted that all these scenes were aberrant and that everything was "mostly peaceful."

All this changed after police shot a man wanted on a warrant for rape, who fought with the officers and had a knife. In response, and without knowing the facts, BLM and Antifa destroyed large swaths of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The public turned on BLM, and the Biden team and the media went into damage control. On Tuesday, CNN hit the damage control button with such force that it produced a staggeringly dishonest hit piece.

This post looks at just a few of the worst arguments in the CNN piece. For a more detailed analysis, you can go here.

Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, and a current CNN and Washington Post contributor, wrote an article entitled "Trump's depraved plan to try to win reelection." She opens with an opinionated insult and then gets down to the business of "proving" with "facts" that all the violence in America is Trump's fault.

Ghitis's opening fact is her claim that "Kellyanne Conway confirmed what we all knew: 'The more chaos, anarchy and vandalism reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order'..."

This is the same lie that Biden uttered in Pittsburgh and which I debunked here. Suffice it to say that Conway was not saying Trump was inciting violence to win. She was only pointing out the fact that, with Democrat-caused violence raging around them, voters were turning to Trump. Voters like these Kenosha leaders:

Democrats didnt want the country to see local leaders praise Trump for his response in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/QyOYHGYMFm  Benny (@bennyjohnson) September 1, 2020

Regarding Trump's Kenosha visit, Ghitis claims that Trump's visit to Kenosha "stokes chaos."

That is why he is insisting on going to Kenosha where an apparent supporter faces homicide charges for the killing of anti-racism protesters. Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is pleading with the President to stay away because he knows Trump's presence there can be explosive.

Ghitis is a day late and a riot short. The violence was stoked long before Trump set foot on the ground. Moreover, if Ghitis were even slightly honest, she would acknowledge that Kyle Rittenhouse has such a good self-defense claim that even the New York Times' timeline strongly suggests it. Indeed, in an unusual move, the prosecutor's charging papers spell out his defense. This hints that the prosecution is bending to political winds and knows that it has no case.

Rittenhouse's attorney talked to Tucker Carlson about the complete set of elements for self-defense in the young man's actions:

Ghitis charges Trump with vowing at his inauguration to bring about "American carnage." In fact, Trump was vowing to end the carnage that Obama brought to the less fortunate in America: "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

In a complete departure from reality, Ghitis manages to say riots by people advancing Democrat ideas (defunding the police, redistribution of wealth, systemic racism), and taking place in Democrat-run cities in Democrat-run states, are...Trump's fault:

Still, he wants Americans to blame Democratic governors and mayors  and fear that Biden will make it worse. But it is Trump and his supporters who bear much of the responsibility for turning mostly peaceful anti-racism protests into battlegrounds. And the strife is not just continuing, it is intensifying; becoming bloodier, deadlier and riskier for the nation.

Not content with that broad statement, Ghitis goes farther, holding that the entire fault for the riots lies with "umbrella man," a man carrying (yes) an umbrella, who started smashing windows in Minneapolis. Based on no evidence whatsoever, the left has claimed that "umbrella man" was a right-wing provocateur whose Machiavellian behavior forced leftists to riot all over America. The police have never located this mysterious man, which makes him a convenient scapegoat.

Ghitis says the Republican convention further stoked violence by having as speakers the McCloskeys  "armed civilians made famous by waving their weapons at protesters." Ghitis somehow forgets the part about hundreds of protesters who broke a fence to get to the McCloskeys' property and then hurled threats of rape and murder at them. The Second Amendment isn't part of Ghitis's frame of reference, either.

There's more, but this post allows for only a limited amount of attacking the myriad lies. Again, you can read more here.

Image: Created by Andrea Widburg using a Pixabay free photo.
Minissha Lamba has come out in defence of the media trial of Rhea Chakraborty in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Explaining that she simply couldn't sit quiet anymore after Rhea's interview, Minissha slammed the passing of judgments on a person based on rumour and gossip. She added that the media trials tainting public opinion against a person is unacceptable.

Speaking to Times of India about not sitting idle anymore, Minissha said, "Because now enough is enough! Nothing about those wild accusations sat right with me. They didn't make sense. Post Rhea's interviews, which to me, resonated with truth and reason and logic, I could not just sit any more and be quiet. Give a human being the dignity of undergoing investigations without us pronouncing judgement based on conjecture, rumour and gossip."

She shared that what she saw in Rhea is a person who simply cared for her boyfriend. "From Rhea's interviews and an audio tape that came out recently where Sushant-Rhea and two other people are assisting them in planning their future, they are heard discussing the idea of moving to Pawna (outskirts of Mumbai) as Sushant feels he can't work in films any more because of his condition. It was heartbreaking to hear him make the decision to leave. We can clearly hear Rhea being supportive. She is leaving Mumbai as well to live with him and take care of him. From this conversation I can only see a woman who loved Sushant and did all she could to help him get better. I don't see any logic or motive for this horrible accusation," said Minissha.

Talking about the media trial, she said, "The investigating agencies are conducting their business in the manners and protocols that they see fit. But what is happening in the court of Indian media trials, resulting in tainted public opinion, that is just not done."

Rhea has been accused of being involved in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, by the latter's family.

ALSO READ: Vidya Balan On Rhea Chakraborty's Media Trial: It Is Supposed To Be 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'

ALSO READ: Rhea Chakraborty Says She Thinks About Suicide; Kangana Ranaut Continues To Mock, Calls Her Vulture


According to sources, Diab is facing multiple corruption charges, including tax evasion. He owes the state EGP 11,135 billion in overdue taxes

Egyptian authorities decided on Wednesday to hand businessman Salah Diab a 15-day detention pending investigation into an array of charges.

According to sources, Diab is facing multiple corruption charges, including tax evasion. He owes the state EGP 11,135 billion in overdue taxes.

The Egyptian business tycoon, who was reportedly arrested on Tuesday, is also accused of seizing a state-owned parcel of land and building factories of "La Poire" on it without a license.

Diab is the co-founder of Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of Egypt's largest privately-owned daily newspapers, and is also the co-founder of PICO group which has five main business branches including food and agriculture, real estate, energy, engineering and finance investments.

It is the second time for the businessman to be arrested as in November 2015 Diab and his son Tawfik were arrested at his villa in Giza after being accused of possessing unlicensed firearms. In the same month, Diab was released on a EGP 50,000 bail and his son on a EGP 10,000.

They were acquitted in September 2017 by a Giza criminal court of charges.

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Tuesday, September 1, saw an important move by Japan bear fruit with India and Australia  the three are fast-tracking supply chain cooperation and have given their bureaucrats just a few months to work out the details.

While Japan led the deal, in recent times India has had growing concerns about supply chain dependence on China combined with Chinese border stoush, while Australia is being hit by Chinese trade restrictions. All three countries are very China trade dependent. They also have a direct interest in a stable Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

The Joint Ministerial Conference was held by video and involved Australias Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Simon Birmingham, Indias Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Japans Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kajiyama Hiroshi.

What does Supply Chain Resilience mean?

In the context of international trade, supply chain resilience is an approach that helps a country to ensure that it has diversified its supply risk across a clutch of supplying nations instead of being dependent on just one or a few  in this case, dependent on China.

Why is Japan taking the lead?

While Japan exported $135 billion worth of goods to China in 2019, it also imported $169 billion worth from the worlds second-largest economy, accounting for 24 per cent of its total imports, according to data from tradingeconomics.com. Electrical and electronic gear, and machinery, nuclear reactors and boilers were sectors that clocked up significant imports into Japan. So, if China stops production (as it did during Covid-19) then economic activity in Japan is heavily impacted.

As part of the countrys economic stimulus package, the Japanese government recently earmarked $2.2 billion to incentivise its companies to move their manufacturing out of China  much of it likely to go back to Japan.

Why was Japan keen to have India in there?

Japan is the fourth-largest investor in India with cumulative foreign direct investments touching $33.5 billion in the 2000-2020 period accounting for 7.2 per cent of inflows in that period, according to quasi government agency India Invest.

Imports from Japan into India more than doubled over 12 years to $12.8 billion in FY19. Exports from India to the worlds third-largest economy stood at $4.9 billion that year, data from the agency showed.

What motivated Australia?

Australia, Japan and India are already part of another informal grouping - the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, which includes the U.S. China has been Australias largest trading partner and that it counts for 32.6 per cent of Australias exports, with iron ore, coal and gas dominating the products shipped to Asias largest economy. Education is the leading part of Australias services exports. But relations including trade ties between the two have been deteriorating for a while now  kind of a flow on from the US-China trade war.

What does India want from it?

While the US recently became Indias biggest trading partner, close behind is China  the two economies are close  maybe too close for Indias liking. Chinas share of imports into India in 2018 (considering the top 20 items supplied by China) stood at 14.5 per cent, according to an impact analysis by the Confederation of Indian Industry in February 2020. In areas such as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for medicines such as paracetamol, India is fully dependent on China. In electronics, China accounts for 45 per cent of Indias imports, the analysis showed.

Chinese supplies dominate segments of the Indian economy. Sectors that have been impacted by supply chain issues arising out of the pandemic include pharmaceuticals, automotive parts, electronics, shipping, chemicals and textiles.

The writer is a published author and blogger at Into India. He has led multiple trade missions to India and is a former President of the Australia India Business Council. Views are personal.
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It is the shipyard that shaped a city, but it was the workers who shaped the shipyard.

And as the 35th anniversary of the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic, a vessel forever linked with Harland & Wolff, was marked yesterday, there has never been a better time to explore the history of the place, its workers and its legacy.

For actor and playwright Dan Gordon, born into a long line of east Belfast shipyard workers, it was the perfect opportunity to revisit the site and marvel at the relics of an industrial era that spawned the most tragic ocean-going behemoth of them all.

When Dr Robert Ballard and French diving engineer Jean-Louis Michel discovered the liner's final resting place in the North Atlantic, the world was once again captivated.

And once a blockbuster movie that would go on to Oscars success hit the big screens in 1997, it was full steam ahead as Belfast re-embraced the legend.

"The Titanic story was the perfect storm," said Gordon as he set foot back in the place his ancestors knew so well.

"It was the first global disaster the world learned about through the new mediums of newspaper and radio.

"It wasn't that people died in a war, these were real people and it gave the world a tangible sense of our own vulnerability, probably for the first time.

"Then you have all the headlines of Titanic being unsinkable. You couldn't write a better script.

"But what the movie did was give Belfast the go-ahead to take pride in the ship. She was all right when she left Belfast; and the building of her, and the workers at H&W, became something to celebrate."

It also threw new light onto the shipyard and its workforce, with their 67 different trades.

"My grandfather George Gordon was a shipyard worker from Scotland," he said.

"He worked for Harland & Wolff in the early 1900s but not on the Olympic or Titanic. He was a labourer in the sister shipyard in Govan on the River Clyde. But he was drawn to the burgeoning city of Belfast, and when he got here he stayed.

"He had six sons who all followed him into what they came to know as 'The Boat Factory'.

"My own father started there as an apprentice joiner in July 1945. When my turn came I stayed on at school instead. It wasn't a bad move as the yard was starting to slow down production."

Having already tapped into that family history with the shipyard in his stage play The Boat Yard, his next project is a TV documentary charting last year's battle by the unions to keep its gates open.

"I just can't imagine Belfast without our yellow cranes. It's great to see the yard still operating, but there's now so much more to explore about Belfast and its history around the docks," added Gordon.

"It's not just a history of shipbuilding in Belfast, it's a history of Belfast.

"It's a chance to see the tools of the trade. It's actually all very moving to see how so many of my family worked."

And with Gordon, you know a tale or two are never far away.

"There was a worker used to go out the front gate every Friday with a wheelbarrow with a cover over it," he said. "The Harbour Police used to stop him to check under the cover because they suspected he was pinching stuff. It was always empty and they were baffled. It was only years later they discovered he was stealing wheelbarrows!"
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. For example, long term City of London Investment Group PLC (LON:CLIG) shareholders have enjoyed a 18% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market decline of around 7.7% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 2.6% , including dividends .

See our latest analysis for City of London Investment Group

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Over half a decade, City of London Investment Group managed to grow its earnings per share at 7.9% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 3.4% over the same period. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock. The reasonably low P/E ratio of 10.21 also suggests market apprehension.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on City of London Investment Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, City of London Investment Group's TSR for the last 5 years was 70%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that City of London Investment Group has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 2.6% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 11% per year, is even more impressive. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with City of London Investment Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

City of London Investment Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
WASHINGTON - Amid the Trump administration's troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic, senior White House aide Peter Navarro has refashioned himself as a powerful government purchasing chief, operating far beyond his original role as an adviser on trade policy.

But U.S. officials say the abrasive figure's shortcomings as a manager could influence how well prepared the United States is for a second wave of coronavirus infections expected this fall.

Navarro's harsh manner and disregard for protocol have alienated numerous colleagues, corporate executives and prominent Republicans. In a previously undisclosed incident, the White House Counsel's Office in 2018 investigated Navarro's behavior in response to repeated complaints and found he routinely had been verbally abusive toward others. Navarro narrowly avoided losing his job, but the abuse has continued as the White House has grappled with the pandemic, multiple administration officials said.

On Monday, the administration terminated one contract that Navarro had directly negotiated - for 42,900 Philips ventilators. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said the cancellation was "subject to internal HHS investigation and legal review." The contract had been criticized by a House oversight subcommittee, which concluded that the government had overpaid for the ventilators by $500 million.

The cancellation came after another transaction Navarro championed, a government loan to fund Kodak's transformation into a drugmaker, unraveled and became embroiled in a securities investigation. The watchdog panel says it is broadening its inquiry to examine all of Navarro's deals.

Navarro remains unbowed, scorning critics inside and outside the White House as disloyal and leaning heavily on his one true ally: President Donald Trump. The trade specialist's ascent from failed California political candidate and economics professor to one of the most central figures in the White House is a testament to his tenacity, indifference to bureaucratic formalities and ability to stay in the president's ear.

For much of Trump's presidency, Navarro has been an adviser, critiquing existing U.S. trade deals without responsibility for negotiating better ones. But since March, he has been in charge of coordinating the federal government's purchases of vital medical supplies using the Defense Production Act, a position Trump says is "more important, probably, than it's almost ever been in our country."

This story is based on interviews with 28 current and former administration officials, congressional aides and business executives, along with a review of government statements and securities filings. Many of those interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations or because they feared retaliation by Navarro.

Complaints over Navarro's combustible demeanor crested in the previously undisclosed 2018 investigation of his workplace conduct ordered by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, according to a former senior Trump adviser.

Kelly, a retired Marine, acted after months of complaints about Navarro's treatment of his staffers and colleagues. The trade adviser routinely exploded at his assistants while scheming to undermine other senior White House officials, this adviser said.

Young women appeared to suffer the most verbal abuse. Some female White House employees complained that Navarro, 71, was habitually disrespectful, assigning professional women to act as note takers during policy meetings rather than allowing them to participate, another former official said.

Navarro was dismissive when Kelly confronted him, calling the reports exaggerated. After increasingly tense conversations and mounting complaints, Kelly finally told Navarro he would not tolerate the hostile work environment he had created and asked White House Counsel Donald McGahn's office to investigate.

"If it's worse than what I'm hearing, you're gone," Kelly told Navarro, according to a person familiar with the exchange. "If it's as bad as what I'm hearing, I don't know. You may be gone."

After interviewing White House employees, the counsel's office concluded that Navarro had been verbally abusive. The probe concluded with Navarro being informally counseled.

"They couldn't make any real findings because he was hostile to everybody, not just women," said one former White House official.

More for you GOP rips Pelosi for indoor haircut in SF, where it's still banned

At first, the intervention appeared to have succeeded. But after Kelly resigned in December 2018, Navarro returned to form.

In recent weeks, Navarro screamed at a low-level government procurement officer over a purchase of medical supplies under the DPA. When the official refused his order, Navarro grew incensed.

"Are you loyal to China or to the American taxpayer?" he bellowed, according to a person familiar with the exchange. Several other officials recounted similar episodes.

"Peter Navarro's highest priority during the last six months has been defeating the China virus and working to save lives, while creating thousands of jobs in the process. As Policy Coordinator, he's helped oversee the use of the Defense Production Act more than 80 times and pushed the interagency to work quicker and smarter. These attacks are without merit," Sarah Matthews, a deputy White House press secretary, said in response to detailed questions about the events described in this story.

For the past few years, Navarro was on the sidelines as Robert E. Lighthizer, the president's chief trade negotiator, hammered out commercial deals with several countries. As talks with China proceeded last year, Navarro, who opposed the eventual accord with Beijing, was not even allowed to see the negotiating text.

But today, he occupies a role with greater responsibilities, where his toxic personality and indiscriminate public commentary could have serious consequences.

On March 27, Trump tapped the Harvard-educated economist to coordinate the administration's emergency contracting for personal protective equipment, medical ventilators and syringes needed to fight the pandemic.

Navarro says the administration has dramatically increased production of protective masks, swabs, test kits and medical ventilators, plugging gaps that crippled the initial response to the novel coronavirus. In a White House report this month, he credited the president with leading "the most rapid mobilization of America's public health industrial base since World War II."

But Navarro also has criticized corporations such as General Motors and 3M as failing to move at what he calls "Trump time" and questioned the patriotism of colleagues who oppose his proposals.

"He loves to threaten people, and he's very good at that," said one business executive who described Navarro's criticism as unfair.

Trump administration officials have questioned Navarro when he demanded approval to write a check for "eight- or nine-figure amounts," explaining he lacked the authority to do so, according to one senior administration official.

Since mid-July, two major government contracts that Navarro lauded have become enmeshed in controversy.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding Eastman Kodak's disclosure of a $765 million federal loan Trump awarded to fund the launch of the company's new pharmaceutical division, the company said in a securities filing.

And Democrats on a House oversight subcommittee, after reviewing thousands of pages of emails and documents, concluded that Navarro was responsible for wasting more than $500 million by overpaying for ventilators manufactured by Philips. Navarro agreed to pay Philips almost five times as much per ventilator as the Obama administration had, accepting the manufacturer's opening bid without bargaining, the panel said.

"There's this public bravado," said one congressional investigator. "But in private they roll over and just get pushed around by these companies."

On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services terminated the Philips contract and two others, saying the United States now has "enough ventilators to meet maximum national capacity in a crisis."

Of the three, only the Philips contract is being investigated, an HHS spokesperson said.

Navarro also has been weighing in on policy issues far beyond his professional qualifications. A former economics professor at the University of California at Irvine with no known medical expertise, he publicly opines on coronavirus treatments.

Last month, he criticized the Food and Drug Administration for its delay in approving the emergency use of convalescent plasma, claiming that some experts "would rather have 100,000 people die from the virus" than take a chance on one person dying from a hastily approved medical treatment.

He also has tweeted that there is "blood on the hands" of media outlets questioning his advocacy of hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for covid-19 - the illness caused by the novel coronavirus - that the president has championed. Within the White House, Navarro has harshly criticized the FDA and Anthony Fauci, a member of the president's coronavirus task force and the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, telling the president that they are dragging their feet in advancing potential treatments and are insufficiently sensitive to the economic costs of the coronavirus fight. He has angered a number of senior public health officials, who complain that he doesn't know what he is talking about.

On July 14, he published without authorization an op-ed in USA TODAY attacking Fauci.

"He has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on," Navarro wrote of Fauci.

The White House later disavowed the extraordinary broadside, saying Navarro had acted without authorization. And USA TODAY published an editor's note, labeling the op-ed misleading. Amid the furor, Navarro called White House communications director Alyssa Farah to apologize, White House officials said. Navarro had proposed the op-ed, was told no and decided to write it anyway. Farah was infuriated, as was Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Yet Navarro went unpunished, these officials said.

In a statement, Farah said Navarro is a "valued voice on the airwaves articulating the Administration's viewpoint to the American people on a range of topics, including trade, manufacturing and rebuilding our economy."

He also has been harshly critical of prominent Democrats, including former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif) in a manner that would have been unusual for White House staffers in previous administrations. On Aug. 23, Navarro told Fox Business that the Chinese government favored Biden in the presidential race because "they know he can be bought; he's compromised."

Despite his serial controversies, Navarro enjoys strong support from Trump, who affectionately refers to him as "my Peter." During the Republican National Convention last week, Navarro appeared at Trump's D.C. hotel to headline an event for top donors called "The Art of the Deal."

"He's been able to channel the vision of the one person who matters: the president," said Tony Fratto, principal deputy White House press secretary in the Bush administration. "He speaks the president's language."

Still, even the president has had to clean up after his trade adviser. In June, Navarro triggered a fall in stock futures when he was quoted as saying the Phase 1 deal with China was "over." The president within hours responded with a tweet that described the agreement as "fully intact."

Trump has acknowledged Navarro's prickly persona. In an East Room ceremony in January to mark the signing of the deal with China, the president listed Navarro among several top officials. The mention of the aide's name provoked a slight tittering in the audience of politicians and business executives.

"He's a little different. We have all types," the president said in a good-natured gibe.

Navarro stays in frequent touch with people close to the president in "MAGA land," according to a senior administration official, and the president's son Donald Trump Jr. has praised him publicly.

"Peter is untouchable," this person said.

As head of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, a unit the president established in April 2017, Navarro oversees a handful of inexperienced aides. His deputy director, Christopher Abbott, graduated from American University only last year.

Even allies have felt Navarro's lash. In April, Michael Pillsbury of the Hudson Institute was startled to answer the phone and hear Navarro snarl: "I'm going to rip your f---ing throat out."

Pillsbury, a China expert at the Hudson Institute and occasional adviser to the president, told friends Navarro was irked by a headline on the Fox News website - "China expert Pillsbury scolds Navarro over rhetorical shots at Beijing" - which summarized some mild criticism he had offered in an on-air interview.

In May, the normally supportive Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs grew visibly angry with Navarro during a televised interview, accusing him of "peddling pablum and B.S."

Navarro is often hostile and overbearing in arguments, prone to attack anyone who disagrees with him as a representative of the "deep state." One former ally cut off contact with Navarro this year over his penchant for taking on battles outside of his trade expertise.

"He's gone off the rails," the individual said.

Navarro's history of constantly sounding alarms, especially over China's actions, has at times backfired. Earlier this year, he warned in two prescient memos that the coronavirus circulating in China could become a dire threat to the United States. But he was ignored, with many White House colleagues rolling their eyes at what was seen as just the latest Navarro broadside against China.

At the Senate GOP lunch on June 23, lawmakers asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about Navarro's statement 10 days earlier that the White House was seeking a $2 trillion economic rescue package. Mnuchin replied that Navarro had spoken without White House authorization, according to one person familiar with the exchange.

It was not the first time that Navarro had complicated the administration's relations with powerful figures in Congress.

In the spring of 2019, a handful of GOP senators met with Trump and Navarro in the Oval Office to discuss the president's tariffs, which were hurting Midwestern farmers. The meeting quickly grew contentious, according to two people familiar with the exchange.

Seated alongside the president and gesturing to charts used to illustrate his case, Navarro repeatedly spoke over the lawmakers. A frustrated Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, finally told Navarro he did not appreciate being interrupted, before telling the president he needed to hire new advisers, the people said.

Under Kelly, Navarro was often kept off the airwaves and confined to manufacturing issues. But the pandemic's focus on supply chain resilience and Chinese government behavior provided an opening.

As Trump struggled to recover from his sluggish initial response to the crisis, he tapped Navarro to oversee use of the DPA, a 1950 law that gives the president broad authority to require private companies to prioritize government orders.

In making the appointment, Trump praised Navarro "as a very trusted person" who had done an "incredible" job for him. But the aide's brusque approach to the by-the-book world of government contracting has drawn criticism.

"He just started behaving like a czar on something he knows very little about, calling and ordering people to do things," said one business executive familiar with his approach.

One controversy surrounds a decision by the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to approve a government loan to support Eastman Kodak's launch of a pharmaceuticals unit.

Appearing on Fox Business, Navarro hailed the July 28 loan announcement as a "great day here in Trump-land," saying it posed "minimal risk to the taxpayer" and had been executed with "the greatest of due diligence."

Navarro said the deal had originated with Abbott, a 2019 graduate of American University, who had identified Kodak as a vehicle for the government to increase domestic production of generic drug ingredients.

Almost immediately, questions were raised about unusual activity involving the company's stock.

On July 27, one day before the announcement, Kodak gave its chairman and chief executive, James Continenza, and three other top executives, options to buy the stock for as little as $3.03 per share.

At the time, Kodak shares were trading for less than that amount, rendering the options worthless. But when the loan was announced one day later, the stock soared to $60 before closing around $33, leaving each of the executives sitting on paper profits worth millions of dollars.

The DFC said in an Aug. 7 tweet that it was putting the deal on hold while "serious concerns" about it were addressed. Navarro responded by blaming the company.

"What happened at Kodak was probably the dumbest decisions made by executives in corporate history," he told CNBC. "You can't fix 'stupid.' "

Just one week earlier, Democrats on the House subcommittee on economic and consumer policy had called Navarro's negotiating "inept" and "incompetent" in a report on his handling of a ventilator contract with Philips.

Starting in mid-March, Abbott coordinated in-person and telephone meetings between his boss and the manufacturer, according to copies of emails between Philips and the White House cited in the report.

Philips's March 25 invoice for 42,900 ventilators was addressed to "Dr. Peter Navarro," almost two weeks before the formal agreement was signed. All of the key details of the contract with HHS, including price and quantity, were agreed by Navarro and the company before professional government contracting officials were involved, the report said.

"HHS professional contract officers were excluded until the last moment. By then, the generous terms of the contract had already been agreed to by the White House," the report said.

The Democrats' report said Navarro blundered by paying $15,000 per ventilator rather than the $3,280 for what it calls a "functionally identical" Philips unit ordered by the Obama administration.

Navarro agreed to pay Philips 50% of the $646.7 million contract value before any units were delivered, a down payment that HHS later trimmed by 80 percent, the report said.

"We do not recognize the conclusions in the subcommittee's report, and we believe that not all the information that we provided has been reflected in the report. We would like to reiterate that on no occasion has Philips raised prices to benefit from the crisis situation," said Steve Klink, a Philips spokesman.

Republicans blasted the report as "highly politicized" and "slipshod," saying Trump deserved credit for swiftly accelerating ventilator deliveries amid the crisis.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Wednesday reported 2 per cent decline in its total sales at 4,43,969 units in August. The company had sold a total of 4,52,551 units in the same month last year. Domestic sales last month stood at 4,28,231 units as against 4,25,664 units, a growth of 1 per cent, it said adding this was the first time in the ongoing fiscal that its domestic sales breached the 4 lakh units mark.

Exports during the month stood at 15,738 units as against 26,887 units in August last year. Commenting on the sales performance, HMSI Director - Sales & Marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleria said,"In August, over 90 per cent of our network is back to business and we are seeing some green shoots with higher customer enquiries."

The company's domestic sales crossed 4 lakh units mark for the first time this fiscal on the back of improved supplies and higher utilisation of production capacity, he added. "With festivals approaching, our line-up of 14 models, including our latest motorcycle Hornet 2.0 will excite new customers," Guleria said.

Last month, the company launched its Hornet 2.0 motorcycle price starting Rs 1,26,345.

Also read: Five reasons why Harley Davidson failed in India

Also read: Honda launches Hornet 2.0; check out price, features
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole introduces his Deputy Leader Candice Bergen as they hold a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 2, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Western Alienation, Economic Recovery Priorities Over an Election: OToole

OTTAWAConservative Leader Erin OToole says overcoming western alienation and helping Canadas post-pandemic economic recoveries are among his top priorities.

A fall election, he said, is not, though the Conservatives will be ready if it comes to that.

OToole has been in his post for a little over a week. He named his House of Commons leadership team Wednesday, including bringing on Manitoba MP Candice Bergen as his deputy leader.

He is the first leader of the Conservatives not from Western Canada since the 2003 unite-the-right movement brought the fractured wings of the party back into one. His staff are largely also drawn from eastern provinces.

Five of the eight people he named to the House of Commons team Wednesday are eastern MPs.

OToole would not say how worried he is about the rise of Wexit, an Alberta-based party advocating for the four western provinces to secede from Canada. It is led by Jay Hill, a former Conservative MP who was the government house leader for several years under prime minister Stephen Harper.

When the Reform party grew out of western alienation sentiment in the 1980s, it eventually split the right-wing vote with the Progressive Conservative party. That helped the Liberals win three majority governments in a row.

Im reminding everyone that it worked out well for the Liberals, OToole said.

I will be listening and I think people that are frustrated, Im saying, Dont let Justin Trudeau win. Make sure we are united. Make sure we win the next election.

Fear that former Conservative MP Maxime Berniers upstart Peoples Party of Canada might hurt the Conservative vote in 2019 turned out not to be justified.

But the partys strength is in western Canadaalmost two-thirds of its current MPs are from the west, and almost half the votes cast for Conservatives in 2019 came from western voters. In Alberta, where Wexit sentiment developed and is strongest, the Conservatives won 70 percent of the vote. If split votes did put western Conservative seats at risk, the consequences for the Tories could be dire.

Bergen, who was briefly in Harpers cabinet before 2015 and was the partys house leader under former leader Andrew Scheer, said western alienation was the very first thing OToole raised when he spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week.

Erin and I have talked briefly over the last few hours and one of the things he has asked me to focus on is western alienation, she said. And the fact that westerners need to know that Conservatives know this is an issue.

Trudeau prorogued Parliament last month, intending to return Sept. 23 with a new speech from the throne outlining how the Liberals plan to help Canadas economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The speech will result in a confidence vote.

OToole said the Conservatives will be ready if an election is necessary, but that isnt what he wants.

Im not here for an election, OToole said. Im here for the relaunch of our economy post-COVID.

Missing from OTooles house team is Leona Alleslev, who was deputy leader under Andrew Scheer until July, when she resigned to endorse Peter MacKay for the leadership.

Conservative spokeswoman Kelsie Chiasson said traditionally the deputy leader comes from a different region from the leader and OTooles Durham riding and Alleslevs Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill riding are less than 50 kilometres from each other on Torontos outskirts.

OToole will announce his shadow cabinet next week and Alleslev is expected to be part of it. OToole said so will Alain Rayes. He was the partys Quebec lieutenant under Andrew Scheer but was replaced Wednesday by Richard Martel, the only Quebec MP who endorsed OToole for the leadership.

In all OTooles house team includes four MPs who endorsed him, two who endorsed MacKay and two who stayed neutral.

Quebec MP Gerard Deltell is the new Tory house leader. Alberta MPs Blake Richards and Tim Uppal will be the chief whip and the caucus-party liaison. Ontario MPs Karen Vecchio, Alex Ruff and Eric Duncan will, respectively, be deputy house leader, deputy whip, and question period co-ordinator.

By Mia Rabson
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
It is absolutely right for President Donald Trump to say, AMERICA FIRST. No one has any objection. He is the American President, and he should make American interests his priority. This is natural, and all international leaders should follow suit. It is equally right for the French President to say, FRANCE FIRST, or the Italian Prime Minister to say, ITALY FIRST, or the Russian President to say, Russia FIRST.

Where is the problem? What is the problem? How is this wrong? When you undermine other countries or protect your interests at the cost of others, this is not acceptable. Every country should struggle hard to develop its economy, eradicate poverty, emphasize the welfare of ordinary people - but without harming other countries.

The last four decades have seen strong cooperation between the US and China, two great nations. As long as both were cooperating, both benefited each other. China gained a lot from American development, experience, technology, and advances, and Americans have also benefited from Chinese raw material, low labor costs, low manufacturing costs and a huge market.

There is no need to debate which side received more or fewer benefits, as both benefited each other. The cooperation between China and the US has also benefited the rest of the world, with both major powers contributing to the global economy and security.

The last few years have seen a different phenomenon, with the US confronting China. Initially, the commonly used terminology was Contain China and Resist Chinas Rise, but this changed to Counter China. The latest trend has been China Threat, CPC Threat and the like. The intensity of hostility is increasing, and the language used is getting worse.

Unfortunately, it is the US that has initiated this conflict and unilaterally increased its intensity. The US is also trying to build an anti-China alliance, and Secretary of State Pompeo has been extraordinarily active to this end. He has been in touch with various foreign ministers around the globe, trying to convince them to join his anti-China alliance. His visited four European nations in mid-August, moving one step forward in his efforts to lobby for an anti-China alliance. However, instead of convincing European countries, he has created a divide among them. His efforts went against his expectations and proved counter-productive.

Similarly, his recent tour to the Middle East carried the agenda of seeking the Arab worlds support against China. Significantly, the US wanted the oil-rich Gulf countries to stand with America against China. Again, he failed to convince them, and instead created differences among the Arab world, adversely affecting Arab unity.

The US is aggressively promoting anti-China sentiment and using all tools, platforms, and opportunities at its disposal to spread anti-China propaganda. Even under the life-threatening challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the US is paying less attention to this crisis and focusing more on its anti-China agenda.

In contrast, China is working hard to save the lives of the common man at home and around the world. China has focused on fighting the menace of poverty and has already lifted around 800 million people out of it, an unprecedented achievement in the history of humankind. China is paying more attention to economic development within China as well as around the globe under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China is promoting understanding and harmony among various cultures and nations, ultimately contributing toward global peace and security.

I have traveled to China extensively and have not come across any anti-America sentiments. The general public is either pro-America or neutral, but seldom against it. The Chinese government reciprocates American actions but in a very precise manner and very politely. China is not an aggressive nation and is not responding in the same style, language, and tone that America is using.

Those who have experienced traveling to China can see how friendly, peaceful and rational the Chinese are. It is easy to judge who is wrong or right.

The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online.

Zamir Ahmed Awan is a senior fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]
The boss of National Grid has warned Britain will be at risk of power blackouts due to a decaying electricity network after he asked Ofgem for the right to raise customers' bills.

CEO John Pettigrew fears power lines in parts of the country will 'decay,' after energy regulator Ofgem denied the National Grid's suggestion to charge consumers for replacing them.

According to The Times, the utility group, along with SSE and Scottish power, has reached a stalemate with Ofgem over a settlement that would have returns from next year and cancel billions of pounds worth of investments.

National Grid CEO John Pettigrew fears power lines in parts of the country will 'decay,' without proper funding

Ofgem claims the settlments will provide better value for money for customers.

But cancelled projects are already putting puts of the UK at greater risk of blackouts, Mr Pettigrew warned.

He claims the National Grid had 40million plans to replace one of the Sheffield's only two power lines.

Should one of those power lines fail, the only source of electricity for the entire city would be the other line.

Ofgem reportedly told The Times that the National Grid did not demonstrate the need for a replacement.

Speaking on the wider issue, Mr Pettigrew told The Times: 'It is deeply concerning for us because ultimately you're increasing the risk on the network.

'The risk of a loss of supply increases as a result of not spending as much on asset health, because the assets are deteriorating as they age.'

Some cities, such as Sheffield, could be at greater risk of blackouts, as they rely on fewer power lines for their supply, Mr Pettigrew warned

Mr Pettigrew also warned that the need to cut funds will likely result in job losses at the National Grid and its supply chain.

He claimed plans to spend 10billion on UK networks have been halved by current proposals.

Ofgem, however, say the draft plan could create jobs.

A spokeswoman for the regulator told The Times: 'Wherever network companies have demonstrated they need vital funding, we have given them the go ahead.'

She added it would not allow for billions of pounds to spent on proposals that were described as poorly evidenced.
They may have been villains on The Bachelor.

And Nick Viall and Victoria Fuller joined forces as they grabbed lunch at Joan's On Third in West Hollywood on Tuesday.

The reality sensations were spotted eating al fresco together, where they likely discussed their upcoming podcast episode.

Business lunch! Nick Viall and Victoria Fuller joined forces as they grabbed lunch at Joan's On Third in West Hollywood on Tuesday

Nick flashed a huge smile as he snacked away on a bag of potato chips with his comic book-print face mask dangling around his neck.

Victoria feasted on a hearty sandwich as she sat directly across from him with a disposable face covering clinging to her ears.

The former Bachelor villain kept it cute and casual for the outing with a white crop top, jeans, and mini backpack.

Nick put his buff biceps on display in a olive grey T-shirt, jeans, and smart silver watch.

Let's do lunch! Viall delightfully munched away on a bag of potato chips

All ears: Viall gave Victoria his undivided attention during their laid-back lunch date

Masks down: The duo lowered their facial coverings for their midday meal

After lunch, the duo packed up their left-overs and headed back into the sunshine.

Nick took part in the ongoing battle against coronavirus as he tied his face mask around his head.

The reality star carefully adjusted the covering, ensuring it was securely wrapped around his head.

While the pair seemed to have quite a bit to chat about on Tuesday, it won't be much longer until the duo delight fans on an upcoming episode of Nick's podcast, The Viall Files.

Well-fed: After lunch, the duo packed up their left-overs and headed back into the sunshine

Let's chat: Fuller will be appearing in an upcoming episode of Nick's podcast, The Viall Files

Yum! Victoria feasted on a hearty sandwich as she sat directly across from him with a disposable face covering clinging to her ears

Victoria teased their upcoming episode on her Instagram stories, where she posted video of her hanging out with Nick.

'Well... this happened! Tune tf in 9/9/2020,' Victoria wrote in the snap.

The Viall Files plugged Victoria's upcoming appearance by sharing a clip of her posing in a kitchen.

Slowing the spread: The former Bachelor tied a face mask around his head, as part of the ongoing battle against coronavirus

Making a fashion statement: Viall's face mask had a playful comic book design

'Are you doing a video or a picture!?' Victoria playfully demanded before striking a pose.

Bachelor Nation first met Nick on Andi Dorfman's season of The Bachelorette, where he came second to Josh Murphy, before returning for subsequent seasons of The Bachelorette, Bachelor In Paradise, and finally his very own season of The Bachelor.

He ended up with contestant Vanessa Grimaldi, though their engagement was not to meant to be.

Trendy touches: Victoria wore a white crop top, mini backpack, and scrunchie on her wrist

Bachelor Nation stardom: Nick famously catapulted to stardom after multiple runs on The Bachelorette, Bachelor In Paradise, and finally his own season of The Bachelor

Meanwhile, Victoria Fuller appeared on Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor.

While she did not end up with Peter, she has since found love with former Bachelor Chris Soules.

Victoria recently told People they have been 'really happy' together: 'The last few months have been really special for us.'

She found love: Fuller is now dating former Bachelor Chris Soules

Dynamic duo! Victoria teased their upcoming episode on her Instagram stories, where she posted video of her hanging out with Nick
Denial of DNA proof of relation to Ivan the Terrible to Moscow Region resident upheld

 Fragment of Vasnetsov painting 1897

14:36 02/09/2020

MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Regional Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by a resident of town of Krasnogorsk Valery Kubarev against denial to legally establish his relation to Russian medieval ruler Ivan the Terrible, the plaintiff told RAPSI.

In late January, a court in Krasnogorsk, a town in the Moscow Region, dismissed a lawsuit lodged by Kubarev. He sought to legally establish his relation to Russian medieval ruler Ivan the Terrible and intended to move for a DNA expert investigation of male Moscow princes, buried in the Kremlin.

As a result of a research I have carried out on my own basing on publicly available data, that is, Genealogical tables pertaining to the history of European states, it was established that the petitioner is a direct relative of Ivan IV the Terrible, now buried in the burial place of grand princes and tsars in Archangel Cathedral, Kubarev told RAPSI earlier.

Giving the fact that he cannot prove his relation to the royal dynasty under the procedure established by the civil legislation, he had to turn to courts, Kubarev explained. His purpose, the petitioner said, was to care about the burial place of his alleged relative, but he was not allowed to do so by law until providing proof of real kinship.

Russias Culture Ministry was named as the defendant in the case.

Kubarev is going to appeal the court ruling and has not rule out a possibility to turn to the European Court of Human Rights.
The coronavirus pandemic has sped up the rush to e-commerce and digital experiences, according to the chief executive of Lego, as the company announced double-digit growth in consumer sales.

Speaking on a call with reporters on Wednesday, Niels B. Christiansen said visitor numbers to the firm's flagship Lego.com website had doubled to 100 million during the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2019.

The company's revenue grew 7% to 15.7 billion Danish krone ($2.46 billion) in the six months to June 30, compared to the same period last year, which Christiansen said was due to investments in products, e-commerce, and brand paying off.

"We've actually been investing quite a bit in  longer-term initiatives around strengthening our product portfolio, making it more diverse, touching more passion points (at) different ages, adding more technology," he told CNBC by phone.

Lego reported double-digit consumer sales growth in China, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, and operating profit for the group reached 3.9 billion Danish krone for the first half, up 11% on 2019.

But despite the leaps in technology, Lego's digital transformation is at a relatively early stage, Christiansen said.

"The entire Lego ecosystem is actually, I think, only at the beginning. So, it's less about just creating an e-commerce store or an online store. It is really about this entire digital ecosystem and creating that future. And that's a long-term journey, that's a 10-year journey  And we're just a couple of years into this," he told CNBC by phone.

The company's digital platforms include play app Lego Life, which now has more than 9 million users, and the toymaker said it saw a 70% increase in content uploaded by users of its platforms during the first half of the year.

"Serving kids the way we do and having to connect and interact with kids in a world that becomes increasingly digital with all the issues that comes with that in terms of data privacy and creating safe environments for kids, there are many, many, many things we need to invest behind and do and create," Christiansen said.

The Danish family-owned company has outperformed the market, with competitors such as Hasbro suffering after stores closed during the pandemic. Lego is set to open about 120 new brick-and-mortar outlets in 2020, including 80 in China by the end of the year, bringing the total number of Chinese outlets to more than 200.

It launched its Monkie Kid sets, based on the Monkey King Chinese legend, in May, and Christiansen hinted other culturally-based characters may be in the making. "That's an interesting way to also build on, for instance, Chinese culture, or source theme ideas out of cultures and that is something I think in an increasingly diverse and inclusive world is probably one of the ways we can add to that," he told CNBC.

He added that the company had made efforts in what it calls "fluid play," blending physical and digital elements, with physical characters such as Lego Super Mario connected to an app via Bluetooth for example.

"Many of the major trends shaping our industry, such as digitalization and e-commerce, are accelerating as a result of the pandemic. We saw strong growth in digital and traditional play, a rapid shift to e-commerce and the importance of having a truly global operating model," Christiansen said in an emailed release.
MBH Corporation Plc / Key word(s): Investment

MBH CORPORATION PLC ANNOUNCES FIRST ACQUISITIONS TO ESTABLISH NEW PROPERTY VERTICAL IN THE UNITED STATES





Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



MBH CORPORATION PLC ANNOUNCES FIRST ACQUISITIONS TO ESTABLISH NEW PROPERTY VERTICAL IN THE UNITED STATES



London, 2 September 2020 - MBH Corporation plc (MBH), a diversified investment holding company, announces the 100% acquisitions of the US based companies 'Meeting of the Minds' (MOTM) and 'Everyday Realty Services' (ERS). For the year ended 31 December 2019, MOTM and ERS generated unaudited consolidated revenues of USD 1.23m and an EBIT of USD 0.63m. With the acquisition of MOTM and ERS, MBH is establishing a seventh business segment "property" in addition to education, construction services, engineering services, health, leisure and transportation. This latest acquisition takes the pro-forma revenues of the MBH Group portfolio companies up to GBP 85.5m based on its financial year 2019 results.



Meeting of the Minds was established 12 years ago and has grown to become the largest real estate investor association and investor mentoring programme in New York. Everyday Realty Services, a real estate brokerage and commercial funding company, trades under the Exit Realty franchise and Everyday Funding brands.



The total consideration for the two companies is estimated to be between USD 2.9m to 3.5m. The majority of the consideration will be paid in unlisted bonds in MBH Corporation plc and would convert to listed bonds upon completion of audited accounts. The terms of the listed and unlisted bonds are as follows: Contact: MBH Corporation plc, Charlotte Williams, charlotte@unity-group.com, +44 (0)770 396 3953 Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this News:





About Meeting of the Minds Inc & Everyday Realty Services Inc Established in 2008, MOTM is a networking and educational company which carries out events and Real Estate ('RE') mentoring services under the LIREIA (for networking) and Mentoring Masterminds (for education) brands. LIREIA stands for Long Island Real Estate Investment Association; it is a local affiliate of the National REIA, a non-profit trade association in the RE sector. There are two types of memberships with the National REIA - affiliates and chapters. Affiliates are for members who desire to be a chapter but are not ready to meet the requirements.

http://mentoringmasterminds.com/ | https://www.lireia.com/

ERS is a RE brokerage and commercial funding company. It is a spin-off from MOTM; due to licensing issues, the businesses have to be held in different entities. ERS trades under the EXIT Realty Everyday (for RE brokerage) and Everyday Funding Services (for commercial funding related to RE) brands. ERS holds the EXIT Realty franchise for the Long Island region of New York. EXIT Realty was founded in 1996 and specializes in services related to RE in the USA. ERS is in the process of purchasing a franchise Brokerage Exit Realty which they expect to grow from 5 producing agents to over 50. The company's income comes from Commissions, Short sale negotiation fees, points from lending and fees.

www.everydayfundingservices.com/

http://exitrealtyeveryday.com/

About MBH



MBH Corporation plc is a diversified investment holding company, listed on the Frankfurt and Dusseldorf Stock Exchanges. The company acquires small to medium bfd across multiple geographies and sectors that are well established, profitable and looking to scale. By leveraging the Agglomeration strategy, MBH Corporation plc is able to create substantial shareholder value through the consistent and accretive acquisition of excellent companies.

www.mbhcorporation.com

Contacts for IR and media enquiries:

MBH Corporation plc, Charlotte Williams, charlotte@unity-group.com, +44 (0)770 396 3953

Kirchhoff Consult AG, Anika Heske, anika.heske@kirchhoff.de, +49 (0)40 609186 39 02-Sep-2020 CET/CEST The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


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Some of New York City's Michelin star restaurants are crying out for an update from the city on whether or not they'll be able to resume indoor dining in the fall, and say that without it, they will have to close their doors.

Restaurants and bars were finally able to offer outdoor dining again on June 22 after nearly three months of closures.

Those who were able to opened their doors again but were met with strict rules; all diners must be 6ft apart, wear masks when not at their tables and order food with every drink served.

Now, as summer winds down and cooler temperatures set in, there are fears over how they will continue to cling on through the fall.

The outdoor dining scheme ends on October 31 and so far, Bill de Blasio has put forward no plans to allow people back inside restaurants.

It has left the surviving restaurants 'flying blind'. 'If we dont open inside, its going to be a disaster,' Daniel Boulud, of the famous Daniel on 65th St, told The Wall Street Journal.

Marea in Midtown is among restaurants that has offered upscale, outdoor dining

Carbone, in the heart of Greenwich Village, has also been welcoming diners since outdoor dining began

Many say they would rather know now if they won't be able to open in the fall to begin negotiations with landlords.

Daniel Boulud, of the famed Daniel restaurant, said it will be a 'disaster' if he cannot let diners back indoors

'Dr. Autumn is knocking on the door in a big way,' Danny Meyer, of Union Square Hospitality Group, said.

He added that the lack of information from de Blasio and Cuomo was making it 'impossible to have rational conversations.

'We are now flying blindly,' Blair Papagni, who owns Anella in Greenpoint and Jimmy's Diner, added.

More than 1,000 restaurants across New York City have already been forced to close due to the pandemic.

It remains unclear how many will be able to reopen when it it safe to welcome diners back inside.

Some do not have the capacity for outdoor dining, and for others, it is not worth it financially.

Despite the increasing pressure on the industry and growing frustration among restaurant owners, there is still no information coming from the government.

Other states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts have resumed indoor dining.

Some parts of upstate New York have also allowed indoor dining to resume but New York City remains under a strict ban.

More than 300 restaurants have sued the city over the ban. They are seeking $2billion in damages in a class action lawsuit.

De Blasio signaled on Monday that indoor dining may still be months away from returning despite NYC recording a 0.59 percent COVID-19 infection rate - one of the lowest rates since March.

The dire outlook for already struggling restaurants came as reports emerged that de Blasio has delayed laying off 22,000 city workers in the hopes that the state government will provide funding.

Mayor Bill de Blasio signaled on Monday that indoor dining may still be months away from returning despite NYC recording a 0.59 percent COVID-19 infection rate - one of the lowest rates since March

'We do expect - and pray for and expect - a vaccine in the spring that will allow us to get more back to normal,' de Blasio said.

'But I will absolutely tell you, we're going to keep looking for that situation where we can push down the virus enough where we would have more ability to address indoor dining.'

De Blasio, who is considering whether to extend outdoor dining beyond the October 31 expiry date, went on to say that he hoped to have more information in the coming days about the return indoor dining.

'Is there a way where we can do something safely with indoor dining? So far we have not had that moment, honestly,' he said.

'It would take a huge step forward to get to that point and that's the truth.'

Andrew Rigie, of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, questioned de Blasio's suggestion that the city hadn't worked out how to safely allow indoor dining.

'With indoor dining resuming soon in New Jersey, New York City will be surrounded by indoor dining but locked out from participating at significant economic peril,' he said.

'The situation is at a boiling point and our government leaders must immediately develop a plan to reopen indoor dining across the five boroughs, like what's been provided to restaurants throughout the rest of the state.

Andrew Rigie, of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, questioned de Blasio's suggestion that the city hadn't worked out how to safely allow indoor dining

'Otherwise, our city's economic crisis will reach a point it cannot come back from, with thousands of more restaurants permanently closing and likely more lawsuits filed against the government.

'The rest of New York State has been operating for months now at 50 percent reduced indoor occupancy using the same requirements that NYC was going to use starting July 6, until it was put on hold indefinitely.'

It comes as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that restaurants will be allowed to reopen for indoor dining on Friday.

The number of diners must be limited to 25 percent of the restaurant's capacity and tables must be spaced in accordance with social-distancing rules.

It comes as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that restaurants will be allowed to reopen for indoor dining on Friday

Masks will have to be worn except when eating or drinking.

The announcement comes five months after the state shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Like neighboring New York City, restaurants and bars have only been allowed to offer outdoor seating after they could reopen in June.

Indoor dining has been prohibited in both New Jersey and New York since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in March.

Restaurants outside of NYC in other parts of the state have already been allowed to welcome back indoor diners.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday acknowledged the 'competitive disadvantage' New York City restaurants were going to face given New Jersey's loosened restrictions.

Meanwhile, de Blasio is delaying potential layoffs for 22,000 city workers in the hope that the state government will provide funding.

Those city workers were expected to be notified on Monday if they would still have jobs come October 1 after de Blasio announced the potential layoffs in June.
Second arrest and link made in Playa del Carmen stabbing death

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  Police make a second arrest and successful link in a Playa del Carmen stabbing death. The Attorney General of the State of Quintana Roo reports prosecutors in the municipality of Solidaridad were successful in linking Jovin R to the crime of qualified homicide in the killing of a man in the In House subdivision.

The FGE says the events occurred November 24, 2019 in the settlement known as In House, where Jovin R in the company of Angel A, the latter of whom has already been linked to process for the same crime, caused injuries with a knife that deprived the victim of his life. The pair then moved the body of the deceased, leaving him in the Bellavista neighborhood.

A judge has ruled that both men will be held in preventative detention as a precautionary measure during their trial.
Joe Biden, aiming to refocus the presidential race back to the coronavirus outbreak, denounced President Trump's approach to reopening schools in the midst of the pandemic and accused the president of being absent in the face of a "national emergency."

"If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on with this crisis, Americas schools would be open and would be open safely," Biden said in a speech in Wilmington, Del., on Wednesday. "Instead, American families all across this country are paying the price for his failures."

The address marks Biden's latest attempt to claim the mantle as the candidate most likely to keep the country safe, challenging the central pitch for Trump's reelection bid. While Trump has prioritized talking about crime over the coronavirus by calling himself the "law and order president," Biden has tried to strike a balance between condemning violence, supporting those who seek police reform and reframing the definition of security to include protection from the pandemic and economic instability.

The schools dilemma has taken on added resonance as the start of the academic year approaches, and families across the country are contending with a patchwork of approaches, from in-person instruction to virtual learning. Many parents and educators have been torn between their worries about contagion, and the downsides of keeping children at home, including socialization and developmental harm, inequities in remote instruction and the difficulty for adults to balance work and child care.

Trump has urged a full reopening of schools, seeing it as crucial to revive the economy that had been battered by the virus.

Biden released his proposal for safe school reopening earlier this summer, emphasizing reducing spread of the virus in communities, setting national guidelines to inform decisions by local education officials and providing more than $30 billion to improve school infrastructure and broadband capabilities.

Story continues

He called on Trump to pass emergency funding to aid schools, and condemned the president as too distracted to fulfill his self-described role as a deal maker.

"That's what you should be focused on  getting our kids back to school safely... not whipping up fear and division, not inciting violence in our streets," Biden said. "Get off Twitter and start talking to the congressional leaders of both parties."

Campaign surrogates have echoed the former vice president's argument that it is Trump, not Biden, who threatens the nation's safety.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) said it was no surprise that Americans were worried, ticking off a list of concurrent challenges they are facing: the pandemic, an economic downturn, unjustified police violence and a rise in white nationalist activity.

"The common thread in all of this is an incumbent president who takes no responsibility for the crisis that we're in. He cares more about his reelection, obviously, than he does about the American people," she said in a call with reporters.

By focusing on the coronavirus, Biden is returning to more solid political ground, as polling shows a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the pandemic. The campaign said the address was not an attempt to change the subject from the president's law and order messaging, but a reflection of the true concerns of voters.

"I would argue that the spotlight never left COVID," said senior campaign advisor Symone Sanders on Tuesday. "Just because President Trump and the Trump campaign want to speak about everything else other than the coronavirus... does not mean that this is not top of mind for folks across this country."

Biden finished his speech with a rare press conference, including fielding questions about his plans to travel to Kenosha, Wis., on Thursday for a community meeting. The town, roughly 30 miles south of Milwaukee, was plunged into unrest after police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, seven times in the back, leaving him paralyzed. Biden said that in the case of Blake, and in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, the judicial system should "work its way," but added that "at a minimum, [the officers involved] need to be charged."

Trump visited Kenosha earlier this week, despite concerns from local officials that it would inflame tensions, and pledged to help damaged businesses rebuild. Biden was asked if his visit would similarly raise concerns about exacerbating divisions, and said he received "overwhelming requests" to travel to Kenosha.

"We've got to heal. We've got to put things together, bring people together," Biden said. "And so, my purpose in going will be to do just that, to be a positive influence on what's going on."

Democrats in Wisconsin were pleased with the news of Biden's visit to what will be a crucial battleground state in the election.

"He's really good at bringing people together across divides. It's his signature thing  he's able to empathize," said Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. "He brings calm. He wears his heart on his sleeve. It's both what Kenosha needs and why he's the right president for now."

Republicans painted the trip as a desperate and panicked move.

Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, noted on a call with reporters that Biden declined to accept the nomination in Milwaukee during last month's Democratic National Convention, citing concerns over COVID-19.

"Has the science changed in that period of time or has Joe Bidens desperation in this campaign changed?" Murtaugh said.

Murtaugh predicted that Biden "will give platitudes that everyone agrees with like all 'violence is bad.'...He wont call the rioters for what they are: left-wing radicals aligned with his party."

Trump, meanwhile, has not condemned violence allegedly committed by his supporters, such as Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who was charged with the killing of two people during unrest in Kenosha last week.

The president said very clearly that he does not believe that people should take the law into their own hands, Murtaugh said, without naming Rittenhouse or specifically condemning him.

Biden was also asked about the upcoming presidential debates, the first of which will be Sept. 29, moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News. He joked that he'd want to see a crawl at the bottom of the television screen checking facts in real time.

"I think that would make a great, great debate if everything both of us said was instantly fact checked," he said, adding that nothing would dissuade him from participating. The moderators of the subsequent debates will be Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristin Welker of NBC News, and Susan Page of USA Today will moderate the vice presidential debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced.

Also Wednesday, the Biden campaign said that it, along with the Democratic Party, raked in more than $364 million during the month of August, a staggering sum that surpasses previous fundraising records.

The haul coincided with the addition of California Sen. Kamala Harris to the ticket. The vice presidential hopeful has been an assiduous fundraiser for the campaign.

Biden said the vast sum would be needed to "counter the lies that are being told by Trump's campaign," as well as promote his own vision for the country.

Times staff writers Noah Bierman and Janet Hook in Washington contributed to this report.
It comes as no little irony that the ECHR judgment was delivered yesterday, when Slovakia celebrated Constitution Day, writes Marek Balaz of the European Roma Rights Centre.

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A full seven years after Slovak police violently stormed a Roma settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a ruling that marks an important legal victory for Roma rights and against racist policing; some kind of justice for the individual claimants; and a triumph for the Centre for Civil and Human Rights, which deserves our congratulations.

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Yesterday (September 1, 2020), the Strasbourg court ruled in the case of R.R. v. Slovakia that there has been substantive and procedural violations of Article 3, and a violation of Article 14; and awarded each of the applicants 20,000 in damages and 6,500 in costs.

It comes as no little irony that the judgement was delivered yesterday, when Slovakia celebrated Constitution Day (Den Ustavy Slovenskej republiky), for there was little way of constitutional rights accorded to the Romani victims of this notorious police raid. Reading through this judgment left me with a bitter taste.
China has taken a "naive" US and its leaders for a ride over the past several decades, according to former top Indian-American diplomat Nikki Haley, who said the Trump administration through its robust Indo-Pacific strategy is now learning who its real friends are.

Speaking at the third India-US Leadership Summit organised virtually by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), former US Ambassador to the UN Haley on Tuesday said Americans know that Indians are not a threat to them and as such, it is time for Indians to share their success story. The US has ...
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:02:47|Editor: huaxia

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by Li Xiaoyu, Xia Lixin

SINGAPORE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Young people should always be loyal to the country, study hard, and fight when circumstances arise, Leow Oon Geok said when being asked what she would like to tell the young generation as the daughter of a Singapore anti-Japanese hero.

Her father Lim Bo Seng was remembered as one of Singapore's war heroes. According to the Singapore Bicentennial Office, he participated in anti-Japanese activities in Malaya and Singapore during World War II, and was captured by Japanese invaders in Ipoh in 1944, which led to his death at the young age of 35.

"When my father wrote this diary, he was dying. He wrote to my mother saying 'do not grieve for me, tell the children what has happened to me and bring them up in my footsteps'," said Lim Lam Geok, son of Lim Bo Seng.

PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN

Lim Bo Seng was born in Nan'an, southeast China's Fujian province in 1909. He came to Singapore when he was 16 and received English education at the Raffles Institution. After that, he went on to study business at the University of Hong Kong.

He had to cut short his study in Hong Kong and came back to Singapore at the age of 20 after his father, a well-known architect and businessman, passed away for illness. Lim was the first son of his family and he had lots of siblings.

"The family is very very big, and he was responsible for running the businesses and making sure that they have enough money to support all the family members," said the 88-year-old Leow. "So that was a big responsibility."

Lim came back to Singapore in 1929 and took over the leadership for the whole family, as well as the Lim family's biscuit factory and brickworks. Later he ventured into the construction industry. According to Lim Whye Geok, another son of Lim Bo Seng, within the years before the Japanese troops came, his father became quite a prominent businessman.

In that period, Lim was the president of an organization currently known as the Singapore Contractors Association Ltd and a board member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Besides, Lim Bo Seng became the executive member and education director of the Singapore Hokkien Association.

FAMOUS ANTI-JAPANESE ACTIVIST

Lim participated in anti-Japanese activities in the 1930s. The Singapore Bicentennial Office said he donated money to the Chinese Relief Fund and joined the boycott against Japanese goods.

Lim Whye Geok told Xinhua that when the Nanjing Massacre started in December 1937 and around 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were brutally killed by Japanese troops in over six weeks, his father became very upset. He was increasingly involved in anti-Japanese activities from 1937. His children could hardly see him, because he was always out until quite late at night.

Leow recalled that his father once organized a fundraising activity in Singapore and asked people to go on the street and sell flowers to raise money to send back to China.

He also went to a Japanese-owned tin mine in Malaya, a important source of military supply for Japanese troops, and organized some 3,000 Chinese workers there to go on strike.

Lim met the workers there and told them that the tin was shipped to Japan as a raw material to make weapons, and the weapons were used to attack China. He convinced the workers to go on strike and eventually managed to bring all of them back to Singapore, where he found jobs for them and helped them get accommodations.

During Japan's bombing of Singapore, the British authorities in Singapore at that time approached Lim to organize the Chinese community there to do voluntary work.

Shenton Thomas, then Governor of the Straits Settlements, asked Lim to form the Chinese Liaison Committee to assist the British in civil defense. Lim organized more than 10,000 men to erect defenses around Singapore after the fall of Kota Bharu. As the Japanese advanced towards Singapore from Johor, he and his team blew up the causeway, effectively slowing the enemy's movement, according to the Singapore Bicentennial Office.

RESPECTED BY COMRADES

Lim left his wife and children a few days before Singapore fell into the hands of the Japanese invaders. He wrote in his diary that he was offered places for himself and his family to flee Singapore, but he decided not to accept this offer, as "accommodation was insufficient for everyone and their families."

Lim and some Chinese community leaders went to Calcutta, or Kolkata of India today, where he participated in the establishment of Force 136, a guerrilla task force jointly set up by China and Britain. Lim came to southwest China's Chongqing in 1942 to recruit Asian Chinese youths for the Force 136.

Lee Kim Chuan, a comrade of Lim Bo Seng, wrote in the book The Price of Peace that Force 136 tried to recruit Malayan Chinese youths from the provisional wartime capital of China and the city of Kunming and sought volunteers from the Central Military School in China. More than 100 people were recruited in all, and they underwent training in India before being sent to Malaya for underground battles against the Japanese army.

Lim also travelled to Malaya in 1943 to establish an intelligence network. Unfortunately, he was captured by the Japanese and jailed in the Batu Gajah prison in 1944. Despite of being tortured, he refused to provide any information about Force 136 to the Japanese invaders and staged a hunger strike in protest against the ill treatment of his comrades in prison.

Tan Chong Tee, Lim's comrade who was also jailed in the prison at that time, wrote in his book Force 136: Story of a WWII Resistance Fighter that Lim still showed much concern for his comrades even when he himself was in danger.

"He implored the guards to distribute his food which was left at his cell door to the rest of us," Tan wrote. "I was deeply touched by his noble character and kept persuading him to eat. Bo Seng's selflessness moved the guards too. Some of them became our messengers."

Lim died on June 29, 1944, at the age of 35. His remains were moved to Singapore by his wife and eldest son in 1945 and buried in MacRitchie Reservoir in January 1946.

Today, people can recall his heroic deeds by visiting the Lim Bo Seng Memorial at Esplanade Park in Singapore, or the places named after him, such as Bo Seng Avenue in Singapore and Jalan Lim Bo Seng in Ipoh, Malaysia.

"My father's story has always been a great inspiration for us and our children. I hope the young generation will be grateful and cherish what we have today and will stand up bravely for the country when needed," said Leow. Enditem
President Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden as 'low energy' and complained his rival was 'back in his basement' after the Democratic nominee made a highly-visible campaign stop in Pittsburgh on Monday and will give an education speech on Wednesday.

Trump also claimed Biden is on some kind unspecified 'enhancement' drug during an interview with Fox News that aired on Tuesday. But he did not offer any proof and was not pressed on his claim.

The president lashed out at his rival after a new round of polls showed Biden in the lead after the Republican National Convention, despite the expectation Trump would get a boost after his nomination for a second term.

President Trump claimed Joe Biden is on some kind unspecified 'enhancement' drug during an interview with Fox News but he did not offer any proof and was not pressed on his claim

'Joe Biden is a Low Energy Candidate the likes of which we have never seen before. The last thing our country needs is a Low Energy Individual, especially when surrounded by High Energy Chess Players scattered all over the world. Hes back in his basement now - no schedule!,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Biden is receiving an education briefing in Wilmington on Wednesday and then will give a speech on school reopenings and the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, he gave a speech in Pittsburgh where he attacked Trump's response to racial unrest and delivered pizza to local firefighters.

After Trump's tweets Wednesday morning, the Biden campaign announced Joe and Jill Biden would go to Wisconsin on Thursday to hold a community meeting in Kenosha.

Trump also touted his own trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and continued to push himself as the 'law and order' president as he laid on the attacks.

'Joe Biden is not on the side of Law Enforcement, and that was spectacularly evident on my very successful trip yesterday to Kenosha. We solved the problem quickly, and it was very much appreciated by the people of Wisconsin. Joe Biden wouldnt know where to begin - a bad record!,' he added.

The president has thrown out several attack lines on Biden, questioning his health, his mental abilities and his policies, including distorting Biden's record to claim he would defund the police - which Biden has said he would not. He has accused Biden of 'hiding' in his basement while the Biden campaign said the candidate is simply following coronavirus guidelines.

Trump told Fox News he wanted Biden to take a drug test before their first presidential debate because he claims the Democratic presidential nominee is on 'some kind of enhancement.'

He did not specify and offered no proof.

'He's on some kind of an enhancement, in my opinion,' he said. ' I want to take one. Ill take one, hell take one. We should both take a drug test.'

Biden, meanwhile, will attempt to turn the conversation back to the coronavirus, tying it to the start of the school year in a speech in Wilmington on Wednesday. It's his second speech in three days.

He and Jill Biden will receive a briefing from education experts ahead of his remarks.

'Too many classrooms are empty because of President Trump's continued and willful failure to offer a meaningful plan to address covid-19,' Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders said Tuesday night. 'He's barreling forward trying to reopen schools because he thinks it will help his own reelection. It's very clear, glaringly clear, that Donald Trump doesn't have a plan.'

Jill Biden, a teacher who said she plans to continue her classroom work should she become first lady, is also leading a 'Back-to-School Tour' of 10 cities in eight battleground states this week - some events will be virtual and some will be in person with social distancing measures in place.

President Trump has pushed schools to reopen despite the pandemic, which has infected more than 6.9 million people in the United States and killed more than 185,000 people

Many school districts, however, have opted to begin the school year with virtual learning instead.

The president will be in North Carolina on Wednesday to designate the city of Wilmington as the first American World War II Heritage City. He'll make his remarks from the Battleship North Carolina.

Voters consistently give President Trump low marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and race relations in the country. But they give him strong points on his handling of the economy.

The Biden campaign has been stressing how Trump's COVID response has affected the everyday lives of Americans.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he surveys riot damage in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday

President Donald Trump walks through burned out buildings Tuesday during his trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin

Joe Biden brings pizza to fire fighters during a visit to Pittsburgh on Monday

Jill Biden is leading a 'Back-to-School Tour' of 10 cities in eight battleground states this week

But Biden has also been under pressure to respond to Trump's rhetoric on the race demonstrations that have sprung up over the country.

Trump calls himself the 'law and order' president and has blasted protesters.He was in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday to survey the damage from protests and riots there after white police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in front of his children.

'These are not peaceful protests but domestic terror,' he said during his visit.

Biden, meanwhile, blasted the president in a speech in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Biden went after Trump calling him a 'toxic presence' and accused him of 'stoking violence in our cities' asking voters, 'Do you really feel safer under Trump?' Biden also condemned riots and looting and called on Americans to 'stand against violence - in every form it takes.'
Biological sex influences the effect of amyloid beta on alterations to tau protein characteristic to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a role for estradiol in preventing the disease in women, report scientists in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia. It affects more women than men. A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease indicates that factors such as age, reproductive stage, hormone levels, and the interplay with other risk factors should be considered in women and proposes a role for early menopausal estrogen replacement to protect against the development of AD.

The risk of developing AD as well as its progression and severity are known to be very different in men and women. Recent epidemiological studies showed that two thirds of AD patients are women, and this fact cannot be attributed only to their higher life expectancy. The loss of estradiol might be one of the factors leading to declining cognitive function in women." Elena Tamagno, PhD, Co-Lead Investigator, Department of Neuroscience and Neuroscience Institute of Cavalieri Ottolenghi Foundation (NICO), University of Torino, Torino, Italy

Hallmarks of AD are the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides in amyloid plaques, and the aggregation of modified tau protein to form neurofibrillary tangles. Tau proteins are abundant in nerve cells and perform the function of stabilizing microtubules, and are pathologically altered in AD. To examine the hypothesis that biological sex influences the effect of amyloid beta 42 (AB42) peptides on these changes to tau protein, investigators gave intraventricular injections of nanomolecular concentrations of AB42 to transgenic mice expressing the wild-type human tau (hTau). In a previous study the investigators had noted that female mice did not show the alterations of tau protein characteristic of AD. In the current study they demonstrated that AB42 caused the pathological form of tau in ovariectomized female mice, but not in control females, and that estrogen replacement reversed this effect through an antioxidant activity and a decrease of tau phosphorylation.

"Our study indicates that factors such as age, reproductive stage, hormone levels, and the interplay with other risk factors should be considered in women, in order to identify the best appropriate treatment in prevention of cognitive impairment," commented co-lead investigator Massimo Tabaton, MD, Unit of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy. "Our results suggest that an early postmenopausal estrogen replacement may be protective against AD."

"Linking estrogen deficiency to the tau changes of AD provides the missing mechanistic link to the greater risk of AD in women and significantly suggests therapeutic avenues to reduce AD," added George Perry, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Semmes Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

AD is a major social and health problem. In the United States, approximately 5.5 million people are affected, and the number is growing as a result of the increase in life expectancy. The prevalence of dementia worldwide is estimated at 24 million people, which is expected to double by 2050. AD is characterized by progressive cognitive decline usually beginning with impairment in the ability to form recent memories, but inevitably affecting all intellectual functions and leading to complete dependence for basic functions of daily life and premature death. Women are more likely to develop the disease, independent of their longer life expectancy: one in six women over 65 develops AD, compared with one in 11 men.
Freehold Raceway's 11-race program this Friday (Sept. 4) is headlined by a pair of New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund races for trotting three-year-old.

The division for fillies drew a field of six and is scheduled as the third race with a listed post time of 1:10 p.m. (EDT). The expected favourite is Common Sense S for trainer Ake Svanstedt and driver Steve Smith. A winner of several stakes races this year, Common Sense S is seeking her first win of her sophomore campaign. She's coming off a fifth-place finish in the Continentalvictory at the Meadowlands. She has post-position 5 for this race.

Her five rivals all exit the first leg of the series, held last Friday. The best finisher of the group, Alyvia Deo, finished third at 45/1 last week. She has post-position 3 for trainer Rob Harmon and driver Vinny Ginsburg.

The division for colts & geldings features a field of eight and will go as the fifth race, scheduled to be run at 1:50 p.m. (EDT). Marcus Melander sends a pair: Southwind Hillrazr, coming off a runner-up finish against winners at Harrah's Philadelphia, and Fly Eagle Fly, a recent maiden winner at that track. They drew the inside two post positions.

Freehold's Friday card also features two carryovers. The Early Pick 4, beginning in Race 2, has a carryover of $1,223.86. The Pick 5, which starts in Race 5, features a carryover of $863.91.

The first race at Freehold on Friday is slated to go at 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

(Freehold Raceway)
Most Americans Support Nationwide Mask Mandate, Poll Shows

More than 6 in 10 Americans support a federal government order that would mandate people to wear masks while outside their home, according to an Epoch Times survey of likely voters conducted by Big Data Poll.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is promoting the idea of a national mask mandate. The poll found that 24.5 percent of likely voters oppose the idea, while 12.8 percent are undecided.

Support for a universal mask mandate is stronger among Democratic voters, 80 percent of whom back the idea, compared to 53 percent of Republican voters.

Big Data Poll interviewed 2,169 likely voters nationwide from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30, sourced via voter file-verified online survey panels. The sampling error is plus or minus 2.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval that projects the electorate at 145 million voters. The results were weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and region.

The affiliation breakdown was 36 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican, and 32 percent independent/other, mirroring the Aristotle National Voter File Database.

The Biden campaign is focused on President Donald Trumps handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as its main line of attack on the president. The Biden campaigns statements on other issues regularly dovetail into criticism of the presidents pandemic response. In a recent example on Sept. 1, Bidens statement on Trumps visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, which experienced violent rioting last week, pivoted to the pandemic.

Kenosha is in pain, not only from the tragedy of senseless violence, but from the immense and avoidable suffering wrought by the Trump administrations failed and reckless management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic devastation that has followed, Biden said.

We didnt hear a word about a plan to finally control this crisis, which has taken the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the country and throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Trump and members of his administration are regularly tested for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and often forgo wearing masks. While no direct evidence exists to establish that masks stop the spread of the virus, dozens of observational studies offer circumstantial evidence that this may be the case.

A plurality of the survey respondents (46.6 percent) said they trust Biden more than Trump to handle the pandemic, the poll found. Only 33.9 percent said they trust Trump to do a better job on the outbreak.

The CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, ranked as the second-most-important issue in the 2020 election, topped only by the economy and jobs, according to the survey.

More than 185,000 people have died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in the United States.

Under Trumps leadership, the nation outpaced the rest of the world in testing and overcame early shortages of critical supplies and equipment, including ventilators.

Democrats nevertheless say the president could have done more to stop the spread of the disease. Bidens proposals for handling the pandemic roughly mirror what the Trump administration has already executed, with the notable exception of a nationwide mask mandate.

Trump has generally delegated decisions about masks and lockdown measures to governors, given that different states are affected by varying degrees of intensity by the pandemic. More than 30 states had mandatory mask orders in place as of mid-August, according to a tally maintained by Heavy.com.

The Trump campaign didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read: AAPOR Transparency Initiative Checklist (pdf)

Read: Full Survey Results (pdf)
McKenzie Senick woke up each morning paralyzed by fear after she learned she had COVID-19.

Her mind raced with worst-case scenarios. She couldnt forgive herself for how careless she had been.
In this combination of file photos, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Del., on March 12, 2020 (L) and President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington, on April 5, 2020. (AP Photo)

Biden Lead Dwindles After Trump Sees Post-RNC Jump: Epoch Times/Big Data Poll

Former Vice President Joe Biden maintains a 4 percent lead over President Donald Trump, according to an Epoch Times national poll conducted by Big Data Poll. However, the poll showed a significant surge for Trump in the three days following the Republican National Convention.

The poll, which was conducted in two waves, showed that Biden held a 9-point lead (4738) during the convention, but the trend reversed into a 2-point lead for Trump (4644) in the three days following the event. The poll surveyed a first wave of likely voters from Aug. 2628 and a second wave from Aug. 2830, with the convention taking place on Aug. 2427.

The combined poll, with both waves included, shows the Democratic presidential nominee leading 45 to 41 percent, with 11 percent undecided. When asked, however, who they believe will win the presidential election in November, an identical percentage of respondents (45 to 41) said Trump will win.

Research by Brookings Institution and others suggests that voters expectations of who will win a presidential election can often hold more predictive value than voters intentions, said Rich Baris, director of Big Data Poll.

With the conventions behind us, former Vice President Joe Biden now holds a modest lead over President Donald Trump. But as August came to an end, Mr. Biden was struggling to hold onto a once sizable advantage as voters shifted their attention to recent events, Baris said.

Mr. Bidens edge with seniors has slipped, and the president is outperforming his minority vote share from 2016 by a modest but statistically significant degree.

Biden led Trump among all age groups except for those 65 and over, according to the combined poll.

The Republican National Convention (RNC) featured a roster of prominent Republican speakers, new faces from the Republican Party, and small-business owners, among others. The event culminated in a nomination acceptance speech delivered by Trump on the White House lawn and fireworks over the National Mall.

Forty-six percent of the voters surveyed in the combined poll approved of Trumps job performance, compared to 50 percent who disapproved. The result was exactly the opposite if counting only the second wave of polling after the RNC.

Key Voting Groups

In the combined poll, Biden led among female voters 49 percent compared to Trump at 35 percent, while Trump led with male voters 46 percent to 41 percent. In rural America, where voters are currently the most enthusiastic about voting in November, the president led 52 percent to 36 percent. Biden led by only six in the suburbs, 46 percent to 40 percent, but by 17 points in urban areas, 51 percent to 34 percent.

Biden led among black and African American voters, garnering 67 percent support. Trump captured 12 percent, a modest but statistically significant improvement from the 8 percent he received in 2016. The same is true of Hispanic voters, who backed Biden 54 to 32 percent. White voters backed Trump 49 to 39 percent, while Asian voters backed Biden 60 to 17 percent.

It is not uncommon for demographic groups to flirt with the idea of voting for a different party, nor is it uncommon for them to return home before Election Day. But the movement in late August was toward the president in every racial group except for Asian voters, Baris said. The question remains whether his outperformance with minorities will hold and be enough to offset his smaller margin with white voters if the former vice president arrests the current bleeding.

The poll results were weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and region. The partisan affiliation breakdown was 36 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican, and 32 percent independent/other, mirroring the Aristotle national voter file database.

Baris previously told The Epoch Times that striking the accurate party affiliation breakdown and gauging the likelihood of a persons voting is important to ensure the faithfulness of the poll.

The Epoch Times National Poll was conducted by Big Data Poll and interviewed 2,169 likely voters nationwide sourced via voter file-verified online survey panels from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30, 2020. The sampling error is plus or minus 2.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval projecting the electorate at 145 million. The results were weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and region.

Read: AAPOR Transparency Initiative Checklist (pdf)

Read: Full Survey Results (pdf)
A Bessemer man acquitted in the 2016 murder of a Hoover Iraq veteran has been re-sentenced in a rape conviction after authorities say he violated the terms of a lesser sentence meted out more than two months ago.

Charleston Wells, who was 18 when he was arrested for first-degree rape, pleaded guilty to the crime on June 23, 2020. Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter sentenced Wells to 20 years in prison with five years to serve, however that sentence was revoked Wednesday after authorities say the inmate attacked another inmate in the Jefferson County Jail.

Wells, now 21, was found not guilty in the shooting death of Mike Gilotti in Hoover. Gilotti was shot to death about 4:55 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2016 just outside his home in the 5500 block of Park Side Circle in Hoovers Lake Cyrus subdivision. He was heading to the gym for a morning workout when police say he encountered one or more suspects breaking into his car. According to the affidavit used to secure the murder warrant against Wells, his wife, Heather Gilotti, heard two gunshots and then heard a vehicle with a large engine pulling away from the scene. Gilotti collapsed on his doorstep. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

Wells was one of four suspects charged in Gilottis killing. Another was acquitted and charges against the remaining two were dismissed following the acquittals. Gilottis slaying came after a string of car break-ins across St. Clair, Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa counties, police said. According to prosecutors, the four teens were members of a Bessemer-area street gang called M-Tre, which stood for Money Making Mafia.

Two months after Wells was acquitted in Gilottis death, he was arrested on the rape charge. That charge related to a rape reported by a female, who was 21 years old at the time, on Sept. 11, 2015 in Bessemer. At the time the attacker was reported as being unknown, he said.

Bessemer police submitted DNA collected in the case to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the DNA later came back as a match to Wells.

Wells pleaded guilty to the rape charge more than two months ago. He also pleaded guilty to promoting prison contraband after he orchestrated a scheme with someone outside the jail to deliver a large amount of marijuana and tobacco products to Wells while he had a proceeding in Carpenters courtroom. He was sentenced to 15 years with three years to serve in the contraband case.

While he was still being held in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting transfer to the Alabama Department of Corrections because COVID-19 has slowed transfers, authorities say he got into trouble again.

According to court records, Wells on July 12 was involved in the beating of another county jail inmate. Charging documents state he punched and kicked another inmate in the face and body while that inmate was on the floor. He was charged with third-degree assault and although that case has not yet been adjudicated, prosecutors said the attack violated the terms of his spit sentence. Assistant District Attorney Hollye Farmer asked that the sentence be revoked.

A hearing was held in Carpenters courtroom Wednesday afternoon during which time the judge did indeed revoke the split sentence and order him to serve the full 20 years for rape and 15 years for promoting contraband.
No, but its heating up. While the Tokyo government accused Chinese vessels of making more than 1,000 incursions last year into a contiguous area around the islands, China counters that Japan is the one making illegal forays. Even though both lodge regular diplomatic protests, the two countries have however tried to manage the conflict. With China facing a bruising diplomatic and trade battle with the U.S., it doesnt want to pick a fight with another major power. Tokyo also is not keen to stir up trouble with its biggest trading partner. Still, Japans defense minister told the Chinese ambassador in mid-August to hold off on military activities by the islands. That came even as Beijing appeared to ratchet down tensions by telling the operators of hundreds of fishing trawlers not to go near the islands.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  Makati City started using pooled testing on its public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and market vendors on Wednesday, making it the first local government in the country to employ the method.

Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement that at least 500 PUV drivers and market vendors from Comavena, Tablanza, Guadalupe Market, and Poblacion Market are expected to be swabbed within the day at the Makati Coliseum -- which has been converted to a mass testing center.

Binay added they are eyeing to take swab samples from 6,000 residents until next Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Makati City was chosen as the pilot testing site for private sector-led group Project Arks pooling method initiative, which is seen to significantly increase the testing capacity of the country using fewer resources. The mayor said the study results will be shared with other local governments.

Today, Makati City is taking the first big step towards better, faster, and more implementable mass testing for COVID-19. I am proudly supporting this program because this is backed by scientific research, the local official said.

The results of this trial will have a big impact on local governments as well as businesses and countless industries in the years to come, she pointed out.

Under pooled testing, samples collected from a group of people are tested in a batch using one test.

Officials have explained that if a batch of 10 people tests negative, that means they are all negative for the virus. If the pool is positive, it means one or more persons in that batch may be infected, so each individual will be tested again.
Rachel Zoe celebrated her 52nd birthday in style on Monday, by enjoying a family outing at the beach.

The fashion designer was sure to turn heads as she stepped out for a day at the beach with her sons Skyler Morrison, nine, and Kaius Jagger, six, in Los Angeles.

Showing off her sartorial prowess during the outing, Rachel looked sensational in a colourful kaftan that had a quirky print.

Family outing: Rachel Zoe looked stylish in a colourful kaftan as she enjoyed a day at the beach in Los Angeles with sons Skyler, 9, and Kaius, 6, to celebrate her 52nd birthday on Monday

Rachel's ensemble fit loosely on her slender frame, and billowed around her as she strolled along the beach with her little ones.

Her golden locks were brushed into loose waves that cascaded over her shoulders, and she looked fresh-faced as she went make-up free.

The fashion mogul accessorised her look by wearing a pair of chic aviator shades and an array of silver chain necklaces.

Fashionista: Showing off her sartorial prowess during the outing, Rachel looked sensational in a colourful kaftan that had a quirky print

Natural look: Rachel's golden locks were brushed into loose waves that cascaded over her shoulders, and she looked fresh-faced as she went make-up free

Taking to Instagram on her birthday, Rachel shared a snap with her sons as they hugged while at the beach.

In another snap she shared a glimpse at her gifts, which included an array of flowers as she told fans her 'birthday morning filled with so much love and beauty'.

On Wednesday she also shared a video with Skyler and Kaius as they sang happy birthday to her while she blew out the candle on a delectable chocolate cake.

Sweet: Taking to Instagram on her birthday, Rachel shared a snap with her sons as they hugged while at the beach

Grateful: In another snap she shared a glimpse at her gifts, which included an array of flowers as she told fans her 'birthday morning filled with so much love and beauty'

Gushing about the celebration, she wrote in the caption: 'I am truly overwhelmed by the love I felt today from so many of you and my extraordinary friends and family.

'I woke up today missing everyone in the deepest way. I have never loved my birthday, but always use it as the best reason to gather all of my favorite people at a dinner table to celebrate life and each other.

'In the insanity of this life I am feeling extra #grateful for my health and happiness and the blessing of just being surrounded by my angels and my @rbermanus who made today just perfect.

'Thank you beyond for all of the birthday love everyone... it meant even more this year. Another trip around the sun and feeling ready for the next one...'

Celebration: On Wednesday she also shared a video with Skyler and Kaius as they sang happy birthday to her while she blew out the candle on a delectable chocolate cake

Sweet: Gushing about the celebration, she wrote in the caption: 'I am truly overwhelmed by the love I felt today from so many of you and my extraordinary friends and family'

Rachel recently celebrated 29 years with her husband Rodger Berman at the swanky Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel in Santa Barbara, California.

Rachel began dating Rodger while attending college in Washington, D.C. in 1991, followed by their wedding in 1996.

At the time they first met, Rodger thought Rachel was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Romance: Rachel recently celebrated 29 years with her husband Rodger Berman, they began dating while attending college in Washington, D.C. in 1991 (pictured in 2018)

He told Harper's Bazaar in 2011: 'I met Rachel in the summer of 1991. She was 19, and I was 22.

'She was a restaurant hostess, and I was working as a waiter in Washington, D.C., where we both attended college,

'I vividly remember the first time I saw her, wearing a tight black minidress, high-heeled pumps, stick-straight hair, and big red lips covered in M.A.C. Chili lipstick (her trademark).

'She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I quickly learned that she also had more clothes than any woman I had ever seen. I often wondered if she'd ever do an outfit change mid-date.'

Marking the special occasion on her Instagram account, Rachel shared a throwback of herself flashing her diamond engagement ring while snuggled up to her husband.

'This is us. Me and my  @rbermanus long ago..and today we celebrate #29 years together on our official #firstdate #anniversary xoRZ,' she captioned the photo.
A CDC order released on Tuesday and effective immediately stops all residential evictions until December 31st, 2020 for people who make $99,000 a year or less. This sweeping eviction halt comes over a month after the CARES Act federal eviction moratorium expired on July 25. The CDC order covers more people than the CARES Act moratorium did, because it isnt limited to people living in certain federally-subsidized properties.



To be eligible under the CDC order, the following have to be true:

 You make no more than $99,000 a year

 Youve already tried to get all forms of government assistance for rent and housing

 Youve had a substantial loss of household income

 Youve still been trying your best to make the highest partial rent payments you can afford, as close to when rent is due as possible

 Being evicted from your home right now would probably lead you to homelessness or force you to live in close quarters with others

To be protected, tenants should read and sign the declaration form thats attached to the CDC order, which states that the above apply to you, and present it to their landlord.

The CDC order calls eviction moratoriums an effective public health measure against COVID-19, citing the enormous number of Americans who have died from the disease (184,564, at time of writing). People who are evicted and either have no home in which they can quarantine, or those who are forced to live in crowded housing (like homeless shelters) are obviously at higher risk of both getting and spreading the coronavirus. Given that the CDC is a public health institute, it makes clear that its intention in enacting this order is to stop the further spread of COVID-19 within the U.S. A recent study by the Aspen Institute found that between 30 to 40 million people could be at risk of eviction. The CDC says that, additionally, those who are at risk of becoming homeless due to evictions are more likely to suffer severe symptoms from COVID-19. The oncoming flu season is another point of worry for the CDC.

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That may be why the order makes it illegal for landlords to begin eviction proceedings for the time being, but stops short of actually providing financial relief for burdened renters. The order explicitly states that it does not cancel rent or relieve any obligation to paying other housing fees. This means that, come January 2021, we may see a surge of eviction filings in housing courts that cite months of unpaid rent during the moratorium as a reason for kicking tenants out. Its hard to see how people who are failing to make full payments right now will suddenly have the income to not only make current rent payments but missed payments from months ago. (People may also still be evicted for other reasons unrelated to not paying rent in full, such as threatening the health or safety of other tenants.)

Its also important to note that eviction moratoriums dont always protect tenants, because enforcement measures fall short. Its unclear, for example, what exactly the punishment for landlords who attempt to evade the eviction ban will be. Tenants also may not know about their rights and which protections they currently have; they may agree to leave their homes when threatened by landlords, fearing what might happen if they dont comply. The CDC has taken a crucial step in protecting Americans amid one of the greatest crises in recent history  but we still need to do more to ensure that people arent removed from their homes during the pandemic or accrue crippling debt because of their housing.

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Gas Transmission System Operator (TSO) of Ukraine LLC transported 12.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Europe to Ukraine at the request of its customers between January-August 2020, which is 30% (2.9 billion cubic meters) more than in the same period last year and 63% higher than the average volume in 2016-2019, the companys press service reports.

In particular, imports from Slovakia amounted to 8.0 billion cubic meters (+35% compared to the same period last year), from Hungary - 3.2 billion cubic meters (+20%), from Poland  1.3 billion cubic meters (+34%).

Ukraines imports over the reporting period included also the virtual reverse flow (backhaul) operations, which were launched at the beginning of 2020, and totalled 38%, or 4.7 billion cubic meters: from Slovakia - 1.6 billion cubic meters, from Hungary - 2.3 billion cubic meters, from Poland - 0.8 billion cubic meters.

In August 2020, Ukraine imported 3.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is 58% (or 1.2 billion cubic meters) more than in July and 67% (or 1.4 billion cubic meters) more than in August 2019.

In August, the daily volumes of gas transportation from European countries to Ukraine totaled 109 million cubic meters, which is seven time less than in January 2020 - 15 million cubic meters.

Since the start of 2020, 8.2 billion cubic meters of the imported gas volumes were transferred into underground gas storage facilities to be kept in the customs warehouse mode. 60% (4.9 billion cubic meters of them came as short-haul deliveries.

A reminder that Ukraine imports natural gas only from the European Union. Ukraine has not imported gas from the Russian Federation since November 2015.

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Forrest Heathcott, president of JM&A Group, has announced he will retire March 31, 2021. Dan Chait, president of sister company Southeast Toyota Finance (SETF), will assume leadership of JM&A Group beginning January 1, 2021, in addition to maintaining his current position.

Forrest Heathcott, president of JM&A Group, has announced he will retire March 31, 2021. Dan Chait, president of sister company Southeast Toyota Finance (SETF), will assume leadership of JM&A Group beginning January 1, 2021, in addition to maintaining his current position.

Deerfield Beach, Fla., Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forrest Heathcott, whose career has spanned nearly 30 years with JM Family Enterprises, most recently as president of its subsidiary JM&A Group, has announced he will retire March 31, 2021.

Dan Chait, fellow JM Family executive and president of sister company Southeast Toyota Finance (SETF), will assume leadership of JM&A Group beginning January 1, 2021, in addition to maintaining his current position. Chait will continue reporting to Brent Burns, president and CEO of JM Family, in his newly expanded roll.

JM&A has the best associates and dealer partners in the business, and I have full confidence in Dan to lead this great company as we plan for JM&A Groups future and its continued success, Heathcott said.

Heathcott joined JM Family in 1993 and has held positions at three of the companys subsidiaries -- JM&A Group, Southeast Toyota Distributors and Southeast Toyota Finance. He took on his current role of president of JM&A Group, one of the largest independent providers of finance and insurance (F&I) products and services in the industry, during 2007.

As president of JM&A Group, Forrest has led the team passionately, with strong vision, always staying steps ahead in the F&I industry, said Brent Burns, president and CEO, JM Family. Clearly understanding the needs of todays dealer and driving the business based on the guidepost that our success is measured by the dealers success, the team has been able to consistently deliver on its goals. A true, hands-on leader, Forrest thinks not only about the business, but about our associates first, as is the JM Family way. While Forrest will be missed, we are excited about his next chapter and those adventures he will now have time to take.

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Chait joined SETF in 2002 as vice president, Asset Management. In 2007 he became group vice president responsible for the companys Portfolio Management, Dealer Services, Operations, Sales and Marketing functions. In 2011, Chait was named senior vice president, and in 2012 became president. He has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, has held senior-level positions with US Airways, AutoNation and UniCapital Corporation, and holds a Master of Business Administration and bachelors degrees in economics and political science from the University of Rochester.

In order to ensure a seamless transition, Chait will begin shadowing Heathcott and the JM&A Group leadership team in the coming months, engrossing himself in the business nuances and its ongoing initiatives, as well as meeting and connecting with dealer partners. Beginning January 1, he will assume full responsibility for leading JM&A Group and SETF, with Heathcott moving to the role of strategic advisor to accelerate Chaits learning curve and support his long-term success.

Dan has the full backing of JM&A Groups senior management, who value his partnership and respect the success hes built at Southeast Toyota Finance, said Burns. After nearly two decades with JM Family, Dan has proven himself to be a strong leader, a team player and a true ambassador of our culture.

Providing Chait with added support, Bill Shope, an SETF associate since 1990, has been promoted to senior vice president and COO of Southeast Toyota Finance and will lead the companys day-to-day operations. In recent years, Shope has been integral to the development of SETFs advanced analytics capabilities and risk management approach, which has enabled the company to expand the level of support it offers Toyota dealers in the Southeast and launched a wave of growth in the business that continues today. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

About JM&A Group

JM&A Group, a leader in the F&I industry for more than 40 years, serves more than 3,800 automotive dealerships nationwide. Comprised of Jim Moran & Associates, Inc. (JM&A), Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc. (FWS), Fidelity Insurance Agency, and Courtesy Insurance Company, it provides a variety of products and services such as F&I training and consulting, vehicle protection plans, used vehicle certification programs, prepaid maintenance plans and GAP programs. Additionally, the company has nearly 750 associates, including a dedicated sales force of 300+ associates who support process implementation for dealer operations and digital sales strategies. JM&A Group is a division of JM Family Enterprises, Inc. a diversified automotive corporation headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla. JM Family is ranked No. 20 on Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies and has been ranked on FORTUNEs 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 22 consecutive years. For more information about JM&A Groups products and services, contact us at 1-800-553-7146 or visit us online at www.jmagroup.com.

About Southeast Toyota Finance

Southeast Toyota Finance is the captive finance company for 177 Toyota dealers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company offers a broad range of products and services to automotive dealers and consumers. Southeast Toyota Finance is the leading provider of retail and lease financing for new Toyota purchases within its footprint, consistently ranking at the top in market share and dealer satisfaction. The company is committed to strong dealer relationships and customer service, providing finance retail and lease programs, college graduate and military rebate programs that drive customer and dealer loyalty. The companys portfolio of dealer loans includes inventory financing, real estate and construction loans. Southeast Toyota Finance is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive corporation ranked No. 20 on Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies. JM Family is also ranked No. 26 by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, its 22nd consecutive year on the list.

Attachment

CONTACT: Lauren Fyke JM Family Enterprises 9544203279 lauren.fyke@jmfamily.com




Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos looks on during the daily briefing in Melbourne, Australia on Aug. 16, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

6 Month Extension of Emergency Powers Passes Victorian Parliament

A controversial bill to extend Victorias state of emergency for six months amid the CCP virus pandemic was passed by the state Parliament on Wednesday.

Victorian Greens upper house MP Samantha Ratnam returned from maternity leave to cast the deciding vote for the governments amended bill, which some MPs have complained was provided to them with less than 24 hours notice.

I felt it was just too important that I had to be here, she told reporters as she arrived at Parliament with 2-month-old Malala on Wednesday morning.

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick also voted in favour of the six-month extension, giving the government 20 votes in the 40-member upper house.

Premier Daniel Andrews originally sought a 12-month extension of the state of emergency powers, which allows the chief health officer to legally issue public health orders such as mandatory face masks and restrictions on movements, enforceable with heavy fines.

A number of MPs rose to complain that they were provided an exposure draft last Tuesday relating to the 12-month extension, and an amended exposure draft relating to the 6-month extension with less than 24 hours before the vote. This did not allow them time to review and publicly debate the contents of the bill.

The government is treating the Parliament and the people of Victoria with utter contempt, time and time and time again. Victorians deserve much better than what is happening in relation to how this bill is being introduced into the Parliament and how it is not being scrutinised through proper processes, said Liberal Party MP Georgie Crozier.

Crozier blamed the health ministers handling of the outbreaks for the extension.

The reason we are actually debating this is because oflet us not forgetthe breaches in hotel quarantine and the catastrophic failures in contact tracing. No other state or territory in Australia is in this position, only Victoria, because of the oversight and the litany of failures that this minister has presided over, Crozier told the state Parliament.

This is nuts, interjected Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, when Independent MP Dr. Catherine Cumming told Parliament she received the bill less than 24 hours before the vote was due, and that it was sent to her by an opposition member and not the minister.

This bill is nuts, Cumming replied. To give us this bill within not even 24 hours and expect us to just lie down and accept this.

The health minister rebuffed Cummings comments: I am just incredulous at that claim because I have lost count of how many conversations I have had with Dr. Cumming about these issues.

Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick said the government had made no attempts to measure the harm they were causing as they subjected Victorians to a living hell that is destroying families.

He said he received harrowing calls from hundreds of people, one too distressing to share.

There was the person who liquidated their business to put food on the table, nearly lost their house, and lost two friends from suicide in the space of one week, Limbrick said.

He shared examples of people who put off weddings, a grandmother who was banned from visiting her first grandchild, a child who had stopped talking, people so depressed they cannot leave their houses, a schoolchild so depressed they refuse to eat, and a woman afraid that her son is a suicide risk.

The volume of calls was so great Limbrick advised his staff to take a break for their own well-being.

All of this is not caused by the virus but by the government, which has fooled itself into thinking that police can beat a pandemic, he said.

Liberal Party MP Bernie Finn laid the blame for Victorias second outbreak on Premier Daniel Andrews for refusing Australian Defence Force aid.

They did not want the Australian Defence Force protecting our quarantine hotels. Instead, they chose incompetent, unprepared, and, as it turned out, randy security guards to guard people in the quarantine hotels, he said, referring to the improperly trained, subcontracted security guards who slept with quarantined patients which led to community transmission of the virus.

The health minister acknowledged the sacrifices being made by Victorians each day to drive down case numbers. Collectively we are all looking after each other to make sure we can address this issue, we can turn this situation around. But we cannot do it without the state of emergency. It will provide the legal framework for these protections to continue, she told Parliament.

The current state of emergency was due to expire on Sept. 13, along with Melbournes stage four lockdown and regional Victorias stage three rules.

The bill passed just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, with 20 votes in favour and 19 against.
Pelosi, House Dems vow to push for taxpayer-funding of abortion in 2021

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Nearly half a century after the passage of the Hyde Amendment, House Democrats have set their sights on removing the long-standing ban on taxpayer funding of abortions from government funding bills as early as next year.

The debate about repealing the Hyde Amendment, first passed in 1976, has loomed large in the 2020 presidential election. While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had long supported the Hyde Amendment, he reversed his support for the ban on taxpayer-funded abortions shortly after announcing his presidential bid last year.

Ilyse Hogue, the president of the pro-abortion organization NARAL Pro-Choice America, praised the candidates evolution on the Hyde Amendment as deeply compassionate.

Bidens position change reflects the position of many Democratic leaders in Congress and the Democratic Party's platform that calls for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment.

The Hyde Amendment is renewed annually by Congress as a stipulation in funding bills for the Department of Health and Human Services, which are crafted by the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chairs that subcommittee.

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that DeLauro, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told a small group of lawmakers last month that they would not add the prohibition to any government funding bill beginning next year.

While DeLauro indicated a desire to remove the Hyde Amendment from an HHS spending bill this year, she abandoned that effort after recognizing that the Republican-led Senate would not agree to a bill that did not include the ban on taxpayer-funded abortions.

The discussion about the repeal of the Hyde Amendment comes as Democrats are eyeing complete control of the federal government for the first time in 10 years. Democrats already control the House of Representatives and they hope to gain control of the Senate and White House following the elections in November.

Because the Hyde Amendment prevents Medicaid from covering abortions, top House Democrats are portraying the debate about the taxpayer funding of abortions as a race and class issue. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., a close ally of Pelosi, told The Los Angeles Times: Its an issue of racial justice and its an issue of discrimination against low-income women, women of color, (and) women who dont have access to what middle- and upper-income women have in terms of the choice to have an abortion.

The Democrats promise to repeal the Hyde Amendment would likely not come to fruition should Republicans control one or all three branches of the federal government following the election. Even if Democrats take control of the Senate, they would likely lack the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.

While Democrats have a comfortable majority in the House, they have yet to secure enough support for repealing the Hyde Amendment. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who co-chairs the House Pro-Choice Caucus along with Lee, admitted that while more than 200 House Democrats support repealing the Hyde Amendment, support remains short of the 218 required to pass legislation.

As Democrats appear to be forming a consensus in favor of repealing the Hyde Amendment, public opinion polling has consistently demonstrated that a majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding for abortions. A 2019 Marist survey found that 54% of respondents opposed using tax dollars to pay for a womans abortion. In 2017, a Marist survey found that 58% of Americans opposed taxpayer funding of abortions.
No defects were identified during a mechanical inspection of a helicopter the day before it crashed in Broome, killing a well-known West Australian pilot and a 12-year-old girl.

The finding is made in a preliminary report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the July 4 crash which killed prominent businessman Troy Thomas, 40, and 12-year-old Amber, whose family has requested her surname not be published.

Mr Thomas's daughter Mia and teacher's aide Maddy Down, 24, were also seriously injured.

No defects were identified during a mechanical inspection of a helicopter (wreckage pictured) the day before it crashed in Broome

Popular pilot Troy Thomas, 40, and Amber, 12, were killed in the crash

The group had been setting off on a scenic flight on the Robinson R44 helicopter from an industrial property when it broke apart and fell to the ground.

Witnesses described hearing a bang as the helicopter reached about 55 feet (17 metres) .

Preliminary investigations revealed Mr Thomas and another pilot had reported feeling unusual vibrations through the tail rotor pedals several days earlier - a sensation Mr Thomas likened to having his feet tapped by spoons.

A report published on Wednesday reveals the helicopter was inspected the day before the crash by a maintenance engineer and no defects were found.

The dynamic balance of the tail rotor was also found to be within limits, and when a maintenance pilot started the helicopter, they could not feel any vibration.

A test flight was not undertaken because of the confined nature of the yard and concerns with securing the site.

Mr Thomas, 40, (pictured) was killed in the crash on July 4

Mr Thomas was told about the findings and instructed to conduct a check flight.

ATSB transport safety director Mike Walker said the R44 pilot's handbook advised that a change in the sound or vibration of a helicopter could indicate an impending critical failure.

'It is not clear whether the pilot experienced any vibrations through the pedals at the time of the accident flight,' Dr Walker said.

'Nevertheless, the ATSB urges any R44 pilot who experiences unusual vibrations through the tail rotor pedals to land as soon as possible and follow the advice in the pilot's operating handbook.'

Investigations are continuing, including further analysis of CCTV footage.

Several major components of the R44 have been taken to the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra for further analysis.

A 3D X-ray of the tail rotor gearbox found no evidence of internal damage.

'The ATSB will continue to extensively examine and analyse the recovered components as it seeks to determine the contributing factors behind the in-flight break-up,' Dr Walker said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan chaired a consultation today over the ongoing processes and reforms in the information and cyber-security fields, the security issues of websites of state structures, his Office told Armenpress.

The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, Minister of High technological industry Hakob Arshakyan and other officials.

Deputy PM Avinyan said the issues discussed at the consultation are more than relevant, taking into account the fact that the July military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan on the border of Armenia were accompanied by cyber attacks on Armenian official websites. He said it is necessary to further clarify the functions and duties of state structures in the information and cyber-security fields, take steps to upgrade the normative field, etc.

The meeting participants introduced the actions taken by their agencies in the fields of information and cyber-security in the past one year. They thoroughly touched upon the existing gaps, their possible solutions and outlined the future steps.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
She's been at the centre of much attention over the past week, after it was revealed that she'd embarked on a high-profile romance with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

And Nicole Poturalski, 27, put on a sizzling display on Wednesday, when she took to her Instagram account to share an eye-catching snap of herself.

The German model wowed as she posed in a beige coat dress, under which she daringly went braless, for the snap, which attracted 7,000 likes in three hours.

Sizzling: Nicole Poturalski, 27, put on a sizzling display on Wednesday, when she took to her Instagram account to share an eye-catching snap of herself

With her glossy brown locks falling before her face in soft waves, the stunning beauty highlighted her good looks with a light and natural palette of makeup.

Captioning the captivating image, which showed her posing before a light grey wall, mother-of-one Nicole wrote: 'Its all about your Mindset.' [sic]

Her snap comes after it was revealed by MailOnline that Nicole met Hollywood superstar Pitt, 56, at her husband's high-class Berlin restaurant.

Romance: Her post came after it was revealed that she's dating Brad Pitt. Pictured in February

Pitt is said to have been mesmerised by the striking brunette with the seductive pout when he locked eyes on her for the first time in August 2019.

Double Oscar winner Pitt became acquainted with Borchardt and its flamboyant owner Roland Mary, 68, in 2009 when he was filming on location in Germany for the Quentin Tarantino movie, Inglorious Basterds.

He returned to the 150-a-head city centre restaurant in August last year while promoting his latest Tarantino movie, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, with the legendary director and co-stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Margot Robbie.

And it was in that night in August last year that he met Nicole - who bears a startling resemblance to his ex-wife Angelina Jolie - for the first time and fell in love.

Snaps: The day before her post, Nicole shared another of herself posing in a bright baggy top

The model was in Los Angeles a few weeks later for a photo shoot and met up with Brad. They were later pictured together at a Kanye West concert in November 2009.

A year on, Brad Pitt and Nicole Poturalski are a couple in love and recently spent time at his luxury 50 million Chateau Miraval in the south of France.

'Brad Pitt first met Nicole [Poturalski] in August last year at Borchardt which is her husband Roland's restaurant,' a friend of Nicole told MailOnline.

'Brad Pitt has been coming to Borchardt for years. He knows Roland [Mary] and Nicole was at the restaurant when he came to celebrate his new film.

What a stunner: Nicole is a successful fashion model from Germany, who has graced the cover of ELLE and is signed to Next Management in Los Angeles and A Management in Germany

'Brad was introduced to Roland's wife Nicole [Poturalski] and she passed him her number.

'Nicole travels a lot for her work as a fashion model and he connected with Brad Pitt while she was in LA for work.'

Nicole remains married and has a seven-year-old son called Emil with Roland.

The youngster recently started school in Berlin but was pictured earlier this month in Beverley Hills with mum Nicole.

Roland Mary declined to discuss his wife's love affair with Brad when contacted by MailOnline. He said simply: 'No comment.'

Long-time acquaintance: Double Oscar winner Pitt became acquainted with Nicole's husband Roland Mary, 68, in 2009 (above) when he shot Inglorious Basterds in Germany

However Roland is said to be 'philosophical' about his wife's 'close friendship' with the Hollywood heart-throb Pitt.

The friend told MailOnline: 'Roland is a very philosophical guy. He has been married several times and has five children. He is not interested in negativity or jealousy.

'They are still married but you could describe their relationship as an "open marriage".'

A spokesman for Brad Pitt declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

New romance: A year on, Brad and Nicole are a couple in love (pictured at Kanye West's performance in the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in November 2019)

It is no surprise that Brad would have chosen to celebrate Germany's opening night of his latest film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood at Roland's Borchardt restaurant.

The iconic eatery has become a landmark in Berlin's show business scene.

The cafe and restaurant, which dates back to 1853 is popular with statesmen and celebrities who visit the German capital.

US President Barack Obama and German leader Angela Merkel have dined there. Other notable diners include George Clooney, Madonna, Natalie Portman and Harvey Weinstein.

This comes as Brad and Nicole were pictured enjoying a cosy date night nine months ago, as their relationship was confirmed last Thursday.

Meeting: A source said, 'Brad was introduced to Roland's wife Nicole [Poturalski] and she passed him her number' (pictured arriving at Nicole's husband's upscale restaurant)

The pair were seen cosying up together in the VIP box during Kanye West's performance at LA's Hollywood Bowl in November 2019, with onlookers saying they pair were deep in conversation as they waited for the performance to begin.

Sources revealed last Wednesday that actor Brad and Nicole were in a relationship after they were spotted touching down at France's Le Castellet Airport.

During the concert the pair were joined by actress Alia Shawkat, who Brad later shut down claims he's dating.

Last Thursday, sources confirmed that Brad and Nicole were dating, telling Page Six: 'They are seeing each other, they're enjoying a vacation together.'

Brad, who previously shut down claims he's dating actress Alia Shawkat earlier this year, is now believed to be staying at Chateau Miraval, an estate he purchased for $67 million in 2011 with his ex-wife Angelina.

Having fun? The fashion model was in LA for a photshoot a few weeks after their meeting in Berlin and met up with Brad (pictured November 2019)

He sported a protective face mask while wearing his signature flat cap, a white T-shirt and khaki green trousers as he touched down in France on a private jet.

He looked stylish as he prepared to spend time in the South of France with Nicole, who he jetted straight in from Los Angeles to meet up with him in Paris, before they embarked on the last leg of their trip.

The US edition of OK! magazine has quoted an eyewitness saying that before boarding their private jet, the pair were seen acting like 'loved up teenagers'.

'They were kissing and Brad was being super attentive to her,' added the source. 'He was in a semi public place but didn't seem to mind people seeing him. She's a real beauty and obviously a lot younger than him.'

The star's palatial 35-room home located in the village of Correns in the South of France is where he and his ex Angelina, 45, have vacationed in the past and tied the knot in 2014.

Who's who? The dark blonde beauty, left, strikes an uncanny resemblance to the screen star's former spouse (pictured right in 2019)

They purchased the 1,100-acre estate for $60 million and are thought to have spent between $10 million and $12 million renovating it.

Bombshell Nicole has graced the cover of ELLE and is currently signed to Next Management in Los Angeles and A Management in Germany.

She has brains as well as beauty and her 10 years on the catwalks of the fashion world has helped her become multi-lingual and she can speak in five different languages.

Nicole comes from Bergkamen, Germany, which is in the old industrial Ruhr region and is of Polish heritage.

On her Facebook page, the fashion star, who is a favourite for British designer Vivienne Westwood, reveals she is single and listed her former city as Warsaw.

Love: In February, Nicole raised eyebrows as she shared a snap of herself along with a caption about her mysterious 'love'

Her career has taken her to fashion shows in New York, Paris and Milan and she has been a cover girl for ELLE, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.

At 13, she wanted to be a marine biologist but was apparently spotted by a talent scout in Disneyland Paris and her parents agreed to allow her to model.

But talented and beautiful model still managed to complete her Abitur - German A levels - and founded an organisation devoted to helping sharks.

While she boasts a long list of accomplishments, the model is particularly proud of her son, Emil, who makes regular appearances on her Instagram account.

When contacted by MailOnline, a representative for Brad Pitt said: 'We don't comment on personal relationships.'

Another: Several weeks later, in March, she alluded to her 'love' once again in another post as she mentioned her 'better half'

MailOnline has contacted Nicole Poturalski's representatives for further comment.

'In his eyes it was like a suggestion that he'd somehow lost custody when that couldn't be further from the truth. If Angelina wanted to leave the country with the children for a permanent move, she'd need to go to court and get permission.

'Brad knows a lot of it is speculation but Angelina has spoken about wanting to leave America before and seeing stuff like this leads to more questions.'

Their eldest son, Maddox, is spending much of his time in South Korea, where he is a university student.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for comment.

Drama: The TV and film star's divorce proceedings with ex Angelina have stretched into a fourth year (pictured in 2015)

The TV and film star's divorce proceedings with ex Angelina, 45, have stretched into a fourth year.

Last month, the Lara Croft actress requested to disqualify Judge John W. Ouderkirk, who married the pair in 2014, for 'failing to disclose' his working relationship with one of her former spouse's attorneys.

The Ad Astra frontman and the One and Only Ivan star's custody trial is set to begin in October, over a year after their divorce was finalised.

In March, sources claimed Brad has not dated anyone since he split from Angelina in 2016 following a two-year marriage and a 12-year relationship.

'He doesn't feel any need to get back on the dating scene right now - his focus is elsewhere, they told TMZ.

In January, an insider denied rumours the thespian and his first wife Jennifer Aniston had rekindled their romantic relationship following a string of alleged secret dates.

The exes - who were married from 2000 until 2005 - were reported to have rekindled their relationship before their cosy appearance at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

However, the reports were shut down at the time as the source told MailOnline: 'There is absolutely no truth to this'.
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

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After a lifetime of feeling uncomfortable in her body, Mary Carney wanted to do something about her weight and health. At 71, she was upset by how she looked and wanted to have more energy. But she wasnt quite sure how to start.

My clothes looked horrible. I didnt look good in them, Carney, now 78, of Summerville, South Carolina, told TODAY. I didnt like the way I looked or the way I felt.

For most of her life, Mary Carney felt uncomfortable in her body. At 71, she decided to try a new workout program. She lost 62 pounds and gained loads of energy. (Courtesy Mary Carney)

Carney knew that losing weight was imperative to her health.

I walked down a long stairway, I got halfway down and I was panting, I said to myself, This is silly, she said. I thought I have got to do something to lose the weight and get back that energy I had before.'"

Thats when she found Autumn Calabrese, a popular Beachbody fitness trainer, and her 21 Day Fix workout program. Carney decided to try it and over six months, she went from 197 pounds to about 135 pounds.

Related:

That is crazy at my age, Carney said. At the end of the program, I did a five-minute plank.

While her friends were impressed that she could hold a plank for so long, ride a bike and walk on the beach without getting winded, Carney credits her success to how easy it was to follow the 21 Day Fix. The plan focuses on exercise, including weight training, and developing healthy eating habits, which incorporate fruits, vegetables, lean protein and portion control. Calabrese also provides modifications for workouts so even now at 78 and nursing an injury, Carney can exercise safely.

She did a great thing for me, made me feel energized coming from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8, Carney said.

When Mary Carney weighed 197 pounds she struggled to walk down a long hallway or up a flight of stairs. She wanted to lose weight so she could keep up with her family. (Courtesy Mary Carney)

While Carney lost about 60 pounds in her early 70s, she recently injured herself and regained some of that weight. On top of moving less, she often ate mindlessly in front of the TV and would snack on something sugary, causing the weight to creep back.

When she noticed that she couldnt keep up with her grandchildren, she knew exactly what she had to do to lose weight and enjoy her time with her 6-year-old twin grandsons Grayson and Gunner.

Story continues

Anyone who has grandchildren wants to be able to play with them, she said. I want to feel better about myself and be able to play with my grandchildren.

So she recommitted to the 21 Day Fix. Now, she especially likes that she has containers for the proper portions for meals.

Calabrese describes what food to put in the containers so you dont overeat, she said. My energy now, I just cant believe it. I just started back.

After six months of exercising and healthy eating, Mary Carney achieved some non-scale victories, such as being able to hold a plank for five minutes. (Courtesy Mary Carney)

Calabrese featured Carneys story in her recent book Lose Weight Like Crazy Even if You Have a Crazy Life. Carney believes that shes proof that anyone at any age can lose weight and improve their health.

It is a successful way, a good energetic way of losing your weight through the 21 Day Fix. You wont hurt yourself. You wont feel bad, she said. You will feel a lot better.

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Here are her tips that motivated her to develop healthy habits.

1. Find your why.

Being overweight kept Carney from enjoying her time with her family.

When your grandchildren come up to you and ask, Can you please get up? Can we take a walk? When you are heavier, you are sluggish and you just want to sit and color, she said. That woke me up again. I did not have the energy or the stamina.

While Mary Carney gained some of the weight she lost, she started the 21 Day Fix again and feels impressed by how quickly she felt better. (Courtesy Mary Carney)

After losing the weight, she's able to be more active with Gunner and Grayson.

It is just beautiful, she said.

2. Find something that works for you.

Carney loves that the plan clearly explains what she should eat and how she can exercise and it includes modifications so she can easily work out.

She planned it out so thoroughly, Carney said. Its a great thing for anybody of any age.

3. Commit to putting in the effort.

Carney wanted to lose weight so she could enjoy her life and be active with her family. Being committed to her health goals led to her success.

You cant lose anything by trying it. You will be amazed at what you can succeed at in life if you commit yourself to doing it, she said. I really feel great about myself. I have so much energy.
A team of archaeologists from the United Kingdom has uncovered 15,000-year-old stone plaquettes extensively engraved with abstract designs at the Magdalenian site of Les Varines, Jersey, Channel Islands. The finds provide new evidence for technologies of abstract mark-making, and their significance within the lives of people on the edge of the Magdalenian world.

The archaeologists found 10 fragments of aplite microgranite plaquettes at the Les Varines site between 2015 and 2018.

The plaquettes are believed to have been made by the Magdalenians, an early hunter-gatherer culture dating between 23,000 and 14,000 years ago.

Etched plaquettes have previously been found in large quantities at numerous sites across the geographical spread of this culture.

In France, about 1,100 stone plaquettes were found at Enlene cave. On the Iberian Peninsula, over 5,000 stone plaquettes were uncovered at Parpallo cave in Spain and over 1,500 were found at the open air site of Foz do Medal Terrace in Portugal.

Microscopic analysis indicates that many of the lines, including the curved, concentric designs, appear to have been made through layered or repeated incisions, suggesting that it is unlikely that they resulted from the stones being used for a functional purpose, said lead author Dr. Silvia Bello, a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum, London.

The majority of the designs are purely abstract, but others could depict basic forms such as animals, landscapes or people.

This strongly suggests that the plaquettes at Les Varines were engraved for purposeful artistic decoration.

This is an exciting discovery, not only for its geographical location, which extends the known range of plaquettes, but also for their discovery during a highly controlled excavation, providing a huge depth of contextual insight to support the understanding and interpretation of these important objects, said co-author Dr. Andy Needham, a scientist in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York.

The discovery raises the fascinating question of why we are not seeing plaquettes during the Magdalenian in locations further to the north and west, such as England or Wales, given their importance at Les Varines, which is geographically so close by.

Dr. Bello, Dr. Needham and their colleagues analyzed the ancient plaquettes for traces of how the markings were made.

The analysis revealed that the plaquettes are engraved with groups of fine lines, thought to have been purposefully made using stone tools.

The geometric designs are made up of a combination of straight lines more or less parallel to each other and longer, curved incisions.

Two types of marks are likely to have been produced using the same tools, possibly by the same engraver and in short succession, giving new insight into the processes used to create the ancient designs.

These engraved stone fragments provide exciting and rare evidence of artistic expression at what was the farthest edge of the Magdalenian world, said senior author Dr. Chantal Conneller, a researcher in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University.

The people at Les Varines are likely to have been pioneer colonizers of the region and creating engraved objects at new settlements may have been a way of creating symbolic relationships with new places.

The Les Varines plaquettes were found in an area thought to have been used as a hearth.

Three of the fragments had been recovered from an area of granite slabs which may have served as paving, highlighting that the plaquettes were engraved in a domestic context.

The plaquettes were tricky to pick apart from the natural geology at the site  every stone needed turning, said co-author Dr. Ed Blinkhorn, a geoarchaeologist in the Institute of Archaeology at University College London.

Their discovery amongst hearths, pits, paving, specialist tools, and thousands of flints shows that creating art was an important part of the Magdalenian pioneer toolkit, as much at camp as within caves.

The teams paper was published online in the journal PLoS ONE.

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S.M. Bello et al. 2020. Artists on the edge of the world: An integrated approach to the study of Magdalenian engraved stone plaquettes from Jersey (Channel Islands). PLoS ONE 15 (8): e0236875; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236875
Students are prohibited from using saliva for turning pages or separating answer sheets, while staff and examinees from containment zones will not be allowed physically at the exam centres, as per the Union Health Ministry's latest guidelines on conducting examinations amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidelines stated that for staff and examinees from containment zones there will be alternative arrangements. Such students shall be given an opportunity to take the exam through other means or educational institutions shall arrange their papers at a later date.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) gave out the standard operating procedures (SOP) to be followed while conducting examinations amid the pandemic.

The guidelines comes days after the Supreme Court ruled on August 28 directing that states and universities cannot promote students without holding final-year examinations by September 30.

These guidelines include maintaining physical distancing of at least 6 feet as far as feasible, mandatory use of face covers/masks, frequent hand-washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) and use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers (for at least 20 seconds) wherever feasible.

The generic measures include simple public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of Covid-19. These measures need to be observed by all (staff, students and parents) in these places at all times.

Guidelines:

Physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed as far as feasible.

Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory.

Practice frequent hand washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) even when hands are not visibly dirty. Use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers (for at least 20 seconds) can be made wherever feasible.

Respiratory etiquette to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one's mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly.

Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest.

Spitting shall be strictly prohibited.

Use of spit/saliva for counting/distributing sheets shall not be allowed.

Sharing of personal belongings/stationery shall not be allowed.

Installation & use of Aarogya Setu app shall be advised to all, as far as feasible.

Universities/ Educational Institutions/ Examination Conducting Authorities/ Examination centres may plan out the examination schedule in a staggered manner so as to avoid overcrowding at any examination centre.

Appropriate arrangements for personal protection gears like face covers/masks, and other logistic like hand sanitisers, soap, sodium hypochlorite solution etc shall be made available by Universities/ Educational Institutions/Examination Conducting Authorities/Examination centres to the staff as well as students as per requirements.

The examination centre should have a designated isolation room for isolating any person who is found symptomatic at the time of screening or during examination, till such time medical advice may be sought. A clear policy on allowing symptomatic candidates to undertake examinations shall be delineated by the Examination Conducting Authorities in advance.

Transportation to and from the examination centre - If any transportation is arranged by educational institutions conducting examinations, proper sanitisation of buses/other transport vehicles shall be ensured.

Entrances to have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal screening provisions - If any examination functionary/examinee fails to meet the self-declaration criteria, they shall not be allowed entry.

Only asymptomatic staff and students shall be allowed inside the examination hall.

All staff and students to be allowed entry only if using face cover/masks. The face cover/mask has to be worn at all times inside the examination centre by all.

In regular course, a symptomatic candidate should be referred to the nearest health centre and given an opportunity to undertake the examination through other means or the Universities/Educational Institution shall arrange for taking exam at a later date when the student is declared physically fit.

However, if a student is found to be symptomatic and insists on giving the examination, he may be allowed to take examination by shifting the candidate to a separate isolation room. The permission in such cases shall be granted as per the policy already enunciated on the issue by the examination conducting authorities.
T he housing industry enjoyed a bumper August as pent-up demand after lockdown fuelled record house prices, but fears are mounting that the momentum will quickly run out.

A flurry of different reports today, including from Nationwide and Barratt, one of Britains biggest housebuilders, pointed to an unusually busy August for the sector which is trying to bounce back from the pandemic.

Mortgage lender Nationwide said UK house prices reached an all-time high in August, at an average of 224,123.

Prices rose 2% in August, following a 1.8% increase in July. This is the highest monthly rise since February 2004, and reverses the losses in May and June.

The market was hurt in March when firms had to close estate agent branches and viewings were off the cards.

But restrictions were eased in May and Chancellor Rishi Sunak has since introduced a stamp duty holiday.

Nationwides chief economist Robert Gardner said pent-up demand was feeding through into sales, adding: Behavioural shifts may also be boosting activity, as people reassess their housing needs and preferences as a result of life in lockdown.

Last month was the busiest August for London house hunters in five years, according to research today from estate agent Hamptons International.

It said the number of applicants registering to buy homes in the capital last month was 12% higher than a year earlier and the busiest August since 2015.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons International, said: The easing of lockdown combined with a cut to most stamp duty bills brought a host of new buyers into the market and has extended the usual summer selling season.

FTSE 100 housebuilder Barratts chief executive David Thomas hailed very strong consumer demand. He said the suspension of stamp duty on property sales of up to 500,000 until March 2021 had encouraged buyers.

Barratt said the sales performance across all regions in the new financial year to date has been encouraging.

As at August 23, forward sales at Barratt stood at 15,660 homes with a value of 3.7 billion, compared to 13,064 homes at 3 billion a year earlier.

In the year to June it grappled with Covid-19 disruption and its pre-tax profits drop 45.9% to 491.8 million.

Barratts chairman John Allan sounded some caution: There has been a reduction in the high loan-to-value lending that many people require to get onto the housing ladder. This has arisen post Covid-19 and reflects a response to a perceived increase in risk and high levels of demand.

The current Help to Buy model is also set to be replaced in April 2021 with a two-year scaled back version that could impact buyers.

Allan said:  It is important that lenders and the Government consider what further options are available to help potential first time buyers who want to purchase their own home.2

Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club said the current pick-up in activity reported by Nationwide will prove unsustainable due to challenging fundamentals for consumers.

Archer said: Many people have already lost their jobs, despite the supportive Government measures, while others will be concerned that they may still end up losing their job once the furlough scheme ends. Additionally, many incomes have been affected.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has reportedly seized South Korea's largest crypto exchange Bithumb for alleged fraud.

South Korea's oldest newspaper, the Seoul Shinmun, reported the news on Wednesday, saying that Bithumb's offices have been raided. The exchange is reportedly accused of pre-selling native BXA tokens worth about 30 billion won (~$25 million) to investors and then not listing the token, which has allegedly led to losses to investors.

Bithumb is said to have issued BXA tokens in the past concerning its acquisition by Singapore-based BK Group. But that deal reportedly didn't materialize. Bithumb chairman Lee Jung Hoon is also said to be under investigation by police on charges of escaping property.

The Block has reached out to Bithumb for comments and will update this story should we hear back.

South Korean crypto exchanges appear to be going through trouble. Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also seized Coinbit exchange for allegedly inflating about 99% of its trading volumes, which resulted in "unfair profits" of at least about $84 million for the exchange and its team.





 2020 The Block Crypto, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
The United States has initiated the restoration of virtually all United Nations sanctions that had been previously lifted under Security Council Resolution 2231, when the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, was finalized in 2015. That same Security Council resolution gave each participant state the right to execute unconditionally the so-called snapback of sanctions if Iran broke its commitments under the JCPOA.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed the Security Council of the decision by the United States on August 20. The sanctions will come back into effect 30 days later. The action was taken after the United States tried all diplomatic means to encourage the UN Security Council to renew the arms embargo on Iran that is scheduled to expire in October.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations, Secretary Pompeo said the message is simple:

The United States will never allow the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism to freely buy and sell planes, tanks, missiles, and other kinds of conventional weapons. These UN sanctions will continue the arms embargo.

The snapback will also prohibit Iran from testing ballistic missiles and from ongoing nuclear activities, such as the enrichment of nuclear material that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program.

President Trump and this administration, have discarded the fiction that the regime merely seeks a peaceful nuclear program, said Secretary Pompeo. We will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Secretary Pompeo noted that Irans close neighbors in the Middle East, including the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, have warned the Security Council about the danger from Iran and the need to stop the expiration of the arms embargo. He also voiced concern that Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, while privately saying they do not want the arms embargo lifted, are doing nothing to prevent it from happening:

America wont join in this failure of leadership. America will not appease. America will leadTodays actions put additional pressure on Iran to behave like a normal country and to come to the bargaining table.

We call on the international community to join us in crafting a stronger deal that addresses the full range of Irans malign behavior, said Secretary Pompeo, and protects people of all nations that simply want to live free from Iranian predation.
Everyone sent to Tuol Sleng, Duch testified, was automatically presumed guilty and destined for execution in Cambodias killing fields. He was aware that much of the information in the confessions he extracted was false  fabricated by prisoners who would say anything to stop the torture, he said. But he passed it on to his superiors anyway, perpetuating the cycle of new arrests and killings when inmates named their supposed accomplices.
New details have emerged of an alleged stabbing attack on an Irishman who was found on the floor of a unit block with horrific injuries.

Oliver Solan, 30, was allegedly dragged across a floor and dumped in a hallway with a punctured spleen and severed ear on Saturday night, a court heard on Wednesday.

Katie Murtagh, 26, and her 23-year-old boyfriend Patrick Earle have both been charged over the alleged attack along with two other men.

Katie Murtagh, 26, and her 23-year-old boyfriend Patrick Earle have been charged

CCTV footage was released of a John Dunlea as police wanted to speak with regarding the alleged attack

Waverley Local Court heard that Earle and Murtagh has met Solan at the Coogee Pavilion, inviting him to their Young St unit where they allegedly took cocaine and drank alcohol, The Daily Telegraph reported.

An argument led to a fight between Solan and Earle, who suffered a dislocated shoulder. He then allegedly texted fellow Irish national John Dunlea, 27, on WhatsApp asking for 'muscle', the court heard.

When Dunlea and two other men - Patrick Farrell and Christopher Morrison - arrived a short time later Murtagh allegedly let them into the unit block.

Solan was allegedly stabbed multiple times in the body and face before the three men ran from the scene, the court heard.

Police allege Earle dragged Solan's bleeding body into the hallway before fleeing with Murtagh.

Solan suffered a disfigured ear and a ruptured spleen - which was removed during surgery - and remains in a serious by stable condition.

The court heard that at least one bladed weapon was used during the alleged attack.

Dunlea handed himself in to Maroubra Police Station on Tuesday after officers made a public appeal for information on his whereabouts.

Young Irish couple Katie Murtagh and Patrick Earle (pictured together) have been charged over the alleged stabbing of a man that left him stranded in a unit block hallway with a partially severed ear

Neighbours found victim Oliver Solan, 30, barely conscious in a hallway at a Young Street apartment block in Randwick, in Sydney's east, about 8.40pm on Sunday

Earle's girlfriend, 26-year-old Katie Murtagh is pictured in a recent social media photo

Dunlea appeared before the court via video link charged with one count of wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

His lawyer applied for bail, which Magistrate Ross Hudson granted with strict conditions and with a surety of $20,000.

Earle was charged with wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Murtagh was charged with aid and abet to wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Both remain in custody after being refused bail earlier in the week.

A fifth person who police would like to speak to is still unaccounted for.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:23:58|Editor: huaxia

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by Chanthaphaphone Mixayboua, Zhang Jianhua

VIENTIANE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Laos has kicked off its new school year, as the country's COVID-19 pandemic situation is eased, but things will be different from usual because COVID-19 prevention measures still hang in the air.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith made the call in an address on Tuesday to the country, education administrators, teachers, and children at the start of the new academic year.

He highlighted the need for continued COVID-19 prevention measures, and reminded everyone, especially students, children and other young people that it was essential to adapt to new normal in order to prevent possible second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

Schools should install handwashing basins, provide soap and face masks and take temperature checks in order to prevent the spread of infection.

School administrators must implement precautionary measures, and arrange suitable seating for students with social distancing of at least one meter, as was recommended by the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

"I'm very glad that I'm going back to school because I will get to see my friends and start a new class," Kenthong Aorlaphoum, a 11-year-grade student of school in Lao capital Vientiane, told Xinhua.

"I think we will all have to get used to the new normal, wear a face mask, and wash our hands frequently to prevent any more cases of COVID-19," said Kenthong.

He added that everyone should cooperate with the authorities and continue to practise preventive measures.

A 32-year-old woman living in Lao capital Vientiane, Lar Vilayphavanh, said, "I always advise my children to wear masks, wash hands with soap or gels and maintain the proper distance. I am always aware on prevention measures and strictly follow them."

"I think every parent is concerned about a resurgence of the virus as it is still present in most parts of the world and everyone remains at risk, especially in crowded places such as schools," Lar said.

A 37-year-old man Nethavit Sayyaphon told Xinhua that it's not easy for children to maintain social distancing in school because they're not really worried about the COVID-19 virus.

"I hope school administrators will strictly follow the COVID-19 prevention measures and requires students, teachers and parents to check for any flu-like symptoms before going to school," said Nethavit.

He added that it is the duty of schools and parents to teach children about the importance of cleanliness and good hygiene and to make sure these practices are maintained.

"This will not only help to protect us against COVID-19 but also against many other virus and illnesses," Nethavit told Xinhua.

The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has advised teachers and students to keep track of the situation and monitor updates from the Lao Ministry of Health.

If students or teachers have any flu-like symptoms, school administrators must inform the taskforce committee to help control the spread of the virus.

As of Wednesday, Laos has tested 39,696 suspected cases with 22 cases tested positive, and 21 patients having recovered. The last patient has been treated in designated hospital, Mittaphab Hospital (Hospital 150) in Lao capital Vientiane.

Laos announced its first two COVID-19 confirmed cases on March 24. Enditem
The measures instituted to stop the outbreak of COVID-19 on the Alabama campus were imperative and will take some time to see their impact, the dean UAs College of Community Health Sciences said Wednesday.

Dr. Ricky Friend via video conference updated the schools effort to slow the spread of the virus after more than 1,000 students were infected in the first week of classes. While saying he supported the UA Systems decision to release case numbers weekly instead of daily, Friend said theyve tested thousands of students over the past two weeks.

Friend also said isolation bed space was at less than 50 percent of capacity and that he was not aware of any students who had been hospitalized with the virus. Next week will begin sentinel testing in which 2  to 4 percent of the student/faculty/staff populations will be sampled to detect hot spots.

The dean said he knew of no other university with a more comprehensive testing plan and lauded the efforts of the campus response that includes 43 employees working on contact tracing.

I would say nothing has gone wrong, Friend said. We have the largest campus in the state. We have approximately 40,000 students, 6,000 faculty and staff. We anticipated the quarantine and isolation space we needed with great foresight early in June. Also, early in June, we anticipated the need for rapid, accurate testing on a consistent basis and we are able to operate safely with those tools and were constantly refining our plans and I think the virus is dictating where we are and how we move next.

Asked if he saw anything encouraging in the numbers since Fridays release of 481 positive tests, Friend said hes seen tremendous effort on everybodys part to slow the spread.

But truly we arent going to see the results of our efforts until after Labor Day and possibly the week after that, he said. Historically, thats how this works.

The school is in daily contact with Tuscaloosas DCH hospital and Friend noted the facility was in good shape in terms of capacity. DCH was reporting 55 in-patient COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, near the lowest point of the summer months that saw the number spike to 110 in late July.

UA has also made efforts to communicate the reality of the pandemic to its student population. The story of John Dodd, a student previously profiled by AL.com on Aug. 20 after recovering from the virus, was featured on social media posts from official UA accounts.

From an epidemiologic standpoint, the 18- to 25-year old group is not going to suffer much disease burden, Friend said. But they will spread the virus and its incumbent of every campus member -- faculty, staff, students -- to practice these guidelines wherever they go.

Thats why large gatherings were banned, and the school requested the temporary closure of Tuscaloosa bars to keep the brush fire from becoming a community inferno.

Friend said hes cautiously optimistic those measures will dent the rising case number on Alabamas campus.

I think this is a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic, Friend said. This is the first time in my medical career that weve been faced with this and I really get up every day and think about whats going to happen next. I cant predict it. Im just doing my best to do good work for the campus and the UA System and the chancellor to make sure we keep the campus safe.

Every day is a new day and were working very hard to do that.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
Deborah Miller Think of Caring Transitions as a project manager for your transition  we can take care of your entire transition from beginning to end or help with whatever individual services you need along the way. - Deb Miller

Experienced caregiver and senior living professional Deborah Miller is pleased to announce the launch of her new senior-focused relocation and estate clearing company, Caring Transitions of Winchester.

Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle decluttering, organizing, packing, moving, resettling, in-home estate sales and online auctions, home clean-outs, estate clearing and preparing homes for market. Caring Transitions of Winchester serves Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren and Frederick Counties as well as the city of Winchester and the surrounding areas.

Think of Caring Transitions as a project manager for your transition  we can take care of your entire transition from beginning to end or help with whatever individual services you need along the way. When my mom passed away suddenly in 2008, I was left to handle everything with minimal help, which was emotional and overwhelming. I launched Caring Transitions because I want people to have someone to turn to when they need help with those kinds of transitions. I want to be the resource this community needs, Miller said.

Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move, including assisting with the process of downsizing to provide a safer living situation, as well as for busy families and people clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs.

Miller, who is a Certified Senior Relocation and Transitions Specialist, has lived in the Shenandoah Valley for almost 40 years and has two sons  James, who served in the United States Marine Corp, and Garrett, who is training to be an electrician. Her stepson, Frank III currently lives in Florida. She has been in senior caregiving for the last 15 years and most recently worked as a Personal Care Attendant for a young lady with Cerebral Palsy. She also cared for her mom before her passing. Miller has hired Danyeil Baker to help her with business development. Miller and Baker worked together at a senior living facility where Miller was an assistant to the Activities Director. Baker, who was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, has been in caregiving since volunteering as a candy striper when she was 12.

When I posted about opening Caring Transitions on my Facebook page, there were lots of congratulatory posts, but Danyeil messaged almost immediately asking how she could get involved. She was clearly passionate about what I was going to be doing and she has become an integral part of the team already, Miller said.

We want the community to know that our Caring Transitions team members are uniquely trained to be sympathetic to all kinds of challenges and to offer compassionate solutions to help clients reach their goals. We are caring, considerate and we understand what youre going through in a way that other companies dont, Baker added.

Caring Transitions of Winchester is bonded and insured and employees are background checked. For additional information, call 540-318-0024, email DMiller@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsWinchester.com.


NEW DELHI (dpa-AFX) - German stocks rallied on Wednesday as signs of recovery in global manufacturing activity helped investors shrug off weak retail sales data. The benchmark DAX climbed 259 points, or 1.98 percent, to 13,231 after rising 0.2 percent on Tuesday. Multinational conglomerate Siemens jumped 2.2 percent, steelmaker ThyssenKrupp added 1.8 percent and chemical company BASF advanced 2 percent. Banks Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank were flat to slightly higher as Germany started the sale of its first ever green bond. Automaker Daimler rose about 1 percent and Volkswagen added 0.7 percent as the euro fell further below $1.20, a level it breached for the first time in over two years on Tuesday. Evotec SE rose over 2 percent. The drug discovery and development company has announced a partnership agreement with the University of Oxford regarding access to biospecimens from the biobank Quality in Organ Donation. In economic news, German retail sales declined for a second straight month in July, defying expectations for a rebound after the coronavirus pandemic-related lockdown curbs were eased, preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office showed. Retail sales fell 0.9 percent month-on-month, while economists had forecast a 0.5 percent increase. The decline for June was revised to 1.9 percent from 1.6 percent. On a year-on-year basis, retail sales grew 4.2 percent in July after a 6.7 percent gain in June, which was revised from 5.9 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Sen. Ed Markey on Tuesday held off a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a race that divided progressive and establishment Democrats.

Kennedy told supporters Tuesday night that he called Markey to congratulate him "and to pledge my support to him and his campaign in the months ahead."

"The senator is a good man," he added.

Speaking in supporters later, Markey said he had spoken with Kennedy "and I extended my respect and congratulations for a campaign that has been fierce at times but always fueled by a shared commitment to the people of this great commonwealth."

With about 75 percent of the vote counted, Markey held an 8-point lead over his challenger.

The primary battle became increasingly nasty in its closing weeks, with Kennedy hammering Markey over decades-old votes on busing and the 1994 crime bill. Markey, meanwhile, took some swipes at Kennedy's family, playing off President John F. Kennedy's famous line "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

In a campaign video, Markey said, "With all due respect, it's time to start asking what your country can do for you."

Kennedy had tried to paint himself as more progressive on racial issues than Markey.

"I am a 39-year-old white man of tremendous privilege. My own work on racial justice is wholly incomplete. But this fight is in my blood," he said in a speech last month.

From a distance, the race appeared to be similar to others around the country where longtime Democratic politicians were ousted in primaries by younger, more progressive challengers. But different dynamics were in play in the Markey-Kennedy fight.

Kennedy wasn't considered more liberal than Markey, and he hails from the state's most powerful political dynasty  his grandfather was Sen. Robert Kennedy, and JFK was his great-uncle. Kennedy's run was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., several other well-known Democrats and some key labor unions.

Kennedy addressed his family legacy in his concession speech, saying "To my family, the Kennedy family, whose name was invoked far more often than I anticipated in this race, to my mom, my dad, my twin brother, and the rest of a rowdy bunch of crazy cousins, you all are my heroes, you are my role models, you are my example of what public service should be and can be when it is done with courage and grit. Thank you for teaching me everything I know."

Markey, 74, a longtime House member who was elected to the Senate in 2013, has a progressive record and is one of the co-sponsors of the Green New Deal. That earned him the endorsement of progressive star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and he's also been backed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

And Markey was supported by Justice Democrats, the group that helped propel Ocasio-Cortez to a stunning primary victory in 2018 and has helped put together a string of other primary victories this year.

In another closely watched race Tuesday night, Rep. Richard Neal, the head of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, fended off a primary challenge from Alex Morse, the mayor of Holyoke.

With about 90 percent of the vote counted, Neal led his challenger by 18 points.

Neal, 71, found himself being challenged by Morse, 31, and the Justice Democrats, who painted the incumbent as an obstacle to their agenda  including "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal.

Morse hammered Neal for not being aggressive enough in his bid to get President Donald Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department, something the Ways and Means chair is technically empowered to do.

"The chairman has a lot of power. But he dropped the ball. He didn't use that power to hold this president accountable," Morse told The Washington Post.

In a debate, Neal insisted that he's "delivered" for his constituents.

Neal was backed by Pelosi, who said that "I know what he has done" in office and that "it would be a tremendous loss to the district to lose the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee."
A cyclist has been accused of shattering a pensioner's jaw after he asked a pair of riders to travel in single file.

Graeme Gibb, who lives at Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, claims he was punched by a lycra-wearing cyclist while en route to his weekly Sunday walk.

The 76-year-old was behind the wheel as he drove from his gym session to the Miami Hotel car park, where he begins his beach stroll.

The retiree then came across two cyclists, who he claims he struggled to safely drive around, The Courier-Mail reported.

Graeme Gibb claims he was punched by a cyclist on Sunday. Pictured: Police would like to speak to this man about the alleged incident

'They were riding side-by-side taking up all the lane,' Mr Gibb told police.

'I have shouted out (of the car) ''why don't you (ride) single file'' as I drove past.'

Mr Gibb passed the cyclists but when he parked his vehicle in the carpark, he was approached by one of the riders.

'He started coming towards me and punched me very hard with closed fist to the right side of my face,' Mr Gibb said.

Mr Gibb said the punch was so forceful he fell to his knees and 'saw stars'.

The 76-year-old said he questioned the cyclist: 'What did you that for?'

Mr Gibb, who lives at Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, claims he was punched by a lycra-wearing cyclist at the Miami Hotel car park (pictured)

Mr Gibb said the altercation has left him with extreme headaches, anxiety and pain.

He was treated for his broken jaw in hospital on Tuesday and claims the injury will take months to heal.

The retiree, who has submitted a detailed police report, hopes his attacker will be charged.

The cyclist is tall, white and has dark hair. He was riding a grey Trek bicycle on Sunday.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink on 13144.
Wilder-Smith, the professor of emerging infectious diseases, said it would be more accurate to say Britain is pursuing a compromise strategy, assuming that many but not all will follow the rules  a policy that is less intrusive and less expensive than alternatives, and works as long as the number of new infections in the country do not soar.
After his release from Mathura Jail in the wee hours of Wednesday, Dr Kafeel Khan accused the Uttar Pradesh government of not doing Raj Dharma and instead, indulging in Baal Hatth or childlike-stubbornness. He added that the state government could frame him in another case. Khan also said he would set up camps to work in flood-hit areas, a wish he had earlier expressed in an open letter.

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed his detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release, saying his speech at the AMU didnt promote hatred or violence and gave a call for national integrity. Mathura jail administration informed at around 11.00 pm that Dr Kafeel will be released, and at around midnight, he was released, Khans lawyer Irfan Ghazi told PTI.

Soon after the Allahabad High Court order, when Kafeels family reached Mathura jail for his release, the authorities refused to release him citing non-receipt of the order, following which the family had said they would file a contempt petition in the Allahabad High Court. In a tweet, his wife Dr Shabista alleged, Even after high court order they are not releasing Dr Kafeel Khan. Khans brother Adeel also claimed the Mathura jail administration told them they will go by the order of the district magistrate and until the DM says, he will not be released.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh said the Aligarh district magistrate, who passed the order for Khans detention, did a selective reading of his speech, ignoring its true intent. Kafeel was lodged in Mathura jail for nearly seven and a half months under the National Security Act on charges of making inflammatory speeches in Aligarh against the amended citizenship law (CAA) last year.

Quashing Khans detention order, the court said, A complete reading of the speech prima facia does not disclose any effort to promote hatred or violence. It also nowhere threatens peace and tranquillity of the city of Aligarh. The address gives a call for national integrity and unity among the citizens. The speech also deprecates any kind of violence.

It appears that the District Magistrate had selective reading and selective mention for few phrases from the speech ignoring its true intent. The court further said in the instant case, the causal link is found to be missing or completely broken.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

By Fidan Babayeva - Trend:

Discussions are being held on establishment of a new logistics center and relevant warehousing infrastructure in Azerbaijan, Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade said.

Guluzade made the remark at a video meeting with representatives of Chinas Alibaba Group company, Trend reports referring to the ministry.

The meeting participants discussed the issues of cooperation with the company on developing data centers infrastructure, providing convenient network access to a common fund of configurable computing resources, e-commerce and other areas.

During the meeting an agreement was reached to establish a working group on cooperation.

Having informed the partners about the IT sector development in Azerbaijan, the minister said that various projects are being implemented in the country to develop the information society, increase the ICT knowledge of the population and promote the use of electronic services.

At the meeting he also stressed the importance of establishing and developing cooperation with Alibaba.

The concept of Government Cloud (G-Cloud) was adopted by the decree of Azerbaijans president dated June 3, 2019, said Guluzade.

----

Follow the author on Twitter: @Fidan_Babaeva
Navalny, the fiercest critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk in Siberia on Aug. 20, and aides said they were sure that he had been poisoned. He was rushed to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane was diverted.
The Ministry of Information and Technology of the Indian government has banned PUBG Mobile and other 117 Chinese apps.

The 118 apps banned along with PUBG Mobile

According to a tweet by a journalist from the Economic Times, these are the list of Chinese apps banned by the Indian government.

Also Read- Best PUBG Mobile like games

The list includes WeChat(Standard and Government), Rules of Survival amongst other famous Chinese apps.

PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile Lite

APUS Launcher Pro and Normal  Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart, Call Show, HideApps

APUS Security  Antivirus, Phone security

APUS TUrbo Cleaner 2020

Cut Cut  Photo Background Editor

Baidu

FaceU

ShareSave by Xiaomi

CamCard  Business Card Reader

CamCard BUsiness

CamCard for Salesforce

CamOCR

InNote

VooV Meeting

WeChat reading

Government WeChat

Small Q Brush

Tencent Weiyum

Pitu

WeChat Work

Cyber Hunter

Cyber Hunter Lite

Knives Out-no rules, just fight!

Super Mecha Champions

LifeAfter

Dawn of Isles

Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

Chess Rush

Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

Art of Conquest Dark Horizon

Dank Tanks

War Path

Game of Sultans

Gallery Vault

Smart Applock

Message Lock

Hide App-Hide Application Icon

AppLock

AppLock Lite

Dual Space

ZAKZAK Pro

ZAKZAK LIVE

Music  Mp3 Player

Music Player

HD CAmera Selfie Beauty Camera

Cleaner  Phone Booster

Web Browser & Fast Explorer

Video Player ALL Format for Android

Photo Gallery HD & Editor

Photo Gallery & Album

Music Player  Bass Booster

HD Camera  Beauty CAm with Filters & Panorama

HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

Music Player  MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

Gallery HD

Web Browser  Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

Web Browser -Secure Explorer

Music Player  Audio Player

Video Player  ALl Format HD Video Player

Lamour Love All Over The World

Amour  Video Chat & Call all over the world.

MV Master  Make Your Status Video & Community

MV Master  Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

APUS MEssage Center  Intelligent Management

LiveU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

Carrom Friends: Carrom Board & Pool game

Ludo All Star-

Bike Racing: Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing games

Rangers of Oblivion: Online Action MMO RPG Game

Z Camera

Go SMS Pro

U-Dictionary

Ulike

Tantan  Date for Real

MICO Chat

Kitty Live

Malay Social Dating App

Aliplay

AlipayHK

Mobile Taobao

Road of Kings  Engless Glory

Sina News

Neease News

Penguin FM

Murderous Pursuits

Tencent Watchlist

Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

HUYA LIVE

Little Q Album

Fighting Landlords

Hi Meitu

Mobile Legends: Pocket

VPN for TikTok

Penguin E-sports Live assistant

Buy Cars-offer everything you need

iPick

Beauty Camera Plus

Parallel Space Lite  Dual App

Chief Almighty:First Thunder BC

MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

AFK Arena

Creative Destruction NetEase Games

Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

Mafia City Yotta Games

Onmyoji NetEase Games

Ride out Heroes NetEase Games

Yimeng Jiagnhu-Chu Liuxiang

Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

Soul Hunters

Rules of Survival

Ministrys Official Statement on the matter

The government had received multiple complaints against the Chinese apps, alleging stealing, and data transmission without the users consent. Ministry has issued the following statement on the ban.

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures

The Saga of Ban Continues

The ban of PUBG was speculated and said to be on the cards, after 47 Chinese apps were banned back in July.

In a chain of events, the ban is third in line after the saga of the ban began in June when TikTok, UC, and 59 other Chinese apps were banned amid Indo-China border tensions and privacy concerns.

Will PUBG Mobile get unbanned?

Passionate gamers predicting the move when the second wave of the ban was already requesting the government not ban the PUBG Mobile game, which millions of users in India played.

TikTok moved court against Indias ban hammer, so we can expect a similar gusto from Tencent for PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite.
Post Mortem

Why not negotiate only for Naga country-Nagalim?

By Nagaland Post | Publish Date: 9/2/2020 12:42:28 PM IST

Through reading some authoritative books and articles I have compiled this write-up and also take liberty to reproduce some very well said or well-pointed out facts of some relevant matters concerning Nagas past, present and future.

I use to wonder what is truly meant by Political Science. I heard once our Veteran Politician S.C Jamir said Politic is an art of compromising. By this well said word I use as the measuring root assess the individual politician as well as the party.

I may say that only after I read the write-up Articles of Mr K. Puro and Mr Salikyu Sangtam which were published in Nagaland Post on 18.8.20 and August 20, 2020 respectively, I came to realise what is meant by Political Science. Mr K. Puro has rightly pointed out the truth that, It is certain that much anticipated settlement is without Sovereignty.... it is obvious that the Agreement is not for all the Nagas. It is nowhere near the Nine Points Agreement 1947 certainly short of the 16 points Agreement 1960, Definitely below the status of Article 37, A. may be worse than that of infamous shilling Accord 1975.... Imagine, the seven decade long struggle with flood and tears to be bartered with only a few Assembly and Parliamentary seats.... after sacrificing tens of thousands of precious lives from both sides, the Sol may not find any difficulty to sign the final settlement within the constitution of India, provided that the Nagas are United ?....The Blood and Tears of the Nagas should not be exchange with  Peaceful Solution alone. Because final settlement will come only after the inherent rights of Nagas i.e Sovereignty and Integration are being attained.

In the write-up of Mr Salikyu Sangtam he also rightly pointed out that the term NAGALIM generally refer to the entire Naga inhabited regions (including its ancestral domain) in Myanmar and across the four North-Eastern states... The key legal term pointed in the Framework Agreement is not Nagalim but Nagaland, which is the legally recognized entity/state with defined boundaries and territory under the sovereignty of the Indian Constitution. To be very clear and specific, it simply means the issues of Naga Integration and Sovereignty are off the table and with it the issue of flag and constitution.

Another significant point, Mr. S. Sangtam writes, is that the title does not mention NSCM (I.M) or (K) or (U) or (R) etc....Ravi can go and sign with as many splintered groups as there are in Nagaland......after settlement, if any groups continue to struggle for settled issues, they will be officially dealt per criminal law (ie armed gangs etc) and treated as law and order issues (which it already has). In other words, once the agreement is signed, even the NNPGs unrealistic claims about further pursuing for Naga Integration, Sovereignty etc through democratic process will be seen by Government of India and state Government as criminal activities carried out by armed gangs Hence the NNGPs must also make its stand clear and specific on this issue or rather remaining quite....Mr Salikyu in conclusion writes I urge readers to prudently examine where we are heading and the kind of Society we want to leave behind for the coming generation.....

I would also reproduce here once again the Question Mr Gwanphum Gangmei in his article in Nagaland Post has posed on 21.8.2020, CAN NAGAS RIGHTS BE BARTERED OR NEGOTIATED? He writes Nagas Rights are non-Negotiable or can not be bartered for any amount of material gain.

Mr Thepfulhouvi Solo writes in his article Nagaland First (refer to Nagaland Post dated Nov 22, 2019) Nagaland has almost Sovereign freedom in its cultural domain. The constitution of India Article 371 A has 1. Not withstanding anything in this constitution. A) No Act of parliament in respect of i) religions or social practices of Nagas. ii) Naga customary law and procedure. Iii) Administration of civil and criminal justice, involving decisions according to Naga customary law.

iv) Ownership and transfer of land and its resources shall apply to the state of Nagaland unless the legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides. Today we all know that we cant expect any Prime Minister of India to favour Nagas by extending the recognition of the Sovereignty having a separate flag and constitution Furthermore, though the 9 points Akbar Hydari Agreement as well as the 16 points Agreement had stated that the contiguous Naga areas would be brought under one administration unit. It seems now a foregone conclusion that this commitment or these aspirations of Nagas could not be materialised by the GOI. The whole gamut of finalization of the Indo Naga political talk has now narrowed down to only the settlement of the Naga of the three States of Arunachal, Assam and Manipur in Autonomous council in their own respective states and 20 more MLA and 2 more M.P for Nagaland.

Do not belittle our beloved Grand Pa Dev Gowdas sayings who had said on 18th Aug. 2020 (Nagaland Post). A peace Accord must be reached at the earliest. Distrust apparently has crept in, the progress made in the last 23 years in 5 successive government must not be forsaken now. There is constitution and also the 2015 framework agreement, which should help its move towards a solution.

Gowda said he sincerely hope that distrust is put aside, talks continue and a peace accord is reached at the earliest. He added the people of the North-East deserve to live in harmony and witness economic progress.

Indeed, Ravis attempt of converting a political issue into a law and order problem and adapting a stratagem that resulted in the killing and arrest of its members is indeed an insult to GoI and to the Nagas Nation.

Let us ask ourselves again what do Nagas really want? We know that Nagas want (what is in their inherent nature for millennia) to assert our right to live in peaceful co-existence with our neighbours (and India or any other nation) as a free nation-people (not being subjugated or controlled by other nation) just as we had live with Britishers with Peace Accord at Mezoma led by Pelhou on 2nd March 1880 even without written Treaty) having our own self-rule or as self-administered county with our Flag, with our own Constitution and as under 37 A&16 points agreement and nine points Agreement with Hydari in 1947 June. For example in the Hydari Agreement, the Nowgong District forest which belonged to our Naga ancestors domain (see the map drawn by European in 1764 and the boundaries clearly stated by Briteshers vide was agreed to be returned to Nagas .

We Nagas always had our own defence force and systems in every village. Today, we have our Naga Army, (not armed gangs or miscreants or terrorists system) and we need to maintain a central Naga Army not to make wars with any but to defend and maintain peace, law and order-society as we had been doing throughout our generations. Indeed, we dont ask Indian Government to grant us Sovereignty Independence or Constitution or flag. Because we have already all these things which India had accepted that our Naga issue is political and has become a nation as recognised by UNO.

Mr Kewezu Mero, Joint Secretary and Caretaker, Naga Club Building Kohima in his book The Story of NAGA CLUB. He writes that the UNO resolution of 23rd July 2008 had officially declared that the Nagas are recognized as one of the unrepresented Indigenous peoples of the world.

Therefore, the Nagas have the full rights to be a separate nation under UNO. This is a reaffirmation about the status of Nagas in the complete excluded Area. This complete excluded Area has the status of political Sovereignty. Naga Sovereignty emerged from the Memorandum which was submitted to the Simon Commission by the Naga Club. Therefore nobody can deny this truth that this is the property of the whole Nagas. Therefore, let all the Nagas reaffirm our stands on this truth of Naga sovereignty which foundation was laid by our forefathers through the Naga Club. On dedicating ourselves to this foundation, the Nagas shall reap the fruit of Peace, Love and Unity and glorify our almighty God.

But today what Nagas want is that if India desire to be our Benefactor, sponsoring us with Fund, Creating Upper House and PAN Naga Welfare Fund in the like manner of NEC and Lower House as state Governments or as Autonomous Regions with special grant of 20 more MLAs & 2 MPs more to the existing Nagaland State Government. Indeed, we wanted to have a dual citizenship and I think it is already in operation-Naga indigenous citizenship and Indian citizenship for travel abroad.

Dr Along Longkumer, a very senior and first grade Journalist, the founding Editor of Dimapur based Morung Express in his book, A Way Forward  the idea of a peace Accord between India and Nagas, has reproduced many important words of crucially important persons related to Indo-Naga Peace Accord.

A very senior political figure, P. Chidambaram during his tenure as the Union Home Minister of UPA (previous Congress) said... Creation of Nagaland State could not solve the Naga problem. There is something quite significant.... Also, since under Article 371 (A) Nagaland already enjoys considerable autonomy, it is expected that any solution will have to go beyond autonomy (in centre-state relation) to the next higher status of political Self Rule from India. What this will therefore mean is that firstly, a political settlement has to be agreed upon and reached between India and the Nagas. Secondly, Nagas will have to be given a status higher than the present arrangement of autonomy and statehood.

Dr. Along Longkumer writes K. Padmanabhaiah former Home Union Secretary who was the longest serving Interlocutor ( 1999-2009) should be credited for laying the ground works for the proposed Naga Peace Accord- the offer from the Government of India was the creation of a Naga Regional Council-comprising representative from all major Naga tribes in the North-East.

Dr. Along Longkumer writes, Even the Naga National Council (NNC) under Phizo had taken the position that on broader issues, Nagas can be connected to India. The NNC while acknowledging the many connections that existed with India had called for unification and freedom of all tribes and as a distinctive community we must develop according to our genius, taste.......we shall enjoy home rule in our country but on broader issue be connected with India....For the present, the way possible (as explained in a previous chapter) self rule for the Nagas and on broader issues to be associated with India. A meeting of minds and consensus among the Naga Political Groups should be explored on these points. (p107).

Let us not be guided by the counsels of dirty minded people of Tribalism people or council or the leading of the ignorant people of political science but only harping for peaceful solution.

Let us make the right choice by reading Ezekiel 17:1-6 and 7-10 and meditate the vrs 14 and 15 Let us be very cautious not to bring about repeat history as God words written in Zechariah 13;8.

In very recent month, an elderly man (Naga villager) spoke in T.V in Naga Cable or MM Cable what God revealed to him. He said If India swallows Nagas, India will be also swallowed. And Nagas must abide in the policy or principles of NNC original which are now maintained under Adino NNC President Adino Phizo.

Dr. N. Kezienou, Kohima
DUSHANBE -- A brother of the late organizer of the 2018 killing of four foreign cyclists in Tajikistan has been handed an additional 20 years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of calling inmates to stage riots that claimed dozens of lives in 2019.

Sources close to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan told RFE/RL on September 1 that the trial of Bakhtiyor Abdusamadov was held behind closed doors and that his case was related to the deadly prison riot in the Vahdat district near Dushanbe, the capital in May 2019.

Abdusamadov's mother, Gulchehra Shodmonova, told RFE/RL that her son had denied any involvement in the riot in which 32 people died, including three prison guards.

The 39-year-old Bakhtiyor has been serving his 16-year prison term since 2009 for being a member of a criminal group involved in illegal border-crossing activities.

His brother Hussein Abdusamadov, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killing of four foreign cyclists on the Dushanbe-Danghara highway in July 2018, died while incarcerated in March.

Hussein Abdusamadov was the sole survivor of a group of attackers who killed the Western cyclists.

The four cyclists -- two Americans, a Dutch national, and a Swiss national -- were killed on July 29, 2018, when attackers plowed their vehicle into their group on a road and then stabbed some of them.

Two other foreign cyclists survived the attack, which occurred about 150 kilometers south of Dushanbe.

Four suspects in the attack, Zafarjon Safarov, Asomuddin Majidov, Jafariddin Yusupov, and Asliddin Yusupov, were killed by Tajik security forces.

Hussein Abdusamadov, who was named the group's leader, survived, and was found guilty of murder in November 2018.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS.

The Tajik government, however, rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), a political party that was banned by the authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon's government in 2015.

The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities' claims "shameless and illogical slander."
Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Germany's assertion that Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent of the Novichok family was not backed up with evidence, the RIA news agency reported.

The Russian ministry said Berlin was not cooperating with Moscow on the case.

In separate comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted there to be a full exchange of information about the case between Moscow and Berlin, the Interfax news agency reported.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  International travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are holding up the boroughs newest ferries from being inspected.

The Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis and Sandy Ground boats are awaiting an inspection from four German engineers who are currently barred from entering the United States.

Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) and Borough President James Oddo wrote to the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, asking for a travel exemption that would allow the engineers to travel and inspect the vessels.

The national interest exemption Rose and Oddo are asking for would not only allow immediate travel for employees of the Voith Group, but would also allow them to return in 2021 when Ollis-class ferry launches.

The four employees are registered with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) but cannot travel without National Immigration Exception (NIE) of the Presidential Proclamation 9993 Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

The letter to General Lacina details the significance of both boat names  Ollis distinguished military awards, sacrifice for his country, and how he gave his life to save a wounded Polish soldier; and Sandy Grounds establishment by former slaves after the abolition of slavery in New York in 1827.

According to the letter, the engineers would need to remain in the United States for an estimated 45 to 60 days to complete their work.

We understand the need for judicious enforcement of all immigration laws and regulations in order to prevent further transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and we are working with ESG and Voith Group to guarantee that all the necessary precautions will be taken to ensure non-transmission during the work period, the letter says.

It continues, Given the toll this pandemic has extracted from our economy, we urge you to grant these technicians entry so they may help deliver real infrastructure benefits, and improve the daily commute of so many tens of thousands of workers each week.

You can read the full letter here.

DELIVERY OF OLLIS BOATS DELAYED UNTIL INSPECTIONS CAN HAPPEN

The delivery of the first of three new ferry boats -- the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis -- previously scheduled to arrive in August 2020, has been delayed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the delivery date for the Ollis ship has been impacted, according to the DOT. Further details on the delivery dates are forthcoming.

The Ollis boat was initially scheduled to arrive in the New York Harbor in fall 2019, with the vessel originally set to be commissioned and put in service in early 2020.

The second new boat, the Sandy Ground, was originally scheduled to arrive in the New York Harbor in summer 2020, with the third new boat, which remains nameless, initially scheduled to arrive in spring 2021.

The three vessels cannot be delivered to Staten Island and be prepared to launch until they are inspected by the engineers.

FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER.
New York, Sep 2 : A NASA-funded research led by a team of Indian-origin scientists in the US has developed lighter, faster-charging batteries suitable for powering a spacesuit, or even a Mars rover.

Shailendra Chiluwal, Nawraj Sapkota, Apparao M Rao and Ramakrishna Podila, all of whom are part of the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) at the Clemson University in South Carolina were part of the team that created these batteries.

Podila, an assistant professor in the College of Science's department of physics and astronomy, said the revolutionary new batteries could soon be used in US satellites.

Most satellites mainly get their power from the sun. But the satellites have to be able to store energy for when they are in the Earth's shadow.

"We have to make the batteries as light as possible, because the more the satellite weighs, the more its mission costs," Podila said.

The research, which was funded by NASA, appeared in the American Chemical Society journal Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Podila said that to understand the group's breakthroughs, one could visualise the graphite anode in a lithium-ion battery as a deck of cards, wherein each card represents a layer of graphite that is used to store the charge until electricity is needed.

The problem, Podila said, is that "graphite cannot store much charge".

The team opted to work with silicon, which can pack more charge, meaning more energy can be stored in lighter cells.

Rather than a deck of cards made of graphite, the new batteries uses layers of a carbon nanotube material called "Buckypaper", with the silicon nanoparticles sandwiched in between.

"The freestanding sheets of carbon nanotubes keep the silicon nanoparticles electrically connected with each other," explained Shailendra Chiluwal, a graduate student at CNI and the first author on the study.

Using batteries made of silicon and other nanomaterials not only increases capacity, it also allows for charging batteries at a higher current, which translates to faster charging times.

As anyone whose cellphone has ever died in the middle of a phone call knows, this is an important feature for battery technology, the authors said.

Lighter batteries that charge faster and offer greatly increased efficiency will not only be a boon to astronauts wearing battery-powered suits, but also to the scientists and engineers who have to get the astronauts to their destinations.

"Silicon as the anode in a lithium-ion battery represents the 'holy grail' for researchers in this field," said Rao, CNI's director and the principal investigator on the NASA grant.

Rao added that the new batteries will soon find their way into electric vehicles.

"Our next goal is to collaborate with industrial partners to translate this lab-based technology to the marketplace," Podila said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Joe Kennedy III on Tuesday failed in his bid to take the Senate seat held by JFK, becoming the first member of his family to lose an Congressional election in Massachusetts.

The 39-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy lost to incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, 74, who has been in the Senate since 2013.

Kennedy said Tuesday night that the results aren't the ones he'd hoped for, but pledged to work for Markey's reelection.

'The senator is a good man. You never heard me say otherwise,' Kennedy told supporters at an outdoor rally.

Kennedy also suggested that the movement of supporters the campaign pulled together would continue past the current election.

'We may have lost the final vote count tonight but we built a coalition that will endure,' he said. 'I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat.'

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks outside his campaign headquarters in Watertown, Mass., after conceding defeat to incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, Tuesday

The race has not been cheap, with both candidates raising and spending millions. Early on, Markey and Kennedy were also forced to grapple with the coronavirus, which limited their campaigning

Until Tuesday a Kennedy had never lost a race for Congress in Massachusetts. Robert Kennedy is pictured left. Senator-elect John F. Kennedy poses for a portrait on November 5, 1952, right

The Boston Globe tweeted Kennedy had conceded shortly after 10pm with Markey winning about 54 percent of the vote at that stage.

Kennedy went after Markey on the issue of racial inequity, criticizing his initial opposition to school desegregation efforts in Boston in the 1970s and noting criticism of Markey by the father of Danroy 'DJ' Henry, a young Black man from Massachusetts killed by police 10 years ago.

Kennedy also highlighted his family's political legacy, in part in response to Markey, who during one debate told Kennedy he should tell his father - former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy II - not to help fund a political action committee that was going after Markey.

He also objected to supporters of Markey who he said attacked him on social media, including tweeting 'that Lee Harvey got the wrong Kennedy' - a reference to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Markey called the tweet unacceptable.

At a victory celebration in his hometown of Malden, Massachusetts, Markey ticked off a series of priorities, from support for the Black Lives Matter movement to a call for Medicare for All, to combating climate change, a signature issue for Markey.

'Every other problem is linked to it. No solution to any challenge will be successful unless we address it. There will be no peace, no justice and no prosperity unless we stop the march to climate destruction,' he said. 'We must pass a Green New Deal.'

To make good on those pledges, Markey said Democrats have to take back control of the U.S. Senate and oust President Donald Trump in November.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey celebrates with wife Susan, left, in Malden, Mass., after defeating U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Tuesday

The 39-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy lost to incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, 74, who has been in the Senate since 2013

Joe Kennedy III speaks to his wife Lauren and brother Matt at his primary election rally in Watertown, Massachusetts

Democratic candidate for United States Senate, Representative Joe Kennedy III (C) and his wife Lauren (R) depart speaks at his campaign headquarters after conceding

Kennedy III speaks at his campaign headquarters after conceding

Markey has portrayed Kennedy as a 'progressive in name only,' in one debate faulting him for deciding early in his career to work as a prosecutor for Michael O'Keefe, a Republican district attorney.

Markey has tried to tout his progressive chops by pointing to his introduction of the Green New Deal climate change initiative.

He's also referenced his own family story growing up in working-class Malden, where his father drove a truck for the Hood Milk Co.

'I could see my mother and father trying to figure out how to pay the bills at the kitchen table,' Markey recalled.

Kennedy, the 39-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, lost to incumbent Sen. Ed Markey

The race has not been cheap, with both candidates raising and spending millions. Early on, Markey and Kennedy were also forced to grapple with the coronavirus, which limited their campaigning.

Recent polls had given Markey an edge.

The race was also a proxy battle of sorts between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Pelosi endorsed Kennedy while Ocasio-Cortez backed Markey.

AOC and Markey joined forces at the beginning of her Congressional career in 2019 to launch matching Green New Deal resolutions in the House and Senate.

In mid-August Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the other senator from Massachusetts and another top progressive, also backed Markey.

Rep. Joe Kennedy speaks to the press as supporters are seen holding signs behind him on Democatic primary day in Massachusetts Tuesday

Rep. Joe Kennedy III (center) greets supporter Thanh Nguyen, of Milton, Massachusetts (left) during a campaign stop Tuesday in Boston, before Democratic voters headed to the polls

Sen. Ed Markey (left) greets a supporter during a campaign stop on Tuesday in Boston

Until Tuesday a Kennedy had never lost a race for Congress in Massachusetts.

President John F. Kennedy was elected three times to the U.S. House and twice to the U.S. Senate before being elected president.

Edward Kennedy was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 and re-elected every six years until he died in 2009.

Joe Kennedy ll ran for JFK's old House seat in 1986, won, and was reelected every election until he opted not to run in 1998.

While Tuesday is primary day, many Massachusetts voters have already cast their ballots at early voting locations, mailing them or depositing them in drop boxes due to fears of spreading the virus.

Some Democrats worried early on that the race would siphon attention and dollars away from their top goals - defeating President Donald Trump and regaining control of the Senate.

Markey now faces a general election contest where he is considered a strong favorite in a district that has historically elected Democrats.

He'll face the winner of the Republican primary, Kevin O'Connor, in November.
Low-cost airline IndiGo on Tuesday flew two bags of blood plasma a person in Bengaluru donated after recovering from Covid-19 for convalescent plasma therapy for a critical 60-year-old woman infected by the disease in Srinagar. The plasma was delivered in over eight hours via Delhi to a hospital in Srinagar, around 3,000 km away, in the first such delivery in the country across two cities during the pandemic.

IndiGo officials said the airline is only the second in the world to have transported plasma like this successfully.

The creation of the first air corridor in India to transport blood plasma can have a huge positive impact on the treatment of Covid-19 patients through plasma therapy, said IndiGos chief executive officer Ronojoy Dutta.

Also read: Goa CM Pramod Sawant tests positive for Covid-19

Bengalurus HCG Cancer Hospital associate dean, Dr Vishal Rao, said plasma therapy is one of the promising lines of Covid-19 treatment. The creation of a successful air corridor opens up new possibilities for the treatment of patients with Covid-19 with plasma from anywhere in the country. We would like to thank Captain Rahul Srivastava, IndiGo CarGo team and BIAL [Bangalore International Airport] in helping us save lives by making this possible.

The therapy has long been used to treat diseases and involves taking antibody-rich plasma from patients, who have recovered from Covid-19, and giving it to those with severe infection for fester recovery from the disease.

SpiceJet, another low-cost airline, has separately launched a portable ventilation device SpiceOxy for patients with mild to moderate breathing issues. It has also introduced a fingertip pulse oximeter that can measure blood oxygen levels. Airline officials said the light weight device can be used at home, in an ambulance, on in hilly terrain.

SpiceJets chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said: I am sure these non-invasive, portable ventilators will greatly help patients with breathing issues and other chronic problems, and can be easily used at home and taken along during travel.

SpiceJet Technic, a subsidiary of SpiceJet, has designed SpiceOXY to provide non-invasive ventilator support to treat adult and paediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea or respiratory insufficiency. The device can be used for maintaining oxygen levels and ventilation in patients. It can be of help for symptomatic Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate breathing symptoms to maintain oxygen saturation.
(Newser)  "KYLE RITTENHOUSE SPEAKS!!!!!!" So tweeted John Pierce, one of the attorneys for the Illinois 17-year-old, alongside a video that shows Pierce holding his cellphone as Rittenhouse talks via speakerphone from county jail. Rittenhousewho stands accused of killing two people during protests in Kenosha, Wis., last weekis asked what he wants to say to "fans." His reply in the minutelong video: "I just wanna thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for the underlining [sic] support. ... I want to thank all of you for the mail I've been receiving. It's been really helpful. Just want to let you all known that I'm going to be out of here soon, and stay strong, and I hope to see you guys soon."

story continues below

Pierce then weighed in, too, in the video posted Tuesday night, stating, "If this is not self-defense for Kyle Rittenhouse under these circumstances, then no one can protect themselves, no one can protect their family, and no one can protect their country." Fox News reports that in a conversation with Pierce, he likened his client to the unknown shooter who fired the "shot heard round the world" on April 19, 1775, which kicked off the Battle of Concord and, by extension, the American Revolutionary War. (Read more Kyle Rittenhouse stories.)
Elliott Broidy

Elliott Broidy YouTube

Yet another Trump insider is about to be indicted, according to a new report in The Washington Post.

"Federal prosecutors are preparing to charge longtime GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy in connection with efforts to influence the U.S. government on behalf of foreign interests, according to people familiar with the matter, a result of a sprawling, years-long investigation that involved a figure who helped raise millions for Donald Trump's election and the Republican Party," the newspaper reported. "Broidy is under scrutiny for his alleged role in a campaign to persuade high-level Trump administration officials to drop an investigation of Malaysian government corruption, as well as for his attempt to push for the extradition of an outspoken Chinese dissident back to his home country, according to the people, who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation."

The newspaper reported Broidy is in negotiations with Bill Barr's Justice Department for a plea deal.

"The case has intensified in recent weeks, with prosecutors securing a guilty plea Monday from one of Broidy's business associates, Nickie Mali Lum Davis, who admitted to taking part in what prosecutors have described in charging documents as a 'back-channel lobbying campaign' to end the Malaysian corruption investigation and to return Chinese exile Guo Wengui to his home country," the newspaper reported. "According to a charging document filed in her case, Davis admitted she aided and abetted the efforts of two others involved in the influence campaigns, identified only as Person A and Person B. People familiar with the matter identified them as Fugees rapper Pras Michel and Broidy, respectively."

After Trump won the 2016 election and took over the Republican Party apparatus, Broidy was appointed deputy finance chairman of the RNC.

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The schedule for debates ahead of the 2020 United States election between presidential and vice presidential candidates has been released.

The debates will take place from this September and a part of October.

New York Post reports that the incumbent president, Donald Trump, and his challenger, ex-Vice President Joe Biden will have their first of three debates on September 29 in Cleveland, Ohio.ET.

Their running mates, Vice President Mike Pence and California senator, Kamala Harris, will face each other in another debate, October 7. The clash will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which said all debates will run for 90 minutes announced the schedule on Wednesday

September 29

First presidential debate will be held at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will moderate.

October 7

The vice presidential debate will be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. USA Todays Washington bureau chief Susan Page will moderate.

October 15

Second presidential debate will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. Steve Scully, senior executive producer and political editor of C-SPAN Networks, will moderate.

October 22

The third presidential debate will be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Kristen Welker, co-anchor of Weekend Today and NBC News White House correspondent, will moderate.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Citigroup China unit has received a domestic fund custody licence from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the bank said on Wednesday, the latest foreign financial firm to expand its presence in mainland China. Citi is the first U.S. bank to receive such a licence, which will allow it to hold securities for safekeeping on behalf of mutual funds and private funds domiciled in China, once it has passed an onsite inspection. Despite Sino-U.S. political tensions, several U.S. asset managers are expanding their presence in China, after foreign ownership ...
During one of her regular virtual COVID-19 news conferences, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham again singled out a community for not adhering to the states public health order mandating facial coverings in public.

It wasnt the first time. A few weeks ago during an earlier news conference, a photo of Caseys Restaurant in Hobbs was shown  with blue masks superimposed on the faces of restaurant patrons and workers who werent wearing them.

Last week, the governor targeted Espanola after driving through en route to make a speech in El Rito. I didnt see a single mask, not one, Lujan Grisham said. She also said no one was wearing a mask outside grocery stores, gas stations or in parking lots. The only masks I saw were in the car I was in.

Espanola residents were offended at the governors broad generalization observed through a moving vehicles window. Espanola Mayor Javier Sanchez issued an 800-word statement, saying Espanola has endured stereotyping insults for decades. The governor did a great disservice to the hard-working people of Espanola. The display of superiority in that address shows only callousness and dismissive arrogance, said Sanchez, who also said everywhere he goes folks are masked up and he was flooded with calls and texts from angry residents.

To her credit, the governor later issued a strong apology: I saw what I saw, but what I saw was only a snapshot in time. I regret that my words left the impression they did Please accept my apology for that, and please know that your efforts in fighting COVID-19 are so important and are making an enormous difference for our state.

The governors frustration is understandable  she has the responsibility for safeguarding 2 million lives in New Mexico. And her regular COVID-19 updates are filled with valuable information.

By steering clear of picking on specific communities, she will help substantiate her we are all in this together mantra.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Delaware: Democratic nominee Joe Biden looked to shift the focus of the U.S. presidential race back to the coronavirus and President Donald Trumps handling of the pandemic during a campaign event on Wednesday on safely reopening the countrys schools. The health crisis, in which more than 184,000 Americans have died, has been overshadowed in recent days by civil unrest in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, where police shot Jacob Blake in the back last week, triggering protests.

Biden`s event was part of his campaign`s ongoing effort to make the Nov. 3 election in part a referendum on the Trump administration`s response to the outbreak and came as millions of students are starting a new school year either virtually or under restrictive conditions. "If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on in this crisis, American schools would be open. And theyd be open safely," Biden said after receiving a briefing from health experts in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden and his Republican opponent, have offered dueling arguments ahead of the election over which candidate can keep the country safe. Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday, where he accused Democrats of fostering the sometimes violent protests over racial injustice and police brutality that have rocked the nation for months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

In response, Biden plans to travel to Kenosha on Thursday, where he will hold a community meeting, his campaign said. Reopening schools amid the pandemic has been a top priority for Trump, who has argued it`s necessary to boost the economy and give relief to working parents. His campaign on Wednesday criticized Biden for being overly cautious on the matter.

"[Biden] always casts things as an either or situation. Either we can open up or we can be safe," said Tim Murtaugh, a Trump spokesman, in a call with reporters. "The president disagrees with that. It can be both. For the economy and schools, we can both be open and be safe.

At his event, Biden called on Trump to bring congressional leaders together to negotiate a new aid package to assist state and local governments, which have struggled to provide services for students amid an economic downturn due to coronavirus lockdowns. Congress has been in an impasse over another round of virus-related relief. "Get off Twitter and start talking to congressional leaders of both parties," Biden said.

Trump on Wednesday traveled to Wilmington, North Carolina, which like Wisconsin, is an election battleground. There, he was to make remarks commemorating the 75th anniversary of the ending of World War Two.

Earlier in the day, Biden`s team announced that his campaign and the Democratic National Committee had raised $364.5 million in August, shattering the record for the most money raised in a single month during a presidential campaign. The Trump campaign has yet to release its figures for the month.
The Khmer Rouge's chief jailer, who killed 16,000 Cambodians, ordered babies to be beaten to death and carried out medical experiments on live prisoners has died peacefully in hospital aged 77.

Kaing Guek Eav, known as Comrade Duch, had been serving a life prison term for war crimes and crimes against humanity having locked up and abused thousands of men, women and children seen as enemies of the regime or who disobeyed its orders.

Under his rule, torturers beat and whipped prisoners and shocked them with electrical devices, before their children were then also killed to stop any fears of the next generation taking revenge.

When he finally faced a trial over the regime's crimes, some 30 years on from the atrocities, he called himself 'criminally responsible' for babies' deaths, with many infants having their young bodies battered against trees.

Duch died at Cambodian Soviet Friendship Hospital on Wednesday, having developed breathing difficulties at the Kandal provincial prison he was being held two days earlier.

The body is now to be examined for a cause of death before being handed to his family.

The Khmer Rouge's chief jailer, who admitted overseeing the torture and killings of 16,000 Cambodians while running the regime's most notorious prison, has died aged 77

Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, pictured during his trial in 2009, had been serving a life prison term for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Remains of the victims of the brutal regime, responsible for the deaths of around 1.7 million people, at Kampong Ta long Village at Kandal province, pictured in 2007

The Tuol Sleng Museum documents and commemorates the thousands of murders that took place on the site during the regime

Duch, whose trial took place in 2009, was the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face the U.N.-backed tribunal that had been assembled to deliver justice for the regime's brutal rule in the late 1970s, which is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people - a quarter of Cambodia's population at the time.

The communist Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies.

Only after neighboring Vietnam pushed the Khmer Rouge from power did the scale and barbarity of their rule become absolutely clear.

As commander of the top-secret Tuol Sleng prison code-named S-21, Duch was one of the few ex-Khmer Rouge who acknowledged even partial responsibility for his actions, and his trial included his own wrenchingly graphic testimony of how people were tortured at the prison.

The site in Phnom Penh, which had been a secondary school before the Khmer Rouge came to power, is now a museum with stunning evidence of the cruelty with which the Khmer Rouge persecuted even its own members they accused of disloyalty.

Men, women and children seen as enemies of the regime or who disobeyed its orders were jailed and tormented there, and only a handful survived.

'Everyone who was arrested and sent to S-21 was presumed dead already,' he testified in April 2009.

The tribunal since Duch's trial has convicted two top echelon Khmer Rouge leaders, while two other defendants died before their trials could be completed.

The regime's No. 2 leader Nuon Chea died during his appeals process.

The tribunal, established in 2004 by an agreement between the U.N. and the Cambodian government, has cost more than $360 million.

The other whose appeal is under consideration, former head of state Khieu Samphan, almost certainly will be the last one to face trial, due to the Cambodian government's opposition to any more prosecutions.

The top Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998 as a prisoner of his comrades in what had shrunk to a spent force of jungle-based guerrillas.

Pol Pot, pictured in 1979, was the leader of the regime blamed for the deaths of a quarter of Cambodia's population at the time

Duch was being treated at Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, before his death

Open mass graves at the Choeung Ek 'Killing Fields' near the capital Phnom Penh where intellectuals who were tortured and interrogated at Toul Sleng prison were brought and killed by the Khmer Rouge

'The front gate of Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Pnom Penh, Cambodia, pictured in 2007

Youk Chhang, head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has collected voluminous archives about the country's tragedy, said Duch's death 'is a reminder to us all to remember the victims of the Khmer Rouge. And that justice remains a difficult road for Cambodia.'

Torturers under Duch beat and whipped prisoners and shocked them with electrical devices, Duch admitted to the court, but still he denied accounts from survivors and other trial witnesses that he took part in torture and executions himself.

The offspring of detainees were killed to ensure the next generation could not take vengeance.

Duch called himself 'criminally responsible' for babies' deaths but blamed his subordinates for battering the young bodies against trees.

He said the prison's own guards and interrogators were killed for small mistakes and showed rare emotion on the witness stand in June 2009 while speaking of seeing his fellow revolutionaries locked in the cells of his prison.

Confessing to betraying his own friends, he said: 'That was beyond cowardly.'

When a guilty verdict was finally delivered against him in July 2010, he was sentenced to 35 years, shortened to just 19 due to time served.

The judges said they considered the Cold War context of the atrocities and Duch's cooperation and expressions of remorse, however limited. But outraged survivors feared he could one day walk free.

On appeal, the sentence was lengthened in 2012 to life in prison for his 'shocking and heinous' crimes against the Cambodian people.

Like many key members of the Khmer Rouge, Duch was an academic before he became a revolutionary.

The former maths teacher joined Pol Pot's movement in 1967, three years before the U.S. started carpet-bombing Cambodia to try to wipe out Northern Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong inside the border.

The Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975 and immediately attempted a radical transformation of Cambodia into a peasant society, emptying cities and forcing the population to work on the land in the country they renamed Democratic Kampuchea.

A tourist walks through cells used as a torture chamber at Toul Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A Cambodian Buddhist monk looks at the torture chambers in Tuol Sleng prison which is now a museum in Phnom Penh

They backed up their rule with ruthless elimination of perceived enemies, and by 1976, Duch was the trusted head of its ultimate killing machine, S-21.

Tribunal judges said he signed off on all executions there and was often present when interrogators used torture to extract confessions, including pulling out prisoners' toenails, administering electric shocks, and waterboarding.

Despite his denials, the judges said he had at times taken part in the torture and executions himself.

The torture and executions that took place at Tuol Sleng were routinely recorded and photographed, and when the Khmer Rouge were forced from power in 1979, the thousands of documents and film negatives left at the prison became proof of the regime's atrocities.

Duch fled, disappearing for almost two decades in northwestern Cambodia and converting to Christianity until a chance discovery by a British journalist in 1999 led to his arrest.

Duch has several times asked for forgiveness, even offering at one point to face a public stoning.

But his surprise request on the final day of the trial to be acquitted and freed left many wondering if his contrition was sincere.
New Delhi:

Delhi Environment minister Imran Hussain has told that his department will now be responsible to send weekly status reports of the important projects and work done under the pursuance of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodias instruction.

The reports will be submitted by Environment secretary weekly to the minister and to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and chief secretary, told a senior government official.

The orders have been given by Manish Sisodia to all the heads of departments to submit a weekly status report concerning all the important projects and proposals to the ministers concerned as well as Lt Governor and Chief Minister.

The reports that will be submitted to the Environment minister will be reviews of air pollution control measures, implementation of various orders of National Green Tribunal regarding ban on burning waste material and dry leaves, plastic waste material, among others, informed the official.

The existing ambient air quality of city was reviewed by Hussain in a meeting with the senior officials of the department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, added the officer.
The COVID-19 pandemic that tore through New York City six months ago has left many permanent scars. Among those tragically impacted were the citys thousands of transit workers. More than 10,000 transit workers either tested positive or were quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure. At least 146 lost their lives.

While new cases at present in New York are low compared to the peak in the spring, the virus is far from under control. Hundreds of city residents continue to test positive each day. Elsewhere around the country the pandemic rages uncontrollably. As officials push school reopenings and further ease restrictions on business operations, a worsening disaster is looming. In transit, protective measures like rear door boarding on buses, are being reversed in order to resume fare collection.

On top of the danger of a second coronavirus wave in New York, transit workers are up against a brutal assault on their jobs and wages. A month ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) exhausted all of its emergency federal aid. Officials have described the financial outlook for transit as a death spiral, and one in which all options are on the table, including layoffs, wage cuts, de-funding pensions and massive service cuts.

Idle subway trains at Jamaica Yard in Queens

Who will pay for the budget imbalances, the capitalist class that has enriched itself during the pandemic, or the working class that has already suffered mass death and illness? Will the priority in transit be the safety of workers and riders, or repaying the wealthy bondholders?

The answer to these questions will be determined in struggle. A review of the experiences of the past six months, especially the crucial period in March that set into motion mass death among transit and other workers, is indispensable for workers to prepare. What follows is an examination of the policies carried out by government officials, the MTA and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) during five weeks from March 1 through April 4.

March 17

On March 2, the first confirmed case of community transmission was identified in New York. The man, a Westchester lawyer who worked in New York City, fell ill nine days earlier on February 22, indicating the virus was spreading among residents in the region for at least a week and a half, likely longer.

Official casesthat is, those confirmed by testingin the city rose from one at the start of the week to 26 on March 7. However, the abysmal testing capacity masked the uncontrolled spread of the pandemic. Using New York City data on deaths and CDC estimates of infection fatality rate and the typical time-lag between exposure and death, actual cases were likely closer to 20,000 at the beginning of the week, rising to around 120,000 by the weekend. [1]

The absence of testing allowed officials at all levels to justify their refusal to take any serious actions to fight the pandemic. Their overriding was to avoid harming the corporate interests they represent, in the first place, Wall Street. They feared that the carrying out of the needed emergency measures to fight COVID-19 would scare the financial markets.

The response of all sections of the political establishment, both Democrat and Republican, amounted to lies and malign indifference. While President Trump was outrageously claiming, Anybody that wants a test can get a test, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to do nothing. On March 2 he tweeted, go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus.

Andrew Cuomo (Zack Seward/Flickr.com)

Governor Cuomo advanced the absurd claim that the impending crisis was under control. We are fully coordinated, and we are fully mobilized, and we are fully prepared to deal with the situation as it develops, he said during a press conference.

Meanwhile, the MTA was going after transit workers trying to protect themselves, ordering those who wore self-purchased masks to remove them. Since a mask is not part of the authorized uniform and not medically recommended at this time, Chief Safety Officer Pat Warren wrote in a statement, they may not be worn by uniformed MTA employees.

The decision sparked an uproar by transit workers. Nonetheless, the TWU allowed the MTA to continue this outrageous policy for a week. In a series of tweets and statements, the union focused its media machine at amplifying the MTAs plans for enhanced sanitization of stations and equipment, advancing the line put forward by the political establishment that everything was under control.

March 814

The ruling class refusal to take action to counter the spread of the virus continued this week, even as it became indisputable that the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the New York City area. A study by Columbia University researchers found that if the shutdown and other steps were taken this week, 55 percent of deaths around the country would have been avoided.

Governor Cuomo ordered the transit system, a prerequisite to the functioning of the economy, to remain open. The answer to the rumor that circulated yesterday that the MTA would shut down transit is no, period, full stop, the governors appointed chairman of the MTA, Patrick Foye, said on March 13.

Not only would the transit system continue to function, but workers would receive no personal protective equipment (PPE). While the MTA backtracked on its policy that prevented workers from using their own masks and gloves, the agency insisted they were not needed and refused to release their stockpile to workers.

Fresh Pond Bus Depot

Throughout the week subway and bus ridership remained near average: 80 percent of the typical volume for subways and 90 percent for buses. At rush hour this meant that many riders scarcely had six inches of social distancing, let alone the recommended six feet.

Testing remained criminally low. Cumulative positive tests in New York City rose to nearly 2,000 by the end of the week. However, based on the number of deaths that would occur over the next few weeks, this figure likely undercounts the number of actual cases by a factor of 100.

March 1521

Most transit workers, even those presumed positive due to symptoms and contact with ill individuals, were denied tests. Workers took to social media to report symptoms, alerting those who shared crowded crew rooms and bus barns of possible exposure. What little testing that was conducted revealed on March 15 the first confirmed case, a Long Island Rail Road sheet metal worker who had been ill for over a week.

Confirmed transit cases mounted throughout the week. A group of 30 workers at a subway office in Queens was ordered to quarantine on March 17 after a confirmed case. At the Fresh Pond bus depot in Queens, more than two-dozen bus operators phoned in sick, triggering the cancellation of routes. By the weeks end, there were over 20 confirmed cases among transit workers with scores more on quarantine.

As workers were falling ill throughout the system, the MTA and TWU attempted to cover up the spread of the virus and keep workers on the job without PPE. On March 18 workers at the Jackie Gleason bus depot told the WSWS of one incident where a bus driver fainted at roll call and later tested positive for the virus. Despite the exposure of dozens of workers to the virus, no one was quarantined.

Officials were well aware of the dangerous conditions in the transit system. Recognizing the extreme danger of large groups in confined spaces, governor Cuomo implemented a ban on social gatherings of more than 50 people on March 16. His executive order did not apply to transit, however, despite the capacity for over 200 people in each subway car and many more in each station.

Officials attempted to maintain transit service as usual, except for allowing rear door boarding on buses as of March 20. To carry this out, they relied on TWU officials to suppress growing opposition to unsafe conditions.

The union reacted with a campaign to downplay the risks of the virus, undermine workers demands for PPE and browbeat them into remaining on the job. We must take every precaution, TWU local 100 president Tony Utano wrote in a statement on March 19, but we must not panic. Experts say 80% of people who contract the virus will be able to recover at home and not require hospitalization.

In the same statement, Utano admonished transit workers to set aside their concerns about deadly conditions and keep working. We have always risen to the occasion in past crises  all of New York is looking to us to keep the heart and soul of New York, our transit system, running.

While the MTAs pandemic plan included the stockpiling of N-95 masks and other PPE, Utano defended the agencys withholding of this gear in an interview with NY1 the next day, saying that because of the supply shortage it would be senseless to give them out. The same day, TWU local 100 Rapid Transit Operations vice president Eric Loegel visited crew rooms ridiculing train operators and conductors for demanding masks.

While the TWU was working to keep transit workers on the job despite deadly conditions, workers in other industries were beginning to take the initiative. On March 18 workers at two Michigan auto assembly plants responded to cases in their factories by rebuffing the union and carrying out wildcat work stoppages that forced the shutdown of production.

Opposition to dangerous working conditions also peaked among teachers in New York City. The prospects of a mass sickout prompted officials to announce on March 15 the cancellation of in-person classes for 1.1 million children.

March 22-28

The week initiated a period of mass death for New York City transit workers. On March 26, Peter Petrassi and Oliver Cyrus died of COVID-19. Adding to the carnage, train operator Garrett Goble died in a fire on March 27 after heroically evacuating passengers from his No. 2 train.

The deaths of the transit workers took place amid a medical catastrophe throughout the city. On March 22, 50 people died of the virus in New York City. By the 28th, the death rate rose to 325 a day. Hospitals were inundated as desperate patients lined up for hours outside facilities like Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. City officials began deploying mobile morgues outside of hospitals to store the dead bodies.

The carnage had already been set into motion by policies in place throughout the month. It wasnt until March 22, when official cases were at 24,000 and real cases likely in the vicinity of a million and a half, that governor Cuomo finally announced a pause and issued a stay-at-home order for non-essential workers. The order itself was lax and included many exceptions, including those constructing luxury housing.

Grand Ave Bus Depot and Maintenance Yard

Ridership on trains and buses dropped to 10 percent of their normal levels. With thousands of transit workers out sick, the agency was forced to greatly reduce service. This meant that the 1 million passengers that rode the subways and buses each day were crammed onto fewer vehicles, at times leading to severe overcrowding.

Despite the dangers, the MTA, with the assistance of the TWU, continued to order workers to staff trains and buses without PPE throughout the week. Not until March 28 did the MTA announce the availability of 75,000 masksa number wholly inadequateroughly one for each employee. The agency still refused to provide respirator masks.

Workers who were exposed or at high risk scrambled to protect themselves. The MTA hotline set up to provide human resources and occupational health services failed miserably. The line was inundated with 8,000 calls a day. Many workers waited on hold for hours without ever reaching anyone.

The communication from the union was just as infuriating. Local 100 president Utano sought to quell mounting anger. This has been a very traumatic time for my members and I hope these masks will give them some peace of mind as they continue providing essential bus and subway service, he remarked on March 28.

The federal government meanwhile rushed to ensure the finance houses and major corporations had all the support they needed to secure their fortunes. On March 27, the $2 trillion CARES Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. While some workers received a paltry stimulus check, the bulk of the governments assistance went to propping up Wall Street. The MTA received emergency funding of just $3.8 billion, a relative pittance that the agency exhausted by July.

March 29-April 4

With deaths mounting daily, the MTA and TWU went into damage control to cover up their gross negligence over the preceding month. MTA chairman Pat Foye and New York City Transit interim president Sarah Feinberg went on a media blitz, touting their changed mask policy and blaming federal guidance for their refusal to provide PPE to employees.

As the MTA and Governor Cuomo changed their position on masks, the TWU claimed they had been fighting for them all along. TWU national chief John Samuelsen surfaced on March 31 to claim, fantastically, that it took some threats to get those masks. He later admitted in the interview on GoodDay NY that the MTAs assertion that we have been working with the TWU local 100 on these issues since day one was entirely accurate.

Throughout the week, local president Utano and other union officials held a series of photo ops handing out the much delayed and inadequate masks to transit workers, peaking when the MTA released its limited supply of respirator masks on April 4. The union also continued to promote every hypocritical utterance made by governor Cuomo, who just months prior had launched a dirty campaign to vilify transit workers ahead of contract talks as overtime cheats and common criminals. Gov. Cuomo singled out Transit Workers as doing heroic work in his daily press conference from Albany this morning, TWU local 100 tweeted. He noted that transit workers have a very high rate of illness due to the Coronavirus, and he personally thanked TWU and the workforce for its heroic efforts.

The week also featured growing indications that the MTAs finances were headed toward disaster, even after the $3.8 billion in federal funds had been secured. During his appearance on The Brian Lehrer Show on March 30, MTA chairman Pat Foye insisted that more federal help was needed. He also made clear the priorities of the agency in handling the fiscal emergency. We expect to make every principal and interest payment. Were not asking for forgiveness from our creditors, Foye said.

Hudson Yards station in Manhattan

Over subsequent weeks, the MTA enacted a series of policies, including night subway closures and removal of cash from station booths, that set the stage for job cuts if made permanent.

The lack of an accurate and timely tally of deaths led a trio of transit workers to begin compiling the names of their fallen colleagues, shared via social media. The number of dead stood at 36 on April 6. By April 11, that number shot up to 62. Before the month was out, more than 100 New York City transit workers were dead.

Lessons for the struggles ahead

The homicidal policy carried out in New York City this spring was not simply a matter of incompetent leadership. The refusal of Trump, Cuomo and de Blasio to act aggressively to save lives was above all driven by the needs of the corporate and financial elite, operating in a social and economic system that cannot function without the uninterrupted accumulation of private profit. That policy is still being carried out to this day, even after 180,000 deaths nationally and 800,000 around the world.

The Democrats no less than the Republicans prepared the coronavirus catastrophe, overseeing decades of funding cuts to health care and infrastructure while ignoring warnings by scientists to prepare for the inevitability of a flu-like pandemic.

Far from defending the needs of workers, the TWU served to stifle at the crucial time the growing opposition among workers. The union carried out faithfully the dictates of Governor Cuomo to keep workers on the job amid deadly conditions and sought to promote illusions in the Democratic Party for a resolution to the crisis triggered by the pandemic.

It is not the two political parties of Wall Street, nor the trade unions, that transit workers must turn to. Transit workers must connect their fight to the broader rebellion by the working class that is now brewing. Currently, millions of educators around the country and internationally are engaged in a struggle against the unsafe return to schools. At the same time, masses of workers are faced with destitution as unemployment benefits are slashed, and as city and state governments, including in New York, prepare for budget massacres.

The struggle to save lives and defend jobs depends on workers organizing their own independent fighting organization, centered around demands that elevate the needs of workers above those of the capitalists. Not one more transit workers death. Not one more job loss.

The Socialist Equality Party calls for workers to organize rank-and-file committees to prepare a counteroffensive, uniting transit workers with other sections of workers in the US and globally in a common effort to defend lives and jobs. We urge you to contact the Socialist Equality Party today to carry forward this fight.

More information on rank-and-file committees for transit workers can be found here. For help starting a rank-and-file safety committee at your workplace, contact us at wsws.org/contact.

[1] The authors estimated actual case counts based on a) deaths reported by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (data available here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-data-deaths.page)

b) an infection fatality rate of 0.65 percent

c) a lag of 19 days between initial infection and death. The latter two are derived from US Centers for Disease Control planning scenarios available here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html. The CDCs best estimate for infection fatality rate of 0.65 is based on Meyerowitz-Katz, G., & Merone, L, (2020), A systematic review and meta-analysis of published research data on COVID-19 infection-fatality rates, medRxiv.

While crude, the approximation is far closer to reality than the official tally of positive tests, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic when testing was exceedingly scarce. Seroprevalence studies (e.g., here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279720302015#bib36) suggest infection rates of the same magnitude as the method used by the authors.
A Co Fermanagh man has been fined 1,000 for flouting strict quarantine rules after returning home from the Balearic islands.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd on Wednesday confirmed the PSNI had issued the fine, adding the management of the regulations for people arriving into Northern Ireland were a matter for the UK Border Force.

The man is understood to have spent time on one of the islands before returning home. It is understood the penalty was issued after he went out socialising in Enniskillen at the weekend before testing positive for Covid-19.

His fine comes after Northern Ireland businesswoman Fraser Nolan was recently jailed for a month after breaking quarantine rules on the Isle of Man.

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She had been given permission to visit the island to take care of her late mothers estate but ended up arrested after going on a bus to visit a locksmith.

Regulations require anyone entering Northern Ireland from countries outside the UK and Republic not green lit by Stormont to self-isolate for a fortnight.

On Wednesday the Executive was facing pressure to reconsider quarantine rules for Greece after Scotland and Wales introduced new measures over concerns about rising coronavirus cases.

The Scottish government announced on Tuesday that travellers from Greece would have to self-isolate for 14 days from Thursday, while Wales also began asking arrivals from Zante to begin a period of quarantine.

First Minister Arlene Foster said the Executive would be briefed on updated rules, but she added that travel was not a factor in community transmission in Northern Ireland.

Mr Todd confirmed the 1,000 fine had been implemented for a breach of travel regulations.

The management of the regulations is a matter for UK Border Force and their associated partners, he added.

The polices role is to respond to reports from the UK Border Force or any of their associated partners of potential breaches, but the police will also act on any significant concerns raised by members of the public.

He stressed that the PSNIs role remained to engage, explain, encourage and, only where necessary, enforce.

Everyone needs to continue to follow the governments guidance to help suppress the transmission of the virus and support our NHS, he continued.

It is encouraging to see that there has been a high level of compliance since the introduction of the mandatory quarantine on travellers coming into Northern Ireland from restricted countries and I hope that continues.

Separately, the police on Wednesday served two bars in north Belfast with prohibition notices for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

The news came as two secondary schools became the latest educational establishments to report cases of coronavirus.

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It is understood the cases were diagnosed in pupils at De La Salle College in west Belfast and Larne Grammar School.

According to reports, a sixth-form pupil tested positive for the virus at De La Salle.

In a letter to parents and guardians seen by this paper, De La Salle college principal Claire White said a member of the school community had been diagnosed with the virus and advice had been sought from the Public Health Agency (PHA).

Mrs White said that, in line with the official regulations, close contacts of the individual have been informed they need to self-isolate.

A classroom and study area have been closed for 72 hours to undergo a deep-clean.

Pupils and staff affected will also be advised separately by the PHA, the letter added.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mrs White said she could not confirm if the individual who tested positive was a staff member or pupil due to confidentiality reasons. She added, however, that a system had already been put in place to deal with such situations.

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Wednesday was only the second day the school was fully open to pupils following the lifting of lockdown.

Ensuring the safety of pupils and staff is my absolute priority and I will continue to monitor this situation carefully and keep you informed, Mrs White concluded in her letter to parents and guardians.

Larne Grammar school, meanwhile, announced a pupil had tested positive for Covid-19.

In a letter to parents and guardians, principal Jonathan Wylie said the pupil concerned had not been on school grounds since August 27, six days before they received their positive diagnosis.

Mr Wylie said he had contacted the Education Authority and the PHA and had been advised that no further action was needed from the school.

He added that, in the event of a positive case in the school community, the PHAs contact tracing team will seek to identify those who have been in close contact with the individual who tested positive  i.e. someone who has been within two metres of the person for more than 15 minutes from 48 hours before the onset of symptoms.

On this basis, no other pupil or member of staff is required to take any further action at this time and the school will continue to operate as normal, Mr Wylie said.

Ensuring the safety of pupils and staff remains my priority. I will continue to monitor this situation carefully and keep you informed, if necessary.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

Trend:

The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has amended Order No. 42 dated February 14, 2020 "On measures to temporarily restrict the export of certain goods from the country", a source in the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

According to the document signed by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, the period of the orders validity has been extended until November 1, 2020.

At the same time, medical masks were excluded from the "List of goods banned for export from the territory of Azerbaijan in order to meet the needs in the fight against a new type of coronavirus infection (COVID-19)."

Below is a list of goods for which the export ban has remained in force:


An internet imagery.

NEW DELHI (PTI): India and China on Tuesday held another round of military talks to ease escalating tension triggered by fresh confrontation between the two sides on the southern bank of the Pangong lake in Eastern Ladakh, government sources said.



The Brigade Commander-level talks began at 10 am in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh with a specific agenda to discuss the situation around the Pangong lake, they said, adding the meeting is underway.



On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.



The two sides held talks for around six hours on Monday as well but no concrete outcome emerged from the engagement, the sources said.



They said a sizeable number of Chinese troops attempted to occupy the area in a bid to open a new front as the two sides continue to hold talks to resolve the three-and-half-month-long border row.



The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it was for the first time such an incident occurred on its southern bank, they said.



Following the Chinese attempt, the Indian Army has significantly strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" around the Pangong lake besides further bolstering its presence in the area.



A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area. It is learnt that Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane reviewed the overall situation in Eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting in the Army headquarters.



The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.



There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from Eastern Ladakh.



In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in Eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.



The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.



China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.



India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in Eastern Ladakh.


Using elaborate fake online profiles spanning multiple sites, the networks members posed as a news organisation based in Romania called Peacedata, recruiting freelance journalists to write stories for left-leaning audiences.

Facebook said its investigation found links to the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA), which was previously linked to election interference on Facebook during the 2016 US presidential election.

Thirteen Facebook accounts and two pages were removed for violating the sites policy against foreign interference  co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour on behalf of a foreign entity.

Facebook said the network had achieved little reach on the platform when it was taken down.

This network was in the early stages of building its audience, primarily on the left of the political spectrum, and saw nearly no engagement on Facebook before we removed it, the social media giant said in its August Co-ordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Report.

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The people behind this network posted about global news and current events relevant to the countries and left-leaning communities they targeted, including social and racial justice in the US and UK, Nato and EU politics; alleged Western war crimes and corruption; environmental issues; the founder of Wikileaks; tensions between Israel and Palestine; the coronavirus pandemic; criticism of fracking; French influence in Africa; the Biden-Harris campaign; QAnon; President Trump and his policies; and the US military policies in Africa.

According to Facebooks report, the network had around 14,000 accounts following one or more of its pages, and the English language page had a little over 200 followers.

It said around $480 (405) had been spent on Facebook advertising, paid for predominantly in US dollars.

The network had also attempted to gain political advertising authorisation to run such adverts in the United States.

Alongside Facebook, Twitter said it had suspended five accounts for platform manipulation, which it said it could reliably attribute to Russian state actors.

Regardless of the low-level impact in this case, governments around the world must stop these practices, Twitter said.

Theyre anti-democratic. Attempts to manipulate our service to undermine democracy  by both foreign and domestic actors  will be met with strict enforcement of our policies.

Facebooks latest Co-ordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Report also revealed a number of accounts, pages and Instagram profiles linked to a US-based strategic communications firm which was carrying out inauthentic behaviour in Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia.

A further network of more than 450 Facebook accounts, as well as pages, groups and Instagram accounts operated from Pakistan has also been removed, which had focused on relations between Pakistan and India.
Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo

Sonora, CA  Tuolumne County Public Health officials report three new cases today, with two in isolation and one who is hospitalized. Since the pandemic began a total of 18 inmates at the Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) have tested positive, with 13 of those tested positive in the last 14 days. Two inmates were released while active, three have recovered and no deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported at SCC. A Total of 26 employees of the Conservation Center have tested positive, 18 have recovered, several of those are not residents of Tuolumne County, those who are residents are counted in Tuolumnes Coronavirus report.

As detailed here Tuolumne County is in Tier 3, the Orange and Moderate Risk category of the new 4 risk level system with Yellow being the 4th and lowest risk. The tiers define the business sectors and activities that can open and the level of restrictions and can be viewed here. A health order was released yesterday for Tuolumne County with the States definitions of Orange Tier 3 restrictions. Currently, hair salons, barbershops and all retail remain open and indoor with modifications, personal care services, museums, places of worship, movie theaters, hotels and lodging, gyms, restaurants, and wineries can all be open with modifications at 50% or 25% of their capacity. The full list is here and more detailed information for each business sector is on the states website here.

Known Tuolumne tests: 10,055, positive 185 (95 females and 90 males), hospitalized 1, active cases 13, total recovered 170.

Daily COVID-19 Cases County

Active Date New Today Hospital/

ICU Alpine 0 8/31 0 0 Amador 13 8/31 2 2 Calaveras 41 9/1 21 2 Mariposa 0 9/1 0 0 Madera 533 9/1 53 21 Merced 910 9/1 191 97 Mono 1 9/1 0 0 San Joaquin 1,235 9/1 123 102/33 Stanislaus 810 9/1 76 143/38 Tuolumne 13 9/1 3 1 Totals (Cumulative) COVID-19 Cases County

Recovered (increase) Total Positives Deaths Alpine 2 (+0) 2 0 Amador 206(+5) 236 14 Calaveras 214(+5) 257 2 Mariposa 71 (+2) 73 2 Madera 3,337(+140) 3,836 53 Merced 7,053(+129) 8,081 118 Mono 159(+1) 162 2 San Joaquin 16,055 (+223) 17,620 330 Stanislaus 13,714 (+121) 14,786 262 Tuolumne 170(+0) 185 2

In alignment with the new State Health Officer Order, Dr. Liza Ortiz, Interim Tuolumne County Health Officer has issued an updated Local Health Officer Order here.

If you are having COVID-like symptoms, self-isolate and contact your healthcare provider or the Adventist Health Triage Line at 209-536-5166 Mon-Fri, or 209-536-5000 after hours. If you need immediate medical attention, please call ahead and go to Rapid Care or the Emergency Department. You can also visit www.valleycovidhelp.com for more information.

The no-cost state testing site is open at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds Tuesday  Saturday 7am to 7pm. Appointments can be scheduled ahead of time at: https://lhi.care/covidtesting Appointments are recommended. The site offers to test children ages 3 and older (accompanied by a parent or guardian). Tuolumne County Public Health encourages anyone concerned about possible exposure to go get tested stating; Local COVID-19 testing sites have been processing and reporting their results more expediently lately.

It is important that people continue to follow prevention guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including:

Practice physical distancing at all times. Keep 6 feet space between yourself and others who are not part of your household. Stay in your household bubble!

Wear a face covering in public.

Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.

Avoid gatherings of any size with people who are not part of your household.

Stay home if you are sick.

Avoid unnecessary travel, and limit your outings to essential tasks.

LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Community Resources Portal: https://bit.ly/TCcovidPortal

Tuolumne County Public Health Website: www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/publichealth

Public Health COVID-19 Call Center: (209) 533-7440

California COVID-19 website: www.covid19.ca.gov

State Testing Site info and Appointments: https://lhi.care/covidtesting

Tuolumne County Business: www.tcdisasterassistance.com

CDC COVID-19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Thank you for your support and efforts to protect the safety and health of our community
The Leader of Opposition added that the culprits should be punished no matter how influential they are; the Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Assembly be held from 21 to 30 September

Bengaluru: Demanding a fair probe into last month's violence in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the Congress will raise the issue during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the state legislature.

The former chief minister, who was under COVID-19 treatment when the incident occurred, on Wednesday visited the DJ Halli and adjoining areas, where rioters were involved in arson on the night of 11 August.

"I urge the government that the inquiry has to happen as soon as possible. It should be fair and the guilty should be punished," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters, he said whoever was responsible and however influential they are, they should be punished if found guilty.

Innocent people should not be punished, he said. He added that he has demanded constitution of a judicial commission to probe the incident for the truth to come out, Siddaramaiah said "even today I demand a judicial commission, headed by a sitting High Court judge.

"...we will raise the issue (Bengaluru violence) in the Assembly," he said in response to a question.

The monsoon session of the legislature will be held from 21 to 30 September.

Three people were killed after police opened fire on 11 August night to quell a mob that went on a rampage over an inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy.

The MLAs residence and a police station at DJ Halli were torched by the rioters, who also set ablaze many police and private vehicles, besides looting the belongings of the legislator and his sister.

More than 300 people have been arrested in connection with the violence and investigation is on.

Also, retired judge Justice HS Kempanna has been appointed as the "Claims Commissioner" to assess the damage caused during the violence and to recover the costs from the culprits.

To a query about the alleged involvement of some Congress corporators behind the incident,Siddaramaiah asked how someone can be blamed unless it is proved or their is evidence.

"I don''t want to talk about any party...the inquiry is still in the preliminary stage. We cannot say such things like BJP leaders and the Home Minister are doing at this stage," he said.

Siddaramaiah also opined that if the police had announced Naveen's arrest to the mob immediately, this level of violence may not have happened.

Asserting that only the guilty should be punished, he said, "According to some, there are innocents among those arrested... during the investigation if there is no evidence against them, they should be released. Innocents should not be punished, they should not be sent to jail."

Reacting to this, BJP national general secretary BL Santosh, who has been critical of Siddaramaiah, accusing him of not condemning the rioters who attacked the house of his own party Dalit MLA Murthy, reiterated his allegation.

"Ex CM from @INCKarnataka just gives sanction for destruction & riots in case of even flimsy grievance. No wonder he was voted out conclusively by voters of Karnataka . Cant condemn riots or attack on his Partys Dalit MLA,but bats for rioters," Santosh tweeted.
Ray Kelvin is back at Ted Baker.

The brands founder, who resigned from his post as CEO amid an probe into allegations of misconduct and inappropriate physical contact with staff in March 2019, will have his interests represented on the companys board by non-executive director Colin La Fontaine Jackson.

More from Footwear News

On Tuesday, Ted Baker announced that Jackson has joined the board with immediate effect. According to the British high-street retailer, the corporate financial adviser was appointed as a nominee director for Kelvin.

A new relationship agreement between the company and Ray has been signed, which brings the benefits of access to Rays unique brand experience and insight, while at the same time introducing clear guidelines that will ensure board independence is maintained and that the interests of shareholders are prioritized and protected, it wrote in a statement. This agreement also formalizes Rays relationship with the company through the board of directors.

As part of the agreement, Kelvin is entitled to appoint one non-executive director so long as he retains an interest equal to or greater than 10% in the issued ordinary share capital of the company. Currently, he owns 11.8% of the company.

In March 2019, Kelvin resigned from Ted Baker as an independent committee appointed the prior year investigated misconduct claims against him. (At the time, Kelvin held a 35% stake in the business.) According to media reports, staffers accused Kelvin of inappropriate hugging, touching and sexual innuendo. A female employee told The Sunday Times that Kelvin inappropriately touched her while he was wearing a mask during Halloween one year in the office.

Kelvin, who took a voluntary leave of absence in 2018, denied the allegations. Lindsay Page served as acting CEO, while David Bernstein took on the role of executive chairman. In light of the allegations made against him, Ray has decided that it is in the best interests of the company for him to resign so that the business can move forward under new leadership, Bernstein said in March 2019. We are determined to learn lessons from what has happened and from what our employees have told us and to ensure that, while the many positive and unique aspects of Teds culture are maintained, appropriate changes are made.
BERLIN (AP)  Hong Kong pro-democracy activists demonstrated outside the German Foreign Ministry as China's top diplomat visited Germany's capital Tuesday, urging the government in Berlin to do more to force Beijing to address human rights issues.

Led by prominent activist Nathan Law, who fled to Britain in July after China implemented a new national security law in Hong Kong, the demonstrators held photos of imprisoned dissidents and chanted Free Hong Kong and Stand up for human rights.

Chinas national security law is seen by many as Beijings boldest move yet to remove the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong and the mainlands Communist Party system.

Law told the crowd of about 100 to 150 supporters in Berlin that it was wishful thinking by Germany and other western nations that China could be convinced to implement democratic reforms with dialogue and engagement alone.

This authoritarian government is going the opposite way, he said.

Law said the European Union needed to increase pressure on China to respect basic human rights and that Germany, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, could lead the way.

Appeasement strategies are really, really useless, he said.

The downtown protest came as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a secluded government villa on the outskirts of the city, well removed from the demonstrators.

Wang is currently on a five-nation European tour, including Italy, France, the Netherlands and Norway.

Maas said the two had spoken intensively about the situation in Hong Kong, and that the issue would also be a main topic of a German-Chinese human rights dialogue that resumes next week.

He noted that Germany had already suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong over the disqualification of opposition candidates from elections.

We have not only closely observed the situation in Hong Kong over the past weeks and months, not only in connection with the security law, we have also reacted together with our European partners, Maas said.

Story continues

Our joint European appeal remains that the election to the legislative council takes place quickly and without hindrance, and that the restrictions of the security law be reversed, the German minister said.

Wang defended the national security law, saying that protests in Hong Kong over the last year had gotten out of control.

He said Hong Kong was an internal Chinese matter and suggested that other countries had a one-sided picture of the situation.
Belfast could see an epidemic of empty offices in future as companies downsize their need for space as the work from home habit takes root, industry experts say.

The Executive has been urged to work with business to bring a safe return of office workers to their desks to safeguard the economic future of towns and cities.

A survey by Belfast Chamber, revealed in Tuesday's Belfast Telegraph, said just 5% of office workers in the city centre are now back at their desks - a trend which economist Dr Esmond Birnie said could cost businesses in the city centre around 200m a year in lost business.

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Belfast City Council said that a maximum of 30% of its office-based workers can be back at their desks at any one time to maintain social distancing.

One property consultant said that employers will be keen to use up office space as they may still have a long time left on their lease. But after leases expire, offices may remain empty, he said. "As and when leases expire, it could take a bit more time to re-let, so we could see post-expiry voids extend."

Nial Borthistle, business development manager at Glandore, which operates shared office space in Arthur Street in Belfast, said most of its member companies were still working from home.

More workers might now come back to the city as children return to schools, he said.

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But he added: "I think that companies are currently in the process of re-evaluating their workforce requirements and with that comes the utilisation of current office space. In the short term whilst the majority of employees are working from home, we'll see larger companies use their space a bit differently making use of extra space to co-work, collaborate, meet colleagues/managers and clients in a safe socially distant manner."

Firms might also use their space to deliver wellness initiatives which could help maintain staff health and company culture.

Belfast City Council said that its essential frontline staff had continued to work while observing social distancing.

Most other staff were still working from home. However, some staff were now in a phased return to the office where it was safe to do so and their job could not be done remotely.

A spokesperson added: "Due to the layout of office space across council buildings, however, a maximum of 30% occupancy is possible at any time, under the current restrictions."

But the council said its short-term plans for the city would help create a lasting recovery, regardless of whether offices were left unoccupied. "While we continue to review and update our plans in response to the current pandemic, we believe many of our short-term ambitions... will have potential to be a catalyst for the city in terms of recovery and regeneration, and help to create a vibrant city centre."

Andy Stephens, a planning consultant at Matrix Planning, said he believed there would be no going back to full occupancy of office buildings but that companies would adapt a combination of home and office working.

He said office space could be repurposed as housing, a move which would chime with council ambitions to have 66,000 people living in the city centre by 2035.

He added the move towards home-working would give bargaining power to tenants of office buildings.

"Traditionally landlords have dictated rules to tenants but there will be a shift and landlords will appease tenants," he said.

"There is also an opportunity from where we are now to look at how heavily Belfast is dictated by the car. Is this a time to look at putting green infrastructure in place? It could be time to look at the public realm and how we create really nice outdoor spaces and entice people to come back in.

"You'd be a fool as a landlord or property owner not to look at the ways that people can dine outside and feel safe."

Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, said the Executive should be working to get office workers back into town and city centres.

"Office workers provide a large amount of footfall and trade for retail and hospitality sectors in many of our high streets," he said.

"Given that both sectors are facing severe difficulties at the minute, the return of office workers is vitally important for their future viability."

A Department for the Economy spokesperson said: "The Minister holds the view that a return to office working in town centres would be of benefit to surrounding retail outlets but only when it is safe and appropriate to do so. In line with current guidance, the majority of DfE staff continue to work remotely."

Neil McShane, founder of property investment consultancy Inprio, said: "I anticipate that more office-workers will return as children go back to school.

"However, whilst this would be a welcome boost for the city, I don't expect to see us anywhere close to capacity this side of Christmas. It could take some time before we get back to pre-Covid occupancy."
A Rathangan man who returned home to attend the funeral of his brother, who died in tragic circumstances, says he has been left stranded by his airline.

Mark Hopkins came back to Kildare following the tragic passing of younger sibling Roy, who died following an incident on the towns outskirts on July 31.

A local man, Robert Broughan of St Patricks Park, has subsequently been charged with the murder of Mr Hopkins.

Mark flew with Qatar Airways, stopping in Doha en route and was due to return to Sydney on August 21 (two weeks after Roys funeral), with another stop in the Qatar capital.

I booked the return flight when I left and I had no warning that this would happen until two nights before when I got an email from the airline informing me that the flight had been cancelled as far as I was concerned, said Mark.

He added: My brothers funeral was hard enough in itself but for now I dont know when I can return.

In the end the flight left with only 50 people on board.

I was bumped off and I have been on to Qatar Airways numerous times but they are only flying out so many people every day and theyre not really not giving me much at all.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the Australian authorities are limiting the number of people allowed into the country because of Covid-19

Marks Australian partner Amy and children Sienna (4) and Ayla (1) are back in Sydney, awaiting his return.

Another complicating matter is Marks medical condition.

He has haemochromatosis, a blood disorder not uncommon in Ireland, which leads to a build up of iron which can affect the liver, pancreas and heart and is treated by venesection  the removal of the patients blood at regular intervals.

Mark, 37, has the procedure done every two weeks. His return options are limited.

He could upgrade to business class  at a cost of 15,000 Australian dollars (9,300).

Alternatively, he could fly with another airline which would result in three to four stops, but any of these could lead to long delays because of the virus. I need to get home and back to work. Its getting harder to pay the rent.

Ive made Qatar aware of this; they should be telling people when they book that they may not be able to get back out. Theyre accepting bookings without saying they wont be able to get them back.

Mark has also contacted both the Australian and Irish embassies and the advice from both is to keep pressuring the airline.

Senator Mark Wall is trying to find a solution as is Senator Fiona OLoughlin, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Laois Offaly TD Carol Nolan.

He has also contacted the health authorities in New South Wales to get an exemption on medical grounds from the 14 day quarantine period because this might mean he could find it easier to get a flight.

He is fearful that even the October 24 date could be changed.



Begging



I need to get home, Im pretty much begging them but all they say is Im on a list and theyll be in touch. If Id known this in advance I would not have been able to come because of the financial cost.

Friends have suggested a crowdfunding initiative to help him get back but he is reluctant to do this.

I could probably scrape up the money for the business class flight. I appreciate people are willing to help but I dont want to give the airline any more of my money after the way Ive been treated and I definitely wouldnt give them other peoples hard earned money.

Efforts to make contact with Qatar Airways for this article were unsuccessful.






Susan Rice criticized over calling Pompeos overtly religious beliefs problematic

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Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has garnered controversy over her criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for having overtly religious beliefs.

In an interview last week on MSNBC, Rice talked with concern about Pompeos decision to give a speech for the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem while on a diplomatic trip.

Secretaries of State are supposed to honor the principle that politics end at the waters edge and when you go overseas, as secretary or as a junior foreign service officer, youre representing the country, not a political party, said Rice.

What Mike Pompeo is doing from Jerusalem is absolutely outrageous, its an abuse of his office, it undermines the integrity of the State Department, it violates his own rules that he promulgated and is holding every other official in the State Department to.

The former Obama administration official also expressed concern about how open Pompeo is about his evangelical Christian beliefs.

Mike Pompeo has been an overtly religious secretary of state, which in itself is problematic because, again, hes supposed to represent all of America, all of our religions, all of our threads, she added.

Ashley McGuire of The Catholic Association told the Washington Free Beacon that she believed Rices comment perpetuates the Democratic Partys pattern of anti-religious bigotry.

Democrats have made it clear that they think faith has no place out in the open in America, said McGuire. In fact it is Americas long-standing tradition of protecting the right of people of all faiths, including those who hold public office, to speak openly about their beliefs, that has made this a pluralistic country.

Terry Schilling, executive director of the American Principles Project, also denounced Rices comments, arguing that they hold significance for the 2020 presidential election.

We know Democrats will be even more hostile to religious Americans should they gain the White House and Congress next year, so Rice's comments should be another giant warning sign for voters of faith, Schilling told the Beacon.

Democrats like Susan Rice can't help but show their disgust when conservative Christians dare to even mention their faith.

Emerald Robinson, a correspondent with NewsMax and formerly with OANN, took to Twitter to denounce the comment Rice made about Pompeo.

Susan Rice doesnt like Christians. Susan Rice doesnt like Republicans. And no one ever accused Susan Rice of being religious, she tweeted earlier this week, getting more than 1,400 likes as of Wednesday.

This is not the first time that progressives have taken issue with Pompeo openly expressing his religious beliefs while serving as secretary of state.

Last October, Pompeo garnered controversy over a speech at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, titled Being a Christian Leader.

During the speech, Pompeo told the counselors that, just like them, he draws on the wisdom of God to help him be a force for good in the life of human beings.

In response, Americans United for Separation of Church & State called for Pompeo to be investigated for propagating an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

While Mr. Pompeo is entirely free to engage in religious activities in his personal capacity, he must not use his official role as Secretary of State to promote his religion, stated the group in a letter to the Office of the Inspector General.

In his role as secretary, delivering a speech that enthusiastically endorses Christianity is a violation of the Establishment Clause.
United States President Donald Trump's administration announced on Tuesday that it plans to implement a four-month moratorium on residential evictions across the country. The plan aims to reduce the spread of coronavirus cases by keeping people off the streets.

Keeping Americans off the streets

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the moratorium is the latest action by Trump's administration in trying to control the economic effects of the COVID-19 virus.

The moratorium was also a result of the lack of an agreement with Congress on a coronavirus relief package that would assist citizens amid the devastating impacts of the global health crisis.

According to USA Today, health officials are leaning on the 1944 Public Health Service Act to stop evictions, which gives broad quarantine powers to the administration. The planned moratorium is set to last until December 31. It will be implemented on individuals who have an annual salary of less than $99,000 and are unable to provide rent or housing payments.

On Tuesday, White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern told reporters that President Trump is committed to aiding working Americans to keep their homes and stay safe amid the rampant coronavirus pandemic.

However, the announcement garnered both support and criticism from housing experts across the nation. Some praised the plan and said it would help millions of Americans stay off the streets but added that it would only be delaying the deadline as citizens would continue to build up debt that potentially sets them up for eviction next year.

Experts also expressed their concern for landlords who are still required to make their own payments as the plan does not contain a detailed explanation of how it affects them.

Diane Yentel, the president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said that the administration's priority is to ensure that Americans can keep their homes and avoid being forced into the streets.

Also Read: Trump Plans Relief Funds for Kids, Sparking Opposition from Democrats

Inevitable conclusion

Yentel added that the eviction moratorium is a half-measure that would cause the immediate falling off of renters after the order expires, and landlords begin charging for back rents, as reported by Politico.

The president of the National Multifamily Housing Council, Doug Bibby, said his organization was disappointed in Trump's latest move of implementing an eviction moratorium without providing funding for rental and unemployment assistance.

Bibby said that the move would only end up hurting the people it was was designed to help by making housing providers, particularly small owners, unable to pay for their financial obligations and continue keeping their doors open to provide housing to their residents.

The president and CEO of the National Apartment Association, Bob Pinnegar, said he and his co-members were worried that the moratorium would result in a lack of finances for rental assistance and creates a risk of a cascade that would result in apartment owners in not being able to pay for their properties, taxes, or mortgages.

On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told officials on Capitol Hill that the announcement would leave them "pleased" and acknowledged that it was not an alternative to what Congress could deliver. The White House and Congress members have continuously failed to agree on a new coronavirus relief package as several relief programs reached their expiry date.

Related Article: US President Donald Trump Supports Kenosha Shooter Kyle Rittenhouse's Actions as Self-Defense

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A spat is brewing over claims Chinese political dissidents, including prominent Melbourne-based artist Badiucao, have been been snubbed by the University of Western Australia's Confucius Institute.

The group, which includes Tiananmen Massacre survivors and academics, said in an open letter to the university they responded to an invitation to speak at the institute by its director Jiang Ying in a lively ABC Chinese discussion.

Badiucao, a Chinese dissident artist living in Melbourne, is calling on UWA's Confucius Institute to come good on its promise to allow him to speak to its students. Credit:Eddie Jim

But they claim to have been ignored in the weeks since, labelling the Confucius Institute a tool for "inserting Beijing's censorship and propaganda in Australia".

Badiucao, a political cartoonist and painter who was a panelist on the program with Dr Jiang, said the offer came when he was criticising the Beijing-funded institute for failing to expose students to points of view unacceptable to China's government.
Senators recommends the filing of charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque, former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and other top PhilHealth officials over alleged rampant corruption in the agency.

Following Malacanang's assurance that the country will not blacklist companies involved in the South China Sea incursion, China says all projects in the Philippines will continue as planned.
Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images

From ELLE

Update, 9/1, 10 A.M.: Melania Trump's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham recently responded to reports about Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's new book, all about her former friendship with the first lady. In a statement to PEOPLE, Grisham said, "Anybody who secretly tapes their self-described best friend is by definition, dishonest," referring to reports that Wolkoff recorded conversations with Trump and is planning to publish the comments.

Grisham continued, "The book is not only full of mistruths and paranoia, it it is based on some imagined need for revenge. Wolkoff builds herself up while belittling and blaming everyone she worked with, yet she still managed to be the victim. Sadly, this is a deeply insecure woman whose need to be relevant defies logic."

Original post, 8/30, 4 P.M.: Melania Trump's former friend and senior advisor, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, has written a book called Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady, in which she reportedly goes into detail about the first lady's tense relationship with her stepdaughter Ivanka.

Apparently, Melania did her best to distance herself from the older of Donald Trump's two daughters. Wolkoff writes that she and Melania took part in "Operation Block Ivanka," which was their plan to keep Ivanka out of frame during Donald Trump's inauguration.

Vanity Fair's Emily Jane Fox pointed out last week that the tension between Melania and Ivanka hasn't seemed to dissipate. This video of Ivanka at the 2020 Republican National Convention moving swiftly passed her stepmother, whose quickly fading smile made it into meme territory. Fox reports that Wolkoff writes about a particular text Melania once sent her, in apparent reference to Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner: "You know how they are snakes."

Wolkoff's book provides context to another clip from Melania's time as the first lady, the inauguration snippet that inspired "#FreeMelania." Apparently, "Melania suddenly frowned and looked down and to her right because Barron had kicked her in the ankle by accident," not because she was displeased with her husband. Apparently, though, Melania said," I don't owe them an explanation" when Wolkoff suggested they correct the record and calm the rumors about the first couple's unhappy relationship.

Story continues

In her book, though, Wolkoff writes that things are definitely icy between the first lady and Ivanka. Here are all the instances she records (that we know about so far). Her book is out Tuesday.

Melania has a nickname for Ivanka

Wolkoff writes that Melania calls Ivanka "Princess." In an excerpt published in New York magazine last Wednesday, Wolkoff said that her ex-friend referred to "Princess" in their exchanges. Here is part of that excerpt:

"It seemed like just yesterday Melania had told me that Barron had worn a suit and tie to school. He was dressing 'just like his dad.' The other kids laughed at him. Melania had told him, 'Don't listen to any of them. Be strong.'



She said Barron was fine. 'I just have so much to do,' she said. 'Big move!'

'Think of all of the amazing things you'll be able to do,' I said.

'So busy,' she said.

'Who's helping you?' I asked.

'Its being arranged,' she explained. 'I'll have someone.'

'You'll only have one person?' I asked. 'How many does Ivanka have?'

'Who?' Melania said. 'You mean Princess?!' We both bellied over with laughter.

She reportedly did not want Ivanka to get the spotlight at the inauguration

Wolkoff said that she and Trump had a plan called "Operation Block Ivanka." She said she and Melania "launched the plan to keep Ivanka out of that iconic 'special moment,'" aka President Trump's swearing in. Wolkoff writes that Ivanka sent her a text with a photo of Sasha and Malia Obama joining their father and mother for Barack Obama's swearing in. "FYI regarding the swearing in. It is nice to have family with him for this special moment," Ivanka reportedly wrote in a text.

Wolkoff said she got sketches after the inauguration walk-through that helped her determine exactly who would be in the camera frame at the swearing in. Wolkoff writes:

"We were able to figure out whose face would be visible when Donald and Melania sat in their seats, and then when the family stood with Chief Justice John Roberts for Donald to take the oath of office. If Ivanka was not on the aisle, her face would be hidden while she was seated. For the standing part, we put Barron between Donald and Melania and made sure that Don Jr. stood next to Melania, not Ivanka....Yes, Operation Block Ivanka was petty. Melania was in on this mission. But in our minds, Ivanka shouldn't have made herself the center of attention in her father's inauguration."

She detailed a post-inauguration group text among her, Melania, and their friend Rachel Roy: "Rachel Roy was watching on TV from her hotel room in Washington. She texted a photo she'd taken of the screen showing Melania's head completely blocking Ivanka's. 'Happy MT blocked IT! .'"

Melania did not want to co-host events with Ivanka

Wolkoff also adds that once the Trumps were in the White House Ivanka wanted to get in on events that are traditionally hosted by the first lady. In her account of the book, Vanity Fair's Fox includes Wolkoff's report that official White House events were a particular sore spot for the two women. When Ivanka expressed specific interest in taking part in an International Women's Day event, Wolkoff says, Melania was not pleased.

"Are you kidding me?," Wolkoff said she responded. "Seriously? Im not co-hosting." The same thing apparently happened for an annual luncheon held for the governors' wives every year, Melania reportedly told Wolkoff, "We need to let her know that I know this is a First Lady event done every yearOMG. [Ivanka and Jared Kushner] just want to take credit for it."

Wolkoff says Melania will not wear a designer Ivanka has worn

In this same excerpt provided by Vanity Fair, Wolkoff writes that if Melania saw Ivanka wearing a particular dress, she would cross that designer's name off of potential designers she would wear.

After Ivanka wore a KaufmanFranco dress for an event, that designer was apparently no longer on Melania's list for consideration.

This post will continue to be updated.

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Internet Lies About Social Security Never Go Away

There are so many Social Security-bashing screeds floating around on the internet. Some are full of a few half-truths, but most are outright lies. I could spend every one of my weekly columns just trying to set the record straight.

These things get passed around via emails from one gullible and naive nitwit to the next. Today, Im going to address one that has been polluting inboxes for almost a quarter-century now. In fact, I wrote my first column about it in 1997! Its still around, and its still spreading falsehoods.

(By the way, I can give you a little clue about how to tell these diatribes are half-baked and splattered with lies. They are full of misspellings, run-on sentences, far too many capital letters and lots of exclamation points. You just know they are written by some angry old goat sitting at the computer in his basement and letting the government-hating venom ooze from his fingertips onto the keyboard!)

As I said, there are many of these, but the one Ill address today is headlined WHO TOOK MY MONEY? It goes on for several pages trying to convince you that the Democrats are to blame for all kinds of supposed transgressions with the Social Security program.

It starts out with a whopper. It says, Democratic President Kennedy and Sargent Shriver were the first ones to misuse the Social Security account. They used Social Security funds to start the Peace Corps.

This is pure nonsense. Its one of those situations where I dont know how you disprove a negative. It simply did not happen. I dont know what else to say.

In fact, later in his screed, the author of this garbage rebuts himself by trotting out the time-worn argument that President Lyndon Baines Johnson was the first chief executive to misuse Social Security funds and spend them on other purposes. I have explained what LBJ did about 100 times in this column. So, here comes explanation No. 101!

Because of the massive spending needed to fund the Vietnam War, Johnsons administration was racking up huge deficits in the 1960s. But LBJ came up with a clever way to hide some of those deficits from the American people. He noticed that the government kept a completely separate set of books for the Social Security trust funds, which were running big surpluses at the time. So, he decided to combine the Social Security accounts with the overall federal budget ledgers. This made the budget deficits appear much smaller. But it is important to note this was just a bookkeeping gimmick. He simply combined the accounts on paper. He did not take one nickel out of the Social Security trust funds to spend for other purposes.

The author then goes on to say, Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, promised that participation in the program would be completely voluntary. Thats not true. In order to make Social Security more palatable to Republicans in Congress, the original law excluded groups of traditional Republican voters such as doctors, lawyers, and other self-employed people. But they were all eventually brought into the fold. And just so you know, mandatory social insurance is not unique to the United States. There are 165 Social Security programs around the world. And all of them are mandatory. That is the only way a nationwide social insurance system can work.

This half-baked harangue next alleges that FDR promised that participants would only have to pay 1 percent of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the program.

Once again, thats just an outright lie. The Social Security bill that FDR signed in 1935 taxed income up to $3,000. And that same law called for an incremental adjustment to the tax rate, climbing from 1 percent in 1936 to 3 percent by 1949. Roosevelt and all legislators knew that, as the program grew in the future, its funding would also have to grow.

The wacky writer then falsely says, the Social Security tax rate is now 7.65%. Thats a common misperception. The Social Security tax rate is 6.2 percent. The other 1.45 percent is used to fund the completely separate Medicare program.

By the way, the last time the Social Security tax rate was increased was in 1983, during the administration of Ronald Reagan, definitely not a Democrat!

And speaking of Reagan, he gets a pass on something that the internet diatribe blames on President Bill Clinton. Specifically, the angry old goat wrote this: Which political party started taxing Social Security? Answer: Clinton and the Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the tie breaking vote.

In truth, Social Security benefits were first made taxable during Reagans administration in 1984. But I should point out here that the idea to tax Social Security benefits was one of the proposals of the 1982 National Commission on Social Security Reform. This was a bipartisan commission headed by Alan Greenspan that was charged with coming up with solutions to Social Securitys pending financial woes. In addition to taxing benefits, some of their other proposals included increasing payroll taxes and raising the retirement age from 65 to 67.

And just so you know, those proposals and resulting legislation worked. The program has been running strong for almost four decades since those changes were made. But it is about time we set up another bipartisan commission to keep the program solvent for future generations.

But thats a topic for another column. Back to this ridiculous rant. The author asks this question: Which political party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants? And he answers it this way: Thats right. Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments. The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it.

Once again, that is just absolutely false. In truth, actuarial studies have shown that workers living here illegally who manage to obtain false documents, including fake Social Security numbers, and who work above the table, pump about $2 billion per year into the Social Security system and never collect a dime in benefits.

Perhaps the author is talking about the fact that immigrants who have come to this country legally are able to obtain Supplemental Security Income benefits if they are poor and over age 65 or disabled. SSI is a federal welfare program that is funded out of general tax revenues, not Social Security taxes. The SSI program came about when Richard Nixon was president. And he definitely was not a Democrat!

Heres the deal: People should stop trying to blame their perceived Social Security transgressions on one political party or another. Almost all Social Security legislation over the years has been the result of bipartisan efforts to make the program better for all of us.

Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSAs public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers. If you have a Social Security question, contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast.net.
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NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Executive Summary

The Global Biodegradable Plastics Market, valued at USD 4709.19 Million and x thousand tonnes by volume in the year 2019 has been witnessing unprecedented growth. Growth opportunities in biodegradable plastics market is promising backed by concepts like corporate social responsibility and decreased dependence on synthetic resources. Rising consumer awareness about global warming and government legislation such as ban on plastic bags will increase the demand for biodegradable plastics across the globe. The major driving factor for biodegradable plastics market is growing inclination towards reduction in carbon emissions during the manufacturing process of biodegradable plastics. However, with the coronavirus outbreak, end user companies are forced to give up the use of biodegradable plastics in an effort to maintain revenue and profit margins. In addition, the drop in petroleum prices has made traditional plastics cheaper, putting additional obstacles in the path of the biodegradable plastics market.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955406/?utm_source=PRN







Among the Product segment in the Biodegradable Plastics market (Starch Blends, PLA, PHA, PBS and Others), Starch Blends segment leads the market. Starch blended biodegradable plastics are used in edible films and food packaging which reduce the loss of food and keep fresh. In the agricultural sector, the starch blends are majorly used in mulch film, greenhouse covering and controlled release materials for fertilizers. As a result of starch blends renewability, lower cost, higher abundance and biodegradability, they are used for the development of sustainable materials.



Based on Application (Packaging, Consumer Goods, Agriculture, Textile and Others), Packaging segment gains a considerable share. Changing lifestyle of consumer along with increase in packaged food products demand in developed regions are boosting the demand for biodegradable plastics in packaging industries. The new applications of biodegradable plastics in the packaging industry are diaper and adult incontinence products, and landfill covers.



The European region has dominated the global market share and will continue the dominance in forecast period also on account of high awareness among individuals about plastic waste combined with a ban on single-use plastics. This will boost the regional market over the forecast period. Moreover, European legal framework and strategies are expected to boost the extensive use of bio-based plastic products and provide growth opportunities for the European biodegradable plastics market.



Scope of the Report

 The report analyses the Biodegradable Plastics market By Value and By Volume.

 The report analyses the Biodegradable Plastics market by Product (Starch Blends, PLA, PHA, PBS, Others).

 The report assesses the Biodegradable Plastics market by Application (Packaging, Consumer Goods, Agriculture, Textile, Others).

 The Global Biodegradable Plastics Market has been analysed by Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific) and by Country (USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, United Kingdom, China, Australia, Japan).

 Also, the attractiveness of the market has been presented by region, product and application. Also, trends, drivers, challenges of the industry has been analysed in the report.

 The report tracks competitive developments, strategies, recent industry developments and mergers & acquisitions. The companies analysed in the report include Carbios, NatureWorks, BASF, Total Corbion PLA, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Biome Bioplastics, Kuraray, Danimer Scientific, Novamont and Teijin.

 The report presents the analysis of Biodegradable Plastics market for the historical period of 2015-2019 and the forecast period of 2020-2025.



Key Target Audience



 Biodegradable Plastics Manufacturers

 Biodegradable Vendors and End-Users

 Consulting and Advisory Firms

 Government and Policy Makers

 Investment Banks and Equity Firms

 Regulatory Authorities



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955406/?utm_source=PRN



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ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Although Mulan is a movie set in ancient China, most of the film was actually shot in New Zealand with a total movie budget of $290 million! This live-action remake of the previous 1998 Disney film with the same name, Mulan, is currently one of the most expensive movie productions ever made.

The story of Mulan

The whole story is actually based on an epic poem that was written way in the past named the Ballad of Mulan which tells the story of a mythical female warrior. Although Mulan is centered around ancient China, most of the film was actually just shot in different parts of New Zealand which is also popularly known as the Lord of Landscapes.

The previous Disney movie back in 1998 was much more colorful and comedic from the trailer alone and one thing that fans weren't completely excited about was the lack of Mushu, the favorite dragon of the movie. A lot of emotional scenes from the cartoon version of Mulan really moved fans back then and this is something they are expecting in the movie.

The movie definitely leveled up the action scenes making them much better in comparison to that of the cartoon which mostly followed the comedy and storyline. For the movie, it seems like the action is a top priority of the film.

Even the actress, Liu Yifei has been wielding her sword and swinging it so well and so fast that the fighting scenes actually had to be slowed down to show the audience what is happening.

Read Also: 'Mulan' Premieres in Hollywood; Main Star Fears for Grandmother in Wuhan While Director Talks About the Coronavirus Outbreak

The movie's filming

The whole New Zealander film industry was pretty much excited for a massive project like this one after their previous failures with "A wrinkle of time" as well as "Mortal Engines". Mulan, along with the big-budget that it brings, has given the New Zealand film industry a new opportunity to prove themselves.

The movie employed about 800 people for their local crew and was a huge contribution to the local economy. With the huge budget involved, a lot of local businesses were able to benefit from the cash flowing in.

The movie was actually shot back in 2018 for about six months but the release of the official Mulan film has drastically been postponed due to the whole coronavirus crisis. Other delays include Liu Yifei's public support towards police brutal crackdown happening in Hong Kong against those pro-democracy demonstrators that later on triggered a movie boycott.

Currently, the movie has a very weird standing in public opinion where a lot of Disney lovers whose favorite movie was Mulan back then are looking forward to the film but because of COVID-19 plus the shaky opinion of the actress, the number of people still interested in this movie is unknown.

Read Also: Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War And Endgame Return To Theatres After Pandemic And Marvel Timeline Pushed Back Further

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by Urian Buenconsejo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  A joint committee of the House of Representatives is proposing to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to reform the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) of numerous irregularities.

House Committee on Public Accounts chair Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan Partylist said his panel is "inclined" to give Duterte emergency powers, following controversies hounding the state health insurer.

"The committee is inclined and we are already discussing the emergency powers to be granted to the President," Defensor said Wednesday, during its joint hearing with the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who was virtually present in the hearing, agreed to this proposal.

"Opo, maganda ang inyong panukala na bigyan ng karagdagang kapangyarihan si Pangulong Duterte para mas mabilis ang reporma na isailalim ang PhilHealth," he said.

[Translation: Yes, the proposal seeking additional powers for President Duterte is good in order to fast track reforms in Philhealth.]

Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay, who was also at the hearing, supported the initiative.

No other details of the proposal were provided as of this writing.

Duterte recently appointed former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran to replace PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales, who stepped down from his post due to medical reasons.

In his taped speech on Monday, Duterte ordered Gierran to immediately implement a reshuffle in the agency and "find people he can send to prison" to make them accountable for the anomalies. He also urged him to remove regional vice presidents involved with fraudulent schemes from their posts.
A single mum whose squabbling sons drove her to booze during lockdown has avoided jail for a drunken tirade at police.

Jaimie Lewis, 43, said she was not normally a drinker but had found her boys 'too much' to cope with when they were all stuck at home together.

After drinking cider during the day, she got into her car on the night of May 5 to get away from her children, who are aged 20 and 14, when they started arguing.

She was spotted by police 1.5 miles from her home in Bournemouth, Dorset, swerving across the road.

Jaimie Lewis avoided jail for failing to provide a specimen. Lewis was stopped by police after they spotted her swerving in her car but the 43-year-old said she only drank because being in lockdown with her sons was too much and she needed to get out to escape their arguing

Lewis, a holistic therapist, failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.

But once at the police station she began hurling drunken abuse at officers and refused to provide a breath specimen.

When asked about drugs, a video shown in court showed Lewis telling a policeman 'I'm vegetarian, I do reiki, I don't do any of that s**t'.

She also called him a 'f**ker' and a 'c***' and threatened to cough over him.

Magistrates heard her behaviour suggested a 'high level of intoxication'.

David Finney, prosecuting, said the footage of Lewis showed her 'struggling to stand up' and falling against a wall.

He said: 'Officers stopped the defendant due to the manner of driving. They observed she nearly hit the kerb twice and when they spoke to her immediately saw the indicators for drink.

'She was slurring her words and closing her eyes.

'The roadside breath test was a fail and the defendant was then arrested and taken to the police station.

'This footage shows she was struggling to stand up at the station. She stumbles backwards into the wall.

'There is 20 minutes of footage in total over several videos but this demonstrates the worst of it.

'The defendant was abusive throughout and eventually refused to provide a specimen for analysis.'

Video played in court showed Lewis, pictured waving to a friend outside Poole Magistrates Court, in a drunken rant at police officers while in custody and calling one a 'f**ker' and a 'c**t'

When he asked her if she had smoked she said 'no, I don't smoke, I'm more f**king fit than you, I'm f**king vegan'.

After the footage was shown in court, Lewis appeared to have trouble breathing and was removed from the building to get some fresh air before the hearing could continue.

Ewa Russell, defending, said: 'Becoming upset and hyperventilating, that was not some show, she suffers from anxiety and in highly stressful situations can have attacks.

'Seeing the footage brought back the memories of something she is very ashamed of.

'She wishes to tell the court she knows she was exceptionally irresponsible on this day. She's not a drinker and hardly ever drinks.

'But being in lockdown with her two sons, aged 20 and 14, she had found it a little bit too much and did drink that day.

'There was an argument between the two boys which got out of hand and she wanted to remove herself from the situation but obviously what she went on to do was something she should never have done.

At Poole Magistrates Court Lewis was given a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days. She was also banned from driving for 12 months

'She's a mobile holistic therapist but since Covid she has been unable to work as you have to be able to touch faces and hands.

'She has no hope she will be able to go back to it any time soon so at the moment she is a single mum claiming universal credit.

'Her mum in her 70s lives independently but had a bad fall during lockdown and Miss Lewis had to become her carer effectively, travelling between the two homes.'

Lewis, of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Magistrates in Poole gave her a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days.

She was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay 180 costs.
In "Sleepy Hollow," it was the headless horseman that jump-started the apocalypse (Fred Norris / Fox)

I recently found myself Googling the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, because, you know, it just seemed like the responsible thing to do.

As a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, horror and the New Testament, I am reasonably familiar with the Book of Revelation  I watched the entire run of Sleepy Hollow, and I think I would remember if, say, remote learning was one of the horsemen  and while Ive never been a big fan of John's prophesy (so much violence, so little character development), these are strange days, and it never hurts to check in. (For the record, the letter to the seven churches of Asia makes no mention of online education whatsoever.)

I think it was an image of the lightning storm setting off the deadly fires in Northern California that sent me to the way back of the Holy Bible. (Its not that I dont trust Wikipedia or Christianity.com, but when youre researching the end of the world, primary sources are best.) I quickly discovered that while fire is frequently discussed in Revelation, it is not one of the horsemen who appear when the first of seven seals  enclosing a mysterious scroll no one is worthy to open save the Lamb of God  is broken and the deadly, colorful and complicated series of events preceding the creation of the New Jerusalem commence.

Nor is, I was relieved to discover, plague  at least not technically. The horses are given definite and potentially symbolic colors, but the men who ride them are described in maddeningly vague terms. First comes a guy with a crown and a sword sitting on a white horse; he rides out as a conqueror to conquer [sic], which I guess sounds bad  though frankly, he reads more like Aragorn in Lord of the Rings than Damien in The Final Conflict.

The second horseman has more instant brand clarity  fiery red steed, check; the power to take peace from the earth and make men slay one another, check, check; definitely War, definitely bad.

Then comes the third, who, weirdly, holds a pair of scales and is heralded by four voices saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine. This has been interpreted as Famine, but doesnt it sound like some super-finicky rich guy talking to his caterers? Do not damage the oil and the wine"? I'm sorry, what? Is the third horseman of the apocalypse Gordon Ramsay?

Story continues

Then Death shows up fourth on his pale horse followed by  just to be clear where this whole thing is heading  Hades, and they are given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

So while not one of the quartet of horsemen, plague is still a name-checked participant in the Apocalypse, as are wild beasts, which I guess could include murder hornets, the unofficial wildlife mascots of 2020.

Also worth noting in the prophesy is that fourth of the earth statistic  while the United States holds only 5% of the worlds population, we do have 25% of the worlds coronavirus cases; adjust your origin-of-world's-end bets accordingly.

Im not trying to make light of how truly awful this year has been for so many, nor to downplay the legion of crises, tragedies, crimes and conflicts that have erupted. I am not making fun of the Bible or anyones interpretations of same. I grew up in a small town with people who believed in the Rapture and at least one of my friends had a fully stocked basement in preparation, which surprised me only because hers was such a lovely family that I assumed they would be plucked to heaven immediately. I may not be a true believer (if it should come to pass, I will definitely be enduring all seven years of the Tribulation), but my reacquaintance with Revelation was sincere.

I mean, at this point, why take chances?

There have been more than a few days of late when Ive wondered if the apocalypse was nigh. I always assumed that it would involve far fewer Zoom meetings and a lot more lava (what a relief to learn the smiley face in Kilaueas lava making the social media rounds is actually from 2016).

But there is truth in the term banality of evil, so there is always the chance that things will end while we're all staring at our screens, thinking we should really stop supporting the plague-profiteering Amazon (except it's so damn convenient!) or quit posting our righteous outrage on some social media platform that is interested only in harvesting our personal information for marketing purposes.

This could be how the world ends  not with a bang but on Twitter.

That's where I first saw both the news of Chadwick Bosemans death and the presidents praise of white men who fired paintballs and chemical irritants at Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Ore., mere days after another white man shot bullets into a protest in Kenosha, Wis., killing two people. (A man affiliated with a right-wing group was also killed in Portland.)

Taken together, the death of the man who played real life racial-justice warriors Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall and the fictional king of Wakanda as our president lauded those attacking crowds demanding racial justice, felt like yet another portent of doom. My fleeting reassurance about the actual nature of the four horsemen was shattered, and for the next few days, I found myself, like Salinger's Franny Glass midnervous breakdown, in near-constant muttering prayer.

For Bosemans family and friends, for Portland and Kenosha, for Jason Blake and and his family, for the almost 200,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19 and for the millions they left behind. And for the rest of us too, caught in a fire tornado of grief and fear and fury.

Every day seems to bring some dreadful bit of grim news  more police shootings, more protests laced with violence, more incendiary presidential tweets, more schools walking back their reopening after virus surges. Facebook continuing to aid antidemocratic propaganda and conspiracy theorists. Bella Thorne ruining OnlyFans.

I cant even speak about the Republican National Convention, in which our president told many blatant lies that it broke even mild-mannered these arent skinny jeans, Im just fat comedian Jim Gaffigan, who spent the conventions final night in the throes of a wake up, Trump is a con man Twitter rant. Which he followed up (after declining to speak to reporters, including me) with a Facebook post about how he just couldnt remain silent any longer.

Jim Gaffigan  father of five, devout Catholic and purveyor of good old American jokes about how cold it is in Canada and how late people eat in Barcelona  in full political meltdown. If that doesnt rate a horse in the apocalypse, Revelation is a dirty rip. Look at his website. The art for his new show Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist depicts him as a centaur. Holding the world in his hands. Thats got to have broken some seal somewhere.

Meanwhile, here we all are, stuck under a Stephen King-like dome of pandemic-curtailed version of life, all of us increasingly anxious and angry, which sometimes sends us to the streets to protest  for racial justice, workers rights or just the preservation of the freaking post office  and sometimes paralyzes us with exhaustion and dread.

Anxiety, anger, exhaustion and dread may not be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but they are certainly riders on the storm that is the United States in 2020. And while it would be nice to think that somewhere David Tennant and Michael Sheen, the bickering demon and angel who prevented the apocalypse in Good Omens, are out there working to keep the final days at bay, this seems like one of those stories that depend on human perseverance and growth rather than supernatural intervention.

It's not the end of the world; its just a year in which many big problems came home to roost.

Problems that we must solve, quickly, before more people die and the guy with the scales starts whining about chair placement and lowering a days wages to a pint of wheat or two quarts of barley.

After all, the word "apocalypse," from the ancient Greek term meaning uncovering or "unveiling," originally meant the disclosure of great knowledge. Taken that way, we are indeed living in apocalyptic times. The stories we tell about solving big problems, be they murder mysteries or tales of great innovation, usually include a pivotal hang on, weve been looking at this the wrong way scene.

The obstacles we face in 2020 are not new ones  not even COVID-19, although it is certainly a highly virulent version of an age-old threat. But the particulars of this pandemic have forced us to look at our problems, and ourselves, in a new way.

We cant control lightning, but we can address environmental issues, including climate change, that contribute to Californias increasing wildfires. We can tackle the staffing issues that have spread our firefighters so thin.

We dont have a vaccine for COVID-19 yet, but we certainly should have been better prepared for the pandemic that scientists have been warning for years was inevitable, and we can still decrease transmission and fatalities by making, as a nation, a few simple changes like wearing masks and funding increased testing.

We cant change the bitterness the lies in some peoples hearts, but we can and must fight systemic and institutional racism, including in the stories we tell (I still haven't forgiven the above-mentioned "Sleepy Hollow" for sidelining and then killing its black female lead, played by Nicole Beharie).

Unfortunately, none of this is anywhere near as cool as finding some secret text or hidden talisman that will turn back the forces of darkness, or killing the Headless Horseman, or guarding the gates of hell beneath Sunnydale High. Compared with a quest to destroy the One Ring, wearing masks and staying out of crowds, limiting or redirecting funds to ensure better oversight of police departments, passing legislation that allows inmates who have completed firefighting training to become firefighters after theyve been released, raising the minimum wage and making college more affordable  it all seems slow, difficult and tedious. Contact our elected officials? Yawn. Can't we just arm ourselves with dragonglass?

Alas, no, we cannot turn back the horsemen of anxiety, anger, exhaustion and fear, or even the coronavirus, by having attractive and differently gifted young people read a spell, kill the Night King or destroy that final Horcrux.

The solution to the banality of evil is, for better or worse, the banality of good. A low-grade, consistent and often quite irritating insistence that we, and all the institutions we create, treat every individual equitably, in all things.

Boring, right? Kindergarten stuff, and why should we do it when all those [fill in the blank] arent doing it? What are we, saps?

No. We are warriors, battling the most dangerous horseman, the one who would take peace from the Earth and cause men to slay one another  with sword, with famine, with plague and with the wild beasts of the earth including, at times, ourselves. That guy we can stop.

And wed best do it right quick, because if you think the toilet paper shortages were bad during the early days of the pandemic, you do not want to see what happens during those years of Tribulation.
For the Infanzon family, the pod model seemed to offer the right mix of learning and socialization, but time will tell. And, just as would be the case at any school, the parents have committed to shutting down the pod for a few weeks if there is a coronavirus case among the children.
ROSELAND, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / September 1, 2020 / Milestone Scientific Inc. (NYSE American:MLSS), a leading developer of computerized drug delivery instruments that provide painless and precise injections, today announced that it has promoted Jan Adriaan (Arjan) Haverhals to President of Milestone Scientific, replacing Brent Johnston. Mr. Haverhals will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company's Wand Dental, Inc. subsidiary.

Mr. Haverhals joined Milestone in June 2020 and brings over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, product development, and international expansion within the medical device, pharmaceutical, and other industries. Mr. Haverhals has been responsible for the growth and profitability of both startups and global industry leaders, organically and through strategic acquisitions. Since Mr. Haverhals' recent appointment as President and CEO of Wand Dental, he has enhanced the sales and marketing initiatives around the dental instrument and introduced new collaboration and distribution opportunities. Additionally, as President of Milestone, Mr. Haverhals will take a more active role in accelerating the commercialization of Milestone's CompuFlo Epidural Instrument and CathCheck, both in the U.S. and in Europe, as well as oversee regulatory activities and product manufacturing.

Leonard Osser, Interim CEO of Milestone Scientific, stated, "I am very pleased to announce Arjan's promotion to President of Milestone Scientific. In the short time since he joined the organization, he has demonstrated strong leadership, organizational skills and sales acumen. His contributions are already evident in the enhanced sales and marketing activities around the dental instrument. In terms of the CompuFlo Epidural Instrument and CathCheck, we look forward to his active involvement as we advance discussions with major hospitals and health systems across the U.S. We are also benefitting from his extensive relationships across Europe. We believe Arjan will play a central role in terms of accelerating the commercialization of CompuFlo and CathCheck, as we work towards our goal of establishing the instrument as standard of care around the world. Additionally, we would like to thank Brent Johnston, former President of Milestone, for his contributions to the Company and wish him well in his future endeavors."

Story continues

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Haverhals was senior vice president of sales at Xcentric Mold & Engineering, where he was instrumental in increasing sales productivity and efficiency for the company's prototype injection molding services, which included leading healthcare company clients. Previously, at Straumann, LLC, a global leader in manufacturing medical and dental devices with over $1 billion in sales, he held a series of senior sales and marketing roles including vice president of customer marketing & education, where he oversaw all product franchises and led the launch of more than 30 products in the North American market, resulting in double-digit growth. He also served as senior vice president for the Nordic Region at Straumann AB, senior vice president of global sales digital solutions, which included oversight of the strategic acquisition of Etkon; and served as vice president of the Prosthetics Business Unit, where he introduced a new implant and prosthetics product line within a new market segment. He also served as vice president of global marketing & sales at Elkem AS, one of Norway's largest industrial companies. Previously, Mr. Haverhals served as executive vice president of marketing & sales at Cresco Ti Systems Sarl, a global dental implant company, where he was responsible for turning around and managing global sales, marketing, international business, where he achieved over 100% return on investment for shareholders. Mr. Haverhals holds an MS in Pharmacy from the University of Leyden in the Netherlands.

About Milestone Scientific Inc.

Milestone Scientific Inc. (MLSS) is a biomedical technology research and development company that patents, designs and develops innovative diagnostic and therapeutic injection technologies and instruments for medical, dental, cosmetic and veterinary applications. Milestone's computer-controlled systems are designed to make injections precise, efficient, and virtually painless. Milestone's proprietary DPS Dynamic Pressure Sensing technology is our technology platform that advances the development of next-generation devices, regulating flow rate and monitoring pressure from the tip of the needle, through platform extensions for local anesthesia for subcutaneous drug delivery, with specific applications for cosmetic botulinum toxin injections, epidural space identification in regional anesthesia procedures and intra-articular joint injections. For more information please visit our website: www.milestonescientific.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the timing and financial impact of Milestone's ability to implement its business plan, expected revenues, timing of regulatory approvals and future success. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions, future business decisions and regulatory developments, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond Milestone's control. Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements are general economic conditions, failure to achieve expected revenue growth, changes in our operating expenses, adverse patent rulings, FDA or legal developments, competitive pressures, changes in customer and market requirements and standards, and the risk factors detailed from time to time in Milestone's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, Milestone's Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2019. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. Milestone undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Contact:

David Waldman or Natalya Rudman

Crescendo Communications, LLC

Email: mlss@crescendo-ir.com

Tel: 212-671-1020

SOURCE: Milestone Scientific, Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/604163/Milestone-Scientific-Promotes-Arjan-Haverhals-to-President-of-Milestone-Scientific




Suleman Johnson of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has joined the group of Nigerian clerics who are kicking against the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, especially as it applies to churches.

Since August 7 when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the CAMA bill into law, many Nigerian christian leaders have condemned the law.

The law makes provision for religious bodies and charity organisations to be regulated by the registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and a supervising minister.

Under the new law, church trustees can be replaced if they (officials) reasonably believe there has been mismanagement, misconduct or fraud to protect its property in the public interest.

The CAMA act is a diabolic and evil intended act. It says they can change the board of trustees and no court can upturn it. Why will I respect an act that does not respect the law?, Mr Suleiman said in a live telecast.

He also said church leaders in the U.S. and London have been funded by their government and even given lifeline especially during the COVID pandemic while Nigerian churches are left to their own fate.

The apostle, who started Omega Fire Ministries in 2004, expressed displeasure about the situation of things.

Somebody will say in America, in London, the government regulates charity organisations. Thats true. I should tell you what happens in America, I should tell you what happens in London. We have about eight churches in London, we have about 30 in America so I should tell you what works there. In America and London, a charity organization can collect grants from the government. Theyll apply for grants, and the government will fund them.

In this last pandemic in America, I know churches who got $80,000, $100,000, supported by the government. When you support charity organisations, you have the right to regulate them. Is it this country we will apply for a hundred million and the government will give us? If you give us, you can regulate us. We are not anti-government.

Some weeks ago, I paid N4.6 million as tax. I paid to my state government. They taxed me and I paid. Oh, youre surprised? Youre believing all those nonsense you see on social media that pastors are eating tithes? If we open our mouths and talk about what happens behind the scene.

How pastors make their money

The 49-year-old cleric also revealed how Nigerian pastors make their money.

Mr Suleman maintained that their monies are not ill gotten.

All these men of God youre mentioning, Oyedepo, Baba Adeboye, how are they rich? Ill tell you. The people who they invested in years ago are the ones now taking care of them. I am just telling you how pastors get money. There are people I raised up sixteen years ago, I trained them in school, did everything for them and today, they are taking care of me.

You say I should reject what they are giving me? They swear for me? There are some of you now, who I am supporting and taking care of. In the next five, six, seven years, God blesses you legitimately, wont you take care of me? This is the secret to pastors wealth.

The tithes and offerings that come from this church are used for diesel. This last time when there was a lockdown was my best time because I saved a lot of money. There were no members to ask me for money, there were no members to ask me for rent. I was just enjoying myself.

The very Sunday they opened church, four million naira left me. Were helping. There are some pastors that are eating money, thats their business.

Amidst the CAMA crisis, influential Nigerian Christian cleric, Enoch Adeboye, met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.

Also at the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari. It is not clear what was discussed at the meeting.

The Nigerian government has, however, repeatedly said the CAMA law was not targeted at churches.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - Inflection Resources Ltd. (CSE: AUCU) (the "Company" or "Inflection") is pleased to announce the results of drilling on the first three of twenty targets, part of its Northern NSW Project located in New South Wales, Australia.

Summary Highlights

Drilling on the Myallmundi target intercepted highly encouraging alteration consisting of several generations of vein stockwork comprising chlorite-magnetite, quartz-carbonate and epidote-quartz carbonate, with traces of chalcopyrite and bornite. This vein and alteration assemblage is considered classic early potassic alteration overprinted by propylitic alteration. Such assemblages are characteristic of the Macquarie Arc mineralized porphyry districts and are considered highly significant.

Drilling at Nine Mile intercepted 9.90 meters (to the end of hole) of chlorite-quartz-carbonate cemented hydrothermal breccia. Breccias of this style often exist both peripheral and internal to the Macquarie Arc porphyry systems.

A series of new drill platforms are in process of permitting in the vicinity of the Myallmundi and Nine Mile holes. Plans for priority follow-up, step-out drilling is underway with the intention of vectoring into a mineralized gold-copper porphyry center.

Alistair Waddell, Inflection's President and CEO, states "We are highly encouraged to have intercepted such favourable alteration in the first two holes on our very first target of twenty, which we are systematically drill testing with a series of first-pass holes. These initial results are significant and provide encouragement that we are potentially within the vicinity of a porphyry system. Once the permits for the additional drill platforms have been received, we will aggressively complete a series of step-out holes designed to vector into a porphyry center."

Dr Stuart Smith, Inflection non-executive director, states "Having spent six years exploring in the Macquarie Arc, including three years at the Northparkes Mine, I am highly encouraged by the results from Inflection's first holes. The style and intensity of potassic and propylitic alteration and veining we have observed are characteristic of the Macquarie Arc porphyry districts and are extremely rare in parts of the arc outside porphyry districts. We are excited to be planning follow-up holes at Myallmundi and Nine Mile while at the same time continuing the systematic testing of our remaining targets."

Story continues

Drilling Update

Inflection is pleased to provide an update on its current drilling on its Northern NSW targets with two gold-copper porphyry targets and one mesothermal vein target tested. Five holes have now been completed by the Company totalling 808.98 meters. The two porphyry targets are Myallmundi, over which two of the four first pass planned holes have now been drilled and Nine Mile with the proposed initial, single hole completed. Two holes tested the mesothermal vein and intrusion associated target at Blackwater. Further details of the Myallmundi, Nine Mile and Blackwater targets can be found in the Company's news release dated July 23, 2020.

Myallmundi Target

Results from the first two of the planned four drill holes at Myallmundi are considered highly encouraging, with favourable alteration intersected in both holes MYLDH001 (198.30m) and MYLDH002 (210.40m) and which are comparable with typical Macquarie Arc porphyry systems.

The Myallmundi target area covers approximately 20 km2 and is characterised by moderate amplitude, but complex magnetic anomalies. The signatures within the aeromagnetic and gravity data are inferred to possibly represent a series of stock-like to pipe-like intrusive systems displaying both magnetite-additive and magnetite-destructive alteration zones.

Both drill holes intersected a package of altered andesites and basalts, which are typical of Macquarie Arc volcanic sequences. Strong magnetite-biotite alteration has been identified in hole MYLDH001 and confirmed by petrological analysis. The host lithology shows significant veining of at least three vein styles: chlorite veins with traces of magnetite and pyrite; quartz-carbonate veins with trace pyrite and epidote-quartz-carbonate veins with trace pyrite as seen in Photos 1 and 2 below. The alteration and vein assemblages are typical of those seen within Macquarie Arc porphyry districts and indicate a high temperature intrusion-related assemblage (potassic) overprinted by a lower temperature (propylitic) assemblage. This relationship is seen in many of the Macquarie Arc porphyry districts.





Photo 1: Myallmundi drill hole MYLDH001- 186.87 to 191.34 meters. Strongly biotite-magnetite altered basalt crosscut by several generations of vein stockwork comprising chlorite-magnetite, quartz-carbonate and epidote-quartz carbonate.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6933/63074_cd793bd5e4209ad1_001full.jpg

Hole MYLDH002 exhibits strong chlorite-carbonate alteration throughout with veining characterised by weakly banded quartz veins and epidote-quartz-chlorite veins. Veining and alteration is consistent with a location in the propylitic part of an intrusion related system as is MYLDH001. The observations of the alteration styles from both holes are consistent with those seen in Macquarie Arc porphyry systems.





Photo 2. Myallmundi drill hole MYLDH001 192.40 meters. Close up of strongly biotite-magnetite altered basalt crosscut by quartz-carbonate and epidote-quartz-carbonate veins

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6933/63074_cd793bd5e4209ad1_002full.jpg

Nine Mile Target

A single drill hole NMLDH001 has been completed over the Nine Mile target to a total depth of 189.90 meters. Nine Mile is a porphyry target interpreted to be a zoned intrusive stock-like system that hosts the Myallmundi target 21 kilometers to the north. The hole intersected a hornblende phyric basalt, with strong pervasive clay alteration immediately below the unconformity with the post-mineral cover sequence prior to transitioning to a strong pervasive chlorite-sericite alteration. From approximately 180.00 meters to the end of hole at 189.90 meters, a hydrothermal breccia was intersected showing both clast-supported and matrix supported angular to sub-angular clasts. The breccia contains chlorite-carbonate cement and lesser areas of quartz cement. Chlorite-filled fractures occur above the breccia and may be indicative of fluid escape above the breccia. The breccia is considered significant in potentially representing a hydrothermal fluid zone indicative of the propylitic part of a potential porphyry system. Breccias of this style exist peripheral to the Macquarie Arc systems and also within them where they can be mineralized or unmineralized.





Photo 3. Nine Mile drill hole MYLDH001 183.5, 186.2 and 188.4 meters. Quartz-carbonate-chlorite cemented hydrothermal breccia. Breccias such as these are definitive indicators of hydrothermal fluid flow zones and are considered encouraging signs from a first-pass drill program.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6933/63074_cd793bd5e4209ad1_003full.jpg

New Myallmundi and Nine Mile drill platforms applied for: As a result of the favourable initial results at Myallmundi and Nine Mile, the Company is in the process of applying for a series of new drill platforms to follow up on the targets. These additional drill holes will enable the Company to vector towards a potential porphyry center using the latest alteration and mineral chemistry vector techniques. Once the permits have been received a second drill rig will be secured to specifically follow up on these targets.

Blackwater Target

Two holes (BLKDH001 and BLKDH002) totalling 210.7 meters were completed on the Blackwater target. Both holes intersected foliated metasediments with white quartz veins and show no signs of any mesothermal vein or intrusive related mineralisation or alteration. No assays for the holes have yet been received although no results of significance are expected. No further work is planned at Blackwater pending assay results.

Assays and Petrology: Core from all five drill holes has been logged, photographed and dispatched to ALS Laboratories in Orange, NSW for multielement analysis and for spectral analysis which will aid alteration mineralogy identification. Results are expected within 3-4 weeks.

Exploration Plans Going Forward

Drilling progress has recently been delayed due to unusually high rainfall in NSW, which has impeded access to various drill sites in the Trangie area. The rain has since cessed although the ground is still soft and the Company anticipates drilling will resume once the ground dries out sufficiently for the drill rigs to be redeployed.

Recommencement of drilling will initially focus on the remaining two holes on the Myallmundi target planned as part of the Phase I drill program while recently designed step-out holes described above are approved. Drilling will then continue onto the Trangie target as described in the Company's news release dated July 23, 2020. Once permission for the new step out holes at Myallmundi and Nine Mile have been received, one rig will continue to test the portfolio of targets while the second will focus on vectoring into a potential mineralized system at Myallmundi and Nine Mile.

Northern NSW - Exploration Strategy

The Company is using cost-effective mud-rotary drilling to cut through the unmineralized post-mineral sedimentary cover, then will transition to diamond core drilling once the interpreted Ordovician basement is reached.

It is well documented that mineralized bodies elsewhere in the belt, in particular porphyry and intrusive related systems, have large district-scale alteration and geochemical halos or footprints surrounding them. The Company is completing a series of short diamond drill holes into bedrock rather than just one or two deep and more expensive diamond drill holes. Multiple data points gained from alteration and mineral geochemistry will then be used to vector additional deeper holes in conjunction with geochronological studies. This is a proven exploration strategy in the covered segments of the Macquarie Arc having been directly responsible for the Northparkes and Cowal discoveries.

AI Projects

The Company also wishes to report it has reached an agreement with BWG Mining to extend the license period for the NSW Data Mining Study until July 31, 2021. Several other minor provisions in the agreement have also been modified, mostly to provide additional clarity.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Carl Swensson (FAusIMM), Inflection's Vice President Exploration, and a "Qualified Person" ("QP") as defined in National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Sampling Quality Control

Drilling was conducted by DDH1 Drilling Pty Ltd using a truck-mounted multi-purpose Sandvik drill rig. Mud rotary drilling was utilised to drill through the cover sequence. At the unconformity the drilling method was changed to diamond drilling using NQ - sized core. All materials and core were transported to the Company's Trangie field office at the end of each shift to a secure environment.

The core was logged in detail at the Company's base, photographed and marked for cutting and sampling. The core was then transported by the Company's geologist to Rangott Mineral Exploration Pty Ltd in Orange NSW to a secure environment where the core was cut in half to the Company's specified sample intervals. The half core samples were placed in numbered calico bags with internationally certified blanks and standards inserted every 20th sample. The retained half core is currently in locked secure storage at Rangott Mineral Exploration Pty Ltd.

Samples were despatched to ALS Laboratories in Orange NSW by Rangott Exploration Pty Ltd. ALS Laboratories are an accredited analytical laboratory meeting ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO 9001:2015. Samples were prepared by crushing and grinding via ALS methods CRU-21 and PUL-32 respectively. The pulps were then assayed for 48 elements via ALS method ME-MS61 using a 25g sample after a four acid near total digest with an ICP-MS finish. Gold was assayed by fire assay using ALS method Au-AA23 using a 30g sample charge and AAS finish. Laboratory standards and QA-QC are monitored by the Company.

About Inflection Resources Ltd.: Inflection is a technically driven gold and gold-copper focused mineral exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AUCU" with projects in Eastern Australia. The Company is systematically drill testing a large portfolio of drill-ready projects in New South Wales and in Queensland.

The Company is exploring for large gold and copper-gold deposits in the northern interpreted extension of the Junee-Narromine belt within the Macquarie Arc, part of the Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales. The Macquarie Arc is Australia's premier porphyry gold-copper province being host to Newcrest Mining's Cadia Valley deposits, the CMOC Northparkes deposits and Evolution Mining's Cowal deposits plus numerous active exploration prospects including the Boda Project, the recent discovery made by Alkane Resources.

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.inflectionresources.com .

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Alistair Waddell"

President and CEO

For further information, please contact:

Alistair Waddell

President and CEO

+1 (604) 681-3170

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding future capital expenditures, anticipated content, commencement, and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Company's projects and mineral properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Company's exploration plans. the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated June 12, 2020 and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63074
Imperial Valley News Center

President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Stop Evictions and Protect Americans Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Washington, DC - "I want to make it unmistakably clear that Im protecting people from evictions." ~ President Donald J. Trump

TEMPORARILY HALTING EVICTIONS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to put a temporary halt to evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following an Executive Order by President Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is using its authority to temporarily halt evictions through the end of 2020 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Under the CDC Order, American renters who meet certain conditions cannot be evicted if they have affirmatively exhausted their best efforts to pay rent, seek Government rental assistance, and are likely to become homeless due to eviction. Those who benefit from this assistance are still obligated to pay accrued rent or housing payments in accordance with their lease or contract. Landlords are still permitted to pursue eviction against tenants committing criminal acts, threatening the health or safety of other residents, and damaging property, among other offenses.

The intent of this Order is to use Federal authority to prevent evictions that could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19.

It is essential during the pandemic that Americans have an effective place to quarantine, isolate, and social distance, and evicting people from residences undermines that objective.

PROTECTING AMERICANS: President Trump has provided extensive relief to help keep Americans in their homes during the fight against COVID-19.

The Trump Administration is following through on President Trumps Executive Order to protect American homeowners and renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced they would extend their eviction and foreclosure moratorium for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured homeowners through the end of the year.

HUD has already allocated $7 billion in grants to State and local governments that could be used for rental assistance to address increased eviction risk.

HUD is also explicitly considering factors associated with eviction risk when allocating nearly $2 billion in CARES Act funding and working with Federal grant recipients to facilitate their use of various funds to assist renters at risk of eviction.

The Department of the Treasury has also allocated $142 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds to States and localities, with broad application for rental assistance and other programs.

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE: Over the course of the pandemic, President Trump has made providing assistance to Americans facing financial hardship a top priority.
She's had her image projected onto the world's tallest building, called out Donald Trump for his criticism of New Zealand's coronavirus response and won worldwide praise and recognition for her handling of the global pandemic.

But Jacinda Ardern's opponent in New Zealand's October 17 election is Judith Collins, the leader of the National Party, who believes the Prime Minister has a key vulnerability Collins will be able to exploit on election day.

New Zealand Opposition Leader Judith Collins has focused her attack on Jacinda Ardern in recent weeks. Credit:Getty Images

"One of the things we are seeing is an enormous arrogance from the government, which after only three years in office is displaying all the arrogance of a third term government," she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

"So for instance Jacinda Ardern announced some weeks back that she wouldnt be bothering to put out policies, or words to that effect anyway, because they were going to make the election all about COVID."
Students Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday staged a protest against the against state government and Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) authorities here, demanding promotion of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students.

The SFI has accused the state government of profiteering during the Covid-19 pandemic instead of providing financial relief to the people and students. It said the government is hiking fees despite the high courts order not to charge any additional fees other than tuition fees until the pandemic situation improves.

During the protest, SFI state secretary Amit Thakur said the state government and university authorities are only completing formalities to conduct the examination as many students are being forced to walk to the examination centres as they have no transportation facilities.

The university has only set up 38 examination centres for the upcoming PG exams in which around 60,000 regular and private students are expected to appear, which means that around 1,600 students per examination centre will be accommodated. How can social distancing be maintained in such a situation? he asked.

SFI has warned of intensifying the movement if their demands are not fulfilled.
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, over her investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. The Hague-based tribunal reacted denouncing an unprecedented attack against the rule of law.

"The International Criminal Court condemns the economic sanctions imposed by the US earlier today on the court's prosecutor and a member of her office," an ICC statement said. "These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, and the rule of law more generally."

The war crimes court said it "continues to stand firmly by its personnel and its mission of fighting impunity for the world's most serious crimes."

Pompeo also said that Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the ICC's Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division, had been blacklisted under sanctions authorised by President Donald Trump in June that allow for asset freezes and travel bans.

"Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly," Pompeo told reporters.

In addition, Pompeo said that individuals and entities that continue to materially support Bensouda and Mochochoko would risk exposure to sanctions as well.

The US State Department also restricted the issuance of visas for individuals Pompeo said were involved in the court's efforts to investigate US personnel. He did not name those affected, though.

Kangoroo court investigating war crimes in Afghanistan

The US move came after President Donald Trump authorised sanctions on the ICC on June 11 for probing and prosecuting US troops.

Pompeo at the time referred to the ICC as a "kangaroo court" and warned that if US soldiers are investigated by it, those of US allies in Afghanistan risk the same threat. US Attorney General Bill Barr said in June that the ICC has become "little more than a political tool employed by unaccountable international elites".

Story continues

Bensouda was given the go-ahead by the court in March to investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and US forces.

The sanctions were announced just two months before US elections, in which Trump is running in part on his record of standing up to international institutions that don't bow to US demands.

But Washington's move also added to the broader pressure on the ICC to shore up its legitimacy, 18 years after it was founded to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The ICC was founded by the Rome Statute, which entered into force in 2002, and has since been signed by 123 countries. The United States  like Russia, China, Israel, Syria and a number of other countries  is not a member of the ICC, and its opposition to the court is longstanding.

US Sanctions only serve to weaken the fight against mass atrocities

The head of the ICC's Assembly of States Parties, which groups the court's member countries, said separately that it would meet to discuss how to support the tribunal in the face of the US measures. "I strongly reject such unprecedented and unacceptable measures against a treaty-based international organisation," said assembly president O-Gon Kwon. "They only serve to weaken our common endeavour to fight impunity for mass atrocities."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was concerned by Pompeo's announcement, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. He said that "we trust that any restriction taken against individuals will be implemented consistently" with a decades-old US deal with the UN to host the world body's headquarters in New York.

The United States revoked Bensouda's entry visa in 2019 over the possible Afghanistan inquiry. But under an agreement between the UN and Washington, she was still able to regularly travel to New York to brief the UN Security Council on cases it had referred to the court in The Hague.

Rights groups immediately condemned the US designations.

Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch international justice director, said it was a "stunning perversion of US sanctions". "The Trump administration has twisted these sanctions to obstruct justice, not only for certain war crimes victims, but for atrocity victims anywhere looking to the International Criminal Court for justice," he said.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS & AFP)
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The UN Security Council will hold a high-level summit during the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly later this month to discuss security threats in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Niger's UN Ambassador Abdou Abarry, who took over the rotating council presidency on Tuesday, told a virtual press conference on Tuesday that the meeting of the UN's most powerful body will take place online on September 24.

Abarry said the meeting "on post-COVID-19 global governance in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security" will address traditional security threats such as conflicts but also crime and pandemics as well as "adjustments" to the current international system.

He said Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou, who will chair the meeting, is sending invitation to the leaders of the 14 other countries on the Security Council. Some countries, which he didn't name, have already indicated their heads of state will attend, he said.

Also read: Pakistan's attempts to discuss Kashmir at UNSC fall flat yet again: Indian Ambassador

Abarry said a key issue after the coronavirus pandemic is: "Are we going to be able to structure a more resilient, a more just, a more fair world with less destruction of the environment among others, and that can enable and facilitate humanity to live in harmony, and with nature?"

In recent years, the Security Council has held a meeting on a theme chosen by its rotating president for September during the General Assembly high-level meeting which usually brings thousands of people to UN headquarters in New York. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high-level meeting will be almost entirely online.

US President Donald Trump presided over a high-level Security Council meeting on countering nuclear, chemical and biological weapons during the United States' presidency of the council in September 2018. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, chaired Security Council meetings in 2009 and 2014.

Also read: India 'very responsible' player in global community, can stir action as UNSC member: UN official

Last year, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presided over a ministerial meeting of the council on the contribution of three regional organisations that Moscow belongs to in countering terrorist threats.
Joe Biden mused Wednesday that he would like his three upcoming debates with Donald Trump to include a real-time fact-check of both candidates statements, although he admitted it wasnt likely to happen.

At an event in Wilmington, Del., at which he blamed the Trump administrations ineffectual handling of the coronavirus pandemic for the chaos surrounding the start of the school year, Biden was asked how he was preparing to debate the president.

Ive begun to prepare by going over what the president has said and the multiple lies he has told, he responded. What Id love to have is a crawler at the bottom of the screen, a fact checker, you know, when we speak. If we really wanted to do something, I think that would make a great, great debate if everything both of us said was instantly fact-checked by an agreed-to group of people.

Biden conceded that his idea probably wouldnt get very far.

Earlier on Wednesday, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced the moderators for the three scheduled presidential debates. Chris Wallace of Fox News will moderate the Sept. 29 debate in Cleveland, C-SPANs Steve Scully will ask the candidates questions at the Oct. 15 town meeting in Miami and NBCs Kristen Welker will be in the moderators chair for the Oct. 22 debate in Nashville.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will take place Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City, with Susan Page of USA Today moderating.

Im looking forward to debating the president, and Im going to lay out as clearly as I can what I think we have to do to bring this country back and build it back better, Biden said.

Biden, who has done limited campaigning thus far and has largely avoided press conferences, took questions from reporters for 30 minutes. He denounced the administrations handling of the coronavirus.

If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on with this crisis, American schools would be open and theyd be open safely, he said. Instead, American families across this country are paying the price for his failures.

Story continues

Trump traveled on Wednesday to North Carolina, where he held an event with hundreds of supporters where social distancing guidelines were largely disregarded. He mocked Biden, as he frequently has, for not campaigning more vigorously.

Joe Biden is a Low Energy Candidate the likes of which we have never seen before. The last thing our country needs is a Low Energy Individual, especially when surrounded by High Energy Chess Players scattered all over the world. Hes back in his basement now - no schedule!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 2, 2020

But two days after Trump toured Kenosha, Wis., and met with local officials in the city where rioting erupted following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Biden will also visit Kenosha.

While Trump spent much of his roundtable in Kenosha on Tuesday going after reckless far-left politicians and the violent mobs he says they support, Biden said Wednesday that his purpose in going there was to be a positive influence and to bring people together.

We have to heal. This is about making sure that we move forward, he said.

Asked whether hitting the campaign trail was safe from the coronavirus, Biden again sought to contrast his message with that of the president.

I would like to get out more, but I think a president has a responsibility to set examples, set the right example for how to get out, Biden said. Not go out and not wear a mask and not have large crowds of people standing next to one another without wearing a mask, not being a potential cauldron for significant outbreaks of COVID.

As of Wednesday, more than 185,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and more than 6 million cases have been recorded in the U.S.

Pressed to expound on his suggestion that a nationwide mask mandate was needed to slow the spread of the virus, Biden went right after skeptics who have bristled at the notion that those rules are somehow anti-American.

When I find these folks talking about my freedom, I talk about patriotism. Why do you wear a mask? To protect your neighbor. To keep someone else from getting sick and maybe dying. I call that patriotic, Biden said. This is the United States of America. Every generation has made sacrifices to help others in moments of crisis.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Kim Woo-joo at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "It would be advisable to restrict places suitable for work for telecommuters as part of quarantine."

"Video conferences have also increased, and it's a bit uncomfortable holding them from a coffee shop," she added. "I'm also concerned if I should be talking about company matters in a public space."

One 37-year-old office worker with a child in third grade said, "It's really tough for me to focus on work at home because of my child, so my husband and I take turns working in a coffee shop in our neighborhood. But I'm not sure how safe it is to work outside."

Kindergartens and schools have closed, so many parents have to juggle both office work and household chores in often cramped conditions.

A surge in coronavirus infections has prompted businesses across the country to make their staff work from home again wherever possible.

One 38-year-old banker in Seoul has been working from home since last Tuesday for the second time this year. "I have to leave my air conditioner on all day so my electricity bill rose 10 percent compared to last month," he said. "Plus I spend more on food deliveries and end up eating more, so Im putting on weight."

Employers in turn resort to fiendish wiles to check that staff working from home are not dozing off or watching TV. One state-run company made sure the intranet connection from an outside source automatically disconnects if a telecommuting worker leaves his or her computer for more than 15 minutes. The company said it was part of "online security," but a staffer said, "It means you have to at least move your mouse or tap your keyboard once every 15 minutes, and it sure feels like I'm being monitored."

But of course telecommuting is impossible for many companies that either require face-to-face interactions or lack the infrastructure, and even those who can do it face obstacles.

One mobile provider said it will let staff in the Seoul metropolitan area and Busan telecommute until the end of this month, but now staff are complaining that this is simply unfeasible.

"I work for a branch in the Seoul metropolitan area, but I still have to meet clients," one sales assistant said. "The company says 80 percent of workers excluding essential staff will telecommute, but in fact 80 percent of the workers are essential staff."

Work-from-home guidelines announced by the Ministry of Labor and Employment in April do not provide specific details and were criticized for being ambiguous. They have nothing to say, for example, on what to do if personal information is leaked while workers of banks or insurance companies are telecommuting.

Nor do they contain any tips on how to prove if an accident happened at home while a worker is telecommuting so the employee can file for work-related injury compensation.

The ministry has promised improved guidelines in September. "Unless detailed instructions are announced, we lay ourselves wide open to legal disputes," a business insider said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:12:18|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chief Minister of India's western state of Goa Pramod Sawant said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Sawant requested his close contacts to immediately go into isolation to prevent the spread of infection.

"I wish to inform all that I have been detected COVID-19 positive. I am asymptomatic and hence have opted for home isolation. I shall continue to discharge my duties working from home. Those who have come in my close contact are advised to take the necessary precautions," the chief minister wrote on Twitter.

India reported 78,357 new COVID-19 cases and 1,045 related deaths during the past 24 hours, as the total number of cases reached 3,769,523, with 66,333 deaths.

Globally India is the third worst-hit country due to the pandemic. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:34:30|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's weather agency on Wednesday said a powerful typhoon is making its way from the Nagasaki region to the northern part of Japan's main island of Kyushu.

Typhoon Maysak, which has already pummeled Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa and injured eight people, is moving north at a speed of 15 km per hour, Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

According to the agency, the powerful storm has a central atmospheric pressure of 940 hectopascals and is packing winds at its core of up to 162 km per hour.

Maysak's maximum instantaneous wind velocity was clocked at 234 km per hour, the JMA said, warning people to be vigilant for gusty winds, high waves, storm surges, as well as possible landslides, flooding and swollen rivers.

Shinkansen bullet train services have been temporarily suspended as a result of the typhoon between Hiroshima and Hakata stations on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line.

West Japan Railway said the suspension of the service will continue until at least 8:00 a.m. local time on Thursday.

The JMA said Typhoon Maysak will likely to continue on a northern trajectory towards the northern area of Kyushu through Thursday, with unstable atmospheric conditions in western Japan leading to thunderstorms and torrential downpours.

Through Thursday, Kyushu, Shikoku and Tokai regions are likely to be lashed by downpours of up to 80 millimeters per hour while also being struck by thunderstorms, the JMA said.

The weather agency also said for the 24 hours through Thursday morning, up to 300 millimeters of rain is expected in the Shikoku region, and as much as 250 millimeters in Kyushu and Tokai.

Over the 48-hour period through Friday morning, meanwhile, Shikoku and Tokai may well be inundated with between 100 to 200 millimeters of rain, the JMA said. Enditem
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Linkedin (Kyodo News) Kathmandu, Nepal  Wed, September 2, 2020 13:36 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4229de9 2 News Nepal,travel,tourism,Airlines Free

Nepal on Tuesday resumed international flights for Nepali nationals, diplomats, and development partners after shutting down aviation for more than five months, an official said.

Tourists, however, will not be allowed to enter Nepal, said Rajan Poudel, a spokesman at the Tourism Ministry.

The government has set a daily cap of 500 arrivals. Also, those flying into Nepal will have to produce a PCR negative report dated no older than 72 hours before arriving in the country.

"After arriving here, passengers will have to stay in compulsory home quarantine for 14 days," Poudel said, adding, "In case an airline brings a passenger who cannot produce a PCR negative report, the airline will have to put the passenger on 14 days of quarantine in hotels here and bear all costs."

Nepal suspended all international flights on March 22. Ever since, only chartered flights have operated.

Read also: Nepal to reopen Everest to climbers despite coronavirus case rise

Domestic flights remain in suspension as the country grapples with a rising number of daily infections. The capital Kathmandu and several cities remain under lockdown.

As of Tuesday morning, Nepal had 39,460 confirmed infected cases. The death toll from the pandemic stood at 228.

"Our target is mainly Nepalese stuck in labor destinations like the Middle East, Malaysia, and South Korea," Poudel said, adding that the first commercial flights are expected to arrive by late Tuesday.

Topics : Nepal travel tourism Airlines
Sharon Kleyne, Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research

GUESTS: Kevin Kearns, founder/CEO of Burn with Kearns and Beach Bod Transformation; All-star Conference Presenter for IDEA Boston, Massachusetts; Ken Baum, author, professional speaker and a recognized authority on mental strategies that get results in sports, business, and life, California

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/125437/mental-strategies-how-to-cope-with-covid-and-transfer-your-life

In Sharon Kleynes Commentary, the talk radio host describes the miracle of nurturing, the breath of life that is a new baby appearing to live in the earths water vapor atmosphere. International fitness trainers Kevin Kearns and Ken Baum also recognize uniqueness and fresh opportunities during the current pandemic.

Baum, an author, professional speaker, and a recognized authority on mental strategies that gets results in sports, business, and life, declares that COVID is not a problem. Its an opportunity to bond with our families, create something new. For instance, Im writing two books. Nothing is more important than choice. Im also sick of all the hate, Baum continues. Thats why Ive started a new organization, Pebble in a Pond: One Thought Can Change the World. COVID is an opportunity to amplify. What we focus on amplifies. COVID is going to end. Amplify that. Amplify what you want and good things can happen.

Asked by Kleyne to describe his inspiration and work, Kearns shares a story of how he was bullied as a child. Kleyne asks where he thinks bullying comes from and Kearns answers, the home life. Bullying starts with the home life. Bullies grow up being bullied. Speaking for Baum and himself, Kearns goes on to describe how their training efforts combine functional strength training, martial arts, Qigong, Tai Chi and other practices. We always stress discipline, self-control, humility and character, says Kearns. I tell every client you need the two Cs and the three Ds: Commitment & Consistency, and Desire, Discipline & Dedication. I dont believe in perfection; I believe in progress.

Towards the end of the program, Kleyne educates the international trainers about the oral cavity and how the tongue reacts to the behavior within. Kleyne teaches that each voice sets a tone that is unique. That tone emits particles of spit when someone talks. If the spit is carrying the virus, it can infect others. That is why it is essential for everyone to wear a mask in public. Its the only way the virus will ultimately be contained. Kleyne also teaches the necessity for drinking lots of pure water every day to flush toxins from the body and create greater immunity strength.

Finally, Kleyne teaches that the organ of the eye can also be a carrier of the virus because it is so vulnerable. Kleyne recommends Nature's Tears EyeMist for dry eye. Nature's Tears EyeMist supplements the eye, the tear film of which is naturally 99 percent water, with 100 percent Trade Secret tissue culture grade water featuring pH balanced, acid mantle protection for the eyes.

LISTEN to the internationally syndicated The Power of Water & Your Health sponsored by Nature's Tears EyeMist, naturally pH balanced water technology for acid mantel protection, on VoiceAmerica World Talk Radio & Apple iTunes with producer and host Sharon Kleyne and program director Rose Hong of Global Dragon TV. This program features international health trainers Kevin Kearns and Ken Baum.

Follow this link: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/125437/mental-strategies-how-to-cope-with-covid-and-transfer-your-life

Some recent Sharon Kleyne talk radio programs feature:

Nancy Yonally Coleman https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/125328/drug-addiction-and-its-impact-on-immune-system-and-mental-health-during-the-pandemic

Dr. Sahil Khanna, Mayo Clinic

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/125131/new-developments-in-digestive-health

Joanne Schmalenberger & Kevin Kearns

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/125037/fitness-and-beyond

Andrew Sherman

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/124905/protecting-and-harvesting-intangible-assets-amidst-global-chaos-covid-19-and-election

If you would like to watch a brief, entertaining educational film that demonstrates the application of the new Dry Eye Solution technology Natures Tears EyeMist, sponsor of Sharon Kleynes talk radio program, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0gOr8TB45U
A Sydney mother, 31, shared gushing posts about her five-year-old boy describing him as her 'little prince' and praying he grew up 'obedient' and 'smart'.

That's before her boyfriend, 20, allegedly beat the boy within an inch of his life with a pole or stick last Friday night and both were charged by police.

NSW Police will allege it was an attempted 'disciplining' which left the child head-to-toe in bruises, his body riddled with splinters and suffering serious brain injury.

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal how the Cabramatta mother presented herself as the most doting of parents before NSW Police found the boy late last week.

The child allegedly suffered the most serious injuries from suspected abuse that a veteran Westmead Children's Hospital doctor said he has seen in his entire career.

But there was never any sign of anything untoward from the mother on social media - where she crowed to friends about how devoted she was to her boy.

'You are all of my life,' she said.

The mother - who can't be identified for legal reasons - described the five-year-old as her 'little prince'. On right, he dresses as a construction worker and poses with his favourite toy

Some of the mother's soppy posts to Facebook prior to her arrest by NSW Police last Friday

The mother candidly described how the boy had been born premature at just 27 weeks and said he had blossomed into a 'good boy'.

'He has done his journey very well to become a good boy today and love me with all of his heart,' she wrote.

In May, she described him as 'my biggest present for Mother's Day' and each year shared photos of him celebrating his birthday.

To mark the child's fifth birthday, she wrote, according to a translation: 'This time 5 years ago, mum was still in pain, but now my son has grown up like this.

'I don't want anything but hope you will be obedient, eat well and grow up quickly, smart and fast.

'Mum is happy now. Happy Birthday to my little prince.'

Other material shows the child holding hands with a little girl and scurrying about the front yard with a toy earthmover.

Neighbours have told how he would play in the front yard of the mother's home about twice a week.

The boy's toy earth mover sat idly out the front of the woman's red-brick Cabramatta rental this week after his mother and her boyfriend were arrested and charged by police

The mother (left) shared images of the boy's birthday celebrations on social media. For his fifth birthday, the young child had a Paw Patrol cake

Piles of water bottles, Red Bull and coconut drink were piled up in the home's front yard as police examined the crime scene at the weekend

Children's shoes, a discarded lunch box and a carton of soft drink were left on the front porch of the mother's red brick home where the boy is alleged to have been beaten

The mother was arrested on Friday evening and was charged with the offence of 'not provide for child cause danger of serious injury'. Her boyfriend was charged with wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Friends said the pair had been in a relationship for about a year, contrary to previous reports.

The 20-year-old man accused of beating the five-year-old 'within an inch of his life' appeared calm during a brief appearance in front of a magistrate on Tuesday

Court documents revealed police are investigating whether the man's alleged abuse of the boy occurred just last Friday evening or over the two previous months.

A magistrate on Saturday said he had seen 'very disturbing' photos of the boy's injuries.

Magistrate Peter Miszalski said: 'What started off smacking the victim to discipline, ended with the victim being severely injured.'

Both have been denied bail, with the mother to face court next week, and her boyfriend due to return in front of a magistrate in eight weeks' time.

Police gather outside the home the night after the alleged 'smacking' incident escalated into a suspected case of child abuse

NSW Police investigate if boy, 5, was beaten over 'TWO MONTHS' of hell - as doctor reveals alleged assault featured 'worst' suspected abuse injuries he has seen

A police charge sheet tendered in court this week accused the mother's boyfriend 'intentionally wounding' the child 'between the 1st day of July 2020 and the 28th day of August 2020.'

A senior source with knowledge of the police investigation said the boy's injuries will be investigated bruise-by-bruise to see if he was allegedly beaten 'just on the Friday night or earlier'.

Whether there is evidence of him facing ongoing abuse will come from doctors.

'These types of investigations rely heavily on medical evidence and that's quite time consuming,' the police source said.

The investigation continues.

A Thomas the Tank Engine toy and cardboard box filled with junk sit idly out the front of the 'house of horrors' where Friday night's tragic events allegedly occurred

Westmead Children's Hospital surgeon Dr Adam Fowler tweeted that the boy's injuries made him 'physically sob whilst examining'

The boy was rushed to hospital last week and placed on life support.

He remained in a critical but stable condition on Wednesday.

A neurosurgeon at Westmead Children's Hospital tweeted on Saturday that the boy's injuries 'made me physically sob.'

'The worst case of suspected child beating I've seen in my professional career,' Dr Adam Fowler tweeted.

The messages were later deleted.
BAGHDAD - French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Iraq is facing multiple challenges with the two biggest problems being foreign interference in Iraqi affairs and the Islamic State group militants.

In brief comments after meeting top Iraqi leaders on his first visit to Baghdad, Macron emphasized the need to safeguard the countrys sovereignty, and said France will continue to support Iraq.

Iraq is going through a time of challenges. We will continue to be at Iraqs sides, he said.

Macron is the first head of state to visit the Iraqi capital since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraqs former intelligence chief, formed a new government in May. The French leader, who arrived after a two-day visit to Beirut met with him and with Iraqi President Barham Salih. Macrons visit comes amid a severe economic crisis and a pandemic that has put a huge strain on Iraqi politics.

Iraq has also been caught up in tensions between its two allies, the United States and Iran. The country hosts more than 5,000 U.S. troops, and is home to powerful Iranian-backed militias, some of whom want those U.S. forces to leave.

There has also been a spike in attacks by militants from the Islamic State group in recent months, as it takes advantage of a drawdown of U.S. troops and the pandemic.

Macron said the fight against IS is not over, even if there are retreats from some territory.

The fight against IS, which France is fully invested in as part of international coalition, will continue, he said.

The second challenge is foreign interference from multiple points, some which has lasted for many years and some that is more recent, Macron said. He added that France fully supports a project to consolidate the (Iraqi) state in the economic, military, educational and cultural sectors, describing it as a project for Iraqi sovereignty. He did not elaborate.

I come to Baghdad, which I am happy to visit for the first time, to show our support for Iraq in a time of challenges, Macron tweeted after arrival. He said there are numerous challenges to guarantee Iraqs sovereignty in all dimensions, economic and security-wise, internally and in the region.

Our collective security and regional stability depend on this. Our soldiers are fighting side by side to ensure the definitive defeat of the jihadis, Macron added in his tweet.

Speaking in Lebanon on Tuesday night, Macron said he would discuss in Iraq, among other things, the case of French citizens who fought with the Islamic State group, which was defeated in Iraq in 2017. Nearly a dozen French IS members have been sentenced to death before Iraqi courts.

Al-Kadhimi, who is backed by the United States, assumed office on May 7 when Baghdads relations with Washington were precarious. The January killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a top Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in an American drone strike in Baghdad prompted demands by Shiite lawmakers that U.S. forces leave Iraq.

Al-Kadhimi, as previous Iraqi leaders, has had to walk a tightrope amid the U.S.-Iran rivalry. He visited Washington last month, where he held talks with President Donald Trump. He has said his administration is committed to introducing security sector reforms as rogue militia groups stage near-daily attacks against the seat of his government.

Al-Kadhimis administration inherited many crises. State coffers in the crude oil-dependent country were slashed following a severe drop in prices, adding to the woes of an economy already struggling with the global coronavirus pandemic.

Much like Lebanon, which is teetering on the brink of collapse and where Macron spent the day Tuesday urging the political class to reform, Iraq suffers from endemic corruption and financial mismanagement that has squandered the countrys vast oil wealth, leaving citizens to struggle with electricity and water shortages and poverty.

Iraqis rose up last October, staging mass demonstrations that called for the downfall of a political establishment that they say doesnt prioritize them. Hundreds were killed and thousands wounded in a fierce security crackdown.
Three emerging Finnish designers will transform Helsinki's main shopping street with virtual bridges, a river, and facades awash with flowers - all powered by the city's digital twin, Virtual Helsinki

Virtual Finnish capital's internationally recognised design festival to run in a hybrid digital and physical format

The event will celebrate the launch of the city's newly renovated Olympic Stadium, with venue playing host to the main exhibition programme

HELSINKI, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Helsinki Design Week, the Finnish capital's renowned multidisciplinary festival, will this year run as a hybrid digital and physical format. Running from 3rd - 13th September its main exhibition programme being will be hosted from the newly renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium, with a stream of digital events taking the design festival to a wider audience and those unable to attend in person.

Now in its 16th year, the Helsinki Design Week will celebrate the theme Commitment Matters, raising questions regarding how we can achieve and improve on meaning and long-term value in design.

Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki said: "Design is and should be present in everything we do. Now more than ever we must ask ourselves how design can improve lives, create commitment to modern democratic values, promote sustainability and innovation in urbanization, and provide us the tools needed for championing in the post-COVID world. I believe in exposing people to these questions through design. Partnership with Helsinki Design Week helps us achieve that."

In a partnership with Virtual Helsinki, the programme will include Helsinki Virtual Design Street, a street-long virtual exhibition, transforming the city's main shopping street Aleksanterinkatu with three installations from emerging Finnish designers. The project will transform the city into a colourful and immersive virtual design experience, featuring the work of product designer Hanna Anonen, graphic artist Matts Bjolin, and fashion designer Fanni Lyytikainen.

For the duration of the festival, local and international visitors to the virtual city will experience a transformed urban realm, finding themselves in flowing water or standing on grass, under Escher-inspired bridges, or looking up at the street's facades which have been coloured, and patterned with flowers and moving abstract shapes.

Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer at the City of Helsinki said: "Helsinki wants to be the city that pioneers digital innovation to create engaging solutions for the future of our cities. The collaboration between Helsinki Design Week and Virtual Helsinki shows the potential for this kind of technology to not only be a playful, alternative and sustainable way to experience our city, but also demonstrates the impact it can have on how places might be envisioned, designed and managed in the future."

Helsinki Design Week will mark the launch of the newly renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Designed by architects Yrjo Lindegren and Toivo Jantti for the 1940 Olympics, the iconic stadium has undergone a four-year refurbishment by Finnish studio K2S. It will play host to the main exhibition; a series of installations on design, architecture and fashion, presenting unique one-off pieces to largescale set ups.

Helsinki Design Week's Programme Director Anni Korkman said: "As the largest design festival in the Nordic countries, the aim this year is to make Helsinki Design Week as safe and as accessible as possible for Helsinki's citizens and our international visitors. The newly reopened Olympic Stadium is a fitting location to host the main Helsinki Design Week exhibition and Children's Design Weekend, but we are also excited to expand our programme into a comprehensive digital - and for the first time - virtual format. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the world to join the wider discussion on why Commitment Matters."

Helsinki Design Week events will include:

Climate College, Friday 4th September

The Climate College introduces leading speakers and viewpoints in the field of urban planning and an eco-friendly future in cities. Mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vapaavuori, will open the day, with Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer at the City of Helsinki, hosting the session. Registration and information here: https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/events/climatecollege/

Data-Driven Design Day, Tuesday 8th September

The theme for this year's event is "Committed to Excellent Services for Everyone". The full-day conference will share inspiring stories about developing products and services based on data to enhance customer experience and business. You can expect thoughts and practical tips on how to utilize data in design from experts in the field. Information here: https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/data-driven-design-day/

(VIP registration through ING Media.)

Helsinki Design Week is the latest event to take place in Virtual Helsinki and follows the unprecedented success of the virtual May Day concert earlier in the year. The event saw over 700,000 people tune in live to a virtual gig with Finnish rap stars JVG, totalling over 1.4million views by the end of the weekend. Helsinki, which was crowned as the most innovative region in the EU by the European Commission in 2019 and awarded the European Capital of Smart Tourism in 2019, is at the forefront of technical innovation. With a democratic approach to data and knowledge sharing, the city operates much like a city-wide test bed. By facilitating public and private collaborations the city is demonstrating how policies like open data and digital twins can benefit citizens and visitors alike.

More on Helsinki Design Week

The full design week programme can be accessed here: https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/programme/

Helsinki Design Week, 3-13 September, 2020

Helsinki Design Week has been organized annually every September since 2005. With a festival programme of hundreds of events every year, it is the largest design festival in the Nordic countries. Helsinki Design Week is produced by Luovi Productions Ltd.

Artists:

Fanni Lyytikainen is a multidisciplinary creative mind with roots in the suburbs of Eastern Helsinki. With her studies and background in fashion she has a strong interest in how the arts interact with society and time, and that interest has also brought her to work with research within trends and consumer behaviour in London. As a strong counterbalance, her personal work is off-worldly free with expression and color, with flowing shapes and layers that seem to forget the reality surrounding us.

Hanna Anonen is a product and spatial designer based in Helsinki. Known for her talent in combining colours with forms, Anonen presents a fresh perspective on Nordic design. Having gained international attention and several prizes, she finds inspiration in everyday and fun items, and she is a skilled designer of simple yet impressive works.

Matts Bjolin is an art director and graphic designer based in Helsinki. His work span from physical to digital surfaces and concepts. Throughout his career, he has worked with a diverse set of clients ranging from international brands to local entrepreneurs for big and small projects. Matts enjoys surprising and contrasting juxtapositions both in his work and leisure, sharing his time between the city and the remote countryside.

More on Virtual Helsinki

The city's digital twin - Virtual Helsinki - is the result of a long-term strategic view into how the city uses its data, and the culmination of a two year partnership with VR studio Zoan.

The Virtual Helsinki initiative has recreated experiences of the city's most famous landmarks, including art museum Amos Rex, the home and studio of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, and the iconic Senate Square in the centre of Helsinki, to provide an opportunity for the city be experienced without the dependence on carbon intensive travel. While VR and 360-degree videos are used as a marketing tool by many destinations, Virtual Helsinki goes a step further, allowing visitors to move about freely in the digital simulation of Helsinki to explore at their own pace and create their own experiences in past, present and future time.

Helsinki has ambitious goals in the pioneering and promoting of sustainable tourism, aiming to become a carbon neutral city by 2035. In developing Virtual Helsinki, Helsinki recognises the unique role that cities play in creating solutions to enable changes in lifestyles to address the global climate crisis.

Mobile Virtual Helsinki is designed to be accessible as possible; audiences can view the virtual artworks with a smartphone, tablet or computer - VR headsets are not required. Website details: https://virtual.myhelsinki.fi/

For more information, please contact:

Jukka Janonen

Communications Manager

City of Helsinki

+358 400127147

[email protected]

Sophie Roberts

Account Executive

ING Media, London

+44 (0) 7922 581 873

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/helsinki-marketing/r/helsinki-design-week-partners-with-virtual-helsinki-to-create-street-long-virtual-art-intervention-a,c3187366

The following files are available for download:

https://news.cision.com/helsinki-marketing/i/helsinki-virtual-design-street,c2820837 Helsinki Virtual Design Street https://news.cision.com/helsinki-marketing/i/helsinki-virtual-design-street-bjolin,c2820843 Helsinki Virtual Design Street Bjolin https://news.cision.com/helsinki-marketing/i/helsinki-virtual-design-street-anonen,c2820844 Helsinki Virtual Design Street Anonen

SOURCE Helsinki Marketing
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Police unions and other law enforcement organizations went into overdrive to thwart a measure that would have added California to the majority of states that can end the careers of officers with troubled histories. It failed as lawmakers scrambled to wrap up their work, and while the nation's most populous state still has no way to permanently remove problematic officers, a number of other police reforms passed.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this May 30, 2020, file photo, police aim weapons on demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, in Los Angeles. Police unions and other law enforcement organizations went into overdrive in the final days of the Legislature's annual session, thwarting a bill that would have added California to the majority of states that can end the careers of officers with troubled histories. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Police unions and other law enforcement organizations went into overdrive to thwart a measure that would have added California to the majority of states that can end the careers of officers with troubled histories. It failed as lawmakers scrambled to wrap up their work, and while the nation's most populous state still has no way to permanently remove problematic officers, a number of other police reforms passed.

With lobbyists and lawmakers mostly isolated by the coronavirus pandemic, it became a battle of phone calls, colorful graphics and Instagram posts from law enforcement organizations to counter celebrity tweets pushing lawmakers to rein in police brutality after the death of George Floyd last May in Minneapolis and the shooting of Jacob Blake last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"We ended up, for lack of a better term, playing a game of whack-a-mole," Tom Saggau, a spokesman for police unions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, said of law enforcement efforts to counter support for what he called a deeply flawed proposal.

Even intervention from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom wasn't enough to rescue the measure that died without a vote before the legislative session ended early Tuesday. It failed hours after Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies fatally shot Dijon Kizzee after the Black man dropped a a bundle that included a gun.

The legislation would have created a way to permanently strip badges from officers who commit serious misconduct. Law enforcement groups successfully argued that the proposed system would be biased and lack basic due process protections.

Proposals to reveal more police misconduct records, require officers to intervene if they witness excessive use of force, and limit their use of rubber bullets and tear gas against peaceful protesters also died without final votes.

Lawmakers, however, sent Newsom measures to ban choke holds and other neck restraints, require the state attorney general to investigate fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians, and increase oversight of county sheriffs, among other changes.

"To ignore the thousands of voices calling for meaningful police reform is insulting," Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford, who is Black, said after his legislation on removing officers failed. "Today, Californians were once again let down by those who were meant to represent them."

FILE - In this June 9, 2020, file photo, Assemblyman Mike Gipson, D-Carson, bows his head as he and other members of the California Legislature kneel to honor George Floyd at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Police unions and other law enforcement organizations went into overdrive in the final days of the Legislature's annual session, thwarting a bill that would have added California to the majority of states that can end the careers of officers with troubled histories. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Five states have no way of decertifying police officers who commit misconduct  California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Removing California from that list was a top priority of the California Legislative Black Caucus and had support from hundreds of entertainers, including Rihanna, Mariah Carey and Robert De Niro. Kim Kardashian West caused a stir with a late tweet backing the measure Monday.

Law enforcement organizations and unions insist they also want a way to permanently remove troubled officers so they can't simply move from one department to another.

The California Police Chiefs Association and a separate coalition of eight Black police chiefs in June called for stripping officers' training certifications following due process proceedings if they break the law or have a history of egregious misconduct.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League and San Francisco Police Officers Association, which together represent 12,000 officers, on Tuesday reiterated their willingness to negotiate "a fair, reasonable and workable decertification process."

Their main complaint with Bradfords bill was the makeup of a proposed nine-member disciplinary panel to consider if officers conduct is enough to end their careers. Six of the nine members would be required to have backgrounds opposing police misconduct, while the remaining three would represent law enforcement.

The opponents said that would make the board inherently biased against officers, while Bradford said the mix was needed to restore community trust in police and the disciplinary process.

Law enforcement organizations offered alternative wording, and Newsom's office weighed in with proposed amendments that Saggau, the police union spokesman, said "would have made it more palatable, more reasonable."

Bradford rejected those but accepted 40 other changes by Saggau's count.

"Rejecting some compromise language from the governor, but accepting 40 amendments that drove a wedge further with law enforcement, we think thats what derailed the measure," he said.

Bradford declined an interview request Tuesday, but Saggau and Brian Marvel, president of the rank-and-file Peace Officers Research Association of California, said Bradford hurt his bill's chances by refusing to talk with law enforcement officials.

"When youre changing a profession, and you dont talk to the people its actually affecting, I think good leaders stand up and say thats probably not a fair process," Marvel said.

The lobbying was so intense that Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon set up a special voicemail on his office phone to field comments.

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"l think there were a lot of concerns, even with some of our allies," said Rendon, who supported the legislation.

He said lawmakers have bucked the police lobby in the past, but the measure also ran into opposition from organized labour.

Bradford said he intends to try again next year, and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins said more work is to be done on several of the policing measures that failed this year.

"Clearly some colleagues felt like there needed to be more conversation, more discussion," she said, adding that "I think it is our job to make sure we keep the momentum and the conversation happening."

____

Associated Press writers Adam Beam and Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this story.
The Feed India initiative, started under the guidance of Michelin-star Chef Vikas Khanna, has crossed 30 million meals. The noble initiative began from a single tweet by the chef in April this year and thus began a journey of feeding millions of people in need across 135 cities in India amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Born in India and having worked in New York for over 20 years, Chef Khanna decided to reach out and help people in this humanitarian crisis thats pretty much rattled the whole world in the past few months.

In an interview with New York Times, Chef Khanna said, Weve totally failed our people. I wanted to show that solidarity still exists.

He added, My mom lives alone in Amritsar, and I thought: What if she needed help and there was no one to help her?

Feed India, or Barkat as Chef Khanna calls it, spread through the influence of social media when he asked his 2.3 million Twitter followers to go to orphanages, old-age homes and more to check if the residents there needed any ration and supplies.

A basic kit containing ration items, hygiene essentials, sanitisers, sanitary napkins and other need-based items were packaged together and sent across institutes. The campaign has positively affected the lives of several people in need amid the pandemic.

The campaign has now crossed the 30 million-meal (cooked and dry ration) mark. Chef Khanna shared a tweet with him on the cover of Face magazine on his social media accounts.

He has also been working with the team at Robin Hood Army to facilitate the underprivileged and needy in these dire times. Sharing a few pictures of the Robin Hood Army at work, Chef Khanna said, It fills my heart with pride when YOUTH rises with a vision.

Ive been working with @rha_india team for months and it gives me so much hope to see the devotion of these young Indians. A BIG APPLAUSE!!! Thank you all for your commitment to FEEDINDIA.

He also dedicated the 30 Millionth meal to Bollywood lyricist Manoj Muntashir with a patriotic song featuring Akshay Kumar. He said, Today we complete 5 months of #FeedIndia with my 24/7 focus. Its now one of The Worlds Largest Food Drives coordinated by an individual. Though I didnt sleep much, but my wake up call has been TERI MITTI.

Dear @manojmuntashir ji I dedicate the 30 Millionth Meal to you for writing this EPIC anthem.  @akshaykumar, Chef Vikas Khanna added in the post.

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'We are facing the most critical military situation with China in the last 50 years.'

IMAGE: Lieutenant General P J S Pannu, fifth from right, with Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre to his right at Daulat Beg Oldie very close to the Galwan area of the Line of Actual Control, July 15-16, 2017. Photograph: Kind courtesy Lieutenant General P J S Pannu

"The Indian Army is more experienced in high altitude warfare: we have fought in Kargil and been in active combat in the Siachen Glacier. The stature, equipment, readiness, motivation and hardiness of our troops is of a very high order."

Lieutenant General P J S Pannu (retired), former commander of the Leh-based XIV Corps, served several tenures on the Line of Actual Control during his four decades of service in the Indian Army. The general also commanded a brigade at Uri on the Line of Control.

In the concluding segment of the general's interview to Rediff.com's Archana Masih, he explains the reasons behind the Chinese belligerence and what sets the Indian soldier apart.

As an officer who served several tenures on LAC, how serious is the situation on the India-China border? How does it compare to what we have faced in the past?

We are facing the most critical military situation with China in the last 50 years.

After 1967 when there was an exchange of fire, the next benchmark was Dokalam.

(88 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the clash in Nathu La in Sikkim in 1967. More than 300 Chinese troops were killed.)

In the Dokalam stand-off, the two militaries were eyeball-to-eyeball.

As someone who has dealt with the PLA what do you see as the way forward?

China respects strength, and I think they need a little demonstration of our strength.

When they clashed with the Indian military in Galwan, they would have realised the capability of the Indian Army.

The news reports in the last few days about the graves of nearly 50 Chinese soldiers killed in the Galwan clash must have caused great embarrassment to the Chinese. The Chinese wanted to conceal that fact, but now it is out in the open.

This might lead to some perception management by them to demonstrate to the public that PLA and the Chinese are strong.

Maybe they will try to take some proactive action to prove this to their own people because that is how they get respect.

China is taking a risky path even in the South China Sea by challenging the US in open navigable international waters.

I think they are trying to prove a point to the world that they are strong to cover up the mistakes of COVID-19.

The Chinese are making repeated mistakes to prove their own strengths. I would not rule out the possibility of future action on the Line of Actual Control. It might happen.

So you are saying that we cannot rule out a war?

Today's description of war is different from what it was decades back.

Today, an all-out war is not only about two armies, air forces and navies fighting it out.

In present times, the non-contact arena has grown bigger, which includes a cyber war, missile positioning and exploring the dimension of nuclear sabre-rattling as war deterrence.

Alliances will be made with other countries to strengthen our position. I think the dimension is very, very, complicated and can have global ramifications.

If the Chinese get cautious about the global ramifications where most countries agree to disagree with China, they might try to mend their ways politically.

But if President Xi Jinping is ill advised by the PLA and Communist Party, he might continue to make mistakes, and the consequences would be devastating for the entire globe.

IMAGE: Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre with Lieutenant General P J S Pannu, then Corps Commander of the Ladakh-based Fire and Fury Corps. Photograph: Kind courtesy Lieutenant General P J S Pannu

Would it have been prudent for the Indian Army to counter Chinese action by intruding into Chinese territory where India had a military advantage? Would that have provided some bargaining leverage with the Chinese?

I would not rule it out. It may have already happened. Nobody is saying that it didn't happen.

Maybe this is already a bargaining leverage that we have.

Since I'm not there, I cannot speak for certain that it has happened, but my logic would say that this would be part and parcel of our overall military strategy.

As a soldier who served in that area, could you tell me what is the life of a soldier on the LAC?

I come from a traditional military family and so does my wife. Soldiers think very differently. It is a matter of honour for us to be engaged in combat because that is what soldiers are trained for.

The morale automatically goes up when there is a possibility of military engagement. If he does not get the opportunity in his lifetime to fight a war, a soldier feels dissatisfied.

After all, he trained himself to fight and win wars.

If he hears a shot being fired or that some soldiers have already gone into action, he gets goose bumps.

He wants to honour the naam, namak, nishan of his unit. He wants to say 'Paltan ki jai, Bharat Mata ki jai' and go into battle.

Soldiers belong to a very different corps of humanity.

How has the Indian Army matched up to the Chinese over the years?

We are no longer the army of 1962. We have grown manifold, we are equipped, trained, motivated, have built infrastructure and are dominating the area.

The Chinese have no war experience, whereas the Indian Army has been facing a bloody proxy war on the Line of Control with Pakistan and confrontation even on the Line of Actual Control.

The Indian Army is much more experienced in high altitude warfare: we have fought in Kargil and have been in active combat in the Siachen Glacier.

The stature, equipment, readiness, motivation and hardiness of our troops is of a very high order.

The Chinese troops may have better equipment and gear because China is a manufacturing and hardware hub, but how good is that equipment has not been put to test as yet.

Ladakh is a region where India faces a two-front threat. How can Pakistan be prevented from exploiting the situation?

Pakistan has become a mercenary force. One that will do anything for anybody for a fee. They have maintained a division for Saudi Arabia for which they are paid by the Saudis.

They have also raised two divisions for protection of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and China has paid for it.

There were also reports that they are supplying bullet-proof vests and equipment to the terrorists in PoK.

Given money and motivation, the Pakistan army would go on to help jihadi groups.

They might be tempted to use proxies initially, but I don't think the Pakistan army would want to get involved in Ladakh because it will get decimated.

The Chinese would actually encourage the Pakistan army to get decimated first and use them as cannon fodder in high altitude warfare where the Chinese are not really trained and motivated to fight.

So if Pakistan has matured enough, they would understand this Chinese game plan. The Pakistan army and polity might just play into the Chinese hands and get decimated at the hands of the Indian Army.

Do you remember your first posting at the LAC?

It was four decades back when I was first posted to the McMahon Line (the border between India and Tibet) in NEFA (later, Arunachal Pradesh).

We did a lot of patrolling in that area.

It was 20 years since the 1962 war and there were no Chinese troops over there, and we often talked about what happened in 1962.

We had lost Tawang in 1962, but the Chinese had to vacate it because they did not have the wherewithal to stay there in the winters. They had come 1,800 kilometres through disturbed Tibet. They had to recoil because of lack of logistics and the absence of support from the Tibetans.

Around 1982-1984, the Chinese again started making certain statements and started building a perception on the claims on certain areas. That was the time when a forward posture was adopted by the Indian Army and we started taking up defences in Tawang.

I was posted out after that, but in 1986 the Chinese crossed the LAC and occupied Sumdorong Chu in Tawang district which they haven't left yet. There has been a hardening of position by the Indian Army since then and I saw that happening as a young officer.

In 2014, I went back as divisional commander in that area and saw that there were an increased number of Chinese units close to our positions. They patrolled aggressively and claimed areas more aggressively. It was much different from what I had encountered as a young officer in 1982 when you hardly saw any Chinese troops.

There were many face-offs in the Tawang area too. Similarly, there have been issues in Chumar, Depsang and Dokalam.

In the last 40 years, the Chinese have only grown more belligerent. They have set up more military units and logistics bases. They have developed infrastructure in Tibet -- railway lines, huge highways that can enable quick movement and better sustenance.

They have also built more airfields.

If they don't withdraw to their bases on LAC, it will result in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation, similar to what exists on the Line of Control with Pakistan.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Tokyo, Sep 2 : Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday announced that it will choose outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's successor during a vote on September 14 The race for the party's top position will officially start on September 8, reports Xinhua news agency.

The newly-elected Prime Minister will serve the remainder of Abe's term as the LDP President through September 2021.

The winner of the election will be anointed the country's new prime minister at an extraordinary parliamentary session, most likely to be convened on September 16, according to local media reports.

Yoshihide Suga, 71, who has been Chief Cabinet Secretary for nearly eight years and considered as a continuity candidate, is scheduled to formally declare his candidacy at a press conference on Wednesday evening.

Two other contenders former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced their candidacies on Tuesday.

On August 28, Abe, Japan's longest serving Prime Minister, abruptly announced his intent to resign citing his chronic illness, but said he would remain in power until a successor was chosen.

In his announcement, the premier said that he needed to be treated for a flare-up of his intestinal disease that led his first one-year stint to end abruptly in 2007.

After stepping down in 2007 over a medical issue, he returned to the top job in 2012 after a landslide election win in the Lower House, NHK reported.

Abe, prior to his health condition, was set to spend one more year at the helm.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A Tajik political opposition group that is labeled as extremist and banned in Tajikistan says one of its activists has been detained in Russia.

The Group 24 opposition movement said on September 2 that Shobuddin Badalov was detained a day earlier in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod by several men in civilian clothes, who introduced themselves as police officials. Badalov's current whereabouts are unknown.

According to the group, Badalov's detainment is linked to his political activities and Tajik authorities must have been involved in it.

Neither Russian nor Tajik officials have issued official statements regarding the situation.

In June, Badalov and another Tajik opposition activist Rakhmatjon Muhammad, were arrested in Moscow and spent 15 days in jail after they organized a rally to protest Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's visit to the Russian capital.

Group 24 was founded by well-known businessman and opposition politician Umarali Quvatov in 2012.

In 2014, Tajikistan's Supreme Court found the group extremist and banned it. Dozens of the group's members and supporters were then arrested and many of them sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

In March 2015, Quvatov was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to work together to urgently find ways to re-establish global connectivity by re-opening borders and to continue with relief measures to sustain airlines during the Covid-19 crisis.



IATAs call reflects deep industry frustration as government policies such as closed borders, travel restrictions and quarantines continue to annihilate travel demand. The peak summer travel season saw minimal improvements compared to the May-June period, as four in five potential travellers stayed home, based on comparisons with the year-ago period.



Protecting their citizens must be the top priority of governments. But too many governments are fighting a global pandemic in isolation with a view that closing borders is the only solution. Its time for governments to work together to implement measures that will enable economic and social life to resume, while controlling the spread of the virus, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.



Airlines have been largely grounded for a half-year. And the situation is not improving. In fact, in many cases it is going in the wrong direction. We see governments replacing border closures with quarantine for air travellers. Neither will restore travel or jobs. Worse, governments are changing the entry requirements with little notice to travellers or coordination with their trading partners. This uncertainty destroys demand. Ten percent of the global economy is sustained by travel and tourism; governments need to do better to re-start it, said de Juniac.



Re-opening borders



The prerequisite to open borders is the ICAO Take-off guidance. Additionally, IATA is proposing travel bubbles to mitigate risks between specific markets and foresees a much wider and strategic use of Covid-19 testing as technology improves accuracy, speed and scalability.



No government wants to import Covid-19. Equally, no government should want to see the economic hardships and associated health impacts of mass unemployment. Successfully getting through this crisis requires careful risk-management with effective measures. If government policies focus on enabling a safe re-start, aviation is well-prepared to deliver. Risk-management is a well-developed discipline that airlines rely on to keep travel safe and secure, said de Juniac.



IATA proposes a three-point action plan for governments to safely re-open borders as follows:



1. Implement the ICAO Take-off guidance universally.

2. Build on the solid work of ICAO Councils Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) by developing an agreed common framework for states to use in coordinating the safe re-opening of their borders to aviation.

3. Develop Covid-19 testing measures that will enable the re-opening of borders by reducing the risk of Covid-19 importation to what is acceptable to public health authorities with accuracy, speed and scalability that also meet the exacting requirements for incorporation into the travel process.



As a participant in the ICAO CART, IATA will work with governments, medical experts and testing manufacturers to accelerate proposals specifically focused on using Covid-19 testing to re-build confidence, re-open borders, re-start aviation, re-charge demand and restore jobs. There is much at stake and no time to lose, said de Juniac.



Relief measures



With the exception of some domestic markets there is little evidence of an early industry recovery. Airlines continue to lose billions of dollars and are facing difficult decisions to resize their operations and workforce for the future.



Many airlines will not have the financial means to survive an indefinite shutdown that, for many, already exceeds a half-year. In these extraordinary times, governments will need to continue with financial and other relief measures to the greatest extent possible. Its a solid investment in the recovery because each airline job saved supports 24 in the broader economy. And a functioning airline industry will be a critical enabler for economies to regain their full power, said de Juniac.



IATA urges governments to focus relief measures in two areas:



 Financial Relief: Facing an industry loss of $84.3 billion this year, a 50% cut in revenues and high fixed costs for aircraft and labour, the financial viability of many airlines is in question. Government relief has been a critical lifeline. But what relief has been given is quickly running out. Government measures to provide additional financial buffers against failure will be critical, and these must not increase already ballooning debt levels.



 Regulatory Relief: The most urgent regulatory relief is a global waiver on the use-it-or-lose-it 80-20 slot rule. The severe uncertainty in the market means that airlines need the flexibility to adjust schedules to meet demand without the pressure of being penalized for not using allocated slots. Airlines cannot afford to fly empty planes when market demand drops. Similarly, they cannot pass up revenue when opportunities open up.



Governments have cooperated to set the guidelines for a safe re-start of aviation. But they have not cooperated to actually make a re-start happen. Thats why 90% of international flying has stopped. The demand is there. When borders open without quarantine, people fly. But there is too much uncertainty in how governments are managing the situation for passengers to re-build the confidence to travel, de Juniac explained.



The global protocols for safely re-starting aviation are agreed and no industry is as experienced in successfully implementing global safety programs as aviation. But we need governments to take on the leadership to manage risks and adopt a mindset of not being defeated by this virus. Then, with testing, technology, science and determination we can re-open borders and get the world moving again, said de Juniac.  TradeArabia News Service
Trump and Biden Policy Stances, a Summary

This list gives a basic outline of the platforms of the Republican and Democratic parties in the 2020 election. The Epoch Times has included actions the Trump administration has taken in its first term.

Economy

Trump

Grant tax credits to companies that move manufacturing back to United States, tariffs on those that dont.

Continue improving trade deals after USMCA, China Phase 1, South Korea, and Japan deals.

Continue to cut regulations for businesses.

Fund on-the-job training, apprenticeships.

Make major investment in infrastructure.

Launched opportunity zones program in 8,766 distressed areas, which, so far, have attracted $75 billion in private capital.

Build on becoming a net energy exporter.

Biden

Increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Strengthen worker organizing, collective bargaining, and unions.

Make major investment in infrastructure focused on reducing carbon emissions.

Make racial equity part of the mandate of the Federal Reserve.

Will insist on strong and enforceable standards for labor, human rights, and the environment in any future trade agreements

Will ban anonymous shell companies, expand anti-money-laundering requirements, disclosure of beneficial ownership, and greater oversight of cross-border transactions.

Taxes

Trump

Signed tax cut legislation.

Cut capital gains tax to 15 percent.

Increased the estate tax basic exemption amount from $5 million to $10 million.

Proposes a cut to payroll tax.

Biden

Greatly increase capital gains tax to same rate as income tax.

Increase taxes by $4 trillion over 10 years, including raising taxes on people making over $400,000 a year.

Governance

Trump

Restore balance and vertical separation of powers between the federal and state governments.

Promote voter ID, urging all states to join program to keep voter rolls accurate.

Supports apportionment and redistricting based on Census count of all citizens, and not including illegal immigrants.

Appoint more federal judges.

Make Puerto Rico the 51st state; keep the District of Columbia as a district.

Pass congressional term limits.

Directed federal agencies to move out of D.C. to opportunity zones.

Biden

Make the District of Columbia the 51st state.

Supports removing the Confederate flag and statues of Confederate leaders from public properties.

Establish a national commission to examine slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and racially discriminatory federal policies on income, wealth, educational, health, and employment outcomes, and to study reparations.

Opposes Voter ID laws and supports automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, early voting, and universal vote-from-home and vote-by-mail options.

Supports apportionment and redistricting based on Census count of everyone, including illegal immigrants.

Supports requirement for all federal office candidates to disclose at least 10 years of tax returns.

Health Care

Trump

Rescinded the individual mandate in Affordable Care Act and supports repealing the entire act.

Protect those with pre-existing conditions.

Supports health care price transparency.

Stop surprise billing by banning out-of-network charges when the patient doesnt have control over provider choice.

Drive down prescription drug prices. Allow purchases from abroad; cut out the middlemen who negotiate drug rebates; introduce favored nation status where Medicare pays the lowest drug price available globally.

Accelerated generic drug approval.

Signed the Right to Try bill.

Anti-abortioncurbed federal spending that even indirectly supported abortion.

Permanently expand telehealth through Medicare payments and preserve more rural hospitals through Medicare incentives.

Enabled short-term insurance up to a year and is expanding the use of health savings accounts.

Allowed employers to pay premiums for employees in individual market.

Allowed small businesses to band together to access insurance plans available to large employers.

Declared opioid crisis a national public health emergency and focused resources on supply, demand, and treatment.

Biden

Introduce public option health insurance plans run by the federal government.

Protect and expand the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Increase tax credits toward health coverage. Give the tax credits to higher-income people who currently arent eligible

Provide free health care to illegal aliens.

Expand Medicaid in states that rejected expansion offered by ACA.

Stop surprise billingban out-of-network charges when the patient doesnt have control over provider choice.

Lower drug prices. Repeal law barring Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations; government-set prices for new drugs with no competition; allow consumers to buy prescription drugs from other countries.

Treat abortion as a constitutional right and restore federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

Double the federal funding to community health centers.

Target health care companies for antitrust violations.

Exclude drug ads from tax deductible costs for pharma companies.

Expand national and global vaccine programs.

Education

Trump

Support school choicehomeschooling, career and technical education, private or parochial schools, magnet schools, charter schools, online learning, and early-college high schools.

Wants funding to follow child (currently an average of $12,000 per student per year in public school).

Ensure First Amendment protections for students on campus.

Sue colleges for discriminating against Asians and whites.

Opposes Common Core and supports alternatives; supports less testing.

Opposes school-based clinics that provide referral or counseling for abortion and contraception.

Restore private sector student loans and decrease student costs

Biden

Triple the funding for Title I schools, increase teacher wages.

Double the number of psychologists, guidance counselors, nurses, and social workers in schools.

Increase federal funding for public school infrastructure.

Provide universal Pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds.

Double funding for home visiting programs for parents of young children.

Make public colleges and universities tuition-free for all students whose family incomes are below $125,000.

Forgive student debt for low-income and middle-class individuals who have attended public colleges and universities.

Border Security/Immigration

Trump

Halt the diversity visa lottery program that randomly gives out 50,000 green cards annually.

Clarify birthright citizenship to exclude illegal immigrant children and birth tourism.

Possibly resubmit DACA repeal to Supreme Court.

Continue to build 733 miles of border wall on the southern border.

Increase merit-based immigration from 12 percent to 57 percent, and possibly higher.

Continue Migrant Protection Protocols, where asylum-seekers who enter illegally are sent to wait in Mexico for their case to be adjudicated.

Step up workplace enforcement of illegal workers and their employers.

Forged cooperation agreements with Central American countries to help with regional asylum issues.

Punish sanctuary cities that protect illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement.

Biden

Provide a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, including Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status recipients.

Halt border wall construction, increase screening at ports of entry.

Widen asylum criteria, stop the Migrant Protection Protocol program, increase refugee cap to 125,000 per year (from 18,000), and vastly expand government resources for all immigrants.

Rescind travel bans from terror-prone countries.

Stop workplace enforcement of illegal workers and promote union organization.

Decrease detention and Immigration and Customs Enforcement interior enforcement efforts.

Expand temporary worker visa programs for seasonal and high-skilled workers, and provide a pathway to citizenship for agricultural workers.

Continue family-based immigration, also known as chain migration.

Provide green cards to foreign graduates of doctoral programs.

Infrastructure

Trump

$1 trillion investment to fix current infrastructure, including bridges and roads, and expand rural broadband and 5G wireless infrastructure.

Biden

$1.3 trillion over 10 years for infrastructure and Green New Deal plans.

Speed transition to electric vehicles; install 500,000 public charging outlets.

Implement a high-speed passenger rail system between New York and Washington, move the California high-speed rail project ahead, and begin construction of a high-speed rail system from coast to coast.

Provide every American city with 100,000 or more residents with high-quality, zero-emissions public transportation options.

Housing

Trump

Keep zoning decisions local, rather than through a previous administrations federally administered Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulation.

Create program to help foster children with housing once they age out of the system.

Use Housing and Urban Development programs to reduce homelessness, especially for veterans and families with children.

Biden

$640 billion over 10 years for access to affordable housing.

Create new Homeowner and Renter Bill of Rights.

Provide Section 8 housing vouchers to all eligible families paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent.

Eliminate local and state housing regulations that perpetuate discrimination.

Withhold federal funds from states that refuse to repeal zoning regulations, with emphasis on ending single-family housing.

Environment

Trump

Focus on clean air and water, not carbon emissions.

Expedited environmental assessments.

Fund national parks cleanup.

Rejects U.N. Agenda 21 as erosive of U.S. sovereignty, and opposes any form of global tax.

Narrowed and clarified the Environmental Protection Agencys Waters of the United States rule that federally regulates waterways.

Supports development of all forms of energy without subsidies.

Proposes shift of environmental regulation from federal to the states and transform EPA into an independent bipartisan commission.

Biden

Invest $1.7 trillion over 10 years for climate and environmental justice.

Implement Green New Deal; move away from fossil fuels and fracking.

Promises 100 percent clean energy economy and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Require aggressive methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas operations.

Upgrade 4 million buildings and weatherize 2 million homes over 4 years. Reduce carbon footprint of U.S. building stock 50 percent by 2035.

Demand worldwide ban on fossil fuel subsidies.

Recommit to Paris Climate Agreement. Restore funding to Global Environment Facility and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Law Enforcement

Trump

Eliminate no-knock warrants.

Fully fund and back police departments.

Biden

Decrease funding to police departments and increase diversity.

Establish no-knock warrants standards.

Limit the sale and transfer of surplus military weapons to domestic law enforcement agencies.

Limit qualified immunity.

Criminal Justice

Trump

Signed the First Step Act in 2018, which allowed for almost 3,100 inmates to be released, mostly drug offenders and inmates serving sentences for weapons charges.

Supports death penalty.

Crackdown on child sex trafficking and internet sites that facilite it, as well as pornography.

Opposes federal decriminalization of marijuana, but indicated support for allowing states to legalize it.

Biden

Create new $20 billion grant program to get states to shift from incarceration to prevention.

Supports end of mandatory minimum sentences at federal level.

Decriminalize cannabis use and automatically expunge prior convictions.

End all incarceration for drug use alone and divert individuals to drug courts and treatment.

Eliminate death penalty.

End cash bail and the use of private prisons.

Provide housing to all individuals upon release from prison.

Liberally use clemency powers for certain nonviolent and drug crimes.

Second Amendment

Trump

Uphold Second Amendment rights.

Opposes laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common rifle.

Condemns frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the harassment of firearm dealers.

Opposes federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, and registration of ammunition.

Banned bump stocks.

Repealed law that required the SSA to send mental health information to the national background check system.

Supports red flag laws.

Biden

Ban manufacture and sale of military-style firearms and high-capacity magazines; regulate possession of existing assault weapons.

Restrict individuals to one firearm purchase per month.

Prohibit all online sales of firearms, ammunition, kits, and gun parts.

Increase background check time from 3 days to 10 days. Require background checks for all gun sales, including gun show and online sales.

Send information from the Social Security Administration to the national background check system to stop certain people unable to manage their affairs for mental reasons from owning a gun.

Incentivize expansion of red flag laws in all states.

Move toward a system where all guns sold are smart guns, requiring an owners fingerprint to operate.

Military

Trump

Launched Space Force as the sixth branch of the military.

Rebuilt troop numbers and readiness.

Passed the VA Accountability and Veterans Choice acts.

Dismantled the ISIS terrorist group.

Killed Iranian terrorist Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Bring more troops home.

Build a strong cybersecurity defense system and missile defense system.

Biden

Supports sufficient military funding and modernization, but likely decrease in overall defense spending.

Use force only to defend vital interests and with the informed consent of the American people.

End Middle East wars, bring troops home from Afghanistan, end support from Saudi Arabia in Yemen conflict.

Climate change to be at core of Department of Defense policies and plans.

Allow transgender troops.

Close Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Foreign Affairs

Trump

Pulled out of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, Paris climate accord, Iran nuclear deal, U.N. human rights council, U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health Organization, and the International Criminal Court.

Escalated sanctions on Iran and Russia.

Peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, and aiming to add more countries.

Moved U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Facilitated a larger contribution from countries to NATO.

Advance the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear weapons program.

Expanding defense cooperation with Taiwan and Poland.

Cut international aid.

Supports Russia rejoining the G7.

Biden

Supports rejoining Iran deal, if Iran in compliance.

Rejoin Paris Climate Agreement. Rejoin WHO and expand funding to it. Rejoin U.N. Human Rights Council, and U.N. Population Fund.

Expand international aid and commit to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Increase funding for diplomatic missions.

Commits to Israel security.

Strengthen ties with Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

Call for commitment to NATO.

Engage allies, including China, to push for North Korea denuclearization.

Nuclear weapons only as a deterrent or retaliation

Supports extending New START treaty with Russia.

China

Trump

Completed Phase 1 trade deal.

Pushed against proliferation of Huawei in 5G and other IT infrastructure, and took action against TikTok and WeChat.

Cracks down on Chinas influence operations in United States, including Confucius institutes, Chinese state-run media.

Cracks down on Chinese nationals stealing intellectual property and trade secrets.

Closed consulate in Houston for spying. Expose and uproot Chinese propaganda and surveillance of Americans.

Urges universities to divest from China stocks.

Divest federal retirement funds from Chinese stocks.

Scrutinize U.S.-listed Chinese companies for shady accounting practices.

Highlights state-sanctioned religious persecution.

Sanctioned Chinese entities for human rights violations.

Biden

Make bilateral U.S.China agreements on carbon mitigation contingent on China eliminating unjustified export subsidies for coal and other high-emissions technologies and making verifiable progress in reducing the carbon footprint of projects connected to the Belt and Road Initiative.

Urge tech companies to pledge not to facilitate repression in China

Correction: Updated a point on Sept. 13 in the Environment section to be more specific regarding the Waters of the United States regulation.
Bhubaneswar:

A CBI court here on Tuesday extended the remand period of arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Tapas Pal by three more days on a petition filed by the investigating agency.

Pal, who was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam, was today produced before the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate court, designated as the CBI court, after the expiry of his three-day remand.

He was remanded to CBI custody for three days on December 31.

Special Judge PK Mishra admitted CBIs petition and extended Pals remand by three days against the investigating agencys appeal for a four-day extension.

ALSO READ: (Arrested TMC leader Tapas Pal undergoes medical tests after complaining of health problems)

The CBI counsel argued in the court that the investigating agency could not interrogate Pal as the TMC MP kept sleeping most of the time and complaining about his health.

Therefore, the agency could not extract facts from him, the CBI counsel contended. The court extended the TMC MPs remand period by three more days.

During his earlier remand period, Pal had complained about his health and spent most of the time at Capital Hospital where he had to be taken twice, the CBI counsel told the court.

He added that the actor-turned-politician was arrested for his alleged links with Rose Valley Group which cheated the people to the tune of about Rs 17,000 crore in different states, including Odisha and West Bengal.

Rose Valley had allegedly taken Rs 450 crore from its poor investors in Odisha, a chargesheet filed by the CBI in January 2016 had said.

Meanwhile, Pals daughter Sohini Pal appeared before the CBI here for the second consecutive day.

CBI sources said she was quizzed on the designation she had held in Rose Valley Group and monetary transactions by her during her tenure in the company.

Tapas Pal, while working as a director of Rose Valley Group in 2010, had allegedly appointed his wife, daughter and niece in different positions.

He was arrested from Kolkata by the CBI on December 30 and brought to Bhubaneswar on December 31.

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Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: A young couple was allegedly stripped and made to bathe naked in front of hundreds of people for their alleged affair in Rajasthan's Sikar district.

The local Panch-Patels of the Sansi tribe who form a virtual Khap Panchayat reportedly inflicted this inhuman punishment in order to purify the couple and also imposed on them a fine of Rs 53,000.

The incident reportedly happened on August 21 when hundreds gathered to see the couple being stripped and bathed to atone for the sin of illicit relation. But such is the fear of the village caste council that nobody spoke out against the punishment. Eventually, the matter came to light on Tuesday when some members of the Sansi Development Council submitted a memorandum to the Sikar district police administration.

ALSO READ | Rajasthan: Barmer SP orders FIR against khap panchayat members who pressurized victim to withdraw rape case

The couple belongs to Sikars Sola village and is allegedly related to each other as aunt and nephew. A few weeks ago, an objectionable video of the couple was made secretly and had gone viral. On August 21, members of the village caste council not only made the couple bathe publicly but also imposed a fine of Rs.31,000 on the mans family and Rs 22,000 on the womans side. Once the fines were deposited, the couple and their families were accepted back into the social fold and the money was allegedly distributed among the Khap members.

On the basis of the complaint lodged by the Sansi Development Council, the Sikar Police have now registered a case against nine people. According to the Addl SP of Sikar Devendra Sharma, It was with the consent of their families that the young couple were bathed. We have questioned the womans in-laws and even the victim herself. The CO of the SC-ST Cell and CO of Laxmangarh have been sent to the village for investigation.

ALSO READ | Khap panchayats going digital? First online meeting decides pre-marriage counselling important

According to the General Secretary of the All Rajasthan Sansi Development Council, Rakesh Kumar, This social evil has been continuing in the Sansi tribe for centuries. If the families of the couple had not agreed to bathe them publically, they would have been made social outcasts. Their families would not have been called to any social functions and if somebody had dared to invite them, that family too would have been made outcasts.

Functionaries of the Sansi Development Council say that the Panch-Patels of their community keep exploiting situations in their community to punish the poor and illiterate people of their tribe and impose heavy fines and penalties which they later divide among themselves. They claim that though complaints against these Khap members have been made even earlier to the Rajasthan Womens Commission, they continue to function arbitrarily and often terrorise people belonging to the backward Sansi tribe.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said some directors in the aviation industry will lose their jobs during the imminent merger of directorates and agencies under the ministry.

The minister said the merger is contained in a roadmap already approved by the president.

Mr Sirika said this while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

Long road

In 2011, the then Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, set up the presidential committee on reformation of government agencies chaired by Steve Oronsaye.

Part of the recommendation of the committee was that some MDAs be scrapped, some merged, and some fund themselves.

Part of the agencies recommended for the merger was the trio of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET).

They were recommended to be merged into a new body known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA).

Mr Sirika on Wednesday said the merger will make all agencies under the ministry very efficient, reduce bureaucracy, streamline and narrow them in accordance with international best practices.

Some of the directors that dont fall in the approved road map will certainly have to go. Its just a matter of policy and it is going to cut across almost every single agency there.

I had explained how we are not able to take in one agency 45 general managers, each one of them will be 17, but we are not bound by any law, its just matters of policy. This government in place is looking at all areas where we can make more efficient the act of governance.

So in the discharge of that duty, we have carried out those changes, they will continue across the board and they are in the interest of the industry, aviation, and the country Nigeria, he said.

He also said before the end of the year, a new Civil Aviation Act will be in place.

It is at third reading now in the National Assembly after they must have conducted a public hearing. That will bring further changes in civil aviation to make them very efficient and cost-effective in driving the policy of the government.

Approvals

He said the council also approved over N13 billion for the upgrade and refurbishment of the safe tower equipment in four airports: Lagos, Kano, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

The contract is in two parts, he explained.

The first component which is a foreign component is twenty-eight million, four hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred and sixty-five (28,489,565m). The naira component is N3.491,504,488.31. Of course, there will be 7.5 per cent added VAT. It will be for the completion period of 12 months, he said.

This project, he said, will increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and automate what was hitherto analog systems to digital.

Quick example is all of the data we collect at the end of the runways within the airports will now be displayed instantly on our platform in the control tower. Information regarding weather, regarding all of the components of weather, winds, rain, macroburst etc will be displayed automatically.

So the issue of giving out weather reports every hourly will change to give you instant weather which will improve the pilot efficiency and the workload on the controller is reduced and it can handle more flights into the airport

This has been approved as part of things that we do in Civil Aviation that passengers dont see, that is our major work that we do. It is a terminal building or runway which you can see, these are the things that are out there in the bushes which contribute safety and security of our space, he explained.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:34:02|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The UN said on Wednesday it will hold an online dialogue with Somalis later this week to hear from the citizens on what priorities the world should focus on in coming years as the world body turns 75 (UN75).

James Swan, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia said the UN family in Somalia will hold an online dialogue live-streamed on social media on Sunday with members of the UN Youth Advisory Board for Somalia to prompt discussion and obtain perspectives from Somalis.

"Your responses will help to inform global priorities, both now and going forward," Swan said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

He said Sunday's conversation is especially timely and relevant as the government and the UN family in Somalia are defining the priorities for the world body's operations in the country for the coming five years as part of our 2021-2025 Cooperation Framework.

"This enables Somalis' views to be fed into both the global and local approaches of the United Nations," he added.

The UN said the 75th anniversary provides a much-needed opportunity to reflect on the direction of the UN and ensure it is built to address the global challenges of the 21st century.

"For UN75 discussions to be meaningful, young people in particular must be at the forefront. Somali youth have a key role to play as Somalia has one the world's youngest populations, approximately 60 percent of the country's estimated population of 15.9 million people is under the age of 30," said Swan.

He said survey feedback from around the world will be presented to world leaders and senior UN officials, noting that there will be a high-level meeting of Heads of State and Government dedicated to the 75th anniversary on Sept. 21.

In this event, Swan said, the world leaders will adopt a forward-looking political declaration on "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism."

He encouraged all Somalis to add their voices to the online dialogue which will impact both Somalia and the rest of the world in the years to come.

Swan said the UN family has worked with Somalis in a range of areas, from humanitarian and development work, to political support and peacebuilding.

There are 27 UN agencies, funds and programs supporting Somalis' efforts on their path to peace and stability, said Swan. Enditem
Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong says with the achievements of the President of Ghana in these few years, he should be given on a loan to the people of the United States of America (USA) to help them solve their numerous problems.



Akufo-Addo should be given to the people of America and all their problems will be done away with. The achievement in his first term is unparalleled and he needs all the praise he deserves. Apart from the clean up in the banking sector, look at how he has managed the COVID-19. Just look at the rate of our recoveries and youll get what Im saying, he bragged.



According to Kennedy Agyapong, although Akufo-Addos first term was marred by the Banking crisis and COVID-19, he was able to weather down the storm and take the people of Ghana to the promised land; a feat no government has been able to achieve.



He said, If Akufo-Addo had a clean sheet like Atta Mills he would have taken Ghana to heaven by now.



The maverick lawmaker was speaking on KFMTV in an interview where he discussed the achievements of the NPP thus far.



Mr Agyapong who continues to hail governments intervention in the Banking sector indicated that the clean up in the banking sector is the biggest achievement of Akufo-Addo since he took over office because he has saved 4.6 million depositors of heart attacks and other diseases they would have suffered if their savings were washed away by fraudulent bank managers and owners.



On governments achievement with Free SHS, Kennedy Agyapong said every countrys backbone rest on its human resources and with the Free SHS which has been introduced, Ghanaian students will be well-positioned to conquer because of the education most people will have access to as compared to what happened hitherto this period.

















Source: adomonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Given the turmoil of 2020, many residents may be hoping to escape into another time. At least that is what Will Pillen is hoping after he reopened the Galaxy Diner last month.

The classic diner, with its walls covered in the portraits of Hollywood celebrities from the last century, had closed last year after JB's Family Restaurants, Inc., which had owned the diner, declared bankruptcy.

Many of the pictures that have hung on the diners walls for years are actually owned by Pillen, who started putting them up after he began working as the diner's manager in 2006.

My mother worked out of Hollywood. She was a model when she was young, so she had her connections and I inherited a lot of it, Pillen said. So I slowly put it up -- of course, I bought a lot of it too.

Pillen continued managing the diner until 2014, but when he heard the news that JBs Inc. would be filing for bankruptcy, he said he began making preparations for how he might be able to keep the diner open. By November of 2019, Pillen said he had officially taken control.

As Pillen worked to reopen the diner this year, he said he didnt want customers to return to something unrecognizable.

I didnt want to change anything, but I wanted to make it so that it was clean. Clean is something that I really focus on, I want a clean, safe environment for both customer and employee, Pillen said. So people will come back and say, oh, its the same, because thats what people wanted. In this town, no, dont change anything.

Still, now that he owns the diner, Pillen said he has been able to make some of the repairs and improvements he wanted to make way back when he was manager. He is working to repair the neon sign.

Galaxy Diners return has come as many other eateries struggle to get by in the midst of the pandemic. Just last month the similarly beloved hole in the wall Primos Deli on San Francisco Street closed its doors.

And the pandemic significantly changed their plans to reopen, Pillen said.

Originally, Pillen had hoped to reopen in March, but the timing was forced back as businesses across the state were forced to close their doors. The pandemic also ended plans for a large reopening event, Pillen said.

Its been a slow climb, but two and a half weeks out Im not really worried, I mean we'll get it back, Pillen said of business so far.

Pillen said they have been getting about 30 calls a day from people wondering if they are open for dine-in service and many of the regulars the diner had before its closure are beginning to return.

But he said he has been somewhat surprised about how slowly that knowledge has spread, especially in a town like Flagstaff.

The pandemic has also prevented another group of customers to return, or even enter the country: foreign tourists. Attracted by the Route 66 Americana on display, large bus tours would often schedule ahead of time to eat at the diner between visits to the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley.

But that business likely wont be starting again for some time, Pillen guessed.

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Superstar Kiccha Sudeep has expressed condemned the people who brought late actor Chiranjeevi Sarja's name in connection to the ongoing Sandalwood drug abuse controversy.

The Pailwaan star stated that it was unfair to connect the late actor's name with the scandal. Times of India quoted him as saying, "It's been a few months since we lost Chiranjeevi Sarja. He was like a brother to me. He is survived by a loving wife Meghana Raj and his brother Dhruva, his family is still in grief. It is not fair to cause more hurt to them by bringing up his name in connection to the current scandal."

The actor who was talking to the media during his visit to the Siddaganga Mutt apparently didn't respond to the scandal, stating that he is not completely aware of it. He further added, "The Kannada film industry is huge. We have a lot of creative people here. Let us not spoil the name of the industry because of a few people."

To the unversed, Chiranjeevi Sarja passed away on June 7, 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Coming back to Kiccha Sudeep, the actor is celebrating his birthday today. Earlier today, he was seen requesting his fans to not have any celebrations this year and instead, asked them to help the needy who are suffering during the current COVID-19 situation.

Kiccha Sudeep Birthday: Kotigobba 3 Star Says 'There Won't Be Any Celebration'

Happy Birthday Kiccha Sudeep: Tharun Sudhir, Navin Sajju And Others Wish The Superstar
Voters will cast ballots in the 2020 presidential race in the fall, but primary elections across the US to select the Democratic nominee, along with a host of local elections, have been postponed or moved or held under potentially dangerous conditions as the coronavirus pandemic has altered the course of candidates' campaigns.

Following those contests and nomination convention, the Democratic nominee will participate in presidential debates against Donald Trump this fall.

Republican parties in several states have cancelled their party primaries, presuming the incumbent will be on the ballot.

Here's an amended schedule of key election events  and a recap of what has happened so far  in the 2020 race.

14 January

Five candidates qualified for the seventh Democratic debate, which will be hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. On the stage will be Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

3 February

Bernie Sanders won the largest share of votes but was narrowly defeated by Pete Buttigieg for state delegate equivalents in the Iowa caucus, which captured the first votes cast in the Democratic primary race. After a chaotic release of the vote totals that ultimately led to the resignation of the state's Democratic party chair, there was heavy scrutiny over the results of the primary season's opening contest, leading to speculation for the candidates' futures as larger state primaries followed, and as the campaigns  and donors  strategised ahead of the election's crucial next few months.

7 February

ABC, WMUR and Apple News at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire hosted the eighth Democratic primary debate.

11 February

After winning the state in a landslide in 2016, Senator Sanders won the popular vote in the New Hampshire primary, followed by a second-place finish from Pete Buttigieg and a surprise third from Amy Klobuchar. Andrew Yang, Michael Bennett and Deval Patrick later dropped out.

19 February

NBC News, MSNBC and The Nevada Independent hosted the ninth Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas, Nevada.

22 February

Senator Sanders won the Nevada Democratic caucus, which offered a glimpse of candidates' success outside the East Coast in a key state with a large Latino voting population. The senator received 24 delegates to the former vice president's nine. No other candidate passed the threshold for delegate consideration.

25 February

CBS News, Twitter and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute at The Gaillard Center hosted the 10th Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina.

29 February

Joe Biden won nearly 49 per cent of the popular vote in South Carolina, the first southern state to enter the primary contest, serving as a test of the strength of African-American support among the Democratic candidates. The former vice president captured 39 delegates to Senator Sanders 15. Following the primary, Tom Steyer  who came in third place  dropped out of the race. Republicans cancelled their party's primary in the state, with the incumbent president as the presumed nominee.

3 March

Fifteen states across the US held primary contests on Super Tuesday, including California, which has the largest delegate count in the US, with 415 delegates pledged to the Democratic nominee, and Texas, the second-largest delegate trove, with 228 delegates pledged to the Democratic nominee. After Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar withdrew from the race and endorsed Joe Biden, his resurgent campaign won nine states, including Texas, while Bernie Sanders won California and three other states. After disappointing finishes throughout the primary, including no victories on Super Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren ended her campaign two days later. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg also dropped out and endorsed Biden.

3-10 March

US citizens living abroad cast their votes in the Democrats Abroad primary. Bernie Sanders received nearly 60 per cent of the vote, securing nine delegates. Joe Biden received 22 per cent of the vote and four delegates.

10 March

As the coronavirus pandemic gripped the US, campaign events and rallies were cancelled, though voting was still on in in Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Washington and Michigan, a crucial battleground state for the two-man race. While Bernie Sanders won North Dakota, Joe Biden won the remaining states, with a narrow victory in Washington state.

15 March

The public health crisis framed the election's unprecedented 11th debate, hosted by CNN and Univision and giving Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders and audience-free platform from Phoenix.

17 March

Ohio postponed its primary to 2 June as Arizona, Florida and Illinois held their elections as states across the US began ordering residents to stay at home and public health warnings urged people to avoid crowds, beginning a series of controversial election events in the thick of the crisis.

Joe Biden ultimately won 296 delegates by sweeping the three states. Tulsi Gabbard ended her campaign two days later.

7 April

Wisconsin held its Democratic party despite calls from voters and the state's governor to postpone. Republican lawmakers and conservative majorities on the state and US supreme courts ultimately blocked those efforts, which also prevented absentee or mail-in ballots from being cast at a later date, forcing thousands of voters into a small number of open polling sites during the pandemic.

Joe Biden ultimately won in the state, as Bernie Sanders's supporters and other critics painted the election as illegitimate. The next day, the senator announced he was suspending his campaign.

10 April

Alaska moved its primary from 4 April with candidates competing for a share of 19 delegates. Joe Biden received 55 per cent of the vote and eight delegates, while Bernie Sanders received 45 per cent and seven delegates.

17 April

Wyoming moved its primary from 4 April with candidates competing for a share of 18 delegates. Joe Biden received more than 72 per cent of the vote and 10 delegates.

2 May

Joe Biden received more than 76 per cent of the vote in the Kansas primary, with all Democrat voters participating by mail using a ranked-choice method.

12 May

Joe Biden also received more than 76 per cent of the vote in the Nebraska primary.

19 May

Joe Biden received 67 per cent of votes in Oregon's primary, followed by Bernie Sanders, who received 20 per cent.

22-24 May

The Libertarian Party had planned to host its convention in Austin, Texas from 22-25 May as delegates selected their candidate for the ballot from among the party's declared candidates.

The convention has instead held virtually, with Jo Jorgensen emerging as the nominee  the first woman in the party's history to receive the nomination. Spike Cohen was selected as the nominee for vice president.

23 May

In Hawaii's primary, Joe Biden received 63 per cent of the vote, followed by Bernie Sanders, who received nearly 37 per cent. Biden received 16 pledged delegates. Sanders received eight.

2 June

Several primaries scheduled across the US came on the heels of growing protests against racial injustice and policy brutality as well as renewed fears of coronavirus and spikes in cases as states began to reopen.

Joe Biden won each primary in Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington DC, as well as in Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, which had initially postponed their elections due to the coronavirus crisis.

Controversial Republican congressman Steve King of Iowa also lost to Randy Feenstra in a primary for his House.

5 June

The former vice president clinched the Democratic Party nomination, with delayed delegate tallies pushing him past the 1,991 delegates needed to become the nominee.

6 June

Joe Biden won nominating contests in the US Virgin Islands and Guam, which participate in the primary process but not the general election.

9 June

West Virginia held its primary, originally scheduled for 12 May. Joe Biden received 65 per cent of the vote and 28 delegates.

23 June

Joe Biden received 67 per cent of the vote in New York, one of the largest delegate states behind California and Texas.

Democratic Commissioners on the state's Board of Elections initially sought to strip non-campaigning nominees from the ballots, effectively cancelling the election, but a federal judge halted the decision.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of Queens and The Bronx handily defeated Democratic primary challengers in her House district and is likely to win in a re-election bid.

In Kentucky, the former vice president received 68 per cent of the vote.

30 June

Amid a wave of progressive candidates holding primary challenges against moderate Democrats, Jamaal Bowman defeated longtime New York Democrat Elliot Engel, pending absentee ballot counts.

Following mail-in ballots in Kentucky, Amy McGrath  with a slim lead over progressive challenger Charles Booker  has secured the Democratic slot to face against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell.

7 July

Joe Biden took nearly 90 per cent of the vote from his home state of Delaware, and he received more than 86 per cent of the vote in New Jersey. Both states moved their election dates a second time from 2 June.

9-12 July

Green Party co-founder Howie Hawkins and running mate Angela Nicole Walker were selected as the third party's nominees at its convention, which was held virtually after an initial plan to hold its event in Detroit, Michigan.

11 July

Joe Biden received nearly 80 per cent of the vote in Louisiana, after election officials postponed the date a second time from April to 20 June.

12 July

Puerto Rico's primary was postponed twice over coronavirus concerns. Joe Biden collected 56 per cent of the vote.

17-20 August

Democratic delegates were scheduled to convene in Milwaukee for 2020's Democratic National Convention, where presumptive nominee Joe Biden was officially selected as the party's nominee to face Donald Trump in November. The event was originally scheduled for July but was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. Most the event was held virtually.

11 August

Joe Biden received more than 84 per cent of the vote in Connecticut's primary, rescheduled twice following the pandemic. It was the last state to hold a presidential primary.

24-27 August

Republicans initially planned to hold the party's nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the party moved the event to Jacksonville, Florida over social distancing disputes. As cases surged, officials in Jacksonville announced they would require attendees to wear masks indoors after the president and his campaign sought to avoid similar precautions. That prompted GOP officials and the president to announced that the Florida event will be cancelled  all convention events will remain in Charlotte, while the president and campaign used the White House as a backdrop for partisan speeches, flouting federal law.

1 September

In Massachusetts, a heavily scrutinised primary challenge to incumbent Democratic senator Ed Markey from Joseph Kennedy III ultimately failed, with an incumbent win buoyed by progressive support.

29 September

The University of Notre Dame was scheduled to host the first 2020 presidential debate, but the university withdrew from the event over health concerns. The debate is now scheduled for Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

7 October

Republican and Democratic nominees for vice president will debate at the University of Utah, which hosts the only debate between the running mates.

15 October

The second presidential debate will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Centre for the Performing Arts in Miami.

22 October

Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee will host the third and final presidential debate.

3 November

Election Day  voters across the US will participate in a general election to select the next president, along with other candidates that appear on local ballots.

14 December

Electoral college representatives meet in state capitols to formally cast votes.

6 January 2021

Congress enters electoral votes into the record, and the Senate president announces vote tallies.

20 January 2021

Inauguration Day  the president-elect will be formally sworn into office.
In Verviers, Belgium, authorities discovered an alcohol-filled sealed jar in a small zinc casket in an ornate fountain that contained the heart of the city's first mayor.

The jar of Mayor Pierre David's heart has been stored in the city's Museum of Fine Arts and is displayed for people to see. The late official died in 1839 and the fountain, which was named after him, was inaugurated in 1883.

Entombed heart

According to BBC, the jar featured engravings that reveal it was kept in the monument at the time. The writings stated that Mayor David's heart was stored in the fountain on June 25, 1883.

Maxime Degey, the Verviers Alderman for Public Works, said that an urban legend of the area has just become a reality. He revealed that the jar was found in the upper part of the fountain, close to where the bust of David was kept right behind a stone that officials removed during the fountain's renovation.

Radio Television Belge Francophone (RTBF), a news media outlet in Belgium, wrote that Degey said builders found the jar on August 20. When experts examined it, they were surprised to see it was in amazing condition.

In 1839, Mayor David died while working in his hayloft at the age of 68. Authorities of the city launched a collection fund that was used to erect a monument in the first mayor's honor. The officials family gave their consent to surgeons to remove his heart and entomb it within the fountain, as reported by News EU.

Also Read: Residents Leave NYC After Homeless Were Housed in Hotels, Compromising Safety

The official website of the Verviers wrote that after the initial collection of funds for the fountain, it took the city several decades to gather enough money to pay for the ornate monument.

Before the fountain at Place Verte was constructed, several arguments arose discussing the best way to honor the late first mayor of the city.

Mayor Pierre David

The first mayor of Verviers led the city through harsh times, including the time in 1830 when Belgium was first established as an independent state.

David first served as mayor of Verviers between 1800 and 1808 when France still controlled Belgium. Later, the revolution against the Dutch rule resulted in Belgium gaining its independence. It was at this time that David was once again re-elected as mayor of the city.

One of mayor David's most significant contributions to the city was the founding of a fire service within the area in 1802 which, at the time, was considered a rare innovation.

His supporters and fellow officials knew him as a Francophile who expressed his support for the French Revolution's ideology and actions. However, between 1815 and 1830, David lived through Dutch rule while serving as the city's mayor.

The city was severely damaged during the uprising in 1830, and the people gave David the responsibility of restoring the region's order because citizens widely respected him and his rule.

Related Article: President Trump Scheduled to Visit Kenosha, Where Jacob Blake Was Shot, Amid Unrest

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The National Nuclear Security Administration says it doesnt need to do an additional environmental review for Los Alamos National Laboratory before it begins producing key components for the nations nuclear arsenal because it has enough information.

Watchdog groups are concerned about Tuesdays announcement, saying the plutonium pit production work will amount to a vast expansion of the labs nuclear mission and that more analysis should be done.

Los Alamos is preparing to resume and ramp up production of the plutonium cores used to trigger nuclear weapons. Its facing a 2026 deadline to begin producing at least 30 cores a year  a mission that has support from the most senior Democratic members of New Mexicos congressional delegation. The work is expected to bring jobs and billions of federal dollars to update buildings or construct new factories.

The work will be shared by the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, which has been tasked with producing at least 50 plutonium cores a year.

The National Nuclear Security Administration on Tuesday released its final supplemental analysis of a site-wide environmental impact statement done for the lab more than a decade ago. The agency concluded that no further analysis is required.

Critics have pushed for a new environmental impact statement, saying the previous 2008 analysis didn't consider a number of effects related to increased production, such as the pressure it puts on infrastructure, roads and the housing market.

The notion that comprehensive environmental analysis is not needed for this gigantic program is a staggering insult to New Mexicans and an affront to any notion of environmental law and science, Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group said in a statement.

Lab officials last year detailed plans for $13 billion worth of construction projects over the next decade at the northern New Mexico complex as it prepares for plutonium pit production. About $3 billion of that would be spent on improvements to existing plutonium facilities for the pit work, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The lab also has said that it plans to add an additional 1,200 jobs to its workforce by 2026.
ANKARA: Turkey would love it" if a ceasefire declared in Libya last month is successful but there are many doubts after eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar dismissed the move, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Wednesday.

Libyas internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) declared the ceasefire last month and called for a lifting of a seven-month blockade on oil facilities. The leader of a rival parliament to the east, Aguila Saleh, also appealed for a halt to hostilities.

Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) dismissed the ceasefire as a marketing stunt, saying rival forces were mobilising around front lines in Sirte and Jufra, strategic areas for both sides.

Turkey has provided military support to Fayez al-Serrajs GNA, helping reverse the LNAs 14-month assault on Tripoli in June. Haftars LNA is supported by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Eastern parlianmentary leader Saleh is seen to have gained clout relative to Haftar since the LNAs retreat from Tripoli.

We see there are points by Serraj and Saleh that are good points, like lifting the (oil) embargo, but there are some issues with the statements as well," Oktay told an online panel, referring to differing calls for demilitarised zones in Sirte and Jufra.

Saleh has tried to somehow reach an agreement and Haftar has already rejected it. If it goes through, we would love it, but unfortunately there are many doubts. Unfortunately, there are huge military accumulations by countries supporting Haftar."

Both sides and their foreign patrons have been mobilising around the central city of Sirte, though there has been little fighting in recent weeks. The sides have also accused each other of quickly violating truces and using them to rearm.

Last week, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey wanted talks between the warring parties to resume. We support the ceasefire and the disarmament of the Sirte-Jufra line on the condition that Libya is not divided," he said.

The United Nations has been coordinating international efforts for military, political and economic deals in Libya following a summit in January in Berlin. Ankara and Moscow have also been holding talks on a ceasefire, with Turkish officials going to Moscow for discussions on Monday.

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 Department Related Standing Committee for Information Technology met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Shashi Tharoor. Facebook India Managing Director Ajit Mohan appeared before the panel on the subject Safeguarding citizens rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms, including special emphasis on women security in the digital space.

The tone for the meeting was already set with Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad writing to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that there was a concerted effort by the social media platform to delete pages of right-of-centre ideology. Prasads letter to Zuckerberg details instances of bias by Facebook India against the BJP & right wing in general.

The IT minister said the Facebook-related leaks in media are a result of internal ideology war in the social media giant. Also, elements are trying to use Facebook to undermine Indias democratic process, he said.

Wednesdays panel meeting that went on for two hours and 20 minutes was like a keenly contested match between the BJP and opposition with parliamentarians from both sides asking Facebook of its leanings. Examples of hate speech were cited by both sides, while the opposition cited hate remarks by Telangana MLA Raja Singh and Amit Shahs speech in Bengal, the BJP spoke of Congress president Sonia Gandhis remarks of aar ya paar ki ladai and provocative anti-CAA remarks made by former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar.

MPs asked Facebook about what action has been taken and how many of any such action was suo motto. According to sources, representatives of the social media platform said that they do not have any such numbers to quote. However, on most cases, action has been taken only upon getting a complaint.

A heated argument took place over the issue of appointments within Facebook and the leanings of its employees. While Facebook could not answer a question on whether it was helping the government, BJP MPs cited a number of examples to show how appointment within Facebook favoured the Left and Congress ideology.

Sources said BJP MPs spoke about the International Fact Checking Network Committee and appointments by Facebook.

Appointment of fact-check team member Pratik Sinha has also been seen as a pro-Congress move, BJP MPs said. Facebook India MD Ajit Mohan told the committee that he had earlier worked as a consultant with the Congress in Kerala and was also hired by Mckenzie to work for party-led second UPA government when he was involved with the Planning Commission and Ministry of Urban Development. He also told the committee that he has withdrawn all his articles written against the present-day government and Modi.

Sources said an MP even asked the representative if there was any appointment in Facebook from the BJP, Shiv Sena, VHP, Bajrang Dal or RSS. The company could not provide any such data.

The MPs also asked what action was taken about the setting up of groups like Facebook For Muslims by the companys employees. The social media giant said it has no such policy in place to block or object to such matters.

The committee asked for Facebook to present the CIB resolution to remove content, strangely most of which was done around the general elections in 2019. The cyber cells of state governments had requested Facebook to remove pages.

A group, titled Sikhs for Justice had posted a distorted map of India, but it was not removed. The MPs also cited examples of Jai Shri Ram and posts of gods and goddesses being branded as hate posts.

Besides Tharoor, those present in Wednesdays meeting included Nishikant Dubey, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Mahua Moitra, Sunny Deol, Locket Chatterjee, Nisith Pramanik and Naseer Hussain.

More than 150 questions remained unanswered by Facebook, for which it has agreed to submit a written reply in a consolidated manner. Facebook has one of its biggest business interests in India with over 40 crore users.

The meeting with Facebook remind inconclusive and Tharoor expressed his desire to have another round of talks about the same issue, but it is highly unlikely since his term ends on the September 12 and the committee will be reconstituted soon.
2 Sep  Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman recently announced that she is pregnant with her first child.

The beauty queen shared the good news with a video of herself and her husband walking down the beach, before she turned around and showed off her baby bump.

"BABY GARTON ARRIVING JANUARY 2021. We are so excited to be welcoming our little one into the world!" she posted.

Gallman also revealed that she is currently in her 20th week of pregnancy.

The beauty queen, who was the first Filipina to win the said title, married her long-time partner Ian Garton back in early March in New Zealand.

(Photo Source: Karen Gallman Instagram)
A bill ready for Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature may help keep homes in the hands of residents if a foreclosure crisis occurs, according to the office of state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who sponsored the legislation.

SB 1079, titled "Homes for Homeowners, Not Corporations," would give tenants, families, housing nonprofits and local governments first dibs on foreclosed properties before corporations.

The bill modifies how foreclosed properties are sold at an auction.

"We can't afford a repeat of the foreclosure crisis when corporations gobbled up tens of thousands of homes, and significantly reduced home ownership among California residents," Skinner said in a statement.

The bill would also give local governments the authority to fine firms or other owners of properties for leaving homes vacant or blighted instead of refurbishing, renting or selling them. Fines could be up to $2,000 a day.

Skinner's office said many U.S. families lost their homes in the Great Recession of 2007-09 and Wall Street firms benefited by buying them.

Home ownership took a nosedive in California between 2006 and 2012, when the number of owner-occupied homes fell by 320,000 and the number of rented single-family homes grew by 720,000, the senator's office said.

Skinner's bill would prohibit sellers from bundling homes for sale to one buyer. Homes would have to be sold one at a time to give people who want to live in them a chance to buy them.

Following the first bids at a foreclosure auction, tenants, families, nonprofits, community land trusts and local governments would have 45 days to top the highest bid for the home.

The bill would apply to all homes with as many as four units and it would sunset in five years.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 30-9 and the Assembly by a vote of 49-17.

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Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden discusses his plan to safely reopen schools amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, September 2, 2020.

To put the number in perspective, in August of 2016 then-nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump raised a combined total of $233 million, $90 million for Trump and the GOP, and $143 million for Clinton and the DNC. In 2008, Republican nominee John McCain raised just $383 million over the course of his entire campaign.

The huge figure reflects both excitement with Biden's choice of Sen. Kamala Harris of California to be his running mate and the fundraising boost traditionally provided by party nominating conventions, which both Democrats and Republicans held virtually in August.

WASHINGTON  Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised $364.5 million in August for his campaign and his joint committees with the Democratic Party, a staggering amount that exceeds any single month fundraising in previous presidential general elections.

Direct comparisons are complicated, however, by the fact that campaign finance rules have shifted over the past 15 years to allow candidates and committees to raise much more money from donors than they ever could before.

According to the Biden campaign, 95% of all donations were from grassroots supporters and more than 1.5 million people made their first donation in August. Approximately $205 million, or 57% of the total, came from online donations, the Biden campaign said.

Biden announced the figure in a tweet Wednesday.

BIDEN TWEET

The Biden campaign did not announce how much it had spent in August, however, leaving it unclear how much money the campaign has left in cash on hand going into the final two months of the race.

As of Wednesday, President Donald Trump's campaign had not yet announced its August fundraising numbers.

But Trump and his joint committees with the Republican Party have outraised Biden in every month but one since Biden became the de facto nominee in early April.

Polls show that Biden has consistently led Trump throughout the general election, although some polls have showed the race tightening in the past week.

As president, Trump enjoys an unrivaled platform through which to reach voters over the airwaves. Yet the Biden campaign has consistently spent more than the Trump campaign on digital and TV advertising this summer. In August, Biden outspent Trump by 2-to-1, according to an analysis by the Associated Press.

Going into the final 60 days of the presidential race, the Biden campaign has reserved more than $280 million worth of TV and digital ads. A Trump campaign spokesman told the AP that it plans to spend $200 million this fall across a wide variety of states, including several that Trump won handily in 2016, such as Montana and Iowa. Both of those states have high-stakes Senate races this year.
SINGAPORE, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bifrost recently announced the completion of a seed round of $600,000. Investment institutions include NGC Ventures, SNZ Holding, Consensus Lab, Digital Renaissance, Youbi Capital, DFG, Longhash, etc. Bifrost said, "Investors participating in this round of financing are not lack of early Polkadot investors and staking business-related institutions. It is expected that these institutional investors will be able to provide Bifrost with parachain slot auctions and staking liquidity business support in the future."

The popularity of the DeFi market and expectations for the launch of the ETH 2.0 staking mechanism flood the crypto market in 2020. The rapid development of DeFi and Staking markets is driving the two mechanisms of DeFi and Staking to interact more and more in the blockchain landscape, and superposition has produced more and more composability. But the problem also followed.

In the Polkadot ecosystem, there is also such a project that is positioned in the DeFi basic protocol and aims to solve the liquidity of PoS tokens, which has attracted market attention under this background.

What problem does Bifrost want to solve?

DeFi and Staking rewards competition issues

Due to the emergence of DeFi products including liquid mining, DeFi products may bring users a super high annualized rate of return, but whether the prosperity built on the ETH PoW consensus can continue under the ETH 2.0 or Polkadot PoS consensus is a problem. For users, when staking and DeFi lending can only choose one of them, which method is more profitable becomes the basis of choice. The PoS consensus network will compete with DeFi products from the underlying mechanism to compete for users. To solve the problem of DeFi and staking rewards competition, Bifrost allows users to obtain staking rewards and release liquidity at the same time to obtain and optimize the interests of more DeFi fields including DEX, liquidity mining, etc. Also, Bifrost can solve the two problems first is PoS network liquidity and security mutunlly exclusive. Another is Staking reward acquisition in cross-chain scenarios.

How is Bifrost achieved?

Bifrost provides an intermediate layer between staking and the application layer, so that the staking and application layer originally built on the underlying protocol change from a parallel relationship to a top and bottom compatible relationship, thereby solving the problem of DeFi and Staking reward competition.

The project designed a mechanism that allows users to swap PoS Tokens into Bifrost vTokens through the Bifrost Protocol at any time, and each PoS Token will correspond to a different vToken, such as vDOT that bridges Polkadot tokens. Bifrost said that the nature of vToken includes:

By providing the liquidity of vToken, the liquidity and security of the PoS network can be achieved, thereby solving the mutual exclusion problem of the liquidity and security of the PoS network.

The cross-chain feature built in the parachain through vToken enables Staking reward in cross-chain scenarios, thereby solving the problem of obtaining Staking reward in cross-chain scenarios.

SOURCE Bifrost
Indian Army on Tuesday foiled the third attempt by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops to transgress into Indian areas in Chumar, a border patrol facility located in south eastern Ladakh. In the last three days, it is the third time when the Chinese side tried to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Seven to eight vehicles of the PLA were set off towards the LAC from the Chepuzi camp, India Today reported citing sources.

Consequently, the Indian forces also deployed vehicles to prevent any intrusion by the Chinese. Subsequently, the Chinese troops returned to their side of the camp.

The incident happened on the same day when a Brigade Commander-level meeting between the two sides took place in Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC. However, the meeting did not produce any tangible outcome.

Indian Army has accused the Chinese troops of engaging in military provocations on the night of August 29-30 and on August 31 (Monday).

On Monday, the Chinese forces tried to close in on Kaala Top and Helmet Top in an aggressive manoeuvre.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava in a statement said, "Chinese military was again engaged in 'provocative action' on Monday when ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the tension in the area following attempts by Chinese troops two days back".

Srivastava added that because of the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent the Chinese Army's attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo.

Kaala Top is actually a hill area, which lies in the Indian territory, though there has never been any army deployment on these hills from either country. From this area, India's territory can be monitored far and wide. In 2014, the Chinese Army had put tents on the Kaala Top area but they had to return after India's objection.

Meanwhile, due to China's incessant "provocative" manoeuvres in the southern ban area of Pangong Lake, the Indian Army has bolstered its presence at the LAC. The Indian Army has deployed additional troops with more weaponry, including tanks and guided missiles near the Pangong lake.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase, which is around 310 km from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

Also read: Ladakh standoff: India thwarted China's 'provocative action' at Pangong Tso lake, says MEA

Also read: India-China border tension: Both sides position tanks within firing distance at Pangong Tso
Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks during a National Assembly session, Monday. Yonhap



By Kim Rahn



Controversy is rising over a bill that aims to send South Korean medical staff to North Korea in the case of a medical emergency there.



Doctors' groups are criticizing the move, saying they are not "goods" that can be moved around according to government decisions, and the main opposition party is also slamming the administration for trying to "draft" doctors.





Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the Democratic Party of Korea speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, in this May 14 photo. She submitted a bill recently to send South Korean medical personnel to North Korea in the case of a medical emergency. Korea Times file
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Linkedin Hanna Rantala (Reuters) Venice, Italy  Wed, September 2, 2020 21:05 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c424a1e7 2 Entertainment Venice-Film-Festival,Venice,Italy,film,film-festival,coronavirus,COVID-19,Cate-Blanchett Free

Fewer Hollywood stars will grace the red carpet and there will be no fans clamoring for autographs.

But for all the COVID-19 restrictions, director Alberto Barbera says the very fact that the Venice film festival is going ahead in front of live audiences this week sends a positive message.

"We think that it's time to restart for cinema," Barbera told Reuters on the eve of the festival, which runs from Sept. 2-12 and is now in its 77th year.

"We need to reopen the theaters. We need to distribute new films. We need to start shooting new films again and I hope that the festival will be a sign of solidarity and encouragement for everybody involved with the film industry."

The world's oldest film festival, regarded as a showcase for Oscar contenders as awards season approaches, is the first such international event to take place since the movie world ground to a halt due to the pandemic.

The world's biggest - Cannes film festival - was cancelled.

With coronavirus cases rising again in Italy and elsewhere, a strict safety protocol has been put in place.

Anyone attending from outside Europe's Schengen area will have to test for COVID-19 before departure and once on the Lido, the long, narrow island in the Venetian Lagoon where the annual festival is held.

Read also: 18 films chasing top prize at Venice Film Festival

Temperatures will be checked and every second seat in the cinemas will be left empty. Seats will have to be reserved online, audiences will be required to wear a face mask and fans will not be allowed near the red carpet.

The restrictions are similar to those being imposed in cinemas around the world, including Italy, where only big venues have re-opened and viewers are seated apart and encouraged to wear masks at least in the foyer area.

Among the stars expected to make the trip are Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who will lead the jury, US actor Matt Dillon and Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. British actress Tilda Swinton is also expected to attend to receive a life achievement award.

The main competition lineup for the Golden Lion award for best film includes 18 titles, compared to 21 last year. Just two are US studio productions: Nomadland, a road drama by US-based Chinese director Chloe Zhao starring Frances McDormand, and The World To Come, with Casey Affleck.

They will compete against works by Israel's Amos Gitai and Russia's Andrei Konchalovsky, and four Italian films, including Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno, about the Syrian conflict.

Titles screening out of competition include The Duke, a crime comedy from Notting Hill director Roger Michell starring Helen Mirren, and Greta, a documentary portrait of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

More than 50 countries are participating - at least four titles were added at the last minute to the out of competition line-up, some of them filmed and edited in record time after the easing of lockdowns.
First lady Melania Trump knew exactly what she was doing when she wore a jacket that read "I DON'T REALLY CARE, DO U?" while traveling to and from a Texas facility holding migrant children, her former friend and adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff says.

In her new book, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady, Winston Wolkoff said this attire was chosen specifically to "get the media's attention. Otherwise, no one would have covered the story."

The trip took place in June 2018, and Winston Wolkoff said she later spoke with Trump about what she saw at the facility. The first lady told her people were going "crazy about the zero-tolerance policy at the border," but it wasn't as horrible as it sounded.

Stating that she was directly quoting Trump, Winston Wolkoff writes that Trump said the children she met were "brought in by coyotes, the bad people who are trafficking, and that's why the kids were put in shelters. They're not with their parents, and it's sad. But the patrols told me the kids say, 'Wow I get a bed? I will have a cabinet for my clothes?' It's more than they have in their own country where they sleep on the floor. They are taking care nicely there."

Winston Wolkoff writes that Trump went on to say mothers taught their children to tell border agents, "I'm going to be killed by gangs!" so they would be allowed into the United States. "They are using that line and it's not true," she said Trump told her. "They don't want to stay in Mexico because Mexico doesn't take care of them the same as America does."

Speaking with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Tuesday night, Winston Wolkoff said these were the first lady's exact words, and there is "no way to fabricate any of my story."

More stories from theweek.com

Fox News poll: Biden leads Trump in 3 key swing states after RNC, DNC

Attorney General Barr won't agree it's illegal to vote twice, as Trump urged, claims ignorance of state laws

Nate Silver's analysis of Biden's Electoral College chances renews calls to repeal it altogether


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Statistical Office or Destatis is set to release Germany's retail sales data for July at 02:00 am ET Wednesday. Economists are looking for a monthly gain of 0.5 percent after a 1.6 percent decline in June. Before the data, the euro held steady against its major rivals. The euro was worth 1.1902 against the greenback, 126.23 against the yen, 1.0845 against the franc and 0.8898 against the pound as of 1:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
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Journalist and Fellow, Institute of Management Consultants, Mr. Iteveh Ekpokpobe has called on the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to list all looters and beneficiaries of the financial corruption in the history of the Commission.

He said exposing the looters, would make the business of anti-corruption easier as opposed to a statement that such information could break Nigeria, credited to the Commissions Executive Director, Projects, Chief Cairo Ojougboh.

Iteveh who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, said the little ruffle on the feathers of commission had exposed the level of corruption seeping through it over the years.

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According to him, the resultant effect of corruption was the deprivation of the region in terms of development. Questions will be asked by posterity about what we did with our past. Every looter must be made to suffer for their sins. They have stolen our yesterday. They have hands on our today. There eyes are still set on our tomorrow.

Looters should be made to take the walk of shame and atone for the evil and deprivation they have meted on the South-South region. If not, posterity will not be merciful to us and the government in their judgment. Iteveh stressed.

Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director in charge of projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said in an interview with newsmen that Nigerians would be shocked if the list of persons involved in contract scam at the Commission is released.

Ojougboh who spoke in an interview with the Vanguard noted that the National Assembly picked a sudden interest in the activities of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC because the lawmakers are culpable.

He particularly said the lawmakers were unsettled by the forensic audit of the NDCC ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

A Senator came and said that in the list of 2016 they brought, that he had only six contracts, I said no, that he had more. What he didnt know is that we did not release the list for 2017 and the one for 2019. If we release it this country will break.

While elaborating on why he said the country would break, the NDDC top official said the calibre of people involved in the scam would surprise Nigerians.
A high-ranking official in the Philadelphia Police Department has been stripped of his gun and is being investigated for allegedly assaulting a man, The Inquirer has learned.

The investigation of Inspector James Smith began after the alleged victim made a formal complaint, a department spokesperson said.

We can confirm that there is an active Internal Affairs Bureau investigation involving Inspector James Smith that was initiated after receiving a citizen Complaint Against Police (CAP), spokesperson Eric McLaurin said in a statement.

McLaurin said he was unable to provide details, including how the complaint started, because the investigation is active.

The departments tight-lipped response contrasts with its handling of the case of Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr., who was charged by District Attorney Larry Krasner in June for beating a protester with a metal baton during unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd. The beating was captured on video that spread widely on social media.

A week after Bolognas arrest, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw fired him.

Jane Roh, spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office, said, We cannot comment on this matter at this time, referring to the investigation of Smith.

According to a police source familiar with the case but not authorized to speak publicly about it, the incident involved Smiths car and took place last month when he was off duty and in front of his home.

At the time, Smith was out of work on injured on-duty status, as he remains, said McLaurin, who added that his injury is not related to the complaint.

Inspector Smith was relieved of his duty weapon as part of the initial Internal Affairs Bureau investigation into the CAP. Were Inspector Smith to return to full-duty status, he would be assigned to an administrative position pending the conclusion of the  investigation, McLaurin said.

Smith, who could not be reached for comment, is paid $134,629 a year, according to city payroll records. The investigation was first reported by Serpico News, a Facebook channel operated by former city cop Andre Boyer.
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Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 16:35 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423db81 1 Business manufacturing-industry,IHS-Markit,purchasing-managers-index,PMI,COVID-19,Kadin Free

Indonesias manufacturing activity has shown signs of improvement for the first time since February, but risks remain as new COVID-19 clusters emerge in factories and industrial areas and as household spending remains weak.

IHS Markits Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for Indonesia, a gauge of the countrys manufacturing activity, rose to 50.8 points in August from 46.9 a month before. A value above 50 indicates an expansion against the previous month, while a reading below 50 reflects a contraction.

Indonesian manufacturers reported an improvement in business conditions for the first time since February, with output growing at the fastest rate for just over six years, IHS Markit head economist Bernard Aw said in a statement on Tuesday.

The index had recorded its worst decline in the surveys nine-year history and the steepest drop recorded in Asia when it fell to 27.7 in April from 45.3 in March as the COVID-19 containment measures forced factories to shut and caused unemployment to grow.

Aw said the higher PMI was driven by solid growth in both production volumes and new order inflows in August, as well as revived demand from the gradual reopening of the economy.

However, the rise in production has yet to lift factories capacity utilization to a level higher than before the pandemic struck, as manufacturers used stocks of goods to meet increased demand, resulting in further layoffs, albeit at an easing rate than in July.

The concern is that the recovery stems primarily from the release of pent-up demand brought about by the lockdown measures and could falter after the initial rebound, said Aw.

The rising unemployment, along with the need to maintain social distancing, might pose a threat to the sustainability of the slight expansion in manufacturing activities, he said.

Indonesias economy contracted 5.32 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the second quarter, the worst performance since 1999, as household spending, which accounted for more than 50 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), shrank 5.51 percent yoy following the loss of millions of jobs.

Economists remain cautious, but most expect a further improvement of activity in September as the government lifts its pandemic restrictions in the hope to jack up the sluggish growth. They also project demand will grow over the Christmas and New Year season.

Despite the rising number of new COVID-19 cases, [...] we believe that regional governments all over the country will not impose any stricter social-distancing measures, Mirae Asset Sekuritas Indonesia economist Anthony Kevin wrote in a research note on Wednesday.

One challenge that will continue to haunt Indonesias manufacturing activities, in our opinion, would stem from the inferior disbursement of government [funds], which will eventually depress purchasing power, he added.

The government has disbursed only 26.4 percent of its pandemic stimulus package worth Rp 695.2 trillion (US$47.38 billion) as of mid-August, more than five months after the first infections announced in the country.

Another threat that might undermine an expansion of manufacturing activity is new COVID-19 clusters emerging in factories, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia executive director Mohammad Faisal told The Jakarta Post.

If manufacturers are not careful, their factories could become a new COVID-19 clusters, which would force them to temporarily stop production, he said over the phone on Tuesday.

At least 88 workers at a factory belonging to automotive spare part manufacturer PT Nippon Oilseal Kogyu in the Cikarang industrial zone of Bekasi, West Java, have contracted COVID-19, kompas.com reported on Monday.

The week before, the Bekasi administration announced 242 new infections at LG Electronics factory, while some 71 cases had also been reported by motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki in the same area in mid-August.

Consumer goods giant PT Unilever Indonesia had to temporarily close one of its factories in the Cikarang industrial zone in July after it found coronavirus infections. A similar move was also taken by Japanese industrial conglomerate Hitachi Ltd. in July.

Shinta Kamdani, the deputy chairwoman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said outbreaks would cost manufacturers, as they would be forced to halt production for at least two weeks for disinfection purposes.

It would also add cost to the already struggling manufacturers, as they would have to bear health costs to provide COVID-19 tests for employees, she said.

Shinta stressed that expedited government spending and fiscal stimulus disbursement would help fuel demand in the last three months of the year, adding that the increase in demand would also depend on how the government handled the COVID-19 crisis and restored confidence in the domestic market.

If the virus continues to ravage while the business and investment climate outlook is unchanged, the [government] spending will have no impact in boosting consumption, because it wont create new jobs for the people, said Shinta.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 23:43:18|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed the decision by the University of North Texas (UNT) to expel Chinese students, calling the move, if confirmed true, another example of the U.S. sabotage of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

According to media reports, the UNT recently announced it will terminate its relationship with the China Scholarship Council, demanding revoking visas of students who have been granted allowances by the council and asking them to leave the United States within one month.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing that China-U.S. humanities exchanges, including those of overseas students, have played a significant role in promoting the steady development of bilateral ties since the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations 41 years ago.

The number of Chinese students in the United States accounts for about one-third of the total, contributing more than 15 billion U.S. dollars to the country annually.

Unfortunately, for some time, certain extreme anti-China forces in the United States have stigmatized and demonized Chinese students with a myriad of lies out of personal political interests and the strategic demand to suppress and contain China's development. They even used judicial power to maliciously suppress Chinese students on trumped-up charges, said Hua.

"Under such circumstances, I wonder how many Chinese parents are still willing to send their children to study in the United States," she said.

"The United States was founded on openness, inclusiveness, and pluralism, while the country we see today is full of insularity, hatred, and exclusion," she said.

The spokesperson urged the United States to view China-U.S. ties and people-to-people and cultural exchanges in an objective way, and contribute more to the two peoples' mutual understanding, correct recognition towards each other, and friendly cooperation between the two sides.

"If the U.S. insists on obstinately going its own way, it will ultimately damage the interests of the U.S. itself," Hua added. Enditem
Rich Fury/Getty ImagesBy LUIS MARTINEZ, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- The Army has named a four-star general to head an "in-depth investigation" into how the chain of command at Fort Hood, Texas, handled a large number of disappearances and deaths, including that of Spc. Vanessa Guillen.



The top general at Fort Hood is also being moved to another assignment on the post and will no longer receive the prestigious job of commanding an Army division.



Gen. John Murray, the commander of Army Futures Command, will head the new "in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Spc. Vanessa Guillen," according to an Army statement.



Guillen's remains were found more than two months after she disappeared from the installation and was killed, allegedly by a fellow soldier. Guillen's family has claimed that Fort Hood officials failed to properly inform the family about the investigation into her disappearance and did not seem to take seriously their allegations that the 20-year-old soldier was hesitant to report claims of sexual harassment by one of her superiors.



"This is a comprehensive look at all of the actions taken at every echelon of the command related to Vanessa Guillen," Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday.



Murray's investigation will bundle most of the ongoing inquiries underway at Fort Hood into one, but an independent review of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood will remain separate. The five civilians conducting that review arrived at Fort Hood on Monday and are slated to present their findings in late October.



"We need to get this thing, right, and make sure we do a thorough investigation of all the activities of the chain of command -- from the top all the way down the bottom -- and we think this is the best way to do it," Gen. James McConville, the Army's chief of staff, told reporters Tuesday.



During a visit to the sprawling post in early August, McCarthy said that Fort Hood had the highest rates for murder, sexual assault and sexual harassment among the Army's installations. On Tuesday McCarthy reaffirmed that those numbers "are high, very high this year."



"The numbers are bad and we need to make some adjustments because we're very concerned," said McCarthy.



He noted that an Army inspection team that visited the post in June found that 18 of 53 soldiers who were surveyed had experienced some form of sexual harassment.



"We needed to get a much more comprehensive look about the challenges that Fort Hood is experiencing," said McCarthy. "We need to understand the root causes, so that we can make the appropriate changes, whether that's a leadership issue, resources, conditions on the ground, our systems."



On Tuesday, the Army also announced a shake up in the installation's top leadership as Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, the deputy commanding general of III Corps, was reassigned to another position on Fort Hood so that his previously named successor could take over command sooner than expected.



Efflandt will no longer take over command of the 1st Armored Division and will instead remain at Fort Hood as III Corp's deputy commanding general for support. His planned move to take over the 1st Armored Division had been temporarily delayed in early August so that he could remain at Fort Hood as the independent review of the post got underway.



Gen. James McConville, the Army's chief of staff, told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that the move should not be seen as ending Efflandt's career.



"What we've done is we are not going to move Gen. Efflandt until the investigations are over," said McConville, who added that any future decisions on Efflandt's future will be made after the inquiries have concluded.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
A much-loved nurse has died of coronavirus after working in a hospital's intensive care unit for three decades - just a week before her 92-year-old mother also died of the illness.

Patricia Edwards, known as Nurse Pat, died at Bon Secours St. Francis in Greenville, South Carolina - surrounded by her colleagues - on August 19.

She had worked the night shift between 7pm and 7am at the hospital's ICU for the past 14 years and was loved by everyone, according to her eldest daughter, Sherie Gamble, 45.

'My mom was everything to everybody,' Ms Gamble told NBC News. 'We knew how much she was loved, but we didn't know to this magnitude. Nobody was a nurse like Mama.'

Patricia Edwards, known as Nurse Pat, died at Bon Secours St. Francis in Greenville, South Carolina - surrounded by her colleagues - on August 19. Her mother, Rosa Lee Finch Hellams (left), 96, died a week later

Ms Edwards had worked the night shift between 7pm and 7am at the hospital's ICU for the past 14 years and was incredibly loved by everyone, according to her eldest daughter, Sherie Gamble, 45. Pictured, Bon Secours St. Francis in Greenville

Ms Edwards' mother, 96-year-old Rosa Lee Finch Hellams, died of coronavirus in a different hospital on August 26, the day after the family buried Ms Edwards.

Ms Edwards' family don't know when she caught the disease, but she was diagnosed on August 7 and rushed to hospital two days later with a high fever and struggling to breathe.

Some 670 frontline healthcare workers have now died after contracting coronavirus in the US.

Ms Gamble has now decided to set up a scholarship to allow a nursing student to become the kind of nurse her mother was. 'She was a go-beyond nurse', Ms Gamble added.

The scholarship had only raised about $700 as of early Tuesday afternoon, but donors have pledged to give more.

Ms Edwards got her degree from Greenville Technical College while raising her children.

She then spent 25 years at the Greenville Memorial Hospital System and went on to work as a travelling nurse for two years before joining Bon Secours St Francis.

Ms Edwards' family don't know when she caught the disease, but she was diagnosed on August 7 and rushed to hospital two days later with a high fever when she struggled to breathe. Pictured, Ms Edwards at a concert last year

She is survived by a son, four daughters, 13 grandchildren and a set of triplets who are her godchildren.

When Ms Edwards' daughter Emily Holloway was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2018, she regularly drove 100 miles to Charlotte, North Carolina, to go to every chemotherapy treatment.

She would stay over the weekend, cooking enough meals for Ms Holloway and her children to have during the week.

In a statement to NBC News, Bon Secours St. Francis - Greenville extended its sympathy to Edwards' family and friends.

'We pray that they feel surrounded by love and support at this time and always,' the hospital said.
Governments should consider uncomfortable questions about a level of death we might have to live with when it comes to coronavirus lockdowns to restart economies and protect individual liberty, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has said.

The right-wing politician, who is tipped to assist the UK government as a trade envoy, claimed the financial response to the pandemic had far exceeded the amount governments would typically pay for life-saving drugs.

Mr Abbott claimed the Covid-19 response in his own country could be valued at $2 million AUD per life saved when measured against the 150,000 deaths predicted in the country at the start of the pandemic. He added that if the average age of those who would have died was 80, this could be broken down to $200,000 AUD per quality life year for those saved from the virus.

And speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank in London, he went on to criticise the response in his own nation and countries around the world for reactivating lockdowns when faced with spikes in cases  adding that initial restrictions could have been for a few weeks as opposed to a few months to keep the economy functioning.

He said: Six months into this pandemic, the aim in most countries is still protect almost every life at almost any cost  with renewed lockdown most governments instinctive response to any increase in the virus.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Accusing regional officials in Australia of operating health dictatorships with stringent lockdown measures, Mr Abbott went on to suggest governments should focus on applying a cost-benefit analysis towards the value of human life.

Mr Abbott said: Its a bad time for anyone with the virus, but it is also a bad time for people that would rather not be dictated to by officials, however well meaning, or anyone who instinctively chafes under a policy thats clear unsustainable, yet may be kept up indefinitely in the absence of an effective vaccine.

He added: In this climate of fear, it was hard for governments to ask how much is a life worth? because every life is precious, and every death is sad, but that has never stopped families sometimes electing to make elderly relatives as comfortable as possible while nature takes its course.

And likewise people anticipating serious long-term health problems sometimes elect not to be resuscitated.

When a trauma victim comes into an emergency department, almost no effort is spared to keep that person alive, but when a cancer patient wants access to very expensive new drugs, governments normally ask tough questions about how much good life will be gained before making it available, and what the alternative might be.

So far, with Sweden the most notable exception, governments have approached the pandemic like trauma doctors instead of thinking like health economists trained to pose uncomfortable questions about a level of death we might have to live with.

Mr Abbott declined to comment on reports that he has been appointed joint president of Britains relaunched Board of Trade  stating that it was not yet official

Whitehall officials have said that no decisions have yet been made.

Additional reporting by agencies
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 2, 2020

2020/09/02

Invited by Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, currently the president of the G20, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the G20 Extraordinary Foreign Ministers Meeting via videolink on September 3 in Beijing. Items to be discussed include cross-border flows of personnel and border management.

CCTV: The US House Select Subcommittee on Coronavirus Crisis released reports obtained from the White House task force, which indicate what the administration's officials told the public are in contradiction with those reports they privately issued to states. They have been deliberately covering up the truth of the pandemic. As a result, more than 58,000 additional Americans have died since June and millions of American lives have been put at risk. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a survey that among medical workers, roughly 1 in 20 had antibody evidence of a previous COVID-19 infection, but 69% of those infections had never been diagnosed. More and more people believe that in terms of epidemic response, the US stands in stark contrast with China. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: I have no intention of judging the US response to COVID-19, but I recall what Dr. Fauci said, "Numbers don't lie."

Yesterday, CCTV broadcast an unusual, touching program "First Class of the New Semester", during which first-hand experience was shared by frontline medical experts and researchers including Dr. Zhong Nanshan, head of the high-level expert group of the National Health Commission, who was awarded the Medal of the Republic, and Zhang Boli, Zhang Dingyu and Chen Wei, who were awarded the national honorary title of "the People's Hero". The TV program had three sections: unity, science and responsibility. These three keywords, I believe, offer a good answer to why China is able to snatch a major strategic victory over the epidemic. As Dr. Zhong Nanshan said, after the outbound traffic from Wuhan was halted on January 23, this heroic city endured 76 days and 1,814 hours of lockdown. Thanks to such efforts, the number of infections in China has been reduced by at least 700,000. This is what our country believes in: nothing is more precious than life. Human life is the most important human right. We have saved so many lives, and this best manifests our human right. The CPC and the Chinese government have been putting the people front and center in the epidemic prevention and control endeavor. We have not only protected the safety and health of the Chinese people to the largest extent, but also made important contributions to the global fight against COVID-19 and the protection of life and health of people in the world.

On January 23, outbound traffic from Wuhan was suspended. Back then there was only one confirmed case in the US. On January 31, American airlines suspended direct flights between the US and China. On February 2, the US closed borders to all Chinese citizens when there were only more than 10 confirmed cases reported in the US. The timeline is clear. After China blocked the outbound transmission routes of the epidemic, why did the situation in the US see dramatic changes within just a few months? This is a question that deserves careful pondering and in-depth inquiry.

We sympathize with the American people for their difficult situation. We hope they can overcome the epidemics at an early date.

Macau Monthly: We noticed that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi just concluded his visits to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany, which is seen by some media as China's engagement with Europe to break out of a diplomatic encirclement. I wonder what is your comment?

Hua Chunying: What you said is not accurate. To be precise, this is very important strategic communication between China and European countries when there are increasing uncertainties in the international landscape. The world now must choose between multilateralism and unilateralism, openness and isolation, and cooperation and confrontation. This is where China and Europe share broad and essential consensus.

During the visit, State Councilor Wang Yi had candid, in-depth discussions with leaders and foreign ministers of the five countries. All the five countries said they attach high importance to their relations with China, that they would like to resume exchange and cooperation with China as soon as possible, and that they are ready to enhance communication and coordination with China and handle global challenges together. They also expressed concerns of the world economy falling into deep recession due to the spreading pandemic, rising unilateralism that gravely undermines multilateralism, and escalated international competition and confrontation caused by artificial decoupling and division.

The two sides reached the following three important consensuses.

First, to stay committed to multilateralism and oppose unilateral practices. The strongest call of the five European countries is to firmly uphold multilateralism. They believe China and Europe need to enhance coordination, stick to multilateralism, take multilateral actions, observe multilateral agreements and strengthen multilateral institutions.

Second, to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and reject division and decoupling. Both sides agree to further cooperate in fighting the epidemics and resume people-to-people exchange and practical cooperation as soon as possible, which will be a China-Europe contribution to world economic recovery and growth. Both sides also agree to jointly reject the setbacks of instigation, division, decoupling and confrontation, so that the world will not be subject to the law of the jungle again.

Third, to uphold the big picture of China-Europe relations and properly manage differences. Both sides believe it is important to stick to the comprehensive strategic partnership and lead the mainstream effort to advance China-Europe relations. To resolve differences between the two sides, we must deepen mutual understanding and trust through equal-footed dialogue and candid discussion, achieve win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation, and manage the differences through constructive means.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU. Both sides share a strong will to work together to further advance bilateral relations. In the next phase we have the following six goals.

First, to prepare for and conduct China-EU high-level exchange, which will guide bilateral cooperation. Second, to conclude the negotiations on a China-EU investment agreement within this year. Third, to sign the China-EU 2025 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation as early as possible. Fourth, to foster a green partnership. Fifth, to strengthen digital economic cooperation. Sixth, to enhance support for multilateral institutions.

As proven by facts, the development of China-EU relations not only brings great benefits to the two peoples, but also contributes greatly to world peace, stability and development. China is ready to continue working with the European side to advance bilateral ties and uphold multilateralism, free trade and world peace and stability.

CRI: It is reported that on August 31, the Sudanese transitional government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) which groups the armed opposition parties signed a peace agreement in Juba, capital of South Sudan, marking significant progress in the Sudan's domestic peace process. What is China's comment?

Hua Chunying: As a friendly country to Sudan, China welcomes and supports the signing of the peace agreement between the transitional government of Sudan and relevant parties in Sudan. China is ready to work with the international community to continue making constructive efforts in promoting peace, stability and development of Sudan.

ITV: ITV news has spoken to a doctor in Turkey who says that she was part of a population control plan run by the Communist Party in Xinjiang. Have Uyghur women there been sterilized and forced to have abortions and does that explain the drop in population among that ethnic community? Some American media say the US is going to pin the label of "genocide" to how China treats Uyghurs in Xinjiang. What's your comment?

Hua Chunying: On Xinjiang, several countries and some people have created so many lies regarding Xinjiang, including those quotations they made. The truth is that they are just actors at someone else's disposal. So whenever you hear that Xinjiang is doing something to its Uyghur population, you should process what you hear through a sieve, eliminating the false and retaining the true.

Since you are interested, I can offer you some information. First of all, it must be pointed out that the claim that China is persecuting the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang is a false proposition. This is a sensational headline concocted by some anti-China forces, another farce designed to smear and discredit China.

There are 56 ethnic groups in China. The Uyghurs are equal members of the big family of the Chinese nation. The Chinese government always protects the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minorities. China's population policy has long favored ethnic minorities, including the Uyghurs. You mentioned population control. The truth is that the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has continued to grow. In 1978, the population of Uyghurs in Xinjiang was 5.55 million. But according to the latest data, by 2018, it had grown to 12.71 million, more than double the number of 40 years ago. During the 8-year span from 2010 to 2018, the population of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang had a 25% increase of 2.54 million. This increase rate is not only higher than that of the entire Xinjiang population, but also more than ten times of the growth rate of the Han population over the same period.

Some media disclosed that the US is considering labeling the situation in Xinjiang as "genocide". I just said that the Uyghur population jumped from 5.55 million to 12.71 million. With such an increase in the Xinjiang Uyghur population, how come it is called "genocide"? On the contrary, the eviction, assimilation and slaughter of American Indians in the US history caused their population to drastically drop from 5 million to 250,000. This is what "genocide" is.

I must also point out that most of the materials used by the anti-China forces in some western countries to smear and discredit China's policies on Xinjiang came from Adrian Zenz, a German "scholar". The media has repeatedly disclosed that Adrian Zenz is a key member of the Xinjiang Education and Training Center Research Group set up by the US intelligence agency, making a living from fabricating rumors about Xinjiang and slandering China. He selectively used some data and staged several "actors" to play the role of "witnesses" according to his fabricated "scripts" and "lines". His rumor-mongering and deceitful behavior is contemptible and should be punished by the law. On more facts on the Uyghur population issue, the government of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region held a special press conference. I suggest you watch it carefully.

I would also like to stress that in observing and commenting on China's affairs, one should always base their observations on facts, grasp the real situation, and tell the whole truth apart from biased opinions, still less spreading falsehoods and rumors. In the meantime, we welcome those who truly care about Xinjiang to visit Xinjiang and see with their own eyes how ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, like Uyghur, Kazakh and Han people, are living together in harmony. All the rumors will collapse in the face of the truth.

Xinhua News Agency: At a press conference jointly held with State Councilor Wang Yi, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany and China stressed the importance of preserving the JCPOA. Separately, a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission at the level of political directors was convened in Vienna on September 1. Could you give us more details on the progress between China and the European side on upholding the JCPOA, if any?

Hua Chunying: China and the European side have all along been in close communication regarding upholding the JCPOA. As you said, parties including China, Russia, Iran, France, Germany, the UK and the EU recently held this JCPOA Joint Commission meeting. The background of this meeting is that the US wants to hijack the Security Council to take illegal actions against Iran. Principal official of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry led a delegation to the meeting.

The meeting sends out an unequivocal message of upholding the JCPOA and the authority of the Security Council. All participants of the meeting stressed that when the US unilaterally announced withdrawal from the JCPOA, it forfeited its right as a JCPOA participant state and with that, the right to call for a snapback of sanctions. All parties reiterated that they would continue discussing the implementation of the deal under the framework of the Joint Commission and welcomed the consensus reached on the safeguards implementation issue between the IAEA and Iran.

The Chinese side pointed out at the meeting that the US has reneged on its international legal obligations, unilaterally walked away from the JCPOA, reinstated illegal unilateral sanctions, imposed long-arm jurisdiction against Iran, and spared no effort in obstructing other parties' implementation of the deal. This is the root cause of the tensions in the Iranian nuclear situation. The US illegal attempt at the Security Council has met with extensive opposition and won't succeed. China reiterated its consistent position that all parties should remain committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation within the framework of the Joint Commission and called on all parties to support the implementation of the consensus on safeguards implementation issue between the IAEA and Iran. In the meantime, China supports the establishment of an alternative multilateral dialogue platform on the premise of firmly safeguarding the efficacy and authority of the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear issue, where all parties can forge new consensus on maintaining regional peace and stability. To sum up, China will continue working with other parties to stand on the right side of the history, firmly uphold multilateralism and make relentless efforts to advance the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.

NHK: Taiwan media report that the Taiwan authorities will have the "Taiwan" and "Taiwan passport" printed bigger on the new "passport" cover. Does China have any comment?

Hua Chunying: No matter what tricks the DPP authorities play, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

China Daily: The Philippine presidential spokesperson on September 1 responded to a question on the US sanctioning Chinese companies for activities in the South China Sea. He said that the Philippines is an independent country. President Duterte will not halt infrastructure projects involving Chinese firms blacklisted by the United States and will continue to push forward relevant projects. What is your response?

Hua Chunying: China has made clear our position on the US announcement of sanctions on Chinese companies participating in the construction activities in the South China Sea.

We noted the remarks made by the spokesperson of the Philippine Presidential Palace. President Duterte has placed economic recovery and people's well-being as the Philippine government's top priority, and has pursued an independent foreign policy based on the national interests of the Philippines, which we commend as it is in line with the fundamental interests of the nation and the people.

Practical cooperation between China and the Philippines has always been based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. All the projects are in accordance with the laws and regulations of the two countries. The synergy between the Belt and Road initiative and the Build, Build, Build initiative has yielded positive results and is delivering greater benefits to the two countries and peoples. We are ready to deepen bilateral cooperation with the Philippines.

AFP: Do you have any comment on the Pentagon report on China's military power, specifically the claim that China is expected to double its nuclear warheads stockpile over the next decade?

Hua Chunying: This latest report is just the same as the previous fact-neglecting and bias-brimming ones. China is firmly opposed to those improper comments on China's national defense and deliberate distortion of China's strategic intentions.

China's strategic intentions are transparent and consistent. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China clearly stipulates that China adheres to the path of peaceful development and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China has also pursued a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. The development of China's military power means growing strength for world peace. China's strengthening of national defense is to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is exercising the legitimate rights and interests of a sovereign state, which is beyond reproach.

As we all know, China's military power is far behind that of the US. The United States spends as much on its military as nearly the next 10 countries combined. The US is just looking for excuses to seek absolute superiority and hegemony in the military field.

We urge the US side to abandon the outdated cold-war mentality and zero-sum game mindset, stop issuing irresponsible reports year after year, take an objective and rational view of China's strategic intentions and national defense building, and do more things that are conducive to China-US and military-to-military relations, rather than the other way around.

Shenzhen TV: Indian foreign ministry and defense ministry issued statements saying that "Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground." According to the Indian side, the Chinese soldiers were backed up by military vehicles and drew close enough to engage Indian troops in verbal arguments, but there were no clashes. The Indian side mobilized and occupied the four heights on the Indian side of the LAC. I wonder if you have any response to this?

Hua Chunying: The Indian side claims it "pre-empted" some activities. Like the Chinese saying "There are no 300 taels of silver buried here", which means one accidentally gives away the hidden truth in an explanation, India's statements reveal the fact that the Indian troops were the first to have illegally crossed the LAC, made provocations, changed the status quo in the border areas, and violated bilateral agreements and important consensus.

Since the beginning of this year, India has breached bilateral agreements and important consensus many times in the western sector of the China-India boundary, attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by force, undermined peace and stability in the border region and caused tensions. The responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. China has kept maximum restraint to prevent potential escalation.

The two sides are in communication through military and diplomatic channels. We urge India to strictly discipline its border troops, stop all provocations at once, immediately withdraw all personnel who illegally trespassed across the LAC, and stop taking any actions that may escalate tensions or complicate matters. We hope India will work with China to implement bilateral agreements and important consensus reached by leaders of the two sides, and make concrete efforts to uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas.

Reuters: The Indian side said that the "Tibetan armed unit" is part and parcel of the Indian armed forces, because they have the best high-altitude combat capabilities. This unit was formed under the guidance of the CIA in the 1960s, which is part of the "strategic exchange" between the two sides. The Dalai Lama and the "Tibetan government-in-exile" support them in fighting shoulder to shoulder with India. What is China's view on "Tibetans in exile" joining the Indian army?

Hua Chunying: I'm not aware of what you said about these "Tibetans in exile" in the Indian armed forces. You may ask the Indian side for this.

But I noted some words you mentioned, including "the 1960s", "CIA" and "Tibetans in exile". These words prompt us to ponder over the ins and outs of the Tibet-related issues and the role the US has played in this process. China's position is very clear. We firmly oppose any country providing convenience in any form for the "Tibet independence" forces' separatist activities.

I am also wondering what is the connection between so-called "Tibetans in exile" and the Indian border troops. I hope you can do some in-depth investigation. It will be great if you can share with us any further information and progress in this regard.

Reuters: Has China decided to join the COVAX initiative? If so, how much does China plan to contribute? Does China hope to stabilize domestic vaccine supply by taking part in the project?

Hua Chunying: At the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping pledged that COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good, which will be China's contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. This is highly consistent with COVAX's efforts to ensure that all countries have equal access to appropriate, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

China supports COVAX and has been in communication with the WHO and other sponsors of the plan. Yesterday, competent Chinese authorities and vaccine companies held a video conference with the WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to further exchange views on relevant issues and agreed once again to jointly advance the global research, development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

China's vaccine companies strictly follow scientific and regulatory rules, and they have been working tirelessly to advance research and achieved remarkable outcomes. In fact, China is leading the world in this field. Nine of China's vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials, and four of them got the approval to be subject to Phase III of clinical trials in foreign countries. During the R&D process, we attach great importance to safety and effectiveness, and we strictly observe international norms, laws and regulations.

China noted the expectations placed by some countries on China with regard to vaccine R&D, manufacturing and distribution. In fact, our cooperation with some countries already began. China always honors commitments. We will continue conducting international cooperation in vaccine R&D, manufacturing and distribution, and we hope other countries that have made progress in this area will join us in enhancing the accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines.

Bloomberg: Can you say definitively if China will or will not join COVAX? And if you cannot say definitively, can you give me some indication as to what is holding China back on that decision? And if the decision is forthcoming, within what time frame could we expect such a decision?

Hua Chunying: COVAX is meant to ensure that all countries have fair and equal access to proper, safe and effective vaccines. China has announced that once China succeeds in vaccine R&D and puts them into use, we will make the vaccines a global public good and contribute to vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. Like I said, what China is doing is in essence the same with COVAX.

China supports COVAX and has been in communication with WHO and other parties. Yesterday we held a video conference in this regard. China will remain in close communication with WHO and COVAX sponsors.
The conflict has fed into a wider tussle for influence among those countries in the eastern Mediterranean area

The United Nations acting Libya envoy said on Wednesday that foreign supporters of both sides in the civil war were helping them stockpile weapons in breach of an arms embargo and as coronavirus "spirals out of control" in the country.

Some 70 resupply flights had landed in eastern airports in support of the Libyan National Army (LNA) of Khalifa Haftar since July 8, Stephanie Williams told the UN Security Council.

In the same period, 30 flights and nine cargo ships had carried materiel to western Libya to assist the UN- recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

She did not name the countries involved. The LNA is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt, while the GNA is backed by Turkey.

The conflict has fed into a wider tussle for influence among those countries in the eastern Mediterranean area. Williams warned that any reckless action "risks igniting large-scale confrontation, with the devastating consequences this would entail for the country and the region at large".

Libya's conflict and a blockade on oil exports by eastern forces have worsened living conditions amid a rapid surge in the coronavirus in some parts of the country, with the number of confirmed cases doubling over the past two weeks to 15,156.

"Exponential increases are a worrying trend with community transmission now reported in some of Libya's main cities," Williams said, adding that the true scale of the pandemic in Libya was likely far higher than recorded numbers showed.

"Nearing full collapse after more than nine years of conflict, the health care system is unable to respond," she said.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 6:22AM

ASUS Republic of Gamers unveiled a bunch of new gaming monitors during its recent Meta Buffs online launch. A couple of new displays from the company boasts of being the "world's fastest esports gaming monitors," offering refresh rates of up to 360Hz. The ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN and PG259QNR promise to deliver up to 50 percent more frames per second than the standard 240Hz gaming monitors.

The 24.5-inch FHD panels have a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and feature Fast IPS panel technology, offering a superfast 1ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time. The displays are HDR10 compatible, providing better colour and brightness. A built-in NVIDIA G-SYNC processor provides full variable refresh rate range and variable overdrive to make sure gaming visuals don't suffer from tearing, input lag, or stuttering.

The PG259QNR comes with a new Reflex Latency Analyzer, a system latency measurement tool that detects clicks coming from the mouse and then measures the time it takes for resulting pixels to change on the screen (like a gun muzzle flash). ASUS ROG claims this kind of measurement isn't available for gamers until nowunless they had expensive high-speed cameras and equipment.

This monitor also comes with a ROG Desk Mount Kit so you can save on desk space. It comes with a C-clamp up to 80mm wide, so it's compatible with most desks.

If you need a bigger display, there's the ROG Swift PG329Q. The 32-inch 175Hz gaming monitor also offers Fast IPS panel tech and comes with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. ASUS ROG claims it's the world's first NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible gaming monitor with variable overdrive with superfast 1ms GTG response time.

Better colour fidelity is provided thanks to quantum-dot technology with factory colour pre-calibration, displayhdr 600 certification, DCI-P3 98% and srgb 160% support. To eliminate motion blur without sacrificing variable refresh rates, ASUS ROG equips this display with Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync technology.

The ROG Swift 360 Hz PG259QN and PG259QNR monitors will be available starting from September 2020 and November 2020, respectively, in North America. At the same time, the ROG Swift PG329Q monitor will be available beginning in October 2020.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation sent a congratulatory letter to Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

"Dear Mehriban Arif qizi,

Please accept my warmest and sincere congratulations on your birthday.

Your energy, professionalism and ability to work with people, responsiveness and goodwill have earned you tremendous respect both in Azerbaijan and abroad. I always remember with warmth our meetings and conversations, during which we discussed many issues on the bilateral and international agendas and found common approaches to their solution. I highly value the trust that has been established between us.

The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is aware of the significant contribution you are making to the humanization of international relations and of your active participation in the preservation and enhancement of the worlds social and cultural values. We are also well aware of and highly appreciate your activities aimed at consolidating the global female community for the benefit of building a stable and secure future for our descendants.

Mehriban khanim, I wish you good health, good mood, inspiration, peace, kindness and prosperity from the bottom of my heart. May your life always have the respect and support of friends and colleagues, the warmth and love of family and friends.

I will always be glad to see you in Russia.

Please accept the assurances of my highest respect for you," the letter said.
Authorities are investigating a Long Island bar for a 'sickening' Instagram post that appeared to show it was taking bets on whether Chicago or New York City would see more shootings over Labor Day weekend.

The Cliffton, a bar in Patchogue, New York, shared photos of a Super Bowl-style paper grid hung in the bar with patrons placing bets on the number of shootings in the two cities, Newsday reported Tuesday.

The winner would take home an unspecified cash prize.

The pool has been condemned as 'repugnant' and the bar is now under investigation as it may also have broken state gambling laws.

The Cliffton in Patchogue, New York, was criticized for its 'repugnant' betting pool on Labor Day weekend shootings. It also refused a task force inspection on coronavirus rules this week

'Let the shooting sprees begin!': Patrons could buy four boxes, each of which had a designated number corresponding to how many fatal shootings would take place in each city

The betting is 'not only sickening, but also appears illegal under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law,' the State Liquor Authority said in a statement to the newspaper.

The state's alcohol and beverage law prohibits gambling at establishments with a liquor license, with few exceptions.

The Cliffton's Instagram page is private but Newsday reported the images were posted last week. Social media users also screenshot the post and shared the details.

The caption of the post read, 'Let the shooting sprees begin!'

Patrons could buy four boxes, each of which had a designated number corresponding to how many fatal shootings would take place in each city, and how many would happen in total.

Images show the boxes filled with names as they pitted the city's mayors against each other.

The rules were shown in a separate image, stating the dates and times by which Labor Day weekend was being defined. It added that official shooting figures would be obtained via the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.

'These reports are repugnant and those responsible for this gambling pool should be ashamed,' Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, said to the newspaper.

Julia Arredondo, a spokeswoman for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, called it 'unfathomable that anyone could find joy in the pain of others.

'While they laugh about the violence our communities are experiencing, well keep doing the work to rebuild and recover,' she added.

The post laid out the rules of the pool but the bar may have broken state gambling laws. New York alcohol and beverage law prohibits gambling at establishments with a liquor license

The bar's Instagram page is now private but any social media users screenshot the images

The Long Island bar also refused to let representatives of the state's multi-agency task force carry out an inspection this week, which the agency says is itself grounds to revoke the bar's liquor license.

The task force focuses on bars that are in breach of coronavirus regulations.

According to the New York Daily News, inspectors calling to The Cliffton noticed people inside but were barred from entering themselves.

The agency said the refusal was 'a blatant violation of the law, which alone constitutes grounds for their liquor license to be revoked. This establishment will be charged for the violation we have already observed and can expect to hear from us again'.

Brian Neal, owner of The Cliffton, did not return a request for comment from the newspaper.

'All it does is raise the angst and anger of others,' Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said.

'To be buying a box to see how many people die is something I cannot fathom. Its not who we are as a community.'

He added that the pool showed a 'disdain' for human life and was rooted in racism, Newsday reports.

The news of the betting pool came just a day after Cuomo on Monday ordered the state Division of Human Rights to investigate the display of a Confederate flag in the village.

The flag is reported to have been hung from a Brookhaven Fire Department truck during a parade for an ill firefighter.

'I don't want the community to be framed like this,' Pontieri said. 'But there's no answer for stupid people or people who don't have respect for others.'

Suffolk County Police said the department is also investigating.

The bar's betting pool pitted Democratic mayors Bill de Blasio in NYC, pictured left, and Lori Lightfoot in Chicago, pictured right, against each other for a top tally of shootings

Patchogue Chamber of Commerce is considering removing The Cliffton as a member.

This is not the first time the bar has found itself at the center of controversy. Newsday states it was also criticized last year for a post that ridiculed a transgender patron.

'Just two dudes.... chilling at the Cliffton,' the image read, showing a man and woman chatting in the bar, followed by the comment 'should we tell him, or let him find out by himself?'

The bar owner apologized after protests.

Cities across the country have seen a surge in shootings over the summer, but the spike defies easy explanation.

The increase in violence likely represents a mix of factors, including record unemployment levels, the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic, stay-at-home orders, intense stress and the weather.

New York City, in particular, has seen a startling uptick in crime this year.

There was a 162 per cent increase in the number of shooting victims and a 166 per cent increase in the number of shooting incidents during the four-week period that ended on August 23 compared to the same period last year, police data shows.

During the four-week period ending on August 23, the city recorded 48 homicides - a 50 per cent increase from the 32 homicides that were recorded during the same period last year.

Between January 1 and August 23, the city recorded 280 homicides - a 35 per cent increase from 208 homicides that were recorded during the same period of 2019.

In July, murders were up 58.8 percent when compared to the same month last year. Shootings were up a staggering 177 per cent.

The uptick in crime comes as protests have unfolded across the country denouncing police brutality and seeking to defund police departments.

New York City announced it will slash the police budget by $1billion in July. The department budget was almost $6billion for the 2020 fiscal year.

Chicago has also been rocked by a dramatic spike in violent crime in recent months.

Stark CPD data reveals murders have rocketed 52 percent from 333 between January 1 and August 30 2019 to 505 for the same period this year.

A staggering 2,152 shootings have taken place so far in 2020 - 739 more than the 1,413 that had taken place by this time last year.

The city recorded a bloody weekend this week, with 54 shot including 10 fatally.

President Donald Trump has harshly criticized NYC and Chicago's Democratic mayors and called on them to return law and order to the streets as he threatened to send in federal troops.

Both mayors have pushed back against Trump's threats.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Two Ohio research centers the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center  are joining the hunt for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.

The Cleveland VA is one of more than 120 clinical investigational sites around the world that will collectively enroll up to 30,000 participants in a vaccine trial, the VA announced in a statement. The research will collect data on the safety and immune response of the proposed vaccine BNT162b2.

The proposed COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Pfizer Inc. and the German biotechnology company BioNTech SE.

Cleveland VA trial

The Cleveland VA is the only VA hospital hosting a Pfizer vaccine trial, U.S. secretary of veterans affairs Robert Wilkie wrote in a recent opinion piece.

The Cleveland VA Medical Center was chosen as the only VA to participate in this study because of proven success incorporating veterans into vaccine trials supported by a strong clinical research program, said Dr. Curtis Donskey, the Cleveland VAs chief of infection control. We feel its important to ensure our veteran population is represented in this critical effort. VA provides care for many veterans with chronic conditions that put them at a higher risk for severe outcomes due to COVID-19.

Donskey and Margaret Tiktin, clinical research center director at the Cleveland VA, will lead the study here.

The VAs Phase 2/3 study is looking to enroll non-pregnant, healthy adults ages 18-85 who are at risk for contracting COVID-19. Priority will be given to veterans, whether or not they are enrolled in VA care.

An equal number of participants will get the vaccine and placebo during the VAs trial, the VA said.

Clinical development of new drugs or vaccines is a three-phase process, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Phase 1, small groups of people receive a trial vaccine. In Phase 2, the trial vaccine is given to people who have characteristics similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.

People interested in participating in the study through the Cleveland VA Medical Center can call 216-791-3800 ext. 65273. Once the maximum number of participants is reached, the VA will track interested participants for a potential future study, the VA Center said.

Wexner Medical Center trial

The Wexner Medical Center will be a test site for a multicenter, 30,000-person clinical trial testing an experimental COVID-19 vaccine, Ohio State announced recently.

The vaccine, called AZD1222, was co-developed by the University of Oxford and the biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, Ohio State said in a statement.

A large early-stage clinical trial in the United Kingdom showed this experimental vaccine is safe and prompts a strong immune response, producing both antibodies and T-cells, which find and attack virus cells, the university said.

Time is of the essence to develop a vaccine and/or drugs that can halt the transmission of (the coronavirus) and reduce the serious health effects and deaths caused by COVID-19, Dr. Susan Koletar, director of the division of infectious diseases at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and principal investigator of this vaccine trial, said in a statement.

About 500 adults are needed for the randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial to evaluate how well the AZD1222 vaccine protects people from COVID-19.

The Wexner Medical Center study is looking for participants who are at high-risk for exposure to COVID-19, including people over 65, teachers, first responders, college students, and factory and restaurant workers.

Study participants will receive either the experimental vaccine or a placebo, have blood samples drawn and follow up with medical experts over two years. Those interested in volunteering for the AZD1222 clinical trial can apply by clicking here.

Results from the Wexner Medical Center and other clinical trials conducted through the COVID-19 Prevention Network are critical in getting a COVID-19 vaccine to market, said Dr. Rama Mallampalli, chair of the department of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, in a statement.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases created the COVID-19 Prevention Network, using the infectious diseases expertise at four of its existing clinical trials networks. This allowed the network to quickly set up COVID-19 clinical trials at sites with a long history of research and collaboration, Mallampalli said.

University Hospitals

UH joins about 120 clinical investigational sites around the world that will collectively enroll up to 30,000 participants in a trial to test a proposed COVID-19 vaccine, the hospital system said recently. The phase 2/3 vaccine study is sponsored Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.

The new study will enroll adults 18 to 85 who are not pregnant. Because of the disproportional rate of COVID-19 among people of color, UH plans to ensure that people of color are well represented in this study, the hospital system said. Call 612-524-9091 to learn how to participate.
Appointment

2 September 2020

Rosewood Hotel Group has appointed Hoss Vetry regional vice president and managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong. In his new role, Vetry will be responsible for managing the ultra-luxury property in addition to overseeing other Group hotels in the region including Rosewood Beijing, Rosewood Sanya and New World Millennium Hong Kong.

A seasoned hotelier, Vetry has more than 32 years of global luxury hotel experience, including 25 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in three key regions: North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. He held several senior executive leadership positions during his tenure including multi-property vice president, cluster general manager and hotel general manager. Previously, Vetry was general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai. Vetry has held leadership roles in hotel and tourism associations including vice chairman of East China Marriott Business Council, executive chairman of Sanya Tourism Association and board member of Qatar Tourism Association. Vetry is a graduate of Arizona State University and was recognized with the Asia-Pacific Continent Guardian Award for his exceptional leadership.
The third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, has issued a congratulatory message on the occasion of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Independence Day anniversary.

On September 2, 1991, the Armenians in Artsakh, who faced security challenges, made a decision to declare Artsakh an independent state in a small portion of their historical homeland in line with the legal and international norms in force at that time. They were well aware that they were going to pay too dearly for that decision, which was unanimously backed by Armenians worldwide.

At the cost of their childrens lives, facing the horrors and deprivations of war, our people heroically defended the Artsakh-based Armenians right to live independently, freely and with dignity.

We all went through that heroic path together. Together we embarked on a nationwide mission of building the newborn independent statehood and ensuring the well-being of the Armenians in Artsakh. These were challenging years of struggle, from the formation of the Defense Army to the formation of state institutions and the improvement of Artsakh populations living standards.

Today we can confidently state that we stood the test of liberation war with honor, and our state-building efforts were crowned with success as evidenced by the well-established Artsakh Republic, which continues to develop and strengthen year after year.

Any hardship could be overcome for about the past three decades, since Artsakh has always felt the support of all Armenians, Mother Armenia and the Diaspora. This trinity is the pledge of our future victories. Anyone who may dare to undermine it, weaken our national spirit for political considerations or for the sake of other interests will indeed deserve the verdict of posterity. Artsakh has always been and will continue to be the symbol of our unity and victories.

On this sacred day, I bow my head in memory of our heroes, in memory of my comrades-in-arms with whom I had the honor to go through the path of heroic struggle for Artsakhs independence.

Our struggle is not yet over, as long as the Artsakh Republic has not been internationally recognized, as long as the enemy keeps encroaching on the state borders of Artsakh, as long as we have not fully ensured the security of our sisters and brothers in Artsakh.

Reiterating my congratulations on the 29th anniversary of Artsakhs independence, I wish you lasting peace, prosperity and strong faith in the future.

Artsakh has made its choice; it will never be part of Azerbaijan again, Sargsyans message reads, in particular.
Why are more and more oil spills happening in Venezuela?

by Venezuelan Observatory of Political Ecology (OEPV)

Venezuelan authorities and communities have been struggling to clean up an oil spill off its northern coast in Carabobo and Falcon States since August 1.



According to the Venezuelan Ecological Society, around 20,000 barrels of oil were spilled about 12 kilometres out to sea in an area rich in coral and marine life.



While the causes of the latest spill are still unknown, and a parliamentary investigation has begun, government spokespersons have blamed an offshore tanker. Other voices have pointed to nearby state-run refineries, such as El Palito, also indicating that there were secondary spills on August 9 and 11.



Given the persistent oil spills in Venezuela and the serious environmental impacts they cause in the short and long term, The Venezuelan Observatory of Political Ecology (OEPV) conducted this interview with oil expert Einstein Millan to learn more about the structural causes of this serious socio-environmental threat and the ways in which the problem is being managed by the industry.



What do you think is the current status of accidents at Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)?



The situation at PDVSA is delicate, with recurrent incidents that have been worsening since 2007-08. Reports indicate that less than 10,000 barrels of oil were spilled per year before that date, a figure which has increased to more than 150,000 recently. Likewise, less than 200 accidents were reported per year in 2007-08, and this number has risen to more than 4,000 on average in 2017.



After 2017, the arrival of [PDVSA president between 2017 and 2020] Manuel Quevedo and now [PDVSA President] Asdrubal Chavez, introduced a strategy of preventing access to information concerning these incidents, as well as failing to report such events and even misinforming. Despite this, a noticeable leap in the type and severity of accidents and environmental crimes and incidents is evident.



PDVSAs environmental crimes, incidents and accidents since 1997 to 2017. The red bars indicate the number of accidents and incidents while the green line represents the total number of spilled oil barrels that year. (Einstein Millan)



Why has this level been reached? What are the causes?



At first, "accident" rates and environmental crimes in PDVSA increased exponentially due to the indiscriminate growth of an unprepared workforce with little adherence to safety, health and environmental protection (SHE) regulations and a lack of a "proactive" maintenance culture. This workforce also included personnel who had been absorbed from expropriated companies with foreign cultures and work ethics, which were incompatible with PDVSAs vertically integrated oil industry.



Apart from the above, an important portion of PDVSAs board and management, inherited by [Rafael] Ramirez from 2007-08, was not prepared with the proper SHE training.



From 2015-16, the industry entered a stage of "divestment, an absence of corporate values or an insufficiently prepared leadership lacking in experience in roles of responsibility within the oil industry. Likewise, this leadership showed an obvious ignorance of the risks involved in the various components of the business value chain.



The combination of "divestment, rampant corruption, a lack of checks and lousy leadership has led to premature aging of the core infrastructure and increased exposure to catastrophic events, such as the ones seen recently.



In your view, how is the company's environmental management and approach, and what is its impact?



There is no coordinated approach within the Venezuelan oil industry, there is no measurement and evaluation of risk factors in the processes and operations which might look to prevent and/or mitigate events and/or their effects.



There is no "proactive" culture of maintenance, only a reactive one. There is a politicised misinformation machinery which does not seem to care about the downstream consequences of spills, emissions, accidents and incidents, but rather hides and denies information later revealed by non-PDVSA sources.



What are your expectations for the future? Are we at risk of major accidents similar to the [2012] Amuay refinery fire?



The short-term outlook is a reserved forecast which will tend to worsen in the absence of maintenance and the absence of SHE values and culture.



The Venezuelan industry, institutions and society are not prepared to protect our assets, resources, or the environment, nor are they willing to apply environmental legislation with all its weight.



There have been multiple accidents and catastrophic spills in the Orinoco Oil Belt, for example, which have gone unnoticed without any consequences.



Neighbouring countries like Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia have made a habit of damaging and polluting our coasts and rivers, and the Venezuelan state, its institutions and society remain idle, as if nothing happens.



Our ecosystem, our industry and our resources are repeatedly damaged from within PDVSA and no one suffers any c

onsequences.



What proposal or alternative can be applied to the situation?



Our proposal is simple: enforce the law with severity. Educate ou

r citizens, politicians and leaders to lead our companies and institutions concerning the need to protect the environment, our industries and our resources today, so that we may guarantee a better future for upcoming generations and our beloved homeland.



Einstein Millan is an international "Upstream" oil and gas advisor in the Middle East with a doctorate and other studies from The University of Oklahoma (US) and the Universidad del Oriente (Venezuela). He held various management and supervisory positions at PDVSA between 1979 and 2010 before going on to work as a gas development consultant for Kuwaits oil company. He led the Venezuelan intergovernmental technical team in the nationalisation of the oil industry and has published more than 12 specialized works and written more than 300 opinion papers on the topic.

Theme(s): Others.
Texas Weather Reporter Kelly Plasker Dies, Station Says

Kelly Plasker, a reporter with NBC affiliate KCBD, died on Sunday, and the station said it may have been suicide.

The Texas news station, in a statement, said that Plasker died suddenly on August 30th.

What you couldnt see on TV was a broken heart. I remember one day two years ago when she and I sat and talked in the studio and she told me her world would never be the same. She said, He was 19 years old, 2 weeks [a]way from turning 20. Kelly was referring to her son, Thomas, who took his life in February of 2018, KCBDs Karin McKay wrote.

According to McCay, Plasker took her own life in a cry for help that she made very public on her Facebook page. But it stipulated that there were times that she used Facebook in an effort to help other people avoid the road to suicide.

In her last Facebook post, Plasker shared a final confession for the sins I am responsible for, reported the New York Post.

The Lubbock County Medical Examiner told People magazine that Paskers official cause of death has not been released.

The KCBD family extends our sympathy to Kelly Plaskers family, McKay concluded in the tribute. But we also express our gratitude for the time we shared with Kelly, someone who always brought joy to the newsroom.

Sharon Maines of KCBD wrote after Plaskers death that she had a heart of gold.

My friend (and co-worker) died this morning and Im absolutely heartbroken, she wrote. Kelly Plasker had a smile as big as Texas and a heart of gold. She loved big and hurt deeply. Her heart was broken from the suicide death of her son Thomas, and then her fathers sudden death just months later.

Suicide Hotlines

If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868.

In the United Kingdom, call Samaritans at 116 123, Papyrus at 0800 068 41 41, or Childline at 0800 1111.

In Australia, the suicide prevention hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1-800-551-800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe

If you are in an emergency in India, call Befrienders IndiaNational Association at +91 33 2474 4704.
SPRINGFIELD  The Springfield Technical Community College staff organization has urged the STCC Board of Trustees to terminate the college president and vice-president, citing an ongoing lack of confidence in the administrators.

The STCC All Unit Congress, which represents all college employees below the rank of director, announced Tuesday that it passed a resolution by a 130-9 vote calling for the trustees to remove President John B. Cook and Vice-President of Academic Affairs Geraldine De Berly from their posts.

Staff members have been highly critical of the administration for cuts in programs and staff, which was blamed on the coronavirus.

The formal resolution stated in part that Cook and De Berly have jeopardized our institutions credibility, financial and academic health, along with its standing with respect to accreditation.

The resolution also said Cook and De Berly have a demonstrable track record of their lack of fitness to remain in their respective officers.

Cook, in response, stood by the program cuts on Wednesday.

I understand that not every decision I have made, nor will make, will be popular with everyone on our campus, Cook said in a prepared statement. Disagreements are inevitable in any large organization, but I continue to engage our faculty and staff, trustees, and students in open and transparent communication, even when that news is difficult.

On June 25, Cook said seven technical programs would be dropped due to low enrollment, economic stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the likelihood of deep cuts in state funding. The cuts were slated to affect 21 staff and faculty members, whose contracts run out on Aug. 29.

Joris Taupier, former faculty co-chair of the STCC All Unit Congress, said that frustrations among college employees have grown since the vote of no-confidence against Cook initiated by the congress in 2017.

With no advance notice, classes no longer in session, and so many employees on vacation, the vote total was extraordinary, Taupier said. It clearly reflects the prevailing sentiment at STCC.

The STCC All Unit Congress represents union and non-union employees, the congress release said. It is devoted to shared governance with the stated purpose of of countering abuses of power at the college.

In July, the programs being terminated were announced as automotive technology, biomedical engineering technology, biotechnology, civil engineering technology, cosmetology, dental assistant training and landscape design and management technology.

In August, Cook said one staff position was reinstated, but did not specify which position.

STCC Professional Association president Renae Gorman said at the time that Cook had been evasive and unapproachable. Cook said that he has sent a legal representative to meetings on the issues as proper for an impact bargaining issue.

Cook said that as he continues to lead STCC forward in challenging times, I will continue to ensure our unique institution addresses strategic challenges that include the stunning impact of COVID-19.

The college was forced to make extremely difficult decisions triggered by the pandemic, Cook said.

Be assured that when and if funding is made available, either by Massachusetts, or through the federal government, I will recommend to trustees that programs be reinstated with the needed and necessary spending on significant facilities issues, equipment and technology purchases, and the recall of valuable faculty that are at the heart of the consideration, Cook said.

The intent of every decision is to help our campus community better serve students, Cook said.
HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE: MAIN) ("Main Street") is pleased to announce that it recently completed a new portfolio investment to facilitate the minority recapitalization of Superior Rigging & Erecting Co. ("Superior" or the "Company"), a leading provider of rigging, steel erection and crane & equipment rental services throughout the southeastern United States. Main Street partnered with the Company's management team to facilitate the transaction, with Main Street funding $26.0 million in a combination of first-lien, senior secured term debt and a direct equity investment. In addition, Main Street is providing Superior with access to additional term debt to facilitate its future growth needs.

Founded in 1952, and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Superior (www.superiorrigging.com) provides rigging, steel erection and crane & equipment rental services to customers across the southeastern United States. The Company offers crane, forklift, tractor trailer and accessory equipment rental in addition to a variety of services, including structural steel erection, specialized rigging, millwrighting, turnkey plant services, heavy transport and warehousing. Superior maintains one of the largest fleets of cranes, forklifts and other peripheral equipment for contract or rental and partners with some of the most well-respected general contractors in its markets.

ABOUT MAIN STREET CAPITAL CORPORATION

Main Street (www.mainstcapital.com) is a principal investment firm that primarily provides long-term debt and equity capital to lower middle market companies and debt capital to middle market companies. Main Street's portfolio investments are typically made to support management buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings, refinancings and acquisitions of companies that operate in diverse industry sectors. Main Street seeks to partner with entrepreneurs, business owners and management teams and generally provides "one stop" financing alternatives within its lower middle market portfolio. Main Street's lower middle market companies generally have annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million. Main Street's middle market debt investments are made in businesses that are generally larger in size than its lower middle market portfolio companies.

Contacts:

Main Street Capital Corporation

Dwayne L. Hyzak, CEO, [email protected]

Brent D. Smith, CFO, [email protected]

713-350-6000

Dennard Lascar Investor Relations

Ken Dennard | [email protected]

Zach Vaughan | [email protected]

713-529-6600

SOURCE Main Street Capital Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mainstcapital.com


Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Cloudy. Some light rain is likely. Low 39F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy. Some light rain is likely. Low 39F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withheld the publication of an intelligence bulletin, which warned the agency of a Russian scheme to spread misinformation about the mental health of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The bulletin, titled Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election, was sent to the agencys legislative and public affairs office for review on 7 July, according to internal emails and a draft of the bulletin obtained by ABC News.

In the draft, analysts said with high confidence that Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.

Elizabeth Neumann, a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, told ABC that analysts do not use the phrase high confidence in reports of this kind very often.

The bulletin also raised the possibility of both China and Iran attempting to criticise president Donald Trump in the build up to Novembers presidential election, but mainly focused on the alleged disinformation around Mr Biden.

As an example of interference in Julys draft bulletin, analysts used a story from March on a Russian proxy website that refuted media claims that the candidates gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.

Although the bulletin was scheduled to be sent out to state and local law enforcement two days later on 9 July, an hour after it was received by the agency, DHS Chief of Staff John Gountanis intervened.

In an email obtained by ABC, Mr Gountanis wrote: Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to [acting secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf].

The bulletin was never sent out to law enforcement agencies, and a DHS spokesperson told ABC that its circulation was delayed because it did not meet the agencys standards.

The DHS spokesperson said that the agency generally does not comment on leaked documents, this particular draft product lacked the necessary context and evidence for broader dissemination outside of the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

After briefing the acting secretary and he asked questions, career leadership decided to delay the product for further review.

The leaked document again raises questions about Russian interference in Novembers election, after William R Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, claimed in August that the Russian government is taking active measures to primarily denigrate former vice president Biden.

Additionally, on Tuesday, Facebook and Twitter removed a small network of accounts and pages that were linked to a Russian troll factory that has reportedly used social media since 2016 to sow political discord in the US.

The Russian Internet Research Agency, which US intelligence agencies have previously said interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump, recruited journalists from the US to write articles and purchase political advertisements, without them knowing the purpose, according to NPR.

Graphika, a US analysis firm, that received the data before Facebooks announcement, confirmed that the networks small effort was similar to other attempts by the agency to undermine support for Democratic candidates.

The analysis firm reported that the networks content was hostile towards the Democratic nominee and his running mate, Kamala Harris, and was consistent with the original [Internet Research Agencys] attempt to depress support for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by infiltrating and influencing progressive audiences.

Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtagh told ABC about the claims of Russian misinformation schemes: We dont need or want any foreign interference, in the 2020 election. He claimed that president Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Multiple international clinical trials published Wednesday found that cheap, widely available steroid drugs can help the survival rate of seriously-ill coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The findings caused the World Health Organization (WHO) to release new guidance that urged a strong recommendation for the use of steroids to treat severely and critically-ill patients, but not those with mild cases of the disease.

Clearly, now steroids are the standard of care, Dr. Howard C. Bauchner, the editor-in-chief of JAMA, which published five papers about the treatment, told the New York Times.

Three related studies and an editorial were published in JAMA along with an analysis that pooled data from seven different randomized clinical trials focused on the efficacy of three different steroids in 1,703 critically-ill COVID-19 patients.

The trials were conducted across 12 countries between Feb. 26 and June 9 and found that there is evidence that treatment with corticosteroids is associated with reduced mortality for critically ill patients with COVID-19.

One steroid in particular  dexamethasone  was linked to a 36% drop in deaths in 1,282 patients treated in three separate trials.

Steroids like dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone  all of which were included in the studies  have been previously used by doctors to manage the immune system and reduce inflammation, swelling and pain.

The WHO urged that the use of the treatment be targeted toward patients with severe and critical COVID-19, noting that patients who are not seriously ill are unlikely to benefit from the treatment.

Additionally, the WHO warned that indiscriminate use of steroids could potentially rapidly deplete global resources and deprive patients who may benefit from it most as potentially life-saving therapy.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:18:13|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have cracked a case of drug trafficking, catching three suspects and seizing 23.7 kg of meth.

After receiving a tip-off earlier this year, police in Maguan County dispatched a task force to investigate the case.

On Aug. 31, the suspects were found to be carrying large amounts of drugs into China. At around 11:40 p.m. the same day, they were nabbed in the city of Gejiu, and the drugs were also seized on the spot.

Further investigation is underway.

Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Enditem
The country's largest bank, the State Bank of India, has mooted a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) that gives an option to employees who do not get promoted beyond a certain level to move out. SBI executives said the framework (scheme) is developed and would be discussed with the government, its majority shareholder. But they refused to elaborate on details. "This is a pyramid organisation.

People who do not get to move beyond a certain level need to have option to move out. A certain respectful exit is required for them. The bank is not going to push employee to take ...
They reached an agreement in 2016, in which Jacobs, one of the top sales tax producers in the village, built a new dealership, at 336 E. Ogden, just to the east of the existing dealership. In return for staying in Hinsdale, the village is rebating a share of the sales taxes the dealership collects over 15 years.
WASHINGTON: A second Trump administration appointee has been ousted at the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of the agencys botched announcement about an experimental therapy for COVID-19, which medical experts said damaged the health regulators credibility with the public.

An FDA spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that John Wolf Wagner, a political appointee installed by the White House earlier this summer, is no longer heading the agencys office of external affairs. Instead, Heidi Rebello, a longtime FDA career official, has stepped into the position on an acting basis, overseeing all FDA public communications. Politico first reported the news.

The shakeup comes just five days after conservative communications specialist Emily Miller was removed from her post heading the agencys press office. Miller served just 11 days on the job and helped coordinate the agencys announcement that it had granted emergency authorization to convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.

That announcement triggered a backlash last week after FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn was forced to correct misstatements that inflated the potential benefits of the therapy. The decision to authorize the treatment also followed threats and complaints from President Donald Trump, raising concerns that the FDA had buckled to political pressure from the president.

Health experts and former FDA officials say Hahn tarnished the agencys reputation at the moment its needed most: as agency scientists prepare to decide whether upcoming coronavirus vaccines are effective and safe to be given to millions of Americans. Public doubts about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines could derail U.S. plans for a mass vaccination effort.

Wagner is a longtime government and military spokesman with strong ties to the Republican Party and Trump White House. He was appointed to the FDA in June.

He previously worked as a communications consultant for the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he developed talking points and messaging, lined up surrogates for Trump and oversaw media engagements.

He was appointed in 2017 as deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, overseeing its public affairs operations and advising government officials on veterans issues. He helped develop the ChooseVA marketing program launched in 2018 that promoted the departments services and benefits to veterans and aimed to attract and retain employees.

Wagner was one of several Trump loyalists appointed to the FDA over the summer.

Millers appointment in mid-August drew scrutiny because it brought an outspoken pro-Trump media strategist with little background in science into an influential FDA role usually reserved for a career professional.

During her few days as chief spokeswoman, she defended her credentials, sparred with some reporters on Twitter and pushed back against claims that the FDAs convalescent plasma announcement was influenced by politics.

The FDA spokesperson said Wednesday that FDA communications adviser Michael Felberbaum had stepped into the role previously held by Miller on an acting basis.

___

AP writer Ryan Foley contributed to this story from Iowa City, Iowa.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:55:44|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Finland's economy will shrink by five percent this year but will rebound to three-percent growth in 2021, the Finland-based Nordea Financial Group said in a press release on Wednesday. Previously, Nordea projected four percent growth for next year.

Nordea said that Finland has successfully overcome the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Statistics Finland, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) plunged by 6.4 percent in the second quarter of 2020 year-on-year.

Nordea noted that Finland's export-oriented economy is heavily dependent on the global economy. Nordea expects the global economy to shrink by 3.5 percent this year and to expand by 5.3 percent in 2021.

Finnish Customs said on Monday that the country's exports slumped by 17.3 percent in the first half of 2020 on a year-on-year basis.

Currently, large economies are recovering from the pandemic at very different paces. While China rebuilds its economy at a rapid pace, economic recovery remains slow in the United States and the eurozone.

Nordea's economist Juho Kostiainen predicted in a press release that the trough caused by COVID-19 will be filled by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, the risk remains that Finland's export orders will continue to shrink, Kostiainen said, adding that maintaining cost competitiveness is a prerequisite for Finnish exports to return to growth.

Tuuli Koivu, chief economist at Nordea, noted that "Money is available via the recovery programs of states and central banks, but the issue is whether enterprises will have the guts to invest in an uncertain situation." Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  The Department of Health issued a warning on Wednesday on the health risks and sanctions for the improper disposal of used COVID-19 test kits.

Residents in Sampaloc, Manila City were worried on Tuesday night after dozens of used rapid test kits were found scattered along M. Dela Fuente Street. Based on a security footage, the kits fell from a punctured garbage bag that was attached to a pedicab.

Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire urged healthcare facilities to ensure the proper disposal of hazardous wastes, saying these items deemed as "healthcare waste" should be placed in an Environment Department-approved container with proper label. She said this will prevent the possibility of garbage collectors touching the test kits containing samples from probable COVID-19 cases.

"There is a sanction for all of these healthcare facilities na hindi nila tinatapon nang maayos ang kanilang waste... Ito ay maaaring makapanghawa at makapag-cause ng harm sa mga tao," she said in a media forum.

[Translation: There is a sanction for all of these healthcare facilities that do not properly dispose of their waste. This can be infectious and cause harm.]

She said the responsibility lies on the healthcare facility, adding that failure to properly dispose of medical waste may lead to suspension or even the revocation of their operating license. Vergeire urged them to sign deals with disposal firms or coordinate with their local government unit.

"Definitely their license will be at risk," she warned.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said the city governments health department and six district hospitals are compliant with DOH rules, adding they haven't used rapid test kits since mid-July. He warned all clinics, laboratories, and companies in the city that failure to properly dispose hazardous waste would lead to business closure.

The Manila Police District has started the investigation on the source of the used test kits and charges will be filed for improper waste management.
Kenosha police confirmed that there were multiple fatalities resulting from a fire in an apartment complex on the city's north side late Monda
Belgian Wout van Aert won the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a 183km ride from Gap that featured no breakaway, an almost unprecedented scenario in normal racing conditions in the modern era on Wednesday. Frances Julian Alaphilippe lost the competitions overall lead after a 20-second penalty, handing it to UKs Adam Yates.

Dutchman Cees Bol was second and Sam Bennett took third place to become the first Irishman to wear the green jersey for the points classification since Sean Kelly in 1990.

Alaphilippe was first reported as having retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after staying tucked in the peloton the whole day. But it has since been announced that he has lost the Tour de France's overall lead after being handed a 20-second penalty at the end of Wednesday's stage.

Alaphilippe snatched a bottle 17km from the line, but the rules state that feeding is illegal within 20km of the finish.

Adam Yates is the new overall leader in the updated Tour de France rankings.

Thursday's sixth stage is a 191km middle-mountain trek from Le Teil to the Mont Aigoual.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
SC directs states to reach out to 10,000 kids orphaned due to Covid-19, pay compensation

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

New AI-based test uses X-rays to detect Covid in a few minutes

Coronavirus: Centre issues SOPs for conducting exams during pandemic

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Sep 02: The Centre on Wednesday issued guidelines enumerating preventive measures to be followed while conducting examinations during the pandemic.

These include maintaining physical distancing of at least 6 feet as far as feasible, mandatory use of face covers/masks, frequent hand-washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) and use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers (for at least 20 seconds) wherever feasible.

Generic preventive measures

The generic measures include simple public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of COVID-19. These measures need to be observed by all (staff, students and parents) in these places at all times.

Physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed as far as feasible.

Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory.

Practice frequent hand washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) even when hands are not visibly dirty. Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (for at least 20 seconds) can be made wherever feasible.

Respiratory etiquette to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one's mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly.

Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest.

Spitting shall be strictly prohibited.

Installation & use of Aarogya Setu App shall be advised to all, as far as feasible.

All Universities/Educational Institutions/Examination Conducting Authorities/Examination centers shall ensure the following:

Planning of examinations

Only those examination centers which are outside the containment zone shall be allowed to function.

Staff/examinees from containment zones shall not be permitted. Such examinees shall be given an opportunity to undertake the examination through other means or the Universities/Educational Institution shall arrange for taking exam at a later date for such students.

Universities/ Educational Institutions/ Examination Conducting Authorities/ Examination centers may plan out the examination schedule in a staggered manner so as to avoid overcrowding at any examination center on any day.

Keeping in view the physical distancing norms, institutions should have adequate room capacity to ensure proper seating arrangement for examination.

Appropriate arrangements for personal protection gears like face covers/masks, and other logistic like hand sanitizers, soap, sodium hypochlorite solution etc. shall be made available by Universities/ Educational Institutions/Examination Conducting Authorities/Examination centers to the staff as well as students as per requirements.

Exam functionary and examinees may also submit self-declaration about health status at the time of entrance to the examination center. Such self-declaration form may be circulated at the time of issue of admit tickets. A simple do's and dont's/ Advisory may also be circulated at the time of issue of admit tickets.

Students should also be given prior information on what they should carry,which includes exam related documents (Admit card, ID card etc) , face mask, water bottle, hand sanitizer etc.

Adequate manpower shall be deployed by the Institution for maintaining discipline (to ensure observance to distancing norms and other preventive measures at all times) during conduct of the examination.

Adequate number of registration rooms and manpower for document verification and recording of attendance shall be planned duly ensuring social distancing norms.

Invigilators and supervisory staff need to be briefed on the code of conduct in the context of COVID.

Provisions must be made for display of Posters/standees/AV media on preventive measures about COVID-19 prominently at the examination center (outside and inside).

The examination center should have a designated isolation room for isolating any person who is found symptomatic at the time of screening or during examination, till such time medical advice may be sought. A clear policy on allowing symptomatic candidates to undertake examinations shall be delineated by the Examination Conducting Authorities in advance.

Transportation to and from the examination center If any transportation is arranged by educational institutions conducting examinations, proper sanitization of buses/other transport vehicles shall be ensured.

Entry and exit to the examination center

Entrances to have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal screening provisions. If any examination functionary/examinee fails to meet the self-declaration criteria, they shall not be allowed entry.

Only asymptomatic staff and students shall be allowed inside the examination hall.

In regular course, a symptomatic candidate should be referred to the nearest health center and given an opportunity to undertake the examination through other means or the Universities/Educational Institution shall arrange for taking exam at a later date when the student is declared physically fit.

However, if a student is found to be symptomatic and insists on giving the examination, he may be allowed to take examination by shifting the candidate to a separate isolation room. The permission in such cases shall be granted as per the policy already enunciated on the issue by the Examination Conducting Authorities.

All staff and students to be allowed entry only if using face cover/masks. The face cover/mask has to be worn at all times inside the examination center by all.

Enough entry & exits gates for students and staff shall be ensured to avoid overcrowding.

Maintaining physical distancing of a minimum of 6 feet, when queuing up for entry and inside the center as far as feasible.

Specific markings may be made with sufficient distance to manage the queue and ensure social distancing in the premises.

Proper crowd management in the examination center as well as outside premises like parking lots, waiting areas - duly following physical distancing norms shall be ensured. Bags/books/mobiles should not be allowed in the examination center.

The examinees will be taken to a registration room in batches maintaining adequate physical distancing norms for document verification and recording of attendance.

Thereafter they will be escorted in batches to the allotted examination hall.

Frisking of examinees, if needed, shall be undertaken after thermal screening. Personnel involved in frisking shall wear triple layer medical mask in addition to gloves. Proper hand hygiene shall be maintained by such personnel every time they change their gloves.

On completion of exam, the candidates should be permitted to move out in an orderly manner

Special precautions for high-risk individuals All staff that is at high risk (older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions) shall not be deployed for invigilation/conduct of examination.



Such staff should preferably be deployed in tasks not requiring direct contact with the students.



Movement within the exam center, seating arrangement including conduct of examination



Number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining physical distancing norms.



Provision of wheelchairs, if warranted, should be ensured and these should be disinfected regularly.



In case of PwD candidate availing a scribe, both the candidate and scribe must wear the masks and be made to sit with adequate physical distancing.



Institutions may adopt contact-less processes like OR code, online forms, digital signatures for the examination.



Adequate arrangements for safe drinking water (preferably with disposable cups/glasses) be made in the examination hall.



Seating arrangement in the examination hall to be made in such a way that adequate social distancing is maintained.



For pen & paper based tests, the invigilator will sanitize his hands prior to distribution of question papers/answer sheets. The examinees will also sanitize their hands before receiving such papers and handing them back to invigilators. The collection and packing of the answer sheets, at every stage will involve sanitization of the hands. The answer sheets will preferably be opened up after 72 hours have elapsed post collection of papers.



Use of spit/saliva for counting/distributing sheets shall not be allowed.



Sharing of personal belongings/stationery shall not be allowed.



For online/computer-based examination, the systems shall be disinfected using alcohol wipes before and after conduct of examination.

Record of all exam functionaries/examinees shall be maintained in the system for future reference and traceability. For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which emphasize that the

(i) temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30C,

(ii) relative humidity should be in the range of 40- 70%, (iii) re-circulation of air to be avoided to the extent possible,

(iv) intake of fresh air should be as much as possible and (v) cross ventilation should be adequate. Sanitation and Hygiene Examination hall and other common areas shall be sanitized each time before and after examination. Effective and frequent sanitation within the premises shall be maintained with particular focus on lavatories, drinking and hand washing stations/areas. Cleaning and regular disinfection (using 1% sodium hypochlorite) of frequently touched surfaces (door knobs, elevator buttons, hand rails, benches, washroom fixtures, etc.) to be made mandatory in all examination hall and other common areas. Students and staff should be advised to dispose of used face covers / masks in covered bins available at the center. The waste thus generated may be disposed off in accordance with the hazardous waste disposal guidelines. SOPs in case of a suspect case or person who develops COVID symptoms during exams Place the ill person in a room or area where they are isolated from others.



The person will remain isolated while wearing a mask/face cover till such time he/she is

examined by a doctor.

examined by a doctor.

The examinees exhibiting symptoms and willing to give the examination, may be allowed to take examination by shifting the candidate to a separate isolation room.



If symptoms deteriorate, inform the nearest medical facility (hospital/clinic) or call the state or district helpline.



A risk assessment shall be undertaken by the designated public health authority (district RRT/treating physician) and accordingly further action be initiated regarding management of case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection.



Disinfection of the premises to be taken up if the person is found positive.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 18:27 [IST]
Campus News

UBs GRoW Home moves to North Campus to become clean energy center

The GRoW Home was moved from the South Campus to a site at the Solar Strand along Flint Road near Maple Road on the North Campus.

At its new location on the North Campus, the GRoW Home will become a clean energy center for the campus and the public.

The GRoW Home is lowered onto a flatbed for the trip to the North Campus.

A crane lifts the GRoW Home from its temporary home behind Hayes Hall and Wende Hall on the South Campus.

By DAVID J. HILL

Its both exciting and important that projects like this have a life beyond the design studio or classroom. And what a life! 

UBs national award-winning GRoW Home has changed addresses once again, and this time its permanent. The 1,100-square-foot solar structure has relocated next to the Solar Strand near the Flint Road entrance to the North Campus, where it will serve as a clean energy center for the campus and the public.

As a project that has brought together hundreds of students, faculty and staff from across the university over the years, the GRoW Home is a tangible example of the unique hands-on learning opportunities with real-world impact that UB offers, says A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

The move to the North Campus will showcase the work of our students, faculty and staff, as well as UBs strong commitment to and leadership in renewable energy and climate action, Weber adds.

The GRoW Home placed second overall in the U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored Solar Decathlon in southern California in 2015. Funding from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authoritys REV Campus Challenge program paved the way for the structure to be permanently installed on the North Campus and exhibited for the past 18 months behind Hayes Hall on the South Campus. Hayes is home to the School of Architecture and Planning, whose students and faculty played a lead role in the homes design.

The story of the GRoW Home reaches back more than seven years and has been shaped by more than 400 students from across UB who have taken it from concept and construction, to exhibition on the international stage and, finally, to its siting on UBs North Campus, says Robert G. Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning.

Permanently siting the GRoW Home within internationally renowned landscape architect Walter Hoods 750 kW Solar Strand on the North Campus will serve to leverage the universitys commitment to solar energy and highlight UBs ability to successfully generate solar power, as well as establish a multi-faceted space that invites the community in, thereby creating one of the most publicly accessible renewable energy landscapes in the country.

The GRoW Homes new location at the entrance to our North Campus reinforces the universitys commitment to achieve climate neutrality and the work our campus is engaged in with advancing UBs 10-in-10 strategy, says Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration.

Crews from Ledge Creek Development worked over the summer to prepare the foundation where the GRoW Home will be placed on the North Campus. It will now be known as the GRoW Clean Energy Center. Among the biggest changes to take place is an interior transformation that will shift the building from a single-family dwelling to a clean energy center. Once the transformation is completed and the building is open, it will be staffed and accessible to visitors by appointment.

It will also serve as a field classroom, as well as meeting and reception space for students and community members. Other uses include:

Gathering and orientation space for K-12 clean energy tours in collaboration with the UB Solar Strand.

Housing exhibits and learning opportunities related to renewable energy and the structures original design.

Meeting space for Western New York clean energy and sustainability organizations.

Hosting small class seminars and student sustainability club activities.

Showcasing the expansive sustainability work being conducted across the university.

Technological enhancements will include interactive displays, solar energy generation, ultra-building efficiency and more.

Its new, final siting will also pay homage to the journey that has taken the GRoW Home from Buffalo to California and back, while making a strong statement about the future of clean energy at a major entrance to campus.

Its both exciting and important that projects like this have a life beyond the design studio or classroom. And what a life! says Martha Bohm, associate professor in the Department of Architecture, who, along with fellow associate professor Nicholas Rajkovich, played a key role in the projects formative years.

This building has traversed the entire country, and will now stand sentry at a UB campus entrance. Not only this, but students who worked on this project have been out in the working world for five years, bringing their collaborative creativity and energy savviness to design professions in need of innovative thinking, Bohm adds.

Bohm led a studio in fall 2017 in which seven graduate students spent the semester developing a vision for the siting of the GRoW Home on the North Campus. Over the years, students and faculty from the School of Architecture and Planning and several other schools and departments across campus have contributed significantly to the GRoW Home, as has the support of individual donors and organizations.

All of these partnerships over the years have paved the way for the GRoW Homes next chapter, one that will help UB tell the story of the future of clean energy.

The complement of a zero-energy solar home and solar array as land-art installation demonstrates what is possible when we work together toward new possibilities for beauty, ingenuity and resiliency in climate-responsible design, Shibley says.
Labels on desks designate where students can sit with respect to social distancing at a Los Angeles Unified School District campus. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Schools in Los Angeles County can reopen small classes beginning on Sept. 14 for students with disabilities and English-language learners, a move to safely provide in-person instruction and services to children whose education has deeply suffered since campuses closed in March.

Small groups of students who have individualized education plans, require instruction for English as a second language, or must have an assessment to determine their needs will be able to come to campus for services, as long as their schools comply with the county's reopening protocols, the health department announced Wednesday.

"This will get children who are in the most need of in-person learning back into the classroom," said Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis during a news briefing.

The county said schools must maintain small, stable cohorts of no more than 12 students and two supervisors in order to ensure the safety of teachers and students. Schools must submit an operational plan to the county Department of Public Health and adhere to reopening protocols.

With Wednesday's announcement, attention turned immediately to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the state's largest and one of 80 school systems in L.A. County. About 13%, or 64,500, of its students were classified as having a significant disability in 2019. About 123,500 students are learning to speak English proficiently.

L.A. school board member Nick Melvoin said he hoped the district could follow up quickly and safely.

Even with big improvements to distance learning since the spring, its still a struggle for our most vulnerable students, particularly those with disabilities and English learners," Melvoin said. "In light of the countys revised guidelines, Im eager for the district to explore how to safely offer in-school services for these students."

State officials opened this door for limited on-campus activity last week. But L.A. County was not required to permit this step, especially because the county's rate of COVID-19 infection remains in the state's purple tier  the worst category, indicating widespread disease transmission.

Story continues

State guidelines have offered hope that elementary schools could reopen through a waiver application process. More than 200 such waivers have been approved across California, mostly for private and faith-based schools, including dozens in Orange and San Diego counties.

But L.A. County health officials, who must approve waivers in conjunction with the state, said Wednesday that this option remains closed for local private and public schools.

Special education has been inconsistent at best since campuses statewide shut down in March. The state has mandated that school districts continue to provide special education to students with disabilities as required by federal laws, but has waived timelines that allow students to receive assessments and services quickly. Parents, advocates and educators say many students with disabilities are not receiving the education or services to which they are entitled.

L.A. Unified officials, along with districts throughout the state, have acknowledged the difficulty of providing help to students who require close contact, direct feedback or hands-on services, including speech therapy, hearing evaluation and orthopedic manipulation. School districts have developed procedures that can be conducted online, but there are limitations.

According to state data, there were about 260,000 English learners in districts across L.A. County in the 2019-20 school year, and 190,000 students enrolled in special education in 2018-19, the most recent year for which data were available.

L.A. County Office of Education Supt. Debra Duardo said Wednesday's announcement was "very encouraging." She added that "our students with special needs and English Learners are among the most vulnerable during this time of distance learning."

While the county's rules are meant to prioritize safety, they don't guarantee that a school system will be ready to open for these small classes. L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner has noted in past statements that he, like many district employees, would fall into a high-risk category and that he wouldn't ask employees to take a risk he would be unwilling to take himself.

Another unknown on Wednesday was the extent to which a district's labor groups would have to sign off on plans to bring students back on campus. L.A.'s teachers union  and unions in many other school systems  only recently completed an agreement on the rules for distance-only learning. Rules for a return to campus will require a separate round of negotiations.

But the move raised hopes among advocates for students with special needs.

"It's a positive step that the county is opening the door for students with high needs for whom distance learning isn't working to safely receive instruction and services in person on campus," said Lisa Mosko, director of advocacy for special education and educational rights with the group Speak Up.

Michael Agyin, a behavior therapist and disability advocate who works with L.A. Unified students with autism, cerebral palsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, said the need for hands-on services is urgent.

While we tried to do some of these things over Zoom, you really can't replace the professional services that these kids need," Agyin said.

Children also struggled to adapt to learning in a new environment, he said.

Many students, especially with autism, thrive on routine, he explained. One parent still had to drive her child to school so he would stay calm." The child would get dressed up, get his backpack, ride to school, see the school, then return home and set up for class on Zoom.

Still, although he said he'd seen some students "backtrack," Agyin said he was also wary of returning to campuses more quickly than it would be safe to do so.

Long Beach Unified, the second-largest district in L.A. County with 85 schools and roughly 70,000 students, is discussing whether it will be ready to open by Sept. 14 for students with special needs.

Were reviewing the guidance carefully and will confer with Long Beach Health and Human Services, said Chris Eftychiou, the districts public information officer, in an emailed statement. Well keep you posted if we intend to provide in-person instruction at some point.

The Las Virgenes Unified School District, on the county's western end, intends to embrace the new guidelines and offer on-campus services to these groups of students as soon as legally permitted, said Supt. Dan Stepenosky.

He said the immediate focus would be to help students in ways that could not be well managed via Zoom or other forms of distance learning. The district, he said, would evaluate how soon these students could return safely for all their learning activities.

"We want to crawl before we walk and walk before we run," said Stepenosky, who added that parents in his district are eager for all students to return to campus.

Times staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report.
After spending the last two weeks reporting on the Democratic and Republican conventions from the comfort of my own living room (which also happens to be my bedroom and my kitchen  thank you, New York real estate!) Im finally managing to get back to some semblance of a normal sleeping schedule. The rest of the election, however, has no hope of procuring a renewed state of normality (or, as they say in the States, normalcy, a bastardisation of the language so hideous that I have been known to scream it during night terrors. It is equalled in hideousness only by healthful, the American English equivalent of healthy. And you thought elevator was bad.)

Its a funny thing, watching an election unfold which could affect every aspect of your life but in which you have absolutely no agency. There will be no ballot paper with my name on it on 3 November  I am but a lowly immigrant on a visa which can never become a green card, no matter how long I stay in the country  but my life, my livelihood and my relationship (with another non-American) is here. When I watch Donald Trump and Joe Biden wax lyrical about healthcare provision, gun laws, environmentalism, tax brackets and the economy, Im watching them discuss things which have a direct impact on my own health, my safety and my monthly pay cheque. The feeling must be even stranger for those thousands of undocumented immigrants who quietly make up the backbone of the country, working long hours, paying taxes, educating their children, contributing to their neighbourhoods and hoping that one day, under another kind of government, they will be able to hold up these achievements as proof that they deserve to be naturalised.

Im often approached in the street by political campaigners representing the Democrats (funnily enough, never the Republicans  maybe its the 18 inches of out-of-control ginger hair and the left-field fashion sense) and asked to sign petitions or to pledge to vote. When I explain that Im ineligible, they often do a double-take. Im not the person they think of when they think immigrant. I also have a weird hybrid Atlantic accent that flips between Americanisms and Britishisms on the regular and usually, according to my sister, sounds Australian. When I visited San Diego with a friend in January, a Californian cab driver simply refused to accept that I came from the UK and instead insisted that I just had a New York accent.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) has sent an appeal to international organizations regarding the latest provocations of Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan and the illegal resettlement of Armenian families from Lebanon in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing NAP.

The appeal emphasized that for almost thirty years Armenia, grossly violating the norms of international law, has been holding under occupation a fifth of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan - the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts.

As a continuation of the aggression policy, on July 12-16, 2020, Armenia carried out armed provocations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border using artillery and mortars to seize the combat positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. During the clashes, the Armenian armed forces shelled the villages of Aghdam, Dondar-Gushchu, Vahidli and Alibeyli of Azerbaijans Tovuz district and deliberately attacked civilian targets. As a result, 12 Azerbaijani servicemen, including high-ranking officers, were killed, as well as a 76-year-old civilian was killed, numerous people were wounded, and serious damage to civilian objects, including private houses and hospitals, was done, the appeal noted.

In those days, radical Armenian groups committed aggressive actions against members of Azerbaijani communities abroad, peaceful Azerbaijani demonstrators protesting against the recent military provocation of the Armenian armed forces, as well as diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan in a number of foreign countries. The latest provocation by Armenia was committed in an area that has nothing to do with the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan, but close to strategic regional energy pipelines, including the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), and the transport infrastructure of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, added the appeal.

Armenia also openly attempted to expand the scale of the confrontation and bring the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to a new level of tension. To this end, immediately after the clashes, Yerevan turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the military-political union, of which Armenia is a member, said the appeal.

After fierce fighting in mid-July, the situation on the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has remained unstable. The Armenian army continues to fire at the Azerbaijani side and commit provocative actions that could aggravate the situation again. Recently, while trying to make a provocation in Azerbaijans Goranboy district by a sabotage reconnaissance group of the Armenian army, its commander was detained by servicemen of the Azerbaijani army, stressed the appeal.

Yerevan continues to openly violate its international obligations and uses every opportunity to illegally resettle Armenians to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The Armenian leadership regarded the recent explosion in Beirut as a pretext for the illegal placement of Armenians in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts. Thus, the leader of the separatist regime, created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, proposed to resettle 150 Armenian families from Lebanon to Nagorno-Karabakh, and according to information disseminated by the Armenian Public Radio, several Armenian families from Lebanon have already settled there," the appeal said.

For many years Armenia continues to illegally resettle Armenians from some Middle East countries to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan. The fact of illegal settlement by Armenia is also reflected in the relevant reports of the OSCE fact-finding missions. The illegal resettlement of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh is part of the policy of annexing Armenia under the pretext of "repatriation" and "humanitarian aid". Attempts to pursue an illegal settlement policy and purposefully change the demographic composition of the occupied territories are a gross violation of international humanitarian law, the appeal emphasized.

Azerbaijan calls on the international community to condemn these actions of Armenia, and demand that the leadership of this country conduct negotiations from a position of goodwill to achieve a sustainable settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized border level, pursuant to four UN Security Council resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, said the appeal.

Therefore, it is extremely important for the international community to condemn Armenia for its acts of aggression against Azerbaijan. Until the international community resolutely condemns the policy of aggression and occupation of Armenia and takes tough measures against the dangerous illegal actions of this country, the entire region will constantly face the risk of being drawn into destructive armed conflicts, the appeal added.
New moderate income housing program could be on the way to Long Beach
Nigerian oil agency under scrutiny for missing billions Nigeria's oil-rich Niger delta is prone to corruption and mismanagement, officials say. Here we see an abandoned boat filled with oil near the city of Port Harcourt

Investigators are looking for billions of dollars in missing or stolen funds from a Nigerian agency created to develop the oil-rich but impoverished Niger delta.

Like the rest of the nation's opaque oil sector, officials say the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), based in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt, has been a pit of corruption and mismanagement since its establishment 20 years ago.

Nine states in the oil region rake in trillions of naira (billions of dollars) every year thanks to huge payments mandated from the central government and oil majors.

To date, over 12,000 projects have been approved for the commission, but only a fraction have been executed, a recent parliamentary probe revealed.

This year alone, more than 81 billion naira ($215 million, 180 million euros) have been allegedly misappropriated by officials and contractors, with some believed to have been spent on international flights and training while the nation's airspace was shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, the government approved auditors led by Ernst & Young to examine the finances of the agency.

Godswill Akpabio, the minister for Niger Delta Affairs, said the appointment of a team of auditors followed a probe ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari in October.

Akpabio, himself under parliamentary scrutiny for alleged graft, said the auditors would examine projects approved by the NDDC over the last 19 years.

"Through this exercise, we will know the amount of monies that have gone into the region in the last 19 years and whether the value we have received so far are commensurate with the monies that have entered into NDDC," he said.

In a public hearing last month, NDDC head Kemebradikumo Pondei fainted while being questioned by lawmakers.

Despite sitting on Nigeria's multi-billion-dollar oil and gas riches, the Niger delta remains impoverished and under-developed, sparking militant unrest in the early 2000s.

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At the time, attacks on oil facilities reduced Nigeria's oil output to one-third, hurting revenue.

Africa's largest crude producer and exporter depends on the oil sector for a huge chunk of government revenues and about 90 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.

- Abandoned projects -

In southern Bayelsa state, broken promises are clear to see as construction sites abandoned by NDDC contractors litter the landscape.

Partially-finished projects to protect the shoreline and build link roads to remote communities are deserted.

An eight-kilometre (five-mile) route was supposed to reach Ogbia, the home area of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The project was awarded in 2013 to a company owned by a cousin of the former president but never completed.

Community leaders are upset that well-connected contractors, mostly from the region, are abandoning sites after collecting huge sums.

"I cannot tell of a project that has been completed by NDDC in this community even though we have a series of such projects," Duateki Oriango-Oruwari told AFP.

"For those of us residing in the riverine regions, we experience coastal erosion every day."

Another community head, Alex Ekiyor complained that people from the region who get the jobs are not doing them.

"What is most depressing and sad is the fact that when the government awards these projects to our own sons, they abandon them."

Several contractors denied abandoning sites, saying they had not been paid by the NDDC.

Azibaola Robert, the cousin of former president Jonathan, said his firm was owed roughly $1.5 million.

"When the money is paid, we will remobilise to site and the projects will be executed," he insisted.

He blamed unrest by angry local residents for stalling projects in the Niger delta.

"While dredging sand from a river in a nearby community for the project, locals from the community seized our machines insisting that we must employ them or pay them a particular amount of money," he said.

Industry watchers however say for the ongoing probe to be meaningful, the government must stop appointing politicians and cronies into the NDDC.

"They see such appointments as compensation and not a call to service," columnist Shaka Momodu wrote recently in independent This Day newspaper.

"Such appointees resume work with eyes on the purse."

He wanted oil companies that must contribute three percent of their annual budgets to the NDDC to be represented on its board.

"It is rather bewildering that the international oil companies...have continued to look the other way despite all the looting and corruption that has taken place in the commission," Momodu said.

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Australia is far from the only nation China is bullying to get its way politically.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has analysed how the Communist superpower uses so-called wolf warrior diplomacy to silence its major trading partners.

Like two-thirds of the world, Australia has China as its biggest trading partner.

Developing and first-world nations alike are heavily reliant on China, whether they are a major exporter or an importer of essential goods.

Australia's exports to China are worth more than the goods it imports, which makes it particularly vulnerable to politically-motivated trade sanctions.

Scroll down for video

Australia is far from the only nation China is bullying to get its way politically. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has analysed how the Communist superpower uses so-called wolf warrior diplomacy to silence its major trading partners. Pictured is President Xi Jinping with his predecessors Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin in 2019

While Australia is one of the few nations in the world exporting iron ore, the commodity used to make steel, it hardly has a monopoly on wine, beef, tourism and university education.

Poll Should Australia scale back trade ties with China? Yes No Don't know Should Australia scale back trade ties with China? Yes 768 votes

No 58 votes

Don't know 14 votes Now share your opinion





ASPI, a think tank, said this made Australia particularly vulnerable to Chinese retaliation, with its ambassador to Canberra Cheng Jingye in April threatening a trade boycott following calls from Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

'China is the largest trading partner for nearly two-thirds of the world's countries, and its global economic importance gives it significant leverage,' it said in a report by Fergus Hanson, Emilia Currey and Tracy Beattie.

'The impacts of coercive diplomacy are exacerbated by the growing dependency of foreign governments and companies on the Chinese market.'

ASPI's 68-page report - titled The Chinese Communist Party's coercive diplomacy - said China's bullying was set to get worse.

'The economic, business and security risks of that dependency are likely to increase if the CCP can continue to successfully use this form of coercion,' it said.

'This carrot-and-stick approach reflects "a new level of assertiveness, confidence and ambition" in the CCPs foreign policy and economic diplomacy.'

Australia's exports to China are worth more than the goods it imports, which makes it particularly vulnerable to politically-motivated trade sanctions. China's ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye (pictured) in April threatening a trade boycott following calls from Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19

China in May slapped 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barely and last week added new quarantine restrictions to a fifth beef abattoir.

Australia's biggest exports to China Iron ore: $65billion Education: $40billion Business services: $28billion Tourism: $26billion Liquefied natural gas: $18billion Metallurgical coal: $10billion Thermal coal: $7billion Source: A Westpac analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences data for 2019 Advertisement

The Communist nation has now banned a major grain exporter, CBH in Western Australia, from sending barley there, claiming there were pests in the produce.

Instead of using military force, ASPI said the Chinese Communist Party deployed 'non-militarised coercion' or 'the use of threats of negative actions to force the target state to change behaviour'.

'The CCP is instead arbitrarily imposing measures without officially acknowledging the link between the measures taken and the CCPs interests, which allows for greater flexibility in escalating or de-escalating situations with less accountability and international oversight,' it said.

'This non-traditional type of coercive diplomacy therefore requires a very different set of policy tools and responses.'

Despite the trade retaliation from China, Australia recorded a record current account surplus in the June quarter.

The balance of payments data, broadly measuring Australia's international trade, showed a record $17.7billion surplus - increasing by $8.7billion to almost double.

Australia's trade with China during the last financial year was worth $151billion - with China buying 34 per cent of exports.

This occurred despite the closure of Australia's national border in March, which saw a 99 per cent plunge in overseas tourist arrivals.

Economist Saul Eslake said while China could make trade boycott threats, it wasn't in a position yet to cut off Australia's iron ore exports, used to make steel.

'The thing that will ultimately kill our iron ore trade is when the Chinese have enough scrap steel that they don't need to make raw steel to meet what they need,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'China won't be in a position where scrap steel can meet most of their demand until 2030 or thereabouts.'

The Communist nation has now banned a major grain exporter, CBH in Western Australia, from sending barley there, claiming there were pests in the produce. Pictured is a Queensland Darling Downs barley grower

Brazilian iron ore production has faltered as a result of COVID-19 and the Simandou mine in the west African nation of Guinea, which Chinese state-owned aluminium company Chinalco has a 40 per cent stake in, won't be ready for at least five years.

China has been Australia's biggest two-way trading partner since 2009.

Little more than a decade ago, China replaced Japan as Australia's biggest trading partner.

Japan in 1967 replaced the United Kingdom as Australia's key trading partner as Great Britain prepared to join the European Community.

Unlike the United States and Russia, which pressure smaller nations, ASPI said the Chinese Communist Party preferred threats to chequebook diplomacy.

'The CCP's approach is unique in that it rarely employs traditional methods of coercive diplomacy, which are regulated through the states official capacity,' it said.
IT HAS been 480 days and counting that the Chuck E Cheese franchise in Trinidad has remained closed as children under 12 are still not allowed in safe zones.

In October, the Government drafted a safe zone policy that does not allow children under 12 to enter restaurants and other places of leisure.
Containment of the Hennessey Fire grew to 74% Wednesday morning, as the number of destroyed homes in Napa County was upped from 254 to 297, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said 439 structures of all types have been destroyed in Napa County by the Hennessey Fire, which started from lightning strikes in Napa on Aug. 17 and grew to 317,909 acres across five counties. The fire zone, which covers 33% of the county, has not expanded over the past two days.

Napa Valley residents should see improved air quality over the next couple of day, with good quality on Wednesday and moderate air quality forecast for Thursday, Cal Fire said.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Saturday through Monday, Labor Day, with temperatures ranging from 100 to 105 degrees on Saturday and 105 to 110 degrees Sunday and Monday in the warmest inland locations.

The Hennessey Fire is part of the LNU Lightning Complex that also includes several wildfires in Sonoma County. Altogether, they have burned 375,209 acres, a total that is unchanged from Tuesday.

The largest of the Sonoma County fires, the Walbridge Fire west of Healdsburg, was 85% percent contained Wednesday morning.

Editors Note: Because of the public safety implications of the wildfires, we are providing access to this article free of charge. To support local journalism, please visit https://napavalleyregister.com/members/join/ and consider becoming a member.
Two important statements from the diamond-encrusted gob of Kanye West yesterday: one about George W Bush, and one about his penis (Kanye's, not Dubya's). In his memoir Decision Points, which covers the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina and the global economic meltdown, Bush writes that the very lowest moment of his presidency came when West claimed, on live TV, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." This outburst occurred in the days following Katrina, when thousands of Louisiana's citizens were left dead or homeless by the disaster. Still, West claims, he understands the former president's pain  as it's very much like the backlash he himself suffered after interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at an awards ceremony. "The poetic justice that I feel, to have went through the same thing... now I really more connect with him on just a humanitarian level," West explained. Meanwhile, his penis has gone viral. No, not like that. West has confessed that an image doing the rounds online is, indeed, a real photo of him with his bits out. A self-portrait, he sent it to a young lady whom he hoped to woo via MySpace. Naturally.

* When they were but stripling MPs, Dave Cameron, George (ne Gideon) Osborne and Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson were enlisted to help the then Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith, prepare for PMQs. Only, Duncan Smith tells Iain Dale for Total Politics magazine, Boris wasn't much bloomin' use. "Boris would come in and read the paper," IDS recalls, "and say a couple of things and then he would leave! Boris was always late. He'd say 'It's all going wonderfully!' and then up and leave. I love Boris to bits but he'd be the first to admit that he didn't really produce that many one-liners. George and David were very good on the one-liners. Sorry, Boris will kill me for that now..." Funny, that, as I'd always thought Boris rather gifted with a memorable one-liner: "I'm backing David Cameron's campaign out of pure, cynical self-interest," for instance. Or "The Lib Dems are not just empty. They are a void within a vacuum surrounded by a vast inanition." Or this one, which surely IDS will remember, what with being the cabinet minister responsible for benefits: "We will not accept any sort of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London."

* A day of nostalgia for another member of the Notting Hill set, Michael Gove, who may shed a tear for his former self as he observes today's BBC strikes. The Education Sec was once a reporter for Radio 4's On the Record, and a former colleague of his reminisces fondly about joining "Red Mike" on the picket line to protest job cuts at the corporation. Gove, he/she insists, was "the most polite and courteous picket you could hope to stand alongside, and a very conscientious trade unionist."

* Greg Dyke knows what it's like to lose a job at the Beeb. But, he explained at a Penfolds Vintage Years speaker event this week, he never really fitted in at the top. "I didn't get on well with the governors of the BBC," he told the audience at London's Hospital Club. "The chairman said to me once: 'Could you stop making jokes at governors' meetings?' They took it more seriously than I did." The killjoys.

* A gem dredged from the bottom of the Spending Review and reproduced in this column last week: "There will be a reduction of 25 per cent," it said, "in the costs of providing support to the Prime Minister, including reducing travel costs... energy efficiency and wider efficiencies." If No 10 is to be believed, these "wider efficiencies" happen to include the hiring of Dave's personal photographer and film-maker. One anonymous "senior Tory cabinet minister" told Sky's excitable chief political correspondent that "David Cameron making his personal photographer a civil servant is about as sensible as William Hague sharing a hotel room with a male aide during the election campaign." A senior Tory downing a brace of cabinet colleagues with a right and a left. Who could this anonymous briefer be?

* Elsewhere on the parliamentary battlefield, Liam "13th Century" Fox was forced to apologise to the Speaker yesterday afternoon, after arriving late  out of breath, in fact  for a Commons defence debate. Where had he been held up, I wonder. Lunch? The loo? The lobby?

highstreetken@independent.co.uk
In January, Rita Slavin's daughter signed an ironclad lease on an apartment near the University of California, Davis, to secure housing for her senior year of college. There was no way Slavin could have known that just a few months later her daughter Nicole's college classes would be held entirely online. She also had no clue that she would be suffering financially, or that Nicole and her roommate would have lost their jobs as the coronavirus pandemic plunged the nation into a recession.

Now the young women are trapped for the next year in a $2,020-a-month lease, which began in September. And they can't get out of the contract unless they can find new tenants to take their place.

"I'm definitely losing sleep over this one," says Slavin, 54, a paralegal who lives in Los Angeles. "It's really rough because so many kids are stuck with these leases they desperately cant get out of. Its nearly impossible to find someone to take over a lease when everyone's trying to get out of a lease. Were even offering incentives such as free furniture, we will pay the first months rentanything we can think of to make it more appealing."

The students moved out of the apartment in April when the school first moved classes online in response to the COVID-19 crisis. That means they'll be paying nearly a year-and-a-half's rent on housing they're not occupying.

Slavin's plight isn't unique. Across the country, many college students signed leases months in advance of the fall semester, expecting to return to school for in-person classes. Unfortunately, things often haven't played out that way.

Some schools, including Harvard and Rutgers, along with the entire University of California system, announced this summer they would be predominantly online for the fall semester. Other schools, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Michigan State University, changed course and announced they would go online for the rest of the semester only after students began returning and a surge of positive COVID-19 cases followed.

That's left many students scrambling to get out of pricey leases. In some some cities, roommates can be charged $750 to $2,000 a bedroom. In some areas, a four-bedroom house could go for $6,000 or $7,000 a month, says San Franciscobased tenants rights attorney Joseph Tobener.

"Were talking about significant sums of money," says Tobener, who receives about 20 calls a week now from students and their families.

Typically, a single renter or group of roommates sign the lease, which can be co-signed by one or more of the students' families to guarantee it. So if other students decide not to move in or pay their share for the apartment, the student and the family on the lease can be on the hook for the full monthly rentunless new renters are found. While some students kicked off campus prefer to stay with their friends near their schools, many others are heading home to their families.

Getting out of these contracts can be nearly impossible without a force majeure clausebasically an act of God clausewritten into the original lease. Few contracts contain such a clause, and going to court is expensive, especially if the lease requires the tenants to pay their landlord's attorney fees.

But Tobener doesn't blame the building owners, who are faced with losing money on vacant units if they let tenants out of their contracts.

"The landlords often save up for years to buy units in these college towns, thinking its going to be a stable source of income, and then the bottom falls out," says Tobener. "Nobody could have predicted this.

In busy college towns like Davis, signing a lease in January or February is the only way most students can guarantee housing for the fall semester. Before the pandemic there was typically only a 0.5% to 1% rental vacancy, says Davis-area real estate broker Eugene Chang of College Town Realty. He specializes in rentals and property management.

However, with classes being held online there are now plenty of apartments and rental houses to choose from. He expects the vacancy rate to hit 10% by October. As a result of the lower demand, prices are falling. Tenants desperate to sublease their units are offering to pay $500 to $700 of the monthly rent to attract folks to take their spots.

"Because of the pandemic, fewer people want to live with strangers," says Chang. "And fewer people are looking."

In Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina senior Philecia Klein, 21, doesn't know if she'll be able to get out of her lease for her two-bedroom apartment in a subdivided house near the university. The public relations major had lined up a few roommates who all later fell through because they were nervous about committing to housing during the pandemic.

She signed the lease solo this spring and moved into the apartment in July. Last month, the school announced that in-person classes would be moved online after a COVID-19 outbreak.

Her father is liable for the full $1,040 a month, although Klein plans to pay him back. However, she doesn't want to owe her father a year's worth of rent when she can't physically go to class and she can live at home for free. She also doesn't want to be "stuck in the craziness of coronavirus" in the college town.

"Theres no hope in finding someone to fill that second bedroom now, so I might as well move home," says Klein.

She's not optimistic her father will be able to get out of the lease, but she still has mixed feelings about moving: "It hurts my soul to think I could leave this apartment."

The post Rental Crisis Hits College Towns Thanks To COVID-19 appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
The Nigerian Senate has challenged the Executive Director (Projects) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Cairo Ojougboh, to prove his allegation that the commission gave between N15 million and N20 million as palliatives to members of the National Assembly.

The upper chamber said failure by Ojuogboh to prove the allegation, he should immediately retract his statement and tender an unreserved apology to the Assembly.

The NDDC Director had, in an interview published by a national daily alleged that the senators and members of the House of Representatives were beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives from NDDC.

In the National Assembly, each of the senators got N20 million, while the House of Representatives members got N15 million for COVID-19 from the National Assembly, Ojuogboh had said.

Reacting to the allegation, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in a statement, asked Ojuogboh to provide evidence to back up his claim that members of the National Assembly were beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives from the commission.

The Senate spokesman denied the allegation made by the Executive Director that members of both chambers of the National Assembly received the sum of N20 million and N15 million each as COVID-19 palliative from the commission.

Basiru, therefore, challenged Ojuogboh to provide the names of lawmakers who were beneficiaries of the said palliative, or immediately retract his statement alongside tendering an apology to the Assembly in the absence of evidence to backup his claims.

The Senate views with grave concern a statement credited to Dr Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director, Projects of the NDDC who alleged that National Assembly members received varying sums of money as COVID-19 palliative. The Senate hereby disclaims the allegation in its entirety. The Senate categorically denies that any senator collected the sum of N20 million or any sum whatsoever from NDDC as Covid-19 relief fund for any purpose whatsoever.

The Senate challenges Dr Ojougboh to publicly provide evidence of his claim and list the names of the senators he allegedly gave the alleged sum. Failure to provide evidence of his claim, the Senate hereby demands immediate retraction and public apology from Dr Cairo Ojougboh, the statement partly reads.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio had also alleged that over 60 percent of contracts of the NDDC were given out to members of the National Assembly.
India remained the most innovative country in Central and Southern Asia as it moved up four positions on the annual Global Innovation Index (GII) of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to make it to the top-50 list for the first time.

Switzerland, Sweden, US, UK and Netherlands topped the annual ranking this year. As per the organisation, India, China, the Philippines, and Viet Nam have been the economies with the most significant progress in their GII innovation ranking over the years. All four are now in the top 50.

India was ranked at 81 on the list in 2015.

India is also the third most innovative lower middle-income economy in the world, ranking in the top 15 in indicators such as ICT services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering, and R&D-intensive global companies.

Thanks to universities such as the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, and its top scientific publications, India is the lower middle-income economy with the highest innovation quality, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020.

Several economies outside the top ranks are among the top performers in specific innovation pillars. For example, Indias high ranks in metrics like knowledge, technology outputs, and market sophistication have far exceeded its other GII rankings.

The top 100 clusters are located in 26 economies, of which six  Brazil, China, India, Iran, Turkey, and the Russian Federation  are in middle-income economies. Venture Capital (VC) investments are concentrated in a few VC hot spots in the world, and only a few of those hot spots are in emerging economies  notably in China and India.

The theme for this year's GII was Who Will Finance Innovation? It looked to see how the fall out from the COVID-19 pandemic would affect several sections of funding innovation including, startups, venture capital, and other traditional sources of innovation financing.

The COVID-19 pandemic is severely pressuring a long-building rise in worldwide innovation, likely hindering some innovative activities while catalyzing ingenuity elsewhere, notably in the health sector, the organisation said.
John Van Kirk has been the CEO of North European Oil Royalty Trust (NYSE:NRT) since 2006, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent earnings growth and investor returns for North European Oil Royalty Trust.

View our latest analysis for North European Oil Royalty Trust

Comparing North European Oil Royalty Trust's CEO Compensation With the industry

At the time of writing, our data shows that North European Oil Royalty Trust has a market capitalization of US$30m, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$135k for the year to October 2019. That's mostly flat as compared to the prior year's compensation. We note that the salary portion, which stands at US$130.7k constitutes the majority of total compensation received by the CEO.

For comparison, other companies in the industry with market capitalizations below US$200m, reported a median total CEO compensation of US$624k. In other words, North European Oil Royalty Trust pays its CEO lower than the industry median.

Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$131k US$128k 97% Other US$3.9k US$3.8k 3% Total Compensation US$135k US$132k 100%

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 15% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 85% is other remuneration. North European Oil Royalty Trust pays a high salary, concentrating more on this aspect of compensation in comparison to non-salary pay. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower.

North European Oil Royalty Trust's Growth

Over the last three years, North European Oil Royalty Trust has shrunk its earnings per share by 9.3% per year. It saw its revenue drop 34% over the last year.

The decline in EPS is a bit concerning. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

Has North European Oil Royalty Trust Been A Good Investment?

Given the total shareholder loss of 31% over three years, many shareholders in North European Oil Royalty Trust are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously.

To Conclude...

John receives almost all of their compensation through a salary. As we noted earlier, North European Oil Royalty Trust pays its CEO lower than the norm for similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. While we are quite underwhelmed with EPS growth, the shareholder returns over the past three years have also failed to impress us. It's tough to say that John is earning a very high compensation, but shareholders will likely want to see healthier investor returns before agreeing that a raise is in order.

We can learn a lot about a company by studying its CEO compensation trends, along with looking at other aspects of the business. We identified 4 warning signs for North European Oil Royalty Trust (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

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.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace moderates the 2016 presidential debate in Las Vegas. (Getty Images)

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will be a moderator of the first debate between President Trump and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, on Sept. 29.

The Commission on Presidential Debates has named Wallace, who anchors the weekly Washington roundtable program "Fox News Sunday," and three other journalists to handle the events that will be broadcast across the major networks and cable channels.

Wallace, 72, presided over the third debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 and was widely praised for his handling of the event. He was the first Fox News anchor to ever moderate a presidential debate.

"His debate moderator performance is truly masterful and we are beyond excited to watch him brilliantly perform his craft once again," said Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott in a memo to staff regarding the announcement.

The first of the 2020 debates will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Steve Scully, the political editor at C-SPAN and host of the cable channel's morning show "Washington Journal," will moderate the second meeting between the two candidates on Oct. 15, to be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

Scully, 59, will be on the presidential debate stage for the first time, although according to his Twitter account, he served as a backup moderator in 2016.

Four years ago I had the honor of serving as the back-up moderator for the @debates 3 presidential and 1 VP. This year it is a privilege to moderate the 2nd debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. @realDonaldTrump @JoeBiden OCT 15 @cspan pic.twitter.com/lsQ1xxdEOk  Steve Scully (@SteveScully) September 2, 2020

NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker will be the moderator for the third debate on Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville.

Story continues

Welker, 44, has covered the White House for NBC since 2011. She is also co-anchor of the Saturday edition of "Today."

Susan Page, 69, Washington bureau chief for USA Today, will handle the sole meeting between Vice President Mike Pence and Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, on Oct. 7. The University of Utah in Salt Lake City will be the site.

While the debates provide major exposure to the journalists chosen as moderators and the organizations they represent, it also potentially subjects them to criticism by party activists who believe their candidates are treated unfairly.

Along with Wallace, the 2016 moderators were Lester Holt of NBC News, Anderson Cooper of CNN, Martha Raddatz of ABC News and Elaine Quijano, anchor for the CBS News streaming service CBSN.
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The L.A. County Sheriff's Department late Tuesday released a statement saying the man who deputies fatally shot Monday night "made a motion" toward a gun he had dropped, which is why the deputies opened fire.

The killing of 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont has sparked protests and raised questions about the decision to open fire.

The deputies were driving on Budlong Ave. when they tried to stop a man riding a bicycle for a traffic violation, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Department. Kizzee dropped his bike and ran away, it said.

Cell phone video from bystanders shows Kizzee running away from the deputies, but not what happened when they caught up to him. The department said that when the deputies reached Kizzee, he punched one of them in the face.

"After he punched the deputy, he dropped a jacket at which time a black semi-automatic handgun [fell] to the ground," the statement said, adding that the deputies opened fire after Kizzee allegedly "made a motion toward the firearm."

The department has not said how many times the deputies fired or how many bullets struck Kizzee.

Critics are sharply questioning the deputies' tactics.

"At the time they shot, he had already dropped the gun," said Black Lives Matter leader Melina Abdullah. "According to their own story, he did not have a gun when they killed him."

tw // sheriff-involved shooting of #DijonKizzee in #LosAngeles



multiple witnesses say the shooting happened after dijon kizzee was pulled over near 109th & budlong in #SouthLA for a vehicle violation while riding a bike and tried to flee pic.twitter.com/iA7SkomtgU  alexander siu #sss  (@siushi) September 1, 2020

The Sheriff's Department "unjustly shot my nephew in cold blood," his aunt, Sheila Jackson, told us today. "He had his hands up. They're lying saying he punched the police -- nowhere no how."

There is no video of the shooting, because deputies, unlike LAPD officers, don't have body cameras. That is about to change, however. The Board of Supervisors voted today to fund a body cam program; the rollout will begin next month, starting with the Lancaster, Century, Lakewood, Industry and West Hollywood stations. Supervisor Janice Hahn said the Compton, East Los Angeles and another eight stations will follow beginning in January.

A makeshift altar at the site where Dijon Kizzee was shot. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Abdullah also slammed the authorities for leaving Kizzee's body uncovered for several hours, saying his treatment betrayed a "complete lack of humanity."

The Sheriff's Department said it didn't cover the body right away because it was still conducting its investigation.

An autopsy was scheduled for today, said coroner spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani.

The department said the deputies were removed from the field pending review of the incident, which is standard procedure.

A crowd gathered Monday night to protest the shooting, eventually making its way to the department's South Los Angeles Station. The department declared an unlawful assembly shortly after midnight, and the protesters left shortly thereafter. Some sprayed graffiti on the sheriff's sign outside the building before dispersing.

A group called the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police organized another protest march to the South Los Angeles Station that's underway tonight.

This is the latest in a series of controversial deputy shootings, including the killing in June of 18-year-old Andres Guardado. On Monday, Guardado's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and the two deputies involved in that incident. The Board of Supervisors voted today to ask the coroner to conduct an inquest into Guardado's case, which would involve public hearings.

Chava Sanchez contributed to this story.

UPDATES:

8:10 a.m., Sept. 2: This article was updated to include the information from the Sheriff's Department statement.

This article was originally published at TK.

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Petoskey officials at odds over best process for housing reforms

While discussing a possible change to the zoning ordinance, some council members said it doesn't do enough to encourage more housing.
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Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 20:20 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4248b86 1 Business Facebook,Instagram,MSMEs,Indonesia,micro-small-medium-enterprises,digital-platform,digitalization Free

Facebook launched on Tuesday for Indonesian users its e-commerce feature, Facebook Shops, which integrates business accounts across all platforms of the social media giant while offering data analytics for online shop owners.

Facebook Indonesia country director Peter Lydian told reporters at virtual press conference on Sept. 1 that the new feature was now available to Instagram business accounts and Facebook users in the country.

Peter said that Indonesia was one of five countries in the world with the highest number of Instagram business accounts, which meant that Facebook Shops would be an impactful feature for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

We have developed our platform to become a catalyst for MSME development. Through Facebook Shops, we can provide market access and connect businesses with communities, he said.

MSMEs, which contribute more than 50 percent to Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP), have been particularly hard hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic.

According to a recent survey by the University of Indonesia business school's Demography Institute (LD-FEUI), 77 percent of social sellers  people who create and pursue sales leads using social media  expected current revenue pressures to continue for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesia's GDP contracted 5.32 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data. Meanwhile, the government's best-case scenario projects 1 percent growth this year, or to shrink to 0.4 percent in its worst-case scenario.

The new digital storefront feature integrates a business' Instagram account with its Facebook account to allow it to expand customer reach. The feature also comes with the Facebook Commerce Manager tool that allows shop owners to customize and manage their digital storefronts.

Peter said shop owners could also gather aggregate data on their customers through Facebook Shops, such as customer demographics including location and age, that could help businesses expand and develop.

The data also provided information on "what [kinds of] posts people like and when [customers] typically go online, he added.

Peter stressed, however, that Facebook did not collect customers personal data for sharing with shop owners without their consent.

We dont share personal information like names and email addresses. User activity on Facebook Shop will also not be shared with [Facebook] friends without user consent, he said.

Facebook has faced global scrutiny on digital privacy issues in recent years, including a $5 billion settlement with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in July 2019 for a wide range of privacy violations, and the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data misappropriation scandal dating back at least three years that was uncovered in the United Kingdom.

The company has vowed to provide a comprehensive new framework for protecting peoples privacy, according to Reuters.
Federal officers have arrested 125 criminal immigrants in a statewide sweep that included Laredo.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday that the enforcement actions targeted removable immigrants who have been arrested or have pending charges or convictions.

In Laredo, ICE officers arrested a 60-year-old citizen of Mexico who is a convicted drug offender. He was convicted in October 1996 for manufacturing, delivering and selling marijuana. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

With each arrest, our aim is to not only protect their current victims but to prevent future ones. Our communities will now be safer after the removal of these wanted perpetrators, said Jose Correa, field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations San Antonio. We will continue to target criminals illegally in the U.S. who pose a threat to public safety.

ICE officials said that about 85% of those arrested by ICE on immigration charges also had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

Many had multiple criminal convictions and pending charges for the following crimes: assault, battery, assault against law enforcement, domestic violence, sexual offenses, homicide, terroristic threats, drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and human smuggling.

ICE continues to target criminal (immigrants) and other public safety and national security threats every day. ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable (immigrants) from potential enforcement, ICE officials said. Victims of crime committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration are encouraged to contact ICEs ( Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement) office if they need assistance. The VOICE office affords victims and their loved ones a single point of contact to obtain information regarding criminal (immigrants) in ICE custody, including the ability to get automated custody status information, releasable case history about the perpetrator, or having an ICE representative explain the immigration enforcement and removal process.

The toll-free VOICE Hotline number is 1-855-48-VOICE.
The Department of Homeland Security held back on releasing an intelligence warning to law enforcement agencies that Russia was pushing out political attacks on Democrat Joe Biden's mental health  a line that President Trump himself has promoted, it was revealed Wednesday.

After receipt of the bulletin citing 'allegations about the poor mental health' of Biden, a senior aide advised to withhold its release pending review by DHS head Chad Wolf, who is serving in an acting capacity. He is now Trump's nominee to lead the agency but lacks Senate confirmation.

The draft bulletin being circulated was titled: 'Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,' and was intended to alert law enforcement to keep on the lookout, according to ABC News, which obtained internal emails about the document.

In the document, U.S. analysts stated their 'high confidence' that 'Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.'

The examples they provided were about Biden and about Hillary Clinton in 2016.

'Russian state media RT and Sputnik and a Russian proxy website between September 2019 and May 2020 posted allegations about the poor mental health of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden,' the report said.

'For example, the proxy website in March 2020 refuted media claims that the candidate's gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.'

The Department of Homeland Security held back on releasing an intelligence warning to law enforcement agencies that Russia was pushing out political attacks on Democrat Joe Biden's mental health after an aide flagged it for acting DHS chief Chad Wolf's review

It also said that in 2016, 'RT and Sputinik also alleged Clinton suffered from a more serious health condition [than pneumonia] and suggested diagnoses ranging from thyroid disease to the early onset of Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions.'

The memo said Iranian and Russian state media questioned Trump's mental health, but did not suggest that the two countries were using 'malign actors' to push the narrative.

The agency distributed the draft for review, including to an office that handles legislative and public affairs, on July 7, to be released to law enforcement within days  at a time when Donald Trump was already attacking Biden as 'Sleepy Joe' and someone who was staff driven and lacking in mental capacity.

But Homeland Security chief of staff John Gountanis penned an email putting the brakes on it. 'Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to' to Wolf, he wrote.

'This particular draft product lacked the necessary context and evidence for broader dissemination outside of the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Intelligence and Analysis,' said the spokesperson, who said Wolf was briefed on the matter.

The leaked internal emails emerged as congressional Democrats are demanding the Trump administration resume in-person election security briefings for lawmakers.

Trump has repeatedly attacked 'Sleepy Joe' Biden for his mental fitness. On Tuesday the president denied himself experiencing a 'series of mini-strokes.' He was with Chad Wolf (third from left) in Kenosha Tuesday

The document was titled 'Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election.' U.S. intelligence determined in 2017 that Russia's election interference campaign was directed by the Kremlin

New Director of Intelligence former GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist, wrote the intelligence committees to inform them they will only get election security briefings in writing.

The DNI warned last month that Russia was seeking to 'denigrate' Biden, without providing specifics. The DNI's statement also said that China prefers Biden in the election, without spelling out any concrete actions it was taking.

A Moscow plan to promote attacks on Biden's mental fitness would dovetail with many of the slashing personal attacks Trump has been making against his rival.

Trump tweeted March 2: WOW! Sleepy Joe doesnt know where he is, or what hes doing. Honestly, I dont think he even knows what office he's running for!'

Trump tweeted in May that his 'BRAIN is much sharper' than Biden's.

Trump regularly depicts Biden as controlled by others, and said Tuesday 'Biden doesn't know he's alive.'

On Tuesday, Trump, 74, used Twitter to deny that he himself 'suffered a series of mini-strokes' and had the White House physician release a statement denying he had had a stroke or other ailments involving the brain, after a new book revealed Vice President Mike Pence was put on standby during Trump's September 2019 trip to Walter Reed Medical Center. Biden is 77.

Wolfe accompanied Trump to Kenosha Wisconsin Tuesday along with Attorney General Bill Barr.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 20:56:01|Editor: huaxia

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Iraqi President Barham Salih (C-L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (C-R) review a guard of honor in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 2, 2020. Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Baghdad to discuss bilateral ties and the war against the Islamic State (IS) group. (Xinhua)



BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Baghdad to discuss bilateral ties and the war against the Islamic State (IS) group.

In a joint press conference after their meeting in the presidential palace, Salih said eliminating terrorism "requires the support of friends and the international community, and we still have a lot to do in this regard."

"Iraq is looking forward to playing an important role in the region," he added.

For his part, Macron said France "supports the government of Iraq and its people who are facing several challenges as the result of the war against terrorism."

"We will continue to work on this issue within the framework of Iraqi sovereignty," he added.

The French president said Iraq is also facing the challenge of "foreign interventions."

Earlier in the day, Macron arrived in Baghdad to hold talks with top Iraqi leaders over bilateral relations.

Macron is also scheduled to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as well as Nichervan Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) during his one-day visit.

This is Macron's first official trip to Iraq. He is also the first presidential-level official to visit Iraq since al-Kadhimi took office in May.

France is part of a U.S.-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces fight against the IS militants by carrying out airstrikes against their positions in Iraq and Syria as well as providing military equipment and training to Iraqi forces. Enditem
DO THE MATH

About the county reassessment: The most important piece of information has not been disclosed to date. Presently, our payable tax is based upon 56.4% of the assessed value of our home at the known current millage. Okay, so nothing has really changed for 2020. If the tax for 2021 is based upon 100% of the full reassessment value of the home, then the millage has to be reduced by 45.6% ; otherwise, the tax would be dramatically Increased by 45.6%. The percentage is the unknown factor, and the most important number. I would think that the powers to be would come forward and address this issue if only to calm down the taxpayers worst fears. If in fact, they cannot legally the use new reassessment to generate more tax revenue why dont they just come forward and allow us the courtesy of addressing that the millage rate will be adjusted to comply in a legal and satisfactory manner.

JOE, FOLCROFT

NO CURE FOR IGNORANCE

How refreshing to read Jeff Edelsteins thought-provoking column of Sept. 1. This society is obsessed with peoples skin pigment. Its not only Blacks, but non-Black people of color are also despised and targeted. All people of color (Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian) are looked at suspiciously. If you walk into a store, you are stared at. The cashier would pretend not to understand you as if expecting a different language only because you look a bit unusual. Some of these unusual-looking people are born and raised in the U.S., if not have lived in the U.S. for decades. Its frustrating to interact with ignorant individuals. Unfortunately, theres no panacea for ignorance and spitefulness. As Mr. Edelstein suggested, we can discuss this problem til doomsday, it will not change the minds of stupid and malevolent people.

MADE IN THE USA

To Practice What You Preach from Sunday  the Phillies uniforms are proudly made in the USA right here in Easton, Pa. Ill say though, those other red hats with the MAGA letters are still being made in China.

UTLEY/HOWARD 2020

DEFINE GREAT

These people on Sound Off who continue referring to this abominable jerk in the White House as a great president would be amusing if they werent so ludicrous. You know who else thinks Donald Trump is a great president? Donald Trump himself, white nationalists and white supremacists, Klansmen, rifle-toting milita members, rifle-toting vigilantes, QAnon believers, and the kind of Christians who have relinquished any right to accurately refer to themselves as Christians. These groups may not make up the entirety of Trumps base, but they do comprise a significant portion of it. Fortunately, they remain in the minority in this country in spite of how much they bellow and beat their chests.

JB

DONT BLAME TRUMP

Donald Trump blames Democrats for the protests going on all over the nation. Well, there have been protests in this country since the day that Trump took office. As a matter of fact, they were protests as his inauguration. But of course Donald Trump is going to blame other people for what goes on because Donald Trump will never take responsibility for anything. Its always somebody elses fault. But Donald Trump is a main reason why there have been protests in our country over the last four years.

EDUCATION FOR ALL

I would like to make a statement in regard to the potential new school to be built in Clifton Heights. I have been speaking with other residents parents of students about this matter. What Im upset about is the fact that I keep hearing prejudice against our Black children. What I would like to know is when was when was the last time these people walked the streets of Clifton Heights. I live in Clifton. I have been in Clifton Heights for 35 years and I have proud to say I have Black neighbors. I have Black friends. I have Black family members and we do not have a problem interacting and helping each other through this pandemic or anything else. This school will be well balanced with many ethnic groups, children that come from several ethnic backgrounds including African Americans. Clifton Heights is not a white community. No one is being shut out.
Nicola Gobbo was instrumental in turning two criminals into supergrasses who together gave evidence in more than 60 separate cases leading to nearly 30 convictions in some of the most significant criminal trials in the states history.

A third supergrass whom the barrister also convinced to give evidence became the "crack in the dam wall" that allowed police to shatter the underworld code of silence, Ms Gobbo claimed.

Nicola Gobbo. Credit:ABC

All those convictions are now at risk over alleged misconduct by the barrister and Victoria Police, including a 2017 case involving an allegedly tainted witness in a high-profile murder investigation.

Counsel assisting the royal commission argued in their submissions to the royal commission on police informants that the damage to the police and court systems from Ms Gobbo's actions could have had a ripple effect. People who became prosecution witnesses only because they themselves were convicted on tainted information might also have their evidence called into question.
Instead of moving chairs outside to Polk Street, Gabe Sandejas walked to a protest at City Hall on Tuesday.

Sandejas wanted to get his voice heard: There was no way to operate his barbershop outdoors amid a homeless crisis and the 15th straight day of poor air quality from wildfire smoke.

Im in no position to open outside, said the owner of Locals Barbershop in the Tenderloin. I know were supposed to adapt right now, but now Im not worrying only about COVID. Im worrying about my clients dodging needles. I feel sick saying that.

His frustrations, echoed by other San Francisco business owners, grew stronger as San Francisco held firm Tuesday to its restrictions on business openings. As most Bay Area counties confirmed this week that they would take advantage of new permissions to reopen businesses in a variety of sectors under a state system unveiled Friday, city officials confirmed that they would stand fast on most restrictions and watch the course of the coronavirus pandemic closely before lifting limits on a variety of businesses they view as risky.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Sandejas and many others in the personal care industry say they got absolutely zero reprieve from San Franciscos latest health order that allowed for outdoor haircuts, manicures and waxing sessions Tuesday for the first time in nearly six months. The loosening, announced Friday on the same day as the state system, was separate from the new state rules, which classify counties as purple, red, orange or yellow, based on the spread of the coronavirus locally, and limit business activities accordingly.

Some salon owners raced to string power cords out onto the street. Those with backyard patios found them to be a suitable space to offer intimate services like waxing. But those who lacked access to outdoor space or insurance that covers operations outside the facility said they were no better off than before. Taking in the smoke jacketing the region and safety and modesty concerns, opening outdoor salons struck some as almost outlandish.

I sure dont want to get my hair done outside, Mayor London Breed said. I want to be honest. I get it, but this is what we have to offer.

She also said it would be incredible if San Francisco could offer indoor hair treatments by the end of the month.

Seven Bay Area counties now allow such services, which are permitted even under the states strictest purple health status. Alameda County is the other regional holdout.

Breeds comments came during a Tuesday news conference that unveiled a new plan for reopening that the city put on pause when it was added to the states watch list in July. The watch list became obsolete on Friday, when California moved to the tiered-colors system.

San Francisco is in the red, or substantial, tier, as is Napa. Napa embraced the states red-county permissions, which allow for personal care services like waxing and skin care indoors. Most of the other seven Bay Area counties, in the purple widespread tier, aligned their rules with the states, allowing for indoor haircuts and mostly outdoor operations for other sectors. Alameda has not moved to allow indoor salons.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2020

The shifting state and local rules have left some in San Francisco feeling like theyre playing a game with moving goalposts, and catering to customers who dont understand the fine distinctions among health orders.

I have clients calling and saying: Youre open, said Dianne Nola of Nola Studio. Unfortunately, its not that easy.

Nola said she cant lug two hydraulic chairs down stairs into the street each day for haircuts. Even if she pulled off the physical task, its unclear if she would have insurance, financial backing or proper covering  among other obstacles.

Outdoor services prohibit shampooing, coloring and chemical hair treatments, which account for 50% to 90% of most salons business, owners estimate. A tent can be used, but one side must be open to block normal air flow.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

I dont know why theyre trying to kill this industry, said Deedee Crossett, dean of the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology. Im positive, because this industry always bounces back, but it might not bounce back in San Francisco, if this city cannot get its s together.

Jenny Lightstone is trying to survive at Psoas Massage & Bodywork.

My head is spinning a little bit today, she said. It doesnt make any sense, and, at the same time, Im doing whatever I can to keep my business alive. Im so concerned about our city. Im really, really sad.

Katey McKee is one of the few in the city who was able to open Tuesday, hiring stylists who were willing to come to work at her Glama-Rama salons in the Mission District and Union Square.

McKee used a plastic divider from a neighboring tattoo parlor and old furniture that she didnt care about in rough weather conditions to open the San Francisco locations and start working her way out of a $150,000 financial hole she said the pandemic has created for her since March.

I spent a lot of money to get the inside of the salon running, and it turns out that I cant use the inside, McKee said. I feel disrespected as an industry. It feels crappy that were not being supported as an industry.

But my industry will never be quiet.

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron
L ittle Simz today won best album while fellow rapper Dave took home best contemporary song at the 65th Ivor Novello awards.

Simz, from Islington, triumphed with Grey Area, while Streatham artist Dave won with the single Black from his Mercury and Brit award winning album Psychodrama.

Speaking after being announced as the winner, Simz said she was "humbled" and "blessed" to have received the award, adding: "This is the one that's probably the most important because it's about the songwriting, and it's about the skill of the pen. I'm super, super grateful to have been recognised."

The winners, unveiled by Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1, also included Jamie Cullum, who received best song musically and lyrically for his track The Age Of Anxiety. The award for the best television soundtrack was given to Labrinth, for Euphoria.

The best albums of 2020 so far 1 /14 The best albums of 2020 so far Getty Images Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Future Nostalgia arrived at the end of March, a ray of light to pierce the lockdown gloom. It was a shot at writing something timeless, taking strands of classic disco and Eighties synth-pop and putting them through a slick, modern filter. On standout tracks such as Dont Start Now and Cool, Dua Lipa hit her target. More than anything though, this was something defiantly fun, a heartening reminder that there are brighter times ahead. Getty Images Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher It would be easy to label Punisher as a sad album, because it is, with heartache and despondency always within an arms reach. But to simply call it that would be to grossly undersell it  the album, also out today, is cathartic, nostalgic, surreal, grounded, darkly comic and, more often than not, weepingly beautiful. The disarming vocals are morbidly quotable (The doctor put her hands over my liver /She told me my resentments getting smaller) and confirm the 25-year-old Bridgers as one of her generations deftest writers. Getty Images for Tibet House Tame Impala - The Slow Rush It took some time to fall in love with Kevin Parkers latest album as Tame Impala. Its layers were dense and meticulously produced, a product of the Australians dogged perfectionism, but when they did eventually unravel, the albums brilliance was revealed in vivid colour. There was squelchy hip-hop and tap-dancing piano on Borderline, alluring sophisto-funk on Breathe Deeper, and dizzying disco on One More Year. Parkers lyrics were typically conflicted, stuck between past and future, but musically, hed never sounded so assured. AFP via Getty Images Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters Fiona Apples fifth album was eight years in the making, and sounded as if it had been simmering for all that time. It was inescapably personal, rattling with homemade percussion, grinding against Apples visceral vocals as she retold traumas of sexual abuse and toxic relationships. But it all coalesced to give momentum to a magnificent release of tension, the sound of a furiously convinced artist. Kick me under the table all you want, she asserted, I wont shut up. Getty Images Run The Jewels - RTJ4 When Killer Mike, one half of Run The Jewels, wrote Walking In The Snow (You so numb, you watch the cops choke out a man like me) he was remembering the tragic death of Eric Garner in 2014. It should have been retrospective; instead, it was hideously prophetic, arriving on RTJ4 amid the George Floyd protests. But these were wide-lens raps  joined by partner El-P, they fired lyrical missiles at the racist police and ruling elite, interspersing it with cutting quips and dark humour. Painful, prescient, and hugely powerful. Getty Images for DIRECTV J Hus - Big Conspiracy Big Conspiracy was the sound of an artist taking his time. The eclectic beats, largely provided by chameleonic producer Jae5, avoided the usual bombast for something understated. The lyrical gaze was sharp, ranging from the legacy of slavery to the grind of everyday life, all of it recounted with clever wordplay. It wouldnt be a Hus album without tales of at least one sexual conquest  the song Cucumber provides it  but all in all, never has the east Londoner been so searingly composed. Getty Images for Nike Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways Bob Dylans 39th studio album, released today, might just be one of his greatest. Before this, eight years had passed without any new original music. Had the old master lulled himself into retirement? The surprise release of a 17-minute song about the JFK assassination did away with any doubts. Its a densely lyrical album, a poetic and historical tapestry, proving that, at 79, the Nobel Prize-winner is still at the peak of his songwriting powers. AFP via Getty Images Georgia - Seeking Thrills Georgias exhilarating second album landed back in January (oh, those halcyon days) and was the sound of an artist brimming with new-found conviction. Arriving five years after her debut, she had finally found her voice  quite literally, shunning the over-produced vocals of before  and a winning musical formula: retro-tinted dance pop, pairing the throbbing echoes of Chicago house with sharp modern melodies. Hollie Fernando Orlando Weeks - A Quickening Former Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks took a mature step away from his indie-rock past on his debut solo album, supplanting it with soft, cloudy atmospheres. A Quickening covered his impending fatherhood, and all of the unknowingness that comes with it. It was minutely intimate  Ill be your blood sugar, he pledged to the unborn child  with his vocals at their most tender and innocent. Jackson Bowley Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter Another album to ease the pandemic blues, Laura Marling had initially planned an August release, but brought it forward to April. It had an effortlessly classic sound to it  the folky tones of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake chimed throughout  but this album was undoubtedly Marlings own. Her vocals were soaring, sardonic and soothing, singing with all the wisdom of an artist who, still only 30, now has seven albums worth of experience behind her. Getty Images

Elsewhere, there was recognition for south London artist Mysie, who won the Rising Star award, while Haxan Cloak won best original film score for his work on Midsommar.
September 01, 2020

Release

DOD Releases 2020 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China

The Department of Defense announces the release of its annual report on "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China." The congressionally mandated report serves as an authoritative assessment on military and security developments involving the PRC.

This year's report highlights the links between China's national strategy and developments within China's armed forces.

Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the strategy calls for "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" by 2049, including the transformation of the People's Liberation Army into a "world-class" military.

The report comes at a time when the world is witnessing the aggressive assertion of that strategy in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, where China continues to undermine the international rules-based order to advance their own interests.

This report accounts for the PRC's national strategy and the drivers of China's security behavior and military strategy, covers key developments in China's military modernization and reform, and provides new insights into China's strategic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The report also discusses China's views of strategic competition, the broader purposes of its Military-Civil Fusion Development Strategy, and its ambitions for the PLA as a political entity of the party.

The National Defense Strategy identifies the Indo-Pacific region as the department's priority theater. As Secretary Mark Esper noted during his recent remarks at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, the department continues to take steps to address the strategic challenges posed by the PRC as we implement the NDS, including the modernization of our forces, strengthening our alliances and partnerships, and promoting interconnected security partnerships to advance our shared interests.

The report comes as the Secretary of Defense is wrapping up his trip to Hawaii, Palau and Guam, where he has met with senior leaders from across the region to address these very issues, and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The report can be found here.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/1926383/

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A surge in technology stocks failed to boost markets in Hong Kong and China on Wednesday, as sentiment remained under pressure from lingering US-China tensions and delays in the development of a vaccine candidate.

The Hang Seng Index fell 0.3 per cent to 25,120.09, while the Shanghai Composite ended 0.2 per cent lower.

The markets have been under pressure recently. Investors have been slowly selling and taking profits, said Stanley Chan, director of research at Emperor Securities. There is still some uncertainty over how the US will handle the TikTok transaction, and it may even crack down on other Chinese technology companies.

Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.

The US government will go after more Chinese-made apps following the crackdown on TikTok and WeChat, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said in an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday. The market will need some time to digest some of the negative factors, so the Hang Seng will stay around the 25,000 level, Chan added.

Delays in the development of a vaccine candidate being worked on by Cansino Biologics affected sentiment early on, after it emerged that vials meant to be sent to Canada for final stage tests had not arrived.

The Tianjin-based company managed to contain some of the damage by announcing at noon that it had entered into an agreement with Russian biopharmaceutical company Petrovax for phase three clinical trials of its vaccine candidate in Russia. Its stock closed 1.8 per cent lower after falling by as much as 11.3 per cent in the morning.

Chinas largest drugs development and manufacturing services provider, WuXi Biologics, led the fall on the Hong Kong bourse with a 2 per cent drop. The coronavirus drugs research firms largest shareholder raised HK$6.1 billion by selling a 2.43 per cent stake after the market closed on Tuesday, it said on Wednesday.

WuXi will be added to the benchmark Hang Seng Index, along with e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding and smartphone maker Xiaomi, next week.

Story continues

South China Morning Post parent Alibaba, meanwhile, rose 3 per cent to a record high of HK$291.20. Xiaomi gained 0.4 per cent to a record high of HK$25.70, after rising by 8.9 per cent to HK$25.60 on Tuesday.

Other technology stocks in Hong Kong rose as well, following an upwards trend in the US. The Hang Seng Tech Index of 30 top technology stocks rose 3.1 per cent on Wednesday. Benchmark heavyweight Tencent Holdings rose 1.1 per cent, while China Literature, the mainlands largest online publisher which is owned by Tencent, jumped 10.5 per cent. JD rose 7.4 per cent to a record high of HK$332.

YTO Express, one of Chinas largest logistics services providers, rose 259.3 per cent after Alibaba announced on Wednesday that it had bought another 12 per cent stake in the company.

Chinese education stocks declined after the countrys Communist Party approved guidelines for the standardisation of private schools on Tuesday, and stressed the importance of strengthening regulation of universities and colleges in the central and western regions of China to implement its education policy, according to state-owned news agency Xinhua.

Stocks in the education sector are also under pressure due to recent policy changes [in China], Chan said. Hong Kong-listed Wisdom Education International, one of the largest private education groups in southern China, plunged 24.1 per cent. China Maple Leaf Education, which operates international schools in China, dropped 17.9 per cent. Tian Li Education International, a private education services provider in western China, declined 23.4 per cent.

On the mainland, liquor giant Kweichow Moutai, which was one of the most heavily traded Chinese stocks on the Stock Connect, fell 0.4 per cent to 1,795 yuan on Wednesday.

A gauge tracking cross-border e-commerce companies compiled by Xuangubao.cn rose by 2.2 per cent. Focus Technology, which provides business-to-business e-commerce solutions, rose by the daily upper limit of 10 per cent.

Three companies debuted on mainland bourses on Wednesday. In Shanghai, Beijing LabTech Instruments, which provides testing services, soared by 91 per cent, while pharmaceutical product manufacturer Chengdu Easton Bio Pharmaceuticals rose 68.4 per cent. Xian Manareco New Materials, which manufactures advanced materials, rose 11.8 per cent.

Overnight in the US, meanwhile, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose to record highs after American manufacturing indicators expanded, with Institute for Supply Management hitting its highest level in about two years, according to Reuters.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article Alibaba and Xiaomi hit record highs, but fail to boost Hong Kong, China markets first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Traders are wary of the lofty valuations of Shenzhen's US$1.3 trillion technology board after an index tracking the stocks completed one of its best weeks amid high-flying initial public offerings and market deregulation.

The rally in ChiNext, the 11-year-old board that hosts 868 companies, has pushed its average price-to-earnings multiple to 77 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That is four times more pricey than the average of 1,496 stocks represented in the Shanghai Composite Index.

Some money managers are jittery about ChiNext's 53 per cent advance this year that outpaced the Shanghai benchmark by five times. The risk of credit-tightening or market-cooling measures remains a concern. Bocom International, the investment banking unit of Bank of Communications, described ChiNext as a venue for speculation.

"I am not too upbeat on the broader ChiNext board," said Wang Zheng, chief investment officer at Jingxi Investment Management in Shanghai. "When the central bank begins to tighten liquidity after the epidemic is over, ChiNext will suffer."

While small-cap companies are key beneficiaries of record amounts of liquidity unleashed by the People's Bank of China, the ChiNext index is just one-third shy of its record high, which it reached just before a meltdown that erased US$5 trillion in value from the broader market in 2015.

The index of start-ups advanced 4.8 per cent last week, its best run in a month after the China Securities Regulatory Commission doubled the daily permissible trading band for companies to 20 per cent from August 24.

The easing of the trading barriers has so far boosted market liquidity rather than heightened volatility. Average daily trading volumes over the past week has surpassed their levels a year ago by more than 20 per cent, according to exchange data.

The decision to widen the daily price swings came on top of a move to adopt a registration-based system for IPOs, giving investors more leeway for pricing and valuing new shares.

Story continues

A big screen displaying stock prices of the first batch of registration-based initial public offerings on ChiNext board at Shenzhen Stock Exchange on August 24. Photo: Xinhua alt=A big screen displaying stock prices of the first batch of registration-based initial public offerings on ChiNext board at Shenzhen Stock Exchange on August 24. Photo: Xinhua

So far, both measures have captivated investors, who interpreted the policy as a greenlight for further stock gains. After all, Chinese authorities in July championed local bourses amid US-China tensions in tacit approval of the market rally.

All 18 debutants on ChiNext surged on their first day of trading last Monday. Medical equipment maker Contec Medical Systems at one point soared 30 times over its offer price, the kind of wild increase that previously provoked a warning and intervention by regulators.

The easing "is conducive to bolstering trading activities," said Wan Kelin, an analyst at Huaxi Securities in Chengdu. "It gives the market greater room for full trading and makes new shares converge to their true market values more quickly."

Wan expects a significantly higher supply of IPOs - such as the impending offerings by Dongfeng Motor, Henlius Biotech and Pinlive Foods - in the second half of the year, as the registration-based system leads to a shorter vetting period.

The impact on the market may be muted, as the increased capital coming in from individual and institutional investors is mitigated by a greater stock supply, the analyst said.

The spectacular run of ChiNext stocks may lose momentum because of a lack of new catalysts, according to Shen Yandong, an analyst at Vanho Securities. The sustainability of abundant liquidity, China's economic recovery prospects, and the simmering US-China tensions are among key concerns.

Besides, the recent rush into the market by retail investors at local brokerages may be a sign of market exuberance, borrowing money by the most in five years. In the aftermath of the 2015 fiasco, Chinese regulators fined three houses for breaking margin financing and securities lending rules.

While there are still good companies on ChiNext to invest in, "buying needs to be very selective now based on the quality of earnings", said Wang at Jingxi Investment.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
There are changes in the defense plans of India from the construction of its third aircraft carrier. Emphasis on keeping its submarines relevant to the number of surface ships is currently the priority.

According to the current defense chief, choosing submarines over a single aircraft carrier will have an impact in the battlefield. It is crucial to check the weaknesses of the Navy as threats from China and Pakistan are getting more apparent with their modern warfare weapons, according to Defence News.

In a press brief, the Indian Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said that the presence of two Indian aircraft carriers is sufficient. But if there are fewer subs, then it must be addressed. More submarines are needed to keep a balance, according to The Diplomat.

On February 10, Rawat was interviewed and he indicated that the third flat top may not be acquired. He added that it shall be acquired if it is needed in the battlefield. He also stressed that it depends on how the general situation will pan out in the next decade.

Submarines are more likely to be developed, especially those with nuclear reactors that will be crucial for the Indian navy. A plan exists to have 6 next-generation attack submarines that will make the Indian Navy equal to many nuke attack subs like France.

Presently, India owns four nuclear submarines already. Four of the first Arihant Class ballistic missile submarines are in operation and have done deterrence patrols. The new K-4 ballistic missiles passed the test launch last January. Further upgrades to Indian's arms are the S-5 missile sub, which is under development.

Also read: Indian Navy's Aggressive Deployment Serve as Warning to Beijing Over Border Disputes

Construction of the third flat top has been in the works for quite some time, this next carrier will be bigger than the two first carriers. The next behemoth of a carrier will be the INS Vishal, whilethe second carrier INS Vikrant is still getting built. The former is yet to be completed and remains untested in actual service.

With Chinese aggression at an all-time high, the defense chief is not deciding on giving the go signal to the INS Vishal project. The Shandong and Liaoning are larger than two of India's carriers, though the Vishal will be as big as the two others. What makes things urgent is that China will be gunning for a fourth carrier that worries India a lot, according to Forbes.

Another concern is the upgrades of the Pakistani and Chinese submarine forces, which prompted the Indian navy to reckon with the situation. News of upgrades for the subs of Pakistan started an arms race. Other systems that are on their list is the Turkish Zargana anti-torpedo defensive system, and getting 8 Type-039B submarines from China. What India lacks is Air-Independent Power (AIP) for silent running that nuke submarines need to acquire.

Many crucial things depend on this project, and not giving importance to the Vishal project will deprive several international defense firms. INS Vikrant is under construction with the help of foreign firms, that are working on its completion. Several countries like Russia and Britain are offering designs as the final form of the INS Vishal.

India has been producing submarines with help from other countries. This shows that adding more submarines is not a problem, but it might be crucial in the future battlefield.

Related article: Indian Navy Pushes Back Against PLA Navy in Malacca Strait with Aggressive Posture

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Farmed cod and chips? Norway revives bid to breed species at risk in wild

by Gwladys Fouche

September 02,2020 | Source: Reuters

Norway is relaunching cod farms in Europes ice-cold northern waters after mass escapes and failure to thrive condemned its earlier attempt to become the first country to try large-scale breeding of a species declining in the wild.



The handful of companies raising Atlantic cod in pens in Norwegian fjords say they have learned lessons from a wave of bankruptcies of cod farms earlier in the millennium as well as the success of Norways multi-billion-dollar salmon business.



They are hoping to emulate that success with cod at a time when wild Atlantic cod are seeing mixed fortunes.



While stocks off Iceland and in the Barents Sea are sustainable, those off Canada, the United States, Ireland and Britain are low, as are those in the Baltic Sea and the non-British part of the North Sea.



Norcod, the biggest of the new farms, is raising 1.8 million fish along the craggy Norwegian seacoast and plans to begin sales in the second quarter of 2021.



We are targeting northern and western Europe first, said Christian Riber, Norcods commercial director, adding the firm had also seen interest in their product from U.S. customers.



The company aims to produce an initial 6,500 tonnes in 2021, rising to 25,000 tonnes in 2025. That would exceed the high of 21,000 tonnes recorded in official statistics across the country in 2010 before the industry collapsed.



They used wild fish for breeding and the cod was escaping by biting into the nets, said Oeyvind Hansen, who heads the national cod breeding programme at Nofima, the only research institute that works with the selective breeding of cod.



Around half of all the fish raised in a pen died, including from cannibalism, he said. Growth rates were also slow and the 2008-2009 financial crisis starved companies of credit. By 2015, Norway produced no farmed cod at all.



Nofima continued the research into cod breeding it had conducted since 2002-2003 thanks to public funding from a ministry of fisheries keen to develop new industries around fish. It has now bred five generations of farmed cod.



Through selective breeding, the fish has adapted to farm life. It has become more domesticated, said Hansen. We have learned a lot about the biology and we have selected the fish best suited for fish farming.



Mortality rates in the pens are down to roughly 15%, there is less cannibalism, faster growth and the fish no longer try to escape, he said. Norcod says its mortality rates were much lower.



We are benefiting from the huge improvements in equipment for the salmon farming industry in the last decade, said Norcods Riber.



Salmon farming has grown in two decades into a $8-billion dollar industry that exports 1.1 million tonnes of fish and is now Norways third-largest export after crude oil and natural gas, with logistics to match.



Not everyone is pleased about the revival of cod farming.



We have sustainable cod stocks in the wild in many areas in Norway that are thriving, said Arnold Haapnes, who heads the biodiversity programme at green group Friends of the Earth Norway. So why should we use (public) money to compete with the wild cod?



Farmed salmon regularly escape during storms and mate with the wild salmon, he said, causing introgression, the mixing of genes between wild fish and farm fish. This eventually lowers the amount of genes available in the wild population and makes it more vulnerable to disease and environmental changes, which are on the increase. here



Norcod said it was able to prevent escapes, including in bad weather, by using suitable equipment and with good routines, with frequent inspections of the nets to ensure there are no holes.



Authorities say cod farming can be developed sustainably with appropriate regulation and helps to provide healthy protein to a growing world population, especially since climate change is affecting wild fish stocks.



Fishing rights are a major issue within the European Union, and non-EU member Norway negotiates quotas and access with the bloc each year. It is also negotiating a bilateral trade deal with Britain  its biggest trading partner, as London negotiates its exit from the European Union.



In 2018, Norway exported close to 200,000 tonnes of cod globally, valued at 9.5 billion crowns ($1.1 billion), according to the Norwegian Seafood Council, a trade body, which said the largest markets were Portugal, Britain and France.



We need to produce more healthy seafood, said Fisheries Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, And farmed cod can provide a regular source.

 2020 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

Theme(s): Fisheries Resources.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Seoul, South Korea  Wed, September 2, 2020 15:15 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423396f 2 World South-Korea,opposition,political-party,politics Free

South Korea's main opposition party changed its name for the second time in just seven months on Wednesday as it battles falling public support.

The country's political parties have a tendency to adopt new identities to try to sever ties with a tainted past or appeal to a wider audience.

The conservative United Future Party (UFP) -- a name it only adopted in February as it sought to relaunch itself ahead of parliamentary elections -- declared itself the People's Power Party.

"The name change will become a big pillar for regaining the public's trust and the party's ruling power," said acting leader Kim Chong-in.

Wednesday's change gives the party its fourth name in three years.

Known as Saenuri -- or New Frontier -- under ousted president Park Geun-hye, it renamed itself Liberty Korea in 2017 to try to distance itself from the corruption scandal that brought her down.

It has struggled since Park's fall in the face of defections by lawmakers and limited public appeal.

Its UFP identity did little to help in April's vote, when it suffered a crushing defeat, taking just 103 seats in the 300-member National Assembly.

Its support fell five points to 30.1 percent last week, according to a Realmeter poll, while President Moon Jae-in's ruling Democratic Party had 40.4 percent backing.

The latest name change raised skepticism over whether it would be enough to shift public sentiment.

"Altering a party's name translates into a determination to separate itself from its past," said an editorial carried by the Joongang Daily newspaper.

But it added: "The party must prove its ideals through action... If it fails to reform itself sincerely, it cannot expect any victory in future elections."
S Guru Srikanth By

Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: The number of suicides involving farmers and farmhands in Andhra Pradesh increased to 1,029 last year from 664 in 2018. As per the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2019, AP stood third in the country in terms of suicides by farmers and farm hands. The state accounted for 10 per cent of such cases in India.Maharashtra took the first place, with 38.2% of such suicides, followed by Karnataka, with 19.4%. Madhya Pradesh (5.3%) took the fourth place, while Telangana and Chhattisgarh (4.9% each) shared the fifth position.

Of the 1,029 people in the farming sector in AP who committed suicide, 839 were men and 190 women. As many as 628 farmers, including 190 tenant farmers, took their lives for reasons not specified.In 2018, the number of farmers who committed suicide was 365, including 166 tenant farmers, which shows that more farmers who own land took the extreme step. As for agricultural labourers, 401 committed suicide in 2019, compared to 299 in 2018, according to the NCRB.

In neighbouring Telangana, eight agricultural labourers committed suicide in 2019  the same as in the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of farmers, including tenant farmers, who committed suicide reduced from 900 in 2018 to 491 last year.The increase in the number of farmer suicides in AP in 2019 was unexpected, as conditions for the agriculture sector were favourable, with good rainfall and sufficient water in reservoirs, unlike in 2017 and 2018, which witnessed drought conditions.

YSRC, TDP start blame game over ryots suicides

When asked about the reason for the increase, AP State Agriculture Mission (APSAM) vice- chairman MVS Nagi Reddy said, The distress among farmers might not have happened in 2019; it could have been over a period of time. In fact, since the present government took over, there has been no reason for farmer distress, as every scheme is aimed at addressing the root cause. Nagi Reddy added that the previous government tried to suppress facts about farmer suicides and distress, and this was evident from the fact that former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu in 2015 announced in the Assembly that there were no farmer suicides, but later announced compensation to 180 families of farmers, which increased to 380. In fact, even that number could be wrong as the present government paid the pending compensation of the previous government. Our government has been liberal in compensating families of farmers who committed suicide, he explained.

When contacted by TNIE, former agriculture minister Somreddy Chandramohan Reddy said the increase in the number of suicides could only be attributed to the negligence of the present government.

The number of farmer suicides was more in the first six months of the YSRC government. Farmers have no trust in this government, which fails to see the bigger picture, he said.According to him, except for `7,500 under Rythu Bharosa in addition to `6,000 under PM Kisan Samman scheme, farmers were not given any other benefits. There was no farm mechanisation, no support to micro irrigation and no supply of micronutrients, Somreddy said.

Today, despite the favourable climate, the number of farmer suicides has increased. It can only be attributed to the attitude of the government, the former minister said.Another former agriculture minister Vadde Shobanadreswara Rao said the present Union governments attitude towards farmers is limited to lip sympathy, which is also reflected in the State. In Andra Pradesh, the cost of product is more, while the returns are not up to expectations. Even today, small and tenant farmers have to depend on money lenders. The market stabilisation fund is limited to limited crops and in limited numbers.

State ranks 3rd in India

Among states with the most farmer suicides, Maharashtra ranked first, followed by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
WHISTLEBLOWING AND THE ROSSLYN Part 2: She blew the whistle to protect seniors at the Rosslyn. She paid a price.

Ashley Jenkins knew she couldnt stay quiet when she pulled back the curtain on operations at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence in Hamilton.

She didnt want more people to die.

Jenkins, a nurse, was hired at the Rosslyn through a temp agency in May. Her hiring was part of the homes attempt at compliance with the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authoritys (RHRA) order requiring the Rosslyn retain a regulated health professional before residents could be allowed back.

Her first shift came three days after the home was evacuated amid a COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 64 residents and 22 staff caught COVID. Just before Jenkins was hired, one resident died. Nine more died over the course of her employment. Six more died in June.

What she saw over the course of her two weeks of employment convinced Jenkins the Rosslyn was ill-equipped to re-admit anyone, let alone seniors recovering from COVID.

I cant ... do anything else that could contribute to the loss of more life down the road, Jenkins said.

So she blew the whistle. And she suffered the consequences  chief among them, losing her job with the temp agency, she says.

Many of the allegations Jenkins outlines align with those in the RHRAs reasons for revoking the Rosslyns licence. The homes licence was revoked June 15, two weeks after Jenkins exposed alleged misconduct at the Rosslyn. Her claims mirror those made to The Spectator in June by other former staff members and former residents families.

The Spectator provided a list of Jenkins allegations to the Rosslyn and requested comment but did not hear back.

The temp agency refutes some of her claims, including that she was fired for whistleblowing. The Rosslyn did not respond to requests for comment, but has refuted some of Jenkins claims in a notice of appeal regarding its licence revocation. In the appeal, the home denies committing any misconduct between May 15, when the home was evacuated, and June 15, when the RHRA stripped its licence. The Rosslyn adds statements from the RN  Jenkins  ought to have been disregarded by the RHRA.

The Registrar relied on critical statements made to RHRA by the RN, even after the RN sought to correct her statements and subsequently wrote to Rosslyn, I screwed up. And I am sorry. I was wrong. the Rosslyn states in its appeal.

The Rosslyn did not respond to requests for comment, but has refuted some of Ashley Jenkins' claims in a notice of appeal regarding its licence revocation. In the appeal, the home denies committing any misconduct between May 15, when the home was evacuated, and June 15, when the RHRA stripped its licence. The Hamilton Spectator file photo

Jenkins disputes writing that. She does say she asked for work at the Rosslyn after the dust settled  she was originally supposed to stay on permanently  but was told no work was available.

Working at the Rosslyn

The Rosslyn is a 64-bed retirement home located at 1322 King St. E. in Hamilton, near Gage Park. It is the site of the citys deadliest COVID-19 outbreak, with a death toll that accounts for more than one-third of all COVID deaths in the city. The home was evacuated May 15. Nearly all residents had COVID and nearly all were taken to hospital.

Jenkins first day was May 18.

She was hired through Caring Hearts Healthcare Group Inc., a temp agency. Her role was to serve as a co-manager with a registered practical nurse (RPN) and help bring the Rosslyn into compliance with provincial standards. The home had received non-compliance orders from the RHRA and Hamilton public health relating to deficiencies in infection prevention and control, inadequate outbreak response plans and failure to protect residents from neglect. The home needed to be in compliance before residents could return.

Red flags began popping up within hours of her first shift.

Her first task, cleaning out a medication room, took Jenkins and a RPN three days to complete. In the room, they found expired medication, pills outside containers, no narcotic inventory sheet and no medication records for May.

Here we are trying to get a history on the potential people coming back into the home and we dont even have a starting point, she said. What we do have, were not even sure if its legitimate.

Things only got worse.

Jenkins said the homes operations manager, a woman named Elizabeth Fife, refused to wear a mask on-site and was verbally abusive, while staff told Jenkins their personal protective equipment (PPE) was locked up and they were only allowed one mask per shift. The home also had a persistent problem with mice and bedbugs, she said.

The Spectator requested comment from Fife through the Rosslyns lawyer, as well as through her business and personal contacts, but did not get a response. A note in the RHRAs decision to revoke the Rosslyns licence indicates the home denied PPE was under lock and key despite an internal Rosslyn memo stating PPE should be kept under lock and key.

I was being eaten alive, Jenkins said of bedbugs in the home. I would just start scratching and then Id look down ... they were just, like, everywhere.

In a previous Spectator series, Heather Poyner alleged her great aunt Jane, pictured, suffered innumerable bedbug bites while she was a resident of the Rosslyn Retirement Residence in 2019. Courtesy of by Heather Poyner

The bugs were in anything upholstered, she said. When she got home, shed change in her garage to avoid bringing the bedbugs inside. Once, at the Rosslyn, a mouse ran over her foot.

Speaking out

On June 2, things came to a head.

An RHRA inspector was going to be on-site that day and Fife was on edge, Jenkins said. In a meeting with Jenkins and the RPN, Fife told them to only show the inspector complete and accurate documents. In the event he requested a document that was incomplete or incorrect, Jenkins said Fife directed them to tell the inspector that in the confusion of the evacuation, documents were taken off-site or thrown into a box and are still being sorted.

The Rosslyn denies this in its notice of appeal.

The Registrar (on the basis of the unreliable RNs evidence) found that there had been an attempt to mislead an inspector who was reviewing medication administration documentation, wrote the home, referring to Jenkins as the RN. This was completely false: the inspector had been granted full access to all of Rosslyns medical records. At no time did Rosslyn interfere with the inspection.

For Jenkins, the instruction to mislead the inspector was a turning point, she said.

Something just kicked in in me, Jenkins said. I dont know if it was my ethical radar or just a sense of danger.

She called the RHRA telling them she was going to quit at the Rosslyn. Then she went looking for the investigator, only to find him with Fife. Fife insisted she speak to Jenkins privately, but the investigator pushed back, successfully.

In the medication room, Jenkins laid bare to the investigator what shed seen and heard during her two weeks at the Rosslyn. He was already aware of some of her claims since shed been in regular contact with the RHRA during her employment.

I just said Im not comfortable with having my name and my licence put on the line for a place that doesnt seem to have its integrity ... on their list of priorities, Jenkins said, or resident care for that (matter).

Ashley Jenkins, a nurse, was hired at the Rosslyn through a temp agency in May. Her hiring was part of the home's attempt at compliance with the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority's (RHRA) order requiring the Rosslyn retain a "regulated health professional" before residents could be allowed back. What she saw over the course of her two weeks of employment convinced Jenkins the Rosslyn was ill-equipped to re-admit anyone, let alone seniors recovering from COVID. Cathie Coward

As if to illustrate her claims, a loose pill sat on the floor.

The fallout

After her meeting with the investigator, Jenkins walked out. Fife called after her to come back, but she retreated to her car. Then she got a call from her temp agency boss, CEO Vasile Whittaker, asking her to meet with him and Rosslyn management down the road that afternoon. She agreed because she wanted to continue working with Whittakers temp agency, she said.

At the meeting was Fife, Whittaker and Aldo Martino, one of two brothers linked to the 2003 collapse of the Royal Crest Lifecare chain, the largest nursing home bankruptcy in Ontarios history. The Rosslyn is owned and operated by members of the Martino family. Fifes partner, Annette Martino, is Aldos sister. Annette and Fife operated boarding houses in Hamilton starting in the late 1970s.

As soon as I walked into that meeting the first thing out of (Martinos) mouth was You created this problem, how are you going to fix it? said Jenkins, noting she previously met Martino at the Rosslyn.

The meeting lasted about 45 minutes to one hour. During it, Fife and Martino pressured Jenkins to tell them what she told the investigator, Jenkins said.

She said they told her she misinterpreted the instructions regarding the documents and investigation process. They told her to call the RHRA and say she was emotional and what she shared with the investigator about the documents was a huge misunderstanding and the home just wanted to put its best foot forward, Jenkins said. She stayed silent through much of the meeting.

Aldo Martino, a member of the family that owns the Rosslyn Retirement Residence, is pictured in a 2003 file photo The Hamilton Spectator file photo

In an interview with The Spec, Whittaker denied Fife and Martino pressured Jenkins to recant her statement. They were trying to find out why she was so upset and walked out, he said.

Whittaker said he absolutely supported Jenkins decision to blow the whistle.

But less than two weeks later, Jenkins was out of a job.

This is the first of a two-part series about Jenkins, whistleblowing and the Rosslyn. To read the second part in the series, click here.
A 42-year-old reporter of a Marathi news channel died of COVID-19 on Wednesday at a newly-created jumbo care facility at COEP in Pune.

The Pune Municipal Corporation said in the evening that Dean of the Sassoon General Hospital has been asked to conduct an inquiry.

As his relatives alleged that he could not be shifted to a private hospital due to the lack of a cardiac ambulance, District collector Rajesh Deshmukh said that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had given instructions to probe this issue.

"The journalist was brought here from Ahmednagar district in an oxygen-equipped ambulance and was admitted to the jumbo facility here," he said.



"My brother died just because he could not get an ambulance in time," the deceased's sister said, while alleging gross mismanagement at the 800-bed facility, saying it was managed by trainee doctors.



One of the colleagues of the deceased reporter said that his condition started deteriorating on Tuesday night, a day after he was admitted at the facility.

"He was to be shifted to a private hospital, as his condition started deteriorating. We somehow managed to get an ICU bed for him. However, we could not get a cardiac ambulance in time," he said.

The ambulance was supposed to arrive early Wednesday at the facility, but it was too late as he succumbed by 5.30 am, he claimed.



State BJP president Chandrakant Patil blamed "insensitive and lackadaisical" approach of the administration for the incident.

"It is the state government which has been instrumental in setting up jumbo facilities, so responsibility lies with the government and local administration," he said.

The Kothrud MLA claimed that 8 to 9 deaths have taken place at this particular jumbo centre.

BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole said the jumbo facility lacked necessary medical facilities.



Meanwhile, the PMC said that Dean of Sassoon General Hospital, Dr Murlidhar Tambe, has been requested to conduct an inquiry into the death. Tambe has been asked to find out if

there was any deficiency in the treatment protocol, it added.

The civic body admitted that the patient was to be shifted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, however, considering his condition, it was not advisable to transport him in an

ordinary ambulance.



Hours before his death, he had put out a brief message on a messaging group of journalists around 1.30 am in which he wrote, "Feeling bad, please take me".
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come to the defence of embattled Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, saying Canada has an "excellent" representative for the Queen and that now is not the time to replace the former astronaut.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Governor General Julie Payette and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau look on during a swearing in ceremony following a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has an "excellent" governor general in Julie Payette and that now is not the time to replace the former astronaut. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come to the defence of embattled Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, saying Canada has an "excellent" representative for the Queen and that now is not the time to replace the former astronaut.

The comments follow allegations that employees in Payette's office at Rideau Hall have been subject to workplace harassment as well as reports of her having incurred a variety of extraordinary costs since she was named Governor General.

Asked about replacing Payette while appearing on RED FM's The Harjinder Thind Show in Vancouver, Trudeau said: "We have an excellent Governor General right now, and I think on top of the COVID crisis, nobody's looking at any constitutional crises."

The prime minister noted the federal government has hired a consulting firm to investigate the reports of a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall, but added when it comes to replacing Payette, "that's not something we are contemplating right now."

Payette has found herself the focus of intensifying public scrutiny in recent weeks following reports about expensive renovations at Rideau Hall to suit Payette's wishes and alleged mistreatment of current and former staff within her office.

Federal New Democrats immediately criticized Trudeau's comments on Wednesday, questioning how the prime minister can support the Governor General when the reports of harassment have yet to be investigated.

"How can he be so sure that Ms. Payette is an 'excellent' Governor General and that it's appropriate for her to remain in her current role without hearing the facts first?" NDP whip Rachel Blaney said in a statement.

"The prime minister appointed Ms. Payette and he has an obligation to show some real leadership, accept the findings of the investigation, and ensure people working in that office are treated with respect and dignity."

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, in an appearance on Parliament Hill, said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on Payette's suitability to continue as Governor General.

The appointment of a governor general is made by the Queen on the prime minister's advice. Trudeau tapped the former astronaut, engineer and scientist in 2017.

The CBC reported in July, citing anonymous sources, that Payette had yelled at, belittled and publicly humiliated employees, reducing some to tears or prompting them to quit.

The Privy Council Office announced this week that it has hired Ottawa-based Quintet Consulting Corp. to conduct a third-party investigation.

Quintet was called in seven years ago to probe issues within the RCMP protective unit for then-prime minister Stephen Harper. It also investigated problems with former senator Don Meredith.

Payette herself has welcomed a review, saying in a statement that she was "deeply concerned" about the allegations.

The CBC and Postmedia have also reported that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on designs and renovations Rideau Hall, some allegedly at Payettes personal request, for privacy, accessibility and security reasons.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters last month following reports of unnecessary expenditures at Rideau Hall that public office holders should be mindful of how they spend taxpayer dollars.

"I do think that all of us who have the privilege of serving Canadians have to really be mindful that when we spend money, we are spending the money of Canadians and we have to be very, very thoughtful about that, very careful about that," Freeland said.

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Freeland at the time said she respected the office of the Governor General,but sidestepped questions about whether she supported Payette.

While the Governor General is a largely symbolic position, it does have some constitutional importance, particularly during a minority government such as the one Canada has now.

In 2008, former prime minister Stephen Harper asked then-governor general Michaelle Jean to prorogue Parliament to avoid a non-confidence vote he was expected to lose  a decision that was controversial at the time but in keeping with constitutional tradition.

If the prime minister did want Payette to leave office, experts say it would be more likely that a private conversation between her and the prime minister would lead to a letter of resignation.

If she disagreed or refused to leave when asked, the prime minister could call the Queen and request that she be dismissed. But experts say that would only be a last resort.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.
Prince Williams/WireimageAtlanta rapper Mulatto has become one to watch since making her rap debut on Jermaine Dupri's The Rap Game in 2016.

After winning the first season of the rap competition series, Mulatto declined a deal with Dupri's So So Def Record label to remain independent, which ultimately worked in her favor.

She went onto drop a slew of mixtapes, EPs and her Billboard Hot 100 hit, "[Queen] of Da Souf," which all led to her major-label debut, Queen of Da Souf, under RCA Records.

"When I walked into the RCA office, it felt like home," Mulatto told Billboard as the Chartbreaker of the Month. "They didn't have any female rapper that I would be going toe-to-toe with or competing for attention with. I liked that."

Before releasing her debut project, Mulatto appeared on NLE Choppa's "Make Em Say" and was featured on XXL's 2020 Freshman class list, alongside Choppa, Chika and Jack Harlow. Mulatto was also featured on the music video for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP" collaboration.

Mulatto said she was excited to work with fellow female artists who are still able to celebrate their sexuality in such a male-dominated music industry.

"If you listen to my music, that's everything I stand for: women being free about their sexuality, flipping the industry's gender roles and society's gender roles and just being as confident as you can be with yourself, your sexuality," Mulatto said. "Being the biggest, independent boss and proving everybody wrong. People want women to be so submissive when we got a voice of our own, and we can do everything these dudes can do."

By Rachel George

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Uncertain times ahead: Dalata CEO Pat McCann said the fresh funds will be used to provide additional headroom

Ireland's biggest hotel chain, Dalata, has raised more than 94m to strengthen its financial bulwark against the Covid pandemic.

Releasing a stark set of first-half results yesterday, Dalata said it would sell shares equivalent to 19.9pc of its existing number of issued shares.

It later confirmed that it had raised gross proceeds of 94.4m after selling 37m new shares at 2.55 each. That price represented a 7pc discount to the closing share price on Monday.

Dalata chief executive Pat McCann told the Irish Independent that the group had been unable to satisfy the level of institutional demand for the share placement.

However, he said due to the structure of the placing, the company was unable to sell more shares without doing a full rights issue, which he said would have been challenging.

Dalata said the fresh funds will be used to provide additional headroom in the event of a "more prolonged" impact from Covid-19 and allow it to start construction of a new hotel in London's Shoreditch. It said it would also provide a "significant advantage" in securing leasing opportunities at competitive terms, particularly in the UK market.

The company had about 110m of cash on its books at the end of August, and 111m in undrawn facilities.

Mr McCann said that the cost of entry to the London market - where Dalata currently has three properties - has always been a barrier, but that he and his team are already seeing more opportunities there.

"Quite a lot has come across our desk and most of it is pure rubbish, we wouldn't go near it," he said. "But there are some nice pieces of things beginning to happen, particularly in the London scene. It may give us an opportunity.

"We have fixed-income landlords who will support us on a lot of these projects and I won't have to fork out all the shareholders' cash to do this. I'll use the fixed-income guys to support me on the growth and they're more than happy to do that," he said

Dalata posted a pre-tax loss of 70.9m in the first six months of the year as revenue plunged 60pc to 80.8m.

The results laid bare the unprecedented impact on the business as its hotels were closed and Ireland and the UK went into lockdown.

Dalata owns or operates a total of 44 hotels, with 16 of those in Dublin and 12 in the UK. It signed leases on hotels in Brighton and Manchester in the first half.

It said that its properties in Dublin and London had been hardest hit in the first half, as they rely more than regional hotels in Ireland and the UK on international travel and events.

The group availed of 5.2m in wage subsidies in the first half of the year. It also benefited to the tune of 3.1m in savings from rate waivers in Ireland and the UK during the second quarter.

Mr McCann said the upcoming winter season looks uncertain, but that he has no plans to mothball any hotels.

"I have absolutely no plans to do that," he said. The group had made "full use" of government supports and it would be better to keep properties "ticking over" rather than closing them, he added.

He called for current rates waiver, which is due to expire this month, to be extended to the end of next March, and for a 9pc Vat rate to be reintroduced.
This summer didnt just see temperatures heat up. The S&P 500 has been on fire, with the index breaking record after record during the month of August and now sitting at 3,526.65 points.

As its 2020 S&P 500 price target of 3,388 has been left in the dust, investment firm Wells Fargo is weighing in on where the market is heading. Christopher Harvey, head of equity strategy, writes in a recent note that it does not appear the market is about to hit a wall, noting that he doesnt want to leave the party too early.

There is a growing perception that a COVID vaccine is a 1H21 event  and we need to price it in now. Fiscal/monetary accommodation is massive... Cash build-up provides additional ammo. This is why we have not pivoted defensively but are rotating to cyclicality, COVID  and easy 1H21 comps, Harvey commented.

According to the analyst, small-caps have a high COVID , which remains a short-term catalyst  i.e., outperforming as news on the virus/vaccine front improves. Therefore, he argues that as COVID figures and vaccine prospects improve, small caps are positioned to outperform as the market rewards cyclical (economic) exposure.

Turning Harveys outlook into concrete recommendations, Wells Fargo analyst Jim Birchenough, who happens to boast a 5-star rating from TipRanks, is pounding the table on two small-cap stocks that look especially compelling. He sees over 70% upside potential in store for each, so we used TipRanks database to take a closer look.

IMV Inc. (IMV)

Hoping to provide more effective, more broadly applicable and more widely available solutions to patients, IMV develops a unique class of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines to treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Following an update on the progress of its vaccine pipeline, Wells Fargo believes now is the time to get in on the action.

Birchenough points to its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, DPX-COVID19, as a key component of his bullish thesis.

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With DPX-COVID19 progressing to Phase 1 imminently with Canadian government funding, and strong support for a homegrown option voiced by the Canadian Minister of Innovation, we continue to view the vaccine approach as potentially best-in-class, with strong rational polypeptide approach, validated adjuvant in DepoVax (DPX) and overall approach most similar to that taken by Novavax in the U.S., where strong clinical validation has been seen, the analyst explained.

Citing previous RSV vaccine results, Birchenough thinks that a differentiated profile of antibody has been established, with T-cell and IgA responses also witnessed. On top of this, data on Modernas candidate offers opportunity for improvement in terms of antibody response, neutralization response, safety and tolerability. Therefore, the analyst sees a high likelihood of success into Phase 1 results and broader development.

According to management, the Phase 1 study is set to kick off any day now, with the preliminary results expected in fall 2020. If positive, IMV will initiate a Phase 2 study shortly after. The preliminary data will include immunogenicity (antibody level) and functionality (viral neutralization) results, and the study will evaluate the candidate across two age cohorts, with the participants receiving 25g or 50g doses. It should be noted that IMV was granted an award of CA$4.75 million from Canadian government agencies to support Phase 1 clinical development and manufacturing.

Birchenough also mentions that the company believes DPX-COVID-19 may differentiate in two aspects: 1) the duration of induced immunoresponse and 2) efficacy in the elderly immunocompromised population. Adding to the good news, IMV has completed the DPX-COVID-19 cGMP formulation and manufacturing process development, with multiple batches successfully produced. It also has CDMOs in Canada, the U.S. and other countries to help prepare for a possible launch.

With top-line data for its cancer vaccine also expected to be released in 2H20, the deal is sealed for Birchenough. To this end, the analyst rates IMV an Overweight (i.e Buy) along with an $11 price target. This figure conveys his confidence in IMVs ability to soar 176% in the next year. (To watch Birchenoughs track record, click here)

Looking at the consensus breakdown, 5 Buys and 2 Holds have been published in the last three months. Therefore, IMV gets a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Based on the $8.73 average price target, shares could rise 119% in the next year. (See IMV stock analysis on TipRanks)

Sutro Biopharma Inc. (STRO)

Pioneering a new way of discovering therapeutics, Sutro Biopharma is focused on next generation cancer and autoimmune therapeutics  antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies and cytokine derivatives. Ahead of several updates related to its development pipeline, Wells Fargo sees major growth in store.

Birchenough tells clients that the progress of its novel antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) keeps him standing squarely with the bulls. In particular, the analyst is excited about two candidates, wholly-owned STRO-002 in ovarian cancer and Bristol Myers Squibb-partnered BCMA ADC, CC-99712, in myeloma.

STRO-002, a folate receptor  ADC, is currently being evaluated at doses ranging from 5.2 to 6.0 mg/Kg before a dose is selected for the expansion cohort. This cohort is set to open later on in 2H20. On top of this, STRO is expected to update data from the ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation trial in 2H20.

Based on data from the Virtual AACR meetings, 62% of patients saw at least a 50% decrease in CA-125, all of whom achieved at least stable disease. Additionally, preclinical data demonstrated that there was an additive benefit when STRO-002 was combined with PD-L1 inhibitor BAVENCIO.

Expounding on this, Birchenough stated. With dose escalation ongoing, we believe that early evidence of activity in highly refractory ovarian cancer is supported by a 62% CA-125 response and durable stable disease, and we are optimistic regarding prospects for competitive RECIST response to mirvetuximab at higher doses, with expected update by YE20. We believe that absence of ocular toxicity, if maintained at higher doses, could represent a major advantage over other ADCs, like mirvetuximab, and position STRO-002 for longer term dosing to support extended progression-free survival (PFS).

As for CC-99712, it is currently progressing through a Phase 1 trial, with 3.0mg/Kg representing the last reported dose. Even though this therapy is competing with GlaxoSmithKlines ADC, Birchenough argues the bar has been set low.

Indeed, with a 31% overall response rate (ORR), ocular toxicity, and severe vision loss with the GSK ADC, we believe that avoidance of ocular toxicity in the ongoing phase 1 study in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma could represent a significant early advantage of CC-99712 and be a major catalyst for STRO shares into a potential YE20 data update, the analyst explained.

Given everything STRO has going for it, Birchenough decided to stay with the bulls. Along with an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating, he puts an $18 price target on the stock. Should his thesis play out, a potential twelve-month gain of 78% could be in the cards.

Overall, with 3 "buy" ratings and no "holds" or "sells," STRO shares have earned their Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $10.08 and the average price target of $18.67 implies that there is room for 84% upside growth. (See Sutro stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for healthcare stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Eight former IPS officers have moved the Bombay High Court against the "unfair, malicious and false media campaign" against Mumbai Police in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

The "media trial" should be stopped, the plea urged the court.

The petitioners are former Maharashtra DGPs M N Singh, P S Pasricha, D K Sivanandan, Sanjiv Dayal, Satish Mathur and K Subramanyam, former Mumbai police commissioner D N Jadhav, and former additional DGP K P Raghuvanshi.

The petition, filed on August 31, said a section of news channels have been trying to influence the course of investigation which is being carried out by the CBI, ED and NCB, and airing false propaganda against Mumbai Police.

It sought a direction to media organisations to refrain from publishing or circulating false, derogatory and scandalous comments which may jeopardize the reputation of the city police.

"The media organisations should be directed to ensure that reporting of ongoing investigations is done in a balanced, ethical, unbiased and objective manner and to not turn such reporting into a media trial and a vilification campaign against the police and others," the petition said.

It also sought a direction to the concerned authorities to frame the guidelines to be followed by the media while reporting on such cases.

The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.

Rajput, a Bollywood star, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.

While the Mumbai police registered an Accidental Death Report and started probe, his father on July 25 lodged a complaint with Patna Police alleging that the actor's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members had abetted his suicide.

The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing allegations of money laundering against Rhea and her family; Narcotics Control Bureau is looking into claims that she used to consume drugs and also supply them to Rajput.
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association's CyberPatriot Program Office has announced the Fort Gordon Cyber District (Alliance for Cyber Education) as the CyberPatriot Center of Excellence of the Year for the second year in a row.

CyberPatriot, the nation's largest youth cyber education program, is AFA's flagship science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among American youth. The Center of Excellence designation is awarded to communities and institutions that provide leadership and support to further the educational experiences of their students through the CyberPatriot program.

Fort Gordon Cyber District / Alliance for Cyber Education was awarded the title of Center of Excellence in December of 2018 and has since grown even further its support to the program. The exceptional level of involvement across all areas of CyberPatriot made Fort Gordon stand out from other outstanding Centers of Excellence.

As a CyberPatriot Center of Excellence, the Fort Gordon Cyber District promotes the program across two states (Georgia and South Carolina) and seven counties to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity. With the help of the Fort Gordon Adopt-a-School program, the number of registered CyberPatriot teams in the area has increased from six teams to over 120 teams.

In the past year, the Alliance for Cyber Education team conducted free CyberPatriot training for over 70 regional teachers held by and at the Georgia Cyber Center. It also held teacher and mentor training sessions prior to its two AFA CyberCamps. Students from 40 different schools participated in the camps, with over 60% of campers coming from middle school and an impressive 24% of registered campers being female.

Its most innovative achievement for the year was its filming and animation of both books in the CyberPatriot Literature Series. The Alliance for Cyber Education completely funded both book readings, which are now available on YouTube.

The center's success is in large part also due to the establishment of the Fort Gordon Cyber District / Alliance for Cyber Education subcommittee in all seven school districts and three private schools within the COE's region. This committee meets at least quarterly to discuss implementation strategies for multiple CyberPatriot programs.

"We are so very proud of our students, our teams, our school superintendents, our teachers, the Fort Gordon Cyber District, the Alliance for Fort Gordon, our education committee, our local businesses, the GA Cyber Center, our sponsors, and our region for being named the Cyber Patriot Center of Excellence of the year for two straight years," said Dr. Tom Clark, Executive Director of the Alliance for Fort Gordon. "Back to back COE awards is something our team and our region can all be truly proud of."

For more information on the Fort Gordon Cyber District and CyberPatriot's Center of Excellence program, visit http://uscyberpatriot.org/about/centers-of-excellence.

SOURCE Air Force Association
Regulatory News:

SFL (Paris:FLY):

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO ANY U.S. PERSON (AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED) OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING PUERTO RICO, THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS, GUAM, AMERICAN SAMOA, WAKE ISLAND AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS), ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS PRESS RELEASE

SFL (the "Company") is launching a tender offer intended to purchase its (i) 500,000,000 1.875 %. notes due 26 November 2021 (ISIN Code: FR0012346856) listed on Euronext Paris (of which 350,000,000 is currently outstanding) (the "2021 Notes"), and (ii) 500,000,000 2.25 %. notes due 16 November 2022 (ISIN Code: FR0013053030) listed on Euronext Paris (of which 350,000,000 is currently outstanding) (the "2022 Notes", and together with the 2021 Notes, the "Notes"), up to a maximum acceptance amount in nominal amount of Notes of 300,000,000, subject to the discretion of the Company (the "Tender Offer

The Tender Offer is made under the terms and conditions set out in the tender offer memorandum dated 2 September 2020 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum

The tender price payable in respect of the 2021 Notes validly submitted for tender and accepted for purchase by the Company will be determined by reference to a yield of 0.00 %.*

The tender price payable for the 2022 Notes validly submitted for tender and accepted for purchase by the Company has been fixed at 104.15 %. of the principal amount of the 2022 Notes.

The purpose of the Tender Offer is to optimise the Company's cost of debt and to improve the balance sheet structure.

The Tender Offer will start on 2 September 2020 and will expire at 4:00 p.m (CEST) on 8 September 2020. The results of the Tender Offer will be announced on 9 September 2020 (subject to changes as a result of any extension, withdrawal, termination or amendment of the Tender Offer). Settlement is expected to take place on 10 September 2020.

-----------

* For information purposes only, the tender offer price in respect of the 2021 Notes will be 101.797 %. assuming a settlement date of 10 September 2020. This tender offer price reflects a yield to the 3-month par call date, i.e. 26 August 2021.

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute an invitation to participate in the Tender Offer in or from any jurisdiction in or from which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such invitation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions and should refer to the Offer Restrictions section contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Tenders of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will not be accepted from qualifying holders in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. The Company does not make any recommendation as to whether or not qualifying holders should participate in the Tender Offer.

United States

The Tender Offer is not being made and will not be made directly or indirectly in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, email and other forms of electronic transmission) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facility of a national securities exchange of, the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") (each a "U.S. Person") and the Notes may not be tendered in the Tender Offer by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States, by persons located or resident in the United States ("U.S. holders" within the meaning of Rule 800(h) under the Securities Act). Accordingly, copies of the present press release, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any documents or materials related to this Tender Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by custodians, nominees or trustees) in or into the United States or to any such person. Any purported Offer to Sell in response to this Tender Offer resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions will be invalid, and Offers to Sell made by a person located or resident in the United States or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal giving instructions from within the United States will not be accepted.

Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under, or an exemption from the registration requirements of, the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities referred to in this press release have not been registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state of the United States or other jurisdiction and the securities may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States or to any U.S. person as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act.

For the purposes of the above paragraphs, "United States" means the United States of America, its territories and possessions (including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands), any state of the United States of America and the District of Columbia.

France

The Tender Offer is only being made, directly or indirectly, to qualified investors as such term is defined under Article 2(e) of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated 14 June 2017 (the "Prospectus Regulation") in the Republic of France and only qualified investors are eligible to participate in the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or offering materials relating to the Tender Offer may only be distributed to qualified investors as such term is defined under Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation and in accordance with Article L.341-2, 1 of the French Code Monetaire et Financier. The Tender Offer Memorandum, nor any other such offering material has been submitted for clearance to the French Autorite des marches financiers

About SFL

Leader in the prime segment of the Parisian commercial real estate market, Societe Fonciere Lyonnaise stands out for the quality of its property portfolio, which is valued at 7.2 billion and is focused on the Central Business District of Paris (cloud.paris, Edouard VII, Washington Plaza, etc.), and for the quality of its client portfolio, which is composed of prestigious companies in the consulting, media, digital, luxury, finance and insurance sectors. As France's oldest property company, SFL demonstrates year after year an unwavering commitment to its strategy focused on creating a high value in use for users and, ultimately, substantial appraisal values for its properties.

Stock market: Euronext Paris Compartment A Euronext Paris ISIN FR0000033409 Bloomberg: FLY FP Reuters: FLYP PA

S&P rating: BBB+ stable outlook

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005433/en/

Contacts:

SFL Thomas Fareng Phone +33 (0)1 42 97 27 00 t.fareng@fonciere-lyonnaise.com

Evidence Gregoire Silly Phone +33 (0)6 99 10 78 99 gregoire.silly@evidenceparis.fr

www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com
Read the news clip below (I think it was from the). Colleges are just starting back up and there will be many more infections. It isn't the on-campus environment that is the issue as much as parties and the bar scene. As noted in the piece below, college towns are also victims of inappropriate social behavior. Knowing the age group, closing bars will likely only push more people to socialize at house parties.At what point  infections, hospitalizations or deaths  will college administrations start putting the health of their campuses and the local community ahead of "making money?""Outbreaks at colleges across the United States are beginning to spill off campus and infect surrounding communities  a worrisome trend that does not bode well for other school reopenings this fall.Among the top 20 metropolitan areas where new cases per capita rose the most over the past two weeks, nearly half were college towns where large public universities recently reopened their campuses.At the University of Alabama, more than 1,300 students and staff members have tested positive, prompting the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Ala., to close all bars in the city for two weeks in the hope of slowing the explosive outbreak.In the first week of classes, Iowa State University in Ames found 104 cases and the University of Iowa in Iowa City had 607 students test positive. The outbreaks prompted Gov. Kim Reynolds to close bars in six counties through most of September. Other college towns with the greatest rise in cases relative to population include Oxford, Miss. (University of Mississippi); Lawrence, Kan. (University of Kansas); Auburn, Ala. (Auburn University); Pullman, Wash. (Washington State University); Statesboro, Ga. (Georgia Southern University); and Grand Forks, N.D. (University of North Dakota)."
THB Europe is welcoming Jord Westerloo as a new facultative broker following the companys announcement of a new executive director who will lead its treaty offering.

Westerloo has worked at Aon Re Netherlands since 2016, most recently as a senior reinsurance broker with expertise in treaty reinsurance focusing on catastrophe risks, medical liability, terrorism, and mutual insurers.
A search for two children missing since they were swept away in floodwaters in North Carolina continued Wednesday morning.

A 5-year old girl and her 4-year old brother went missing after the car their mother was driving was carried away in a flash flood in Smithfield, North Carolina, about 30 miles south of Raleigh.

Smithfield Fire Chief John Blanton said at a Tuesday news conference that the childrens mother, who has not been named, called 911 around 11:30 p.m. Monday, saying her car had been overtaken by water from a flooded creek.

Smithfield rescue crews, along with emergency service workers from neighboring towns, responded with four boats to the scene, Blanton said.

Image: Two children missing in Smithfield floodwaters (WRAL)

Initially, rescue crews were able to locate the car and retrieve the mother and one of her children on one of the responding boats.

But, the fire chief said, The water was so turbulent the boat capsized, and they lost the child, Blanton said.

All four boats capsized at some point in the rescue efforts, Blanton said.

"The amount of water, and the current is so strong, it overcomes you when you start to turn a boat, and you're in debris and tress and such, Blanton said, according to NBC Raleigh affiliate WRAL. They would hit a tree, they'd flip over.

The mother and two first responders were taken to the hospital early Tuesday for injuries, WRAL reported.

Search crews were able to locate the car again on Tuesday, but were not able to find the two missing children.

Up to about eight inches of rain fell on Smithfield during a storm Monday. The creek that flooded was about a half mile long, Blanton said.
Figure 1

McDonough East property location in the Red Lake Gold Camp.

McDonough East property location in the Red Lake Gold Camp.

Figure 2

Preliminary total magnetic intensity and structural features for the McDonough East Property.

Preliminary total magnetic intensity and structural features for the McDonough East Property.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gold Plus Mining Inc. (Gold Plus or the Company) (CSE:GPMI) is pleased to announce that it has completed a high resolution heli-borne magnetic survey of the 100% owned McDonough East Property (the Property) located 16km northwest of Red Lake, Ontario and conducted by Prospectair Geosurveys Inc. (see Figure 1). The high resolution heli-borne magnetic survey was flown over the totality of the property covering 1,535 ha. (3,793 acres) at 50m line spacings.

Figure 1. McDonough East property location in the Red Lake Gold Camp is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c026972e-668f-4268-9dbf-86c2bf3179b3.

Airborne magnetic surveys are used in the exploration industry to outline different lithologies and map prospective structural zones in areas of limited bedrock exposure. Although preliminary in nature, total magnetic intensity of the Property has outlined possible folded lithology, intrusive bodies and faults or deformation zones (see Figure 2). Structural features are a key ingredient to Archean orogenic gold deposits in the Red Lake Gold Camp. Final products of the airborne magnetic survey will be available by the end of September.

Figure 2. Preliminary total magnetic intensity and structural features for the McDonough East Property is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf25acef-ce38-45e5-bd44-c7048820237d.

Although preliminary, the airborne magnetic survey has outlined areas of high merit warranting additional exploration. Ground-truthing these areas through a program of mapping, prospecting and sampling will aid in integrating possible mineralization with structural features. Results of the mapping and sampling program will be instrumental in completing a full 2D compilation, re-interpretation of the geology and a structural interpretation by an experienced structural geologist. Completing the above programs will aid in the prioritization of areas for possible ground geophysics and subsequent drill targets.

Story continues

President and CEO Spencer Smyl states, The initial results of the airborne survey are encouraging and point to multiple areas of interest that warrant further exploration. We look forward to utilizing the final interpretation of the high resolution airborne survey data to define and prioritize targets for upcoming exploration programs. The McDonough East Property is one of three prospective properties that Gold Plus now has in some of the most prolific mining camps in Canada: the Golden Triangle in British Columbia, the Red Lake Gold Camp in northwest Ontario and the Abitibi region of Quebec.

Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About Gold Plus Mining Inc.

Gold Plus Mining is a publicly traded exploration company focused on the development of highly prospective, discovery-stage mineral properties located in some of Canadas top mining jurisdictions. Our growing portfolio of mineral properties exhibit favorable geological characteristics in underexplored areas within the prolific Golden Triangle of British Columbia, the Mineral Rich Red Lake mining camp of Northwestern Ontario and the Chapais-Chibougamau mining camp, the second largest mining camp in Quebec, Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Spencer Smyl

CEO & Director

For more information on Gold Plus Mining, please contact

Mr. Spencer Smyl  CEO & Director

Phone: 604-785-4229

E-mail: spencer@goldplusmining.com

Corporate e-mail: info@goldplusmining.com

Website: www.goldplusmining.com

Corporate Address: 303  570 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2P1

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




'The Middle East believes the US should restore its status. I am referring here to two international issues that threaten world peace and security'

The founding fathers of the US built the country on the bases of freedom and justice. The majority of US presidents respected these values and promoted them internationally. This is what made the US a leading country respected the world over.

We, in the Middle East, fondly remember the noble actions of president Dwight Eisenhower during the tripartite aggression of England, France and Israel in 1956 when they invaded Egypt and sent their troops to occupy Sinai, a very dear part of Egypt.

Eisenhower intervened, giving the three countries an ultimatum to withdraw their troops from Egypt. They left. This is what the world expects from the US to support justice and condemn aggressions and occupation of other countries.

The Middle East believes the US should restore its status. I am referring here to two international issues that threaten world peace and security.

The first is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile.

The dam will deprive River Nile downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, that are friends of the US, of their share of Nile waters and endanger the lives of millions of people who shall suffer from thirst and hunger. The Nile is about the only source of water for Egyptians. Ethiopia is water-rich, often referred to as the Fountain of Africa.

A young diplomat, Marwa Salem, conducted a study about water in Africa. Salem said 14 water basins flow through Ethiopia, including the Nile Basin. Its total water surface is about 122 BCM, nearly 90 BCM of which  coming from national rivers  are under Ethiopia's control. Moreover, there are about 20 BCM of groundwater near the surface, which are renewable due to the heavy rainfall, which averages 1250 mm per year. Consequently, Ethiopia belongs in the category of water abundance.

In the 1960s, the US agricultural Department conducted an extensive study on water in Ethiopia. The four-year research identified 33 locations in Ethiopia for building a dam. Nevertheless, the Ethiopian government chose the most controversial of them to build dam. The US, realising the critical GERD crisis, has sponsored tripartite negotiations to reach a deal that safeguards the rights of the three countries.

When an agreement was already reached in Washington, Ethiopia didnt show up to sign it, showing disrespect to the negotiating parties including the US that brokered the talks.

Ethiopia should have honoured its word, if not for the $8 billion the US grants Ethiopia each year, then at least for the sake of respecting the diplomatic codes and proper behaviour.

We are all well aware that Ethiopias aggressive attitude is a flagrant violation of all international agreements and the Helsinki principles that safeguard the rights of all countries sharing international rivers and ensures their good relations.

The US Treasury has recently withheld $200 million from its aid to Ethiopia, sending a message to Addis Ababa it will not get away with this extreme violation of international laws.

The whole world expects the US to continue its efforts to support the rights of millions of Egyptians and Sudanese people who cannot survive without water.

The second issue is Turkish President Recep Tayyips Erdogans invasion of Libya and his establishment of military bases west of the Egyptian borders.

It is well known that he is a strong supporter of terrorist organisations, providing them with funds, arms and mercenaries. He even recruits Turkish Kurds to fight in Libya under the pretext of reviving the Ottoman empire. He flagrantly announced that he intends to occupy Austria, Rome and even the Vatican itself as well.

The dictator had the audacity to turn the Aya Sofia church and museum into a mosque where the preacher gave his sermon holding a sword, claiming that this is the way to spread Islam and restore the Ottoman glory -- although the teachings of Islam call for peace and coexistence of all peoples of all religions.

Erdogan also attacked some oil wells in the Mediterranean that belong to Greece and Cypress. His actions constitute a threat to peace and security, not only in the Middle East but in Europe and the world at large.

Dear US friends of Egypt, the US is now preparing for a major political event, namely the Congress and presidential elections. Get in touch with your candidates, the senators, the governors, and the mayors. Demand they listen to your requests.

Ask your family, friends and colleagues to create a strong public opinion. Tell them the US should restore its status as a major power that supports world peace, security, and human rights. Encourage them to support justice.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County suspended a corrections officer for 15 days without pay after he pleaded guilty to knocking out an inmates teeth.

Officer John Wilson, who pleaded guilty in February to a misdemeanor charge of assault, will start serving his suspension on Wednesday.

Ohio Patrolmens Benevolent Association union attorney Adam Chaloupka said the union would not appeal the decision.

We think its fair, but were not saying he used unreasonable force, Chaloupka said. Its the end of a very long process, and hes ready to go back to work and resume his life.

Chaloupka said the union and county are negotiating how much back pay Wilson might receive for the four months he was on unpaid leave after the county prosecutors office brought charges against him in April 2019.

Wilson is one of 11 jail officials or officers charged in the Ohio Attorney Generals Office criminal probe of the jail.

The charges range from inmate beatings to a former warden obstructing a death investigation and the former jail director accused of purposefully lying to county officials to block the hiring of nurses, making the jail unsafe, according to prosecutors.

Wilson is part of the jails Special Response Team, known as the Men in Black for their paramilitary gear. A November 2018 U.S. Marshals Service report singled out the unit for beating and threatening inmates.

Wilson faced charges of felonious assault, unlawful restraint and abduction. A jury found him not guilty of abduction, but deadlocked on the other charges, resulting in a mistrial. The jury voted 11-1 to acquit Wilson. All 11 white jurors voted to acquit Wilson while the lone Black juror voted guilty.

The jury also acquitted co-defendant Cpl. Jason Jozwiak of charges in connection with the aftermath of the incident.

Instead of going to trial a second time, Wilson pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge, which allows him to continue working as a corrections officer. A judge sentenced to probation, 250 hours of community service and to pay a $500 fine.

No video of the altercation exists. Wilson was not wearing a body camera at the time of the incident, which happened inside a jail cell out of view of surveillance cameras.

The incident happened Feb. 5, 2018. Then-inmate Joshua Castleberry, a U.S. Army veteran, testified that he asked Wilson for a new sandwich because the bread was stale.

Castleberry testified that Wilson refused. Wilson went into Castleberrys cell and ordered Castleberry to face the wall. Castleberry testified he complied with Wilsons order.

Wilson shot pepper-foam in Castleberrys face, put him in handcuffs and slammed his head on the concrete floor several times.

Three of Castleberrys teeth were knocked out, including one that lodged in his nasal cavity and required surgery.

Another officers body camera video showed Castleberry gushing blood from his mouth. Officers strapped him to a restraint chair and left him bloodied and alone in a room by himself for several hours.

Wilson, also a U.S. Army veteran, testified that Castleberry refused his orders to face the wall during a cell search and that Castleberry turned from the wall and clenched his fist. Wilson said he shot pepper-foam in Castleberrys face, and Castleberry punched him in the head.

He grabbed Castleberry, spun him around and slammed him to the ground, Wilson testified. Wilson said he suffered a concussion from the punch.

Castleberry in February sued Cuyahoga County, Wilson, Jozwiak and other jail employees in U.S. District Court. The case is on-going.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Champaign County Republican Rep. Jim Jordan wants Washington, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser to answer for the citys response to an unruly crowd outside the White House that swarmed Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul last week after President Donald Trumps speech to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination.

Jordan, an avid Trump supporter, and his wife attended the same event as Paul, but did not get caught up in the crowd because they saw the commotion and left the White House with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has Secret Service protection, Jordans press spokesman said.

A letter Jordan sent Bowser in his capacity as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee claims that the nations capital, under her leadership, has allowed radical left-wing violent extremists to commit senseless acts of violence and destruction. In addition to the Aug. 27 incident with Paul, it cited a series of episodes on Aug. 24, where mobs of left-wing agitators confronted diners at District restaurants, demanding that the diners say or do things to signal support for certain leftist causes.

The letter Jordan authored with the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, Kentuckys James Comer, asked Bowser to send their committees documents and communications referring or relating to D.C.s response, if any, to violent left-wing agitators harassing peaceful individuals within D.C. between June 1, 2020, and the present and any examination the city might have done to see whether the perpetrators of the recent violence and intimidation were paid by a third party.

Spokesmen for Bowser did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Jordans letter.

While Jordans letter singles out Washington, D.C. for not controlling left-wing protesters, other cities have been faulted for failing to rein in right-wing protesters, some of whom prominently display firearms. Armed anti-mask protesters descended on the Ohio Capitol in Columbus earlier this year and Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman criticized demonstrators who protested at the home of former Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton to protest measures she ordered to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

More recently, police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, have been criticized for cracking down on left-wing protesters while giving water to armed militia members, one of whom was subsequently charged with shooting and killing two demonstrators.

In.a Wednesday phone call with Ohio reporters, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown blasted Trump for failing to call out white supremacists and white nationalists that come in and foment more violence. Brown said Trumps visit Tuesday to Kenosha, which became a focus for Black Lives Matter demonstrations after police shot a Black motorist, played out of the same old tired playbook of stoking fear, playing to race, trying to divide people.

Weve never seen a president that has done this in times like this rather than trying to bring people together, Brown said Wednesday.

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The tug of war over public statues keeps exposing our blind spots  not just our blinkered view of history, but of democracy in all its complexity.

Sir John A. Macdonald is merely the latest historical figure to be pulled down and covered up, his head lopped off or layered with painted graffiti. Protestors in Montreal toppled our founding prime minister last weekend, and Macdonalds visage is visible no more at Queens Park  protected and padlocked in a massive wooden shell after demonstrators hurled paint at his statue this summer.

Unpopular statues, like unpopular governments, ought not to be toppled in a democracy  just put in their place, placed in context, or put in storage.

Controversies over politicians of the past  like those of the present  are as old as history itself, and rarely as simple as they appear on protest placards. How we deal with them, how we heal over them, also matters in the crusade to right historical wrongs.

Sometimes the decision is obvious  like removing Confederate statues that celebrate those who lost the civil war but still succeeded in keeping Blacks down. More often its complicated.

Shall we remove the monument to Mahatma Gandhi at Carleton University, given latter-day criticisms of the Indian independence leader for harbouring anti-Black views? What about the monument in Torontos Riverdale Park to Sun Yat-sen, the revered leader who brought China into the modern era?

Other monuments, such as to Sir Winston Churchill, to Sun Yat-sen, have also been called into question, Wayne Reeves, chief curator of Torontos culture division, told the citys Aboriginal affairs advisory committee last month.

Which raises the question of who decides. Protestors deserve to be heard but not automatically heeded. A representative democracy defined by pluralism, mindful of minority rights and majority sentiments, requires consultation and conciliation, debate and deliberation.

A statue of Edward Cornwallis, founder of Halifax was a festering sore given his infamous Scalping Proclamation of 1749 offering a bounty for any Mikmaq adult or child. Ultimately, the statue was removed when elected representatives took a vote in 2018 (they voted again last month to erase his name from city streets and relocate the statue in a new museum of Mikmaq history).

That may not be as satisfying as spray painting, or as gratifying as graffiti. But the decision is more enduring.

The controversy over Macdonald is complicated  and in many ways intertwined with the debate over Egerton Ryerson, whose statue at Ryerson University was covered in pink paint by the same protestors this summer. As one scholar looking into Ryersons relationship with residential schools noted, his name is incorrectly linked to the architect label; instead, wrote Sean Carleton, Macdonald must be understood as its architect.

(Full disclosure: as a visiting practitioner at Ryersons Faculty of Arts, I walk by his statue on campus; I see his visage again inside the legislature when I walk by the Ryerson bust perched just outside NDP Leader Andrea Horwaths office).

Perhaps thats why Ryerson University added a plaque in 2018 introducing more context: As Chief Superintendent of Education, Ryersons recommendations were instrumental in the design and implementation of the Indian Residential School System, it reads.

That he also pioneered the modernization of Ontarios educational system remains beyond dispute. The question is how to reconcile conflicting legacies for people like Ryerson, Macdonald, Churchill, Gandhi, and others.

At Queens Park, Macdonald lies boarded up. Whats interesting is that few other statues, such as one honouring Queen Victoria  who presided over so much of our complicated colonial history  get much attention.

A few steps away, a monument honours the memory of the officers and men who fell on the battlefields of the North-West in 1885, which surely invites historical context and Indigenous input. The previous speaker of the legislature, Dave Levac, campaigned for years to erect a new to monument to the Metis leader Louis Riel, who led the Northwest Rebellion and was later executed during Macdonalds time as PM.

Surely the answer to our complicated historical record is to clarify and contextualize it, rather than censor it  which is why the recent addition of anonymous historical plaques adding context to some of Torontos most problematic landmarks and street names is so interesting and educational. Far better to fill in the gaps of history rather than create new historical vacuums in a country where few of us have taken the time to learn it.

The problem I have with the overall approach to tearing down statues and buildings is that its counterproductive, said Sen. Murray Sinclair, who headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigating the Residential Schools disaster. We are trying to create more balance in the relationship.

Thats similar to the approach taken by Nelson Mandela, who launched a pioneering truth and reconciliation commission when he became the first president of post-apartheid South Africa. As president, he avoided reflexively razing the statues of his racist predecessors, opting for a more deliberative approach (some came down, others remained).

Mandela, like Gandhi, understood the frailty and flaws of all humans, not least our leaders. Let he who is without sin cast the first bronze.
The event was jointly held by the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, the Government and National Assembly of Laos, the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee, the Party Organisation and administration of Vientiane in collaboration with the Central Committee of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association.

It saw the attendance of Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou; Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung; leaders and former leaders of the Party, NA, LFNC, ministries, sectors, organisations of Laos; and Vietnamese expats in Vientiane.

Addressing the meeting, Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou recalled the glorious history of national construction and defence of the Vietnamese people over the past 75 years.

She noted that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people have overcome difficulties and challenges to gain great achievements in national construction and defence, especially in the 35 years of the Doi moi (Renewal) cause.

Vietnams successes have been a source of encouragement for nations that are struggling for national independence, democracy and social progress, she said.

The top legislator underlined the solidarity between the Vietnamese and Lao people in the struggle for independence of Laos and the combat alliance of the two nations in decades, which laid the foundation for the Laos-Vietnam great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation initiated by President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Ho Chi Minh.

This has become an invaluable asset of the two nations, a rule of survival and development of both countries, and one of the decisive factors of the success of the revolution in each country, she said.

The Lao people are always aware that their successes and achievements are closely linked with the great assistance, and timely and effectively support of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, the Chairwoman said.

The victory of Vietnams August Revolution in 1945 created a favourable chance for the Lao people to rise up and gain independence on October 12, 1945, while the success of the Spring Uprising of Vietnam in 1975 resulted in a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity for the Lao people to regain the whole administration and establish the Peoples Republic Democratic of Laos on December 2, 1975, she stressed.

The Chairwoman expressed great gratitude and sincere thanks to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their whole-hearted, timely and efficient support to Laos during the past struggle for national liberation and the current cause of national construction, defence and development of Laos.

The Party, Government and people of Laos once again affirm that we will do our best and continue to work with the fraternal Party, Government and people of Vietnam to maintain and develop the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, which are rare in international relations, keeping them evergreen, and pass on to younger generations, thus being deserve to the great sacrifice of leaders, soldiers and people of both countries for todays life.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and give top priority to special ties with Laos throughout the history and in the future.

At present and in the future, although the world and the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions have faced unprecedented, complicated an unexpected challenges, and both countries have seen changes, Vietnam and Laos will surely stand side by side, share difficulties and successes, together reinforce their special ties and comprehensive cooperation, and make them more fruitful and lasting forever, he stressed.
For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session this year will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the session.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the UN General Assembly on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the world body for the high-level meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through video conference scheduled to be held later this month. However, there is no official confirmation yet.

The upcoming UNGA high-level week, scheduled for September 22-29, is expected to be held in a virtual format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to a tentative schedule of UNGA, Indias Head of Government (HG) will give a speech in the morning session on September 26.According to the list cited by PTI, Modi is expected to address the General Debate on the morning of September 26. However, it must be noted that the list is provisional and two more iterations will take place as schedules and speakers for the General Debate can change in the course of the next few weeks. The final speaking order for the General Debate could be different.

Last year in September, PM Modis speech at the 74th session of UNGA had emphasised on building an inclusive, assertive and accountable world. He spoke about protecting the climate, fighting terrorism, and maintaining global peace.

ALSO READ: India reeling under Modi-made disasters: Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi

Calling terrorism as one of the greatest challenges for humanity, he had appealed the world leaders to unite against it for the sake of mankind.Modi had shared the message of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas from the dais as he spoke about Indian culture.

ALSO READ: Dr Kafeel Khan detained under NSA, released from Mathura jail at midnight
Jason Miller

Jason Miller, communications director for the Trump transition team, arrives at Trump Tower, December 8, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling cabinet and other high level positions for the new administration. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Senior Trump campaign official Jason Miller appears to have been paid about $20,000 a month for work done for a nonprofit co-founded by indicted former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, according to public court filings obtained by Salon.

The nonprofit  now reportedly under investigation in connection with the federal charges against Bannon  started paying Miller the same month that Bannon's associates learned they were under federal investigation, court documents and public reports show.

The Trump campaign has not disclosed any payments to Miller since news of his hiring broke in June  nor has the campaign disclosed any salary payments to campaign manager Bill Stepien, according to mandatory federal filings. Publicly available court documents obtained by Salon together with Federal Election Commission (FEC) records suggest that the campaign is paying Miller $35,000 a month, apparently through non-public indirect transactions.

Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have charged Bannon, along with co-defendants Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, with running a multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering scheme, in which they secretly siphoned millions of dollars in payments from their We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign through a shell company as well as an unnamed nonprofit. The group disguised the allegedly unlawful transactions with fake invoices to hide their own personal takes, according to the indictment.

Bannon denies the charges.

C.O.A.R.

Though prosecutors do not explicitly name Bannon's nonprofit in the indictment, the document describes "Non-Profit-1" as predating the crowdfunding campaign and being dedicated to promoting "economic nationalism and American sovereignty." This would appear to describe the Bannon-founded nonprofit called Citizens of the American Republic (COAR), which first filed a tax return in 2017. Its website says the group "seeks to advance the ideals of Economic Nationalism and American Sovereignty."

Story continues

Miller co-hosted a podcast with Bannon for COAR, reportedly beginning in October 2019.

In an Aug. 23 interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Miller told host Chuck Todd that although he had worked for COAR, he had not been interviewed by government investigators.

"I have not, and from public reports it looks like this investigation was going long before the podcast even started, the podcast and the radio show that I co-hosted with Steve," Miller said.

While the exact timeline of the federal investigation is not a matter of public record, the Florida Agriculture Commissioner reportedly opened a probe into We Build the Wall in May 2019, but had not been contacted by SDNY investigators despite referring elements of the case to the FBI.

However, the charging document against Bannon and the other three men accused says they were first alerted that they were under federal investigation by a financial institution around October 2019, after which group members began communicating via encrypted messaging apps.

Miller had joined Bannon's podcast that same month, and ordinal invoices that Miller references in public filings in Florida court suggest COAR began to pay him around that time.

Those filings, obtained by Salon, show that Miller appears to have been paid around $20,000 a month for his work at COAR, from October 2019 until as recently as April 2020  six months after Bannon's group allegedly took steps to conceal communications after learning they were under investigation.

It's not clear what, if anything, Miller's COAR income, effectually a $240,000 annual salary, covered in addition to podcasts and radio shows, nor is it clear exactly why the business relationship ended when it did, around April 2020. By comparison, COAR's 2018 tax returns, which predate the investigation timeline but are the most recent available, show that the highest-paid official at that time was making $55,000 a year, and the highest-paid contractor  a Wyoming entity called Fortress FM  received $191,000 for "security, logistics and training."

Federal prosecutors say in the Bannon indictment that they are seeking to seize assets belonging to "Non-Profit-1"  presumably COAR.

"These allegations are very serious and I hope that Steve has some good answers for the things he's been accused of," Miller told Todd. "It's not something I worked on. I don't know anything about the financial dealings of this organization or how it worked, and I hope Steve has an opportunity to tell his side of the story."

COVID LOBBYING & A CHILD SUPPORT BATTLE

Following the 2016 campaign, where he worked alongside Bannon in the role of communications adviser, Miller was prepared to join the White House as communications director. However, he backed out in the shadow of a scandal after Miller, who is married, reportedly had an affair with then-Trump campaign aide A.J. Delgado, during which Delgado became pregnant. That saga is dragging out in a child support case in a Florida family court.

According to court documents obtained by Salon, Miller was ordered to make $3,167 court-stipulated monthly payments to Delgado beginning June 2018, but with no explanation dropped the payments to $2,604 in November 2019  the month after Bannon on-boarded him at COAR  and then dropped them again this January, to $500, amid a Twitter spat with Delgado. At the time Miller was reporting around $60,000 in monthly income, according to court documents.

The scandal included explosive allegations that Delgado leveled against Miller in a court filing, and which Miller denies. On Aug. 14, one week before authorities arrested Bannon, Miller asked a Florida judge to revive his $100 million defamation suit against media conglomerate Gizmodo for a September 2018 report published by its now-defunct subsidiary, Splinter, that made those allegations public.

Despite the scandals stemming from the previous campaign, in June the Trump campaign rehired Miller as a senior-level adviser under then-campaign manager Brad Parscale.

The month before the campaign hired Miller, however, he registered as a lobbyist for the first time  lobbying Congress and the Executive Office of the President (EOP) for four weeks on COVID relief for a real estate company helmed by Jack Ryan, a former Illinois U.S. Senate candidate who bowed out of his 2004 bid against then-candidate Barack Obama amid a sex scandal.

Miller also reported that he lobbied the Treasury Department, the Small Business Association and the EOP from April 1 to May 15 on behalf of Fountainhead, a commercial non-bank lender which is now the defendant in a class action lawsuit that alleges it unlawfully prioritized large Paycheck Protection Program loans instead of fielding applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those disclosures indicate Miller was paid between $15,000 and $24,000 by each entity for his lobbying work over those weeks. He was paying $500 a month in child support at the time, according to court documents. Miller terminated all lobbying work shortly before the Trump campaign hired him in June, according to his lobbying disclosure forms.

Miller had registered as a lobbyist through an entity called SHW Partners, a firm he set up last year after he left the consulting agency Teneo. Miller's public departure from Teneo was reportedly the result of insults he tweeted to Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., over what Miller saw as Nadler's rude treatment of Hope Hicks, another 2016 Trump campaign aide now at the White House.

However, Delgado alleged in court that Teneo and Miller did not in fact discontinue their relationship, but that Teneo privately began paying SHW Partners immediately after Miller's public departure.

Miller was ordered by a Florida judge to resume paying Delgado $3,167 a month in child support beginning this July, per court filings, but when he failed to comply at the end of the month Delgado motioned that the court hold him in contempt. The current status of the case is unclear.

However, Miller's most recent filings in the Delgado case, obtained by Salon, suggest that the Trump campaign is currently paying him $35,000 a month. Miller claims current monthly income of an even $35,000, and had no other known clients when he took the position and has disclosed no new clients since  it would be unusual, but not unthinkable, for a senior campaign official to have other, secret clients while on the campaign.

A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to Salon's questions.

(Miller also claims in those filings liabilities of $250,000 to the IRS and $65,000 to the Commonwealth of Virginia, but because he does not itemize debt amortization, both might be projections for taxes owed for the current fiscal year  Miller is self-employed. He also says he's in possession of a baseball card collection worth $10,000.)

THE MISSING CAMPAIGN RECEIPTS

But while Miller has reportedly been a top adviser to the Trump campaign since June, filings with the Federal Elections Commission do not show any payments made to him (or SHW Partners) by the campaign, the Republican National Committee or either of their joint fundraising vehicles  the Trump Victory and Trump Make America Great Again committees.

Federal filings also do not show any salary payments from those entities to Bill Stepien, who replaced Parscale as campaign manager in July.

(By comparison, the Joe Biden campaign reports regular bi-monthly payroll disbursements to campaign manager Greg Schultz, totaling about $7,700 a month.)

The Trump campaign, however, does pay Jamestown Associates, a media company founded in New Jersey that specializes in campaign publicity, and where Miller was an executive and partner. Stepien also has ties to Jamestown Associates, through former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who ousted Stepien as his campaign chief in the wake of the "Bridgegate" scandal, but praised Stepien's elevation to the top slot in Trump's operation this year.

FEC filings show that the Trump campaign has made a number of payments to Jamestown this year of between approximately $7,500 and $45,500, through June. In July, the campaign's expenditures to Jamestown increased significantly, including a $78,394 payment on July 13 and a $133,800 payment on July 28. Miller joined the campaign in June, and Stepien was promoted July 15. The campaign reports that the disbursements were for "video production services."

When asked if the missing receipts for Stepien and Miller seemed unusual, Brendan Fischer, director of the Federal Reform Program at the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), told Salon, "It doesn't surprise me at all. The Trump campaign has disguised millions of dollars in payments to personnel and vendors by routing the money through LLCs created or managed by senior Trump campaign officials."

The CLC recently filed an FEC complaint alleging that the Trump campaign has unlawfully hidden at least $170 million in payments through shell companies, thereby keeping its spending a secret form the public, law enforcement and its own donors. Some of those hidden payments have allegedly gone towards salaries  such as to Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump  and were made through an entity controlled by Parscale.

Reporting sourced this spring from White House advisers suggests that Parscale paid Guilfoyle and Lara Trump $180,000 a year, the rough equivalent of a top White House salary, but those sums have not been verified. Miller's recent court filings suggest that his campaign salary might more than double that, and Stepien's salary is unknown.

A great many of Trump's donors contribute in small dollar amounts.

A Trump campaign spokesperson, Jamestown Associates and Teneo did not respond to Salon's questions. COAR and A.J. Delgado did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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A Chinese paramilitary police officer gestures and speaks over his two-way radio whlie standing at the entrance gate of the Australian embassy in Beijing on July 9, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Report Outlines a Decade of Beijings Coercive Diplomatic Tactics

For the last ten years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used bullying grey zone diplomatic tactics to manipulate foreign governments and companies into helping achieve the regimes core communist agenda.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute laid out the tactic in its new report, published on Sept. 1, titled The Chinese Communist Partys coercive diplomacy. The report identifies a range of non-militarized threats and negative actions the CCP uses to force target countries to change its behaviour.

Like Chinas military grey zone tactics, coercive diplomacy straddles the line between outright aggression and normal diplomacy. It includes eight different measures, including economic trade sanctions, investment restrictions, tourism bans, and boycotts.

Non-economic measures incorporate arbitrary detention, the execution of expatriates from the target nation, restrictions on official travel, and state-issued threats.

That said, the report noted the CCP primarily uses state-issued threats, trade sanctions, and tourism bans.

The CCPs approach is unique in that it rarely employs traditional methods of coercive diplomacy, which are regulated through the states official capacity, the report noted, explaining that the tactics are often tied to a threat to the CCPs core interests.

Chinas core national interests are closely centered on the CCPs own self-defined political security. Any conduct by foreign states or companies perceived to breach these core national interests is therefore treated as a direct threat to the legitimacy and survival of the CCP, the report noted.

Chinese Peoples Liberation Army cadets train in Beijing, China on July 22, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

Globally, the CCP has deployed coercive diplomatic tactics 100 times on 27 countries in the past ten years including European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asian countries; and 52 times on foreign companieswith a sharp increase since 2018.

Australia, ASPI noted, has born the brunt of many of the CCPs coercive tactics, copping 27 threats.

Australia has seen an escalation of these tactics in the past eight months after the government called for an inquiry into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 virus with both the CCP foreign affairs spokesperson, the Chinese embassy in Canberra, and the Chinese consulate in Sydney publishing threats and warnings to the Morrison government.

They also sent warning letters to Australian newspapers and placed economic sanctions on Australias barley, beef, tourism, and higher education industries with the latest coercive push focusing on the Australian wine industry.

Thwarting the CCP Foreign Policy End Game

According to the ASPI, these coercive tactics only stopped when the targeted nation gave into Beijing on international issues.

Citing Norway as an example, the report noted the breakdown in relations with the CCP after Norway awarded a Nobel prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010; the CCP first threatened and then followed through with, economic sanctions on Norwegian salmon.

After six years, diplomatic relations improved once Norway changed its policy and showed support for Beijings goals by refusing to meet with the Dalai Lama in 2014, publicly supporting the One Child policy, and supporting China to be an observer in the Arctic Council in 2013.

That said, ASPI noted: China is highly calculative and risk-averse in imposing these sanctions so as to avoid any damage to the Chinese economy.

A woman shops for powdered milk at a supermarket on September 28, 2008 in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, China. (China Photos/Getty Images)

University of Technology Sydney Professor James Laurenceson, from the AustraliaChina Relations Institute, agrees with this point, arguing on ABC Radio on Sept. 1 that the CCP does not want to hurt its economic bottom line.

I think back to the wine incident in 2017 which lasted approximately three weeks, and after that, the flows of wine into China started proceeding again, and in fact, at the end of the year Australian wine exports to China hit a record high, Laurenceson said.

Currently, exports to China are at an all-time high, the Australian Financial Review reported on Aug. 4. Nearly half of Australias goods, or 48.8 percent, are exported to China as the communist regime instigates an aggressive stimulation policy for its economy.

ASPI notes that Australia can overcome these tactics if they band together with like-minded nations creating a bloc that responds to coercive threats by pursuing coordinated actions that push back through international entities like the G7, G10, World Health Organisation, and the World Bank.

Further, they suggest Australia, the United States, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand establish an economic security pact.

Using their collective intelligence arrangements, the Five Eyes countries could make authoritative joint attributions of any coercive measures levied against any of the five members and take collective economic and diplomatic measures in retaliation, ASPI argued.
 Flash

The Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday urged India to immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and immediately halt any move that would escalate tensions.

In response to a media query on the China-India border situation, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Counselor Ji Rong said China has urged the Indian side to restrain its frontline troops and immediately end all provocative actions.

"On Aug. 31, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas," Ji said.

"India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas," said the spokesperson.

"What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this," she added.
English Portuguese

Aeroleo, an integral part of the oil and gas industry in Brazil for more than 40 years, to be renamed Bristow, affirming the Companys commitment in Brazil



Bristow has ended its 41.5 percent ownership interest in Lider Taxi Aereo S.A.  Air Brasil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: VTOL), the largest offshore helicopter operator in the world, announced today it will rename its Aeroleo division in Brazil to Bristow and remain focused on its support of the oil and gas industry and other vertical lift solutions.

Bristow has been an integral part of the oil and gas industry in Brazil for more than 40 years, servicing the helicopter support needs of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras, independent Brazilian exploration and production companies and multiple international oil and gas companies.

Despite the challenging market conditions, we maintain our strong presence in Brazil. We offer customers a modern fleet of aircraft, to include the AW139, and our strong safety record is unmatched, said Diego Medeiros, Country Manager for Brazil. Being a part of the larger Bristow family has many advantages by bringing global expertise and aviation solutions from operating a fleet of 300 aircraft.

Brazil is an important part of our global footprint and future strategy, said Samantha Willenbacher, Bristows Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer. As the largest global operator of AW139, AW189 and S-92 helicopters, we continue to serve our customers with exemplary vertical flight solutions and look forward to working with an expanded customer base to meet all of their rotary needs.

With more than 300,000 flight hours recorded, Bristow in Brazil is recognized as a leader in providing dependable vertical flight solutions. Bristow currently operates a modern fleet of 12 AW139s in Brazil. In addition to offering vertical flight solutions for onshore and offshore exploration, development and production activities, Bristow provides MEDEVAC, charter flights and flight support for various seismic operations to support several international companies operating in the region.

Bristow has also ended its 41.5 percent minority, non-controlling ownership interest in Lider Taxi Aereo S.A.  Air Brasil, effective August 31, 2020.

About Bristow Group

Bristow is the worlds leading provider of offshore oil and gas transportation, search and rescue (SAR) and aircraft support services to government and civil organizations worldwide. Bristows strategically located global fleet supports operations in the North Sea, Nigeria and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico; as well as in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad. Bristow provides SAR services to the private sector worldwide and to the public sector for all of the United Kingdom on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. To learn more, visit our website at www.bristowgroup.com.

Bristow Group Inc.

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She's one of the most beautiful women in the world.

And, Joan Smalls showed off her enviable physique and glamorous curls as she posed in a tiny white bikini during a yacht day in Croatia, on Wednesday.

The Puerto Rican star, 32, looked incredible in the skimpy swimwear set, as she rested against the edge of the boat for a series of shots, which she posted to Instagram.

Gorgeous: Joan Smalls, 32, showed off her enviable physique and glamorous curls as she posed in a tiny white bikini during a yacht day in Croatia, on Wednesday

Joan struck a range of sultry poses, with her long brunette tresses falling down past her shoulders.

The model captioned the photographs with two lion emojis, as she showed off her wild side.

One shot which she uploaded to her Stories, allowed Joan to fully display her endless pins in all their glory.

Her glamorous getaway comes just weeks after she appeared to have confirmed she is dating Henry Junior Chalhoub - a year after the pair were presumed to be 'just friends'.

Beauty: The Puerto Rican star looked incredible in the skimpy swimwear set, as she rested against the edge of the boat for a series of shots, which she posted to Instagram

Last August, they were snapped on a luxury yacht looking incredibly cosy, but it was said their relationship was platonic.

But at the end of July, they stepped out in Portofino, Italy holding hands and enjoying a romantic stroll, seemingly clarifying their romantic status.

Joan had been dating Modellounge founder Bernard Smith since 2011 - however they have not been pictured together since earlier in 2019.

Sensational: Joan struck a range of sultry poses, with her long brunette tresses falling down past her shoulders as she fully display her endless pins in all their glory

They briefly split at the start of their relationship, but Bernard was able to win back her heart and the pair had been together since.

Seen in Miami together in January 2019, things looked to be going strong between Joan and Bernard - with her posing for beach snaps while he played photographer.

They were seen cuddling up on a sun-lounger people-watching together, looking very at ease, but it appears that somewhere in early 2019, the couple called it quits.

MailOnline approached Joan Smalls' representatives for comment at the time.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A study of more than 200,000 UK men, being presented at this year's European and International Conference on Obesity (ECOICO), held online this year from September 1-4, reveals that there is a link between central adiposity (concentration of body fat around the belly and waist) and the risk of death from prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-specific death among men in the UK. The disease affects one in six men during their lifetime, causing more than a quarter of all new male cancer cases, and almost 12,000 deaths every year in the UK. There is some evidence that suggests a relationship between adiposity (amount of body fat) and likelihood of dying from prostate cancer, but more research was needed to confirm this association and determine whether it is not just the amount, but also the distribution of fat within the body that has an impact on risk.

The study, conducted by Dr. Aurora Perez-Cornago and colleagues at the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK and funded by Cancer Research UK, aimed to understand how both total adiposity and the distribution of fat in the body relate to fatal prostate cancer.

The team selected 218,225 men who were voluntary participants in the UK Biobank study (500,000 volunteers age 40-69 years recruited between 2006 and 2010) who were free from cancer at the baseline date. Their health was followed for 10.8 years using data from health administrative databases, and details of body mass index (BMI), total body fat percentage (measured using bioimpedance), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio were collected when each volunteer was recruited. Complex statistical analyses that accounted for medical history, and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were used to estimate links between the risk of dying from prostate cancer and these measures of adiposity.

During the follow-up period 571 men died from prostate cancer. The researchers discovered that while there was no clear association of BMI or total fat percentage with risk, there was a positive link between measures of central adiposity and risk of prostate cancer death. Those in the top 25% for waist circumference were 35% more likely to die of prostate cancer than men in the bottom 25%, while those in the top 25% for waist-to-hip ratio were 34% more likely to die than men in the bottom 25%.

Dr. Perez-Cornago concludes: "We found a significant association between concentration of body fat around the belly and waist and the risk of prostate cancer death, but no clear association between total body fat and risk of prostate cancer death. However, a larger number of cases in this study together with studies in other populations are needed to confirm these findings."

She adds: "A high BMI increases the risk of other diseases, including other types of cancer, so people should consider the implications of excess body fat wherever it is found in the body."

"Future work will examine associations between adiposity and aggressive types of prostate cancer, including advanced stage and high-grade disease."

Explore further Study finds that higher BMI and waist circumference are associated with increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer

Provided by European Association for the Study of Obesity
PARIS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Parrot, the leading European drone group, is pleased to announce its selection in the Blue sUAS program by the U.S. Army and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The DIU is a Department of Defense organization that accelerates commercial technology for national defense.

The Blue sUAS program is a spin-off of the Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program launched by the Army and DIU in April 2019. The Blue sUAS drone development effort was organized in response to increased government-wide demand for secure and ultraportable drones that could be used for a variety of military and federal applications.

Blue sUAS: A robust and trusted domestic UAS industrial base for the U.S. Army

Parrot is currently one of two finalists of the SRR project, with delivery of a production-ready SRR drone scheduled by the end of 2020. Parrot's work for the SRR project confirmed to the DIU that the company is capable of meeting the outstanding and proven security, performance, scalability and ease-of-use requirements in its initial solutions designed for the U.S. Army.

Following the initial phases of the SRR program, the DIU launched the Blue sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) effort to address high demand for trusted, secure, ultraportable, rapidly deployable, inexpensive and U.S.-manufactured drones for deployment in U.S. military, federal agencies and government operations.

Both the SRR and Blue sUAS programs comply with Section 848 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which prohibits operating or procuring unmanned aircraft systems manufactured in China.

Parrot has been selected once more by the DIU as one of the five participants in the Blue sUAS program. Parrot was invited to present its solutions on August 19, 2020.

At this virtual event, Parrot revealed two new high-performance tactical reconnaissance drones: ANAFI USA MIL for military forces, and ANAFI USA GOV for government and federal agencies.



With an incomparable 10 years' experience developing micro drones for the commercial and consumer markets - during which time Parrot has produced over 4.5 million drones - Parrot is the most established and serious drone technology company in the Blue sUAS program. The proven ANAFI platform has evolved through two years of extensive continuous development, improvement, and real-world use in the field.

The dedicated and approved systems built for military, government and federal agencies

ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV are the result of Parrot's work over the past 18 months for the SRR and Blue sUAS programs. Manufactured in the U.S., both drones offer a powerful stabilized 32x zoom, FLIR thermal imaging, 4K HDR video, and exceptional data encryption and privacy features.

Easy to fly, fast to deploy, and offering impossibly quiet operations, both drones offer core features complementary to those of Parrot's ANAFI USA drone, which was announced in June 2020 for enterprise, public safety, first responders and inspection professionals.

Building onto the ANAFI USA platform, ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV provide additional special features that were engineered to meet the needs of U.S. military forces, and U.S. government and federal agencies. Both drones are fully compliant with the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Parrot's legacy of security excellence was a key enabler for ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV to meet the rigorous requirements of the U.S. Army and DIU. Both drones have achieved Authority to Operate (ATO) status by the DoD after passing comprehensive cybersecurity validation testing.

The ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV drones offer outstanding security at their core. Both models use an AES-XTS algorithm with a 512-bit key length to encrypt all data saved to the drone's SD card. An encryption key is required to read all data captured by the drone, protecting sensitive data if the drone falls into the wrong hands.

ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV use a secure WPA2 Wi-Fi connection to authenticate and encrypt all communications between the controller and the drone. With ANAFI USA MIL, pilots also benefit from an AES 256-bit encrypted radio communication system (Microhard) between the drone and its controller: drone operators are able to use the U.S. Army's TOGA GCS controller with ANAFI USA MIL or the included dedicated Skycontroller USA.

Streamlined procurement through the GSA schedule

Due to their highly specialized and dedicated features, ANAFI USA MIL and ANAFI USA GOV will have the honor of being included in the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule starting in September 2020 to facilitate ease of procurement and ensuring a secure supply chain for all US militaries, government departments and federal agencies.

The inclusion of ANAFI USA GOV and ANAFI USA in the GSA schedule is a testament to their exceptional security and performance, as products offered through the GSA must meet strict criteria for reliability, quality control, and regulatory compliance, including the ATO waiver exemption.

U.S. Department of Defense entities can also pursue a production contract via Other Transaction Authority, leveraging the scaling option of DIU's Commercial Solution Opening.

Available in September exclusively through GSA's established partner Darley Defense, ANAFI USA MIL will be priced at $16,000 and ANAFI USA GOV will be priced at $14,000. To submit an inquiry regarding ANAFI USA MIL, ANAFI USA GOV, or Parrot's commercially available ANAFI USA enterprise drones, please visit the ANAFI USA contact portal.

Watch the ANAFI USA x Blue sUAS video here.

About Parrot

Founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux, Parrot is today the leading European group in the fast-growing industry of drones. Visionary, at the forefront of innovation, Parrot is the only group to be positioned across the entire value chain, from equipment to services and software.

Parrot, the world's number 2 of the consumer drone market, designs drones known for their high performance and ease of use.

Parrot has a portfolio of outstanding companies and interests in commercial drones, covering equipment, software and services. Its expert capabilities are focused primarily on three vertical markets: (i) agriculture, (ii) 3D Mapping, Surveying and Inspection, and (iii) Defense and Security.

The Parrot Group designs and engineers its products in Europe, mainly in France and Switzerland. It currently employs over 500 people worldwide and makes the majority of its sales outside of France. Parrot, headquartered in Paris, has been listed since 2006 on Euronext Paris (FR0004038263 - PARRO).

Financial information can be found on http://corporate.parrot.com.

For more information: www.parrot.com and its subsidiaries www.pix4d.com, www.sensefly.com, www.micasense.com.

About Defense Innovation Unit

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) was started in August 2015 to rebuild the department's relationship with the commercial technology sector. As one of the first "experimental" innovation organizations, DIU connects its DoD partners with leading commercial technology companies. DIU is the only DOD organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military at commercial speeds. DIU is primarily focused on five technology areas where the commercial sector is operating at the leading edge: AI, autonomy, cyber, human systems, and space. Learn more about portfolios and projects at www.diu.mil.

SOURCE Parrot

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Here's how to request an absentee ballot on line

North Carolina voters may now request an absentee ballot completely online  another way state election officials are improving the voting process in 2020, the state Board of Elections announced.

At the State Board, our goal is to ensure all voters can cast a ballot, whether in person or by mail, said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. The Absentee Ballot Request Portal will streamline voting by mail for voters who choose this voting option.

The State Board has collaborated with Democracy Live to introduce the online Absentee Ballot Request Portal<undefined to assist any North Carolina registered voter in requesting an absentee ballot. The State Board website, NCSBE.gov<undefined, includes a link to the portal. The portal also allows military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters to request and return their absentee ballot online. Request a ballot here.

Here's an FAQ on voting by mail.

The Absentee Ballot Request Portal:

 Allows registered North Carolina voters to securely request an absentee by-mail ballot completely online. The request may be made by the voter or their near relative or legal guardian. The voters county board of elections will mail the ballot to the voter.

 Helps avoid duplicate requests by informing voters of existing absentee requests, and allows users to submit subsequent requests to update information on a previously submitted request.

 Allows military or overseas voters to request and return their ballots through the portal.

Voters who are not registered will be provided a link to learn more about how to register in North Carolina.

To request a ballot through the portal, voters must verify their identity by providing their first and last names, date of birth, county of registration and additional personally identifying information for verification purposes. Voters will sign and submit the form online. If a voter provides their email address, they will receive a confirmation email after the request is submitted through the portal.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 27. However, elections officials strongly encourage voters to request a ballot before then to ensure absentee ballot return deadlines can be met.

Military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters may use the portal to complete a Federal Post Card Application, which serves as a voter registration application and an absentee ballot request form.

UOCAVA voters with an eligible request on file may access and return their ballot using the secure UOCAVA portal. Only UOCAVA voters may receive and return their ballot through the portal.

County boards of elections will begin sending absentee ballots to voters who request them on Friday, September 4. If you have already requested a ballot but do not receive it by September 15-20, contact your county board of elections office.

We encourage voters to be patient, as county boards of elections are processing an unprecedented number of absentee ballot requests this year, Brinson Bell said.

Through Aug. 31, voters had submitted more than 560,000 absentee ballot requests, 16 times more requests than county boards of elections had received by this time in 2016.
A study by midlands start-up CUSP into the volumes of single-use plastic packaging waste generated across County Longford has identified hotspots in terms of volumes, which if given priority would see significant reductions in the amounts generated in the county each year.

Longford households generate a combined 2,400 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging waste annually. Thats enough single-use plastic waste to fill 53 Olympic size swimming pools.

CUSP (Cease Using Single-Use P lastic) was established in 2018 to develop solutions to this burgeoning crises. Our research found consumers are put-off trying to reduce their single-use plastic waste by the continuous reporting of the crises in the millions of tonnes, according to CUSP founder Simon Ruddy. This leaves people wondering whats the point trying to reduce my small contribution is hardly going to make any difference.

CUSP takes the big global numbers on single-use plastic waste, the millions of tonnes we read about frequently and distils these numbers down into smaller bite-sized reduction targets community groups and households can more easily relate to; all delivered via CUSPs user-friendly, free mobile app.

Longford Town has the biggest mountain to climb at 513 tonnes annually, with Edgeworthstown coming in a distant second at 122 tonnes.

The table provided lists volumes for 9 Longford towns, which cumulatively accounts for 44% of the counties annual single-use plastic waste pile. Also listed are reduction targets aligned to the key UN sustainability goal for the elimination of all non-essential single-use plastic packaging by 2030, estimated at 70% of current global consumption.

To achieve 70% reductions by 2030 Longford as a whole needs to reduce single-use plastic waste from its current 2,400 tonnes annually to 720 tonnes annually by 2030, requiring an average annual reduction of 170 tonnes, each year through 2030

'In order to achieve this' Simon continued ' CUSP is asking Longford households to reduce by just 1kg each month, from a current monthly average of 14kgs per household'.

'Why 1kg'? explained Simon '1kgs isn't simply a random target CUSP has arrived at but aligns Longford to both national and international reduction goals.

'The maths is straight forward; Longford county has 15,000 households according to the last census - 1kg X 15,000 households X 12 months = 180 tonnes per annum (10 tonnes above the 170 tonne reduction goal required to meet key sustainability goals).

Households simply download the free CUSP app (search CUSP Single-Use Plastic Calc - iOS or android) and tap-in their current volume (number-of-units) for 22 of the more common items of single-use plastic packaging found in Irish homes listed in the app; then, after 30 days and following CUSP hints & tips for reducing, participants tap-in their new reduced volume to see if theyve hit that important 1kg reduction target.

All calculations and conversions-to-kilograms happen automatically in-app.

Once participants have identified their 1kg reduction, CUSP is asking that they repeat that same 1kg reduction each month for 12 months. Then in year 2, identify a further 1kg reduction and repeat again for 12 months, and so on, each year through 2030.

During our recent pilot launch, 200 participating households achieved average monthly reductions of 2.5kg. If replicated locally, this would see Longford hit 2030 reduction targets as early as 2026!
Mali's junta has named a new army chief of staff and appointed people to other key army and security posts, weeks after seizing power, according to decrees published Wednesday.

General Oumar Diarra is named chief of the general staff of the armed forces in a decree dated September 1 and signed by the junta's leader, Colonel Assimi Goita.

He replaces General Abdoulaye Coulibaly at the head of an army which has lost hundreds of men in the last few years fighting jihadists, despite the support of French, international and UN troops.

Coulibaly is still being detained by the junta along with several other high-ranking and leading political figures arrested during the August 18 coup that overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Keita is under house arrest, with limited access to the internet and telephone while being denied visitors, according to the former president's entourage.

The new chief of staff is considered "an honest and rigorous" man, according to military sources.

His main duty will be to "reform the Malian army and permit it to defend the country," a junta official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The junta has also carried out a series of replacements in sensitive positions: Colonel Lassana Doumbia becomes director general of state security (intelligence, Colonel Jean Dao is now chief of staff of the national guard, which is part of the army, and General Souleymane Doucoure becomes secretary general of the Defence Ministry.

General Doucoure, formerly the air force chief of staff, was questioned after the coup.

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MOSCOW/KYIV: Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, has thanked Russian state-backed television channel RT for providing journalists to help prop up Belarusian state media after hundreds of staff went on strike in protest against his rule.

Some Belarusian media workers have walked off the job during more than three weeks of protests over a disputed Aug. 9 presidential election marred by vote-rigging allegations that have triggered huge street protests against Lukashenko.

Russia, a close ally of Minsk, has stepped in to help Lukashenko weather the biggest challenge yet to his 26-year rule, providing diplomatic and other support while promising military help if necessary.

Lukashenko said that Kremlin-backed RT, formerly known as Russia Today, had played a vital role in helping Belarusian state media keep running despite the mass staff walk-offs.

You understand how important you were to us during this difficult period. And what you demonstrated technically, your IT specialists, and journalists, and correspondents, and so on  and your manager. This is worth a lot," said Lukashenko.

I am grateful for this support," the former Soviet state farm boss said in an interview aired by RT on Sept. 1.

The RT correspondent who conducted the interview told the Belarusian leader it was important to acknowledge that RT had not actually been taking peoples jobs.

Lukashenko said that he was fully briefed on the situation and was aware that RT was working as our teams".

RT told Reuters in a statement its crews were able to provide some technical expertise to the local media" while in Belarus. RT was also able to share some video content as it does with other outlets, it said.

More than 300 Belarusian staff refused to continue working at several pro-Lukashenko state media television stations as part of an anti-government media strike that began on Aug. 17, strike coordinator Ksenia Lutskina told Reuters.

Many of them were critical technical staff, ranging from lighting specialists to cameramen, she said. More than a hundred people simply resigned.

Lutskina said Russian media staff began flying into Belarus a day after the strike began and were offered salaries of around $2,000 a month - higher than the national average wage and much more than outgoing Belarusians had been paid.

One of the comrades on that plane coming in used to work with our guys earlier so we found out about this really quickly," she said.

State television reports are now also being circulated on social networks. Lutskina said that in one such clip, the sound was edited to make it appear - falsely - as if protesters were chanting at prominent protest leader Maria Kolesnikova to go away."

Lutskina said Belarusian state TV coverage has changed radically under Russian influence and that the new arrivals appeared to be deliberately avoiding Belarusian staff who had remained at the media outlets.

No one has actually seen the guys who do the text, they dont sit with us," she said.

Yekaterina Pytleva, a striking Belarusian media worker, said the channels had made unusual errors in their coverage, for instance referring to Belarussia as opposed to Belarus.

A spokeswoman for the Belarusian State TV and Radio Company declined to comment. She said she was not authorised to comment on statements by Lukashenko.

The Kremlin said RT took its own decisions about who to send where.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
FORMER Dumanjug mayor Nelson Garcia died Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City, CFI chairman Winston Garcia said in a Facebook post on September 2, 2020.

To my dearly beloved brother, words cannot express the deep sense of loss and grief for your untimely departure. YoYoi were always the son, the brother, the husband and the father I wish and have always aspired to be, Winston said in his post.

Nelson's passing was also confirmed by the Cebu Provincial Government in a Facebook post on Sugbo News's account.

Nelson is the younger brother of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Nelson Gamaliel Fiel Garcia, loving son, brother, husband and father. His demise occurred late last night, September 1, at Chong Hua Hospital," the post stated.

"He served the people of Dumanjug, Cebu, with devotion, as their mayor for two terms. He served the Province of Cebu with dedication as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter. By his wit, he brought the gift of laughter to our lives. By his perseverance, he taught us to endure and to hope, in love and in service to the people," it added.

The Garcia family is asking for prayers "in this time of deep and unbearable grief." (ANV/LMY)
On Aug. 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies.

The day became known as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day. Celebrations erupted around the globe as war-weary people danced in the streets.

Sept. 2, 1945, also is known as V-J Day because it was the date when Japan officially surrendered by signing documents aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

World War II came to an end six years after it started in 1939 when Adolf Hitlers Germany invaded Poland.

On board the USS Missouri were Allied Supreme Commander Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and the Japanese Army Chief of Staff Yoshirjiro Umezu.

The United Press said also on board were representatives of the 10 Allied nations bedecked in uniforms of varied colors.

Meanwhile, the U.S. First Calvary Division was massing south of Tokyo waiting an order from MacArthur to march into the city. Behind them were poised an estimated 1,500,000 men who will sweep into Japan immediately to enforce the terms of Japans unconditional surrender, signed yesterday by sullen representatives of Emperor Hirohito.

The naval and air might of the victors was to be seen and heard. Hundreds of carrier planes of the United States Third Fleet, led by 45 Superfortresses, passed low overhead in perfect formation.

According to United Press reports, An estimated 1,000,000 or more half-starved and isolated Japanese troops from Singapore to Wake Island in the Pacific were rapidly giving up to American and British forces now that Japans surrender is official.

As troops assembled in Japan, The shattered Japanese capital today was declared out of bounds to all Americans, including correspondents, but Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger announced he was ready to send his Eighth Army into Tokyo at any time MacArthur gives him the word.

Troops assembling north of Atsugi airdrome, where they will bivouac until the signal is given to march into Tokyo.

High winds of hurricane force meanwhile, all but halted the flow of airborne troops to Asugi airdrome. Only two plans carrying 80 men of the Eleventh Airborne Division landed yesterday, bringing the total of airborne troops in Japan to some 9,000 men.

Col. James Cadwell, Eighth Army provost marshal, said Allied Forces have occupied Yokohama without a single serious incident.

The Japanese civilian police have been extremely cooperative, Caldwell said. On the whole I have been gratified with the good behavior of our soldiers and Japanese cooperation.

Meanwhile, Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz disclosed that troops will begin to move inland from dozens of strategic seaports and coastal areas as the occupation unfolds. They will take over control of all Japanese communications and military installations as they spread across the main islands.

Nimitz was aided in plotting landing procedures for complete military control of Japans home islands by admirals of the United States Third, Fifth and Seventh Fleets working in conjunction with the air and ground forces under MacArthurs over-all supervision.

Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the arrogant conqueror of Malaya, Singapore and the Philippines came down out of his mountain hideout today and turned in his 700-year-old Samurai sword as a token of surrender. The formal papers will be signed tomorrow.

President Harry Truman addressed the nation, thanking the 12,000,000 fighting men and women for a job well done and promised that most of them would be returned to civilian life as soon as the ships and planes can get you there.

It will take months to accomplish, he said. For some of you, military service must continue for a time, because armies of occupation must remain behind to wipe out Japanese militarism just as we are cleaning militarism out of German.



The United Press reported, The president spoke solemnly, yet exultantly, to the men and women whose united effort restored peace to the world.

I think I know the American soldier and sailor, he said. He does not want gratitude or sympathy. He had a job to do. He did not like it. But he did it. And how he did it!

Now, he wants to come back home and star again the life he loves  a life of peace and quiet, the life of a civilian.

But he wants to know that he can come back to a good life. He wants to know that his children will not have to go back to the life of the foxhole and the bomber, the battleship and the submarine.

Then Truman gave this pledge:

The United Nations are determined that never again shall either of those countries (Germany or Japan) be able to attack its peaceful neighbors.

I speak in behalf of all y countrymen when I pledge that we shall do everything in our power to make these wishes come true.

At the outset Mr. Truman said that this is a time for general rejoicing and a time for solemn contemplation. With the destructive force of war removed from the world, we can now turn to the grave task of preserving the peace, which you gallant men and women have won.

It is a task which requires our most urgent attention. It is one in which we must collaborate with our Allies and other nations of the world.

They are as determined as we are that war must be abolished from the earth if the earth as we know it, is to remain. Civilization cannot survive another total war. I think that is what is in the hearts of your countrymen tonight.

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Thailands king has reconciled with his royal consort, whom he stripped of her titles last year after accusing her of seeking to undermine his wife, the queen.

The restoration of Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi to the good graces of King Maha Vajiralongkorn was confirmed by an official announcement published in the countrys Royal Gazette.

She had disappeared from public view after her fall from grace last year, and her whereabouts were never made clear by the Thai authorities.

The king first gave Ms Sineenatra the royal consort title last July  reviving an old palace tradition of taking a junior wife that had not been practised for almost a century.

Less than three months after choosing his royal consort, the king issued a command rescinding the appointment and accusing her of being ungrateful by conducting a rivalry with Queen Suthida.

In a statement, he also accused her of actively seeking to block Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhyas appointment as his queen in May 2019 in order to take the position herself.

Ms Sineenatras fall had been particularly shocking because only two months earlier, a palace website released scores of photos of her and the king holding hands, unusually intimate photos for members of the royal family.

Both Queen Suthida, 42, and Ms Sineenatra, 35, have served as senior officers in palace security units. Queen Suthida was previously a flight attendant with Thai Airways, while Ms Sineenatra was an army nurse.

Wednesdays announcement said she had been given back both her royal and military titles. The statement claimed that the record should show that the stripping of these titles had never taken place.

Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, the royal noble consort (Reuters)

The king formally assumed the throne last May after the 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years.

The 68-year-old king has seven children by three previous marriages, all of which ended in divorce. He spends much of the year in Germany.

In March, the German tabloid Bild reported that the king had been self-isolating in a luxury hotel in the Alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a harem of 20 concubines.

The announcement about the royal consort comes as anti-government protesters have called for curbs to newly expanded powers of the king  breaking a strong taboo in a nation where conservative tradition upholds the monarch as above criticism.
BLOOMINGTON  Rain on Tuesday was a welcome relief to farmers who are now just weeks away from returning to the fields for harvest.

This rain that we just got is definitely going to add more bushels, said Ryan Damerall, a seed and technology specialist with Evergreen-FS in Bloomington. When it gets hot and dry, the soybeans will actually start to abort pods and I hope this rain will limit that factor.

DeWitt County farmer Marvin Finfrock says the yields will probably be all over the board.

This corn has a lot of holes in it, he said. I think there is going to be good, bad and ugly. I dont see a bumper crop, lets put it that way.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the weekly crop condition update for Illinois. It reported 13% of the corn crop was in excellent condition, 57% was in good condition, 23% was in fair condition, 5% percent was in poor condition and 2% was in very poor condition.

Fourteen percent of the soybeans were rated in excellent condition, 58% were in good condition, 22% were in fair condition, 5% were in poor condition, and 1% were in very poor condition.

Across the state, topsoil moisture supply was rated 12% very short, 40% short, and 48% adequate.

Logan County farmer Scott Peters said Tuesday that he was just starting to worry about the lack of rain.

August was really dry and the lack of rain probably hurt yields somewhat, but we didnt have a long, nasty heat wave, so that helped, he said. But we needed some rain.

Dry conditions are expected for the remainder of the week, according to the National Weather Service in Lincoln. Afternoon high temperatures through the weekend are expected to be in the 80s, but the next chance of rain isnt until Sunday.

I didnt get very much at all, Finfrock said.

I am pretty optimistic because the temperatures are still showing cool, so with cool temperatures, I am more optimistic than if it were to stay hot and dry, Damerall said.

Still, the lack of rain has had an effect.

Up until the last month, we were looking at bumper crops, Damerall said. We were looking at maybe setting some records and having some crops that were unheard of, but this deficit of rain we had in the last month took us backwards a little bit."

Damerall remains optimistic that yields will be at a decent level. "It seems like all of the early-planted crops weathered the heat a lot better than the later-planted crops did, he said.

Macon County farmer Gene Forbes believes his yields will vary.

I got some in early and then the rain kept me out of the fields and so I got some in late, he said. I am more concerned about the later crops than I am the early ones. Most of that is corn.

Damerall has the same concerns.

We had such a large range of planting dates and as far as estimates, I am finding anywhere for corn from 180 bushels per acre way up into the 230s, he added.

The dry weather has affected the corn, Finfrock said.

I think 15 to 20 bushels off the top for sure, he said. Im not a good judge on beans but pod counts were way up and they were looking real good, but with this dry spell, I dont know. This little bit of rain we are getting today is too little, too late, Im afraid.

From the archives: A look back at Decatur's Nelson Park Beach

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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JEE Main 2020: JEE (Mains) examinees in some districts of West Bengal left home as early as 3.30 am on Tuesday to reach examination halls as lack of transport, rain and floods played spoilsport.

In all 37,973 students are appearing for JEE (Mains) for which 15 centres have been set up in the state.

On Monday, state transport department officials said efforts were being made to run at least 3000 buses and auto-rickshaw and taxi unions had been told to run all vehicles. This, however, did not help all students and many had a tough time.

Parents at many examination centres said they had to pay through their nose to hire cars as buses and taxis were not available.

Asutosh Saha, a wage labourer from Ghatal in West Midnapore district, brought his son Rupak to a centre at Salt Lake in the eastern periphery of Kolkata on his motorcycle.

The father and son duo started around 3:30 am and drove for four and a half hours to cover a distance of around 120 km.

There is no examination centre in West Midnapore. We had to take a detour along the route as some parts of Ghatal are flooded and two bridges on our usual route are now under water. We had to start early to reach on time, said Rupak.

Asutosh Sahas source of income is the state governments 100-day projects under the MGNREGA. Rupak, a student of Panchberia Ram Chandra Smriti Siksha Mandir in Ghatal, scored more than 80% in the higher secondary examination.

We dont have the money to hire a car and we could not afford to wait for a bus, said Saha.

Triranjan Kumar Saha, who appeared for JEE at Siliguri town in north Bengal, started from his home at New Kadamtala in the adjoining Cooch Behar district at 5.30 am and reached Siliguri at 11 am. The student travelled in his uncles car.

After his examination was over at 6 pm, Saha said, The questions were not unexpected and I am quite satisfied with my papers.

He is appearing for the exam for the second time.
For all its vast emptiness, the universe is humming with activity in the form of gravitational waves. Produced by extreme astrophysical phenomena, these reverberations ripple forth and shake the fabric of space-time, like the clang of a cosmic bell.

Now researchers have detected a signal from what may be the most massive black hole merger yet observed in gravitational waves. The product of the merger is the first clear detection of an intermediate-mass black hole, with a mass between 100 and 1,000 times that of the sun.

They detected the signal, which they have labeled GW190521, on May 21, 2019, with the National Science Foundations Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), a pair of identical, 4-kilometer-long interferometers in the United States; and Virgo, a 3-kilometer-long detector in Italy.

The signal, resembling about four short wiggles, is extremely brief in duration, lasting less than one-tenth of a second. From what the researchers can tell, GW190521 was generated by a source that is roughly 5 gigaparsecs away, when the universe was about half its age, making it one of the most distant gravitational-wave sources detected so far.

As for what produced this signal, based on a powerful suite of state-of-the-art computational and modeling tools, scientists think that GW190521 was most likely generated by a binary black hole merger with unusual properties.

Almost every confirmed gravitational-wave signal to date has been from a binary merger, either between two black holes or two neutron stars. This newest merger appears to be the most massive yet, involving two inspiraling black holes with masses about 85 and 66 times the mass of the sun.

The LIGO-Virgo team has also measured each black holes spin and discovered that as the black holes were circling ever closer together, they could have been spinning about their own axes, at angles that were out of alignment with the axis of their orbit. The black holes misaligned spins likely caused their orbits to wobble, or precess, as the two Goliaths spiraled toward each other.

The new signal likely represents the instant that the two black holes merged. The merger created an even more massive black hole, of about 142 solar masses, and released an enormous amount of energy, equivalent to around 8 solar masses, spread across the universe in the form of gravitational waves.

This doesnt look much like a chirp, which is what we typically detect, says Virgo member Nelson Christensen, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), comparing the signal to LIGOs first detection of gravitational waves in 2015. This is more like something that goes bang, and its the most massive signal LIGO and Virgo have seen.

The international team of scientists, who make up the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and the Virgo Collaboration, have reported their findings in two papers published today. One, appearing in Physical Review Letters, details the discovery, and the other, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, discusses the signals physical properties and astrophysical implications.

LIGO once again surprises us not just with the detection of black holes in sizes that are difficult to explain, but doing it using techniques that were not designed specifically for stellar mergers, says Pedro Marronetti, program director for gravitational physics at the National Science Foundation. This is of tremendous importance since it showcases the instruments ability to detect signals from completely unforeseen astrophysical events. LIGO shows that it can also observe the unexpected.

In the mass gap

The uniquely large masses of the two inspiraling black holes, as well as the final black hole, raise a slew of questions regarding their formation.

All of the black holes observed to date fit within either of two categories: stellar-mass black holes, which measure from a few solar masses up to tens of solar masses and are thought to form when massive stars die; or supermassive black holes, such as the one at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, that are from hundreds of thousands, to billions of times that of our sun.

However, the final 142-solar-mass black hole produced by the GW190521 merger lies within an intermediate mass range between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes  the first of its kind ever detected.

The two progenitor black holes that produced the final black hole also seem to be unique in their size. Theyre so massive that scientists suspect one or both of them may not have formed from a collapsing star, as most stellar-mass black holes do.

According to the physics of stellar evolution, outward pressure from the photons and gas in a stars core support it against the force of gravity pushing inward, so that the star is stable, like the sun. After the core of a massive star fuses nuclei as heavy as iron, it can no longer produce enough pressure to support the outer layers. When this outward pressure is less than gravity, the star collapses under its own weight, in an explosion called a core-collapse supernova, that can leave behind a black hole.

This process can explain how stars as massive as 130 solar masses can produce black holes that are up to 65 solar masses. But for heavier stars, a phenomenon known as pair instability is thought to kick in. When the cores photons become extremely energetic, they can morph into an electron and antielectron pair. These pairs generate less pressure than photons, causing the star to become unstable against gravitational collapse, and the resulting explosion is strong enough to leave nothing behind. Even more massive stars, above 200 solar masses, would eventually collapse directly into a black hole of at least 120 solar masses. A collapsing star, then, should not be able to produce a black hole between approximately 65 and 120 solar masses  a range that is known as the pair instability mass gap.

But now, the heavier of the two black holes that produced the GW190521 signal, at 85 solar masses, is the first so far detected within the pair instability mass gap.

The fact that were seeing a black hole in this mass gap will make a lot of astrophysicists scratch their heads and try to figure out how these black holes were made, says Christensen, who is the director of the Artemis Laboratory at the Nice Observatory in France.

One possibility, which the researchers consider in their second paper, is of a hierarchical merger, in which the two progenitor black holes themselves may have formed from the merging of two smaller black holes, before migrating together and eventually merging.

This event opens more questions than it provides answers, says LIGO member Alan Weinstein, professor of physics at Caltech. From the perspective of discovery and physics, its a very exciting thing.

Something unexpected

There are many remaining questions regarding GW190521.

As LIGO and Virgo detectors listen for gravitational waves passing through Earth, automated searches comb through the incoming data for interesting signals. These searches can use two different methods: algorithms that pick out specific wave patterns in the data that may have been produced by compact binary systems; and more general burst searches, which essentially look for anything out of the ordinary.

LIGO member Salvatore Vitale, assistant professor of physics at MIT, likens compact binary searches to passing a comb through data, that will catch things in a certain spacing, in contrast to burst searches that are more of a catch-all approach.

In the case of GW190521, it was a burst search that picked up the signal slightly more clearly, opening the very small chance that the gravitational waves arose from something other than a binary merger.

The bar for asserting weve discovered something new is very high, Weinstein says. So we typically apply Occams razor: The simpler solution is the better one, which in this case is a binary black hole.

But what if something entirely new produced these gravitational waves? Its a tantalizing prospect, and in their paper the scientists briefly consider other sources in the universe that might have produced the signal they detected. For instance, perhaps the gravitational waves were emitted by a collapsing star in our galaxy. The signal could also be from a cosmic string produced just after the universe inflated in its earliest moments  although neither of these exotic possibilities matches the data as well as a binary merger.

Since we first turned on LIGO, everything weve observed with confidence has been a collision of black holes or neutron stars, Weinstein says This is the one event where our analysis allows the possibility that this event is not such a collision. Although this event is consistent with being from an exceptionally massive binary black hole merger, and alternative explanations are disfavored, it is pushing the boundaries of our confidence. And that potentially makes it extremely exciting. Because we have all been hoping for something new, something unexpected, that could challenge what weve learned already. This event has the potential for doing that.

###

This research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Additional information about the gravitational-wave observatories:

LIGO is funded by the NSF and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and lead the project. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council-OzGrav) making significant commitments and contributions to the project. Approximately 1,300 scientists from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration. A list of additional partners is available at https://my.ligo.org/census.php.

The Virgo Collaboration is currently composed of approximately 520 members from 99 institutes in 11 different countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) hosts the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, and is funded by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and Nikhef in the Netherlands. A list of the Virgo Collaboration groups can be found at http://public.virgo-gw.eu/the-virgo-collaboration/. More information is available on the Virgo website at http://www.virgo-gw.eu.

Written by Jennifer Chu, MIT News Office

Media Contacts

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Whitney Clavin

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MIT

Abby Abazorius

abbya@mit.edu

617-253-2709

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703-292-7090
Alexandria, VA, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMGAs 33rd annual 2020 Medical Group Compensation and Productivity Survey shows provider pay increased in 2019, but work relative value unit (wRVU) production remained stagnant. This trend mirrors that found in last years survey, which showed similar disparities between annual pay and productivity gains.

The survey, conducted by AMGAs subsidiary, AMGA Consulting, found that in 2019, overall physician compensation increased by 3.79%, up from the 2.92% increase seen in 2018. Meanwhile, overall production increased by 0.56% in 2019, compared to a 0.29% increase the previous year. Compensation per wRVU ratio increased by 2.14% in 2019, down from the 3.64% in 2018.

We have now seen this same trend of divergent key metrics for several years in a row, and we have to wonder how long it can continue, given that the vast majority of revenue is still, by and large, generated via work RVU productivity, said Fred Horton, M.H.A., AMGA Consulting president. AMGAs members are concerned about this ongoing trend, and we suspect the industry-wide response to COVID-19 will speed up efforts to mitigate this pattern. At the same time, we are seeing revised care models and rapid telehealth expansion. When combined, it is certain that change is taking place, but the ultimate landing place is far from clear.

Primary Care

In 2019, median compensation for all primary care specialties increased by 4.46%, median productivity increased by 0.44%, and compensation per wRVU increased by 2.6%. This is compared to 2018, where compensation increased by 4.91%, median productivity increased by 0.21%, and compensation per wRVU increased by 3.57%.

Fig. 1 Change from 2018-2019: Primary Care

Type Compensation wRVUs Compensation per wRVU Family Medicine 3.75% -0.17% 2.86% Internal Medicine 5.65% 1.29% 2.77% Pediatrics 5.06% 1.47% 1.11% All Primary Care 4.46% 0.44% 2.6%

Medical Specialties

In 2019, median compensation for all medical specialties increased by 3.52%, median productivity increased by 0.93%, and compensation per wRVU declined by 1.75%. This is compared to 2018, where compensation increased by 3.39%, median productivity increased by 1.9%, and compensation per wRVU increased by 2.65%. A sample of medical specialties with more remarkable changes to the compensation per work RVU ratio are cardiology, gastroenterology, hematology/medical oncology, and neurology.*

Fig. 2 Change from 2018-2019: Specialty Care

Specialty Compensation wRVUs Compensation per wRVU Cardiology (General) 2.47% 1.80% 0.77% Gastroenterology 2.83% 2.61% -3.11% Hematology and Medical Oncology 4.14% -1.50% 4.01% Neurology 3.46% -0.35% 1.19% Medical Specialties 3.52% 0.93% -1.75%

* Survey contains compensation and productivity data on all provider specialties.

Surgical Specialties

Surgical specialties presented the largest increase in productivity of any specialty group, with a median wRVU increase of 1.95%. The following table highlights changes in compensation and productivity from 2018 to 2019 for certain surgical roles.

Fig. 3 Change from 2018-2019: Surgical Specialties

Specialty Compensation wRVUs Compensation per wRVU OB/GYN (General) 5.65% -0.86% 2.42% Emergency Medicine 4.05% 1.86% -0.75% General Surgery 4.68% 2.65% 1.52% Orthopedic Surgery 6.88% 5.24% 0.33% Surgical Specialties 4.84% 1.95% -.40%

Advance Practice Clinicians

Care model changes are leading nurse practitioners and physicians assistants to more frequently work with their own panel of patients. The following figures capture changes in compensation and productivity from 2018 to 2019 for these roles. However, pure production compensation models are less common for advanced practice clinicians.

Fig. 4 Change from 2018-2019: Advance Practice Clinicians

Compensation wRVUs Compensation per wRVU Nurse Practitioner  Primary Care 2.29% -0.35% 3.53% Physicians Assistant  Primary Care 2.99% 5.84% 0.40%

Certainly, a need for a call to action has been heightened, as this market trend persists. Add in the many ramifications and unknowns of COVID-19, and medical groups are operating in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory, Horton said. The pressure for more operational efficiency is greater than ever, and the concern is that payers, facing some of the same pressures, will push for more managed expense models, rather than profit/risk sharing through two-sided risk. The epic challenges of today will force new thinking and, hopefully, breakthroughs needed for not simply sustaining compensation levels, but leading to organizations that are truly resilient.

About the Survey

The 33rd edition of the AMGAs Medical Group Compensation and Productivity Survey is its most comprehensive ever, containing data from 317 medical groups, representing over 127,000 providers from 169 physician, advanced practice clinician, and other specialties.

For press copies, please contact Matt Clarke.

###

About AMGA Consulting

AMGA Consulting assists healthcare organizations in navigating the changing industry environment. AMGA Consulting builds clients organizational capabilities through effective governance, operational improvement, strategic alignment, talent management, provider compensation design, fair market value analysis and total rewards solutions.

About AMGA

AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate and empower our members to deliver the next level of high performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of medical groups recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high-quality, cost-effective care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three Americans. Learn more at amga.org.
Hundreds of migrants pitched tents in central Paris on Tuesday to call attention to their plight on the streets, where they scrape by in often dire hygiene conditions.

Hundreds of migrants pitched tents in central Paris on Tuesday to call attention to their plight on the streets, where they scrape by in often dire hygiene conditions.

Families, single women and unaccompanied minors were among the 218 migrants who set up an impromptu camp in front of the Paris town hall at around midnight.

Police rapidly dismantled the tents on Tuesday morning. But the city hall invited the migrants inside for talks and admitted that a solution needed to be found.

"It's a cry for help. I am tired of living in the streets. For women, it's very dangerous (). We are easy targets," said Rolande, a 36-year-old woman from Ivory Coast.

"If we're not helped, if we're not allowed to work, we're going to stay in this cycle," she said. Other migrants present were from Somalia and Afghanistan.

In France, asylum seekers are not allowed to work until their refugee status has been approved.

Rolande, like many of those who participated in the demonstration, arrived three months ago in the midst of the Covid-19 health crisis and has been living on the streets since.

- 'Chased away' -

"It's not normal that people who have just arrived () in France necessarily have to spend time on the streets," said Mael de Marcellus, a coordinator for migrant aid group Utopia56, adding that half of those present at the protest were newcomers to France.

Ouga, a 33-year-old pregnant woman from Ivory Coast, said she crossed the Mediterranean in a fishing boat and many people died, including her older sister.

Children were among those cleared out by police from in front of Paris' town hall /  AFP

"Now, we continue to suffer in the streets. You set up somewhere, you're chased away. We become ill through living in the midst of rubbish," she said, crying.

Police said that there was no way tents could be allowed to be pitched in the heart of the city. But the city hall, controlled by Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, opened its doors to allow the migrants inside.

"We have asked the state to find a solution, especially as the majority of these people are asylum seekers and should therefore be cared for in some way," councillor Ian Brossat, in charge of housing and refugee protection in the city, told AFP.

After France's Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March, authorities cleared migrants from makeshift camps around Paris and put them in gyms and hotels.

But after stay-at-home orders were lifted in May, they soon found themselves sleeping rough again.
Agra Sep 2 : A music teacher from Pakistan, who allegedly raped a minor girl at her residence in Vrindavan for three consecutive days, was arrested on Wednesday.

The accused, Anand Kumar, a resident of Karachi, has been staying in the holy town on a tourist visa for the past many years, police said. Kumar was known to sing bhajans and teach music, added a police officer.

Vrindavan Kotwali in-charge Avadhesh Pratap Singh said an FIR has been registered and the accused was arrested from Imli Tala on Parikrama Marg, on the basis of an FIR filed by the victim's father and has been sent to jail.

The girl, a Ukraine national, was staying with her father in the Chaitanya Vihar neighbourhood, police said. Her parents, both Krishna devotees, are divorced and live separately.

Mathura SP Uday Shankar said the accused has been arrested and an inquiry ordered.

The accused has been charged under the POCSO Act.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States, has acquired ISU Centinel Agency. The firm purchased the assets of the San Francisco-based ISU Centinel Agency to join Heffernan's retail operations, effective September 1, 2020. Josh Ferenc, Senior Vice President, David Costello, Vice President, and the remainder of the Centinel team have joined Heffernan's San Francisco branch.

With over 15 years' experience in the insurance industry, ISU Centinel Agency specializes in insurance for the construction and hospitality industries, as well as private client personal insurance. Their extensive knowledge will be a pronounced enhancement to Heffernan's niche practices.

"We're confident ISU Centinel Agency's deep knowledge of commercial and personal lines will be a great addition to our San Francisco branch and our Personal Lines team. Josh Ferenc and David Costello are respected in the industry and have built a dedicated client base to whom they're committed to providing exceptional service. We look forward to helping them continue that superior service and to growing our niche practices together," said F. Michael Heffernan, President and CEO of Heffernan Insurance Brokers. "We're delighted to have the Centinel team onboard."

"Heffernan Insurance Brokers' positive company culture and success inspired me as I was starting my agency 15 years ago," said Josh Ferenc, Senior Vice President of Heffernan Insurance Brokers. "My staff and I are excited to join this world class team and we look forward to the increased platform of products and services available. This development will help us better serve our construction, hospitality and high net-worth clients going into the future."

About Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Heffernan Insurance Brokers, formed in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Heffernan provides insurance and financial services products to a range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Napa, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills and Irvine, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Seattle and Olympia, WA; St. Louis, MO; and London UK.

Employee-owned, Heffernan Insurance Brokers was named the Top Mid-Sized Broker in the United States to work for in 2009 by Business Insurance Magazine. The firm has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003.

For more information, visit www.heffins.com. License #0564249

SOURCE Heffernan Insurance Brokers

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Continuing to invest in the private sector  particularly SMEs  as an engine of growth and sustainable development will remain the core of the EBRDs mission, says the bank's deputy head for Egypt

Given that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the Egyptian economy harshly, the investment climate  including for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  has been affected as well.

In an exclusive interview, associate director and deputy head for Egypt at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Bank (EBRD) Khalid Hamza spoke to Ahram Online about how the bank is adjusting its plans to back the Egyptian market amid the pandemic, especially that the EBRD focuses mainly on supporting the private sector and SMEs in particular.



Ahram Online: How could you evaluate the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis on Egypts investment climate?

Khaled Hamza: Covid-19 has had a profound negative impact on the world economy. Egypt was equally affected, bringing down its GDP growth from almost six percent to an expected level of around three percent. Nonetheless, the Egyptian economy has continued to grow and has shown great resilience, especially when compared to other regional economies.

This resilience was translated into a relatively stable exchange rate, relatively positive investor sentiment, and from what we see a possible v-shaped or u-shaped recovery. This was all assisted by the ongoing economic reform the government had been pursuing since 2016 and the extraordinary measures taken by the Egyptian central bank to ease the impact of the crisis earlier this year. EBRDs response in supporting the Egyptian economy was complementary to the measures taken and entailed mainly the provision of vital liquidity to Egypts banking sector through a $850 million credit facility (including trading lines) to Egyptian banks to on-lend to the SME sector.

AO: For SMEs, how has the crisis affected business, particularly growth, revenues and expansion?

KH: The key challenge during the crisis is to keep businesses afloat. This entails ensuring funding is available to secure raw materials, retain staff (to the extent possible) and honour ongoing commitments. To many this required a transformation of their businesses to stock heavily on raw materials to minimise process disruption, accommodate remote working conditions and establish digital delivery platforms.

This is a huge task which was undertaken by many in a very short time. Funding would not solve these issues on its own and had to go hand in hand with technical assistance and policy dialogue. The EBRD, therefore, responded to the crisis caused by Covid-19 through the establishment of an emergency Solidarity Package that would provide the needed short-term to liquidity to the EBRD's existing clients. In addition, the EBRD intensified its technical assistance support and organised a series of online workshops on managing businesses during the crisis and enhancing the process of digitalisation. This is in addition to direct one-on-one interventions with SME clients.

AO: In its latest economic outlook for the region, the IMF has asked developing and emerging markets to intensify work to unleash the private sector to be a key player in the development process and the business scene. How does the EBRD see that this can be implemented in Egypt?

KH: The EBRD focuses mainly on supporting the private sector in any economy, as around 80 percent of the bank's investments are in the private sector. In Egypt, the bank has invested around 70 percent of its approximate $6 billion portfolio in the private sector. The potential to do more, however, is enormous. With the establishment of a level playing field and the introduction of more projects to the market through more competitive tendering, such as PPPs, the private sector in Egypt could leap in terms of growth.

The EBRD is actively involved in supporting this through its investments, policy dialogue and technical assistance. For example, the bankss support of the General Authority for Land Transport and the PPP unit have led to the award of the 6th of October Dry Port project to a local/international consortium following a competitive tender.

AO: What about SMEs?

KH: SMEs face an even greater challenge to be able to develop themselves and in turn contribute effectively to economic growth. Access to finance is one of the key challenges that should be addressed to improve their situation. The EBRD is not only providing liquidity through domestic banks, but it is also helping raise the capacity in said banks to develop the appropriate products to be able to penetrate the SME market.

The bank is also working hand in hand with the Financial Regulatory Authority and the Egyptian Stock Exchange to restructure/rebrand the SME stock exchange to create a more effective platform to raise funding on that level. Diversifying funding options is one of the key factors in improving access to finance for SMEs and sustaining their growth.

AO: How can merging the informal into the formal sectors be achieved in Egypt? And what are the incentives government should provide to encourage such an outcome?

KH: Achieving financial inclusion is one of the key measures that can help attract businesses to operate in the formal sector, which leads to a level playing field for all players, attracting more investment overall and supporting sustainable growth.

Financial inclusion is not achieved through improving access to finance to SMEs alone, but also through the provision of sound business advice. The EBRD is supporting this effort in both ways. On the one hand, the banks credit lines to local banks are designed to be on-lent to SMEs, and on the other hand the bank is providing technical assistance through our skills in business lines or youth business lines, which support capacity building to build a sustainable corporate environment.

AO: What facilities does the EBRD expect to extend to Egypt through the end of 2020?

KH: The EBRD targets investments in 2020 exceeding 1 billion Euros in line with previous years. The financial sector will receive a bulk of these investments; however, other vital sectors in infrastructure, renewable energy, agribusiness and manufacturing are all expected to benefit from EBRD financing. Against all odds, 2020 is expected to see the EBRDs first investment in the tourism sector. This reflects the importance of the sector for Egypt but also the banks belief in its potential and attestation to its resilience over recent decades.

AO: If a second wave of the pandemic arrives, what are the EBRDs plans regarding supporting Egypt in this case?

KH: The EBRDs Solidarity Package is expected to last until the end of 2021 and could be extended further if the situation continues. However, we wish that it does not come to this, as further lockdown and slowdown in economic activity could lead to long term negative effects that cannot be addressed with short term funding. The EBRD would still, of course, continue to support its clients, but would have to devise the right instruments at the time to help survive the shock.

AO: What are the EBRD's future plans in the Egyptian market?

KH: The bank is currently in the process of updating its strategy in Egypt, which is expected to be approved in 2021. It will further the banks mandate in tackling Egypts most pressing matters, whether in the water sector, upgrading its infrastructure or digitising its economy. At the core of this will be support for SMEs and the private sector, the reduction of negative environmental impacts, and the improved governance of its institutions.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 03:18:28|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Germany and China vowed here on Tuesday to uphold multilateralism on international affairs and to promote bilateral ties.

The remarks were made when German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Steinmeier stressed that Germany always attaches great importance to its relations with China, and is willing to maintain closer and lasting ties with China, which is especially necessary under the current tense international situation.

Germany reaffirms its one-China principle, and its position of multilateralism in international affairs, said the president, adding that Germany disagrees with the so-called "decoupling," and doesn't want the world to be divided against each other.

Wang said that when the prevention and control of COVID-19 have become a regular practice, his visit to Germany and Europe shows that China values its relations with Germany and Europe.

China is willing to work together with Germany and the European Union to prepare for important agenda for the next stage -- on the one hand, strengthening international cooperation against the coronavirus, such as vaccine development and application, to overcome the pandemic; on the other hand, upholding and practicing multilateralism and opposing unilateral bullying, to safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the international fairness and justice, said Wang.

The two sides also exchanged views on the current international situation, Sino-German cooperation and other issues of common concern. Enditem
A Jordanian delegation has met with Syrian representatives and congratulated them on the recent elections and the military victories of the Syrian Arab Army writes SANA.

A joint delegation from the Association Against Zionism and Racism and the National Movement Party in Jordan affirmed its solidarity with Syria in the face of the coercive economic measures imposed on it and the practices of the Turkish occupation forces.

During a visit by the delegation to the Syrian Embassy in Amman, Dr. Azmi Mansour, the head of the Association, stressed his rejection of the Caesar Act that targets the Syrian people, expressing his condemnation of the Turkish occupation forces attacks on Syrian territory, and of the crime of cutting water to Hassakeh by Recep Tayyip Erdogans regime.

Mansour congratulated the Syrian people on the Peoples Assembly elections and the formation of the new Syrian government, noting that this reflects the steadfastness, victory, and recovery of the Syrian state, and affirms that Syria is a well-established state of institutions.

In turn, the members of the delegation affirmed their pride in the steadfastness of the Syrian people, army, and leadership in confronting the terrorist war against their country, denouncing the practices of the Turkish regime and its mercenaries and their attacks on Syrian territory and in Iraq and Libya.

For his part, the Charge dAffairs of the Syrian Embassy in Amman Dr. Shafiq Dayoub stressed that Syria is heading towards final victory and is on its way to liberate every inch of its lands, stressing that the Palestinian cause was and will remain at the top of its priorities, and that supporting the Palestinian people is a strategic option that cannot be relinquished no matter what challenges emerge.

The delegation included figures from political parties and trade unions, intellectuals, and political activists.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Prime Minister will deliver key note address to the third leadership summit of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) on Thursday, organisers announced on Tuesday.

"We are honored that Prime Minister Modi has taken time to address USISPF annual event. It signifies importance of US-India relations in the current challenging environment, USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said.

"It is a win-win partnership mutually dependent geo-politically, trade, culturally, diplomatically and scientifically. Aggressive and assertive China provides further opportunity for both nations to collaborate and ensure international rule of law prevails," he said after USISPF announced Modi's address to the summit.

US Vice President Mike Pence had a fire side on Monday, the first day of the week-long summit titled "US-India Week: Navigating New Challenges".

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also participated in the discussion on Monday. Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also addressed the summit on Tuesday.

Being attended by top corporate leaders, government officials and leaders, the summit highlights areas of bilateral cooperation: trade and investment; strategic energy ties; India's position in global supply chains, collaboration in fintech, healthcare, and technology.

(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.)
All of these efforts are being pitched as bipartisan  and certainly, voting is  but given the discourse at the recent Democratic National Convention about the importance of voting, and the conspiracy theories about mail-in voting from the Republicans, and the fact that Ms. Dawsons partner is Senator Cory Booker and Mrs. Obama is involved, its hard not to think this will once again ally the industry to a side.

Of course, theres risk, said Tanya Taylor, the designer who first connected Ms. Erwiah to the creators of the Action Button, and who has made a tote for Fashion the Future 2020. The easy thing to do is stay as a fashion brand and think only about clothing. Thats the safe move. But, she said, it was a move that was no longer acceptable.

Dressing to Vote

Ms. Erwiah first started thinking it was time for fashion to get out from behind the parapet at the start of the pandemic. She had noticed the groups forming in the fashion world to advocate for change and felt, she said on a Zoom call from her home, that it was all meaningless if we didnt also participate in what is going on right now with the election and our communities.
Travelling by Delhi Metro, which is reopening after almost six months on September 7, may give you a chance to meet a new guardian Polo- an agile Belgian Malinois dog with special skills who has been given his first posting by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The well-trained dog will be performing his first duty at Delhi metro stations.

Polo is no ordinary dog as he belongs to the same breed which played a very important role in an operation launched by US security forces in Pakistan to eliminate Osama Bin Laden.

The same breed dog Cairo had identified Osama Bin Laden during the operation. After his identity was established, Osama was eliminated by US SEALs.

This would be the first time when Belgian Malinois breed dog will be deployed at any establishment in the national capital.

He is the only dog who is master of all three trades -- sniff, attack and guard while other breads like German shepherd and Labrador can perform only one task his handler M Mariselvam said.

CISF normally has one handler per dog but as Polo is a special dog, there are two handlers for him.

He is totally different from others because of his agility, attacking skill and sniffing sense. He belongs to the same breed which was used in an operation to eliminate Osama Bin Laden. He can walk almost 40 kilometres while other dogs can walk up to 4-7 kilometres. He can attack also in case of any terror attack and has outstanding sniffing sense, K9 team head Inspector Rajender Pilania told ANI.

He will be most likely to be deployed at major metro stations like Rajiv Chowk, Kashmiri gate etc while we can use him in theft cases too. Polo is completely different from others, he added.

CISF K9 team is all set to be back on security duties in the metro as the government has allowed graded metro operations in the fourth phase of Unlock as part of relaxations after the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

CISF has 61 dogs who will be deployed in different locations of Delhi metro.

Pilania said the trainers have been maintaining social distancing norms and training dogs in small groups. All dogs stayed in kennels all the day, he said.

They will be working in different shifts of four hours. They are well-trained dogs who are masters in different trade, except Polo. He knows everything, he added.

Also Read | Dog breed that tracked Osama bin Laden to be part of Kolkata Police
Salma Hayek is 54 and fabulous.

On Wednesday, her birthday, the actress shared some glamour shots of herself in a bright yellow, impossible-to-miss ensemble. The bathing suit top featured a low-cut neckline with cutouts by her hips; the skirt was flowing with a tie at the waist.

The Frida beauty, a mom of one, had her hair up and a red lip for the photos, taken in an exotic seaside locale. Shes been on an extended vacation with her billionaire businessman husband, Francois-Henri Pinault, in Greece.

I am very grateful and proud for every single one of my 54 years, wrote the actress.

She thanked everyone for the birthday wishes, giving special praise to fans who created a special Instagram account (@salmahappybirthday) in honor of her special day, noting, What a gift!

Hayek was showered with positive vibes by commenters, with many remarking on her sunshiny style. You dont look a day over 25, wrote one person. Another posted, You get more amazing with each passing year! Incredible!

Several of her celebrity friends, including Kate Hudson and Orlando Bloom, posted birthday wishes.

Hayek was looking forward to her birthday. The day before she posted another series of bathing suit photos, noting, By the way, this is not a Throwback Thursday! about her killer curves.

During the trip shes posted other swimsuit shots as well  including bikinis  and its clear shes been enjoying herself.

In fact, shes been having a plate-smashing good time on the trip, along with her husband and 12-year-old daughter, Valentina Pinault.

Story continues

Despite her body confidence in all these photos, Hayek has admitted that she can be hard on herself.

When I look at pictures of me in my 30s or in my 40s, I see myself more beautiful than I saw myself at the time, she told People magazine earlier this year. I used to criticize myself so much. Now when I look in the mirror and there are things that I dont see, I think about how much Im going to like me in 10 years.

In that same interview, she talked about making pandemic goals for herself related to exercise, But she quickly realized she was putting too much pressure on herself during an already high-pressure time. So instead, she made a point to find beauty in simple moments while quarantining at her London home.

I actually have time to stare at my husband and daughter as theyre sleeping and I love it, she said.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
100 years ago

Gambling scandal grows

Nine sealed indictments were handed down by the special grand jury in Ballston Spa on evidence submitted by Special Deputy Attorney General Wyman S. Bascom in the gambling probe of Saratoga Springs. Bench warrants were to be issued and arraignments set for the following Tuesday before Justice Charles C. Van Kirk.

Many said that the group included Saratoga County politicians and office holders. These latest accusations brought the total number of indictments to more than 25 and the total number of people charged was expected to be more than 35.

More indictments would be issued before the end of the week, insiders said.

 Times Union, Sept. 3, 1920

50 years ago

33 percent raise called 'a bit much'

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Albany firefighters would get no pay raise this year if city officials had their way, Assistant Corporation Counsel Robert Lyman told a three-member Public Employment Relations Board. He presented the city's position on a number of points in the bargaining impasse and said the "status quo" on the current $7,500 salary because a union proposal for a 33 percent across-the-board hike was "a bit much." Lyman underwent sharp questioning from panel chairman Nicholas S. Falcone, a Fordham University labor specialist, because he failed to produce figures concerning the city's ability to fund a salary increase. The attorney also indicated the city was not receptive to a 20-year, half-pay retirement plan for the department and said such a plan would cost the city an additional $180,000 a year.

 Times Union, Sept. 3, 1970

Looking Back is compiled by C.J. Lais Jr. and Azra Haqqie.
Lawmaker Pham Phu Quoc had been dishonest in declaring his profile, the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh affirmed on September 1 at a press briefing on his holding dual nationality.

Pham Phu Quoc (Source: NA Press Centre)

Quoc, a native of the central province of Quang Tri, admitted on August 25 that he had acquired Cypriot citizenship in 2018, but it was due to his family's petition, not him 'buying' the nationality as reported by Qatars Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera had reported that Cyprus's passport scheme allows people who have invested at least 2.5 million USD in the country to possess its passport, making individuals eligible to become EU citizens and travel and work freely in EU nations, as well as enter 174 countries without a visa. Quoc's name was mentioned among the list of foreigners who possess a Cypriot passport.

After the case was uncovered, Quoc sent a letter to the HCM City administration, resigning from the position of a National Assembly deputy of the city as well as the General Director of the state-owned Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Company (IPC).

Ha Phuoc Thang, chief of office of the city Peoples Committee, said that when the Quoc ran the election for a seat at the NA back in 2016, the municipal relevant authorities had performed sufficient and accurate works as regulated.

But Quoc's holding of the nationality in Cyprus without reporting it is an act that is deplorable, dishonest and disobeys the Party's regulations, Thang said.

How to deal with this case will be completed within this month, he added./.VNA
United Nation: The main opposition challenger in Belarus' disputed presidential election, which has triggered mass protests, will address an informal meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday.

Estonia's UN ambassador, Sven Jurgenson, said on Tuesday that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled to Lithuania under pressure from Belarus authorities, will speak to the UN's most powerful body at a meeting focusing on attacks on human rights in the former Soviet nation.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, former candidate for the Belarus presidential elections, will speak at a meeting of the UN Security Council. Credit:AP

Belarus' opposition has called the August 9 election that gave Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term as President rigged. The United States and European Union have criticised the vote as neither free nor fair and urged Belarusian authorities to begin a dialogue with the opposition.

Lukashenko, who has run the nation of 9.5 million people with an iron fist for 26 years, has dismissed opposition protesters as Western puppets and is pursuing a tough response to demonstrators. Over the weekend, he cracked down on independent media and his government has been jailing activists.
Two Democratic candidates are facing off for District 6 of the Massachusetts Governors Council.

The seat is held by Terrence Kennedy, a practicing attorney of 37 years who first won his seat in 2010.

He received the endorsement of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Tuesday.

Helina Fontes, a Lynn native who has been a mental health program director, is challenging Kennedy.

I am running for the Massachusetts Governors Council, District 6, seat because I see the unique opportunity this council provides in reshaping the Massachusetts judicial system, for the better, said Fontes. Too many of our prisons contain non-violent individuals in need of mental health care, or who simply cannot afford to pay the lofty bails set for them.

The 6th District of the Governors Council which includes Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott of Essex County, Cambridge, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester of Middlesex County, Chelsea Revere and Winthrop, Boston neighborhoods of East Boston, North End, Back Bay, Chinatown and Beacon Hill of Suffolk County.

The Massachusetts Governor's Council, also known as the Executive Council, is composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio. The eight councilors are elected from their respective districts every two years.

The Council meets weekly to record advice and consent on warrants for the state treasury, pardons and commutations, and recording advice and consent to gubernatorial appointments such as judges, clerk-magistrates, public administrators, members of the Parole Board, Appellate Tax Board, Industrial Accident Board and Industrial Accident Reviewing Board, notaries, and justices of the peace.
Sometimes when I tell my patients this, theyre like: If the final road is colonoscopy, Id rather do that if I can, she said. The colonoscopy is every 10 years unless you find a polyp, and then it may be three or five years depending on what the results are and what your personal risks are  sometimes you have to do them much more frequently. I think the downside about the colonoscopy is you have to take time off work, you have to do bowel prep, and you need someone to take you home after the procedure.
Multi-year contract s ecuring broadly stable revenues for Eutelsat for the medium term

s Cementing long term relationship with HOTBIRD's premier anchor customer

Regulatory News:

Eutelsat Communications (Paris:ETL) (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Sky Italia have reached a strategic agreement for the renewal of Sky's capacity contract at Eutelsat's HOTBIRD position.

The agreement represents the latest step in the long-standing partnership between Sky, the pre-eminent anchor customer on HOTBIRD, and Eutelsat which has supported since 2003 the development of Sky, the market leader in Italy, in broadcasting its premium content to some five million households.

The multi-year contract represents a secured backlog of circa 450 million euros and guarantees broadly stable annual revenues for Eutelsat in the medium term. The contract also includes future extension options representing additional potential revenues.

The HOTBIRD fleet forms one of the largest broadcasting systems over Europe. It will be upgraded with the entry into service of two HOTBIRD new generation satellites, to be launched in 2021, that will replace the current spacecraft at Eutelsat's premium 13 East broadcasting position. The new satellites will deliver improved performances over the European footprint reinforced by a powerful European super-beam.

Commenting on the agreement, Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat said: "We are delighted that Sky continues to rely on Eutelsat to reach one of its key markets in Europe. This agreement ensures long term service continuity for the millions of households in Italy which depend on satellite to receive television, and highlights the key role of satellite for broadcast distribution in Western Europe, today and in the future, by providing reach beyond the limits of terrestrial networks. It also reflects the unmatched coverage of the 13 East orbital position for Europe, and the general resilience of Eutelsat's Broadcast revenues."

Maximo Ibarra, CEO of Sky Italia added: "We are glad to continue working with Eutelsat, one of the world's leading satellite operators, that has supported Sky since its inception. This agreement represents the latest step in a long and successful partnership that has lasted for many years."

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Around 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 46 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com.

www.eutelsat.com Follow us on Twitter @Eutelsat_SA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901005978/en/

Contacts:

Media

Joanna Darlington

+33 1 53 98 31 07

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Joanna Darlington

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Kabul begins release of final batch of Taliban prisoners raising hopes of early start of so-called intra-Afghan talks.

Afghan government negotiators will fly to Qatars capital on Thursday to prepare for long-delayed peace talks with the Taliban, as Kabuls administration resumed releasing Taliban prisoners, an official has said.

Tomorrow the team is leaving for Doha, Fraidoon Khawzoon, the spokesman for Abdullah Abdullah who is the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), which has been tasked to hold talks with the armed group, told Reuters.

The Taliban had demanded a final group of 320 prisoners be released before they would participate in the talks, which were envisaged as part an agreement signed between the group and the United States in February.

Kabul had baulked at the release of the final 400 Taliban inmates who President Ashraf Ghani said were a danger to the world. Some Western governments, including France, also objected to the release of Taliban inmates.

But the government has this week set free another 200, leaving 120 remaining of a total 5,000 Taliban inmates that it was expected to release to kick off the talks aimed at reaching lasting peace after nearly 20 years of war.

Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said that the release of our remaining prisoners has started and it is a positive step which will pave the ground for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban delegation, and Zalmay Khalilzad, US envoy for peace in Afghanistan, shake hands after signing an agreement in Doha [File: Ibraheem al Omari/Reuters]

HCNR officials also confirmed to AFP the release of inmates, which concludes the protracted prisoner exchange process.

Khawzoon from HCNR told AFP that all obstacles have been removed.

The Afghan armed group was asked to free 1,000 government forces as part of the prisoner swap.

Earlier in the day, a spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace said a small technical team has been sent for Doha to prepare to start the peace talks.

They are there for logistical preparations, Najia Anwari told AFP.

Talks soon

It was not immediately clear when the talks will start, but both sides have expressed a willingness to kickstart them soon.

The Taliban has said it is willing to begin peace talks within a week of the prisoner exchange being completed and had blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations so far.

The Taliban has been running an armed rebellion since it was toppled from power in a US-led invasion in 2001.

US President Donald Trump has made ending the war in Afghanistan and bringing US troops back home a foreign policy priority of his administration.
Mali's junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita is a smart and calculated man with his country's best interests at heart, but is unlikely to have spearheaded the overthrow of the democratically elected President Ibrahim Boubabar Keita, according to a former US special operations forces officer who became friends with Goita over the past four years.

The way I would describe him is very humble, very pious, he's not braggadocious by any means, he's witty, he's smart - all around, a good family man, said Andy Duhon, who served as special operations liaison officer to the US embassy in Bamako.

Goita came to prominence shortly after the 18 August coup when mutinous soldiers arrested Keita, commonly referred to as IBK, and took control of the country. The ousting of Keita followed months of demonstrations by a broad-based opposition movement.

Duhon got to know Goita after being stationed in Mali serving as a go-between for the American diplomatic mission and United States Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA).

The Malian colonel, a commander of Mali's Autonomous Special Forces Battalion (BAFS), came across as a "very smart, capable person" to Duhon, who thought he would make a good partner, as one who had passed the Leahy test, a determination to rule out past human rights abuses.

Loves his country

He 100 percent cared about his soldiers and his men, and doing the right things. He seemed very patriotic, or just pro trying to make a better Mali, Duhon told RFI.

Goita received training from the US during the course of his career and was involved in US training exercises in West Africa, as well as attending Joint Special Operations University in Tampa, Florida. He is also reported to have received training from France, Germany and Russia.

He speaks English well enough to fulfil the language requirements needed to study at the military university, as well as some German, according to Duhon, besides, of course, French and Bambara.

Mali's military junta, led by Goita, has bided its time since the takeover. It has held numerous meetings, received a mediation team from the West African regional bloc Ecowas and updated the press regularly.

However, two weeks after the coup d'etat, the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) has yet to clearly outline its plan on the country's future or any political transition, besides setting out its original objectives, mostly aligned with the opposition protest movement.

I honestly believe he has the best intentions, said Duhon, describing Goita as someone who is strategic and calculated but not in sinister way.

I never saw him as a guy who was a money hungry, or power-hungry person, craving to be in power. If he was going to do this it's because he thought what was best for the country, said the former US military officer, who served in the army for nine years.

Mastermind of the coup?

Duhon said given his time spent in Mali, he previously reflected on whether an overthrow of the government could come to pass in Bamako, but he said he never thought Goita, who he always refers to as Assimi, could be responsible for it.

It is more likely that Goita emerged in a leadership role, Duhon judges, adding that they never had any discussions about a coup attempt. I think it was almost thrusted upon him, he said.

Him being that guy that I know, that humble person, he felt like he had to do what was right, even if he knew that there would be negative consequences, he added.

Duhon, who spent four years in the navy before serving in the US army, said he asked his Malian friend about IBK, but he never heard him criticise the president directly.

Despite discontent over lack of pay or proper food and training, Malian soldiers have been expected to fight in northern Mali against jihadists.

Goita has faced considerable pressure in such a dangerous theatre of operations and likewise when commanding rescue operations during the 2015 attack against the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako when a hardline Islamist group killed 22 people.

Diplomatic pressure is not something he will have experienced though, and the Ecowas regional bloc is asserting pressure on the CNSP to hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority.

It's probably the first time he's been in a situation like this, said Duhon, in reference to the challenges Goita faces as de facto leader of Mali.

Family man, dedicated soldier

Goita is a devout Muslim. "Religion and his family is very important, said Duhon, describing someone who does not drink alcohol. He has a wife and family, and as for his career, he has progressed quickly through the ranks.

He's done pretty well for himself to become a colonel, he's pretty young, but he's had control of the BAFS, said Duhon, who has more than a decade of experience in the Sahel. He seems to be doing well as far as the Malian military goes.

At the same time, and in spite of the dangerous nature of Goita's work in the Malian special forces, he has a good sense of humour and likes to joke, according to Duhon.

He was going to Germany for some training and Black Panther was on at the movies," said Duhon, referring to the superhero film. "He said: 'That's my new name, I want to be known as Black Panther.' He's a comical guy.
A handful of new, Chinese-built trains are set to enter service on Sydneys transport network, inflaming a debate between unions and government over the merits of local manufacturing.

A week after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state was "not good at building trains", one of the new Waratah Series 2 trains was unveiled at Central Station and is set to enter service on Thursday, several months ahead of schedule.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance inspects a new Waratah Series 2 train on Wednesday. Credit:Nick Moir

Five others remain in testing in Australia, while a further 11 are expected to arrive from China before the end of the year. They will operate across the T2, T3, T8 Airport and South lines. The 17 trains were expected to cost the government close to $900 million when they were ordered last year amid record growth on the citys transport network.

The arrival of the new fleet comes as unions continue to criticise the state governments procurement of overseas assets, including Indonesian-built ferries, which will have to remove passengers from their top deck before passing under two bridges.
The death of actor Chadwick Boseman has brought forth a discussion on colon cancer, but health officials say it is something people should always be thinking about.

When Boseman, most notable for his role as Black Panther in the Marvel franchise, died Friday from colon cancer at age 43, it pulled the third-leading cancer cause of death in both men and women into the spotlight.

But Dr. Anthony Griffin, chief medical officer for Passavant Area Hospital, said more than 147,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer each year  and roughly 50,000 people die of it annually.

Screening is one of the most important things that can be done as people age, Griffin said.

It has been shown to reduce the morality rate when it is caught early on, through a colonoscopy or a stool-based test, Griffin said.

Dr. Laura Makaroff, senior vice president for prevention and early detection for the American Cancer Society, said the earlier a person is diagnosed, the better the survival rate.

The 5-year survival rate is 90% for disease diagnosed at an early stage disease versus 14% after it has metastasized, Makaroff said.

Symptoms of colon cancer include rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, cramping or abdominal pain, or unintended weight loss.

When those symptoms arise, it is important to talk with a physician or participate in a screening, Griffin said.

Colon cancer screening is most important for those 50 or older, though some suggest screenings should begin around age 45.

Those with family histories of colon cancer or certain types of polyps or a history of inflammatory bowel disease should consider earlier screenings.

Up to one-third of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer before 50 have a genetic predisposition or family history associated with excess risk and should have begun screening at 40 or earlier, Makaroff said. A recent study found that, among those with this history, 98% could have been diagnosed earlier, and some cases possibly prevented, with appropriate screening.

Though recommended testing begins at age 45 or above, there have more cases among younger people over the past 20 years, Griffin said.

The morality rate has been declining, but the number of incidents for people under the age of 50 have been increasing, he said.

Makaroff said cases of colon cancer are increasing in all age groups.

A recent study of nationwide data found that from 2012 through 2016, incidences increased by 2% per year in people younger than 50 and by 1% per year in people 50 to 64 years, she said.

Griffin said the best thing anyone can do is to ask questions when they are concerned.

If in doubt, discuss things with your primary care provider, Griffin said. They can guide you in what needs to be done.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

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BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute has the honour to announce that the President of the General Assembly of the UN, H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, will be the headline speaker at the Opening Session of the Rhodes Forum, which takes place online on 1-2 October. Just a few days after the declaration adopted by all member states on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly will address the Rhodes Forum, which will take place online this year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Titled 'The world at the crossroads again: Reinventing international cooperation', this year's Rhodes Forum will bring together leaders and influencers from around the world to discuss and come up with recommendations for an international architecture that works effectively for all.

Registration for the Forum is free, and can be accessed online here.

Jean-Christophe Bas, CEO of the DOC, said:

"International cooperation and multilateralism have contributed to guaranteeing peace and development since the end of World War Two. Today, this model is profoundly challenged and questioned, and consequently so is global stability and progress. More than ever, in this time of pandemic, there is a need for a global platform for dialogue and exchange truly bringing all perspectives around the table to foster the emergence of shared worldviews. That is actually the purpose of the Rhodes Forum.

The confirmation that President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad Bande, will speak at the Forum shows the high level of recognition that the DOC Research Institute has achieved to date in bringing people together and exchanging ideas on how we all want to live together on this planet. We warmly welcome everybody who is interested in attending this year's Rhodes Forum to join us at the beginning of October in our new format  from wherever you happen to be in the world."

Other confirmed high-level speakers include:

Jean-Pierre Raffarin , former French Prime Minister; President, Leaders for Peace;

, former French Prime Minister; President, Leaders for Peace; Mikhail Bogdanov , Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation ;

, Deputy Foreign Minister of the ; Fabrizio Hochschild-Drummond , United Nations Under-Secretary General, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary;

, United Nations Under-Secretary General, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary; Obiageli Ezekwesili , former Nigerian Minister of Education and former vice president of the World Bank;

, former Nigerian Minister of Education and former vice president of the World Bank; Kishore Mahbubani , Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; former President of the UN Security Council;

, Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; former President of the UN Security Council; Chen Dongxiao, President of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies;

Jacques Attali , former President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

, former President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Djoomart Otorbaev, Former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan

Kate Coyer , Director of the Civil Society and Technology Project for the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University (CEU), Hungary

Since 2003, the Rhodes Forum has brought together leaders from the business, academic, diplomatic and political communities, including current and former heads of state and government, to discuss crucial issues facing the world today and to facilitate a better understanding of the deep changes our societies are undergoing. Throughout its history, its hallmark has been the pioneering spirit, inclusiveness, and moral resilience of its participants in their work to tackle the problems we face.

Media Contact:

Press Office

Dialogue of Civilizations

Research Institute gGmbH

Franzosische Str. 23

10117 Berlin

[email protected]

Tel: +49 30 209677900 Ext. 7320

www.doc-research.org

SOURCE Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute
02.09.2020 LISTEN

Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings will on Friday, September 4 be acclaimed the flagbearer of the National Democratic Party (NDP).

General Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, said the former First Lady was chosen out of three aspirants.

The acclamation will take place at a Congress to be held in Accra between Friday, September 4, 2020, and Saturday, September 5, 2020.

According to the party, their Congress will be graced by the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings who will be the guest speaker.

General Secretary of NDP, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong said strict COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed at the two-day event.

This Friday because of COVID-19 protocols, five [delegates] each from each of the 16 regions will be trooping into Accra for an in-house session to endorse the flagbearer and national executives. And on Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm will be the outdooring our national officers, including the flagbearer.

About NDP

The National Democratic Party is a political party founded in October 2012 by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Nana Konadu was formerly a high ranking member of the National Democratic Congress before breaking away.

This will be the second time she will be running for the presidency should she be endorsed on Friday.

In 2012, the Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified her and 11 other presidential candidates for failing to meet requirements before the September 30 deadline to file nomination documents.

She contested again in 2016 on the ticket of the NDP.

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Steroids have been found to reduce the risk of death in critically ill coronvirus patients by 20%. An international team of researchers analysed seven trials involving three different types of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

Steroids have been found to reduce the risk of death in critically ill coronavirus patients. Credit - Niall CarsonPress Association/AP

Youd think a robust immune system would be an awfully good thing to have if youre battling COVID-19and much of the time it is. But in the most extreme casesthe ones the World Health Organization (WHO) labels as severe and critical, denoting the most extremely ill, typically hospitalized patients, with the highest risk of deaththe system meant to protect the body from disease can make things worse, leading to inflammation and other damage to the lungs, which in turn can result in an often fatal case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

In June, a single large study of more than 6,200 patients found that corticosteroids, a class of drugs that reduce inflammation, could prevent at least some cases of coronavirus-related ARDS and the resulting deaths. Today, the WHO confirmed that preliminary report, announcing a new policy, based on a study published in JAMA, calling for the administration of steroids to all patients in the severe and critical category, based on findings that the treatment could reduce mortality by slightly more than one third.

The new conclusions were reached through a meta-analysis of seven different studies, each exploring the efficacy of corticosteroids in the most serious cases of COVID-19. The combined sample group from all seven studies included 1,703 severely ill patients, 678 of whom were administered steroids and 1,025 who received ordinary care (which did not include steroids) or a placebo. All of the patients were hospitalized and most were on ventilators. Over the course of 28 days, the death rate was 34% lower among the steroid-treated patients than among those in the control group.

The consistent findings of benefit in these studies provide definitive data that corticosteroids should be first-line treatment for critically ill patients with COVID-19, wrote Dr. Hallie Prescott, professor of medicine at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Todd Rice, professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University, in a JAMA editorial that accompanied the publication of the study.

The findings come with limitations. Steroids should not be used prophylactically in people with less serious cases of COVID-19, since the very suppression of immune system action that helps prevent or treat ARDS would only worsen the condition of people whose immune systems are functioning as they should, battling the virus without damaging the lungs. WHO also warned against indiscriminate use of any anti-COVID-19 therapeutic, including steroids, for fear of creating global shortages.

One new therapy that is 34% effective against one subset of cases of a disease that has sickened nearly 26 million people worldwide is not yet the stuff of victory parades. But in the grinding war against COVID-19, it is an undeniable victory in one important battle.
Amy Margolis

Margolis is a cannabis attorney and founder of the Initiative, a business accelerator for female founders in the cannabis industry.

When Oregon voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2014, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission was given the responsibility for the licensing and regulation of cannabis businesses. Unlike other states, Oregon was meant to have a non-competitive licensing system with no limit on the total number of licenses issued. This approach was intended to encourage existing medical cannabis growers and dispensaries to enter into the regulated market and allow women, minorities and other entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in the new cannabis economy.

While the licensing system initially worked well, the system has essentially ground to a halt. According to the OLCCs website, the agency is just now processing applications to grow recreational cannabis that were filed in February 2018. Its not much better for those seeking licenses to process, sell or distribute cannabis. The agency is just now getting to applications filed in June 2018. That means the OLCC is more than two years behind in issuing licenses and there is no point in filing a new application for eligible business types.

As a lawyer in this space since before legalization, I know that those waiting for licenses include small businesses that have been stretched thin by the delays. They have built out facilities to comply with regulations, paid rent each month, accepted money from investors and now have little hope that they will ever be able to operate. One client, Adam Dunn, filed for a processors license two years ago, spent $300,000 on security and construction and has been paying rent since 2018. With the current backlog, he will likely still wait years to receive approval. This is the same story I hear over and over as desperate applicants find themselves in permanent limbo.

The OLCC is not even able to provide any timeline to applicants, denying them the ability to make informed decisions about crucial issues such as whether to keep a lease or buy equipment. As the agency communicated to me in a recent email, We do not have a way of giving any sort of accurate estimate as to when a certain new application may receive an assessment of its readiness to be assigned.

At the same time, the OLCC has prioritized change-of-ownership applications, which favor large businesses that can afford to buy an established operation  and its license. This prioritization has created a secondary market for licenses ensuring that large, and often multi-state operators can grow their companies while others lose months, years, and in some cases, everything they have while they wait. In contrast to the backlog on new licenses, the OLCC is working on change of ownership applications submitted in 2020 with the average wait time being 157 days, according to a public records request.

It is time for the OLCC to turn all its attention and resources to addressing this crisis. The agency does not have the statutory authority to unilaterally stop issuing new licenses that were lawfully applied for. If the OLCC cannot or will not turn their attention to this enormous and years long backlog, the governors office should immediately intervene. The Legislature also should mandate strict timelines for the issuance of licenses as well as make sure that the commission is sufficiently funded to provide rapid licensing services for all applicants.

Now, more than ever, in this pandemic-ravaged economy, the state and its agencies should be supporting the exact kind of economic opportunity legalization and regulation that was promised.

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Story Highlights Fewer than half rate relations between White and Black Americans "good"

Current 44% is lowest in 20-year trend

Both racial groups still hopeful problems will eventually be resolved

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' already tepid review of relations between White and Black Americans has soured since 2018 and is now the most negative of any year in Gallup's trend since 2001. The majority of U.S. adults say relations between White and Black Americans are very (24%) or somewhat bad (31%), while less than half call them very (7%) or somewhat (37%) good.

Line graph. Trend from 2001 to 2020 in Americans ratings of relations between White and Black adults in the U.S. The percentage rating relations good was 63% in 2001. It peaked at 72% in 2004 and remained high through 2013, before falling to 47% in 2015. Since then, the percentage rating relations good has been under 50%, including 44% in the latest reading, from 2020.

Most Americans were upbeat about White-Black relations from 2001 through 2013, with the percentage calling them good to any degree ranging from 63% to 72%. The sharp decline in positive perceptions to 47% in 2015 followed numerous high-profile incidents in the prior year of unarmed Black citizens being killed by White police officers.

After improving slightly in 2016 and 2018, ratings of race relations have fallen to a new low in a Gallup telephone poll conducted June 8-July 24, 2020. The nationally representative survey of 1,226 U.S. adults includes an oversample of Black Americans weighted to their correct proportion of the population.

The latest poll was taken after the start of widespread protests on racial justice sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May, but before the recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and political conflict in Portland, Oregon, that have led to deaths among protestors and counterprotestors.

Ratings at Low Ebb Among Both Racial Groups

Through most of Gallup's trend, White Americans have been more likely than Black Americans to rate White-Black relations positively. But until 2015, large majorities of both groups thought relations were generally good; since then, positive ratings from White and Black Americans have been more subdued.

Positive ratings of White-Black relations have deteriorated slightly more in the past 18 months among White Americans (down eight percentage points to 46%) than among Black Americans (down four points to 36%). The figure among White Americans roughly matches the prior low of 45% recorded in 2015, while Black Americans' perceptions are the lowest yet.

Line graph. Trend from 2001 to 2020 in White and Black Americans ratings of White-Black relations. Since July 2013, the percentage rating relations very or somewhat good has fallen from 66% to 36% among Black Americans and from 72% to 46% among White Americans.

Other Group Relations Rated More Positively

The survey also asked Americans to rate relations between other racial and ethnic groups. Of the five different pairings explored, White-Black relations are viewed as the most troubled this year.

The 44% of Americans perceiving relations between White and Black Americans to be very or somewhat good contrasts with 78% for White-Asian relations, 68% for Black-Asian relations, 66% for Black-Hispanic relations, and 62% for White-Hispanic relations.

White-Black relations were not the only pairing to show a decline in 2020 compared with the average from 2015 to 2018. Similar drops are seen in positive ratings for White-Asian relations (down seven points) and White-Hispanic relations (down four points). At the same time, there have been no meaningful changes in ratings of Black-Asian or Black-Hispanic relations.

Americans' Perceptions That Relations Between Each Racial/Ethnic Pair Are Very or Somewhat Good 2001-2013 2015-2018 2020 % % % Whites and Asians 81 85 78 Blacks and Asians^ -- 66 68 Blacks and Hispanics 54 63 66 Whites and Hispanics 68 66 62 Whites and Blacks 68 50 44 ^ Relations between Blacks and Asians not rated before 2015 Gallup

Although White-Black relations are rated significantly worse now than other intergroup pairings, this has not always been the case. On average, between 2001 and 2013, White-Black relations were rated similarly to White-Hispanic relations and better than Black-Hispanic relations. That changed in 2015 as nationwide protests brought greater attention to racial disparities in the use of lethal force by police.

Throughout Gallup's measurement of racial/ethnic group relations since 2001, ratings of relations between White and Asian Americans have been rated best, with more than three-quarters of the public consistently calling them good.

Americans Remain Optimistic That White-Black Relations Will Improve

The public's brighter outlook for relations between Black and White Americans has shown little change since it was last measured. The majority continues to be optimistic that a solution will eventually be worked out, with 59% saying so this year, compared with 57% in late 2018.

Optimism about the future of relations between the two racial groups was below 50% in the mid- to late 1990s, spanning the Rodney King riots and O.J. Simpson case. Since then, at least half have been optimistic about a solution being worked out, including a brief rise to 67% in November 2008, the day after Barack Obama became the first Black American to be elected president.

Line graph. Trend from 1963 to 2020 in percentage of Americans who think a solution to relations between Black and White Americans in the United States will eventually be worked out. This was 55% in 1963 but has since varied from low points of 29% and 41% in the 1990s to a high of 67% in 2008 just after Barack Obama was elected. More typically it has been near 55%, and today it is 59%.

The trend in White Americans' outlook for White-Black relations has also been fairly stable. Sixty percent today are optimistic a solution will be worked out vs. 59% in 2018.

At the same time, Black Americans' optimism is up 10 points to 54%, edging out the 50% positive after Obama clinched the Democratic nomination in June 2008. Black Americans' optimism may have been even higher after the November election that year, but Gallup's post-election survey did not have a sufficient number of Black respondents to report their views.

Longer-term, Black Americans' optimism was significantly higher (70%) in 1963, which is widely considered the "defining year" of the Civil Rights Movement.

Line graph. Trend from 1964 to 2020 in White and Black Americans views on the outlook for race relations. In 1963, Black Americans were much more optimistic than White Americans that a solution to racial problems would eventually be worked out. The two groups had similar views in the 1990s, when both were fairly pessimistic. Since then, White Americans have been more optimistic than Black Americans, including by a six-percentage-point margin today of 60% to 54%.

Bottom Line

There is no right or perfect way to say objectively whether relations between large subgroups of the American population are healthy or frayed. But polls can measure different aspects of such relations, including the extent to which racial groups interact in various settings and how each group feels about those experiences.

When it comes to White-Black relations, one such indicator involves Black Americans' reports of feeling they have been unfairly treated in each of several public situations -- in stores, at work, in dealings with the police, and so on. Gallup's recent finding that nearly half of Black Americans felt unfairly treated in at least one setting in the past month suggests relations are far from perfect.

Another indicator of the health of race relations is how Americans themselves assess those relations when asked directly. On that basis, Gallup finds that even before the situation in Kenosha erupted, White-Black relations were at a two-decade low, with Black Americans even less positive than White Americans. This contrasts with Americans' more positive reviews of the state of relations between other racial/ethnic groups.

One encouraging sign in all of this is that for more than a decade, majorities of Black and White Americans have remained generally optimistic that the future holds the promise of a solution to today's problems.

View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.
Additional reporting by Press Association.

New quarantine rules for arrivals from Greece have been brought in by Scotland and Wales following a surge in cases there, as the country in southeastern Europe remains on the Republic's "green list".

Arrivals from Greece into Ireland are not currently required to self-isolate for 14 days upon landing in the State, as it remains on the Republic's list of countries exempt from quarantine rules.

Scotland has now removed Greece from its safe travel list and made two weeks of self-isolation mandatory for holidaymakers returning from the country from Thursday, following a significant spike in cases there and new evidence that Covid-19 is being imported.

Meanwhile, the Welsh government has also asked anyone returning from Zante to quarantine for two weeks following a rise in coronavirus cases there.

Last month, the Irish Government deferred the removal of Greece from the travel green list and asked the States public health team to reexamine overall travel advice.

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England is now facing pressure to reconsider quarantine rules for Greece after the moves of Scotland and Wales to introduce self-isolation periods.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) said no change to its rules for England had been made, but Wales health minister Vaughan Gething said he would be pressing the UK Government for an urgent meeting to consider the potential risk in Greece.

The move came as UK holidaymakers have scrambled to return from Portugal amid growing concerns restrictions could be reimposed to arrivals from there.

Restrictions for Greece were lifted in England in July when international exemptions were first permitted.

There were 14.0 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Greece in the seven days to August 31, down from 14.9 a week earlier.

A seven-day rate of 20 is the threshold above which the UK Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.

Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, announcing the restriction, said the importations of new cases from Greece is a significant risk to public health.

Travellers from Greece will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in Scotland from 4am Thurs morning (3 Sept). This is due to significant rise in cases of COVID-19 imported into Scotland by people who have been to Greece. Decision made in interest of public health. Advertisement  Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) September 1, 2020

He said regular discussions continue with the other three UK governments over restrictions.

Mr Gething said six clusters amounting to more than 30 cases of Covid-19 in the last week had come from four flights, two of which landed in England.

There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient, he said.

He said that all passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday night would be told to quarantine and would be given two Covid-19 tests, one within 48 hours and another eight days after their return.

There is an obvious need for us to consider the potential for changes to the regulations in Wales which would require travellers arriving in the UK from Greece and possibly elsewhere to self-isolate on their return, he said.

UK tour operator Tui has said it will no longer be offering holidays to the resort of Laganas on Zante from Thursday after a string of coronavirus cases were linked to the island. The travel giant has said it will refund everyone who has booked to go to Laganas from tomorrow.

Greeces tourism minister, Harry Theoharis, insisted the country is doing everything in our power to ensure that every person that comes from the UK is kept safe.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Were taking specific targeted measures where we see specific concentrations of cases. Measures that have been successful and have been working in the past few days.

He added that Greece has a much lower number of infections compared to most other countries in Europe.
Student sues FSU over ouster as student senate president for sharing Catholic beliefs

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A Florida State University student on Monday filed a lawsuit against the university over the student government's decision to oust him as senate president for sharing his Catholic beliefs.

Jack Denton is suing FSU after he was removed from his leadership position in the universitys Student Government Association after a vote of no-confidence following what he previously described as "mob influence" that got students to change their votes.

According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, the removal came after a series of text messages written by Denton were made public.

In the texts, Denton told fellow Catholics that they might want to avoid supporting groups like Black Lives Matter, Reclaim the Block and the ACLU.

The Student Senate at Florida State University has failed its pedagogical purpose and breached its constitutional obligations by removing its presiding officer, Jack Denton, in retaliation for his private religious speech, the suit states in part.

When Mr. Denton tried to resolve his complaint through internal procedures by appealing to the Student Supreme Court, the Student Senate intentionally prevented the Court from hearing his complaint.

Furthermore, according to the suit, University officials took no action to correct the Student Senates clear violation of Mr. Dentons rights, despite having the authority and the duty to do so.

To vindicate his constitutional rights, Mr. Denton asks this Court to order his reinstatement, compensation, and the expungement of all records relating to the Senates retaliatory and discriminatory actions against him, it continued.

Denton is being represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian law firm that represents clients in religious liberty cases.

ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, said in a statement released Tuesday that students should be able to peacefully share their personal convictions without fear of retaliation.

Florida State should be fostering real diversity of thought, not punishing individuals based on their religious convictions or political beliefs, he added.

While FSU students claim theyre creating a safe space, theyve tried to cancel Jacks freedoms and discriminate against him because they dont like his beliefs, in direct violation of the schools SGA Ethics Code, the Student Body Constitution, andmost importantlythe First Amendment.

The Christian Post reached out to FSU for comment. In response, the university emailed CP a statement on Wednesday by Carolyn Egan, the universitys General Counsel.

Student governments are created by students for the purpose of experiential self-governance, stated Egan, who noted that the university plans to fight the lawsuit.

Universities are protected from lawsuits stemming from student government actions, unless the universities have taken action to adopt the decision, which hasn't occurred in this case here at Florida State. We look forward to seeking dismissal of Mr. Denton's claims by the court.
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Is it true that leaders of the BLM movement, including one of the co-founders, are calling on the spirits of the dead? That they claim to receive spiritual power from the deceased? That they talk with these spirits and even give them names? The answer to all these questions is yes. This is now an open secret.

Lest you think that this type of spirituality is exceedingly rare, I remind you that in October, 2019, the New York Times ran a story titled, When Did Everybody Become a Witch? The article claimed that, We have reached peak witch, noting that, Real witches are roaming among us, and theyre seemingly everywhere.

Yes, Witches are influencers who use the hashtag #witchesofinstagram to share horoscopes, spells and witchy memes, and they are anti-Trump resistance activists carrying signs that say Hex the Patriarchy (also the title of a new book of spells) and We are the granddaughters of the witches you werent able to burn.

I documented this phenomenon in my book, Jezebels War with America, also arguing that many of the major trends in our society could be traced back to this Jezebelic spirit. These include the rise of pornography; the shout your abortion movement; radical feminism; the emasculating of men; the war on gender; the rise of witchcraft and sorcery; and the silencing of the prophetic voice of the church.

With the rise of the BLM movement, we have further evidence of this Jezebelic influence, as the co-founders are all radical feminists, with two of the three identifying as queer. (Please note that I use the initials BLM to distinguish this Marxist-based movement from the important affirmation that black lives do matter.)

We can now trace this demonic influence one step further, with the open, unapologetic statements of two key BLM leaders. Im speaking about BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors and Prof. Melina Abdullah, chair of the department of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and a co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter.

Their relevant video discussion on Facebook was posted on June 13. But even before that, on June 9, Heba Farrag posted an article on the Berkeley Center website titled, The Fight for Black Lives is a Spiritual Movement.

Farrag explained how Prof. Abdullah met with a BLM group in front of the house of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti: She led the group in a ritual: the reciting of names of those taken by state violence before their time  ancestors now being called back to animate their own justice:

George Floyd. Ase. Philandro Castille. Ase. Andrew Joseph. Ase. Michael Brown. Ase. Erika Garner. Ase. Harriet Tubman. Ase. Malcom X. Ase. Martin Luther King. Ase.

As each name is recited, Dr. Abdullah poured libations on the ground as the group of over 100 chanted Ase, a Yoruba term often used by practitioners of Ifa, a faith and divination system that originated in West Africa, in return. This ritual, Dr. Abdullah explained, is a form of worship.

Yes, this helps fuel the fires of the BLM movement: worship of the dead; calling on the dead; asking the spirits of the dead to empower the living today.

Abdullah and Cullors discussed this openly on their Facebook video, which Abraham Hamilton, III, brought to national attention on his daily radio show on August 13, playing relevant clips, in context.

In the video, Prof. Abdullah stated that we become very intimate with the spirits that we call on regularly. Right, like, each of them seems to have a different presence and personality. You know, I laugh a lot with Wakisha, you know, and I didnt meet her in her body. Right, I met her through this work.

Yes, the spirits of the dead even have names, like Wakisha, with whom Abdullah exchanges some laughs.

Cullors, in response, explained how she has been empowered by these spirits and how the mantra to say his (or, her) name was more than a slogan. It was an appeal to the spirits of the deceased to rise up and work through her and others.

As summed up by Cullors, The fight to save your life is a spiritual fight.

Of course, she is entirely right. The battles we fight in our society are, ultimately, spiritual battles. But victory is found, not in calling on the spirits of the dead but in calling on the Spirit of the living God.

As we have been emphasizing for months now, one is from below; the other is from above. One brings death, the other brings life.

Let the reader be aware. Fully aware. Calling on the spirits of the dead is a practice you want to avoid at all costs  for your own souls sake.
CAIRO - Egyptian police killed at least seven suspected criminals in separate firefights in the southern province of Aswan, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry, which oversees the police, said the shootouts took place in the city of Edfu on the west bank of the Nile River. The suspects opened fire on police forces as they were attempting to arrest them. A police officer was wounded, it said, without elaborating when the shootouts took place.

Four of the suspects, who were killed in one of the firefights, were wanted over an array of charges that include attempted killing, drug trafficking and illegal possession of arms, the ministry added.

The remaining three suspects were killed in a second shootout as police raided their hideout allegedly used for drug trafficking, it said.

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Cheap, widely available steroid drugs reduced the number of deaths in the sickest patients with COVID-19, show a trio of newly published clinical trials.

The World Health Organization, citing evidence from these and similar trials, announced Wednesday it strongly recommends doctors use the medications to combat severe or critical forms of disease caused by coronavirus infections.

Finding a treatment that saves lives is "electrifying  it gives us hope. Maybe we're gaining on this virus," said Todd W. Rice, a critical care physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who was not involved in the studies.

WHO's decision brings the international agency in line with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which earlier this summer recommended use of a synthetic steroid, dexamethasone, to treat hospitalized patients who require ventilators or oxygen.

The evidence that persuaded the WHO included a meta-analysis, sponsored by the organization, which evaluated three new studies, plus four other randomized, controlled trials. Each trial involved a medication from the family of anti-inflammatory drugs called corticosteroids.

"These three trials, and then the World Health Organization meta-analysis, sets steroids as the standard and the expectation that patients are critically ill will get treated with this," Rice said.

The WHO review concluded corticosteroids reduced deaths in critically ill patients by 20 percent  a drop from 2 deaths per 5 patients to 1 in 3. It found that another steroid, hydrocortisone, had benefits on par with those of dexamethasone.

"Corticosteroids are the only treatment that has been conclusively demonstrated to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19," said Jonathan Sterne, an author of the meta-analysis and an expert in medical statistics at Britain's University of Bristol.

"These results strengthen the evidence that doctors should treat critically ill COVID-19 patients with corticosteroids, unless there is a strong reason not to do so based on the circumstances of the individual patients," he said.

 READ MORE: Medical workers, nursing homes top list of who should get COVID-19 vaccine first, says academy of medicine advisory group

Dexamethasone was the first medication shown to increase the odds of survival in patients with severe COVID-19 when the initial outcomes from a British clinical trial, named Recovery, were published in June.

The similar benefits shown by these new studies was a welcome confidence boost to doctors who had been using corticosteroids to treat patients based on the earlier results.

"The Recovery trial was a fantastic trial. But even though it was a great trial, it was viewed by many as simply one trial," said University of Pittsburgh critical care doctor Derek C. Angus, an author of the eight-country hydrocortisone trial. "People wondered about generalizability."

To steroids' true believers within the medical profession, it was compelling, he said, but not enough to persuade all doctors.

The new findings should resolve remaining uncertainty. "When we see that this is this very consistent signal of benefit across different trials, that's very exciting," said Hallie Prescott, a pulmonary and critical care doctor in the University of Michigan Health System.

"At the beginning of this pandemic, we were hesitant and we advised against" corticosteroids due to shortcomings in past respiratory illnesses, said Janet V. Diaz, a physician and clinical management lead for the WHO's health emergencies program, during a Facebook Live video Wednesday. But the organization changed its advice, she said, based on pooled trial results that indicate "if you give corticosteroids, you will have 87 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients" in the worst cases.

The three trials published Wednesday, each in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved COVID-19 patients in intensive care units from across the planet. One trial studied dexamethasone in 299 patients in Brazil; a second in France tested hydrocortisone in low doses in 76 patients against 73 who received a placebo; the third analyzed 379 patients to test hydrocortisone in the United States and seven other countries.

All three trials halted after the British results became public in June. Trial steering committees around the world concluded it would be uncomfortable, if not unethical, for doctors to give patients placebos in randomized trials.

Because of that, these steroid trials stopped short of enrolling enough patients for their results to be as statistically powerful as desired.

"Although the individual trials weren't necessarily conclusive, because they hadn't run to term, they were all pointing in the right direction," Angus said. He added: "It feels like the first fresh piece of fairly consistent, uncomplicated, straightforward, good news about something concrete to do for the sickest of patients."

Similar results in dexamethasone and hydrocortisone indicate corticosteroids are helpful as a class of drugs. Such flexibility may allow hospitals to avoid the shortages of remdesivir, an antiviral coronavirus therapy. The NIH recommends treatment with the steroid methylprednisolone, for instance, if dexamethasone is not available; NIH said in a statement Wednesday its working groups will propose updates based on the latest research findings.

"The steroids are pretty much readily available, and they're not really expensive," Rice said. That's true not only in the United States but also in lower-income countries, where the WHO guidelines will carry significant weight.

While providing a strong foundation for corticosteroid treatment, the studies left several questions unanswered. One of the biggest is more clearly determining which patients are most likely to be helped.

The WHO guidance defines critical COVID-19 by conditions, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome or septic shock, that require life-sustaining therapies. Signs of severe COVID-19 include low blood oxygen and respiratory distress that prevents, for instance, speaking in complete sentences.

"This sets forth that the sickest, the most severely ill in the ICU appear to be clearly benefited by this," Rice said. Even within that group, however, there may be certain patients for whom "giving steroids isn't the right thing to do."

Doctors are likely to agree an ICU patient on mechanical ventilation or significant respiratory support should receive steroids, Prescott said. But she said she will make case-by-case decisions for her "gray zone" patients  those who receive a few liters of oxygen.

"Just because steroids work in sicker patients does not mean to say that we should be cavalierly starting steroids in every patient," Angus said. Many patients "don't need these big-gun drugs that suppress the immune system broadly."

Steroids may not help low- or moderate-risk patients, and some doctors worried about potential harm in those cases. The Recovery trial did not observe a benefit in patients with mild COVID-19.

"We always have a concern when we give steroids to patients in general, because steroids depress the immune system," Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the special pathogens unit at Boston Medical Center, told The Washington Post in June. "They carry the risk of making the current infection worse and increase the chance of another infection taking a foothold."

Steroids do not attack the virus itself. Instead, they decrease the body's defensive response, which in severe coronavirus cases can spiral into out-of-control inflammation. Whether steroids should be given in combination with other treatments, such as remdesivir, that directly fight the pathogen is another open question.

"We don't know that for sure, because we don't have rigorous studies showing us that," Rice said.

Steroid drugs can also cause unwanted side effects, such as delirium or high blood sugar levels.

WHO experts emphasized these are clinical guidelines for doctors, not for individuals. "This is not for someone to do over-the-counter who's caring for themselves" said Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO infectious-disease epidemiologist. Bothersome but mild symptoms do not reach the threshold of disease recommended for corticosteroid treatments.

Future studies will refine duration and drug dosages, the doctors said. A trial in Denmark has already been launched, Prescott said, to evaluate high vs. low doses of steroids.
A massive shortage of substitute teachers, most likely in Dublin and cities, awaits schools as they tussle with co-existing with the Covid-19 pandemic, unions have warned.

Representatives from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Forsa told a special committee on the pandemic response that a cohort of teachers are at high risk.

Supply panels will not cover the deficit across the country, with languages and sciences most likely affected, they said.

Ann Piggott of the ASTI said if a student in a secondary school becomes ill, it could mean six teachers being off work, while Michael Gillespie of the TUI said recruiting is proving hugely problematic.

The shortage will be chronic, he said, most likely in Dublin and urban areas, while John Boyle of the INTO said supply panels will not be able to cover the gaps.

Ms Piggott said she has seen heartbreaking pleas from teachers at very high risk from underlying health issues.

We are getting heartbreaking letters and phonecalls. Its not a lot of people, but people with very serious conditions, people who have had cancer, who are missing lungs, who have asthma -- multiple medical problems," she said.

They are very much in danger if they go into schools. We are not talking about a lot of people...but if they go into school, their lives are in severe danger.

Mr Gillespie said there is clarity needed around facemasks and coverings.

We have raised it continuously (with the Department). The contradictory use of language in some of the documents - face coverings, soft coverings, face masks.

If someone cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, there should be a certified medical reason for it and presented to the schools, and the schools will make alternative arrangements. The student or teacher who cant wear a mask, it is down obviously to physical distancing, he said.

Kieran Christie of the ASTI strongly echoed the call for clarity.

We are guided by the medical professionals...what the system needs is clarity. We need definitive answers but unfortunately they have not been forthcoming.

There has been confusion in a lot of schools. It seems to me that a range of issues in relation to the medical side of things where there is an element of confusion and silence, and it is difficult to get answers. The experts need to sit down with us and provide clarity in relation to things like perspex, where and when masks should be used. So far we are struggling to get answers to key questions we have had. Mr Christie warned that substitute teaching will face problems.

If you are the only physics teacher in a school and you go out sick, you wont be replaced, he said.

Mass overcrowding, years of under-investment and a lack of facilities will come home to roost, Mary Magner of the INTO warned.

Hot water and toilets are a luxury in some schools at times, she said, while some principals dont even have offices.
A third case of COVID-19 has been detected at a school south-west of Brisbane as Queensland added more cases to a growing cluster.

The student at Staines Memorial College in Redbank Plains and a healthcare worker in her 30s were the two new cases reported in the state on Wednesday, Health Minister Steven Miles said in a social media update on Wednesday morning.

Barriers on the Queensland-NSW border. Credit:

On Sunday, a senior student at the school was confirmed to be carrying the virus, with an announcement the campus would close for two weeks for cleaning and testing to take place.

The new cases are close contacts of previous patients and grow the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster to 28 cases.
We decided to bring light to the problem in our backyard by talking to students and providing a platform for them to write government officials at all levels to protect us from harmful ETO emissions, Collins said. Were using this momentum to empower students at other high schools throughout Illinois to speak up for clean air and against cancer-causing ETO.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has since 2019 rescued, supported, and given care to over 611 victims of Human Trafficking, whiles the adult shelter in the period under review received 63 survivors of human trafficking. The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection said out of this number, 200 were children and 411 were adults.



This was contained in a presentation delivered by Hon. Cynthia Mamle Morrison at this weeks Meet the Press engagement at the Ministry of Information.



Cynthia Morrison said Ghana is currently on a Tier 2 ranking with the US Department of Labour (DOL) tier ranking. She said this shows that Ghana is making a significant effort to fight human trafficking.



Government has released One Million Ghana Cedis into the Human Trafficking Fund to effectively combat the menace with the operationalization of two (2) government shelters to give care to rescued victims of Human Trafficking.



According to the minister, the ministry has so far trained 45 law enforcement officers with the aim of building their capacity to better help with the fight against Human Trafficking in Ghana.



On the issue of public education, the minister said her outfit undertook series of community dialogues and sensitisations in efforts to increase awareness and education on Human Trafficking and irregular migration issues. She said this ultimately improved in reducing the rate of human trafficking and its related activities in the country.



As part of the Blue Day, the Ministry embarked on a Social Media Awareness raising campaign on Human Trafficking. Ghana joined the world to commemorate this year's World Day against Trafficking in Persons (Blue Day). This was to intensify our prevention mechanisms through awareness-raising campaigns.



Hon. Cynthia Morrison said the Ministry has organised a durbar for 75 traditional leaders from all the regions of Ghana to sensitise them on the dangers associated with Human Trafficking.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Flavourings combine with solvents in e-cigarettes to produce new toxic chemicals that irritate the airways, triggering reactions that can lead to breathing and heart and blood vessel problems, according to new research presented at the 'virtual' European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1]

Sven-Eric Jordt, associate professor of anaesthesiology, pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University School of Medicine (North Carolina, USA) told the meeting that manufacturers claim that e-cigarettes are safe as they vaporise a defined set of chemicals that are chemically stable.

"Our co-author and analytical chemist Dr Hanno Erythropel and colleagues at Yale University found new chemicals in e-liquids and revealed that they are formed when components are mixed by manufacturers. We became concerned about the high levels of these new compounds that had not been studied in the past, and decided to conduct toxicological tests," said Prof Jordt.

In lab experiments, the researchers looked at what happened when cells that line the bronchi (the main airways from the trachea to the lungs) were exposed to flavouring chemicals, such as vanillin and ethyl-vanillin (responsible for vanilla and other sweet flavours), benzaldehyde (berry or fruit flavour) and cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon flavour). They also looked at the effect of the new chemicals that formed as a result of mixing the flavouring chemicals with the solvents propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG), which are the main solvents in e-cigarette liquids.

"The bronchi are exposed to e-cigarette vapour when the user inhales them into the lungs," said Prof Jordt. "We consistently observed that the new chemicals formed from the flavours and e-liquid solvents were more toxic than either of their parent compounds. The new chemicals derived from benzaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde were more toxic than the vanillin-derived compounds."

The new chemicals also activated sensory irritant receptors in nerve endings in the bronchi called TRPV1 and TRPA1, which are responsible for a range of inflammatory responses.

Prof Jordt said: "Activation of sensory irritant receptors can increase the heart rate and, in predisposed people, can lead to an irregular heartbeat and higher blood pressure. It can also increase secretions in the nasal passages and throughout the lungs and airways, leading to coughing and breathing difficulties."

The researchers showed for the first time that even low concentrations of the newly-formed chemicals caused the cells lining the bronchi to die.

"This is the first demonstration that these new chemicals formed in e-liquids can damage and kill lung cells and probably do this by damaging their metabolism. Although, in some cases, more than 40% of flavour chemicals are converted into new chemicals in e-cigarettes, almost nothing was known about their toxicity until now," he said.

Analysis of structures in the cells called mitochondria (the cells' "batteries") and of the mechanisms involved in converting glucose to energy, showed that the newly-formed chemicals suppressed both the ability of mitochondria to consume oxygen and the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a chemical that provides energy to drive many cellular processes.

The researchers were surprised by their findings. "We actually expected that the observed chemical reactions would inactivate benzaldehyde and other flavouring chemicals, making the products less toxic. However, we observed the opposite, finding the newly formed compounds to be more irritating and toxic," said Prof Jordt.

He said that manufacturers should list all the chemicals on their e-cigarette products - not only the original chemicals, but also those formed when the flavouring chemicals mix with the solvents and when the liquid is stored for any length of time.

"Our findings suggest that e-cigarettes release unstable chemical mixtures containing a large variety of chemical products with unexpected toxicological properties. Regulators need to be made aware that these compounds can form so that toxicology studies can be initiated to evaluate their safety. They should conduct or fund additional research on the fate of chemicals in e-liquids, and especially their toxicology. Once toxicity levels are known, regulators can assess the level of risk to health from e-cigarettes and issue recommendations to manufacturers to reduce concentrations to mitigate risks to acceptable levels," he concluded.

In a second presentation in the same session [2], Dr Erythropel reported that he and his colleagues had analysed mint, vanilla and mango e-liquids in the leading US e-cigarette brand, Juul, and compared the results with Juul products sold in Canada, the UK, France, Germany and Italy where Juul was introduced during the second half of 2018 and early 2019. They wanted to determine how the chemicals providing the main flavour and the nicotine content varied in the versions available in each country.

"While the composition of Juul e-liquids was identical in the US and Canada, it differed from the e-liquids available in Europe," he said. "Juul e-liquids sold in the US and Canada contain up to 59 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre, comprising about 5% of the liquid, but EU regulations limit nicotine content to approximately a third of that amount at 20 mg/mL, about 1.7%, which the company adhered to, based on our results.

"We found that along with lower nicotine content, the European products also contained lower amounts of flavouring agents compared to the US and Canadian products, with one exception: the reduced amount of menthol in European mint e-liquid was replaced with a synthetic coolant called WS-3, not present in US or Canadian products. WS-3 produces a cooling effect similar to menthol but without the distinctive 'minty' smell. The safety of inhaling WS-3 in e-cigarettes is unknown and so we believe that any legislation targeting menthol in tobacco products should be extended to synthetic coolants, as for example Germany has implemented for tobacco cigarettes." [3]

Jrgen Vestbo, who was not involved in either studies, is Chair of the European Respiratory Advocacy Council and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK. He said: "These studies show that the liquid for e-cigarettes has been made available to consumers without adequate understanding and safety tests of not only the main chemicals in the vaping liquid but also how they combine to form new, potentially toxic compounds. These findings underline the fact that e-cigarettes cannot be considered a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Regulators need to take action to initiate further research into the constituent components of e-liquids and their combinations so that adequate measures can be put in place to reduce the risks as much as possible."

###

Notes to editors

[1] Abstract no: OA4384, "Flavor-solvent reaction products in electronic cigarette liquids activate respiratory irritant receptors and elicit cytotoxic metabolic responses in airway epithelial cell", by Sven-Eric Jordt et al; Presented in session, "From tobacco and vaping health effects to tobacco cessation" at 10:40 hrs CEST, Tuesday 8 September 2020: https://k4.ersnet.org/prod/v2/Front/Program/Session?e=259&session=12386

[2] Abstract no: OA4382, "Differences in flavorant levels and synthetic coolant use between USA, EU and Canadian Juul products,", by Hanno Erythropel et al; Presented in session, "From tobacco and vaping health effects to tobacco cessation" at 10:40 hrs CEST, Tuesday 8 September 2020: https://k4.ersnet.org/prod/v2/Front/Program/Session?e=259&session=12386

[3] The chemical name of WS-3 is N-ethyl-p-mentane-3-carboxamide. WS-3 stands for Wilkinson Sword-3, because it was developed by the company more than 40 years ago as a potential alternative to menthol to be added to shaving foam to provide a "cooling" effect without the strong menthol scent.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis described solidarity as the way out of the coronavirus pandemic crisis as he held his first public audience in nearly six months Wednesday after a pause brought on by Italys outbreak.

The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence. We are all linked to each other, for better or for worse, Francis said, after greeting about 500 Roman Catholic faithful who attended the audience in the Vaticans San Damaso courtyard.

To come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity, he added.

Under strict safety rules, participants maintained social distance as they sat in the courtyard and were all required to wear masks. The Pope didnt wear one as he met the crowd, but kept a safety distance from the faithful, who were cheering and waving at him.

If the pope were a thaumaturge, I would ask him to end the pandemic, but unfortunately he doesnt have this power, Inigo Sanchez, one of the attendees, said. So I just ask for closeness.

Before the event, Francis greeted a priest from Lebanon, kissing a Lebanese flag the priest had brought with him to Vatican City. The pope also prayed for a few moments for the country, which is struggling to cope with political and economic instability.

During the audience, Francis also called for a day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon on Sept. 4, a month after the devastating explosion in Beirut that killed at least 190 people, injured more than 6,000 and caused major damage.

One month after the tragedy that struck the city of Beirut, my thoughts are still with dear Lebanon and its particularly troubled population, the pope said.

The general audience was the fist public one for Francis since the coronavirus hit Italy hard in early March. Amid a nationwide lockdown, the Vatican suspended all public events and audiences to comply with health and safety requirements.

Since then, Pope Francis had live-streamed his weekly events from the Vaticans apostolic palace, making only brief appearances at the window overlooking St. Peters Square on Sundays.

The San Damaso courtyard, where the Vatican typically hosts heads of state during official visits, was chosen for Wednesdays audience to keep the crowds smaller.
(Newser)  Unless President Trump's campaign releases even more impressive numbers, Joe Biden's August will go down in history. Biden and the Democratic National Committee raked in a total of $364.5 million last month, by far the best fundraising month in American political history, the Hill reports. The previous record was held by Barack Obama, who raised $193 million in September 2008. The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee haven't released their August figures yet. In July, Trump and the RNC raised $165 million, around $25 million more than Biden and the DNC, TPM notes. In an email to supporters, Biden said he was "blown away" by the fundraising total, which included $205 million in online, small-dollar donations.

story continues below

The campaign says there was a surge in fundraising around the Democratic National Conventionand it took in $26 million in 24 hours after Kamala Harris was named as Biden's VP pick. "We literally couldnt count the money fast enough. Its a crazy problem to have, a Democratic donor and campaign financier tells Politico. "Dont get me wrong: a lot of this is because of Trump. America hates him and people are giving what they can to stop him because they believe," the donor says. "But you cant underestimate how well Joe has played this, how important Kamala is to the team or how solid the campaign has been." (Read more Joe Biden 2020 stories.)
This article will reflect on the compensation paid to Alice Hannah Foulk who has served as CEO of B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC (LON:BPM) since 2016. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company.

Check out our latest analysis for B.P. Marsh & Partners

Comparing B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC's CEO Compensation With the industry

According to our data, B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC has a market capitalization of UK93m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK240k over the year to January 2020. That's mostly flat as compared to the prior year's compensation. Notably, the salary which is UK150.0k, represents most of the total compensation being paid.

On comparing similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations below UK149m, we found that the median total CEO compensation was UK268k. This suggests that B.P. Marsh & Partners remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. What's more, Alice Hannah Foulk holds UK532k worth of shares in the company in their own name.

Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary UK150k UK130k 63% Other UK90k UK112k 37% Total Compensation UK240k UK242k 100%

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 49% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 51% is other remuneration. B.P. Marsh & Partners pays out 63% of remuneration in the form of a salary, significantly higher than the industry average. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower.

A Look at B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC's Growth Numbers

B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 1.3% a year over the past three years. In the last year, its revenue is up 3.4%.

We'd prefer higher revenue growth, but we're happy with the modest EPS growth. Considering these factors we'd say performance has been pretty decent, though not amazing. While we don't have analyst forecasts for the company, shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

Has B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC Been A Good Investment?

With a total shareholder return of 16% over three years, B.P. Marsh & Partners PLC shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they probably don't want to see the CEO paid more than is normal for companies around the same size.

To Conclude...

As previously discussed, Alice Hannah is compensated close to the median for companies of its size, and which belong to the same industry. But the company has failed to produce substantial growth in either EPS or total shareholder return. Considering the steady performance, it's tough to call out CEO compensation as too high, but shareholders might want to see more robust growth metrics before agreeing to a future raise.

CEO compensation is a crucial aspect to keep your eyes on but investors also need to keep their eyes open for other issues related to business performance. That's why we did some digging and identified 1 warning sign for B.P. Marsh & Partners that you should be aware of before investing.

Switching gears from B.P. Marsh & Partners, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
I am thrilled to be part of such an experienced and multifaceted team that works together to help clients reach their goals, says Jana. We are excited to bring our highly customized planning and investment experience and fiduciary standard to clients here in the Southeast Valley.
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.
Seven New Jersey officers were justified when they shot and killed a man last year during a hostage standoff at a UPS warehouse, the state attorney generals office announced Wednesday.

William J. Owens, a 39-year-old former employee from Sicklerville, had taken two women hostage in January 2019, police said, including one with whom he previously had a relationship. A Gloucester County SWAT Team opened fire after Owens chased one of the women outside the Logan Township facility, shooting at her at least once.

The officers believed their actions were immediately necessary to protect the hostage and others from death or serious bodily harm, according to the attorney generals news release. Because the undisputed facts indicate the use of force was justified, the incident did not need to be reviewed by a grand jury, officials said.

The law has since changed, and grand juries must now review every fatal shooting.

Investigators gave new details about the more than three-hour standoff.

Around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2019, Owens arrived at the UPS Mail Innovations facility on Birch Creek Road and confronted the woman he knew. He followed her inside, grabbed her and fired a 9mm handgun into the air, announcing to the room he was taking her hostage.

He then pistol-whipped a male security guard and told the woman he was going to kill her, officials said.

Employees fled when he fired twice more. He pointed his gun at others, took a second woman hostage and said he would kill everybody there and didnt care, according to the release.

While police outside tried to talk him down over the phone, Owens and the two women paced inside. He brutally kicked and pistol-whipped the first woman, hit the second and pointed his gun at both, forcing them to endure continuous abuse and torment, officials said.

He threatened to kill the women again after police entered the building. Owens told officers they would have to kill him, according to the press release, and he threatened to kill cops.

A few minutes before noon, the women escaped.

The first woman ran bleeding through an employee entrance into a parking lot. Owens fired at her as she ran toward cops, and he still had his gun extended when SWAT officers pulled the triggers on their five .223 rifles and two 9mm sub-machine guns.

Owens autopsy showed 29 wounds, officials said. No medical treatment was offered, because it was clear that Owens was deceased. Nobody else was shot.

Investigators found a gun near Owens and spent bullet casings inside his gun, his car and the warehouse. While the shooting was not caught on camera, limited video footage of Owens moving about the interior of the UPS facility was captured by security cameras.

Investigators from the Attorney Generals Office of Public Integrity and Accountability interviewed numerous witness and reviewed available video footage of events leading to the shooting, among other evidence, according to the release.

The office declined to name the officers, because threats were made against the officers involved, and releasing their identities could jeopardize their safety.

When NJ Advance Media previously filed a public records request for the video, the news organization was told releasing what footage did exist would be a security risk.

In July, former officer and police reform advocate Richard Rivera sued the attorney generals office for the video and officer names, arguing that keeping both secret violates the states open records law, according to court records. An attorney general spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Rebecca Everett contributed to this report.

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Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.

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Hans A. Linde, a prolific legal scholar who served on the Oregon Supreme Court and made groundbreaking arguments about the role that state constitutions can play in guarding civil liberties, died on Monday in Portland. He was 96.

His death was confirmed by his son, David, the chief executive of the film and television production company Participant.

Hans Linde was an iconoclastic, original thinker, whose innovative ideas that state constitutions might afford greater protections than the federal Constitution, and that courts need to have an understanding of the legislative and administrative processes, are now conventional wisdom, Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, said in an email.

In the early 1970s, as the U.S. Supreme Court grew more conservative following President Richard M. Nixons appointment of four justices, Justice Linde published articles urging lawyers to bring civil rights cases in state courts and to make arguments grounded in the provisions of state constitutions. Those provisions often offered protections beyond those guaranteed by the federal Bill of Rights, he wrote, and decisions made on purely state-law grounds are generally not subject to review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pull quote

For John Mahama, a person seeking to occupy the number one position of the land, to take the anti-Akyem hate politics to horrendous levels defines the kind of party he belongs and the seeds of intolerance he continues to sow, when only days before he had been admonished by the Otumfuo to think of doing something new in redeeming himself from the 2016 walloping.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in July urged communicators of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to focus on selling the achievements of his government, ahead of the December 7 elections, instead of joining others in petty politics based on ethnicity, gender, among others, which have the tendency of dividing the country.

We need to do a campaign which is not about where you come from  whipping up ethnic sentiments. It has never helped this country and it will not help us. We should be the very people to recognise that this diversity, this Ghanaian tapestry which is full of so many different elements, but comes together in the Ghanaian statement, and we should be stretching that, the Ghana Project, that is what I call it, the President said when he held a meeting with members of the NPP campaign communications advisory team.

Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, it should not be part of our discourse and, clearly, gender should also not be part of our discourse. We are looking at all kinds of records and competences, so it should be possible that the discussion before the Ghanaian people to be discussions about competences, abilities, records, achievement, output, he added.

Comparing records

Subsequently, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at a virtual Government Town Hall Meeting and Results Fair, listed the infrastructural achievements of the governing party. He listed over 18,000 infrastructure for all projects spread across all 260 metropolises, municipalities and districts in the country and also emphasised on the value for money ingredient.

For instance, he spoke about how the Akufo-Addo government is constructing four major interchanges at Tema, Pokuase, Tamale and Obetsebi Lamptey Circle at a cost of $289m, as against the John Dramani Mahama administration that built the Kwame Nkrumah interchange alone at a cost of $260m.

Reiterating the call from his boss, the Vice-President also called on the opposition NDC to present its records on infrastructure and come to the table with what they have done.

Mahamas commitment

John Mahama, speaking at a meeting to introduce Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the clergy as his running mate, assured the nation that he would not engage in politics of insults. After alleging that his running mate was being attacked, Mr Mahama claimed that the opposition party does not intend to respond the same way, saying his party would also not engage in name-calling as it campaigns for the enviable first slot in the upcoming elections.

Our children are listening and copying what we do and its important that we continue to serve as good role models to them, he said.

Akyem Sakawa Boys?

It appears the former President is reintroducing an NDC old tactics of perpetrating the wrong and quickly running to play victim.

President Mahama, yesterday, took to his Facebook wall to refer to President Nana Akufo-Addo as grandpa. As if that was not enough, he referred to Akyems as Sakawa Boys.

Reposting a write-up made by NDC MP for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, on the ongoing Agyapa discussion, the former President wrote: An interesting piece from Hon. Isaac Adongo on the Agyapa Deal. Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go.

That the NDC has an innate hatred for the three Akyem states, particularly the Akyem Abuakwa, is no secret. Adongo himself titled his write-up as Agyapa Royalties deal is a big fraud on Ghana by President Akufo-Addo and his Akyem Mafia. On countless occasions, the NDC has taken pride in denigrating the entire Akyemansa (the three Akyem States).

From their national officers, through their regional executives to the partys communicators, Akyems have always been a punching bag for numerous unprovoked attacks. It does explain why Kwame Azu, an Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, addressing an NDC demonstration in Kumasi, decided to veer from the reason for the demonstration, and descended heavily on Akyems and the Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

For John Mahama, a person seeking to occupy the number one position of the land, to take the anti-Akyem hate politics to horrendous levels defines the kind of party he belongs and the seeds of intolerance he continues to sow, when only days before he had been admonished by the Otumfuo to think of doing something new in redeeming himself from the 2016 walloping.

Akans most hated group

Akans, in the history of Ghana, have been the most vilified and attacked groups.

From Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonors The Ghanaian Revolution where he revealed how Ewes in the Armed Forces achieved the reputation of being notorious coup makers and plotters against successive governments because Ewes see themselves in opposition to all governments in Ghana which inevitably became Akan dominated, to Professor Atta Mills Great Ashanti Project where specific Asante businesses were deliberately targeted in an attempt to cut Asantes to size to the recent John Mahamas description of Akyems as Sakawa Boys, not to talk of his reference to Kyebi, the traditional capital of Akyem Abuakwa, as the headquarters of galamsey, it does appear that the NDC at every material moment will stop at nothing in attacking the Akan, both physically and verbally.

And the paradox of it is that, in Ghana, when an Akan is attacked, it is normal and considered a joke; when it is the other way round, it is ethnocentric and tribalistic.

Over the weekend, NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, took advantage of the ongoing social media trend of Kumerica to denigrate Asantes in the guise of a joke.

President Akufo-Addo comes to mind easily, when the name of the most vilified Ghanaian politician is mentioned. Yet to some people, it is okay, it is normal. Why? Because, he is Akufo-Addo, he is an Akyem and an Akan.

Otumfuo insulted?

Just last week, former President Mahama was before Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Overlord of the Asante Kingdom, an Akan king, promising not to resort to insult in this years campaign. And this is what he leaves the revered Manhyia palace with  an unprovoked attack on another Akan group.

It is okay if the NDC has no respect for Otumfuo and decides not to take heed to his advice. It is equally okay if the party has no message for the nation, with less than 100 days into this years general election. It is okay if the Sammy Gyamfis, the Kwaku Boahens, the Yayra Kokus and the social media boys and girls of the NDC take to social media to insult elders and denigrate other tribes. But the presidential candidate himself too? How and when did the position of a president of Ghana get this low?

Gosh!!!!
Saudi Arabia announced today that flights to and from the United Arab Emirates 'from all countries' will now be able to use its airspace - a statement apparently allowing flyovers by Israel following a deal to normalize UAE-Israel relations.

The vaguely worded statement avoided naming Israel directly.

However, the announcement came just days after the kingdom allowed the first direct Israeli commercial passenger flight to use its airspace to reach the UAE.

Any direct flight between the two nations would need to use Saudi airspace to be commercially viable.

The statement makes no mention of the kingdom's rival, Iran, nor Qatar, which Saudi Arabia is currently boycotting. Flights between those countries to the UAE would, in theory, not need to use the kingdom's airspace.

The Israeli flag carrier El Al's airliner carrying Israeli and U.S. delegates is seen after landing at Abu Dhabi International Airport, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Monday

The official Saudi Press Agency said the move comes in response to a 'request by the UAE' to open routes to and from the country.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan wrote on Twitter that the kingdom's 'firm and established position toward the Palestinian cause and people will not change.' However, even he did not directly name Israel in his tweet.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the announcement in an online video, signaling it directly involved his country.

'For years, I have been working to open the skies between Israel and the East,' he said, hailing the 'tremendous breakthrough' that Israeli planes can now fly cheaply and quickly from Israel to the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi and skyscraper-studded city of Dubai. Avoiding Saudi airspace would mean a more than seven hour flight.

Earlier this week, Jared Kushner, the U.S. president's son-in-law and senior adviser, flew with a high-level Israeli delegation to the UAE on the first direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries, a Star of David emblazoned on the jet's tail.

The flight traversed Saudi airspace, signaling at least acquiescence for the breakthrough U.S.-brokered agreement by the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (pictured in Berlin in August) said shortly after the airspace report that the kingdom's position in support of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital had not changed

The Saudi announcement comes as Kushner is traveling the Middle East to build on the momentum of the UAE deal and press other Arab countries to establish formal ties with Israel, even before it settles the conflict with the Palestinians - long considered a requirement for normalization.

After leaving Abu Dhabi, he headed to Saudi Arabia to discuss 'prospects for peace' in the region with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has expressed willingness for the kingdom to engage with Israel.

The kingdom is close to the UAE, and, along with other pro-Western Arab governments, sees Iran as a major threat.

Although shared enmity of Iran has largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians, Israel remains unpopular in much of the Arab world.

The UAE has promoted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state. Saudi Arabia welcomed the UAE's move but was careful to stress it would only open ties with Israel on the condition that peace is reached with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians have fiercely opposed the normalization as peeling away one of their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, one of two other Arab states to have full diplomatic ties with Israel, reiterated his country's support for the UAE-Israel agreement.

In a phone call with Netanyahu, el-Sissi said Egypt supports 'any steps' that allow may help establish an independent Palestinian state and 'provide security to Israel,' according to the Egyptian leader's office.
Its September, a time usually cherished by parents as they send their kids into a new school year. Unfortunately, this year, Im afraid back-to-school may kill me.

Like others in Ontario, my family is struggling with what going back to school looks like in COVID-19 times. I have three children, in grades five, eight, and 10. My oldest is lucky in that his school is a new building, funded by the previous government, but my younger two go to a school built in 1959. Its ventilation system consists of a boiler and windows. It will take much more than the ten thousand dollars allotted by the Doug Ford government to update and there is no way, short of a miracle, that itll be done in time.

Yes, I do have options. I can keep my children home to spend several hours in front of a screen, or send them to crowded classrooms. But whats become clear to me amid this confusion is that my younger two will not benefit from online learning. Away from their learning groups of peers  with teachers who have seen them grown up and know their strengths and weaknesses  I know that even if I shift all my working hours to evenings and weekends and somehow convince them to sit in front of a screen for several hours a day, how much will truly be retained is questionable. This leaves me with one option, and thats to send them to school.

My kids are healthy, they are largely low-risk, however as more and more data is churned out by experts daily on this relatively new virus, it is becoming clearer that children, while low risk, are also great carriers.

There lies my problem.

I am a 41-year-old mother with asthma and an autoimmune disease. In addition, my heart was damaged after a flu I caught in 2017  something I discovered while working in a busy classroom when I suddenly felt weak, was unable to stand up and passed out. I was brought by ambulance to St. Michaels Hospital. I still require ongoing cardiac care to this day.

These scares have taught me to try to live my life as safely as possible during this pandemic, but as I watch as COVID-19 case numbers creep up daily and consider the possibility of my kids being exposed to a minimum of 75 other children in close quarters, I worry about my chances. I go to sleep thinking about catching COVID-19 and dying alone in a hospital with only a screen to say my last goodbyes to my family via Zoom. It may seem dramatic, but if I catch it, my odds of survival under an overburdened health care sector dont seem very positive.

Another factor? My partner works full-time in a school as an educational assistant in a different school board. My kids also have a blended family and their sister goes to another school in yet another school board. As keeping my kids away from either of their families is not an option, there is increased exposure and little to no direction about what to do if one of our schools has a case of COVID-19, or if we will even be told.

What is perhaps most heartbreaking is that we have the power to decrease this risk. Everyone and their mother knows that social distancing works. Its what got Ontario down to 30 cases one day before we started reopening. We have all sacrificed to get our province healthy, and our federal government has given ample money to assist provinces not only bounce back, but to stay safe.

Why Ontarios Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, has patently refused to fund smaller class rooms, and rejected the TDSBs plan to make all class sizes smaller is beyond my understanding. As schools from across the U.S., Israel, Australia and South Korea close again, more evidence makes it clear, that #SmallerIsSafer.

This is no longer a partisan issue or a teachers versus the government issue, but a safety issue, which transcends every disagreement with a union, teacher, administrator or board.

Every parent I know is scared. They are saying their goodbyes to their grandparents and members of their family who have compromised health. But we also cant forget the parents who are being asked to sacrifice their childrens education or their own health and possibly lives.

I have never in my life ever hoped I was this wrong about my fears with hopes that COVID-19 in schools will fizzle out and no one will get sick. And if I am wrong, I will happily eat my humble pie. But what the experts say is true, the possible consequences are terrifying.

Joy Henderson is a writer, community advocate, and Child and Youth worker living in Toronto. Follow her at @Joyhenderson78
Facebook is notifying users about an update in its terms of service that lets the social media giant "remove or restrict access to content" in violation of certain provisions. The updated terms of service will be applicable from October 1, 2020. Facebook notes that in case of the removal of certain content, it will notify users and give options to request another review "unless you seriously or repeatedly violate these Terms."

The updated section 3.2 of Facebook's terms and services read, "We also can remove or restrict access to your content, services or information if we determine that doing so is reasonably necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to Facebook."

Users in Australia and the US have also received similar notifications. Earlier, Facebook told the Australian news publishers that they may get banned from sharing news content on the platform if Facebook is forced to share its revenue with the news publishers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that he stands for Freedom of Expression in the past. However, the current update has raised questions about the Big tech censoring voices. Facebook's move also comes ahead of the Presidential elections in the US which are slated in November.

In related news, Facebook said it was improving the detection and removal of hate speech and content that incites violence and preventing the spread of misinformation.

The company said in a blog that between now and November 22, it would remove verifiable misinformation and unverifiable rumours that are assessed as having the potential to suppress the vote or damage the integrity of the electoral process.

Zuckerberg after receiving severe backlash in the past from ad companies said that the platform will censor any hate speech. "I am committed to making sure Facebook remains a place where people can use their voice to discuss important issues," Zuckerberg said. "But I also stand against hate or anything that incites violence or suppresses voting, and we're committed to removing that content too, no matter where it comes from."




Ghost VFX is well-known as one of the most innovative visual effects studios in the world. Our global network of award-winning teams allows us to provide the most innovative solutions while being able to meet the needs of our clients....

STREAMLAND MEDIA announced that as part of its ongoing growth strategy, it will integrate its FarmFX division (The Farm Group, UK) under its global brand, Ghost VFX effective today. This will further solidify its market presence as a full-service international VFX house while also establishing UK offices in London and Manchester.

The integration of the FarmFX and Ghost VFX is the latest in a series of important moves for Streamland Media and its group of companies as we further strengthen our industry-leading position. said Bill Romeo, CEO of Streamland Media. Our global network of award-winning teams allows us to provide the most innovative solutions while being able to meet the needs of our clients wherever we can service them most effectively.

Over the last twenty years, Ghost VFX has become well-known as one of the most innovative visual effects studios in the world. Their global teams have over two hundred VFX contributions to block-buster feature films, top television shows, and commercials. In addition, they boast an incredible roster of award-winning talent. The newly established Ghost VFX UK office is located in Soho, Central London with an additional office in Manchester. Tom Kendall, President of GHOST VFX, will manage the team from the Los Angeles Headquarters. Anna-Louise Gordon, Head of VFX UK, will continue to oversee its day-to-day operations under the new brand as will Matt Richardson, Creative Director/VFX Supervisor UK, will supervise all VFX projects.

Tom Kendall added, The FarmFX division has grown rapidly over the years from providing notable VFX contributions to also securing many important independent projects which have helped solidify their industry reputation. Their impressive work and passion for creativity will provide many synergies, and they are a welcomed addition to our global VFX team.

The Ghost VFX London office is located at 58 - 62 Newman Street, W1T 3EE and the Manchester office is located at ABC building, 21-23 Quay Street, M3 4AE.

About Streamland Media

Streamland Media is a comprehensive post-production powerhouse specializing in picture and sound finishing, VFX, customized workflows, and media delivery. Operating through several brands across the globe, Streamland Media is home to some of the industrys top talent and the premier solution for leading feature film, television, interactive, and marketing content. Streamland Media group of companies include Picture Shop, Formosa Group, Picture Head, Ghost VFX, The Farm, and Finale, with locations in the US, Denmark, Canada, and the UK.

About Ghost VFX

GHOST VFX (http://www.GhostVFX.com) is a full-service visual effects house. For over twenty years, they have collaborated with the very best to create award-winning, innovative visual effects. With contributions to over two hundred feature films, television, and commercials, GHOST VFX is home to a talented team of artists and production professionals around the world who make the impossible possible, fulfilling the dreams of clients and artists alike. Ghost VFX is part of Streamland Media group of companies, with locations in Los Angeles, Copenhagen, and London.

About The Farm

Founded in 1998, The Farm Group (https://farmgroup.tv) is a multi-award-winning post-production provider that offers 4K, UHD, HDR, Dolby Vision, and HD picture post as well as VFX, Dolby Atmos mixing studios (5.1, 7.1), and consultancy services.

The Farm is proud to have worked across a multitude of genres, scripted and unscripted, offering a robust and creative one-stop-shop with the best artistry and technical staff in the business. The Farm is part of Streamland Media group of companies, with locations in London, Bristol, Salford, and Manchester.
Although neither side has announced any casualties, a member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile said that the soldier was 'martyred during the clash'

New Delhi: A Tibetan-origin soldier with India's special forces was killed in the latest border showdown with Chinese troops on their contested Himalayan border, a Tibetan representative said Tuesday.

The death is the first reported from two incidents in 48 hours on the border which has heightened tensions between the giant nations just two months after a battle that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

India and China, which fought a border war in 1962, have accused each other of seeking to cross their unofficial frontier in the Ladakh region in a bid to gain territory on Saturday night, and then again on Monday.

Neither side has announced any casualties but Namghyal Dolkar Lhagyari, a member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, told AFP that the Tibetan-origin soldier was "martyred during the clash" on Saturday night.

She said another member of the Special Frontier Force that reportedly includes many ethnic Tibetans who oppose China's claim to their home region was wounded in the operation.

'Provocative military movements'

The world's two most populous countries have sent tens of thousands of troops to the region since a brutal 15 June battle fought with wooden clubs and fists.

India has said 20 troops were killed. China acknowledged casualties but did not give figures.

The two sides blamed each other for the latest incidents.

India's defence ministry said Chinese troops "carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo" at the border on Saturday.

China's People's Liberation Army said that India was "seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty" with its operation staged Monday and demanded that Indian troops withdraw.

India's foreign ministry said Tuesday that China had caused the latest incident "even as ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation."

Indian media reports, quoting military sources, said PLA forces tried to take hilltops traditionally claimed by India around Pangong Tso, a lake at 4,200 metres (13,500 feet) altitude.

India's defence ministry said its troops "undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground."

The Business Standard newspaper said that the SFF had been used to take heights that China considers its own. The Indian government does not comment on the special force's operations.

Amid calls for boycotts of Chinese goods, India has stepped up economic pressure on China since the June battle and repeatedly warned that relations would suffer unless its troops pull back.

India has banned at least 49 Chinese owned-apps, including the TikTok video platform, frozen Chinese firms out of contracts and held up Chinese goods at customs posts.
(Newser)  Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been making the rounds of late to help her ex-boss stump for November. This week, however, the buzz around Sanders is focused on her upcoming memoir, a copy of which the Guardian got its hands on a few days before its release. While other books from erstwhile administration officials/White House staffers and estranged family members have been less than flattering toward President Trump and the inner workings of the White House, Sanders' Speaking for Myself is described by the outlet as "a paean to the president by a loyal follower." Still, the Guardian notes that, with Trump not doing as well with women in the polls as rival Joe Biden, some of the narrative Sanders offers on Trump's "boorish" behavior doesn't help his caseincluding one eyebrow-raising revelation about an incident concerning Kim Jong Un.

story continues below

Sanders recalls a session at the Singapore talks in 2018 between Trump and the North Korean leader, where she was taking notes while the two men spoke. She says she looked up for a moment and saw Kim apparently wink at her, which flustered her; she went back to taking notes. Later, Sanders says, while riding back to the airport with Trump and then-chief of staff John Kelly, she relayed what she'd witnessed, which seemed to tickle both the president and Kelly. "Kim Jong Un hit on you!" Trump exclaimed, per Sanders. "He did! He f---ing hit on you!" She says he then added, "Well, Sarah, that settles it. You're going to North Korea and taking one for the team. Your husband and kids will miss you, but you'll be a hero to your country." Speaking for Myself comes out Tuesday. (Read more Sarah Huckabee Sanders stories.)
Cult of Personality: The Children of God (Reelz at 9) The case of the late David Berg and his cult, in which women are sent out onto the street to sell their bodies to raise money and find converts.
A man identified as James Lee Webb, 57, has been apprehended by the police and charged with capital murder after calling the cops on himself on Monday.

It was gathered that Webb and his wife, Victoria Ronack Bunton, began arguing at around 10am this morning after he complained of having a headache and that her sons, aged 13 and 16, were being too loud, according to the affidavit.

During the argument Webb allegedly produced a handgun and shot Bunton, before killing both of the teenagers.

Webb waited one hour and then called 911 and confessed, the document states. When cops arrived they took him into custody.

When he was later interviewed, Webb allegedly told a detective that he was tired of his family yelling at him and telling him there was nothing wrong with him.

He is currently being held at Lew Sterrett Jail and his bond will be determined by a Dallas County Magistrate.

Neighbor Chanel Lockhart told Fox4: Last time I saw her, she was getting groceries out of the car and the boys were helping her.

You would never think that he would do that. And she had a heart. She was so sweet to everybody.

Youd never think that one day he would call and say he killed his kids.

Another neighbor, Justice Johnson, told the outlet: Ive been knowing them for two years, going with their mama to the grocery store, helping with groceries, getting on the school bus.

Her daughter, Sylvia, added: I didnt talk to them as much. But when I did come outside, theyd speak. They didnt just walk past me. Theyd be like, hey.'
" " An albumen silver print by photographer J.A. Kumpf of Martha Jane Canary, aka Calamity Jane, at the grave of her friend Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota, circa 1903. GraphicaArtis/Getty Images

With a reputation for being one of the most adventurous and foul-mouthed women in the Old West, Calamity Jane has fascinated American history buffs for over 170 years. She was known to be a sharp-shooter, a whiskey lover and an early adopter of men's fashion at a time when women were largely confined to strict codes of dress and conduct. But who was Calamity Jane and where did she come from?

"Martha Jane Canary, aka Calamity Jane, was born in Princeton, Missouri," says Carolyn Weber, executive director of Deadwood History, Inc. "The family then went on to Montana  her parents were negligent with her and her siblings' care and they were a very poor family."

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Canary had five younger siblings and when the family moved from Missouri to Virginia City, Montana, in 1865, she spent most of the five-month wagon train trip hunting with the men in the caravan. By the time the group reached their destination, Canary had earned a reputation for being an expert markswoman and a strong leader.

Canary's life changed drastically once her family settled in Montana, however. "Her mother died when she was 9 or 10 years old," Weber says. "The family then went to Utah. Martha's father died, perhaps in 1867, but not confirmed, and Martha then went to Wyoming. She came to Deadwood from Cheyenne."

Orphaned by age 12 and now tasked with heading a household, Canary was desperate to make a living and support her siblings. While in Wyoming, she took on a variety of jobs, including dishwasher, waitress, nurse and  according to some  prostitute. In 1870, she became a scout at Fort Russell, joining General George Armstrong Custer. Canary later said she was "the most reckless and daring rider and one of the best shots in the West."

Where Did the Nickname 'Calamity' Come From?

Canary reportedly earned her nickname around 1875, during the Newton-Jenney expedition, which was intended to determine the quality and quantity of gold in the Black Hills. "She got her nickname while traveling with the Jenny expedition in 1874," Weber says. "She had wandered off one day and the soldiers thought it would be a 'calamity' if she were captured or killed by Indians."

In 1876, Canary was ordered to the Bighorn River where she swam across the Platte River to deliver dispatches from General George Crook to a local outpost. During this time, she contracted a serious illness and was hospitalized for two weeks. When she recovered, she rode on to Deadwood, where she met legendary frontiersman, Wild Bill Hickok, who many credit with bringing order to the Old West. The two became close, and Canary remained in Deadwood all summer, working as a Pony Express rider and carrying the mail between Deadwood and Custer. However, in August of that year, Hickok was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall while sitting at a gambling table in Deadwood's Nuttall & Mann's 66 Saloon. Canary stayed in Deadwood, prospecting at mining camps and later nursing residents who fell ill during the smallpox outbreak.

" " Calamity Jane was said to have scouted for General Custer and later traveled with Wild Bill Hickok. Corbis/Getty Images

Canary finally left Deadwood the following year and traveled to Bear Butte Creek with the 7th Cavalry. She left the command in 1878 and traveled to Rapid City, then went on to Fort Pierre in 1879 to drive mule trains to Fort Pierre and Sturgis. By this point, her reputation had made her somewhat of a celebrity, and magazine editors and dime novel authors were writing stories about her adventures.

In 1882, Canary bought a ranch on the Yellowstone River, but felt antsy within the year, leaving for California in 1883, and then moving on to Texas in 1884. She met Clinton Burke in El Paso, and the two married in 1885. They had a daughter two years later and left Texas for Boulder, Colorado, when the girl turned 2. For several years, the family ran a hotel and then spent time traveling yet again through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and South Dakota.

In 1895, Canary realized she could use her shooting skills to support her family and joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, performing sharpshooting tricks. Her drinking antics, however, cost her the job, and she was fired after touring Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. In 1901, she was hired by the Pan American Exposition, but once again lost the job due to her excessive drinking.

" " Calamity and Teddy Blue Abbott face off with beers at a bar in Gilt Edge, Montana, circa 1887. Mrs. E. G. Worden/Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives

Canary moved back to the Black Hills in 1903 and worked as a cook and housekeeper in Dora DuFran's Bell Fourche brothel. She died a few years later and was buried next to Hickok at Mount Moriah Cemetery.

"Martha Jane Canary/Calamity Jane is so much more than her bawdy reputation," Weber says. "She was a caregiver to the ill, a prostitute, orphaned at a young age, cleaning woman, frequently went on alcoholic binges, etc. She was an unaccompanied young child and woman in the frontier American West doing the best she could with the situations she was handed. She supported herself at a time when there were limited opportunities for women."

" " The gravesite of Mrs. M. E. Burke, better known as Calamity Jane, in Deadwood, South Dakota. Hans Wild/Getty Images

Now That's Interesting It's tough to know how many of the details surrounding Canary's life are true and how many were fabricated, either by the media, or by Canary herself. Even pieces of her personal life are questionable since there is no existing marriage license confirming her union with Burke and no birth certificate for her daughter. In 1941, a woman claiming to be the child of Canary and Hickok came into the public eye, but her allegations were later proven to be false.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

It started with a dispute between a teachers union and a school district over the cost of health care.

It ended with 228 teachers in jail cells rather than classrooms.
A team of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel retrieved and carried the body of a pony operator for eight hours, walking a distance of 25 km in the mountainous stretches of Uttarakhand before handing it over to his family.

Twitter/@ITBP_official





The trek was undertaken on August 30 after the 14th battalion of the border guarding force was informed that a body was lying in Syuni village near Bugdayar of Pithoragarh district.



Also Read: Holding The Tricolour High, ITBP Soldiers Celebrate Independence Day In Ladakh, At 14,000 Feet

"The jawans carried the body of the 30-year-old man for a distance of 25 km for about eight hours and handed over the body to the family members of the dead," an ITBP spokesperson said.



     



Jawans of the 14th Battalion ITBP carried the dead body of a local in remote area of Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand for a distance of 25 Kilometers (In 8 Hrs) on foot to hand it over to the family members of the deceased. #Himveers pic.twitter.com/yKojOdNTpb  ITBP (@ITBP_official) September 2, 2020

"A team of eight personnel started the trek at 11:30 AM and reached Munsyari village at 7:30 PM on the same day," he said.

Also Read: Called Himveer For A Reason: ITBP Jawans Brave Stones On Snowy Slope To Protect Amarnath Yatris

The personnel carried the body on a stretcher and negotiated narrow mountain bends that are witnessing heavy rains and landslides.

A few days ago, a group of ITBP jawans went out of their way to help an injured woman.

#WATCH: ITBP jawans travelled 40-km on foot for 15 hours carrying an injured woman on a stretcher from a remote village, Lapsa to Munsyari in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand yesterday. During this journey, they crossed flooded nullahs & landslide-prone areas: ITBP pic.twitter.com/kTycp5IizR  ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2020

According to ANI, the jawans travelled 40 km on foot for 15 hours carrying an injured woman on a stretcher from a remote village, Lapsa to Munsyari in Pithoragarh.



The footage shows the men manoeuvring through difficult terrain to get the woman to a hospital as soon as possible. As reported by ANI, the jawans crossed multiple flooded nullahs & landslide-prone areas.


Nhan Dan had an interview with Nguyen Duc Kien, head of the Prime Ministers economic advisory group on the matter.

Q: The new wave of Covid-19 in Vietnam is very different from the previous one. What has the government been doing in response?

A: In the previous wave, Vietnam managed to contain the outbreak by tracing the sources of infection and preventing community transmission by putting social distancing measures in place.

Economic policies and targets were also adapted to the outbreaks developments, moving from the dual goals of curbing the virus and ensuring economic growth to preventing slowdown and ensuring the restoration of growth once the disease was brought under control in June.

But unfortunately the virus re-emerged on July 24 in Da Nang just as the economy was showing signs of recovery. Due to this development, Vietnam is unlikely to see a V-shaped recovery but rather a W-shaped recovery.

Perhaps this year is the first time in history when growth is not considered the main target in our economic governance. Instead, the current targets are ensuring social security, macroeconomic stability and preventing economic downturn so that when the global economy recovers in 2021, Vietnams economy can benefit immediately.

Q: What is the current state of the business community?

A: Vietnamese enterprises have never faced such great difficulty. During the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 and the global economic crisis in 2008, as long as they ramped up exports, they could bring in cash to improve their financial position and workers incomes.

But this time is different. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused disruption to global demand and if enterprises try to maintain production, they will face high inventory levels because what they produce cannot be exported. The pandemic has thrown enterprises into a state of desperation but also opened golden opportunities for digital transformation, corporate restructuring and overall economic realignment.

Previously, logistics was thought of as air, maritime and road transport only but now it is present in everyday life thanks to a change in consumer habits as a result of Covid-19.

For example, food businesses must carry out their transactions online through mobile apps if they want to sell their products. This new form forces business owners to streamline their staff and connect with delivery services and packaging providers to ensure food safety. On the other hand, the government is facing the difficult task of upgrading the digital infrastructure.

Q: Does this new wave of Covid-19 change the key measures previously set out by the government to revive the economy?

A: The second wave is dangerous in that it is dealing a severe blow to a weak economy which was just beginning to recover. The immediate impact is a domestic market contracting to a minimum, causing all manufacturing and service sectors to shrink because of falling demand. In the meantime, exports are facing stricter conditions from importing countries.

But now the government has more information about the virus and its transmission mechanism so localised isolation is mostly adequate to contain the virus and keep the economy running without too much of an impact.

Among the main policies, public investment remains the most crucial since there is still much flexibility and it can be proactively administered. When the economy slows down, as the largest spender, the government must bolster spending on infrastructure in order to create jobs and income, which in turn will drive consumption and production activities. Only when the economy returns to a situation of stability should the government retreat and let the market play its role.

Q: The pandemic is expected to continue for a long time while the resiliency of the people and enterprises is limited. What measures are needed to make the governments support packages reach them faster and more effectively?

A: We all want the support to reach those in needed as soon as possible but there is always a lag from the introduction of a policy to its full implementation. Such packages are being implemented across 63 provinces and cities and 24 ministries and agencies and each has their own specifics.

After four months, the PM has now asked the ministries concerned to assess the strength of implementation in order to work out the appropriate orientation for the remaining months of the year.

Q: Amidst the current uncertainty, what has the government done to prepare for even worse scenarios?

A: Firstly I want to affirm that the government has sufficient resources and tools to support enterprises and ensure social security. With the second outbreak, the government formulated a new scenario with the goal of cushioning the economy against shocks by proactively controlling the rate of slowdown. The scenario has been prepared so that the government can ask for a raise in the spending deficit when necessary.

Concerning tax policies, it is not very effective to carry out tax exemption and reduction as normal because enterprises will not have the revenue to pay taxes if they do not operate. Therefore a stronger measure is needed and we are looking into a plan under which tax refunds in 2020 will be lent in advance to support enterprises liquidity. This is an unprecedented measure and its feasibility and impact need more evaluation. The measures coverage may not be extensive but the support will be more focused. It is still under examination in advance of a final solution being worked out and it will be truly revolutionary if it can be implemented.

Thank you very much.
Putin Calls Supporters Of Western Historians' Approach To WWII 'Collaborators'

September 01, 2020

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced those citizens who do not share the Kremlin's interpretation of the history of World War II, calling them "collaborators."

Putin made the comments on September 1 while taking part in a nationwide online class to commemorate the first day of the school year in Russia.

Putin said that the West had been trying to rewrite the history of the war against Nazi Germany since the Cold War ended.

"But those who now agree with the people who initiate the rewriting of history may well be called modern-day collaborators," Putin said, adding that "such people have always existed and will always exist everywhere."

Putin has frequently accused European countries of "rewriting history" by allegedly diminishing the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany and stressing atrocities committed by Soviet forces, like the mass murder of Polish officers in Katyn Forest in 1940.

Historians in the West also say the 1939 nonaggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany facilitated the outbreak of World War II, which Russian officials vehemently disagree with.

Last year, the world marked the 80th anniversary of the accord  known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact -- in which Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide up Central and Eastern Europe.

Soviet forces took over eastern Poland, eventually massacring more than 20,000 of the country's officers whom they had taken prisoner.

The Nazis eventually betrayed the pact with their surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-calls-supporters -of-western-historians-approach-to- ww2-collaborators-/30815320.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Donegal Investment Group (DIG) is returning around 10m to its shareholders following the implementation of a conversion and redemption of shares.

The return of capital is taking place through conversion and redemption of approximately 22.25pc of each shareholder's total holding of ordinary shares at the conversion date of Monday, 31 August. The shares are being redeemed at 12.50 each. Three years ago the company, formerly Donegal Creameries halted its dividend programme in favour of share buybacks which it said were a more tax efficient way to return cash to investors.

New share certificates will be issued to all certificated shareholders so as to reflect the new number of ordinary shares after the conversion and redemption.

Earlier this year, DIG said revenue at the company, which has operations across Ireland, the UK, Holland, France and Brazil, increased by almost 10pc to 29.6m in the six months to February 29.

The performance was driven by continued double digit volume and revenue growth in its speciality dairy business, as well as increased sales in its seed potato business.

DIG's profit after tax fall to 1.4m from 2.5m the prior year.

In the first half of its financial year, DIG's seed potato business experienced good volume growth, but margins fell as a result of an increased supply due to better harvesting conditions. Thisresulted in a decline of 500,000 inthe trading profits from this source, which offset growth seen in the speciality dairy line of the company's business.
Randall Benton / Associated Press

California will create a new COVID-19 data reporting system that will be more robust in handling large numbers of coronavirus cases than the states current system, which malfunctioned in July and led to as many as 300,000 cases being underreported.

The state has signed a six-month, renewable $15.3 million contract with Optum Insight, a Minnesota company, to build the new COVID data reporting system. The system should be up and running by October, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said on Tuesday. It will be funded by a federal grant that helps states and local health agencies combat infectious diseases.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.  A Black man died of asphyxiation after police officers in Rochester, New York, who tried to take him into protective custody pinned him to the ground while restraining him.

The incident occurred in March, two months before George Floyd's very similar death in Minneapolis sparked nationwide protests. Yet it didn't become public until now.

The curtain was lifted on the death of 41-year-old Daniel T. Prude at a late-morning news conference Wednesday at which Prude's family and local activists called for the officers involved to be fired and charged in his homicide.

"We are in need of accountability for the wrongful death and murder of Daniel Prude. He was treated inhumanely and without dignity," said Ashley Gantt, a community organizer from Free the People Roc. "These officers killed someone and are still patrolling in our community."

The case also brought calls from Black Lives Matter activists for changes to policing, including an end to the practice of having police officers respond to mental health calls.

Prude's death on March 30 after a week on life support parallels numerous others locally and nationally in which mentally or emotionally stressed people, many of them people of color, have succumbed when officers forcefully restrained them.

Rochester police body camera footage of police interaction with Daniel Prude on March 23, 2020. Prude became agitated after being hooded eventually a couple of officers held his face sideways against the street.

Prude's death ruled homicide

Monroe County Medical Examiner Dr. Nadia Granger ruled Prude's death a homicide caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint," according to the autopsy report.

The New York state Attorney Generals office has been investigating the officers' conduct in the Prude case since April and has the ability to seek criminal charges.

The officers' interaction with Prude was captured on police body-worn-camera video, a compilation of which was to be made public Wednesday.

The video compiled for the Prude case is not a graphic depiction of officers shooting or beating a suspect.

Story continues

Rather, it depicts officers holding Prude prone and forcing his head and chest into the pavement for several minutes until, apparently unnoticed by the officers, he stops breathing.

The events are indicative of how the rules of engagement used by police can result in harm to a suspect or a person in the throes of a mental health episode.

A copy of the video compilation and some case documents, including the autopsy report and an internal police investigation of the case, were provided to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network, earlier this week by one of the familys lawyers, Elliot Shields.

Daniel Prude died in police custody March 30.

A notice of intent to sue the city has been filed, and city officials are said to be aware of the familys anger over Prudes death.

The report of the internal police investigation into the fatal encounter concluded "the officers' actions and conduct displayed when dealing with Prude appear to be appropriate and consistent with their training."

Shields said that to his knowledge, the officers remain on active duty and were not disciplined.

Prude's brother called Daniel's death "a cold-blooded murder."

"I placed a phone call for my brother to get help, not to get lynched," Joe Prude said outside Rochester's City Hall Wednesday. "How many brothers have to die for society to understand this has to stop?"

Prude was suffering from acute mental health problems when Rochester officers detained him in the early hours of Monday, March 23, as he walked naked and bleeding down Jefferson Avenue in the southwestern part of the city.

His family told police they suspected he was under the influence of the powerful hallucinogen phencyclidine, or PCP.

A resident of Chicago, Prude had arrived in Rochester the day before to stay with his brother, Joe Prude, in Joe's home on Rochester's west side.

Prude rode Amtrak to Buffalo but was thrown off the train there, his brother later told police. After being driven to Rochester, he began to act out. After he jumped headfirst down the basement stairs, Joe Prude said he called police for help. Prude was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation and released the evening of March 22, according to the police investigation narrative.

After some hours of stable behavior, Prude ran out the back door of Joes home at 3 a.m. when his brother was out of the room, prompting another call for help to 911.

The death of Daniel Prude, who was 41 years old, has been ruled a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint by Monroe County Medical Examiner Dr. Nadia Granger, according to the autopsy report.

How the incident unfolded

Police believe Prude broke windows at a business as he walked along before officers found him. Several people encountered him, and at least one of them called 911 to report his erratic actions, the police narrative said.

Prude had left his brothers home wearing only long underwear, a tank top and socks. He took off the clothes while on West Main, a witness told police. One passerby stopped to shoot a Facebook Live video of Prude after seeing the man get on his knees and beg another motorist to call 911.

When the motorist responded that he was on the phone with the emergency center, Prude ran off.

After being intercepted moments later by a police officer, Prude was ordered to lie on the ground and place his hands behind his back. He complied immediately with both directives, the video shows, saying sure thing, sure thing as he rolled onto his stomach. The time was 3:16 a.m.

The city gave Shields a total of 88 minutes of police body camera footage of the incident on Aug. 20, pursuant to an open-records request.

The video does not show Prude offering any physical resistance to the half-dozen or so officers who converged on the scene. The video, with one gap of a few seconds, appears to show the entirety of the 11-minute interaction between Prude and the police.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reviewed all 88 minutes of raw video, which Shields also provided, and did not see any meaningful action that had been omitted from the compilation.

The police plan was to subdue and calm Prude and make what is known as a mental health arrest, which is not a criminal arrest but a civil detention for the purpose of taking the person to receive emergency treatment.

Though handcuffed and on the ground, Prude remained agitated, squirming and shouting belligerently at times and spitting into the street.

After the spitting began, officers covered Prudes face and head with a white spit hood intended to protect police from a suspects bodily fluids. Prude had told officers he was infected with the coronavirus, which likely raised concerns about his spitting.

The hood was the only covering he was given; Prude remained naked in temperatures just above freezing as light snow fell throughout the episode.

Four minutes after the police arrived, officers stood in a semicircle around Prude as he sat in the middle of Jefferson Avenue, his hands still cuffed behind his back. He yelled unintelligibly, then clearly shouted "Gimme that gun. Gimme that gun, I mean it!" As he yelled, he scooted on his rear toward an officer and appeared to be trying to get to his feet.

Officers immediately pushed him over. Prude could be heard to say "You're trying to kill me" as officers began to hold him down so he could not move.

An officer identified in the video as Mark Vaughn uses both hands with much of his weight behind them to push the side of Prudes head into the pavement, essentially doing a triangle push-up. The approach was different but reminiscent of the way George Floyds neck was compressed by an officers knee on May 25.

Another officer, identified as Troy Talladay, used his knee at one point to hold down Prudes torso, and a third held down his legs.

Vaughn, in the report he wrote of the incident, said he had "segmented" Prude's head. He also wrote that he used a "hypoglossal nerve technique," which involves jamming fingers into a nerve below the jaw to cause pain and persuade a subject to comply.

There is no evidence in the video of officers striking Prude or acting toward him in an overtly hostile way.

In the video, Prudes body movements can be seen to become less frequent. His incoherent shouts become whimpers. Then he falls silent.

The time stamps on the video indicate Vaughn pushed down Prudes head for 2 minutes and 15 seconds before letting up and saying You good now? to the prone man, who did not respond. Vaughn then resumed pushing with one hand for another 45 seconds.

Officers chat with one another and with an emergency medication technician from an AMR ambulance that had arrived but cannot be heard making any mention of the fact that the man was not moving.

Finally, a full three minutes after the officers began to press Prude into the asphalt, an ambulance EMT came over and asked the officers to roll Prude onto his back. He later told police investigators this is when he recognized Prude was not breathing.

The EMT, identified as Brett Barnes, began to administer CPR seconds later as he called his colleague to help. Officers could not immediately find a key to remove the handcuffs, and Prude's hands remained secured behind his back for two minutes while resuscitation efforts continued.

When a police investigator later asked Barnes about the officers' restraint techniques, he told them "nothing looked 'over the top' or malicious in nature" and added that "the officers actions appeared appropriate for what Prude was doing, and necessary to keep Prude from running around the entire street."

The pair of emergency responders had intended to inject Prude with a sedative so he could be safely moved to a hospital, the police narrative said. They were present for about two minutes but had not sedated Prude before the medical crisis eliminated their need to do so.

Prude was taken aboard the ambulance 11 minutes after the first officer arrived, the video shows. His heartbeat was restored during the short ambulance trip to Strong Memorial Hospital, according to the police narrative, but his brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long. He was later declared brain dead and died March 30 after being taken off life support, according to the report.

After Prude was rushed to the hospital, one of the officers was sent to his brother's home to tell him Prude had been found.

"We got him. Your brother's at Strong," the officer can be heard to say on the unedited police video. The officer spoke with Joe Prude and members of his family for several minutes but never betrayed the fact that his brother's heart had stopped beating after being restrained.

"So he cooperated?" Joe asked. "Yeah, um ..." the officer answered. He excused himself a moment later to make a phone call.

First campaign visit to Wisconsin: Joe Biden to visit Kenosha on Thursday

Traces of PCP found

Toxicology tests as part of the autopsy found a low level of PCP, also known as angel dust, in Prude's blood. The drug can induce schizophrenia and wildly erratic, violent behavior.

The autopsy report listed "acute phencyclidine intoxication" as a complication of his death. The medical examiner did not say whether the levels of PCP in his blood explained Prude's behavior before and during his detention by city police and did not make any mention of preexisting mental health issues that might have come into play.

Shields said Prude's sister, with whom he lived in Chicago, said she suspected Prude had unknowingly smoked a joint laced with PCP at a party he attended just before his erratic behavior began.

She sent him to visit his brother in Rochester after he began to act out in Chicago, he said.

The autopsy report also listed several health conditions  two different lung diseases, heart inflammation and a brain injury  that were complications of his death.

The report at one point indicated the cause of death was "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint due to excited delirium due to acute phycyclidine intoxication, as if one followed on the other.

That is, as if Prude's PCP intoxication caused excited delirium, which prompted the physical restraint that deprived Prude of oxygen.

The term "excited delirium" and the concept behind it is a controversial one. It is often applied to suspects who aggressively resist police detention efforts. Officers and pathologists frequently assert that the suspects are high on drugs.

Proponents say someone suffering from the syndrome is more likely to die from preexisting health problems such as a bad heart.

Both AMR personnel who were on the scene that morning later told Rochester police investigators that it appeared Prude may have been experiencing excited delirium.

But critics say the term has no formal meaning in medicine and is used as a way to explain resistant behavior of suspects and to normalize officers' aggressive responses. It is applied most often to young men of color, some have asserted.

In the video of the Prude incident, a paramedic from the ambulance crew, identified in the police report as Julie Purick, speaks to an officer as her colleague tries to revive Prude.

"PCP can cause what we call excited delirium," she said.

"Yeah, I know what excited delirium is," the police officer responds.

"I guarantee you that's how he coded," Purick goes on, using a shorthand expression for the sudden cessation of lung and heart function. "It's not you guys' fault. You've got to keep yourselves safe."

Contributing: Sean Lahman and Will Cleveland, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Follow reporter Steve Orr on Twitter: @SOrr1

Kenosha: Destroyed store's owners refused to be part of Trump 'circus,' president met with old owner instead

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Daniel Prude death ruled homicide after Rochester police incident
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Private Schools are questioning what they call the haste in defining the new restrictions on basic and high School Education.

It follows governments decision to suspend academic activities of pre-school, basic, JHS1 and JHS 2 students till next year.

According to the Ghana Council of Private Schools, the president jumped ahead of a steering committee convened to fashion out modalities for reopening schools.

The association says it is awaiting a retraction and review of the directives as it insists it is not in the interest of students, teachers and school owners.

We are expecting the president to come back to make some changes because as we speak, there is a committee set up by the Minister of Education which involves private and secondary school stakeholders soliciting ideas to present to the president by the 21st of September on the reopening of schools. So what was the need for the formation of the committee, Communications Director for the Council Edward Frimpong quizzes.

He pointed out that this committee was chaired by Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education Professor Kwesi Yankah and wondered why the president did not wait for the views of the properly constituted body.

The private schools are further concerned the intelligence quotients of students will be greatly eroded by the long stay at home without active physical monitoring and direction of teachers.

Edward Frimpong warns that the difficulty the teachers faced in getting Senior High Schools to revise after three months of school closure will be worse when students come back after ten months of vacation.

He averred, Even when the students returned to write the BECE, we saw how it was difficult revising. How much more the students going to stay home for nine to ten weeks wasting time and watching television with no regard for their books.

Meanwhile, the schools say they are bent on demanding support from government to alleviate the suffering of private schools and their teachers who have been left with no source of revenues to pay for salaries, loans and school maintenance costs.
LONDON/TOKYO/WASHINGTON: Factories across Europe, Asia and North America continued to shake off the coronavirus gloom in August as the global economy emerged from a downturn triggered by the health crisis, thanks in part to massive fiscal and monetary stimulus programmes.

Surveys showing an expansion in manufacturing activity may reduce pressure on policymakers to take bolder steps to avert a deeper recession. J.P. Morgans measure of global manufacturing activity rose to a 21-month high of 51.8 in August from 50.6 in July, the second straight month above the neutral reading of 50.

Many analysts expect the recovery to be choppy, however, as renewed waves of coronavirus infections curb business activity and prevent some nations from fully reopening their economies. Fears of a resurgence in infections in some economies may discourage firms from boosting capital expenditure and delay a sustained rebound, some analysts say.

We expect that ongoing coronavirus-related headwinds will constrain the manufacturing sectors recovery to only a modest pace going forward," analysts at Oxford Economics wrote following data showing U.S. factory activity near a two-year high.

Indeed, the latest Eurozone and Asian PMI manufacturing readings signal the recovery is losing steam, even in countries that did arguably a better job at containing the virus than the U.S."

The Institute for Supply Managements purchasing managers index for manufacturing rose to 56 this month - the highest since November 2018 - from 54.2 in July, led by the largest level of new orders in more than 16 years. Similarly, Canadas PMI hit a two-year high, IHS Markit reported on Tuesday.

Euro zone manufacturing activity, meanwhile, remained on a recovery path last month, but factory managers were wary about investing and hiring workers as the pandemic rages on.

Manufacturing output, which didnt suffer quite as sharp a decline as the services industry during coronavirus lockdowns, increased for a second straight month.

IHS Markits final Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) dipped to 51.7 in August from Julys 51.8, in line with an earlier flash reading and comfortably ahead of the 50 mark separating growth from contraction. [EUR/PMIM]

Unemployment in the 19-country euro zone only nudged up to 7.9% in July, official data showed, but consumer prices fell in August, against market expectations of a small increase.

Some modest good news, the manufacturing sector for now remains a bit of a bright spot. Short-term work schemes across Europe are working so well that unemployment has increased to just 7.9% - without them unemployment would be around 10%," said Bert Colijn at ING.

With concerns about double-dips increasing and virus cases up across Europe, the PMI - especially on the services side - provides reason to worry about the pace of the recovery and perhaps even a reversal of output growth."

German manufacturers recovery from lockdown measures continued last month, but activity in France slipped back into contractionary territory as the second-biggest euro zone economy grappled with hits to business caused by the pandemic.

British factory output recovered some lost ground as output rose at the fastest pace in more than six years. [GB/PMIM]

STRONG CHINA

Manufacturing activity in China expanded at the fastest clip in nearly a decade in August, as factories ramped up output to meet rebounding demand, a private survey showed. New export orders rose for the first time this year.

The upbeat findings contrasted with an official survey on Monday, which showed Chinas factory activity grew at a slightly slower pace in August.

Chinas Caixin/Markit PMI rose to 53.1 in August from Julys 52.8, marking the biggest rate of expansion since January 2011.

Japan and South Korea both saw factory output contract at the slowest pace in six months, reinforcing expectations the regions export powerhouses are past the worst from a collapse in demand after the coronavirus struck.

The spill-over to other parts of Asia, however, remains patchy. While manufacturing activity rose in Taiwan and Indonesia, it slid in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Indias factory output grew in August for the first time in five months as the easing of lockdown restrictions spurred demand. But analysts do not expect a quick turnaround in the economy, which contracted at its steepest pace on record last quarter.[ECILT/IN]

While South Koreas exports fell for a sixth straight month in August, trade data - first to be reported among major exporting economies - signalled a gradual recovery in global demand.

Japan is meanwhile in the midst of a leadership change after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last week he would step down, raising uncertainty about the policy outlook.

There is  a risk that the leadership transition could bring about a period of policy paralysis and uncertainty, should Japan experience a run of frequent changes in premierships, as occurred prior to 2012," Fitch Ratings said in a research note.

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
One day in the fall of 2016, Karim Elkorany, an official with the United Nations in Iraq, dined and had drinks with a woman in a restaurant, then furtively drugged her in his apartment, the authorities said on Wednesday.

Then, they said, Mr. Elkorany sexually assaulted the woman. She regained consciousness for brief periods when she could see him attacking her, but she was physically unable to stop him, the authorities said.

Mr. Elkoranys conduct was not isolated, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

Between 2009 and 2016, Mr. Elkorany sexually assaulted or tried to sexually assault at least six women in Iraq, Egypt and the United States, among other locations, the indictment said.
Shay Mueller of Rusk, Texas, started making homecoming mums when she was in high school.

"Growing up, you always had a mum - and the bigger the better," Mueller, 47, said.

ONLY IN TEXAS: Houston-area students celebrate Texas homecoming tradition with outrageous mums

Her homecoming mum business started out as a hobby that she turned into a side hustle. Her latest designs delicately personalized, novelty face mask homecoming mumshave drawn attention far outside her small Texas town, leading to a major boom in business.

"I was laying in bed one night and it just literally popped into my head," Mueller said. "Everyone is having to wear masks, [so the mask mums are] as a keepsake for homecoming 2020."

Mueller's new take on face masks is the perfect homage to the over-the-top Texas tradition of homecoming mums in the age of the coronavirus. After she shared a photo of her masks - she conducts all of her homecoming business orders through her personal Facebook page - her post reached more than 3,000 people in a matter of days.

"My jaw dropped," Mueller said of the response. "Since then I have been getting messages and calls from [all over.] I have orders in Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, all over Texas of course."

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston designers and artists apply skills to create stylish masks

Mueller's mum masks start at $13 and range in price depending on request. She said it takes her about three days to finish a mask.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a face mask mandate earlier this summer after COVID-19 infections starting spiking around the state. Some Houston designers responded by creating stylish face masks, contributing to what some may call the new fashion trend for 202o.

For more on Mueller's mum masks, visit her Facebook page here.

rebecca.hennes@chron.com
A local Court in Bihar had ordered a temporary stay on Netflixs upcoming web series Bad Boy Billionaires on 2 September.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 2 September, refused to entertain a Netflix appeal against a Bihar lower court order restraining it from using the name of businessman Subrata Roy in its upcoming web series Bad Boy Billionaires.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, however, granted liberty to Netflix to approach the Patna High Court against the order passed by a lower court at Araria, Bihar.

Dismissed. We are sorry, the bench said while rejecting the appeal.

Read the tweet from Press Trust of India below

SC gives liberty to Netflix to move Patna High Court for challenging lower court's order related to web series 'Bad Boy Billionaires'  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2020

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Netflix, told the bench that several petitions pertaining to the web series are pending in various high courts and the apex court should transfer these matters to itself.

The bench issued a notice on the separate petitions filed by Netflix seeking transfer of the matters pending before different high courts.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Sahara India, opposed the Netflix plea and said that the order was passed by a civil judge and an appeal would lie before the district judge and not before the high court or the apex court.

On 28 August, Delhi High Court dismissed a plea by Mehul Choksi, an accused in the nearly $2 billion PNB scam, to conduct a pre-screening of Bad Boy Billionaires.

The court said his remedy lies in a civil suit and granted him the liberty to raise the issue in civil court.

The web series, scheduled for release in India on 2 September, is promoted by Netflix as, This investigative docuseries explores the greed, fraud and corruption that built up - and ultimately brought down - Indias most infamous tycoons."

It takes a look at controversial cases of infamous businessmen Vijay Mallya (of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines), fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, Sahara Group's Roy and Satyam Computers CEO Byrraju Ramalinga Raju.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
Banks are free to restructure loans but they cannot penalise honest borrowers by charging interest on deferred EMI payments under the moratorium scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, a petitioner opposing the move said in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, which commenced final hearing on a batch of pleas raising the issue of interest on instalments deferred under the scheme during the moratorium period, was told that paying interest on interest is a double whammy for borrowers.

Senior counsel Rajiv Dutta, appearing for the petitioner Gajendra Sharma who has taken home loan from a bank, assailed the accrual of interests on EMIs even during the moratorium period. RBI came out with the scheme and we thought that we will be paying the EMI after the moratorium period and later we were told that compound interest would be charged and it will be double whammy for us as we will be paying interest on interest, Dutta told the bench.

They have given so much relief to banks and we are not given any relief in actual terms , he said, adding that there is no default on my (petitioner) part and we cannot be penalized for availing a scheme by being charged the interest on interest . Dutta claimed that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is a regulator and not an agent of banks and borrowers are being penalised during the COVID-19 times.

Also read: Loan moratorium 'extendable' up to 2 years: Govt to SC

Now the government is saying that they will restructure the loans. You restructure but don't penalise the honest borrowers, he said. Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), told the bench that moratorium should be extended for at least six months.

If interest can't be waived, then please reduce it to a level on which banks pay their depositors, he said. Sundaram referred to the August 6 circular of RBI which gave power to banks to decide on moratorium to industries. The Centre and the RBI had Tuesday told the apex court that moratorium period on repayment of loans during the COVID-19 pandemic is extendable by two years and several steps have been taken to help the stressed sectors.

Also read: Deadlock over loan moratorium extension?

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and RBI, had said that the economy contracted by 23 per cent in the April-June quarter due to coronavirus-related lockdown and restrictions. The Centre also told the top court that waiver of interest on deferred EMIs during the moratorium period would be against the basic canons of finance and unfair to those who repaid loans as per schedule.

RBI however come out with a scheme which provides for extension of moratorium for two years to certain stressed borrowers, the central government had informed the apex court. The Ministry of Finance had filed an affidavit before the court which had asked the Centre and the RBI to review the move to charge interest on EMIs and interest on the interest during the moratorium period introduced under the scheme due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.  The federal government has told states to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine to be ready to distribute by Nov. 1.

The timeline raised concern among public health experts about an October surprise  a vaccine approval driven by political considerations ahead of a presidential election, rather than science.

In a letter to governors dated Aug. 27, Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said states in the near future will receive permit applications from McKesson Corp., which has contracted with CDC to distribute vaccines to places including state and local health departments and hospitals.

CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020, Redfield wrote.

He wrote that any waivers will not compromise the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine. The Associated Press obtained the letter, which was first reported by McClatchy.

Redfield told Yahoo Finance that officials were preparing for what I anticipate will be reality, is that therell be one or more vaccines available for us in November, December.

James S. Blumenstock, a senior vice president at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the CDC was offering an aggressive but necessary timetable but that public health agencies were mobilizing to prepare detailed plans.

Several vaccine and public health experts pointed out that final stage trials of experimental vaccines are still recruiting, and are at best halfway through that process. The vaccines are two doses, and each is given a month apart. Several experts told the AP they did not understand how there could be adequate data on whether the vaccines work and are safe before Nov. 1.

Being ready is reasonable. Cutting short phase 3 trials before you get the information you need isnt, said Dr. Paul Offit, a Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia immunization expert who sits on the FDAs vaccine advisory committee.

Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor Universitys tropical medicine school, said he was very concerned about whether the Food and Drug Administration would use an emergency use authorization to approve a vaccine before knowing whether it works and is safe.

It gives the appearance of a stunt rather than an expression of public health concern, Hotez said

Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease expert, said he was concerned about an October surprise with a vaccine being rushed through ahead of the election.

The public health community wants a safe and effective vaccine as much as anybody could want it, Osterholm said. But the data have to be clear and compelling, that the vaccine is effective and that its safe.

He said there was a credibility gap between doctors and the FDA about how rigorous products are being evaluated during the pandemic.

Some states on Wednesday said they were working on next steps while still awaiting details from CDC.

New Mexico Human Service Secretary David Scrase said the state was preparing to administer coronavirus vaccines on a limited basis starting in November to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The broad public vaccine roll-out is slated for January. He said current vaccine provider networks are robust and adequate for the COVID-19 effort.

Regarding the timing of the CDC request to expedite or waive permits for distribution centers to open Nov. 1, Scrase said, I cant tell you about the political motivations on that.

A spokesman for Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said the state was reviewing its next steps.

News of a vaccine is encouraging and a testament to the power of American innovation, said the spokesman, Gillum Ferguson.

___

AP writers Morgan Lee and Jonathan Matisse contributed to this report.
The number of new cases rose by 1,596 to 273,301 in the last 24 hours, while the death toll rose by 45 to 6,462.

India reported 78,357 new coronavirus cases in the past one day, taking its total to more than 3.7 million infections as the government eases pandemic restrictions nationwide.

The United States is turning its back on the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), a global effort to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine that is being led by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The pandemic has pushed Australia into a recession for the first time since 1991 after the country reported a second-quarter drop in gross domestic product that was the biggest since records began.

The latest data from Johns Hopkins University shows more than 25.8 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and 859,159 have died. More than 17 million people have recovered.

Here are all the latest updates:

Wednesday, September 2

20:20 GMT  Peru to resume international flights in October

Peru announced Wednesday that it will resume international flights and reopen its borders to a limited group of countries from October 1, after months of coronavirus lockdowns.

Well start with a limited number of flights to the United States, Mexico, Spain and Chile, said Transport and Communications Minister Carlos Estremadoyro.

The government is still evaluating whether or not Brazil, the Latin American country worst affected by the coronavirus, will be included.

19:50 GMT  UN warns Libya at turning point, COVID heading out of control

The top United Nations official for Libya warned that the conflict-torn North African country is at a decisive turning point, with foreign backers of its rival governments pouring in weapons and the misery of its people compounded by the coronavirus pandemic that appears to be spiralling out of control.

Acting special representative Stephanie Williams told the UN Security Council that its actions will help determine whether the country descends into new depths of fragmentation and chaos, or progresses towards a more prosperous future.

Oil-rich Libya was plunged into disorder when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi who was later killed.

The county has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

18:40 GMT  US coronavirus death toll exceeds 185,000

The total number of coronavirus deaths in the United States stands at 185,123 according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

Meanwhile, the total number of positive cases in the country has exceeded six million.

18:25 GMT  Turkey seeing second peak of COVID-19 outbreak

Turkey is seeing the second peak of its coronavirus outbreak due to carelessness at weddings and other social gatherings, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, amid a rapid rise in the number of daily cases and deaths.





Speaking after a meeting of his coronavirus science team, Koca said the capital Ankara had seen the most rapid rise in the number of cases lately. He added that 29,865 healthcare workers had contracted the virus so far, with 52 of them dying.

The number of new COVID-19 cases rose by 1,596 to 273,301 in the last 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data, while the death toll from the virus rose by 45 to 6,462.

Total recoveries stood at 246,876, the data showed.

18:10 GMT  German health institute designates Canary Islands as coronavirus-risk region

Germanys national institute for infectious diseases added the Canary Islands to its list of risk regions, citing a high rate of new coronavirus infections in the Spanish autonomous region.

The Robert Koch Institute said the whole of Spain, both its mainland and islands, was a risk region.

The institutes update is usually followed by a travel warning to the designated regions by the Foreign Ministry.

17:50 GMT  Mozambique insurgency heightens coronavirus risks: ICRC

Thousands of civilians fleeing a violent insurgency in Mozambiques northern Cabo Delgado Province have sought shelter in a coronavirus hot spot, hampering efforts to contain infections, the Red Cross warned.

Fighters have been operating in gas-rich Cabo Delgado since 2017, launching sporadic attacks on towns and villages in a bid to establish a caliphate.

The insurgents have grown bolder in recent months, and remain in control of a key port in the town of Mocimboa da Praia seized on August 12.

More than 1,500 people have been killed and at least 250,000 displaced since 2017, many of whom have found refuge in the regional capital Pemba.

17:15 GMT  CDC directs halt to renter evictions to prevent COVID-19 spread

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has issued a directive (PDF) halting the eviction of some renters in the US through the end of 2020 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Federal, state and local governments have approved eviction moratoriums during the course of the pandemic for many renters, but those protections are expiring rapidly.

A recent report from one think-tank, the Aspen Institute, stated that more than 20 million renters live in households that have suffered COVID-19-related job loss and concluded that millions more are at risk of eviction in the next several months.

Read more here

16:10 GMT  EU warns against shortening COVID-19 quarantine as cases in Europe spike

The European Union is warning governments not to reduce the 14-day quarantine for people infected with COVID-19 as some develop the infection even after two weeks, the head of the blocs health agency said, signalling a new surge in cases in Europe.

Germany, the EUs largest country, informed EU authorities that it planned shortening the quarantine length, following similar moves by the Netherlands and Norway, according to the minutes of a late-August meeting.

We are looking to provide some evidence to decision-makers on what kind of risks they would take if quarantine was shorter, Andrea Ammon, head of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told EU lawmakers in a regular hearing.

Police officers wearing protective masks patrol in front of the Eiffel Tower as France reinforces mask-wearing as part of efforts to curb a resurgence of the coronavirus disease [Charles Platiau/Reuters]

She cautioned that in three to four percent of cases, infections emerge only after 14 days, which is currently the standard length of the COVID-19 quarantine.

Last week, Germany decided that from October people returning from high-risk regions abroad will have to quarantine for five days.

The partial loosening of COVID-19 preventive measures comes as Europe is experiencing a new increase in cases.

15:50 GMT  AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine could be on the market by end of 2020

The first shots of British drugmaker AstraZenecas potential COVID-19 vaccine could be on the market by the end of 2020, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

We are talking about a potential vaccine so we need to be extremely prudent, but  if the vaccine is confirmed as safe and able to meet its objective it will be already available by the end of 2020, Speranza told parliament.

The European Commission has paid 336 million euros ($398m) to AstraZeneca to secure at least 300 million doses of its potential vaccine for EU nations.

15:10 GMT  Ukraine warns measles vaccinations down in pandemic

Ukraine warned that many parents were not getting their children vaccinated against infectious diseases such as measles during the coronavirus pandemic, risking a loss of herd immunity.

In recent years, the post-Soviet country has had one of Europes lowest vaccination rates, partly due to a vocal anti-vaccination movement. It has experienced major outbreaks of measles.





The health ministry said the measles vaccination rate had dropped significantly this year, increasing the risk of a new outbreak of the disease.

Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko warned that such a rate would not be enough to develop collective immunity against measles.

14:55 GMT  UN: Pandemic will widen gender poverty gap

The coronavirus crisis will push 47 million more women and girls into extreme poverty and widen the gender poverty gap, according to a United Nations report.

Initial estimates had once pointed to a 2.7 percent decrease in the poverty rate for women between 2019 and 2021. However, due to the pandemic, it is now expected to increase by 9.1 percent.

The data by UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) show that there will be 118 women for every 100 men aged 25 to 34 living in extreme poverty by 2021. The gap is expected to widen to 121 women per 100 men by 2030.

The crisis will push 96 million people below the poverty line by 2021, nearly half of whom are women and girls, according to the report.

14:01 GMT  German police officers attacked after stopping man not wearing mask

A man allegedly attacked two police officers in Dusseldorf after they approached him for not wearing a mask on public transport, a police spokesman said.

The 25-year-old, who is known to the police, was caught flouting the anti-coronavirus rules during a check on a bus in the western German city.





After officers addressed him, he launched himself out of the bus at full speed with fists and a knee raised, landing on a 23-year-old policewoman who was blocking the way, the spokesman said.

The man then attempted to flee but was wrestled to the ground by a 30-year-old policeman, the official added. The attacker is said to have continued kicking and punching while on the ground.

Police managed to handcuff the suspect with the help of public transport workers.

12:46 GMT  Colombia expands reopening as coronavirus cases stabilise

Airports, bus terminals, restaurants and gyms have reopened in most of Colombia as the Latin American nation attempts to reignite its economy following months of restrictions to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Hospital occupancy rates and COVID-19 deaths have stabilised across much of Colombia over the past 10 days, prompting the government on Tuesday to lift more of the emergency measures that had been in place for five months, including a ban on most travel within the country.

Read more here.

Customers wearing protective masks talk to a waiter at the Andres Carne de Res restaurant, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Chia, Colombia [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

12:30 GMT  Thailand hits 100 days with no local virus transmissions

Thailands prime minister congratulated his countrymen on the nation having achieved 100 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the coronavirus, even as security along the border with Myanmar is being stepped up as a measure against the disease.

Health officials did not highlight the milepost, but Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a good accomplishment towards making the country safe.

12:15 GMT  Coronavirus despair forces girls across Asia into child marriage

Tens of thousands of girls across Asia are being forced into child marriage by desperate families plunged into poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic, as campaigners warn that years of progress tackling the practice is being undone.

Child marriage has long been practised as part of a tradition in communities from the Indonesian archipelago to India, Pakistan and Vietnam, but numbers had been decreasing as numerous initiatives worked to spread awareness of its dangers and encouraged access to education and womens health services.

Read more here.

Women peer through the wall separating men from women during the wedding of Farmina Begum, 16, to 18-year-old Hashimullah, in a refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. An IOM investigation recently uncovered accounts of Rohingya girls as young as 11 getting married and families forcing girls to marry early to reduce the number of mouths to feed [Allison Joyce/Getty Images]

11:55 GMT  30 percent Germans think coronavirus crisis overblown: Study

About 30 percent of people in Germany think the government is making the coronavirus crisis out to be worse than it actually is, according to a new study.

Some 2,000 people were interviewed in July as part of the survey for the nonpartisan organisation More in Common, the result of which comes at a time of deep divisions over the countrys approach to the

pandemic.

Nonetheless, the governments handling of the situation scored well, with 70 percent of people regarding its coronavirus policies as more democratic than undemocratic, more fair than unfair, more

competent than incompetent, the study found.

11:20 GMT  UK PM says furlough scheme keeps people in suspended animation

Prime Minister Boris Johnson described a scheme created to retain jobs as keeping people in suspended animation, saying the government instead wanted to get the United Kingdom back to work.

Questioned in parliament by opposition parties over whether he would extend the so-called furlough scheme beyond an end of October deadline to protect peoples jobs, Johnson said the programme keeps them in suspended animation and prevents them from going to work.





10:40 GMT  China will gradually resume direct international flights to Beijing

Chinas aviation regulator said it will resume direct flights to Beijing from eight countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Sweden and Canada from September 3.

In March, Chinese authorities ordered all international flights to Beijing to be diverted to other airports as their first port of entry, as the capital stepped up measures to battle imported infections.

10:20 GMT  Pope holds first public audience in months

Pope Francis has held his first public general audience after a pause of nearly six months due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Francis used the audience to call for solidarity as the way to exit the crisis. The pope said: The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: We are all linked to each other, for better or for worse.

Pope Francis leaves after the first weekly general audience to readmit the public since the coronavirus outbreak in the San Damaso courtyard at the Vatican, September 2, 2020 [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]

09:50 GMT  Singapore PM concedes errors in pandemic response

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government erred in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

We must learn from these errors and do better next time, Lee said, referring to the spread of the novel coronavirus across dozens of dormitories where about 320,000 migrant workers live 10-20 to a room.

Singapores Ministry of Health on Wednesday reported that 49 more people had caught the virus, taking total infections since the outbreak began in January to almost 57,000.

09:15 GMT  Greece reports first coronavirus case in Moria camp on Lesbos

Greece recorded its first coronavirus case in the overcrowded migrant camp of Moria on the island of Lesbos, two migration ministry officials said on Wednesday.

A 40-year old asylum seeker has tested positive for the coronavirus and has been put in isolation, an official told Reuters news agency. Authorities were trying to trace the people he had contacted, the official said.

The Moria facility, which hosts about 13,000 people, has been frequently criticised by aid groups for poor living conditions [File: Alkis Konstantinidis]

08:42 GMT  Philippines reports 2,218 new COVID-19 cases, lowest rise in five weeks

The Philippine health ministry recorded 2,218 new coronavirus infections, the countrys lowest daily case increase in five weeks, and 27 additional deaths.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total infections have risen to 226,440 while deaths have reached 3,623, a quarter of which were recorded in the past 15 days.

08:03 GMT  Scotland imposes virus restrictions on Glasgow

Scotland imposed fresh restrictions on the city of Glasgow after a rise in coronavirus cases, as similar local lockdown measures elsewhere in the UK came under criticism.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said people living in Glasgow and two surrounding areas should not visit other peoples houses, after 66 new cases were recorded in the area on Tuesday. The measures will last two weeks.

1. New restrictions have come into effect in Glasgow City, West Dunbartonshire & East Renfrewshire. I know residents in these areas  I am one  feel frustrated and are wondering why we have done X and not Yso I thought it would be helpful to set out some of the rationale  Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 2, 2020

I know how difficult this will be  I am a Glasgow resident so these rules apply to me too. But they are essential to, I hope, nip this in bud and avoid tougher restrictions, she tweeted.

07:25 GMT  Russia reports nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases

Russia reported 4,952 new coronavirus cases, pushing its national tally to 1,005,000, the fourth largest in the world.

Authorities said 115 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,414.

06:45 GMT  Victoria extends state of emergency as virus cases decline

Australias hotspot Victoria state on Wednesday extended its state of emergency for another six months as its weekly average of new COVID-10 infections dipped to 95.

The Victorian Parliaments upper chamber passed legislation by a 20-19 vote to extend the state of emergency, which enhances the governments powers to impose pandemic restrictions.

The government had wanted a 12-month extension.

06:10 GMT  Indias daily surges making it worlds epicentre

India registered 78,357 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its total to more than 3.7 million as the government eases pandemic restrictions nationwide to help the battered economy.

India, a nation of 1.4 billion people, is fast becoming the worlds coronavirus epicentre.

It has been reporting the highest daily increases in new cases for more than three weeks, and at its current rate is likely to soon pass Brazil and ultimately the United States in total reported cases.

A boy watches a health worker in personal protective equipment as she walks past a house during a check-up campaign for COVID-19 in Mumbai, India [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]

Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui in Doha, taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

05:30 GMT  Hong Kong hospital authority reports two COVID-19 deaths

Hong Kongs Hospital Authority spokesperson says two people confirmed with COVID-19 died on Wednesday morning.



The two patients were a 66-year-old man admitted to Yan Chai Hospital on August 2 with a persistent fever and cough, and a 79-year-old man who had been in United Christian Hospital since August 9 who had underlying health issues.

04:50 GMT  Hong Kong to relax some coronavirus curbs

The government in Hong Kong is expected to announce later tonight a relaxation of some coronavirus curbs.

Public service broadcaster RTHK says fitness centres and massage parlours will be allowed to open with some restrictions, while restaurants will be able to open longer for customers wanting to dine in.

The territory, which has just started a mass-testing campaign, is expected to announce just eight cases of the disease on Wednesday, the broadcaster said.

The #HongKong government is set to relax some #Covid social distancing measures like extending dine-in services till 10pm and allow fitness centres as well as massage parlours to reopen https://t.co/Cj7VFC2UZl  RTHK English News (@rthk_enews) September 2, 2020

04:20 GMT  Australias AFL Grand Final to be held outside Melbourne in historic first

The Australian Football Leagues Grand Final is to be held outside Melbourne, and at night, for the first time in its history as Australias second-biggest city battles a resurgence of coronavirus.

The highlight of the Australian Rules football season is usually played on a late September afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 100,000 fans.

This year it will take place in Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland, on October 24.

04:00 GMT  Nike for chicken: Filipinos turn to bartering

Scores of online bartering sites have popped up in the Philippines to help people struggling to make ends meet.

Many people are trying to swap possessions  from kitchen appliances to branded goods  for food.

Its so difficult nowadays, Lorraine Imperio, a mother of two who swapped some Nike shoes for a chicken, told AFP news agency. You dont know where youll get the money to settle the bills for groceries.

AFP estimates about 98 online bartering groups have appeared across the archipelago with tens of thousands of members. Searches for barter food on Google have also soared, and there has been an increase in bartering groups on Facebook, too.

Lorraine Ann Imperio checks goods bartered via the Las Pinas Barter Community in Las Pinas City, suburban Manila. Struggling to make ends meet, she swapped a pair of Nike slip-ons for a chicken [Maria Tan/AFP]

03:10 GMT  BTS movie postponed in South Korea after virus cases surge

A documentary on the K-pop band BTS has been postponed because of the recent surge in coronavirus cases in the country.

Big Hit Entertainment, the bands agency, says Break the Silence: The Movie, which was originally scheduled for a September release will be delayed indefinitely, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea reported 267 new cases on Wednesday, the 21st consecutive day of triple-digit increases.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says authorities were unable to identify the transmission route in 24.3 percent of patients over the past two weeks.

A documentary on the hugely popular boyband BTS has been postponed because of the resurgence of the coronavirus in South Korea [File: Jean Chung/Getty Images]

02:00 GMT  US sends rapid COVID tests to states for schools

The White House says it will send most of its newly-purchased 150 million rapid response COVID-19 tests to the states for schools, day care centres and emergency services.

The tests can give a result within 15 minutes and cost $5.

US President Donald Trump is pushing schools to reopen but many districts are reluctant to do so while the virus continues to circulate.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio has reached an agreement with teachers unions for phased resumption of classes with physical teaching resuming on September 21.

I couldnt have more confidence in the teachers, staff and leadership at @NYCSchools. They care deeply about our kids, and it shows. The revised opening schedule we announced is an inspiring act of unity that will keep EVERYONE in our schools community safe. https://t.co/azXv13Sy3L  Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) September 1, 2020

01:40 GMT  Australia in first recession in three decades

Coronavirus has brought Australias three decades of economic growth to a halt.

Latest figures show the economy contracted 7 percent in the second quarter after a 0.3 percent decline in the first quarter.

The drop was the biggest quarterly decline since records began in 1959.

A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction.

01:35 GMT  Xinjiang resumes normal life: State media

State media in China is reporting that people in the far western region of Xinjiang have resumed normal life order and production after a sudden spike in cases last month.

CGTN says some epidemic control measures remain in force.

01:15 GMT  Cases continue to ease in Australias hotspot state

Cases continue to ease in Australias southeastern state of Victoria.

The state confirmed 90 new cases on Wednesday, compared with a peak of more than 700 last month. Six more people died.

State officials will announce plans on Sunday to ease coronavirus-related restrictions. Melbourne, the state capital and Australias second-biggest city, is in the fourth week of a strict six-week lockdown.

00:00 GMT  US turns back on global vaccine effort

The United States has said it will not join the World Health Organization-led global push for a coronavirus vaccine.

More than 150 countries have established the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, known as COVAX, but the US says it will not join because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral organisations like the WHO. It pulled out of the WHO in early July.

The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organisations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China, said White House spokesman Judd Deere.

A volunteer receives an injection as part of a study for a possible COVID-19 vaccine in Binghamton, New York in July. The US says it wont join a WHO-led global effort to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine [File: Hans Pennink/AP Photo]

Read more on this story here.

23:30 GMT (Tuesday)  UN to hold summit on post-pandemic global governance

Niger, the current president of the United Nations Security Council, is organising a September 24 video conference between heads of state to discuss the future of global governance following the coronavirus pandemic.

The summit will debate post-COVID-19 global governance in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security, Nigers UN Ambassador Abdou Abarry told journalists.

The session will take place during the annual UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders, which will take place this year mainly by video conference because of the pandemic.

This will be an opportunity for our leaders to have political discussions on the need to adapt the current international system embodied by the United Nations and the Security Council in order to effectively face traditional threats to security such as conflicts, but also new threats such as organised crime and pandemics, Abarry said.

23:00 GMT (Tuesday)  Recovered COVID-19 patients retain antibodies for months

A new study from Iceland has found antibody levels against the novel coronavirus rose and then held steady for up to four months in more than 90 percent of recovered COVID-19 patients.

Kari Stefansson, chief executive of deCODE Genetics, which conducted the study, says the findings could have implications for reinfection risks and vaccine durability.

Researchers measured antibody levels in more than 30,000 Icelanders.

Based on the results, they estimate that about one cent of the population had been infected. Of that group, 56 percent had received a confirmed diagnosis after a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory test. A further 14 percent had not been formally diagnosed, but had been quarantined after exposure to the virus. For the remaining 30 percent, the antibody tests led to the discovery of prior infection.

Among the 1,215 people with an infection confirmed by PCR, 91 percent had antibody levels that rose during the first two months after diagnosis and then plateaued, researchers reported.

The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday.

-

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur, keeping you updated for the next few hours.

Read all the updates from yesterday (September 1) here.
FILE PHOTO: Person holds up a sign during a ceremony at Place de la Republique square to pay tribute to the victims of last year's shooting at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - Fourteen suspected accomplices of the French Islamist militants behind the 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris go on trial on Wednesday.

The perpetrators of the attacks and alleged accomplices include:

CHERIF AND SAID KOUACHI

Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said were in their thirties when they stormed the office of Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7, 2015. Armed with automatic rifles, they killed 12 people, including some of France's best-known cartoonists.

A two-day manhunt ensured. The brothers were killed when police stormed their hideout in a print works northeast of Paris.

Before becoming radicalised, Cherif was delivering pizzas and dreaming of rapping. His religious beliefs hardened after meeting Farid Benyettou, a salafist who ran a cell known as the Buttes-Chaumont group that sent a dozen youths to Iraq.

Police arrested Cherif as he prepared to fly to Syria en route to Iraq in 2005. He spent 18 months in jail.

AMEDY COULIBALY

Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a policewoman 24 hours after the Charlie Hebdo attack. A day later, Jan. 9, security forces killed the 32-year-old during a siege at a Jewish supermarket which claimed the lives of four hostages.

In a video later released online, Coulibaly said he had acted in the name of Islamic State. He said he had jointly planned the attacks with the Kouachi brothers.

The assaults were justified by French military interventions overseas, he said.

HAYAT BOUMEDIENNE

Hayat Boumedienne, Coulibaly's partner at the time of attack, is one of three of the 14 suspected accomplices who will be tried in absentia. It is not known if she is dead or alive.

She fled to Syria via Spain and Turkey days before the attacks with two other defendants, Mohamed and Mehdi Belhoucine. Investigators say she joined Islamic State in the Iraq-Syria region.

Boumedienne is charged with membership of a terrorist organisation and financing terrorism. The charges carry a maximum of 20 years in jail.

Story continues

MOHAMED BELHOUCINE

Mohamed Belhoucine faces the most serious charge against any of the 14 defendants of complicity in terror and a maximum sentence of life in jail.

Investigators allege he helped Coulibaly prepare his attack, including by supplying the e-mail addresses of militant contacts, as well as the video in which he pledges allegiance to Islamic State.

ALI RIZA POLAT

Investigators allege that Ali Riza Polat, a 35-year-old Frenchman of Turkish origin, was aware of the attackers' intentions and helped the three men amass their arsenal of weapons and munitions.

Polat is also accused of participating in a terrorist network and complicity in the crimes committed by Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers. He faces life in jail if convicted.

PETER CHERIF

Peter Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, is suspected by investigators of ordering the Charlie Hebdo attack, according to security and judicial sources.

Cherif will be called to testify in the case over the role of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the shootings.

Cherif fought with al Qaeda in Falluja, Iraq, and was detained in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and then in Mosul, where he escaped, according to a French investigation into the Buttes-Chaumont cell.

In the 2010s he spent time in Yemen until his arrest in Djibouti by French and U.S. agents in 2018.

He was transferred to France where he remains in prison awaiting trial on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation.

(Reporting by Tangi Salaun; Editing by Richard Lough and Giles Elgood)
Advertisement

This is the mysterious Russian businessman who owned the 'floating bomb' ship that ripped through Beirut, killing more than 180 people and leaving 300,000 homeless.

MailOnline tracked down reclusive shipping tycoon Igor Grechushkin to Cyprus, where he lives with his glamorous wife Irina and their three sons.

Mr Grechushkin either owned or leased the Moldovan-registered cargo ship, the MV Rhosus, which docked in 2013 in Beirut carrying 2,750 tonnes of explosive ammonium nitrate, destined for Mozambique.

Disaster struck on August 4 when the lethal cargo seized seven years ago by the Lebanese authorities and stored at the port blew up, injuring 6,000 people, destroying vast swathes of Beirut and sparking mass protests across the country.

Igor Grechushkin, the Russian businessman owner of the cargo ship which carried 2,750 tonnes of deadly ammonium nitrate that exploded and ripped through Beirut, broke cover in Cyprus yesterday as he tried to sell his Volvo car

Using the pseudonym 'Gary' Mr Grechushkin (left and right) has been trying to sell off a whole host of his personal possessions in Cyprus including his car for 15,500 euros, his Harley Davidson (right) and even a wall mounted ironing board

Beirut was rocked last month when 2,750 tonnes of lethal ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port blew up and ripped through the Lebanese capital, killing 180 people, injuring 6,000 and sparking mass protests across the country

Mr Grechushkin owned the Moldovan-registered cargo ship, the MV Rhosus, pictured here in 2011, two years before it docked in 2013 in Beirut carrying 2,750 tonnes of explosive ammonium nitrate, destined for Mozambique

Now MailOnline can reveal that just hours after the devastating tragedy, 43-year-old Russian-born Mr Grechushkin began a 'fire sale' of his personal possessions.

This included his prized Harley Davidson motorbike for sale for 12,000 euros; his Volvo XC60 for 15,500 euros; a satellite dish plus random household goods including a wall-mounted ironing board.

For the sale he has been using the pseudonym 'Gary' as he lies low on Cyprus while his wife Irina, has adopted a fake surname - 'York' - on social media while claiming her family has 'suffered enough'.

It is unclear if the sale of possessions is linked to him bailing out of Cyprus.

MailOnline found the mysterious businessman in a car park in Limassol, Cyprus, where he was trying to sell the Volvo.

When he was asked about the blast that ripped through the capital, a gaunt-looking Mr Grechushkin, dressed in a dark t-shirt and blue shorts, declined to comment as he climbed into the car and drove off.

While the man at the centre of the scandal has remained tight-lipped over the blast, his family back in Russia has rallied around to defend him.

Some 7,300 miles away in the Russian coastal town of Vanino where the tycoon was born, his father Valentin said his son has been made a 'scapegoat'.

Mr Grechushkin (pictured during his younger years, right) was reportedly paid $1million to transport the capital from Georgia to Mozambique in 2013. The Russian-born businessman now lives in Cyprus with his wife Irina (left) and their three children

Within just hours of the Beirut blast which sparked weeks of protests in the country Mr Grechushkin logged on to the Cypriot sales site Bazaraki to sell his Volvo XC60 for 15,500 euros

He is also selling his Harley Davidson motorcycle for 12,000 euros as he continues to stay tight-lipped about the tragedy

Speaking from the family's modern home, his father Valentin laid blame for the disaster firmly at the door of the ship's captain Boris Prokoshev, saying defiantly: 'The one who created such a situation should be responsible for it.

'The captain created it. Ask him the questions - because my son has been made a scapegoat.'

He asked: 'Look at me, am I a normal man judging by my looks? Decent? My son in the same.'

The ship's captain Boris Prokoshev (above) says he is still owed thousands of dollars by his ex-boss Mr Grechushkin

Mr Grechushkin has only answered questions to Cypriot police at the request of the Lebanese authorities via Interpol.

Valentin, 66, could not answer why his son has refused to speak publicly.

It could be that his son didn't own the Rhosus and was only leasing it at the time. Reports have suggested he owned it via an offshore company Teto Shipping Limited in the Marshall Islands.

However conflicting reports say it was owned instead by Briarwood Corp, which was owned by Cypriot shipping tycoon Charalambos Manoli.

Mr Manoli had claimed he sold it to Mr Grechushkin - then changed his account to say he'd leased the vessel to the Russian.

Whatever the truth and despite his family's defence, the ship's former captain Mr Prokoshev launched a stinging criticism of the man he used to work for, accusing him of 'hiding in a bunker' and describing him as a 'scumbag.'

Captain Prokoshev, 70, now retired, told MailOnline: 'What would I tell Igor if I was to meet him now?

'I don't think this will ever happen, because Igor clearly got himself into a bunker. He is hiding, and I am not sure how he will get out of this situation.

'But I would tell him that he is a scumbag. He is a bandit, because only a scumbag and a bandit could have done what he did to us.

'If he was in trouble, he could have told us at least something.

'He could have explained that he was having financial difficulties. He could have said something.

'But he just vanished. There was not a word before suddenly we had the drinking water supply cut short, then food supply stopped.'

Captain Prokoshev (far right with the crew on board of MV Rhosus in Beirut) has given his account of how the ship left Georgia in 2013 with the deadly compound bound for Mozambique, but was impounded in Lebanon where it remained for seven years

In his account, Mr Prokoshev alleges that the catastrophic series of events that resulted in last month's explosion began in Georgia, from where the Rhosus set sail in September 2013 after Rustavi Azot, a chemical producer that has since gone out of business, loaded it with the ammonium nitrate.

Mr Prokoshev claims that the ship was in a poor condition when it left bound for Mozambique. He says that Mr Grechushkin would have been paid $1million to transport the cargo of ammonium nitrate - a chemical compound used in agriculture but also by terrorist organisations to detonate bombs - to East Africa.

But, according to Mr Prokoshev the ship didn't have enough money to pay for charges to use the Suez Canal - and as a way to generate more revenue, his boss Mr Grechushkin then ordered the boat to Beirut to pick up a consignment of road-building machinery and take it to Aqaba, a Jordanian port on the Red Sea, before resuming its journey to Africa.

The blast on August 4 (pictured above) caused devastation in Beirut where more than 300,000 people lost their homes

However, when they tried to load the machinery onto the ship it was too heavy to load safely.

In November 2013, Beirut port officials prevented it from leaving after Mr Grechushkin failed to pay port fees and fines incurred for refusing to take on the new cargo of machinery.

It resulted in the ship being impounded and its doomed cargo of ammonium nitrate was reportedly transferred to Warehouse 12 with a local court ordering that it should be disposed of or resold.

Mr Prokoshev said: 'Igor told me that for that nitrate ammonium cargo he was due to receive $1 million dollars. I am certain that some of this money had to be pre-paid.

'Was the ship insured? Yes, it was. But when we got to check the insurance, we found that it was fake.'

The captain, who spent months impounded on the ship and prevented from leaving by the Lebanese authorities, added: 'My last email communication with him was in 2014 when he sent me a furious email demanding to know why his parents were questioned over my court claim.

He still owes me $60,000 USD relating to this episode.'

Other crew are also owed backpay totalling hundreds of thousands, he said.

'I tried to get it back via a court in Russia and filed a claim in Khabarovsk.

'His parents were questioned, but then the court said that any claim had to be addressed at Igor's current residential address, in Cyprus.'

The angry captain stressed: 'I would also tell Igor that he should be put into a hole and forced to sit there until he pays all the people he owes.'

The Rhosus was in such a dilapidated state that it eventually sank in Beirut, but its crew have never been fully paid.

The chemicals spent seven years in a warehouse at the port with its presence there making officials twitchy.

It sparked riots across Lebanon and led to the resignation of the government who people blamed for ignoring the danger despite repeated warnings that the volatile ammonium nitrate was being stored at the port

There was anger in the country because, according to public records senior customs officials contacted the authorities six times from 2014 to 2017, asking for guidance on how to dispose of the ammonium nitrate

The devastating blast caused huge damage to Beirut. This aerial view taken on August 7, 2020, shows a partial view of the port, the damaged grain silo and the crater caused by the colossal explosion three days earlier

According to public records posted online by Salim Aoun, a Lebanese politician, senior customs officials contacted the authorities six times from 2014 to 2017, asking for guidance on how to dispose of the ammonium nitrate. They even suggested ways in which it might be sold either to a private company or the army.

But bungling officials failed to take any action over the clear and present danger, which became engulfed by a fire that resulted in the devastating explosion that ripped apart the city.

The explosion's shockwave blew out windows at Beirut International Airport's passenger terminal, about five miles away from the port.

The blast was also heard as far away as Cyprus, about 200km across the Mediterranean Sea, and seismologists at the United States Geological Survey said it was the equivalent of a 3.3-magnitude earthquake.
Chapter 1 of this free web comic reads like a romantic comedy: Alexandra and Todd exchange witty banter at a bar in Brooklyn and soon embark on a relationship. Then Todd disappears. By Chapter 2, Alexandra and her pal Finnegan are playing detectives after the police close Todds missing person case with no explanation. Later, Alexandra meets a genius animal before reaching an unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

Written by Vali Chandrasekaran and drawn by Jun-Pierre Shiozawa. Available now.
Inquest: teenager Nora Quoirins body was found 10 days after she went missing in Malaysia last year

No traces of drugs or pesticides were found in the system of Norah Quoirin, the inquest into her death in a Malaysian holiday resort has been told.

The 15-year-old French-Irish schoolgirl, whose mum Meabh is from Belfast, disappeared from her family's cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year, sparking a massive search operation.

The teenager's lifeless, naked body was discovered ten days later beside a stream in a palm oil estate over a mile away from the resort.

Nora's funeral later took place at St Brigid's Church in south Belfast, where she was baptised.

Suhana Ismail (52), who works at the Chemistry's Department Toxicology Division was the seventh witness to appear before the inquest into Nora's death on Wednesday.

Read More

She told the Coroner's Court that a drug analysis conducted on the three specimens obtained from Nora's remains, including her liver, on August 19 last year, found no traces of common drugs.

She also performed a pesticide analysis on the three specimens on the same date, but did not find any traces of pesticide.

In response to a question from deputy public prosecutor, Nur'Atiqah Sapari, who is also the inquest coordinating officer, Suhana said: "Apart from the analysis on the liver specimen labelled 'Nora Anne Quoirin', I also conducted tests on two other specimen - peritoneal fluid from the abdomen and psoas muscle found in the hips or buttocks.

"The organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides are commonly used in the agricultural industry," she added.

When asked why she only conducted an analysis on drugs and pesticides, Suhana told the coroner Maimoonah Aid that it was because the toxicology division only did analysis of these two substances.

Another chemist, Saiful Fazamil Mohd Ali, who was also the eighth witness in the inquest, said an analysis was done on two soil samples obtained underneath Nora's body and from the vicinity where the body was found.

He said both samples were most likely from the same source.

"I did an analysis by looking at the soil characteristics and comparing both samples.

"I believe that both are likely from the same source," he added.

When the coroner asked why it was "likely", Saiful said the Chemistry Department did not have access to nationwide land density data and the analysis was conducted based on the two soil samples received from the police on August 16 last year.

Nora went missing a day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a two-week holiday at the resort, about 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur.

Read More

Her body was found near a creek in a ravine on August 13.

Preliminary surgical reports have stated that there was no criminal element to Nora's death and that it was caused by gastrointestinal bleeding due to prolonged hunger and stress.

Officers say she was able to leave the resort by herself by getting out of a window which had a faulty latch.

Her parents, Sebastien and Meabh are not present at the inquest due to coronavirus-related restrictions but will take part via the Zoom app,

The couple remain convinced that their daughter, who was vulnerable, had special needs and would not go outside her own front door alone, could not have reached the spot where the body was eventually found.

The location had already been scoured many times during the huge search operation.

Speaking ahead of the inquest, Meabh and Sebastien said they believe their eldest daughter was abducted from the villa and that the hearing will be "crucial in determining the fullest possible picture of what happened to Nora and how her case was dealt with".

It is understood that as many as 64 witnesses will be involved in the inquest, which is set to run until September 4.

The hearing continues.
An independent report into the police shooting of a Washington student killed while holding a pen mistaken for a knife has slammed 'serious, problematic gaps' in the sheriff's investigation into the case.

Tommy Le, 20, was just hours away from his high school graduation from Career Link, an alternative high school program at South Seattle College, the night he was killed in June 2017.

Three deputies from the King County sheriff's office had responded to calls of a man, later identified as Le, threatening people with 'a knife or some sort of sharp object.' Le was shot three times, twice in the back, by Deputy Cesar Molina.

An internal investigation into the shooting found it was justified.

Now an independent report commissioned by the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight has identified a number of issues with that probe. The report has listed 29 recommendations for the sheriff's office after the 'sharp object' was found to be a pen.

Tommy Le was hours away from his graduation the night he died in June 2017

An independent report into the police shooting of a Washington student killed while holding a pen, pictured, mistaken for a knife has slammed 'serious, problematic gaps' in the sheriff's investigation into the case

It pointed to the fact officers were given two days to give a written statement which is against best practice. They were not interviewed until five weeks later and were not said to have been probed on why Le was shot in the back.

The report says: 'Most significantly, the Review Board was not presented with a clear picture of what Le was doing and where he was moving in relation to the on-scene deputies and civilians when the shooting occurred.'

They add it suggests 'that the threat level to the shooter deputy was diminishing at the time he fired - even if the deputy believed Le possessed a knife'.

Tommy's aunt Xuyen Le said: 'We finally have an independent investigation into more of the truth of what happened.'

Jeff Campiche, the attorney for Tommy Le's family, told Kiro7: 'The first thing that report shows, unquestionably, that Tommy was unarmed, that he never had a weapon. He was shot in the back when he was going away, not attacking deputies as the King County Sheriff maintained.

'The report states what the family has known from the beginning: Their son wasn't lunging at Deputy Molina with a knife in his hand when he was shot. He was running away from Molina, and his hands were empty, as witnesses clearly saw.

'The public is entitled to the truth whenever a police officer kills a civilian and they concealed it. They mis-stated the facts and they actually made up evidence and it's wrong and there must be an accounting for that.'

He added: 'No more gobbledygook. Just Tommy Le shouldnt have been shot in the back.'

Le was shot three times, twice in the back, by Deputy Cesar Molina

At the time of the event, the Sheriff's office said the homeowner ran inside his house and Le began stabbing his door with the 'sharp object'. Le was found with this pen

The King County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: 'The King County Sheriff's Office has reviewed the recent report written by an outside third party hired by The Office of Law Enforcement Oversight.

'Although this tragic incident took place under the watch of a former sheriff in 2017, Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht has made a number of improvements in policy and process since taking office in 2018.

'Sheriff Johanknecht fully understands how certain decisions about the release, or omission, of information to the media just after the shooting in 2017 undermined public trust. This administration cannot explain nor answer why those decisions were made by the previous sheriff, we can and do apologize for our own lapses in public information sharing.

At the time of the event, the sheriff's office said the homeowner ran inside his house and Le began stabbing his door with the 'sharp object', yelling that he was 'The Creator'.

Officers added that Le did not comply with deputy orders, did not drop the object, and that tasers 'were not effective.'

Le's family have filed a $10 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the county and sheriff's Deputy Cesar Molina.
CLEVELAND, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Similar to a human fingerprint, every vehicle has its own unique identity  a "fingerprint" unlike any other car or truck in the world.

UVeye, a leading developer of vehicle threat-detection systems for the security industry, is introducing technology that can create a virtual "fingerprint" for any vehicle after a UVeye underbody scan.

The company will host a free SIA (Security Industry Association) webinar on "How to Fingerprint Vehicles Using Computer Vision" at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Visit SIA for additional information and to sign up for the program.

The company's CEO Amir Hever and Chief Marketing Officer Yaron Saghiv plan to discuss how computer-learning and artificial-intelligence technology can be used to identify vehicle fraud and security threats based on underbody scans.

"A vehicle with stolen license plates, for example, could easily be identified in the future with a UVeye underbody scan," Hever notes. "We'll also be discussing how digital fingerprints can be used at data centers, correctional facilities, airports, border crossings, hotel entrances and seaports to name just a few potential use cases."

The company earlier this year introduced UV Inspect - technology that for the first time can instantly identify bombs, weapons, drugs and other security threats concealed in the undercarriage of new or unfamiliar vehicles.

The company's mobile and stationary Helios underbody scanning systems when equipped with UV Inspect software now can provide law enforcement agencies and security professionals with the ability to automatically pinpoint threats on vehicles that are not in security databases, offering an entirely new level of protection.

UVeye's Helios inspection systems currently are deployed at hundreds of high-security locations throughout the world and have generated millions of vehicle scans. The company's proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, sensor fusion, artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies complete necessary vehicle checks within seconds.

First introduced in 2016, UVeye undercarriage threat-detection systems can scan vehicles traveling up to 25 mph (35 km/h), helping to improve traffic flow at check points and border crossings even under extreme weather conditions.

Stationary Helios systems utilize five high-resolution multi-directional cameras, which work under extreme weather conditions, support single- and multi-lane traffic configurations and can support vehicle weights of up to 20 tons per axle.

In addition to Helios and UV Inspect, the company's arsenal of detection technologies includes UV Compare, a deep-learning system that monitors traffic trends to identify changes that might signal safety concerns and license-plate recognition (LPR) software to assist with vehicle fingerprinting.

About UVeye

UVeye's technology initially was developed for the security industry to detect weapons, explosives and other threats. The company later expanded its product offerings to help solve safety and quality-related challenges within the automotive industry.

In addition to Helios, its automotive products include Atlas, a 360-degree external-vehicle inspection system and Artemis, a system to check tire wear and quality.

The company has offices in Cleveland, Ohio, and Stamford, Connecticut.

SOURCE UVeye
The Shia rebels are going broke because it costs a lot of money to maintain a force of several thousand armed men and also pay for the staff of the temporary government the rebels have established in the north. The rebels control access to over a third of the Yemeni population, and foreign aid groups as well as Yemeni suppliers have to pay higher and higher taxes to transport anything (food, fuel, medical supplies) to these populations. The money demanded to get past roadblocks is outright bribery, or extortion if you take into account the guns often pointed at travelers to speed up payment. These fees are now a major source of income for the rebels, who now get less cash from Iran, which is also broke. The cash shortage is a major problem for the rebels.

Plagues

In the southern city of Aden a medical foreign aid group has withdrawn after it assessed the covid19 crises was under control and local medical organizations could handle it. Covid19 turned out to be much less of a problem than the cholera epidemic in Yemen, which has been going on since 2016. So far over a million people have been infected and over 5,000 of those infected died, about half of them children. Naturally Yemenis are more concerned with cholera than with the covid19 pandemic. The rebels are not alarmed at the covid19 threat, which is understandable given the number of diseases still active in rural, and urban, Yemen.

There were no verified covid19 cases in Yemen until mid-April and most were subsequently either in Aden or rebels-held Sanaa. There is still a belief among many Moslems that Allah will protect the faithful. Iran used to believe that but massive covid19 casualties in Iran changed minds. The rebels still deny that there are any covid19 infections in Sanaa but foreign aid and diplomatic officials know better. For most Yemenis covid19 is not considered a major threat. Cholera, malnutrition and much else are more immediate and more lethal threats throughout Yemen. So far Yemen has reported 570 confirmed covid19 deaths. That comes out to 19 dead per million population. Saudi Arabia has 113 dead per million so far, the UAE 39, Iran 257, Egypt 53, Israel 104 and Iraq 176. In Yemen the cholera epidemic has so far killed 167 per million people.

September 1, 2020: In the north (Jawf province) and central Yemen (Marib province) government forces a rebel offensive was broken by heavy use of airstrikes and aerial surveillance. Through most of August rebels kept attacking or trying to and finally had to give up the effort. The Saudis have become more effective at interpreting aerial photos and videos to locate rebel leaders and headquarters. This apparently was the result of greater use of electronic surveillance with UAVs or manned aircraft. This greater success in finding and hitting targets with smart bombs and guided missiles led to a lot more rebel casualties. The number of rebel commanders killed has been particularly damaging. This appears to have resulted in more UAV and ballistic missile attacks against Saudi airbases near the Yemen border. These airbases are where the Saudi warplanes and UAVs operate from. So far none of the rebel air attacks have succeeded.

The government ground units have eliminated rebel forces that had been blocking easy access to Marib. In the first few months of 2020 the rebels took advantage of the Arab coalition manpower shortage. This took place after the UAE withdrew most of its troops earlier in 2020 and a new government in Sudan withdrew the 15,000 mercenaries Saudi Arabia had hired. At this point the coalition was forced to depend more on their airpower advantage until their depleted ground forces could be redistributed. By June this had stopped the Shia advance and in the last few weeks the Shia advance had led to a Shia retreat. The rebels see this as a temporary setback and still believe time is their side as long as the Iranian support continues. Iran understands this as well and is willing to finance the expensive smuggling effort at a reduced level because of the distress it causes the Saudis.

August 31, 2020: While the Shia rebels no longer control the Red Sea port of Hodeida their forces are still close enough to the port to fire on and hit ships trying to enter the port. Today the rebels threatened to fire on a ship carrying refined petroleum products and thus prevented the ship from delivering its cargo. The rebels are using this veto power over port access to try and extract more money from the UN, which now runs the port. Ships entering the port pay user fees and before the rebels were forced to withdraw from the port in May 2019, they considered the port user fees part of their income. The rebels also imposed many other fees on the foreign aid groups and paid for the supplies brought in as well as for moving these items, by truck, to areas where the food and other items were desperately needed.

The port fees and stolen aid supplies from controlling the largest Yemen port on the Red Sea was a great loss for the rebels. Hodeida is where most of the foreign aid comes in. The government and Arab Coalition finally broke rebel control of the port in late 2018 and negotiated a rebel withdrawal from the city in early 2919. The rebels can only raise the checkpoint fees so high before the traders realize that it would be cheaper to hire smugglers to get the shipments past the rebel toll keepers.

The rebel budget problems mean the fighting is not as widespread. Less money means less cash to buy ammo and fuel from local sources, usually black market. Yemen has long supported a thriving black-market economy for just about anything. Sort of a tradition. But six years of civil war have damaged the underlying economy and the rampant theft of foreign aid has dried up that source of sustenance as well. The rebels are still active but mostly to deliver verbal threats or the occasional missile or UAV attack. Iran cannot send as many missile and UAV components so that the ballistic missiles and UAVs can be assembled and armed locally.

August 30, 2020: In the north the Shia rebels sent an explosives laden UAV towards the Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia. There were no reported explosions at the airport and the Saudis later reported they had shot down the UAV soon after it crossed the border and entered Asir province. Offshore the rebels also tried to use a remotely controlled speedboat loaded with explosives to attack Red Sea shipping. The boat was detected and destroyed.

The Saudi government replaced the general commanding Saudi forces in Yemen. The outgoing general, and four of his close associates, were charged with corruption. It is unclear if this corruption involved Saudi military operations in Yemen. These are believed to cost the Saudis about a billion dollars a month. That adds up for an operation the Saudis have been financing for 64 months so far. The disgraced general is a cousin of the current Saudi leader.

August 28, 2020: Israel and the UAE are apparently planning to establish a joint ELINT (Electronic intelligence) operation on one of the Yemeni Socotra Islands. The main island is in the Gulf of Aden, 380 kilometers south of Yemen and 240 kilometers from the northeast tip of Somalia. The population is 60,000 and the island (and a few much smaller ones) lies within busy shipping lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea. In early 2019 the Yemeni government accused the UAE of supporting southern separatists and continuing to expand its military presence and influence in Socotra Island. Yemen accused the UAE of seeking to support Socotra separatists, which were then few in number, to demand more economic links with and investment from the UAE. In early 2018 the UAE withdrew its troops from Socotra after having been there for two weeks. This brief occupation angered many Yemenis who felt the UAE was trying to annex Socotra. Saudi Arabia stepped in and agreed to take over the economic development program for Socotra which the Yemeni government saw the UAE turning into an effort to make Socotra economically and politically dependent on the UAE. The UAE has always been more aggressive in this regard. The UAE subsequently used massive economic investments and well-placed bribes to gain control of the Socotra Islands government. The ELINT facility keeps track of Iranian and Yemeni Shia rebel activity around the islands. This involves Iran smuggling weapons and other military gear to the Yemeni rebels.

August 27, 2020: In the northwest an Iranian naval mine was found offshore by the naval blockade force. The rebels are trying to disrupt Red Sea traffic, which is essential for Saudi Arabian imports and even more critical for Egypt. Nearly 20,000 ships a year pass through the Red sea headed for the Suez Canal, which earns Egypt nearly $6 billion a year in transit fees. Naval mines have been put into offshore waters by Shia rebels before but so far none have succeeded in disrupting shipping.

In the north the Shia rebels fired another ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia. This one was aimed at the Saudi military base in Najran province in southwest Saudi Arabia. The Saudis announced that the missile was intercepted and there were no casualties.

August 26, 2020: In the south (Abyan Province) the STC (South Transitional Council) militia broke the July truce and resumed fighting with government forces. The STC is composed of southern tribes that want autonomy but claim they are willing to fight and defeat the Islamic terrorists as well as the Shia rebels first. Aidarous al Zubaidi, the STC leader is seen as more popular in the south than Abdrabu Mansur Hadi the last and current elected president of united Yemen. Hadi has only briefly visited Yemen a few times since 2015 and spends most of his time in the Saudi capital. This is for Hadis safety, given the number of assassinations going on in Aden, where the Hadi government was moved to in 2015. The Saudis and the UAE do not agree on dividing Yemen once more but for the moment it is more convenient to support the STC and efforts to defeat the Iran backed Shia rebels. After that, who knows?

The basic problem is that too many Yemenis dont want to be Yemenis. The country was a patchwork of independent tribes and cities when the English East India Company took control of some Yemeni ports in the 1830s and 40s to support ships going from Britain to India. The Ottoman Turks controlled most of northern Yemen until 1918, when the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Britain took over from the Ottomans and established the borders of modern Yemen. But Yemen was still not a unified country. When the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The northern one was mainly Shia while the southern one was largely Sunni Moslem. The two parts of Yemen finally united in 1990, but a civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take, and within a decade the north and south were pulling apart again.

The corruption and lack of unity is related to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa (northeast Africa) region, the normal form of government, until the last century or so, were wealthier coastal city states, nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming (or a little of both). This whole "nation" idea is still looked on with some suspicion throughout the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity as in kingdom, emirate or modern variation in the form of a hereditary dictatorship.

Yemen is still all about the tribes. The national government is a bunch of guys who deal with foreigners, and try to maintain peace among the tribes. Controlling the national government is a source of much wealth, as officials can steal part of the foreign aid and taxes, mostly on imports or royalties from meager oil exports.

This lack of nationalism means a lack of cooperation or willingness to act in the public interest. Much of the Yemeni agricultural crises is caused by the fact that Yemen's economic situation has been rapidly deteriorating since the late 20th century. This is largely because the government has done nothing to address the problems of over-population, water shortages and Khat. That last item is a narcotic plant that is chewed fresh, requires a lot of water to grow and is worth a lot of money when smuggles into Saudi Arabia where it is illegal. There is still no government in Yemen willing or able to address these fundamental problems.
On a September morning a year ago, a 3-year-old boy, wearing only a diaper, was found curled up on the porch of a Potomac Avenue house on Buffalo's West Side.

In the hours and days that followed, the horrors of what happened to the little boy and his family would come to light.

His parents, Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, and their friend, Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred, who had driven from Florida with the little boy, Noelvin, were killed. The parents' bodies were driven in their van to an open lot behind a warehouse where they were torched beyond recognition. The friend's body was also set ablaze behind a home on the other side of town.

Video from a surveillance camera captured the moment the killers led the toddler away from the burning van before dropping him off on the porch.

Just shy of a year later, prosecutors say the killers in that video now face federal murder charges. A third person is charged with burning the bodies to destroy evidence. And three more are charged with being part of a yearslong conspiracy to sell illegal drugs in Buffalo.

Jariel Cobb, 47, and James Reed, 38, were identified as the suspected killers.
(HealthDay)The flexible free school meals program that provided food to children during the summer will be extended at least through the fall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Monday.

The agency had planned to end the program at the start of September but was under pressure from lawmakers to extend it, CBS News reported. The program will be extended at least through the fall to keep millions of children fed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement Monday, the USDA said it has "extending a suite of nationwide waivers for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) through the end of 2020, or until available funding runs out."

That includes: "Allowing SFSP and SSO meals to be served in all areas and at no cost; permitting meals to be served outside of the typically-required group settings and meal times; waiving meal pattern requirements as necessary; allowing parents and guardians to pick up meals for their children," CBS News reported.

Explore further USDA extends free school meals program amid pandemic

More information: CBS News Article

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
COMMERZBANK AG - Pre Stabilsation - Federal Republic of Germany EUR 10yr

Pre-Stabilisation notice

September 2, 2020

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

Federal Republic of Germany

 Green benchmark due 2030

Pre-Stabilisation Notice

Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 13623492) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Federal Republic of Germany Guarantor (if any): n/a Aggregate nominal amount:  benchmark Description: fixed rate senior, unsecured Green Notes due 2030 Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: Denoms  0.01, ISIN DE0001030708, payment date 9 September 2020, maturity 15 August 2030 Stabilisation: Stabilisation coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

Barclays

CACIB

Deutsche Bank

J.P. Morgan

UniCredit Stabilisation period expected to start on: September 2, 2020 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: all domestic exchanges

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

END
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- (Second of two columns.)

Suppose that on Nov. 3, and for weeks thereafter, no one knows whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden has won the presidential election.

To be more specific, suppose that as of Nov. 4, Trump is unquestionably ahead in the key states  say, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. But suppose, too, that as those states count absentee and mail-in ballots, it becomes clear that Biden has won.

Predictably, Trump alleges fraud  and tweets that his supporters, and the country as a whole, should not allow THE GREATEST FRAUD IN HISTORY.

Everything will ultimately turn on the vote of the Electoral College, scheduled for Dec. 14, and on what happens on Jan. 6, when Congress meets to declare the winner. But if we have a fierce dispute in late November and early December, how on earth do we get to a final decision in early January?

The Electoral Count Act of 1887 was designed to answer that question. In my first column on this issue, I described what the ECA requires in the event of contested elections, and explained what the law is clear about. By giving the major authority to the states, and by outlining, step by step, what is supposed to happen, it sharply limits room for political maneuvering in Washington.

Unfortunately, the act also leaves some important questions unresolved. A leading political scientist of the late 19th century even described it as very confused, almost unintelligible.

Thats too harsh. But exactly how would the law handle an objection, by Trump and his campaign, that the election was rigged and that mail-in voting resulted in rampant fraud?

The first question, and the most fundamental, is whether the act is constitutional. Many people think that it isnt, and the Supreme Court has never ruled one way or another.(1)

If the critics are right in saying that it isnt constitutional, one reason is that a current Congress lacks the authority to bind a future Congress.

Indeed, some members of Congress who voted for the act in 1887 acknowledged that point. They said that it should not be seen as binding but as imposing a moral obligation, meant to eliminate chaos and to reduce the role of rank partisanship.

Story continues

Fair enough. But lets assume (and, if youre so disposed, pray) that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agree to follow the rules laid out in the act.

Even if they do, those rules leave serious gaps.

Suppose that the governors in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have made a final determination that Biden won the popular vote. As a result, the states electors plan to vote for him.

But what if Trumps supporters in Congress argue that its all a fraud  and that the president actually won the three states? The text of the Electoral Count Act is frustratingly silent on what would happen in that case. The Senate debates about the issue at the time seemed to suggest that Congress could ignore a final determination by the states, if fraud was indeed involved. If so, Republicans could try to find a way to swing the election to Trump. And if that is right, then we could easily imagine real chaos in Washington.

There is another ambiguity in the act, which says:

No electoral vote or votes from any State which shall have been regularly given by electors whose appointment has been lawfully certified . . . shall be rejected, but the two Houses concurrently may reject the vote or votes when they agree that such vote or votes have not been so regularly given by electors whose appointment has been so certified.

If Trump claims fraud, can members of Congress disregard pro-Biden votes of the electors, on the ground that they were not regularly given?

Probably not. As the legislative history suggests, the words regularly given were not understood to grant Congress much authority to reject the votes of electors.

If an elector voted for a presidential candidate who was not born in the U.S. (and hence was ineligible for office), his vote would not be regularly given. So too if an elector accepted a bribe in return for his vote. But this provision of the law was not meant to allow members of Congress to reject an electors vote on the ground that the popular vote was fraudulent. Still, the law is not exactly free of ambiguity when it comes to an allegation of fraud.

Theres also an elephant in the room: the role of the vice president, who, in this scenario, is Mike Pence.

Under the Constitution, hes the president of the Senate. For a presidential election, what does that mean?

Suppose that after a contested vote in Pennsylvania, Congress receives two reports of who won there  one from the state legislature that favors Trump, and one from the governor that favors Biden. Which prevails?

The Electoral Count Act tries to sort that out  and seems to favor the governor. It aims to limit the role of the vice president, making his role merely ceremonial.

But we should also look at the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says this:

[T]he President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President . . .

OK. But note that the key words  the votes shall then be counted  are in the passive voice. Who counts them? Pence himself? Because of his obvious rooting interest, that seems crazy  and it is inconsistent with the Electoral Count Act  but under the 12th Amendment, which supersedes any statute, it is not clearly wrong.

Lets step back a bit. If youre frustrated by the existence of unresolved questions, join the club. (Its a good club.)

My first column was meant to show that for what might be coming after Election Day, the Electoral Count Act provides a lot of guidance  much more than most people think. But crucial questions remain open, partly because of regrettable ambiguity in the law, and partly because the drafters in 1887 couldnt anticipate everything.

A constitutional crisis is unlikely, but under current circumstances, it isnt out of the question. Lets hope that we dont get there, because if we do, we wont have an easy time finding our way out.

(1) In Bush v. Gore, the principal question was whether Florida the state on whose electoral votes the election would turn had adopted an unconstitutional method for a manual recount. The court ruled that it did, on the ground that Florida had no standards for deciding whether to count ballots, and thus violated the due process and equal protection clauses. The Electoral Count Act did not play a significant role in the case. Note well: The specific problem in Bush v. Gore could arise during recounts in 2020.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of The Cost-Benefit Revolution and a co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
The launch of the National Data Gateway

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIT) on August 31 officially organised the launching workshop of the National Data Gateway after several years of testing.

At the event, Do Cong Anh, deputy head of the Authority of Information Technology Application, said that to materialise Decree No.47/2020/ND-CP dated April 9 on managing, linking, sharing digital data among local authorities and the prime minister, the MoIT collaborated with other relevant ministries to develop the National Data Gateway.

The platform is a focal point to access information and data on the internet, aiming to serve publishing open data and also supplement documents, services, and tools for data exploitation.

In a short time, the ministry will build up and launch some parts of the system, including updating information regarding the local governments data and classifying the open data. Moreover, the National Data Gateway also partners up with other platforms such as Vmap specialised in digital mapping, and Vpostcode, among others to upgrade utilities for consumers.

This is a solid base to develop the platform. The ministry will continue to research and expand each category of the project, contributing to the evolution of local e-government, said Anh.

The Authority of Information Technology Application also cited a report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) related to the rank of e-governments and the indexes of Open Geographic Datastore Interface (OGDI). Accordingly, Vietnam is at the 97th place on the OGDI, the sixth in Southeast Asia, classifying in the middle quintile.

The event also saw the attendance of representatives of Vietnam Social Insurance, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; as well as the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Science and Technology, among others.
A journalist with a Marathi news channel succumbed to Covid-19 at Punes Jumbo facility early Wednesday morning after the family allegedly had to spend much time trying to find an ambulance.

Pandurang Raykar, 42, was working with TV9 Marathi and was brought to the jumbo facility in Pune from Ahmednagar where he was undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

Following the incident, the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) has demanded the inquiry into Raykars death. Health minister Rajesh Tope has assured a detailed probe into the incident.

What happened was tragic and I have sought a report from Pune divisional commissioner. As part of government, we will try and help Raykars family in every possible way, Tope told reporters in Mumbai.

According to family members, Raykar was admitted to a newly set up jumbo facility at the College of Engineering on Tuesday where his health deteriorated in the absence of ventilator support. After struggling to get a bed at a private hospital, when family and friends were ready to shift him, they were not able to get a cardiac ambulance despite trying for a few hours, Raykars sister Akshara Shendge said.

The government claimed to have spent crores of rupees but my brother did not get an ambulance, said Shendge. One ambulance that was made available did not have oxygen support and another one had a non-functional ventilator, the family alleged.

The jumbo facility which became operational in August, has 600 oxygenated and 200 ICU beds.

It is clear negligence on part of administration that the jumbo facility did not have a cardiac ambulance to transfer any patient. PUWJ has written the letter to the chief minister, deputy chief minister, health minister and all the top bureaucrats and demanded an inquiry in Raykars death and initiate necessary action against those responsible, said PUWJ president Prasad Kulkarni.

Raykars family members said he had been ill since August 20. His first Covid-19 test came negative on August 27 though he again complained about discomfort and underwent another test which came positive.

Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital sent an ambulance at 5 am morning but the jumbo hospital announced that Raykar had passed away.

Raykars sister also blamed authorities for mismanagement in the jumbo facility. She claimed that despite sending medicines and tiffin, he did not receive because even the hospital administration was not able to identify his bed.

Reacting to the journalists death local legislator Siddharth Shirole of the BJP said, The 800-bed centre does not have adequate medical staff, and there are complaints that patients and their relatives are being mistreated here.
LIVONIA, MI - White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx thanked Michigan residents for their response to the pandemic during a Wednesday visit to a Livonia hosptial.

Birx met with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and later visited St. Mary Mercy Hospital, a key COVID-19 testing center outside Detroit.

After meeting with local health officials, she expressed thanks to Michigan residents for their role in limiting the spread of the virus while talking to reporters outside the north entrance of the hospital.

Were also going to meet with (Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan) to really tell the people of Michigan thank you for following the guidelines and the mandate and keeping your cases down, she said.

After pointing out some case increases in Macomb, Monroe and Saginaw counties, and along the border with Wisconsin in the Upper Peninsula, she stressed the need to continue to wear masks, maintain distance and assume you have it.

Continue to socially distance, continue to avoid crowds, continue to protect your vulnerable family members, she said. If youve been out and about, you have to assume you have COVID and if you visit Grandma, keep your mask on.

The federal government has not issued a mask mandate, though more than 20 states have, according to Masks4All, an advocacy group for mask-wearing. Whitmer reinforced mask-wearing mandates for indoor and public outdoor gatherings in July.

Whitmer orders mask use in Michigan, violators could be fined up to $500

Michigan has seen more than 103,000 cases of the disease, as well as more than 6,500 deaths, according to state health department data. The state is averaging 678 new cases, and 11 new deaths per day as of Tuesday, Sep. 1.

Birx credited Michigans success in limiting spread to health departments fostering partnerships with community centers, local health clinics, families and businesses. That has led to a true decline in case fatality rate, which still stands at 6.3% in the state.

Whitmer relayed to Birx that theres a need for clear and consistent guidance from the federal government, including expanded testing and a national mask mandate, the governor said in a Wednesday press conference.

I reiterated the need for enhanced federal leadership and clear, consistent communication across the Administration during my meeting with Dr. Birx, Whitmer said in a news release. I am hopeful that she will take this message back to the president in order to help us protect our families.

Whitmer also criticized recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that discouraged testing for asymptomatic people possibly exposed to COVID-19, saying it runs counter to what we are learning about this disease and jeopardizes our ability to return to school and work safely.

The CDC guidelines actually talk about the importance of asymptomatic surveillance, Birx said, but it needs to be moved up to diffuse confusion over the issue.

We know, particularly in young people, that most of them dont report symptoms or that the case is so mild that they dont know they have COVID, she said. They need to know, because they need to know not to pass the virus onto others.

Birx also chafed at the idea that herd immunity would be an answer to containing the virus, counter to the opinion of President Donald Trumps new pandemic advisor Dr. Scott Atlas.

Herd immunity is not an option in America, she said. Neither I or anybody in the Administration is going to risk American lives. The best way to herd immunity is through a vaccine.

Herd immunity without a coronavirus vaccine would do a lot of collateral damage

She pointed to two vaccines that have reached final Stage 3 trial, where developers are monitoring tens of thousands of volunteers to see if they dont develop COVID-19 independent of the immunization.

In the meantime, she reinforced the need for constant behavorial reinforcement, particularly with masks. Noting the CDC report that 94% of coronavirus deaths come from people with underlying health conditions, she emphasized that all of those vulnerable populations died from COVID, and people need to take precautions to not infect those at risk.

It is our behavior that can start cases and can stop cases, she said.

University of Michigan to conduct clinical trial of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

Read more from MLive:

Michigan nursing-home task force urges change in visitation policies, better access to PPE and tests

These 100 Michigan schools will start the year with remote learning

Laid-off Portage teachers recalled, middle school sports reinstated amid better budget outlook

These are the pros and cons for Michigan parents still looking at education options for the fall

Grand Valley students moving back to campus amid pandemic excited to be here while it lasts

First day of school looks much different this year in Jackson Public Schools
Though a second wave of Covid-19 has not reached Egypt, the government says is ready

A second wave of Covid-19 is expected in Egypt sometime in October. It will coincide with the winter season which overlaps with the influenza virus, thus creatinga formidable challenge to doctors who need to accurately diagnose patients.

Amid fears of a second wave of the virus, the Ministry of Health and Population announced the reactivation of its coexistence plan with the coronavirus, after the number of infections during the past days exceeded 200 cases a day.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said the ministry witnessed an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients. After the numbers of daily infections fell below 200 a day, they recently increased. Therefore the plan for coexistence with the coronavirus will be reactivated by applying precautionary measures in institutions and forcing everyone to wear masks on the streets and in public transportation and for the Ministry of Interior to penalise violators, Megahed said.

Patients with mild cases of Covid-19 will remain isolated at home and given treatment there. Severe cases are to be treated at any of the ministrys quarantine hospitals, he added.

Hossam Hosni, head of the Health Ministrys coronavirus committee, pointed out that the second wave had already begun globally but had not reached Egypt. Although the symptoms of influenza and Covid-19 are similar, the virus has mutated, introducing additional symptoms.

The virus now attacks not only our lungs, but our gastrointestinal tract as well. This explains the significant number of cases in which patients show gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, Hosni said.

The Ministry of Health said it was ready for all possible scenarios and that hospitals have quick-diagnostic tools needed for this stage. Hosni noted that 21 isolation hospitals have been reopened to treat moderate to severe Covid-19 cases. This took place after weeks of announcing zero Covid-19 cases in them.

Also, Egypt has so far received voluntary plasma donors in more than 15 centres all over the country. The convalescent plasma of 420 donors has been accepted, Hosni said, adding that plasma had achieved a success rate of more than 60 per cent in critical and severe cases.

Manal Salama, coordinator of the Health Ministrys coronavirus committee, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the ministry now has a significant strategic stock of convalescent plasma. Plasma treatment has revealed strong results but it does not work with all cases. However, injecting convalescent plasma has contributed to reducing the need for ventilators and increasing the number of recoveries, Salama said.

Salama pointed out that everyone must take the necessary precautions against the virus. Precautionary measures will be re-implemented decisively in institutions, companies, factories and transportation. All citizens must not be present in any of these sites without wearing masks, adopting social distancing measures and tightening the application of precautionary measures inside public facilities.The role of police checks will also be activated, said Salama.

According to Salama, in addition to the reopening of 21 hospitals to receive Covid-19 patients, the ministrys remaining hospitals will be allocated for screening. The ministry will also work on maintaining the capacity of the hospitals in order to absorb any unexpected increase in the number of Covid-19 patients. She said the ministry has already completed training its medical staff on intensive care skills, infection control and Covid-19 treatment protocols.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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CHARLESTON, W.Va.: The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for records about the widespread mail delivery delays that have pulled the Postal Service into the political spotlight as it prepares to handle an onslaught of ballots in the November election.

The subpoena, which seeks documents related to operational changes that have slowed mail and the agencys plans for the presidential election, comes after committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney said DeJoy has not sufficiently answered the panels requests for more information.

It is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committees investigation and help inform potential legislative actions, Maloney, D-N.Y., said this week.

DeJoy, a major donor to Republicans and President Donald Trump, took over the agency in June after a career in logistics and set in motion a set of policy changes that have delayed mail and sparked concern over the agencys ability to process mail-in ballots this fall.

He has appeared before Congress twice in recent weeks to testify about the removal of the agencys blue collection boxes and mail sorting machines, as well as changes to trucking operations and overtime hours that postal workers say are resulting in delays. Amid a public outcry, DeJoy said he halted some of the changes until after election.

Democrats have been pushing for increased oversight of the Postal Service following DeJoys operational changes and Trumps baseless claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. The president has also admitted that he was withholding emergency money from the agency in order to make it more difficult for the service to process what is expected to be a record number of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee is also asking for information about how DeJoy, whose appointment broke a long line of postmaster generals with previous experience at the agency, was picked for the job, as well as any communications between DeJoy and the Trump campaign. It is also requesting DeJoys unredacted calendar along with records on potential communications with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

In a letter Friday to the committee, DeJoy said postal leadership has expanded a task force on election mail with local officials and said his staff was working to provide the requested materials. He has said election mail is his No. 1 priority, and that he will authorize expanded use of overtime, extra truck trips and other measures in the weeks before the election to ensure on-time delivery of ballots.

In a statement after the subpoena was issued, a spokesman for the Postal Service said the agency will comply with the committees request.

We remain surprised and confused by Chairwoman Maloneys insistence on issuing a subpoena to the Postal Service in the midst of ongoing dialogue with her staff on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to produce information in an orderly fashion. We fully intend to comply with our obligations under the law, the statement read.

Separately, an audit from the inspector general of the Postal Service found that more than a million mail-in ballots were sent to voters late during the primary elections. The watchdog urged greater cooperation between states and the agency ahead of the November election.

The report found state election boards sent more than a million ballots within a week of their primaries, creating a high risk that they couldnt be filled out and returned in time to be counted. In thousands of cases across the country, ballots were sent out after states mailing deadlines or on election day.

The inspector general also identified a handful of concerns surrounding election mail, including ballots sent without bar-coded tracking technology, mail-in ballot designs that make processing difficult, postmark requirements and out-of-date voter addresses.

Resolving these issues will require higher level partnerships and cooperation between the Postal Service and various state officials, including secretaries of state and state election boards, the auditors wrote. Timely delivery of election and political mail is necessary to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election process.

The report found election officials in Kentucky and New York sent more than 600,000 mail-in ballots late during their primaries. In Pennsylvania, 500 ballots were mailed after election day. Seventeen states sent more than a half-million ballots after mailing deadlines, and 44,000 ballots were mailed on or a day before election day in 11 states. Also, an analysis of political and election mail in seven Postal Service processing centers between April and June identified around 1.6 million mailpieces that were not delivered on time.

The report did not evaluate controversial operational changes implemented by DeJoy. The inspector generals office has opened a separate inquiry into those changes.

DeJoy has recommended that voters request absentee ballots at least 15 days before the election and then return them within seven days from election day.

To be clear, these recommendations are designed to help ensure that ballots will be delivered and counted, and should in no way be misconstrued to imply that we lack confidence in our ability to deliver those ballots. We can, and will, handle the volume of election mail we receive," DeJoy told the House Oversight committee last week.

___

The Associated Press produced this coverage with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 11:17 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4220289 1 News COVID-19,#travel,health-protocol,tourism-industry,staycation Free

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the operation of numerous sectors in Indonesia, including tourism.

Surveys have shown that travelers plan to be more cautious in the future. An internal survey of lifestyle and travel platform Traveloka found that confidence in traveling had increased but that people had become more conscious of health and safety.

The Jakarta Post has compiled a list tourism trends that seem likely to occur or continue after the pandemic.

Tighter protocols

Batam Tourism Polytechnic, a private tourism university in Riau, has predicted that modes of transportation will continue to enforce health protocols to ensure travelers' safety.

Airlines are currently requiring travelers to present negative COVID-19 test results, along with other documents, prior to departure. It is possible that this procedure will continue in the future.

There has been demand for airports to provide rapid test services for travelers, particularly those located in popular tourist destinations. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten; Yogyakarta International Airport; Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java; and Supadio International Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, all offer such services.

Batam Tourism Polytechnic also predicted that travelers would spend more time preparing for trips and recommended that travelers allocate additional time to book tickets and seats to ensure their plans run smoothly.

Hygiene

The importance of cleanliness and hygiene has increased for travelers. Hand sanitizer, tissues and masks have become essential items, and they will continue to be indispensable for some time. Tourist establishments should respond to this tendency by prioritizing health protocols to win visitors trust.

Touchless tourism

A touchless environment may become the norm as the pandemic continues. Despite stringent health protocols, COVID-19 infection may remain a possibility, as people often touch various surfaces during their trips.

The use of technology is necessary in a hands-free environment, including touchless document scanning, voice commands and motion sensors to reduce high-touch surfaces and physical interaction.

Closer destinations

Hermawan Kartajaya, the founder and chairman of marketing consulting firm MarkPlus, told kompas.com in April that, after the pandemic, tourists would opt for closer destinations as they might hesitate to plan long-distance trips and some countries might retain travel restrictions.

Domestic tourism and staycations

Online searches for "staycation" in Indonesia surged after several locations began to ease large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in June. Hermawan predicted that domestic tourism and staycations would increase after the pandemic as people living in cities wanted to travel to nearby locations. This is where hotels and other establishments can ensure travelers health, safety and flexibility, he said. (wir/wng)
Ministry of Information & Technology on Wednesday banned 118 more mobile applications, including the app for mobile game PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG).

The Centres move comes in the backdrop of the tension between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has, for over four months now, been trying to shift its boundary with India in Ladakh.

This was the goverments third round of bans. On June 29, India banned 59 Chinese apps amid tension on the border. TikTok, UC Browser, Xender, SHAREit, WeChat and Weibo were among the notable apps that were banned in June.

The second round of blocks came on July 23, when the minstry took down mirror appilcations that were functioning despite the ban.

Here is the full list of apps banned by the government on September 2:

1.APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart

2.APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps

3.APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner

4.APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus

5.APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright

6.Cut Cut  Cut Out & Photo Background Editor

7.Baidu

8.Baidu Express Edition

9.FaceU - Inspire your Beauty

10.ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals

11.CamCard - Business Card Reader

12.CamCard Business

13.CamCard for Salesforce

14.CamOCR

15.InNote

16.VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing

17.Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster

18.WeChat reading

19.Government WeChat

20.Small Q brush

21.Tencent Weiyun

22.Pitu

23.WeChat Work

24.Cyber Hunter

25.Cyber Hunter Lite

26.Knives Out-No rules, just fight!

27.Super Mecha Champions

28.LifeAfter

29.Dawn of Isles

30.Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

31.Chess Rush

32.PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik

33.PUBG MOBILE LITE

34.Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

35.Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon

36.Dank Tanks

37.Warpath

38.Game of Sultans

39.Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos

40.Smart AppLock (App Protect)

41.Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team

42.Hide App-Hide Application Icon

43.AppLock

44.AppLock Lite

45.Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner

46.ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online

47.ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app

48.Music - Mp3 Player

49.Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

50.HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera

51.Cleaner - Phone Booster

52.Web Browser & Fast Explorer

53.Video Player All Format for Android

54.Photo Gallery HD & Editor

55.Photo Gallery & Album

56.Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download

57.HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama

58.HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

59.Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

60.Gallery HD

61.Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

62.Web Browser - Secure Explorer

63.Music player - Audio Player

64.Video Player - All Format HD Video Player

65.Lamour Love All Over The World

66.Amour- video chat & call all over the world.

67.MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community

68.MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

69.APUS Message Center-Intelligent management

70.LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

71.Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-

72.Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games

73.Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games

74.Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game

75.Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage

76.GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji

77.U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate

78.Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style

79.Tantan - Date For Real

80.MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen

81.Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat

82.Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles

83.Alipay

84.AlipayHK

85.Mobile Taobao

86.Youku

87.Road of Kings- Endless Glory

88.Sina News

89.Netease News

90.Penguin FM

91.Murderous Pursuits

92.Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology

93.Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

94.HUYA LIVE  Game Live Stream

95.Little Q Album

96.Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords

97.Hi Meitu

98.Mobile Legends: Pocket

99.VPN for TikTok

100.VPN for TikTok

101.Penguin E-sports Live assistant

102.Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices

103.iPick

104.Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie

105.Parallel Space Lite - Dual App

106.Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC

107.MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

108.AFK Arena

109.Creative Destruction NetEase Games

110.Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

111.Mafia City Yotta Games

112.Onmyoji NetEase Games

113.Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games

114.Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded

115.Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

116.Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

117.Soul Hunters

118.Rules of Survival
Prosecutors in Hennepin County, Minnesota, have filed charges against ten additional people accused of looting and causing damage in downtown Minneapolis last week.

The announcement by the Hennepin County Attorneys Office brings the total number of people charged to 26 so far.

Nine of the people charged face third-degree burglary charges. One person is charged with drug possession.

Six of those charged are from Minneapolis, KARE-TV reported. The others are from Medina, Bloomington, Burnsville and Shoreview. The defendants range in age from 22 to 50.

Last weeks unrest started after false social media rumors led some people to believe a homicide suspect had been shot by Minneapolis police, when the man actually took his own life.

It happened in an environment that one community leader called a tinderbox, days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and three months following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

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

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of GST compensation, requesting him to intervene and advise the Finance Ministry not to go ahead with the plans of transferring the burden of GST compensation on the states.

Vijayan said the government should instead follow the letter and spirit of the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 and the two borrowing options sent by the Ministry of Finance to the states should be withdrawn.

I write this letter to convey the concerns of the Government of Kerala with regard to the hurdles in the payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to the States. When GST was implemented it was agreed upon that the States would be assured of an annual compounded growth rate of 14 per cent in GST revenue with 2015-16 as the base year during the initial five years of implementation, Vijayan wrote.

The letter stated that Section 7 of the Act says compensation shall be payable to the states and it shall be provisionally calculated and released at the end of every two months. Unfortunately, since 2019-20, this provision has not been adhered to, he added.

The chief minister said from April 1, 2020, no compensation has been released to the states. The amount due to Kerala from April to August of financial year 2020-21 is Rs 7,0000 crore.

It is felt that transferring the obligation of GST compensation to the States through their borrowing is not in accordance with the spirit of understanding reached between the Centre and the States during the discussions preceding the constitutional amendment for bringing in GST, the letter stated.

Several states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand and Punjab have complained to the Centre about no disbursement of GST dues, leading to issues such as payment of salaries, fighting the Covid-19 battle and day-to-day work of governments.
A pregnant woman has been arrested in her own home over a Facebook post allegedly inciting anti-lockdown protest in Victoria.

Zoe Lee Buhler, 28, was handcuffed in her lounge room in front of her children and partner on Wednesday afternoon and charged with incitement.

Several officers entered the house in Miners Rest, Ballarat, northwest of Melbourne, with a search warrant and began reading the young mother her rights.

'Excuse me, incitement for what, what on Earth? I'm in my pyjamas, my two kids are here,' she said, clearly confused.

'I have an ultrasound in an hour because I'm pregnant.'

Ms Buhler's alleged offending post linked to a since-deleted 'Freedom Day Ballarat' event she created for 11am on Saturday on Sturt Street.

'Anyone from Ballarat please join us in our fight for freedom and human rights!' she wrote on Sunday with a link to the event page.

The increasingly distressed mother insisted she wasn't breaking any laws by creating and then promoting the event.

Zoe Buhler, 28, was handcuffed in her lounge room in front of her children on Wednesday afternoon and charged with incitement

'Actually you are, that's why we're arresting you in relation to incitement,' police replied.

Ms Buhler offered to delete the post as her boyfriend James Timmins tried to mediate while cradling their infant child in his arms.

'How about she just doesn't do the event? It's not like she's done it, she made a post,' he said.

Police were unmoved, telling her: 'You've already committed the offence.'

Ms Buhler was distressed by this point and crying so much she could barely tell officers that she 'didn't realise' she was 'doing anything wrong' in making the online event.

Police said they would seize all electronic devices in the house including those belonging to Mr Timmins and Ms Buhler's sister.

Ms Buhler was later charged with incitement and released on bail to face Ballarat Magistrates Court on January 25 next year.

Her friends and family were horrified when they learned of the arrest via a Facebook post.

'This is absolutely disgusting!! Why dont they do their job and catch some real criminals. This fear mongering is ridiculous,' one friend said.

'This cannot be legal,' another added.

Mother-of-two Ms Buhler with her boyfriend James Timmins, who filmed her being arrested

Ms Buhler allegedly created this event for Saturday at 11am on Sturt Street in Ballarat

Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia anybody thinking of 'attending the protest... can expect a swift and firm response from police.'

'We will have no hesitation in issuing $1,652 fines to anyone who is breaching the restrictions on the day, or making arrests if necessary.'

Regional Victorian towns like Ballarat are spared the ultra-tough Stage Four lockdown but are still in Stage Three, making it illegal for more than two people to gather.

Police consider any protests to be in breach of these rules and have proved willing to arrest anyone organising or encouraging any gatherings.

Victoria Police claimed the protest would put lives at risk and anyone who showed up would be fined or arrested.

Radio king-turned Sky News pundit Alan Jones was so enraged by seeing the video of Ms Buhler's arrest that he called on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to resign.

'Thankfully I am not the only Australian who thinks this is appalling, disgusting and disgraceful,' he wrote in a rant to his Facebook page after Daily Mail Australia published the video.

'The only person guilty of incitement is the Premier of Victoria.

'His outlandish grab for power, his disdain of any accountability is forcing people to behaviour simply designed to take back their freedom.'

Ms Buhler's alleged offending post linked to a since-deleted 'Freedom Day Ballarat' event she created

Ms Buhler offered to delete the post but was told she had already committed an offence

Angry Alan Jones backs up Zoe Lee Radio king-turned Sky News pundit Alan Jones was so enraged by seeing the video of Ms Buhler's arrest that he called on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to resign. He posted this comment to his Facebook page after seeing the video after Daily Mail Australia was the first to publish it. DANIEL ANDREWS SHOULD RESIGN TONIGHT Thankfully I am not the only Australian who thinks this is appalling, disgusting and disgraceful. A pregnant woman, forced into tears, handcuffed in her pyjamas, in front of her children, I think it is in Ballarat, for 'incitement'. The only person guilty of incitement is the Premier of Victoria. His outlandish grab for power, his disdain of any accountability is forcing people to behaviour simply designed to take back their freedom. This woman is a victim of the appalling and unlimited powers given to the Victorian police. Everyone knew it would come to this. You can only push people so far. Wherein lies the violence in what you see here? The violence towards a pregnant mother is the like of which no Australian will tolerate. Go Daniel Andrews and go now before more damage is done. Advertisement

Ms Buhler's event coincided with what coronavirus conspiracy theorists and general anti-lockdown activists have dubbed 'Freedom Day'.

Similar events have popped up around Melbourne as anger grows over its draconian Stage Four lockdown that won't end until at least September 13.

Police have vowed to quash the protests after weekend demonstrations in Dandenong and have arrested several other organisers.

Three police officers even came to the door of a woman in southeast Melbourne and warned her about the possibility of incitement charges.

She had hours earlier made Facebook and Instagram posts encouraging Melburnians to take their allowed one hour of exercise at the same time.

Ms Buhler's 'peaceful protest' even stressed that attendees follow restrictions like wearing masks and social distancing 'so we don't get arrested'.

'As some of you may have seen, the government has gone to extreme measures and are using scare tactics through the media to prevent the Melbourne protest,' the event page read.

'Here in Ballarat we can be a voice for those is Stage Four lockdowns. We can be seen and hopefully make a difference!

'End lockdowns! Stand for human rights! We live in a free country!'

A protest is being organised in Melbourne that aims to deft the strict stage four lockdown restrictions

Mr Andrews is facing mounting pressure to resign from his post amid the strict lockdown, particularly after he successfully extended the state of emergency by another six months.

The bill passed just before 2am on Wednesday in the Victorian Upper House, with 20 votes in favour and 19 against.

The six-month extension was a compromise by Mr Andrews, who initially proposed a 12-month extension which was met with furious backlash from the public, civil rights groups and both sides of politics.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison directly asked Mr Andrews last week to reconsider his proposal and urged him to seek monthly or quarterly prolongments instead.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Mr Andrews had 'a lot of questions to answer'.

'I understand why Victorians are now very concerned by the Victorian government announcing yesterday that it wants to extend the emergency powers for another 12 months,' Mr Frydenberg said.

'I share those concerns, and the Victorian government has to explain its decision.

'At the end of the day we will do everything to support Victorians get to the other side of this crisis, but the Victorian government has a lot of questions to answer.'

Most recently, ex-prime minister Tony Abbott criticised Australia's handling of the crisis and accused Mr Andrews of wanting to extend a 'health dictatorship'.

Mr Abbott questioned whether strict lockdowns have been proportionate to the health risks, and said he hoped international borders would reopen by Christmas.

Speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank in London on Tuesday, Mr Abbott blamed the 'extraordinary ineptitude of the Victorian Government in the management of its hotel quarantine system' for Australia's outbreak.
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, will hold the annual ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp 2020) co-located with the ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC 2020) virtually from September 12-17. UbiComp/ISWC is the premier interdisciplinary venue for leading international researchers, designers, developers, and practitioners in the field to present and discuss novel results in all aspects of ubiquitous, pervasive and wearable computing. This includes the design, development, and deployment of ubiquitous and pervasive computing technologies and the understanding of human experiences and social impacts that these technologies facilitate.

The UbiComp/ISWC 2020 organizers have put together a broad multidisciplinary program, with research papers including articles published by the Proceedings of ACM on Interactive, Mobile and Wearable Technologies (IMWUT), briefs and notes submitted to the International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC), and a range of other contributions to the field. This year's program includes six keynote talks, 140 IMWUT and ISWC papers spread over 15 sessions and three parallel tracks, 49 posters and demos, six workshops, the Doctoral Symposium, and an ISWC Design Discussion.

"Our research community is keenly aware of what is going on in the world, and we have received many submissions that examine how mobile and pervasive computing might be used to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on society," said UbiComp General Co-chair Nadir Weibel, UC San Diego. "We've also planned parts of our program to address this. For example, we have arranged for three Keynote talks on COVID-19, featuring leading researchers working on the forefront of pandemic response. These talks will address how people are using pervasive and mobile computing to track the spread of the virus."

Considering the impact of the pandemic on physical and mental health and social interactions, UbiComp/ISWC Program Chairs have also invited three keynote speakers (Rana El Kaliouby, Affectiva; James Pennebaker, UT Austin; Phil Cohen, Monash University) who will speak on the topics of emotion AI, expressive writing, and dialogue systems. The opening keynotes by Kaliouby and Pennebaker will be followed by a discourse on emotion and expression. Virtual attendees will then have the opportunity to participate in an open discussion on how ubiquitous computing and wearable technologies can contribute to the research and development supporting health and wellbeing and social interaction post-pandemic.

"Although we will be virtual this year, we have put a great deal of effort in bringing the full conference experience to our attendees," added UbiComp General Co-chair Kristof Van Laerhoven, University of Siegen. "Virtual attendees will be able to engage with the conference live and see all of the talks at the scheduled time, as well as attend the Q&A panels at the end of each session. We will be using the Whova app that will facilitate interaction across attendees and with the speakers throughout the conference. Whova will also allow you to revisit the talks and panels you missed after the fact, since everything will be available for asynchronous consumption right after the live sessions."

"The social aspect of a conference is also extremely important, and we've organized incredible opportunities for virtual interaction, engagement and discussion," said UbiComp General Co-chair Monica Tentori, CICESE. "For example, we've organized a gather.town interactive space for the Posters, Demos, and the Gadget Show and conference goers will be able to have coffee or a drink with friends, bump into old and new colleagues, experience the city of Cancun, Mexico virtually, and much more."

2020 ACM UBICOMP HIGHLIGHTS

Keynote Speakers

"Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology During Covid-19"

Rana el Kaliouby, Affectiva

We live our lives surrounded by artificial intelligence (AI) that helps us be smarter and more productive, and sometimes even healthier and happier. Designed to interact with humans, these systems have advanced cognitive capabilities -- lots of IQ, but no EQ. And that is an issue. Just like empathetic and successful human beings have high emotional intelligence, AI must have EQ in order to be more perceptive, responsive and accurate. What if technology could understand humans the way we understand each other? Kaliouby will discuss Emotion AI, and how, in a global pandemic, it can help us better connect with one another.

"Translating emotional experiences into words: Expressive writing, interviewing, and COVID"

James W. Pennebaker, University of Texas, Austin

When people are asked to write about personal upheavals, their physical and mental health often improves. Pennebaker will summarize several studies that point to the health benefits of limited online emotional expression using both Reddit and more controlled studies. Pennebaker will also discuss the implications for building automated agents to improve the health of distressed populations.

"Back to the Future for Dialogue Research"

Philip Cohen, Monash University

Cohen's talk argues that future conversational systems that can engage in multiparty, collaborative dialogues will require a more fundamental approach than existing technology. Specifically, he argues that current transactional dialogue systems, such those of Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant, and Microsoft's Cortana, are limited in important ways that will prevent usage in more complex applications. The talk shows how our returning to the plan-based approach to dialogue will provide a stronger foundation by coupling neural network-based semantic parsing with plan-based reasoning. In the last part of this talk, Cohen raises the topic of malevolent dialogue systems that can prey on unwary people and robots. He proposes that the subfield of dialogue research investigate defensive dialogue systems that are capable of inferring and responding to an adversary's manipulative plans and intentions.

Pandemic Response Panel

UbiComp 2020's Pandemic Response Panel will include three short keynote addresses, followed by a panel discussion.

"Modeling infectious spread on a university campus"

Natasha Martin, University of California San Diego

Martin will discuss her recent work involved with the COVID response as co-lead of the UCSD Return to Learn program. This program aims to use a data-driven framework to inform how to improve university campus safety through risk mitigation, viral monitoring, and public health efforts. She has developed county-level forecasting models for California, and individual-based network models to understand the impact of campus configuration and testing strategies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

"Agent-based Models of Infectious Spread"

Pinar Keskinocak; Georgia Institute of Technology

As the COVID19 spread in the US continues to grow, local and state officials face difficult decisions about when and how to transition to a new normal. Keskinocak's team developed an agent-based simulation model to project the infection spread; outcomes include the number of COVID19 infections and resulting severe outcomes, and the need for hospital capacity under social distancing, particularly, shelter-in-place and voluntary quarantine.

"On-body Technologies to Predict Infectious Disease"

John A. Rogers, Northwestern University

Scientists at Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab have developed a novel wearable device and a set of data algorithms tailored to catch early signs and symptoms associated with COVID-19 and to monitor patients as the illness progresses. The device is the size of a postage stamp. It is soft, flexible, wireless and sits just below the suprasternal notch, the visible dip at the base of the throat.

Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT) Papers

Below we have highlighted a few papers. For the full list of papers, visit here

"SmokingOpp: Detecting the Smoking 'Opportunity' Context Using Mobile Sensors"

Soujanya Chatterjee, Santosh Kumar, Sayma Akther, University of Memphis; Alexander Moreno, James Matthew Rehg, Georgia Institute of Technology; Steven Lloyd Lizotte, Cho Lam, Neng Wan, David W Wetter,University of Utah; Emre Ertin, The Ohio State University; Christopher P Fagundes, Rice University

Context plays a key role in impulsive adverse behaviors such as fights, suicide attempts, binge-drinking, and smoking lapse. The authors define the general concept of 'opportunity' contexts and apply it to the case of smoking cessation. They operationalize the smoking 'opportunity' context, using self-reported smoking allowance and cigarette availability. They show its clinical utility by establishing its association with smoking occurrences using Granger causality. They mine several informative features from GPS traces, including the novel location context of smoking spots, to develop the SmokingOpp model for automatically detecting the smoking 'opportunity' context. Finally, they train and evaluate the SmokingOpp model using 15 million GPS points and 3,432 self-reports from 90 newly abstinent smokers in a smoking cessation study.

"AuraRing: Precise Electromagnetic Finger Tracking"

Farshid Salemi Parizi, Eric Whitmire, Shwetak Patel, University of Washington

The authors present AuraRing, a wearable magnetic tracking system designed for tracking fine-grained finger movement. The hardware consists of a ring with an embedded electromagnetic transmitter coil and a wristband with multiple sensor coils. By measuring the magnetic fields at different points around the wrist, AuraRing estimates the five degree-of-freedom pose of the ring. We develop two different approaches to pose reconstruction--a first-principles iterative approach and a closed-form neural network approach. Notably, AuraRing requires no runtime supervised training, ensuring user and session independence. AuraRing has a resolution of 0.1 mm and a dynamic accuracy of 4.4 mm, as measured through a user evaluation with optical ground truth. The ring is completely self-contained and consumes just2.3 mW of power.

"UbiquiTouch: Self Sustaining Ubiquitous Touch Interfaces"

Anandghan Waghmare, Qiuyue Xue, Dingtian Zhang, Yuxui Zhao, Shiva Mittal, Nivedita Arora, Ceara Byrne, Thad Starner, Gregory D Abowd, Georgia Institute of Technology

The authors present UbiquiTouch, an ultra low-power wireless touch interface. With an average power consumption of 30.91W, UbiquiTouch can run on energy harvested from ambient light. It achieves this performance through low power touch sensing and passive communication to a nearby smartphone using ambient FM backscatter. The authors also address the future application space for this technology.

"AssessBlocks: Exploring Toy Block Play Features for Assessing Stress in Young Children after Natural Disasters"

Xiyue Wang, Kazuki Takashima, Tohoku University, Tomoaki Adachi, Miyagi Gakuin Women's University, Patrick Finn, Ehud Sharlin, University of Calgary, Yoshifumi Kitamura, Tohoku University

Following the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the authors witnessed a shift of toy block play behavior in young children who suffered from stress after the disaster. The behavior reflected their emotional responses to the traumatic event. The authors explore the feasibility of using data captured from block-play to assess children's stress after a major natural disaster. They prototyped sets of sensor-embedded toy blocks, AssessBlocks, that automate quantitative play data acquisition. During a three-year period, the blocks were dispatched to fifty-two post-disaster children. Within a free play session, they captured block features, a child's playing behavior, and stress evaluated by several methods. The results reveal correlations between block play features and stress measurements and show initial promise of using the effectiveness of using AssessBlocks to assess children's stress after a disaster.

"PrivateBus: Privacy Identification and Protection in Large-Scale Bus WiFi Systems"

Zhihan Fang, Boyang Fu, Zhou Qin, Desheng Zhang; Rutgers University; Fan Zhang, SIAT, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shenzhen Beidou Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd

The ubiquity of mobile devices has led to an increasing demand of public network services, e.g., WiFi hot spots. As a part of this trend, modern transportation systems are equipped with public WiFi devices to provide Internet access for passengers as people spend a large amount of time on public transportation in their daily life. However, one of the key issues in public WiFi spots is the privacy concern due to its open access nature. The authors conducted a case study in a large-scale bus WiFi system, which contains 20 million connection records and 78 million location records from 770 thousand bus WiFi users during a two-month period. In their paper, they also introduce their PB-HIDE algorithm, which protects more than 95% users from the potentially leaked information by inserting only 1.5% synthetic records in the original dataset to preserve their data utility.

ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC)

Below we have highlighted a few of ISWC's Notes & Briefs offerings. For the full list of papers, visit here.

"Smartwatch-based Topic Suggestion to Enrich Casual Conversations in Awkward Encounters"

Hiromu Ogawa, Pattie Maes, MIT Media Lab

Encounters with casual acquaintances are common in our daily lives. In such situations, people are sometimes unable to find an appropriate topic for conversation, and as such, an awkward silence follows. In this study, the authors examined a method to enrich casual conversations for an unintended encounter by following three strategies. (1) an online questionnaire survey that involves 10,750 participants to determine how they experience awkward encounters. (2) the design and implementation of a smartwatch-based topic suggestion that relies on finding a commonality in the users' video-viewing histories. (3) demos and semi-structured interviews that involves 15 participants to evaluate this approach. This investigation demonstrates that this novel approach can help users overcome the awkwardness of conversations with casual acquaintances.

"A Wearable Magnetic Field Based Proximity Sensing System for Monitoring COVID-19 Social Distancing"

Sizhen Bian, Hymalai Bello, Bo Zhou, Paul Lukowicz, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)

The authors present a wearable, oscillating magnetic field-based proximity sensing system to monitor social distancing as suggested to prevent COVID 19 spread (being between 1.5 and 2.0m) apart. They evaluate the system both in controlled lab experiments and in a real-life large hardware store setting. They demonstrate that, due physical properties of the magnetic field, the system is much more robust than current BlueTooth (BT)- based sensing, in particular being nearly 100% correct when it comes to distinguishing between distances above and below the 2.0m threshold.

"Face Mask Design to Mitigate Facial Expression Occlusion"

Ca?lar Genc, Ashley Colley, Jonna Hakkila; University of Lapland; and Markus Lochtefeld, Aalborg University

The COVID-19 pandemic dictated that wearing face masks during public interactions was the new norm across much of the globe. As the masks naturally occlude part of the wearer's face, the part of communication that occurs through facial expressions is lost--and could reduce acceptance of mask wear. To address the issue, the authors created 2 face mask prototypes, incorporating simple expressive display elements and evaluated them in a user study. They believe their work provides a stepping-stone towards producible solutions for smart face masks that could potentially increase the acceptability of face mask wear in public.

Workshops

* HASCA 2020: 8th International Workshop on Human Activity Sensing Corpus and Applications

* CML-IOT 2020: 2nd Workshop on Continual and Multimodal Learning for Internet of Things

* CPD 2020: THE 3rd Workshop on Combining Physical and Data-Driven Knowledge in Ubiquitous Computing

* Mental Health: Sensing and Intervention

* UbiTtention 2020: 5th International Workshop on Smart & Ambient Notification and Attention Management

* WellComp'20: 3rd International Workshop on Computing for Well-being

###

About UbiComp

The ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) is a premier venue for presenting research in the design, development, deployment, evaluation and understanding of ubiquitous computing systems, including pervasive, wireless, embedded, wearable and mobile technologies, to bridge the gaps between the digital and physical worlds. Ubicomp brings together top researchers and practitioners who are interested in both the technical and applied aspects of ubiquitous computing. UbiComp is sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Mobility of Systems, Users, Data and Computing (SIGMOBILE) and the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI).

About ISWC

ISWC (ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers) is a premier interdisciplinary venue in which leading international researchers, designers, developers, and practitioners in the field present and discuss novel results in all aspects of wearable computing. This includes the design, development, and deployment of wearable computing technologies and the understanding of human experiences and social impacts that these technologies facilitate. It has been held yearly since 1997 and is collocated with International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) since 2013.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
01.09.2020 LISTEN

The Accra High Court has dismissed the lawsuit filed by MTN, in which it was urging the court to quash the decision by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to classify it as a significant market power (SMP) in the telecommunications industry in Ghana.

The court at its sitting on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 dismissed MTNs case and also awarded cost of GH10,000 against the giant mobile network company, according to the ruling.

The decision means that the NCA can now take remedial measures against MTN in order to promote competition and protect other mobile network operators and consumers.

The legal action by MTN, which challenged the processes that led to it being classified by the NCA as a Significant Market Power (SMP) in the telecommunication industry, commenced at the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court.

MTN went to court with a judicial review application urging the court to quash the NCA's decision with an argument that the regulator failed to give it a hearing before classifying it as an SMP.

The NCA, however, insisted in its affidavit in opposition to the application that at all material times, MTN was aware and participated in the process that led to it being classified as an SMP.

 citinewsroom
Minister: Over 10,000 Migrants Stopped from Entering Greece

PIRAEUS, GreeceGreek authorities have prevented thousands of migrants from entering Greece clandestinely by sea this year despite a recent lack of cooperation from the Turkish coast guard, the countrys shipping minister said Wednesday.

Giannis Plakiotakis, whose ministry is also in charge of the coast guard, said arrivals were down 84 percent since March 1, compared to the same period last year, while the reduction in the month of August stood at nearly 95 percent compared to August 2019.

Since the start of the year, the entry of more than 10,000 people has been prevented, Plakiotakis said during a news conference. In August alone, he said, we had 68 cases of prevention and we succeeded in 3,000 people not entering our country.

A woman looks at a migrant who has camped at central Victoria square in Athens, on Sep. 2, 2020. (Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo)

This, he said, was achieved despite the Turkish coast guard ignoring appeals by the Greek coast guard to stop migrant boats leaving Turkish waters. He also accused Turkeys coast guard of actively escorting the boats to the edge of Greek territorial waters.

There are cases where (the Turkish coast guard) is accompanying boats with refugees and migrants to our borders and  trying to create problems, he said.

Plakiotakis would not elaborate on how the boats were prevented from entering Greek waters, which also mark the southeastern border of the European Union. But he stressed the coast guard operates based on international law and international legality, based on the rules of engagement at sea, and  with complete respect for human dignity and of course for human life.

Plakiotakis said just 316 people entered by sea this July, compared to 5,551 last July, while August saw 455 arrivals, compared to 8,288 in August 2019.

Greece has beefed up patrols along the land and sea border with Turkey, particularly after Ankara sent thousands of migrants to the land border in March, saying its own frontier to the European Union was open for anyone wanting to head into the EU.

Athens has insisted it has the right to protect its borders from people attempting to enter clandestinely. The European border patrol agency Frontex is also assisting in patrolling Greeces eastern border, with 13 boats, four planes and one helicopter, as well as 650 officers and 72 patrol cars.

Previous years saw a modicum of cooperation between the Greek and Turkish coast guards. Under a 2016 EU-Turkey deal, Turkish authorities agreed to crack down on migration flows toward Greece, including by stopping boats heading to the Greek islands.

But Greek authorities say the Turkish coast guard no longer responds to their calls when migrant boats are sighted.

Greek-Turkish relations have deteriorated dramatically in the past few months, with the two neighbors sending warships to the eastern Mediterranean in an dispute over rights to potential offshore energy resources.

By Elena Becatoros
(Newser)  A Georgia man who was seen slapping a female reporter's rear on live TV pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery. Thomas Callaway, 44, was arrested and charged in December after he was caught on camera swatting the rear end of WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian as she was reporting live on a Savannah road race, per the AP. Callaway was running in the race and reached out to strike Bozarjian as he passed her. A video of the incident, which showed a stunned Bozarjian, was viewed millions of times on social media. Before his arrest last year, Callaway gave an on-camera apology and said he never intended to slap the reporter's rear. He said he was raising his arm trying to pat her on the back or the shoulder and didn't realize until seeing the video that he'd touched her buttocks.

story continues below

Under Georgia law, sexual battery is punishable by up a year in jail, but Callaway was sentenced to a year on probation and fined $1,000 after entering his plea, according to records filed in Chatham County Recorder's Court. The judge also ordered him to perform 200 hours of community service. "All I really hope is that, going forward in the future, he will do better," Bozarjian told WSAV-TV after court Tuesday, adding, "While I understand that this has probably disrupted his life more than he ever imagined, nobody has a right to touch anybody or slap anybody for their own amusement."

(Read more sexual battery stories.)
A standard education degree is no longer enough to prepare prospective teachers for the challenges they will face in a job that has changed beyond recognition, the former head of the NSW Education Standards Authority has told an inquiry.

Tom Alegounarias, who also used to lead the NSW Institute of Teachers, said education degrees should emulate medical ones and require a few years of on-the-job training before a teacher became fully qualified.

One area in which both new and long-time teachers were not trained sufficiently was the use of data as evidence of effectiveness in the classroom, which has led to a culture of resistance within the profession, he said.

Teaching degrees are not up to the job of meeting the demands of a modern classroom Credit:Simon Schluter

Mr Alegounaris gave evidence on Wednesday to an inquiry into the changing nature of teaching chaired by former West Australian premier Geoff Gallop and commissioned by the NSW Teachers Federation.
State

State BJP unit reaffirms commitment to early resolution of Naga political issue

DIMAPUR, SEP 2 (NPN) | Publish Date: 9/2/2020 12:26:19 PM IST

BJP Nagaland unit has reaffirmed its stand towards realising an early political solution to the Naga political issue.

In a resolution adopted in this regard at the first executive virtual meeting held on August 29 at The Heritage Kohima for the tenure 2020-23, the party asserted that it stood for an early solution to the Naga political issue that was inclusive, acceptable and honourable, keeping in mind the history and political rights of the people.

Observing that the talks have made tremendous strides in recent years, the party appreciated all groups involved the Government of India (GoI), NSCN (I-M) and Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC, NNPGs)  for their sincerity in having brought the peace process thus far.

Claiming that the PDA government, of which BJP is an integral partner, was playing the role of an active facilitator in the ongoing political negotiations, the party acknowledged the negotiating parties in their quest for lasting peace and all-round development of Naga people.

It also reaffirmed its earlier declared stand under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJPs national president Jagat Prakash Nadda.

Resolving to continue fighting COVID-19 pandemic in the State and across the country in every possible way, the sate BJP stated that till date its legislators and karyakartas have been working tirelessly to fight the pandemic.

The party declared that it would continue to follow the pragmatic vision of Modi for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) by actively promoting local manufacturing of various essential products for self-reliance while fighting the pandemic.

Conveying its gratitude to Modi and the BJP-led NDA government for having brought the country thus far when it can produce two lakh PPE kits and N95 masks per day now as against zero production when the pandemic began, the partys State unit declared to continue working tirelessly for the people of the State and the country.

The party further resolved to stand with the commitment made during the pre-poll alliance for PDA with NDPP under the leadership and blessing of Modi, then national BJP president Amit Shah and Nadda.

The State unit declared to continue standing faithfully committed to uphold the party principles and ideologies and bring all-round development, peace and prosperity to the people of Nagaland by restructuring its stand and vision for a self reliant Nagaland under the dynamic leadership of Modi and Nadda.

Earlier, in his presidential address, State BJP president Temjen Imna Along welcomed all central leaders and thanked them for their constant support in guiding him all along. He asserted the State BJP has come a long way since the time it did not have a single elected member in the Legislative Assembly to having 12 MLAs now. He appreciated partys former State president Visazolie Lhoungu for his presence and his great leadership in bringing the State unit thus far despite all difficulties.

The first session of the rally was addressed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muralidharan, wherein he congratulated the new team of office bearers and expressed his happiness at the successful virtual meeting of the State BJPs first executive meeting.

Speaking on the Naga political issue, Muralidharan highlighted some landmark achievements and progress made under the leadership of Modi like the historic signing of the Frame Work Agreement on August 3, 2015 between GoI and NSCN (I-M) and the agreement signed with WC, NNPGs on November 17, 2017.

He observed that the Naga political issue was at a very crucial juncture and claimed that the NDA government led by Modi, who is ably supported by Nadda and Shah, was very keen to bring the decades-old Naga issue to a logical conclusion.

He appreciated Along for leading from the front in the battle against COVID-19 and efficiently dealing with the pandemic in Nagaland along with all the BJP karyakartas.

On the occasion, certificates of appreciation and little tokens of love were given away to families through full-time workers after observing one-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls.

The second session was addressed by BJPs national general secretary and Northeast in-charge Ram Madhav during which he remarked that the partys Nagaland unit had come a long way from being branded as non-Naga, anti-Christian party, Hindu party, etc, to becoming a partner in the ruling coalition with 12 MLAs at present with a strong network across the State.

Madhav said it was the courage and toil of the karyakartas in the past that brought the BJP to its present situation in Nagaland.

The third session saw the adoption of party resolution led by State vice-president Kevidezo Peter Rutsa and its subsequent adoption and approval by the House. Organisational report as well as future programme of the party was presented by the partys State general secretary Khevishe Serna.
A man looked cool, calm and collected as he cradled a nursing shark that would not let go of his arm.

Dozens of people swarmed around the man to catch a glimpse of the small shark which had bitten down on his limb on Jensen Beach, Florida.

People could not believe what they were seeing as the fish clung to him on the beach in Martin County and every time he tried to pull it off it bit down harder.

The smiling man, whose name is not known, appeared unfazed when a nursing shark bit down on his arm as he too a dip in the ocean on Jensen Beach, in Florida

The shark clamped down its strong jaw on his arm and refused to release its grip on the man. Every time he tried to remove it, the creature would bite down harder and deeper into his skin

Rescue teams tried to remove the nursing shark, which has thousands of small serrated teeth, from the chilled out man, who played around with the fish's large back fin

The chilled man can be seen chatting to Martin County Ocean Rescue staff who came to help remove the creature.

As they stand around he begins playing with the nurse shark's back fin, seemingly unfazed by it sinking its teeth into his skin.

The rescuers, which provide protection and response to emergencies at four guarded beaches in the county, assess the situation and decide on the best way to remove the shark.

They are soon joined by fire crews who were all wearing masks compared to the huge crowds forming around them not following social distancing rules.

The man continues to stand around smiling and happily conversing with the team as they try to remove it. He jokes: 'I just wanted to play volleyball guys, OK?'

Groups of people gathered on Jensen beach to get a look at the sight, ignorign social distancing rules while the man joked: 'I just wanted to play volleyball guys, ok?'

Despite several attempts to take out the long teeth buried in his skin while stood on the beach, he eventually get on board a beach buggy.

A man in the background shouts: 'You're a hero Cody.'

According to one onlooker, the man was taken to the hospital is doing 'okay' after the shark was removed.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala continues to be an inspiration in the management of the coronavirus pandemic at the international level.

In the latest, a monthly British magazine 'Prospect' has announced that state Health Minister K K Shailaja has been selected as the world's top thinker for the Covid-19 age.

She has been selected from a list of 50 personalities which include Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand; philosopher Cornel West; historian of slavery Olivette Otele among others.

READ HERE: KK Shailaja tops as women dominate top 10 of Prospect's 'thinkers for the COVID-19 age' list

As per the magazine, 'she was the right woman in the right place'.

"When Covid-19 was still a China story in January, she not only accurately foresaw its inevitable arrival, but also fully grasped the implications," the Magazine piece read.

Other international media organisations like BBC, The New York Times, The Guardian and others in the past have also expressed appreciation for Kerala's efforts in controling the spread of the pandemic.
>>> No new COVID-19 cases recorded on September 1 morning

This morning, Quang Nam Central General Hospital in the central province of Quang Nam discharged five patients after multiple consecutive negative tests for SARS-CoV-2  the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

All five patients are locals, including a nine-year-old child from Ha Lam Town, Thang Binh District.

Also in the morning, two patients with COVID-19 were announced as recovered and discharged from Quang Nam Regional General Hospital.

Deputy Director of the Quang Nam Provincial Department of Health Mai Van Muoi said that after being discharged from the hospital, these seven will continue to practice self-isolation at their homes for the next 14 days under the supervision of local medical staff and in accordance with set regulations.

According to the Quang Nam Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, 22 local COVID-19 patients were discharged earlier.

In Hanoi, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases announced the recovery of three COVID-19 patients this afternoon, including a male patient from Hanoi who had earlier suffered from severe lung damage of up to 70% of capacity.

The 63-year-old man, known as Patient no. 812, from Phu Dien Ward, Bac Tu Liem District, was hospitalised on August 8. His health condition deteriorated rapidly as he had severe lung damage and needed ventilation support. However, after only one week of intensive treatment, the patient gradually recovered.

Patient no. 812 (L) declared as recovered on September 1, 2020 after suffering from lung damage of up to 70% due to COVID-19. (Photo: Ministry of Health)



The man was discharged this afternoon along with two others from the provinces of Lang Son and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

The Hanoi-based hospital is providing treatment to 21 COVID-19 patients, two among them are suffering from serious lung damage, including Patient 793, who is infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria and has to rely on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support. The remaining patient, known as Patient 867 is showing no abnormal signs, but is still positive for COVID-19.

In Da Nang, the Da Nang Lung Hospital on the same day announced the recovery of five COVID-19 patients, including three from the city and two others from the neighbouring province of Quang Nam.

Five patients declared recovered at Da Nang Lung Hospital on September 1, 2020. (Photo: NDO/Manh Tran)



Currently, the hospital is monitoring and treating 60 patients infected with the coronavirus, including the first patient detected in the city, whose illness marked the start of the second wave of COVID-19 infection in Vietnam late July.

However, according to doctor Le Thanh Phuc, Director of Da Nang Lung Hospital, the 57-year-old man, known as Patient no. 416, has had four negative test results for SARS-CoV-2, meaning that he is free from the coronavirus but still in a critical condition as he has to rely totally on ECMO due to fibrosis and solidification on both lungs.

The 57-year-old patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on July 23 with idiopathic hypertension and has been relying on ECMO since July 24.

The total number of COVID-19 infections in Vietnam has reached 1,044 cases with 34 deaths.

Of the total, 690 were locally transmitted cases, with 550 linked to the outbreak in Da Nang since July 25 when the second wave of COVID-19 emerged from the central city.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:40:01|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Wednesday ordered the immediate freezing of funds and property attached to nine Kenyans, alleged to finance al-Shabab terror activities in the country and Somalia.

Interior cabinet secretary, Fred Matiang'i said Halima Ali, Waleed Zein, Sheikh Boru, Mohammed Ali, Nuseiba Haji, Abdimajit Hassan, Mohammed Ali Abdi, Muktar Ali and Mire Abdullahi Elmi had been granted audience by the police in March to defend themselves why they cannot be declared Specified Entities.

"I order the freezing of funds and property of the individuals and entities," Matiang'i said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The suspects are businessmen and women based in Nairobi's Eastleigh residential estate largely inhabited by majority ethnic Somali but some operate in Mombasa and Mandera.

The police said the nine suspects have been running mobile money transfer service, Mpesa shops in the said areas.

Matiang'i said the nine had been identified as key in bankrolling the terror group which has conducted several attacks in both Kenya and Somalia, killing thousands and destroying property.

The names are listed alongside the IDs and passport numbers. Matiangi noted it was necessary to deny the terrorists the means of threatening lives by "choking their facilitation networks".

"As part of our comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, we continue to disrupt terrorist operations with a sole focus on bringing to book the perpetrators, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts in line with our national laws and international obligations," he said.

Matiang'i said the move to freeze the assets was the latest step on the individuals as he stated the government will not relent or hesitate to subject any individual or entity seeking to harm Kenyans to the full force of the law.

"The enemy is progressively planting operatives among civilians strategically to advance his agenda through recruitment and radicalization to violent extremism and terrorism," he said in a statement.

The police say al-Qaida allied terror group has long-established finance networks in the region to run its operations which have spread beyond Somalia into the East Africa region.

"We shall neither surrender into the hands of terrorism nor play into the narrative propounded by terrorists of discrimination along ethnic and religious lines in this war. The only way to deny terrorists the means to threaten our way of life is to choke their facilitation networks," Matiang'i added.

The move comes in the wake of heightened operations in Mombasa and the northern part of the country whereby almost a dozen suspects were held, questioned and released.

The east African nation has been a regular target for al-Shabab since it sent troops into Somalia to fight it in 2011. Enditem
Actor Johnny Depp at the High Court in London (Yui Mok/PA)

Johnny Depp has requested a delay in his US defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard to accommodate filming for the latest Fantastic Beasts movie.

The Hollywood star launched legal action against the actress after she wrote an article in the Washington Post claiming to be a victim of domestic violence.

The action is separate to the case in London where Depp, 57, is suing The Sun newspaper.

According to legal papers lodged in Virginia, production on Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to begin in London in October, following coronavirus-related delays.

Filming may finish in February, according to Depps lawyers, which would clash with the $50million (42million) defamation lawsuit, scheduled to run from January 11 to 28.

The document says: When the court set the current trial date in this case, Mr Depp understood that Warner Bros planned to shoot Fantastic Beasts 3 in London long before January 11 2021.

Covid-19 disrupted the studios plans, causing repeated postponements. With conditions in London having improved somewhat, Warner Bros has now set a shooting schedule that conflicts with the trial date in this case.

Depp has filed a motion for continuance and asked the trial be moved to between March and June. A hearing for the request is set for September 11.

It comes over a month after Depps blockbuster libel action against The Sun drew to a close in London.

Mr Justice Nicol reserved his decision, which could arrive this month.

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On July 21, two U.S Air Force B-1B bombers took off from Guam and headed west over the Pacific Ocean to the hotly contested South China Sea. The sleek jets made a low-level pass over the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its escorting fleet, which was exercising nearby in the Philippines Sea, according to images released by the U.S. military.

The operation was part of the Trump administration's intensifying challenge to China's ruling Communist Party and its sweeping territorial claims over one of the world's most important strategic waterways. While senior Trump officials launch diplomatic and rhetorical broadsides at Beijing, the U.S. Defense Department is turning to the firepower of its heavily armed, long-range bombers as it seeks to counter Beijing's bid to control the seas off the Chinese coast.

Since late January, American B-1B and B-52 bombers, usually operating in pairs, have flown about 20 missions over key waterways, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, according to accounts of these flights from U.S. Air Force statements and official social media posts. These missions, military analysts say, are designed to send a crystal-clear signal: The United States can threaten China's fleet and Chinese land targets at any time, from distant bases, without having to move America's aircraft carriers and other expensive surface warships within range of Beijing's massive arsenal of missiles.

In this response to the growing power of China's military, the Pentagon has combined some of its oldest weapons with some of its newest: Cold War-era bombers and cutting-edge, stealthy missiles. The supersonic B1-B first entered service in 1986; the newest plane in the B-52 fleet was built during the Kennedy administration. But these workhorses can carry a huge payload of precision weapons. A B-1B can carry 24 of the U.S. military's stealthy new Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, which entered service in 2018 and can strike targets at ranges of up to 600 kilometers, according to U.S. and other Western officials.

"A single B-1 can deliver the same ordnance payload as an entire carrier battle group in a day," said David Deptula, dean of the Washington-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General. And, in a crisis, he added, bombers can be rapidly deployed.

Also read: China seeks setting up military logistic facilities in about a dozen countries: Pentagon

"Depending on where they are, ships can take weeks to get in place," said Deptula. "But by using bombers, they can respond in a matter of hours," he adds, noting that the U.S. object is to deter war. "Nobody wants to engage in conflict with China." Chinese and western military strategists warn that a conflict between the two nuclear-armed powers could be difficult to contain.

In a clash with China, this fast response from the bomber force could be vital while the U.S. and its allies rush naval reinforcements to the Pacific to bolster the vastly outnumbered U.S. naval fleet stationed in the region, according to current and former U.S. and other Western military officers.

A spokeswoman for Pacific Air Forces, Captain Veronica Perez, said the U.S. Air Force had increased its publicity about its bomber missions to assure allies and partners of Washington's commitment to global security, regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific. "Though the frequency and scope of our operations vary based on the current operating environment, the U.S. has a persistent military presence and routinely operates throughout the Indo-Pacific," she said. China's defense ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters.

LOWEST POINT

While the bomber missions continue, relations between Washington and Beijing have reached their lowest point since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. In a show of force, Chinese fighter jets crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait while U.S. Secretary for Health, Alex Azar, was visiting Taipei on Aug. 10 to congratulate the government of President Tsai Ing-wen on its successful containment of the COVID-19 virus. Azar was the most senior American official to visit Taiwan in four decades.

Taiwan's missile radars tracked the Chinese fighters in only the third such incursion across the median line since 2016, the Taiwanese government said. Beijing condemned the visit. It regards the island as a province of China and hasn't ruled out the use of force to bring it under Communist Party control.

In a series of speeches ahead of Azar's visit, top Trump officials had hammered China on multiple fronts, including its military build-up, territorial ambitions, domestic political repression, intellectual property theft, espionage, trade practices and its failure to alert the world to the danger of COVID-19.

Also read: China provoked India in latest border clash at LAC in Ladakh: US

In one of the most harshly worded attacks on China from an American official in decades, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 23 that China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was not a normal fighting force. "Its purpose is to uphold the absolute rule of the Chinese Communist Party elites and expand a Chinese empire, not protect the Chinese people," he said. "And so our Department of Defense has ramped up its efforts, freedom of navigation operations out and throughout the East and South China Seas and in the Taiwan Strait as well." In July, Pompeo declared most of Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea illegal.

With the combination of bombers and long-range missiles, the United States is trying to turn the tables on the PLA. Over more than two decades, China has assembled a force of ground, sea and air-launched missiles that would make it deadly for warships of the U.S. Navy and its allies to approach the Chinese coast in a conflict. This Chinese strategy is specifically tailored to threaten U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups and the network of bases that form the backbone of American power in Asia.

Also read: India-China Border: Chinese Air Force operates J-20 fighters close to LAC in Ladakh

In a demonstration of this capability, the PLA launched one of its so-called carrier-killer missiles, the DF-26, in an exercise in the South China Sea following the deployment in July of two U.S. aircraft carriers to the area, China's official military media reported in early August. And a U.S. defense official told Reuters that on Aug. 26, China launched four medium-range ballistic missiles that hit the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the Paracel Islands.

But the PLA Navy's huge and rapidly expanding fleet is also vulnerable to long-range missiles. China has built the world's biggest navy, including new aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and powerful cruisers and destroyers. And the PLA's extensive network of bases and ports would also be targets for missiles.

In a conflict, U.S. bombers over the Western Pacific could target PLA Navy warships at their bases on the Chinese coast or underway inside the so-called first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas. Chinese warships would be even more vulnerable if they broke out through the island chain into the Western Pacific, outside the coverage of the PLA's land-based air defenses and strike aircraft.

Also read: Ladakh border clash: China can make India suffer more 'severe' military losses, says Global Times

THE FIREPOWER GAP

In the aftermath of the Cold War, Washington assumed it had uncontested control of the oceans and neglected to arm its surface fleet with modern, long-range anti-ship missiles. To be sure, the U.S. and its allies, particularly Japan, still have a powerful fleet of attack submarines that would pose a deadly menace to PLA warships. But the bombers help fill the firepower gap in the U.S. surface fleet while the Pentagon is re-purposing existing missiles and introducing new versions to its destroyers and cruisers, according to maritime strategists.

The bomber deployments are one element of a much wider reshaping of forces and tactics that the U.S. and its allies in East Asia have launched to deter China from attacking Taiwan, expanding its hold over the South China Sea or seizing other disputed territories. These include the uninhabited group of isles in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, which are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing.

Tensions are on the rise around these islands, now under Japanese control. The commander of U.S. forces in Japan, Lieutenant General Kevin Schneider, pledged in July that America would help Japan monitor "unprecedented" Chinese incursions into waters around the Senkakus that were challenging Tokyo's administration. Within an hour of Schneider's comments, China's foreign ministry fired back that the islands were "Chinese territory."

Also read: World beginning to unite against China's unfair practices: Mike Pompeo

Long-range U.S. bombers operating from distant airfields would remain a threat if Chinese missile attacks disabled key U.S. bases in Japan, South Korea and Guam. These bases, mostly a carry-over from World War Two and the Korean War, were built at a time when China had very limited means to attack them.

Now it does. In a clear acknowledgement that Guam is now at risk, the U.S. Air Force announced on April 17 it would end its continuous rotation of bombers to the island base and withdraw them to the U.S. mainland. The absence of a permanent bomber presence at Guam is a blow to Washington's ability to deter China and North Korea, airpower experts say. The island in the Western Pacific is less than a five-hour flight from the South China Sea.

"It makes it look like the Chinese military build-up has worked," said Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at Griffith University in Australia and a retired Australian air force Group Captain who has worked at the Pentagon. "They are now taken out of range." Since then, the United States has sent bombers to Guam for short-term deployments from their continental bases. U.S. airpower researchers suggest that the availability of better training facilities at mainland U.S. bases was also a factor in the decision to withdraw the bombers. But in further evidence of Guam's vulnerability, the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, has asked Congress to fund a powerful missile defense system for the island by 2026.

Another hurdle for the Pentagon: America's bomber force is shrinking just as the PLA challenge grows. From a force of more than 400 at the end of the Cold War, the U.S. bomber fleet has shrunk to 158 aircraft. Of those planes, 62 are B-1Bs and 76 are B-52S. The United States also has a smaller force of 20 newer B-2 stealth bombers.

The Air Force plans to retire 17 B-1Bs next year to concentrate resources on the remaining bombers until the planned introduction of a new generation of stealthy bomber, the B-21, toward the end of this decade. This bomber is expected to sharply improve the U.S. Air Force's ability to penetrate Chinese airspace. Northrop Grumman is now building the first prototype, according to air force officials.

'NOT LIKE FIGHTING SADDAM'

As the risk of conflict rises, some Western airpower experts doubt that U.S. bombers would deliver a decisive advantage in a clash with the PLA. They say the Chinese military has spent decades preparing formidable, integrated air defenses. Even if the U.S. bombers were able to sink PLA Navy warships and stealthily penetrate Chinese airspace to strike some ground targets, they say it would not necessarily translate into victory against a vast and powerful adversary.

And, they warn, it might be impossible to fight a limited conflict on China's periphery. "It is not like fighting Saddam Hussein, it would be a major world war," said Layton, the retired Australian air force officer. "Both sides have nuclear weapons and there is the potential for escalation. If either side is losing, what is going to happen then?"

Alongside relying on its bombers, the United States has been forced to develop other plans to offset the Chinese missile and naval threat. The U.S Marine Corps is planning to disperse smaller units armed with long-range anti-ship and land-attack missiles through the first island chain, where they could threaten the Chinese navy and land targets on China's mainland.

The U.S. Army also intends to spread forces through the first island chain and other outposts in the Western Pacific. It is planning a series of major exercises this year and next where troops would deploy to islands in the region, according to senior commanders and top Pentagon officials.

New weapons are in the pipeline that would give specially formed army task force units the firepower to strike at Chinese warships and other targets in a conflict. The U.S. Army's top commander, General James McConville, told an online seminar hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies in late July that a very long-range hypersonic missile was under development and tests had been successful. And soldiers would have the tools to attack an enemy's navy. "We are going to have mid-range missiles that can sink ships," McConville said.

The U.S. and its allies also intend to link all their surveillance systems and weapons together in a regional network so that tracking information about a target could be shared between radar stations, satellites, surface warships, submarines, aircraft and land forces. In this system, a stealth fighter flying from a carrier could detect an enemy warship and relay this information to an army unit on an island, which could attack the foe with an anti-ship missile.

On May 21, two U.S. B-1B bombers from Guam flew to an area near Misawa Air Base in Japan, where they conducted long-range anti-ship missile training with a P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, according to a U.S. Pacific Air Force statement. This exercise demonstrated that the U.S. had the capability to "hold any target at risk, anytime and anywhere," said Perez, the Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman.

The ships and aircraft involved in this exercise likely practiced the sharing of target information to mount a simulated attack, according to U.S. and Asian military experts. On other missions this year, the American bombers have held joint exercises with U.S., Japanese and South Korean fighters.

CHINESE AIRSPACE

In this networked battlefield, the Pentagon's old warhorses of the air would be an even more formidable rival.

The speed and range of America's Cold War-vintage bombers would allow them to approach Chinese targets from different directions and fire salvos of difficult-to-detect missiles at multiple ships, according to current and retired U.S. air force officers. With even longer range missiles that Washington has in the pipeline, such attacks could be mounted from well outside the range of China's powerful, land-based air defenses. American bombers can also drop precision-guided mines to block strategically important ocean passages or ports.

And the U.S. B-2 stealth bombers could penetrate more deeply into Chinese airspace and attack key targets with sharply less chance of detection than the older bombers. These bombers already carry a heavy payload of precision, land-attack munitions and could also be configured to carry the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile.

A B-1B could take off from the continental United States, refuel from tanker aircraft en route, and arrive over the Western Pacific in about 15 hours, according to Deptula and other military aviation analysts. From Hawaii the trip would take about nine hours, they say. Even closer, from northern Australia, the transit would take six hours without refueling.

The Australian government announced in February it would spend $814 million upgrading a key air base at Tindal in the Northern Territory, including a major extension to its runway. Part of the reason for the upgrade is to support expanded U.S. Air Force operations, the Australian government said. American bombers are already using the base.

The B-1B originally served as a nuclear bomber. That role has been phased out. It now carries around 34 metric tonnes (75,000 pounds) of conventional guided and unguided weapons, the biggest payload of any U.S. aircraft. In the military operations launched after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, these bombers were flown hard for almost two decades to provide ground support to American and allied troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

With the Pentagon having turned its competitive sights on China, the B-1B is now increasingly employed as a ship killer. In future, it could also be armed with a new hypersonic missile, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), now in testing, and a new long-range cruise missile, according to senior U.S. Air Force commanders. Hypersonic missiles traveling at more than five times the speed of sound would be hard to intercept.

The B-52 is an even older icon of American might, in service since the mid-1950s. It carries a slightly smaller payload than the B-1B. As part of this weapons load, it can be armed with up to 14 upgraded versions of the Cold War-era Harpoon anti-ship missile. And, it could also be configured in future to carry 20 Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, according to air power experts. Along with the B-2, the B-52 can also launch nuclear missiles.

While these older bombers remain potent, American air power experts say a strong force of B-21 stealth bombers will be much more effective when they begin entering service later this decade. The new bomber is being developed in a highly classified program. "All the indications are that it is proceeding well in the development phases," said Deptula.
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Linkedin Allison Martell and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) Toronto, Canada/Chicago, United States  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:40 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c421bada 2 World scientists,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccines,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say.

CanSino Biologics' vaccine, approved for military use in China, is a modified form of adenovirus type 5, or Ad5. The company is in talks to get emergency approval in several countries before completing large-scale trials, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.

A vaccine developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, approved in Russia earlier this month despite limited testing, is based on Ad5 and a second less common adenovirus.

"The Ad5 concerns me just because a lot of people have immunity," said Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University. "I'm not sure what their strategy is ... maybe it won't have 70% efficacy. It might have 40% efficacy, and that's better than nothing, until something else comes along."

Vaccines are seen as essential to ending the pandemic that has claimed over 845,000 lives worldwide. Gamaleya has said its two-virus approach will address Ad5 immunity issues.

Both developers have years of experience and approved Ebola vaccines based on Ad5. Neither CanSino nor Gamaleya responded to requests for comment.

Researchers have experimented with Ad5-based vaccines against a variety of infections for decades, but none are widely used. They employ harmless viruses as "vectors" to ferry genes from the target virus  in this case the novel coronavirus - into human cells, prompting an immune response to fight the actual virus.

But many people already have antibodies against Ad5, which could cause the immune system to attack the vector instead of responding to the coronavirus, making these vaccines less effective.

Several researchers have chosen alternative adenoviruses or delivery mechanisms. Oxford University and AstraZeneca based their COVID-19 vaccine on a chimpanzee adenovirus, avoiding the Ad5 issue. Johnson & Johnson's candidate uses Ad26, a comparatively rare strain.

Dr. Zhou Xing, from Canada's McMaster University, worked with CanSino on its first Ad5-based vaccine, for tuberculosis, in 2011. His team is developing an inhaled Ad5 COVID-19 vaccine, theorizing it could circumvent pre-existing immunity issues.

"The Oxford vaccine candidate has quite an advantage" over the injected CanSino vaccine, he said.

Xing also worries that high doses of the Ad5 vector in the CanSino vaccine could induce fever, fueling vaccine skepticism.

"I think they will get good immunity in people that don't have antibodies to the vaccine, but a lot of people do," said Dr. Hildegund Ertl, founding director of the Wistar Institute Vaccine Center in Philadelphia.

In China and the United States, about 40% of people have high levels of antibodies from prior Ad5 exposure. In Africa, it could be has high as 80%, experts said.

HIV RISK

Some scientists also worry an Ad5-based vaccine could increase chances of contracting HIV.

In a 2004 trial of a Merck & Co Ad5-based HIV vaccine, people with pre-existing immunity became more, not less, susceptible to the virus that causes AIDS.

Researchers, including top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a 2015 paper, said the side effect was likely unique to HIV vaccines. But they cautioned that HIV incidence should be monitored during and after trials of all Ad5-based vaccines in at-risk populations.

"I would be worried about the use of those vaccines in any country or any population that was at risk of HIV, and I put our country as one of them," said Dr. Larry Corey, co-leader of the U.S. Coronavirus Vaccine Prevention Network, who was a lead researcher on the Merck trial.

Gamaleya's vaccine will be administered in two doses: The first based on Ad26, similar to J&J's candidate, and the second on Ad5.

Alexander Gintsburg, Gamaleya's director, has said the two-vector approach addresses the immunity issue. Ertl said it might work well enough in individuals who have been exposed to one of the two adenoviruses.

Many experts expressed skepticism about the Russian vaccine after the government declared its intention to give it to high-risk groups in October without data from large pivotal trials.

"Demonstrating safety and efficacy of a vaccine is very important," said Dr. Dan Barouch, a Harvard vaccine researcher who helped design J&J's COVID-19 vaccine. Often, he noted, large-scale trials "do not give the result that is expected or required."
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No one thinks the right outcome is zero

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says there is more work to be done to help the U.S. economy recover from its pandemic-induced recession. But he and Democrats disagree on the scale of the problem, and the scope of the solution, making it hard to predict when  or if  lawmakers will strike a deal on another economic stimulus package.

Mr. Mnuchin and House Democrats painted different pictures of the economy at a congressional hearing yesterday:

 The Treasury secretary emphasized that the economy was doing great relative to the worst-case pandemic situations. He said that some of the job losses were due to certain states are not opening up.

 The House majority whip, Jim Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, warned of a K-shaped recovery, in which the wealthy bounce back and the rest lag behind. Theres one Wall Street and theres thousands of Main Streets not doing well, he said.

Whos right? A number of economic reports are due this week that could shed some light on the course of the recovery. Today, the Congressional Budget Office will release an update to its 10-year economic projections. Tomorrow, weekly jobless claims are expected to show a large decline, due mostly to methodological changes. On Friday, the monthly report on jobs is predicted to show the unemployment rate falling to single digits for the first time during the pandemic, to a level roughly equal to the peak reached during the global financial crisis.
Pete Buttigieg has a podcast voice. It's low, calm and reassuring - even if the trailer for his new podcast, which launches next Wednesday, sounds a bit too much like a campaign stump speech to register immediately as an independent media product.

"I believe now is the beginning of America's deciding decade," we hear him saying. "A time that will present leaders - and all Americans - with decisions that will shape life in this country for the rest of this century."

Buttigieg's first guest on "The Deciding Decade" podcast is Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York - another guy who launched a podcast after a career in the political spotlight. Bharara was repaying the favor to Mayor Pete, who appeared on his "Stay Tuned with Preet" in March 2019, a month before launching the longshot presidential campaign that ended up making him a household name.

"My guess is that it will be a cut above standard post-politics podcasts," Bharara said. "I think Pete, as we saw from his presidential campaign, is a naturally thoughtful, smart, probing person, and all of those things are important to a long-form podcast."

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary on March 1 after his first-place finish in the Iowa caucus less than a month earlier - a move that signaled the start of a Democatic party consolidation behind Joe Biden. Since then, he's been a regular presence on television in support of the Biden-Harris ticket. But his new show, released by the iHeartMedia network, marks his first real foray into new media.

"I really valued the chance to detox a little bit and just kind of reset," he said. "I was ready to take a beat and wait until we really had a concept of some things that would really make a lot of sense for me and make a lot of sense for now. ... It's a chance to build something, instead of just jumping in on something, and to really develop a format and an approach."

Compared to doing quick, chopped-up TV and radio hits on the campaign trail "where you rushed to get your point across," Buttigieg said he preferred the depth and opportunity for nuance presented by the podcasts he guested on. "When the campaign ended and we were thinking about how to have a presence in some of the conversations that continued, I realized that podcasts would be a really interesting opportunity to explore things in a little more depth," he said.

He also wanted to have more "two-way-conversations" and ask his own questions of guests - rather than possibly being grilled by political reporters about Bernie Sanders or whether he supports the Green New Deal.

And though Buttigieg said he "really enjoyed" guest-hosting for ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in mid-March, he didn't opt for a job as a paid commentator on a broadcast or cable news network, even though he would have slid nicely into CNN or MSNBC's air.

His primary opponent, Andrew Yang, quickly joined CNN as a contributor after ending his campaign. But he also launched his own podcast, "Yang Speaks," in April to keep his community engaged and his policy priorities alive.

"After running, being a podcaster feels much more human and organic because it's not just about you all the time," Yang said. "I learn something from every conversation."

During his campaign, Yang said that podcasts were his main way of reaching new audiences and potential voters, back when "cable news wasn't beating down the door to have Andrew Yang on."

Buttigieg's podcast, which will run for 20 episodes, will not be the place to hear his take on the latest Trump controversy or political scandal, he cautioned. "The news of the day is punching us in the face every day," he said. "We try to look at things in a slighter longer view than is just possible in a lot of the conversations across the news cycle." (Comedian Colin Jost, who played him on "Saturday Night Live," will be a guest.)

What's unclear is whether Mayor Pete is using the podcast as the launching point for a new career as a media personality, or whether he's using it to maintain his follower base and potentially build up an audience - and email list - for another political run. When asked, he hedged a bit.

"My hope is that this will be compatible with any number of futures," he said, "because like a lot of people, I'm in a moment of uncertainty that's really driven by the uncertainty that our country is in."

Either way, it may be an adjustment for Buttigieg to go from commander-in-chief candidate to commute-content creator. Or as Bharara, the former federal prosecutor, experienced it, "It's a little weird to go from having subpoena power to reading ads for ZipRecruiter."
The Navajo Nation welcomes the opportunity to grow the strategic partnership with Arcadian Infracom

Arcadian Infracom announces unanimously adopted Navajo Nation legislation further solidifying and extending its unique fiber backbone development partnership with the Navajo Nation.

In December 2018, the Resources and Development Committee of the Navajo Nation Council approved legislation to create a partnership with Arcadian to develop long-haul fiber optic cable routes along Navajo Nation rights-of-way. This new Navajo legislation extends the scope and deepens that fiber partnership, creating a broader, more direct relationship between Arcadian Infracom and the government of the Navajo Nation. The new legislation also helps accelerate Arcadian Infracoms financing and fiber construction process to enable critically needed, scaled broadband access for the Navajo people in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Arcadian Infracom will create the first scaled fiberoptic communications network across the Navajo Nation, linking major data centers in Phoenix directly to those in Salt Lake City and Denver. A second route will also later connect a portion of the Navajo Nation to Los Angeles and Dallas. When the Arcadian fiber network becomes operational, the Nation will finally have direct access to high capacity fiberoptic transmission to the Internet to support unprecedented telehealth, educational, business, and commercial opportunities in the connected economy of the 21st century.

I am deeply honored by the trust the Navajo Nation has placed in the Arcadian team, says Dan Davis, CEO of Arcadian Infracom. This unique partnership uses long-haul fiber route construction as an economic development tool for the Navajo people. Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency within the Navajo Nation, it is imperative that we continue to work closely together to create opportunities for the Nation to move beyond the tragic reality that they currently have no scaled fiber backbone connectivity to the rest of the world.

The Navajo Nation welcomes the opportunity to grow the strategic partnership with Arcadian Infracom, commented the Honorable Rick Nez, Chairman of the Navajo Councils Resources and Development Committee. The new legislation expands a trusting and strategic relationship to really move the needle on broadband access within the Navajo Nation. This broadened partnership creates new value and opportunity for the Navajo Nation and future generations of its people.

About Arcadian Infracom: Arcadian designs, constructs, and operates long-haul fiber and internet infrastructure solutions to add resiliency, rural market access and capacity to the US internet backbone. With a foundation built on a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Navajo Nation, the Arcadian team develops innovative partnerships with rural and Tribal communities to stretch the core internet backbone through previously bypassed communities. Arcadian creates unique infrastructure solutions for its customers, financial value for its shareholders and economic development opportunities for rural and Tribal communities and rights-of-way providers along its fiber routes.

For more information on Arcadian Infracom, please contact us at info@arcadianinfra.com and visit http://arcadianinfra.com.
The expected entry of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the Bihar assembly polls has added to disquiet within another NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party, which has called a meeting of its state parliamentary board next week.

IMAGE: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and Chirag Paswan at an Iftar party in Patna. Photograph: ANI Photo

In an indication of the LJP's worsening relations with chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United, party sources said the main item on the agenda when its board members meet on September 7 is whether to put up its candidates against the JD-U.

The Chirag Paswan-headed party has so far refrained from targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been even praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership while keeping Kumar in its crosshairs.

"We are definitely considering putting up our candidates in seats where the JD-U will contest," said an LJP leader.

Paswan declined to comment on the matter but added that his party will take its decisions at an appropriate time.

"I am focussed on preparing my party for the polls. Whatever decisions are to be taken in the interest of my party will be taken at an appropriate time," he said.

Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular will join the NDA, a party spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Manjhi has been meeting Kumar, who has taken the lead in bringing his former rival into the ruling alliance.

The BJP, another main NDA constituent, has already announced that Kumar will the alliance's chief ministerial candidate.

While the relation between the LJP, whose founder Ram Vilas Paswan is a minister in the Modi government, and the JD-U has long been far from smooth, Manjhi's entry in the NDA has added to its pique against the JD-U.

Manjhi, who comes from Scheduled Castes like Paswan, has a history of attacking the LJP leadership in his bid to project himself as a leader of Dalits in the state.

His electoral performance has been, however, poor as his party could win only one seat in the 2015 assembly polls as a BJP ally and drew a blank in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a RJD-Congress ally.

The LJP believes that Kumar has brought Manjhi in the NDA to corner it as it has been the main party identified with Dalits in the alliance.

The BJP has so far refused to take sides in the feud between the two parties and played down their differences, insisting that the NDA is intact and will fight the assembly polls, expected in October-November, together.

There is likely to be much heartburn in the alliance during the seat-sharing talks among its partners for the elections to the 243-seat assembly.

The JD-U, which is peeved with the LJP over Chirag Paswan's frequent swipes at the Kumar-led government, has claimed that its alliance has been traditionally with the BJP, and it will not directly engage with the LJP over the distribution of seats.

BJP sources have played down the increasing aggression shown by the LJP, insisting that a fair distribution of seats among all allies will end the differences.
PIRAEUS, Greece - Greek authorities have prevented thousands of migrants from entering Greece clandestinely by sea this year despite a recent lack of co-operation from the Turkish coast guard, the countrys shipping minister said Wednesday.

Giannis Plakiotakis, whose ministry is also in charge of the coast guard, said arrivals were down 84% since March 1, compared to the same period last year, while the reduction in the month of August stood at nearly 95% compared to August 2019.

Since the start of the year, the entry of more than 10,000 people has been prevented, Plakiotakis said during a news conference. In August alone, he said, we had 68 cases of prevention and we succeeded in 3,000 people not entering our country.

This, he said, was achieved despite the Turkish coast guard ignoring appeals by the Greek coast guard to stop migrant boats leaving Turkish waters. He also accused Turkeys coast guard of actively escorting the boats to the edge of Greek territorial waters.

There are cases where (the Turkish coast guard) is accompanying boats with refugees and migrants to our borders and ... trying to create problems, he said.

Plakiotakis would not elaborate on how the boats were prevented from entering Greek waters, which also mark the southeastern border of the European Union. But he stressed the coast guard operates based on international law and international legality, based on the rules of engagement at sea, and ... with complete respect for human dignity and of course for human life.

Aid agencies have called on Greek authorities to investigate press reports of alleged pushbacks at sea. Greek officials, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, have vehemently denied the coast guard engages in the practice, whereby those arriving inside a nations territorial waters would be summarily returned without being allowed to apply for asylum.

The UN refugee agency said on Aug. 21 it was deeply concerned by an increasing number of credible reports indicating that men, women and children may have been informally returned to Turkey immediately after reaching Greek soil or territorial waters in recent months.

The agency called on Greece to seriously investigate the reports.

According to UNHCR figures, nearly 12,000 asylum-seekers have reached Greece this year. The total number of arrivals by sea and land in all of 2019 was about 75,000.

Some of those who are granted asylum end up sleeping rough in central Athens.

Plakiotakis said just 316 people entered by sea this July, compared to 5,551 last July, while August saw 455 arrivals, compared to 8,288 in August 2019.

Greece has increased patrols along the land and sea border with Turkey, particularly after Ankara sent thousands of migrants to the land border in March, saying its own frontier to the European Union was open for anyone wanting to head into the EU.

Athens has insisted it has the right to protect its borders from people attempting to enter clandestinely. The European border patrol agency Frontex is also assisting in patrolling Greeces eastern border, with 13 boats, four planes and one helicopter, as well as 650 officers and 72 patrol cars.

Previous years saw a modicum of co-operation between the Greek and Turkish coast guards. Under a 2016 EU-Turkey deal, Turkish authorities agreed to crack down on migration flows toward Greece, including by stopping boats heading to the Greek islands.

But Greek authorities say the Turkish coast guard no longer responds to their calls when migrant boats are sighted.

Greek-Turkish relations have deteriorated dramatically in the past few months, with the two neighbours sending warships to the eastern Mediterranean in an dispute over rights to potential offshore energy resources.

Greece became the main entry point to the EU for people fleeing war or poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa in 2015, when nearly a million people crossed through the country, most arriving on Greek islands from Turkey.

The 2016 EU-Turkey deal dramatically reduced the numbers, with Turkey agreeing to crack down on those seeking to leave its shores in return for EU funds to handle the more than 4 million refugees and migrants living there, including more than 3 million Syrians.

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Czech Senate Leader Declares 'I Am a Taiwanese' in Speech to Self-Ruled Island's Parliament

By VOA News September 01, 2020

The head of the Czech Republic's Senate has openly offered support for an independent and democratic Taiwan during a visit to the self-ruled island, triggering an angry backlash from China, which was already furious about his visit.

During an address before Taiwan's parliament Tuesday, Milos Vystrcil invoked the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy's famous 1963 speech in then-West Berlin, Germany, which had become a major flashpoint of the Cold War between the United States and the Communist-run Soviet Union after East Berlin - the capital of Communist East Germany - was sealed off from the western world by the Soviets.

Using Kennedy's now-legendary phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner," in translation "I am a Berliner," as an example of support of freedom and democracy, Vystrcil received a standing ovation in the legislative chamber, when he said in Mandarin Chinese that "I am a Taiwanese."

Vystrcil's speech, delivered two days after he arrived as part of a high-level delegation to promote diplomatic and economic ties with Taiwan, drew anger from Beijing, which considers the island a breakaway province and has worked to isolate it from the international community.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying denounced Vystrcil's speech, saying the Czech lawmaker was openly supporting Taiwan's "separatist forces" and interfering in China's internal affairs.

The Czech politician had already incurred Beijing's wrath before his speech Tuesday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared Monday that Vystrcil would "pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behavior and political speculation."

Although Vystrcil's trip was not officially sanctioned by Prague, the Czech Foreign Ministry summoned China's ambassador to protest Wang's remarks.

China and Taiwan split after the 1949 civil war, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces drove Chaing Kai-shek's Nationalist forces off the mainland to settle on the island. Beijing has vowed to bring the island under its control by any means necessary, including military invasion.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  More than 2 million overseas Filipino workers have lost their premiums to another fraudulent scheme in the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corp, a former official of the agency bared Wednesday.

During the probe of the House Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, former PhilHealth auditing system specialist Ken Sarmiento said that they have identified at least 2,726,453 OFWs including their dependents from 2015 to 2017 alone who lost their contributions due to "damaged, cancelled, or lost" receipts.

The cumulative losses from the premiums amounted to 1.3 billion, according to Sarmiento, who had coordinated with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration under his line of work.

Sarmiento said that a "sharing scheme" exists between representatives of hiring agencies and "marketers" who sell fake PhilHealth receipts to victimize OFW members.

He said PhilHealth receipts have been recycled and falsified by hiring agencies, with control number series sourced from different PhilHealth offices nationwide. Sarmiento added this operation may have been occurring before he took his position in 2015.

"Control numbers [of the receipts] were sourced from different areas of the country, from as far as Batangas, Pampanga, Iligan," he added.

He added that more than 40 potential members of a "syndicate" are involved in the scheme.

"We discovered about 40 plus of them and we documented about 12 to 13, so fair to say na merong pang sindikato (that there is a syndicate behind this)," said Sarmiento. He did not say if it is connected to the "mafia" syndicate within PhilHealth which has been the target of congressional probes over the past weeks.

As of 2018, at least 48 land-based hiring agencies were under investigation, 12 of which have affidavit complaints filed with the National Bureau of Investigation.

Sarmiento said he was removed from his post through the "collective effort" of Dennis Mas, former Regional Vice President in the National Capial Region, former COO John Basa, and other board members Narisa Sugay and Gilda Salvacion Diaz after he submitted his 2015 report.

"These are seasoned technocrats...in a way I was isolated and removed from office so that the investigation will stop," he said.

Sarmiento also claimed that he reported his findings to Mas' office, but these were not immediately acted upon. Mas now serves as Senior Vice President for the Management Services Sector of the agency.

There were no immediate comments from Philhealth officials named by Sarmiento except for Mas who was also at the hearing.

Mas claimed that Sarmiento was only reassigned to another position subject to the approval of the latters subordinates. He also said his office did not immediately receive Sarmiento's report which was supposedly submitted to him in September 2015 but which he learned about only in November, or two months later. He added that a fact-finding investigation was launched, but did not elaborate on the findings or actions taken.

The joint House panel wrapped up on Wednesday its investigation on the corruption issues of PhilHealth after holding nine committee hearings on the matter.

Public Accounts committee chair Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan Partylist said they will file plunder cases against the concerned PhilHealth officials before the Department of Justice after tackling issues ranging from OFW collections, the agency's IT budget, case rate system, and the controversial IRM scheme.
- The COVID-19 tracker app has been re-launched months after it was first launched in Ghana

- It has been updated and its efficiency improved

- The new platform is accessible to everyone and not only smartphone users

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

The ministry of communication has re-launched the COVID-19 tracker months after it was first launched in Ghana.

The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said her outfit decided to re-launch the app because it had been updated and its efficiency improved.

Speaking at the re-launch of the GH COVID-19 tracker App, she said the re-launching of the app had become necessary following the reopening of the airport.

Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Source: Graphic.com.gh

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Don't vote for those who promote ethnic sentiments  Akufo-Addo

The minister said the updated tracker would enable healthcare staff to contact COVID-19 patients and track suspected cases, as well as identify COVID-19 hotpots.

Under this re-launch platform, healthcare staff will be able to contact patients and track the movements of COVID-19 live cases, she said.

She added that the new platform is accessible to everyone and not only smartphone users.

The app was first launched on April 13, 2020 by the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to help boost governments fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

READ ALSO: 2020 elections: Mahama is ready to be president again; he won't repeat mistakes - Otokunor

In other news, Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, has revealed that he nearly died of heartbreak from a Ga woman he once dated in 1992.

According to him, the woman left after he was reduced to nothing financially because the NPP lost the 1992 elections.

Agyapong explained that he spent all the money he had on the NPP, hoping that he would get something back if the party should win power, however, his expectations were not met.

READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong tells how he suffered heartbreak from a Ga woman he dated

"We don't want NPP or NDC. We want another party in power" - Angry Ghanaian speaks | #Yencomgh

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Source: YEN.com.gh
New Delhi:

As many as 3,381 people have undergone rapid antigen tests at a makeshift centre set up by the Delhi government on August 13 at east Delhis Anand Vihar ISBT to screen migrants heading back to the Capital as lockdown restrictions have eased, of which 19 have been diagnosed Covid-19 positive till Wednesday, government officials said.

At meeting of the state disaster management authority on Wednesday, the Delhi government is learnt to have told lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal that more such testing centres would be set up at the other inter-state bus terminals, railway stations and near major construction sites in line with the Delhi high courts directions issued on Monday.

All 19 people who tested Covid-19 positive in Anand Vihar had arrived from Uttar Pradesh. Two of them were women. All 19 were symptomatic and sent to Covid care centres, said a senior official, citing records maintained by the Shahdara revenue district. Anand Vihar is in the jurisdiction of Shahdara district.

The central government has allowed inter-state road transport under its Covid-19 unlock plan to further ease restrictions in September. But Delhi is yet to take a final call on allowing interstate buses to enter the city.

However, the Anand Vihar ISBT, which is right next to the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, has witnessed large footfalls for the past one month now.

Most migrants are coming back from various districts in Uttar Pradesh and step down from state buses at another bus terminal in Kaushambi on the Ghaziabad side, bang opposite the Anand Vihar ISBT.

From there, they would walk a few hundred metres to Anand Vihar and then take local buses in Delhi to reach their destination within the city, said another district official who did not wish to be identified.

The official cited above said heath officers deployed at the centre roughly test one out of three persons  which essentially means around 10,000 people have arrived in Delhi after August 13 via Anand Vihar in working hours. The centre operates from 7 am to 7 pm.

Millions of migrant workers had left Delhi in the days following the lockdown imposed on March 25 to arrest the spread of Covid-19. The state government had set up thousands of centres to provide food and shelter to migrant workers who lost their livelihoods until arrangements were made to send them back on trains and buses. Thousands of them set off on arduous journeys back home, covering hundreds of miles, by foot.

Dr Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases department in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said: The objective of the tests play a crucial role in this case. Since, the government is isolating positive cases, they should ideally test all individuals. RT-PCR should be a preferred mode in this case.

Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests are considered to be more accurate.

T Jacob John, former professor of virology at Christian Medical College in Tamil Nadus Vellore, said using RT-PCR tests in these centres, where migrants are tested, would help the government in accurately detecting more Covid-19 positive cases but the process may have its own challenges.

John said, Conducting RT-PCR tests on all individuals arriving in the city would require the capacity of laboratories to be increased immensely. So, instead of that, the government can first reduce the numbers by a round of rapid antibody tests and relieve people who are found to have contracted the virus and recovered. The second round should be rapid antigen tests and those found positive should be isolated immediately. Both tests show results within 30 minutes and the kits are cheap. On the remaining population, RT-PCR tests can be done.
TUESDAY, Sept. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For people hoping to swap their face masks for a plastic shield, a new study delivers some bad news: They are not a good alternative.

In experiments that visualized the likely travel patterns of "respiratory droplets," researchers found that plastic face shields are poorer barriers than standard masks. The shields, which sit away from the face and have gaps at the bottom and sides, would allow many more droplets to escape if the wearer coughed or sneezed.

The same was true when the researchers ran the experiment using masks with exhalation valves.

Experts said the findings are no surprise.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already advises people not to rely on face shields or masks with valves, said Dr. Ravina Kullar, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"They're just not protective enough," said Kullar, who is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.

That may be disappointing to fatigued Americans who want to do what's right, yet are tired of mask-wearing, she acknowledged.

"But the numbers [of COVID-19 cases] are starting to decline again," Kullar said. "If we all stick together, keep wearing masks and practicing social distancing, we can do this."

If people want to wear a face shield over a mask, Kullar is all for it. "It gives you added protection for your eyes, and keeps you from touching your face," she said.

For the new study, researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), in Boca Raton, set up a simulation of what would happen if a person sneezed or coughed while wearing different face coverings: a non-medical-grade mask; a face shield; or a mask with an exhalation valve.

The researchers outfitted a hollow manikin head with a manual pump that simulated a sneeze or cough -- expelling distilled water and glycerin through the mouth. Laser "sheets" allowed the team to visualize the travel paths of any tiny droplets that thwarted the face covering.

The investigators found that face shields, predictably, blocked the initial forward momentum of the "sneeze." But fine droplets easily skirted around the shield boundaries and spread into the air.

The mask with the valve performed as expected -- sending unfiltered droplets into the surrounding air.

"Over time, these droplets can disperse over a wide area in both lateral and longitudinal directions, albeit with decreasing droplet concentration," researcher Manhar Dhanak, a professor at FAU, said in a statement from the university.

The standard mask, on the other hand, did a much better job of containing droplets -- allowing fewer to be expelled and limiting their spread. (The tests involved "surgical" masks that are marketed to the public and not recommended for medical use.)

The study, published Sept. 1 in the journal Physics of Fluids, did not test any face coverings' ability to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

In the real world, that would depend on many factors, said Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.

The droplets that elude a face covering would have to contain infectious virus -- and expose another person to a big enough "load" of those particles -- to transmit the disease, he explained.

That said, the disadvantages of the face shield are obvious -- including for the wearer, according to Poland. "Air is drawn in and under," he said. "You increase the chances of breathing in whatever is in the ambient air."

Like Kullar, Poland is in favor of the mask-shield combination. But as a stand-alone, he said, the face shield is "the least successful option."

Of course, cloth masks only work if they are worn properly.

"Don't wear it under your nose," Poland stressed. Leaving the nose exposed in public settings "is the riskiest thing you can do," he said.

And while mask-wearing is important, Kullar said that alone does not cut it: Maintaining physical distance from other people remains critical -- including outdoors.

"I don't think we emphasize that message strongly enough," Kullar said. "The risk is lower outdoors than indoors, but the risk is still there."

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice on mask use.
KENOSHA, Wis. - President Donald Trump on Tuesday inserted himself into a city already roiled by the police shooting of an unarmed Black man, using a trip to Kenosha, Wis., to highlight his hard-edge law-and-order message and press what he and his campaign advisers view as a political advantage against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Unwelcome by local officials - including the city's Democratic mayor and the state's Democratic governor - but hailed by others, Trump and an entourage that included Attorney General William Barr descended on the city south of Milwaukee for a campaign-style journey that included a visit to businesses and properties destroyed in rioting and to meet with law enforcement officials.

At an event focused on community safety near the end of his visit, Trump said Kenosha had "been ravaged by anti-police and anti-American riots" and vowed to stand firmly with law enforcement.

"To stop the political violence, we must also confront the radical ideology that includes this violence," Trump said. "Reckless, far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist."

Trump - who said beforehand that the trip might "increase enthusiasm" rather than tensions - did not meet with the family of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot in the back seven times by a White police officer in Kenosha last week.

Asked whether he had anything he would like to say to Trump, Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, referred to the president as "the orange man" and said he wished that Black people had the same ability to travel the country as they please as Trump does.

"All I ask is that he keep his disrespect, his foul language far away from our family," Justin Blake said at a block party Tuesday organized by the Blake family and activists. "We need a president that's going to unite and take us in a different direction. We want the same right he's got, and we want to be able to get our children home safely. They should be able to go anywhere they want in this nation and get home safely, and not get shot seven times."

Trump and his team calculate that amid the racial justice protests cleaving the nation after the death of George Floyd - an unarmed Black man killed by Minneapolis police in late May - he can leverage the unrest, spinning the chaos into a political advantage over Biden and casting himself as the stronger leader to quell the tensions.

He has repeatedly criticized Biden as not doing enough to condemn antifa - the loose network of anti-fascist views associated with some on the far left - and tried to tie the former vice president to local officials in Democratic states and cities that have experienced protests and violence.

Biden, who did not directly address Trump's visit to Kenosha, said in an interview with WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., that he condemned protest violence and accused Trump of trying to shirk responsibility. "Everyone talks about this as if I'm already president," Biden said. "The fact is, this is Donald Trump's America. Donald Trump has done nothing more than pour gasoline on the fire. I have condemned the violence from the very beginning."

Trump's trip to Wisconsin - a presidential battleground that he flipped for a Republican win in his 2016 defeat of Hillary Clinton - was as much political as presidential, offering a glimpse of Trump's strategy for defeating Biden and of his role as the incendiary leader of a divided nation.

During his visit, Trump said he doesn't believe there is systemic racism in law enforcement and refused to engage on whether systemic racism is a broader issue in the country.

"I don't believe that," he said when asked whether police violence against African Americans is systemic. "I think the police do an incredible job. And I think you do have some bad apples. I think you'd agree every once in a while you'll see something."

He continued: "They call it choking and it happens."

Asked whether he believed systemic racism was a problem in America more broadly, he accused the reporter of quizzing him on "the opposite subject" of his interest.

"We should talk about the kind of violence that we've seen in Portland and here and other places - it's tremendous violence," Trump said, referring to the Oregon city that has been struggling with persistent clashes between protesters. "The fact is that we've seen tremendous violence, and we will put it out very, very quickly if given the chance. And that's what this is all about."

Pressed further on the demands of peaceful protesters for "structural change," and with a reminder that Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times, Trump said there are people not protesting who also want change.

"They want the law and order," Trump said. "That's the change they want."

The president announced that his administration plans to provide $1 million in emergency funds for Kenosha law enforcement, $4 million to support local small businesses that were destroyed in the riots and fires, and over $42 million to buttress public safety statewide. The money will largely come from various Justice Department funds, as well as the federal Economic Development Administration's covid-19 relief fund.

During the law enforcement roundtable, Barr criticized the riots and looting in Kenosha that followed the shooting of Blake, calling them "simply not a legitimate response to a police shooting" and "violence for violence sake."

"Once again, we saw the hijacking of a protest by a hardcore group of radicals who were carrying out, planning, a coordinated violent attack on law enforcement, on public property, and on private property," Barr said. "And that can't be tolerated."

Those involved in violence in Wisconsin included a Trump supporter - 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who attended the protests carrying a military-style rifle and has been charged with killing two of the protesters.

On Monday, the president defended Rittenhouse's actions as self-defense. He had also defended this own supporters in Portland, who had fired paint balls and pepper spray at protesters during demonstrations there, calling paint balls "a defensive mechanism" and "not bullets."

Just before Air Force One was to touch down in Waukegan, Ill., on Trump's path to Kenosha, Jacob Blake's uncle addressed a group of more than 75 members of the media who gathered on the block where his nephew was shot by Officer Rusten Sheskey of the Kenosha police.

The Blake family and local activists organized a block party Tuesday, which included volunteer licensed therapists who visited with residents affected by last week's shooting and was intended as counterprogramming for Trump's visit.

Kenosha police have not released requested documents detailing any disciplinary measures or citizen complaints accrued in Sheskey's seven years in the department. The president and his allies, in tweets and television appearances, have suggested culpability on the part of Blake, pointing to a knife police recovered from his vehicle and reports that police had an arrest warrant for Blake on charges of rape and domestic violence.

"We're not going to allow anybody to smudge my nephew's name," Justin Blake said at the block party. "He's like any young Black man today; he's had challenges, he's dealt with them. He's a great father of five and nobody would like their family member to be in the position we're at right now."

He said that "Little Jake is everybody's little Jake," and said the shooting was not an isolated incident. "The conversations that African American families have to have with their loved ones before they walk out the door tells you that it's not just a rogue cop, but it's systemic racism we're talking about," he said.

In Uptown - the Kenosha neighborhood that suffered most of the looting and fires - the smell of burned cinders still hung the air as several dozen residents lined up awaiting the president's visit.

Jerry and Judy Eckert said they viewed Trump as providing a new direction for their city. "We need him," said Jerry Eckert, 77. "I hope other people get wise that he cares."

But many who stood among the ruins said they were curious to see a sitting president but personally wished he had stayed home, explaining they were still fatigued from the days of protests, looting, fires, and national media attention.

Dan Heck, 33, who said he plans to vote for Trump, nonetheless called the visit "bad timing."

"I'm concerned it will cause more riots, and I don't want that," he said.

Tony Farhan, 38, sifted through the rubble of a Boost Mobile store that he operated for 10 years, worrying about the $20,000 he said he'll need to reopen in a new location. While Farhan said "it's awesome" that Trump is bringing more attention to Kenosha, he said he still doesn't plan to vote for him or Biden.

"It's all corrupt to the core," he said, dismissing politics generally.

- - -

Klemko and Guarino reported from Kenosha. The Washington Post's Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
Angeliz Rivera, left, and her mother Liz Del Valle, center, stop and talk with a reporter after picking up lunches at Cramp Elementary School, in North Philadelphia in March. Bowing to national pressure, the USDA will cut red tape to help more students who are learning virtually have school lunch and breakfast. Read more

As Philadelphias school year begins Wednesday with remote learning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given in to bipartisan pressure from Congress and announced it will eliminate red tape that would have made it difficult for children at home to access school meals.

For the USDA, this reverses a highly unpopular stance taken by the Trump administration during a pandemic thats plunged families into unemployment and poverty.

Beginning in March, the USDA relaxed its own complex regulations and allowed families to pick up breakfast and lunch at schools or other sites, since their children were compelled to learn virtually from home. As a result, many more children were able to eat. But during the summer, the agency said it would end the waivers once the school year started, claiming it didnt have permission or money from Congress to continue.

While we want to provide as much flexibility as local school districts need during this pandemic, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said last month, the scope of this request is beyond what USDA currently has the authority to implement.

In a stunning barrage of letters to the USDA, members of Congress disagreed, saying they had indeed given the agency the wherewithal to allow the feeding to continue.

Calling the agencys refusal to extend all school meal waivers baffling during this national crisis in which 17 million U.S. children didnt have enough to eat this summer, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) wrote Perdue last month that there was no basis to his claim that he lacks standing to continue waivers. We urge you to immediately reverse your decision, she concluded.

Perdue evidently relented, saying Monday, Today, we are ... extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially. He said the extension would last at least until Dec. 31.

Speculation has arisen that the USDA made it difficult to continue feeding kids who were learning virtually because the Trump administration wanted schools open for in-person learning. Administration officials denied that.

The USDA decision not to extend waivers was unpopular among both Republicans and Democrats, managing to unite unlikely partners such as Sens. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Bob Casey (D., Pa.), both of whom opposed the agencys position.

In Philadelphia, school officials estimated that 1,000 students would have gone without meals if the USDA hadnt reversed its decision.

Its insane that weve been having to fight to get food easily into the hands of our children, said Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Cynthia Figueroa.

As the pandemic raged in late winter, the USDAs new flexibilities allowed parents to collect up to 10 meals a week  five breakfasts and five lunches  on a specific day for their children. These included not only kids in pre-K through 12th grade, but also youngsters who had not yet started school, because many of them had been getting fed in daycare centers that had been closed.

Food was available to any child, even if the families hadnt qualified for free or reduced-price school meals. It was assumed that the pandemic had so devastated families, countless numbers had fallen several rungs down the economic ladder.

In Philadelphia, parents picked up their kids meals on Thursdays at 50 locations, without needing to bring their children. Students who attend Philadelphia public schools, charter schools, and parochial schools were all eligible.

In pre-pandemic times, Philadelphia public schools  with around 125,000 students  served 83,000 lunches, 53,000 breakfasts, and 5,000 after-school meals, according to Wayne Grasela, senior vice president of food services at the School District of Philadelphia.

When the USDA initially announced the end of meal flexibilities, it meant that young non-students would no longer be able to get food. Every student getting meals would have to be a Philadelphia district student only, and they or a parent would have to prove it by presenting a seven-digit personal identification number (PIN) to district workers at food distribution sites.

We were not looking forward to the confusion, said Amy Virus, division manager at the School District of Philadelphia. She said the number of sites to pick up meals will rise to 62 as school starts.

Anti-hunger advocates worried that not every family would have their childrens PINs. There would be language barriers. And they lamented that non-school age kids and other students would be bereft of meals. Further, they wondered, what about families that hadnt qualified for free lunch before the school year, but do now that the coronavirus has ravaged America?

With a flip of the switch, families would be told their kids cant be fed, said Kathy Fisher, policy director at the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. Family food budgets were crushed by COVID-19.

Yet another problem was foreseen by Danielle Cullen, a researcher and emergency medical physician at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia battling COVID-19.

We are trying to reduce contact and transmission, Cullen said. Asking for PINs would have required computer verification, which would slow lines, increase wait times, and put more people at risk.

The difficulties Philadelphia faced would have been seen also in the suburbs.

This has been an atrocious issue that should never have been an issue in the first place, said Blake Emmanuel, president of the Phoenixville Area School District board.

Unlike Philadelphia, Phoenixville is small (4,200 students) and largely affluent. School started Aug. 24, nearly all of it virtual save for classes for around two dozen high-needs children, Emmanuel said.

Even though the USDA was not extending waivers, Emmanuel said the district has had the means to provide school meals to all children, whether they have PINs or not.

Nobody, she said, leaves without food.


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RICHMOND, Va. - Two voters who say they were tricked into supporting Kanye West's campaign for president are suing to try to get him kicked off the ballot in Virginia, seeking immediate court intervention as deadlines for printing and mailing absentee ballots are fast approaching.

In a suit filed Tuesday in Richmond Circuit Court, Matthan Wilson and Bryan Wright, both Suffolk residents, said signature-gatherers for West misled them into pledging to serve as electors for the rapper-entrepreneur.

While West's independent bid is seen as a long shot, some Democrats fear he could become a spoiler candidate in swing states, possibly benefiting President Donald Trump's re-election effort by drawing Black votes away from Democrat Joe Biden. West has been an outspoken Trump supporter and Republican operatives have assisted his efforts in at least five states.

Wilson and Wright are represented by Marc E. Elias and other attorneys at the nationally prominent Democratic firm Perkins Coie.

The suit names state elections officials as defendants, saying they should not have certified West for the ballot last week. Robert H. Brink, chairman of the elections board, said he could not comment on pending litigation, as did Andrea Gaines, spokeswoman for the state Department of Elections.

Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, filed a motion for an emergency hearing, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, and a brief that highlights "concerning deficiencies" in all 13 elector oaths.

West's campaign, which has faced accusations of deceptive tactics in other states, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has been removed from the ballot in multiple states because of deficient paperwork.

"Defendants have a legal duty to ensure that only the names of the candidates who meet the requirements of Virginia law are placed on the ballots in the Commonwealth of Virginia," the suit says.

The suit asks the court to intervene immediately, noting that the state would typically start printing ballots this week and that it must mail absentee ballots by Sept. 19.

Virginia's Board of Elections found last week that West had met the requirement for 5,000 petition signatures - at least 200 of them from each congressional district - and for 13 electors who pledged to support him.

The suit asserts that at least three of the elector oaths were obtained under false pretenses. It says another eight were invalid because of alleged irregularities related to how the oaths were notarized.

In an interview with The Washington Post last week, Wilson said he was out for a bike ride last month when he was approached by three people who asked if he would like to serve in a statewide pool of electors.

He said he found out that he was named as one of West's pledged electors from a reporter, about 10 days after the encounter with the signature-gatherers.

After The Post published voters' accounts of deceptive signature-gathering on Saturday, other Virginia residents got in touch with the newspaper to share similar stories.

Fairfax County resident David Pincus said he was heading into the Giant Food at University Mall - just south of George Mason University - a couple of weeks ago when he encountered a couple of men with clipboards. One of them approached him and said they were collecting signatures to ensure that West did not get on the ballot in Virginia. Were the rapper on the ballot, the petition circulator said, he would draw votes from other, more serious candidates.

Pincus said he would be interested in signing to keep West off the ballot. However, when he looked at the petition something didn't seem right.

"This certainly sounds like it's a petition for Kanye," Pincus recalled saying.

The signature collector would not answer his questions and Pincus chose not to sign. Upon arriving home, he said, he looked up the format for the petitions presidential candidates must use to qualify for the ballot. It was identical to what he had seen outside the Giant.

"At that point I am hopping mad," Pincus said. "They're fraudulently trying to get people to sign something under false pretenses. It's maddening. It's infuriating, actually. You just want elections to be fair."

Pincus emailed state elections officials on Aug. 19 to report his experience. To date, he said, he has not heard back. Gaines did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pincus's account, which is not part of the lawsuit.
Not much, perhaps. Russia, like most nations of the world, is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which requires members to destroy any such weapons and the facilities that produced them. (Only Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan havent signed the accord; Israel signed but hasnt ratified.) And Russia said in 2017 that it had destroyed all its stocks of banned chemical weapons. The pact is overseen by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague. Peter Wilson, the U.K.s representative to the group, said in 2018 that Russia has failed, for many years, to declare chemical weapons development programs dating from the 1970s. Russia is not the only problem. The European Union and the U.S. have imposed sanctions on people and companies to try to stop the transfer of materials and substances that may have been used by President Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria to manufacture chemical weapons.
The end of the six-month grace period granted to those violating building regulations is just a month away, and the government is adamant that all buildings put up in violation of the regulations will be demolished along with all buildings built illegally on agricultural land.



During the inauguration of various projects in Alexandria on Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said some 700,000 building violations had been recorded, with only 10 per cent of their perpetrators having sought a solution with the state.



He said that building violations on agricultural land and unplanned buildings were two significant problems facing the country. Violations that took place in the past had been the result of negligence by officials, he said, and the state would bear the cost of righting any wrongs.



There were some 12 per cent of illegal structures in 2014, but these had increased to 37.5 per cent this year, Al-Sisi said.



The state removed 10,844 buildings built illegally on 2.7 million square metres of land and 3,885 constructions built illegally on 209,414 feddans of agricultural land between 8 July and 28 August, the Ministry of Local Development said on Saturday.



A law was issued last year that allowed violators to rectify the status of their buildings unless they were structurally unsound or violated approved planning regulations. Violations in buildings built to special architectural designs cannot be rectified and nor can those giving rise to buildings above heights specified by the Civil Aviation Authority.



Some 688,000 people nationwide had applied for buildings to be rectified up until 21 August, and the state had collected LE3.8 billion from violators up to 18 August.



At a cabinet meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said the grace period for building violations would not be extended and that starting in early October illegal structures that had not been subject to applications for rectification would be immediately removed.



However, Raafat Shemis, head of the Technical Inspection Authority that follows up on construction in Egypt, said that the new law was a legal birth certificate for illegal construction. Those violating building regulations could apply to have their buildings rectified under the law, he said, meaning they could legally register their buildings and acquire financing.



According to the law, applications are presented to the municipality in which an illegal building has been built. After the payment of fees by its owners, these varying from one area to another, the applications are examined.



If accepted, the building must be painted, and a committee assesses the rectification fee required, which ranges from LE50 to LE2,000 per square metre.



Following the application for rectification, building owners receive a certificate halting any court hearings or rulings against their buildings. Violators can pay 25 per cent of the rectification price and pay the rest in installments.



The law was amended in early 2020 to end problems in its application. The ministry of housing said some administrative bodies had requested violators to present documents not stated in the law, while others had not issued certificates halting legal procedures and fines. Some had been over-hasty in removing illegal buildings.



Ahmed Samir, an advisor at the Egypt Centre for Economic and Strategic Studies, a think tank, said that prior to 2014 there were some 6.4 million feddans of agricultural land in Egypt. About 30 per cent of Egypts workforce works in agriculture, he said.



The loss of agricultural land to illegal construction can lead to rising food prices and the need to import more food, adding pressure on the currency and threatening food security.



There were some 1.9 million encroachments on agricultural land from 2011 to 2019. According to figures from the ministry of local development announced in July, around 2,200 encroachments were removed and around 17,500 feddans of land were returned to agricultural use.



Some 19,600 building violations on 4,500 feddans of agricultural land were removed.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The Canada-U.S. relationship has hit new lows, owing to President Trumps mercurial behaviour. But the potential of a new administration following the U.S. election offers the opportunity of resetting our relations. Prime Minister Trudeau must therefore develop a plan for how to renew this critical friendship.

I would advise him to consider five priorities:

First, our two leaders must get along.Trust at the top is indispensable for aligning our respective governments and bureaucracies. Trudeau and Biden must look to our better angels, and emulate the Kennedy-Pearson, Mulroney-Reagan-Bush, and Chretien-Clinton eras.

Odds are they can. The Trudeau and Obama governments were close. Moreover, in the last days of his vice-presidency, Joe Biden visited Canada, reasserting Canadas importance. As well, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has the experience of having lived and gone to school in Montreal.

Second, beyond the leaders, our governments must re-establish a culture of strategic collaboration, one that would mobilize our best minds and technologies.

Our past co-operation has accomplished much. We were winning allies in the Second World War and the Korean War; we were members of the western coalition that led to the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall; we built the worlds biggest trading relationship; we created NORAD and the Auto Pact; we signed an acid rain treaty; and we helped repeal apartheid in South Africa.

Let us again harness this can-do spirit in confronting some of todays challenges: fighting COVID-19; pushing back systemic racism; addressing migration tensions; furthering democracy and human rights internationally; and strengthening global institutions.

Third, let us join forces in generating greater economic prosperity for our citizens. Above all, we need to safeguard and further grow the $2 billion worth of goods and services that cross our borders daily.

Both governments are under pressure to reboot their economies from under the shadow of the pandemic. Our governments should find common ground, and think big. For example, we could expand the integration of our electricity grids; build new border infrastructure; jointly develop our strategic rare earths assets; undertake shared research and development in medicine, science, and green jobs; introduce an electric car pact; establish an energy accord; and restart discussions for a free trade area of the Americas.

We should also encourage the U.S. and its western allies to collectively confront Chinas growing belligerence, just as we did with the old Soviet empire. This would provide Canada with leverage, since we have proven too small to alter the behaviour of this giant.

Fourth, we will need to urgently welcome the U.S. back to the climate change table. Their withdrawal from the Paris Accord was a serious mistake. And there is no more time to lose. Polar ice caps are melting, weather events are becoming more extreme, sea levels are rising, and forest fires are out of control. This existential crisis requires American engagement, if the world is to avoid disaster.

Finally, Canada and the U.S. need to recommit, with Mexico, to building a stronger North American community, beyond a free trade area. We should contemplate a continental security arrangement; pursue a regional energy strategy; champion human and Indigenous rights; and increase tourism and student exchanges.

These represent pillars for a stronger, more integrated and stable continent.

The Canada-U.S. story has been exceptional. A Biden presidency allows us to dream of better days again. However, he will also need to play to his political needs, as we will, so it will not always be easy. But Bidens decency and rich public service experience raise the promise of working co-operatively, solving our differences thoughtfully, and ushering in a brighter future.

After a bruising four years, there is hope about restoring a valued and storied friendship.

What if Trump is re-elected? Well, that would mean that our prime minister would need to work even harder and more creatively, in designing new approaches. As close neighbours, allies and commercial partners, Canada doesnt have the luxury of being indifferent to the White House incumbent.
After ruling out the possibility of conducting an entrance exam for admissions to its 22 Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVVs), amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi government on Wednesday announced that there will be no admissions in class 6 in RPVVs for the academic year 2020-21.

RPPVs are high-end resource-rich schools run by the Delhi government that enrol students only in classes 6 and 11, through competitive entrance exams. While the government has decided to make merit-based admissions in class 11 this year, it will skip enrolments in class 6.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate of Educations (DoE) RPVV branch said, On account of the Covid-19 pandemic, all government/government-aided schools of the Directorate of Education, GNCTD, MCDs/NDMC, and Delhi Cantt board schools are closed for students. The entrance test for admission in class 6 for session 2020-21 in RPVVs cannot be conducted due to the pandemic. In these circumstances, its been decided that there will be no admission in class 6 in all 22 RPVVs for the academic session 2020-21.

The government has also decided to conduct admissions in classes 6 and 7 in all RPVVs next year through the entrance exam. A senior official of the education department, on condition of anonymity, said, All those students who were looking forward to gaining an admission in class 6 in the exclusive RPVVs this year will get a chance only next year.

The official further said, It was easier to have merit-based admissions in class 11 since students have their board exam results and can be enrolled on the basis of those. But in class 5, there is no such exam. So, it will not be possible to have merit-based admissions in class 6.

The RPVVs offer education from class 6 to class 12. With Wednesdays notification, the 22 exclusive schools of the Delhi government will not have a class 6 this year.

An English teacher of class 6 at one of the RPVVs said, This year, we wont have one class. All these RPVVs have at least three sections of class 6. The move will now decrease the requirement of teachers this year.

A principal of another RPPV said schools are already closed in view of the pandemic and classes will continue to be held online for another few months. RPVVs are academically the best-performing schools run by the Delhi government. Twenty of 22 RPPVs have crossed the average quality index of 400 in class 12 board exams this year. So, it will not be justified to enrol students without proper screening, the principal said.

The All India Parents Association (AIPA) criticised the move and said it will reduce opportunities for many students this year. Ashok Agarwal, president of AIPA, said, If the government cannot conduct entrance exams this year, it can come up with an alternative way to carry out the admissions. It can invite applications and conduct a draw of lots to select students.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fareeha Iftikhar Fareeha Iftikhar is a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. She tracks the education ministry, and covers the beat at the national level for the newspaper. She also writes on issues related to gender, human rights and different policy matters. ...view detail
New York: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a new home: Netflix.

Six months after detangling their work lives from the British royal family, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have signed a multi-year deal to produce nature series, documentaries and children's programming for the streaming service, according to a statement on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

Meghan and Harry have signed on with Netflix. Credit:AP

The two, who recently relocated to Santa Barbara, California, plan to focus on stories and issues that elevate diverse voices and other issues close to their hearts.

Several projects are already in development, including a nature docu-series and a series focused on women who inspire.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC), which for more than 25 years has advanced understanding and fostered cooperation between Arab states and the Jewish people, today announced its plans to open an office in the United Arab Emirates.

The move comes in the wake of the historic announcement Aug. 13 by President Donald Trump, His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the UAE and Israel would establish full diplomatic relations.

"The establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel realizes a vision that AJC has helped to pursue for decades," said David Harris, AJC CEO. "By moving forward on our plans to open an office in the Emirates, AJC hopes to expand on our decades of bridge-building and create a wider network of stakeholders in the new relationships made possible on Aug. 13."

Planning for an AJC office in the UAE -- the 13th overseas outpost of the U.S.-based global Jewish advocacy organization and its first in the Arab world -- has been underway for nearly a year. AJC delegations have visited the UAE at least annually for more than 20 years and consulted regularly with senior officials, business and interfaith leaders, diplomats, and policy analysts there and in the United States. AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson has led the agency's Arab outreach efforts.

With its move to open a UAE office, AJC also looks forward to deepening its ties with the expatriate Jewish community of the Emirates -- a community AJC played a role in helping establish through repeated visits and introductions over the years.

"Since before the country's founding, UAE society has encouraged tolerance and inclusion," said Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States. "AJC's longstanding dialogue and engagement with the UAE has played a productive role, consistent with this vision. We welcome this announcement, and look forward to working with AJC in the days ahead as they continue their effective engagement in the region."

This initiative was made possible through the visionary support of Helaine and Sid Lerner, who have been longtime friends and partners of AJC. Mr. Lerner has been particularly focused on advancing relations and understanding among the Muslim, Arab, and Jewish worlds, believing this can be an important contribution to advancing regional and global peace and harmony.

Yehuda Sarna, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, welcomed the move, saying, "AJC played an essential convening role early on in the history of our community. Its mission aligns with our aspiration to serve as a 'lighthouse community,' a platform for cross-cultural engagement, within the UAE and beyond. Through its professionalism, care, nuance, and respect for others, AJC has rightly earned the trust of so many leaders in this region."

In the months leading up to the Aug. 13 announcement, UAE officials used AJC platforms to reveal their leadership's new thinking on the benefits of cooperation with Israel -- while also urging a halt to Israeli annexation proposals and progress toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians. UAE Ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh appeared on an AJC Advocacy Anywhere webinar in May; UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash was a featured speaker in the AJC Virtual Global Forum in June.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

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On Monday, the Democrat party released Joe Biden from the basement, hustled him up to Pittsburgh, had him read a Teleprompter, waved farewell to journalists who weren't allowed to speak, and tucked him up again in his basement bed. The speech that Biden read was, quite possibly, the most dishonest speech ever given during an American political campaign. A conservative Christian website put together a video pushing back against Biden's lies, and that video has rightly gone viral.

Just to recap, on May 25, 2020, police officers in Minneapolis caught up with George Floyd, whom a storekeeper had accused of passing counterfeit bills. An officer's body cam showed that Floyd, an ex-felon with a violent history, was extremely high. He was agitated, noncompliant, foaming at the mouth, and complaining that he couldn't breathe.

After all four officers were unable to get Floyd into their car, they concluded, based upon their police training, that he was suffering from excited delirium, a condition dangerous to both the person afflicted and the police officers. The Minneapolis police training manual instructs police officers who make this call to place the suspect prone on the ground with a knee to his back to keep him safe and still, so that's what the officers did. They then called for an ambulance.

Someone recorded Floyd on the ground, under the officer's knee, continuing to complain, as he had when he was still sitting in his car, that he couldn't breathe. Floyd eventually became silent and turned out to have died. The initial autopsy report was unequivocal: Floyd had a fatal amount of fentanyl in his system, as well as dangerous amounts of other drugs piled onto an obese body suffering from acute heart disease. The verdict: Floyd died of a self-inflicted drug overdose.

For the left, though, facts are irrelevant. The narrative is what matters. Within one day, Black Lives Matter had organized massive protests in Minneapolis, which it soon trashed by destroying over 1,500 businesses (mostly in black neighborhoods). The riots spread across America. BLM activists and Antifa destroyed statues, sprayed ugly graffiti everywhere, smashed windows, looted shops, and killed people who got in their way.

In Seattle, the mob set up a murderous autonomous zone. Chicago's downtown has been repeatedly trashed. Portland's been the site of downtown warfare for three solid months. Most recently, little Kenosha, Wisconsin was turned into a war zone after police were forced to shoot a violent rape suspect who fought them, had a knife, resisted being tased, and reached into a car for an unknown but potentially lethal reason.

In every case, the mob violence comes with demands to defund the police, cries of systemic racism, unbridled hatred for Donald Trump and his supporters, demands for the overthrow of the federal government, anti-white racism, and demands for redistribution of wealth. In other words, it's a leftist package deal.

For a long time, the Democrat establishment supported what was going on. Democrats did this explicitly, with actual words of support, or implicitly by downplaying or denying the violence. At the Democrat National Convention, no one at the convention said a single word about the daily riots.

Sometime last week, though, the polling changed, and word got out to Democrats that Americans don't like seeing their cities go up in flames and their black neighborhoods (and businesses) destroyed. Don Lemon finally said it: "The rioting has to stop. Chris, as you know, and I know, it's showing up in the polling. It's showing up in focus groups."

That advice led to Biden's Pittsburgh demagoguery, during which he shamelessly blamed all of the violence on President Trump's rhetoric and right-wing militia groups. In the entire speech, Biden never once said either "Black Lives Matter" or "Antifa." (You can read more about Biden's speech here or watch Tucker Carlson here or here.)

Biden's claim that violence in America is Trump's fault is a perfect example of the institutional narcissism that characterizes leftists. In their world, they can commit any offense with impunity. It's violence only if someone defends against their attacks:

If Trump wanted to end the violence in American cities, he could simply go on his Twitter feed and tell his supporters to go home, @JoyAnnReid says. Trump is openly doing the opposite, encouraging more violence.https://t.co/kFMylnwpFW  MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 1, 2020

And now, finally, here's that must-see video I promised. To keep Americans from falling prey to the Democrats' memory hole, Caldron Pool put together just a little reminder of the Democrats' demand for and support of violence, not just in 2020, but for years:

How did you think it would end? pic.twitter.com/AcQVu1NdsF  Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) August 31, 2020

Angelo M. Codevilla, in his review of Michael Anton's chilling The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return, says Anton argues that:

Trump, imperfect as he is, is like a finger in a dike that, if removed, would loose a deluge. Anton describes how the Democratic Party-led complex of public-private power has been transforming our free, decent, and prosperous country into its opposite  and how it's going to do to the rest of America what it has already largely accomplished in California.

These are not your daddy's Kennedy Democrats. These are people who will do anything for complete control over your lives: they have abandoned the rule of law, they spit on the Constitution, they willingly destroy the economy to win elections, and they revel in violence. They are Jacobins and Bolsheviks, and we need to have an overwhelming voter turnout on November 3 to defeat them.

Image: Nancy Pelosi begs for violence, screen grab from a shareable video.
India has demanded tangible action for UN Security Council reforms in line with Common African Position and not let the process be held hostage.

India has demanded tangible action for UN Security Council reforms in line with Common African Position and not let the process be held hostage. The Permanent Mission of India at UN said in a tweet that India has demanded tangible action for UN Security Council reform in line with Common African Position, and not let the process be held hostage, as it has been over a decade, by those who do not want reform.

The mission also attached a letter by Deputy Permanent Representative of India to President of UN General assembly which said that the draft rollover text as it is now does not reflect the progress made in the two meetings of IGN (inter-government negotiations) and does not even at the very minimum capture the growing support to the Common African Position and other issues of importance.

The letter said that as conveyed during their earlier meeting as a part of groups and in their last letter dated August 12 and also earlier to the IGN co-chairs on this matter, India was firm in its belief that as the only formal record of the proceeding, of the lGN in this critical year of the UNs 75th anniversary, the PGAs roll-over decision must capture clearly the tangible progress made in the two IGN meetings that were held earlier this year.

Also read: India and China should take concrete measures to safeguard peace in LAC: Beijing

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India said it will continue to voice its strong support for tangible action towards an expanded and reformed Security Council. The letter said India is committed to reformed multilateralism and to strengthening this at the UN.

The letter said that India would continue to voice its strong support for tangible action towards an expanded and reformed Security Council that reflects todays world and realities, India would also take steps to see how we can realize these goals in the 75th session of the UNGA.

In another tweet, Permanent Mission of India at UN said that G4  India, Brazil, Germany and Japan  in a common letter has demanded concrete action at UNSC. It said that the process had lagged on for over a decade without progress.

Also read: Australian television anchor for Chinas state run media CGTN detained in Beijing
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday he was hopeful that Chinese Confucius Institute cultural centers on U.S. university campuses would all be shut down by the end of the year.

I think everyones coming to see the risk associated with them, Pompeo told Lou Dobbs on the Fox Business Network, accusing the Chinese-government funded institutes of working to recruit spies and collaborators at U.S. colleges.

I think these institutions can see that, and Im hopeful we will get them all closed out before the end of this year.

Last month, Pompeo labeled the center that manages the Confucius Institutes in the United States an entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence and required it to register as a foreign mission.

David Stilwell, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, said at the time that the dozens of Confucius Institutes on U.S. campuses were not being kicked out, but U.S. universities should take a hard look at what they were doing on campus.

Pompeo was asked about a warning last month by the Chinese governments top diplomat, Wang Yi, about the need to avoid a new Cold War, an apparent reference to escalating tensions between China and the United States.

Pompeo said the Cold War analogy has some relevance, but the challenges with China were different.

This is different from the Cold War in that we are challenged by a country with 1.4 billion people, he said.

The challenges are different, they are economic challenges.

Pompeo referred to actions the Trump administration has taken to restrict the activities of Chinese firms like Huawei Technologies Co and said further moves could be expected.

And now youll see a broader effort, theyll be announcements, I think, in the coming days and weeks we will see the United States confront this in a very serious way, all for the benefit of the American economy, he said.
42,the Jackie Robinson biopic that starred the late Chadwick Boseman, is being re-released in AMC theaters to honor the actor's career. Boseman passed away on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43, after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

Days after the demise of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, AMC Theatres chain have decided to pay tribute to the actor by re-releasing his 42 in theatres at a discounted price.

According to Variety, the theatre chain conducted a poll among its fans on social media to decide which of Bosemans films is to be re-released in his honour.

Fans were asked to choose one film other than the famous marvel classic Black Panther. 42 which is the biopic of Jackie Robinson, features Boseman in the character of Robinson, the baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who became the first African American in the Major Leagues in 1947 overcoming the race barriers.

AMC theatres partnered with Warner Bros and the studios behind the film  Legendary  to release it all the open AMC theatres amid the coronavirus pandemic, reported Fox News.

The critically acclaimed actor passed away last week after battling colon cancer for four years.

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Many of Bosemans friends and colleagues have shared stories of their love and admiration for the actor. MCU cast and crew showed an outpouring of support, from Robert Downey Jr. calling Black Panther the crowning achievement of the MCU, to the films director, Ryan Coogler, saying that Boseman lived a beautiful life. Spike Lee simply shared a selection of scenes from Da 5 Bloods on Instagram. Bosemans 42 co-star, Harrison Ford, also paid tribute in a powerful statement, sharing that Boseman was as much of a hero as any he played.

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : In what can be seen as a half-win for the Opposition, the Modi government has said it will allow "unstarred questions" which will be replied to in written responses, after the Opposition cried foul over the idea of dropping question hour altogether in the forthcoming mini parliament session. However, government sources called the uproar a "masterclass in hypocrisy", while taking a dig at the Opposition.

"The uproar over Question Hour suspension is nothing but a masterclass in hypocrisy by members of the opposition. It is amusing to see Opposition MPs who don't have the power to question even their Party President create a fake narrative on this issue," said a top government source.

The idea of dropping the Question Hour in the mini parliament session, for the first time since the nationwide lockdown in March, has the Opposition up in arms accusing the Centre of stifling its voice.

Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, "Government has spoken in advance to all opposition parties for not holding Question Hour and everyone, except West Bengal MP Derek O'Brien, has agreed to the arrangement. Also, looking at Covid risks, everyone has agreed on cutting short Zero Hour to half an hour." He added that the government is ready to reply to unstarred questions. "We are not running away from debates and will discuss all issues, as decided by the Business Advisory Committee." he remarked.

The curtailed sessions were forced given the session timings have been cut down to roughly four hours a day to ensure that social distancing is maintained inside the Parliament amid the raging pandemic.

But Derek O'Brien seems unconvinced. He tweeted, "More instances of sessions called for SPECIAL PURPOSES when no QH was held: 41st (during Chinese aggression), 201st & 216th (only President's Address).Coming up is a REGULAR monsoon session of two weeks. So why the exception?" But government sources hit out at the Opposition saying, "State assemblies have functioned in various states after March 2020 and there has been no question hour in the assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & Maharashtra. BJP is in opposition in most of these states and it did not raise a hue and cry there." Questioning the Opposition parties, government sources further claimed that the extent of disturbance of Question Hour is visible from the fact that in the last eight sessions, of the 162 hours allotted for Question Hour, only 59 were used and more than 102 hours lost due to disruptions and adjournment.

"For the Parties creating an uproar, can they tell me how many questions have their top leaders asked in the question hour?" asked a top source in the government.
In reporting for this book, I learned that in the hours leading up to Trumps trip to the hospital, word went out in the West Wing for the vice president to be on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized, Michael Schmidt writes in Donald Trump v. the United States: Inside the Struggle To Stop A President.
The National Institutes of Health today announced $129.3 million in scale-up and manufacturing support for a new set of COVID-19 testing technologies as part of its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative. NIH is awarding contracts to nine companies for technologies that include portable point-of-care tests for immediate results and high-throughput laboratories that can return results within 24 hours. These tests add to initial awards made to seven companies on July 31, 2020.

"Diagnostic testing is a critical component of the nation's strategy to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. "Just started at the end of April, the RADx initiative has moved swiftly to speed innovation and later-stage development in the biomedical technology sector. The results thus far have been outstanding."

In addition to NIH support, aspects of some of the testing technologies have been supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, also in the Department of Health and Human Services, and by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, in the Department of Defense.

"One of the many facets of our testing strategy is to support and enable innovation," said Adm. Brett P. Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health. "The new technologies being funded today have the potential to transform the diagnostics landscape if their promise is proven in clinical studies. This all-of-government approach to testing innovation including DARPA, BARDA, NIH, HHS, and the private sector will yield benefits not only for the current pandemic, but for diverse acute and chronic diseases Americans fight every day."

Today's contracts support several novel technologies, some that use RT-PCR, a highly sensitive way to qualitatively detect nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2. Included is a portable, battery-powered RT-PCR device that gives accurate results in 15 minutes, and a portable mini-lab with reagent flexibility that can perform RT-PCR assays in community hospitals and clinics in underserved, rural populations. Additional technologies include a lateral-flow immunoassay test strip that can be read without specialized equipment (similar to home pregnancy tests) and a sample concentrating method that significantly improves the sensitivity and performance of many different types of tests. Five high-throughput laboratories will provide an expanded network of coverage for fast-turnaround laboratory tests in regions of national need. Each of these labs will manage the collection, analysis, and reporting of tens of thousands of tests per day at each site, significantly expanding national testing in September.

"Many of these tests incorporate innovations that have moved from research labs to the point of care with unprecedented speed," said Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and lead for RADx Tech, one of four programs of the NIH RADx initiative. "That process normally takes years, but RADx has brought together key experts in technology, medicine and commercialization to bring new tests to market in only 5 to 6 months."

NIH is developing and supporting this diverse group of tests to meet the needs of different communities. Factors such as speed, cost, accessibility and technical performance are key considerations for RADx support. These new technologies collectively will significantly increase the number, type and availability of tests by millions per week by this fall.

"The opportunity to scale up high-throughput laboratories and rapid point-of-care tests to meet the needs of communities all around the country is critical," said Rick A. Bright, Ph.D., senior advisor to the NIH director and lead for the RADx-Advanced Technology Platforms (ATP) program. "The RADx initiative reflects the scientific ingenuity, technical diversity and logistical capabilities of the private sector at its finest."

The following companies have achieved key RADx milestones and will receive support for manufacturing and scale up:

Point-of-care tests

MatMaCorp, Lincoln, Nebraska

A portable mini-lab that can rapidly perform multiple RT-PCR assays in a single platform. This technology can be used with multiple sources of reagents and is targeted for community hospitals and clinics in underserved, rural populations.

Maxim Biomedical Inc, Rockville, Maryland

A single-use, lateral-flow test strip immunoassay that can provide results in 15 minutes or less. With the improved workflow, the assay can be performed without an instrument for reading and does not require any specialized equipment.

MicroGEM International, Charlottesville, Virginia

A portable, point-of-care device that detects SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples using RT-PCR in 15 minutes. The test uses a microfluidic cartridge with the potential for simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens such as influenza. Lab-based tests

Aegis Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee

A novel coronavirus nucleic acid detection kit and distribution system for high through-put testing that uses nasal and oral swab samples. Has recently quadrupled capacity to 15,000 samples per day and will soon reach 60,000 samples per day. After receipt of samples, these tests will return results in 24 hours or less on average.

Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts

A high-throughput RT-PCR COVID-19 viral test using specimens from nasal swabs that will be scaled up. Its facility already performs tests for more than 530 regional hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, community health centers, senior living facilities and at state and city collection sites in vulnerable communities. The award is helping to increase from 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day.

Ceres Nanoscience Inc, Manassas, Virginia

A sample prep method using Nanotrap particles that extracts and concentrates viral material to reduce processing time and improve sensitivity. This method can be used on a variety of testing platforms, from point-of-care systems to high-throughput laboratory processes, to improve speed and performance by 2- to 10-fold.

Illumina, San Diego, California

Automated sample processing and next-generation sequencing technology for COVID-19 testing that will be scaled up. Its high-throughput capacity can be expanded to 48,000 tests per day. Upon receipt of samples at the laboratory, the company can process results for the Illumina COVIDSeq test within 24 hours.

PathGroup, Nashville, Tennessee

Uses Roche 6800 and Hologic Panther instruments to currently process about 10,000 COVID-19 RNA tests a day. Has infrastructure in place in 20 states throughout the U.S. Southeast and Midwest. They have partnered with ThermoFisher, LGC and Illumina to add additional instrumentation and automation to increase the daily number of COVID-19 tests performed to 80,000 by December 2020.

Sonic Healthcare USA, Austin, Texas

Expanded scope and expedited timeline of a framework for large-scale COVID-19 RT-PCR testing platforms and distribution capacity. With a network of regional testing hubs located in various clinical settings and geographic areas, the company can simultaneously deploy multiple test platforms and methodologies. Using specimens from predominantly nasal swabs, they will continue to add capacity to reach about 166,000 samples tested per day with new high-throughput technology.

###

About the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative: The RADx initiative was launched on April 29, 2020, to speed innovation in the development, commercialization and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. The initiative has four programs: RADx Tech, RADx Advanced Technology Platforms, RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical. It leverages the existing NIH Point-of-Care Technology Research Network. The RADx initiative partners with federal agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department of Defense, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Learn more about the RADx initiative and its programs: http://www.nih.gov/radx.

About the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB): NIBIB's mission is to improve health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating the physical and engineering sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. NIBIB supports emerging technology research and development within its internal laboratories and through grants, collaborations, and training. More information is available at the NIBIB website: https://www.nibib.nih.gov

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Afghan Government Releases 100 'Dangerous' Taliban Prisoners

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan September 01, 2020

Afghan officials say they have released about another 100 Taliban prisoners as part of a prisoner swap meant to clear the way for the start of peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

Afghan officials have described the remaining prisoners as the most dangerous, accusing them of masterminding attacks on embassies, public squares, and government offices, killing thousands of civilians in recent years.

The release of 400 Taliban prisoners was approved last month at a consultative Loya Jirga in Kabul. Eighty of them were released last month.

The decision came more than five months after Washington and the Taliban made the release of prisoners by both sides a condition for the talks between the militant group and Kabul.

A government official who did not want to be named told RFE/RL on September 1 that the release of the prisoners will be completed in the next few days and that talks between the government and the Taliban will begin in Qatar.

The official said the process could be completed by September 2 and that an Afghan government delegation will immediately travel to the Qatari capital of Doha for negotiations with the militant group.

The release of the prisoners is the last hurdle to opening peace talks between the internationally backed government in Kabul and the Taliban under a peace deal signed in February between the militants and the United States.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-government -releases-100-dangerous-taliban -prisoners/30815295.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Summer 2020 was going to be a booming season for Giovy Buyers and her flower shop, Southern Blossom Florist. The Republican National Convention was coming to Charlotte, N.C., and she was bidding to do its floral installations.

We know how that story ends.

Instead, the coronavirus pandemic forced Ms. Buyers to close in March and lay off her three employees. On her last day, she looked around her shop, where cooling cases were stuffed with the flowers she imports from her home country, Ecuador, and decided to donate all of them to retirement homes.

When longtime customers began calling for funeral floral arrangements, she thought that work might help her limp through. But Ms. Buyers discovered her supply chain was broken  she could no longer import flowers.

Then two things happened. First, she found new suppliers, connecting with local growers who lost sales at farmers markets. Second, she heard that the City of Charlotte was offering grants to help small businesses pay their rent and other expenses. In July, she received $10,000.
Airlines already received billions of dollars through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring, in exchange for agreeing to avoid layoffs before Oct. 1. But demand for travel remains sharply reduced, and United executives have said they dont expect flying to return to normal until a vaccine is widely available.
The Suspect, Chinaecheren Ulu

A 30-year-old man identified as Chinaecheren Ulu, from Abia State finally met his waterloo on Tuesday, Sept 1st, 2020 after he was arrested by the police for scamming online vendors in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to a source, the culprit had been in the business of ordering items from online vendors but would offer fake credit alert and run away with the goods .

This man leaves Abia and comes all the way to PH to scam vendors . His modus operandi includes ordering for an item online and ensure that its payment on delivery.

Hed give the vendor a fake address that the dispatch rider would deliver the goods to.

Then when hes about to pay via his banks mobile app, hed mention the receivers name for the delivery person to confirm , once they confirm its the account holders name, hed show them a screenshot which says successful and pretend to be in a hurry to leave without waiting to confirm if the vendor had received the money.

Thats how the vendor will never receive an alert and all efforts to reach him would prove abortive cause he never gives the right address for his deliveries .

As the saying goes , One day for the thief, One day for the owner. Were so happy he was caught and hes currently chilling at the State CID, Port Harcourt .We hope this would serve as a deterrent to others like him out there .

See Video Below;
An American man who fought with the Islamic State in Syria for five years before being captured and sent home, has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.

Texas-born Omer Kuzu, 23, was returned to the U.S. last March after he and 1,500 other suspected ISIS fighters were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces.

Kuzu, who was radicalized in the States, had spent five years providing communications support for the jihadist group and working at the Caliphate's technology center, prosecutors said.

Kuzu admitted to traveling with his brother Yusef to Turkey on October 16, 2014, where they connected with people linked to the Islamic State and were smuggled across the border into Syria in an 'ISIS taxi' and then to IS-held territory in Iraq.

Suspected Islamic State members are seen in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh in October 2019. Kuzu was returned to the U.S. after being captured last March

In Mosul, the brothers underwent five days of physical and weapons training led by ISIS instructors before being sent to Raqqah, Syria, where Kuzu started work at the telecommunications directorate, according to charges filed against him.

Shortly thereafter, Kuzu said he pledged allegiance, or 'Bay'ah,' to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic Caliphate. He was given a monthly stipend, a Chinese-made AK 47, and an ISIS bride.

Kuzu was returned to the United States after his capture and first appeared in federal court in Texas on August 1, 2019.

After pleading guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to a terror group, Kuzu faces up to 20 years in prison.

His sentencing is set for January 22, 2021.

'This defendant, an American citizen radicalized on American soil, pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist group and traveled halfway across the world to enact its agenda,' U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas said on Wednesday.

'The United States must do everything we can to prevent and deter this type of radicalization and prioritize prosecution of those that support the terroristic agenda.'

Assistant Attorney General John Demers said the Kuzu case was an example of the United States being willing to repatriate its nationals who join the outlawed jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.

Washington has assailed allies in Europe for refusing to repatriate and try their own nationals who joined ISIS - and who are now sitting in prison camps in Iraq and Syria.

'We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.' Demers said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden meets with members of the community Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wis. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

Joe Biden met with relatives of Jacob Blake, the Black man who was shot and paralyzed by police, when the former vice president arrived in this shaken city Thursday. Biden offered a stark contrast to President Trump, who instead pledged his support to law enforcement this week after touring downtown buildings burned by rioting.

Ahead of his visit to Kenosha with his wife, Jill, Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Del., that the officers involved in the shooting need to be charged. Biden said he planned to meet with community leaders, business owners and law enforcement during his visit. He also visited Thursday with the Blake family.

"Weve got to heal, weve got to put things together, bring people together," said Biden, who was making his first stop in Wisconsin since securing the Democratic presidential nomination. His purpose in making the trip, he said, was "to do just that.

Three officers attempted to arrest Blake when responding to a call about a domestic dispute Aug. 23. Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, 29, seven times in the back as he tried to enter an SUV with his three children in the back seat. Blake, who police say had a knife in the car, suffered spinal injuries and remained hospitalized Wednesday, relatives said. The officers are on leave as state and federal officials investigate. Protesters have called for them to be fired.

Blake's uncle Justin Blake said the family agreed to meet with Biden to keep attention on the investigation and pressure Democrats to take action to fight systemic racism.

"I hope he's ready," said Blake, 50, a Chicago labor foreman and community organizer. "I'm trying to keep his feet to the fire like everyone else. We're not leaving here until we get justice."

The Wisconsin Department of Justice was still investigating Blake's shooting, and the U.S. Justice Department has also opened a civil rights investigation.

Blake said he didn't expect his nephew  whom he calls "Little Jake"  to meet Biden or talk to him by phone. Although he was released from intensive care Wednesday, his uncle said, Blake was still heavily medicated. He said it wasn't clear whether his nephew, a father of five boys, would be able to walk again.

Story continues

"He has yet to be in his right mind to talk for an extended period of time because of the pain," Blake said of his nephew during a stop at a Kenosha barbershop that serves as a community center.

He said the family was evaluating spinal experts and whether to transfer Blake to a specialty hospital. They also were trying to get therapy for Blake's sons who saw the shooting, he said, one of whom recently got upset during a car ride.

Since the shooting, Blake's family has received threats and has had to move to a different location, his uncle said. But they don't plan to leave Kenosha.

"We're going to stand here and fight hard for Little Jake's rights and for all the Little Jakes across the country," he said.

After visiting Kenosha with Trump, Atty. Gen. William Barr told CNN on Wednesday that Jacob Blake was committing a felony and "armed" when police shot him. Blake's attorney Benjamin Crump called Barr "misinformed."

"The police officers were the aggressors from start to finish," Crump said in a statement. There was never any point in time when there was justification for deadly force."

Trump, who visited Kenosha more than a week after protests broke out over Blake's shooting, said he refused a phone call with the family because they wanted lawyers present. The president toured businesses destroyed and torched during rioting last week. He spoke with local law enforcement and described protests, which have remained largely peaceful for six days, as acts of domestic terror."

Justin Blake said he resented Trump siding with police during his visit.

Jacob Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, said he and his family agreed to meet Joe Biden during his visit to Kenosha, Wis., to draw attention to the investigation into the shooting and the need for police reforms. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

"It's best that we didn't meet," he said.

It was unclear whether Biden would also visit the damaged downtown.

The same day Trump visited, four protesters filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against the city and Kenosha County, saying police have selectively enforced a curfew against demonstrators to stifle free speech. The Wisconsin residents contend that authorities arrested 150 protesters for violating the curfew put in place after Blakes shooting but ignored pro-police demonstrators, according to the lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

"In Kenosha, there are two sets of laws  one that applies to those who protest police brutality and racism, and another for those who support the police," it said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said the curfew had been lifted because "the last several nights have been relatively peaceful."

Kimberly Motley, the attorney representing the suing protesters, said the lawsuit was still pending and that officials "should have been more thoughtful about how they enforced the curfew in the first place." Motley planned to spend several hours with protesters near the Kenosha courthouse late Wednesday, observing how law enforcement responds to the curfew being lifted.

"What they do tonight  well see, she said.

City and county officials did not return calls about the lawsuit Wednesday. Kenosha's sheriff and police chief have insisted that most of those arrested since the Blake shooting were from out of town. Late Sunday, Police Chief Daniel Miskinis issued a statement saying that of 175 people arrested, 102 were from outside Kenosha.

Motley said it shouldn't matter where protesters came from.

Theyre arbitrarily applying those curfew violations to people who are protesting police brutality, not white supremacists, Motley said. "You would think they would find value in also charging the pro-police people who are coming there armed after two people were murdered," she said in reference to Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old Illinois resident charged with murder in the shooting deaths of two people near downtown on Aug. 25.

More than 1,000 National Guard troops from Wisconsin and other states, as well as federal law enforcement, are now in Kenosha, which has a population of 100,000. Trump has claimed credit for sending in the Guard, although it arrived in the city at the request of Gov. Tony Evers.

During his Kenosha stop, Trump, who has painted Biden as weak on crime and positioned himself as a "law and order" president, described bad policing as the act of "bad apples" and declined to answer questions about complaints of racism in law enforcement. Biden has condemned violence that has hit American cities since the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. He has also spoken out in support of reforms to policing.

In a statement after Trump's visit, Biden criticized the president for not offering a "condemnation of violence of all kinds, no matter who commits it," alluding to Trump's defense of Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse, who police said fled the scene of the shootings, was arrested Aug. 26 and is being held in Lake County, Ill. His lawyers said he acted in self-defense, an argument Trump repeated this week.

Justin Blake said the Rittenhouse shooting showed how local police treated white suspects differently, noting video showed officers chatting and tossing Rittenhouse water before the shooting, which he was able to flee even though he appeared to be surrendering to police. Blake said his family sympathized with relatives of Rittenhouse's victims.

"They're going through this pain too," he said.
The first hearing has been held for a bipartisan Ohio Senate bill seeking to repeal the nuclear bailout legislation at the heart of an alleged bribery scandal involving former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder.

Repeal bill sponsors Sens. Sean OBrien, D-Bazetta and Stephanie Kunze, R-Hilliard, testified Sept. 1 before the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Commission. OBrien said

As public servants, it is our constitutional charge to always act in the best interest of all Ohioans, OBrien said. This includes not taking bribes to further the interests of individual corporations or other entities, and not passing legislation that will put a significant financial burden on taxpayers just for powers sake and to line the pockets of oneself and a few select cronies.

The evidence laid out by federal authorities against Speaker Householder and his associates related to the passage of (House Bill 6) was overwhelming, and this legislation cannot be allowed to stand.

House Bill 6 was signed into law in July 2019, a little more than three months after it was introduced. The bill, among other things, gives North Perrys Perry Nuclear Power Plant and Ottawa Countys Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant $150 million annually between 2021 and 2027. The funds are raised through charges paid by residential, commercial and industrial electric customers.

FirstEnergy Solutions, the owner of Ohios two nuclear plants, filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 and had plans to shut down both plants by 2021 if it did not receive subsidies. FirstEnergy Solutions officials emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 27 as Energy Harbor.

Householder, R-Glendford, and four others were arrested July 21 for allegedly violating the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering.

The $60 million case was called likely the largest bribery scheme ever perpetrated against the state of Ohio, by U.S. Attorney David DeVillers. Householder has since been removed as House Speaker, but remains in the Ohio House as a Representative.

Federal investigators allege that Generation Now was incorporated in February 2017 as a social welfare entity purporting to promote energy independence and economic development, but was secretly controlled by Householder.

Millions of dollars from the electric company known in the complaint as Company A were allegedly used to support Householders bid to become speaker, to support House candidates believed to back Householder for the position and for personal benefit.

Kunze said a repeal of House Bill 6 will help to restore the faith of the public in the legislative process.

Not only were the scales weighted in favor of House Bill 6 from the backroom dealings made by those currently under investigation by the FBI, but the public effort to bring House Bill 6 up for a referendum was sabotaged by those behind the creation of House Bill 6, Kunze said.

During the hearing, committee member Sen. John Eklund R-Munson Township, asked the pair if the guilt or innocence of the alleged crimes are important to them in determining whether and to what extent it is a good idea to repeal House Bill 6.

OBrien said it is likely to take a long time before the cases against Householder and the other defendants are brought to trial. Householder told reporters Sept. 1 he plans to plead not guilty.

By the time the cases are finished, it is likely that House Bill 6 is already in full effect. He said in his opinion what was laid out by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney Generals Office warrants a repeal.

The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is located in Eklunds Senate district and employs about 700 people. Prior to House Bill 6, in 2017, Eklund introduced legislation to subsidize Ohios two nuclear plants. That legislation never made it out of committee, however.

Senate Energy and Public Utilities Commission Chairman Sen. Steve Wilson. R-Maineville, told OBrien and Kunze they were there with the best of intentions. Wilson said the committee is going to give a repeal every possible consideration as we go forward the next few weeks.

Wilson said the committee should be proud of the work it did regarding House Bill 6 last year.

we were a necessary check and balance, which is built into the governmental system to the House of Representatives, that even with that type of money that we didnt know about being thrown around, even with all that went on, we were able to stay above that and be that check and balance and produced good policy that was signed by the governor and would become law, Wilson said.

Wilson added that with that being said and having the repeal bill before them, it is appropriate that we take a look at this because of what happened.

Its very appropriate, but we are going to take a fair and balanced look at that, just like we did when we took at House Bill 6.

Wilson said they will have proponent and opponent hearing and are going to take the time to do this right.

Were not here as senators to have knee-jerk reactions to what happened outside the State House or over at the House, Wilson said. We are here on any bill to take a look at the substance of that bill and what it means to the citizens of Ohio.

In the aftermath of Householders arrest, Gov. Mike DeWine initially said House Bill 6 should not be repealed. He quickly reversed course, stating state lawmakers should repeal and replace the bill through an open process that the public can have confidence in.

In the Ohio House, new Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, on Aug. 31 announced the creation of a committee to review House Bill 6 repeal and replacement legislation.

The committee will be called the House Select Committee on Energy Policy and Oversight. Cupp said in a statement that Householders federal indictment raised serious questions about House Bill 6 and the process by which it became law, casting a dark cloud over Ohios energy policy.

The announcement of the committee was criticized by a pair of House Democrats who wanted House Bill 6 to repealed this week.

This new committee was announced with no timeline, no membership and no purpose, Reps. Michael J. Skindell, D-Lakewood, and Michael J. OBrien, D-Warren, said in a statement.

County Commissioners in Lake and Ottawa counties have asked state lawmakers not to repeal without a thoroughly vetted and workable replacement.

Simply throwing the policy out with the political bathwater due to some bad actors, putting it politely, seems short-sighted, at best, and potentially catastrophic, at worst, to Ohios energy portfolio and costs moving forward, Lake County Commissioner John Hamercheck said Aug.19.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Folium Biosciences has completed buildout and received a Certificate of Occupancy for the world's largest cannabinoid extraction and purification facility.

The new 110,000-square-foot Pueblo West facility will produce up to 22,000 kg of 0.0% THC broad spectrum CBD oil each month. To satisfy accelerating demand from CBD product manufacturers worldwide, the plant has dedicated production lines to meet CBD regulatory requirements in the US, EU, Japan, and South Korea, among other countries.

FDA registered and state-of-the-art, the new Folium facility is purpose-built for extraction, purification and formulation of cannabinoids and terpenes. The plant will utilize supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) extraction technology exclusively to produce phytocannabinoid-rich 0.0% THC broad spectrum CBD oil, adhering to a continuous process from decarboxylation to extraction allowing for a revolutionary inline terpene capture system.

"This past year has been a 'survival of the fittest' moment for the CBD industry. Pandemic-related economic uncertainty has forced many manufacturers to cut back operations or completely go out of business," explains Folium Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Kashif Shan. "I'm proud to say that Folium has moved aggressively in the other direction - looking at 2020 instead as a year to invest and solidify our leadership position. Completing construction on this new world-class manufacturing facility is a testament to the strength of our market position. We move into 2021 with unrivaled capacity, ready to satisfy demand for the highest-quality CBD oil for businesses all over the world."

Folium's operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia provide a global reach as the worldwide cannabinoid industry continues its rapid growth. This international footprint and local market expertise, coupled with the extensive scalable manufacturing made possible by the Pueblo West facility, will enable Folium to cultivate new channels for its innovative, high-quality, science-backed products more successfully than its competitors.

About Folium Biosciences

Folium Biosciences is a vertically integrated B2B producer, manufacturer and distributor of hemp-derived non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Folium controls all aspects of the supply chain, from genetics and extraction to bulk and finished products. Folium's team delivers the world's highest-quality hemp-derived non-psychoactive cannabinoids products through a proprietary process, resulting in a THC content of 0.0%. Folium was the first hemp company to be issued a Certificate of Free Sale and a Manufactured Food Establishment License.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/800424/0_0__THC_LOGO_Logo.jpg
Many of us had not heard of Kenosha, Wisconsin, until a fortnight ago, but historians may come to regard the police shooting of an African-American there in August and all that followed as a pivotal moment for democracy. The protests and riots provoked by the injustice suffered by Jacob Blake, who is paralysed as a result, and the subsequent shooting of protesters by a 17-year-old, a member of a Caucasian armed militia group that resulted in two deaths, will be a recurrent playback to this election. On 1 September, US President Donald Trump visited the town of 100,000, despite the mayor and the governors requests not to, and chose not to meet the Blake family. He has argued the 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse, had acted in self-defence. Just hours earlier, Trump likened police involved in shootings to golfers choking" on a putt.

Kenosha could frame the electoral narrative. Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are three states Trump won narrowly in 2016, which proved critical to winning the crucial electoral college, even though he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. If he is able to use Kenosha to galvanize hundreds of thousands of his support base of working class Caucasians in these three states who did not vote in 2016 to vote this time, he could win the three again.

This is the election of our lifetimes, an emblem for the success or failure of majoritarian politics. Ever since George W. Bushs two-term presidency from 2001, US democracy has been a debased currency. The lies that led to the globally destabilizing Iraq War and the political polarization that followed cast a long shadow, and undermined the presidency of Barack Obama. But, Trumps funnelling of patently untrue stories through partisan TV networks and social media such as Facebook has served as a model for demagogues everywhere. Late last month, Facebook made a rare admission of error for not having taken down posts by the armed militia of which Rittenhouse was a member.This week, Trump sounded as if he were hallucinating as he spoke of dark forces" supporting his opponent Joe Biden. Without any proof, he claimed men in black uniforms were headed to Washington DC.

Much of Indias commentariat seems to view this election as if it were just another political contest, rather than a battle between an amoral politician and a decent, thoughtful one. The other themeof India supposedly having better relations with Republicans in the White Houseis also wrong-headed. As Shyam Saran, a former foreign secretary, told me, it is difficult to generalize the new element is Indias domestic politics coming under greater scrutiny in the US Congress." Trumps relationship with India is transactional, from seeking a lifting of a hydroxychloroquine export ban to labelling it the king of tariffs" .

If Trump wins re-election, it could amount to a death knell for democracy and rational politics. The personality cult around him already has echoes in India. Trumps inflammatory comments to stoke his majoritarian base do not seem unfamiliar after speeches by a few Bharatiya Janata Party leaders during Delhis assembly elections this year or Gujarats in 2017. Nor would the capture of the speakers podium of last months Republican convention by members of Trumps family, including his sons girlfriend who made a loud and bizarre speech, seem altogether strange to anyone watching the state of affairs in Indias Congress party.

The deep inequality in incomes and hopelessness experienced by working class people in the US condemned to temporary work and poor paying service jobs because of the collateral damage of automation and globalization is also a global phenomenon. In Deaths of Despair, published this year, the economists Angus Deaton and Anne Case explained how deaths among Caucasians in the US between the ages of 45 and 54 had risen from 30 per 100,000 in 1990 to 92 per 100,000 in 2017: They are drinking themselves to death or poisoning themselves with drugs", or committing suicide. The states with the highest increases in Caucasian mortality rates are also those that support Trump. Indias working class may depend on temporary jobs and be victims of inadequate education, but at least have family and community fraternities. Still, India needs to create upwards of 90 million new non-farm jobs by 2030 or face the same widespread spiral of negativity. Instead, India seems in the grip of a premature" hollowing out of its factories, not unlike that seen in America over the past few decades.

Kenosha, which was once a base for the automotive industry, is thus a morality play for us all. In How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that elected autocrats allow people to continue to believe they are living in a democracy" while packing courts and bullying newspapers. They contrast this with General Pinochets coup in Chile in the 1970s: We tend to think of democracies dying at the hands of men with guns." By encouraging gun-toting members of militias who come out in support of him in the South and the Midwest, and repeatedly casting doubt about whether the election will be fair, Trump has heightened the alarming possibility that, come November, the US will see more election-related violence than it has in living memory. The institutions weakened by Trump could be restored by a Biden victory, but the burden of such extreme polarization and his capture of the Republican Party will haunt the US for decades.

Rahul Jacob is a Mint columnist and a former Financial Times foreign correspondent.

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New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday directed officers to augment the city's testing capacity by taking a few steps, including 'testing on demand', testing at the national capital's border points and at major construction sites to check the spread of COVID-19.

Sources said that during a meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority, the lieutenant governor asked officers to prepare detailed SOPs to introduce such testing facilities in the city.

They said that a helpline number will soon be launched, where a person, who has COVID-19 symptoms, can book testing and thereafter, can avail the facility at his or her doorstep.

"In first phase, senior citizens, women and children are likely to avail 'testing on demand' facility. Another option is that people can also book testing at nearby centres by making a call at the helpline number," a source told PTI.

The LG has asked officers to set up testing facilities at Delhi's border points as well for the screening of those having COVID-19 symptoms.

"It will be mandatory for all migrant workers coming to Delhi to undergo tests. However, people, who live in NCR but work in Delhi, can also undergo test if they feel so," the source also said.

Last month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that his government would increase daily COVID-19 tests from 20,000 to 40,000.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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I consistently see our employees stepping up to support each other and our clients, while exhibiting new levels of empathy, gratitude and resilience," said Doug Hammond, chairman and CEO of NFP.

NFP, a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides property and casualty (P&C), corporate benefits, retirement, and individual solutions, today announced it has been named to Business Insurances annual list of Best Places to Work in Insurance for the fourth consecutive year. The award recognizes employers through their employees anonymous feedback and ratings for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work and help their companies grow.

This recognition from Business Insurance is a tribute to our employees and the inclusive culture weve worked to cultivate, said Doug Hammond, chairman and CEO of NFP. I consistently see our employees stepping up to support each other and our clients, while exhibiting new levels of empathy, gratitude and resilience. We all take ownership in the workplace we create, and we will always embrace the opportunity to continually evolve and improve.

For NFP, PeopleFirst is a core philosophy, internally and externally, that is foundational to our success, said Ginnette Quesada-Kunkel, NFPs chief human resources officer. People are at the heart of everything we do  from serving clients to supporting communities  and our ability to achieve our objectives starts with creating a welcoming and engaging workplace. When we do this well, we position ourselves to grow and thrive regardless of the challenges that come our way.

Were thrilled to be named among the Best Places to Work in Insurance for the fourth year in a row, said Mary Steed, chief people officer at NFP. As a people-first organization, were thoughtful in creating and refining a culture thats fulfilling for current employees and attractive to professionals who may be considering a career with NFP. Being part of the list again validates that were on the right path, even with the challenges that have emerged this year. With shared values as our guide, we will continue to listen, learn and collaborate to advance the growth and diversity of our organization, and the communities where we live and work.

Best Places to Work in Insurance is an annual sponsored content feature presented by the Custom Publishing unit of Business Insurance and Best Companies Group that lists the agents, brokers, insurance companies and other providers with the highest levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Best Companies Group identifies the leading employers in the insurance industry by conducting a free two-part assessment of each company. The first part is a questionnaire completed by the employer about company policies, practices and demographics. The second part is a confidential employee survey on engagement and satisfaction.

The program divides employers into the categories of small, 25-249 employees; medium, 250-999 employees; and large, 1,000 or more employees. This years report features 100 companies of various sizes, from 25 employees to more than 4,000.

The ranking and profiles of the winning companies will be unveiled as a sponsored content supplement in the October issue of Business Insurance and online at BusinessInsurance.com.

About NFP

NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant providing specialized property and casualty, corporate benefits, retirement and individual solutions through its licensed subsidiaries and affiliates. NFP enables client success through the expertise of over 5,700 global employees, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors, and financial institutions. NFP is the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue, 6th largest US-based privately owned broker, and 8th best place to work in insurance (Business Insurance); 10th largest property and casualty agency (Insurance Journal); and 12th largest global insurance broker (Bests Review).

Visit NFP.com to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals.

About Business Insurance

Business Insurance is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. With information for risk managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services, Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.

In addition to a monthly print magazine, Business Insurance provides essential news via its website, BusinessInsurance.com; daily and weekly e-newsletters; and breaking news via email news alerts. To subscribe, please contact Business Insurance at info@businessinsurance.com.

Best Companies Group works with partners to establish Best Places to Work, Best Companies, and Best Employers programs on a national, state-wide and regional basis. Through its thorough workplace assessment using employer questionnaires and employee satisfaction surveys, Best Companies Group identifies and recognizes companies that have been successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence.
The Rs 24,713 crore acquisition of Future Group's retailing assets by the subsidiaries of Reliance Industries (RIL) is expected to be a lengthy process as it requires three sets of approvals - statutory, contractual and regulatory. According to legal sources, the approval from Competition Commission of India (CCI) will be the longest and most strenuous process as the anti-trust authority is expected to look into the overlap of their retail assets and businesses in common localities.

The amalgamation of Future Group companies and the slump deal will require NCLT approvals. Besides, the deal will require approvals from shareholders and creditors as well. The contractual approvals are largely required from vendors and third-party suppliers and their lenders. The regulatory approval is granted by CCI.

There are, of course, business overlaps and competition concerns, said a senior lawyer. So the approval from CCI will be a lengthy process. "In the end, the regulator is expected to be cognisant of market dynamics. There is enough depth in the Indian retail market with large players like Amazon, Walmart-Flipkart and DMart. The combined entity of Reliance Retail and Future group companies will be able to pass on the synergy benefits to the customers, including in value and product range," said a lawyer involved in the deal.

ALSO READ: Biyani's Future Group firm defaults on interest payment to Franklin debt funds

The financial exigencies will be another influencing factor to get approvals for the deal. The failure in signing the deal would have destroyed the business of Future Group. It would have had impacts on its employees and lenders, said the lawyer.

"Retail is a little different from manufacturing as there is requirement of multiple players and multiple stores of same retailer in big cities. It will increase choice to the customers. So the overlap of stores may not come up as serious issue before CCI," said the lawyer close to the deal.

In merger deals in pharma, cement and metals manufacturing sectors, the competition regulator often interferes globally to safegiard the interests of customers and avoid monopoly or duopoly. For instance, CCI had given its consent to the Indian leg of the $44 billion merger between France's Lafarge SA and Swiss peer Holcim in 2015 with certain riders, including divestment of two cement plants to eliminate competition concerns. For the Sun Pharma-Ranbaxy merger, the CCI asked the merged entity to divest seven drug formulations in which its combined market share goes up to 95 per cent. Reliance Retail and Future Group companies together are the two largest players in the brick and mortar space in India.

ALSO READ: Reliance-Future deal makes RIL's retail arm more attractive for potential investors

The amalgamation of businesses of six Future group companies in Future Enterprises Ltd (FEL) will be the first step in the deal. The second step will be the slump sale of assets - the retailing business to Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Ltd (RRFLL), subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) and the logistics and warehousing business to RRVL. The third step will be the issue of preferential shares and warrants in Future Enterprises Ltd (FEL) to Reliance, which will eventually hold 13.14 per cent stake, valued at Rs 2,800 crore. The legal sources said that the Mukesh Ambani firm will act as the strategic investor in FEL, not as a co-promoter. The Ambani-led firm's stake purchase will value FEL at Rs 21,000 crore.

Kishore Biyani plans to build FEL as a viable and sustainable business. The sources said that Biyani will be focusing on building the FMCG business under FEL with positive cash flow. It will supply its food products and apparel brands to Reliance as well as other retailers. FEL will have a debt of Rs 3,000-4,000 crore post the deal.

Future Group was represented by legal firms Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy, while Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Khaitan & Co represented RIL.

ALSO READ: BT Buzz: What next for Kishore Biyani after selling Future Retail to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance?
Iran's UN envoy: US has no right to trigger snapback mechanism

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 9:40 AM

Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN says the United States is not eligible to use the Iran nuclear deal's snapback mechanism to restore sanctions against the country since Washington has formally withdrawn from the multilateral accord.

Addressing a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Monday, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said the majority of Security Council members transparently reaffirmed their stances against Washington's push to resort to the so-called snapback provision in the 2015 nuclear deal  officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  during a recent session.

The Assembly meeting was held to review the annual report of the Security Council.

The Iranian official further said the legal arguments presented by Security Council members as well as the conclusion subsequently offered by the Council's president were unambiguous and rock-solid: the US is in position to initiate anything in the Council.

"Following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the US is not a "JCPOA participant, and has no right to initiate a process to re-impose the Council's sanctions," he said, adding that the latest push is and will be void of any legal effect.

During the meeting, Takht-e Ravanchi also called on the Security Council and its members to adhere to their commitments, criticizing the highest UN body for remaining silent on US crimes.

He pointed to the US violations of Iran's territorial waters and airspace in 2019, saying that "this country continued its adventures against Iran to the extent that regional anti-terrorist heroes, like Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, were assassinated" upon the direct order of US President Donald Trump in "gross violation of the charter of the United Nations and international law, while the Security Council remained silent."

He further criticized the US for its earlier attempts to extend the UN arms embargo against Iran in violation of the UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal.

Last month, 13 countries of the 15-member council rejected the US push to trigger the so-called snapback provision in the 2015 nuclear deal, leaving Washington once again isolated on the issue like never before.

UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined the JCPOA, 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.

The document, however, says the Security Council would "take into account the views of the states involved."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed that all UN sanctions against Iran will be reinstated on September 20 after the US "activated the snapback mechanism."

However, the claim was strongly condemned by other signatories of the nuclear deal including the EU, Russia and China.

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Creating a lasting connection with consumers requires a deep understanding of user behaviors, says Lukasz Abgarowicz, head of new products at RTB House.

RTB House, a global company that provides state-of-the-art marketing technologies, has employed Deep Learning AI and first party data to create Streaming Video Ads  a brand-new solution aimed at targeting users in the upper stages of the sales funnel. These effective, brand-focused and dynamically-created video ads will offer users a viewing experience based on data-driven personalization enhanced with unique contextual elements and highly personalized storytelling.

Video is a key component of branding exercises, helping to focus marketing messages, improve customer interaction, and support a consistent and captivating brand image. According to a recent study by Wyzowl, when asked how theyd most like to learn about a product or service, two-thirds of people (66%) said theyd prefer to watch a short video. An additional 84% reported that theyve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brands video.

To increase impact, RTB House Streaming Video Ads are constantly updated to allow advertisers to execute outstanding, unique and consistent brand strategies. Based on a branding video and powered by RTB Houses state-of-the-art Deep Learning recommendations, Streaming Video Ads are tailored to user preferences in order to present the brand in an engaging and appealing way.

According to RTB House clients, video is particularly effective at targeting users in the upper stages of the sales funnel. To determine which users are located in those stages our Deep Learning algorithms analyze thousands of data points. Based on these advanced calculations, Streaming Video Ads are displayed to an audience which may include users who were previously not engaged with the brand.

Creating a lasting connection with consumers requires a deep understanding of user behaviors. Each journey is unique because every customer is different, with their own set of personal circumstances, needs, preferences, and behaviors. That is why our highly personalized Streaming Video Ads are an effective solution for any digital marketing strategy that embraces a user-centric approach, says Lukasz Abgarowicz, head of new products at RTB House.

Thanks to RTB Houses partnership with all major inventory partners, Streaming Video Ads are available in all popular video formats for various types of devices. To ensure ads are presented in the desired and brand-safe contexts, placements are analyzed by our proprietary contextual targeting and Brand Safety mechanisms, which use natural language processing to analyze site context for every single impression delivered. To ensure consistent communication, Streaming Video Ads may also be bundled with other ad formats offered by RTB House, including Social Banners, Dynamic Display Banners, Snippet Ads, in-app campaigns, and more.

All Streaming Video Ad formats offer KPIs that measure the videos branding impact. RTB Houses advanced analytics track a users interaction with the brand and deliver valuable insights that allow marketers to tailor their strategies and create an optimal user journey.

For more information visit videoads.rtbhouse.com.

See examples of Streaming Video Ads at videoads.rtbhouse.com/showcase.

---

About RTB House:

RTB House is a global company that provides state-of-the-art marketing technologies for top brands worldwide. Its proprietary ad buying engine is the first and only in the world to be powered entirely by Deep Learning algorithms, enabling advertisers to generate outstanding results and reach their short, mid and long-term goals.

Founded in 2012, the RTB House team comprises 500+ specialists in over 30 locations across the globe: New York, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai and Warsaw. It serves more than 2,000 campaigns for clients across EMEA, APAC and the Americas regions.

From 2018, after successfully deploying deep learning into 100 percent of its algorithms, RTB House develops two divisions, independent from R&D team, focused on leading innovation for MarTech solutions. The AI Marketing Lab provides an environment for inventing and advancing MarTech products. In addition, the Creatives Lab was created to investigate and improve the overall performance of creatives, as well as developing support for formats like dynamic display and video creatives that can be ultra-tailored to a clients unique branding needs.

Learn more at http://www.rtbhouse.com
In a bid to provide more support to small businesses, American Express Co. AXP is offering a Pay Over Time facility to the holders of Green, Gold and Platinum Business Cards. The cardholders who are basically small business owners will take advantage of this facility starting November. The service will also be available to the new as well as the existing cardholders.

Pay Over Time is a kind of indirect credit facility offered by American Express to small businesses, most of which are currently cash starved due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This type of beyond the card solution will aid small businesses manage their working capital and cash flow needs more efficiently. With additional cash support, small businesses will be able to stock up more inventory to prepare for a busy season, order in bulk to get discounts or be able to get along smoothly while waiting to receive a big payment.

American Express Pay Over Time facility provides small businessmen with the option to either carry a balance with interest on eligible purchases of $100 or more or pay the balance in full. This will give them more flexibility to opt for the payment mechanism, which is best suited per their business needs. These cards will continue to have no pre-set spending limit and will be customized according to customers needs. Card members will also be able to turn the Pay Over Time feature off and on again going by their convenience and requirement, thereby exercising a considerable control on the facilitys usage.

This strategic move by American Express is in response to its small-business customers requirement for increased payment flexibility, which has been long overdue. Though the company provided this Pay Over Time as an opt-in feature butsmall businesses are now demanding this facility from the first day of acquiring card membership.

American Express has been a huge supporter of small business and has been promoting the entities since the past decade with its idea of Small Business Saturday, which was created on Nov 27, 2010. The campaign was launched to help small businesses gain additional exposure and change the way consumers shop within their own community during the holiday season.

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Ever since, the backing of small business by American Express has intensified. Recently, American Express committed $200 million to cushion small and micro businesses.

The companys plans to acquire Kabbage, a leading financial technology company, which provides a broad range of payment, cash flow and financial management tools to small businesses in the United States also resonates with its goal to promote these small-time players.

The assistance to this business group underlines the companys own business interests as it seeks to provide more loans and other services to small businesses. With above $600 billion reserved for small business spending and a tremendous growth opportunity to boot, the company has plenty of other valid reasons to focus on this particular market. By bailing out small businesses from a crunch situation, American Express seeks to develop and expand their operations, which might require frequent loan borrowings to eventually feed the business needs.

American Express is massively hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and its most recent earnings of 29 cents per share plunged 86% year over year due to softness in spending volumes.

The company also added to its loan provisions, implying that it anticipates incurring more of bad debts in the days ahead due to deterioration in the global macroeconomic outlook as a result of the coronavirus adversity.

Other companies that also funded small businesses include PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL, Visa Inc. V and Mastercard Inc. MA.

American Express currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and the stock has lost 17.7% year to date compared with its industrys decline of 9.4%.

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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In the newly created role, Fraigneau will manage the performance and governance of lines of business and the underwriting of LSMs direct insurance business in Europe. He will report to LSM Europe head Kadidja Sinz and LSM deputy managing director Phil Hobbs.

Commenting on the appointment, Sinz said: I am delighted to welcome Pierre-Edouard to Liberty. He brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the table in Europe and most recently across Pan Africa. I look forward to him joining our European team as we grow our footprint in continental Europe. This new role is integral to us delivering our strategic ambitions.
Federal authorities on Wednesday morning announced that nine current and former Boston police officers have been indicted in an overtime scheme, accused of leaving shifts early and filing false timecards.

Collectively, the scheme netted the officers more than $200,000, according to the office of Andrew Lelling, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. The officers are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

Those charged are Lieutenant Timothy Torigian, 54, of Walpole; Sergeant Gerard OBrien (retired), 62, of Braintree; Sergeant Robert Twitchell (retired), 58, of Norton; Officer Henry Doherty (retired), 61, of Dorchester; Officer Diana Lopez (retired), 58, of Milton; Officer James Carnes (retired), 57, of Canton; Officer Michael Murphy, 60, of Hyde Park; Officer Ronald Nelson (retired), 60, of Jamaica Plain; and Officer Kendra Conway, 49, of Boston. The officers currently work for the department have been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case, Boston police said.

Authorities say the officers, who were assigned to Boston Police Departments Evidence Control Unit, often left overtime shifts two or more hours early. They submitted false timecards claiming to have worked the entire shift, Lellings office said in a statement. The fraudulent slips were allegedly submitted from May 2016 through February 2019.

The allegations and behavior alleged in todays indictments is very troubling and in no way reflect the attitudes of the hard-working employees of the Boston Police Department, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross said in a statement.

Charges in this scheme follow a federal investigation into a Massachusetts State Police overtime scheme, in which dozens of troopers were allegedly paid for hours they did not work.

Read the full indictment against the Boston Police officers below.

Related Content:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:33:50|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that as two major independent forces in the world, China and Germany should strengthen strategic consultation, deepen strategic coordination and expand strategic cooperation, in a bid to take on three tasks.

Wang made the remarks during talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Wang said the current world is facing three major choices -- multilateralism or unilateralism, openness or closeness, cooperation or confrontation.

The first task, Wang said, is to strengthen global anti-epidemic cooperation and revive the world economy. At the time when the prevention and control of COVID-19 have become a regular practice, China is willing to work with Germany to expand the "express channel" for personnel exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in vaccine and medicine development, in a bid to take care of the health of the two peoples and make contributions to global public health security.

Wang said that China and Germany should advocate for global solidarity, support the World Health Organization and oppose wrong acts and words stigmatizing global anti-epidemic cooperation.

The two sides should also implement the consensus reached at the G20 summit to help Africa and other less-developed regions, in a bid to give more momentum to the world economy, Wang added.

The second task is to advance the China-European Union (EU) relations to a higher level, Wang said, adding that developing strategic partnerships with Germany and Europe is China's strategic choice rather than an expedient measure, without any influence from the third party.

As partners rather than rivals, China and the EU should accommodate and learn from each other, so as to help stabilize the turbulent world, Wang said.

China is willing to work with Germany and the EU to prepare for the major political agenda for the next stage, deepen exchanges and cooperation in trade and economy, climate change, green development and digitalization, and complete the China-EU investment agreement negotiations within this year, Wang said.

Wang hoped that Germany will play a constructive role in promoting China-EU mutual trust and cooperation during the current German rotating presidency of EU Council.

The third task is to advocate for multilateralism and oppose the "new cold war," Wang said, adding that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Germany in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization, so as to safeguard the authority of the UN, advance global governance and build an open world economy.

The two sides should take practical acts to maintain the stable operation of industrial and supply chains, opposing "decoupling," deglobalization and other acts in an attempt to reverse the course of history, Wang added.

Wang said that China stands ready to work with Germany to strengthen bilateral exchanges in humanities, think tanks, media and research institutions, and hold the second conference of the China-Germany high-level humanities exchange mechanism and the China-Germany cultural exchange year, so as to promote people-to-people understanding between the two countries.

For his part, Maas said that Germany highly values Germany-China relations and EU-China relations, and further developing relations with China is a key target of Germany as the current EU Council rotating president, adding that Germany will work with China to promote the success of the important EU-China political agenda in the next phase.

"Decoupling" is not in the interest of any party, said Maas, adding that China is a major country with important influence, so that it is impossible to find lasting solutions without China's participation in dealing with major international issues such as tackling climate change.

Maas said that Germany hopes to work with China to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade and humanities, fight the pandemic, carry out vaccine cooperation, and ensure vaccine accessibility.

Germany is willing to conduct candid exchanges with China on issues with different views on the basis of mutual respect, Mass added.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern.

On Tuesday, Wang also met with German Chancellor's foreign policy adviser Jan Hecker and economic adviser Lars-Hendrik Roeller, and exchanged views with them on the important political agenda of China and the EU in the next phase. Enditem
For the second time in as many days, President Trump claimed without evidence that a plane filled with left-wing agitators either was or had been traveling somewhere within the U.S.

A person was on a plane, said that there were about six people like that person, more or less, and what happened is the entire plane filled up with the looters, the rioters, the anarchists, people that were obviously looking for trouble and the person felt very uncomfortable on the plane, Trump said Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews before departing to visit Kenosha, Wis.

Trumps recent talk of planes filled with the looters, the rioters is confusing even some of the presidents allies and those who ignore his sometimes bizarre tangents. Trump has spent the last several weeks attempting to link his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, to the unrest in a number of American cities this month, but he now appears to have taken that line of argument in a more conspiratorial direction.

The president has yet to reveal the identity of the person who allegedly saw the left-wing activists on the plane. I will see whether or not I can get that person to speak to you, but this was a firsthand account of a plane going from Washington to wherever, and Ill see if I can get that information for you, maybe theyll speak to you, maybe they wont, he said Tuesday.

President Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump initially brought up this plane in an interview with Fox News Laura Ingraham that aired Monday evening. The president linked the plane to how people that youve never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows were controlling Biden.

What does that mean? asked Ingraham, a staunch supporter of the president who seemed flummoxed by what he was saying. That sounds like conspiracy theory, dark shadows. What is that?

No. People that you havent heard of. They are people that are on the streets, theyre people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, Trump said. And in the plane, it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. Theyre on a plane.

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Where is this? asked Ingraham.

Ill tell you sometime, but its under investigation right now, said Trump. But they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention. And there were, like, seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage.

NBC News reported earlier Tuesday that Trumps claim is very similar to a viral Facebook post from June 1 that falsely claimed at least a dozen males got off the plane in Boise from Seattle, dressed head to toe in black. The post, by an Idaho resident, warned residents, Be ready for attacks downtown and residential areas, and claimed one passenger had a tattoo that said Antifa America on his arm.

Trump and his administration have continued to push fear of left-wing mobs while ignoring right-wing violence. After saying believers in the violent QAnon conspiracy theory are people that love our country last month, on Monday Trump said Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of killing two people in Wisconsin last week, may have acted in self-defense.

That was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw, and he was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, Trump said. He fell, and then they very violently attacked him, and it was something that were looking at right now, and its under investigation. But I guess he was in very big trouble. ... He probably would have been killed.

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The thirteen men and a woman who went on trial today over the 2015 attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris 'are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices', a survivor's lawyer has claimed.

Seventeen people and all three gunmen died during the three days of attacks in January 2015.

Later that year, a separate network of French and Belgian fighters for Islamic State struck Paris again, this time killing 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants.

Those on trial in France's terrorism court are accused of buying weapons, cars, and helping with logistics. Most say they thought they were helping plan an ordinary crime. Three, including the only woman accused, are being tried in absentia after leaving to join Islamic State.

'Since 2012, terrorism capitalized on the prevailing delinquency there is around these terrorists,' said Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for one of the attack survivors.

'They are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices.'

This court sketch made today at the Paris courthouse shows the fourteen accused and their lawyers at the opening of the trial of the accomplices in Charlie Hebdo jihadist killings in 2015

Richard Malka, a lawyer for the Charlie Hebdo magazine, arrives at the Paris courthouse today where suspected Islamist terror plotters are going on trial

There was heavy security outside the court in Paris today with armed police securing an entrance as the two-month trial opened

Francois Hollande, who was then France's president, told RTL radio: 'The trial will establish and confirm that the two attacks were coordinated; one was an attack on freedom of expression and the other was against Jews because they were Jews.'

The attacks from 7-9 January, 2015, started during an editorial meeting at Charlie Hebdo, whose offices had been unmarked and guarded by police since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad years before.

Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, gunned down 12 people before carjacking a vehicle and fleeing. They claimed the attacks in the name of al-Qaida.

Two days later, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Amedy Coulibaly stormed the Hyper Cacher supermarket, killing four hostages in the name of the Islamic State group as the brothers took control of a printing office outside the French capital.

The attackers died that day during near-simultaneous police raids.

It took days more for investigators to realize that Coulibaly was also responsible for the seemingly random death of a young policewoman the previous day.

It took further weeks to unravel the network of petty criminals and neighborhood friends linking the three attackers.

By then, Hayat Boumedienne, who had married Coulibaly in a religious ceremony, had left for Syria with the help of two brothers also charged in the case. Most of the 11 who will appear insist their help in the mass killings was unwitting.

Despite a global outpouring of support, the attacks were also seen as a massive intelligence failure.

French authorities ended a phone tap on one of the Kouachi brothers a few months before they stormed the editorial offices.

At least one had trained with al-Qaida in Yemen and been convicted of an earlier terrorism offense.

The brothers walked away from the carnage they had caused, escaping easily and drove through multiple dragnets before being trapped two days later.

'The government failed. If the intelligence services had done their job, this would not have happened,' said Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, lawyer for the only person in court facing a life term.

'The victims don't just want a guilty verdict, but real justice. The truth must come out.'

The chief judge declined to rule on Coutant-Peyre's request for a delay in the trial to learn more about the sale of the weapons to the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. Investigators never determined who sold the weapons.

Her client, Ali Riza Polat, is accused of serving as the link between the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. He appears at each stage of planning the attack, according to the judicial investigation, organizing secure phone lines, checking the price of explosives and ammunition, and traveling with Coulibaly to Belgium.

Wednesday's trial opened under tight security, with multiple police checks for the main courtroom and the overflow rooms.

At nearby newsstands, the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo appeared, defiantly reprinting the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed cited by the gunmen who killed so many of the publication's editorial staff.

Patrick Pelloux, a Charlie Hebdo contributor who missed the editorial meeting the day of the killings, said he had been dreading the trial.

Police and emergency vehicles at the scene after the gun rampage at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris in 2015 which left 12 people dead

'You have to understand the emotion we're feeling, it's very hard,' Pelloux said. 'We have to let justice run its course.'

Police led the defendants into a packed courtroom in Paris where they will answer charges of supplying weapons and financing terrorists - although three of the alleged accomplices including France's 'most wanted woman' are being tried in absentia and may be dead.

Satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is reprinting its controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a special commemorative edition as it vowed that 'we will never lie down' despite the attacks that killed some of France's most celebrated artists.

In the courtroom on Wednesday, security officers wearing balaclavas and bullet-proof vests took up positions, before defendants were brought in to the room.

On the eve of the trial, president Emmanuel Macron said France would remember the victims and said the freedom to blaspheme was part of the freedom of belief.

'Satire is not a discourse of hate,' the president told a news conference during a visit to Lebanon.

Macron's prime minister Jean Castex wrote on Twitter today: 'Always Charlie'.

Prosecutors have rejected claims that the trial will focus only on 'little helpers' suspected of providing weapons or organisational support.

'It is about individuals who are involved in the logistics, the preparation of the events, who provided means of financing, operational material, weapons, a residence,' prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard told France Info radio on Monday.

'All this is essential to a terrorist operation,' he said, adding that relatives of the 17 victims and others would testify at the trial.

Two masked gunmen brandishing Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers attack the headquarters of French satricial newspaper Charlie Hebdo

The defendants not in the courtroom are Hayat Boumedienne - dubbed France's most wanted woman - and brothers Mohamed and Mehdi Belhoucine, who travelled to ISIS-controlled Syria days before the attacks and may be dead.

Paris-born Boumeddienne, a self-styled ISIS fanatic, is still on the run, and was last said to have been spotted in a Syrian refugee camp last year.

'A warrant is out for her arrest,' said a prosecuting source involved in proceedings at the Special Assizes court on Wednesday.

'It has been claimed that she is dead, but intelligence placed her in the town of Al-Hawl in the summer of 2019.

'The camp is made up of thousands of women and children, including many dislodged from the ISIS caliphate.'

Mohamed Belhoucine is accused of being the ideological mentor of one of the attackres after meeting him in jail and opening up channels of communication for him to ISIS.

The trial was originally set for last spring but was delayed by the coronavirus crisis that shut down most French courthouses.

Given its historical importance, it will be filmed for France's official archives, a first for a terror trial. It is scheduled to run until November 10.

The cover of the latest Charlie Hebdo issue shows a dozen cartoons first published in 2005 which unleashed a storm of anger in the Muslim world.

In the centre of the Charlie Hebdo cover is a cartoon of the prophet drawn by its cartoonist Jean Cabut, known as Cabu, who was killed in the massacre.

'All of this, just for that,' the front-page headline says.

Its editorial team wrote that now was the right time to republish the cartoons, saying it was 'essential' as the trial opens.

'They died so that you journalists could do your jobs,' said Richard Malka, the lawyer for Charlie Hebdo.

'Let us not be afraid. Not of terrorism, not of freedom.'

The publication drew fresh condemnation from Pakistan's foreign ministry, which said the decision to print the cartoons was 'deeply offensive'.

'Such a deliberate act to offend the sentiments of billions of Muslims cannot be justified,' it said.

A message of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo - containing the popular slogan 'je suis Charlie' (meaning 'I am Charlie') - is laid out in Paris after the attack in 2015

Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly, had long tested the limits of what society would accept in the name of free speech, including with its depictions of Mohammed.

But the attacks led to a global outpouring of solidarity with the magazine, symbolised by the slogan 'Je suis Charlie', meaning 'I am Charlie'.

The magazine's first edition after the attack featured a cartoon of a tearful Prophet Mohammed holding a 'Je suis Charlie' sign under the headline 'All is forgiven'.

Millions of copies of the so-called 'survivors' edition' were printed, dwarfing the usual 60,000 print run.

Launching their terrorist rampage on January 7, 2015, the attackers first killed maintenance worker Frederic Boisseau before forcing cartoonist Corinne Rey to give them access to the building.

Within a few minutes, editor-in-chief Stephane 'Charb' Charbonnier and cartoonists Cabut, Bernard Verlhac, Georges Wolinski and Philippe Honore were all dead, as well as economist Bernard Maris, columnist Elsa Cayat, Charb's bodyguard Franck Brinsolaro, visitor Michel Renaud and proof-reader Mustapha Ourrad.

As they fled, the terrorists were heard shouting: 'We have killed Charlie Hebdo. We have taken revenge for the sake of the Prophet Mohammed.'

Once outside, they opened fire again and killed their 12th victim, police officer Ahmed Merabet, before fleeing to the Paris suburbs.

With France still in shock, the attacks continued the next day when Amedy Coulibaly, an acquaintance of Cherif Kouachi, killed a female police officer, Clarissa Jean-Philippe.

On January 9, Coulibaly killed four Jewish men at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris after taking hostages and demanding that the Kouachi brothers go free.

French special forces eventually stormed the Hyper Cacher store, killing Coulibaly and freeing 15 surviving hostages.

The Kouachi brothers were killed by police in a separate stand-off at a printworks where they had taken refuge.

In a video recording, Coulibaly said the attacks were co-ordinated and carried out in the name of the so-called Islamic State.

However, Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch also said its leadership had ordered the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices.

Later in 2015, another wave of Islamist attacks killed 130 people in co-ordinated bombings and shootings at the Bataclan theatre and other locations in Paris.

The following year, a Tunisian who pledged allegiance to ISIS ploughed his truck through a crowd in the Mediterranean city of Nice, killing 86 people.
New Delhi: Vistara and Japan Airlines have inked a partnership that allows members of their frequent flyer programmes to earn and spend points on each other.

A frequent flyer program (FFP) is a loyalty programme wherein a passenger earns points for travelling on an airline's flights, which can then be used to get rewards on the same airline or partner companies.

"The partnership enables Club Vistara members to earn and redeem CV points on flights operated and marketed by Japan Airlines," Vistara said on Wednesday in a press release.

Vistara's FFP is called Club Vistara and Japan Airlines' FFP is called JAL Mileage Bank.

Members of JAL Mileage Bank will be able to earn and spend their miles on flights operated and marketed by Vistara, the release noted, adding the partnership came into effect from Monday.

Now, Club Vistara members can earn and redeem points when travelling on partner airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.

The aforementioned two airlines entered a code-share agreement in 2019. A code-share agreement allows an airline to sell seats of other airline's flights on its distribution network.

Vistara is yet to start flight operations between India and Japan.

Five days ago, the airline started services to London's Heathrow airport as part of the bilateral 'transport bubble' between India and the UK. It is also considering similar flights to Paris and Frankfurt.

Since July, India has signed separate bilateral air bubble pacts with countries like the US, the UK, the UAE, Germany and France. In an air bubble pact, airlines of both the countries can operate international passenger flights under certain restrictions.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo has cited a 127-million difference between the payment of claims and the amounts charged by public hospitals under cash advance program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

During the last House of Representatives inquiry Wednesday of the committees on public accounts and good government and public accountability on corruption allegations at PhilHealth, Quimbo noted that based on August 26 data submitted by the agency, total claims paid to public hospitals amounted to 145 million while their charges totaled only 18 million.

Private hospitals, on the other hand, had total IRM liquidations from PhilHealth of 128 million compared to the 330 million that the hospitals charged for liquidation.

Dr. Israel Pargas, SVP for health finance policy sector of PhilHealth, said that the overpayment, or underpayment, may be due to the case rate payment system where liquidations are being based.

This system sets a fixed rate for PhilHealths payment of a patients accumulated expenses for treatment of a disease.

He added that under PhilHealths policy for all COVID-19 patients, there should be no copayment, or a payment made by the beneficiary on top to that made by the insurer. In the case of private hospitals wherein charges are high but actual claims are low, Pargas said hospitals should no longer charge patients whether they are in a hospital ward or in a private room.

Quimbo was not able to ask more questions due to time restrictions. PhilHealth was instead asked to submit necessary documents on this policy.

In 2019, PhilHealth clarified that there was no overpayment in the liquidation of claims, and that these are only efficiency gains, or gaining profit from working at lower costs, which is said to be a feature of the case rates system.

Menguita cited in contempt

During the hearing, the House panels cited Dr. Dennis Menguita in contempt, and was given a stern warning after accusing a lawmaker of lying regarding his alleged involvement in a scam in Koronadal City.

He told lawmakers that he was even harassed by Magsasaka party-list Rep. Argel Cabatbats friend for allegedly having an affair with the friends wife, and that the cases file against him are out of jealousy.

During hearings, Cabatbat presented the scam that Menguita was allegedly committed in Koronadal. He said the doctor has recruited people who would later "pretend to have contracted a disease" to increase claims from the PhilHealth.

During House Minority Leader Benny Abantes interrogation, he asked if a resource person can make accusations during hearings. Public Accounts Committee Chair Mike Defensor said this is not allowed since the investigation is in aid of legislation.

Abante then moved to cite Menguita in contempt that was approved by the committee. But Cabatbat recommended to just settle for a stern warning for the Menguita since it was also the doctors birthday.

Lawmakers previously detained PhilHealth senior manager for internal legal department Rogelio Pocallan in the House for three days after claiming that the agency can modify a decision by the Court of Appeals that is considered final and executory.
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CCRM Fertility, a global pioneer in fertility science, research and advancement, today announced the appointment of Stephanie Dahl, M.D., FACOG, to its Minneapolis location (6565 France Avenue South, Suite 400, in Edina). Board certified reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Dahl joins CCRM Minneapolis co-founder April Batcheller, M.D., and Wael Salem, M.D., in delivering industry leading care and outcomes to patients throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and surrounding states.

Dr. Dahl received her undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University and medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. She completed her residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she received the Resident Teaching Award and was the four-time recipient of the CREOG Award, which is awarded annually to the resident with the highest national CREOG exam score. After her residency, she completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where she received a grant from the National Institute of Health for her research.

In addition to her role at CCRM Minneapolis, Dr. Dahl he also serves as assistant clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

"I am excited to join the talented team at CCRM Minneapolis," said Dr. Dahl. "CCRM Fertility is known for treating patients as partners and is well-respected throughout the industry for delivering industry-leading outcomes and world class patient care. I look forward to collaborating with CCRM's network of award-winning physicians and fertility specialists and incorporating my own expertise, to help give local residents who want to start a family the very best chance to do so."

Dr. Dahl has authored numerous articles for notable peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research findings and spoken at prestigious medical conferences around the country. In 2013, she was honored to receive the RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association, Hope Award for advocacy, and in 2018, she received an award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for her work mentoring new ob-gyn physicians.

"Since opening our doors more than five years ago, we've been fortunate to help thousands of patients achieve their dreams of having a baby," said Dr. Batcheller. "By adding Dr. Dahl to our CCRM Minneapolis physician team and offering telehealth appointments, we're continuing to expand access to world-class fertility care in the Midwest allowing us to support even more invidividuals and couples on their fertility journeys."

For more information about CCRM Fertility or to schedule an appointment, call (877) 201-6931 or visit www.ccrmivf.com.

About CCRM Fertility

Founded by Dr. William Schoolcraft in 1987, CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) Fertility is the nation's leader in fertility care and research. CCRM Fertility specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, genetic testing, third party reproduction and egg donation. Unlike many other fertility clinics that outsource their specialists and testing needs, CCRM leverages its own data, as well as a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and geneticists in order to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM proudly operates 11 state-of-the-art IVF laboratories and 26 locations across the U.S. and Canada, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia/D.C., Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.ccrmivf.com , become a fan on Facebook , or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

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Chennai: Excessive, regular consumption of alcohol after a break due to COVID-19 lockdown induced dry phase has landed a number of men in "alcohol induced psychosis," a mental condition marked by disrupted thinking, perceptions and behaviour, an expert said here on Wednesday.

Left with no other option, several people had been abstinent from alcohol for a considerable period of time during the lockdown, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Institue of Mental Health (IMH), D Devi said.

The IMH, a renowned institution dedicated for mental health is over 200-year old and it is among the largest and oldest government institutions.

"When some people resumed regular and excessive drinking they landed in complications and sought our help. Had they not touched alcohol again, it would have done them a world of good," she told PTI.

Citing the case of a man, who resumed unrestrained drinking after a gap of months, she said, "this person lost his sleep, became restless, talked endlessly and roamed around which are manifestations of Alcohol Induced Psychosis (AIP)."

"Psychosis is a mental condition, that includes disrupted or altered thinking, perceptions and behaviour," the Assistant professor said.

An auto driver, the 40-year old man, did not have a drink for months due to lockdown restrictions and once he had access to alcohol with the easing of curbs, "he suffered because of his over-indulgence in alcohol," she noted.

"The sad thing is, his family also suffered. Since his wife was here in the hospital as attendant, the children had to be entrusted with relatives. Immoderate and habitual alcohol consumption affected not only this man, but also his family," the psychiatrist said.

"We see a number of men with a similar profile. Really too much of alcohol to the point of not knowing if it was day or night," she said adding wives of such men plead with doctors to admit them since their behaviour could be very unpredictable.

Such men, diagnosed for AIP, were admitted as in-patients at the IMH for about a week.

They were treated with anti-psychotics, anxiolytics, intravenous fluids and multivitamin supplements.

After discharge, they were advised to continue to be on medications and visit the hospital periodically to ensure good health and prevent recurrence of AIP.

"Alcohol induced psychosis happens, in some cases, even during withdrawal (when people stay away from alcohol) and it is due to their dependence which is physical and psychological. We treat such people as well," Dr Devi said.

When people with "severe alcohol dependence" had no access to drink during the initial phases of lockdown, they developed complications and they were successfully treated, she said adding such people should avoid alcohol altogether.

Cautioning against alcohol dependence, she said excessive and regular drinking could lead to severe health issues both "physical and psychological" and may lead to health issues including alcohol induced psychotic disorder.

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) of the World Health Organisation, alcohol-induced psychotic disorder is characterized by psychotic symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking and behaviour that develop with intoxication from alcohol or during withdrawal from it.

The IMH, located at Kilpauk here is attached to the Madras Medical College.

In Tamil Nadu, the state-run liquor shops were closed on March 24 evening when the lockdown was implemented for the first time.

While the outlets resumed operations in May in the rest of Tamil Nadu, the shops here and in suburbs reopened on August 18.
Maskot/Getty Images

Tough choices are ahead for employers as President Donald Trump's payroll tax holiday goes into effect, but it's never too early for employees to figure out what's coming up. The payroll tax deferral went into effect on Sept. 1, following an executive order Trump had issued in August. It's effective until the end of the year. Workers and employers each share half of a 12.4% tax to cover Social Security, plus a 2.9% tax to pay for Medicare. The Social Security tax applies to up to $137,700 of your wages in 2020  and this number is adjusted every year  but the Medicare tax comes into play beyond this level. The holiday applies to the employee's share of the Social Security tax, but only if the wages paid to a worker in a bi-weekly pay period falls below $4,000.

Be aware that this is a deferral of taxes only  not forgiveness. Congress would have to intervene in order to forgive the taxes owed. Employers must withhold and pay those deferred taxes ratably  that is, proportionally over time  from your pay between Jan. 1, 2021 and April 30, 2021, or else they will face interest, penalties and additions to tax, according to recent guidance issued from the IRS. For now, the best course of action would be to talk to your human resources representative or your firm's payroll department to get a sense of how your employer might handle the holiday. Here are five things that employees should know about the Social Security tax deferral, according to Pete Isberg, vice president of government affairs at payroll service provider ADP.

1. Your employer may not offer the holiday

Thomas Barwick | DigitalVision | Getty Images

The onus is on employers, if they participate, to withhold and pay workers' deferred taxes early next year. Whether it's the magnitude of the responsibility, the rapid rollout of the guidance from the IRS or the complexity of explaining the details to employees, there will be firms that back away from providing the holiday altogether. "It's the employer's choice to offer it, and if they do, they may ask you if you want to take the deferral," Isberg said.

2. This is only a delay

Just as all holidays must come to an end, any amounts that you don't pay from September through December will be withheld from your pay in January. Participating employees will get a 6.2% bump in wages now, but they'll see a decrease early next year as employers recoup the deferred amounts and continue covering the ongoing payroll tax. Plan ahead by saving the extra bit of cash you get this fall so that you can prepare for a drop off in cash flow early next year.

3. Deferred taxes will be withheld in even amounts next year

boonchai wedmakawand | Moment | Getty Images

When your employer recoups the deferral next year, you'll see the amount deducted evenly from Jan. 1 through April 30 2021. However, employers and payroll providers are still hashing out what might happen to seasonal workers and employees who leave prior to the deferral being repaid. "If you change jobs, your employer may withhold the full amount deferred from your last check," Isberg said. This could be a substantial amount. More from Personal Finance:

How the CARES Act failed to protect tenants from eviction

What the payroll tax deferral really means for your paycheck

For many, the $1,200 stimulus check never came While the guidance allows employers to "make arrangements" to collect taxes from an employee, it could prove challenging if a worker quits abruptly. "When most people quit jobs, they don't want to be found, especially if you want to collect money from them," said Nicole Davis, CPA and founder of Butler-Davis Tax & Accounting in Conyers, Georgia.

4. Are you getting a bonus? You might not get a deferral for each pay period.

The deferral applies only if the amount a worker earns is under $4,000 bi-weekly. However, with bonus season coming up, workers who receive that extra pay in a pay period may end up with bi-weekly wages that are too high for the deferral in that particular paycheck. Overtime pay during the holidays could also have a similar effect, said Robert Delgado, principal at KPMG in San Diego. "Individuals could move in and out of the deferral," he said. "In some situations, you could have a pay period where there's deferral and pay periods where there isn't."

5. Just over $4,000 in biweekly pay? No deferral for you
Ultimately, the conundrum of liberty is not a legal question but a cultural one. As soon as theres a threat of harm, the state must intervene. But as long as protesters merely mouth off in ways that are disgraceful, the state must stand back. In these cases, its up to the rest of us to speak up and reclaim our democracies from the crackpots and demagogues. Even in 1933, the ensuing disaster could only happen because ordinary Germans allowed it.
Reuters

After registering a massive decline in coronavirus cases, to a point where it seemed that Delhi had successfully flattened the curve, rise in fresh cases have sparked a concern. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:

1) Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja Beats NZ's Jacinda Ardern In World Top 50 Thinkers 2020 List

KK Shailaja Teacher

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja aka Shailaja Teacher has been named as the winner of World's Top 50 Thinkers Thinkers of COVID-19 Age by UK-based Prospect Magazine. Read more

2) Nearly 900 COVID-Duty Kerala Doctors Quit Post Pay Cut. Here's What It Means For Our Healthcare

Unsplash - Representational Image

They were all among the 1080 MBBS graduates from government medical colleges in 2020 and were on Covid duty temporarily. They were promised 42,000 per month, but got only Rs 27,000. Read more

3) Free From Jail After 7 Months, Dr Kafeel Khan Thanks UP Police For Not Killing Him In Encounter

twitter

Khan was in jail since January after he delivered an allegedly provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in December last year. The Court also observed that his Dr Kafeel's speech actually promoted unity. Read more

4) Neglected Indian Farmers Drove Agriculture To 3.4% Growth While GDP Shrunk By 24% During COVID

REUTERS/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

The Indian economy contracted by 23.9 per cent in the April to June quarter (Q1 FY 21), marking the first contraction in more than 40 years as COVID-19 pandemic compressed consumer demand and private investments, government data showed. Read more

5) Eminent Architect And Dean Of Architecture In Jamia, SM Akhtar To Design The Ayodhya Mosque

File Photo

The proposed mosque that will come up in Ayodhya, on the alternative plot given to the Muslim community as part of the Supreme Court order, will be designed by Professor SM Akhtar, Head, Faculty of Architecture, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University in New Delhi. Read more
The University of Illinois Chicago has received a $2.5 million grant to better prepare primary care physicians to treat substance use disorders and mental health conditions in rural and urban underserved populations.

The grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, will be used to provide medical faculty more exposure, education and training in screening, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment for substance use and mental health conditions.

Faculty also will incorporate this knowledge into residents' curriculum.

The new funding, which is awarded through HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration, will be provided over five years and will give faculty time to develop curriculum, attend collaborative care meetings and train faculty champions. The grant also will support a resident in the rural track and additional staff, including social workers, psychologists and pharmacists.

"The UIC Department of Family Medicine and Residency Training Program is the ideal setting to enhance and propagate an interprofessional training program," said Dr. Christine Neeb, assistant professor of clinical family medicine at the UIC College of Medicine and co-principal investigator for the grant. "We have the capacity to train current and future primary care physicians in rural and urban settings, creating a self-sustaining workforce to continue to address this health crisis for years to come."

Neeb said there is a critical need for primary care physicians and mental health specialists in underserved rural and urban communities. More than 30% of small and rural hospitals are in designated primary care physician shortage areas, and more than 90% of these hospitals are in designated mental health service shortage areas, according to a 2018 Illinois Health and Hospital Association report.

The UIC Department of Family Medicine and Residency Training Program will implement the grant. (Photo by University of Illinois Hospital)

There was an 82% increase in opioid-related deaths from 2013 to 2016, with many of the highest death rates in rural Illinois counties. Their urban underserved counterparts had similarly high death rates, particularly among Black individuals on Chicago's West and Southwest sides, according to a 2017 State of Illinois comprehensive opioid data report.

"We hope to increase training for residents and get them more comfortable with treating addiction and mental health. This will prepare residents and physicians for placement in underserved areas," said Neeb, who cares for patients at UI Health Mile Square Health Center, a network of federally funded community health centers in Chicago. "Most family medicine doctors are comfortable treating anxiety and depression. We want them to gain confidence treating other mental health issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as addiction disorders."

Having these skills allows doctors to treat their patients more holistically, according to Dr. Sarah Henkle, a co-investigator of the grant.

"A family medicine physician who can effectively treat a patient's alcohol use, for example, will directly impact that patient's blood pressure control and their difficulty sleeping. We will provide easier access to more comprehensive care for our patients with this additional training," said Henkle, UIC assistant professor of clinical family medicine.

Dr. Nicole Gastala, also involved in the grant, stressed the importance of the grant's aims.

"Evaluation and managing serious mental health issues and addiction is integral to improving access to care for those in highest need," said Gastala, UIC assistant professor of clinical family medicine and director of behavioral health and addiction at Mile Square. "This grant will help lay the foundation for residents and faculty to integrate evidence-based care for mental health and addiction into a collaborative patient-centered care model."

The interprofessional component to this program is integral, said Adrienne Williams, who will also work on the grant program.

"No one stays mentally healthy for their entire lives, but while integrated care is becoming more mainstream, only a small percentage of health professionals receive training in working on interprofessional teams," said Williams, UIC associate professor of clinical family medicine and director of behavioral science. "This grant will allow us to further the education of family physicians to work in multi-professional settings to best serve our patients."

The grant team includes co-principal investigator Jennie Jarrett, Nicole Gastala, Jennie Jarrett, co-principal investigator Christine Neeb and Adrienne Williams.

The project is supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (D58HP375810100).

###
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said a localised lockdown in Dublin is "not being contemplated at the moment" despite concerns over rising Covid-19 cases in the county.

Dublin has accounted for just less than half of all cases confirmed in the country in the last two weeks, including over 100 cases on Tuesday of this week alone. Dublin's 14-day incidence rate of the virus is creeping towards 50 per 100,000.

The minister confirmed that a lockdown similar to that imposed on Laois, Offaly and Kildare last month is not currently being considered for Dublin. He pointed out that most of the cases occurring in Dublin are in the north and northwest of the county, close to the border with Kildare which emerged from lockdown earlier this week.

There has been no talk of additional restrictions being brought in for Dublin, or indeed other areas. There are other parts of the country where the numbers have gone high, so thats not being considered at the moment, he said.

He was speaking on Pat Kenny's show on Newstalk on Wednesday morning where he reiterated his belief that localised restrictions work and were "obviously better than national restrictions.

We now know from Kildare, Laois and Offaly that they work, he said.

National restrictions, including limits of gatherings, remain in place until September 13 with an extension likely to be announced closer to that date given the rising Covid-19 cases in recent days.

217 cases, the highest daily rise since May, were confirmed on Tuesday evening.
The presidential race in Pennsylvania is now almost neck-and-neck after both parties national conventions, according to a new poll, with President Donald Trump gaining ground on Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Biden leads Trump by four percentage points among registered Pennsylvania voters, 49% to 45%, a Monmouth University Polling Institute survey released Wednesday found. Thats down from a 13 percentage point advantage Biden held in Monmouths last Pennsylvania poll, in early July.

Among likely voters, the race is even closer.

Biden leads by one percentage point in a low voter turnout scenario, and by three in a high turnout model, Monmouth found. In July, Monmouth found Biden leading by seven in a low turnout scenario, and 10 if voter turnout were high.

Its the first public survey of the state released after both parties pressed their cases to voters in nationally televised conventions in late August. And it comes as both parties have blanketed Pennsylvania this week: Biden delivered a major speech Monday in Pittsburgh, Trumps daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, also campaigned in Bucks County that day, Vice President Mike Pence spoke Tuesday in Northeast Pennsylvania, and the president is expected Thursday in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Trump has made significant gains among men, voters under the age of 50, and a sliver of voters who seem open to his warnings that Democrats would bring ruin to the suburbs. Trump has also eaten into Bidens lead among college-educated white voters.

This is really a game of inches, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. The Trump campaign is looking to peel off a little bit of Biden support here and a little bit there. It may be working, despite the fact that Pennsylvania voters personally like the Democrat more, although this gap has narrowed.

Pennsylvania was decided by less than one percentage point in 2016, so small shifts in almost any region or demographic could make the difference this time.

 READ MORE: Trump makes a clear bet: Violence in Americas cities will help him beat Biden in states like Pennsylvania

Both parties have long said they expected the 2020 race to tighten in Pennsylvania, and the poll began the day after the Republican National Convention, which often provides a bump for the GOP nominee.

But the survey still shows a dramatic shift from Bidens summertime highs and portends a brutal fight over the final two months of the campaign. Monmouths findings are roughly in line with recent polls by Muhlenberg College, which showed Biden leading by four among likely voters, and Change Research, which had Biden ahead by three with those voters. Franklin and Marshall College found a wider seven-point edge for Biden among registered voters in August.

Most interviews for the Monmouth survey were completed before Bidens speech in Pittsburgh on Monday, in which he spoke out forcefully against riots and looting, and argued that Trump is fanning divisions and making the country less safe.

The poll surveyed 400 Pennsylvania voters by telephone from Aug. 28 to 31. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, though with significantly larger margins of error for subgroups within it.

Trump gains with men, and more voters of color are unsure

Biden leads big among women, 59% to 35%, but Trump has widened his advantage with men, according to the Monmouth poll. Men back the president 56% to 37%, up from a two-point edge in July.

Among voters under age 50, Biden leads 49% to 40%, down from 60% to 29%.

White, college-educated voters, who have largely rejected Trump and the GOP in recent elections, support Biden by 18 percentage points, but thats down from 27 points in July.

And among Pennsylvania voters of color, Biden still has an overwhelming majority  72%  but now 9% say they are undecided, compared with just 3% in July.

The Republican convention attempted to sow some seeds of doubt among core Democratic blocs, especially young and urban voters, Murray said. It looks like they may have had a small amount of success with that, at least for now.

 READ MORE: Can Trump win again without winning the most votes? Yes. Pennsylvania shows how.

The sample sizes for many of the subgroups were relatively small, leaving large margins of potential error, including 8% among Democrats, and 7% among men.

In 10 swing counties where the results were close in 2016, Trump leads 46% to 44%, a stark shift from Bidens 54% to 35% lead in July. (Those counties are Berks, Bucks, Centre, Chester, Dauphin, Erie, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton).

The suburbs, race relations, and the coronavirus

Overall, few voters seem to believe Trumps repeated warnings that Democrats would bring crime and lower property values to suburban enclaves, a message laced with racist undertones.

Asked about different people moving into nice neighborhoods who may bring in crime and lower property values, 12% saw that as a major problem and 52% said it was not a problem.

Only 24% of Democrats said they were concerned about this happening in their community. But of those, roughly one out of six said they will vote for Trump, Murray said. Now, this group represents a fairly small proportion of the total electorate, but it is still large enough to make a difference in a very close election, he said.

On the larger issue of race relations, however, 53% of Pennsylvania voters had a great deal or some confidence in Biden to handle the issue, compared with 42% who said the same about Trump.

Trump is also still struggling with voters on the coronavirus, the poll found: 45% of registered voters say he has done a good job, compared with 53% who say he has done poorly, similar to in July.

Biden now has a 48% favorable to 46% unfavorable rating, a net four-point improvement from July. Some 44% of Pennsylvania voters have a favorable opinion of Trump and 51% see him unfavorably. But that net approval rating of negative-7 compares to negative-14 in July.
LONDON  Well, its a start.

Sleepless: A Musical Romance, which opened on Tuesday at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater, is more noteworthy for what it represents than for the show itself: Londons first fully staged indoor musical since the coronavirus pandemic brought live performances to a halt back in March.

Several musical revivals have since been performed in concert at alfresco locations around the city. The rare plays on offer have had either casts of one or, as with the sound installation Blindness at the Donmar, no live actors at all. But like it or not  and Sleepless is fairly anodyne  the show on view through Sept. 27 exists on a scale that seemed unimaginable even a month or two ago.

And for that at least, three cheers.
Alberta MLA Kaycee Madu and his family after he was sworn in as justice minister in Edmonton on Aug. 25, 2020. (Handout)

Hard Work and a System That Rewards It: Canadas First Black Justice Minister on His New Appointment

When he first came to Alberta from his native Nigeria in 2005 and was struggling to support his family by washing dishes, Kaycee Madu never dreamt that one day hed be appointed to one of the most important cabinet posts in that province in his adopted country.

But the Edmontonian has come to realize since then that the system in his province is built in a way that rewards hard work and risk-takers.

It doesnt matter where you come from in this province. If you work hard, the sky wont even be a limit, Madu said in an interview.

The first-term United Conservative Party MLA made history last week when he became the first black Canadian to be appointed minister of justice and solicitor general.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney noted in his announcement of the appointment that Madu grew up in abject poverty but worked hard to make his way through law school and surmount the challenges many immigrants face, eventually establishing a law practice with his wife in Edmonton.

In addition to implementing reforms to Albertas justice system, Madu will be driving some of the Kenney governments most high-profile legal challenges against Ottawa, including the carbon tax and constitutional jurisdiction disputes related to Bill C-69.

Kenney also said Madu is taking the position at a time when there is more sensitivity to the reality of racial prejudice, noting that his appointment is a powerful statement.

Madu received his first cabinet post as the minister of municipal affairs in April 2019, before the latest round of protests and scrutiny on racial issues following developments in the United States.

This [latest] appointment is not merely because of the times were in, he said.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney shakes hands with Kaycee Madu after he was sworn in as minister of municipal affairs in Edmonton on April 30, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)

What has helped him get where he is, Madu said, is his work ethic and living in a place that is founded on a merit-based system.

If you take a look at the trajectory of my life and the things that I have done in the face of all of those so-called difficulties and obstacles, you can tell that if your head is in the right place, if you are a responsible citizen and respect our institutions and work hard, you will achieve your God-given potential, he said.

Fair Deal

Madu said one of his primary focuses in his new position will be ensuring that public safety and the rule of law is maintained. He will also be focusing on working with the federal government to ensure that Albertans are getting a fair deal from the Confederation.

I think its important that leaders at the federal level and the provincial level work to ensure that all of us, regardless of where we live in the country, feel that were all being protected, said Madu.

In addition, Madu will oversee a review of the provinces Police Act amid concerns about racism and abuse of authority. Kenney has said that as someone who has experienced racial prejudice, Madu brings that sensitivity to his new role.

Looking into the backlog in the justice system, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, is another priority.

I dont believe that money solves all our problems. Oftentimes, it is looking for efficiencies and making sure that we build institutions that are effective and lean in how we deliver programs and services, he said.

Rule of Law

Madu, who describes himself as a principled conservative, said the rule of law is very important for the prosperity of any nation.

The rule of law is the backbone of the progress [we have made], he said.

He adds that the new generation needs to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us. These are the people who fought in wars to hold off tyranny and helped build Canadas institutions to ensure the rule of law prevails, he said.

Its important, especially in this year of uncertainty, to remind people that we must continue to build institutions that are based on the rule of law, individual responsibility, and have a justice system that applies to everyone, he said.

Madu condemns the recent toppling of the statue of Sir. John A. Macdonald in Montreal, who he said spent his entire life to help create this amazing country that we have. The destruction of the statue serves no identifiable good to the cause of justice or equality, he said.

No country is perfect, and I know that very well from where I was born and raised, he said.

There was a civil war in Nigeria between 1967 and 1970, but the history of the war hasnt been allowed to be taught at school, said Madu. Thats why he thinks there is still a deficiency of segmentation in that part of the world.

It is very important that we have the opportunity to build stronger societies by learning all of our history, good or bad.
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Carbon Nanotubes Market by Type ((Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)), Application (Structural Polymer Composites, Conductive Polymer Composites, Conductive Adhesives, Fire Retardant Plastics, Metal Matrix Composites, Li-ion Battery Electrodes, and Others), and End User (Electricals & Electronics, Aerospace & Defense, Energy, Sporting Goods, Automotive, Industrial, and Others): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027". As per the report, the global carbon nanotubes industry was pegged at $2.6 billion in 2019, and is estimated to reach $5.8 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2020 to 2027.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Increasing demand in the electricals & electronics industries, growing demand from the Asia-Pacific region, surge in penetration in the aerospace & defense sector have boosted the growth of the global carbon nanotubes market. Moreover, wide acceptance of MWCNTs, significant investment in R&D, and rise in demand for renewable energy sources supplemented the market growth. However, high production cost of SWCNT and increasing demand for inorganic and boron nitride nanotubes hamper the market. On the contrary, rising healthcare market in the Asia-Pacific region and growing penetration in the automotive industry are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market players in the coming years.

Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1519

COVID-19 scenario:

There is ongoing research regarding use of carbon nanotubes to develop sensors to detect proteins or carbohydrates at the level of single cells.

However, lack of skilled labor and disrupted supply chain has hampered the manufacturing of carbon nanotubes.

The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) segment dominated the market

By type, the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global carbon nanotubes market, owing to its significantly lower costs as compared to SWCNTs. However, the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 15.0% during the forecast period, due to its comparatively superior electronic properties making it ideal for ESD applications.

Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Carbon Nanotubes Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1519?reqfor=covid

The aerospace & defense segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR through 2027

By end user, the aerospace & defense segment is anticipated to portray the highest CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period, owing to growing demand for lightweight structural components and electronic packaging for aircrafts, communications systems, and aerospace applications. However, the automotive segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the global carbon nanotubes market, due to use of CNTs in automobile fuel systems, braking components, and tire reinforcement.

Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the lion's share

By region, the global carbon nanotubes market across Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the largest share in 2019, contributing to nearly half of the market. Moreover, the region is expected to portray the highest CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period, due to presence of vast manufacturing base in countries such as China, Japan, Australia, and India. The research also offers a detailed analysis of regions including North America, Europe, and LAMEA.

Major market players

Arkema Group

Cheap Tubes Inc.

Chasm Advanced Materials Inc.

Futurecarbon GmbH

Cnano Technology Limited

Klean Industries Inc.

Hyperion Catalysis International

Nano-C Inc.

LG Chem

Nanocyl SA

OCSiAl

Toray Industries, Inc.

Interested in Procuring this Report? Visit Here:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/carbon-nanotube-market/purchase-options

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Similar Reports:

Conductive Polymer Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026

Fluoropolymers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 20202027

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02.09.2020 LISTEN

The National Inspectorate Board (NIB) under the Ministry of Education says it has not imposed any fee on private educational institutions offering online studies for students.

Schools in Ghana were shut down on March 15, 2020, as part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, some private schools have resorted to online teaching and learning.

Some parents subsequently complained about fees being charged for online studies by private schools.

The National Inspectorate Board earlier advised all private schools to engage with their respective Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to address concerns over whether parents should pay the school fees of their wards in full while they receive online tuition.

The Association of International Certification Schools vehemently kicked against possible regulation of fees for online tuition.

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show today, September 2, 2020, the Executive Secretary of NIB, Dr. Haggar Hilda Ampadu clarified that her outfit was not seeking to regulate fees for online studies as being speculated by the Association of International Certification Schools.

In the advent of COVID-19, we have met with proprietors of secondary schools either individually or as a group. Our message has been the same: that the proprietors engage with the Parent-Teacher Associations to reach a consensus on how much fees to charge for online learning. There hasn't been any instance where we have communicated directly to any school on how much fees to charge. We have never dictated to any proprietor on how much to charge as fees for online studies, she insisted.

 citinewsroom
As the recent hurricane in the US has just reminded us, flooding is a natural catastrophe risk that is especially troubling, and its one faced by many property owners around the world, from the UK to Canada, and Southeast Asia to Australia. With the effects of climate change already making themselves known, this risk is only likely to worsen.

Read more: Climate change-driven flood risk could make Townsville homes "uninsurable"

According to the Swiss Re Institute, rising temperatures have resulted in more frequent extreme rainfall events during hurricanes and severe convective storms, and inland flooding in urban areas is becoming a major driver of losses as, through urbanisation, societies are extending into flood-prone areas.

In spite of this risk, noted Swiss Re, A significant share of flood exposures globally remain uninsured. China has the biggest flood protection gap, but a number of flood risks in mature markets such as the US, Canada, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are uninsured also. In the US, it is estimated that two-thirds of annual expected losses from flood events are uninsured.

Closing these insurance gaps is proving to be a challenge since flood insurance markets around the world can be difficult for insureds to navigate, while the degree of risk can be hard for them to understand. In the US, for example, many people fall back on whether their mortgage lender requires flood insurance and if they dont, homeowners dont get the coverage. Customers also have to understand that most homeowners policies dont cover flood, and policies from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can likewise be limited.

The biggest challenge is that the customer really doesnt understand what their flood risk is and even a lot of agents dont, said Dave Zeornes, business development executive at Aon Edge.

Similar problems persist in other marketplaces, such as Canada, where one neighbourhood recently requested that officials consider buying out the entire area due to the severity of flood risk faced by residents. Additionally, the availability of insurance in high flood risk areas is limited at best, as are affordable options, and a study from the Environment and Climate Change Canada recently showed that only 6% of Canadian homeowners surveyed were correctly able to identify that they are living in a high-risk flood area.

In the UK, one in six properties (around five million) are at risk of flooding, and Zurich Insurance recently warned that the governments flood resilience grant scheme is ineffective as property owners can only access the grants after a flood, when the damage has already been done. Households also face a postcode lottery, as the funding only applies in areas designated by the government after a flood event. And in Australia, homeowners and businesses in certain regions may soon find it difficult to insure their properties as flood risk rises due to climate change.

Read more: Suncorp boosts support to Townsville flood victims

In light of these challenges, the insurance industry plays a critical role in promoting resilience and risk management. In its report, Keeping an Eye on Natural Hazards: Lessons learned to become more resilient, Zurich highlighted that on average, investing $1 in resilience early helps avoid on average $5 in future losses, yet we dont devote either sufficient time or resources to grasp the obvious mitigation opportunities to even the most existential risks to human life on our planet. With the focus on risk mitigation becoming increasingly important in many aspects of insurance, such as cyber, its only natural that insurance companies need to underscore the urgency of risk management when it comes to natural catastrophes like flooding.

Finally, brokers need to educate themselves on the various flood insurance products in their markets, and stay vigilant considering the variety in policies and ongoing developments in these marketplaces, while also voicing their opinions when they see gaps in coverage. On the risk mitigation front, they can make the risk of floods known to their insureds using the many resources from governments and insurers that are currently, and widely, available.

After all, People are gradually learning whats available to them,James R. Watje, senior vice president of private flood at Wright National Flood Insurance Services, told Insurance Business. Its all about education. Our job is to educate consumers about whats available [to them].
Musician Fameye got the surprise of his life while having a live discussion with Abeiku Aggrey Santana on Okay FM's Drive Time.



Fameye won an award at the just-ended Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).



The 21st edition of the VGMA came off from Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30, 2020 at the Grand Arena inside the Accra International Conference Centre.



Friday's event was the Industry Awards while Saturday's event was the Public Awards and the programme was climaxed on Sunday with a heroes concert to celebrate the efforts by COVID-19 frontline workers.



Fameye was crowned the "Best New Artiste of the Year" on the night of the awards.



During his live interview on "Ekwanso Dwoodwoo" on Okay FM, the wife of the musician pulled a quick surprise by phoning in to congratulate her husband and father of their child.



Watch video below:







































View this post on Instagram







#ekwansodwoodwoo on @abeikusantana





A post shared by OKAY 101.7 FM (@okay101.7fm) on Sep 1, 2020 at 11:06am PDT





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
Three fans of Pawan Kalyan were electrocuted to death and three others were injured while erecting a banner, on the occasion of the actor's birthday in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Reportedly, the incident took place yesterday night (September 1), when the hoarding came in contact with a live wire. The deceased have been identified as Somasekhar (31), Rajendra (32) and Arunachalam (28).

As per Times of India report, police have stated that the accident took place at around 8.30 pm, when the iron railing of the banner came in contact with a live wire. As of now, a case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) for death due to electrocution.

In a statement released, Pawan Kalyan has expressed condolences to the family and has stated that he will be supporting their families. His Jana Sena Party has announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

The producer of his upcoming project Vakeel Saab has also announced financial support of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the 3 deceased fans, on behalf of the team. The statement read, "With heavy hearts, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the three fans who unfortunately lost their lives. We along with millions of others, express our solidarity to their families in this hour of grief. We come forward to announce a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each of the families of the deceased."

Notably, the fans and followers of Pawan Kalyan have announced the cancellation of the birthday trend on Twitter. Apparently, the birthday hashtag of Power Star #HBDPawanKalyan which was set to create a record today as a tribute to the incredible actor, has been cancelled to pay homage to the deceased and injured supporters.

Will Pawan Kalyan's Birthday Hashtag Break Mahesh Babu's Milestone Record?

Vakeel Saab Motion Poster Out! Pawan Kalyan Is All Set To Fight For Justice
Health officials have begun using artificial intelligence in their fight against coronavirus as Premier Daniel Andrews insists that contact tracing has improved considerably over the past few months.

Experts say an efficient contact tracing system and a fast turnaround of tests is critical to reopening the Victorian economy and stopping the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Ahead of the release of a road map on Sunday that details how the state will be guided out of the stage four lockdown, Mr Andrews said he had not spared the Department of Health and Human Services any cash in its bid to fight COVID-19.

"The fact that we've been able to achieve improvements, very significant improvements, whilst we've had the highest volumes that any contact tracing team in the country has had to deal with, I think should be seen as a positive," he said.
Nearly 480,000 children in the US have been infected with the novel since the pandemic hit the country earlier this year, a new report has revealed.

The report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association released on Monday said that while children represented only 9.5 per cent of the overall caseload, a total of 476,439 kids have tested positive so far, reports Xinhua news agency.

The overall rate is 631 cases per 100,000 children.

According to the report, 70,330 new child cases were reported from August 13 to 27, a 17 per cent increase in over two weeks.

Children were 0.6 to 4.1 per cent of total reported hospitalizations, and 0 to 0.3 per cent of deaths, said the report.

"At this time, it appears that severe illness due to Covid-19 is rare among children. However, states should continue to provide detailed reports on cases, testing, hospitalizations, and mortality by age so that the effects of the virus on children's health can be documented and monitored," it added.

As of Wednesday morning, the overall number of cases in the US increased to 6,073,174, with 184,644 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Both tallies currently account for the highest in the world.

--IANS

ksk/

(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.)
One of the key shareholders in David Jones' parent company is optimistic the struggling department store can return to former glory, blaming a number of poor investments and questionable strategic decisions for its woes.

David Jones was taken over by South Africa's Woolworths Holdings in 2014 for a massive $2.1 billion, with the international buyer touting plans to turn it into "one of the biggest retailers in the southern hemisphere".

At the time, it seemed like a good move to Quinton Ivan, a portfolio manager at South African investment firm Coronation, which owns 5 per cent of Woolworths. Yet despite some promising results in the early days, the tie-up quickly turned sour amid Australia's weak retail environment and some costly management missteps, he said.

David Jones could go into recovery mode after the COVID-19 pandemic, one of its parent's major shareholders says. Credit:Wayne Taylor

"Trading performance took a turn for the worse in 2017 ... due to a deterioration in the Australian retail environment as discretionary spend came under pressure, exacerbated by high levels of consumer indebtedness," Mr Ivan told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
There is a new package pending text message scam currently circulating across the nation, that seeks to steal your personal information and identity, law enforcement officials warn.

According to a report by Fox 11 News, the text gets personal by stating the recipients name and asks them to click on a potentially dangerous link.

The report said that several law enforcement departments have posted scam alerts via Facebook posts.

The Orange County Sheriffs Department in California posted a scam alert on Facebook warning residents to the new phishing scam, aka smishing where cybercriminals send SMS messages to get you to click a malicious link or provide personal data.

#ScamAlert have you received a text message like this recently? Its a phishing scam, aka smishing where cyber... Posted by Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA on Sunday, August 30, 2020

The department warned that with the information they obtain, cybercriminals are able to steal your identity, empty your bank account, or install malware on your phone.

Heres what to do if you receive a parcel pending text message.

According to the Orange County Sheriffs Department Facebook post, law enforcement officials advise you to ignore the parcel pending text message, refrain from clicking on any suspicious links, and do not provide any information that would help the scammer personally identify you. In addition, the department advised that you block the number the text came from.

In addition, the departments Facebook post asked the public to share this information with those who can be more susceptible to this type of crime, such as elderly family members or neighbors.

The scam is being reported elsewhere in the country.

The Fox 11 report noted that police in Richland, Washington also posted about the scam, warning residents not to click the link.

SCAM ALERT!  If you receive this text it is a scam. Do not give them your personal information. Posted by Richland WA Police Department on Monday, August 24, 2020

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PARIS - Thirteen men and a woman went on trial Wednesday in the 2015 attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris that marked the beginning of a wave of violence by the Islamic State group in Europe.

Seventeen people and all three gunmen died during the three days of attacks in January 2015. Later that year, a separate network of French and Belgian fighters for Islamic State struck Paris again, this time killing 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants.

Those on trial in Frances terrorism court are accused of buying weapons, cars, and helping with logistics in the January 2015 attacks. Most say they thought they were helping plan an ordinary crime. Three, including the only woman accused, are being tried in absentia after leaving to join Islamic State.

The trial will establish and confirm that the two attacks were co-ordinated. One was an attack on freedom of expression and the other was against Jews because they were Jews, Francois Hollande, who was then Frances president, told RTL radio.

The attacks from Jan. 7-9, 2015, started during an editorial meeting at Charlie Hebdo, whose offices had been unmarked and guarded by police since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad years before. Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi gunned down 12 people before carjacking a vehicle and fleeing. They claimed the attacks in the name of al-Qaida.

Two days later, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Amedy Coulibaly stormed the Hyper Cacher supermarket, killing four hostages and invoking the Islamic State group as the Kouachi brothers took control of a printing office outside the French capital. The attackers died that day during near-simultaneous police raids.

It took days more for investigators to realize that Coulibaly was also responsible for the seemingly random death of a young policewoman the previous day.

It took further weeks to unravel the network of petty criminals and neighbourhood friends linking the three attackers. By then, Hayat Boumedienne, who was married to Coulibaly, had left for Syria with the help of two brothers also charged in the case. Most of the 11 who will appear insist their help in the mass killings was unwitting.

Since 2012, terrorism capitalized on the prevailing delinquency there is around these terrorists, said Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for one of the attack survivors. They are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices.

Despite a global outpouring of support, the attacks were also seen as a massive intelligence failure. French authorities ended a phone tap on one of the Kouachi brothers a few months before they stormed the editorial offices. At least one had trained with al-Qaida in Yemen and been convicted of an earlier terrorism offence. The brothers walked away from the carnage they had caused, escaping easily and drove through multiple dragnets before being trapped two days later.

The government failed. If the intelligence services had done their job, this would not have happened, said Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, lawyer for the only defendant in court facing a life term. The victims dont just want a guilty verdict, but real justice. The truth must come out.

The chief judge declined to rule on Coutant-Peyres request for a delay in the trial to learn more about the sale of the weapons to the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. Investigators never determined who sold the weapons.

Her client, Ali Riza Polat, is accused of serving as the link between the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly. He was involved in each stage of the attack planning, according to the judicial investigation, organizing secure phone lines, checking the price of explosives and ammunition, and travelling with Coulibaly to Belgium.

Wednesdays trial opened under tight security, with multiple police checks for the main courtroom and the overflow rooms. At nearby newsstands, the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo appeared, defiantly reprinting the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed cited by the gunmen who killed so many of the publications editorial staff.

Patrick Pelloux, a Charlie Hebdo contributor who missed the editorial meeting the day of the killings, said he had been dreading the trial.

You have to understand the emotion were feeling, its very hard, Pelloux said. We have to let justice run its course.

Turkey condemned Charlie Hebdos decision to republish the cartoon, saying the insult and disrespect toward Muslims cannot be justified as art or within the scope of freedom of expression.

We invite our friends and politicians in Europe to take a clear stand against such attacks against our sacred values, which have been increasing recently, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron refused.

The president of the republic in France should never qualify editorial choices of a journalist, editorial staff  never, he said. Because there is a freedom of press that you are rightly so attached to, deeply. ... There is also in France the freedom to blaspheme, which is attached to the freedom of conscience.

___

Angela Charlton contributed from Paris.

Read more about:
UPDATE: I have never and will never run, says Kalamazoo pastor sought by police

KALAMAZOO, MI  A Kalamazoo pastor accused of sexually assaulting four male victims between the ages of 15 and 17 is now being actively pursued by the Michigan State Police as a fugitive.

State police Lt. Chuck Christensen confirmed with MLive on Wednesday, Sept. 2, that the Rev. Stricjavvar Strick Strickland, of Kalamazoos Second Baptist Church, was supposed to turn himself in Wednesday morning, but did not.

He is considered a fugitive by us right now, Christensen said, confirming that police are actively searching for him.

Strickland, who was charged with 11 felony criminal sexual charges, had a warrant issued for his arrest on Aug. 21.

Related: Kalamazoo pastor paid teenage boys to have sex with his wife, police say

Strickland faces two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct on a student, one on a person age 13-15 and one by force or coercion. He also faces four counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity and three counts of child sexually abusive activity.

The dates of the alleged offenses, according to court records, span from Aug. 1, 2015- Aug. 31, 2018.

The pastor told MLive via text on Aug. 25 that the charges were absolutely preposterous and that he was planning on turning himself in, hopefully, by the end of last week.

Stricklands attorney, Michael Hills, told MLive in an email at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 that it was possible that the reverend would turn himself in today, but that he could not confirm that.

Mr. Strickland is not avoiding turning himself in, Hills said when reached for comment a second time Wednesday morning. He is currently living in the southern United States and had to deal with hurricane weather and transportation issues.

The original search warrant was executed Sept. 6, 2018. The Charges were issued Aug. 21, 2020  not even two weeks ago. He will be turning himself in very soon.

Also on MLive:

Kalamazoo pastor charged with human trafficking, child sex abuse

Kalamazoo pastor defends himself amid police investigation

State police search home of Kalamazoo NAACP president, pastor

Kalamazoo pastor charged with assault of church deacon
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 1, 2020

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Xinhua News Agency: Statistics show that for the month of August, China's non-manufacturing PMI came in at 55.2, and readings of this index have been higher than the 50 mark for six consecutive months. The subindex measuring business activity in the service sector rose to 54.3 in August from July's 53.1. We noticed comments from Wall Street Journal and Financial Times that suggest China's measures to enhance domestic consumption are working. Some scholars believe that before the global economic cycle is recovered, China's domestic economic cycle is running, and China's growth is more relying on domestic consumption. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: This is not a diplomatic matter, but it attracts a lot of attention from the international community. Despite the serious impact of COVID-19 this year, the Chinese economy has stayed strong and demonstrated great resilience and enormous potential. China's GDP expanded by 3.2 percent in the second quarter, making China the first economy to register positive growth. As you mentioned, the month of August saw growing demand in China's manufacturing sector and a recovering cycle of supply and demand. This indicates a brighter economic prospect as well as prominent outcomes in China's efforts to coordinate epidemic containment and socio-economic development. IMF forecasts put China as one of the few countries that will maintain positive growth in 2020. According to a latest survey, 99.1 percent of foreign companies in China will continue to invest and operate in China, and 89 percent of the surveyed EU businesses said they are not considering moving their industrial chains out of China. China remains one of the top three investment destinations for most European companies. All of these are, in a sense, a vote of confidence in China's development.

Given the changes in China's development stage, environment and conditions, we have set out the goal of fostering a new, dual-cycle development architecture with the domestic cycle as the mainstay and with domestic and international development reinforcing each other. This is not a closed domestic loop, but an open dual-cycle of both domestic and international growth. China will further tap into its domestic demand, expand opening-up and share more of its development dividends with the rest of the world. With lower level of tariffs, shorter negative lists, more convenient market access and a more attractive business environment, China will foster an open economy of a higher level, delivering more opportunities to the world.

Global Times: During an interview with a radio show on August 31, Pompeo said that "we will ban the Chinese Communist Party from stealing the information - your information, my information, your kids' information, whoever is using TikTok. We will prevent that information from being placed in the hands of the Chinese national security apparatus and the Chinese Communist Party...Our obligation is to make sure that our people's data doesn't end up in the wrong place...We're going to do everything we can to prevent them from having it." What is your comment?

Hua Chunying: Secretary of State Pompeo has indeed been practicing his own words "we lie, we cheat, we steal", which he blatantly said at the the University of Texas. And he's a perfect example. He lies everyday on issues of national security. How could TikTok, a social media app for young people to share light-hearted videos like singing and dancing, pose national security threats to the US? Pompeo has been playing up his "China threat" theory around the world, urging others to guard against China "stealing user data". But what about the track record of the US in this regard?

When it comes to telecom theft, the US always ranks the first in the world. In addition to pressuring the AT&T, Verizon and other carriers for data supplies, the National Security Agency (NSA) has been using fake base stations named Dirtbox in its wiretapping programs including the Boundless Informant since more than a decade ago. Through Dirtbox, they simulate signals of base stations to tap into and steal data from cell-phones. As Le Monde reported, thanks to Dirtbox, 62.5 million phone data were collected by the US in France.

Pompeo has been accusing TikTok, WeChat and other apps of being tools for the Chinese government's "infiltration". But in reality, the US is the one that is adept at turning apps into surveillance units. Leaked documents of PRISM have laid this bare. The NSA sees apps as "data mines" with huge reserves of data to be harvested and thus invests heavily to this end. Under the agency's pressure, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Google Map and even Angry Birds were forced to cooperate with it.

An "innovative move" by the US intelligence is to steal secrets through the app store. As revealed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the NSA and intelligence authorities of other Five Eyes countries initiated Project Irritant Horn, which hijacks Play Store to implant spyware on target smartphones or crack down on loopholes. With this program the Five Eyes managed to acquire massive amounts of data by stealing.

As for Clean Cloud, the US is the real gangster of "cloud theft". The Washington Post exposed that the NSA, along with the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) of the UK, launched a surveillance program called Muscular to frequently break into the cloud servers of Google and Yahoo. They even went so far as to intercept data and direct it to the agencies' own database. This was how hundreds of millions of personal information records were collected.

According to New Zealand Herald, the US had conspired with the New Zealand intelligence to tap the data flowing in the Chinese consulate general in Auckland. To crack into other countries' data, the US has just spared no wire in a Chinese consulate, not to mention the undersea cables, "the intelligence gold mine". It is only natural that the US will take full advantage of them. Der Spiegel, a German magazine, reported over the years that the NSA has tapped into the "SEA-ME-WE-4", the longest submarine fiber-optic cable system connecting Europe and Asia. The Washington Post exposed some of the US' own fiber-optic cable-tapping programs, known by the names Oakstar, Stormbrew, Blarney and Fairview. The Associated Press wrote that the US Navy went out of its way to repurpose a submarine called the USS Jimmy Carter so they could tap fiber-optic cables.

In the 2009 Quadrennial Intelligence Community Review disclosed by the media, the US blithely acknowledges that its intelligence agencies should "conduct cyber operations" and other means against "research facilities" in other countries to help American corporations secure competitive advantages. Documents leaked by Snowden show that the US surveillance program, codenamed Stateroom, ordered the installment of secret signals intelligence equipment in around 100 foreign diplomatic embassies and consulates in other countries for spying purpose. "The Filthy Hypocrisy of America's Clean China-Free Internet" on The Intercept points out that the US vision for a clean network means a China-free network. The policy statement on a clean network is nothing but a piece of xenophobic and nonsensical hypocrisy, and its message is clear: If there's going to be a world-spanning surveillance state, it is the US. Another case in point is the Crypto AG scandal. As you all know, the half-a-century-old Swiss company was proved to be working for the CIA, and the Crypto devices it sold to over 120 countries were ironically tapping equipment.

A basic sense of integrity and honor is necessary for anyone. Faced with the iron-clad facts, we hope these senior US officials will immediately stop slinging mud at China.

Shenzhen TV: The Australian government will launch an inquiry into foreign interference in Australian universities and how China has recruited scholars in the Thousand Talents Plan. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: I read reports on that, but I need to verify if it's true.

China is committed to developing relations with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference. Interfering in other countries' domestic affairs is not in the "genes" of China's diplomacy. As Australia is a close ally of the US, certain Australian people and forces seem to be "infected" with paranoia, dominated by China-phobia and conjectures, to the extent of losing all sense of rationality and justice that they make various accusations against normal educational and people-to-people exchange between China and Australia.

If Australia really wants to conduct serious research on foreign interference, I believe there are many clues. For example, as disclosed by media multiple times, those Australian institutions and individuals taking the lead in fueling hostility towards China have received funding from the US government, and one of them is the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Some in Australia revealed that it has long been receiving funds from the US government and arms dealers. Besides, according to ABC News, among the members of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, a body meant to strengthen engagement between the two countries, two have been funded by the US Department of State. This is a fact that is both enlightening and thought-provoking.

During the past 20 years, trade volume between China and Australia has grown from less than 10 billion to 235 billion Australian dollars last year. Over 12,000 Australian companies have set up branches in China. Last year, the number of Chinese students in Australia nearly 230,000. Every year over 1.4 million Chinese tourists travel to Australia. China has been Australia's biggest trade partner for 11 years in a row and is now Australia's largest source of international students and tourists. And more promisingly, China has been Australia's most important collaborator on scientific research on account of the number of university research papers and mentions in the top 1 percent of most-cited articles. These are eloquent facts.

As an Australian proverb goes, "Keep your eyes on the sun and you will not see the shadows." This fits so well to where we now stand. We hope the Australian government, politicians and all those with a rational mind in the country will keep their eyes on the bright future of China-US relations and on the sun, rather than on the dark clouds and disturbed by the shadows. We hope Australia will adopt a constructive China policy instead of a destructive one.

CNR: Reports say the University of North Texas decided to end its relationship with the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC), asked for the revoke of visas of visiting scholars who receive funding from the CSC, and required those scholars to leave the country within a month. I wonder if you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: I noticed reports on that. If it's true, it will be another example of the US undermining its people-to-people exchange with China. I also noticed some in the US have expressed concerns and criticism over this.

Since China and the US established diplomatic ties 41 years ago, exchange of students and other forms of people-to-people exchange has played an important role in enhancing mutual understanding and advancing stable development of relations between the two sides. Chinese students and scholars have contributed greatly to scientific and technological innovation and economic growth in the United States. Statistics from the US show that Chinese students, accounting for one third of all foreign students in the US, contribute over $15 billion to the country every year.

Regrettably, however, out of selfish gains and political motives, some extremist, anti-China forces have been suppressing China's strategic need of development, making numerous lies to stigmatize and demonize Chinese students, and even oppressing Chinese students in the US by abusing judicial power under baseless pretexts. Under such circumstances, I wonder how many Chinese parents can still see their children studying in the US without worrying.

Openness, inclusiveness and diversity were the basis of the US when it was founded. However, the US today is entirely different. It is filled with isolation, hatred and exclusion.

Openness brings progress, while self-seclusion leaves one behind. This is a harsh lesson learned from the history. We hope the US can view China-US relations more rationally and do more things conducive to bilateral people-to-people exchange. If the US insists on going down the wrong path, its own interests will be hurt in the end.

Beijing Youth Daily: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that "We're going to distrust and then we're going to go verify, and we aim to induce change in the Chinese Communist Party's behavior. America's people deserve it and our national security demands it." Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: The US diplomacy today has stooped to intimidation, lies and sanctions. The top US diplomat is making a living on attacking and smearing China and spreading rumors day after day. With their focus placed on the wrong thing, I believe they are now walking on an erroneous and dangerous path.

Pompeo is ambitious but as a Chinese saying goes, "it is important to know one's own limitations". China has a splendid civilization that has run uninterrupted for 5,000 years, and the CPC will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year. As a century-old party, it has 92 million members and nearly 20 million applicants for Party membership. According to independent polls conducted by Pew Research Center, Harvard University and other institutions worldwide, the Chinese people's overall support for the CPC and the Chinese government has been over 90% on average, ranking top in the world. Under the strong leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have united as one and achieved strategic success in the fight against COVID-19. As a survey by a Singapore-based research agency suggests, the Chinese people's support and satisfaction towards their government has hit a historical high amid the fight against COVID-19.

With regard to the US, I don't want to spend time talking about its epidemic response since there have been abundant American media reports on that. Eighty percent of Americans surveyed, which is an all-time high, say the country is heading in the wrong direction in surveys conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Chicago. People in many countries, including US allies, believe that the current US foreign policy is essentially posing the biggest threat to the world. Renowned scholars worldwide note that it's arrogant and preposterous for a country with a history of less than 250 years to believe that it can change a major country with a political civilization of more than 4,000 years.

Now the world is watching the US with great concerns over its severe racial discrimination, social division, and epidemic response. If those US politicians spreading hatred and division still have the slightest sense of conscience and responsibility for the nation and the people, they should rush to refocus on saving more American lives, and listen to the desperate cries from Floyd, Blake and other ethnic minorities. Instead of talking about the trustworthiness of other countries, Pompeo should first make concrete efforts to earn the trust from the American people.

South China Morning Post: Australian Foreign Minister said Cheng Lei, a host of Australian nationality, was detained in Beijing. Can you confirm that? Also, Chen Xiaodong is no longer serving as Assistant Foreign Minister. Can you tell us what his new post is?

Hua Chunying: I have no specifics for you, but as you know, China is a country upholding the rule of law, and the relevant authorities deal with matters according to law.

Regarding your second question, I'd like to first thank you for your interest in Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong. As diplomats, our posts often change. I think you'll soon know what his new duty is.

Kyodo News: Czech Senate speaker who is on a visit to Taiwan delivered a speech at the "parliament", in which he claimed visiting Taiwan is a correct decision. What's your comment?

Hua Chunying: China's position on the Czech Senate Speaker's visit is very clear. Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang summoned the Czech Republic Ambassador to China and lodged stern representations over Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil's visit to Taiwan.

Tempted by the Taiwan authority, instigated by anti-China forces and driven by selfish gains, Vystrcil insists on visiting the Taiwan region regardless of China's firm opposition and solemn representations. This is open support for "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities and has severely infringed upon China's sovereignty and flagrantly interfered in China's domestic affairs. China strongly condemns the move.

There is only one China in the world, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, which is recognized by the international community. The one-China principle is the Czech Republic's foreign policy and the political basis for China-Czech ties. Vystrcil, as one of the country's leaders, has openly broken international consensus and breached the one-China principle which the Czech government has promised to uphold, severely violating international law and basic norms of international relations. China shall take necessary actions to safeguard its legitimate interests.

We urge those who openly challenge China's sovereignty out of selfish interest to heed China's solemn position and grave concerns, and not to underestimate the firm resolve of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and security. We also call on the Czech people to jointly prevent further harm to China-Czech relations caused by Vystrcil's malicious and shortsighted behavior.

CCTV: US Assistant Secretary of State David R. Stilwell told a virtual forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation that for nearly four decades, US has been guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the three joint communiques between Washington and Beijing, and the Six Assurances provided by President Reagan to Taipei in 1982. The US has declassified the Reagan-era Six Assurances to Taiwan and they endure today. The latest US move is not a policy change, but significant adjustments well within the boundaries of the one-China policy. He added that the US and Taiwan are establishing a new bilateral economic dialogue to build on the momentum with Taiwan and support it in responding to the pressure from China. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The one-China principle is the political foundation and fundamental premise for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and the US. The so-called Taiwan Relations Act unilaterally promulgated by the US and its so-called Six Assurances to Taiwan severely violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, seriously breach the basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfere in China's internal affairs. They are completely wrong, illegal, null and void, and the Chinese government is firmly opposed to them right from the start. The US should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, rather than the Taiwan Relations Act or the Six Assurances.

I want to stress that the Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and China's core interests. No one should underestimate China's firm determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the US, make no attempts to change the nature of its relationship with Taiwan, stop conducting any official exchange with Taiwan, and refrain from moving further down the wrong and dangerous path.

FSN: A question about Cheng Lei. There are lots of reports speculating that her detention may be in some way linked to her nationality and to Australia's relationship with the US. What would you say to that?

Hua Chunying: Like I said, I'm not aware of the specifics related to Cheng Lei and I refer you to the competent authorities. China values our relations with Australia. That said, the development of bilateral relations requires efforts made by both sides. I'd like to stress one more thing. China always upholds the rule of law. Unlike some other countries, we don't practice unlawful deeds in the name of the law.

China News Service: The World Bank said in a statement that it has suspended issuing this year's Doing Business report because a number of irregularities have been reported regarding changes to the data in the previous Doing Business reports. Media say the revised ranking involves China and other economies. What is China's comment on that?

Hua Chunying: China has noted the relevant statement issued by the World Bank. We urge the World Bank to conduct internal investigations in accordance with the principles of fairness, objectivity and transparency and the rules and procedures of multilateral institutions, so as to earnestly safeguard the reputation of the World Bank and its member states, as well as the professionalism and credibility of the Doing Business report.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to improving its business environment, adheres to world-class standards, and continuously deepens reforms to delegate power, streamline administration and optimize government services so as to stimulate the vitality of market players and the creativity of social sectors. Last year, China has seen on average a net increase of 10,000 Chinese companies per day, and annual foreign direct investment registered a 2.4 percent year-on-year increase to US $138.1 billion. These real achievements are recognized and applauded by the international community. China will remain committed to deepening reform and creating a market-oriented and law-based business environment that meets international standards so as to create a favorable environment for high-quality economic development.

Prasar Bharati: Both India and China are saying that they are in regular touch through military and diplomatic channels. Still, after three months, complete disengagement is nowhere in sight. India has been consistently demanding that status quo of April be restored. I wonder if there is any comment from your side?

Hua Chunying: On the boundary issue that is left over from history, China always believes that a fair and reasonable agreement can be reached by the two sides through peaceful and friendly consultations. For some time, the two sides have been in touch and in talks at various levels and making efforts to seek peaceful settlement to the boundary issue and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the border areas.

But on August 31, in violation of the consensus reached by China and Indian through talks and meetings at various levels, the Indian troops again illegally crossed the LAC at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Mountain, which are in the western sector of the China-India boundary. Their flagrant provocations again led to tensions. The Indian side has severely undermined China's territorial sovereignty, breached bilateral agreements and important consensus, and damaged peace and tranquility at the border areas, which runs counter to the recent efforts made by both sides for de-escalation of tensions on the ground. China firmly opposes such a move and has lodged stern representations with the Indian side. We urge India to immediately stop all provocations, withdraw its troops who illegally crossed the LAC, and refrain from any moves that may escalate tensions or complicate matters.

Prasar Bharati: Both the Indian and Chinese sides have been saying that the other side has taken provocative steps. To clear the confusion among us, can you throw some light on it?

Hua Chunying: What India said may differ from ours, but there's only one simple truth.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China more than 70 years ago, we have never initiated a war or conflict, and never taken an inch of land that is not ours. In fact, China's border troops have been strictly abiding by the LAC and they've never trespassed. The Indian side should respect facts and take concrete actions with the good will of preserving China-India relations, so as to jointly preserve peace and tranquility of the border areas.

We've noted that some Indian media have reported extensively on India deploying more troops in the border areas. If proven true, such a move runs counter to the shared wish of the two peoples, which is to live in peace and ensure a sound and steady development of China-India relations. We hope that India will take China's concerns seriously and take concrete actions to ensure the peace and tranquility of the border areas and the sound development of China-India relations.

Beijing Daily: We have noted that US Assistant Secretary David Stilwell said in a video forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation yesterday that the recent changes in US policy are mainly due to the growing threat from Beijing. We have also noted that the Washington Post published an article yesterday criticizing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for manipulating US foreign policy to achieve his political ambitions, which has caused the most serious damage to US foreign policy in decades, making him the worst secretary of state in US history. What is China's comment?

Hua Chunying: The remarks by David Stilwell are meant to confuse right and wrong. The first duty of a diplomat should be to promote mutual understanding and friendly cooperation. Yet regrettably, the US foreign policy today has turned into diplomacy of coercion, sanctions, lying and scapegoating.

Some senior US diplomats are making their living by attacking and smearing China. They are busy fabricating lies, spreading hatred, interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and even blatantly associating with separatists and terrorists for the purpose of suppressing other countries. They disregard international rules, trample on fairness and justice, and too often withdraw from international agreements and organizations. The US now becomes the biggest perpetrator undermining the existing international order. This is both a misfortune for the US and a threat to the world. I also read the report you mentioned. Even the American press has felt distressed about and been fed up with the administration's diplomatic performance.

A person should at least have some integrity and honor, and a country should at least have some sense of respons ibility. We hope the US can behave like a major country and shoulder its due responsibilities. If it cannot step up to play a more positive role for world peace and stability, then the least it can do is to restrain itself from making troubles.

Reuters: The Pentagon said last Friday that another 11 Chinese firms have been added to a list of those that are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, potentially laying the ground for new sanctions on these firms. Do you have any comment on this?

Hua Chunying: This again proves that the US foreign policy becomes nothing but diplomacy of sanctions. It is pathetic that they are busy all day lying, cheating, shifting the blame, smearing China, threatening to impose sanctions, and announcing sanctions against other countries.

China has made clear our position on multiple occasions on the US unwarranted oppression against Chinese companies. The US identifying 11 Chinese companies as owned or controlled by the Chinese military lacks both legal basis and evidence. We firmly oppose that. The US has time and again stretched the concept of national security and abused national power to suppress certain Chinese companies, which is in serious violation of market principles and international trade rules, of which the US is a self-claimed champion.

I'd like to stress that Chinese companies that do business overseas have been strictly observing laws and regulations of their host countries, including the US. They are committed to market principles and the rule of law. With the respect for market rules and norms, Chinese companies are ready to continue conducting win-win cooperation with other countries. We hope the US will stop suppressing certain foreign businesses under the pretext of national security. I don't think such moves will do any good to the United States itself.

China Daily: Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee passed away on August 31 at the age of 85. How does China comment on his role in promoting the development of China-India relations during his tenure? Will China express its condolences to the Indian side?

Hua Chunying: Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was a veteran statesman and leader of India. He visited China multiple times and contributed to the development of China-India relations. As we recall, in 2014, he and Chinese leader announced the decision to build a closer developmental partnership. His death is a loss to the Indian people and to the friendly cause between China and India. We express our deep condolences over the passing of former President Pranab Mukherjee and our sincere sympathies to his loved ones.

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Until a few days ago, Democrats were content to pretend the disorder in American cities didnt exist.

Now, worried that Joe Biden is on his back foot on the issue, they readily acknowledge the rioting  and blame it on President Donald Trump.

One would think that, given the fusillade they unleashed against Trump at the convention, if Democrats truly believed the president is responsible for Black Lives Matter activists and anarchists attacking cops and burning down buildings, they would have mentioned it at least once.

But, no, they didnt bring it up, in keeping with how progressives have minimized the violence all along as inconvenient to a narrative of courageous young people rising up against systemic racism.

Theres no doubt that Trump constantly stirs the pot and often acts more the Twitter provocateur than the president. This is an abdication of an important part of his leadership role, but its not him or his allies torching businesses and vandalizing public property.

The violence has overwhelmingly racked cities governed by Democratic mayors and city councils for decades. They run the police departments, the schools and the housing authorities. If the cops are violent and corrupt, its on them. If they are such miserable places to live that they are powder kegs, its on them. If they cant maintain basic order, its on them.

If Biden thinks these localities are doing a poor job, he can say so, but, of course, since blue mayors are his allies, he wont say a discouraging word.

Portland continues to be a flashpoint. The city and state authorities have had more than 100 days to get the city under control, which shouldnt be mission impossible. We are talking a midsize city in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America, not Juarez, Caracas or San Salvador.

Even after years of coddling left-wing extremists, Portland could control its streets if it had the will. It doesnt.

Mayor Ted Wheeler wants to cater to the mob as much as possible, even if the mob doesnt like him very much. He apologized earlier this summer for the Portland police allegedly using excessive tear gas and issued guidance saying cops could only use it if they feared injury or death.

Wheeler showed up at the federal courthouse when it was being besieged by unruly crowds to demonstrate his sympathy and, for his trouble, got shouted at and jostled (a security team protected him).

Even as Wheeler traded barbs with Trump over the weekend, protesters staged a sit-in in the lobby of his condo building, demanding he cut the police budget by half and then eliminate the police entirely. They also called on him, as an embodiment of white supremacy, to resign.

Wheelers fecklessness is matched by that of the local prosecutor. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has been dropping most of the charges against rioters. As the Oregonian reported, his prosecutors wont pursue demonstrators accused of interfering with police, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, escape or harassment, unless theyve deliberately targeted property or people.

None of this is Trumps fault, and it runs counter to his inclinations.

It wasnt anything Trump said or did that set off the initial nationwide unrest a few months ago. It was a spontaneous reaction to the death of George Floyd, which Trump repeatedly condemned. The dynamic has been the same, only on a larger scale, as Ferguson, Mo., while Barack Obama was president  anger at police action, followed by rioting treated with kid gloves by the media.

Everyone knows there are different rules for Black Lives Matter. If a conservative movement with the cachet and corporate support of BLM staged an event featuring a single act of arson, the group would be shunned and its cause discredited.

That this would never happen to BLM acts as a giant permission slip, and its not Trump writing it but all the people now blaming him for the rioting.

@RichLowry
Mumbai, Sep 2 : Actress-veejay Shibani Dandekar has called out media personnel for misbehaving with Rhea Chakraborty, who is accused of abetment to suicide in the death of her late boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput.

Shibani posted a lengthy Instagram note in the support of Rhea, whom she has known for a long time.

"I have known Rhea Chakraborty since she was 16 years old. Vibrant, strong, vivacious... such a bright spark.. so full of life! I have witnessed such a stark contrast to this side of her personality over the last few months as her and her family (some of the warmest best people you will ever meet) have experienced the most unimaginable trauma. We have watched the media behave like complete vultures on a witch-hunt, vilifying and torturing an innocent family to breaking point," Shibani wrote.

She also shared the current situation has affected Rhea's family a lot.

"Her basic human right taken away as the media play judge jury and executioner! We have seen the death of journalism and a frightening side of humanity! What was her crime ? She loved a boy, looked after him through his darkest days,put her life on hold to be there for him and when he took his own life she was crucified.

"What have we become? I have seen her first hand what this has done to her mother's health , how it has affected her father who gave his life to serve this country for 20 years, how quickly her brother has had to grow up and how strong he has had to be," Shibani added.

She even promised Rhea to be with her always, demanding justice for the latter.

"My Rhea, you are a pillar of strength, so resilient. I have so much love and respect for you, for the human being you are and for fighting this till the end knowing that you have the truth on your side... I am sorry you had to go through this.. I am sorry that we weren't better. I am sorry that so many people let you down, doubted you, weren't there for you when you needed the most.

"I am sorry that the best thing you ever did in your life ( looking after Sushant) led you to the worst experience of your life. I am so sorry. I am with you always. Justice for Rhea," Shibani concluded.

Many celebs agreed with Shibani.

"I an crying, my heart hurts to know what they are doing to our little rabit. She is our baby sister forever," Anusha Dandekar commented.

Dancer-actress Lauren Gottlieb thanked Shibani for writing the post.

Sushant was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14. Currently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing his death.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A peaceful gathering early Tuesday near the site where Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Credit - Patience Zalanga for TIME

As the city of Kenosha, Wis. continues to process the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blakeand the ensuing shooting of two protesters by a teen gunmanactivists and community leaders in the city fear that President Donald Trumps visit will serve as a basis for renewed division and unrest.

On Wednesday, Joe Bidens campaign announced that he will also visit Kenosha on Thursday, leading to further concerns that the city will remain a cultural flashpoint.

Read more: The Chaos in Kenosha Isnt Changing Anybodys Mind

On Tuesday, President Trump visited Kenosha, touring businesses destroyed during nights of protest and violence last week and attending a community discussion on public safety.

Trump supporters took to the streets during his visit, sparring with Black Lives Matter protesters in contentious scenes. Not long after Trump left the city, a fight broke out between a Trump supporter and a group of counter demonstrators.

To be used as a tool during his campaign is not fair to the people of Kenosha, Anthony Davis, President of the Kenosha NAACP, tells TIME. Davis is one of a number of community leaders in the city who believe the President visited the city to sow dissension among its citizens, politicize the shootings and condemn those who were involved with looting and property damage.

The president has shown himself to be an agitator, Davis says. You have outside forces that come into our communityand they dont love our community as we do.

Tom Gram, a Kenosha business owner whose store was burned down last week, told local news station WTMJ-TV that he declined an offer to partake in the presidents tour. Trump later appeared at Grams store with its former owner (who still owns the property), who was presented as if he were the current owner.

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I think everything he does turns into a circus and I just didnt want to be involved in it, Gram said.

President Donald Trump talks to business owners as he tours an area damaged during demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis. on Sept. 1, 2020. Evan VucciAP

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers had also pleaded with the President to stay away. I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and more forward together, Gov. Evers said in a statement on Aug 30.

Trumps visit to Kenosha came just over a week after Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, one of several officers responding to a domestic incident at which Blake was present.

Speaking on behalf of the Blake familys legal team, attorney Benjamin Crump confirmed that the president reached out to Blakes mothers pastor to begin a conversation with her, but then declined to speak with her once it became apparent that the familys lawyers would monitor the call.

If the call had occurred, Ms. Jackson was prepared to ask President Trump to watch the video of Mr. Blakes shooting and to do what she has asked all of America to doexamine your heart, the legal team for the Blake family said in a statement.

Trump did not meet with any members of Blakes family during his visit.

Read more: Imagine if Martin Luther King Jr. Had Facebook. Watch TIMEs Documentary on the Role of Social Media in Racial Justice Protests

Tanya McLean, a local activist and friend of the Blake family organized a Jacob Blake Community Celebration on Tuesday for people to attend in lieu of any protests. Instead of rallying against Trump or his supporters, McLean and others served food to the community, led child-friendly activities and offered COVID-19 testing.

Hundreds of people were in attendance, including members of Blakes family. Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at the event.

We dont want anyone in our community protesting right now. Its just not safe. McLean tells TIME of the risks associated with the spotlight currently on the city and residents grievances.

Protestors clash outside a courthouse after the President departs Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME

In this vein, activists want more attention onand more investment inchanges they say need to happen within the police department.

The people are afraid of the police, Davis tells TIME, and the police are afraid of the people.

The police department needs to provide its officers with more training on de-escalation, Davis says, and invest in body-cameras, something many Wisconsin departments dont have. Officers were not wearing body-cameras when Blake was shot and only dispatch audio has been released.

We need safe housing, affordable housing. We need equitable education. We are demanding change, McLean says. Were no longer going to sit by and ask nicely.
World leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson have demanded answers from Moscow amid claims Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned using Novichok.

Mr Johnson described the use of the chemical weapon  also used in the 2018 Salisbury poisonings  as outrageous and vowed to ensure justice was done by working with international allies.

Britain has long accused Russian operatives of using the Soviet-era poison on Sergei Skripal, the former double agent targeted in the 2018 attack in the Wiltshire city.

Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 before being transferred to Berlin. The 44-year-old remains on a ventilator in intensive care.

The Prime Minister said: We have seen first-hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK.

The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny  we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done.

Mr Johnson was supported by his predecessor Theresa May, who was prime minister at the time of the Wiltshire attack and called the use of chemical weapons illegal and barbaric.

She said: Deeply alarming that Novichok has again been used in an attempt to silence critics of the Russian state.

The international community must ensure that those who undermine our rules-based system cannot act with impunity.

Its outrageous that a chemical weapon was used against Alexey Navalny. We have seen first-hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK. The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny  we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 2, 2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Navalny was the victim of attempted murder by poisoning and the aim was to silence the fierce opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Ms Merkel had earlier said that there are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer after new tests detected the use of Novichok.

The United States National Security Council (NSC) called the attack reprehensible.

NSC spokesman John Ullyot added: Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities.

The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents.

Police searched gardens in Salisbury where Dawn Sturgess visited before she fell ill after coming into contact with Novichok in 2018 (Ben Birchall/PA)

Mr Skripal and daughter Yulia were two of five people exposed to the substance in Wiltshire in 2018, both spending weeks in hospital recovering.

But Dawn Sturgess, 44, of Amesbury, Wiltshire, died in July 2018 after coming into contact with a perfume bottle thought to originally contain the poison, while her partner Charlie Rowley also spent nearly three weeks in hospital.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, of Wiltshire Police, was also exposed to the substance while responding to the 2018 attack and almost died.

Sharing the PMs tweet on Wednesday, he added: I have so much that I want to say about this tweet. But I cant, and I wont.

(1 of 3) The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today. Alexei Navalnys poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past.  NSC (@WHNSC) September 2, 2020

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said that Russia has a clear case to answer after the German government said the Kremlin critic was targeted with Novichok in an attempted murder.

Mr Raab added: It is absolutely unacceptable that this banned chemical weapon has been used again, and once more we see violence directed against a leading Russian opposition figure.

The Russian government has a clear case to answer. It must tell the truth about what happened to Mr Navalny.

The UKs renewed pressure on Russia comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations. Mr Raab had already accused Moscow of trying to interfere in the 2019 general election.

Britain charged two Russians accused of being agents of the GRU military intelligence service over the Salisbury attack, but Russia has refused to extradite the men.

UK authorities said the Novichok was smuggled into England in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle before being applied to the front door of Mr Skripals home.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Every teacher knows and dreads it: the look of a bored student. This school year, with a sea of new faces he's never seen before, sixth-grade teacher Zac Hansel is more worried than usual.

"Right now, at the beginning of the year, we have one shot to get them in and keep them in," said Hansel, who teaches at Santa Rita Elementary School in Los Altos, Calif.

That's easier said than done when teachers are still adjusting to the challenges of teaching online, especially when the students don't know themand vice versa. How do you rethink a profession that hinges on personal engagement and variety to work solely through video calls and computer screens? In the time of coronavirus, teachers like Hansel are making it work with creativity, a dizzying array of new apps and software, and a lot of patience. And they're learning a lot along the way.

Essays and worksheets are outdated.

From home, Hansel conducts group discussions using FlipGrid, a site where students send in short video responses to assignments and prompts like a scholarly Snapchat.

Rebecca Ayala, an eight-grade teacher at August Boeger Middle School in San Jose, builds her lessons on NearPod, which allows her to combine slides with polls, quizzes and mini-games. For a lesson on U.S. History, she held a virtual field trip by adding virtual reality street views of Washington D.C.

Ayala's also tried her best to recreate the fun parts of the classroom online. Before, she'd throw parties for her best behaved class. She can't do that online, but she thinks she can woo her best performing students this year with the next best thing.

"That student, I'm going to order them DoorDash, and it's going to go straight to their door for lunch," she said.

It's changes like these that Hansel and Ayala hope will improve the online learning experience for their students this yearand help overcome the challenge of teaching engaging lessons through a computer screen.

"Teaching is a deeply interpersonal skillit's about presence, and it's about interaction," said Kas Pereira, a former high school teacher in San Jose who is a teacher-in-residence for a training program run by Foothill College's Krause Center for Innovation. "When you move to an online environment... there's the lack of connection that teachers rely on and that students rely on, frankly, to know that their teacher cares about them."

Ayala said she struggled at first to hold classes online.

"It was definitely uncomfortable for me at the end of last year," she said. "I didn't know how to really just be online with them."

At Santa Rita, Hansel saw seasoned teachers vent about no longer being able to draw upon go-to methods and techniques they relied on in the classroom.

"They've been dealing with in-person engagement for 20 years and they're like, 'I know all the tricks in the book,' and then you throw them online and they're like, 'I know none of the tricks,' " he said. "None of our teaching programs taught us how to teach virtually. It's just not what we're taught."

The summer was a chance to change that. As uncertainty loomed over the upcoming school year, school districts invested in training to give teachers more experience with online teaching. Ayala taught with a summer school program in her district. Hansel volunteered to teach at the training program run by Foothill College.

As part of the Foothill program, Pereira and Hansel taught teachers how to use administration services like Google Classroom or Canvas, manage their video calls and slideshows and vary online assignmentsuncharted territory for many.

One week into the new school year, classes already looked a little different. The catalogue of applications and online services Hansel and Ayala learned to use over the summer has helped restore some variety to their lesson plans.

Better planning on the district level this year has helped too. At August Boeger, a regular timetable with breaks and class periods ensures students receive enough synchronous time with their teachers and that it's adequately spaced out. Hansel said his district mandated that teachers meet individually with each family at the start of the year, a practice he wants to continue even after the pandemic ends.

"We should have been doing this a long time ago," Hansel said. "It is such an eye opener to see the parents interacting with the kids, to hear their conversations back and forth."

Hansel sees a few more silver linings to online learning too. He's been impressed, he says, by how creative and independent his students have been in troubleshooting problems and finding alternative ways to submit assignments. Ayala has found that identifying struggling students is actually easier online with a gallery of video calls and NearPod's tools to track students' progress.

It's not a perfect pictureHansel is eager to return to a hybrid model of learning at least, and worries for his lower-income students who haven't had the stability at home to engage as much in lessons. But he's optimistic that, for as long as they have to be online, teachers are on the right track.

At August Boeger, Ayala is pitching in to help train her colleagues in NearPod and Canvasthe more comfortable they get, the more interactive tools and apps they can include in their lessons. At the end of the day, she says, she wants to make sure her students are learning.

"Our students' whole world has been falling apart," she said. "I think most teachers are in there because their heart is in teaching, because they realize we need to provide some type of stability for our students now."

Explore further How teachers can use social media to improve learning this fall

2020 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Vietnams communist leader Ho Chi Minh declared the countrys independence from France on this day, i.e. September 2, back in 1945. It was just hours after Japans surrender in World War II that Ho Chi Minh felt emboldened enough to proclaim the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Today Vietnam celebrates its 75th Independence day.

Happy Vietnamese Independence Day 

The entire people of Vietnam is determined to bring all spirit and force, life and wealth to maintain that freedom and independence! #VIETNAMINDEPENDENCEDAY #HoangSaTruongSabelongtoVietNam#SpratlyandParacelIslandsBelongToVietNam pic.twitter.com/M93NEd7k6U  MintloveVietNam (@NgnH00127747) September 2, 2020

Vietnam had been a French colony before World War 11 started. After France fell to Germany in 1940, Japan seized control of Vietnam but allowed French officials and troops to administer the country. Seeing an opportunity to liberate Vietnam, the communist leader Ho Chi Minh made his way to the country from China in early 1941.

READ: Vietnam Briefs India Over Situation In South China Sea

Ho was born in 1980 and he left Vietnam in 1911. He spent almost 30 years in exile, living in the United States, Britain France and Russia among other places. He travelled extensively before returning to Vietnam. He and his initial few followers even operated in primitive conditions in mountainous jungles along Vietnams border with China.

There, he organised a Vietnamese guerrilla organisation, the Viet Ming, to fight for the countrys independence. According to anecdotes, in March 1945, with the war in Pacific having clearly turned against Japan, Tokyo seized direct control of Vietnam and evicted French troops. The Viet Minh used the resulting confusion to seize even more territory.

READ: Indians Joined By Vietnamese, Tibetans In Anti-China Protests At Capitol Hill

Declaration of Independence

The Viet Minhs success then attracted the attention of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) after which the OSS officer met with Ho and the two men struck a deal. While the OSS agreed to equip the Viet Minh with radios and some light arms, in return, the Viet Minh agreed to give the OSS intelligence, harass Japanese forces, and try to rescue American pilots shot down over Viet Minh-controlled territory.

"Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" - Ho Chi Minh

Happy Vietnam Independence Day September 2! Hoang Sa, Truong Sa belong to Viet Nam!



#VIETNAMINDEPENDENCEDAY

#HoangSaTruongSabelongtoVietNam

#SpratlyandParacelIslandsBelongToVietNam pic.twitter.com/ey7IMp9jau  Mystica  (@Mystica49416489) September 1, 2020

It was in early 1945 that Japan ousted the French administration in Vietnam and executed numerous French officials. In September, when Japan formally surrendered to the allies, Viet Minh moved into Hanoi unopposed. It marked the first time Ho had set foot in his countrys biggest city. On September 2, 1945, in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands, Ho declared Vietnam an independent nation and began his speech with the words;

All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

READ: Vietnam's Capital Faces Shortage Of Testing Kits As COVID-19 Cases Rise

READ: Vietnam Confirms 21 More Cases In New Virus Outbreak
She recently launched a podcast documenting her IVF journey with her partner.

But it was back to business for Fiona Falkiner on Tuesday, as she took part in a photo shoot in the Sydney suburb of Clovelly.

The 37-year-old model and TV presenter posed for the camera in a navy parka, which she teamed with a blue T-shirt and cropped jeans.

Strike a pose! It was back to business for Fiona Falkiner on Tuesday, as she took part in a photo shoot in the Sydney suburb of Clovelly

She opted for natural-look makeup, with only a hint of blush on her cheeks and matte pink lipstick.

Stylists later added a pair of sunglasses, as a production assistant holding a leaf blower helped Fiona achieve a perfectly windswept look.

It was then time for an outfit change, and the former Biggest Loser host returned wearing a blue polka dot top with skintight jeans.

She's a natural! The 37-year-old model and TV presenter posed for the camera in a navy parka, which she teamed with a blue T-shirt and cropped jeans

Production magic: An assistant holding a leaf blower helped Fiona achieve a perfectly windswept look

A stylist instructed Fiona to put on black espadrille sandals to complete the ensemble.

For her last outfit of the day, she kept the same pair of pants and changed into a striped shirt and black sandals.

Fiona's busy day on set comes after she recently discussed her IVF journey, describing it as 'traumatic' and 'lonely' at times.

New look: It was then time for an outfit change, and the former Biggest Loser host returned wearing a blue polka dot top with skintight jeans

Ready on set: Fiona accessorised the look with a grey purse and sunglasses

She told The Daily Telegraph: 'Obviously you have your partner, but it can actually feel like a really lonely process.

'It is you and your body against all odds. Women don't really talk about it until after the fact. It can be really quite traumatic.'

In the same interview, her fiancee Hayley Willis, 30, revealed that she also hopes to carry a baby once Fiona has given birth.

Last outfit: For her last outfit of the day, she kept the same pair of skintight jeans and changed into a striped shirt and black sandals

Hayley said: 'Fi is going first because she is older. I really want to carry a bub too but Fi will go first just because of the body clock on fertility, so her going first is best.

'I will give it a crack after we have our first child.'

Last month, the couple launched their podcast, What the IVF?!, which will document their fertility journey as a same-sex couple.

'It is you and your body against all odds': Fiona's busy day on set comes after she recently discussed her IVF journey, describing it as 'traumatic' and 'lonely' at times. Pictured with her partner, Hayley Willis (left)

Fiona and Hayley announced their engagement in April 2019, after 10 months of dating.

The romantic proposal took place at sunset on a private beach at The Moso resort in Vanuatu, with Hayley presenting her partner with a diamond ring.

The women will tie the knot later this year in an intimate wedding ceremony.
"Typically, HeadCount registers voters through music events and concerts," said Stephen Yalof, President and Chief Operating Officer of Tanger Outlets. "With most concerts cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we're glad to be able to do our part in supporting this important work by activating our open-air shopping centers for civic engagement."

Tanger will provide its shoppers with a quick and seamless voter registration process through its partnership with HeadCount. On Saturday, September 5, Tanger will host voter registration stations at 24 of its open-air locations nationwide, guiding shoppers through the registration process in socially-distanced, outdoor areas.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Tanger Outlets to get people registered to vote in time for the November election," said Andy Bernstein, Executive Director of HeadCount. "Tanger's national footprint will allow us to engage a broad number of potential voters and involve them in the political process."

To learn more about HeadCount and its mission, visit www.tangeroutlet.com.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), is a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that presently operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 38 upscale outlet shopping centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 14.1 million square feet, leased to over 2,700 stores which are operated by more than 500 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 39 years of experience in the outlet industry. Tanger Outlet Centers continue to attract more than 180 million visitors annually. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com.

About HeadCount

Since 2004, HeadCount has registered over 650,000 voters and worked with a long list of musicians and partners including Ariana Grande, JAY-Z, Beyonce, March for Our Lives, RuPaul's DragCon, MTV, and Dead & Company. With 40,000 volunteers, HeadCount ranks as one of the most active grassroots civic participation organizations in the United States.

CONTACT:

Quentin Pell

[email protected]

SOURCE Tanger Outlets

Related Links

http://www.tangeroutlets.com


A school has delayed its reopening by more than a week following a flurry of coronavirus cases linked to holidays abroad.

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was set to welcome back pupils today but will now return on September 10.

Following talks with health officials, headteacher Kay Mountfield decided to squeeze the brakes and broke the news to parents last Friday.

She cited Covid-19 infections 'in the school community' and insisted she was 'prioritising safety'.

It is a further blow to the school which was left bruised by the A-Level exams fiasco when 85 per cent of its pupils had marks downgraded.

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was set to welcome back pupils today but will now return on September 10

In a newsletter to parents seen by the Maidenhead Advertiser, Ms Mountfield wrote: 'In the last 24 hours, the school has been informed of a number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the school community following travels overseas.'

Her decision to push the reopening back has been supported by Public Health England, Buckinghamshire Council and the Department for Education.

'All the organisations, along with our Chair of Governors, support my decision to prioritise safety and delay the opening until Thursday, September 10,' she added.

Ms Mountfield further stressed the need for pupils and parents to observe robust social distancing

Following talks with health officials, headteacher Kay Mountfield decided to squeeze the brakes and broke the news to parents last Friday (school pictured)

This was echoed by the local council, which revealed there had been a cluster of positive tests from young people in the area.

Buckinghamshire Council tweeted: 'There are some linked cases of coronavirus amongst a group of young people & their families in the Marlow area.

'All households are isolating, no cause for wider alarm but pls stay vigilant.

'Self-isolate straight away if you get symptoms and follow NHS advice.'

Millions of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are going back to classes this week after almost six months out of school.
The body of Nyima Tenzin, commander of an all-Tibetan company in India's Special Frontier Force, is shown draped in the flags of India and Tibet at Sonam Ling settlement in Ladakh, India, Sept. 1, 2020.

The commander of an all-Tibetan company in Indias Special Frontier Force was killed and another soldier was wounded by a land mine while patrolling the border with China in Ladakh in disputed eastern Kashmir over the weekend, sources in the region told RFA Tuesday.

The governments of India and China accused each others militaries Monday of making provocative maneuvers along the Line of Actual Control, their de-facto Himalayan border, but officials from neither country provided exact details of what had happened.

Tsetan Wangchuk, the director of Sonam Ling settlement in Indias union territory of Ladakh told RFAs Tibetan Service Tuesday that the company commander was killed by a land mine.

Nyima Tenzin from the Special Frontier Force has died from this confrontation and another Tibetan man from the same unit has sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at Ladakh military hospital, Tsetan Wangchuk, the director of Sonam Ling settlement in Leh Ladakh told RFAs Tibetan Service.

According to Tsetan Wangchuk, Nyima Tenzin, 59, commander of a company in SFFs 7th battalion, died in a mine blast Aug. 29, while his unit patrolled through the eastern side of the Pangong lake area. It was not known if he crossed the nearby Line of Actual Control.

The 7th battalion, also known as Establishment 22, is an Indian army unit made up entirely of Tibetans. India also refers to the unit as the Vikas battalion.

Nyima Tenzins body was brought to Sonam Ling settlement in Ladakh for cremation. The 33-year veteran of the SFF is survived by his wife and three sons.

International Incident

India on Monday accused China of breaking terms agreed to during previous military and diplomatic talks, without specifying what the Peoples Liberation Armys provocative moves on Aug. 29 were.

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake [in eastern Ladakh], undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on [the] ground, New Delhis defense ministry said.

The unspecified incident occurred some two months after a violent confrontation between the two countries militaries, in which 20 Indian soldiers died and an unknown number of Chinese lost their lives.

A spokesperson for the Western Theatre Command of the PLA said the Indian soldiers had crossed the line in a flagrant provocation.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry told reporters Monday that Chinese troops never cross the Line of Actual Control.

Neither China nor India reported details of their weekend confrontation, nor did they reveal any casualties.

The Aug. 29 incident was the most recent in a long-running series of skirmishes in the contested region dating back to a 1962 war over the border, which India lost. Since then, both sides have placed troops in the region but agreed to terms aimed at keeping tensions from spiraling out of control, including a prohibition on soldiers carrying weapons.

But as the two current leaders of India and China, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping have both taken more aggressive stances on foreign policy, multiple clashes in the region have occurred during their concurrent reigns.

Reported by Lobsang Gelek for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Photo: _ironix/Reddit RCMP are assisted in taking an allegedly drunk man off of Wreck Beach in handcuffs, with the use of a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.

Video has surfaced of a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft assisting multiple RCMP officers in transporting an allegedly drunk man off Wreck Beach.

This form of outside assistance is "a last resort," admitted University Detachment RCMP Cst. Christina Martin.

Located on the edge of the University of British Columbia, Wreck Beach has no docks in order for a boat to gain access to its shores. Its generally only reached by a flight of hundreds of steep stairs.

Hovercrafts are used all over, especially in the Lower Mainland, to transport people off of islands in an emergency situation, added Martin.

In the instance of the man seen being hauled onto the hovercraft, in handcuffs, held up by police officers on either side of him, Martin said it was most likely a case of ensuring everyones safety.

Sometimes we call in the hovercraft if someone is injured or unable to stay stable on their feet because getting them up those stairs could pose a safety risk to them or [police], Martin said.

Crowds cheered in the video posted to Reddit Tuesday, while police officers take the man aboard the hovercraft and off the beach.

Reinforcement from the Canadian Coast Guard, in the form of a hovercraft that lowers directly onto Wreck Beach, can be lifesaving, Martin said.

People have had heart attacks on that beach, said Martin, adding that fire crews and emergency responders can get down those stairs.

But if someone is injured and has to be laid flat on a stretcher, going back up is often dangerous for the patient," she said. Not to mention time-consuming.

"Hovercrafts are a huge asset to the RCMP."

The full video, which contains partial nudity, can be viewed here on Reddit.
DANBURY  A longtime firefighter has been promoted to the superintendent of apparatus.

City Council appointed Lt. David Kirkwood to the new position on Tuesday evening. He earned the No. 1 rank on the eligibility list for the position, according to a letter from the mayor to City Council.

Given Lt. Kirkwoods very impressive credentials along with his diligence and commitment, it is quite evident that he will continue to serve the fire department and city well, Mayor Mark Boughton said in his letter.

Kirkwood has been a firefighter with the citys career department since July 1987 and was promoted to lieutenant in September 2004. He earned a bachelors degree from the State University of New York at Oswego and various firefighter certifications.

He has served as provisional captain and provisional training officer, in addition to instructing at Fairfield Fire School.
We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Australian United Investment Company Limited (ASX:AUI).

What Is Insider Selling?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise'.

See our latest analysis for Australian United Investment

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Australian United Investment

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Non Executive Director Frederick Grimwade bought AU$76k worth of shares at a price of AU$7.63 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of AU$8.44 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. Happily, the Australian United Investment insider decided to buy shares at close to current prices. Frederick Grimwade was the only individual insider to buy during the last year.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Story continues

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Does Australian United Investment Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Australian United Investment insiders own about AU$30m worth of shares. That equates to 2.8% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Do The Australian United Investment Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Australian United Investment shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Australian United Investment and their transactions don't cause us concern. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. While conducting our analysis, we found that Australian United Investment has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

Of course Australian United Investment may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
Slamming malicious campaigns by certain TV channels to project actor Sushant Singh Rajput as mentally unstable, his fathers lawyer Vikas Singh has said that the family was not aware of any such psychological issues. Vikas Singh addressed leaked chat messages that seemed to suggest that the family was aware of Sushants alleged depression, and even took it upon themselves to find medication for him.

The family only knew that he was prone to ghabrahat, Vikas Singh said in a press conference on Wednesday, stressing that his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was behind whatever psychological problems that the actor might have had. The family never accepted that he was suffering depression. His mental health deteriorated after Rhea Chakraborty entered his life, he said.

Also read: Rhea Chakraborty left Sushant Singh Rajputs house as his sister changed his medicines without consulting doctor: lawyer

Commenting on leaked WhatsApp conversations that suggested that Sushants sisters were familiar with his psychological problems, and arranged for him to get medicines on June 8, he said, This medicine is for anxiety. Check with any psychiatrist. Anxiety is mentioned in the FIR.

Rheas lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, had previously told The Quint that it was illegal for Sushants sisters to have gotten him a prescription without an in-person consultation with a doctor.

Commenting on Rheas recent claims that Sushant had told her about having a depressive episode in 2013, Vikas Singh said that it might have been a chhota mota (small) incident, but that doesnt prove that the actor was suffering from depression.

He added, Sushant had no life insurance policy. It is an effort to spread false news. If this doesnt stop after today, we will take legal action against the channels that run these stories. He also added, No film, no TV series, no book can be made without the written approval of Sushants family. The family has decided that if anyone wants to pursue such projects even after today, then they will be given legal notices.

Also read: Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer explains how Sushant Singh Rajput could look jovial during Paris trip

Sushant died on June 14. The case is being investigated by Central Bureau of Investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918

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The federal government could consider slapping Facebook and Google with a new tax if they refuse to pay Australian media companies for their content, an economist has said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg wants the tech giants to pay news organisations whose content they host and has released a code to guide negotiations.

But on Tuesday Facebook threatened to block Australian users from sharing news if it is forced to pay local publishers.

The federal government could consider slapping Facebook and Google with a new tax. Pictured: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg pictured with wife Priscilla Chan

Allan Fels, former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said the government could bring Facebook and Google into line by threatening a digital transactions tax which could cost the companies millions.

'The government and the ACCC have anticipated [their refusal] and drawn up draft legislation that'll be harder to avoid,' he told the AFR.

'And also they've got a very big stick in the cupboard. They could drop the code and just apply a tax  a general tax on digital transactions. And the platforms have far more to lose from that.'

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has not commented on the idea of a digital transactions tax but on Tuesday he slammed Facebook's threats.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg wants the tech giants to pay news organisations

'Australia makes laws that advance our national interest. We don't respond to coercion or heavy handed threats wherever they come from,' he said.

Facebook executive Will Easton said the Australian government falsely assumed social media giants benefited most from their relationships with news organisations.

'Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram,' he said in a statement on Tuesday.

'This is not our first choice - it is our last.

'But it is the only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic and will hurt, not help, the long-term vibrancy of Australia's news and media sector.'

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which is taking the lead on the proposed media code, described Facebook's threats as ill-timed and misconceived.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims pointed out Facebook already paid for some news content and said the code would ensure smaller media players could get a seat at the negotiating table.

'The code simply aims to bring fairness and transparency to Facebook and Google's relationships with Australian news media businesses,' he said.

A recent study found almost 40 per cent of Australians rely on Facebook for general news and nearly half use the platform for coronavirus news.

Google has previously warned it could be forced to offer Australian users 'dramatically worse' Google Search and YouTube products if the media bargaining laws are imposed.

The internet search giant also claims it may be required to share user data with Australian news businesses.

The ACCC has rubbished both claims.

Mr Easton said Facebook backed the Australian government's goal of supporting struggling news organisations. However, he said its solution was counterproductive.

What does the draft code say? The code seeks to address the fundamental bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and major digital platforms. This imbalance has resulted in news media businesses accepting less favourable terms for the inclusion of news on digital platform services than they would otherwise agree to. The draft code would allow news media businesses to bargain individually or collectively with Google and Facebook over payment for the inclusion of news on their services. The code also includes a set of 'minimum standards' for: Providing advance notice of changes to algorithmic ranking and presentation of news;

Appropriately recognising original news content; and

Providing information about how and when Google and Facebook make available user data collected through users' interactions with news content. Source: ACCC Advertisement

Facebook sent Australian news websites 2.3 billion free 'clicks' in the first five months of the year, driving traffic worth an estimated $200 million.

Mr Easton said the company has invested million of dollars in Australian news and offered to spend even more, while also proposing a dedicated platform for local content.

'But these proposals were overlooked,' he said.

'Instead, we are left with a choice of either removing news entirely or accepting a system that lets publishers charge us for as much content as they want at a price with no clear limits.

'Unfortunately, no business can operate that way.'

Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland urged the coalition to land a workable code.

'The range of concerns held by all stakeholders demands a credible response from the government,' she said.
RipolletMaria Servini is the Argentinian judge who sits on the bench of the First Federal Court of Buenos Aires and she is handling the case against a number of former Spanish government officials who are facing charges of crimes against humanity committed during General Francos regime [1939-1975]. Justice Servini has summoned former Franco minister Rodolfo Martin Villa to a court hearing that will be conducted online from the Argentinian embassy in Spain on 3 September. Never before has a Franco minister been held to account for their decisions during the dictatorship. These days, ahead of the hearing, Justice Servini has been receiving letters from former Spanish prime ministers, cabinet ministers and trade union leaders in support of Martin Villa.

According to Ceaqua, a platform that represents several [Franco-era] victims, among the VIPs who have written a letter to the Argentinian judge are four former Spanish prime ministers: Felipe Gonzalez, Jose Maria Aznar, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy. They have been joined by other former officials, such as ex-CiU MP Miquel Roca, former leaders of CCOO (Antonio Gutierrez and Jose Maria Fidalgo) and UGT (Nicolas Redondo and Candido Mendez-Rodriguez), the top two Spanish trade unions. Josep Borrell, the current High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has also written to the judge. All of them have stressed that theirs is a personal letter and mainly praise Martin Villas work during the political transition after General Francos death. They insist that the former Franco minister facilitated a consensus and even go as far describing him as one of the parents of Spanish democracy today.

Ceaqua is looking to determine whether Martin Villa can be held to account for the 1976 massacre in the Basque city of Vitoria. On 3 March 1976 Spanish police fired hundreds of rounds at workers who were gathered in a mass meeting at the local San Francisco church, killing five. The youngest victim was 17, while the oldest was 32. Hundreds more were wounded. The incident was never investigated. Martin Villa has also been accused of playing a role in other killings, including the deaths of Rafael Gomez Jaugueri, in Errenteria; Jose Luis Cano Perez, in Pamplona; Francisco Javier Nunez, in Bilbao; l Jose Maria Zabala Erasun, in Hondarribia and Maria Norma Menchaca, in Santurtzi. Ceaqua has pointed out that Martin Villa led a repression machine that nobody has answered for yet and that his actions led to an all-out, systematic attack against civilians.

Justice Servini has attempted to interrogate Martin Villa several times. In 2018 Spains Audiencia Nacional court ruled that the former Franco minister was under no obligation to appear in court because his alleged crimes were barred from prosecution by either the statute of limitations or Spains 1977 Amnesty Act. Nevertheless, in March 2019 the Argentinian judge tried again and set a new date: 20 March 2020. The covid-19 pandemic meant that the hearing was initially postponed to 26 May and later to 3 September. Martin Villa, who is 85, has never refused to appear in court and has even stated on a number of occasions that he feels confident and is willing to give details of his actions during his ministerial tenure.

The same Thursday when Martin Villa is expected to testify, a demo has been called at 11 am in Barcelonas carrer Ferran. That is the spot where Gustau A. Munoz, a communist party member, was shot dead. Munoz was a rather militant: he was involved in putting up a banner in Montserrat to protest the court martial against [theatre group] Els Joglars. On 11 September 1978 [Catalonias National Day], he attended the alternative march which the Spanish authorities had banned. His death has never been explained. He was only 16 years old. His brother, Marc Munoz, is one of the plaintiffs in the case against Martin Villa.
Williamson, WV (25661)

Today

Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 18F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 18F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 12:43:42|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives edged past the 8,000 mark on Tuesday, according to data from the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The HPA confirmed 199 new cases of COVID-19, including those of 145 Maldivian nationals and 54 foreign citizens, raising the total case count to 8,003.

HPA data showed that there are 2,709 active cases of COVID-19 spread across 41 inhabited islands and 16 resorts, and 162 patients have been hospitalized for treatment.

The Maldives is currently experiencing a second wave of infections that accelerated when the country opened its borders to tourists on July 15. Active cases include 16 tourists and 29 staff.

There are currently 1,395 individuals in isolation. A total of 5,265 patients have recovered from the virus so far, while 29 people have died.

Health officials and political authorities have warned that a continued increase in reported COVID-19 infections may warrant a second lockdown. Enditem
P rofessor Sunetra Gupta, who has been a leading critic of the cost of lockdown, says she welcomes the return of schools as children if anything... would benefit from being exposed to this and other seasonal coronaviruses.

Gupta, who is a professor of theoretical epidemiology at Oxford, told The Londoner that alongside huge social and educational benefits, the evidence is mounting that early exposure to these various coronaviruses is what enables people to survive them.

Professor Gupta came to prominence earlier this year when she questioned the governments reliance on the Imperial College London modelling of the coronavirus epidemic. Professor Gupta and her team produced modelling that posited a greater number of Britons could have immunity to the virus than thought. She has been a longstanding critic of the wider impacts of lockdown on the poorest in society and across the world.

Praising the return of schoolchildren to the classroom, she said that while children might transmit the virus, trade offs have to be made and that we can take strong measures to still protect the vulnerable who need to shield.

But Professor Gupta also revealed the toll of her different approach. Weve found it difficult to publish our work in mainstream journals, she said, adding sadly anything that deviates from the consensus has been met with criticism  not simply of the science, but weve been labelled as saying things that are dangerous.

She rejected being bracketed with libertarian lockdown sceptics, saying her opposition came from the left. I personally think that only thinking along the lines of eliminating coronavirus, without giving heed to the consequences on the disadvantaged young and globally, is a dereliction of our duties as global citizens.



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PA

Piers Corbyn, the former Labour leaders brother, has raised nearly all of his total in a crowdfunder set up to support him after he was arrested at recent anti-lockdown protests over the weekend. The fund on CrowdJustice was at over 15,000 this morning, approaching an 18,000 goal. Expect to hear more from the elder Corbyn.

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Writer Kathy Lette likes a drink and says: The only dry thing about me is my sense of humour. The forthright author tells Woman & Home: In truth, all mums need to make the occasional lunge for the bottle  the wine bottle and the peroxide bottle. The trick is to just never, ever get them confused. Thats the kind of shock blonde to avoid.

SW1A

Boris Johnsons approval ratings for his handling of the pandemic among users of the Conservative Home website have continued to plunge. In the latest survey only 48 per cent thought he was handling it well, down from 92 per cent in March. But one mans ratings are stable: Chancellor Rishi Sunak is sitting pretty at 82 per cent, one up from last months score. The Tory faithful are for turning.

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Claim: Dehenna Davison (credit: Parliament)

Compare and contrast attitudes from Tory MPs. Caroline Nokes walked on to College Green in Westminster to meet polite XR demonstrators from the constituency, she tweeted. Red-wallers Dehenna Davison and Ben Bradley instead blasted the protest as a pantomime and a colossal waste of police time. Perhaps its time for an intra-party listening exercise.

Work hard, play hard and eat ice-cream

Daisy Edgar-Jones, star of Normal People, said she was so proud to receive a Breakout STARmeter Award from users of film website IMDb. The first of many? Meanwhile singer Pixie Lott showed off her brushed eyebrows, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams posed with an ice-cream and actor Richard Blackwood said he was back in work mode with no games being played. Were team ice-cream.
One week after the launch of the BLAST collection at the Geneva Watch Days, Ulysse Nardin presents an astonishing new BLAST high jewellery timepiece, an openworked automatic tourbillon embellished with what appears to be a mosaic of hundreds of shattered shards of mirror. Made from expertly, geometrically cut diamonds, each faceted stone is sculpted by hand.

The movement of the watch is visible through the face, a tour de force of skeletonized handiwork perfected over a century and a half of master craftsmanship at Ulysse Nardin. The new SPARKLING BLAST is a limited edition, creates in an exclusive, exceptional and selective edition; three in white gold with a white rubber strap and three in white gold with a deep blue, alligator strap; each model is limited to three watches.

SPARKLING BLAST  Joy Corthesy/Worldtempus

With an Xplosion of 85 distinct and unique cuts of diamonds, this masterpiece is composed of a stunning 211 diamonds for a total weight of 13 carats. The symbolic X  trademark of Ulysse Nardin  is also set with sparkling diamonds, embedded directly into the watch face, sealing the seamless look of timeless elegance and luXury. The self-deploying buckle is itself adorned with 1.22 carats of pure brilliance. The crown, bezel and index hands are also set with hand-faceted diamonds, each part an original work of art in and of itself. It is a treasure to be enjoyed up to 50 meters in depth as you bask in the sun glinting off the waves.

SPARKLING BLAST  Ulysse Nardin

Of course, all the same features of the original BLAST can be found on this timepiece. Powered by the UN-172 movement, with a micro-rotor in platinum and a three-day power reserve, this 45 mm skeletonized timepiece is equipped with a 2.5 Hz Silicium flying automatic tourbillon.

THE BROKEN SHARDS AND THE STEALTH DESIGN: A GEOMETRICAL GAME OF LIGHT AND MIRRORS

The architecture of the watch horns lends itself perfectly to the diamonds set within it. Like a geometrical mind game, they come together to form a breathtaking mosaic. The designers at Ulysse Nardin fashioned the horns after a stealth aircraft, which has a sleek design conceived with stealth technology to avoid detection. These shapes lend themselves expertly to the broken mirror effect generated when they are faceted with diamonds. The idea was to create an exceptional watch that was also a piece of jewelry on the wrist. This is the King of BLASTS, shockwaves of cracked diamonds in its cosmic setting.

SPARKLING BLAST  Ulysse Nardin

THE INVISIBLE DIAMOND SETTING: AN ANCIENT TECHNIQUE THAT LENDS ITSELF TO A MODERN MASTERPIECE

These gems are positioned in invisible settings to avoid marring the brilliance of their hand-cut majesty and in order to best reflect the ambient light. Each gem is faceted in perfect harmony with the design of the watch. The artisans at Ulysse Nardin used this invisible setting to show the diamonds in their most favorable light. A French process perfected approximately 200 years ago most used when multiple diamonds are mounted in a row (or multiple rows), this marks the first time this noble craft has been used at Ulysse Nardin. It is the most difficult maneuver for a jeweler to master because it uses no prongs or bezels, which could detract from the glimmer of the precious stones. The diamonds, held in place from below by a hidden structure, appear to be floating inside of the precious metal ring. This composition grips each diamond on a small groove cut into each base and fixed into the metal framework, invisible from the surface. Not used for round-cut diamonds or stones with rounded edges, the invisible setting requires that their flat sides are set side by side then fixed into the bedrock of the metal.

SPARKLING BLAST  Joy Corthesy/Worldtempus

THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS: A RESPONSIBLE AND TRANSPARENT GUARANTEE OF A SOLID, TRACEABLE SUPPLY CHAIN

Ulysse Nardin applies and respects the controls implanted by the Kimberley Process, a system used to ensure that no conflict diamonds enter the supply chain. All diamonds acquired by Ulysse Nardin comply with the World Diamond Council System of Warranties, which is bound by the rules instated by the Kimberley Process. Strict requirements and official certificates are obligatory in the thorough verification of the provenance of rough diamonds. Once they have been cut, the diamonds are accompanied by a declaration from the World Diamond Council System of Warranties. This declaration states: "The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:55:24|Editor: huaxia

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Dr. G. Weerasinghe, the newly-appointed general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, speaks in an interview in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sept. 1, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the barbarism of neoliberal economic policies, newly-appointed general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Tang Lu)

COLOMBO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the barbarism of neoliberal economic policies, newly-appointed general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka said on Tuesday.

"Some countries which have high COVID-19 death tolls are those that have propagated neoliberalism, which has turned health into a profitable industry rather than a service," Dr. G. Weerasinghe, who was appointed general secretary of the party on Aug. 30, told Xinhua in an interview.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that countries with strong public health systems like China, Cuba and Sri Lanka were able to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. But some wealthier countries had passed the burden to the working class, while pumping billions of U.S. dollars into government funds to private companies.

Sri Lanka's communist party, which is in an alliance with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and has one seat in parliament, will struggle against neoliberalism, Dr. Weerasinghe said.

"We are going to kickstart a plan to expand our party membership which is close to 10,000. We are determined to be more active within the working class movement, while working closely with youth, professionals, and intellectuals," he said.

"We are inspired by developments in China, which will probably eradicate poverty by next year. This will be an achievement for all mankind. A developed and powerful China will have a very positive impact on the international communist movement," he said.

Dr. Weerasinghe joined the community party in 1978, and was the party's international secretary until he was unanimously voted to the position of general secretary by the party's central committee, following his nomination by former party leader D.E.W. Gunasekera. Enditem
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by the RNLI. Nearly 1,500 arrived in the UK by small boats in August alone. (Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)

Twenty-four traffickers convicted so far this year, immigration minister reveals

Government quizzed over English Channel migrant crossings after nearly 1,500 people made dangerous journey in August alone

Visit the Yahoo homepage for more stories

Twenty-four people have been convicted or jailed so far this year for facilitating illegal immigration, a Home Office minister has revealed.

Immigration minister Chris Philp made the announcement in response to an urgent question about small boat crossings over the English Channel, though it was not clear if all the convictions were related to these crossings from France to the UK.

Philp told MPs in the House of Commons: The majority of these crossings are facilitated by ruthless criminal gangs who make money from exploiting migrants who are desperate to come here.

Were working with the National Crime Agency to go after those who profit from such misery. Already this year 24 people have been convicted and jailed for facilitating illegal immigration.

Chris Philp addresses MPs on Wednesday. (Parliamentlive.tv)

In August alone, nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in the UK on small boats, compared to 94 in January. Thirty-four people who attempted to cross the Channel on Wednesday were picked up by the RNLI, Philp added.

He said the increase in recent months is completely unacceptable.

Philp also pointed to the dangers of the small boat crossings as he referred to 28-year-old Abdulfatah Hamdallah, who died in the water near Calais last month.

Labours shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds accused the government of a lack of compassion and a lack of competence.

What we need now are solutions, not empty headlines trying to sound tough. I have deep concerns that the government in recent weeks, through talking of deploying the Navy and the RAF, have tried to militarise a solution where lives are at risk.

Ultimately the sad truth is that people are fleeing their homes as a result of poverty, war and persecution.

Philp, saying the government has provided nearly 20,000 resettlement places since 2015, countered: This government certainly needs no lessons in compassion. Our asylum system is extremely compassionate, extremely generous and those numbers speak for themselves.
Bay League boys and girls basketball teams will play five league games and then there will be a tournament to determine seeding for CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
This is no time to just assume that everything will be fine. This is a time for plansand backup plans. We all want to think that our employers are looking out for us and our interests. And maybe they are. But maybe, they aren't.

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This bundle is hearty, a whopping 13 courses that deliver tried and true attack plans for launching a variety of potential income sources, all through working on the web.

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For writers, artists and others who want to try the freelancer route, the Fiverr Freelancing 2020: Sell Fiverr Gigs Like The Top 1 Percent course examines how to use freelance hubs like Fiverr and Upwork to build your client base. There's also the Max-Profit Pricing Strategy and Negotiation to Make Money course, which can help you settle on a fair rate to charge for your services.

For those who have a sharply developed opinion or sense of self, the Personal Branding Path to Top 1 Percent Influencer Personal Brand and Influencer Marketing: Hire Right Influencers and Track Results courses can help you follow the path of the social media influencer, building your own personal brand identity and even selling items and retargeting ads through Amazon, Shopify and others.

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Do you have your stay-at-home essentials? Here are some you may have missed.
Attorney General Bill Barr said Wednesday that Jacob Blake was was committing a felony and 'armed' at the time a Kenosha police officer shot him in the back last month.

The AG made the comment in a CNN interview a day after visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin, a city still reeling from the shooting of the black man, who is paralyzed from the waist down. The incident set off angry protests and the city suffered looting and property damage.

Barr drew sharp distinctions between the cases of Blake and George Floyd, who died while being arrested by Minneapolis police with an officer's knee on his neck.

Attorney General Bill Barr said Jacob Blake was 'in the midst of committing a felony and he was armed' when he was shot seven times by a Kenosha police officer

Barr at first said he would not compare the two cases, and noted the Justice Department is investigating.

'What's different?' asked interviewer Wolf Blitzer.

'Floyd was already subdued, incapacitated in handcuffs and was not armed,' Blake responded. 'In the Jacob case he was in the midst of committing a felony and he was armed. So that's a big difference.'

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul revealed last week that Blake had a knife on the floorboard of his car. Blake was approaching the car at the time he was shot.

In this September 2019 selfie photo taken in Evanston, Ill., Adria-Joi Watkins poses with her second cousin Jacob Blake. He is recovering from being shot multiple times by Kenosha police on Aug. 23

Protesters march towards the South Los Angeles Sheriffs' Station on September 1, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Dijon Kizzee, a 29-year-old Black man, was killed by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies in South Los Angeles. Protesters marched to the South Los Angeles Sheriffs' Station to demonstrate for a second day after Kizzee was killed in an altercation after being stopped by police while riding his bicycle

Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd, who was pleading that he could not breathe, in Minneapolis on Monday, May 25, 2020. Barr said there were major distinctions between the Floyd case and Jacob Blake

Blake's family said he was not armed

CNN's Wolf Blitzer quizzed Barr about the shooting as well as if believes there is 'systemic racism' in policing. He said there is not

It isn't clear the officers responding to the incident knew Blake had a knife, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Blake told police about the knife after he was shot. They were responding to a call from his girlfriend.

Lawyers for the Blake family Ben Crump, Patrick Salvi, and B'Ivory Lamarr released a statement disputing Barr's account.

'Attorney General Barr is misinformed. The police officers were the aggressors from start to finish, based on video and witness accounts,' they said.

'There was never any point in time when there was justification for deadly force. In fact, there were innocent bystanders in the line of fire when he shot seven times into Jacob's back,' they continued. 'At all material times, Jacob's back was to the officers and he never posed an imminent threat. This was never a life or death situation for the officers.'

Local police union lawyer Brendan Matthews said officers were responding to a complaint that Blake was trying to steal the callers keys and car, and that Blake had an open warrant for felony sexual assault and three misdemeanors related to sexual assault, but all are now dropped.

Dramatic video of the shooting shows Sheskey and another officer following Blake with guns drawn when the shooting occurs. It does not show Blake holding a weapon.

Blitzer noted to Barr that Blake's family has said he was unarmed.

'I stated what I believe to be the difference,' Barr said, without going further.

Barr didn't specify what felony Blake was committing.

Asked about concerns over excessive force, Barr said: 'We have a process in this country to make that determination. We are investigating it. That should follow due process and be fair to everybody including the police officer.'

'Violence is not appropriate. Our justice system has to respond to reasoned analysis, not mob violence,' Barr said.

He also rejected claims of 'systemic racism' in U.S. policing.

'There appears to be a phenomenon in the country where African Americans feel that they're treated, when they're stopped by police frequently, as suspects before they're treated as citizens,' Barr said. 'I don't think that that necessarily reflects some deep-seated racism in police departments or most police officers.'

He said the 'narrative that the police are on some epidemic of shooting unarmed black men is simply a false narrative. And also the narrative that that's based on race.'

'To me the word systemic means that it's built into the institution,' Barr said, noting there are built-in protections against racist in police departments.
All of this aims to bring people more into the Samsung ecosystem.

Samsung, just a day after announcing the pricing and availability details on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, has now revealed some new home appliance products that are likely to make you productive. The products were talked about during the companys Life Unstoppable virtual experience introduced are The Premiere smart projector, Odyssey G5 gaming monitor, Wireless Charging Trio solution, RB7300T Classic Refrigerator and WW9800T Washing Machine with DV8000T Tumble Dryer. All of this aims to bring people more into the Samsung ecosystem. For now, these are not yet available in India.

The Premier smart projector comes in up to 120 and 130-inch models and has built-in woofers, Acoustic Beam surround sound and triple lasers with 4K picture quality support as well. It is also claimed as the worlds first HDR10+ certified projector.

Also read: Samsung eyes new opportunities as pandemic ignites demand for home appliances

Another highlight is the Odyssey G5 gaming monitor. It joins the lineup that already has the high-end G9 and G7 monitors. Samsung says that its G5 monitors key feature is Flicker-Free technology that supposedly reduces eye fatigue so gamers can play for longer hours. It is already available to buy in select countries.

The Premier smart projector (Samsung)

The Wireless Charger Trio by Samsung is a wireless charging solution that lets you charge multiple compatible devices all at once. This saves time and effort to search for different plug points and cables for each product.

Then theres a Bespoke refrigerator as well that will be launching in Europe in October this year. Whats special about it is that it's modular. It can be customised in several ways with easy-to-update colours and materials. The RB7300T Classic Refrigerator is said to come with massive storage capacity as it uses the SpaceMax tech. This allows it to have up to 385 litres of storage and three different height options. It is also said to take less power.

Samsung WW9800T Washing Machine (Samsung)

Finally, theres a WW9800T Washing Machine and DV8000T Tumble Dryer. The AI washing machine has a control panel that auto learns your preferred settings and cycles.Samsungs EcoBubble technology also maximises the efficiency of detergent, as per the firm. When it is paired with the DV8000T Tumble Dryer, it delivers an end-to-end laundry experience.
One People, One House or Having a Seat at the Table is an idealized concept. As a senior African-American woman, I have lived through and observed decades of the destructive and morally offensive problem of racism.

When America refers to One people, people of color are not included in that count. When America says, One House, I know with all certainty that they are not talking about people of color. Being at the Table, means just that. Sit at the table and watch your manners. When the meal is over, you are free to leave.

One People, One House, represents an idealized hope or an aspiration rather than a concrete reality. Far too many people are in denial about how deeply racist feelings and assumptions are embedded in Americas habits of thought. As the Nobel Prize winning African-American writer Toni Morrison said, Racism is a profound neurosis.

Although anti-racism sit-ins began in 1939 at a Virginia library, my first personal experience was the series of 1960 Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins where African American students refused to leave a segregated Woolworths lunch counter, and Im proud to say that myself, my relatives, friends, and classmates participated.

Another formative experience for me occurred four blocks from my childhood neighborhood in West Philadelphia in 1985, when the Philadelphia Police Department used a military combat satchel bomb (laced with Tovex and C-4) in a nighttime attack against the rowhouse enclave of MOVE, a black liberation group. Sixty-one homes were burned down, and 11 people were killed, including five children.

In addition to the many horrific acts of violence against African Americans, the profound neurosis of racism is embedded in American systems. In 2018, the average African American job holder earned only 62% of what the average white job holder earned, and lower incomes result in a poverty rate for African-American households that is more than double that of white families.

In terms of public education, the average non-white school district receives more than $2,200 less than a white school district. In 2018, African Americans were almost twice as likely as white Americans to lack health insurance. In terms of public education, the average non-white school district receives more than $2,200 less than a white school district. In 2018, African Americans were almost twice as likely as white Americans to lack health insurance.

In terms of the judicial system, 33% of the countrys prisoners are African Americans (12% of the total population), and 30% of the prisoners are white (60% of the total population). Drug usage rates are about the same for both African Americans and whites, but African Americans are much more likely to be jailed. Regarding marijuana, usage rates between African Americans and whites are comparable, but African Americans are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana usage.

With regards to the Covid-19 crisis, people of color are being disproportionately impacted. Although African Americans comprise 12% of the total workforce, but comprise 17% of frontline workers, magnifying the risk of their contracting the disease, but African Americans were already experiencing a pandemic which affected only them: Police brutality. The disproportionate number of people of color being brutalized and killed by police is an ever-present and shocking reminder of the depth of racism still existing in the U.S. Springfield and its greater metro region are simply an example of a national problem.

Even recently, the number of unarmed African Americans killed by police is so great and so frequent that its nearly impossible to keep track and remember their names. Overall, African Americans are nearly three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, and in some parts of the country it is six times as likely (for example, Chicago and New York City).

In recent history, we have become chillingly familiar with the names George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Dominique White, Michelle Cusseaux, and the list goes on and on. And it is not simply killings (symbolic or metaphoric lynchings) by police, we are also seeing a surge in brutal murders of African-American transsexual women (for example, Dominique Remmie Fells in Philadelphia and Riah Milton in Cincinnati).

The presuppositions of racism in our culture, society, politics, language and business branding are so pervasive that they have become unnoticed, except to the victims and enlightened people who see the reality. An obvious example is the language used in naming teams and places. Such names as Squaw Valley, the Washington Redskins, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Plantation Rum, and a seemingly endless list of disparaging references embody a clear expression of symbolic racism.

While I am critical of some police practices, there are several members of my family who are police officers. I attended in 2019 the graduation of my young nephew who is a police officer in Florida and attended a street naming ceremony in honor of my cousin who was killed by a fellow police officer in Washington DC. Mindless police-bashing is not on my agenda, and, although police brutality is a pressing problem needing immediate remedies, my thoughts deal primarily with the underlying conditions and psychological biases which provide an environment in which police misconduct is nurtured and flourishes.

After moving to the Springfield area, I became familiar with the violent misconduct of police officer Jeffrey Asher. In 1997, Officer Asher kicked an African-American man named Roy Parker in the head while other officers held him down. Then, in 2009, I was serving on Springfields Community Complaint Review Board when Officer Asher used a flashlight to attack an African- American man named Melvin Jones III during a traffic stop, an incident which resulted in a 2012 conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police misconduct and brutality do not occur in a vacuum, but they must be confronted and analyzed as a separate factor. In too many cases to count, we find ourselves in a situation where the police see themselves as an occupying military force rather than as community-loving keepers of the peace. Growing up in Philadelphia, policemen were usually your neighbor, and they walked a beat which was your neighborhood, helped old ladies across the street, played stick ball with neighborhood kids and everyone admired the policemen. Today, policemen are feared and avoided under any circumstances. One of the most conspicuous proofs of this militarization of police is the flood of militarystyle equipment into local police departments, including military-style commando uniforms.

In terms of reducing the magnitude of violent police misconduct, there are a wide variety of possible remedies or deterrents to reduce the magnitude of violent police misconduct. Body cameras that cant arbitrarily be shut off, should be required. A national registry of officers with a record of misconduct should be established. Some portion of police budgets can be redirected to social services, such as domestic violence prevention, addiction, homelessness, and mental health.

Police departments should be demilitarized. There should be more accountability for the police by strictly regulating the use of force. Force restrictions should be inserted into police contracts (no chokeholds or strangleholds; ongoing de-escalation training; a requirement that officers stop other officers from using excessive violence and require reporting of such incidents; no shooting at moving vehicles; a requirement that police file a report each time violence is used).

Transparency about police misconduct should be an absolute requirement. No-cause stop, question and frisk practices should be banned. Ban investigatory stops (stops based on how people look), retain routine traffic-safety stops (based on how people drive). Diversify police departments to reflect actual demographics of the community. Require police officers themselves to pay a part of settlements for civil lawsuits involving police misconduct.

Terminate employment of police officers who use excessive force. Criminally prosecute violent police misconduct. Eliminate qualified immunity (judicially created doctrine that shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations). Provide mandatory mental health support for police officers. Require more rigorous psychological screening for prospective police officers.

This is a long list of ways to reform and improve policing in our communities. These measures will only be taken up by communities with elected officials who commit to reform. So, in the end, the most important thing each of us can do to end police brutality is to vote for local, state and national candidates who are committed to ending racism in America.

Rosemary Tracy Woods is the executive director of Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield. Woods was tapped by Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan to assist in the development of the Community Complaint Review Board, which was formed in 2007. She served on the board until 2009.
Coronavirus denier Pete Evans has revealed that social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are removing posts and pages which share his same dangerous beliefs.

The 47-year-old made the admission in a post shared to his Instagram on Wednesday, where he encouraged his fans to follow him on the messaging app, Telegram, to see his posts instead.

The former My Kitchen Rules judge, who actively spreads harmful and worrying conspiracies about COVID-19, wrote: 'It seems that fb [Facebook] and insta [Instagram] are removing more and more pages by the day.'

Removing: Coronavirus denier Pete Evans has revealed that social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are removing posts and pages which share his same dangerous beliefs

His post continued: 'Thank you to all the people that have jumped on to telegram to follow. I post a lot of different information on there.

'It seems that fb and insta are removing more and more pages by the day and there are some new rules just announced for October which is going to make it a lot more interesting,' he added.

This comes after Pete seemingly contradicted himself by providing a 'COVID Safe' disclaimer on the website of his 'healing clinic' in Byron Bay.

The disclaimer states that the clinic is committed to high standards of hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic - which Evans supposedly believes is fake.

Frustrated: The 47-year-old made the admission in a post shared to his Instagram on Wednesday, where he encouraged his fans to follow him on the messaging app, Telegram, to see his posts instead

The former My Kitchen Rules judge, who actively spreads harmful and worrying conspiracies about COVID-19, wrote: 'It seems that fb [Facebook] and insta [Instagram] are removing more and more pages by the day'

Pete's Facebook account and his Evolve with Pete Evans podcast also feature similar disclaimers, which state that Evans is not a health professional and that people should consult qualified medical experts instead.

Interestingly, the disclaimer on his podcast states that Evans 'does not endorse' the 'opinions and conclusions' of the guests he openly praises and agrees with.

Evans' harmful views have ranged from blaming coronavirus on 5G cell towers to actively encouraging his followers to not wear masks in Melbourne, which is currently in stage-four lockdown.

Contradictory: This comes after Pete seemingly contradicted himself by providing a 'COVID Safe' disclaimer on the website of his 'healing clinic' in Byron Bay

Evans' false and unscientific views about the coronavirus pandemic cost him his $800,000-a-year job at Channel Seven earlier this year.

He and his wife, New Zealand glamour model Nicola Robinson, are now preparing to open their Evolve Health Labs clinic in Australia's hippie capital.

Despite believing the pandemic is a hoax, the former TV star is still complying with the New South Wales government by registering his business as COVID-safe.

According to the company's Instagram account, the clinic will offer 'transformational practices' such as 'cold and conscious breath-work' and 'cryotherapy'.

Complying: Despite believing the pandemic is a hoax, the former TV star is still complying with the New South Wales government by registering his business as COVID-safe

Fine print: Interestingly, Pete's Facebook account and his Evolve with Pete Evans podcast also feature similar disclaimers, which state that Evans is not a health professional and that people should consult qualified medical experts instead

New business: Evans and his wife, New Zealand glamour model Nicola Robinson, are now preparing to open their Evolve Health Labs clinic in Australia's hippie capital

Meanwhile, the disclaimer on Pete's Facebook states: 'The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease.

'Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice.

'Pete Evans does not make any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy or completeness of the information set out on this page, and shall not have any liability for any misrepresentation (express or implied) contained in, or for any omissions from, the information on this page.

'This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury whether based upon consumer law, negligence or any other cause of action.'

Misleading: Evans' harmful views have ranged from blaming coronavirus on 5G cell towers to actively encouraging his followers to not wear masks in Melbourne

Axed: His conspiracy theories on the coronavirus pandemic cost him his $800,000-a-year job at Channel Seven early this year

A similar message at the end of his podcast states: 'Nothing in this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

'Neither Pete Evans nor any sponsor endorse any views, opinions and conclusions expressed or shared in this podcast.'

Despite this, Evans has recently interviewed a string of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists, whom he offers uncritical and unwavering support.

In June, Evans was invited on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes to share his bizarre conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the 5G network.

The program faced criticism for choosing to interview Evans, thereby giving airtime to his dangerous anti-vaccination and coronavirus conspiracy theories.
The newest beneficiaries of actor Sonu Soods now widely talked about generosity are the boatmen of Varanasi.

Just an hour after Varanasi-based social activist Divyanshu Upadhyay informed the actor about the shortage of ration being faced by 350 families of boatmen, the actor, taking note, promised to deliver ration to all those families.

Families of 350 boatmen, who ply boats on the River Ganga in Varanasi, are running short of ration. They are in need of grain. You are the last hope of these families. Due to floods in the Ganga, the difficulties of boatmen have increased further, Upadhyay tweeted to Sood and his associate Neeti Goel.

The actor did not disappoint. No member of these 350 families of Varanasi Ghats will sleep hungry after today, he said.

Soods associate, Neeti Goel, called Upadhyay and assured him that ration kits will be made available to them in the city itself within an hour.

A big thanks to @SonuSood & @NeetiGoel2 from kumahrs of #Kashi.

They were thrilled that the ration sent by you.

Pottery, their only livelihood was first threatened by plastic cups and now #lockdown.

Lets not lose the skills with this generation due to starvation. #SpreadHope pic.twitter.com/XP9vhH8gnv  Divyanshu Upadhyay (@divyanshu_hope) August 21, 2020

Shortly thereafter, 350 ration kits were made available by the actor, said Upadhyay. Each kit contained 5 kg flour, 5 kg rice, 2 kg gram, a packet of spice and other eatables. Out of 350, 100 kits were distributed among the families of the boatmen by Upadhyay and his team of social workers. The rest will be distributed on Wednesday.

The overwhelmed boatmen, said Upadhyay, thanked the actor profusely.

Presently, plying of boats has been suspended following the rise in the water level in the Ganga.

Earlier, Sood played a stellar role in helping migrant workers reach home by arranging buses for them. He also helped many Indians stranded abroad reach home by arranging special flights for them.
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face the wrath of MPs when he returns to the Commons after presiding over a series of U-turns that have soured Conservative backbench opinion towards the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

He will face critics from both sides of the House on Wednesday during his first Prime Minister's Questions since Parliament's summer recess began on July 22.

As MPs started returning, Johnson insisted his government has not been blown off course by Covid-19, but acknowledged that "sometimes it is necessary" to change direction in "response to the facts as they change".

His defence came as a series of policy U-turns increasingly angered backbench Conservative MPs, with one describing events as a "mega-disaster from one day to the next".

Questions remain over whether A-level and GCSE exams will be delayed next year amid continued disruption, and whether Portugal and Greece will be added to England's quarantine list.

Scotland will tell travellers returning from Greece to isolate for 14 days, while Wales will do the same for those coming back from the island of Zante, but England has not yet decided to reimpose the measure.

On Tuesday, Johnson told ministers that in the last few months they have been "sailing into the teeth of a gale, no question" when chairing his first Cabinet meeting after the return.

He said: "And I am no great nautical expert, but sometimes it is necessary to tack here and there in response to the facts as they change, in response to the wind's change, but we have been going steadily in the direction, in the course we set out, and we have not been blown off that course."

He said there would still be "some turbulence ahead" and that things would be "difficult" on the economic front, while the need remained to "get this disease absolutely out of our systems".

Many Tory backbenchers are frustrated by the government's handling of the crisis, with one senior Conservative MP telling the PA news agency his colleagues are "tired of the U-turns".

He said there is an "element of calamity" and that there are Tories from marginal and so-called red wall seats that were won in the last election from Labour who are "getting jittery".

"We'd like to be in a Government that has the impression of being competent, rather than lurching from one issue to another and then after a short time doing a U-turn," he added.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, said the panel's executives expect to meet Johnson in the "near future" to relay the concerns of backbenchers.

He told PA: "I think there is a lot of sympathy (among Conservative MPs) for the fact it has been unprecedented, but then I think we mustn't make other own goals.

"We may have a big majority but that still doesn't mean to say that we shouldn't be as competent as possible as a government."

The inferential committee of backbenchers is due to meet on Wednesday, but the prime minister was not expected to address them.

By Sam Blewett and Harriet Line, PA

source: PA

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Military talks between India and China on Wednesday remained inconclusive over Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops' fresh incursion attempts into India territory. The dialogue between both countries' militaries will continue, sources said.

Both the countries were engaged in talks for the last three days after China made provocative military movements in an attempt to change the status quo at Pangong Tso (lake) in eastern Ladakh. "Brigade commander-level officers from both the countries met at Chushul to resolve the issues," said a senior government officer.

The agenda of the deliberation was the fresh developments at three contentious areas at the south bank of Pangong lake. India has raised concerns about increased Chinese deployment in areas near Black Top and Helmet Top. India also asked China to completely withdraw its troop deployment close to Thakung base in Indian territory.

Indian troops had got hold of Rechin La, which is about 2.5 to 3 kilometres from Rezang La on the LAC on the Indian side, to push back Chinese troops.

On August 31, Chinese troops had indulged in provocative actions after Indian soldiers had earlier occupied the heights there to thwart a PLA land-grabbing bid over the weekend.

On the intervening night of August 29 and 30, PLA troops had violated the previous consensus agreed in military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground," the Indian Army said.

However, China on Monday said its troops never crossed the Line of Actual Control.

At Pangong Tso, China had already strengthened its positions between Fingers 5 and 8. The PLA had refused to pull back eastwards from the 8-km stretch it occupied from Finger 4 to Finger 8 by building scores of new fortifications there since early May.

India has asked China to completely withdraw its troops from Pangong Tso. But China has refused to budge.

The mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as 'Fingers' in military parlance.

Both countries are engaged in the current four-month-long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley.

Chinese aggression started increasing along the Line of Actual Control and more particularly in Galwan Valley since May 5. The Chinese side transgressed in the areas of Kugrang Nala, Gogra and north bank of Pangong lake on May 17 and May 18.
Bangkok, Sep 2 : Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn on Wednesday reinstated his royal consort, after she was stripped of her rank last October for trying to elevate herself to "the same state as the queen".

According to a Royal Gazette, the King returned Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi's rank and titles earlier in the day, reports the BBC.

She was the first royal consort after almost a century in Thailand, where the term refers to a companion or partner in addition to the king's wife.

Sineenat had worked as a nurse before becoming the King's bodyguard an pilot, and later also joined the royal guards. In early 2019, she was appointed a major-general.

She received the official title of first Royal Noble Consort in July last year, shortly after King Vajiralongkorn married his fourth wife, Queen Suthida.

While stripping off the ranks, the Palace had also accused Sineenat of "misbehaviour and disloyalty against the monarch".

The last time a Thai monarch had a consort was in the 1920s and the title had not been used since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
Jammu: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was martyred in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir`s Rajouri district on Wednesday (September 2, 2020).

The JCO deployed on a forward post in the Tarkundi sector was injured in Pakistan firing and later succumbed, police sources said.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened fire at forward posts in the Keri sector, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, the sources said.

The JCO was critically injured in the Pakistani firing and later succumbed to injuries, the sources said, adding Pakistan also suffered casualties in the retaliatory action but the exact details are awaited.

This was the second such incident in the past four days. On August 30, a JCO was killed in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

According to sources, JCO Rajwinder Singh was a resident of Punjab`s Amritsar.

Pakistan has been violating the ceasefire on the LoC with impunity since the beginning of 2020. In over 2,720 ceasefire violations, 27 civilians have been killed and another 100 injured.
Message of Senator Koko Pimentel on Director Gierran's Appointment

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III describes as "a well-deserved appointment" the designation of former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante Gierran as the new President of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

"I congratulate Director Gierran for his well-deserved appointment. I am sure a CPA lawyer like him will bring his professionalism to PhilHealth just like what he did to the NBI. Because of his leadership, NBI is now a modern professional organization. And I know the same thing will happen to PhilHealth under a high-caliber leader," Pimentel said.

Senator Pimentel, who authored the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Law, pointed out that Gierran effectively implemented the said law which made the NBI a more competent investigative body. According to Pimentel, records show that NBI did not figure in any controversy under Gierran's management from 2016 up to his mandatory retirement in February 2020.

"Mahirap nang makalusot ang corruption ngayon sa PhilHealth dahil hindi lang tapang ang dala ng bagong pinuno kundi kaalaman din being a lawyer and a CPA. A true professional licensed by our regulatory agencies. And of course, his government career has been untainted by allegations of corruption. Matapang, may alam, malinis," Pimentel further stated.

The Senator expressed confidence that a seasoned crime investigator with administrative management skills can bring the reformation of PhilHealth to its logical end.

"Also, I am sure he can always ask the NBI to investigate whatever shenanigans he discovers while at PhilHealth," ended Pimentel.

It can be noted that it was during Gierran's term when the NBI filed criminal complaints against 21 PhilHealth officials and employees in connection with the alleged misuse of funds on "ghost" dialysis treatments.
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The College of Agriculture at Auburn University has announced the hiring of Mykel Taylor as the Alfa Endowed Eminent Scholar.

This named faculty position involves both research and instruction, with a particular focus on promoting student achievement.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Taylor join the faculty here in the College of Agriculture, said Paul Patterson, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. She brings impressive experience in research and extension and a background in farm management and land economics that will be an incredible asset to our college.

Taylor is currently an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, where she has worked with landowners across the country to help mitigate some of the common management struggles they face.

I do research with land values and landowner-tenant relationships, Taylor said. It really started because I got a lot of phone calls from individuals wanting help negotiating leases and understanding how to manage their farmland that was being leased out to farmers. Not only did I get a lot of those calls, but they were interesting calls. That really prompted me, and Ive found that it has just been a really interesting area of study and a pleasure to help those farm owners.

Taylor assumes the position Jan. 1, and she is looking forward to the opportunities the new position at Auburn presents.

Im really looking forward to this shift from purely extension to teaching in the classroom, she said. Im excited to interact with students and bring my experience working with farmers and ranchers to the classroom and to the students. I think thats going to be a great transition, and Im really looking forward to it.

The role of the Alfa Endowed Eminent Scholar is to provide leadership in a specific research area in partnership with the university, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, state, and national and international organizations and stakeholders. This faculty member engages regularly and effectively with agricultural producers, industry, nonprofits and organizations formulating food and agriculture policies.

Dr. Taylors strengths play hand-in-hand with the Alabama Farmers Federations mission of helping farmers and the agriculture industry, which has a $70 billion impact annually, said Jimmy Parnell, president of the Alabama Farmers Federation, an Auburn College of Agriculture alumnus and Chilton County timber and cattle farmer.

She has a true interest in farmers and a proven record of working with them and other stakeholders on farm management decisions. We will benefit from her communication skills and her skills in analyzing public policy and its impact on our states farmers. As the Alfa Eminent Scholar, Dr. Taylor brings a level of expertise to Alabama and Auburn University that will be especially helpful as leaders begin crafting future farm bills.

Taylor earned her doctorate in economics from North Carolina State University, her Master of Science in applied economics from Montana State University, and her Bachelor of Science in agricultural business management from Montana State University.

She has been a faculty member at Kansas State since 2011. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor and extension specialist in the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

Originally from Montana, Taylor, husband Justin and children Camille, 14, Marlee, 10, and Tim, 6, are looking forward to their move to the South.

It is a new adventure," she said. Its a great department with a lot of new faculty being hired, so there is an opportunity to be a mentor and leader in that respect. Im looking forward to that opportunity. It's a great school, and Im excited to be part of it.

(Written by Kristen Bowman)
Mumbai:

Superstar Aamir Khan has condemned the New Year Eve molestation incident in Bengaluru, terming it as extremely shameful and saddening.



New Year revelry turned into a nightmare for several women who were allegedly molested despite huge police presence at a large gathering on December 31 at Bengalurus downtown region, sparking widespread outrage.



What happened in Bangalore was very sad. We all are saddened and feel ashamed when something like this happens in our country. Every state government should take a step for this, Aamir told reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Also read | Salim Khan urges PM Modi on Twitter to immediately address mass molestation



The 51-year-old actor feels it is high time the law and order becomes strong and works rapidly to set an example.



You see in America, if an incident like this happens, within two-three months the guilty person is punished and the case is closed. When this happens, I feel there will be a big change.

#WATCH Aamir Khan reacts to women's molestation on New Years in Bengaluru, says speedy trials of such cases important to instil fear of law pic.twitter.com/GzfG190ECB  ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017

Aamir says it is important to punish the culprits so that a strong message is sent across.

Also read | NCW sends summons to SP leader Abu Azmi, Karnataka HM for their remarks on Bengaluru molestation row

In todays age, people who misbehave with girls think nothing will happen to us. When such examples come in front of us, that whoever did this is behind bars within 2-3 months, and continuously if we see this, situation will change. There will be fear among people, which is a very important thing.



The actor was speaking at the launch of Satyamev Jayate Water Cup second edition.

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LONDON  Jimmy Choo is on the move, naming a new chief executive officer and revealing the details of a collaboration with boot brand Timberland, which it had teased earlier this year at Super Bowl 2020.

The company has promoted veteran Hannah Colman to ceo. Colman is taking up the role vacated by Pierre Denis earlier this year, and will report to John D. Idol, chairman and ceo of Choos parent Capri Holdings.

She joined Choo 24 years ago, in 1996, and was one of the companys first employees, serving as store manager of the first Jimmy Choo boutique on Motcomb Street in Londons Belgravia neighborhood.

From there she went on to work in a number of roles including, most recently, president EMEA and global e-commerce. She had been interim ceo since Denis left in May after eight years on the job.

The company said that, together with creative director Sandra Choi, one of the brands founders, the two women share a vision to create one of the worlds most treasured luxury lifestyle brands.

Idol said Colman has been instrumental in Jimmy Choos growth, with her instinctive vision for the brand. She has done an outstanding job leading the business during a highly challenging and unprecedented time. I have every faith that she will continue to lead Jimmy Choo to even greater heights. Our company has an excellent team in place and I am confident that under Hannahs leadership the brand will continue to go from strength to strength.

Choi confirmed that she and Colman share the same vision for the future of this brand that we both love.

Colman takes the responsibility of writing the next chapter of this remarkable luxury house incredibly seriously, and couldnt be more excited by the opportunity.

Denis, who said in February that he was leaving, had shepherded Choo through a whirlwind of growth and change.

He stepped down in order to take on the role of ceo at Coty, which he was due to join in June. He subsequently decided not to take on the role after structural changes at the beauty group.

Story continues

Denis, who succeeded Joshua Schulman as ceo, helped to take Jimmy Choo public on the London Stock Exchange in 2014, with its owner JAB maintaining a majority stake in the brand.

In 2017, Capri Holdings Ltd., then known as Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., purchased Jimmy Choo for $1.35 billion.

The deal was a jaw-dropping 17.5-times Choos adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and well ahead of the 10.4-times to 15-times multiples seen in recent years, according to EYs Luxury and Cosmetics Financial Factbook.

Colmans promotion comes as Choo begins a collaboration with Timberland, which will look to fuse red carpet glamour with outdoor utility.

Choo lifted the veil on the collaboration earlier this year when Jennifer Lopez posed backstage at Super Bowl 2020 wearing a pair of Timberland boots with Swarovski crystals around the collar.

Jimmy Choo x Timberland sees the latters original corn-colored boot showered with crystals, glitter and embellishment.

There are three six-inch styles for men and women, plus an exclusive womens style featuring an embellished gold glitter toe. The boots come in different colors, and sparkle with Swarovski crystal or glitter details.

To collaborate with a brand like Timberland allows Jimmy Choo to explore a new avenue and take part in a different conversation, said Choi.

I love to mix it up by getting together with different creative minds, combining our DNA to create a beautiful and surprising product with unexpected links to the roots of both our brands. Timberlands outdoor work heritage combined with our high fashion sensibility creates something really exciting and unique in the market.

The Jimmy Choo x Timberland collection launches exclusively in the U.S. with Kith in New York and Los Angeles and online at kith.com from Wednesday.

The collection will be available at selected Jimmy Choo stores globally, online at Jimmychoo.com and Timberland.com from September 9.

Timberland said it will plant a tree for every pair of Jimmy Choo x Timberland boots created in this collaboration in support of a greener future. Last year, the brand made a pledge to plant 50 million trees over the next five years.

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Tasmania and South Australia are officially free of coronavirus, but their borders will remain restricted.

South Australia was declared virus-free by Premier Steven Marshall on Wednesday with no known active cases for the first time since July 21.

The state's last remaining case was a nurse in her 40s who contracted COVID-19 after working in Melbourne's aged care homes.

She was diagnosed on August 23 after returning to South Australia and went straight to quarantine.

The woman showed no symptoms and has since recovered.

People wait outside aCOVID-19 testing clinic in the Barossa Valley, northeast of Adelaide when the pandemic began

South Australia was declared virus-free by Premier Steven Marshall on Wednesday with no known active cases for the first time since July 21

A man in his 20s also tested positive on Sunday after entering the state from India.

He is in quarantine in Adelaide but health officials said his results represent an old infection and will not be counted in state case numbers.

Roads between South Australia and Victoria remain shut.

Travellers from Sydney or Canberra are required to self-quarantine for 14 days in South Australia and get tested on the day of arrival and again 12 days later.

Tasmania also announced it was free of coronavirus on Wednesday after a man in hospital recovered. Pictured: Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein

Those transiting from low community transmission zones through airports in Sydney or Canberra are also exempt from testing or mandatory isolation, provided they do not leave the airport.

People entering the state from Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland or Tasmania do not have to quarantine or take a coronavirus test.

Despite reporting no active cases, South Australian health officials have warned locals to remain on alert.

'Do not go to public places if you are unwell - this includes work, education, childcare, shopping centres, sporting events, social or religious gatherings,' the SA Department for Health and Wellbeing said in a statement on Wednesday.

Tasmania, which has had 228 cases overall, has recorded just two cases in more than three months. Pictured: Hobart in Tasmania

Australian state border restrictions Victoria: Completely open, but other states are banning residents from going there NSW: Border with Victoria is closed but others are open without restriction Queensland: Open to everywhere but Victoria, NSW, and the ACT Northern Territory: Open to everywhere but Victoria and Sydney, which must do hotel quarantine South Australia: Closed to Victoria, NSW arrivals must self-isolate, rest are open Tasmania: Closed to Victoria, everywhere else must do hotel quarantine Western Australia: Closed to everywhere without an exemption Advertisement

'Everyone must continue to follow measures that will help stop the spread. Practice good hygiene, keep 1.5 metres distance from others and stay at home if you are unwell.'

Of the 463 cases in the state, 459 have recovered and four have died.

Tasmania also announced it was free of coronavirus on Wednesday after a man in hospital recovered.

He tested positive on August 11 while in the North West Regional Hospital after returning from Melbourne where he received medical treatment.

The state's health department confirmed the man, who was the island's only active COVID-19 case, had recovered as of Tuesday night.

Tasmania, which has had 228 cases overall, has recorded just two cases in more than three months.

It had a four-week stretch of being COVID-19 free across June and July.

Tasmania's borders will stay shut until at least December because of the risks posed by outbreaks on the mainland.

Premier Peter Gutwein recently extended the state of emergency until the end of October.

Thirteen people have died from the virus state-wide.
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Recently on Twitter, I asked this question above.

The 130 (2.5 percent) of 5,213 respondents who said they would allow a CEO to make a skin incision highlight the unscientific nature of Twitter polls. Restricting voting to surgeons only is not possible. Many people asked me why I asked the question because surely no surgeon would ever have allowed it. Here is why.

Greg Neal, the former CEO of a Bristol, Tennessee hospital, was asked to resign after having been involved in a surgical procedure. He is not a licensed physician. A local newspaper published his statement about what happened. In part, it said: Recently, at the invitation of a surgeon, I entered an operating room to observe a surgical case and to support our surgical team, as many health system and hospital CEOs do throughout the nation. As the case began, the surgeon asked if I would like to make the initial incision for this surgical procedure. I regret I did so.

The incident was reported to the hospitals compliance program. Neal apologized to the patient, the family, employees, and management of the hospital.

A subsequent article by a television station said the attorney general of the district in which this took place has asked the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners to investigate the event for a possible criminal violation of Title 63, Chapter 6 of the Tennessee Code. The TV station also named the surgeon, Nathan Smith, and said he had been fired by the hospital.

Many questions arise.

What did Neal hope to learn by observing an operation? I can think of no reason for a hospital administrator to even be a spectator in the operating room. Contrary to what he said in his statement, it is not common for hospital CEOs to go to the operating room to observe a surgical case. The infection risk alone would not be worth it.

Since the patient apparently was not aware of the CEOs presence, a HIPAA violation may have occurred. Back in the old days, it was common to have device salesman, pre-med students, and others to watch cases without the patients knowledge. Now many hospitals are requiring informed consent for anyone outside of the normal operating room complement to be present. Those hospitals that dont require such consents probably should.

What was the CEO thinking when he accepted the surgeons offer to make the skin incision? Was he thrill-seeking? Perhaps an investigation will determine whether this was done on the spur of the moment, or was it planned in advance?

Why would a surgeon allow a hospital administrator to make an incision on an unknowing patient? This was clearly unethical and probably illegal. In my 40+ years as a surgeon, I never heard of anything like this.

The scrub technician and circulating nurse must have assisted the CEO in donning a sterile gown and gloves. Did the CEO know anything about sterile technique? Why didnt the OR personnel, including the anesthesiologist, question what was going on? I cant think of a single operating room nurse I ever worked with who would have allowed this to happen. Was this the first time the CEO had ever been in an operating room? Was everyone intimidated by the presence of the CEO? Was the culture of the hospital not supportive of staff complaints about physician or administrator behavior? We know someone eventually called the hospitals anonymous tip line, but why didnt they feel empowered to say something at the moment?

Could the CEO be successfully sued for medical battery? A liability insurance website defines medical battery as an intentional and wrongful physical contact with another person without that persons consent that includes some injury or offensive touching. Because the patient suffered no physical damage, Im not sure a plaintiffs attorney would take the case.

Whether the surgeon will be sanctioned by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners remains to be seen.

Skeptical Scalpel is a surgeon who blogs at his self-titled site, Skeptical Scalpel. This article originally appeared in Physicians Weekly.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

"Dear Mr President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and through you the brotherly people of Uzbekistan on the occasion of the national day of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Independence Day.

Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations are today developing successfully. Having reached the level of strategic partnership, our relations stem from the will of our two peoples, who are closely bound together by common national, spiritual and cultural values.

There are ample opportunities for the comprehensive development and strengthening of our relations in various fields. I believe that we will continue our joint efforts to deepen and strengthen relations between our countries, which are based on mutual trust and support, as well as our cooperation in a bilateral format and within international organizations.

At a time when humanity is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to emphasize that the people of Azerbaijan are in solidarity with the brotherly people of Uzbekistan.

On such a remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your work, and the Republic of Uzbekistan everlasting peace and prosperity," the letter said.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, it was announced Wednesday - despite the president's history of repeated attacks against the host.

Each of the debates will be moderated by a single reporter, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced  the second will be moderated by NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker and the third by senior executive producer and political editor at C-SPAN Steve Scully.

Trump's campaign said some of the reporters included in the line-up will serve as 'teammates' to Biden during the debates and are already 'clear opponents' of the president.

Although a Fox News personality did make it into the lineup, Wallace is one of the only registered Democrat hosts on the right-leaning news network - although Wallace has said that it is the only way he can participate in the political process in Washington D.C., a heavily Democratic city.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Wallace, comparing him unfavorably to his father Mike Wallace, and accusing him of going after Republicans and going easy on Democrats - something Wallace has pushed back against strongly.

Trump's campaign team was quick to jump on the moderator selection.

'These are not the moderators we would have recommended if the campaign had been allowed to have any input,' Trump campaign's communication director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Wednesday.

'Some can be identified as clear opponents of Donald Trump,' he continued, 'meaning Joe Biden will actually have a teammate on the stage most of the time to help him excuse the radical, leftist agenda he is carrying.'

Fox News host Chris Wallace will moderate the first presidential debate

The moderator for the second debate is NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker (left) and the third night will be moderated by C-SPAN senior executive producer Steve Sully (right)

'One thing is sure: Chris Wallace's selection ensures that Biden will finally see him face-to-face after dodging his interview requests. That is, if Biden actually shows up,' Murtaugh concluded.

The sole vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and California Senator Kamala Harris, which will take place between the first and second presidential debate, will be moderated by USA Today's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.

The bipartisan commission on presidential debates announced Wednesday that Wallace will moderate the first presidential debate of 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio at Case Western Reserve University on September 29.

The second, moderated by Welker, will be held in Miami, Florida at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on October 15. Sully will moderate the third debate on October 22, just 12 days before Election Day, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Notably, Trump and Wallace clashed during the president's most recent one-on-one interview with the Fox News host last month.

Wallace brought into question the cognitive test Trump often flouts to back up that he's more mentally able to be president than Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

'Biden can't put two sentences together,' Trump asserted at the time, claiming the former vice president is mentally unfit to serve in the Oval Office.

'Well, I'll tell you what, let's take a test,' Trump posed a challenge to Biden. 'Let's take a test right now. Let's go down, Joe and I will take a test. Let him take the same test that I took.'

'Incidentally, I took the test too when I heard that you passed it,' Wallace revealed to Trump on-camera during the interview at the White House.

'Yeah, how did you do?' Trump asked.

'It's not  well it's not the hardest test,' Wallace said.

'They have a picture and it says 'what's that' and it's an elephant,' he continued, in an apparent mocking of the president.

Trump and Wallace had an awkward interaction during the most recent one-on-one last month where the Fox News host said the cognitive test Trump often touts as a representation of his mental fitness is 'not the hardest test'

In April, Trump also lashed out at Wallace in claiming he is a 'wannabe' of his late father Mike Wallace, who was one of the original correspondents for CBS' 60 Minutes

'No no no. You see, that's all misrepresentation,' the president said of the version of the cognitive test that's available online.

'Yes, the first few questions are easy, but I'll bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions. I'll bet you couldn't, they get very hard, the last five questions,' Trump said of the test.

'Well, one of them was count back from 100 by seven,' Wallace continued, adding the first answer: 'Ninety-three.'

'You couldn't answer many of the questions,' Trump said of the Fox News host.

'Ok, what's the question?' he challenged.

'I'll get you the test, I'd like to give it,' the president continued. 'I'll guarantee you that Joe Biden could not answer those questions.'

'OK,' Wallace let up.

'I answered all 35 questions correctly,' the president touted again.

Trump also lashed out at Wallace a few months earlier in a tweet where he said he was a 'wannabe' Mike Wallace, who is the Fox News host's late father and journalist who was one of the original correspondents for CBS' 60 Minutes.

'Just watched Mike Wallace wannabe, Chris Wallace, on @FoxNews. I am now convinced that he is even worse than Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Meet the Press(please!), or the people over at Deface the Nation,' Trump tweeted in April, deploying his nicknames for NBC host Chuck Todd and for the CBS show 'Face the Nation.'

'What the hell is happening to @FoxNews. It's a whole new ballgame over there!' Trump posted at the time of his once favorite television news network.

Trump's attorney and the former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates earlier this month, including a request to move the first debate to earlier in September and a list of requested moderators.

'Our campaign again requests the Commission modernize its line-up to include an additional, earlier debate in September, bringing the total number of presidential debates to four,' Giuliani wrote.

The president and his staff have lamented that the first debate is too late in the campaign due to the increased amount of mail-in ballots that will be sent this year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

North Carolina is the first state that will begin mailing in ballots the first week of September.

Giuliani included a list of 24 journalists the campaign 'suggested' should be considered as potential moderators.

Among the two-dozen strong list were Fox News' Bret Baier, Maria Bartiromo, Harris Faulkner and Bill Hemmer.
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis described solidarity as the way out of the coronavirus pandemic crisis as he held his first public audience in nearly six months Wednesday after a pause brought on by Italys outbreak.

The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence. We are all linked to each other, for better or for worse, Francis said, after greeting about 500 Roman Catholic faithful who attended the audience in the Vaticans San Damaso courtyard.

To come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity, he added.

Under strict safety rules, participants maintained social distance as they sat in the courtyard and were all required to wear masks. The Pope didnt wear one as he met the crowd, but kept a safety distance from the faithful, who were cheering and waving at him.

If the pope were a thaumaturge, I would ask him to end the pandemic, but unfortunately he doesnt have this power, Inigo Sanchez, one of the attendees, said. So I just ask for closeness.

Before the event, Francis greeted a priest from Lebanon, kissing a Lebanese flag the priest had brought with him to Vatican City. The pope also prayed for a few moments for the country, which is struggling to cope with political and economic instability.

During the audience, Francis also called for a day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon on Sept. 4, a month after the devastating explosion in Beirut that killed at least 190 people, injured more than 6,000 and caused major damage.

One month after the tragedy that struck the city of Beirut, my thoughts are still with dear Lebanon and its particularly troubled population, the pope said.

The general audience was the fist public one for Francis since the coronavirus hit Italy hard in early March. Amid a nationwide lockdown, the Vatican suspended all public events and audiences to comply with health and safety requirements.

Since then, Pope Francis had live-streamed his weekly events from the Vaticans apostolic palace, making only brief appearances at the window overlooking St. Peters Square on Sundays.

The San Damaso courtyard, where the Vatican typically hosts heads of state during official visits, was chosen for Wednesdays audience to keep the crowds smaller.

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
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff says he was recently intimidated by as many as 30 Norwalk police officers, who after a meeting in police headquarters verbally harassed him, then approached his car in a threatening manner as part of their opposition to a controversial law enforcement accountability bill that passed days later in the General Assembly.

Duffs visit to headquarters included what he called aggressive expletives from police officers, one of whom, the veteran lawmaker claims, spat toward him before he was escorted from the building by a lieutenant.

Duff says that for two weeks afterward, a motorist drove by his home shouting more expletives that were heard by his family.

The incident at the Norwalk police headquarters occurred on July 24, Duff said, the day after the state House of Representatives approved the bill, which bans choke holds, opens up police disciplinary records for public inspection, and makes it easier for rogue cops to lose their jobs. The Senate approved the legislation early on July 29 and Gov. Ned Lamont signed the bill into law.

Police Chief Thomas E. Kulhawik on Tuesday said he planned to soon meet with Duff about the allegations. I know he was here to speak with union representatives a few weeks back and felt disrespected by some officers who were upset following the vote on the police bill, Kulhawik said.I am meeting with him later this week to discuss in detail.

Kulhawik said no formal complaint has been made.

I was made aware of what occurred from my officers perspectives by several of my officers shortly afterward, he said, adding that a meeting with Duff was delayed because of scheduling conflicts.

Other Senate Democrats said they too, have been subject to various degrees of harassment over the bill.

Sen. Christine Cohen of Guilford said her familys Madison restaurant has been targeted for a boycott, but stressed that she has kept open lines of communication with police departments in her six-town district. There was concern about controversial sections of the bill, but we did our due diligence and talked to interested parties, police chiefs and union presidents and we negotiated the bill to a better place, Cohen recalled Tuesday.

Still, the day of the Senate vote there were a few people within the law enforcement community leading the charge to boycott, Cohen said, adding that next week she will be observing a training session for Madison police officers. There were some bad apples out there and there were people who had no interest in any law on accountability, Cohen said. When everybody comes to the table, we get to a better place.

The Connecticut State Police Union, which is challenging the accountability law in federal court, on Tuesday released the results of recent votes of no confidence, indicating overwhelming opposition to Lamont and his top public-safety brass. The vote against Lamont was 687-18.

Sen. Marilyn Moore, whose district includes Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe, said that she was also subjected to aggressive emails over the accountability issue, but mostly from people outside her district. She said Tuesday that local Bridgeport police never responded to her request to talk about the bill when it was pending, and police from the two nearby towns never contacted her.

All the threatening emails that I got were from Northeastern Connecticut, saying things like theyll remember me in November, but theyre outside my district anyway, Moore said.

Duff, a real estate agent and 18-year veteran of the General Assembly, No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said that if he is subject to such overt abuse by local law enforcement, he fears for what under-served communities may face.

I still believe that the majority of the Norwalk police do their job and do it well, but what keeps me up at night is the fact that if they treat somebody like me whos white, has privilege, is elected and is the Senate majority leader, how are they treating others who dont have that same platform and dont have the ability to speak up like I do? Duff said in an interview.

In his August 20 letter to the Norwalk Police Union President David OConnor, Duff did not name any of the police officers he said confronted him. Copies of the letter were sent to Kulhawik and Mayor Harry Rilling, a former city police chief.

Duff said he was invited to speak to the unions executive board on that early Friday afternoon July 24, two days after he hosted union leaders in his home.

After arriving in headquarters, officers using expletives demanded to know what Duff was doing there, he said. While discussing the pending legislation with the union leaders, others  rank-and-file members  entered the room in what Duff said was a show of force.

Neither of those actions achieved their goal of intimidating me, but I was surprised your officers would engage in that type of behavior, and shocked that you would allow it to occur, Duff wrote. After the meeting ended, I was asked by an officer not on the executive board for a few minutes of my time. As we were talking, the single door opened and I saw one of your officers, and about twenty other officers behind him. He then looked at me in a menacing manner, and spit at me. Yes, spit at me. I was shocked and could not believe this was the Department I have supported my entire legislative career.

At that moment, around 3 p.m., a lieutenant said that the officers were angry and suggested Duff leave, accompanying him to the public parking lot. An estimated 30 officers then emerged from a rear entrance. As I was driving away, it looked as if they were going to surround my car. Whether that was their intention or not, I dont know, but it appeared to be another bullying and intimidation tactic.

OConnor, a sergeant on the local force, did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Rilling also did not return a request for comment.

Jody Barr, executive director of, AFSCME Council 4, the umbrella union that includes the Norwalk police local, said Tuesday that union leaders had multiple conversations with Duff about the bill.

The police accountability bill generated strong emotions on the part of every stakeholder, Barr said in a written statement. Our union is committed to maintaining open and constructive communication with legislators and our police locals as we move forward and continue advocating for the more than 2,000 police officers we represent.

Barr said that discussions on the bill were respectful and productive, despite differences over the legislation.

Hundreds of police officers and supporters rallied against the bill on the day when the House gathered in special sessions to adopt it and other, unrelated measures. There were much fewer police outside the Capitol when Duff introduced the bill during the one-day special session of the Senate that started on July 28 and stretched until Wednesday morning July 29, when it finally passed in a mostly party-line vote.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
Kazakh Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has addressed the delegates of the 16th congress of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, Trend reports citing Kazinform.

While addressing the congress, the President noted that trade unions play a great part among public institutions in the modern world, protect the rights of workers and ensure workers lead decent lives and have dignified working conditions.

The President emphasized that it is workers regardless of their professional affiliation greatly contribute to the nations prosperity.

The Kazakh Head of State called for promoting respect for labor, placing it at the core of the Kazakhstani society.

It is trade unions that contribute to the gradual development of the labor market, youth engagement in work processes, and enhancement of citizens capacity in Kazakhstan, said the President, calling for improving ways and means trade unions employ in their work, flexible strategies and action while paying attention to changes throughout the world.

An equitable worker-employer dialogue can result in an effective labor relation regulation only given mediation and conciliation work by union trades is in place, leading to a work ethic and social responsibility, he added. According to him, the National Council of Public Confidence worked out amendments to the labor legislative, expanding the power of trade unions and their role in the social institutes system. The President said that trade unions are an integral part of the civil society in Kazakhstan. Tokayev also expressed his wish to see more young people working in trade unions, thus creating conditions for healthy competition, ensuring upward mobility. He also noted that the trade unions face many tasks requiring unity, professionalism and commitment.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the steepest decline in the GDP since independence, Chinese transgressions in Ladakh, rising unemployment and job losses, GST dues to states and a significant increase in Covid-19 cases across the country.

India is reeling under Modi-made disasters: 1. Historic GDP reduction -23.9% 2. Highest Unemployment in 45 yrs 3. 12 Crs job loss 4. Centre not paying states their GST dues 5. Globally highest COVID-19 daily cases and deaths 6. External aggression at our borders, he tweeted.

Indias GDP shrank by the steepest percentage ever23.9%in the April-June period as the coronavirus pandemic-induced nationwide lockdown battered an already slowing economy, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSP).

Gandhi has been attacking the government over the present state of economy, alleging that its ruining started with demonetisation, which was followed by a series of erroneous policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.

Also watch: How Modi govt destroyed Indian economy: Rahul Gandhis new video series trailer

On Tuesday, former finance minister P Chidambaram had said the GDP estimates should be a matter of surprise and shame to the government that was seeing green shoots on several days during the first quarter and did nothing to cushion the fall by taking suitable fiscal and welfare measures.

But we know that the Modi government has no shame and will not acknowledge its mistakes. All these had been anticipated, Chidambaram had said, addressing a joint virtual press conference with party colleague Supriya Shrinate after the provisional estimates of GDP were released for the quarter April-June 2020.

Gandhi, on Monday, released the first part of his series of videos on the state of economy, alleging that the BJP government has destroyed it by repeatedly assaulting the informal sector.

There is an attempt to turn you into a slave, he had said in the 3.38-minute video.

In 2008, Gandhi said, the world was hit by an economic storm, affecting the entire world, including the United States, Japan, Europe, China. In the US and Europe, banks collapsed, corporations companies shut down their businesses, but India remained unaffected, he added.

India had a UPA government at that time. I went to the Prime Minister and asked him, Manmohan Singh ji, what is the reason that when the entire world has suffered an economic crisis India has remained unaffected? the former Congress chief said.

Manmohan Singh ji replied, Rahul, if you want to understand Indias economy, you will have to understand that India has two economic structures. One is the formal economy and the other is the informal economy, he added.

Also Read: To revive the Congress, leaders must return to the grassroots

Priot to Gandhis fresh series on economy, he had released a five-part series on Chinese incursions in Ladakh.

Soon after the release of the video, the BJP had taken a jibe at Gandhi, saying he should release a video about the G-23, a reference to 23 dissenters who wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking complete overhaul of the party organisation.

People are trying to seize his house. There are talks of election, selection, inability to have a president... He (Rahul) should worry about it. The country is very much in safe hands. He should worry about his party, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Sweden's Brunswick Real Estate has launched a third senior debt fund with commitments of SEK12bn ($1.4 billion) to target sustainable properties.

The Stockholm-based asset manager has secured commitments for Brunswick Real Estate Capital Fund III from backers including Swedish insurer Folksam and Norwegian pension company KLP.

Among the investors are some of the largest Nordic institutional investors, including investors in Brunswick's previous funds. Swedish pensions and insurance firm Folksam and Norwegian municipal pensions provider KLP are among investors to have committed the Nordic debt fund.

The new fund will focus on lending to the commercial property with clear sustainability goals, said a press release from the investment adviser with assets under management to SEK 10 billion.

"We are very proud of the continued confidence shown by our investors, especially given the current circumstances in the market in the wake of Covid-19. Our business model of senior secured and long-term financing is becoming more important for the property sector as an alternative to traditional bank loans and bonds with shorter maturities," said Pontus Sundin, CEO Brunswick Real Estate Capital.

Through the second fund, Brunswick has already been able to offer certified green loans. The third fund will have an even clearer focus on sustainable property investments.

"We are committed to ensuring our investors contribute to a measurably positive......................

To view our full article Click here
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 13:10:45|Editor: huaxia

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WUHAN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Long Zhanjun, who has been a mailman for 19 years, has delivered over 3,000 admission letters to rejoicing high school graduates, but this year, his son is a recipient.

"It was a beautiful coincidence," said Long, who works in the city of Ezhou in central China's Hubei Province, "Because I am usually not responsible for mail in my own building, but I was filling in for a colleague that day."

More to his pleasure, the offer was made by Peking University, one of China's top universities, which admitted only two students from his city this year.

Long first learned the great news when was awakened from a nap in the mail delivery station on Aug. 17 by a colleague, who told Long that he found a mail belonging to his son.

"Suddenly, I was wide awake. I knew the admission letter finally came, so I called my family right away and brought the letter back home," he said.

At around 4 p.m. that afternoon, Long delivered the letter to his son -- following the due procedure of checking ID information and signing for the mail before handing it over to his son.

After moments of joy shared with his family, Long went on with his work to finish the mail delivery tasks for that day.

"I've delivered many admission letters for the past 19 years. Finally, I got to send one to my son, and it's from Peking University. The delight and sense of pride can hardly be put into words," Long recalled.

The result did not come easy for the family, according to Yi Meilin, Long's wife.

Long's residential compound had seen confirmed cases of the COVID-19 epidemic at the beginning of this year, but Long still kept working, which caused stress to the family with a student about to take the college entrance examination, the most important event for Chinese students.

Even so, Yi said the family supported his work while taking very thorough disinfection measures when he would return home from work.

Her son, Yi Rui, saw his grades dropping as he was not quite accustomed to online classes at first during the epidemic. Luckily, with the help of teachers, the situation improved.

Local media coverage of Long's heartening moment of delivery has created a buzz online, with many Chinese netizens clicking "like" and commenting on it.

"Great! After sending good news to so many, he finally gets his own good news!" read one comment.

"The delivery looks ceremonial; the father must be really proud of his child," read another.

Yi Rui, his 17-year-old son who is about to start college life in Beijing, said he had little communication with his father due to his busy work, but he understands him.

"He has done his job diligently for so many years, especially when he held on to his post bravely despite the epidemic. In my mind, he is ordinary and great at the same time," Yi said. Enditem
President Trump kicked his crime-focused re-election strategy into overdrive Tuesday during a campaign stop in Kenosha, Wis., blaming domestic terrorists for the unrest that has ensued there after a police officer shot a Black man seven times in the back.

Trump never mentioned Jacob Blake, the man wounded last month, by name and abandoned plans to phone Blakes family after they asked a lawyer to listen in to the call. Instead, Trump insisted that he would heal the nations racial divide through law and order.

If you look at the Black community, they want the police to help them stop crime. The Hispanic community, they want police, Trump said before he left for Wisconsin. They dont want crime. They dont want to be mugged. They dont want to have any problems, and its just a shame.

Trump previewed his re-election strategy of stoking fears of rampant crime at last weeks Republican National Convention, a strategy complicated by the fact that crime isnt rising  its falling.

Violent crime dropped 51% nationally from 1993 to 2018, according to the FBI. Property crime dropped 54% during the same period.

Sure, there are hot spots in some cities, but overall, crime now is in a place like it was in 1964, said criminologist John Roman, a senior fellow at NORC, a nonpartisan think tank at the University of Chicago.

So why do politicians exploit fears of crime? Because it has a good chance of weaponizing the deepest anxieties of many Americans. In most of the 22 polls that Gallup conducted from 1993 to 2018 on crime issues, at least 6 in 10 Americans said there was more crime in the country than the previous year  even when crime had dropped.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, exacerbated those fears, Roman said.

In the aftermath in 9/11, you had all of these signs everywhere saying If you see something, say something. You had people asking, Whats the terror threat color today? Roman said. It has made Americans fearful that theyre at risk all the time, even when theyre not.

Trump isnt the first national politician to poke at those anxieties. George Wallace, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all raised fears of crime, said Jeffrey Butts, who directs the Research and Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Trump is just the latest to try it. As top adviser Kellyanne Conway said last week, The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on whos best on public safety and law and order.

It remains to be seen whether those anxieties will flip votes to Trump, Butts said.

It probably makes the base more excited, but it turns off people in the middle  especially if youre over 40  because youve seen this happen before, Butts said. Nevertheless, politicians are willing to do this messaging way past the time when data would support it.

Trump is adding his own twist  pointing to crime spiking in Democrat-led cities like Portland, Ore., where protests over racial injustice have been a nightly event downtown for more than three months. On Sunday, a member of a far-right group was shot to death after a pro-Trump caravan drove into the city. His killer has not been found.

Homicides are up slightly in Portland this year, said Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of consulting company AH Datalytics. There were 25 killings through July, compared with 22 by the same time last year, Asher tweeted Tuesday, but Portlands murder rate was below the national average for 19 straight years from 2000-2018.

Nationally, Asher has looked at the publicly available violent crime rates of the biggest U.S. cities with Republican mayors. It is roughly the same as the rates in Democratic-led cities, he said.

The available evidence shows no relationship between the mayors political party and a citys murder trend in 2020, Asher told The Chronicle in an e-mail.

Trump and other Republicans are using the specter of rising crime to try to win back suburban women and seniors, two groups of once-supportive voters that have drifted away from him.

At the Republican convention, Patty McCloskey of St. Louis, who was charged with a felony along with her husband when they pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home, said Democrats want to abolish the suburbs altogether.

On Monday, Trump told Fox News that if Joe Biden wins, Democrats will bring low-income housing to the suburbs.

You know whos going to be in charge of it? Cory Booker, Trump said, referring to the senator from New Jersey  a Black man whose name the president has often invoked when warning suburban voters of the dangers Democrats supposedly pose.

Trumps message is anything but subtle, said Ashanti Gholar, president of Emerge, an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office.

This is some straight-up dog whistling, said Gholar, who formerly was the deputy director of African American engagement for the Democratic National Committee. Shoot, this is dog hollering that he is doing.

Gholar said that in Trumps America, suburban equals white. He is talking about white people. And the fact is, there are plenty of people of color who live in the suburbs.

Nevertheless, Trump is saying to his base, Look at me. Im keeping your neighborhoods safe. Im keeping your quality of living up, Gholar told The Chronicles Its All Political podcast Tuesday.  Youre not going to have to do your white flight again.

She added, It is this narrative that he has that only I can keep you safe because things have gotten so bad.

Trumps narrative leaves out a key fact, Gholar said.

Youre the president, homie, she said. You caused all of this.

Biden said Monday in Pittsburgh that social-justice protesters are different from the people who brought destruction to Kenosha after Blake was shot. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting, he said. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. Its lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction.

What Trump is trying to do, said Gholar, is paint any opposition against him as being based in anarchy. But protest is a part of this countrys history going back to the Boston Tea Party, she noted.

This is how we get change, Gholar said. The people who dont like the protests, who have never liked the protests, its because theyre not comfortable with the change. Theyre not excited about what the change will mean for this country or what the change will mean for them.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
An Australian social media manager has discovered Kmart sells a lookalike pair of $807 designer sneakers for just $10 - and is encouraging fashionistas to stock up now while they can.

Jasmine, who lives in Sydney, shared a video of herself in the retailer on TikTok, holding up a pair of white shoes that look identical to Givenchy's popular elastic sneakers.

'Oh my god guys, we found Givenchy shoes at Kmart,' she said in the footage.

Scroll down for video

Jasmine, who lives in Sydney, shared a video of herself in the retailer on TikTok , holding up a pair of white shoes that look identical to Givenchy's popular elastic sneakers

She even suggested scrawling Givenchy on the black elastic 'bar' over the shoes with liquid paper, to make them look even more similar

'They are literally $10. Get 20 more of them. We're going to supply the area with Givenchy shoes from Kmart.

'So everyone in the Bankstown, Greenacre, Merrylands area, stop saving up all of those Centrelink fortnightly payments for real Givenchy shoes and get the Kmart ones for $10.'

She even suggested scrawling Givenchy on the black elastic 'bar' over the shoes with liquid paper, to make them look even more similar.

Her followers were startled by the likeness and some of them openly wanted to purchase the mock designer kicks.

'So everyone in the Bankstown, Greenacre, Merrylands area, stop saving up all of those Centrelink fortnightly payments for real Givenchy shoes and get the Kmart ones for $10,' she said

'I genuinely like these. Kmart should be paying you for this advertisement,' one woman wrote beneath the video.

'You had me laughing at the liquid paper. I bet people will actually do this,' said another.

A third added: 'My sister noticed this too. Are there any Gucci shoes in there?'

The website Forward has the Givenchy sneakers advertised for $807.65 and they come in European sizes 39 to 45.

'I genuinely like these. Kmart should be paying you for this advertisement,' one woman wrote beneath the video (Jasmine pictured)

They are made in Portugal and feature a leather upper with a rubber sole.

In comparison Kmart's elastic band sneakers for adults are $10 and made with a synthetic upper, inner and lining.

They are a slip on design so you don't need to tie them up every time you wear them.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Telos Clean Energy LLC, a commercial solar energy development company based in Connecticut announced today the rebrand to Telyon. The comprehensive rebrand to Telyon, which also includes a new logo and website, enables the company to stand out within the industry and solidifies the company's identity and mission of providing best in class services to commercial customers throughout the renewable energy sector.

The joint venture was officially formed on March 6th, 2020. The JV consists of several industry veterans and the Alternative Energy Investing Group at Goldman Sachs. The partnership provides the opportunity for Goldman Sachs to invest up to $275mm to finance the activities of the joint venture and own assets, combining financing provided by several parties via tax equity, debt and sponsor investments into a single capital source. Telyon will still provide all the necessary development, execution and ongoing management for the JV and portfolio.

Telyon carries a literal meaning of a powerful visionary and leader, longing to make the world a better place. This definition aligns with the collective vision of the company being forward thinking in a relentless pursuit of helping create a cleaner, cooler, and more sustainable planet. "This full rebrand encompasses who we are. We are excited to share with the world our mission and do so with the level of sophistication and polish that both our team and our clients expect after forming this Joint Venture", said Michael Daly, Telyon partner and Director of Business Development.

Please visit www.telyon.com to explore the new website and learn more about how Telyon can help you with your renewable energy needs.

About Goldman Sachs

Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (MBD) is the primary center for the firm's long-term principal investing activity. MBD is one of the leading private capital investors in the world with investments across private equity, infrastructure, private debt, growth equity and real estate.

About Telyon

Telyon is a turnkey renewable energy development firm specializing in the commercial and industrial solar energy sector. Consisting of a team of industry veterans, the company is working with some of the world's most influential brands and is focused on deal origination, project acquisition, EPC and on-going operations and maintenance throughout the United States.

Contact Us

For more information please visit us at www.telyon.com or email [email protected]

SOURCE TELYON

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Pats King of Steaks and Genos Steaks are taking a break from their rivalry to celebrate workers on Labor Day.

The two legendary cheesesteak stands are teaming up with Budweiser to offer free beer-infused cheesesteaks to hourly shift workers on Sept. 7, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal. Each is putting its own unique twist on the best way to incorporate the beer into the sandwich. At Pats, Budweiser will be infused in the cheese sauce, which will get an added bonus of crispy bacon thrown in. At Genos, the steak itself will be marinated in Budweiser before its cooked.

To get the free cheesesteak on Sept. 7, shift workers just have to tweet #LunchOnBud sometime between Sept. 2 and 6.

Now shift workers can pay to enjoy the meaty treat, which will be available to customers throughout the month of September. You can even order the special cheesesteak for delivery. Dont live in the Philadelphia area? You can get the special Pats cheesesteak on Goldbelly, which will ship the sandwich anywhere in the United States.

READ MORE:

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By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday paid his last respects to former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, who died earlier in the week, describing the departed leader "a dear friend of Sri Lanka and its people."

Rajapaksa visited the India House and wrote in the condolence book being maintained by the Indian High Commission here, the prime minister's office said.

"The late president was a dear friend of Sri Lanka and its people. The absence of his friendly leadership would be felt by the Indian public, Sri Lanka and the entire world," Mahinda said in his condolence message.

The Indian High Commission said Mahinda was the first to write in the condolence book.

The high commission thanked the prime minister for his tributes.

"In this sad moment, the condolences offered by you (Mahinda) and the Sri Lankan people would provide solace to the family of the former president and the Indian people," the high commission said in a Twitter post.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier condoled Mukherjee's demise.

"I am deeply saddened to learn the demise of former Indian president #PranabMukherjee. He will be remembered for his service to the people of #India. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," the Sri Lankan president tweeted on August 31.

Mulherjee, India's 13th president, died on Monday following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments.

He had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 10 and was operated the same day for removal of a brain clot.

He was 84.
The United States (US) believes China purposely provoked India with a new intrusion into disputed territory earlier this week and that Beijing remains infuriated that its commanding officer retreated forces in the sight of a looming physical clash, according to an American intelligence assessment.

The US is of the view that the Indian Army managed to prevent any loss of ground, a source familiar with the assessment told US News.

The country believes Indian soldiers were better prepared to reciprocate Chinese provocations after strengthening their presence in eastern Ladakh following a violent clash in the Galwan River Valley region that led to the killing of 20 Indian troops in the month of May this year.

Also Read: India-China border tension: Both sides position tanks within firing distance at Pangong Tso

The assessment, however, does not infer if the Chinese forces were the first to act provocatively in the violent fierce clash that ensued in May but the US has chosen to support India on account of China's past provocative behaviour.

Meanwhile, American intelligence officials and local analysts remain perplexed by the timing of the latest conflict, which comes in the wake of China seeking to cool tensions, or gives an impression that it wishes to do so, and better ties with India amid apprehensions that the latest clash has dragooned New Delhi into closer cooperation with the US.

Indian officials will indeed meet virtually with their counterparts from the US, Australia, and Japan - a group known as "The Quad"- later this month for a summit that, according to Indian sources, may lead to a new intelligence-sharing agreement among the major powers.

If the arrangement comes through, it will not only equip India with the vital intelligence it needs to have a greater understanding of Chinese Army positions and movements but will also serve as a significant step in formalising a partnership with New Delhi that Washington would like to see grow even stronger at China's expense.

The intelligence assessment states that "we are staggered at the timing of the Chinese actions... but shouldn't complain either if Beijing shoots itself in the foot."

Also Read: BT Buzz -- 'We ain't leaving India': Chinese firms on 'Boycott China' call

Meanwhile, the ensuing border tensions between India and China along the LAC (line of actual control) in eastern Ladakh remain jittery with both sides mounting their tanks within each other's firing distance at Pangong Tso lake.

According to sources, Indian and Chinese armies' tanks have been stationed within firing distance of each other amid ongoing military talks between the two sides that will continue on Wednesday, September 2.

Chinese armoured vehicles and battle tanks are positioned near the foothills of 'Kala Top', which is occupied by Indian forces, sources added.

China has stationed light and heavy tanks in the area, which are said to be within engaging distance of Indian positions.

Indian forces at Kala Top are also armed to the teeth with full artillery and tank support. The further movement of Chinese tanks and machinery has been halted because of dominant positions held by India's Special Frontier Force (SFF) at Kala Top as well as army units on other adjoining heights.
By Jennifer Jacobs and Justin Sink of Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration said it will use its quarantine authority to keep renters in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to prevent an eviction crisis that could worsen economic strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to temporarily halt evictions of consumers earning no more than $99,000 a year to prevent the virus from spreading, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The policy will take effect immediately.

The news comes as a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures has expired in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf had issued order barring evictions and foreclosures but said he lacks the authority under state law to extend the moratorium, which expired on Sept. 1. Wolf is asking lawmakers to extend the moratorium and offer more housing aid for renters and homeowners.

The Trump administration is acting unilaterally after failing to reach a deal with lawmakers over another round of stimulus relief funding, aimed in part at keeping renters in their homes.

To obtain the relief, renters must assert they are incapable of paying their rent or are likely to become homeless if kicked out of their property, the administration official said.

Individuals who received a coronavirus stimulus check earlier this year also qualify for the protection, as do couples who jointly file their taxes and expect to earn less than $198,000.

The move is an unprecedented use of executive authority, and may face legal challenges from landlords who have seen rental income evaporate during the crisis. But administration officials believe they have the ability under a federal law that allows the CDC to order emergency measures when it determines that state and local governments havent taken sufficient steps to prevent the spread of a communicable disease.

A White House lawyer who asked not to be identified discussing the measure said that the CDC Director has authority to take measures he deems reasonably necessary to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

President Trump is committed to helping hardworking Americans stay in their homes and combating the spread of the coronavirus, White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said in a statement. Todays announcement from his Administration means that people struggling to pay rent due to coronavirus will not have to worry about being evicted, and risk further spreading of or exposure to the disease due to economic hardship.

Officials said the administration had made available stimulus funds to help offset the impact of the order for landlords and property owners. Roughly one in five American renters - between 19 million and 23 million people - are at risk of eviction by the end of September, according to an analysis by the Aspen Institute.

This unprecedented action is further proof that President Trump is doing everything in his power to keep the American people safe and secure in their homes, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said in a statement.

Those seeking eviction relief will still be required to pay as much rent as they can afford. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier Tuesday that the actions taken by the administration could impact close to 40 million renters.

President Donald Trumps effort to suspend evictions under the CDC order follows executive orders he signed in early August after negotiators were unable to strike a deal on another round of stimulus funding. Trumps other executive orders were designed to provide a temporary payroll tax deferral for some workers, increase state unemployment benefits, and freeze federal student loans.

Democrats have noted the administration has struggled to implement the unilateral tax and unemployment benefits, and called for the White House to increase its willingness to spend as part of the next round of funding. The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill in May that included $100 billion for rental assistance, but the White House and Senate Republicans have said the package - with a price tag over $3 trillion - is too high.

___

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Following allegations that a private equity firm who owns a stake in Oatly has contributed to deforestation in the Amazon, fans of the milk substitute began boycotting the brand on social media.

Oatly inked a $200 million (149 million) investment deal led by the firm Blackstone in July.

This week a Twitter thread emerged stating that Blackstone are linked to Brazilian company Hidrovias, which is falsely accused of causing destruction of the rainforest.

Recommended How to make your own oat milk

Blackstone previously denied the same accusations in September 2019, saying in a statement: The erroneous claims and mischaracterizations were blatantly wrong and irresponsible.

It states that it was falsely accused of being responsible for the deforestation of the Amazon through the development of an industrial road.

A representative told The Independent: "[The claims] are wholly fabricated. We've never even owned the road in question. It has been operated by the Brazilian government since 1976."

The rep added that "Hidrovias have won awards for sustainability measures that include taking trucks off the highway [...] and shifting that traffic to waterways."

Claims against Oatly were further aggravated by the fact that Blackstone is headed up by Stephen Schwartzman who is reportedly a donor to Donald Trump.

According to research carried out by Bloomberg, the billionaire investor has donated $3.7 million (2.78 million) to Super Pac America First Nation, which supports the presidents re-election.

The Twitter thread saw people turn on Oatly, which was previously beloved as one of the most sustainable milk alternatives on the market in terms of carbon emissions and water use.

Laura Young who started the thread wrote: I dont want my money going to the destruction of the planet, and putting peoples lives and land at risk just so that I can have a creamy coffee in the morning!

While another user added: For crying out loud. Were you guys that short of offers for investment that you went with Blackstone group? Ill be voting with my purse Im afraid. Recommended you to literally tens of people. That comes to an end too. Why sell your soul? Not everything is money!

Oatly has since defended the deal with a statement on Twitter, stating that the investment will help us expand our sustainable mission and create more plant-based products.

It also steers capital that wouldve otherwise gone into another commercial investment into sustainability instead, making their investments greener, the non-dairy milk brand added.

The company also replied to Young, saying: Were sorry to hear youre frustrated in our choice  were still the same company with sustainability at the core of everything we do. Which includes who we choose as owners, as we need to move global capital in a sustainable direction if were to see real change.

If we just shut out the companies that may make less sustainable choices, we wont give them the chance to improve and make more sustainable choices, so global capital will keep being steered in a less sustainable direction.

Oatly was founded in 1994, though its popularity sky-rocketed after it entered the US market four years ago. Sales doubled from 2018 to 2019, reaching $200 million (149 million).
By Dan Whitcomb

Sept 1 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will send most of its newly purchased 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests to U.S. states for schools and critical services, a White House official said on Tuesday, as New York City pushed back reopening classrooms in a deal with union leaders.

The moves came as The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a sweeping order temporarily halting landlords across the nation from evicting millions of tenants in what it said was an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

The order covers all 43 million U.S. residential renters as long as they meet income eligibility requirements, although an administration official said the government does not expect an "overwhelming" use of the program.

The daily number of infections has been in decline across most of the United States in recent weeks, with 36,263 reported on Monday, less than half of the mid-July peak, according to a Reuters tally.

Exceptions include Midwest states such as South Dakota, where hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders gathered for a rally in August, and Iowa.

A total of more than 183,000 people have died so far from complications of COVID-19, including 32,647 in New York and nearly 16,000 in New Jersey, the U.S. states with the highest death tolls.

In announcing that the "overwhelming majority" of 150 rapid antigen tests purchased from Abbot Laboratories would be sent to state governors, U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Admiral Brett Giror said top priorities included day care centers and first responders

The portable tests can deliver results within 15 minutes and will sell for $5. They require no additional equipment, and can use a less invasive nasal swab than traditional lab tests.

President Donald Trump has pushed for schools across the country to reopen classrooms, but many districts have ordered students to stay home and learn online.

Among them are Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, the second and third-largest school districts in the nation respectively.

Story continues

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said an agreement had been reached with reluctant teachers union leaders to reopen school buildings to students on September 21 as part of his plan for a mix of in-class and remote learning.

"What weave agreed to is to make sure that the health measures are in place, to make sure there is time for the appropriate preparation for our educators," de Blasio said at a news briefing.

Earlier this week New Jersey and California eased some restrictions imposed in the face of the pandemic, allowing restaurants to begin limited indoor dining.

New York City's mayor has ruled out allowing restaurants to serve diners indoors anytime soon.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb, Vishwadha Chander, Carl O'Donnell, Peter Szekely, Maria Caspani and David Shepardson; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Michael Perry)
The head of the Syrian Democratic Council has announced the planned signing of a memorandum of understanding with the People Will Party reports Basnews.

Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) head, Riyad Dirar, confirmed on Sunday that an SDC delegation will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Peoples Will Party (a Syrian party close to Russia) in Moscow, in a press conference scheduled to be held next Monday. Dirar pointed out that a follow-up meeting with Russian officials in Moscow has not been confirmed yet.

Dirar said in an interview with Basnews, A delegation from SDC went to sign an MOU with the Peoples Will Party, and there will be a press conference in which an MOU will be signed that will benefit the SDC on the one hand, and be in the interest of the relationship with the Peoples Will Party and similar parties, on the other.

The Peoples Will Party believes in the rights that we propose and demand, and the agreement will honor those rights, he added.

Regarding a potential meeting with Russian officials, Dirar said, That has not been decided yet, but it might be part of the visit.

Regarding negotiations with the Syrian authorities, Dirar said, We are asking Russia to be an impartial mediator and to give us the same rights it gives to the regime, and that it does not consider us like the rest of the factions with which it has reached a reconciliation. The regime conceptualizes reconciliation in an accusatory manner, because those who are seeking reconciliation are terrorists, according to the regime.

Dirar added, We are a team that fought terrorism and liberated the areas that the regime abandoned. We oversee a political, social, and administrative process in a wide area, which includes nearly a third of Syria and a quarter of Syria in terms of population. Therefore, we are unlike the rest of the factions, and the negotiations between us and the regime are negotiations about the new rights of the Syrian people, including all Syrians and all components, which the constitution must unavoidably recognize.

SDF and the Autonomous Administration are moving forward thanks to the strong defensive force of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that protect the regions, fight their goals, and fight terrorism, said Dirar.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Calling Gov. Steve Bullocks August directive permitting counties to hold the Nov. 3 election via mail ballot illegal, President Donald Trumps campaign and three other Republican groups sued Bullock on Wednesday seeking to overturn it.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court in Helena by Trumps campaign, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Montana Republican State Central Committee also names Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, a Republican.

The Governors power grab under the cover of COVID-19 is particularly egregious. The Governor is running for U.S. Senate as a member of the Democratic Party and his race is one of the most competitive in the country. So he is using his current position to force a brand-new election system on Montanans that, according to his own party, will sway the election in his favor. This action cannot stand, reads the suit.

Bullock responded, in a statement, that "this template lawsuit appears to be part of a pattern of lawsuits across the country by Republican party operatives to limit access to voting during the pandemic. Voting by mail in Montana is safe, secure, and was requested by a bipartisan coalition of Montana election officials seeking to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and keep Montanans safe and healthy. This is the same directive that the Republican President of the Senate and Republican Speaker of the House said was the right thing to do for the June primary. Today, we have many more active cases of COVID-19 than we did back in June.

Bullock is running against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines in a race deemed a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The suit was filed the same day Daines campaign spokeswoman Julia Doyle sent an email with a vigorous objection to an anti-Daines ad featuring an Iraq war veteran saying, "I can't understand why Senator Steve Daines won't stand up to those that are trying to sabotage vote by mail in Montana."

Political analyst and University of Montana journalism professor Lee Banville said the suit puts Montana Republicans in a difficult position. Daines has positioned himself as being in lockstep with Trump; now the presidents re-election campaign  as well as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, working to see Daines re-elected  is suing the state of Montana.

What will be interesting to watch is, does Daines come out in opposition to the lawsuit or does he stay mum about it and let what seems like conflicting messages float around? said Banville.

Doyle's email termed the ad, funded by a political action committee called VoteVets Action Fund, blatantly false and highlighted Daines concerns over recent U.S. Postal Service changes that could affect mail service. Her email included a letter from an attorney for Daines campaign asking that station managers withdraw the ad. One station already was forced to pull an ad  for running falsehoods about the Senator, Doyle wrote, saying other stations were urged to follow suit.

She later identified the station as KXLO in Lewistown, but station manager Phyllis Hall said the decision not to run the ad had nothing to do with any complaints; in fact, she said the station had received nothing from Daines campaign.

I was a little uncomfortable with the message they (the PAC) were giving, Hall said. A similar ad targeting Bullock would have gotten the same response, she said. In 2016, VoteVets was the highest-spending liberal nonprofit active in federal elections, according to the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.org.

Asked for comment about the senator's reaction to the suit, Doyle said that "the senator strongly supports giving Montanans the option to vote by mail"  which is what Bullock's directive does. She said Daines supports the lawsuit because Bullock did not work with the Legislature, repeating the lawsuit's contention that the directive is an overreach of power. Stapleton's office did not reply to a request for comment.

Similar lawsuits have been filed by the same national Republican groups in other states, including Nevada, Illinois and New Jersey. Democratic groups have likewise filed a flurry of suits around the country, many aimed at perceived barriers to voting. Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor who tracks such suits, listed 228 cases in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as of Aug. 31, in his most recent update on Election Law Blog.

Bullocks August directive on mail ballots followed a request from county clerks across Montana. Counties have until Friday to decide whether to use mail ballots or go with traditional polling places; roughly 40 have already opted for mail ballots. The governor's directive requires counties to also make in-person voting available.

"I dont know how wed switch gears right now. It would very difficult. I don't know how it would be possible," said Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg, a former head of the Montana Association of Clerks and Recorders.

A key reason so many counties opted for mail ballots was because of the difficulty of staffing poll locations, she said. Election judges tend to be older people who are in a high-risk category for the novel coronavirus. "I know there are so many counties out there that don't have enough trained people," Plettenberg said. Ravalli County's ballots have already gone to a printer, and absentee ballots to members of the military serving overseas are scheduled to go out Sept. 18. "I'm just going to move forward," even with the possibility the ballots might have to be reprinted, she said.

All 56 counties used mail ballots in the June 2 primary election, which saw a 41% turnout rate, the highest in a midterm primary since the 47% who voted in 1994 during Democratic President Bill Clintons first term.

Most Montana voters  73% in the 2018 midterms  already use absentee ballots that are mailed to them, and can either be returned by mail or dropped off in person, options also available with mail ballots.

The suit terms Bullocks directive a violation of both the U.S. and Montana Constitutions, calling it a usurpation of the Legislatures power, and seeks an injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the directive.

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Update: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton topped primary challengers in the 6th Congressional District on Tuesday.

The Associated Press called the race for Moulton at 9:56 p.m. Read more here.

A pair of Democrats are challenging incumbent Seth Moulton for his seat in the 6th Congressional District in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Moulton is a U.S. Marine veteran who served four tours in Iraq, a war he spoke out against. He has served the district since 2015, after becoming the only Democrat to unseat an incumbent, former Rep. John F. Tierney, in 2014.

McQuilken has spent almost three decades in leadership positions, including as vice president of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and vice president of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

Belsito for 20 years has advocated and partnered with lawmakers to inform policies impacting women, families, immigrants and students. She has long focused on maternal health and postpartum depression and last year founded the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.

The Republican who will face one of the Democrats in the general election is John Paul Moran, who describes himself as a lifelong entrepreneur and business owner, MIT space telescope scientist, gay conservative and author who will be an independent voice if elected to the House.

Note: Live results only include the Democratic primary as there is only one candidate on the Republican ballot.
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Linkedin Michelle Nichols (Reuters) New York, United States  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:00 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42146bc 2 World UN-Security-Council,US,sanctions,Iran Free

Niger, the UN Security Council president for September, said on Tuesday it stands by a declaration that no further action can be taken on a US bid to trigger a return of UN sanctions on Iran because there is no consensus in the 15-member body.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day process on Aug. 20 to reimpose all international sanctions on Iran - known as snapback - by lodging a complaint with the council accusing Iran of breaching a 2015 nuclear deal.

But Indonesia UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, the council president for August, said that he was "not in the position to take further action" because 13 council members had expressed their opposition.

"We're staying with this decision... that was stated and announced by the president of the Security Council last month," said Niger UN Ambassador Abdou Abarry, ruling out any move to put forward a draft resolution under the snapback process to extend sanctions relief for Iran.

But Abarry noted: "Any other member state of the Security Council can do it. The United States themselves can do it."

Washington would veto such a resolution, Pompeo posted on Twitter on Thursday, though he did not signal whether the United States would put forward such a text itself. He added that under the snapback process, "if no resolution is introduced, the sanctions on Iran will still return on September 20."

Thirteen council members argue that Washington's attempt to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran is void given it is using a process agreed under the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, which the United States quit in 2018.

The Dominican Republic is the only council member not to have stated a position on the US move.
Samaritan's Purse volunteers help victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura

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Out-of-state volunteers have descended upon Louisana to tend to families in need in the wake of Hurricane Laura, with dozens serving with the evangelical nonprofit Samaritans Purse.

As thousands of residents will not have power for months and as some homes have been destroyed, the international evangelical humanitarian organization has established three hubs in the Creole State as it seeks to help dozens of communities in three counties impacted by the Category 4 storm.

What we are seeing is that this storm really had no favorites, Todd Taylor, Samaritans Purse director of U.S. disaster relief, told The Christian Post about the storm, which made landfall on Aug. 24 with sustained wind speeds of up to 150 miles per hour.

Hurricane Laura left 700,000 people without power across the tristate area.

It affected everybody, he said. I have not driven by a home today that didnt have at least a tree down in the yard.

Samaritans Purse, an organization that regularly provides aid in the wake of natural disasters, began efforts late last week in Lake Charles, where the organizations relief projects will be hosted out of Sale Street Baptist Church.

Last Saturday, some 25 volunteers from outside the state helped the Samaritans Purse team in Lake Charles clear trees and other debris off of homes. As of Monday afternoon, Taylor said that the volunteers have been able to help eight families in Lake Charles.

One homeowner helped by Samaritans Purse on Saturday is Garrison Worthington. The storm had uprooted a monstrous oak tree on top of his familys home, which left a giant hole in the house.

Worthington and his family evacuated the area as Laura intensified to a Category 4 storm. When he returned, he found that not only did the storm damage his family home but also all of his neighbors homes as well.

The worst thing was leaving Wednesday morning knowing that Im probably coming back to a completely changed city  completely different than what I knew and loved, Worthington said in a statement. That I would probably come back to a house that would never be the same.

In the Louisiana cities of DeRidder and Jennings, Samaritans Purses two other host sites are in the beginning stages of operation.

In DeRidder, volunteers began working on Sunday. Meanwhile, the organization's volunteer host site in Jennings became fully operational Tuesday.

Samaritans Purse is making a commitment to the state of Louisiana to help with the cleanup, Taylor said. We are going to be here for quite a while. This is a big storm. The path of the wind was 100 miles from east to west. Those strong winds came about 75 miles inland. If you put that on a map, that is a big area. We need volunteers.

The organization, for now, will initially be focusing on clearing up tree damage and tarping homes across Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, and also Jefferson Davis Parish.

When we are fully operational, we will be able to serve pretty close to the entire parish of the three parishes, Taylor explained. We are talking about dozens of small communities in each parish.

The Samaritans Purse director, who spoke with CP on the phone from Lake Charles, said that the thing that is delaying relief efforts the most is lack of electricity.

Taylor said that he spoke with one homeowner in Lake Charles on Monday who was told that it would be about two to three months before the electricity is restored to her home because the storm destroyed the power grid.

Because of severe infrastructure damage throughout these affected parishes, all of our [host] churches are having run on generators, he said. We have to have the logistics taken care of to fuel to those generators and have electricians come up and things like that.

There is a lot of more logistical work for our response for a hurricane like this, he added, noting that two of the host churches do not have potable water.

That entire sewer system is down in those places. So we are having to wait to bring in additional volunteers until we can have porta-johns dropped off.

Because the devastation of Hurricane Laura was spread out across Louisiana and Texas, Taylor said the charity is having a hard time attracting local volunteers because locals have their own damage to tend to or have friends or families that need help.

Even some out-of-state volunteers may be hesitant because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he explained.

Volunteers are hesitant, between the mask mandates in certain areas and hotspots, he detailed. Volunteers that come to spend the night with us have to come with a current negative COVID test in hand. So there is a lot of things.

While Samaritans Purse is initially focusing on tree removal, Taylor said it is too early to tell what the next phase of Samaritans Purses relief projects in Louisiana will be.

There are so many things that go into the preliminary work of a rebuild program, just based on insurance and FEMA and things like that, he said. We cant make that call until there has been sufficient time for the homeowners to figure out what their unmet needs are going to be.

Those interested in volunteering with Samaritans Purse in Louisiana can click here.
Egypt-based Elsewedy Electric said one of its units Elsewedy Electric for Trading & Distribution has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the construction of a EGP355.5 million ($22.3 million) substation in Sadat city, Egypt.

Elsewedy Electric is a leading wires and cables and integrated energy solution provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

The EPC contract will be implemented by Elsewedy Electric for Trading & Distribution over a 14-month period on a turnkey basis.

Elsewedy Electric for Trading & Distribution is a pioneer company in the execution of high-voltage transmission lines for more than 1000 km with both (220 kV and 500 kV) and substations (220 kV and 500 kV) within Egypt and Africa.-TradeArabia News Service
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rachel Levine, MD, president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and Secretary of Health at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, issued the following statement in response to recent unexpected federal COVID-19 policy actions, including decisions to alter testing guidance.

"State and territorial health officials are alarmed by the number of policy decisions made by the federal government just last week without prior consultation with state and local public health officials. The failure to provide notice and pre-decisional consultation has a significant impact on our work to protect the health of the American public and in fostering an atmosphere of transparency, trust, and confidence between public health officials and the communities they are working so hard to serve during this historic public health crisis. Policy guidance should only be modified when robust scientific evidence is utilized, the rationale is clearly explained, there is consensus among states on the need for change, and the guidance is determined to be in the best interests of the public's health and not political expediency. CDC, FDA, and other federal agencies must be empowered to lead in order to maintain the scientific integrity of these decisions without fear of political retribution. Planning for the deployment of new equipment and allocating it to where it is most needed should take place prior to the delivery of such equipment, not afterwards, and has to be effectively coordinated within states to support and expand existing resources.

"Since the beginning of this pandemic, state and territorial health officials have urged federal leaders and given them the opportunity to improve lines of communication through standing consultation and information sharing. Despite our best efforts, state and territorial health officials are consistently sidelined from important pre-decisional policy conversations. New federal guidance and initiatives are often shared with public health leaders at the same time as the general public, which creates confusion and stress at a time when intentional collaboration is needed. This issue must be addressed and fixed immediately, especially as we look towards the deployment of new testing equipment and vaccine distribution at a speed and level of complexity never before seen in this country.

"State and territorial health leaders call upon the federal government to include us in pre-decisional policy conversations with the White House Coronavirus task force to ensure these complex decisions are made in partnership with the public health officials who oversee and are responsible for effective implementation. Addressing this pandemic will take a strong national strategy that includes federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial health agencies working collaboratively. It is only through active engagement of public health leaders that we will all be able to declare victory against this virus and move America forward in recovery."

ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely-associated states, and the District of Columbia, as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.

SOURCE Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Related Links

www.astho.org


A Saudi court has sentenced seven Islamic State militants to death over a 2014 shooting attack that killed eight Shias Muslims near the eastern city of al-Ahsa, state television reported on Wednesday.

In November 2014, three suspected members of the Sunni Muslim jihadist group opened fire on Shias who were celebrating Ashura, a holy festival in their calendar, in the village of Dalwa, killing eight people there.

Seven defendants were sentenced to death after their conviction while three others were handed 25-year jail terms each, the Ekhbariya channel said on Twitter.

Sunni militants have carried out many shootings and bombings in Saudi Arabia since 2014, soon after the then-Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, summoned Saudi supporters to mount attacks at home instead of abroad in wars in Syria and Iraq.

Most of the attacks targeted minority Saudi Shias or state security officers, and were carried out by people who had sworn allegiance to Islamic State or were claimed by the militant group in online postings, Saudi authorities said.

Saudi Arabia had earlier barred its citizens from going to wage jihad (holy war) abroad, used its Sunni clergy to denounce Islamic State, imposed prison terms for supporting the group and joined U.S.-led air strikes against IS in Syria.

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BERLIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Today's world is faced with three crucial choices while China and Germany, as major countries with global influence, should jointly undertake three major tasks, said visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

Wang made the statements at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Wang said they had candid, in-depth and friendly talks, which boosted mutual trust and generated fruitful results.

Today's world is faced with three crucial choices -- between multilateralism and unilateralism, between openness and seclusion, and between cooperation and confrontation, Wang said.

The first major task for China and Germany, Wang said, is to promote global unity against the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate world economic recovery.

To this end, both countries should continue supporting the work of the World Health Organization (WHO), and say no to erroneous words and deeds that are harmful to global cooperation against COVID-19, he said.

In the meantime, both should further implement the consensus of the Group of 20 (G20) summit, provide assistance to less-developed regions including Africa, and in particular help make COVID-19 vaccines, once available, a global public good, Wang said.

The pandemic has already caused an impact on the global industrial and supply chain, while so-called "de-coupling" and "de-globalization" will only weaken the momentum of a global economic recovery, he said.

China and Germany will maintain openness to each other and strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, health and hygiene, clean energy and digital economy, so as to contribute to stable operation of the global supply chain, Wang said.

In addition, both countries will support each other's efforts to resume work and production, and continue expanding the "fast track" for people-to-people exchanges, he said.

The second major task for China and Germany, Wang said, is to jointly make China-EU relations more stable and mature and lift bilateral ties to an even higher level.

China will faithfully support the European integration process through practical actions, remain a trustworthy strategic partner as Europe strives for unity and development, and support a bigger role of Europe in international affairs, he said.

Wang said China has high expectations for the development of China-EU relations during Germany's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year.

Both sides will prepare for important political agenda for the next stage, deepen cooperation in climate change, green development, digital economy and public health, and conclude negotiations of China-EU investment agreement, Wang said.

Thirdly, the two countries should work together to practice multilateralism and oppose the waging of a "new Cold War," Wang said, adding that both countries are opposed to the instigation of confrontation and will strengthen cooperation among multilateral institutions, as well as support the United Nations, the WHO and multilateralism.

China-Germany and China-Europe share far more common interests than differences, and are partners rather than rivals, said the Chinese minister, adding China and Europe have different social systems and ideologies, but China is always opposed to the export of ideologies, let alone competition of social systems.

Wang said he has invited Maas to China for the second round of meetings on China-Germany high-level cultural exchange mechanism, and proposed a year of cultural exchange on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations.

China and Germany have forged a comprehensive strategic partnership. It is very normal to have different views on some issues, the Chinese State Councilor noted.

"As long as we adhere to mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and to mutual understanding and support on issues concerning our core interests, the two sides will maintain mutual trust; Sino-German relations will go a long way and contribute to world peace, stability and common development," said Wang.
Happy National Day!

Politics

 Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on Tuesday engaged in a phone talk with the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation between the two sides, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

 Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Pham Thi Bich Ngoc on Monday presented aid worth US$20,000 from the Vietnamese government to help the government and people of the Maldives fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Society

 Vietnam reported zero new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday morning, with the tally remaining at 1,044, recoveries reaching 735, and deaths hitting 34, according to the Ministry of Health.

 Police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Laks Krong Pak District on Tuesday said they had arrested Phan Van Thanh, 21, to investigate a case in which Thanh allegedly assaulted and raped a 13-year-old girl who he had met through Facebook.

 The southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau has allowed non-essential businesses such as karaoke parlors and discotheques to re-open from Tuesday after a one-month shutdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.

 Truc Nhi and Dieu Nhi, the twins born conjoined at the pelvis who were successfully separated in a long operation by nearly 100 doctors and medical workers in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-July, are now able to sit independently for 30 to 45 minutes a day.

 A flight carrying 239 Vietnamese who are senior citizens, sickened, and under 18 from Ukraine on Tuesday arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, with all crew members and passengers being sent to quarantine and the aircraft disinfected later.

 The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho City on Tuesday released 30,000 fingerling fishes, including 20 rare giant barbs weighing around five to six kilograms, to Hau and Cai Rang Rivers in order to restore and protect local aquatic resources.

Business

 The Peoples Committee of the central province of Quang Tri on Tuesday said it had issued a fine of nearly VND200 million ($8,597) to a tourism company in Vinh Linh District for destroying more than 1,300 square meters of forest in the locality while constructing an ecotourism resort.

World News

-- More than 25.6 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus around the world, while over 17.9 million have recovered from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the pathogen, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health's statistics. Above 155,000 patients have lost their lives.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle news: The royal family is having some downtime at their Aberdeenshire estate in Balmoral Castle.

On Friday, it has been reported that Prince William and Kate Middleton have arrived at the estate to visit Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Their visit, along with their kids, came for the first time in months.

Since it may seem like the family is once again complete, one important person is missing, and that's Prince Harry.

According to InTouch Weekly, the 35-year-old Prince is said to be angry and upset and is understood to be frustrated that he's stuck in California because of the coronavirus pandemic.

His emotions are also due to the Duke of Sussex not seeing his family in months since stepping down as a senior royal in March.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Meghan is reportedly more content, as "she doesn't feel like she's missing out."

Aside from hanging out with the family she reportedly despises, the former "Suits" star would rather stay in their new $14.7 million mansion to "decorate."

Before officially stepping down in March, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle accepted an invitation to the Scottish estate for a late summer reunion, but due to the COVID-19 it, unfortunately, hampered their plans.

Prince Harry is said to be happy that he and his wife were able to move into their new home, after originally landing in Los Angeles. However, they had other plans as they decided to plant their roots in Santa Barbara.

According to a source, "Harry doesn't know the area well at all, but so far so good. Santa Barbara is more his scene than Los Angeles."

The source added that the Duke of Sussex has more of the freedom and space that he needs in Santa Barbara, something that Los Angeles couldn't give him.

He was said to be unhappy there, as many people were looking for celebrities and these formal royals.

The Prince reportedly likes the "peaceful and chill vibe" Montecito has.

News of Prince Harry being frustrated comes after setting the high-profile King Power Royal Charity Polo Day, which is set for the last week of September.

This will be the first time the Duke of Sussex will be absent for the event, where he has been consistently attending for the past fifteen years.

According to Talk of the Town, the dad-of-one's absence only shows how detached he and Prince William have become.

"It's such a shame that Harry can't make the polo this year, but he won't come back to Britain unless it's absolutely necessary."

During last year's charity polo, the two brothers had reportedly had an explosive fight before the first chukka, which was then denied by Buckingham Palace.

From the sidelines with their kids, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex were "distant," as described in the Sussexes' bombshell biography, "Finding Freedom."

Even without his little brother, Prince William is still desperate that this year's event would push through, even with strict rules about outdoor gatherings because of the coronavirus.

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not coming home to the UK this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to return next summer for the unveiling of a Princess Diana statue and, of course, Trooping the Colour.

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Nightmare: Santa Barbara Neighbors Want Them Out, Stat!
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Greater Clevelands economy has been hit harder than most large metro areas across the country during the coronavirus crisis, a new study by Cleveland State University researchers concludes.

Just three of the 40 largest metro areas - New York, Las Vegas and Boston - have done worse in terms of job losses than Clevelands 12% decline from July 2019 to July 2020.

Yet, some of the factors that took Clevelands economy down - the governors aggressive response to slow the spread of the coronavirus and job losses in health care as non-coronavirus treatments were delayed - could be areas of strength moving forward, said Richey Piiparinen, director of urban theory and analytics at CSUs Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Even though health care took a hit in the intermediate, I think a lot of the things we have will play better in the future, Piiparinen said, noting Ohios success in limiting the spread of the coronavirus in comparison to hard-hit areas such as in the South and West.

Piiparinen, who along with senior fellow Joshua Valdez co-authored COVID-19 and Its Impact on Employment in Cleveland, noted that many tech companies in places such as California have responded to the coronavirus by offering to let their employees work anywhere.

They are trying to find a place they can call home because they dont have to be in their office anymore. Ohio did it right with the pandemic response. That will attract people going forward for people wondering whether Ohio can handle a pandemic. Its a new economic geography and its up for grabs, said Piiparinen, adding that Ohio is also void of hurricanes and wild fires.

Here's how the five-county Cleveland metro area has performed for job gains (or losses) for the same months year-over-year since 1990.Cleveland State University

Where Cleveland ranks

The five-county Cleveland metro area (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina) was down an estimated 130,200 jobs in July versus the same month a year ago, according to data CSU cited from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The job losses are even dwarfing the Great Recession. Its not even close, Piiparinen noted.

The three metro areas doing worse than the Cleveland area, based on the percentage drop in jobs, are:

* Boston, another health care center as well as a big college town, down 12.4%.

* Las Vegas, where the tourist industry came to a near halt, down 12.8%,

* New York, home to well-publicized shutdowns after being hit hard early on by the coronavirus and still working its way back, down 13.8%.

What jobs were lost?

Unsurprisingly, accommodation and food services lead the way with a decline of 28,600 jobs, the study explains.

Clevelands white-collar and white coat industries are also taking a hit, with professional and business services representing 19.3% of year-over-year job losses (24,900 jobs), while that figure for health care and social assistance is 11.1% (14,300 jobs).

A key driver of Clevelands economy is the health care and social assistance sector, employing 166,800 workers in February. But employment in this sector dipped to 147,500 in April before gradually increasing to 155,700 by July.

Piiparinen said he plans to dig deeper in the the broad sector as part of a follow-up to this initial study.

Cincinnati is no Cleveland

Were the ones performing the worst. We are still performing the worst (among Ohio big metro areas). Cincinnatis economy is picking up at a faster speed than any other metro in Ohio, Piiparinen said.

In April, Cleveland was down 183,900 jobs from the previous April, Cincinnati was down 164,300, and Columbus was down 147,300.

But by July, versus July a year ago, Cincinnati was down just 75,000 jobs in comparison to the lingering losses of 99,700 in the Columbus area and 130,200 for metro Cleveland.

One reason for Clevelands plight could be that there were signs of a softening in Clevelands job market months before COVID-19 hit, the study explained.

Whats next?

This graphic based on data from Burning Glass Technologies shows Cuyahoga County (red line) at or near the bottom among 53 counties nationally for job postings since the beginning of the year.Cleveland State University

In analyzing data from Burning Glass Technologies, Piiparinen and Valdez found Cuyahoga County at the bottom among 53 counties nationally for which job posting data was available, with 55% fewer postings in mid-August in comparison to the beginning of the year.

In the education and health care sector, it was even worse for Cuyahoga County, with job postings down 75.1%. Next closest was Philadelphia County, down 49.3%.

This graphic based on data from Burning Glass Technologies shows Cuyahoga County (red line) well below 52 other counties for job postings this year in education and health care.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Neither are good signs, at this point.

However, the authors of the study provided a potential path forward, offering these words in conclusion:

The region hasnt ridden shotgun on an economic upswing since the Industrial Revolution. Thats the bad news. The good news is that a new economic geography is happening, and competitive positioning among cities is hardly set. Or as economist Paul Romer put it: A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. "

Read previous coverage

Cuyahoga Countys GDP tops 13 states; how much Ohios big counties power states economy

Clevelands economy wins vs. many in the Sun Belt - a pre-COVID-19 look at the economy
Leaving Certificate students in Leitrim will receive their anticipated calculated results next Monday, September 7.

Students will receive fresh details this week over how the calculated grades process has been adjusted to try to make results as fair and accurate as possible.



Teachers estimated marks will carry a much greater weight in the Irish system compared to the UK one which has come under much criticism last week, the marks will be in the form of percentages rather than grade bands and the system is designed to allow for exceptional students to be recognised, even in a class or school which has historically under-performed.



This is good news for talented students who sometimes are penalised due to historical school performance. There have been concerns expressed that standardised results would unfairly discriminate against poorer students.



The exact mark which teachers gave their students will not be published until after the Leaving Cert results are awarded.

It is also not clear how third level institutions will operate this term, leading to confusion around the need to book accommodation.







Also read: Call to open Leitrim pubs due to low Covid-19 transmission rates
Dow Chemical, PKS Gdansk, Fretlink and other supply chain leaders to share strategies for visibility-fueled growth and efficiency

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 02, 2020, the #1 real-time supply chain visibility platform, today announced that it will hold Europe's largest-ever virtual summit focused on carrier and broker operations in the logistics industry. Presenters and panelists will include Kevin Nielen, Improvement & Analytics Leader at The Dow Chemical Company; Artur Kreft, Product Owner at PPT PKS Gdansk-Oliwa SA; Nacho Barker, Transportation Director, Europe, at Ecolab; Thies Grage, Head of Digitalisation, Innovation & IT at HOYER Group; and Antoine Le Squeren, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Fretlink.



The free summit, titled "Carrier & Broker Operations: Efficiency, Growth, Collaboration," taking place on October 6, will feature a range of conversations and panels with shippers, brokers and carriers about how carriers and brokers can drive business efficiency and growth even in the face of the ongoing pandemic and related challenges. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from shippers about their visibility-related selection criteria and decision-making process for choosing their carrier and broker partners. Carriers, brokers and providers will share their strategies for leveraging visibility to maximize productivity and create differentiated service for their customers.

"Dow is thrilled to join FourKites' virtual carrier summit, where supply chain visibility, in close collaboration with FourKites, helped us through the COVID-19 pandemic with limited impact to our customers," said Kevin Nielen, Logistics Leader, Dow Chemical. "Digitization is an important step in Dow's journey toward the implementation of an end-to-end supply chain visibility strategy. Our strategic partnership with FourKites enables us to digitize and move away from a manual way of working to an integrated technology platform workflow."

FourKites' summit follows several quarters of dramatic expansion for FourKites in Europe, with the company having increased its total number of tracked loads in the region by more than 400% over the last six months. This unprecedented demand for FourKites' market-leading visibility platform has been fueled in part by the pandemic driving an increased imperative for companies to implement digital technologies. It also reflects FourKites' investment in tools to quickly onboard carriers and programs to drive communication, collaboration and improved performance across the supply chain ecosystem.

"The carrier landscape in Europe consists of a multitude of cultures and business models, and that translates into unique challenges in terms of helping carriers and brokers get up and running and tracking effectively so they can gain more business from large shipper customers," said Jochum Reuter, Vice President, European Operations at FourKites. "With European shippers coalescing around a clear requirement for real-time visibility, this summit is an opportunity for the European carrier and broker community to learn about the business value of visibility, and how we can help them realize that value quickly."

Register for FourKites' European carrier summit here , and click here for more information about FourKites' programs for carriers.

Since launching six years ago, FourKites has pioneered the industry shift to real-time visibility, enabling shippers to improve on-time delivery and orchestrate their supply chains based on actionable data and predictive intelligence. With a network that now includes more than 400 of the world's top shippers, including 18 of the top-20 food and beverage companies and nine of the top-10 CPG companies, FourKites tracks more than 1 million shipments and $100 billion in freight every day across 80+ countries.

About FourKites

FourKites is the largest predictive supply chain visibility platform, delivering real-time visibility and predictive analytics for the broadest network of Global 1000 companies and third-party logistics firms. Using a proprietary algorithm to calculate shipment arrival times, FourKites enables customers to lower operating costs, improve on-time performance and strengthen end-customer relationships. With a network that spans millions of GPS/ELD devices, FourKites covers all modes, including truckload, LTL, ocean, rail, air, intermodal and parcel. The platform is optimized for mobile and equipped with market-leading end-to-end security.

To learn more, visit https://www.fourkites.com/ .

Media Contact:

Marianna Vyridi

Big Valley Marketing for FourKites






School leaders have expressed concern over the governments approach to face masks in schools, with headteachers deciding what approach to take as students start coming back to school.

Richard Sheriff, the chief executive of a trust of Yorkshire schools, accused the government of passing the buck by leaving the decision up to individual schools.

I think it is a very uncomfortable position, he told The Independent.

It feels like the buck has been passed to headteachers. We will now individually take the stick from parents, children, communities, about whatever stance we choose to be appropriate in these circumstances.

Pepe DiIasio, a headteacher in Rotherham, told The Independent he had received several letters from concerned parents after opting against face masks in school because of relatively low infection rates in the local area.

In a U-turn last week, Boris Johnson dropped advice against the use of face masks in English schools, saying that secondary school staff and students in local lockdown areas should wear them when moving around school sites and in shared spaces where social distancing is not possible.

Meanwhile, school leaders elsewhere will have discretion to make face coverings compulsory if they believe it is right in their particular circumstances.

The shadow education secretary, Kate Green, accused Mr Johnson of trying to pass the buck to headteachers with last weeks face mask changes.

What they have done is left headteachers like myself with a barrage of emails saying, Why are you doing what you are doing? Why are you making this decision? Mr DiIasio, who also claimed the changes came too late, said.

The Wales High School headteacher added: We have been left to pick up the pieces of the difficulties that parents face right now in an already uncertain time.

Mr Sheriff, from Red Kite Learning Trust, said: Headteachers should not have to take responsibility for clinical decision-making in a public health setting.

He added: Weve been left by the government to make decisions which feel to me way beyond my geography teacher competence.

Mr Sheriff said he is not asking students to wear face masks at all across 12 out of 13 of his sites  with the one affected having particularly narrow corridors.

Andy Byers, a Durham headteacher, said he has decided to ask children to wear face masks in the classroom  something the UK prime minister has called nonsensical.

While he said he is happy that headteachers can decide for themselves what their schools should do, he is less happy about Mr Johnsons comments, which came shortly after the government scrapped its advice against wearing face masks in schools.

Having given heads discretion, he then rubbished some of the things that we have decided to do, the Framwellgate School Durham headteacher told The Independent.

Englands deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, commented last Friday on the issue of face masks for school pupils, saying: The evidence on face coverings is not very strong in either direction.

She added: At the moment the evidence is pretty stable, but it can be very reassuring in those enclosed environments for children, and for teachers as well, to know that people are taking precautions.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: We have consistently been guided by the latest scientific and medical advice, and we recently updated our guidance on face coverings following the statement from the World Health Organisation.

In local lockdown areas children in year 7 and above should wear face coverings in communal spaces and corridors. Outside of local lockdown areas, face coverings wont be required in schools, though schools will have the flexibility to introduce this if they believe it is right in their specific circumstances. Face coverings will not be required in the classroom as they hinder communication and pupils education.

Additional reporting by Press Association
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A 26-year-old woman died, and an infant suffered a broken leg, after her vehicle crashed into a utility pole Wednesday in the citys South Collinwood neighborhood, police said.

The crash happened in the 13000 block of St. Clair Avenue near the intersection of Hayden Avenue when the car left the road and struck the pole, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

The 26-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A 5-month-old suffered a broken leg and another 5-year-old suffered no injuries in the crash, police said. Paramedics took the injured infant to Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital for treatment. An update on the childs condition was not immediately available.

Speed likely played a role in the crash, Ciaccia said.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office has not released any information about the woman who died. Cleveland police did not say what time the crash happened.

Ciaccias initial statement did not disclose the relationship between the woman and the two children in the car.
3 1 of 3 Contributed / Hamden Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed / Hamden Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3





HAMDEN  Police are asking for the publics help identifying a man who a woman said followed her in his truck and exposed himself to her Monday.

Police said the 26-year-old woman told them around 8:30 a.m. she was followed by a pickup truck with a silver flatbed while she was driving north on Whitney Avenue.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : Actress Vaani Kapoor is off to Scotland to shoot for her upcoming film BellBottom, starring Akshay Kumar. She is thrilled and says she has been waiting to be back on the sets.

"It feels surreal that I'm starting to shoot for a film! Being back on the set is a moment I have been dearly waiting for, and I can't wait to finally start shooting. I will be stepping out of Mumbai too after five months, and boarding a flight to work. It seems I did all this in another lifetime," Vaani said.

The actress is happy that the industry is looking to restart after taking a hard hit due to the pandemic.

"It's been a testing year for all of us, but I'm glad that things are slowly starting because we have to adapt to this new normal," she said.

Vaani is looking forward to shooting with Akshay, because she feels she will learn a lot from the superstar.

"This is the first time that I'm working with Akshay sir and I know it will be a really special one. I know I will learn a lot from him. His level of dedication and passion towards his craft is just exemplary and he is an inspiration to us all. Hopefully, people will love our pairing," she said.

"Bell Bottom" is a thriller set in the 1980s. The film also features Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta.

Apart from "BellBottom", Vaani currently has two other films in her kitty. The first is "Shamshera", co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, a dacoit drama set in the 1800s. The film casts Vaani as a dancer. The other film is Abhishek Kapoor's untitled next opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. The film is a love story.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Brad Pitt's net worth has grown over the years, thanks in large part to his movie roles that have been his major source of income.

Before getting a spotlight in Hollywood, Pitt did minor roles in several films. The actor even played as an extra in "Hunk" and in the 1987 Kevin Costner movie "No Way Out."

Finally, the 56-year-old actor caught people's hearts after securing a supporting role in "Thelma and Louise." A few years later, he participated in his first Academy Award for his 1992 film "A River Runs Through It."

Since then, Brad Pitt's net worth unceasingly skyrocketed, and it even climbed sharply after landing on award-winning films, including "World War Z."

What Is Brad Pitt's Net Worth?

Per Celebrity Net Worth, Pitt is valued at $300 million, puting him on 19th place among the richest actors in the world.

Given how his career panned out, it is remarkable how Pitt was able to reach the top after starting from scratch.

For instance, he earned $6,000 for his brief appearance in "Thelma & Louise" before his pay made a massive jump to $500,000 for his role in "Kalifornia."

Two years after that, he made a cool $4 million for "Se7en" and his first $10 million salary for "Sleepers."

Pitt enjoyed another $10 million for his role in "Seven Years in Tibet."

His fortunes vary from movie to movie, but Pitt started to gain more in the recent years.

He began having $20 million paychecks after joining "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Meanwhile, he personally cut his salary to half for $10 million before he appeared in the Quentin Tarantino movies "Inglorious Basterds" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

Thank You, World War Z

The highest contributor to Brad Pitt's net worth so far is "World War Z." In 2013, Marc Foster's film hailed Pitt as the main character in the most expensive zombie film with an estimated $190 to $269 million budget.

Although its makers cashed out a massive amount of money, Paramount reported that the film was able to profit after grossing more than $500 million in sales.

This made "World War Z" as Pitt's highest-grossing movie after starring in the 2004 flick "Troy," which grossed about $497.3 million.

The movie adaptation of Max Brooks' 2006 novel "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" pulled in $20 million to Brad Pitt's net worth.

Aside from earning a minimum of $20 million for major motion picture releases, Pitt also bagged several nominations and awards as a producer.

Furthermore, Pitt's production company Plan B also contributes to his massive net worth.

The company's first movie, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," brought in half a billion dollars worldwide. In addition, they made several award-winning and money-producing projects, such as "The Departed," "Eat, Pray, Love," and "Moneyball."

With the way he has been making money. Brad is expected to grow his value more in the coming years.

READ MORE: Brad Pitt Shock: Angelina Jolie Reveals True Feelings About Pitt's New Romance
Its been 10 years since a Connecticut State Police trooper was killed in the line of duty during a routine traffic stop.

The incident happened around 4 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2010, when Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall was sitting in his cruiser, parked on the shoulder of Interstate 91 north in Enfield.

Hall was making a routine traffic stop as part of a statewide commercial vehicle safety initiative.

As this was underway, a pickup truck  headed north in the left lane of I-91 at a very high rate of speed, according to state police  veered across three lanes of traffic and hit Halls cruiser.

Hall, who sustained multiple injuries, was rushed to Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., where he was pronounced dead. He was 57.

Never forgotten, state police said in a social media post remembering Hall on Wednesday.

Hall was a 22-year veteran trooper and former U.S. Marine. He served in Vietnam.

Enfield resident Michael Pajak, 32 at the time of the incident, was later identified as the driver of the vehicle that hit Halls cruiser.

Authorities said a urine sample for Pajak tested positive for cocaine and other drugs, but did not show up in a blood test  indicating that Pajak used drugs in the days leading up to the crash but not the day of the incident.

Prior to the deadly crash, Pajak had been in and out of the states criminal justice system for more than a decade on various offenses, including drug and burglary convictions and a DUI conviction.

In September 2011, Pajak was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison in connection with the deadly crash.
A former bodyguard of the late North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il says Canadas decision to deny him asylum and deport him to neighboring South Korea will put his life in jeopardy.

Canadas Immigration and Refugee Board has rejected a request by Lee Young-guk, 57, to allow him to remain in the country, according to The Toronto Star.

The board justified the decision by claiming that Lees statements that he faces persecution in South Korea lacked credibility and that he played down his role as a military adviser under Kim while trying to distance himself from potential human rights violations.

But Lee says repatriation to South Korea makes him vulnerable to kidnapping by the regime of his late bosss son, Kim Jong-un, and certain death.

Lee Young-guk (pictured above in 2016), 57, has been denied asylum in Canada. He said his life is in danger if the Canadian authorities deport him back to South Korea, the country to which he defected from the North in 2000

The situation is bleak, Lee told the Star on Tuesday.

(The regime) tried to kidnap me when I was in South Korea.

If Canada returns me there, Im a dead man.

In 2016, Lee arrived in Toronto with his wife and two children and asked for asylum after spending some 16 years in exile in South Korea.

He said he was persecuted in South Korea for his activism and opposition to North Korea at a time when the two nations were discussing closer relations.

In 2000, Lee fled North Korea via China and arrived in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

He told the Star that he began working as a bodyguard for the late Kim Jong-il in 1978. At the time, Kim was the heir apparent to his father, Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea.

Lee said he underwent three years of intensive training before he was hired to provide 24-7 protection for the rulers son.

North Korean bodyguards were required to learn stunts like head-butting stacks of tiles and smashing granite against their chests, according to Lee.

We were paid $100 (US) a month and followed him wherever he went, Lee told the Star.

Everyone was scared of him because even when he was happy, he was rude and cruel.

After serving as Kims bodyguard for 10 years, he became a military adviser between 1988 and 1991.

He then spent three years studying in university before returning to the military in 1994.

Lee told the Star he made two attempts to escape. The first unsuccessful try resulted in him being sent to a hard labor camp, the infamous Yodok political prison in Gyeongnam.

In the Yodok concentration camp, in order to survive, to get more food, I volunteered to carry and bury deceased inmates in the mountains, he said.

People would ask each other, that theyre buried with a piece of note in a medicine bottle containing their personal identity details.

I personally buried over 300 bodies.

Lee said he spent 10 years as a bodyguard for Kim Jong-il, the late supreme leader of North Korea who succeeded his father, the founder of the country, Kim Il-sung, in 1994. Kim Jong-il is seen above in 2011 shortly before his death that year

Lee said he spent four years and seven months in the camp, where he was sent to be reformed.

By the time he was freed from the camp, Kim Jong-il had already succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994.

In 2000, Lee and several other North Korean nationals defected to Seoul through China.

He spent three years working as a drill instructor at the Korea Combat Training Center. Lee also worked in health food sales.

Afterward, he moved to a rural town, Kangwon, to run a duck farm, according to the Star.

During his time in the South, Lee was a frequent media commentator on North Korea and one of the regimes fiercest critics.

In 2011, Kim Jong-il died. As ruler, Kim Jong-il instituted one of the most repressive governments in the world.

Under his watch, an estimated one million North Koreans died during a famine in the 1990s. Even with good harvests, the state cannot feed its 25 million people.

After Kim's death, his son, Kim Jong-un, was elevated to supreme leader in Pyongyang.

Lee believes that the former dictator's son Kim Jong-un is far more dangerous than the departed 'Dear Leader.

Speaking to CNN, Lee admitted that he was brainwashed by the regime while he was still working for Kim Jong-un's father during the 1980s.

He said: 'When Kim Jong-il would arrive in his vehicle, advisers would run away and throw themselves onto the grass. They had dust on their clothes but they wanted to hide from him.

'They are scared because even when he was happy he would be rude and could chop off their heads.'

One adviser who used Kim's private elevator and ashtray was deported to a concentration camp where he died.

However, Lee said the North Korean people have more reason to be afraid of Kim Jong-un than his father.

'Kim Jong-un ended up killing his uncle, who even Kim Jong-il could not kill. As power was handed down to the third generation, it became crueler. Kim Jong-un has created loyalty, but it is fake and based on fear.'

Lee has said that he believes Kim Jong-il's son and successor, Kim Jong-un, is even more dangerous. Kim Jong-un is seen above in September 2017

Lee said he published two books about his experiences in North Korea, but the Canadian authorities said there was little authentic evidence that points to him being a target of the regime.

I find the lack of documentation surprising given his allegations this is why he is being targeted and also due to the two books he wrote, asylum adjudicator Brenda Lloyd said.

Canadian officials also said they were unable to verify Lees claims that he faced two kidnapping attempts during his time in South Korea.

Lee has claimed that South Korean authorities refused to investigate the alleged attempted kidnappings, which are said to have occurred in 2004 and 2007, because he reported them in 2014.

In South Korea, the statute of limitations for kidnapping prosecutions is five years.

Waiting for years after the incidents to file a complaint lacks credibility, Lloyd said.

If he felt threatened for kidnapping or threats, it is not credible he would delay for so many years.

She added: There is no serious possibility that the claimants would be persecuted or would be subjected, on a balance of probabilities, to a danger of torture or to a risk to life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment in South Korea.

Lee said he wants to appeal the decision.

In a dictatorial system, if you dont follow what the government tells you to do, your whole family and you get punished and destroyed, he said.

Observers of North and South Korea say that the current government in Seoul, which is led by the dovish President Moon Jae-in, has engaged in a crackdown on defectors who have fled the Kim regime.

Earlier this year, Moons government moved to prevent organizations led by exiles from the North from sending anti-Kim leaflets and balloons across the border so as not to antagonize Pyongyang.

During his time in office, Moon has sought to re-establish peaceful relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:30:12|Editor: huaxia

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VILNIUS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian lawmaker Ingrida Simonyte, who was also the country's finance minister between 2009 and 2012, topped the list of candidates to lead the next Lithuania's government after next month's parliamentary elections, a new poll showed on Wednesday.

Simonyte will lead the conservative opposition party Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) in October's parliamentary elections, which is expected to produce 141 members of parliament.

The poll was commissioned by Lithuanian radio and TV broadcaster LRT and conducted by the market research company Norstat.

Simonyte was named as possible prime minister by 42 percent of respondents. Simonyte belongs to the TS-LKD parliamentary group, yet she is not a member of any party. In May 2019, she ran for the Lithuanian presidency as a candidate from TS-LKD. She was defeated by Gitanas Nauseda in the second round.

She was followed by current Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, also the candidate of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS) who won 20 percent of respondents' support.

Viktor Uspaskich, chairman of the Labor Party, ranked third in the poll with 5 percent of respondents' support. The party has chosen Uspaskich as its candidate for prime minister, however, he will participate in the election next month.

An online and telephone survey was carried out from July 29 to Aug. 31. In total, 1,000 respondents took part in the survey. They were asked which person they would see in the post of prime minister after the parliamentary election. The names of the candidates that were provided to the survey participants were named by the parties. Enditem
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- An important development has been lost amid the growing alarm over the contretemps in the Eastern Mediterranean: Last month President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a major natural gas discovery off Turkeys other coast, in the Black Sea. The finding was estimated at 320 billion cubic meters, and there is a strong expectation that the figure will be revised upwards as a result of additional exploratory drilling.

The finding has implications for Turkeys energy balance and energy security  and for its stance in the Eastern Mediterranean confrontation with Greece.

As a country poor in hydrocarbon resources, energy imports have always been a major burden for Turkey. Last years energy import bill amounted to $43 billion, or 20% of all imports. The new gas finding, which Erdogan said will come onstream as early as 2023, will help stanch a major drain on foreign exchange. A back-of-the-envelope calculation based on an annual internal consumption of 45 billion cubic meters suggests that the Black Sea reserve could cover almost all of Turkeys natural-gas needs for nearly seven years.

The finding may be small compared to other major gas-producing countries such as Russia, Qatar and Iran, but it would help Turkey to greatly reduce its chronic current-account deficit. It could also potentially produce macroeconomic benefits by lessening the pressure on the domestic currency.

Additionally, the finding will have strategic consequences, especially if more reserves are discovered. Turkey has traditionally been dependent on Russia and Iran for its natural gas imports. Five years ago, Russia accounted for over half of its gas imports. Since then Turkey has made smart use of changing spot-market conditions to increase the share of imports from other sources, such as Algeria and Nigeria. By the end of 2019, Russias share had been reduced to 33% and Irans to 17%.

But due to long-term take-or-pay commitments with these countries, the financial benefits of this rearrangement are more limited than those figures would suggest.

Story continues

The new find will allow Turkey to greatly reduce its dependence on Russia and Iran. It will also strengthen Ankaras hand significantly in future negotiations with Moscow and Tehran on the renewal of supply arrangements.

The Black Sea discovery will also impact Turkeys posture in the Eastern Mediterranean. It will be seen as a vindication of the governments hawkish approach to the confrontation with Greece and help consolidate the already sizeable domestic consensus on the current trajectory of Erdogans foreign policy. The so-called Blue Homeland doctrine, which underpins this vision, sets out an extensive claim for Turkeys continental shelf and economic exclusive zone in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The consequence, from the perspective of the Eastern Mediterranean, is that Turkey will be less sensitive to foreign pressure. The emerging domestic consensus on hitherto little-discussed topics such as maritime borders, exclusive economic zones and the continental shelf will allow Erdogan to sustain his hard-power approach to the conflict.

This only adds urgency to the need for a de-escalation and a demilitarization of the Eastern Mediterranean dispute. In past decades, the U.S. played the lead role in mitigating Turkish-Greek conflicts. But with the Trump administrations already narrow diplomatic bandwidth further constricted by the onset of the presidential elections in nine weeks, the burden falls mainly on the European Union to facilitate the resumption of direct negotiations between Ankara and Athens.

Germany showed the way forward by using its diplomatic leverage to convene Turkish and Greek delegations in Berlin last July. These talks were derailed with Athens announcement of its maritime borders deal with Egypt and Turkeys subsequent resumption of its exploration in the contested waters.

The EU must now choose between two mutually exclusive strategies. It can either take sides with its member Greece against Turkey. Or it can adopt a more neutral stance and press for bilateral talks between Ankara and Athens. In either event, the Black Sea finding strengthens Turkeys hand.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Sinan Ulgen is the executive chairman of Istanbul-based think tank EDAM and a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
The worlds top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, continues to try to tighten the worlds most transparently reported oil market by slashing crude oil shipments to the United States to the lowest levels in decades.

OPECs de facto leader Saudi Arabia is estimated to have sent to America just 177,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

To compare, the Saudis shipped as much as 1.3 million bpd to the United States in April, when they sent a fleet of supertankers to flood the U.S. market with oil during the price war with Russia at the end of March and early April. Back in April, the tanker fleet from Saudi Arabia coincided with the massive oil demand loss and threatened to overflow U.S. storage capacity.

After Saudi Arabia and Russia forged a new pact to cut a record amount of OPEC+ production to support oil prices, the Saudis continue to signal they are intent on helping U.S. inventories shrink by withholding supply.

U.S. imports of Saudi crude in August, with tankers that had likely departed Saudi Arabia in June and July, were estimated to be the lowest since 1985at 264,000 bpd, according to data from commodity research firm ClipperData, reported by CNN Business.

U.S. imports of Saudi crude oil in September are estimated to further plunge from August, by nearly half to around 140,000 bpd, ClipperDatas preliminary estimates show.

The low volume of Saudi crude loaded in August on tankers en route to the U.S. suggests that U.S. imports of Saudi crude in statistics for September and October will continue to hover around the lowest in decades.

Apart from keeping supply off the worlds most visible oil market, Saudi Arabia likely has a political motivation to slash shipments to the U.S., after President Donald Trump was unhappy with the Saudi price war in April that damaged U.S. producers, Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNN Business.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tesla Inc. (TSLA) disclosed in a regulatory filing that it plans to sell up to $5 billion worth of common shares. The move comes a day after a 5-for-1 stock split took effect. The electric-car maker plans to use the net proceeds to further strengthen its balance sheet as well as for general corporate purposes. The company said it will sell the shares 'from time to time' through an agreement with several banks. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BofA Securities Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, SG Americas Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities LLC and BNP Paribas Securities Corp. will act as sales agents for the offering. The share sale comes as Tesla plans to expand production of its vehicles and build new factories in Germany and Austin, Texas. The company also plans to launch new 'Cybertruck' pickup and a semi sometime next year. In February, Tesla had said it planned to offer about $2 billion of common stock in an underwritten registered public offering. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
(TNS)  Public transit agencies may soon be able to fast-track construction projects after a bill to let them bypass some lengthy and costly environmental reviews passed the California Legislature and headed to the governors desk Monday.SB288, the Sustainable Transportation COVID-19 Recovery Act, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, exempts sustainable transit projects from stricter review under CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires environmental consideration in construction.The goal of the bill is to both promote projects that could cut down driving and reduce carbon emissions, and offer a boost to struggling public transit agencies that have hemorrhaged money during COVID-19.SB 288 will help us recover from COVID-19s economic impacts and will support sustainable transportation projects across California, Wiener said in a statement Monday. As wildfires continue to rage across our state, its clear that climate change is having immediate and serious impacts on California. We need to act quickly to cut down on carbon emissions and improve our air quality. SB 288 will help get our economy back on track, create jobs, and improve our sustainable transportation infrastructure.Bus lines, transit stations, biking and walking projects, facility repairs and electric-vehicle charging stations would benefit. Construction projects not meeting minimum parking requirements would also bypass stricter review. The exemptions will last two years, except for bicycle plans.The CEQA review process can take years and face lawsuits that increase time and cost, Wiener toldin June. Under this bill, exempted construction plans would still require CEQA approval, but specific projects in those plans could get fast-track authorization. Projects must pass certain criteria to win exemptions, including being located on a public right of way in a city.The bill was sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, or SPUR, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the Bay Area Council, of which BART is a member.San Francisco Mayor London Breed sent a letter in support of the bill to Wiener in July.If these time-sensitive projects are granted a CEQA statutory exemption, it will help the City avoid costly litigation and potentially years of delay at exactly the time when we need it the most, Breeds letter read. Stalling these projects is not an option if we want a successful transportation recovery. If people turn to driving rather than returning to Muni, walking, or biking, we could see a drastic increase in congestion on City streets.Jason Baker, the Silicon Valley Leadership Groups vice president of transportation, housing and community development, said the bill was important to the businesses he represents because of three things: more jobs on the street sooner rather than later, reducing traffic and reducing pollution.The would-be law is also critical to getting people back on public transit, said Gwen Litvak, senior vice president of public policy at the Bay Area Council.This bill is really a no-cost stimulus to get projects moving during this economic recession, Litvak said. Its important to get people back on transit in order to create the revenue to invest again in transit.The goal is to make sure that projects that were in the pipeline are built so that people will continue to feel safe and confident using public transit, she added.In San Francisco, the bill could help the Fulton Street Safety & Transit Project, Embarcadero Enhancement Project, and the Excelsior Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project. It could also make permanent the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agencys temporary emergency transit lanes, which were created during the pandemic to make quicker and more efficient bus routes.The agency feared, as ridership plummeted on public transit, that more people would take to their cars, clogging streets and slowing Muni service, its website read. The lanes focused on neighborhoods with high percentages of people of color and low-income households.As of last week, there were four approved lanes on Mission Street, Laguna Honda Boulevard/Woodside Avenue/OShaughnessy Boulevard/Bosworth Street, Masonic Avenue/Presidio Avenue, and Seventh and Eighth streets. Nearly two dozen more have been proposed.The temporary lanes were authorized by the SFMTA Board of Directors in June, but if they wanted to make them permanent, they would have to go through the CEQA review process. If the new bill is signed into law, they would be able to more easily cement the lanes to keep buses moving for those who need them.
The Whale (2427 N. Milwaukee Ave.), the glitzy Logan Square restaurant named for what casinos call an obscenely wealthy gambler, closed indefinitely last week. In a message posted on Facebook, the owners blamed the closing on the tight restrictions the state has imposed on restaurants. Today we were forced to make the decision to lay off all our team members and close our doors to service. The restrictions that have been put on us by the elected officials are suffocating our industry and leaving us no choice. There has been no plan in place or system for relief. The Whale opened last year, quickly amassing a strong following, though we found the food to be less than stellar. While its unknown how long the restaurant will be closed, the owners promise it will eventually return. We WILL re-open and come back strong. We look forward to serving you again when that time comes.  Nick Kindelsperger
More than a hundred miles from shore, near the coast of West Africa, I accompanied marine police officers from Gambia as they arrested 15 foreign ships on charges of labor violations and illegal fishing over the course of a week in 2019. All but one of the vessels arrested were from China.

At the beginning of that same year, during a monthlong voyage on a toothfish longliner headed into Antarctic waters from Punta Arenas, Chile, the only other ships we passed were a dozen rusty Chinese purse seinersfishing boats using long curtainlike netsthat looked barely seaworthy.

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Chinas fishing fleet is more than just a commercial concern; it acts as a projection of geopolitical power on the worlds oceans.

Aboard a South Korean squid boat in May 2019, I watched nearly two dozen ships flying Chinese flags make their way single file into North Korean waters, in flagrant violation of United Nations sanctions. They were part of the worlds largest fleet of illegal ships: 800 Chinese trawlers fishing in the Sea of Japan as of 2019, revealed in a recent investigation for NBC.

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And this month, more than 340 Chinese fishing vessels appeared just outside the biodiverse and ecologically sensitive Galapagos Marine Reserve. Many of the ships were tied to companies associated with illegal fishing, according to C4ADS, a conflict research firm. Three years prior, a similarly sized Chinese flotilla arrived in these same waters, and one ship was apprehended with about 300 tons of illegally caught fish, including endangered species, such as scalloped hammerhead sharks.

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With anywhere from 200,000 to 800,000 boats, some as far afield as Argentina, China is unmatched in the size and reach of its fishing armada. Fueled primarily by government subsidies, its growth and activities have largely gone unchecked, in part because China itself has historically had few rules governing fishing operations. The dominance and global ubiquity of this fleet raise broader questions about how China has put so many boats on the water, and what it means for the worlds oceans.

Chinas fishing fleet is more than just a commercial concern; it acts as a projection of geopolitical power on the worlds oceans. As the U.S. Navy has pulled back from the waters of West Africa and the Middle East, China has bolstered its fishing and naval presence. And in places such as the South China Sea and the Arctics Northern Sea Route, China has laid claim to prized shipping lanes as well as subsea oil and gas deposits.

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The scale and aggressiveness of its fleet puts China in control, says Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that few foreign countries have been willing to push back when Chinas fishing boats make incursions into their national waters.

Not that the fishing itself is unimportant. The fleet is also a way to obtain food security for Chinas 1.4 billion people. Many of the marine stocks closest to Chinas shores have dwindled from overfishing and industrialization, so ships are forced to venture farther to fill their nets. The Chinese government says it has roughly 2,600 distant-water fishing vessels, which, according to a recent report by the Stimson Center, a security research group, makes it three times larger than the fleets of the next top four countriesTaiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Spaincombined.



Over the past two decades, China has spent billions of dollars supporting its fishing industry, says Tabitha Grace Mallory, a professor at the University of Washington, who specializes in Chinas fishing policies, in an email. In 2018, total global fisheries subsidies were estimated to be $35.4 billion, with China accounting for $7.2 billion of it. This includes those for fuel and for new boats that increase the size of the fleet.

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The government also helps cover the cost of new engines, of more durable steel hulls for trawlers, and for armed security and medical ships to be stationed permanently at fishing grounds, enabling fishing captains to stay at sea for longer. Chinese fishermen further benefit from government-led fishing intelligence that helps them find the richest waters.

Without its massive subsidy schemes, Chinas distant water fishing fleet would be a fraction of its current size, and most of its South China Sea fleet wouldnt exist at all, Poling says.

Daniel Pauly, principal investigator of the Sea Around Us Project at the University of British Columbias Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, explained in an email that these subsidies have not only increased geopolitical tensions by allowing ships to venture into contested regions, they also play a major role in depleting fish stocks as they keep vessels operating that would otherwise be decommissioned.

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As long as fleets are provided financial assistance to overfish, experts say that sustainable fishing is impossible. Already 90 percent of commercial fish stocks tracked worldwide by the U.N.s Food and Agriculture Organization have been overfished or fully fishedmeaning they are past their capacity to sustainably replenish themselvesincluding the worlds 10 most important commercial species.

China is by no means singular when it comes to subsidizing its fishing fleet. More than half of the global fishing industry would be unprofitable at its current scale without government subsidies, according to a 2018 study in Science Advances led by National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence Enric Sala.

Japan spends more in subsidies for fishing on the high seasthe parts of the ocean not under control by any governmentthan any other country, accounting for about 20 percent of global high seas fishing subsidies, Salas study shows. Spain accounts for 14 percent of global fishing subsidies, followed by China at 10 percent, then South Korea, and the U.S.

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But when it comes to scale, China is by far the biggest. With more than 800 ships on the high seas, Chinese vessels were responsible for more than 35 percent of the reported global catch on the high seas in 2014more than any other country. (Taiwan, with the next highest number of vessels at 593, accounts for about 12 percent of that catch, and Japan, with 478 ships, accounts for less than 5 percent.)

Subsidies are not just a major reason that the oceans are rapidly running out of fish. In putting too many vessels on the water globally, subsidies can lead to unsustainable fishing, unhealthy competition, territorial disputes, and illegal fishing as captains become desperate to find new, less-crowded fishing grounds.

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To put it bluntly, this is akin to paying burglars to rob your neighbors house, says Peter Thomson, the U.N. secretary-generals special envoy for the ocean, about the role that subsidies play in encouraging illegal fishing.

China ranks as having the worlds worst score when it comes to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, according to an index published last year by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management, a fishery and aquaculture consulting firm.

In 2016, the government released a five-year plan to cap the number of distant-water fishing vessels to fewer than 3,000 by 2021. (Its unclear whether China has made any progress toward this goal, however, because the government releases little data on ship numbers.) And in June, the Chinese fishing authorities announced they will close squid-catching seasons for Chinese boats in certain South American waters from July to November, citing the need to allow squid populations to replenish. This is the first time China has ever voluntarily closed a fishing season.

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I believe that the Chinese government is serious when they offer to restrict their distant water fleet, Pauly says. Whether they can enforce the planned restrictions onto their fleet is another question; indeed, I dont believe they control their distant-water fleets any more than we control ours in the West.

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Ensuring that ships of any nation comply with environmental, labor, or other rules when they are in international waters is difficult, since no country has the jurisdiction or resources to police them so far from shore.

With a rapidly growing middle class thats able to afford more seafood, the Chinese government has boosted its aquaculture industry with more than $250 million in subsidies between 2015 and 2019 in an effort to reduce the countrys dependence on wild-caught fish.

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That move, however, presents a new problem: To fatten up their fish, most fish farms rely on fishmeal, a high-protein powder predominantly made from wild-caught fish from foreign or international waters. Furthermore, aquaculture takes a lot of fishmealbefore a farmed tuna gets to market, for example, it may eat more than 15 times its weight in wild fish in the form of fishmeal.

Ocean conservationists warn that the voracious nature of fishmeal production is accelerating ocean depletion, contributing to illegal fishing, destabilizing the aquatic food chain, and sapping poorer countries waters of protein sources needed for local subsistence.

Catching large amounts of wild fish to feed a growing demand for farmed fish makes little sense, Sala says. A fraction of those wild fish could instead be used to feed people directly, with less impact on ocean life.

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To meet the demand for fishmeal and fish oil, Chinese fishing authorities said in 2015 that they planned to increase the amount of krill harvested from Antarctic waters from 32,000 metric tons to 2 million metric tons, though they committed to staying out of ecologically vulnerable areas. Krill are a primary food source for whales, and conservationists worry about the knock-on effects of such a high harvest.

In addition to the potentially devastating environmental consequences of overfishing and fishery collapses, so many ships on the sea means more competition for fishing grounds, which can destabilize relationships between countries and lead to violent clashes.

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In 2016, the South Korean Coast Guard opened fire on two Chinese fishing vessels that had threatened to ram patrol boats in the Yellow Sea. A month earlier, Chinese fishermen rammed and sank another South Korean speedboat in the same area. In the same year, Argentina sank a Chinese boat it claimed was fishing illegally in its waters. Indonesia, South Africa, and the Philippines have all had recent run-ins with Chinese fishing fleets. In most of these cases, the Chinese boats were fishing for squid, which represents more than half of the fleets catch on the high seas.

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One of the reasons Chinas fleet is so bloated is that some of its fishing ships serve purposes other than merely fishing. Part of a so-called civilian militia, Poling says, these fishing vessels are dispatched to conflict zones at sea to surveil the waters and occasionally to intimidate and ram fishing or law enforcement boats from other countries. Separate from its fishing subsidies, China has a program that incentivizes boats to operate in disputed waters in the South China Sea as a way to assert Chinas claims. They get many of the same benefits as the distant-water fleet, plus cash payments because operating in that region is otherwise unprofitable.



More than 200 of these militia fishing boats occupy the waters around the South China Seas disputed Spratly Islandsan area rich with fish, and possibly oil and natural gas tooto which China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan lay claim. Satellite imagery shows that the Chinese fishing boats in the area spend most of their time anchored close together in clusters and are not actually fishing.

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The only reason that smaller [Chinese] fishermen go out to the Spratlys is because theyre paid to do so, Poling says. The presence of these fishing vessels has sped the decline of fish around the islands, led to clashes with fishing boats from other countries, and given China cover to build military installations on some of the reefs, further reinforcing its claims to the territory.

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Partly because they travel in groups and sometimes with armed security, Chinese fishing ships are often aggressive toward competitors or perceived threats. I saw this up close in 2019 after paying my way onto a South Korean squid ship and heading offshore in the Sea of Japan, where I hoped to document the presence of illegal Chinese squidders operating in North Korean waters.

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We raced to catch up with what turned out to be not just one ship but nearly two dozen, all heading single file from South Korean waters into North Korean waters.

Our captain was a short and wiry man, roughly 70 years old, with deep-set eyes and skin weathered like an elephant. On the morning of our scheduled departure, the hired crew told the captain that they would not be working the trip. They said they were too nervous about being associated with any reporting related to North Korea and about getting near Chinese fishing ships.

The captain said we could still go to sea with just his first mate but the ship would be tough to manage, dirtier than normal, and we would need to help him when asked.

Stinking of rotten chum and skating-rink slippery from the prior catch, the deck of the 60-foot-long wooden vessel was a mess. Crew quarters were trashed, and the ship engine conked out on us several hundred miles from shore, leading to a tense two hours until it was fixed.

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Shortly after nightfall on our very first day offshore, the blip of a boat appeared on our radar. We raced to catch up with what turned out to be not just one ship but nearly two dozen, all heading single file from South Korean waters into North Korean waters. All were flying Chinese flags, and none with their transponders turned on, as required in South Korean waters.

In sending a previously invisible armada of industrial boats to fish in these banned waters, China has been violently displacing smaller North Korean vessels and spearheading a decline in once-abundant squid stocks. Asked about the findings, documented by novel satellite technology from Global Fishing Watch, and confirmed by my 2019 excursion, documented for NBC, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it conscientiously enforced the U.N. Security Councils North Korea resolutions and has consistently punished illegal fishing, but it neither confirmed nor denied the presence of Chinese ships there.

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We followed the boats, filmed them, documented their identification numbers, and after about 45 minutes, we put a drone in the air to get a better look at the ships. In response, one of the Chinese boat captains blared his horn, flashed his lights, and then abruptly cut toward us in a ramming maneuvera warning. We stayed our course, but the Chinese ship continued toward us. When it reached within 30 feet of us, we suddenly veered to avoid collision.

This was as much as our captain wanted to risk. Deciding it was too dangerous to continue, he turned our ship around and began the eight-hour trip back to port, during which he seemed unusually quiet and slightly rattled. They are very serious, he kept murmuring, referring to the Chinese fishermen, who, undaunted, continued heading into North Korean waters.

Clearly, subsidies had not just grown the Chinese fishing fleet into a global force of unprecedented size and geographic reach. They had also instilled a sense of ambition, drive, and boldness that few other countries or their fishing captains were willing or able to challenge.
Afghan government-backed negotiators are set to head to Doha for peace talks with the Taliban, a top official said Wednesday, as President Ashraf Ghani insisted Kabul had met all its commitments for negotiations.

Talks were supposed to begin in March but were repeatedly pushed back as the Taliban and the Afghan government squabbled over a prisoner exchange, which included hundreds of battle-hardened insurgents.

Kabul broke an impasse with the insurgent group Monday by resuming the protracted prisoner exchange, offering a fresh impetus for peace talks to begin.

"The government has fulfilled all its commitments in the peace process that the international community had hoped for," Ghani told the negotiating team at a meeting at the presidential palace on Wednesday, his office said.

"The release of Taliban prisoners is a clear demonstration of the government's commitment to peace."

Kabul had baulked at the release of the final 400 Taliban inmates who Ghani described as "a danger to the world", before a group of prominent Afghans approved their release for the sake of peace talks.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior government official told AFP on Wednesday that at least 200 prisoners have been released since Monday and the process "will continue today too".

A Taliban official said "the last batch" of their prisoners were still to be released and were expected to be freed later Wednesday.

With the prisoner release almost complete, peace talks are expected to finally begin in Qatar.

The Afghan government-backed negotiating team "will leave for Doha tomorrow (Thursday)", said Fraidoon Khwazoon, spokesman to Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, which is leading the overall peace process.

- 'Critical stage of peace' -

The date for talks to start is still to be fixed.

Paris and Canberra had opposed the release of militants on the list tied to the killing of French and Australian civilians and troops in Afghanistan.

Story continues

It is not known if those militants have been released.

In return for the 400 prisoners, the militant group has freed four Afghan commandos and are expected to release two more on Wednesday, a Taliban official said.

"We expect the Taliban to live up to their commitments on the release of the remaining captives," Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

The prisoner exchange was agreed in a deal between the Taliban and the United States in February, which said Kabul should release a total of 5,000 militants in return for the Taliban freeing 1,000 Afghan troops.

Ghani said a "critical stage of peace" had been reached and that the talks would help reduce violence and finalise a permanent ceasefire.

The Taliban have said they were willing to begin negotiations "within a week" of the prisoner swap being completed and blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations.

Kabul has already sent a "small technical team" to Doha to make logistical preparations ahead of the peace talks, Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace Affairs told AFP.

emh-jds/wat/qan
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked Ghanaians to shun persons who promote ethnocentrism and divisions.



No one who is committed to the Ghana Project, as I am, can have an ethnic agenda. Rather, we should shun all those who would promote ethnic sentiments and divisions amongst us for selfish, partisan, political ends," he said.



The President said this when he commissioned the Five Piped Water Supply System at Amedzofe in the Ho West District for 69,000 residents of three districts in the Volta Region on Tuesday.



He told the gathering that if there was one person who recognised and appreciated the indivisibility of Ghana, it was him, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



"There are people from this region, some of whom are well known to you here in Amedzofe, who serve in sensitive parts of my government and influence decisions on a daily basis. I may have my own failings like we all do, but being a tribalist is not one of them.



In my time as President, development has been distributed equitably to all parts of the country, and the impact of our policies has been felt by all. So, I want to assure all of you that neither the NPP nor I have any plan whatsoever to bring division to any part of the country.



We do not have an ethnic agenda against any group or grouping in the country, and, certainly, we have no ethnic agenda against residents of the Volta Region.



On the deployment of soldiers along the country's borders, which his opponents had sought to made political gains, the President stressed again that "the Volta Region was not and has not been singled out for any special military operation."



The deployment of the military personnel along our borders is an ongoing nationwide exercise, and has been done across all our borders, and not in the Volta Region alone. One thousand soldiers are the subject of this deployment, of which 163 are based along the borders of Volta.



Their presence is to guard against potential terrorist attacks on our shores and to prevent the importation of the virus into our country. They have not been stationed at our borders to execute any political or ethnic agenda, he noted.



He told residents of the region that he would keep knocking on the door until the door is opened to me until the Volta Region and the NPP are married. I know that this constituency, Ho West, will one day revert to being a stronghold for the NPP as it once was for the United Party.

Source: GNA









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The time has come for Indian Americans to get more involved in politics, Nikki Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, said Tuesday, exhorting the minority community to embrace their accomplishments, brag about them and not hide behind their traditional humility and shyness.

Whether its Republican or Democrat, said Hailey, a lifelong Republican herself and a rising star in the party, adding, get involved, dont just get involved by vote. Get involved by running, get involved within government offices, in public sectors.

I think Indians are so good at everything they touch, its a natural progression to have them get involved in politics as well, she added further.

Haley chose an unusual platform for her muscular message for the community  the annual summit of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a trade body. She was in conversation, virtually, with Ajay Banga, the MasterCard CEO, another successful Indian American like herself.

Haley is by far the tallest political leader in the community. No Indian had ever held a federal cabinet-rank position before she was named by President Donald Trump as ambassador to the UN in 2017. She is also a two-time state governor, an honour she shares with Bobby Jindal, a fellow Indian-descent Republican.

Haley might have to concede that community crown to another Indian-American, Kamala Harris - if she wins. Harris is running for vice-president with Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president.

In growing recognition of her standing in the party, Haley, despite being out of office, landed a major speaking spot at the just concluded party convention to re-nominate President Donald Trump. She is widely expected to run for the Republican presidential nominee in 2024

There are an estimated 4 million Americans of Indian descent. At just about 1% of the population, they are not big in numbers. But they are the most affluent and educated community, and the most philanthropic, something that Haley said makes her feel the proudest about being Indian American.

Those are things that we should brag about because those that have come before us have worked so hard to reach these points and we have to make sure that we take to the next level, Haley said, urging the community to speak more about its accomplishments, and flaunt them.

I think that we have to not be so shy and not be super humble, but also go out there and try and share what we know we can be good at, and I think that theres a lot of different aspects from business to education to health care, everything in between that we can share that will add to this country and make people more proud of the Indian community that is here, Haley added.

There are no counts of the number of Indian Americans running for office at any time  because the range includes everything from the White House to the county education board and lower  but the number of those elected to the most high-profile positions has been growing over the years.

From just the one, Dalip Singh Saund in 1956, the number of Indian Americans in US congress has risen to five  Harris in the Senate and Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna in the House of Representatives.

Haley is calling for more, up and down the range.
Househunters could snap up a three-bedroom home for less than the cost of a brand new car.

A property at 29 Monash Avenue at Underbool in Victoria's northwest is up for sale for only $60,000.

But the low price has already attracted eight purchase offers and racked up more than 10,000 views for the property's online listing.

A property at 29 Monash Avenue at Underbool in Victoria's north west is up for sale for only $60,000

This is despite the property's location in a tiny farming community with a population of just 215 people.

The real drawcard seems to be the home's distance from major cities, and ease of access to nature including the renowned Pink Lakes and the Murray River.

While the town has a primary school and general store, it is 150km south of Mildura and 476km north west of Melbourne.

Underbool's only pub has also been closed for the last two years, but the watering hole is also up for sale for interested buyers.

Realtor Ian Miers from Burns & Co Mildura said the coronavirus pandemic has been driving buyers out of major cities and into the countryside.

The three-bedroom home sits on a 1244sqm block of land with a massive backyard and a water tank

As an added bonus buyers can move into the home fully furnished

'And with the COVID-19 situation in Melbourne, the last three properties I've sold, in Ouyen, were all to people escaping Melbourne,' Mr Miers told realestate.com.au.

Those looking to purchase the property include buyers from Canberra, and those from the bushfire affected town of Cann River in East Gippsland.

The three-bedroom home sits on a 1244sqm block of land - around three times the average lot size in Melbourne's greenfield estate.

The $60,000 price tag is also 12.5 times less than Melbourne's median house price of $750,000.

Mr Miers said the house has a big backyard and comes with the bonus of an antique oven which could fetch a decent price on its own.

The home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms

'(The house has) a lovely big backyard, 11ft (3.35m) ceilings, and a fair bit of charm and character about it,' Mr Miers said.

'It has a magnificent old slow-combustion stove in it  if I pulled that out, I could probably sell it for $3,000-$4,000.'

As an added bonus buyers can move into the home fully furnished, with all kitchenware included.

The home also features two bathrooms, a full width verandah which is covered at the rear, a butler's pantry, and a water tank.

Meanwhile the town pub is also up for sale at around double the price of $170,000 - $187,000

Meanwhile the town pub is also up for sale at an asking price of around $170,000 - $187,000.

Underbool has sold three properties for the $60,000 mark from July 2016 January 2017.

Several dilapidated properties also sold in the town for less than $10,000 in 2015 which were set for demolition.
She never fails to turn heads with her amazing fashion choices.

And Myleene Klass showed off her wild side on Wednesday as she rocked leopard print trousers while making yet another stylish arrival to work.

The presenter, 42, looked effortlessly chic in her work ensemble as she made her way into London's Global Radio studios ahead of her Smooth Radio show.

Looking good: Myleene Klass showed off her wild side on Wednesday as she rocked leopard print trousers while making yet another stylish arrival to work

Myleene teamed her leopard print trousers with a pretty denim shirt which featured ruffled cap sleeves.

Accessorising her look, the star added chunky black lace-up boots and a black tasseled handbag, while she shielded her eyes with oversized sunglasses.

The stunner flashed a warm smile after being dropped off to work by her beau Simon Motson.

Wild thing: The presenter, 42, looked effortlessly chic in her work ensemble as she made her way into London's Global Radio studios ahead of her Smooth Radio show

Myleene's latest appearance came after her recent social media run-in with a troll who claimed her boyfriend Simon will cheat on her.

The broadcaster recently posted a gallery of sweet images with the PR executive beau, 45, to celebrate five years since they had met.

However a troll wrote underneath: 'Not long before this one cheats on you. Dear oh dear, heading for the lawyers are we?'

Style Queen: Myleene teamed her leopard print trousers with a pretty denim shirt which featured ruffled cap sleeves

Fashionista: Accessorising her look, the star added chunky black lace-up boots and a black tasseled handbag, while she shielded her eyes with oversized sunglasses

In a pointed response, she fired back: 'He wishes! Cheating exes usually get a house, a car and a fat pay-off, in what appeared to be a dig at her ex-husband Graham Quinn, who left her on her 34th birthday in 2012.

The heartbreaking incident came just six months after the couple's wedding, but they had been together for 11 years at the time, after meeting when Graham became the bodyguard for Myleene's pop group Hear'Say in 2001.

The former couple are parents to two daughters, Ava, 13, and Hero, nine and Myleene was devastated to learn that he had secretly bought a bachelor pad for himself  meaning that he must have been planning his departure for some time.

Work it: The stunner flashed a warm smile after being dropped off to work by her beau Simon Motson

Wild child: Myleene also rocked a matching leopard print face mask as she made her way into the studio

Her catwalk: The musician was effortlessly stylish as she strutted down the street

The TV star was said to be blindsided by the split after supporting Graham, but it was never publicly confirmed if he cheated.

Myleene is now in a happy relationship with PR exec Simon who she began dating in 2015 after being introduced by two mutual friends.

They welcomed their first child together, son Apollo, in August last year.

Work it: The former Hear'Say singer was sure to turn heads in her leopard print themed ensemble
As the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State draws closer, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, will lead governors and other leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to flag off the re-election campaign of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The debut rally will come up on Saturday, September 5 in the Ondo State capital city, Akure, township stadium by 11 am.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, Olabode Olatunde, and made available to journalists on Wednesday.

The partys Director of Publicity, Steve Olatoro, also corroborated the statement in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

The party, however, urged supporters to comply with COVID-19 protocols at the campaign ground.

On the other hand, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed the flag-off of the campaign of its candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, from September 5 to September 12.

The partys Secretary, National Campaign Council, Abdullahi MaiBasira in a statement, apologised to their supporters for any inconveniences related to the change in date.

The two major parties, on Tuesday, sparred over allegations of procurement of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from potential voters.

ALSO READ:

The opposition party accused the ruling party of buying PVCs from commercial motorcycle riders and traders in the state. The allegations were made in a statement signed by the PDPs spokesperson, Kennedy Peretei, in Akure.

He said the activities allegedly being carried out are illegal.

But the spokesperson of the APC, Alex Kalejaiye, denied the allegations when contacted. He claimed PDP is only feeling insecure.

They are certain that they cant win the election and thats the reason for such allegations. They should stop all their allegations.
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Channel Nine's Travel Guides will not be aired this year.

Instead, the fourth season of the popular show will be shown in 2021, a source confirmed with TV Tonight on Wednesday.

It is thought that the popular program has been delayed because Australians are unable to travel due due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On hold: Channel Nine has delayed airing season four of Travel Guides in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured is the Fren Family

Season four is set to feature destinations in Europe, the Middle East, USA, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The new season was also meant to be the debut for the new couple replacing husband and wife team, Deepesh and Sage.

Next year: Season four of the travel show will instead be shown in 2021, It was supposed to air following Easter. Pictured is a Mark Fren quad biking through Cape Town, South Africa

All over the world! Season four is set to feature destinations in Europe, the Middle East, USA, Africa, Asia and Australia. Pictured are best friends Kev, Teng and Dorian

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for further comment.

Travel Guides sees six groups of ordinary Australians become travel critics and experience international and domestic holidays.

Over the course of a week, they must review their accommodation, local cuisine and tour famous sights.

Wild ride! Previously groups have taken part in activities such as safaris (pictured), quad biking tours and white water rafting

Previously groups have taken part in activities such as safaris, quad biking tours and white water rafting.

Travel Guides first aired on Channel Nine back in 2017 and was renewed for a second season soon after.

In the past, groups have travelled to Sri Lanka, South Africa, Vietnam and New Zealand.
I understated the case when I called MSNBC's host Joy Reid an "embarrassing ignoramus" four years ago. It's one thing to spout Hamas propaganda, get her facts all wrong about Hillary Clinton's email scandal, or even lie about people hacking her blog posts to evade responsibility for what she wrote. It's quite another to imply anything negative about Muslims on MSNBC's programming. Even if spreading the latest phony progressive talking point that Trump-supporters are responsible for the BLM/Antifa riots...because they are acting the way "Muslims act."



Twitter video screen grab.

Cue the outrage:

Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous. We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd

And:

Zakir Khan, board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oregon, said the MSNBC star's remarks were "so unbelievably Islamophobic it's ridiculous," asking whether she planned to apologize for the way she "stereotype[d] an entire group of Muslims."

Civil rights organization Muslim Advocates, meanwhile, called on Reid to apologize on air Tuesday night for "spreading the false, dangerous myth that Muslims are inherently radical and violent." The group also said the network also "needs to take action to ensure anti-Muslim bigotry has no place on its network."

"Whoa. Joy Ann Reid says that 'Muslim leaders... talk a lot of violent talk & encourage their supporters... to commit violence' and goes on to compare 'the way Muslims act' to Trump and his supporters," tweeted HuffPost reporter Rowaida Abdelaziz, who covers Islamophobia and social-justice issues. "What a terrible, dangerous, & completely inaccurate analogy to make."

Sen. Bernie Sanders' former campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray, meanwhile, questioned the way Reid generalized about how "nearly 1/4 of the world population acts."

AJ+ producer and host Sana Saeed called Reid's remarks "appalling," adding that the host "just throws out 'Muslim leaders' encouraging 'their followers' to 'use their bodies to inflict violence' (which leaders?)" before comparing "'how Muslims act' to American white nationalist radicalization." And Jacobin staff writer Luke Savage described Reid's remarks as "racism plain and simple," saying the "subtext is more or less that Trump is 'radicalizing' his supporters, just like the barbarians do."
-Jubilee vice-chair David Murathe said William Ruto was not the right choice for the top job given the way he has behaved as deputy president

-Murathe cited the many scandals facing Ruto, saying Uhuru wants to leave Kenya in safe hands once he completes his term

-The remarks appeared to confirm the reality the DP was no longer part of the president's succession plan

-Uhuru in early 2020 accused Ruto of trying to forcefully take the relay baton from him

President Uhuru Kenyatta wants to ensure he leaves the country in safe hands once he completes his term in 2022, Jubilee Party vice-chairman David Murathe has said.

But according to Murathe, those hands will not Deputy President William Ruto's.

READ ALSO: Two huge pythons crash-land into man's kitchen while fighting over mate on ceiling

Jubilee vice-chairperson David Murathe during a past event. Photo: David Murathe

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Magazeti Jumatano Septemba 2: Obado alia baada ya ODM kuamua kumkaanga

The former Gatanga MP said Ruto has been "tested under probation" since 2013 and it was clearly established that he was not the right person to take over the countrys leadership from Uhuru.

He (the DP) has been on probation, he has been tested and during that time they were trying to see if he would take over, but look the jury is out there, the outspoken Murathe said during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, September 1.

Ruto's not the right successor

The vocal politician noted that he had no personal issues with Ruto, or problems with his 2022 candidature, but made it clear that the DP was not the right person to take over leadership given the way he had behaved as the second in command.

READ ALSO: Francis Atwoli gives CS Macharia 7 days to fire KQ board chairman Michael Joseph

I don't have a personal issue with the deputy president. When (former president Daniel) Moi was running around in 2002 he said this about his then vice president George Saitoti... He said Saitoti was his friend but leadership is different. Murathe said.

Concerning Uhuru's promise that he would hand over to Ruto...That was their agreement but the DP himself has said he is open to competition. People can challenge him...I can challenge him myself...There are also so many other people who are willing to challenge him for the ticket, he added.

Murathe stated that the president had an obligation to look around and determine who was the right person to succeed him; adding that people will blame him if he were to leave the country in the wrong hands.

Shape up or ship out

He cited the example of late president Daniel Moi, who in 2002 bypassed Saitoti, noting that Uhuru would likewise be meticulous about his successor.

Deputy President William Ruto (left) and President Uhuru Kenyatta during a past event when they were serving in the first term. Photo: State House

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: DP Ruto awasisimua wageni wake wa Mlima Kenya kwa kuwaimbia kwa Kikuyu

The former Gatanga MP once again insisted Ruto should shape up or ship out if he was not comfortable with some of the positions taken by the party in the recent past.

I remember he said we are junior members of Jubilee but how can junior members run him out of town? When the party leader (Uhuru) expresses himself on an issue that is the party position and if he (DP Ruto) doesnt like it he should ship out, he said.

He was quick to note that the DP had continued to be haunted by various graft scandals; a state of affairs he said denied him the necessary credentials to inherit the presidency.

Look at the scandals, the Weston Hotel land, the Ruai public land....when all these things follow you and you shamelessly walk around while you are number two, what will you do when you become number one? Murathe posed.

"Walk out of Jubilee or go to Orange House"

A few days ago, Ruto asked Murathe to leave Jubilee for supporting Opposition leader Raila Odinga in an escalating level of tension between the duo.

President Uhuru Kenyatta accused the DP of insubordination for campaigning while still in office. Photo: State House

Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Magazeti Jumatano Septemba 2: Obado alia baada ya ODM kuamua kumkaanga

The DP demanded any official of the ruling party who was in bed with the former premier to walk out of the party and meet him at the presidential ballot.

Those at Jubilee House who have decided that their presidential candidate is from Orange House should pack and go; what are they still doing at our partys head office? Bado mnatuongelesha nini? (why are you engaging us?).

"My friend, this is a democratic country. If you have chosen that your candidate is in Orange House, do the honorable thing, walk out of Jubilee, go to Orange House. We shall meet at the ballot, Ruto said.

Uhuru has made up his mind

Murathes latest remarks appeared to confirm the growing reality that Ruto was no longer part of Uhurus succession plan.

During an animated address at State House earlier this year, the head of state explained that he had made up his mind on his 2022 political game plan, with strong pointers that Ruto was no longer part of the equation.

He compared the ongoing succession politics to a relay race, stating that he initially planned to hand the baton to Ruto at the end of his term.

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
Richard Grant, author of the Natchez, Miss., tribute, "The Deepest South of All." (Nicholas Wiesnet)

On Richard Grants first day in Natchez, Miss., he saw the antebellum mansions for which the town is famous but also the site of Forks of the Road slave market, which until recently had not merited public mention.

He also attended a fancy party hosted by a cookbook author, Regina Charboneau, who told him how progressive and tolerant the town had become, while in a room of her house hung a large oil painting of her son dressed in a Confederate uniform  a souvenir of the Pilgrimage, an antebellum pageant that still takes place every year. It was all part and parcel of a town that once staged the nations largest Ku Klux Klan rally but in 2016 elected a gay Black mayor with 91% of the vote. Grants mind was swimming, but he had one clear thought: This was a place that needed writing about.

In The Deepest South of All, Grant, a veteran travel writer whose books have ranged from East Africa to the Sierra Madre, plunges headfirst into this unique city of 15,000. Natchez is as deeply Southern as it can possibly be, says Grant, 56, over the phone, but the more I got to know it, the more it seemed like a distillation of America, especially around the issues of slavery and race.

Dancers perform in the Tableaux, a longtime Natchez tradition presented during the Spring Pilgrimage. (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press)

Though filled with wild and woolly tales, Grants travelogue also posits Natchez as a stand-in for the nation and a guidepost pointing the way forward. He doesnt shrink from describing the towns annual Tableaux, a politically incorrect cringe-fest central to the Pilgrimage, but he notes some genuine and profound changes over the last decade.

Forks of the Road is now in all the tourist brochures, and everyone in town involved in tourism finally wants the Black history included, he says. They know they can no longer peddle the Gone With the Wind version of Natchez. Theres even talk of perhaps ending Pilgrimage, which would have been unthinkable five years ago.

Thats definitely progress after 150 years of white people insisting the slave had been happy and well cared for, he says. Ive heard more honest, difficult conversation about race and slavery in Natchez than I had in America until very recently.

Story continues

Some of the citys cognitive dissonance owes to its sheer eccentricity; Natchez can feel more like New Orleans than Charleston. The book opens at another party, where we meet:

a) a man who lives part time in a former mental hospital with  among other squatters  a magician, an Andrew Jackson impersonator and two fraudulent bishops.

b) a woman who approvingly relates an anecdote about the only white doctor in Natchez willing to treat Black patients during the Depression; he took in the son of a Black woman who died in childbirth, named the boy Rooster and raised him on the back porch.

c) Versace, a beagle-pug mix with truly terrible gas.

The people (if not the dog) spoke openly around Grant, he says, in part because theyre naturally hospitable and in part because he is a British expat, not a Northerner  but largely because his previous book, Dispatches From Pluto, about relocating to small-town Mississippi, had been a bestseller in the state. They felt they knew who I was, Grant says.

Immersing himself in the community created some complications. On one level youre operating friend to friend, he says, but the writer part of you has a notebook in your pocket and is thinking, You must run to the bathroom and write that down.

Grant came away with a surfeit of material. Use a random number generator and youll always land on a page that will leave you chuckling, lifting your jaw off the floor or shaking your head in dismay.

I did just that and was sent to Page 59, which depicts interpretive signs newly installed at historic sites that finally acknowledge the toll of slavery, using period drawings like one of two enslaved women with babies being whipped in a cotton field by a white man in a top hat.

Next: Page 113. A tour of a house owned by an openly gay, openly neo-Confederate couple. David Garner, a tiny man with an immaculately trimmed white mustache,  had two wings of white hair that he swept up together and hair-sprayed into a kind of pompadour. Garner has filled his house with crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors and Venetian blackamoor sculptures depicting African males in decorative servile poses, often with their torsos bared  You couldnt buy a Negro after the war, but you could buy a miniature, David quipped.

Grant spent much of 2017 in Natchez, always finding something new, like the Deacons for Defense, a black paramilitary group that beat back the Klan. But with so much material, he struggled over his first two drafts. He ultimately tied the book together with the unforgettable saga of Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima, an African prince sold into slavery in the 1800s.

It seemed impossible to understand Natchez without understanding slavery, and my book needed a narrative engine, a story to tell from start to finish, Grant says, but I also felt that by telling Ibrahimas story in the present tense and my own experiences in the past tense I could suggest something about the way time operates in Natchez and how the past is almost more vivid than the present.

As an outsider holding up a mirror to an insular community, Grant tried to be fair and empathetic, but he admits thats a very subjective endeavor. Im a little worried about how some people will react to the book.

Longwood Plantation in Natchez, unfinished after construction was interrupted by the Civil War. (J.D. Collins / Associated Press)

I called some townsfolk to find out. Charboneau, still awaiting her copy of the book, believes some locals may react poorly. The truth hurts sometimes, she says, but she trusts Grant. Richard is not a sensationalist. Still, she asks repeatedly about my impressions of the book, before concluding that, for a town reliant on tourism, any press is good press.

Jeremy Houston, a resident who gives tours of the town from an African American perspective, says Grants painful truths may inspire a much-needed shakeup.

All those people were excited he was going to write a book about Natchez, says Houston, who praises Grant as persistent and honest. But the town is not just hoop skirts and antebellum houses glorifying Southern heritage. He exposed that, and in the aftermath of George Floyd and the current racial tensions, people will see we have to overhaul the whole system.

In a town where the past isnt even past, Houston celebrates progress but remains wary. During Reconstruction, Black folks felt like we finally had a stake in American society, he says. We dont want this to be a 10-year period of change in Natchez and then go back to where we were. ... The question of whether we can trust the white community is still up in the air.
In the course of their operations, the emirate council lost about 13 district heads in addition to many ward heads, who were killed in their respective domains.

Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai Elkanemi

The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai Elkanemi has revealed that 13 district heads and several ward heads (Bulamas) in his emirate have been killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Senate Committee on Special Duties led by Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, representing Taraba Central, who were in Borno State to assess the performance of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), the Borno monarch noted that the Boko Haram crisis started in the state in July 2009 following a disagreement between the Izala and Yusufiya Islamic sects.

The crisis which degenerated into attacks of police stations and carting away of ammunition in police formations, has also displaced thousands of people who are now taking refuge in displaced persons camps across the state.

The Shehu of Borno who called for increased funding of the NEDC said;

Gradually, they moved their operations from Maiduguri to local government area headquarters and other towns within the state. In the course of their operations, the emirate council lost about 13 district heads in addition to many ward heads, who were killed in their respective domains.



The activities of the criminal elements had not deterred our district and village heads of being proactive in reporting their activities to the security agencies.

I want to call for more funding for the commission to enable it facilitate the reconstruction of destroyed communities and intervention programmes toward empowering all IDPs. The call became necessary in view of the huge destruction and losses incurred in the state as a result of the crises in the last 11 years.


LEWISBURG  The 1,030 inmates at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary no longer are confined to their cells unless for disciplinary reasons because the COVID-19 outbreak is over.

A month ago 51 inmates had tested positive for the coronavirus and were isolated within in the medium-security prison.

Statistics released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) showed no Lewisburg inmates with positive test results and 85 listed as recovered.

Eight staff members are in quarantine outside of the prison because of positive tests.

The lack of positive tests among inmates has resulted in the lifting of some inmate restrictions that were implemented during the outbreak, BOP spokesman Emory Nelson said.

Prisoners now have access to telephones and electronic messaging along with educational and recreations program, he said.

The BOP attributes the rapid recovery of COVID-19 cases to steps taken immediately after the first one that included restricting inmates to their cells.

Emery also cited daily temperature checks, quickly segregating inmates into isolation and quarantine units and reduction of staff movement by assigning them to the same post or area of the institution.

While restrictions have been lifted, he said the BOP has not reduced its proactive measures to combat the spread of the virus in keeping with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

The BOPs ban on visitors at all federal prisons remains in effect during the pandemic.

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Instead of spending hours searching for bargains the box brings them to you

Usually, when a parcel of clothes arrives on my doorstep, I know exactly whats inside. But this time I have no idea what to expect. Thats because Im not the one who chose these clothes.

Im trying out A Curated Thrift, a fashion service which sends subscribers a personalised box of clothes and accessories each month. Similar companies have sprung up recently, from Stitch Fix, which sends stylist-selected clothes from brands such as Calvin Klein and Joules, to rental services.

The big difference here is that A Curated Thrift sends only vintage, high-quality clothing scoured from thrift shops.

Founded by Florida-based fashion design graduate and mother Julia Meadows, 35, the service promises to deliver a personally curated box with clothing that fits your style, personality and body shape. Im not convinced  I havent worn vintage since I was a teenager, when I bought cut-off Levis and faded sweatshirts. But these days the idea of hunting for bargains in dusty shops just doesnt appeal, and neither do the clothes.

Radhika Sanghani shows off her vintage clothes selection sent by vintage fashion box

Aged 30, I like simple, well-made clothes. A whimsical 1950s tea dress or a 1960s patterned shift fills me with dread. Im also worried about the sizing. Vintage clothes tend to be smaller, and, at 5 ft 8 in, I struggle to find trousers that fit on the waist without coming up short.

Still, I can remember the thrill of unearthing a hidden treasure no one else has, so I give A Curated Thrift a try.

There are different monthly subscription options  with the first month on a one-off basis  ranging from 27 for one item to 46 for four, plus an additional 11 for UK postage.

First I complete a style questionnaire. The options range from boho rocker to intellectual chic.

I settle on minimalist: you like elegant shapes and simple clean lines, and eclectic: you beat to the rhythm of your own drum, mainly because I like the accompanying photos of distinctly un-vintage-looking blazers and trousers that could be from Whistles. In the additional info box I say that I like my clothes to be smart-casual.

It asks for bust, waist and hip measurements, but I just write UK size 6/8 for trousers, and size 8 top.

One of the items delivered to Radhika by A Curated Thrift, a tie-dye t-shirt

If you have very specific tastes, the level of detail on the four-page questionnaire is impressive.

I fill out my preferences for tailored, snug or loose fits (tailored for me), my favourite vintage era (no idea, so I leave it blank), and whether I have an Instagram or Pinterest page Id like to share to showcase my style (I dont).

The box also contained a pair of pinstriped loosely cut trousers

Theres an option to request that they shop for accessories for you, and a box to say if youd like any part of your body covered.

I must admit I was curious as to how these poor stylists were going to find a smart-casual outfit that combined minimalist and eclectic. Two weeks later, I find out theyve actually managed it.

I receive pinstriped 1980s high-waisted trousers which fit perfectly, a structured, cropped black top with long sleeves, a crazy tie-dyed T-shirt, a sleek teal blazer and complementary plastic daisy earrings.

Theyre not pieces I would necessarily pick myself  but nothing like the badly fitting, musty dresses Id envisioned. The clothes feel comfortable and stylish.

I dont recognise the labels, but Julia says my haul is worth around 150 (a bargain for the 57 I spent) and when I wear the ensemble with the black top on a pub outing, the compliments are flowing.

People are often pleasantly surprised with their box, says Julia, who founded her business in 2018. She now has several hundred regular subscribers  and says she has seen a 20 per cent increase in sign-ups each month.

Some people can be scared. They think vintage can be gimmicky or make too much of a statement, but theres a lot out there that isnt too loud. Like a minimalist, cream blouse from the 1980s with a square cut thats really on trend right now.

And finishing the look off with a statement the box also included a bright teal blazer

The box is aimed at those who want to be conscious with their fashion choices

Most of the time she hunts for good quality one-of-a-kind pieces that will appeal to her customers  hard-working young women coming into the workforce, or hard-working mothers who might have a management role.

These women are the reason she set up her company while working full-time in the software industry, and just months after giving birth to her son, Kolton.

Our boxes provide a full outfit selected in an eco-conscious way, which solves a real problem for busy women, she says.

Lauren Bravo, author of How To Break Up With Fast Fashion, points out that vintage subscription services encourage a move away from must-have trends.

Radhika said she is impressed and could see herself subscribing regularly to the service

This is about loving clothes for their own merit, but you still get that thrill of having fresh items in your wardrobe each month, she says. However, we need to be careful that second-hand hauls dont become a mindless placebo. A wardrobe full of second-hand clothes we havent chosen and might not love isnt necessarily the answer.

Plus points are A Curated Thrift lets you change your preferences each month and give feedback if you dont like something in your box. An extra item will be sent the next month, but instead of returning the item, customers are encouraged to donate to a charity shop.

Im impressed. I cant see myself subscribing regularly, but I love that this is a cost-effective and relatively eco-friendly way to revamp your wardrobe through a stylist.

There will always be items that dont work (Im not convinced by the tie-dye T-shirt) but I can vouch that there werent any nasty odours in my box  just an outfit that went down very well at the pub.
News of the late Chadwick Boseman's private battle with cancer surprised his fans and former co-stars, giving them a deeper understanding of the actor and what he was going through over the last four years. One of those people is Chadwick's "Da 5 Bloods" co-star Clarke Peters, who wasn't aware of the health battle he was facing as they shot the movie in Thailand last spring. During an interview on ITV's "Good Morning Britain," Clarke shared kind words about his co-star  and admitted that he got the wrong impression of Chadwick as people doted on him on set. "I'm thinking, 'Well, maybe the Black Panther thing went to his head.' But now  I regret even having those thoughts because they were really looking after him," he said through tears.
Asia I Am a Taiwanese, Czech Speaker Tells Taiwan Assembly, Irking China

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is pictured after delivering a speech at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday. / Kyodo
Irelands new agriculture minister, Charlie McConalogue, takes office just four days ahead of make-or-break talks on Brexit in London.

Preparations for a no-deal Brexit could become the new incumbents top priority, unless there is progress in Round 8 of the UK-EU negotiations in London next Monday, September 7.

The seventh round of talks between the negotiating teams ended on August 20 with the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, accusing the UK of wasting time and warning that an agreement this year was unlikely.

Without a breakthrough, there is a fast-growing risk that negotiations will collapse by the end of the month.

The result of that would be the Brexit transition period ending on December 31 with the UK reverting to trading on World Trade Organization terms.

Fears of this outcome increased when Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU council, and is seen as a potential dealmaker on the UK-EU future relationship, took Brexit off the agenda for yesterdays EU ambassadors summit meeting.

Since there hasnt been any tangible progress in EU-UK negotiations, the Brexit item was taken off the agenda, an EU diplomat said.

Meanwhile, a UK document leaked to the press last Sunday, warning of public disorder, shortages, and price hikes, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, was perceived in Brussels as a sign of the UK governments seriousness about leaving the EU single market and customs union without a trade agreement.

For the new agriculture minister, the main fallout from a no-deal Brexit would be loss of free trade access for beef exports to the UK, the worlds fifth or sixth biggest beef importer.

Brexit researchers have calculated that Ireland would experience the strongest Brexit impact, of all the EU27 countries, in value-added in agriculture, with a 16.3% reduction, followed by the Netherlands (a reduction of 2.7%), and France (0.3%).

Value added is the standard method of measuring the contribution of a sector to gross domestic product and, therefore, its contribution to economic activity.

Meanwhile, farmer organisations welcomed the appointment of Minister McConalogue.

But ICMSA President , Pat McCormack warned he will have no honeymoon period. He said Brexit, CAP, Mercosur and Climate Change are the urgent areas.

IFA President Tim Cullinan congratulated the new Minister and said IFA expects him to to get to grips with his portfolio quickly.

In his statement yesterday, Mr Cullinan said, Michel Barniers assessment today to the IIEA was very bleak and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit is a real one. Farmers are in the frontline in terms of a damaging outcome and the Minister has to carry this message at Government and EU level.  He said the CAP Budget and the new Climate Bill are also urgent and critical issues.
The morning after the historic loss of Rep. Joe Kennedy III in his home state, the first time a member of the Kennedy family has lost in Massachusetts, President Donald J. Trump took to Twitter to claim it as evidence of a shift in the Democratic Party.

See, even a Kennedy isnt safe in the new Radical Left Democrat Party, tweeted Trump. Taxes up big, no 2A. Biden has completely lost control. Pelosi strongly backed the loser.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed the 39-year-old four-term congressman in August highlighting his work to support congressional candidates across the nation in 2018, work she in part credits with Democrats taking back the House.

See, even a Kennedy isnt safe in the new Radical Left Democrat Party. Taxes up big, no 2A. Biden has completely lost control. Pelosi strongly backed the loser! https://t.co/DKYVBpbpP7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 2, 2020

Sen. Ed Markey fended off a primary challenge from Kennedy following a tight and increasingly bitter campaign.

Just after 10 p.m., Kennedy staffers informed reporters that the congressman had called the senator and conceded.

A few moments ago I called Sen. Markey to congratulate him, and to pledge my support in the months ahead, Kennedy told supporters Tuesday.

The senator is a good man. Youve never heard me say otherwise. I know it was difficult between us at times, said Kennedy. Good elections get heated, but I am grateful for our debates, for his commitment to this commonwealth and for the energy and enthusiasm that he brought to this race.

This is the first time a member of the Kennedy family has lost a congressional race in Massachusetts. The Senate seat was previously held by Kennedys great-uncles, John F. Kennedy and Edward Moore Kennedy. His grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, served as the senator of New York.

My mom, dad and brother and the rest of a rowdy bunch of crazy cousins, said Kennedy. You all are my heroes, you are my role models, youre my example of what public service should be and can be.

Speaking to supporters both in person and virtual on Tuesday, Markey championed progressivism and called on young people to take action.

To the young people fighting in this movement for change, march in the streets. Protest. Run for school committee or city council or state legislature, and win, Markey said. Dont just challenge the status quo, dismantle it. When they say slow down, go faster. When they say youre too young, show up with your friends. Now is our moment to think big, to build big and to be big.

Trump when speaking of the Radical Left is partly talking of the senator from Boston, Markey, and his ties with progressive icon Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive congresswoman from New York with whom he authored the Green New Deal climate change plan.

Markey will face Republican Kevin OConnor in the November election.

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By Peter Nurse

Investing.com - European stock markets posted strong gains Wednesday, with signs of a global economic recovery overshadowing weak German retail sales.

At 3:45 AM ET (0745 GMT), the DAX in Germany traded 1.5% higher, the CAC 40 in France rose 1.4%, while the U.K.'s FTSE index was up 1.7%.

U.S. manufacturing indicators pointed to an expanding sector on Tuesday, with the reading from the Institute for Supply Management hitting its highest level in nearly two years.

Eurozone manufacturing activity also grew last month, despite Spain slipping back into contraction, while Chinese factory data signaled rising global demand for exports, a sign the world economy is recovering from the pandemic.

This broad picture of growth has meant that the market has paid little attention Wednesday to the news that German retail sales fell 0.9% on the month in July, after a revised drop of 1.9% in June.

In corporate news, Barratt Developments (LON:BDEV), Britain's biggest housebuilder, climbed 5.9% after it flagged an improvement in forward sales, despite reporting a substantial fall in annual housing completions and revenue.

Pernod Ricard (PA:PERP) rose 1.8% despite booking a 1 billion euro impairment for its fiscal year as sales plunged during the pandemic-inspired shutdowns. Helping the stock was its inclusion into the blue chip Euro Stoxx 50 as part of the indexs rebalancing.

Also entering the index were Prosus (AS:PRX), Adyen (AS:ADYEN), Vonovia (DE:VNAn) and KONE Oyj (HE:KNEBV), with BBVA (MC:BBVA), Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) Telefonica (NYSE:TEF), Orange (PA:ORAN) and Fresenius (DE:FREG) making way.

Investors will also be keeping a close eye on the ADP Research Institutes August jobs report in the U.S., due at 8:15 AM ET (1215 GMT), ahead of Thursdays weekly jobless claims and Fridays official U.S. monthly employment report.

The ADP report is expected to show gains of 950,000 non-farm private sector jobs, a hefty jump from 167,000 in July.

Story continues

Oil prices posted gains Wednesday, boosted by a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. stockpiles.

The American Petroleum Institute reported late Tuesday that crude inventories fell by 6.4 million barrels last week to about 501.2 million barrels, when analysts had expected a draw of 1.9 million barrels.

Investors will now look to the Energy Information Administrations release later in the session to see if it paints a similar picture.

U.S. crude futures traded 1% higher at $43.19 a barrel, while the international benchmark Brent contract rose 0.9% to $45.98.

Elsewhere, gold futures fell 0.5% to $1,968.80/oz, while EUR/USD traded 0.3% lower at 1.1875.

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NEW HAVEN  The potential problem is expected to be enormous.

City officials estimate between 8,000 to 10,000 families in New Haven could be subject to evictions or some form of housing insecurity given their precarious financial state related to COVID-19-connected job losses.

It will be one of the most significant things we face as a city and a state over the course of the fall and the winter dealing with families who are facing true economic crisis, Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said

To that end, the city announced Wednesday it will use $800,000 of its federal CARES funding to help some 300 families and homeowners resolve back rent and mortgage issues.

There will be a cap of $3,000 per family on back rent due; and a $4,000 cap for homeowners having problems paying their mortgage, with the Livable City Initiative negotiating the workout plan.

Were trying to help as many New Haven residents as we can, Serena Neal-Sanjurjo, the executive director of LCI, said.

This program, which has been under study for months, came just as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unexpectedly late Tuesday announced a halt to all evictions until the end of the year, but no money to resolve the financial crisis, pushing off a reckoning.

The city has been putting CARES money into dealing with the homeless and was successful with the help of nonprofits in getting permanent housing for 324 individuals; public health measures directly related to the pandemic; economic resiliency and small businesses loans; and now for housing.

The program is being called the City of New Haven Coronavirus Assistance and Security Tenant Landlord Emergency Program, or CASTLE.

CASTLE can assist as a standalone program or in conjunction with any of the state of Connecticuts housing assistance programs, to help tenants and homeowners, city officials said. Its purpose is to lessen the risk of eviction and/or foreclosure and create housing stability.

Other components of Wednesdays announcement are a hotline, 203-946-7090, that will provide guidance and assistance in accessing state and local housing programs and a fund that will be established to support renters affected by the pandemic who already are in housing court.

Neal-Sanjurjo said they will be working with counselors at the Urban League. She said in developing the program they brought in consultants who estimated that 5,600 people could be affected.

Mayor Justin Elicker said it is vital that the city help keep people in their homes because once they lose them, there is incredible instability in their lives, as well as the housing market. He said already there is an uptick in homelessness and they are worried with winter coming and the use of congregate housing how that will impact the pandemic.

Elicker said they are having a lively conversation about how we make sure we address that challenge.

We want to make sure we are on top of this crisis before it gets much, much worse from an economic perspective and from a health perspective, Elicker said.

As for the extent of the need to help renters, landlords and homeowners, the mayor said it is way greater than the financial capacity that all of us have right now. I dont think that the federal government, the state government or our city have the adequate resources to fund the need. Our concern is we dont know the full scope of how this problem will be once the eviction moratorium ends, he said.

He said of the 300 families they are looking to serve, there are other resources available, depending on their circumstances.

Erin Kemple, executive director of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, contacted at her office, commented on one of those programs: the $10 million rental assistance program the state rolled out in July that has made little progress in advancing funds for back rent. Gov. Ned Lamont recently added another $10 million to that pot.

She said in an update they received on Wednesday, of 6,139 persons who have been prequalified for the funds, some 700 have been sent to housing counselors, one of the requirements.

Of that number, Kemple said five have made it through the entire process and have been approved for payment. She said they had recommended the state have the landlords apply instead of the tenants, as they have access to the financial information.

On the CDCs decision to halt evictions, she said it is was absolutely necessary to stop the spread of the virus, but what is needed still is creation of a functional rental assistance program that will not just put off the eviction crisis until January.

With city officials Wednesday was was David Tille, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, who said he was proud of the innovative approaches taken in New Haven. HUD has approved more than $800 million for Connecticut to deal with the pandemic.

CASTLE shows what is possible when city and community organizations collaborate with state and federal agencies to find resources and solutions to keep people housed, Tille said.

The terms of CASTLE require that a landlord forgive any rent due before March, as well as forgive late fees and interest payments. After the payment, through CASTLE, the tenant will be considered current on rent.

Landlords also must be current on taxes or in a payment plan and enrolled in the residential rental licensing program. They also cannot accept other state or federal subsidies. The rental payments will be made directly to the landlord.

For help on mortgage payments, the homeowner must work with their lender and a HUD certified counselor. Payments through this program are for mortgage past due since March and can help with mortgage modification or forbearance.

The tenants and homeowners who are being helped must be New Haven residents with an income not to exceed 80 percent of area median income. For homeowners, it must be their primary residence. Recipients also have to verify income disruption due to COVID-19 and they cannot be under a court eviction order prior to March 11.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com
The Scottish National Partys leader in Westminster has accused Downing Street of the worst kind of political smear, after aides reportedly accused him of leaking the location of Boris Johnsons holiday break.

Mr Johnsons staycation in Scotland with fiancee Carrie Symonds and baby son Wilfred had to be cut short for security reasons after photographs of the isolated farmhouse - and the tent erected outside - appeared in the Daily Mail.

And reports elsewhere in the press later suggested that Number 10 suspected Ian Blackford, in whose Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency the house is situated, of letting slip where he was.

In a point of order to the House of Commons, Mr Blackford claimed there had been a targeted political smear from the prime ministers office against him making entirely and deliberately false allegations that he had helped identify the holiday location.

The photographer who provided the material for the original Daily Mail front page later confirmed that I was not the source in revealing the Prime Ministers location  a location, I might add, I was not even aware of, he said.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA

However, by this point the damage was done. This matter has not only been the worst kind of political smear, the false allegation has equally resulted in security implications for myself and my family given its serious and personal nature.

Mr Blackford said threats against him were made on social media, adding: Its a very serious situation when the apparatus of UK Government can be deployed in this way, manufacturing false briefings in order to attack an opposition politician.

Mr Johnson said he had a wonderful staycation in Mr Blackfords constituency, adding in the Commons: Im very happy to accept the assurances that he gives.

However, I just draw his attention to a tweet by a chap called Torcuil Crichton (the Westminster editor of the Daily Record) on 17 August saying: Ferocious midge count in Wester Ross tonight, I hear. Must be bad if youre fair-skinned and camping to which an account, which purports to be (Mr Blackford) but Im sure it isnt because of what hes just said, says I wonder if an education at Eton stands you in good stead for these blighters.

Anyway, Im happy to accept his assurances and protestations and I think we should leave it at that.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle expressed concerns about the security implications for both Mr Johnson and Mr Blackford, adding to MPs: Lets be very, very careful and lets learn from this.
Portland protests were quiet Tuesday night as a national spotlight remained set on the city and its response to daily demonstrations.

Tuesday ostensibly signaled Portlands 97th consecutive day of protests against police violence and anti-Black racism. But few gathered at the downtown Multnomah County Justice Center, and no large groups were reported elsewhere in the city.

The night of calm came after more than 200 people marched Monday to the Pearl District condominium tower where Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler lives to demand his resignation.

Some in the group graffitied and damaged the building and sidewalk and threw a burning bundle of newspapers into retail space in the building. Police declared a riot and ultimately arrested 19 people.

Wheeler on Tuesday said hes looking for a new place to live. Demonstrators have gathered outside his condo building sporadically since mid-June  at least twice when he was not there.

Protests in Portland have repeatedly drawn the attention of federal officials, including President Donald Trump, who again tweeted Wednesday about developments in Oregon.

Quoting a tweet about law enforcement officials denying Gov. Kate Browns request to help staff Portland protests, Trump said: Some things just dont get any crazier. Just call me Kate, problem over!

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Everton Bailey Jr. of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

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By Trend

The total depth of drilling works of Azerbaijan's leading gold mining company, Azergold CJSC, is expected to be 70,000 meters by the end of 2020, Head of AzerGold's Public Relations Department Leyla Sadikhova told Trend.

Sadikhova noted that the total depth of drilled geological wells during the first seven months of 2020 surpassed 26,000 meters.

Following the exploration work carried out in 2019 the overall reserves of the nonferrous metals at AzerGolds sites soared by more than 20 times, Sadikhova said.

AzerGolds representative said that the extraction and export of these reserves will bring money to the country's economy in the amount of several billion manat.

In 2019, the depth of drilling work at all sites of AzerGold, exceeded 47,000 meters, Sadikhova stressed.

The volume of gold mined in 2019 increased by 21.3 percent compared to 2018, while silver - by 33.2 percent.

Despite the fact that the company forecast to produce 50,000 ounces of gold in 2019, it produced 10.4 percent more, that is, 55,200 ounces.

Likewise, 87,400 ounces of silver was predicted to produce during 2019, while the actual volume exceeded the forecast by 17.9 percent, reaching 103,000 ounces.

Production figures for 2019 are the record-breaking for the entire period of the Chovdar mining and processing complex.

Last year, AzerGold transferred about 13.5 million manat ($7.9 million) to the state budget.

(1 USD = 1.7 manat on Aug. 18)

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Minsk on Thursday, after weeks of protests against a disputed presidential election

President Vladimir Putin (right) would host Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow "in the next couple of weeks". (AFP)

Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Belarus on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday, after weeks of protests in Minsk against a disputed presidential election.

Lavrov also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would host Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow "in the next couple of weeks".

He made the announcements at the start of a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow, Russian news agencies reported.

Unprecedented protests broke out in ex-Soviet Belarus after Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state for 26 years, claimed re-election with 80 percent of the vote in the August 9 poll.

The 66-year-old strongman has refused to give in to protesters' demands to quit.

Putin has backed Lukashenko and raised the possibility of sending military support if Belarus "starts to get out of control".

Belarus has for years relied on Russia for cheap oil and loans and further economic assistance is likely to top the agenda of Mishustin's visit to Minsk.

In recent years the Kremlin has pushed for closer economic and political integration between the two ex-Soviet countries but Lukashenko has resisted an outright unification.

Separately, Belarus's Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin will visit Russia on Friday, his office said in a statement.

Khrenin will take part in a meeting of defence ministers of post-Soviet countries, it said.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo congratuled Vietnam on its National Day on Wednesday, hailing the transformation of the two countries relations as 'remarkable' and appreciating the Southeast Asian countrys coordination in COVID-19 response.

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I send congratulations to the people of Vietnam as you celebrate your National Day, Secretary Pompeo was quoted as saying in a press release on the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

Vietnam and the U.S. are celebrating 25 years of their diplomatic relations in 2020.

The remarkable transformation of our relationship, across trade and investment, security cooperation, and people-to-people ties, is a testament to those who worked to overcome the past and build a better future for both our peoples, the diplomat remarked.

Pompeo added that both sides had recently signed an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time ever.

This is a significant and symbolic milestone in this historic year for our two countries, he said.

We commend Vietnam for its successful Chairmanship of ASEAN in this challenging year, and we appreciate your close coordination in the fight against COVID-19, he added.

As we work together to build a more peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, I extend best wishes to the people of Vietnam.

Hanoi and Washington restored ties on July 11, 1995, when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the formal normalization of diplomatic relations between the two sides after a two-decade halt.

Over the course of COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam has donated tons of face masks to the U.S. to help it fight the virus.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff says she left word on the first ladys email use out of her Melania and Me book because she just had so much to pen.

First Lady Melania Trump has used personal email accounts in the White House, according to an interview with her former friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

Trumps former friend and senior adviser is preparing to release a new tell-all memoir, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady.

Ivanka Trump (left) President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as he prepares to deliver his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination on the South Lawn of the White House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, Winston Wolkoff said that neither she nor the first lady used their assigned White House emails. The newspaper viewed messages from Trump that came from a private Trump Organization account, an email from the MelaniaTrump.com domain, iMessage and Signal, the encrypted messaging app.

According to the report, the messages included discussions about government hiring, contracts, detailed schedules during state visits, logistics of White House events and finances for the presidential inauguration.

Read More: New book on Melania Trump reveals true beliefs on Trumps child separation controversy

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, as well as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have all been investigated by the House Oversight Committee for their use of private accounts to conduct government business. President Donald Trump built his 2016 campaign around chants of Lock her up! He constantly criticized Hillary Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

While the first lady is not a government employee, ethics lawyers note that if she is conducting government business, it should be done using a White House email address. Messages sent using those accounts are preserved under the Presidential Records Act.

Personal email use is allowed under the act, but the records must be carefully maintained.

Read More: Cardi B on RNC speaker comparing her to Melania Trump: Didnt she use to sell that WAP?

Story continues

Winston Wolkoff told The Post that she did not include information on the first ladys private email use in her book because she just had so much to write about.

The former New York City event planner and senior Vogue staffer was ousted from the White House after investigations into spending surrounding the presidential inauguration. She participated in the subsequent investigations. She was paid nearly a half-million dollars for producing its festivities.

Winston Wolkoff has also said that she has multiple tapes of Melania Trump disparaging Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, who the author claims the first lady enjoyed calling Princess.

Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Melania Trump used private email accounts in White House, friend says appeared first on TheGrio.
China's first-generation guided-missile destroyers all retire from service

PLA Daily

Source: China Military Online

Editor: Chen Lufan

2020-09-01 23:14:59

ZHANJIANG, Sept. 1 -- A naval flotilla under the PLA Southern Theater Command last Friday held a decommissioning ceremony for two destroyers, the Zhanjiang (Hull 165) and the Zhuhai (Hull 166), both of which had served in the PLA Navy (PLAN) for nearly 30 years. The ceremony marked the final retirement of all the Type-051destroyers, as China's first-generation guided-missile destroyers independently developed and built by China, from active service.

As the PLAN's first warships equipped with the modern ship-based command and control system, the Zhanjiang and the Zhuhai were the last two members and also the most modernized with fully enclosed bridge and hull in the Type-051 destroyer family. The former was commissioned to the Nanhai Fleet on December of 1989 and the latter in November of 1991.

In 1997, the Type-051G2 destroyer Zhuhai visited the U.S., Mexico, Peru and Chile, becoming the first of the PLAN's main battleships crossing the Pacific Ocean.

All the 17 Type-051 destroyers were built from the 1970s to the early 1990s in Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou. They had served as the main surface combat ships of the PLAN for a long time with multiple modifications based on varied needs and technical requirements.

After the ceremony, the two warships will be handed over respectively to Zhanjiang City and Chongqing Municipality to serve as bases for national defense education and patriotic education.

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A cabinet minister today made the case for tax cuts to deal with the huge economic black hole blown by Covid-19 in Britains finances.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to be considering a range of tax increases after spending tens of billions to limit the impact of the crisis on businesses and jobs.

However, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey appeared to cast doubt on such a strategy by suggesting that lowering tax rates could actually bring in more revenue.

When weve cut tax rates weve actually seen taxes increase, she told Times Radio. So tax rates is a very dynamic situation. Some people might assume the only way to get tax up is to increase tax rates, but we have shown in our economic history the opposite.

Her intervention ahead of an autumn Budget highlights the opposition Mr Sunak will face from Tory MPs to several tax hikes floated in recent days.

A Treasury source said reports of a 5p rise in fuel duty were totally untrue, but did not rule out a hike in fuel taxation.

Ministers are also reported to be considering reforming capital gains tax so people pay it at the same rate that they do income tax, putting up corporation tax from 19 per cent to 24 per cent, ending the pension triple lock and scaling back pension tax relief.
Actor Amitabh Bachchans granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda is working on normalising the conversation around mental health with her organisation Aara Health. On Tuesday, the organisations Instagram page shared a video in which Navya talked about her own struggle with anxiety and how she has sought therapy for it.

In a conversation with the other co-founders of the organisation, Navya said that earlier she didnt feel comfortable talking about going to therapy. It was something new for me as well. I wanted to kind of experience it myself before talking about it. Obviously, my family knows that I am in therapy but I dont think any of my friends do. I dont know if would still go and tell them, she said. Navyas mother Shweta Bachchan commented Bravo on the video.

I went fairly recently, like you said that you realise when you hit rock bottom. I feel like I hit rock bottom multiple times and I just couldnt figure out why. I was like okay, obviously something has to change, I need to talk about it. I think it helped coming to that conclusion. Now once a week I am in that routine and I dont think I am even close to hitting rock bottom because I have everything in control, I am talking to someone. Now I can identify what are the things that even get me to hit rock bottom. People realise too late sometimes that they need to get help, she added.



Navya said that what helped her was surrounding herself with people who motivate her and make her feel good. There have been times in my life when I havent been surrounded by positive people and I have seen how negatively it has impacted the way that I think. Not just about myself but about the world. I have learnt from then on that I am only going to surround myself with people who make me feel good and happy, she added. Navya even mentioned how reality shows help her de-stress and that she enjoyed watching Indian Matchmaking.

Navya is a digital technology graduate from Fordham University. Her graduation ceremony was organised recently at the familys Mumbai home as she could not return to her university for the ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic. Shweta and Amitabh had shared pictures from the cute at-home ceremony, with a graduation cap and robe made right at home for her.

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Savers who have had their money locked in property funds since the beginning of the pandemic could be forced to wait until next year to access their money.

Experts are predicting that open-ended property funds, which were suspended in March as the coronavirus crisis rocked the property market, may not be unfrozen for several more months.

One reason for the agonising delay is that many fund managers are thought to be waiting until the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) brings in rules to prevent this problem happening again.

Experts are predicting that open-ended property funds, which were suspended in March as the pandemic rocked the property market, may not be unfrozen for several more months

A slew of funds were forced to freeze investors' money inside when coronavirus hit.

Worrying that a property market slump could be on the horizon, the independent experts who regularly value properties said the market was so uncertain that they could not guarantee the accuracy of their valuations.

This meant fund managers could no longer be sure how much their investors' chunks of the fund were worth, when they wanted their cash back.

It follows a similar problem in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, when a wave of investors tried to pull their money out of property funds fearing that there could be a drop in commercial property prices.

Fund managers couldn't sell the properties fast enough to raise cash to pay back investors, so were forced to lock them in.

The whole affair has been frustrating for savers, who have been locked out of their nest-eggs for more than six months.

The new rules which the City watchdog has eventually proposed would enforce a notice period for all property funds, so investors have to tell the manager they want to withdraw their money up to 180 days before they can receive the cash.

This would mean that if a rush of investors asked for their money back, the manager would have time to review the market, assess a property's value and sell to raise cash if necessary.

But the FCA's consultation is not due to end until November, and then it will take more time to implement the rules if the regulator decides to go ahead. Most managers are not expecting any action until next year.

Ben Yearsley, director of Shore Financial Planning, thinks fund managers will simply wait until these new rules are in force before they reopen their funds.

He said: 'I think funds will go from what they are now to notice periods. Because otherwise, if they reopen in their current form, you'll get a rush of investors heading for the exit and they'll all have to close again.'

But Yearsley is expecting the FCA to act quickly to bring the rules into force.

He added: 'If the FCA hasn't sorted this by the end of the year, you have to wonder what they are playing at.'

A slew of funds were forced to freeze investors' money inside when coronavirus hit

Some funds may be able to open sooner. Those which already have a longer notice period, and don't allow savers to pull their money out at a day's notice, will be able to test the waters by unlocking their fund and seeing how many investors try to snatch back their cash.

But the lockdown has posed another major problem for property fund managers, as the shift to home working has caused businesses from Schroders to Barclays to weigh up whether their need so much office space.

Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell, said: 'With more businesses announcing changes to working patterns, and home working looking like it's here to stay, there is likely to be pressure on the valuations of offices in the coming months and years  just as there is in the retail space where Covid-19 has seemingly killed many businesses on the High Street.'

But Richard Peacock, manager of the Kames Property Income Fund, advised savers with money in property funds not to panic. 'When you're in the middle of a crisis, which we probably still are, it can feel like the end of the world,' he said.

'If you have outdated buildings with small lifts and old ventilation then they could struggle following this pandemic.

'But do I think businesses will forgo their office space?

'No I don't.'
Russia has deployed additionally fighter jets to Syria, although the reasoning behind the move is not yet know reports Al-Masdar.

The Russian Armed Forces are allegedly deploying additional Su-35 jets to its largest airbase in Syria, the publication, Avia.Pro, reported on Monday.

According to the article, the Russian Aerospace Forces are deploying at least three additional Su-35S fighters to the Hemeimeem Airbase in Syrias Lattakia Governorate.

A few hours ago it became known that the Russian Aerospace Forces intend to transfer several additional Su-35S fighters to Syria, which will be used to strengthen the Russian military group in the Arab republic, Avia.Pro reported.

At the moment, it is known that the fighters flew from Chkalovsky, after which they went to Privolzhsky, from where, according to analysts, the planes will go to the Hemeimeem airbase, and it is possible that the groups can be additionally reinforced with several more fighters, they continued.

The Russian publication said it is not known why Russia is deploying additional Su-35 jets to Syria; however, it was also suggested that it may not be about strengthening the Russian Hemeimeem Airbase, but about the rotation of forces, although there is no official confirmation of this yet.

The Russian Armed Forces have used the Su-35S on a number of occasions in Syria, including the two interceptions of US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean earlier this year.

On a different note, a number of Russian military personnel were seen making their way from Lattakia to Raqqa Governorate this week, as they strengthen their presence near the Turkish border.

According to a field report from Aleppo, the Russian Armed Forces sent reinforcements to the town of Ayn Issa and its surrounding area on Monday.

The report said the Russian military was transporting personnel and equipment to their checkpoints and bases in this region of Raqqa Governorate.

The Russian military has increased their presence in Raqqa Governorate over recent months, bringing with them fresh troops and armored vehicles to prevent the Turkish-backed militants from pushing into Ayn Issa.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  Health Secretary Francisco Duque III defended himself anew from allegations that he failed to oversee the controversial reimbursement scheme of the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corp., saying he has been focusing on his other roles in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hindi po ako nakasama sa pag-aaral nito (interim reimbursement scheme) noong unang panahon dahil sa tindi ng aking trabaho bilang chairman ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force), na ang aming tinutugunan ay yung mismong paglaki ng bilang ng COVID-19," Duque told lawmakers on Wednesday.

[Translation: I was not part of those who studied the implementation of the interim reimbursement scheme because of the impact of my functions as chairman of the IATF, where we directly respond to the growing cases of COVID-19.]

Duque faced the House Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, a day after a Senate Committee of the Whole recommended to charge him, resigned PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, along with other ranking officials over the alleged misuse of the state health insurer's interim reimbursement mechanism or IRM.

"Talagang napakahirap po ng ating trabaho dahil maliban sa aking pamamalakad sa Department of Health, from PhilHealth, ay pinapangasiwaan ko pa ang IATF kung saan meron kaming 33 member agencies. Napakahirap po talaga," he reasoned.

[Translation: My job was really difficult because aside from running the DOH, checking on PhilHealth, I also head the IATF composed of 33 member agencies. This is really difficult.]

The non-voting rule

In a statement on Tuesday, Duque said as PhilHealth chairman he has no vote in board decisions under the universal healthcare law. He added he did not sign the resolution allowing advance payments to hospitals for COVID-19 response.

Senators said the chairman still has to oversee the agency's affairs.

"It doesn't mean that just because they cannot vote, hindi na sila makikialam [they won't intervene]," said Senate President Tito Sotto. "It does not exonerate him from any liability."

The Senate also said Duque should be made answerable for "malversation of public funds" and for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Senator Ping Lacson said there were 632 transactions involving the IRM, which is equivalent to 632 counts of malversation.

The Health secretary, noted, however, that he will cooperate with any inquiry on the controversy.

"As I have previously stated, I will cooperate with any inquiry on the matter by the concerned government agencies," he said. "I intend to clear my name."

Lawmakers have questioned the IRM's implementation which was intended to help hospitals continue operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the money was distributed to 279 facilities before requirements were completed. The requirements were met by June 11, but the agency already released over P14 billion from March 25, Sotto said. The committee also found that the funds released exceeded the estimated costs for COVID-19 treatment.

Duque has also been under fire for failing to manage both the PhilHealth and the DOH properly amid the pandemic.

"This is not the best time for the Executive to have a difference with the Legislative branch, but two weeks ago I went to the Senate to shed light on the issues based on my personal knowledge," Duque said.

The Health secretary serves as the highest official with the longest service to PhilHealth. Senator Grace Poe previously told Duque in the Senate probe that he "failed miserably" in solving long-standing corruption issues hounding the agency.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) for Ekiti State, Tunde Mobayo, has hinted that police constables currently being recruited by the Nigeria Police across the country would be deployed in their respective local government areas.

The recruitment process has started for 10,000 new police officers to join the force with recruitment portals open for interested applicants.

The federal government has also approved the sum of about N13 billion for the take-off of its community policing initiative which is expected to bring crime-fighting closer to the local communities.

The project is also expected to bring security closer to the people with the involvement of community leaders and other local groups.

Mr Mobayo said the decision to post the new officers to their local government areas was informed by the belief that the personnel would have more knowledge about their terrain than people from other states.

According to him, the task of fighting crimes successfully is based on intelligence gathering, saying that it is only personnel who understand the cultural and social behaviour of communities that could succeed in modern-day policing.

The police commissioner, who spoke on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti through the police public relations officer, Sunday Abutu, said the recruitment was in response to an urgent need for more officers in the force.

His statement came as the command conducted the physical and credentials screening for constable/junior cadre recruitment into the force in Ado-Ekiti.

The Inspector-General of Police deemed it fit to recruit more hands into the Nigeria Police Force due to, firstly the lack of manpower in the force, and also insecurity challenges in our country, he said.

So, with the new 10,000 personnel to be employed, we will be able to cover more grounds in the system.

The essence of it is that they work in their respective states and even their local government area so as to have adequate personnel at the grassroots to fight crime.

The commissioner said the screening for applicants across the 16 local government areas of the state covered their physical fitness, medical status, credentials, and other qualifications that will make them perform optimally in the force.

He advised applicants at the screening not to pay anyone to influence their employment, saying the department of training and development at the force headquarters had the sole responsibility of selecting the most qualified applicants from results of the screening.

On the security situation in the state, Mr Abutu stressed that the command was poised to rid the state of crime, soliciting more cooperation from residents in terms of timely and accurate information on crime-related issues to the police.

We dont have any ugly incidents in the state now due to the experience of the new CP but we want to encourage our people to always give us useful information in their domains as regards crimes, and we will take action immediately,  he said.

The recruitment is in keeping with the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 2016 National Security Summit, that 10,000 officers be recruited into the Nigeria Police annually.
A council has been forced to apologise after posting a misogynistic tweet urging residents to treat coronavirus like your mother-in-law.

The posts on Stockport Councils Facebook and Twitter accounts, since deleted, told people in the Greater Manchester town that the trick to social distancing is acting like your mother-in-laws around every corner!

The comments sparked fury from social media users who highlighted the rise in domestic violence during lockdown, which disproportionately affects women.

Councillor Tom Morrison, who represents the city's Cheadle Hulme North ward, led the calls for the posts to be taken down.

While he recognised the council was trying to engage with audiences, posts that play to ridiculous stereotypes that marginalise women is simply not on.

He cited a south Manchester domestic violence charity that reported a 160 per cent spike in calls during the early stages of lockdown.

The UN has described domestic abuse as a global shadow pandemic during the coronavirus crisis as curbs across the world confined fractured families inside their homes.

More than 40,000 calls and contacts were made to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline during the first three months of lockdown, most by women seeking help.

Figures from the charity Refuge, which runs the helpline, said calls to the service were nearly 80 per cent higher than usual.

A Stockport Council spokesperson said: The council has taken down the social media posts. We apologise for any upset caused."
Morgan Countys placement on a list of counties at a warning level for COVID-19 infections is notice that the county may face additional restrictions if the virus continues to spread on its current trajectory, county health officials said.

Morgan County is one of 30 counties in Illinois that was featured Friday on the updated warning list. Pike, Jersey and Sangamon counties also were added to the list on Friday. Cass and Greene counties have been at a warning level for several weeks.

Morgan County Health Department Administrator Dale Bainter said an increase in the countys positivity rate for testing results, an increase in overall cases and an increase in fatalities contributed to the county being placed at the warning level.

As of Tuesday, 512 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Morgan County and 21 people have died from complications associated with COVID-19 in the county, including a 77-year-old woman  a resident of Jacksonville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center  who died Tuesday at St. Johns Hospital in Springfield.

Bainter said the new level is a reminder that Morgan County residents need to take seriously the mitigation strategies recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New restrictions would be a regression for the county after restrictions put in place in mid-March by Gov. J.B. Pritzkers stay-at-home order gradually were loosened.

We need to be aware of our actions, Bainter said.

Mitigation strategies include social distancing, wearing a face mask and minimizing large groups, Bainter said.

Most COVID-19 infections in the county stem from congregate living facilities such as long-term care facilities and Jacksonville Correctional Center, Bainter said. The populations inside those facilities do not frequently interact with the larger community, Bainter said, but the health department still is emphasizing the need for residents to follow mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of the virus.

City officials have echoed the call to follow CDC guidelines. In a welcome-back address to Illinois College students that was posted Thursday on the Jacksonville/Morgan County Office of Emergency Managements Facebook page, Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard urged residents to follow the guidelines.

Please wear a mask, please socially distance, opt for takeout or delivery or curbside service or outdoor seating, Ezard said. The words we are all in this together have never meant more.

Passavant Area Hospital and Memorial Health System now are providing testing space at the hospital for the community, Bainter said.

The health department also is shifting the emphasis of a building that has been used for contract tracing to provide testing, he said.

The building should be available for testing within the next few weeks, and the health department will release more information about the testing center then, he said.

The more resources we can provide our community, the better we will be, Bainter said.
Photo 1

ITRI President Edwin Liu (right) and Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil (left) pose at a welcome ceremony at ITRI in Hsinchu.

ITRI President Edwin Liu (right) and Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil (left) pose at a welcome ceremony at ITRI in Hsinchu.

Photo 2

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is impressed by ITRIs iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System for COVID-19 virus detection.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is impressed by ITRIs iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System for COVID-19 virus detection.

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An 89-member Czech delegation led by Senate President Milos Vystrcil made a visit to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) today in Hsinchu, where the delegation will learn about ITRIs accomplishments in biomedical and pandemic prevention technologies, groundbreaking innovation-oriented R&D, and industrialization of research results. ITRI is the only R&D organization that Senate President Vystrcil has visited during his stay, which highlights the significance of ITRIs role in technology diplomacy between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. The visit is expected to engage both sides in more technological cooperation based on their complementary strengths. Moreover, by leveraging the Czech Republics network in the EU, ITRI hopes to assist Taiwan industry in tapping into Europes innovation ecosystem and exploring new opportunities there.



ITRI President Edwin Liu welcomed the delegations visit with a Confucius quote, It is a great pleasure to have friends coming from afar. He indicated that ITRI, the largest applied research organization in Taiwan, has played an important role for driving Taiwans economic growth for the past 47 years. The institute, he stressed, conducts market-oriented research, acts as a bridge between Taiwan and international communities, and works with government research entities to support industry transformation.

According to Dr. Liu, ITRIs dialogue with the Czech Republic started in 2013 with the support of Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs, followed by more than ten visits between both sides. In 2017, ITRIs high-ranking officials visited the Czech Republic and signed an MoU with the Czech Academy of Sciences to establish a research collaboration platform. Moreover, the DELTA program has yielded several R&D cooperation projects. With the Czech Republics outstanding basic research capabilities and ITRIs expertise in applied research, he believes that the joint collaboration will deliver the best technologies to the market and the society.

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Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil indicated that visiting ITRI is one of the purposes of the delegations trip to Taiwanto learn the area of research development and technology practice implementation. He mentioned that Prague has several prestigious universities and R&D institutes that have built ties with ITRI. The Academy of Sciences, for example, spoke highly of the cooperation with ITRI. Senate President Vystrcil thanked ITRIs repeated invitation to Taiwan and concluded with the name of the Czech film Dobri holubi se vraceji (A Good Pigeon Always Returns Home) to expect future visits to come.

After a meeting with ITRI officials, the delegation had a showroom tour in which Mr. Vystrcil was especially impressed by ITRIs tech innovations such as the iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System for COVID-19 virus detection which can generate results in less than an hour. In addition, the Senate President was also amazed at the Institutes excellent performance in making ventilators within 17 days. Since the Czech Republic is also able to produce ventilators, he believes future collaboration in this area can be enhanced.

ITRI has joined hands with Taiwanese and Czech businesses along with Czechs Academy of Sciences to work on the development of biomedical and green energy technologies. Collaborations include an artificial skin 3D printing project that incorporates ITRIs skin tissue printing equipment, bio-inks and bionic skin technology to develop bionic products that can replace cosmetic testing on animals. Another project involves smart manufacturing and automated assembly for highly durable fuel cells. It is hoped that such joint cooperation will pave the way for entering the EU market.



About ITRI



Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the worlds leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. It focuses on the fields of Smart Living, Quality Health, and Sustainable Environment.

Over the years, ITRI has incubated over 300 innovative companies, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote opportunities for international cooperation around the world. For more information, please visit: http://www.itri.org/eng.

Media Contact

Irene Shih

Office of Marketing Communications, ITRI

+886-3-5912542

chenyishih@itri.org.tw

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27da6160-9c84-41f2-b050-de207aa7a806

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd9e107c-4c57-40ed-b586-d4d1ca5e046f




Vietnamese lose burning desire to please the deceased with joss paper

Vietnamese have gradually abandoned the traditional custom of burning joss paper during festivals as perceptions change.

Like many others, Tran Thi Hoa, 42, of Hanoi used to buy a lot of paper replicas of jewelry, cars, cellphones, luxury villas, and cash to burn for her ancestors on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the Yulanpen Festival when prayers make rituals to pay tribute to parents (September 2 this year).

But this year she has made up her mind not to buy or burn any.

She says: "My mother told me to buy paper clothes and jewelry because she is worried our ancestors will be displeased, but I refused. It is a waste of money and it harms our environment."

The banker in Long Bien District is among many Vietnamese who have abandoned the deep-rooted custom of burning joss paper at homes, pagodas and temples.

With increasing discouragement from authorities in the last few years, people seem to have realized that burning joss paper is a wasteful superstition that hurts their living environment and are gradually giving it up.

Burning hell notes for the dead. Photo by Shutterstock/Zay Nyi Nyi.

In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many households buy less joss paper and replicas for Tet (the Lunar New Year) and the Yulanpen Festival, the most common occasions on which people burn them.

Nguyen Thi Luong, 34, a teacher in Saigons District 4, said she stopped buying paper replicas last year and "only bought some hell notes to please my ancestors."

"My family used to spend up to VND1 million $43) buying paper houses, clothes and even hi-tech gadgets to burn, that was a waste."

With millions of people like Luong abandoning the practice, many joss paper sellers have lost their business.

In Saigons Thiec Market, which has a number of shops selling them, there is not the usual hustle and bustle this year. Many have to lay off staff.

"I sold more than 100 packages during this time last year, but this year just a few dozens," Lien, who has years of experience in the business, said.

On Hanois Hang Ma Street, another joss paper hub, people stopping their motorbikes to buy hell notes and joss paper are not to be seen these days.

Joss paper and offerings makers in Thuan Thanh District in the northern province of Bac Ninh, said their sales are down to 60-70 percent this year.

"I have made joss paper and replicas for dozens of years and never seen a year as bad as this," Nguyen Thi Tuyet said.

Behind her, paper houses, motorbikes and other items lie in a pile.

Between fires

The social and economic changes that are concomitant with rapid industrialization, modernization and international integration have changed peoples attitudes toward burning votive paper, especially as young people become more conscious of the environment and less superstitious.

"I rarely see young customers; most of the people buying my products are old women," Nguyen Thi Ha, a seller on Hanois Hang Ma Street, said.

Studies show burning joss paper discharges harmful substances into the air.

Nguyen VanTuan of Bac Ninh's ThuanThanh District with a replica of a helicopter that took him seven days to make, August 2019. Photo by VnExpress/NgocThanh.

Authorities are not keen on votive paper either, and frequently urge people to abandon the wasteful ritual.

In 2019 the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha too sent out a similar call, especially at Buddhist sites, saying it is not a Buddhist ritual as people think and a waste of money.

This year the Covid-19 pandemic is also a factor since many people have lost their jobs or seen incomes cut in the last few months.

"The living are struggling, and so we take care of ourselves before buying and burning these papers and massive replicas," a customer of Ha said while buying some hell notes and gold bullion replicas.

Ha has reduced her stocks of expensive paper replicas and instead displays cheaper products for people to see.

"They do not spend hundreds of thousands of dong (VND100,000 = $4.3) on paper clothes and gadgets any more; most only buy some hell notes," she said.

According to the Vietnam General Statistics Office, the country spent some VND16 trillion ($688 million) on burning paper in 2016, eight times the money spent on childrens toys and books.

"We cant prohibit the practice, but just raise peoples awareness of the harm burning joss paper causes in the hope that people will gradually change their minds and habits," Thich Gia Quang, vice president of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Council, once said.

Hoa has had a number of arguments with her mother, who believes firmly that afterlife is similar to life on earth.

"I bought some hell notes instead of huge paper replicas for Tet, but this month I buy none. We should save money instead of buying things to burn and blindly believing that our ancestors will be happy."
Damilola Taylor's father says that 'nothing has really changed' 20 years after his ten-year-old son was stabbed to death with a broken bottle in 2000.

Richard Taylor, 72, from London, appeared on Good Morning Britain today to speak about launching his new charity The Hope Collective, which aims to educate impoverished and marginalised communities around the globe.

Damilola's father has been an avid anti-knife campaigner campaigner for years, and has continued to work to prevent youngster from turning to knife crime.

He told that while not much has moved on since his son's death, he will continue to do his 'best work' to help people 'change their life', and that an advantage of the pandemic has been a temporary decrease in knife crime.

The savage murder of Damilola Taylor, pictured, in Peckham in an unprovoked attack 20 years ago sparked nationwide outrage after the ten-year-old was stabbed to death with a broken bottle

His father Richard Taylor, 72, from London, appeared on Good Morning Britain today to speak about launching his new charity The Hope Collective

'We've been on this for the past 20-years and things have not really changed', said Richard.

'We still continue to do our best to work with people, to let them understand the need, to see the reality in life about positive behaviour and change in their life.'

He went on to say the coronavirus pandemic was an effective way of keeping young people off the streets, and that a 'good thing' about the crisis was the temporary decrease in street crime.

'It's obvious the pandemic had an effect on keeping young people at home', he said, 'The way I have seen it, it has helped in one way to prevent young people being on the street.

Richard was joined by The Hope Collective ambassador Aminat Sule (pictured bottom left) , who is training to be a barrister and hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (pictured top)

'In another way it has caused a lot of setbacks for parents who have to keep children at home. But the good thing about it is the rate of knife crime during the peak of the pandemic came down a bit.

'But now things are getting back to normal we are now hearing the rate is coming up again. But for young people it's an advantage for them to continue their education at home online.'

The savage murder of Damilola in Peckham in an unprovoked attack 20 years ago sparked nationwide outrage.

Damilola had moved to Britain from Nigeria a few months before he was jabbed in the thigh with a broken beer bottle by a gang of youths.

Richard, pictured in 2012, has been an avid anti-knife campaigner campaigner for years, and has continued to work to prevent youngster from turning to knife crime

The youngster was walking from after leaving a computer class at his local library when he was stabbed and was discovered bleeding to death in a stairway, having left a 30-metre trail of blood behind him.

Shortly before his murder he had written a school essay in which he revealed he hoped to save the world one day, his father has said.

Brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie, then aged 12 and 13, were convicted of Damilola's manslaughter in 2006.

CCTV footage released at the time of the murder showed Damilola entering a lift with two unidentified friends, who were later revealed to be his childhood friend John Boyega then aged eight, and his sister, aged 10.

Aminat called the recent Black Lives Matter movement, a 'way of life' and hopes the charity will 'bring people together'

Richard was joined by The Hope Collective ambassador Aminat Sule, who is training to be a barrister, who called the recent Black Lives Matter movement, a 'way of life' and hopes the charity will 'bring people together'.

Speaking of the movement, she said: 'It's more than a slogan, it's a way of life. Black people are being discriminated against. But where here to speak about The Hope Collective.

'We hope to address inequality for young people across the whole of the UK, the idea of The Hope Collective is to bring people together.

She went on: 'I think it's really important young people are proactive and they believe their dreams and their goals are absolutely achievable.

'It's the time the older generations make way for young people and stop seeing them as the problem and see them as the solution, I think there's time for a cultural shift'.
The U.S. Army will expand its investigation into Fort Hoods leadership after a string of deaths and disappearances around the Central Texas post, including the slaying of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, a Houston native whose death sparked a national outcry over the services handling of sexual harassment complaints.

The Army on Tuesday announced the appointment of Gen. John Murray to lead an in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Guillens case. Using information from other simultaneous probes at Fort Hood, Murray will perform a more complete and comprehensive investigation that will delve into all activities and levels of leadership, Army officials said.

In a Tuesday press call, U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said a recent survey of 53 soldiers from Fort Hood showed 18 of them had reported some type of harassment or assault, the Associated Press reported. He said those numbers were presented to Congress and are part of a growing trend of rising violence at the base that Army officials began to notice this year.

In the late spring, we started to see the number trending higher, right around the time of Vanessa Guillens murder, McCarthy said.

In an earlier news conference, McCarthy said Fort Hood has among the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army but did not provide statistics.

We are glad to know that our steadfast efforts to help expose the toxic command at Fort Hood is moving in the right direction, said Natalie Khawam, the attorney representing Guillens family and another soldier whose body was found 30 miles from the base. Unfortunately, this small step will not quell the issue of accountability that has left such heartache and loss to our nation.

She added: Congress must conduct an in-depth congressional inquiry, providing detailed accountability of the heinous crimes that took place at Fort Hood.

Murray, one of the Armys most senior commanders, currently serves as commanding general of Army Futures Command, which aims to modernize the service. His investigation will be separate from an independent review of the command culture at the base, located in Killeen about 200 miles northwest of downtown Houston.

The five civilian members on the independent review committee arrived in Killeen on Sunday, officials said. They will conduct a two-week probe that includes interviews with a wide range of Fort Hood personnel and an evaluation of the posts policies. They have been asked to provide an interim program report by mid-September and a final report by Oct. 30.

The Armys announcement also highlighted a command shakeup at Fort Hood, with Maj. Gen. John B. Richardson IV this week replacing Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, who oversaw the post at the time Guillen disappeared.

Richardson will formally assume duties Wednesday as deputy commanding general for operations of III Corps and acting senior commander. He was selected for the position in March, officials said.

Last month, Army leaders delayed the planned transfer of Efflandt to Fort Bliss, near El Paso, to take over leadership of the 1st Armored Division, according to the Associated Press. Efflandt has been directed by Army officials to remain at Fort Hood as the deputy commanding general for support, Fort Hood officials said. He will assist with the reintegration of III Corps as they return from their mission supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, according to the Armys announcement.

Guillen first arrived on the base in December 2018, when she was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. She was last seen around 1 p.m. April 22 in the parking lot of her regimental engineer squadron headquarters on the sprawling base, the largest active duty armored post in the country.

Her disappearance sparked an extensive search until her remains were found in late June, in a rural area about 30 miles from the base. Investigators said a fellow soldier lured Guillen with a request about a machine gun that needed to be serviced, then bludgeoned, mutilated and buried her with help from an accomplice.

Spc. Aaron David Robinson, the man authorities say killed her, fatally shot himself as police closed in on him in the early hours of July 1. His girlfriend, Cecily Ann Aguilar, faces trial in federal court on charges she helped Robinson dismember and hide the body.

Family members said that before Guillens disappearence, she complained of sexual harassment at the base. Her family, their lawyer and crowds of supporters rallied behind the young soldier as an example of the U.S. Armys sluggish response to the loss of one of its own on home turf and a crisis of unmitigated sexual harassment in the ranks.

The national outcry led to a congressional proposal, the #IamVanessaGuillen bill, which would make reforms in the way the military reports and investigates sexual assault and harassment. Since the discovery of Guillens remains, another young Latino solider who told the Army he was sexually abused was found dead.

Elder Fernandes body was found last week about the 30 miles from the post. He had been missing for about a week.

Aside from Guillen and Fernandes, seven other soldiers stationed at the base have disappeared or died this year, according to news reports.

There appears to be something in the water at Fort Hood, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who has been a vocal critic of the Armys investigation into Guillens disappearence. There have just been too many deaths and too many missing soldiers. I dont know the person who is replacing Efflandt, but we must make sure the Army takes actions that will actually hold people accountable and help keep our soldiers safe.

Gabrielle Banks, Olivia P. Tallet and Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.

julian.gill@chron.com
In the wake of mass protests in Democrat-controlled cities from Portland to Chicago, and now even small towns such as Kenosha, Wis., I am often asked if the violence and rioting we are experiencing is a result of systemic racism in law enforcement or, alternatively, a society increasingly less respectful of the badge.

My job experience has given me unique insight into this question. I have worked as a criminal-defense attorney and a prosecutor at the state and federal levels. I served a record six consecutive terms as the sheriff of Lake County, the second largest county in Illinois. I am also a former Democrat  my conscience as a pro-lifer led me to switch parties  who is now the Republican nominee for the United States Senate, running against Democratic incumbent Richard Durbin and independent Willie Wilson, a Chicago businessman and self-made millionaire.

When I began prosecuting criminal jury trials decades ago, the judge would give credibility instructions to the jurors, asking them one by one whether they would evaluate the testimony of the police officer like that of any other witness and not give it any more or less credibility than that of any other witness. My job as a prosecutor led me to dismiss the premise of the question, arguing that an officer would jeopardize his or her job by not telling the truth, while the defendant generally had significant reason to be untruthful. The reality, of course, is more complicated.

Police, like everyone else, run the gamut. The majority are good officers, serving with honor and often under incredibly stressful, difficult circumstances, but some are also bad. There are hardworking officers and lazy officers, honest officers and dishonest officers. And in todays strong union culture, it is considerably more difficult for supervisors to deal with employees who do not reflect well on their profession. A police pension can be lucrative, and officers will understandably go to great lengths to protect it. There has, as a result, always been a code of silence in law enforcement  an unwritten rule that one officer should never incriminate another. This code of silence existed, and continues to exist, in countless police departments across the country. I came face-to-face with it as a prosecutor.

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But there are other codes of silence equally dangerous to the public. One applies to street-gang members and the residents of the neighborhoods they terrorize. The residents are not looking to protect the gangs by refusing to identify and testify against suspects; theyre looking not to be killed in retaliation. This is a particular problem in Chicago, the largest city in my home state. Yet Democratic mayor Lori Lightfoot has rejected efforts to strengthen witness-protection programs, saying crime would best be solved by bringing economic stability to neighborhoods. And as we wait for that economic stability to lift up neighborhoods with failing government schools and high unemployment, the cycle of violence continues, residents live in constant fear, and children are murdered. Natalie Wallace, a seven-year-old Chicago girl, was shot in the forehead while riding her bike at her grandmothers Independence Day party two months ago. Chicago police commander Fred Waller summed up the feelings of police and citizens alike afterward, telling reporters, Im tired of it, dammit.

This summer, weve seen the horrible effects of a third type of silence: the refusal of elected Democrats to speak out against the violence, looting, and lawlessness that have played out week after week. What began as peaceful protest following the death of George Floyd has become an excuse for organized mobs to incite mayhem, attack police officers, engage in mass looting, and destroy large and small businesses that took decades to build. Officers who have been given explicit orders to stand down by the Democrats who run their cities cannot make arrests. And even if they do, prosecutors refuse to prosecute, letting criminals go on low-cost or recognizance bonds within days or, in some cases, hours.

During the Democratic National Convention, the violent riots and looting and civil unrest were not mentioned once, even though First Lady Michelle Obama was born and raised on Chicagos South Side and President Obama got his political start there. The Vote necklace that Mrs. Obama wore the night of her speech received more media attention than the fact that hundreds of her former neighbors, including children, had been shot and, in many cases, killed in one of Chicagos most violent summers on record.

Similarly, Senator Durbin has not uttered a word about the dramatic situation in Chicago, either in a statement or through a spokesperson. Illinois residents are leaving the state in droves, not only because of Chicagos endemic violence, which is now spilling over into the suburbs, but also because of failed Democratic policies. Illinoiss small businesses, would-be entrepreneurs, and working-class voters have been crushed by the highest property taxes in the country. The states children are unprepared for good careers because of atrocious public schools, which Democrats powerful allies in the teachers unions wont allow to be fixed.

Early in my tenure as Lake County sheriff, I received a phone call from one of my chiefs. One of our deputies was driving drunk, and a concerned citizen had followed his vehicle. When the citizen saw the deputys car hit multiple mailboxes, she called 911. He was pulled over by another deputy. The chief proceeded to tell me, Sheriff, this is the way we usually handle it. We have the deputy admit to having a problem then get them to agree to some treatment. I asked about charging the deputy with DUI, and the chief replied, We dont arrest our own. I instructed the chief that this case would be handled like any other case of drunken driving. We arrested him.

Codes of silence, be they in our neighborhoods, our police departments, or our politics, endanger everyone. The fact that they exist at all should motivate every citizen to support and protect those who, when they see something, say something, whether they are private citizens, officers, or elected officials. No less than the future of the criminal-justice system, the order of society, and peace in our communities is at stake. Pretending the problem does not exist only emboldens those who wish to do harm.

More from National Review
Meanwhile, Ericson Chan has been appointed group chief information and digital officer, effective October 01. In this role, he will spearhead the planning, development and operation of Zurichs technology functions and online ecosystems. Chan is currently CEO of Ping An Technology, a role he has held for four years.

From 1998 to 2016, Chan held several technology leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. He also has six years of health technology experience gained in the US.

As lifestyles change globally, consumers seek personalised, convenient and transparent interactions, said group CEO Mario Greco. Zurich continues to launch innovative offerings to meet the demands of our customers and partners for a fully digital and streamlined experience.

Jack has significant experience in insurance and is skilled at launching innovative products and services, and Ericson brings a passion for fintech and using emerging technology to deliver what people want, Greco added. This is the perfect combination to bring extra momentum to our customer-led strategy.

In support of the groups transformation efforts, Zurich has made several changes to its senior leadership.

Kathleen Savio, current CEO for North America, was named to the newly created role of group chief transformation officer, effective January 01, 2021. According to the statement, she will be responsible for accelerating business organisation and governance, further developing the cultural transformation across Zurich.

Kristoff Terryn will succeed Savio as North America CEO. He joined the group in 2004 and became group chief operating officer in 2016 following roles including head of global life and general insurance.

Tulsi Naidu will take over Howells soon-to-be vacated role as Asia-Pacific CEO. She has been Zurichs CEO for the UK market since 2016, and, prior to that, was an executive director at Prudential.

Laurence Maurice has joined Zurich as CEO for Latin America. She served as chief financial officer of a leading European insurers Brazilian and South American operations and, most recently, as the companys CEO for Spain and Southern Europe. Maurice succeeds Claudia Dill, who has left the company.

Zurich also named Katja Roth Pellanda as new group general counsel to lead the legal team, effective October 01. Roth Pellanda joined Zurich from Novartis as deputy group general counsel in April. She succeeds Yannick Hausmann, who has decided to transition to new professional activities after 12 years in the role. Hausmann will remain engaged with the company as a senior advisor to the group CEO.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the SLP filed by Netflix, challenging the order passed by a civil court in Araria, Bihar, restraining Netflix from releasing "Bad Boys Billionaires" documentary series.

The civil court order restricts Netflix and its producers, directors, employees, officers and associates etc. from releasing, transmitting, distributing, exhibiting, performing or communicating to the public, the promo and the documentary series "Bad Boy Billionaires" by any means or technology.

A Sahara Group entity and a Sector Manager of Sahara in Bihar had filed an injunction suit for restraining Netflix from releasing the said series against their Chairman and business entities, which was not only defamatory but also offending to the privacy and trademarks of their company.

Sahara has also filed a criminal complaint against Netflix and its directors Abhishek Nag, Reginald Shawn Thompson, Neha Sinha and the producers Nick Read, Reva Sharma and Iqbal Kidwai, for committing various criminal offences under the Information Technology Act 2000, the Indian Penal Code and the Trademarks Act.

The Supreme Court declined to entertain Netflix challenging the Bihar trial court order restraining it from using the name of Subrata Roy, in its upcoming web series "Bad Boy Billionaires" slated for release in India on Wednesday.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde though granted the OTT platform the liberty to move the Patna High Court challenging the order passed by the Araria trial court. The top court, declining to hear the appeal, said: "We are sorry." Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing Sahara India, opposed the plea filed by Netflix. Singh contended before the bench that the order was passed by a civil judge and if there were to be an appeal, then it would have to be filed before the district judge and not before the High Court or the apex court. The Magistrate had taken cognizance of the offences on complaints filed and recorded evidence of witnesses. Summons may be issued to the officials of Netflix on the said complaint.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Netflix, contended before the bench that the apex court should transfer to itself all the petitions in connection with the web series, which are pending in various high courts. The top court issued notice on the separate petition filed by Netflix seeking transfer of the matters pending before different high courts.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Boris Johnson has been accused of going back on his word after saying he would meet with a group of campaigners representing those bereaved by coronavirus  only to rule out any meeting a week later.

Speaking on Sky News last week the prime minister said he was unaware of a string of letters from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, a group of those who lost loved ones to the virus who have been calling for an immediate public enquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

When pressed on whether he would meet with the group, the PM appeared willing to engage with the campaigners, telling a reporter: I will write back to any letter we get  but of course Ill meet anybody  the people who are bereaved, who suffer from Covid, of course Ill do that.

But just days later the PM has written to the group  making clear he will not engage with them face to face.

"It's a U-turn followed by a U-turn," said Bereaved Families for Justices co-founder Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus.

"The Prime Minister has done a 360: dodging five letters, then agreeing on live TV to meet with us, and now quietly telling us he's too busy. It's heartless."

In his letter to campaigners, Mr Johnson said that while he was acutely aware a letter would offer little consolation, he would be unable to commit to a meeting with campaigners.

As I work to manage the response to the pandemic, I will of course meet members of the public and key workers who have been bereaved as a result of Covid-19, he said, adding: As much as I would wish to be able to offer my condolences in person to all of those who have suffered loss, that is regrettably not possible and so I am unable to meet with you and members of Bereaved Families for Justice.

The PM went on to note that an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic would be held "at the appropriate time, and urged all further correspondence to be dealt with by their respective legal teams due to a current challenge being launched by the campaigners.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty

Last month Mr Johnson was accused of actively ignoring the campaign by those behind it, who have now amassed more than 180,000 signatures as part of a petition to expedite Mr Johnsons commitment to an inquiry.

However speaking at prime minister's questions in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said the group's legal action had stood in the way of being able to set up a meeting.

Responding to accusations from Keir Starmer he had said "one thing to camera and another thing" in his letter, the PM said: "Of course I would be very happy to meet the families of the bereaved and sympathise deeply with all those who have lost loved ones throughout this pandemic and we all feel their pain and their grief.

"It turns out that this particular group that he refers to are currently in litigation against the Government and I will certainly meet them once that litigation is concluded."

Labours Rachel Reeves MP, shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said Mr Johnsons letter represented a new low for the PM.

These revelations that bereaved families had to write to Boris Johnson five times asking to meet him  for him to privately go back on his public word and refuse are astounding, and upsetting for so many whose families and lives have been impacted by Covid in this way., she said.

41,504 people have tragically lost their lives to this virus. The very least the Prime Minister could do is respond truthfully to their families, and have the heart to meet some of them and their representatives."

The Prime Minister has been going back on his word all summer  but to not even meet with grieving families hits a new low.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has responded to Bereaved Families For Justice to express his sincere condolences to all families who have sadly lost loved ones to this terrible disease.

"He remains committed to meeting with members of the public and families of key workers who have been bereaved as a result of Covid-19.

"The Prime Minister is resolute in his determination to beat this virus and prevent further families from suffering such dreadful loss."

Additional reporting by PA
Paris Hilton has revealed she was involved in 'multiple' abusive relationships, where she was strangled and struck by her exes.

'I went through multiple abusive relationships,' Paris told People. 'I was strangled, I was hit, I was grabbed aggressively. I put up with things no one should.'

Paris, 39, believes she was set up for a future of abusive relationships while attending the Provo Canyon boarding school as a teenager.

'I put up with things no one should': Paris Hilton has revealed she was involved in 'multiple' abusive relationships, where she was strangled and struck by her exes (pictured December 2019)

Paris claims she endured emotional abuse at the hands of the school during the 11 months she attended, which was intended to focus on her mental and behavioral development.

The socialite alleges she was physically abused and berated by the boarding school.

Eventually, Paris began to normalize the behavior.

'I had become so used to [abusive behavior] at Provo, that it made me feel like it was normal,' she continued.

Painful past: Hilton reveals the abuse she allegedly endured at Provo Canyon boarding school in her upcoming documentary, This Is Paris

'It made me feel like it was normal': Paris, 39, believes she was set up for a future of abusive relationships while attending the Provo Canyon boarding school as a teenager (pictured in Los Angeles in 2000)

Paris says she was abused by five of her exes, whom were all sweet and kind to her in the beginning of their relationship before making a dramatic change.

'They all seemed like such nice guys and then the true colors would show,' Paris explained. 'They'd get jealous, or defensive or try to control me. And there there would come a point where they would become physically, verbally and emotionally abusive.'

Paris initially interpreted the 'crazy' behavior as an indicator of just how much they loved her.

Toxic relationships: Hilton initially interpreted the 'crazy' behavior as an indicator of just how much they loved her

'Looking back, I can't believe I let people treat me like that,' she said.

In 2003, Paris landed at the center of a scandal after her infamous sex tape was leaked to the public.

But Paris believes the tape never would have happened had she not attended Provo.

'I would never have let anyone into my life like [the man in the tape, whom she was dating at the time]. I met the worst person I could meet and if I hadn't gone to Provo, I wouldn't have entertained the thought of letting him into my life. Provo affected my future relationships.'

'Provo affected my future relationships': The heiress believes her sex tape never would have happened had she not attended Provo

This Is Paris: The star's upcoming documentary with air on her YouTube channel on September 14

Nowadays, Paris is in a 'safe' and healthy relationship with entrepreneur Carter Reum, whom she has been dating for nine months.

'I feel so safe with him,' she told the magazine. 'Before, I don't think I was really ready for a good relationship. But I've learned so much. And I'm so grateful to have found my perfect match.'

Paris shares her painful past in the upcoming documentary This Is Paris, which premieres September 14 on her YouTube channel.

In it, she details the abuse she allegedly endured at Provo.

'I feel so safe with him': The socialite has been dating entrepreneur Carter Reum for nine months

'From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture,' she previously told People.

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.'

Hilton said she was subsequently placed in solitary confinement as punishment: 'They would use that as punishment, sometimes 20 hours a day.'

Reached for comment by People regarding Paris' accusations, the school said it went under new ownership after the heiress left the institution.

'We therefore cannot comment on the operations or patient experience prior to this time,' the school said.
SwRI awarded NASA contract to develop high-latitude mission to image the Sun's poles

SAN ANTONIO -- Sept. 2, 2020 -- A Southwest Research Institute proposal to study the Sun's poles -- considered among the last unexplored regions of the solar system -- is one of five science investigations selected as a possible future NASA mission.

Dr. Don Hassler, a program director at SwRI, is the principal investigator for Solaris. This proposed solar polar Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX) mission is designed to revolutionize our understanding of the Sun by addressing fundamental questions that can only be answered from a polar vantage point. NASA has approved a $1.25 million, nine-month contract for Phase A concept design studies and analyses to develop the mission that would visit this region for the first time since the 1990s.

"Solaris will explore one of the last unseen places in the solar system, the poles of the Sun. The Ulysses spacecraft visited the region but did not have remote sensing instruments onboard to probe the Sun's polar magnetic field or surface/sub-surface flows," Hassler said.

To get to the Sun's poles, Solaris will first travel to Jupiter and use Jupiter's gravity to slingshot out of the ecliptic plane and fly over the Sun's poles at 75 degrees latitude. Imaging the poles of the Sun from such high latitude promises to reveal clues to understanding how the Sun's polar magnetic fields and flows shape the solar activity cycle.

"Just as our understanding of Jupiter and Saturn were revolutionized by polar observations from the Juno and Cassini spacecraft, our understanding of the Sun will be revolutionized by Solaris," Hassler said. "It's sure to stimulate future research through new unanticipated discoveries."

The proposed spacecraft would be provided by Ball Aerospace, and the payload is expected to include a compact Doppler magnetograph to study the polar magnetic fields and subsurface flows, a white light coronagraph to image the solar corona from the poles, and an extreme ultraviolet instrument to image the million degree solar surface of the poles.

"Solaris will spend more than three months over each pole of the Sun, obtaining the first continuous, high-latitude, months-long studies of the Sun's polar regions," said Hassler. "With focused science and a simple, elegant mission design, Solaris will also provide enabling observations for space weather research, such as the first polar views of coronal mass ejections, energetic events that spew highly magnetized plasma from the solar corona into space, causing radio and magnetic disturbances on the Earth."

If the mission is chosen for flight, the spacecraft would be ready to launch in early 2025 for a nominal mission duration of five years. In addition to SwRI, key team members include the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Naval Research Laboratory, Ball Aerospace, Northrup Grumman, NCAR's High Altitude Observatory, the University of Colorado, the National Solar Observatory, KinetX, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the Physical-Meteorological Observatory in Switzerland, the Royal Observatory and Space Center of Liege in Belgium, and the Institute of Space Astrophysics in France.

SwRI also supports two other missions funded for Phase A concept design studies, the Auroral Reconstruction CubeSwarm (ARCS) and the Solar-Terrestrial Observer for the Response of the Magnetosphere (STORM) mission proposals. SwRI would manage the ARCS mission for the principal investigator, Dartmouth Professor Kristina Lynch, and provide a solar wind instrument for the STORM mission, led by David Sibec of the Goddard Space Flight Center.

ARCS proposes to explore the processes that contribute to auroras at size scales that have been rarely studied -- at the intermediate scale between the smaller, local phenomena leading directly to the visible aurora and the larger, global dynamics of the space weather system coursing through the Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. The mission would deploy an innovative, distributed set of sensors via 32 CubeSats and 32 ground-based observatories to provide a comprehensive picture of the drivers and response of the auroral system.

For STORM, SwRI would provide a next generation of the Ion and Electron Sensor that flew on the Rosetta mission. This mission would provide the first-ever global view of our vast space weather system in which the constant flow of particles from the Sun -- known as the solar wind -- interacts with Earth's magnetosphere and improve our ability to forecast the harmful effects of this interaction on society and technological infrastructure.

###

NASA's Explorers Program provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas.

For more information, visit https:/ / www. swri. org/ heliophysics .

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
(Newser)  Messages of Black Lives Matter and "Defund the Police" were spray painted on several tourist attractions in Tennessee on Monday night, including Graceland, the Elvis Presley estate, authorities says. The graffiti phrases were found Tuesday morning outside Graceland, the Levitt Shell Amphitheater in Overton Park, and the I Heart Memphis mural in midtown Memphis. Besides Defund the Police, expletive-laced messages about President Trump and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland were also scrawled on the walls, along with demands to arrest the Louisville police officers who killed Breonna Taylor, the AP reports. Memphis police say they are investigating the incident.

story continues below

Graceland spokesperson David Beckwith said the estate had no comment on the graffiti but Bill Stanley, Elvis stepbrother, told WMC-TV he was appalled by the messages. This is totally uncalled for, said Stanley. One of the saddest days of my life. I mean, besides the day that Elvis passed away, this right here is right up next to it. Graceland visitors have been writing on the wall outside the estate since Presleys death in 1977. "Whats the real issue here?" asked State Rep. Antonio Parkinson. "Every visitor that has come to Graceland has written on that wall and there were no complaints. So, really, its WHAT was written, not the fact that it was written."

(Read more Graceland stories.)
Cuts will affect some 2,850 pilots, 6,920 flight attendants, 2,010 mechanics and 1,400 management and admin positions.

United Airlines said on Wednesday it is preparing to furlough 16,370 workers when federal aid expires on October 1 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the airline industry, though one union said many more people will be without pay.

Uniteds cuts include 6,920 flight attendants, but the union representing them said 14,000 will not have a paycheck in October unless Congress acts to extend $25bn in aid.

This is because many have opted for leaves that will provide healthcare but no money, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson said.

Uniteds furlough announcement does not tell the full story, she said.

Airlines have been lobbying Washington for a second stimulus package to protect jobs through March while the industry awaits a recovery. The first $25bn, which covered airline payrolls, expires this month, but talks have stalled as Congress has struggled to reach agreement on a broader coronavirus assistance package.

Chicago-based United had over 90,000 employees before the pandemic brought the industry to a near standstill in March. It warned in July that 36,000 jobs were at risk of involuntary furloughs as demand remained weak.

US passenger airlines are still collectively losing more than $5bn a month as 30 percent of planes remain parked. Passenger travel demand is down about 70 percent and, on average, planes that are flying are half-full.

Some 7,400 United employees have opted to take early retirement or departure packages and the company is working through several other voluntary temporary leave programs to further reduce the number of furloughs, United officials said, without providing specific numbers.

The leaves would give the company flexibility to call back staff once travel returns, they said.

Uniteds furloughs will also affect around 2,850 pilots, 2,010 mechanics and 1,400 management and administrative positions, among others, though negotiations continue with pilots to reduce the final number.

Rival American Airlines last week said it would lay off 19,000 workers without federal aid. Including voluntary departures or leaves, its 140,000 pre-pandemic workforce will shrink by 30 percent.

Delta Air Lines plans to lay off nearly 2,000 pilots, but has not yet numbered potential cuts for its other workers.

President Donald Trump has said his administration would help US airlines but has not given any details.

Congress also approved another $25bn in loans for airlines under the first stimulus package, but not all of them are tapping the funds.
After reporting more than 500 active coronavirus cases less than a week after in-person classes started, James Madison University on Tuesday announced it would shift to primarily online courses and ask students to leave campus by Sept. 7.

After consultation with the Virginia Department of Health, James Madison University will transition to primarily online learning, with some hybrid instruction for accreditation and licensure requirements, graduate research, and specialized upper-class courses requiring equipment and space, through the month of September, University president Jonathan Alger said in a message on the schools website Tuesday. Over the next month, university officials will carefully monitor health trends and other developments, and will be in touch with the campus community by Sept. 25 regarding the possibility of returning to in-person instruction on or after October 5.

The school becomes the first in the state to retreat from in-person classes after trying them to start the semester, although some licensure, graduate and upper-level course work will continue to meet through the end of the month.

The number of total positive cases skyrocketed after students moved in Aug. 21 and classes began Aug. 26. The day before classes began, the university released a publicly available COVID-19 dashboard reporting 23 self-reported student cases and six faculty.

On Tuesday, the school reported 513 active cases and 528 total, the most of any college in the state. Across Virginia, colleges had reported more than 1,400 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday.

The school, which has an enrollment of 19,943 undergraduate students, reported that 64 of its 143 isolation beds were being used.

As a result of a rapid increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in our student population in a short period of time, the university is concerned about capacity in the number of isolation and quarantine spaces we can provide, Alger said. Protecting the health of our Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community  including students, faculty, staff  is our top priority, and we need to act swiftly to stop the spread as best we can.

A daily case count shows that three of the highest daily positive student test totals through the schools health center were recorded since Friday  37 on Friday, 36 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday.

The school reported highest daily rise in self-reported student cases on Tuesday: 120.

JMU didnt require students to be screened for COVID-19 before returning to campus like some schools in the state.




Fire District 7 deploys crew to California wildfires





Photo courtesy Fire District 7



Three FD7 crew members work to extinguish embers on a downed tree on the LNU complex fire in California.





MONROE  A Snohomish County Fire District 7 engine crew of five firefighters arrived in Napa, California Aug. 23 to assist the containment of the LNU Complex wildfire. The deployment is scheduled for two weeks but can be extended depending on the needs of those working to contain the fire.

They could get sent home early, but right now, it doesnt seem like it, said Heather Chadwick, the fire districts spokeswoman.

In addition to digging lines and performing other wildland-specific duties, the crew has also been working in residential areas.

Our crew is doing structural protection, mop up around homes where the fires already come through. They are also helping run fire-related emergencies within their area that just come in, assisting their local fire departments that are down there, said Chadwick.

Chadwick said the state of California requested engines specifically because the capacity of water is higher than a brush truck and is needed in residential areas.

Washington state sent two strike teams and multiple engines to California. A member of the District 7 crew is the strike team leader for engine crews from Sky Valley Fire, Camano Island Fire and Rescue, South County Fire, Skagit County Fire and Fire District 7.

Every firefighter within Fire District 7 is certified to fight wildland fires. The certification is known as a red card.

The LNU Complex fire is north of San Francisco, in Napa and Sonoma counties. It is the second-largest wildfire in Califonia state history.

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SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riiid Labs, a leader in AI education solutions, today announced the appointment of Jim Larimore as Chief Officer for Equity in Learning. In this newly-created leadership role, Larimore will drive Riiids strategic initiatives in building global partnerships to close gaps in equity, opportunity and student success by creating and delivering new AI education solutions to help students achieve their full potential.



Larimore will also lead the creation of a diverse and global network of universities, non-profit organizations and companies to attract top AI talent to participate in the EdNet Challenge, and encourage more women and people of color from all nations to enter the AI field. Riiid recently made its EdNet dataset, containing over 100 million interactions data, publicly available for research purposes.

Jim has distinguished himself as an education pioneer and catalytic innovator for more than 20 years at some of the most elite institutions in the world, said David Yi, CEO of Riiid Labs. He brings passion, creativity and a profound commitment to help students and educators everywhere to take advantage of the untapped power of artificial intelligence software.

Larimore joins Riiid from ACTs Center for Equity in Learning where he served as Chief Officer. Previously he held top education leadership roles as Deputy Director for Post Secondary Success at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and as the chief student affairs officer at Dartmouth College, Swarthmore College, New York University Abu Dhabi, and Amherst College. His higher education career began at Stanford University, where he served as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Director of the Universitys American Indian Program, and Assistant to the provost. He holds an MA in Education from Stanford University and is a first generation college graduate from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Larimore has served on numerous non-profit boards including the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, the Aspen Institutes Office for Community Solutions, the Center for Academic Integrity, the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program, and Student Affairs Advisory Boards for MIT and the Universidad de Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

AI is the most exciting and disruptive new development in education in my professional career, Larimore said. Riiid is truly pioneering new ways to leverage AI in all areas of education. Its fully personalized learning solutions are unique and proven to be a success. Beyond traditional school-based teaching, all industries today require learning. AI-optimized learning solutions can be applied across all industries for job training, talent training, and more. Its an exciting time to join Riiid and create the collaborative partnerships that will make an impact.

Riiid Labs, established in 2020 in Silicon Valley, is the global arm of parent company Riiid, founded in Korea. There its test prep engine reached No. 1 in sales in Korea and Japan among education apps. Riiid Labs is taking that success to new markets around the world, including the United States, South America, the Middle East and beyond.

Riiids proprietary AI technology analyzes student data and content, predicts scores and user behavior, and recommends personalized learning and study plans in real-time to help students optimize their learning potential. Based on the latest data, Riiids personalized AI teaching solution in Japan and Korea on average increased students test scores by 165 points after just 20 hours of guided personalized study delivered on mobile devices.

About Riiid Labs

Riiid Labs, based out of Silicon Valley, is the global arm of parent company Riiid, a leading AI solutions provider delivering creative disruption to the education market through its cutting-edge technology. The company aims to empower global education players to rethink the traditional ways of learning via extending Riiids AI competency. For more information, please visit https://riiidlabs.ai .
The Indian Army has further bolstered its presence in at least three strategic heights in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, days after foiling Chinas provocative" actions to change the status quo in the area, government sources said on Wednesday. Some readjustments" in deployment of troops were also carried out on the northern bank of the Pangong lake on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LAC) as part of precautionary measures, they said. The situation in the area was said to be sensitive.

The sources also said another round of military talks between the two sides on Wednesday to defuse tensions in the area remained inconclusive. The talks lasted nearly seven hours. The talks at the Brigade Commander-level on Monday and Tuesday also did not yield any tangible outcome, the sources said.

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations. The enhanced deployment came in the wake of unsuccessful attempts by China to change the status quo in the region.

The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it flared up for the first time on its southern bank, sources said. At the military talks, the Chinese side conveyed its objection to India occupying certain strategic heights in the region, sources said.

But, the Indian delegation maintained that the heights are on the Indian side of the LAC, the sources added. They said India wants to resolve the border row through talks, but at the same time it will effectively deal with any misadventure" by China along the LAC.

In the wake of the Chinese attempts, the Indian Army has alerted all its frontline bases along the 3,400 km-long LAC to remain vigilant round the clock. India had rushed in additional troops and weaponry to all sensitive border areas including in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors after the Galwan Valley clashes which significantly escalated the tensions.

On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out provocative military movements" to unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army(PLA) was engaged in provocative action" again a day earlier when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation.

The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source, adding India has significantly ramped up overall surveillance in the region. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying alleged that the responsibility for the border tensions lies entirely with the Indian side.

The responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. China has exercised great restraint to avoid escalation," Hua claimed at a media briefing in response to questions on the Sino-India border situation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

At the nearly two-hour-long meeting, it was decided that the Indian army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the LAC to effectively deal with any Chinese misadventure", the sources said. A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area. The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in the strategically located Hotan airbase, which is around 310 km from eastern Ladakh. In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35. India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway was made for a resolution to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The end game in a historic feud over Western Australias iron ore throne looks set to begin as the Pilbaras biggest mining dynasties prepare to clash in the Supreme Court. The historic showdown will unearth the 1960s business dealings of late mining magnate Lang Hancock relating to the multibillion-dollar Hope Downs iron ore tenement in what is shaping up to become the states biggest civil court case. On the one side is Mr Hancocks daughter and the richest woman in Australia, Gina Rinehart, coupled with her company Hancock Prospecting. On the other are the heirs of Mr Hancocks business partner, Peter Wright, and the descendants of a third Pilbara mining pioneer, Don Rhodes. The Wright heirs, represented as Wright Prospecting, and Rhodes heirs, represented as DFD Rhodes, are laying claim to a greater stake and royalties in the Hope Downs tenement, which is co-owned by Hancock Prospecting and operator Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto has been named in the Supreme Court action as Hamersley WA. Hope Downs, which was Lang's first-claimed iron ore discovery in the lucrative Hamersley Ranges, encompasses four operational mines known as Hope 1 North, Hope 1 South, Hope Downs 4 and Baby Hope. Hope Downs: Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Chris Salisbury, Hancock Prospecting Group executive chairperson Gina Rinehart, Greater Hope Downs general manager Gaby Poirier in 2018. The Hope 1 and 4 mines produced 46.9 million tonnes of iron ore at a value of $US3.38 billion ($4.33 billion) in 2017, and have expected life spans of 20 years.

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After a legal battle spanning two decades, Mrs Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting were recently thwarted in the WA Court of Appeal after they attempted to further put off the proceedings being primarily brought by Wright Prospecting. Wright Prospecting belongs to billionaire heiress Angela Bennett and the estate of her late brother Michael Wright, whose two daughters Alexandra Burt and Leonie Baldock are the main beneficiaries. To make matters even more delicate, the court action is entangled in a web of separate legal infighting over money and ownership among the descendants of both mining dynasties  the Hancocks (aka the Rineharts) and the Wrights. Both family disputes could impact the Supreme Court trial, which the court estimates will take place in late 2022. The legal fees are set to be astronomical, with one set of costs already hitting $2 million so far. No trust in the Rinehart family Mrs Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting are undergoing secret arbitration in the Federal Court with her children Bianca Rinehart and John Hancock over the Hope Downs tenement.

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The Court of Appeal heard that the children have alleged in the Federal Court that their mother used fraudulent and dishonest means to strip the tenement from the family trust, effectively bankrupting it. And they also disputed their diminished shareholding in Hancock Prospecting. They claim their grandfather always intended for them, as well as Mrs Rineharts other two daughters Hope and Ginia, to inherit equal stakes in the Hope Downs mines when he died in 1992. Langs conduct in the '80s and just before his death will be again scrutinised, as well as the legal proceedings that followed, which also included his widow and colourful Perth identity Rose Porteous. The arbitration, which is due to meet again in late September but is shrouded by confidentiality orders enforced by the High Court, is centred on the validity of three deeds and will address many significant and substantial issues also relating to Hancock Prospectings Roy Hill, Mulga Downs and Nicholas Downs projects, the Court of Appeal ruling revealed. Hancock Prospecting submitted to the Court of Appeal that the disputed deed relevant to both cases, the Hope Downs deed, was a complete answer to its rightful acquisition of the tenement. It didnt want to have to deploy the deed during a Supreme Court trial, as it was embroiled in an arbitration standoff over the provision of the deeds.

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In supplying the deeds, Hancock Prospecting required Bianca and John to agree to a covenant not to sue, which would prevent them from staking their claim over Hope Downs during the Supreme Court trial. In submissions to the Court of Appeal, Bianca and John claim the deeds are invalid, as they say their mother breached her role as trustee of the Hancock Family Memorial Foundation's trust in order to put Lang's assets into the control of Hancock Prospecting, of which she owned a three-quarter share. They also dispute Wright Prospecting's claim to Hope Downs, but the Hancock Family Memorial Foundation beneficiaries have found themselves tied to the Supreme Court action against Hancock Prospecting because of their claim to ownership. Even Mrs Rineharts most loyal supporter Ginia has found herself caught in the complex legal web, since Wright Prospecting wanted to ensure that all parties with a potential interest in the tenements iron ore assets were bound by any Supreme Court judgment. In 2015, Ginia and Gina Rinehart celebrated the first shipment of iron ore from Hancock Prospecting's $10 billion Roy Hill mine. Credit:Philip Gostelow In submissions to the Court of Appeal, Mrs Rinehart and Ginia Rinehart outlined dread about the Supreme Court challenge going ahead as it would publicly air the family dispute, which was so far being safeguarded in the Federal Court by the High Court order. In her submission, Ginia voiced her concerns about being made to publicly declare her position on the issue of asset ownership as the prejudice to her in disclosing her position would be irretrievable.

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Mrs Rinehart too worried about prejudice due to the serious allegations of fraud against her. Both were guided by Appeal Chief Justice Peter Quinlan to make applications for confidentiality to the Supreme Court case manager, but said the Supreme Court findings would be made public. Chief Justice Quinlan and justices Andrew Beech and John Vaughan acknowledged the Rinehart family arbitration could be a double-up of evidence which could impact the Supreme Court trial, but cleared the way for trial preparation on the grounds there had already been costly delays that had severely impacted the Wright and Rhodes heirs case. Death of a witness Ken Rhodes, the only non-expert witness who could attest to his father Dons 1969 agreement with Mr Hancock and Mr Wright to a 1.25 per cent share of iron ore production from the Hope Downs tenement, died in February. The DFD Rhodes director suffered prejudice and stress and substantial costs for almost four years due to trial delays, according to his legal team. He left behind wife Wendy and children Anthony, Christopher, Mark, Damien, Emily and Luke, as well as grandchildren.

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Ayatollah Khamenei: UAE betrayed Muslim world, but it won't last long

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 10:12 AM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the United Arab Emirates has betrayed the entire Muslim world by normalizing ties with the Israeli regime, but that the betrayal will not last long.

The UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the region's countries, and the important cause of Palestine, Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with directors at the Education Ministry via video conference on Tuesday.

"Of course, this situation will not last long, and the stain of shame will remain on the face of those who forgot the occupation of this country (Palestine) and the displacement of the Palestinian nation and allowed the Zionists into the region."

The Leader was referring to the agreement recently brokered by the US to establish full diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel.

Ayatollah Khamenei further expressed dismay at Abu Dhabi's collaboration with Israel and the wicked elements at the helm of the US administration in their brutal actions against the interests of the region and the entire Islamic world.

The Leader advised the UAE to wake up as soon as possible and compensate for what it has done.

All Palestinian factions have censured the peace deal as a stab in the back of the oppressed nation. The agreement has also drawn angry reactions from Muslim countries and other supporters of the Palestinian cause against Israeli occupation.

In turn, Iranian officials have lined up to denounce the UAE for betraying the cause of Palestine.

In mid-August, President Hassan Rouhani said the UAE made a "huge mistake" by making peace with Israel, warning Abu Dhabi about the consequences of allowing the Tel Aviv regime to secure a foothold in the region.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said the "treacherous" deal would not affect the Palestinian resistance against the Tel Aviv regime.

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Post-primary transfer tests in Northern Ireland have been put back to January next year.

The further postponements were agreed following extensive discussions involving Education Minister Peter Weir, a judge was told at the high court on Wednesday.

The development brought an end to legal challenges mounted by the parents of two children due to set the tests.

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They claimed an initial decision to delay this year's exams by at least two weeks because of the Covid-19 pandemic would further discriminate against disadvantaged families.

Following the hearing Association for Quality Education (AQE) said its exams would take place on January, 9, 16 and 23 with applications to enter to be received by October 9. Results will be posted on March 6.

Each test will be an additional 10 minutes long. AQE said this was to reassure children they had "sufficient time to finish the paper".

"The Board of AQE acknowledges the diversity of views on the desirability of moving the dates of the assessment but is committed to work with the Minister of Education to provide the maximum possible teaching time for pupils," a statement added.

The Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) confirmed its entrance assessment would take place on Saturday, January, 30. A supplementary entrance assessment will be held on Saturday February 6.

"This new date will provide all pupils with an additional eight weeks preparation time before they sit their Assessment," a PPTC spokesman said.

"It is planned that entrance assessment results of the will be posted to parents on Friday March 5.

"Given that parents need to have received assessment outcomes before the transfer form deadline to help inform school preference choices, PPTC is pleased that it is possible for pupils this year to have much more time in P7 before they sit their assessment."

Parents who have already submitted a registration form for their child do not need to complete a new form, the spokesman added.

Judicial review proceedings had been issued against AQE, and PPTC.

Each autumn the two bodies provide tests used by most grammar schools in Northern Ireland to select their intake.

Lawyers representing the pupils contended that the decision to delay by a matter of weeks amid so much disruption to their education was unlawful.

They alleged a failure to properly consult, as well as arguing that moving to new dates in November and December was unfair and in breach of human rights.

Both children were granted anonymity in the joint case.

The court heard one of them is currently being educated in Irish, with neither of her parents fluent enough in the language to help her study.

The other child faces separate issues in preparing for the transfer test due to a diagnosis of autism.

A further delay was needed to allow the children enough time in a classroom setting to prepare for the tests, lawyers argued.

The challenge had been resisted on a number of grounds, including claims that the testing organisations are private companies exempt from judicial review.

But in court on Wednesday, counsel for Education Minister Peter Weir said he was now satisfied the admissions process can operate under "a more compressed timetable" which would involve shifting the tests back to January.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan welcomed the "positive" development.

"It's clear that the minister has taken very careful consideration of the issue and worked hard to achieve a resolution of the issue," he said.

Counsel for AQE indicated its preferred course had always been putting the exam process back to January.

And David Scoffield QC, for PPTC, added: "We think it's in the best interests of children to keep all the tests together in a coordinated approach."

Following the resolution reached, a solicitor for one of the pupils stressed valuable teaching time to prepare for this year's transfer tests has already been missed.

Speaking outside court, Ciaran Toner of Finucane Toner said: "It is paramount that children are afforded the time to complete the Key Stage 2 curriculum in a classroom setting and have the appropriate preparation time in advance of sitting the tests.

"I would appeal to Education Minister Peter Weir and the exam bodies to keep the transfer tests under review as my client has concerns about the impact further Covid-19 related school closures may have on her child's access to education, and to a post-primary school place of choice."

The mother of the other pupil involved in the case said they were delighted with the outcome.

"We hope that this will go some way to address the educational disadvantages experienced by some children during lockdown," she added.

"We are both frustrated and disappointed that it took to the very last minute for this decision to be made and that we had to take legal action in the first place."

Her solicitor, Ciaran Moynagh of Phoenix Law, said: "The global pandemic has brought about unprecedented change to the way of living.

"Such unprecedented change must be mirrored by the Department of Education in ensuring children's interests are protected.

"Making children undertake life changing exams during such turbulent times would be most unfair. The right decision has been made this morning."
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:VINO), a company with a growing collection of experiential luxury assets including the premium wines of Algodon Fine Wines, a high-end leather accessories and fashion label Gaucho - Buenos Aires, as well as real estate holdings, today announces the addition of VinPorter to the wine retailer network of Algodon Fine Wines.

VinPorter Wine Merchants (https://vinporter.com/) is an e-commerce platform designed to introduce hand-picked and curated fine wines to their customer base. They have selected high-quality vintages from over 12 Countries, in varying grape varieties and price points. VinPorter makes buying wine a less intimidating task for the average consumer, walking the customer through the sales process with an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

"We're thrilled to announce this addition to our ambassador initiative in the U.S." said Scott Mathis, Algodon Fine Wine's CEO & Chairman. "VinPorter is a state-of-the-art platform with a curated collection of excellent products. Our team is very excited about this new initiative and what it means to Algodon Fine Wine's reach and sales, as we continue to grow our brand."

VinPorter is the latest addition to the distinct network of Algodon Fine Wines retailers; including Sherry-Lehmann, Spec's, Le Boutellier, The Noble Grape, as well as Vivino Online.

"We're excited to have the opportunity to represent these amazing wines from Argentina and carry on their tradition of class and quality. The Algodon family of products is not something to be missed!" said, Jared Clevenger, VinPorter - Chief Porter

Algodon Fine Wines, founded in 2007 and with vineyards dating back to 1946, is one of the most exciting and dynamic wine brands emerging from Argentina. Located in San Rafael, Mendoza, Algodon produces a full range of premium wines from land holdings that include noted parcels of pre-phylloxera vineyards dating back to the 1940s. Algodon's premium wines have received a number of top awards and ratings from the world's foremost tasting competitions including Gold Medals from the prestigious Global Masters Wine Competition, comprised of master sommeliers. Algodon's Black Label Reserves represent the best selection from Algodon with 100% microvinified blends whose low yield produces full concentration of fruit and flavor. Algodon Fine Wines are imported to the U.S. by Seaview Imports.

About Algodon Fine Wines

Algodon Fine Wines are produced at Algodon Wine Estates, a boutique Mendoza winery located in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Pintadas, in the southernmost region of Argentina's wine capital. Fed by the purest meltwater from the glacial Andes, our 325 acres of vines go back as far as 1946 and produce exceptional fruit on sandy and clay loam. Algodon wines are handcrafted by the brilliant winemaker Mauro Nosenzo, who is advised by Master of Wine, Anthony Foster. Our goal is to produce premium wines utilizing ecofriendly, organic inspired approaches, combined with the best modern winemaking technology. Brought together by Scott Mathis and his partners, Algodon Wine Estates' renowned winemakers bring decades of experience, as well as craftsmanship and tradition that have been passed down for generations. Visit AlgodonFineWines.com for more information. Algodon Fine Wines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc., which also owns and operates a growing collection of luxury assets including Gaucho - Buenos Aires, an e-commerce luxury leather accessories and fashion brand that offers buyers around the world some of Argentina's best quality leather goods and accessories. Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in New York City.

Media Relations:

Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

Rick Stear

Director of Marketing

212.739.7669

rstear@gauchoholdings.com

SOURCE: Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604476/Algodon-Fine-Wines-Added-to-Vinporters-E-Commerce-Portfolio
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai, has accepted the application by IL&FS to initiate the process of striking off IIPL Laos Pte. Ltd.

IIPL Laos is an "offshore IL&FS entity" in the IL&FS group, which was incorporated on April 24, 2017 under the laws of Singapore for the development of a project in Laos.

It is the subsidiary of ITNL International Pte Limited (IIPL), which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL). The applicant is holding approximately 73 per cent shareholding in ITNL.

Due to non-receipt of regulatory approvals, the project work did not materialise and hence IIPL Laos has not commenced any business since its inception and there are no operations in the company.

Hence, no separate asset divestment process was carried out with respect to IIPL Laos and the applicant proposes to strike off IIPL Laos before the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Singapore, in accordance with the laws of Singapore.

The Board of Directors of ITNL at its meeting has approved the process for striking off of IIPL Laos. The cost for the process will be borne by IIPL and ITNL.

The Board of Directors of IIPL and IIPL Laos vide its respective resolution consented for the striking off of IIPL Laos.

The Board of IL&FS on May 7 had given its consent for filing requisite applications with ACRA for striking off of IIPL Laos. Justice (retd.) D.K. Jain has also given his approval for striking off of IIPL Laos, subject to the approval of the RBI for remittance of funds by ITNL, directly or indirectly, required for the process of striking off IIPL Laos in accordance with the laws of Singapore and presentation of the proposal before the NCLT.

After hearing both the sides and on perusal of records, the bench was of the view that the striking off of the company was the best option in the given scenario.
 Flash

China and Africa have been supporting and helping each other in the fight against COVID-19 since its outbreak, which will enhance long-term health cooperation between China and Africa.

At the height of China's battle against the disease, Africa urgently sent needed medical supplies and warm messages to its Asian friend. In return, after Africa was struck by the virus, China was the first to rush to its aid, and it has stood firm with the African people.

Zhou Jinyan, an assistant research professor at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China has focused on improving local health care infrastructure to bolster the continent's ability to fight the pandemic.

According to a communique issued by the African Union in June, China has ensured the supply of 30 million testing kits, 10,000 ventilators and 80 million masks each month for Africa.

China has also dispatched medical experts to more than 10 African countries and shared anti-pandemic notes with medical workers across the continent via video conferences.

At a webinar held on Aug. 26, Zhou said that in addition to government departments, Chinese enterprises and civil organizations, such as the Jack Ma Foundation, Alibaba Foundation, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and the Chinese Red Cross Foundation have also actively assisted Africa's fight against the virus.

"When providing to African countries, China has upheld multilateralism and cooperated with international organizations to improve global public health governance," Zhou said.

The webinar, which was titled "Flattening the Curve in Africa through Aid," was co-organized by the Development Innovation Insider (Diinsider) and the Global Max Media Group.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Aug. 31 that the number of positive COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen to 1,245,230.

Kong Zhe, a cofounder of Diinsider, said that although the number of confirmed cases in Africa doesn't make up a large proportion of the global total, the lack of test kits, multiple natural disasters and growing fall-out from the pandemic means that the international community needs to pay attention to the situation of the pandemic in Africa and lend it more assistance.

Zhou noted that funding shortages will severely impact the amount of aid Africa receives. "The amount of aid that Africa could receive will depend on the economic impact COVID-19 has on traditional donor countries and their financial policies," she said.

According to a statement jointly released by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in April, official creditors have mobilized up to US$57 billion for Africa in 2020 alone, and private creditor support this year could amount to an estimated US$13 billion.

"This is an important start, but the continent needs an estimated US$114 billion in 2020 in its fight against COVID-19, leaving a financing gap of around US$44 billion," said the statement.

China's medical support of Africa dates back more than half a century. In 1963, China sent its first medical team to Algeria. "Over the past 57 years, China's medical and health aid programs for Africa have not only upgraded health services in both Africa and China, but it has also promoted overall cooperation between developing countries," Kong said.

At the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19, which was held in mid-June, China and Africa made new commitments, agreeing to extend each other more support and seek closer cooperation during the pandemic.
Eat inventive tacos, support the community.

Thats the idea behind Taco Tuesday Team-Up, a charitable program in which Houston-based Tex-Mex chain Tacos A Go Go owner Maribel Gomez co-creates limited-edition tacos with local chefs for charity. Proceeds from the sale of the monthly specialty taco benefit Houston nonprofit Ill Have What Shes Having, an organization that supports womens health and hospitality industry mentorship.

CHARITY BITES: Tilman Fertitta donates $1M to help Landry's employees affected by Hurricane Laura

Now in its second month, the September team-up features Tex-Mex chain Tacos A Go Go and Montrose restaurant Riel chef-owner Ryan Lachaines Gulf Coast Fried Shrimp Taco. The designer dish is made with buttermilk- and hot sauce-slathered fried shrimps and topped with Comeback Slaw. It will be available every Tuesday in September at Tacos A Go Go locations.

Taco Tuesday Team-Up launched in August with Stickys Chicken. Octobers special will be announced later this month.

We got great feedback last month through our partnership with Stickys," Tacos A Go Go owner Sharon Haynes said. "We are excited to highlight another local restaurant this month with Ryan Lachaine and Riel, and to continue supporting I'll Have What She's Having and their work in the community."
By Asma Hafiz, TwoCircles.net

It was the raging summer of 2016. Kashmir was witnessing one of its massive public upsurges. Thirteen-year-old Ifra Shakoor was preparing for her board exams when she heard a massive cry outside her neighbourhood in Pulwama. Worried about the safety of her brother, she ran towards the door to look for him. The moment she stepped out, security personnel aimed his shotgun at her face and fired. She collapsed and fainted. A few hours later, she woke up to an image of a sharp light in the operation theatre and the clattering of surgical instruments. The injury has left Ifra with partial vision in just one eye.

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There is still a pellet lodged inside the back of my left eye and it causes severe headaches. I dropped out of school after my treatment because it was too painful. Now, I just sit at my house and do nothing. This is the reality of my life now, Ifra told TwoCircles.net.

Ifra has known loss since her childhood. Her father was killed in a cross-firing between militants and security forces. Her ailing grandfather takes care of her needs and ensures she doesnt miss any hospital visit but he says it has been difficult to go for checkups post-August 5 2019 when India stripped Kashmir of its special status and imposed strict security and communication lockdown. This was followed by the division of the erstwhile state into two union territories  Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

With their future in dark, pellet victims in Kashmir find themselves in a distressing position especially after the security lockdown imposed by the government in August last year. While some are unable to go out for regular checkups, some are finding it difficult to cope with life after lockdown. With nothing to hold onto, the victims feel betrayed and forgotten. Surviving in a world without light, lockdown in Kashmir is adding to their hardship as they grapple with financial constraints and acute depression.

We have been under lockdown for a year now and going out for regular checkups has become difficult especially in a place like Pulwama. Every day there is a new battle to fight but we do it for Ifra, says Abdul Aziz Dar, Ifras grandfather.

During a fresh wave of protests that erupted against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016 at the hands of security forces, armed forces raided a neighbourhood in Rahmoo area Pulwama, thrashing civilians and destroying property. Azra Jan (16-years-old at that time) jumped out of her window to save herself. When she attempted to flee, the forces fired pellets at her. She suffers from a complete loss of vision in one eye.

Azra says lockdown in Kashmir is making things harder for her. She says she has become more irritable and does not like talking to people. According to her, travelling to the hospital has become increasingly difficult due to the new restrictions imposed by the government and the heavy military presence in her hometown makes her uneasy.

With the lockdown and the recurrent curfews, I have become more anxious. I constantly fight with my parents and small things trigger feelings of trauma. Going for regular checkups is proving to be difficult. We are not able to get whatever little help we were receiving before the pandemic, she says.

Pellet gun emits a cluster of metal balls at a high speed whose trajectory is difficult to predict. Security forces have been using pellet shotguns in Kashmir as a crowd control method since 2010, claiming it is a non-lethal weapon. But several human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International paints a different picture. While these organisations have protested against the use of pellet guns in Kashmir, Indian forces continue to use them to quell protests. The forces have been accused of directly aiming at the chest and eyes of protestors, leaving them blinded and maimed.

In 2015, then fifteen-year-old youth Najeeb Nissar was coming home from tuitions when he was hit with pellets near a protest site in downtown Srinagar. His brother claims that he was made a direct target. His family flew to Indore the next day to avail better medical facilities. He has partial loss of vision in one eye. Najeebs family says victims seeking treatment outside Kashmir are not able to travel due to lockdown.

Last year we had to delay the treatment due to indefinite curfew in Kashmir and this year we are facing an entirely different problem. Continuous delay in treatment can have many adverse effects. If we had better health facilities in Kashmir, perhaps, things would have been different, says Nabeel Nissar, brother of Najeeb.

According to Nabeel, most pellet victims in his vicinity undergoing treatment outside Kashmir are facing severe hardships.

I talked to some victims and they are facing the same problem  missing appointments due to continuous lockdown. At this rate, their health will only worsen, he adds.

Thirty-one-year old Ashraf Wani was showered with pellets while escaping a military raid in 2016, leaving his both eyes damaged. To work for the welfare of the pellet victims, he started an NGO called Pellet Victims Welfare Trust, in September 2017. However, he says, he has hardly visited the office, situated in Srinagar, since last year.

Ashraf says most pellet victims suffer from mental health issues because of the trauma. The trust  run by 30 pellet victims  extends help to around 1300 pellet victims.

In most cases, the victims are school going kids who discontinue their studies after treatment. We try to motivate them to continue their education but most of them have lost all hope. This is because there are no facilities for them and they require special help. Now that the schools in Kashmir are closed, they are not able to give online classes because most of them cannot afford smartphones. This has added to the ordeals of the already plagued victims, causing anxiety. Our stories reek of pain and loss says Ashraf.

Department of Psychiatry of Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, surveyed 380 pellet victims post 2016 uprising. According to the study, titled Psychiatric Morbidity in Pellet Injury Victims of Kashmir, 85 % of 380 pellet victims examined during this post-2016 uprising period were found to be suffering from various psychiatric disorders.

The study revealed depression was the most common psychological disorder diagnosed in the victims (25.79%). This was followed by Adjustment disorder (15.79%), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (9.21%) and Anxiety disorders (9%).

During the mass public unrest in Kashmir in 2016, Aamir Hussain Dar was part of a funeral procession when security forces fired pellets at the gathering. Regaining consciousness later, he realised he could only see with one eye. Due to financial problems, Aamir stopped seeking medical treatment in 2018. He struggles to make ends meet by working as a blacksmith in his hometown Shopian. He says since last year he has been suffering from bouts of anxiety and small issues enrage him.

Some days back I shouted at my mother for a trivial thing and now I regret it. This is something I am not able to control. With the lockdown and restricted movement, these episodes have only increased. Other than blindness, mental health issues afflict us, exclaims 24-year-old Aamir.

On asking if they ever considered consulting a psychiatrist for Ifra, Abdul Aziz sighs, saying, We have used all our resources on her surgeries, seeking another treatment is going to be difficult. We tell her not to lose hope. Thats all we can do for her now. In Kashmir, there is no end to hardships.
Trump accused of misleading public

Also on Wednesday, the owner of a camera shop that was destroyed during unrest in Kenosha and highlighted during Trumps visit says the president used his store for political gain by appearing with a former owner of the business while touring damage in the city.

Tom Gram said he bought Rodes Camera Shop from the previous owner eight years ago, but John Rode still owns the property, the Associated Press reported. On Aug. 24, the building was one of several destroyed by fire during protests.

Gram said he got a call Monday from the White House asking if he would join the president on a tour that would showcase the destruction to the business, but Gram rejected the offer. And he said Trumps references to Rode as the owner of the business were deceptive.

I think everything (Trump) does turns into a circus and I just didnt want to be involved in it, Gram told Milwaukee station WTMJ-TV.
To create exquisite, natural results for her clients, she provides a compassionate, personalized, and intuitive approach based on integrity, precision, and innovation.

Dr. Kiran Gill is a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with specialty fellowship training in aesthetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. In 2018, she founded Aesthetics in Plastic Surgery by Kiran Gill, MD  the only female-owned premier boutique plastic surgery and aesthetic practice in Southwest Florida. Dr. Gill and her team offer surgical and non-surgical options for both men and women including face, breast, and body rejuvenation procedures as well as a variety of non-invasive skin and spa treatments in a private, tranquil, state of the art environment.

As a female physician and plastic surgeon, Dr. Gill has a sensibility and keen understanding of her patients needs and cosmetic goals. She distinguishes herself as a consummate artist in the fields of breast surgery, facial rejuvenation, body sculpting, and anti-aging. To create exquisite, natural results for her clients, she provides a compassionate, personalized, and intuitive approach based on integrity, precision, and innovation. She is consistently fine-tuning her techniques to remain on the cutting edge of cosmetic science.

Prior to founding Aesthetics in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Gill worked at another local Naples practice for three years where they received multiple awards including Best Cosmetic Surgeon by the Naples Daily News in 2017. She moved to Naples in 2015 after completing her Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship at the prestigious Few Institute in Chicago, as well as Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency at the Cleveland Clinic Florida, where she served as Chief Resident of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Gill did four years of General Surgery Residency and earned her Doctor of Medicine degree at Rush University Medical Center. In 2001, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Georgetown University  attending as a Division I Volleyball scholarship athlete.

Dr. Gill is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. She is passionately involved with the Physician Led Access Network (PLAN) in Collier County providing breast reconstruction for uninsured and underinsured women.

Beyond her professional interests, Dr. Gill is a very active mother of three children. She is an avid traveler and enjoys traveling with her husband. Dr. Gill lives in Naples, Florida with her family.

Learn more about Dr. Kiran Gill by visiting: https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/member/dr-kiran-gill/

ABOUT HAUTE BEAUTY NETWORK:

Haute Beauty is affiliated with the luxury lifestyle publication Haute Living. As a section of Haute Living magazine, Haute Beauty covers the latest advancements in beauty and wellness, providing readers with expert advice on aesthetic and reconstructive treatments through its network of acclaimed doctors.

For more about Haute Beauty, visit https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/
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Linkedin (Kyodo News) Sapporo, Japan  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:03 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4214896 2 People Japan,LGBT,Sapporo,osaka,LGBT-couples Free

Sapporo and Osaka have made lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples in officially recognized partnerships eligible to receive support money if they are victims of crime, marking a rare move among municipalities in Japan, officials of the two cities said recently.

A support system for crime victims and their families was introduced in Osaka in April and in Sapporo this month. As same-sex marriage is not recognized in Japan, most people in LGBT partnerships find themselves ineligible to receive social security benefits.

The system pays surviving family members 300,000 yen ($2,800) in the event of a death by crime, and 100,000 yen to victims of assault or sexual crimes. It also subsidizes fees for services such as counselling and housekeeping for both the victim and their family.

As of Aug. 14, 223 LGBT couples have declared their partnerships in Osaka, while Sapporo has seen 102 couples do the same.

Read also: Japan cities recognize 900 LGBT couples since 2015: Survey

Sapporo has also made such couples eligible for the benefits if they have a notarized document or other proof of their union.

In June, the Nagoya District Court rejected a request by a man to overturn a prefectural commission's decision deeming him ineligible for victims' assistance as a surviving family member after his same-sex partner was murdered.

The ruling, which rejected the request on the basis that same-sex couples are not sufficiently accepted in society, drew criticism from LGBT supporters.

Fumiko Suda, a lawyer well-versed in legal issues faced by sexual minorities, says same-sex relationships are "already accepted in society."

"For (Osaka and Sapporo) to include same-sex partners in their system is very encouraging for the parties involved. I hope all local governments do the same," she said.
COVID-19 in Canada

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 34-year-old Azadeh Dastmalchi found a new function for her existing work on a medical-grade smartwatch to detect and monitor for early virus symptoms.

Dastmalchis start-up, Montreal-based VitalTracer, developed the VTLAB smartwatch, which combines biosensors and artificial intelligence to measure human vital signs, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, body temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals.

This all in one device does not need any external components, like a blood pressure cuff or ECG halter, to conduct the monitoring.

It measures all of them, sends it with bluetooth or WiFi to their smartphone, or directly to the online cloud, Dastmalchi explained. For hospitals, we can localize the cloud for them to use their own server.

This is very important [for keeping] the confidential information of the patient in a hospital.

Now Dastmalchi, a PhD candidate in the department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ottawa and CEO and co-founder of VitalTracer, will be presented the Mitacs Social Entrepreneur Award on Sept. 2.

We need to do something for this COVID

It all started 10 years ago when Dastmalchis father was diagnosed with hypertension, instructed by his doctor to check his blood pressure three times a day and take pills daily. He used to complain that the pressure was too painful, which resulted in him not always following the doctors orders.

As a caregiver for him, Dastmalchi tried to find a smartwatch on the market that would be able to monitor her fathers blood pressure but there was nothing available. Thats when she started conceptualizing the project, starting during her Masters program and into her PhD.

After losing her father at the age of 62, Dastmalchi was particularly impacted by the tragedy that struck long-term care homes earlier on in the COVID-19 pandemic.

I suffer for having lack of parents so I feel so bad, she said. We need to do something for this COVID.

Story continues

This led to Dastmalchi to look into symptoms of COVID-19, which was particularly difficult for a novel virus, but she determined that there is a connection between the coronavirus and abnormalities in vital signs, especially a drop in oxygen level or hypoxia.

When the oxygen in the blood drops it doesn't have a symptom, that's why they call it a silent killer, she explained.

Different studies on COVID-19 found that people infected with the virus might experience a higher heart rate, a drop in blood pressure and lack of sleep.

We have all those sensors to estimate them and especially by continuously monitoring all these vital signs, we could alarm the healthcare provider or the nurses in the senior home that this specific senior has abnormalities, Dastmalchi explained. They can send him or her to test for COVID or check with their own medical device, like a [blood pressure cuff] or thermometer or so on.

For this COVID-19 component, Dastmalchi needs to find a grant to run this pilot study but thanks to Mitacs, $150,000 has been provided to support research and development, postdoctoral fellow salaries and PhD students.

VitalTracer, for its broader use, is set to begin clinical trials in 2021 for Health Canada and FDA approval but the company is currently manufacturing 200 units. Dastmalchi also thanks Quebecs Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation for providing a $500,000 grant to support two clinical trials through two companies.

Accuracy of the results will be tested with different populations, including the elderly and infants. Dastmalchi said the use for infants would be for post-surgery monitoring.

When they are premature infants, they need to continuously monitor their vital signs after ICU as well, she said. Dr. Philippe Jouvet said that this is very proper for infants and let's do a clinical trial in my hospital [Ste-Justine Hospital in Montreal], and I was like yes, of course, let's do it.

They need to change their perspective

Although Dastmalchi has achieved this great success for the project, she remembers a time when it seemed like it may not move forward. She revealed that her proposal was rejected six different times, and at one point was told that it was bullst and it was not going to happen.

I cried for a week [from] this word in front of me, Dastmalchi said. But then I decided...to show our senior medical doctors, who do not believe in a new technology, that they need to change their perspective.

She said that she thought of her rejections as encouragement and challenged herself to prove them wrong.

So if anyone believes that they can do it, just don't listen to discouragement and take that [in] reverse, Dastmalchi advises to young people looking to pursue new ideas in the medical field.

Now that she is receiving this prestigious Mitacs award, she said it was a huge surprise but still highlights that it was the first nonprofit organization that supported the project financially, including research and development.

In the medical area, the most expensive thing is [research and development], paying salaries to postdoctoral and PhD students, she said. I am proud of myself and my team, and our company, that we could really do something good for parents, beloved ones and for society.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Giving an exemplary display of humanity, jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police carried the body of a local in a remote area of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh District for a distance of 25 kilometres to hand it over to the family members of the deceased.

The 14th Battalion of ITBP was informed about a dead body of a local 30-year-old pony operator lying at village Syuni, located near Bugdayar. The personnel rushed to the spot and secured the dead body following which they took a stretcher to carry the dead body to village Bangapani, the native place of the deceased.

IANS has learnt that they began at 11.30 in the morning and reached Munsyari at 7.30 in the evening, on the same day. For this, the jawans had to cross narrow stretches of the Syuni-Munsiyari road which is blocked because of heavy rainfall and landslides, with the dead body on the stretcher.

Eight hours of journey on foot by eight ITBP jawans just to ensure a dead body reaches Munsiyari and is handed over to the family in his native village so that it gets a dignified closure has definitely set an example of humanity.
With the countdown to back-to-school on, boards are racing to make sure kids staying home this fall have access to the computers and internet they need for remote learning.

But big gaps remain, say some advocates, as the pandemic puts a spotlight on the digital divide in the GTA.

Despite the efforts of principals and teachers, Vivian Lee, a charity consultant who has worked in the non-profit sector on education for marginalized youth, describes the situation as a total tire fire mess. While its not as bad as in remote northern Ontario communities that are basically in 2005, the pandemic has exposed existing fault lines around internet access and tech in the GTA.

Theres been a lot of tape and glue approaches, she said. Now youve got a visible digital divide.

Lower-income families may only have one or two devices per household. Even if they have home internet it might not be fast enough to support several kids plus possibly their parents, all juggling Zoom calls, e-learning modules and streaming. Without a digital connection kids risk falling behind, and may end up being sent to school just because their parents dont really have the option of keeping them home, she said.

After COVID-19 abruptly shut down schools this spring, teachers at the Toronto District School Board, which has about 247,000 students, scrambled to distribute around 60,000 devices.

Spokesperson Ryan Bird said in an email that all the students who received a remote learning device still have them, except for those graduating or leaving the board.

The TDSB will continue to cover the cost of data on the 7,500 internet-enabled iPads it distributed, as a program where Rogers was providing free wireless data has ended. The board has also purchased 7,400 new Chromebooks to backfill the gap that was left when they were pulled out of schools and given to kids at home.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board issued about 10,500 devices to students, including 6,100 Chromebooks and 4,400 iPads, starting in April, said a spokesperson in an email. About 1,250 were to students who needed internet access at home, so they provided LTE data-enabled iPads.

Students who are continuing with the board still have those devices.

The board, which has 91,000 students, plans to offer similar services to new students in September on (a) request basis, said a spokesperson in an email. The board did not provide an estimate of how many students that would be, or how many additional devices they would be able to purchase.

At the Peel District School Board, an additional 13,000 new Chromebooks will be loaned to students who need them, on top of around 20,000 devices that were already distributed by the board, which has 153,000 students, spokesperson Kayla Tishcoff said in an email.

The Chromebooks do not come with data.

If kids still need the devices from the spring for distance learning, they can keep them for the year; if theyre returning for in-person learning, they would give them back.

On top of this, the board has an existing refurbishing program, where old, discarded devices are fixed up and recycled for kids who need them.

About 2,200 devices from community partners were given to students in the spring, and families get to keep them. There are an additional 2,000 devices available for this fall through this program.

The Chromebooks, said Lee, are cheap and cheerful, but they need high-speed internet.

These schools are sending out Chromebooks as a stopgap measure, but if these families dont have internet its useless, its a paperweight, she said.

According to early results from board surveys, about a quarter of parents in the province plan to keep their children home full time this fall. But high school kids will need devices and internet access to keep up with the remote components of their curriculum.

A lack of high-speed internet and tech at home is one factor, along with the need for child care, that is pushing families who might not really feel comfortable to send their kids back to brick and mortar school, said Lee.

The option to keep your kids home is a privilege, she said.

She proposes that schools could use libraries and community centres as spaces for smaller groups of kids as makeshift classrooms.

As well, major telecom companies should lift their fees for going over data limits on mobile phones, she said, which kids could use for virtual learning.

Caitlin Clark, a spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, said in an email that the government recognizes that people across Ontario need reliable broadband to work, learn and connect with friends and family.

Fifteen million dollars in technology funding will support getting 35,000 devices for Ontarios students. The province has also pledged that all students will have access to reliable, fast, secure and affordable internet services at school by the 2021-22 school year, she added.

ACORN Canada, an advocacy group for low- and moderate-income families, has long been sounding the alarm on the digital divide with its Internet for All campaign.

Member Alejandra Ruiz-Vargas said the issue is more relevant than ever. Shed like to see telecom providers offer a low-cost budget product for families in need, similar to what Telus has developed in B.C. and Alberta.

Its going to be a problem for sure, she said, just another stress on stretched family budgets that may have already been trimmed due to layoffs or lost hours.

She, too, thinks the lack of high-speed internet at home might be pushing some parents to send kids back to school. Many can only afford a less than ideal internet product that just cant handle more than one kid using it full time.

In this pandemic these are services that are totally in need.
Two more students at the University of Connecticuts campus in Storrs have tested positive for COVID-19, data released by the school Tuesday shows.

One of the students is a commuter, the other is a residential student, the schools public COVID-19 dashboard shows.

Among the 5,000 residential students at Storrs, 59 are isolated after they tested positive for the illness or are suspected to have it. The number represents 1.18 percent of the residential student population

In total, 76 residential students have tested positive for the disease, with 23 having made a recovery.

UConn continues to test and retest residential students who are quarantined because they may have been in contact with others who later tested positive, said Stephanie Reitz, a spokeswoman for the school.

The university is also testing randomly selected students on campus as part of monitoring community health, she said.

Among students who commute to the campus, 18 have tested positive for the disease. Two staff members also have tested positive.

Two commuter students at UConns Stamford campus have tested positive for the disease. The schools Avery Point, Waterbury and Hartford campuses have not seen any cases, Reitz said.

Other colleges and universities around the state have also reported cases.

At Yale University in New Haven, 10 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of August, according to that schools database.

The Ivy League institution has set its alert level for the virus at low to moderate. That assessment means gatherings will be limited to 10 people or less, classes will be held in a hybrid model  both online and in person  and visitors are not allowed on campus.

Trinity College in Hartford, which reported its first case on Saturday, has not had any new cases, according to its database. The school said the student tested positive after recently arriving on campus and was isolated and is feeling well.

Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven reported two cases of COVID-19 in mid-August one a student and the other a student employee.

In a prepared statement, SCSU President Joe Bertolino said he would not be sending out a message to the community each time the school encounters a new positive case to protect individual privacy rights.
When we arrived at the scene, we could see heavy smoke conditions from the northwest corner of the building, which we immediately evacuated, and started fighting the fire, which we believed started in the attic, with quite a bit of fire in the roof, Berkowsky said.
The United States is considering imposing sanctions on seven Belarusians it believes were involved in falsifying the results of the Aug. 9 election and in violence against peaceful protesters, a senior State Department official said.

The U.S. official did not name the seven Belarusians it may target, and he noted that Lukashenko already is under U.S. sanctions.

"Weve got a group of seven people that we are working with Treasury for the evidentiary package" to impose sanctions, the official told Reuters, saying that the United States was likely to discuss the punitive measures publicly in the coming days.



"It is a minimal effort to ... not just name and shame but to show that when people both steal elections and commit violence against peaceful protesters exercising fundamental freedoms of assembly and speech that there needs to be some accountability," added the official.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Australia's Victoria state, which went into strict Stage 4 restrictions in July after COVID-19 cases surged, is on a testing blitz to identify every positive case possible, in the hope of quickly controlling the outbreak.

Currently, they are averaging around 20,000 tests every day, with most results coming back within three days.

But is that enough?

There are calls for mass testing of asymptomatic people to get a full picture of how the disease is moving through the community. This could be an important step in controlling outbreaks, but how can we massively increase our testing without overwhelming the testing laboratories?

There is a simple answergroup testing. By combining samples from multiple people into a single test, 20,000 analyses could cover 100,000 people. Further analysis would be needed to narrow down the positives found in group tests, but it would mean that 20,000 tests could be analyzed in six to 12 hours instead of 48 to 72.

Professor Aurore Delaigle is a professor of statistics at the University of Melbourne who develops statistical models of disease incidence. She says that we should add group testing to our monitoring programs so that more people can be tested more quickly, and the true community incidence of COVID-19 can be determined.

This call for group, or pooled testing is being made around the world and has already been used in places like China and the US. In China, group testing was used to test 9 million residents of Wuhan in only 10 days.

"Suppose that we can only process 1000 tests each day," says Professor Delaigle.

"If there is a 1 percent prevalence, then in 1000 individuals, on average, only 10 will have the disease. But if you run 1000 tests, and in each test you combine the samples of 10 individuals, then you capture 10,000 individuals. Instead of catching 10 people that are sick, on average you will catch 100 of them. So you can learn a lot more."

Professor Delaigle says that to accurately determine the prevalence of the disease, you can't just test a lot of people. You also need to know who you are testing.

In Victoria, positive cases are rapidly dropping, but at the peak of the outbreak around 2 percent of the 20,000 plus daily tests were positive.

However, this doesn't mean that 2 percent of Victorians had been newly infected with COVID-19, because in most cases, people who get tested are those either exhibiting symptoms, close contacts of positive cases, or live or work in identified clusters or "hot zones." So people being tested aren't necessarily representative of the whole population.

This seems appropriate under the circumstances, since the government wants to pick up as many cases as possible so that those infected and their close contacts can be safely quarantined. With limited resources, the best way to find an infection is to test those most likely to be infected.

But we also know that many people infected with COVID-19 show no symptoms at all. And in regional Victoria and other states with no or very low known cases, a broader, large-scale testing regime across the whole community may be a useful way to catch new cases early, rather than just testing those deemed "at risk."

"There are various ways to choose people randomly in the population," says Professor Delaigle.

"Sometimes one may want to focus on some regions or groups more than others and in that case, to get good estimators of the prevalence, we make adjustments to take the sampling numbers of each group into account, which isn't always straightforward. Regardless of the sampling strategy, by pooling individuals together in small groups and testing only the groups, we can take more people into account and increase the precision of estimators."

By running grouped data through statistical models, Professor Delaigle and her colleagues can calculate not just the overall incidence, but the incidence by age, sex, location, or any other factor of interest, providing they have the information to fully understand the data.

Professor Delaigle points out that there is always some information you need that is missing. And when this missing information isn't completely at random, a correction factor needs to be applied.

"Often, people don't show up for testing for a reason, and if the reason is associated with what you want to measure, the disease in this case, you have to take into account that missingness. For example, suppose that the sick individuals or aged people refuse to get tested. If you don't take that into account then your results are going to be wrongyou'll have a biased the sample. However, there is a correcting factor that can account for the reason why they didn't come. So you need to model the missingness and you include that when you estimate your prevalence."

Professor Delaigle says that we also bias the analysis when there are false positives and false negatives. Once you know the probability of a false positive and a false negative, you need to apply correction factors to get accurate estimators of the prevalence. Professor Delaigle has developed some techniques for doing this for grouped data.

There could also be dilution issuesby combining samples you risk diluting the test so much that you miss positive cases. Professor Delaigle has worked on ways to combat this by including some correction factors for dilution in the models.

Finally, the prevalence evolves every day and there are also ways to combine older data with newer data and update the estimator of prevalence as it evolves over time.

While grouping allows testing to capture many more people, the downside is you don't know which individuals in a particular grouped sample have the disease. But Professor Delaigle says this is easily solved by retesting the individuals from just the positive samples. When overall incidence is low, as it is for COVID-19, this still allows many more people to be tested more quickly compared to testing every individual sample.

The government could also run a hybrid testing regime, where some high-risk people are tested individually, in parallel with a group-testing program that tests people in the community more randomly.

As we move from a mass reduction strategy to a more controlled suppression strategy, Professor Delaigle says now is the time to introduce mass grouped testing.

"The more people we test, the quicker we can identify outbreak clusters and the quicker we can move to control them."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: This article was first published on This article was first published on Pursuit . Read the original article
Landscape view of the open forest landscape dominated by ancient sessile oaks in the Alto Aspromonte. Credit: Gianluca Piovesan

Radiocarbon dating of five large and potentially old sessile oaks from Aspromonte National Parks has revealed a long lifespan ranging from 934  65 to 570  45 years. For a long time, majestic oaks have been considered a symbol of longevity, and this study proves that a millennium age horizon is attainable longevity in angiosperms growing at high-elevation belt in Mediterranean mountains of South Italy.

Dating large old trees: a challenging task

"Studying the longevity of trees in response to climate change under different environments is a research priority for both nature conservation and climate change mitigation strategies," says Gianluca Piovesan from University of Tuscia, Dafne. "For a long time, majestic oaks have been considered a symbol of longevity. In a study just published in the journal Ecology, we dated five large and potentially old sessile oaks from Aspromonte National Parks using radiocarbon, revealing unexpected long lifespan ranging from 934  65 to 570  45 years.

Jordan Palli and Michele Baliva from Dendrology Lab, University of Tuscia, say: "The sampling was arduous for two reasons: Firstly, these ancient trees stand on steep, rocky slopes that are difficult to reach and to walk through. Secondly, very old individuals are often rotten or hollowed in the inner part of the stem, given the centuries of exposure to the elements and to natural pests and pathogens. This means that the oldest rings were often missing or severely degraded, challenging the identification and collection of the closest tree rings to the pith for radiocarbon dating. In the Dendrology Lab we carried out a careful stereoscope screening to identify the oldest rings in our samples. Given the very narrow size of the rings, we had to use a scalpel to collect them."

Demeter: the oldest dated hardwood tree in the temperate and boreal regions

Portrait of Demeter, the oldest dated temperate tree in the world, by Mery Rigo, entitled Demeter naturae monumentum, 2020 Credit: Mery Rigo

The oldest tree, nicknamed Demetra proves that a millennium age horizon is attainable for angiosperms growing in steep, rocky slopes of the high-elevation Mediterranean mountain belt. The extreme age of Demeter makes it the oldest dated temperate hardwood tree in the world, expanding the known maximum longevity by more than 300 years as compared to two cross-dated 620-year-old beech trees discovered two years ago in Pollino National Park and nicknamed Michele and Norman, and 200 years comparing radiocarbon-calibrated ages of two English oaks from Romania. With its very slow mean annual radial growth (0.4 mm/yr) and smallest diameter among the sampled trees, Demeter confirms the growth-longevity trade-off commonly described for the evolution and expression of life history traits.

The discovery of Demetra and of the other old oaks closes the trilogy of the oldest dated conifers (eg, one Pinus Heldreichii, nicknamed Italus) and hardwoods (Michele and Norman) in Europe. The articles have been published in the journal Ecology. All these trees grow in the mountains of southern Italy between the Pollino and Aspromonte National Parks.

Preservation of old-growth forests and natural landscapes and public outreach as a tool for a sustainable future

"The discovery of these long-lived sessile oaks in the high-elevation mountain environment of Aspromonte confirms the high level of naturalness of forest ecosystems in protected areas of the southern Apennines," says Antonino Siclari from the Aspromonte National Park.

Aspromonte, Sila and Pollino National Parks are located in the southern part of the European Mediterranean region, a biodiversity hotspot for forest conservation. Here, the strict nature reserves preserve the old-growth forests and associated threatened species that require very old habitat trees of conifers and angiosperms (e.g., Buprestis splendens or Osmoderma italicum, respectively).

One of the largest and oldest sessile oak of the Aspromonte National Park. The tree with a diameter of 195 cm is around 570 years old. It is in the State Reserve Alto Aspromonte managed by Carabinieri Forestali Credit: Gianluca Piovesan

"What is increasingly emerging is that mountain forest ecosystems in temperate and boreal regions, where the oldest trees on Earth live, have a relevant conservation value underlining the need for mapping forest ecosystem of high naturalness all over the world in order to protect them and achieve the goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 for sustainable development" says Gianluca Piovesan. The strategic role played by mountain protected areas for biodiversity conservation in temperate regions is now evidenced by the Italian Mountain Lab research project, as well.

Demetra was painted by Mery Rigo. Artists can play a cultural transformation role in society by helping to raise awareness on nature protection and to engage people in conservation messaging. Preserving biodiversity is a requirement for sustainable development, and the long-life cycle of Aspromonte oaks is a reminder of the need to leave adequate space for natural processes to take place. "As Michelangelo Pistoletto affirmed," says Mery Rigo, "nowadays art can and must have an active role in promoting an utterly new and correct relationship between mankind and nature. Portraying Demetrawith a particular technique based on painting, photography and digital processing was a great emotion for me, and with my intervention, I hope to have made a little contribution to the cause."

Radiocarbon dating of old trees for the advancement of biological and environmental sciences

Radiocarbon dating analyses were carried out at the accelerator mass spectrometry facility at the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy. "The use of the radiocarbon dating method allowed us to assess the absolute age of the trees with a high degree of accuracy while advanced statistical tools for data analysis helped us to improve the achieved chronological resolution," says Gianluca Quarta, professor of Applied Physics at CEDAD.

Aspromonte is located in the middle of the Mediterranean basin a key area for climatic reconstructions. "An additional ecological value of old forest such as the one in Aspromonte is that they can be used to trace back the environmental history of the area. The information contained in tree rings can be decoded and use to interpret how environmental influences, particularly climate, shaped forest structure and function and this is the next step we are taking with Aspromonte oaks," says Isabel Dorado-Linan.

"These long-lived trees are witnesses of our past. The history of our climate, of solar activity, of the human impact on the environment is registered in their rings and we are sure that other important discoveries are going to come," concludes Lucio Calcagnile, director of CEDAD.

Explore further Legacies of historical human activities in Medieval forest dynamics of the Italian peninsula

More information: Gianluca Piovesan et al. Radiocarbon dating of Aspromonte sessile oaks reveals the oldest dated temperate flowering tree in the world, Ecology (2020). Journal information: Ecology Gianluca Piovesan et al. Radiocarbon dating of Aspromonte sessile oaks reveals the oldest dated temperate flowering tree in the world,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3179
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:26:33|Editor: huaxia

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BANGKOK, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Thai government is providing a one-year financial support for the employment of new graduates in both public and private sectors throughout Thailand, confirmed Labor Minister Suchart Chomklin on Wednesday.

The government-run Center for the Economic Situation Administration has approved a sum of 23.47 billion baht (about 753 million U.S. dollars) in financial aid for the hiring of an estimated 260,000 new graduates by government agencies, state firms and private firms in all 77 provinces nationwide from Oct. 1, 2020 until Sept. 30, 2021, Suchart said.

That sum of money will be withdrawn from the 400 billion baht (about 12.82 billion U.S. dollars) fund, earlier earmarked to finance the country's economic restoration and stimulus measures.

The government will pay half the total of a monthly pay for each of the graduates while the workplaces where they may be hired for jobs will cover the balance, according to the labor minister.

The government will monthly pay a maximum of 7,500 baht (about 240.53 U.S. dollars) to an employed graduate of a bachelor's degree, a maximum of 5,750 baht (about 184.41 U.S. dollars) to an employed graduate with a high vocational certificate and a maximum of 4,700 baht (about 150.73 U.S. dollars) to an employed graduate with a vocational certificate.

The government's paychecks will be transferred directly to the employees' bank accounts on monthly basis. Enditem
Three CU Boulder faculty are principal investigators on a new five-year, $6.9 million National Science Foundation grant to study the "critical zone"--from Earth's bedrock to tree canopy top--in the American West.

CU Boulder will collaborate with five other universities and two federal partners, the United States Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency, on this interdisciplinary project to better understand how water, trees, soils and rocks interact and change each other in the fire- and drought-prone landscapes of the American West.

The researchers seek to uncover links between how water is stored and how that affects key processes in forest ecology, rock and soil chemistry and water quality. This work will also help predict how climate change might modify these interactions and change water--and therefore life in the West.

"The critical zone is the surface of the earth that supports life," said Holly Barnard, the lead principal investigator on the grant, associate professor of geography and fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). "It very much influences our quality of life--it's responsible for both our water quantity and our water quality."

Joining Barnard at CU Boulder are principal investigators Eve-Lyn Hinckley, assistant professor in environmental studies and institute fellow at INSTAAR, and Katherine Lininger, assistant professor of geography.

NSF developed the critical zone program 13 years ago, as a way to think about the earth sciences in an integrative and interdisciplinary way. It has since developed into Critical Zone Observatories--one of which was Boulder Creek in Boulder--and now the Critical Zone Collaboration Network.

A precious resource, vulnerable to change

A lot of dynamic water storage occurs in the critical zone, meaning it doesn't stay in one place for long.

"We think about dynamic storage in terms of water's potential to do work within an ecosystem," said Barnard.

This work includes playing an important role in ecosystem processes such as vegetation growth, stream flows and how carbon moves through the ecosystem, according to Lininger.

Investigating water storage and its movement from hillslopes to valley bottoms not only results in interesting research questions, but will help scientists better understand Earth's processes and the provisioning of important resources in western regions.

An important reason for testing these theories in different locations is that dynamic water storage is really vulnerable to change and disturbances like fire, bark beetles or climate change. Examining this vulnerability is critical for understanding how water supplies might change and affect Western ecosystems, agriculture and the places we like to recreate.

The team has chosen five locations in Colorado and California to test a variety of hypotheses about water in the critical zone. And not only from a physical perspective, but also from ecological and chemical perspectives. Some have thinner soils than others, some have more porous bedrock.

"We're really interested to see if some of the patterns that we've observed in the Boulder Creek Watershed [already] are consistent elsewhere," said Hinckley.

Interdisciplinary and educational

From the beginning, this work has been designed to integrate the work of various earth science disciplines, including experts in geology to soil biogeochemistry and ecology.

These wide-ranging experts will also be participating in an educational program at CU Boulder known as Earth Explorers. This program takes students from Westview Middle School in Longmont and introduces them--many for the first time--to a university campus and working scientists.

"Then they're tasked with creating a video that encompasses the science that they've learned, but within a fictional story," said Barnard. "It's just super fun."

They even have a film premiere, with awards given for best acting, best cinematography--just like a real film festival.

One semester a year for the next five years, this project will partner with Earth Explorers to focus on critical zone science.

"I just think it's a fantastic program. I was really thrilled to have the opportunity to integrate them into this project," said Barnard.

###

Collaborators on this grant include Alexis Navarre-Sitchler and Kamini Singha of the Colorado School of Mines; Li Li of Penn State University; Pam Sullivan of Oregon State University; Naomi Tague of the University of California Santa Barbara; Adrian Harpold of the University of Nevada - Reno; Sheila Murphy and Brian Ebel of the USGS; and Renee Brooks of the U.S. EPA.
BERLIN - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020 file photo, a protester stands holds a poster reads "poison is the weapon of a woman, a coward and a eunuch!" during a picket in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the center of St. Petersburg, Russia. The German hospital treating Navalny says tests indicate that he was poisoned. The Charitv hospital said in a statement Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 that the team of doctors who have been examining Navalny since he was admitted Saturday have found the presence of Aucholinesterase inhibitorsAu in his system. Cholinesterase inhibitors are a broad range of substances that are found in several drugs, but also pesticides and nerve agents. (AP Photo/Elena Ignatyeva, File)

BERLIN - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny's poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

FILE - In this file photo taken on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny takes part in a march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow, Russia. The German hospital treating Russian dissident Alexei Navalny says tests indicate that he was poisoned. The Charitv hospital said in a statement Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 that the team of doctors who have been examining Navalny since he was admitted Saturday have found the presence of Aucholinesterase inhibitorsAu in his system. Cholinesterase inhibitors are a broad range of substances that are found in several drugs, but also pesticides and nerve agents. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said.

The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon outrageous. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was completely reprehensible.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, Ullyot said.

The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was "a breach of international law.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 file photo, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, attends a rally in Moscow, Russia. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack and poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government said Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 citing new test results. Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman, File)

He was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction. Today accusing #Russia is a must-do for any Western country, he said in a tweet.

In Moscow, Russian authorities were quick to blame Germany for not sharing its findings.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities are ready and interested in full co-operation and exchange of information with Germany but added that Berlin still hasnt provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor generals office and doctors who treated Navalny.

FILE - In this Saturday, May 5, 2018 file photo, Russian police carry opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, from a demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in Pushkin Square in Moscow, Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an "attempted murder by poisoning" and the aim was to silence him. Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 citing new test results. (AP Photo/File)

Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didnt find any poisonous substances in Navalnys system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred public statements without providing any facts whatsoever to a thorough investigation.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care but continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Navalny's prognosis is hard to predict. He said that very swift action is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the significant delay, given that Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.

A view of the central building of the Charite hospital where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack and poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government said Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 citing new test results. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The problem is that even if Mr Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues, Sella said.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putin's name and a signature next to it.

It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way  or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.

Navalny's allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.

The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.

The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.

The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalnys (possible) death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.

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Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed," Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King's College London, said. "It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

___

Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London, Raf Casert in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this story.
US Adjusts Taiwan Policy, Declassifies Cables

By Nike Ching September 01, 2020

The United States is adjusting its Taiwan policy and declassifying cables on Taiwan arms sales as China ramps up pressures on Taipei.

The U.S. is further clarifying that Washington's one-China policy is different from Chinese Communist Party's sovereignty claim over Taiwan.

A senior State Department official said Monday the latest U.S. moves were not a policy departure, but part of significant adjustments within the boundaries of Washington's longstanding "one-China" policy.

"The U.S. has long had a one-China policy. This is distinct from Beijing's "One China Principle" under which the Chinese Communist Party asserts sovereignty over Taiwan. The U.S. takes no position on sovereignty over Taiwan," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell in his virtual remarks Monday to the Heritage Foundation.

Taiwan said it would continue to strengthen its defense capabilities, thanking the U.S. for its firm commitment to Taiwan's security. In Beijing, Chinese officials urged the U.S. to stop elevating relations with Taiwan.

The U.S. and Taiwan are starting a new bilateral economic dialogue after Taiwan announced last week its plans to remove restrictions on American pork and beef imports. Some experts see the dialogue as a move toward a free trade agreement (FTA) between the U.S. and Taiwan.

"The new economic and commercial dialogue is great. But it should be thought of as a way to an FTA-plus. We still need an FTA. The dialogue is a way to get at issues, like workforce quality and energy supply, supply chain security, that fall outside the traditional parameters of an FTA negotiation," Walter Lohman, director of The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, told VOA Tuesday.

The U.S. also declassified two sets of diplomatic communications called cables from 1982 on Taiwan arms sales, and on Washington's "Six Assurances" to Taiwan, which was seen as a loosely-kept secret. China strongly objects the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.

"It is important to review history like this because Beijing has a habit of distorting it," said Stilwell.

The directive of one of the cables indicates that the chief concern of the United States was maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, the cable said the quantity and quality of arms provided to Taiwan would be conditioned entirely on the threat posed by China. The memo ends by offering "this final assurance: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan will continue," said American Institute in Taiwan.

Under the "Six Assurances" offered by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration, the U.S. did not agree to prior consultation with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, nor did it agree to take any position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan. The U.S. also promised it will never pressure Taiwan to negotiate with Beijing.

Experts said that even though the United States is not setting new precedents in its relationship with Taiwan, the reassurances communicated by declassifying the 1982 cables seem new.

"They rarely mentioned the Six Assurances publicly," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "So this is an effort to elevate their importance."

Glaser told VOA Tuesday that "declassifying the Six Assurances provides an opportunity for the U.S. to highlight its commitment to Taiwan and show it is a reliable partner. "

Ryan Haas, a foreign policy fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, said Stilwell made elements of longstanding policy "more clear publicly" than they had been before, but indicated Stilwell did not depart from any of the key elements of America's approach to cross-Strait relations.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

It is better for the Armenian community of Italy to focus on the deplorable internal political processes in Armenia rather than holding a low-standard slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani ambassador to Italy, Mammad Ahmadzade said, Trend reports on Sept. 2.

The ambassador's article entitled "The conflict can only be resolved through the restoration of Azerbaijans territorial integrity", published in various Italian newspapers, in particular Politicamente corretto, L'Opinione, Notizie Geopolitiche, Sicurezza internazionale, Sardegnagol, Kmetro0, Giornale Diplomatico, triggered a reaction from the Armenian community of Italy.

While sending the letters of protest on behalf of the "Council of the Armenian Community of Rome" to the media outlets, which published the article, the senders made poor judgments intended to distract the Italian public from Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.

In this regard, each of the media outlets (Notizie Geopolitiche, Giornale Diplomatico, Politicamente corretto, Sardegnagol), published the letter of the council, in addition to publishing a response letter from the Azerbaijani ambassador to Italy.

In the letter, the Azerbaijani ambassador expressed gratitude to these media outlets for the attention shown to the processes in the region, as well as conveying clear information about the situation in the region to the Italian readers by publishing the ambassador's article and stressed that the truth can only be revealed this way.

As for the attempt to "respond" to the ambassadors article by the "Council of the Armenian Community of Rome", the Azerbaijani diplomat said that this structure did not provide weighty arguments for denial of the aggressive foreign policy of Armenia and they intentionally tried to divert public attention with a derogatory campaign against Azerbaijan. This attitude is another example of the recognition of the fact that Armenia is the aggressor, and Azerbaijan is the party that has been subjected to aggression.

The diplomat recommended this structure to focus on the regrettable internal political processes in Armenia, instead of defamatory campaign against Azerbaijan.

"The tenure of the first president of Armenia has been remembered in the history by Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, the death of thousands of people, war crimes, crimes against humanity, which plunged the region into one of the most severe political and demographic crises in modern history, Ahmadzade added.

Later, the first Armenian president, realized that this situation led Armenia to deep crisis and saw the only way out in achieving peace with Azerbaijan. He was later overthrown by a criminal military junta, the ambassador said.

This junta, led by the Armenia's second and third presidents, whose hands were stained with the blood of Azerbaijani civilians during the military aggression against Azerbaijan, during its 20-year rule brought the country to the brink of destruction, Ahmadzade said.

In such a deplorable situation, the current prime minister, who seized power, taking advantage of the discontent and protests of people, created a revolutionary dictatorship in the country, the diplomat said.

The current prime minister, who quickly declared war to all his political opponents, the judiciary, the media and non-governmental organizations, is said to be involved in various scandals related to financial and economic fraud and crimes, Ahmadzade said.

Armenias another military provocation, committed against Azerbaijan on July 12, was also directed by Yerevans regime to divert attention from deplorable internal political situation inside Armenia, Ahmadzade said.

The Azerbaijani diplomat stressed that in reality, the goal of the diaspora living abroad must be the development and prosperity of the homeland, but the Armenian side does everything the

"Unable to correctly assess the processes in the region, the Armenian organizations abroad have turned Armenia into a hostage of their personal ambitions by their harmful actions, the diplomat said.

If the Armenian diaspora cares about the future of the Armenian people and wants to see Armenia as a stable, developed and prosperous country, it must first encourage it to normalize relations with its neighbors as the future of Armenia, which does not have internal resources, depends on normal relations with all its neighbors and, in particular with Azerbaijan, the diplomat said.

For this purpose, Armenia must first of all withdraw its armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories," Ahmadzade said. The Armenian community must understand that to send financial donations to Armenia from time to time does not mean love.

"Neither these financial donations, nor the concealment of Armenia's mistakes by holding a slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan will solve the country's problems, the diplomat added. The fact that today Armenia remains poor and is going through severe political, economic and social crises is directly related to its military aggression against Azerbaijan.

If this policy does not change, regardless of who is in power, the situation in Armenia will only get worse," Ahmadzade said.

As for the "Appeal to Armenia and Azerbaijan to sit down at the negotiating table and find a peaceful solution to the problem instead of waging an armed conflict and making claims to each other in the press" in Giornale Diplomatico newspaper, which published a letter by the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani diplomat said that Azerbaijan is committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict despite the military occupation of 20 percent of its territory for almost 30 years.

Our goal is to conduct the substantive, results-oriented negotiations, achieve the settlement of the conflict, the diplomat said. However, Armenias goal is to prolong negotiations and maintain the status quo.

We welcome the editorial office's call for the rapid settlement of the conflict, but this call must be addressed not to Azerbaijan, but to the party that occupied its territory," the Azerbaijani ambassador said in a reply letter.

The articles by the Azerbaijani ambassador can be found below:

https://www.politicamentecorretto.com/2020/08/31/lettera-dellambasciatore-della-repubblica-dellazerbaigian-in-italia-0345-20-15-07/

https://www.notiziegeopolitiche.net/nagorno-karabakh-lambasciatore-ahmadzada-replica-alla-comunita-armena-di-roma/

https://www.sardegnagol.eu/2020/09/01/la-risposta-dellambasciatore-alla-comunita-armena-in-italia/

https://www.giornalediplomatico.it/Azerbaigian-amb-Ahmadzada-a-GD-Ada-decenni-impegnati-per-soluzione-politicaA.htm

https://it.notizie.yahoo.com/ambasciatore-azero-roma-noi-per-soluzione-diplomatica-nagorno-154358369.html

https://it.finance.yahoo.com/notizie/ambasciatore-azero-roma-noi-per-soluzione-diplomatica-nagorno-154358369.html
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. To help raise awareness of the disease and the need for a diversified blood supply across the United States, Versiti Blood Centers are hosting special drives in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan throughout September.

A local drive will take place 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the atrium of the Dow Event Center, 303 Johnson St., Saginaw.

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. For millions around the world, their red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool call a sickle. The cells commonly become stuck in small blood vessels and block the flow of blood and oxygen to organs in the body, causing severe pain, organ damage, serious infection and stroke.

In the U.S., more than 100,000 people live with sickle cell disease, which occurs in one in 365 African-American births and one in 16,300 Hispanic-American births.

All eligible donors at the first Michigan drive focusing on the need for life-saving blood donations from diversified donors will receive a National Sickle Cell Awareness Month t-shirt.

To ensure everyone's safety during continuing coronavirus concerns, Versiti employees wear face masks or cloth face coverings and are temperature tested before their shifts. Donors are also temperature tested and prescreened before their donation. All donors are asked to wear their own face covering during their appointment.

Social distancing is being practiced at all Versiti blood drives throughout Indiana. Versiti is efficiently cleaning and disinfecting all facilities and equipment at all drives.

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 17 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to give. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 1-866-642-5663 or visit Versiti online at http://www.versiti.org/Michigan.

- Processed by Victoria Ritter, vritter@mdn.net
The Morrison government is actively considering pulling forward $158 billion worth of personal income tax cuts in next month's budget to boost the economy out of its deepest recession since the Great Depression.

Official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed the economy contracted by 7 per cent in the June quarter as households and businesses slashed spending. It was the second consecutive quarterly drop in GDP, the first time since 1991.

The Morrison government is actively considering pulling forward $158 billion worth of personal income tax cuts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said infrastructure spending, reduction of business red tape, increasing the skills of workers and business tax relief were all part of the government's plans to boost jobs and re-start the economy.

The $158 billion in personal tax cuts that are due to start in mid-2022 and mid-2024 are also being considered as a way to get people spending.
KENOSHA  The day after President Donald Trump visited Kenosha to see riot damage and meet with law enforcement and other local leaders in person, Democratic challenger Joe Biden said he will visit the city.

Joe and Jill Biden will visit Thursday, the campaign said. They plan to participate in a "community meeting ... to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face," according to a statement from Biden's campaign. After that, the campaign said the couple will make a "local stop," but did not say where.

Both Trump and Joe Biden have condemned the physical damage done to the city while also both saying they support non-destructive demonstrations.

In a video shared by Biden's campaign, the former vice president said: "I want to make it absolutely clear: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. It's lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted."

Curfew over Early Wednesday afternoon, Kenosha County announced it was ending its State of Emergency Curfew that had been in place in varying forms for over a week. After consulting with local law enforcement agencies, I have decided the curfew is no longer needed," Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian. "The last several nights have been relatively peaceful in the community, and in the judgment of law enforcement, it is appropriate to remove the curfew. However, criminal activity will not be tolerated and arrests will be made if needed. I am hopeful there will be no need to reinstate the curfew in the near future.

Biden, like many others including Gov. Tony Evers, said that Trump's visit could escalate tensions in Kenosha.

After violence occurred in the days following the Jacob Blake shooting, Wednesday through Friday last week were much more calm although law enforcement had stepped up its detentions of those arrested for violating curfew. Thousands marched on Saturday, and hundreds were back in Kenosha Tuesday: some showing support for Trump while others loudly voiced their opposition.

Before, during and after Trump's visit to Kenosha, re-upping criticisms of Biden for not having been physically present on his campaign trail. Thursday would mark Biden's first visit to the crucial swing state of Wisconsin.

One of the primary reason's analysts say Hillary Clinton lost Wisconsin in the 2016 election was her lack of presence in the state. Biden was supposed to have visited last month for the Democratic National Convention, but he ended up accepting the nomination virtually after the in-person DNC was functionally canceled due to the coronavirus.

Trump used the opportunity to drive home his campaign message of law and order by expressing support for law enforcement and blaming domestic terror for the looting and arson thats taken place in the city during the protests. The president and his allies have been saying that if Biden were to be elected such violent incidents would become the norm.

While Biden has repeatedly denounced the protest violence, he has expressed sympathy for protesters concerns over systemic racism and a commitment to enact police reforms if elected. Trump said that one of the reasons he did not visit with Blake's family on Tuesday was because the family "wanted to have lawyers involved."

The Wisconsin branch of the American Civil Liberties Union criticized Trump's comments Tuesday, as have others, particularly how he had dismissed questions about the existence of systemic racism.

In his speech on Tuesday in Kenosha, President Trump dismissed the existence of systemic police violence and structural racism. In doing so, he ignored the pleas of thousands of Americans who have taken to the streets in recent months to fight for Black lives, and continued to ignore the reality that generations of Black and Brown people have been harmed by police," ACLU of Wisconsin spokeswoman Alyssa Mauk said in a statement. It is clear that President Trump, (Kenosha Police) Chief (Daniel) Miskinis and (Kenosha County) Sheriff David Beth either do not understand or do not care about the reasons that so many people  in Kenosha and across the country  are calling for change."

The Associated Press and Mitchell Schmidt of Lee Newspapers contributed to this report.
Salma Hayek has long been considered as one of Hollywood's most beautiful faces.

The Mexican actress, whose claim to fame is her 1995 American Western action film "Desperado," is celebrating her 54th birthday.

Nevertheless, the Daytime Emmy Award winner continues to prove that age is but a number as she still looked stunningly beautiful.

Moreover, it appears that the "Frida" actress fully embraced the power of 50, as she frequently updates her millions of followers with sultry snaps and makeup-free selfies during the quarantine.

Having said that, here are Salma Hayek's Instagram photos that symbolize ageless beauty.

Glam Beach Vibe

As the mother-of-one celebrates another milestone in her life, she flaunted her toned arms and torso.

In her latest IG update, she sported a black halter one-piece swimsuit, black cover-up, wide-brimmed hat, huge black sunglasses and gold accessories as she posed atop a mountain overlooking the sea.

"Guess who's turning 54 tomorrow? By the way, this is not a Throwback Thursday! Thank you, Marjo for turning into a photographer during the vacation!" she wrote.

Friends, family and fans flocked to the comment section as they greeted the "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" star on her special day.

"Happy Birthday, Sister," fellow actress Ashley Judd responded. Meanwhile, "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot wrote: "Happy birthday babe!!!" followed by a heart emoji.

Meanwhile, one fan was curious about the Mexican stunner's youthful glow.

"What is your secret!?" the user asked.

No Makeup, No Problem

In another Salma Hayek Instagram post, the Hollywood A-lister was unafraid to post a bare face look with her messy hair and untamed brows.

Despite this, she still looked effortlessly beautiful while posing near her beloved plant.

The "Ghost Rider" actress Eva Mendes couldn't help but notice Hayek's near-perfect skin.

"Look at THAT FACE! Esa cara. La mas bella. Ayyyyy Dios! And you have the corazon to match that face. Pure beauty. pura belleza," Mendes wrote.

But First Coffee... In a Bikini

It seems that the "Ugly Betty" star loves being near the water, as she regularly posts bikini photos showing off her seductive body.

From plain bright bikinis to classic pieces, the 54-year-old actress likes to spice things up and keep her swim style interesting.

Posted last August 20, Salma Hayek's Instagram comment section was filled with positive remarks from fans and friends.

She was seen donning a tiny bikini paired with a black top (with her huge sunglasses and her hair tied up in a bun) while drinking her morning coffee.

"Law & Order's," Zoey Saldana wrote. Meanwhile, fellow Mexican actress Eva Longoria commented "Guapa," which means beautiful.

Salma Hayek Celebrates International Dog Day

Despite the lockdown and social distancing, the "Like a Boss" actress spent her quality time with her four-legged friend as she celebrated the international dog day.

"To me, every day is an international dog day. Para mi todos los dias son el dia internacional del perro," Salma captioned on Instagram followed by a clip with her beloved fur friend.

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In an unprecedented act, the D.C. Court of Appeals denied General Michael Flynns emergency petition for writ of mandamus, keeping the prosecution alive despite all charges dropped and an earlier order by an appeals court panel to dismiss the case. The prosecution of General Flynn is an open display of Washington corruption, but one that cannot be fully understood without the story in its entirety.

Against the strong objections of the Obama administration, General Flynn was appointed to National Security Advisor by President Trump at the beginning of his presidency, prompting attacks on his reputation by the intelligence community through selective leaks to various media outlets. On February 9th, 2017, the Washington Post reported that Flynn had discussed sanctions against Russia on the phone with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, implying that a backdoor deal was being struck against Americas best interests. The next day, the Post reported that Flynn may have lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his call with Kislyak. Pence had already made high-profile TV appearances stating that the campaign team had no improper contact with the Russians. The Trump team had been putting out fires relating to accusations of collusion with Russia and the possibility that Flynn had misled Pence concerning his call with the Russian ambassador was gasoline on the flames. After an FBI transcript of the call confirmed that Kislyak had brought up sanctions, Trump asked Flynn for his resignation on February 13th, twenty-four days after appointment.



Image courtesy of Bosch Fawstin.

After the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate claims of Russian collusion, the FBI and the Department of Justice swarmed General Flynn, investigating his past business dealings, business partners, even his son. Every salacious detail was leaked to the Washington Post and the New York Times, both churning out propaganda stories implying that Flynn had betrayed his country by selling out to foreign powers.

In the end, there was no evidence of illegal activity or collusion with Russia. Instead, Flynn was accused of lying to the FBI about discussing sanctions with Kislyak. Half of America watched with horror, the other with glee, as Flynn surrendered himself after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI and entering a plea deal with Mueller. James Comey, the disgraced former FBI Director, tweeted a bible verse:

But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24)

The day after Flynns guilty plea marked the beginning of an unravelling that would make Machiavelli blush. The Justice Departments inspector general found text messages between FBI lawyer Lisa Page and FBI Agent Peter Strzok showing incredible bias and illegal collusion. While on the team investigating Hillary Clintons illegal email server, Page and Strzok had discussed plotting to tip the 2016 election to Clinton. Both would later be on Muellers investigation team, with Strzok handling the investigation into Flynn. Texts came out showing that the Russian collusion accusation was fabricated by the FBI as an insurance policy to undo the 2016 election if Trump managed to win. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of texts would be destroyed by FBI technicians , but among those which survived had incredible significance to General Flynn. Judge Rudolph Contereras, the Obama appointee overseeing Flynns case, had not disclosed that he had a close friendship with Page and Strzok, recusing himself without explanation only after learning the texts proving this relationship would soon surface, six days after accepting Flynns guilty plea.

Page and Strzok had schemed up a cocktail party with Rudy so Strzok could meet face to face without arousing suspicion of collusion. Strzok asked Page to come to the party with other coworkers so Rudy would not have to recuse himself from any of Strzoks investigations:

[REDACTED] suggested a social setting with others would probably be better than a one on one meeting... Im sorry, Im just going to have to invite you to that cocktail party Have to come up with some other work people cover for action.

Worse yet, Rudy had been assigned to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in May 2016, just in time for the FBIs spy warrants on Trump in Operation Crossfire Hurricane in July. Who presented the governments case for FISA approval? Peter Strzok.

Additional blows were made to Muellers credibility. It became obvious that the Mueller team had browbeaten Flynn into pleading guilty by threatening his son. Flynn became more aggressive as the legitimacy of the Mueller team waned, arguing that he was the victim of an elaborate frame-up. Emmet Sullivan, the new presiding judge, blasted Flynns lawyer, forcing him to retract the entrapment claim.

In June 2019, after the complete collapse of Muellers Russian investigation, Flynn fired his attorney and hired Sidney Powell, an aggressive anti-DoJ lawyer. Powell attempted to retract the guilty plea and formally accused the Justice Department of malicious prosecution and withholding evidence. One by one, her motions were denied by Judge Sullivan.

In the backdrop, President Trumps loyalists were finally seizing partial control of the intelligence agencies and the Department of Justice. Richard Grenell was installed as Acting Director of National Intelligence and proceeded to declassify Flynns call with Kislyak and the list of Obama officials who had authorized illegal espionage against Flynn. In the call which had caused so much controversy, Flynn had sidestepped talk of sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak by simply asking him not to escalate against the United States.

Additional declassified FBI documents showed that the FBI had wiretapped Flynn without cause, broken protocol by sending FBI agents to the White House without authorization, attempted to trick Flynn into thinking he was not under investigation, and called Flynn beforehand to warn him not to have counsel present during the interview. The agents selected to interview Flynn were Joe Pientka and Peter Strzok.

The FD-302 summary of the interview, written by agent Pientka, stated that Flynn had been sincere in his recollection of his call with Kislyak. On Lisa Pages order, Strzok would go on to almost completely rewrite Pientkas form. Judge Sullivan had ordered for the original 302 to be entered into evidence, receiving instead the edited version without acknowledgement by the prosecution of the substitution.

Declassified FBI documents show how the frame-up plot came about. On January 4th, 2017, after finding no derogatory information against Flynn, the Washington FBI field office notified Strzok that operation CROSSFIRE RAZOR was slated to close. Strzok replied, Dont close RAZOR. The next day, Strzok was in the Oval Office with President Obama, Joe Biden, Sally Yates, James Comey, and Susan Rice, discussing how to attack Flynn. Strzok took handwritten notes, discovered and declassified by Grenell. Biden suggested using the Logan Act. Obama stressed the importance of having the right people investigate Flynn. Comey reminded everyone that Flynns calls with Russian Kislyak were legitimate. They knew Flynn was not a Russian asset and had the transcript of the phone call to prove it, but decided to question him about the call anyway to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired.

Judge Sullivan did everything he could to stop this mountain of evidence from being entered into both the court and public view, prompting a media beatdown by Sidney Powell. Soon, Grenells declassifications made it clear that prosecutor Brandon Grack, a former member of Muellers team, had withheld exculpatory evidence, prompting him to withdraw from the case. Deeply embarrassed, the Justice Department dropped all charges.

Incredibly, Judge Sullivan decided to keep the proceedings alive despite prevailing case law prohibiting him from doing so. Sullivan requested a friend-of-the-court brief from retired judge and Clinton appointee John Gleeson to oppose dropping the charges. A federal appeals court ordered Sullivan to explain his actions. Sullivan, in an unprecedented move, hired a criminal defense attorney to assist in his reply to the appeals court, a reply which the appeals court read before promptly granting Flynns request to dismiss charges with prejudice. Sullivan then petitioned the D.C. Court of Appeals to rehear the case, a petition which the Court granted, making it the ninth such case since 2010.

On August 11th, after a four-hour charade consisting mostly of bizarre hypotheticals, the court ended oral arguments over whether the case should be reheard. On August 31st, the court decided to deny Flynn mandamus relief, indefinitely putting off a resolution of Flynns case.

The Court of Appeals decision may undo Flynns legal relief, but it cannot undo his exoneration.

Image: Gage Skidmore
Akiva Eldar is an Israeli author and was formerly an editorial writer and columnist for Haaretz.

Everyone in Israel is talking about normalisation these days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his followers are feting the normalisation of Israels ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Political pundits are betting on the identity of the next Muslim state to normalise relations with the Jewish state  will it be Bahrain or Sudan, or will the Saudi flag be flying soon in the heart of Tel Aviv?

Netanyahu, with the generous help of his crony, US President Donald Trump, has indeed successfully bridged the formal divide between Israel and the rulers of several Gulf states.

However, even as he pontificates on the historic reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world (while deepening Israels occupation of Palestinian territory), he is leaving an imprint on the annals of the Jewish people as an arch-divider, pitting Jews against Jews. His skills in sowing divisions are rivalling those of Trump.

In a bid to extricate himself from his corruption indictment and possible incarceration, Netanyahu has repeatedly depicted himself as a victim of persecution by the liberal left, which many dub the Ashkenazi elites, referring to Jews who hail from Europe and are traditionally viewed as more privileged than their brethren from Arab states, known as Mizrahi Jews.

Netanyahu and his followers portray the tens of thousands of protesters who mass on the doorstep of his official Jerusalem residence each week as a gang of sourpusses intent on unseating him and the political right. These are the same white tribespeople whom he accused in a loud whisper into the ear of the elderly Chief Sephardic Rabbi in 1997 of forgetting what it means to be Jewish given their penchant for Western, liberal values and left-wing politics.

Using his brash son Yair as his mouthpiece, Netanyahu has been quick to ride the wave of every public controversy de jour and leverage it into incitement against the Ashkenazi elites  the fact that his father was born in Warsaw and was a university professor in the United States, notwithstanding.

His latest use of these cynical tactics involves a feud between the eastern town of Beit Shean and the nearby gated kibbutz of Nir David over access to a section of the Hasi River that runs through the community.

Rather than proposing a solution to a festering decades-old socialeconomic sore that has pitted Mizrahi Jews living in cramped housing against the predominantly Ashkenazi kibbutzim endowed with land, Netanyahu, who owns a seaside villa in Caesarea, fanned the flames. His son Yair tweeted against the founders of the kibbutzim and the state, calling them damned communists who stole half state lands at the expense of the development towns, referring to the towns built for Mizrahi immigrants in the 1950s.

The Kibbutz Movement, long considered a bastion of left-wing politics in Israel, struck back, highlighting its pioneering role. While children from the kibbutzim in the Galilee sit in shelters, the bum from Balfour thinks its appropriate to slander us, it posted on Facebook, referring to the young unemployed Netanyahu who lives in the official prime ministers residence on Jerusalems Balfour Street. We are not going anywhere. If anyone should be moving it is you from Balfour.

Netanyahu is by no means the first right-wing politician to harness what Israelis dub the ethnic demon in his bid for power. The late Menachem Begin, the first Likud leader to become prime minister, pitted residents of the development towns and poor urban neighbourhoods, most of them immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa, against kibbutz residents (swimming pool owners, as he called them), most of them of European origin.

However, if Begin was entitled to accuse the Ashkenazi-dominated Labor party and the political left of discriminating against the Mizrahi immigrants when they ruled the state from 1948 until his victory in 1977, Netanyahu heads a party that has ruled Israel almost without interruption for four decades. Despite decrying constantly Ashkenazi privilege, however, the Israeli prime minister has done next to nothing to uplift the Mizrahis.

It was on his watch and that of his Likud party that the rate of university graduates among third-generation Ashkenazi Jews remained 1.5 times higher than among their Mizrahi age cohort.

This gap first emerged among previous generations because Mizrahis were directed to vocational schools, based on their origin, regardless of their ability, rather than to academic schools with a higher potential to reach university and strengthen their social status. Among Ashkenazis the trend was reversed.

Over the years, this resulted in a higher rate of poverty and poor socioeconomic mobility within the Mizrahi community.

While Begin mobilised Mizrahis to mount a political struggle, Netanyahu is doing so to undermine the gatekeepers of Israels democracy  the attorney general, state prosecutor, police commissioner, media, human rights organisations and protesters against corruption at the top.

Several leading journalists and university lecturers have positioned themselves to the right of Netanyahu and his government and Knesset sycophants.

The most prominent and vocal is an analyst for Channel 13 television, Dr Avishay Ben Haim, who has become the flag bearer of what he calls the second Israel, a term synonymous with Mizrahi Jews.

On the eve of the start of Netanyahus corruption trial in May, Ben Haim declared, I am being put on trial, claiming that Netanyahus trial was a plot by the first Israel to negate the choice of second Israel voters for prime minister, and to humiliate the most admired Jewish figure of the 21st century.

In July, while he was reporting for the news bulletin from the demonstrations outside Netanyahus residence in Jerusalem, protesters identified and hurled insults at him. One or two of them called him Moroccan scum. Several prominent leaders of the demonstration argued that the individuals that attacked and insulted Ben Haim were right-wing provocateurs.

That did not stop Minister of Interior Aryeh Deri, leader of the conservative Shas party which excludes women and Ashkenazis from its ranks, from quickly weighing in.

It doesnt matter that Avishai Ben Haim has a PhD, was a lieutenant colonel in a military combat unit, is a respected journalist  for people in Israeli society he remains Moroccan scum just because of his origins, tweeted Deri. We will no longer bow our heads at such remarks [] We are proud Moroccans! declared the senior minister, who rose to prominence on the back of the ethnic demon and rallied supporters against what he claimed was his ethnically motivated conviction for corruption in the 1990s.

Despite Netanyahu and his allies attempts to portray the protests as Ashkenazi-only, the crowd that has been gathering in front of his residence for months now has been quite diverse. Among the devoted protesters are people from different origins, from tattooed young women to men wearing a kippa.

Criticism of Netanyahu also cuts across ethno-religious lines. A recent poll indicates that only 30 percent of Jews of the traditional denomination (who tend to be Mizrahi/Sephardi), and only 20 percent of the secular (who tend to be Ashkenazi) think that Netanyahus motives are the wellbeing of the state or ideology. The traditional majority (52 percent) and the absolute majority among the secular (68 percent) think that Netanyahu is mainly driven by his legal future. His most devoted constituents are members of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi ultra-orthodox communities.

Thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee, (Isaiah 49:17) the prophet Isaiah warned the people of Israel. From thee, not from Dubai and not from Riyadh. Normalisation must begin at home.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.




By Sigmar Gabriel





BERLIN  Unlike in Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days," the modern world's journey over the next 80 days will be more of a slog than an adventure. But it will culminate in an event of global and historic consequence.



In less than three months, the United States will hold its 59th quadrennial presidential election. Because America is still more powerful economically and militarily than its two leading competitors (Russia and China) combined, its elections are always globally significant. But never before has one posed such an acute threat to the rest of the world.



There is no question that the re-election of President Donald Trump would endanger both the U.S. and the world. Moreover, there is ample reason to fear that a close election could drive the US into a deep, prolonged constitutional crisis, and perhaps into civil violence.



Similarly, if Trump secures only an Electoral College victory while losing the popular vote  as he did in 2016  neither his challenger, Joe Biden, nor the majority of the country that opposes him is likely to accept the outcome as readily as Hillary Clinton did in 2016, and as Al Gore did in 2000. And if the Supreme Court steps in again to choose the winner, as it did when it picked George W. Bush over Gore, massive nationwide protests seem almost certain. In response to this, Trump would almost certainly unleash U.S. federal law enforcement troops, as he has already done in Portland and other cities.



Alternatively, because Biden consistently leads Trump in opinion polls, Trump could try to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext for postponing or otherwise corrupting the election. He has already spent the summer trying to denigrate the validity of mail-in ballots in order to delegitimize the Nov. 3 vote in advance. Even though these actions have met with strong resistance, Trump is laying the groundwork to mobilize his supporters and cling to the White House regardless of the election's outcome.



Riots and looting of the kind recently witnessed in Portland and Chicago inevitably will help Trump politically as he pursues this strategy. He has already been willing to deploy Department of Homeland Security forces in downtown Portland to intimidate comparatively small groups of (mostly peaceful) protesters. The predictable (and probably intended) result was an expansion of the protests and an escalation of violence. Trump's message to middle-class white suburbanites is clear: Here is a president who keeps law and order.



The use of federal resources to intimidate the population also feeds into Trump's narrative that the elections cannot be held fairly and calmly without being manipulated through voter fraud by his opponents. Images of heavily armed right-wing militias showing up at peaceful protests are a harbinger of what awaits the country this fall.



This version of the U.S., whose domestic divisions have increasingly spilled over into its foreign policy, is perhaps the greatest security threat facing the rest of the world today. At a time of growing global risks  from pandemics and climate change to nuclear proliferation and Chinese and Russian assertiveness  a U.S. political implosion would be the ultimate threat multiplier. America is simply too important economically, politically, and militarily to take a break or, worse, to become an unpredictable spoiler in global conflicts, owing to its government's need to play to a narrow domestic constituency.



One can only hope that the election will produce a decisive winner both in the Electoral College and in the popular vote. Yet, even then, tallying the final result may take time, owing to the massive increase in mail-in voting that is expected. Every ballot that has a postmark of Nov. 2 or 3 (depending on the state) will be considered valid, which means that the final result will not be known until after Election Day. During that window of uncertainty, either or both campaigns may try to claim victory based on the current vote count.



In any case, there is no chance that Trump will wait graciously in the Oval Office for days or weeks to receive the final tally. In interviews, he has already issued vague statements suggesting that he will not leave the White House if he loses; indeed, he seems to be actively preparing for such a scenario. If he follows through, the world's leading superpower will find itself facing a protracted  and perhaps intractable  constitutional crisis.



The old Western alliance of democratic, industrialized countries has made many mistakes in recent years, and these have undermined its international reputation. But no institution is more fundamental to the West's wider appeal than free and fair elections. If the former de facto leader of the West can no longer manage to uphold even this principle, the rest of the world may well opt for other political systems.





Sigmar Gabriel, a former German foreign minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, is chairman of Atlantik-Brucke, a member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bank, and a media writer for Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


LEAWOOD, Kan., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DEMDACO, a leader in unique designs and artisan gifts online and in stores nationwide, today announced its pledge to support Children's Mercy Kansas City. As part of this collaboration, DEMDACO will donate a portion of proceeds from the sales of its signature Giving Bear to Children's Mercy Kansas City to further support their ongoing mission: to transform the health, well-being and potential of children with unwavering compassion for those most vulnerable. DEMDACO is thrilled to further help spread joy, comfort and love to the children of Children's Mercy, a haven of care and kindness for kids in need.

"DEMDACO has always been dedicated to lifting the spirits in consumers," said Dave Kiersznowski, CEO of DEMDACO. "As we look to further our purpose pursuing business as a human endeavor, it was an easy decision to bring a little comfort, a little safe and a little brave to children going through trying times. Childhood health, care, research and innovation are vital to transforming the lives of young people around the world today, and we couldn't think of a more worthy organization to join forces with than Children's Mercy."

For the young or young at heart, DEMDACO's signature Giving Bear is a best-selling keepsake for those in need of sympathy or support. Each bear is designed with thoughtful features to bring consumers peace and love. The Giving Bear is a part of DEMDACO's Giving Collection, a series of feel-good mementoes that deeply lift the spirits with products made from soft fabrics that comfort the body and hug you back.

Beginning this month, a percentage of sales from each Giving Bear will be donated to help care for the patients and families who enter the doors of Children's Mercy Kansas City.

"We continue to be so grateful for this amazing community, and to DEMDACO for their generosity and continued support of the work we do," said Jenea Oliver, Chief Development Officer at Children's Mercy Kansas City.

To learn more about DEMDACO's Giving Bear and Giving Collection, or to help support Children's Mercy, please visit demdaco.com/givingbear/.

About DEMDACO:

DEMDACO is the online destination for giftable products intended to lift the spirits and create meaningful moments in people's lives. Founded over 20 years ago by Demi Lloyd and Dave Kiersznowski, each of DEMDACO's products are carefully curated, including unique, handcrafted pieces by their team of artisans and designed with an emotional purpose in mind  to spread comfort, joy, hopefulness and love. DEMDACO gifts stand apart from the rest for their potential to help nurture goodness in the lives of others, and celebrate family, friends and themselves.

About Children's Mercy Hospital:

At Children's Mercy, we believe LOVE WILL create a healthier world for kids. Love inspires us to offer more leading specialties, to research game-changing innovations, and to provide only the most compassionate, comprehensive care. Because love has no limits. And with it, neither do we. Kids come first at Children's Mercy. Always have, for more than 120 years. Every day employees work towards our vision: To create a world of well-being for children. And every day our employees strive to fulfill our mission: Children's Mercy is a leading independent children's health organization dedicated to holistic care, translational research, breakthrough innovation, and educating the next generation of caregivers. Together, we transform the health, well-being and potential of children, with unwavering compassion for those most vulnerable.

SOURCE DEMDACO
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

As reported earlier, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today accepted the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece to Azerbaijan Nikolaos Piperigos.

Trend presents some excerpts from President Aliyev's remarks at the meeting.

The second issue I want to raise with you so that you hear it not from other sources but from me personally is our concern about military cooperation involving Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus. As you know, Armenia is a country that has occupied our territories. It has committed an act of genocide in Khojaly, expelled one million Azerbaijanis from their homes, destroyed our historical, cultural, and religious monuments, implemented a policy of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories, is violating international law, and does not comply with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and other organizations, the Azerbaijani president said.

Two years ago, the European Union and Azerbaijan initialed a document called Partnership Priorities. In that document, the European Union supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and inviolability of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized borders, President Aliyev added.

Armenia is acting aggressively. The latest tensions on the state border are a provocation by Armenia. An Armenian officer was recently detained while trying to cross the line of contact in an attempt to commit a terrorist act, and he has already admitted that his group intended to attack our servicemen and civilians. In short, Armenia is the enemy of Azerbaijan, and this was their decision, the Azerbaijani president said.

Of course, Armenia's close military cooperation with any country is a matter of concern for us. You are probably aware of our reaction to the intense supply of weaponry from Russia to Armenia immediately after Armenias provocation on the border, President Aliyev said.

Active clashes were suspended on 16 July, and from 17 July until yesterday  yesterday was the last flight  there were numerous cargo flights from Russia to Armenia through the airspace of Caspian littoral states. I am saying this to you for a reason. We have also raised this issue with our Russian partners, and we are concerned about military cooperation with Armenia. This poses a major threat to Azerbaijan because they are using these weapons to kill our servicemen and civilians, President Aliyev said.

We are concerned about this tripartite format of cooperation. Of course, every country does what it thinks is right. Therefore, we are not in a position to block or prevent it in any way. But I think that it would be good if you hear from me that this is an issue that worries us, and I have explained why it happened, the Azerbaijani president said.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Special Operations Command has taken receipt of its first MH-47G Block II Chinook from Boeing on time, according to a Sept. 1 company statement.

While other helicopter pilots are envious of the technology on a special operations Chinook, its bones are old. Many of the 61 MH-47G helicopter airframes are from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and the MH-47 is a heavier aircraft than the Chinooks in the active Army component due to the mission equipment added to the airframe over the years. A special operations Chinook weighs roughly 54,000 pounds while a conventional Chinook weighs 50,000 pounds.

This delivery marks a major step for the Chinook program, Andy Builta, Boeings H-47 program manager, said in the statement. The new Chinook will give U.S. Special Operations Forces significantly more capability for extremely challenging missions and will enable them to conduct those missions on the future battlefield.

The upgrades in the Block II version include newly designed rotorblades, major changes to the drive system and other improvements like non-segmented fuel cells. The aircraft is expected to buy back roughly 4,000 pounds of additional load capacity and adds range capability.

Will foreign sales save the Chinook production line?

The Army approved the Chinook Block II effort to move into the engineering and manufacturing development phase in April 2017, and the program officially began in July 2017. Boeing produced three aircraft for flight tests, but the helicopter SOCOM has received is the first production-grade aircraft to come off the line to be used in operational missions.

Boeing is on contract to deliver 23 more MH-47Gs, after minting a deal with SOCOM at the end of July.

While the Army originally planned to buy 542 Bock II Chinooks  473 F models and 69 G models  the service decided to cut the planned acquisition in its fiscal 2020 budget request with plans to purchase only G models for special operations.

The services decision to cut the aircraft from the active force was based on the need to free up future cash to cover the cost of a plan to buy two new future vertical lift aircraft for long-range assault and attack reconnaissance missions.

Congress has since opposed the move, injecting $28 million in FY20 funding into the program to purchase long-lead items to manufacture F-model Block II Chinooks for the active Army. The Armys FY21 budget again provided no funding for the program. A similar plus-up in the congressional FY21 spending bill could continue to push the service back in the direction of buying more Block II variants.
Nathan Giese/Planview Herald

Two secondary Lockney Independent School District students have tested positive for COVID-19 marking the districts seventh and eighth cases since the beginning of the school year.

The district shared the news on Saturday noting that the kids  one high school student and one junior high student  were already in self-isolation.
Kaia Gerber and Jacob Elordi enjoyed a later dinner in Malibu on Tuesday.

The top model, 18, and Euphoria actor, 23, kept a low profile as they met up at the celeb-beloved Nobu Malibu around 9pm.

But they weren't the only dinner guests that night, as Kaia carried her new dog Milo in her arms.

Pals: Kaia Gerber got dinner with friend Jacob Elordi at Nobu Malibu on Tuesday night

Kaia was It Girl cool in a black blouse and distressed jeans she paired with brown work boots.

She had her newly highlighted hair tucked behind her ears and a mask covering her face as she sauntered out of the shoreside eatery holding her pooch around 11pm.

Aussie hunk Jacob - who is rumored to be dating Zendaya - was right ahead of her, dressed down in a vintage Looney Toons T-shirt riffing on James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause, jeans, and a newsboy cap.

After dinner, he, Kaia and the canine hopped into his Range Rover and drove off.

Casual cool: Aussie hunk Jacob was right ahead of her, dressed down in a vintage Looney Toons tee shirt riffing on James Dean'st Rebel Without A Cause, jeans, and a newsboy cap

While the pair definitely seemed close, there didn't appear to be anything romantic between the two.

Kaia and Jacob run in a similar circle, both cloth pals with actor Tommy Dorfman.

Last week the Kissing Booth actor and 13 Reasons Why talent enjoyed a getaway to the resort town of Whitefish, Montana, where they shared a number of cozy Instagrams from.

Last September, the Tommy/Kaia/Jacob clique was seen leaving the French fashion house's Paris fashion show together.

Effortless: Kaia was It Girl cool in a black blouse and distressed jeans she paired with brown work boots

Jacob has kept quite quiet about his love life, but seems to meet his ladies on set.

He previously dated Kissing Booth co-star Joey King but has most recently been linked to his Euphoria co-star Zendaya, 24.

The Aussie actor and former Disney Channel star sparked romance rumors earlier this year after being spotted in NYC and Jacob's native Australia together, but have since been quarantining on separate continents.

The last time they were seen together was in March at a Los Angeles flea market.

Buddies: Kaia and Jacob run in a similar circle, both cloth pals with actor Tommy Dorfman

A source told E! News in an article Wednesday that Kaia and Jacob have been friends for some time.

'Jacob definitely has interest in dating Kaia, but there is nothing serious going on there,' the insider said. 'They have many mutual friends and have hung out many times in the past. They both have very chill personalities and similar interests. Jacob makes Kaia laugh and her family adores him'.

Kaia has been keeping it friendly but they do flirt with each other, the source said, while adding, 'She has told friends she is single and is only having fun and hanging out with people'.
Its back-to-school season. Kind of. Whether children are studying at home or in person, though, they might not be learning much about the climate.

Only 36 states and the District of Columbia include the reality of human-caused climate change in their regulations that outline what students should learn. The rest reference the human role as a possibility or a matter of scientific debate, or omit it entirely.

Even when climate change is on the syllabus, its coverage isnt necessarily comprehensive.

According to a 2016 study from the National Center for Science Education, 71 percent of middle- and high-school science teachers spent one or more classes on climate change. Of those teachers, the median amount of time they devoted was just 1.5 class hours per school year. The topic is covered most frequently in earth science, which only 7 percent of high schoolers take. Among teachers of all subjects, fewer than half say theyve ever addressed the issue.
Indigenous art centres have been hit hard by COVID-19travel shutdowns, with art sales falling by more than 50 per cent in some locations and communities, a report has found.

Before the pandemic, Indigenous art centre sales had been growing for almost a decade. But since March, sales of artworks across the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia have slumped by between 46 and 52 per cent, according to the report by Desart, the peak body for Central Australian Aboriginal arts and crafts centres.

An artist painting a carving at Tiwi Design on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory. Credit: Tourism NT

Arts Minister Paul Fletcher released a consultation paper on Wednesday, calling for input from artists, art centre directors, arts workers, art dealers and collectors to help the Indigenous art sector rebuild and recover.

Development of an Indigenous Visual Art Action Plan to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists pre-dated COVID-19 but its need had been underlined by the pandemic, Mr Fletcher said.
RTHK: Pompeo says all US Confucius Institutes must close

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday he was hopeful that Confucius Institute cultural centres on American university campuses would all be shut down by the end of the year.

"I think everyone's coming to see the risk associated with them," Pompeo told Lou Dobbs on the Fox Business Network, accusing the Chinese-government funded institutes of working to recruit "spies and collaborators" at US colleges.

"I think these institutions can see that, and I'm hopeful we will get them all closed out before the end of this year."

Last month, Pompeo labeled the centre that manages the Confucius Institutes in the United States "an entity advancing Beijing's global propaganda and malign influence" and required it to register as a foreign mission.

David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for East Asia, said at the time that the dozens of Confucius Institutes on US campuses were not being kicked out, but US universities should take a "hard look" at what they were doing on campus.

Pompeo was asked about a warning last month by Beijing's top diplomat, Wang Yi, about the need to avoid a new Cold War, an apparent reference to escalating tensions between China and the United States.

Pompeo said "the Cold War analogy has some relevance," but the challenges with China were different.

"This is different from the Cold War in that we are challenged by a country with 1.4 billion people," he said. "The challenges are different, they are economic challenges."

Pompeo referred to actions the Trump administration has taken to restrict the activities of Chinese firms like Huawei and said further moves could be expected.

"And now you'll see a broader effort, they'll be announcements, I think, in the coming days and weeks we will see the United States confront this in a very serious way, all for the benefit of the American economy," he said. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
WASHINGTON  Even by the whiplash standards of a Trump news cycle, the president said some startling things in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News on Monday night.

To name a few: A plane almost completely loaded with thugs wearing black uniforms had come to Washington last week to disrupt the Republican National Convention. The presidents opponent in the 2020 campaign, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., was being controlled by people that youve never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows. Police officers like the one in Kenosha, Wis., who shot an unarmed Black man seven times last week  leaving him paralyzed from the waist down  have a hard time with pressure and so they choke, just like in a golf tournament, they miss a three-foot.

It has become customary when reporting on President Trump to point out the obvious. These would all be rather astonishing claims coming from any other president or major candidate for the office.

But they were hardly astonishing enough for any leading House or Senate Republicans to have anything to say about it. None cared to comment, at least not the dozen or so The New York Times tried to reach on Tuesday.
Mumbai: Leading commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd has ambitious plans for the electric vehicle (EV) segment in the short to medium term, said the company chairman Dheeraj G Hinduja on Wednesday.

He was addressing the shareholders at Ashok Leylands 71st annual general meeting (AGM) today.

Your company has ambitious plans for a global play in the EV segment in both passenger and light commercial vehicles in the short and medium terms," Hinduja said, adding that Ashok Leyland will pursue its goal of achieving zero emission mobility.

The CV maker has been operating a fleet of electric buses as a pilot program in Ahmedabad and Chennai, and in London through its UK-based subsidiary Optare Plc.

The company, which is working to launch electric buses with swappable batteries and fast charging systems in India, has been investing in the research and development (R&D) of EVs over years. Ashok Leylands total R&D expenditure in FY20 stood at 673 crore, which was almost 4% of its annual turnover, up from 658 crore spent in FY19.

The company is also working on a flash charge version of its electric buses. Earlier in January, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ABB Power Products and Systems India Ltd to develop a pilot electric bus based on the latters flash charge technology, which tops up the battery in seconds while passengers get on and off the bus.

Meanwhile, last month the company updated that Optare began delivering the batch of 21 battery-run Metrodecker EVs (double-deck electric buses) to the UK-based fleet operator First York.

Hinduja said that the company plans to combine forces between India and UK on engineering and sourcing capabilities to develop EVs for the global markets.

He also mentioned that Ashok Leyland is developing electric variants on its upcoming light commercial vehicle (LCV) platform codenamed Phoenix. It would be developed in electric versions for India and international markets, Hinduja said.

The contour of our future product plans would revolve around what is popularly known worldwide as CASE mobility. CASE is an acronym for connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicles," he said in his speech today.

Hinduja stressed on the companys three levers of growth going forward  LCVs, push to export shipments and defence business.

With its upcoming Phoenix range, built on all-new BSVI compliant modular platform in right- and left-hand options, the company aims to increase its reach in the domestic LCV market.

Though a late entrant, today LCV business contributes about 40% of our total vehicle volume. We are set to unveil a brand new range of LCVs with which your company is poised to double its reach to address 65% of the total LCV volumes in India," Hinduja said.

He said that the new LCV and AVTR platforms will steer the companys export volumes in key markets such as Saarc, Middle East, Africa and Asean.

On the defence business, Hinduja said that the company is examining new opportunities under the defence ministrys import embargo on a list of 101 items that was issued last month.

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FILE PHOTO: Migrants from the Moria camp in Lesbos wait to board busses at Piraeus port in Athens

A new report by Save the Children, released on Wednesday, shows that more than 200,000 unaccompanied foreign minors arrived in Europe in the last 5 years to seek asylum, with many facing obstacles to security and protection.

By Lydia O'Kane

Five years ago the photo of 3-year-old Alan Kurdi shocked the world. Alan lost his life in a shipwreck in a desperate attempt to reach Europe and forced the world to wake up to the plight of refugees.

In those intervening years, 200,000 unaccompanied foreign minors have made the perilous journey to Europe seeking asylum; and some 700 children including infants have died in the process.

The grim figures are contained in a new report by Save the Children Italy, entitled Protection Beyond Reach, which homes in on 5 key themes: protection at Europes outer borders; immigration detention; access to asylum and residency; family reunification; and guardianship.

The findings show that many unaccompanied minors who come to Europe to seek asylum arrive from Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea and have ended up in Germany, Greece, Italy and Sweden.

While some minors have been guaranteed safety and protection, the report highlights that many others face obstacles in obtaining refugee status: they live in constant fear of being expelled or detained and are denied the possibility of reuniting with family members living elsewhere in Europe.

EU response

The document notes that following the tragic death of Alan Kurdi, the European Union has struggled to find a common response to the so-called refugee crisis.

It adds that new policies have been proposed, but very few have come to fruition.

In 2016 the EU and Turkey agreed a deal that led to a significant reduction in the number of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe.

But the Save the Children document points out that tens of thousands of people  including thousands of children  remain stranded on the Greek islands in inhumane conditions. More than 2,000 minors alone landed in Italy in 2020.

It also says arrivals by sea from northern Africa have been unrelenting and children continue to drown on the EUs watch.

Save the Childrens call

Pending the EU's upcoming "Pact for Asylum and Migration," which is being seen is an opportunity for the EU to re-balance its approach to migration management by enhancing legal pathways to Europe, Save the Children is calling for children's rights to be at the centre of these decisions, and for the EU and its leaders to ensure that measures are taken to guarantee the safety of vulnerable children.

The report stresses that children must have immediate access to asylum and protection once they arrive in Europe, rather than being rejected; and be reunited with their families. Unaccompanied minors must also have access to a guardian within 24 hours.

Only legal migration routes, Save the Children says, can prevent children and adolescents from dying on their way to Europe.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government has said.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  are likely to increase tensions between Russia and the West.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the poisoning of Mr Navalny attempted murder and said it was meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains in a serious condition though he is improving.

It said that it expects a long recovery, and it still cannot rule out long-term consequences from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a special German military laboratory at the hospitals request showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Mrs Merkel said.

He was meant to be silenced, and I condemn this in the strongest possible manner.

Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Mr Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 and was taken to hospital in the Siberian city Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was transferred two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Mr Navalny had been poisoned.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England.

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The nerve agent is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at Charite said last week had shown up in Mr Navalnys system.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry on Wednesday and told in unmistakable terms of Germanys call for the Navalny case to be investigated in full and with full transparency.

We now know that there was an attack with a chemical nerve agent, Mr Mass said.

That makes it even more urgent to determine who was responsible in Russia and to hold them to account.

The Kremlin remained tight-lipped and said it had not been informed, even though its ambassador in Berlin had been summoned.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and Nato about the test results.

Mr Maas said it wants to consult with them in light of the Russian response on an appropriate joint response.

Germany will also contact the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

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Russia itself should have a serious interest in good relations with its neighbours in Europe, said Mr Maas.

Now at the very latest, it is the time to make a decisive contribution towards this.

In an update shortly after the governments announcement, the Charite hospital said Mr Navalny is still in intensive care and remains on a ventilator.

But it said that he continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement.

It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Mr Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Mr Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Mr Putins name and a signature next to it.

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The Russian doctors who treated Mr Navalny in Siberia repeatedly contested the German hospitals poisoning conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and that their tests for cholinesterase inhibitors came back negative.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.

Western weapons experts say it was only ever manufactured in Russia.

After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the US, Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent after the Soviet Union collapsed, and that the Novichok used in the attack could have come from them.

According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, there is no record of Novichok having been declared by any nation that signed the chemical weapons convention.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed, said Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at Kings College London.

It is only dangerous when it is about to be used, ie, mixed together. It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

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Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in a critical condition and killed a local woman.

Russia has refused to extradite the men to the UK.

British police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and sprayed on the front door of Sergei Skripals house in Salisbury.

More than three months later, the bottle was found by a local man, 48-year-old Charlie Rowley.

He was admitted to hospital and his girlfriend, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents.
SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Riverdale Oil & Gas Corporation (OTC PINK:RVDO)(the "Company"), announced today that Hempstract, LLC has executed a Joint Processing Agreement with IsoPhlora, Inc.

In a joint agreement with IsoPhlora, Inc., Hempstract, LLC and their client, Epitome, Inc., Hempstract will complete the extraction process of a large quantity of industrial hemp provided by Epitome. Hempstract will retain 40% of the resulting crude oil and the remaining amount will be provided to IsoPhlora for further processing to the client.

Justin Costello, President of Hempstract commented on the Agreement: "This tolling agreement represents a great opportunity for us to expand production at the Hempstract facilities to process a considerable magnitude of industrial hemp for our client."

About Riverdale Oil & Gas Corporation

Riverdale Oil & Gas Corporation (OTC PINK:RVDO) is a Nevada registered publicly-traded company.

About Hempstract, LLC

Located in Warden, Washington, Hempstract offers business partners premium CBD Solutions they can trust at competitive prices. Hempstract and its laboratories go to great lengths to ensure that all of its solutions are of the highest quality and control standards and provides pure, high-quality, and safe, CBD isolate and oil to its customers.

About IsoPhlora, Inc.

IsoPhlora, Inc. is a bioscience company in Portland, Oregon specializing in research, development, and processing of botanical solutions. The company was founded to provide a scalable, innovative pathway from the farmer to the consumer.

For more information, please contact:

Richard Hawkins

IR@rvdoil.com

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-k, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

SOURCE: Riverdale Oil & Gas Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604596/Hempstract-Executes-Processing-Agreement-with-IsoPhlora
How Can Universities Raise the Bar for Remote Learning?

Notre Dame's Eric Nisly and UPenn's Christopher Martin discuss emerging innovations in distance learning at the university level in this clip from Streaming Media East Connect 2020.

Page 1

Christopher Martin: A lot of us in the spring semester felt like, okay, we have to go fully online, and that means we have to create the exact classroom experience on the internet. So everybody assumed "Oh, I guess we need to use a Zoom or a GoTo Meeting for and meet at the regular time each and every week." And it turns out that that's not necessarily always the right way to do it. Of course, for some classes, it's necessary to always have a live session or at least sometimes to have a live session. But focusing on course design, and whether or not it has to be live all the time, reconceptualizing, and thinking about it like, "What is the outcome that you're desiring for the course and are there other ways to achieve that?"

So, for instance, my brother Dave has just finished his first year of college (Go Dave!), and he's taken a public speaking course. And when he told me about that, I assumed, "Oh, they probably just spun up a Zoom session every week and gave presentations." And he said, "No, we used our Zoom sessions just to discuss best practices--what works, what doesn't work in public speaking. And then all the students actually recorded their public speaking presentations privately in their own homes, and then uploaded them into the LMS where students were able to go in on their own time and provide commentary and actually point out timestamps where 'There's something you said at this point that, you could have maybe done better,' or 'I really liked how you did this at this point.'"

And students were able to go back and watch themselves, which I think was a really interesting way to do it. I think it's much more helpful in that case to learn that way, because you're replaying your own public speech that you might've only given once and not been able to rewatch. So, things like that, just thinking about formatting and knowing the tools well enough to be able to provide suggestions for courses and for faculty who are looking to do this, to recreate their classes in an online setting.

Eric Nisly: Going forward, we're really looking at a plan for over four years: every classroom, having recording capabilities and conferencing capabilities too. In two-and-a-half months, Notre Dame has pushed up the start of the fall semester by two weeks now. We need to have every room to be able to be a hybrid. Some students will be able to be on campus, and we're expecting some students won't be able to. So with the expectation that every, every professor needs to be able to be recording every session, that's going to be a pretty intense lift here over summer to be equipping a few hundred classrooms of going from 15 to 400 locations to be doing records. The storage and the data contracts all have to be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, depending on which one you're talking about for the load. We've already scaled Zoom to be able to handle the conferencing, but the records of Zoom meetings like we're doing with this one, recording it for later, when you do a session with your class, you need to be able to record it.

We also just built out a full global classroom--that's what we've labeled it. There is another version--I'm not gonna say which university, cause I'll probably get it wrong--they had what they call the "Wow room," and we looked at some of that, and made it to where a professor can walk in, there's an actual operator there, large multiple screens to be able to see the students, to be able to interact with them more natively--as well as you can be natively in video. So you have large monitor on one side where everybody's speaking, then a large monitor being able to show who's talking and a large Microsoft Surface so that they can be doing more diagramming as opposed to needing to have a lightboard and changing camera angles.

But being able to integrate more interactive tools in one location and a more dynamic teaching process for those higher-end classes that need more interaction with the professor and with the content to be able to discuss the parts like formulas and outcomes and diagramming so that there is a much larger interaction. So we've equipped some of our studios that way. And then every classroom is going to be equipped with lecture capture and video conferencing.

Page 1
Nvidia announced three new graphic cards last night that have been described as the biggest generational leap ever. This is not only true for the flagship RTX 3090 cards, even the budget-friendly RTX 3070 outperforms my RTX 2080Ti by a big difference. The RTX 2080 Ti was NVIDIAs top-of-the-line graphic card until yesterday and was leading the pack with 11GB of RAM and 68 ray tracing cores. However, the RTX 3070 outpaces my 2080 Ti by almost 60% and costs half as much. Sure, I bought the card almost two years ago and Im still waiting for games that make my graphic card look like a potato, Im still quite tempted by what NVIDIA has done with the 3000 series.

 NVidia

In comparison, the RTX 3070 has 5888 CUDA cores and the boost speed of 1.73 GHz while my 2080 Ti has around 4352 CUDA cores and a boost speed of 1.63 GHz. The simple reason why there is a huge difference between the two is because the new graphic cards are based on the Ampere system while mine uses Turing architecture. The fact that the RTX 3070 is 60% per cent faster and costs considerably less, is not only making me jealous but a bit upset as well. I paid almost Rs 1.15 lakh for the RTX 2080 Ti while the new RTX 3070 just costs Rs 51,000 in India and offers the same performance for a smidge more than half the price.

 Nvidia

The star of the show i.e. the RTX 3080 is even more powerful than my RTX 2080 Ti by a margin that puts the RTX 2080 Ti to shame. For perspective, the RTX 3080 can easily run most games at 4K resolution with 60 frames per second which my 2080 Ti struggles to achieve on major AAA games even today. Its got double the amount of CUDA cores at 8704 and basically destroys the RTX 2080 Ti in every performance test. From what NVIDIA claims, the RTX 3080 is twice as fast as the RTX 2080 and has prompted gamers to sell their RTX 2080 Tis for about the same price as 3070 on eBay and other platforms. Even in India, PC gamers have rushed to platforms like OLX to sell their perfectly good RTX 2080 Ti for a considerably lower price.

 Nvidia

To be honest, it may seem like Im complaining about something that was bound to happen this year, its still quite impressive what Nvidia has achieved with their new Ampere graphic cards. We will be testing the graphic cards for ourselves when they are available in India and see how much of a big difference there really is.


Video shows the moment a woman came face-to-face with a black bear while out jogging on a popular trail in Canada.

The terrifying encounter occurred Saturday along the Coquitlam Crunch trail in British Columbia, and was filmed by passerby, Sam Abdullah.

The 90-second clip begins with the unidentified jogger looking alarmed as she notices the bear emerge from the bushes right in front of her.

Trying not to startle the deadly creature, the woman stands completely still as it slowly begins to approach her.

The large bear then swipes the jogger's leg with its front paw.

Heart-stopping video shows the moment a woman came face-to-face with a black bear while out jogging on a popular trail in British Columbia, Canada on Saturday

Thankfully, the predator appears uninterested in further interacting with the woman, and she quickly manages to run away.

Abdullah's video captures the sheer terror on her face as she runs from the bear, unsure as to whether it is trailing behind her.

Abdullah told CBC that he tried to help the female jogger by distracting the black bear.

'If you see the video, we are doing the opposite [of what] we are supposed to do. We are coming closer to the bear,' he stated.

'I was trying to distract the bear by yelling because we are not running away, because there was a girl there and we waited there until we knew that she was safe.'

The 90-second clip begins with the unidentified jogger appearing terrified as she notices the bear emerge from the bushes right in front of her

Trying not to startle the deadly creature, the woman stands completely still as it slowly begins to approach her

Local conservation officer Murray Smith told CBC that the incident is 'concerning' and that they are now trying to trap the bear.

'It appears the bear had little or no fear of the runner,' he stated.

'It wasn't like the bear was startled by the runner and reached out and contacted them. In this case, the runner stopped, and the bear approached the runner and then the bear hit the person's leg, so it's very concerning.'

He added that there have been more than 20 reports about a bear in the area in the past month.

Smith says authorities are currently undecided as to whether they will euthanize the animal once it is caught.
A white Charlottesville police officer has been charged with assault and battery in the March 3 arrest of a Black man.

A magistrate issued a warrant charging officer Jeffrey Jaeger with misdemeanor assault and battery on Tuesday, according to a news release.

Jaeger and two other officers, who were not named, responded to a disorder at 762 Prospect Ave. on March 3, the release says.

Two city residents, who were not named in the release, were arrested at the scene. One was charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice and the other person was arrested on an unspecified warrant from another jurisdiction.

According to arrest records, Dyron McFarlane was charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice at the same address on the same day. Andre Henderson was arrested on a warrant service and failure to appear for a misdemeanor charge. Records indicate both men are Black.

McFarlane was found not guilty in Charlottesville General District Court on July 24, according to the press release.

Shortly after the verdict, a complaint was filed with the Charlottesville Police Department about the actions of the three officers based on observations of the body camera footage played in court, the release said. The complaint alleged that one of the officers assaulted one of the arrestees.

Because the initial complaint involved criminal allegations, the matter was referred to Commonwealths Attorney Joe Platania. After reviewing it, Platania asked for a full criminal investigation, which was turned over on Aug. 25, according to the release.

Platania determined there was probable cause for assault and battery charges and authorized CPD to seek a warrant from the magistrate.

CPD spokesman Tyler Hawn declined to say if Jaeger is on administrative leave or if the warrant has been served. The other two officers are going through the departments disciplinary procedures, according to the release.

Jaegers initial court appearance is set for Sept. 14.

The citys website lists Jaeger as a liaison to the University of Virginia student community. Jaegers biography says that he is a graduate of Michigan State University and has been with the city since July 2016.

Officer Jaeger has expanded his volunteer efforts to include the UVa IFC and Pan-Hellenic organizations, where he conducts alcohol, hazing, and sexual assault prevention education sessions, his bio says. His goal is to work with the UVa community to ensure that every student living in or visiting Charlottesville has a safe, educational, and exciting experience, so that they can graduate ready for their careers and successful futures.

Jaeger is one of the citys representatives on the board of the Central Virginia chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association.

The night before the alleged assault, Jaeger spoke before Charlottesville City Council. He said he was a patrol officer, field training officer and a forensic technician. He called for investment in renovations to CPDs building.

This is a place where we have to bring crime victims to on the worst days of their lives, he said. These people deserve our very best and first impressions leave lasting impressions. They deserve the impression of confidence that we can deliver the most up to date technology and resources to bring their victimizers to justice.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:18:46|Editor: huaxia

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-- "Without multilateralism, the multilateral mechanism and international order established since World War II will be seriously damaged, and small- and medium-sized countries will suffer a huge impact," said Wang during his talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said Friday at an annual summer press conference that Germany and the EU want to continue conversations with China and set an example for multilateralism.

-- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that Italy firmly supports multilateralism and advocates solving problems and challenges facing the world through multilateral rather than unilateral means.



BERLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China and Europe are willing to jointly uphold multilateralism at a time when unilateralism is on the rise, and strengthen post-pandemic cooperation, according to consensuses reached between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his European hosts.

Wang, also China's state councilor, has just concluded a week-long tour in Europe, which took him to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) delivers a speech entitled "Solidarity, Cooperation, Openness and Inclusiveness, Jointly Safeguarding the Progressive Trend of Peace and Development of Mankind" at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris, France, Aug. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

FIGHTING PANDEMIC

Wang's visit came as the COVID-19 pandemic is effectively under control in China and Europe is tamping down a resurge of infections.

Jointly combating the coronavirus thus became the first common topic. In Rome, Wang recalled when China was in the thick of the pandemic, Italy rapidly sent out air cargoes of anti-epidemic supplies.

While Italy was in a grave situation, China responded by mobilizing large quantities of supplies and rushing to its aid, and also sent three teams of medical experts to the hardest-hit areas, sharing their experience in fighting the pandemic, Wang said, adding that China will never forget Europe's help or stand idle when Europe faces difficulties.

Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo during the COVID-19 pandemic in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. (Xinhua)

In the Netherlands and Norway, besides the ongoing preventive measures, officials have already turned their eyes to post-pandemic collaboration with China.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the Netherlands is willing to continue working with China to fight the epidemic, so as to accelerate the economic recovery of the two countries.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide expressed hope to strengthen vaccine development and maritime cooperation with China, enhance exchanges and cooperation in winter sports, and expressed support for China in successfully hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Volker Tschapke, honorary president of Germany's Prussian Society, told Xinhua that Wang's visit shows that China is gradually resuming actual personnel exchanges with its partners.

"China and the European Union (EU) have many projects to look forward to, and the pandemic has shown that China is willing to requite when help is given. It's a nice way of dealing with its foreign ties," Tschapke said.

FACILITATING TRADE

European analysts and local media have long paid close attention to the China-Europe talks on building a fair and non-discriminative investment environment.

It is fully possible for the two sides to complete the investment agreement negotiations within this year, Wang said during his visit to Paris.

Andreas Nicolin, head of the Foreign Trade Promotion in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, hopes that an early completion of the investment pact will help "recover the economy, strengthen the competitiveness and innovation and create new jobs and wealth."

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 31, 2019 shows a view of the Sino-Germany Innovation Park in Taicang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Ulrich Ackermann, head of foreign trade department of Germany's Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, is also expecting a deal between the two sides.

"Especially in times of global protectionism, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we need a positive signal for international trade," Ackermann said.

As the world economy is facing a recession due to the raging pandemic and rising protectionist sentiment, Wang reaffirmed that China will stay committed to opening up.

Through deeper reforms, lower tariffs, shorter negative lists, more convenient market access, more transparent market rules and a more attractive business environment, China will link its domestic market, the world's largest one, with the global market more closely, promote a virtuous cycle of mutual development which will be larger, more efficient and more dynamic, as well as create wider development space and more opportunities for China itself and other countries around the world, Wang said.

During a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, the two sides made a commitment to wrap up negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement as soon as possible.

DEFENDING MULTILATERALISM

China has made a series of proposals for concrete collaborations and shown the sincerity to talk, shoring up confidence among EU countries as many fret about growing global confrontations and the possibility of getting dragged into a possible "new Cold War," in the wake of recent clamoring by some high-level U.S. officials for an alliance against China, according to observers.

Wang reiterated that China does not intend to engage in such a conflict and is resolutely against any hype about a so-called "new Cold War," which would "reverse the course of history and kidnap the whole world."

"Without multilateralism, the multilateral mechanism and international order established since World War II will be seriously damaged, and small- and medium-sized countries will suffer a huge impact," said Wang during his talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Wang also noted that upholding multilateralism is the biggest consensus reached during his trip to Europe.

A China-Europe freight train bound for Duisburg of Germany pulls out of the Wuhan terminal of China Railway Intermodal in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that Italy firmly supports multilateralism and advocates solving problems and challenges facing the world through multilateral rather than unilateral means.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said Friday at an annual summer press conference that Germany and the EU want to continue conversations with China and set an example for multilateralism.

Jan Zahradil, chairman of the EU-China Friendship Group in the European Parliament, said the EU leaders and Merkel, who chairs the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, have made it clear that Europe does not want to follow the line of confrontation, but rather to seek cooperation.

"Of course we agree on some things. We might disagree on some other things. That's only natural. But even if we disagree on something, it doesn't mean that we should block each other or we should introduce some sort of new confrontation," said Zahradil.
Venice, Italy is reclaiming its place as a top cultural center this week with the opening of the Venice Film Festival. It is the first major in-person film event since the start of the coronavirus health crisis. The Cannes Film Festival in France was canceled, and other international festivals chose to go mostly online this year.

The Venice Film Festival is the worlds oldest film festival. It has been held 76 other times. The festival will have a new look when it opens Wednesday. The public will be banned from the red-carpet area near the main entrance. Hollywood movie stars and films are largely missing from the festival. And attendees are required to wear face masks while inside buildings.

Those rules are like those Venice and the Veneto area took to contain the coronavirus when it first arrived in late February. Veneto largely kept the virus under control with early stay-at-home orders and a lot of testing once the virus was widespread.

La Biennale chief Robert Cicutto said the decision to hold the film festival in-person was an important sign of rebirth for Venice and the film industry. He said the experience on the Lido will serve as a laboratory for future cultural gatherings.

It will be an experiment on the ground, he said, when announcing the films to be shown.

The September 2nd through 12thfestival marks Italys return to the center of the art world after it became the first country in the West to be hit by COVID. At that time, Mission: Impossible 7, starring Tom Cruise, was filming in Venice. The production company had to suspend work on the project.

Italys 10-week lockdown largely limited the spread of the virus, but infections are now rising after many people took summer vacations. Health officials are attempting to test passengers at airports and seaports to try to identify imported cases before they spread.

People attending the Venice Film Festival must obey the same rules. If they arrive from outside Europes open-border Schengen area, they will be tested upon arrival. The Schengen area is made up of 26 European countries that have agreed to remove border controls for all citizens.

The festival will provide special seating, spaced far apart, for all movie showings. Masks will be required during all films.

Clearly we have to abide by anti-COVID measures, said Paola Mar, Venices culture chief. Each of us has a personal responsibility...if all of us do our jobs, we can limit the harm.

Venice depends heavily on tourism for its economy. Since COVID-19 hit Italy in March, there have been few visitors. Even famous stars are staying away. Restrictions on travel from the United States to Europe have meant that Hollywood films and movie stars will not attend. However, American Matt Dillon agreed to be on the festival jury just recently when Romanian director Cristi Puiu pulled out. Actress Cate Blanchett heads the jury.

Most of the films this year are European. There are many Italian films, including the first Italian opening-night film in years, the family drama Lacci, by Daniele Luchetti. Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will show his first English-language film, The Human Voice. It is a short film that stars Tilda Swinton. She is expected to attend the festival to receive a life achievement award.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

festival  n. a place of celebration for a special reason

lockdown  n. shutting down everything and forbidding people to leave their homes

abide  v. to accept or to tolerate something

tourism  n. the business of people visiting places for pleasure

drama  n. intense social occurrences in life or film

achievement  n. something good that one has accomplished
Gov. Tom Wolf is still calling on the Pennsylvania legislature to pass a state moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Read more

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HARRISBURG  On Tuesday morning, Jason Kiefer went to get his mail and found two copies of an eviction notice taped to the door, scheduling a court hearing for Sept. 10. The address of the Lehigh County Courthouse was crossed out, replaced by Zoom in scribbled red letters.

That same morning, thousands of other renters across Pennsylvania were also at risk of being evicted for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state, after Gov. Tom Wolfs temporary moratorium expired and he said he was powerless to extend it.

But, in a dramatic turnaround, tenants like Kiefer will now be safe from eviction until the end of the year  at least in theory  because of a new federal order.

That afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an order to ban most evictions nationwide through the end of the year, arguing it was necessary to slow the spread of the virus. The order caught housing advocates and landlord groups alike by surprise.

The new eviction ban will prevent homelessness, help state and local governments implement stay-at-home orders, and avoid sending people who have been displaced to crowded shelters where they would be more likely to get sick, the agency said.

Much remains uncertain about how the new eviction ban will work in practice  and whether it will survive legal challenges.

This is a completely unprecedented action, and were in uncharted territory, said Mary Cunningham, an expert in housing policy at the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank. It will likely be challenged in the courts, and well have to see.

To qualify, tenants must fill out a form certifying that they have experienced a substantial loss of income, are making best efforts to pay as much of their rent as possible, and have tried to get help from government assistance programs. They must also declare that if evicted, they would be homeless, forced to live in a shelter, or in cramped conditions.

The ban only covers tenants who earn less than $99,000 per year.

Pending guidance from the federal government or state courts, some key parts of the order remain open to interpretation.

A crucial question is whether it applies to the entire eviction process  barring landlords from even sending a tenant notice of an eviction  or only to the final step, when tenants must leave the property or be removed, said Vik Patel, an attorney in the housing unit at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.

Even in cases where an eviction filing doesnt result in a tenants having to leave the property, the filing itself can become a black mark on someones record that makes it harder for them to find housing in the future.

It would be the most helpful if it covers the entire process, because then there arent any gaps that someone might fall through, Patel said.

Landlord groups, on the other hand, argue that the order only applies to the final stage of the eviction process, allowing eviction filings and court hearings to continue.

Were trying to get some clarification on it, said Paul Cohen, general counsel for HAPCO, a Philadelphia landlords association. He said he doubted that would come before Friday, when the order is set to go into effect.

The new order does not cover tenants who face eviction for reasons other than not paying rent, and advocates said they expect to see a spike in landlords filing for eviction over relatively minor lease violations as a pretext.

For Kiefer, who lives with his girlfriend and two children near Allentown, the new eviction ban offers a tentative lifeline. He said he has struggled to make rent since being laid off from his job as an auto body technician in March.

He applied for food stamps for the first time. He tried to get help from the states troubled rental assistance program. For months, he said, hed been making partial payments, but still racked up about $4,000 in debt.

Theres just nowhere we can go, Kiefer said. None of our family have big enough houses to take us in.

Under the federal order, late fees and interest can still accrue, which could leave tenants with an impossible mountain of debt come the end of the year.

This is a really positive development, but the problem still remains that if people cant pay their rent, and theyre not paying it, that bill is going to come at some point, said Phyllis Chamberlain, executive director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.

Lawmakers are weighing changes to Pennsylvanias troubled rental assistance program, in part because many landlords have refused to participate, citing a $750 cap on the amount of assistance they can receive, and a requirement that they waive their right to collect any remaining rent, a Spotlight PA review found. Onerous paperwork requirements have also slowed the pace of approving applications in some counties.

A spokesperson for Wolf said the governor believes the state legislature should both fix the rental assistance program and reinstate the states eviction ban, which went further than the new federal order by preventing foreclosures.

The eviction moratorium is important, but its temporary, Chamberlain said. Rental assistance is a longer-term solution that actually addresses the root problem.

Staff writer Michaelle Bond contributed to this article.

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Every student who lives in the public housing complexes or has a voucher qualifies for the program, which will run for at least nine months. About 600 families are currently signed on to the service, HACC Executive Director Richard Monocchio said. The county is paying for the $9.95-per-month bundle for these families with about $600,000 in federal CARES Act money.
Australia officially enters first recession in 30 years. Source: Getty

Australia has officially entered its first recession in 30 years, after the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed the nations gross domestic product (GDP) fell 7 per cent over the June quarter - the second consecutive quarterly contraction in GDP.

This is the worst economic growth in 61 years, and follows a 0.3 per cent decline in GDP across the March quarter.

"The June quarter saw a significant contraction in household spending on services as households altered their behaviour and restrictions were put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus, head of national accounts at the ABS, Michael Smedes, said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed in June that Australia was in a recession regardless of this quarters results, but two consecutive contractions in GDP is the official indicator of a technical recession.

On Wednesday, Frydneberg said the figures confirmed what every Australian already knows - that Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the economy and our lives like nothing we have ever experienced before.

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers said that, though the result wasnt surprising, it was a dark day in Australias history, and would be devastating for millions of Australians and their families.

The numbers today will be the worst weve ever seen on record, Chalmers said. If numbers like these cant prompt a comprehensive jobs plan from the Government then nothing will.

The Shadow Treasurer called on the government to urgently create a plan for jobs.

We call on the Government to stop creating distractions, to stop pointing the finger, creating diversions, shifting the blame, cutting super, wages and pensions, and instead to come up with a genuine comprehensive jobs plan to deal with the deepest, most devastating recession in our lifetimes, he said.

What Australians desperately need to hear from the Government today, not just in the October budget, is a plan for jobs.

The figures come as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) revealed it would keep the official cash rate at a record low of 0.25 per cent on Tuesday in a bid to support the nations economic recovery.

Story continues

In Australia, the economy is going through a very difficult period and is experiencing the biggest contraction since the 1930s, RBA governor Philip Lowe said.

As difficult as this is, the downturn is not as severe as earlier expected and a recovery is now under way in most of Australia. This recovery is, however, likely to be both uneven and bumpy, with the coronavirus outbreak in Victoria having a major effect on the Victorian economy.

Ernst & Young economist Jo Masters told Yahoo Finance that Australias economic recovery would resemble the Nike swoosh, but with a very bumpy bottom.

What youre seeing in Melbourne and Victoria more broadly is exactly what creates that bumpy bottom, she said.

JobKeeper wage subsidy extended

The JobKeeper wage subsidy has officially been extended for a further six months from its 28 September expiry date to March 2021.

Under the new wage subsidy, full-time workers will receive a maximum of $1,200, rather than the $1,500 currently afforded. Employees who work less than 20 hours a week will receive $750 per fortnight.

From 4 January, the payments will decline again. Full-time workers will receive a maximum of $1,000 per fortnight, and those working less will receive $650 per fortnight.

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NEW HAVEN  Police are investigating the June death of a 33-year-old West Haven woman as a homicide.

Nancy Rivas was found unresponsive in a residential driveway on Arthur Street on June 12, Capt. Anthony Duff said. Emergency medical responders were unable to revive her, he said, and pronounced her dead at the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Rivas was killed by strangulation, Duff said Wednesday. Her death is being investigated as a homicide, he said.

Including Rivas, there have been 17 homicides so far this year in New Haven, according to police.

Last year, there were seven before Aug. 30, the department said in its latest Compstat report.

In her obituary, family members said Rivas was born in the Bronx and lived in West Haven for most of her life.

(She) loved to dance, spend time with her kids, and she loved to cook and eat really good Spanish food. Nancy was a woman of faith who prayed often and dedicated her life to helping others, family members said.

She left behind five children and two brothers who love her dearly, as well as a host of aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, family members said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 10 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday.

On the heels of back-to-back political party conventions and a climate of growing unrest in the country, likely voters support Biden over Trump 52-42 percent.

This is the first survey of likely voters in the 2020 presidential election race by the Quinnipiac University Poll. A total of 93 percent of Democrats support Biden, while 90 percent of Republicans back Trump. Independents support Biden 50-40 percent.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has revealed awkward details about her relationship with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, admitting it 'isn't positive'.

Ms Berejiklian has revealed that she has received absolutely no communication or warning on Queensland's hard border closure with NSW, which has caused chaos for local communities.

The Liberal state leader admitted to Ben Fordham Live on 2GB on Wednesday that her relationship with Ms Palaszczuk was not positive and it 'wasn't through lack of trying'.

'I've tried to establish a positive relationship, but it's a bit difficult when decisions are made without even telling us,' Ms Berejiklian said.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) has come clean on her relationship with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) saying it isn't positive

Vehicles arriving from New South Wales are checked by police at a checkpoint on the Queensland border in Coolangatta (pictured) after the border was shut

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman tweeted: 'So if you are AFL royalty you can get into Queensland, with your family, but if you live in northern NSW with your seriously ill child you can't'

'Can I compare that to Dan Andrews and the prime minister? The three of us worked together on a very difficult decision about the Victorian and NSW border, and I would like to see that applied to all borders.

'I think that at this stage of the pandemic all of us should be thinking about how we can make life easier for our citizens, what we can do rather than what we can't do and that is certainly the head space we are in NSW.'

The revelation comes as Ms Palaszczuk brushes off hoards of criticism from interstate politicians about her willingness to host the AFL grand final - despite banning families from being reunited in her state.

Ms Palaszczuk says being awarded hosting rights for the AFL grand final is a win for her state's response to the pandemic.

The Gabba in Brisbane has edged Perth's Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval to be named as the venue for the AFL's showpiece event on October 24.

The premier boasted the hosting rights are a further endorsement of her strong response to COVID-19, including keeping the borders shut, amid sustained criticism from her political rivals.

'This is a historic day - it's a historic day for the AFL, it's a historic day for Queensland,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

But she has been slammed by former Queensland premier Campbell Newman, who tweeted: 'So if you are AFL royalty you can get into Queensland, with your family, but if you live in northern NSW with your seriously ill child you can't!

'Nothing demonstrates more starkly the politically cynical and elitist reality of Annastacia (Palaszczuk) and Dr Young's restrictions.'

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gives the thumbs up after a press conference announcing that the 2020 AFL Grand Final will be played at the Gabba on September 02

Passengers are seen after arriving on a charter-flight containing partners, wives and family members of AFL players at the Gold Coast Airport in July

The revelation comes as Ms Palaszczuk brushes off hoards of criticism from interstate politicians about her willingness to host the AFL grand final

The Gabba in Brisbane (pictured) was awarded AFL's showpiece event over Perth's Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval in a coup for the state government

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said it was hypocritical for Queensland to close borders over concerns about COVID-19 in NSW, but let in hundreds of AFL officials from the declared virus hotspot of Victoria.

He claims the border closure is hurting NSW residents who need healthcare in Queensland.

'This is not about just Queensland versus NSW. It is not State of Origin, it is about people,' he said.

Queensland's border slammed shut to Victorians on July 10 as a second wave of coronavirus began smashing the state.

Fears the outbreak could spill into NSW quickly mounted, prompting Ms Palaszcuk to lock NSW and the ACT out a month later, on August 8.

The Queensland government will review the border closure at the end of this month but on Tuesday Ms Palaszczuk announced it would not open to NSW in September.

Richmond player Trent Cotchin is seen with his family after arriving at the Gold Coast Airport in July (pictured) with his family to see out the AFL season

North Melbourne player Shaun Higgins (pictured) gives his daughter Rosie a piggyback after touching down on the Gold Coast on July 6

The premier said Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young wanted to see southern states, and NSW in particular, go through two COVID-19 incubation cycles without any cases of community transmission.

This is despite widespread fears the border shutdowns will cripple the economy, with Queensland's closure alone costing $17million a day.

Just two new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Queensland in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, with the number of active cases in an existing cluster remaining at 28.

The current outbreak in the state's southeast is centred on the Corrective Services Academy at Wacol, southwest of Brisbane.

One was a student at the Staines Memorial College at Redbank Plains, which has been closed since Sunday so all 600 students can be tested.

The other case was a nurse who was a close contact of a known case.

More than 18,000 tests have been conducted in 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, more than double the 7480 in the previous 24 hours.
Update: The plane that crashed at Coulter Field in Bryan on Sunday, killing three people, has been identified as a Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, a high-performance plane that was built in 1961. The tail number is N7469P.

The plane is registered to a private owner from Oklahoma.

The lone survivor of the crash remains in critical condition and is being treated at CHI St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, according to Bryan Police Department spokesman Kole Taylor. Identities of the people on board at the time of the crash have yet to be released as authorities are still trying to notify family mem bers, Taylor said.

Three people were killed and one was injured in an airplane crash at Coulter Field Airport in Bryan just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Bryan police said.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a press release at 3:30 p.m. indicating the plane was a single-engine Piper PA24 with four people aboard.

Bryan Police Department spokesman Kole Taylor said that in addition to the three fatalities, a fourth individual suffered critical injuries and was taken to a hospital via helicopter.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

Kazakhstan has exported 222,203 tons of crude petroleum oil and oil obtained from bituminous minerals worth 62.4 million euros to Romania in June 2020, a Eurostat official told Trend.

In turn, Kazakhstans exported 1.4 million tons of petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals worth 470.8 million euros to Romania in 1H2020.

Thus, the June volume of petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals from Kazakhstan to Romania is 10.6 percent less than in volume compared to May 2020 (248,566 tons) and is 61.7 times less than in Jan. 2020 (581,168 tons).

June export value is also 33.9 percent more than in May 2020 (46.5 million euros) and is 74.8 percent less than in Jan. 2020 (247.9 million euros).

The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Romania amounted to $779.4 million over 1H2020, compared to $885.4 million during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export to Romania amounted to $738.7 million over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $848.5 million during the same period of 2019.

In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Romania stood at about $40.6 million over the reporting period, compared to $36.8 million during the same period of 2019.

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Hyderabad, Sep 3 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address, through virtual means, probationers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) passing out of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVP NPA) here on September 4.

A total of 131 IPS probationers of the 2018 batch will be passing out on successful completion of their training at the academy. The batch includes 28 women probationers.

Director of the Academy, Atul Karwal said the Prime Minister would address the young officers from New Delhi after the 'Dikshant Parade', which marks the conclusion of two years of the basic training at the academy.

Best all-round probationer of the batch D.V. Kiran Shrruti will command the parade.

As many as 58 per cent of the probationers are engineers while 10 per cent have a science background. The director said 23 per cent of the officers have done their degrees in arts and commerce. The batch includes four doctors.

A maximum of 15 probationers have been allocated to Uttar Pradesh, followed by 11 to Telangana.

According to the Director, the unique feature of this batch is that during their district practical training, Covid-19 broke out and they could get hands-on experience in dealing with the crisis situation. "All of them worked hard as warriors and made us proud. On their return for their phase-II training, they shared their experiences with their peer group and exchanged the best practices prevalent across the country," he said.

In view of Covid-19 pandemic, the Dikshant Parade this year will be a close door affair. The families of the probationers and others have been advised to witness the parade live on Doordarshan.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Araghchi: JCPOA members not recognizing US as part of deal anymore

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 1, IRNA -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi stressed that the member-states of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) do not recognize the US as a party to the internationlly-recognized deal.

"Iran's JCPOA partners do not recognize the US as a participating side and do not regard this country as entitled to use the mechanisms of the JCPOA or Resolution 2231," Araghchi said on Tuesday.

"The convergence among the participants sent an important message to the world about the position of the JCPOA's members," he added.

Araqchi arrived in Vienna on Monday and has had some bilateral meetings so far and is scheduled to hold meeting with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Araghchi earlier said that due to simultaneity with the US attempts to restore previous UN resolutions to annihilate the JCPOA, the Joint Commission meeting is of special importance.

Referring to the fact that the UNSC members opposed the US draft resolution to invoke snapback clause of the JCPOA, he said that the US attempts will definitely be an important discussion in the meeting.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The federal government has told states to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine to be ready to distribute by Nov. 1.

The timeline raised concern among public health experts about an October surprise  a vaccine approval driven by political considerations ahead of a presidential election, rather than science.

In a letter to governors dated Aug. 27, Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said states in the near future will receive permit applications from McKesson Corp., which has contracted with CDC to distribute vaccines to places including state and local health departments and hospitals.

CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020, Redfield wrote.

He wrote that any waivers will not compromise the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine. The Associated Press obtained the letter, which was first reported by McClatchy.

The CDC also sent three planning documents to some health departments that included possible timelines for when vaccines would be available. The documents are to be used to develop plans for early vaccination when the supply might be constrained, according to one of the documents, which outlined a scenario in which a vaccine could be available as soon as the end of October.

The COVID-19 vaccine landscape is evolving and uncertain, and these scenarios may evolve as more information is available, the document reads.

Another of the documents says that limited COVID-19 vaccine doses may be available by early November and that supply will increase substantially in 2021.

It also states that initially available vaccines will either be approved by the Food and Drug Administration or authorized by the agency under its emergency powers.

The documents encourage health officials to work out now which groups to prioritize for a vaccine, identify providers who will administer vaccine, and take other steps to prepare. The planning documents were first reported by The New York Times.

Redfield told Yahoo Finance that officials were preparing for what I anticipate will be reality, is that therell be one or more vaccines available for us in November, December.

James S. Blumenstock, a senior vice-president at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the CDC was offering an aggressive but necessary timetable and that public health agencies were mobilizing to prepare detailed plans.

Several public health experts pointed out that final stage trials of experimental vaccines are still recruiting, and are at best halfway through that process. The vaccines are two doses, and each is given a month apart. The experts told the AP they did not understand how there could be adequate data on whether the vaccines work and are safe before Nov. 1.

Being ready is reasonable. Cutting short phase 3 trials before you get the information you need isnt, said Dr. Paul Offit, a Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia immunization expert who sits on the FDAs vaccine advisory committee.

Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor Universitys tropical medicine school, said he was very concerned about whether the FDA would use an emergency use authorization to approve a vaccine before knowing whether it works and is safe.

It gives the appearance of a stunt rather than an expression of public health concern,? Hotez said.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn previously said the agency wouldnt cut corners in evaluating vaccines, though it would aim to expedite its work. He told the Financial Times this week that it might be appropriate to approve a vaccine before clinical trials were complete if the benefits outweighed the risks.

Unlike a therapeutic that is given to sick people who may have no alternative, a vaccine is given to healthy people, so you have a much higher burden of proof, said Ashish Jha, dean of Brown Universitys public health school.

I think its reasonable to be communicating to hospitals and saying  at some point late in the fall or winter, Jha said. November feels awfully early.

Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease expert, said he was concerned about an October surprise with a vaccine being rushed through ahead of the election.

The public health community wants a safe and effective vaccine as much as anybody could want it, Osterholm said. But the data have to be clear and compelling.

He said there was a credibility gap between doctors and the FDA about how rigorously products are being evaluated during the pandemic.

Some state officials said Wednesday that they were working on next steps while still awaiting details from CDC, and some sounded a cautious note.

Kris Ehresmann, Minnesotas infectious disease director, told the AP the state would only move forward once we know it is safe. She said they would take their lead from the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which she said will only recommend a vaccine that has met the safety criteria.

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy said it would expedite McKessons applications but wouldnt waive requirements necessary to maintain public health and safety. Its executive director, Joe Schnabel, said in a statement that the board didnt have enough information on how distribution would work to speculate about whether it will be fully operational by November 1st.

The office of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said state officials dont know yet what is being asked of them, and will first need to do an extensive review of the potential benefits or pitfalls of such waivers.

New Mexico Human Service Secretary David Scrase said the state was preparing to administer coronavirus vaccines on a limited basis starting in November to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The broad public vaccine roll-out is slated for January. He said current vaccine provider networks are robust and adequate for the COVID-19 effort.

Regarding the timing of the CDC request to expedite or waive permits for distribution centres to open Nov. 1, Scrase said, I cant tell you about the political motivations on that.

A spokesman for Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said the state was reviewing its next steps.

News of a vaccine is encouraging and a testament to the power of American innovation, said the spokesman, Gillum Ferguson.

And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wasnt aware of the CDC news, but he said people shouldnt think that the virus will be gone in two months once a vaccine is released.

I would hope that the federal government would kind of take the lead on that, said DeSantis, a Trump ally. Hopefully they have a plan to do it and will really focus on those vulnerable among us.

___

AP writers Marc Levy, Brendan Farrington, Morgan Lee, Andrew Selsky and Jonathan Matisse contributed to this report.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has called for applications in a prescribed format from retired officers of SBI/eABs from scale II to V for filling vacancies to the post of Nodal Officer through direct recruitment on a fulltime basis to be posted at SBI's North Eastern Circle in regions comprising Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar in Assam and at Shillong, Meghalaya in India. The application process towards the same started on August 31, 2020 and closes on September 15, 2020.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Nodal Officer Organisation State Bank of India (SBI) Educational Qualification Retired officers of SBI/eABs from scale II to V Experience Refer to the advertisement Job Responsibilities null Skills Required Desirable Job Location Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar; Shillong Salary Scale Rs. 36,000 to Rs. 41,000 per month Industry Banking Application Start Date August 31, 2020 Application End Date September 15, 2020

SBI Recruitment 2020: Age Criteria And Fees

Candidates interested in applying for Nodal Officer posts through SBI Recruitment 2020 must not have exceeded 63 years of age as on August 31, 2020 as per the SBI Recruitment 2020 notification guidelines.

For details regarding application fee for Nodal Officer posts through SBI Recruitment 2020, refer to the official SBI Recruitment 2020 notification.

IBPS Clerical Cadre Jobs 2020: Apply Online For 1,557 Posts Before September 23 Here

SBI Recruitment 2020: Eligibility Criteria

Desirous candidates applying for Nodal Officer posts through SBI Recruitment 2020 must be retired officers of SBI/eABs from scale II to V as detailed in the SBI Recruitment 2020 Notification.

SBI Recruitment 2020: Selection And Pay Scale

The selection of candidates as Nodal Officer through SBI Recruitment 2020 will be done through Shortlisting, Interview and Document Verification.

Candidates selected as Nodal Officer through SBI Recruitment 2020 will be paid emolument in the scale of Rs. 36,000 to Rs. 41,000 per month.

NEET 2020 Postponement: JEE Main, NEET Exam Live Updates

SBI Recruitment 2020: How To Apply

Candidates applying for Nodal Officer posts through SBI Recruitment 2020 must fill the application form in a prescribed format post-download and submit the same along with relevant supporting documents to "The Assistant General Manager (TBU), State Bank of India, Local Head Office, 5th Floor, B Block, G S Road, Dispur, Guwahati, Assam 781 006" or e-mail the same at tbu.lhoguw@sbi.co.in on or before September 15, 2020.

Download SBI Recruitment 2020 PDF Application Form

Download SBI Recruitment 2020 PDF Notification
By Associated Press

WILMINGTON: Joe Biden plans to hammer President Donald Trump on Wednesday for not helping the nations schools reopen safely during the coronavirus pandemic, as the Democratic challenger tries to keep the spotlight on the Republican incumbents handling of the outbreak and the nations overall security.

Biden and his wife, Jill, a longtime college professor and former high school teacher, will meet with public health experts to talk about school reopening options. Then the candidate will deliver remarks  his second speech in three days  outlining his ideas and accusing the president of making the country less safe.

The event in Wilmington, Delaware, is the latest in a series of dueling efforts by Trump and Biden to cast the other as a threat to Americans day-to-day security. It will highlight their vastly different arguments, with Trump steering debate toward law and order and Biden pushing a broad referendum on Trumps competence.

President Trump has no plan, said Biden adviser Symone Sanders, previewing the former vice presidents remarks on schools and the pandemic. Instead, she continued, he thinks that a fear-mongering campaign stoking violence is going to help him.

Biden, she said, is demonstrating what a safe America could look like by talking to experts about school options in a pandemic, while Trump tries to capitalize on the fact that some racial justice protests have led to property damage or turned into violent clashes with counter-protesters.

Trump put his approach on display again Tuesday on a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, a city still reeling from protests and violence after another Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by police. The president praised local law enforcement and toured a block charred by protesters fire. He called the destruction anti-American and suggested Bidens election would ensure similar scenes in U.S. cities across the country. It was the latest rendition of a theme voiced throughout the Republican National Convention: You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America.

Trump again did not condemn a 17-year-old vigilante charged in the killings of two protesters in Kenosha, and he again rejected that systemic racism plays any part in U.S. society.

Sanders previewed Biden's retort and pivot. To be clear, we are currently living in Donald Trumps America, and folks have to ask themselves across the country: Are you safe? she said. With the U.S. COVID-19 death toll nearing 190,000, Sanders declared the answer is unequivocally no.

Trumps advisers argue that his stance  which includes falsely accusing Biden of championing violent protesters and wanting to defund the police  shifts attention away from the pandemic. They also believe the tactics help Trump attract white voters in suburbs and exurbs, key slices of his 2016 coalition.

Some Democrats have quietly worried that recent violence might boost Trumps prospects, even as his maneuvers do nothing to quell unrest or perhaps even feed it. Bidens team downplays such concerns, insisting the former vice president simply must counter with steady warnings that Trump is dangerously inept. They see that as an umbrella argument for any number of scenarios  including a discussion of how to reopen schools.

Trumps cries of law-and-order and radical leftists might work, said Bidens campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, if he was the only one talking. But the Louisiana congressman said Biden has a megaphone, too, and that Trump, even as a p.r. master, cannot erase Americans own realities on coronavirus, systemic racism or anything else.

Look, you cant argue that the country is so screwed up only you can fix it when youve been president for almost four years, Richmond said in an interview. His argument is basically, I broke the country. Now reelect me so I can fix it.
The Security Industry Association (SIA) and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) have launched the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to promote careers in the physical security technology and life safety industry. Created through a partnership of ESA and SIA  the industrys leading associations  FAST will connect passionate, innovative professionals with new opportunities in electronic security and life safety.

Whenever we talk to SIA members about their greatest challenges, they universally put recruiting talent into the security industry and workforce development at the top of the list, said Pierre Trapanese, chairman of the SIA Board of Directors. FAST will help our entire industry to be more competitive in what has become a war for talent among all tech sectors. We are excited to partner with ESA to address an issue that we know is just as critical to the future of the industry as the continued development of technology.

As security and life safety companies embrace more advanced technologies, their education, skill and training needs grow, making workforce development one of the top challenges facing the industry. FAST seeks to help companies through:



Outreach to schools, colleges and universities to increase awareness of the exciting and rewarding careers available in security

Research on the industrys workforce development needs and possible solutions

Continuing education resources to help those already in the industry stay current with rapidly emerging and evolving technologies

The skilled labor shortage is reaching a critical point. Were seeing climbing demand and shortfalls in applicant pools, said Jamie Vos, president of ESA. For some time now, weve been working to arm ESA Members with resources for becoming an employer of choice. However, as an industry, if we dont do something impactful together  the long-term impact will be devastating. We are happy to join forces with SIA on such an important initiative.

The new FAST website offers job seekers information about the security industrys growth and unique position at the convergence of cutting-edge technology and a mission that matters, the types of roles available in the industry and what employers are looking for and a jobs board featuring immediate opportunities in security technology and life safety. SIA and ESA members will be able to list jobs for free for the next 12 months to help the industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemics business impact.

The FAST Board of Directors comprised of experts across the security and life safety fields  oversees the foundation and includes:

Neil Atha, vice president, Atronic Alarms

Keith Baird, senior director of sales, Resideo

Paul Hevesy, vice president, organizational effectiveness, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

Michael Keen, vice president, commercial product and talent, ADT Commercial

Erin Mann, marketing and customer experience manager, multifamily, Allegion Canada Inc.

Brendan McFall, technical engineering manager, Northland Controls

Shuvankar Roy, vice president, Xfinity operations strategy, Comcast

Kerri Sutherland, human resources business partner, Axis Communications

Yaron Zussman, general manager, Magos America Inc.

FAST is committed to providing companies in the security technology and life safety industry tools to boost their workforce development efforts through research, education, promotion and more, and it is looking to partner with as many companies as possible to advance the security industry. Learn more about getting involved with FAST activities on the Partner With FAST page.

FASTs school and outreach programs, research and resources are funded by individual and organizational donations. You can make a positive impact on your own business future by helping FAST grow the industrys talent pipeline with a one-time, recurring or tribute contribution. Learn more and donate to FAST here.

About SIA

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,100 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industrys top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.

About ESA

Established in 1948, ESA is the largest trade association in the United States representing the electronic security and life safety industry. Member companies install, integrate and monitor intrusion and fire detection, video surveillance and electronic access control systems for commercial, residential, industrial and governmental clients. ESA provides technical and management training, government advocacy and delivers information, advice, tools and services that members use to grow their businesses and prosper. Together, ESA member companies employ more than 500,000 industry professionals and serve more than 34 million residential and commercial clients. For more information, visit ESAweb.org.
Description

The September Curators Corners include:

Curators Corner: The Labor Service Corps at the 1934 Nazi Party Rally on Wednesday, September 2 at 11:00 AM. Our Museum and Programming Director, Dr. Thorin Tritter, will talk about a photograph in our gallery of the Reichs Labor Service Corps at the Nazi Party Rally of 1934, highlighting the power of the annual rallies and the ways Nazi Germany sought to get around limitations imposed by the Versailles Treaty.

Curators Corner: An Antisemitic Beer Stein on Wednesday, September 9 at 11:00 AM. Dr. Thorin Tritter, HMTCs Museum and Programming Director, will explore an antisemitic beer stein, made in the 1890s, that stands in our opening gallery, deciphering its images and discussing their meaning.

Curators Corner: A Childs Drawing from Theresienstadt on Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00 AM. Thorin Tritter will focus this program on a piece of artwork created by Marietta Gruenbaum, one of 15,000 children who passed through the ghetto and camp in Theresienstadt, and discuss some of the experiences of children during the Holocaust.

Curators Corner: TB Tests in DP Camps on Wednesday, September 23 at 11:00 AM. In the portion of HMTCs exhibition that covers the Displaced Persons camps, there is a small x-ray of a Holocaust Survivor. Join Dr. Thorin Tritter for a discussion of this x-ray, the Tuberculosis test that it was a part of, and the concerns about highly contagious diseases in post-war Europe.

Curators Corner: A Wedding Dress from Pre-War Europe on Wednesday, September 30 at 11:00 AM. Join Thorin Tritter, HMTCs Museum and Programming Director, for a discussion about a wedding dress that was carried from the Netherlands, in the wake of the Nazi invasion, across the Atlantic to New York and offers a window into the pre-war life of Jews in Amsterdam.
A boy in custody in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman in Fukuoka City last week says he carried out the act after she denied him sexually, investigative sources have revealed, reports Television Nishinippon (Sept. 1).

According to the sources, the boy, a 15-year-old middle school student, has admitted to stabbing Misato Yoshimatsu, 21, at mall Markis Fukuoka Momochi in Chuo Ward on August 28.

aI stabbed her after she rejected my sexual advances,a said the boy, who was not acquainted with the victim.

At around 7:30 p.m. that day, police received a report about a man wielding a knife. At around that time, Yoshimitsu, a resident of Minami Ward, was found collapsed and bleeding inside a first-floor womenas restroom.

Yoshimatsu, who had suffered stab wounds to multiple parts of her upper body, was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said previously.

The victim had wounds to her hands, which have led police to believe that she attempted to fend off an attack. The cause of death was shock due to loss of blood.

Two knives

Officers arriving at the scene apprehended the boy, who was in possession of two knives, including one with a blade measuring 18.5 centimeters in length. On Sunday, police sent him to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

A DNA analysis conducted on blood found one of the knives proved to be a match for Yoshimitsu, the sources said.

Based on evidence at the mall, including bloodstains on the floor of the womenas restroom, the boy is believed to have attacked Yoshimitsu inside.
A shop worker bound with cable ties appeared to be unphased as she continued blowing bubbles with her chewing gum while being held up by an alleged knife-wielding robber.

Alan John Jones, 30, is accused of storming discount warehouse Overflow in Beenleigh, in Brisbane's south about 4.40pm Monday.

He allegedly demanded two female staff members hand over money from the till as he threatened them with a knife.

The worker (pictured) appears to not have a care in the world despite being bound and tied by an alleged robber

Alan John Jones (pictured), 30, is accused of storming discount warehouse Overflow in Beenleigh, in Brisbane's south about 4.40pm Monday

Three female staff members were allegedly bound with cable ties by Jones who stole money and their mobile phones

Dramatic CCTV released by the store then shows three employees bound with cable ties sold at the store they work in.

The workers then follow Jones into a back storage room where he locates a safe and repeatedly kicks at it, it is alleged.

But one worker didn't seem to concerned, continuing to chew her gum and blow bubbles, while the other staffer tied together with a cloth look on.

Jones walks out of the room to the manager's office where he locates a set of keys and gets one of the employees to open the safe, it is alleged.

As he unties the pair a large knife allegedly falls out of Jones's back pocket and he immediately picks it up.

The safe is eventually opened and Jones allegedly heads off with $2,000 as well as the staff member's mobile phones.

Two terrified workers looked on at Jones (pictured) as he allegedly stole money and their mobile phones

When Jones left, Queensland Police were called and allegedly found Jones with the money and mobile phones.

Police charged Jones with three counts of deprivation of liberty, two counts each of common assault and stealing, and one count each of armed robbery and enter premises and commit indictable offence.

He appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Owner Minesh Parmar gave his traumatised employees a day off to help recover from the alleged incident.

'I've sent my three staff members home. 'They are trying to get over it,' he told Courier Mail.

'It was the way it happened  it was terrifying.

'I'm not worried about the money. I want my staff to go home, to get over this.'


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European markets ended on a strong note on Wednesday, rebounding from recent string of losses, amid optimism about global economic recovery thanks to fairly upbeat data on manufacturing activity from several countries across the world.



Optimism about potential coronavirus vaccines and hopes about stimulus packages from central banks and governments too contributed to the positive mood in the markets.



The pan European Stoxx 600 climbed 1.66%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 advanced 1.35%, France's CAC jumped 1.9% and Germany's DAX rose 2.07%, while Switzerland's SMI ended 1.92% up.



Among other markets in Europe, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden closed higher.



Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Norway and Russia drifted lower and Turkey ended flat.



In the U.K. market, Barratt Developments soared 8.6%. After posting weak annual results, the U.K.'s largest housebuilder said it was seeing green shoots of recovery in the housing market.



Berkely Group shares gained about 5.2% and Persimmon rose nearly 5%. Rolls-Royce Holdings gained 4.8%.



Johnsnon Matthey, Meggitt, Severn Trent, Compass Group, ITV, Smiths, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Taylor Wimpey and Diageo gained 3.5 to 5%. AstraZeneca gained about 1.2% on news it has begun a large-scale human trial of its coronavirus vaccine in the U.S.



Shares of Computacenter soared after the company said its successful trading performance seen in the first half of the year has continued for the first two months of the second half.



Fresnillo, Polymetal International and Barclays declined sharply.



In Germany, Wirecard shares skyrocketed more than 70%. Deutsche Telekom and Adidas gained about 5% and 4.3%, respectively.



Covestro, Continental, Linde, Fresenius Medical Care, Merck, Infineon Technologies, Fresenius, Vonovia and SAP gained 2 to 3%, while Lufthansa and Deutsche Bank declined 1.9% and 1.25%, respectively.



In the French market, Valeo climbed more than 7%. Kering gained about 5%. Hermes International, Sodexo, Airbus, ArcelorMittal, WorldLine, Vinci, Veolia, Essilor, LVMH, Safran, Air Liquide and Accor gained 2 to 3.5%.



Peronod Ricard surged up nearly 2.5% after the company predicted a prolonged downturn in travel retail but said it sees resilience in sales to supermarkets in the United States and Europe and a sequential improvement in China and India in the year ahead.



Saint Gobain moved up 2.3% after saying that it has acquired Strikolith in the Netherlands, a company specialized in the production of external insulation systems, interior finishings and renovation products and solutions.



Societe Generale tumbled nearly 3% and Credit Agricole lost about 1.2%. BNP Paribas and Publicis Groupe ended modestly lower.



Belgian real estate firm Aedifica rose sharply after it flagged little impact to its financial results from the Covid-19 pandemic.



In economic news, Eurozone producer prices continued to decline in July but the pace of annual fall slowed further, data from Eurostat showed. Producer prices fell 3.3% year-on-year in July, following a 3.7% decrease in June. Economists had forecast an annual fall of 3.4%.



Excluding energy, producer prices were down 0.4% annually versus a 0.5% drop a month ago.



The annual fall was largely driven by an 11.6% decrease in energy prices. Intermediate goods prices declined 2%.



German retail sales fell 0.9% month-on-month in July, defying expectations for a 0.5% increase, preliminary data showed.



U.K. house prices advanced by more-than-expected 2% on month in August, faster than the 1.8% rise seen in the previous month, data from Nationwide Building Society showed.



Separately, U.K. shop prices fell 1.6% from last year, following a 1.3% drop in July, data from the British Retail Consortium revealed.



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Awaking a Sleeping Giant as High-Grade Results Continue

Perth, Sep 2, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Wiluna Mining Corporation Limited ( ASX:WMX ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:BKHRF ) is pleased to report high-grade results from a further 68 holes and 18,584m of resource development infill drilling at the Wiluna Mining Centre (Figure 1*). The Company continues to drill with 6 rigs currently on site.These results will enable the Company to complete detailed Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as part of the Wiluna Stage 1 sulphides expansion project. The Company intends to update Mineral Resource estimates in late September 2020 and Reserves in December 2020.Milan Jerkovic, Wiluna Mining's Executive Chair commented:"Once again we are seeing outstanding results from drilling 'under the headframe'. The quality of the drilling results means we are confident of delivering our Stage 1 sulphide strategy. The drilling continues to define shallow high-grade resource development targets. At the Wiluna Mining Centre from our first holes at Bulletin and Essex, Golden Age through to Calvert and the East Lode, this ongoing programme has delivered consistent exceptional high-grade drilling results which shows that Wiluna remains one of the largest undeveloped gold systems in Australia"."The outstanding results provide confidence in our Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates as we release them on a rolling basis from September 2020 through to December 2020 and into next year. The sheer volume of data we now must evaluate is significant and the potential for the scale of the gold system at just the Wiluna Mining Centre is extremely exciting. We do believe the drilling results show we are awaking a sleeping giant".Mr Jerkovic continued, "As I have continued to stress over the past six months, Wiluna Mining is a development and growth Company currently focussed on Stage 1 sulphide development commencing by September 2021, while expanding our high-grade Mineral Resources and making new discoveries. This is the strategy and focus of the Company. It is important that we emphasise our current operation, until the commencement of Stage 1 concentrate production in September 2021, is purely to provide valuable operating cashflow to assist in funding this transition to Stage 1 and producing gold concentrates to achieve our goal to become a Tier 1 gold mine in a Tier 1 jurisdiction".This drilling programme, to date, has been designed with the following aims, in alignment with the Company's Stage 1 expansion plan:1. Significantly increase the confidence in sulphide resources from Inferred to Indicated category which will underpin the Stage 1 Reserve estimation.2. Add Reserve ounces in high-grade, shallow zones, close to existing mine development that can be rapidly brought into production at low cost.3. Find new, high grade shoots that will enhance the ounces per vertical metre and, more importantly, increase the grade. This will help consolidate Stage 1 and enhance the transition into Stage 2 which has the plan to increase production to +250kozpa of gold and gold in concentrate over a long mine life.These latest results span each of the high-priority development targets of Calvert, Essex, East Lode and Bulletin where drilling is in progress (Figure 1*), and the recently completed programmes at Golden Age and Lennon.Along with the high-grade results released in March, May, June and July 2020, these additional results are extremely encouraging and support the Company's target of mining approximately 750,000 tonnes of underground sulphide ore per annum, to produce approximately 100,000 - 120,000oz per annum in gold dore and gold in concentrate in Stage 1 of the sulphide expansion from September 2021.*To view the full release with reported drill results, please visit:About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential.
LOS ANGELES, California  Pilots landing at Los Angeles International Airport were startled Sunday evening when they reported seeing a man flying with a jetpack near approaching planes.

Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 1997 from Philadelphia said in recordings released of the incident, according to the Associated Press.

American 1997, OK, thank you, were they off to your left side or your right side? a controller asked the pilot. Off the left side at maybe 300 yards or so at our altitude, the pilot said.

A second pilot, flying JetBlue Flight 23, also reported seeing the man, reports say.

Now the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident, which occurred at about 6:35 p.m. Sunday, the New York Times reports.

Seth Young, a pilot and a professor of aviation at Ohio State University, tells the Times that it clearly is very dangerous to fly close to commercial planes. The FAA tells ABC News that it would be illegal for a man in a jetpack to fly in commercial airline airspace.

Young says he doesnt doubt what the pilots saw because they typically have excellent vision and are trained to spot small objects in the sky. However, David Mayman, CEO of the Los Angeles-based company Jetpack Aviation, tells the AP he is skeptical.

Its very, very unlikely with the existing technology, Mayman said. Im open to being surprised. But I dont think theres anyone working on technology that could do a flight from ground level to 3,000 feet and then come back down again.

However, ABC News reports there are some human jetpacks in development that can reach altitudes of up to 12,000 feet. They are extremely expensive, costing about $500,000.

ABC News reports that authorities have not located a suspect.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:54:10|Editor: huaxia

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A taxi driver wearing a face mask drives a vehicle on a street in Rasht, Iran, on Sept. 2, 2020. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Iran rose to 378,752 on Wednesday, after an overnight registration of 1,858 cases. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)



TEHRAN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in Iran rose to 378,752 on Wednesday, after an overnight registration of 1,858 cases, the Iranian health ministry announced.

Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said at her daily briefing that out of the new cases in the past 24 hours, 1,136 patients have been hospitalized.

The pandemic has so far claimed 21,797 lives in Iran, up by 125 in the past 24 hours, according to Sadat Lari.

Besides, 326,801 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 3,693 remain in intensive care units.

She added that 3,2281,961 laboratory tests for the novel coronavirus have so far been carried out in Iran.

The spokeswoman said there is still a high risk of infection in 13 out of 31 Iranian provinces, and 15 provinces remain on alert.

Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19.

Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks to China.

In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Enditem
"History does not repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes" is a saying attributed to Mark Twain. He probably didn't pen it, but the writer would appreciate its wit and how much global affairs bellows the truth of something he did say: "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it."

The heart's desire of most sane people is that somewhere in the world there is someone who actually knows what s/he is doing and has their best interests at heart. This is a tad optimistic.

In Australia part of the hope is close to the mark; most politicians do want to improve their community and attempt to do it guided by their own political lights. Their aspirations and cures might prove they have no idea what they are doing but their intentions are mostly good.

Politicians are maligned worldwide but ours, largely, are a fair reflection of the community: they can be honourable, courageous and inspired as well as deplorable, cowardly and dumb. Sometimes all at the same time. Like us. And, like us, they can be corrupted by power and the other forces that drive moral compasses off course.
WHISTLEBLOWING AND THE ROSSLYN Part 1: A sense of danger made this RN speak out about what she saw after the Rosslyn was evacuated

Ashley Jenkins blew the whistle on alleged misconduct and negligence at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence.

Then she was fired by the temp agency that put her there in the first place.

Jenkins, a nurse hired to help bring the Rosslyn into compliance with provincial standards after it was evacuated due to a COVID-19 outbreak in May, is now speaking out in the hopes that her case shines a light on gaps and deficiencies in Ontarios whistleblower protections. She says she fell into a grey area of lacking protections for staff in the seniors care sector  and without a stronger safety net, workers will remain disinclined to call out negligent employers.

If whistleblower laws truly protected workers who speak out, 64 Rosslyn residents wouldnt have contracted COVID-19, she believes. And 16 wouldnt have died.

Staff dont speak out because theyre afraid of the consequences, which, in her experience, are real, she says.

Other staff at the Rosslyn were aware of what was going on but no one was confident enough to come forward, Jenkins said. Why would you put, essentially, a moving target on yourself?

The temp agency through which Jenkins was hired, Caring Hearts Healthcare Group Inc., disputes Jenkins claim that she was fired for whistleblowing. CEO Vasile Whittaker says Jenkins didnt pass probation and was let go from the agency after failing to show up for work and due to trust issues. He was absolutely supportive of her blowing the whistle on the Rosslyn, he said.

Ashley Jenkins, a nurse hired to help bring the Rosslyn into compliance with provincial standards after it was evacuated due to a COVID-19 outbreak in May, is now speaking out in the hopes that her case shines a light on gaps and deficiencies in Ontario's whistleblower protections. Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

Jenkins said she was fired over the phone by a woman from Caring Hearts whose explanation for letting her go was that she seemed unhappy. She never missed a shift without giving proper notice, she said.

She filed a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board against the temp agency, but in the interim, shes out of a job.

This is the second of a two-part Spectator series on Jenkins experience at the Rosslyn and the larger issue of Ontarios whistleblower protections failing workers.

Why she spoke out  then and now

Jenkins says she didnt feel right staying silent about alleged misconduct she witnessed at the home, worried residents would return to the Rosslyn thinking it was safe.

It wasnt (safe) in any sense of the term, Jenkins said. Just from the standpoint of the vermin and the bedbugs alone.

She is acutely aware of the trust placed in caregivers by families with vulnerable loved ones. Her own father passed away from a rare blood disease when she was 15. That experience  one that showed the value of supportive nursing staff  inspired her to become a nurse.

I know how important it is to have a connection with health-care professionals, said Jenkins, now 32. You essentially become their family, too.

She spoke out for another reason: her career.

Jenkins is not yet licensed as a registered nurse in Ontario  she cant afford the credentials and she was working on an emergency-class licence allowed during the pandemic, which has since expired. She is, however, a dual Canadian-American citizen and is registered in New York state.

She worried that if she stayed silent and Rosslyn residents were readmitted, they might later fall ill or even die. Should that happen, questions might be raised about why she didnt speak out, in turn jeopardizing her chance at securing an Ontario licence, she said.

Ashley Jenkins believes that if whistleblower laws truly protected workers who speak out, 64 Rosslyn residents wouldn't have contracted COVID-19, and 16 wouldn't have died. The Hamilton Spectator file photo

But she also knew she could face backlash from the Rosslyn and her temp agency, even losing her job  though she didnt think that would happen. She decided it was worth it if it meant keeping residents safe.

But now, since-fired and unemployed, shes speaking out again to shine a spotlight on gaps in whistleblower protections, particularly when it comes to vulnerable and precariously employed workers, and the grey areas of whistleblowing protections into which they fall.

Whistleblower protections

Ontarios Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility says the Retirement Homes Act (RHA) has strong protection for whistleblowers.

The RHA states: No person shall retaliate or threaten to retaliate against another person, whether by action or omission, because any person has disclosed anything to the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), a self-regulating body that administers the act. Retaliation includes dismissing, suspending or disciplining a staff member. The RHA protections extend to temp workers hired on contract to work for retirement homes and laws apply to temp agencies, the ministry says.

Similar protections exist under the Long-Term Care Homes Act.

The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility says if someone speaks out and is penalized, they can go through binding arbitration with their union. If they dont have a union, the person can make a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Jenkins currently has a complaint before the board.

Protections exist, but that doesnt mean whistleblowers wont face consequences.

It absolutely does have risks, Graham Webb, a lawyer and executive director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, says of whistleblowing. Its very intimidating and not without cost to the complainant.

While recourse exists, processes for arbitration and complaints can take time, Webb says.

While that time is passing the complainant may be out of work, he said. They might be blacklisted.

Ashley Jenkins, she has no regrets about speaking out. She's saddened she wasn't around to do it sooner. "Unfortunately, 16 people passed away," she said. "(But) those that are still living from the Rosslyn, they're not going back to the Rosslyn right now. And I think that's probably afforded them a longer life ... I hope." The Hamilton Spectator file photo

Even when the complaint is addressed, the employer may still argue there was another reason for termination. If litigation becomes a possibility, the complainant might not be able to afford a lawyer, Webb said.

Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, says a pervasive culture of fear around speaking out exists in long-term care and retirement homes. Staff are sometimes asked to sign confidentiality agreements, which can lead them to believe whistleblower protections wont apply to them. Some arent aware protections exist in the first place. And theyre scared of getting sued.

Workers who are precariously employed or otherwise vulnerable are even less likely to speak out, Mehra says. The risk  and cost  of losing a paycheque is too high.

As a result, abuse and misconduct can go unchecked.

If nobody can speak out publicly at all, then the conditions that are unsafe in the homes continue to be kept secret and hidden from public scrutiny year after year after year, Mehra says.

Mehra believes that if stronger whistleblower protections were in place, combined with provincial action, the province wouldnt have a COVID death toll of nearly 2,000 long-term care residents.

Lives would have been saved had there been the ability to speak out, she said.

The solutions

Webb wants to see workers better educated on whistleblower rights and protections. Agencies like his own and the RHRA could do more on the education front, he says.

Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, says a "pervasive culture of fear" around speaking out exists in long-term care and retirement homes. The Canadian Press file photo

In response, the RHRA said it works to ensure licensees and operators are aware of their obligations under the law.

Under the Retirement Homes Act, licensees must ensure that staff receive training on a number of different subjects, including the whistleblowing protections afforded to staff when they report information to the RHRA, said Farrah Bourre, an RHRA spokesperson. The RHRA also makes it clear on our public website that anyone who makes a complaint to the RHRA is protected from retaliation.

Mehra wants to see the province take the lead on implementing stronger whistleblower protections. Specifically, she wants a ban on confidentiality agreements that lead staff to believe they cant whistleblow; a government crackdown on long-term care and retirement home operators who use coercion or firings to silence workers (with homes licences stripped if such tactics are used); and a guarantee that staff fired for whistleblowing have the right to an expedited hearing and be paid until a decision is made.

In response, the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility pointed to the RHA. The act prohibits retaliation even if the disclosure was made maliciously or in bad faith and prohibits homes from discouraging whistleblowing. In terms of legal action, none can be taken against a whistleblower unless the person acted maliciously or in bad faith, the act states.

As for Jenkins, she has no regrets about speaking out. Shes saddened she wasnt around to do it sooner.

Unfortunately, 16 people passed away, she said. (But) those that are still living from the Rosslyn, theyre not going back to the Rosslyn right now. And I think thats probably afforded them a longer life ... I hope.
When the shots hit the tail and the screaming plane dropped from 20,000 feet, Chuck Page must have felt a long way from his St. Catharines home.

Nighttime June 25, 1943. Page was a bomb aimer on a seven-man crew returning from his 19th operation over western Germany.

He didnt see the attack coming  his position was in the nose of the aircraft, on his belly, where he directed the pilot toward the targets.

The shots took out both port engines, leaving the plane with only two right-side engines. The pilot was yelling, Abandon aircraft!

The rear gunner was hit. He called to Page, in the front of the plane: Can you help me?

CHUCK PAGE TURNED 100 on Aug. 9 and celebrated by doing more than 100 laps around his St. Catharines townhouse complex.

A photo from 1942, though, shows a proud young man boarding a train. Hes saying goodbye to his parents and sister. He is off to war, to be posted in England.

He was a small-town guy, as were most of the thousands of Canadian men and woman who enlisted to join the Second World War, which ended 75 years ago this week on Sept. 2.

They had no problem recruiting men, the guys went like flies, Page recalled. It was amazing how many guys went right away.

There were a fair number who didnt, they took jobs as soon as they could. They had work and they couldnt leave. They were busy doing war work.

They didnt want to leave and their bosses didnt want them to leave, though a number of them did anyway.

Like everywhere else, Niagara joined the war effort. Atlas Steels in Welland was producing nearly 4,000 gun barrels a month plus steel for aircraft.

In St. Catharines, McKinnon Industries Ltd., part of General Motors, was cranking out spark plugs, axles and transmissions for the war effort. Outside the city, pilots were being trained for war.

Page wanted to fly. He had never been in a plane and his older brother, Al, was already fighting overseas.

He joined the Air Force in July 1941. Studied at navigation school for navigator-bomb aimers and got his wings in 1942.

And on June 25, 1943, his plane was going down fast.

THE NAVIGATOR HAD STAYED on course too long, and when I told him  he gave the pilot a course to fly from that point to the point of departure on the European coast, said Page.

Well, that was in the open and we got picked up by German radar.

They were trained to fly, not crash. There was no evacuation plan to fall back on from six kilometres up.

You didnt practise for anything like that  You have the idea in your mind it will never happen to us.

His rear gunner was wounded and calling for him.

I turned up the oxygen supply to give him as much oxygen as he could get, since he had been hit, said Page. I gave him mine, he didnt have his complete unit.

So I gave him my helmet and the oxygen mask. And I was without, so I think I may have lost a little bit of knowledge of time.

Page was the last one out; when he got back to the front of the plane the pilot and flight engineer were getting ready to jump. So he did, too.

No problem. Soft landing. Pulled my cord and the parachute opened and I hit the ground, said Page (his daughter, Nancy DeVuono, said her dad has always been very pragmatic).

Only one crew member, pilot officer Gerald Gagnon, was killed. The rest scattered on the ground.

I decided which way to walk. I headed eastward (after touching ground in Holland), I dont know why I went that way, and then I came to a canal  there were small boats using it, there were some farmhouses around.

He laid low by day and travelled by night, until he was caught.

I had nowhere to go. I was in the open pretty well, I couldnt run anywhere, so when I was arrested it was a matter of falling into line.

Now Sgt. Chuck Page was a prisoner, along with most of the rest of the crew.

Page was taken to Stalag Luft VI near the Baltic Sea  his German captors, he said, didnt bother us  they gave us a meal or two a day, they didnt bother us at all.

Nearly two years later in 1945, after being moved frequently and ending up at a PoW camp outside Hamburg, Germany, Page escaped.

Myself and two other guys decided we had gone far enough, he said.

We knew where the (Allied) soldiers were  because we got the BBC news and they had a radio, guys used to listen to that every night and bring the news around to the rest of the guys.

It was April 1945. By the end of the year, he and his brother were back home in St. Catharines.

Page was still anguished over the death of his pilot, and went to Quebec to visit Gagnons mother.

Page went to work at Hayes Steel on Oakdale Avenue in St. Catharines. He met his wife, Irene, there. They were married 68 years and had three children. Irene died in July.

Dad never talked about the war, said his daughter. There must have been a reason for that, he never talked about it until we were well into our adulthood and then he started to talk about his experience.

Said Page: I came home in one piece. I was happy and they were happy, and we took off from there.
Representatives of BRICS Supreme Courts to discuss consumer rights protection issues

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

15:18 02/09/2020

MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI)  Representatives of Supreme Courts of countries being the members of BRICS are to meet in Moscow in order to discuss problems relating to protection of interests of economic entities by means of administrative proceedings and rights of consumers in the current economic environment.

The event is to be held on September 8 in the form of a videoconference, as Russias Supreme Court press service informs RAPSI.

The conference is to be attended by Chairman of Russias Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev as well as heads of Supreme Courts of Brazil, China, India, and South Africa.
Point72 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, has launched a new investment team focused on Healthcare.

Led by seasoned investor Scott Barclay, Point72 Ventures new Healthcare team will invest globally in early-stage founders trying to impact healthcare at scale.

Matthew Granade, Managing Partner, Point72 Ventures

Barclay has deep expertise in healthcare and the commercialization and scale of deep tech startups rooted in scientific advances and high-tech engineering innovation. Prior to joining Point72 Ventures, Barclay was a Partner at Data Collective Venture Capital (DCVC), where he created and led the Computational Care practice that focused on backing companies pushing compute into healthcare. He invested in and served on the boards of numerous DCVC portfolio companies, including Carbon Health, Medical Informatics Corp and Freenome, to name a few. Prior to joining DCVC, Barclay led operational and innovation teams at CVS Health, served as Chief Strategy and Product Officer of Surescripts, served as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, and established the capital markets desk in London for Montgomery Securities (later Bank of America Securities).

Point72 Ventures is a global venture capital firm that invests primarily in Fintech, AI/ML, Enterprise and Healthcare technologies.

The creation of the Healthcare investment platform represents another milestone in the firms focus on backing early-stage companies catalyzing key changes in the global economy. Since launching in 2016, the firm has invested in more than 50 companies across the Financial Services, Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Technology verticals.

As an independent arm of Point72, the global asset management firm led by Steven A. Cohen, Point72 Ventures offices in New York City, Palo Alto, California, and Stamford, Connecticut.

FinSMEs

02/09/2020
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted a way to shorten voting time anywhere on the planet, and test taking," said an inventor from La Mesa, Calif. "So, I created NENE'S STAMP N GO VOTESTINK."

The invention fulfills the need for an improved marking instrument designed to save valuable time. It could fill in an oval in one motion, which would eliminate the time-consuming and arduous task of shading in ovals employing conventional pencils or pens. The device could save valuable time and energy when voting, taking tests, and possibly completing work-related task. For students, the use of this product may result in improved grades as the saved time may be employed to complete the test or reread a difficult question. Additionally, the design is convenient, practical, and easy to use.

The inventor described their unique design. "My design offers a quick and easy way to fill in ovals, while also giving the user options as how they can use it."

The original design was submitted to the San Diego sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 19-SDB-1476, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp

Related Links

http://www.inventhelp.com


Online Calls To Protest More Than Doubled In One Year, Iran Security Official Says

Radio Farda September 01, 2020

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Hossein Zolfaqari, the Security Deputy of Iran's Interior Ministry, said that "social tensions" in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year have increased by 227 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to Mehr News Agency, Zolfaqari said that authorities have tracked 1,702 online calls for protest since the beginning of the year, compared to 519 calls to protest last year in the first five months of the year starting March 21, 2019.

Zolfaqari counted U.S. sanctions, espionage and "funding and intelligence support" as some of the efforts made by "enemy intelligence services" to undermine Iran's security. These attempts, he said, were made through "terrorist actions and inciting people [to unrest] on social media."

"The source of most of the calls to protests and the hashtags used is outside the country," Zolfaqari said, adding, "Some people inside may also share these calls [on social media]." Zolfaqari also alleged that the foreign media focus on incidents such as labor protests is intended to "destabilize [Iran] and push the state of affairs to something similar to Syria."

In November and December 2019, widespread protests erupted across Iran first in protest to the sudden tripling of the price of gasoline. Tens of thousands of protesters were arrested, and according to Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli, more than 200 protesters were killed. This figure has been widely contested, with some estimates placing the number of protesters who were killed as high as 1,500.

A social media campaign to abolish the death penalty and stop the execution of political prisoners and dissidents has also been of much concern to the Iranian authorities. In only a few days, more than 10 million Twitter users posted or retweeted posts with the hashtag #Don't_Kill /#Don't_Execute to support the campaign.

Labor protests and strikes across the country that have received online attention included the ongoing strike of workers of Haft Tapeh Agro-Industrial Complex in Khuzestan province, which started in June.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/online-calls -to-protest-more-than-doubled-in-one-year- iran-security-official-says/30814879.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Mumbai: Actress Kangana Ranaut openly claimed on Tuesday that filmmaker Karan Johar is the main culprit of the Bollywood movie mafia.

Kangana, who has been vocal for a while about the alleged Bollywood mafia that promotes star kids over outsiders, posted her accusations against Johar on her verified Twitter account, tagging the office of the Prime Minister of India.

"Karan Johar the main culprit of movie mafia! @PMOIndia even after ruining so many lives and careers he is roaming free no action taken against him, is there any hope for us? After all is settled he and his gang of hyenas will come for me," Kangana tweeted.

Kangana's tweet came in response to a user who tweeted a video of Sushant's gym partner alleging "Karan Johar made 'Drive' just to trap & block Sushant from doing further projects in Bollywood."

Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput's demise, Kangana has reopened the conversation about nepotism and favouritism in Bollywood that is said to promote star kids over outsiders.

In a series of tweets posted last week, Kangana had also alleged that drugs are a commonplace occurrence in B-Town parties.

"If narcotics Control Bureau enters Bullywood, many A-listers will be behind bars, if blood tests are conducted many shocking revelations will happen. Hope @PMOIndia under Swachh Bharat mission cleanses the gutter called Bullywood," she had tweeted.
Tourism is facing "an existential crisis", with up to 200,000 jobs in danger if Government does not urgently intervene.

That's according to the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), which today published a 'Tourism Call to Action' document which it says has wide backing across the sector.

The 'Call to Action' has five key policy asks:

A rapid Covid-19 testing regime to allow international travel and tourism to recommence safely An improved employment wage subsidy scheme (EWSS) A multi-million euro package of business continuity grants VAT reduction to 9pc A waiving of commercial rates to April 2021

Tourism is facing an existential crisis and Government must listen to industrys concerns and take proactive action, otherwise widespread job losses and business closures are imminent," said Eoghan OMara Walsh, its CEO.

ITIC's members range from airlines like Aer Lingus and Emirates to the Irish Hotels Federation, tourist attractions like the Guinness Storehouse and Kildare Village, as well as daa and Shannon Group.

Its call is also endorsed by the Restaurants' Association of Ireland.

The loss of international tourists, which typically account for 75pc of Irish tourism revenue, has not been made up for in domestic staycations, ITIC says - and is now costing 27m a day.

A recent report by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation described the pandemic as delivering an "immediate and immense shock" to the industry, and says tourism could lose up to 200,000 jobs.

The 'Call to Action' comes more than three months after the establishment of Ireland's tourism and aviation recovery taskforces - none of whose recommendations have so far been acted upon.

It follows a similar call from the Irish Travel Agents' Association (ITAA) on behalf of its members' 3,500 employees, seeking urgent assistance in the form of measures such as wage subsidies and grants.

The travel industry has been forced into lockdown "for an indefinite period of time", its CEO Pat Dawson says.

"We are facing a long-term recovery and we urgently require the support and assistance of Government. If our staff are laid off, it will be extremely difficult to restart our businesses when the pandemic has subsided.

Irish travel agents normally generate turnover of around 1.2 billion a year, the ITAA says, with a strong interdependency between outgoing and incoming air and sea traffic.

Since March, the industry is down by 98pc, it adds.

Eoghan OMara Walsh of ITIC also said Ireland's 14-day quarantine rule is akin to a closed sign above Ireland for inbound tourism".

The 'green list', which has not been updated since August 4 despite changing caseload numbers throughout Ireland and Europe, should be replaced by "a comprehensive and rapid Covid-19 testing policy", he added.

ITIC has also launched an online petition to support its call.

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Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today launched the 'State of Intelligent Enterprises' report. The study emphasizes that enterprises of the future will be built on a foundation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Analytics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Automation, that are central to solving business problems and driving innovation. Most businesses consider AI to be critical to improve operational efficiency, reduce employee time on manual tasks, and enhance the employee and customer experience.

The 'State of Intelligent Enterprises' report examines the current landscape and shows the challenges and the driving factors for businesses to become truly Intelligent Enterprises. Wipro surveyed 300 respondents in UK and US across key industry sectors like financial services, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, retail and consumer goods. The report highlights that while collecting data is critical, the ability to combine this with a host of technologies to leverage insights creates an Intelligent Enterprise. Organizations that fast-track adoption of intelligent processes and technologies stand to gain an immediate competitive advantage over their counterparts.

Some of the key findings from the report are:

While 80% of organizations recognize the importance of being intelligent, only 17% would classify their organizations as an Intelligent Enterprise.

98% of those surveyed believe that being an Intelligent Enterprise yields benefits to organizations. The most important ones being improved customer experience, faster business decisions and increased organizational agility.

91% of organizations feel there are data barriers towards being an Intelligent Enterprise, with security, quality and seamless integration being of utmost concern.

95% of business leaders surveyed see AI as critical to being Intelligent Enterprises, yet, currently, only 17% can leverage AI across the entire organization.

74% of organizations consider investment in technology as the most likely enabler for an Intelligent Enterprise, however 42% of them think that this must be complemented with efforts to re-skill workforce.

Jayant Prabhu, Vice President Head Data, Analytics AI, Wipro Limited said, "Organisations now need new capabilities to navigate the current challenges. The report amplifies the opportunity to gain a first-mover advantage to being Intelligent. The ability to take productive decisions depends on an organization's ability to generate accurate, fast and actionable intelligence. Successful organisations are those that quickly adapt to the new technology landscape to transform into an Intelligent Enterprise."

Download the full report from here.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 180,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro's beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro's control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro's growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. The conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could decrease technology spending, adversely affect demand for our products, affect the rate of customer spending and could adversely affect our customers' ability or willingness to purchase our offerings, delay prospective customers' purchasing decisions, adversely impact our ability to provide on-site consulting services and our inability to deliver our customers or delay the provisioning of our offerings, all of which could adversely affect our future sales, operating results and overall financial performance. Our operations may also be negatively affected by a range of external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are not within our control. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005561/en/

Contacts:

Nisha Chandrasekaran

Wipro Limited

nisha.chandrasekaran@wipro.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on his birth anniversary and called him a farsighted visionary whose ideals give strength to many across India.

New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on his birth anniversary and called him a farsighted visionary whose ideals give strength to many across India.



The Prime Minister said that the social reformer emphasised on education and empowerment of women. I bow to the venerable Sree Narayana Guru on his Jayanti. His life and works epitomised the perfect blend of spirituality and social reform. He emphasised on education and empowerment of women. He was a farsighted visionary whose ideals give strength to many across India, he tweeted.



Sree Narayana Guru was a social reformer from Kerala who led a reform movement against casteism and promoted new values of spiritual freedom and social equality.



Also read: India and China should take concrete measures to safeguard peace in LAC: Beijing

Also read: Thailand delays purchasing Chinese submarines after public backlash

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to Sree Narayana Guru and said the social reformer played an instrumental role in setting up the foundations for social reform in Kerala against discrimination and injustice.



Tributes to venerable Swami Sree Narayana Guru ji on his Jayanti. As a social reformer, spiritual leader and strong advocate of equality & brotherhood, he played an instrumental role in setting up the foundations for social reform in Kerala against discrimination and injustice, he tweeted.



Swami Sree Narayana Guru jis relentless effort and contribution towards the empowerment & education of the downtrodden can never be forgotten. His philosophy, teachings and thoughts will continue to enrich the lives of millions across the length & breadth of the country, Shah said in another tweet. (ANI)

Also read: Australian television anchor for Chinas state run media CGTN detained in Beijing
The death rate nationwide from COVID-19 is higher inside prison walls than outside and more than twice as high in California prisons, according to a study released Wednesday.

The study by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a nonprofit with bipartisan leadership, comes while inmate advocates are calling for more releases from overcrowded prisons, where cleaning supplies and protective equipment are sometimes limited, and social distancing is nearly impossible.

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported the 58th coronavirus death of a California inmate Wednesday. Twenty-six deaths have occurred in San Quentin, which had no reported cases of the virus until prison officials transferred 121 inmates in May from the California Institution for Men in Chino (San Bernardino County), where cases were rising. Officials said all 121 had tested negative for the disease, but some of the tests had been conducted four weeks earlier.

In Wednesdays report, the commission said the overall COVID-19 death rate in state and federal prisons was twice as high as the rate for the general population, taking into account differences in age, sex, race and ethnicity that make the prison population more vulnerable.

Californias prison death rate was 2.2 times as high as the mortality rate for the states population, the report said. But those figures were based on the states prison population of 126,000 at the end of 2018, the latest figures provided to the commission by federal officials. The state has now reduced its inmate population to about 100,000 because of court orders and new legislation, which would make its prison mortality rate about 2.7 times as high as the statewide rate.

The highest disparity was in Arkansas, where inmates have died of the virus at nearly 20 times the rate of the states population, the report said. Among large states, Ohios prison death rate was 11 times the states rate. At the other end, 14 states reported no COVID-19 deaths in their prisons, and six states had lower death rates for prisoners than for their overall populations.

The highest mortality rates were in prisons with more than 1,000 inmates, which accounted for 83% of the coronavirus cases and 87% of the deaths, the report said.

Michael Bien, a lawyer for mentally ill inmates suing the state over prison health care, said the report should strengthen their federal court case for more releases from custody.

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.

While state prison officials have argued that freed inmates would face homelessness and an increased risk of COVID-19, that ignores how overcrowded and dangerous the prisons are, Bien said. He said a federal judge had ordered California prison officials to set aside more than 100 beds in each prison to quarantine infected inmates, but state lawyers told the judge on Tuesday that the prison system could not meet a court-ordered deadline for the beds.

Dana Simas, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the department has taken unprecedented measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including one of the largest prison population reductions in recent history.

She said the department is testing prisoners for the coronavirus at more than three times the national testing rate, is requiring tests for all staff and contractors and will continue to work tirelessly to keep the population, staff and the community at large safe.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Reece Hawkins and his new fiancee, London Goheen, delightedly announced they were expecting their first child together on Wednesday.

And London, 22, certainly appears to be living out her fairytale, as unearthed Instagram screenshots show her liking and commenting on family snaps of her man's ex, Tammy Hembrow, when the pair were still together.

The American beauty was evidently a fangirl of social media sensation Tammy, 26, as she commented she was 'such a babe' and said she was 'obsessed with the little family' she had with Reece, 25.

A fangirl's dream! Pregnant London Goheen (left) appears to be living out her fairytale with Reece Hawkins (right), as unearthed screenshots show her commenting on family snaps from when he was still with Tammy Hembrow

London's relentless social media activity also includes her showering Reece with likes on his Instagram page dating back to March 2017.

The brunette's bold online display caught the attention of Reece a few months later, in November, when he was spotted liking her sizzling lingerie snap on Instagram.

Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy after five years of dating.

The exes share two children together, son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four.

'Such a babe!' The American beauty, 22, was evidently a fangirl of social media sensation Tammy, 26, as she commented she was 'such a babe' and said she was 'obsessed with the little family' she had with Reece, 25

Unearthed: London's relentless social media activity also includes her showering Reece with likes on his Instagram page dating back to March 2017. She caught the attention of Reece a few months later, in November, when he was spotted liking her sizzling lingerie snap on Instagram

Role model: It appears that London has long been a fan of Instagram influencer Tammy

Going strong: Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating

On Wednesday, Tammy appeared to have issued a vile response to the news that her ex Reece was expecting his first child with London.

She uploaded a video to Instagram Stories of herself miming to a set of very telling lyrics from the song Pressure In My Palms by Amine.

Rolling her eyes and dancing in the front seat of her car, Tammy mouthed the lyrics: 'I hate a b**ch who think a baby finna keep a n**** (I hate you h*e).'

London and Reece had announced they were expecting a child together earlier that day, just weeks after getting engaged.

Cryptic: On Wednesday, Tammy appeared to have issued a vile response to the news that her ex Reece was expecting his first child with London

'I hare you, h**!' She uploaded a video to Instagram Stories of herself miming to a set of very telling lyrics from the song Pressure In My Palms by Amine

Stunning London made the announcement on Instagram, by sharing a sweet image of herself kissing influencer, Reece.

'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one wbu?' London captioned the image.

Reece also shared similar images of the pair, calling London his 'Baby Momma' and the 'love of my life.'

'Baby Momma alert. Having a baby with the love of my life and my best friend,' he wrote.

'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one': London and Reece announced they were expecting a child together Wednesday, just weeks after getting engaged

Sharing is caring: American model London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account

American beauty London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account.

'I'm so excited that I can finally share with y'all the news that I'm PREGNANT!!!' London's post began.

She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action.'

'We've also been harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action a few times due to harassment, bullying and stalking over the last year... with that being said I've decided I'm going to share my pregnancy journey on another platform where I feel SAFE and POSITIVE,' she explained.

'I'm so excited that I can finally share with y'all the news that I'm PREGNANT!!!' London's post began. She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action'

She added that she wants to welcome her child in a 'happy and healthy environment.'

'This is the most magical time in my life and I feel so blessed to be able to share my journey and for the people who support us to be involved in watching our family grow together,' she concluded.

London said she'd be posting 'updates, gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online.

OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography.

London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content.

Making a buck: OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography. London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content

What to expect: She said she'd be posting 'updates, the gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online

Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement. At the time, they shared a number of photos together from the moment she said 'yes.'

The brunette beauty also showed off her luxurious ring from luxury jewellery brand Tiffany & Co, declaring 'it's perfect!'

It features a yellow square centre stone and a halo of diamonds around the base, and was presented in a baby blue box with the words 'Marry me!' on the front in gold.

Called the Tiffany Soleste, the ring is a cushion-cut halo engagement ring with a diamond platinum band, and valued between $15,800 and $26,200 depending on the diamond cut and clarity.

London captioned the set of photos very simply writing: 'Forever & ever baby.'
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Three out of the last four Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding cycles of $150,000 have been used by Fairview Park to fix city sidewalks.

That focus continues this year, with the city putting its recently awarded 2019 funds toward targeted repairs to sidewalks located both east (Belvidere Avenue and Stanford Avenue) and west (Eastwood Avenue and Northwood Avenue) off West 210th Street.

Were sending out letters to residents about the project getting started, Mayor Patrick Cooney said. Theres a number of trees that have affected the sidewalks, which becomes a trip hazard for people walking, pushing a stroller or riding a bike.

Also, as weve seen this year, a lot of people are out walking and doing more physical activity. This will help keep people safe, he said.

Its a good program. Were grateful to the county for the award.

Fairview Park Community Development Planner Monica Jordan said the sidewalk work will start in the fall. While a required completion date for using CDBG funding is March, she expects the work to be finished sooner.

Its 2019 municipal grant funding through Cuyahoga County funded through the federal CDBG fund, Jordan said. Were using $130,700 for construction and the remainder is going for engineering and construction administration.

Prior to Fairview Park last year using its federal funding toward the senior center roof replacement project, the city fixed the Lorain Road sidewalk from West 208th Street to West 214th Street, as well as slabs in the northwestern portion of the city.

Applicable CDBG projects include community master plans, infrastructure projects, streetscape projects, community and senior center rehabilitation projects, exterior storefront renovation projects, parks, playgrounds and public safety.

Jordan said the funds are designated for an improvement target area (ITA) -- which is an area designated by Cuyahoga County -- or in a low- to moderate-income (LMI) block group, also designated by the county.

In this case, the planned improvements are within both an ITA and an LMI area, Jordan said. Were also serving a limited clientele, because we do have a high proportion of seniors living in those particular block groups. This has been a priority area for sidewalks for a while now.

Although its typically the homeowners responsibility to maintain the sidewalks, this particular project is focused on repairing sidewalks mostly damaged due to street tree growth, Jordan said.

These are trees -- some are pretty old and large -- that were planted most likely by the city. Thats why were focusing our dollars.

While Jordan is unsure how many sidewalk slabs will be fixed, she acknowledged that $150,000 doesnt go far when concrete is involved. The project will also include the removal of trees having end-of-life issues or posing a threat to public safety.

Jordan added, Were also prioritizing the tree canopy as well.

Read more news from the Sun Post Herald.
FDI to create jobs and remove poverty

According to the Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2019-2020 just released by the World Bank, many countries aim to attract foreign investment to help create jobs and reduce poverty. Yet the empirical evidence on the direct poverty-reducing effects of FDI is surprisingly scarce, especially in developing countries. At the same time, little is known about the aggregate effects of FDI on income distribution.

Analysis of unique firm-level and household data from Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Turkey shows that foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) create new jobs and pay higher wages than domestic counterparts. Workers in sectors and regions with a higher presence of FIEs are generally more likely to be formally employed and receive higher wages.

FDI allowed more than 350,000 individuals to enter formal manufacturing employment in Vietnam between 2007 and 2016, and at least 40,000 in Turkey between 2009 and 2016. FDI also raised average manufacturing wages by 32 per cent in Ethiopia, 12 per cent in Vietnam, and 8 per cent in Turkey.

Consequently, FDI-induced wage increases helped reduce poverty in all three countries. Conservative estimates suggest that FDI contributed to lifting at least 35,000 individuals out of poverty in Ethiopia during 20092014; 24,000 in Vietnam (20072016); and 15,000 in Turkey (20092016).

Although the FDI-induced wage increases helped improve the incomes of the bottom 40 per cent of the population in all three countries, the effects across the entire income distribution differed significantly across countries. In Ethiopia, the benefits of FDI were more concentrated in the bottom 40 per cent, while in Vietnam, the welfare gains were more evenly distributed. Turkey had the greatest average wage benefits from FDI but also experienced increases in wage inequality.

However, FDI can also contribute to inequality by disproportionately benefiting better-educated and higher-skilled workers. When comparing regions and sectors with higher FDI activity with those with no FDI, higher-skilled workers experience large benefits while low-skilled workers may see no changes or even experience relative short-term declines in informal employment and wages.

The possible adverse effects of FDI on income inequality and lower-skilled workers emphasise the importance of a countrys labour market and education policies. Key policies include strengthening the absorptive capacity of domestic firms and workers (for example, through programmes that foster FDI-supplier linkages and employment training); supporting vulnerable communities (such as lower-skilled workers, youths, and women) with active jobs information, provision, and skills certification; and establishing programmes to stimulate labour mobility within the countries.
Google and the US Department of Defense have teamed up to create a new artificial intelligence tool to study and identify cancer among military veterans.

The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has asked Google to produce a new AI model of information that could be used with virtual reality microscopes, Fox News reported exclusively.

The project, called Predictive Health, will help physicians find tumor cells under the microscope to procure information about its genetic profile and structure.

Researchers say the program will help lower the healthcare costs by identifying cancer in its earlier stages and lightening the burden on pathologists so they can focus on treating patients.

Google and the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit are teaming up to create a new AI tool to help military veterans with cancer. Pictured: Google office building in Silicon Valley, California, June 2020

The model, called Predictive Health, will identify tumors and help pathologists learn its genetic profile and structure. Pictured: Staff at Naval Medical Center San Diego's Radiology department prepare a patient for a brain MRI, August 2020

'Health care is critical to the military's force readiness,' Mike Daniels, Vice President of Global Public Sector at Google Cloud, told Fox News.

'More important than that, or equally important, is funding for certain cancer-related programs. The [Defense Health Agency] spends $1.7 billion of its annual budget on cancer research.'

Daniels says there are two outcomes Google hopes to achieve with the program.

The first is to increase the odds of good patient outcomes and the second is to help doctors sort through data faster and more efficiently.

'Medical professionals are already overworked,' said Nathanael Higgins, the Pentagon's support contractor managing the program, in a statement.

'We're essentially giving them an additional tool that will help them make confident decisions - and know that they made the right decision - so that we're not facing as many false negatives or false positives.

'And ultimately we're able to identify these types of disease states earlier, and that'll help the long-term prognosis.'

The program will first focus on certain types of cancer including breast, colon and prostate cancer, reported Fox News.

The tool will also look at cervical dysplasia, a precancerous condition in which abnormal cells grow on the cervix lining, and lymph node metastasis.

Researchers will train the AI tool by getting it to recognize a picture of cancer and learn which type it is.

Dr Niels Olson, the DIU chief medical officer and originator of the Predictive Health project, says this is similar to a parent teaching a child how to identify objects.

'The kid asks: "Mom, is that a tree?" And Mom says: "No, that's a dog,"' Olson said in a press release.

'The kids learn by getting it wrong. You make a guess. We formally call that an inference, a guess is an inference. And if the machine gets it wrong, we tell it that it got it wrong.'

Higgins adds that this project will help drive down costs by catching cancer earlier and requiring patients to undergo less invasive treatments.

Researchers say this will help drive down healthcare costs and lessen the workload for clinicians. Pictured: Deanna Eichenlaud, a patient at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, undergoes a PET scan at the medical center's Nuclear Medicine Clinic, August 2013

The program will first focus on certain types of cancer including breast, colon and prostate cancer but could expand in the future. Pictured: Cmdr Christopher Kuzniewski, lead diagnostic cardiopulmonary radiologist at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, reads a CT scan, February 2013

It will also lessen the workload on healthcare workers.

Aashima Gupta, the director of global health care solutions for Google Cloud, told Fox News that pathologists looking through microscopes is a 'laborious' task.

'When they're looking and analyzing tissue, small cells need to be noted and this can be used to determine the stage of the cancer,' she said.

'Our hope is to limit the unidentified data by bringing this technology into the clinical workflow so that while the pathologist is doing that examination, the model overlays and identifies the areas where it may need more focus.

'Doctors can tell if there are certain areas where they can go deeper, or if certain segments need more attention than others.'

The Pentagon says the project is expected to end within two years and could expand different types of cancer as well as other treatments such blood transfusions or vaccines.

Google did not reply to DailyMail.com's request for comment in time for publication.
BATON ROUGE, La.: Power crews were working to restore electricity across storm-devastated Louisiana, road crews were clearing debris and thousands of tarps were being distributed to patch over wrecked roofs. But Gov. John Bel Edwards cautioned his states residents Wednesday to be realistic about the long road ahead of us to recover from Hurricane Laura.

Theres been an awful lot of progress made in terms of the resources being brought to bear, the governor said at a news conference. But he added: Theres still a very, very long way to go, however.

More than 230,000 utility customers in Louisiana, about 11% of customers, remained without power Wednesday, six days after Laura ravaged the state, according to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. That included nearly every customer in Cameron, Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes.

In addition to power outages, the state Health Department said more than 175,000 people faced water outages, while hundreds of thousands more had to boil their water to make it safe for use.

Edwards urged people, particularly in hardest-hit southwestern Louisiana, to follow the guidance of their local authorities on when its safe to return home and stay there, with estimates that places like Cameron Parish could wait weeks before splintered transmission lines could be rebuilt.

That means there could be no operating grocery stores, gas stations or pharmacies for people wanting to go back to their communities.

We do hope and expect that more people over time will be able to return home  but practically speaking, its just not going to be possible until basic services are restored," the governor said.

Laura roared ashore Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane just south of Lake Charles near Cameron, Louisiana, packing 150 mph (240 km/h) winds and a storm surge as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters) in some areas. State officials have called it the most powerful storm ever to hit Louisiana.

Nineteen deaths in Louisiana and Texas have been attributed to the storm.

The number of people relying on the state for shelter ticked upward Wednesday to about 11,500 people most of them in hotels, particularly in New Orleans. Edwards said the state believes as many as 10,000 people from Louisiana are sheltering in Texas facilities, and the state was trying to get a full accounting.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved 16 Louisiana parishes for aid to individual households, recently adding seven more parishes to the list. More than 80,000 people have registered for the aid so far, according to the governors office.

Despite the grim acknowledgement of a long recovery, the governor sought to offer some hope: Were going to get through this, and on the other side of it were going to be better and stronger than weve ever been.

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MelindaDeslatte.

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 Hamilton County Partnership Network Advisory Board Public will hold their meeting for the first quarter on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams. You may click on the link Join Microsoft Teams Meeting below to view the meeting.

The Partnership Network between Hamilton County Schools and the Tennessee Education Department was established in 2018, and seeks to continue improvements achieved by Hamilton County Schools working with five historically low performing schools in the district.

Additional planned meetings for the 2020-2021 school year. The location or if the additional scheduled meetings may be virtual is still to be determined.

Dec.

10, at 5:30

Feb. 18, 2021, at 5:30

May 13, 2021, at 5:30

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+1 615-270-9704 United States, Nashville (Toll)

Conference ID: 903 352 266#
Rusting iron has been found on the Moon and it was likely the result of oxygen being carried to the lunar surface from Earth by solar winds, a new study discovered.

The oxidised iron mineral hematite - a form of rusted iron - was discovered at high latitudes on the Moon by planetary scientists from the University of Hawaii.

Iron is highly reactive with oxygen - forming reddish rust commonly seen on Earth - but the lunar surface and interior are virtually devoid of oxygen.

Finding evidence of highly oxidised iron-bearing minerals on the Moon 'was a surprise', the team explained, saying oxygen must have blown in on solar winds.

Enhanced map of hematite (red colour) on Moon using a spheric projection (nearside only).. The oxidised iron mineral hematite - a form of rusted iron - was discovered at high latitudes on the Moon by planetary scientists from the University of Hawaii

To make this discovery researchers from the University of Hawaii and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory analysed data captured by the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission.

The Chandrayaan-1 mission included a lunar orbiter spacecraft and an impact probe sent from the orbiter to the Moon's south pole to eject soil for analysis.

No examples of highly oxidised iron had been found in samples returned to Earth as part of the various NASA Apollo missions and hydrogen in solar winds regularly blast the lunar surface - acting in opposition to oxidation.

So, the presence of highly oxidised iron-bearing minerals, such as hematite, on the Moon was an unexpected discovery, according to lead author Shuai Li.

'Our hypothesis is that lunar hematite is formed through oxidation of lunar surface iron by the oxygen from the Earth's upper atmosphere that has been continuously blown to the lunar surface by solar wind when the Moon is in Earth's magnetotail during the past several billion years,' said Li.

To make this discovery, Li, Paul Lucey and others analysed the hyperspectral reflectance data acquired by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) designed by NASA JPL onboard India's Chandrayaan-1 mission.

This new research was inspired by Li's previous discovery of water ice in the Moon's polar regions in 2018.

Map of hematite on the moon - redder colour means more hematite. Iron is highly reactive with oxygen - forming reddish rust commonly seen on Earth - but the lunar surface and interior are virtually devoid of oxygen

'When I examined the M3 data at the polar regions, I found some spectral features and patterns are different from those we see at the lower latitudes or the Apollo samples,' said Li.

NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis mission Artemis 1 is the first in a series of complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon. Artemis 1 will be the first integrated flight test of NASAs deep space exploration system. Artemis astronauts will bring a wider range of soil samples back to Earth This system includes the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System rocket and ground control systems. Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. With this first exploration mission, NASA is leading the next steps of human exploration into deep space. Artemis 2 will take a crew on a lunar fly-by but the spaceship won't land. The first trip that will see astronauts step foot on lunar soil for the first time since Apollo 17 will be Artemis 3. Eventually NASA seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028 as a result of the Artemis mission. Advertisement

'I was curious whether it is possible that there are water-rock reactions on the Moon. After months investigation, I figured out I was seeing the signature of hematite.'

The team found the locations where hematite is present are strongly correlated with water content at high latitude Li and others found previously.

They were also more concentrated on the nearside, which always faces the Earth - suggesting the rusted iron may be related to Earth, said Li.

'This reminded me a discovery by the Japanese Kaguya mission that oxygen from the Earth's upper atmosphere can be blown to the lunar surface by solar wind when the Moon is in the Earth's magnetotail,' the planetary scientists explained.

'So, Earth's atmospheric oxygen could be the major oxidant to produce hematite. Water and interplanetary dust impact may also have played critical roles'

While it was primarily found on the nearside, the team found that hematite was not completely absent from the far-side of the Moon where oxygen from the Earth may never have reached - but fewer examples were found there, said Li.

'The tiny amount of water observed at lunar high latitudes may have been substantially involved in the hematite formation process on the lunar far-side.'

This could have important implications for astronomers trying to interpret observed hematite on some 'water poor' asteroids in our solar system.

'This discovery will reshape our knowledge about the Moon's polar regions,' said Li. 'Earth may have played an important role on the evolution of the Moon's surface.'

The research team hopes the NASA's ARTEMIS missions can return hematite samples from the polar regions.

The first crewed Artemis mission is scheduled to launch in 2024 where the first women and next man will step foot on the surface of the Moon.

The chemical signatures of those samples returned by the Artemis crew can be used to confirm Li's hypothesis that Earth oxygen blew in on solar winds.

The samples may even be able to help reveal the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere over the past billions of years since our world first formed.

The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances.
Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday left for Russia on a three-day visit to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them.

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Rajnath Singh

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan's Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting.

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Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

"Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II," Singh tweeted.

Rajnath Singh tweetHe said issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

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"India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit," Singh said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.

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The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

Rajnath SinghSingh will depart for India from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.

The SCO defence ministers meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following the Chinese army's unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

It is Singh''s second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers meeting on September 10.
Astronomers have detected a monster black hole 150 times heavier than our Sun as a result of the energy wave produced when two smaller black holes merged.

Researchers using the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors spotted a wave with eight times the energy of the Sun coming from 17 billion light years away.

This energetic gravitational wave was the result of a black hole 66 times the size of the Sun merging with a larger black hole about 85 times the mass of the Sun.

The new black hole is twice as heavy as any previously observed using gravitational waves, according to researchers involved in the study from Monash University.

Exactly how the two smaller waves came together is still unknown, but researchers think they both might be the result of multiple previous, smaller, black hole mergers.

Artist concept illustrating a hierarchical scheme for merging black holes. LIGO and Virgo recently observed a black hole merger with a final mass of 142 times that of the sun, making it the largest of its kind observed in gravitational waves to date

The signal, detected on May 21, has been labelled GW190521 - it takes months for the source to be confirmed as a gravitational wave and involves multiple researchers.

It resembles about four short wiggles and is extremely brief in duration, according to MIT astronomers - lasting less than one-tenth of a second.

From what the researchers can tell, GW190521 was generated by a source that existed when the universe was about half its current age - making it one of the most distant gravitational-wave sources detected so far.

Scientists from the University of Glasgow assisted with the data analysis process that was required before it could be confirmed as a black hole merger.

The black holes have large and nearly equal masses, with one only 3 per cent more massive than the other

Daniel Williams, from the Physics and Astronomy Department, said: 'Gravitational wave astronomy continues to help us answer questions about how our universe works, as well as present us with exciting new problems to solve.

OTHER POTENTIAL STELLAR EVENTS THAT CAUSED THIS WAVE While astronomers believe the gravitational wave they detected was caused by a black hole merger, there are other possible explanations. What if something entirely new produced these gravitational waves? It's a tantalizing prospect, and in their paper the scientists briefly consider other sources in the universe that might have produced the signal they detected. For instance, perhaps the gravitational waves were emitted by a collapsing star in our galaxy. The signal could also be from a cosmic string produced just after the universe inflated in its earliest moments. Neither of these exotic possibilities matches the data as well as a binary merger - so they went with that. "Since we first turned on LIGO, everything we've observed with confidence has been a collision of black holes or neutron stars," the team explained. "This is the one event where our analysis allows the possibility that this event is not such a collision.' Although this event is consistent with being from an exceptionally massive binary black hole merger, other options are possible, they said. 'Because we have all been hoping for something new, something unexpected, that could challenge what we've learned already. This event has the potential for doing that." Researchers will continue to comb through the data to see if other explanations 'could' be a better fit, but for now a black hole merger is the most likely cause. Advertisement

'This detection gives us a fascinating first look at the physics of intermediate-mass black holes, and opens up the opportunity for future detections to solve the mystery of just how they are formed.'

Given the size of the black holes before they merged, astronomers believe the smaller black holes could have already been the products of previous mergers.

OzGrav postdoctoral researcher Simon Stevenson, from Swinburne University of Technology, says the two 'impossibly' massive black holes that led to the monster black hole could have been the result of multiple mergers.

'If true, we have a big black hole made of smaller black holes, with even smaller black holes inside themlike Russian Dolls.'

This type of hierarchical combining of black holes has been hypothesised in the past but, if proved correct, this would be the first evidence for such activity.

In this latest discovery we are witnessing the birth of an intermediate mass black hole, researchers explained.

That is a black hole more than 100 times as heavy as the Sun, almost twice as heavy as any black hole previously observed with gravitational-waves.

These intermediate mass black holes could be the seeds that grow into the supermassive black holes that reside in the centres of galaxies.

The scientists identified the merging black holes by detecting the gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space-time - produced in the merger's final moments.

The gravitational waves from GW190521 were detected on May 21, 2019, by the twin LIGO detectors located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, and the Virgo detector located near Pisa, Italy.

'The mass of the larger black hole in the pair puts it into the range where it's unexpected from regular astrophysics processes,' said Peter Shawhan, a professor of physics at UMD.

'It seems too massive to have been formed from a collapsed star, which is where black holes generally come from.'

According to current understanding, stars that could give birth to black holes with masses between 65 and 135 times greater than the sun don't collapse on death.

Therefore, astronomers don't expect them to form black holes.

'Right from the beginning, this signal, which is only a tenth of a second long, challenged us in identifying its origin,' said UMD Professor Alessandra Buonanno.

'Despite its short duration, we were able to match the signal to one expected of black-hole mergers, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity,' she said.

'We realized we had witnessed, for the first time, the birth of an intermediate-mass black hole from a black-hole parent that most probably was born from an earlier binary merger.'

Numerical simulation of two black holes that inspiral and merge, emitting gravitational waves. Researchers using the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors spotted a wave with eight times the energy of the Sun coming from 17 billion light years away

GW190521 is one of three recent gravitational wave discoveries that challenge current understanding of black holes and allow scientists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity in new ways.

LISTEN FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES IN HUNT FOR STELLAR EVENTS As LIGO and Virgo detectors listen for gravitational waves passing through Earth, automated searches comb through the incoming data for interesting signals. These searches can use two different methods: Algorithms that pick out specific wave patterns in the data that may have been produced by compact binary systems

More general 'burst' searches, which essentially look for anything out of the ordinary LIGO member Salvatore Vitale, assistant professor of physics at MIT, likens compact binary searches to 'passing a comb through data, that will catch things in a certain spacing,' in contrast to burst searches that are more of a 'catch-all' approach. In the case of GW190521, it was a burst search that picked up the signal slightly more clearly, opening the very small chance that the gravitational waves arose from something other than a binary merger. 'The bar for asserting we've discovered something new is very high,' Weinstein says. 'So we typically apply Occam's razor: The simpler solution is the better one, which in this case is a binary black hole.' Advertisement

The other two events included the first observed merger of two black holes with distinctly unequal masses and a merger between a black hole and a mystery object, which may be the smallest black hole or the largest neutron star ever observed.

'All three events are novel with masses or mass ratios that we've never seen before,' said Shawhan

'So not only are we learning more about black holes in general, but because of these new properties, we are able to see effects of gravity around these compact bodies that we haven't seen before.'

For example, the theory of general relativity predicts that binary systems with distinctly unequal masses will produce gravitational waves with higher harmonics, and that is exactly what the scientists were able to observe for the first time.

OzGrav Chief Investigator and co-author David Ottaway, from University of Adelaide, says this is a huge step towards understand the link between the smaller black holes that have been seen by gravitational-wave detectors and the massive black holes that are found in the centre of galaxies.

Professor Sheila Rowan, director of the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research, said upgrading equipment on the detectors is vital.

'It translates into more detections, an improved rate of detections, and also detections of individual events made at higher sensitivities.

'That enables detections like this one, where the very low frequency of the signal might well have been impossible to pick out of the background noise without our improvements.'

In addition to these three black hole mergers and a previously reported binary neutron star merger, the observational run from April 2019 through March 2020 identified 52 other potential gravitational wave events.

'Gravitational wave events are being detected regularly,' Shawhan said, 'and some of them are turning out to have remarkable properties which are extending what we can learn about astrophysics.'

Details of the discovery have been published in the journals Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Rishi Sunak arrives to attend a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday

Rishi Sunak wants to divert billions from the foreign aid budget to pay for spies, drones and cyberweapons, it was reported last night.

The Chancellor has told Cabinet that any increased spending on defence assets such as AI-enabled drones must come from aid funds.

The UK has a legal obligation to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on aid  which this year comes to 15.8billion  but a review of foreign, defence and security policy could see defence prioritised.

A Whitehall source told The Times: 'The Chancellor has been clear that if the review isn't cost-neutral it is only right that any extra spending comes out of the 0.7 per cent.'

General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander of Joint Forces Command, praised the possibility of extra money for the Ministry of Defence, saying it would be 'an investment in prosperity as much as capability, as you would be making things you could sell to others'.

The MoD has previously said it is keen to keep pace with the rapidly expanding drone fleets around the world, with AI-assisted aircraft top of the list.

Another possibility would be to buy one or more hospital ships, available for as little as 100 million, or to build them from scratch for around 500 million.

Francis Tusa, editor of the industry newsletter Defence Analysis, told The Times that this would help to create jobs, while improving military capabilities.

Another possibility would be to buy one or more hospital ships, available for as little as 100 million, or to build them from scratch for around 500 million (pictured: the USNS Naval Hospital Ship in the Hudson River during the coronavirus pandemic)

Today Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will announce a formal merger between the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development.

It is believed he will avoid reaffirming Britain's commitment to the 0.7 per cent pledge.

Instead, he will claim 'Global Britain' will show it is a 'force for good in the world', it was reported.

But Mr Sunak is not yet thought to have convinced Boris Johnson of his plan and previous attempts to persuade other countries that military spending could encompass aid have failed to win approval.

Former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: 'With the ink hardly dry on our manifesto, I don't think the House of Commons would easily agree to balance the books on the backs of the poorest women and children in the world.'

Tory chairman of the Commons defence committee Tobias Ellwood said the cut would be 'shortsighted in failing to appreciate how well-targeted aid can strengthen relationships and open up new markets - thus helping the Treasury'.

AI drones are among the most wanted assets for the Ministry of Defence (stock image)

The merger means the former international development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has returned to the backbenches.

No 10 confirmed she would be entitled to a pay-off because of the closure of her department.

Conservative former prime minister David Cameron previously warned the merger was a 'mistake' and that it would result in the UK commanding 'less respect' on the global stage.

Tony Blair, the Labour former prime minister whose administration created the department in 1997, said he was 'utterly dismayed' by Boris Johnson's decision.
Greeces tourism minister has urged the UK not to close down visits to the country, after Scotland and Wales introduced new measures over concerns about rising coronavirus cases.

The Westminster government is coming under pressure to impose quarantines for travellers for England too, with officials expected to discuss the situation with devolved administrations shortly.

The Scottish Government announced on Tuesday evening that travellers from Greece would have to self-isolate for 14 days from Thursday, while Wales also began asking arrivals from the island of Zante to quarantine.

The Department for Transport said no change to its rules for England had been made, but Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething said he would be pressing the UK Government for an urgent meeting to consider the potential risk from Greece. The DfT was unable to say immediately whether discussions would be brought forward from their usual slot on Thursday to take place today.

The move came as holidaymakers scrambled to return from Portugal amid growing concerns restrictions could be reimposed on arrivals in the UK.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London. PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. 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Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images

Cabinet minister Therese Coffey rebuked Edinburgh and Cardiff for rushing out announcements ahead of the regular Thursday discussion which has so far determined weekly changes to the government's quarantine exemption list.

Its important that we keep to that systematic rhythm, based on evidence, based on data and the judgement thats made by other ministers in government," said the work and pensions secretary. Its a timely process. It has worked well. This is a sensible approach.

Ms Coffey added: We know that airlines are very keen, and holiday firms, to reopen different countries, as indeed are different countries.

"But weve got to do whats right for public health in this country. People are aware that there is this threshold the government has, it carefully considers it, and makes its announcements on the Thursday. So Im conscious that some people may have gone briefly abroad, but they will have done that knowing the risks that things might change."

Restrictions for Greece were lifted in England in July and coronavirus rates in the country remain at 14 cases per 100,000 people in the last week of August - down from 14.9 a week earlier and below the threshold of 20 which has been a factor in decisions to impose quarantine by the UK authorities.

Greek tourism minister Harry Theoharis told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that every country has the right to take the measures that they feel are necessary to protect the health of their population.

But he added: We believe that we have done everything in our power to strengthen the situation, to ensure that both citizens and visitors are safe.

Greece has a much lower rate of infections, compared to most other countries in Europe. We also are far lower than the UK-stipulated threshold of 20 per 100,000 in the last seven days.

We have also taken targeted measures in the island of Zante and in other areas and we have seen that those targeted measures - limiting parties and the number of people in bars etc - are effective. In the last few days, if anything, we're actually going down in terms of the notification rate.

Mr Theoharis said: Greece is the fifth country in the EU in terms of the number of tests that we conduct. We have sophisticated systems to target those tests at the point of entry to remove people that come in with a positive test, but at the same time we do focus our tests on specific islands.

In Zante during the past few days we've been conducting specific tests to ensure that we keep the situation under control and under full monitoring. We are targeting in the areas where we see that there is a specific concentration of cases and we take those measures. I want to assure everyone that we do everything in our power and this has been effective The number of cases in Greece has not gone up with the rate that we have seen in other countries, even countries that did not open for tourism.

Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said on Tuesday that the importations of new coronavirus cases from Greece represented a significant risk to public health" north of the border.

He said "regular discussions continue" with the other three UK governments over restrictions.

And Mr Gething said he was pressing for an early meeting between the UK government and devolved authorities on Wednesday to consider the latest risk assessment by the Joint Biosecurity Centre.

The beaches of Greece have been far quieter than normal this summer (AP)

Six clusters amounting to more than 30 cases of Covid-19 had arisen from four flights in the last week, two of which landed in England, he said.

All passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday night would be told to quarantine and would be given two Covid-19 tests, one within 48 hours and another eight days after their return.

"There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient," said Mr Gething.

"There is an obvious need for us to consider the potential for changes to the regulations in Wales which would require travellers arriving in the UK from Greece and possibly elsewhere to self-isolate on their return."

Tour operator Tui later said it would no longer be offering holidays to the resort of Laganas on Zante from Thursday.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre was yet to change the risk rating for Greece but the data for the nation, like all others, is being kept under constant review.

With thousands of Britons having travelled to Portugal since the country was exempted from quarantine measures on August 22, rising cases there were prompting airlines to increase capacity as holidaymakers hurried to return in case restrictions are reimposed.

There were 22.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Portugal in the seven days to August 31, up from 14.5 a week earlier, according to figures calculated by the PA news agency based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The boss of British Airways' parent company has warned that reimposing the quarantine requirement for people returning to or visiting the UK from Portugal would cause further "chaos and hardship" for travellers.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, claimed the "ever-shifting list" means "the UK has officially hung up the 'Closed' sign".

"The Government needs to introduce a testing regime to restore confidence," he wrote in The Times.

The travel editor at consumer group Which? criticised the quarantine response as provoking confusion and damaging the travel industry.

Rory Boland said: "Yet again haphazard announcements and rumours around quarantine have sparked chaos and confusion for holidaymakers, with many facing an unenviable choice between paying extortionate prices for last-minute flights home or the disruption caused by two weeks in isolation on their return."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 18:27 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4245180 1 National crime,robbery-attempt,murder-attempt,East-Java,Jember,Iraqi Free

The police in Jember, East Java, have arrested and named an Iraqi citizen a suspect for assaulting and robbing a 30-year-old transwoman from the province's Bondowoso regency.

The suspect, identified only as WH, 40, allegedly stabbed his victim, identified only as AHF, when he visited her at her rooming house on Monday.

Jember Police chief First Insp. Solekhan Arif said that WH had gone to visit AHF with the supposed intention of a sexual encounter.

After AHF let WH in the latter immediately grabbed the victim from behind and threatened to stab her, Solekhan said.

AFH fought back sustaining wounds to her hands and chest.

The suspect cannot speak Indonesian. He didnt say anything, he just immediately hit the victim, Solekhan said on Tuesday.

When the victim's neighbors found out about the incident WH attempted to escape but lost his way and got stuck in the building's attic, according to the police.

The police captured WH and seized what were believed to be AFH's belongings in his bag, including two mobile phones and a motorcycle key.

Solekhan said that WH and AHF were not in a relationship and they had only met each other four times -- when they communicated with the help of translation app -- following their first interaction through social media.

From the conversation between WH and AFH, the police believe that the suspect had the intention of robbing the victim.

[WH] often told the victim that he needed money and that he wanted to borrow some money from her, Solekhan said as quoted by kompas.com.

WH is currently being detained at the Jember Police headquarters. He has been charged under Article 365 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on aggravated robbery and Article 351 of the KUHP on assault with a maximum punishment of 12 years imprisonment. (dpk)
In July 2020, the deficit of Ukraine's balance of payments reached $88 million, according to data provided by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

The deficit of consolidated balance of payments was $88 million in July 2020, while in July 2019 the deficit totaled $1.2 billion.

The volume of exports of goods decreased by 15.9% in July 2020, to $3.3 billion (by 6.7% in June 2020).

The decline was due to a decrease in exports of ferrous and nonferrous metals by 23.3% in July 2020 compared to July 2019, food products and raw materials for their production - by 16.1%, engineering products - by 11.2%, as well as a drop in exports of minerals products by 21.4% (increased by 3.6% in June 2019).

In January-July 2020, exports to the EU countries decreased the most (by $2.0 billion, or 19.4%), their share reduced to 33.1% (38.0% in January-July 2019). Imports in July also declined - by 21.6%, to $4.3 billion (by 16.9% in June).

In January-July 2020, imports in nominal terms decreased the most from Russia (by $1.8 billion, or 1.7 times) and EU countries (by $1.4 billion, or 11.0%).

As Ukrinform reported, the surplus of Ukraine's balance of payments reached $6 billion in 2019.

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President Donald Trump keeps telling suburban women that Joe Biden will bring low-income housing, and a lot of other problems, including crime, to their currently peaceful neighborhoods.

And he said Cory Booker, New Jerseys first African-American U.S. senator, will lead the effort.

You have this beautiful community in the suburbs, including women, Trump said on the Fox News Channel Monday night. I ended where they build low-income housing projects right in the middle of your neighborhood. If Biden goes in, he already said its going to go at a much higher rate than ever before. You know whose going to be in charge of it ? Cory Booker. Thats going to be nice.

They want low-income housing and with that comes a lot of other problems, including crime, he said.

Trump has used the same line of attack against Biden and Booker before, leading the senator to respond via Twitter to the president: Your racism is showing.

If you believe Trumps appeal on housing is meant to inflame racial passions, it makes sense he would pick a Black man to be the face of the message, said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

The effort is designed to woo suburban voters who were key to the Democrats takeover of the U.S. House in 2018 and who continue to strongly disapprove of Trump. Only 38% of suburban voters approved of Trumps job performance in a June New York Times-Siena College poll, with 50% of suburban voters disapproving.

Its no accident that Trump is assigning Booker a prominent role in a future Biden administration, said Ashley Koning, assistant research professor at Rutgers Universitys Eagleton Institute of Politics and the director of the institutes Center for Public Interest Polling.

Theres quite a racial code and a dog whistle to connect housing policy to non-white individuals and what it could mean to safety and security, Koning said. The Trump campaign seems to be making a play for the suburbs by inciting fear and a threat to the security of the suburbs.

Booker said recently on MSNBC that he is being named as part of Trumps effort to inflame racial tensions in advance of the Nov. 3 election and distract attention from the presidents handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has seen more than 6 million cases and more than 184,000 deaths in the U.S.

I really do think that is something as basic as that, let me find a Black person that I can use to try scare folks from the suburbs, Booker said. For him to try to whip up this boogeyman that people like me are scary, to try to prey upon bigotry and fear, Im sorry this is a very old trope that was used by generations past.

The president first raised the issue last month by revoking an Obama-era rule requiring municipalities receiving federal funds to look at racial discrimination and work to integrate their communities.

The rule, however, did not tell communities they had to build low-income housing or change their zoning to allow its construction, according to Factcheck.org.

But Trump seized on it as another plank for his law-and-order re-election platform, which also includes verbal broadsides against protesters demonstrating against the repeated killings of Blacks by police. Some of those protests have turned violent.

The White House had no immediate comment Tuesday.

Ironically, while Trump was sued by the Justice Department for violating fair housing laws and agreed to a settlement, Booker was a beneficiary of those same laws.

Booker, who is running for re-election this fall, grew up in the suburban community of Harrington Park after his parents and a civil rights lawyer successfully fought efforts to keep his family out of the community because of their race. It had nothing to do with low-income housing.

Lavy noted that the suburbs are much more diverse than they were when Bookers parents fought for the right to integrate a community, but there are still plenty of Trump conservatives living there.

Winning candidates tend to build bridges from their base to suburban moderates, Levy said. Trump seems to be going all in on winning by building very small bridges to people in the suburbs and even in the cities who think and vote like their rural counterparts.

But Bookers success has been reaching out to moderate white voters and trying to cultivate as genial a persona as possible, said Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University and author of a book that focused on the 2002 Newark mayoral race between Booker and incumbent Sharpe James.

Booker has spent his entire career trying to cultivate a counter-stereotypical image and trying to make voters of all backgrounds comfortable with him, Gillespie said. He is the happy warrior.

The New Jersey senator was trending on Twitter Tuesday after Trumps remarks, with plenty of people saying they would happily allow Booker to move into their neighborhoods.

Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted: I just sent Cory Booker my house keys.

I just sent Cory Booker my house keys.  Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) September 1, 2020

Others weighed in as well.

SCOOP: Rockville, Maryland residents were rocked to their core when suspected gardener Cory Booker replanted the flower beds outside the Wisconsin Avenue Petsmart. Local police say Cory evaded them in an environmentally-conscious Prius just this afternoon. #CoryBookerHeadlines https://t.co/V2So9veQZu  D.A. Osorio (@DA_Osorio) September 1, 2020

Is Cory Booker coming to my neighborhood today? I need to shower. pic.twitter.com/m8sQyYm0UO  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) September 1, 2020

Cory Booker came to my fathers hospital bedside and held his hand. They spoke for an hour in soft voices because my father was very weak and dying. Cory is one of the kindest men Ive ever met. We should all be so lucky to have a man like him in our neighborhood.  Zach Braff (@zachbraff) September 1, 2020

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
REDDING, Calif.  The firefighter who was killed Monday fighting the August Complex in the Mendocino National Forest was working the fire lines with her son.

Diana Jones was as an emergency medical technician with the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department in Texas who had spent the last few summers doing contract firefighting with her son, Ian Shelly, Cresson Fire Chief Ron Becker told the Record Searchlight.

Becker said Shellys wife called him Monday night to tell him Jones had died. Shelly is a captain with the Cresson fire department, a community about 25 miles south of Fort Worth.

Diana Jones

Diana was dedicated to trying to make peoples lives a little bit better, making our community a little bit better, Becker said. She was not any type of glory seeker or anything like that. She just wanted to make things better for people.

Becker did not have any details on what happened to Jones.

U.S. Forest Service officials said Jones was working the Tatham Fire within the August Complex when she was involved in a vehicle accident. One other firefighter suffered burns to the hands and arm in the accident.

'Stay strong': As California wildfires rage, hotels offer vouchers, discounts for those displaced

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. No further information was released.

This is a tragic accident and our hearts go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of the fallen firefighter, Acting Forest Supervisor Sandra Moore said in a news release.

Becker said his department got permission from Jones family to release her name and photograph.

Jones was a hairdresser before she started working for the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department, Becker said. She had been with the department for nearly five years.

She sort of retired and moved here and started helping us, Becker said.

Shelly, Jones son, has worked for the Cresson fire department for 19 years.

The August Complex of fires burns in the Mendocino National Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. The fire were sparked by lightning on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020.

In the summer, Shelly does contract work helping federal and state agencies on the fire lines, Becker said. The work takes him across the West.

Story continues

She (Jones) decided she would like to accompany him as he did some of this, and she worked her way up to be an engine boss, like a truck supervisor, Becker said. This was one of the ways she and her son made a living.

Becker said Jones was selfless.

He recalled the chaplain in his department organized meals for first responders at his church.

Diana was obviously a first responder and she would go over there and eat, Becker said. But after a couple of times, I noticed Diana wasnt eating. What she started doing was preparing a dessert or salad and she went over to help serve. So heres this lunch designed for her, but instead of her taking it ... she turned around and was trying to serve first responders.

You can see somebody like that saying, Dont give me what I might be entitled to. Let me go help someone else. That was Diana Jones.

The August Complex of fires has burned nearly 243,000 acres and was 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.

California wildfires: How the ancient redwoods in the state's oldest state park survivs

The complex started Aug. 17 and was initially 37 different fires on the Mendocino National Forest.

Officials have said many of the fires have been contained or have merged.

The 5,480-acre Hopkins Fire was the most recently added and is burning about 25 miles northeast of Covelo in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Follow David Benda on Twitter: @DavidBenda_RS.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: California wildifres: Firefighter who died was mom working with son
Belarusian border authorities deny Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk Mogilev entry into the country. Appealing to the faithful, he urges them not to let this latest development aggravate tensions currently rocking the nation.

By Vatican News

Belarusian border authorities barred Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz from entering into the country on Monday as he sought to return after a trip to Poland.

In a written appeal to the faithful on Tuesday, the 74-year-old Archbishop of Minsk Mogilev explained that he was stopped at the Bruzhi border crossing without explanation of any reasons even though the guards behaved very politely.

The Archbishop said that he did not want the incomprehensible and challenging decision of the border authorities to aggravate tensions given the current political crisis taking place in Belarus, reminding everyone that he has always called for dialogue and peace.

Invoking his citizenship rights, the Archbishop said that the border officials grounds for refusing him entry were not clear to him, and he pointed out that article No. 493 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus of 20 September 2009 states: The right of citizens to enter into the Republic of Belarus cant be limited.

Besides, the Archbishop continued, the ban on entry interferes with his pastoral plans as the ordinary of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese and as the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops of Belarus.

Expressing hope that the annoying misunderstanding will soon be corrected, he said that he had made an official request to the nations State Border Committee to clarify the situation.

Concluding, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz invited everyone to pray for his return home and for a peaceful solution to the acute socio-political crisis in Belarus. He also entrusted the nation and its people to Our Lady and to the intercession of Archangel Michael, the patron of Belarus.

Belarus protests

Protests in Belarus broke out after President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, declared victory in presidential elections in early August with around 80% of the vote. Thousands have taken to the streets in massive protests over the past three weeks denouncing the results and calling for a free and transparent vote. The protests have persisted despite a crackdown that has left many injured and at least six people dead.

In the wake of the protests, Archbishop Kondruziewicz has continuously called on Belarusians to embrace peace and dialogue. He has also spoken against the crackdown on protesters by the nations security forces.
ExxonMobil is considering cutting jobs worldwide on a country-by-country basis, a spokesman for the U.S. oil supermajor told Reuters on Wednesday, after the firm began a voluntary redundancy program for its employees in Australia.

ExxonMobil Australia said on Wednesday that it is offering voluntary redundancies to all its employees in Melbourne, Gippsland, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth, following an extensive review of the companys current and future project work.

This program will ensure the company manages through these unprecedented market conditions, ExxonMobil Australia said.

Commenting on the plan, spokesman Casey Norton at Exxons headquarters in Irving, Texas, told Reuters in an email:

We have evaluations underway on a country-by-country basis to assess possible additional efficiencies to right-size our business and make it stronger for the future.

So far, Exxon has refrained from job cuts after oil prices collapsed and oil supermajors started losing money and cutting capital expenditures (capex).

But others, like BP, for example, have already announced massive job cuts. BP is cutting 10,000 jobs, or around 15 percent of its workforce, as it looks to cut costs amid the oil price crash resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, chief executive Bernard Looney said in June.

Also in June, Exxon was said to be preparing to let go between 5 percent and 10 percent of its US-based employees subject to performance reviews.

In August, ExxonMobil notified employees it would start suspending the employer match to the retirement savings plans of its employees in October.

The company intends to suspend the company match contribution to the U.S. Exxon Mobil Savings Plan for all employees covered by the Savings Plan, effective around Oct. 1, 2020, the supermajor said.

After the oil price crash, Exxon posted its second consecutive quarterly loss and the worst loss in its modern history, but it is not cutting its dividend and is seeking cuts elsewhere. European majors such as Shell, BP, Eni, and Equinor have already slashed their dividends after the oil price collapse, but Exxon, and the other U.S. supermajor Chevron, are not sacrificing their dividends.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Municipalities, their insurers and risk pools should be heeding the current public re-examination of police and prosecutorial actions taking place across the country, according to an insurance policyholder attorney who works on civil rights cases.

Attorney Alexander Brown sees the Black Lives Matter movement, actions by reform-minded prosecutors, increasing legal actions and calls for police reform resulting in more municipalities having to answer for law enforcement errors and misconduct.

This, in turn, will mean closer scrutiny of law enforcement liability insurance policies by those seeking damages for victims of civil rights violations, according to Brown.

However, while today insurers may be changing their policies, the cases being brought tend to go back awhile and thus involve policies issued years and even decades ago.

Brown, who is with the firm of Lathrop GPM in its Kansas City office, is an insurance coverage specialist who represents policyholders including municipalities facing civil rights complaints from victims of wrongful conviction and incarceration.

Recent Settlements Involving Law Enforcement Insurers to Pay Part of $28.1M Award to Those Exonerated in Nebraska Slaying A Nebraska county that owes $28.1 million to six people wrongfully convicted of murder reached a settlement with several insurance companies to help pay part of the judgment. Wrongfully Convicted Missouri Man Gets $8M Settlement A southeastern Missouri city has agreed to an $8 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by a man who spent 17 years in prison for murder before the state Supreme Court overturned his conviction. The city will pay about $75,000 of the settlement, with the rest coming from its insurance. Missouri Sheriffs Dept. Settles with Wrongfully Imprisoned Man for $2M An eastern Missouri sheriffs department has reached a $2 million settlement with a man who spent more than three years in prison for his wifes killing before the conviction was overturned. An insurance company has agreed pay the money. $3.5M Settlement Reached in Death of Black Man Shot 22 Times by West Virginia Police A West Virginia city has agreed to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the family of a homeless Black man who was shot 22 times by police, an attorney said. The police department said the citys insurance carrier agreed to the settlement.

Brown is a member of the Lathrop GPM Civil Rights Insurance Recovery Practice along with Mike Abram and Bill Beck. In a recent interview with Insurance Journal, Brown offered his legal and policyholder perspectives on civil rights claims and some insurance ramifications.

Not all persons that have been wronged by law enforcement or the civil justice system are in a position to pursue a liability case against the government. In fact, strong liability claims are relatively rare in part because of the qualified immunity doctrine for police officers and the absolute immunity doctrine that protects prosecutors while performing prosecutorial functions.

I would say that a majority of people exonerated do not have strong liability claims because of these immunities. If qualified immunity is weakened for police officers, it follows that more liability claims will be brought, Brown said.

Once exoneration is secured, the Lathrop GPM team moves to obtain compensation for the exonerees, who are disproportionately Black men. The settlements, which can sometimes be costly, are most likely to happen where there is insurance.

[I]n these cases where youre trying to come to a resolution outside of a verdict, the existence of insurance is critical. Its the most critical part of the entire settlement process, Brown acknowledges.

According to Brown, obtaining insurer-funded settlements helps avoid trials, which can be risky for both the public entities as well as the plaintiffs because either could lose big. State caps on liability do not apply in these federal civil rights suits and jury verdicts can be $1 million to $2 million per year. The insurance deals help alleviate situations where a public entity that has no insurance or inadequate coverage may be forced to raise taxes to cover settlements or have to declare bankruptcy.

The cases typically involve older insurance policies because the alleged violations stretch over long periods of time of 10, 20 or even 30 years. The cases are treated and should be treated akin to long-tail liability claims for any kind of exposure to conditions, or illnesses, environmental contamination. Its the same kind of thing, where you have a long period of time between the conviction and the exoneration, he said.

So really the only win-win scenario, if there is one in these cases, is to make sure that the insurance that they bought specifically for these type of situations covers them.

[I]n these cases where youre trying to come to a resolution outside of a verdict, the existence of insurance is critical. Its the most critical part of the entire settlement process.

The insurance settlements also help those who are exonerated and then face being released back into society with little or nothing, especially in states without any compensation fund for wrongfully convicted persons. According to The Innocence Project that works to free wrongfully convicted persons using DNA evidence, the federal government and 35 states have provisions to provide some compensation for exonerees. However, advocates for the exonerees believe the amounts states provide (often $50,000 a year for each year of wrongful imprisonment) are inadequate for the injuries suffered.

Whats Changing

To hold a municipality liable for a civil rights violation, a plaintiff has to show the violation was due to a policy, practice or procedure of the municipality, or that a decision-maker like a sheriff was involved in it. Forces now at play are likely to aid plaintiffs in their causes, according to Brown.

What I see now with the Black Lives Matter is that theres going to be a whole lot of investigation into whether various municipalities or police entities have policies or practices that discriminate against African-Americans, and thats going to be established with respect to numerous cities, Brown said

Once it is established that they do have a pattern and practice of locking away Black men or of beating Black men, then suing those cities and municipalities is going to be a lot easier. Because then they can point to a policy and practice, and so you can hold the city and the municipality liable along with the individual defendant or officer who committed the misconduct.

Once a municipality gets hit with a verdict, not only is that verdict potentially crippling, but also it may signal the start of a pattern of practice for the next aggrieved person who sues.

Law Enforcement Liability Discussions Police Liability Insurance in 2020, a Time of Civil Unrest A discussion of municipal and law enforcement liability accountability. Do Police Officers Need to Buy Professional Liability? Insurance Journal Academys Patrick Wraight examines the idea of police officers buying their own insurance.

While it might behoove police departments and prosecutors to review their practices and patterns to see what has been going on, its not that easy.

You might have a police officer saying, Hey, lets not look too deeply into this because we dont want to create paper trails,' Brown suggests.

Similarly, district attorneys may fear the legal and financial repercussions may lie ahead for the municipality if they start unearthing wrongful conduct by previous officeholders as they try to get innocent people out of jail, which a few reformist district attorneys across the country are trying to do. Brown is currently representing a prisoner in Missouri who is stuck in jail because of a dispute over a prosecutors authority to undo a previous prosecution.

If youve got a progressive reformist DA whos working, as they should, to get people out of prison who were in prison because of wrongful conduct of their past offices, they know at some level that there might be liability at the end of the rainbow when these guys get out, Brown said. Its a brave thing to do and its a necessary thing to do. I think that its a good thing.

Brown said that in addition to the current questioning of the current qualified immunity for police officers in light of several shootings of Black men, there has also been some shifting in case law that could limit prosecutors immunity if they commit misconduct while acting in a non-prosecutorial capacity, such as helping with the investigation or doing ministerial work.

Then they do not have absolute immunity; they only have qualified immunity. So that immunity is slowly degrading, while what cops can get away with in terms of qualified immunity is also degrading. So you have situations where these lawsuits are going to be a serious focus and a serious concern for municipalities and public entities across the country, he stressed.

Landmark Ruling

The 2010 movie Conviction starring Hilary Swank tells the story of how a determined sister secured her brothers exoneration and release from prison after he served more than 18 years for a murder he did not commit. The movie ends with Kenneth Waters release and reunion with his daughter in 2001 but the real story  including the insurance effects  did not end there.

So you have situations where these lawsuits are going to be a serious focus and a serious concern for municipalities and public entities across the country.

What followed his release from prison were years of legal proceedings and negotiations with insurers to obtain compensation for Waters for the years of mental and physical injuries he suffered while in prison, as well as for his loss of freedom. Eight years after his release, in 2019, Waters estate eventually settled a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the town of Ayer, Mass. Five of the towns six insurers paid $3.4 million to the plaintiffs estate (Waters himself died in 2001 in an accident only six months after getting out of jail).

However, a sixth insurer, Western World, argued that it was not obligated to defend the town under any of the six consecutive law enforcement officers liability policies it issued from 1985 to 1991, and it did not participate in that settlement. But four years later in a follow-up proceeding, a court found that Western World had breached its duty to defend and that its policies did apply. The court awarded $1,000 per day that Waters had been incarcerated ($6.7 million), another $1 million for physical illnesses and injuries incurred during and because of his incarceration and another $3 million for mental anguish, pain and suffering, for a total of $10.729 million against Western World.

Brown says the Ayer decision was significant for holding that insurance policies with unique language can be held accountable for acts during the tenure of a wrongful incarceration and not just at the time of a wrongful conviction.

The Waters case was the first decision to recognize that certain insurance policies issued in post-conviction years might apply to wrongful imprisonment cases, Brown said.

The Waters case was handled by Browns mentor, Bill Beck, of the firms civil rights division. It was Browns introduction to this field of insurance law.

Beyond Hollywood

The Waters case that garnered the attention of Hollywood was important. The ruling has helped get more insurers to come to the table and participate in settlements, according to Brown.

Even more important is a case decided in May 2019 in which Brown and his firm were involved.

Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Ethel Mitchell involved whether multiple insurance carriers had a duty to defend their insured, Mississippis Forrest County, which was sued by the estates of three wrongfully convicted men. The insurers had issued more than a dozen specialty law enforcement liability policies between 1979 and 2010 (the year of the exonerations).

The Travelers v. Mitchell case is our firms most important civil rights case to date, Brown said.

From 2013 to 2019, Brown and his colleagues fought for compensation for the families of three men in Mississippi who were wrongfully convicted in 1979 and spent a collective 83 years in prison for a rape and murder they did not commit. The men ultimately died from the injuries they sustained in prison.

Brown and his colleagues successfully litigated the underlying rights matter against multiple carriers that resulted a $20.5 million insurer-funded settlement for the families of the three men. The insurers appealed. On May 29, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a unanimous panel decision, upheld the lower court rulings in the case.

According to Lathrop GPMs reading, the Fifth Circuit judges ruled that insurers cannot utilize common law coverage theories such as first manifestation or first exposure or continuous trigger to sidestep the plain language of their policies.

In Browns words, This groundbreaking and precedent-setting decision rejected a so-called single trigger theory advanced by the insurance lobby in favor of a plain language reading of the insurance policies, ultimately holding multiple insurers liable for bodily injuries sustained by our clients while imprisoned.

The result was a victory not only for the families of three men but also for the county, police officers and thousands of future exonerees seeking financial compensation for their wrongful imprisonment, according to Brown.

This is definitely a case that municipalities need to be aware of, said Brown, noting that it has since been adopted and expanded in opinions in Missouri (Ferguson v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co.) and Kentucky (St. Paul v. City of Newport Ky.).

(The law firm also said it thinks the Travelers case may have even more widespread implications. While the win immediately benefits the families of wrongfully convicted men, the implications will help business clients vindicate their rights to insurance proceeds to cover liabilities for other long-tail claims including asbestos exposure cases, the firm said in announcing the ruling.)

Its a good feeling to help compensate those who have been destroyed by society as well as protecting the current cities or entities.

Brown joined the Lathrop GPM firm in 2013, right after Western World settled in that landmark Waters case. It was a move that he says changed his life.

I never thought as an insurance coverage lawyer that Id be looking at crime scene photos all day long, but its exciting. Its a good feeling to help compensate those who have been destroyed by society as well as protecting the current cities or entities, Brown told Insurance Journal.

Brown and other Lathrop GPM attorneys work pro bono with attorneys from the civil rights litigation firm Neufeld, Scheck & Brustin and The Innocence Project, which Neufeld and Scheck founded in 1992 to use DNA evidence to get innocent people out of jail. The Innocence Project receives thousands of requests for help a year. To date, 375 people in the U.S. have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before exoneration and released.

Overall Lathrop GPM has been involved with more than 15 settlements totaling almost $200 million. Most recent was the case of Craig Coley, 71, who served four decades in prison for a murder that DNA proved he did not commit. The city of Simi Valley, Calif., and its insurers reached a $21 million settlement with Coley. The victories also include getting $25 million for an upstate New York man who in 1991 at age 16 was wrongly convicted and jailed by Putnam County for a rape that in 2006 DNA proved he did not do.

Brown is now working with the legal team representing Lamar Johnson, who remains in a prison for the 25th year in Missouri even though there is evidence he is innocent. He has not been released or given a new trial because of a dispute over whether a current prosecutor  in this case St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner  has the power to try to correct what she believes are wrongful convictions in decades-old cases.

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Claims Law Enforcement Missouri
Funding will help Inari enhance its 'toolbox' of seed technologies to reduce the world's agricultural footprint and increase crop and food production for people around the world

Inari Agriculture, a biotechnology company developing next-generation seeds, has secured $145 million since its founding less than four years ago and is expanding its operations at its Purdue Research Park-based Seed Foundry.

"There are several goals we are working toward at the Seed Foundry including reducing the time and cost to develop new seeds, and improving water and land use for crops like corn, wheat and soybeans," Inari Agriculture CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet said. "With the funding we can support additional team members and increase our staff in West Lafayette to accelerate our seed research at an even faster pace."

Trivisvavet added that the research advancements would help Inari expand its extensive "toolbox" of proprietary and exclusively licensed technologies to create new products and added production value for farmers around the globe.

"Right now, we are focusing on corn, wheat and soybeans because these are common food sources around the world and common crops in the U.S.," Trivisvavet said.

The funding will help support plans to introduce gene-edited hybrid corn and soybean varieties with improved yield results and reduce water and fertilizer requirements.

The company opened the Seed Foundry in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2018. The company also has locations in Ghent, Belgium, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"We conduct crop genetics research in Cambridge and Belgium, but we wanted a location in the Midwest where our customers are and where a majority of corn, wheat and soybeans are grown," Trivisvavet said. "We visited several locations and felt that being close to Purdue University would provide a number of important benefits including a pipeline of talent from Purdue and easy travel around the Midwest. An important added benefit is that the people in the Midwest have grown up around agriculture and they understand it and connect well as a team. "

Team members at Inari's West Lafayette site include Purdue graduates.

"We all know that we need to change the way we produce food in order to meet the growing global needs for food security and Purdue and Inari share this critical goal," said Karen Plaut, Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "The funding that Inari has secured in such a short amount of time demonstrates that Inari is fast becoming a world leader in seed research."

Purdue has had three World Food Prize laureates, its College of Agriculture was rated in the top 20 in the world and No. 7 in the U.S. by Qualacquarelli Symonds and its Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering was ranked as the top program in the country in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report. The College of Agriculture's International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) collaborates with educational institutions, agencies and organizations throughout the world.

###

About Inari

Inari uses genetic technologies and data science to develop next-generation seeds that reduce the natural resources required to grow our food, while providing farmers with more choice, performance, and value. Inari, founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium. The company was honored as a 2019 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. To learn more, visit http://www.inari.com or follow us on TwitterC and LinkedIn.

About Purdue Research Park

The Purdue Research Park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation and is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The Purdue Research Park manages the Purdue Technology Centers in five sites across the state of Indiana with locations in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. The nearly 240 companies located in the park network employ about 6,000 people. The Purdue Research Park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about leasing space in the Purdue Research Park, contact 765-588-3470 or click Purdue Research Park.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

Trend:

According the Geneva Conventions, moving civilians into a war zone as well as into (pacified) occupied territories is a Crime of War, Thomas Goltz, journalist, professor at the University of Montana (US), Honorary Doctor of ADA University, told Trend.

His remarks came in response to a question about the illegal settlement of other ethnic groups by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The problem is proving it and then prosecuting it, said Goltz.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Philippines says will not comply with US sanctions on China

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 9:54 AM

The Philippines says it will not comply with the United States' sanctions against China over regional disputes in the South China Sea, even though Manila itself is involved in one such dispute with Beijing.

Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced during a Tuesday press briefing that President Rodrigo Duterte would not comply with unilateral US sanctions against Chinese firms involved in constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Roque said Manila would make its own decisions and would not follow those of a foreign country.

"We are not a vassal state of any foreign power and we will pursue our national interest," the Philippine presidential spokesman said. "Our national interest is to ensure flagship projects are completed."

He said the Chinese firms would continue working on infrastructure projects in the Philippines. The Philippine government is trying to make progress in a 180-billion-dollar overhaul of the country's infrastructure.

The remarks came despite statements made last week by the Filipino foreign minister that he would recommend that the government abandon the deals with the Chinese companies.

The US  a defense treaty ally of the Philippines  last Wednesday announced sanctions against 24 Chinese companies and individuals over what Washington alleged to be involvement in constructing military facilities on submerged reefs in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei, besides the Philippines, have overlapping claims with China to parts of the sea. The United States, an extra-territorial force, has been stirring regional tensions by provoking China's rival claimants and conducting routine sails or fly-overs in the sea.

Relations between Washington and Beijing have dropped to the lowest level in decades since US President Donald Trump came to power. The two countries are currently at loggerheads over numerous issues, including trade, technology, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the East and South China Seas, and most recently, the coronavirus pandemic.

The US has been significantly ratcheting up the tensions with China in all of those areas recently.

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A Teaneck man who allegedly wrenched a package from a FedEx driver in Hackensack led police on a chase over a creek and through the woods before being arrested, police say.

After a chase that went across Route 80, through a wooded area and down a creek, police on Tuesday arrested Newon Byfield, 31, for allegedly stealing a package from a FedEx delivery driver, Hackensack Police Lt. Anthony DiPersia said in a statement. Byfield was charged with robbery and obstruction of administration of law and is being held in the Bergen County jail.

At 12:36 p.m. Tuesday, a FedEx delivery driver told police he had been robbed on Polifly Road while trying to drop off a package, the statement said. The driver told police the man, who was about six feet tall, dressed in dark clothing and sans shoes, had accosted him and told him to hand over the package, the statement said.

Give me the package or Ill f--k you up, the suspect said.

After a struggle, Byfield took the package and fled, with two Hackensack police officers catching him running toward and across Route 80, the statement said. Police found Byfield in the woods nearby, leading police on a chase down a creek, according to the statement. Byfield was caught shortly after behind the Hilton in Hasbrouck Heights, the statement said.

The stolen package was retrieved under a car nearby where Byfield was caught, the statement said.

Police continue to investigate the alleged robbery and additional charges are possible, DiPersia said in the statement.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set resume its services for public from September 7, after more than five months. In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the Centre suspended the metro rail services in the last week of March.

To avoid overcrowding at the stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Wednesday released new guidelines for running metro rails. Initially, the metro will be open from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm till September 10. Only Yellow Line of Delhi Metro railways  from Samaypur Badli to Huda City Centre  will be functional in phase I.

From September 11, the metro will be functional from 7 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 10 pm. Delhi Metro will run from 6 am to 11 pm from September 12. The other routes of Delhi Metro  Blue Line, Pink Line & Gurgaon Line  will start operating from September 9.

After observing the operation and its impact, we will introduce Red Line (Ghaziabad to Rithala), the Bahadurgarh line, and the Faridabad line from September 10, said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief.

In a bid to maintain social distancing, the authority decided to open select gates for entry at stations. There will be a separate gate for exit. The frequency of trains will also be regulated. Only asymptomatic patients will be allowed commute in Delhi Metro.

There will be no token available at the stations. Those with smart-card are permitted to travel. To avoid physical contact between commuters and metro employees, smart-cards need to recharged online.

For the time being, no tokens will be issued to passengers due to a high risk of virus spreading through it. There will be a system of purchasing smart-cards at every station and passengers will be able to travel only with smart-cards," Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.

The Union housing and urban affairs ministry on Wednesday issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the functioning of metro trains allowed under the 'Unlock 4' guidelines. Wearing a mask is mandatory. Travellers must follow social distancing norms once metro trains start operating.

"If we find lack of social distancing, crowding of trains then we will review metro arrangement," said Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. "I am quite confident that people will weigh their options and follow the guidelines in place. If someone defies the guidelines to wear a mask or social distancing, there are enough norms in place. The metro act provides for punitive punishment," Puri added.

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Baton Rouge City Court Judge-elect Johnell Matthews is "qualified to take office" despite turning 70 before last month's coronavirus-delayed runoff election and passing the mandatory retirement age for members of the judiciary, a state judge ruled Wednesday.

District Judge William Morvant rejected Whitney Higginbotham Greene's request to void the Aug. 15 election results and declare her the winner, noting that 70 is the mandatory retirement age for sitting judges and saying Matthews is not a sitting judge.

+2 Greene seeks to void court election; winner's lawyer calls her 'sorest loser in history' A lawsuit filed by a woman soundly defeated in this month's runoff election claims Baton Rouge City Court Judge-elect Johnell Matthews is "con

The case is expected to now move to the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge  where Greene's mother, Toni Higginbotham, is a sitting judge  and then to the Louisiana Supreme Court in New Orleans. Cases are randomly assigned to judges at the 1st Circuit, though Higginbotham would be expected to decline a spot on a panel hearing her daughter's case.

The state Constitution sets a mandatory retirement age of 70 for judges but allows them to serve out the remainder of their terms if they reach that age while in office.

Greene, who was beaten by Matthews by a nearly 2-1 margin, filed a petition Aug. 24 alleging Matthews is "constitutionally barred" from taking office because she was elected after passing Louisiana's mandatory retirement age for judges in early June.

Greene, who is representing herself in the case, pressed that argument Wednesday during a Zoom hearing that Morvant conducted.

The judge pointed out that the City Court election had initially been set for the spring, when Matthews was 69. The contest was reset for July because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Matthews turned 70 before the new election day.

"If the election had gone as scheduled, Mrs. Matthews could have taken office immediately after the May 9 (runoff) election," he said. "Through no fault of her own, but for the pandemic, she would have taken office already."

Morvant cited two recent Louisiana Supreme Court decisions  one involving fellow 19th Judicial District Court Judge Richard "Chip" Moore and the other the state bar exam  in which the high court also took the pandemic into consideration in its reasoning.

Louisiana Supreme Court says coronavirus-stricken judge can skip election paperwork for now Campaign officials for an East Baton Rouge district judge incapacitated by the novel coronavirus filed paperwork Friday to place him on the No

Moore has been hospitalized due to the virus since early July and was unable to personally sign his qualifying papers by the July 24 deadline, but the Supreme Court ruled that the extraordinary pandemic should not knock Moore out of his reelection bid.

The high court allowed Moore's campaign chairman to sign the judge's papers so Moore could appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. The justices said Moore only had to sign them by Nov. 2, which he already has done. Moore has since been reelected after his two challengers dropped out.

In the bar exam matter, the Supreme Court announced in July that it will grant "diploma privilege" to some recent law school graduates, allowing them to practice law without taking the July 27 exam, which the court canceled due to logistical difficulties caused by coronavirus-driven restrictions.

Leaders of the bar: A sensible decision by Supreme Court on exams, admissions The ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis demands sensitive, thoughtful, and bold leadership from many sectors, including all branches of gove

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

In asking Morvant to dismiss Greene's petition, Matthews' attorney, Mary Olive Pierson, argued to the judge that the courts can't declare "a loser a winner." Pierson also said a "do-over" election isn't necessary because Matthews won fair and square.

Greene argued the election was unlawful because Matthews cannot serve because of her age.

"If she cannot serve, there's no reason for us to pay for another election," Greene told the judge, adding that she herself is ready to serve.

Greene's petition named the Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Matthews as defendants.

"It's essential that we protect the sanctity of the election procedure. The voters spoke," Ray Wood, an attorney for Ardoin, argued to Morvant.

After Morvant had issued his ruling, Pierson told the judge that Matthews hasn't received her judicial commission but is entitled to it.

"I don't disagree," Morvant replied.

Pierson said afterward by telephone that she'll reach out to the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office to see to it that Matthews receives her commission.

The term for the City Court seat that Matthews won expires at the end of 2024.

Morvant had ruled last month in an age-related challenge to Matthews' candidacy that she could remain on the Aug. 15 runoff ballot. His ruling was upheld by the 1st Circuit and the state Supreme Court.

+2 Johnell Matthews, 70, can remain in City Court runoff, Baton Rouge judge rules Baton Rouge City Court runoff candidate Johnell Matthews can remain on Saturday's ballot despite turning 70 before last month's coronavirus-de

Greene's mother, Higginbotham, qualified in July to run for another term on the 1st Circuit but then withdrew from the race after the state Supreme Court ruled in the consolidated cases of 19th Judicial District Judge Janice Clark and New Orleans Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell that they're too old to run again. Clark is 72 and Cantrell is 73.

Clark and Higginbotham, 74, will leave office at the end of the year.
Fairfax County resident David Pincus said he was heading into the Giant grocery store at University Mall  just south of George Mason University  a couple of weeks ago when he encountered a couple of men with clipboards. One of them approached him and said they were collecting signatures to ensure that West did not get on the ballot in Virginia. Were the rapper on the ballot, the petition circulator said, he would draw votes from other, more serious candidates.
New Delhi: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has launched two petrol variants of the fourth generation of its popular sedan Honda City with price starting at Rs 9.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

"Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, today announced that it will continue selling the 4th Generation Honda City in two variants SV and V grade with 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol engine in Manual Transmission. The two grades of 4th Generation Honda City will be sold concurrently with the recently launched All New 5th Generation Honda City, offering wider buying choice to its customers," the company said in a statement.

The 4th Generation Honda City has cumulatively sold over 3.5 lakh units since its launch in January 2014 in India. The 4th Gen Honda City will now be available in SV and V grade with BS-6 compliant 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol engine in Manual Transmission, Honda said. While the SV variant is priced at Rs 9,29,900, the V grade is tagged at Rs 9,99,900 (all prices ex-showroom Delhi).

The company, had recently launched an all-new 5th generation version of the Honda City sedan. The All New 5th Generation Honda City is available in 3 feature packed grades offered in Petrol and Diesel variants  V, VX and ZX. The Petrol model is offered with new 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine with VTC in 6-Speed Manual Transmission and 7-Speed CVT and the Diesel model is offered with 1.5L i-DTEC DOHC Diesel engine in 6-Speed Manual Transmission, across the 3 grades.

The all-new 5th generation Honda City sedan is available at a price range of Rs 10.90 lakh to Rs 14.65 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
No meeting with Chinese counterpart in Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's schedule in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, said sources.

Singh is leaving for Moscow, Russia on Wednesday to attend SCO Defence Ministers' meeting, said sources.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the brigade commander of the Indian Army with his Chinese counterpart is scheduled to begin at 10 am in Chushul/Moldo on Wednesday to discuss issues related to the situation on the southern bank of Pangong lake, Indian Army sources said.

This comes after the Indian Army thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday, brigade commander level talks were held as well.

"On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," said Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement on Monday.

Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh, sources said.

and are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

(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.)
Real Housewives of Orange County alum Heather Dubrow, 51, may be the wife of a plastic surgeon but she isn't ready for her own teenage daughter to go under the knife just yet.

The reality star revealed that her 16-year-old, Maximillia, has already expressed interest in getting 'lip filler' during a recent appearance on the Hollywood Raw with Dax Holt and Adam Glyn.

Heather said that after Kylie Jenner popularized lip enhancements at a young age, it became more common for teens to want to jump on board.

Modern parenting: Heather Dubrow revealed that her 16-year-old, Maximillia, has already expressed interest in getting 'lip filler' but that she and her plastic surgeon husband Dr.Terry Dubrow 'said no' (Pictured in 2019)

'My 16-year-old daughter talks about lip filler,' Dubrow explained. 'And lip filler is something that years ago was a no-no and then Kylie Jenner came out and said she had done lip filler at a younger age it became really popular.

Adding: 'Her friends have had it done.'

But, just because fillers are becoming the norm for the teens in OC, Heather and her plastic surgeon husband Dr. Terry Dubrow aren't going allow their girls to follow suit.

'Terry and I are looking at each other like are you crazy? So weve said no to that,' she said. 'I think you should be 18 to make a decision like that.'

'My 16-year-old daughter talks about lip filler,' Dubrow explained during an appearance on the Hollywood Raw podcast. 'Her friends have had it done.' (Max Dubrow pictured)

Dubrow does think that there are 'certain things' that younger people can do like 'if you have ears that stick out and youre being teased' or if there is some sort of deformity.

'Anything thats just a cosmetic issue I think the older the better. Your body has to finish developing and your brain has to finish developing,' she added.

Heather and Dr. Dubrow have four children together, 16-year-old twins Nicholas and Maximillia, and daughters Katarina, 14, and Collette, nine.

During her appearance on the podcast, the former actress also reflected on her time on the Housewives from 2012-2016 and repeated her assertion that she would 'never say never' to going back.

'Terry and I are looking at each other like are you crazy? So weve said no to that. I think you should be 18 to make a decision like that,' the mother of four said. 'Anything thats just a cosmetic issue I think the older the better.'

'I just feel like something drastic would have to change in the cast. I dont watch the show,' Heather said. 'I didnt watch it before I joined, and I havent seen it since I left.'

Now that she's been able to reflect on her five seasons on the series, she has some advice for Real Housewives of New York star Dorinda Medley who was recently fired.

'The thing about reality shows is its an unbelievable platform,' she said. 'I know people really like [Dorinda] and shes got a really good personality.

In the past: During her appearance on the podcast, the former actress also reflected on her time on the Housewives from 2012-2016 and repeated her assertion that she would 'never say never' to going back

'I think you really have to strike while the iron is hot and see where you can take if you havent already built up that brand.'

Medley was abruptly fired from the show last week in a move that insiders exclusively told DailyMail.com was a 'a big mistake'.

A production source added that they think the network will live to 'regret' it.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

Gov. Phil Murphy has warned repeatedly that the 2020-2021 school year in New Jersey is going to be far from normal. And, with days to go until school starts in many districts, the back-to-school process is proving to be bumpy.

Parents have questions about changing district reopening plans, missing school laptops, delays in releasing the names of their childrens teachers and a lack of instructions on how to log into remote learning platforms.

Most public school districts say they are working hard to get everything in place for the first day of school, though there may be some delays as officials implement new hybrid learning systems, social distancing measures and remote learning plans.

Murphy urged families to be patient.

Anybody who is expecting a normal school year is not paying attention, Murphy said at his coronavirus press briefing Monday. This is just going to be not normal. And we all have to sort of accept that.

Here are some answers to questions parents have been asking about back-to-school.

Will the first day of school be delayed if the state hasnt approved my districts reopening plan?

New York City announced this week that it will delay reopening schools to give teachers more time to get ready. Students who were supposed to go back Sept. 10 will instead start remote learning Sept. 16. Then, some New York City students will return to classroom learning Sept. 21.

In New Jersey, all of the states nearly 600 school districts have their own reopening plans that had to be submitted to county and state officials. Each district sets its own reopening date.

The process has been complicated by Murphys announcement in August that districts have the option of starting the school year all-remote if they dont feel ready to safely reopen classrooms and limit possible exposure to the coronavirus.

So far, nearly 200 New Jersey school districts have said they have notified or will submit a request to the state to start all-remote under guidelines released last week. But the notification and state approval process, which is ongoing, is not expected to delay the first day of school.

The department established a system where districts can formally notify us of an all-remote start-of-school option, and they will provide information that will help the department identify the schools or grades affected, and the health and safety obstacles the district or school faces so we can monitor progress toward returning to in-person instruction by their target date, said Mike Yaple, a state Department of Education spokesman.

Why havent I gotten the name of my kids teacher yet?

School districts normally know months ahead of time which teachers are retiring, taking leaves of absences or leaving. This year, its been more complicated.

In some districts, including Elizabeth and Freehold Regional, hundreds of teachers have asked to work from home or take leaves of absences due to health concerns related to the virus. Others have said they cant come back to the classroom because their own children are home remote learning.

Some of the teacher requests for leaves and early retirements came in August and needed to be approved by school boards in public meetings. In some cases, schools had little time to reshuffle class rosters or scramble to find replacement teachers and long-term substitutes. That has delayed some districts from informing families about the names of their childrens teachers.

Are we getting a school-issued laptop for remote learning?

There is nothing in the state reopening guidelines that says public school students are guaranteed a computer or home internet access for remote or hybrid learning. But most school districts say they are trying to get students, especially low-income kids, the technology they need.

Murphy and state lawmakers announced in July that schools would have $115 million in new funding to help buy computers, wifi hotspots and other technology needed for at-home learning.

We were able to find the money to address the digital divide, Murphy said earlier this week.

Though many districts purchased computers to loan students when they schools first went all remote in March, the state said earlier this summer that an estimated 90,000 students still lacked the technology or internet access to do their assignments.

A nationwide shortage of Chromebooks and similar school computers means many of the new laptops will not arrive in time for the start of the school year. So, many students will have to find their own computers or do without the technology until the shipments arrive, districts say.

Paterson, one of the states largest school districts, said it received a delayed shipment of nearly 10,000 Chromebooks last week. The district had been bracing for starting the school year without computers for a large percentage of its students.

But other New Jersey school districts say they are still waiting for shipments.

Where are the instructions for logging on for remote learning?

With days to go until the start of school, Facebook and other social media sites are filled with comments from worried parents and students saying theyve heard little or nothing from their schools about how to log on for remote learning.

Most school districts say the information, including log-in details for Google Classroom, Zoom, ClassDojo and other learning platforms, will be sent by individual teachers or administrators. But the information may not arrive until the day before or the morning of the start of school as districts rush to get systems in place.

Is it too late to sign up for the all-remote plan?

Families having second thoughts about sending their children back to school for in-person classes may still have time to opt out and switch to all-remote learning, depending on their school districts rules.

Murphy announced earlier this summer that every New Jersey public school district must offer students the option of all-remote learning if their families dont feel its safe to return to in-person classes. But the state left the details, including when students must sign up and for how long, to the individual districts.

Some districts say families can switch back and forth between the all-remote plan and in-person classes, as long as they notify school officials of their choice. But other districts are requiring students to commit to remote learning for a month, a marking period or longer.

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Following the demise of former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa paid his tribute and called him a close friend of the island country and its people. While taking to Twitter, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka informed that Rajapaksa visited the embassy and wrote about Pranab Mukherjee in the condolence book. The Indian Commission in Colombo also thanked the Sri Lankan PM for being the first to offer his condolences at the India House.

The High Commission said that Rajapaksa remembered the former President as a close friend of Sri Lanka and its people. Rajapaksa even said that people of India, Sri Lanka and the world will miss Pranab Mukherjees benevolent leadership. While quoting the Sri Lankan PM, the High Commission said, "Your personal thoughts and sentiments and those of the people of Sri Lanka are a source of comfort to the bereaved family and the people of India at this hour of grief.

Thank you HE PM Mahinda Rajapaksa for being the first to offer condolence at India House on the demise of former President of India Bharat Ratna Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. 1/n #India #SriLanka #lka @PresRajapaksa @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/7svb2Oicmm  India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) September 2, 2020

READ: Bangladesh Foreign Minister Says Entire Nation Indebted To Pranab Mukherjee

GOI announce seven-day mourning

Dr Pranab Mukherjee passed away on Monday after being put in a coma post a successful brain surgery at Army Hospital (R&R) in New Delhi. The former President was cremated with full state honour the next day. The Government of India has announced seven-day official mourning.

READ: Karnataka Congress Netas Raise Late Pranab Mukherjee's RSS Visit At His Condolence Meet

The news of his demise was confirmed by his son - Abhijit Mukherjee, who thanked the hospital staff and doctors for their efforts. The 84-year-old was hospitalised on August 10 to undergo brain surgery for the removal of a clot and had tested positive for Coronavirus. He had also developed a lung infection and had a renal dysfunction apart from being infected with COVID-19 at the time of admission.

He leaves behind a rich legacy with his stint as India's finance, commerce, defence minister, India's President and veteran Congress leader. Known to be close to late former PM Indira Gandhi, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1969 and then subsequently in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. While he was a thorough Congressman serving in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for 23 years, his multiple stints as Finance minister ushered several major economic reforms boosting the Indian economy.

READ: China Condoles Pranab Mukherjees Death, Calls Him 'veteran Statesman Of India'

READ: US President Donald Trump 'saddened' At Pranab Mukherjee's Demise, Extends His Condolences


People disinfect as a precaution against the coronavirus at a local market in Seoul, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. AP



South Korea's spiking new daily virus cases have taken a breather, staying under 300 for the fourth consecutive day, but this week may be a critical juncture in determining whether the country will experience yet another round of outbreaks or not, as untraceable infections and patients in serious condition continued to rise.



The country reported 267 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, raising the total caseload to 20,449, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).



It marked the 21st consecutive day of a triple-digit rise, but the figure has been slightly decelerating after reaching 441 on Thursday. Since Sunday, the daily number has stayed below 300.



Health authorities said the country's enhanced social-distancing scheme adopted over the weekend appears to be kicking in, although infections with unknown transmission routes and patients in critical condition are expected to increase down the road.



"The slowdown in the number of new cases is continuing with the upsurge that was feared last week not occurring as of now," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said during a regular press briefing.



Authorities earlier said the daily new infections number could soar to between 800 and 2,000 if the pace of the virus spread is maintained at last week's level.



"But we are far from being in a situation where we can feel relieved as cluster infections are continuing at various facilities and gatherings, and the declining trend is not very clear," he said.



KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong also said an "explosive surge" in the number of new infections has been constrained thanks to the public's active participation in the antivirus efforts, but the country is not out of the woods yet.



"We are at a crossroads that will determine whether there will be an additional spread of the virus or whether the curve will stabilize, allowing us to return to our daily lives," she said.



Officials said an additional week or two is necessary to witness the impact of the enhanced antivirus guidelines in full swing.



South Korea had kept the virus situation under control until early August after dealing with the country's first wave of outbreaks in late February and early March.






Both the Trumps and the Bidens will travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania next Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks but it remains unclear if the presidential rivals with cross paths.

Joe Biden's campaign announced he and Jill would be in the city to mark the occasion of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. No further details were announced and the campaign did not respond to a request for them.

And the White House said President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump would also be in Pennsylvania. The Trumps marked 9/11 in Shanksville in 2018 and spent the 2017 and 2019 anniversaries at the Pentagon.

'To mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our country and to honor and remember the lives lost, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, next Friday. This will be the President's second time to mark this solemn day at the Flight 93 National Memorial,' deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

It's unclear how the two couples will participate in the anniversary and if they will cross paths.

President Trump and Melania Trump will travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, next Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks

Joe and Jill Biden will also travel to Shanksville that day but it's unclear if the two couples will cross paths

Just outside Shanksville is the spot where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field on September 11, 2001, killing all 40 civilians on board, marked by the Flight 93 National Memorial (seen above)

The National Park Service will host the Nineteenth Anniversary Observance on Friday, September 11, 2020 at 9:45 am.

This year's ceremony will be shorter and have a more reduced attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The usual 90 minute ceremony will be reduced to a to a 20 minute 'Moment of Remembrance,' the National Park Service says on its website. The park service arranges the memorial and cares for the area.

There will be no keynote speaker nor musical talent. The name of each passenger and crew member will be read aloud with the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance. This moment will observe the exact time Flight 93 crashed at 10:03 a.m.

In the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton both observed the 9/11 anniversary at the Ground Zero memorial in lower Manhattan.

But the day gained significance after Clinton abruptly left the ceremony and was captured on video looking unsteady as she tried to get into a van. Her campaign later said she had pneumonia and she took a few days off the campaign trail to recover.

Biden previously attended a memorial service for Flight 93 in 2012, when he was the vice president.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump marked the 9/11 anniversary in Shanksville in 2018

Joe Biden attended a memorial service for Flight 93 in 2012, when he was the vice president

In the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton both observed the 9/11 anniversary at the Ground Zero memorial in lower Manhattan - Trump is seen above

But the day gained significance after Hillary Clinton abruptly left the ceremony and was captured on video looking unsteady as she tried to get into a van. Her campaign later said she had pneumonia

Just outside Shanksville is the 2,200-acre Flight 93 National Memorial Park, which marks the spot where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field on September 11, 2001, killing all 40 civilians and four al-Qaeda hijackers on board.

The hijackers had intended to fly the plane to Washington, D.C. but when the passengers on board, after learning from family members via airphone of the earlier attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon, revolted and fought for control of the plane, causing it to crash.

It was the only one of the four aircraft hijacked that day that never reached its intended target - believed to be either the White House or the U.S. Capitol building. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attack.

The Flight 93 National Memorial is built around the crash site and protects the area of impact, known as the 'Sacred Ground', which remains accessible only to family members of the passengers and crew.
Yet the reality is, bank assets are also growing because Beijing is pushing credit to shore up sentiment and keep companies afloat. Authorities arent ready to let the shutters come down on businesses that arent viable. At China Construction Bank Corp., the worlds second-largest lender by assets, for instance, loans to small and medium enterprises grew 31% in the first half compared to the previous period, or 8% of total loans. These companies were struggling even before Covid-19. Their debts were at risk and future borrowings may be even tougher to manage. Meanwhile, non-loan assets are rising as shadow banking rears its head again while regulators delay new rules to rein it in.
Monday, August 31, 2020, was a Black Monday for the birding and bird photography community of India. It was the day we shockingly lost Vijay Cavale (fondly known as VC), the man who made bird photography a household name in Bengaluru and beyond. As I write these words with great grief, all I wish for now is another jaunt with him in an Indian jungle.

VC was arguably Indias top modern bird photographer. He raised the bar in bird photography so high in the early 2000s that it created a new standard of excellence for bird images, unimaginable even today. He was a blazing pioneer, creating his own rules for whatever he did. In just a few months after he quit his plum job in IT major Infosys (he was one of their early employees), he added 500+ stunning bird portraits to his personal website, which he had meticulously built during the early days of the Web.

As a long-time birder who had just picked up bird photography in 2000, I had the good fortune of stumbling upon his images on his website. Each bird picture was more stunning than the lastthe clarity, the colour and the eye-level capture were masterly. Even more importantly, the quality and quantity of documentation about each bird species were exceptional. He had also painstakingly recorded the call of each bird from the field and tagged it along with the picture. The never-before experience of encountering these birds on my desktop is etched in my memory for life. The urge to meet him and understand his work made me track him down through my Infosys contacts. All this when I was living in Chennai.

Greater goldenback. (Vijay Cavale)

Unlike other photographers (including myself), Cavale started out mainly photographing birds locally before beginning his travels to the rest of the country. He was a master of all the birds in his neighbourhood of south Bengaluru, and had acute knowledge of birding and bird photography spots all the way to Kanakapura and Mysore.

Vijay, warm and welcoming, used to drive around beginners, including visitors like me, locally, and help us photograph birds from his SUV. This got most bird photographers to a great start. To me, he was the one who truly opened up the world of bird photography.

He had a fabulous technique for shooting birds from his vehicle as well as hideouts without disturbing them (or their nests!) and it was inspirational. Most of these trips ended with a simple yet sumptuous meal cooked by Vijay at his farm house at the outskirts of the city. I became so comfortable with his SUV that I ended up buying it when he decided to upgrade.

After I moved to Bengaluru about 20 years ago, thanks to proximity and our shared love of bird photography, I could hang out more with Vijay and his circle of wildlife-lovers. We did countless field trips togetherfrom the jungles of South India to the landscapes of the Northeast. Each trip, with endless conversations and arguments, was a treasure of great memories. His wife Hasmitha was always a cheerful host whenever we landed at his house. You could tell that her silent support and encouragement kept him going.

VC was incredibly selfless and generous to anyone needing assistance. He gave his images for free to those who needed them for non-commercial use. He never sold any of his images, as he strongly believed in never making Nature a commodity. He created India Nature Watch, the first (and the best) free online forum for photographers across India to post their pictures on. It was hugely popular as all photographers (young, old and new!) could have their own portfolios on it. He funded the project in its entirety and had other young photographers architect it. He also funded Oriental Bird Images, an ambitious ongoing exercise, which is the largest repository of bird images for the entire Oriental region.

Pond heron. (Vijay Cavale)

He was a true nature lover and an astute naturalist. While he had arguments with his conservationist friends (accusing them of playing god!), VC was against the cruel sport of bird nest photography and strived to rid photographers of that practice. He succeeded by showing them a better technique that resulted in better images. He banned photographers from adding nest images on the popular forums he had built. Soon, most wildlife photography awards also completely stopped accepting nest pictures. This was a very significant contribution and behavioural change he brought about in Indias bird photography landscape.

Not the one for awards or spotlight, Vijay was in the background, being an inspiration for thousands of photographers. He leaves a massive void, which will be impossible to fill. I am still trying to wrap my head around his death, unable to accept that I will never be able to see him or travel with him. A quick-witted man of one-liners, his oft-repeated remark will keep ringing in my earsGod will allow you to do what you want to!

Gone too soon and too sudden, dear friend. Heres wishing you a great adventure, wherever you are!

Ramki Sreenivasan is a Bengaluru-based wildlife photographer and the co-founder of Conservation India

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New Delhi: Vistara and Japan Airlines have inked a partnership that allows members of their frequent flyer programmes to earn and spend points on each other.

A frequent flyer program (FFP) is a loyalty programme wherein a passenger earns points for travelling on an airline's flights, which can then be used to get rewards on the same airline or partner companies.

"The partnership enables Club Vistara members to earn and redeem CV points on flights operated and marketed by Japan Airlines," Vistara said on Wednesday in a press release.

Vistara's FFP is called Club Vistara and Japan Airlines' FFP is called JAL Mileage Bank.

Members of JAL Mileage Bank will be able to earn and spend their miles on flights operated and marketed by Vistara, the release noted, adding the partnership came into effect from Monday.

Now, Club Vistara members can earn and redeem points when travelling on? partner airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.

The aforementioned two airlines entered a code-share agreement in 2019. A code-share agreement allows an airline to sell seats of other airline's flights on its distribution network.

Vistara is yet to start flight operations between India and Japan.

Five days ago, the airline started services to London's Heathrow airport as part of the bilateral 'transport bubble' between India and the UK. It is also considering similar flights to Paris and Frankfurt.

Since July, India has signed separate bilateral air bubble pacts with countries like the US, the UK, the UAE, Germany and France. In an air bubble pact, airlines of both the countries can operate international passenger flights under certain restrictions.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Julie Hendricks votes in June's primary election in Royersford with her children Aria Gaar, 5, and Aidan Gaar, 3. Read more

Nobodys quite sure what the rules will be for this election in Pennsylvania.

And there are just two months to go.

Its not that the rules arent written  there are laws on the books. But there are so many efforts to change the rules, leading to deep uncertainty as election officials are trying to finalize their plans, and voters are trying to figure out how to actually cast their ballots.

In the legislature, long-running attempts to make changes to an election law enacted last year led last week to a proposal from Senate Republicans and counter-demands from Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. This week, state House Republicans put forth their own proposed legislation. And meanwhile, a number of lawsuits in state and federal courts are taking aim at various pieces of the election law.

Taken together, it creates uncertainty around how votes will be cast and counted.

Were up in the air, Tim Benyo, the chief elections clerk for Lehigh County, said of issues like whether mail-ballot drop boxes will be allowed. Give us clarity in the law.

And in a state that Trump won by less than 1% of the votes cast in 2016, even small changes in voter turnout could have outsize impact.

Between legislation and litigation, changes are being sought to the deadline for when voters can request mail ballots, the deadline for when those ballots can be returned, the procedures for allowing voters who request mail ballots to vote in person instead, the procedures for handling mail ballots with signature or envelope problems, the use of mail ballot drop boxes, and more.

On top of all that, there are the issues of ongoing mail delivery delays and the coronavirus pandemic.

Im kind of hamstrung right now, because Im trying to prepare training materials for poll workers, said Gerald Feaser, elections director for Dauphin County, which includes Harrisburg. I dont even know what to tell them for sure.

While they wait, officials are taking a variety of approaches.

Some said theyre holding off on public outreach campaigns and some major decisions, hoping more clarity will come soon. Theyre hesitant to spend taxpayer money on, say, drop boxes that they might not be allowed to use. Others said theyre doing as much as they can based on the current system  and hoping they can scramble to respond to any changes later.

While you dont like the uncertainty, there is still a lot of work to be done, said Deborah Olivieri, elections director for Berks County.

Theres a lot of unknown right now, she said. Im trying to remain calm and get to what I can now, and not lose it.

 READ MORE: Everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania, by mail or in person

Here are some of the key unanswered questions.

Will mail-ballot drop boxes be allowed?

This is one of the most highly contested parts of the election: Will Pennsylvania voters be allowed to submit their mail ballots by hand-delivering them to drop boxes, bypassing the U.S. Postal Service and potential mail delivery problems to ensure votes are received on time?

Pennsylvania law requires that mail ballots be received by county elections officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Drop boxes allow voters to hand-deliver those ballots and know they were received on time.

President Donald Trumps campaign, the Republican National Committee, and a group of the states Republican members of Congress sued in June to block drop boxes, citing concerns that the boxes could allow voter fraud. Voter fraud is exceedingly rare, and mail-ballot drop boxes are designed to prevent tampering and are widely used in other states.

Democrats sued back, asking for drop boxes to be explicitly allowed.

Proposals by Republican lawmakers also appear to block drop boxes.

Thousands of voters used drop boxes in the June 2 Pennsylvania primary, and officials expect them to be popular again  if theyre allowed.

 READ MORE: Pa. GOP advances election bill that would ban drop boxes, get mail-in ballots to voters earlier

And time may be running out: The boxes are in high demand, and because they are specialized, reinforced equipment, they can take weeks to be delivered.

What will the mail ballot deadlines be?

Pennsylvanias mail ballot deadlines are tight  just one week separates the last day for requesting a ballot and Election Day, when they must be returned  and tens of thousands of votes arrived after the deadline in the primary. The deadlines can also deter some voters who fear their vote wont be returned in time.

Officials have been warning that those deadlines will disenfranchise voters, especially with ongoing delays and disruptions to mail delivery.

Theres general agreement on the problem, but not on how to fix it. Senate Republicans proposed making the application deadline earlier, for example, but Wolf opposes that change. Instead, his Department of State has asked the state Supreme Court to order that ballots to be counted if they are received by the Friday after the election.

The plaintiffs in the case currently before the state Supreme Court say three extra days isnt enough.

Changing the deadlines could mean the difference between accepting or rejecting tens of thousands of ballots. But a last-minute change could also lead to voter confusion, especially if ballots with the current deadlines have already gone out and public awareness campaigns have already begun.

When and how will mail ballots be counted?

Mail ballots take time to count, and right now that process cant begin until Election Day. That means it can take days to call winners in close races, as it did in the primary.

 READ MORE: Pennsylvanias nightmare 2020 voting scenario  and how to prevent it

But with the White House on the line  and rising fears of false claims of fraud or election rigging  some elections officials want to count ballots earlier. The Wolf administration has said ballots should be opened as early as three weeks before Election Day, and Senate Republicans proposal would allow them to be opened beginning on the Saturday before the Nov. 3 Election Day.

How will counties handle issues with mail ballot signatures and envelopes?

This is the first year any Pennsylvania voter can vote by mail, meaning its the first time doing so for many voters. That lack of familiarity can lead to mistakes such as forgetting to sign the outside envelope of the mail ballot or forgetting to first place the ballot inside the blank secrecy envelope before placing it in the outer mailing envelope.

And voters signatures on the envelopes might not match the signatures on file, which in many cases come directly from PennDot and are years-old and low-quality.

How such problems are resolved could determine whether tens of thousands of ballots get counted. The Trump campaign lawsuit seeks to reject naked ballots  ones that do not have secrecy envelopes  while the Democrats suit asks for them to be counted.

The plaintiffs in the state Supreme Court case want to set up a process for voters to fix signature problems, and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh are suing to set up such a process.
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Linkedin Lucy Nicholson and Jonathan Allen (Reuters) Los Angeles, United States  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:10 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4218b6f 2 World los-angeles,police-brutality,Racism,racial-violence,racial-abuse,racial-discrimination Free

A Black cyclist was fatally shot by Los Angeles County police, the latest instance of police killing a Black man, as the county Sheriff's Department and a lawyer representing the man's family gave diverging accounts of the shooting on Tuesday.

The cyclist, 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee, was shot more than 20 times in the back on Monday afternoon after two sheriff's deputies tried to stop him for a bicycle code violation, said Benjamin Crump, who said he is representing Kizzee's family.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said Kizzee, whose identity was confirmed by the county medical examiner-coroner, was shot fewer than 20 times after dropping a handgun he had been carrying and punching one of the deputies.

The killing renewed protests in the city by demonstrators angered at deadly violence against Black people by police. Such protests have become a near daily occurrence around the country after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer in May.

"You don't kill any race but us, and it don't make any sense," Fletcher Fair, Dijon Kizzee's aunt, told reporters at the site of the shooting on Tuesday where activists called for an independent investigation by California's attorney general. "Why us?"

Protests also continued in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over a white police officer's shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back, leaving him paralyzed, and the unrest has become a major issue ahead of November's presidential election.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, arrived in Kenosha on Tuesday as he seeks to rally his base of white supporters by defending police against criticism of brutality.

Kizzee was riding his bike on Monday afternoon in Los Angeles County's Westmont neighborhood when two sheriff's deputies who had been driving by tried to stop him.

Kizzee abandoned his bike and ran for a block with the deputies in pursuit, Brandon Dean, a sheriff's department spokesman, told reporters on Monday evening. Kizzee then punched one of the deputies in the face, dropping a bundle of clothing he was carrying, the department said.

The deputies said a semi-automatic handgun was in the dropped bundle, and both of them began shooting Kizzee, the department said.

Dean said he did not know what part of the bicycle code Kizzee was suspected to have violated or how many times the deputies shot him, other than saying it was fewer than 20. His office declined to answer questions about the shooting and the status of the two deputies on Tuesday.

The county coroner was due to conduct an autopsy on Kizzee on Tuesday.

However, Crump, a civil rights lawyer known for representing Black victims of police violence around the country, wrote in a Twitter post: "They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun. He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours."

Crump asked on Twitter for people to send him any videos of the incident, saying that sheriff's deputies are not required to wear body cameras.
TULSA, OK / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / CareATC, a leader in workforce population health management, has signed an agreement with Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), making CTCA its preferred oncology care provider. Effective Tuesday, September 1, 2020, many CareATC clients can add this service to provide employees access to better cancer care.

"Employers want to provide employees with better options for care. Including cancer care," said Greg Bellomy, CareATC CEO. "The addition of CTCA as a preferred oncology provider will allow our clients to offer their employees access to unparalleled cancer care at a significantly reduced price. Both organizations share the passion and value of offering exceptional care that is effective and affordable."

"Our new agreement with CareATC reflects CTCA's dedication to provide forward-thinking employers and their employees greater access to our patient-centered cancer care," said CTCA President and CEO, Pat A. Basu, MD, MBA. "CTCA understands the increasing challenge cancer diagnoses pose to employers. Our interest is to provide the highest quality care in a cost effective manner with the empowered patient at the center. A solution that will help them to return to work and support them in the process. We thank CareATC for this partnership, and we look forward to providing CareATC clients access to our exceptional physicians and value-based services nationwide."

Offering Employer Groups Proactive and Affordable Cancer Care

CareATC and CTCA are committed to bringing powerful tools to the market such as assessment and diagnostic tools that proactively determine population risk and respond to patients who need cancer care now. With this exclusive quality partnership, employer groups can access competitive rates for high quality cancer care. The direct relationship between CareATC and CTCA means that patients will benefit from a seamless collaborative approach to care between their CareATC primary care provider and CTCA specialists.

Story continues

"We have a mutual mission to offer patients personalized quality care," says Dr. Kim Hutton, CareATC Chief Medical Officer. "Our new relationship with CTCA means new opportunities to develop integrated systems that identify and mitigate high-risk populations. With CTCA's renowned expertise, we know that our patients will receive exceptional clinical care that drives better outcomes."

About CareATC, Inc.

CareATC Inc. is a leading innovator in the health technology sector providing on-site and shared-site medical clinics. By leveraging groundbreaking technology, CareATC offers customized population health management solutions for employers that reduce healthcare costs by promoting health, preventing disease and providing a shorter path to care. CareATC manages more than 150 clients in 35 states and cares for more than 300,000 patients. Accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc., CareATC is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To learn more about CareATC Inc., visit www.careatc.com.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national oncology network of hospitals and outpatient care centers offering an integrated approach that combines surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and advancements in precision medicine with supportive therapies to manage side effects and enhance quality of life during treatment and into survivorship. CTCA publishes treatment results annually including patient experience, length of life, quality of life, patient safety and quality of care. CTCA also offers qualified patients a range of clinical trials that may reveal new treatment options supported by scientific and investigational research. CTCA patient satisfaction scores consistently rank among the highest for all cancer care providers in the country. Visit cancercenter.com for more information.

Media Contact

Paul Keeling, Chief Business Development Officer

Phone: (918) 779-7414

Email: pkeeling@careatc.com

SOURCE: CareATC, Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/604406/Worksite-Health-Leader-CareATC-Inc-and-Cancer-Treatment-Centers-of-AmericaR-Partner-to-Offer-Cost-Effective-Cancer-Care-for-Employer-Groups




Pioneering leaders know that postponing action is a mistake and only delays the inevitable.

People are scrutinizing how brands are responding to the Covid-19 crisis. Businesses are under the spotlight, and what they do now will set them up for either failure or success in a post-Covid world.

At Zen Media, we've seen firsthand how a well-executed response can catapult a business. When Covid-19 put restaurants at risk of having to close their doors for good and governmental guidelines began to emerge (dictating the terms of doing business in the "new normal"), we helped OneDine rise up as an innovative industry leader with high-tech solutions for helping restaurants overcome disruption, increase resilience, and fortify for the future. We led an internal strategy-pivot, designed to demonstrate OneDine's deep solidarity with an industry in crisis, that shifted the company's focus from sales to support.

The results earned OneDine enhanced brand awareness nationwide, massive engagement across social, a remarkable boost in qualified prospects from 63 (pre-Covid) to 163 in less than seven weeks, and an extraordinary spike in closed sales in this same period with more than 50 accounts signed representing over 3,000 units when fully deployed.

It's also worth noting that success isn't always found from going it alone.

There are brands collaborating with others to aid those in need of help the most during this time. Not only are they impacting lives--they are positioning themselves as a business that can be trusted. And with brand trust being the biggest factor of a brand's reputation, losing it among your prospects ultimately means losing customers to your competitors.

Here are three examples of brands that have come together to take action and position themselves as leaders during these uncertain times.

Nordstrom, Providence Health & Services, Kaas Tailored, and Ascension

In an effort to help address the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), Nordstrom partnered with Providence Health & Services, Kaas Tailored, and Ascension to bring nearly one million face masks to health care workers in the Providence and Ascension network of hospitals. Nordstrom is the largest employer of tailors in North America, and for this initiative, it is having its alterations teams in Illinois, Washington, D.C., Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Texas, and California sew the masks.

Through its willingness to transition its business to fill an essential need, Nordstrom not only received love and praise from fans and followers across social media--it also got people interested in supporting the brand during and after the health crisis.

DoorDash and United Way

To expand on its Ride United program, which provides safe and reliable transportation for individuals and families needing to get to good jobs, access health care, and more, DoorDash partnered with United Way to include the delivery of food and supplies as well.

Nearly 1,100 local United Ways work with food banks and food pantries across the United States. The partnership enables social service organizations across United Way's national network to provide food and supplies to people in need by using DoorDash's on-demand logistics platform and community of local drivers (known as Dashers). The program targets those at high risk and in quarantine who can't leave their homes and are experiencing food insecurities.

In the first eight weeks of the program and across 46 states, Dashers have already delivered more than 650,000 meals from senior centers, schools, food banks, food pantries, and restaurants to seniors, medically fragile students, health care workers, and food insecure families.

DoorDash also received praise from some of its Dashers, who found it an honor to serve their neighbors during this difficult time. As we know, in the age of the connected consumer, workers at a company are as impactful to a brand as its customers. So this display of Dashers' pride in their work positions DoorDash a company that's truly looking out for their communities.

Bungie and Direct Relief

Bungie (developer of the popular video game series Destiny) partnered with Direct Relief to support health care workers and frontline responders. Direct Relief works with a network of providers around the world to deliver supplies that health care workers need, like PPE, portable oxygen concentrators, and ventilators.

So how exactly does a partnership between a charity service and a game developer work?

Well, for a $20 donation to Direct Relief, Bungie offered players an in-game reward for Destiny 2: the Guardian Heart's emblem using the charity's colors. The initiative aimed to reach a goal of $700,000 raised in one month. That goal was achieved in just 17 days.

So Direct Relief received some much-needed aid and supporters earned a reward, while Bungie created an opportunity to get players active on its game.

The Long-Term Benefits of Brand Partnerships and Better Positioning

Setting up your brand for success and positioning yourself as a proactive, caring brand will require effort, and massive action. But taking strategic action right now is the best thing you can do to be competitive, disruptive, and remain top of mind for when people start returning to their normal lives. And collaborating with other brands might just be an ideal move if you're both like-minded and have similar goals.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday left for Russia on a three-day visit to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them "collectively" in Moscow on Friday, officials said.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistan's Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

ALSO READ | China engaged in provocative action in eastern Ladakh on Monday too: India

"Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II," Singh tweeted.

He said issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

"India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit," Singh said, In his meeting with Shoigu, Singh will press for expediting supply of a number of weapons systems, ammunition and spares to India by Russia under contracts which were concluded earlier, officials said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.

The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions Singh will depart for India from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.

The SCO defence ministers' meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following the Chinese army's unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

ALSO READ | India illegally trespassed LAC, urging them to restrain frontline troops: China on Pangong Tso situation

The two sides held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to end the border standoff which began on May 5.

The fresh attempts by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area escalated the tension further.

On Saturday, India announced withdrawal from a multilateral war game in Russia this month after it emerged that Chinese and Pakistani troops will also be part of it.

However, officially it was announced that India is not joining it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is Singh's second visit to Moscow since June.

He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting on September 10.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region.

India became a member of SCO in 2017.
Jaipur, Sep 2 : Rajasthan is home to most of the conventional and non-conventional sources of energy generation. The government of India has released its roadmap to achieve 175 GW capacity in renewable energy by 2022, which includes 100 GW of solar power and 60 GW of wind power.

The Union government is preparing a 'rent a roof' policy for supporting its target of generating 40 gigawatts (GW) of power through solar rooftop projects by 2022. Coal-based power generation capacity in India, which currently stands at 229.40 GW, is expected to reach 330-441 GW by 2040. In 2018-19, the total imports in the conventional power sector were around Rs 75,000 crore and $2.9 billion in the renewable energy segment.

All this offers tremendous opportunity for stimulating domestic manufacturing and import substitution in the energy sector, said N.K. Jain, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-Committee on MSMEs, at a webinar attended by around 200 participants.

There are 7 to 8 states in India that are suitable for generation of wind energy but Rajasthan has an advantage that alternative economic usage of the land having wind potential is limited and therefore it becomes easy to set up wind power plants said, Vinod Bishnoi, Vice President and Project Head, India Business, Suzlon Energy Ltd.

Rajasthan has come up with a very good policy in 2019 which has a stated objective to promote wind, hybrid and hybrid with storage energy. Captive consumption and third-party sale should be encouraged as it will provide cheap electricity to the industries helping them to become competitive as well as boost the RE sector, he added. Power Grid Corporation is making 3-4 substations which will take care of purchase and transmission of power.

"Solar sector offers tremendous opportunity for domestic manufacturing with varied usage across sectors especially for MSMEs and we should take benefit of this gift of nature to Rajasthan", said Sunil Bansal, General Secretary, Rajasthan Solar Association. He added that the coming decade gives the opportunity to convert Rajasthan into a manufacturing hub for solar equipment not only for solar energy projects but many other items such as solar lamps, pumps, dryers, mosquito traps, torches, fans, deep fridges, ventilators, lanterns, traffic lights, solar AC, etc. He also suggested for reserving certain items for purchase from the MSME sector.

"The Investment Board and One-Stop Shop mechanism of 14 departments would greatly facilitate and boost investors willing to invest in the state", said Anandi Lal Vaishnav, Additional Commissioner, Bureau of Investment Promotion, GoR. He added that RIPS 2019 has given fairly good benefits to Renewable Energy manufacturing sector under the policy and in the customised package also as it is under the thrust sector.

"The industrial infrastructure, connectivity and generation potential in Rajasthan provides immense opportunity for manufacturing and import substitution in the solar sector", says Manish Gupta, Director, Insolation Energy. There are around 12 equipment/elements used in a solar power project which can be manufactured locally out of which around 10 elements can be manufactured by MSMEs with limited capital investment, he added.

"Enabling initiatives by the Government of India underscore its focus on domestic manufacturing and opening new opportunities. States need to promote R&D and technological advancements as well as develop advanced skill sets in manufacturing and focus on export competitiveness to leverage this opportunity," said Ankit Piplani, VP, E&Y.
Over the weekend, U.S. Marshals were able to rescue 39 children and arrested nine people in a mission to stop sex trafficking rings in Georgia.

However, people are asking why the media did not cover the part when then authorities found the children inside a double-wide trailer, just like what a viral Facebook post claims.

The truth

The reason why the media did not include the story about the authorities finding the children inside a trailer is because it did not happen that way.

U.S. Marshals announced that they rescued 39 children all in all in a 2-week operation that they dubbed "Operation Not Forgotten." Those children were found in different locations across the state, and they are not inside a trailer together. That means the Facebook post is false.

While this type of development is a big deal, the discrepancy may explain why it was not the lead story on the national news.

Also Read: Chinese Builder Who Skewered Her Torso Into a 31-Inch Steel Rod Miraculously Survived

The rescued children were considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in Georgia based on indications of high-risk factors such as child exploitation, child sex trafficking, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and medical or mental health conditions.

The youngest child that was rescued was reportedly three years old, and while many had been gone of several weeks, one child was missing for two years before being rescued, according to WXYZ.

Authorities arrested nine people, many of whom already had multiple arrest warrants for charges including parental kidnapping, sex trafficking, registered sex offender violations, weapons possession, and drugs.

Sex trafficking bust

The U.S. Marshals Service Missing Child Unit led the search. The unit collaborated with the agency's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and state and local agencies. The operation resulted in the rescue of 39 children.

U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington said in a statement that the U.S. Marshals Service is fully committed to assisting federal, state, and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children. This is in addition to the agency's main fugitive apprehension mission.

Washington also said that the U.S. Marshals would never stop looking for missing children in the country, and they will launch operations in every state.

In 2019, an operation was held in New Orleans that resulted in the arrest of five people that were accused of sex trafficking girls. The suspects pimped them out and seared them with tattoos, as reported by Fox News.

One of the victims, aged 16, was recovered from a hotel having been beaten, raped, and drugged by several male perpetrators. Another victim, aged 17, was also rescued after having been repeatedly pimped out.

One of the suspects, Darnell Johnson, aged 26, was charged with two counts of tattooing a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

The other suspects arrested were Jayson Figueroa and Cordarrell Rudolph; both are facing charges of trafficking children for sexual purposes, second-degree rape, and felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Another suspect, Kortlen Hubbard, was arrested after confessing to having had oral sex with the 16-year-old girl.

According to the FBI, every 40 seconds a child goes missing in the United States, accounting for 765,000 missing children a year. Since U.S. Marshals partnered with NCMEC in 2005, the agency has recovered more than 1,800 missing children.

Related Article: US Marshals Rescue 39 Endangered Children in Georgia and Busted a Sex Trafficking Ring

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Seal Shield is again proud to share the companys recent recognition as an honoree for 2020 Orlandos Best Places to Work by the Orlando Business Journal, earning the #8 position within the category of Micro Companies.

Seal Shield has been awarded based upon third-party survey results among its 40 employees. Noteworthy is the companys unique culture of employee Ownership Thinking, as well as top-of-the-line employee benefits including full-coverage medical care, government maximum HSA contributions, and profit sharing.

Orlando Business Journals Best Places to Work event is designed to honor the regions top employers. Companies awarded are recognized for going above and beyond to create a meaningful work environment for employees at every level. Seal Shield company Founder & CEO, Brad Whitchurch noted, Its extremely gratifying to achieve this recognition by our employees, alongside so many other notable employers in the Orlando area. To all of our employees, I want to say Thank You! Its your efforts that make us great!

Seal Shield, founded in 2006, was built upon providing industry-leading technology for infection control and an understanding of the challenges that healthcare workers and those on the front lines are faced with  especially during times like these with the COVID-19 pandemic. The company strives to not only provide exceptional product technologies and customer service, but also a first-class employee experience and company culture.

Seal Shield is a world leader in innovative infection-control solutions. Seal Shield designs, develops, and manufactures medical-grade solutions including waterproof keyboards and mice, screen protectors, and UV-C technology.

For more information contact:

sales@sealshield.com
While trying to define Democratic rival Joe Biden as an avatar of lawless anarchists, President Trump has warned about rioters in the streets of liberal American cities. He has fanned fears of low-income minorities invading the suburbs.

And this week, he offered a new alert: Thugs wearing dark uniforms, he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, had crowded en masse onto a plane to fly to Washington and wreak havoc at the Republican National Convention last week.

Lacking details, the fantastical tale took on the wild, conspiratorial tone of a subversive Reddit subchannel or a foreign governments disinformation campaign. That it was coming from Trump on a popular cable news show highlighted how his long-standing willingness to promote and disseminate conspiracy theories has become, in his view, central to a re-election effort that has foundered during the coronavirus pandemic. (Washington Post)

Featured stories

Trump visits Kenosha, offering support for police with little mention of shooting (New York Times)

Portland police chief challenges elected leaders to draw line in sand; mayor condemns senseless violence (oregonlive.com)

Trump raises eyebrows with tweet declaring he did not have a series of mini-strokes (NBC News)

National news

Court shields Trump tax returns, likely until after election (ABC News)

U.S. refuses to join international effort to develop Covid-19 vaccine (The Guardian)

NIH panel refutes FDAs claims of the benefits of coronavirus plasma treatment (CNBC)

Report: Thousands of PPP loans went to small businesses that should not have received them (USA Today)

Mnuchin defends administrations pandemic response and urges approval of more aid (CBS News)

Pelosi takes heat over visit to California hair salon (Associated Press)

Markey fends off Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary that divided Democrats (NBC News)

University of California System cant use SAT and ACT tests for admissions, judge rules (CNN)

U.S. CDC issues sweeping halt on residential evictions to combat virus (Reuters)

World news

Charlie Hebdo reprints cartoons of prophet ahead of terror trial (The Guardian)

40 student protesters detained after clashing with police in Belarus (CNN)

Amid talks with Israel, UAE pursuit of stealth jets rumbles in background (Reuters)

China is aiming to double the size of its nuclear arsenal, Pentagon report says (CNN)

Yoshihide Suga emerging as favorite to become Japans prime minister (The Guardian)

Hotel Rwanda heros family accuses government of kidnapping him (Reuters)
In-person classes

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration has instructed public schools to avoid traditional in-person classes through Labor Day, at least, which Rio Rancho Public Schools is planning to do.

We want the children back, Superintendent Sue Cleveland said at Mondays school board meeting.

RRPS has made no final decision has been made on resuming in-person learning.

Some districts  including Albuquerque and Santa Fe public schools  have already said they plan to continue distance learning beyond Sept. 8, even if the state permits some in-person classes.

Records published by the state Environment Department  which helps oversee rapid-response testing of employers  show schools statewide have reported about 50 positive tests among employees at more than 30 locations since Aug. 1, even though students havent returned. The scale of any shutdown triggered by a positive test will depend on how many people were potentially exposed and other factors.

A positive test by an employee is reported through the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau at the Environment Department, APS Interim Superintendent Scott Elder said, and a student whos infected would be reported through the Department of Health.

RRPS has one COVID-19 case

Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said the Department of Health initiates robust case investigation and support and contact-tracing work, with follow up from the Public Education Department.

We try to see it as kind of one integrated system, where we each have a role, said Stewart, who recently paid a visit to Enchanted Hills Elementary.

Now that schools are starting back up, he said, the PEDs role is to maintain contact with schools and make sure processes are in place to contain the virus and reopen safely.

RRPS confirmed its COVID-19 positive case showed up Aug. 11 in a staff member at Enchanted Hills Elementary; thats the lone positive test through Aug. 25.

During the case confirmation time, we did not have any students on the school campus. At no point did students come into contact with this staff member in our facility, noted Melissa Perez, RRPS communications manager. In addition, all proper N.M. Department of Health procedures were followed and the staff member is/was quarantined appropriately.

The unions takes

Rio Rancho School Employees Union President Billie Helean said union members are grateful for the collaborative work with district administration to ensure the health and safety of RRPS staff.

The question posed to the bargaining unit was as follows, Helean said, was, When you only think about the health and safety of staff, students, and the community, do you want to open to hybrid learning after Labor Day, or delay opening until after winter break?

65.5 percent of the bargaining unit indicated that they would like to remain virtual for the semester, she reported. We have also encouraged the bargaining unit to reach out to their school board members to share their personal thoughts, so that every voice can be heard.

We are also grateful for the measured, careful response from the district after hearing about APSs plans to delay reopening until after winter break, she said, keeping in mind school districts must follow orders from the governor and state departments of health and public education.

Our job as a union is to respond and advocate on behalf of RRPS staff, so we will be sending a survey to staff to better understand how we will proceed, she told the Observer. Our goal is always to support staff so that they can better support students and families.

On Aug. 25, American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly and Executive Vice President Kathy Chavez released a statement, saying: We are deeply concerned about the numerous recent reports of positive COVID-19 cases and additional potential exposures at school sites and higher education institutions across New Mexico. To be clear, educators working in every capacity in our public education system want to be back in our classrooms and work sites; however, we should not jeopardize the health and safety of our educational community to do so.

Ventilation concerns

As part of the RRPS COVID safety practices, the Facilities Department is completing a full occupancy flush of all ventilation systems three hours prior to the start of the school day and three hours after the end of the school day, each day, said Facilities Director Melanie Archibeque. This basically flushes out the air in the school and replaces it with fresh air from outside on systems that are capable of this function, or re-circulates it.

In addition, Facilities is changing filters in school ventilation systems three times a year, vs. the standard twice a year, and ensuring all systems are functioning to the best degree they can.

RRPS is working on scheduling work on the schools included in the recently approved bonds for HVAC improvements/replacements as well, Archibeque said.

Merv is a filter-rating system, with Merv 13 filters recommended as the best quality available, much like a high-end HEPA filter for a home air-conditioning system. In RRPS, only Cleveland High School is built to operate with Merv 13 filters.

Because there is such a high demand for Merv 13 filters, RRPS has been unable to secure them at this time, she said. RRPSs other school systems will either not accept Merv 13 filters easily or simply cannot function with them at all. The standard filter used in RRPSs other schools is rated at a Merv 8, an industry standard.
Sofia Richie has recently found herself back on the market, amid her split with Scott Disick after three years.

But the model/actress is living her best single life, recently returning home to Los Angeles, after a tropical getaway for her 22nd birthday.

She put on a leggy display Tuesday, as she welcomed September in Daisy Dukes and a cardigan, while shopping with a friend at Malibu Country Mart in Malibu.

Leggy display: Sofia Richie put on a leggy display Tuesday, as she welcomed September in Daisy Dukes and a cardigan, while shopping with a friend at Malibu Country Mart in Malibu

The 22-year-old paired her ripped and faded denim short shorts with a cropped beige halter top, which teased her taut midriff.

She layered the look with a matching beige cardigan, hanging off one shoulder, as well as a pair of brown and black rubber ankle boots.

Richie completer the look with a pair of black flat-top sunglasses, a brown face mask with a gold bumblebee print and a quilted black leather Chanel handbag.

She took to her Instagram Story with a selfie from her car while pumping gas, showing off some petite gold hoop earrings, gold necklaces and matching bracelets.

Cardigan season: The 22-year-old paired her ripped and faded denim short shorts with a cropped beige halter top, which teased her taut midriff

Stay gold: She took to her Instagram Story with a selfie from her car while pumping gas, showing off some petite gold hoop earrings, gold necklaces and matching bracelets

Social butterfly: The daughter of Lionel Richie also revealed a gold watch and rings, while wearing her white Emi Jay butterfly hair clip on her finger

Hot wheels: She previously revealed her ride for the day, posting a photo of white Ferrari, writing: 'Dreamy inspo'

The daughter of Lionel Richie also revealed a gold watch and rings, while wearing her white Emi Jay butterfly hair clip on her finger.

She previously revealed her ride for the day, posting a photo of white Ferrari, writing: 'Dreamy inspo'

Richie appeared to be craving some more travel, as she shared a photo of the sunset from a private jet.

She also posted a snap herself lying in a bikini on a paddle board from what appears to be her recent birthday trip to Cabo San Lucas.

The Cosmopolitan cover girl was accompanied by mother Diane Alexander, brother Miles Richie and pal Stassie Karanikolaou for the girls trip.

Wanderlust: Richie appeared to be craving some more travel, as she shared a photo of the sunset from a private jet

Tropical getaway: She also posted a snap herself lying in a bikini on a paddle board from what appears to be her recent birthday trip to Cabo San Lucas

Girls trip: The Cosmopolitan cover girl was accompanied by mother Diane Alexander, brother Miles Richie and pal Stassie Karanikolaou for the girls trip

It came after sources confirmed that she and boyfriend of three years Scott Disick, 37, called it quits back in May.

They sparked rumors of reconciliation back in July, when they celebrated Independence Day together.

A source recently told People: 'It's always been difficult for them to balance their relationship with Scott's family life. His kids will always come first.'

Another insider said: 'Scott's focus is his health and the kids. Sofia wants to hang out with friends and enjoy the summer. Since they are no longer on the same page, they decided to just be apart. At least for now.'
It seems Rhodens birth mother had died some six years earlier. At some point, she told the brothers, but at the time, no one knew she was pregnant with Steven.

Rhoden didnt know it, but he was about to receive more news than an O. Henry novel could only offer.

I was conceived in Bartlesville and the family is from Pawhuska. Right here in my own territory, he added.

Rhoden learned his birth mother was married to an alcoholic with four other kids to raise practically on her own. She was Catholic, so an abortion was not an option. Instead, she chose to give Steven away.

Hope Cottage in Dallas was chosen since it had been a haven for unwed mothers in the 1960s. After giving birth, thats where the baby Steven went.

Theres more.

Another reason why Rhodens birth mom couldnt keep him was his father wasnt the alcoholic man. His father was the owner of a business in Bartlesville and his mother worked there.

All my life, did this poor woman know I had a good life? I wish we could have told her what an exceptional life I had, he explained.
Oppo F17 series will launch in India on September 2. Under the Oppo F17 series, the company is confirmed to launch two new smartphones  Oppo F17 and Oppo F17 Pro

Oppo F17 series launch in India: Where to watch the live-stream

Oppo F17 Pro and F17 launch event is scheduled to start at 7 pm in India. The company will be hosting an online-only launch event, which can be viewed on its official YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram accounts.

Oppo F17 Pro specifications

Oppo is claiming that the F17 Pro is the sleekest phone of 2020. Oppo F17 Pro specifications, as leaked previously, include a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ display with a dual punch-hole cutout. There will be a 16MP primary lens and a depth sensor for selfies.

Oppo F17 Pro is said to feature a MediaTek Helio P95 processor, paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The smartphone will pack a 4,000 mAh battery with 30W VOOC Flash charging.

The camera system on the back features a 48MP quad-camera setup with an 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor setup.

Oppo F17 Pro price in India (expected)

Based on the leaked Oppo F17 Pro specifications, we can expect Oppo to launch the smartphone under Rs 25,000 in India. It will be available in Matte Black, Magic Blue, Metallic White colours.

Oppo F17 specifications

Oppo F17 specs include a 6.44-inch sAMOLED FHD+ waterdrop notch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 with a single 6GB + 128GB storage configuration.

In optics, Oppo F17 features a quad-camera setup on the back with a 16MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP sensor setup. You also get a 16MP front camera for selfies on the Oppo F17.

Like the Oppo F17 Pro, Oppo F17 will pack a 4,000 mAh battery with 30W VOOC Flash charge.

Oppo F17 price in India (Expected)

Oppo F17 is likely to be priced under Rs 20,000 in India. It will come in three colours  Dynamic Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Silver.
Students attend a graduation ceremony at Peking University on July 2. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Ministry of Science and Technology has created an interdepartmental database to record academic misconduct and prevent future offenses. It also supports universities and research institutions playing a major role in the battle against academic misconduct, officials said on Tuesday. The nation's latest, and arguably the most detailed, guideline on safeguarding academic integrity, came into effect on Tuesday. Scientists who deliberately overvalue their work, provide false information when applying for funding or awards, or plagiarize or fabricate research will be severely punished, according to the guideline. Depending on the severity of the offense, the punishments can range from revoking the offender's titles and prizes to permanently banning them from doing related research. Research institutions, as well as administrative staff, appraisal experts for scientific work and thirdparty agencies that serve scientific undertakings are also subject to the new regulations. Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology, told Xinhua News Agency on Monday that a high standard of academic integrity is the "lifeline of research", the "foundation of a worldclass scientific powerhouse" and "determines the success and failure of scientific undertakings". "We must take a 'zerotolerance' approach on academic misdemeanors," Wang said. Research institutions, universities, companies and other civil organizations are at the front line of safeguarding academic integrity, and they should be responsible for investigating and preventing any violations, he added. Dai Guoqing, director of the ministry's office in charge of science and technology supervision and promoting academic integrity, said the guideline lists 64 offenses during every stage of the scientific process, as well as details on how to handle them. He said the new rules "allow for a stronger, more methodical and unified approach in supervising and handling academic misconduct". When academic dishonesty occurred in the past, Dai said some research institutions either didn't take the reports seriously or purposely prolonged the investigation, hoping the controversy would blow over. The new guideline has items demanding all reports of academic misconduct must be investigated and properly dealt with, he added. For example, universities, research institutions or the project's governing bodies that fail to carry out an investigation, or connive with or shield violators, can be punished with budget cuts, being barred from hosting future research projects or even judicial action. "Some institutions are now proactively investigating academic fraud and other misdemeanors, and these actions should be encouraged and supported," Dai said. Meanwhile, Dai said promoting academic integrity is a long and arduous process that requires the cooperation of all sectors of society. "The key now is for everyone to get on the same page and jointly carry out the new rules effectively," he said. The ministry has also built a database with other government bodies to keep track of the academic misconduct of violators and institutions for reference when granting funds, Dai said. "We hope all science workers will be selfdisciplined and rule abiding. The database can serve as a powerful tool to make scientists think twice before committing fraud," he added.


The former power couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have reportedly asked Pitt's good friend Alia Shawkat to be their surrogate mother.

The flimsy narrative has numerous faulty allegations, reported Gossip Cop.

Already Pregnant?

Rumors circulated that the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor's former rumored girlfriend Shawkat is pregnant. Now, the tabloid New Idea is alleging that the "Arrested Development" actress will serve as a surrogate for Pitt and Aniston.

The magazine purported that Shawkat could fulfill the "Friends" actress' maternal dreams. According to them, rumors indicate that Shawkat is already pregnant.

According to a source, "Now that she and Brad have got it together again, her desire to have his baby hasn't changed. Brad is anxious to make it up to Jen by making her a mom, but they both know that time is not on their side biologically."

The Aftermath of the SAG Awards Moment

Since the former married couple's epic reunion at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, fans have been anticipating for them to reignite their romance after going gaga over their special moment. Eventually, rumors of a romantic reunion surfaced, reported Spotboye.

Pitt and Shawkat

The tabloid claimed that Pitt and Shawkat never progressed into a romantic relationship. They are practically siblings in closeness which makes her a natural candidate to gestate his child.

The "Troy" actor allegedly suggested to his former wife that they should hire Shawkat to conceive their baby. "He loves her and trusts her as much as any family member, which is rare for him. He usually keeps his card very close to his chest, but he let Alia in on his desire to help Jen have a baby," according to a source, reported Micky.

Also Read: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston's Highly-Anticipated Reunion: The Details

According to New Idea, Pitt and Aniston have been struggling to conceive the traditional way. Aniston has reportedly conceded to the fact that surrogacy is currently the best option. Shawkat is mentioned to be a selfless, giving individual who is pained to see them struggle.

Angelina Jolie is reportedly mad regarding the forthcoming baby and is either envious or merely does not want Pitt moving on.

Debunked

Gossip Cop claimed that the entire narrative is fabricated.

It has been stated for the nth time that Pitt and Aniston have not reignited the flame. Having Shawkat as a surrogate was also claimed to be far from the truth.

The news outlet denoted that "rumor mill has gone into overdrive that Alia is already expecting" which Gossip Cop has denounced by the celebrity fact check website as it primarily operates the aforementioned rumor mill.

For confirmation, Gossip Cop reached out to an insider close to Pitt who affirmed that the narrative was plain silly while Aniston's spokesperson stated that the story was false.

It has not been a month since the website debunked the same news outlet for indicating that Pitt traded Aniston for Jolie, accusing them of a lack of continuity.

Related Article: Brad Pitt Thinks Angelina Jolie Has Gone Too Far in Court Battle

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As the new school year begins, college and university students are returning to campuses in Beijing under strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Universities with proper precautions are permitted to reopen gradually from Aug. 15 in Beijing, according to the municipal education commission.

Since mid-August, over 170,000 college and university students have returned to their campuses in Beijing, with around 10,000 returning to the city every day. By Monday, over 50 colleges and universities in Beijing, more than half the city's total, had opened for the new semester, the commission said.

Peking University (PKU) welcomed over 3,300 freshmen on Tuesday. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, parents were not allowed to enter the campus, and over 100 volunteers assisted with reception.

The university has implemented a variety of COVID-19 prevention and control measures. Students are required to take nucleic acid tests before returning to campus and must present a certificate concerning their health conditions and their pre-arrival whereabouts when registering.

PKU has also applied strict management measures in public areas within the campus, such as banning mass gatherings, staggering meal shifts, installing body temperature detectors at entrances and conducting regular disinfection, said Zhang Yong, deputy director of the general affairs department at PKU.

In the new semester, colleges and universities will be placed under relatively closed management. For example, students who need to leave campuses will have to register in the school system before departing.

The number of college and university students returning to Beijing will hit 50,000 on Sept. 6, the highest single-day total yet, and the rush will continue until early October.

In preparation for the resumption of on-campus activities, colleges and universities in Beijing have arranged rehearsals for the beginning of the new term and made contingency plans.

Wu Zhuangfei, a doctoral candidate starting his second year at Beihang University, had his identity and body temperature checked several times before checking in to his dorm.

"After the COVID-19 outbreak, I continued with my research at home. I'm now very excited that I can return to school and resume my work in the laboratory," said Wu.

Since Aug. 24, Beihang University has welcomed roughly 12,000 students like Wu across staggered dates.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trump's tax returns while the president's lawyers continue to fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides.

Trump's lawyers had asked for a temporary stay while they appeal a lower-court ruling that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office access to Trump's tax returns. A lawyer for Vance's office had argued that further delays would only impede their investigation. The question at this juncture is quite simple but also quite important, Trump lawyer



William Consovoy said. Will the president be given an opportunity to appeal that ruling before his personal records are disclosed to the grand jury and the status quo is irrevocably changed? A hearing on the merits of Trump's latest appeal will be held on September 25 after both sides agreed to an expedited schedule meaning it's possible the matter could be decided before November's election.

Trump's lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month after a district court judge rejected their renewed efforts to invalidate a subpoena issued to his accounting firm. Judge John M. Walker Jr. said at Tuesday's hearing that the subpoenas cover 11 entities engaged in business dealings as far away as Europe and Dubai.

Trump has blasted the long-running quest for his financial records as a continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country and predicted the case would again end up before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the presidency in itself doesn't shield Trump



from Vance's investigation, but the high court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero's courtroom to allow Trump's lawyers to raise other concerns about the subpoena.

Trump's lawyers then argued that the subpoena was issued in bad faith and overly broad, might have been politically motivated and amounted to harassment. Marrero rejected those claims. Consovoy told the judges Tuesday that the investigation was an arbitrary fishing expedition.

Carey Dunne, of the district attorney's office, said Trump and his lawyers have long misrepresented the scope of the investigation as focusing primarily on hush money payments that were paid to protect Trump from adultery allegations. Vance's lawyers have said they are legally entitled to extensive records to aid a complex financial investigation.

The president has complained at every turn that we've not announced what the grand jury is looking at as if that itself is bad faith, Dunne said. But of course, what the grand jury is looking at is secret. We're not allowed to make that public, which is what has led to his speculation about the grand jury scope. But none of this speculation is plausible. Even if Vance does get Trump's tax records, those would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically be made public.

Vance, a Democrat, began seeking the Republican president's tax returns from his longtime accounting firm over a year ago, after Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the president had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets.

Congress is also pursuing Trump's 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.

Trump is the only modern president who has refused to release his tax returns. Before he was elected, he had promised to do so.

(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.)
However, the Italian oil firm Eni, which operates the Petrosucre joint venture as a minority partner with PDVSA, said in a statement Wednesday that there is currently no risk of an oil spill. The tanker is stable and recent flooding of the ship was addressed and solved, Eni said, adding that it is working with PDVSA next to unload the oil from the Nabarima.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison has disclosed that over 2,980,000 pupils in 8,683 public basic schools are currently benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme, with one hot and nutritious meal for each school going day.



Addressing the media in Accra today, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister said the program has built the capacity of 9,178 caterers and cooks in 11 regions in an innovative nutrition training, which has improved the quality of meals served to pupils.



Training on meal planner softer has been undertaken for desk and nutrition officers in 11 regions. Also, registration of pupils in School Feeding Schools on the National Health Insurance Scheme has been relaunched.



The minister further added that Farmer Based Organisations in Volta and Oti Regions have been profiled. This, she said, will help facilitate the linkage of caterers and farmers in the value chain as far as the acquisition of foodstuffs is concerned.



The Ghana School Feeding Programme has reviewed a National and District Operational manual with key stakeholders within the middle and southern belt of Ghana to enable the programme to deliver on its services effectively and efficiently, she said.



The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) was initiated in 2005 under the John Agyekum Kufuor led NPP government as a social protection intervention on the context of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar III. The programme has so far impacted positively on enrolment, attendance and retention of children in some beneficiary Basic Schools in the country.



Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) London, United Kingdom  Wed, September 2, 2020 10:40 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c421ebff 2 World Scotland,household,visit,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic Free

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a ban on indoor household gatherings in Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, and two nearby areas on Tuesday following a rise in coronavirus cases.

Sturgeon said that from midnight (2300 GMT) the 800,000 residents living in Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire should no longer host people from outside their households indoors.

She said the transmission of the virus was mainly happening inside people's homes and the measures may be in place for two weeks. Schools, pubs and restaurants will continue to remain open.

"I know how unwelcome this news this evening will be for people who live in these areas," Sturgeon told a news conference. "I know that because I am one of you, I live in Glasgow. So, these rules apply to me as they do to everyone else in these areas."
Ashameera Aiyappan By

Express News Service

Representation vs glorification has often been a touchy debate, one that embodied the conversation around the controversial Telugu film, Arjun Reddy. Three years after its release, this film continues to crop up in debates. (Theres a rumoured re-release in 2022 with unreleased footage to mark the fifth anniversary of this film.) The problem with Arjun Reddy was how the film glamourised the sexism of its lead. For those wondering how the thin line between romanticisation and depiction can be straddled, the FX mini-series, Mrs. America, is a good example.

A fictionalised take on the womens movement in the 70s, Mrs. America chronicles the battle over ratification of the Equal Rights Amendments Act which guarantees equal opportunities to all citizens. This feminist story finds an unusual central figure in the anti-feminist, conservative Phyllis Schlafly (played by a terrific Cate Blanchett). Schlaflys grassroots campaigns galvanised conservative women to political spotlight; the Stop ERA movement proved to be a robust roadblock for the ERA, which was considered bipartisan. Schlaflys success has far-reaching effects in American politics and sadly, the ERA hasnt been ratified, even today.

Mrs. America is a rare show that uses an ensemble narrative to its advantage. While spending time with Schlafly, it still populates the narrative with important feminist voices from the era: Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Jill Ruckelshaus (who get an episode each named after them). As a master manipulator, Schlafly is gloriously unlikeable. While the series captures Schaflys appeal to conservative women, it never idolises her. It never diminishes her intellect either but shows the hate that hides behind those eloquent speeches. Despite being a politician and a lobbyist, Schlafly championed the housewife. And even when sexism slaps her in the face, she puts on a smile, accepts the rules, and plays by them, only to be stalled by the same evils she was backing.

Even for an outsider to politics, Mrs. America makes for a terrific watch, and it is refreshing to see it filled with strong women with conflicting opinions. Most of our onscreen women have no opinions, let alone political ones, unless they play a journalist or a politician. The friction between the women in Mrs. America is illuminating of the spectrum across womanhood. As said by creator Dahvi Waller in an interview, there are so many ways to be a woman and so many definitions of sisterhood. Each of the pro-ERA voices fought for a different cause: Abortion rights, political representation... These women let each other down, learnt from their mistakes, and engaged in hard conversations. Would the Cancel Culture have allowed for such a revolution?

The shows strength lies in its understanding of intersectionality. Despite being feminists, Betty Friedan is disdainful of lesbians; a culture of black tokenism prevails in Ms. Magazine. On the other hand, the Stop ERA movement has racists and anti-racists, believers of different kinds... However, it is clear where the heart of this show lies. To quote Flo Kennedy, a black pro-ERA activist, Lesbians are welcome, horizontal hostility is not. The sisterhood in Mrs. America rises out of this cacophony of opinions. The common goal is inclusivity. It might seem obvious, but often proves to be elusive in reality. Mrs. America captures this paradox in beautiful, graphic detail. After all, as Steinem asks, Whats revolutionary about a group of people in a room agreeing with each other?

Despite being set in the 70s, Mrs. America is painfully relevant to the current political climate. Even today, both women and men tend to look at the word feminism with skepticism as it has been falsely equated with misandry. As Emma Watson famously said, If you stand for equality, you are a feminist. I am sorry to tell you that. This is established with Alice McRaes journey (an effective Sarah Paulson). McRae brings the ERA to Schlaflys notice, scared that it would take away the privileges of homemakers and erode the values of the American family. She comes to the Womens Convention at Houston to defend herself. But she realises that there is no attacker. In an illuminating conversation with a pro-ERA volunteer, McRae realises that there is a lot more in common than what she imagined. Mrs. America not only acknowledges the myopic images associated with feminism but also breaks them down.

When I watch content like Mrs. America, I am acutely reminded of the low standards for women representation we have here. Films are a great medium to reach the masses and yet, our films that documented several social movements have left the women behind in the lurch. How long do we need to be happy about a woman character passing the Sexy Lamp Test? (Its a test in which you replace the female character with a sexy lamp and see if the story still works...) How long are we going to defend portrayal with, At least she wasnt just arm candy?
Joe Biden emerged from the national political conventions with large majorities of likely voters preferring him over President Donald Trump to deal with the coronavirus, health care, racial inequality and any crisis, according to polls released Wednesday.

Almost six in 10 likely voters in the Quinnipiac University poll said they were worse off than four years ago, and half said they felt less safe under Trump. And despite a soaring stock market, they gave Biden equal marks with Trump for handling the economy in the midst of a pandemic-caused recession.

Add it all up and it contributed to a 10-point lead for Biden over Trump in the first post-convention poll of Americans likely to vote this fall.

While the president has been pushing the issue of safety to the center of the presidential campaign, it raises the question: Who most has your back, the current administration, or the challengers? Quinnipiac poll analyst Tim Malloy said.

As racial strife, a seemingly endless pandemic, and an economy on life support unnerve Americans, voters foresee a more reliable lifeline in the Biden-Harris ticket.

A CNN poll of registered voters also released Wednesday put Biden ahead by 8 points, 51% to 43%. Before the conventions, Biden led Trump, 50% to 46%.

Presidential contests really are separate elections conducted in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, but national polls can offer a snapshot of the contest at a particular time.

Then again, Hillary Clinton received 3 million more votes than Trump four years ago but he carried enough states and won the 270 electoral votes needed to become president.

There was little good news in these numbers for the president, most notably the 58% in the Quinnipiac poll who said the country was worse off than it was four years ago, with just 38% saying it was better off.

With six in 10 likely voters feeling the country has lost ground, the president stares down a big gap to make up in a short time, Malloy said.

Trumps job approval rating sat at 43%, with 54% disapproving, in the Quinnipiac poll, and 41%, with 53% disapproving, in the CNN survey.

He received low marks in both polls for his handling of the coronavirus, with 57% disapproving and just 41% approving in the Quinnipiac poll. In addition, 55% said Trump was hurting efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, with just 39% saying he was helping.

In the CNN poll, 55% disapproved of Trumps handing of the coronavirus with 40% approving.

His handling of the economy, once seen as a strength, was equally divided with 49% on each side in the Quinnipiac survey as millions of American remained out of work due to the pandemic.

Trump retained an edge on the economy in the CNN poll, with 50% approving and 45% disapproving. But when asked which candidate was better able to handle the economy, 49% said Trump and 48% said Biden.

And while Trump has sought to change the conversation from protesting police brutality and Black Lives Matter to law and order due to outbreaks of violence in several cities, most voters in the Quinnipiac poll agreed that racism remained a big problem in the United States.

Three-fourths, 75%, of likely voters, including 97% of Democrats, 72% of independents and 51% of Republicans, called racism a big problem. Less than a quarter of likely voters, 23%, said it was not.

Overall, the majority of likely voters agree as to what has been described as Americas original sin, Malloy said. They see racism as pervasive.

The Quinnipiac poll of 1,081 likely voters was conducted Aug. 28-31 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The CNN poll of 997 registered voters was conducted Aug. 28-Sept. 1 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Police Union Reaffirms Trump Endorsement for Reelection After Biden Condemns Violence

A police union that represents more than 100,000 officers has reaffirmed its endorsement of President Donald Trump in the upcoming Nov. 3 presidential election.

The International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) President Sam A. Cabral said Tuesday that the union was backing the presidents re-election bid as it believes there is no other viable alternative for anyone who desires peace and security in their community.

The IUPA previously announced (pdf) in September 2019 that it would be endorsing Trumps re-election campaign, saying that Trump had done more for Law Enforcement in the past two and a half years than was accomplished in the eight years that preceded his election.

President Trump has been a stalwart supporter of Law Enforcement since the day he took office, not just in his words, but by his actions, Cabral said in a statement this week. He stands in sharp contrast to his predecessor and to the candidate trying to defeat him. The differences are glaring.

Cabral praised the presidents decision to sign an order to provide law enforcement agencies with military equipment, almost immediately upon taking office. He said the move has allowed officers to protect themselves and the public.

This equipment saves lives, he said. While Democrats decry the militarization of the police, we recognize that most of the equipment so obtained was protective gearfacemasks, gas masks, shields, and even mundane office equipment.

Cabral said that if elected in November, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will end that program and hamper our ability to protect our communities.

The IUPA president in his statement criticized Bidens Aug. 30 condemnation of the violence and looting that has taken hold of many U.S. cities since the police-custody death of George Floyd in May.

Biden on Monday in a statement on his campaign website condemned the violence in Portland, Oregona day after right-wing protester Aaron Danielson was shot dead in the street. Cabral dismissed it as a political move.

Violent rioters have sabotaged protests across the nation. We have watched as businesses were looted and burnt to the ground, many never to re-build. Public buildings and monuments have been defaced and destroyed, Cabral said. Officers have been injured by bricks, chunks of concrete, explosive devices, frozen water bottles, and eye damaging lasers. There have been several murders.

During all of this upheaval and destruction, there has been silence from the Democrats. None have stepped forward to condemn the anarchy, riotous behavior, and arson. Joe Biden has even referred to the police as the enemy, he continued.

Biden condemned the violence after months of devastation throughout many major cities, Cabral said, suggesting that this alone shows that he is not fit to be president.

This condemnation was not made due to a moral imperative or a vision of a better America, but rather because polling indicated it was a concern of the American voter, Cabral added. If anyone needs a poll to tell them that rioting, looting, arson, property destruction, and murder are wrong, then they are morally bankrupt and not fit to be the president of the local fraternal organization, let alone the leader of this great nation.

Read More Trump Campaign Accuses Media of Ignoring Violence, Riots Before Biden Statement

Trump has openly condemned the violence incited in U.S. cities since they first began, and has repeatedly accused the media and Democrats of attempting to portray rioters as peaceful protesters.

The endorsement of the International Union of Police Associations stands affirmedAmerica needs [deserves] the leadership of Donald J. Trump, Cabral concluded.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Bidens campaign for comment.

The IUPA was chartered in 1979 and now serves members across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its mission is to protect and advance officers wages, benefits, and work conditions.

Janita Kan contributed to this report.
DARBY BOROUGH  The slow destruction of neglect  that is what a historic preservation group is trying to save a Borough pre-Civil War era structure from. The group, Friends of 1000 Main, is hoping to rehabilitate the 168-year-old home located at 1000 Main St. and which has been unoccupied for years.

Built in the mortise and tenon timber tradition by John J. White as a family home, the board and batten sided building is now covered in stucco with a large porch looking up 10th Street.

Mortis and tenon joints connect the timber in structures, using precisely cut joints and slots for strength. The technique has been used by builders for thousands of years. The 1000 Main home also uses pegs to strengthen the construction.

This home, which has been here for 170 years, reminds us of who we are and where we came from, said John Haigis, former chair of the Darby Borough Historical Commission. We are engaged in a quest to redo this building.

Haigis and members of his group would like to see the home become part of a designated historic district. They see the house as a linchpin to their plans. It is across the street from the Darby Library, which was the nations first library, founded in 1743 and located at its present site since 1872. Just up the street is the Darby Friends Meeting built in 1805 and next door is a home built in 1734.

One of the things we would like to start doing here is walking tours, in costume, of this area. Get people connected to how far back it goes, and how important is was to the whole development of Delaware County, said Jan Monk Haigis. We had the first trolleys here. We had solidarity of Lucretia Mott riding on the outside of the trolley with Africian Americans who had to ride there at that time. (Mott was a Quaker, abolitionist and womens rights activist.) They were doing it right in this area.

The building housed a doctors office and apartments until the late 20th century when it was purchased by the Delaware County Redevelopment Authority to provide property for the Darby Transportation Center project. That project took much of the land on the site, but left the building untouched.

In 2001, the county commissioned a historic assessment of the structure by the firm of Kise Straw and Kolodner, which concluded that it was a significant resource and part of a fine contribution of historic properties in that area. The firm found the building was structurally sound and restoration costs would be relatively small but over $200,000 for the first phase a project. Preservation efforts would encourage similar improvements in nearby properties.

In 2012, the property was leased to the Friends of the Blue Bell, another local historic preservation organization with the intent to undertake stewardship and restoration, with a goal of opening it to the public as a multi-use educational and cultural facility.

Over the years, the group has worked to maintain the structure including installing a temporary roof covering; however, the interior is in poor condition.

Hopefully, we can get some things in place to put this house on the map, raise peoples awareness, and get some interest in saving the structure, said Alvin Davidson, business coordinator for the group. The construction elements are something you are never going to see again. This house was built to last, even in its current condition. Imagine the houses being built today being around in 150-157 years from now  youre not going to. This house, what it represented, the area its inthere is deeper history than what we know currently. All of those things make it a structure worth saving.

He continued, Were dealing with a lot of different interests here, municipal, those who want to save the house, people who have an interest in possibly saving the structure. You have to manage expectations. Some of them may be real, some a little far-fetched.

Recently, the redevelopment authority sent a notice terminating the groups lease on the building effective Sept 23 in order to turn it over to the borough.

While we appreciate your recent effort at securing funding for the remediation of the property, you have had eight years to do this work without any progress. Due to the passage of time, continued deterioration of the property and recent Property Maintenance Code violations received from the borough, the RDA has decided to convey the property to the borough, read a notice Haigis received.

One person who doesnt see the value in saving the structure is Darby Mayor Helen Thomas, who would like to see the building torn down.

We wanted it demolished so we can beautify and take care of our downtown, said Thomas, No store, no company is going to have doing anything to do with 1000 Main St. We researched it. Everything in there  it was all torn up or torn out. It is really not a historical site.

Thomas said the community needs revenue generating businesses and that wont happen with a building in the condition of 1000 Main.

I wish they (the county) wouldnt turn it over to us, because we want to have it demolished. That is just me. Im one person, said the mayor. I have to talk to the council and everybody else. It will be discussed in the coming council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Documentary

Lies and Truth: Vocational Education and Training in Xinjiang

2020/09/02

Beginning in the 1990s, terrorism driven by religious extremism wrecked havoc across northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

On the premise of creating a caliphate, terrorists committed bombings, stabbings and incited mass riots that saw hundreds of police officers killed in the line of duty and countless civilian lives lost.

Last August, China released a white paper that laid out detailed strategy in combating terrorism. The paper focused on the importance of vocational education and training centers, which were set up to redirect people away from religious extremism and provide trainees with the professional skills necessary for them to reenter society. (click the link for full text of the white paper http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/whitepaper/201908/17/content_WS5d57573cc6d0c6695ff7ed6c.html )

However, some Western politicians and media outlets kept attacking China's response to terrorism in Xinjiang. They slandered China by saying that the vocational training centers are "concentration camps" and the authorities are carrying out "indoctrination", which is completely calling white black and ill-intentioned.
United Nations also extended the Diwali greeting on the occasion. A happy and safe Diwali to all those who are celebrating!, tweeted the UN.

India at the United Nations has called for permanently removing the issue of Jammu and Kashmir under the outdated agenda item of the India-Pakistan question' from the Security Council's agenda, saying such "irrational exuberance" has no takers in a dignified world.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, India said that there is a delegation that repeatedly attempts to rebrand itself as contributing to international peace, but unfortunately fails to recognise that it is globally known for being the fountainhead of international terror and the hub for terror syndicates.

During a virtual informal meeting of the plenary on the annual report of the Security Council, Pakistan's UN envoy Munir Akram had raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Security Council has also been found lacking in implementing its own resolutions and decisions on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that the Council has met thrice during the last one year to consider the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

India, without naming Pakistan, said in a statement on August 31 that there is a delegation that repeatedly attempts to rebrand itself as contributing to international peace, but unfortunately fails to recognise that it is globally known for being the fountainhead of international terror and the hub for terror syndicates.

This delegation keeps pushing for discussions on an outdated agenda item in the Council, which for all matter needs to be removed from the Council's agenda permanently. Such irrational exuberance has no takers in a dignified world, India said on the Report of the Security Council for 2019'.

An August 3, 2020 summary statement by the Secretary-General of matters of which the Security Council is seized listed 'The India-Pakistan question' among those items that have not been considered by the Council at a formal meeting during the period from January 1, 2017 to August 1, 2020.

The agenda item India-Pakistan question' was first taken up by the Council at a formal meeting on January 6, 1948 and was last considered on November 5, 1965. Pakistan, backed by its all-weather ally' China, has been repeatedly seeking to have a discussion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the Security Council. Pakistan, backed by its all-weather ally' China, has been repeatedly seeking to have a discussion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the Security Council.

The Council had held closed consultations on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on August 16 last year after China asked for the "closed consultations" to discuss the matter. That meeting had ended without any outcome.

In January 2020, China, on behalf of Pakistan, had again made an attempt to raise the Kashmir issue under "other matters" during closed consultations in the Security Council Consultations Room. Then too, China stood alone in the Pakistani corner to get the Security Council to focus on the Kashmir issue.

In August, as India marked the first anniversary of ending the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Beijing again called for a discussion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the Security Council under 'Any Other Business'.

All these meetings ended without any outcome, as many other members of the Security Council have underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
P eople who refuse to follow coronavirus guidelines on wearing face masks could possess sociopathic traits, according to a new study by scientists in Brazil.

The research, conducted by Professor Fabiano Koich Miguel and colleagues at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, surveyed about 1,600 adults about their compliance with Covid-19 measures.

Results from the study suggested those who refused to ignore social distancing rules were more likely to have the condition sociopathy, which often makes it difficult for people to understand the feelings of others.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Professor Miguel said: Our findings indicated that antisocial traits, especially lower levels of empathy and higher levels of callousness, deceitfulness and risk-taking, are directly associated with lower compliance with containment measures.

One question participants were asked was, Do you think it is necessary to use a face mask, socially distance and wash your hands more frequently?

Those who took part in the study were divided into two groups  an empathy group and an anti-social group - depending on their responses.

The empathy group was comprised of about 1,200 people, who all showed an understanding of why they needed to follow government measures, and were interested in developing positive social interactions.

There were about 400 individuals in the anti-social group. Each of them had shown signs of societal risk to others based on their lack of concern about the effects of spreading the virus.

1,600 adults were surveyed in the research study / AP

However, Professor Miguel said the findings should be treated with some caution, according to The Times.

We cannot state that if a person chooses not to wear a facemask, the only reason is because they are a sociopath. Although this is

possible, there are likely other factors involved, he added.

Other factors include being exempt from wearing a mask because of health reasons.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a special keynote address at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) 3rd annual leadership summit on Thursday. The Prime Minister will address the summit at 9 p.m. IST through a video conference, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) shared the information on Wednesday.

The USISPF is a non-profit organization that works for the partnership between India and the US. The theme of the five-day summit that began on August 31 is "US-India Navigating New Challenges".

The theme covers various subjects such as India's potential in becoming a global manufacturing hub, opportunities in India's gas market, ease of doing business to attract Foreign Direct Index (FDI) in India, common opportunities and challenges in tech space, indo-pacific economic issues, innovation in public health and others.

Union Ministers and senior officials are also participating in the virtual summit.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sept 2 (Reuters) - The National Institutes of Health is awarding $129.3 million to nine companies to support scaling-up coronavirus testing and manufacturing new testing technologies, the U.S. health agency said on Wednesday.

The funding is part of NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative that was launched in April to speed up innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. (https://bit.ly/2YZo5w8)

NIH said three of the selected companies, MatMaCorp, Maxim Biomedical Inc and MicroGEM International, offer point-of-care tests that produce immediate results.

The remaining six - Aegis Sciences, Broad Institute, Ceres Nanoscience Inc, Illumina Inc, PathGroup and Sonic Healthcare - offer lab-based tests.

The funding will help significantly expand national testing in September, with the laboratories managing collection, analysis and reporting of tens of thousands of tests a day, the agency said in a statement.

In July, NIH made a similar contribution of $248.7 million to seven companies. "Diagnostic testing is a critical component of the nation's strategy to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic," said NIH Director Francis Collins. (Reporting by Vishwadha Chander in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Moscow, Sep 2 : Moscow and Minsk are firmly against attempts to tear Belarus away from Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here on Wednesday.

"We will respond to those who are trying to destabilize the situation in Belarus and who have been trying for many years to tear Belarus away from Russia," Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei.

Belarus, perhaps for the first time, faces a serious threat of destabilisation with active intervention from outside, Lavrov said.

Russia condemns foreign countries that exert pressure on the legitimate authorities of Belarus and openly support the opposition, he said, adding that Moscow will categorically suppress foreign attempts to organise provocation against Belarus, especially via multilateral platforms, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia sees the presidential elections in Belarus as valid and looks forward to the normalization of the situation through dialogue in the framework of the constitution and law, Lavrov said.

Moscow considers the initiative of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to carry out constitutional reforms very promising, and believes that such a political process can become a useful platform for a national dialogue, he said.

Makei said at the news conference that he expects the internal contradictions in Belarus to be resolved in the very near future and the country to "restore its long-term status of a calm, open and hospitable state in the centre of Europe." Before the start of their talks, Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Lukashenko in Moscow in the coming weeks, while Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will pay a visit to Minsk on Thursday.

Belarus has been witnessing protests after incumbent President Lukashenko won a sixth term in the August 9 elections, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Since the beginning of August, Ector County coronavirus cases have trended downward weekly. The week of July 27 to Aug. 2, the county reported 468 probable and confirmed new cases, according to the health department website. The weekly cases have continued to trend downward since that week. On the week of Aug. 24 to Aug. 30 the county reported 210 probable and confirmed cases.

On Tuesday the county reported 726 active cases with 3,492 recovered cases. The Ector County deaths from coronavirus are at 71 with a fatality rate of 1.65 percent.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 16:41 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423ed81 4 National KPK,pinangki-malasari,djoko-tjandra,bribery-case,AGO,National-Police,Bareskrim,corruption,Corruption-Eradication-Comission Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it is ready to take over prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari's case from the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) as long as it met certain requirements stipulated in the KPK Law.

The AGO arrested Pinangki in August for allegedly accepting bribes in connection with graft convict Djoko Tjandra, who had been arrested around two weeks prior after being on the run for years.

Acting KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said the KPK could take over the case if it met the requirements set out in Article 10A of the KPK Law.

"The KPK will take over the case if at least one of the conditions stipulated in Article 10A is met," Ali said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.

Article 10A of the law stipulates that the commission is eligible to take on a corruption case if it does not have any form of resolution or if it is being delayed without justifiable reasons. The KPK may also take on a case if the judicial process is deemed to be protecting perpetrators of a crime.

He said the KPK understood the public's expectations, so it had urged the AGO to carry out a transparent and objective judicial process of the case.

"The AGO should develop this case if they find more parties responsible, given that, in the end, the public will evaluate its works," Ali said.

Read also: AGO names prosecutor Pinangki money laundering suspect in connection to Djoko Tjandra case

AGO spokesperson Hari Setiyono previously refuted claims that it would hand Pinangki's case over to the KPK.

Hari said Pinangki had allegedly accepted about US$500,000 in bribes, but he did not reveal whom she is thought to have received the money from.

The AGOs supervisory unit previously said that Pinangki had committed an ethics violation by going on nine international trips to Singapore and Malaysia in 2019 without permission, allegedly to meet with Djoko, who was still at large at the time.

Deputy Attorney General Setia Untung Arimuladi had removed Pinangki from her post as an official in the planning bureau under the AGOs junior attorney general for development.

The corruption directorate of the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department had announced that it was set to question Pinangki on Wednesday.

"We'll investigate whether JST has committed any other violations of the law," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono said, referring to Djoko by his initials.

The directorate is also currently investigating the removal of the Red Notice status for Djoko from the Interpol system in 2014. (nal)
A Sample of the Cure HHT Resource Library Topics The new Resource Library significantly advances one of our primary programmatic goals of educating both patients and medical providers about this complicated and unrelenting disease that can impact entire families for generations, states Marianne Clancy, Executive Director of Cure HHT.

After months of collaboration between physicians and specialists, patient feedback, and the vetting of an entire inventory of new and updated HHT resources, Cure HHT has launched an expanded and redesigned free online Resource Library easily accessible to patients, their families and medical providers worldwide. Cure HHT is the largest HHT advocacy organization and the epicenter of the national and global effort to advocate for HHT patients and families, raise awareness, sponsor critical research, advance treatments and find a cure. The Cure HHT Resource Library can be accessed here: https://curehht.org/resource-library/

HHT (Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia), also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome, is a genetic disease that affects families for generations. As common as ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease), HHT affects 1 in 5,000 people, an estimated 1.4 million worldwide, but the disease is not well known and only 10% of those with HHT have been diagnosed. It causes malformed blood vessels in multiple organs of the body and typically begins with nosebleeds during childhood. HHT can result in stroke, brain abscess, anemia and heart failure, but proper diagnosis and treatment can prevent most of these complications.

The user-friendly Resource Library offers separate gateways for Patients and Providers, and facilitates the search for critical information with a Quick Topic Access button. The Patient Resources section aids the newly diagnosed, the knowledgeable patient or those in between. Whereas the Physician Resources are helps medical professionals navigate an HHT diagnosis for their patients with peer-reviewed and published articles, as well as simple facts to breakthrough to diagnosis. With fifteen common HHT topic areas including Anemia, Drug Therapy, Insurance and Mental Health to name a few, each category has its own section of resources to help guide user to the answers they need. For those looking for very specific articles and resources, the Resource Library also hosts an Advanced Search feature to dive deeper into a given topic area.

The new Resource Library significantly advances one of our primary programmatic goals of educating both patients and medical providers about this complicated and unrelenting disease that can impact entire families for generations, states Marianne Clancy, Executive Director of Cure HHT. The more educated and aware people are about HHT, the more we can find those who may be suffering unaware, and the faster we can advance treatments and our mission to find a cure. It all starts with awareness.

Cure HHT is the only disease advocacy group supporting HHT patients in the United States, and the only one working across international boundaries. It sponsors and produces the biennial International Scientific Research Conference, most recently held in Puerto Rico in 2019, which brings together patients, scientists and physicians and provides an opportunity for cross-fertilization of ideas and research. It also sponsors and produces The International Clinical Guidelines Conference, held most recently in Toronto in 2019, which sets the standards of care for HHT internationally, with new Guidelines to be released in June of this year. Cure HHT has helped leverage more than $34 million in research grants since 2004, and has created and monitors 28 HHT Centers of Excellence at hospitals and universities in North America.

Most recently, Cure HHT was honored to receive a two-year capacity-building grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives Rare As One Project to develop a patient-led Research Network which will accelerate its mission to find new treatments and a cure for the disease. A key driver of its success as the only international patient-led advocacy group supporting HHT patients has been its constant focus on collaboration between physicians, scientists and patients.

The Resource Library is a meeting ground for the exchange of information between the entire HHT community,  comments Clancy. It includes an incredible range of fact sheets, videos, webinars, newsletters, and scientific literature. Related items will also be accessible on each topic page including blog posts, news, and events. I am thrilled to see it launch after the extensive work to make it the comprehensive resource for HHT information online.

For information, visit http://www.curehht.org call 410-357-9932 or connect on Twitter or Facebook.

###

Editors Note:


For Scott Tekesky, his time stationed at an Army base on Oahu, Hawaii, far from his family, prepared him for the isolation of sheltering in place in his suburban Atlanta home for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When you're in the continental United States and get orders to go to Hawaii, you think beaches and palm trees," said Tekesky, a former infantry officer who left the service in 2014 as a first lieutenant. "About three or four months into getting there, you had the realization you're literally on a rock, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from the next piece of land and family. In that sense, it prepared us [for COVID-19]."

Read Next: Russian and Chinese Military Harassment Is Increasing. Should the US Be Worried?

Through the nonprofit group Team Red White and Blue, where he is now an area director, Tekesky has been connected to the veteran community. He's relied on that friendship to support him while sheltering in place the same way he relied on fellow soldiers to help him while in Hawaii.

COVID-19 has exacerbated feelings of isolation for many veterans. From anxiety about the future, to financial instability or limited socialization, the pandemic has caused a surge in demand for veteran mental health support organizations, said Erin Fletcher, director of mental and brain health services at the Wounded Warrior Project, a Florida-based nonprofit that supports injured veterans transitioning to civilian life.

"The stigma of mental health was getting in the way pre-pandemic," she said. "Now's the time; there's help and it does work."

From March to July, WWP's phone support sessions for veterans and families increased 36%, and referrals to mental health providers increased 52%. WWP has increased its mental health services, despite reshaping its programming to be wholly digital, Fletcher said.

For instance, "Project Odyssey," a 12-week workshop that brings 15 veterans together to work through mental health concerns, pivoted to being entirely online during the coronavirus pandemic.

"They're still receiving psycho-education to increase their resiliency and psychological well-being," Fletcher said

WWP sees increased digitization as a permanent new way to reach veterans who might not have been able to access mental health support before.

"This is providing quality resources that isn't just a Band-Aid," Fletcher said. "This is something that we're going to continue to offer."

The Department of Veterans Affairs has also seen a spike in virtual mental health services during the pandemic, with mental health providers in April experiencing an almost six-fold increase in calls compared with pre-pandemic days.

"VA has been increasing its mental health outreach since the beginning of the pandemic, including increased use of social media, blogs and paid media to increase veteran awareness of services," a department spokesperson said. "VA has also targeted veterans who may be at increased risk of suicide or mental illness due to COVID-19 with the development and expansion of self-help protocols, like our COVID-19 mobile app."

The pandemic ushered in a massive increase in telehealth services at the VA, even beyond mental health needs. Between February and June, the department saw a tenfold increase in clinical video visits, officials said.

While telehealth services have expanded at the VA and nonprofits, in-person veteran mental health facilities like the Boulder Crest Foundation, a nonprofit with campuses in Virginia and Arizona that helps combat veterans overcome trauma, have had to scale back some operations.

"Our Warrior PATHH [Progressive Alternative Training for Healing Heroes] program is very sought after, and we've tried to keep that running through COVID," said Ken Falke, chairman of the board at Bouldercrest.

Since the Warrior PATHH program works with groups of eight people at a time, it was possible to adapt the in-person elements to be socially distant, he said. However, Boulder Crest has stopped other programs, such as bringing family members to stay on its campus.

"Sometimes, it takes two to three months to get into one of our programs, and because we've had delays [during COVID-19,] people are waiting longer, and that adds to their anxiety," Falke said. "Isolation has gotta be one of the worst things that can happen to a human."

Tekesky fought his feelings of isolation through group fitness, which has also helped many veterans struggling with isolation and anxiety during pandemic. Team Red White and Blue is a nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta. With 192 chapters across the country, the organization builds a community for veterans through physical and social activities.

"There is a direct connection between making your physical health a priority and making sure to connect with somebody else every day, and emotional and mental health," Team RWB spokesperson Bana Miller said.

While the organization has stopped in-person activities, it has seen digital participation "skyrocket," with almost 250,000 digital event check-ins this year, she said.

"It's become an opportunity for our members to not only connect within their community but to connect across their communities," Miller said. "You might have a veteran in San Diego, who is doing a Zoom yoga session with a veteran in Virginia Beach. It's brought people closer, despite the distance, no matter where they are."

Beyond providing a sense of community during shelter-in-place orders, Team RWB has also helped people stay active when gyms closed and many spent all day at home. Its socialization and fitness programs also have worked for mental health challenges during the pandemic.

"One of the things our organization has tried to address over the last couple of years is supporting veterans as they transition away from their service," Miller said. "They're experiencing all sorts of challenges that include isolation and weight gain. And that seems to be a common experience across the country and probably around the world during this pandemic."

In March, Tekesky competed in Team RWB's digital Olympic Games. While teams competed by local chapters, the event encouraged community building within each team, rather than rivalry.

Tekesky, who sheltered at home with his wife Chelsea and 6-month-old son Sawyer, said the mindset he developed in the military helped him manage during the pandemic.

"It's just a situation that you adapt to, and that's what makes the military community so capable in a time like this," he said. "That mindset of assessing [a situation] and accepting it. But then you have to still operate in it. You can't stop; you have to keep going."

Keeping an optimistic outlook is necessary, he said. Acknowledging his feelings of anxiety about the future and then focusing on what he could control helped him stay positive and happy during the shelter-in-place order, he explained.

"It was a really tough situation, but there were definitely some nuggets of awesomeness," he said. "We got to see [Sawyer] crawl; we got to see him say his first words. And [the pandemic] has gone on so long we got to see him take his first steps."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify Fletcher's job description.

Related: Back from the Brink: 4 Veterans Who Beat COVID-19 Tell Their Stories
Imperial Valley News Center

President Trump During a Wisconsin Community Safety Roundtable

Kenosha, Wisconsin - President Trump During a Wisconsin Community Safety Roundtable:

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much everybody for being here. We took a really incredible tour, and law enforcement has just done such a great job working with the National Guard and working with a lot of people. But were here to show our support for Kenosha and Wisconsin. The state of Wisconsin has been very good to me. I love the people. Weve done a lot for the state, and we will continue to do a lot for the state. Were all in this together, and this was an example of what can happen when you do it right.

Im pleased to be joined today by Attorney General Bill Barr, who is doing a  really a fantastic job. And, Bill, thank you very much for being here.

Secretary Chad Wolf. Chad?

ACTING SECRETARY WOLF: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Chad, thank you.

Ron Johnson. Senator Ron Johnson, whos outstanding, I have to tell you. So respected within the beautiful halls of Congress, and I appreciate the great job you do, Ron. And I hope the people of Wisconsin appreciate how good a senator he is. Do they have any idea? Do they know how good he is? I think they do. Youre never going to get not elected, Ron, or Ill be very unhappy. One of the best.

And also, a young congressman thats been a warrior  true warrior. Hes been a fighter not only for some other very good causes, but for this cause. Because he was the first one to call me and say, We have a problem. And, Bryan, I want to thank you. Bryan Steil, Congressman. And you have your first reelection, and I think youre going to win it big. I hope you do. You deserve to.

Also, my former Chief of Staff  wheres Reince? Reince. Where is my Reince? Reince Priebus. Which shows that I definitely like this state, because you are a very proud citizen of right here. Youre still here. You never left  did you, huh? You never would leave. Youve done a great job. Thank you very much, Reince.

Kenosha has been ravaged by anti-police and anti-American riots. They have been hit so hard, and we were able to get involved. David Beth and Daniel Miskinis, who Ive been watching a lot on television  now, today, I got to know them both very well, and they have done an incredible job. And youre going to say a few words in a couple of minutes, and we would appreciate it.

Also Zach Rodriguez, Supervisor, Kenosha County. Zach, thank you very much, Zach. Good job. You had a rough three days, but then it got well brought into  back in, where you wanted it. Just where you wanted it.

Erin Decker, Supervisor for Kenosha. Erin. Thank you, Erin. Good job. Thank you very much.

Don Kapla, President, Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police. Don, thank you very much.

Jerry Johnson, National Trustee of the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police. Jerry, thank you.

People have done a fantastic job. Really, you have to be proud of them.

James and Sharon Ward, pastors. Where is  well, it was great speaking to you yesterday.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Sir, its my honor.

THE PRESIDENT: And youre really a very respected man, and I really enjoyed our conversation. Thank you both very much for being here. Appreciate it.

We also have a Major General Paul Knapp, who is around here someplace, but he was really right on the  right on the  thank you very much, Paul. Thank you. He has been fantastic. Paul.

And Scott and Linda Carpenter, owners of B&L Office Furniture. Scott, youre back there someplace? Thank you. Thank you very much. You got hit pretty hard, right?

MR. CARPENTER: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: You got hit pretty hard. Thats all right. Its going to get rebuilt.

Kimberly Warner, owner of the Authentique Gifts and RePourd Candle Factory. Thats a very fancy name you have there: RePourd. Thats a fancy name. But Ill bet it was beautiful. Is it  are you going to rebuild? Will you be rebuilding?

MS. WARNER: We were not destroyed, very fortunately.

THE PRESIDENT: So youll be 

MS. WARNER: But Im here representing the smaller  women in small business downtown 

THE PRESIDENT: Okay.

MS. WARNER:  and just being in support. And great thanks for saving our town.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, well be giving you some help, okay? Well be giving you some help.

John Rode, III, owner of Rodes Camera Shop. Now I was there, and that was 109 years, and  you want to say a couple of  a couple of words? Would you like to? Its a 

PARTICIPANT: You were actually at B&L (inaudible).

THE PRESIDENT: Where is he?

PARTICIPANT: This side.

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, okay. Good. John, stand up, please. A hundred and nine years?

MR. RODE: One hundred and nine years. Thank you, again, for coming. Thank you for sending the National Guard. And again, the police and the sheriffs department did an awesome job, as well as the fire department. Kept up as good as they could, so I thank them all.

THE PRESIDENT: And were going to help you. Thats a very  very complete rebuild were talking about down there. Thats incredible.

MR. RODE: Complete, yes.

THE PRESIDENT: If they wouldve responded to the first call, it wouldve been  it wouldve been a little different story. But they did respond, which is better than some governors, frankly. And once they responded and once we took, you know, control of it, things went really well. You just met some very talented people outside, and I think youre going to have clear sailing. But were going to try giving you hand.

Your insurance company  youre insured, right?

MR. RODE: Yes, we are.

THE PRESIDENT: And so theyre helping, and theyre being responsible?

MR. RODE: So far, everything is 

THE PRESIDENT: Youll let me know? (Laughter.)

MR. RODE: Yes, Ill 

THE PRESIDENT: Youll let me know. You got to let me know at the end.

And Riki Tagliapietra  Tagliapietra. Thats a beauty.

MR. TAGLIAPIETRA: Its a long one.

THE PRESIDENT: Thats a good one. Go ahead, please.

MR. TAGLIAPIETRA: Im representing  we have two businesses in downtown that were vandalized. Weve been able to rebuild, but I also represent the Downtown Kenosha, Inc. organization, who is leading the rebuilding effort for downtown and uptown. Its been  its been a struggle, but our community has been really incredible. More people have come to help than we know what to do with. But right now, what we need is financial support. Loss of business and loss of property is staggering at this point.

THE PRESIDENT: All right. Well be talking to you. Were going to be helping you with law enforcement, and were going to be helping you with some economic development. Get  get it back in shape. Get Kenosha back in shape, and well get it back in, I think, very quickly. I really think so.

And well be helped by John Morrissey, city administrator of Kenosha. John, thank you very much. John, you have your work cut out for the next little while, but youll be fine.

MR. MORRISSEY: I think we do, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Youre going to be in great shape.

And Samantha Kerkman, state representative, District 61. Thank you very much. Congratulations on doing a really great job.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE KERKMAN: Thank you so much for the resources that you sent. Our constituents werent feeling safe until 

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE KERKMAN:  until you helped out, and we appreciate that.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Great job youre doing. Appreciate it.

And Van Wanggaard, state senator, District 21  a highly respected, actually. Thank you very much.

STATE SENATOR WANGGAARD: Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Great job.

STATE SENATOR WANGGAARD: I just want to say thank you so much for your rapid response; and the fact that youre coming to a small city in the United States, and just saying that thats as important as every other city; and the fact that we did get things under control. This Guard has been phenomenal. Our law enforcement people have been working together. We usually work pretty well together in Southeastern Wisconsin 

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.

STATE SENATOR WANGGAARD:  but this really helps. And Reince has a lot of to do with that, too. You can tell, because you worked with him.

THE PRESIDENT: Good.

STATE SENATOR WANGGAARD: So thank you so much. Youre in our prayers.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. And your reputation is a great one, so thank you very much. And also, this area is a special area. We cant let that happen to this area. So we got here quickly and did the job.

Violent mobs demolished or damaged at least 25 businesses, burned down public buildings, and threw bricks at police officers  which your police officers wont stand for, and they didnt stand for it. These are not acts of peaceful protest, but really domestic terror.

My administration coordinated with the state and local authorities to very, very swiftly deploy the National Guard, surge federal law enforcement to Kenosha, and stop the violence. And I strongly support the use of the National Guard in other cities, and the same thing would be happening  if we did that, youd have the same thing happen in Portland, and it would happen very quickly. It would all be over very, very quickly.

And I just want to thank the two of you for acting so strongly and so bravely and getting it done, and the coordination has been fantastic. You still need that coordination, no matter how many people you send in.

I just came from a visit of one of the businesses that was burned down  B&L furniture, and the great 109-year-old camera shop, which I really respect, because that was a  had a reputation far beyond the state even. And its terrible to see. Several other business owners, theyre joining us, and we have some in the back also.

To stop the political violence, we must also confront the radical ideology that includes this violence. Reckless, far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist. Theyll throw out any word that comes to them.

Actually, we must give far greater support to our law enforcement. Its all about giving them additional support. These are great people. These are great, great people. These are brave people. Theyre fighting to save people that they never met before, in many cases. And theyre incredible.

We must really be thankful that we have them, and we have to help them do their jobs. We cant be threatening them with their pensions are going to be taken away, their job is going to be taken away, everything is going to be taken away  theyre going to be living a bad life if they utter an incorrect word. You cant do it. We have to have our law enforcement.

We cherish our law enforcement. We wouldnt be here without our law enforcement. Even me, Im here today  I feel so safe. And you went through hell, just a few days ago. But I feel so safe. I better be safe, right? I better be safe. But were all safe, and were safe because of law enforcement. And we honor you. And I will say this: We have to condemn the dangerous, anti-police rhetoric. Its getting more and more. Its very unfair.

You have some bad apples. We all know that. And those will be taken care of through the system. And nobody is going to be easy on them either.

And you have people that choke. Theyre under tremendous  I said it yesterday, I said it last night: Theyre under tremendous pressure. And they may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record. And all of a sudden, theyre faced with a decision. They have a quarter of a second  quarter of a second  to make a decision. And if they make a wrong decision, one way or the other, theyre either dead or theyre in big trouble. And people have to understand that. They choke sometimes.

And its a very tough situation, right? Its a very tough  then people call them bad and horrible. And they made a bad decision. But if you think of it, when they have  and I know you practice this all the time, where you give people literally a quarter of second to make a decision, and a lot of them cant make that right decision. Its a very tough thing to do.

The vast and overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable, courageous, and devoted public servants. Theyre incredible. Yet, many politicians ignore their sacrifice and ignore the African American and Hispanic American victims.

We have people  there was love on the streets, I can tell you, of Wisconsin when we were coming in. There was love on the streets. And so many African Americans, Hispanic Americans, I can see waving. Pastor, it was so beautiful to see. They want to have  they want to have safety. They want to have safety.

You look at  Im not a huge believer in polls obviously, but you look at polls where theres 87 percent want to have great police. They want to have strong police. They want to have safety. Theyre the ones that are most affected by tragedies like youll see going around.

When these allegations of police wrongdoing  and when you see that they have made allegations, they must be fully and fairly investigated, and thats what were doing. Bill Barr has done a fantastic job in that respect. And we fully understand that because you do  you do have problems the other way, but theyre very few.

You know, the sad thing is you can do 10,000 great jobs as a policeman or a policewoman. You can do an incredible job for years, and then you have one bad apple or something happens thats bad. And thats the nightly news for three weeks. Thats all they talk about. They dont talk about the thousands and thousands of good jobs. The lives that you save, they never talk about.

So Im committed to helping Kenosha rebuild. We all are. We will provide $1 million to the Kenosha law enforcement so that you have some extra money to go out and do what you have to do. You took a rough  it was a rough week, to put it mildly. And youve done it incredibly well.

Im also providing nearly $4 million to support the small businesses that I talked about today that got burned up  burned down. And were going to be providing over $42 million to support public safety statewide, including direct support for law enforcement and funding for addition prosecutors to punish criminals and resources to provide services to victims of crime. And that was Bill Barr wanted that money put in. So thats $42 million. Thatll help with prosecutors and all of the other things that are so important to you. You need that. Because when you  when you grab them, and then nothing happens, and theyre back on the street, that doesnt work out too well.

My administration is restoring public safety. Were hiring more police, surging tough-on-crime federal prosecutors, increasing penalties for assaulting law enforcement and for dismantling Antifa. It doesnt  they dont want to mention the word Antifa. Nobody mentions that. This is a bad group of people. Very, very bad, very dangerous people. And we are doing a big number on Antifa. Theyre bad.

Earlier this year, we announced Operation LeGend to surge federal law enforcement to high-crime neighborhoods. It is a thing that has really worked out amazingly well, Bill. But its really under  sort of, really, understated in a sense. Weve already conducted more than 1,000 arrests in our first month in Chicago. We went to Chicago very recently. Obviously, thats been a disaster  Chicago  total disaster  with, again, radical-left Democrat. And we just have to straight-  its all Democrat. Everything is Democrat.

All of these problems are Democrat cities. We dont want to say it, but it is. The top 10 are Democrat. Then you go into the top 25, and take a look at that: Its the same thing.

We cut the number of murders in Chicago last month in half. Its still way too many, but they  Operation LeGend was very, very, very successful. Now its just really getting going, but they cut it in half and just  at its very early stage.

This is in sharp contrast to those who want to slash police funding, oppose using the National Guard, and want to hire radical judges and prosecutors who will release rioters, looters, and criminals. We have that in Portland, where the prosecutors dont want to do anything. You can catch somebody doing the worst crime, and they dont want to do anything. So were very, very upset about that.

So were not going to be cut police funding. If you look at what they want to do, they want to cut police funding. We want to increase police funding substantially. They want to end cash bail, which has been a killer for New York. If you look at whats happening in New York, they allowed thousands of people out of jail in New York, and theyre walking around, and theyre causing nothing but problems. Who would not know that? You dont have to know anything about policing. Im not a policeman, but I would know that. If you let these people out, many of them are going to cause tremendous problems.

So they want to end cash bail; incentivize prison closures  they want to close the prisons so it cant hold anybody; reimagine public safety; end immigration enforcement; resume catch-and-release at the border.

As Chad will tell you, weve had tremendous success on the border. Were up to over 300 miles of border wall, and were having the best years weve ever had in the border. People are coming in, but they only come in legally, or they  for the most part, they only come in legally. The wall will be finished very shortly. Its had a tremendous impact.

And the other thing: We want to appoint Supreme Court justices and judges. Well be up to almost 300 judges by the end of the term, and two Supreme Court justices.

And so we have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of great things to do. But its an honor to be in your neighborhood. Its an honor to be in your great state, Wisconsin. And were here for you all the way.

Some people thought it would be a good thing for me to come, a bad thing. I just wanted to come  I really came today to thank law enforcement and to just really  what theyve  what youve done has been incredible. Its been really inspiring, because you see it happening all over, and it just never seems to end. And it never seems to end because its almost as though they dont want it to end, because you ended it really fast.

And, Congressman, I want to thank you for the job you did. You were the first call, and I want to thank you very much, Bryan. Great  really great job.

With that, Id like to introduce Bill Barr, Attorney General of the United States. Say a few words. Thank you.

ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: Thank you, Mr. President. As most of you know, whenever there is an officer-involved shooting in our country, its reviewed by local authorities to ensure that it was reasonable force. And when there are questions raised about it, the federal government also  the Justice Department also reviews it.

And like all procedures and processes in our country, we do it under due process. And we try to reach a dispassionate, reasoned decision based on an analysis of the situation. We do not allow judgments to be reached because of mob violence. We do not have mob violence in this country make our decisions over the fate of individuals when their actions are challenged.

And when this shooting occurred here in Kenosha, under the direction of the President, we told the DOD  the Defense Department  to get ready some National Guard units in case they were needed to help here. And from several states, volunteered to supply National Guard if they were needed.

And the President directed me to assemble a group of federal law enforcement that could be dispatched here, which we did, and staged them in Chicago. And we were picking up information that these violent instigators were coming to Kenosha. They were coming from California, Washington State, a lot from Chicago, and they were coming up to Kenosha. So we expected matters to get worse.

The violence that erupted shortly after this shooting is simply not a legitimate response to a police shooting. And the looting and the arson were unacceptable. And as it progressed, it became more and more distant from the issue of racial justice. It was violence for violences sake.

And once again, we saw the hijacking of a protest by a hardcore group of radicals who were carrying out, planning a coordinated, violent attack on law enforcement, on public property, and on private property. And that cant be tolerated.

These are the same people, many of them who came from out of town. Out of 175 arrests, 100 were from out of town. And some  these are the same people using the same tactics that have been used in various cities: Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, now Kenosha, Portland. And they use these black-bloc tactics; throwing projectiles at police and literally trying to inflict injuries on police, arson, and rioting.

They came equipped as  even the mayor of Washington acknowledged  they come equipped to fight. And its completely unacceptable, and the state is the first line of defense. If local leaders are committed to keeping the public safe, it can be done.

And while its slow in getting off the starting block, this is an example that when you have the local political leadership backing the police, you have the state willing to put in the resources in terms of National Guard, and the federal government able to come up with support such as the FBI, the Marshals, and ATF who have some special skills and forensic ability to help, there will be peace on the streets.

And theres going to be accountability. What people dont see is that, in all of these cities, there are task forces of federal and state officers reviewing all the video that we can get our hands on. And when we are able to identify people who committed crimes in these riots, going all the way back to the beginning, whether theyre burning police cars or throwing rocks at people  which are deadly  they will be prosecuted. Thats a large-scale effort, and its going to continue.

So I can  I can tell you, Mr. President, that as far as the federal government is concerned, we welcome the opportunity to work with state and local to deal with this public safety issue.

Law enforcement is used to working together. We do a good job when were allowed to work together. This is no different than dealing with violent crime where we work together. We can achieve results. And the federal government is willing to use all our tools and all our laws to bring these people to justice.

Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Youre doing a great job, Bill. Thank you.

Senator Ron Johnson, from your wonderful state. And he is one of the great senators, I can tell you that, in the U.S. Senate. Hes one of the best.

Ron, please.

SENATOR JOHNSON: Theres no doubt what youve been talking about in terms of decisiveness, the resolve, the surging of resources. I think 44 different counties sent representatives from different sheriff departments that really helped stop the rioting and bring peace to the streets.

But we have, you know, Pastor Ward and his wife. And I reached out because I was just so appreciative of Julie Jacksons words of forgiveness and of healing. And so you combine the proper role of law enforcement, the support for law enforcement, with people that also want to end the violence, that are willing to forgive and are willing to offer those words of healing. So I thought that was very powerful.

I was really appreciative. And, Mrs. Ward, thanks for talking to me, and then, you know, Pastor Ward, thanks for calling me back.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Pleasure.

SENATOR JOHNSON: But thats also incredibly important is, here in Wisconsin  a little bit of an aside, but Charles Krauthammer once gave a speech here and he said: You always hear Minnesota nice; I say Wisconsin even nicer. (Laughter.) And its true. I mean, we are nice people. We have common sense. We all share the same goal: we all want a safe, a prosperous, but secure, Kenosha, Wisconsin, America. So we really do share the same goals. So, as important  and it is: Its so important to support law enforcement.

And my message to the folks out here is that its a very small percentage of the American population that are  that are doing the rioting, that are trying to defend the police. The vast majority of Americans are so appreciative of the service and the sacrifice and the help they get from law enforcement.

So Im trying  I dont want law enforcement be dispirited at all because the vast majority of Americans are for you, the vast majority of Wisconsinites. But at the same time, it takes American citizens to offer those words of forgiveness and trying to attain that type of unity and healing.

So, again, Mr. President, I thank you for coming here  for coming here to thank law enforcement, to support law enforcement, but also coming here just to support the citizens of Kenosha and Wisconsin as we rebuild  as we recover from something that the vast majority of people abhor and do not support.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Ron. Appreciate it.

Congressman, please. Bryan Steil.

REPRESENTATIVE STEIL: Mr. President, I appreciate you being here. As events spiraled out of control, people started calling me. They were scared. They were nervous. They were concerned about their safety, their familys safety, their home, their place of employment, and they were looking for where to turn.

And it was very clear from talking to folks here in the city of Kenosha, local elected leaders, that we needed additional resources in the community of Kenosha immediately.

Thats ultimately why I called you on Tuesday morning. And after only seven minutes, you got on the phone with me, and you said, Bryan, Im there for the people of Kenosha. And the people of Kenosha, everyone that called me, wanted public safety here in this community, and they wanted it immediately. They didnt care if the help was Democrat, Republican, or from the man on the Moon.

But what you did is made the call and said, Enoughs enough. We need to get resources into the community of Kenosha. And, ultimately, when that offer was accepted, I think it became very clear to the criminal element that they knew that Kenosha meant business.

We made some significant arrests in conjunction with local law enforcement, working very well with the federal government hand-in-glove, when I talk to folks in law enforcement here in Kenosha.

And when the federal government works hand-in-hand with the state and with local government, you can get a lot done. And I think it speaks volumes about the people here in the community of Kenosha. This is a hardworking, family-loving town that wants safety in their community.

And one more piece is: Ive had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the men and women in law enforcement, those on the frontlines. I spoke to a gentleman that had a brick thrown at him. Ive spoken to law enforcement officers who had horrific words said about them. And these men and women are members of our community that wake up every day, put the badge over their heart, walk out the door, sworn to answer the call to protect our community.

And I think you coming and saying thank you to those men and women in law enforcement speaks volumes. And today we have public safety restored. We appreciate all the work you did on that. And now we begin the work of healing and rebuilding Kenosha to make Kenosha stronger than its ever been before.

THE PRESIDENT: Good.

REPRESENTATIVE STEIL: We thank you very much for being here, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Bryan. Great job.

David Beth, Sheriff, please.

SHERIFF BETH: Mr. President, thank you so much for being here.

When this started Sunday night, we knew it was going to get worse, but we really didnt know how bad. And theres no way that one, or in our case, two agencies can work together to fight what happened.

When we put out the call initially to the state and local law enforcement here, it was a tremendous response, but it still wasnt enough on Monday night. The National Guard started coming on Monday night and started helping us. And their numbers kept growing.

And we called Bryan on Tuesday morning early, the leaders of Kenosha, and we said, Well take help from whoever will send it our way. Well  we want to protect the people of Kenosha, the city of Kenosha, the county of Kenosha. We want to protect it. And Bryan said, Im going to make a phone call. And a short time later, we knew that the resources of the United States, of the federal government, and of the President were on its way. And we knew that it took a little  a little discussion between state and federal levels. And were very thankful that it worked out because, as I said, I didnt care who I got help from; I wanted resources here.

And after it was approved  and I got the word that the President said, Whatever you need, its coming. And I had some of  some very, very important people from Washington tell me the President  I have to report to the President, Mr. Barr, and tell him what does the sheriff want. And the resources just kept coming, the people kept coming. The gratitude kept coming for  and I heard stories, and I probably shouldnt share this, but some people that were in Portland that werent treated as good as they were treated here, and they said, We cant believe what a different place this is because of how we all worked together, rather than not wanting to work together at all.

So, thank you for being the President that likes law enforcement. On behalf of law enforcement, Im telling you, the group thats here  I hope you could feel the love that they have for you and everybody who came.

And its quite an operation to watch, to be part of. And truthfully, in my life  in my life, I never thought I would see anything like this, and hopefully I never have to see this again. But the resources that, in this case, the federal government and you provided, and Mr. Barr and Mr. Johnson, and people here, its unbelievable what we have here right now. And its all to protect the people of Kenosha. And I still  Ill take any help I can get, and I thank you for it.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Sheriff. Ill tell you, youve done a great job. And, you know, just if theyre watching a Portland or a Chicago or New York or any one of other cities that were talking about  but Portland, probably, would be so easy; maybe that would be the first one because I see it. Every night, its on the news; its burning. And theyre always playing games. And, I dont know  then he gets up and says, Were trying to work together. And the whole thing is  then they wanted to burn down his house last night  the mayor.

But were ready, willing, and able to send in, you know, a massive group of people that are really highly trained. You saw that 

SHERIFF BETH: Theyre here.

THE PRESIDENT:  in your experience, right? And we could solve that problem in less than an hour in Portland. So I hope they call. Eventually, theyll call.

And at some point, Bill, well just have to do it ourselves. Were going to have to do something thats  that I think the people will be extremely happy with. Maybe the mayor wont and maybe the governor wont, but I dont know if they know what theyre doing. Its just so sad to watch it happen.

But, here, you acted and acted appropriately.

Please, Daniel. Go ahead.

CHIEF MISKINIS: Mr. President, first of all, thank you for the support. Thank you for coming to what is small-town America. Kenosha has 100,000 people. By national standards, were still small.

But what you also have here is a reaction to  is an attack on small-town America. The tactics that are being used across this nation to attack law enforcement are warfare-type tactics, and we still use restraint and function within our rules. So those two together, theres not a tit for a tat; those arent equal.

So with the ability of the National Guard to come out and to assist us, with the tremendous outpouring of support from the federal assets from every department that has come out, we were  excuse me  we were able to restore peace, and were working toward order and healing and growth.

And as part of what is going on in the world, police scrutiny is not a bad thing. Police  or attacks on the police and the things that are happening that lead to riots, thats not about police scrutiny. Thats not about anything else.

THE PRESIDENT: Thats right.

CHIEF MISKINIS: Those are legitimate attacks.

So what worked for us was: We certainly had a unified command; we had a unified mission that normally takes some time to build. But instantly, between myself and the sheriff and the local leaders, city administration, county, we pulled together, we worked with the city, we worked with the state. We worked with officers from southeast of here  and theres not a lot southeast of Wisco-  or of Kenosha  to the northwest corner of the state. We had people from two steps away from Canada sending officers down here.

So the response here in the law enforcement community was tremendous. And everybody I talked to was here to help restore peace and order for the good people of Kenosha. And thank you for helping us with that.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Daniel. Great job you did. Thank you. And you two work together beautifully. Its really good. Really good job.

Please, Chad.

ACTING SECRETARY WOLF: Well, thank you, Mr. President. Americans need and deserve both law enforcement and public safety, regardless of where they live and regardless of their politics.

The decrease in violence that weve seen here in Kenosha over the last several days is really just a prime example of how federal, state, and local law enforcement can work together. Its really a model that we can replicate elsewhere  Portland and other cities across the country.

And this administration, Mr. President, youve been very clear that if cities need help, if they need assistance, if they need resources and capabilities beyond their reach, all they have to do is call law enforcement, the federal government, and we will be there.

DHS partners not only with the Department of Justice but with local communities every day to protect the citizens of those communities. Were providing law enforcement here in Kenosha some assistance until youre able to rebuild and get back on your feet. So, we certainly want to extend our appreciation for what you do.

And let me just say, the attacks on law enforcement recently  Ive been very vocal about that  are very disgusting. We need to thank our men and women of law enforcement. They put on a badge and a uniform every day. Theyre attacked every day for simply wearing that uniform and doing their job.

So, again, on behalf of the 240,000 men and women of the department, I want to say thank you to the local law enforcement for doing your job and protecting your communities.

Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Really nice. Thank you.

Pastors, would you like to say a prayer?

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Id love to have that because you are so highly thought of in the area.

So, please, James, Sharon. Please.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Father, we come to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we thank you for this time that youve divinely ordained.

Father, we ask you to forgive us all when weve strayed from your ways and where weve not acknowledged your word. We ask that you would continue to cause this nation to be one nation, under God; that you alone are the one who can make us individual  indivisible. And by being indivisible, there will be liberty and justice for all.

We simply pray that you would bring our nation back to you; that your word will be dominant; that you would cause us to walk in love, to live in love, restore empathy and compassion, kindness, concern for each other.

Lord, I pray for our President, as your word says that you would strengthen him and continue to give him the wisdom and the heart to lead during this time, as well as all of the leaders that are here. We give ourselves to you, and we ask you for your good hand to be upon us.

In the name of Jesus, our Lord, we pray. Amen.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Sharon, would you like to say something?

PASTOR SHARON WARD: I would. I think Im here, first of all, representing intercessors and people that are praying. Just really, I think we need to mobilize people of prayer to pray for this country.

And also, I think its important to have black people at the table to help, you know, solve the problem. And also, I think James and I, our prayer is that were able to work to really bring about a change. I think theres a lot of great change thats been mentioned here of how law enforcement has quickly solved the problem of the crime in the street, but I think theres  I think this is a good opportunity for us to really solve the problem in the nation. And I think James and I could help with that.

THE PRESIDENT: Thats really well put.

Yes, James?

PASTOR JAMES WARD: And, Mr. President, if I may add, being the only pastors in the room, if I could maybe just share a little bit from a different perspective that I think would bring balance.

I have a great friend, who is Chief Tony Scarpelli, the chief of police in the town where our church is.

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: And I talk about the partnership between pastors and police, and I often tell Tony that if we can do our job well, it will make his job easier. Thats because there are three types of law that govern a society: Theres spiritual law, moral law, and civil law. Most of the conversation here today has been about civil law, but until we can really focus on spiritual and moral law and change the hearts of people 

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

PASTOR JAMES WARD:  well have to continue to  to build bigger jails and bigger pris-  prisons until we can bring our nation back to the place of spiritual and moral law.

We certainly want to honor Julia Jackson. Were her pastors. Were not the pastor of the entire family, but we want her 

THE PRESIDENT: Please. You know that.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Yes, sir. I will give her your regards.

THE PRESIDENT: You know that. Thank you.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: And we certainly pray for Jacobs continued healing, and we pray for peace.

But I just want to offer to you, Mr. President, that Jesus himself says, Blessed are the peacemakers. And we want to help be of service to you and to our nation of having these conversations of how do we rebuild the foundations of spirituality and morality which gives us the context of love. If you give a righteous, good, moral man the launch codes to our nuclear arsenal, everyone will be safe because hes a good man. But if you give a malicious man who is immoral an ink pen, you have to fear for your life.

I would just want to say that were here to be of service to you and to our country, to bring unity. We believe that we can help to listen with empathy and compassion to the real pain that  that hurts black Americans. But we want to be of service to you and to our nation to do whatever we can to bring true healing, true peace, and to really see Gods very best in our nation. Were here, available  were available anytime you will call upon us.

THE PRESIDENT: So you know what I think? I think youre an incredible couple. I really do.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: I think youre an incredible couple.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: And thank you very much for being here.

PASTOR JAMES WARD: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Really  really great. Beautiful.

Do you have any questions, please?

Q Mr. President, you mentioned to Attorney General Barr just now that, maybe, at some point, youd have to go in on your own. Is that a suggestion that youd like to send in federal agents to cities like Portland or Chicago 

THE PRESIDENT: No, its not. But 

Q  without that 

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.

Q  permission?

THE PRESIDENT: No, its not. Its just that were tired of watching every night with Portland. Theyre on night 104 now. And were tired of watching it, because it could be solved in an hour. And were tired of watching a mayor that has no clue whats going on.

And people are calling our office and people are calling Washington that live in Portland and live in the state, and theyre saying, Please, please send help. And the governor  we call the governor often, and they say, No, we dont need your help. But I say, Your community is burning down. They dont need our help.

I dont know if thats political. I dont know what is going on  certainly not common sense  but we could solve it. Just like here, we all worked together. We came in  the federal government, the state government, the city government  everybody worked together. The senator, the congressmen  it was like a beautiful thing. It just came  it just worked, and it was done almost instantly. People were amazed.

And, as you probably will have to report  maybe people are surprised  theres been zero problem in terms of your safety, our safety. I feel so safe. Four  four or five days ago, James, we couldnt have done this. The law enforcement has been so great. And we could do this in Portland so quickly, so easily it would  it would be incredible.

We would have done it in Seattle. We were all set to go into Seattle, as you know, the following day. And they heard that, and they sent the police in, and the police did a good job. But they  the people gave up. They were exhausted. They were there for a long time. And they gave up. They were exhausted.

So were there. I mean, wed love to help Oregon. Wed love to help  really love to help Portland because we could solve their problem so easily. We have the people; theyre ready. They could be there in less than an hour  less than an hour  and it would all end.

And they got a glimpse of that in this great state. They got a really good glimpse of it. It happened very quickly. And now, I mean, I see it. Theyre already rebuilding. Youre already rebuilding your stores. Youll be rebuilding your store soon. Your camera shop.

So, we dont want to do that, but at some point, were going to have to do it. Were going to have to do it. Okay?

Q Mr. President, can you tell me what you would say to the Blake family? I know you didnt get a chance to talk to them, but what would you say to them in terms of the pain theyre going through, and the questions they have about what happened?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that. Thats why I was so honored to meet the pastors. I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that.

As you know, its under investigation. Its a big thing happening right now. I guess its under a local investigation. And I know, Bill, youre also participating. But its under your local investigation group unit, and I hope they come up with the right answer. Its a complicated subject, to be honest with you. But I feel terribly for anybody that has to go through 

And I didnt get to speak to the mother. I hear shes a fine woman. Ive heard that from the pastor  a really fine woman. But you can see, when I spoke to the pastors, I see exactly what it is. And they understand where I am. And if we can help, were going to help.

But it is a question. Its under investigation. A lot of things happened with that  and other things, frankly, that were looking at very, very closely. Okay?

Q Mr. President, Kenosha police do not wear body cameras. Should every police officer in the United States wear a body camera?

THE PRESIDENT: A body cam? Well, thats very interesting. Let me ask Bill to answer that question. Go ahead, Bill.

ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: Well, generally, thats  thats a local issue for each police force in each community  the political leaders of a community to decide upon.

But I think most law enforcement people I know who were originally skeptical of body cameras are now coming around to feeling that they actually are a net benefit.

Q Ive got a question for the pastors, if I might.

THE PRESIDENT: Its a very tough  you know, its a very  the whole thing with the body cam: You read it, and you read two sides of the story.

How do you feel about it, Daniel?

CHIEF MISKINIS: I believe that body cameras would be very helpful for us.

THE PRESIDENT: Do you think theyre good?

CHIEF MISKINIS: I believe they show both sides where, right now, officers would be vindicated for some of the things that theyve been accused of, and certainly, if there were inappropriate actions, those would be captured.

THE PRESIDENT: But you overall 

CHIEF MISKINIS: I support them. How about you?

MR. JOHNSON: Were good with it. Were  its already been put into the budget for 2021, and 

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, so youll be having them?

MR. JOHNSON: Well be having them.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good. They like them.

Q A question to the pastors? The problem of police violence has been described as just the problem of a few bad apples, repeatedly.

THE PRESIDENT: Youre going to have to speak up, please.

Q Yeah. The problem of police violence has been described by you, including the President, as just bad apples  a few bad apples, or people who choke occasionally. Some African American community leaders and a lot of others, actually, have said its systemic. Where do you stand on that?

THE PRESIDENT: I dont believe that. No, I dont believe that. I think the police do an incredible job, and I think you do have some bad apples. I think youd agree, every once in a while youll see something. And you do have the other situation too, where theyre under this tremendous pressure, and they dont handle it well. They call it choking, and it happens.

And  no, but I dont believe that at all. I think theyre  Ive met so many police. I have the endorsement of, like, so many  maybe everybody. And, frankly, I think theyre incredible people. They want to do the right thing. Its a tough job. Its a tough job. Its a dangerous job.

But I have to say this to the police: The people of our country love you. You dont hear that. You dont hear it from them. But the people of our country love you, and they respect you, and they  and you know it; you feel it in your heart, or you wouldnt be doing it  or you wouldnt be doing it. But theres a great love. And when they see what goes on, and when they see a case like this, where it solves so quickly, they respect the police a lot. Really, a lot. So you should hear it at least.

Q Mr. President, to follow on that, were focusing on violent actions, but there have been countless non-violent protests here in Wisconsin and across the country this summer. People calling for an end to systemic racism. Do you believe systemic racism is a problem in this country?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you know, you just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence that weve seen in Portland, and here, and other places. Its tremendous violence. You always get to the other side: Well, what do you think about this or that?

The fact is that weve seen tremendous violence, and we will put it out very, very quickly, if given the chance, and thats what this is all about.

Yeah, I keep hearing about peaceful protests. I hear it about everything, and then I come into an area like this, and I see the town is burned down. I mean, you look at Minneapolis: They should have acted much quicker. When we got the National Guard in there, it took, literally, a half an hour. You saw the scene. They formed. They walked. It was over. And they havent had a problem of any consequence since.

Their police werent allowed to do the job that they could do. They have a very good police department, but they werent allowed. Now they want to break it up. They want to end it. They dont want to have a police department. They want to not only defund, they want to get rid of it. Its ridiculous.

So I just say this: that the kind of violence that I saw, you may have protesters, but you have some really bad people too. You have anarchists, and you have the looters, and you have the rioters. You have all types. You have agitators.

And thats what you should be focusing on with your question. I keep hearing about peaceful protests. Its become  really, I think its hurt the media very badly. Because youll have somebody standing on one of the networks  I wont say which one, but there are more than one; many of them  saying how its a peaceful protest, and over the shoulder, you see the whole place is burning down. Its become a pretty common sight.

So I dont view the peaceful protest. I think peaceful protesting is fantastic. I think its great. But, by and large, this is not peaceful protest when you walk into an area and you see buildings that are burned down. And, fortunately, here, we stopped it early, and so the damage is relatively minimal.

But when you look at some of these areas that they just dont ask for the help, they refuse to allow us to go in and help them. And by the time you get there, the place is disintegrated. And then they say it was a peaceful protest. Its not a peaceful protest, and you shouldnt call it a peaceful protest.

Okay, one more, please.

Q For the pastors  can the pastors answer my question? My question was to the pastors.

Q (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Say it again.

Q The peaceful protests that have happened 

THE PRESIDENT: Youre going to have to speak up, sir.

Q The peaceful protests that have happened, you have acknowledged some of them are peaceful. Theyre calling for structural change. Mr. Blake was shot seven times in the back.

THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

Q Do you believe that there is a need for structural change? What is your message to the people who are protesting peacefully?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think people are calling for structural change, and then you could take the people of Kenosha that arent here and that you wont see and that arent protesting, but they want change also. They want to see law and order. Thats the change they want. They want law and order. They want the police to be police. They want the police to do what they do better than anybody else in the world, and thats what they want too.

You dont see them marching, and you dont see them on the streets, but what they want is: They want great police force. They want people that are going to keep them safe, where their houses arent broken into, where theyre not raped and murdered. Thats what they want. And theyre protesters too, but they dont walk down the street  up and down the street. So, you know, just the way it is. Just the way it is.

So I want to thank you all, and Ill see you back at the plane. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Great job. Fantastic job. Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested an alleged drug peddler from Mumbai in connection with Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. He is said to be associated with the late actor's house manager Samuel Miranda.

A senior NCB official requesting anonymity, said that the drug law enforcement agency has arrested Abdul Basit Parihar from the Bandra area here. The official said that the arrest was made after it started its investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput case at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the drug angle came to the fore.

The ED in its request to the NCB said that there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation. The raids came in the wake of the arrest of two drug-peddlers in Mumbai three days ago as the NCB, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) burned the midnight oil to unravel the drug mafia connection with the celebrities.

The NCB on the intervening night of August 27 and 28 carried out raids in Mumbai and two persons, namely Abbas Lakhani and Karn Arora were arrested, and the seizure of 'bud' (curated marijuana) was affected from their possession.

The official said that the detailed network analysis and the follow up investigation, uncovered the linkages of Lakhani with one Zaid Vilatra.

"After due procedure and taking evidence on record, Vilatra was apprehended," the official said, adding that the NCB also recovered Rs 9.55 lakh and foreign currency $ 2,081, 180 British Pound and 15 Dirham was recovered from him.

The official further said that Vilatra disclosed the amount as proceeds of drug peddling. The official said, "During questioning Vilatra disclosed that he runs an eatery shop in Bandra, which was not giving any pecuniary gains since lockdown." The official said that Vilatra also disclosed that he is into drug peddling, especially bud, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money. "Based on Vilatra interrogation, Parihar was made to join the investigation. It was learnt that linkages of Parihar with the earlier accused persons on preliminary inquiry based on the details submitted by the ED, were found," the official said.

NCB source said that Parihar had connections with Samuel Miranda, who was also the close associate of Rhea Chakraborty. Miranda is accused of procuring drugs on the instructions of Rhea's brother Showik.

The development comes days after the NCB registered a case against Rhea, her brother Showik, talent manager Saha, Sushant's co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa based hotelier Gaurav Arya under Sections 20 (b) 28, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The NCB registered the case after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrote to it on Tuesday after the WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda and Pithani came to light.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
Asylum seekers can apply to the government for emergency financial help, a government minister has insisted following the death of a Ugandan woman in Glasgow who was receiving no money due to her immigration status.

Mercy Baguma, 34, was said to be living in extreme poverty in the city when she was discovered dead alongside her malnourished baby son by police last weekend.

The work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey suggested destitute asylum seekers could apply to the Home Office for Section 4 support  5 a day and emergency accommodation  if they have no recourse to any benefits.

When people are in very difficult situations there are ways the government can help, but it may need an application from them, she told Sky News. People without recourse to public funds can apply to the government  so they can get support.

Asked by host Kay Burley for her response to Bagumas death as a human being, Ms Coffey repeated: When people are in difficult situations like that  there are ways they can access that help.

The SNPs deputy leader Keith Brown said he found Ms Coffeys remarks absolutely appalling accusing her of refusing to show any compassion over the death.

The MSP also said Ms Coffey had told the Scottish parliament she would not attend its social security committee hearing on the case.

Glasgows Positive Action in Housing (PAIH) charity said Ms Baguma had lost her job after her leave to remain status in the UK had expired and she was no longer allowed to work.

She had then claimed asylum, but had not been receiving any asylum support from the Home Office.

The Home Office  now investigating the death  declined to disclose when she had claimed asylum, and why she hadnt been in receipt of financial support.

Ms Coffey also said more than half of staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are back in work, with 799 of her departments 804 sites now open.

She said hoped that children returning to school would give parents more opportunities to go back to the office.

It comes amid a government push for civil servants to lead from the front and get back to their desks, as Downing Street attempts to encourage people back to the workplace.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty

Its important that employers and employees have that discussion about Covid-safe environments, Ms Coffey told BBC Breakfast. Therell be more opportunities for parents to go back into the office if thats what is the best thing for them and their employer.

The minister also hailed the governments new 2bn kickstart scheme aimed at helping young people into work as the labour market.

Businesses are able sign up to use the scheme from Wednesday, with the government paying employers 1500 to set up support and training for 16 to 24-year-olds.
Coronavirus is a key line of attack in Joe Biden's effort to topple the Trump presidency, so you would have thought he'd have his lines straight by now.

Biden managed to fumble his words as he spoke from a Pennsylvania steel mill on Monday.

While seemingly trying to say that coronavirus is 'the worst pandemic for 100 years', the former Vice President actually told bemused viewers: 'COVID has taken this year, just since the outbreak, has taken more than 100 years Look. Heres The lives Its just I mean, think about it.

'More lives this year than any year in the past 100 years,' he concluded, going back to the script.

Trump's claimed in a Fox News interview Tuesday that Biden had an 'enhancement' to help him in Democratic debates and demanded a drug test before their first debate on September 29. He made the same demand of Hillary Clinton to no effect.

The president himself is being hit with questions about his mental health after denying that he had suffered a series of mini-strokes.

Joe Biden fluffed his lines as he tried to speak about the impact of coronavirus on Monday, saying: 'COVID has taken this year, just since the outbreak, has taken more than 100 years'

The gaffe was picked up on by Eric Trump, who retweeted the video while making a jibe at Biden's mental state

Biden had used the rest of his speech to attack Trump's record on 'law and order', which had become central to his fight to win four more years in the White House.

The gaffe echoes dozens of times that Biden, 77, fumbled his words during the Democrat primaries, raising fears among voters that he is not fit to take on Trump.

Video of his latest error was picked up on by Eric Trump, who retweeted it along with the caption: 'This is why the Biden campaign doesnt want him to leave his basement.

'This guy isnt playing with a full deck and it is so irresponsible that the media covers this up.'

The president's second son is currently trying to fight off a subpoena from the New York state attorney general as part of an investigation into whether the Trump Organization manipulated property values in a tax and bank fraud attempt, and concealed at least $100 million in income from tax authorities.

Biden's speech focused on the sometimes violent protests that have rocked the US in the wake of George Floyd's killing, Biden denounced rioters, looters, and those causing violence - saying it is 'not protesting' and 'needs to stop'.

He also attacked Trump for 'stoking violence in our cities' and rubbished the Republican's attempts to link his party to the worst of the disorder.

'Ask yourself, do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?' he said, before adding: 'I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same.'

The Trump camp retweeted the footage amid questions over the president's own mental state, after suggestions that he has suffered mini-strokes

Trump has angrily hit out at suggestions about his ailing health, instead suggesting that Biden is the one who is suffering

Eric Trump tweeted the video of Biden's gaffe at a time when questions were also being raised about Trump's health, amid claims he had a series of mini-strokes.

Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter, seeming to blame a book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt as the source of the story - though Schmidt said he never mentioned mini-strokes.

'It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes,' he tweeted.

'Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!'

Trump then directed the White House physician to release a statement stating that he had never been treated for a 'cerebrovascular accident.'

Mike Pence also backed Trump up amid suggestions that he was told to be on standby to assume the presidency as Trump made a sudden visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last year.

'I don't recall being told to be on standby,' Pence told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday. 'I was informed that the president had a doctor's appointment.'

The vice president also insisted that the 'American people can be confident that this president is in remarkable good health, and every single day I see that energy.'

Biden used his time in Pennsylvania to visit local firefighters (pictured) while attacking Trump's record on 'law and order', which he has made a mainstay of his campaign

Trump also went on the attack against Matt Drudge after his news aggregation site, the Drudge Report, led with the mini-strokes story, including a video which purports to show Trump 'dragging his right leg' - a symptom of a stroke.

'Drudge didn't support me in 2016, and I hear he doesn't support me now. Maybe that's why he is doing poorly,' Trump tweeted Tuesday evening.

'His Fake News report on Mini-Strokes is incorrect. Possibly thinking about himself, of the other party's "candidate."'

Trump's campaign also demanded that CNN fire Democratic pundit Joe Lockhart, who served as White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, for floating in a tweet that Trump was covering up a stroke.

'CNN should fire Joe Lockhart, a lifetime failure who thought it was a great idea for fellow loser Michael Dukakis to put on that stupid helmet, for knowingly pushing a conspiracy theory about President Trump's health,' a campaign statement read.

It went on to say Lockhart 'single-handedly sank the John Kerry campaign' and now hes doing the same to Joe Biden from a distance.

'If another CNN employee said similar things about Barack Obama theyd be fired immediately, so the same standard should be applied here,' the campaign said.

'That is, of course, unless CNN is complicit in the smear campaign in order to level the playing field against Joe Biden, somebody who truly has lost a step.'
ValidCare Study is a game changer for clinical research; especially in light of COVID-19. Now we can remotely recruit, screen, consent, monitor, and obtain intra-study feedback from participants in real time. Keith Aqua, MD

ValidCare announced today that enrollment has been initiated on the national clinical trial measuring the potential liver effects in healthy adults ingesting either full/broad spectrum hemp derived CBD or CBD isolate. This Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved study is led by co-principal investigators Keith Aqua MD and Jeff Lombardo PharmD, BCOP. The study was designed to respond to the FDAs repeated request, including the Agencys March 5, 2020 report to Congress for science-based data, so it can confidently determine the appropriate regulatory path(s) for hemp derived CBD products.

Participant recruitment began the first week of August and is expected to continue through mid-September, 2020. There are already over 300 participants actively engaged in the study and building each day, said Dr. Lombardo. The protocol has an 80.6% power score based on less than 700 participants. We are excited at the potential to enroll over 1,000 participants. This sample size provides increased reliability in understanding multiple variables across populations, products and lifestyles for researchers, product companies and the FDA.

Thirteen product companies are now sponsoring this research including: Asterra Labs, Boulder Botanical & Bioscience Labs, Care by Design, CBDistillery, CBD American Shaman, Charlottes Web, Columbia Care, Global Widget, HempFusion, Infinite CBD, Kannaway, Medterra CBD and SunMed CBD. It is great to see over a dozen companies make the investment in consumer safety and collaborate to get FDA the data it needs, said Rod Nuss, COO of ValidCare. Consumer response has been extremely positive to participation. Each company provides lot-specific product information for the study and recruits up to 100 consumers to participate. Consumers are then screened to ensure they meet Inclusion/Exclusion criteria before they are approved and enrolled.

This decentralized/virtual, observational research is powered by ValidCare StudyTM which collects Real World Evidence (RWE) from consumers across the United States in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act. ValidCare Study is a game changer for clinical research; especially in light of COVID-19. Now we can remotely recruit, screen, consent, monitor, and obtain intra-study feedback from participants in real time, says Dr. Aqua. Participants only need to be physically present once during the study to provide a blood sample at a lab close to their home. Results of the study will be shared with the FDA and are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in early 2021.

About ValidCare

ValidCare, LLC provides contract research outsourcing (CRO) and virtual research solutions for life sciences and consumer packaged goods industries. ValidCares proprietary platform supports decentralized, hybrid and virtual research powered by real world evidence (RWE) to deliver insights that help fuel healthier generations. For more information, visit validcare.com or call 844-825-4322.


Czech senate president Milos Vystrcil delivers a speech at the main chamber of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Czech Speaker Receives International Support in Response to Chinas Threat Over Taiwan Visit

After the head of the Czech Senate said I am a Taiwanese' in a speech at Taiwans parliament on Tuesday, a throwback to the late U.S. President John F. Kennedys defiance of communism in Berlin in 1963, China slammed him for crossing a red line.

China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has threatened to make Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil pay a heavy price for visiting the island. The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

In his address, Vystrcil directly referenced Kennedys Ich bin ein Berliner speech and emphasized democratic freedoms embraced since the Czech Republic threw off communist rule at the end of the Cold War and Taiwan emerged from martial law at the end of the 1980s.

In 1963, the American president JFK, in his famous speech Im a Berliner, clearly opposed communism and political oppression and supported the people of West Berlin, Vystrcil said. He said Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.'

Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude todays speech  with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement: I am a Taiwanese,' Vystrcil said, receiving a standing ovation. He spoke the last phrase in Mandarin Chinese.

Vystrcil has said his Taiwan visit underscores the values-based foreign policy put in place by late President Vaclav Havel, an anti-communist dissident and personal friend of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

Vystrcils trip to Taiwan has drawn Beijings ire, as it considers the island a part of its territory and opposes words or actions by foreign government officials that could bolster Taiwans status in the international community. Taiwan is a self-ruled island with its own democratically elected officials, military, and currency.

International Reactions

Speaking in Berlin following a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the Chinese governments top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi denounced Vystrcil.

If he wants to visit Taiwan to designate it as an independent state, isnt this a public affront, a public challenge? That is why we must tell and we have told the Czech Senate speaker, You have crossed the red line,' Wang said.

Maas, whose country holds the European Unions rotating presidency, said he had been in touch with his Czech colleague about the Senate presidents visit.

Europeans operate in foreign and security policy very closely with one another and we treat our international partners with respect, and we expect that from them as well, Maas said. Threats are not a part of that, said Mass at a briefing in Berlin on Tuesday after talks with Wang.

Frances Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday, Relations between Europe and China must be based on dialogue, the principle of reciprocity and mutual respect, essential prerequisites for deepening our partnership. In this respect, no threat against an EU member state is acceptable and we express our solidarity with the Czech Republic.

#Slovakia stands by the Czech Republic. #EU#China relations are based on dialogue and mutual respect. Threats directed at one of the EU members and its representatives contradict the very essence of our partnership and as such are unacceptable.  Zuzana Caputova (@ZuzanaCaputova) September 1, 2020

Slovakias President Zuzana Caputova said in a twitter message that Slovakia stands by the Czech Republic. EU-China relations are based on dialogue and mutual respect. Threats directed at one of the EU members and its representatives contradict the very essence of our partnership and as such are unacceptable.

The Czech visit to Taiwan gained the support of 70 world parliamentarians including members of the European Union Parliament, U.S. Congress, parliaments of Germany, France, Canada, Australia, the UK, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Estonia.

The parliamentarians condemned the pressure exerted by the Chinese authorities on Vystrcil trying to discourage him from visiting Taiwan.

The Czech Republic has the right to develop economic and cultural cooperation with Taiwan and President Vystrcil, constitutionally second highest representative of the Czech Republic, does not need Peoples Republic of China approval for visiting Taiwan, the parliamentarians said in the joint statement.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio(R-Fla), U.S. Representatives Mike Gallagher(R-Wis.). and Ted Yoho(R-Fla) also signed this statement.

Czech Response

While the Czech government has not supported his visit, it has been upset by Chinas strong condemnation and has summoned the Chinese ambassador. Beijing on Monday also summoned the Czech ambassador for a telling-off.

Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said to his Chinese counterpart that the Czech Republic is a sovereign state, reported Radio Prague International.

We strongly reject these statements which dont belong in relations between two sovereign countries. Although I did not support the visit as such, I will always defend the sovereignty of the Czech Republic, Petricek said according to Radio Prague International.

The Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil, center, and President of the Legislative Yuan Yu Shyi-kun, second from right, walk before Vystrcil delivers a speech at Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 1. 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Taiwan-Czech Relations

Vystrcil arrived in Taiwan on Aug. 30 to lead a delegation of 89 people that includes business leaders, several senators, scientists, journalists, and Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib.

During the visit, Vystrcil was on hand to witness the signing of three memorandums of understanding wherein the two nations will cooperate on areas such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, smart manufacturing, and medicine.

The visit will be a carry forward the will of the former Czech Senator, Jaroslav Kubera, a long-time supporter of Taiwan who died of a heart attack in January. Vystrcil criticized the Czech government for its over-reliance on the CCP and believes that Taiwan has created more investment and employment opportunities in the Czech Republic than the CCP has provided.

The Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil gives a thumbs up to former President of the Senate Jaroslav Kubera after he delivered a speech at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 1. 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Kubera had also made plans to visit Taiwan but suddenly died days before his visit. After his death, a letter from the Chinese Embassy in Prague was discovered in his suitcase. The letter warned that if Kubera followed through with plans to visit the autonomous island of Taiwan, Czech companies with operations in China would pay.

The letter threatened that Czech companies operating in mainland China, such as Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda Auto and lender Home Credit Group, as well as others, would suffer if Kubera visited Taiwan.

The Czech Republic ranks fourth in Taiwanese investments in Europe, according to data provided by the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs and reported by CNA, and Taiwan News. Last year Taiwan exported $454 million in goods to Czechia and imported $365 million in Czech products, according to the same source.

Czech President Milos Zeman has sought closer business and political ties with China since taking office in 2013, but his efforts have been hit by failed investment plans.

Vystrcil is to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen later in the week and take part in a forum hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy on the island, according to local media.

Frank Fang, Milan Kajinek, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A number of prominent pro-QAnon accounts on Instagram, which have been spreading right-wing conspiracy theories at an accelerating rate, were suspended indefinitely Tuesday in accordance with Facebooks new policies against groups with ties to violence.

One of latest highest-profile casualties of the platforms misinformation cull was user @little.miss.patriot, who gained nearly 300,000 followers in the space of a few months by uploading pastel-colored infographics containing false claims about President Trump and Democrats.

I have no idea how long my page is disabled for, it will not let me log in, I have no information, the account holder, whose real name is not known, wrote on her back-up account, little.miss.patriot.2.

Facebook has been under immense pressure to clamp down on hate speech and dangerous conspiracy theories, both of which are found in abundance on both Facebook and Instagram.

The move comes just two weeks after tech-giant removed 900 pages and groups and 1,500 ads tied to the pro-Trump conspiracy group, in addition to restricting the reach of more than 10,000 QAnon Instagram pages.

A number of prominent pro-QAnon accounts on Instagram, who have been spreading right-wing conspiracy theories at an accelerating rate, were suspended indefinitely Tuesday

One of the highest-profile casualties of the platforms misinformation cull was user @little.miss.patriot, who nearly 300,000 followers in the space of a few months by uploading pastel-colored infographics containing false claims about President Trump and Democrats

Another popular QAnon account, @qthewakeup, similarly announced Tuesday that they were no longer able to access their main page, writing on another account, Cant stop, wont stop.

A previous account belonging to @greatawakening3, who claimed to boast 117,000 followers, was deactivated too, seemingly permanently.

Here we go again, the anonymous account user said in a post.

Several smaller conspiracy theory pages, while still active, have also had their posts flagged as false information by Instagrams fact checkers.

When such an instance occurs, the app blocks out the users post with a warning message and explainer debunking the false claim. A user can still, however, view the post if they should wish.

Right-wing journalist Liz Crokin also posted in an Instagram story that her account was under attack, though she offered no further information to substantiate her claim.

Facebook confirmed to Buzzfeed Wednesday that the accounts, and numerous others, had been taken down in-line with the companys new policy against accounts tied to offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organizations and QAnon.

QAnon, which first emerged on 4chan in 2017, is the far-right conspiracy theory that a cabal of Satan-worshiping child-sex traffickers are plotting against President Trump, who is trying to expose them.

No part of the theory is based on fact, though a 4chan user by the name of Q claimed to have access to information involving the Trump administration and its opponents in the US.

The user accused a number of liberal Hollywood actors, Democratic politicians, and other high-ranking officials of being a part of the cabal.

Another popular QAnon account, @qthewakeup, similarly announced Tuesday that they were no longer able to access their main page, writing on another account, Cant stop, wont stop'

A previous account belonging to @greatawakening3, who claimed to boast 117,000 followers, was deactivated too, seemingly permanently

Several smaller conspiracy theory pages, while still active, have also had their posts flagged as false information by Instagrams fact checkers

QAnon: America's most lurid pro-Trump conspiracy theorist group Origins: Q non started on fringe website 4chan, where a poster calling themselves Q left messages claiming to be a senior federal official and purporting to reveal a 'deep state' cabal intent on bringing down Donald Trump. Q grew out of the discredited 'Pizzagate' conspiracy that top Democrats were involved in pedophilia and cannibalism from the basement of a Washington D.C. restaurant, but quickly picked up steam with 'Q' leaving 'clues' and claims that Trump was going to bring down the deep state. Whenever the conspiracies turn out to not be true, followers rationalize that the inaccuracies are part of Qs larger plan. Who is Q?: There may now be multiple people posing as Q on the anonymous 4chan boards A QAnon believer blocked the bridge near Hoover Dam with a homemade armored tank in the name of the movement, and later pleaded guilty to terrorism Hoover Dam: In June 2019, 32-year-old Matthew Wright, a QAnon supporter, blocked the bridge near Hoover Dam in Arizona with a homemade armored vehicle in a 90-minute stand-off. He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and has written two letters to Donald Trump from jail, which include the sign-off, which has become the QAnon motto: For where we go one, we go all. Michael Flynn: Trumps former national security adviser became a martyr figure for QAnon believers after he took a plea deal from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, admitting he lied about his Russia contacts. QAnon conspiracy have spun Flynn pleading guilty into him being a persecuted victim of the deep state  and some even claim he is Q. Many believers put three star emojis next to their Twitter handles. But the retired three-star general has denounced any connections to the group and pulled out of participating in an event after finding out it was hosted by a QAnon believer. QAnon believers make former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn out to be a martyr after taking a plea deal with Robert Mueller QAnon Political Candidates: Jo Rae Perkins, 64, won the Republican primary in Oregon in May to run for a Senate seat against incumbent Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley. I stand with Q and the team, she said when asked about her interest in the group. She insisted she goes to QAnon message boards as a source of information and claims media focuses too much on the group. Perkins won 49 per cent of the vote against three other Republicans. Marjorie Taylor Greene came in first place in the Republican primary in a deep-red Georgia district, and was elected to the US House of Representatives in November 2020. She claims to have stopped believing in QAnon in 2018, but continues to make controversial statements, and was forced to apologize in June for comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust Advertisement

Despite the latest round of account deactivations by Facebook, thousands more accounts that promote QAnon theories remain active on the platform, with none of their posts censored.

Additionally, a number of lifestyle bloggers with substantial followings who have posted similar conspiracy theory content have also face no apparent consequences for sharing misinformation thus far.

In announcing their policy shift in mid-August, Facebook said it began the crackdown by removing over 790 groups, 100 Pages and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon from Facebook, blocked over 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram, and additionally imposed restrictions on over 1,950 Groups and 440 Pages on Facebook and over 10,000 accounts on Instagram, as of August 19.

Facebook has since sought to deliberately push down in its rankings QAnon, militia and anarchist protest groups on users' News Feeds and in Facebook and Instagram's search engines.

The groups and accounts will no longer be featured in the 'recommendations' sidebar on similar pages.

The new ban will also prohibit fundraising based on hashtags related to these movements on Facebook and Instagram.

Several Republican candidates for Congress have openly expressed support for QAnon, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, who recently declared that QAnon was 'a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this supposed global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out.'

On August 11 she triumphed in her House primary runoff election in Georgia, all but ensuring that she will represent a deep-red district in Congress.

Right-wing journalist Liz Crokin also posted in an Instagram story that her account was under attack, though she offered no further information to substantiate her claim

Despite the latest round of account deactivations by Facebook, thousands more accounts that promote QAnon theories remain active on the platform, with none of their posts censored

Over the last month, since supporters of the group were largely banned from Twitter, QAnon believers began using the hashtag '#SaveTheChildren,' as a means to evade bans and recruit otherwise apolitical followers.

A Facebook spokesperson said the enforcement actions will continue as the company works to evolve its strategy.

'This doesn't mean we've captured all of the ones we want to restrict yet,' the spokesperson said.

'We 100 percent know that they're going to change their terminology. We don't think we're flipping a switch and this won't be a discussion in a week.'

On August 10 the results an internal investigation by Facebook showed that QAnon sites and groups had proliferated on the platform.

The top 10 groups identified in the investigation collectively contain more than one million members, with totals from more top groups and pages pushing the number of members and followers past three million.

It is not clear how much overlap there is among the groups.

A small team working this summer across several of Facebook's departments found 185 advertisements that the company had accepted 'praising, supporting, or representing' QAnon, according to an internal post shared among more than 400 employees.

A Facebook spokesperson said the company has routinely enforced its rules on QAnon groups.

QAnon, which first emerged on 4chan in 2017, is the far-right conspiracy theory that a cabal of Satan-worshiping child-sex trafficking ring is plotting against President Trump, who is trying to expose them

None of the theory is based on fact, though a 4chan user by the name of Q claimed to have access to information involving the Trump administration and its opponents in the US

Last month, Facebook removed a QAnon group with nearly 200,000 members 'for repeatedly posting content that violated our policies.'

'Enforcing against QAnon on Facebook is not new: we consistently take action against accounts, Groups, and Pages tied to QAnon that break our rules,' the spokesperson said.

'Just last week, we removed a large Group with QAnon affiliations for violating our content policies, and removed a network of accounts for violating our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior.

'We have teams assessing our policies against QAnon and are currently exploring additional actions we can take.'

Similarly, Twitter announced in July that it had banned 7,000 QAnon accounts for breaking its rules around platform manipulation, misinformation and harassment.

Twitter also said it would no longer recommend QAnon accounts and content, would stop such content from appearing in trends and search, and would block QAnon's internet links.

On Monday, the social media giant took down a a false claim about coronavirus death statistics that was made by a supporter of QAnon  a tweet the president himself had retweeted earlier in the day.

The tweet, from Mel Q, falsely claimed that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had quietly updated its numbers to admit that only 6% of people listed as coronavirus deaths actually died from Covid, since the other 94% had 2-3 other serious illnesses.

The post has since been deleted and replaced with a message that reads: This Tweet is no longer available because it violated the Twitter Rules.
The global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to cause thousands of deaths and many hundreds of thousands of new infections every day. New methods are urgently needed to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and manage them better, including developing criteria for hospitalization.

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

Severe COVID-19 Statistics

Among patients in hospital, up to a fifth will require intensive care unit (ICU) admission, up to a tenth need intubation, and up to 5 percent will die of the disease. Most cases are detected by testing for viral RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs, even though it can also be found in sputum, lung fluid, blood, and stool specimens. The lungs are most commonly affected, among the host tissues. However, severe disease can ravage the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, brain, and kidneys.

Viremia Prevalence by COVID-19 Severity

The current study focused on identifying the role of systemic spread of the virus or its components in different organs and in the poorly controlled cytokine release that is often seen in severe COVID-19. The researchers first looked at the link between the presence of the virus in peripheral blood and the disease severity. They then looked at how viremia affected several biological measures of tissue damage and immune hyperactivation.

The study included 250 adults who had all had a positive nasopharyngeal swab test by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing during the first wave in Spain, from March 16, 2020, to April 15, 2020. They classified them into three groups: 50 outpatients (hospitalized less than 24 hours), 100 patients hospitalized in the wards but did not develop critical disease, and 100 ICU patients. They examined plasma taken from these patients on collection days 7, 8, and 10, respectively, along with control samples from 20 blood donors, comprised of equal numbers of both sexes.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia and SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in each severity group.

Older, Sicker Patients More Prone to Severe COVID-19

They found that most patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 were older, at a median of 64 and 66 years of age for those in the ward and ICU, respectively, compared to 48 years for outpatients. ICU patients had a larger proportion of male patients. Hospitalized patients had obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, and type II diabetes more often, but these did not differ significantly between groups of hospitalized patients.

Oxygen saturation was markedly lower in ICU patients at admission, all of whom had lung inflammatory infiltrates, and 93% also had pneumonia in both lungs. These figures are significantly higher than in the other groups. Other blood values that were higher in the critical COVID-19 patients include glucose, INR, D-dimers, LDH, ferritin, and C-reactive protein, while the hematocrit value was lower in this group.

Almost half of the ICU patients succumbed to the illness, and their hospital stay was longer. They also received more experimental drugs during their treatment period.

Viremia and Specific IgG Prevalence

The researchers evaluated the frequency of viremia in all three groups. They found that critically ill patients had a higher prevalence of viremia, at over 80%, compared to only 36% and 22% in ward patients and outpatients, respectively. In fact, there was no statistical difference between the latter two groups. The specific IgG antibodies were also found to occur more often in the ICU patients, at 70%, while just over half the patients in the other two groups had specific IgGs against this virus.

Viremia and Disease Severity

The researchers also found that the presence of virus RNA in blood predicted greater severity of illness in any category. Viremia in the ICU group was linked to an eight-fold increase in the odds of severe disease. Among ICU patients, there was no significant difference in the incidence of viremia between those who survived and those who did not.

Viremia and Laboratory Tests

Using multivariate analysis, the researchers found viremia to be an independent marker for elevated ferritin, LDH, and chemokines like CXCL10 and CCL-2, as well as cytokines like IL-15, IL-10, and IL-1ra. It was also associated with lymphopenia, monocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia, along with lower IL-4 levels in plasma. The viremia showed a dose-dependent relationship with the levels of these cytokines and growth factors, with markedly higher levels in critically ill patients compared to ward patients and still more significant differences compared to outpatients.

Is Viral RNA Indicative of Live Virus in Blood?

The finding of viral RNA in the blood may not be synonymous with the presence of the live virus, which is apparently not typically cultured from blood samples. The viral RNA might also be the result of a significant spill-over occurring from infected cells elsewhere. The association of viremia with markers of tissue injury like LDH and low oxygen saturation, which indicates lung damage and respiratory failure, seems to confirm that direct infection by the virus is the cause of the damage.

Viremia Stimulates Cytokine Release?

Secondly, viremia could also contribute to the increased cytokine levels in severe COVID-19, as indicated by the accompanying high chemokine concentrations. Cytokine secretion is enhanced via intracellular signaling pathways, which are activated by the recognition of the RNA by Toll-free receptors like TLR7, found on dendritic cells and B cells, or TLR8 in myeloid cells. A recent paper shows that more RNA fragments of SARS-CoV-2 can be recognized by these receptors than there were for the earlier SARS-CoV, which indicates a correspondingly higher risk of cytokine dysregulation and hyperactive innate immunity.

The current researchers showed in a previous paper that patients with severe SARS had high CXCL10 and CCL2 levels in serum as symptoms set in. They point out that the former of these is a potent chemoattractant molecule and results in Th1 and NK cell activation. This chemokine, therefore, possibly is involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses.

The CXCR3 receptor, on the other hand, is the cognate of the CXCL10 receptor, and it triggers damaging immune responses during other severe viral illnesses like H5N1. The latter was most precisely associated with viremia in the current study and could be developed as a marker of the latter.

CCL2 is a chemokine that controls monocyte migration and infiltration into inflamed tissue. Elevated levels of both CXCL10 and CCL2 in SARS marked the occurrence of lymphopenia in SARS, the latter being found in severe COVID-19 as well.

Vicious Feedback Loop

With severe SARS, there appeared to be a vicious cycle of proinflammatory cytokines that arose as an attempt to mount a proper adaptive immune response to the virus. This could be linked to the levels of IL-10, one of the important immunomodulatory cytokines. Both this and IL1-ra are found to suppress immune responses and are elevated in severe COVID-19, as in the present study, where both were higher in hospitalized patients. The IL-10 levels were higher in ICU patients. These observations may mirror viral immune evasion or a compensatory surge of immunomodulatory chemokines to reduce the excessive magnitude of the immune response.

Other Changes

The rise in IL-15 in viremic patients is a crucial marker of critical disease vs. ward patients. It has a history of being a similarly informative molecule in the flu pandemic of 2009. This pleiotropic cytokine causes T cell proliferation and increased NK cell effector activity, thus being a possible key element of tissue damage caused by T and NK cells. High levels of serum IL-15 are typical in fatal cases.

NK cells in the blood are also high in severe disease, which may be due to IL-15 elevation. In addition, this molecule could also increase the presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which may cause endothelial damage and trigger clot formation. Endothelial cells are capable of IL-15 secretion to enhance the migration of both T and NK cells through the endothelial barrier.

High ferritin levels are also common in COVID-19 as a marker of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), along with elevated cytokines and LDH levels. Blood platelets are also low in MAS, and viremic patients have lower counts than others. In the ICU patients, cases that ended in death had lower platelet counts than survivors at ~180,000 vs 220,000 cell/mm3.

Lymphopenia and monocytopenia may be due to direct viral infection of these cells or due to their recruitment by inflammatory chemokines, or both, and are common to MAS as well as to severe COVID-19.

Implications

The eight-fold increase in the risk of severe disease that accompanies viremia in COVID-19 is independent of age, sex, and the presence of other chronic illnesses.

As a result, the researchers suggest, Detection of viral RNA in plasma may serve as a simple test to identify those patients needing critical care.

These findings may indicate that once viral RNA or the live virus enters the bloodstream to reach other tissues, a MAS-like syndrome sets in, which causes severe illness. The virus appears to continue to replicate even as a specific IgG response sets in, as is seen in over 70% of cases. More work is required on linking cellular immune responses with viral replication and disease severity.

However, the researchers point out that the high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia in critically ill patients suggests that these patients are unable to control SARS-Cov-2 replication in tissues or blood cells. This then is a valuable signature, along with the cytokine storm and MAS, of progressive disease, and may indeed be responsible for increasing disease severity.

In such a scenario, the detection of viremia may help to quickly identify patients who have critical disease with just one test. The use of antivirals or convalescent plasma in these patients could cut short the risk, as well as preventing immunological derangement / dysregulation.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A Dutch-Canadian woman formerly employed by the High Commission of Canada in London is suing former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell and the federal government over two alleged acts of unwanted touching by Campbell said to have taken place when he was Canada's high commissioner to the U.K.

Judith Prins came to a settlement agreement in 2014 over the two alleged incidents. The new claim says that settlement should be overturned.

Details of a civil suit filed in the Central London County Court and recently obtained by CBC News give a clearer picture of Prins' allegations.

Prins, who lives in England and was an employee of the Canadian High Commission in 2013, named Campbell and the Government of Canada as defendants in her claim. She is seeking damages for lost income and for stress and anxiety.

Prins' allegations have not been tested in court and CBC cannot independently verify her claims.

Prins alleges in her lawsuit that when she was hired, her manager informed her "that she should be careful around (Campbell)"  which she claims led her to believe Campbell "had a pre-disposition to sexually harass women."

The harassment allegations laid out in Prins' statement of claim say that in July of 2013, Campbell "came up behind [Prins] and started rubbing her shoulders." It also alleges that on Sept. 9, 2013, as Prins "was walking up a flight of stairs ... [she] felt [Campbell] touch her bottom and stroke the right side of her behind."

Prins' statement of claim also says her concerns were not addressed during her term of employment. The court documents reveal a mediation session was arranged in March 2014, after Prins' employment at the High Commission had ended.

'An unconscionable bargain'

The new civil claim, originally filed with British courts in February, says Prins was unable to afford a lawyer for that 2014 meeting, which ended with a settlement.

The terms of that settlement have not been made public, but her new statement of claim suggests "[Prins] had no alternative  other than to sign the agreement." As part of the civil claim, her lawyer now argues the settlement is void "on the grounds of economic duress and/or as an unconscionable bargain."

Story continues

CBC News spoke briefly with Prins, who declined an interview, citing the legal proceedings.

"This has been settled once before, more than five years ago now," Campbell told CBC News in a brief interview at his Ottawa home. "It was dealt with fully."

Campbell said he would not discuss Prins' allegations with CBC News.

Watch | Former B.C. premier addresses allegations of sexual harassment in civil suit:

Campbell, who served as premier of British Columbia for a decade starting in 2001, was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom by then-prime minister Stephen Harper in 2011. During his tenure in the high-ranking diplomatic role, he hosted the Queen and other high-ranking royals at Canada House and oversaw official visits by prime ministers Harper and Justin Trudeau. After a one-year extension on his term, Campbell returned to Canada in 2016.

"There's a full, independent review that was carried out of these matters, as they should be, and that's where it stands," Campbell told CBC News.

Campbell has not responded formally to the court claim.

'Distress and anxiety'

The claim states Prins is seeking "less than 25,000" pounds (which is approximately $43,000 Cdn) for two years of lost wages and compensation for "loss, damage, distress and anxiety." Her claim alleges she suffers from migraines, has had trouble sleeping and has suffered from severe social anxiety.

The Government of Canada is named as the second defendant in Prins' claim, which argues that it's "vicariously liable for the actions of [Campbell]."

Allegations against Campbell were first reported by Britain's Daily Telegraph in January, 2019, after a woman contacted London's Metropolitan Police "and alleged she had been sexually assaulted at an address in Grosvenor Square"  the location of the Canadian High Commission at the time of the complaint.

Associated Press

Scotland Yard said at the time that police were investigating an alleged 2013 incident but had made no arrests. The Metropolitan Police did not publicly identify any persons of interest in their investigation. Prins told the paper at the time that she made the complaint in part because of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and exploitation.

Prins would not comment on the status of that complaint when asked about it Wednesday by CBC News.

After his diplomatic posting, Campbell took on consulting jobs in Canada  including a contract with Premier Doug Ford's government in Ontario in July 2018 to lead a commission looking into the previous provincial Liberal government's spending and accounting practices. He also had a part-time job with the public relations firm Edelman  an arrangement that was put on hold when the allegations were reported by The Telegraph in 2019.
This is the recession we could not avoid but which nobody wants to own.

Josh Frydenberg is moving as fast as he can to make this horror slump a test for state premiers in how they open their economies.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg during the press conference on National Accounts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The federal Treasurer could not sugar-coat the numbers on Wednesday and admitted to presiding over the greatest fall in economic activity in decades.

He named the cause: a pandemic he could not stop. He offered a solution: a $314 billion stimulus. He signalled more spending and faster tax cuts in the budget four weeks from now.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 19:42:19|Editor: huaxia

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KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Wednesday reported 667 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 86,478 and the death toll to 535, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 7,734 patients are receiving treatment, including 92 in ICU, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 552 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 78,209.

On Aug. 30, the Kuwaiti government lifted a nationwide partial curfew, while activities, including celebrations, parties, weddings, gatherings, banquets and funerals, will remain restricted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

On Aug. 18, Kuwait moved into the fourth phase of its five-phase plan to return to normal life, during which, salons, gyms, barbershops, tailor's, and spas reopened and restaurants can offer more services.

Kuwait and China have been supporting each other and cooperating closely in combating the COVID-19.

Kuwait donated medical supplies worth 3 million U.S. dollars to China at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, while China has been facilitating the procurement of medical supplies by Kuwait.

On April 27, a team of Chinese medical experts visited Kuwait to assist the Gulf country's anti-coronavirus fight, through sharing with Kuwaiti counterparts their experience and expertise in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Enditem
President Akufo-Addo has commissioned the five (5) Piped Water Supply Systems under the Water Supply Improvement Project (WSIP) of the Ghana-Spain Debt Swap Development Programme (DSDP).

Commissioning the Project at Amedzofe, in the Ho West District, on Tuesday, 1st September 2020, the President stated that the Water Supply Improvement Project (WSIP) is being implemented in the Ho Municipality and in three (3) Districts of the Region namely, Ho West, Agortime Ziope, and Adaklu-Anyigbe, at a cost of $3.78 million.

Beneficiary communities include Amedzofe, Ziope, Akpokope/Batume Junction, Matse, Dzolo Gbogame, and surrounding communities.

The Ghana-Spain Debt Swap for Development Programme (DSDP) is one of the interventions instituted by the government to ensure the continuous provision of potable water to the rural and peri-urban populations of the country, and also a clear demonstration of government's commitment to fulfilling the 2016 NPP Manifesto pledge of providing Water For All.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the commissioned project has expanded access to water and has ensured sustainable water supply and sanitation services in thirty-six (36) rural communities. In addition, the project has seen to the construction of eighteen (18) piped water supply systems, and it is expected to serve a total population of sixty-nine thousand (69,000) people in all these districts.

The remaining thirteen (13) water systems under this Project, he said, are at various stages of completion, and all are expected to be completed in December 2020, for the beneficiary communities also to enjoy potable water.

With the Amedzofe Water System sourcing its water from a nearby spring, that has been preserved over the years, the President commended the Chiefs and people of the town for this feat, adding that I am expectant that other communities across the country will emulate this worthy example, and protect our water bodies, to ensure the availability of water.

Government, President Akufo-Addo assured, will continue to create an enabling environment, through the provision of social infrastructure, to attract investment to our rural communities.

Reiterating further his Government's commitment to increasing access to potable water for all, he revealed that funding has been secured for the commencement of work on the Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project, otherwise known as the Aqua Africa Water Project.

The Project will construct one hundred and fifty (150) water point sources and twelve (12) small town water systems to serve some five hundred and eight-eight (588) communities across the Volta, Oti, Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern Regions. Once completed, the Project will then benefit some two hundred and eighty-two thousand (282,000) people, the President added.

President Akufo-Addo, thus, urged the inhabitants of the beneficiary communities to help maintain the water infrastructure, so they can to continue to have access to potable water and, through that, ensure their general well-being and health.
One of the greatest episodes in the history of Irish gambling was laid bare on Saturday in another winning Documentary on One programme by Conor Keane - this time focusing on the 'Very Irish Coup' of October 28, 1978, at the dog track in Mullingar.

It was the finest day out that was to ever have been had by North Kerry and West Limerick in the Lake County.

Had it happened in the US or UK, the events would have long been dramatised in a nail-biting blockbuster by now  how a group of cute Listowel and Abbeyfeale rogues masterminded an elaborate, and entirely legal, sting on the bookmakers of Ireland with the help of a small army of 60 volunteers and a beaut of a dog called Ballydonnell Sam.

They took the bookies to the tune of what is estimated to be worth around 6million of todays moolah; or 600,000 in terms of the 1978 spondulicks.

Conor Keanes documentary A Very Irish Coup  broadcast on Saturday  laid it all out to a tee, complete with interviews with the masterminds behind it, including the late Con Murphy, who owned Ballydonnell Sam; Listowel bookmaker Eric Browne; and Tim Spike Murphy; as well as Jack ORourke, in whose Abbeyfeale bar the cunning plan was hatched.

Conor did a fantastic job of it in the documentary, explaining it brilliantly, Eric Browne told The Kerryman this week.

The reaction has been unreal, theyre ringing me from all over the country and even as far as the US. One old friend of mine was driving between New York and Boston when it came on the radio and he said he couldnt believe his ears!

Few could in fairness, as the drama ratcheted up over the course of the 40-minute documentary  as Conor Keanes narration detailed how the cute hoors from the banks of the Feale clocked a major loophole in Irish betting practice.

That loophole was in the then practice of the bookies of honouring Tote odds  a previously inocuous gesture that only boosted their business.

All the boys needed was a fast dog, a suitable track and a cohort of footsoldiers.

Mullingar was duly staked out as crews of punters were dispatched into all provinces to back Ballydonnell Sam at the Tote price with scores of bookies. Individually, the flutters were modest but combined amounted to a giant splurge.

All that was left to do was co-ordinate around 50 punters up by the carload from Listowel and West Limerick to the dog track on the day, who would back every dog bar Ballydonnell Sam at the Tote  apart from a single 20p bet  and pray Con Murphys hound would come in; while not letting any ordinary punter back a single hound in the race.

Somehow, they pulled it all off, achieving the highest winning price ever recorded in Ireland to this day of 945/1!

The dog came in and a sound no-one had ever heard at a track erupted  an alarm claxon as the shutters literally slammed closed on the Tote.

Myself and Con lept the turnstiles and ran into Mullinggar shouting a grand for every pound! Eric said.

As he told Conor it was an electric moment: It was the greatest feeling in the world! It was like having sex or like Kerry getting a goal in the last minute of an All-Ireland to win!

News of the South of Irelands gangs spectacular coup  as the notorious cadre came to be called  spread rapidly courtesy of outlets from RTE to UK broadcasters.

I reckon it was even more than 3million we won that day, but closer to 6 million in todays money as we won 600,000, Eric told The Kerryman this week.

I remember it like it was yesterday. We all had our jobs to do and I had my lads to take care of the pound window at the Tote. I always expected we would pull it off in fairness, I never doubted it...it was easy to keep the head.

The great pity was in the bookies almost blanket refusal to pay, with the gang getting a pittance. The only thing that was wrong was that we could have got paid if we went to the courts, but the cost of that would have been too much.

It made his reputation as one of the canniest operators in the business, though with no backlash from his colleagues in the trade: Theyd all have done the same given the chance!
Im not exactly sure how we change the way our police departments are run. Weve already prohibited the things that we deplore. So the issue is behavior, not legislation, she said. We need to change, somehow, the hearts of these police departments. Maybe thats with some more checks and balances, maybe thats with some more civilian oversight, Im not exactly sure, but its by no means clear that more legislation or more training is going to solve the problem.
Former state District Judge Ruben Guerrero died last week after a series of health problems, leaving behind the legacy of a kind and fair jurist who inspired young Latino attorneys in the Harris County courthouse. He was 74.

Guerreros friends and daughter remembered him as a family man through and through. He viewed his judgeship as the highlight of his career, they said, and he served on his bench with both sternness and compassion.

People liked him and they knew him and they respected him, said Kathy Vossler, a civil litigation attorney and friend. He had a way of connecting with the people in that court, no matter whether it was a lawyer or a witness or a defendant.

Courthouse colleagues have since overwhelmed his family with their memories, daughter Yvonne Mintz said. Many pointed to his character, one lawyer sharing that Guerrero was the only judge to ever let one of her defendants hug his mother before going to prison.

He was most grounded in his family, but Guerrero also was firmly dedicated to his career and to justice, Mintz said. When he lost his seat in the 1990s, he returned to work the next day, even though many judges would have stayed home.

He wanted to get every moment of that experience, Mintz said. He wanted to live it to his fullest.

Born in San Antonio, Guerrero moved to Houston for college and stayed for most of his life. He was a supply sergeant in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War and the first in his family to graduate college.

He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston - where he remained an avid fan - and then graduated with a law degree from Texas Southern University.

Guerrero practiced criminal law until Gov. Ann Richards in 1992 appointed him to serve as judge of the 263rd State District Court. A Democrat, he lost his reelection bid in a Republican wave and was later appointed as the regional director of the Small Business Administration.

The judge returned to the bench after Harris County elected him in 2008 to the 174th State District Court . He retired in 2016.

He presided over many trials, none affecting him more than one over the 1993 murders of 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena, who were raped, strangled and then stomped to death on the walk home after they encountered gang members participating in a drunken initiation rite. Vossler said Guerrero kept a photo of one of the victims in his office.

He did see the horrible side of humanity, and it weighed on him, Mintz said.

Republican Judge Caprice Cosper tried a co-defendant in the Ertman/Pena case, and said they got through the trials together. Their time on the bench only briefly overlapped, but they remained friends, she said.

Hes a very self effacing, very humble man, Cosper said. A true public servant.

Guerrero had a reputation for mentoring young attorneys, helping them find cases and keep their practices afloat. Both Vossler and defense attorney Patrick McCann said they benefitted from his help at the start of their careers and went on to become lifelong friends with the judge.

While he remained an impartial jurist, McCann added that Guerrero had a heart for the underdog. .

What he stood for was that law was supposed to be on the side of the little guy, not the big one, McCann said. That was something that he tried to live up to and I think it inspired several of the young lawyers he gave work to to take on probably some very hopeless causes. God thank him for doing it.

Guerrero inspired people in his community when in the 1990s he became one of the few Latino judges in Harris County, county criminal Judge Raul Rodriguez said. He met Guerrero on one of his first days at the courthouse and said that watching the judge encouraged him to pursue his own run for office.

The judge also served on many boards and was past president of the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 60.

Heres someone from our community who reached the status that he did, said Rodriguez, who is also a board member of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston. Hes someone that we could look up to.

The judge was quick to crack a joke, and he loved musicals, westerns and politics. Vossler said his friends could in recent years almost always find him at Dona Marias Mexican restaurant on Navigation at 10 a.m. every morning, hosting what felt like an impromptu gathering of politicos and pals at the tough guy table.

He loved picking up the tab and talking politics , Mintz said, and he most loved spending time with his family.

Guerrero beat COVID-19 in the spring, but afterward suffered a series of illnesses from which he couldnt recover.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Guerrero, who died nine months ago, his parents and his brother. He is survived by his daughters, Yvonne Mintz and Rebecca Pilkey; their husbands; his three grandchildren; and his two sisters.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
President of of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

"Dear Mr President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and through you the brotherly people of Uzbekistan on the occasion of the national day of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Independence Day.

Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations are today developing successfully. Having reached the level of strategic partnership, our relations stem from the will of our two peoples, who are closely bound together by common national, spiritual and cultural values.

There are ample opportunities for the comprehensive development and strengthening of our relations in various fields. I believe that we will continue our joint efforts to deepen and strengthen relations between our countries, which are based on mutual trust and support, as well as our cooperation in a bilateral format and within international organizations.

At a time when humanity is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to emphasize that the people of Azerbaijan are in solidarity with the brotherly people of Uzbekistan.

On such a remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your work, and the Republic of Uzbekistan everlasting peace and prosperity," the letter said.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Photo: The Canadian Press

Thirteen men and a woman went on trial Wednesday over the 2015 attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris that marked the beginning of a wave of violence by the Islamic State group in Europe.

Seventeen people and all three gunmen died during the three days of attacks in January 2015. Later that year, a separate network of French and Belgian fighters for Islamic State struck Paris again, this time killing 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants.

Those on trial in Frances terrorism court are accused of buying weapons, cars, and helping with logistics. Most say they thought they were helping plan an ordinary crime. Three, including the only woman accused, are being tried in absentia after leaving to join Islamic State.

The trial will establish and confirm that the two attacks were co-ordinated; one was an attack on freedom of expression and the other was against Jews because they were Jews, Francois Hollande, who was then France's president, told RTL radio.

The attacks from Jan. 7-9, 2015, started during an editorial meeting at Charlie Hebdo, whose offices had been unmarked and guarded by police since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad years before. Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, gunned down 12 people before carjacking a vehicle and fleeing. They claimed the attacks in the name of al-Qaida.

Two days later, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Amedy Coulibaly stormed the Hyper Cacher supermarket, killing four hostages in the name of the Islamic State group as the brothers took control of a printing office outside the French capital. The attackers died that day during near-simultaneous police raids.

It took days more for investigators to realize that Coulibaly was also responsible for the seemingly random death of a young policewoman the previous day.

It took further weeks to unravel the network of petty criminals and neighbourhood friends linking the three attackers. By then, Hayat Boumedienne, who had married Coulibaly in a religious ceremony, had left for Syria with the help of two brothers also charged in the case. Most of the 11 who will appear insist their help in the mass killings was unwitting.

Since 2012, terrorism capitalized on the prevailing delinquency there is around these terrorists," said Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for one of the attack survivors. They are not second fiddles, they are full accomplices."
In the days since Hurricane Laura made landfall on the Louisiana coast, multiple public officials have called for the construction of some type of coastal barrier to stop storm surge from entering Galveston Bay, expressing frustration that nothing has been done to protect our region since Hurricane Ike. But in fact, the process to begin construction of such a structure is ongoing and has been for many years.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is nearing the end of a five-and-a-half-year study to determine the best method to protect the communities and industry residing along the Texas coast. The Coastal Texas Study includes projects from Brownsville to Orange, with its most expensive project centered on Galveston Bay. This time frame may seem lengthy, but it is warranted as the coastal barrier being contemplated will likely be the most complex and costly structure of its kind in the United States, if not the world. As the Army Corps finalizes its proposed solutions for our protection, it is critical we get it right. The Army Corps is scheduled to issue a final plan by March 2021, after conducting a final public review for its revised Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement in October of this year.

The plan for Galveston Bay is likely to be broad and expensive, including a series of gates that will stretch the 2-mile length of Bolivar Roads, twin 14-feet high sand dunes across Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, a ring barrier around Galvestons city center and investments in ecosystem restoration. It is estimated that the completed structure will take two to five years to design and study, followed by another 10 to 15 years to construct. Assuming full funding, we could have a completed coastal barrier in 20 years.

However, the funding is not assured. The cost of Army Corps-sponsored projects are shared between the federal government and a local source of funding. Usually, the federal government will pay 75 percent and the local source will pay 25 percent. After the structure is completed, operation and maintenance are typically covered by the local source.

If the total project costs between $23 to $32 billion, the federal government might provide $17.25 to $24 billion, with the state of Texas, or another local entity, providing somewhere between $5.75 and $8 billion. After the structure is completed, a local entity will likely need to spend $100 million every year to simply operate and maintain the structure.

These are massive numbers. The need for a coastal barrier could arguably justify such numbers, but is it realistic to expect to receive this funding in a time of local and federal deficits? If we do get federal funding, where will the local match come from? Clearly it will require significant new taxes or fees. Will a taxpayer in Katy or Cypress who does not need to evacuate from a hurricane be willing to pay significant new taxes for a coastal storm barrier?

The Rice SSPEED Center has put forward a $5 to $7 billion storm surge proposal, called the Galveston Bay Park Plan. The plan relies on using dredge material from a future deepening and widening of the Houston Ship Channel to create new islands in Galveston Bay to help block storm surge. Port Houston is about to begin a deepening and widening project, but all the material from the project is already allocated to other uses. The ports next deepening project that could provide a potential source of dredged material will likely not start until 2030 or later.

Where does this leave us in our here and now? Rather than waiting a decade or more for an expensive, silver bullet solution, there are actions we can take immediately. Although thousands of storage tanks have been identified as being at risk for flooding and contamination by the Rice SSPEED Center in a report issued three years ago, we need more in-depth study to determine if the risk can be mitigated with targeted industry-funded interventions. Some tanks are much riskier than others. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo should appoint a task force to oversee this effort immediately. There is no reason to allow a few facilities to present a large risk to the community while we pursue broader coastal protections.

Additionally, we should continue to invest in ecosystem restoration and non-structural projects that provide immediate and time-tested resiliency for Galveston Bay and its communities. Every living shoreline, restored wetland, restored oyster reef or preserved land serves as a buffer for storm surge. Elevating and securing homes and businesses protects our communities where they are now. We have existing restoration programs and funding sources that have already improved resiliency for our region, and modest new investments in those programs could make a big difference now and adapt to our needs in the future.

No coastal barrier will protect everyone from a hurricane. Nearly all the damage from Hurricane Laura resulted from high winds. Nearly all the damage from Hurricane Harvey resulted from massive rainfall. A coastal barrier would not have helped in either of those cases. As Texans living on the Gulf Coast, we will always have to live with the threat of hurricanes. However, we can focus on implementing multiple solutions now and not simply await an uncertain, down-the-road silver bullet solution to mitigate that risk.

Macha is executive director and waterkeeper with Bayou City Waterkeeper. Stokes is the president of the Galveston Bay Foundation.
By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has said that there is no military base of any foreign country in Azerbaijan in a statement that came in response to the biased article published recently in Russian media.

As the Ministry of Defense, we officially state that there is no foreign military base or any other illegal armed group in the territory of Azerbaijan. The professionalism and combat experience of the personnel of the Azerbaijani Army, the military equipment and weapons in the armament are enough to fulfill any combat mission in a short period of time to liberate our Armenian-occupied lands and restore our countrys territorial integrity, the ministry said in a statement published in its official Facebook page on September 2.

The ministry emphasized that this combat readiness was demonstrated by the Azerbaijani Army in the battles of April 2016, in 2018 in Nakhchivan and in 2020 in the direction of Tovuz.

Commenting on the "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" article dated 1 September, the Defense Ministry noted that the baseless allegations in the article, especially those about bringing fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan for an alleged blitzkrieg against Armenia, are clearly disinformation and in no way reflect the truth.

It is clear that the article is commissioned, the writings are deliberate and defamatory, the ministry said.

Furthermore, the ministry pointed out that Yerevan, which is interested in spreading such disinformation, seeks to create favorable conditions for the escalation of the conflict in the region and to involve more parties to the conflict.

The ministry suggested that Nezavisimaya Gazeta must instead focus on the creation of nationwide militia in Armenia.

This Law [on Defence] allows arming even elderly people under the age of 70 by forcing Armenia, which is facing the problem of mobilization, to create a system of forming armed groups on a voluntary basis.

The ministry noted that after the law comes into force, Armenia will legalize the recruitment of its army with mercenaries and terrorists from the hotspots of the Middle East, especially Syria and Lebanon, under the guise of volunteering.

The ministry said that the author Vladimir Mukhin has failed to cite any reliable source or provided any solid fact in the article and deceives the readers by following the principle that the more lies and the more ugly they are, the more convincing they are

We categorically reject the untrue allegations in the article that there is a Turkish military base in Nakhchivan reinforced by fighter jets and that about 500 Syrian fighters of Turkmen origin have been brought to Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that Armenia has the 102nd Russian military base in its Gumru city.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
BOISE, Idaho  The scenes have become commonplace in 2020: People gathered at state Capitols with semiautomatic long guns strapped across their chests. A couple near St. Louis emerging from their mansion brandishing firearms as Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched by the house. Men roaming the streets with rifles during protests over racial inequality, punctuated by two people being killed in Wisconsin and another in Oregon over the weekend.

The coronavirus pandemic, protests against racism and police killings, a rancorous election and some peoples perception that cities are being overrun by violent mobs have brought about a markedly more aggressive stance by some gun owners and widened the divide over firearms in the U.S.

Americans are turning out more often and more visibly with guns, a sign of the tension engulfing the country.

Last weeks arrest of a 17-year-old accused of killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with a semiautomatic rifle is just the latest flashpoint. Over the weekend, supporters of President Donald Trump streamed into Portland, Oregon, resulting in a clash with protesters that ended with a supporter of a right-wing group fatally shot.

The white teenager and other gun-toting protesters have been denounced as radical vigilantes who benefit from a double-standard  that if they were Black gun owners brandishing their firearms, the police would use deadly force against them.

To others, they are patriots seeking to bring law and order to cities that have been overtaken by extremists.

I would have done the same thing, to be honest with you, Todd Scott, of Covington, Georgia, said of the teenager in Kenosha. Hes viewed video of the teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, being chased by protesters and believes he was acting in self-defense.

Scott himself once used his gun to break up violence, becoming a bit of a local hero in 2015 after a gunman killed a clerk and a customer at the liquor store where he was picking up beer. Scott fired on the suspect before he fled.

Kat Ellsworth, who heads the Liberal Gun Club chapter in Illinois and lives in Chicago, is appalled by those who have converged on protests and are openly carrying firearms. She believes those gun owners have been emboldened by Trump, who has made law and order a central part of his reelection bid.

The scenes of primarily white men openly carrying firearms on city streets or of those who have flocked to state Capitols to protest pandemic business restrictions are a demonstration, she believes, of white privilege. Shes convinced that a group of Black gun owners with AR-15s in public would be dealt with much differently.

I view them as instigators and I view them as people looking for an excuse to shoot people of color, said Ellsworth, who is white.

The killings in Kenosha almost immediately opened a new front in the culture wars over guns. Fox News Tucker Carlson called the episode a result of authorities refusing to bring law and order to the city.

How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would? Carlson said.

Around the same time last week, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were seen outside their St. Louis home in June brandishing a rifle and a handgun, were given a coveted prime-time slot at the Republican National Convention, where they defended their right to bear arms.

In the first half of this year, the turmoil has fueled unprecedented buying of firearms.

Every month so far has smashed last years numbers of background checks. In a few instances, the number of background checks have soared past previous records set by a background check system that began in 1998.

So far this year, nearly 23 million background checks have been conducted, though not all checks were for firearm purchases. Still, the gun industry estimates that 40% of firearm purchases have been made by first-time buyers, or about 5 million people.

Ed Turner, a former police officer from metro Atlanta who now owns gun shops in Georgia, said he cringes seeing people openly carrying firearms. If someone is truly worried about their own safety, he said, concealing the weapon is a much better approach than walking around like John Wayne.

Among the people flocking to his gun shops, he has seen mostly women, African Americans and Latinos concerned about their personal safety and buying a firearm for the first time. He considers their concerns justified amid calls to defund the police and protests that sometimes resulted in police stations being attacked.

I am stunned that that behavior is allowed to go on, he said.

Gun control activists have viewed the situation in Kenosha, as well as the other protests that have drawn people openly carrying firearms, as a direct result of Trumps firebrand rhetoric.

It is because of an extreme worldview that has been only encouraged at the highest levels of government and by the gun lobby that has condoned their presence there, said Nick Suplina, managing director of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. The presence of armed militia at these protests are not there merely to protect property but are there to intimidate protesters, to chill speech and sometimes worse.

--

Lisa Marie Pane of The Associated Press wrote this story.
In Pics: PM Modi to inaugurate new campus of Classical Tamil institute in Chennai today

India has everything needed to be hub for medical tourism: PM Modi

What excessive drinking is doing to the men in Tamil Nadu

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Sep 02: Excessive, regular consumption of alcohol after a break due to COVID-19 lockdown induced dry phase has landed a number of men in "alcohol induced psychosis," a mental condition marked by disrupted thinking, perceptions and behaviour, an expert said here on Wednesday.

Left with no other option, several people had been abstinent from alcohol for a considerable period of time during the lockdown, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Institue of Mental Health (IMH), Dr D Devi said.

The IMH, a renowned institution dedicated for mental health here is over 200-year old and it is among the largest and oldest government institutions.

"When some people resumed regular and excessive drinking they landed in complications and sought our help. Had they not touched alcohol again, it would have done them a world of good," she told PTI.

Citing the case of a man, who resumed unrestrained drinking after a gap of months, she said, "this person lost his sleep, became restless, talked endlessly and roamed around which are manifestations of Alcohol Induced Psychosis (AIP)."

"Psychosis is a mental condition, that includes disrupted or altered thinking, perceptions and behaviour," the Assistant professor said.

An auto driver, the 40-year old man, did not have a drink for months due to lockdown restrictions and once he had access to alcohol with the easing of curbs, "he suffered because of his over-indulgence in alcohol," she noted.

"The sad thing is, his family also suffered. Since his wife was here in the hospital as attendant, the children had to be entrusted with relatives.

Immoderate and habitual alcohol consumption affected not only this man, but also his family," the psychiatrist said.

"We see a number of men with a similar profile. Really too much of alcohol to the point of not knowing if it was day or night," she said adding wives of such men plead with doctors to admit them since their behaviour could be very unpredictable.

Such men, diagnosed for AIP, were admitted as in-patients at the IMH for about a week.

They were treated with anti-psychotics, anxiolytics, intravenous fluids and multivitamin supplements.

After discharge, they were advised to continue to be on medications and visit the hospital periodically to ensure good health and prevent recurrence of AIP.

"Alcohol induced psychosis happens, in some cases, even during withdrawal (when people stay away from alcohol) and it is due to their dependence which is physical and psychological. We treat such people as well," Dr Devi said.

When people with "severe alcohol dependence" had no access to drink during the initial phases of lockdown, they developed complications and they were successfully treated, she said adding such people should avoid alcohol altogether.

Cautioning against alcohol dependence, she said excessive and regular drinking could lead to severe health issues both "physical and psychological" and may lead to health issues including alcohol induced psychotic disorder.

Delhi HC refuses to stay streaming of Netflix movie 'Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) of the World Health Organisation, alcohol-induced psychotic disorder is characterized by psychotic symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking and behaviour that develop with intoxication from alcohol or during withdrawal from it.

The IMH, located at Kilpauk here is attached to the Madras Medical College.

In Tamil Nadu, the state-run liquor shops were closed on March 24 evening when the lockdown was implemented for the first time.

While the outlets resumed operations in May in the rest of Tamil Nadu, the shops here and in suburbs reopened on August 18.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 14:04 [IST]
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: After being incarcerated for nine months under the National Security Act (NSA), paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan walked to freedom from Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

After his release, Dr Kafeel, while urging the Yogi government to restore his job so that he could serve the nation as a doctor, claimed that he was moving out of the state for sometime as he felt a threat to his life in UP.

Former leader of Congress legislature party and former MLA from Mathura Pradeep Mathur and Akeel Khan, brother of Kafeel Khan, were present at the time of his release from Mathura jail.

I was jailed for no crime of mine as I was framed in a false, fictitious and baseless case. I am extremely relieved and have to extend gratitude to no one else but the judiciary for saving my life by passing such a brilliant order reflecting the misdeeds of the dispensation, said Dr Kafeel while talking to The New Indian Express over phone. He said he feared for his life in prison as well.

Dr Kafeels release came through after the Allahabad High Courts order. The court not only dropped the charges levelled under National Security Act, 1980, against the doctor but also called his detention illegal.

The High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh had observed: We are having no hesitation in concluding that neither the detention of Dr Kafeel Khan under National Security Act, 1980 nor extension of the detention are sustainable in the eye of law.

Claiming that he was harassed first by STF cops who were accusing him of trying to dislodge the government of the day while bringing him to UP from Mumbai, Kafeel said Mathura jail authorities also tortured him by depriving him of food, water and even toothpaste for the first five days (till February 3, 2020) of his incarceration.

The medico claimed that he was not going to his hometown Gorakhpur for now as he feared for his life. He said that he could be framed in another case if he remained in UP. Khan said the Uttar Pradesh government instead of doing Raj Dharma was indulging in Baal Hatth (obstinacy).



I am moving out of UP for now. I shall be spending some quality and peaceful time with my family in some other state for some days. I have missed them so much during the last nine months. Even they have suffered a lot all this long, he said.

On a sarcastic note, the medico took a jibe at the UP STF in a veiled reference to the Vikas Dubey encounter case, saying that he was grateful to the sleuths as they spared his life while bringing him from Maharashtra.

About his future plans, Dr Kafeel claimed that now he wanted to serve people affected by flood fury in different states. He wanted to hold medical camps as the receding flood water leaves behind a trail of communicable diseases like cholera, malaria, diarrhoea, dengue etc. He also expressed the desire to do some research to find an answer to the COVID-19 challenge. He claimed he had written a letter to the PM in this respect.

Dr Kafeel was jailed after being arrested by the UP STF at Mumbai airport on January 29, 2020 for allegedly making a provocative speech during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus in December 2019.

After securing bail from the local court on February 10, 2020, Kafeel was not served the bail order till February12, 2020 and was slapped with the NSA by the Aligarh district magistrate on February 13, 2020 for his allegedly provocative speech. His detention under the NSA was extended by three months on May 12 and then again on August 4 for another three months.

Dr Kafeel, an assistant lecturer at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, was suspended after being accused of medical negligence in a case related to the death of around 70 children in a 72-hour period due to oxygen shortage in August 2017. He, along with eight other persons, was booked on August 22 and put under suspension. He spent about nine months in jail in connection with the case before he was granted bail on April 25, 2018 by the Allahabad High Court.
KEY FACTS 7:00 p.m.: Mexico sees worlds highest coronavirus death toll among health care workers

2:30 p.m.: Resurgence of COVID-19 in Toronto has begun: de Villa

6:15 a.m.: India registers 78,357 new coronavirus cases

Read The Stars live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. This story is no longer updating.

9:48 p.m.: In planning documents sent last week to public health agencies around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described preparations for two coronavirus vaccines they refer to simply as Vaccine A and Vaccine B. The technical details of the vaccines, including the time between doses and their storage temperatures, match well with the two vaccines furthest along in clinical tests in the United States, made by Moderna and Pfizer.

7:40 p.m.: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the British Columbia government to delay implementation of several taxes, including increasing the carbon tax.

The Ministry of Finance says in a statement this year's planned carbon tax increase from $40 per tonne to $45 per tonne has been deferred until next April.

Heres what you need to know about how the vaccines work, how theyre being tested and how they might be rolled out to the public  if, and its still a big if, they are proven to work.

7 p.m.: Mexico leads the world in coronavirus deaths among its health care workers, Amnesty International said in a new report Wednesday.

It said Mexico has reported 1,320 confirmed deaths from COVIID-19 so far, surpassing the United States at 1,077, the United Kingdom at 649, and Brazil at 634.

6:28 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 6:27 p.m. EDT on Sept. 2, 2020:

There are 129,923 confirmed cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 62,746 confirmed (including 5,764 deaths, 55,515 resolved)

_ Ontario: 42,554 confirmed (including 2,812 deaths, 38,506 resolved)

_ Alberta: 14,180 confirmed (including 242 deaths, 12,535 resolved)

_ British Columbia: 5,952 confirmed (including 209 deaths, 4,605 resolved)

_ Saskatchewan: 1,624 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,571 resolved)

_ Manitoba: 1,244 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 776 resolved)

_ Nova Scotia: 1,085 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,014 resolved)

_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved)

_ New Brunswick: 192 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 186 resolved)

_ Prince Edward Island: 44 confirmed (including 44 resolved)

_ Yukon: 15 confirmed (including 15 resolved)

_ Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

_ Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved)

_ Nunavut: No confirmed cases

_ Total: 129,923 (0 presumptive, 129,923 confirmed including 9,135 deaths, 115,050 resolved)

5:48 p.m.: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government plans to make the federal COVID-19 tracing app available to residents over the next couple of weeks.

The COVID Alert smartphone app notifies someone when they have been in close contact with a person who tests positive for the novel coronavirus and has shared their results.

5:33 p.m.: Health officials in Quebec City said they're fighting a spike in the number of infections in the region after a karaoke bar was linked to dozens of COVID-19 infections, including at three local schools.

Jacques Girard, the interim director of the regional health authority, said Wednesday an investigation indicates some of the patrons of Le Kirouac bar went to other bars while contagious, spreading the virus.

5:24 p.m.: Alberta's United Conservative government says $262 million in federal money will be doled out equitably to school boards to help cover COVID-19-related costs, but the Opposition NDP says cutting class sizes should have been the priority.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said Wednesday that $250 million will be given to school boards on a per-student basis, representing about $350 per pupil for the upcoming school year.

5:00 p.m.: As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 144 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Stars latest count.

The vast majority of new cases Wednesday came in Peel Region, which reported a jump of 59 cases, and Toronto, which reported 48. Both totals were the health units highest totals in more than a month.

The GTA has seen case counts rise steadily since about mid-August. On Wednesday, the regions five health units reported a total of 117 new cases, the most in any single day since July 13.

The provincewide rate of infection meanwhile continues to rebound from a low seen in mid-August. As of Wednesday, Ontario has an average of 130 cases reported daily, up from a low of 85 cases daily as of Aug. 16.

Even with the recent increases, the rate of infection remains well below the worst of the pandemic; Ontario saw its seven-day case average reach a mid-April peak of nearly 600 cases daily.

One new fatal case was reported Wednesday, in Windsor-Essex.

The province has now seen a total of 44,707 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 2,850 deaths.

The vast majority of the provinces COVID-19 patients have since recovered. The province lists slightly more than 1,200 active cases of the disease, although that number has been going up in recent weeks.

The Stars count includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test.

The province cautions its separate data, published daily at 10:30 a.m., may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date.

4:55 p.m.: The top U.N. official for Libya warned Wednesday that the conflict-torn North African country is at a decisive turning point, with foreign backers of its rival governments pouring in weapons and the misery of its people compounded by the coronavirus pandemic that appears to be spiraling out of control.

2:30 p.m.: The dreaded resurgence of COVID-19 has already begun, said Toronto medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa, at todays update from city hall.

There were another 48 infections overnight, bringing the number of new infections in Toronto this week to 123.

De Villa is urging people who have let their guard down to return to stricter practices  they have seen infections spread between people meeting indoors without masks. Stick to your bubbles of 10 people, she is pleading.

2:05 p.m.: Health officials in New Brunswick say a temporary foreign worker in the Moncton area has tested positive for COVID-19.

The new case is the only infection reported in the province in the last 24 hours.

Authorities said in a news release today the infected person is between the ages of 20 and 29 and has been isolating.

There have been 192 positive cases of COVID-19 and two deaths linked to the novel coronavirus in New Brunswick since the pandemic began.

Of those cases, 186 have recovered and four remain active.

The province has conducted a total of 62,222 COVID-19 tests.

1:58 p.m.: The Alberta government says $262 million in federal money meant to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools will be dispersed equitably and quickly.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says $250 million will be doled out to school boards on a per-student basis.

That represents about $350 per child for the upcoming school year.

These funds can only be used to cover COVID-19 related costs, such as cleaning, personal protective equipment and staffing.

The remaining $12 million is to support school authorities that are seeing a surge in enrolment due to increased demand for their online learning programs.

LaGrange says shell ensure the money immediately flows to school boards as soon as its received from Ottawa.

The funds will be transferred in two phases  once in September and again later in the school year.

1:33 p.m.: Canada is still considering a contribution to the international vaccine coalition known as COVAX, which aims to equitably distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to poorer countries that cant afford one.

The decision stands in contrast to Tuesdays decision by the Trump administration in the United States to opt out of the alliance of more than 150 countries because the program is linked to the World Health Organization.

President Donald Trump ended U.S. funding to the WHO in July because he says it is being unduly influenced by China and needs to be reformed.

A spokesman for Karina Gould, Canadas International Development Minister, says the Trudeau government is working on the details of a spending commitment to whats called the COVAX Facility, which is designed to ensure developing countries have fair access to a COVID-19 cure.

COVAX also allows investing countries to be given early access for up to 20 per cent of their populations.

The initiative is aimed at circumventing so-called vaccine nationalism  the scramble by individual countries to secure vaccines for their own populations, often by pre-buying doses directly from pharmaceutical companies.

1 p.m.: Ontarios ombudsman must review the governments back-to-school plan to ensure its living up to vital safety standards, the provinces Official Opposition said in a formal request for the watchdog to investigate the reopening strategy.

The New Democrats education critic, Marit Stiles, wrote in the letter released Wednesday that she wants the ombudsman to determine if measures are in place to meet standards recommended by experts.

Stiles notes in the letter to Paul Dube that the ombudsmans purview includes school boards, and argues an urgent investigation is required to address the confusion or anxiety felt by many.

12:45 p.m.: A 99-year-old veteran of the Second World War has walked 100 kilometres to raise funds to fight COVID-19.

George Markow did laps around his seniors residence in Newmarket, Ont., over several months and completed the milestone this morning.

He raised nearly $47,000 for Sunnybrook Research Institute and Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundations COVID-19 Action Fund.

Although Markow completed his mileage goal, he plans to keep walking because he enjoys the activity.

He also hopes to keep raising money to help fund research for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman surprised Markow with a jersey after the veteran crossed the finish line.

12:15 p.m. (updated): Ontario has recorded its second-highest daily tally of new COVID-19 cases since the end of July.

The Ministry of Health reported 133 new infections Wednesday, an increase from 112 the previous day, with 105 in residents of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Health authorities urged Ontarians to keep up with their pandemic precautions as the case numbers continue to stay above 100 daily after dropping below that level in mid-August.

Weve seen backyard barbecue celebrations turn into cases, some of them serious, warned Dr. Lawrence Loh, medical officer of health for Peel Region.

Toronto Public Health was investigating a possible case at the Bays location in the Scarborough Town Centre in addition to confirmed cases at The Keg and Joey restaurants at Sherway in addition to cases at Joey and the Foot Locker at Yorkdale in recent days.

The Stars Rob Ferguson has the story.

11 a.m. (updated): Ontario is reporting 133 cases today, the seventh day in a row that the number is in the triple digits, based on the provincial count, last seen in July.

No new deaths were reported.

Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted that with 137 more resolved, there is a decrease in the number of active cases. The province processed more than 24,000 tests on Tuesday, and the province has now done more than three million tests to lead the country in daily testing, Elliott said.

Locally, 29 of Ontarios 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 21 of them reporting no new cases.

10 a.m.: A Quebec teachers union says its going to court to demand the government put in place a rapid COVID-19 testing strategy in the school system.

The Federation autonome de lenseignement, which represents some 49,000 teachers, said today it has not yet seen evidence such a mechanism exists despite a promise made by Health Minister Christian Dube on Aug. 10.

The union says it will also ask the Quebec Superior Court to force the government to hand over all the documents related to the provinces health plan for schools, including data related to COVID-19 infections.

Union President Sylvain Mallette says the legal action is an attempt to get answers from the province, which he says has refused to provide the information unions need to keep students and teachers safe.

Meanwhile, health officials in Quebec City are working to contain an outbreak of about 30 cases tied to a karaoke bar.

The cases have prompted Bar Le Kirouac to close until Sept. 9, and officials to urge the population to respect health directives, especially during gatherings with alcohol involved.

9:44 a.m. Spend even a little time on gardening sites and between photos of bedraggled tomatoes, and well-fed insects, its clear the 2020 growing season has been a rough one.

Professor of Horticulture at Niagara College, Paul Zammit, watches the growing season closely, and this summer did present gardeners with extra challenges. It certainly has not been a typical gardening seasonthe weather provided ups and downs and prolonged intense heat. Because of this, he says, Cucumbers and zucchini seem to have performed poorly, with very little fruit set, stunted plants and loads of cucumber beetles eating the foliage plus squash vine borer destroying the plants.

Zammit believes we are experiencing more pest insects because more people are growing edibles, making more food available to them. Nursery and Landscape Specialist, Jennifer Llewellyn, at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has also received reports of greater populations of tomato hornworms, squash vine borer, and cucumber beetle. Llewellyn also thinks it may be a result of more people growing edibles this year; another unexpected side-effect  along with stockpiling supplies and first-time backyard hen keeping  of COVID-19.

Read the full story by Signe Langford

9:36 a.m.: Joe Biden plans to hammer President Donald Trump on Wednesday for not helping the nations schools reopen safely during the coronavirus pandemic, as the Democratic challenger tries to keep the spotlight on the Republican incumbents handling of the outbreak and the nations overall security.

Biden and his wife, Jill, a longtime college professor and former high school teacher, will meet with public health experts to talk about school reopening options. Then the candidate will deliver remarks  his second speech in three days  outlining his ideas and accusing the president of making the country less safe.

The event in Wilmington, Delaware, is the latest in a series of dueling efforts by Trump and Biden to cast the other as a threat to Americans day-to-day security. It will highlight their vastly different arguments, with Trump steering debate toward law and order and Biden pushing a broad referendum on Trumps competence.

President Trump has no plan, said Biden adviser Symone Sanders, previewing the former vice-presidents remarks on schools and the pandemic. Instead, she continued, he thinks that a fear-mongering campaign stoking violence is going to help him.

9:32 a.m. Thailands prime minister on Wednesday congratulated the nation for having achieved 100 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the coronavirus, even as security along the border with Myanmar is being stepped up as a measure against the disease.

Health officials did not highlight the achievement, but Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a good accomplishment toward making the country safe. He used the occasion to urge the government and people to work together to bring the country out of the COVID-19 crisis.

If we dont help each other, none of us can move forward and the country cant move forward, and the people will suffer more than they already have, he said.

Thailand has sustained relatively light health damage from the pandemic, even though in January it was the first country outside China to confirm a case. But its economy has been devastated by the absence of foreign tourists, who are banned from entry, and by a drop in exports.

Thai health authorities reported eight new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, all in people arriving from abroad, bringing the countrys total to 3,425, including 58 deaths.

9:29 a.m. Dollarama Inc. topped expectations as it reported a second-quarter profit of $142.5 million and a seven per cent increase in sales compared with a year ago.

The retailer says the profit amounted to 46 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 2 compared with a profit of $143.2 million or 45 cents per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier when it had more shares outstanding.

Sales in the quarter totalled $1.01 billion, up from $946 million a year ago, boosted by an increase in its number of stores and higher sales of summer seasonal items as well as household and cleaning products.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 42 cents per share and $975.7 million in revenue, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Comparable store sales excluding temporarily closed stores grew 5.4 per cent, while comparable store sales including temporarily closed stores rose 2.5 per cent.

Dollarama says the average transaction size rose 41.7 per cent, but there was a 25.7 per cent drop in the number of transactions as customers reduced how often they shopped but bought more when they did.

9:15 a.m. Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.

While one or more options could be available toward the end of this year or early next, the path to delivering vaccines to 330 million people remains unclear for the local health officials expected to carry out the work.

We havent gotten a lot of information about how this is going to roll out, said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Texas Harris County Public Health department, which includes Houston.

In a four-page memo this summer, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health departments across the country to draft vaccination plans by Oct. 1 to coincide with the earliest possible release of COVID-19 vaccine.

But health departments that have been underfunded for decades say they currently lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track hundreds of millions of doses. Nor do they know when, or if, theyll get federal aid to do that.

Dozens of doctors, nurses and health officials interviewed by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press expressed concern about the countrys readiness to conduct mass vaccinations, as well as frustration with months of inconsistent information from the federal government.

9:05 a.m. South Korea was so proud of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that it coined a term for it: K-Quarantine, named after the global musical phenomenon K-pop.

Its two-pronged strategy of fighting the virus while keeping the economy running appeared to work. The country all but halted a large outbreak without closing its borders, locking down towns or drawing an outcry over draconian restrictions on speech and movement. The country was held up as a model for the rest of the world.

But now, South Korea is struggling with a second wave of infections, and its strategy seems as precarious as ever. The new wave is spreading from the populous Seoul metropolitan area and through people deeply suspicious of President Moon Jae-ins epidemiological efforts. To complicate matters more, some of the governments strongest allies in the fight against COVID-19, young doctors, have turned against Moon. They have gone on strike, unhappy with his medical reform program.

The government is also trying to sustain a fragile balance between controlling the virus and safeguarding the economy, and between using government power to protect public health and not infringing on civil liberties.

Our quarantine strategy, once considered a model to follow in the rest of the world, is suddenly faced with a crisis, Moon said last week. The whole nation is in a difficult situation. The peoples lives are crumbling.

South Koreas daily caseload of new infections, once fewer than 10, has been in the triple digits every day since Aug. 14, taking the country of 50 million people to more than 20,000 cases and 326 deaths, according to a New York Times database. The virus has spread quickly from churches and a large anti-government protest rally. Moons government has threatened lawsuits and prosecution against churchgoers and protesters accused of impeding officials efforts to control the epidemic. But theyve pushed back, calling him a dictator who is running the country under quarantine martial law.

8:50 a.m. U.S. companies added jobs at a modest pace last month, a private survey found, a sign that while hiring continues, it is only soaking up a relatively small proportion of the unemployed.

Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that businesses added 428,000 jobs in August, a figure that before the pandemic would have represented a healthy gain. But the increase represents a small slice of the 12 million jobs that have been lost to the spread of the coronavirus.

ADP said the bulk of the gains were at large companies, which added 298,000 jobs. Small businesses with less than 50 employees gained just 52,000 positions, while medium-sized firms  with between 50 and 499 employees  added 79,000 jobs.

ADPs figures do not include government workers and frequently diverge from the Labor Departments official jobs report, to be released Friday. ADP revised up its July job gain to 212,000, but that is still far below the 1.4 million additional jobs that month reported by the federal government.

8:16 a.m. This months road cycling world championships were moved to Imola, Italy, on Wednesday after Swiss host Aigle-Martigny backed out because of a government ruling limiting mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The revised event from Sept. 24-27 will feature only elite mens and womens categories, eliminating junior and under-23 races.

The majority of the top athletes in the elite men and women categories are already in Europe, as opposed to their younger counterparts (juniors and under 23) whose national delegations, in a significant number of cases, will not be able to travel to Italy due to travel restrictions imposed in numerous countries, the International Cycling Union said in a statement.

The Swiss organizers of the championships, which were supposed to be centred around Aigle, where the UCI is based, said they could not continue within a federal limit of 1,000 people for major events during the coronavirus pandemic.

7:47 a.m. Macys Inc. is inching back toward normalcy as it approaches the critical holiday season, posting profit that beat expectations in the second quarter.

The department stores adjusted net loss of $251 million (U.S.) was well ahead of the $538 million (U.S.) loss anticipated by analysts. Comparable sales in the quarter ended Aug. 1, a key measure of retailer performance, fell 35 per cent, roughly in line with expectations as it tries to recover from a sharper decline earlier in the pandemic.

7:33 a.m. Greek authorities imposed a 14-day quarantine on an overcrowded migrant camp on the island of Lesbos Wednesday, after one man who had been living outside the official camp tested positive for the coronavirus.

The 40-year-old Somali man is the first confirmed coronavirus case at the Moria camp, which as of Aug. 31 housed 12,714 people, well over its capacity of 2,757.

Greeces Migration Ministry said the infected man was granted refugee status and a residence permit to live in Greece and had left the camp on July 17. However, he returned in recent days and had been living in a tent outside the camp fence. He is currently hospitalized in isolation on Lesbos.

The Migration Ministry said no entry or exit from the camp would be allowed until Sept. 15 and that the police presence would be increased around the camp to ensure the lockdown is not breached.

Only essential staff will be allowed to enter the camp after undergoing temperature checks.

6:35 a.m. Some European basketball club competitions have been rescheduled because of various coronavirus restrictions on the continent.

The regular season of the Europe Cup is now scheduled to begin in January. FIBA had hoped to start the second-tier competition by October.

FIBA also says the EuroCup womens qualifying rounds have been pushed back to December. The regular season is scheduled to begin in January.

FIBA still hopes to start its womens EuroLeague on time with the regular season scheduled to begin in mid-October.

The FIBA Europe board will next meet in October and will discuss holding its competitions in single-venue bubbles.

6:15 a.m.: India registered 78,357 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total over 3.7 million as the government eases pandemic restrictions nationwide to help the battered economy.

India, a nation of 1.4 billion people, is fast becoming the worlds coronavirus epicentre. It has been reporting the highest daily increases in new cases for more than three weeks, and at its current rate is likely to soon pass Brazil and ultimately the United States in total reported cases.

The Health Ministry on Wednesday also reported 1,045 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 66,333. It now has the third-most deaths after recently passing Mexicos toll, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

5:30 a.m.: U.S. laboratories have struggled for months to secure desperately needed supplies for COVID-19 screenings, but another testing crisis is brewing.

Other workhorse supplies are back-ordered too, hampering labs ability to detect urinary tract infections, sexually-transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea, gastroenteritis also known as the stomach flu and more.

The impact of this supply chain is much, much greater than if we cant get our COVID tests in 24 hours, said Melissa Miller, who directs the clinical and molecular microbiology labs at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Miller has been told some products are back-ordered until January 2021.

Especially with flu season approaching, Im very worried, much more about non-COVID stuff right now, she said.

5 a.m.: With the countdown to back-to-school on, boards are racing to make sure kids staying home this fall have access to the computers and internet they need for remote learning.

But big gaps remain, say some advocates, as the pandemic puts a spotlight on the digital divide in the GTA.

Despite the efforts of principals and teachers, Vivian Lee, a charity consultant who has worked in the non-profit sector on education for marginalized youth, describes the situation as a total tire fire mess. While its not as bad as in remote northern Ontario communities that are basically in 2005, the pandemic has exposed existing fault lines around internet access and tech in the GTA.

Theres been a lot of tape and glue approaches, she said. Now youve got a visible digital divide.

Read the full story from May Warren here.

4:15 a.m.: Australias coronavirus hot spot, Victoria state, extended its state of emergency for another six months as its weekly average of new infections dipped.

The Victorian Parliaments upper chamber passed legislation by a 20-19 vote to extend the state of emergency, which enhances the governments powers to impose pandemic restrictions.

The government had wanted a 12-month extension.

The state health department reported 90 new infections and six deaths in the latest 24-hour period. There were 70 new infections reported on Tuesday.

4 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isnt letting the COVID-19 pandemic stop his usual practice of travelling to various regions of the country during the summer  hes just doing it virtually this year.

Hell spend much of Wednesday in meetings with British Columbia political, business, environmental and academic leaders, all from the comfort of his office in Ottawa.

And hell do another similar virtual tour of the Atlantic provinces on Thursday.

The summer is usually an opportunity for the prime minister and other federal political leaders to travel widely and engage in outreach with community leaders and voters outside the Ottawa bubble.

Among other things, Trudeau usually convenes a cabinet retreat and attends a Liberal caucus retreat outside the nations capital each year before Parliament resumes in the fall. He, his ministers and Liberal MPs use those events to fan out into the host communities, listening to local concerns, making some announcements and generally promoting the governments message.

4 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. EDT on Sept. 2, 2020:

There are 129,425 confirmed cases in Canada.

_ Quebec: 62,614 confirmed (including 5,762 deaths, 55,438 resolved)

_ Ontario: 42,421 confirmed (including 2,812 deaths, 38,369 resolved)

_ Alberta: 14,066 confirmed (including 241 deaths, 12,427 resolved)

_ British Columbia: 5,848 confirmed (including 209 deaths, 4,505 resolved)

_ Saskatchewan: 1,622 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,567 resolved)

_ Manitoba: 1,232 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 759 resolved)

_ Nova Scotia: 1,085 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,014 resolved)

_ Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved)

_ New Brunswick: 191 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 186 resolved)

_ Prince Edward Island: 44 confirmed (including 41 resolved)

_ Yukon: 15 confirmed (including 15 resolved)

_ Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

_ Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved)

_ Nunavut: No confirmed cases

_ Total: 129,425 (0 presumptive, 129,425 confirmed including 9,132 deaths, 114,604 resolved)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.

Tuesday: Toronto resident Neil Brereton couldnt use his vouchers to purchase a new flight because it took so long to get them. Hes one of many who say that even after complaining, theyve seen no action so far.

They told me the vouchers hadnt been issued yet. I was shocked. Some of the original flights were cancelled in the spring, said a stunned Brereton this week. With seats disappearing rapidly, he bit the bullet and spent the $2,200 and points.

To be going over to scatter my fathers ashes and to take care of his estate, and then to have to deal with this? Its awful. I cant believe theyd do this.

According to statistics released Tuesday by the Canadian Transportation Agency, it has received more than 8,000 complaints about Canadian airlines since March  more than it received in all of 2018 and 2019.

Read the full story from Josh Rubin here.

Read Tuesdays rolling file
Syngenta Group invests in first major manufacturing facility since the Group's formation

The new plant reinforces Syngenta Group's crop protection strategy and strong commitment to Switzerland, and to providing cutting-edge innovations to farmers all around the world

Acquired from Novartis, 70 highly-skilled employees will be retained within Syngenta Group

Start of operations planned for Q1 2021

Syngenta Group today opens its first major manufacturing facility since the formation of the Group in June 2020. This step marks a major strategic investment in the Group's Crop Protection business. It is also an important building block in the Group's overall strategy to drive growth, upgrade delivery and continue market leadership in crop protection. The plant had formerly been operated by pharmaceutical company Novartis and 70 employees will be retained within Syngenta Group.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005558/en/

Syngenta Group Opens World-Class Manufacturing Plant in Switzerland (Photo: Business Wire)

Erik Fyrwald, Syngenta Group CEO: "We are proud to announce the launch of our newly acquired world-class facility in Muttenz today. This investment enhances our crop protection strategy of accelerating growth and demonstrates our confidence in our crop protection innovation pipeline. It also reinforces our commitment to Switzerland."

The new 23,000 square metre site in Muttenz provides several highly flexible, multi-purpose production lines to develop new ingredients and intermediates. It is located near the Group's technical development center in Munchwilen, which will facilitate the transition of new products from pilot plant to full scale manufacture.

"This acquisition further reinforces Switzerland's role at the center of our new technology introductions globally. This multipurpose asset is ideal for supporting highly technical production processes, and the location of the new plant fits perfectly into our existing portfolio. We had recognized the need for additional manufacturing capacity to support the introduction of new products, so we are pleased that we can positively address this now," says the Head of Syngenta Group's Crop Protection business, Jon Parr. "In these challenging times, we are especially pleased to be able to protect jobs and welcome 70 highly-skilled existing plant employees. We look forward to benefiting from their deep expertise in the future." While the transfer of ownership took place on September 1, 2020, operations are scheduled to commence in Q1, 2021.

The acquisition also demonstrates Syngenta Group's ongoing endeavors to amplify its strong presence in Switzerland, where the Group is headquartered. The entire crop protection development pipeline in Switzerland is to be strengthened by this strategic purchase. Syngenta Group is confident that Switzerland will remain a reliable location for the Group, as an innovative company: from headquarters to R&D and manufacturing, offering good and flexible working conditions and open borders for the import of raw materials, its workforce and for exporting goods. The Muttenz site will be a key contributor to the achievement of high sustainability standards in the Group's operations, supporting the overall Group goal of reducing its carbon footprint by at least 50%, reducing water intensity by 20%, and reducing waste intensity by 20%, all by 2030

About Syngenta Group

Syngenta Group is one of the world's leading agriculture innovation companies, with roots going back more than 250 years. Its 48,000 people across more than 100 countries strive to transform agriculture through breakthrough products and technologies that play a vital role in enabling the food chain to feed the world safely, sustainably and with respect for our planet. Swiss headquartered and Chinese-owned, the Group draws strength from its four business units Syngenta Crop Protection headquartered in Switzerland, Syngenta Seeds headquartered in the United States, ADAMA headquartered in Israel, and Syngenta Group China that provide industry-leading ways to serve customers everywhere.

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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as "expect," "would," "will," "potential," "plans," "prospects," "estimated," "aiming," "on track" and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta Group, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta Group assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005558/en/

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Jordans King Abdullah hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at a one-day trilateral summit at Amman airport Aug. 25, the third of its kind in 17 months, which was seen by analysts in Jordan as a response to shifting regional geopolitical dynamics. The summit was attended by senior officials on the three sides, including Jordans Crown Prince Hussein.

In a joint communique released after the meeting the three leaders stressed the need to translate the strong strategic ties between the three countries into cooperation in vital sectors, such as electricity interconnection, energy projects and a joint economic zone, while capitalizing on each countrys potential to achieve an integration in resources, especially to deal with the implications of the coronavirus pandemic on healthcare and food and economic security, according to the Jordan Times.

In an opening statement, carried by the royal court, the king was quoted as saying that the meeting was very important in light of the current extraordinary conditions in the region and the world. He also stressed the importance of close coordination and joint action to deal with rapid developments in the region and foreign meddling attempts. The king went on to say that the Palestinian cause remains the core issue in the region, and that Jordan continues to call for a two-state solution that ends the Israeli occupation and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 lines.

Kadhimi stressed Iraqs support for the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian peoples right to statehood, adding that Baghdads vision is based on avoiding conflict and seeking economic cooperation and integration with Jordan and Egypt, according to the royal court statement. The same statement quoted Sisi as saying that he agreed with the king on the Palestinian cause and the importance of reaching a solution, based on the two-state solution, noting that this would have a positive impact on the entire region.

The meeting took place following the Aug. 13 announcement by US President Donald Trump that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel had reached an agreement to normalize relations. Egypt had welcomed the agreement, while Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made reference to it in a statement, saying it should push Israel to accept a Palestinian state.

Kadhimi had concluded what was described as a successful visit to Washington a week before, where he and Trump reiterated the status of the strong bilateral strategic relationship.

King Abdullahs reference to foreign meddling in the region is believed to point to Turkey and Iran  two non-Arab countries that are adding to instability in Iraq and Syria. Turkeys military involvement in Libya and its attempt to expand its maritime sovereignty in the eastern Mediterranean has heightened tensions between Cairo and Ankara.

Jordan continues to support the two-state solution as the only way to end the Palestine-Israel conflict based on the Arab Peace Initiative, even as the US administration is pressuring other Arab countries to follow in the UAEs footsteps.

The three countries face deep economic challenges and the three leaders believe they can pool their resources and expertise to build a common economic platform. The last time these countries joined ranks was in 1989 when they created the Arab Cooperation Council (ACC), which included northern Yemen, in response to being left out of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The ACC collapsed when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Political analyst Labib Kamhawi told Al-Monitor that the summit had two purposes: political and economic. Politically it had to do with the implosion that hit the GCC [over the Qatar boycott and the UAE normalization deal with Israel] and the vacuum it had left, making it essential to create a new regional platform that would stand up to foreign meddling, he said. Iraq has deep issues with Iran, Turkey and the United States, and Egypt is facing challenges in Libya and with Ethiopia, and Jordan finds itself in a minority vis-a-vis the two-state solution, Kamhawi said.

Economically, the three countries are waking up to a post-oil boom reality, Kamhawi noted. The three countries can complement each other  at least in theory  in areas of labor exchange, investments and expanding consumer markets. And lets not forget about the water challenges facing the three countries, he added.

Writing in the London-based New Arab daily Aug. 29, political analyst and former Culture Minister Mohammad Abu Rumman pointed to Kadhimis reference, while he was in the United States, to a Europe-like future for the region, with freer flows of capital and technology in what he called "the new Levant."

While the term was not mentioned during the Amman summit, Kadhimis use of it coincides with the reality of the collapse of the traditional powers of the Arab East  namely Iraq, Syria and Egypt  against the rise of smaller powers that are trying to fill the void, Abu Rumman said.

He added, This is what the trilateral summit was trying to respond to  in a timid way  through an alliance that remains vague in its goals and policies and the diverse visions of each country. From a specific angle, those three countries that had played a leading role in supporting the Palestinian cause have now been replaced by a new US-backed alliance  which includes the UAE and Saudi Arabia  to install a new regional peace formula.

Head of the Jerusalem Center for Political Studies Orieb al-Rintawi told Al-Monitor that the UAE-Israel deal heralds the end of all forms and institutions representing pan-Arab cooperation including the Arab League. These three countries will need to rely as little as possible on politics because of their unique ties to the United States and others, and as much as possible on economics as a common denominator, he said. Even then with so many internal challenges facing each country the road to reaching economic complementarity will prove difficult at best.

One immediate test of the alliance the three leaders will face is how to respond to White House invitations to attend a high-profile ceremony to mark the signing of the Israel-UAE deal in Washington expected to take place in the first half of September.
Emirates has announced it will resume flights to Accra (Ghana) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast) from September 6.

The addition of these two destinations takes the total number of points served by Emirates in Africa to 11. This will also take the airline's passenger network to 81 destinations in September, offering customers around the world even more connections to Dubai, and via Dubai, as the airline safely and gradually resumes passenger operations to meet passenger demand.

Flights from Dubai to Accra and Abidjan will be linked services, operating three times a week. The flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.

Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, Covid-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from. - TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Stanford Internet Observatory has investigated a network of social media accounts originating in Pakistan that posted Pakistani nationalist messages and criticised the Indian government.

There is a possibility that some pro-Indian Army pages were created to identify Indian Army supporters and mass report these accounts. On August 31, Facebook suspended 103 pages, 78 groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan.

Facebook shared a portion of this network with the Stanford Internet Observatory on August 28. The main theme across the pages and groups was Pakistani nationalist content: content praising the military and ISI, and supporting Pakistan in its rivalry with India. There was also content elevating the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) party and criticism of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

Stanford Internet Observatory is a programme of the Cyber Policy Centre - part of the Freeman Spogli Institute for international Studies at Stanford University. 'Reporting for Duty' is an investigation into a network of Pakistan-based Facebook and Instagram accounts suspended for coordinated inauthentic behaviour reveals mass reporting to silence critics of Islam and Pakistan.

"Posts also criticised India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, often mocking Modi's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic", the investigation found. "We observed content critical of the BJP, Modi, and the Indian Army, and messaging that supported the Khalistan movement. Posts mocked Modi's handling of COVID-19, with statements such as, 'You cannot find India's name in the top 40 coronavirus safety countries. Work doesn't happen just by talking", the investigation found.

"The page Mujahid Markhour, and its associated (still live) YouTube channel, disseminated content centered on the Pakistani military. Posts and videos were critical of India and praised the feats of ISI. There were also conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and Bill Gates", the investigation found. The most-viewed video in this network came from Mujahid Markhour. It showed an improvised explosive device attack on Afghan security forces in Afghanistan, with a poem laced with religious imagery praising the Taliban's faith and resolve. Some of the comments were similarly pro-Taliban.

The Stanford Observatory said in its report, "The network included several Indian Army fan pages and groups. Some of these entities, like the page "Indian Army Lovers," posted purely positive content about the Indian Army. It is unclear how these pages fit into the objectives of the network. One possibility is that the network used these pages to identify Indian Army supporters who they would then mass report, though we have no evidence to support this hypothesis".

"Another possibility is that the actors behind the network aimed to subtly put some content aligned with their ideology into these networks. Some pages were generally pro-India but had a handful of posts that were critical of Modi", the report found. The pages were created over four years, with the earliest page, Indian Army Lovers, first posting in early 2016.

The most prolific page was the Mujahid Markhor (translates to "snake-eating Mujahid"), which had posted 807 times since the end of 2019. The report found that many of the suspended assets link themselves to something called the Pakistan Cooperative. It has a website, which posts content praising the Pakistani military, and a suspended Twitter account. It is linked to the Facebook page Ideology Of Islam & Pakistan, which is not included in this takedown but similarly organises mass reporting.

It refers to its team as the Defenders of Islamic Ideology of Pakistan. The report identified the developer of Auto Reporter as Nasir Ali, who, according to his Facebook profile, is Pakistani and the founder and CEO of Tigerzplace. He is also listed as the tech contact for the tigerzplace.com domain.

"Ali frequently posts Anonymous and pro-Pakistani imagery to his timeline. His Facebook profile also lists him as a web developer at Pak Cyber Experts, whose Facebook Page contains anti-India, anti-Modi, and pro-Pakistan content", the investigation found. A prominent feature of this network was the coordinated reporting of Facebook and Instagram accounts that were seen as anti-Islamic or critical of Pakistan.

Troll armies with names like Voice of Islam would push posts to Groups and Pages in the network, encouraging users to report up to 80 profiles at a time, with tips on how to do so quickly and with direct links to the reporting sites. Facebook shared 283 profiles and 96 Instagram accounts with SIO. The Instagram accounts appeared to be primarily personal accounts. In Facebook's takedown report they note that many of the accounts pretended to be Indians. The same themes appeared in the Groups, where Group titles referenced Pakistani and Indian patriotism, and account reporting.

The most popular Group was 'Indian Peramiltry (sic) Force', which was created in late 2018 and had more than 300,000 members, the report found. The observatory also highlighted how mass reporting networks operated, with Group and Page administrators mobilising social media users to report accounts that were Ahmadi, or critical of Islam or the Pakistani military or government.

"While we do not know who was behind this operation, we note the repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting. We also observed a post on the network that stated that a member of one of the mass reporting teams had died, and that not only was he a hardworking, effective 'patriot' who worked on social media reporting of 'subversives', but that he also worked with 'agencies' (implying either intelligence or military) on the ground", the Observatory found.

At the same time, the quality of the disinformation content did not rise to that of a previously Pakistani military-attributed takedown. "We hope Pakistan researchers and reporters will investigate this network further", Stanford Internet Observatory said in its research. On August 31, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan. Facebook shared a portion of this network with the Stanford Internet Observatory on August 28. "In our investigation, we find that the network engaged in mass reporting: the coordinated reporting of accounts ostensibly for violating a platform's terms of service. The network encouraged users to mass-report accounts that were critical of Islam and the Pakistani government, and in some cases accounts that were part of the Ahmadi religious community", the Observatory report said.

"The network also had messaging praising the Pakistani military, along with some Indian military fan Pages and Groups of unclear purpose. The network appears to have primarily targeted Pakistanis and Indians; posts were in Urdu, Hindi, English, and Punjabi. Facebook reports that 70,000 accounts followed at least one of the Pages and 1.1 million users belonged to the Groups", it said.

Many Pages and Groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, praising the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI, Pakistan's intelligence agency) and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. "The network included several Indian Army fan Pages and Groups, which had primarily positive messaging about the Indian military and government. We are unclear what the objective of these entities was", it said.

Mass reporting mobilisers frequently boasted about their supposed successes. For example, a troll army called Defenders of Islamic Ideology of Pakistan claimed to have gotten accounts suspended on the Group, 'Pakistan: A love, a madness'. The post includes the name of the accounts and the link so that users can see for themselves that the accounts are down.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be contacted at sanjeev.s@ians.in)
A bit of personal news this week: This will be my final Mid-Valley Scam Alert. But dont worry, this column isnt going anywhere.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has issued a dire prediction for Australia's tourism industry if state borders remain closed, warning holidaymakers will have no reason to travel and regional tourism operators are set to collapse.

Mr Joyce dialled up the pressure on state premiers ahead of Friday's national cabinet meeting, urging them to provide transparent medical advice about border closures.

"At the moment there seems to be no fact-based criteria [about] which borders are opening and closing," he said at a CAPA Centre for Aviation industry summit, held online on Wednesday afternoon.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce says tourism operators will fail if borders remain closed. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"I hope in national cabinet on Friday we start defining hotspots, which is then putting the science in play," the Qantas boss said. "Then we have certainty and all those [tourism] businesses have certainty when borders will open and when they will close."
Lebanons leading prosecutor into Beirut port blast has issued new arrest warrants against two officials and three Syrian workers, The New Arab reports citing a judicial source.

Investigating judge Fadi Sawan interrogated director of land and maritime transport, Abdel Hafiz Kaissi, and director of the port, Mohammed al-Mawla then issued arrest warrants against them, the source said.

Sawan also issued arrest warrants against three detained Syrian workers who had allegedly carried out welding at the ports warehouse number 12, hours before the explosion.

With the new arrests of the five individuals, Lebanon has arrested 21 people in connection with the deadly explosion that ravaged the Beirut port and large parts of the capital, killing nearly 200 people and wounding thousands.

It is unclear what caused the blast but authorities suggested welding work could have started a fire that ignited thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate warehoused at the port.

Sawan is expected to question four more port officials in connection with the investigation, carried out with the help of foreign experts, including from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
(Newser)  Dijon Kizzee. That's the name of a 29-year-old Black man fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont on Monday. As of early Wednesday, the names of the deputies involved hadn't been released, despite calls from family and activists. "The deputies essentially executed a man riding his bicycle," community activist Najee Ali tells the Los Angeles Times. More:



Alialso a rep for the family's lawyer, Ben Crumpsays Kizzee had a gun: "But what [officers] won't say was that he was not armed with the gun. He did not point the gun." Crump, who also represents the family of Jacob Blake, says Kizzee was shot more than 20 times in the back.

Lt. Brandon Dean told the Times that two deputies tried to contact a man who'd been riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes. He didn't say what rules the man was breaking. The man dropped the bike and ran, Dean said.

story continues below

Once the deputies caught up, the man punched one of them in the face, Dean said. He then dropped a bundle of clothes, from which emerged a black handgun. Dean said both deputies opened fire around 3:15pm, killing the man later identified as Kizzee. At least 18 shots can be heard on footage from doorbell cameras, per CBS Los Angeles.

"Even when the man was [on] the ground, they shot him again," witness Alida Trejo tells the Times. She says she watched the struggle to arrest Kizzee but never observed a punch. A witness tells ABC News that Kizzee was shot with his hands up. "[Kizzee] was like, 'Hey man, don't touch me!' and then it was like boom, boom, boom," a third witness tells CBS. "There was no attempt at de-escalation."

The sheriffs department said Tuesday that Kizzee had "made a motion toward the firearm." But that narrative is already in question. "All we have to go on this latest shooting is one thing: their version of it," Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said, per the Times, demanding that LA County sheriff's deputies immediately wear body cameras. They are due to be issued in October.

Protesters gathered at the scene on Monday, chanting, "Say his name," "No justice, no peace," and "Black lives matter," per the Times. More than 100 people later marched to a sheriff's station. There were calls to release the names of the deputies involved during another protest on Tuesday, attended by Kizzee's aunt and Rep. Maxine Waters, per CBS.

"They don't kill any other race but us and this don't make any sense," Kizzee's aunt, Fletcher Fair, said Tuesday, per ABC. "We're tired. We are absolutely tired." "Despite Black Lives Matter, they are shooting and killing as if to say they're going to show us that they're not going to stop," Waters added Tuesday, per CBS.

(Read more police shooting stories.)
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ST. LOUIS  Federal prosecutors this week accused three St. Louis area people of scamming more than 40 older women across the country out of more than $500,000 in cash and electronics by pretending to be military men looking for love.

Prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed Monday that conspirators pretended to be high-ranking military officers stationed overseas, using aliases and pictures stolen online. They communicated with their victims mainly via text, email and on social media, both to prevent their victims from hearing their foreign accents and to allow multiple people to take turns pretending to be the men, the indictment said.

Among their victims was a 71-year-old Tennessee woman who sent at least $15,000 to two post office boxes in St. Louis because she was told it would help a general in a Syrian hospital, William Smith, fly home on a bomb proof airplane, the indictment said.

Two women mailed cash to St. Louis thinking it would help a military officer named Walter Piatt get cash and diamonds home from Syria, the indictment said. A 71-year-old from New Mexico sent $160,000 and a 61-year-old Maryland woman estimated she sent $9,600.

Prosecutors say Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro, 41, and Bonmene Sibe, 27, were money mules who helped send a portion of the money to Nigeria. They were indicted on charges including conspiracy, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Trenice Hassel, 27, was indicted on a charge of making false statements to a federal agency. Prosecutors say Hassel helped open one of the post office boxes.

Court documents say Sibe is a Jennings resident. Ofikoro and Hassel also live in the St. Louis area. Ofikoro was arrested in Chicago on his way out of the country, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry said. Hassel has yet to be arrested, she said.

Berry said that targeting the money mules would have a real effect on the operation of romance scams.

William Hedrick, head of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Chicago office, said postal workers are trained to look out for victims making frequent trips to mail cash or other items. He said relatives also need to look out for an increase in calls or texts from unfamiliar numbers, a sudden drop in assets or a relative's sudden distancing from family.

Berry said tips from relatives also alerted authorities to the scam.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis, of the FBI's St. Louis office, said scammers scour dating sites, social media and chat rooms to find victims, and work off well-researched of scripts, keeping track of their efforts with journals. Scammers talk of love, and buying a house, to forge a connection, but balk at phone or video calls to avoid being found out.

UPDATED Thursday, Sept. 3 with comments from federal officials.

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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. At the initiative and participation of Armenian prime ministers spouse Anna Hakobyan, training was held in one of the military units of Artsakh from August 25 to 31, involving 15 Artsakh women of various age groups and professions. The training aimed at getting acquainted with the military service life and acquiring military skills, Mrs. Hakobyans Office told Armenpress.

During the seven-day training the participating women completely lived a military life, wore a uniform and stayed in the military unit. They underwent professional, physical, combat preparedness and first medical aid trainings. They also got acquainted with the main parts and mechanisms of Kalashnikov rifle, cameras, their role and significance, etc.

On the last day of the training the participants passed a shooting preparedness test.

During the training the women also visited the frontline, as well as met with President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan.

The training took place within the frames of the Women For Peace campaign.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
India has taken control of strategic heights at the north bank of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, sources told CNN-News18 on Wednesday, hours after it emerged that the Indian Army has also captured critical heights south of the lake.

Sources said Indian soldiers are now face to face with the Chinese who also have a presence at the same ridge line.

Sources also denied reports of Indian troops occupying heights at Finger 4. As part of the precautionary deployment carried out on August 30, some readjustments of our positions on north bank of Pangong Lake on our side of LAC had also been carried out, a source said.

The development comes after the Indian Army thwarted Chinas attempt to change the status quo on the southern bank and captured critical all positions and posts in the Ridge area.

We havent entered their (Chinese) location, but dominated our posts. We are in dominating position (on southern bank) at this point, another source had told News18 earlier in the day.

China has denied that it started the latest flare-up, with an embassy spokeswoman in New Delhi accusing Indian troops of trespassing across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - the de facto border - and conducting flagrant provocations".

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a border confrontation for months in the high-altitude snow deserts of Ladakh, and have held talks to reduce friction. The two have disputed the course of the frontier for over half a century.

In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops in Ladakhs Galwan area, the most serious clash between the two countries in 50 years.

Both sides then agreed to pull back with military chiefs in the region holding five rounds of talks. But the Indian military said this week Beijing had reneged on the deal by carrying out provocative military movements to change the status quo".
A Russian lawmaker has proposed a bill that would see all app store transactions capped at 20 percent, down from the usual 30 percent. Reuters is reporting that Fedot Tumusov, a member of the State Duma, Russias lower house in its parliament, has tabled the law. At the same time, it would mandate that a third of the app store commission would be paid to the government as part of a fund to train people in IT.

Apple, Google, Valve and other companies that run software stores have a fairly common practice of taking a 30 percent cut from each transaction. This has become an increasingly-contentious issue, especially with Apple, as more developers and regulators complain that it is unfair. Discussion about the rules, in both the US and Europe, with strong backing from rival software companies like Epic, will continue to rumble.

Last month, Russias antitrust authority found that Apple had overstepped its bounds when blocking a Kaspersky-made app to control kids screen time. At the time, Apple said that it would appeal its decision and it will likely spend the near future fighting battles over control of the App Store all around the world.

Its not clear how much support Tumusovs proposal has, given that he is not a member of United Russia, the countrys ruling party. Although given the general sentiment against Apple -- and other companies running app stores -- its certainly plausible that others will support the motion.
Since the emergence of Covid-19 earlier this year and the resulting global pandemic, Brexit, which once dominated the news headlines, swiftly took a back seat. The fear of Brexit was quickly replaced with the fear of Covid-19 disruption.

The UK government recently renewed preparations for Brexit with the launch of its advertising campaign in July called "The UKs new start: lets get going". On the TV advert, a "Check, Change, Go" strapline directs people and business to a checker tool on the Governments website which outlines the next steps business in the UK need to take before the end of the transition period. The need to prepare for business in Ireland trading with the UK is now no different.

Though Brexit has been a legal reality since the 31st of January 2020, people and business have largely been insulated from the consequences because of the existence of the 11 month long transition period taking us to the end of the year. This continues to bind the UK to the EU customs union, single market and rules meaning little has changed. Despite the UK and Irish Government's efforts, business is alarmingly unprepared to service the transition from the current Single Market within the European Union, to the new trading arrangements that will prevail when the current transition period ends this December 31st at 11pm.

Business in Ireland await anxiously clarity on the operation of the NI Protocol elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. What is clear to date, is that there will be no border for trade between the Republic and Northern Ireland. But what does the end of the Transition Period mean for business in County Louth that are sourcing products from Great Britain (GB), selling products to GB and sourcing products from Europe that pass through the British landbridge? It means there will be changes from a customs and trade perspective.

While negotiations are ongoing between the EU and UK on the future trading relationship, there are steps that business in Ireland can and should take now to prepare and ensure they can manage the costs and risks associated with trading across a customs border. The preparations made now by business in County Louth to trade with GB, will be effective for no matter what the outcome of negotiations transpires to be. Though business in NI can expect to learn the exact detail of how unfettered their access to GB will be, the situation is not the same for Irish business trading goods with GB. Even if an EU  UK Free Trade Agreement transpires in any form, Irish business have the clarity that there will be a customs border with GB that brings all the associated need for checks and controls.

Business in Louth now need to undertake a review of their supply chains to understand how the end of the Brexit transition period will impact them and understand how they will submit customs declarations to the authorities. They will need to develop the required knowledge to identify and communicate accurate information to Revenue on impacted goods flows and calculate what the potential financial impact will be due to any introduction of customs duties and import VAT. They will need to put in place the relevant authorisations, facilitations and certifications to operate efficiently and cost effectively.

These requirements fall on the backdrop of the significant gaps in import/export skills and resource amongst business of all size, but particularly SMEs. It is an urgent priority for Irish business to get staff trained, build internal competence and process, or to look at options to outsource in order to cope with the extra information and documentation demands.

There are many supports available to assist companies in planning and preparing for the end of the transition period. In Louth the Local Enterprise Office acts as a first port of call for SMEs, providing tremendous support assisting business to access a range of information, financial and consulting supports. Other agencies such as InterTrade Ireland, Skillnet and Enterprise Ireland provide additional supports under various criteria.

Businesses have difficult choices to make in the coming months, and it may be necessary to seek expert advice to make these decisions because, ready or not, on January the first 2021 a new trading reality dawns for Irish business
Elementary schools and high schools across the province will soon have new visitors.

Teams of workplace health and safety officers are being dispatched into the buildings to ensure they comply with the guidelines laid out by the Health Ministry.

Labour Minister Jean Boulet told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin Wednesday the visits will be done in a collaborative manner.

He said inspectors want to verify that students and staff are wearing masks when necessary, maintaining social distance and that schools are being kept clean.

A school principal could even be handed a fine if they are reluctant to make the changes after being given a warning, Boulet said.

But he stressed that would be a last resort.

"It's not what I wish and it's not what I anticipate in the education sector," he said.

Boulet said adhering to the guidelines will help prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19, particularly in the event of a second wave of the virus.

Workplace health and safety officers have already been inspecting offices to ensure they are complying with health guidelines.
The wild details of a Citibank's executive's 'bizarre' behaviour on a plane before he was dramatically arrested have been revealed in court documents.

Citibank Sydney managing director Thomas Hasan Dunmore Cribb, 39, became 'belligerent and aggressive' in the final hour of his Qantas flight from Auckland to Sydney on February 21.

The executive, who was dubbed part of 'generation next' at the US bank, faced Sydney's Downing Centre Court over his outburst on Tuesday.

He pleaded guilty to the obstruction of a Commonwealth officer and failing to comply with crew instructions.

The drama began when Cribb asked for 'another scotch', prompting the flight attendant to hesitate before giving him the drink, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Cribb, a single father from Surry Hills, then began pestering a man in the seat in front of him, introducing himself twice to the stranger.

Citibank Sydney managing director Thomas Cribb (pictured above) became 'belligerent and aggressive' in the final hour of his Qantas flight from Auckland to Sydney on February 21

Later on, flight attendants called for electronic devices to be turned off or put on aeroplane mode - but Cribb proceeded to have a loud conversation on the phone.

A flight attendant ordered Cribb to return to his seat five times but he said he 'just needed to p***' and went to toilet, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The plane's captain called Australian Federal Police officers to meet the flight at the gate and remove Cribb.

Cribb whined as he left the flight and launched a tirade of abuse at officers.

'How dare you. I can't believe this is Australia, am I under arrest?

'You have no idea who I am. You don't realise how big a mistake you've just made. You're gone. I'm taking your badge. You've just f****d up,' Cribb told police.

Cribb repeatedly ignored cabin crew instructions and attempted to kick at police officers who were called to Sydney Airport (NSW Police officers pictured at Sydney Airport)

Cribb demanded to see a Qantas staff member and a scuffle broke out as police attempted to arrest the banker.

The 39-year-old then tried to kick at two of the officers as he was tackled to the ground.

Cribb told police he wouldn't say anything until he could call speak to his lawyer but later apologised to an officer for injuring his thumb.

'Yeah, I f****d up. I'm really sorry. I had a few drinks,' he told officers at the AFP's Sydney police station.

Cribb later apologised for lashing out at police and the court heard the Citibank executive would be receiving a salary cut (Citibank headquarters pictured in New York city)

Cribb's lawyer said the banker had faced the Citibank board and would have his salary reduced after the incident.

His lawyer also noted Cribb's behaviour was 'bizarre' and out of character, providing multiple 'glowing' character references that described him as 'a gentle soul'.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said she had taken into account Cribb's remorse, his lack of prior offences and the character references.

She ordered Cribb to pay a $1,000 fine and continue seeing his psychologist while placing him on a two years good behaviour bond without conviction.
In this file photo a woman wearing a face mask crosses a bridge in front of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf following the outbreak of the CCP virus in London, on May 18, 2020. (Reuters/Simon Dawson)

UK to Ramp up Return-to-Workplace Campaign After CCP Virus Slump

The UK government will launch a media campaign this week to urge people to return to their workplaces, ramping up Prime Minister Boris Johnsons calls to get the economy back up to speed after its hammering during the CCP virus lockdown.

Data has shown only 17 percent of workers in British cities had returned to their workplaces by early August, and last week Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said that big urban centers looked like ghost towns.

The costs of office closure are becoming clearer by the day, Fairbairn said in a statement on Friday.

Some of our busiest city centers resemble ghost towns, missing the usual bustle of passing trade. This comes at a high price for local businesses, jobs and communities.

In this file photo, people work at computers in TechHub, a busy office space for technology start-up entrepreneurs near the Old Street roundabout in Shoreditch, London, on Mar. 15, 2011. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Britains economic output shrank by more than 20 percent in the AprilJune period, bigger than all other large industrialized nations, and its recovery has been moderate by comparison.

The government is keen to get people back into the workplace as it would help to stimulate the economy and prevent further damage to city center economies.

The next stage well look at is specifically the guidance on how to get back to work safely, and we expect to see that later this week, Johnsons spokesman said, commenting on the governments ongoing public information campaign.

Reopening Schools

A sizeable portion of the UK workforce are parents, with some 4.6 million working households in Britain who have children under 16 years old.

Many of those parents have been working from home since March following the nationwide lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

The government is hoping that the reopening of schools, which began in England this week, will help those parents to get back to their workplaces.

Pupils return to Kelso High School for the first time since the start of the CCP virus lockdown in Kelso, Scotland, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The CBIs Fairbairn backed the governments ruling to reopen all schools in England this week as a critical back-to-work measure, and emphasized the need for this to be carried out safely and sustainably.

Getting schools open safely is a vital first step to enable parents to go back to work, but they must stay open wherever possible. This means effective test and trace, and a focus on resilience, she said in a statement on Friday.

We welcome the Health Secretarys recent commitment to a mass testing strategy for 2021, she added.

Limits to Remote Working

While highlighting the success for some businesses and staff of working from home, Fairbairn emphasized a pressing need for a general return to the workplace for UK offices.

Remote working has been a resounding success for many firms and employees, and none of these benefits should be lost, she said.

Many people have never worked harder, keeping businesses afloat from their desks and kitchen tables.

However, The UKs offices are vital drivers of our economy that support thousands of local firms, from dry cleaners to sandwich bars, she said.

Fairbairn also added that offices help train and develop young people, and foster better work and productivity for many kinds of business.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, speaking to Sky News on Friday, also highlighted the limitations of working from home.

I think theres a limit, just in human terms, to remote working, Shapps said.

And there are things where you just need to spark off each other and get together in order to make progress.

Shapps also said that the vast majority of employers just want to get their businesses back up and running.

Many economists fear a sharp rise in unemployment as the government winds down its huge job retention scheme, which was extended from June but is due to expire by the end of October.

Decisions taken over the next few weeks will shape our economy for a decade, Fairbairn said.

Reuters contributed to this report
A proposed California political party is battling for official recognition, arguing that the states coronavirus restrictions kept it from collecting the signatures it needed to qualify for the ballot.

Governors in New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Washington and Utah all have drastically cut the signature requirements for new parties in light of the pandemic and California should do the same, former South Bay Rep. Tom Campbell, chair of the Common Sense Party, said in an online news conference Wednesday.

Campbell has asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue an executive order qualifying the party, which would allow it to make political contributions this year and run its own slate of candidates in 2022.

The governor has discretion and has used it many times already, waiving a variety of rules and requirements because of the coronavirus, Campbell said.

While Newsoms office has not yet responded to the request, its likely to be an uphill battle for the party. Early backers including Campbell and one-time San Francisco state Sen. Quentin Kopp describe it as fiscally responsible, socially inclusive and compassionate, filling a centrist position between the Democrats on the left and Republicans on the right.

The party fell well short of collecting the signatures it needed by the July 3 deadline, gathering only about 19,000 of the 68,180 required to become Californias seventh qualified political party.

Blame it on the coronavirus, Campbell said.

We planned to go out in April, May and June with paid circulators, which is far and away the only effective way to collect the necessary signatures, he said. That would have allowed us to make the July deadline.

But on March 4, Newsom declared a state of emergency in California because of the pandemic and followed it up with a stay-at-home order. That virtually ended all signature-collecting efforts in the state.

We shut our efforts down because it was the right thing to do, Campbell said. We didnt want to endanger the circulators or anyone else.

Without the required signatures, the secretary of state rejected the partys qualification bid, sparking a court battle.

The Common Sense Party has not shown that they undertook sufficient efforts since March to gather the necessary registrations to qualify as a political body, Sam Mahood, a spokesman for Secretary of State Alex Padilla, said in an email Wednesday. They have been attempting to qualify since well before the COVID-19 pandemic, and were even advised of alternate methods to collect new registrations. They still remain far short of collecting sufficient voter registrations.

Even with the coronavirus rules, the party could have continued to collect signatures, attorneys for Padilla argued in an Aug. 19 court pleading.

Signature collectors could have worn masks and spoken with voters distanced 6 feet apart with clean, single-use pens and registration cards placed on a nearby table, the state lawyers said, adding that mail or online efforts also could have been used.

This is absurd, Campbell said, arguing that the state doesnt recognize how hard it is to buttonhole passers-by on street corners or outside supermarkets and convince them to sign a petition. And the other, more impersonal signature-gathering efforts just dont work, he said.

Not only are people worried about a contagious virus likely to steer well clear of someone walking up to them with a clipboard and a pen, he said, but those type of person-to-person contacts would involve the breaking of existing laws limiting public interactions.

A federal suit in Illinois resulted in the state trimming its signature requirements for new parties by 90%. The number was cut by 70% in New York and by 50% in other states, Campbell said.

In both state and federal court, the party said the 19,000 signatures represented a good faith effort that should allow the party to qualify in light of the states coronavirus restrictions.

It was a losing argument. Both courts ruled that the party could have used other methods to collect the needed signatures.

The rulings are being appealed, Campbell said.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Federal prosecutors are getting close to charging Elliott Broidy, a prominent Republican fundraiser, in connection with attempts to influence the U.S. government on behalf of foreign interests, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

Broidy, who was appointed national deputy finance chair for the Republican National Committee after President Trump's election, allegedly tried to coax Trump, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and other administration officials into stopping an investigation into Malaysian government corruption, the Post reports.

Several people with knowledge of the situation told the Post Broidy also allegedly pushed for the extradition of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui on behalf of a Chinese government official and a Malaysian billionaire. When Stephen Bannon, a former adviser to Trump, was arrested last month on charges of defrauding donors who thought their money was going to build a border wall, he was on Guo's yacht off the coast of Connecticut.

On Monday, one of Broidy's business associates, Nickie Mali Lum Davis, pleaded guilty for her role in facilitating an unregistered lobbying campaign in exchange for millions of dollars. The charging document in her case states that she admitted to aiding and abetting the efforts of two other people involved in influence campaigns, identified as Person A and Person B. People familiar with the matter told the Post that Person A is former Fugees rapper Pras Michel and Person B is Broidy.

Broidy, who resigned from his RNC post in April 2018 after it was reported that he paid a Playboy model $1.6 million to keep silent about their sexual relationship, declined to comment to the Post. Several people with knowledge of the matter told the Post he has been holding discussions with the Justice Department, and could reach a plea deal.

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The numbers are startling ... but they also make a lot of sense.

As of last month, the number of Cayuga County residents lost to suicide in 2020 reached six, already more than all of 2019, when five people took their own lives in this county. Suicide attempts have also been up sharply. The Auburn Police Department reported that it responded to 88 such calls from April through July, up by 44% compared with the same time period a year earlier. Mental health problem investigations during those same months added up to 147, up by 24% from a year ago.

The numbers reflect what we all know: The coronavirus pandemic had taken a terrible toll on mental health. People have become more isolated. There has been so much suffering and death from the virus. And the economic damage has been historic.

Cayuga County, fortunately, has not experienced a COVID-19 surge, but it has not been immune to many of the related problems.

As fall approaches, and with it seasonal mental health challenges that can emerge as days get shorter and weather gets colder, it's vital that we all become more aware of the importance of monitoring mental wellness. That's for ourselves and our friends and family.

September is designated as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This year it feels like the efforts to educate the public and advocate for better access to mental health care is as important as ever.

Just as so many of us are being so mindful of our everyday activities to keep a deadly virus at bay, we need to take the same approach with our mental health.

Here's are a few resources for Cayuga County-area residents who might need some support:

 Cayuga County Mental Health: cayugacounty.us/589/mental-health or (315) 253-0341

 East Hill Medical Center: easthillmedical.com or (315) 253-8477

 NAMI Cayuga County: 2maestros@twc.com or (315) 255-7443

 New York state emotional support hotline: 1-844-863-9314

 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

 NAMI Crisis Text Line: Text NAMA to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor.

 Unity House of Cayuga County: unityhouse.com or (315) 253-6227

 Anxiety, Depression and Panic Attack (ADAPA) Support Group: Meetings 7-8:30 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of every month on the second floor of Auburn Community Hospital. To participate in a Zoom meeting, contact Kristen Wilmot at (315) 252-5861.

 Cayuga Counseling Services, 17 E. Genesee St., Auburn: (315) 253-9795.

The Citizen editorial board includes publisher Michelle Bowers, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.

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After Rhea Chakraborty said that her boyfriend, the late Sushant Singh Rajput suffered a depressive episode while on their trip to Paris and refused to get out of his hotel room, many pointed at pictures where Sushant is out and about in the city, looking happy.

Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde has responded to this line of questioning and stated that Sushant, as mentioned by Rhea, was bipolar and was thus prone to extreme mood swings.

Speaking to The Quint, Maneshinde said, "What Rhea said was absolutely correct. Sushant and Rhea were in Paris for around six days and they spent one whole day in Disneyland. Rhea had mentioned Sushant was bipolar, and any medical expert will vouch that the mood swings of such people are in extremes."

In her interview with India Today, Rhea had said that she first got to know about Sushant's alleged mental illness during their Europe trip. She shared how Sushant could not leave his room for three days in Paris, and how he couldn't sleep during their stay at a Gothic hotel in Italy which had scary images in the room. She also said that Sushant was a little better in Switzerland, but they ultimately had to cut short their trip.

Rhea has been accused of abetting Sushant's suicide and has been subjected to a media trial in this regard, while investigations in Sushant's death case are still on.

Meanwhile, recent reports and Whatsapp chats that have surfaced, suggest that Sushant's family was well aware of his mental health, although they claimed that they were never informed about it by Rhea.

Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Another Happy Picture From Paris Trip Lands On Internet And Upsets Netizens!

ALSO READ: Netizens Dig Up Sushant Singh Rajput's Old Video Enjoying In Paris To Prove Rhea Chakraborty Wrong!


Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:16:50|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Rain-related incidents claimed the lives of at least nine people from Tuesday to Wednesday in Pakistan's northwestern district of Mansehra, government and rescue officials said on Wednesday.

Four members of a family died due to roof collapse in the Hussain Banda area of Mansehra, in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while another five people lost their lives in different incidents including drowning in the river, flash flood and land sliding debris hitting houses, according to rescue officials.

Multiple people were also injured in the incidents, Deputy Commissioner of Mansehra Aurangzeb Haider told local media, adding that many people living on the banks of either side of Nandhihari stream in the district had to evacuate their houses in the wake of the alert from the district administration.

Landslides also blocked several roads and thoroughfares in the district, whereas many areas were left without power as electricity distribution feeders faced tripping owing to continued showers.

The official said a special committee has been established to evaluate losses incurred due to heavy rains to compensate local residents.

The district administration has directed all the concerned departments to remain alert round the clock to tackle any untoward situation. Enditem
The deputy has openly sided with Putin's political operative Viktor Medvedchuk.

"Patriots for Life", a civic organization supervised by MP Ilya Kiva, which recently came into a spotlight as a result of two conflict episodes with a rivaling group, has reportedly been hiring men who had been part of Viktor Yanukovych's riot police during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014.

Oleh Martynenko, the organization's formal leader, also turned out to be a former Berkut officer, according to photo evidence posted on the OpustiVatu Telegram channel.

Martynenko also manages the Storm private security company owned by aides to Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the Opposition Platform  For Life Party and crony of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is he who is allegedly recruiting men into the ranks of Kiva's Patriots - For Life group.

Read also"I'll cut your head off": Odious Ukrainian MP threatens man in Kyiv street (Video)The report also points to Martynenko's Facebook history where he was spotted promoting the ideas of the so-called "Russian world". Having been confronted by journalists, he deleted all such posts from his accounts.

Another former Berkut riot police officer Oleksandr Vizyr has been exposed as part of Kiva's entourage. He joined Medvedchuk's security team after Berkut was disbanded in 2014. It was Vizyr who had organized the Patriots - For Life congress in Poltava, after which the van carrying the organization members was ambushed on August 27, reports claim.

Patriots for Life: background
Pastor Chukwudi Chukwumezie

The Anambra state police command have arrested a pastor identified as Chukwudi Chukwumezie of the Mountain Zion deliverance Ministry, Ugamuma village, Obosi for allegedly luring and having unlawful carnal knowledge with two fifteen years old girls under the false pretence of conducting deliverance prayers for them

A statement released by Haruna Mohammed, spokesperson of the state police command, said in August 2019, the accused clergyman was arrested for allegedly luring and having unlawful carnal knowledge with a fifteen-year-old girl at a hotel along Eze iweka road Obosi under the false pretence of making deliverance prayers for her.

Haruna said the victim to the hospital for medical Examination where penetration and laceration of her hymen were confirmed by the medical doctor after which suspect was charged to Court for prosecution.

According to the statement, the clergyman who presently jumped court bail had on July 16 and August 4, also allegedly defiled another fifteen-year-old girl from Iyaba Egbema in Ozubulu using the same modus of false deliverance. The victim was equally taken to the hospital for medical examination where penetration was confirmed.

The spokesperson added that the suspect was arrested on Monday, August 31 and that the case has been transferred to the State criminal investigation department for discreet investigation as directed by the Commissioner of Police CP John B.Abang,fdc.

He said the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.
Two siblings who were taken into state care as child refugees nearly 20 years ago are now suing the Nova Scotia government and a group care home, alleging abuse and a failure to respect their heritage.

Fatouma Abdi, 28, and her brother Abdoul Abdi, 26, came to Canada from Somalia in 2000 and by the end of 2001, they were taken from their two aunts  who were their primary caregivers  and put into the care of Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services.

In a statement of claim, filed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Tuesday, the Abdis' lawyer detailed the siblings' time living in a variety of foster homes and care facilities. The Abdis' aunts tried to regain custody of both children over the years but never succeeded.

The statement alleges the siblings suffered mental, physical and sexual abuse throughout their time in care, and that they were repeatedly placed in settings that "stifled" the children's Somali culture.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The lawsuit was filed against the Attorney General of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children (where Abdoul Abdi lived for five months in 2008) and the two companies that took over operations of the home in 2013, Akoma Family Centre Inc. and Akoma Holdings Inc.

Statements of defence have not yet been filed. The defendants did not immediately respond to CBC's request for comment.

Deportation battle

Abdoul Abdi made headlines in 2018 when he faced deportation after completing a prison term. He fought the deportation based on his childhood in provincial care, during which time no one from the 31 different foster homes and groups homes where he lived applied for citizenship for him.

Ottawa eventually dropped the deportation proceedings, and the case led to policy change in Nova Scotia, granting the power to social workers to apply for Canadian citizenship on children's behalf.

The deportation isn't mentioned in the new lawsuit.

Story continues

The siblings' court filing says they are seeking a declaration that their Charter right to security of the person was infringed, and damages.

Through a lawyer who is providing client support to the Abdis, both siblings declined interview requests on Tuesday. Fatouma Abdi provided a statement in a news release explaining why she and her brother chose to launch the lawsuit:

"In all honesty, it's going to bring light to how they run the system and what they did to other kids. I hope this forces them to change. But for me, I don't think it will ever bring me justice, because it doesn't take away what Abdoul and I went through, nor does it take away what my children went through. I don't think it will ever truly bring justice, but it's a start."

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Rep. David Nangle of Lowell and Sen. James Welch of West Springfield lost their seats to Democratic primary challengers on Tuesday, in an election that put seven other Democrats who face no declared opposition in November on track to claim open House seats.

Nangle, indicted in February on more than two dozen federal fraud charges to which he has pleaded not guilty, has served in the House for 11 terms and was a member of Speaker Robert DeLeos leadership team until stepping down from that post after his arrest.

Lowells Vanna Howard, who had worked as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, effectively won the seat by besting Nangle and fellow Democrat Lisa Arnold in the primary, as there will be no other candidate on the ballot in the general election. Howard originally came to Lowell as a refugee from Cambodia and, on her campaign website, listed attributes she hopes to bring to the office: A voice that is reflective of a diverse community. A passion that comes from caring for people. A commitment that I will respect this office, every day, as a position of trust.

Springfield City Councilor Adam Gomez unseated Welch, according to the Associated Press vote tally. Gomez is now poised to be the first Latinx Senator from Hampden County in history, according to a tweet from the group Latino Victory.

Gomez is in his third term on the Springfield City Council, and he is involved in leadership positions with a range of community groups including the Hispanic American Library Board of Directors and the Home City Housing Board of Directors, according to his campaign website.

Welch, the Senate chairman of the Financial Services Committee, has served in the Senate since 2011. He was previously a state representative and member of the West Springfield City Council.

______

See full Massachusetts 2020 Primary results

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All 40 incumbent state senators are seeking re-election this year. The only other senators with primary races -- Democratic Sens. Patricia Jehlen, Nick Collins, Walter Timilty and Michael Brady -- all won.

There are 16 open seats in the House -- 15 current House lawmakers opted not to run this year, and the House seat formerly held by Sen. John Velis, who won a special election in May, is vacant.

Of those 16 seats, there are seven districts where no Republican or independent candidate has made the ballot, leaving the Democratic nominee as the presumptive winner, though write-in candidates could also emerge.

Brandy Fluker Oakley and Rob Consalvo prevailed in Democratic contests for a pair of Boston seats, now held by Reps. Dan Cullinane and Angelo Scaccia, respectively.

Fluker Oakley, who ran with the backing of Sen. Nick Collins, Rep. Bill Driscoll and groups including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, has worked as a public defender and public school teacher. Rebecca Hart Holder of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts said Fluker Oakley is excited to represent her community on Beacon Hill, especially because she grew up in the 12th Suffolk District.

Her win ensures that the district, which is roughly three-quarters people of color, will be represented by a woman of color.

Another Black woman in the State House! Now there will be 4 out of 200, Rep. Liz Miranda of Boston posted on Twitter, reacting to Fluker Oakleys win. You worked incredibly hard & im looking forward to working closely to elevate our communities Sister Soror!

Consalvo, a senior advisor in the superintendents office at Boston Public Schools, ran for mayor in 2013 and is a former city councilor.

Patricia Duffy emerged from a three-way primary in Holyoke, beating out fellow Democrats Patrick Beaudry and David Bartley for the seat now held by Aaron Vega. Duffy, Vegas aide and a former publishing worker and labor leader, thanked Beaudry and Bartley for a spirited, yet civil campaign.

Associated Press vote totals showed another legislative aide poised to fill their bosss seat. Retiring Rep. Lou Kafkas staff director, Ted Philips, of Sharon, had taken in about 52 percent of the vote in his race against Walpoles Andrew Flowers, with all precincts reporting.

Rep. Denise Provosts Somerville seat is on track to go to Erika Uyterhoeven, who won against Catia Sharp. Uyterhoeven, who describes herself as an antitrust economist and a Democratic Socialist, is a founder of the Act on Mass organization that has pushed progressive causes on Beacon Hill and criticized House leadership over transparency issues.

Uyterhoevens campaign said more than 13,000 people in the district voted this year, and 8,348 people had voted for her as of 9 p.m. We made history by saying loud and clear that our love for justice, our love for the right to live our lives with dignity, and our love for everyone to have both a voice and the agency to shape our shared Commonwealth are rights that we all deserve, Uyterhoeven said in a statement.

Watertowns Steven Owens, a transportation consultant, topped Town Council President Mark Sideris and David Ciccarelli, according to a tweet from Watertown Democratic Town Committee Chair William Pennington, who posted a screenshot of a videochat group he said was Celebrating a big @VoteSteveOwens win tonight!

Hecht and Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian were among those who stood out for Owens on primary day, according to the candidates Facebook posts.

In Revere, City Councilor Jessica Giannino is set to claim the seat now held by Rep. RoseLee Vincent. In a Facebook video outside her campaign headquarters, Giannino thanked her supporters and said they had been working since 6 a.m. Todays been overwhelming, she said.

Her opponent, Joseph Gravellese, conceded the 16th Suffolk District race around 8:45 p.m., saying in a Facebook video that he was humbled to receive about 2,200 votes but could not surpass Giannino.

She posted a really impressive total and scored the victory tonight, Gravellese said. The number she put up is pretty unprecedented in a Democratic primary, and it speaks to, certainly, the work she put in as a city councilor and as someone whos been involved for quite some time.

Later in the night, Gravellese said he consoled Jordan Meehan, who was also unsuccessful in his primary challenge against 34-year veteran Rep. Kevin Honan. We are proud to have run the nerdiest campaigns in the state, and to have been true to ourselves, even if the results didnat go our way, Gravellese tweeted.

Open seats mark rare opportunities for turnover in the state Legislature -- 28 of the 40 state senators and 98 of 200 representatives face no official primary or general election challenge this cycle.

Along with Honan, several other incumbent House Democrats appeared to survive primary challenges, including Reps. Jerald Parisella, Frank Moran, Danielle Gregoire, David Linsky, James Murphy, David Rogers, Christine Barber, John Rogers, Mark Cusack, Paul Donato and Daniel Ryan, as did Republican Rep. Nicholas Boldyga. Some races had not been officially called by midnight.

Some unsuccessful candidates had highlighted transparency on Beacon Hill as a campaign issue.

Anna Callahan, a challenger in the 34th Middlesex District, on her campaign website criticized Rep. Barbers votes against rules packages that in part would have required leaders to offer representatives more time to review bills and more advance notice ahead of votes. Callahan also knocked House leadership in her campaign mailers.

In the 17th Essex District, challenger Marianela Rivera said in a concession statement that her campaign against Rep. Frank Moran helped raise awareness about the transparency issue on Beacon Hill. We didnt win the seat, but we brought more people to the table, Rivera said.

Democrats, with 36 seats in the Senate and 127 in the House, hold supermajorities in both chambers.

Secretary of State William Galvin on Monday projected that upwards of 1.2 million voters could cast primary ballots, with the bulk of those coming via mail in an unusual election year where typical primary night gatherings were in many cases replaced by Zoom calls, social media posts and small outdoor events.

Lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker expanded access to mail-in voting and in-person early voting for the 2020 elections to give voters more options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional health precautions were also taken at polling places Tuesday.

Sen. Barry Finegold, an Andover Democrat who is running uncontested, said in a Tuesday night NECN interview that poll workers were the unsung heroes of the day. He said he planned to meet later in the week with his co-chair Rep. John Lawn -- whose primary race against Alison Leary was too close to call at midnight -- and Secretary Galvin to see if any changes to voting procedures need to be made before the Nov. 3 general election.

Finegold said he expects some tweaks though classified the overall process as a success.

In other primaries, Republican Steve Xiarhos claimed victory over Tom Keyes in the race for the open Cape Cod seat now held by Rep. Randy Hunt, Orlando Ramos won the Democratic contest in Springfield now held by Rep. Jose Tosado, Northborough Democrat Meghan Kilcoyne came out on top in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Harold Naughton, and Kelly Pease won the Republican primary for the vacant House seat last held by Sen. Velis.

Related Content:
The government on Tuesday said it has approved 27 cold chain projects in 11 states with a grant-in-aid of Rs 208 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY). The Food Processing Industries Ministry in a statement said these projects were "approved" in Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) meetings under the 'Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure' of PMKSY.

The meetings, held during second fortnight of August, were chaired by Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal through video conferencing, it said. According to the ministry, the 27 new integrated cold chain projects will leverage a total investment of Rs 743 crore for creation of modern, innovative infrastructure and effective cold chain facilities for food processing sector across the nation.

"These projects with a grant-in-aid of Rs 208 crore will help increase efficiency and sustainability in India's food supply chain," it said. The new integrated cold chain projects are likely to generate direct and indirect employment for 16,200 people and are likely to benefit 2,57,904 farmers, it added.

Also read: Reliance's Rs 24,713 crore deal with Future Retail includes Rs 12,000 crore debt

The ministry further said the projects have been approved across Andhra Pradesh (7), Bihar (1), Gujarat (2), Haryana (4), Karnataka (3), Kerala (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Punjab (1), Rajasthan (2), Tamil Nadu (4) and Uttar Pradesh (1). "These projects will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure but would also help in streamlining the agricultural supply chain, generate direct and indirect employment opportunities in rural areas, provide better prices to farmers, end-users, and benefit allied sectors," Badal said.

These benefits are vital for the economic security of farmers, she added. "Saving the perishable produce by provisioning adequate infrastructure shall not only help in augmenting farmer's incomes but it shall also act as a small step towards making India Atma Nirbhar (self-reliant) in the fruits and vegetables sector," the minister said.

Also read: Tamil Nadu to set up mega food processing plant at Nagapattinam for Rs 1,000 crore

According to the ministry, a total of 85 cold chain projects have been considered for financial assistance throughout the country under the central sector scheme. Under the 'Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure', the government provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate of 35 per cent for general areas and 50 per cent for North-Eastern states, Himalayan states, and islands for storage and transport infrastructure.

Assistance of 50 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively, is also given for value addition and processing infrastructure subject to a maximum grant-in-aid of Rs 10 crore per project for setting up integrated cold chain projects, including irradiation facility from the farm gate to the consumer, the statement said. The ministry said it is striving to establish an integrated and seamless network of strong cold chain grid and infrastructure for uninterrupted transfer of perishables from production to consumption centres.
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Linkedin Kornelius Purba (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 08:35 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4212f6e 1 Opinion Shinzo-Abe,Japan,Japan-Indonesia,infrastructure,MRT-Jakarta,#commentary Free

Japan will soon have a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who abruptly announced his resignation last week. The international community, including Indonesia, reacted cordially, partly because they were preoccupied by the COVID-19 pandemic and partly because Abes successor would come from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), so significant changes to Japanese politics are unlikely.

But we should not forget that more people outside the worlds third-largest economy are realizing the increased strategic importance of Japan in the midst of the rivalry between China and the United States. Neighboring countries are keen to see Japan play a bigger role not just economically but also in security and diplomacy as anxiety rises over Chinas growing assertiveness and the United States decreasing influence in the region.

But what about Indonesia? President Joko Jokowi Widodo seems to have no personal preference for Abes successor. Jokowi has only a few personal Japanese friends, including former PM Yasuo Fukuda, the president of the Japan-Indonesia Association (Japinda). As a pragmatic politician, Jokowi is concerned with keeping Japanese investment flowing into Indonesia and increasing Indonesian exports to Japan.

Under Abe, Japans investment and economic cooperation initiatives have won appreciation from the Indonesian public. Japanese companies treat local workers relatively well, and it is very rare to see labor strikes in Japanese-owned factories. Japanese investors, too, spark less controversy than their Chinese peers, who often bring a number of Chinese workers to the country as part of investment deals, although this difference can be explained by the shortage of workers in Japan.

In the field of infrastructure, which is the focus of Jokowis government, the role of Abes Japan was indispensable. The Japanese-constructed Jakarta mass rapid transit (MRT) has been popular since its official opening in March 2019. Late this year, the Japanse-funded Patimban seaport will begin operations. Located in Subang, West Java, the port is expected to alleviate the strained capacity of Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. The new port will make use of Japans advanced technology and management, as the MRT does.

Japan is also a strong contender for the construction of the Jakarta-Surabaya high speed railways, although China is also eyeing the project.

From an international perspective, however, Abe was not able to manifest his political will, as evident in his inability to realize a plan to revise the nations pacifist constitution, which was drafted by Gen. Douglas MacArthur of the United States. Abe could not convince his nation or even his own party of the need for revision. Japanese people preferred the status quo.

China and South Korea strongly condemned the constitutional amendment plan, fearing a revival of Japans past imperial ambitions. It remains unclear if other Asian countries, such as the 10 member states of ASEAN, share such concerns, but a stronger Japan is perhaps a necessity given the meteoric rise of China economically and militarily.

Beijings increased assertiveness in the South China Sea is particularly alarming to the ASEAN neighbors that claim portions of the long-disputed waters. Unlike Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, Indonesia is not a claimant, but recent incidents suggest that an open clash with China in Natuna waters could be a matter of time.

ASEAN members have quietly expressed the need for outside powers, such as Japan, to counterbalance Chinas actions in the region. In private conversations, Indonesian diplomats and military generals have shown growing support for the formalization of Japanese military power beyond self-defense.

It is undeniable that Japan [should have] full military capacity now, a senior government official said recently.

Many Asian countries were traumatized by the brutality of the Japanese military before and during World War II. Unlike Germany, which has made significant efforts to atone for its wartime actions, Japan is still internationally perceived as being half-hearted in its admission of guilt and in the provision of compensation for the victims of its military brutality.

From the geopolitical point of view, is it realistic to maintain the status quo? Chinas military has steadily reached a global level of power, and this fact worries its neighbors, including ASEAN. Abe has failed to mitigate those concerns.

China has nuclear weapons, and it is just a matter of technicalities for Japan and South Korea to match that capacity. The three nations also have overlapping sovereignty claims. The region may have to expect the three to maintain the balance of power and forget the US. Regardless of the results of the US presidential election in November, Washingtons influence and power in the region is declining.

The objection of China and South Korea to Japans revision of its constitution is understandable and justifiable. Japans past military aggression is very hard to forgive. But smaller Asian nations have a long tradition of burying their hatchets.

Indonesia, of course, is hoping for a continuation of Japanese investment and economic cooperation after Abe. The country is competing with fellow ASEAN members that also offer a favorable investment climate and a large labor force to attract Japanese investors.

Whoever replaces Abe should lead Japan to a more significant geopolitical role. Perhaps this way, the nation can redeem itself for the painful history of its occupation in Asia.

--------

Senior editor at The Jakarta Post
Springer Nature Journal Rejects Article by Taiwan Doctor Over Country Name

2020-09-01 -- Top academic publisher Springer Nature has once more sparked concerns over its censorship of topics regarded as politically sensitive by Beijing.

A Taiwanese doctor, Wu Jo-hsuan, recently reported via Facebook that she had been asked by the editorial team at Eye and Vision, a medical journal published by the group, to add the word "China" after "Taiwan" in her paper, or have her article rejected for publication.

Editors at Eye and Vision wrote to Wu telling her that the change was required under the journal's editorial policies.

Wu is the first author of the paper on retinopathy with her mentor at National Taiwan University, and said she was shocked by the level of political censorship she encountered.

She told RFA in a recent interview that she and her colleague have now decided to find another publisher.

"We're not planning to get back to them," she said. "We thought we'd look for another journal that is a bit more friendly."

Catherine Chou, assistant professor of history at Grinnell College, said such problems aren't uncommon for academics from Taiwan, a democratic island that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China.

"This highlights the plight of Taiwanese scholars, who are forced to make choices in their professional careers between an honest account of their national identity and academic opportunities," Chou told RFA.

RFA contacted Springer Nature to ask whether there are indeed editorial restrictions on the use of "Taiwan" as a nationality for an author.

In a written reply dated Aug. 25, the publisher said it wouldn't put pressure on authors to change the name of their country of origin.

It said the policy stemmed instead from Eye and Vision, which it publishes in partnership with Wenzhou Medical University in China, and operates under a separate set of editorial guidelines.

Springer Nature said its relationship with Eye and Vision was simply that of "co-publisher."

Springer Nature is the world's largest academic publisher, publishing more than 3,000 journals including Nature and the Scientific American.Politically sensitive articles blocked

However, this isn't the first time that the publisher has been linked to Chinese censorship.

In November 2017, Springer Nature confirmed that it had blocked access to some 1,000 journal articles to Chinese internet users because they contained banned keywords relating to political topics such as Tibet, Taiwan, or the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Requests to Eye and Vision and the eye hospital linked to the Wenzhou Medical University for comment had met with no response by the time of writing.

The eye hospital's official website describes Eye and Vision as "an international English-language journal under the aegis of Wenzhou Medical University."

Launched in October 2014, it is edited by Qu Jia, director of the eye hospital, and receives funding from the ruling Chinese Communist Party to boost China's international influence.

The program is jointly implemented by the government-backed Chinese Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as the ministries of finance and education, and the state media regulator -- the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT).

The initiative is part of a long-running policy under Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping to "take Chinese technology and culture global."

In November 2019, France-based scientific publisher EDP Sciences was acquired by a holding company under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Science Publishing & Media, or Science Press.

State news agency Xinhua reported at the time that this was "an important step in China Science's internationalization strategy."

Wen Liu, assistant research fellow at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, said China's acquisition of such publishers is a serious threat to international academic freedom.

"China's overseas acquisitions program targeting international academic journals, as well as its censorship of researchers' institutional identities and the content of papers is a serious violation of the principle of academic freedom," Liu told RFA.

She said she was also asked in August 2020 not to include the word "Taiwan" in her byline in a psychology paper for a SAGE journal.

She said her two authors from the United States and South Africa experienced no such restriction.

Austin Wang, assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said some Taiwanese scholars have had their country of origin changed to "China" or editorial changes suggested that describe Taiwan as a "province of China."

"Sometimes you can appeal to the editor to reject the proposed modification, but sometimes you get rejected by the journal because of this," Wang told RFA.

"This is quite common, so complaints need to be loud enough to force journals to change," he said.

Controlling the global narrative

Jessica Drun, a guest researcher at the Washington think tank Project 2049 Institute, said China's censorship of Taiwan scholars also relates to Beijing's policy of extending its official narratives far beyond its borders.

"This isn't just about Taiwan, but also China's attempt to control the global narrative and shape it into a view that is more in line with the interests of the Chinese Communist Party," Drun said.

She said China's growing influence at the World Health Organization (WHO) was also a case in point.

People working in all fields should be aware that the price of Chinese political censorship entering the scientific domain doesn't just stop Taiwanese academics from making a contribution: it runs counter to global public health interests, she warned.

Taiwan was ruled as a Japanese colony in the 50 years prior to the end of World War II, before being occupied by the Kuomintang (KMT)'s 1911 Republic of China as part of Tokyo's post-war reparation deal with the allies. It remains a sovereign state using the name Republic of China.

The island began a transition to democracy following the death of President Chiang Ching-kuo in January 1988, starting with direct elections to the legislature in the early 1990s and culminating in the first direct election of a president, Lee Teng-hui, in 1996.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in a Jan. 2, 2019 speech that Taiwan must be "unified" with China. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) echoed the sentiment in a military white paper later that year.

But Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly responded that Taiwan's 23 million population have no wish to give up their sovereignty, or democratic way of life.

Reported by Jane Tang for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright  1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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A new day, a new advisory tweet. Police departments across India are using social media to educate and inform citizens about the best and safe practices to follow during this time. And Pune Police is among them. The handle has been sharing important messages in quirky ways to ensure the message resonates with people. A few days back, they shared a flow chart to put across the best way to step out of home, which is by wearing a mask. Earlier today, they shared a similar message, this time with their Safety Circuit theme tweet.

The post shows a picture which depicts a Corona Safety Circuit. It implies that for safety one needs to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

This is the current norm. Resistance is dangerous. Be safe. Be responsible, says the tweet along with the hashtags #WearAMask #SafetyCircuit and #OnGuardAgainstCorona.

Dear @PuneCityPolice, you bring a lot of innovation in communicating your message; the onus is now on the learned citizens to follow the norms and be safe, a Twitter user commented on the post.

Pune Police shares several such messages on their Twitter handle. Not only related to corona, the department has also shared tweets on cyber security and the menace of fake news.

What are your thoughts on their tweet?
UW Reports Positive Cases, Quarantines from Off-Campus Gatherings

Off-campus gatherings involving University of Wyoming students have resulted in at least seven positive cases of COVID-19 infection and caused 47 students to be quarantined since Monday.

The four new cases reported today (Tuesday) werent enough to trigger a pause to UWs phased fall return plan, but university leaders warn that could be the case in coming days as testing of the individual participants continues.

Working with the Wyoming Department of Health, we have done our best to isolate those whove tested positive and quarantine those with whom theyve had close contact, UW President Ed Seidel says. Our hope is that these actions will allow us to move forward with our plans for in-person, on-campus experiences this fall, but ultimately it will be up to every member of the UW community to exercise personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus.

While the total number of active cases today stands at 28, eight students and one employee are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and awaiting test results. The total number of UW-related positive cases since the pandemic began is 78, a smaller number than many universities across the country.

With our rigorous program of testing, tracing and quarantine, we still have an opportunity to have a successful semester -- but only if we all do what we know we should: avoid large gatherings, wear face protection, practice physical distancing and follow proper hygiene measures, Seidel says. If you fail to follow this guidance and come into contact with an infected individual, you could face a 14-day quarantine as required by the Department of Health to protect our entire community.

Some of the 47 people placed in quarantine since Monday are in UW Greek Life housing; others are in off-campus housing.

We urge students to refrain from gathering in large groups, on campus or off campus, where physical distancing cannot be met, Dean of Students Ryan ONeil says. The stakes are high, and the behavior of one person can have impacts for many.

The university intends to pursue student conduct proceedings for these reported incidents. Students hosting or attending gatherings will be placed on interim suspension from the university and will have their campus access temporarily restricted. Students who are placed on interim suspension may not attend classes until their student conduct cases are resolved. Additionally, all students involved who attend these gatherings will be referred to the Dean of Students Office for conduct proceedings. Possible conduct outcomes include:

-- Students hosting gatherings may be suspended or permanently dismissed.

-- Students attending gatherings may be placed on conduct probation or suspended.

-- Students who host or attend COVID parties with the expressed intention of spreading the virus may be permanently dismissed from the university.

The universitys COVID contingency plan, approved by the UW Board of Trustees, includes metrics that would trigger a pause to the fall return plan. One of those is if five or more positive tests of symptomatic individuals are detected among UW students and employees in Laramie in a single day.

A pause would be a period of five business days to allow university leaders to collect additional information about the presence of the infection on campus. Seidel then would determine next steps, such as returning to the phased fall return plan or shifting to a fully virtual environment.

Under UWs pause plan, which may be found here, the university would take steps that include:

-- Instructing students in UW campus housing and others in Laramie to shelter in place.

-- Delivering all courses online; no in-person classes would be conducted.

-- Instructing all employees, with the exception of those designated by supervisors as critical pause personnel, to work remotely.

-- Suspending all face-to-face activities, unless approval is given through an exception process.

UW students would be instructed to have contact with only members of their pods during a pause. For a student in UWs residence halls, a pod would consist of all students on that students floor. For students living off campus or in UW apartments, a pod would consist of those living together in the same dwelling.

UW Residence Life and Dining Services is making arrangements for food service and activities for residence hall students during a pause.

If a pause is initiated between now and this coming weekend -- when many first-time students are scheduled to move into UWs residence halls for the scheduled start of Phase 2 Monday, Sept. 7 -- those students will still be allowed to move in as scheduled.

Also during a pause, UW would continue its surveillance testing of students and employees on campus. And all members of the community would still be expected to complete the COVID Pass daily.

The university is using a third-party provider, Vault Health, to conduct pre-return testing, as well as random-sample bridge testing of students and employees on campus as part of Phase 1 of UWs phased return plan. As of today, 12,782 tests have been processed by Vault Health, 992 of those as part of the bridge testing. A small number of employees and students have taken the test multiple times.

UW Student Health Service also is testing students exhibiting symptoms.

Testing is one of three key components of UWs plan to allow for an on-campus experience this fall, along with contact tracing and quarantine/isolation of individuals who are exposed or infected. Under the universitys COVID policy, all employees who test positive -- on campus or off campus -- are required to report those results. Those who receive a positive test result from a private provider should call UWs COVID Hotline at 307-766-COVD (2683) or email COVID19@uwyo.edu.
Stormii-lee has been writing lots of stories lately, and her mother couldn't be prouder.

The 10-year-old has struggled with reading for some time, but this year, despite school shutdowns in Victoria, her confidence in reading has soared.

A program connecting disadvantaged children with older reading buddies had made a huge difference, her mother Krystal Baker said.

Krystal Baker with her daughter Stormii-lee, whose reading has been improved by a peer-to-peer reading program. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Previously, Stormii wasn't confident enough to read in front of other people, and would second-guess herself, Miss Baker said.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during a meeting at the ministry in Seoul, July 28. Korea Times file



By Do Je-hae



South Korea is facing increasing pressure to take a side in the escalating rivalry between the United States and China.



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha underlined that the rising conflict among the two superpowers was the most daunting diplomatic challenge facing the country.



"The biggest concern among foreign policymakers is the heightened tension between the superpowers," Kang said during a forum at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Monday.



"The competition began with trade disputes but has now expanded to a wider range of issues, including the economy, technology, military, security, politics and public health sectors. This worsening situation in superpower relations has destabilized multilateral institutions that are essential to the global system."



The remarks came after Washington underlined its need for new strategies, including the establishment of strong multilateral structures in the Indo-Pacific region to counterbalance the rise of Beijing.



During a recent forum, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun hinted that the U.S. would be open to expanding the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or so-called Quad  U.S., Australia, Japan and India  to other countries that share similar values and enjoy "all-weather cooperation."






Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong offers incense in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at House No 67. (Photo: VNA)



Also present were Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, former Vice President Truong My Hoa, and leaders of the Party General Secretary and President Offices.

Highlighting the responsibility of realising the late Presidents testament and the Declaration of Independence, the Party and State leader said this years National Day celebration is being held in conjunction with the organisation of congresses by Party organisations at all levels nationwide in preparation for the 13th National Party Congress.

He also took the occasion to thank staff at the complex for fulfilling their assigned tasks.

The leader then visited an exhibition at the complex, which displays nearly 100 documentary photos related to President Ho Chi Minhs revolutionary career.

The top leader visits the exhibition (Photo: VNA)



President Ho Chi Minh led the country to success in its struggle for national independence. On September 2, 1945, he read the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming to the world the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

He was a talented leader and a national hero who devoted his whole life to the cause of national independence and freedom and happiness for the people while tirelessly striving for peace and progress in the world.

House 67 is where President Ho Chi Minh had lived, worked, and passed away. It was the venue of Politburo meetings during the fiercest years of war./.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is launching a clinical trial of promising treatments for COVID-19 in the outpatient setting. The trial is part of the national ACTIV-2 protocol to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new potential therapeutics in adult patients who have COVID-19 illness but are not hospitalized.

VUMC is one of 25 sites nationwide that will conduct ACTIV-2, which includes both phase 2 and phase 3 evaluations of multiple potential therapeutics for COVID-19 in a single trial. There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or therapeutics to prevent or treat COVID-19. For information about enrolling in the trial at Vanderbilt, visit the study website.

"We are doing this study to find a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 for people in our community, nationwide and around the world. Our hope is that the treatment keeps people alive and out of the hospital," said David Haas, MD, professor of Medicine and principal investigator for the study at VUMC. "When people are infected with COVID-19, they may feel pretty well at first, but they can become very sick very fast, no matter their age. People newly diagnosed with COVID-19 in the Nashville area, and who are not hospitalized, can make a huge contribution by volunteering for this study."

ACTIV-2 is a randomized, blinded, controlled adaptive study that will allow many different investigational drugs to be tested over the course of the study. The study is designed to efficiently test multiple new drugs, alone or in combination, compared to placebo within the same clinical trial. Volunteers who enter the study will be compensated for their participation.

The first stage of ACTIV-2 is a phase 2 clinical trial that will evaluate the safety, antiviral activity and ability of investigational drugs to reduce the duration of COVID-19 symptoms. The first investigational drug being evaluated is LY3819253, a monoclonal antibody produced by Eli Lilly and Company in partnership with AbCellera Biologics.

In the first stage, 220 volunteers who have symptoms of COVID-19 and test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but are not hospitalized, will be randomly assigned to receive the study drug or placebo. If the study drug shows positive results and meets specific criteria for further evaluation, it will advance to the second stage of ACTIV-2, a phase 3 clinical trial, to test whether it can prevent hospitalization and death in non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19. The phase 3 stage will enroll an additional 1,780 volunteers.

ACTIV-2 is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ACTIV-2 is part of NIH's Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV), a public-private partnership to develop a coordinated research strategy that speeds development of the most promising treatments and vaccines. The study is also receiving support from Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government's multi-agency effort to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

ACTIV-2 is being led by the NIAID-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group, which includes the Vanderbilt Therapeutics Clinical Research Site (VTCRS) directed by Haas. ACTIV-2 does not focus on people living with HIV; it is using the infectious disease and clinical trials expertise of the group.

The VTCRS team will administer treatments that require a hospital setting, such as antibody infusions, in VUMC's Communicable Disease Response Unit (CDRU), located within the Clinical Research Center. The CDRU was established in 2015 in response to the Ebola epidemic and was designed specifically to care for patients with highly contagious and life-threatening infectious diseases in the safest way possible.

Starting treatment early in infection is a critical component of ACTIV-2, and the timing presents a challenge to sites across the country.

"Very few hospitals and clinics are designed so that people with active, contagious COVID-19 may safely enter the facility just to be in a research study. Generally, people with active COVID-19 only go to the hospital if they are sick enough to possibly require hospitalization. Pretty much the last thing you want to ask someone with active COVID-19 to do is come into the hospital or clinic," said Beverly Woodward, MSN, RN, a research nurse in the Division of Infectious Diseases and manager of the VTCRS team. "We're fortunate at VUMC to have the CDRU located within the Clinical Research Center, so it works out pretty perfectly."

The CDRU includes state-of-the-art ventilation and negative pressure systems, exterior access and an area for clinicians and researchers to put on and remove personal protective equipment, disinfect equipment and perform hand hygiene outside of the patient room in a space that is buffered from the rest of the Medical Center.

Joining Haas and Woodward in the ACTIV-2 study are their team of research specialists, including multiple nurses. One of the VTCRS nurses, Joan Gottesman, BSN, RN, is also contributing at the national level as one of two field representatives for the multisite study.

At least half of the participants who enroll in ACTIV-2 must have factors that increase their risk of developing severe COVID-19, including being at least 55 years old or having a condition such as chronic lung, kidney or liver disease. VUMC is committed to enrolling individuals representing communities most impacted by COVID-19 and the team will work with community partners to make the study accessible to those who are often underrepresented in medical research.

###

For more information about ACTIV-2, go to the national study website the VUMC study website or ClinicalTrials.gov using study identifier NCT04518410.
New Delhi: Telecom operator Vodafone Idea has said its board will meet on Friday to consider fund raising through various means.

The development comes following the Supreme Court verdict directing all telecom operators to pay 10 per cent of total Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)-related dues this year, and rest of the payments in 10 instalments starting from next fiscal year.

Vodafone Idea Ltd, in a late night filing to BSE on Monday, said the meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled on September 4, 2020.

The board at the meeting will "consider and evaluate any and all proposals for raising of funds in one or more tranches by way of a public issue, preferential allotment, private placement, including a qualified institutions placement or through any other permissible mode and/or combination thereof...By way of issue of equity shares or by way of issue of any instruments," the filing said.

The board will also consider raising funds through securities including securities convertible into equity shares, global depository receipts, American depository receipts or bonds including foreign currency convertible bonds, convertible debentures, warrants, and/or non-convertible debentures including non-convertible debentures along with warrants, which may or may not be listed.

Besides, VIL's 11.15 per cent stake in Indus Towers has an estimated value of Rs 4,040 crore.

The company will make prepayment of Rs 2,400 crore to the Indus tower-Bharti Infratel merged entity from cash that it will get from Bharti Airtel's mobile tower arm.

This implies the company will get around Rs 1,600 crore inflow from stake sale in tower company.

"The prepayment amount will be adjusted to the extent of 50 per cent of all undisputed and due amounts payable by VIL to the merged tower entity post-closing and VIL will be required to pay only the balance 50 per cent of undisputed dues," VIL said in a separate filing.

"The prepayment amount will accrue interest at 6 per cent per annum. This will continue until the entire prepayment amount with accrued interest is fully adjusted," it added.

As per the government, Vodafone Idea has outstanding dues of Rs 58,250 crore till 2016-17, out of which the company has paid Rs 7,854 crore to the Department of Telecom.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has demanded that the university administration make permanent appointments of nearly 5,000 ad hoc teachers in various colleges.

The plan and process for promotion of teachers in Delhi University was also placed before the university administration on Wednesday. A delegation of teachers put forward these issues in a meeting with the acting Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University Prof PC Joshi.

The DUTA told Joshi that the names of members of the governing body have not yet been sent by the Delhi University administration to the six Delhi government-funded colleges. Due to this, the governing body has not been formed in these colleges.

It has demanded that the acting V-C intervene immediately in the matter. The names of the members of the governing body have not been sent to Aditi college, Maharishi Valmiki college, Kalindi college, Deendayal Upadhyay college, Keshav University and Laxmibai college for the last six months.

The caretaker vice-chancellor, he added, was also informed that due to non-promotion of 3,000 teachers for the last one decade, they had been incurring a loss to the tune of thousands of rupees every month. Nearly 5,000 ad hoc teachers have been teaching in various colleges for a long time. Apart from this, 800 posts of guest professors, associate professors and professors are to be filled in various departments.

Due to non-appointment of teachers in various departments, research work is being affected and researchers have been facing difficulties in appointing the research director.

Hansraj said the problem is prevalent in science subjects where fewer research directors have been appointed outside the department.

According to the teachers' delegation, Joshi has said the process of permanent appointments to the posts of assistant professors in various departments and colleges will be completed soon.

Of the 28 colleges funded by the Delhi Government, six have not yet formed a governing body. The names of six members of the governing body of these six colleges that have been proposed were being objected to. The Delhi government has sent their names to the Vice-Chancellor, but the Delhi University reportedly did not send these names to the colleges causing problems in forming the governing body.

DUTA President Dr Asha has demanded that Joshi send the names of the members of the governing body of the six Delhi government-funded colleges to release their salaries immediately and to pay salaries to the teachers suffering a financial loss.
NEW BRITAIN  A city man will serve nearly four years in federal prison after he was tied to a Hartford-area drug trafficking operation led by a member of a street gang, according to authorities.

Carlos Puchie Soto, 39, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearms trafficking, a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham said.

In 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into Ricardo Rick the Ruler Reyes, a member of the Los Solidos street gang who was selling fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack in the area of Park and Hungerford streets in Hartford, according to authorities.

Investigators made controlled drug purchases from Reyes and learned he was selling drugs to numerous customers, the news release said. Law enforcement officers also identified people who supplied Reyes and his associates with drugs, the U.S. attorney said.

Norman Klosek, an Enfield resident who authorities said was addicted to heroin/fentanyl, served as Reyes straw purchaser of guns. Klosek bought and illegally sold  or loaned  47 guns to support his drug addiction, officials said. It was unclear how many of those guns went to Reyes or those associated with him.

As of Tuesday, federal authorities said, about 11 of the 47 guns Klosek bought have been recovered. One of those guns was used in an Aug. 22, 2019, shooting in Hartford, officials said.

On April 22, 2019, investigators discovered Reyes and Soto were brokering a gun deal with Julio Martinez, of New Britain. Authorities said Martinez arranged to buy two guns from Reyes and Soto for $800.

Reyes picked up Klosek in Enfield that day, drove him to a licensed gun dealer in Newington. Klosek, who had a valid state firearm permit, purchased two guns and gave them Reyes, investigators said.

Reyes, Soto and Martinez were seen on High Street in New Britain shortly after the gun purchase by investigators. Martinez then drove to a nearby grocery store to get cash from an ATM to finish the transaction, but investigators stopped and searched him as he tried to leave the store. Authorities said they found $850 in cash on him.

When investigators pulled Reyes vehicle over in New Britain later that day, the two guns were seized, authorities said.

Soto, Reyes, Martinez and several other co-defendants were arrested June 17, 2019, on federal criminal complaints. That same day, investigators seized two more guns purchased by Klosek.

A grand jury in Hartford returned a 32-count indictment on June 27, 2019, charging Soto, Reyes, Martinez and 12 known associates with various narcotics trafficking and gun possession offenses.

Soto has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Dec. 12, 2019.

Reyes, Martinez and Klosek also pleaded guilty to their charges. Martinez was sentenced to 46 months in prison on June 30. Reyes and Klosek await sentencing.
Lawyers for a man accused of endangering the life of a garda who was allegedly dragged into a car reversing at speed has said some of the allegations are mechanically impossible.

On the night of July 31, 2019, Jonathan Coelho, 29, of Duleek, Co. Meath, drove a car at speed through red lights and in the wrong direction along busy streets in Dublin city centre before crashing into a lamp post.

The jury at the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard that he has pleaded guilty to a number of charges of dangerous driving at locations around Kevin Street, Dublin 8.

He denies endangerment of Garda Conor Murray, who has described the two occupants of the car pulling him into the passenger side window while the car was moving and assaulting him.

Mr Coelho and Federico Carvalho, 31, of Blessington Street, Dublin deny charges of assault causing harm to Gda Murray of July 31, 2019, at St Lukes' Avenue, Dublin 8.

Gda Murray has already told the jury that while hanging halfway out of the moving car he managed to pull up the handbrake and slow the vehicle.

He said the passenger then opened his door and both men tried to throw the garda from the vehicle.

He said he managed to wrestle himself away from the passenger and the passenger exited the car.

Gda Murray said the driver began repeatedly kicking him as he held on to the door frame.

He said a final kick struck his face and he was thrown from the car.

Under cross-examination he told Keith Spencer BL, defending Mr Coelho, that the car was moving at all times and that the accused took his left foot off the clutch to kick him.

Mr Spencer described this manoeuvre as mechanically impossible from the workings of a car and from the physical limitations of my client.

Your evidence is that Mr Coelho managed to execute this Bruce Lee kick to your face as you're holding on for dear life.

He couldn't physically have managed to kick you with his left foot in the face, counsel said.

Gda Murray said he disagreed and that the accused did kick him in the face and kicked him a number of times in the body.

Counsel also put it to Gda Murray that a car will stall if the driver takes his foot off the clutch while it is moving in reverse. Gda Murray said that the car was moving at speed at the time.

Counsel put it to Gda Murray that he didn't mention anything about being kicked in the face to nurses when he attended for treatment after the incident.

You leave out entirely that you were dealt several punches to the face, he said.

Gda Murray has said that he wasn't concerned about injuries to his face but was focused on injuries to his wrist and arm.

The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury.
CBI interrogated Rhea Chakraborty's parents for over eight hours in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's case on Tuesday.

Actress Rhea Chakraborty's father was called for questioning by the CBI for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. 2 September, in connection with the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, a police official said.

The 28-year-old actress and her family members are accused of abetting the suicide of Rajput (34), who was found hanging in his flat in suburban Bandra on 14 June.

Her father Indrajeet Chakraborty reached the DRDO guest house in suburban Kalina, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team is stationed, around 10.30 am in a car escorted by a police vehicle, the official said.

Rajput's manager Samuel Miranda, his cook Neeraj Singh, house staff Keshav and business manager Shruti Modi also reached the guest house in the morning, he said.

Rhea Chakraborty, her brother, and mother have not been summoned on Wednesday so far, the official said.

On Tuesday, the probe team questioned the actress's parents for over eight hours in connection with the case.

The actress was earlier questioned for around 35 hours over four days from last Friday till Monday.

Rajput was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on 14 June following which the Mumbai Police registered a case of accidental death.

The late actor's father subsequently filed a police complaint in Patna, accusing Rhea Chakraborty and her family of abetting his suicide and misappropriating his money.

The Supreme Court last week upheld the transfer of the FIR lodged in Patna to the central agency.

The CBI has so far remained tight-lipped about details of its probe into the high-profile case which has been hogging media limelight.

*
KENOSHA  The day after President Donald Trump visited Kenosha to see riot damage and meet with law enforcement and other local leaders in person, Democratic challenger Joe Biden said he will visit the city.

Joe and Jill Biden will visit Thursday, the campaign said. They plan to participate in a "community meeting ... to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face," according to a statement from Biden's campaign. After that, the campaign said the couple will make a "local stop," but did not say where.

Both Trump and Joe Biden have condemned the physical damage done to the city while also both saying they support non-destructive demonstrations.

In a video shared by Biden's campaign, the former vice president said: "I want to make it absolutely clear: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. It's lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted."

Curfew over Early Wednesday afternoon, Kenosha County announced it was ending its State of Emergency Curfew that had been in place in varying forms for over a week. After consulting with local law enforcement agencies, I have decided the curfew is no longer needed," Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian. "The last several nights have been relatively peaceful in the community, and in the judgment of law enforcement, it is appropriate to remove the curfew. However, criminal activity will not be tolerated and arrests will be made if needed. I am hopeful there will be no need to reinstate the curfew in the near future.

Biden, like many others including Gov. Tony Evers, said that Trump's visit could escalate tensions in Kenosha.

After violence occurred in the days following the Jacob Blake shooting, Wednesday through Friday last week were much more calm although law enforcement had stepped up its detentions of those arrested for violating curfew. Thousands marched on Saturday, and hundreds were back in Kenosha Tuesday: some showing support for Trump while others loudly voiced their opposition.

Before, during and after Trump's visit to Kenosha, re-upping criticisms of Biden for not having been physically present on his campaign trail. Thursday would mark Biden's first visit to the crucial swing state of Wisconsin.

One of the primary reason's analysts say Hillary Clinton lost Wisconsin in the 2016 election was her lack of presence in the state. Biden was supposed to have visited last month for the Democratic National Convention, but he ended up accepting the nomination virtually after the in-person DNC was functionally canceled due to the coronavirus.

Trump used the opportunity to drive home his campaign message of law and order by expressing support for law enforcement and blaming domestic terror for the looting and arson thats taken place in the city during the protests. The president and his allies have been saying that if Biden were to be elected such violent incidents would become the norm.

While Biden has repeatedly denounced the protest violence, he has expressed sympathy for protesters concerns over systemic racism and a commitment to enact police reforms if elected. Trump said that one of the reasons he did not visit with Blake's family on Tuesday was because the family "wanted to have lawyers involved."

The Wisconsin branch of the American Civil Liberties Union criticized Trump's comments Tuesday, as have others, particularly how he had dismissed questions about the existence of systemic racism.

In his speech on Tuesday in Kenosha, President Trump dismissed the existence of systemic police violence and structural racism. In doing so, he ignored the pleas of thousands of Americans who have taken to the streets in recent months to fight for Black lives, and continued to ignore the reality that generations of Black and Brown people have been harmed by police," ACLU of Wisconsin spokeswoman Alyssa Mauk said in a statement. It is clear that President Trump, (Kenosha Police) Chief (Daniel) Miskinis and (Kenosha County) Sheriff David Beth either do not understand or do not care about the reasons that so many people  in Kenosha and across the country  are calling for change."

The Associated Press and Mitchell Schmidt of Lee Newspapers contributed to this report.

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Patna, Sep 2 : Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Wednesday that his party has officially joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar scheduled later this year.

"We have merged with the NDA without any condition. The party believes in the leadership of Nitish Kumar in Bihar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Centre. Seat sharing is not an issue for HAM. As a coalition partner, we will take whatevever seats are offered to us," Manjhi said.

"The main objective of the party is to defeat the grand alliance," He added.

Earlier in the day it was reported that Manjhi is using his personal equation with top leaders of the NDA and trying that his party could contest 10 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.

Manjhi had broken away from the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) on August 20 following a rift with the Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its top leadership that includes its supreme leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejasvi Yadav.

Manjhi recently met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and declared the party's intention to join the NDA. According to the political buzz in Patna, he is also angling for a Rajya Sabha nomination from the state.

Manjhi is one of the most prominent Dalit and Maha Dalit leaders in the state, along with Ram Vilas Paswan. Dalits and Mahadalits comprise 16 per cent of the electorate in Bihar. Manjhi commands a strong performance in the Gaya district in Bihar's Magadh region.
The killing came on the heels of the police shooting in Kenosha that left Jacob Blake paralysed and spurred days of protests, reinvigorating the national debate on racial injustice and policing

Los Angeles: A Black man was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies after he was stopped for a traffic violation while riding a bike, then ran from police, punched one officer, and then made a motion" toward a gun on the ground, authorities said.

The Monday afternoon shooting death of Dijon Kizzee in South Los Angeles prompted a peaceful protest hours later. Black Lives Matter marched Tuesday evening from the scene to a sheriff's precinct station.

The killing came on the heels of the police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that left Jacob Blake, who is also Black, paralysed and spurred days of protests, reinvigorating the national debate on racial injustice and policing.

Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to ask the coroner to conduct an inquest into the fatal deputy shooting of 18-year-old Andres Guardado on June 18. Guardado was shot five times in the back after deputies said they saw him with a gun and he ran. Guardado's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Monday against the county, the Sheriff's Department, and deputies involved in the shooting.

Kizzee's family and friends created a small memorial for him at the shooting scene in the Westmont neighborhood  leaving flowers, balloons, and candles just feet away from first responders' discarded blue medical gloves and rolled bandages.

The Sheriffs Department has not released Kizzees name, but two relatives confirmed his identity. In interviews with The Associated Press, they remembered the 29-year-old Kizzee as an energetic man with many friends and expressed anger at the shooting.

You guys take care of dogs. You dont take care of us, said Kizzees aunt, Fletcher Fair, addressing the Sheriff's Department. He was a sweet and loving young man. He had his whole life ahead of him, and it was cut short by rogue sheriffs.

Kizzee's uncle, Anthony Johnson, 33, said they grew up together and were as close as brothers. Johnson said he often warned his nephew that, as a Black man, he had to be especially careful.

 'You have a target on your back, just by being you,  Johnson remembered telling Kizzee as recently as a few weeks ago. He was like, Yeah, all right, uncle,' like he always says.

A Sheriffs Department statement released Tuesday evening said deputies had tried to stop Kizzee for riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes, but he dropped his bike and ran. It didn't provide any more details about the alleged violation.

The deputies momentarily lost sight of him. But when they caught up, he immediately punched one deputy in the face and dropped a jacket, causing a black semiautomatic handgun to fall to the ground, according to the statement.

The shooting occurred when the man made a motion" toward the gun, the statement said.

Latiera Irby, 29, told the Los Angeles Times that she had stopped by her mothers house to get her hair done when Kizzee came up to her car and told her: Theyre coming to get me; theyre coming to get me."

Kizzee offered her money to drive him away.

I didnt know who he was running from, so I told him no, she said.

Irby said a short time later, she saw Kizzee scuffle with a deputy, who backed away and then shot him.

The same deputy and another fired at Kizzee after he fell to the ground, she said, adding: He had nothing in his hands."

Police said the handgun was recovered, and no deputies were injured. TV news helicopters showed a gun near the body.

Dean said investigators had not yet interviewed witnesses or reviewed any surveillance or cellphone video.

Give us time to conduct our investigation," he said. We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the largest in the nation, does not have body cameras for deputies, though that soon will change. The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved funding, and the first round of deputies will be equipped with cameras next month.

Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force consultant to law enforcement agencies and a deputy sheriff in Plumas County, said the Los Angeles County deputies will need to explain how they felt Kizzee presented an immediate threat even though his weapon was on the ground.

For the officers to justify their shooting of Mr. Kizzee, they are going to have to articulate that they reasonably feared for their safety, Obayashi said.

It will be important for the deputies to be specific, he said.

What made you believe that he was an ongoing, immediate threat to the public? Obayashi said. Did you believe he was still armed? Why? And if he was armed and running away, what was your reason for feeling that he constituted a threat to yourselves or the public?

Fair described her nephew as a mother's child," saying Kizzee took care of his mother after a car crash until her death in 2011 from a heart attack. After that, he took care of his younger brother, Sean Jones, who is 18 and a recent high school graduate.

Fair lives near where Kizzee was killed and couldn't believe the circumstances surrounding her nephew's death.

How do you get a violation on a bicycle? she asked. I stayed here until they picked his body up. I didnt want to leave.
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Crop Insurance Market by Coverage (Multi-peril Crop Insurance [MPCI] and Crop-hail Insurance) and Distribution Channel (Banks, Insurance Companies, Brokers/Agents, and Other): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global crop insurance industry generated $34.05 billion in 2019, and is estimated to generate $53.02 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 6.1% from 2020 to 2027.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Rise in digital initiatives for crop insurance and supportive government initiatives such as subsidies drive the growth of the global crop insurance market. However, high cost of premiums and lack of awareness among farmers hinder the market growth. On the other hand, untapped potential in emerging countries and expansion of services create new opportunities in the coming years.

Get Instant Access  Download Free PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/7156

Covid-19 Scenario

The demand for crop insurance has grown during the Covid-19 pandemic due to disrupted supply chain and impact on crop revenue in major countries such as India and Brazil .

Owing to the scarcity of laborers for harvesting and other activities, the crop production activities have been hampered, which in turn, raised the need for crop insurance.

The need for reformation of a regulatory framework to overcome challenges faced by insurers and policy adopters has arisen during the pandemic. Policymakers have focused their efforts on the reformations.

The multiple peril crop insurance (MPCI) segment to maintain its leadership status by 2027

Based on coverage, the multiple peril crop insurance (MPCI) segment contributed to the largest share in 2019, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global crop insurance market, and is projected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. Moreover, this segment is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 7.1% from 2020 to 2027. This is due to its offering of a combination product along with perils covered by the standard loss of yield coverage under the crop insurance policy. The report also analyzes the crop-hail insurance segment.

The insurance companies segment to maintain its dominance during the forecast period

Based on distribution channel, the insurance companies segment accounted for nearly half of the global crop insurance market in 2019, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. This is attributed to the innovative & attractive range of distribution techniques and utilization of multiple channels for distribution of its crop insurance services. However, the brokers/agents segment would witness the highest CAGR of 8.6% from 2020 to 2027. This is due to multiple options & alternatives for crop insurance provided by them.

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North America to continue its lead status by 2027

Based on region, North America accounted for the largest share of more than two-fifths of the global crop insurance market in 2019, and is expected to continue its lead status by 2027. This is due to farmers & ranchers in the U.S. striving to maintain economical crop production by acquiring crop insurance coverage. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 7.9% from 2020 to 2027, owing to rise in agricultural production activity and adoption of advanced technologies in the region.

Leading Market Players

Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC)

American Financial Group, Inc.

Chubb

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited

PICC

QBE Insurance Group Limited

Sompo International Holdings Ltd

Tokio Marine HCC

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The health and safety watchdog has been asked to probe claims that female meat plant workers' changing room doors were bolted open.

Sinn Fein TD Reada Cronin has written to the Health and Safety Authority asking it to investigate the issue and use of CCTV in meat plants.

The Independent Workers Union (IWU) claimed the action was taken at a factory in Munster, without warning, on health and safety grounds. The IWU said management carried out the action so women would have fewer surfaces to touch during the lockdown.

Nora Labo of the union said the doors to the locker rooms and toilet facilities were opened without consultation with staff.

"When the women arrived to work, they found out that the doors had been bolted open," she said. "The toilet doors are short doors and don't go all the way down.

"The women really have to change, because at the end of the day, they are covered in blood and dirt and it is compulsory to wear work clothes. I don't think there are showers, but a sink where they wash and they need to strip a bit. They were outraged."

In a letter to the chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority Sharon McGuinness, Ms Cronin said the move was an abuse of power and unnecessary invasion of privacy for vulnerable, low-paid women.

She said she could not imagine her superior or the superintendent of the Dail imposing such conditions on politicians.
ZURICH: Switzerland has opened an enforcement case against Credit Suisse over a spying scandal that led to the ouster of its former CEO, a rare challenge to one of the countrys major lenders.

The move means deeper public scrutiny of Credit Suisses top brass as markets watchdog FINMA examines its culture and governance and whether management control failures allowed snooping on former executive board members.

FINMA said on Wednesday it will pursue indications of violations of supervisory law and, in particular, the question of how these activities were documented and controlled. Such processes often take a few months, the agency said.

Credit Suisse said it would cooperate to ensure a complete and expeditious conclusion of the review of this episode and incorporate lessons learned."

The move is a set-back for Chairman Urs Rohner who is due to step down in 2021 after about a dozen years as head of the board.

Revelations of corporate espionage rocked the discreet world of Swiss banking last year when it emerged Credit Suisse had been spying on former wealth management boss Khan, who was leaving for rival UBS, and former human resources head Peter Goerke.

The bank had hoped that the departure of former Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam over the scandal and his replacement with Thomas Gottstein, a Credit Suisse veteran, would draw a line under the affair.

An internal Credit Suisse probe concluded that Thiam didnt know about the spying, and that Chief Operating Officer Pierre-Olivier Bouee was responsible. Bouee, a longtime confidant of Thiam, was fired late last year and has not commented publicly on the scandal.

The Swiss watchdogs rules allow it to take action against individuals if it finds that a bank broke its own internal communication rules or if it strayed from its usual framework for recording management decisions.

Among actions FINMA could take include forcing Credit Suisse to comply with supervisory laws if it finds violations, issue industry bans or even file a complaint with criminal authorities. It cannot levy fines.

Its decision to take enforcement proceedings comes after it hired an auditor to review the banks corporate governance and its use of electronic communications in connection with the surveillance.

Credit Suisse tried to remove the auditor, Thomas Werlen, because his law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan had been involved in legal cases against it.

Credit Suisses appeal of a lower court decision that backed his appointment is pending in the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.

FINMA declined to comment on how Credit Suisses appeal and the pending court decision could impact its enforcement proceedings.

Credit Suisse reiterated on Wednesday that spying on employees was not part of its culture.

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
SGS was chosen by French biotech company Biophytis to conduct its COVA study - a Clinical Trial with Sarconeos (BIO101) for the Treatment of Patients with COVID-19 Related Respiratory Failure. The study, which has so-far received regulatory approval in Belgium, France, Brazil, the UK, and US, will initially recruit around 50 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have also developed severe respiratory symptoms in the previous seven days. They must have obvious COVID-19 symptoms - e.g. pneumonia and oxygen distress - but cannot have been reliant on high-flow oxygen use or assisted ventilation during the previous 28-days.

Steven Thys, SGS's Director of Global Clinical Operations commented: "As the whole world faces up to the challenge of finding effective treatments for COVID-19 we are pleased to announce the first patient has been successfully enrolled into the COVA Study. In the coming weeks, we may see more patients entering the study as more sites from different countries will join the study.

"Biophytis' decision to choose SGS as its partner in the COVA Study is testament to our considerable expertise as a contract research organization with proficiency in the field of infectious diseases. Together, we have worked intensively to set up this study in a remarkably efficient timeframe."

At the end of this initial 28-day trial, an Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) will conduct an interim analysis to determine whether the study should progress. The second phase could involve the recruitment of a further 260 patients. Totaling 310 patients participating in the trial.

About SGS Clinical Research Services

SGS Clinical Research is a leading contract research organization (CRO) with over 35 years of experience in clinical research and bioanalytical testing. Able to offer phase I to IV clinical trials, they have considerable experience with infectious diseases, respiratory disease, and vaccines.

SGS Clinical Research supports leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the design and conduct of clinical studies. By leveraging its global network of experts and clinical trial centers, SGS can optimize timelines and support study submissions, all in accordance with regulatory conditions.

For further information, please contact:

Steven Thys

Director, Global Clinical Operations, SGS

T: +32 15 27 32 45

www.sgs.com/lifescience

About Biophytis SA

Biophytis SA is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specialized in the development of drug candidates to slow down degenerative processes and improve functional abilities in patients with age-related diseases, especially neuromuscular diseases.

About SGS

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
The US president visited the Wisconsin city, where Jacob Blake was shot by police, despite pleas from local officials.

United States President Donald Trump decried violence at recent racial justice protests as domestic terror while denying there is systemic racism within US law enforcement during a visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, Trump arrived in the city, where protests have continued since police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back during an encounter on August 23. Local officials and members of Blakes family had requested that Trump stay away for fear he would further inflame the situation, which has at times turned violent with property damage and two protesters killed last week.

We dont need more pain and division from a president set on advancing his campaign at the expense of our city, Justin Blake, an uncle, said in a statement as the family of Jacob Blake, who was paralysed as a result of the shooting, held a community celebration during Trumps visit.

We need justice and relief for our vibrant community, he said.

Both supporters of President Donald Trump and Black Lives Matters protesters came out from the presidents controversial visit [Morry Gash/The Associated Press]

After landing in Wisconsin, a key battleground state in the upcoming election, Trump toured the charred remains of a block besieged by violence and fire and spoke to the owners of a century-old furniture store that had been destroyed.

While meeting with local law enforcement, he blasted Democrats for what he described as enabling the violence and again took credit for deploying the US National Guard to the city, even though Wisconsins governor activated the troops and sought reinforcements from other state forces without the involvement of the federal government.

These are not acts of peaceful protests, but really domestic terror, Trump said during a round table with law enforcement, referring to objects being thrown at police officers and property damage.

Reckless far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation or our law enforcement are oppressive or racist, theyll throw out any word that comes to them, he added.

The visit comes amid weeks of racial justice protests across the country that began after the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota in May. Several high-profile killings of Black citizens have since fuelled the discord.





Trumps campaign has seized the moment to push a law and order message, saying US cities and suburbs are under threat of being swallowed by looters, rioters and agitators.

Joe Biden, Trumps Democratic opponent in the November election, has accused the president of stoking tensions for political gain and trying to draw attention away from the coronavirus.

Fires are burning. We have a president who fanned the flames, rather than fighting the flames, Biden said during a visit to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, amid his return to the campaign trail on Monday.

Bidens team has considered a visit to Kenosha and has indicated that a trip to Wisconsin was imminent but has not offered details.

The NAACP said Tuesday neither candidate should visit the city as tension simmers.

Bad apples

During the trip on Tuesday, Trump also vowed to build up law enforcement in the country, pledging $1m to the local police force in Kenosha, $4m to help rebuild businesses in the city, and $42m to promote overall public safety in the state.

Trumps victory in Wisconsin in 2016 was key to his Electoral College win and remains significant going into Novembers election.

The family of Jacob Blake and organizers of Saturdays Justice for Jacob Rally are hosting a community gathering at the site of Jacobs shooting. The gathering began with free music  from missionaries from Downtown, LA. #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/Iuaj8I3pSw  Hillary Flores (@hgflores_) September 1, 2020

Responding to reporters questions, Trump denied that there were problems of systemic racism within US law enforcement, instead blaming recent incidents on bad apples or good cops who choke at decisive moments.

Other people are calling for structural change, and then you can take the people of Kenosha who arent here and you wont see and they arent protesting, he told reporters. They want to see change also, they want to see law and order. Thats a change they want.

The visit also comes a day after Trump appeared to defend 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of fatally shooting two protesters last week in Kenosha and wounding a third man.





In widely circulated mobile phone footage taken before the shootings, Rittenhouse, who came to the protest armed with a semiautomatic rifle, said he was there to protect property.

On Monday, Trump gave a version of events that appears to diverge from prosecutors accounts, saying Rittenhouse was trying to get away when he fell and then they very violently attacked him.

Prosecutors have said Rittenhouse allegedly shot one man during a confrontation in a car park, and was then pursued by protesters who attempted to disarm him.

That is when he fell and opened fire, killing the second man and wounding a third.
The central government on Wednesday blocked PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite along with 116 other Chinese apps for Android and iOS devices. The development came while India and China are engaged in a standoff at Pangong Lake in Ladakh. In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that these banned applications are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

Fans of PUBG Mobile in India were dreading a ban since July following reports that it has been put on a list of 250 Chinese apps rounded up by the government for scrutiny on the basis of privacy and data security. Later in August, to allay fears, PUBG Mobile revamped its privacy policy for Indian users and assured that it stores their data locally. These attempts ultimately didn't amount to much.

ALSO READ: PUBG Mobile among 118 Chinese apps banned in India: Here's the full list

The primary argument Centre has presented for banning 118 Chinese apps, including PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite, is that they are detrimental to sovereignty and integrity of India, and a threat to the defence and security of the nation. The IT Ministry said that it invoked its power under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows the Centre to block the public from accessing any application found guilty of these charges.

The Ministry also claimed that it has received several complaints from various sources about misuse of some mobile apps for stealing and transmitting users' data without authorisation to servers located outside India.

"The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," it further added.

ALSO READ: India bans PUBG Mobile, WeChat Work, AppLock and 115 other Chinese apps as border row intensifies

MeitY stated that it received "an exhaustive recommendation" from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs for blocking these malicious apps. Various public representatives, inside and outside the Parliament, had also raised similar concerns.

Centre claimed that there has been "a strong chorus in the public space" to take strict action against apps that pose a threat to India's security.

"On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above stated apps raise serious concerns that these apps collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the state," MeitY stated.

ALSO READ: PUBG ban: What game should you play now? Here are 5 options

ALSO READ: PUBG ban in India triggers memes fest on Twitter
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Ava DuVernay

The onetime movie publicist has become a mini-mogul with major purpose  at home in movie theaters (Oscar-nominated Selma) or streaming (Emmy-winning miniseries When They See Us). Like Spike Lee, DuVernay is dedicated to bringing other filmmakers along for the ride, for example by hiring female directors for her Oprah-supported OWN series, Queen Sugar.

Ava DuVernay Must Watches:

Selma: Amazon Prime, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube

When They See Us: Netflix

RELATED: How cool is Ava DuVernay? Answer: Very cool. Get to know her better (and meet a dozen more women making waves in filmmaking) on AARP's must-read list, here: 13 Female Directors You Should Discover Right Now
"Montenegro is finally free -- that's the easiest way to put it," said Perica Jankovic, a lawyer in the capital, Podgorica, one day after August 30 national elections.



"For the first time, a change of power is legal," he told RFE/RL.



Preliminary results have hinted at the tiniest, one-seat majority for a trio of opposition alliances who have vowed to unseat the small Adriatic country's perennially ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).



Big, boisterous crowds have gathered in downtown Podgorica and other cities to mark a milestone for parties opposing President Milo Djukanovic, who has been president or prime minister for nearly 30 years but whose stark challenge to the Serbian Orthodox Church last year cost him support in this heavily Orthodox Balkan country of some 620,000 people.



The leaders of the three opposition coalitions -- the pro-Serb and pro-Russian For The Future Of Montenegro, the pro-Serbian church but pro-EU Peace Is Our Nation, and the liberal and civic-oriented Black On White -- are eager to seize the momentum from the election results.



They have begun talks on forming a government to lead Montenegro out of the coronavirus pandemic and a morass of corruption toward greater prosperity.



But some experts warn that ethno-national and other divides in Montenegro may have been exacerbated by last week's vote, and there are still many factors that could preempt any chance for the anti-Djukanovic forces to govern.



'A Lot Still To Play For'



Initial results suggest Djukanovic's DPS won the most votes (35.1 percent), followed by Zdravko Krivokapic's For The Future Of Montenegro coalition (32.6 percent), then the Peace Is Our Nation (12.5 percent) and Black On White (5.5 percent) coalitions.



That is expected to give the three coalition groupings a slim combined majority, with 41 seats in the 81-member parliament, and leave the DPS and its minor partners in control of the remaining 40 seats.



It is a razor-thin margin for a collection of groups that have never governed, either together or in coalition.



"Much of the opposition want to say things like 'the regime has fallen.' It's not yet evident that that's actually what's going to happen," says Kenneth Morrison, a professor of modern Southeastern European history at Britain's De Montfort University. "There's a lot still to play for, I think."

And tough decisions are ahead on which of their leaders will be prime minister and who might occupy key government posts, never mind what their governing priorities should be.



They all oppose Djukanovic and their leaders have vowed to maintain NATO cooperation and stay on a path to EU membership, but that might be where their similarities end.



"It's worth saying that they chose not to run as one ticket," says Morrison. "They chose to run as three separate coalitions because there were fundamental disagreements even before the elections."



'High Time For Change'



Patrick Moore, RFE/RL's chief Balkan political analyst from 1977 to 2008, agrees that "it is high time for a change."



After all, he says, Montenegro is alone among postcommunist states as never having had a genuine change of government since the fall of communism.



"It is not healthy for any country to have one single leadership in power for 30 years, especially a leadership that has had plenty of serious scandals," says Moore.



But he says he won't be surprised to see Djukanovic "pull some rabbit out of his hat" to flummox the opposition.

"I don't underestimate him," Moore said.

Late on election night, as a combined majority for the opposition trio appeared increasingly likely, Djukanovic claimed that the DPS had emerged as the "strongest" party and said the "battle for the majority is continuing."

One of the most obvious cards held by Djukanovic, whose term as president ends in 2023, is the constitutional power to pick a prime minister-elect.



He has 30 days after the first sitting of the new parliament to give that mandate.

There are reports that the opposition, once in power, could seek to prosecute Djukanovic and other DPS officials for suspected wrongdoing.

"And so it's going to be very hard, I think, for any agreement to be reached with Djukanovic about any potential prime minister," Morrison says.



National Identities

Moreover, the coming weeks could feel like an eternity politically if pro-Serb elements are seen by any of the potential governing partners as whipping up disorder in the 14-year-old state.



There have already been signs that the election results have buoyed Serbian nationalism and clerical influence within Montenegro, where around one-third of its citizens regard themselves as ethnic Serb.



Election-night celebrations were described as "a massive display of Serbian nationalism" by the Atlantic Council's Damon Wilson, who also warned that this might alienate Montenegrins who were "proud of their country."



Some people have pushed back against suggestions that pro-Serb elements threaten to tread on Montenegrin national identity, arguing that most of the flags being waved are Montenegrin.



But many Serbian flags have been seen along with traditional Serbian three-finger salutes and songs associated with Serbian nationalism.



That could eat away at opposition unity and force the most vocally pro-Serb opposition coalition, For The Future Of Montenegro, on the defensive, possibly costing the would-be governing partners valuable time and energy.

The Clock Is Ticking



But the opposition victors appear to recognize that the clock is running and that there are bridges to be built.



One day after the election, the opposition trio's leaders issued a joint statement proposing to form a government of "experts" -- including individuals "regardless of their political, religious, national, or any other characteristics" -- to take over as soon as possible.

Djukanovic and the DPS could seek to split the opposition or lure away even a single lawmaker in the meantime to block their ability to form a majority.



"The longer this situation goes on, and the longer it takes to form a government, for a prime minister to be nominated and accepted, the more likely it doesn't happen or there's some kind of split or argument within the opposition ranks," Morrison says.



The opposition, he says, might be justifiably delighted at the prospect of displacing the party that has won every Montenegrin election since 1990.



"But now, in the cold light of day, they now have to demonstrate a political maturity that they haven't been able to demonstrate in the past."
Berlin, Sep 3 : There is "unequivocal proof" that Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent, Germany has said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said he was a victim of attempted murder and the world would look to Russia for answers, the BBC reported.

Navalny was airlifted to Berlin in a coma after falling ill on a flight in Russia's Siberia region last month.

His team says he was poisoned on President Vladimir Putin's orders. The Kremlin has dismissed the allegation.

The Kremlin spokesman called on Germany for a full exchange of information and foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained the Novichok allegations were not backed up by evidence. "Where are the facts, where are the formulas, at least some kind of information?" she asked.

A Novichok nerve agent was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018. While they survived, a British woman later died in hospital. The UK accused Russia's military intelligence of carrying out that attack.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the latest attack as "outrageous". "The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny - we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done," he tweeted.

After the government in Berlin released results of toxicology tests carried out at a military laboratory, Chancellor Merkel said there were now "serious questions that only the Russian government can and must answer".

"Someone tried to silence [Mr Navalny] and in the name of the whole German government I condemn that in the strongest terms." Chancellor Merkel said Germany's Nato and EU partners had been informed of the results of the investigation and they would decide on a common and appropriate response based on Russia's reaction.

Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya and Russia's ambassador to Germany would also be informed of the findings, the Berlin government said.

The European Union has demanded a "transparent" investigation by the Russian government. "Those responsible must be brought to justice," a statement read.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also called for an inquiry in a tweet, while the US National Security Council (NSC) said the suspected poisoning was "completely reprehensible".

"We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities," an NSC spokesman said.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested an alleged contraband dealer and detained another in connection with the drugs trafficking case linked to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested man has been identified by the federal anti-narcotics agency as Zaid Vilatra.

Indian currency worth Rs 9,55,750 and foreign currency (USD 2,081, 180 British Pounds, 15 dirhams), which the NCB claimed are "proceeds of drug peddling", have been recovered from him.

"Zaid disclosed that he runs an eatery in Bandra which was not giving any pecuniary gains since lockdown. He also disclosed that he is into drug peddling especially bud, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money," the NCB said.

According to the NCB, the best quality of bud is sold for about Rs 5,000 per gram.

Zaid came under the scanner after the agency arrested two people -- Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora -- in another narcotics case on August 27-28 in Mumbai and recovered a bud consignment from them.

Lakhani had "linkages" with Zaid, the NCB claimed.

The agency has also detained a Bandra resident identified as Basit Parihar after interrogating Zaid.

Parihar is "learnt to have linkages" with the narcotics case registered against Rajput's live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty, 28, and others.

ALSO READ | Sushant Singh Rajput Case: Rhea Chakraborty's father called for questioning by CBI for second day

Rhea is the main accused in the death case of the 34-year-old actor that is being probed by the NCB, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering charges and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The role of Rhea's brother Showik and his purported links with the people nabbed by the NCB are under the scanner of the agency and he is expected to be summoned for questioning soon, the officials said.

Some more drug peddlers based in Maharashtra, Delhi and Goa are also under the agency's scanner, they said.

A special NCB team from Delhi, headed by deputy director (operations) K P S Malhotra, is camping in the western metropolis to take forward the probe.

The team also includes agency officers from Mumbai and has been constituted by NCB Director General Rakesh Asthana.

The agency filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea.

According to the officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI.

Rajput was found dead at his duplex flat in Bandra on June 14.
The recent string of celebrity deaths continues. Miami-based DJ and producer Erick Morillo was found dead in his home in Miami Beach at 49 years old. And though his name may be unfamiliar to some, his music isnt.

Erick Morillo performs on stage during Rock in Rio Madrid 2012 | Carlos R. Alvarez/WireImage

What was Erick Morillo famous for?

For nearly 30 years, Erick Morillo helped bring electronic and dance music to the forefront and incorporate elements from different genres to get people on the dance floor. He got his start as a teenager in Colombia, where he mixed house music with many of the local sounds, as well as reggae and hip hop. Over the years, he performed under many different pseudonyms, such as Reel 2 Real, Deep Soul, and Club Ultimate.

Morillo built his career primarily as a DJ, taking up residencies in clubs all around the globe and creating all sorts of specialty nights and experiences.

Morillo released many different songs dance mixes throughout his career, but there was one song that became his calling card. His claim to fame was the 1993 hit single I Like to Move It, a wall-shaking dance anthem that gets people moving to this day.

Just how big was I Like to Move It?

At the time of its release, I Like to Move It was a worldwide phenomenon. It made a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1994 and reached the top 10 on Billboards Dance Club Songs chart. The song became a number 1 hit in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe, and sold over a million copies around the globe.

I Like to Move It became popular with younger generations with the songs inclusion in the Madagascar movies. In the movie versions, Morillo teamed up with guest vocalists like Sacha Baron Cohen and will.i.am to turn the party for all the animals.

RELATED: What Are Ben Stillers Highest Grossing Movies?

Erick Morillo faced sexual assault charges in the days before his death

In August, Morillo was arrested in Miami in regards to an alleged rape charge. According to the allegations made by a fellow DJ, Morillo took her and another female friend to his home after they DJd a private party together on Miamis ritzy Star Island.

According to the report, the woman fell asleep fully clothed in one of his bedrooms. She was naked when she woke up, with Morillo standing over her, also naked. When questioned about the incident by police, Morillo said he had sex with the other woman at the house.

Morillo turned himself in to Miami Beach Police in August on a sexual battery charge related to the incident, and was set to appear in court on September 4.

How did Erick Morillo die?

Miami Beach Police responded to a 911 call from Morillos home, where local law enforcement did not observe any apparent signs of foul play.

As of this writing, Erick Morillos cause of death has not been determined. He did not have any underlying health problems that have been public, so fans will have to wait until the medical examiner officially releases their results.
Scientists are looking at luminescent transparent films for use in energy-efficient displays (such as LED screens) and other applications, and the possibilities it opens up for advancing methodologies in several fields of biological and electronics research. However, although multicolor-emitting transparent solid films have been developed, finding efficient ways to tune the color and intensity of light emissions has been challenging.

Now, in a recent paper published in The Royal Society of Chemistry's Materials Advances, a novel mechanism for easily tuning the luminescence of a newly modified light-emitting solid transparent material is described--it involves simply modulating its proton concentration (or pH) via the application of a voltage.

This material was developed in the lab of Professor Makoto Tadokoro, an inorganic chemist and materials scientist at Tokyo University of Science in Japan. Prof Tadokoro and his team, including Dr. Hajime Kamebuchi from Nihon University, Japan, and Mr. Taiho Yoshioka from Tokyo University of Science, began with a transparent polymeric film called Nafion. Nafion films are well-known as proton-conductors (materials in which electricity is conducted via the movement of protons) and cation exchangers (materials that readily attract positively charged particles). These two properties proved key to the luminescence control afforded by the material that it would eventually help form.

A third property of Nafion that made it even more useful for Prof Tadokoro's team is its molecular structure. Nafion's structure allowed "complexes" of two metals, terbium (Tb) and europium (Eu), which are known to be light emitters, to be embedded in it when it was dipped in a solution containing the metal complexes. Thus, the fabrication process of the material was simple and inexpensive.

When the final product--a metal-complex-containing polymeric film--was immersed in an acidic solution (pH 2-5; proton donor), it turned green. Soaked in an alkaline solution (pH 9-12; proton acceptor), it turned red. In a neutral solution (pH 6-8), it turned yellow (a combination of red and green).

Spectroscopic analysis told the authors why these specific color changes were occurring. In acidic solutions, the protons taken up by Nafion were 'turning on' the Tb metal ions, but not the Eu metal ions. In alkaline solutions, Eu metal ions took the spotlight and emissions from the Tb ions were quenched. In neutral solutions, both emitted light. This confirmed that the proton concentration gradient within the material determined its luminescence.

The scientists were then able to easily tune the luminescence by hooking the material to a battery after dipping it in an acidic solution. The acidic solution made the material green. But upon application of a voltage, as protons moved towards the negatively charged side of the material, the proton-deficient positively charged side began to turn red. The central portion of the material became yellow. Prof Tadokoro says, "We think that this was the most challenging part of our study--and incidentally also our biggest success. The finding that the flow of protons in a solid medium under an electric field can be controlled, which in turn allows us to control the 'color' of emitted light, is unprecedented. In biological systems, ion flows are responsible for many essential biochemical activities. The 'solid-state ionics' demonstrated by us can find applications in a lot of different fields."

When further asked about the practical significance of his work, Prof Tadokoro says, "Our findings show that it is possible to fabricate inexpensive multicolor emitting glass or film materials whose emissions can be tuned by simply applying a voltage to control the proton flow, and therefore proton gradient, within the material. In other words, not only electron conduction, but proton conduction can be a way in which the luminescence of materials is controlled."

But, while this study is a big step in the journey to achieving transparent emitters for a wide range of applications--such as detecting pH gradients in biological cells or constructing novel displays and illuminators--the device developed here is not quite ready for the market. Prof Tadokoro says, "We are now trying to add a blue light emitting complex into our system, so that we can obtain a material that can emit light over the entire visible spectrum."

Once that is achieved, the sciences will be advanced a little bit more, and a new generation of highly tunable multicolor-emitting materials may not be too far away!

###

About the Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

About Professor Makoto Tadokoro from Tokyo University of Science

Dr Makoto Tadokoro is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Tokyo University of Science. He is an inorganic chemist and a materials scientist, with research interests in supramolecular coordination chemistry, protonics, water science, and organic molecular conductors. With over 160 publications to his name, he is also affiliated with various leading organizations in the field, such as the Chemical Society of Japan, and has won several awards for his work.

Funding information

The research was funded by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society (28-341), the Tokyo Institute of Technology Foundation Research and Educational Grants (28-036), a grant from The Mazda Foundation (16KK-354), a grant from Izumi Science and Technology Foundation (H29-J-109), and a grant from Iketani Science and Technology Foundation (0301067-A).
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

As reported earlier, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today accepted the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece to Azerbaijan, Nikolaos Piperigos.

Trend presents some excerpts from President Aliyev's remarks at the meeting.

"It is not Azerbaijan that has occupied the territory of Armenia  Armenia has occupied Azerbaijani territory," the Azerbaijani president said. "This is reflected in the documents of all international organizations."

"The last issue I want to touch upon is the recent tension between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean region," President Aliyev said. "I can tell you, and it is no secret, that Turkey is not only our friend and partner but also a brotherly country for us. Without any hesitation whatsoever, we support Turkey and will support it in any circumstances. We see the same support from our Turkish brothers. They support Azerbaijan on all issues, and we support them on all issues, including the issue of intelligence in the Eastern Mediterranean."

"I want you to know our position," the Azerbaijani president said. "This position has already been officially announced by the Azerbaijani government on my instructions. I can tell you again that Turkey is not only a friend but a brotherly country for us. The Turks are our brothers. So we will be with them in all matters."

"I want to find something positive to touch upon, but unfortunately I can't find it," President Aliyev said. "Perhaps we hope that the new government of Greece, which came to power relatively recently, will reconsider the policy of the previous government against Azerbaijan."

"We can restore contacts and discuss issues that create positive dynamics," the Azerbaijani president said. "But, of course, that will depend on the policy and position of the Greek government."
Sunday was a momentous day for the U.S. airline industry, as United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) announced that it was doing away with change fees for regular economy and premium tickets on all domestic flights, effective immediately. United will also make same-day standby travel free for all customers beginning on Jan. 1, 2021.

In the ultra-competitive airline industry, it's risky for any carrier to be out of step with its closest rivals in terms of fees and policies. Not surprisingly, American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL), Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), and Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) all matched or even one-upped United by Tuesday morning. Let's take a look at what this means for airlines and customers.

Airlines race to match United Airlines

On Monday, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines revised their change fee policies to avoid falling behind United. However, they took different approaches to addressing this shift in the competitive environment. Delta simply matched United's new policies, removing change fees on domestic tickets (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), excluding basic economy fares. Delta did not alter its standby policies, though.

American Airlines took a much bolder approach. It eliminated change fees for flights to and from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean as well as the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (again excluding basic economy tickets). Additionally, whereas United's policy does not allow customers to claim a refund or voucher if they switch to a cheaper flight -- and Delta appears to be following United's lead -- American Airlines said that if the new flight is cheaper, customers will receive a voucher for the difference. Additionally, American is implementing free same-day standby on Oct. 1.

A United Airlines plane sitting on a runway

Image source: United Airlines.

On Tuesday, Alaska Airlines followed its three largest rivals in updating its change fee policy. Alaska is eliminating change fees for all domestic and international flights, excluding saver fares. This is roughly similar to American's new policy, as Alaska Airlines doesn't operate any long-haul flights beyond North America.

Story continues

What do the changes really mean?

United, Delta, American, and Alaska (and most of their peers) temporarily suspended change fees when the pandemic spiraled out of control earlier this year. Thus, in the short run, the changes announced over the past few days merely make permanent what was previously a temporary relaxation of the rules.

Furthermore, the new policies permitting free flight changes don't extend to basic economy tickets. That stands in contrast to Southwest Airlines, which doesn't charge change fees under any circumstances (and doesn't sell basic economy fares): a distinction the low-fare carrier has been promoting aggressively.

Last year, U.S. airlines pocketed $2.8 billion from change fees: 1.4% of their total revenue. While most airlines are still charging change fees for international flights -- at least long-haul international travel -- they will be giving up about 1% of their annual revenue by eliminating these fees for most short-haul tickets.

However, the corresponding advantages are significant. First, eliminating change fees will do away with booking anxiety: Customers will be more likely to book tickets without having their travel plans 100% nailed down. Second, by excluding basic economy tickets from the new free-flight-changes policies, airlines will give customers even greater reason to "buy up" from basic economy to their pricier standard economy fares.

A new routine

Offering free flight changes for standard economy tickets is certainly a customer-friendly move for United and its peers. Previously, many of these airlines had charged $200 change fees for domestic itineraries, a price completely out of proportion to the airline's opportunity cost. A no-change-fee policy will give people peace of mind when booking tickets in advance.

That said, it's too early to know what else airlines might change in the months and years ahead. As noted above, the new rules about flight changes give customers more reason to buy standard economy tickets rather than basic economy tickets. One distinct possibility is that airlines will attempt to capture that additional value by increasing the price differential between basic economy and standard economy fares.

Typically, airlines advertise basic economy tickets as a sort of teaser fare. If it costs more to upgrade to standard economy, airlines would effectively replace their change fee revenue with a stream of incremental "buy-up" revenue from customers who want to reserve the right to make flight changes later.

So don't cry for the airlines. Change fee revenue may be going away, for the most part. However, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines have plenty of options for offsetting the loss of this revenue stream as they strive to rebuild their profitability in the years ahead.

More From The Motley Fool

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Alaska Air Group, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool recommends Alaska Air Group, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

America's Top Airlines Ditch Change Fees -- Sort Of was originally published by The Motley Fool
The woman is suing Jeffrey Berger claiming he sent her father revenge porn after she backed out of their meeting. They started speaking on Tinder in August 2019

A woman is suing a potential Tinder date for sending a racy picture that she sent him to her own father after she backed out of a threesome they planned.

The woman is not named but she filed a lawsuit in Manhattan against Jeffrey Berger seeking $1million in defamation damages.

She claims the pair started speaking on the app last August and discussed having a threesome with Berger's girlfriend.

They spoke on the phone for months and exchanged erotic photographs including one in which her genitals were exposed.

The woman claims she backed out of their planned meet-up when he said something she did not like.

She then claims she received an Instagram message threatening to expose the photo.

The following day, she claims her father received the picture she sent Berger in his work email inbox.

It was also posted online as the profile photo on a fake account, she alleges.

Now, the woman claims she suffers panic attacks that interfere with her 'quality of life'.

She is suing him for causing her 'severe emotional distress', according to court records reviewed by The New York Post.

No details about Berger or his girlfriend have yet emerged and he has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Former Harry Potter star Harry Melling is rapidly becoming one of the most in-demand British actors of his generation.

This month hell be seen alongside Tom Holland in Antonio Campos star-studded The Devil All The Time (launching on Netflix 16 September), and hes taking the lead in the hilarious new UK comedy Say Your Prayers.

The 31-year-old shot to fame as Harrys devious cousin Dudley Dursley, appearing in five of the eight Wizarding World movies, and has since appeared alongside Robert Pattinson in The Lost City of Z, in the Coen brothers The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and more recently in the Charlize Theron action blockbuster The Old Guard.

Were genuinely thrilled to share the first look at Say Your Prayers, in which Melling stars alongside Game of Thrones Tom Brooke, as a radical Christian hitman. Watch the brilliant debut trailer above.

Orphaned brothers and Christian radicals, Tim and Vic, arrive in Ilkley with the relatively straightforward task of assassinating Professor John Huxley. (Central City Media)

Written and directed by British filmmaker and comedian Harry Michell (Chubby Funny, Guinea Pig), produced by Helen Simmons (Chubby Funny, F*CK) and co-written by Jamie Fraser (Living The Dream, Pillow Talk), it stars a slew of homegrown talent including Harry Melling (Harry Potter franchise, The Lost City of Z, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Tom Brooke (Game of Thrones, The Death of Stalin, Bodyguard), Anna Maxwell Martin (Philomena, Motherland, Code 404), Roger Allam (The Thick of It, The Lady in the Van, Endeavour), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, Good Omens), Vinette Robinson (Sherlock, The A Word) and Flora Spencer Longhurst (Unforgiven, The Maltese Connection).

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 12: Harry Melling attends the UK film premiere of 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' at Cineworld, Leicester Square during the 62nd BFI London Film Festival American Airlines Gala. October 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Heres the synopsis: Orphaned brothers and Christian radicals, Tim and Vic, arrive in Ilkley with the relatively straightforward task of assassinating Professor John Huxley. However, after a classic case of mistaken identity, they find themselves having murdered the wrong man.

Harry Melling in a still from Say Your Prayers (Central City Media)

Now stuck in the town during Ilkley's busiest weekend, they wait for the arrival of a foreboding mentor to give them instruction. The mission must still be completed - that's providing Vics rage, Tims doubts or the efforts of foul-mouthed Detective Inspector Brough don't get in the way first.

Say Your Prayers will be released on demand 28 September, 2020.
Now that Portland officially has the best Texas-style barbecue scene outside of Texas, per influential Texas Monthly barbecue critic Daniel Vaughn, should we even be surprised to find supremely tender, gently smoked brisket coming from a food cart?

If youre in Beaverton, Id say the answer remains yes.

Yet thats just what I found at Wolfs Head Smokehouse, a newer food cart addition to Beavertons sprawling BGs Food Cartel pod, where the brisket is salt-and-pepper rubbed and sliced thick, with juicy meat under a jiggling fat cap. And brisket might not even be the carts best meat.

Wolfs Head Smokehouse chef-owner Jason Wittek spent nearly half a decade at the Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Spruce, where he was encouraged to learn new skills, from curing the restaurants house charcuterie to running the cheese program. From there, he opened Spruces modern American sister restaurant, The Saratoga, as Executive Chef, working alongside fellow chef and current business partner Roy Doty.

Wittek wanted to open a restaurant of his own in San Francisco, but the cost of doing business proved prohibitive. I dont want to owe somebody $3 million for the rest of my life, he says. After a quick detour to San Diego, Wittek and his girlfriend moved north, hoping to join the wave of new barbecue food carts opening in Portland.

I was dead set on Portland, because if you want to be relevant, thats where you have to be. And what the (heck) is in Beaverton? Wittek asked, using a stronger word than heck. But after learning the former Marianas Food Cart spot had opened up at BGs, he had a change of heart. Its so beautiful out here. You have Nike, Intel, the big car dealerships. And we definitely have better amenities. Theres an outdoor bar, grassy areas to sit down, tons of seating, all spread apart six feet of course. And its a lot cleaner than some of the other places we looked at in Portland.

After seeing several rundown food carts selling for tens of thousands of dollars online, Wittek decided to spend just under $40,000 on a custom-built cart, hedging that if things dont work out, he could always hose it down and resell it at a relatively small loss.

Wittek and Doty opened Wolfs Head Smokehouse in December. The meats are smoked with Oregon white oak and cherry woods in a 500-gallon propane tank converted into an offset smoker by Primitive Pits, a barbecue fabrication company in Georgia.

Like most Portland barbecue spots, Wolfs Head Smokehouse draws inspiration from across Americas regional barbecue capitals, with Austins smoked brisket and Kansas Citys burnt ends each paid their proper respect. For Wittek, thats not just a matter of the appealing to a broad customer base. Rather, its a nod to the barbecue-fueled cross-country summer road trips he took with his grandparents as a boy.

Being that young, and barbecue not being as in your face as it is right now, I didnt really realize that regional styles were so specific, Wittek said. I just thought, when we would stop in Kansas or Memphis for ribs, I liked their ribs. If we went through Texas, I liked their brisket. I didnt know it was mutually exclusive.

At Wolfs Head Smokehouse, Wittek and Doty serve Instagram-friendly smash burgers and sandwiches stacked high with barbecued meats. On my visit, the three slices of brisket I ordered ($10 for what felt like a generous half pound) barely made it back to the car. It wouldnt have been out of place in a competition for Portlands best alongside top carts, Matts BBQ, Holy Trinity, Bark City or Bottos (the last of which just announced plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Southeast Portland this year). Cart-made sausages were available early on, but ended up being too much of a lift once business started picking up; they could return down the line. Among the sides, the creamy, Ruffle-topped mac and cheese was a hit with my kids, while the corn bread was on the dry side to my taste and the barely dressed cabbage in the buttermilk cole slaw could have used more buttermilk.

But it was the chopped pork that really stood out.

According to Wittek, Wolfs Heads chopped pork ($9 per half pound) pays homage to the pulled pork and whole hog traditions found in Virginia and the Carolinas. The secret? Wittek and Doty smoke their picnic hams bone-in and skin-on, locking moisture and flavor into the meat. Once the skin achieves a near-chicharron crisp, its salted, chopped and folded in with the rest of the meat.

Pork is often the least interesting meat at Portland smokehouses. At Beavertons best new barbecue joint, its the highlight.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Sunday; 4250 S.W. Rose Biggi Ave.; 503-380-8055; wolfsheadbbq.com. This story is part of our annual guide to Portlands best new food carts. Know of a cart that opened in the past year that you think we should know about? Drop me a line at mrussell@oregonian.com and let me know why you love it.

-- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell

Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton topped primary challengers in the 6th Congressional District on Tuesday.

The Associated Press called the race for Moulton at 9:56 p.m.

Moulton, whos served the district since 2015, picked up 77.67%, with 16.52% of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.

Angus McQuilken has served as vice president of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and vice president of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

Jamie Belsito has advocated for women, families, immigrants and students for two decades, focusing on maternal health and postpartum depression.

Moulton is a U.S. Marine veteran who served four tours in Iraq, a war he spoke out against. He was the only Democrat to unseat an incumbent, former Rep. John F. Tierney, in 2014.

Moulton in November will face the only GOP candidate in the race, John Paul Moran, who describes himself as a lifelong entrepreneur and business owner, MIT space telescope scientist, gay conservative and author who will be an independent voice if elected to the House.
If you are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. But the long term shareholders of Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund (TSE:BPF.UN) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. Sadly for them, the share price is down 68% in that time. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 60% in the last year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 11% in the last three months. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.

View our latest analysis for Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Over the three years that the share price declined, Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund's earnings per share (EPS) dropped significantly, falling to a loss. Extraordinary items contributed to this situation. Due to the loss, it's not easy to use EPS as a reliable guide to the business. However, we can say we'd expect to see a falling share price in this scenario.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 61%, over the last 3 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 1.1% in the twelve months, Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund shareholders did even worse, losing 58%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 8.0% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Even so, be aware that Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable...

We will like Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Medical Equipment Consultants, Inc. (USMEDIC) engaged with VMware's Pivotal Labs to create, test and deploy a solution that enables healthcare organizations to quickly locate and manage critical medical equipment used to care for patients with Covid-19. In addition to providing equipment location data, the solution allows users to determine equipment's availability for use with patients, request equipment repair service and perform other vital equipment management duties using a smartphone or tablet.

U.S. Medical Equipment Consultants, Inc. (USMEDIC)

During the course of its work with various healthcare organizations in the United States, USMEDIC was made aware that hospital staff were often spending many hours a day merely locating vital medical equipment needed to deliver critical care to patients. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the issue has been exacerbated in many healthcare systems as equipment is re-distributed to facilities throughout the systems based on surging patient volumes. While existing equipment tracking options are available, these solutions can take many months of work to deploy and frequently cost millions of dollars to implement.

Based on input from healthcare professionals, it was determined that an alternative solution was needed that could be launched in days, without system integration or the need to purchase costly equipment to deploy. A cross-functional team was established to deliver the solution in the months preceding the surge of Covid-19. The newly developed solution can be used with hospitals that have not already implemented a comprehensive equipment management system or to augment existing systems.

To ensure the equipment tracking and management solution fulfilled the real-world needs of hospitals, the group utilized the expertise of industry veterans from Bayhealth Medical Center led by Brian Dolan, MHSA, CMRP, Vice President, Resource Management at Bayhealth to provide guidance and feedback on the solution. Mr. Dolan stated, "The Bayhealth team was excited to assist with the continued development and testing of the solution. We felt the project was worthy of our time and are hopeful that the solution will provide much needed relief for hospitals struggling with tracking their equipment during this challenging time."

"We greatly appreciate the help from VMware with this initiative. They have graciously provided extensive support and resources to help make this vital solution a reality," said Sean Stapleton CEO of USMEDIC. "Moreover, we are grateful for the support and guidance from Brian Dolan and the Bayhealth team, who volunteered their limited time to help with this project."

The equipment tracking and management solution can be rapidly deployed in a flexible and modular manner, without the need for costly physical infrastructure investments or IT integration. For additional information on the medical equipment tracking and management solution please contact us at [email protected].

About USMEDIC

Please visit us at www.usmedic.com to learn more about our equipment management solutions.

Media Contact

Steven Knapp

[email protected]

800-808-8742

SOURCE U.S. Medical Equipment Consultants, Inc. (USMEDIC)

Related Links

https://www.usmedic.com/


Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) celebrated its 65th anniversary on September 1.

LIC has spread its wings from being the leading Life Insurance Company into an internationally recognized financial conglomerate with the presence in fourteen countries, a press release issued by the company said.

The comapany started with an initial capital of Rs 5 crore in 1956, and it has an asset base of Rs 31,96,214.81 crore today, with Life Fund to the tune of Rs 31,14,496.05 crore. As on March 31, 2020, the total funds invested for the benefit of the community at large is Rs 30,69,942 crore, the company press release said.

Today LIC offers a bouquet of 28 plans for sale under Individual Business, each catering to the needs of various segments of the society viz Endowment, Term Assurance, Children, Pension, Micro Insurance, Health Insurance and Unit Linked products etc, the press release added.

LIC has established a strong online presence and has provided digital platform for new business and servicing operations to both internal and external customers, including channel platforms like banks and other agencies. The Customer Mobile App, which is available on both Android and iOS, has more than 34 lakh users. MPIN based access to mobile applications is in place for ease of use to the customers, the release said.

The company has leveraged various digital platforms for electronic premium payments to provide a seamless experience to customers. PayTM (directly), PhonePe and GooglePay (through BillDesk) are some of the more recent modes that are available to customers for premium payment digitally, the release added.

On the anniversary of its inception, the insurance company dedicated itself to the welfare of customers in spirit of their moto Yogakshemam Vahamyaham (thy welfare is our responsibility).
Deerfield Beach, Fla., Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forrest Heathcott, whose career has spanned nearly 30 years with JM Family Enterprises, most recently as president of its subsidiary JM&A Group, has announced he will retire March 31, 2021.

Dan Chait, fellow JM Family executive and president of sister company Southeast Toyota Finance (SETF), will assume leadership of JM&A Group beginning January 1, 2021, in addition to maintaining his current position. Chait will continue reporting to Brent Burns, president and CEO of JM Family, in his newly expanded roll.

JM&A has the best associates and dealer partners in the business, and I have full confidence in Dan to lead this great company as we plan for JM&A Groups future and its continued success, Heathcott said.

Heathcott joined JM Family in 1993 and has held positions at three of the companys subsidiaries -- JM&A Group, Southeast Toyota Distributors and Southeast Toyota Finance. He took on his current role of president of JM&A Group, one of the largest independent providers of finance and insurance (F&I) products and services in the industry, during 2007.

As president of JM&A Group, Forrest has led the team passionately, with strong vision, always staying steps ahead in the F&I industry, said Brent Burns, president and CEO, JM Family. Clearly understanding the needs of todays dealer and driving the business based on the guidepost that our success is measured by the dealers success, the team has been able to consistently deliver on its goals. A true, hands-on leader, Forrest thinks not only about the business, but about our associates first, as is the JM Family way. While Forrest will be missed, we are excited about his next chapter and those adventures he will now have time to take.

Chait joined SETF in 2002 as vice president, Asset Management. In 2007 he became group vice president responsible for the companys Portfolio Management, Dealer Services, Operations, Sales and Marketing functions. In 2011, Chait was named senior vice president, and in 2012 became president. He has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, has held senior-level positions with US Airways, AutoNation and UniCapital Corporation, and holds a Master of Business Administration and bachelors degrees in economics and political science from the University of Rochester.

In order to ensure a seamless transition, Chait will begin shadowing Heathcott and the JM&A Group leadership team in the coming months, engrossing himself in the business nuances and its ongoing initiatives, as well as meeting and connecting with dealer partners. Beginning January 1, he will assume full responsibility for leading JM&A Group and SETF, with Heathcott moving to the role of strategic advisor to accelerate Chaits learning curve and support his long-term success.

Dan has the full backing of JM&A Groups senior management, who value his partnership and respect the success hes built at Southeast Toyota Finance, said Burns. After nearly two decades with JM Family, Dan has proven himself to be a strong leader, a team player and a true ambassador of our culture.

Providing Chait with added support, Bill Shope, an SETF associate since 1990, has been promoted to senior vice president and COO of Southeast Toyota Finance and will lead the companys day-to-day operations. In recent years, Shope has been integral to the development of SETFs advanced analytics capabilities and risk management approach, which has enabled the company to expand the level of support it offers Toyota dealers in the Southeast and launched a wave of growth in the business that continues today. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

About JM&A Group

JM&A Group, a leader in the F&I industry for more than 40 years, serves more than 3,800 automotive dealerships nationwide. Comprised of Jim Moran & Associates, Inc. (JM&A), Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc. (FWS), Fidelity Insurance Agency, and Courtesy Insurance Company, it provides a variety of products and services such as F&I training and consulting, vehicle protection plans, used vehicle certification programs, prepaid maintenance plans and GAP programs. Additionally, the company has nearly 750 associates, including a dedicated sales force of 300+ associates who support process implementation for dealer operations and digital sales strategies. JM&A Group is a division of JM Family Enterprises, Inc. a diversified automotive corporation headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla. JM Family is ranked No. 20 on Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies and has been ranked on FORTUNEs 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 22 consecutive years. For more information about JM&A Groups products and services, contact us at 1-800-553-7146 or visit us online at www.jmagroup.com.

About Southeast Toyota Finance

Southeast Toyota Finance is the captive finance company for 177 Toyota dealers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company offers a broad range of products and services to automotive dealers and consumers. Southeast Toyota Finance is the leading provider of retail and lease financing for new Toyota purchases within its footprint, consistently ranking at the top in market share and dealer satisfaction. The company is committed to strong dealer relationships and customer service, providing finance retail and lease programs, college graduate and military rebate programs that drive customer and dealer loyalty. The companys portfolio of dealer loans includes inventory financing, real estate and construction loans. Southeast Toyota Finance is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive corporation ranked No. 20 on Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies. JM Family is also ranked No. 26 by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, its 22nd consecutive year on the list.

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Panaji, Sep 2 : A drug peddler arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from the beach village of Calangute in Goa during a probe into an international curated-marijuana racket, tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, sources said.

According to a NCB press statement on Tuesday, accused F. Ahmed worked as a driver at a resort in Goa and also worked as a mule and transported the designer drugs to a "prominent receiver" in Bengaluru.

The drugs would find their way into Page 3 parties, where celebrities were in attendance.

"Ahmed was to be produced in a trial court in Mapusa, for a transit remand. In view of the fact that he has tested positive for Covid-19, we will be unable to take him to Mumbai, where the case is being investigated," an official privy to the investigation said.

As a result, Ahmed is likely "to be placed in home isolation, because he is asymptomatic", the official added.

The NCB has already seized 3.5 kg of 'bud' (marijuana bloom) sourced from Canada, with a street value of Rs 5,000 per gram from traffickers in multiple raids in Mumbai and Delhi.

"The seizure made in Delhi was destined for Mumbai. The seizure made in Mumbai was sourced from Canada and destined for Goa," the NCB statement said.
GRAND FORKS, N.D.  Here in Grand Forks, we have a very serious situation now, says city Coun. Bret Weber.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GRAND FORKS, N.D.  "Here in Grand Forks, we have a very serious situation now," says city Coun. Bret Weber.

On Monday night, local leaders gathered to debate a potential city-wide face mask mandate, amid a surge in the COVID-19 case count they are blaming on students returning to the University of North Dakota.

Grand Forks County has the highest number of active novel coronavirus cases in the state at 536  nearly 100 more than No. 2 Burleigh County, and more than double Cass County.

Mayor Brandon Bochenski said 87 per cent of current positive cases are found among people between the ages of 15 and 29 years old.

"There was a small number of people who were infectious when they came here, and the spread has been happening here," Michael Dulitz of the Grand Forks Public Health Department told council.

While many on the council appeared to oppose a face mask mandate, they did agree the city should have a better plan about the tipping point.

"We want to keep kids safe and we want to keep them in school. We dont want something to happen where they cant go to school," said Coun. Ken Vein.

Other councillors pointed out neighbouring Minnesota had its largest spike in cases over the weekend, and has had a statewide mask mandate since the beginning of August.

"Im not completely convinced it will work in the city of Grand Forks," said Coun. Danny Weigel.

Bochenski used more evocative language, while agreeing more education is needed: "This isnt Nazi Germany, where we can bust into houses and force people to wear masks."

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.

Nearly a dozen members of the public also attended the meeting to speak out against the idea.

"The question isnt if COVID-19 is a real virus. The question is: is our response to COVID-19 appropriate for the level of risk it brings to us?" asked David Waterman.

The discussion comes at a critical time  city council is days away from a vote that could require all non-essential businesses to close again, as they did in March during the initial days of the pandemic response.

"You cant continue locking us down. With the whole mask mandate, it scares the hell out of people," said Scott Reinhart with Integrity Fundraisers fund management company.

"One of the best things we can do to keep our businesses open is the simple act of putting a cloth over our face," Weber countered.

 Grand Forks Herald
Vice President Mike Pence speaks as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos listens during a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington on July 8, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Pence Says He Doesnt Recall Being Put on Standby During Trump Hospital Visit

Vice President Mike Pence said he doesnt remember being put on standby during President Donald Trumps visit to the Walter Reed hospital last year, amid allegations from a New York Times reporter claiming that the president suffered strokes.

Trump and White House officials also denied the claim from the reporter, Michael Schmidt, earlier this week. Schmidt is coming out with a new book that contains the allegation.

I dont recall being told to be on standby, Pence told Fox News on Tuesday. I was informed that the president had a doctors appointment.

Pence noted that as vice president, its his job to remain on standby if something happens to the president.

Ive got to tell you, part of this job is youre always on standby. Youre vice president of the United States, Pence added. The American people can be confident that this president is in remarkably good health, and every single day I see that energy in high relief.

Pence said that when Trump visited the medical facility, there was nothing out of the ordinary about that moment or that day.

Schmidts book prompted Dr. Sean Conley, the physician to the president, to address the recent public comments regarding his health.

President Donald Trump responds to questions from members of the news media during a news conference at the White House in Washington, on Aug. 31, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

I can confirm that President Trump has not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke), or any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported in the media, Coney said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added: The President remains healthy and I have no concerns about his ability to maintain the rigorous schedule ahead of him. As stated in my last report, I expect him to remain fit to execute the duties of the Presidency.

And on Twitter, Trump, 74, described the new claims as false.

It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes, Trump wrote on Twitter.

A number of mainstream news outlets carried Schmidts claim earlier this week.

Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party! Trump wrote, suggesting that his 77-year-old Democratic rival, Joe Biden, is suffering from health issues.

In his last physical exam in June, doctors said Trump weighs 244 pounds, stands 6 feet 3 inches, has a blood pressure of 121/79 mmHg, and a resting heart rate of 63 beats per minute. The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, stated the results indicate Trump is of good health.
"Already nearly half of those on payment holidays are using credit to pay for food and other daily essential expenses."

The report warns of a further financial storm for millions as many payment holidays end on the 31st October  the same date the governments job retention schemes end, leaving many facing job losses.

Of those households granted a payment holiday, nearly half said they have no money in savings at all, and 46% think it is very likely (26%) or quite likely (20%) they will experience a loss of earnings as a result of Covid-19 in the next three months.

Researchers questioned nearly 6,000 householders and found only a quarter of those who had a bill payment holiday had sought debt advice. The report also found that although government has allocated funding for more debt advice, this would not be in place by the end of October when many are likely to need it.

The report authors suggest that creditors of all kinds and their regulators need to be proactive in contacting their customers with payment arrangements coming to an end and ensure that they have a creative suite of sympathetic forbearance measures in place. The Financial Conduct Authority has recently published draft guidance advising firms on how to help mortgagors beyond the end of payment breaks. But at present there is little to no guidance on what customers with a payment arrangement on other commitments should do when it ends. Measures could include: income/expenditure checks to assess ability of borrowers to repay; flexible and lower payment arrangements; social tariffs (for utility providers); extending the lending period (for unsecured credit and mortgages), and where appropriate writing off debts.

At the end of July, one in six households (17%) had their earnings supported by one of the governments job retention schemes. These schemes are also due to end on 31 October 2020, leaving around 3 million households expecting a drop in income. The researchers found that around a third of households currently supported by the schemes (31%) were experiencing financial difficulties at the end of July  between four and five times the level among working households whose earnings had been unaffected by the pandemic. With this in mind, the report authors also recommend extending government support for workers in the hardest hit sectors, including those who have fallen through the safety net provisions.

Mubin Haq, CEO of the Standard Life Foundation, said: We are facing a cliff-edge situation at the end of October. Three million households have fallen through the cracks on the governments job retention programmes. They will be joined by millions more when furlough schemes come to an end. This is happening at the same time as the vast majority of payment holiday measures come to an end, creating a perfect financial storm. Incomes reducing whilst outgoings are set to increase. Already nearly half of those on payment holidays are using credit to pay for food and other daily essential expenses.

"Regulators and lenders need to rapidly consider how they will manage the situation from the end of October 2020 to avoid large numbers of households facing enforcement action, including families losing their homes. In addition, capacity on debt advice needs to be increased quickly; more debt advisors are needed but they will not be in place within the next few months, so interim measures should be put in place swiftly.

Professor Elaine Kempson, one of the reports authors, added: Creditors, including lenders, landlords and utility suppliers, need to be proactive as payment holidays come to an end and have a suite of forbearance and debt collection measures which match their customers ability to pay. One size will not fit all. But it is important to recognise that this is only part of the story. Like Germany and Norway, the UK Government should extend the job retention schemes, particularly for less skilled workers in hard-hit sectors of the economy.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today the company has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a critical partner for two lithium research projects over three years through a Battery Manufacturing Lab Call. Albemarle will work in conjunction with two DOE labs on the company's approved projects.

The first project, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, is "Advanced Brine Processing to Enable U.S. Lithium Independence." This research enables the development of a novel technology which provides a new production route eliminating steps in the current state-of-the-art process by going directly from lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide.

The second project, which will be done in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is "Scaling Up of High-Performance Single Crystalline Ni-rich Cathode Materials with Advanced Lithium Salts." This project will accelerate the commercialization of high-energy cathodes for extended battery life in the electric vehicle (EV) application.

"We are honored to have the DOE select these two important research efforts in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory," said Dr. Glen Merfeld, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Lithium. "Successful execution of the first project will allow for more efficient utilization of the lithium brine resource in the Clayton Valley area of Nevada and a new pathway to a critical lithium material. The technology could also help make U.S. geothermal and oilfield brines more economical, including our brine reserves in Magnolia, Arkansas. Through the second project, we will learn how tailored lithium salts can further improve cathode performance, leading to more energy dense and longer life lithium ion batteries."

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We think beyond business-as-usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.

We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com


The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia is re-opening its doors just in time for Labor Day Weekend.

Starting on Sept. 3, the museum will be open to the public to explore. The museum had been closed for months before due to coronavirus restrictions.

When it reopens, things will look a little different. Anyone older than the age fo five years old will have to wear a face covering. Capacity will be limited and advance reservations are strongly encouraged. Itll also only be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, as well as on Monday holidays. Guests also wont be able to explore the Revolution Place discovery center or Battlefield Theater, as theyll be closed to the public.

The Museum of the American Revolution features hundreds of thousands of objects and artifacts that tell the story of the Revolutionary War, including the events leading up to it and the aftermath.

The museum is located at 101 S. Third St. in Philadelphia. Admission is $21 for adults, $13 for youth (ages 6 through 17) and free for children five years old and younger. You can purchase tickets and learn more at amrevmuseum.org.

READ MORE:

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George Washington crossing the Delaware re-enactment brings history alive to thousands

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DOVER, Del. - Attorneys for The Weinstein Co. presented a Delaware judge Wednesday with a revised bankruptcy plan that would provide about $35 million for creditors, including victims of sexual misconduct by disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The settlement amount is $11.5 million less than under a previous plan, which was scrapped after a federal judge in New York refused to approve a proposed $19 million settlement between Weinstein and some of his accusers. The settlement in the purported class-action lawsuit was a key component of the initial bankruptcy plan.

Attorneys for the company told Judge Mary Walrath the reduction is due primarily to the fact that the plan no longer includes contributions from insurers for the resolution of certain Miramax era claims that arose prior to Harvey Weinstein leaving that company and forming the Weinstein Co.

Roughly half of the overall settlement amount, about $17 million, is allocated for a single sexual misconduct claims fund, down from about $25.7 million allocated for three separate categories of sexual misconduct claims under the previous plan. Another $8.4 million of the settlement amount would go to a liquidation trust for resolving non-sexual misconduct claims, and $9.7 million would be used to reimburse defence costs for company officials other than Weinstein.

Attorneys for the company made clear that they will not ask Judge Walrath to approve the plan if holders of sexual misconduct claims vote to reject it.

We will not seek to cram down the plan on the survivors, said attorney Paul Zumbro.

Meanwhile, attorneys for The Weinstein Co. asked Walrath to approve an Oct. 15 deadline for sexual misconduct claims to be filed, and a process for notifying potential claimants through online posting and publications including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The New York Post.

Walrath said that if attorneys can agree on language clarifying the consequences on future litigation for victims who file claims in the bankruptcy, she would allow the company to send out the notices.

I agree with the debtor that this should go forward and this could resolve, if not all of the claims, a large percentage of those, she said.

Zumbro said the revised plan will provide greater relief for holders of sexual misconduct claims because the proposed class of claims is smaller than under the original plan, and no money would be going to class-action counsel fees.

He also noted that Harvey Weinstein would no longer be reimbursed for any of his defence costs or receive any other distribution under the revised plan.

Zumbro noted that the New York judge had described the potential payments to Weinstein as obnoxious.

The debtors and the other settling parties heard that loud and clear, he said.

Under the new Chapter 11 liquidation proposal, holders of sexual misconduct claims would receive 100% of the liquidated value of their claims if they agree to release Weinstein from all legal claims. A claimant who elects not to release Weinstein but to retain the option to sue him in another court would receive 25% of the value of her bankruptcy claim. The other 75% would be allocated to a reversionary fund for the benefit of insurance companies, who could be on the hook for damage payments in future litigation.

In a departure from normal bankruptcy procedure, holders of sexual misconduct claims would not be asked to vote on the plan until each knows the value of her claim.

Robert Feinstein, an attorney for the companys official committee of unsecured creditors, said the committee unanimously supports the proposed settlement, as do many other individual claimants.

We hope its received with an open mind, ... and that people will hold their fire in the press and in the courtroom until all of the facts are known to them and we can have a mature conversation about whats going on here, Feinstein said, referring to attorneys for three non-settling plaintiffs in the New York case. Those attorneys have described the latest proposal as a complete and utter sellout of Weinsteins victims.

Attorneys acting on behalf of two of those women previously asked Walrath to convert the Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Doing so would reduce the amount of money going to professionals and allow a trustee to pursue civil claims on behalf of the bankruptcy estate against Weinstein and other company officials, they argue.

But Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney who represents several women in the New York case, including lead plaintiff Louisette Geiss, told Walrath on Wednesday that nearly two dozen women support the revised bankruptcy plan.

I do think that its important that their voices are not outweighed by two women alone who do not approve of the plan, she said.

The Weinstein Co. sought bankruptcy protection in March 2018 amid a sexual misconduct scandal that brought down Weinstein and triggered a nationwide movement to address predatory sexual behaviour and harassment in the workplace. Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison earlier this year after being convicted in New York of rape and sexual assault.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles are seeking his extradition to California to face charges of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another in 2013.
While the Palestinians say they feel betrayed, the UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for a future state. It is also expected to help them acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Israel currently is the only country in the region to fly the stealth warplane.
Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is warning the community of a contact tracing scam that has been occurring recently during the coronavirus pandemic, the department announced in a news release on Tuesday.

According to Metro Health, the scammers may call and pose as a contract tracer for Metro Health and will try to obtain personal information such as a social security number and a credit card number.
Victoria Arriazola is graduating from Texas A&M University in December. But she doesnt know if shell get to actually walk across the stage.

Arriazola, 21, is one of many college students dealing with the struggles the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to young professionals. The unknowns of the virus have led to hiring freezes and remote work for many industries, and Arriazola became acquainted with that firsthand in March.

I had an interview for a full, summerlong internship with this marketing firm in downtown Bryan, Arriazola said. I had my first interview, and it went really well, and so I got a call back not that long after saying, Hey, we want to have a follow-up interview. That was when things started to go crazy.

Arriazola spent spring break at home in Wharton, planning to return to campus in a week. But as A&M shifted classes online, she never returned to College Station.

She called the company at which shed hoped to intern. But theyd already transitioned to remote work and couldnt schedule a follow-up interview due to the pandemic.

That was when I was like, Well, my summer internship just got canceled, too. I dont have anything to do now. That was kind of like my dream internship, in a way, because it was a company that I had learned about my first semester at A&M, and so I was excited to finally get to become an intern for them, Arriazola said.

Although that opportunity was put on pause, Arriazola found another job she wouldve never considered otherwise  freelancing for her hometown newspaper, the Wharton Journal-Spectator.

She emailed the papers managing editor to see if they had any internship opportunities, which they did not offer, so she became a freelancer.

I know my major is communications and journalism, but I always thought about the communications side, but Ive actually fallen in love with journalism even more,  Arriazola said. Its led to a lot of career opportunities as well, which is really exciting.

Arriazolas adaptation to working around the pandemics changing circumstances and finding new opportunities is becoming commonplace.

The situation is pretty tough economically. Weve seen some of the economic ramifications so far of the the COVID pandemic and all thats happening in this election year, I dont know that weve seen the entirety of (the ramifications), said Ivette Mekdessi, assistant director of the Rice University Center for Career Development. Were already starting to see, in some cases, less opportunities, particularly in certain industries. But with that, theres definitely also lots of change thats happening, people are adapting. Were not going back to the old, were going to, hopefully, the better, whatever that might be.

Kathleen Dill, 24, is serving as a summer associate for Hunton Andrews Kurth legal office in Houston. She was first offered a position for last falls program in January 2019 and secured a return offer for summer 2020  although this time her experience was virtual.

Dill is a third-year law student at the University of Texas and has remained at her family home in College Station since the school moved online.

I started working remotely for the Houston office in July. I think we kind of heard that we will be doing a remote virtual summer program in April, Dill said. That was plenty of time to adjust to what the summer was going to look like.

Even when other opportunities were forced to cancel in the spring due to the pandemic, Dill said she remained confident that the firm would make sure the associates had a great experience.

I think the first step was trying to just get an idea of how the pandemic was going to shape everything, said Mitch Reid, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth. (In the spring, there were) people that still had the hope that it would be under control by maybe the time summer came around. So the first thing we really had to do was assess how can we still have a substantive, meaningful program in spite of the changing environment. Kind of the first step there was move the program to a later date.

Arriazola had a similar experience. The marketing firm where shed originally planned to intern called her again in early June to tell her theyd gotten used to working remotely and were looking to take on interns.

I ended up having a Zoom interview  and then, not that long after that, I got a position with them for a fall internship, Arriazola said. They ended up calling me back, asking if I could start right away, which was great  because even though a lot of the things were canceled that I was planning to do over the summer due to COVID, I was still able to do this.

Although getting that call back softened the blow, Arriazola still missed out on a lot of unique experiences due to COVID-19  like a study abroad trip to Namibia she was supposed to take in May.

It was just really heartbreaking that everything I had planned for, especially leading up to my last semester of college ever, was kind of taken away from me, Arriazola said. So it was hard to get used to, but at the end of the day, theres nothing you can really do about it.

Aamir Hasanali graduated from Rices MBA program in May and was offered a job with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he interned last summer. As things changed week to week, he was in constant communication with the company.

So (I heard) not only from the head of HR, who sent the email at the beginning of March, but you know, I got calls from the Houston office quite regularly saying, Hey, you know, this is whats going on in the office. This is what we are doing right now, and we still expect you, Hasanali said.

That, again, was very reassuring. But, as far as that anxiety or that fear, its always there to some extent. So just managing that and trying to keep myself occupied was definitely top of mind.

Networking and securing opportunities through previous contacts will only become more important for young professionals, according to Ann McAdam Griffin, associate director of the Rice University Center for Career Development.

This increased importance may also affect certain communities disproportionately, especially with first-generation students, low-income students, international students and students of color, Mekdessi said. Universities typically provide more social hubs for students to meet employers, and networking can already be a scary concept for young job seekers.

Students, in particular, going through the job search process right now, are facing different levels of stress and anxiety as a result of it because youre getting all of this noise around you thats saying, Its tough, Mekdessi said. Yeah, its tough. Were not going to say its not; wed be lying through our teeth if we said its not tough. But, youre also resilient, youre also hopeful, there are ways to seek out and make the most of challenges.

Arriazola said working through the pandemic, although not ideal, helped her to develop new skills with virtual learning and connection through both of her summer opportunities. She may not be able to get her Aggie ring in the traditional sense, but COVID-19 cant take her degree away from her.

I dont ever know if its gonna be back to normal, or what even our definition of normal was to begin with, but I think a lot of the stuff from COVID has kind of helped me become like a better communicator and maybe more of a better young professional, Arriazola said.

I think its definitely helped me grow a lot  its been a challenging situation, but its also been one that Ive learned a lot from. So as far as the future goes, I have no idea whats gonna happen, but all I know is that we can really make the best of it or we can let it get us down.

Mekdessi doesnt know if all industries will rebound post-COVID, but new challenges brought by the pandemic allow for many sects to flourish  like technology has, with the rise of Zoom and virtual meetings.

I think in this case, were all pulling together in different ways. And I think thats really one of the potentials of thinking of the future of work and hiring, too, Mekdessi said. Its been really cool to see data-thons and hackathons, and things that are happening on no longer just (a) local level to help create new solutions that might improve the economy or improve the situation that were in.

Arriazola will graduate into whatever job market awaits her in December with a leg up because her marketing firm hopes to hire their interns full time, she said. Although it may be difficult, shes still hoping to squeeze as many memories out of her last college semester as she can.

I think its definitely going to be hard, and its going to be probably a really stressful situation, Arriazola said. But these last few months have shown her she and others are able to be nimble in these uncertain times.

Its gonna have its challenges, but at the same time, companies are going to be understanding and theyre going to want to work with you more because of whats going on.

Jordan R. Miller is a Houston-based freelance writer.
Ceremony / Receptions

USI Board of Trustees Meeting

Regular and Executive Sessions

The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, September 3, 2020, in regular and Executive Sessions. As authorized by Indiana Executive Order No. 20-09 (March 23, 2020) and Executive Order No. 20-38 (July 30, 2020), this meeting will take place electronically via Zoom Video Communications.

9:30  11:30 a.m. Joint Committee and Regular Sessions

(Via Zoom Communications) https://usi.zoom.us/j/96907763016

+16465588656,,96907763016# US (Eastern time zone)

+13126266799,,96907763016# US (Central time zone)
Detention of ex-journalist Safronov charged with treason extended until winter

 Moskva city news agency

13:21 02/09/2020

MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI)  Moscows Lefortovsky District Court on Wednesday extended detention of ex-newspaper journalist Ivan Safronov charged with treason until December 7, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

The hearing was held behind closed doors.

Safronov was arrested on July 8. The same day Moscows Lefortovsky District Court detained him until September 6. According to the Roscosmos press service, his arrest is not connected with the work in the company. On July 13, he was charged with treason.

Investigators claim Safronov has transmitted secret military information to the Czech intelligence services which, as it known, are linked to the U.S. security agencies. The defendant pleads not guilty.

The former reporter of Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers was appointed as advisor of Dmitry Rogozin in May 2020 after a scandal related to the publication of an explosive article about possible resignation of the Federation Council head Valentina Matviyenko.




WASHINGTON - A committee reporting to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser has recommended renaming dozens of public schools, parks and government buildings in the nation's capital - including those named for seven U.S. presidents - after studying the historical namesakes' connections to slavery and oppression.

The report drew a torrent of criticism, especially for its suggestion of adding plaques or other context to some of the most famed federal locales in the city, including the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. After a harsh rebuke from the White House, the Bowser administration removed the recommendations dealing with federal monuments on Tuesday evening.

A White House statement called Bowser, a Democrat, "the radically liberal mayor of Washington, D.C." and said she "ought to be ashamed for even suggesting" revisions to the marble monuments dedicated to presidents who were enslavers. "President Donald J. Trump believes these places should be preserved, not torn down; respected, not hated; and passed on for generations to come."

Amid equally outraged responses from Republicans in Congress - some of which misstated the report's intentions by claiming the city wanted to tear down federal monuments, rather than "contextualize" them - the 24-page report posted on the District government website shrank to 23 pages. The page listing eight federal sites that the committee identified as needing additional context was missing (though it was still viewable on an earlier PDF as of 10:30 p.m.).

"Mayor Bowser has asked the [committee] to clarify and refine their recommendations to focus on local DC," mayoral spokeswoman LaToya Foster said in an email, when asked why the page had been removed. She said Bowser wanted to avoid confusion over the working group's proposal for the federal monuments, which was "contextualizing, not removing."

The turmoil was the latest chapter in a national debate over how to understand America's history and pay homage to its founders while also acknowledging their contributions to racist practices and institutions. The committee termed 153 out of 1,330 individuals who have something named after them in the capital city "persons of concern" but did not recommend that all their names be removed. The report calls for the renaming of playgrounds, parks and 21 public schools.

Travis Timmerman, a Seton Hall University philosopher who has researched monument removals, said addressing the scores of places cited by the committee would put the District far beyond most U.S. cities, which have mostly focused on whether to remove public honorifics for Confederate icons.

"They're going after historical figures that by and large have gotten a pass previously for their moral transgressions," Timmerman said, noting that the appropriateness of a monument changes over time.

"Thomas Jefferson, for instance, was a vicious slaveholder," Timmerman said. "But most people think of him as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.... If that's what people think of Jefferson, then it's not necessarily harmful to have a school named after him. If people become more aware of his moral shortcomings, and that's what they think of when they see Jefferson's statue or a school named after him, well, then it becomes harmful."

District Council members, who would have to vote in order for schools and other buildings to be renamed, reacted to the report with both praise and trepidation.

"I never really thought about Stoddert or Key Elementary as an issue. They were just schools, and that's their name," said Mary Cheh, a Democrat, referring to schools on the committee's list that are named for early Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert and for Francis Scott Key, the writer of the national anthem. "African American women, civil rights leaders - people ought to know about others. This gives us an opportunity to honor them."

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a Democrat, said he felt the report had been rushed and did not provide enough historical context. "I totally get why someone like John Tyler, even though he's a former president, is someone we don't want a school named after. But I don't get why Benjamin Franklin is someone we don't want anything named after. I think we need to see the detail," he said.

The committee chairs - Bowser adviser Beverly Perry and public library director Richard Reyes-Gavilan - said a full report fully detailing the committee's rationale will be published online in the future.

Bowser, a Democrat, convened the committee after large-scale Black Lives Matter protests began in the District following the death of George Floyd in late May.

The committee said in its report that it considered whether the honorees owned enslaved people or supported the institution of slavery, whether they created laws and policies that disadvantaged women and minorities, whether they belonged to "any supremacist organization," and whether they discriminated against marginalized groups in a way that would violate District law.

The committee termed 153 out of 1,330 individuals who have something named after them in the capital city "persons of concern," but did not recommend that all their names should be removed.

Along with public housing complexes, parks and playgrounds, the committee recommends renaming 21 public schools - from Eliot-Hine Middle School, named for former Harvard University president and advocate of racist ideas Charles William Eliot; to Brookland Middle School, named for District landowner and Andrew Jackson administration official Jehiel Brooks.

Others whose names the committee would remove include presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.

"With Alexander Graham Bell, there was talk about his involvement with eugenics as something that was very, very serious," Reyes-Gavilan said in an interview, explaining why the inventor was on the list.

Perry cited founding father Franklin's history as a slaveowner and a racist line from his writing in 1751: "Why increase the sons of Africa, by planting them in America, where we have so fair an opportunity, by excluding all blacks and tawnys, of increasing the lovely white and red?"

Council member Kenyan McDuffie, a Democrat, who proposed a renaming commission last year, said, "We can't simply accept the positive things, we've got to talk about and accept all their contributions, including some that were deeply offensive."

"Let's acknowledge Woodrow Wilson, the school I graduated from, was helpful in establishing the United Nations, but he also segregated the federal government and showed 'Birth of a Nation' on the White House lawn," McDuffie said. Changes are needed, he continued, "so young people of color can go to different parts of the city and see images that look like them. We don't have to simply be resigned to a city that has a statue of White male military heroes almost every couple of blocks."

Zachary Bray, a University of Kentucky law professor who has researched monument removal, said doing so was much more common before the past half-century. "I am very comfortable with and supportive of reconsidering monuments. That's in keeping with an old tradition in this country that we ought to get back to," he said.

The process of deciding which names to change would vary based on the type of government property. To rename a school, for example, the school system generally hosts a "public engagement process" and then makes a recommendation to the mayor, which the D.C. Council must approve. The council can act independently to rename a government building or a street.

The report recommends that Bowser ask the federal government to either remove or add historical context - likely in the form of a plaque - to eight U.S. monuments, including the fountain honoring Christopher Columbus outside Union Station and the Washington Monument, named for enslaver and first president George Washington.

Left unmentioned is the fact that the city of Washington, District of Columbia, is itself named for both of those men.
Each year, over 180 million tons of dust are swept up from the Sahara Desert, blown across the western edge of Africa, wisped across the Atlantic Ocean, and deposited throughout the Americas. These are called dust plumes, and they carry more than just sand.

In fact, dust plumes play a crucial role in the long-range transport of microorganisms. A team led by Virginia Tech researchers in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands received a $1.1 million grant from NASA to study microbial diversity in dust plumes and the physics behind the transport of dust and microbes along superhighways in the sky.

"One of the less understood aspects of dust is that these particles could be a vehicle for microbes -- viruses, bacteria, fungi that can come across the Atlantic, as if hitchhiking on these dust particles," said Hosein Foroutan, the principal investigator on the grant and assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering.

Foroutan and his collaborators will take a transdisciplinary approach to study the microbial biodiversity in dust plumes by analyzing collected samples, investigating satellite data, and creating transport models. Ultimately, this research will inform experts about which microbes are being transported to the Americas and what that could mean for the health of plants, domestic animals, and people.

To do this, the team is operating on an intercontinental scale. They will analyze dust samples collected from various sites between the United States and Africa, including the middle of the Atlantic. Sampling at various locations on the "dust superhighway" will allow the team to study differences in microbial biodiversity. Using DNA sequencing, culturing, and other microbiological techniques, the team will be able to determine the types, concentrations, and viability of microbes in the dust samples.

"Little is known about the diversity and viability of microbes traveling on African dust. Could devastating plant and animal pathogens be riding on African dust? If so, we would like to know where they are going and when they might arrive there," said David Schmale, professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As a collaborator, Schmale will work to identify microorganisms in dust samples.

But microorganisms are especially sensitive to the environment -- temperature, altitude, precipitation, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation can all affect the survival of microbes. Coupled with atmospheric and satellite data, the researchers will be able to use microbial diversity data to peer into the life of microorganisms traveling in dust plumes from one continent to another.

"We're lucky we can associate microbes with dust, which we can detect using satellites because we have no way of continuously detecting these airborne microorganisms on this scale. You're talking about a huge scale -- a couple thousand kilometers apart -- and up to five to six kilometers above the surface," said Foroutan, who is also an affiliated faculty member of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech.

Research on the microbial diversity in dust plumes can help scientists understand what kind of microbes may be blown in from overseas and how to prepare for that. Since species in the Americas have not evolved to deal with microbes native to other parts of the world, an invasive microorganism can pose a significant threat to plants, animals, or people.

"Pathogens are not respecters of international boundaries. One of my main motivations is to help farmers and others manage the risk that dust-borne microorganisms may pose. With better tracking and prediction tools, stakeholders can make informed choices about precautions they can take to halt the spread of disease and ensure a secure food supply for all of us," said Shane Ross, a collaborator on this grant and a professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. Ross studies transport using observational and simulation data and will be applying his expertise to analyze dust transport.

Due to the scale and complexity of this study, Foroutan said "no one can tackle this problem by themselves" and that interdisciplinary collaboration is key. Other investigators include Dale Griffin from the U.S. Geological Survey and Cristina Gonzalez Martin from the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands, who helped collect dust samples to analyze for this project.

As the project progresses in the future, the team hopes to put out an open call for international collaborators to contribute their samples for a more global analysis of this phenomenon.

###
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amynta Group, a leading insurance services provider of property & casualty and warranty protection products and services, has acquired a workers compensation book of business from Houston International Insurance Group (HIIG). This acquisition broadens Amynta's workers compensation practice and geographic presence in the southwest.

As part of the transaction, Amynta has partnered with Clear Spring Property and Casualty Company to provide underwriting capacity for the business. The business will be conducted through Southwest Risk Agency Services, Amynta's specialty lines insurance broker and binding authority underwriting facility built to serve the needs of independent agents for medium to small commercial accounts. Sharen Perkins, VP Specialty Workers Compensation Division at HIIG, will lead the transition of the business and join Southwest Risk Agency Services.

"We are excited to expand our relationship with Clear Spring as we grow our workers compensation business. This is an innovative addition to our product portfolio as we expand Southwest Risk Agency Services offerings for our independent agents," said Parker Rush, Managing Director at Amynta Group.

"We are excited to partner with Amynta on this business and look forward to building upon our strategic relationship with Amynta in the future," said Mike Camilleri, CEO of Clear Spring Insurance.

About Amynta

Amynta Group is a premier insurance services company with more than $3.5 billion in managed premium and 2,000 associates across North America, Europe, and Australia. An independent, customer-centered and underwriting-focused company, Amynta serves leading carriers, wholesalers, retail agencies, auto dealers, OEMs, and consumer product retailers with innovative insurance and warranty protection solutions. Amynta operates through three segments: Managing General Agencies; Warranty, including automotive, consumer and specialty equipment; and Specialty Risk Services. For more information, please visit amyntagroup.com.

About Clear Spring Property and Casualty Company

Clear Spring Property and Casualty Company is a subsidiary of Delaware Life Insurance Company, rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best and part of US-based insurance holding company Group1001. Together with these organizations, Clear Spring has yielded an innovative technology platform that provides smarter risk management solutions for property and casualty insurance brokers. Dedicated to making insurance more useful, intuitive and accessible for everyone. Clear Spring currently offers coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about Clear Spring, please visit clearspringinsurance.com.

Amynta Media Contact:

Brenna Tetley

Phone: +1.646.887.9498

Email: [email protected]

Mergers & Acquisitions Contact:

Chris Ezbiansky

Phone: 646.887.9495

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE The Amynta Group

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Among all the social media accounts of Hollywood stars, it is Robert Downey Jr.'s Instagram that is the most heartwarming. After all, it shows one of the most enviable love stories out there.

If it was not because of Susan Downey, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans would never see RDJ as the greatest Iron Man star ever.

RDJ and Susan's love story is not the typical tale a celebrity can tell the public, as what they went through was not smooth-sailing at all.

Before the 55-year-old actor started playing the notable MCU role, he was notoriously famous for his active drug and alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, it worsened over time.

In fact, the Marvel star experienced one of the most disturbing incidents when he was under the influence of drugs. Apparently, RDJ wandered into a neighbor's house and passed out on the bed.

In 1999, he was given a three-year prison sentence. However, he only served for a year in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran.

After he met his current wife, Susan Downey, in 2003, he quit drugs for good. It helped that Susan gave him an ultimatum.

Since then, Susan has been known as the miracle that recreated RDJ.

In return, the actor continues to shower her with love -- which is proven in Instagram.

RDJ's Heartfelt Mother's Day Message for Wife

During this year's Mother's Day, the "Avengers: Endgame" star celebrated the special day of the woman who turned his world upside down.

In the photo he posted both on Instagram and Twitter, he captioned: "This Mother's Day, more than ever, let's honor the women that raise the children that inherit the Earth #happymothersday."

Susan truly completed RDJ's dream to become a father after giving birth to their first child, Exton Elias Downey, in 2012 and daughter, Avri Roel Downey in 2014.

RDJ's Superhero Is Susan

In 2018, RDJ shared a photo of him kissing his wife to mark her birthday. He then called Mrs. Downey his "fearless leader" and "superbuddy" on his post, telling everyone that the world's Iron Man has his own superhero, too.

Aside from celebrating her special day online, RDJ has never failed to hold a party or special dinner for her during her birthdays.

For instance, he once threw a star-studded party for his wife when she turned 40 in 2013.

Susan Will Always Be RDJ's Only Date

While some celebrities walked into events together with their co-star, RDJ changed that and brought her wife instead.

On April 12, RDJ and Susan led the Team Iron Man during the premiere of Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Susan, although she was not part of the cast, played the biggest role by being RDJ's date!

Perfect 10

In August 2005, the couple said "I dos" after two years of being engaged.

Ten years later, RDJ recalled the first time his wife walked down the aisle. He also called her Mrs. Downey on the post he solely dedicated to tell the world that they reached the 10-year mark as a married couple.

A perfect 10, indeed.

Hilarious Birthday Message

RDJ is not just all about the sweet stuff.

In another post during Susan's birthday, he shared a photo of his wife doing that "Wonder Woman" pose with his portrait as the backdrop.

He wrote, "It takes a confident woman to partner up with a big head fella," he unleased his playful side before swooning everyone's hearts again with the words, "Susan Downey, I'm grateful you were born."

Indeed, Robert Downey Jr.'s Instagram can easily tell how much he loves Susan. Our generation is fortunate to have RDJ in the MCU.

READ MORE: Robert Downey, Jr. Movies: 5 Non-Marvel RDJ Films You Must Binge-Watch Now!
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas isn't calling for the Kansas City Police Department to be defunded, or for the firing of its police chief. What he is asking for is a series of changes to department policy that would, among other things, require officers to intervene when they come across other officers using excessive force.
The U.S. can't put covid-19 behind it.

New case counts are declining in some recent hot spots. But they're spiking in places like Iowa and South Dakota, signaling what may be a new phase in the country's virus fight as progress in one state is repeatedly offset by infections in others, with little improvement overall.

Politics plays a role, as do events like college reopenings and the Sturgis motorcycle rally. But it's also a sign of fatigue, the frustration and exhaustion Americans feel after months of masks and hand sanitizer, social isolation, shuttered businesses and closed beaches. People are putting their guard down, experts agree, leaving room for the virus to continue spreading as the country seeks to reopen the economy.

"It's going to be kind of this rolling fire, with certain flare-ups that occur in different parts of the country at different times," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. "This is a virus that's established itself into the population."

Overall, U.S. cases this week surpassed 6 million. In the Midwest, positivity rates have reached alarming levels.

In Iowa, for instance, 10.3% of cases came back positive on Monday, slightly below the 14-day average of 11.1%, according to state data. Overall, the state, which currently has no state-wide mask mandate, has recorded 65,478 cases, with new cases rising 50% in the last two weeks.

Iowa State University, in Ames, reported Monday that 28.8% of the students, faculty and staff tested in the most recent week had the virus, although school officials have focused their testing on people showing symptoms or those who have been exposed to someone with the virus. The University of Iowa has reported 922 cases within its campus population.

In Ohio, covid-19 first started as an urban scourge in the cities of Cleveland and Columbus. But the spread is now making waves in rural regions spurred by social gatherings and the return to school, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday during a news conference in Cedarville.

"The virus is not going away," DeWine, a Republican, said. "We think a significant part of this is caused by our colleges going back as well as our grade schools going back."

Colleges experiencing outbreaks didn't necessarily reopen too soon, according to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The problem, he said in an interview Tuesday, was that the schools did not have "the capability of dealing with students who got infected."

Schools should have tested students before they returned and planned "intermittent surveillance" to watch for rising cases, as well as creating a way to isolate students when they "inevitably" get infected, he said.

On Tuesday, Ohio reported 1,453 cases-the most in more than a month-and the state isn't seeing signs of th virus relenting. Despite mask mandates, a rule closing bars at 10 p.m., and myriad other health orders, the state's 21-day average of new cases sits around 1,000.

Per-capita, nine of the top-10 counties for increasing cases are rural, DeWine said. A car-pool trip to a lake led to two businesses closing from an outbreak. A card-game resulted in all family members present contracting the virus, he said.

Social gatherings like this are creating "a real movement into our rural areas," DeWine said.

Illinois, too, has seen a resurgence of the virus over the last two months, reversing the progress that had lowered counts in May and June. On Aug. 22, statewide daily cases hit the highest since May, and on Tuesday the death count reached the most since June 26.

"We do not want to be part, here in Chicago, of this surge that we're seeing broadly across the Midwest," Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said Tuesday.

She noted Iowa, which ranks first in per capita cases, is among the states on the city's quarantine list and Indiana may be added next week given clusters developing in college towns.

"It is not the time to relax your guard," she said.

But that seems to be happening in Chicago and across Illinois with more cases developing when people at weddings, reunions and other gatherings are not wearing masks, watching their distance or washing hands.

Outbreaks are going to continue to crop up because many states still don't have the ability to do widespread testing, tracing and isolating, Johns Hopkins's Adalja said.

"Until they have that capacity, they're going to always run the risk of these chains of transmission getting started," he said. "Until we get to the point of being able to do the simple public-health measures in all 50 states, we're going to have this risk occurring and I do think we will periodically have these flares that occur in different states at different times."

Even within states, public health officials have struggled to make consistent progress across all of their cities and counties.

California, for instance, managed to stifle outbreaks in the urban San Francisco and Los Angeles areas only to see cases spike in the rural Central Valley.

Mark Ghaly, secretary of the state Health and Human Services agency, said the outbreak appeared to have been driven in part by the valley's big farms, which employ large numbers of migrant workers. Those workers, mostly Spanish speakers, weren't hearing the state's messages about wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, Ghaly said.

While California is now pouring resources into tamping down the valley outbreak, Ghaly said more may follow, even as the state's overall virus numbers improve. The number of Californians hospitalized with Covid-19 has now dropped below 4,000, after peaking above 7,000 in July.

"We are continuing to learn how to address this broad geography," Ghaly said. "I'm sure we'll have some counties that experience increased transmission in the months to come. We feel we're better prepared than we were in the summer and certainly in the spring."
On Wednesday, a meeting of the brigade commander of the Indian Army with his Chinese counterpart is scheduled to be held at 10 am in Chushul/Moldo to discuss issues related to the situation on the southern bank of Pangong lake.

A meeting of the brigade commander of the Indian Army with his Chinese counterpart is currently underway in Chushul/Moldo to discuss issues related to the situation on the southern bank of Pangong lake, Indian Army sources said. The meeting began at around 10 am.

This comes after the Indian Army thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday, brigade commander level talks were held as well.

Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement on Monday said that on the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

Also read: India and China should take concrete measures to safeguard peace in LAC: Beijing

Also read: Thailand delays purchasing Chinese submarines after public backlash

Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar in Eastern Ladakh, sources said.

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.

Also read: Australian television anchor for Chinas state run media CGTN detained in Beijing
The swearing in of new citizens often makes news in the U.S., especially if it happens in unusual circumstances such as one partys national convention. Much less reported are the many citizenship renunciations by Americans, and the travails leading up to these life decisions. Almost all those giving up their U.S. nationality are expats. And for each renouncer going through the ordeal, there are countless others thinking about it. Why?

One recent press release in particular has caused quite a stir. It suggested that, after a steep decline in recent years, renunciations in the first half of this year soared to 5,816, more than twice as many as gave up their passport in all of 2019. The implication, as reported breathlessly in the American media, was that expats, already fed up with President Donald Trump, finally despaired over his mishandling of COVID-19 and quit. Other factors were cited as merely secondary.

But these renunciation numbers are notoriously flawed. Theyre based on a list of names of renouncers published every quarter by the Internal Revenue Service  experts call this a form of doxxing. That list lags in time and jumbles data. In reality, most embassies and consulates stopped making renunciation appointments this spring, owing to the pandemic. And the dip in prior years, according to experts, was due to backlogs and underreporting.

By the best estimates, renunciations have been rising since 2010, when the Obama administration passed the notorious Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), inflicting misery on U.S. expats everywhere. In 2014, the government raised the renunciation fee from $450 to $2,350. Undeterred, expats kept at it. The American bureaucracy then indirectly slowed the pace with red tape in the first three Trump years. But were back on trend in 2020.

Now, it may be true that most expats arent crazy about Trump.

But thats clearly not the reason why so many expats have been trying to drop their nationality for the past decade. Instead, its the nightmare of American tax and financial reporting, in which any accounts or assets deemed in Washington, D.C. to be foreign are automatically suspect, requiring extra disclosures that can be ruinous in time, expense and peace of mind.

The U.S. is almost unique in the world in taxing based on citizenship rather than residency. Its also uniquely parochial in being unable or unwilling to distinguish between, say, a rich American living stateside and stashing money offshore and, for example, a middle-class American married to a German and teaching elementary school in Berlin.

Before 2010 Americas citizen-based taxation didnt necessarily disrupt the lives of expats like this school teacher. Thats because few expats even knew about the horrendously complex reporting rules or bothered with them. But FATCA required them to make new and redundant disclosures or face the prospect of tens of thousands of dollars in fines or even prison. It also required their foreign banks, brokers and insurers to report on them to the IRS, or face draconian sanctions.

Unsurprisingly, many foreign banks and brokers therefore stopped taking U.S. persons or green-card holders as customers. So American expats have increasingly been locked out of retail finance in their host countries.

Worse, the European Union then started passing laws with bureaucratically sublime names such as MiFID II and PRIIPs that imposed new rules on everything from mutual funds to life insurance. This scared the U.S. banks and brokers of American expats living in Europe, so they also started kicking out their customers with foreign addresses. Many Americans overseas are financially marooned.

In their desperation, several have been taking their struggle to the courts. Fabien Lehagre, a French citizen who is also an accidental American because he was born in California, wants to invoke the EUs data-privacy laws to have FATCA declared illegal in Europe. A U.S.-British dual citizen calling herself Jenny is trying to crowdfund a legal odyssey to do something similar in the U.K. Another challenge is underway in Canada. Occasionally, there are even small victories.

But on the whole, Americans abroad feel ostracized by their own country. Like their fellow citizens back home, theyre caught up in the tribal clash between Republicans and Democrats. But when it comes to acknowledging the hardship of expats, the Democrats have mostly refused to listen. The GOP has since 2016 called for the abolition of FATCA and citizenship-based taxation in its platform. But the few Republicans whove tried to effect change have so far failed.

If the estimated 9 million Americans living abroad were recognized as a political geography, they would rank ahead of 40 states by population. Their ill treatment by the U.S. tax and compliance regime would be headline news, and probably solved in a bipartisan tweak of common sense. But theyre not a bloc. Like much about American democracy, this discrimination seems unfair. And yet, these millions of voices must be heard.

Kluth is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been together since we were 16, married for 25 years. Her parents took me in as a teenager, and her family has been my family ever since.

I'm the kind of person who loves everyone equally. I will bend over backward for someone in need and have done so for my wife's family many times.

Over the last few years, my wife's brother, nephew and niece have turned against me. They've called me controlling, hateful and racist. I am none of those. I am, though, a law enforcement officer and a Christian. My wife's brother is a convicted felon, and her niece went to one of those anti-everything colleges.

This has created a rift in the family and caused my wife and me to feel hated and isolated, which has ruined family gatherings and holidays. How can I fix this? What can I do to help them see me for who I am, instead of their biases based on my religion and occupation?

 Really not like that

DEAR REALLY NOT: There is nothing you can or should do to erase their biases. From your description, you have done enough good deeds for your in-laws to have shown them the kind of person you are.

You have mentioned only your brother-in-law the felon and his radicalized daughter. Where does the rest of the family stand on this? If they are joining in and allowing you to be isolated, quit trying to impress them. Instead, spend your time with people who like, understand and accept you for you are and don't look back. Your brother-in-law and his kids will come looking for you as soon as they need something else from you, but when they do, I sincerely hope you'll resist the temptation to buy your way back in.

DEAR ABBY: I work closely with a woman who is 21 years younger than I. We are both single. Because of our age difference and professional relationship I am not looking to date her. However, over the last couple years I have developed romantic feelings for her.

I converse with her by asking questions about movies she likes, books she reads or what she did the previous weekend. Her answers are usually short and without elaboration. I even share with her things that I do in my life, but never once in the five years I have known her, has she ever initiated a conversation with me or asked me about my life. She acts differently with other male co-workers. She does things for them, smiles at them and seems genuinely interested in their conversation. It really stings every time I see her socialize with others and ignore me. What can I do to get out of this psychological rut I am in?

 Stuck in Illinois

DEAR STUCK: Your co-worker may have picked up on the fact that you are attracted to her and it is not reciprocated, which is why she keeps your relationship strictly formal and work-related. I am sure this stings, and for that you have my sympathy.

You now must do what everyone else in your situation does, which is concentrate on meeting women who are available. You are not going to find what you're looking for in your workplace. What's going on is not healthy for you or conducive to a productive work environment. If you can't quell that crush on her, you may have to change jobs so you won't have to work so closely with her -- or at all.
A strong recommendation for steroids  systemic steroids. That means steroids, either oral steroids or through the IV, in patients with severe and critical Covid. So thats the first recommendation. And the reason we made this recommendation was because the evidence shows that if you give corticosteroids you will have  and Im going through different numbers  so 87 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients. So thats something that clinicians who are caring for patients with Covid should do for those are the sickest who are taking in oxygen, either through a ventilator or through a mask. Thats right? Yeah, and we have  They should be taking corticosteroids.  and in the guideline its very clear how were defining the severe disease and the critical disease in both of those subgroups, both of those groups of patients. And these are generally patients who would be hospitalized. These are under the medical care of physicians. Yeah so, I want to be clear because the second recommendation is very important as well. This was a conditional recommendation not to use corticosteroids  so against the use of corticosteroids  in patients with non-severe Covid. So that means the patients that have mild, you know they may have symptoms, and then maybe those symptoms are bothersome, you know not to discount symptoms you know symptoms of mild disease because those can be very bothersome, but they dont have physiological signs. And Im going to say that in a scientific way, physiological signs of an inflammatory response thats leading to respiratory distress.
By Elvira Pollina and Toby Sterling

MILAN/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Vivendi <VIV.PA> has won an appeal in an Amsterdam court against a plan by Italy's top commercial broadcaster Mediaset to fold its domestic and Spanish businesses into a Dutch holding company, a court document showed on Tuesday.

Mediaset <MS.MI>, controlled by the family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, wanted to use MediaforEurope to establish tie-ups in Europe to tackle competition from streaming services such as Netflix <NFLX.O>

But Vivendi, Mediaset's second largest shareholder, opposed the project in courts across Europe, saying the governance structure of the new entity, including a loyalty share scheme, would give the Berlusconis too much power.

Tuesday's decision is another blow to Mediaset's project after a Madrid court confirmed a suspension of the planned corporate overhaul in July.

Vivendi, led by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, is "very pleased" with the decision which it believed to be "in the interest of all of Mediaset's shareholders", a spokesman said.

Mediaset declined to comment.

Last month, following the Madrid court decision, the Italian broadcaster decided to withdraw its merger plan, saying its strategy remained valid and that would stick to its ambitions through "new ways".

The row between Mediaset and Vivendi started after the French media group pulled out of a deal to buy Mediaset's pay-TV business in 2016, instead building up a 29% stake in Mediaset which the Italian group considered hostile.

A legal case has been ongoing since, while attempts to clinch a wider settlement have so far proved unsuccessful.

Vivendi wrote to Mediaset after last month's court ruling saying it was ready to support the Italian broadcaster in its cross-border growth strategy, provided it included a governance structure to protect minority shareholders.

Mediaset said it was available to discuss a possible deal with Vivendi, but it would not forego compensation.

(Editing by Alexander Smith)
Photo: University of British Columbia Vancouver ASL interpreter Nigel Howard will teach UBC's first accredited sign language course.

Enthusiastic and expressional, Nigel Howard has risen in the ranks of public esteem since he first interpreted Dr. Bonnie Henrys live, televised provincial COVID-19 briefings.

The Vancouver resident has communicated the complicated details around the pandemic to B.C.'s Deaf community. He's done so with an unmatched gusto thats seen a Facebook fan page pop up in his honour.

As a United Nations Deaf interpreter, teacher, and treasurer for the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Howard is about to add another accolade to his growing list of accomplishments.

In September, he will instruct the University of British Columbias first accredited American Sign Language (ASL) course that students can take for credit towards their degrees.

Howard has taught a pilot course 'Topics in Linguistics to UBCs extended learning students since 2018, but no ASL course has been made available to the rest of the student body.

Howard thinks the introduction of two ASL courses has a huge potential for impact. Specifically, he believes it could work to erase preconceptions society has about people who are deaf.

A common misconception was that being deaf was an audiological or medical experience, rather than a cultural one, Howard elaborated.

Imagine the scenario where a doctor tells parents their child has 'failed' a hearing test, a negative connotation that can affect the parent-child relationship. We need to shift the lens  your child is healthy and deaf.

UBC students in the medical and educational fields could benefit from a better understanding of Deaf culture, Howard said. Ultimately, it could lead to changes in how people who are deaf are portrayed in media and society.

Were offering language, not a disability, Howard emphasized.

As of now, the classes are capped at 30 students  but with more interest from students, the number of ASL classes offered could grow to include higher-level courses, added UBC linguistics professor Strang Burton.
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A war of words has ensued between steel companies and commercial iron ore miners, just a day before the deadline for feedback on a proposed amendment in the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act.

The amendment could possibly lead to the miners losing control of over 500 iron ore mines, which will then be auctioned. The last day for feedback is September 3.

Both the sides have for the last few days traded charges. "While on the one hand these miners generate up to 80 percent margins, state government get nominal revenue from them. The amendment will ensure that the governments auction the mines, helping them generate high revenues," said a senior official from a private steelmaker.

On the other hand, a senior official from the mining sector said miners have already spent money on acquiring rights for these mines. "They have done so according to the law. Now why should their rights be taken away?" he asked.

The conflict underlines the importance of mines as steel companies, especially JSW Steel and AM/NS - formerly Essar Steel - look to ensure self-sufficiency in the critical raw material used in steelmaking. The miners though want to make the most of their ownership, as prices for the raw material has inched up in recent months. India is the second-largest steelmaker in the world.

The clauses and the conflict

The proposed amendment is on clauses 10A2(b) and 10 A2(c) of the MMDR Act, 1957.

The first clause allowed an entity to acquire a mining lease and own it without a sunset clause. The second clause, 10A2 (c), allowed the lease owner to get the environment and forest clearances within two years, thus expediting the development of the mines.

A government notice on May 16, inviting suggestions, cites Section 7 of MMDR Act that provides for a maximum five years for completing the prospecting operations, a process that is done before clearances are given. That five year-period got over on January 12, 2020.

But with many of these mines under litigation, these can't be auctioned by the states. The amendment, which will lead to the removal of the clauses, will get the mines on the auction table, something that the steelmakers are pushing for.

Indian Steel Association Secretary-General Bhaskar Chatterjee, while advocating for the amendment said this will generate up to $250 billion in revenues.

The miners though have another take on the issue. "It is not that the miners have not applied for the permissions. But the states have been slow in giving the approvals," RS Sharma, Secretary-General, Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, told Moneycontrol.

Steelmakers don't agree to that. "The miners have internationally gone slow, to limit the supply of iron ore in the market and keep prices high," said a senior executive, on conditions of anonymity.

Miners contend this. An official from a mining company said that iron ore has been piling up in Odisha and Jharkhand. "Steelmakers are not buying from us, and nor are we being allowed to export," he said. The steel industry official quoted above, disagreed, saying, "These iron ore are of low grade, which we don't use."

Even as the debate goes on, eyes are now on the government.

If the amendments go through, the mines will be put to auction. If the recent auctions are any sign, the competition will continue to be high for the new leases too. JSW Steel, which has been the most aggressive bidder, won some of the leases at 110 percent premium.

"It is clear that the smaller miners won't be able to match these kinds of bids," said an industry official.
Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield, pictured in 2015, said furloughs and buyouts will be "terrible" for the city. But he's leaning toward approving them. (Los Angeles Times)

Two months ago, the Los Angeles City Council hatched a plan for weathering its latest financial crisis: Give thousands of city employees up to $80,000 to retire, and hope the savings would be enough to avoid pay cuts for other city workers.

Now, with the budget outlook still grim, and interest in employee buyouts falling shy of initial hopes, the city's elected leaders have decided to pursue both strategies: paying workers to leave their jobs, while reducing salaries 10% for many who remain.

The council is scheduled to vote Wednesday to give buyouts to an estimated 1,277 employees and clear the way for more than 15,000 workers to begin furloughs, or one unpaid day off every two weeks.

To carry out the furloughs, the council must approve a declaration of fiscal emergency establishing that the city has sustained a major hit to its sales taxes, hotel taxes and other revenue. That type of declaration is L.A.'s first since 2012, when the city was clawing its way out of the last recession.

The city's negotiating committee, made up of Mayor Eric Garcetti and four council members, recommended the cost-cutting measures last week. Councilman Paul Krekorian, who sits on that panel, said the emergency declaration will allow the city to act immediately on "urgently necessary" reductions, including furloughs.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield is also leaning toward approving the cuts. Both furloughs and buyouts will be "terrible" for the city, he said, pushing out experienced workers and making it more difficult to provide services to the public.

But we cant spend money we dont have," he said. "We have to figure out how to maintain our city and our finances during these horrible, dark times."

The furloughs, which are scheduled to go into effect Oct. 11, won't apply to police officers, firefighters, nurses, sanitation workers, librarians or employees at the Department of Building and Safety, which processes permits for new construction projects. Even with those workers excluded, furloughs are expected to save more than $100 million between October and June.

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Josh Geller, president of the Los Angeles City Attorneys Assn., said the city lacks the legal authority to unilaterally impose a reduction in pay and hours for his union's roughly 500 members. Such changes in pay must be negotiated, he said.

"We're in a closed contract that does not allow for furloughs," said Geller, whose union sued the city over furloughs a decade ago and ultimately reached a settlement.

Bob Schoonover, president of Service Employees International Union Local 721, called the furloughs "illegal" under existing salary agreements and irresponsible in the middle of a pandemic. "The last thing L.A. city needs is more working families struggling to keep a roof over their heads or food on their table," he said.

Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said the crisis created by COVID-19 has simultaneously increased the city's costs and reduced the taxes needed to pay for public services. As a result, he said, the city is facing its worst year since the depths of the 2008 financial crisis.

"The mayor will continue working with labor to find alternative cost savings, but furloughs may be necessary to balance the budget given COVID-related revenue loss," Comisar said.

Geller and Schoonover have argued that the city would see significant savings from buyouts and say they want to negotiate a better alternative. City budget analysts, on the other hand, contend that the buyout program has fallen well short of its initial promise.

When council members backed the buyout initiative in June, they had hoped that as many as 2,850 employees  roughly 8% of the workforce  would take part, producing around $56 million in savings in the program's first year. Instead, only 1,277 workers applied, below the minimum number set by the council for moving forward.

Krekorian, who heads the council's budget committee, said the city's financial analysts now believe the buyouts will save just $13 million this fiscal year. He still favors the initiative, calling it "one small step of many" for cutting costs.

Meanwhile, critics have warned that the buyouts could pose additional financial risk, since they come with a delayed balloon payment.

Under the city's plan, retiring workers would receive $10,000 this budget year to leave, followed by another, much larger payment  as much as $70,000  in 2021-22.

If the city's finances get worse, those payments could become a significant burden.
The death has occurred of Ben (Bernard) DALTON

Dublin Road, Naas, Kildare / Ballymurphy, Carlow

Late of Larchfield Park Nursing Home, Naas and the Dublin Road, Naas. Formerly of Headfield, Ballymurphy, Borris, Co. Carlow. Predeceased by his parents, brothers and sister. Sadly missed by his nephews and nieces, his good friend Donie, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

"May He Rest In Peace"

In accordance with government directives and in the interest of public health a private family funeral will take place. Those who would like to attend the funeral but cannot due to the current restrictions on gatherings are invited to leave a message on the condolence page below.



The death has occurred of Teresa Heffernan (nee Farrell)

New Road, Allenwood North, Allenwood, Kildare

Peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Sadly missed by her loving husband Tom, daughters Bridget, Denise and Linda, sons John, Thomas, Patrick, Jim and David, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.

May Teresa Rest In Peace

In line with Government advice regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place. Removal on Thursday morning to arrive at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Allenwood for Requiem Mass at 11 o'clock. Burial afterwards in Allen Cemetery. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below. Livestream of Teresa's Funeral Mass can be viewed on the Allen Parish Facebook page.

Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to "St Brigids Hospice, The Curragh."



The death has occurred of Geraldine Harrison McKeown (nee Mc Keown)

Old Grange Wood, Monasterevin, Kildare

Beloved partner of Willie and much loved mother of Aishling, Dylan, Breffney and Debbie. Deeply regretted by her loving family, her mother Eileen and father Michael, son in law Brendan, grandchildren, brothers, sister, nephews, extended family, relatives and friends.

May She Rest In Peace

A private family funeral will take place, due to current government guidelines. Removal from her home on Wednesday at 10.15am to arrive for 11am requiem Mass in St Peter and Paul's Church, Monasterevin, followed by cremation in Newlands Cross Crematorium. The requiem Mass can be viewed on http://monasterevinparish.ie/ webcam. Please feel free to use the condolence book below or send messages by the traditional manner.



The death has occurred of Micheal Johnson

Straffan Station, Ardclough, Kildare

Johnson, Micheal, Straffan Station, Ardclough, Co. Kildare, August 29th 2020, peacefully at St. Brigid's Hospice, The Curragh, beloved husband of the late Pauline, deeply regretted by his loving sisters Breda, Eleonore, Phil, Bernie, Marguerite, Noelle, Patricia & Katrina, brother Tom, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunt Mary, nieces, nephews, relatives & friends.

Rest in Peace

Due to current Government restrictions regarding Covid 19 those wishing to send their condolences to Micheal's family may do so via the condolence section of RIP.ie. Those wishing to view Micheal's Funeral service via a live streaming feed may do so at https://youtu.be/wf_WK0i8IdA at 11am on Wednesday, 2nd September.

Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to http://friendsofstbrigidshospice.ie/donate/



The death has occurred of John Kenny

Pluckerstown, Kilmeague, Kildare / Coill Dubh, Kildare

Kenny, John, Pluckerstown, Kilmeague & late of Cooleragh, Coill Dubh, Co. Kildare, August 29th 2020, suddenly, beloved father of the late Paul, deeply regretted by his loving wife Carmel, daughters Lisa & Nova, son Joe, sons-in-law Shane & Clint, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Rest In Peace

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a Private Funeral will take place. Those who would like to join the Private Funeral Service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://mcnmedia.tv/camera/christ-the-king-church-cooleragh on Wednesday at 2pm. Those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book below.

The death has occurred of Deirdre (Dee) McCANN

Pairc Mhuire, Newbridge, Kildare

McCANN Deirdre (Dee) Pairc Mhuire, Newbridge, Co. Kildare - 30th August 2020 (peacefully) in Naas Hospital. Sadly missed by her loving son Shane, sister Nuala, brother Richard, sister-in-law, nephews, grand-nephews, grand-niece, extended family, relatives and friends.

May Dee Rest in Peace

Funeral Arrangements Later

The death has occurred of Eileen MCSHANE (nee Dixon)

Walkinstown, Dublin / Skerries, Dublin / Robertstown, Kildare

McShane (nee Dixon) (Robertstown, Co. Kildare and formerly of Walkinstown and Skerries, Co. Dublin)  Aug 30, 2020, (peacefully), after a long illness, surrounded by her loving family, at Tallaght University Hospital, Eileen, beloved wife of Joe and dear mother of Tommy, Elizabeth, Conor, Helen, Niamh, Joseph, Brenda and the late Brian; Sadly missed by her loving husband, sons, daughters, brother Anthony, sister Olive, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a Private Funeral will take place. Those who would like to join the Private Funeral Service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://www.churchservices.tv/walkinstown on Wednesday at 10am. Those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book below.

"May She Rest In Peace"
Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking to a crowd during a political protest in Moscow, Russia, on July 20, 2019. (Pavel Golovkin/AP Photo)

Germany Says Putin Critic Navalny Was Poisoned With Soviet-Style Novichok Nerve Agent

BERLINA critic of President Vladimir Putin who fell into a coma in Russia and is being treated in Berlin was attacked with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent, a German government spokesman said on Wednesday.

Tests conducted at a German military laboratory produced unequivocal evidence that Alexei Navalny, Russias most prominent opposition figure, had been poisoned with Novichok, Steffen Seibert said in an emailed statement.

An agent of the same family was used two years ago to poison a Russian defector living in Britain.

The federal government will inform its partners in the EU and NATO of the results of the investigation, Seibert added. It will discuss an appropriate joint response with the partners in the light of the Russian response.

Russia is already under Western sanctions after its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine six years ago, and another stand-off with European nations or the United States may hurt its economy further.

Russian prosecutors said last Thursday they saw no need for a criminal investigation as they had found no sign that any crime had been committed.

The Russian rouble extended losses against the euro after the German government statement.

Navalny, 44, was airlifted to Germany late last month after collapsing on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow, which had to make an emergency landing in Omsk.

A stretcher is taken from special aircraft with the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on board at Tegel Airport in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 22, 2020. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urged Russia to investigate Navalnys poisoning now that clinical tests had shown he had been attacked with a chemical nerve agent.

This makes it all the more urgent that those responsible in Russia be identified and held accountable, Maas told reporters. We condemn this attack in the strongest terms.

A Kremlin spokesman said Germany had not informed it that it believed Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok, according to the RIA news agency.

Novichok is a deadly group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s.

Britain says Russia used Novichok to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury in 2018. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attack, which the Skripals survived. A member of the public, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, was killed.

Sergei Skripal, a former colonel of Russias GRU military intelligence service, looks on inside the defendants cage as he attends a hearing at the Moscow military district court, Russia on Aug. 9, 2006. (Kommersant/Yuri Senatorov via Reuters)

By Joseph Nasr
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs statement that "the decision of the Armenian side to revive the old border checkpoint located 15 kilometers from the Azerbaijani export pipelines launched a flywheel of confrontation on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the most unpredictable consequences" is the direct accusation of the Armenian government as the initiator of the conflict escalation in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district.

Immediately after this serious accusation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arranged an award ceremony for the servicemen and commanders who committed a provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and, under the pretext of holding a meeting at the headquarters of the occupation army, went to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In fact, the visit of the head of the government to the occupied Azerbaijani territories was caused by a political situation as a result of a provocation organized by the Armenian Defense Ministry on a section of the state border near Tovuz district.

Pashinyan realizes that having little control over the Armenian Defense Ministry in Yerevan, he is practically on the verge of losing control over the Armenian Armed Forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the puppet "regime" created in Khankendi.

Yerevan is well aware that currently the main challenge and source of threat to the rule of Pashinyan in Armenia is the puppet Karabakh regime, whose leadership has close ties and patrons in Moscow.

The publication of the press-secretary of the so-called "President of Karabakh" Poghosyan on Facebook, where he directly addresses the natives of Nagorno-Karabakh region living in Russia, or rather to the odious "Karabakh clan", hostile to Pashinyan and his entourage, is remarkable.

Contrary to the policy of Pashinyan's "Soross Men" team in Armenia, the puppet regime in Nagorno-Karabakh regime is in favor of expanding the ties with Russia, in particular, by increasing the TV and radio airtime in Russian language. It is planned to increase the number of hours devoted to learning the Russian language at schools, as well as to increase the number of signs in this language in the occupied zone.

At present, two figures of the puppet "administration" are ruling in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. These are so-called President Arayik Harutyunyan and so-called Secretary of the National Security Council, criminal element Samvel Babayan. Both belong to the Moscow-oriented "Karabakh clan".

Babayan's statement that the Nagorno-Karabakh region should be transferred under the Russias mandate is known to everybody.

Thus, we are witnessing two antagonistic tendencies - "Rusification" in the Nagorno-Karabakh region amid the closure of the Russian TV channels in Armenia and language pressure on Russia in Yerevan.

The power that is oriented towards Russia has actually formed in the occupied territories in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, while Armenia is moving step by step in the western direction.

Despite the "allied" relations, assurances of "eternal friendship of the Armenians towards Russians", an unprecedented quantity of the Russian weapons which are supplied to Armenia for dirt cheap, the fact is that the Western influence begins to prevail over the Russian influence in this country.

In response, Moscow, with the assistance of the "Karabakh clan" and its people in Khankendi city, is trying to strengthen its influence in the region.

The activity of the puppet administration in the occupied territories actually runs counter to Yerevans policy. So, Pashinyan's visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region under the pretext of a meeting at the headquarters of the occupying army is a poorly hidden attempt to keep the situation under Yerevan's control.

However, the powerful pressure of the "Karabakh clan" during the unsettled conflict with Azerbaijan determines the fact that Armenia is on the verge of losing influence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Elkhan Alasgarov, PhD, Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network

Join us on the official website http://bakunetwork.com

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WATERLOO  One of the major barriers to achieving racial equity is the lack of reliable data to show real change is needed, speakers on an anti-racism panel said Tuesday.

Every major institution in Canada is marked by a lack of leadership diversity, said Malinda Smith, vice president of equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Calgary as she highlighted groups that lack people of colour in positions of power. They include the judiciary, corporate and not-for-profit boards, police and the media.

We have an over-representation of white Canadians and an under-representation of racialized and Indigenous Canadians. That structural inequity is deep. We need good data to highlight it, said Smith, one of five speakers at a Renison University College lecture series organized in partnership with the Waterloo Public Library.

The online webinar  Anti-Racism: The Urgency for Action  explored the barriers to equity in institutions, including universities. The panel was moderated by Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger.

Jean Becker, acting associate vice president of human rights, equity and inclusion at the University of Waterloo, said shes been in university circles for 30 years and has been advocating for data collection.

We keep getting the same objections we have gotten for decades, she said, referring to privacy issues.

The reluctance to collect data is quite alarming, she said.

Those figures would show the structural barriers that racialized communities face, especially around hiring, curriculum change and representation at the top level, said Becker, who is also a senior advisor to the UW president on Indigenous initiatives.

For me, the most intractable barrier is the colonial mindset, she said.

Academic vice-president and dean at Renison Kofi Campbell said universities have been averse to collecting such data on themselves. Most universities would not know the percentage of Black or Indigenous staff because they have not have collected that data.

As a society, there has been three decades since the UN declaration against racial discrimination and despite the legislative framework, racism persists, Smith said.

Smith referred to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man from Kenosha, Wis., who was shot in the back by a police officer seven times last month, leaving him paralyzed. Blake was handcuffed to his hospital bed.

Smith said the degrading and dehumanizing treatment really draws our attention to the ways in which we have lost sight of the UN declaration to anti-racism.

Discrimination does occur based on race, colour and national origin, she said.

Smith said it is difficult to believe in institutions and their commitment to anti-racism when they are making statements to equality now.

Racial equity has been not existent, she said. We dont have racial justice.

Smith said when institutions want something, they do it by dedicating leadership, resources to getting it done.

We dont have a commitment to anti-racism because we dont want it, she said. We dont have a parallel framework for racial justice.

Jasmin Zine, sociology and Muslim studies professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, agrees that universities can bring about change if they want to.

There is an absence of political will for meaningful, radical changes that are needed, not just window dressing, empty promises, slogans and hashtags, she said.

At the university level, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism have manifested in curriculum bias, differential treatment and Islamophobic harassment, she said.

Zine said Islamophobia is a system of oppression that is unique because it is a billion dollar industry in the United States. In Canada, there are also groups dedicated to spreading Islamophobia.

Zine said there are about 300 white nationalist groups in Canada who spread anti-Muslim hate. There are also soft power groups who promote Canadian values and say Muslims are dangerous foreigners plotting a takeover of Canada.

Zine said higher education centres on an Eurocentric framework. That needs to change to allow for other ways of knowing and other experiences. More leadership that is representative of the various communities must happen.

Students need to see people who look like them in positions of authority, she said. Most marginalized students dont know what it is like to be at the centre. They are always on the margins.

Zine said students, some in her classroom, want to be heard and they are speaking up, organizing and holding their universities accountable.

They want to be heard, she said.
At the moment, Washington mulls sanctions on seven Belarusian officials.

The United States may consider introducing sanctions on Russia if Moscow intervenes in Belarus overtly to suppress protests against what's widely believed was a rigged presidential election.

That's according to Reuters citing a high-ranking source in the U.S. State Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Together with the U.S. Treasury, the State Department is working to get a package of evidence to introduce sanctions against at least seven Belarusian officials involved in falsifying election results and slamming down on protesters.

Read alsoRussia seeks to repeat in Belarus moves it made in Ukraine  expertDuring last week's talks in Moscow, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun reportedly warned Russia explicitly against the overt use of force in Belarus, the country that is geographically separating Russia from the NATO Bloc, just like Ukraine.

Belarus elections: reactions

EU leaders agreed to impose sanctions on Belarus over election fraud and violence against protesters.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia declared Alexander Lukashenko persona non grata along with 29 Belarusian officials, as well as decided to sever trade in electricity as soon as a new Belarusian NPP opens.

Ukraine has joined EU's declaration on the situation in Belarus. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the authorities in the neighboring country to set up a revote to ease tensions.

As a result of a series of phone conversations between Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin the latter promised comprehensive support to Belarus in case any external threat arises, as well as vowed to deploy riot police forces upon request.
Amid the turbulent developments between India and China, the US Department of Defense has released the Pentagon's China Military Report 2020. In its report, the Pentagon has noted that India plays a crucial factor in China's nuclear threat perceptions. The report has been put forth at a time when China has been taking aggressive measures in crucial areas like Indo-Pacific and South China Sea.

READ: China Provoked Again Even As Talks Continued; India Took Timely Defensive Action: MEA

Pentagon's China Military Report

The Pentagon report has laid bare the military and security developments undertaken by the PRC. The report also points out China's nuclear forces' capability which includes its readiness, nuclear stockpile size and capability. It is also estimated that China's military forces will significantly grow in the next decade. Moreover, the report also observed that India also plays a vital role when it comes to threat perceptions. This comes amid the ongoing standoff near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The already existing stockpile of PRC, estimated to be in the low 200s, is expected to be doubled over the next decade as China is stepping up its nuclear capability. The report also added that China has been pursuing a 'nuclear triad' with the development of a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile. In addition, the PRC has also been strengthening its ground and naval assets for nuclear capabilities.

READ | China's Military Plot Exposed; Xi Wants Logistics Outposts In Dozens Of Countries: Pentagon

Xi's military ambitions

Apart from the detailed assessment of China's nuclear developments, the Pentagon report also mentions how China is seeking to set up logistics in dozens of countries. These measures are being taken by the PRC to allow its army to consolidate power at greater distances. Three of these logistics projects are being set up in India's three neighbours- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Other countries where China is considering to set up its military logistics include Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan.

A global PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRCs global military objectives evolve, the Pentagon said in the report.

Meanwhile, Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training. They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military. In August 2017, China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti.

READ: US Takes Note Of India Thwarting China; Sees 'clear Pattern' & Wants Beijing Challenged

(With PTI Inputs)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- With just over two months before the 2020 election, three professors at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business offer a comprehensive review of how other nations are seeking to protect their democratic institutions and presents how a multifaceted, targeted approach is needed to achieve that goal in the U.S., where intelligence officials have warned that Russia and other rivals are again attempting to undermine our democracy.

But these concerns over election security are not isolated to the United States and extend far beyond safeguarding insecure voting machines and questions about voting by mail.

Based on an analysis of election reforms by Australia and European Union nations, they outline steps to address election infrastructure security -- such as requiring paper ballots and risk-limiting audits -- as well as deeper structural interventions to limit the spread of misinformation and combat digital repression.

"In the United States, despite post-2016 funding, still more than two-thirds of U.S. counties report insufficient funding to replace outdated, vulnerable paperless voting machines; further help is needed," said Scott Shackelford, associate professor of business law and ethics in the Kelley School, executive director of the Ostrom Workshop and chair of IU's Cybersecurity Program. "No nation, however powerful, or tech firm, regardless of its ambitions, is able to safeguard democracies against the full range of threats they face in 2020 and beyond. Only a multifaceted, polycentric approach that makes necessary changes up and down the stack will be up to the task."

For example, Australia -- which has faced threats from China -- has taken a distinct approach to protect its democratic institutions, including reclassifying its political parties as "critical infrastructure." This is a step that the U.S. government has yet to take despite repeated breaches at both the Democratic and Republican national committees.

The article, "Defending Democracy: Taking Stock of the Global Fight Against Digital Repression, Disinformation and Election Insecurity," has been accepted by Washington and Lee Law Review. Other authors are Anjanette "Angie" Raymond, associate professor of business law and ethics, and Abbey Stemler, assistant professor of business law and ethics, both at Kelley; and Cyanne Loyle, associate professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University and a global fellow at the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

Aside from appropriating sufficient funds to replace outdated voting machines and tabulation systems, the researchers said that Congress should encourage states to refuse to fund voting machines with paperless ballots. The researchers also suggest requiring risk-limiting audits, which use statistical samples of paper ballots to verify official election results.

Other suggested steps include:

-- Congress requiring the National Institute of Standards and Technology to update their voting machine standards, which state and county election officials rely on when deciding which machines to purchase. Australia undertook such a measure. -- Creating a National Cybersecurity Safety Board to investigate cyberattacks on U.S. election infrastructure and issue post-elections reports to ensure that vulnerabilities are addressed. -- Working with universities to develop training for election officials nationwide to prepare them for an array of possible scenarios, and creating a cybersecurity guidebook for use by newly elected and appointed election officials.

"With regards to disinformation in particular, the U.S. government could work with the EU to globalize the self-regulatory Code of Practice on Disinformation for social media firms and thus avoiding thorny First Amendment concerns," Raymond said. "It could also work to create new forums for international information sharing and more effective rapid alert and joint sanctions regimes.

"The international community has the tools to act and hold accountable those actors that would threaten democratic institutions," added Stemler, who also is a faculty associate at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. "Failing the political will to act, pressure from consumer groups and civil society will continue to mount on tech firms, in particular Facebook, which may be sufficient for them to voluntarily expand their efforts in the EU globally, the same way that more firms are beginning to comply with its General Data Protection Regulation globally, as opposed to designing new information systems for each jurisdiction."

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A large tiger snake has been found curled inside the back toilet of a popular restaurant in Melbourne.

Snake catcher Raymond Hoser was called to catch the huge 1.5metre male reptile on Tuesday.

The snake was hiding inside the bowl of the toilet behind restaurants on Yarra Street in Warrandyte.

The deadly tiger snake was hiding in the loo behind restaurants on Yarra Street in Warrandyte

Snake catcher, Raymond Hoser (pictured) said the group of shops back onto a river and it is common for the reptiles to appear in Spring as they find somewhere warm to sun themselves

Mr Hoser said the group of shops back onto a river and he is called out every year when the snakes come out of hibernation to enjoy the warm weather.

'Tiger snakes climb enough to confuse things which means it could have come from anywhere,' said Mr Hoser.

The reptile was taken to the local state park in Warrandyte and was set free at least 500 metres from the nearest house.

'Releasing is the hard part, we have to let them go within 5km of where we find them and we want to do that as far away from houses as possible,' he explained.

Hours after he released the tiger snake into the wild, the snake catcher responded to a call for help from staff at Lynbrook Railway Station in Melbourne.

A one-metre-long copperhead was sunning itself on the footpath to the platform - which backs onto Paterson Drive Reserve.

'You can bet your bottom dollar, the snake would have been hibernating near where it was found, because the weather is warm but not hot so they won't travel to far from their resting spot,' said Mr Hoser.

A copperhead snake (pictured) similar to the one found at the Lynbrook Railway Station in Melbourne on Tuesday

He was surprised he had not received a call earlier in August as the snakes usually appear near the track at the end of Winter.

'I get called to the station for a snake and I will usually find two or three in the same spot.'

Both the copperhead and tiger snakes are highly venomous - and commonly found across southeastern Australia.

Bites are fatal if untreated and can cause pain in the feet and neck as well as tingling, numbness and sweating - followed by breathing difficulties and paralysis.

Hospitals advise to call an ambulance if bitten - and then apply a bandage - without wiping off the venom, it helps them to identify the type of snake bite.

Copperhead (pictured) and tiger snakes are highly venomous and commonly found across southeastern Australia, particularly in Melbourne
A woman who says she was injured by a paintball fired by a pro-Trump supporter during a clash between right-wing and opposing demonstrators in downtown Portland last month has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the man she says shot her.

In her lawsuit filed Monday, Meg McLain says she was observing the rally next to the Multnomah County Justice Center on Aug. 22 when Alan Swinney intentionally shot her, leaving a large red welt and circular injury to one of her breasts.

Meg McLain's lawsuit includes this photo of her jacket after her lawyer says she was struck in the chest with a paintball on Aug. 22, 2020.

Swinney couldnt be reached for comment Tuesday.

About 300 people attended the rally to support President Trump and police or to counterprotest. Supporters of the conservative group Proud Boys as well as the left-leaning Black Lives Matter and antifa movements were all present.

Swinney, who has described himself on social media as a conservative and a Trump supporter, was photographed by The Oregonian/OregonLive pointing the paintball gun toward a crowd of antifa or Black Lives Matter protesters and then seen shooting. He also was seen pointing what appeared to be a firearm at the crowd, but he did not shoot.

A journalist for Oregon Public Broadcasting also reported capturing video of Swinney shooting paintballs.

Alan swinney shoots paintballs in the crowd. One paint ball hit this reporter, I point to press pass, swinney continues anyway pic.twitter.com/Hro9pPp6Rr  Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 23, 2020

McLains Portland attorney, Michael Fuller, said his client immediately reported to police what Swinney had done to her and they spoke to him but didnt arrest him.

She really was there as an unaffiliated observer, Fuller said. She was just curious about what was going on.

Nonetheless, Fuller said police werent interested in arresting Swinney on the spot.

Its just one of the many cases where police are seemingly showing favoritism to Trump supporters, Fuller said.

No criminal charges have been filed against Swinney. A Portland police spokesperson didnt return a question about the status of the investigation Tuesday. Brent Weisberg, a spokesman for the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office, said his office is investigating the case.

The Aug. 22 clash lasted for several hours -- with demonstrators on either side shouting, throwing rocks and bottles, unleashing pepper spray or mace and dueling with fists as Portland police mostly stood back. Hours later, Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters at a news conference that officers didnt want to escalate the situation.

When you interject yourself as the police into this volatile mix sometimes it has a worse intention or worse outcome than what was happening initially, he said.

The suit includes a social media post that it states was written by Swinney, who has a history as an irresponsible gun owner who travels to Oregon to organize substantial and purposefully violent rallies and events. The post included in the lawsuit reads, in part: Haha. One of the terrorists is crying to Portland police about getting hit by a paintball. (I)f they think Im going to turn myself in to an argy (sic) mob, they are insane lol.

Swinneys Twitter page says he lives in Midland, Texas.

The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Along with Fuller, Portland attorney Kelly Jones is representing McLain.

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Torontos public board will move more than 700 teachers from their classrooms to work online given about 14,000 students have opted for remote learning because of COVID-19.

With just two weeks to go before classes start, Director of Education Carlene Jackson emailed trustees to tell them about 79 per cent of teens  or 57,000  will return in person, about 21 per cent will learn from home in the virtual school and that changes to staffing and timetables are now in the works.

The change means that a high school with 1,000 students would lose 15 of its 50 teachers to online learning  something local union President Leslie Wolfe called unprecedented.

The breadth of system reorganization that will be required to staff the virtual school is unprecedented, Wolfe said in a memo to members.

The (Toronto District School Board) has not invoked the reallocation process since 2012, and at no time in TDSB history have we ever approached the immensity of the staffing adjustments that are required this year, a result of the remote learning option for all students, she wrote.

Jackson told trustees that while the board has extra funding from both the provincial and federal governments to be used for staffing, it is not enough to maintain current staff compliments at each secondary school, while also fully staffing a virtual school with thousands of students and lowering elementary class sizes.

She acknowledged that the timelines to do this are quite short and thanked administrators for the heavy lifting that is needed over the upcoming days.

Torontos public high schools reopen Sept. 15, and students will study two classes at a time for about two months in the quadmester system, with those opting for in-person learning attending school every other morning for almost four hours, then returning home for live online class in the afternoon.

For the virtual high school, staff who have requested a workplace accommodation to work online will be given priority, followed by teachers who prefer to work virtually and then others, based on subject specialty and seniority.

There will also be a ripple effect for teachers working in schools, who may find themselves moved to another location to ensure appropriate levels of staffing at all of the TDSB bricks and mortar sites as well, Wolfe said.

Meanwhile, NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles has appealed to the provinces ombudsman for an urgent and independent review of the governments back-to-school plans given parents concerns about elementary class sizes in particular and physical distancing requirements.

On Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford said that Ontario has the safest, most cautious plan in the entire country, and its been vetted by everyone we could possibly think of.

The provinces four teacher unions have launched a challenge with the labour relations board for improved conditions for their members, in particular smaller classes.

Ford, however, said if youre asking me who am I going to listen to  some of the best doctors, health, mind, science in the entire country or some head of some teachers union that wants to fight with every single government that God ever created? Theyre playing politics. Were pulling out all the stops.
Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday that it would allow any flights going to and from the United Arab Emirates to fly over its territory, a move that would give Israel access to some of the kingdoms airspace for the first time.

The announcement, made at the request of the United Arab Emirates, came days after the first direct flight from Israel to the emirates  a symbolic move as the two nations begin normalizing relations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, in a video statement delivered while standing in front of a map of the region, called the announcement a tremendous breakthrough.

Flights will be cheaper and shorter, and it will lead to robust tourism and develop our economy, Mr. Netanyahu said, while tracing the route between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi with his finger on the map. He also said the route would allow Israelis to save time and money when traveling east to Asia.
The Trump administration has sought to weaken or abandon various international agencies since 2016. Now its taking aim at the International Criminal Court, a global tribunal that investigates and prosecutes war crimes, torture and genocide.

Claiming the ICCs investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan poses a national security threat, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on June 11 effectively criminalizing anyone who works at the ICC. Its lawyers, judges, human rights researchers and staff could now have their U.S. bank accounts frozen, U.S. visas revoked and travel to the U.S. denied.

On Sept. 2, Sec. State Mike Pompeo announced the new sanctions would be applied for the first time, against ICC special prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her top aide.

The executive order does not target U.S. citizens. But Americans can be sanctioned if they materially support the ICC by, say, filing an amicus brief to support a case. Such language usually applies to foreign terrorist organizations and their enablers  not human rights lawyers.

The retired Gen. Wesley Clark called Trumps order a tragic mistake in foreign policy. He says the U.S. has nothing to fear from the ICC, which exists to deter and punish the kinds of atrocities committed by Germany and Japan during World War II.

I am an international human rights lawyer who has defended and advocated for victims of gross human rights violations in American courts and at the United Nations. For these people, the ICC is the only real means to hold their persecutors accountable, even if few of them will ever set foot in the court.

Brief history of the ICC

The ICC is the only criminal court with near global jurisdiction.

Since its founding in 2002 in The Hague, it has successfully prosecuted over 40 high-ranking politicians, warlords and heads of state for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Those imprisoned include Thomas Lubanga, a warlord who recruited child soldiers and forced them to fight in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bosco Ntaganda, convicted of rape, murder and sexual slavery in the same conflict.

Story continues

The ICC also issues warrants for the arrests of leaders whove fled the courts justice, such as Sudans Omar al-Bashir, who stands charged with genocide for the rape, killing and torture of civilians in Darfur. Fugitive suspects are prosecuted by the ICC if and when they are extradited to The Hague.

Occasionally, special war tribunals are established outside the ICC to prosecute specific cases in specific countries. Recently, a special international tribunal convicted a Hezbollah member for the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Together, the ICC and these complementary special tribunals enforce international human rights law. The ICC is a court of last resort. It acts only when national governments cannot or will not investigate and prosecute war crimes. Its jurisdiction is intentionally narrow. It means countries with a strong rule of law need not fear international investigation.

US fearful of international justice

In the early 1990s, the U.S. was deeply involved in United Nations negotiations in the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC. But in 1998 President Bill Clinton decided not to ask Congress to ratify the Rome Statute, claiming there was no protection against politicized prosecutions.

Despite not being one of the courts 123 member countries, the U.S. has often facilitated the ICCs work. Successive U.S. administrations have imposed a series of sanctions against people under ICC investigation, including members of the Assad regime suspected of committing war crimes in Syria.

The U.S. has also championed the ICCs ongoing examination of crimes committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and its investigation of Myanmar for possible genocide against the Rohingya Muslims. The U.S. also got involved in the hunt for the infamous Ugandan guerrilla leader Joseph Kony, who was indicted by the ICC in 2005 for using children as sex slaves and insurgents.

But some of the ICCs newest cases hit close to home.

One is a pending investigation of American military actions in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2004. Dozens of people claim to have been tortured during interrogation by the CIA in black sites created by the Bush administration. Two current Guantanamo detainees, Sharqawi Al Hajj and Guled Duran, who are represented by legal counsel, have provided detailed testimonies to the ICC.

Another is the ICCs investigation into possible crimes by Israel related to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel, like its ally the U.S., is not a member of the ICC.

In May, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the ICC to end its illegitimate probes into the U.S. and Israel or else face consequences.

Protesters in front of the ICC building hold sigs saying 'Where is the ICC?' and 'Justice for Palestine'

Limited jurisdiction

The ICC persisted, saying the U.S. could fend off the ICC by investigating the alleged war crimes itself.

The I.C.C. is not intent on hauling Americans up to trial before it, wrote ICC president Eboe-Osujiin in a June 18 New York Times op-ed responding to Trumps Executive Order. It is simply committed to seeing credible claims against U.S. security personnel in Afghanistan investigated, Eboe-Osuji said.

But the U.S., like Israel, has refused to acknowledge that war crimes may have been committed. Such standoffs trigger ICC involvement as the court of last resort.

Historically, the International Criminal Court has almost exclusively prosecuted individuals from weaker nations, primarily in Africa. Some critics have dubbed it the African criminal court. Yet most African countries, like other ICC members, remain supportive of the courts work.

[Insight, in your inbox each day. You can get it with The Conversations email newsletter.]

The ICC is also a slow, cumbersome and expensive form of justice. It has spent over US$1.2 billion over the past 12 years to successfully punish only three individuals of the dozens it has prosecuted.

But the courts importance goes beyond its verdicts. Without its watchful eye and long arm, war criminals would roam free.

In undermining its work, the Trump administration claims to protect American security. But if the U.S. wont cooperate with the ICC in international criminal investigations of its own citizens, other countries are less likely to help when the U.S. wants terrorists and war criminals brought to justice.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:



Susan M. Akram does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
SAN ANTONIO -- Sept. 2, 2020 -- A Southwest Research Institute proposal to study the Sun's poles -- considered among the last unexplored regions of the solar system -- is one of five science investigations selected as a possible future NASA mission.

Dr. Don Hassler, a program director at SwRI, is the principal investigator for Solaris. This proposed solar polar Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX) mission is designed to revolutionize our understanding of the Sun by addressing fundamental questions that can only be answered from a polar vantage point. NASA has approved a $1.25 million, nine-month contract for Phase A concept design studies and analyses to develop the mission that would visit this region for the first time since the 1990s.

"Solaris will explore one of the last unseen places in the solar system, the poles of the Sun. The Ulysses spacecraft visited the region but did not have remote sensing instruments onboard to probe the Sun's polar magnetic field or surface/sub-surface flows," Hassler said.

To get to the Sun's poles, Solaris will first travel to Jupiter and use Jupiter's gravity to slingshot out of the ecliptic plane and fly over the Sun's poles at 75 degrees latitude. Imaging the poles of the Sun from such high latitude promises to reveal clues to understanding how the Sun's polar magnetic fields and flows shape the solar activity cycle.

"Just as our understanding of Jupiter and Saturn were revolutionized by polar observations from the Juno and Cassini spacecraft, our understanding of the Sun will be revolutionized by Solaris," Hassler said. "It's sure to stimulate future research through new unanticipated discoveries."

The proposed spacecraft would be provided by Ball Aerospace, and the payload is expected to include a compact Doppler magnetograph to study the polar magnetic fields and subsurface flows, a white light coronagraph to image the solar corona from the poles, and an extreme ultraviolet instrument to image the million degree solar surface of the poles.

"Solaris will spend more than three months over each pole of the Sun, obtaining the first continuous, high-latitude, months-long studies of the Sun's polar regions," said Hassler. "With focused science and a simple, elegant mission design, Solaris will also provide enabling observations for space weather research, such as the first polar views of coronal mass ejections, energetic events that spew highly magnetized plasma from the solar corona into space, causing radio and magnetic disturbances on the Earth."

If the mission is chosen for flight, the spacecraft would be ready to launch in early 2025 for a nominal mission duration of five years. In addition to SwRI, key team members include the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Naval Research Laboratory, Ball Aerospace, Northrup Grumman, NCAR's High Altitude Observatory, the University of Colorado, the National Solar Observatory, KinetX, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the Physical-Meteorological Observatory in Switzerland, the Royal Observatory and Space Center of Liege in Belgium, and the Institute of Space Astrophysics in France.

SwRI also supports two other missions funded for Phase A concept design studies, the Auroral Reconstruction CubeSwarm (ARCS) and the Solar-Terrestrial Observer for the Response of the Magnetosphere (STORM) mission proposals. SwRI would manage the ARCS mission for the principal investigator, Dartmouth Professor Kristina Lynch, and provide a solar wind instrument for the STORM mission, led by David Sibec of the Goddard Space Flight Center.

ARCS proposes to explore the processes that contribute to auroras at size scales that have been rarely studied -- at the intermediate scale between the smaller, local phenomena leading directly to the visible aurora and the larger, global dynamics of the space weather system coursing through the Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. The mission would deploy an innovative, distributed set of sensors via 32 CubeSats and 32 ground-based observatories to provide a comprehensive picture of the drivers and response of the auroral system.

For STORM, SwRI would provide a next generation of the Ion and Electron Sensor that flew on the Rosetta mission. This mission would provide the first-ever global view of our vast space weather system in which the constant flow of particles from the Sun -- known as the solar wind -- interacts with Earth's magnetosphere and improve our ability to forecast the harmful effects of this interaction on society and technological infrastructure.

###

NASA's Explorers Program provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas.

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/heliophysics.
BENZIE COUNTY, MICH. -- A new public nature preserve has opened in Northwest Lower Michigan, giving visitors access to a half-mile stretch of the scenic Platte River and the entirety of the undeveloped, 23-acre Lower Woodcock Lake.

Named Lower Woodcock Lake Preserve, the 230-acre property is the latest preserve secured for conservation and public recreation by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, a Traverse City-based non-profit conservation organization.

Currently the preserve includes a 0.8-mile walking trail, with more trails planned to be built in 2021, according to the Traverse City Ticker. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed at all times while visiting the property.

The Conservancy notes that while a dock for non-motorized watercraft will be installed sometime next year, visitors are currently discouraged from bringing in their own boats for use on the lake, as the shoreline is very mucky and unstable.

More information, recreation rules, and directions to the preserve can be found on the conservancys website.

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Tasmania is again free of coronavirus after a man in hospital recovered from the deadly disease.

He tested positive on August 11 while in the North West Regional Hospital after returning from Melbourne where he received medical treatment.

The state's health department confirmed the man, who was the island's only active COVID-19 case, had recovered as of Tuesday night.

Tasmania is again free of coronavirus after a man in North West Regional Hospital recovered from the deadly disease

Tasmania, which has had 228 cases overall, has recorded just two cases in more than three months.

It had a four-week stretch of being COVID-19 free across June and July.

Tasmania's borders will stay shut until at least December because of the risks posed by outbreaks on the mainland.

Premier Peter Gutwein recently extended the state of emergency until the end of October.

Thirteen people have died from the virus.
(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @AndyVermaut) A TikTok Holocaust Joke Got US Army Suspended; His SocMeds Were Not Regulated Due to 'Free Speech' (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @MckayMSmith) A TikTok Holocaust Joke Got US Army Suspended; His SocMeds Were Not Regulated Due to 'Free Speech'

United States Army officer was suspended after posting a TikTok video of him making a joke about Holocaust victims. His fans are supporting him, creating a petition addressed to President Donald Trump.

Also Read: WATCH! Reddit's Insanely Viral Woman Sings the Original Halo Opening Theme; Asks for 2 Million Likes!

Nathan Freihofer, the US Army second lieutenant, has received the support of his online fans with many who seems to be in or previously served in the US military. Freihofer had nearly 3 million followers on his TikTok account, and his video received over 135 million likes.

His dark joke focused on the Holocaust, the Nazi-led genocide during World War II that killed over millions of Jews.

2nd Lt. Nathan Freihofer, a popular TikTok influencer with nearly 3 mil followers, posted a joke about the holocaust. If you get offended, get the fuck out because its a joke, he says.  Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) August 31, 2020 May be contrary to Army's Think, Type, Post social media policy, but hey what do I know pic.twitter.com/TpkLr1xhPt

Also Read: [VIRAL VIDEO] Huge Kite Violently Throws A Young Girl Into the Air After She Was Tangled In Its Tail

"What is a Jewish person's favorite Pokemon character. Haha! Ash!" he said in the video.

His joke was based on the name of the protagonist in the popular cartoon series, Ash Ketchum. He connected the word "Ash" with the Jews because they were killed and burned in the Nazi extermination camps.

After the video was shared throughout social media outlets on Monday, Aug. 31, his account was removed. Several US Army commands and leaders launched an investigation, condemning Freihofer's viral video.

"We are investigating reports of a Soldier assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps allegedly making vile remarks on a social media video," said the North Carolina-based XVIII Airborne Corps.

The US Army officer's fans created a petition addressed to the US president

After the video was shared throughout social media outlets on Monday, Aug. 31, his account was removed. Several US Army commands and leaders launched an investigation, condemning Freihofer's viral video.

pic.twitter.com/ZMcjY6uuYa US Army suspends officer with 3 million TikTok followers for Holocaust joke clip. Social media influencer 2nd Lt. Nathan Freihofer's account goes offline following backlash against video, in which he jokes that a Jew's favorite Pokemon is 'Ash. https://t.co/bsKXf8n3d5  McKay Smith (@McKayMSmith) September 1, 2020

"We are investigating reports of a Soldier assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps allegedly making vile remarks on a social media video," said the North Carolina-based XVIII Airborne Corps.

However, the U.S. Army officer's fans made a petition on Change.org addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump. The petition explained that his jokes had lifted many of his followers out of hard times by making them laugh.

One person said that he didn't think that the officer's jokes were representing the U.S. Army. Although his TikTok account was deactivated, he is still active on Snapchat and other social media platforms.

For more viral stories, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Also Read: Mission Impossible 7: Tom Cruise Rents $700K Ship to Continue Shooting Film Amid Pandemic

This article is owned by TechTimes,

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has announced a successful full year of commercial operations of Noor Abu Dhabi, the worlds largest single-site solar plant, achieving a net production of 2,000 GWh since its launch.

A leading company in the coordination of planning, purchasing and providing of water and electricity across the UAE, Ewec said since the commencement of its commercial operations, Noor Abu Dhabi solar plant has achieved a net production of 2,000 GWh providing electricity to 66,000 households and a 93% efficiency rate in terms of energy availability.

Located at Sweihan in Abu Dhabi, Noor Abu Dhabi, (light in Arabic), covers an area of 8 sq km and features 3.2 million solar panels.

The plant is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and a consortium of Japans Marubeni Corp and Chinas Jinko Solar Holding.

According to Ewec, the solar plant has achieved 404,835 man hours without lost time injuries as of end of April, a reflection of the company's commitment to prioritising the highest international industry standards of health and safety.

Noor Abu Dhabi is the first of a significant future pipeline of projects EWEC will be implementing using sustainable technology and is a key milestone in the transformation of the energy sector.

Ewec CEO Othman Al Ali said: "Solar energy is a proven, steady source of electricity supply for the UAE, as the country is blessed with abundant sunshine."

"As leaders in our field, we constantly strive to leverage our dynamic expertise, technology and resources to support the energy transition in the UAE, which is set to see a major acceleration towards renewable energy deployment," he noted.

In line with the UAEs Energy Strategy 2050, EWEC is implementing a strategic plan which, by 2030, will produce more than 50% of Abu Dhabis energy needs from renewable and clean energy sources. It will reduce the average carbon intensity of the system by more than 70% compared to 2015.

Beyond size, Noor Abu Dhabi broke another record at the time of bid submission in September 2016, attracting the worlds most competitive tariff of 8.888 fils/kWh.

"Looking ahead, Noor Abu Dhabi will continue to provide a world-leading, technologically advanced model for the effective use of solar power and we look forward to its continued success," stated Al Ali.

Taqa Group CEO and Managing Director Jasim Husain Thabet said: "It is a momentous occasion for all of us as Noor Abu Dhabi places the emirate on the global map as a leader in photovoltaic energy generation in the renewable energy sector."

"The successful completion and operations of the project reinforces our collective commitment towards building a sustainable future by investing in cost-effective, clean energy solutions that leverage and optimise our natural resources. Noor Abu Dhabi is also helping the UAE ensure a secure supply of power to meet the ever-growing needs of the country," he added.

At Noor Abu Dhabi, construction was completed 20 months after the official ground breaking with more than 2,900 people working on site during peak construction.

The facility is expected to reduce Abu Dhabis CO2 emissions by one million tonnes, which is equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the roads. It is also increasing its production of renewable energy and reducing its dependence on natural gas in electricity generation.

Marubeni Chief Operating Officer (Power Business) Satoru Harada said: "We are delighted to be a part of such a high calibre strategic partnership with EWEC, safely and reliably operating this important solar power plant, and delivering zero-carbon electricity in the UAE."

"This is a critical milestone, one that successfully sets Noor Abu Dhabi as a worldwide benchmark in renewable energy development, both in terms of technology and quality, as well as production efficiency. We look forward to celebrating many more years of mutual success with our partners and further contributing to the sustainable development of the country," he added.

JinkoSolar Chairman Xiande Li said: "It is our privilege to participate and contribute to the successful execution of this prestigious project that will help power the sustainable economic growth of Abu Dhabi."

"The success of this project is a testimony to our commitment towards exchange of knowledge, investments and expertise, as we capitalise on the immense opportunity and scope that the UAE offers in defining its footprint in the renewable energy sector," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
More evidence arises of Lebanese security forces using uncommon and potentially lethal arms against demonstrators.

Beirut, Lebanon  At least two Lebanese protesters were wounded by high-velocity metal pellets at a protest, adding to mounting evidence that security forces are using previously uncommon weapons that inflict serious, potentially deadly injuries.

Florient Zwein, a French photographer, and an unidentified man were wounded on Tuesday by what appeared to be metal shotgun-fired pellets that Al Jazeera and many rights organisations have documented the use of several times in the past month.

A Human Rights Watch investigation last month showed security forces used these pellets in several incidents against protesters in an August 8 protest in the wake of a massive Beirut explosion that killed 190 people, injured more than 6,000, and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Pellets fired by security forces caused severe injuries to peoples eyes, faces and bodies, as well as the heart and lungs of at least two patients, according to doctors Al Jazeera previously spoke to who said some of the wounded narrowly escaped death.

Florient Zwein holds up a pellet that was fired at protesters by Lebanese security forces [Courtesy: Florient Zwein/Al Jazeera]

Lawyer Diala Chehade filed a complaint to the public prosecutor based on the injuries caused to protesters, and caretaker Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem told Al Jazeera she called on the public prosecutor to open an investigation.

However, no developments have been reported since.

All security forces  including the army, Internal Security Forces and the parliament police  have denied they used these munitions in the past.

An ISF source again denied using them at Tuesdays protest, telling Al Jazeera they only fired tear gas.

The parliament police  security forces under the direct command of House Speaker Nabih Berri  could not be reached for comment.

A senior security source recently told Al Jazeera attacks on protesters with metal pellets were committed solely by the parliament police. Parliament police behave like a militia, the source said.

A bang, then pain

Zwein, one of the men injured on Tuesday, was taking pictures of protesters as they broke through a metal barricade some 200 metres (656 feet) from the Parliament building in downtown Beirut at about 6:30pm.

After protesters burst through, he said a large amount of tear gas was fired at them.

I started walking away and heard two loud bangs, and then I felt something like pain, Zwein, a 30-year-old French-Lebanese who came to Beirut from Paris to help out after the explosion, told Al Jazeera.

Zwein said he felt pellets hit him twice, right after each separate bang. In total, he found five embedded in his body: one each in his neck, back and leg, and two in his left arm.

He shared images with Al Jazeera showing the marks, in addition to one of the pellets he removed.

Florient Zwein said he found five pellets embedded in his body: one each in his neck, back and leg, and two in his left arm [Courtesy: Florient Zwein/Al Jazeera]

The second wounded man could not be identified or contacted by Al Jazeera. However, multiple witnesses could attest to him being injured in the area protests were taking place. These include a photographer on the scene, Layal Gebran, who took multiple pictures of him in front of the Parliament compound.

Images time-stamped about 6:15pm show the man pock-marked with more than a dozen small, red wounds  injuries consistent with those documented among protesters since the August 8 protest when these wounds were first seen.

He had these wounds on his face, chest and arms, Gebran said.

The man was treated by the Lebanese Red Cross.

The gate where Zwein was shot [Courtesy: Florient Zwein]

Indiscriminate, unlawful force

Richard Weir, a Beirut-based crisis and conflict researcher with Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera the pellets are most likely fired from shotguns, but could also be released from small explosive devices similar to a grenade.

In both cases, this represents inherently indiscriminate force used against protesters. Meanwhile, the use of metal pellets in general is an unacceptable means of applying force in these kinds of situations.

He said the decision by security forces to use these pellets repeatedly since August 8 is clearly an inappropriate escalation in the use of force and is unlawful.

While security forces may be meeting additional violence from some protesters, the response cant be unlawful and indiscriminate. Its simply unacceptable, said Weir.
One of Pasadenas oldest parks is on track to have a new look for the younger set.

Red Bluff Park, 415 Delta, has served the citys north side since 1953 and it is looking to get a $124,637 upgrade to its playground equipment.

Red Bluff Park has one of our oldest playgrounds, right now, said Pasadena parks director Jed Aplaca. Typically (playgrounds) have a lifespan of about 20 years or so, and Red Bluff is next in line to be replaced.

City Council gave preliminary approval to the purchase on first reading Sept. 1 with a final reading set for Sept. 15.

The cost of the play structure will be covered by an MD Anderson grant, Aplaca said.

Rust and graffiti

Red Bluff Park is tucked away in a residential neighborhood and is bounded by Delta and Norman streets and Burke Road. The playground equipment there is showing its age. There is some rust and peeling paint. Theres also a fair amount of graffiti.

Aplaca said the park, which also has a pool with a splash pad, a pavilion, a gazebo, a couple of ballfields and the Odell Harrison Recreation Center, is heavily used.

The new playground equipment will be on the site of the existing structure behind the rec center.

It saves us money when we dont have to redo the entire footprint, Aplaca said. So, well get in what we can that fits inside that space.

The apparatus will feature several climbing area, a platform and a slide, the parks director said.

Aplaca said the new equipment is about two months out.

My goal is to get started by the beginning of November, he said.

If that happens, kids should be able to work off some of their Thanksgiving turkey on the apparatus.

Once we get everything demolished and taken out, the guys will come in and it will all be installed in a couple of days, Aplaca said. It doesnt take very long.

The parks director is looking forward to getting the new apparatus in place.

Its been a tough year because we havent been able to have a lot of things open (due to the pandemic), but at least we will be able to have new playground there by the end of the year, he said.

John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com.
Monica Scotts eldest son, DaQuaylon, is 14 years old, but during the pandemic, he has had to take a jobunpaidas a babysitter. For the past few months, hes been looking after his brothers, ages 7 and 9, day and night, while his mother often works seven days a week to support the family. This puts a lot of pressure on him, says Scott. You know, hes at a mature age, hes into sports, he wants to participate in sports, and he cant. He gets overwhelmed at times. They live in Lakeland, Florida, the westernmost city of Polk County, which has had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the stateso high that even the smallest liberties and pleasures have eroded for the kids. The little ones are not even allowed to walk to the nearby ice cream truck by themselves anymore.

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After the pandemic struck, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County, which once offered after-school care, shut down. Now, each morning, Scott leaves her sons on their own when she goes to her job at McDonalds. Shes paid $9.25 an hour, though shes been there four years, with only a tiny hazard bonus ($79, she says). To make ends meet, she has a second job, working for Amazon sorting boxes, from 1:30 to 10 p.m., at the airport. Despite all of her hard work, she and her children cant afford a permanent home: The family lives in a motel. While shes still searching for affordable day care, she worries how trustworthy any cut-rate child care option would be. Its a lose-lose situation, she says.

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Scott is one of millions of parents in this country for whom child care in the age of the coronavirus is a bewildering crisis. As the debate about how to safely send American kids back to school rages on, day care remains mostly undiscussed by members of the political establishment, a quieter emergency. Yet according to the data gathered by the RAPID-EC surveying project from the University of Oregon, the pandemic day care crisis has been severely straining families, especially low-income ones.

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Its also affecting the comparatively well-offmiddle-class families not used to feeling that every last social structure has failed them, from the federal government to public (and private) schools. Day care is now one of those essential structures that elicits the same great confusion and desperation. How do parents attain and afford it in a pandemic? And if they can, should they risk it? Are only the richest parents and their children, who can spring for their own live-in or around-the-clock nannies and tutors, surviving this unscathed?

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Somebut far from allparents benefited directly from the CARES Act set-aside of $3.5 billion, says child care expert Elliot Haspel, because many states temporarily waived copays for lower-income families already receiving child care subsidies. (By contrast, Delta Airlines alone received more from CARES than the entire child care industry.) But the Center for Law and Social Policy and the National Womens Law Center estimate that a true stabilization package for the duration of the pandemic would cost $9.6 billion a month. Even that is a pittance compared with what is needed longer-term. A genuine universal child care system with high-quality care and solid salaries across the board would be more like a $70 billion annual proposition, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and others (Haspel and his ilk estimate it will cost much more: One Economic Policy Institute paper puts the cost between $337 billion and $495 billion).

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Across the country, Heather Carey, a medical-surgical nurse in Berlin, Vermont, has fewer financial worries: She and her husband, who is in the military and will deploy this winter, earn roughly $110,000 a year. Her day care nightmare is not the $11,000 a year her family spends for their two children for a program based in a womans home, but the fear that it will get shut down due to the coronavirus. We have been truly fortunate, but I dont know that it will always remain that way, says Carey. I feel like were going to be put in a situation because she is an in-home day care provider where she may end up having to close. According to a survey released in July by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 40 percent of child care programs have said they will have to close permanently without adequate outside help from the government.

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Thousands of miles from both Scott and Carey, Susana Morales and Oscar Marquez, Angelenos who are adjunct professors in the California State University system teaching Latin American studies and Chicana/o studies, once were planning to send their toddler to a subsidized on-campus day care. But when the campus closed, they scrambled. In the summer, they struggled to send their 7-year-old, Iyari, and 2-year-old, Santiago, to a camp and day care, respectively, that cost a total of $1,600 a month, almost as much as their rent, eating up much of what the two earn these days. Now, Santiago is going to day care, which costs $1,000, and Iyari is starting second grade distance learningmaking it almost impossible to work from home, says Marquez. They worry about Santi in day care but enrolled him despite the potential health risk because the kids were having a really hard time with being sheltered in place. They were really suffering. The couple is prepping for herculean course loads this semester. I have eight courses, and Susana has six, says Marquez. Si, ahorita te pongo la tele, Morales murmured to the kids before turning to talk with Arlene Mejorado, one of the photographers for this story. For the fall, were figuring out: What the heck are we supposed to do?

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The stories of the parents photographed here reveal not only how few resources are given to families bowing under the weight of this crisis but also how starved the day care system always was. The United States tends to overlook day care, viewing childrens care as something to be handled by individuals, not by the state. This makes America an anomaly globally. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. provides a lower percentage of its GDP to child care than many industrialized countries. While child care is 1.6 percent of the GDP of Sweden, its less than 0.5 percent in the United States.

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To better understand the plight of these parentsalong with millions of others like themI contacted some of the groups that currently organize on behalf of parents. Chief among them is MomsRising.org. It had an $8.9 million annual budget in 2017 and is the largest mothers organization in the country, with a million members. MomsRisings director, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, says the organization has fought hard to get real [political] acknowledgment that child care is not an industry but an infrastructure, and without it, parents cannot get to work.

One of her biggest battles has been to get the public to see that child care has been part of the slew of pandemic debacles. For many, many families, pre-pandemic day care emergencies, she says, are now full-blown crises.

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A handful of other groups align with MomsRising. But what if the pandemic could lead to a far greater mass movement for parents, and mothers in particular? It makes me think we need one fix above all others: a parents lobby organizing and fighting to make real and permanent changes for moms and dads during the pandemic and beyond. Its not so far-fetched. In other countries, womens movements have created sufficient shifts in child care (in the 1960s and 70s, Swedish feminists lobbied zealously for the expansion of child care, to great effect). That lobby would, among other more conventional requests, fight for a parental version of universal basic income that would be in effect at least as long as the pandemic continues its fugue. (Ive suggested that here, pre-pandemic, and in my last book Squeezed.) One model to look to: AARP, the behemoth that has represented American seniors since 1958 and had $8,020,000 in total lobbying expenditures alone in 2019.

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How could we build off of MomsRising and other groups successes? What holds us back?

I found plenty of things.

For starters, child care is needed most during a challenging stage people go through in life, says Elizabeth Palley, social work professor and co-author of In Our Hands: The Struggle for U.S. Child Care Policy. (Perhaps not so coincidentally, Palley and I are friends through our daughters and have at times pooled day care.) After hustling through those first five years, often without realizing that the problem isnt theirs alone and that most developed countries dont make it anywhere near as hard for mothers in particular, parents tend to move on in their preoccupations. In addition, the earliest years are a stressful period in which parents, especially poorer mothers, are worked to the bone or simply tired out by their kids. Parents usually dont have time to be politically engaged in the same way as some of the retirees of AARP, says Palley.

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The absence of affordable, safe day care during the pandemic is also the legacy of the long history of contempt and even hatred for the idea of women working outside of the home. In the late 19th century, when the carapace of our fragile child care system was created, it was intended for the unfortunate poorest women, who had no other choice but to work. Given the stigma placed upon women, and poor women in particular, its almost as if day care was intended from the start to be a weak system, a sort of punishment for needing care and thus for not having a husband or some other means of support. Racism has also long played a role in the child care system. Many of the working mothers early on were women of color, and some of the first day care providers were enslaved people caring for white children.

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Child care has been stigmatized in the modern era as well. In 1971, President Richard Nixon vetoed a major bill proposing national day care, saying that such a measure would commit the vast moral authority of the National Government to the side of communal approaches to child rearingin other words deriding universal child care as a sort of proxy Red Menace.

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And as recently as 2013, a Pew poll showed that 51 percent of those surveyed believed that their kids were better off if their mother stays at home with them, while only 8 percent said that fathers shouldnt work. The result of centuries of this sort of gender and racial bias is that we dont have a child care system. We have a child care non-system, says Haspel.

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The pandemic not only exposed this child care non-system for all to see but also shone light on gender variations lurking within families where couples previously imagined there was parity. Up in Vermont, Carey says that if day care were to shut down, shed be the one likely to have to quit her job. Amid lockdowns, furloughs, and layoffs, the absence or unaffordability of child care is starting to hold back womens employment.

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Theres also the way that kidsat home so much more than beforemay carry different expectations of their mothers, now constantly sitting near them in the living room, than they do of their fathers. It doesnt matter if Dads in charge, says Morales. Im at the computer, and theyre over there: Mommy, mommy, mommy.  Its hard for me to push my kids away.

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Men who work from home have been found by researchers to be more likely to maintain their personal and professional boundaries. For fathers, it can even increase their productivity. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, professional women with children do not share this experience: A recurring finding is that women are more likely to carry out more domestic responsibilities while working flexibly, whereas men are more likely to prioritize and expand their work spheres.

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As Allison Pugh, a sociologist of families at the University of Virginia, puts it: American couples have long been papering over gender-based conflicts about who does what in the home and how they have been using other womens paid labormostly women of colorto hide those conflicts from themselves. Now we cant hide anymore.

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But mother and father turning on each otheror parents judging one another for their supposed failuresis also something of a diversion, a battle royal that distracts families from the truth: that we have been betrayed by our political gentry. Childrens health and well-being has been placed squarely upon each mother, each family, each teacher, and each day care provider, rather than upon any political leader, all of whom should be taking clear national responsibility.

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Individual parents have also been responsible for pushing even the smallest federal benefits for families. MomsRising has directed 406,632 citizen political responses to Congress since the pandemic started. Its members have made 41,790 phone calls to representatives since March supporting COVID-19 relief packages.

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In response, our political leadership has been all over the map. Joe Biden has put forth a proposal for a 10-year, $775 billion plan for care in general, including that of elders and disabled adults. The campaigns policy agenda also includes 12 weeks of paid family leave and national free universal prekindergarten programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. At the Republican National Convention, Ivanka Trump attempted to claim day care as a victory for her and her father. Four years ago I told you my father would focus on making child care affordable and accessible, she said. As part of Republican tax cuts in 2019 alone, our child tax credit put over $2,000 into the pockets of 40 million American families, a credit which works out to a benefit of at most $166 a month. Trumps most notable pandemic child care plan seemed to me to consist of shoving schools doors open. (A recent campaign video inaccurately asserted children were virtually immune to the coronavirus.)

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To me this suggests that even if Democrats prevail in November, more pressure must be applied to save the child care system, while the crisis is still burning, which means any incipient parents movement must form all the faster.

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In the meantime, its parents like Monica Scottand her caregiver sonwho are suffering the most during this national child care crisis. I am putting my life on the line as an essential worker with no help, and at the same time my kids need to be somewhere.

They are going to have to make programs for working parents! says Scott. If school doesnt open up, which I think it shouldnt  I am believing that something good is going to happen.

Photography produced by Brittany M. Powell.

This story was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
Eminent Wits epidemiologist elected to African Academy of Sciences

Professor Shane Norris has been elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) for his work on the developmental origins of health and disease.

Norris is Director of the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence in Human Development based at Wits University.

AAS Fellows are individuals who have reached the highest level of excellence in their field of expertise and have made contributions to the advancement of the field in Africa. Fellows are elected through a rigorous review process based on their achievements that include their publication record, innovations, leadership roles, and contribution to society.

To be recognised by Africas foremost science research organization is a great honour. My area of research  infant and maternal health and its social and economic repercussions for generations down the line  has indeed received a boost and recognition of its importance in Africa," says Norris.

Norris's election acknowledges the critical work he has done in Africa, especially around the developmental origins of health and disease. His research focuses on lifecourse epidemiology with a specific interest in the development of intergenerational risk for obesity and diabetes. He also runs the Wits South African Medical Research Council-Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit (DPHRU).

The DPHRU is part of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits. The unit investigates genetic, physiological, psycho-social, and lifestyle determinants of growth and development; obesity and risk of cardio-metabolic disease; and healthy ageing through innovative multi-disciplinary methodologies across the life-course.

Norris has over 22 years of research experience in longitudinal birth cohort studies and population and non-communicable disease epidemiology and is the lead investigator of the Soweto First 1000 Days cohort, and co-Principal Investigator of the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort, which is Africas longest running cohort study.

In November 2019, Norris received Wits' Vice-Chancellor's Research Award, which acknowledges the achievements of an exceptional Wits scholar who has demonstrated high levels of research excellence over a sustained period of time. He was also a recipient previously of the UK Medical Reseach Council and Department of International Development African Research Leader Award.

Norris has published over 330 papers, mentored 11 postdoctoral research fellows, and supervised/supervising 90 postgraduate students.
The Khmer Rouge commander known as 'Comrade Duch', Pol Pot's premier executioner and security chief who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Kaing Guek Eav or 'Comrade Duch' was the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to face trial for his role within a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in the "killing fields" of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Duch died at 00:52 a.m. (1752 GMT on Tuesday) at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

In 2010, a U.N. tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, the former Phnom Penh high school which still stands as a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.

He was given a life sentence two years later after his appeal that he was just a junior official following orders was rejected. Duch - by the time of his trial a born-again Christian - expressed regret for his crimes.

Under Duch's leadership, detainees at Tuol Sleng prison, codenamed "S-21", were ordered to suppress cries of agony as Khmer Rouge guards, many of whom were teenagers, sought to extract confessions for non-existent crimes through torture.

The guards were instructed to "smash to bits" traitors and counter-revolutionaries. For the Khmer Rouge, that could mean anyone from school teachers to children, to pregnant women and "intellectuals" identified as such for wearing glasses.

Beneath Tuol Sleng's chaotic facade, Duch - himself a former maths teacher - had an obsessive eye for detail and kept his school-turned-jail meticulously organised.

"Nothing in the former schoolhouse took place without Duch's approval. His control was total," wrote photographer and author Nic Dunlop, who found Duch in 1999 hiding near the Thai border, two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

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"Not until you walk through the empty corridors of Tuol Sleng does Stalin's idiom that one death is a tragedy - a million a statistic, take on a terrifying potency," Dunlop wrote in his account of Duch and his atrocities, "The Lost Executioner".

At S-21, new prisoners had their mugshots taken. Hundreds are now on display within its crumbling walls.

Norng Chan Phal, one of the few people to have survived S-21, was a boy when he and his parents were sent to Duch's prison and interrogated on suspicion of having links to the Khmer Rouge's mortal enemy, Vietnam.

His parents were tortured and killed but Chan Phal survived to give testimony at Duch's trial in 2010.

"He was cooperative, he spoke to the court frankly. He apologised to all S-21 victims and asked them to open their hearts. He apologised to me too," Chan Phal told Reuters.

"He apologised. But justice is not complete".

(REUTERS)
The government has pulled another U-turn after local lockdown easing in some northern areas was halted following a spike in cases.

Bolton and Trafford had their coronavirus restrictions relaxed today, in a move that mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham described as completely illogical in light of an uptick in cases.

Health secretary Matt Hancock has now confirmed the restrictions will in fact remain, stating: Following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days, a decision has been taken that Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing restrictions."

Pedestrians in face coverings carry boxes and shopping bags as they walk past shops in Oldham, Greater Manchester. (Getty)

Yet another govt U-turn mid-#PMQs.

New @MattHancock statement

Following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days, a decision has been taken that Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing restrictions."

Big victory for @AndyBurnhamGM  Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) September 2, 2020

Burnham this morning urged residents to ignore the governments lifting of local lockdown measures, saying there was no logic to the governments new lockdown rules.

He said that the lockdown easing made for a completely unsustainable position  and urged residents to continue avoiding having social gatherings at their homes.

Despite what I and local press understood, Bolton is being kept in local lockdown. I'm disappointed at how this important decision has been communicated because of the impact this will have on people's lives.  Chris Green (@CGreenUK) September 2, 2020

It's not that they won't come out of restrictions, they did, for *12 hours* while the government ignored the overwhelming evidence, and local objections to the move



The handling of this crisis has been woeful, risking lives, harming the economy and causing constant confusion https://t.co/dcskOHHgE0  Jim McMahon MP (@JimfromOldham) September 2, 2020

Bolton West MP Chris Green said he was disappointed at how the decision was communicated.

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He tweeted: Despite what I and local press understood, Bolton is being kept in local lockdown. I'm disappointed at how this important decision has been communicated because of the impact this will have on people's lives.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, sanitises his hands before a memorial service for the victims of coronavirus at Manchester Cathedral. (Getty)

Completely illogical

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme this morning, Burnham said: We find ourselves at a completely unsustainable position this morning  thats the politest way I can put it.

Overnight, weve had restrictions released in two boroughs where weve got a rising number of cases  in one case, in the red zone. And neighbouring boroughs are still under restrictions but with much lower numbers of cases.

These restrictions were always hard to explain to the public, but they are completely illogical now.

Burnham called on the government to introduce targeted interventions to form the start of an exit strategy out of the local lockdowns.

Cases uptick

The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Bolton has jumped from 18.4 per 100,000 people in the seven days to 22 August to 59.1 in the seven days to 29 August, with 170 new cases. The rate in Trafford has risen from 19.4 to 35.4, with 84 new cases.

Analysis showed that new cases in Bolton were spread across the borough and not limited to a single area, community, or place of work, said the towns council.

Infections between different households appear to be the main cause of the spike with people aged 18-49 representing the overwhelming majority of new cases.

Chaos and confusion

Council leaders in Trafford had recommended that restrictions be maintained to wait for more evidence of a sustained downward trend in positive cases but were overruled by the government.

Labour council leader Andrew Western has written to health secretary Matt Hancock to urgently request clarity on the governments position on Trafford.

In his letter, Western said: In short, this decision has caused chaos and confusion that not only impacts potentially on the health of my residents but on the likelihood of compliance in neighbouring boroughs that now have a lower infection rate than Trafford.

Labour council leader Andrew Western has written to health secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) over the governments position on Trafford. (Getty)

The proposed arrangements now make little sense.

The system has been undermined by the governments decision-making processes.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: We are working closely with leaders and local authorities across Greater Manchester and Lancashire in response to the changing situation and we keep all local restrictions under constant consideration.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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YEREVAN.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia considers the controversial statement Zareh Sinanyan, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, as a personal opinion. Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson for the MFA, stated about this at a press conference on Wednesday.

Recently, Sinanyan had stated that the Japanese were a synthesis of the Chinese and the Koreans. Tokyo, however, has ignored this statement.

Asked whether Sinanyan was called to the MFA after this statement, Naghdalyan recalled that the diaspora commissioner and the FM are both members of the Armenian government and such an action would not be correct.

And to the question whether the FM and the commissioner had talked about this matter, Naghdalyan responded that there was virtually a daily communication between them, but she did not know whether this matter was discussed.
Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Hoai Duong underlined the major achievements of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam in national construction and defence, especially the remarkable successes seen in the more than three decades of doi moi (renovation).

Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoai Duong (Source: VNA)



He also affirmed Vietnams increasing position in the international arena, contributing to maintaining peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Chair of ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

2020 also marks the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Mexico diplomatic relations (May 19, 1975 - 2020). The two countries friendship and cooperation have been further strengthened through political consultations, the joint committee on economic, trade and investment cooperation, and cooperation agreements on culture, education, and science and technology, he added.

Claudia Franco Hijuelos, Director General for Asia-Pacific at the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the friendship with Vietnam - a young and dynamic Southeast Asian nation.

The two countries have remained side-by-side in handling global challenges and supported each other at multilateral forums since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, she added.

Vietnam is currently Mexicos 14th-largest trade partner globally and the eighth-largest in the Asia-Pacific, with trade value hitting 6 billion USD last year.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to further bolster bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations, she noted.

She also voiced her hope that the Mexico-Vietnam friendship and cooperation will be enhanced in the time to come for the sake of the people of both countries.

Videos featuring Vietnams achievements in economics and trade along with its landscapes, people, and cuisine were also screened for Mexican and international friends./.
The island of Anguilla in the Caribbean, which said it had no current virus cases, recently announced it would begin welcoming travelers who must apply to visit, giving preference to those from countries with lower infection rates and those who plan an extended stay. Travelers must arrive with evidence of a recent test showing they do not carry the virus. They will also need to quarantine for 10 to 14 days when they arrive, undergo two more virus tests and pay a fee for these services. The web portal states that Anguilla is open for approved visitors from certain countries.
The dog days of summer have come to a close, and investors want to know what the fall has in store for the market. August was kind to the stock market, with the S&P 500 gaining more than 7% in the month. This impressive performance marked the indexs best return for the month since 1984. But have stocks surged enough for now?

No, so says one investment firm. Oppenheimer, which earns a top spot on TipRanks list of Top Performing Research Firms, has locked in on what it argues are exciting opportunities. These are names that wont break the bank, and boast colossal growth prospects for the twelve months ahead, namely penny stocks.

These tickers going for less than $5 apiece are tricky, so some due diligence is necessary. Using TipRanks database, we got all of the details, to see why they are so compelling even with the risk involved.

Baudax Bio (BXRX)

First up we have Baudax Bio, which is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative products for acute care settings. With shares changing hands for $2.80, Oppenheimer believes that the share price presents an attractive entry point.

Writing for the firm, analyst Leland Gershell believes that following its June 1 launch, the company's non-opioid pain treatment, Anjeso, is showing signs of early but clear commercial progress in the face of COVID-19 headwinds. To back up this statement, he cites formulary wins, a supply agreement with a major group purchasing organization (GPO) and a deal with a large integrated delivery network (IDN).

Looking more closely at Anjesos initial uptake, outpatient centers represent the majority. According to Gershell, this bodes well for the company as the approval process tends to be simpler and faster vs. large hospital systems, and reflects BXRX's outside-in detailing strategy.

The analyst added, Operating room anesthesiologists and surgeons (including general and orthopedic), as well as interventional pain specialists, are expressing interest in Anjeso as a differentiated non-opioid analgesic for moderate-to-severe acute pain that can be readily incorporated into multimodal combinations.

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As for the GPO agreement, Vizient's network is comprised of more than half of U.S. acute care providers, 95% of academic medical centers and over 20% of ambulatory care providers, with this representing over $100 billion in annual purchasing volume. Agreements with additional GPOs should follow. Direct purchase agreement with a top-3 IDN lays the groundwork for Anjeso inclusion into standard surgical order sets for member institutions, Gershell commented.

Adding to the good news, starting October 1, a unique HCPCS J-code assigned to Anjeso is set to take effect. This code will be used by all physician's offices, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals for reimbursement, standardizing and simplifying product access.

To this end, Gershell rates BXRX an Outperform (i.e. Buy) along with an $11 price target. Should this target be met, a twelve-month gain of 289% could be in the cards. (To watch Gershells track record, click here)

Turning now to the rest of the Street, other analysts echo Gershells sentiment. 3 Buys and no Holds or Sells add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. Based on the average price target of $11.67, the upside potential comes in at a whopping 312%. (See BXRX stock analysis on TipRanks)

aTyr Pharma (LIFE)

Using an innovative approach, aTyr Pharma translates biology into cutting-edge therapies designed to improve patient outcomes. Given the resumption of some of its clinical activity and its $3.67 share price, its no wonder Oppenheimer is pounding the table.

5-star analyst Hartaj Singh points out that the Phase 1b/2a trial of lead candidate, ATYR1923, in pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS) has resumed enrollment, with LIFE expected to announce a readout timeframe when the enrollment wraps up. We anticipate a topline proof-of-concept (PoC) readout in 1H21. Kyorin Pharmaceutical (aTyr's partner) also initiated ATYR1923 in (P1) healthy volunteers in Japan this week, the analyst stated.

That being said, the therapys potential goes even further. The Phase 2 trial of ATYR1923 in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory complications is progressing right on track, with a topline readout set to come by YE20.

Part of what makes the therapy stand out is its unique mechanism of action, which makes it well suited for use in treating severe respiratory complications, in Singhs opinion. Importantly, based on the therapys preclinical model in ARDS, the analyst argues LIFE could potentially establish PoC efficacy data in COVID-19 prior to PS.

This prompted Singh to comment, We believe ATYR1923's blue sky scenario in COVID-19 patients looks promising, given the lack of novel targeted therapies for severe respiratory complications by SARS-CoV-2 and other triggers... We see a likelihood that, under such a rigorous trial design, positive data could potentially get ATYR1923 an emergency use authorization without having to expand into a full Phase 3.

If that wasnt enough, Singh thinks LIFEs NRP2 science has significant opportunities beyond the current pipeline. This could be expanded into additional inflammatory/fibrotic lung diseases and cancers in 2021.

Expounding on this, Singh said, Expected by YE20 is an IND monoclonal antibody aTyr will declare from its Neuropilin-2 (NRP2) antibody program. Multiple NRP2 antibodies demonstrated anti-tumor effects; one of them (aNRP2-10) blocked VEGF-C binding to NRP2, exhibiting increased sensitivity to chemotherapy in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Based on all of the above, Singh rates LIFE an Outperform (i.e. Buy) along with an $12 price target. This target conveys Singhs confidence in LIFEs ability to soar 229% in the next year. (To watch Singhs track record, click here)

What do other analysts have to say? Only Buy ratings, 3 to be exact, have been received in the last three months, so the consensus rating is a Strong Buy. The $13.33 average price target suggests 265% upside potential. (See LIFE stock analysis on TipRanks)

Amyris Inc. (AMRS)

Amyris, which engineers, manufactures and sells sustainably sourced products into the Health & Wellness, Clean Skincare and Flavors & Fragrances markets, takes the last spot on our list. Based on its impressive bio-manufacturing platform and $3.38 share price, Oppenheimer thinks its time for investors to get in on the action.

The firms Colin Rusch believes the underlying growth story driven by the technology platform and product offerings remain intact. This is evidenced by its 36% year-over-year recurring revenue growth in Q2 despite COVID-19-related production and demand headwinds.

Rusch added, AMRS still expects to grow revenue 80% year-over in 2020 as the company is seeing a healthy balance of ingredient demand as well as consumer activity with its clean beauty brands. We will be looking for evidence of adjuvant customer activity, which may prove transformative for AMRS.

Reflecting another positive, AMRS is managing costs in a number of ways. On top of reducing cash interest expense by roughly $30 million per year with the recent debt retirement and restructuring, the company has seen the low-point on manufacturing margins with the COVID-19 related shutdowns and low utilization now behind it, in Ruschs opinion. Last, we believe the company has flattened OpEx and will enjoy significant operating leverage going forward, he also mentioned.

This combined with the fact that AMRS is still expected to become EBITDA positive in Q4 2020 keeps Rusch constructive on shares.

But what else makes AMRS so promising? Besides the core ingredient and clean beauty growth, we are encouraged to see traction in its Purecane product as well as progress in discussions for its adjuvant capabilities for the vaccine market, Rusch explained.

To this end, Rusch remains optimistic about the companys long-term growth narrative. As a result, rates AMRS an Outperform (i.e. Buy). The price target was kept at $9, implying shares could gain 166% in the next twelve months. (To watch Ruschs track record, click here)

Looking at the consensus breakdown, 2 Buys and no Holds or Sells have been published in the last three months, which add up to a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The $10 average price target indicates shares could skyrocket 194% in the next year. (See Amyris stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
India, Australia and Indonesia are set to hold two virtual meetings of their foreign and defence ministers to bolster regional cooperation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, people familiar with developments said on Wednesday.

The meetings will be held against the backdrop of Chinas increasingly aggressive actions across the region, ranging from the border standoff with India to territorial claims in the South China Sea backed by the concentration of military assets.

The meetings have been in the works for some time and the video conference of the foreign ministers  S Jaishankar, Marise Payne of Australia and Retno Marsudi of Indonesia  is expected later this month, and will be followed by the meeting of defence ministers, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

This is a fast moving trilateral with the defence and foreign ministers expected to meet over the next couple of months. All three countries have a shared interest in an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, one of the people said.

The foreign ministers will focus on working collaboratively to strengthen regional institutions such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), which includes Asean states and their dialogue partners, and the 22-member Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the people said.

The defence ministers will focus on maritime security cooperation at their subsequent meeting, the people added.

Officials working on the initiative have coined the term minilateral to describe the coming together of the three countries.

With the worlds biggest democracy, India, Asias oldest democracy, Australia, and the largest Muslim-majority democracy in the form of Indonesia, we think this could be one of the regions most important minilaterals, said the person cited above.

The final schedules for the meetings are yet to be locked down but Indonesian foreign minister Marsudi tweeted last week she had discussed the upcoming trilateral meet with her Australian counterpart Payne during a phone call on August 26.

Indonesian defence minister Prabowo Subiantos visit to New Delhi in late July provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss expansion of security cooperation and Chinas activities in the region, the people said.

Subianto was one of the rare foreign leaders to visit India amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The possible sale of the BrahMos cruise missile to Indonesia had figured in talks. A statement issued by Indias defence ministry said both ministers agreed to take defence ties to the next level of deliverables.

Australian high commissioner Barry OFarrell, while delivering a speech at Indias National Defence College in April, had said the three countries should identify new ways in which they can collaborate to be the best possible custodians of the Indian Ocean.

Rear Admiral (retired) Sudarshan Shrikhande, a strategy affairs expert who focuses on the Indo-Pacific, described the planned meetings as a good development, especially in view of growing concerns about China.

An increasing number of nations globally, but even more so across the Indo-Pacific are seriously concerned about Chinas claims, belligerence and arm-twisting while recognising the potential of its powerful military, he said.

A coming together of Australia, Indonesia and India could be a key contributor to stability, freedom of the commons and mutual understanding and respect, Shrikhande said, adding the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad will have greater heft if it expands regional security cooperation to involve Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Actor Keanu Reeves, the internets favourite celebrity, turned 56 on Wednesday. From wholesome memes on him to obsessing over how chivalrous the Matrix star is, fans simply cannot get enough of him.

Almost nine years ago, a picture of Keanu Reeves went viral on social media where Keanu, the internets favourite boyfriend, can be sitting on a roadside bench, eating a sandwich and looking miserable. Little did the actor know that he would go on to become one of the cult memes on social media.

Dont call yourself a millennial if you havent seen the sad Keanu" memes yet.

Keanu has had a diverse career in Hollywood spanning over thirty years. During this period, he has acted in countless movies and proved himself as a versatile actor.

More than his roles, he has built quite a reputation of being one of the most generous and nicest guys in Hollywood. All you have to do is Google stories on him online, and youll be bombarded with anecdotes which establish what a gem of a person he really is.

Theres a reason why Keanu has managed to retain his position as a celebrated star. Most of us remember that video where he is asked about what happens to people when they die. His answer, simple and heartfelt, took our breath away. In a few words, Keanu stated the most obvious yet oft-ignored fact - when people die, those who love them miss them". Made you tear up? Yes, same.

Exactly one year ago, YouTuber PewDiePie, whose claim to fame has been online commentating and taking digs at absurd Internet content, posted a video praising Keanu. In the video, he broke down why the people loved the actor and why hes conquering the internet all over again.

Watch the video here: PewDiePie Explaining Why Keanu Reeves Has Taken Over Internet All Over Again is a Must Watch

Read more here: From Keanu Leaves to Keanu Reads, Keanu Reeves Puns Are Taking Over the Internet

Keanu has had his share of sadness; his tragic past is well-known and has been spoken about often. Yet, despite adverse circumstances, he has managed to retain the title of most generous and humble individuals the world has come across. A true gentleman, without a doubt.

Also, did you know that he donated eighty per cent of his earnings from the Matrix series? His sister had been diagnosed with leukaemia and she was cured; he ensured that his hard-earned money went to a good cause. And the best part is, Keanu never publicizes the work he does for charity.

A few months ago, Keanu promised a 15-minute private date in exchange to raise money for an Idaho-based childrens cancer charity. The actor promised to answer questions and share a virtual glass of wine in a Zoom call to the highest bidder in a nearly 50-lot auction for Camp Rainbow Gold.

Need more reasons to fall in love with him all over again?

Also, did you know that Keanu is soon going to be back with the fourth installment of the Matrix franchise? The shooting for the film had to be shut down abruptly when the coronavirus pandemic hit; but now, the actor has announced that he has resumed shooting in Berlin.

Youre breathtaking, Keanu.
A fisherman who cast a line in a croc-infested waterway has been filmed moments away from becoming a saltwater predator's catch of the day.

Footage of the close encounter at Cahills Crossing in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park shows the angler quickly reeling in a fish as a crocodile approaches the bridge he was casting from.

The large animal can be seen swimming toward the man's catch in the murky water nearby before turning to face him as he reels it in.

As soon as the man has the fish in hand, he turns to walk away but does a double take and scurries back to pick an item off the ground.

Footage of the close encounter at Cahills Crossing in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park shows the angler (pictured) quickly reeling in a fish and hurriedly walking away before turning back to pick something up as a crocodile approaches the bridge he was casting from

The shocking moment, which was shared on social media on August 27, was watched by two others in the background.

A woman behind the camera can be heard nervously laughing at situation as she predicts the man's actions.

'He's going to get it out before he gets to him,' she said.

Daily Mail Australia reached out to the video's owner for comment.

The horrifying encounter was filmed just days before a 4.4 metre, 250kg saltwater male crocodile was trapped in the Flora River Nature Park - about 120 kilometres south-west of Katherine and about three hours from Kakadu National Park.

It was the largest croc caught in the Flora River by local rangers in about five years.

The August 27 encounter was filmed just days before a 4.4 metre, 250kg male saltwater croc (pictured) was trapped in the Flora River Nature Park - about 120 kilometres south-west of Katherine and about three hours from Kakadu National Park

The catch followed a 3.3 metre male saltwater croc (pictured) being caught in the Katherine River - 55 kilometres downstream of Katherine - last week

Cahills Crossing has had a string of other near-death experiences with locals and tourists getting up close and personal with huge packs of crocs.

Last month a tourist was spotted sitting on the edge of the croc-infected riverbank, trying to lure in one of the predators by slapping the water with a stick for a selfie.

Campbell and Cheryl Brodie, who were horrified to see the man so close to the animals while visiting from South Australia, said they spotted at least a dozen crocs lurking in the water and were bracing themselves for the man to be taken.

'I decided to take the photo of him squatting there so we could ID him to the cops,' Mr Brodie told the NT News.

'We counted 11 crocs in the area in front of the viewing platform and a couple on the lower side.'

At one stage the selfie taker was within five metres of a crocodile and was even splashing the water with his hand to draw them in.

The couple repeatedly told him to stay back but he ignored their warnings.

The Cahills Crossing encounter also followed a tourist being filmed sitting on the edge of the croc-infected riverbank (pictured), trying to lure in one of the predators by slapping the water with a stick for a selfie

Cahills Crossing is notorious for having large numbers of crocodiles as tourists race to get through unscathed

Despite the string of danger signs surrounding the crossing, the man told the couple he simply wanted to get a closer look.

'He showed no fear or concern for his own safety,' Mr Brodie said, adding the man luckily survived.

Rachelle Wastle and her husband Peter were driving through the crossing in early August when they were blocked by a dozen crocodiles.

Terrifying video footage shows the couple's car submerged into water as they attempted to cross to the other side of the river.

Mrs Wastle told Daily Mail Australia she and her husband had been taking advantage of the Northern Territory's long weekend and had been camping in Cobourg Peninsula.

The couple were returning to their home in Darwin.

'We were fine with the crocodiles, we are used to them now,' she said.

'We had been camping in an area where you walk along the beach and a crocodile would appear two metres in front of you.'

The crocodiles eventually began to move out of the way of the vehicle in chase of food.

Crocodiles are a common occurrence at the crossing and one 40-year-old man, Kerry McLoughlin was tragically taken and decapitated by one in 1987.

Visitors continue to flock to the area.

A group of saltwater crocodiles are seen swimming at Cahills Crossing in the Northern Territory

Video footage captured the terrifying moment a couple were stuck in the middle of Cahills Crossing (pictured), a popular spot in Kakadu National Park, notorious for saltwater crocodiles

In 2019, shocking footage emerged of a croc stealing a fisherwoman's catch of the day at a popular spot known for being infected with saltwater predators.

The footage of the woman quickly retreating backwards at Cahills Crossing in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park made headlines around the country.

She dashed out of frame before another man appeared to attempt to scoop up the large fish but failed when he was scared off by the oncoming croc.

The saltwater giant was seen launching itself from the water onto the bridge and quickly moving toward the fish.

It then turned its head to the left and smacks its teeth down on the woman's catch before gobbling it up in eight bites.

Standing proudly for a brief moment, it slowly retreated to the murky water.

In 2019, shocking footage emerged of a croc stealing a fisherwoman's catch of the day at a popular spot known for being infected with saltwater predators (pictured)

The saltwater giant was seen launching itself from the water onto the bridge and quickly moving toward the fish. It then turned its head to the left and smacks its teeth down on the woman's catch before gobbling it up in eight bites (pictured)
The brother and sister of a Uyghur academic living in exile are in poor health in prison in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) after being jailed for sending gifts to the scholar, a 30-year resident and citizen of Turkey.



Convicted of aiding and abetting terrorists for their support of Erkin Emet, a lecturer at Anakara University and a freelance journalist, Erkins sister Nurnisa and brother Enver, who has high blood pressure, are now serving prison terms of 14 and 11 years respectively.



Both are now suffering ill health made worse by their time in prison, and have been transferred from Peylu prison in Kashgars Yarkand county to a prison hospital in Yopurgha county many miles away, Erkin Emet told RFAs Uyghur Service this week.



They put my younger brother Enver in Peylu prison, but his blood pressure got really high and he grew very ill, and so they took him and Nurnisa to Yopurgha prison, Erkin said.



Theyre apparently not in good health now, Erkin said. But are they being treated for their health problems? This is something I worry about.



Chinese authorities meanwhile seized jewelry and other valuables belonging to Nurnisa in order to satisfy a fine of 3 million RMB (U.S. $439,980) a court imposed on her and her husband, also serving a prison term in the case, Erkin said.



Because they were unable to pay the fines, police came into the house and gathered up my sisters jewelry, every little thing they had, and took them away, Erkin said. Thats how they got their money.



Reached for comment, an official at the Yopurgha county judiciary confirmed Nurnisas poor state of health, saying Shes not doing well, adding that she had been moved from Yarkand to a medical facility at the Yopurgha prison about three months before.



No move has been made to take her elsewhere for treatment, though, because of travel restrictions aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Well do it if the roads open again, he said.



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.



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.



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.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Elise Anderson. Written in English by Richard Finney.
The United States Postal Service is an essential part of our public health infrastructure. Rain or shine, the USPS delivers a significant quantity of prescription drugs to Americans of all stripes each yearalmost 313 million prescriptions in 2019. Prescriptions have been sent by mail for over 100 years; the service is particularly important for the most vulnerable members of American society. The Veterans Health Administration now distributes 80 percent of prescriptions through the mail, and more than a quarter of Americans over age 60 regularly receive mail-order prescription drugs. These statistics will likely rise, as the volume of mail-order prescriptions has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Now, along with the rest of the mail, prescription drugs are experiencing delays. Ensuring an adequately funded and well-run USPS is not just a matter of protecting the election through the timely delivery of mail-in ballots. Its also a matter of protecting public health. In an announcement that they were launching an investigation into prescription drug delays, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey pointed out that the millions of Americans who rely on the mail for chronic health conditions like diabetes and asthma are at grave risk. With the opioid crisis still raging amid a pandemic, Americans in some states also now rely on the USPS for their supply of the life-saving medication naloxone. Mail-in ballots themselves are a health issue, as they offer a way to avoid the chance of infection at a crowded polling location. During in acute health crisis, the government should be investing in and supporting USPS operations and treating the service like the public health tool that it is.

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Theres a long history of the federal government using the post office to respond to public health crises. In the early 19th century, the post office took on a formal public health role when it became the primary means of transporting the smallpox vaccine. Edward Jenner, an English doctor, discovered in 1796 that exposing patients to cowpox, a harmless bovine virus, conferred immunity to smallpox. In 1800, physician Benjamin Waterhouse became the first American to acquire the vaccine, after Jenner agreed to mail it to him in the form of dried threads crusted with pus. Waterhouse then mailed some of his supply to other American physicians, who in turn sent it to their colleagues. The vaccine circulated widely in this way. Within two years it had reached the Mississippi Territory, then still a remote backwater, though one that could nonetheless receive mail, and therefore a vaccine.

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At the time, vaccinating a population was a little more complicated than administering shots. Doctors would scrape the dried vaccine pus they had received in their mailboxes into a cut on a patients arm. Then, once the patient developed a cowpox lesiona pustule that took about a week to formthe physician would scrape pus from the first patients lesion into another patients incision. They found those patients through the mail, too, with newspaper advertisements. Patients arrived en masse at dispensaries, schools, private homes, or even bookstores, where vaccinating physicians had set up shop. Still, maintaining a consistent supply of cowpox was difficult. The wild virus was rare, especially in the United States. Accordingly, some communities and states established central locations where a physician would maintain the vaccine and distribute itin person or by mailto other vaccinators in the area.

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One enterprising doctor, James Smith, saw the potential to develop a vaccine distribution system at a federal level. Smith wrote to President James Madison in 1809 on the ongoing problem of smallpox, the spread of which could be easily, checked by the Vaccine, at any Season of the year, with a little industry. He argued that with proper directions people who couldnt easily access a physician could, if supplied some pus, simply administer the vaccine to themselves. In 1813, Congress passed An Act to Encourage Vaccination, which established Smith as the nations first vaccine agent. His role was to preserve the vaccine and to furnish the same to any citizen of the United States  through the medium of the post office, free of postage charge. Once appointed, Smith circulated a notice to newspaper editors across the U.S. In it, Smith explained that he would send instructions, an instrument to perform vaccination, and an inspection certificate that verified the authenticity of the vaccine to anyone who applied.

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This was an unprecedented piece of legislationand one of questionable constitutionality, as matters of public health were generally regulated by states rather than the federal government. It is difficult to know exactly why the federal government passed the act. Perhaps, with the War of 1812 raging, Madison worried that smallpox could devastate the Army, as had happened during the early years of the Revolutionary War. It is likely that Madison recognized the importance of a consistent vaccine supply to protect both the army and the general population. Outbreaks often accompanied periods of armed conflict, during which soldiers traveled together and lived in close quarters.

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The Vaccine Institute, as Smiths project was called, was the product of his singular vision, but he did not work alone. As historian Richard R. John has shown, Smith depended upon an army of postmasters. The post office was a formidable force, greater in size than the actual Army. It was well respected and, by association, imbued the vaccine with a metaphorical stamp of governmental and medical legitimacy. By all accounts, the vaccine distribution system worked smoothly. That is, until 1821, when Smith accidentally sent smallpox itself to Tarboro, North Carolina, instead of cowpox, causing a deadly outbreak. Smith was swiftly fired and, after a fierce congressional debate, An Act to Encourage Vaccination was repealed. The experiment had ended, but not without demonstrating just how useful the post office could be for promoting public health, if used wisely.

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The post office might have been part of a failed public health effort, but it didnt lose importance as a public health tool. Physicians continued to rely on the post office to transport the smallpox vaccine to one another, as well as to advertise their services in newspapers, circulate medical literature, and exchange correspondence about new theories and techniques. The post office was the primary means of distributing health information in the United States for a long period of time. New agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have taken on increased responsibility for public health messaging. But in times of crisis, the federal government has continued to rely on the USPS. In 1988, for example, amid the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop sent a pamphlet titled Understanding AIDS to every American home. The pamphlet explained that HIV was contracted only through direct contact with bodily fluids, in an effort to encourage safer practices and destigmatize the illness.

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As a key federal civilian logistics agency with an enormous nationwide physical footprint, the USPS could be mobilized as a trusted partner in combating the current pandemic by distributing information, masks, and testing materials. The government has taken small steps in this direction, mailing Americans postcards encouraging them to social distance. Maybe youve sent loved ones masks in the mail or ordered medications online to avoid risking a trip to the store when case counts were high. To enable people to remain connectedand healthywhile staying physically apart during the ongoing pandemic, the USPS requires resources. A pandemic is a particularly bad time to kneecap it.
Authorities disperse people from a park in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25. Morry Gash/AP

The police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a federal officer last week arrested food-truck workers at gunpoint, alleging that their presence at a gas station was evidence that they were "preparing for criminal activity" amid protests prompted by the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

A Riot Kitchen leader rejected claims that the group was breaking the law, saying they were filling fuel jugs needed to power their generator on their bus. Riot Kitchen supports protesters with food and supplies and says these efforts can deescalate confrontations.

Six of the workers arrested were held for nearly 48 hours in what one attorney said was a blatant attempt to keep them away from protests.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Riot Kitchen bus was never supposed to be in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The members of the Seattle-based food nonprofit were driving cross-country to the March on Washington, DC, when a police officer in Kenosha shot Jacob Blake on August 23. The group detoured to support the growing protests against police brutality there.

But they never got the chance to help.

The same police department whose officer shot Blake seven times in the back arrested eight activists with US marshals' assistance and impounded three vehicles on August 26, soon after Riot Kitchen arrived in the city.

Part of the arrests was caught on video, which appeared to show Kenosha police officers and at least one US marshal detaining members of Riot Kitchen near their converted school bus, then smashing in the windows of the group's minivan and dragging them into unmarked vehicles.

The group was at a Speedway gas station filling up fuel jugs to run the generators that power its kitchen and living areas on the bus when officers with weapons drawn arrested them, a leader with the nonprofit said, adding that its purpose is to deescalate protests by providing free food for demonstrators.

The presence of federal agents in Kenosha invited comparisons to Portland, Oregon, where federal agents driving unmarked cars snatched activists off the street earlier this summer. In a statement, the US Marshals Service confirmed to Insider that its agents were working with local law enforcement to address rioting, looting, and other federal crimes.

Story continues

Booking information showed that the arrests of Riot Kitchen's activists originated with the Kenosha police.

In a statement released Thursday, the Kenosha Police Department said a "citizen tip" alerted officers to "several suspicious vehicles" with out-of-state license plates. After surveilling the group, the department, assisted by the US Marshals, arrested the activists at the gas station. The statement said that the activists filling the fuel cans led officers to suspect that they were "preparing for criminal activity."

Jennifer Schurle, a member of Riot Kitchen's board of directors, said the group was preparing to help protesters and was not breaking the law.

"We reject all claims that our crew was there to incite violence or build explosives," Schurle said in a statement on Friday. "Our nonprofit organization has always been and will always be about feeding people."

The group said that the officers  who can be seen in the video with weapons drawn  did not identify themselves. The Kenosha Police Department's statement said the officers did identify themselves.

Schurle said that after their arrest, members of the collective "were thrown into holding cells and kept for hours without water or blankets and denied phone calls to their loved ones."

Two of the eight volunteers arrested were released on bond on Thursday, while the rest were held until Friday, close to 48 hours after their arrest. They were held in Kenosha's county jail in pretrial detention, all on misdemeanor disorderly-conduct charges, according to booking information available through the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department. After their release, activists struggled for several more hours to reclaim their personal belongings like phones and wallets from the police department.

Art Heitzer, a member of the Wisconsin National Lawyers Guild's steering committee, told Insider that the police used long hold times as a tactic to keep activists off the streets, citing similar patterns of arrests during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Heitzer said the Riot Kitchen crew members were not alone in their experience.

"We know of activists from the southeast Wisconsin area who were picked up and held more than 24 hours, which is unusual," Heitzer said. "The numbers of people admitted to the Kenosha county jail do not appear to justify any such delays."

According to inmate records, 52 people were booked into the jail on August 26 and 27.

Heitzer said the department's statement described the arrests as "spurred by reports of suspicious-looking people or vehicles, without any definition of what 'suspicious' meant."

In a statement released Friday, the National Lawyers Guild alleged that law enforcement's targeting of mobile-kitchen workers and other supporting activists, like street medics, was part of a double standard:

"The Milwaukee NLG expresses its extreme concern over the actions of the Kenosha police and law-enforcement authorities in Kenosha, including the apparent double standard in seizing and arresting street medics and those attempting to supply food in a mobile kitchen, although failing to enforce the curfew against  and even encouraging  heavily armed militia, including the 17-year-old admitted killer of protesters. "We are also concerned and investigating video documentation and eyewitness reports of civilians being seized off the street or from inside their cars, and forced into unmarked vehicles, often with no license plates, by unknown authorities, and then being held without processing for many, many hours."

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with killing two protesters last week, was allowed free rein in the city while carrying a firearm and accepted bottled water from police officers before the shooting.

The Kenosha Police Department alleged that officers discovered gas masks, body armor, and "illegal fireworks" in vehicles associated with Riot Kitchen. The department did not return Insider's request for clarification on the items discovered in the vehicles.

As of Monday, Riot Kitchen's vehicles were still in the city's impound lot.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

A school district in Atlantic County is more than doubling its substitute teacher pay rate to $225 per day after preventing staffers from instructing classes remotely due to family health concerns, according to the local teachers union.
The number of COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours has increased by 4,952, with the total of 1,005,000 infections, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Wednesday.



According to the crisis center, the daily growth has not exceeded 0.5% for 18 days.



The lowest daily growth rates over the past 24 hours were registered in the Chukotka Autonomous Region (0%), in Moscow, the Moscow and Smolensk Regions, in Sevastopol (0.2% each), in Chechnya, the Tyva Republic, the Kamchatka Region, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the Tula and Bryansk Regions (0.3% each).



For instance, 625 new cases were detected in Moscow, 189 - in St. Petersburg, 158 cases - in the Moscow Region, 147 - in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and 145 new cases were detected in the Rostov Region.

The number of COVID-19 fatalities in Russia over the past 24 hours increased by 115, pushing the total to 17,414.



In all, currently 166,417 COVID-19 patients continue treatment in Russia, TASS reported.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has summoned representatives of Facebook and will hear their views "on the subject of safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space," according to the agenda of the meeting.

It has also called representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the same issue.

The meeting of the panel was adjourned on Tuesday in view of the national mourning due to the demise of former president Pranab Mukherjee. Its agenda for the day was the suspension of internet services in several parts of the country.

However, panel members were intended to discuss the suspension of internet services in Jammu and Kashmir in particular, a source said.

Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook India about the report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored its hate-speech rules for BJP leaders, evoked strong reaction from BJP members of the panel.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that the Congress leader has been using the platform to further his and his party's political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman of the panel.

A fresh political slugfest has started on the matter with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claiming that international media has "exposed" Facebook and WhatsApp's "brazen assault" on India's democracy and social harmony.

"No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nation's affairs. They must be investigated immediately and when found guilty, punished," Gandhi tweeted.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday wrote to Mark Zuckerberg accusing the social media platform's employees of supporting people from a political predisposition that lost successive elections, and "abusing" prime minister and senior cabinet ministers.

In a three-page letter to Facebook chief executive Zuckerberg, Prasad alleged "bias and inaction" by individuals in Facebook India team on complaints by people supportive of right-of-centre ideology.
Chellie Cameron, CEO of Philadelphia International Airport, at a staff meeting in 2019. During a virtual event Wednesday, Cameron continued to call for a federal designation that would allow PHL to accept passenger flights from Europe during the pandemic. Read more

Looking at cities to the north and the south, officials at Philadelphia International Airport see a powerful status symbol they still lack: federal approval to receive many flights from abroad  in Phillys case, namely Europe.

Since coronavirus-related restrictions on international travel took effect earlier this year, the U.S. government has granted so-called funneling status to a select group of airports, meaning that passenger flights from China, the United Kingdom, much of continental Europe, and certain other countries can land there.

The list has grown to 15 airports so far. But PHL isnt on it.

We just have been excluded from this club of funneling airports, PHL CEO Chellie Cameron said during a virtual event Wednesday, part of ongoing efforts to convince federal officials to let Philadelphia in. Newark Liberty, New Yorks JFK, Washington Dulles, and Boston Logan all have the designation.

So do airports in several smaller cities, such as Seattle-Tacoma, Fort Lauderdale, and Detroit.

International tourism plays a big role in the Philadelphia regions economy. Nearly 700,000 overseas travelers visited Philadelphia in 2018, generating $1.2 billion in economic activity, according to the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. The organization has not yet finalized its count of 2019 international visitors, but on Wednesday it estimated that the number of those visitors could fall 79% in 2020 because of COVID-19.

Funneling status isnt the only factor in the outlook. Consumer confidence in the safety of travel and restrictions on foreign nationals entering the U.S. will also help determine the regions travel and tourism recovery.

But the designation for PHL is an important piece to resolve, particularly since the U.S. curtailed European travel in mid-March, Cameron and other business leaders stressed during Wednesdays event. It was organized by the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia.

We built up this long-term standing for these international travelers as a gateway city, said Gregg Caren, CEO of the convention and visitors bureau. Re-opening overseas routes will be critical, he said, to cement our competitive standing in the Northeast.

An interagency committee that includes the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation evaluates airports that could be added to the funneling list, according to Cameron. When international passengers arrive at a funneling airport, they fill out a health form, and could be referred to the CDC for additional screening of symptoms. Well before the pandemic, PHL already had a CDC quarantine station for infectious disease screening.

Cameron said PHLs absence befuddles her, though she pointed to one partial explanation. Airlines and federal agencies were considering a contact tracing program, she said, which could have eliminated the need for designated funneling airports.

That really hasnt moved, like it was originally anticipated, and so right now we see our real option as being added to this funneling list, Cameron said.

In 2019 we were No. 10 in the nation in terms of transatlantic flights, Cameron said. Last year, we had more than 4,600 flights to Europe across five airlines and 22 destinations. This year, hardly any. Once the restrictions went into place, we havent been able to accept those passengers at all.

The Department of Transportation did not answer questions about PHLs funneling status or contact tracing. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.

American Airlines continues to push for Philly to be added as a funnel airport, said Gary Tomasulo, managing director for corporate security at the airline.

Philadelphia has served as American Airlines gateway hub to Europe, and the company plans to relaunch service from PHL to 16 European cities next summer as long as government restrictions are removed.
The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Wednesday approved two layouts for Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya after fixing a fee of Rs 2.11 crore payable by the Ram temple trust, officials said. One layout is for the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus (open area) and the other is for the proposed Ram temple (covered area).

The approval paves the way for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to start construction work of the temple. The trust had filed its request for approvals on Saturday.

Ram Temple Plan COVERED AREA 3.67% of total campus GROUND FLOOR Temple: 2,628.50 sq metre Corridor: 7,343.50 sq metre Total : 9,972 sq metre FIRST FLOOR Temple: 1,850.70 sq metre SECOND FLOOR Temple: 1,056.60 sq metre Total covered area: 12,879 sq metre FEE TO BE PAID Development charge: Rs 1,79,45,477 Approval fee: Rs 1,50,000 Construction approval fee: Rs 84,400 Inspection fee: Rs 29,73,307 TOTAL: Rs 2,11,33,184

The first layout pertains to an area of 2,74,110 sq metre (approximately 67.33 acre) of the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus and the second layout is of 12,879 sq metre for the Ram temple, which will be the focal point of the campus.

Neeraj Shukla, vice-chairman of ADA, had to convene a board meeting to approve the layouts. The vice-chairman himself has the authority to approve layouts only up to 25 acres. For any construction above this 25-acre limit, the vice-chairman has to convene a board meeting.

The estimated construction cost of the Ram temple (covered area) was calculated on the basis of the public work departments (PWD) schedule. It came to approximately Rs 15 crore. On this cost, the labour cess was fixed, said Shukla.

Divisional commissioner MP Agarwal, who is also chairman of ADA, presided over the board meeting.

The board also charged a labour cess of Rs 15.36 lakh. The trust will have to deposit the fee in ADAs Punjab National Bank account, Ayodhya.

FEE TO BE PAID Development charge: Rs 1,79,45,477 Approval fee: Rs 1,50,000 Construction approval fee: Rs 84,400 Inspection fee: Rs 29,73,307 TOTAL: Rs 2,11,33,184

After depositing the fee, the trust will start construction work of the Ram temple, said Champat Rai, general secretary of the trust.

Also Read: Double the size, 5 domes and 3 years to build: Heres how Ram temple will look

Larsen and Toubro, the countrys leading construction company, has been engaged for carrying out the Ram temple work in Ayodhya. The Ram temple construction committee, which is a body of the trust, will supervise the construction work.

Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, is chairman of the construction committee.

Central Building Research Institute- Roorkee and Indian Institute of Technology-Madras have assisted Larsen and Toubro in testing the soil of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

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Raphael's sensual portrait is one of the most popular paintings at Palazzo Barberini in Rome.

La Fornarina, Raphael's celebrated portrait of his lover and muse, was completed between 1518 and 1519, a year before the tragic death of the High Renaissance genius aged 37.

During summer 2020 the masterpiece featured in Rome's blockbuster Raphael exhibition, on the 500th anniversary of the artist's death, before returning to Palazzo Barberini, home to Italy's collection of ancient art.

Despite being among the most iconic pieces of Western art, and one of the gallery's most popular works, there is little concrete information about the subject of the painting who has captivated viewers and been shrouded in legend for 500 years.

Who was La Fornarina?

The woman traditionally identified as La Fornarina was Margherita Luti, the "baker's daughter", hence the portrait's name.

However some historians maintain that, far from being the daughter of a baker, "La Fornarina" was in fact a courtesan who traded under an unusual "stage name."

Where did La Fornarina live?

Experts are also divided over her home address, where Raphael allegedly first spotted her gazing out the window while he walked through the streets of Rome.

Some historians say she lived on Via di S. Dorotea 19; others believe she lived on Vicolo del Cedro, or on Via del Governo Vecchio 48, where an inscription on one of the interior walls reads: Here lived the one who was loved by Raffaello Sanzio.

How did Raphael meet La Fornarina?

Giorgio Vasari, the 16th-century art historian, had a less romantic account of their first meeting, believing that Raphael first set eyes on the young woman as she bathed naked in the river Tiber.

Whatever the manner of their first encounter, Raphael became infatuated with La Fornarina who, by all accounts, also fell passionately in love with the artist.

Their secret love affair had to be hidden, however, as Raphael was already engaged to be married to Maria Bibbiena, the niece of his rich and powerful patron, a Roman cardinal.

The artist postponed the wedding date continuously for six years, immortalising his true love in his paintings instead.

Raphael's infatuation with La Fornarina was such that he could not concentrate on an important commission - decorating the Villa Farnesina in Trastevere.

The artist's patron, Agostino Chigi, solved the problem by allowing Raphael's lover to move into the palace as the artist completed his celebrated frescoes.

Raphael's portrait of La Fornarina was considered provocative at the time, as a bracelet worn by the bare-breasted woman featured the artist's signature: Raphael Urbinas.

It is believed that Margherita Luti modelled for hundreds of drawings by Raphael and, in addition to the La Fornarina portrait, she also posed for the more demure, and fully-clothed, Lady with the Veil (1516), among other paintings.

How did Raphael die?

When Raphael died on 6 April 1520, and was buried in the Pantheon, theories abounded over the cause of his early death.

Vasari made the sensational claim that Raphael died as a result of a night of excessive sex with his mistress. Popular myth dictates that the artist caught pneumonia (others say syphillis or malaria), after making late night visits in the freezing cold for "amorous pleasures."

Recent research suggests that Raphael's death was brought about after "the best doctors in Rome, sent by the pope" wrongly prescribed blood-letting - either through incisions or leeches - fatally weakening the feverish artist.

Whatever the cause, Raphael's heartbroken lover chose to enter the convent of S. Apollonia in Trastevere, and - according to legend - was never seen again.

As for the painting itself, La Fornarina was purchased by the powerful Barberini family, appearing in their inventories from 1642, and was transferred in the 1970s to the Borghese Gallery, before returning subsequently to Palazzo Barberini.

In 2001, when x-ray analysis was carried out on the painting, experts were amazed to uncover a hidden ruby ring on the third finger of La Fornarina's left hand, leading to speculation of a secret engagement between Raphael and his adored model.

The poignant discovery of the painted-over ring, obscured for almost five centuries, reduced art historians to tears.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:08:25|Editor: huaxia

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Myanmar President U Win Myint (R) meets with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Dongqiang)

NAY PYI TAW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi held separate meetings here Tuesday with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping's successful visit to Myanmar this January has advanced the relations between the two countries into a new era, Yang said China is willing to work with Myanmar to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and jointly build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

Yang called on the two countries to strengthen high-level exchanges, consolidate and deepen political mutual trust, advance cooperation projects of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, upgrade the bilateral trade and investment, accelerate the resumption of work and production, and jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties as well as the China-Myanmar Year of Culture and Tourism, the two countries should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the senior Chinese diplomat said.

Yang also said that China and Myanmar have been helping each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and China is willing to give priority to sharing COVID-19 vaccines with Myanmar once a vaccine is successfully developed.

Yang called on China, Myanmar and other related parties to bring innovation into their cooperation within the China-ASEAN and Lancang-Mekong frameworks and focus on the fight against COVID-19 and development so as to promote regional peace, stability and joint development.

Lauding support from Myanmar on issues concerning China's core interests, Yang said China will continue to support Myanmar's efforts in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

As countries who had jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China and Myanmar should firmly uphold international fairness and justice and practice multilateralism, the senior Chinese diplomat said.

Leaders from the Myanmar side appreciated support extended by China and commended China's constructive role in the country's peace process, saying that the bilateral relations are truly built on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.

Myanmar is willing to work with China to overcome the impact of the pandemic, deepen high-level exchanges, comprehensively push forward the construction of the Myanmar-China Economic Corridor, enhance communications and coordination in the international arena, and build a Myanmar-China community with a shared future, said the Myanmar leaders.

The Myanmar leaders said the two sides should work closely within the the ASEAN-China and Lancang-Mekong frameworks in pursuit of well-being of people in the region, and Myanmar always adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests.

Yang also met with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing during his visit. Enditem
A Chinese university's guidelines warning women students not to wear 'revealing' clothes on campus 'to prevent arousing temptation' have whipped up online fury in the socially conservative country.

The recommendations were included in a 50-point safety guide issued by Guangxi University, which also urged women to avoid going out alone.

'Do not wear clothing and skirts that are overly revealing, low-cut, exposing your waist, or showing your back, so as to prevent arousing temptation,' the advisory note for new female students read.

A Chinese university's guidelines warning women students not to wear 'revealing' clothes on campus 'to prevent arousing temptation' have whipped up online fury. Students are pictured queuing at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan on August 29

The recommendations were included in a 50-point safety guide issued by Guangxi University, which also urged women to avoid going out alone. Pictured, Huazhong University of Science and Technology students arrive on campus in Wuhan Saturday as the autumn semester starts

'At certain times, it is not suitable to wear high heels which restrict movement,' the guide continued.

As news of the guidelines - issued last month - spread online this week, the university in southern China was slammed by social media users for suggesting that women were responsible for sexual assault.

On the Twitter-like Weibo platform, one user wrote: 'Why is a woman's 'freedom of dressing' deemed as 'temptation'? It's mainly because the hearts of some men are unclean.'

'I hope text in the future will say: 'Some men should please correct their thoughts'.'

'Women have not yet been raped, but Guangxi University has prepared to slut-shame them,' another user wrote.

As news of the guidelines - issued last month - spread online this week, the university in southern China was slammed by social media users for suggesting that women were responsible for sexual assault. In this file picture, a woman in seen walking in central Beijing

China has taken some steps towards key demands from its nascent #MeToo movement, with its first-ever civil code - passed in May - expanding the definition of sexual harassment. A man and a woman are pictured in this file photo on August 14 looking at jewellery in Beijing

The topic had over 210 million views and thousands of comments on Weibo as of Wednesday.

A member of the university staff tried to defend the guidelines on Tuesday as anger grew, pointing to a need for 'civilised etiquette' on campus, according to Chinese news website The Paper.

'Wear whatever you want if you are not entering the school,' the unnamed staff member was quoted as saying.

Other suggestions in the guide included women walking quickly through underpasses and not following strangers anywhere.

China has taken some steps towards key demands from its nascent #MeToo movement, with its first-ever civil code - passed in May - expanding the definition of sexual harassment.

A Chinese university's guidelines warning women students not to wear 'revealing' clothes on campus 'to prevent arousing temptation' have whipped up online fury in the socially conservative country. A woman is seen walking past a restaurant in Beijing on August 10

But it remains difficult to get justice for many sexual assault crimes due to conservative attitudes and many women reluctant to come forward.

The news comes as a middle school in central China has also faced widespread criticism online after it allegedly promoted chastity to its pupils by displaying puritanical posts on the campus.

Pictures emerged online in July show a huge signboard at the schools playground with messages claiming that chaste women have smarter children and people who masturbate are poor and cheap.

Other posts warned students to refrain themselves from having sex before marriage and encouraged girls to wear modest clothing.
A few days before a federal court conducts a hearing over his emergency elections plan, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced Wednesday some changes to his proposal for how Louisiana will vote in the Nov. 3 presidential election in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Ardoin told all parish registrar of voters to require poll workers to wear masks, practice social distancing, sanitize voting machines and make disposable masks available to voters. While he cant keep voters from casting ballots if they refuse to wear a mask, Ardoin directed registrars and presiding officer of the parish governing authority to relocate polling places from senior centers and other facilities where operating polling places creates a public safety issue, and to notify voters of any polling place changes.

The Nov. 3 election and the Dec. 5 runoff are being held amid the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown.

COVID-19 transmits through respiratory droplets spread primarily through in-person contact. Louisiana continues to have one the nations highest infection rates with 149,838 cases and 4,841 deaths as of Wednesday. About 20% of the infected people need hospitalization, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as CDC.

Ardoin''s elections statement 09022020 Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin makes some changes to the emergency plan for the November-December elections.

Ardoin wants elections officials to work with nursing home operators in their parish to designate and train a staff member to facilitate voting for the residents of a nursing home that is in lock down. He also asked registrars to consider setting up a staffed, curbside drop-off to deliver mail-in absentee ballots without relying on the U.S. Postal Service.

Though he is Louisianas chief elections officer, Ardoin cant unilaterally change the laws governing elections protocols even in emergency situations, unlike secretaries in other states. But with his announcement Wednesday Ardoin made what changes he could without the need of a legislative OK.

U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick in Baton Rouge slated a hearing Tuesday and Wednesday next week to consider Ardoins emergency election plan, which limits who is allowed to file an absentee mail ballot to, primarily, registered voters who test positive for the COVID-19 after early voting starts but before Election Day along with those already allowed in state law, like people over the age of 65 years.

Ardoin, who tried unsuccessfully in the past to expand who could use mail-in ballots, has said he prepared the plan for the November-December elections with an eye towards something that would pass the Republican-majorities in the state Legislature.

Louisiana's fight over mail-in ballots is headed to federal court; here are the next steps Now that Hurricane Laura has passed, Louisiana politicos are returning to the issue of what role mail-in balloting will play in the Nov. 3 pre

But under state law, the governor also must agree to the proposed changes in election protocols. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has rejected the Republican Ardoins plan because of its failure to expand mail balloting, which will force voters to choose between endangering their health and participating in the election, the governor wrote.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Louisianas Republicans have echoed President Donald Trumps unfounded allegations that mail balloting will result in widespread election fraud. The states Democrats counter that refusal to allow voting by mail  as 35 states already do  effectively disenfranchises voters fearful of picking up the highly contagious virus while standing in long lines at crowded polling stations where the people around them are not required wear masks and may not social distance.

People who have quarantined after being exposed to someone infected with the coronavirus, people with conditions that pose a greater risk of serious complications, and caregivers are among those who must cast their ballots in person under Ardoins emergency elections proposal.

In addition to electing a president in November, Louisiana voters are choosing a U.S. Senator; all six members of the U.S. House delegation; two justices on the Louisiana Supreme Court; a member of the Public Service Commission; several state appellate court judges; all the state district court judges and prosecutors, along with various local posts; plus are deciding some amendments to the state Constitution.

Ardoin also pointed to Republican Attorney General Jeff Landrys reading of state law that says anyone testing positive or subject to quarantine as well as voters with an underlying health condition that would make COVID-19 more dangerous could qualify for an absentee mail ballot under the states existing disability program. An attorney generals opinion is instructive but doesnt carry the weight of courts interpretation of the law.

Attorney General's opinion on mail-in ballots 09012020 Attorney General Jeff Landry says state law already allows an avenue for voters prone to serious results if they catch COVID-19

The CDC separates those conditions between those who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19  cancer, chronic kidney disease, and serious heart maladies  and those that might be at an increased risk  including asthma, liver disease and pregnancy.

Landry wrote on Sept. 1 that a voter would need certification from a medical professional that the applicant is disabled.

Ardoin wrote: Over the next few weeks, in light of the failure of the proposed emergency election plan, I will be taking the steps necessary to implement all of the changes outlined above, and provide guidance for implementing the Attorney Generals opinion, to ensure that Louisianans have every opportunity to vote consistent with the existing law.
Makeup mogul Kylie Jenner is feeling grateful for her fans.

The 23-year-old brunette bombshell has found success yet again at the release of her most recently Kylie Cosmetics launch, the Sailor Collection, which hit the website on August 31.

Though the products have not yet sold out - which is often common by the day after a launch - Kylie took to the Kylie Cosmetics Instagram page to thank her shoppers for their business and encourage people to share their makeup looks.

She put on an eye-popping display in a sailor outfit including red and white striped cropped top which accentuated her cleavage.

Cosmetics captain: Kylie Jenner shared a stunning snap to the Kylie Cosmetics instagram page to thank her fans for supporting her latest makeup drop the Sailor Collection

Wow factor: Kylie thanked her followers for the love and encouraged them to share their makeup looks

In another photo, adorned in a white top and tiny anchor necklace, the social media maven posed with her face softly rested on her hands as she seductively stared into the camera.

'Thanks for all the love on the Sailor Collection. I can't wait to see all your looks! xo, Kylie' she captioned the image.

Kylie adorned her signature plump lips with her new matte lip kit and revealed a blend of her new eyeshadows on her lids.

A few weeks before the product launch, Kylie teased her astounding 193M followers with snaps from a seductive sailor themed shoot on her Instagram story.

Ahoy: A few weeks ago Kylie shared some social media stories of her clearly doing a photo shoot for her Sailor collection. The brunette bombshell channeled the sexy sailor on the products which were created in her image

Marketing maven: Though the products have yet to sell out the media and makeup mogul has mastered the art of free advertising and often cannot keep products on the shelf due to demand from her 193M fans

Often in advance of her launches Kylie takes to Instagram to walk her audience through the products as a marketing tactic.

This direct to consumer strategy is incredibly smart but often deceitful as fans often operate under the pretense that they will look like Kylie if they buy her products.

Though the stunning mother of one has opened up about her lip fillers in the past, the siren has remained otherwise mum when it comes to any other procedures she may have had.

Last week Kylie found herself in hot water as she posted a series of snaps from a Paris trip with friends.

'Work' trip: The makeup mogul angered fans when she started posting a series of Paris snaps on social media though she claimed it was a business trip

Pals in paris: Kylie was seen strolling around Paris with friends including rumored love interest, Zack Bia and Fai Khadra

Though it was purported that she was there on business with her brand's parent company, Coty, many were outraged about the level of traveling the 'billionaire' has been doing since the pandemic began.

Recently the star had been the recipient of romance rumors that she and Travis Scott are back on again amid their quarantine co-parenting of two-year-old daughter Stormi.

Since then Kylie has been linked to Madison Beer's ex Zack Bia who she vacationed with on two occasions during quarantine, and was also seen out with rumored ex, rapper PartyNextDoor in West Hollywood a few nights ago.
Several arterial roads have been closed.

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Drivers in the capital should prepare for several traffic restrictions starting in September.

This years September will be more demanding than in the past, the Bratislava Self-Governing Region wrote on its website. Several main arterial roads, junctions and highway exits in Bratislava have been closed.

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The restrictions are linked mostly to the construction of the D4/R7 ring road, the new bus station and the modernisation of the tram line in the Karlova Ves and Dubravka boroughs.

Here is the list of closed roads (including the earlier restrictions):

Ruzinov

The reconstruction of the Prievoz junction , which is part of the D1 cross-country highway. Bajkalska Street is partially closed; there is only one lane with temporary traffic lights.

Valid: August 28, 2020-December 31, 2020

, which is part of the D1 cross-country highway. is partially closed; there is only one lane with temporary traffic lights. August 28, 2020-December 31, 2020 R7 express dual-carriageway Bratislava-Ketelec  Bratislava, Prievoz . Partially closed Cesta do Spalovne (right traffic lane in the direction of the incineration plant, about 100 m, with temporary traffic lights).

Valid: August 25, 2020-September 30, 2020

. Partially closed (right traffic lane in the direction of the incineration plant, about 100 m, with temporary traffic lights). August 25, 2020-September 30, 2020 Due to the repair works of the bridge on the D1 highway in the direction Petrzalka  Bajkalska , Bajkalska Street has been partially closed on the stretch between the OBI shop and the turn to the port.

Valid: June 19, 2020-March 31, 2021

, has been partially closed on the stretch between the OBI shop and the turn to the port. June 19, 2020-March 31, 2021 Due to the reconstruction of the gas pipeline, Mierova Street is partially closed (right traffic lane between Tuckova Street and Hranicna Street).

Valid: August 25, 2020-October 31, 2020

is partially closed (right traffic lane between Tuckova Street and Hranicna Street). August 25, 2020-October 31, 2020 All exits from Pristavny Bridge towards Bajkalska Street and Slovnaftska Street are closed. The diversion leads through Apollo Bridge and Gagarinova Street.

Valid: August 14, 2020-March 31, 2021

are closed. The diversion leads through Apollo Bridge and Gagarinova Street. August 14, 2020-March 31, 2021 Partially closed Pristavna Street , on the stretch with the crossroads to Platennicka Street, Sukenna Street and Votrubova Street (three stages in both directions).

Valid: July 15, 2020-September 28, 2020

, on the stretch with the crossroads to Platennicka Street, Sukenna Street and Votrubova Street (three stages in both directions). July 15, 2020-September 28, 2020 Partially closed Trnavska Cesta on the section near the OMV petrol station.

Valid: July 15, 2020-September 30, 2020

on the section near the OMV petrol station. July 15, 2020-September 30, 2020 Partially closed Kosicka Street on the section opposite Tekovska Street (right traffic lane, toward Apollo Bridge).

Valid: June 29-September 10, 2020

on the section opposite Tekovska Street (right traffic lane, toward Apollo Bridge). June 29-September 10, 2020 Partially closed Mlynske Nivy Street due to the construction of the building on Prievozska Street.

Valid: February 3, 2019-January 20, 2021

due to the construction of the building on Prievozska Street. February 3, 2019-January 20, 2021 Closed Mlynske Nivy Street in the crossroad with Karadzicova Street due to the construction of the new bus station.

Valid: November 26, 2018-September 30, 2020

Old Town

Partially closed Radlinskeho Street , in the section between Vazovova Street and Skolska Street, due to the reconstruction of the tram line.

Valid: September 7, 2020-October 14, 2020

, in the section between Vazovova Street and Skolska Street, due to the reconstruction of the tram line. September 7, 2020-October 14, 2020 Partially closed Sulekova Street and Palisady Street due to the reconstruction of the damaged road.

Valid: August 17, 2020-September 13, 2020

due to the reconstruction of the damaged road. August 17, 2020-September 13, 2020 Partially closed Nabrezie Armadneho Generala Ludvika Svobodu due to the construction of the tram line to Karlova Ves and Dubravka.

Valid: until end of September

Petrzalka

Partially closed Kopcianska Street due to reconstruction (between the building of the Regional Traffic Inspectorate and the end of Kopcianska Street).

Valid: August 15, 2020-November 15, 2020

due to reconstruction (between the building of the Regional Traffic Inspectorate and the end of Kopcianska Street). August 15, 2020-November 15, 2020 Partially closed Kopcianska Street (right traffic lane from the end of Kopcianska Street to the Petrzalka railway station).

Valid: August 15, 2020-October 31, 2020

(right traffic lane from the end of Kopcianska Street to the Petrzalka railway station). August 15, 2020-October 31, 2020 Partially closed Kopcianska Street (exit from Bratska Street to the end of Kopcianska Street).

Valid: June 27, 2020-October 15, 2020

Nove Mesto

Partially closed Vajnorska Street (between Trnavske Myto and Skultetyho Street in both directions).

Valid: September 7, 2020-October 7, 2020

(between Trnavske Myto and Skultetyho Street in both directions). September 7, 2020-October 7, 2020 Partially closed Vajnorska Street due to the reconstruction of gas pipelines (between Trnavske Myto and Prikopova Street in both directions).

Valid: July 1, 2020-September 15, 2020

Karlova Ves

Closed crossing to Devinska Cesta and Molecova due to the construction of the tram line and partially opened pass through new crossing near the footbridge to the clinic.

Jarovce

Closed exit from the Jarovce-Kittsee border crossing on D2 highway and exit from the Jarovce village in the direction to D2.

Valid: August 9, 2020-March 31, 2021

Devinska Nova Ves

Partially closed Istrijska Street due to the reconstruction of the road.

Valid: September 29, 2020-October 4, 2020

Raca

Partially closed Puchovska Street due to the construction of the Bratislava ring road (one traffic lane in the direction of Pezinok).

Valid: June 15, 2020-September 30, 2020

Vajnory

Partially closed stretch of D1 highway due to the construction of the Triblavina junction (traffic in three narrow lanes for both directions).

Valid: August 1, 2018-November 30, 2020

Podunajske Biskupice
Harry and Meghan, here in the UK in March, have signed a deal with Netflix, according to reports. (WireImage)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a huge deal with Netflix to create films and TV series for the streaming giant.

The deal, first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a source to Yahoo UK, is believed to be a multimillion dollar agreement.

The couple, who stepped down as working royals at the end of March for personal and financial freedom, are also said to have set up a production company that is yet to be named.

The Times reported that the couple may appear onscreen themselves, but that Meghan will not be returning to acting.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement: Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection.

Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens.

As well as documentaries, the couple will produce scripted series, docu-series and features, and are understood to be keen to diversity of voices both in front of and behind the camera.

Some of their projects are already being developed, a source told Yahoo UK, including a nature docu-series and an animated series celebrating inspiring women.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, said: Were incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere.

Read more: Could Meghan Markle be US president despite being a member of the Royal Family?

Prince Harry made his Netflix debut in August in a documentary called Rising Phoenix, which told the story of the Paralympic Games. He is the founder of the Invictus Games, an event which brings together injured former military personnel through sport.

Story continues

Its understood by Yahoo UK that Harry not only appeared onscreen but worked with the filmmakers behind the documentary.

He is also involved in a series on mental health with Oprah, which was filmed partly in the UK while he was a senior royal, but for Apple TV.

One of Meghans first post-royal pieces of work was a voiceover for Disney+, a competitor of Netflix.

However, while the film she narrated, Elephant, was released after she and Harry left their roles as senior royals, the work was completed while she was still a working royal.

The duchess is understood not to have been paid for the film, instead doing the work in exchange for a charity donation.

Netflix has not commented on how much the deal is worth nor how the couple will be paid.

Harry and Meghan moved to California in March, after their shock exit from their roles as working royals, which was announced in January.

They have bought their own home, understood to be paid for without help from Prince Charles, Harrys father, who had funded their office and subsidised their work in the UK.

Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plant Diana's favourite flowers on anniversary of her death

They have confirmed plans to launch a nonprofit called Archewell, and any new production company is understood to be separate from this.

They have been winding up their former UK charity, which was called Sussex Royal, and filed to change its name to MWX Foundation in July as it goes through liquidation.

The couples post-royal work has been delayed by the global reaction to coronavirus, but also by the Black Lives Matter movement, which its understood will inform the work Archewell will carry out.

They have been volunteering across the city of Los Angeles, Meghans hometown, including with charities like Baby2Baby, and at a pre-school close to where the duchess went to high school.

Meghan has also been working with non-partisan political groups in an effort to encourage more people, particularly women, to vote in the forthcoming election in the US.
The Downtown Committee of Syracuse has launched a new campaign encouraging Central New Yorkers to come back to the area to safely and responsibly dine, shop, and have fun amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Put the U Back in Syracuse started today and aims to give support to local businesses that are open and have followed Covid-19 safety protocols during New Yorks phased reopening plan.

Many of the small businesses that make up our community, including our shops, museums, restaurants; theyve opened safely and responsibly. We want to get the word out that they are open again for our public to responsibly enjoy, Downtown Committee Executive Director Merike Treier said.

The Downtown Committee cited that our countywide infection rate continues to stay below 1% and continues to be so for months, while businesses have reopened as part of why they have begun this initiative. Two thirds of the street level businesses in downtown Syracuse are back open.

They recognize everyone has different levels of comfort with returning to downtown and said there are many ways to support local businesses from takeout and curbside pickups to ones who have opened their doors to allow patrons inside.

The campaign concept was designed and donated by Mower and it has the support from Visit Syracuse, Mayor Ben Walsh, and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon.

This is what the rewards are for the work that the community has collectively put forward. Thats our ability to get pieces of our lives back to where we were before because weve been so successful beating back this pandemic to the point where essentially were living with this virus. We should celebrate that, McMahon said.

Part of the Put the U Back in Syracuse campaign includes a socially-distanced, digital Syracuse Scavenger Hunt  which encourages the community to visit businesses, restaurants and explore iconic landmarks throughout Onondaga County.

Participants are eligible to win prizes from local businesses by completing the tasks listed on the Scavify app and earning points. The hunt will run from Sept. 2 -30 and full details can be found at ubackinsyracuse.com/Hunt/.

There is also a new colorful chalk mural, drawn by local artist Ally Walker with the campaigns slogan on the side of 327 West Fayette St. facing Onondaga Creek. During the state shutdown, Walker planted 60 Easter eggs throughout Burnet Park for people to find.

Efforts to get patronage to downtown businesses have been ongoing over the summer, including the closing of Walton St. on weekends for extended outdoor dining as well as new parklets which will offer more dining areas in metered parking spots on streets which are not closed.

Outdoor dining has offered restaurants a way to help restaurants recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic and the phased-in reopening which currently only allows 50% capacity for indoor dining. Though indoor and outdoor dining are currently allowed in Central NY, many prefer sitting outside when they can.

Walsh said the city will work with businesses on ideas to keep things like weekends on Walton going. McMahon said we need to look at ideas from cities like Ottawa which he said embraces outdoor dining year-round.

We need to be able to utilize outdoor dining and successfully do it throughout the winter, McMahon said.

New York State has a whole continues to slowly reopen as the positive test rate continues to fall with 26 days of a positive test rate below 1 percent.

READ MORE

Bowl local: A list of Central NY bowling alleys open after coronavirus shutdowns

Drive-in movie marathon, goat yoga: 13 things to do in CNY

Join us for a live Q&A: Child psychiatrist helps us get ready for an uncertain school year

Coronavirus update: 9 new cases in Onondaga County; nobody in ICU

Inside CNYs job disaster: What industries fell off a cliff? Whats coming back? Whats the next crisis?
For the second day in a row, overnight low temperatures in the Houston and Galveston area were historically high ahead of hot and humid conditions Wednesday that triggered a heat advisory along the coast.

Temperatures did not drop below 84 degrees on Tuesday at the City of Houston and Hobby Airport temperature recording sites, setting the record for the all-time highest minimum temperature recorded at those locations, according to the National Weather Service.

The previous record for Houston and Hobby Airport, 83 degrees, was last reported Monday.

Galveston, meanwhile, on Tuesday tied the 87-degree low temperature record it set Monday.

Normal low temperatures this time of year are roughly 75 in Houston and 79 in Galveston, said Jimmy Fowler, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The weather pattern is caused by a humid air mass encompassing the region, Fowler said. That humidity takes the edge off the sun's heat during the day, but keeps it from cooling off overnight, like the opposite of a dry desert.

"The water in the air can sort of absorb the heat and the radiation from the sun during the daytime hours, and then it continuously radiates it out throughout the nighttime hours," Fowler said.

Eric Berger, meteorologist from Space City Weather, said the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters, which are approaching peak temperatures, contribute to the overnight heat and humidity across the coastal region.

Following days of intense heat, The National Weather Service Houston/Galveston branch issued a heat advisory Wednesday for the region's southern counties and barrier islands, including parts of Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Harris, Liberty and Chambers counties. The City of Houston was not included in the advisory.

Hot and humid conditions are forecast, with scattered showers and thunderstorms over areas north of Interstate 10, the weather service said.

In areas under the heat advisory, heat-related illnesses are possible for people engaging in strenuous outdoor activity or those with no air conditioning.

People should drink plenty of water, pay attention to pets and children and limit outdoor activity, officials recommend.
The selected films will not be screened this year either in theatres or digitally but will have the option to screen at the MAMI festival next year in the same section as long as the film stays an India Premiere till the next edition and is not available on any streaming platform.

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) had announced to push the 22nd Jio Mumbai Film Festival to 2021.

While a physical festival, jury and competitive awards remain unviable this year, in an effort to support the journeys of independent films, the festival has released its Official Selection List 2020 for Indian films under the section of India Gold, India Story and Dimensions Mumbai.

"Our official selection list of Indian films is a show of faith and solidarity in this dark and difficult year. In the light of the festival not happening in 2020, the idea is to support and champion the Indian films that would have screened as part of the festival this year, said Smriti Kiran, Artistic Director, MAMI and Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in a press statement.

The next edition of the festival will now tentatively be scheduled for October 2021.

The selected films will not be screened this year either in theatres or digitally but will have the option to screen at the festival next year in the same section as long as the film stays an India Premiere till the next edition of the festival and is not available on any streaming

platform.

Director Ivan Ayr's Meel Patthar (Milestone), which is set to be screened at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, is selected under the India Gold category. Arun Karthick's Tamil film Nasir also finds its way in the same section.

Check out the announcements here

View this post on Instagram

Dimensions Mumbai Official Selection List 2020 Film: About Balika Director: Satyajeet Rajenimbalkar Language: Marathi Film: Bhardol Director: Dinesh Choudhary Language: Hindi Film: Cameraman Devdutt Ke Saath Govind Ahuja Director: Kartik Hegde Langauge: Hindi Film: Daud Director: Nihar Palwe Language: Hindi Film: Death of a Journalist Directors: Kunal Shukla, Bhavesh Surte Language: English Film: Dharavi To Bollywood Director: Harsh Matondkar Language: Hindi Film: Museum Of Memories Director: Navneet Mishra Language: Maithili Film: Sarhad Wale Daddy Director: Snehal Garg Language: Hindi Film: The Intruder Director: Rihen Shah Language: No dialogue Film: The Roof (Chappar) Director: Shreyas Chougule Language: Hindi, Konkani For more details (Link in Bio)

A post shared by Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival (@mumbaifilmfestival) on Sep 2, 2020 at 3:34am PDT

MAMI had previously launched virtual initiatives like Knowledge Series Dial M for Films, where Indian industry figures discuss their journey in films and more, as well as MAMI Home Theatre, a curation of films brought to the audience directly online.

The academy has also launched Word to Screen Market, Young Critics Lab and the Industry Programme.
The US government's debt will exceed the size of the economy next year for the first time since World War II due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Congressional Budget Office published its latest report on federal deficits and debt on Wednesday.

Federal debt held by the public is projected to rise sharply to 98 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, compared to the 79 percent at the end of 2019, according to the report.

Debt is forecast to exceed 100 percent in the 2021 fiscal year and increase to 107 percent in 2023, which is the highest in the nation's history.

The Congressional Budget Office published its latest report on federal deficits and debt on Wednesday. Federal debt held by the public is projected to rise sharply to 98 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year

The previous peak occurred back in 1946 due to the large deficits incurred during WWII.

Only a handful of counties have debts that exceed the size of their economies, including Japan, Italy and Greece.

The fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30.

The report also projects that the US government's budget deficit is projected to hit a record $3.3 trillion this year, which is the worst since World War II.

The $3.3 trillion federal deficit projected for 2020 is more than triple the shortfall recorded last year, according to the report.

That increase is mostly due to the economy being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal rescue packages passed by the government in response.

So far this year, more than $3 trillion in emergency coronavirus pandemic aid has been enacted into law.

The report also projects that the US government's budget deficit is projected to hit a record $3.3 trillion this year, which is the worst since World War II

Meanwhile, federal outlays are projected to equal 32 percent of GDP in 2020, which is about 50 percent above what they were last year and the highest percentage since 1945

These huge federal outlays have caused a surge in this year's already large deficit and federal debt.

CBO's latest forecast does not include another round of coronavirus aid that Congress might consider, which could exceed $1 trillion.

Deep disagreements among lawmakers have slowed work on that measure.

At 16 percent of gross domestic product, the deficit this year would be the worst since 1945 when WWII ended.

Meanwhile, federal outlays are projected to equal 32 percent of GDP in 2020, which is about 50 percent above what they were last year and the highest percentage since 1945.

The report forecasts that revenue is projected to fall from 16.3 percent of GDP in 2019 to 15.5 percent in 2021.

It is due primarily to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the federal government's response to it.
Monzo is set to become the first major UK bank to charge its customers to make withdrawals from an ATM, amid fears Britain is increasingly going cashless.

The smartphone bank said today it would charge customers a 3 per cent fee if they withdrew more than 250 from UK and European ATMs over a 30-day period from 31 October, unless they use the bank as their main current account.

While the changes, announced in a blog post on its website on Tuesday, are more about the bank trying to convince more customers to use it as their main current account, the news may still be something of a Halloween fright for those who worry about disappearing access to cash.

Monzo customers are likelier to tap their hot coral cards against a card machine than withdraw money from a cash machine

The UK was already becoming an increasingly cashless society, with figures published in June revealing fewer than a quarter of all payments were made using banknotes and coins in 2019.

The trade body UK Finance, which released the figures, predicted last year that cash would make up just 9 per cent of all transactions by 2028.

Since then, fears have grown that the coronavirus pandemic has only sped up this trend, with government guidelines advising consumers and businesses to use contactless payments wherever possible.

This is Money reported at the end of May that one of the UK's largest ATM providers, NoteMachine, would launch a 'cash is safe' campaign to convince consumers to use it, such was its concern that fears of spreading the virus would further drive out the usage of physical money.

At the same time, there has also been a push towards digital banking, with many branches still operating reduced hours despite the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.

This has led to concerns that banks will use the coronavirus as an opportunity to close even more branches in a bid to cut costs, with 55 closing every month over the last five years on average, according to the consumer group Which?.

2019 saw yet further decline in the use of cash, as debit cards and contactless payments in particular continued to gain at its expense

But while the coronavirus lockdown may have left millions who may have banked in-branch with little choice but to go digital, millions of people and businesses across the country are still reliant on cash.

Figures released by the Post Office, increasingly relied on as 'the last bank in town' as banks close branches, found 1.8billion was deposited over the counter in July and 607million withdrawn, with personal cash deposits higher in June and July higher than in the same months last year.

And Link, which operates almost all the UK's network of ATMs, found cash withdrawals were slowly recovering by the end of July, although they were still down 30 per cent compared to 2019, while a third of the 9,000 cash machines switched off during the lockdown were once again operational.

Cash has massively slumped in use over the last decade, but millions still rely on it

Link's chief executive John Howells said the company's 'underlying data shows that cash remains popular and important.'

But Monzo, which has no branches and a much younger customer base more used to contactless payments and mobile banking, is at the vanguard of the changes reshaping UK banking, with the announced changes a potential vision into the future.

It wrote in the blog post detailing the changes that 'the average Monzo customer only withdraws 36 a month', while it said 'around 20 per cent of customers make up more than 80 per cent of our cash machine costs.'

It said 79 per cent of its customers wouldn't pay any fees, based on how they used the bank last year.

Monzo currently lets customers withdraw money in the UK and in European Economic Area countries without a fee, while they can currently withdraw 200 in a 30-day period outside of the EEA without paying any fees.

Will you be hit by Monzo's October fee changes? If you meet Monzo's criteria If you don't meet Monzo's criteria Cash withdrawals in the UK and EEA No fee 3% fee if more than 250 withdrawn every 30 days Cash withdrawals outside the EEA If you don't have Monzo Plus:

3% fee after 200 withdrawn every 30 days



If you have Monzo Plus:

3% after 400 withdrawn every 30 days If you don't have Monzo Plus:

3% fee after 200 withdrawn every 30 days



If you have Monzo Plus: 3% after 400 withdrawn every 30 days Card replacements per year Two free card replacements a year, 5 after that 5 per card replacement Source: Monzo

That allowance will be doubled for those who pay 5-a-month for its new Monzo Plus packaged bank account.

But from the end of October, those who don't pay in 500 every 35 days and pay out at least one direct debit, have a Department for Work and Pensions payment of at least 500 paid in every 35 days, or pay in a student loan payment every eight months will have to pay a fee when withdrawing more than 250 a month.

Monzo's close to 4million customers kept just 357 in their account last year on average, according to the bank's latest financial results, suggesting customers use it as a spending account rather than a main bank account.

This will be a combination of those using it for holidays and making use of its sleek app to help budget.

To try and change this, it will also charge customers 5 if they need to replace their card if they don't use the bank as their main current account, unless the card is stolen, or they fall victim to fraud.

If they do use it as their main bank account, demonstrated by fulfilling one of its requirements, customers will get two free card replacements before they have to pay.

It said: 'We included at least one direct debit in our definition of "relying" on Monzo because we see paying bills from Monzo as a key indicator that we're more than a spending account.'

The smartphone-only bank is seeking ways to shore up its revenue after its primary source of income, people using their debit cards in the UK and abroad, was hit by the coronavirus lockdown and the collapse in international travel.

The bank made 36million in net income in the 12 months to February 2020, with 29.4million of this coming from card fees.

It warned last month the coronavirus raised doubts over its ability to continue operating, stating its revenue had been 'significantly impacted' by the pandemic.
Air France will suspend services between Paris and Belgrade over the coming winter season, with plans to restore operations in March of next year. The French carrier launched flights to the Serbian capital in 2019 and has maintained daily services over the summer, as well as four weekly operations in winter up until the coronavirus pandemic. The last rotation of the year is scheduled for October 23, while flights will be resumed on March 28, 2021. Air France is currently maintaining four weekly services to the Serbian capital until late October. Furthermore, the French carrier codeshares on Air Serbias flights between Belgrade and Paris.





Serbian citizens are currently banned from entering the majority of European Union member states in most cases, although this will be up for review later today. Deamand for transatlantic travel, which Air France relied on, has also been severely impacted by the ongoing pandemic, with entry into the United States denied to all foreign nationals who have been in the European Schengen Area within the previous fourteen days. This measure also affects all transfer passengers. Last year, the French carrier noted that point to point travellers made up 60% of its loads on the Belgrade service, 25% were long haul transfers, particularly to North America, and the rest were European transfers.





Belgrade - Charles de Gaulle vv. passenger numbers





Year PAX 2016 158.046 2017 157.596 2018 160.790 2019 223.698

Air Serbia continues to maintain services to Paris. It currently runs daily flights to the French capital, which will increase to twelve weekly over the winter months. Furthermore, low cost carrier Wizz Air currently runs three weekly rotations between Belgrade and Beauvais Airport, which will increase to four weekly over the coming winter season. Last year, 286.299 passengers flew between Belgrade, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Beauvais Airport.

Belgrade - Beauvais vv. passenger numbers
MACMILLAN PASS PROJECT 2020 TARGETS

Macmillan Pass Project: Locations of the 2020 exploration targets, advanced prospects, and known deposits

Macmillan Pass Project: Locations of the 2020 exploration targets, advanced prospects, and known deposits

MACMILLAN PASS 2020 PLANNED GEOPHYSICS

Macmillan Pass Project: Locations of the 2020 ground gravity, 2020 airborne VTEM surveys, and previous surveys.

Macmillan Pass Project: Locations of the 2020 ground gravity, 2020 airborne VTEM surveys, and previous surveys.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FIREWEED ZINC LTD. (Fireweed or the Company) (TSXV: FWZ) is pleased to announce that drilling has started on the 100% owned 544 km2 Macmillan Pass Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Yukon, Canada. This is in addition to the field work already in progress on the property since July that includes geophysical, geochemical, and geological work.



Highlights

Two core drills have begun drilling at Boundary Zone

Most drilling this season will be at Boundary Zone, further testing the wide and high-grade mineralization intersected in 2019

New discovery targets will also be drilled, including 240 Mile Target

Geophysical gravity surveying, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and prospecting are all underway (see Fireweed news release dated June 11, 2020 for details of 2020 exploration targets on the property)

An airborne VTEM-Magnetic geophysical survey over the western Fertile Corridor including the Boundary Zone area is scheduled to start shortly

Drilling and field work programs are being further expanded with funds from the recently announced financing

CEO Statement

Brandon Macdonald, CEO, stated Two drills are now turning. The prime target this season is Boundary Zone where last year we drilled very impressive intersections including 100 metres of 7.94% zinc from surface including 6.4 metres of 42.88% zinc, the best holes ever drilled in the zone. We will also be drilling new targets based on geophysics and other field work which have good potential for new discoveries. Its going to be a busy couple months to accomplish the large work program we have planned and we look forward to seeing the results of our efforts.

Story continues

Core Drilling

The first drill began drilling last week and the second drill began drilling this week. Both drills will mainly be deployed to test the Boundary Zone high-grade core and zone extensions. Previous drilling at Boundary intersected wide sections of potential open pit mineralization. Drilling highlights from 2019 include 100 metres of 7.94% zinc from surface, including 6.4 metres of 42.88% zinc within 230 metres of 4.14% zinc.

Other targets we plan to drill this summer include the Bog Zone, which has significant historic drill results and is located north of Boundary Zone, and 240 Mile Target, marked by a large gravity anomaly that may indicate buried mineralization between the Tom and Jason deposits (see Fireweed news release dated June 11, 2020 for details of other targets).

Geophysics

Ground gravity crews continue to survey the western portion of the Fertile Corridor including the Boundary Zone area (see Map 2). Boundary Zone is potentially a large mineralized feeder system to nearby undiscovered stratiform mineralization similar to stratiform mineralization at the large Tom and Jason deposits. Gravity anomalies mark mineralization at Tom and Jason, and other mineralization in the Fertile Corridor.

A 1,300 line-kilometer airborne VTEM-Magnetics geophysics survey has been contracted to start soon. It will cover the western portion of the Fertile Corridor including Boundary Zone, Volcanic Target, and Zinc Moss Target (see Map 2). Results of the survey will be used to guide work programs and exploration targeting.

Field Exploration

Geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and prospecting are ongoing to define drill targets at Volcanic Target, Zinc Moss Target, Eleven Target, and Round Mountain Target (see Map 1 and Fireweed news release dated June 11, 2020 for details).

Qualified Person Statement

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Gilles Dessureau, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and a Qualified Person as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

About Fireweed Zinc Ltd. (TSXV: FWZ): Fireweed Zinc is a public mineral exploration company focused on zinc and managed by a veteran team of mining industry professionals. The Company is advancing its district-scale 544 km2 Macmillan Pass Project in Yukon, Canada, which is host to one of the largest undeveloped zinc-lead-silver resources in the world. The 100% owned Tom and Jason deposits have current Mineral Resources (11.21MT of 6.59% zinc, 2.48% lead & 21.33g/t silver Indicated plus 39.47MT of 5.84% zinc, 3.14% lead and 38.15g/t silver Inferred) and a PEA economic study (see Fireweed news releases dated January 10, 2018, and May 23, 2018, respectively, and reports filed on www.sedar.com for details) as well as the Boundary Zone, Tom North Zone and End Zone which have significant zinc-lead-silver mineralization drilled but not yet classified as mineral resources. The project also includes large blocks of adjacent claims (MAC, MC, MP, Jerry, BR, and NS) which cover exploration targets in the district where previous and recent work identified zinc, lead and silver prospects, and geophysical and geochemical anomalies in prospective host geology.

Additional information about Fireweed Zinc and its Macmillan Pass Zinc Project including maps and drill sections can be found on the Companys website at www.FireweedZinc.com and at www.sedar.com .

ON BEHALF OF FIREWEED ZINC LTD.

Brandon Macdonald

CEO & Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company and the Macmillan Pass Project that are based on the beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including but not limited to, without limitations, exploration and development risks, expenditure and financing requirements, general economic conditions, changes in financial markets, the effects of the pandemic, the ability to properly and efficiently staff the Companys operations, the sufficiency of working capital and funding for continued operations, title matters, First Nations relations, operating hazards, political and economic factors, competitive factors, metal prices, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulations and oversight, permitting, seasonality and weather, technological change, industry practices, and one-time events. Additional risks are set out in the Companys prospectus dated May 9, 2017, and filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Should any one or more risks or uncertainties materialize or change, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and forward-looking statements may vary materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

Contact:

Brandon Macdonald: Phone 604-646-8361

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76e6e140-180f-4852-b94a-aabbb36a71c9

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5aa9d73d-8b4a-4b13-83df-2edb39b65c9f




(Natural News) The arrogance of those who worship vaccine science is on full display now. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just made a commitment to authorize millions of new covid-19 vaccines before the already corrupted phase three trials are complete. The arrogance is so brazen, President Donald Trump is putting the military in charge of rolling the vaccine program out. The Department of Defense has already awarded a $138 million contract for prefilled syringes, as if safety and efficacy studies do not matter at all.

A senior Trump administration official said that they are very confident that by year end we will have tens of millions of vaccines put into American arms. The official told CNN that under Operation Warp Speed, vaccine manufacturing will begin by the end of summer. In many cases its already underway, the official said. Were acquiring the equipment, were setting up the space, were acquiring, in some cases, the raw materials to do it. We have project teams that are assigned to go out to each manufacturing site.

FDA clearing the way for hasty, untested vaccine that will constitute WAR CRIMES

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn is under intense political pressure to get millions of vaccine doses out before the 2020 election and has said the agency will authorize a new covid-19 vaccine for emergency use before the Phase Three clinical trials are complete. The emergency use authorization will not be a full approval, said Hahn, who will approve the vaccines as long as the drug company representatives overseeing the process are convinced that the postulated benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of a hypothetical infection.

This is not going to be a political decision, Hahn said, in a pathetic display of doublespeak. This is going to be a science, medicine, data decision. The Phase Three trials typically involve thousands of patients and take multiple years to conduct. The emergency use authorization will push millions of vaccinations into healthcare workers and into other demographics of people who are determined to be at greatest risk. Ironically, vaccine injury is statistically more prevalent in people with weakened immune systems  the same group of people determined to be at greatest risk.

There will be no recourse or compensation for these vaccine injuries, nor will there be a system to detect and differentiate symptoms caused by the vaccines from real time infections. This is why new covid-19 outbreaks will be blamed on the un-vaccinated  pushing lawmakers and private companies to come up with new ways to coerce the un-vaccinated population to submit.

Drug companies and governments imposing their will over the people

As American freedom still hangs in the balance, government regulators and drug companies continue to impose their will over the people. Forced vaccination has been the goal all along. A senior Trump administration official said distribution of the emergency vaccine will be nationwide and will be a joint venture between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense. The official also said that distribution of the vaccines will be a collaborative process between the private sector and the military. The Department of Defense is handling all the logistics of getting the vaccines to the right place, at the right time, in the right condition.

According to a fact sheet on the US Department of Health and Human Services website, the federal government wants to use the military to help deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021. This will be done by skipping over ten years of necessary safety studies and clinical trials that determine the vaccines one-sided (antibody augmentation) measurement of effectiveness.

To stay up-to-date on the looming emergency use vaccine WAR CRIMES against American citizens, read Vaccines.News.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

Defense.gov

CNN.com

Politico.com
Tens of millions of pupils returned to school in France, Poland and Russia on Tuesday, their rucksacks loaded with exercise books, geometry sets and, for many, face masks to protect them from a resurgent coronavirus pandemic.

Hand cleansing stations, social distancing and staggered play time will become the new normal as countries across Europe seek ways to get children back into the classroom safely and their economies functioning once again.

But they do so at a time when infections rates are spiralling upwards across the continent and there are widespread concerns that the return to schools and offices, the autumn flu season and excess mortality in winter could drive a second wave.

In France, Spain and elsewhere, some parents and teachers' unions have voiced concern at plans for reopening classrooms as the spread of the virus gathers renewed pace. "I prefer her to be going to school," Laure Gevaert said as she dropped off her daughter Emma at her junior high school in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, north of Paris. "It's not easy home-schooling, and I have to work too."

Even so, the threat of a second wave was alarming, she said. "If there are cases at the school, that will worry me. I won't send her in."

Countries are taking different approaches to minimise contagion in schools. Spain's 17 regions are responsible for their own back-to-school plan, though they must follow national regulations such as mandatory masks for children over six.

At the Immaculate and St. Joseph of the Mountain centre, a Catholic school in Ronda, southern Spain, staff were spacing out desks and preparing hand sanitizer posts.

"We're doing everything we can," said the school's director, Mother Marta, dressed in a starched white habit and white mask.

In Russia, pupils returned as the country's coronavirus case tally exceeded 1 million."I'm not afraid of COVID of course, but I follow the restrictions," Daniil Ivanenko, a 9th-grade student, told Reuters in western Moscow.

PLAN B?

The French government said the crisis must not put citizens' lives on hold, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was crucial schools in England re-open this week. Schools in Scotland reopened earlier this month, with face masks mandatory for secondary school students except in classroooms.

Johnson is under pressure to show he can oversee a full-time return to school after his Conservative government made a hash of how school-leavers would be graded for exams that were cancelled during the lockdown.

But unions have complained of chaos caused by last minute changes and stressed the importance of a 'Plan B' should a second wave hit.

"You dont need a crystal ball to see that local restrictions will be a feature of the autumn and winter," said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of head teachers' union NAHT.

At the height of coronavirus lockdowns globally in April, some 1.5 billion children were affected by school closures, according to UNESCO. School closures widened the inequality gap, experts have said.

The risk of coronavirus transmission within schools depends on what is happening in the local community as well as the safety measures put in place, according to epidemiologists.

Global data on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic shows that children and young people make up only 1-2% of cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Most reported infections in children are mild or asymptomatic, with few recorded deaths.

"Schools operate in communities, they don't operate in isolation. So the big thing that we look for is what does transmission look like in the community where those schools operate," World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said Geneva.

Germany and Sweden may offer some reassurance.

In Germany, where schools have been reopening since early August, the proportion of coronavirus cases among Under 20s has remained stable. In Sweden, keeping schools open through the pandemic did not lead to higher infection rates among students compared with neighbouring Finland, where schools temporarily closed.

"We want to see children returning to school and people returning to the workplace, but we want to see it done safely. At the same time, no country can just pretend the pandemic is over," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
With China liberalizing its mutual funds sector wider for global firms, Citigroup C recently received a domestic fund custody licence by Chinese regulators. The New York bank is the first U.S. bank to get such a permit.



Notably, the license granted will aid the banking giant in serving people domiciled in China with its custody-related services to both mutual funds and private funds. However, the bank awaits clearance of an on-site inspection to be concluded later this year.



The development follows the opening up of the Chinese markets for foreign financial firms. Chinas securities regulator  The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)  and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission for the first time came up with the permit of allowing local branches of foreign banks for application of fund custody licences this year.



The CSRC also eased rules for the foreign ownership of financial services firms in China this year giving way to foreign banks, insurers and asset managers to take majority ownership in their joint ventures in the country. Since April this year, global fund companies have been permitted to submit application to the CSRC for approval for buying 100% stakes in fund management joint ventures.



Therefore, the companies, which got approvals are being involved in creating and distributing mutual funds for the $2.3 trillion retail investor market in China.



Citis China domestic fund custody licence is great news for our global clients, David Russell, Citis Asia-Pacific head of securities services, said in a statement. As international fund managers, securities firms, and insurance companies set up in China, we believe they will want a trusted service provider to help them mitigate risks and reduce costs.



Moving with restructuring moves, Citi continues to execute growth strategies, such as bolstering position in the booming digital industry and expanding its global market presence, thereby diversifying revenue sources. Also, prudent expense management and inorganic expansion strategies keep us encouraged.



In addition to Citigroup, various other global finance companies are seeking to expand operations in China as the country removes foreign ownership limits on financial firms and eases rules for mutual funds sector. Some of the firms already taking advantage of the available options include Vanguard Group Inc., JPMorgan JPM, Goldman Sachs GS, UBS Group, HSBC Holdings and Morgan Stanley.



Notably, last week, BlackRock BLK has become the latest U.S. financial firm to receive approval for setting up a majority-owned joint venture (JV) in China. It has also applied for a fund management license to set up its wholly-owned mutual fund in the country.



Shares of Citigroup have lost 4.1% over the past three months compared with the industrys decline of 4.8%. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:57:03|Editor: huaxia

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HAIKOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, will add and resume more than 1,500 flights in September to meet the demand of the coming travel rush.

A total of 16 airlines, including Air China, Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines, plan to add and resume over 1,500 flights in Haikou, as this month sees the peak flow of students returning to colleges while next month will see a further spike for the National Day and Mid-autumn Festival holidays.

About 1,346 flights are expected to be added linking Haikou and major tourist cities including Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Meanwhile, about 180 flights are scheduled to be resumed.

The airport operated 12,548 flights and transported over 1.66 million passengers in August, the summer vacation travel peak, up 20.51 percent and 20.29 percent respectively over the previous month. Enditem
<! Oshiomhole and photos frrom the scene of accident >

Former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole missed death by the whiskers on Tuesday, when a trailer crashed into the partys campaign convoy at Benin Bye-Pass.

While Oshionmhole was lucky, two policemen in the convoy died in the accident at Oluku Junction.

It was not clear whether the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was also embedded in the convoy.

The accident was being seen by some members of Oshiomholes party as staged by the political opponents, while some said it was just a normal accident.

The gravity of the accident and the fatalities involved led the party to suspend further campaign, according to a statement issued after the accident.

The party said it suspended the campaign to grieve with families of the victims.

Edo election will be held on 19 September.

Read the Edo APC statement on the accident:
The Navi Mumbai crime branchs unit I arrested five accused and seized over 48 tonnes of used gloves worth 50.10 lakh, which were being washed and resold. The accused had already distributed these gloves to over 107 distributors.

Police arrested four people in the case between August 18 and 23, while the fifth accused was arrested on August 28. The main accused in the entire racket is still absconding.

Police first arrested Prashant Surve, 48 with four tonnes of disposable gloves from Belapur. Later they arrested Vipul Shah, 52, a resident of Malad; Nazeem Khan, 30, from Bhiwandi, and Afroz Shaikh, 36, from Malegaon.

Around 15 lakh pairs of used gloves weighing 15 tonnes were seized from a Bhiwandi godown, while 19 lakh pairs weighing around 19 tonnes were seized from an Aurangabad godown.

On August 28, police arrested Tarun Rammani, 40, who was hiding in Delhi. He was the prime distributor in Mumbai. The prime suppliers of the racket are based in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Deputy police commissioner, crime, Vinod Chavhan said, We have sent our teams to Bengaluru, raided a godown according to information provided by the arrested accused, and found 10 tonnes of gloves worth 10 lakh. The owner of the godown, Imran Siddiqui, fled from the place and our team is searching for him. Surve used to purchase the used gloves from Shah, Khan and Shaikh at 300 per kg. After washing and drying them, Surve sold the gloves at 15 per pair to Rammani.

Chavhan said that the used gloves were collected from different hospitals. After interrogating Afroz Shaikh, we found that he collected gloves from a man from Andhra Pradesh name Kishor, who in turn collected them from a hospital of Cochin. Surve has distributed these used gloves to around 107 distributors in the country, said Chavhan.
Too little, too late

Belatedly, President Trump recognized the danger and declared war on the "silent enemy" COVID-19. Unlike a wartime commander in chief, he did not mobilize his best generals (doctors, health officials, scientists) and create a national strategy, nor did he collaborate with allied countries.

At this stage, with less than 5% of the world's population, our country has suffered 24% of the global confirmed cases of COVID-19  and 21% of the world's deaths. Having lost the battle  and our economy and jobs  thus far, what "silent" language should the survivors be learning to deal with the occupying enemy?

In his reelection paranoia, needing a silver bullet, the president has bullied government officials  whose roles are to protect our health and well-being  into premature temporary authorizations of tests and therapeutics like hydroxychloroquine and convalescent blood plasma. Would this president demand early authorization of a vaccine before appropriate testing is completed?

And if 43% of American adults are already saying they would likely avoid even a fully vetted vaccine, would that be another losing tactic?
The Met Office has announced its alphabetical list of storm names for the 2020-21 season but there's one name that has attracted ridicule from Welsh speakers.

Storm Heulwen has been included as the eighth storm name for the upcoming year but Welsh speakers have pointed out the name literally translates to 'sunshine'.

The Met Office work alongside their partners in the Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI of the Netherlands to name the storms, and say they choose names that reflect the diversity of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands.

And although Heulwen is a common name for girls in Wales, it also translates to 'sun blessed' or 'sunshine'.

The choice has sparked widespread amusement on social media.

The Met Office has been ridiculed across social media for including Storm Heulwen - which translates as sunshine in Welsh - in its list of 2020/21 storm names for the upcoming season

BBC weatherman Owain Wyn Evans tweeted: 'New storm names announced today dahlings. FYI- Heulwen is 'sunshine' in Welsh.

'Who's looking forward to Storm Sunshine?!'

Neil Jones added: 'Oh dear! I've just seen the storm list for the next year.

'The 8th storm has been given a Welsh name Heulwen. This is a reasonably common female given name, but like many such Welsh names it has an actual meaning.

'Rather inappropriately for a storm it actually means SUNSHINE!'

Peter Gillibrand said: 'The Met Office has just announced there will be a Storm Heulwen in 2020/2021.

'I'm not sure if they got the memo that it translates from Welsh as sunshine...'

The UK has reached the eighth storm name twice in recent years - Storm Hector in 2018 and Storm Hannah in 2019 but in the most recent season it only reached Storm Francis

What are the chosen names for 2020/2021 storms going to be? Aidan Bella Christoph Darcy Evert Fleur Gavin Heulwen Iain Julia Klaas Lilah Minne Naia Oscar Phoebe Q N/A Ravi Saidhbhin Tobias U N/A Veronica Wilson X N/A Y N/A Z N/A Advertisement

Bleddyn Bowen said: 'Heulwen' means sunshine, so I'm looking forward to that one.

'And attempts by British newsreaders to say it.'

'Thanks for including a Welsh name,' Rhys Gerallt Owen. 'Heulwen is probably one of the least appropriate names for a storm though.'

'Would be great to have more than one Welsh name next year,' Meinir Morris said. 'The irony of the meaning of the name though'

The UK has reached the eighth storm name twice in recent years - Storm Hector in 2018 and Storm Hannah in 2019.

Oliver Claydon, a Met Office spokesman, told The Daily Telegraph that people involved in the storm-naming protocol live in Wales, and everyone had been aware of the name's meaning.

He added that the exercise of naming storms was more about identification and raising awareness of inclement weather, rather than the meanings behind a particular name, and he highlighted that Tobias can translate as 'good'.

The criteria used for naming storms is based on the Met Office's National Severe Weather Warnings service.

This is based on a combination of both the impact the weather may have, and the likelihood of those impacts occurring.

A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber or red warning.

When the criteria for naming a storm are met, either the Met Office, Met Eireann or KNMI can name a storm.

The name is then circulated to the public, media outlets, the government and emergency services to make it easier to communicate information about a particular storm.

Earlier this year the Met Office and Met Eireann asked people to send in their ideas for future storm names.

A spokesman for the Met Office added: 'We received thousands of suggestions and this year's list has been compiled from these public suggestions, choosing some of the more popular names and names that reflect the diversity of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands.'

To avoid any confusion over naming, if a storm is the remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane that has moved across the Atlantic, the Met office stick with its previous name.
The military's ability to court-martial some retirees and not others is a "textbook violation of equal protection," an opening brief filed this week with a top court of appeals says.

Lawyers representing Stephen Begani, a retired Navy chief petty officer who was court-martialed shortly after leaving the Navy in 2017, filed their opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces on Monday. Begani filed a petition earlier this year for the top military appellate court to hear his case after a lower court determined he'd been rightly court-martialed.

Begani was subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a member of the Fleet Reserve. Sailors and Marines who leave active duty after serving more than 20 years, but less than 30, move into that status if they want to collect retiree pay.

Read Next: The Next Major Battlefield Threat Facing US Troops May Be Undetectable

Retired reservists don't face those same rules, however. Unlike members of the Fleet Reserve, they are not subject to the UCMJ.

That, Begani's lawyers say, is unconstitutional.

"This Court's responsibility in such a case is clear: to bar the court-martial of Fleet Reservists for offenses committed after their retirement and off active duty until and unless Congress eliminates this disparity," they wrote in their opening brief.

Begani was working as a contractor at a Marine Corps air station in Japan when he was arrested by members of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and charged with attempted sexual abuse of a child. The retired chief petty officer arrived at what he thought was the home of a 15-year-old girl with whom he'd been communicating. That person was actually an undercover NCIS agent.

Begani received a bad-conduct discharge and was sentenced to 18 months' confinement.

"Servicemembers who 'retire' from regular components remain subject to military law in perpetuity; those who retire from the reserves don't," Steve Vladeck, who's representing Begani, tweeted this week. "... [That] distinction is unconstitutional."

Navy Lt. Daniel Rosinski, who also represents Begani, argued that point in a lower court last year. There's no difference between someone leaving active duty or the Reserve, he said, adding that any of them can be recalled to active duty, though Reserve retirees would be tried as civilians -- unlike Begani. Rosinski declined to comment further on Monday's opening briefing.

The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals last summer issued a legal opinion saying court-martialing military retirees was unconstitutional. In a rare move though, that opinion was later withdrawn.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, known as CAAF, is the last stop before military appeals battles head to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has previously upheld the Defense Department's authority to try retirees. In 2019, the court opted against hearing the case of a retired Marine who was court-martialed for a sexual assault he committed after leaving the military.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Related: New 'Bombshell' Legal Opinion Says Military Retirees Can't Be Court-Martialed
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 03:18:12|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The ICC in March authorized an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, including those that may have been committed by the U.S. military and the CIA, which could lead to the indictment of U.S. military and intelligence personnel.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the United States would impose sanctions on senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their investigations into U.S. persons.

Pompeo said that the United States would designate ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division of ICC, as "the ICC continues to target Americans."

"Individuals and entities that continue to materially support those individuals risk exposure to sanctions as well," he said, adding that the U.S. Department of State had restricted visas for individuals involved in the ICC efforts to investigate U.S. personnel.

Pompeo said that Washington has not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC and "will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction."

The ICC in March authorized an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, including those that may have been committed by the U.S. military and the CIA, which could lead to the indictment of U.S. military and intelligence personnel.

U.S. President Donald Trump in June authorized economic sanctions against ICC officials engaged in an investigation into U.S. personnel, which drew opposition from the international community and some of U.S. allies.

The ICC was established when the Rome Statute took effect in 2002. It prosecutes crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. 
A number of dangerous weapons including knives, a hatchet, and homemade spike strips have been recovered at the former site of Seattle's controversial 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone', two months after it was dismantled.

The Seattle Parks Department on Tuesday continued its cleanup operation at Cal Anderson Park, which became the center of violent protests and deadly shootings this summer after it was overtaken by demonstrators in June.

Workers had been repairing a field house and cleaning out a tent in the area this week when they found several weapons left behind by occupants, police said.

Workers with the Seattle Parks Department discovered a number of a homemade weapons during a clean up at Cal State Park on Tuesday

Authorities also recovered multiple wooden shields protesters had used to protect themselves at the 'police-free' zone between June and July

The infamous 'CHOP' or 'CHAZ' had been established on June 8, when armed protesters occupied several blocks blocks around the park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct after demonstrations spiraled out of control

Authorities obtained a search warrant before raiding the tent where they recovered a machete, hatchet, homemade spike strips, an unexploded mortar, and multiple makeshift shields.

'Officers removed the items from the tent and placed them into evidence. No arrests have been made in this investigation at this time, but the investigation is ongoing,' officials said in a statement.

The park, which had been turned into a 'police-free' zone, was finally cleared out on July 1 under an executive order issued by Mayor Jenny Durkan following weeks of unrest.

But despite its closure, protesters continued occupying areas of the park and had set up encampments during the month August, the Capitol Hill Seattle blog reported.

The Parks Department said the facility had been 'repeatedly vandalized' throughout the closure and authorities were called in several times last month to remove people who were unlawfully accessing the park.

'After the repeated refusal of individuals to leave the park, today, the Seattle Police, at the request of the Seattle Parks and Recreation assisted in clearing those trespassing in the City facility,' the department said.

Clean-up: Seattle police enter the East Precinct on Wednesday after clearing out the CHOP zone

Clearing out: City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct

'Parks staff were onsite to address protest supply tents and personal belongings by providing storage, make repairs to the parks facility, and other improvements to further deter break-ins and vandalism.'

The infamous 'CHOP' or 'CHAZ' had been established on June 8 when protesters occupied several blocks around the park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct after demonstrations calling for an end to police brutality spiraled out of control.

Armed protesters erected barriers and set up encampments as they declared it a police-free zone, leading to weeks of violence, looting, and vandalism.

Over a three-week period, dozens of people were arrested at the site, two people were shot dead, and crime in the area had risen by more than 500 per cent.

At least 100 police officers swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am on July 1 and a loud bang was heard followed by a cloud of smoke as cops began clearing the area.

Officers tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters.

Seattle police showed up in force on July 1 at the citys 'occupied' protest zone, tore down demonstrators tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings

Police swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am; at least 31 people were arrested, said Police Chief Carmen Best

They also took down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside.

Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone.

Protester Rick Hearns used his megaphone to tell demonstrators: 'We've made history. Everybody out. We'll get another place. Don't taunt the officers.'

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said the area had become 'lawless and brutal.'

'Four shootings, two fatal, robberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area,' she said at the time.

Police also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks.

The move to dismantle the area follows the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, named as Antonio Mays Jr. A 14-year-old was also critically injured when eyewitnesses say armed security inside the zone fired 300 rounds.

Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot on the protest area on June 20.

There had been increasing calls by critics, including President Trump, to remove protesters from the 'Capitol Hill Occupied Protest' area east of downtown.
Appointment

2 September 2020

Douglas Rodriguez joins Aparium Hotel Group as the Executive Chef for Hotel Haya, a boutique hotel in the famed neighborhood of Ybor City in Tampa, Fla., slated to open in September. Rodriguez will oversee Flor Fina, a coastal Mediterranean restaurant and a Cuban-inspired cafe, Cafe Quiquiriqui, in addition to the hotel's in-room dining and events programs. Known as "The Godfather of Nuevo Cuisine," Rodriguez brings over 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry with a heavy focus on Latino cuisine. His culinary creativity has transformed the image of Latino food in award winning establishments across New York City, London, Philadelphia, Coral Gables, among many others. His talents have earned him the prestigious James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year Award in 1996 as well as additional nominations for Best Chef in South Florida in 2008 and 2009. Rodriguez's culinary craft and personality has also found its way into the homes of millions of Americans through his participation on the first season of Top Chef Masters on Bravo and many appearances on national programs including The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and CBS Weekend This Morning. A native of Miami and son of Cuban immigrants, Rodriguez studied at the prestigious culinary program at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh speaking in Parliament on 2 September 2020. (PHOTOS: Parliament screengrabs)

SINGAPORE  Workers Party chief Pritam Singh took exception to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs description of opposition voters as free riders, as the Leader of the Opposition and the PM crossed swords in the new Parliament for the first time.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (2 September) in lieu of his annual National Day Rally speech, Lee was critical of the mindset that it is safe to vote for the opposition as the Peoples Action Party (PAP) will form the government anyway  a strategy deployed by several opposition parties in the recent General Election.

The PM cited a middle-aged voter who had asked Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean during the July election campaign, Mr Teo, is it true? My friends tell me its ok to vote for the opposition. Because the government will still be in charge...and the PAP will work even harder for you. You get everything they promised, and two persons working for you instead of one.

After his speech, Lee told the House, So if you think that government is doing the wrong thing...by all means, vote the government out, put a new government in, change the government, change the policy. But if you say, vote against the government because somebody else will look after getting the PAP government, you just become a free rider.

In response, Singh said, I don't think the residents of Aljunied, Hougang for 30 years now, and even Sengkang, as a result of the last election, would appreciate being called free riders. They're not free riders.

The WP chief added, Were not just letting the other guy, the government of the day, do something. We've got to do what we have to do. We've got to run the town council, which is why Mr Lee Kuan Yew conceived of the town councils in the first place. Because if you want to move forward in the system as an opposition Member of Parliament, you've got to prove your worth in the town council.

And we've had growing pains, I'm not going to deny that. But if we were bungling things up, I wouldn't be here today. My team wouldn't be here today.

Story continues

Lee then clarified that he had been using the economists definition of a free rider, which refers to a situation whereby people use or overuse a shared resource without paying their fair share for it or not at all. But if you say, vote for for me, somebody else will vote for the PAP, and therefore the PAP will be the government, that, the economists will call a free rider. It means that you're taking advantage of somebody else who's doing their duty of electing a government for the nation.

The Prime Minister added, And you're not doing your part, expressing your true views and preference, as a voter whom you want to be the next government. And if everybody takes that attitude, then you're going to end up with a government which you don't want.

Im not desperate for power, Prime Minister

Alluding to the residents of Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang - all wards held by the WP - Singh said, The residents, the voters of these constituencies, put their faith in us. Because they know an opposition in Parliament is ultimately good for Singapore.

The 43-year-old spoke of his huge burden as WP chief: ensuring that the party picks the right candidates who can follow through if elected. I'm not desperate for power, Prime Minister. But we've got to get good people, if we want to bring this country forward...We have many, many more miles to go. But we're not chasing a destination. We intend to do right by Singapore.

Acknowledging his motivations, his passion, his desire to do right by Singapore, Lee asked, So supposing that the PSP (Progress Singapore Party) had been as persuasive as Mr Pritam Singh, and SDP (Singapore Democratic Party) had been as persuasive as Mr Pritam Singh, and more voters had taken such an attitude, where would Singapore be? Is that the right outcome for Singapore?

He added, Elections are not just about the town council, they're also about electing the government for the country. And that's necessary for people to bear firmly in mind.

Earlier, Lee was also critical of Singhs assertion that if there is a change of government, a new party will be able to run Singapore equally well, thanks to its excellent public service.

Conceding that in such a scenario, the new government would be able to fly straight and level for some time, Lee nevertheless charged, I think that's not being honest. In that case, we can dismiss all the ministers. They can go on leave, we don't need ministers, anybody can be a minister. But you need to run a system which is finely tuned and capable, you need a very capable hand at the top.

The 68-year-old pointed out that ministers are akin to chief executives who set the direction for their ministries, and must have the information at their fingertips as they answer questions in Committee of Supply or parliamentary debates. And from time to time, the decisions is not what the staff consensus come up with, because partly there are political factors, but sometimes because the minister must exercise judgment and take responsibility.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

Other Singapore stories:

Pritam Singh v PM Lee Hsien Loong: Opposition ward residents are not 'free riders', says WP chief

With more opposition MPs, government will take open and constructive approach to policies: PM Lee Hsien Loong

How much reserves is enough? There's no answer, says Lee Hsien Loong

Lessons of COVID-19 must be learned to prepare for 'Disease X': Lee Hsien Loong

Government not ideologically opposed to any proposals to improve social safety: Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore's COVID-19 response 'not without shortcomings', would have done some things differently in hindsight: Lee Hsien Loong
Expanded telehealth services at UT Southwestern have proved effective at safely delivering patient care during the pandemic, leading to an increase in patients even in specialties such as plastic surgery, according to a new study.

The study, published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, illuminates the unexpected benefits that telehealth has had during the pandemic and provides insight into what this may mean for the future of medicine in the United States.

"Prior to COVID-19, it was not clear if telehealth would meet the standard of care in highly specialized clinical practices. Out of necessity, we were forced to innovate quickly. What we found is that it is actually a really good fit," says Alan Kramer, M.P.H., assistant vice president of health system emerging strategies at UTSW and co-author of the study.

UT Southwestern was already equipped with telehealth technology when COVID-19 hit - but only as a small pilot program. Through incredible team efforts, telehealth was expanded across the institution within days, bringing with it several unanticipated benefits for both the medical center and patients.

"The conversion rate to telehealth is higher than in person," says Bardia Amirlak, M.D., FACS, associate professor of plastic surgery and the study's senior corresponding author. The study found 25,197 of 34,706 telehealth appointments across the institution were completed in April 2020 - a 72.6 percent completion rate - compared with a 65.8 percent completion rate of in-person visits from April 2019.

The study notes the significant increases in the volume of new patients seen by telehealth beginning in March 2020. This resulted from a combination of relaxed regulations and an increasing comfort level with telehealth visits among physicians and patients. UTSW saw the percentage of new patients seen through telehealth visits increase from 0.77 percent in February to 14.2 percent and 16.7 percent in March and April, respectively.

Even within a niche field like plastic surgery, the implementation of telehealth has been incredibly successful, demonstrating the tractability of telehealth to a wide range of practices.

From April to mid-May, plastic surgery completed 340 telehealth visits in areas such as breast cancer reconstruction, hand surgery, and wound care, with completion rates similar to the whole of UTSW. Likewise, plastic surgery also saw a large number of new patients, who comprised 41 percent of the telehealth visits.

"The fear was that the platform wouldn't be able to handle it: the privacy issues, insurance issues, malpractice issues ... but it came together well and we were able to ramp up into the thousands, and were able to not only decrease patient anxiety, but also increase many beneficial factors, such as patient access," says Amirlak.

The study reported several boons for telehealth patients, including reductions in stress, missed work, the number of hospital visits, travel time, and exposure to pathogens, in addition to improving access to care with the option for out-of-state consultations.

Indeed, patients from 43 states and Puerto Rico have participated in telehealth visits at UTSW facilities since March.

Even as COVID-19 restrictions have eased in Texas, telehealth is still proving to be a major part of UT Southwestern's clinical practice.

"The feedback from patients has been very positive," says Kramer. "We're now sustaining 25 percent of our practice being done virtually, a major win for our patients. It's changed the way we think about care."

Whether this trend continues into the post-COVID-19 world remains to be seen, he says. But either way, Kramer says, it is clear that telehealth will be a useful tool.

The numerous benefits that telehealth has to offer are accompanied by several challenges, however, such as the practicality and risks of remote diagnostic medicine.

Though technology is starting to address some issues with the development of tools such as electronic stethoscopes and consumer-facing apps that can measure blood oxygen levels and perform electrocardiograms, for example, some argue the value of the in-person physical exam cannot be replaced.

Moving forward, Amirlak says, "it will be our responsibility as physicians and scientists to recognize the potential dangers of taking telehealth to the extreme right now and missing a clinical diagnosis."

Aside from patient-facing issues, other challenges need to be included in discussions of the future of telehealth, including federal, state, and local laws; privacy concerns; and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.

Many statutes and restrictions have been loosened during the pandemic, allowing institutions like UTSW to implement telehealth rapidly and effectively. But the future of telehealth will necessitate the development of long-term regulations.

Based on the trends, it seems that telehealth is here to stay. So it's important to think about the concerns, and based on this information, the issues that we have and how we can resolve them going forward." Christine Wamsley, Study First Author and Research Fellow, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

With the ramp-up of telehealth and related restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, now may be the best opportunity for health care providers and governmental agencies to address these challenges and set out guidelines for the practice of telehealth.
Instructor Joe Brown, front, leads an outdoor dance class with, from left, Gabriel Perez, Martel Jackson and London Outlaw at Movement Lifestyle Studio in North Hollywood. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

The announcements coming from L.A. dance studios feel eerily similar.

In June, an Instagram post from Pieter Performance Space in Lincoln Heights began: It is with a heavy heart we share news of the departure from our studio home.

In a July email to supporters of his Silver Lake studio, Ryan Heffington  the choreographer behind Netflix's "The OA" and Sia's "Chandelier" video  wrote: Due to the uncertainty of our lives, both currently and for the foreseeable future, Ive decided to take the Sweat Spot entity virtual.

In August, after the announced sale of Hollywood's Television Center, Edge Performing Arts Center cofounders Bill Prudich and Randall Allaire posted on Instagram: We have just been informed that Edge will not be part of the buildings future development.  Their plans, combined with the hardship created by the COVID-19 mandatory closures have resulted in this outcome.

The flurry of goodbye-for-now messages, combined with desperate pleas for support across social media and GoFundMe, paint a picture of a dance landscape in crisis. Without dance studios, professionals lose their places to train or work out new art before it appears to the masses. And amateurs lose their go-to outlet for creative expression or alternative to boring workouts.

Mandatory coronavirus-related closures have wiped out most income for dance studios, which rely on in-person classes, rentals and performances. And although many studios have shifted to online learning, it may not generate enough income to last through the uncertain months ahead.

Even before the pandemic, running a dance studio in L.A. was notoriously challenging.

Many studios struggled to stay afloat amid real estate development and rising rents across the city. Last year, several dance spaces closed, including Dance Arts Academy, which had been in its mid-Wilshire space for 19 years, and the original North Hollywood studio created by the late Debbie Reynolds in 1979.

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COVID-19 could accelerate the demise of others.

After learning the building that houses their performing arts center was sold, Prudich and Allaire hosted a clearance sale of portable barres, furniture, and boxes and bins of costumes. Unsure about where they would go after moving out, they opted to sell the items instead of paying for storage.

Bill Prudich, co-owner of the Edge Performing Arts Center, shares a moment with dancer Jordan Dodderer at the studio's clearance sale. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Founded in 1992, Edge became a training ground for dancers who want to work in film, TV and music. The center has also hosted auditions and rehearsals for Cher, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna.

Although Prudich and Allaire had no control over the building's sale, the bills were already piling up because of the pandemic.

Edge received a Paycheck Protection Program loan but it didnt cover rent, Prudich said. Once they leave the space this month, the two will figure out next steps. I dont want to cast anybody as the bad guy in this, Prudich said. Its just people doing business.

They plan to continue virtual classes, just so we stay in the consciousness of everybody, and then look down the line to reopen  like a phoenix out of the ashes, Prudich said.

Choreographer Meg Wolfe opened We Live in Space in 2016 after searching for a place to rehearse her work and run a residency program. After finding a storefront with an upstairs apartment for less than $3,000 a month in Jefferson Park, Wolfe renovated the space into a one-room dance studio.

We Live in Space ran with rental money, grant funding and dedicated volunteers who cleaned in exchange for studio time. Eventually it got to a point where the space was breaking even financially, Wolfe said via email. But it was always a tenuous existence. The rent was raised about 5% each year.

She decided not to renew the lease, which was up at the end of May. As much as I loved what we were able to do with that space and the energy of the community that grew around it, at a certain point it just would not have been feasible to continue.

Other spaces on the brink of closing are fighting to survive the near future.

The summer months are typically bustling for the Movement Lifestyle, a North Hollywood studio that opened in 2012 specializing in hip-hop and other street dance styles. But running the studio during the pandemic has been a roller-coaster experience, co-founders and brothers CJ and Shaun Evaristo said.

They first offered free classes on Instagram Live, but once they started charging for Zoom classes  about half the cost of $15 in-person classes  attendance dropped dramatically. We had 20 the first week, and then it started to go down to five, maybe three students, CJ said. We cut off the online classes because it was too much of a hassle.

In April, they launched a successful GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000, which covers one months expenses including rent, teacher and staff payroll, and utilities. They made an arrangement with their landlord to defer rent payments for a few months, which theyre now paying back.

Cofounder Shaun Evaristo stands in the larger of two dance studios at Movement Lifestyle Studio. The studio normally hosts 120 students. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

Our finances are just continuing to bleed, CJ said.

Before the pandemic, the studio offered about 50 classes a week. The most popular would max out at 120 students in the large studio and 45 students in the small studio. Now the studio hosts five to 10 outdoor classes a week, and the average attendance is 15.

Its looking really bleak for us, and I dont know if were even talking about what the next steps are for us, if we can continue, Shaun said.

One staff member suggested another fundraising campaign, CJ added. But theres a part of me and Shaun that just feels like its not right to do another GoFundMe when so many people are out there in the same situation as us.  If we dont figure it out  it is what it is.

Operations Director Vienna Luu checks people in at an outdoor desk as instructor Joe Brown starts a dance class at Movement Lifestyle Studio. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

L.A. concert dance was blossoming before this year, said Deborah Brockus, a choreographer who runs a space in the Brewery Artist Lofts Complex near downtown. But the triple impact of the real estate market, Assembly Bill 5  Californias gig-economy law that makes it harder to treat workers as independent contractors  and the pandemic have left her shattered.

Artists are already moving out of town, and they started that pretty quick because theres no work, she said of dancers moving to places with a lower cost of living.

Even before the chaos of this year, she was barely breaking even, paying for her space through performances, rentals and grant funding. Now, she cant pay rent at all.

My landlord has to evict all of us, which they might do, she said. They might just sell the property or they have to work with us.

One bright spot, Brockus said, was the shift to online learning and performances. That has helped to democratize access to dance and provided another avenue for out-of-work dancers to make money.

Subscription-based online dance platforms that provide a better user experience than shaky Instagram Lives and Zooms are seeing major growth during the pandemic.

In the last five months, the number of users has more than doubled for L.A.-based CLI Studios, a platform with pre-recorded and live-streamed classes from more than 300 instructors and a large production operation, filming about 50 classes a week.

Founder and CEO Jon Arpino emphasized the goal for CLI was to provide supplementary dance education and increase access to dance through technology.

We always tell people you should do whatever you can locally to train in person, he said. Online instruction is not a replacement for in-person instruction.

From April 2019 to April 2020, the L.A.-based dance platform Steezy Studio, co-founded by Evan Zhou, grew 540% in subscribers. (The platform said it had users in more than 100 countries but declined to elaborate on the number of subscribers.)

After launching its first online class in 2015, Steezy has more than 700 classes focused on street styles. Its sleek user interface allows students to watch videos from different angles and loop sections of choreography while they're learning.

Behind the scenes of a Steezy Studio class filming at its downtown studio. (Steezy Studio )

For studios that are just now adopting online education as a means to keep the business alive, outside financial assistance is crucial.

Dance organizations need money, said Dorothy Dubrule, director of Pieter Performance Space, which went virtual after class, workshop and studio rental income was wiped out.

Lots of them, including ourselves, are not eligible for some of the CARES Act relief fund, and there havent been that many relief funds that dance organizations are eligible for when it comes to specific arts relief money in Los Angeles, Dubrule said.

Toni Ricci, the owner of Elite Dance and Performing Arts Center in Woodland Hills, said she typically enrolls about 500 students in the fall. This year, she has about 100, who will have the option to take class online, outdoors or inside under COVID-19 restrictions.

But with rent, payroll, utilities and other expenses between $50,000 and $60,000 each month, shes not sure what the future holds.

We have a fraction of that coming in, Ricci said. Im getting close to having to make that hard decision if I go bankrupt or not, because there just isnt money.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : A day after reports surfaced that OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has joined OPPO's holding company in a senior role, smartphone brand Realme on Wednesday clarified that Lau's new designation has nothing to do with their company.

According to multiple reports, Lau, CEO and co-founder of the Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus, has joined OPPO as senior vice president and head of the product experience team.

With the new assignment, Lau will act as SVP and head of product experience at Ouija Holdings Ltd., internationally known as OPlus, which is a majority shareholder of both OPPO and OnePlus, reported GizmoChina citing a Chinese newspaper paper.cn.

According to the report, with Lau as the SVP of the holding company, he will be tasked with the responsibility of "brand synergy between OPPO, OnePlus and Realme".

Realme said in a statement that Lau is newly-designated as SVP of OPLUS, taking care of part of the corporation business.

"This doesn't mean that he is leading relevant business in all brands. His new designation has nothing to do with Realme. OPPO, Realme and OnePlus share a common investment, which is mainly related to certain supply resources," the company said.

Furthermore, it added, Realme is operating independently in its full capacity and takes "100 per cent ownership of its product portfolio and R&D".

OnePlus has officially confirmed that Lau will remain as the CEO of OnePlus in addition to his role as SVP at OPlus.

Lau joined OPPO in 1998 and was promoted to the head of marketing. In 2013, Lau left OPPO and founded OnePlus.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
To this day, my attorneys dont understand what Im charged with. This is what second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said in an interview with RBK.

There are court hearings every Tuesday. Ive crossed out Tuesday on my calendar since hearing absurd allegations on that day is an absolute waste of my timeCharging a president with performing his constitutional duties is a sort of abracadabra in law, and my attorneys and I are trying to explain to the people what is happening, not to the judge or court. I think its working out, he stated.

Asked what he does besides being in court and trying to prove his viewpoint, Kocharyan stated that the courts and everything related to them have already become ordinary for him. Politics, meetings, discussions, analyses, forecasts and interviews are the top things on my list of activities, and, of course, I also perform the duties of an independent director of the Ecosystem Company, which is a large and diversified company with a very active board of directors. I also have different hobbies, including sports, self-development, reading and working on my second book. I released my first book, which was an autobiography in which it seems that I summed up my political career, but politics returned to me, and the second book will be devoted to the continuity of my political career, my return and what is going on right now.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 19:26:31|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese enterprises should consider plowing their investment in Zambia's vast gemstone and emerald sector which was yearning for more investment, an industry body said on Wednesday.

The Emerald Production Watch of Zambia believes that Chinese enterprises will make huge returns if they invested in the country's gemstone and emerald sector.

Kafimbwa Musa, the organization's president, said the country has many dormant emerald mines which the government should repossess and give to serious investors from foreign investors such as Chinese.

"We have so many dormant mines and we are asking the government to repossess them so that we give them to serious investors," he said in an interview.

According to him, Chinese technology and expertise will go a long way in exploiting the precious stones which will benefit not only the investors but the country and communities through tax payments and job creation.

While appreciating Chinese investment in Zambia's copper production, he noted that it was time for the Chinese to diversify in other mining ventures such as mining of precious stones.

Meanwhile, the official said the sector has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic because buyers were not coming forth to buy the stones.

He said this has affected production as well as jobs as some mines have been forced to downsize on labour. Enditem
Canada has announced that it has signed deals with four U.S. companies to reserve millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines under development in an effort to make sure Canadians are at "the front of the line" when a vaccine becomes available.

The federal government announced agreements with Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech on Aug. 5 and with Novavax and Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, earlier this week.

It also said it's close to a deal with AstraZeneca, based in the United Kingdom.

All of the companies have received funding from the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed, which is investing billions of dollars to fast-track the development of promising vaccine candidates.

Canada will receive 20 million to 76 million doses of each vaccine, should any of them successfully make it through clinical trials and be approved by Health Canada.

WATCH | Canada gains access to 2 more potential COVID-19 vaccines:

They're among more than 150 vaccine candidates under development around the world.

While they have shown promising results in small-scale, early-stage clinical trials, even those most advanced candidates have only recently begun Phase 3 clinical trials to determine their effectiveness in preventing COVID-19, and there is no guarantee any of them will make it to market. That's the crucial large-scale human trial that must demonstrate that the vaccine prevents the disease, and it's the final stage before approval by government.

"What we don't know, of course, is which vaccines are going to be effective," Dr. Michael Gardam, medical director of infection prevention and control at Toronto's Women's College Hospital, said in an interview with CBC's As It Happens.

"We don't know which company ultimately is going to have the best vaccine and the safest vaccine."

Gardam said the deals represent different types of vaccine from four different manufacturers. The federal government, he said, is "just kind of playing the field ... to make sure they have a reasonable chance that one of these will be successful."

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Here's a closer look at the four candidates.

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (Johnson & Johnson)

Headquarters: Raritan, N.J., U.S.

Type: Non-replicating viral vector

Doses reserved: Up to 38 million

Phase of development: Phase 1/2a trial started in July

How it works: This vaccine, made by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, is a new type of vaccine called a non-replicating viral vector. Unlike traditional vaccines made from viruses or parts of viruses, this vaccine uses only a piece of coronavirus DNA. The DNA contains instructions for making a coronavirus protein so that the human body can produce it and learn to recognize it.

The protein targeted by most COVID-19 vaccines, including this one, is called the spike protein or S-protein. It's found on the outer surface of coronaviruses and is used by the virus to bind to and enter human cells.

In this case, the DNA with instructions for making the spike protein is carried into the body by a common cold virus called an adenovirus. The adenovirus has been genetically modified so it can't replicate itself in the human body. However, because it's a virus, it may generate a stronger immune response than the DNA alone and helps get the DNA into human cells, where the spike protein can be produced. One disadvantage of this type of vaccine is that some people may have immunity to some adenoviruses from catching colds, which may make the vaccine less effective.

Viral vector vaccines haven't been approved for widespread use in humans, but 12 are in use for diseases in livestock.

Where it's at: The company reported in July that its vaccine protected monkeys against the virus after a single shot. The company started a human Phase 1/2a trial in July in Belgium and the U.S, and it announced this week it is starting a Phase 2 trial in Spain, the Netherlands and Germany. It says it will conduct Phase 3 trials in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

WATCH | Federal government's multiple COVID-19 vaccine deals win praise:

Moderna

Headquarters: Cambridge, Mass., U.S.

Type: mRNA

Doses reserved: Up to 56 million

Phase of development: Phase 3 clinical trial started in July

How it works: Moderna's vaccine candidate is made from messenger RNA, a type of genetic material. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is used by cells to translate instructions found in DNA to make proteins. In this case, the instructions tell a human cell how to make a stabilized version of the spike protein for SARS-CoV2. That introduces the protein into the body so immune cells can learn to recognize it and produce antibodies against it.

The mRNA is encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle for injection into the body. The LNP "container" protects it from being degraded by enzymes and helps it enter cells, Moderna says.

The mRNA itself also generates an immune response. While mRNA vaccines have been under development and widely tested for many years, none have ever been approved for widespread human use.

Where it's at: Moderna launched the first Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S. in July, and hopes to enrol 30,000 volunteers. The company reported in May that the vaccine produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, and the study showed the vaccine was safe. However, three people in an early-stage trial reportedly had severe or "systemic" adverse reactions, such as high fevers, to a high dose of the vaccine.

WATCH | Fast-tracking a COVID-19 vaccine is not without controversy:

Novavax

Headquarters: Gaithersburg, Md., U.S.

Vaccine type: Protein subunit

Doses reserved: 76 million

Phase of development: Phase 1/2 clinical trial started in May

How it works: Novavax's vaccine is the most traditional of the ones reserved by the federal government. The vaccine is made from nanoparticles of a key protein from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. When the protein particles are injected into the body with an adjuvant  a compound that enhances the body's immune response  the body learns to recognize and fight off the virus.

"That is a tried and true way of producing vaccines and of creating immunity," Dr. Barry Pakes, a professor at the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, told CBC News Network.

It's similar to vaccines already on the market, such as the hepatitis B vaccine.

Novavax makes the protein by putting the genetic sequence for the protein into a virus that infects insect cells, causing them to make large quantities of protein. The protein has some small genetic modifications compared with the one found on the real virus to help it maintain a rigid shape and make it easier for the body to bind to and recognize.

Protein subunit vaccines don't elicit as strong an immune response as whole virus vaccines, so they often include an adjuvant. Novavax uses a proprietary adjuvant called Matrix-M, which is based on a type of compound found in many plants called a saponin. The company says it boosts the body's immune response and generates a bigger immune response with a lower dose.

Where it's at: Novavax reports in a study preprint (not yet peer-reviewed) that in Phase 1 clinical trials, its protein and adjuvant stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies  higher than those in people who have had a natural infection  with few side effects. It's currently running a combined Phase 1 and 2 trial.

Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press

Pfizer/BioNTech

Headquarters: New York, N.Y., U.S./Mainz, Germany

Type: mRNA

Doses reserved: At least 20 million

Phase of development: Phase 2/3 clinical trial started in July

How it works: Pfizer and BioNTech's mRNA vaccine is quite similar to Moderna's. It's an mRNA sequence for a stabilized spike protein. Like Moderna's vaccine, it's delivered in a lipid nanoparticle container.

Where it's at: Pfizer and BioNTech tested two different mRNA sequences for Phase 1. It reported in a study posted online that has not yet been peer-reviewed that both vaccines generated higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than found in the blood of someone who had had a natural COVID-19 infection. However, the spike protein sequence generated fewer side effects, especially in older adults, so that's the focus of a combined Phase 2 and 3 trial.
There were two big races in Democratic politics in Massachusetts on Tuesday, and neither turned into a major upset - even when a Kennedy was the one trying to do the upsetting.

Before Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy challenged Democratic Sen. Ed Markey for the Senate and lost, a member of the Kennedy family had never lost a race in Massachusetts. Similarly, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Democrat Rep. Richard Neal, faced a strong primary challenger but prevailed.

In their own ways, however, these Massachusetts primaries emboldened the left wing of the Democratic Party as much as some big wins this summer, including toppling another House chairman in New York, Rep. Eliot Engel.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is probably right: It's now more difficult for House Democratic leaders to tell the left to stop challenging Democratic members of Congress.

That's primarily because in the Massachusetts Senate race, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was the one cheering the Democratic challenger, Kennedy. She surprised the political world by endorsing him when Kennedy himself could not quite explain why he was running. (There's almost no daylight between him and Markey on policy, and Markey was not seen as particularly weak. In fact, Markey sponsored the Green New Deal with Ocasio-Cortez, earning her endorsement and making him the left's favorite in this race.)

There was clearly ambition. Some have speculated that Kennedy, 39, eventually wants to run for president, and a Massachusetts Senate seat is as good a perch as any from which to do so. (See most recently John F. Kerry.)

So Pelosi firmly planted herself on the side of the challenger. And with that dynamic, by keeping 74-year-old Markey in his seat, the left can actually claim a win over the Democratic establishment. It rounds out a notably good summer for this wing of the party. It has overthrown three sitting Democratic members of Congress, kept one in against Pelosi's wishes and now arguably has more freedom in the next election cycle to keep trying.

Where the left-wing Democrats fell short Tuesday night was in their biggest attempt of all in 2020 - to take out Neal. With 88% of the vote in at 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press declared him the winner over challenger Alex Morse, the mayor of the small town of Holyoke, who also had Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement and support from key left-wing groups.

To try to prevent this exact kind of thing from happening, House Democrats' campaign arm last year prohibited its vendors from working with challengers to Democratic incumbents. But liberal groups such as Indivisible still found ways to raise money and spend it against members of Congress. They went on TV against Neal and paid for digital and mail ads for weeks leading up to the race.

Morse got 50,000 votes, or at least 41%, which is not negligible against a powerful House chairman who was leading the effort to get President Donald Trump's tax returns. (The Supreme Court halted Congress's efforts.)

Massachusetts was the last big primary for Democrats in 2020. As the Democratic National Convention took pains to show, there is every reason to believe that a truce is coming now between the left and the center, aimed at defeating Trump and trying to retake the Senate, as well as make gains in the House Democrats' majority. It's even possible that Democrats could control the White House and both chambers of Congress in January.

But as The Washington Post's Dan Balz has reported, there's also every reason to think the party has a fragile truce between its wings. And liberals see their wins and even some of their losses this summer as all the more reason to keep pushing the party to the left.

"We really do care on being able to move the ball forward on major pieces of progressive legislation," said Lucy Solomon of Indivisible. "And having the most progressive House possible in that trifecta will be key to advancing that progressive agenda."

Which means that next election cycle, more House Democrats can expect to get a primary challenger who gives them the race of their life. And after supporting primary candidates of their own, the Democratic establishment has less leverage than ever to stop it.
Heres a more productive way to fight a deadly virus, than obsessively hoarding hand sanitizer: Go get your flu shot.

Because whats even worse than having COVID-19? Having both COVID and the flu, at the same time.

Yet while we ritualistically wipe down every doorknob, how many of us didnt even bother to get the flu shot last year?

This time around, it is your patriotic duty  not just for yourself, but for the general fight against COVID, and the threat of a resurgence this winter.

This is like fighting a one or two-front war, as Assemblyman Herb Conaway says. You want to fight both corona and seasonal flu at the same time? No. Id rather see the flu battened down by using the vaccine, and use all my forces to battle coronavirus.

The last thing we need is two potentially deadly viruses circulating, with often identical symptoms. Flu patients are more vulnerable to COVID-19. And this will strain our broken testing system and stuff our emergency rooms with every anxious person who has a fever, fatigue or muscle aches.

Its yet another blow to our economy, too. Imagine the collective freak-out in a classroom or workplace, every time someone has a temperature. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer just got vaccinated on live television, to send the message that immunization could help conserve scarce hospital resources. Thats leadership. Gov. Phil Murphy, take note.

And lawmakers should back Conaways effort, with Joe Vitale in the Senate, to extend the flu vaccine requirement from child care centers to young people in all our schools and colleges. We know that the young drive the incidence of seasonal flu. We must pass this bill before Oct. 1st, so theres enough time for them to build up immunity.

The children are the little Scud missiles, the little transmitters of the virus, says Dr. Margaret Fisher, of the New Jersey chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. They tend to spread it among themselves and take it home to their families, their parents and grandparents.

Many studies have shown that if you immunize children, the ones most likely to transmit the virus, it improves the health of everyone. A study in Japan, which immunized its schoolchildren, showed that the rate of flu in adults also dropped, Fisher said.

Fewer than half of American adults get vaccinated in a typical flu season. But after New Jersey started requiring the flu vaccine for daycare and preschool, immunization rates among those kids rose to more than 95 percent.

And once our hospitals made it a requirement for their workers, vaccination rates for health care providers rose from 35 to 40 percent, five years ago, to well over 95 percent.

Mandates work, theres no question about it, Fisher concludes. She added: It just riles people up.

No doubt it will, given the irrational fears that vaccines stir in a conspiracy-minded public. The anti-vaxxers will protest this too, and are already calling Dr. Conaways office, to tell him why the scientific consensus is incorrect. Please.

Sure, you anti-vaxxers have the right not to get your flu shot, even in a pandemic. And we have the right to not let you through the doors of our daycares, schools and colleges  just like someone who refuses to wear a mask.

That such protections are imperfect does not mean they are worthless. The effectiveness of the flu shot in any given year can range from 40 to 60 percent. But without a vaccine, we protect no one. And even though flu shots wont prevent all cases of flu, they can lessen the severity.

If you care enough not to put litter on someones front lawn, Conaway says, to act with normal prudence, you should care enough about not spreading a potentially deadly virus to someone you dont know.

So wear the mask  and please, get your flu shot this year.

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Well, I told them that they have until September 15th to make a deal; after that, we close it up in this country, the US President said.

I said that the United States has to be compensatedwell compensatedbecause we are the ones that are making it possible, and so we should be compensated, President Donald Trump said referring to his demand for a percentage for the government on the possible sale deal of TikTok to an American company. (Photo | AFP)

San Francisco: President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his demand for a piece of the action from any sale of TikToks US operations for forcing such a deal.

TikTok has been at the centre of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing, and Trump gave Americans a deadline to stop doing business with TikToks Chinese parent company ByteDanceeffectively compelling a sale of the app to a US company.

Well, I told them that they have until September 15th to make a deal; after that, we close it up in this country, Trump told journalists.

And I said that the United States has to be compensatedwell compensatedbecause we are the ones that are making it possible, and so we should be compensated.

Critics have slammed Trumps call for the US government to get a cut of the deal, contending that it appears unconstitutional and akin to extortion.

The owner of popular video app TikTok vowed to strictly abide by new export rules in China which could potentially complicate a sale of the business as demanded by Trump.

New Chinese rules

Chinas commerce ministry last week published new rules that added civilian use to a list of technologies that are restricted for export.

The new regulations could make it more difficult for ByteDance to sell the wildly popular video app, which features clips of everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics.

The move marked the first time China has adjusted its list of technologies subject to export bans or restrictions since 2008, adding 23 new items.

Walmart has confirmed it joined forces with Microsoft in negotiations to buy TikTok. Oracle is also reported to be interested in TikTok.

Days after TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging the crackdown by the US government, CEO Kevin Mayer last week quit the company.

TikTokwhich has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the worldargued in the suit that Trumps order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because the platform is not an unusual and extraordinary threat.

Trump claims that TikTok could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.

TikTokused by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky, short-form videos on their cellphoneshas repeatedly denied sharing data with Beijing.
Pithoragarh: In a moving gesture, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans recently carried the body of a local for nearly 8 hours and walked a distance of 25 kms to reach Munsyari from Syuni village, in a remote area of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand, to hand it over to his family.

The local had died due to shooting stones.

According to reports, the 14th Corps of ITBP was informed about the death of a 30-year-old local youth in frontier village of Syuni village near Baghdayar, the forward post of Pithoragarh district.

Soon after receiving this information on August 30, the ITBP personnel reached the spot and secured the body. Due to incessant rains in the area, the road was closed for vehicular movement.

Sensing the situation, the ITBP jawans, with the help of local residents, decided to carry the body on a stretcher to Munsiyari, about 25 kms from Sunei.

Though the road to Munsiyari was very difficult and full of stones and boulders, the ITBP team kept moving all the way very carefully.

#WATCH Uttarakhand: ITBP jawans carried the body of a local for 8 hrs & walked a distance of 25 kms to reach Munsyari from Syuni village, in remote area of Pithoragarh district, to hand it over to his family, on 30th Aug. The local had died due to shooting stones. (Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/KOuatrzAaV  ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2020

Their mission to bring back the dead body and hand it over to the family began in the afternoon on August 30 and ended around seven-thirty in the evening on the same day - nearly eight hours after they started.

A total of 8 soldiers took turns to lift the body and walked about 25 km from Sunei to bring it first to the motorable road and then to the relatives of the deceased.

After this, the last rites of the deceased were performed at Bangapani, the village of the deceased.
WASHINGTON - A task force commissioned by the Washington, D.C., government has recommended renaming, relocating or adding context to dozens of monuments, schools, parks and buildings because of their namesakes participation in slavery or racial oppression. Among the targets are the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial.

Some of the proposals in the report released Tuesday are definite non-starters, as many of the most prominent monuments and statues stand on federal land, outside D.C. government control. Still, the recommendations have already prompted fierce reactions amid an ongoing national debate over Americas racial history.

As long as President Trump is in the White House, the mayors irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere, and as the mayor of our Nations capital city  a city that belongs to the American people  she ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement Tuesday.

The task force, known as DCFACES (District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions), was formed by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser over the summer in the face of a nationwide wave of protests over police brutality and systemic racial inequities that included Washington as one of its epicenters. It released a 24-page executive summary Tuesday.

Some of the groups recommendations were widely expected; for example, Woodrow Wilson High School has been a prime candidate for a name change for years due to Wilsons open public support for segregation. Others are more controversial, such as proposals to rename schools named for Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and The Star-Spangled Banner composer Francis Scott Key.

For the multiple statues and monuments on federal land, the committee advises Bowser to ask the federal government to remove, relocate, or contextualize landmarks such as the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and the statue of Christopher Columbus outside Union Station.

The task force, in its summary, explained that it focused on key disqualifying histories, including participation in slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of colour, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Rights Act.

The report doesnt go into detail about how re-contextualizing would work, but there have been recent recommendations that plaques be added to the monuments to Jefferson and Washington, explaining that their namesakes were longtime slave-owners.

Bowser, in a Tuesday tweet, said she looked forward to reviewing the recommendations from the task force, which she had tasked with evaluating public spaces to ensure the namesakes legacy is consistent with #DCValues.

Bowser has very little power to control what happens on federal land. She and the D.C. Council fought for years to have a statue of former Confederate general Albert Pike removed; they were unsuccessful because the statue sits on federal land. In June, hundreds of protesters toppled the Pike statue while officers from the Metropolitan Police Department looked on and kept their distance.
Reuters

BOGOTA, 20 ene (Reuters) - La inflacion de Colombia podria ubicarse este ano por encima de la meta del Banco Central y superar el 4%, dijo el jueves el codirector del organismo emisor, Roberto Steiner. El Banco Central, en su mas reciente Junta Directiva, reviso al alza su pronostico de inflacion para 2022 a 3,7%, aunque sostuvo su meta de mediano plazo en 3%.
(Natural News) An upcoming book from Breitbart News investigative reporter Allum Bokhari is set to shake the foundations of Silicon Valley, according to a Big Tech source who has worked at numerous tech giants including Google.

(Article republished from Breitbart.com)

The book, #DELETED: Big Techs Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal the Election, will be published by Center Street on September 22, and is currently available for preorder at Barnes & Noble and other retailers.

When voters find out what big tech companies have done to meddle in the coming election, theyll be rightly furious said the source, who worked on key Google products for several years.

The level of covert manipulation is breathtaking. Every American whos worried about the future of free and fair elections should read this book.

The books author, Allum Bokhari, has worked as a tech reporter at Breitbart News since 2015. He has helped whistleblowers within Google, Facebook, and YouTube release damning leaks exposing Big Techs political bias.

In 2018, he obtained The Google Tape, a one-hour recording of Googles top executives reacting to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. The most powerful people at the company, including co-founder Sergey Brin, CEO Sundar Pichai, and chief legal officer Kent Walker expressed dismay over Trumps election, with Walker pledging to make the populist movement a blip in history.

Just over a month later, Bokhari obtained The Good Censor, an 85-page document from within Google admitting to Silicon Valleys shift towards censorship. Sen. Ted Cruz later grilled representatives of Google about the leak during a congressional hearing.

Bokhari also revealed the existence of YouTubes controversial query blacklist, a secret file used by the company to manipulate political search results. The leak revealed that YouTube adjusted search results on terms like abortion and federal reserve in response to complaints from left-wing journalists.

He also obtained Facebooks hate agents review list  a hit list of high-profile political figures that the platform considers potential hate agents. Facebook keeps regular tabs on these people, including monitoring their offline activities. The list included Candace Owens, Brigitte Gabrielle, and other prominent conservatives.

#DELETED, the product of Bokharis five years of investigating Silicon Valley, reportedly reveals even more of Big Techs secrets.

Sources and whistleblowers who work or have worked for Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other tech giants were extensively interviewed for the book. They reveal Big Techs secretive, AI-controlled methods to control and manipulate information, methods that unlike overt bans and censorship, cannot be readily observed by outsiders.

They also explain how virtually every Big Tech company was pulled to the radical left after the 2016 election, with radical elements within Google, Facebook, and Twitter now obsessively pursuing an overriding goal: stopping Trumps reelection.

#DELETED will be released on September 22. Click HERE to preorder.

Read more at: Breitbart.com and EvilGoogle.news.
Savannah Resources, a UK-based resource development company, has announced that it has agreed to divest its copper projects in Oman to Force Commodities, an Australian listed mine development company.

Savannah, however, retains exposure to the projects economic success, said a statement.

The divestment, once formalised and approved by regulatory authorities, will result in the acquisition by Force Commodities of Savannahs rights to Blocks 4 and 5 covering an area of over 1,000 sq km spanning the copper-rich Semail Ophiolite region. The belt is known to host clusters of moderate to high-grade copper deposits associated with gold and other metallurgical ores, according to experts, said an Oman Daily Observer report.

Prior to its divestment Savannah held a 65 per cent interest in Block 5 via its shareholding in Al Fairuz Mining, and a 51 per cent stake in Block 4 via its shareholding in Al Thuraya Mining. Located within easy access of the Port of Sohar, Block 5 has a current Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.7 metric tonnes (Mt) at 2.2 per cent copper (Cu), split between the Mahab 4 deposit (1.51Mt at a grade of 2.1 per cent Cu) and the Maqail South deposit (0.16Mt at a grade of 3.8 per cent copper).

The Mahab 4 deposit also includes a high-grade zone of 0.5Mt at 4.5 per cent Cu. Mining licences for the development of the blocks are still awaited from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.

The transaction highlights are:

 Consideration and other payments (subject to settlement):

- 50,000,000 new ordinary shares to be issued by Force (deemed issue price of 1 cent

per Force share)

- Preferential payment of AUD$3,500,000 of an existing loan from cash flow from

production

- Payment of a 1.0% net smelter royalty on future metal sales

Settlement of the transaction is subject to certain conditions being achieved or waived, and

is expected to be completed in October 2020.

David Archer, Savannahs CEO, commented: With the companys focus moving to the further

development and subsequent commercialisation of the Mina do Barroso Lithium project in Portugal, which continues to increase in significance from a European battery value chain perspective, an opportunity has arisen to divest our Omani Copper Projects to Australian listed company Force Commodities. The divestment allows us to retain exposure to the upside of the Projects through the shareholding in Force, together with a loan and royalty payable when the Projects go into production.

Force has recently restructured its Board and we are very excited by this opportunity to work with

the impressive team that Chairman Jess Oram has established and which sees the CEO role filled by mining industry expert Simon Pooley, who brings over 30 years of broad international experience encompassing roles in corporate, mine development, operations, and exploration areas. We look forward to seeing the projects developed to their full potential under the stewardship of Force.

Simon Pooley, Forces CEO, commented: The acquisition of the projects is a major milestone in

cementing Forces position as a multi-commodity exploration and development company and

represents the first step in our strategy of establishing the company as a copper producer. The

Transaction provides Force with exposure to one of the most prospective Ophiolite belts in the

world.

We believe that with the application of systematic exploration and further commercial transactions, the opportunity exists in Oman to become a significant mid-tier copper producer. - TradeArabia News Service
As forces loyal to Yemens legitimate government and Southern Transitional Council continue to battle it out and Houthis advance on the south of the country, the misery of the Yemeni people is deepening

Yemen has been mired in war for more than five years. In a country where there appears to be no peace at the end of the tunnel, the Yemeni people are also suffering, with the majority of the population now depending on aid.

This August marks the first anniversary of the takeover by the secessionist Southern Transitional Council of Yemens temporary capital after it ousted the republican guard of internationally recognised Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Observers anticipated that the Arab Coalition that has been intervening in Yemen and is largely made up of forces from Saudi Arabia and the UAE would be divided, with Abu Dhabi supporting the Transitional Council and Riyadh backing the legitimate government.

However, the coalition has not split ranks, and by supporting the Transitional Council, the UAE has kept the Al-Islah Party, the political front of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, away from decision-making positions in the countrys legitimate government.

Secession is becoming harder for the Transitional Council as Abu Dhabi doesnt want to see an independent South Yemen, commented Naguib Seddik, a Yemeni journalist based in Aden.

Meanwhile, the power of Hadis government, mainly comprised of southern Yemenis to whom Hadi belongs and the Al-Islah Party is waning. Conflict between the elements supporting Hadi has been weakening his government, evident in the battles at Marib won by rebel Houthi forces.

Supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh are calling for the uniting of the republican front against Houthi sectarianism. However, Salehs bloc and his General Peoples Congress Party are divided between those that support the Houthis, those who want to unite and a minority favouring the legitimate government, Seddik said.

The Houthis control most of the north of the country, where most of the countrys population is located, while the legitimate government is based in the south.

Meanwhile, some 80 per cent of the Yemeni population, or 24 million people, now depend on humanitarian aid. The north is under siege and has been deprived of food and aid for years, putting its people on the verge of famine.

The UN has repeatedly warned that the famine in Yemen could turn into the worlds worst catastrophe, particularly because there are some million cases of cholera among the Yemenis, and hundreds of people have died from the epidemic.

There are no accurate data on the number of Covid-19 infections and deaths in Yemen, which is also suffering from epidemics of malaria and dengue fever. Two million Yemeni children are severely malnourished, and the countrys healthcare system had collapsed even before the present conflict started.

Three weeks ago, heavy rains flooded the capital Sanaa, battering areas listed as world heritage by the UN cultural agency UNESCO. The Marib Dam was put under pressure by the most dangerous rains since it was built 34 years ago. The damage wreaked havoc on the Old City of Sanaa, whose gingerbread-coloured housing decorated with white symmetrical patterns is famous worldwide.

The Safer oil tanker, an ageing floating storage and offloading vessel moored off Yemens west coast 60 km north of the port of Hudayda, is another environmental threat.

It has received almost no maintenance and is carrying 1.2 million barrels of crude oil. The ships structure is deteriorating, leaving it at risk of leaking, exploding, or catching fire, especially after water leaked into the engine rooms.

The environmental hazards posed by the Safer are bigger than those of the Gulf of Mexico disaster in 1989 because the Safers cargo is four times that of the US tanker responsible.

Experts say that if the Safer explodes, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan will all suffer the consequences, which will spell disaster for the Red Seas rich marine life.

A UN team of experts has inspected the tanker but has not set a date for salvage work to begin. The Houthis are demanding that the oil tanker contains be sold to pay the salaries of employees in the municipalities they control, while the legitimate government is claiming the right to the oil to prevent outlawed Houthis militias from gaining valuable resources.

The legitimate government has been engaged in battles against forces of the Transitional Council since May, making it difficult for the two parties to resume negotiations, however.

Many observers expect the continuation of the conflict in which Al-Islah forces have advanced from Marib and Jawf in the north towards Aden to oust the Transitional Council. Whatever its final outcome, the conflict will result in the legitimate government losing a crucial part of its forces.

If the Transitional Council wins, Al-Islah will collapse, and Hadi will not have authority on the ground. If the result is the other way around, the southerners will oppose Al-Islah, which will have to rule by force, Seddik said.

However, Al-Islah is not expected to emerge victorious.

Unifying the ranks of what remains of former president Salehs regime may be useful in confronting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. But no matter how much support it receives, the Southern Transitional Council will not be able to defeat the majority Zaidi Muslim population in the north, who lean towards the Houthis, if Hadis government loses further ground.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Marvels blockbuster film Black Panther was a huge hit in 2018, becoming one of the most successful films of the year. The movie also made history by becoming the first superhero film with a predominantly Black cast. And after the recent death of Black Panthers lead actor, Chadwick Boseman, theres been a resurgence of interest in the history-making film.

Black Panther has many aspects that have kept viewers engaged since its initial release, from its costumes to its intense action scenes. However, one part of the film that might be overlooked is its strong writing and the free-flowing dialogue of its characters.

One character in particular, Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), had more than his fair share of memorable lines. And not all of them were actually in the script.

Michael B. Jordans Killmonger role stayed with him long after Black Panther filming wrapped

RELATED: Black Panther Star Michael B. Jordan Felt A Little Bit Depressed After Filming Wrapped

Killmonger was one of the most popular characters in Black Panther due to his fierce combat style and rebellious attitude. A rebel from Oakland, California, he had a strong belief that the nation of Wakanda should reign supreme and that he should have been the one ruling it. Ruthless and cunning, he was willing to stop at nothing to claim the throne he felt was rightfully his.

Jordan apparently had gotten so deeply entrenched in the role that after filming wrapped, it was difficult to remove himself from the mindset of the character. After spending months isolating himself from his co-stars on set, he needed therapy to adjust once filming ended. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, he explained the situation.

I never was in a character for that long of a period of time and [never] was, I guess, that dark, that lonely, that painful, Jordan said. I found myself kind of in the routine of being isolated and went out of my way to make sure I was by myself and didnt say too much more than the usual. Once I got finished wrapping the movie, it took me some time to talk through how I was feeling and why I was feeling so sad and like a little bit depressed.

Jordan improvised 1 of his most memorable lines in Black Panther

Angela Bassett was just as shook by Michael B. Jordan's "Hey auntie" line in #BlackPanther as everyone else pic.twitter.com/pWoKnGwnzc  AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) March 15, 2018

Although Black Panther had no shortage of funny moments, there were several in particular that stood out. One of them was a scene in which Killmonger is being interrogated by the leadership of Wakanda, who dont believe hes a true descendant of their people.

After he reveals his father was the slain Prince NJobu, brother of the now-deceased King TChaka, everyone is shocked. One of the leaders, astonished, admits that he is royalty. And Killmonger replies Hey Auntie to the queen mother and his aunt by marriage (played by Angela Bassett).

As funny as this line was, Jordans co-star Bassett claims the line was not actually in the script and caught everyone off guard. In an interview with AM2DM, she explained.

Well, he entered the throne room with such disrespect, right? Looking good, but such disrespect, Bassett said. So were put off, and then he utters that [line], which I think was an improv on his part. I really do. I quite remember being taken aback a little with that. And at the premiere, when he utters that, the whole room just went up and enjoyed it.

Thanks to some quick thinking on Jordans behalf, he was able to turn a tense moment into one of the funniest in the film.
File image of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

For some time now, the Kerala government has been making much noise about being a business-friendly state. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is taking extra effort to change its anti-business perception. In its effort to put the state on the countrys industrial map about seven Acts were amended and an ordinance was issued in October 2017 to attract business to the southern state.

With these reforms, and by leveraging the positive narrative it gained worldwide in the early days of the fight against COVID-19, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has now positioned Kerala as a haven for sustainable investment in the post-pandemic period. Thus came out the governments Invest Kerala Primer on August 22, dwelling on some of the policy decisions and legislative measures it has taken to reform the investment clime in the state.

However promising these efforts look on paper, the ground reality has kept jousting with the image makeover ever since. Instead of fresh investments pouring into the state, existing companies are compelled to pack up and leave.

The latest victim of the Kerala model towards businesses is the English Indian Clays Ltd (EICL), part of the erstwhile Thapar Group. The EICL downed its shutters on August 10, a good year after giving closure notice to the state government. The reason: it has been starved of its mining permits for the last two years. The result: Supply of vital ingredients to paint manufacturers, and pharma companies will be disrupted, forcing them to import costly replacement. Speaking to this author, an EICL official said that the company continued to service a few industry verticals even while functioning at 50 percent of its 18,000 tonne per month capacity after the state froze permission to its non-blasting mines in mid-2018.

With mounting losses and non-availability of quality material squeezing it from one side, what really tipped the scale for the EICL was the double standards shown by the state government. The 57-year-old company saw obstacles one-after-another, even as the state government gave a free hand for mining to the State-owned Kerala Clays & Ceramic Products Ltd.

If EICL were to permanently shut shop in Kerala and move to Bhuj, Gujarat, where its new clay plant is nearing completion, it would reflect poorly on the state government.

The double standards here are glaring. If the governments cites environmental concerns to justify its indifference towards resolving the problems the EICL is facing, it is the same government that has no qualms in giving a free run to 5,000-plus illegal quarries that are blasting their way through the ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats. The Madhav Gadgil commission has warned of the irrevocable damage mining is doing to the state, but no major political party in the state voices concerns about it. This could be because illegal quarries are believed to be a source of unaccounted money for political parties in the state.

Is Kerala being extremely parochial towards a company that has its roots outside the state? Look closer, and it will be clear that such an inference would be incorrect because the Kerala government has been even-handed in turning away companies. Each time a company faced an issue, the government seems to have forgotten its ease of doing business promise.

In 2012, when the Congress-led United Democratic Front government was in power, Kochi-based garments major Kitex Garments, with a niche export portfolio, threatened to exit the state. However, instead, it fielded candidates in the 2015 panchayat elections and won. In 2018, following trade union problems spice major Synthite Industries contemplated shifting from Kerala to Andhra Pradesh.

Last year came the standoff at Muthoot Finance as the trade unions questioned termination of staff and closure of branches. The issue dragged on till other companies facing financial crunch followed suit. The current high-decibel criticism from the LDF and the UDF against the Adani Group for bagging operating rights of the Trivandrum airport smacks of posturing and mindless opposition now associated with politics in Kerala.

The real reason why industries in Kerala face these endless problems is because there is a shortage of companies political parties can leech off. In other states, it is understood that political parties move on once they get their cut; this helps companies focus on production and not on greasing hands and meeting unreasonable demands put forward by political parties and their satellite groups. In Kerala, there are many political parties but only a few industries  and these few are wrung dry.

The likely exit of EICL, which has been running operations in the state for close to six decades, does not bode well for the business friendly image of Kerala.
In a significant decision, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared around one-fifth of the 3,166-acre Aarey Milk Colony as a reserve forest. However, proposed infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai Metro car depot, in Aarey  one of the last remaining green spaces in Mumbai  are not in the 600 acres and therefore, will continue to be executed. Several activists and citizen groups had staged protests opposing construction of the car shed.

The state used sections under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which gives powers to the state, to notify 600 acres near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) as a reserve forest. The decision was taken after a meeting chaired by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The state urban development department will invite suggestions and objections from people, giving them 45 days, following which it shall issue a notification in the official gazette.

State environment minister Aaditya Thackeray confirmed to HT that the Metro car shed will not be a part of this plan. He said that the 600 acres would only include open land in Aarey. He said: [The] final survey will be undertaken soon. This [the plan] wouldnt hold adivasi [tribal] lands and slums. [The] rehab plan is separate.

After hearing suggestions and objections, the area to be excluded from the forest will be decided. But, the rights of the tribal community and others concerned will be protected while declaring it as forest, said Thackeray in a statement from the Chief Ministers Office. The statement added, Roads, slums, tribal hamlets and other government structures will be exempted. The state forest department also plans the rehabilitation of tribals within the 600 acres in phase one of the plan.

A senior bureaucrat said, The state will rehabilitate adivasis who have settled in the area now being made a reserve forest. The department will survey the total number of tribals and look for a suitable location for their rehabilitation. The senior official added that there is also a plan to develop tourism on Aarey land, but that would be taken up after tribals are relocated. A survey will be conducted of the remaining Aarey land for activities such as night safari or nature tourism, he said requesting anonymity.

Aaditya Thackeray further said that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and urban development minister Eknath Shinde had a separate meeting on the car shed. HT had reported that chief minister Thackeray had recently chaired a meeting with all state officials to look at possible options for the Metro-3 car shed. One of the options being considered, officials said, was a plot in Pahadi Goregaon. With no appropriate decision on the car shed yet, the 33.5-km Metro-3 corridor is facing massive delays.

Following the meeting, Aaditya Thackeray tweeted, Forest& Environment Depts has decided to apply Section 4 of IFA to approximately 600 acres in Aarey land near SGNP. This implies that it will be declared a reserve forest after a hearing for suggestion/ objections. Approx 600 acres of open land being declared as forest while all rights of Adivasi communities will stand protected. Rehabilitation of slums within the area would be expedited. This wld be phase 1 for which the Forest Dept will move a proposal. Phase 2 survey for additional open/ forest land in Aarey, post Phase 1 will begin soon. This would help the State protect the flora & fauna existent in SGNP and Aarey, (sic).

Meanwhile, forest minister Sanjay Rathod said there were plans to protect remaining areas of Aarey apart from the 600 acres too. A detailed proposal had been submitted before chief minister Uddhav Thackeray last month, showing 600 acres to be declared as protected forests. Some additional areas have also been identified contiguous to SGNP and home to a large biodiversity that needs protection. The area identified falls outside the proposed development of the state. Once approved, a detailed mapping of the proposed zone will be done before proposing the draft notification, he said.

Environmentalists welcomed the states decision. This is a step in the right direction and we would like to see this protective cover extended across all of Aarey. The value of Mumbais natural heritage has been recognised. It comes as a breather for wildlife after a six-year-battle for this recognition, said Stalin D, director, Vanashakti.

The Shiv Sena had backed environmentalists and locals who opposed the construction of a Metro car depot in Aarey Milk Colony and had rejected a proposal for the axing of over 2,000 trees for the car shed construction in the tree authority of the Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The party in its manifesto ahead of the state elections in 2019 had promised to declare Aarey as forest when they come to power. After coming to power, chief minister Thackeray had stayed work on Metro car depot construction and later appointed a panel to study if any alternative location is feasible for the car depot for the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz metro 3 corridor.

(with inputs from Badri Chatterjee)
Two suicide vests, explosives, pieces of IS (Islamic State) literature and flag were recovered from the house of suspected IS terrorist Abu Yusuf alias Mustakeem Khan, who was arrested in Delhi on Friday, in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, about 250 kilometres from Lucknow.

A team of special cell of Delhi police recovered the materials from Yusuf's house at the latter's native village of Mokama Badhiya Bhaisahi in the district on Saturday night.

Police sources here said that three kilograms of explosives, two jackets having pockets to keep a large amount of explosives, a leather belt and some incriminating documents.

Three persons were detained from the village on suspicion of having links with the IS operative, sources said adding that they were being quizzed by the cops.

While Yusuf's father claimed that he had no knowledge about his son's motives and that the people considered him (Yusuf) to be a ''good person'', the suspected IS terrorist's wife said that her husband had been collecting gun powder for the past two years.

''Yusuf had opened a cosmetic shop at Utraula market near the village but he spent most of his time in listening to the sermons of radical Islamic clerics on Youtube....he used to keep the gunpowder in a box...I told him many times not to do this but he did not pay any heed,'' the wife, a mother of four children, said.

Sources said that the police were trying to ascertain if Yusuf had links with local people also.

Yusuf was arrested from Delhi on Friday after a brief encounter.
He announces the release of The Italian Therapy Job

TORQUAY, England, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Author Mike Fox offers a travel book/autobiography advocating awareness for Parkinsons disease. This year, he announces the release of his fourth book titled The Italian Therapy Job (published by AuthorHouse UK). Visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/Italian-Therapy-Job-Travel-Diary/dp/1728395623/ to know more about the book.

In 47 pages, this travel book/autobiography centers on his wife, Syliva, and her experience at an Italian therapy center called European Parkinsons Therapy Centre, which operates in the small Italian resort town of Boario Terme, in the foothills of the Alps in the north of the country. It takes readers to the life of a person living with Parkinsons disease from the treatments to the therapies. It also introduces some inspirational people they met along the journey, who helped them along the journey.

Fox recalls the adventures they enjoyed in Italy as they visited known landmarks such as the streets of Verona, Statue of Juliet and Ponte Pietra. He takes his readers to the Lake Iseo at Pisogne, Island of Loretto and the Island village of Peschiera. Pictures are provided to introduce the place they visited and also pictures that capture Sylvias journey. Thus, this book is also a cameo of life in present-day Italy.

There are over 10 million people who are living with Parkinsons disease worldwide, according to the Parkinsons Foundation. National Health Service state that a total of 127,000 people have the disease in the U.K.  with a person being diagnosed every hour. Fox created the book in an attempt to raise the awareness of such a condition and focus on the work being undertaken by an Italian Therapy center.

I want Parkinson's [patient] to be encouraged; I want everyone to be more aware of the disease; and hopefully my readers will enjoy my travels and observations of Italy, Fox says.

The Italian Therapy Job

Story continues

By Mike Fox

Softcover | 8.5x11 in | 56 pages | ISBN 9781728395623

E-Book | 56 pages | ISBN 9781728395616

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Mike Fox is a semi-retired civil servant in the U.K. He sees writing about people and places as a complete and relaxing change from his professional work, where he can indulge in his passions for travelling, reading, anything that moves on railway tracks and badminton. He is married to Sylvia, who has a passion for dogs and music. They have two adult sons, Nathan and David, who fled the nest many years ago. Ho loves encountering new situations, people and cultures, and observing the world around him. He has been particularly inspired by travel writers such as Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson, sharing something of the formers love of trains and the latters sense of humor.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8641.

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SPRINGFIELD  A multi-agency wildland fire crew from Illinois recently returned from Colorado where they helped battle the more than 139,000-acre Pine Gulch Fire, the largest in Colorado history.

Each year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Division of Forest Resources assembles a team of highly trained firefighters to assist with wildfires in other states.

The 21-person crew included 14 representatives from IDNR plus the seven additional crew members from the U.S. Forest Service, Shawnee Resource and Conservation District and The Nature Conservancy. In Colorado, the crew was teamed with crews of varying specialties, including bulldozer and road grader operators, to protect property and buildings and fortify fire breaks used to contain the blaze. The Illinois crew used chainsaws and other equipment to remove trees and brush that could provide fuel for the fire and dug fire lines around each building in jeopardy.

I am grateful to our Illinois Wildland Fire Crew for their dedication and willingness to assist others during time of need, said IDNR Director Colleen Callahan. Our crew received high marks for their professionalism, experience and training during their deployment. Their presence on scene was very much appreciated.

High temperatures and low humidity, in combination with steep slopes and already dry vegetation, created a volatile situation. The Pine Gulch fire started with a lightning strike and doubled in size daily due to the extreme weather conditions. Winds carried burning embers up to one-half mile from the advancing front of the fire, and new spot fires were common. The Illinois crew worked only minutes ahead of the front lines.

Illinois firefighters worked in tandem with Hotshot Crews who continued to fight the fire at night. Supplemental drops of water and fire retardant from the air slowed the fire. Illinois crew members helped pump water thousands of feet from a small beaver pond to the ridgetop fire line.

Each summer there are hundreds of western wildland fires with thousands of acres burned and numerous homes destroyed. Wildfire deployments last about 18 days. The Illinois crew returned home safely Aug. 24. The Pine Gulch Fire is now mostly contained.

The entire wildland fire crew is grateful to Director Callahan for supporting the states efforts to render assistance to other states, even in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Tom Gargrave, fire crew chief and regional IDNR forester. Not only were we able to render assistance to another state, but the training and experience our crew has gained will help us do a better job managing fire for ecological management and to protect others in the event of wildfires.

All expenses are covered by the U.S. Forest Service through an interagency agreement with the IDNR Division of Forest Resources. All fire crews operate under protocols set up by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
By PTI

BHADERWAH: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday allegedly ended his life by shooting himself with his service rifle in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, officials said.

Amrit Bhardwaj (52) of the 33rd battalion shot himself soon after returning to his barrack in the premises of police complex at Kotli here after his night shift duty, the officials said.

"The incident happened around 7.30 am and the ASI was immediately taken to sub-district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead," Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Raj Singh Gouria said.

He said a case under relevant sections has been registered at Bhaderwah police station and further investigation is on.

The body of the deceased would be handed over to his unit after completion of legal formalities, including COVID-19 test and postmortem, the SP said, adding that the motive behind his taking such an extreme step was not known immediately.

The body of Bhardwaj, a resident of Bharlipur village of Assam, bore four bullet marks, the officials said.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Tuesday slammed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav saying that if a "convicted criminal" is getting five-star facilities like a state guest instead of a prisoner then Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should take suo motu cognizance in this matter.

New Delhi [India], Sep 1 (ANI): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Tuesday slammed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav saying that if a convicted criminal is getting five-star facilities like a state guest instead of a prisoner then Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should take suo motu cognizance in this matter.



Taking to Twitter, Sushil Modi wrote (roughly translated from Hindi), If a convicted criminal in corruption is getting five-star facilities like a state guest instead of a prisoner due to political clout, then CBI should take suo motu cognizance on this. He further stated that Lalu Prasad was sentenced to jail in four cases in connection with fodder scam, but the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand sent him first to RIMS in the name of treatment and then to a luxurious bungalow under the pretext of isolation.



Dozens of people are reaching his bungalow to meet convicted Lalu Prasad. More than 200 people willing to contest elections in Bihar have gone to Ranchi and have given him bio-data, Sushil Modi tweeted.



Also read: Dr Kafeel Khan detained under NSA, released from Mathura jail at midnight

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: CBI questions Rheas parents

If the Jharkhand government is giving a chance to Lalu Prasad to play a political role in running a party from jail and handing out tickets by flouting the jail manual, we will appeal to the Election Commission for intervention, he added.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was earlier shifted to the residence of the director of the RIMS hospital, where he had been admitted for months due to poor health, to prevent exposure from the COVID-19 virus.



After the news surfaced, Jharkhand BJP accused the state government of giving Lalu Yadav special treatment because the RJD is a part of the coalition government in the state.



Yadav, who has been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the fodder scam case.



Notably, both the sentences are being served consecutively.



The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crore from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Lalu served as the States Chief Minister. (ANI)

Also read: 3rd round of sero-survey begins in Delhi: AAP plans to tailor strategy to changing circumstances
Syngenta Group:

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Syngenta Group Opens World-class Manufacturing Plant in Switzerland (Photo: Business Wire)

Syngenta Group invests in first major manufacturing facility since the Group's formation

The new plant reinforces Syngenta Group's crop protection strategy and strong commitment to Switzerland, and to providing cutting-edge innovations to farmers all around the world

Acquired from Novartis, 70 highly-skilled employees will be retained within Syngenta Group

Start of operations planned for Q1 2021

About Syngenta Group

Syngenta Group is one of the world's leading agriculture innovation companies, with roots going back more than 250 years. Its 48,000 people across more than 100 countries strive to transform agriculture through breakthrough products and technologies that play a vital role in enabling the food chain to feed the world safely, sustainably and with respect for our planet. Swiss headquartered and Chinese-owned, the Group draws strength from its four business units Syngenta Crop Protection headquartered in Switzerland, Syngenta Seeds headquartered in the United States, ADAMA headquartered in Israel, and Syngenta Group China that provide industry-leading ways to serve customers everywhere.

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This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as "expect," "would," "will," "potential," "plans," "prospects," "estimated," "aiming," "on track" and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta Group, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta Group assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.

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Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse-area mail carrier could go to federal prison after being accused of stealing gift cards from the mail.

Thomas Joslin, 57, of North Syracuse, is accused of opening mail and stealing cards on three separate occasions in 2019: a prepaid Mastercard on March 19; a Dicks Sporting Goods gift card on April 9; and a prepaid Visa card on June 2.

The indictment does not describe where the thefts occurred. It also does not say how much money was stolen in total, though none of the cards were worth a lot of money, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick, speaking for the Northern District of New Yorks U.S. Attorneys Office. In essence, the gift cards were each in amounts loved ones might send each other for the holidays, he said.

But Joslin faces serious punishment, if convicted. He faces a felony for each of the three stolen cards. Its a law specifically designed to punish mail carriers who steal from the public. Each of the three charges is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church gives a public statement at a press conference held in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



Tensions are escalating between the government and Sarang Jeil Church over a COVID-19 outbreak linked to the controversial church, as the state-run health insurance operator vows to seek reimbursement from the church for coronavirus treatment costs.



Quarantine authorities claim pastor Jun Kwang-hoon and his followers have been obstructing the government's anti-infection efforts by refusing to submit a list of church members and lying about their whereabouts.



On Wednesday, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) announced its intention to seek COVID-19 treatment costs of church members to be covered by Sarang Jeil Church. It plans to demand about 5.5 billion won ($4.6 million) spent to treat 1,035 church-related patients.



The average coronavirus treatment cost per patient is 6.32 million won, and the NHIS covers 5.34 million won of the total.



"We will soon take legal procedures after specific legal violations are confirmed through police investigation," an NHIS official said.



The Seoul Metropolitan Government also said Tuesday that it will file a lawsuit against church members who violated quarantine measures and obstructed epidemiological investigations.



More than 140 microbusiness owners near Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, are also set to file a class-action suit against the church. Since the church has risen as a virus hotbed in mid-August, the number of customers have plummeted in the area, causing significant economic damage to neighborhood eateries and cafes.



Korea is seeing a surge in virus cases following a massive anti-government rally held on Aug. 15 in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. It was organized by Sarang Jeil Church's populist conservative pastor Jun. More than 20,000 people including church members participated in the rally.



However, the church has been refusing to take any responsibility, claiming to be a "scapegoat" of the government's failed quarantine measures.



Jun claimed that the government had attempted to incriminate his church using the term "Wuhan virus" at a press conference held on Wednesday morning. He held the press conference as soon as he was discharged from the hospital after receiving 16 days of coronavirus treatment.



"If President Moon keeps deceiving the citizens with his lies, I am determined to do everything, even risking my life," Jun said, urging the President to give a public apology.



Jun, along with Sarang Jeil Church members, has been insisting that the government is wielding its power to suppress them for their anti-government actions.



They vowed recently to file a complaint against several government officials including Jeong Eun-kyung, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).


Trinity College Dublin has risen nine places in the latest league of the worlds top universities.

Irelands oldest university is placed 155th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2021.

This years result was helped by a strong performance in research, one of the main categories on which the overall score is based.

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Trinitys Dean of Research Professor Linda Doyle expressed delight at its improved position in this measure

Excellence in research lies at the heart of our identity as a university and has a fundamental influence on our teaching, she said.

This speaks to the quality of our researchers, who are excelling in difficult times in which funding is harder to come by than ever.

However, most other Irish universities have remained in the same position, or dropped, as global competition in the world of higher education intensifies.

Irish universities have been struggling in rankings such as this since the financial crash when there was a significant cut in Government funding, which has not been restored. State funding per student is at 40pc of what it was a decade ago.

In second place for Ireland in these prestigious rankings is the Royal College of Surgeons, holding steady in the 201-250th category.

Next comes University College Dublin, which has dipped this year from the 201-250th band into the 251-30th grouping.

NUI Galway and University College Cork are both in the 301-350th band, followed by Maynooth University in the 401-500 grouping.

Dublin City University and the University of Limerick are ranked between 501-600th, while TU Dublin is placed in the 801-1000th category.

The rankings are based on five indicators - as well as research, scores are awarded for teaching, citations, international outlook and income from industry .

The Times Higher 2021 rankings are topped by the UKs University of Oxford for the fifth consecutive year, while the US dominates the top 10 with a record eight places.

But Asia has entered the Top 20 for the first time, signalling wider challenges for the west.

In an indication of intensifying global competition, the 17th edition of the rankings sees a record 18 countries and regions represented in the top 100, and 93 represented overall.

Also this year, a record 1,527 institutions qualify for the 2021 edition, a 9pc increase from the 2020 rankings when 1,397 institutions qualified.
The security breach is part of a new wave of cyberattacks that have proliferated since millions of employees began teleworking earlier this year to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Experts have long warned that remote operations leave companies especially vulnerable to hacks. Over the past five months, that prediction has come to fruition. Malwarebytes, an anti-malware software company, surveyed more than 200 cybersecurity and IT professionals across the United States and found 20 percent had faced a security breach as a result of remote work.
Two unrelated, targeted shootings in Sydney on Tuesday night are the latest in a spate of gun violence across the city, prompting police to ramp up resources.

State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said that, between August 1 and September 2, there had been 26 public place shootings, most of which had occurred in Sydney.

Police forensics are investigating a shooting on Runcorn Street, St Johns Park, on Tuesday night, the latest in a spate of shootings across the city. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Eight of the incidents had been resolved, with nine people before the courts.

Two shootings in the past week had "tenuous links" to outlaw motorcycle gangs and police had identified 20 individuals they would follow up with over the coming days, Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday that flights to and from the United Arab Emirates from all countries will now be able to use its airspace  a statement apparently allowing flyovers by Israel following a deal to normalize UAE-Israel relations.

The vaguely worded statement avoided naming Israel directly. However, the announcement came just days after the kingdom allowed the first direct Israeli commercial passenger flight to use its airspace to reach the UAE. Any direct flight between the two nations would need to use Saudi airspace to be commercially viable.

The statement makes no mention of the kingdoms rival, Iran, nor Qatar, which Saudi Arabia is currently boycotting. Flights between those countries to the UAE would, in theory, not need to use the kingdoms airspace.

The official Saudi Press Agency said the move comes in response to a request by the UAE to open routes to and from the country.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud wrote on Twitter that the kingdoms firm and established position toward the Palestinian cause and people will not change. However, even he did not name Israel in his tweet.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the announcement in an online video, signalling it involved his country.

For years, I have been working to open the skies between Israel and the East, he said, hailing the tremendous breakthrough that Israeli planes can now fly cheaply and quickly from Israel to the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi and skyscraper-studded city of Dubai. Avoiding Saudi airspace would add around four hours to the journey.

Earlier this week, Jared Kushner, the U.S. presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, flew with a high-level Israeli delegation to the UAE on the first direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries, a Star of David emblazoned on the jets tail. The flight traversed Saudi airspace, signalling at least acquiescence for the breakthrough U.S.-brokered agreement by the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel.

The Saudi announcement comes as Kushner is travelling the Middle East to build on the momentum of the UAE deal and press other Arab countries to establish formal ties with Israel, even before it settles the conflict with the Palestinians  long considered a requirement for normalization.

After leaving Abu Dhabi, he headed to Saudi Arabia to discuss prospects for peace in the region with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has expressed willingness for the kingdom to engage with Israel. The kingdom is close to the UAE, and, along with other pro-Western Arab governments, sees Iran as a major threat.

Although shared enmity of Iran has largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians, Israel remains unpopular in much of the Arab world. The UAE has promoted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state. Saudi Arabia welcomed the UAEs move but was careful to stress it would only open ties with Israel on the condition that peace is reached with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians have fiercely opposed the normalization as peeling away one of their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, one of two other Arab states to have full diplomatic ties with Israel, reiterated his countrys support for the UAE-Israel agreement. In a phone call with Netanyahu, el-Sissi said Egypt supports any steps that may help establish an independent Palestinian state and provide security to Israel, according to the Egyptian leaders office.

Later on Wednesday, Kushner travelled to the tiny Gulf state of Qatar and met with the countrys ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss the Mideast peace process, according to Qatars state news agency. The emir called for a just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution, the agency said.

The oil-rich country is a close U.S. ally, home to thousands of American troops. But a bitter regional dispute pits Qatar against neighbouring Gulf states and Egypt, which imposed a four-nation embargo in 2017 over Qatars support for Islamist groups and relations with Iran.

While it stands apart from the emerging Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran, Qatar consistently co-ordinates with Israel to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the impoverished Gaza Strip ruled by Islamic militant group Hamas.

___

Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
Fashion star: Bernadette Hagans with one of her trademark colourful prosthetic limbs

A Belfast woman who had her leg amputated through cancer is continuing her ascent in the modelling industry after being unveiled as one of the faces of a major fashion label campaign.

Bernadette Hagans (24) went through the trauma of losing the limb after being diagnosed in 2018.

She had to learn to walk again using a prosthetic limb.

But keen to embrace life as an amputee, the west Belfast woman signed a contact with London-based Zebedee Management, which specialises in models with disabilities.

Fast-forward two years, after booking campaigns with a leading sport brand and high street favourite Primark, she is now part of Kurt Geiger's People Empowered campaign.



Expand Close Bernadette Hagans launching the new Kurt Geiger campaign - 'PEOPLE EMPOWERED' / Facebook

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Whatsapp Bernadette Hagans launching the new Kurt Geiger campaign - 'PEOPLE EMPOWERED'

The CLIC Sargent charity ambassador yesterday unveiled her new role on her Instagram page, which has almost 10,000 followers.

In an interview with the global brand, which is known for its footwear and handbags, Bernadette praised it for its inclusiveness.

"It's great when people like me get shown, because it doesn't happen too often," she said.

"I think it can show that different can look good, and that you can make the most of whatever sets you apart from the crowd."

She also recalled how she stayed positive after her diagnosis of synovial sarcoma, with doctors warning that her right leg would have to be removed in order to save her life.

"Everyone was always saying they thought it was going to hit me at some stage, but I just felt really lucky," she explained.

"I thought, okay, they're amputating my leg, but I've had my leg for 22 years. Some people are born without.

"I got to experience life with two legs and now I get to experience it with one.

"And yes, I got cancer, but I was being given a chance to live. Some people just get told they're terminal."

Bernadette revealed how her prosthetic leg has become part of her fashion aesthetic - one that she regularly changes with the help of a car wrapping firm.



Expand Close Fashion star: Bernadette Hagans with one of her trademark colourful prosthetic limbs / Facebook

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"I said to them: 'If you can wrap a car, do you want to have a go at wrapping a prosthetic leg?'"

"They said: 'That sounds amazing! Come in, we want to try it.'" I've been changing the colour constantly ever since. Now there are people going into my hospital saying: 'That girl with the coloured leg - how do we get a leg like that? They've put them in touch with the same company and they've started wrapping legs for other people."
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that it can be designed to cater to the needs of each individual student. (Shutterstock)

As Local Governments Evaporate, Working People Freed to Choose Schooling and Security

Commentary

If parents think school is safe enough for their children to attend classes, teachers should have to decide if they still want their jobs or not. Those who dont show up to teach when classes start should be considered to have quit because they think their chosen profession is now too dangerous. No pay for no-show work.

What are taxpayers getting for all their money in public education now?

Nine out of ten black boys in Baltimore City are not reading at grade level, said Jack Pannell in 2017, founder and president of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys. That private school has longer school days, but shorter class periods, better suited to the attention span of boys, who are naturally less patient.

Teachers at that school are 60 percent male, which is more effective in teaching boys. But there are no girls at the all-male school, as they distract from the attention span of boys.

Press reports showed 13 Baltimore City High Schools had zero students proficient in math in 2017, for a total of 39 public schools citywide.

Taxpayers should bring up reconsideration of their property taxes with local officials. They should demand their taxes be suspended if they are no longer receiving free public schooling for their children. President Donald Trump is proposing that for school districts that do not provide classroom teaching this fall, extra funds would go to parents for the private school of their choice.

A good example is Baltimore City, run by liberal Democrats for more than a century. In 2017, Baltimore spent $16,184 a year per student, according to the Census, up by 6.7 percent over the prior year, when Baltimore ranked fifth nationally in per student spending. That placed Baltimore as the third highest in the nation.

That is more than enough to pay for a private school education, particularly at Catholic schools, according to the National Catholic Education Association.

Taxpayers should be free to use property tax funds to pay for the private school of their choice for their own children. Privatize the public schools if local governments can no longer provide public schooling. No taxation without local government services.

Policing

Ditto that for local policing, too. Private for-profit security companies would never tolerate the abusive policing we have seen even from the most liberal city governments. They would know they would be sued out of business if they did not operate as Black Lives Matter would approve.

The murder rate for Baltimore rose in 2019 over 2018 from 309 up to 348, an increase of nearly 12 percent, during a period of collapse in total population. Rapes hover at near record highs, with 361 rapes citywide (59.6/100,000 people) in 2018. Robberies have exceeded 5,000 (863.8/100,000) for the last 3 years in a row.

Assaults and other violent crimes all show the Ferguson Effect, as cities agreed to operate under a federally mandated police consent decree to show tolerance for criminal behavior, the most recent devastating blow to safety in our cities. The current wave of unrest is further destroying the economic viability of our cities under failed socialist leadership, with reallocation of police funding, a euphemism for defunding the police.

This economic and security collapse will cause an additional surge in crime and poverty, pushing our cities into a death spiral once and for all. The anarchist Leninist agenda will then be complete.

Here, too, taxpayers should take the initiative as their local governments evaporate. As free local government schools and security disappear because left-wing governments can no longer operate to provide them, and criminals are freed from jail as soon as arrested because of so-called bail reform laws, taxpayers should take the initiative to sign up for security from professional for-profit security firms, who can operate their own private sector jails and prisons and even courts. All for negotiated fees charged in competitive private markets.

Responsible, professional police unions, unlike teachers unions, should be welcomed as the perfect partners for private small businesses, property owners, and taxpayers. Redirect property taxes, and federal funds through school choice as Trump has proposed, to the private schools, police, courts, and jails that are still operating to provide the services.

David D. Wallace is a small businessman from suburban Baltimore, president of the FAIR Energy Foundation, and a former Republican candidate for Congress from the 8th District of Maryland.

Peter Ferrara, J.D., is a senior fellow for the FAIR Energy Foundation, the National Tax Limitation Foundation, and The Heartland Institute. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan and as associate deputy attorney general under Attorney General Bill Barr and President George H.W. Bush, and as the Dunn Liberty Fellow in Economics for The Kings College in New York.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Peter J. Ferrara Follow Peter Ferrara, J.D., is a senior fellow for the FAIR Energy Foundation, the National Tax Limitation Foundation, and The Heartland Institute. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan and as associate deputy attorney general under Attorney General Bill Barr and President George H.W. Bush, and as the Dunn Liberty Fellow in Economics for The Kings College in New York.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

India ranks 48th on the GII, making it to the top-50 for the first time

Ranks third among lower middle-income group economies

Most innovative country in the Central and Southern Asia region since 2011

Ranks 1st in ICT services exports, 9th globally on rate of productivity growth

Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai feature among top 100 global innovation clusters

India has moved up four positions on the annual Global Innovation Index (GII) of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to make it to the top-50 list for the first time.

The country has consistently outperformed on innovation relative to its level of development for ten years in a row, a record only matched by three other countries in the 131 country/economy ranking. Published annually since 2007, GII 2020 is jointly brought out by WIPO and Cornell University, INSEAD.

India ranks 48th in the GII 2020, ramping up from 81st in 2015. Together with China, Vietnam and the Philippines, India has made the most significant progress in the GII innovation ranking over time. The country retains the regional top rank and becomes third in the rankings among the lower middle-income economies.

India's role in the global ICT services industry is reflected in it being ranked first in ICT services exports. It also stands out for its rate of productivity growth, for which it ranks 9th globally. Its human capital and research systems benefit from a particularly high number of graduates in science and engineering, ranking 12th in this indicator, and of R&D-intensive global companies, for which it ranks 16th. Three Indian clusters - Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai - feature in the top 100 list, attesting to India's presence in the global innovation economy.

GII 2020 also indicates that India increases the most in three pillars: Institutions (61st), Business sophistication (55th), and Creative outputs (64th). In Institutions, indicators Political and operational stability (83rd), Government effectiveness (55th), and most of all Ease of resolving insolvency (47th) improved remarkably. In Business sophistication, indicator GERD or Gross Expenditure on R&D financed by business (48th) is available this year, while ranks also improved for both intellectual property (IP) payments (27th) and Research talent (38th). In Creative outputs (64th), India increased by a combination of performance improvements and model changes. It gained several places in indicator Cultural and creative services exports (21st) and it ranks 31st in the new GII indicator on Global brands with TATA Group having 164 brands of its brands in the top 5,000, the report said.

Also Read: India's GDP contracts 23.9% in Q1; construction, manufacturing, trade bear the brunt

Also Read: Drop in Q1 GDP on expected lines; India on a V-shape recovery path: CEA K Subramanian
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday directed the health department to issue an order, automatically renewing licences of all nursing homes in the city till March 31, 2021, a press statement from the Delhi government said.

The chief minister has directed the health department to immediately pass an order renewing the licences of all nursing homes till March 31, 2021. The nursing homeowners along with senior members of the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) and Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had met the chief minister on Wednesday and flagged the issue of renewal of licences, the statement said.

It further said, In that meeting, the owners of nursing homes said that every year, they had to renew the licence to run these homes. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the nursing homes could not renew their licences in March and this was creating issues in their daily operations.

There are about 700 nursing homes in the city, most of which have around 20 beds, according to estimates by the DMA.

President of DMC, Dr Arun Gupta, welcomed the move and said the government decision would bring relief to nursing home owners.

Dr R K Gupta, former president of DMA, said, The Delhi government has taken commendable measures during the time of Covid-19, and have honoured the private and government hospital and health care workers. The meeting with the nursing home owners was successful. The automatic licence renewal will help nursing home owners extend better care to patients.
Boutros Mouawad, 57, (pictured) was charged with murder after his mother Helen Mouwad, 76, was found dead in the backyard of her home in Woonona, south of Sydney last year

A loving son was mentally ill when he killed his mother 'to shut her up so she couldn't say anything anymore or bother him for the rest of his life', a judge has been told.

Boutros Mouawad, 57, was charged with murder after his mother Helen Mouwad, 76, was found dead in the backyard of her home in Woonona, south of Sydney in February 2019.

He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter after two psychiatrists found he was suffering a substantial impairment by abnormality of the mind related to his inability to control himself while he was 'manic' during a bipolar episode.

The psychiatrists gave evidence at his sentence hearing at the New South Wales District Court on Wednesday.

Helen Mouwad, 67, (pictured right with her two granddaughters) was found dead outside her Woonoona home in Sydney's south in February 2019

Mouawad had last taken medication about seven years before the attack and he hadn't seen a medical professional for 10 years, the court heard.

The agreed facts state that Mouawad had argued with his mother before striking her with a plank and leaving the house to attend an RSL club.

His brutal actions were the result of an argument related to his mother's gambling habits, reported The Daily Telegraph.

The court heard Mouawad attacked his mother with a plank of wood 'intending to kill her', then made several attempts to cover up the crime.

This included wrapping his mother's head in a plastic bag to stop blood pooling around the body and hosing down the pavement.

He also moved the plank of wood which he had used to carry out the violent act.

Ms Mouawad (pictured with her granddaughter) suffered blunt force trauma to her head after being hit by a wooden plank

After beating her, he went to the local RSL club for several hours.

When he returned, he didn't know whether she was dead or alive so he struck her again.

He called Triple-0 and told them his mother had fallen over.

Subsequent interviews with police offered varying accounts of the night's events.

During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday Mouawad appeared emotionless as his tearful sister Mary read out a victim impact statement.

'It makes me feel sick . he had no respect for my mother's life,' she said.

The court heard the disability pensioner suffered from bipolar disorder and was mentally ill when he killed his elderly mother (pictured together)

She told the court the act had ripped the family apart.

'It was a senseless crime, a crime that made us as humans no longer the same.'

The court heard the father-of-two had admitted to killing his mother in a letter to the family sent in March 2019.

'I myself cannot believe God allowed me to do such an evil and cowardly thing,' the letter read.

Judge Christopher O'Brien was told the pair previously had a loving relationship.

The Crown argued despite his mental illness, Mouawad's attempts to cover up the crime showed he knew the difference between right and wrong.

He will be sentenced on October 16.
(Natural News) Since 2016, the Democratic Party has been preoccupied with the single-minded goal of ousting Donald Trump, a political outsider who promised to drain the fetid swamp. But now that the Democrats efforts have failed, the left seems perfectly content embracing a scorched-earth policy rather than face the prospect of defeat, or jail time, in 2020.

(Article by Robert Bridge republished from Strategic-Culture.org)

In politics, nothing happens by accident, observed Franklin D. Roosevelt, the four-term Democratic president who certainly knew a thing or two about political predetermination. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.

FDRs quote perfectly sums up the last four years of Trumps presidency, beleaguered as it has been by every imaginable scandal and scourge under the sun. It is the opinion here that none of those events came about as an accident; just the opposite. The Democrats have been engaged in a very deliberate campaign to destroy Trump even before he entered the Oval Office, and that has been the source of every evil to have befallen the nation and much of the world since then.

Four years of cloak and daggers

Back in 2016, the FBI under Barack Obama spied on the Trump campaign in an operation called Crossfire Hurricane. As ex-FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith recently indicated by his guilty plea, the Democrats had conspired to portray Trump as a political pawn who only made it into the White House due to the cunning of his Kremlin handlers. This debunked conspiracy theory, which Stephen F. Cohen has rightly called the worst and (considering the lack of actual evidence) most fraudulent political scandal in American history, now has all the potential to bring the roof down on some very prominent Democrats. Never mind what it has done to US-Russia relations.

DEVELOPING: Former Comey FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith must cooperate with Durham's investigators and the terms of his plea agreement between now and his sentencing on Dec. 10 in order to get a 2-level reduction in his punishment for falsifying evidence to frame a Trump adviser  Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) August 21, 2020

The motive for such underhanded tactics was simply to destroy the political credentials of Donald Trump. The very same thing could be said about the Democrats just one month later filing articles of impeachment against the US leader. Trump was accused by the left of abuse of power for purportedly attempting to dig up dirt on his political opponent, Joe Biden, in return for US military aid.

Unbeknown to the average consumer of mainstream media news, however, in both the Russiagate and impeachment affairs the Democrats were struggling to untangle themselves from their own sticky web of crime and deceit. The left began to pursue Russian collusion charges against Trump only after incriminating email messages from the Democratic National Committee were leaked to the public that showed, among other things, that Hillary Clinton had used her home computer to relay sensitive government documents.

In the case with impeachment, meanwhile, Trump had reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for information regarding reports that Joe Biden had blackmailed Kiev with one billion dollars in financial aid in return for dropping an investigation into his son.

Incredibly and tellingly, the left-leaning media has never discussed either of those very serious activities as possible motives for the Democrats to harass Trump for four long years. Instead, it has unleashed what could be considered the most coordinated hate campaign against any US leader to date.

Judge calls for Assange testimony in civil suit against Fox News over Seth Rich article https://t.co/yMw27O0vIZ via @JustTheNews  Mojica Fitzgerald Kennedy (@politicalcomic) August 21, 2020

In fact, a truly free and independent media would have forwarded the question as to whether Biden himself, obviously suffering heavily on the cognitive front, has been hoisted up by the Democrats not because he is the most convincing candidate, but because he is the perfect criminal. In other words, had the Democrats gone with a fresh face against Trump they would have opened up the chess board to a multitude of possibly game-ending moves by the Barr and Durham investigation. However, with Biden confined to his basement like a blocking bishop, so to speak, Trump is greatly hindered from meting out justice to top members of the Obama clan who most likely participated not only in Crossfire Hurricane, and the Ukrainian swindle, but possibly even sordid shenanigans on the late Jeffrey Epsteins forbidden island.

We interrupt this scandal with a pandemic

Following Roosevelts above mantra, that nothing happens in politics by accident, and especially, it should be added, in the most consequential US presidential election to come around in years, the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States at this moment in history seems particularly incredible. And even more when it is considered that the first case of coronavirus in the United States was reported on January 20, just days after Nancy Pelosi used a gold pen to sign the articles of impeachment against Trump. It seems that even deadly viruses have a devilish sense of humor.

But lets assume for a moment that Roosevelt was mistaken in this particular case and the outbreak of Covid was truly an unplanned event (Event 201, to be exact); the draconian measures put forward to halt the spread of the disease were anything but. Preventing people from attending church services and mowing their lawn, for example, while giving a medical pass to violent protesters massed together on the street seems more like a deliberate attempt to increase the level of general unhappiness, thereby encouraging people to vote Trump out of office in November.

And is it just mere coincidence that Democrat-run cities and states reported the highest levels of outbreaks and deaths? Considering that the occasional motorcycle fatality was wrongly tallied in the Covid column among the elderly deaths, probably not. At the same time, how to explain the fact that Democratic governors from four major states reportedly ordered Covid-19 patients be admitted to state-run nursing homes, a move that led to a huge spike in the number of Covid deaths nationwide. We already know the Democrats have a predilection for terminating the life of the unborn, but senior citizens as well? An investigation is underway, but the silence that has welcomed this potentially explosive news adequately illustrates the lefts death-grip on information, especially if it casts aspersions on the Democratic camp.

When I was watching Event 201, one of their exercises and discussions was actually media and communication. They literally discussed and made a case for censorship, in the name of health and safety. Did you guys watch it? Very interesting https://t.co/CtXdZYhzEH  Nell Love, Ph.D. (@nilosarraf) August 28, 2020

We interrupt this pandemic with race riots

At this critical juncture in the year 2020, FDR must be looking down and shaking his head in total disbelief. Thats because no sooner did the coronavirus seem to be subsiding, then America was hit with another scourge from out of the blue  systemic racism. Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, suddenly the entire country was cast by the media, and organizations like Black Lives Matter, as a racist hellhole worthy of destruction. Perhaps at a different time and place, the media would have been far more skeptical and allowed room for the possibility that maybe, just maybe, American police officers just need better training. Whatever the case may be, America, like every country, has its flaws, but I can say for a fact that systemic racism is not one of them. If it were, the United States would not be the nation of immigrants it is today.

"Fiery but mostly peaceful protest" is a real chyron @CNN ran while buildings in Wisconsin burned. If your kid has a birthday party where someone gets stabbed and a fire starts, it isnt a "mostly peaceful birthday"  its a disaster. Our media is insane. pic.twitter.com/I92X10OOEn  Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 28, 2020

But that is clearly not the narrative the Democrats and its lapdog media want Americans to believe. Kamala Harris, the Democrats nominee for the vice presidency, and quite possibly Americas first female president, is just one voice on the left stoking the flames of discontent and violence.

In a recent interview, she said with regards to the violent protesters who have spread mayhem across the nation, Theyre not going to stop. This is a movement, Im telling you. Theyre not going to stop, and everyone beware because theyre not going to stop, theyre not going to stop before Election Day in November, and theyre not going to stop after Election Day. That sounds more like a direct order than any warning. Around the same time, Democrat Rep, Ayanna Pressley appealed not for calm or good old fashioned law and order, but unrest on the streets. These are not the utterances of dispassionate statesmen.

When it is remembered that diplomacy and restraint is one of the highest attributes of any political leader, the United States will find itself in a fatal death spiral  if it is not already  should any of these like-minded lunatics get anywhere near the levers of power. This would also include individuals like George Soros, who, acting on the wrongheaded premise that America is a knuckle-dragging land of xenophobes, is dumping a quarter of a billions of dollars into the war chest of racial justice groups like Black Lives Matter, which have turned their venom not against backwater bigots, but against the Republican Party. If you dont believe me, ask Rand Paul.

Did you see the idiots that attacked @randpaul last night? He was a CHAMPION for the passage of the First Step Act, has authored 20+ criminal justice bills, including one LITERALLY called the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act. Why is Joe Biden silent on these acts of violence?  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 28, 2020

If Roosevelt was correct in his assessment, and nothing ever happens in the world of politics by chance or accident, then the Democratic Party has a lot of explaining to do. From the outbreak of Russiagate, to the outbreak of race riots, to all of the deadly flare-ups in between, the Democrats have been wreaking havoc not only against the Trump administration, but against the American people. That is unacceptable. The voters must ask themselves if it is wise to hand over the keys to the White House to a group of individuals who would sink the very country they are so desirous to rule.

This is no campaign pitch for Donald Trump, a leader with his own specific set of issues, but judging by the egregious behavior of the Democratic Party over the last four years they have utterly forfeited any right to rule judging by their conspicuous lust for power, as opposed to love for country.

Read more at: Strategic-Culture.org
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and China's Premier Li Keqiang attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 3, 2018. (Jason Lee/AFP/Getty Images)

Pakistan Enforces UN Sanctions on Taliban to Push Economic, Geopolitical Interests

Pakistan has issued orders to begin enforcing United Nations financial sanctions against neighboring Afghanistans Taliban on Aug. 22, which is part of the South Asian nations efforts to be removed from the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), as well as to advance its geopolitical interests in the region, experts say.

In a statement late on Aug. 29, Pakistans foreign ministry said the sanctions arent new but rather are laid out in 2015 U.N. regulations. The orders, which were issued on Sept. 1, enforce the U.N. regulations and are issued routinely, the statement said. A similar order was issued in 2019.

Pakistans move is likely driven by pressure from the Financial Action Task Force, a global terror finance watchdog, to cut back on its ties to terror groups and their financing networks, Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center, told The Epoch Times in an email.

The U.N.-imposed penalties target dozens of individuals including Taliban 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.

Pakistan is at risk of being blacklisted by FATF if it doesnt comply, and that risk, while remote, is significant because it would have traumatic economic consequences for a country already struggling to overcome an economic crisis, Kugelman said.

By enforcing the sanctions, Pakistan is showing it wants peace in Afghanistan, Tom Hussain, an Islamabad-based Pakistan affairs analyst, told The Epoch Times.

To maintain its influence in Afghanistan, Pakistan knows it must be seen by the international community as an important part of a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, not a spoiler, said Hussain. He said it indicates a change in priorities of the Pakistani state, particularly its powerful military.

Its strategic depth ambitions of the 1990s have been replaced by a desire to make Pakistan the major economic connectivity hub for Afghanistan and beyond, he said.

Jailed Taliban during an interview with The Associated Press inside the Pul-e-Charkhi jail in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 14, 2019. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

Afghanistan Peace Process

The timing of Pakistans decision could be seen as a move to pressure the Taliban into a quick start to intra-Afghan negotiations, the next step in a peace deal signed in late February.

Pakistan has been keen on ensuring the success of the Afghan peace process, where the Taliban get a share in the power, said Adnan Aamir, an independent journalist based in Pakistan, who writes about Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said Aug. 28 that while the financial sanctions have been in place for some time, any tightening of a ban on travel could hurt peace negotiations. While the first round will be held in Doha, Qatar, subsequent talks will be held elsewhere. Several countries, including Germany, have offered to host.

It will hamper the peace process if there is a travel ban on all members, Shaheen said in an interview. There is a need for a relaxation of such curbs and embargoes because we are entering into another phase of [finding a] peaceful solution of the Afghan issue.

Theres some irony in the emerging situation as the world is supporting Pakistans engagement with the Taliban to help with the Afghanistan peace process, Kugelman said.

In effect, there is pressure on Islamabad to rein in the very engagement with militants that is helping move toward a peace process in Afghanistan. And in fact, soon after the sanctions, which include a travel ban, were announced, Islamabad welcomed a delegation of Taliban representatives for meetings, he said.

Still, for Islamabad, the goal is to project itself as a country that is moving expeditiously to distance itself from terror groups on the whole, and these sanctions are meant to convey that impression.

Pakistans sanctioning of the Taliban is cosmetic maneuvering, because other terrorist organizations, such as Lashkar-e-Tayaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, continue to thrive unabated even after being banned, Priyajit Debsarkar, the author of the book The Last Raja of West Pakistan & The Atlantique Attack & Arbitration, told The Epoch Times in an email.

Afghan Taliban militants and villagers attend a gathering as they celebrate the peace deal and their victory in the Afghan conflict with the United States in Afghanistan, in Alingar District of Laghman Province on March 2, 2020. (Noorullah Shirzada /AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistans Interests in Afghanistan

Hussain said Pakistans imposition of U.N. sanctions on the Taliban also is linked to Pakistans desire to extend the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project to Afghanistan.

This has been reflected by Chinas recent acceptance of Pakistans proposal to extend the CPEC into Afghanistan, Hussain said, adding that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi played an important role in diffusing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.

I doubt the Afghan peace process would have progressed to the brink of intra-Afghan peace talks without Wangs personal involvement, Hussain said.

He said Pakistans enmity with India and the dispute over Kashmir defines Pakistans foreign policy stands, including its approaches in Afghanistan.

With Chinese Belt and Road money involved, Pakistan would be the primary beneficiary of trade connectivity projects running from Central Asia through Afghanistan. In the longer run, projects like the TAPI gas pipeline may give it some leverage over India, said Hussain.

Aamir said the Pakistan government believes that the Afghanistan government is currently more aligned toward India, which threatens Pakistans security.

It threatens the security of Pakistan by allowing Baloch insurgents and Pakistani Taliban to use Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban, on the other hand, will protect Pakistans interest by not allowing any group hostile to Pakistan to operate from Afghanistan, Aamir said. In other words, a Taliban government in Kabul or a government with a considerable share of the Taliban will be a friendly government for Pakistan.

Debsarkar accused Pakistan of controlling and sustaining terrorism in Afghanistan and beyond.

India is the biggest donor from the region [in] aid and assistance to Afghanistan. The ties with the democratically elected political leadership in Kabul are time-tested and centuries-old, he said. Transgression by the Pakistan deep state to circumvent these unbreakable ties will be futile and only further shove Pakistan in global isolation.
But the state still shattered its record for primary participation, with more than 1.6 million ballots cast. Though interest in the Democratic Senate primary was high, election officials said that a law signed this summer by Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, that expanded mail-in voting and early voting had been essential to voting during the pandemic.

Were confident that people who wanted to vote had the opportunity, said William F. Galvin, who as the secretary of the commonwealth for Massachusetts oversees its elections. We had the same problems with the Postal Service that everyone else has had. But we were able to extend the opportunity for anyone who didnt receive a ballot to vote in person, and we crosschecked it.

Some election experts were quick to caution that simply receiving results on election night did not equate to success.

I would not want to judge the success of an election based on how quickly theyre able to produce election results, said Wendy Weiser, the director of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice. There are a lot of reasons by design that election results are going to take longer this year that are not at all an indication of any election administration problems.

Ms. Weiser noted that Massachusetts is a received by state, meaning that absentee ballots must be received by election officials by the time that polls close, a policy criticized by voting rights groups as problematic given the postal delays wrought by the coronavirus and the Trump administrations apparent interference with the Postal Service. Instead, the groups have pushed for postmarked by deadlines, which allow ballots postmarked by Election Day, but received in the days afterward, to still be counted.
In the backdrop of Chinas trade and technology rivalry with the United States (US), its president Xi Jinping summoned leaders of Chinas artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic industries to a meeting on July 21, and asked them to align their business strategies with Chinas needs in the greater interest of the country.

After Xi unveiled his grand ambition of making China a world leader in emerging technologies in 2013, the Chinese government has poured billions of dollars to develop commercial and military applications of AI, 5G, new materials, energy platforms, quantum computing and financial technologies. Its progress has been aided by its civil-military fusion policy, under which ministries and armed forces work together with State-owned and private companies, with the State directing resources in priority areas, without any competition from foreign companies. Several experts say that China has made considerable progress in domains such as smart cities, smart manufacturing, surveillance, semi-autonomous vehicles and hypersonic weapons. In e-commerce, financial technologies, new energy platforms, China is viewed as a world leader. In June 2020, China launched its final satellite to complete its Baidou navigation system, thus becoming a true space power. According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (2018), China is trying to integrate AI and big data into unmanned aerial vehicles, drone swarms and cyber systems in order to achieve brain supremacy (ability to damage cognition of the enemy).

Huaweis emergence as the largest maker of telecom equipment and second largest vendor of smartphones in the world is well known. China has also emerged as the largest manufacturer and exporter of electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels. It accounts for 70% of commercial drone-manufacturing exporting to more than 70 countries and has developed variants of the USs MQ-1 Predator drones with reconnaissance, command, control, communications and integrated precision-strike capabilities.

Though China has excelled in many areas, it is still dependent on foreign companies for cutting-edge technologies. Huaweis reigning supremacy may well end as the US sanctions on the supply of microchip Kirin (system on chip) start kicking in. Despite huge investments over the last 30 years, China remains dependent on American, South Korean and Taiwanese companies for the supply of microchips and semiconductors which are a prerequisite in the AI industry. Similarly, Chinas record in making its own engine for long-range aircraft is disappointing. Its homemade WS-15 engine for J-20 stealth fighter aircraft exploded in a ground running test in 2015, and it has started manufacturing the J-20 using the old Russian AL-31 engine which lacks the thrust vector control necessary for a 5th generation aircraft. Ditto, its inability to make high-grade carbon for its stealth aircraft or miniaturise the nuclear reactor for its aircraft carriers.

In many instances, China has acquired advanced technologies from the West by forcing its companies to part with them in exchange for market access or by stealing and copying foreign designs. A basic lacuna in Chinas approach is low expenditure in basic sciences and fundamental research, which has remained 5% of its overall research and development expenditure (as against 25-30% in developed countries) and shortage of skilled personnel. Also, the environment for innovation has deteriorated with authoritarian and expansionist policies being pursued by the Xi regime, which is damaging global chains, essential for research and collaboration.

India has taken some incipient steps to induct AI into civilian and military domains by establishing the required policy framework and promoting research and applications with collaboration among our defence establishments and industry. In some cases, drones, smart weaponry and other hi-tech military equipment have been imported from the US, Russia, France and Israel. There is urgent need to prioritise the resources in development of AI platforms, necessary for civilian and military applications, to ensure that India does not fall behind more in relative power matrix with China.

Yogesh Gupta is a former ambassador who writes on China-related issues

The views expressed are personal
For five months, Gov. Phil Murphy has kept the state up to date on the COVID-19 pandemic, what steps hes ordered to halt the spread and what individuals can do to assist.

Hes made it a point of emphasis in his daily (now thrice weekly) briefings to describe the havoc the virus has wreaked on the states economy and how its robbed the state of critical tax revenue to support essential services and programs.

To compensate temporarily, the Legislature and the governor extended the current fiscal year to Oct. 1. He warned of devastating cuts to essential services and aid programs, unprecedented public employee layoffs, and crushing property tax increases if the state failed to act to head off a fiscal meltdown.

He won a state Supreme Court ruling to permit borrowing as much as $9 billion to weather the storm and, in his revised budget, called for $1 billion in tax increases, $1.3 billion in cuts and $4 billion in bonded debt. Not to mention, the just announced mandated 9-cent increase in the gasoline tax which, while not in the budget, will hit consumers nevertheless.
China has resumed its campaign to remove crosses on Christian churches in the aftermath of the pandemic.

According to the Italian magazine Bitter Winter, in the first half of 2020 the Chinese Communist Party mandated the removal of over 900 crosses in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu, Anghui, and Shandong. The ChristianPost reported that church members were told that crosses and other religious symbols could not be physically higher than the Chinese flag. The removal of crosses is an integral portion of Xi Jinping's "sinicization" campaign. This work is being carried out by United Work Front Department officials.

Xi Jinping and the Communist party have used a variety of excuses for the removal of churches. In October of 2019, a church in Hebei was destroyed because it was allegedly "illegally occupying cultivated land." This removal of crosses has continued in Hebei this year.

The ChristianPost additionally interviewed church members at a Three-Self church in Yingdong who had their cross removed in April.

"If a church refuses to remove its cross, congregation members may lose their social benefits, like pensions and poverty-alleviation subsidies, and possibilities for their children's future employment will be affected." a church member explained.

The church member went on to lament the cross removal order and that protesting the mandate is not tolerated under the Chinese government.

According to Crux, a church in Anhui had its cross removed at 4 a.m. under police protection. One person had their cell phone confiscated for taking pictures.

In a worrying trend, many believers who attempted to interfere with and stop cross removals were either detained or injured by authorities.

China's persecution and suppression of religion and religious minorities has been condemned by both the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and the U.S. State Department.

According to Open Doors USA's 2020 World Watch List, China ranks as the 23rd-worst nation in the world for the persecution of believers, especially Christians.
In 2011, Liu Lipeng landed a job straight out of college as a "content reviewer" at the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo, where he learned how to issue warnings, delete posts, and shut down the accounts of users who ran afoul of an ever-increasing list of banned topics and keywords issued by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



"I thought the job would be something like a forum moderator, and that I'd be looking for things like hate speech, pornography, or other offensive content," Liu told RFA in a recent interview.



"I didn't expect that I would be a part of such a huge machine, interlinked with the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda operations and domestic security system."



Liu's job was to help maintain the complex system of blocks, filters, and human censorship that maintains the Great Firewall, which limits what Chinese internet users can do or see online in the absence of circumvention tools like virtual private networks (VPNs).



Once in the job, he was disturbed to find that it entailed acting on daily instructions to delete "sensitive" content as well as shutting down accounts that posted such content.



Liu also became aware of a department of China's internet police embedded at Sina Weibo's censorship center in Tianjin.



"Everyone knew that they were the ones who intimidated service users and detained people," he said. "We were all scared of them."



From the start, Liu interpreted his job description with a liberal approach, sometimes quietly unblocking users after shutting them down.



Among those he shut down, then unblocked, were Weibo users based in Hong Kong who had had content deleted and accounts shut down for talking about the candlelight vigil for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing.



He also wrote to author Murong Xuecun after a post of his was flagged on his work queue.



"Later, I stopped deleting stuff altogether," Liu said. "I had realized that it was all linked to a background operation involving keywords or sensitive accounts -- this was the dark side of social media."



"I would be dealing with angry users, who would curse me out, calling me a jobsworth and saying they hoped my whole family would drop dead, stuff like that," Liu said. "It had a really big impact on me by the end of a working day."



By the time he left Weibo in 2013, Liu was approving all of the content that passed across his desk.



"Chinese social media is so tainted by censorship and propaganda," he said. "The government cracks the whip to force private companies to crack down on dissent."



Turning whistle-blower



By 2016, Liu had turned whistle-blower, handing over internal work logs from Weibo to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).



He left China for the United States earlier this year, after realizing that widespread monitoring measures brought in by the government, ostensibly to control the spread of coronavirus, would render him vulnerable to political retaliation.



After arriving in the U.S., Liu made the work logs fully public and started giving media interviews.



"If I am not brave enough to speak out, how can I tell others not to self-censor or not to be afraid?" he said.



Xiao Qiang, founder of China Digital Times (CDT) and a teacher at the University of California Berkeley School of Journalism, said Liu's leak has been groundbreaking in advancing understanding of China's censorship and propaganda machine.



"The logs both confirm and build on the work we have done on this in the past," Xiao said. CDT has been publishing insider information on China's propaganda directives under its Ministry of Truth column for several years.



"This isn't just historical evidence of the censorship process; I also hope that Chinese people will gain a deeper understanding of the current regime, and of their own situation," he said.



RFA contacted several Weibo employees to confirm the authenticity of Liu's published logs, and at least three said they could verify that they were genuine. Some were worried about talking to the foreign media, and all asked to remain anonymous.



Murong Xuecun confirmed he received an anonymous email from Weibo informing him of a ban in 2012, and thanked Liu via his Twitter account for the valuable insight it provided.



Sina Weibo, which now has garnered more than 500 million users since its launch as a Twitter-like service in 2009, hadn't replied to a request for comment by the time of writing.



Liu confirmed what many have long believed about private enterprises in China: that they do as they are told by the government and toe the ruling party line.



He said they even vie with each other to show how well they implement government censorship and propaganda orders.



He said that while the censorship workflow and lists of keywords were initially developed by Sina, they are now being adopted as an industry standard by other social media platforms operating in China.



"The core lists of sensitive words and the censorship process can easily be copied from Sina," he said.



Companies run risks



And there are nasty pitfalls for companies that don't do a good job of controlling user-generated content.



Wang Xin, the founder of Kuaibo Technology, was handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence in 2016 by the Beijing Haidian District Peoples Court, which found him guilty of distributing obscene materials for personal gain as his online business was accused of providing easy access to pornography and pirated content.



"A bad track record on content review isn't just about losing money," Liu said.



At Weibo, content is initially screened by software, which scans for sensitive words.



For example, words linked to the Tiananmen massacre, or the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement often appear on lists of banned keywords. The system then deletes any posts containing these words automatically.



Content mentioning the government or the Chinese Communist Party, or other keywords programmed into the software, will be forwarded to human reviewers before a decision is made about whether the post can be published.



Content reviewers can choose to pass content, or hide it, ensuring it won't show up in searches, or prevent individual posts from being reposted.



Most banned posts are simply made private, so that only the poster can view them, while a minority are deleted outright.



"The third option, making it private, is the most common, because it doesn't inform the user that their post has been deleted, but only they can see it," Liu said.



"Delete is rarely used, because it is tantamount to informing the user that they broke the rules."



Rules remain vague



Service providers are reluctant to alert users to content bans because the authorities need the rules to remain vague, so that users also censor themselves, he said.



Some accounts are added to a political whitelist, including the ruling party's paid army on online commentators, dubbed the 50-centers for the alleged amount they are paid per comment, Global Times editor Hu Xijin, and Xi Wuyi, professor of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Peking University Chinese department professor Kong Qingdong.



But their posts are still reviewed -- just at a higher level -- and mostly for the comments left by other platform users.



"The comments on their posts are all screened," Liu said. "For example, if [an account on the whitelist] talks about a sensitive topic ... people will flock to discuss it."



"So the post is reviewed so as to monitor the comments it attracts ... which has a very strong effect on public opinion because it looks as if everyone agrees, or has been persuaded," he said.



But Liu said that the censorship system couldn't succeed without self-censorship on the part of platform users.



"That fear is actually irrational, because if users refused to self-censor, then the censors wouldn't be able to keep up with it all," he said.



He said recent media reporting has suggested that China's emerging artificial intelligence capabilities will soon enable it to keep tabs on online speech everywhere, but much of the work still has to be done by people.



"If the AI was so good, why is it that content review farms in first-tier cities are unable to recruit students?" Liu said. "They can only manage to hire them in smaller cities; places like Xian, Chongqing,and Zhejiang."



"The sheer numbers of people they need to hire show that this is a huge [operation]."



Reported by Jane Tang for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
On Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, the site of the most recent violent protests that surged after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times. During his visit, Trump criticized the "anti-American" demonstrations and promised to assist businesses in the region rebuild their establishments.

Supporting local law enforcement and businesses

The US president continued to reveal that he will be giving $1 million to Kenosha law enforcement that he wants to be used to support what police are supposed to do in the city.

Trump announced that another $4 million would be distributed among small businesses that have been ravaged by the chaos and another $42 million to be used to bolster public safety to avoid the same incident happening somewhere else.

According to Fox News, Trump told reporters that his administration would help the state get back on its feet and help business owners rebuild their establishments. The US president promised to straighten the state out after the violent protests.

The Republican proceeded to tour the area ravaged by the chaos, including one building burned and still smelled of smoke. The US president was accompanied by Attorney General William Barr and Chad Wolf, the acting Homeland Security Secretary.

During his visit, Trump spoke with Kenosha law enforcement and six other individuals who were reportedly victims of losing their businesses to rioters and looters amid the movements.

Also Read: Trump Plans Relief Funds for Kids, Sparking Opposition from Democrats

In a roundtable meeting with law enforcement and business owners, Trump said that the state had been devastated by anti-police and anti-American riots. The US president conducted the discussion after visiting an emergency operations center. He added that the demonstrations were not at all peaceful and called them acts of domestic terror.

Trump's visit to Kenosha was also welcomed by protesters where a large group of people raised their middle fingers towards the Republican amid his motorcade.

Quelling the violent protests

The president's statements included one where he said that the state would have been burned to the ground had he not intervened, as reported by Saudi Gazette. He continued to defend police across the country and said that media outlets only focused on their wrong sides.

President Trump noted that despite police officers doing multiple feats of heroism, media outlets are quick to report the incidents highlighting the negative image of law enforcement once they make one wrong move.

The Republican also criticized far-left politicians and blamed them for the rise of protests due to officials spreading destructive messages that accuse the country and its police force of being oppressive or racist towards citizens.

Local Democrats expressed their objections of Trump's visit to their state, including Governor Tony Evers, who had employed the aid of the National Guard in an attempt to quell the violence and said that the president's presence in the state would most likely obstruct their rebuilding efforts.

In a letter sent before Trump visited Kenosha, the governor said that he was concerned the Republican's travel would only hinder their efforts to move past the division created by the incident and move forward as one state.

Related Article: Fact Check: Did Trump Reveal THIS as His Plans for His Second Term?

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WASHINGTONA violent civil war of sorts is breaking out in U.S. cities  and President Donald Trump seems to be cheering the battles on. Trump talks a lot of law and order, but some experts say his rhetoric is encouraging the violence he presents himself as the solution to, a tactic they say recalls a long tradition of authoritarian strongmen.

Bands of Donald Trump supporters, mostly white, sometimes armed with semi-automatic rifles, have been showing up to confront Black Lives Matter protesters with the declared intent of protecting cities from vandals. A recent analysis published in Huffington Post documented almost 500 incidents of such right-wing vigilantes confronting and threatening  and sometimes assaulting  protesters over the course of the summer.

Those confrontations have recently become deadly, and spilled onto front pages around the world. In Kenosha, WI., last week, three protesters were shot and two killed by a 17-year-old Trump-supporting aspiring police officer who showed up to oppose protests. In Portland, OR. last weekend, a member of a Trump-supporting Patriot Prayer caravan was shot and killed.

After the killings, Trump has portrayed anti-racism protesters as domestic terrorists. He has conflated the looters and vandals at some protest sites with people in dark shadows who control his Democratic opponent Joe Biden, and spread baseless conspiracy theories about thugs in dark uniforms boarding planes to fly in to attack Republicans. He called bands of his supporters who were driving around Portland shooting pepper-spray and paintball guns at protesters and members of the press great patriots! and characterized their specific aggressive actions as peaceful protest. And he defended the Kenosha shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse, as acting in self-defence. He retweeted a message calling anti-racism protests a coup attempt aimed at overthrowing him.

Its part of a familiar pattern of Trump rhetoric that encourages violence among his supporters, says Helio Fred Garcia. Hes inventing crises that dont exist in order to mobilize force. Now hes counting on civilian militias to do that.

Garcia is a communications expert and consultant who teaches at Columbia University, and is the author of Words on Fire: The Power of Incendiary Language and How to Confront It. In his book, published this year, Garcia studied the language of past dictators and how it enabled both terrorism and genocidal violence, and explored how Trump has used similar rhetorical strategies  and led to escalating violence among supporters. In the book, he details 12 speech strategies he says Trump uses that enable violence, including conflating victims with perpetrators, demonizing certain populations, exaggerating risks, attributing evil motives to opponents, discrediting sources of objective information, and alleging conspiracies.

Garcia says the ramping-up of this kind of rhetoric was visible in Trumps 2016 campaign, and again in the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections when he stirred fears of immigrant caravans. He says it is both familiar and predictable that hes doing the same again now  with the expected result that his followers are roused to violent confrontations in the street. Garcia says this makes Trumps depictions of violence in cities a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is the third time. What Im worried about is what hes going to do as were getting closer and closer to the election. I think were going to have more of this kind of open hostility in the streets, Garcia says. Hes actually inspiring his followers to do that. That is unprecedented.

Garcia isnt alone among experts sounding the alarm. On CNN recently, Yale University professor Jason Stanley said that Trumpism is something akin to a Fascist social and political movement, now characterized by militias roaming the street. We have one of our political parties turning into a cult of the leader.

Surveying the situation of pro-Trump militias heading out to violently confront protesters, Harvard professor Steven Levitsky recently told a New Yorker reporter that Trumps rhetoric is terrifying.

We now have the potential in towns and cities across the country for pretty significant violence, with a large number of deaths, he said. I dont normally like to make these comparisons, but this sort of encouragement of violence for political purposes is worryingly similar to what the Fascist movement did in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s.

Trump has been nominally condemning the high-profile incidents of vandalism and looting that have accompanied some of the protests  all the while claiming that his opponents are encouraging it. But most protest leaders have condemned vandalism and looting, and decried violence by both police and by protesters, regularly since the protest movement began in June. Democratic politicians have done the same (many of the governors and mayors Trump has regularly been attacking have, when not fending off presidential accusations, been accused by protesters of heavy-handed policing of the demonstrations).

In a recent speech in Pittsburgh, Biden condemned violence at protests while expressing support for the aims of the protesters. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting, Biden said. Those who do it should be prosecuted. But Biden also went on the offensive against Trumps reaction. Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames rather than fighting the flames, Biden said. He cant stop the violence because for years hes fomented it.

Garcia said that while he hasnt studied Bidens rhetoric as closely as he has Trumps, this doesnt appear to be a case where both sides are guilty of similarly stoking their supporters fears and impulses. I havent heard vice president Biden use these kinds of rhetorical techniques. Frankly, I havent heard any other American president use these techniques, at least not in my lifetime. And Im 63 years old, Garcia said.

It is unprecedented, which is what caused me to write the book. This is what we used to see in authoritarian regimes, and what we used to see on both left and right radical fringes. We now see (it) normalized in a president of the United States, and that is what is frightening.

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Germany today said it has 'unequivocal proof' Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.

Tests carried out at a military laboratory found evidence of the Soviet-era chemical weapon used to attack Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018.

Navalny, 44, remains in a coma in a Berlin hospital nearly two weeks after collapsing on a plane in Siberia, which made an emergency landing when he suddenly fell ill.

Germany condemned the 'alarming' poison plot and demanded an urgent explanation from Moscow, which has denied any involvement in the anti-Putin campaigner's illness.

'With this, it is certain that Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime,' chancellor Angela Merkel said. 'He was meant to be silenced and I condemn this in the strongest possible manner.'

'There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer,' Merkel said, describing what happened to Navalny as 'the attempted murder by poisoning of one of Russia's leading opposition figures.'

Governments across the West condemned the poisoning, including UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab who urged Moscow to 'tell the truth' - saying it is 'absolutely unacceptable' that Navalny was poisoned by the same nerve agent deployed in Salisbury.

While Berlin stopped short of accusing Russia directly, Navalny's aide Ivan Zhdanov said Novichok 'can only be used by the state' - suggesting that the GRU or FSB intelligence agencies were responsible.

Navalny being taken to an ambulance in Omsk (left) after falling ill on a plane following a trip to an airport cafe (right) where his friends suspect he could have been poisoned

'With this, it is certain that Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime,' Chancellor Angela Merkel said. 'He was meant to be silenced and I condemn this in the strongest possible manner.'

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny - pictured, centre, shortly before he fell ill on August 20 - is in a coma at a German hospital after allegedly being poisoned

Forensic police officers wearing hazmat suits examine evidence in Salisbury days after the assassination attempt against Sergei Skripal in March 2018

What is Novichok and how does it kill? The Novichok family of nerve agents were secretly developed over two decades at a research facility 50 miles outside the Russian capital. Many times more potent than other better known chemical weapons, Novichok agents can render gas masks and protective equipment useless. Sometimes described as 'gases' they are in fact liquid, intended to be delivered as a fine spray. A series of poisons, known as Novichok 5, 7, 8 and 9 to identify them, were produced amid conditions of complete secrecy. They all kill the same way. By inhibiting enzymes that control nerve receptors in the brain. One expert said victims simply 'forget to breathe'. A tiny drop, almost undetectable, placed on the skin or inhaled can cause death within minutes. Advertisement

Germany says it will inform its partners in the EU and Nato about the test results and consult with them 'on an appropriate joint response'.

Russia's ambassador in Berlin will also be called in to hear about the results - after the Kremlin played down preliminary findings that Navalny was poisoned.

Friends of Navalny have suggested his tea was spiked in an airport cafe in Tomsk where he was pictured shortly before boarding the flight.

A former Soviet scientist separately suggested that assassins could have broken into Navalny's hotel room and sprinkled poison on his clothes.

After Navalny fell ill, the aircraft made an emergency landing in Omsk and he was initially taken to hospital in the Siberian city.

The following weekend he was airlifted to Berlin, where doctors at the Charite hospital have been treating him with the antidote atropine and keeping him in a medically induced coma.

The hospital said in an initial statement last week that clinical tests 'indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors', which are used in medicines and insecticides but also in nerve agents.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that allegations of Kremlin involvement 'absolutely cannot be true and are rather an empty noise'.

Peskov accused the German medics of 'rushing' to use the word poisoning, saying: 'For the moment, all you and I see is that the patient is in a coma.'

'We don't understand why our German colleagues are in such a hurry. The substance hasn't yet been established,' he told reporters.

But Germany's announcement said toxicological tests at an army laboratory had found 'unequivocal evidence' of a nerve agent in the 'Novichok family'.

The military specialists were called in at the request of Charite hospital medics, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

Angela Merkel and her top ministers discussed the findings this afternoon and the government says it 'condemns this attack in the strongest terms'.

Germany will also contact the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: 'We have seen first-hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK.

'The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny - we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done.'

Mr Johnson was supported by his predecessor Theresa May, who was prime minister at the time of the Wiltshire attack and called the use of chemical weapons 'illegal and barbaric'.

She said: 'Deeply alarming that Novichok has again been used in an attempt to silence critics of the Russian state.

'The international community must ensure that those who undermine our rules-based system cannot act with impunity.'

Lithuania's foreign minister Linas Linkevicius went further and directly pointed the finger at the Russian government.

'You can't buy this drug in store. Russian authorities stand behind this. Those responsible for such a cynical crime must face consequences,' he said.

Ivan Zhdanov, the head of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said that Novichok 'can only be used by the state (FSB, GRU)...this is beyond any reasonable doubt'.

Another Navalny ally, Leonid Volkov, said: 'To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one,' attaching a picture of Putin's name and a signature.

Navalny's wife Yulia, who has visited him every day in hospital without making any public comment, has also been informed of the test results.

The alleged assassins were filmed on CCTV walking through Salisbury in March 2018

Navalny's allies have pointed the finger at Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured) after the opposition leader fell ill, but the Kremlin has dismissed the claims

Russian double agent Sergei Skripal (right) and his daughter Yulia were taken ill in Salisbury in March 2018, causing a political storm when their identities were revealed

Earlier, Vladimir Uglev, a former Soviet scientist who helped invent Novichok, said assassins could have sprinkled a deadly toxin on Navalny's socks or underwear.

Uglev, 73, said Russian secret service operatives could have broken into Navalny's hotel in Tomsk to leave a minuscule drop of poison in his luggage.

He said a dose of toxin less than one-thirtieth the size of a drop of water might have been enough to poison Navalny.

'They put this substance on his underwear, his underpants, socks, or his undershirt, and that was it,' said the retired scientist.

'In the morning Alexei woke up, showered, got dressed and went to the airport.

'And since the substance acts slower via the skin than say through the digestive system, time passed [before it had an impact].'

Uglev 'categorically' denied that Novichok was used to hit Navalny, saying that more people would have suffered poisoning if it had been.

Uglev has previously spoken of his role in creating Novichok, the nerve agent used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.

The former double agent and his daughter were found slumped on a park bench in March 2018, causing a sensation when their identities were revealed.

Russia denied involvement but the poison plot sent Britain's relations with Moscow to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

British police eventually named two suspects, who were later identified by the investigative website Bellingcat as members of Russia's GRU intelligence service.

Both Skripals survived and their current whereabouts are unknown, but a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, later died after accidentally handling the discarded nerve agent in a perfume bottle.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, of Wiltshire Police, was also exposed to the substance while responding to the 2018 attack and almost died.

Sharing the PM's tweet on Wednesday, he added: 'I have so much that I want to say about this tweet. But I can't, and I won't.'

Western weapons experts say Novichok, which was developed by the USSR at the end of the Cold War, was only ever manufactured in Russia.

Navalny arrives at Berlin's Tegel Airport last Saturday after he was airlifted from Russia. He remains in a medically induced coma at the German hospital

Alexei Navalny, pictured with his wife Yulia, has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for years

Emergency vehicles outside the Charite hospital in Berlin where Alexei Navalny is being treated and remains in a coma

The most recent update from the Berlin hospital said that while Navalny's condition remains serious, 'there is no immediate danger to his life'.

'However, due to the severity of the patient's poisoning, it remains too early to gauge potential long-term effects,' the statement said.

German medics have also asked for assistance from authorities in the UK and Bulgaria, who both have experience of previous poisonings.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday rejected claims that Russia was failing to investigate how Navalny fell into a coma.

'We are being accused of not investigating this situation. This is not true,' he said.

'Starting the very day this happened, our Interior Ministry initiated pre-investigative inspections.'

A full probe would begin once it is determined what happened, he said, while adding that German medics were also uncertain how Navalny became sick.

Meanwhile, Russian prosecutors have asked Germany to provide Navalny's biomaterial for investigations.

Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level corruption and mobilising protests.

He has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings, sued over corruption investigations and barred from running in the 2018 presidential election.

The 44-year-old has also served several stints in jail in recent years for organising anti-Kremlin protests.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia's arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated.
A recently formed statewide coalition composed of parents, community advocates, teachers and others is seeking a phased approach to reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic and has cited more than a dozen concerns that need to be addressed before Massachusetts students return to the classroom.

The Coalition to Safely Reopen Schools issued a position statement Monday citing 16 issues that need to be tackled to ensure that schools can be reopened without jeopardizing the safety of students, staff and the communities the schools serve.

In-person learning should not be conducted unless officials resolve the issues, which range from ensuring proper air circulation in schools to making personal protective equipment available to all staff and students, according to the coalition.

The group called for measures to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed, safe cleaning practices are in place, the healthy and safety concerns of students with special needs are addressed, rapid COVID-19 testing is accessible and clear guidelines for contact tracing are established.

Ours is a frontline perspective from those who will be ultimately responsible for the health, safety and the quality of education students will receive as a result of these decisions, the coalition said in its position statement.

Other concerns the group cited included having access to community resources for alternative school settings, sufficient infrastructure to support hygiene and mask wearing, appropriate nurse staffing, space to isolate and monitor suspected or positive coronavirus cases and protections in place for educational staff pay and benefits.

As officials plane for a potential phased approach to in-person learning and the development of a vaccine in the coming year, current staffing levels need to be maintained, the coalition argued.

The commonwealth of Massachusetts has the second-highest per capita income in the wealthiest country in the world, the group said. Given the importance of education to our future as a nation and the risks involved in reopening schools, instead of penalizing those who place such a vital role in this effort, now, more than ever, our public officials on all levels need to allocate and provide the funding needed to protect our students and preserve our dedicated staff.

Safe transportation must be available to students, and protocols for reentering school should be in place, the coalition added. Disparities in accessing in-person learning among students must be resolved as well, the group said.

Many inner-city schools lack funding, staff support and other resources. To address the disparities, state and federal funding must be directed to under-resourced school districts, the group argued.

[Given] the fact that these school districts service minority communities hardest hit by the pandemic, we foresee a situation where the racial and economic disparities that plague these communities will be exacerbated by this process, the coalition said. The need to secure computers and internet access is of utmost importance for the education of these students.

The concerns brought up by the group come as the majority of schools in Massachusetts are planning to conduct a hybrid educational model in the fall of some in-person and some remote learning.

However, several large school districts, including those in Boston, Worcester and Springfield, have opted to go fully remote, which the coalition has called on the all schools to do.

While conducting remote education, the state and school districts should take the time to develop comprehensive plans with the proper infrastructure, protocols, funding and staffing in place to safely institute in-person learning that we all know our students deserve.

Made up of educators, parents, school nurses and support staff, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, librarians, janitorial employees, the coalition has an overarching goal of reopening schools safely to in-person learning.

Equity must be the central focus of reopening, the group added. Any plan needs to address the concerns of families and communities, particularly those who have been hit hardest by the pandemic, are the most disadvantaged and whose school districts often lack proper funding and infrastructure to safely reopen, the coalition said.

This process represents one of the most consequential decisions our communities and our state will make as our state and nation construe to grapple with a pandemic that is still surging across the nation, showing signs of a second wave in our state, with the threat of the flu season looming, said Patty Comeau, a member of the coalition, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a school nurse in Methuen.

She added, A safe, scientifically guided, well planned, adequately funded and appropriately resourced process must be the priority for all involved, as the stakes couldnt be higher and the outcome of our decisions truly have life and death consequences.

Several organizations have endorsed the coalitions position statement, including the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured, the Massachusetts Coalition for Safety and Health, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Service Employees International Union Local 888.

Related Content:
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Coronavirus Diagnostics Market By Type of Test (Molecular v/s Serology), By User (Single v/s Multiple), By Full Test Time (Less Than 60 Minutes, 1 Hour - 12 Hours, 13 Hours - 24 Hours, More Than 1 Day), By End User (Hospitals, Public Health Labs, Private or Commercial Labs, Physician Labs, Others), By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2025







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05885384/?utm_source=PRN







The ongoing pandemic novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused due to SARS-COV-2 and generally spreads from animals to humans and then from humans to humans.The disease usually spreads from saliva droplets of the infected person or the nose discharges of the infected person when they cough or sneeze.



First case of the disease was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and since then, it has spread to various parts of the world infecting millions. As of 9th April 2020, the total number of coronavirus cases crossed 1.5 million, globally, of which around 330,000 had recovered and over 88,000 people had died.



Global coronavirus diagnostics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 12% during 2015-2025.The global coronavirus diagnostics market is driven by surging incidences of this disease across different parts of the globe.



The market is segmented based on type of test, user, full test time, end user, company and region.Based on type of test, market can be bifurcated into molecular and serological tests.



The molecular type of test segment is expected to dominate the market during forecast period.In this testing procedure, a sample from the back of the throat is taken and sent for testing.



The sample undergoes a PCR test to find out the presence of virus genetic material. The PCR confirms the diagnosis of COVID-19 if it finds two genes of SARS-COV-2 virus.



Europe and North America are expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period owing to the presence of many research laboratories and pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies across the regions.Major players operating in the coronavirus diagnostics market include F.



Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Abbott Laboratories, Danaher Corporation, Siemens AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., BioMerieux SA, GSK Biologicals SA, Altona Diagnostics GmbH, Seegene Inc., and others.



Years considered for this report:



Historical Year: 2015-2018

Base Year: 2019

Estimated Year: 2020E

Forecast Period: 20212025



Objective of the Study:



 To estimate and forecast the market size of global coronavirus diagnostics market from 2015 to 2025F.

 To classify and forecast global coronavirus diagnostics market based on type of test, user, full test time, end user, company and regional distribution.

 To identify dominant regions and segments in the global coronavirus diagnostics market.

 To identify drivers and challenges for global coronavirus diagnostics market.

 To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in global coronavirus diagnostics market.

 To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in global coronavirus diagnostics market.

 To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by market players in global coronavirus diagnostics market.



The analyst performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study.Initially, the analyst sourced a list of diagnostic players operating across the globe.



Subsequently, the analyst conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies.While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors.



Through this technique, the analyst could include the market players which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research.

The analyst calculated the market size of global coronavirus diagnostics market using a bottom-up approach, wherein data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. The analyst sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size.



Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by the analyst.



Key Target Audience:



 Coronavirus diagnostic kits manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders

 Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers

 Organizations, forums and alliances related to coronavirus diagnostics

 Market research and consulting firms

The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders, besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on market opportunities.



Report Scope:



In this report, global coronavirus diagnostics market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

 Market, By Type of Test:

o Molecular

o Serology

 Market, By User:

o Single

o Multiple

 Market, By Full Test Time:

o Less Than 60 Minutes

o 1 Hour - 12 Hours

o 13 Hours - 24Hours

o More Than 1 Day

 Market, By End User:

o Hospitals

o Public Health Labs

o Private or Commercial Labs

o Physician Labs

o Others

 Market, By Region:

o North America

- United States

- Canada

- Mexico

o Europe

- Russia

- Germany

- France

- United Kingdom

- Italy

- Spain

o Asia-Pacific

- China

- Japan

- India

- South Korea

- Australia

- Thailand

- Singapore

o Middle East & Africa

- South Africa

- Saudi Arabia

- UAE

- Iran

o South America

- Brazil

- Argentina

- Colombia



Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in global coronavirus diagnostics market.



Available Customizations:



With the given market data, we offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:



Company Information



 Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05885384/?utm_source=PRN



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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This is part three of a three-part series analysing the effects of the NALSA judgment on the inclusion of the transgender community. It attempts to trace cases of note, decided by various High Courts in India, pursuant to the passing of exhaustive guidelines by the Apex Court in the NALSA judgment. The series focusses on aspects that affect the transgender community, i.e. (i) state policy, (ii) personal liberty and (iii) statutory rights. In todays instalment the author examines the effect of the NALSA judgement on state policy, in particular its non-implementation in state policy, on individuals and their livelihood. Of particular interest to readers will be the instances where courts have upheld the right to livelihood and liberty, despite and inspite, of State attempts to ignore NALSA norms before the transgender persons law was enacted.

In 2015, an interesting question was raised before the High Court of Allahabad (Lucknow Bench), presided over by Justice D. Y. Chandrachud and Justice S. N. Shukla.

An advocate filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition, raising concern over the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013, specifically Section 13. According to this provision, a woman having attained the age of eighteen years would be deemed to be the head of the household for the purpose of the issue of ration cards. In the situation where there is no woman who is of age to be deemed as head of household, then a man would be considered as the head of the household, till the woman attains the required age. However, no situation where a transgender could be deemed to be the head, was contemplated.

The court, whilst deciding the issue took a pleasantly inclusive view and recommended that Section 13 of the National Food Security Act, 2013 ought to incorporate this situation, in view of the guidelines laid down by the NALSA judgment. The court declared that the clarification issued by this judgment was sufficient to grant recognition to transgenders, to be deemed to be head of households, for the purpose of obtaining ration cards.

However, Section 13 of the National Security Act, 2013 remains un-amended to date.

In a different case that came up before the Madurai Bench of the High Court of Madras in 2019, a male and a transgender identifying as a woman, both Hindus solemnized their marriage in a temple. The temple authorities, whilst performing the ceremony, refused to vouch for the authenticity of the marriage. Incredibly, the Marriage Registrations Officer (MRO) declined to register the marriage.

The petitioner appealed against the decision, which appeals also failed to lead to yet another appeal in the High Court. During the hearing, the State, whilst supporting the refusal to register the marriage argued that a bride under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 can only refer to a woman on her wedding day. The central piece of the argument was that since a transgender person is not a woman, the marriage ought not to be registered.

The High Court reiterated that the expression bride in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 cannot have a static meaning and that a statute must be interpreted according to present-day conditions. The Court also referred to the case of K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India to state that the right to marry a person of ones choice is an integral part of Article 21 of our Constitution.

The Court finally decided that bride under Section 5 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 will include a woman, a transwoman or an intersex woman because the only consideration is how the person perceives herself and nothing else.

While, in this instance, the happy couple finally obtained a marriage registration certificate under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 after a long fight, in another case an interesting issue was listed in front of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh concerning a question of the mode of succession.

The petitioner sought a declaration from the court that he be declared as the sole heir of his transgender guru (interpreted to mean teacher or guide) as per the Guru Chela tradition in the transgender community, which has come in for much criticism in the past too.

The lower court dismissed the petition, and incorrectly stated-on-record that the petitioner was covered by the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (when such a case was not pleaded). The lower court, in fact, recorded, and rather abrasively so, that Shastric law in our country does not provide a right to inheritance to transgender persons, thereby perpetuating age-old discrimination and exclusion that transgender persons have been subjected to. It took the petitioner several years of waiting for justice, which was finally received when an appellate court overturned the lower courts judgment and recognized the petitioners right to succession even though, this was contrary to an archaic Shastric law.

Collectively, these cases demonstrate that there exists a tremendous vacuum between what the law says has to be done and what is actually done.

The author and Ungender Legal Advisory are joint owners of copyright of this article, and any reproduction of this article shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957 only. This article has been shared with NW18 as part of an Ungender NW18 collaboration.


THOUSAND OAKS (dpa-AFX) - A new study has found that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, do not decline within four months of diagnosis.



The study was conducted by scientists at Iceland-based deCODE Genetics, a unit of American biopharma company Amgen Inc. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.



The aim of the study was to gain insight into the nature and durability of the humoral immune response to infection by the coronavirus.



Decode said that the scientists measured antibodies in the serum samples from 30,576 persons in Iceland, representing 8.4 percent of the nation's population, using six assays. This includes two pan-immunoglobin or pan-Ig assays.



The scientists determined that the best measure of seropositivity was a positive result for the coronavirus with both pan-Ig assays.



The scientists tested 2,102 samples collected from 1,237 persons up to four months after diagnosis by a quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction or qPCR assay. They also measured antibodies in 4,222 samples from coronavirus exposed, quarantined persons, and 19,000 persons with no known exposure to the coronavirus.



Of the 1,797 persons who recovered from the coronavirus infection, 1,107 persons, or 91.1 percent, were seropositive. Antiviral antibody titers assayed by two pan-Ig assays increased during the two months after diagnosis by qPCR and remained on a plateau, or showed no further decline, for the remainder of the study.



'We are pleased to be able to put to rest the concern that the titer of the antiviral antibodies may decline within weeks of infection. Furthermore it is clear that 99,1% of Icelanders are still vulnerable to SARS-CoV2,' said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE Genetics and senior author on the paper.



2.3 percent of the quarantined persons and 0.3 percent of the persons with no known exposure to the coronavirus were seropositive.



The scientists estimate that 0.9 percent of Icelanders were infected by the coronavirus and 44 percent of the people infected in Iceland were not diagnosed with qPCR. The risk of death from the infection was 0.3 percent.



The study notes that well-validated serologic assays for SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed. A highly specific assay is required for screening populations with a low seroprevalence, such as that in Iceland.



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United Airlines will furlough more than 16,000 employees nationwide as airlines continue to reel from travel downturns due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Wednesday.

United officials sent a letter to employees, notifying them of the step and detailing cost-cutting measures theyve taken up to this point. The furloughs affect 16,370 employees.

United employs about 24,000 people at Newark Liberty International airport which is one of the airlines major hubs. The indefinite furloughs affect 3,502 people at Newark, said Scott Leslie, a spokesman.

Airline officials blamed the ongoing pandemic which lasted longer than almost any expert predicted and deeply depressed travel.

United cannot continue with staffing levels that significantly exceed the schedule we fly. Sadly, we dont expect demand to return to anything resembling normal until there is a widely available treatment or vaccine, officials wrote.

Roughly 12,030 employees working in airport operations, flight operations and inflight services will take the brunt of the furloughs, the memo said.

In addition,1,400 Management and Administrative employees have already been told their jobs will be eliminated at the end of this month.

At this point, they are indefinite, given the uncertainty of when demand will return, Leslie said.

The announcement comes on the same day that the U.S. Census Bureau released employment statistics that said leisure and transportation sectors lost the most jobs in the New Jersey-New York metro region between July 2020 and July 2019.

Last month, Airlines for America, an industry trade group representing major U.S. airlines, said New Jersey is the second hardest state in the country, experiencing a 67% decrease in scheduled departures from July 2019 to July 2020. New York experienced the largest drop, a 70% decline in scheduled passenger flights.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jerseys metro area airports went from record-breaking passenger volume in 2019 to seeing only 15 to 20% levels of normal volume. The authoritys airports declined from an average of 200,000 daily departing passengers to 25,000, which includes Newark, officials said.

Other airports in the nation reported a 63% drop in air traffic, through trade associations, compared to an 80% drop at Port Authority airports that bottomed out at a loss of 97% of traffic volume.

That led the Port Authority to make cost-cutting moves such as closing down unused parts of terminals and consolidating airport operations. In July, Authority officials said they werent considering furloughs at that point.

United officials said the company undertook aggressive cost-cutting measures, including reducing executive salaries, network planning based on real-time traveler data, and voluntary leave, early retirement and reduced hours programs, which tens of thousands of our employees have participated in to date.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
A Tennessee man has been charged with reckless homicide, more than two years after he allegedly kicked a pregnant woman in the stomach during a dispute, leading to the death of her unborn baby.

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday announced the indictment of 29-year-old Cedric Mingo. He also faces additional domestic assault charges.

Mingo, from Whitehaven, initially was charged with assault, but additional medical information led to the homicide charges, according to Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich.

Cedric Mingo, 29, has been indicted on charges of reckless homicide and domestic assault in the death of a woman's unborn baby

Investigators said the incident took place on March 9, 2018, when Mingo punched a pregnant woman in the face during an argument and kicked her in the stomach after she fell to the ground.

The unnamed victim, who was seven months pregnant at the time, later began having unspecified difficulties and lost the baby in April.

Weirich's statement did not say whether Mingo and the woman were in a romantic relationship.

Online arrest records show Mingo was arrested a year ago in Texas on an unrelated assault charge.

Social media posts indicate that Mingo has a young daughter and a son of his own.
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Ttukdo Arisu Water Purification Center in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



6 treatment plants process 3.17 million tons of water every day



By Kim Se-jeong



A recent tap water crisis in Incheon has attracted public attention about the quality of drinking water in cities across the country. Larvae were found in tap water across Incheon, Busan and parts of Gyeonggi Province, raising questions among the public about where their water comes from and how it is processed.



In Seoul with nearly 10 million residents, tap water comes from the Han River. The Seoul Metropolitan Government runs six water treatment plants in and near the city which together process 3.17 million tons of water every day and also takes care of the network of pipes that deliver the water.



Water is collected from eight spots upstream where quality is best. Arriving at a treatment plant, chemicals are added to the water to neutralize the dirt and other contaminants. The chemical reaction results in the formation of aggregate called floc.



The next phase of treatment is sedimentation where the heavier floc settles to the bottom of the water. Meanwhile, the clear water on top passes through filters of sand, gravel and granular activated carbon. Ozone is also added as part of the disinfection process. Filtering water through carbon and adding ozone are not always part of the water treatment process, globally speaking, but Seoul city, along with other major cities in Korea, have added those steps to ensure water quality.



Disinfection is the final phase in which chlorine or chloramine is added to kill remaining bacteria, viruses and parasites. Chlorine also protects the water from germs that can exist in the pipes.



The processed water is piped to about 100 storage facilities across Seoul before being sent to homes and businesses.



The entire process occurs under a roof and the facility is well-contained to protect water from insects, leaves and general airborne matter. The treatment plant staff are also required to wear protective suits when entering the facility, in an effort to prevent contamination.



"We can guarantee that residents don't have to worry about the safety of their drinking water in Seoul," said an official from the city government's waterworks authority.



292 liters of water per person



One Seoul resident uses an average of 292 liters of water per day, according to city statistics. That is more than Londoners who use 181 liters on average but less than New Yorkers who use 454 liters.



The price of water in Seoul is cheap, compared to other cities in the world. Seoul charges an average of 566 won per cubic meter of water (or 1 ton), four times cheaper than London and 5.9 times lower than New York City. For individual homes, Seoul charges 402.9 won per cubic meter, while for businesses it charges 987 won with the exception of those who run public sauna businesses who pay only 477 won.



The city is in the process of increasing water bill fees. City council is reviewing the new water rate increase proposal. If adopted, the new rates will go into effect from Jan. 1 next year.



But which entity consumes the biggest amount of water in Seoul?



In 2019, Seoul National University consumed the most, followed by COEX and Lotte World, according to the city government.



Leakage is always a headache for the city water supplier and the city government has been dedicated to replacing old pipes. Between 2016 and 2019, it replaced about 13,400 kilometers of pipes, accounting for 99.5 percent of the entire pipes running under the city's surface. If water pipes in your home are too old, the city government will provide a subsidy for replacement. The leakage rate is less than 5 percent.



Toilets are another major area for leakage. The city estimated almost 7.04 million tons of water was wasted from Seoul toilets between 2016 and 2019.



History of drinking water treatment





Seoul's first water treatment plant opened in 1908 on today's Ttukseom near Seoul Forest. The building is currently serving as a museum. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



Seoul's first drinking water treatment plant opened in 1908 when the city had approximately 200,000 residents.



Before then, people drank water from wells or directly from the river or streams.



Wealthy people had their own wells on their properties. The poor had to travel to the nearest well or stream to collect water. On Sept 2, 1897, Tongnip Sinmun, the local newspaper, reported one resident in Seoul had access to less than five bowls of water, equivalent to 10 liters a day. To put that in perspective flushing a modern toilet uses more than 10 liters of water.



Those who could afford it also paid people to deliver water to their home. According to "Easy Seoul History: During Japanese Colonization," a book published by the Seoul Histography Institute, Seoul had about 2,000 water businessmen at that time.



The first drinking water treatment plant was built by American Korean Electric Co., a private U.S. company. They built the plant at Ttukseom near present-day Seoul Forest.



The plant took water from the Han River and filtered it. The clean water was piped to a storage facility, located in today's Geumho-dong, before being sent to four sections of the city. The book said it served around 120,000 residents in Seoul, mostly Japanese and other foreign residents in the city. Many locals couldn't afford to have tap water in their homes, so they would share a single tap with neighbors.




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By CHUKS EKE

Anambra state Vigilante Supervisory Committee has pledged to partner with the police to ensure effective security of lives and properties in the state.

Chairman of the Committee, Onwa Ikechukwu Ayo Aduba, a retired Commissioner of Police who gave this indication when he led a high-powered delegation of Anambra State Vigilante Group, AVG on a courtesy visit to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG in-charge of Zone 13, Ukpo in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Danmallam Muhammad, said although the state is relatively secured at the moment, efforts is still being geared towards retaining its status as the safest state in the country.

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Flanked by Senior Zonal Supervisor of the AVG Supervisory Committee in-charge of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Chief Matthew Uyanna, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP; his Anambra North counterpart, ACP Osegbue (retd.); Chairman of Anambra North Vigilante Group, Chief Chinenye Ihenko (a.k.a. Okpompi) and some patrons of AVG, including Chief Codwin Ubaka Okeke of the GUO Motors Limited and Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, the Ogilisi of Igbo land, Aduba maintained that the age-long collaboration between the police and AVG would continue from strength to strength.

According to Aduba who is also the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Vigilante Matters, AVG which epitomizes grassroots security at its best, is neither an

alternative to the Police Force nor in competition with it, but rather a complementary body that will assist the Police to achieve its objectives.

The Committee boss who disclosed that AVG was created through Anambra State Vigilante Law of 2014 and enjoyed full legal backing, however assured the AIG that AVG would always operate under the ambit of the law and supervision of Nigeria Police Force as had been the practice since he assumed office in August, 2014.

He therefore commended Governor Willie Obiano who he said his visionary leadership, untiring efforts and the sponsorship of all things security-wise was instrumental in setting Anambra State apart in terms of grassroots security in particular and State Security architecture in general as far as Nigeria is concerned.

Also in their brief remarks, the AVG patrons, Chief G. U. Okeke and Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka assured the A.I.G. of full support backing from not only AVG but the entire stakeholders in the state.

Responding, AIG Danmallam Muhammad expressed his heart-felt joy for the visit of AVG and

stated that he was not unaware of the high profile of Anambra State security-wise, even as he promised to not only keep the momentum going but to improve on it significantly.

According to the police chief, we will not condone extortion, extra judicial killings or any negative actions that will tarnish the image of the Zonal Command.

The AIG observed that the presence of high-ranking retired police officers within the management team of AVG was a reassurance to him that his collaboration with them would be a successful one.

Highlights of the visit were the exchange of gifts between the AIG and the AVG. While AVG presented their Handbook and traditional items to the AIG, the AIG in turn handed over a plaque commemorating AVGs commendable role in grassroots security to Aduba.
The gravitational wave (1) detectors LIGO and Virgo have just chalked up their biggest catch yet, a black hole 142 times the mass of the Sun, resulting from the merger of two black holes of 85 and 65 solar masses. The remnant black hole is the most massive ever observed with gravitational waves, and it could give us some clues about the formation of the supermassive black holes that sit at the centres of some galaxies. The mass of one of the merging black holes, 85 solar masses, provides information that could improve our understanding of the final stages in the evolution of massive stars. The discovery, to which several CNRS teams contributed as part of the Virgo collaboration, is published on 2 September 2020 in the journals Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.

At first sight, there is nothing particularly new about the detection of the birth of a black hole caused by the merger of two others, accompanied by the emission of a huge amount of energy: after all, a succession of similar events have been observed ever since 2015, when the gravitational waves produced by such phenomena were observed for the first time (2). However, GW190521, the signal recorded on 21 May 2019 by the LIGO and Virgo instruments, stands out from the crowd, for the signal is not only the most distant, and therefore the oldest, ever detected (the gravitational wave took seven billion years to reach us), but in addition the black hole resulting from the merger is also the most massive observed so far. Above all, the observation is the first direct evidence of the existence of 'intermediate-mass' black holes, which weigh in at 100 to 100 000 solar masses. Such intermediate-mass black holes are heavier than those resulting from the collapse of high mass stars, but much lighter than the supermassive black holes that sit at the centre of some galaxies. Until now, only indirect evidence obtained from electromagnetic observations hinted at their existence.

Intermediate-mass black holes are interesting since they may hold the key to one of the big puzzles in astrophysics and cosmology: the origin of supermassive black holes. Although the question remains an open one, one of the scenarios proposed to explain the formation of these cosmic monsters is precisely that of repeated mergers of intermediate-mass black holes.

With masses around 65 and 85 times that of the Sun, the two black holes that were observed to merge intrigue astrophysicists as well. This is because, based on our current knowledge, the gravitational collapse of a star cannot form black holes in the approximate range of 60 to 120 solar masses, since the most massive stars are completely blown apart by the supernova explosion that accompanies the collapse, leaving only gas and dust behind them. So, sitting right in the middle of this forbidden range, how did the black hole of 85 solar masses form? Is there something we haven't understood about the way in which massive stars end their lives? If it is not of stellar origin, could it too have resulted from an earlier merger of less massive black holes? Or alternatively, could it be a hypothetical primordial black hole, formed during the Big Bang? The observation of GW190521 clearly raises new questions about the formation of the enigmatic objects we call black holes.

Compared to earlier observations, the GW190521 signal detected by LIGO and Virgo is very short and harder to analyse. Due to its more complex nature, other hypotheses involving more exotic sources were also explored to explain it, and such possibilities are described in the article in Astrophysical Journal Letters. However, the most plausible source of this gravitational wave remains the merger of two black holes.

###

Notes:

(1) Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time, predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity in 1915 and detected for the first time a century later.

(2) Gravitational waves detected 100 years after Einstein's prediction (press release), 11 February 2016: http://www2.cnrs.fr/sites/en/fichier/cp_cnrs_engcharte.pdf; A Nobel for Gravitational Waves (CNRS News), first published 11 February 2016, updated 3 October 2017: https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/a-nobel-for-gravitational-waves About Virgo and LIGO

The Virgo Collaboration is currently composed of approximately 580 members from 109 institutes in 13 different countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) hosts the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, and is funded by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and Nikhef in the Netherlands. A list of the Virgo Collaboration groups can be found at http://public.virgo-gw.eu/the-virgo-collaboration/. More information is available on the Virgo website at http://www.virgo-gw.eu.

LIGO is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and led the project. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF, with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council-OzGrav) making significant commitments and contributions to the project. Approximately 1,300 scientists from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration. A list of additional partners is available at https://my.ligo.org/census.php.

The scientific articles announcing this discovery are co-signed by 99 scientists in France, working in eight teams from the CNRS and associated universities, part of the Virgo Collaboration:

- 'Astroparticule et cosmologie' laboratory (CNRS/Universite de Paris) ;

- 'Astrophysique Relativiste, Theories, Experiences, Metrologie, Instrumentation, Signaux' laboratory (CNRS/Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur/Universite Cote d'Azur) ;

- 'Institut de physique des 2 infinis de Lyon' (CNRS/Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1) ;

- 'Institut pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien' (CNRS/Universite de Strasbourg) ;

- 'Institut lumiere matiere' (CNRS/Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1) ;

- 'Laboratoire d'Annecy de physique des particules' (CNRS/Universite Savoie Mont Blanc) ;

- 'Laboratoire Kastler Brossel' (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite/ENS-PSL/College de France) ;

- 'Laboratoire de physique des 2 infinis - Irene Joliot-Curie' (CNRS/Universite Paris-Saclay).

Some of the authors are associated with the teams mentionned above while working in other laboratories: 'Institut Foton' (CNRS/Universite Rennes 1/Insa Rennes), Lagrange laboratory (CNRS/Universite Cote d'Azur/Observatoire Cote d'Azur), 'Laboratoire de physique et d'etude des materiaux' (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite/ESPCI Paris).
She's Italy for the last few weeks, attending several shows during Milan Digital Fashion Week.

And, Taylor Hill stunned in a cut-out paisley print gown as arrived at the socially distanced 77th Venice Film Festival opening ceremony, on Wednesday.

The model, 24, looked stunning in a cut-out skin-baring gown as she attended the Lacci red carpet in the Italian city.

Leading the way: Taylor Hill, 24, stunned in a cut-out paisley print gown as arrived at the socially distanced 77th Venice Film Festival opening ceremony, on Wednesday

Taylor cut an elegant figure in the paisley print pink and purple dress, which she accessorised with a selection of dazzling jewels.

The American star wore her brunette locks up in a chic plaited up do, while enhancing her striking features with a heavy pallet of make-up in bronze tones.

Her make-up artist Luca Cianciolo took to Instagram where he showed off how he created her gorgeous look.

Wow! The model looked stunning in a cut-out skin-baring gown as she attended the Lacci red carpet in the Italian city

Chic: Taylor wore her brunette locks up in a chic plaited up do, while enhancing her striking features with a heavy pallet of make-up in bronze tones

The Venice Film Festival is one of the world's oldest award ceremonies and is listed as one of the 'Big Five' events. It starts on 2 September and ends on the 12 September.

Though the event is still taking place, it is a markedly toned down affair to previous years amid the coronavirus crisis, with temperature checks and mask wearing becoming mandatory.

Taylor has been in Italy for the last few weeks, attending several shows during Milan Digital Fashion Week.

Dripping in diamonds: Taylor dazzled in a pink jewel necklace and matching earrings

Pout it out: Taylor worked her angles for the cameras on the red carpet

Taylor is an Illinois native, who grew up in Colorado, and was discovered by a fashion photographer when she was just 14.

She kickstarted her modelling career by being featured in an Intimissimi's catalogue in 2013, which led to a print campaign in Forever 21.

Since then, she went on to become a popular Victoria's Secret Angel, beginning in 2015, and has appeared in many of the top high-fashion publications and fashion shows around the world.
Egyptian prosecutors have brought additional charges against two journalists who have been in pretrial detention since autumn 2019. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the decision as "a disturbing attempt to prolong their detention". Several journalists have been held in detention in Egypt for years without being convicted of any crime.

On 31 August, the State Security Prosecution added journalist Esraa Abdel-Fattah to an existing case for allegedly being part of a group accused of spreading misinformation. She was arrested on 12 October 2019 by plain clothes police officers and has been held ever since. At the time of her arrest, she was with a friend who said that both of them were beaten by the police, according to an IFJ report.

Abdel Fattah works for al-Tahrir newspaper and is a renowned human rights defender. She co-founded the April 6 Movement in 2008, which was a leading force in mobilising millions of Egyptians to protest against former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 which led to his resignation.

On 30 August, journalist Solafa Magdy, who was arrested on 27 November 2019, was interrogated and charged in the same case, according to Egyptian news site Mada Masr. As a multimedia reporter, she covered political and social changes in Egypt. Her work appeared in Arabic newspaper Alroeya, Turkish news channel TRT World, Mada Masr and BBC Egypt.

Magdy's lawyer Khaled Ali wrote in a statement on Facebook that the new case rests on charges of "belonging to a terrorist group, publishing false news and misusing social media." The prosecution accuses the journalists of being part of a network that operates inside and outside the prison spreading false rumours.

According to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Informations (ANHRI), the Supreme State Security Prosecution ruled that the 2 journalists will remain in pretrial detention for another 15 additional days. This period will begin after the pretrial detention of previous charges has ended.

Both Abdel-Fattah's and Magdy's arrests in autumn 2019 happened at a time of a massive crackdown on press freedom in Egypt. After protests against President el-Sisi had started on 20 September, several journalists were arrested and media sites were blocked.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "Adding additional charges is a way to prolong a journalist's detention. The Egyptian authorities increasingly target detained journalists with additional charges to intimidate them. This shameful practice is a blatant violation of Egypt's own constitution and international conventions on the right to freedom of expression and due legal process. Egyptian authorities must free all our colleagues immediately and unconditionally."
Cover of the picture book, Mulan, showing the legendary heroine in warrior armor [For China Daily]

There are a thousand Mulan in a thousand people's eyes.

A traditional heroine in China, Mulan was first documented 1,500 years ago in a poem during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581). As the only child of an aging war veteran, she defied the convention and laws that women cannot be soldiers, and disguised herself as a man to join the army in lieu of her feeble father.

The story of Mulan has since been told by generations in different forms. The latest is Disney's live-action film, which was scheduled to be released on Friday.

But Ye Luying, who teaches illustration at China Academy of Art, tries to show a different Mulan, one that is not so extraordinary as a military hero but as common as a girl next door, in her upcoming picture book  Mulan  published on August 26.

"Mulan's life path is that of a small town girl setting off into the world, which is very similar to the experiences of some women in contemporary society. It is also a drive for me to draw this book," says Ye, who has published five picture books since 2013 and won the best illustration of the China Animation& Comic Golden Dragon Award in 2016.

Cover of the picture book, Mulan, showing the legendary heroine in traditional attire [For China Daily]

The 28-year-old says young and capable women with strong characters will identify themselves with Mulan in her book. "They come to big cities from small towns to pursue their dreams, realize their goals, and improve their family situations. They are just like Mulan," says Ye.

The idea of reinterpreting traditional culture came to Ye in her exchange study at Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2016, when she often found herself missing home and sharing Chinese history and culture with foreign friends.

"There are many wonderful stories in Chinese culture, so I thought maybe I could do something, like drawing a picture book," Ye says.

Ye's artistic creation of Mulan came first in 2018, when she used the face of Mulan in Cantonese Opera as the design of the souvenir sheet for United Nations Postal Administration as the featured stamp of the 35th Asian International Stamp Exhibition.

In her research on Mulan for the picture book, Ye found writers in different era have their own interpretation of Mulan.

The research inspired Ye to further explore not only in the traditional way of storytelling but also re-imagine in a more modern way that relates to contemporary people.

In her version of the story, Ye puts more emphasis on the homecoming of Mulan.

Ye Luying [For China Daily]

"In my eyes, the most important thing is not that Mulan is brave enough to go to the battlefield, but that after so many experiences, she still chooses to return to her hometown. The emperor gives Mulan plenty of treasures, but she doesn't want them, and the most precious thing for her is still her sister, father and mother. That touches me deeply," Ye says.

In the book, Ye has drawn two rabbits and one phoenix as Mulan's companions. Ye says the phoenix symbolizes the power of woman, and the rabbits are a metaphor for the feeling of homesick.

During her drawing of the book, Ye says the more she studies the ancient story, the more Mulan relates to her.

"Mulan now lives in my heart, and I hope in the hearts of people who like her. Every simple, kind and resolute soul is Mulan," she says.

(Source: China Daily)
View of the outside of the new Thacker headquarters "At the heart of this decision were our employees and their needs as we continue to grow our internal team. - CJ Thacker, CEO of Thacker Caskets

Thacker Caskets is excited to announce that they have relocated their headquarters to Monrovia, MD, a suburb of both Baltimore and Washington DC. The brand new, custom-designed building will be entirely occupied by Thacker Caskets and will meet the needs of Thackers rapidly growing organization.

Founded in 1939 by Carl Thacker, Thacker Caskets spent its first 50 years located in the heart of Washington DC. In 1989, under the direction of Audrey and CJ Thacker, the companys continuous growth provided an opportunity to relocate their headquarters to Clinton, MD, just 7 miles outside of Washington DC. 30 years later, the company has yet again outgrown its current location. The new building has been specifically designed and built to meet the needs of the business as they continue to expand and grow. CEO of Thacker Caskets, CJ Thacker, said I have been so fortunate to see the progression of Thacker Caskets and were excited about our next transition! At the heart of this decision were our employees and their needs as we continue to grow our internal team.

The new building is 41,000 square feet - 33,000 dedicated to the warehouse space and 8,000 of it being dedicated to office space. The office space features an open office concept, sit/stand desks, private office space, and professional conference rooms. In addition, there is a large, multi-purpose space that will be used for showing and displaying products and conducting training sessions with both internal staff, as well as funeral directors.

The location of the new headquarters was carefully selected based on the businesss needs as they continue to expand. Danielle Thacker, Executive Vice President of Sales, said The new building is located right off Interstate 70 in Frederick County. Frederick County is a growing area and is easily accessible to many of the funeral homes we work with. It also keeps us close to the Baltimore-Washington metro area and allows us to be closer to Harrisburg, PA, which will be beneficial for our growing business. Relocating to a more central area will allow Thacker to enhance their already exceptional customer service.

Not only does the new headquarters meet all the code requirements, but it was constructed with a high level of environmentally friendly standards as well. Thacker Caskets would like to thank their architects, Proffitt & Associates Architects; their general contractor, Waynesboro Construction Company; and their civil engineer, Daft McCune Walker.

Thacker Caskets is the funeral industrys leading family-owned funeral supply company. To learn more about Thacker and their new headquarters, please call 800.637.8891 or visit http://www.thackercaskets.com.
At just nine years old, grade 3 student Thomas Brown might be the youngest child ejected from a Victorian school in years.

Thomas has level-two autism spectrum disorder and has had repeated run-ins with another boy at his school, St Leonards College, a non-government school in Brighton East. The school ruled this week that he should not return in term four.

Thomas Brown with his mother Emma and sisters Elsie and Annabelle. Credit:Penny Stephens

His bad behaviour includes spitting, striking the other boy with a cricket bat and making an insulting remark about the boys mother.

Thomas mother, Emma Brown, said his schooling was going well in term one this year but problems grew in terms two and three as the school moved back and forth between face-to-face and remote learning.
Apartment plans for former Caia Park community centre site recommended for approval

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Sep 2nd, 2020

Plans to demolish a former community centre to make way for a new apartment block could soon be given the go ahead.

The application for land at Eaton Drive, Caia Park, proposes that a three storey building consisting of 16 one and two bedroom apartments is developed on the site.

On Monday councillors will be asked to give their backing to the plans, which have been described by the chief planning officer as an opportunity to regenerate and visually enhance the area.

However the plans have been challenged by local councillor Malcolm King, who says that while the redevelopment of the site is welcome, 16 units are too many and it is a case of cramming them in.

Cllr King has also raised concerns that the three storey building will result in neighbouring properties will be overlooked and lose their privacy.

One objection was submitted by a local resident who said the building is not in keeping with the surrounding properties and it will be too imposing and unsightly.

The councils asset department have also raised concerns over the likely increase in traffic and capacity issues within the car park during the construction phase, adding that the applicant does not have a right of way across the council land.

However Lawrence Isted, chief planning officer at Wrexham Council, has recommended the application is approved subject to a Section 106 contribution from the developer being secured.

Addressing concerns about the loss of privacy for neighbouring residents, Mr Isted states: Whilst the building is taller than the dwellings on Eaton Drive, the land slopes upwards beyond the application site, as do the dwellings, and the proposed building will sit comfortably with the street scene.

The development proposes a contemporary mix of materials common to the area to ensure that the built development is sympathetic to the locality.

He adds: The current proposal offers the opportunity to regenerate and visually enhance the area in accordance with planning policies GDP1, PS2 and PS3 which seek to ensure that development does not harm the appearance of the townscape, makes re-use of brownfield, and that it positively contributes to the appearance of the nearby locality.

A safe and satisfactory means of access to the site has been proposed, and there would be no detrimental impact upon local residential amenity.

The development complies with all of the relevant local planning policies, and I recommend accordingly.

My recommendation is however in three parts to reflect the requirement for a S106 agreement prior to the granting of any permission, and to allow for the application to be refused should the S106 not be completed within six months of the date of this resolution.

The application will be considered for approval in a virtual planning meeting on Monday 7 September.

*Picture: Planning document.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi meets students after Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 at the Talkatora stadium in New Delhi, January 20, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi turns 70 on September 17.

We ask you, dear reader, have you met Shri Modi?

If yes, please do share with us your photographs/videos of the meeting.

Please mail it to us at newsdesk@rediff.co.in with the subject line 'When I met Prime Minister Modi' along with your name, location, and details about your meeting.

Rediff.com would like to publish the best responses in the run-up to Modi@70.
Facebook has removed a network of fake accounts and pages originating in Russia which targeted Jeremy Corbyn supporters with fake news content on Boris Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Using elaborate fake online profiles spanning multiple sites, the network's members posed as a news organisation based in Romania called Peacedata, recruiting freelance journalists to write stories for left-leaning audiences.

Facebook said its investigation found links to the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA), which was previously linked to election interference on Facebook during the 2016 US presidential election.

IRA-linked Twitter accounts have previously been accused of trying to influence the 2016 EU referendum.

CNN reported that the latest action was taken by the social network after a tip from the FBI.

The information published relating to the UK was reportedly savage in its attacks on Mr Johnson, labelling him a 'far-Right, plutocratic, racist spiv'.

Facebook has removed a network of fake accounts and pages originating in Russia which had sought to interfere in UK democracy

The network targeted left-wing supporters of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured in London on August 22

Sir Keir, Mr Corbyn's successor as Labour leader, was described as 'more centrist than Left' and 'Labour's new Tony Blair'.

The network also promoted a negative story about Mr Rees-Mogg's investment firm as it sought to try to influence UK democracy.

Facebook said 13 accounts and two pages were removed for violating the site's policy against foreign interference - 'co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour on behalf of a foreign entity'.

Facebook said the network had achieved little reach on the platform when it was taken down.

'This network was in the early stages of building its audience, primarily on the left of the political spectrum, and saw nearly no engagement on Facebook before we removed it,' the social media giant said in its August Co-ordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Report.

'The people behind this network posted about global news and current events relevant to the countries and left-leaning communities they targeted, including social and racial justice in the US and UK, Nato and EU politics; alleged Western war crimes and corruption; environmental issues; the founder of Wikileaks; tensions between Israel and Palestine; the coronavirus pandemic; criticism of fracking; French influence in Africa; the Biden-Harris campaign; QAnon; President Trump and his policies; and the US military policies in Africa.'

According to Facebook's report, the network had around 14,000 accounts following one or more of its pages, and the English language page had 'a little over 200 followers'.

It said around 480 US dollars (360) had been spent on Facebook advertising, paid for predominantly in US dollars.

The network had also attempted to gain political advertising authorisation to run such adverts in the United States.

Alongside Facebook, Twitter said it had suspended five accounts for 'platform manipulation', which it said it could 'reliably attribute to Russian state actors'.

'Regardless of the low-level impact in this case, governments around the world must stop these practices,' Twitter said.

'They're anti-democratic. Attempts to manipulate our service to undermine democracy - by both foreign and domestic actors - will be met with strict enforcement of our policies.'
WASHINGTON - Both President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in rural Pennsylvania where one of the hijacked planes crashed in a field, the White House and Bidens campaign announced Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear whether their visits to the memorial in Shanksville will overlap. But it probably will be the closest that the candidates have been to one another in months.

The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual memorial event, is planning an abbreviated ceremony this year to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. The agency plans a 20-minute Moment of Remembrance set to begin at 9:45 a.m., without a keynote speaker or musical guests. The name of each passengers and crew member from Flight 93 will be read aloud with the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance, according to the agencys website.

A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said the president and first lady Melania Trump would visit the site to honour and remember the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Trump is expected to speak, although the White House and Park Service did not immediately reconcile that with the planned commemoration.

In 2016, Trump and Democratic president nominee Hillary Clinton both spent Sept. 11 in New York and both visited the Ground Zero memorial in lower Manhattan. The day ended up being a significant one on the campaign, after Clinton abruptly left the ceremony, complaining she was overheated, and was captured on video struggling to step into a van.

Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies in New York this year.

The 2,200-acre Flight 93 National Memorial marks the spot in rural Pennsylvania where the hijacked flight crashed, killing all 40 people on board. Three other planes hijacked that day were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.

Its the second time Trump will mark Sept. 11 with a visit to the site. He visited the Pentagon in 2017 and 2019.
In yet another major destruction of its workers jobs, Australias former government-owned airline Qantas announced last week that it will outsource ground crew work, including baggage handling, aircraft cleaning and bus services, at airports across the country at the cost of 2,500 permanent jobs.

The federal government is bailing out Qantas as it exploits the COVID-19 pandemic to try to impose a further brutal restructuring. Since March, the company has already received $248 million from aviation-specific government support schemes and $267 million through the governments JobKeeper scheme, which was supposed to keep employees on the books.

The affected airports include Australias busiestSydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaideas well as terminals in larger regional centres such as Canberra, Darwin, Cairns and Alice Springs.

Qantas will outsource some 2,050 jobs, while its low-cost carrier Jetstar will outsource 370. Even before the latest restructure, Jetstar had outsourced ground crew roles at 17 terminals.

The new round of job shedding is on top of 6,000 direct job cuts announced by Qantas in June. The company is gutting its 29,000-strong workforce as part of the drive to slash costs by $15 billion over three years and then $1 billion annually after 2023. Some 4,000 of these jobs will be axed before the end of this month.

Qantas domestic CEO Andrew David said he realised the decision to outsource ground operations would be tough for the affected workers, many of whom were among the 15,000 Qantas workers stood down in April without pay or on enforced leave.

For all this feigned sympathy, workers lives are being ripped apart to maintain shareholder values and fund exorbitant executive remuneration packages. David himself received a $3.5 million pay packet last year, as did Qantass CEO of international operations Tino La Spina, while Jetstar chief executive Gareth Evans pocketed $4 million.

Qantas Groups chief executive Alan Joyce, whose tenure with the airline has been extended to at least 2023, while thousands of workers lose theirs, received a staggering near $24 million.

The workers discarded under the companys ground operations outsourcing plan will be required to reapply for their positions and negotiate new work agreements with whichever body-hire companies secure the contracts via a cut-throat bidding process. The successful bidders will no doubt take advantage of the growing pool of jobless airline workers to severely cut wages and working conditions.

Backed by one government after another, Qantas has been eliminating jobs, including by out-sourcing, for years. In 2018, the company offloaded its subsidiaries Snap Fresh and Q Catering, which had a 1,200 in-house workforce, to the Emirates Groups dnata catering, cargo and ground handling entity. This resulted in a loss of workers conditions including a superannuation benefits scheme.

In July 2012, Qantas sold off its Sydney-based Cairns and Riverside catering facilities, which employed 370 people, to Gate Gourmet, a company notorious for a mass sacking at its Heathrow, UK operations in 2005 during a work agreement dispute.

Previous Qantas restructurings included the destruction of 5,000 full-time jobs, the imposition of an 18-month wage freeze and the slashing of working conditions.

Now Qantas, like airlines across the globe, is utilising the pandemic to bring forward even more ruthless cost-cutting measures that were in the pipeline well before COVID-19.

Qantass outsourcing of ground operations came after CEO Joyce claimed the airline had registered a net financial year after-tax loss of $1.9 billion. He used this to justify further job cuts.

In reality, the loss featured a $1.2 billion write-down of part of the companys fleet, currently in storage. Excluding such one-off costs, Qantas remained in the black with a reported profit of $124 million.

Moreover, when Joyce announced the 6,000 job cuts in June he admitted that the carrier had $5 billion in capital. He said it could survive even under current restrictions but declared: I dont want to continue to burn through cash.

Over the three years to June 2020, Qantas had amassed $4.43 billion in profits, mainly through its ruthless restructurings.

The assault on the Qantas workforce was spearheaded by the grounding of the airlines entire fleet in 2011, under the last Labor government, during a work contract dispute to impose an agreement slashing jobs and conditions.

The airline unions then agreed to enforce the companys demands during closed-door arbitrated negotiations overseen by the Labor governments Fair Work industrial tribunal.

That betrayal ensured the airline unions maintained their role as an industrial police force to contain workers opposition and retain their place at the negotiation table to broker further regressive work agreements.

Despite some token criticism, the airline unions have again signalled that they will do nothing to oppose the latest Qantas job cuts. Instead, they are calling for even more government financial handouts to the airlines.

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Michele ONeil pleaded with the Liberal-National government to act immediately to put in place an aviation industry support plan.

Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to personally intervene over a misuse of taxpayers money in relation to Qantass JobKeeper wage subsidies.

But as the JobKeeper bonanza for Qantas and other major employers demonstrates, the wage subsidy scheme was never a package designed to support the millions of workers hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic. It is a corporate handout aimed at propping up big business, attacking the wages and conditions of workers, and disguising the devastating unemployment crisis confronting the working class.

The author also recommends:

Major Australian corporations report windfalls from JobKeeper scheme

[31 August 2020]

Australias largest airline Qantas axes 6,000 jobs to slash costs

[2 July 2020]
India on Tuesday hit out at Pakistan for propagating fake news through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations shared a report by Stanford Internet Observatory on "motivated false propaganda" from Pakistan and said that "the truth is out for the world to see."

'Malicious propaganda, misinformation, infodemic, fake news'

Malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news. Call it what you may.



Do read this report from the @stanfordio on motivated false propaganda from Pakistan.



The truth is out for the world to see. @UN @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy https://t.co/grYjBcuPXw  India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) September 1, 2020

The report by Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) exposes a network of Pakistan-based Facebook and Instagram accounts that leveraged mass reporting to silence critics of Islamabad.

"On August 31, 2020, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As it notes in its takedown report, Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan," the SIO report said.

'Pak netas work directly with prominent social media trolls'

Facebook shared a portion of this network on August 28 with the SIO which then conducted its own investigation and brought out its report. The report highlights how a network of social media accounts originating in Pakistan posted Pakistani nationalist messages and criticized the Indian government. It also highlighted how the mass reporting networks operated, with Group and Page administrators mobilizing social media users to report accounts that were critical of Islam or the Pakistani military/government.

READ | Tinder outage in Pakistan breaks Internet; citizens ask 'Wait, we had Tinder in Pakistan?'

"Many Pages and Groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, praising the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI, Pakistans intelligence agency) and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Posts also criticized Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, often mocking Modis handling of the COVID-19 pandemic," the report highlighted.

READ | Pakistan team management asks senior players to stop giving advice to Babar Azam: Reports

The further said this is not the first public suspension of coordinated activity in Pakistan and that in April 2019 Facebook suspended a network of accounts linked to the InterServices Public Relations wing of the Pakistani military. According to Digital Forensic Research Lab, that network "represented a significant influence operation, apparently aimed at boosting support for the army inside Pakistan and boosting support for Pakistan abroad."

READ | England vs Pakistan 3rd T20I live streaming in India, preview, pitch and weather report

Additionally, reporting shows that Pakistani politicians work directly with prominent social media trolls to get pro-Pakistan hashtags trending on Twitter. The SIO report also noted "the repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting"

READ | Pakistan registers 300 more coronavirus cases, tally reaches 296,149

(With agency inputs)
Abdelaziz Assad named acting CEO Arkan Building Materials

ICR Newsroom By 02 September 2020

UAE-based Arkan Building Materials has appointed Abdelaziz Asad as acting CEO following the departure of Abdellatif Sfaxi to pursue other career opportunities. Under the new arrangement, Mr Sfaxi will continue to work closely with Mr Asad for the next three months to ensure a smooth transition.



Arkan Chairman, Engineer Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, said: "On behalf of Arkans board, I would like to thank Sfaxi for his 12 years of service to the company. During his tenure as CEO he has reinforced Arkans market leadership, driven a broader product diversification, helped open new markets with innovative product solutions and driven efficiencies to address the challenging market environment in recent years."



He added: "Asad is well suited for the role of acting CEO at Arkan given the many years he spent in senior management roles across the business."



Mr Asad has nearly 30 years of experience in the building materials sector and joined Arkan in 1991. He has held a wide range of senior management roles across the company.

Published under
MONTREAL, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) and Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA) (collectively, the "Corporations") today announced that following the close of business on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, they received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Altice USA and Rogers Communications Inc. The non-binding proposal will be submitted to and reviewed by the Corporations' boards of directors today.

The non-binding proposal of Altice USA and Rogers Communications Inc., which was pre-emptively announced today by Altice and Rogers, has been reviewed by Gestion Audem Inc., a company controlled by the members of the Audet family holding 69% of all voting rights of CGO which in turn controls 82.9% of all voting rights of CCA. Gestion Audem Inc. has already indicated that it does not intend to sell its shares and will not support the proposal.

The Corporations will not comment any further at this time.

ABOUT COGECO INC.

Cogeco Inc. is a diversified holding corporation which operates in the communications and media sectors. Its Cogeco Communications Inc. subsidiary provides residential and business customers with Internet, video and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks, operating in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, under the Cogeco Connexion name, and in the United States under the Atlantic Broadband brand (in 11 states along the East Coast, from Maine to Florida). Its Cogeco Media subsidiary owns and operates 23 radio stations with complementary radio formats and extensive coverage serving a wide range of audiences mainly across the province of Quebec, as well as Cogeco News, a news agency. Cogeco's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

ABOUT COGECO COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Cogeco Communications Inc. is a communications corporation. It is the 8th largest cable operator in North America, operating in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and along the East Coast of the United States under the Atlantic Broadband brand (in 11 states from Maine to Florida). The Corporation provides residential and business customers with Internet, video and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Cogeco Communications Inc.'s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

SOURCE Cogeco Inc.

Related Links

http://corpo.cogeco.com


(CNN)  In Cheng Lei's last WeChat post before she disappeared, the Chinese state TV host posed in a bright green dress on a Shake Shack-branded rickshaw outside the newly opened Beijing branch of the American restaurant chain.

That was on August 12. Cheng, an Australian citizen, hasn't been seen since. On Monday, Canberra said that it had received a "formal notification" of her detention, two days after her last-known social media post.

It is unclear what exactly prompted Cheng's detention. She was a veteran business anchor for state broadcaster CGTN, which has since scrubbed all reference of her from its website and social media.

CGTN is the international arm of CCTV, one of the most important propaganda outlets in China, carrying all major government and Communist Party events and announcements. Unlike the more strident or nationalist tone taken in some print media backed by the Chinese state, CCTV, and especially the English-language CGTN, has traditionally been more restrained.

In her spare time, Cheng was active in the Australian community in Beijing, taking part in events at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and acting as an "alumni ambassador" for the country's embassy.

Speaking to Sydney radio station 2GB Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne could not say why Cheng has been detained since August 14, but described the idea that Cheng could be used by China as a pawn in the deteriorating relationship between the two countries as "speculative at best."

The relationship between Australia and China has frayed in recent months after Canberra called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, and the countries have engaged in tit-for-tat trade restrictions.

That has led some in the Australian media to speculate that Cheng's detention could be political in nature, comparing it to the seizure in December 2018 of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, after their government detained Chinese business executive Meng Wanzhou on behalf of the US.

Kovrig and Spavor were finally charged with spying in June 2020, over a year after they were first detained. They have been denied access to their families, lawyers and consular officials for months at a time.

CGTN did not respond to a request to comment.

Asked for comment at a press briefing on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "I have no specific information for you. China is a country under the rule of law, and we will act in accordance with the law."

While details on the case are still scant, there are apparent indications that Cheng is being held for reasons not related to standard criminal charges. According to the ABC, the Australian broadcaster that first reported her disappearance, Cheng is being held under what is known as "residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL)," a system by which people can be detained without charge for up to six months.

This matches comments made by Payne on Tuesday, who said that Cheng was being detained without charge and could be held "for months." A source with knowledge of the situation said Cheng was being held at a detention facility.

RSDL, which was added to China's criminal procedural law in 2012, essentially legalized the practice of so-called "black jails," detention centers where dissidents and activists were often held for months on end without charge in a bid to solicit specific information, or to gain political leverage. Former detainees who went through RSDL have spoken of being denied access to their families and lawyers, threatened with torture and strong-armed into signing false confessions.

Since RSDL was first legalized, it has been used widely against dissidents, government officials, and foreign nationals. It's just one of several means of detention the Chinese authorities have to go after those who challenge them politically.

Communist Party members have for years faced the threat of extralegal detention and potential torture in a dedicated system known as Shuanggui set up for going after allegedly corrupt cadres. Officials often disappear into the system for months at a time, emerging white haired and haggard to confess to a series of offenses ahead of a criminal trial.

Since 2018, that system has been formalized and extended far beyond the membership of the Party itself as the National Supervisory Commission, under the principle of "expanding the punishment of the few to manage the many." Purportedly an anti-corruption body, the NSC exists outside the judicial system and has been criticized for curtailing the already limited rights available to those accused of crimes in China.

Commanded to arm their minds with Xi Jinping Thought and consider the Party their family, Cheng wouldn't be the first Chinese state media employee to fall afoul of the authorities and end up in some arm of the sprawling detention apparatus.

In 2014, Rui Chenggang, one of the best known faces on CCTV, was detained on corruption charges. Rui's ultimate fate still remains unclear, with some reports suggesting he was sentenced to six years in prison. Outside the state media system, many journalists have been prosecuted for their work, and China remains the largest jailer of reporters in the world.

Those already limited press freedoms have shrunk even more in recent months, with the expulsion of multiple foreign reporters and additional restrictions on Chinese journalists in how they cover the coronavirus pandemic.

While Cheng's own reporting for CGTN focused on fairly bland business news, she did occasionally write public posts on Facebook about more sensitive topics, including some which were mildly critical of China's response to the coronavirus and censorship of online criticism. Before joining the network, she was a journalist for CNBC.

Her disappearance, and the many questions around it, demonstrates that even those within the propaganda apparatus can step over the invisible red lines that govern life in Xi Jinping's China, and have their lives upended.

Mei Fong, a former Wall Street Journal reporter in Beijing, wrote on Twitter that with regard to Cheng's detention, "the question probably every foreign journalist reporting in China is asking: if Beijing can detain a journalist reporting for 'safe' CGTN, how safe am I?"

This story was first published on CNN.com Detention of CGTN anchor shows that in Xi Jinping's China, not even the propagandists are safe
Allowing households to open their doors to one or two close friends and family in a germ bubble is being considered as a possible route out of stage four lockdown and the loneliness that goes with it.

Under previous more moderate restrictions, Victorians were allowed to host as many as five and then 20 people inside their homes but epidemiologists say a new bubble system would be far more conservative perhaps allowing just one dedicated outsider to visit a home.

Will Beitzel has spent isolation alone Credit:Chris Hopkins

A bubble model is already in force in New Zealand, where people are advised to stay within their household under level four restrictions, and expand their bubble to close family, caregivers or to isolated people under level three.

During England's lockdown, single people living alone or sole parents were allowed to visit another household.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : The iconic Nokia 3310 has turned 20 and fans were hit with nostalgia and could not hide their love for the strongest and one of the most popular mobile phones on various social media platforms.

The Nokia 3310 was unveiled on September 1, 2000, had a dark blue body, emitted a deep green light from its tiny screen, and housed a charming game called "Snake".

An entire generation grew up loving the iconic Nokia 3310. Then came the Nokia 1100 in 2003 a sturdy affair with an in-built torch which quickly became the best-selling consumer electronics device of its time.

That was the 'Golden Age of Nokia' with hardly a competitor in sight.

In 2016, HMD Global got the licence to sell Nokia-branded devices for the next 10 years.

As people realised that it was the birth anniversary of Nokia 3310, they took to Twitter.

"@Nokia 3310 was announced. It sold very well, being one of the most successful phones with 126 million units sold worldwide and being one of Nokia's most iconic devices. The phone is still widely acclaimed and has gained a cult status due to its durability." tweeted @ValaAfshar.

"On this day in the year 2000 Nokia 3310 was released. One of the best phones ever released if I say so myself," said another user.

Being a feature phone, Nokia 3310 can perform few tasks such as calling, SMS, calculator, stopwatch, etc.

"The Nokia 3310 is 20 years old today. I feel my bones turning to dust," a user mentioned.

Priced at Rs 3,310, the feature phone made a comeback in June 2017 in a completely new Indian market which was inundated with cheaper Chinese smartphones as well as several feature phones.

Available in four stunning colours, the plastic body device has two SIM slots and a MicroSD card slot (32GB).

With 1,200mAh battery, the device offers 22 hours of talk time and has up to a month's standby time.

The device has the trial versions of two games -- Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and Diamond Twister -- pre-installed.

Apart from that, you can use 2G internet to browse and even scroll through Facebook with the Messenger capabilities built-in.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III lost his Senate Democratic primary challenge this week to longtime incumbent Edward J. Markey. (Associated Press)

On Tuesday, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III became the first Kennedy to lose an election in Massachusetts.

I dont have anything against Rep. Kennedy. By many accounts he was a good congressman and a reasonably humble fellow, willing to listen and learn.

But it's great to see a dynasty thwarted.

This Kennedy, of course, is the son of Joseph P. Kennedy II, who also served in the House. His grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, served as U.S. senator from New York. His grandfathers brothers were President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. His cousins include Patrick Kennedy, Teds son, who served in House, and former Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy.

Some people love that family history. I don't.

Its always seemed odd that the United States  a country that fought a revolution to free itself from the rule of hereditary kings  is so enamored of political dynasties. Though we talk a good game about meritocracy, and most of us would strenuously object to nepotism on principle, weve voted to keep power within certain families since the earliest days of the republic.

It goes back, obviously, to the early 1800s, when John Quincy Adams followed his father into the presidency. But there are also the Roosevelts  including but not limited to Teddy and FDR, the Longs in Louisiana, the Bushes (beginning with George H.W.s father, Sen. Prescott Bush), the Rockefellers, the Udalls (mostly in the Southwestern U.S.), the Tafts, the Cuomos, pere et fils. Here in California there are the Browns, of course  Edmund (Pat), Edmund (Jerry) and Kathleen (who served as state treasurer). There are the Murrays (Kevin and Willard) and the Roybals, Edward and Lucille Roybal-Allard. And there are many, many other such families.

According to the economist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (doing what sounded a bit like a back-of-the-envelope estimation in 2015), the son of a governor has about a 6,000 times better chance of becoming a governor than the average American. The son of a senator has about an 8,500 times higher chance of becoming a senator.

Story continues

Sure, sometimes a governors son or daughter is the best person for the job. But I dont think we want to be a country where power is passed so routinely from generation to generation within the same family just because they seem safe or familiar or because we recognize the name. (For the record, the longest-existing dynasty in the world today is the Yamato family, which has been the imperial family of Japan for at least 1,500 years.)

And speaking of dynasties, was I the only one who got a cold chill watching Donald Jr. and Ivanka at last weeks Republican convention? Maybe Im wrong, but I saw something in their demeanors that screamed out: You havent seen the last of us.

Obviously, any American is entitled to run for office, regardless of what his or her parents did for a living. And some of the younger members of dynastic families have brought a lot to the job, in part because they grew up  like Jerry Brown and Andrew Cuomo  watching their parents govern.

Furthermore, its common enough in all sorts of fields for children to follow their successful parents into the family trade. Just ask Michael Douglas or Angelina Jolie.

But in a democracy, it feels somehow unhealthy that just because candidates for office have a particular name and a particular pedigree, voters think they know what they stand for and how they'll do at the job. It seems unfair that name-brand novices should waltz in with such unearned advantages. And even more important, voters do themselves a disservice when they jump to conclusions like that.

In 2011, Boston-based pollster Steve Koczela asked Massachusetts voters for their opinion of a fake Kennedy  a Matthew Kennedy who had never actually existed in the Massachusetts political world. With no further information, according to Koczela, 25% of voters surveyed said they had a favorable opinion of him. Only 1% had an unfavorable impression.

Thats the advantage of the name.

I had a thoughtful conversation recently with Hamilton Fish  the fifth Hamilton Fish in his line  whose father was a moderate Republican congressman and whose grandfather was a right-wing Republican congressman and whose great-great grandfather was a senator and governor of New York as well as U.S. secretary of State. In 1988, the younger Hamilton ran for Congress near the familys old district as a liberal Democrat, and lost by a few hundred votes.

I was born with a fantastic name  a golden name, he says now. There was no money attached to it, so I didnt have the resources to easily leverage the advantages of dynasty the way many have. But I regarded my name as my inheritance and I tried to put the name to use in service of the values I believed in.

OK, thats not the worst thing in the world. By all means, those born with privilege  or with a good, marketable name  should do what they can to make the world a better place.

But voters should beware. Dont buy the new model based on the old model.

And for the record, Im not looking forward to the prospect of future matchups between Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka, Chelsea, Malia and Sasha.

@Nick_Goldberg




Just days before his inauguration, Donald Trump claimed that he was more in tune with the African-American community than a group of prominent civil rights activists, including the son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The meeting between Trump and the activists, including Martin Luther King III, William Wachtel, and Riverside Church pastor Dr Rev James Forbes, was arranged by Presidential Transition Team aides as a way to settle tensions between the incoming president and the African-American community.

But the event quickly became, in the words of one Trump aide, the most disastrous outreach meeting in the history of presidential transition. According to a recording and transcript of the meeting  both of which have now been passed to The Independent  Trump spent far more time airing his own grievances and making outrageous claims than listening to the activists concerns.

After boasting of having been recognised by Time as the magazines Person of the Year, Trump told the group of civil rights activists: I listen better to the African-American people than anybody else. Anybody else in this room.

Trumps declaration that he was better at listening to African-Americans than the son of Martin Luther King Jr stunned both the transition officials and the invited guests whod come with King.

I was so embarrassed, said one transition team member who heard the exchange. Who in their sober, right mind would say to Martin Luther King III, whose father gave his life fighting for equality for people of colour, would say they did more  as in more than giving up your life  for black people than anybody else?

The staffer added that Trump at times appeared unaware of what the meeting was about and with whom he was meeting.

I am 100 per cent convinced that he forgot who the heck he was talking to, they said.

Although King did pitch Trump on his longstanding proposal to add photographs to Social Security cards for use as voter identification, the then President-elect was more interested in their potential as a tool to weed out undocumented immigrants. Trump turned to Wachtel  son of the late Southern Christian Leadership Conference attorney Harry Wachtel  and asked: How do you feel about people coming over the border and voting where theyre not citizens?

After Wachtel responded that the proposed federal identification could be used for immigration enforcement purposes, Trump repeated a debunked claim that thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people, had voted illegally in California and Florida.

I thought I was gonna win Florida, but there was a lot of cheating in Florida, and there was a lot of cheating  tremendous cheating in California, he said.

As transition staffers who were present  including Director of African-American Outreach Omarosa Manigault Newman  tried to discuss plans for February 2017 Black History Month celebrations, Trump raised the topic of John Lewis and the media attention given to his decision not to attend the upcoming inauguration.

I got treated very badly by John Lewis I always liked him but then all of the sudden he came out with this thing, and of course, sleepy eyes Chuck Todd plays it up, you know, big, he said.

Trump then asked the group what they thought of Lewis. Wachtel responded: This is us?

After Trump replied in the affirmative, Wachtel opined that the veteran congressman was bitter and suggested that he might be doing the bidding of others by not attending the inauguration.

The President-elect then claimed that the move had really backfired on [Lewis] because what he said is very bad in terms of our democracy.

Theodore Mukamal, an attorney and ex-Wachtel aide who is now an artist and activist under the name Tootsie Warhol, described the absurdity of the moment. Youre dying from laughing inside, but you cant laugh because youre in a serious place, said Mukamal, who surreptitiously recorded the meeting and provided both the recording and a transcript of it to The Independent for review.

Recommended Trump likens himself to Martin Luther King Jr in tweet

A short time later, Trump boasted of how he had received a larger share of the African-American vote than the two previous GOP presidential candidates while also benefiting from fewer black people turning up to vote at all.

I got many more votes than Romney, many more votes than McCain we ended up with 11 per cent and Ill tell you, its much more if you add  many blacks didnt go out to vote for Hillary [because] they liked me  that was almost as good as getting the vote, he said.

Wachtel, who serves on the board of the Drum Major Institute  the progressive group founded by his father and Dr King  described how the US has one of the worst voter turnout rates out of the worlds 172 democracies because young people often do not vote.

If we can get young people into those voting booths, and they realise that they can make a difference. And John Lewis should know that better than anyone else. Its young people that can make a difference we are 138 out of 172, he said, adding that more people vote in Russia, at which point the President-elect cut him off.

"Im very surprised at John Lewis. Lets take a picture, Trump said, ending the meeting.

While King told waiting reporters that the time he spent with Trump had been very constructive after he emerged from the President-elects elevator, a former senior administration official who was present in Trump Tower that day considers the botched meeting one of the worst mistakes of the transition.

He [King] could have advised him every step of the way on race relations in this country on domestic policy issues, that could help to rebuild  things that were important things like housing, poverty, and voting rights. Trump completely squandered an amazing opportunity to build a relationship with him, the official said, before adding that the pre-inauguration blunder portended the dark turn Trumps relationship with people of colour has taken over the course of his presidency.

At the time, youre thinking that maybe he's just waxing, you know, stupiditously, only to find out that here we are three years later, and that's actually the essence of who he is, they said. This is who he is.

When asked for comment on the remarks made by the president during Mukamals recording, White House spokesperson Judd Deere said: Donald Trumps record as a private citizen and as president has been one of fighting for inclusion and advocating for the equal treatment of all. Anyone who suggests otherwise is only seeking to sow division and ignore the presidents work for underserved communities, including during his time in office with groundbreaking criminal justice reform, the creation of Opportunity Zones, building the most inclusive economy in American history, and prioritising our nations HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) with permanent funding. The president is grateful for his support among black Americans, and their many contributions to helping make America great.
Australia has fallen into recession for the first time in three decades and Brazil's economy shrank by almost 10 percent because of the coronavirus, leaving China as the only major nation still recording economic growth during the pandemic.

A raft of bleak data from India to Europe in recent days has laid bare the toll from lockdowns as nations try to keep a lid on an illness that has killed more than 850,000 people and infected over 25 million.

The challenges were further highlighted Wednesday when Australia announced a record contraction of seven percent despite authorities providing billions of dollars in support to struggling firms.

"Today's national accounts confirm the devastating impact on the Australian economy from Covid-19," said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

"Our record run of 28 consecutive years of economic growth has now officially come to an end. The cause: a once-in-a-century pandemic."

Australia has confirmed almost 26,000 cases of coronavirus and 663 deaths, but had successfully contained the illness in most of the country by July.

A recent outbreak in Melbourne, however, forced a new lockdown covering five million people that has dragged on any economic recovery.

- 'Depressing feeling' -

Shutdowns have taken a toll on livelihoods across the globe as business revenues plunge and millions are forced out of work.

New Delhi reported Monday that growth in Asia's third-largest economy suffered a historic 23.9 percent decline between April and June as the manufacturing sector was battered by restrictions on businesses.

In the Philippines, meanwhile, there has been a resurgence of barter trade as cash incomes dry up, with people flocking to Facebook groups to exchange everyday possessions for food.

"People are realising that while they have no money, they have accumulated a lot of material things," said Charles Ramirez, who runs a 14,000-member bartering website in the capital Manila.

Story continues

"It's a depressing feeling, of course, having to let go of things you have accumulated just to be able to survive."

The site is one of dozens that have sprouted up to provide a lifeline to Filipinos hit hard by the country's recession.

- 'Changed everything' -

Brazil's economy, the biggest in Latin America, contracted by a record 9.7 percent in the second quarter of the year, plunging the nation into a virus-induced recession.

"GDP is now at the same level as in late 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis," the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics said.

The drop in the April-June period was the biggest for any quarter since the current system of records began in 1996, it added.

The only major economy to have avoided a recession is China -- where the coronavirus first emerged last year -- thanks to strict lockdowns that have seen Covid-19 all but disappear in the country.

In the second quarter the Chinese economy rebounded by 11.5 percent, having fallen by 10 percent in the first quarter.

The Chinese city at the centre of the initial outbreak, Wuhan, took another step back to normality on Tuesday when almost 1.4 million children returned to schools and kindergartens.

In Europe, where GDP plunged 12.1 percent in the three months to June, fears are growing of more lockdowns and disruption this autumn and winter as the virus refuses to die.

"The pandemic has changed everything," said Gema Perez Barea, who runs a firm offering tours of wineries in southern Spain that are highly dependent on tourists.

She said there were "far fewer visitors" than before the pandemic and "now all the tourists we have are from Spain".

The country is the world's third-largest wine producer by value after France and Italy, but sales have been battered by the virus crisis.

The virus has failed to put the brakes on the Venice film festival in Italy, however, which on Wednesday was gearing up for the movie industry's first post-Covid-19 international competition.

"It's a festival without stars because Hollywood is still in lockdown," festival director Alberto Barbera told AFP.

"Will there be less glamour? Yes."

burs-axn/fox
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 11:26:11|Editor: huaxia

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Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R, front) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas prepare to meet the press in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Qing)

BERLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed here on Tuesday that no country should interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, when answering questions related to Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The minister cited concrete numbers and facts to show why the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is justified, as well as the positive outcome of the de-radicalization measures in Xinjiang, adding that these policy measures are widely supported by the Chinese people.

Wang said that during his current visit to Europe, some of his local colleagues inquired about Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs, but they all first stressed their respect for China's sovereignty and that they had no intention to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The principles of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs are not only basic principles of international relations, but also the fundamental rules of the Charter of the United Nations, and thus should be strictly followed, he noted.

Based on such a premise, China is willing to exchange views on issues of mutual concern with countries that are interested in the issues mentioned above, with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding, Wang added.

The minister also noted that it is necessary to ascertain the real situation based on facts when observing and commenting on China affairs, and should avoid lop-sided views or even spreading falsehoods.

Spreading rumors is extremely irresponsible and represents a great disrespect for the hard work by the Chinese people in the process of national modernization, he added.

Wang also invited foreign friends to visit China more often, including making a site visit to Xinjiang. China has invited delegations from more than 90 countries to visit Xinjiang, Wang said, adding that though having different political positions, the delegates agreed that what they saw in Xinjiang were not the same as what they had heard before.

China welcomes friends from the world who wish to learn about and experience the country's development and changes, Wang said.

However, the people in Xinjiang do not welcome those who come with a "presumption of guilt" and wear "tinted glasses," he added. Enditem
Mattia Binotto says there is "nothing" he wants to say in reply to his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff.

As Ferrari descended into one of its worst-ever slumps at Spa, Wolff said he blames "certain team members" rather than the fabled Maranello camp as a whole and feels sorry for the Tifosi.

Many think that was a direct dig at Binotto's leadership.

"I know that there are certain people on other teams who like to talk about our situation and our fans," Binotto responded.

"There is nothing I would like to answer to him," he added. "I know what's going on with our fans. I'm a fan myself. I've worked in this team for 25 years.

"We know our priorities and that there is no magic in Formula 1. You just have to develop as quickly as possible and try to set the right priorities."

However, with F1 now heading to its historic Italian double-header at Monza and Ferrari-owned Mugello, the questions about Binotto's future will surely only grow.

"As in business, a team boss is responsible for his team," former Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Sport1.

"That means that the people, the structures and the processes have to be questioned."

Even Binotto admits that Ferrari's deep slump will continue for now, as "nothing can be done about the engine" within this season.

"We need to focus on 2021 and the following season," the Italian told Corriere della Sera.

Ralf Schumacher thinks that work will already be well underway.

"I can imagine that the team is already completely rethinking the concept," he told Sky Deutschland. "Maybe something big will change.

"But unfortunately that won't be seen on the track for three to four weeks at the earliest."

(GMM)
and on Tuesday vowed to deepen cooperation to counter terrorism, insurgency and piracy while also boosting trade exchanges as External Affairs Minister held talks with his Nigerian counterpart Geoffrey Onyeama.

The two foreign ministers discussed the entire gamut of India- bilateral relations via video conferencing.

A joint communique issued after the talks said the discussions covered a wide spectrum of cooperation on political, economic and trade, defense and security, developmental assistance and cultural cooperation.

Both sides recalled their extensive cooperation in the field of defence training and capacity building, and expressed satisfaction that it was expanding to newer areas such as defence equipment support, medical and maintenance services, sharing of Research and Development expertise for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, and regular exchange of information.

The two ministers acknowledged the ongoing collaborative efforts through information sharing between the Indian and Nigerian navies, and increase of surveillance for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea though collaboration between the two navies, the joint communique said.

The ministers urged the armed forces of both countries to continue to work together in the on-going efforts to counter terrorism, insurgency and piracy, it said.

With a bilateral trade turnover of USD 13.9 billion in 2019-20, is Nigeria's largest trading partner, and is India's largest trading partner in Africa.

Nigeria is a leading energy security partner of India, and both sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation in this sector including at the Government to Government level, the joint communique said.

Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation in Information Technology (IT), Defense and solar energy projects to be executed through Indian Line of Credit (LoC).

During the talks, the Nigerian side expressed appreciation to for the recent donation of medical supplies in support of the on-going fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in consular matters and the desire to conclude bilateral agreements in the fields of Mutual Legal Assistance, Extradition Treaty and the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, the communique said.

Jaishankar thanked Onyeama for Nigeria's support for the safe release of 44 Indian seafarers taken hostage in three separate incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea during 2019, it said.

The two sides emphasised that terrorism is a scourge and a threat to the entire world, and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including violent extremism.

(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.)
Before having a meeting with the local law enforcement, United States President Donald Trump visited the site that was burned during the protests in the city. The trip that was made by Trump underscores his re-election argument that the country was under the threat of being overtaken by violent mobs.

Trump shared during the roundtable discussion on community safety that to stop the political violence that the country faces, there is a need of confronting the radical ideology that includes this violence.

The president also mentioned that the reckless far-left politicians continue and pushing the destructive message that the nation and its law enforcement are racist and oppressive.

Trump emphasized that instead of condemning Americans should give far great support to the people behind enforcement, NBC News reported.

The US President also mentioned and repeatedly warned that places like Kenosha and cities like it around the country that were beset by violence could experience greater damage if Democrats will be elected in November.

On the other hand, Trump's opponent, the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden denounced the accusations of the current president about inflaming the country's raw racial tensions.

The latest wave of protests came from the city of Kenosha as its people are calling for racial justice after another black man Jacob Blake was shot in the back not less than seven times by a white police officer that put him into the state of being paralyzed. 17-year-old boy, Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with murder and faces accusations of shooting two people which ended up to their death and wound a third person who was participating during the demonstrations in the city.

Read also: Trump Pushes for Nationwide Eviction Moratorium Through 2020 to Keep Americans Off The Streets

Despite the calls received coming from local officials to nix the trip as the criticism continues, Trump still pushed the visit wherein during his statement, he echoed the law and order campaign message that he also delivered during the Republican National Convention.

Alongside Homeland Security's acting Secretary Chad Wolf and Attorney General William Barr Trump visited the burned building in the city of Kenosha wherein based on the president's public schedule they described the said stop as a tour on the affected property due to the latest riots.

According to Spectrum News, aside from the damaged site, Trump also visited the local emergency operations center wherein he thanked the local law enforcement officials and the National Guard.

Not only Wolf and Barr accompanied the US president on his trip to Wisconsin as assistants to the president Dan Scavino and Ja'Ron Smith are also present alongside former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus who was part of the presidential delegation of Trump.

In an interview, Trump shared with the reporters that he did not plan to have a visit to the Blake family as he wants it to be handled locally.

Instead of meeting the Blake family, The US president stated that he met with the pastor of the Blake family but the father of Jacob Blake stated that they do not have any family pastor.

Throughout his visit, the US president repeatedly stated that he has an interest in sending law enforcement in areas specifically in Portland, Oregon.



Related article: Trump Announces Support for Local Businesses, Law Enforcement During Visit to Kenosha

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A health advocacy group is pushing for MDMA to be made legal to help treat mental health patients.

Mind Medicine Australia has asked the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the drug to be more easily used in clinical therapies.

The drug has been used as a treatment for those battling post-traumatic stress disorder and depression overseas.

The medicines regulator is now seeking feedback on the proposal, however, the college of psychiatrists has already warned the proposal is high risk.

Mind Medicine Australia is pushing for MDMA to be made legal to help treat mental health patients

Psychedelic-assisted therapy involves limited doses of MDMA over three sessions, with each session lasting eight to 10 hours.

Mind Medicine Australia executive director Tania de Jong said a huge amount of people were on anti-depressants that were not working.

She said psychotherapy can produce long-lasting changes in patients.

'We just don't have the treatments to help people get better. Most illnesses don't have to be a life sentence.'

Psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, and MDMA is being used in drug trial at Melbournes St Vincents Hospital terminally ill patients with anxiety and depression.

The trial, which started in February, has seen 40 patients receive psilocybin alongside clinical support.

President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, John Allan, said the move to have it legalised was 'premature' as the 'safety and efficacy had not been proven yet'.

Mind Medicine Australia executive director Tania de Jong said a huge amount of people were on anti-depressants that were not working. She said psychotherapy can produce long-lasting changes in patients

He said he would be concerned the move would add to the underground market for MDMA and psilocybin therapies as people might see it as a 'grand cure'.

'Psychedelics have been around for some time. There's only more recently some promising research evidence, but it's too early to say they should be listed for general use,' he said

'It's just not proven yet, there just haven't been enough studies ... The streets of medicine, and psychiatry in particular, are littered with great ideas that went wrong.'

Submissions close on September 28, an interim decision is due in February.

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In normal times, the basic rule of California public school funding is simple: when a student attends a school, that school gets paid to educate them.

Back in June, state lawmakers suspended that rule, voting to freeze schools' funding at last year's levels for the rest of this year. They figured the last thing schools with declining enrollments needed during the COVID-19 crisis was less money.

But what about schools with enrollments that are rising? The state budget's "hold-harmless" provisions could deny more than $500 million in funding to these growing schools and districts, according to an estimate from a group of four charter school networks now suing the state.

So on Monday, the legislature passed Senate Bill 820, which would allow many schools with rising enrollments to claim higher levels of funding than they did last school year. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill.

"It's a fair compromise," said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) during a legislative hearing on Sunday. He said the bill balances the needs of these growing schools with the state's limited resources; already, the state is balancing its budget by asking K-12 schools statewide to endure more than $11 billion in late payments.

In Southern California, SB 820 would ensure districts in burgeoning suburbs like Irvine, Hemet and Redondo Beach are funded at levels that more closely match their actual enrollments this year.

But the four growing charter schools are likely to continue their lawsuit. While growing charter schools are also eligible for the additional funding under SB 820, an attorney for the plaintiffs said the bill doesn't go far enough to make these schools whole.

"It still doesn't do what the constitution says [lawmakers] are supposed to do," said Jerry Simmons, a partner at the law firm Young, Minney & Corr, "which is to fund every child's education. That is every child's constitutional right."

A sign taped to the front gate at Granada Hills Charter High School's main campus on Zelzah Avenue. Granada school officials had said the 'hold-harmless' state budget would hurt their bottom line. (Kyle Stokes/KPCC/LAist)

HERE'S WHY THE PLAINTIFFS STILL AREN'T HAPPY

Take the case of Sycamore Creek Community Charter School in Huntington Beach, one of the plaintiffs Simmons represents.

Under the old "hold-harmless" rules, Executive Director Sarah Bach says Sycamore Creek would've only received state funding for 65.9 kids, which was the school's "average daily attendance" figure in late January.

Under SB 820, Sycamore Creek will be funded for 125 students, which is the projection school officials wrote into budget planning documents months ago.

But Sycamore Creek currently enrolls more than 130 students -- it expanded to include an additional grade level this year -- and could realistically accept 150 students.

So why will Sycamore Creek receive funding for only 125 students rather than the 130 or more it will actually serve? The answer: SB 820 will only fund growing schools based on either their projected enrollment or their actual enrollment -- whichever is lower.

But Simmons says schools are incentivized to budget based on conservative projections -- after all, schools don't want to end up with extra staff members or supplies they can't afford if they don't hit an aggressive enrollment target. He says SB 820 penalizes these schools for being prudent.

Bach and her staff feel whipsawed by Sacramento's changing funding regulations.

"By the time [the "hold-harmless" provision] was proposed, we were just at a loss," Bach said. "What do we do? Because our actuals are going to be so much different than what the state is saying we'll be funded on."

School buses at First Student Charter Bus Rental in San Francisco in June 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

'YOU HAVE TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE'

But officials in the state Department of Finance and many legislative Democrats said the state, facing projected multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls, doesn't have the money to both hold shrinking districts harmless and ensure all growing schools will be made whole.

If the state pumped more money into SB 820, "it's very likely we would have to significantly increase the amount of deferrals in the current year," said Jessica Holmes, an analyst with the Department of Finance, in legislative testimony last week.

A complete restoration of funding to growing schools "would be hundreds of millions of dollars," McCarty said in floor debate Monday night. "There's no magic tooth fairy handing around money here."

The original "hold-harmless" provisions in the budget assumed that schools with declining enrollment -- including the state's largest school system, Los Angeles Unified -- were likely to be hardest hit by the pandemic.

So lawmakers decided to prioritize a funding freeze for declining enrollment districts. Implementing this priority required setting some limits, McCarty said: "You have to draw a line somewhere."

Simmons wonders why.

"Their rationale seemed to be they were wanting to ensure the large urban districts were protected," said the attorney. "But I question that ... It's always been California's policy to protect [funding for] declining enrollment school districts for a year to give them an opportunity to right-size their operations -- so in fact, that was already part of the law."

SB 820 cleared both chambers -- controlled by Democratic supermajorities -- by wide margins. Most of the "no" votes came from Republicans who objected to the bill making virtual charter schools with growing enrollment ineligible to have their funding fully restored.

"This policy deviates from the state's long-held principle of funding following students," said Myrna Castrejon, president of the California Charter Schools Association, in a statement.

But both McCarty and Holmes noted many of the charter schools that are affected also had access to extraordinary funding sources. Both alluded to the fact that charter schools across California claimed more than $240.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, according to one analysis.

Because of their nonprofit status, charter schools were eligible to take out these loans, backed by federal coronavirus relief money. School districts did not qualify.
Felicien Kabuga will find out at the end of the month whether he will be handed over to international judges for his alleged role in bankrolling the Rwandan genocide after appealing the decision at the Paris Supreme Court.

Kabuga appealed to the court on Wednesday to reconsider transferring him to international judges in Tanzania for trial.

The alleged mastermind of the Rwanda genocide was slapped with an extradition request in June by the Paris Appeal Court, which ruled that he should be handed over to a UN tribunal based in Arusha.

Described as Africa's most wanted man, Kabuga has been held in a French jail since his 16 May arrest at his home outside Paris after more than 20 years on the run.

At his first appearance in public on 20 May, 84-year-old Kabuga had asked for a trial in France, citing frail health and claiming the United Nations court in Africa would be biased against him, and possibly hand him over to Rwandan authorities.

Louis Bore, one of his lawyers, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Kabuga is suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and "leukoaraiosis", an incurable disease affecting his cognitive functions, and is therefore in no condition to be transferred several thousands of kilometres away.

Slim hope of trial

The coronavirus pandemic has also been used as an argument to keep Kabuga in France in light of his advanced age.

However, UN prosecutors have said that if the coronavirus pandemic prohibits Kabuga's travel to Tanzania, he can then be tried in The Hague in The Netherlands.

The extradition battle has raised concern among plaintiffs that Kabuga will never face trial.

"He is very old. We've seen him looking very frail during his hearings," says Alain Gauthier, head of the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda.

"Is he putting it on and faking fatigue? There is a risk, yes, that he will never be judged," he told RFI.

Kabuga  once one of Rwanda's richest men  is alleged to have used his wealth and influence to funnel money to militia groups that carried out massacres, and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines which, in its broadcasts, incited people to murder.

Nearly one million people were slaughtered over 100 days of ethnic violence committed by Hutu extremists in 1994.

Rwanda investigation

In August 1998, Kabuga was indicted by the now-defunct Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and an international arrest warrant was issued for him the next year.

Last month, a team of UN investigators travelled to Rwanda to gather fresh evidence against Kabuga to beef up his case file.

We are making a call to those who have testified in the past that hopefully are still willing to testify in court. We really hope that we will get additional evidence," said Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), that took over from the ICTR.

Describing it as a strong case, Brammertz stressed that it is absolutely normal to update all evidence to see what is still available but also take advantage of new opportunities which were not there when the warrant was issued.

Rwanda's Prosecutor General Aimable Havugiyaremye reiterated that Kabuga's arrest serves as a warning to all Rwandan genocide fugitives still at large.

France hideout

On 26 August, Kigali issued an international arrest warrant for another suspected genocide architect: former Rwandan spy chief, Aloys Ntiwiragabo, who was found living in Orleans, 130 kilometres south of Paris.

France has long been a hiding place for wanted genocide suspects. French investigators currently have dozens of cases under way, including Ntwiragabo's, although Paris has so far blocked the extradition of suspects due to legislative concerns.

That could change if the Supreme Court judges decide to reject Kabuga's appeal and transfer him to Arusha. Their decision will be released on 30 September. France will then have one month to hand Kabuga over to UN custody.
It seems as though the world has gone insane. And it has.

American cities are being burned down while the police are told to stand down. When citizens take measures to protect themselves against the rioters, they get in trouble, while the rioters are set free. Felons are let out of jail early because of the coronavirus in order to save their lives, and then some of those felons have gone on to take the lives of others. Lori Lightfoot, mayor of Chicago, hires a police force to protect her but leaves the rest of the city under-protected. Voting by mail is advocated because of COVID, but it is just fine for hundreds of rioters to assemble close together as they cause mayhem in the streets. The Democrats say nothing about the devastation caused by the rioters, but when someone fights back, they roar with indignation. The world has pronounced Rittenhouse and Chauvin guilty before all the evidence is in and without a trial. Free speech is allowed for those on the left but not for those on the right. Tolerance, which is touted as a virtue of the left, goes right out the window when treating those on the right. A CNN reporter even called the riots in Kenosha "peaceful."

Persistent contradictions and illogicalities such as these do not bother the rioters and those on the left. Many don't even recognize inconsistencies because they actively evade contradictions. Some even think contradictions are normal. They do not operate the same way as rational people. They have narratives that they defend and manipulate their own "facts" to fit those narratives. Therefore, facts are twisted, ignored, and even made up with no compunction.

If you want to know the reason for this disrespect for facts, consider what is taught in most colleges, especially in philosophy classes. Students are told that there is no such thing as reality. They are told that if a tree falls in the forest and if no one is there to hear it fall, that it didn't fall. They are told that reality is different for everyone. They are told that no one can know reality for sure. Students are taught to disregard facts  even worse, that they don't exist.

Ideas matter. And false ideas that are accepted have negative results. If there is no such thing as reality, a violent riot can be called peaceful, and insults and smears can be called tolerance. S ince facts don't matter, why wait for all the evidence before pronouncing someone guilty? Why let due process take place? Why have any official discourse? Why not just destroy cities instead?

Those who think reality is unknowable live in a state of confusion. If a person does not operate by identifying the facts of reality, the only other way to function is with emotions and whims. As you watch the videos of the rioters threatening, pushing, yelling at citizens or police, laughing or clapping when a Trump-supporter or policeman is hurt, giving people the finger along with all their colorful language, notice their emotions. Take note of the look of hatred on their faces and ask yourself if these are people that know how to reason. Do you think they are capable of sitting down and having a civilized discussion determining facts and solutions?

There is a song that goes, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of..." No, that is not what the world needs. The world needs reason, and reason has been rejected because reality has been rejected. Without objective reality, anyone's views are just as valid as anyone else's, anything goes, and the world collapses in chaos as we are witnessing today. As Ayn Rand pointed out, "when men abandon reason, physical force becomes their only means of dealing with one another and of settling disagreements."

Unless we want to continue down this path of devastation and ruin, we must not abandon reason. Instead, we need to fully embrace it  before it's too late.

Charlotte Cushman is a Montessori educator and authored Montessori: Why It Matters for Your Child's Success and Happiness, Effective Discipline the Montessori Way, and Your Life Belongs to You. She has been involved in the study of Ayn Rand's philosophy since 1970.

Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of Pixabay and Needpix public domain images.
MELBOURNE, Australia - Australias coronavirus hot spot, Victoria state, on Wednesday extended its state of emergency for another six months as its weekly average of new infections dipped.

The Victorian Parliaments upper chamber passed legislation by a 20-19 vote to extend the state of emergency, which enhances the governments powers to impose pandemic restrictions.

The government had wanted a 12-month extension.

The state health department reported 90 new infections and six deaths in the latest 24-hour period. There were 70 new infections reported on Tuesday.

The latest seven-day average of new reported infections per day has dropped into double-digits  95  for the first time in weeks. The previous weeks average was 175 infections a day.

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

 India has reported 78,357 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, raising the countrys tally to more than 3.7 million reported cases since the pandemic began. The climb comes as the government eases pandemic restrictions to help the battered economy. The Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 1,045 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 66,333. India has been reporting the most new daily cases in the world for more than three weeks. It has also increased its testing capacity  to nearly 100,000 per day  but experts say it is not enough.

 South Korea has seen a triple-digit daily jump in reported coronavirus infections for the 20th straight day, prompting authorities in recent days to impose tough social distancing rules. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday the 267 new cases took the countrys tally since the pandemic began to 20,449 reported infections with 326 deaths. South Korea has seen a rise in infections since early last month, many associated with churches, restaurants and schools. Authorities have recently restricted dining at restaurants and ordered the shutdown of churches, fitness centres and night establishments in the Seoul area as it struggles to track many of the new infections.

 Hong Kong will further relax social distancing measures on Friday, allowing gyms and massage parlours to reopen and extending dining-in hours at restaurants as its daily new coronavirus cases dwindle to single digits. Tough restrictions were imposed in July when a new wave of infections hit the territory, shuttering such businesses and limiting public gatherings to two people. Since then, daily infections have steadily decreased from a peak of over 100 in July to eight on Wednesday, the lowest number in two months. Officials began easing the measures last week, allowing cinemas and beauty salons to reopen with social distancing measures in place. While gyms can operate from Friday, customers must wear masks while exercising, and gym classes will be restricted to four people. Restaurants will be allowed to serve customers until 10 p.m, an hour later than before. Swimming pools, bars and karaoke lounges must remain closed.

 Nepal began limited commercial flights on Tuesday after months of suspension to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Malaysias Malindo Airlines flew from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu while a Nepal Airlines flight arrived from Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon. Nepals government is limiting flights to about two a day. The flights are only for Nepalese nationals or foreign diplomats based in the country. Only repatriation flights had been allowed by authorities since Nepal first went into lockdown in March. The country has 41,649 confirmed cases and 251 deaths from the coronavirus.
The Vatican has set up a council to stop the Mafia from using the Virgin Mary as a prop to claim it has God on its side.

The department will work to teach children and families a true theology of Mary with a team of around 40 church and civil leaders, including Italian judges, for 'study, research, and teaching'.

It aims to 'restore the purity of the image of Jesus and Mary which comes from the Gospels,' according to Father Stefano Cecchin, the President of the Pontifical International Marian Academy.

During a speech in the valley of Sibari in Calabria, Pope Francis previously spoke out against the mafia. Pictured, today at the first general audience since the end of lockdown

Pope Francis (pictured today) offered his support in a letter last month. He hoped the Madonna could be freed from 'superstructures, powers or conditioning that does not correspond to the Gospel criteria of justice, liberty, honesty, and solidarity'

Pope Francis offered his support in a letter last month. He hoped the Madonna could be freed from 'superstructures, powers or conditioning that does not correspond to the Gospel criteria of justice, liberty, honesty, and solidarity'.

The Virgin Mary has been used by the Mafia as a symbol of servitude for centuries.

The words of the bible were twisted, Fr Cecchin said, because the mother of Jesus Christ was forced to bend to the will of God when she was told she was carrying his child.

Fr. Stefano Cecchin told the Catholic News Agency: 'In the mafia framework, this is what the figure of Mary has become.

'The figure of a human being who must be submissive, therefore a slave, accepting the will of God, the will of the bosses, the will of the mafia leaders.'

Statues of the Blessed Virgin are forced to take detours to stop and bow before the houses of mob bosses during processions, something known as the Inchino, to show submission to the crime syndicates.

Pieta, 1498-1500. The Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ after it has been taken down from the cross

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Polsi (pictured), a Catholic shrine in the Calabria mountains, has been used for more than a century by the 'Ndrangheta, a crime syndicate thought to be responsible for at least three per cent of Italy's GDP in 2010

A car carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary drives in front of a damaged building at the devastated harbour area after the explosion that hit Beirut port on August 15 - on the feast of the Assumption of Mary

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Polsi, a Catholic shrine in the Calabria mountains, has been used for more than a century by the 'Ndrangheta, a crime syndicate thought to be responsible for at least three per cent of Italy's GDP in 2010.

The 'Ndrangheta host their 'crimini' or councils at the shrine and in Reggio Calabria a boss from the 'Ndrangheta crime group was sworn in under an image of the Virgin Mary.

Pope Francis sent the letter on August 15, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Assumption of Mary - the day Jesus Christ's mother went to heaven in body and soul.

There are three main branches of the mafia in Italy: The Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, the 'Ndrangheta in the Calabria region, and the Sicilian Mafia.

Father Cecchin said the mafia use Catholicism 'to teach the people that God is with them. So they also want to use people's religious feelings not to lead them to be free, but slaves.'

The department's first conference later this month will be attended by judges, lawyers and law enforcement officers as well as priests and theologians.

The department will work to teach children and families a true theology of Mary with a team of around 40 church and civil leaders, including Italian judges, for 'study, research, and teaching'. Pictured, Al Pacino and Simonetta Stefanelli in The Godfather, 1972

Pictured, a church scene in Mean Streets. The Italian mafia are strictly religious, but in 2018 Pope Francis 'excommunicated' anyone belonging to the crime syndicates

'The Sanctuary of the Madonna di Polsi was the central meeting point of all the godfathers of the 'Ndranghetta, every year they were meeting there,' Sergio Nazzaro, an Italian journalist, writer and adviser to the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission, told OCCRP.

'Why? Because they could show themselves before the people and say they are the church in their own way.'

Italy is not the only country where organised crime groups use the Virgin Mary. It is also common in other Catholic majority countries such as Mexico and Brazil.

During a speech in the valley of Sibari in Calabria, Pope Francis previously spoke out against the mafia.

He said: 'Evil must be fought, you have to say no. The Church must always work so that good might prevail. Mafiosi are excommunicated, they are not in communion with God.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is skeptical of the push to expand mail-in voting in the state, even with a pandemic afoot.

On Monday, he sued Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins over hisefforts this year to ensure that access to the franchise is as safe as possible.

To be more specific, Hollins office plansor hopesto send every registered voter in Harris County a mail-in ballot application, along with information about which voters are eligible to vote absentee.

(Hollins on Tuesday afternoon announced that his office will proceed with the plan to contact senior registered, votersbut will pause on sending mailers to everyone else while the lawsuit is pending: Were going to respect the courts process and weve agreed to hold off on additional mailers until the court has made a decision.)

Such outreach hasnt been attempted before in Harris County, but the county prior to 2020 also hasnt conducted an election involving nearly 2.4 million registered voters in the midst of a pandemic . Commissioners court last week approved funding for the initiative and, according to experts, theres no question about its legality.

In other words, Paxtons latest lawsuit is, at best, a waste of everyones time. Its also a move that risks creating confusion among voters, if not intimidating them, barely two months before Election Day--which is one of the things hes accusing Hollins of doing.

Hollins actions will create confusion, facilitate fraud, and is an illegal ultra vires act because it exceeds his statutory authority, Paxton, a Republican, wrote in his petition for the state, asking for an injunction.

In a statement, he again cast Hollins, a longtime Democratic operative appointed in May, as some kind of scofflaw.

Unfortunately, instead of protecting the integrity of our democratic process, the Harris County Clerk decided to knowingly violate election laws by preparing to send over 2 million ballot applications to many Texans who do not qualify and have not requested to vote by mail, Paxton said. This blatant violation of law undermines our election security and integrity and cannot stand.

The attorney general didnt specify which law, exactly, he thinks Hollins is breaking. And its worth noting that Paxton has himself been under indictment since 2017 after being charged with several violations of state securities laws--one of which he voted to create some years earlier as a member of the Texas Legislature.

Lets set that aside, however. Hollins, as county clerk, cant assess which registered voters are qualified to use mail-in ballots this year.

My top priority is to protect the right to vote and, during the time of COVID-19, to ensure that Harris County voters can cast their ballots safely, Hollins told me Tuesday. Since voting by mail is the safest way to vote, it is my duty to educate voters on who qualifies to vote by mail and make it convenient for qualified voters to apply.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, only a small subset of Texas voters would have met that definition. State law restricts absentee voting to voters who are over age 65 and those who have a disability as well as those who will be out of the county or confined in jail on election day and during the early voting period.

Most of us, however, are not immune to COVID-19. In fact, it remains unclear if anyone is fully immune to the disease; its possible that people who have already survived one bout with the coronavirus remain susceptible to getting infected a second time.

After the coronavirus was first identified in Texas, earlier this year, Democrats argued that this lack of immunity might necessitate an expansion of mail-in voting across the state. The Election Code defines a disability as a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter's health.

The Texas Supreme Court, which is controlled by Republicans, offered a nuanced opinion when it weighed in on the question in May.

We agree with the State that a voters lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a disability as defined by the Election Code, wrote Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, for the majority. But the State acknowledges that election officials have no responsibility to question or investigate a ballot application that is valid on its face. The decision to apply to vote by mail based on a disability is the voters, subject to a correct understanding of the statutory definition of disability.

In other words, its up to you to decide if the risk entailed by voting in person is a tolerable one, in light of your individual circumstances and health history. Hecht confirmed as much in an interview with the Houston Chronicles editorial board.

The statute leaves this decision up to the individual, he said.

That seems clear enough , and reasonable, under the extraordinary circumstances, even though the attorney general disagrees.

Its Paxton whos creating unnecessary confusion here, though, at a moment when uncertainty already abounds.

erica.grieder@chron.com
Berlin: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack and poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government says, citing new test results.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. Credit:AP

He was transferred two days later to Berlin's Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement on Wednesday that testing by a special German military laboratory had now shown "proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group".
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Millions of children returned to school today and the classrooms of old - as new coronavirus safety rules mean they have to now sit in rows again and face their teacher.

Part of the covid-secure measures mean modern arrangements, which used to see pupils opposite each other around desks, have been axed to prevent any risk of infection.

Instead they are now required to sit in rows facing their teacher in a move expected to have the welcome side-effect of greater learning.

It was confirmed by Outwood Academy Portland in Worksop, Notts, and follows Education Secretary Gavin Williamson suggestion in July it should happen to help classes

Outwood Principal Godsway Dzoboku said: 'The tables are all facing the front now, they didnt used to be like that before

'These are seats in rows, before students used to sit in fours facing each other,

'Now they have to be in rows facing the front and where they are sat down they have all got their own personalised packs.'

The style of teaching in lines has been widely praised as the best way to learn.

Education consultant John Bald told MailOnline: 'It helps children focus on what is in front of them.

'Schools are increasingly aware of this and it's a growing trend anyway, very few teachers would see this as anything other than the best way to teach pupils.

'Most of the successful schools have children sat in rows - it helps them focus on the teacher.'

It came as teaching union chiefs today admitted schools were as 'safe as possible' as millions more children returned to classes in England and Wales after six months at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

The National Education Union said schools were seeing a 'very calm, managed and positive' return to the classroom as families largely appeared to defy virus fears, with many schools reporting high attendance rates.

However in Scotland more than 100,000 pupils are absent from school, with 117 testing positive for Covid-19 and the attendance rate in the country's schools  which went back on August 11  at just 84.5 per cent.

It comes as:

An educational psychologist warned pupils are likely to be 'drained' by the sudden 'overload' of being back;

One academy chain revealed its attendance was 94.3 per cent across its six primary schools yesterday;

Schools are staggering the return of year groups to ensure social distancing measures are not overwhelmed;

A YouGov poll suggested 17 per cent of parents were 'seriously considering' keeping children out of school.

Sammy Davis giving the introduction assembly to the new Year 7 students at Portsmouth High School, Hants, this morning

Pupils in a classroom on the first day back to school at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster sat in rows at their desks

Headmaster Alun Ebenezer demonstrates an elbow greeting to pupils from The Fulham Boys School as they returned today

Parents walk their children into Ashton Gate Primary School as schools reopen with new coronavirus rules to keep them safe

Charles Dickens Primary School in London had the children all facing the teacher in a line after the new measures

Mary Bousted, joint general-secretary of the London-based NEU, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'Yesterday for those pupils who returned and today when more will return, it's a really important day.

'There'll be lots of nervous children and young people this morning, and I'm sure when they get into school they'll very quickly be reassured by the routines and be really glad to be back with their teachers and their friends.'

She added: 'I think that leaders, teachers and support staff have worked really hard to put protocols in place to ensure that it's a safe as possible return to school. They have worked really, really hard.

'So we hope that everything will go well, and the signs are at the moment that it's a very calm, managed and positive return to school  and that's good.'

Shielding mother 'has no choice' but to send her daughter back to school A woman who has been shielding with an immune system disorder says she feels she has 'no choice' but to send her daughter back to school despite fears she will bring coronavirus home. Jennifer East, from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, has common variable immunodeficiency, which leaves her vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19. She feels it is 'really not safe' for her 11-year-old Tayla to 'open the bubble' when she starts secondary school on Friday. 'I feel like I have no choice. Like the Government are saying I have to do it or get fined,' Ms East said. Jennifer East with her daughter Tayla and husband Scott The Government has faced calls to scrap fines for parents who do not send their children back due to fears over the virus. The Department for Education insisted it was safe for children to return and said fines would only be used as a 'last resort'. However, Ms East said: 'It's really not safe, I personally feel, at the moment. I have common variable immunodeficiency so we at home have been in our own bubble for six months. Now we have to open the bubble to a load of schoolchildren too.' Her daughter will be wearing a mask in classes and private transport arrangements have been made by her school. Ms East added: 'They are doing this because of my condition. They will try and help me as much as possible, but I have said that if I feel it's not working, or think the risk is too high, I will be taking her out of school again. I will just have to face the consequences if that happens.' Advertisement

However, she added that schools were struggling with the extra costs of cleaning, putting Perspex screens up, and rearranging the school  amid the 'huge distraction which was the A-level and GCSE fiasco in secondary schools'.

Ms Bousted continued: 'So one of the real concerns is that this is costing quite a lot, and schools do not have that money in their budget, and that's a worry  and that will be a continuing worry.'

It follows teaching unions being accused in June by MP Jonathan Gullis, himself a former teacher, of mounting a 'campaign of fear' by urging parents not to send children back to 'death trap' schools.

Meanwhile educational psychologist Daniel O'Hare warned pupils are likely to be 'drained' by the sudden 'overload' of being at school after so long at home

Dr O'Hare, from the British Psychological Society, told BBC News: 'I think there's a real need to recognise the physical, mental and emotional impact of going back. It will be very new to go back into that full-on setting with 30 children in a class.'

Yesterday there were beaming smiles at school gates across the country as thousands of pupils were reunited with friends for the first time in half a year.

Parents spoke of their delight that their children's education would no longer suffer and they would be freed up to make more trips into work.

Many schools reported low rates of pupil absence, with one academy chain said attendance was 94.3 per cent across its six primary schools and that the absent pupils did not stay away due to Covid-19 concerns.

Meanwhile schools in Leicester, which were among the first in the country to open last week, said attendance was above 90 per cent. Other schools said they felt the vast majority of pupils had returned.

It is too early to tell how successful the Government's drive to get children back into classrooms has been, with millions more pupils not due to return until later this week or next.

And many of those which opened yesterday are staggering the return of individual year groups to ensure social distancing measures are not overwhelmed early on. But school leaders signalled there were encouraging early signs.

Among those defying their fears at school gates yesterday was mother-of-two Kayleigh Leather, 35. She dropped off her sons Harrison, nine, and Lewis, six, at Leamington Community Primary School in Liverpool.

She said: 'I was doing cartwheels. I was so ecstatic for the children because they have missed out so much on their education. I find it ridiculous that pubs were able to open before schools.'

Emma Timson, 36, was waiting outside Orchard Mead Academy in Leicester for her son Lewis, 11, at the end of the day. She said: 'I was quite nervous this morning, because we've been shielding for the past few months as I'm pregnant.

'So I've been thinking about him all day. But the school had planned well, with the staggered starts and other measures like half year group bubbles, and kept parents informed, and it sounds like it has gone well.'

The positive return came after a YouGov poll suggested 17 per cent of parents in England and Wales were 'seriously considering' keeping their children out of school over lingering virus fears.

Barnton Community Primary school required the youngsters in sit in rows on the floor facing teacher for the start of the day

Dinner staff wear face shields as they give out lunch to pupils at St John the Baptist Primary School in Belfast yesterday

Pupils wash their hands as they arrive on the first day back to school at Charles Dickens Primary School in London yesterday

A separate poll by Mumsnet found 46 per cent of parents were 'anxious' about sending their children back to school, while 52 per cent were 'relaxed'.

Next year's exams could be delayed so pupils can make up for lost learning Next year's exams are likely to be delayed to allow to pupils to make up for months of lost learning, the Government admitted yesterday. Despite concerns over the potential knock-on effects on college and university admissions, GCSEs and A-levels are set to be pushed back into the summer. Schools minister Nick Gibb said it was an option 'we are looking at and have been looking at for several weeks'. The Government has been facing mounting pressure to allow a short delay, with the Labour Party and teaching unions calling for the normal start date of May to be delayed until June or July. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also suggested that schools could be asked to undertake 'benchmarking'  or rapid assessment by teachers  to check how far students had fallen behind. Advertisement

A third said they may pull their children out of school if infections rise.

In a blow for Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, the poll also found 58 per cent did not feel the Department for Education has done enough to reassure families it is safe to send children back.

Over the coming weeks ministers will be keen to avoid the drop in attendance seen in Scottish schools, where more than 100,000 pupils are absent.

Data collected from local authorities there yesterday revealed attendance is now 84.5 per cent, down from 95.8 per cent a few weeks earlier.

However, only about a fifth of the absences were recorded as 'Covid-19 related'.

Mr Williamson yesterday said he was 'confident' that preparations put in place would allow a 'successful return' for all pupils in England, adding that welcoming children back was a 'massive milestone'.

In Scotland, more than 100,000 pupils are currently absent from school, with 117 children testing positive for coronavirus.

Scottish Government figures show the attendance rate in schools fell to 84.5 per cent last Friday.

The absence rate directly attributed to Covid-19 was 3.2 per cent, which amounts to 22,821 pupils. The Scottish Government said it was common for other viral infections to circulate after a 'prolonged break' away from school.

Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney yesterday revealed that 117 children have tested positive for coronavirus since Scotland's schools reopened last month.

Since full-time education restarted, a total of 77 youngsters aged between 12 and 17 have been found to have Covid-19, along with 40 children aged between five and 11.

Pupils and parents at drop off on the first day back to school at Charles Dickens Primary School in South London yesterday

Teacher training takes place at the Jewellery Quarter Academy in Birmingham yesterday ahead of the return of students

Teacher Joanne Conlon with some of her pupils on their first day at St John the Baptist Primary School in Belfast yesterday

Mr Swinney told MSPs at Holyrood the evidence he had seen suggested most cases were 'coming within households', describing this as the 'predominant explanation' for how youngsters had contracted the disease.

One in six parents could keep children at home Parents were yesterday warned they face fines for keeping pupils out of school over coronavirus fears  as a poll showed one in six could refuse to send their children back. Schools minister Nick Gibb said fines could be issued by heads as a 'last resort'. But 17 per cent of parents in England and Wales are 'seriously considering' keeping their children at home. And nearly half (48 per cent) think it would be unfair to issue fines, the poll found. A similar number of parents (47 per cent) think secondary pupils should wear masks in school, but 36 per cent are opposed to this. The Parents Omnibus survey by YouGov interviewed more than 650 parents of school-age children. Mr Gibb said yesterday: 'All the [usual] rules about attendance will apply from today. 'Fines have always been a last resort for head teachers, but it is... a tool that they have to make sure that young people are attending school.' He urged parents to talk to schools for reassurance rather than refusing to send children in. Local authorities can fine parents 120  cut to 60 if paid within 21 days  with the threat of prosecution if they fail to pay. But if pupils cannot attend school because they or their parents are 'following clinical and/or public health advice', they will not be punished and the school will be expected to provide remote learning. Head teachers' union the NAHT has called for the threat of sanctions to be dropped, saying 'a fine is unlikely to make you feel any safer'. Advertisement

But he added that overseas travel was also 'resulting in quite a number of the cases'.

Mr Swinney said: 'Full contact tracing is undertaken for all positive cases that are detected, and I pay tribute to the enormous industry that is put into that effort by the contact tracers.

'They have a really difficult job to do; they do it with proficiency and accuracy, and comprehensively.'

Pupils began returning to schools on August 11 after the lockdown. Attendance remained above 90 per cent until August 21, before dropping to 89.2 per cent on August 24 then 84.5 per cent last Friday.

During the past decade, attendance levels over the whole school year have been between 93 per cent and 94 per cent. A

Covid-related absence includes a 'positive test, showing symptoms, self-isolation, quarantining, and parents not sending their child to school against public health guidance'.

Concerns have been raised about the pressure on testing capacity caused by parents sending children for tests when they have symptoms of a common cold.

Mr Swinney said yesterday 1,496 tests were carried out on five to 11-year-olds in the first week following the return of school but this soared to 17,109 in the week ending August 30.

His comments came as a survey by the EIS teaching union found that 92 per cent of its union representatives reported there had been no reductions in class sizes to help with physical distancing inside schools.

The survey, which attracted responses from almost 600 schools across the country, also revealed 30 per cent of EIS representatives reported physical distancing measures were not being put in place between staff and youngsters in their school.

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: 'Class groups are still too large to facilitate effective physical distancing measures, potentially placing staff and pupils alike at greater risk of Covid infection.'

Meanwhile, research by the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) union found that 38 per cent of teachers were 'not confident' about keeping safe.

After more than 2,000 teachers were surveyed, Seamus Searson, SSTA general secretary, said: 'The majority of secondary teachers still do not feel safe in school and lack confidence in their employers.

'Only 7 per cent of teachers were very confident about their return, with 38 per cent not confident at all.'

A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The way in which the guidance is being implemented in schools is being kept under close review, as is any emerging scientific evidence that will help us to protect our school community.'

Today is my dream come true, said the mother who spoke for so many: ROBERT HARDMAN sees smiles on the faces of parents and children as the country's schools re-open at last

Day one of the new school year and no one  not even the clingiest new boy or girl grabbing one last tearful hug at the gate  was quite as nervous as Cassie Buchanan.

In eight years as head of Charles Dickens Primary School in the London Borough of Southwark, she has faced a few challenges.

But none has been quite like the one before her yesterday morning: reopening a full school for a full term after six months of uncertainty.

Fast forward eight hours, however, and I find Miss Buchanan justly proud  and very happy. 'It's been a super day,' she tells me as the last of her pupils heads for home and her 70 staff get things ready for Day Two.

'Just having the classrooms full again is an amazing feeling.'

All summer, she has been playing three-dimensional chess with classroom configurations, timings, entrances, exits  and a lot of new plumbing.

Two children who attended Charles Dickens Primary School, in Borough, South London, on their first day back yesterday

However, her greatest concern, she says, had been that significant numbers of parents might keep their children at home: 'We have done everything we can and we have followed all the guidance but you never quite know how people will be feeling on the day.'

In the event, those fears were unfounded. Out of a school roll of 500, a total of 88 per cent had returned yesterday, and the vast majority of the absentees were children still in quarantine after summer holidays in the wrong countries. A tiny handful were off sick (though none with Covid-19).

And the number of children being kept at home by worried parents? A grand total of one.

As for the staff, she says, all had been raring to go. 'Teachers come alive in the classroom,' says Miss Buchanan. 'They've all been waiting for this.'

Charles Dickens is clearly an excellent school. Quite apart from last year's Ofsted report ('outstanding' in all areas), that much is obvious just listening to the parents whom I meet waiting outside.

The official start date for most London schools is September 2 (today) at the earliest and many don't open until next week. However, as an academy, Charles Dickens can do its own thing  it avoids the usual half-term slots, helping families get cheaper holiday deals  and the parents seem even more elated than Miss Buchanan to see everyone back in the tidy red uniforms, while the rest of the capital is still manacled to its offspring.

Girls at Blessed Trinity College in Belfast wash their hands with sanitiser yesterday as children return to school

'They've been very clear from the start how it's all going to work and what to expect. Nothing has just been thrown at us,' says Damion Lorentzen, father of Bethan, five, and Danny, eight.

'But the main things is that the kids can get on with their lives.' No sooner had the school gone into lockdown back in March, than the staff were up and running with virtual classrooms and online teaching for all on a daily basis. 'They even sent us round all the workbooks we needed,' says Nij, 28, a bus driver and mother of Eri, six, and Aria, four. 'As a working parent, it's been a struggle but the school has been brilliant.'

Like many parents here, Nij has been a key worker during the pandemic. The school is within walking distance of some of London's biggest hospitals and major transport hubs (including Waterloo Station). As such, Charles Dickens has remained open through it all to look after the children of those on the front line.

Cassie Buchanan, head of Charles Dickens Primary School in London, reopened yesterday after being shut for six months

This is a mixed area, with its fair share of gentrification and its fair share of poverty. It sits on the street where Charles Dickens lived while his father languished in Marshalsea Debtors' Prison round the corner.

Needless to say, being an inner city school, it is not blessed with much in the way of outdoor space.

However, there is just enough to ensure that every year group can play in its own separate area, complete with new sink arrangements for each one.

After hours, Miss Buchanan shows me round some of the facilities. After-school clubs are under way in the main hall, but with each year-group partitioned from the next. Inside the classrooms (each named after a different Dickens character), the carpets have been replaced with washable floors and some desks have been switched from clusters to an old-fashioned format, with everyone facing in the same direction in tidy rows.

All have named places and named pencils and pens. Arrivals, departures and meal-times are all staggered  and the school assembly has to be conducted via video links to each classroom  but everyone still gets served lunch (a straw poll suggests that the pizza has been today's favourite dish).

So, how has the school endured all the diktats from the Department for Education, which still seems to be changing its guidance on a weekly basis? 'Everybody's still learning about this virus so I'm willing to cut them some slack,' says Miss Buchanan. She has been impressed by the response from the local branch of the teaching union, NEU. 'We've been totally transparent about what we want to do and we've worked really well together,' she says. 'The main things is just to stay positive. We do positivity!'

During the summer, the Charter Schools Educational Trust, which runs the school, paid for all the staff to have virus antibody tests.

Three of them registered positive, despite having shown no signs of the virus. None of the pupils who came back to school during the pandemic are known to have been infected.

Outside, I do meet one parent who admits that he is worried about the disease. 'You've got to think about the risk of putting 30 kids from 30 different households together,' says Abdullah, father of an eight-year-old boy. 'We'll see how it goes.'

Children in Scotland and Northern Ireland are already back. Now the rest must follow. However, the verdict from this English early bird seems to be an ecstatic thumbs-up.

'We cannot thank the teachers enough,' says Anna Kukhnina. She has been home-schooling her three girls since March while her husband has been reduced to doing his financial services job from the bathroom.

This week, he has returned to his desk in the City and the girls are back in class. 'Today,' says Anna, 'is my dream come true!'
Cheyenne Tozzi has been spotted on a date with her rumoured new boyfriend, Mick Haynes, just six months after confirming her split from Marlon Teixeira.

The Australian model, who shares a 17-month-old daughter with her ex, couldn't keep her hands off Mick as they shared a passionate kiss at Sydney's Cronulla Beach on Monday.

The former Australias Next Top Model star, 31, wrapped her arms around her male companion as she pulled him in close.

New man: Cheyenne Tozzi was spotted on a date with her rumoured new boyfriend, Mick Haynes, at Sydney's Cronulla Beach on Monday

Moving on: The sighting comes six months after Cheyenne confirmed her split from Brazilian model Marlon Teixeira, who is the father of her 17-month-old daughter, Dahlia De La Lune

The mother of one wore a white knitted beach cover-up over her swimsuit, and carried a blue towel across her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Mick showed off his washboard abs by going shirtless in just a pair of blue-and-white boardshorts.

The lovebirds, who had just been swimming in the ocean, packed on the PDA after they placed their belongings in the car.

Beach chic: The mother of one wore a white knitted beach cover-up over her swimsuit, and carried a blue towel across her shoulders

Passionate: The former Australias Next Top Model star, 31, wrapped her arms around her male companion as she pulled him in close

In March, Cheyenne confirmed she had split from Brazilian model Marlon, who is the father of her daughter, Dahlia De La Lune.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, she said that the support of her family was 'so important' after becoming a single mother.

'I have got Dahlia on my own. Family support is so important. I have such a loving family. We are all strong women,' she said.

They're not hiding anymore: The lovebirds, who had just been swimming in the ocean, packed on the PDA after they placed their belongings in the car

Outing: Cheyenne smiled during her day at the beach with Mick

The couple had debuted their relationship in August 2017, after being introduced by their mutual friend Jordan Barrett.

They welcomed Dahlia De La Lune in September 2018.

Cheyenne told The Daily Telegraph the pair had split shortly after she gave birth to their daughter.

Break-up rumours had surfaced in January this year, when Marlon shared a tribute to their child on Instagram. Tellingly, he did not mention Cheyenne.

She can't keep her hands to herself! Mick showed off his Adonis-like physique by going shirtless in just a pair of blue-and-white boardshorts

Marlon uploaded a series of photos and videos of his little girl, but did not include a single reference to the Sydney-born model.

'Nothing compares to the happiness of being by your side,' he captioned the post, adding the hashtags 'My Heart' and 'Good Vibes Only'.

Cheyenne was previously engaged to Jon Adgemis, KPMG's head of mergers and acquisitions, but they split in March 2017.

New romance: In March, Cheyenne confirmed she had split from Brazilian model Marlon, who is the father of her daughter, Dahlia De La Lune

History: Cheyenne was previously engaged to Jon Adgemis, KPMG's head of mergers and acquisitions, but they split in March 2017
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A record-breaking 409 migrants made it across the Channel today with eight dinghies managing to dodge Border Force entirely.

A total of 30 boats are believed to have made the crossing, the first setting off in the early hours of Wednesday, amid 'absolute mayhem' in the world's busiest shipping lane.

Astonishing photographs showed groups of migrants wading through the surf and staggering up the sand before collapsing on the rocks, exhausted after the perilous journey.

At least eight dinghies dodged Border Force boats to make it to the Kent coast unchecked. One woman was seen lying on concrete steps in sodden clothes complaining about stomach pains, while another was given a bottle of Coke for a sugar boost.

One of the group could be seen wringing out water from her clothes, while some helped each other walk along the beach and talked to Border Force officials who arrived on the scene before they could leave.

Other photographs showed the migrants sleeping on the sand and trying to get dry following the crossing, with most of them not wearing face masks despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Separate sets of pictures showed a family sitting on a bench after walking up a hill following their landing at St Margaret's at Cliffe near Dover, and groups of migrants being brought into the town's harbour by the Border Force.

Questions will be raised over how some of the groups of migrants successfully evaded Border Force boats before making it to the shore, and whether any of them then made it further inland without being caught.

The arrivals along the coast mean today's crossings have shattered last month's single-day record of 235 migrants who arrived in 17 vessels.

So far this year, at least 5,025 migrants have arrived in small boats - including a single-month record of 1,468 in August.

That figure does not include the 100-odd who made the trip on around 15 boats Tuesday. Official Home Office statistics are yet to be released for those crossings or the ones today.

A group of migrants wade through the water onto a beach at Dover in Kent this morning after crossing the English Channel

The migrants look exhausted as they walk onto the beach at Dover in Kent this morning following the crossing

The group of migrants arrived at the coast in Dover on two boats this morning following their crossing over the Channel

A migrant sits on the rocks at the beach in Dover today (left), while another is collapsed on the steps this morning (right)

Migrants walk onto the shore at the beach in Dover this morning after making the journey across the English Channel

Migrants get some rest on the beach at Dover this morning after making the perilous journey across the Channel

A boat carrying one set of the migrants is pulled into shore at Dover this morning following the crossing

The group of migrants walk onto the beach at Dover this morning after travelling across the English Channel

Two migrants, one wearing a face mask, walk up the beach at Dover in Kent this morning following their arrival

Border Force officers wearing face masks stand near the group on the beach at Dover following their arrival this morning

French authorities dealing with migrants in La Manche on Wednesday

French authorities cruising in the English Channel on Wednesday on the lookout for migrants

One onlooker told MailOnline that he was at the beach with a group of other people when the migrants arrived and managed to convince them to avoid escaping.

He said: 'We were there before the police. The lifeboat couldn't get in  it was too shallow. So if we weren't there, they were have run off and escaped. The Border Force arrived within 20 minutes - it's next to the dock.

'Some did try and make an escape but we managed to round them up and persuade them not to, because there's railway lines and roads nearby - so if you don't know the area you get killed instantly.'

Speaking about the blonde lady wearing trainers, he said: 'She was absolutely exhausted, she fell on the floor after getting there. She was given a bottle of Diet Coke and she perked up, but she was shivering to the bone.'

Referring to another woman who was lying on the steps, he added that she 'collapsed complaining of pains in her stomach, and they were trying to establish what it was' with an English-speaking member of the group.

He said Coastguards, medics and Border Force officials were all at the scene following the arrival of the migrants on the two boats and 'have been run off their feet, big time'.

Speaking about the migrants, he said: 'They were all focused, they all got off the craft and you can see them falling over, because obviously it's low tide, and it's a bit of a further walk. They were just about to disperse.'

He also took a separate series of photographs of a family who landed at St Margaret's at Cliffe, saying they were caught at the top of the hill after climbing up from the beach and taken in by the Coastguard.

A woman sits on the rocks at the beach in Dover this morning after making the journey across the English Channel

The migrants sit on rocks at the beach in Dover this morning after making it across the Channel to Britain today

The group of migrants walk up the beach today after a potentially record-breaking number were picked up off the coast

One of the migrants falls into the water after stepping off the boat following the arrival on the Kent coast this morning

The migrants look exhausted as they make their way onto the beach at Dover following their crossing over the Channel

The two boats carrying the migrants arrive on the Kent coast this morning after they travelled across the Channel

Coastguard workers pictured today as bosses said they were 'committed to safeguarding life around seas and coastal areas'

A woman gets some rest on the beach at Dover this morning after making the perilous journey across the Channel

One of the boats carrying the migrants is pulled into shore during their arrival off the Kent coast this morning

Coastguar workers and Border Force officers wearing face masks work together on the beach at Dover this morning

A woman wrings out water from her clothing after arriving on the beach at Dover following the crossing this morning

A group of migrants arrive on a boat at Dover following their crossing over the English Channel today

The rescue operation was going on since at least 6am. The Channel was calm and there were clear skies - making it easier to make the perilous journey across the world's busiest shipping lane, the Dover Strait.

A separate set of photographs taken in another area of Dover this morning appeared to show more babies and children than usual among the latest migrants to arrive by dinghy today.

The pictures showed at least five children being led or carried into the port by rescuers this morning after they made the dangerous journey into the UK aboard flimsy boats.

Some of the children - as young as a few months old - were not wearing lifejackets as they were led up the gangway, although they could have been already removed.

Others were being carried by officials, rather than their parents, after making the treacherous trip across the Channel. The youngest baby was carried onto shore by what appeared to be a Border Force official.

Another baby was strapped to a woman's front, and was wearing warm coats. A couple with two small boys were photographed being escorted up the gangway, and 14 boats were pictured tied to the side of the port.

At least 100 people were brought into Dover today, packed on Border Force patrol vessels and sitting on lifeboats. Some smiled and waved as they arrived into the busy port while others carried toddlers too young to walk.

Lashing winds and choppy seas brought on by Storm Francis at the end of August made crossings impossible for several days, but conditions have improved in the first two days of September.

The group of migrants are led up the steps at the beach in Dover this morning by mask-wearing Border Force officers

The migrants walk up the steps at the beach in Dover this morning following their crossing over the English Channel

The migrants arrive at the beach in Dover this morning after making the perilous journey across the Channel today

A woman sits on the sand and shingle at the beach in Dover today after making the journey across the English Channel

A man sits in the sunshine on the rocks off the Kent coast this morning after completing the journey across the Channel

Two boats carrying the migrants are pulled as close as possible to the shore at Dover today before they get off

Border Force officers speak with each other as they stand next to the group of migrants who arrived at Dover today

Two powerboats are pictured on the Kent coast at Dover this morning following the arrival of the migrants

A man and woman help each other along the beach at Dover this morning following their journey across the Channel

A pair of jeans are left to dry out on the beach at Dover this morning following the arrival of the group of migrants

One of the migrants falls into the water while wading up to the Kent coast following the crossing this morning

Today has seen bright sunshine and winds under 5mph in Kent, with temperatures expected to reach 18C (64F). The Home Office has yet to confirm how many migrants successfully crossed to the UK yesterday.

Immigration officials at the port of Dover were busy this morning, with dozens of migrants waiting aboard Border Force vessels and lifeboats in the harbour. Among their numbers were adults carrying young children.

After waiting to be brought ashore - some for about an hour - the migrants were led up the gangway towards the Border Force processing centre. Once ashore, they will be assessed for symptoms of coronavirus, as is protocol.

Several empty dinghies with outboard motors attached were also seen being towed into the port throughout the morning. French marine patrol boats remain active on the other side of the Channel.

In the House of Commons today, Boris Johnson claimed Britain is a 'target and magnet' for people traffickers as he pledged to make changes to the law.

Conservative Lee Anderson (Ashfield) told the Prime Minister the asylum system is 'broken and being abused', to which Mr Johnson replied in the Commons: 'I have a great deal of sympathy with those who are so desperate as to put their children in dinghies or even children's paddling pools and try to cross the Channel.

'But I have to say what they're doing is falling prey to criminal gangs and they are breaking the law. They're also undermining the legitimate claims of others who would seek asylum in this country.

'That is why we will take advantage of leaving the EU by changing the Dublin regulations on returns and we will address the rigidities in our laws that makes this country, I'm afraid, a target and a magnet for those who would exploit vulnerable people in this way.'

A group of migrants are pictured after being picked up by a lifeboat and brought ashore at Dover Harbour this morning

A migrant raises his hands following his arrival at Dover this morning after being picked up by a lifeboat

Migrants are brought to shore after arriving at Dover today as huge numbers of them continue to arrive in Kent

The scene in Dover today where adults and young children were seen arriving after having crossed part of the Channel

A baby is carried off a boat by a woman following the arrival of the migrants off the coast of Dover this morning

The scene in Dover today after adults and young children were seen arriving having crossed part of the English Channel

A man wearing a face mask carries a young child following the arrival of a group of migrants at Dover this morning

Border Force officers patrol the area off the coast of Dover this morning as groups of migrants arrive in Britain

A man holds the hand of one child while carrying another as he arrives at Dover after crossing the Channel this morning

A woman is helped to shore after arriving at Dover this morning after groups of migrants crossed the Channel

A man walks with two children while a woman carries a young child after arriving at Dover this morning

Home Office minister Chris Philp said 24 people have been jailed for facilitating illegal immigration so far this year.

Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, he said: 'The majority of these crossings are facilitated by ruthless criminal gangs who make money from exploiting migrants who are desperate to come here.

'We're working with the National Crime Agency to go after those who profit from such misery. Already this year 24 people have been convicted and jailed for facilitating illegal immigration.'

Mr Philp said 34 people who attempted to cross the Channel today were picked up by the RNLI. He said the French authorities also stopped 84 migrants from making the journey on the French side today and over 3,000 crossing attempts have been stopped this year.

Enforcement officer numbers plunge The number of immigration enforcement officers has fallen dramatically  just as the Channel migrant crisis escalates. Figures from the Home Office show it employed 4,774 of the officials  who oversee deportations  at the end of March, down 550 on 2014-15. It means that there are now fewer staff to track illegal immigrants and enforce the UK's immigration laws. The number of fines issued to employers for hiring illegal workers also dropped to 1,849 last year from more than 3,000 in 2016. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Immigration enforcement has become more efficient over the years through the use of mobile technology, automated processes and streamlined functions which has meant a reduction in the number of officers required. 'This has enabled us to deliver better value whilst still remaining committed to tackling those who abuse our hospitality by committing serious crimes.' Advertisement

He also added that the UK is working to return around 1,000 people who have illegally entered the UK after already having claimed asylum in another country.

Mr Philp highlighted the dangers of small boats crossing the Channel after a Sudanese migrant died attempting to get to the UK.

He told the Commons: 'In recent months the UK has seen a completely unacceptable increase in illegal migration through small boat crossings from France to the UK.

'This Government and the Home Secretary are working relentlessly to stop these crossings.'

A group of migrants are brought into Dover by Border Force officers today after crossing the English Channel

A group of migrants are brought into Dover on the Dungeness Lifeboat after travelling over the English Channel

A group of migrants are brought into Dover this morning by Border Force officers after their crossing

Border Force officials bring a group of migrants into Dover today following their arrival this morning

Migrants sit on the Dungeness Lifeboat as they are brought into Dover after crossing the English Channel

A group of migrants are brought into Dover today by Royal National Lifeboat Institution personnel today

Border Force and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution worked together to bring the migrants into Dover today

A group of migrants are brought into Dover by RNLI workers today following their crossing of the Channel

A number of small RIBs are towed away by Border Force officers after the arrival of the migrants in Kent today

A group of migrants are brought into Dover today by the RNLI following another crossing over the English Channel

He added: 'These crossings are highly dangerous. Tragically last month a 28-year-old old Sudanese man, Abdulfatah Hamdallah, died in the water near Calais attempting this crossing.'

Record 1,450 migrants crossed the Channel in dinghies last month A record number of migrants reached Britain by illegally crossing the Channel last month, it has been confirmed. More than 1,450 arrived by small boats in August, bringing the total since the start of the year to more than 5,000. Just 1,850 migrants made the journey in 2019. The massive rise comes despite a vow from Home Secretary Priti Patel last autumn to have made the crossings an 'infrequent phenomenon' by this point. The Home Office has sought to blame French authorities and 'activist lawyers' for the increase and for difficulties removing asylum seekers once they arrive in Britain. About 100 migrants were seen arriving in the port of Dover yesterday, with at least 15 small boats reaching British shores. The daily total included women and children, as well as three men on an inflatable kayak. One woman in her 20s was seen being brought ashore by Border Force officers in a wheelchair. Others were brought into Dover aboard the UK Border Force patrol boat Hunter. They were seen being ushered out of the cabin on to the stern of the vessel where they were given life jackets. Immigration officials then helped them ashore one by one and escorted them up the gangway. A dinghy believed to have been used to cross the Channel was seen being towed into the harbour shortly afterwards. Later, more arrivals believed to be migrants were seen coming into the port, sitting on the front of an RNLI lifeboat. About a dozen in life jackets were helped ashore, where they were met by border officials. The previous monthly record for migrant arrivals was 1,075, set in July. August's arrivals saw 235 reach Britain on just one day  which was also a record. Miss Patel is seeking a deal with French authorities that would allow migrant boats to be turned back in the Channel. No agreement has yet been reached. Yesterday, the Mail revealed the taxpayer was hit with a 1billion bill for the asylum system last year. Advertisement

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: 'Isn't the truth that the Government's approach to this whole issue has frankly been defined by a lack of compassion and a lack of competence.'

He queried why work last year had 'proved so inadequate', asking when the joint action plan would be available for scrutiny.

He said: 'The Government was warned including by the Foreign Affairs select committee that the collapse of safe routes would lead to growing numbers of people taking to the sea.'

He added: 'The expectation around the Dubs amendment across the House was that 3,000 children would be accepted under the scheme. Does the minister now agree it was a profound error and frankly lacking in compassion to close down that scheme when only a 10th of that number had been accepted?'

Mr Thomas-Symonds also asked: 'What safeguards are being put in place to ensure that all accommodation is kept safe and Covid secure as well as protected from far-right attacks which have unfortunately been reported in recent days?'

He added: 'What we need now are solutions, not empty headlines trying to sound tough and I have deep concerns that the Government in recent weeks through talking of deploying the Navy and the RAF have tried to militarise a solution where lives are at risk.

'Ultimately the sad truth is that people are fleeing their homes as a result of poverty, war and persecution. So does the minister accept that abolishing the Department for International Development is a great mistake?'

Responding, Mr Philp said: 'This Government has provided almost 20,000 resettlement places since 2015, a number dwarfing the 3,000 mentioned. Since 2010, 44,000 children have been offered protection by the UK of one form or another.'

He added: 'This Government certainly needs no lessons in compassion, our asylum system is extremely compassionate, extremely generous and those numbers speak for themselves.'

Conservative MP Aaron Bell, for Newcastle-under-Lyme, said that 'asylum shopping' must end.

He said: 'Does (Chris Philp) agree that what's happening at the moment is essentially a form of asylum shopping where people claim asylum in the first country they reach and then they move to another and claim asylum again?

'They keep claiming asylum instead of securing the first safe country, they keep coming to the UK where they believe we have a more favourable asylum system. Asylum shopping needs to end, does he agree with that?'

Mr Philp responded: '(Mr Bell) is absolutely right - people who are genuinely seeking a safe refuge could and should claim that refuge in the first country they reach.'

Chris Philp said he 'wholeheartedly' condemns violent far-right groups who are targeting those who arrive in the UK having crossed the Channel.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield, for Canterbury, said: 'Given the recent, very violent assault on a young man who had just landed on a Kent beach, and the planned protest by far-right groups in Kent as reported in several broadsheet newspapers, what extra support is (Home Secretary Priti Patel) offering policing in Kent to ensure the safety of all those who seek asylum in our country?

Another group of migrants was seen walking up a hill after landing at St Margaret's at Cliffe near Dover today

The family group walked up the cliffs near Dover following their crossing over the English Channel this morning

The group of migrants sit on a park bench after arriving at St Margaret's at Cliffe today following their crossing

The woman gets some rest after the family arrive in St Margaret's at Cliffe following their Channel crossing

The family were caught at the top of the hill after climbing up from the beach in St Margaret's at Cliffe this morning

A separate group of migrants arrive on the beach at St Margaret's at Cliffe this morning following their Channel crossing

'And will (Mr Philp) join me in telling those hate-driven violent groups that make their way to Kent to come back to where they come from?'

Mr Philp responded: 'Yes I will join her in condemning wholeheartedly and unreservedly the groups she's describing who have targeted migrants in this way.

'There is no excuse at all under any circumstances for harassing people who have arrived whatever someone's views may be about the immigration system.

'There is no excuse, no justification. The police have our full support in dealing with anyone who perpetrates violent offences or indeed harassment offences of the kind she described.'

The Coastguard said it had been 'assisting Border Force with incidents off Dover' today, with a spokesman adding: 'HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.

'We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.'

Meanwhile, French authorities picked up 13 migrants in three separate incidents yesterday, which included two people on a kayak who were spotted in difficulty by a ferry two miles east of Calais.

A record number of migrants reached Britain by illegally crossing the Channel last month. More than 1,450 arrived by small boats in August, bringing the total since the start of the year to more than 5,000.

French police bring migrants back to the shore after rescuing them when their boat encountered difficulties off Calais today

French police assist migrants rescued after their boat got into trouble during an attempted crossing off Calais today

The migrants at Calais sit down after French police rescued them when their makeshift ship encountered difficulties today

In January 2020 just 94 migrants successfully made it to the UK across the Channel, but there were at least 1,450 last month

This graphic shows how the relative proportion of positive responses to asylum applications across Europe

Just 1,850 migrants made the journey in 2019. The massive rise comes despite a vow from Home Secretary Priti Patel last autumn to have made the crossings an 'infrequent phenomenon' by this point.

The Home Office has sought to blame French authorities and 'activist lawyers' for the increase and for difficulties removing asylum seekers once they arrive in Britain.

About 100 migrants were seen arriving in the port of Dover yesterday, with at least 15 small boats reaching British shores. The daily total included women and children, as well as three men on an inflatable kayak.

One woman in her 20s was seen being brought ashore by Border Force officers in a wheelchair. Others were brought into Dover aboard the UK Border Force patrol boat Hunter.

They were seen being ushered out of the cabin on to the stern of the vessel where they were given life jackets. Immigration officials then helped them ashore one by one and escorted them up the gangway.

A dinghy believed to have been used to cross the Channel was seen being towed into the harbour shortly afterwards. Later, more arrivals were seen coming into the port, sitting on the front of an RNLI lifeboat.

About a dozen in life jackets were helped ashore and met by border officials. The previous monthly record for migrant arrivals was 1,075, in July. August's arrivals saw 235 reach Britain on just one day, which was also a record.

Miss Patel is seeking a deal with French authorities that would allow migrant boats to be turned back in the Channel. Yesterday, the Mail revealed the taxpayer was hit with a 1billion bill for the asylum system last year.
Guwahati: A massive polarisation exercise has started in Nagaland where almost all tribal bodies, in tune with civil society sentiments, are raising pressure for an early Naga peace accord, with or without the NSCN (I-M).

This was more visible on Tuesday when one of the most powerful, the Nagaland GB (Gaon Burahs) Federation, wrote a hard-hitting letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging a political solution for Nagaland by the end of September.

The Nagaland GB Federations letter comes close on the heels of a mega political initiative by the Opposition Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), led by former chief minister T.R. Zeliang, who held a consultative meeting with the NSCN (I-M) led by its chairman Q. Tuccu on Monday and urged the NSCN (I-M) to be more accommodative with the other Naga political groups, while assuring that it would continue to play the role of an active facilitator.

The NPF has not only raised serious questions over the role of Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, known for his close proximity with NSCN (I-M) leader Th Muivah, but also roped in the Naga National Political Group working committee for consultations.
(CNN)  Samsung's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong may be headed back to prison.

Lee, the billionaire Samsung vice chairman and son of ailing chairman Lee Kun-hee, was indicted on Tuesday over a controversial 2015 merger that helped him tighten control over the company.

Seoul's Central District Prosecutors' Office said at a briefing that 11 executives from Samsung, including Lee, have been indicted on charges including illegal transactions, stock manipulation and perjury. Lee and the executives were indicted without detention, which means they weren't taken into custody.

Lawyers for Samsung denied the charges, saying in a statement that they are "one-sided claims by the investigation team that are not based on evidence and law, and by no means true."

Lee, who is also known as Jay Y. Lee, was previously found guilty of bribery and other corruption charges in 2017. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but walked free after less than a year when an appeals court threw out some of the charges and suspended his sentence.

That case was dubbed the "trial of the century," and it gripped South Korea for months. It was part of a huge influence-peddling scandal that brought down the government of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Last August, South Korea's top court ordered a new trial for Lee, reigniting the bribery allegations and raising concerns that the technology scion could be sent back to prison. That case is still ongoing.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries was undertaken in a manner that allegedly benefited Lee and allowed him to gain a tighter grip on Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of his family's sprawling conglomerate.

During the merger, prosecutors allege that Lee and his executives illegally spread false information, conducted illegal lobbying and manipulated stock prices.

But Samsung's lawyers say that interrogations and previous related cases have confirmed that the merger was done in compliance with government regulations.

The latest investigation was conducted "with the aim of prosecuting Lee Jae-yong from the beginning, rather than seeking the actual truth according to evidence," the lawyers said.

Samsung is South Korea's biggest conglomerate. Its combined businesses are estimated to account for around 15% of the country's entire economy. Samsung Electronics, the biggest part of the group, is one of the world's leading smartphone makers and a vital supplier of memory chips and display screens.

Shares in Samsung Electronics ended the day up 0.4%.

Lee has been the de facto leader of Samsung since his father was left incapacitated by a heart attack in 2014.

Earlier this year, the billionaire said that he would not be handing the management of Samsung Group over to his children. He also apologized for shortcomings in his leadership of the company, acknowledging that Samsung has "failed, at times, to meet society's expectations."

Sherisse Pham contributed to this report.
Kanye West claimed in a new interciew that 'God' told him to interrupt Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009.

The 43-year-old rapper infamously ran on stage at the music awards ceremony over a decade ago whilst Taylor - who was just 19 at the time - was accepting the award for Best Female Video for her song You Belong With Me because he believed Beyonce deserved the trophy instead.

He said at the time: 'Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!'

Divine intervention: Kanye West, shown in November in New York City, claimed on Tuesday that 'God' told him to interrupt Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009

West in an interview released Tuesday claimed his actions - which sparked a lengthy feud between himself and 30-year-old Taylor - were the result of a higher power 'giving [him] the information'.

He said: 'Right now, God is giving me the information  If God ain't want me to run on stage and say Beyonce had the best video, he wouldn't have sat me in the front row. I would've been sitting in the back. It wouldn't have made it so ridiculous of an idea because I had never heard of this person before, and Single Ladies is, like, one of the greatest videos of all time. And I was only drinking Hennessy because I didn't want to go to the awards show because it was a set-up.'

Although the rapper said it was God who influenced his decisions in 2009, he claims he didn't start to 'read the Bible' until after his hospitalization in 2016 for psychiatric observation and treatment of temporary psychosis.

West added: 'God brought me to my knees multiple times. The first time that I was put into the hospital in 2016, I actually started reading the bible. That was part of what God hit me with. You know, God has a calling on all of us and he uses us in different ways.'

Music video: The 43-year-old rapper infamously ran on stage at the music awards ceremony over a decade ago whilst Taylor - who was just 19 at the time - was accepting the award for Best Female Video for her song You Belong With Me because he favored Beyonce's video

West also insisted that he doesn't want his newfound connection to God to appear 'uncool' with his fans.

Speaking to Nick Cannon, 39, for an episode of his 'Cannon's Class' podcast, the 'Bound 2' hitmaker - who plans to run for President of the United States in this year's election - said: 'I'm not gonna lie to you, I like being cool. I didn't go into an environment to come off uncool.'

West has sued the West Virginia Secretary of States Office after being told his bid to get on the ballot for president came up short on qualified signatures.

Presidential candidate: West, shown in July at his first presidential rally in South Carolina, has sued the West Virginia Secretary of States Office after being told his bid to get on the ballot for president came up short on qualified signatures

Secretary of State Mac Warners office told news outlets last month that West needed 7,144 signatures from registered voters in West Virginia. West submitted 15,000 signatures, but only 6,383 were confirmed, according to Secretary of State spokesperson Mike Queen.

The lawsuit said that West did not have a chance to challenge that decision before a drawing for order of names appearing on the ballot, WSAZ-TV reported Monday. The lawsuit requests an emergency hearing date and a ruling that would allow his name to be listed.

West announced a presidential bid in July, saying hes seeking the nations highest office on a ticket he calls the Birthday Party.

The rapper and husband of reality star Kim Kardashian, 39, has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states.
Lady Amelia Windsor cut a casual figure as she was spotted holding a bouquet of flowers in London today.

The royal, 24, who is 39th in line to the British throne, looked picture perfect in a long black and white patterned dress, which she paired with a cropped white denim jacket.

Clutching her phone in one hand, Amelia, who opted to wear her blonde hair down, could be seen tightly holding the strap of her stylish rattan shoulder bag with the other.

Ever stylish, the heiress and model put on a fashionable display in a pair of leopard print trainers - and was seen with a face mask hooked around her ears.

Lady Amelia Windsor, 24, cut a casual figure as she was spotted holding a bouquet of flowers in London (pictured)

The royal opted for a long black and white patterned dress, which she paired with a cropped white denim jacket (pictured)

Her appearance comes weeks after she joined her sister Lady Marina, 26, for a sun-soaked Scottish staycation amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amelia, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, shared a host of pictures from her holiday to the Highlands with her Instagram followers, including a snap as she lapped up the rays.

The royal has only recently returned to London having fled to her parents' house in Cambridge in late March for the coronavirus lockdown,

Amelia, who has been dubbed Britain's most beautiful royal by Tatler, has shared a number of holiday snaps on her Instagram account, where she has 84,000 followers.

In one, she showed off her tan as she posed outside a small cottage while in another, she cuddled up with another holidaymaker, Minna Kerr.

Lady Amelia's elder sister Marina, who attends Cambridge university, also joined her on the holiday, and could be seen beaming as she posed for a snap with a friend.

The socialite, who spent lockdown at her parent's house in Cambridgeshire, appeared relaxed as she enjoyed the getaway with friends

Amelia Windsor, 24, who is 39th in line to the throne, has been showing off snaps from her Scottish staycation amid the coronavirus pandemic

Meanwhile, the royal also showed off an incredible dining table covered in colourful decorations and candles.

Amelia has modelled for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and designed her own range of accessories in collaboration with Penelope Chilvers.

She is represented by Storm models, which also looks after the likes of Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne.

Additionally she has been named as a contributing editor in Tatler Magazine, and reportedly interned at jewellery house Bulgari, during her time studying at Edinburgh university.

Despite most of the royals keeping their private life off social media, Amelia is a big fan of Instagram and regularly shares glimpses at her glamorous life with her followers.

Lady Amelia has a blossoming following of 83,700 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posts snaps from glamorous fashion events, as well as her adventures exploring trendy parts of the capital.

She has previously suggested that her Instagram account is just a snapshot of her life, with the eco-friendly royal revealing she tries to live as sustainably as possible and often borrows clothes from brands for events.
Delhi HC refuses to stay release of movie 'Nyay: The Justice', purportedly based on Sushant Singh Rajput's lif

Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far

Relief for Rhea Chakraborty, Court allows de-freezing of actress' bank accounts after a year

At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar

Rhea Chakraborty's father Indrajeet called for questioning by CBI for second day

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Mumbai, Sep 02: Actress Rhea Chakraborty''s father was called for questioning by the CBI for the second consecutive day on Wednesday in connection with the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, a police official said.

The 28-year-old actress and her family members are accused of abetting the suicide of Rajput (34), who was found hanging in his flat in suburban Bandra on June 14.

Her father Indrajeet Chakraborty reached the DRDO guest house in suburban Kalina, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team is stationed, around 10.30 am in a car escorted by a police vehicle, the official said.

Sushant Singh probe: BJP leader seeks dope test on actors

Rajput''s manager Samuel Miranda, his cook Neeraj Singh, house staff Keshav and business manager Shruti Modi also reached the guest house in the morning, he said.

Rhea Chakraborty, her brother and mother have not been summoned on Wednesday so far, the official said.

On Tuesday, the probe team questioned the actress''s father and mother for over eight hours in connection with the case.

The actress was earlier questioned for around 35 hours over four days from last Friday till Monday.

Rajput was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 following which the Mumbai Police registered a case of accidental death.

The late filmstar''s father subsequently filed a police complaint in Patna, accusing Rhea Chakraborty and her family of abetting his suicide and misappropriating his money.

The Supreme Court last week upheld the transfer of the FIR lodged in Patna to the central agency.

The CBI has so far remained tight-lipped about details of its probe into the high-profile case which has been hogging media limelight.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 11:56 [IST]
Kabul, Sep 2 : At least 37 militants were killed in airstrikes that targeted Taliban gatherings in Afghanistan's Faryab province on Wednesday, an army spokesman said.

"Acting on a tip-off, the fighter planes struck the gatherings in the restive Qaysar and Khawja Sabzposh districts early Wednesday morning, killing 37 including notorious commanders Mullah Sadiq, Mullah Basir and Faizullah on the spot," the spokesman told Xinhua.

More than a dozen others sustained injuries in the air raids, he added.

Describing the strikes as "pre-emptive action", the spokesman contended that the Taliban fighters had gathered for chalking out plans to stormed security checkpoints in the districts.

Taliban militants who are operational in parts of Faryab province with Maimana as its capital 425 km northwest of Kabul, are yet to comment.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he tours an area affected by civil unrest in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Kenosha Residents Decry Violence, Look for Healing After Riots

'We have to love each other, not judge one another and point fingers at one another,' one resident says

KENOSHA, Wis.John Sherock, a local resident who runs his own cleaning service, says hes appalled by the recent riots in Kenosha and baffled as to why many seemed not to care about the property damage or livelihoods being ruined.

Sherock, who said he has no political affiliation, was among a crowd of pro-Trump sign holders, standing opposite a group of people wearing clothing supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, near the Kenosha County Courthouse.

Similar groups were gathered at most intersections in the city ahead of President Donald Trumps Sept. 1 visit to Kenosha. Among others with the president were acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Attorney General William Barr, and Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis.

I see darkness, Sherock told The Epoch Times on Sept. 1. I think its really wrong.  People are coming from other cities and destroying those cities. They have identified those arrested and they were mostly all out of state.

John Sherock, a Wisconsin resident near the Kenosha County Courthouse on Sept. 1. (Bowen Xiao/The Epoch Times)

During a community safety roundtable in Kenosha on Sept. 1, Barr denounced the violence in the city of 100,000, saying it was another hijacking of protests by a hardcore group of radicals.

These are the same people, many of them who came from out of town. Out of 175 arrests, 100 were from out of town, Barr said. These are the same people using the same tactics that have been used in various cities: Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, now Kenosha, Portland.

And they use these black-bloc tactics, throwing projectiles at police and literally trying to inflict injuries on police, arson, and rioting.

Sherock said he came to the event to spread spiritual positivity, and said he respects those individuals who are seeking peace and unity, but that overall some groups are doing it in the wrong way. He pointed out the many outside the courthouse who were yelling obscenities at pro-Trump supporters.

We have to love each other, not judge one another and point fingers at one another, he said.

Michael Beal, a protester from Milwaukee, said he felt like he needed to travel to Kenosha due to the unrest across the country, and criticized Trump for visiting at this time.

I think it was to fan the flames more than anything else, he told The Epoch Times. I dont feel like it was in the interest of bringing unity, bringing people together.

Trump flew to Illinois and then was driven across state lines into Wisconsin to survey the damage on the city inflicted by rioters in the days following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

After touring buildings reduced to rubble by fires, Trump told a group of business owners and managers: Were going to work with you. Were going to help you, OK? Well help you rebuild.

Its a great area. Its a great state. This should never happen. A thing like this should never happen.

Trump sent federal officers to Kenosha, but only after a few days of rioting, a delay he blamed on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat. The president said his administration would provide economic aid in addition to help with law enforcement.

Terry Schimke, a Trump supporter who traveled to Kenosha from Milwaukee, criticized the state authorities, saying they could have done more to stop the rioters.

Its devastating, its a tragedy that the local government and the state government did not prevent this from happening, Schimke told The Epoch Times.

Schimke was among the group outside the Kenosha County Courthouse who came to show support for the presidents visit.

In America, we have the right to protest, but when violence comes in, its not a protest anymore, he said. They are damaging private property, they are causing injury to the people and cities, ruining businesses.

Schimke said he does believe theres an element of racism that should be dealt with, but he doesnt believe the riots are the right way to go about it.

Prior to Trumps visit, Evers had urged the president not to visit the city, claiming an in-person appearance would lead to further divisiveness. Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, a Democrat, also said Trump shouldnt visit.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  A major two-year reconstruction project for East Cedar Street is expected to start in late October.

At its Tuesday evening general meeting, which was held over Zoom, Bristol Tennessee City Council enthusiastically voted to award a bid for the reconstruction of East Cedar Street and enter an engineering services agreement for the project.

The road reconstruction project will occur along the 1.21-mile section of East Cedar Street that runs from Fifth Street to King College Road. The city awarded the $8.99 million reconstruction bid for the project to Bakers Services Inc. of Bluff City. Mattern & Craig Inc. of Johnson City will provide engineering services for the project with costs not to exceed $389,000. However, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will pay for the lions share, 80%, of the cost for reconstruction and engineering services. The city will use $1.49 million from general obligation bonds the city had issued in 2015 and $381,088 from its general fund to pay for its share of project costs.

Council unanimously approved moving forward with the project, and Councilwoman Lea Powers said it was needed.

I think its something we can all get really excited about; aesthetically, its going to greatly improve that artery for our city, and its a safety issue, as well, Powers said.

Councilwoman Margaret Feierabend said this project, which started more than a decade ago, has been a long time coming.

I think this may be the biggest city street project in quite a few years other than 394 Highway, Feierabend said.

Tim Beavers, director of developmental services for the city, said a preconstruction meeting will be held later this month to determine the exact date construction will begin, but he expects it will start sometime in late October. Beavers said that, once started, the project would be completed in a series of phases that would take roughly two years total. He added the city will have a dedicated website or webpage for the project with updates to keep the public updated on how construction will affect traffic routes.

The project includes widening of both lanes to 12 feet and adding 5-foot-wide sidewalks along both sides of the roadway. Additional turn lanes will be added where the street intersects with Fifth Street and Virginia Avenue. The alterations will also be made to the intersections of Georgia Avenue and Kentucky Avenue to increase the distance motorists can see incoming vehicles. Lastly, the S-curve located between Golf Street and Halverstadt Drive will be realigned to lessen the curvature of the road.

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More than a dozen Sarah Lawrence alumni have accused British comedian James Veitch of sexual assault and rape during the time he attended the school as a graduate student over a decade ago.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a group of women who claim to be his former victims formed a network over Facebook to shares their stories.

As a result of allegations, Veitch, 40, was dropped by his agency WME and HBO Max has pulled the rising star's special from its platform.

More than a dozen Sarah Lawrence alumni have accused British comedian James Veitch of sexual assault and rape during the time he was a graduate student over a decade ago

'We were deeply disturbed to learn of these allegations of unacceptable behavior by James Veitch and will be removing the special from our platform for now,' HBO Max told DailyMail.com.

While not a household name, Veitch's fame was rising after his 2016 TED Talk 'The is What Happens When You Respond to Spam E-mail' went viral. It has since been viewed 55million times.

He also appeared on the Conan O'Brien show in 2017 and O'Brien went on to serve as an executive producer on Veitch's HBO Max stand-up special.

'Team Coco takes these allegations very seriously and supports HBO Max's decision,' a spokesperson for O'Brien's production company said.

HBO Max, WME and Team Coco were first made aware of the allegations in August when two Sarah Lawrence alumni, Aston Hollins McClanahan and Jael Simonson-Tunic, emailed them detailing the claims.

McClanahan alleges she had an encounter with Veitch in 2010, when she says she was forced to flee his apartment after he tried to rip her clothes off.

Simonson-Tunic claims she witnessed him asking an undergraduate student playing a child to pretend she was having an orgasm while preparing for a 2009 production.

The pair gathered the information on the claims from a Facebook group named 'James Veitch is a Piece of S***,' which was started by fellow comedian Kristen Gull back in 2017 after Veitch appeared on Conan.

Gull told The Hollywood Reporter that she had been angered to see Veitch on the show, knowing her own experience with him when she was a freshman.

She said that he had bought her a bottle of gin after she told him she wasn't old enough to drink and he made repeated attempts to kiss her.

Gull claims that she was able to rebuff his advances but she had heard of other worse stories and wanted a space for women to share their accounts.

More than a dozen Sarah Lawrence alumni have made claims against Veitch

The group did not immediately gain much traction but was rekindled as the HBO special grew closer.

'Our little network started bringing in stories left and right. In just that first couple of days, I think I got three stories of rape and two of assault,' Simonson-Tunic said.

'What kept me going was my connection to these women  every woman that I talked to that first day I knew personally.'

Among the rape claims was one from a woman named Julie Tackett who wrote on the Facebook page that she was raped by Veitch in May 2008 when she was 20 years old.

She said that she went to his apartment expecting a sexual encounter but that Veitch anally raped her.

Veitch, 40, was dropped by his agency WME and HBO Max has pulled the rising star's special from its platform

'I remember rushing to the bathroom: the dress was white, and I didn't want the blood to stain it on the train ride home,' she wrote.

Tackett added that tried to convince herself there had been a misunderstanding.

'I had flirted too much,' she said.

'I had had too much to drink with dinner. I had said something I couldn't remember, which must have been the secret handshake that invited rape.'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a former boyfriend confirms Tackett told him several times over the course of years that Veitch had assaulted her.

Anna Thorn claims she was also a 20-year-old when she tried to break off a relationship she was having with Veitch and agreed to stay with him one more night on the understanding they would not have sex.

'He wheedled, he tried charm,' she wrote.

'I turned my back and said no, clearly and repeatedly. Naively, I thought of 'no' as a sacrosanct, powerful word.  But he turned me around, pinned my hands, and pulled my underwear down. He shoved my legs open and physically forced me to have sex. It was painful and shocking. I screamed.'

The Hollywood Reporter states they also confirmed with a friend that Thorn had previously told them about the alleged rape.

Another woman only named Hannah detailed a third alleged rape incident.

'People peeled off from the group one by one until it was just me, James, and another woman from our class,' she wrote.

'I was very, very drunk  blacking in and out  and remember James kissing this other woman and then pushing her head toward me to make us kiss. She pulled away, laughed, and left, told him to make sure I got home safe.'

Following this, she claimed Veitch gave her more wine.

'The next thing I knew, he was on top of me, having sex with me, without a condom. I tried to push him off but I was too drunk to do anything meaningful. He finished and I stumbled out of there,' she said.

'I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.'

The women state that no sexual misconduct reports were made to the college but claim that Veitch was notorious on campus, with even a security guard commenting to one student 'Oh, that creep? I am so sick of his s**t'.

'It makes me mad at my college, that I love a lot,' Gull said of the school's alleged inaction.

Sarah Lawrence confirmed with DailyMail.com that no allegations of sexual assault by Veitch were reported to the college.

'The alleged misconduct outlined in the article is reprehensible and Sarah Lawrence is proud of its alumnae and their courage to come forward, and heartbroken to learn of reports of such terrible events,' a spokesperson said.

At the time of all the allegations, Veitch would have been a graduate student and close to 30.

DailyMail.com made attempts to contact him over the claims. He has not yet publicly commented.
Met Eireann has announced a status yellow rainfall warning for eight counties, with the UK Met Office announcing a warning for two more.

The warning came into effect at 10am and will remain in place until 9pm this evening.

It is in place for all of Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.

The forecaster warned: Further falls of heavy rain today with localised flooding and hazardous driving conditions.

The UK Met Office has also issued status yellow rainfall warnings for Armagh and Down.

The warning is in place until 11.59pm this evening and the heavy rain will cause some flooding and travel disruption.

The news comes as flooding impacted Galway after heavy rain last night.

People being evacuated from their homes in #Clifden floods pic.twitter.com/uQM5NPKjpI  Judith Faherty (@JudithFaherty) September 2, 2020

Garadi said that "flooding from the Owenglin river has caused the temporary closure of parts of Clifden town".

They added: "Bridge Street is currently closed off and a small number of residents have been evacuated.

"Motorists are advised to avoid Clifden Town and to use alternative routes if travelling to Roundstone and Ballyconneely."

Gardai and emergency services are on the scene.

Earlier, hundreds of students were sent home early from school due to the flooding.

Secondary school students at Clifden Community School and pupils at Scoil Mhuire NS were sent home early following Garda advice.

AA Roadwatch has reported flooding in the area causing road closures.

The N59 is closed in both directions at Kylemore due to flooding, they said.

Just east of Clifden itself, the N59 is down to one lane due to flooding at Waterloo Bridge, and traffic is slow both ways on approach.

Further east of here the N59 is down to one lane at Recess, also due to flooding.

They have urged motorists to take extra caution travelling on this route.

National weather

In the south and the east, spells of rain in the morning will lead to drier weather this afternoon.

However, rain in Connacht and Ulster and will spread southeastwards this evening.

Thursday will be a bright day with sunny spells and scattered showers, according to Met Eireann, with the showers most frequent in the west and north.

The weekend is expected to be mixed with a breezy and showery weather regime predicted.

On Friday, there will be sunny spells and scattered showers.

The showers will frequent in Connacht and Ulster but be more isolated elsewhere.

Saturday will be a similar day with any showers spreading eastwards across the country.

Met Eireann said that current indications for Sunday suggest some heavy showers are possible in western areas on Sunday but with good sunshine between the showers.
The Venice Film Festival opened Wednesday with a tribute to those who lost their lives from coronavirus as the event sought to kickstart the industry still reeling from the effects of the crisis.

The festival, rolling out on the glitzy beachfront Lido through September 12, is the first major international festival to take place since COVID-19 shuttered theatres, halted production and drove millions of moviegoers around the world to their television sets.

Although the scaled-down event will offer less red-carpet glamour this year, with most of Hollywood's A-listers staying away due to travel restrictions, organisers hope the movies themselves will take centre stage as the film industry makes tentative steps to regain its footing.

President of the jury Australian actress Cate Blanchett, dressed in a sparkling black gown with dramatic white trim, saluted the work of the festival's organisers at the opening ceremony.

"We are here and we did it," said Blanchett in Italian, before switching into English.

"Being here tonight seems like some kind of wonderous miracle," said the Academy Award-winning actress, her jury seated in the theatre's first row of seats due to coronavirus regulations.

Italian actress Anna Foglietta, host of the ceremony, gave an impassioned tribute to the victims of coronavirus and the doctors, nurses and medical professionals who sought to save lives during the pandemic, which has killed over 35,000 people in Italy.

- Strangers in the dark -

The festival held annually on the swanky Lido -- which over the decades has attracted celebrity heavyweights from Sophia Loren to George Clooney -- will this year award its top prize, the Golden Lion, to one of 18 films in the main competition.

Earlier in the day at a news conference, Blanchett saluted the "infinite creativity and resilience" of film-makers during the coronavirus lockdown.

Story continues

"Over the last few months... in our isolated bubbles we've been sustained by streaming images and stories into our living rooms, but I think there has been a vital component that's been missing and that's back here tonight," she said.

"Strangers gathering in the dark in anticipation of a collective experience, an event."

British actress Tilda Swinton garnered a standing ovation as she received a lifetime achievement award from the festival.

"Cinema is my happy place, it's my true motherland," said Swinton.

Opening the festival, but out of the main competition, was "Lacci" by Italian director Daniele Luchetti, the story of a family unravelling and the ties that nevertheless continue to bind and wound.

- Opening jitters -

Organisers of the festival are taking a high-risk bet that they can safely run the festival despite coronavirus cases on the rise in Italy and neighbouring European countries.

Strict safety measures are in place, from mask wearing to social distancing within cinemas, to the decision to ban fans from the red carpet.

On Tuesday, workers finished last-minute projects, as dozens of red safety signs were installed throughout the venue, underscoring the peculiarity of this year's event.

Festival Director Alberto Barbera acknowledged some jitters on the eve of the opening.

"I'm excited and I'm a little bit anxious," Barbera, neatly turned out in a pressed blue suit despite the heat, told AFP on Tuesday.

In May, Barbera made the decision to go ahead with "La Mostra" -- now in its 77th year -- despite film festivals around the world opting to cancel, including Venice's French rival, the Cannes Film Festival.

"We feel a responsibility to be the first. We knew Venice will be sort of a test for everyone," he said.

About 6,000 people are expected to turn out this year -- about half the festival's usual number -- as border restrictions around the globe have limited the ability of many to travel.

Fans hoping to get an autograph or snap a selfie with their favourite stars are likely to be disappointed, however. The red carpet now includes a newly erected wall in the spot where fans have always congregated behind barriers to watch the parade of celebrities.

ams/har
Two new large developments are being planned in Red Bank, both on Dayton Boulevard. One will be housing, the other will be chosen from ideas coming from various developers, for the best use of the old Red Bank Middle School Property. The Request for Proposal was released on Monday. Information about the RFP will be on the citys website.

At the commission meeting on Monday night, a public hearing was held for a special exemption permit application from Green Tech Homes for a Planned Unit Development at 5005 Dayton Blvd. Chris Anderson, director of development at Green Tech Homes, said a PUD for this property, which is roughly 26 acres, will have 68 lots for single family homes. That includes 58 houses and 10 townhomes. Some of the property will not be built on and will become common-use areas.

Approval authorizing the issuance of the special exceptions permit for this property came with three conditions. The planning commission will have the ability to approve minor changes but any major changes must be approved by the city council. No building permits will be issued until the final PUD plan is approved and recorded. And If no construction has started in 12 months or if a time extension has not been obtained by the developer, the special exceptions permit will expire.

The contract between the city of Red Bank, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation was amended to extend the expiration date from Dec. 3, 2020 to April 30, 2021 for completing the sidewalks that are being built along Ashland Terrace from Tacoma Avenue to Knollwood Drive and along Dayton Boulevard from Newberry to Greenleaf Street.

The city is ready to begin paving for the year. A resolution passed that authorizes no more than $1,191,205.50 for Talley Construction to pave 23 secondary roads throughout the city.

Another agreement was approved between Red Bank and Kleenco Construction of Tennessee, Inc. to pave the lot at 3121 Dayton Blvd. between the fire station and police station to use for added parking. This contract will also include making ADA (Americans with Disabilities) upgrades to the police department building. The work will be done for an amount not to exceed $109,758. Money for this work will come from the $23,000 gift to Red Bank this year, from the Red Bank and Soddy Daisy Foundation and a TDOT transportation improvement grant.

The commissioners approved for Police Chief Dan Seymour to sign an agreement between Red Bank and the US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force for South Tennessee. The purpose will be to disrupt drug trafficking and for doing drug related undercover work.

Another resolution on Thursday night adopted the TDOT Local Government Guidelines for consultant and selection policy. This will give the city guidelines for how consultants for a variety of projects. should be selected.

Property in the possession of the police department cannot be disposed of unless it is declared surplus. At the meeting, excess property from the police department was declared surplus so it can now be sold or traded.

In her mayors report Ruth Jeno announced a new Free Little Library that has been put at 115 Lynda Drive by Deanna Beasley and her son. She also reported that the Red Bank Food Pantry served 400 individuals on the last day it was opened. The next day it is opened will be Thursday Sept. 5 and Friday, Sept. 6. It continues to be operated as a drive through.
Bridgeport Hospital / Contributed

MILFORD  The Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital, 300 Seaview Ave., will join several community partners from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in presenting the virtual forum COVID-19 Safety Strategies in Our Town.

Panelists include speakers from Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus, the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Milford Senior Center, Bridges Healthcare and the United Way of Milford.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Indianapolis-based BrightDrop Virtual Assistants announced it has hired its 100th full-time virtual assistant to support a growing client base in the U.S. and Australia.

BrightDrop, which provides business process outsourcing services through a home-based team of agents located primarily in the Philippines, has seen a surge in recent business as work-from-home positions become increasing accepted worldwide.

"Getting here hasn't been easy, but we are ecstatic to finally achieve this goal. It's something that has been on the radar for quite some time now," said Andy Drake, BrightDrop's Director of Business Development.

Conceived in 2014 by the company's CEO Mark Elmerick to handle simple back-office tasks for small businesses during the overnight hours, BrightDrop has since expanded into providing 24/7 customer service teams to leading companies in the life insurance, automotive and online retail industries, just to name a few.

"We're increasingly taking on larger and more sophisticated clients who want to know that BrightDrop can scale with them" says Elmerick. "Over the last couple years, we've invested significantly in internal systems that allow us to grow with our clients and to continuously provide the best talent in the industry at the best prices."

Elmerick believes BrightDrop is poised to continue its growth as a leading provider of home-based BPO services both during and after the global pandemic. "Home-based BPO is what we know," says Elmerick. "It's the best way to keep employees safe during these challenging times, while also looking out for the bottom line of our clients."

So what's next for BrightDrop? Drake says BrightDrop will continue to focus on the needs of its clients. "Our approach is simple. We aim to provide our clients with the best talent & the best service on the market. And when we do that consistently, it's the best recipe for success."

About BrightDrop Virtual Assistants, LLC

BrightDrop Virtual Assistants (www.brightdrop.com) is trusted by industry leaders to provide world class voice, email and chat support and business development services. Based in Indianapolis, IN, BrightDrop prides itself in hiring the most talented & experienced virtual assistants. Through a rigorous hiring process, a client-first approach and a tremendous appreciation for its team members, BrightDrop has built a reputation for getting the job done.

Media contact:



Paula Rival, BrightDrop Virtual Assistants

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (800) 263.6532

SOURCE BrightDrop Virtual Assistants, LLC

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A Michigan school district accused of failing to stop a teenager from being bullied settled a lawsuit over his suicide for $500,000, a newspaper reported.

Michael Martin, a 13-year-old student at Lansing Everett High School, took his own life in 2019 after his parents said he suffered from months of teasing and abuse by his peers.

A lawsuit filed by his family was settled last year, the Lansing State Journal reported, citing public records.

Michael's mother, Joanna Wohlfert, said she asked school staff and a bus company for help in addressing bullying but they failed to take action.

The settlement included $332,182 for Michaels estate and $167,818 for lawyers.

Michael Martin died in hospital on January 25, 2019 - just two days after the eighth-grader attempted suicide at his home in Lansing, Michigan

In the months leading up to his death, Michael was teased about his weight, glasses and braces, his friends revealed. They said he was also slammed against a lunchroom wall

As part of the settlement, the school district did not admit liability.

Wohlfert declined to comment. There was no immediate comment from the Lansing School District.

Students told an investigator that Michael was called names and shoved at school.

Teachers said they noticed a change in his behavior before his death and had asked the Everett administration to intervene.

Martin died in a hospital on January 25, 2019, just two days after the eighth-grader attempted suicide at his home in Lansing.

The teen's family say Michael had been bullied relentlessly on the bus and at Everett High School in the months prior to his death.

They have claimed that no one at his school tried to stop the bullying despite countless calls and emails from his mother trying to get him help.

Wohlfert said she contacted the school and Dean Transportation - the company responsible for the school bus - numerous times but they failed to respond.

The teen's family say Michael had been bullied relentlessly on the bus and at Everett High School in the months prior to his death but the school did nothing to help him. Lansing School District did not admit liability after settling the lawsuit

His mother claimed that the school also failed to investigate his absences and that he missed a total of six weeks.

She got attendance records from the school and found Michael's absences dated back to September 2018.

Wohlfert, in an interview with the Lansing State Journal, said Michael stopped attending classes in December of that year unless she was home to make sure he got on the bus or drove him herself.

Wohlfert said her son's friends later revealed that Michael was teased about his weight, glasses and braces.

They said he was also slammed against a lunchroom wall.

Wohlfert started contacting the school via email in November to ask for help given Michael's grades were slipping and he was missing class.

She said she went to the school and asked to meet with the assistant principal Priscilla Ellis. She also contacted the guidance counselor numerous times.

Ellis wrote back to an email on January 8, 2019, saying she had asked Michael for the names of the students bullying him and that she would accompany him to the bus to try and work out who was responsible.

The guidance counselor wrote to Wohlfert saying Michael refused to speak to her.

Wohlfert now believes her son was worried about potential retaliation if he gave up his bullies' names.

She said she also left at least three messages with the bus company in a bid to speak to the driver or supervisor about the bullying.

Wohlfert said she ended up taking her son to see a doctor on January 23 - the day he tried to take his life - and he was prescribed anti-depressants.

Student's at Michael's high school released blue and yellow balloons as a tribute to his life in February 2019 - a week after he died

She said the assistant principal visited Michael in hospital but the family asked her to leave.

'I felt like, "Why be there now? Why show your concern now? Why show that you care now?"' Wohlfert said.

'I've been reaching out and reaching out and reaching out. He was just not important to her. I just felt like it's too late.'

She said her son used to love going to school and would never dream of missing class.

His family have accused the school and bus company of failing to protect Michael and keep him safe.

They organized for students at the school to release balloons on Monday in honor of Michael.

Tributes from his family left on social media after his death described him as a 'kind kid who loved school'.

'Learning was something he genuinely enjoyed. He kept his head down and minded his own business. Michael kept his head down and didn't bother anyone. He was never mean to anyone,' one tribute read.

'Lansing School District FAILED to make sure a student of theirs were safe. Dean Transportation FAILED to make sure a student that rode their bus was safe. They never reached out to Michael nor his family. Because of this, Michael's family have to lay him to rest. They had to watch him take his last breath.'

Lansing Police said they are investigating the bullying in regards to Michael's suicide.

The Lansing School District has not commented because they are also investigating his death.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A de
China is seeking to set up more robust logistics facilities in about a dozen countries, including three in Indias neighbourhood, to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report.

In addition to the three neighbours of India  Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar  the other countries where China is considering to base its military logistics and infrastructure facilities are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday.

In its annual report Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) 2020 that was submitted to the US Congress, the Pentagon said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.

"A global PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRCs global military objectives evolve," the Pentagon said in the report.

China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, it said, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Seal Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.

Similarly, the Pentagon said, Beijing uses the One Belt One Road (OBOR) intitiative to support its strategy of national rejuvenation by seeking to expand global transportation and trade linkages to support its development and deepen its economic integration with nations along its periphery and beyond.

OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease Chinas reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca, it said.

China leverages the OBOR to invest in projects along Chinas western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders, the report said.

First announced in 2013, Chinas OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy advanced by President Xi Jinping.

According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.

"Host nations can perform an essential role in regulating the PRCs military operations as Chinese officials very likely recognise that a stable long-term relationship with the host nation is critical to the success of their military logistics facilities, it said.

Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training.

They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military.

In August 2017, China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti, on the horn of Africa.

Chinese Navy Marines are stationed at the base with wheeled armoured vehicles and artillery but are currently dependent on nearby commercial ports due to the lack of a pier on base, the report said.

Chinese personnel at the facility have interfered with US flights by lasing pilots and flying drones, and China has sought to restrict Djiboutian sovereign airspace over the base, the report said.

Beyond its base in Djibouti, China is very likely already considering and planning for additional military logistics facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces projection, the Pentagon report said.

The PLAs approach likely includes consideration of many different sites and outreach to many countries, but only some will advance to negotiations for an infrastructure agreement, status of forces or visiting forces agreement, and/or basing agreement, the report added.
Chinas treatment of Uighur minorities has been widely criticised across the world, and many international bodies have demanded action against the Chinese government.

Last week, Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for US presidential election, called the Chinese action a genocide. His campaign said the Biden stands strongly against it in strongest terms.

Biden also took the opportunity to lash out at his Reublican rival by questioning President Donald Trump what action his administration is planning to take.

Though Trump has criticised Beijing for the coronavirus crisis, and often called the Sars-CoV-2 China virus, he has also sought a trade pact. What he got was a mini trade deal last year, and the ties have since soured. So, Biden hose to score a political point in race to White House.

China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in remote Xinjiang region (where Uighurs mostly live) that it describes as vocational training centres to stamp out extremism and give people new skills. The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained.

Pakistan, which calls China its Iron Brother has so far remained silent on the issue.

In July this year, the Uighur Turks and other Muslim communities in China also protested Beijings action against the community. They asked asked the United Nations and other international organisations to put pressure on Beijing and investigate the acts of genocide perpetrated against the Uighurs.

Campaign for Uighurs, which works for the community and keeps highlighting their status in China, released a report titled Genocide in East Turkistan in which it listed instances where the Chinese government persecuted the embers of the minority community.

The report said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese government continues its oppression and persecution of Uighur Turks and other Muslim communities for its own political and economic interests.

The Chinese government sent 1.1 million Han Chinese cadres to East Turkistan to control the daily life of Uighurs. Their job is to stay in Uighur homes, share the same bed with them if necessary and to control all aspects of their daily lives, the report claimed.

In order to disrupt the Uighur family structure, the Beijing administration offers the Han Chinese money, jobs and free homes for these arranged marriages, it further claimed.
Franco-Cambodian film-maker Rithy Panh, whose family was killed by the Khmer Rouge said Wednesday he was neither sad, nor happy at the death of the regimes notorious torturer Duch.

But Panh, who has won a string of awards for his documentaries on the Khmer Rouge, stressed the need to preserve the memory of the genocide perpetrated by the regime in the mid- to late-1970.

This man, this butcher, I knew him well, 56-hear-old Panh told AFP. He was an extremely complex, intelligent and manipulative character.

But to be frank, and at the risk of shocking, I cant say that I hate him, nor that his death gives me pleasure.

Honestly, Im neither sad nor happy at his death. It doesnt interest me.

Kaing Guek Eav, 77, better known by his alias Duch, served as the head of the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in the late 1970s and was convicted of crimes against humanity in 2012 by a UN-backed tribunal for his role in the Killing Fields regime.

He died while serving his life sentence.

Panh was himself a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge regime, imprisoned at the age of 11 for four years before escaping and eventually making his way to France.

But his parents and sisters perished in the regimes camps.

Even after the death of Duch, the duty to document and preserve the memory of what happened remained, said Panh.

With his death, you might think that a page is turning  and its precisely against that that we have to fight.., he said.

The Khmer Rouge who are still alive, they continue to inject venom into Cambodian society by publishing untruths. We must not give them a free hand.

He added: It is essential to put the history of the Khmer Rouge in its context.

Without that work of remembrance, we will never be able to get over this history, which still haunts Cambodian society.

After losing almost all his family during the Khmer Rouge rule between 1975 and 1979, Panh went on to make a series of hard-hitting documentaries that helped break the silence surrounding the genocide.
Californias legislative session ended at midnight Monday  not that many will have noticed. Quarrelsome and quarantine-crossed, lawmakers largely failed to address the most pressing problems they faced.

They executed their most spectacular face-plant on housing. If a quarter of the nations homelessness werent motivation enough, the years other disasters amplified the housing crisis: shelter-in-place orders confronting unsheltered thousands; wildfires menacing exurban sprawl. Gov. Gavin Newsoms State of the State address all but declared 2020 the year of housing.

And yet a year that began with the Senate killing the sessions signature housing legislation, Sen. Scott Wieners SB50, ended with the Assembly sinking its pale substitute. While Wieners bill would have legalized mid-rise apartment buildings near mass transit and job centers, Senate leader Toni Atkins SB1120 would have incrementally eased single-family zoning to allow duplexes.

After much hyperventilating about the supposedly earth-shattering implications, the Assembly narrowly passed the bill with minutes left in the session  not enough time for the Senate to concur and send it to Newsom. Yes, apocalyptic predictions over letting folks build two homes instead of one, Wiener tweeted the day before. Is it any wonder so many Californians live in their cars?

Sacramentos main housing achievement was a stopgap restriction on pandemic-related evictions, a necessary but minimalist measure.

Lawmakers enjoyed a little more success on police reform, passing measures to require state investigations of some officer shootings and to prohibit choke holds. But bills to decertify wayward officers and disclose misconduct died  hardly the showing hoped for at a time of nationwide focus on law enforcement excesses.

The results were underwhelming enough that some lawmakers urged the governor to call a special session. Observers of the one just elapsed could be forgiven for wondering what good it would do.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
A presidential aide has assured religious bodies in the country that the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA) does not target churches, mosques and other religious bodies, as has been portrayed.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Ita Enang, gave the assurances on Tuesday during an interaction with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abuja.

The meeting was organised to enlighten the Christian body on the contentious provisions of the CAMA.

Mr Enang expressed displeasure that some politicians, especially those from the opposition, had wrongly characterised the intents and purposes of the Act, giving it as an anti-religious law.

He said the misconceptions that had trailed the Act had found their way in through deliberate misinformation, explaining also that some had intended to blackmail President Muhammadu Buhari with it.

He said that the president was not the sponsor and had on previous occasions withheld assent when he was not convinced it was good enough for Nigeria.

Misconceptions have enveloped this Act with deliberate misinformation and falsehood by persons who may not have fully and in-fact personally read and digested the provision of the Act.

We consider it appropriate and responsible to appear before you and other fora to make these explanations.

First, the bill as it then was, was not an executive bill transmitted by President Buhari to the legislature.

It was initiated by a senator and member of the House in the respective chambers, at the behest of the Corporate Affairs Commission and support of the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

It was therefore not an executive bill, but upon passage was transmitted to Mr President for assent.

Secondly, upon receipt of same for assent, Mr President in accordance with extant best practice escalated the measure to appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

They made different inputs some of which led to Mr President declining assent twice to the bill in the entire tenure or life of the 8th Assembly.

Thirdly, as the 9th Assembly inaugurated, the bill was again re-introduced by senators and honourable members and all the observations made on the 8th Assembly bill incorporated and addressed.

Without any amendment or insertion and in whole passed by the two chambers and being without differences was transmitted to Mr President for assent.

It is pertinent to state that prior to this Act, Incorporated Trustees or Law of Trust was regulated by the COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTER ACT, 1990, now repealed by the 2020 CAMA.

This shows that trusteeship as now complained of was regulated by an Act which has been in existence for 30 years.

We want to declare as a fact, that the Act does not target churches or religious bodies as wrongly assumed.

For illustration of this I present a tabular form of the provisions of the 1990 Act which came into force on January 2, 1990, which after more than 30 years of operation has now been repealed and replaced by CAMA 2020 hereunder are the comparative provisions in the two enactments.

The 2020 Act assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari has not introduced any matter oppressive to the Christian Community or any religion nor any matter discriminatory against any class of persons in Nigeria, he said.

Meanwhile, in its response, CAN urged President Buhari to suspend the implementation of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.

CAN said Mr Buhari should follow it up by affirming a thorough reappraisal of the legislation that is in correlation with the provision of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).

The President of CAN, Samson Ayokunle, who expressed displeasure over the CAMA 2020 said the reactions from public office holders had not helped matters.

(NAN)
(Newser)  "We just passed a guy in a jet pack." Those were the words from an American Airlines pilot approaching Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday night, and they have prompted an investigation. Another pilot also reported seeing a man in a jet pack at 3,000 feet; the first pilot said he was just 300 yards to the plane's left. The FBI and the FAA are probing the incident, the New York Times reports. In what is perhaps the most unsurprising observation of the week, one expert notes it's "very dangerous" to fly that close to a plane, not to mention illegal without FAA approval. He notes that among the many risks, the person could get "ingested" into the engine. The same expert says he does not think it's likely the pilots were mistaken, and a second expert echoes that to CBS LA, noting pilots are trained to spot a situation exactly like this.

story continues below

However, jet packs have so far only been able to make short flights, and not that many companies make them. One Jetman Dubai pilot flew almost 6,000 feet into the air using a jet pack earlier this year, but the flight only lasted three minutes. A company near LA does, in fact, sell a jet pack that can get 15,000 feet high and fly for 10 minutes, but it does not sell them for recreational use. Its founder says he would guess the pilots actually spotted a drone: "The likelihood of a real turbine-powered jet pack taking off from the LA area, getting up to 3,000 feet, maneuvering long enough to be sighted by two airliners and then coming back down and landingits very, very low," he said. "The other thing is that theyre pretty noisy so we havent had, as far I know yet, any reports of people on the ground or any cell phone footage from people on the ground seeing this thing take off and land, which is weird." (Read more strange stuff stories.)
Iran's Khamenei Says U.A.E. 'Betrayed' Islamic World With Israel Normalization Deal

By RFE/RL September 01, 2020

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the United Arab Emirates' (U.A.E.) historic deal with Israel to normalize relations a "betrayal" that "won't last for long."

The "treachery" was committed against "the Islamic world or Arab nations, regional countries, and Palestine," Khamenei said in a speech on September 1, according to state media, as a joint, high-level U.S.-Israeli delegation wrapped up a visit to Abu Dhabi following the first direct flight 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 that 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 U.A.E. has touted the normalization deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state.

The move was hailed by several Gulf states but slammed by Iran, Turkey, and Palestinian officials.

Speaking on August 31, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested that Iran, which has come under intense U.S. pressure, was central to the deal between the U.A.E. and Israel, saying Tehran creates "instability in the Middle East."

"The Emiratis and Israelis can have the capacity to cooperate in securing the Middle East against this enormous threat," Pompeo said in an interview.

This weekend, the U.A.E. repealed a law boycotting Israel which had been in place since 1972, and earlier this month the two countries opened direct telephone services for the first time.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-khamenei-says -u-a-e-betrayed-islamic-world-with-israel -normalization-deal/30814722.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Amid heightened tension between India and China following the latest skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army has reportedly moved personnel to bolster security efforts along the eastern stretch of its border with China.

Meanwhile, news agency ANI quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as saying that India's claims of having "pre-empted" Chinese military activity reveal that Indian troops were the first to have illegally crossed the LAC in violation of bilateral agreements.

Chunying added, "We urge the Indian side to strictly discipline its border troops, stop all provocations, immediately withdraw all personnel who illegally trespassed across the LAC, and stop taking any actions that may escalate tensions or complicate matters."

This comes a day after India accused China of engaging in "provocative actions" along the border. The Ministry of External Affairs said the Chinese side attempted to unilaterally change status quo in the South Bank area of the Pangong Tso in Ladakh on the intervening night of August 29-30, an attempt that was thwarted by the Indian Army.

The army had said Indian soldiers pre-empted the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso and undertook measures to strengthen positions and thwart Chinese intentions.

Indian troops foiled yet another incursion bid by China on August 31, even as the talks to de-escalate the situation were underway between ground commanders on both sides, the ministry added.

The situation along the border remains sensitive, and another round of talks were reportedly held on September 2 between army commanders from both sides.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months, but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.

The fresh attempt by China to alter the status quo in the Pangong Tso area is perhaps the first major incident in the region after the June 15 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley, where 20 Indian security personnel were killed in action. The Chinese side also suffered casualties, but it is yet to give out the details.

According to a US intelligence report, China "deliberately" provoked India with a new incursion into contested territory after a fresh confrontation between India and China on the southern bank of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.
Filming for the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! usually takes place in South Africa in early January, but that could change in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Host Julia Morris told The Kyle and Jackie 'O' Show on Wednesday while the show is confirmed to take place next year, the location is yet to be decided.

'Nothing has been confirmed yet, we have literally been waiting for September for the federal government to work out what we're allowed to do,' she began.

Going bush? I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! host Julia Morris (pictured) has confirmed the show will go ahead in 2021... and it could be filmed in NSW

'I've gotta say that would be my my dream come true [to film the show locally in NSW] this year with all the traveling,' she continued.

Julia said with the future of international and domestic travel up in the air, producers are yet to make a decision on the location.

'Are we even allowed to go up to our beloved Africa? You know, if there was any time when... somewhere needed our production dollars, it's now in South Africa.'

Revealed: Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie 'O' Show on Wednesday, Julia explained: 'Nothing has been confirmed yet, we have literally been waiting for September for the federal government to work out what we're allowed to do'. Pictured with co-host Chris Brown

'We're definitely doing the show for 2021. We just don't really know where yet. So it's wonderful to know that that set is a up our sleeve.'

Earlier this week, it was revealed the series is likely to be filmed in Murwillumbah, in northern New South Wales, at a campsite normally used for the UK series.

The campsite is less than an hour from the Gold Coast.

New set: Earlier this week, it was revealed the series is likely to be filmed in Murwillumbah, in northern New South Wales, at a campsite normally used for the UK series (pictured)

The UK version of the show, which has been filmed in Australia for almost two decades, has also been forced to reconsider its location due to the pandemic.

Back in May, ViacomCBS executive Beverley McGarvey confirmed the show would 'definitely be back next year' and that a potential change of format was on the cards.

At the time, Ms McGarvey explained I'm A Celebrity... could 'absolutely' be filmed Down Under.

'The jungle is kind of a character in the show, but we just don't know if that's possible or realistic, so we're just looking at a range of options,' she told news.com.au.
SILICON SLOPES, Utah, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MX, the leader in money experience, today announced the launch of MX Open, an open finance platform built to help financial institutions and fintechs create more personalized digital experiences that give their customers greater access and control over their financial data. Built on the industry's most robust and capable connectivity network, MX Open gives financial institutions and fintechs the freedom and flexibility to reduce costly and burdensome vendor lock-in while securely connecting to more than 50,000 connections.

"MX Open was built with the belief that secure, reliable connectivity should be open to everyone  every bank, every credit union, every organization," said Brett Allred, Chief Product Officer, MX. "MX Open gives organizations the tools they need to define and launch their open finance strategy and innovate faster with the vendors and technology providers that will serve their customers best."

Open-source software solutions give financial institutions increased control over their digital roadmap to innovate faster and deliver the right products to the right customers in the moment that matters most. In June, MX launched the Easy SBA Portal to help financial institutions streamline the PPP loan application process, granting banks and credit unions an open-source, royalty-free license. In a few short weeks, the open-source solution serviced over $5 billion in PPP funds, representing tens of thousands of jobs saved and critical financial support for small businesses.

MX Open includes the following solutions:

MX Portal is an open-source, open-standard solution that enables financial institutions to transform their open finance strategy through customer-permissioned data sharing. With Portal, financial institutions can give their customers visibility and control over which apps and institutions access their data  enabling customers to grant, manage, and revoke access at any time. Portal is built on the latest FDX 4.1 specifications with security built-in from the beginning, ensuring financial institutions can help protect their customers' financial data. To learn more, please visit: www.mx.com/portal

is an open-source, open-standard solution that enables financial institutions to transform their open finance strategy through customer-permissioned data sharing. With Portal, financial institutions can give their customers visibility and control over which apps and institutions access their data  enabling customers to grant, manage, and revoke access at any time. Portal is built on the latest FDX 4.1 specifications with security built-in from the beginning, ensuring financial institutions can help protect their customers' financial data. To learn more, please visit: MX Platform API provides access to the suite of MX products and services to launch and power new digital experiences. Using the MX Platform API, financial institutions and fintechs can connect their customers to their financial data while maintaining critical control and protecting their brand. To learn more, please visit: www.mx.com/platformapi

provides access to the suite of MX products and services to launch and power new digital experiences. Using the MX Platform API, financial institutions and fintechs can connect their customers to their financial data while maintaining critical control and protecting their brand. To learn more, please visit: MX Path is a simpler, faster, and more secure way for financial institutions and fintechs to connect new services, apps, cores and systems. Path is a data connectivity API that empowers organizations to move beyond the constraints of legacy systems that slow down innovation with costly upgrades and inflexible contracts. To learn more, please visit: www.mx.com/products/path

The adoption of open finance and secure data sharing has been slow in the U.S. and in many countries throughout the world. MX Open provides an innovative solution to improve connectivity, accelerate innovation and address multiple challenges facing financial institutions.

"MX has been collaborating across the industry to accelerate the end of credential-based data sharing while advocating for a more secure, token-based approach," said Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer at MX. "With MX Open  and all MX solutions  financial institutions manage and store their customer data while integrating MX into their existing systems and security protocols."

For more details on MX Open, join us for the first annual Money Experience Summit 2020. The two-day digital event will feature the financial industry's foremost thought leaders and practitioners discussing how to accelerate the future of money and deliver data-driven money experiences. To register for the free event visit: https://www.mx.com/summit .

About MX

MX, the leader in money experience, is built on the belief that financial data should be accessible and actionable for all. MX gives your customers a seamless way to move, view, and interact with their money. We call this the Money Experience. Founded in 2010, MX is one of the fastest-growing fintech innovators, powering more than 2,000 financial institutions and 43 of the top 50 digital banking providers to improve the financial lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.mx.com .

Media Contact: Tom Cook, [email protected]

SOURCE MX

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Pelosi, Mnuchin Hold Talks Over Stimulus, but Impasse Remains

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin continue to push for a bipartisan deal on COVID-19 stimulus, but the top Democrat said that negotiations have persistently exposed differences between the two sides.

Mnuchin and Pelosi had a conversation Sept. 1 after negotiations stalled in August, and legislators are slated to return to Capitol Hill in the coming days following a weekslong break.

In a statement in front of a House panel, Mnuchin stressed the urgency of passing a new stimulus bill to bolster small businesses while calling on the governors of some states to reopen their economies in the wake of the CCP virus pandemic.

On the evening of Sept. 1, Pelosi said in a statement that her phone call with Mnuchin made clear that Democrats and the White House continue to have serious differences understanding the gravity of the situation that Americas working families are facing.

House and Senate Democrats have repeatedly offered to compromise, she said. Over a month ago, we said that we would be willing to cut a trillion dollars from the Heroes Act if the White House would add one trillion to the Senate bill.

Democrats in the House passed the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act in May, which Senate Republicans said would be dead-on-arrival and contained too many socialist provisions unrelated to the CCP virus pandemic. Other Republicans and White House officials also argued that the bill would add too much to the federal deficit.

(LR, rear) Senior adviser Jared Kushner, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, national security adviser Robert OBrien and others clap for President Donald Trump (L) after he announced an agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize diplomatic ties, at the White House on Aug. 13, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Pelosi reiterated in her statement that Democrats are willing to go down about $1.2 trillion dollars to a minimum of $2.2 trillion, mirroring the sum of the CARES Act passed in March.

But Mnuchin, in front of the House panel, said he does not support $2.2 trillion. Republicans previously unveiled a $1 trillion bill in late July that notably omits federal funding to state and local governments.

The House speaker, however, suggested that the smaller proposals from Republicans and the White House dont address key issues plaguing the country.

Does the White House think that Americas working families are not worth the investment needed to defeat the virus and the accompanying economic crisis? Or would they rather spend the money another way? she said.

Democrats and Republicans agree that more funding is needed for small-business loans, enhanced unemployment benefits, and direct stimulus payments to households, said Mnuchin.

As the impasse continues, the White House has used its executive power to provide various benefits to workers and families who have suffered setbacks during the pandemic. On Sept. 1, anti-eviction measures were laid out by the Trump administration allowing for tenants to seek eviction relief if they earn less than $99,000 per year or $198,000 for a couple filing their taxes jointly. Those people have to also declare that they would become homeless or forced to move to congregate housing if they are evicted. They will also have to show theyve taken steps to seek government assistance.
When asked what book resonated most for her in May, Cheryl Richardson of West Greenwich, R.I., responded: None. I have found it difficult to concentrate. There have been too many distractions. Amber Hoover of Brooklyn found solace in Samantha Irbys essay collection Wow, No Thank You. I am usually a voracious reader, and I have been alarmed that my monkey brain at this moment has killed my reading focus, she wrote. This book made me laugh, which I desperately needed, and delivered sharp and hilarious insights in small bursts perfect for my newly shortened attention span, now that a substantial portion of my brain is taken over by anxiety. (And by Twitter, which is basically anxiety in website form.)
Rishi Sunak has given his strongest indication yet that tax hikes are coming, as he warned Conservative MPs that he will have to do difficult things to get the UKs finances back into order after the coronavirus pandemic.

But the chancellor promised there would not be a horror show of tax rises with no end in sight.

Tory backbenchers have responded with alarm to a series of newspaper stories suggesting that the Treasury is considering hikes to a range of levies  from corporation tax, capital gains tax, fuel duties and national insurance to a reduction in pension tax relief and the abolition of the pensions triple lock  in Novembers Budget.

Unconfirmed reports in The Sun today claimed that he was considering raising the class 4 rate of National Insurance contributions for the self-employed from 9 per cent to match the 12 per cent rate for employees, at an average annual cost of 200. Earlier reports also suggested he was considering putting fuel duty up by 5p a litre.

An insight into his priorities was revealed when a photographer snapped the briefing notes he was carrying for a meeting with Tory MPs from the 2019 intake to parliament.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

We will need to do some difficult things, but I promise you, if we trust one another we will be able to overcome the short-term challenges, the chancellor said.

Now this doesnt mean a horror show of tax rises with no end in sight.

But it does mean treating the British people with respect, being honest with them about the challenges we face and showing them how we plan to correct our public finances and give our country the dynamic, low-tax economy we all want to see.

We cannot, will not and must not surrender our position as the party of economic competence and sound finance. If we argue instead that there is no limit to what we can spend, that we can simply borrow our way out of any hole, then what is the difference between us and the Labour Party.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, told the meeting, involving many of the Tory MPs who snatched so-called red wall seats from Labour in the north and the Midlands in December: I know its been tough. Ive got to warn you its about to get tougher.

The waters are about to get choppier. But we are going to deal with it.

Reports last weekend suggested that Mr Sunak is planning a 30bn tax raid in Novembers Budget to start paying off money that was borrowed to fund his wallet-busting response to Covid-19, including the 60bn job retention scheme support for furloughed workers.

But businesses and backbench MPs have cautioned against bringing revenue-raising measures forward too soon  a move that the British Chambers of Commerce warned could hamstring the recovery after the record 20.4 per cent slump in GDP in the second quarter of 2020.

And the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, said Mr Sunak should wait up to two years until the recovery is well under way before raising taxes. By that point, pretty substantial increases will be required in major levies such as income tax, national insurance and VAT, he suggested.

Labour said it was the wrong time to be talking about tax rises.

A spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition leader, told reporters: With the health crisis still not under control and the deepest economic crisis we have faced in generations, this is absolutely the wrong time to be talking about tax rises.

The government should be focused on getting the economy growing again, not briefing against one another and floating ideas for new tax rises.
Ukrainian MP Geo Leros has been expelled from the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People party, the faction has reported on its Facebook page.

"Following the collection of signatures, a majority of MPs voted for the decision to expel Geo Leros as a member of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," the report reads.

Earlier, MP Yelyzaveta Yasko stated that the Servant of the People faction was collecting signatures to expel MP Geo Leros from the faction.

Leros said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had allegedly ordered faction leader David Arakhamia to collect signatures for his expulsion from the faction after Leros' speech in parliament on September 1.

Leros said from the parliament's rostrum on September 1 that the president had violated his election promises.

In March, Leros posted several videos on Facebook in which Denys Yermak, the brother of Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, allegedly discusses with interlocutors the appointment of people to public posts.

Yermak appealed to the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Bureau of Investigation in connection with the released video and said that it was about a planned action and a matter of national security.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said that criminal proceedings had been opened at Leros' request regarding bribes received during the appointment of people to public posts.

On April 24, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said that in the case, registered at Leros' request, the qualification had been changed from abuse of influence to fraud and the case had been transferred to the police.

The State Bureau of Investigation opened proceedings on Yermak's statement regarding the dissemination of materials about the alleged sale of government positions.

At the same time, Zelensky said at a press conference on May 20 that the case was "empty" and added that he knew who made the recordings and wanted to blackmail him.

op
Sam Newman has received a visit from Victoria Police following his extraordinary call to Melburnians to take to the streets in protest of the city's stage four lockdown.

The polarising 300-game AFL champion and former Footy Show host sparked controversy on Sunday night when he called on 250,000 Victorians to gather in the CBD in 'hopefully a state day of coordination'.

The tweet landed Newman in hot water with Victoria Police, who threatened to arrest him for 'inciting a mass protest' against the measures introduced by Premier Daniel Andrews.

Newman was back on Twitter on Wednesday night to confirm he got a knock on the door and was spoken to by police at his Melbourne home.

'Efficient and personable x 2. Dan sent them in the van, to advise against 'protesting', which I assured them wasn't happening, and was never going to. Really. #victorialockdown,' he captioned the photo of the two officers in the lobby of his building.

These Victoria Police officers paid Sam Newman at his Melbourne home on Wednesday

Newman later posted the 'very pleasant' officers 'left a sheet with the official guidelines', which he later read out on Sky News.

'I'm a bit bemused by what is going on in 2020 down here in Melbourne, yes the police came in today and said if I was thinking of having a rally or attending one I would be put in jail,' Newman told the Alan Jones program.

'Mind you this is not a fault of the police, they're only working under instructions but my point was and I should've said 500,000 people should march through the city.

Newman's visit from the police sparked a divided reaction online.

'They're intimidating people who are exercising their constitutional freedom to engage in political communication. It is absolutely abhorrent,' one woman tweeted.

Another added: 'This is outrageous. Daniel Andrews owes you an explanation. This is starting to look like the Stasi. I get enforcing public health measures but sending police officers to intimidate people posing legitimate questions about government conduct is dictatorial.'

Sam Newman (pictured) said he was advised by police against protesting. 'I assured them wasn't happening, and was never going to,' he tweeted on Wednesday night

Others defended the officers.

'Please don't blame the police, they are doing a very tough job. I'm sure they would rather do many other things,' one person commented.

Newman had earlier backtracked on his original tweet, clarifying he was not encouraging people to protest.

He originally tweeted on Sunday night: 'Of all the protests that we have put up with, how about a quarter million of us gather in the CBD to take the City/State back, before EVERY previous march will have been pointless.

Newman set the record straight on Tuesday.

'I didn't encourage a quarter of a million people to march through the street,' he told Sunrise.

'I said wouldn't it be great to have 250,000 people wandering through the city - I don't encourage people to do that but it was just a sign that this government should cautiously reopen business enterprises in the city before it rusts over.'

Two Victoria Police officers visited the Melbourne home of the controversial media personality

He reiterated calls for the Victorian government to reopen Melbourne as the city enters its fifth week of strict lockdown, which could be extended beyond September 13.

Victoria recorded 90 coronavirus cases and six deaths on Wednesday.

'Everyone's business is essential to someone. How about, instead of announcing the covert figures every other minute of what is happening, someone comes out and says that it would a good idea if we got act to reopening, rebooting the city,' Newman said.

'It is nonsense to think we have to close down the whole of the central business district because we cannot be asked or cannot be given free chance to cautiously reopen enterprise here in Melbourne.'

Sam Newman (right) backtracked on Sunday night's tweet when he was grilled by Sunrise host David Koch (left) on Tuesday morning

Newman fired up after he was grilled by Sunrise host David Koch, who tried to defend the lockdown measures.

'It is alright for you Kochie, you are lolling about up in the beach up there telling us what we should or should not do. But we're down here locked up in what is virtually a prison,' he hit back.

'I said wouldn't it be great to think that people would be that annoyed about what is going on in this city, looking it down completely without cautiously reopening it.

'I am not asking people to come from all over Victoria to protest. I'm not trying to get the police involved in this.'

'If they want to arrest me and put me in jail for this, that is fine. But I am not suggesting it. I never did in the first place.'

Newman later addressed his tweet on his weekly You Cannot Be Serious podcast, where he came under fire from co-hosts who labelled him 'irresponsible'.

Sam Newman has called on the Victorian government to reopen and reboot Melbourne as the city enters is fifth week of stage four lockdown. Pictured is a jogger on his daily run on Tuesday

'All I was trying to do was get enough people to get attention  I'm not advocating for people to come from all over Victoria to march up the city,' Newman explained on the podcast.

'I'm not advocating a rally as such. I just said wouldn't it be great that 250,000 people would march in the city. That is hyperbole, that is designed to get the attention of the government cautiously reopening business.

'I couldn't give a stuff if they open the city or not because I don't have a business but people are actually about to lose their livelihoods through the inaction and the tringent requirements that this government is putting on people.

'All they do is tell you how many people have died and how many have contracted this virus. There's got to be other things they can speak about.'

Newman fired off his extraordinary tweet after anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in a dramatic stand-off in Broadmeadows in the city's north on Sunday night.

AFL champion and former Footy Show host Sam Newman is known for his polarising views and Victoria Police has now threatened to arrest him for inciting protesters to gather in their hundreds of thousands to protest against Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions

A Victoria Police spokesman said the force had its sights set on those they claim are 'coordinating and encouraging protest activity' on Saturday.

MMA Fighter Vik Grujic responded to Newman's tweet by urging him to attend the Freedom Day mass gathering planned for that day in Melbourne's CBD - to which the footy great replied 'OK'.

'Victoria Police expects to make further arrests over coming days in respect to individuals suspected of inciting illegal activity,' a spokesman said.

'Organising and participating in this protest would be a serious and blatant breach of the Chief Health Officer's directions and jeopardises the health of the entire community.

'Those still thinking of attending the CBD to protest can expect a swift and firm response from police.'

The state's police force added its officers would not hesitate in issuing $1,652 fines or making arrests if breaches of Victoria's public health orders occur.

Victorian Police take a man's details in Dandenong in Melbourne's south-east on Thursday. The force said it already has its sights set on those they claim are 'coordinating and encouraging protest activity' on Saturday

In a video post shared by Channel Seven on Monday, Newman said he intended to gather with protesters in the streets of Melbourne on Saturday if COVID-19 restrictions in the city were not eased.

'They probably shouldn't [gather] but if the government act responsibly then we will act responsibly and not go there,' he said.

'Just give us a bit of easing of restrictions. I might use my hour's freedom and wear a mask and go into the city as part of my recreation and exercise and be part of the gathering.'

After one Melburnian suggested Newman had 'incited a riot' with his comments on Twitter, the footy great added: 'There'll be no rioting. No looting. No arson. No violence. Just an expression of desperation for our sanity.'

'Very irresponsible from Sam Newman,' she said.

'That's someone who was running for Melbourne mayor. If you want to be in lockdown for another six months then sure - join the protest.'

Defending his position on the restrictions, Newman said it was the state government who were being irresponsible by enforcing economically-crippling social distancing restrictions.

'If the Victorian government stop being irresponsible through this blanket lockdown, then we'll stop being irresponsible by urging mass rallies,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

'Give the hospitality, leisure, education, business and public service enterprises in this state a paradigm for a responsible return to civilization, rather than the hysteria being disseminated, while the country and world pushes on, carefully.'

Sam Newman was flooded with responses following his plea to Melburnians on Sunday night

Melburnians were out and about enjoying the weather on Saturday, despite stage 4 lockdown

Fellow Melburnians desperate to regain their freedom joined the bandwagon on Sunday night in response to Newman's tweet.

'Just tell me when and where never protested before but this is the most important thing we have faced in my lifetime. We ordinary Victorians must take our state back,' one man wrote.

Another added: 'A protest at some point needs to happen so our political class can get a sense of the real opposition to the unbalanced measures put in place.'

Another fan commended Newman on his wording.

'You didn't even mention what march, and even mentioned a State Day of coordination. Could be a march for Prostate Cancer. Or even a Pro Dan Andrews march. Could be a march of social distancing examples. Very cleverly worded,' one man posted.

But not everyone supported Newman.

'I have read your tweet three times and it's still incomprehensible. But good luck with whatever self-indulgent, poorly-conceived action you're proposing,' one woman posted.

Another added: 'Of all the things you have said, this is highly irresponsible, you know your position... it's with these people's lives that you earned your living.'

Sam Newman has denied accusations he tried to incite a mass protest against stage four lockdown measures. Pictured are anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne's north on Sunday night

WHAT MELBOURNE'S STAGE FOUR LOCKDOWN MEANS FOR YOU State of disaster: Increased police powers to enforce the lockdown. Cautions will no longer be issued, only $1,652 fines or court summons Curfew: No one allowed outside 8pm to 5am except for work, medical, caregiving - no shopping or exercising Distance limit: Shopping and exercise can only be done 5km from home Exercise: All recreational activity is banned and you can only exercise, with one other person, for one hour a day Partners: You can visit a boyfriend or girlfriend who doesn't live with you, even if they live more than 5km away Shopping: Only one person can go shopping per household per day Cafes and restaurants stay open for takeaway, as do supermarkets, etc Schools: All students learning from home unless they are vulnerable or parents are essential workers. Kindy and childcare closed Funerals: No change to funeral limits, but only 10 mourners can leave Melbourne to regional Victoria for one Weddings: Completely banned Public transport: Slashed after 8pm and cancelled late at night Community sport : All community sport across Victoria is now banned. Only exercise is allowed within the permitted public gathering limits of two people. : All community sport across Victoria is now banned. Only exercise is allowed within the permitted public gathering limits of two people. Advertisement

Newman's tweet sparked a divisive reaction from the public (comments pictured)

Metropolitan Melbourne is subject to stage four restrictions including an evening curfew and a ban on travelling beyond a five-kilometre radius of home until at least September 13 amid reports strict lockdown measures will be extended.

Regional Victoria is under stage three restrictions which allows residents to leave home for essential purposes.

Melburnians (pictured on Saturday) remain in Stage 4 lockdown until at least September 13

On Sunday night, confronting footage taken in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne's north, showed dozens of men dressed down in tracksuits and masks making their way through the streets as traffic was brought to a standstill.

The protesters claimed, when asked, that they were simply getting their daily exercise, which they are permitted to do within a five kilometre radius on their homes.

At least six people were arrested during the protests and police have not ruled out issuing further infringement notices.

Victoria's stage four restrictions are due to end in two weeks, but the Premier has indicated they will likely be extended. Pictured are anti-lockdown protesters clashing with police in Melbourne's north on Sunday night

The protesters claimed, when asked, that they were simply getting their daily exercise, which is one of just four legal reasons to leave home in Melbourne

Confronting footage taken in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne 's north, showed dozens of men dressed down in tracksuits and masks making their way through the streets as traffic was brought to a standstill

The latest protest comes anti-lockdown walkers were doused with pepper spray and struggled with police in Dandenong in Melbourne's south-east last Wednesday as community frustration with draconian Stage 4 restrictions reached boiling point.

Police issued $15,000 in fines and arrested four men.

Tensions in Dandenong had been flaring for days after a large group of residents decided to start walking at the same time and place.
DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market - Forecasts from 2020 to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

AR in healthcare market is witnessing a big boost with a high expected CAGR of 31.63% and market value expected to rise from US$779.994 million in 2019 to US$4,057.144 million in 2025. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are gaining significant traction among healthcare experts owing to their numerous applications that range from assessment of surgical preparation to minimally invasive surgery and rehabilitation.



Other applications of augmented reality in healthcare include medical training and pharmacy benefits management. As the population increases, the growing demand for surgical treatment as well as healthcare expenditure among people is boosting the application of augmented reality and virtual reality technologies in the healthcare sector by a significant degree. Technological advancement in augmented reality and artificial intelligence technologies along with the increasing workload of healthcare professionals and stringent regulatory compliances in laboratory testing is expected to bolster the market forecasts in the upcoming years.



Higher adoption of mobile augmented reality technology helps in bridging the gap in the patient-healthcare provider relationship and also helps patients to make better decisions about their health by educating and proving information to them. Furthermore, the use of augmented reality for teaching complex subjects to medical students, training doctors, and caring and supporting patients after they leave the hospital is driving the growth of the augmented reality market in the healthcare industry.



Growing expenditure on healthcare by maturing population, especially on surgical treatments



The increasing geriatric population in many parts of the world is expected to be one of the prime drivers for the growth of the market over the forecast period. For instance, the WHO has projected a 50% rise in annual cardiovascular disease events between 2010 and 2030 based solely on the growing geriatric population in a developing country like China. According to the World Bank estimates, the geriatric population (65 years of age or older) in the United Kingdom has grown from an 11.706 million in 2015 to a population size of 12.231 million in 2018. The market for augmented reality is anticipated to grow majorly driven by significant growth in the healthcare expenditure coupled with the rising number of surgeries in various parts of the market. For instance, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 410,840 surgeries related to heart were performed in German hospitals during the year 2018 which were considered 23% higher in the number of surgeries performed in 2008. In addition, the total number of surgeries performed in German hospitals increased from 41,792,830 per year in 2008 to 61,371,955 by 2018. Also, in Saudi Arabia, the current healthcare expenditure, as a percentage of the GDP of the country, has been on a steady rise since 2010 (source: The World Bank Group). In absolute figures, the country allocated US$39.2 billion in 2018 for Healthcare and Social Development Sector, which was 10% more than the previous year.



By product offering software segment is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast period.



Augmented reality software assists physicians in imaging, diagnoses, management of medical records, in-patient care, lifestyle management, and precision medicine. Not only it assists in making a better treatment plan but it also provides physicians all the information needed to make a better decision for the patients by diagnosing the life-threatening diseases such as cancer at the early stages. Using software surgeons can visualize bones, muscles, and internal organs without even having to cut open a body. Virtual assistance due to the increasing usage of smartphones and devices along with the increasing number of players such as Siemens Healthineers, Philips Healthcare, and Microsoft are responsible for an increase in the software offered by the healthcare augmented reality market. In addition, today healthcare mobile apps are also using AR to give their users better experience and to improve efficiency and results. Doctors, patients, nurses, and trainees are benefitted from AR-based healthcare apps which is completely changing the everyday medicine and healthcare services for both patients and doctors.



Geographically North America is expected to hold a significant share in the market



Geographically, North America is holding significant share owing to the early adoption of technology and the presence of major market players in the region. In addition, growing technological advancement in information technology coupled with the extensive R&D activities in the United States is also expected to propel the growth opportunities in the region in the coming years. Besides, Asia Pacific is predicted to register exponential growth over the forecast period. Factors such as growing healthcare expenditure and favorable government initiatives to attract foreign investment in the healthcare sector are further boosting the growth of the market in the region.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Market Segmentation



2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Data

2.2. Assumptions



3. Executive Summary

3.1. Research Highlights



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market Analysis, By Product

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Hardware

5.2.1. Sensors

5.2.2. Displays and projectors

5.2.3. Position trackers

5.2.4. Others

5.3. Software



6. Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market Analysis, By Device Type

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Head-mounted displays

6.3. Handheld devices

6.4. Others



7. Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market Analysis, By End-User

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Hospitals and Clinics

7.3. Research Laboratories

7.4. Others



8. Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market Analysis, By Geography

8.1. Introduction

8.2. North America

8.2.1. United States

8.2.2. Canada

8.2.3. Mexico

8.3. South America

8.3.1. Brazil

8.3.2. Others

8.4. Europe

8.4.1. UK

8.4.2. Germany

8.4.3. France

8.4.4. Spain

8.4.5. Italy

8.4.6. Others

8.5. Middle East and Africa

8.5.1. Israel

8.5.2. Saudi Arabia

8.5.3. Others

8.6. Asia Pacific

8.6.1. Japan

8.6.2. China

8.6.3. India

8.6.4. South Korea

8.6.5. Others



9. Competitive Environment and Analysis

9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

9.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

9.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



10. Company Profiles

10.1. Microsoft Corporation

10.2. Oculus VR

10.3. Philips Healthcare

10.4. Medsights Tech Corp.

10.5. VirtaMed

10.6. Siemens Healthineers

10.7. Fundamental VR

10.8. Medical Realities

10.9. Surgical Theatre, LLC



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wmqnyl

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against continuous attacks on its members and supporters by thugs of the opposition party in Edo State.

The PDP in a statement on Tuesday by the State Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare, expressed concerns that

these attacks are becoming rampant and repugnant, especially, as we continue to preach peace, preach against reprisals and encourage non-violence as the campaigns continue.

The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare, narrated that on Sunday, August 30, 2020 armed men invaded the home of Hon Paul Frank Aronokhale, Secretary to Estako East Local Government Council. He said that the gateman was beaten mercilessly while the armed men rained bullets on the building and cars parked in the compound. For over 20 minutes, they kept on shooting and spraying the property with bullets from an assortment of sophisticated weapons in their possession.

This is the second time in a month that there has been an attempt on the life of the SLG by the same hoodlums suspected to be APC thugs, Nehikhare declared.

The State Publicity Secretary further narrated: in our usual tradition, we do not run to the press when there is this type of security breach and threat to life and property of our members and supporters until the matter is reported to the police and investigation has reached an advanced stage.

Contrary to the tales APC and its propaganda machinery are narrating, Engineer Abdul Ganiyu was arrested by soldiers on the Okpella-Okene expressway as he attempted to flee Okpella after he refused police invitation and refused to admit police into his residence when the DPO and his team visited him as a person of interest in the investigation after he was identified as one of those in the Sienna vehicle that invaded the residence of the SLG.

We are informed that the soldiers picked him and some of his goons and not family members at the military checkpoint at the Edo-Kogi state boundary just a few hours after he denied the police entry into his house by barricading himself in. The dutiful soldiers handed him over to the police. His goons were released as there was nothing incriminating found on them at that material time.

The PDP, therefore, commended the security agencies and, especially, the police for their swift action. The PDP noted that however, Engr Ganis accomplices are still roaming the street and are still a threat to not just PDP members but Edo indigenes.

We are informed by the victims and eye-witnesses that many of the gun men were identified and the location of the vehicle used for the dastardly act have been passed to the police.

Bringing Engr, Gani to Benin is not enough, he should be promptly charged to court along with the other two assassins that were arrested in connection with the Agbede attack, PDP protested.

The party further advised APC and its leadership to join in the condemnation of these acts of thuggery and violence. It further urged the APC to show respect to the law and stop blackmailing the law enforcement agencies and making unnecessary demands that smacks of political arrogance.

Nehikhare noted that the statement by John Mayaki, Chairman of the APC media campaign council is to say the least unfortunate. He maintained that the behavior of its members is reprehensible and should be condemned.

Once again, we implore our members and supporters to remain focused, calm, patient and be ready to Vote massively for PDP and Governor Obaseki on September 19, 2020 PDP State Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa, Nehikhare declared.

PV: 11
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IonQ, the leader in quantum computing, today announced that both Professor Jungsang Kim, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, and Professor Christopher Monroe, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, have been named to the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC). Created by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Committee's goal is to ensure continued American leadership in quantum information science (QIS).

The appointment is a recognition of Kim and Monroe's pioneering work in the quantum computing field and comes at a time when investing in quantum computing technology is more important than ever. IonQ's trapped-ion quantum computers have demonstrated unmatched ability, demonstrating performance benchmarks that no other quantum computer has been able to match. IonQ is the only entity with more than one representative on the committee.

"Quantum technology is rapidly advancing across industry and academia, with exciting new developments happening almost weekly," said Kim. "I am humbled to serve on the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee. Together, we will push quantum technology forward to realize the near and long-term impact of quantum computing."

"I look forward to continuing to counsel the US government on a national approach to quantum computing," said Monroe. "The field has come a long way since we demonstrated the first successful quantum logic gate in the 1990's and I am excited about what's just over the horizon."

"Having both of IonQ's co-founders on the Committee is validation of the deep technical and academic expertise our firm possesses," said IonQ CEO and President Peter Chapman. "Chris and Jungsang are two of quantum's foremost experts and will provide unmatched counsel to the US government at this inflection point for quantum computing."

This announcement follows the recent general availability announcement of IonQ's systems on the AWS Braket quantum cloud. IonQ is also the only quantum provider also available on the Microsoft Azure Quantum cloud. The firm recently raised additional Series B funding , bringing total funding to date to $84M. IonQ's investors include Amazon, NEA, GV, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Mubadala Capital, Airbus, HPE, Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC), Lockheed Martin, Cambium and more.

About IonQ

IonQ is the leader in quantum computing. By making our quantum hardware accessible through the cloud, we're empowering millions of organizations and developers to build new applications to solve the world's most complex problems in business, and across society. IonQ's unique approach to quantum computing is to start with nature: using individual atoms as the heart of our quantum processing units. We levitate them in space with electric potentials applied to semiconductor-defined electrodes on a chip, and then use lasers to do everything from initial preparation to final readout and the quantum gate operations in between. It requires atomic physics, precision optical and mechanical engineering, and fine-grained firmware control over a variety of components. Leveraging this approach, IonQ provides both a viable technological roadmap to scale and the flexibility necessary to explore a wide range of application spaces in the near term. IonQ was founded in 2015 by Jungsang Kim and Christopher Monroe and their systems are based on foundational research at The University of Maryland and Duke University.

SOURCE IonQ
Damage to city-owned property from violence that erupted over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha is estimated at nearly $2 million so far, a city official said.

The citys public works director, Shelly Billingsley, provided the estimate to local leaders Monday night on what it would cost to replace garbage trucks, street lights and traffic signals, among other things that were destroyed or damaged in the unrest over the last week.

Demonstrators are calling for the Kenosha officer who shot Blake seven times in the back Aug. 23 to be fired and face attempted murder charges, and more than a week after authorities say a 17-year-old from northern Illinois shot and killed two protesters.

Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot while police responded to a call about a domestic dispute. His family planned to hold a community gathering at the site where he was shot that is to include a community clean-up, food drive and voter registration effort.

Mayor John Antaramian has said the city will request $30 million in aid from the state to help rebuild in the aftermath of the unrest. Some of the citys garbage trucks, which were parked downtown to provide security and limit movement by protesters, were set on fire during the demonstrations.

Billingsley said they were insured and that city staff is working with the insurance company to log damage information, the Kenosha News reported. Some of the trucks, which had functioned as snowplow vehicles in the winter, were also destroyed.

Billingsley said she hoped that the setback would not affect snowplow operations this winter. She told the Public Works Committee the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors could affect the timeline in obtaining the new trucks.

City staff continues to compile numbers from the damage, Billingsley said.

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

Topics Profit Loss Property Wisconsin
Savvy flatmates who launched a gut health business during the coronavirus pandemic have made $250,000 as lockdown spending boomed.

Reever Botha and Vlad Kosovac launched PuraU in March this year as Australians were ordered to stay home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

But the timing couldn't have been better for the 25-year-old business partners, who earned $25,000 in the first three weeks their product was on the market.

Mr Botha said it was 'daunting' launching their Gut Cleanse Kit as the pandemic took hold, but the pair went on 'full steam ahead'.

Reever Botha (left) and Vlad Kosovac (right), both 25, launched PuraU in March this year

Model Tasha Ross (pictured) poses with the PuraU products in a picture she posted to Instagram. She wrote: 'These little goodies have been helping to boost my immune system, especially after I had been so sick'

'We're happy to say we launched through COVID,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It was a shinning light for us, E-commerce has boomed. People are at home and have the opportunity to buy things on their phone.'

Mr Kosovac said the global health crisis meant the business partners needed to refocus their launch plan.

'We initially said we need to work a lot smarter, use the pandemic as a strategy. It was about acing our marketing,' he said.

After four months, the business made $250,000.

It's been a 'stressful' road to success for the pair, who first met at a business seminar in Sydney.

The business partners earned $25,000 in the first three weeks of their business launching in March. Pictured: Giorgia Piscina with HappyGut

The PuraU three-part Gut Cleanse Kit supports natural cleansing and a healthy immune system

Mr Botha had completed a bachelor of business management at Queensland University of Technology and begun to attend seminars in the field.

'I knew I wanted to have my own business, I didn't want to go down the corporate path,' he explained.

The pair 'bonded' at the seminar and kept in contact for a couple of months.

They met for coffee in Brisbane and the rest is history.

'F*** it dude,' Mr Botha recalled. 'Let's start our business together'.

The pair quickly decided to focus their product on digestion, as they are both passionate about health and fitness.

'Our guts have been rotten our whole life. So that's one thing we're passionate about, so we thought lets smash it out of the park,' Mr Botha said.

The pills - which are vegan and Australian made - can relieve acne, eczema, rosacea, bloating, indigestion, gassiness and gut inflammation

Mr Kosovac, who is from Melbourne, then moved to Queensland to live with Mr Botha in his parents' Brisbane home.

While he misses Melbourne, Mr Kosovac said he would have moved anywhere for the benefit of the business.

'I gotta do what's best for the business. It didn't matter where,' he said.

The business partners spent about six months conducting research and developing a plan. They then found a manufacturer and received approval from Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

The pair run the business from Mr Botha's family home and a mini-warehouse but are concerned they're running out of space as the business continues to take off.

'We found it harder the more we grew, this house isn't ginormous. We have to go downstairs, ship the products,' Mr Kosovac said.

After four months, the business made $250,000. Pictured: Evelien Langeveld with the product

Mr Botha added: 'When we started growing phenomenally, I was very nervous.

'We don't have the processes in place to meet the growth.'

The pair, who are 'taking every day as it comes', are seeking a commercial warehouse and are looking to hire.

'We're happy,' Mr Botha said.

'We spent a lot of time money and effort for 12 months without seeing a return.

'There were times when we wanted to give up. We're just happy we've stuck with it, we've done everything right.'

Mr Kosovac said the global health crisis meant the business partners needed to refocus their launch plan. 'We initially said we need to work a lot smarter, use the pandemic as a strategy. It was about acing our marketing,' he said

The pair are now hoping to take their business into retail, with their sights set on Priceline.

The PuraU three-part Gut Cleanse Kit supports natural cleansing and a healthy immune system.

The pills - which are vegan and Australian made - can relieve acne, eczema, rosacea, bloating, indigestion, gassiness and gut inflammation.

All PuraU products have been developed by a naturopathic and herbal expert and the goods were permitted for use by the TGA.

The website reads: 'Good people deserve good guts'.

'We're here to help you calm those gut gremlins and get your insides feeling shipshape'.

Mr Botha concluded: 'Throughout this pandemic, it's shown why people should be on top of their health.'
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday green-lighted Florida nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to start allowing residents to have socially distanced visits from loved ones.

The governors executive order, effective immediately, will end the five-month ban on visitors at long-term care facilities that he imposed in an effort to protect the states most vulnerable residents from the coronavirus. The order will continue to allow visits from those deemed essential or compassionate caregivers, including in facilities that have had recent positive tests.

Under the new rule, long-term care homes that havent had a new COVID case in 14 days may start scheduling visitors for residents and provide designated spaces, indoors and out, for them to greet the residents.

Many of the folks understand that they have loved ones who are in the last stage of their life ... They just would like to be able to say goodbye or to hug somebody, DeSantis said at a roundtable with regulators.

The recommendations made by the Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities stipulate that visitors must be 18 or older, wear masks and maintain social distancing. The facilities must demonstrate adequate staffing, enough cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment for staff and residents, and demonstrate that local hospitals have capacity if COVID-19 cases spike.

The governors order will be optional and not required.

Mary Daniel, 57, with her husband Steve, 66, who suffers from Alzheimers. She has been a vocal advocate for revising Floridas restrictive visitation policies for family members of people in long-term care.

Mary Daniel, a Jacksonville woman who became a dishwasher at her husbands memory-care center just so she could see him, said the decision is not without risk, and families know that. The governor appointed her to the task force after she started a national Facebook group, Caregivers for Compromise, seeking a more accommodating visitation plan.

We are going to see some cases. I know that, Daniel said at the roundtable. But I also know that I want to be with my husband. And everybody else out there  hundreds of thousands of caregivers  want to be with their families and to be with them to be able to hold their hands at the end of their life.

Story continues

How many will allow visits?

Its unclear how many of the states 3,771 facilities will allow visitors right away, but Mary Mayhew, secretary for the state Agency for Health Care Administration, said she thinks about 60% of the facilities will be eligible immediately.

Of the 154,000 individuals residing in long-term care facilities, 3,400 are positive for COVID-19, Mayhew said, down from a peak over the summer of nearly 10,000.

Todays announcement by the governor is a significant step forward in achieving our shared goal of reuniting long-term care residents with their loved ones, the Florida Health Care Association wrote in a prepared statement.

The decision, while welcomed by families and elder-care advocates, is not without criticism.

If the guidance issued today is safe now, why wasnt it safe in May or June? wrote Jeff Johnson, Florida director of AARP on Twitter.

As the governor and president tout the recent federal requirement that long-term care facilities test staff weekly, using rapid testing machines supplied by the federal government, Johnson asked why the same machines could not be used for visitors.

If its important enough to require for staff, why would visitors be different? Visitation is critically important, he said. We owe it to all involved to do it safely.

One facility plans cautious approach

John Perkins is executive director of Tessera of Brandon, a 146-bed assisted-living facility. His facility is planning a cautious approach, he said.

Theres a lot of push right now ... to open up the community as soon as possible to have visitation, he said. I think everybody I know, our concern is, how do we manage that to where it doesnt put our residents and staff at risk?

Tesseras first step will be to test residents, Perkins said. Once all residents are deemed negative for the coronavirus, the facility will reinstate communal dining and activities, and then potentially open for visitation. The facility has had six cases among residents, with no new cases since July 23, Perkins said.

The task force did not discuss an enforcement plan.

Both Mayhew and state Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said they do not want facilities to require visitors to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test. DeSantis reiterated that at Tuesdays roundtable, saying that testing is not always accurate.

If its a false positive, youre denying people access to their loved ones, he said, and if its a false negative youre giving them a false sense of security.

The governor called Floridas visitation plan a thoughtful approach that could be an example for other states.

I think it is a small risk against the certain harm of prolonged isolation or the certain harms of not allowing people to be with their loved ones, he said.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@miamiherald.com and @MaryEllenKlas
Amber Heard recently enjoyed a Turkish getaway, amid her messy legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

But the Austin-born actress has since returned home to Los Angeles, where she's getting back into her daily routine.

She cut a chic summer look Tuesday in a straw hat with a black ribbon and a faded red bandana wrapped around her neck, as she stepped out for a hike with a friend at Elysian Park.

Take a hike: Amber Heard cut a chic summer look Tuesday in a straw hat with a black ribbon and a faded red bandana wrapped around her neck, as she stepped out for a hike with a friend at Elysian Park in Los Angeles

The 34-year-old donned an off-white linen long-sleeve button-down shirt with some skintight black activewear leggings and matching trainers.

She started the day with a sunrise hike in the desert, taking to her Instagram Story with footage of the gorgeous view.

Heard sported the same bandana around her neck with a white tank top, writing: 'There's nothing like the sunrise in the desert.'

She said in the video: 'Morning! Look at this. Finally back in the states. I'm a long way from Turkey now, huh?'

Summer chic: The 34-year-old donned an off-white linen long-sleeve button-down shirt with some skintight black activewear leggings and matching trainers

Desert vibes: She started the day with a sunrise hike in the desert, taking to her Instagram Story with footage of the gorgeous view

Home sweet home: The Aquaman actress previously posted a sun-soaked selfie in a blue top on Monday, writing: 'Nothing like a late morning back in California'

Turkish delight: She recently returned from Turkey, where she posted a stunning goodbye photo in a sexy black dress, while enjoying a glass of red wine on a yacht

The Aquaman actress previously posted a sun-soaked selfie in a blue top on Monday, writing: 'Nothing like a late morning back in California.'

She recently returned from Turkey, where she posted a stunning goodbye photo in a sexy black dress, while enjoying a glass of red wine on a yacht.

Heard captioned the photo, which was set against a gorgeous hillside sunset: 'So hard to say goodbye.... I love Turkey so much.'

With her return to the states, she prepares to continue her legal battle with Depp, 57, who filed a $50million defamation suit against her early last year.

It came after she wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in December of 2018, which his lawyers claimed 'depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her.'

Legal battle: With her return to the states, she prepares to continue her legal battle with Depp, 57, who filed a $50million defamation suit against her early last year (pictured in July, 2020)

History of abuse: It came after she wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in December of 2018, which his lawyers claimed 'depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her' (pictured in July, 2020)

Messy divorce: The Pineapple Express actress was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, accusing him of abuse during their divorce and ultimately settling for $7million, which she donated to the ACLU and Children's Hospital Los Angeles (pictured in January, 2014)

The Pineapple Express actress was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, accusing him of abuse during their divorce and ultimately settling for $7million, which she donated to the ACLU and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Depp recently requested a delay in their January court dates, which conflict with the filming schedule for Fantastic Beasts 3 in London.

Meanwhile, Heard has launched a $100million countersuit, accusing her ex-husband of using trolls and social media bots in a 'smear campaign' against her.

She said in court documents that she's finally 'fighting back,' as she seeks to have Depp's 'frivolous lawsuit' tossed, claiming it continues his 'abuse and harassment.'

The documents read: 'This stream of false and defamatory accusations against Ms. Heard is all an attempt to ruin her life and career, simply because she was a victim of domestic abuse and violence at the hands of Mr. Depp, and had the audacity and temerity to finally come forward to end it.'
On March 22, Mr. Ford met with senior administration officials, who recommended a mass vaccination program. A memo marked the president has seen warned of the ingredients for a pandemic though also noted that an argument can be made for taking no extraordinary action.

But Mr. Ford was advised that Congress would likely act anyway  which meant they, not he, would get the credit for a potentially heroic decision  and that the government can tolerate unnecessary health expenditures better than unnecessary death and illness. He was also reminded of a significant political consideration: Congress, the media and the American people will expect some action.

Two days later, he met with a so-called blue ribbon panel of experts and then appeared before television cameras. Telling reporters that we cannot afford to take a chance with the health of our nation, he announced that he was requesting an immediate $135 million congressional appropriation for the production of sufficient vaccine to inoculate every man, woman and child in the United States.

He went on to say that he was directing what was then known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to develop plans that would make this vaccine available to all Americans in the fall.

An unnamed official at the W.H.O., which had not been consulted, expressed his organizations surprise in widely quoted comments, and noted that no other countries have plans for mass inoculations against what was popularly known simply as swine flu.

U.S. officials immediately pressured the W.H.O. to endorse Mr. Fords decision. And, as the historian George Dehner noted, The pressure worked: by the next day W.H.O. officials were quoted in the news media as stating, W.H.O. endorses President Fords plan for massive inoculation against swine flu virus.

That fall, celebrities lined up to get jabbed with the vaccine before cameras to set an example  including the president, sleeve rolled up, in the Oval Office. On Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase did his famous Ford impression sporting a syringe in his arm during a debate against Dan Aykroyds Jimmy Carter.
Speaking to journalists in Bled, Slovenia, Orban noted that in his talks with Slovenian counterpart Janez Jansa they agreed that the two countries would strive for good neighbourly relations but that it would take a few more months before a concrete plan emerged.



The basis for such a plan will be each countrys support for their respective national minority communities, he said, adding that the bedrock of ties was also the aid Hungary provided to Slovenia during the coronavirus epidemic.



The prime minister said the tone of Hungarian-Slovenian relations was much more positive than ever before.



Orban said the primary aim was to connect the infrastructure of the two countries, and argued that there is no high-voltage electricity connection with Slovenia yet, and the gas pipeline interconnector for accessing Italys gas pipeline network via Slovenia remains half finished.



He added that air transport connections between the two countries were rather basic, and the issue of building the port of Koper and a railway line were highly sensitive issues.





MTI / PM's Press Office: Vivien Cher Benko
American Airlines will eliminate the dreaded $200 change fees on all but the cheapest tickets after eliminating the charge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Fort Worth-based airline said it is eliminating the charge for passengers to switch flights permanently, at least for those in first class, business and main economy. The cheapest tickets in basic economy will still be subject to change fees after Dec. 31, the company said.

American follows Chicago-based United Airlines, which eliminated change fees on Sunday, and Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which followed suit on Monday. Dallas Southwest Airlines doesnt charge for change fees.

The change effectively lets many customers keep the full value of their ticket if they want to cancel a flight and apply it toward another ticket. If the new ticket is cheaper, American said it will issue a voucher for the difference.

By eliminating change fees, giving customers an opportunity to get where they want to go faster with free same-day standby on earlier flights and providing access to upgrades and seats for all fare types, were giving customers the freedom to make their own choices when traveling with American, said American Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja in a statement.

Change fees will still apply to flights outside the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean.

Mondays changes by American and Delta show the copycat nature of the commercial aviation industry, where ticket hikes and new fees are often emulated quickly by competitors.

American has dropped the change fees on all flights for several months as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed passengers to cancel flights and rebook tickets. For several weeks early in the pandemic, airlines were booking negative revenue because more passengers were canceling flights than booking new ones.

Dropping change fees originally was intended to give customers more flexibility if they wanted to cancel or reschedule flights due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. United and Delta adopted similar tactics.
Boris Johnson has insisted his government has not been blown off course by coronavirus but said that "sometimes it is necessary" to change direction in "response to the facts as they change".

The UK prime minister's comments come after he presided over a series of U-turns on policy which have angered Conservative MPs, with one describing events as a "mega- disaster from one day to the next".

Chairing his first cabinet meeting after the summer parliamentary recess, Mr Johnson told ministers that in the last few months they have been "sailing into the teeth of a gale, no question".

"And I am no great nautical expert, but sometimes it is necessary to tack here and there in response to the facts as they change, in response to the wind's change, but we have been going steadily in the direction, in the course we set out, and we have not been blown off that course."

He said there would still be "some turbulence ahead" and things would be "difficult" on the economic front, while the need remained to "get this disease absolutely out of our systems".

"But I am absolutely confident that if we continue in the way that we have that there will be calmer days, brighter days and calmer seas ahead of us, so thank you all very much for everything that you have done."

Many Tory backbenchers are frustrated by the government's handling of the crisis, with one senior Conservative MP saying his colleagues are "tired of the U-turns".

"There's that element of calamity - and frankly there are people from the Red Wall seats who are getting jittery. But not only Red Wall seats, but other people who haven't got marginal seats like that," he said.

"We'd like to be in a government that has the impression of being competent, rather than lurching from one issue to another and then after a short time doing a U-turn."

The backbencher said MPs were left with "egg on their face" each time they defended policy to constituents and then had to reverse their stance.

The Conservatives won a majority of 80 seats at last year's general election, turning many traditional Labour constituencies - which formed the so-called Red Wall - blue.

Some MPs are concerned that these newly won seats could be returned to Labour at the next election.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, said the panel's executives expect to meet Mr Johnson in the "near future" to relay the concerns of backbenchers.
Leaders of a pressure group in the Ashanti region calling itself Concerned Youth Of Asante (CYA) says it is about time the NPP government thinks about the welfare of' Asanteman' which has been loyal to the party as its stronghold for decades.

The group says the NPP government has broken the trust and confidence the people of Ashanti region had in the party for ages due to the lack of development in the region.

Speaking at a news conference in Kumasi, the President of the Association, Dr Nana Agyenim Boateng aka 'Gyataba' is challenging the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to account to 'Asanteman' any single project it has done in the Ashanti region since President Akufo-Addo assumed office almost four years now.

He indicated that former President John Dramani Mahama last Thursday at the Manhyia Palace accounted to Asanteman and Otumfour Osei Tutu II, the number of projects he was able to bring to the Ashanti Region when he had the opportunity to serve as a president of the republic for just a term.

"It is on this basis that we want President Akufo-Addo to come and do same by accounting to the people what he has done for us all to see. It's our hope and prayer that President Nana Akufo-Addo will also go and show Asantehene and the good people of the Ashanti kingdom his projects in the Ashanti region."

He continued, "As a group that is determined to fight the progress and development of Asanteman, we hereby also challenge the good people in the Ashanti region to compare and contrast the kind of votes that are given out to the NPP and the kind of development we receive in an exchange whenever NPP was in power and do same to the NDC.

"For the records, in the 2016 presidential election, the NPP had 1,642,288 votes only in the Ashanti region which represented 75.99%, a vote that brought President Nana Addo to Power and NDC scoring as low as 503,368 which represented 23.29%

"We can say on records that, per our checks, since 1992, NDC has achieved a lot in terms of physical developmental projects in the Ashanti region than the NPP but receive less of our votes."

Dr Nana Agyenim Boateng wondered if they are doing good to themselves for supporting a party (NPP) that do not think about their welfare and development.

"It's about time we think and re-think about the kind of party we sacrifice our votes for as a native of Asante. This, we are saying is the truth and the truth needs to be told. CYA is not far for right if we say the NPP takes Asanteman for fools. This is because the NPP only deceives Asanteman when they needed votes and dump us when we cry for development. we are now wise and can no longer be deceived by the self -seeking Nana Addo's government and the NPP.

"Let me highlight on a number of projects that were brought to the Ashanti region under the NDC and John Dramani Mahama's four years as president," he emphasised.

ASHANTI PROJECT UNDER JDM

Kumasi Kejetia market Tafo Market Asawase Market Atonsu Market Sewua Hospital Afari Military Hospital Fomena Hospital Bekwai Hospital Asawase Roads Suame Roads (Kyei Mensa Bonsu Constituency) Tafo Roads (Dr Akoto Osei Constituency) Kenyasi Roads High School Junction to Gyinase Bomso to High School Road Kotei to Ayeduase to Campus Roads Emena to Boadi Apromase to Ejisu Bonwire Junction to Bonwire Road Aprade to Parkoso Tikrom Baworo to Antoa Roads Bekwai Town Roads New Edubiase Town Roads Bomfa Junction to Asiwa Road Bekwai to Asiwa Road Kumawu to Drobonso Road Tepa Manfo to Subriso to Fanti Road Parkoso Community Day School Agric Nzema Community Day School Banka Community Day School Adobewura Community Day School Adugyama Community Day School Drobonso Community Day School Bosomtwe Oyoko Community Day School Kwabenakwakrom/Obuasi Comm Day School Asuoso/Offinso Community Day School Adansi Fumso Community Day School Adansi Apagya Community Day School Tepa Manfo Community Day School Ejura Community Day School Kumawu Hospital Tepa Hospital Konongo Hospital Kumawu Water Supply Konongo water supply.

"Do you think we will be crying for development by now if NPP was able to develop our region as done in John Mahama's four years? Let me say again that, the NPP takes our resources and develop other regions that are of their interest with them.

According to him, is it wrong for President Nana Addo to establish a movie theatre at Akyim-Kyebi where not even a single soul in the area is known to be an actor or actress whereas "we have the likes of Lil -Wyn, Kwaku Manu, Kyeiwaa, Mercy Asiedu, Kwadwo Poku Mahala, Agya Koo just to mention but a few who are struggling to even rent hotels for good movies."

He stressed, "A Bauxite concession at Nyinahini in the Ashanti region which was awarded a contract to a Ghanaian based businessman was just terminated and now a Chinese businessman is operating. The NPP cut our timber and develop other regions with them. Before I conclude, we want to be clear if we are always made slaves under NPP and we expect Nana Addo to tell us."
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in suburban Mumbai as a forest and conserve the same.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who said, the forest would be the first example of a "huge jungle" being conserved at the centre of a megapolis, an official statement said.

Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray, Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar and others were present for the meeting, the statement said.

The chief minister instructed during the meeting to safeguard the rights of adivasis (tribals) while the area is reserved as forest.

The area to be excluded from the forest will be ascertained after seeking suggestions and objections from citizens, the statement said.

Constructions of all types, roads, slums, adivasi pockets and government facilities will be excluded from the first phase of the initiative, the statement said.

The slums within the area will be rehabilitated immediately, the statement said.

In a series of tweets after the meeting, Aaditya Thackeray said, "Approx 600 acres of open land being declared as forest while all rights of Adivasi communities will stand protected.

"Rehabilitation of slums within the area would be expedited. This wld be phase 1 for which the Forest Dept will move a proposal. Phase 2 survey for additional open/forest land in

Aarey, post Phase 1 will begin soon.

"This would help the state protect the flora & fauna existent in SGNP and Aarey," Aaditya Thackeray added.

The forested Aarey Colony in suburban Goregaon is a prominent green lung of Mumbai.
MADRID: Spains health ministry said on Tuesday the number of coronavirus cases detected daily had declined over the past four days, further off a peak of around 10,000 reached about 10 days ago, and officials said no new lockdown was necessary.

The country diagnosed 2,731 infections in the past 24 hours, but these data could be revised in future as Spain updates its statistics retroactively. Tuesdays update raised the tally since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic by 8,115 cases to 470,973 overall, more than any other western European nation.

Since bringing the first wave largely under control through a strict lockdown that ended in June, Spain has suffered a sharp resurgence of infections as measures were relaxed and mass testing began.

Still, Health Minister Salvador Illa stressed that the surge in infections had not led to heightened pressure on hospitals, where occupancy of beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients is at around 6% across the country.

He also said the mortality rate of the virus remains far below the March-April peak, when nearly 900 daily deaths were reported. The latest data showed 159 deaths were registered in the past seven days, bringing the total up to 29,152.

The reduced death toll reflects the preponderance of new infections hitting younger people who display little or no symptoms of illness due to their stronger immune systems, whereas older people comprised most of the cases in March-April.

From a public health perspective the current situation does not call for a new lockdown," Illa said on Onda Cero radio. If we do things right, if we follow the recommendations of experts, it wont be necessary."

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
By Trend

By resettling people of Armenian origin in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan is not in keeping with spirit of searching for negotiated settlement to the conflict, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the US Matthew Bryza told Trend.

Speaking as the former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, it is disappointing to see people of Armenian origin are resettled from Syria and Lebanon in Nagorno-Karabakh. That sort of move by Yerevan is not in keeping with the spirit of searching for a negotiated settlement that characterizes the Minsk Group. When I was a co-chair of the Minsk Group, it was unimaginable that the Armenian government would have done something like that, because it would be a sign that it has lost all seriousness in pursuing a mediated settlement under the auspices of the Minsk Group. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to regenerate progress in the Minsk Group format, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden faced criticism on social media for their Onam wishes which allegedly portrayed Vamana in poor light.

Isaac's tweet read: "Happy Onam! We celebrate Mahabali who did not discriminate by caste or creed, not Vamana who cheated him. This edition of harvest festival has something to celebrate. Kerala has announced floor prices for 14 types of vegetables in its drive for self sufficiency in vegetables."

BJP state president K Surendran was among those who criticised Isaac for referring to Vamana as a 'cheater'.

"Vamana is an incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu, god to crores of believers. Would he take such a stand on people of other religions? Isaac should apologise to the believers," he wrote in a Facebook post.

"To all those who have been upset about my Onam tweet: Accept that there can be many narratives. I was referring to the one by Sahodaran Aiyyapan, an ardent disciple of Sree Narayana Guru. If you are not convinced read his Onapatu, the most popular Onam song of Kerala," Isaac tweeted in respose.

Meanwhile, trouble began for Hibi Eden when he joined the chorus in criticising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Vamana Jayanti greetings that included a painting of Vamana placing his foot over Mahabali's head.

Hibi tweeted: "All Malayalees deserve this...for the enthusiasm they showed to vote for AAP and Kejariwal...freebies come and go but culture, history, traditions can't be distorted like this...BJP and AAP does the same when it comes to this...B team of BJP".

Hibi's comments irked some who alleged that he too had ridiculed Vamana, an allegation to which he responded on Facebook.

"The Sangh Parivar's allegation against me is baseless. They haven't even read my tweet. I have not used the words Maha Vishnu or Vaman Moorthy in my tweets," he wrote.

A Catholic nun and school teacher based in Kottayam too courted controversy over their Onam wishes in the form of a video clip addressed to students and their parents.

"Onam is the gospel of the one who was knocked down" and the "timeless story of the one who received a gift knocking down the giver" were some references made in the clip that drew the ire of some parents.

The video has since gone viral on social media and compelled the teacher to tendered an apology through another video shot at a police station where she said her reference to Vamana Moorthi were due to ignorance.
Providing relief to a homebuyer who paid almost 90 percent of the cost of the apartment to the builder, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, has provided refund with 10 percent interest from the date of receipt. The commission said that any unreasonable escalation on the part of the builder was unfair and that a developer could not continue taking bookings in case of problems with landowners keeping the buyer in the dark.

It also noted that pre-litigation with the landowners should be disclosed by the builder.

In this particular case involving a buyer who had booked a unit in Faridabad and paid 90 percent of the cost, the consumer court noted that as per the agreement, the apartments possession was to be handed over within 24 months, plus a reasonable time, subject to force majeure events and to timely payments.

The said apartment was to be delivered by January 28, 2013. However, despite the buyer depositing 90 percent of the total amount in 2012 which amounted to Rs 41.39 lakh, the unit was not handed over to the buyer.

The date of offer of possession, that too without the OC, 09.07.2016, was more than three years, much too large to be simply explained away as a delay due to dispute between the landowners and the OP. In fact this argument has no leg to stand on for it means that the OP, aware of the problems that some land owners could raise, yet went ahead with taking bookings and signing agreements, the order said.

Also Read: NCDRC directs builder to pay Rs 47.65 lakh compensation to Mumbai homebuyer 25 years after he booked flat for Rs 8.2 lakh

This was clearly unfair to the complainant. It is not enough to say that the complainant was fully aware; it was the OPs bounden duty to have kept the complainant fully informed at all times, it said.

Builders conduct unfair and amounts to deficiency in service

It has to be appreciated that the OP was not doing the complainant a favour by taking his money for constructing a flat and then, for whatever reason and howsoever justified, delaying possession for the reason that it was under an injunction order. Indeed, if that was the case, then the OP ought not to have demanded or accepted any payments during this entire period Thus, in my considered opinion, the OP's conduct clearly amounts to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service, the order said.

The case concerned a homebuyer Sandeep Nagar who had filed a consumer complaint under section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act 1986 (Act) against the builder RPS Infrastructure Limited.

Also Read: Flat delayed by four years, NCDRC tells builder to refund homebuyer Rs 3.4 crore with interest

The buyer booked an apartment in Sector 88, Faridabad with a super area of approximately 1620 square feet against total consideration of Rs. 50.27 lakh.

The Apartment Buyers Agreement signed on January 28, 2011 had promised delivery within 24 months until January 28, 2013. The buyer had taken a loan from a bank worth Rs 30.98 lakh.

The total amount paid by the buyer to the builder was Rs 49.53 lakh but the builder failed to handover possession of the apartment by January 28, 2013. The builder also arbitrarily issued a notice of cancellation on January 8, 2014 to the buyer following which the buyer issued a legal notice on June 16, 2014 but he did not receive any response from the builder.

The buyers complaint was to do with delay in handing over an offer of possession lakh by over three years and an additional demand of over Rs 19 lakh from the builder of which Rs 8.5 lakh was on account of delayed payment charges at the rate of 24 per cent per annum.

The buyer had written to the builder on this matter but did not receive a response following which he approached the Lok Adalat on September 21, 2016 but later withdrew the application. He eventually filed a complaint in the NCDRC in August 2018 alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

The buyer has demanded a refund of the full amount of Rs 49.53 lakh with 18 percent per annum from date of receipt of payments; compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for mental agony, discomfort and undue hardship and a sum of Rs 1 lakh towards litigation cost.

The builder, on the other hand had claimed that the buyer was offered possession in July 2016 but he had delayed taking possession. It was alleged that the buyer was an investor looking to blackmail and extract money from the developer.

Land disputes can jeopardise the interests of homebuyers, which in this case it did by delaying the project substantially. Such suppression of facts has rightly been adjudicated as unfair by the court, said Aditya Parolia of PSP Legal.
The scaffolds that help hold together the world's tropical reefs are at risk from acidification due to increased carbon dioxide in the world's oceans, according to geoscientists at the University of Sydney.

Extensive sampling of the Great Barrier Reef fossil record has shown that the calcified scaffolds that help stabilise and bind its structure become thin and weaker as pH levels fall.

Scientists have seen incidental evidence for this in the past, but a new study led by Zsanett Szilagyi of the Geocoastal Research Group at the University of Sydney has shown that this is a global process, affecting reefs worldwide.

The research is published this week in Marine Geology.

"For the first time we have comprehensively shown that the thickness of this geologic 'reef glue' correlates with changes in ocean pH and dissolved carbon dioxide," said Ms Szilagyi.

The thickness of these crusts can now be regarded as a reliable indicator of ocean acidification going back tens if not hundreds of thousands of years.

"We haven't had such a complete and high-resolution record before. And this geologic study shows that as oceans became more acidic, this is reflected in the thickness of these reef crusts," said Associate Professor Jody Webster from the School of Geosciences, who coordinated the study.

WHAT ARE MICROBIALITES?

The 'reef glue' is made up of calcified deposits from microbes that live within reef formations around the world. Known as microbialites, these structures play an important role in many types of aquatic systems and are probably best known from the ancient stromatolites that are built by cyanobacteria in Western Australia, which are billions of years old.

In some types of reef systems, including the Great Barrier Reef, microbialite crusts likely formed by sulfate-reducing bacteria stabilise and bind the reef framework, forming a robust scaffold that can be used by corals and other reef builders to colonise and grow.

In the past these crusts have been more abundant than the corals and algae that grow on and around them and they display variations in thickness over time, while still performing their structural role.

"This means they are really good indicators of changes in environmental conditions of our oceans," Associate Professor Webster said.

The study found a variation in thickness from 11.5 centimetres 22,500 years ago to about 3 centimetres in younger Great Barrier Reef sections, about 12,000 years ago.

When combined with studies from 17 reef systems worldwide, the data shows this thinning of the microbialite crusts coincides with pH dropping below 8.2 right up to modern times.

GLOBAL RESULTS

The researchers gathered a dataset of microbial crusts from the Great Barrier Reef as far back as 30,000 years. They compared a comprehensive three-dimensional analysis of samples to two-dimensional scans of the crust thickness.

The results from the Great Barrier Reef show that the two-dimensional analysis of crust thickness provides an accurate proxy for the more detailed three-dimensional method. Compiling 2D sample data from across the world, the scientific team built a global model of microbialite thickness through time.

The study found that the 2D technique gave results within 10 percent of the 3D analysis.

"A real breakthrough here is that we are confident we can now apply a 2D analysis to reefs and obtain reliable information about the history of microbialite formations. This will give us substantial savings in time and resources," Associate Professor Webster said.

"Previous studies have given us glimpses as to how these microbial crusts respond to changes in their environment. What is new in our study is that we measured more than 700 well-dated microbialite samples from the International Ocean Discovery Program on the Great Barrier Reef and combined this with a meta-analysis of 17 other reef records from around the world," he said.

"This allowed us to assess global-scale changes in microbialite development over the past 30,000 years. And, frankly, the findings are a stark warning sign for the dangers of rapid acidification of oceans."

The study argues that in the present-day context of rapid global climate change, changes in dissolved carbon dioxide, pH and temperature, could lead to reduced microbial crust formation, thereby weakening reef frameworks in the future.

###

The research was a global effort, with contributions from Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary, University of Tennessee in the US, Nagoya University and University of Tokyo in Japan, Goethe University in Germany, Aix-Marseille University in France, National Institute for Space Research in Brazil and the University of Granada in Spain.

DOWNLOAD research plus photos of researchers, animation of core sample at this link.

INTERVIEWS

Associate Professor Jody Webster | jody.webster@sydney.edu.au | +61 412 177 405

Zsanett Szilagyi | zsanett.szilagyi@sydney.edu.au

Ms Szilagyi is currently in Europe. Requests via A/Prof Webster.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Marcus Strom | marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au | +61 423 982 485

DECLARATION

Core drilling on the Great Barrier Reef took place as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 325. We acknowledge the facilities and the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis at the University of Sydney. Financial support for this research was provided by the Australian Research Council; the Australia-New Zealand IODP Consortium; and Tempus Kozalapitvany.
One of the most vulnerable Republican senators in this years elections has drawn flack for publicly pondering whether the USs official Covid-19 death toll is in fact accurate.

Joni Ernst, the junior senator from Iowa, also said she is curious about a conspiracy theory shared among the QAnon movement that misrepresents a recent study to claim only 6 per cent of those deceased were in fact killed by the coronavirus.

Speaking at an event in the states Black Hawk County earlier this week, Ms Ernst was asked by one attendee whether she agreed that the death toll numbers were inflated.

According to a report from the local Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, she replied that she too was so skeptical of the numbers, and suggested that health care providers might be inflating them for financial benefit.

These health-care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if Covid is tied to it, she reportedly told the crowd, so what do you think theyre doing?

The report from the Couriers Amie Rivers quotes Ms Ernst digging deeper. Theyre thinking there may be 10,000 or less deaths that were actually singularly Covid-19, Im just really curious. It would be interesting to know that.

The theory to which Ms Ernst referred is a discredited claim that only 6 per cent of the USs official coronavirus fatalities are in fact attributable to the disease.

That number derives from a misinterpretation of data from the Centres for Disease Control, which has updated its statistics to say that only in only 6 per cent of confirmed coronavirus deaths listed was Covid-19 the only cause recorded on the death certificate.

The false number has been circulated heavily among supporters of the QAnon conspiracy movement, and was even picked up by Donald Trump himself, who retweeted a message propagating it that was later removed by Twitter.

The report of Ms Ernsts remarks was immediately seized upon by her Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield, calling her musings appalling and accusing her of not taking the pandemic seriously.
Better thank your lucky stars youre living in Texas, because two of its cities have just been ranked on the Forbes list for The Best Places to Retire in 2020.

According to Forbes, San Antonio and Dallas are among in the top 25 places to enjoy your golden years.

INTENSE MOMENTS: Storm chasers capture Laura's landfall

In making its selections, Forbes took the approach of analyzing which cities "offer a high quality of life at an affordable price." What's particularly key when looking at this year's list is how the pandemic has given seniors a new set of challenges to consider.

"The pandemic could influence retirement location decisions in other ways, too, which fortuitously largely align with how we've traditionally approached our list," Forbes contributor William Barrett wrote. "For example, some Boomers who haven't financially suffered may need their savings to stretch further as they help out millennial kids who have take a hit."

Note: Forbes' list delineates top cities in alphabetical order, so there's not a ranking of No. 1 or No. 2.

Forbes commended San Antonio for these top qualities:

Good air quality

Low cost of living

Bike-friendly atmosphere

Median home price of $188,000, 34 percent below the national median

Low risk for climate change

Lack of state income and inheritance tax

Adequate number of doctors per capita

The drawbacks to San Antonio as a retirement spot include its shortage of walkable areas and its rate of serious crimes, which is above the national average.

Dallas was praised for these attractive qualities for a retirement spot, according to Forbes:

Adequate number of physicians per capita

Relatively low cost of living

Vibrant culture scene

Median home price of $219,000, 21 percent below the national median

Lack of state income and inheritance tax

Good climate

Good air quality

Low risk of climate change

Very bikeable, somewhat walkable

High ranking on Milken list of best cities for successful aging.

The only drawback for living in Dallas in your golden years is the serious crime rate, which is above national average.

As Forbes prepared this year's list, they made certain selective adjustments in light of the of coronavirus concerns. While college towns had typically been top mentions on this list, now they are not highlighted for 2020.

"In a nod to the continuing impact of COVID, this year's list is lighter than its predecessors on smallish college towns," Barrett stated. "We worry that the educational and cultural opportunities that had made them so appealing will be slow to return."

The other consideration that is specific to this year is the proximity to quality medical care.

"Another timely metric we've long considered is the availability of medical care, using doctors per capita as proxy," Barrett said. "Plus, we look at whether a city encourages a healthy and active lifestyle with good air quality, convenience for walking and biking and low serious."

Yes, our beloved Houston didn't make the list. We're still in a quandary about that. But there's always next year.
Thats the real conflict. Democrats dont want to say so, publicly, because theyre all about unity now. Theyve been trying to distract the voters from the division among Democrats, and one way to do it is to feed chaos and ride it like a tiger.
WASHINGTON  The Washington Art Association is seeking conceptual proposals for a large mural to be displayed on the exterior brick wall of the art association building. The mural will be prominently displayed facing Bryan Plaza in Washington Depot. The theme of the work should be an uplifting expression of human resilience, hope and inspiration in light of COVID-19 and other events of 2020, members said in a statement.

Visit www.washingtonartassociation.org for the guidelines relating to submissions. Proposals must include the title of the work, name(s) of the participating artists, their respective roles in the project, a written description/statement describing the work and scaled color image/s. Submissions should also include photos (or website links) of the artists prior work to provide insight into the project. Interested artists must provide a complete proposal (representational or abstract) by Sept. 30.

The maximum dimensions of the mural will be no greater than 12x 20 wide, and the project can be constructed of multiple panels. The medium should be paint, mixed media or photographic images. The cost of the panels and installation will be borne by WAA at a cost not to exceed $1,500. The selected artist will be paid a $1,000 honorarium upon completion of the work, and all other expenses shall be borne by the artist.

Interested artists should send proposals to info@washingtonartassociation.org no later than September 30th, 2020. The WAA Exhibition Committee and Board of Trustees will decide the work to be displayed by October 30, 2020 and the work must be ready for installation by April 1, 2021.

Winsted sweeping project has begun

WINSTED  The Department of Public Works has begun sweeping excess gravel from roads recently chipsealed, according to a statement. Streets to be swept include Old North Road, Holabird Avenue, Kitteredge Lane, Palmer Avenue, Central Avenue, Nalette Drive, Sunny Ridge, Chestnut Street, Wheeler Street, Munroe Place, Manchester Heights, Standard Avenue and New Street.

EDC sponsoring storefront contest

WINSTED  The Winchester Economic Development Commission is holding a storefront facade contest, Sept. 15-Nov. 15. The town-wide contest intends to recognize design excellence in storefront facade improvements, according to a statement.

Winchester business owners will be judged on the most improved storefront facade, including store fronts, windows, facades, side walk area signage, etc. Prizes will be awarded. For an application to enter the 2020 Storefront Challenge, go to https://rb.gy/7i16ty If you have any questions, please email JTessmanEDC@gmail.com.

Society offers Sensory Science Saturdays

LITCHFIELD  Sensory Science Saturdays at the Tapping Reeve Meadow, Litchfield Historical Society, will be held from 10:30-11:30 a.m., Set. 12, 19 and 26. The cost is $15 per person and registration is required.

Sensory Science Saturdays provide an opportunity for students to investigate the fields of physical and biological sciences in an outdoor and socially distant environment. The three-week series will be held in the Tapping Reeve Meadow on Saturdays, September 12th, 19th, and 26th. A session for student in grades 1-2 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and a session for students in grades 3-5 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. will be offered.

Beginning with the sense of Sight, students will explore light and color, and discover how the eyes/brain work together to allow us to experience sight. Older students will also explore the electromagnetic spectrum and wave theory. The second Saturday will present activities in the field of Movement including: Newtons Laws; Momentum; and Balance. Older students will delve more deeply into these topics and will also explore the mechanics of flight. The third and final Sensory Saturday program will present activities that explore the sense of Touch. Students will discover how heat moves through various media and how our senses perceive heat. Older students will explore the relationship between heat and other forms of energy, according to a statement. Classes will be presented by recently retired science teacher, Jay Fields. Fields has studied science on every continent, even Antarctica, where he spent nine years working for the National Science Foundation.

Library presents book talk

KENT - The Kent Memorial Library presents a book talk on newly published work of Kent resident John Milnes Baker, Sept. 17. Baker will discuss The Case for Edward de Vere as the real William Shakespeare.

The lecture, presented on Zoom, is free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive the zoom link. For more information, go to https://www.kentmemoriallibrary.org/john-milnes-baker/.

To purchase a copy of the book, go to Amazon or House of Books. Baker will donate the proceeds of his sales to the Kent Memorial Library from any source.

From a statement: Whether William Shakespeare was or was not the author we all studied in high school has been the subject of great debate for generations. This talk is simply an elementary introduction to what is surprisingly a heated - and at times even an acrimonious debate, remarks Baker.

Baker is an award-winning architect who specializes in Residential Design - New Homes, Alterations and Additions, and Historic Preservation. He was a 2018 recipient of Marquis Whos Who Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award as a leader in the field of architecture. The Connecticut Chapter of the AIA and The Fairfield Museum History Center cosponsored Mr. Bakers two-part program on the History of the American House in the spring of 2019.

Baker is the author of American House Styles: a Concise Guide originally published by W.W. Norton & Co. in 1994. A new expanded edition was published in July 2018. He is also the author of How to Build a House with an Architect, published in 1988 by Harper & Row. As an adjunct professor, he taught courses on the History of the American House at The New School in New York City.
Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has dissociated himself from the Dome Faase assault incident where some assailants attacked Military officers who were sent to protect a land in the village.



The name of the Okyenhene was roped into the incident when a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa attributed his unlawful conduct regarding the invasion of Dome Faase to the Chief.



In a press statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia has denied his involvement in the incident and referred the perpetrators to the Police.



We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa. He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark.



This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase. Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene. What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.



Read full statement below:



1st September, 2020



PUBLIC STATEMENT



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME  FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY



It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.



The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.



On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.



The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.



We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.



He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark. He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.



This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase. Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.



What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.



Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.





Signed



D. M. OFORI ATTA

STATE SECRETARY







CC: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE

HEADQUARTERS  ACCRA



THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Catawba Nation is reaching into history for its forthcoming, and still controversial, gaming facility on ancestral territory in North Carolina.

The Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort draws its name from Catawba Chief King Hagler . During his leadership in the mid-1700s, he allied his nation with the American colonists who revolted against the British at the time of the Revolutionary War

Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort celebrates our rich history and hopeful future in our ancestral lands in North Carolina  where our people were established hundreds of years ago, as the names Catawba River, Catawba County and Catawba College suggest, Chief Bill Harris said in a news release on Monday.

The logo for the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort features a silhouette of King Hagler. set against a representation of Kings Mountain. A Revolutionary War battle took place at Kings Mountain , with the Catawbas fighting alongside the colonists.

The name pays tribute to the 18th century Catawba Chief King Hagler and to the City of Kings Mountain, which will be home to the new casino resort. It also symbolizes the unique relationship that the Catawba people have historically had  and will continue to strengthen going forward  with fellow residents of the region, Harris said.

The facility will be located at a 17-acre site near Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. The land falls within the service area that was defined by Congress through a land claim settlement act.

Artist's rendering of proposed Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image: Catawba Nation Project Brief

The tribe began seeking federal approval to have the parcel placed in trust almost seven years ago. The Trump administration reversed its position on the matter in April after initially telling the Catawbas they couldn't acquire land in North Carolina despite the service area definition.

The decision is being fought by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , whose leaders claim the areas as their ancestral territory. The tribe operates two gaming facilities in the western part of North Carolina.

The board of commissioners in Buncombe County, located far to the west of Kings Mountain, also opposes the new development.

The Catawba Nation, whose headquarters are located across the border in South Carolina, hopes to open the casino in the summer of 2021. A groundbreaking took place on July 22

The first phase of the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort will include 1,300 electronic gaming machines, table games and restaurants, the tribe said in the news release.

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As the United States withdraws from membership in the World Health Organization, the Trump administration will redirect $62 million still owed for this years dues to other health-related causes also under United Nations auspices, State Department officials announced on Wednesday.

Most of the redirected money will go to childrens immunization and influenza surveillance, officials said. But the United States Agency for International Development will continue with plans to give $68 million to the W.H.O. to support its work in Libya and Syria, and on polio eradication in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

American government employees working as technical advisers to the W.H.O. will be withdrawn, the officials said.

The W.H.O. declined to comment, other than to refer reporters to statements made when the administration announced its intent to withdraw. At the time, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the W.H.O., said the agency regretted Mr. Trumps decision. The United States of America has been a longstanding and generous friend to the W.H.O., and we hope it will continue to be so, he said.
Clune has a long, proud history of promoting from within. In keeping with this culture, Dave Hall has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Ben Walker has been named the company's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Hall and Walker, who combined celebrate 45-years with the company, have spent the majority of their careers on Clune's front lines, managing projects for some of the most respected companies throughout the U.S.

Hall and Walker will join Clune's current Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Tom Nickele, to steer the company toward continued growth and success. All three individuals possess a strong passion for Clune's culture of providing the best services to its clients and treating employees like family.

Dave Hall joined Clune as a Project Manager in 1996 and through the years has worked his way up to become CEO. Most recently he served as Clune's President of the Midwest Region. Under his leadership, the region has consistently been recognized on ENR Magazine's list of Top General Contractors, and was ranked the 27th Largest Midwest General Contractor in 2020. In addition, Clune's Chicago office has been recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work by Crain's Chicago Business, including #1 Best Place to Work in 2020 among large companies. Hall also started and served as the head of Clune's Mission Critical Department, which grew significantly under his leadership. In 2019, Clune was ranked by Building Design + Construction Magazine as the 12th largest data center construction firm in the U.S. Hall holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Purdue University.

Ben Walker, who has overseen the operations of Clune's New York office since 2013, has been named the company's COO. He previously served as President of the New York Region. Walker started at Clune more than 20 years ago as an intern at their Chicago headquarters. His presence as one of the strongest leaders in the field eventually led to him working alongside Hall to establish the firm's Mission Critical Department. Under Walker's leadership in New York, the office has seen substantial growth, and was ranked the 20th Largest General Contractor by ENR Magazine in 2020. It has also been named one of the Best Places to Work in New York by Crain's New York Business, including #1 Best Place to Work in 2019. Walker earned his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Purdue University.

Tom Nickele will continue to serve as CFO. Nickele has more than 35 years of financial and accounting experience, with 20 years of experience serving as a CFO. He oversees all aspects of Clune's Finance and Accounting, Information Technology and Corporate Administration. In addition, he is responsible for the strategic management of the company's Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Nickele holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and is a Registered Certified Public Accountant.

In addition, Karen Mari has been promoted to Executive Managing Director, and is now a member of the Executive Management Committee. She has been with the company for 27 years, starting out as a Project Administrator in 1993. She has played a key role in the firm's growth and success every step of the way. Mari oversees all administrative functions for Clune's six offices and 600 employee-owners including Risk Management, Human Resources, Payroll, and Office Management. She has been instrumental in the establishment of Clune's outstanding benefits package, which includes 100% paid health insurance premiums for all Clune employees and their families. This package plays a big part in Clune's consistent ranking as a Best Place to Work in all of its regions.

"With these bright minds at the helm, I am confident that Clune Construction will continue the success we have experienced and enjoyed over these last 20-plus years." said Mike Clune, Chairman of Clune Construction. "A great deal of Clune's success can be attributed to our promote-from-within culture, which is exhibited in these promotions. I'm extremely confident in their abilities, their expertise and most importantly, their proven ability to lead."

About Clune Construction

Clune Construction Company is a national general contractor with offices in Chicago; Dallas; Los Angeles; New York; San Francisco; and Washington, DC. Today, Clune employs more than 600 employees and manages over $1 billion in commercial and mission-critical projects annually. Clune Construction believes that the hallmark of its success is grounded in their dedication to consistently delivering its clients' projects on time and under budget, with honesty, integrity and strong emphasis on client satisfaction. Learn more at www.clunegc.com.

SOURCE Clune Construction Company
The government on Wednesday banned 118 more Chinese mobile phone applications including popular online game PUBG.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notification in this regarding stating that the apps were engaged in activities "prejudicial to Sovereignty and Integrity of India, Defence of India, Security of State and Public Order".

Also Read: Why India banned PUBG Mobile

Also Read: PUBG Mobile and other 118 Chinese apps banned in India: Here's teh full list

With this, the total count of Chinese mobile apps banned by the government has gone up to 224. The Centre had first proscribed 59 Chinese apps days after the violent conflict between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June this year.

It was followed by another restraint order in which 49 more Chinese apps were prohibited in India. The ministry banned these apps invoking its power under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, adding that the decision was taken in the wake of the emerging nature of threats.

Below mentioned is the full list of mobile phone apps banned by the government:

1. APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart

2. APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps

3. APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner

4. APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus

5. APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright

6. Cut Cut Cut Out & Photo Background Editor

7. Baidu

8. Baidu Express Edition

9. FaceU - Inspire you're Beauty

10. ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals

Also Read: PUBG ban in India triggers memes fest on Twitter

11. CamCard - Business Card Reader

12. CamCard Business

13. CamCard for Salesforce

14. CamOCR

15. InNote

16. VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing

17. Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster

18. WeChat reading

19. Government WeChat

20. Small Q brush

21. Tencent Weiyun

22. Pitu

23. WeChat Work

24. Cyber Hunter

25. Cyber Hunter Lite

26. Knives Out-No rules, just fight!

27. Super Mecha Champions

28. LifeAfter

29. Dawn of Isles

30. Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

31. Chess Rush

32. PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik

33. PUBG MOBILE LITE

34. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

35. Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon

36. Dank Tanks

37. Warpath

38. Game of Sultans

39. Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos

40. Smart AppLock (App Protect)

41. Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team

42. Hide App-Hide Application Icon

43. AppLock

44. AppLock Lite

45. Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner

46. ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online

47. ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app

48. Music - Mp3 Player

49. Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

50. HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera

51. Cleaner - Phone Booster

52. Web Browser & Fast Explorer

53. Video Player All Format for Android

54. Photo Gallery HD & Editor

55. Photo Gallery & Album

56. Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download

57. HD Camera - Beauty Cam wif Filters & Panorama

58. HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

59. Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

60. Gallery HD

61. Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

62. Web Browser - Secure Explorer

63. Music player - Audio Player

64. Video Player - All Format HD Video Player

65. Lamour Love All Over Teh World

66. Amour- video chat & call all over teh world.

67. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community

68. MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

69. APUS Message Center-Intelligent management

70. LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

71. Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-

72. Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games

73. Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games

74. Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game

75. Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage

76. GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji

77. U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate

78. Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style

79. Tantan - Date For Real

80. MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen

81. Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat

82. Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles

83. Alipay

84. AlipayHK

85. Mobile Taobao

86. Youku

87. Road of Kings- Endless Glory

88. Sina News

89. Netease News

90. Penguin FM

91. Murderous Pursuits

92. Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology

93. Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

94. HUYA LIVE Game Live Stream

95. Little Q Album

96. Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords

97. Hi Meitu

98. Mobile Legends: Pocket

99. VPN for TikTok

100. VPN for TikTok

101. Penguin E-sports Live assistant

102. Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices

103. iPick

104. Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie

105. Parallel Space Lite - Dual App

106. "Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC

107. MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

108. AFK Arena

109. Creative Destruction NetEase Games

110. Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

111. Mafia City Yotta Games

112. Onmyoji NetEase Games

113. Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games

114. Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang TEMPhas been fully upgraded

115. Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

116. Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

117. Soul Hunters

118. Rules of Survival
While most enterprises have had to scale down their business during Covid-19 and give back their retail premises to landlords, Japanese retailers have continued to open more shops in Vietnam recently.

The Japanese retail brand Muji in late July opened its first pop-up store on the first floor of Parkson Center in HCM City's district 1, displaying thousands of product items, including skincare products and clothes.

The opening hour was set at 9.30 am, but Vietnamese youth came one hour before, queuing up for their turn. The shop received 15 clients every 30 minutes and asked people to stand at a distance from each other.

According to Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon, the official store will open at the Parkson center on Le Thanh Ton Street by year end.

Miki House, a high-end childrens fashion brand, opened its first store in Vietnam at the Akyruhi Shopping Center in HCM City during the first epidemic outbreak.

Just days later, the well-known Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo opened its first store in Hanoi, at Vincom building on Pham Ngoc Thach street, one of the biggest fashion areas of the capital city. It opened its first store in Vietnam in HCM City last year. It now has two stores in the city.

Meanwhile, Matsumoto Kiyoshi plans to open its first shop in Vietnam in the near future.

The newcomers have added their names to the long list of Japanese retailers present in the Vietnamese market over the last five years.

While most enterprises have had to scale down their business during Covid-19 and give back their retail premises to landlords, Japanese retailers have continued to open more shops in Vietnam recently.

JETROs (Japan External Trade Organization) HCM City Chief Representative Hirai Shinji said the organization has found a considerable increase in Japanese investments in non-production sectors recently. These include investments by retailers, such as Aeon, Family Mart, MiniStop and 7-Eleven.

Long-term plan

Vietnam has become more attractive to Japanese enterprises thanks to stable economic growth and high political certainties.

Ryohin Keikaku began eyeing the Vietnamese market three years ago and officially made public the plan to join the market in 2019.

While trying to open more new stores in Vietnam, Muji in early July announced its restructuring of its business division in the US, shutting down shops which could not bring profits. The brand also bore pressure in its home country of Japan with sales down by 50 percent when the epidemic was at its peak in April and May.

It took Miki House five years to survey the Vietnamese market and choose a partner.

According to Phan Thanh Tan, chair of Akuruhi, the partner, if the first store succeeds, the company will open two more shops in HCM City, and will consider opening shops in Hanoi and Da Nang.

The General Stastistics Office (GSO) reported that despite Covid-19, revenue from goods and service sales in Vietnam in the first seven months of the year increased by 3.6 percent compared with the same period last year, reaching VND2.218 trillion.

Kim Chi

Hanoi retailers told to increase stocks threefold amid pandemic Retailers in Hanoi were told to increase stocks of essential goods by three-fold over average levels to ensure price stability amid the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Two months ago, several women and people of color who had worked for and supported the Southern Foodways Alliance, an association dedicated to the study and preservation of the regions food and to healing its tortured racist history, called on John T. Edge, the influential white man who heads the alliance, to step aside.

On Tuesday night, a committee from the University of Mississippi, where the organization is based, gave them an answer in the form of a 1,500-word statement.

It mentioned Mr. Edge once, but did not address his employment. Rather, it called for an examination, including an outside audit, of how institutional racism and patriarchy affect both the universitys Center for the Study of Southern Culture  under which the Southern Foodways Alliance operates  and the alliance itself.

It noted an urgent need for the alliance to assemble a more diverse leadership team and staff, and called for a deeper examination of the relationship between the center and the alliance, which for 20 years has operated in a loose partnership with that more established academic body.
Will Shane Patton, newly minted Police Commissioner, pass his first test? The just released final submissions from the Gobbo royal commission pose a serious challenge to Pattons claim to be a new broom. Are we seeing real change or just window dressing?

Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton. Credit:Justin McManus

In penning his first Gobbo missive, Patton apologised and claimed to be taking a different tack to his predecessors. For years Victoria Police has fought tooth and nail to cover up and suppress this saga. Pattons apology came just days after he adopted the same litigious approach as Victoria Police went to court ... and lost ... and appealed ... and lost, to try to protect the names of individual officers caught in the inquiry. So no different approach at all.

If indeed Patton is sincere in his claim to be ushering in a cultural shift, the first change is to turn off the endless stream of taxpayer-funded litigation over lost causes. The simple and unavoidable fact is that current high command is peppered with people tainted by their involvement in the Gobbo era. This endless litigation is not for the benefit of the Victorian public, nor for the better administration of justice, but only so that their reputations and careers might be salvaged.

The government must insist on a purge of the ranks for genuine fresh start. How can a senior officer who was in charge of ethics during the time of the most unethical behaviour anyone has ever seen still be in a position of authority? The efforts of senior command in trying to protect the reputations of some of their own are a serious distraction from their real duty  to protect Victorians, not each other.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government instead of doing 'Raj Dharma' was indulging in 'Baal Hatth' or childlike-stubbornness and could frame him in another case, Dr Kafeel Khan said after he was released from the Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed Khan's detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release.

Following the court's order, Khan was released from Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

"Mathura jail administration informed at around 11. 00 pm that Dr Kafeel will be released, and at around midnight, he was released," Khan's lawyer Irfan Ghazi told PTI.

Speaking to PTI after his release from the jail, Khan thanked the court and said, "I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers, who raised their voice for my release.

The administration was not ready for release, but because of the prayers (duaa) of people, I have been released."

"In Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki had said that the Raja (king) should act for 'Raj Dharma'. In UP the 'Raja' is not doing 'Raj Dharma' but is doing 'Baal Hatth' (being stubborn like a child)," Khan said.

He also said he was apprehensive that the government can frame him in any other case, and claimed that he and his family had to face many hardships as the state government was "after" him because of the oxygen issue in BRD Medical College.

Khan said he now wants to help flood-affected people in Bihar and Assam.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, passed the order on a petition filed by Khan's mother Nuzhat Parveen.

The petition alleged that Khan was granted bail in February by a competent court and he was supposed to be released on bail.

However, he was not released for four days and the NSA was subsequently invoked against him.

Hence, his detention was illegal, the petition argued.

Khan was in jail since January after he delivered an allegedly provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in December last year.

Kafeel Khan had hit the headlines for the first time in 2017 after the deaths of several kids due to lack of oxygen cylinders at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, where he worked as a paediatrician.

Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for the children for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders.

However, later, he faced action along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital, all of whom were released on bail.

A state government probe had cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

The doctor had alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children.

He subsequently faced threats, cases and even his family members were attacked, which the doctor dubbed as political vendetta on the part of the state government.
ANSONIA  Students in Ansonia and Derby in need of traditional school supplies  as well as face masks and hand sanitizer  can pick some up for free this weekend.

James H. Wilkins Lodge No. 9 and Sheba Chapter No. 1 will hold its annual Fill-A-Bag school supply giveaway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the lodges headquarters, 150 Tremont St.

The drive-up/walk-up event is open to elementary and middle school students in both Ansonia and neighboring Derby. Students must be present in order to receive the free supplies. All who attend must wear a mask and practice social distancing to ensure everyones safety. Supplies are limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Ensuring students have what they need to kick off their school year right was something that was started in 2005 by lodge member Gregory Gatison.

We do things out of love, it`s the right needed thing to do, Gatison said.

Gatison recalled his youth when he was on the receiving end of a kind gesture. Men in the community during my youth gave us coins to encourage us to do well in school and in life, Gatison said.

Gatison said the lodges sisters from the Sheba Chapter help collect new backpacks for distribution to students in the Tremont Street neighborhood. The bulk of the school supplies given away during the annual drive are donated by the community, churches, family, friends, classmates and Teamsters 1150 in Stratford, according to Gatison.

The supplies are mainly for students in need at Ansonia and Derby public elementary and middle schools, Gatison said. Each school has its own needs which we attempt to fill. We deem it that Ansonia has 250 students and Derby has 125 students in need. Principals are responsible to see that those students are serviced.

Gatison said school officials in Ansonia requested some COVID-19 supplies such as masks, hand soap, hand sanitizer and related cleaning items for students, while Derby school officials requested some basic school supplies including dry-erase markers, pocket folders, glue sticks and notebooks.

Gatison is happy to help get students on track for a successful school year.

We need students to learn so they can find the solutions in an ever-increasing competitive and crowded world, he said.

Ansonia Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco is grateful for the assistance.

Many families are feeling the financial strain that the pandemic is causing, and these school supplies will help relieve some of the stress, DiBacco said. As we prepare to reopen our schools, we are grateful to the organizations and individuals who have stepped up and helped out. Any assistance that can be provided to our students is greatly appreciated.

Mayor David Cassetti echoed those sentiments.

The James Wilkins Lodge has always been helpful to our youth in Ansonia. Cassetti said. The generosity of this organization is greatly appreciated. These are challenging times for children and their families, and the supplies for children will help lessen the burden.

jean.sos@snet.net
She took in what became for her the new normal of brazen and unabashed hostility in the era of Covid-19, just as she took in the hate-fueled rhetoric of the president and his coterie of red-tied advisers on the news. The killing of George Floyd sent shock waves through both of us, even though we arent Black. When she saw George Floyds daughter on the news, she cried.

It is so easy for a person who has immigrated to this country, who is a person of color, a woman, who is not perfectly fluent in the English language and who possesses neither the skill set nor the education to elevate herself in the workplace, to feel voiceless, even in the land where she sought sanctuary. It takes sheer determination and iron-cased willpower to get through each day, to survive with ones dignity and pride intact, even as so many hands, with their tools of hate, seek to chip away and erode that dignity and pride.

So, this June, my mother did something for the first time in her life. She voted.

I remember when the envelope for New Jerseys vote-by-mail primary election arrived and how she opened it carefully, almost with a childs repressed curiosity, at the kitchen counter. A pamphlet contained instructions in large print to complete the form and select a candidate, then to place that form in a separate envelope. She did this slowly, as if she were performing a delicate ritual or assembling, like a clockmaker, intricate parts in a fine instrument.

She did not tell me that she was planning to vote, but she saved the opening of the envelope and the completion of the form for the most peaceful moment of her day: after dinner, when all the dishes were washed and the laundry was folded and put away.

She only called out to me at one point to ask, What does the word municipality mean? And when I stumbled for the Chinese translation, she said, Never mind, and got an old, beaten-up English-Chinese dictionary from one of her drawers to look up the word instead.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:04:57|Editor: huaxia

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WINDHOEK, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's lockdown restrictions to help combat the spread of COVID-19 have had a major impact on blood collections countrywide, an official told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Namibian Blood Transfusion Service (NAMBTS) has unfortunately had to cancel numerous blood drives around the country which were scheduled to take place prior to the new restrictions coming into effect, NAMBTS spokesman Titus Shivute told Xinhua.

"Our blood reserves have as a result dropped over the past two weeks and we are appealing to all eligible donors to help save the lives of numerous patients around the country by donating blood," he said.

According to Shivute, the organization currently has an eight-day blood supply which means there is currently sufficient blood for eight days if no further collections are attained.

According to Shivute, educational institutions contribute close to 30 percent of blood collections annually, and unfortunately, they have not been able to host clinics at the institutions since March this year.

Shivute said to meet the demand, NAMBTS has embarked on a targeted approach towards regular donors and enhanced their retention efforts since donors are eligible to donate blood every 56 days.

Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are numerous patients who require blood transfusions. These patients include mothers who bleed excessively during childbirth, anemic patients, those with bleeding disorders as well as patients who have undergone various surgeries. Enditem
El acceso a la vacuna contra el #COVID19 es un objetivo nacional. En ese sentido, recibi hoy, junto a la Ministra de @Minsa_Peru, Pilar Mazzetti, a la delegacion de China que ha traido al Peru las primeras pruebas para el desarrollo de la vacuna, elaboradas por Sinopharm. pic.twitter.com/sqG0up8WHE
For the roughly 3 million Americans who stutter, mask use can make communicating with people in the community a major challenge. With use of face coverings remaining a public health necessity in the coming months and potentially longer, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is offering tips to make communication more effective for children and adults who stutter.

Solid face coverings can contribute to misunderstandings because they hide a persons mouth. Many people who stutter experience blockswhich are long, silent pausesin their speech. Often, the only cue to a listener is seeing the speakers facial area when they are in a block. Listeners may not realize that a person is experiencing a block if they are wearing a mask. As a result, they may talk over the person, move on, or misinterpret what they believe is a non-response as disrespectful or worse.

This scenario can be especially problematic if someone who stutters is involved in an emergency scenario (e.g., medical crisis) where a miscommunication of this form can have serious consequences. Although it is important for everyone to be aware of this circumstance, it is especially so for teachers, medical staff, first responders, and law enforcement officers.

For people who stutter, ASHA suggests the following tips to help reduce any miscommunication that could arise:



Let people know that you stutter (called self-disclosure). You may choose to state this verbally at the beginning of a conversation or carry this printed card from the Stuttering Foundation with you. This will let people know to give you extra time if you need it, and it can help remove some pressure if you are anticipating speech difficulties.

Wear a clear mask. By doing so, others will be able to see if you are experiencing a block. These masks are available at a variety of online retailers.

Practice at home. You can de-sensitize yourself to challenging scenarios by rehearsing conversations with loved ones in a comfortable setting before venturing out with a mask.

Consult your speech-language pathologist (SLP). If youre working with an SLP, see what they suggest for modifying your speech therapy techniques.

Turn to support networks. There are many online communities for people who stutter. Your peers may have suggestions or simply provide comfort.

Everyone can help people who stutter by doing the following:



Be patient. Give the person a chance to speak. Dont try to finish their thought or speak for them.

Be kind. These are extremely stressful times for everyone. You may be hurried while out in public, but try to remain understanding to those who require extra effort to speak.

Ask for clarification. If you dont understand what a person is saying, let them know. Dont guess or ignore their request.

Be flexible. Ask a person if they need more time to speak. Be open to other ways of communicating, such as reading a written message. Consider if policies need updating (e.g., in a medical setting, allowing an extra person to accompany a patient if they will need help communicating key information).

For more information, visit http://www.asha.org/public.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 211,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders. http://www.asha.org

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Manctopia: Billion Pound Property Boom viewers were left outraged after watching a local property developer insist he felt 'no obligation' to make his new homes 'available to people on low incomes.'

Tim Heatley appeared on the third episode of the documentary series on BBC2 last night, where he said he felt 'a sense of responsibility to do things that ruffle feathers' and added he wanted to 'do stuff that was a bit cheeky.'

The developer revealed he was spending 2 million a week building 2,000 new homes across the city to help meet the growing demand and insisted they were 'all affordable', but added: 'How many are discounted to the market value? None.

'We haven't had to artificially reduce value of them or make them available to people on low incomes. We haven't had to do that. There's no obligation for us to do that. We haven't done that at all.'

Viewers were outraged over the property developer, with one commenting: 'How much of a t*** does this Tim fella look like #Manctopia, proper showtime giving it the big AM?'

Viewers of Manctopia: Billion Pound Property Boom were left outraged last night after watching Tim Heatley admit he had 'no obligation' to make houses 'available to people on low incomes'

The local property developer said he did not feel he had to 'artificially reduce the value' of his apartments

Another wrote: 'Tim virtually admitting he has no interest in building affordable housing. Someone else's problem.'

On the programme, Tim explained how he was building on five sites across the city, ranging from home conversions to hotel developments.

One of his largest projects was developing a whole new neighbourhood called Campus, which was on the site of his old university and includes 500 apartments.

He admitted he got a third-class degree at university because 'he didn't really attend', saying: 'I was too busy buying and selling cars and should have been focusing on reading books and understanding about more about legal practice.

Social media users were left stunned by the developer's attitude on the programme, with some saying he was 'greedy'

'But no regrets, I'm glad things turned out the way they did.'

He added: 'We've got loads of different projects under construction. We're spending nearly 2 million a week on construction.'

Tim went on to say that he felt 'no obligation' to make houses for people earning lower incomes, but added: 'But do developers need to make contribution to those type of homes? Yes we do.'

He revealed he was interested in developing a park two miles out of the city centre and building 60 homes on the site, saying: 'There's going to neighbours and residents who complain. If I mention the houses word...even affordable homes can still cause huge controversy.'

He planned to get around the controversy by helping to develop an old mansion in the park for the community.

He asked for a community meeting to outline his plans for the park and the mansion where he was questioned about the amount of units in the area and how he planned to sell it.

Tim revealed he hoped to build 60 new homes on a park in the city centre and said he was keen to quash controversy for the project by redeveloping an old derelict mansion for the community

He timidly admitted there were 60 units on the property, leaving the community shocked, who said they 'genuinely' expecting him to say there might be 10 buildings on the park.

Tim insisted he was proposing 'affordable rental homes' but later admitted: 'The mansion needs millions spending on it....if you just built 10, you're not going to raise anywhere near enough to do the mansion.

'Everyone wants to see affordable homes created but nobody wants them near your house.'

Tim's plans were quickly met with outrage on social media, with users branding the developer 'untrustworthy' and saying his plan to redevelop the mansion was 'blackmail'

Protests cropped up against the development, with one person saying: 'It's about balancing the rampant greed of developers with the needs of existing communities.'

Two months later, a community meeting was called and the council announced the decision that no homes would be built on the park.

At a community meeting at which the council announced Tim's project wouldn't go ahead, he said it was 'a shame'

Tim called it 'a shame' that the project 'failed', saying: 'People are scared of change.'

But it wasn't long before he moved on to completed a deal to build an apartment block for key workers.

By the end of the programme, it emerged that out of the 3,000 homes he is building across Greater Manchester, 110 will be affordable.

He said: 'We'll make a lot less profit but we think that's the price worth paying to try to show it is possible and to push boundaries and to be innovative in our approach.

'It's the same story across all the cities of the UK. Nobody wants to build affordable because it's too hard, it's too difficult to do, there's no profit in it. Everyone just kicks the can down the road and tries to get somebody else to do the affordable.

Tim later told the camera 'nobody wants affordable homes near their house' and said the projects weren't popular because they didn't generate profit for developers

'Until we get a grip of how to do it and how to do it at scale, the problem is going to persist.'

When a housing developer gets planning permission, they are often required to make a percentage of the homes they build officially 'affordable, with the number ranging from around 30 to 50 per cent.

However, while it's unclear if Tim deployed this tactic, some developers use a loop-hole to get out of this requirement by blaming changes in their costs or lower than anticipated house prices to claim they can't make sufficient profits to build the number of affordable homes originally planned.

Many were stunned by the programme, with one saying: 'Tim of #Manctopia literally contributing to a crisis of homelessness, yet portrayed as aspirational hero because he plays up his accent and donates his pocket change.'

Another wrote: 'Tim may be from Salford but the guy is seriously out of touch with real people.

'It feels like he just wants to jet-wash poor people out of the city and replace them with MediaCity employees who've moved up there.'
Weekends on Main expected to start this week

Weekends on Main, a new event proposed in the Tulsa Arts District, is expected to begin this week, pending approval from the Tulsa City Council.

The council is scheduled to consider a proposal Wednesday, Sept. 2, to close Main Street between Reconciliation Way and Cameron Street from approximately 2 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Businesses signed up to offer food choices at street tables along Main Street are The Tavern, Antoinette Baking Co., Prairie Brewpub, Hunt Club, Chimera Cafe and Ida Red General Store. Hunt Club also will provide live music.

Restaurants still are determining details, according to Bob Fleischman of the Tulsa Arts District, but some are expected to offer wait service and some provide an outside space to dine on carryout.

The promotion initially is expected to run through September.

Merritts Bakery holding annual BOGO cookie sale

Merritts Bakery locations are holding their annual BOGO cookie sale this week to celebrate the bakerys 41st anniversary.
The Prince William Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) general secretary Michael Gillespie said that the union had received reports of some schools not satisfying public health requirements.

Mr Gillespie told the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response that its teachers will not accept any departure from the public health guidance, including the absolute necessity to maintain a physical distance of no less than one metre, preferably two metres, in our schools.

TUI President Martin Marjoram and General Secretary Michael Gillespie will appear before the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee this morning to discuss arising issues around the re-opening of schools. The session begins at 10am - watch live from the link below. https://t.co/iI6OsWYPHh  Teachers' Union Ire. (@TUIunion) September 2, 2020

Unfortunately, we have had reports in recent days of schools that have not yet put the necessary measures in place. We reiterate again that the TUI will not permit non-compliance on this key issue.

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Mr Gillespie said the entire school community must observe and respect public health advice and do everything possible to minimise the spread of Covid-19.

He added that a policy was needed to prevent students from wearing soft face coverings that may have slogans or logos that may be offensive in a school community.

Thousands of children returned to school this week for the first time since the pandemic led to schools shutting their doors in March.

Representatives of the teachers unions appeared before the special committee on Wednesday to discuss the preparations made ahead of the reopening and how they were coping with new measures.

The committee was established to consider and take evidence on the States response to the pandemic.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (Into) president Mary Magner said teachers were angry that their safety and that of their pupils was being compromised due to overcrowding in classrooms.

She told the committee it was practically impossible for the primary sector to adhere to public health measures due to the issue and called on the Government to reduce class sizes immediately.

This pandemic has certainly highlighted, and members are quite angry in relation to, the large classes we have to deal with, she said.

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Re-opening of schools FAQ document - newly updated version (latest updates shaded in green in text) https://t.co/7Gr81Co5Zq pic.twitter.com/uULaUhyrMf  Teachers' Union Ire. (@TUIunion) August 31, 2020

It was practically impossible to realise social distancing in some schools when there wasnt adequate space. There is an immediate call to reduce class sizes in line with European counterparts.

Our members are rightly angry and anxious that their health and wellbeing and their students health and wellbeing and safety is compromised by the larger class sizes in overcrowded classrooms in the country.

Into general secretary John Boyle said classrooms had been reconfigured and stripped of extraneous furniture, new sanitation stations had been installed, one-way systems mapped and signage placed everywhere.

But he said that a review needed to be undertaken by the end of September to how schools were coping.

Just because schools are open, does not mean that there is nothing further to be done, he said.

It is imperative that a review be undertaken, by the end of September, to assess the reopening of schools and identify improvements which may be necessary.

He said this review must be cross-governmental and include input from HSA, HSE, the Inspectorate and stakeholders.

Unless we are vigilant and in a position to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, schools may risk a second period of enforced closure, he said.
Alleging that hundreds of Facebook and WhatsApp accounts of Trinamool party supporters were banned online, the party has written to the social media giant urging immediate action. Spotlighting that the banning of accounts comes months ahead of the election in the state, the Trinamool said it points to a link between Facebook and the BJP.

I want to bring to your attention the removal of hundreds of Trinamool Congress supporters pages and accounts on both Facebook and WhatsApp for community standards violations. In the run up to the pre-announced foundation day event of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the students wing of All India Trinamool Congress, on August 28, numerous Facebook and WhatsApp accounts were banned, wrote Derek O Brien, TMCs Rajya Sabha leader, in a letter to Facebook on August 31.

The MP, in his letter, also attached a list of the blocked accounts and numbers and urged Facebook to take immediate action and remedial measures.

In another letter to the company, OBrien alleged that the development before the polls suggested a link between the ruling party at the Centre and the BJP.

With the election in the Indian state of West Bengal just months away, your companys recent blocking of Facebook pages and accounts in Bengal also points to link between Facebook and the BJP. There is enough material now in the public domain, including internal memos of senior Facebook management, to substantiate the bias, OBrien wrote in the second letter.

On September 1, Union minister Ravi Shankhar Prasad also shot off a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, raising the issue of free speech, accusing it of being the latest tool used by vested interests to create internal divisions and social disturbances.

This comes days after senior TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra raised questions over hate posts. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Facebook did not apply its hate speech rules to some BJP leaders. The BJP and the Congress too had engaged in a war of words over the issue.

Earlier, the Congress wrote to Facebook, accusing its India team of interfering with the countrys electoral democracy and demanded an inquiry. The Congress and the CPI(M) had even demanded a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the charges against Facebook.
The former Army solider slowly walked past the exhibits, stopping at several that grabbed his attention and reminiscing of a journey he witnessed more than seven decades ago.

Frank Pinkerton, 93, focused on the visual displays at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  the train car, discarded shoes, a miniature display of a concentration camp and photos of American troops liberating the victims shown behind wire.

The final floor, though, resonated with the Elko County rancher, who was with the 53rd Reinforcement Battalion after World War II ended in May 1945. What he saw at the museum were deeply embedded memories of soldiers mingling with freed Holocaust survivors and postwar photos of German military leaders on trial at Nuremberg for their atrocities committed against humanity.

Third Reich on trial

An International Military Tribunal conducted at Nuremberg, Germany, between Nov. 20, 1945 to Oct. 11, 1946, tried almost two dozen of the most influential, ruthless leaders of the Third Reich. Other courts tried additional Nazis who faced serious charges for their part during the war.

The trials were held in the Palace of Justice, Pinkerton said, noting the building was large enough to accompany all those involved with the numerous trials and also housed a large prison.

Nuremberg, located 273 miles southwest of the capital Berlin, also held a special meaning for the Allies holding the trial there: The city was known for the rise of Nazism and the Nazi party, and the symbolism provided a somber backdrop to the trials and crimes committed by the defendants. During the war trials, Pinkertons command assigned him to transport soldiers from Bamberg to a field hospital in Nuremberg for outpatient services.

I had to wait for them, Pinkerton said. I got there about 9:30 (a.m.) and picked them up around 3 (p.m.). My doctor told me since I was there, I should go to the war crime trials.

While the soldiers received their treatments, Pinkerton drove to the Palace of Justice to attend the trials from April 1946 to September of the same year.

Seeing the trials was history, Pinkerton recalled of the International Military Tribunal. I always remembered the Palace of Justice heavily guarded. When you went in, two MPs (military police) were behind sandbags and barbed wire. There was a long hallway, and at the end were two more MPs behind sandbags with machine guns. They were playing for keeps.

Pinkerton sat near a side gallery facing the main floor. He grabbed his headphones and dialed into the English language option so he could follow the proceedings.

I can almost see these guys sitting there, Pinkerton recalled, his thoughts racing to 1946 when he was only 19 years old. There were two MPs standing behind each prisoner.

Goring and the Third Reich

The 22 prisoners sat in the last two rows of the courtroom. The one Nazi that stood out for Pinkerton was the second most powerful, Hermann Goring, commander of the German air force charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Others who Pinkerton recognized included Rudolf Hess and Alfred Jodl, one of the highest-ranking military officers who signed the German Instrument of Surrender on May 7, 1945.

The only people allowed to take photos were the press, Pinkerton recalled, his thoughts shifting toward the defendants. They looked pretty grim. They werent smiling. They were told to speak when spoken to.

After the prosecution laid out its case, Gorings defense presented its information in March 1946. Pinkerton said Goring was full of himself when he appeared in court.

He was the guy who had the world by the tail and nothing could go wrong, Pinkerton said.

Although his memory isnt as sharp as it was 75 years ago, Pinkerton said, from what he understood, the German people loved Goring. Furthermore, he said Hess, Hitlers deputy fuhrer, never said anything and kept quiet.

Im glad I went, Pinkerton said. It was the experience of a lifetime.

The tribunal judges handed down their verdicts in late September. Goring received death by hanging, but he never kept his date at the gallows.

Goring escaped the hangmans noose, Pinkerton recalled. He had a secret cyanide pill.

Dark secrets

Pinkerton said the trials revealed the dark secrets of the Third Reich and those who committed indescribable crimes, especially against the Jews. Half the defendants received the death penalty and were hanged, including Jodl. The Allies then cremated the bodies and either released them to the families or scattered the ashes.

A lot of people dont have an idea, he said of the atrocities the Germans committed during the war.

After his short stay in Bamberg, Pinkerton transferred to Stuttgart where he met the master sergeant who was the hangman. Pinkerton said Master Sgt. John Woods executed a number of war criminals. During the second month of the Korean War, though, Pinkerton said Woods was in the South Pacific where he was electrocuted working on a lighting set.

Pinkerton also met a doctor assigned to the 45th Infantry Divisions field hospital. The doctor told Pinkerton the advancing American soldiers could smell the Dachau Concentration Camp before they arrived because of the stench emitting from the piled bodies and the coal-fired crematorium ovens.

The doctor said the commandant of the 45th gathered the people in town and marched them out, Pinkerton said. They helped bury the dead prisoners. They had to dig four trenches because there were so many bodies.

By accounts, the townspeople buried more than 9,000 men, women and children.

He told me he had dreams  the worst he ever had, Pinkerton said, describing one conversation with the doctor.

Post-war assignment

Once Pinkerton settled into his quarters at Stuttgart, he was asked to join a horse platoon to patrol the Russian zoned boundary (Soviet Occupation Zone of occupied eastern Germany) to the east. Pinkerton said the winter of 1946 was one of the snowiest locals had seen in years. Pinkertons section became responsible for manning three outposts, 24 hours a day.

If there were enough people, two of us would ride 15 miles out to the end of the border and back, he described. The snow drifts were huge.

Because of Pinkertons love for horses and riding experience, he finished his time at Stuttgart as a veterinarian technician with the 14th Constabulary Regiment and then transferred to Frankfurt near the end of his tour in Germany in 1948. His time with Uncle Sam, though, continued. After arriving in New Jersey, Pinkerton extended his enlistment in the U.S. Army Reserve, and when he was recalled for the Korean War, he served at a military hospital in Battle Creek, Mich.

Pinkerton, though, feels luck was on his side in the 1950s. He qualified to attend helicopter flight school where he could also be promoted to a warrant officer. He wrestled with the idea of extending his military obligation and flying helicopters. Pinkerton told his future wife what the Army offered, but she replied its either the Army or me.

He didnt hesitate with his reply.

I chose marriage, Pinkerton said.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Elko Countys Frank Pinkerton was one of more than 16 million Americans who served during the war.

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Tibetan Buddhist monks board a bus (long before the coronavirus pandemic) on July 21 ,2017 in Litang County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. Wang He/Getty Images

A new study shows how one superspreader's coronavirus infection spread to 23 others in less than 2 hours, when they piled on to a bus together, without masks, to get to an outdoor worship event at a Buddhist temple.

The study is the latest to demonstrate how six feet of distance isn't always enough to prevent you from getting sick, especially in poorly ventilated indoor spots.

"I would hope that the air circulation in US buses would be better," one infectious disease expert said.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When 67 Buddhist passengers and their driver boarded a bus in Ningbo, China, on January 19, 2020, it's likely that only one person among them was incubating the coronavirus. None knew or expected they'd get ill that day, so no one was wearing a mask.

Days later, a total of 24 passengers from that bus were ill.

A new study out Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine shows how that one initial illness likely spread out to a third of the bus, in a round trip journey that took place more than 570 miles east of Wuhan, and lasted just an hour and 40 minutes.

It's another clear warning that being inside poorly-ventilated spaces with the coronavirus, even at a "safe" distance of 6 feet away from seemingly healthy people harboring the virus, is a bad idea, especially when no one is wearing a mask.

"This is certainly concerning," Scott Weisenberg, the medical director of travel medicine at NYU Langone, and an infectious disease physician, told Insider, after taking a look at the study.

"In the right setting, the six foot rule does not protect you against getting SARS-CoV-2 [the novel coronavirus]."

From one infection to 23 more

The infected person who boarded the bus that fateful day wasn't showing symptoms, just yet. The person had, however, been at a dinner just two nights previously with four people who'd recently traveled from Hubei province, where the virus was spreading fast.

Story continues

The superspreader went on to develop worrying symptoms just hours after returning home from the bus rides, with a cough, chills, and aches and pains. (Those critical hours right before a person starts feeling sick are often when people are most contagious with the coronavirus.)

Days later, the individual (along with their spouse and child) tested positive for the virus. Many of their peers on the bus did too.

They were all traveling to an outdoor worship event at a Buddhist temple, where the risk of transmission would be considerably lower outside, with natural circulation of the air. The travelers were journeying alongside another bus, filled with a similar number of worshippers. None of the 60 individuals on the second bus got sick. It made for a near-perfect experiment to show how the virus spread, likely with the help of the bus's air recirculation system, blowing the infected person's virus around to others for a total of 100 minutes.

"Airborne transmission is important," Renyi Zhang, a professor of atmospheric sciences and chemistry at Texas A&M, who studies the impact of aerosols on human health, told Insider, after taking a glance at the study. "Social distancing alone doesn't work."

On the first bus, sitting near the infected person didn't seem to matter most when it came to getting sick. For example, the person sitting right next to the infected individual (noted in red on the diagram below) didn't test positive for the virus, but some people sitting as far as seven rows away developed moderate infections (noted by their pink boxes.)

"It's interesting that, in this really high risk environment where all these people are getting infected, you still have a lot of people who didn't get infected, which probably says something important about individual risk," Wisenberg said. "Not everybody gets it who is in the same area."

Very few people sitting near the windows (labeled in green) on that sunny, crisp day (when temperatures fluctuated from the mid-30s to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) got sick.

A seating chart shows how one infected bus rider (red) infected many others, even those who weren't sitting close by. JAMA Internal Medicine

Masks would've likely helped control the virus's spread, especially if the sick person wore one

Things probably would have gone differently on the bus, if people had been wearing masks.

"If the index case had been wearing a mask, that would be the most effective, because that would be source control over the person who's spreading it," Weisenberg said.

Recent studies have suggested that masks may not only prevent a sick person's infection from seeding to others, but might also help protect other people from getting severely ill, by limiting the amount of virus they're exposed to in the first place. Zhang said it's possible (though not yet proven) that your mask could "prevent the virus from getting into your lungs when you take a breath."



"If all the other individuals were wearing masks, I think that the data now would suggest that they probably would've had a lower chance of getting infected," Weisenberg added. "And amongst those people who got infected, they may have had less severe disease from wearing a mask."

Weisenberg said the study's findings should be treated with caution, not panic

An MTA bus driver wears a mask following the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Manhattan, March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

This study isn't the first to suggest that recirculated air can be dangerous, or that the coronavirus can likely spread further than six feet through the air indoors.

A similar study of people who had lunch at a restaurant with another presymptomatic, infected person in Guangzhou, China in late January also showed how the restaurant's ventilation system likely blew the virus around.

Even on airplanes, enclosed spaces where the air is very well purified, and people now wear masks, the risk of getting infected is not zero. One recent CDC study showed how a single person on a flight carrying more than 290 passengers from Italy to South Korea in late March likely got sick from one of six asymptomatic carriers on the plane.

"You can never tell when somebody is presymptomatic or asymptomatic and may be spreading," Weisenberg said.

But he cautioned that this study shouldn't necessarily be a reason for bus riders and public transportation users in the US to panic.

"I would hope that the air circulation in US buses would be better," he said.

Even if not, opening a window always helps.

"Outdoors, there's infinite dilution ventilation," Dr. Don Milton, a virologist and environmental health professor at the University of Maryland, who studies how people catch and transmit viruses, previously told Insider.

The MTA in New York City did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story on how air circulation works on its buses (on the subways, the air's pretty impressively fresh). But there is already some anecdotal evidence that its buses are rather safe, especially because everybody on board is now required to wear a mask.

"People have been crowding onto the free buses [in New York] without a lot of social distancing for more than two or three months now, and we haven't seen big outbreaks," Weisenberg said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Associate Professor Jody Webster inspects a core sample on ocean investigation vessel Greatship Maya. Credit: University of Sydney

The scaffolds that help hold together the world's tropical reefs are at risk from acidification due to increased carbon dioxide in the world's oceans, according to geoscientists at the University of Sydney.

Extensive sampling of the Great Barrier Reef fossil record has shown that the calcified scaffolds that help stabilize and bind its structure become thin and weaker as pH levels fall.

Scientists have seen incidental evidence for this in the past, but a new study led by Zsanett Szilagyi of the Geocoastal Research Group at the University of Sydney has shown that this is a global process, affecting reefs worldwide.

The research is published this week in Marine Geology.

"For the first time we have comprehensively shown that the thickness of this geologic 'reef glue' correlates with changes in ocean pH and dissolved carbon dioxide," said Ms Szilagyi.

The thickness of these crusts can now be regarded as a reliable indicator of ocean acidification going back tens if not hundreds of thousands of years.

"We haven't had such a complete and high-resolution record before. And this geologic study shows that as oceans became more acidic, this is reflected in the thickness of these reef crusts," said Associate Professor Jody Webster from the School of Geosciences, who coordinated the study.

Core samples from the Great Barrier Reef displaying fossil record of microbialites. Credit: University of Sydney

What Are Microbialites?

The 'reef glue' is made up of calcified deposits from microbes that live within reef formations around the world. Known as microbialites, these structures play an important role in many types of aquatic systems and are probably best known from the ancient stromatolites that are built by cyanobacteria in Western Australia, which are billions of years old.

In some types of reef systems, including the Great Barrier Reef, microbialite crusts likely formed by sulfate-reducing bacteria stabilize and bind the reef framework, forming a robust scaffold that can be used by corals and other reef builders to colonize and grow.

In the past these crusts have been more abundant than the corals and algae that grow on and around them and they display variations in thickness over time, while still performing their structural role.

"This means they are really good indicators of changes in environmental conditions of our oceans," Associate Professor Webster said.

The study found a variation in thickness from 11.5 centimeters 22,500 years ago to about 3 centimeters in younger Great Barrier Reef sections, about 12,000 years ago.

When combined with studies from 17 reef systems worldwide, the data shows this thinning of the microbialite crusts coincides with pH dropping below 8.2 right up to modern times.

Animation of core samples from the Great Barrier Reef. Credit: University of Sydney

Global Results

The researchers gathered a dataset of microbial crusts from the Great Barrier Reef as far back as 30,000 years. They compared a comprehensive three-dimensional analysis of samples to two-dimensional scans of the crust thickness.

The results from the Great Barrier Reef show that the two-dimensional analysis of crust thickness provides an accurate proxy for the more detailed three-dimensional method. Compiling 2-D sample data from across the world, the scientific team built a global model of microbialite thickness through time.

The study found that the 2-D technique gave results within 10 percent of the 3-D analysis.

"A real breakthrough here is that we are confident we can now apply a 2-D analysis to reefs and obtain reliable information about the history of microbialite formations. This will give us substantial savings in time and resources," Associate Professor Webster said.

"Previous studies have given us glimpses as to how these microbial crusts respond to changes in their environment. What is new in our study is that we measured more than 700 well-dated microbialite samples from the International Ocean Discovery Program on the Great Barrier Reef and combined this with a meta-analysis of 17 other reef records from around the world," he said.

"This allowed us to assess global-scale changes in microbialite development over the past 30,000 years. And, frankly, the findings are a stark warning sign for the dangers of rapid acidification of oceans."

The study argues that in the present-day context of rapid global climate change, changes in dissolved carbon dioxide, pH and temperature, could lead to reduced microbial crust formation, thereby weakening reef frameworks in the future.

Explore further Ocean acidification causing coral 'osteoporosis' on iconic reefs

More information: Zs. Szilagyi et al, Controls on the spatio-temporal distribution of microbialite crusts on the Great Barrier Reef over the past 30,000 years, Marine Geology (2020). Zs. Szilagyi et al, Controls on the spatio-temporal distribution of microbialite crusts on the Great Barrier Reef over the past 30,000 years,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106312
(Newser)  China currently has fewer nuclear warheads than France, but it is working hard to double that number in the next decade, the Pentagon says. The Pentagon, releasing its estimate of China's warheads for the first time, believes they number in the low 200s, compared to around 300 for France and more than 3,800 active nuclear warheads for the US. Pentagon analysts say Beijing is working to expand and updates its "triad" of missiles that can be launched from air, land, and sea, the Wall Street Journal reports. "Chinas nuclear forces appear to be on a trajectory to exceed the size of a minimum deterrent as described in the PLAs own writings as a small quantity of nuclear weapons to strike enemy urban targets," the Pentagon report states.

story continues below

According to the Pentagon report, Beijing has stockpiled enough fissile material to double the size of its nuclear arsenal without needing to produce more such material. Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, says the US is "concerned about the numbers ... but also just the trajectory of China's nuclear developments writ large," per Al Jazeera. The Trump administration has said it wants the New START nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia, which has an estimated 4,300 warheads, to be expanded to include China. The treaty expires in February. In July, Chinese diplomats said they would be happy to take part in arms control negotiationsas long as the US reduced its stockpile to the size of China's. (Read more China stories.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:22:01|Editor: huaxia

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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese scientist specializing in the research of wetland biodiversity and nature's contribution to people has been awarded the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education known as the ASPIRE Prize for this year.

Dr. Chen Huai of the Chengdu Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences was named the region's top early career researcher, the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) said in a statement.

"Wetlands conservation contributes to important works in climate change mitigation as one of the most effective carbon sinks. Dr. Chen's findings lead to a better understanding of these wetlands including protecting, developing new generation models for methane emissions and enhancing assessment of carbon storage and ecological value," the statement said.

"I am honored to receive the ASPIRE award and share more about our work on wetlands. Knowledge knows no borders and I am proud to work with a team of international researchers as we advance our efforts in the Asia-Pacific," Chen said.

Chen was selected from a group of 12 finalists, each nominated by one of the APEC member economies under the 2020 ASPIRE Prize theme: Biodiversity for a Prosperous Economy.

The nominees, all under 40 years of age, were considered based on their commitment to both excellence in scientific research as evidenced by scholarly publication and cooperation with scientists from other APEC economies.

The ASPIRE Prize winner this year was announced by science, technology, and innovation officials from the APEC member economies at a meeting hosted by Malaysia.

Malaysia Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry Secretary General Siti Hamisah said Chen's work exemplified the theme and would enrich human health through a better understanding of the ecosystem.

"Biodiversity is important to APEC economies that are rich in natural assets. A well-functioning ecosystem and rich biodiversity are foundational for human health, which contributes to the well-being of communities around the region.

"When we have a clearer understanding of nature and biodiversity, we can better respond to challenges and protect our world to enhance economic growth," she said.

For her part, executive director of the APEC Secretariat Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria said the APEC grouping aims to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth. Enditem
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Nepal government has directed its forces to "closely monitor" Indian Army's activities at Lipulekh area amid escalating Indo-China border tension.

Lipulekh is the tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley in Uttarakhand. Last week, the K.P. Sharma Oli government's Ministry of Home Affairs issued the directions to the Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) to start the monitoring at the tri-juntion.

The 44 battalion of NAPF was deployed in Lipulekh. It has requested for long range patrols in the forward areas fearing possibilities of escalation between India and China.

China too, has increased its troop build-up at Lipulekh. There 150 Light Combined Arms Brigade is deployed at the tri-junction. The brigade was moved in last month. They have also reinforced troops in Pala, around 10 km from the border.

In July, around 1,000 troops were deployed near Pala and a permanent post was built there by China. "A fortnight back, 2,000 more additional troops were deployed at the post," sources said.

It was India's road construction to Lipulekh area at 17,000 feet that had sparked a diplomatic row between India and Nepal with Kathmandu claiming the area as its own. The road was aimed at shortening the travel time for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims.

Things so escalated that Nepal brought out a new political map showing the contested area as its own.

India and China, on the otherhand, have been locked in a standoff since May at multiple points along the border. China had changed the status quo on the Line of Actual Control at various places, moving inside Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

Last week itself India thwarted China's provocative military movements to change the status quo at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. This happened even when China and India were already engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the disputed border issues with several skirmishes reported between the Asian giants.

In a statement the Indian Army said that on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern Bank of Pangong Lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," the force said.

Again China attempted to enter into Indian premises on August 31 which was stopped by the Indian forces.

China has build up troops, artillery and armour in three sectors of the Line of Actual Control -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

India too, has increased deployment across the LAC to match China's military advances. In June, India lost 20 soldiers in Galwan Valley, as its troops were involved in a violent clash with Chinese soldiers, who too lost an unknown number of men.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
It might take another six to eight weeks to douse the fire at a natural gas well in Assams Baghjan, industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told the state assembly on Wednesday.

The well operated by Oil India Limited (OIL) in Tinsukia district of Assam, which had a blow out on May 27, caught fire on June 9 killing two firefighters. Though the well was capped last month, the fire continues to blaze.

Replying to a zero hour notice by Congress Durga Bhumij, Patowary said efforts are on to bring a team of experts from Canada to kill the well with help of snubbing technology.

Experts from Canada are coming to Baghjan in a chartered aircraft carrying equipment to kill the well with snubbing technology. It could take another 6 to 8 weeks to complete the operation, Patowary told the assembly.

Snubbing is a process to install or remove tubular (types of pipes used in gas and oil wells) from a well while the well remains pressurized (alive). This technique is used when it is not possible or desired to kill a well using a mud-sludge called kill fluid, a technique which was tried unsuccessfully earlier.

Patowary said 12 families whose houses were completely burnt by the fire will be given 24 lakhs each. Another nearly 1,484 families living near the well have been provided 30,000 each and 1,197 families living a bit far away will be given 25,000 each.

A sum of 10 lakh would be given to 57 families affected by the fire and 561 families who had partial impact would be given 2.5 lakh each according to a relief and rehabilitation plan prepared by the district administration.

On August 17, foreign experts engaged by OIL were able to cap the well by placing a blow out preventer (BOP) stack over the wellhead. But the problem surfaced two days later when attempts were made to douse the fire by killing the well.

The operation was suspended on August 19 following rupture of a casing valve. The setback has forced the experts to plug all technical glitches before making another attempt to douse the fire.

OIL spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika had said last week that with the first attempt to douse the fire failing, other options like cutting the entire damaged portion of the casing pipes and replacing with new ones or to digging up a relief well, which is used to intercept and kill a blow out well are being looked into.

Since we have already placed the BOP, we are also considering producing gas from the well partially. If we are able to do that, then the killing operation will be slightly easier because the pressure of the gas will be reduced, he said.

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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
A showdown is on the cards on Wednesday at the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology chaired by Congresss Shashi Tharoor, where Members of Parliament (MPs) will hear allegations made by Rupert Murdoch-owned publication The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in recent reports against the social media company, Facebook.

Californias Menlo Park-headquartered Facebook overlooked hate speeches posted by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other right-wing groups, as it would have hurt the companys business interests in India, its biggest market, the WSJ report had alleged in its first report in August.

The House panel has 30 members, out of which at least 15 belong to BJP and its allies, who are a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Congress has three members, while other regional parties such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Telangana Rashtriya Samity (TRS), Shiv Sena, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) are represented by an MP each.

Also Watch l RS Prasad writes to Facebook; alleges political bias, slams selective leaks

Most opposition parties such as the DMK, the TRS, the TMC and the CPI(M) have backed Tharoors bid to seek an explanation from Facebook about the WSJ reports.

However, BJP MPs such as Nishikant Dubey have contended that Snehlata Shrivastava, the secretary-general of the 17th Lok Sabha, is only empowered to summon a witness.

The panels meeting on Tuesday was cut short in honour of late President Pranab Mukherjee, whose last rites were performed following his demise the previous day.

The panel was slated to hear from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and officials about internet shutdowns, especially in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

According to members of the panel, who did not wish to be named, both the BJP and the Congress are poised to corner Facebook about its policy decisions.

A BJP MP said that Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasads letter had set the tone for the BJPs attack on Facebook.

On Tuesday, Prasad had attacked Facebook for its biases against right-wing groups and demanded a probe into the conduct of an employee of the social media company for making alleged uncharitable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

So many people on Facebook are associated with the Congress. We intend to take that matter up in the meeting, said an MP, requesting anonymity.

A second MP from the opposition camp asserted that they would push for the removal of Ankhi Das, the public policy director for Facebook for India, South and Central Asia.

Das has been at the centre of the raging controversy ever since the first WSJ report was published that had questioned her pro-BJP actions.

She had allegedly opposed applying hate-speech rules to T Raja Singh, the lone BJP lawmaker in the Telangana assembly, despite his provocative and incendiary Facebook posts had repeatedly targeted the Muslims, the report had said.

According to a new report in the WSJ published on late Sunday evening, Das had also praised PM Modi as the strongman, who had broken the Congresss socialist hold in the country.

Though the comment was made in a Facebook group designed for its India employees, it was open to a global audience.

The Congress and CPI (M) have demanded a criminal investigation into Facebooks actions.
New Findings Reveal That the 9-5, Five Day Week is Unlikely to Return

LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cigna's (NYSE:CI) International Markets business has published new figures from its Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Study, which highlight that working cultures could permanently change due to the pandemic.

According to Cigna's latest research, carried out in June as part of the Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Study which is tracking people's health and well-being around the world throughout the pandemic, 18% of people across the world feel that life will never be the same again, an increase of 5% since April. In Korea, Singapore and the United States, this rose to 38%, 26% and 25% respectively. However, Mainland China remained more confident that the status quo would continue, with only 5% saying the same.

The report measures well-being across key indicators, including physical, social, financial, family and work; the health and wellness scorecard; the virtual health assessment tracker; and opinions on what the new normal will look like.

The 9-5, Five Day Week May be Dead

Currently, 60% of people across the surveyed markets are able to work from home, which has had a major impact on people's attitudes to work culture in the future.

Over half of people (53%) now say they would like to work from home at least half the time in the future, this rose to 67% of people in Singapore, and 56% in Spain and Thailand, as well as 40% of people in Korea. Nearly a quarter (22%) went further, saying they wanted to work from an office no more than 20% of the time.

The appetite for full time office based working is now very low. Less than a quarter of people (23%) want to return to the office full time, with the lowest demand seen in Singapore and Thailand (17%), and Mainland China (19%).

Jason Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets said, "The pandemic has dramatically impacted our working and personal lives. While the office still has a role in terms of building culture and collaboration, the experience of the last few months has demonstrated that home based working can also be highly effective. However, this also brings challenges and employers need to think carefully about how they can support their staff who are working remotely, by checking in with them regularly."

Worries about infection put people off offices and the daily commute

The prospect of a return to physical workplaces is creating new anxieties among employees, 42% said they were concerned about catching the coronavirus because of travel, in-person meetings or common working spaces. This rose to 54% in Singapore and 51% in the UAE, but fell to only 19% in Hong Kong, which saw an increase in cases after this latest survey was completed.

41% said they were concerned about workplace protocols, such as social distancing and the need to wear a face mask, with people in Thailand and Singapore the most worried (47%) and New Zealand, perhaps understandably, least worried at 26%.

Not all employee needs being filled adequately

The report also highlighted the different kinds of support employees would prefer as they return to the workplace, as well as the gap in terms of what support employers are currently offering.

Most employers appear to be taking their responsibilities seriously. Over half (52%) said their employers offer protective and sanitising products, such as facemasks and santiser. This increases to 62% in Mainland China, 58% in Taiwan and 55% in Singapore and New Zealand.

However, 60% of people said they would like subsidies on extra expenses, such as protective and sanitising products, utility bills from working from home, rising to 73% and 71% in air-conditioning reliant UAE and Singapore. Despite this, approximately one in five (19%) said that their employer already had suitable measures in place, although 29% of UAE and 18% of Singapore employers have stepped up to offer this support, compared to only 11% in Hong Kong.

Mental health support was another area that was identified. Although nearly a quarter (24%) said their employers currently offer support, 50% said they would like more. New Zealand (40%) and UAE (34%) employers have led the way with the provision of mental health support, compared to only 15% of Korean and 16% of Hong Kong firms.

Sadler added, "With some markets gradually opening and people returning to the workplace, our findings show that there is still a large gap between expectations and reality. Employees will look to organizations to narrow this gap by providing adequate support where needed and continue building a workplace culture centred around mutual support. As we transition to a new normal, it is key for us to not only continue checking in with one another but also for employers to develop comprehensive well-being programs focused on equipping employees with tools to reduce and manage their stress and anxiety levels."



Cigna offers a range of health and well-being resources to help employers and employees to check-in and support each other in an effective way. This includes advice from financial, HR and mental health experts, creative ideas for staying connected with colleagues, family and friends, and specialist resources to help you create your own stress care plan. These are available here for employers and here for employees. In addition, a wide range of free online mental health support resources are available on Cigna's website.

How the study was conducted:

The Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Study is an ongoing study that has been conducted by Cigna, in partnership with Kantar, between January and June 2020, and will continue for the remainder of the year. To date, a total of 16,843 online interviews have been conducted across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

The study was conducted using an online survey, with respondents recruited from online panels and undergo rigorous quality control. Age, gender and residing city quotas were set based on the population proportion of respective markets. The 20 to 25 minutes survey was completed anonymously.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates, and Life Insurance Company of North America. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioural health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 170 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

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Well, that was some clash of the heavyweights.

Astronomers reported on Wednesday that they had detected the loudest, most massive and most violent collision yet between a pair of black holes. Two Goliaths of darkness crashed into each other seven billion years ago, vibrating space-time and producing a loud, sharp chirp  almost a bang, one astronomer said  lasting just a tenth of a second in the antennas of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and the Virgo interferometer observatory.

That short signal from a galaxy far, far away has left astrophysicists with new questions about how black holes form and grow.

Daniel Holz, a theorist at the University of Chicago and a member of the LIGO team, called the new discovery the first LIGO/Virgo detection thats truly surprising. All the other binary systems that weve detected fit reasonably well within expectations. But the black holes in this event arent supposed to exist!

One and perhaps both of the colliding holes were too massive to have been produced by the collapse of a star, according to conventional theories. Moreover, the merger created an even larger black hole, 142 times as massive as the sun, belonging to a whole new category of intermediate-mass, or missing link, black holes never reliably seen before.
The Conservative governments hostile environment for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers is leading to a surge in activity by far-right forces.

In response to attempted crossings of the Channel from France to the UK by a few hundred refugees, Boris Johnsons government has mobilised armed forces as if it were repelling an invasion. This involves RAF Atlas A-400M, Shadow R1 and P-8 Poseidon aircraft and Royal Navy vessels.

The governments filthy xenophobic agenda is amplified by a venal right-wing media. The Daily Mail headlined one piece Despite drowning of young Sudanese man, the boats from France keep coming, referring to the tragic death of asylum seeker Abdulfatah Hamdalla last month. It declared, More than 1,400 migrants have already crossed the Channel in small boats in August alonea record for a single monthdespite there still being 10 days before September.

In response to Abdulfatahs death, Home Secretary Priti Patel said she would work with Frances Macron government to strengthen border controls. This week, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that an Army Watchkeeper drone previously used in Afghanistanis to fly over the English Channel to monitor migrant boats. The MoD said, The deployment of Watchkeeper provides further defence support to the Home Office in tackling the increasing number of small boats crossing the English Channel. It will provide a leading surveillance and reconnaissance capability, feeding information back to the Border Force and allowing them to take appropriate action where necessary.

The Watchkeeper, described as battle-winning technology, will be operated in the Channel by the 47th Regiment Royal Artillery.

The deployment of weapons of war against desperate men, women and children crossing the 21-mile stretch is accompanied by a ramping up of deportations of asylum seekers by the Home Office. Official figures show that the Home Office has already spent around 1 million deporting 285 people during the pandemic.

On August 12, a charter flight carrying 14 people destined for France and Germany took off. Those on board had all recently arrived in the UK via the Channel in small boats. This went ahead despite last-minute high court actions and other interventions. Nineteen of the asylum seekers due to be deported, from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen, had their tickets on the flight deferred by the Home Office after intervention by their legal representatives, Duncan Lewis solicitors.

On August 14, an Iranian national who crossed the Channel in a dinghy was deported to the Netherlands. On August 26, the Home Office deported, on a flight to France and Germany, people from Kuwait, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Yemen. The following day, the government was prevented from deporting 23 refugees and asylum seekers on a chartered flight to Spain after courts ordered that legal appeals of those on board must be heard.

The Sun on Sunday, owned by billionaire oligarch Rupert Murdoch, editorialised, It is vital that Priti Patel can protect our borders by deporting illegal immigrants. Delaying tactics by migrant-chasing human rights lawyers are a huge obstacle to this. It cited a Tory government official who denounced activist lawyers chasing dinghies to get taxpayers cash for keeping illegal immigrants in our country.

But for social distancing rules stipulating that 20 people can currently be deported on a charter flight, many more would have suffered the same fate. Those being deported face great dangers and in addition their health is being massively imperilled, with the Independent reporting it understands that there will be no testing for deportees or immigration escorts on departure or arrival, raising concerns that the move could risk spreading COVID-19 between countries.

So vicious is the deportation drive that there have been at least eight suicide attempts in Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport. On August 6, a 41-year-old Yemeni asylum seeker, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah Alhabib, was found dead in a Manchester hotel room where he had been placed by the Home Office. According to a fellow asylum seeker Abdullah was in a state of constant fear of being deported from the UK at any time.

In order to service mass deportations, the notorious Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre has, according to the BBC, been repurposed to house Channel migrants. Located near Luton Airport, it can hold up to 400 people in detention.

Even this does not satisfy the media, with the Daily Mail complaining Monday in an article headlined Deportations are lowest on record that The number of illegal immigrants, visa overstayers and foreign criminals booted out of the UK fell by a third last year

Joining the government-media offensive is Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing xenophobic Brexit Party. He is fronting a series of YouTube videos, centred on opposing illegal immigration under the title, Nigel Farage investigates. On August 16, he released a video enthusiastically endorsing Patels description of the number of migrants being able to cross the channel as unacceptable and shameful and backed the use the military and her appointment of former Royal Marine, Dan OMahoney, as Clandestine Channel Threat Commander.

But Farage complains that Patels tough talk is not backed by the appropriate action. In another video, Farage, who said he was acting on a tip-off, visits the Rivenhall hotel in Patels Essex constituency of Whitham. The hotel was being used to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees. The hotel had reopened at the beginning of August after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is filmed entering the hotel and asking for a room, only to be told it is fully booked until the end of September. Farage tells the camera that his exposure could be a massive embarrassment for Priti Patel. The video ends with Farage calling for the Tories to get it sorted and appealing for whistle blowers to contact him.

The Home Office responded to Farages witch-hunting by announcing that the placement of asylum seekers at the Rivenhall hotel had been an error and alternative accommodation would be sought.

Other far-right layers saw their opportunity. Last week members of the fascist organisation Britain First entered hotels in London, Essex, Birmingham and Warrington in which asylum seekers were being housed. In Warrington, the fascists filmed themselves banging on hotel residents doors and demanding to know which country they were from. Clearly terrified, some said they were from countries including Iraq and Sudan. The leader of the group, Paul Golding, filmed himself following a migrant, who had left a hotel in Epping, and demanding to know where he was from. He then proceeds to film the hotels windows before staff call the police. Similar provocations are being organised by another fascist outfit, For Britain.

Far-right groups are now reportedly planning a mobilisation on September 5 to take Dover by force by blocking roads and ferries. This is the same day that an anti-racist group intend to hold a protest in Dover town centre to stand in solidarity with refugees and migrants who are seeking sanctuary from war, poverty, persecution or climate catastrophe.

The Socialist Equality Party calls on workers and young people to demand an end to the systematic brutalisation of immigrants and asylum seekers by the government, the immediate closure of all immigration detention centres and the granting of a right of residence, with full citizenship rights and access to welfare, housing, health care and education, to all those imprisoned in them or forced to endure demeaning stays in hotels that are not fit for purpose.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:09:27|Editor: huaxia

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JUBA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Wednesday it will set up a temporary peacekeeping base in Central Equatoria's Lobonok County.

The decision followed a surge in armed attacks on civilians and humanitarian convoys in the region, UNMISS said in a statement.

The rise in violence came after the killing of six bodyguards of Vice President James Wani Igga in the Lobonok area last month.

National Salvation Front (NAS), a rebel group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"To help prevent further violence, we have deployed troops to Lobonok this morning to set up a temporary operating base," UNMISS said.

"This will enable us to provide a protective presence in the area," it said.

UNMISS said it has also recorded several roadside attacks in the past few days on humanitarian convoys travelling along the Juba-Yei road where people were shot, and trucks looted and torched.

David Shearer, special representative of the UN secretary-general, said the UN is deeply disturbed by the increase in violent assaults on civilians as well as humanitarians delivering vital assistance to people in need.

"We are greatly concerned by reports of increased NAS movement across the Equatorias and a series of clashes between its members and forces serving with the South Sudan People's Defense Force and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in-Opposition," he said.

Shearer urged the warring factions to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed in Rome, Italy, early this year. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 16:50:57|Editor: huaxia

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 37 militants including three commanders have been confirmed dead as fighting planes struck Taliban gatherings in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province on Wednesday, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.

"Acting on tip-off the fighting planes struck the gathering of Taliban militants in the restive Qaysar and Khawja Sabzposh districts early Wednesday morning, killing 37 including notorious commanders Mullah Sadiq, Mullah Basir and Faizullah on the spot," Rezai told Xinhua.

More than a dozen others sustained injuries in the air raids, said the official.

Describing the strikes as "pre-emptive action," the official contended that the Taliban fighters were gathered for chalking out plans to stormed security checkpoints in the said districts but their design had been foiled.

Taliban militants who are operational in parts of Faryab province with Maimana as its capital 425 km northwest of Kabul have yet to make comment. Enditem
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- They say in politics that making laws is like making sausages: The more you know, the less appealing the product. This is repeated so frequently that the origin of the observation is disputed; maybe Bismarck, maybe Mark Twain.

But it may have gone from distasteful to illegal. Ohios former House speaker and his associates are accused of taking bribes to pass an energy bill  House Bill 6. This legislation included actions that preserved two carbon-free nuclear energy plants.

I find this frustrating and even heartbreaking. Frustrating, because our sensible, sound and essential efforts to maintain carbon-free energy generation and launch a new generation of clean-energy sources is being hurt by bad actors who are beyond our control. And because integrity is a critical part of safe operations in a high-tech industry, and we should all know better. And heartbreaking because, as a country, weve dug ourselves a deep hole in the form of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and if we lose the carbon-free sources we have now, we only make the hole deeper.

Maria Korsnick is president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Climate strategy is largely at the state level in the United States, along with utility regulation. And in the state capitals, electricity questions are always tangled up with local issues: economic development; loyalty to particular political constituencies; and political considerations on unrelated subjects. The state legislatures differ in their power structures and dynamics. But despite the appalling allegations in Columbus, the path to a clean economy and a stable climate still runs through the states.

As an engineer, I understand that nothing good happens when you flout the rules. Adherence to procedure, open communication and honest assessment of physical conditions are among the elements that have led to our operational success in the last decades, with an extraordinarily high level of reliability and safety.

As we let the courts resolve the legal situation, we need to reconsider the policies, but we also need to be careful to think separately about bad tactics and good goals. We must not reverse our course to a carbon-free energy future. We must bear in mind that its going to be very hard to reach zero emissions by mid-century, as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has deemed necessary.

This is especially true since we are likely to have to more than double electric production, and replace the 60% of the existing system that is fossil-powered. Well need vast amounts of new solar and wind; well need storage technologies like batteries to balance the grid over short periods; and well need 24/7 clean technologies like nuclear to keep the system affordable and reliable over the longer term.

In short, we need clean-energy policies that are technology-neutral, that will bring us a balanced system that can provide the round-the-clock, round-the-year reliability that our economy depends on. State policies that recognize the value of carbon-free energy are essential to launching us on the hard work of the next 30 years toward saving the climate, and successfully completing an affordable and sustainable transition. Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, New Mexico, Connecticut, New York, and Colorado have passed technology-neutral clean-energy policies, with Illinois hoping to join this list soon. And, lets not forget that Ohios two nuclear plants provide over 90% of the states clean electricity. These plants lower Ohios carbon emissions by 2.3 million tons per year.

There is another saying, in science, that nature bats last. It doesnt matter to the physics of climate that policies were driven by bad actors. What matters is actual emissions.

This is not to say that the ends justify the means. They dont. But as we rightfully reconsider policies that clearly have questionable pedigrees, the appropriate question is not what is behind us, but how to set ourselves up for what is ahead.

Maria Korsnick is president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association.

Disclosure: In 2019, Maria Korsnick appeared multiple times as a witness in front of the Ohio legislature in favor of preserving nuclear plants as part of House Bill 6.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions, comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:50:29|Editor: huaxia

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DUBLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Europe's largest budget airline Ryanair said on Wednesday that it carried a total of 7 million passengers in August, up 59 percent over the previous month.

Ryanair's traffic numbers had shown a consistent improvement on a month-on-month basis after plunging to a nadir in April when only 40,000 passengers were handled by the airline, down 99.6 percent when compared with the same month of last year.

In May, Ryanair handled 70,000 passengers. By June, the figure rose to 400,000. In July when Ryanair resumed 40 percent of its flight capacity, the figure further increased to 4.4 million, according to the monthly traffic figures released by the airline.

Nevertheless, the number of passengers carried by Ryanair in August is still 53 percent lower when compared with the 14.9 million passengers carried by the airline in August 2019.

Earlier last month, Ryanair said that it would cut its flight capacity by 20 percent in September and October due to the travel restrictions reimposed by some European countries following the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in these countries.

Ryanair said that most of these cuts would be frequency reductions rather than route closures.

Ryanair operates over 1,800 flight routes in Europe and North Africa and 90 percent of them had been reopened from the beginning of July after nearly all of Ryanair's flight routes were closed towards the end of March due to the impact of the pandemic.

Ryanair predicts that it may take at least two or three years for its traffic numbers to return to normal levels.

Headquartered in Ireland, Ryanair carried over 140 million passengers in 2019. Enditem
Leaders of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar have sent messages and letters of congratulations to Vietnamese leaders on the countrys 75th anniversary of National Day (September 2).

President Ho Chi Minh's Mousoleum (Photo: VNA)

General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Laos Pany Yathotou sent a message of congratulations to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

In the message, the Lao leaders warmly congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the process of national construction and protection over the past 75 years, saying these successes are a source of encouragement to Laos.

They expressed their profound gratitude to the fraternal Vietnamese Party, State and people for their huge, valuable and timely assistance to the revolutionary cause of the Lao people.

The Lao leaders affirmed that despite changes in the world and regional situation, the great relationship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam will be always treasured and preserved and perpetually exist together with the two nations, becoming a invaluable common asset, a rule of survival and development and a decisive factor of the revolution in each country.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Li Zhanshu sent messages of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, respectively.

The Chinese leaders spoke highly of Vietnams recent achievements and expressed their belief that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people will fulfill the targets set by the 12th National Party Congress, towards the 13th National Party Congress.

They affirmed that China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and stays ready to join hands with Vietnam to promote the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and the Central Committee of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) sent letters of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and the CPV Central Committee.

The Cambodian King and CPP highly evaluated the development of the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and affirmed the determination to consolidate and strengthen the bilateral relationship with the motto good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability.

First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez extended congratulatory messages to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and PM Manuel Marrero Cruz sent a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Cuban leaders said they are proud of the historical solidarity which was nurtured and enhanced during the common struggle for national independence, freedom and development, and expressed their wish to further promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. PM Mikhail Mishustin sent a message of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc while Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin extended congratulations to NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The Russian leaders congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development and its high role and prestige in the international community. They believed that the two countries will join hands to further deepen the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, thus meeting their interests and for prosperous development, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sent a letter of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Malaysian leaders said they are delighted at the positive development of the bilateral strategic partnership and affirmed that Vietnam has become one of the closest economic and strategic partners of Malaysia. They express their wish to closely coordinate with Vietnam in its capacity as Chair of ASEAN 2020 to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region.

King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongorn sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha cabled a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Thai leaders promised to join hands with Vietnam to expand cooperation in all spheres, including the settlement of adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter of congratulations addressed to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong reiterated his commitment to support Vietnam successfully takes over the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. He spoke highly of Vietnams efforts in strengthening ASEANs centrality and cohesion, and promoting cooperation within the bloc and with outside partners to cope with and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee said he was pleased with the dynamic development of the Singapore-Vietnam strategic partnership over the recent past and expressed his wish to expand and further deepen the bilateral multifaceted cooperation.

President of Myanmar U Win Myint sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent a congratulatory letter to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and Henry Van Thio extended congratulations to Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh.

The Myanmar leaders hoped that the two nations will enhance trade and investment ties and people-to-people exchange, and both Myanmar and Vietnam will overcome the medical and socio-economic challenges caused by COVID-19.

They believed that the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership will see breakthrough development steps in the coming years.

On this occasion, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith; Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee for China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation; Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein; Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai; and Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin sent messages and letters of congratulations to Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.

Chairman of the LPRP Central Committees Commission for External Relations Sunthon Saynhachac also cabled a congratulatory message to Chairman of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.

Leaders of Cambodia, India, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), the US, France, Italy, Canada and Australia have extended their congratulations to the Vietnamese Party and State leaders on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the countrys National Day (September 2, 1945-2020).

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen cabled a letter of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum and Cambodian National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin sent their congratulations to Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

In their letters, the Cambodian leaders highly valued the fruitful development of solidarity, friendship and traditional cooperation between the two Governments and between the Cambodian Senate and National Assembly and the Vietnamese NA. They expressed their belief that the Vietnam  Cambodia comprehensive cooperation will become more and more sustainable and enduring forever, for the sake of the two countries people.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their congratulations to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, respectively.



The Indian leaders congratulated Vietnam on its successful assumption of ASEAN Chairmanship and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, affirming that Vietnam is an important member of the international and regional communities.

They said that since being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the traditional relationship between India and Vietnam has been constantly developing, contributing to further consolidating the mutual trust and understanding.

In their congratulatory messages to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairman of the Workers Party and the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK Kim Jong-un and Premier Kim Tok-hun expressed their belief that the traditional friendship between the Parties, Governments and people of the two countries will be further promoted in the time to come, in line with the spirit of agreements reached by the two sides leaders during DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-uns official friendly visit to Vietnam in March last year.

Meanwhile, Japanese Emperor Naruhito sent his letter of congratulations to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong.

In his congratulations to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, RoK President Moon Jae-in emphasised that his country always attaches great importance to and wishes to further develop the friendship and cooperation with Vietnam in the coming time.

US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent their congratulations to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and the Vietnamese people.

The US leaders congratulated Vietnam on its recent achievements, especially the successes and contributions of the Southeast Asian nation in the role as ASEAN Chair.

They expressed delight at the development in the US-Vietnam relationship, saying that the US wishes to continue working closely with Vietnam at the East Asia Summit (EAS) in November. They said they believe that the comprehensive partnership between the two nations will develop strongly, contributing to promoting peace and prosperity in the region.

In his congratulatory message to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Vietnam for providing medical supplies for his country amid the COVID-19 outbreak. He also affirmed that it is necessary to further deepen the bilateral strategic partnership, and hoped the two countries will continue their cooperation at the UNSC and ASEAN.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella cabled a congratulatory message to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, saying that the strategic partnership between the two countries is flourishing, evidenced by Vietnams precious support for Italy in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed his belief that the bilateral relations will further develop, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Meanwhile, Canadian Governor-General Julie Payette congratulated Vietnam on its recent achievements, especially in the role as ASEAN Chair 2020.

She spoke highly of cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums to promote rules-based order, gender equality, and respond to the COVID-19 epidemic and climate change, affirming that Canada wishes to continue maintaining cooperation with Vietnam in bilateral, regional and international issues in the coming time.

Australian Governor-General David Hurley praised Vietnam for its efforts to successfully promote the agenda of the ASEAN Year 2020, for the interest of the whole region despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stressed that the strategic partnership between Australia and Vietnam is a solid basis for the two countries to continue expanding collaboration in the current challenging context. He affirmed that his country will work closely with Vietnam to accelerate post-pandemic recovery as well as deepen the bilateral trade and investment ties.

On this occasion, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha extended their congratulatory letters and messages to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

Activities held in Laos & Brunei to mark National Day

More than 130 photos on the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and close, comprehensive cooperation between the Vietnamese and Lao Parties, States, and people are on display at the Lao National Cultural Hall in Vientiane.

Jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the exhibition marks the 75th anniversary of Vietnams National Day (September 2).

Speaking at the opening ceremony on September 1, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Buangean Saphouvong said the exhibition gives insight into milestones in bilateral ties as well as the achievements posted by the two countries over recent decades, which contributed to enhancing and tightening their relationship.

The exhibition will last until September 3.

Meanwhile, Vietnams National Day was also observed by the Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei on August 30, with various cultural, arts, and sporting activities held that drew the participation of representatives from several Brunei ministries and foreign embassies in the country.

Vietnam and Brunei set up a comprehensive partnership in 2019, and are working to raise bilateral trade to 500 million USD in 2022. VNA
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Because of an obscure state data-entry policy, a particular group of Ohio voters  those with hyphens in their names  may face an additional paperwork hurdle when registering to vote.

But elections officials say the issue wont pose any actual problems for voters when it counts  when they go to cast a ballot on Election Day.

Carol Conti-Entin said she stumbled upon the issue when she changed her vehicle registration with the state BMV after recently moving to Oberlin in Lorain County from Cuyahoga County. Per a state policy, it also automatically updated her voter registration to her new address.

She then got a postcard in the mail from the Lorain County Board of Elections which indicated the name as listed in her voter registration didnt match the name on file with the BMV, which is run by a different state office than the one that handles elections.

The form directed her to respond with 10 days to confirm her name and other personal information, which she did.

The apparent reason? Her last name on her drivers license had a hyphen, while the one in her voter file did not.

Hyphens and other special characters were banned under an elections manual issued in December 2019 under Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican who is the states top elections official, that directs elections workers how to write a voters name into their database of registrations. The policy dates back at least to 2017, when it appeared in an equivalent document under then-Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican who now is lieutenant governor.

State officials couldnt immediately explain the reason why, but said it likely has to do with data uniformity issues. Voter registration records are decentralized in Ohio, compiled by each board of elections in Ohios 88 counties under rules set by the state. Data mismatches between different sets of records at times have led to problems under the system, such as some voter registrations being improperly marked for deactivation due to inactivity.

Despite reassurances from the Lorain County Board of Elections, Conti-Entin said the experience made her uneasy, prompting her to contact cleveland.com.

Is this just a nuisance when somebody moves, or are there other implications? she said in an interview. It certainly gives someone with a hyphenated last name a bit of a concern.

Maggie Sheehan, a LaRose spokeswoman, said the confirmation notices like the one Conti-Entin received wont affect someones ability to vote.

That individual will remain as a registered voter and will certainly be able to vote in November, she said.

Local elections officials said they are aware of the issue. They said it could similarly affect someone whose last name contains an apostrophe, which also are banned from voter files. (ie: Someone whose name is OBrien would show up in voter records as OBrien.)

Paul Adams, director of the Lorain County Board of Elections, said the name mismatch notices like the one Conti-Entin received are required to be sent out.

But he said there is no detrimental effect if a voter fails to fill one out over a missing character in their last name. He also said it cant be a basis for someones identity to be challenged by an elections worker.

If you were to show up and vote at the polls or request an absentee ballot, other than that being noted in your record, that does not inhibit you from voting a regular ballot, he said. Its not going to require that you provide additional information when you go to vote.

Tony Perlatti, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, said elections workers are aware that hyphens arent allowed. They just input the name with a space between the two words in a last name field, he said.

This is something thats been going on for awhile with hyphenated names, and we havent had an issue, Perlatti said.

Jen Miller, executive director of the Ohio League of Women Voters, a voter-advocacy non-profit, said she wasnt aware of the issue that affected Conti-Entin.

But she said the hyphen/apostrophe issue also could come up when a voter looks up their voter registration using county and state elections websites. A voter needs to know to take the character out.

They might think they were removed from the rolls, and it might create a lot of stress or confusion, and could lead folks to register more than once, Miller said. Its just an example of how our systems can be confusing for voters to navigate, and why we need voter-education efforts coming from boards of elections, the Secretary of State and organizations like mine.

This story has been updated to clarify the policy banning hyphens from voter files dates back to at least 2017.
Political leaders have been urged to be truthful and be consistent with what they say at all times.



Mr Emmanuel Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of Advocate for Social Intervention Ghana (ASIG) who made the call, said it was important for politicians to uphold the laws of the country, whether in power or in opposition.



In a statement issued in Kumasi, ASIG said it was sad that politicians interpreted the countrys laws differently to suit their political interest at different times, either in government or in opposition.



The statement cited the case of the three Guantanamo bay detainees and that of the former Auditor-General Mr Yao Demelovo and said politicians in the two main political parties in Ghana-NPP and NDC were interpreting the laws differently while in government and while in opposition.



It said such interpretations by the politicians were nothing but to confuse the people and win their sympathy.



The statement said it was time politicians were consistent with the interpretation of the laws and stood by their principles, to enable the people to have confidence in them.



Politicians should have a firm understanding of the countrys laws and interpret them according to the spirit and the letter, and not to suit their parochial political interests.

Source: GNA









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Shi Yong (pseudonym), a 38-year-old delivery man, died from cerebral hemorrhage on Aug. 23, 2020. Stricken with grief, his family still gave permission for his organs to be donated, and the life-saving organs ended up saving six people. With two children in school and sick parents, Shi had worked two jobs to provide for his family. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued working as a food delivery man for China's leading food delivery platform, Ele.me, in Fuyang city of eastern China's Anhui province. On Aug. 20, Shi Yong suddenly fell into a coma and was diagnosed with intracerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension. Though the medical staff tried their best, just two days later he was declared brain-dead. Shi Yong's family was overwhelmed when they heard the news. After consideration, the grief-stricken family made a decision: they would donate Shi's organs. "He was always willing to help others. Shi Yong's parents and I both agreed to donate his organs to save more people. I believe this was also Shi Yong's last wish," his wife said. "I hope all recipients can live well." On Aug. 23, after a 10-hour-long surgery conducted by more than 100 medical staff members of the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), six transplant operations were successfully performed, including liver, heart, kidney and cornea transplants. Currently, all the transplanted organs are working well and the recipients are recovering. Organ transplantation is a vital therapy for terminal and irreversible organ failure. At present, all transplanted organs in China come from voluntary donations by citizens. According to the China Organ Donation Administrative Center, as of Aug. 31, the number of registered volunteers for organ donation topped 2.29 million, and 30,389 people have donated 88,810 organs as of Aug. 18. "Organ donation represents the humanity of the donor at its very best. Donated organs allow the continuation of life by saving others," said Liu Zhe, a staff member at the the First Affiliated Hospital of the USTC.


US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions Wednesday on the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, objecting to the investigation of US soldiers for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Also added to the US sanctions blacklist was Phakiso Mochochoko, director of the ICCs Jurisdiction, Complementary and Cooperation Division, for having materially assisted Prosecutor Bensouda, Pompeo said.

Pompeo said other ICC officials have already faced denial of visas to the United States over the investigations of US military personnel.

Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly, he said.

He added that visa restrictions and broader sanctions could be applied to those helping Bensouda and Mochochoko.

The move came after President Donald Trump authorized sanctions on the Hague-based tribunal on June 11 for probing and prosecuting US troops.

Pompeo at the time referred to the ICC as a kangaroo court and warned that if US soldiers are investigated by it, those of US allies in Afghanistan risk the same threat.

US Attorney General Bill Barr said in June that the ICC has become little more than a political tool employed by unaccountable international elites.
The executive director of projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Cairo Ojougboh, says Nigeria will break if the commission releases the list of highly placed Nigerians who have benefitted from contracts awarded by the commission.

The NDDC has been in the spotlight after the National Assembly launched an investigation into allegations of financial recklessness in the commission. The investigation took a different turn when the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, accused members of the National Assembly of being the largest beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the Commission.

Peter Nwaoboshi, senate committee chairman on NDDC; Matthew Urhoghide, senate committee chairman on public accounts, and James Manager, senator representing Delta South were some of the beneficiaries listed by the minister. The Senate and the National Assembly have also denied the allegations of its members benefitting from the contracts awarded by the commission.

In an interview with Vanguard, Ojougboh said Nwaoboshi and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, and the rest of the National Assembly are culpable in the sleaze contracts. He said Nigeria will break if the full list of beneficiaries of contracts is released.

The National Assembly is culpable. At the end of the forensic audit, you will see members of the national assembly. A senator came and said that in the list of 2016 they brought, that he had only six contracts, I said no, that he had more. What he didnt know is that we did not release the list for 2017 and the one for 2019. If we release it this country will break. Oh, because of the people looting, the calibre, the names and people looting the NDDC. And who engineers it? The chairmen of the NDDC in the senate and house of representatives in the national assembly. he said

Ojougboh said the N51 million spent by the acting managing director of the commission was their security vote.

My MD feeds 100 policemen every day and in Port Harcourt as an executive of NDDC, you need security more than anything, till tomorrow, you know of it. When they are sending these policemen, the instruction is to feed them, cater for them, that is what is in the letter the police hierarchy sends, he said So people are talking about 51 million of imprest for the MD, it is a security vote, its not for his personal pocket, the money does not go to the MDs account. Myself, N18 million, it does not go to my account, it goes for security and other expenses and it is retired, there is no fraud in it.

On the N3.14 billion spent on COVID-19 relief for staff during the pandemic, the NDDC director said
Love-struck couples across the land have opted to delay their nuptials in 2020, hoping that the 'old normal' will return next year.

But no such hesitancy has afflicted the Marquess of Worcester, 31, and his fiancee, Lucy Yorke-Long, 34, who, I can disclose, took the plunge at the weekend.

It helped, of course, that they had the perfect venue at their disposal  Badminton House, the sumptuous Gloucestershire family seat inherited by Bobby Worcester's father, 'Bunter', when he succeeded as the 12th Duke of Beaufort following his own father's death in 2017.

The couple, who got engaged last October, were obliged to trim back their guest list to just the closest members of their families and a handful of friends  even though Badminton boasts 40 bedrooms.

Despite the pared back affair, the couple appeared delighted during their special day, which took place at Badminton

The Marquess of Worcester, 31, and his fiancee, Lucy Yorke-Long, 34, pictured on horseback on their wedding day over the weekend

The bride wore a stunning floor length white gown with a silver tiara for the occasion and carried a bouquet of blue and pink flowers.

The flower girls, which included Lucy's nieces, the daughters of sister Aalish Yorke, who is the Managing Director of Retail at Soho House.

The youngsters donned smart white dresses with blue bowed sashes and carried coordinated floral posies.

Meanwhile the page boys wore matching outfits, opting for white collared shirts with coordinating blue shorts.

They had the perfect venue at their disposal  Badminton House, the sumptuous Gloucestershire family seat inherited by Bobby Worcester's father, 'Bunter'. Pictured: The happy couple pose for a photograph on their wedding day

The happy couple changed outfits into matching navy jackets and jodhpurs after the ceremony.

The new Marquess and Marchioness embarked on married life on horseback, riding off across the family estate  but not before Lucy had tossed her bridal bouquet into the air.

Despite an 'athletic jump' Bobby's sister, Bella, 29, the bouquet hit the ground. Bella has recently found love with Santiago Santos, a Mexican lawyer with whom she saddled up while leading a trek across Nepal.

Last year bride Lucy, who is currently working as Head of Relations for Finchatton, told the Diary: 'We met through mutual friends at a party. It was very random.

The couple, who got engaged last October, were obliged to trim back their guest list to just the closest members of their families and a handful of friends  even though Badminton boasts 40 bedrooms. Bobby's sister, Bella, 29, caught the bouquet

'Bobby and I were seated next to each other at a dinner. The person who put us next to each other would claim it was a set-up but, who knows, it might have just been luck.'

Meanwhile Bobby, who is known as Bunter and plays in a rock band, told me: 'I am absolutely delighted.'

The Marquess of Worcester stands to inherit his father's estimated 315 million fortune, which includes the 52,000-acre estate in Gloucestershire.

Former estate agent Lucy, the daughter of a divorce mediator, is perfectly equipped to fit in.

Lucy and Bobby married at Badminton House, the sumptuous Gloucestershire family seat inherited by Bobby Worcester's father, 'Bunter', when he succeeded as the 12th Duke of Beaufort following his own father's death in 2017

'She's a smasher  with a ready smile and a warm welcome,' a friend tells me. 'And she loves riding.'

Bunter Beaufort, the father of the groom, married journalist Georgia Powell two years ago after divorcing his eco-crusader wife Tracy.

Meanwhile family friend Taki, the indefatigable playboy, assures me that whatever the wedding may have lacked in numbers, it will have made up for in style.

Lucy Yorke-Long (left) announced her engagement to one of Britain's most eligible men, Bobby Worcester, heir to the Duke of Beaufort (pictured right with his mother Tracy) last October

'You never have a bad time at Badminton,' he tells me.

'It was fun under Bunter's father and it was certainly fun last year at the ball Bunter gave,' adds Taki, who has known Bobby since he was born.

The couple were met with delight when they announced their engagement in October last year.

Bobby's father Bunter inherited Badminton House, the sumptuous Gloucestershire family seat when he succeeded as the 12th Duke of Beaufort following his own father's death in 2017 (pictured, with his wife journalist Georgia Powell)

Bobby's mother, the Duke's ex-wife, Tracy Worcester, said she was 'absolutely thrilled' at the pairing.

She told me at the time: 'My kids and I are thrilled to have Lucy as part of our family  we all adore her.

'She is sunny, intelligent and thoughtful - a joy to be with. Lucky Bobby.'

She added: 'We were lucky as the sun shone and having only 30 of Bobby and Lucys nearest and dearest friends and family was a treat for all involved.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : Actress-Anchor Mini Mathur on Wednesday shared her experience of shooting for the show School Super League amid the pandemic.

In an Instagram post, Mini revealed that she isolated herself for seven days after finishing the shoot and even underwent a Covid test.

"This will always be a first, a special season that I have shot with @cyrus_sahukar in the middle of the pandemic with all the safety protocols. But the stress of whether it was the right decision to shoot was overtaken by the sheer brilliance of technology we used to enable 60 semi finalists to participate in this pan India quiz- LIVE!! From remote parts of Meghalaya , Nagaland, Kerala & Jammu.. the sharpest quiz headed kids joined us with specially created software so they could play from the safety of their homes. I isolated for a week after the shoot just to make sure I was safe, did a test and it was purely exhilarating to realise that we pulled this off.So special show. Special season," she wrote.

Mini is quite active on social media. A day ago, she shared a glimpse of her daughter Sairah's birthday celebration at home.

"My little girl turned 12 today. Breakfast overlooking a field. A treasure hunt. A homemade vanilla cake and balloons blown up by everyone in the fam (also great lung exercise during covid). Happy birthday my darling sairu... May the next one have all your little friends as well," Mini, who is also a mother to a son, Vivaan, posted on Instagram.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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In second Beirut visit since deadly blast, French president vows wide-reaching aid, threatens sanctions to coax reforms.

Beirut, Lebanon  French President Emmanuel Macron presented Lebanons political establishment with two choices during a trip that ended Tuesday: implement reforms, and vital international aid will flow plentifully, but continue on the same path, and the doors to assistance will slam shut  and the countrys ossified political leadership may be directly targeted with sanctions.

I did not come today to give a warning, but I returned to help Lebanon and accompany it to its future, Macron said on Tuesday, 100 years since colonial France declared the founding of Greater Lebanon.

Macron arrived in Beirut on Monday with the aim of pushing the countrys sectarian leaders to find consensus over reforms and over the need to end decades of corruption and mismanagement that have devastated the country. He pledged to hold an aid conference for the economically-devastated nation at the end of October if reforms are commenced.

His previous visit came just days after a monstrous explosion last month killed 190 people, injured more than 6,000 and wrecked half of the city, causing up to $4.6bn in material damage, according to a World Bank assessment.

At the time, Macon came bearing a message that change was necessasry if the country was to avoid total collapse.

You are at a critical moment in your history where the political system must be reformed, he said on Tuesday.

When a country disintegrates, you never know when it will be reborn.

Macron was in Lebanon 100 years after colonial France declared the founding of Greater Lebanon [Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AFP]

New PM not a messiah

Indeed, there is little to celebrate  and much to fear  as Lebanon marks its 100th birthday. In the past year it has witnessed massive protests, deep economic and financial crisis, a surging coronavirus outbreak and one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts ever recorded.

Since Macrons last visit, Prime Minister Hassan Diabs flailing government resigned and a new Prime Minister, Mustapha Adib, has been appointed by the countrys establishment under direct French pressure.

France aimed to ensure that whoever is selected has wide political buy-in, unlike Diab.

Macron admitted that Adib was not a messiah and contended that Adib knew that he was backed by political forces that have lost the confidence of the public.

Nevertheless, he said Adib was able to form a capable government and to implement the needed reforms. And Macron said he had heard encouraging words from political leaders.

He split Tuesday between ceremonial gestures  a visit to the destroyed Beirut port and planting a cedar tree, the countrys national emblem  and tete-a-tete meetings with politicians, whom he summoned to the ambassadors residence.

Macron told reporters that they had pledged to form a government within 15 days  unprecedented in Lebanons recent history, where government formation usually take many months.

The government would then have to implement reforms to the crippled electricity sector and the insolvent financial sector within three months, and hold early parliamentary polls within a year.

Macron promised to return by December to follow up on the reform process.

Macron says the next round of reform talks with Lebanon would broach the thorny issue of Hezbollahs arsenal, which rivals that of the Lebanese army [Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AFP]

Sanction threats

If reforms are not implemented, Macron said he would inform the international community that no aid could flow and he would talk openly about those in Lebanon who were blocking change.

We will not give Lebanon a carte blanche, or a blank check, he said.

He also said he did not rule out sanctions against political leaders, but said that France would first have to prove crimes such as corruption or terrorism had been committed.

A western diplomat told Al Jazeera that Macron was keeping the option of sanctions open as a stick he can wave at politicians.

This includes the threat of sanctions against President Michel Aouns son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, who heads the countrys largest party in terms of its share of seats in parliament.

However, the source said that there were no sanctions currently being prepared, as the international community waits for the Lebanese response to Macrons initiative.

All political leaders have so far expressed their openness to the French initiative, including Hezbollah and Aoun. Several leaders have also called for Lebanon to finally make the move to being a secular state  a shift mandated by its constitution  though they have also said this in the past.

Currently, all seats in parliament are allocated by sect, and top state positions are meted out along religious lines.

Macron says he plans to return to Lebanon in December [Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AFP]

Macron was repeatedly asked to justify his decision to give Hezbollah a seat at the table by meeting with a top Hezbollah official.

The Iran-backed armed group and political party is blacklisted as a terrorist group by western nations including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, but France maintains relations with its so-called political wing.

Macron said Hezbollah was a major constituent of the Lebanese population, with representation in parliament, and it would be foolish to exclude the group from the reform process.

He said that the next round of reform talks with Lebanon would broach the thorny issue of the groups arsenal, which rivals that of the Lebanese army.

Will we get to results directly? I dont know, said Macron. But it shouldnt be a taboo.
Niagaras Catholic school board has thrown a late-inning curve ball at parents in the final days before schools reopen.

In a media release issued Thursday afternoon by Niagara Catholic District School Boards new director of education, Camillo Cipriano, the board said, We have decided that parents will be unable to request a change to their childs registration after today. Students will be expected to start school in the way that they are currently registered.

Before Thursday, the release indicated parents had the option to choose how their child would attend school, effectively up to the first day of school.

For parents of elementary school students who want to change education streams from either in class or at home online, they will have to do so by notifying the board by the 15th of the month in order for the change to take effect for the first day of the following month.

So parents who want to change now, must notify the board by Sept. 15 in order for the change to take effect starting Oct. 1. This will continue throughout the school year, said the board.

For parents of secondary school students who want to change their education streams, they will have to notify the school board by the 25th of the month in order to have the change implemented on the 13th of the following month.

Parents of secondary students may make request changes on Sept. 25, to begin on Oct. 13, said the release. After that, parents may request changes near the beginning of a new course, with students able to enter the next course.

Parent Doug Paget has concerns.

Its unfortunate that the school board chose to make this decision, he said. Parents were put in a position to decide without any information. We had to register our children with an incomplete understanding of what our children were getting into and now everyone is locked into their decision.

The board said the policy change is an attempt to lower class sizes.

Niagara Catholic is confident that we will provide class sizes below the Ministry of Education caps announced in July, said the boards release. Niagara Catholic is currently reviewing class sizes in co-operation with our (Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association) partners for the beginning of school.

Niagara Catholic is anticipating class sizes for kindergarten will be 21.75 students, grades 1 to 3 will be 17.4, and grades 4 to 8 will be 23.8.

The release doesnt indicate anticipated class sizes for secondary school students.

The school year begins Tuesday.
The host of MSNBCs The ReidOut compared President Donald Trumps inflammatory rhetoric to how Muslims act.

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is demanding an apology from MSNBCs Joy Reid after the host of The ReidOut compared President Donald Trumps inflammatory rhetoric to how Muslims act.

When leaders, lets say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence, including on their own bodies, in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are radicalizing those people, Reid said during Mondays show.

She was talking about the presidents refusal to decry the actions of 17-year-old accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, who was captured in a photograph in the front row of a Trump campaign rally.

Read More: Trump defends Kenosha protest shooter: He probably would have been killed

Particularly when theyre radicalizing young people, she continued. Thats how we talk about how Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?

Rep. Omar tweeted that this kind of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.

We deserve better, the Democrat opined, and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming.

Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.



We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd  Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 1, 2020

Among Reids guests was Newsweek Editor-at-Large Naveed Jamali, who said he does not believe there is a difference between Trumps comments allegedly in support of violence committed by his followers and those of a similar nature made by Muslim extremists.

Story continues

Jamali told Newsweek that conservative outlets had been covering the story, but not reaching out to him for his opinion. We live in a country that is full of double standards. Why is it not a fair question to ask why, when it comes to extremism, we dont point out that theres a double standard between brown extremists and white extremists, in terms of how law enforcement approaches them?

He suggested to the magazine that Reids comments were taken out of context.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks with media in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Omar wants Joy Reid to apologize for a comment the host made about Muslims on her MSNBC show. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Still, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, retweeting her colleague Omars sentiments, tweeted Words matter and these words feed into the harmful anti-Muslim rhetoric & actions that we continue to see in this country. It is even more painful to hear it from someone I admire. She also demanded an apology.

For her part, Reid said on The ReidOut Tuesday that theres been some thoughtful commentary, but also some willful distortion of the points I tried to make yesterday. She stated the issue would be discussed in-depth on her show Wednesday.

Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Rep. Omar demands apology for Islamophobic comments from Joy Reid appeared first on TheGrio.
Pakistan might be reeling under debt and the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) might be facing serious problems, but when it comes to Sino-Pakistan relations, rhetoric is all that matters. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, met in the South China island province of Hainan last week and grandly proclaimed that the joint construction of the belt and road should be accelerated to bring more benefits to the two peoples. At a time when there are serious doubts about the viability of the CPEC projects, it was important for the two nations to send out a message that alls well. This $62 billion flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinpings vanity agenda, the Belt and Road Initiative, is critical for the overall health of the Sino-Pakistan engagement, which otherwise is just fuelled by their anti-India foreign policy frameworks. Xis likely visit to Pakistan, deferred from earlier this year, has only added a sense of urgency to this dynamic.

China has been forced to pump in some more money and Pakistan has been forced to take on more debt only to sustain the facade of a productive economic engagement between the two nations. Amidst increased delays and funding crunch, Pakistan has had to roll back several projects and China has complained of security concerns and inept administration. But then, there is always the India factor to tide over these mundane matters.

And so the second round of China-Pakistan foreign ministers strategic dialogue saw the Pakistani side briefing the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including its concerns, position and current urgent issues and the Chinese side reiterating that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation.

China has been trying to raise the Kashmir issue at the United Nations Security Council at the behest of Pakistan since last August, when India revoked Article 370, but has been repeatedly rebuffed by other powers. Yet, it has not given up, if only to show Islamabad how much Beijing cares about it. In their joint statement, China underscored once again that Pakistan was its staunchest partner in the region and it would firmly support the country in safeguarding its territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence and in striving for a better external security environment.

Chinas growing salience in Pakistani foreign policy calculus can also be gauged by the recent deterioration in Saudi-Pakistan ties. Earlier this month, Pakistan took a loan from China to repay a $1 billion Saudi loan that was called in after Islamabad tried to pile up pressure on Saudi Arabia to mobilise the Islamic world on the issue of Kashmir. Riyadh had helped Islamabad with a $6.2 billion package in 2018 to tide over a serious economic crisis. But Pakistans Kashmir obsession led to a serious disagreement when Saudi Arabia declined to entertain Islamabads call for convening a special session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Kashmir.

Then, this month, against the backdrop of the first anniversary of Article 370s revocation, Shah Mahmood Qureshi publicly challenged Riyadh, saying Today, I am telling the OIC to convene the meeting of the council of foreign ministers. If they cannot do it, then I will be compelled to ask the prime minister [Imran Khan] to call a meeting of Islamic countries [Iran, Turkey and Malaysia] that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir. At a time when fault-lines in the Islamic world are hardening and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to challenge the Saudi position as the guarantor of the Islamic world, this rant would have certainly rankled in Riyadh.

In a damage control exercise soon thereafter, Pakistans army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa decided to visit Saudi Arabia on August 17 to placate the Saudi leadership. But more humiliation awaited him when unlike his past visits, he could not meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). These are remarkable developments in a relationship which has been a longstanding one and Saudis have been instrumental in bailing a failed state like Pakistan repeatedly.

Given its economic dependence on Riyadh, Pakistan cannot afford to alienate the Saudis. Islamabad is trying to rally Chinas support, but it cannot replace what Riyadh has been able to offer. Not surprisingly, Pakistan has begun to backtrack and is trying to mend fences with Saudi Arabia. But it is a sign of the changing geopolitical realities that Riyadh is today keener on its ties with India than with Pakistan. As MBS tries to modernise the Saudi economy by reducing its dependence on oil, close economic ties with a country like India are going to be critical.

The UAE-Israel deal, resulting in full diplomatic ties between the two, has further opened up new possibilities in the Middle East. India has been able to leverage its economic heft effectively so far and, in the process, has managed to generate positive diplomatic externalities. While it would be farfetched to suggest that there has been a permanent rupture in Pakistan-Saudi ties, the very fact that Riyadh today doesnt want to toe the Pakistani line when it comes to its engagement with India is a significant achievement of Indian diplomacy.

Pakistans reliance on China continues to grow and, with Islamabad bereft of other major partners around the world, Beijings control over Pakistan is likely to be total very soon. It is for Pakistan to decide if it is prepared to exist as a glorified colony of China. But as the world changes rapidly, Pakistans India obsession has meant that its foreign policy choices will not be governed by the evolving ground realities but by its ideological antipathy towards New Delhi. The times, they are a-changin, but Pakistan remains trapped in a time warp of its own making.

(The writer is Director, Studies & Head, Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi)
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the married couple found dead after an apparent murder-suicide at a Stone Oak home Wednesday.

Officers responded to the 800 block of Windhurst, within the Peak at Promontory gated community, around 12:45 p.m.

There they found Gabriella Munevar Albright, 55, and Joseph Mark Albright, 67, dead inside a home.

TIMELINE: Black jogger detained, arrested by San Antonio police speaks out

An adult relative of one of the two individuals had not heard from them for 24 to 48 hours, police said. The relative grew concerned, went to the home, and discovered the bodies.

Police are not currently looking for suspects and homicide detectives were still processing the scene late Wednesday afternoon.

SAPD spokeswoman Jennifer Rodriguez said the shooting appears to be a murder-suicide. Joseph Albright was found with a firearm.

The Medical Examiner's Office has yet to identify the cause of death.

RELATED: SAPD: 13-year-old boy dies after accidental shooting on the Northeast Side

Gabby Mondragon learned of the shooting as she drove through the communitys gates Wednesday afternoon.

Ive been living in this neighborhood for 15 years and never, ever heard of something like this happening here, Mondragon said.
For years, local Catholic students have garnered inspiration to help others through WE.

But while they wont have the opportunity to hear WE founder Craig Kielburger speak after trustees opted to cancel, instead of reschedule, an event planned for next spring, it doesn't mean they won't find inspiration elsewhere.

The Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Boards Catholic Parent Engagement Committee had been successful in obtaining $10,500 funding through the Ministry of Educations Parents Reaching Out grant program last fall to host a presentation by Kielburger this past May, but had to reschedule the event due to COVID-19 school closures. The plan was to reschedule the event for May 19, 2021.

The board had hoped to have the event next spring, but, since making that decision, it was learned that the Ministry of Education had decided to cut ties with the WE charity, said board communications manager Galen Eagle, adding WE has also suspended all activities with Ontario schools.

An investigation was launched this summer as to whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act for his role in the Liberal government's decision to have WE administer a multi-million-dollar student volunteer program. WE backed out of the agreement in early July, citing the political controversy, and the program has since been abandoned.

The board opted to cancel the event altogether and return the funds to the Ministry.

However, Eagle said the board is confident students will continue to be inspired to assist the community, especially given the pandemics widespread impact.

Definitely, our school communities pride themselves on the impact theyve been able to have over the years, locally and globally, said Eagle. And their efforts will be felt even more so this coming school year.

Eagle explained he had recently been speaking with someone from the Peterborough United Way who said the need is the highest its ever been and the effects will be felt for some time.

But I think were very fortunate (in this area) to have so many supports and programs available, even if they are struggling right now to address the need, said Eagle. Im confident our students will once again rise to the occasion and continue to keep doing the great work they have done in the past.

That includes the annual Terry Fox Run that marks its 40th anniversary this year.

Area Catholic schools have raised more than $3 million in support of the charity; St. Peter Catholic Secondary School has been a top fundraiser in Ontario for many years. This year, the event will be held virtually.
The first days back to school for many local teachers will include testing for COVID-19, as Onondaga County officials attempt to screen thousands of school district employees for the coronavirus before students return to school in the midst of a global pandemic.

At East Syracuse Minoa High School, teachers and staff donned masks before heading into the gymnasium on Monday morning. Some lingered outside the test site, giving air hugs from a distance, commenting about the nasal swab and advising each other to stay healthy.

Similar saliva and nasal swab testing is scheduled in the coming weeks at school districts across Onondaga County, part of an effort by the Onondaga County Department of Health to offer voluntary testing ahead of the reopening of school buildings.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said more than 500 school staff had been tested so far, adding that the testing strategy at school districts is similar to the programs employed at local colleges. He said he hopes the additional testing will alleviate the concerns hes heard from staff and parents.

A lot of logistics. A lot of work, but well take the lessons learned from college and were going to apply it here for faculty, McMahon said. Then well work on students, especially our high school students, and we will hopefully continue to see a lot of success with that.

All tests are administered by appointment only, allowing for small groups of 10 to 15 people to get tested within a 15-minute time frame.

On Monday, more than 250 people were scheduled to be tested in the East Syracuse Minoa High School gymnasium. Amy Davis, director at Nascentia Health, wore a tight blue mask and a yellow gown over her clothes as she helped administer the tests. The results of the saliva tests are expected to return in about 24 hours after being administered; if a pool returns positive, the nasal swab results of people in the group will be reviewed.

Lunchroom worker Roberto Sanchez said the nasal swab felt uncomfortable, but said that he didnt mind doing the test to get back to work safely. He added that hes excited for the start of the school year.

I miss the kids, he said.

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The Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday revoked the quarantine order issued to Texas A&M International University on Tuesday.

Jennifer Sims, deputy commissioner of public health for DSHS, signed the revocation on Wednesday for the quarantines issued by Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino for the universitys Academic Innovation Center and the Kinesiology, Wellness and Recreation center.

TAMIU will remain open, services will be provided and classes will be delivered, the universitys President Pablo Arenaz said in a statement. He called Trevinos order over-reaching, unlawful and, frankly, unnecessary.

Under the orders issued by Governor Abbott and other state law, the (Laredo health authority) does not have the legal power to issue quarantine orders to this University, Arenaz wrote. We have explained this to the LHA on multiple occasions, but they refused to recognize the limits on their authority and issued orders that are simply unlawful. As a result, a short while ago the Texas Department of State Health Services exercised its authority to revoke the orders issued by the LHA and eliminate the confusion unnecessarily created by the LHA.

Arenaz pointed to TAMIUs low positivity rate of 1.76% as proof that the quarantines orders were unnecessary. This data comes from the universitys on-campus testing program, and therefore does not reflect any tests students may have taken through another venue.

The university has tested 681 people, Arenaz said. Twelve of these have come back positive, reflecting 10 students. One has attended class in person, and three have retested negative, he said.

The remaining students are in isolation and attending online classes - as are approximately 85% of TAMIU students this Fall, Arenaz wrote.

In a statement to LMT, Trevino said it is DSHS right to revoke the quarantine order, but that he is requesting further explanation.

This is an unfortunate occurrence, but the pandemic still exists, so we will continue to act in the best interest of the community to fight this pandemic and not each other, he said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
King County Elections has increased its official projection for the November General election from 86% to 90% turnout and is issuing a challenge to King County voters to meet this projection and set a new turnout record this fall. Voters in King County have consistently surpassed turnout expectations in nearly every election over the past year, including in the August Primary and the March Presidential Primary. The existing record is 85% turnout in the 2012 General election. Turnout in the 2016 General was 82%.

We know that to get to 90% turnout it is going to take all of us. Thats why were issuing this ambitious goal as a challenge to our voters. We are challenging our voters to make sure that theyre registered, that their friends and family are too. Were challenging them to make a plan to vote. Were challenging them to turn their ballot in early, stated King County Director of Elections Julie Wise. Here at King County Elections, we want to make sure that every voice is heard.

All eligible voters can register and update their registration online through October 26. Voters are encouraged to make sure theyre registered at their current address as soon as possible. Following October 26, voters will need to come in person to get registered or make changes to their registration. There will be Vote Centers open to serve voters during the voting period, including locations at Elections headquarters in Renton and CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle. Additional locations will also be available across King County.

Ballots will be mailed to voters on October 14 and most voters should have them in hand by Monday, October 19. Those who have not received their ballot by October 19 should call King County Elections at 206-296-VOTE (8683) or can access and print their ballot online and then return by mail or drop box. All voters are encouraged to return their ballot as early as possible, whether utilizing the mail or one of the more than 70 secure ballot drop box locations around the county. Ballots must be postmarked or deposited in a drop box by 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day.

Voters can find more information on what they can do now to make a plan and get ready to vote in October by visiting the King County Elections blog, Election Connection.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Unions could play a guaranteed role on the next major Bernalillo County construction project under proposed legislation going soon before the County Commission.

Supporters say the Community Workforce Ordinance could mean more local workers on job sites and ensure they have health benefits, while opponents dispute that.

But both sides agree that this is at least partly a philosophical debate about the value and necessity of unions.

Under the proposal, contractors selected for applicable county construction projects must execute a community workforce agreement, also known as a project labor agreement, that dictates a certain amount of union worker participation.

As written, the ordinance would apply only to county public works projects costing at least $5 million and employing workers in three or more crafts. Thats a fairly narrow category of county construction projects; had the ordinance been in place for the past two fiscal years, it would have applied to just three projects, according to information the county provided in response to Journal questions.

Commissioner Debbie OMalley says she is backing the ordinance to ensure those helping to build large, county-funded projects have health care and retirement benefits.

This is very difficult work. Its very injury-prone; its very hard physically. If they get injured, its important for us as a community, especially using public funds, to see that these workers are provided insurance and a pension or some retirement  to help them through those tough times, said OMalley, who co-sponsored the bill with Commissioner Jim Collie.

Carla Kugler, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors New Mexico chapter, said the ordinance is an unnecessarily complicated way to achieve benefits for the crews building big county projects. She said most of her associations members already provide benefits to employees.

If (the contractors) providing good, quality jobs, they should just be able to (staff a project) however they want to, she said.

Opponents also have argued that the ordinance would give all major county projects to union shops, thus reducing competition and potentially driving up costs.

But county officials say the ordinance does not preclude non-union contractors from bidding on or winning county projects, or from using their existing personnel, referred to as core workers in the legislation.

It would, however, require nearly all workers on the job site to pay union dues while on the project. And the legislation includes a draft CWA between the county and the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 15 construction craft unions, that sets union worker participation levels. The draft says the contractors first five hires can be core workers, but that core workers cannot make up over 50% of the workforce on jobs with more than 10 people. The rest must come from a union hall, though there is an exception if there arent enough available.

OMalley and Brian Condit, executive director for the trades council, stress that such details are subject to revision or negotiation based on the job.

The overarching intent, OMalley said, is to provide union-level benefits to all working on large county projects.

As such, the contractor would have to make fringe benefit contributions to the union for job site workers  and that would include their core workers, except when the contractor is already providing those core workers with health insurance, vacation and some kind of retirement/pension benefit. For those workers, contributions are not required.

Kugler suggested that the county simply make benefits a requirement of bidding on these projects rather than go the CWA route, and requiring union participation and staffing breakdowns.

She also said the fact it would apply to only a handful of county projects does not make it more palatable, saying she believes it will stifle competition.

If the ordinance is approved, it should not change contractors labor costs. Thats because the state already has an established wage rate for public works projects.

However, that wage includes the cost of fringe benefits. So non-union workers without benefits might ordinarily get more money in their paychecks. If they worked on a CWA project, it could lessen their take-home pay while increasing their benefits.

Condit said he sees the CWA ordinance as a communitywide benefit, adding that if the government spends enough on its projects to include worker benefits, employees should have them and not require additional subsidy for medical care.

Ive been in this business a long time and seen very prominent businesses have workers end up in indigent care at UNM (hospital), he said.

He also said the agreements can ensure more local worker participation on major county projects if the involved parties set worker preferences for those in Bernalillo County or New Mexico.

Kugler disagrees. Because only a fraction of the states construction workforce is already in unions, she argues that filling union slots on CWA job sites may require going out of state.

Is it really the best thing, or is it really the best thing for the union? she said. In our opinion, its not necessarily the best thing for the community.
ABC News

Four people, including two adults, a teen and an infant, have been found frozen to death about 40 feet from the U.S.-Canada border while being smuggled into North Dakota, according to U.S. and Canadian authorities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and law enforcement officers with the Department of Homeland Security performed a traffic stop Jan. 19 on a 15-passenger van about 1 mile from the border when they found two undocumented Indian nationals from Canada inside, according to the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Less than a quarter mile away from the border, law enforcement encountered and apprehended five additional undocumented Indian nationals that walked across the U.S. border from Manitoba, Canada, according to the RCMP.
World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa (C) addresses a protest rally of about 100-150 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Uyghur and Tibetan exiles and opponents of Beijing outside the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit, Sept. 1, 2020.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yis five-nation tour of Europe was billed as a charm offensive to court key Western nations amid a deepening China-U.S. standoff, but the trip was dogged by Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang and other issues that have straining Beijings ties with Washington.

Against the backdrop of street protests outside uniting exiled Hong Kong democracy activists and the Uyghur diaspora, Wangs final stop, in Berlin, also featured confrontation with German counterpart Heiko Maas over Chinese internment camps in Xinjiang and the draconian national security law it imposed on Hong Kong.

Germany's top diplomat urged China to allow a UN mission to investigate the internment camps holding Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and called for the withdrawal of the national security law in Hong Kong that has led to the arrests of top pro-democracy figures, German media reported.

"We would very much welcome it if China granted an independent UN observer mission access to the camps," said Maas, adding that he had noted a "willingness to do so" on China's part, Germanys international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.

Authorities in the XUAR are believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps since April 2017.

Beijing describes the camps as voluntary vocational centers, but RFA and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will and forced endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination.

On Hong Kong, "We want the principle of 'one country, two systems' to be fully applied, DW quoted Maas as telling Wang on Tuesday, in reference to a sweeping national security law that bans subversion, separatism, terrorism and collusion with foreign countries.

"You know that our concerns about the effects of the security law have not been allayed," Maas said.

Maas, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, also said that Europe wants the Hong Kong election this month that was postponed on purported coronavirus concerns to take place "quickly and unhindered," and said the EU should agree on a common set of sanctions in case the vote is put off.

DW reported that Wang rejected "foreign interference" in domestic affairs in the exchange at a villa on the outskirts of Berlin.

"Whether Hong Kong or Xinjiang, both fall into the category of internal Chinese matters. We do not want any foreign interference in Chinese society," Wang was quoted as saying. He had also visited Italy, France, the Netherlands and Norway.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (R) and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a joint press conference as part of a meeting in Berlin, Sept. 1, 2020. Credit: AFP Wang was criticized by Maas for saying the Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil would pay a heavy price for his visit to Taiwan with a 90-member delegation.

We as Europeans act in close cooperation -- we offer our international partners respect, and we expect the exact same from them, Maas said in Berlin alongside Wang. Threats dont fit in here.

The diplomatic confrontation followed a protest rally of about 100 to 150 demonstrators gathered outside the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin, uniting Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Uyghur and Tibetan exiles and other critics and opponents of Beijing.

Prominent activist Nathan Law, who fled Hong Kong for Britain shortly after China imposed the national security law, joined hands with Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress.

Hong Kong, which was guaranteed autonomy for 50 years under the "one country, two systems" deal signed before its handover from Britain in 1997.

"The authoritarian government is going the opposite way," he said.

Isa told RFAs Uyghur Service that the WUC had rallied in Berlin to urge the government of Germany that it cannot remain silent on the issue of Chinas genocide of Uyghur people because of its trade relations with China.

By holding this rally in front of the German Foreign Ministry, we also urge the German government to promptly and seriously raise this issue with China to stop the ongoing Uyghur genocide, he added.

Additional reporting and translation by Alim Seytoff for RFAs Uyghur Service.
Baby born in mid-air between Lampedusa and Palermo.

A migrant woman who tested positive for covid-19 gave birth to a baby on board a helicopter as she was flying to Sicily from the tiny southern Italian island of Lampedusa on 1 September, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The woman, who went into labour at a migrant holding centre in Lampedusa, was transferred by helicopter to Palermo, about an hour away, after Sicilian health authorities deemed it safer for her to give birth at the city's Cervello hospital due to her covid-19 status.

However there was not enough time and the woman gave birth on board the helicopter as it neared the city of Agrigento on the southern coast of Sicily, according to the Sicilian regional government.

Both mother and baby are currently being treated at Cervello hospital in Palermo.

Paying tribute to the emergency services, Sicily's health councillor Ruggero Razza said: "For us the right to health of all is the only guiding light."

In recent weeks the Sicilian and national governments have clashed regularly over the migrant issue, with the regional governor Nello Musumeci accusing Rome of "silence" and not providing adequate resources to deal with the landings from Africa.

There has been a significant rise in the number of migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean this year, after a decline in recent years.

Around 19,400 have landed in Italy so far in 2020, compared to around 5,200 in the same period last year, according to official data, reports Reuters news agency.

With migrant centres in Sicily struggling to cope with the overcrowded conditions, the centre-right Musumeci tweeted on 22 August: "Sicily can't continue to put up with this invasion of migrants."

A subsequent ordinance by Musumeci, ordering the closure of the island's migrant hotspots and reception centres over alleged covid-19 concerns, was suspended in recent days by the regional administrative court in Palermo.

Photo ANSA
What about Lectio Divina?

This is a question that someone asked me on Twitter in response to my last article on reading the bible in context. You can read it here. https://www.christianitytoday.com/scot-mcknight/2020/august/bible-was-not-written-to-you.html In this article, I make the claim that the Bible was not written to you. My point is that context is key when reading and interpreting the Bible and that the writers of the ancient text did not have you, particularly, in mind.

This is hard for many western evangelical Christians who look to the Bible as their answer-book for contemporary life. Who should I marry? What job should I take? Where should I send my children to school? These are all important questions about life that we dont find answers to in the Bible. The point is, the authors of the Bible did not write an answer book for contemporary questions. They wrote to and for the ancient communities of which they were a part in order to pass down the story of Yahweh and to address issues and conflicts that the community dealt with, among other things.

One of the reasons that many Christians find this difficult is represented in the question: What about Lectio Divina? Another way to ask this question is, So, what then does the Bible mean for my life? My response to this question is, Everything. The Bible has everything to do with every part of your life, as a Jesus follower. Consider the practice of Lectio Divina and what it can offer us in answering this question. Lectio Divina (divine reading) is an ancient monastic practice that developed around the 6th century and was later formalized during the 12th century. Today, most people understand Lectio Divina as a 4-step practice when reading the bible: read, meditate, pray and contemplate. It is a way to enter the text instead of critically judge it or analyze it. In Lectio Divina one asks, What word or phrase jumps out at me and Why? Then the reader is to pray and ask God why this certain element jumped out and contemplate what God may be saying to the reader through meditating on the words. Lectio Divina acknowledges that God is at work in the text and that God is at work in the reader. It is in this holy connection that personal revelation can come.

So, how is it possible for me to make the claim that the Bible has everything to do with the personal life of the Jesus follower and that the Bible was not written to you? These two claims are not contrary to one another. They are both true. Claiming that the Bible was not written for you and that context is key for interpretation and understanding is not claiming that the Bible cannot speak to you.

What if we read the Bible in its context and we read the Bible looking for Gods message to us in it? What if we allowed both to be true?

Here is a way forward. What if we embraced the Bible as a sacred conversation? Paul Mendes Flohr uses this language of conversation and dialogue in his book, A Life of Faith and Dissent, p 158. We can learn to read the Bible as more than just an answer book and we can learn to read the Bible in a way that honors the context and audience for which it was written as we learn to embrace the Bible in three ways.

We can learn to read the Bible as a conversation between the me and God. We could even practice Lectio Divina! This practice and many other contemplative practices offer the reader the opportunity to ask God about the text. We can pray and ask, What does this mean for me in this moment or this season of my life? In this simple meditation we can invite the Holy Spirit to join us in our reading and enliven our hearts to hear and see and discern Gods voice.

Lest, we slip into an American individualized version of Bible reading, we can also learn to read the bible as a conversation between Gods people. The Bible was written to communities and it is best understood and interpreted within community. As we engage in a conversation within our community about the Bible, we learn from one another. Jewish people have historically read the text this way. They question and challenge and doubt and commune with the ancient text, all in an effort to love God and love their neighbor more. (Pete Enns, David Gushee and other scholars have pointed out this Jewish way of reading the text.) As we read the Bible together, we hear a diversity of perspectives because we invite men and women, young and old, people of all races and ethnicities together to ask How do you read or see or understand this? We can learn to read the Bible as a conversation between God and Gods people (both historically and contemporarily). The conversation between God and Gods people has been going on long before we got here. This invites us to humbly take our place in the this big story of God. It also frees us from the need to have the right or perfect interpretation. The way we understand and interpret the Bible has changed. It has not given us a fixed meaning for personal or church life. Consider how the majority culture has shifted in their interpretation on slave ownership and womens roles.

Learning to read the Bible as a conversation between these entities that can help us read and interpret the Bible as we seek to live faithfully to it.


American President Donald Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday to show support for law enforcement officials in a city struggling with days of violent protests. The unrest came after a Black man was shot in the back by a white police officer.

The president toured an area damaged by violence and fire. He spoke to shop owners of businesses that were burned. He also accused local officials of permitting the violence.

They just dont want us to come in and then destruction is done, said Trump. These governors dont want to call and the mayors dont want to call. They have to ask.

Protests in Kenosha began on August 23, the night of Jacob Blakes shooting. Video captured by a neighbor shows Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer who was trying to make an arrest.

For three nights, police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke bombs to break up the demonstration. Protesters set fires and destroyed some businesses. The violence reached a high point on August 25 when Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old, shot and killed two protesters and injured another with a semi-automatic gun.

The Republican presidents visit came over the objections of local Democratic leaders. Wisconsins Governor Tony Evers wrote in a letter to Trump, I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.

But Trump dismissed their appeals. He said before boarding the presidential airplane, I think a lot of people are looking at whats happening in these Democrat-run cities and theyre disgusted. They see whats going on and they cant believe this is taking place in our country. I cant believe it either. One of the reasons Im making a trip today and going to Wisconsin is weve had such a big success in shutting down what would bea city that would have been burned to the ground by now.



Why Wisconsin?

Wisconsin is a battleground state. Trump narrowly won the state in the 2016 election. The latest polls, however, show former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party candidate, with a small lead for the upcoming November 3 election.

The trip gives Trump a chance to emphasize his law and order message while Biden calls attention to Trumps efforts dealing with the coronavirus health crisis.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, Trump was met by both supporters and protesters who were kept at a distance. He praised law enforcement officers but did not talk about the cause of the unrest. The president also took credit for sending in the National Guard to keep the peace. Governor Tony Evers called for U.S. National Guard troops.

When asked by reporters if he had a message for Jacob Blakes family, Trump said, I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that. As you know, its under investigation.

During Trumps visit, Blakes family gathered at the street where he was shot for what they called a community celebration. Blakes uncle said in a statement, We dont need more pain and division from a president set on advancing his campaign at the expense of our city.

Im Caty Weaver.

Hai Do wrote this report for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

tour v. a trip in which you go through a place, such as a city, in order to see and learn about it and what happened there

disgusted adj. very bothered, sickened or angry about something

polls n.(pl.) activities in which people are asked questions about who they support politically and which are meant to give an idea of what the public thinks or who they support

advancing n. the process of moving something forward or developing it further

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Two Alvin ISD staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week, leading to a 14-day shutdown of their classrooms, district spokeswoman Renae Rives said.

One of those cases was at Alvin Elementary School in Alvin and the other was at McNair Junior High School in Pearland.

Since school began last Monday (Aug. 24), weve had two staff members who tested positive, Rives said. What we did was identified those classrooms and the students who were in close contact with the staff member, and both classrooms were shut down for a quarantine for 14 days.

Both cases were in self-contained classrooms, according to Rives. Self-contained classrooms often consist of special education students and their teachers.

School in the district started through a phased approach for the first week where all students received lessons online but in which those students lacking internet access, in special education in self-contained programs or who are children of Alvin ISD staffers were allowed on campus.

Alvin ISD began operating the school year at a COVID-19 Action Level Three of a possible four levels.

The (action level) has nothing to do with the actual campuses, Rives said. That was posted before school started and hasnt changed. That is reflective of what is going on in the community.

Level One is regarded as a minimal transmission level, while Level Two is defined by moderate transmission. Level Three represents significant transmission, and Level Four indicates substantial spread of the virus.

Level Three is defined by postponing or canceling all noncritical gatherings and events and consideration of staggering or extending start and dismissal times. The level also is marked by use of multiple social distancing strategies for gatherings, classrooms and movement through the building and consideration of closing campuses with high concentrations of reported COVID-19 symptoms or known lab-confirmed cases. Other aspects of Level Three are mandatory face coverings, consideration of limiting the number of students on campuses and prohibition of outside visitors.

Schools opened for on-campus learning starting Aug. 31 with students who elected to receive in-person instruction being on campus on designated days according to grade level. On the other days, they learn remotely. On Sept. 14, all students who have chosen in-person instruction are scheduled to be in schools.

tdunnam@hcnonline.com
OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Altice USA, Inc. (ATUS) has presented an offer to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Cogeco. The aggregate all-cash consideration offered for all of the outstanding shares of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications, including those owned by Rogers, is approximately C$10.3 billion, or US$7.8 billion. Rogers Communications, the largest long-term shareholder of Cogeco, has agreed with Altice USA to purchase all of the Canadian assets of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications for a net purchase price of approximately $4.9 billion. This deal is conditional upon completion of the Altice USA offer. Upon completion, Altice USA would own all the U.S. assets of Cogeco, namely Atlantic Broadband. Atlantic Broadband is currently the 9th largest cable operator in the U.S. 'We look forward to the opportunity to extend Altice USA's high-quality broadband, video, mobile, and news offerings to more than 1.1 million additional homes and businesses,' Dexter Goei, CEO of Altice USA said. Altice USA noted that the company's share repurchase and net leverage targets for 2020 remain unchanged from the transaction. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
A few days ago, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted a big drug racket in Bengaluru. After the investigation, various Sandalwood celebrities came under the radar of drug controversy. For the unversed, filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh also revealed some big names from Kannada film industry to the Central Crime Branch (CCB). Shockingly, late actor Chiranjeevi Sarja's name has also come out in the drug racket.

Well, that was indeed a shocker for his fans, but his dear friend and actor Darshan condemned the people bringing up Chiranjeevi Sarja's name in the row. For the unversed, Chiru passed away in June 2020, due to cardiac arrest. While interacting with a regional TV news channel, Darshan said that if Chiranjeevi Sarja was alive, he would have answered all the questions. He asked people not to bring his name without any proof.

Darshan expressed his displeasure over the whole scenario happening in Sandalwood and said that the controversy will not just affect the Kannada film industry, but the state. The Challenging Star even urged media not to speculate the names of any actors until police reveal it officially.

While speaking to media, Darshan admitted that he has not come across any drug abuse in Sandalwood in 25 years of his career. But the actor hoped that the truth will come out soon, after investigation. Apart from Darshan, Kiccha Sudeep also condemned people for connecting Chiranjeevi Sarja's name to the drug controversy.

Also Read : Bengaluru Cops, NCB Bust Drug Trafficking Racket; Sandalwood Celebs Under Radar

On a related note, Darshan will be seen in Roberrt, which is being helmed by Tharun Sudhir. The film also stars Asha Bhat, Jagapathi Babu and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles.

Also Read : Kiccha Sudeep Condemns People Who Connected Chiranjeevi Sarja's Name To The Drug Abuse Controversy
It has been a truly special decade in terms of the economy for Vietnam, which this week celebrates 75 years since declaring independence.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban on Wednesday called the resignation of Liviu Vasilescu as chief of the Romanian Police a "natural gesture," saying that he will speak with the interior minister to identify a professional to fill the vacancy.

"A normal resignation, I will discuss with the interior minister the appointment of a new chief of Police. I think this resignation is a natural gesture, I think it was the result of the emergence of some footages. (...) It is important to identify a professional, a devoted professional, to lead the Police and to achieve the objectives we want," Orban said at the headquarters of the National Liberal Party (PNL).He mentioned among the objectives "zero tolerance for crime, hard fight against interlopers."Vasilescu announced on Tuesday that he was resigning as head of the Romanian Police.
Limestone County deputies pulled a man from the Elk River Wednesday after they said he led troopers and deputies on a high-speed chase, crashed his vehicle, then attempted to swim across the river to escape.

Chad DeWayne Green, 51, will likely face charges stemming from the incident, in addition to outstanding alias warrants for third degree burglary, and fourth degree receiving stolen property.

According to authorities, dispatchers received a call from Alabama State Troopers that a trooper was pursuing a vehicle at speeds of more than 100 mph on Snake Road in Clements. Deputies said Green then drove north on U.S. 72, then west into Lauderdale County, exceeding 120 mph.

He returned to Limestone County and wrecked his vehicle at the intersection of Lentzville Road and Elk River Mills Road. Deputies said he then waded into the Elk River and got about 120 yards out into the water. Though there were deputies on both sides of the river, he continued to elude capture, eventually settling on a shallow place where he could stand in the river.

The sheriffs office said it launched two boats from Sportsmans Park and arrested Green without incident.
A particular jetpack has been used by an individual flying about 3000 feet in Los Angeles on Sunday and the FBI along with the Federal Aviation Administration are both searching for the owner of the jetpack device seen piloting the skies.

Fox 11 Los Angeles reports that an American Airlines pilot actually contacted the air traffic controllers over at LAX sometime around 6:35 PM on Sunday warning them that he had spotted a "guy in a jetpack."

The pilot's report regarding the mysterious jetpack

The pilot was just about 3,000 feet in the air and just about 10 miles out approaching landing when they spotted an unknown vehicle just about 300 yards away. Another pilot identified as flying for SkyWest in audio later on confirmed that indeed there was a Mr. Jetpack within the eyesight of their own plane.

The peculiar conversation was made available via the air traffic control radio transmission site known as LiveATC. The transcript includes the peculiar conversation with the pilot literally saying that they just passed a certain "guy in a jetpack".

They were then asked to confirm on which side did they see the person with a jetpack and the pilot said that it was their right side. The pilot then estimated that the person was about 300 yards and about their altitude.

The SkyWest pilot then came in with a call just moments after saying they just saw a guy that was passing by them with a jetpack. Air traffic controllers, later on, warned a Jet Blue flight about the person with the jetpack.

UPDATE: Two pilots on two different flights reported seeing man in jetpack flying 3,000 feet in air over Los Angeles - NBC NEWS  Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) September 1, 2020

The unknown jetpack flyer

Although there were efforts made to find out a little more from the pilot, these went nowhere and a representative from the American Airlines told FOX 11 that they should get in contact with FAA. FAA then stated that they turned the reports over to the local LAPD for them to investigate.

It is quite possible, as reported by Gizmodo, that the LAPD could try to locate this person by using a helicopter or maybe a ground patrol. However, LAPD denies to FOX 11 that they have received a report of this kind from the FAA themselves.

Read Also: [VIDEO] Drone Light Show Lit Up In Philadelphia To Thank Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The big question people are asking

One thing about this situation being investigated is the accuracy of the reports that were filed by the pilots about the exact nature of the particular vehicle in question. The main action of flying an unauthorized aircraft within controlled airspace actually increases the risk of a possible midair collision with some potentially catastrophic consequences.

There is still a huge possibility that the pilots were wrong with what they saw and it could have been a huge drown or maybe another aircraft resembling a certain guy in a jetpack if you look at it with a naked eye. This case would be less of a headscratcher.

Read Also: Are We Prepared for Drones Being Used for Terrorist Attacks? Researchers Don't Think So!

This Article is Owned by TechTimes

Written by Urian Buenconsejo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Georgia Fowler wowed onlookers on the beach during a day at the beach in Byron Bay on Monday.

The 28-year-old model stunned in a neon green swimsuit as she went for a romantic dip with her new boyfriend, businessman Nathan Dalah.

The New Zealand-born beauty later stripped off her bikini top as the pair basked in the late winter sunshine.

Beach babe: Georgia Fowler wowed onlookers on the beach during a day at the beach in Byron Bay on Monday

Eventually, she stood up and pulled on a chic full-length white shirt dress, before gathering her belongings and leaving the beach.

Georgia showed off her incredible body in a lime green bikini, with white trimming along the waistband and cups.

Her shoulder-length brunette hair was tied up, and she accessorised with a silver charm necklace.

Soaking up the sun: The New Zealand-born beauty later stripped off her bikini top as the pair basked in the late winter sunshine

Covering up: Eventually, she stood up and pulled on a chic full-length white shirt dress, before gathering her belongings and leaving the beach

The couple put on a loved-up display as they splashed around in the surf together, with Nathan, 26, spreading his arms as the waves crashed against him.

The Fishbowl restaurant co-founder placed a hand against his girlfriend's toned torso as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

After spending some time standing around the shoreline, the affectionate couple then made their way back up to their belongings on the beach.

Going green: Georgia showed off her incredible body in a lime green bikini, with white trimming along the waistband and cups

Seas the day: The Sydney-based couple appear to be enjoying a trip to Byron Bay as part of Nathan's birthday celebrations

Making a splash: Georgia first confirmed her relationship with Nathan in February, and since then, they've made no secret of their romance

Lying alongside each other on matching pink beach towels, they dried off in the sun, before Georgia stripped off her bikini top.

They then pulled on their clothes, with Nathan pairing his blue and green patterned boardshorts with a matching button-up shirt.

Georgia carried her black leather sandals in one hand, and a takeaway cup of a coffee and her phone in the other, as she walked along the sand.

Hands on: The Fishbowl restaurant co-founder placed a hand against his girlfriend's toned torso as she wrapped an arm around his waist

Vitamin sea: The couple put on a loved-up display as they splashed around in the surf together, with Nathan, 26, spreading his arms as the waves crashed against him

Resting beach faces: After spending some time standing around the shoreline, the affectionate couple then made their way back up to their belongings on the beach

A pair of black cat-eye sunglasses were tucked down the front of her dress, and her beach towel was rolled up under one arm.

Meanwhile, Nathan wore his towel draped around his neck, with the couple sticking close to one another as they walked.

They chatted intimately as they left the beach, and seemed relaxed and happy during the outing.

Going public: The couple attended Paris Fashion Week together in March, before coronavirus lockdown restrictions were put in place

Fun in the sun: Lying alongside each other on matching pink beach towels, they dried off in the sun, before Georgia stripped off her bikini top

Breast in show: The New Zealand-born beauty let her boobs hang out as she basked in the late winter sunshine

The Sydney-based couple appear to be enjoying a trip to Byron Bay as part of Nathan's birthday celebrations.

On Sunday, Georgia paid tribute to her beau on Instagram, sharing a series of loved-up photos of the two of them together.

'The only thing certain about this year is you. HBD. I love you to the [moon emoji],' she wrote.

All dressed up: A pair of black cat-eye sunglasses were tucked down the front of her dress, and her beach towel was rolled up under one arm

Tide down: Nathan wore his towel draped around his neck, with the couple sticking close to one another as they walked

Perfect match: They then pulled on their clothes, with Nathan pairing his blue and green patterned boardshorts with a matching button-up shirt

Georgia first confirmed her relationship with Nathan in February, and since then, they've made no secret of their romance.

The couple attended Paris Fashion Week together in March, before coronavirus lockdown restrictions were put in place.

They are also believed to have holidayed together in the Northern Territory earlier in the year.
Masked students in Harvard Business Schools Baker Library

Harvard Business Schools new MBA class profile is out and as expected it shows that the school has enrolled its smallest MBA cohort in many years: Just 732 students, roughly 200 fewer MBA candidates than a more typical incoming class. Last years cohort totaled 938 students. The shortfall occurred after HBS gave all Class of 2022 admitted students the option to defer their enrollment for a year or two and decided against pulling more of its applicants from an enlarged waitlist.

The Class of 2020 represents the smallest entering class at HBS since the early 1950s when enrollment was impacted by the Korean War and a new $15 application fee established to discourage casual candidates from applying to the school. The reduced numbers of MBA students will cause a significant financial hit to tuition revenue estimated at $16.4 million this year as funds from tuition fall to roughly $123 million from $140 million in fiscal 2019.

For Harvard, it was a year in which its MBA application slump failed to recover (see chart below). Applications for the class rose less than a percent to 9,304 from 9,225 a year earlier. Thats significantly down by 10.1% from the 10,351 candidates who applied for admission to Harvards MBA program three years ago in 2016-2017. That record stands in contrast to Columbia Business School which just reported record application volume on a more than 18% rise and the University of Virginias Darden School of Business which saw a 25% jump in MBA applications. Both Columbia and UVA, however, extended their application deadlines to accommodate candidates impacted by the COVID pandemic.

DEFERMENT POLICY SEEMED TO MOSTLY IMPACT ASIAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

With the incoming class some 200 students short, mostly international candidates who could not obtain student visas and chose not to start online, HBS was able to significantly increase the percentage of Black Americans in the class to 11%, much higher than the more typical 5% to 6% representation of more recent MBA classes. But the actual number of Black Americans in the Class of 2022 was not all that different, with 52 students out of the 732. The school is expected to release an anti-racist report and action plan at the end of this month, the result of an Anti-Racism Task Force of students, staff, faculty and alumni that has met over the summer months. Harvard also increased the percentage of women in the class by a percent this year to 44%.

Story continues

Not surprisingly, given the number of deferments, international students compose just 33% of the class, down from the 37% HBS reported a year earlier. That percentage, however, was impacted somewhat by new reporting standards adopted by the school. In previous years, Harvard included permanent residents in its international number. The new standard includes only those without a U.S. passport or permanent residency. Nonetheless, candidates from Asia appeared to take the biggest hit in the class, falling to 11% from 14% a year earlier, as Harvard relied more heavily on U.S. applicants to fill the class. Students from the U.S. rose by four percentage points this year to 67% from 63% last year.

Chad Losee, managing director of MBA admissions and financial aid, said the deferments granted by HBS may well open the door to larger cohorts in the future. As Ive noted before, we are actively exploring increasing our class size beyond our typical 930 for the next two years, though that has not been approved yet, he wrote in a blog post. He noted that the deferral option extended in 2020 was a one-time exception because of the onset of the pandemic. Admissions has since returned to its more typical practice of not offering deferrals outside of personal emergency situations.

NEW RECORD FOR GRE MBA STUDENTS AT HARVARD: NOW 22% OF THE CLASS

What didnt change at HBS this year is probably more important than what did. The school maintained its rigorous admission standards in every way. The median class GMAT score was 730, exactly where it has been for many years. GMAT scores ranged from a low of 62030 points higher than last yearto a high of 790, a near-perfect score on the test. The median quant score was 48, same as last year, with a range of 40 to 51, while the median verbal score came in at 42, also a point higher, with a range of 27 to 51.

A record 22% of the enrolled class submitted a GRE score to gain entry into Harvards MBA program. Thats two percentage points higher than last years level, itself a record, and up from only 12% three years ago, showing increasing acceptance of the GRE as a viable alternative to the GMAT exam. HBS said the median verbal and median quant score for enrolled students with a GRE was 163, with a verbal range of 148 to 170 and a quant range of 145 to 170. The average undergraduate grade point average for the class remained static at 3.7. The average years of work experience came to 4.7 years, exactly the same as last year. The school did not disclose its acceptance rate, estimated at 13% by Poets&Quants, nor its yieldthe percentage of admitted applicants who enrollestimated at 87%.

As is often the case, changes in the educational backgrounds of Harvards newest students also were largely inconsequential, though undergraduates with engineering and math backgrounds are definitely on the rise. The largest single chunk of MBA candidates majored in economics or business: 41%, a decline of two percentage points from 43% last year and 46% two years ago. Students who majored in the humanities and social sciences total 18%, down one percentage point from 19% last year.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) majors make up 41% of the Class of 2021, up three percentage points from 38% last year and 37% from two years ago. That bump is likely the result of 2+2 students who were admitted under HBS deferred enrollment program for younger applicants. The 2+2 program heavily favors STEM undergrads, with 57% of the latest admitted group having a STEM degree.

Harvard also disclosed that its newest class has undergraduate degrees from 121 domestic universities, down from 137, and 111 non-U.S. universities, down from 155 a year ago. The disclosure of this data is meant to convey that the school is open to applicants from a wide variety of both public and private institutions, though the HBS relies heavily on undisclosed feeder schools (see Who Gets Into Harvard & Stanfords MBA Programs Might Surprise You).





Lets Keep Harvard Healthy is the new messaging

LARGEST GROUP OF STUDENTS27%HAIL FROM FINANCE INDUSTRY WITH !6% FROM PE & VC FIELDS

The pre-MBA industry backgrounds of this years students also saw small year-over-year changes. The most notable change? A drop in students from non-profit backgrounds, including the government and education. They fell to just 6% of this years entering class, a two-point drop from 8% last year.

The largest industry represented in the class remains finance, with 27% of the students, down a tick from 28% last year. Some 16% of the class had jobs in venture capital and private equity, the exact same percentage as a year earlier, and 11% from financial services, down from 12%.

Students from consulting represent 15% of the new class, the same as last year, while those from the tech industry account for 13% of the class, up a single percentage point.

Healthcare and biotech students represent 7% of the class, the same as last year; 9% come from the consumer products and e-commerce industry, while 11% had been in the energy and manufacturing industries. MBA students from the military account for 5% of this years entering class, a single percentage point increase from last year.

MORE DETAILED REPORTING ON THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS OF MBA STUDENTS

For the first time, HBS broke out more detailed, if somewhat confusing, breakdowns of the ethnicity and racial backgrounds of the class. The school is reporting race and ethnicity in two ways: according to federal reporting guidelineswhich allows each student to be represented in only one racial / ethnic groupand what HBS is calling multi-dimensional reportingto more inclusively share students multiple racial / ethnic identities.

So while Asian Americans compose 19%, or 95 students, by federal standards, HBS is reporting that this group represents 24%, or 116 students, by including MBA candidates who are multi-racial. By including multi-racial students in the latter multi-dimensional accounting, the numbers of Black and African-American students rises to 13% of the class from 11% based on federal guidelines.

HBS said white students make up 53% of this years entering cohort, or 53% of the Class of 2022. The more inclusive accounting pushes up the percentage of whites to 66%, or 323 students. Hispanics compose 9% of the class, or 45 students, on both metrics.

DONT MISS: WHO GETS INTO HARVARD & STANFORD MBA PROGRAMS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU or HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOls NEXT MBA CLASS WILL BE MORE THAN 200 STUDENTS SHORT

The post Class Profile: Harvard Enrolls Smallest MBA Class In Decades appeared first on Poets&Quants.
On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do

Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there...
In 2007, after more than five years of studying and working in the United States, I decided to leave the country for good. Growing up in Senegal, Id long believed in the American Dream. And in some ways, America was my land of opportunity. I received a top-notch education at Bostons Suffolk University and cut my teeth at a fast-paced communications company. I also met my husband. But despite all that America had invested in me, I eventually took my talent and skills to Canada.

Today, Im urging other young immigrants to do the same. You should ask yourself: are the obstacles presented by American immigration policy and the xenophobia within the American government worth the struggle? ICE recently threatened to kick international students out of the country if their coursework moved online this fall. and While the Trump administration backed down on that policy, it was a needlessly cruel move to begin with, especially amidst a global pandemic. These students, like all immigrants in America, deserve basic respect if not recognition for their contributions.

Many are already weighing this decision. For three years running, fewer international students are studying in the U.S. Not Coming to America: Falling Behind in the Race to Attract International Students, a new report from New American Economy, finds that between 2015 and 2017, the number of international students enrolled fell by 9.6 per cent. Thats bad news for America; international students contributed $39 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2017-2018 academic year, creating or supporting 455,622 jobs, according to the report.

In 2001, when I arrived in the U.S., I was determined to do everything right: Id follow every rule and study twice as hard as the other students to prepare myself for the job market. I wanted to work in a growing industry that needed more workers, like accounting or finance, and I hoped for eventual citizenship in the U.S.

Through a training program for international graduates, I was able to work in the U.S. for a limited time as the staff accountant at a small D.C. hotel, but when it ended, employers hesitated when I told them my immigration status. Instead, I went back to school for a masters in financial management and was hired as a financial analyst at a communications company. I was in charge of deciding which projects were profitable, which helped the company grow considerably.

This company sponsored me for a temporary H-1B visa, but it required me to stay in the same position and at the same company, so my flexibility was limited. I began to see my path to citizenship as long and murky. When I met my husband, a Canadian citizen, we wanted to stay in the U.S., especially to be close to my sister who works for the United Nations in New York, but because of my status, we couldnt apply for a marriage visa for him. I began to consider abandoning my life in America and heading to Canada instead. I did everything I was supposed to do to be successful  good grades, hard work, an esteemed internship  but it wasnt enough to succeed in the U.S.

Once I looked into Canadian immigration policies, it didnt take much convincing. Canada does an excellent job recruiting high-skilled workers, offering them an express entry program. Plus, international students receive extra points toward permanent residency if they study in Canada. Today, I work for the Toronto government, and five years after moving here, I became a Canadian citizen. If Id stayed in the U.S., Id likely still be living in limbo on a temporary visa.

I once believed that academic achievement and hard work was enough to build a good life in America. But that wasnt the case. The immigration system was a huge barrier to my career. If I could do it all over again, I would have started in Canada. I encourage other international students to do the same.

I have two nephews in Senegal who recently decided to study in Canada instead of the U.S., and with the current policy changes, Im so grateful they did. Thats two additional smart, talented individuals America has lost  and who knows how many more.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Iraqi leaders Wednesday on his first visit to Baghdad, stressing the war-scarred country must assert its "sovereignty" despite being caught up in US-Iran tensions.

Fresh from a two-day trip to crisis-hit Lebanon, Macron is the most prominent world leader to visit Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi came to power in May.

He spent just a few hours in the Iraqi capital, where he held talks Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh, Kadhemi, and an array of political figures to insist Iraq strike a path independent of regional tensions.

"Iraq has been going through a challenging time for several years, with war and terrorism," Macron said.

He noted that the country was still struggling to revive its economy, improve its education system and bring "military elements and militias" under state control.

Iraq has recently been rocked by a spree of targeted killings of activists, nearly a year after the start of mass public protests that were met with a bloody response.

"These challenges are playing out in an extraordinarily tense regional context, with very strong Iranian sway and repeated incursions by Turkey, which is increasingly intervening in Iraqi domestic affairs", Macron said at his final press conference before leaving.

Ankara, which launched a cross-border assault on Kurdish rebels in the north in June, has clashed diplomatically with France over the conflict in Libya and eastern Mediterranean gas rights.

- 'Transparency and trust' -

There were few details on the much-vaunted "sovereignty" initiative, but the visit did clear a path to more diplomacy.

Macron announced Kadhemi would visit Paris in the next month and Saleh said he looked forward to a longer trip to Iraq by Macron in 2021.

The French leader pledged to revive a 2019 cooperation agreement signed with Kadhemi's predecessor on reconstruction, cultural projects and economic ties.

Story continues

He said he had even had initial discussions on a nuclear energy plant but added it would need "transparency and trust."

"You have a transition to lead. France will be by your side so the international community can help," Macron said.

Iraq's premier said he hoped France and Europe as a whole could help "restore stability" to the rocky region.

"We do not want to be an arena for confrontations but a zone of stability and moderation", Kadhemi said.

Iraq has been caught for years between its two main allies Iran and the United States -- a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washington's withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.

France, one of the key remaining backers of the 2015 nuclear agreement, called for de-escalation after a US strike on Baghdad in January killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and prompted Iran to launch missiles against US troops in Iraq.

France has stressed its support for Iraq in recent tumultuous months.

Top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was the only minister to accompany Macron from Lebanon to Iraq, had also visited Baghdad in July and urged the leadership there to "dissociate itself from regional tensions".

Unlike most foreign visitors, the French president did not stop over in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, but instead met Kurdish president Nechirvan Barzani in Baghdad.

- French mediator role -

In the wake of the Islamic State group's territorial defeat regionally, the last contingent of French troops deployed in Iraq as part of an international coalition pulled out earlier this year.

Last year, Iraq sentenced to death 11 French nationals who had joined IS.

"Those who have made the free choice to go and fight" in Iraq should "be prosecuted in this state," Macron said on Wednesday.

"It was like that in the past, it will be like that in the future," he added.

Macron's lightning visit immediately followed intense talks in Lebanon -- his second visit to Beirut since a colossal August 4 explosion at the Lebanese capital's port killed more than 180 people.

Karim Bitar, a political science professor in France and Lebanon, said the French leader was focusing on Lebanon and Iraq as he believes Paris could play a mediating role if regional tensions escalate further.

"France has very good relations with Saudi Arabia and it also has pretty strong business relations with Iran," in a context where Tehran has significant influence in Beirut and Baghdad, Bitar told AFP.

"Macron is definitely trying to make a push for a France-facing Middle East," he added.

mjg-jri/dwo
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry expressed its attitude towards the biased article published in the electronic version of the Russian 'Nezavisimaya Gazeta' newspaper on September 1, 2020.



"The Russian newspaper published an article entitled 'Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan are preparing for a blitzkrieg in Armenia' and presented information that was completely untrue. The author of the article, Vladimir Mukhin misled the readers without referring to any reliable source and without citing convincing facts. We categorically reject the false fabrications indicated in the article that allegedly "there is already a de-facto Turkish military base in Nakhchivan, reinforced by combat aircraft," and about "the transfer of about 500 Syrian militants to Azerbaijan, mainly Turkomans," the ministry said.



"All the arguments in the mentioned article, especially those concerning the alleged transfer of militants from Syria to Azerbaijan, are clear disinformation and in no way reflect reality," the defense ministry stressed.

"Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense officially declares that there are no military bases of foreign states or any other illegal armed group on the territory of the country. The professionalism and combat experience of the personnel of the Azerbaijani army, as well as the military equipment and combat resources in service, are sufficient to quickly complete any combat mission to liberate the lands occupied by Armenia and restore the country's territorial integrity.

"The Azerbaijani Army demonstrated this during the April 2016 battles, as well as during the combat operations conducted in 2018 in Nakhchivan and in 2020 in fighting off the Armenian attacks in the direction of Tovuz district," the ministry said.



The defense ministry also added that Yerevan, interested in spreading such misinformation, deliberately creates fertile ground for aggravating the situation in the region, escalating the conflict and openly involving a larger number of parties in it.
Several indigenous apps have raced to the top on Google Play Store in various categories, following their mention in the 68th edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat. The Aarogya Setu app has bagged the top spot under the health and fitness category, followed by StepSetGo, Home Workout, Loss Weight app for men, Increase Height Workout, and Six packs in 30 days. In fact, StepSetGo is the second-highest ranked free app on Google Play Store in India.

In the "social" category, apps like Josh, ShareChat, Moj, Chingari, and Roposo are among the top-10 apps on the Play Store that are made by the Indian developers. Chingari is believed to have filled the void left by the Chinese app TikTok. Chingari also allows content creators to showcase short viral videos in a near-exact same format as TikTok.

Desi education apps like Ap Sarkar Seva, PunjabEducare, Saraldata, Doubtnut, Drishti, and Kutuki Kids have also become popular among people in the country.

In the latest edition of Mann Ki Baat, which was held on August 30, PM Modi spoke about various apps that took part in "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge". The prime minister encouraged citizens to support indigenously developed apps to boost "self-reliant India", popularly known as the "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat" campaign.

PM Modi informed that 7,000 entries were received for this challenge, which included two-third app makers form tier-1 and tier-2 cities. PM Modi appreciated several apps that took part in the challenge, like Koo, Step Set Go, Chingari App, Kutuki, Ask Sarkar, among others.

The PM had said that "StepSetGo is a fitness app and it keeps a track of how much you walked, how many calories you burnt; it keeps track of the data and also motivates you to stay fit".

The PM also spoke about an indigenous microblogging app called "Koo" through which an individual can interact in mother tongue in any form, be it- text, audio, or video.

The PM also talked about business apps and gaming apps, such as Equal To, Books & Expense, Zoho Workplace, and FTC Talent in his radio programme.

Also read: PM CARES Fund received donations worth Rs 3,076 crore in 5 days

Also read: RFL scam: Shivinder Singh gets bail in bank fraud case, but will stay in jail; here's why
By Zhang Jun and Ke Xue

KUNMING, Sept. 2 -- A Chinese man holding fake military ID was criminally detained by the police at Kunming Changshui International Airport in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province on August 25.

The airport staff responsible for checking the epidemic prevention health codes of passengers entering Kunming found that the military ID presented by the man had some slight differences from the military IDs they had seen before during the check. Unable to determine its authenticity, the airport staff sought help from the local police station and the PLA garrison in Kunming.

Later, the results of military-civil joint verification revealed that the man was not an active service member, and because of defaulting on court orders of more than 20 debt dispute cases, he has been kept from traveling by plane according to law. So he forged a fake military ID to buy air ticket and attempted to use the fake identity to avoid entry inspection.

At present, the Yunnan provincial military command has used this case as an opportunity to set up multiple picket points throughout the province. The person who uses false military ID would be immediately detained in accordance with relevant regulations. For habitual offenders, their behavior would be recorded in the personal credit information system.
Chris Parks thought he had lost everything.

By June 2019, the sommelier and proprietor of Oakland's Bar 41 had faced the closure of his business, ended a marriage and sold his house. Then, he made the decision to leave the Bay Area altogether: renting out a cabin in Southern California, unsure where to plot his next move.

That was when his close friend and former business partner Mario Camargo reached out.

"I was living alone in Los Angeles, and Mario  among some other friends  said, 'What are you doing, you stupid hermit? Come home,'" Parks recounted over the phone with a wry chuckle. "It was a roller coaster year."

After Camargo persuaded Parks to return to the Bay Area, the pair worked odd industry jobs, cooked, tended bar and did what they could to pay the bills. Yet, something was missing.

Three years prior, Camargo had conceptualized his own pop-up food business under the name Blakes Grillery, dishing out Southern-inspired tacos and small plates influenced by the kitchens he was raised in.

On both sides, cooking is in my entire family, he said.

In one house, he learned cooking techniques from his father that had been passed down from his grandmother, who would spend countless hours in their tiny kitchen carefully kneading handmade tortilla dough, cooking tamales as well as huge vats of soups and stews.

Meanwhile, his mother taught him traditional Southern-style methods of barbecuing and smoking meats with just the right amount of spice.

What I do is pay homage to the authenticity of where I come from, giving it a small, creative spin, Camargo explained. I thought Id pick the best of both worlds from each cuisine. I try and think outside of the box without doing something like, say, Lets just throw ramen on tacos.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

He found initial success at Lounge 3411 on MacArthur Boulevard, selling his new bar food bites to hungry dive patrons for $2 each. Still working at Bar 41, he also sold his tacos there about four or five times a year. When that bar shuttered, Camargo tried to keep business moving as consistently as it had been, but by then he said most of the opportunities had dried up.



They didnt necessarily need me, and to be candid, I was really depressed, said Camargo, who spent the rest of 2019 tending bar and catering at private events. It helped pay the bills and kept my mind off things. Then COVID-19 happened, and everything just tanked.

The pandemic led to closure after closure of their favorite restaurants and bars, and the industry as a whole was looking dismal. Camargo found himself out of work with no plans for what would come next.

But as June rolled around, so did a glimmer of hope. Restaurants with outdoor patio seating were granted permission to reopen, though bars were left out of the equation, unable to serve patrons a drink unless a bona fide meal came with it. Parks, a former general manager with experience opening a handful of restaurants in San Francisco, including Zare at Fly Trap, Per Diem and Noir Lounge, then came up with an idea.

Why not restart Blakes Grillery and fulfill the requirement for bars with patios to become restaurants?

People thought I was certifiably insane for trying to open a business in a pandemic, but if you know me, this is totally reasonable for my personality, said Parks. I texted Mario and said, We are going to try this out and we are going to be as busy as we possibly can.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

They acquired a catering license and reached out to a few local bartending groups on Facebook, hoping for the best. Within a few hours, Blake's Grillery had garnered interest from eight different bars in the East Bay.

They decided to pair up with Heart & Dagger Saloon for a trial run, and their first night in business turned out to be a hit.

Beforehand, I felt this nervousness, this trepidation, said Camargo. But as soon as we got to work, I just remember thinking, Were back. Weve done this before. We had enough confidence that we could actually pull this off.

From there, the duo looked up every single bar with a patio from Oakland to Albany, sending them an email or a message through Facebook. Eventually, they secured spots at the Avenue on Telegraph Avenue as well as Runway Spirits in Alameda. Now, they work six nights a week.

The setup is simple: two tables  one for customers to place their orders with Parks, and another that serves as a cooking station for Camargo  along with a small grill for tortillas and metal pans filled with prepared meats, vegetables and condiments. Another staffer (usually from the bar) manages crowd flow as Camargo and Parks periodically spray down and sanitize their equipment in compliance with health department rules.

Its turned out to be a good story out of a tragedy, that this industry is coming together when so many people cant find work and are struggling, said Parks.

RELATED: Dinner and a movie? Oakland bar, The Avenue, rigs up DIY outdoor theater with patio dining

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Thats not to say the gig doesnt have its challenges. The recent heat wave, for one, has led to uncomfortable and, at times, stifling working circumstances. Sometimes, they have the space to spread out their setup, but on other occasions, it can be like cooking in a closet, Camargo explained. But even as the air quality dramatically deteriorated as a result of wildfire smoke, the pair kept working.

COVID-19 has opened up a lot of opportunities that wouldn't have been there before, and weve taken full advantage of that for the time being, he said.

Though he and Parks are unsure what upcoming health regulations will have in store for them, they are warily looking ahead to the late autumn months, when the Bay Area transitions from its warmest and sunniest weather to frequent rain and fog.

Late November will be our test if we dont go back to normal, or whatever our new normal is, said Parks.

MORE: The heart of SF Japantown is doing what it has to do to survive

For now, theyre appreciative of the sudden, unusual success  and to be able to do what they love during a time when they feared their industry would evaporate.

It blew a breath of fresh air into something I thought was going to be gone for good, said Camargo. But one good thing about being in the industry for a while is that adapting is in your blood. You have to think on the fly  thats one of our biggest assets we have. Maybe well do another bar, or some consulting. What if we tried Zoom cooking classes? Well give it a shot. If it fails, it fails. if it doesnt, were glad we did it.

Blakes Grillery can be found at the following East Bay bars:

Heart & Dagger Saloon (Mondays and Thursdays): 504 Lake Park Ave. in Oakland

The Avenue (Wednesdays and Saturdays): 4822 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland

Runway Spirits (Fridays and Sundays): 2505 Monarch St. in Alameda

Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE culture reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com
I have always built business based on honesty, selflessness, and ultra transparency."

The Kostro Group is a startup real estate investment firm headquartered in Albany, NY. The company is founded by Jimmy Kostro and Jessica Thomson. Kostro, a delivery and logistics entrepreneur, founded Meal Plan Delivery: the largest same-day delivery provider for freshly prepared, subscription-based health foods in America. Thomson, a British native, left for Spain at the age of 24, learned the language, and owned and operated a restaurant in southern Spain until the end of 2019 at age 29.

This latest business venture came into conception in April of 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jimmy Kostro, who shares his lifelong fascination with residential real estate with his sister Erin Roth, is delighted to bring her onto the team. Roth, now a partner at the firm, left her former role as a lab technician at St Marys Healthcare, and took up a full time position at The Kostro Group. Within her first 2 months, Erin contracted 4 properties and sold all of them in less than 2 weeks. In June, Thomson and Kostro quickly determined that she would need a much greater radius to sustain her passion, drive and determination. In July, Roth made the decision to fast track her market knowledge by enrolling in and graduating from Manfreds Real Estate School in New York. In August, Erin's largest deal to date closed, bringing in $35,000 in commission to The Kostro Group.

I have always built business based on honesty, selflessness, and ultra transparency. At TKG, genuinely caring about the home owners interests and making sure he or she is understood and getting exactly what they desire is mission critical. It is important to us that our partners and investors are earning healthy enough profits to build long lasting relationships, especially being the new kids on the block. Clear, concise expectations and proactive open lines of communication are always the center of what we are doing here, said Kostro of the new companys culture and guiding principles. We have teams in 3 time zones supporting the upstate NY operations, providing technologies and platforms to collaborate. Sharing and updating each other is vital to everyones success. Growing our local culture is a constant evolution. Our team is clear on its goals and we are incentivized through compensation structure, recognition, freedom to work independently and to be rewarded based on performance rather than the hand of the clock.

In addition to the new Syracuse site, the Group plans on opening offices in Rochester and Buffalo by the end of the year.

Our Albany team is currently executing 3-5 wholesale deals per month. In addition to building new relationships, our goal is to be operating across our 4 Upstate New York markets by January of 2021. Many of our buyers and sellers do not know that Jessica and I love traveling, working out and dogs. We also established the New York based operation while in the country of Laos in South East Asia."

For more information about The Kostro Group, visit http://www.TheKostroGroup.com
A Whitehall official who was hired after responding to Dominic Cummings attempt to recruit weirdos and misfits into the civil service has been sacked after suggesting that police should shoot Black Lives Matter protesters.

An investigation by The Guardian newspaper found that Will OShea, 57, a data specialist with a senior role at the Cabinet Office, was let go after posting the incendiary comments on social media at the height of the protests on 5 July.

The incident is the second known high-profile departure of a Cummings recruit from the civil service, following the resignation of super forecaster Andrew Sabisky, whose views on genetics and race caused a backlash against his appointment.

Responding to a tweet about an altercation between police and anti-racism demonstrators in London, Mr OShea had posted: Time to get out the live rounds.

The former official reportedly told an undercover reporter working for the newspaper that he was let go because of my tweet but later said he was never given a reason for his termination by the Cabinet Office.

He also confirmed that he had applied for a job through the recruitment advert posted on Mr Cummings blog on 2 January, in which the controversial adviser called for data scientists, project managers, policy experts, assorted weirdos and an unusual set of people

I can see how it was taken that way, and I am sorry for that, Mr OShea told the newspaper about his comments, adding that he was wrong and did not mean the tweet seriously.

He added: I didnt say, Shoot blacks, and that was not what I meant or wished.

Contributions by Mr OShea, who joined the Government Digital Service in April, to internal discussions about race reportedly prompted colleagues to look at posts on his social media accounts.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

Mr OShea said he did not meet Mr Cummings directly but was interviewed by a subordinate close to him.

A government spokesperson said: Will OShea was  employed by the Cabinet Office as an external contractor for the Government Digital Service on coronavirus. All standard vetting processes were carried out for a contractor role through a commercial framework.
It was an emotional reunion for 47-year old Neela Yellaiah, a migrant worker from Telangana with his wife and daughter at Hyderabads Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday after being stranded in the UAE for 16 years.

Yellaiah, who lost his passport and was suffering partial memory loss all these years, returned to Hyderabad from Dubai in an Air India flight in the early hours of Tuesday. He was received by E Chittibabu, special officer of NRI cell in the Telangana government and his family members.

His wife Rajavva broke into tears on seeing her husband after 16 years. His daughter Sunanda, who was a breastfeeding baby when he went to Dubai in 2004, was also emotional on seeing her father for the first time, Mandha Bheem Reddy, president of Telangana Gulf Migrants Forum, who coordinated the entire process of bringing Yellaiah back to India, told Hindustan Times.

Though it was mandatory for Yellaiah to be in institutional quarantine for a week as per the Covid-19 protocol, the Telangana government permitted him to be taken straightaway to his native village Chinthamanpalli in Domakonda block of Kamareddy district in view of his physical weakness and memory loss. He will have to be in home quarantine for two weeks.

Bheem Reddy said Yellaiah went to the United Arab Emirates in 2004 to work as a labourer in a construction company on a temporary visa. However, he was forced to quit the company for some reasons. He lived in Dubai and Sharjah for the last 16 years doing odd jobs.

During this period, he suffered ill-health. He lost his passport and. He was stuck there because did not have a passport. Having come under severe mental and physical strain, he also lost his memory partially, Reddy said.

Apparently, Yellaiah lost touch with his wife and other family members, who had no clue about his whereabouts. In the last 16 years, he might have spoken to his wife four or five times and according to his wife, there had been no word from him in the last 10 years.

Rajavva, who started working as an agriculture labourer on daily wages, brought up her daughter Sunanda. A couple of years ago, she even got her daughter married and Sunanada now has a one-year-old son, Reddy said.

Recently, Rupesh Mehta, a volunteer from the Jain Seva Mission (JSM), a social service organization in the Gulf countries, noticed Yellaiahs condition while distributing provisions for Indian migrants in Sharjah.

On coming to know about Yellaiahs plight, Mehta arranged an Emergency Certificate (Temporary Passport) from the Indian Consulate in Dubai for him. But it was not so easy, as there were no details of his old passport, he said.

Rajavva, with the support of Gulf Migrants Forum, made a request with the Hyderabad Passport Office, which searched its data base and found the passport details of Yellaiah. The same details were shared to the Consulate General of India (CGI), Dubai which made it easier to issue temporary passport.

Jitender Singh Negi and Harjeet Singh, Labour Consuls at CGI, Dubai, helped him in getting the passport. The consulate also provided a free air ticket from Dubai to Hyderabad, Reddy said.

According to UAE immigration regulations, those whose visa expires and residing illegally have to pay an overstay fine of 25 UAE Dirhams ( 500) per day. This carries a hefty fine of 1.46 Lakh Dirhams ( 29 lakhs) for 16 years.

Thanks to the efforts of Rupesh Mehta and Indian Consulate, the Dubai immigration officials waived this fine and gave him exit permit, Reddy said.

He appealed to the state and central governments to provide rehabilitation for Yellaiah.

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The fall wedding season is upon us. At least, many thought it would be. The spread of COVID-19 has caused many to postpone their weddings. While the delay will be disappointing for some, for others, it might be exactly what they need to decide whether to continue into marriage.

Although not specifically focused on pandemic-related wedding turmoil, in a recent study led by MU Department of Human Development and Family Science Professor Kale Monk, researchers found that for engaged individuals with concerns about their partner or relationship, there are many possible benefits to slowing the wedding planning process by taking a "timeout."

The researchers conducted interviews with 30 adults who had ended an engagement. After several in-depth interviews, it became clear that when people took a step back and thought about their futures, by taking a break from the relationship or returning the ring for example, they were able to see that relationship from a different perspective as they visualized their potential futures.

This solution could help prevent people from continuing potentially abusive and toxic relationships that can be detrimental to one's physical and mental health. Once the relationship reaches the stage of marriage, it is much more difficult to end it due to the structural or legal obligations attached to marriage. Monk said that the process of slowing the momentum to marriage early and thinking critically about the future is often essential in noticing the flaws of a relationship.

"In our study, people were able to visualize their weddings or their lives after the wedding and realize it was not the future they wanted," Monk said. "These visualizations led them to reconsider red flags in their relationship, like persistent conflict, abuse, deceit or dissatisfaction. Individuals also reassessed the constraints or obligations that had previously made it difficult to break up. Without this deliberation, people might get caught up in the excitement of the idealized wedding day and forget to think about the marriage that comes after."

The months leading up to a wedding can be a time of great financial stress and societal pressure. Monk says that these societal pressures could coerce people into decisions with which they may not be comfortable.

"As we dug deeper into the study, we saw that there was a lot of social pressure that propelled people forward even though they had serious reservations, and obligations like sending out wedding invitations, putting a deposit down on a wedding venue or buying a car together made it challenging to leave," Monk said.

It wasn't until the individuals looked past these pressures that they could see their relationship for what it actually was, Monk said. He added that it's extremely important for people to know what they are getting into before getting married, as weddingsand divorcescan be extremely taxing and expensive.

Knowing this, many people still move forward with marriage, despite very real concerns about their relationship. Monk said that moving into marriage while having concerns is a significant risk.

"This is problematic because research consistently shows that early relationship problems predict later marital outcomes and premarital doubts are associated with a risk for divorce," Monk said. "Therefore, understanding how people manage to end their relationships just before marriage can provide some insight into preventing divorces and unhealthy marriages in general because the old adage that 'the best divorce is the one you get before you get married' seems to be true."

In the future, Monk plans to use this research as the baseline for other potential studies. For these future studies, Monk said the researchers are still interested in collecting more diverse information from anyone who experienced the end of an engagement.

More information: Those interested in participating in future research can complete the survey Those interested in participating in future research can complete the survey here
The answers to many of the worlds ailments might be in the wastewater.

Back in February, the Tailored Antibacterials and Innovative Laboratories for Phage Research at Baylor College of Medicine was focused on finding bacteriophages to treat potentially deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Phages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria.

In the beginning, they were taking samples at the 69th Street wastewater facility in downtown Houston, which they considered a diverse cross-section of humans. Now, the team is testing samples from 39 wastewater sites in Houston for phages  and COVID-19.

Using a dunk-a-bucket method, scientists are able to locate samples to bring back to the laboratory. Once there, bacteria phages are filtered out, isolated and purified to custom treat bacterial infections.

Wherever there are bacteria, youre going to find these viruses (phages). You tailor your search toward the types of viruses that you want to find; a lot of these cases come from enteric, pathogenic bacteria  those that are found in your gut, said Austen Terwilliger, director of operations for the research group. Those bacteria are then going to be shed outside and can be followed (in the wastewater system).

Renew Houston: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox

While still hunting for bacterial phages, the team has been activated to locate COVID-19 hot spots through the same method and analysis. Epidemiologists are able to pinpoint COVID hot spots because of viral evidence found in wastewater that has been analyzed by molecular biologists and microbiologists.

People often swallow mucus that builds up in their sinuses, Terwilliger said, which will go into the stomach through their intestine. All of that comes out in waste, which is why the virus can be detected in wastewater samples.

The purpose of this is to try to track the outbreak on a citywide level, he said. Not all outbreaks will occur in the same place in the city at the same time. There can be pockets and regions where this virus flares up.

The citys public works department delivers wastewater samples to the research team every Monday. First, the wastewater must be clarified before its tested for the virus, and then the data must be analyzed. A team of scientists at Rice University are also working with the city on this initiative.

By Wednesday or Thursday, the data shows where groups of infected people are in the city in terms of the presence of the virus going up or down in the wastewater. Then the information is delivered back to the city, which can then make public health decisions, said Anthony Maresso, associate professor in the department of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor.

Whether or not sampling the wastewater is a better community measure to get a handle on the pandemic is playing out at the local and large-scale level, Maresso said. The ultimate goal is that it is a predictive measure to allow officials to go into select areas to do more individual testing, contact tracing or take measures for communities that live in those areas.

Prior to the pandemic, the main focus of the research groups program was to be a resource for doctors who have tried antibiotics on their patients to no avail. The doctors reach out to the team with a bacterial sample from their patient and ask if they would be a good candidate for phage therapy, a treatment that was used in the 1920s and 30s before the widespread use of penicillin.

The patients strain is tested against the programs library of phages. The phage works by injecting its DNA inside of the cell, replicating to large numbers and bursting the cell. The viral phage progeny are then able to go out and infect more cells, which eventually will kill off the infection, Terwilliger said.

Its a plague for the plague, Maresso said.

You dont think sometimes that things that infect you can sometimes get infected, Terwilliger said. But they can, and this is their plague.

Its thought that anywhere from a one-third to half of the worlds bacteria are killed every day due to the action of naturally occurring phages, he added. Scientists have found a way to re-create that in a lab and use it to help cure people from previously incurable infections.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston preemie one of first to try imaging hat for awake babies with brain disorders

There are roughly 2 million antibiotic-resistant infections that cause around 23,000 deaths per year in the U.S., Terwilliger said. The most common are catheter-based infections, urinary tract infections and infections near the site of a prosthesis.

Phages arent only found in wastewater  they exist wherever bacteria exists, so city parks and duck ponds are good places to search, said Sabrina Green, the teams microbiome lead. She has specifically studied E. coli, which is found in bird waste.

The main work we do is clean it up. The (Food and Drug Administration) would like us to do certain things to make sure its really safe, so once we can prove that, then we can get approval to give it to the physician who will give it to the patient, Maresso said. If its a life-threatening emergency, the FDA will try to respond within 24 hours. If its not life threatening, but still an important case, it takes a few days to a week.

This is called a compassionate use provision, which is when a device or treatment is made accessible even though it has not received prior FDA approval or clearance. It can be used when there are no other options for patients, such as antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

This is why we created this; there is probably no better disease that you can adapt an antimicrobial than to these infections, Maresso said. Its a very personalized medicine approach.

julie.garcia@chron.com

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The Texas Medical Association, along with 32 other organizations representing physicians, dentists and child welfare groups, called on Gov. Greg Abbott  again  to expand Medicaid to help fight the COVID-19 crisis

Expanding the government health insurance for low-income families would make it easier for people to seek medical care and help cover the costs if they get sick from the virus, Medicaid expansion advocates said in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott.

"To truly defeat COVID-19, Texas must let loose every authority at its disposal," the groups wrote in a letter dated Tuesday.

Texas is one of 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid. Advocates said that locks out more than 1 million people from accessing those benefits because they make too much.

To qualify for the state's Medicaid program, a person has to be 18 or younger, a senior over 65, pregnant or disabled. Their earnings must not exceed the federal poverty line. Approximately 4 million residents are enrolled.

EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE: Baylor launches initiative to overcome health disparities for minorities

If Texas expands Medicaid, the federal government would bear 90 percent of the cost, while the state would pay 10 percent.

COVID-19 has pushed groups to renew the call, as more than 3 million Texans have filed for unemployment benefits, and an estimated 659,000 adults have lost health care coverage through their employers, according to data from Families USA, a consumer health advocacy nonprofit.

Texas had the highest rate of uninsured residents at 18 percent before COVID-19, according to recent Census estimates. Now, as many as 29 percent, or nearly one in three residents are without coverage.

The people who could qualify for Medicaid under a possible expansion are essential workers in grocery stores, restaurants and warehouses, where they are at higher risk of exposure.

A sick workforce means a slower economic recovery, said Dr. Diana Fite, president of the Texas Medical Association.

Suddenly, weve got a lot of Texans losing their jobs and insurance, or making less money, Fite said. On top of that, if they get sick and have COVID, theyre going to be very ill and using quite a bit of health care resources.

Overloading the system

Health policy experts against the expansion of Medicaid, however, said the Medicaid system has flaws that need to be fixed before more people are put on those plans.

David Balat, a senior health policy expert at the conservative-learning Texas Public Policy Foundation, said Medicaid expansion is not the solution because many people on the program face difficulties finding doctors who take the government insurance.

Putting someone on Medicaid without guaranteeing more doctors would be irresponsible, he said.

We must stop conflating health insurance with health care, Balat said. People need care. And insurance is a financial vehicle that is helping nobody but the middlemen.

Some doctors dont participate in Medicaid for financial reasons, said Katie Mitten, a health policy researcher at Texans Care for Children, a childrens advocacy group.

The Legislature tends to set low payment rates for Medicaid, which discourages some doctors and other health care providers from participating in the program, she said. But, she added, the program is still helpful for families who rely on it as their source of health care.

Advocates said expanding Medicaid and bumping up reimbursement rates could also help struggling hospitals and doctors bounce back from a dip in revenue as patients worried about contracting COVID-19 avoid doctors offices and elective procedures.

CUTS AHEAD: Legislature sidelined as three Texas GOP leaders steer $1B in budget cuts

In the new practice environment, the letter said, physicians, hospitals and providers cannot easily absorb more uninsured patients as they struggle to stay afloat themselves.

Will it pass?

For Medicaid expansion to happen soon, Abbott and state lawmakers would have to pass legislation during the next session of the Texas Legislature, which meets again in January 2021.

But its an uphill battle, health care advocates said. The state legislature has declined to do so in the past.

Fite, the Texas Medical Association president, said shell take anything  even a temporary two-year expansion to help alleviate the costs of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of me thinks that yes, it will definitely happen because its so much more necessary now with less of the population working, Fite said. But then again, thats wishful thinking.

This story was updated to correct how Medicaid expansion would be funded in Texas after 2020.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

twitter.com/gwendolynawu
A Sharadhaa By

Express News Service

Sudeep seems to be getting inundated with offers for pan-India projects as a gift for his birthday. The Kannada film star, who has made his presence felt across the south Indian cinema industry as well as Bollywood, has been offered a handful of projects now. The Eega actor, who has worked in Hindi films like Phoonk, Rann and Rakta Charitra made in Telugu and Hindi and Vijays Tamil film Pulli, a guest appearance in Baahubali -- The Beginning, Chiranjeevis 151st film, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, and the recent Dabangg 3, has now been offered a multilingual project featuring Prithviraj Sukumaran as a warrior. It is said to be Indias first film to be shot completely as a virtual production.

A still from Kotigobba 3

The yet-to-be-titled project was conceptualised and directed by Gokulraj Baskar, and he has kept in mind Sudeeps pan-India appeal. The film will be released in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. However, no details have been revealed about the kind of role Sudeep has been approached for. According to a source, the actor, who is currently shooting for Phantom, still has to give a green signal for it.

Sudeep has also been offered another project to be presented by Viacom 18, which will be made in Hindi and another language. This is also a project, which is in the preliminary stages of discussion, and an official confirmation will be given once we close the deal and Sudeep signs on the dotted line, says the source.

A teaser gift from Kotigobba 3 on Sudeeps birthday

Kichcha Sudeeps birthday celebration on Wednesday will be a low key affair. Ahead of the celebrations, the actor visited the Siddganga Mutt to seek blessings and he was joined by director Indrajith Lankesh, and producer Manjunath Gowda. Sudeep also posted a message for his fans, addressing them as friends, on the social media, wherein he mentioned that nothing can replace the joy of meeting his friends, who turn out in large numbers. He added that keeping in mind everyones health as well as his aging parents, the present situation doesnt permit or support any large-scale celebration.

He thanked all the people who have stood by him for all these years. He also urged his fans to help people in their surroundings, calling it the need of the hour.Kichcha is currently busy shooting for Phantom. The film, directed by Anup Bhandari under the banner of Shalini Arts, was one of the first films in India to resume shooting post the lockdown. Meanwhile, fans of the actor will be treated with a special teaser of Kotigobba 3 on Wednesday. The film, directed by Shiva Karthik and produced by Surappa Babu, is getting ready for release.
Most animal cells need to become spherical in order to divide. To achieve this round shape, the cells must round up and deform their neighboring cells. In a growing tumor tissue, the tumor cells need to divide in an environment that is becoming more crowded than the healthy tissue. This means that the dividing tumor cells likely need to generate much higher mechanical forces to round up in such a densely packed surrounding. Yet, tumor cells seem to be adapted to overcome these difficulties. Scientists led by Dr. Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich were curious how do the tumor cells gain this enhanced ability to deal with the crowded tumor environment?

The researchers found that the EMT could be one of the answers. What is it exactly? "EMT or epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a hallmark of cancer progression," says Kamran Hosseini, PhD student who performed the experiments. It is a cell transformation during which tumor cells lose their asymmetric organization and detach from their neighbors, gaining the ability to migrate into other tissues. This, together with other factors, allows tumors to metastasize, i.e., move into the blood and lymphatic vessels and ultimately colonize other organs.

"So far, EMT has been mainly linked to this enhanced cell dissociation and cell migration. Our results suggest that EMT might also influence cancer cells by promoting successful rounding and cell division. These results point towards a completely new direction of how EMT could promote metastasis of carcinoma in the body," explains Kamran Hosseini.

Just as we test the ripeness of the fruits by squeezing them gently with our hands, the scientists examined the mechanical properties of individual human cells. Except, they squished the cells using an atomic force microscope. This state-of-the-art setup measured properties such as cell stiffness and cell surface tension before and after the EMT. In addition, the group of Dr. Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich in collaboration with Dr. Anna Taubenberger (BIOTEC, TU Dresden) and Prof. Carsten Werner (IPF, Dresden) cultured mini-tumors and trapped them inside elastic hydrogels to check how mechanical confinement affects cell rounding and division of tumor cells.

The authors identified changes in rounding and growth of the tumor. EMT influenced the cancer cells in two contrasting ways. The dividing tumor cells became stiffer while surrounding non-dividing cells became softer. Furthermore, the researchers found hints that the observed mechanical changes could be linked to the increased activity of a protein called Rac1, a known regulator of the cytoskeleton.

"Our findings will not only provide important results to the field of cell biology but may also identify new targets for cancer therapeutics," says Dr. Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich.

###

Publication: Advanced Science: EMT-Induced Cell-Mechanical Changes Enhance Mitotic Rounding Strength", Authors: Kamran Hosseini, Anna Taubenberger, Carsten Werner, and Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202001276

This study was founded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and performed in collaboration with the Light Microscopy Facility (LMF) of the CMCB Technology Platform at TU Dresden. Dr. Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich is a core group at the newly formed Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence (PoL) at TU Dresden.

The Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) was founded in 2000 as a central scientific unit of the TU Dresden with the goal of combining modern approaches in molecular and cell biology with the traditionally strong engineering in Dresden. Since 2016, the BIOTEC is part of the central scientific unit "Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering" (CMCB) of the TU Dresden. The BIOTEC is fostering developments in research and teaching within the Molecular Bioengineering research field and combines approaches in cell biology, biophysics and bioinformatics. It plays a central role within the research priority area Health Sciences, Biomedicine and Bioengineering of the TU Dresden.

http://www.tu-dresden.de/biotec

http://www.tu-dresden.de/cmcb
LEWES, Del. and STOCKHOLM, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- YouSat Corp. has launched a brand new channel in the Middle East and North Africa called YouSat.

YouSat is a television channel unlike any other on the planet. It is the next evolutionary step in television consumerism and promises to change the way people watch TV forever.

YouSat allows its viewers, through its website at www.yousat.tv, to upload their independent films, movies, reports, vlogs, music videos and much more absolutely free of charge. Then, YouSat will broadcast their content to hundreds of millions of homes in the region. It's that easy.

This is not YouTube; this is real TV.

The internet is not special anymore -- anyone can upload content to the internet, but TV is exclusive. Only a select few ever make it onto TV, and now aspiring artists from all walks of life will have the chance to broadcast their content to over one billion homes in the Middle East, North Africa, parts of Europe and Asia in full HD, absolutely free of charge.

Viewers who are not in YouSat's coverage will also be able to watch their content online at www.yousat.tv. Best of all, there are no more middlemen, no more agents telling people that they don't have what it takes to make it on TV. So now the world will decide.

YouSat has global ambitions and is planning to broadcast to the Americas, the European Union, Africa and Asia by 2021.

YouSat completely redefines the meaning of social media and television, essentially turning television into another social media app, and places it directly into the hands of its users.

YouSat can be viewed for free in the Middle East and North Africa by anyone who owns a satellite dish, simply by tuning in to 11096 H 27500. Alternatively, they can watch the channel over the Internet through YouSat's "Live Stream" option on its website at www.yousat.tv

YouSat has already unveiled its brand list of "YouTimes".

"YouHealth" provides a space to promote healthy living. "YouTech" is dedicated to showcasing the latest technology, gadgets and life hacks. Hungry? "YouCook" stirs up the appetite with culinary tips and tricks. "YouDress" offers a platform to those with a passion for fashion. "YouTeach" provides a stage to enlighten and inspire others through the power of ideas. Then there is "YouFilm" and "YouRock" which allow artists to unleash their creativity, while "YouSell" offers a free gateway to sell a vast array of goods to a global market.

The most exciting thing is that the content of all those segments is provided by you.

YouSat plans to begin selling advertising slots soon for its channel, and many companies are already expressing a great interest to enter into partnerships with YouSat, sponsor YouTimes, or be one of the first to advertise on its HD channel. Talented men and women from all over the region are flooding www.yousat.tv and uploading their content. YouSat is on its way to fast success and to becoming one of the biggest satellite channels in the world.

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Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.
DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cement & Concrete Additives Markets in China" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

China's demand for Cement & Concrete Additives has grown at a fast pace in the past decade. In the next decade, both production and demand will continue to grow. This new study examines China's economic trends, investment environment, industry development, supply and demand, industry capacity, industry structure, marketing channels and major industry participants. Historical data (2009, 2014 and 2019) and long-term forecasts through 2024 and 2029 are presented. Major producers in China are profiled.



The primary and secondary research was done in China in order to access up-to-date government regulations, market information and industry data. Data was collected from Chinese government publications, Chinese language newspapers and magazines, industry associations, local governments' industry bureaus, industry publications, and in-house databases. Interviews were conducted with Chinese industry experts, university professors, and producers in China. Economic models and quantitative methods were applied in this report to project market demand and industry trends. Metric system is used and values are presented in either Yuan (RMB, current price) and/or US dollars.



This market research report provides hard-to-find market data and analyses. Today, China has the largest market in the world. If you want to expand your business or sell your products in China, this research report provides the insights and projections into Chinese markets necessary for you to do so.



Key Topics Covered:



I. INTRODUCTION

Report Scope and Methodology

Executive Summary

II. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Economic Outlook

Key Economic Indicators

Industrial Output

Population and Labor

Foreign Investment

Foreign Trade

0B0B0B Financial and Tax Regulations

Banking System and Regulations

Foreign Exchange

Taxes, Tariff and Custom Duties

III. CHINA CEMENT & CONCRETE ADDITIVES INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTS

Cement & Concrete Additives Industry Structure

Cement & Concrete Additive Industry Production, Capacity and Demand

Market Size

Market Growth Drivers

Cement & Concrete Additives Industry Capacity

Major Producer Facility Locations, Output and Capacity

Market Share of Key Producers

Labor Costs

Potential Entrants

Major Distributors

Major Foreign Investments

Technology Development

IV. CHINA CEMENT & CONCRETE ADDITIVES PRODUCTION AND DEMAND

Overview

Demand of Cement & Concrete Additives by Region

Cement & Concrete Additives Production and Demand

Chemical Additives

Water-Reducing Admixtures

Set-Controlling Admixtures

Superplasticizer Admixtures

Air-Entraining Admixtures

Anti-freezing Admixtures

Other Chemical Admixtures

Mineral Admixtures

Fly Ash

Gypsum

Silica Fume

Other Minerals

Other Cement & Concrete Additives

Cement & Concrete Additives Imports and Exports

Pricing Trends

V. CHINA CEMENT & CONCRETE ADDITIVES MARKETS OUTLOOK

Cement & Concrete Additives Markets Outlook Overview

Construction Market Outlook

Residential Building Market Trends

Cement & Concrete Additive Demand in Residential Construction Markets

Commercial Building Market Trends

Cement & Concrete Additive Demand in Commercial Construction Markets

Road and Highway Construction Market Trends

Cement & Concrete Additives Demand in Residential Construction Markets

VI. MARKETING STRATEGIES

China Market Entry Overview

China's Distribution System

Distribution System Cement & Concrete Additives Distribution Channels

Transportation and Freight Infrastructure

Communications

China's Market Entry

Market Entry Licensing

Franchising

E-commerce

Trading Companies and Local Agents

Representative Offices and Chinese Subsidiaries

Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise

VII. CHINA CEMENT & CONCRETE ADDITIVES PRODUCER DIRECTORY

Cement & Concrete Additives Producer Profiles

Distributors and Trading Companies

Research Institutions and Associations

Major End-Users

Companies Mentioned

Hubei Research Institute of Chemistry

Zibo Yongchao Chemical Co., Ltd



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5dibsu

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

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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.




An ex-IRA prisoner has said that the New IRA's political wing, Saoradh, "poses as big a threat to the British state as St Vincent de Paul".

Anthony McIntyre said there was little support for either republican organisation in their own community in the wake of revelations that the dissidents had been infiltrated by alleged MI5 agent Dennis McFadden.

Read More

Ten people, including two women and a Palestinian doctor, are facing a range of terror charges following the sting.

Mr McIntyre said that the New IRA was viewed as a pale imitation of the Provisionals.

People see it as an irritant, he said. It is not a serious IRA fighting a determined guerilla war against the state. It is known for its incompetence and ineffectiveness.

Read More

It has inflicted no casualties on the state since 2016. Last year it killed journalist Lyra McKee when it opened fire recklessly during a riot in the Creggan, and it came close to wiping out a group of young people when it exploded a bomb on a street outside a courthouse in Derry.

Mr McIntyre served 18 years in jail for the murder of a UVF man in 1976. He is a long-term critic of Sinn Feins political direction but opposes continuing any armed campaign.

Expand Close Former IRA prisoner Anthony McIntyre / Facebook

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Apart from the risk it poses to civilians primarily within its own community, the New IRA does nothing more than make a bit of noise and give the state the opportunity to continue using repressive legislation and curbing peoples civil rights, he added.

Mr McIntyre challenged Saoradhs claim that last months MI5 operation was an attempt to crush the party.

What I have seen is Saoradh join others and follow a few groups around Belfast city centre, and shout at them on the street on Saturday afternoons. Its actually embarrassing Anthony McIntyre

Few will give any credence to the charge that this is a state attempt to close Saoradh down or wipe them out, he said. My feeling would be that Saoradh poses as much a threat to the British state as St Vincent de Paul do  which is none.

Mr McIntyre claimed he had not seen the party use its energy on serious and substantive issues.

He said: What I have seen is Saoradh join others and follow a few groups around Belfast city centre, and shout at them on the street on Saturday afternoons.

Read More

Its actually embarrassing. It makes republicans look as bad as those that they claim they are challenging.

Scotsman Dennis McFadden has been named in court as being the alleged MI5 agent involved in the New IRA sting. It has been claimed that he organised safe houses for the paramilitary group which were bugged by the intelligence services.

Mr McIntyre said: Spying is called the second oldest profession precisely because it is not a new phenomenon.

Many agents and informers penetrated the ranks of the Provisional IRA.

And the IRA itself has used informers in the past. The late prison officer, John Hanna, spied on his colleagues for the IRA.

So when republicans howl about spies it is only because of whose ox has been gored. If a player in any game gives the opposition a penalty kick, their adversary would be a fool not to take it.

Hanna was a senior prison officer in the H-Blocks. In 1990 he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Maghaberry jail for helping the IRA murder his colleague, Brian Armour, two years earlier.

Hanna had been involved in plans to stage a large-scale prison breakout.

He had also given information on other colleagues during an affair with a female IRA intelligence officer. He died of cancer in 1992, aged 45.
Children and COVID-19: are they contagious?

In the UK study, the authors estimated that the infectivity of children and adolescents was 50 percent compared to adults, though they admit the data is sparse on this question. The CDC has placed the best estimate for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases at 40 percent and infectivity of 75 percent, yet this does not clarify if there is a difference in infectivity among different asymptomatic age groups. The exact value is dependent on multiple variables, but, as other studies have documented, the capacity for children to be vectors for the transmission of the infection had been indirectly established, and they have become a growing component of COVID-19 cases, accounting for over 9 percent of all cases in the US.

It needs to be affirmed that early during the pandemic, the immediate school closures isolated and protected children, and therefore this age group represented a comparatively small proportion of infections. This contributed to illusions that children were impervious to the contagion. However, as the lockdowns were lifted and social interactions became more frequent, the number of infections attributed to children climbed rapidly. It is worrisome that the COVID-19 test positivity rate of children and young adults under the age of 18 is almost twice that of adults, implying that testing among this group is insufficient and infected children most likely represent a larger number than has been reported. What has been reported is that with more infections, the number of hospitalizations among children has also risen.

It was a study published August 7 by the CDC in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that provided the necessary proof of the capacity for children to infect. The report drew media attention during the height of the summer months when an upsurge of infections in the sunbelt states had demonstrated the calamitous character of the initiative to reopen businesses and social venues. At the same time, governors and local officials were strong-arming school districts and teachers to begin readying for in-person classes. The conclusions of the study confirmed what teachers and parents already profoundly feared.

The study was triggered by an outbreak in Georgia. On June 21, some 621 campers and staff members participated in an overnight camp. All attendees had supposedly adhered to the mandate to have documented negative SARS-CoV-2 testing within 12 days before arriving at camp. Though specific preventive measures were enacted, campers did not wear cloth masks, and windows and doors were not opened in cabins to increase ventilation. According to the camp administration, attendees engaged in indoor and outdoor activities that included singing and cheering.

On June 23, a teenage staff member left camp after developing flu-like symptoms. The following day her test confirmed COVID-19 infection. Camp officials began sending children home, and the Georgia Department of Public Health was notified and commenced an investigation on June 25. The camp was closed on June 27.

A total of 597 Georgia residents had attended the camp. The median age of the campers was 12 years, while that of staff members was 17 years. Test results were available for 344 attendees, of which 260, or a staggering 76 percent, were positive. Test results for 253 people were not available.

What surprised the authors most was their finding that the attack rate was highest among those 6 to 10 years of age. The CDC wrote, Asymptomatic infection was common and potentially contributed to undetected transmission, as has been previously reported. This investigation adds to the body of evidence demonstrating that children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and, contrary to early reports, might play an important role in transmission. This was the most succinct demonstration of the ability for young children to be vectors for the transmission of COVID-19, contradicting the prior view that they were effectively immune and considered an insignificant factor in the transmission of the virus.

Around the same time as the publication of the CDC report, a contact tracing study was conducted in the province of Trento, Italy. During March and April, 6,690 contacts were linked to 2,812 cases of COVID-19. Out of these contacts, 890 developed symptoms of COVID-19 for an attack rate of 13.3 percent. Though there were only 14 children with COVID-19 under 15 years of age, 11 of their 49 contacts became secondary cases, for an attack rate of 22.4 percent, the highest rate of any age group.

The authors also reported that nasal swabs submitted to the Charite laboratory in Berlin showed that the viral load in children was similar to adults. They concluded, This greater risk of spread resulting from contact with an infected child that emerged from our analysis might be explained by the different nature of interactions between adults and children. While the positive adult would be likely to be more adherent with isolation precautions, it may be more difficult to truly isolate children, resulting in continuing contact with parents and siblings. Overall, our data are, therefore in support of a policy of maximum caution with respect to the reopening of children  s communities and primary schools. [emphasis added].

Another study that corroborated the conclusions reached by the Italian research came from South Korea. Overall, the researchers detected COVID-19 in 11.8 percent of all household contacts, but rates were higher for contacts of children than adults. The highest attack rate, 18.6 percent, was among school-aged children 10 to 19. They, however, found it was lowest for those children under the age of 10. These findings led Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota, to state, I fear that there has been this sense that kids just wont get infected or dont get infected in the same way as adults and that, therefore, theyre almost like a bubbled population. There will be transmission. What we have to do is accept that now and include that in our plans.

Lastly, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics on July 30 compared viral loads in children and adults at a pediatric tertiary medical center in Chicago, Illinois, and provided the evidence that young symptomatic children had viral loads that were equivalent to or higher than those found in adults. These authors, too, cautioned that young childrens behavioral habits and close interaction in schools and daycare settings would potentially amplify the transmission once restrictions were eased.

Is airborne transmission (aerosolization) the primary route of transmission?

On July 6, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, lead authors Lidia Morawska, Ph.D., MSc, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, and Donald Milton, MD, DrPH, Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, along with 31 contributing authors and 206 signatories, published an open letter titled, It is Time to Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19 .  This was an appeal to medical communities and relevant international organizations to recognize the potential for airborne spread of COVID-19, also understood as aerosolization. The World Health Organization has been slow to adopt these recommendations.

Both the CDC and the WHO have emphasized that the spread of the virus to others occurs through two dominant routessurface contamination and respiratory droplets. The basis for these conceptions can be traced back to the work done by Dr. Charles Chapin, a public health researcher, in his seminal work from 1910, The Sources and Modes of Infection. He wrote in his preface, We know now that direct contact with the sick, or with healthy carriers of disease germs, is an exceedingly frequent mode of transmission, and that infection by means of the air, or from infected articles, is not nearly as common as was formerly believed. Lacking technology in the proceeding decades to measure aerosols, his construct for the transmission of diseases dominated among infectious disease experts and epidemiologists until recently and most specifically with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aerosols are like bits of fluid so small they can linger in the air. The human hair is 80 microns and aerosols smaller than 50 microns can spend enough time in the air to be inhaled. By comparison, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is only 0.1 microns, allowing plenty of volume to contain numerous particles. It has also been shown that viruses can survive in these aerosol droplets.

A presentation by Dr. Jose-Luis Jimenez, professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Fellow of the American Association for Aerosol Research, summarized evidence in favor of and against various routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Specifically, he notes that indoor settings are the dominant location for infections. Super-spreading events where the growth factor (R0) of the virus can be as high as 20 occurred in restaurants, choir rehearsals, churches, etc. Poor ventilation aids in transmission. SARS-CoV-1, influenza, and MERS all transmit via aerosol. Viruses stay infective in aerosol forms. Dr. Jimenez writes, COVID-19 is likely a lower-contagiousness aerosol-driven disease. It infects best at close proximity, also at the room-scale if we help it along (indoors, low ventilation, long time, no masks). And it has trouble infecting at long range.

A compelling case study from January published by the Chinese CDC involved a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, where a person with COVID-19 infected members from three families sitting at neighboring tables. None of the waiters or 68 patrons at the remaining 15 tables became infected. A video record of the day in question annotated the location of infected individuals. Using experimental tracer gas measurements and computational fluid-dynamic simulations, the study concluded that the air currents created by the air conditioning units blew virus-laden aerosols from the infected person to the nearby tables.

Earlier in the month, in a study from the University of Florida, a team of virologists and aerosol scientists were able to prove that respiratory droplets from COVID-19 patients contained the infectious virus. Live viruses were collected from seven to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with the virus. The sequences of the viral genetics from the aerosols matched that of newly admitted symptomatic patients to their rooms.

Both the Harvard T.H. Chan Schools of Public Health and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Epidemic Task Force have provided guidelines for updating school buildings and their heating and air conditioning units to ensure a typical classrooms air is exchanged at least four to six times each hour. This includes designs for modification of rooms with window fans, central air purifiers and MERV13 HVAC filters that can remove a large portion of the airborne particles.

However, according to a report published by the US Government Accountability Office in June, more than half of the public school districts need to update or replace multiple building systems or features in their school  an estimated 41 percent of districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in at least half their schools, representing about 36,000 schools nationwide.

Additional areas of concern raised by the report in their national survey from August to October 2019 include improving security (92 percent), expanding access to technology (87 percent), and monitoring health hazards (78 percent). In other words, even without COVID-19, public schools across the nation have significant needs for funding to bring them up to necessary standards.

Conclusion

The tenets of public health have been proven time and time again. Social distancing, the wearing of face masks that are correctly and tightly fitted, hand-washing, cleaning surfaces, and proper ventilation and air exchange: all these practices can protect people from becoming infected or passing an infection to others.

More importantly, community spread can be mitigated through the establishment of a public health infrastructure that can efficiently and expeditiously test suspects and quickly trace and isolate contacts. The break in the transmission of the disease is the essential factor in bringing the virus under control. Additionally, those infected need to be isolated and provided medical observation, care, and treatment. This is the first pandemic in which human society has at its disposal the technological and scientific capacity to halt the virus.

Offsetting this, however, is the fundamental relationship between the community and the local, state, and federal governments whose primary job is the security and wellbeing of the citizens. In the present instant, the utter failure on the part of the political establishment is not that they are inept, stupid, or unable to comprehend scientific data (although that may describe some).

Rather, the political system and government administration work as directed by definite socioeconomic pressures that compel them to assure the health of the economy, i.e., the super-rich and giant corporations, at any cost. Behind the inability to ramp up testing, the utter failure to build a cadre of contact tracers, the never-ending changes in policy and guidelines, each worse than the one before, amount to the state asserting a policy of herd immunity for the sake of the financial markets. Teachers, parents, and all workers have the science behind them, but they must act on it and assert their own interests, preparing to conduct a general strike against the murderous policy of the state.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

Trend:

Settlement of new ethnic groups inside sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is deeply complicating situation in NagornoKarabakh, Peter M. Tase, the US expert in European and Latin American politics, told Trend.

Settlement process of Syrian Families fleeing war torn Syria, is a perilous situation that will cause irreparable damages to the multicultural and inter-religious fabric in the Caucasus and Europe. It is disturbing to see that European Union Institutions (European Council and European Commission) are silent, continue to sleep in front of these atrocious acts taken by Armenian government, he said.

Tase pointed out that Armenian government and its fascist leaders are violating the International Laws daily and harming European cultural landscape. The brutal regime of Armenia is a serious and dangerous threat to European democratic standards and is harming the liberties of European citizens and the principles of four freedoms.

Settlement of new ethnic groups inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is deeply complicating the situation of Nagorno  Karabakh. Mistakes, grave blunders committed by the terrorist government of Armenia, including the new settlements established (inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan) with Syrian citizens are once again facts that stand within and beyond of preponderance of evidence that Yerevan continues to harm ethnic and cultural coexistence in the Caucasus and is introducing practices that were never applied even by European powers when these powers were colonizing African territories, noted the expert.

He went on to add that acts taken by the self-declared leaders of the so-called "Nagorno - Karabakh Republic" are grossly violating the international laws, European Union Convention of Human Rights and all Resolutions approved by the European Parliament that address Human Rights and prohibit artificial miscegenation of race on territories that are illegally occupied.

Armenia must stop these atrocious acts and become a responsible actor in the Concert of Nations.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has shown a great level of maturity and responsibility, despite the fact that Baku's Military Might, resilience of its Armed Forces and Loyalty within Azerbaijani Armed Forces is fascinating and superior to the standards of many countries in Europe and the Caucasus. There must not be any provocations of this magnitude undertaken by the fascist government of Armenia, otherwise Yerevan's grenade will blow on its leaders' very own hands, Tase concluded.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, shown speaking with reporters outside the West Wing at the White House on June 18. Read more

WASHINGTON  Amid the Trump administration's troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic, senior White House aide Peter Navarro has refashioned himself as a powerful government purchasing chief, operating far beyond his original role as an adviser on trade policy.

But U.S. officials say the abrasive figure's shortcomings as a manager could influence how well prepared the United States is for a second wave of coronavirus infections expected this fall.

Navarro's harsh manner and disregard for protocol have alienated numerous colleagues, corporate executives and prominent Republicans. In a previously undisclosed incident, the White House Counsel's Office in 2018 investigated Navarro's behavior in response to repeated complaints and found he routinely had been verbally abusive toward others. Navarro narrowly avoided losing his job, but the abuse has continued as the White House has grappled with the pandemic, multiple administration officials said.

On Monday, the administration terminated one contract that Navarro had directly negotiated  for 42,900 Philips ventilators. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said the cancellation was "subject to internal HHS investigation and legal review." The contract had been criticized by a House oversight subcommittee, which concluded that the government had overpaid for the ventilators by $500 million.

The cancellation came after another transaction Navarro championed, a government loan to fund Kodak's transformation into a drugmaker, unraveled and became embroiled in a securities investigation. The watchdog panel says it is broadening its inquiry to examine all of Navarro's deals.

Navarro remains unbowed, scorning critics inside and outside the White House as disloyal and leaning heavily on his one true ally: President Donald Trump. The trade specialist's ascent from failed California political candidate and economics professor to one of the most central figures in the White House is a testament to his tenacity, indifference to bureaucratic formalities and ability to stay in the president's ear.

For much of Trump's presidency, Navarro has been an adviser, critiquing existing U.S. trade deals without responsibility for negotiating better ones. But since March, he has been in charge of coordinating the federal government's purchases of vital medical supplies using the Defense Production Act, a position Trump says is "more important, probably, than it's almost ever been in our country."

This story is based on interviews with 28 current and former administration officials, congressional aides and business executives, along with a review of government statements and securities filings. Many of those interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations or because they feared retaliation by Navarro.

Complaints over Navarro's combustible demeanor crested in the previously undisclosed 2018 investigation of his workplace conduct ordered by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, according to a former senior Trump adviser.

Kelly, a retired Marine, acted after months of complaints about Navarro's treatment of his staffers and colleagues. The trade adviser routinely exploded at his assistants while scheming to undermine other senior White House officials, this adviser said.

Complaints from female employees

Young women appeared to suffer the most verbal abuse. Some female White House employees complained that Navarro, 71, was habitually disrespectful, assigning professional women to act as note takers during policy meetings rather than allowing them to participate, another former official said.

Navarro was dismissive when Kelly confronted him, calling the reports exaggerated. After increasingly tense conversations and mounting complaints, Kelly finally told Navarro he would not tolerate the hostile work environment he had created and asked White House Counsel Donald McGahn's office to investigate.

"If it's worse than what I'm hearing, you're gone," Kelly told Navarro, according to a person familiar with the exchange. "If it's as bad as what I'm hearing, I don't know. You may be gone."

After interviewing White House employees, the counsel's office concluded that Navarro had been verbally abusive. The probe concluded with Navarro being informally counseled.

"They couldn't make any real findings because he was hostile to everybody, not just women," said one former White House official.

At first, the intervention appeared to have succeeded. But after Kelly resigned in December 2018, Navarro returned to form.

In recent weeks, Navarro screamed at a low-level government procurement officer over a purchase of medical supplies under the DPA. When the official refused his order, Navarro grew incensed.

"Are you loyal to China or to the American taxpayer?" he bellowed, according to a person familiar with the exchange. Several other officials recounted similar episodes.

"Peter Navarro's highest priority during the last six months has been defeating the China virus and working to save lives, while creating thousands of jobs in the process. As Policy Coordinator, he's helped oversee the use of the Defense Production Act more than 80 times and pushed the interagency to work quicker and smarter. These attacks are without merit," Sarah Matthews, a deputy White House press secretary, said in response to detailed questions about the events described in this story.

Growing in stature

For the past few years, Navarro was on the sidelines as Robert E. Lighthizer, the president's chief trade negotiator, hammered out commercial deals with several countries. As talks with China proceeded last year, Navarro, who opposed the eventual accord with Beijing, was not even allowed to see the negotiating text.

But today, he occupies a role with greater responsibilities, where his toxic personality and indiscriminate public commentary could have serious consequences.

On March 27, Trump tapped the Harvard-educated economist to coordinate the administration's emergency contracting for personal protective equipment, medical ventilators and syringes needed to fight the pandemic.

Navarro says the administration has dramatically increased production of protective masks, swabs, test kits and medical ventilators, plugging gaps that crippled the initial response to the novel coronavirus. In a White House report this month, he credited the president with leading "the most rapid mobilization of America's public health industrial base since World War II."

But Navarro also has criticized corporations such as General Motors and 3M as failing to move at what he calls "Trump time" and questioned the patriotism of colleagues who oppose his proposals.

"He loves to threaten people, and he's very good at that," said one business executive who described Navarro's criticism as unfair.

Trump administration officials have questioned Navarro when he demanded approval to write a check for "eight- or nine-figure amounts," explaining he lacked the authority to do so, according to one senior administration official.

Since mid-July, two major government contracts that Navarro lauded have become enmeshed in controversy.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding Eastman Kodak's disclosure of a $765 million federal loan Trump awarded to fund the launch of the company's new pharmaceutical division, the company said in a securities filing.

And Democrats on a House oversight subcommittee, after reviewing thousands of pages of emails and documents, concluded that Navarro was responsible for wasting more than $500 million by overpaying for ventilators manufactured by Philips. Navarro agreed to pay Philips almost five times as much per ventilator as the Obama administration had, accepting the manufacturer's opening bid without bargaining, the panel said.

"There's this public bravado," said one congressional investigator. "But in private they roll over and just get pushed around by these companies."

On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services terminated the Philips contract and two others, saying the United States now has "enough ventilators to meet maximum national capacity in a crisis."

Of the three, only the Philips contract is being investigated, an HHS spokesperson said.

Stepping out

Navarro also has been weighing in on policy issues far beyond his professional qualifications. A former economics professor at the University of California at Irvine with no known medical expertise, he publicly opines on coronavirus treatments.

Last month, he criticized the Food and Drug Administration for its delay in approving the emergency use of convalescent plasma, claiming that some experts "would rather have 100,000 people die from the virus" than take a chance on one person dying from a hastily approved medical treatment.

He also has tweeted that there is "blood on the hands" of media outlets questioning his advocacy of hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for COVID-19  the illness caused by the novel coronavirus  that the president has championed. Within the White House, Navarro has harshly criticized the FDA and Anthony Fauci, a member of the president's coronavirus task force and the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, telling the president that they are dragging their feet in advancing potential treatments and are insufficiently sensitive to the economic costs of the coronavirus fight. He has angered a number of senior public health officials, who complain that he doesn't know what he is talking about.

On July 14, he published without authorization an op-ed in USA TODAY attacking Fauci.

"He has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on," Navarro wrote of Fauci.

The White House later disavowed the extraordinary broadside, saying Navarro had acted without authorization. And USA TODAY published an editor's note, labeling the op-ed misleading. Amid the furor, Navarro called White House communications director Alyssa Farah to apologize, White House officials said. Navarro had proposed the op-ed, was told no and decided to write it anyway. Farah was infuriated, as was Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Yet Navarro went unpunished, these officials said.

 FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered.

In a statement, Farah said Navarro is a "valued voice on the airwaves articulating the Administration's viewpoint to the American people on a range of topics, including trade, manufacturing and rebuilding our economy."

He also has been harshly critical of prominent Democrats, including former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif) in a manner that would have been unusual for White House staffers in previous administrations. On Aug. 23, Navarro told Fox Business that the Chinese government favored Biden in the presidential race because "they know he can be bought; he's compromised."

My Peter

Despite his serial controversies, Navarro enjoys strong support from Trump, who affectionately refers to him as "my Peter." During the Republican National Convention last week, Navarro appeared at Trump's D.C. hotel to headline an event for top donors called "The Art of the Deal."

"He's been able to channel the vision of the one person who matters: the president," said Tony Fratto, principal deputy White House press secretary in the Bush administration. "He speaks the president's language."

Still, even the president has had to clean up after his trade adviser. In June, Navarro triggered a fall in stock futures when he was quoted as saying the Phase 1 deal with China was "over." The president within hours responded with a tweet that described the agreement as "fully intact."

Trump has acknowledged Navarro's prickly persona. In an East Room ceremony in January to mark the signing of the deal with China, the president listed Navarro among several top officials. The mention of the aide's name provoked a slight tittering in the audience of politicians and business executives.

"He's a little different. We have all types," the president said in a good-natured gibe.

Navarro stays in frequent touch with people close to the president in "MAGA land," according to a senior administration official, and the president's son Donald Trump Jr. has praised him publicly.

"Peter is untouchable," this person said.

As head of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, a unit the president established in April 2017, Navarro oversees a handful of inexperienced aides. His deputy director, Christopher Abbott, graduated from American University only last year.

Even allies have felt Navarros lash. In April, Michael Pillsbury of the Hudson Institute was startled to answer the phone and hear Navarro snarl: Im going to rip your fing throat out.

Pillsbury, a China expert at the Hudson Institute and occasional adviser to the president, told friends Navarro was irked by a headline on the Fox News website  China expert Pillsbury scolds Navarro over rhetorical shots at Beijing  which summarized some mild criticism he had offered in an on-air interview.

In May, the normally supportive Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs grew visibly angry with Navarro during a televised interview, accusing him of "peddling pablum and B.S."

Gone off the rails

Navarro is often hostile and overbearing in arguments, prone to attack anyone who disagrees with him as a representative of the "deep state." One former ally cut off contact with Navarro this year over his penchant for taking on battles outside of his trade expertise.

"He's gone off the rails," the individual said.

Navarro's history of constantly sounding alarms, especially over China's actions, has at times backfired. Earlier this year, he warned in two prescient memos that the coronavirus circulating in China could become a dire threat to the United States. But he was ignored, with many White House colleagues rolling their eyes at what was seen as just the latest Navarro broadside against China.

At the Senate GOP lunch on June 23, lawmakers asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about Navarro's statement 10 days earlier that the White House was seeking a $2 trillion economic rescue package. Mnuchin replied that Navarro had spoken without White House authorization, according to one person familiar with the exchange.

It was not the first time that Navarro had complicated the administration's relations with powerful figures in Congress.

In the spring of 2019, a handful of GOP senators met with Trump and Navarro in the Oval Office to discuss the president's tariffs, which were hurting Midwestern farmers. The meeting quickly grew contentious, according to two people familiar with the exchange.

Seated alongside the president and gesturing to charts used to illustrate his case, Navarro repeatedly spoke over the lawmakers. A frustrated Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, finally told Navarro he did not appreciate being interrupted, before telling the president he needed to hire new advisers, the people said.

Under Kelly, Navarro was often kept off the airwaves and confined to manufacturing issues. But the pandemic's focus on supply chain resilience and Chinese government behavior provided an opening.

Trusted by Trump

As Trump struggled to recover from his sluggish initial response to the crisis, he tapped Navarro to oversee use of the DPA, a 1950 law that gives the president broad authority to require private companies to prioritize government orders.

In making the appointment, Trump praised Navarro "as a very trusted person" who had done an "incredible" job for him. But the aide's brusque approach to the by-the-book world of government contracting has drawn criticism.

"He just started behaving like a czar on something he knows very little about, calling and ordering people to do things," said one business executive familiar with his approach.

One controversy surrounds a decision by the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to approve a government loan to support Eastman Kodak's launch of a pharmaceuticals unit.

Appearing on Fox Business, Navarro hailed the July 28 loan announcement as a "great day here in Trump-land," saying it posed "minimal risk to the taxpayer" and had been executed with "the greatest of due diligence."

Navarro said the deal had originated with Abbott, a 2019 graduate of American University, who had identified Kodak as a vehicle for the government to increase domestic production of generic drug ingredients.

Almost immediately, questions were raised about unusual activity involving the company's stock.

On July 27, one day before the announcement, Kodak gave its chairman and chief executive, James Continenza, and three other top executives, options to buy the stock for as little as $3.03 per share.

At the time, Kodak shares were trading for less than that amount, rendering the options worthless. But when the loan was announced one day later, the stock soared to $60 before closing around $33, leaving each of the executives sitting on paper profits worth millions of dollars.

The DFC said in an Aug. 7 tweet that it was putting the deal on hold while "serious concerns" about it were addressed. Navarro responded by blaming the company.

"What happened at Kodak was probably the dumbest decisions made by executives in corporate history," he told CNBC. "You can't fix 'stupid.' "

Just one week earlier, Democrats on the House subcommittee on economic and consumer policy had called Navarro's negotiating "inept" and "incompetent" in a report on his handling of a ventilator contract with Philips.

Starting in mid-March, Abbott coordinated in-person and telephone meetings between his boss and the manufacturer, according to copies of emails between Philips and the White House cited in the report.

Philips's March 25 invoice for 42,900 ventilators was addressed to "Dr. Peter Navarro," almost two weeks before the formal agreement was signed. All of the key details of the contract with HHS, including price and quantity, were agreed by Navarro and the company before professional government contracting officials were involved, the report said.

"HHS professional contract officers were excluded until the last moment. By then, the generous terms of the contract had already been agreed to by the White House," the report said.

The Democrats' report said Navarro blundered by paying $15,000 per ventilator rather than the $3,280 for what it calls a "functionally identical" Philips unit ordered by the Obama administration.

Navarro agreed to pay Philips 50% of the $646.7 million contract value before any units were delivered, a down payment that HHS later trimmed by 80 percent, the report said.

"We do not recognize the conclusions in the subcommittee's report, and we believe that not all the information that we provided has been reflected in the report. We would like to reiterate that on no occasion has Philips raised prices to benefit from the crisis situation," said Steve Klink, a Philips spokesman.

Republicans blasted the report as highly politicized and slipshod, saying Trump deserved credit for swiftly accelerating ventilator deliveries amid the crisis.
Winston Wolkoff tells other stories in her book about tension between the first lady and the first daughter: that Ivanka Trump tried to muscle in on planning a 2017 International Womens Day luncheon with Melania Trump (despite the first ladys objections) and wanted to read the first ladys speeches in advance (which Winston Wolkoff says she refused); that Kushner attempted to take over offices in the White Houses East Wing (typically the first ladys territory); that Melania Trump was not informed that she could bring guests to the presidents first address to Congress, and by the time she found out, the first ladys box had been filled with guests of Ivanka Trumps and Cabinet members. When Melania Trump tried to start hiring top staffers very early in the administration, Winston Wolkoff says, they were told there was almost no budget left for the first ladys office and they lost qualified candidates. Melania felt that her interests were being constantly stonewalled, Winston Wolkoff told The Post, and we knew that it was always Ivanka behind the friction and suspicion and distrust.
Samastipur:

A journalist was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Samastipur district of Bihar on Tuesday. Assailants fired seven bullets till BrijKishore, correspondent of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, died on the spot.A

However Police has refused to comment anything on this brutal murder incident.

Bihar: Brij Kishor, a journalist by profession, shot dead by unidentified persons in Samastipur a ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017

This is not the first incident when a journalist was killed in Bihar. In May, Rajdeo Ranjan, a senior journalist of Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Siwan district. Alleged gangster and RJD leader Shahbuddin was under the scanner of investigation agencies in the case.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
I have counted ten color revolutions in the post-Soviet territory. It all started with the well-known events that took place in Georgia when Shevardnadze was, in essence, removed from the position of head of state and Saakashvili seized power. This is what First Vice-Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vladimir Zabarov said during a Moscow-Minsk-Yerevan-Bishkek-Tbilisi teleconference entitled Velvet Revolutions in the Post-Soviet Territory: Origin and Consequences.

According to him, this was followed by the first Maidan in Ukraine, the Orange Revolution. The situation was unique in that period. I believe it was the first time in history when there was a third round of presidential elections. The European Union and the United States clearly interfered, and Yanukovych, who was running for president for the first time, ceded. Afterwards, it was Kyrgyzstan with the Poppy Revolution, which ended with forceful overthrow of government. In Kyrgyzstan, there was a conflict between the rich North and poor South, and the problem continues. After that, there was an attempted color revolution in Uzbekistan, which was repressed by the late Islam Karimov. After this, the Cornflower Revolution took place in Belarus, but was quickly neutralized, even though Europe and the European Court of Human Rights immediately imposed tough sanctions on Belarus. Next was Moldova with its Purple Revolution, and on March 1, 2008, disturbances began in Armenia after Sargsyan won Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the elections. Later, another revolution took place in Kyrgyzstan and was referred to as the Melon Revolution, and, of course, the Euromaidan in Ukraine. I consider this apotheosis, Zabarov explained.
Israel: Netanyahu anticipates ties to other Arab states

A warm peace based on economy, investment

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sept. 1 that the diplomatic normalization agreement with the UAE will be a warm peace, because it is based on economic cooperation with an entrepreneurial economy similar to ours, with very great economic abilities and considerable funds that is also looking for investment horizons.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have already set up a committee to collaborate on financial services and investments and are discussing establishing embassies.

The arrival of US and Israeli delegations to the UAE on a direct flight from Israel was a powerful start to the new relationship. According to the Aug. 31 US-UAE-Israel joint statement, Emirati and Israeli officials are discussing cooperation in investment, finance, health, the civilian space program, civil aviation, foreign policy and diplomatic affairs, tourism and culture.

'More than you think

Netanyahu sees the breakthrough with the UAE as just a start. I have met with very, very many leaders in the Arab and Islamic worlds, many more than you think, he said. But this is a peace that will facilitate direct and unmediated meetings between citizens of Israel and the populations of those states.

Last week US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Sudan, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE to line up others to follow the UAEs lead, and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is in the region this week.

The architect

Mazal Mualem writes that Mossad director Yossi Cohen is the uncontested architect of the regional peace initiative, adding that Netanyahu consults with him on a regular basis and relies on him to get things done and may even consider Cohen as one of two possible successors.

Netanyahu has been saying behind closed doors that there are two people he considers fit to lead the State of Israel: Yossi Cohen and Israeli Ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer, writes Mualem.

Better late than 

Ben Caspit has the scoop here on an Israeli regional peace project initiated by Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog four years ago that included quiet back channel talks with the United States, Egypt, the UAE and the Palestinians. But it all collapsed when Netanyahu and Herzog could not reach agreement on unity between their parties.

Read more: Mazal Mualems article details how the UAE agreement has stabilized Israels fragile unity government for now and listen here to my podcast interview with Dermer last week.

UAE: Israel peace deal strategic necessity not at expense of Palestinians

The UAE has made clear that the peace deal with Israel is a strategic necessity linked to peace in the region  and absolutely not a selling-out of the Palestinians.

Unshakable belief

Addressing the UAEs Palestinian community, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed said on Sept.1 that the "UAEs stance will remain supportive of the Arab stand calling for establishing an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. We will continue to support the Palestinian cause based on our historic stance that stems from a deeply rooted, unshakable belief that will never change as a result of any considerations.  The UAE sees peace-building as a strategic necessity for the region. However, this strategic necessity will not come at the expense of our support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of our fraternal Palestinian people."

Our take: The bet here is that the UAE, in line with its regional posture, will remain active in promoting Israel-Palestinian talks based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for a Palestinian state. The Emirates has been clear from the start that normalization came about only because Netanyahu agreed to hold off on annexation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Bin Zayeds statement is just the latest reaffirmation of the UAEs commitment to negotiations toward a two-state solution  see the Israeli digital media platform ynets column last month by UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al-Otaiba. A strong position backing the Palestinians is vital for Arab support for the UAEs courageous step. By the way, the UAE line on Palestinian statehood is the same one taken by both Egypt and Jordan in their peace agreements with Israel.

Read more: Daoud Kuttab has the take here on the reaction of Palestinian leaders to the deal.

Iran: Khamenei singles out that Jewish man in slamming Israel-UAE deal

What a contrast. As Israelis were being warmly received by Emiratis to launch a new era of peace, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weighed in with vitriol  and a whiff of anti-Semitism.

Khamenei accused the UAE of betraying the Palestinians and the Islamic world by conniving with the Israelis and malicious American agents  such as that Jewish man from Trumps family  against the interests of the world of Islam and [acting] against the world of Islam with the utmost cruelty.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry statement on Aug. 14 also didnt hold back: The Islamic Republic of Iran considers Abu Dhabis shameful move to normalize relations with the fake, illegitimate and anti-humane Zionist regime as a dangerous measure, warns against any interference by the Zionist regime in the Persian Gulf regions equations and declares that the Emirati government and the other governments siding with it must accept responsibility for all the consequences of this move.

Iran: #Metoo movement falters on reactionary judicial system

Speaking out

Iranian women are increasingly speaking out against harassment and rape in Iran. While the official Iranian media ignores the issue, there has been increased public awareness of it amid the arrest of a prominent bookshop owner who was accused of rape by several women.

Nonetheless, women remain reluctant to make their case in a system where their testimony is given less weight than that of a man, the judges are all men and the definition of rape itself is muddled.

The meanings of zena

Leila Alikarami explains the hurdles to accountability for rape crimes:

Under Irans penal code, most sexual crimes extend from the crime of zena, which covers adultery and premarital fornication between a man and a woman. Under zena, both parties are engaged in a criminal act. Rape is not a standalone crime in the penal code. Instead, rape is classified as zena by force that is done without the consent of the victim. In other words, the line between zena, where both parties are criminally liable, and zena by force, where only the assailant is liable, is a thin one. And if the element of force cant be established, then a victim could be seen as a criminal.

In addition, Irans Criminal Procedure Code doesnt allow investigations into zena or moral crimes, so the cases often come down to he said, she said.

Read more: Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate Leila Alikarami has the story here.

Egypt: New city and resort envisioned on WWII Alamein battlefield

The Egyptian government is investing in New Alamein City at the site of a decisive World War II battle on the northern coast near Libya as a resort destination that the projects enthusiasts believe could rival Sharm Al-Sheikh, sited in the south on the Red Sea. Alamein is one of the governments new cities envisioned as a means to redistribute Egypts population of 100 million to alleviate the population density in Cairo and other cities. New Alamein is expected to be able to house 6 million people. Read the article by Amr Eman here.

What were reading: Return of Brookings Iraq Index

After a seven-year absence, Michael OHanlon and Sam Gollob have resumed the Brookings Institution Iraq Index, a go-to one stop shop for statistics dealing with reconstruction and security in Iraq. Worth the bookmark. Check it out here.
By Andrew Osborn and Maria Kiselyova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus will impose travel bans on senior officials in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in retaliation for measures targeting its own officials, the foreign minister said on Wednesday, as Russia stepped up support for the Belarusian government.

More than three weeks after a political crisis erupted in Belarus over allegations of vote rigging in a presidential election which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko said he had won, Minsk and close ally Moscow are pushing back hard against Lukashenko's domestic and foreign critics.

In Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said his country had agreed to impose retaliatory sanctions on a list of individuals in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The move was pay back, he said, after the three Baltic countries on Monday said they were imposing travel bans on Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials to punish them for their role in the alleged vote-rigging and in a crackdown against protesters.

Makei declined to say who was on the sanctions list, but said it targeted individuals who had tried to interfere in his country's internal affairs, made what he called unacceptable political statements, and spoken of funding the opposition.

"For us this is absolutely unacceptable," he said, warning Minsk would impose sanctions on any other countries who put sanctions on Belarus.

The European Union has been working on a list of individuals to target with sanctions but is expected to exclude Lukashenko.

RUSSIAN SUPPORT

Standing alongside Makei, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered Lukashenko strong support and said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would visit Belarus for talks on Thursday.

Moscow would respond "firmly and with dignity" to any attempts to destabilise Belarus or loosen its strong ties to Russia, he said.

Lavrov condemned what he said was meddling in Belarus by outside forces, alleging that 200 trained Ukrainian extremists were inside Belarus trying to destabilise it, an accusation Kyiv said was fictitious.

Story continues

Lavrov also accused NATO and the European Union of making "destructive" statements about Belarus. He said Moscow saw no point in engaging with the Belarusian opposition council that has emerged amid nationwide anti-government protests.

Complaining about what he described as an initial anti-Russian statement from the council, he accused it of breaking the law by calling on law enforcement forces to switch sides.

The council's leaders have said repeatedly that they are only interested in trying to bring about a peaceful transition of power.

In another sign of Russian support, the chiefs of staff of the Russian and Belarusian armies discussed preparations for a joint military drill in Belarus this year ahead of a visit by the Belarusian defence minister to Moscow on Friday.

Lukashenko has also thanked Russian state-backed television channel RT for sending journalists to help prop up Belarusian state media after some staff members went on strike in protest against his rule.

(Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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Inside Hook

When we all fall asleep, where do we go? wondered the philosopher Billie Eilish with the wordy title of her blockbusting debut studio album. The work of her contemporary Charlie Kaufman endeavors to answer a more complicated corollary to that question: Where do we go when we get lost in our thoughts? The idiom implies travel and transportation, the condition under which his beguiling new film Im Thinking of Ending Things begins. Jake (Jesse Plemons) is bringing his girlfriend (Jessie Buckley, in a role officially labeled Young Woman) to his suburban hometown so she can meet his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis), a trek that sticks them in the middle of a nighttime blizzard whiting their surroundings out to blackness. Shes wrapped up in her internal monologue and hes got plenty of his mind as well, but we wont realize until the revelatory final act just how deep in thought they really are.



Suffice it to say that all the snow harbors a metaphorical significance, like just about everything else in this dense symbolist head-trip. Nothing is as it seems, an overused hook in the movie biz redeemed here by a total commitment to deconstructing the cliched It was in their head all along! twist. Kaufmans latest blurs the line between reality and our subjective perception of it until its been buried completely. What remains once all the powder has settled is the most concentrated realization of his creative sensibility yet, the logical conclusion of his ongoing project to visualize mental interiority as an exterior space. Hes spent his entire career contriving postmodern devices that give physical shape to anxieties and insecurities. Now, hes finally cut out the intermediary and plunged us all into what Willy Wonka would call a world of pure imagination, if the noted candy magnate had had fantasies of suicide instead of chocolate manufacturing.



Kaufman got his start in the crucible of the comedy writers room, where his neuroses kept him in polite silence for his first few weeks on staff at Chris Elliotts cult-favorite sitcom Get A Life. When he did contribute, he wowed his new peers with series highlights like Prisoner of Love (in which Elliotts Chris Peterson gets taken hostage by his recently released prison pen pal) and 1977 2000 (the one where Chris time-travels to stop a disgraced cop pal from making the urine-related mistake that cost him his job). Even when pitting his self-confessed timidity against the jostling attitude of TV production, he got some sublimely strange stuff on the airwaves. 1977 2000 offers an early example of what would become the typical Kaufman approach, in which surrealist touches mold the narrative fabric to match a characters inner state. Chris, longtime nemesis of his best friends humorless wife Sharon, encounters her as a two-headed zombie in this episode. The moment makes only slightly more sense in context, adhering instead to an associative train-of-thought reasoning.



The scribe arrived in grand fashion with the script for Being John Malkovich, directed by simpatico oddball Spike Jonze. The elevator pitch  a sad-sack puppeteer discovers a small door that allows him to share the POV of actor John Malkovich  only teases the sum total of the unconventional in a plot that also includes a post-traumatic chimpanzee, peculiar perspectives on gender and a mysterious cabal of immortal old people. Kaufman eased audiences into his running preoccupation with the life of the mind, articulating his pet theme of psychology inhabited secondhand by literally mashing up bodies and consciousnesses. The key scene sees Malkovich triggering an ouroboric glitch by entering the door to his own self, a feedback loop putting his cue-balled head on the bodies of everyone in sight. They all speak only with the word Malkovich, immersing him in himself to hilarious, eerie, and discomfiting effect.

Every one of Kaufmans works eventually arrives at this unsettling existential juncture, where the protagonist finds their identity or aspects of it seeping into people who are not them. Nicolas Cage, the most versatile actor to have ever lived, manifests warring selves housed within the Charlie Kaufman persona as the foundation for sophomore feature Adaptation. With a paunchy prosthetic suit and thinning hairpiece, he plays onscreen avatar Charlie as a bundle of worries, the yin to the confident, carefree and successful yang of twin brother Donald. The parts of himself that Charlie resents most collide with the parts of others that resents most, Donalds self-assurance exacerbating his lack thereof. Moreso than the invisible hand of god, those bastards called other people can be relied on for a steady supply of humiliation, as if theyve been briefed on all our weak spots.



Personhood has always been the most malleable quality under Kaufmans laws of fiction physics, liable to mutate and splinter into unfamiliar new forms. He peppers his films with allusions to Fregoli and Capgras, namesakes for delusions warping the way we process presences outside our own. (The former refers to the condition of believing that other faces are all one trickster constantly changing disguises, and the latter, to the belief that someone close to you has been replaced by an identical impostor.) His directorial debut Synecdoche, New York abounds with doubles and doppelgangers, as theater director Caden Cotard (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) mounts a play covering all of creation. This quixotic mission requires him to cast an actor to portray himself, and an actor to portray that actor, and so on and so forth. In fact, and so on and so forth may be the closest thing Kaufman has to a motto, his earlier thought experiments structured in concentric metatextual circles that must include smaller versions of themselves.



That unsparing self-interrogation was mistaken for navel-gazing by many of Kaufmans harsher critics, and his choice to insert himself into his writing got the charge bumped up to narcissism. All of which made 2004s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind an anomaly in Kaufmans corpus of nobly uncommercial hard sells: an Oscar-winning box-office success. This critics theory as to why audiences responded to the tale of dissolving couple Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) has to do with its foregrounding of wistful lost love, a constant for the auteur made clearer and more sympathetic in this instance. It mostly boils down to Why doesnt she love me? being a slightly more flattering strain of anguish than Why wont anyone love me? The rest of it stems from Kaufmans shift from remaking characters in his protagonists images to doing the same with setting.



In that film, a company called Lacuna erases painful recollections for pay using complex gadgetry which jettisons Joel into a Proustian vortex of longing and regret. His process of tunneling through his own subconscious steered Kaufmans filmography in more abstract directions, toward an oneiric atmosphere reprised in 2015s stop-motion wonder Anomalisa. The two films share a certain spatial blurriness, as character and viewer tumble through liminal half-places that may or may not be corporeal. In his film Inception, good ol Christopher Nolan described the essence of a dream as being somewhere else without knowing how you got there. Despite skewering Nolan as the Starbucks of filmmakers in his lone novel Antkind, Kaufman clearly subscribes to this same notion, leading Joel and Anomalisas Michael Stone (voice of David Thewlis) through terrain not just populated by their most intimate hang-ups and desires, but sculpted by them.



This pair of films form the key to a deeper appreciation for the sense of culmination that Im Thinking of Ending Things brings to Kaufmans oeuvre. The excursion to Jakes boyhood home fully obliterates the boundary between whats thought and whats seen, as we learn in the hallucinatory climax. Without spoonfeeding anyone this information, Kaufman hints that the film up to that point has been a figment in the softening mind of Jake, in actuality an older, embittered janitor working at his old school. For the first time, Kaufman requires no rational (well, semi-rational) textual explanation for our way into a characters head. While in the car with Jake, the Young Woman notes that everything around them is tinged, refracted through their personal impressions. The animated pig that later beckons Jake to his eternal rest enlightens him that You, me, ideas  were all one thing. Kaufman has pursued these profound truths for decades, and in this zone of untethered nonreality, he can at last grasp them.
The US and Israel are losing no time in rushing to cement the announced peace deal between Israel and the UAE

In a historic development, an Israeli commercial flight flew for the first time from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital Monday carrying a joint American-Israeli delegation to discuss with Emirati officials details of the peace deal announced 13 August.

Onboard was Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is US President Donald Trumps son-in-law and a key architect of Washingtons Middle East policy. The American delegation was led by US National Security Adviser Robert OBrien and the Israeli delegation was led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat.

On arrival in Abu Dhabi, Kushner thanked Saudi Arabia for allowing the flight to use Saudi airspace. Israel media reported that Saudi authorities gave permission to the Israeli flight on US request and because a senior American delegation was onboard.

The Israeli delegation, including economists, scientists and planners, would meet UAE officials in preparation for the signing of cooperation agreements in the civil and economic fields. The two-day visit also aimed at setting a date for the signing of the Abraham Accord  as the Israeli-Emirati peace deal is called  with the US as a third party, probably in September.

Though the main theme of the negotiations in Abu Dhabi looks economic, preparing for trade, economic and technological cooperation and joint investment agreements, political and diplomatic aspects are not absent. Israel is keen on signing an agreement to open embassies and to formalise diplomatic relations as soon as possible.

The official Emirati news agency quoted Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying: We hope that it would be a quick process and within a few weeks or months we would be able to see the fruits of this process. The Israeli official said that the delegation will discuss with Emirati officials diplomatic relations, tourism, science and space, trade and investments, as well as cultural and health research, the Emirati news agency reported.

Abu Dhabi-based English daily The National said that the visit underpins the importance Israel places on cooperation with the Emirates, one of the few Arab countries with a GDP larger than Israels.

Since the announcement of the peace deal, Israel and the UAE have moved quickly to cement their ties. Almost immediately, they opened direct phone lines and cabinet ministers held friendly phone conversations. On Saturday, the UAE ended its formal commercial boycott of Israel. UAE Minister of State for Food Security Mariam Al-Mheiri, and Israels Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Alon Schuster, held an online meeting last Friday and agreed to collaborate in food and water security, cooperation in research and development, aquaculture and agriculture technology.

Emirati political commentator Rashed Murooshid told Al-Ahram Weekly that active peace with Israel is of great benefit to the UAE and the region. He specifically mentioned cooperation in tourism as an important element, citing his country set a benchmark for the industry. Tourism is becoming a significant component of the economy, and enhancing it leads not only to business benefits but also social and cultural ones, that strengthen the message of tolerance and coexistence the UAE adopted, he said.

Responding to the few voices that criticised the deal, Murooshid said: Decades of failed efforts to settle the Palestinian issue shouldnt put us off. Direct and transparent relations can help opening the way to direct and serious negotiations between the concerned parties. That will prove more fruitful than back corridors and external parties just exploiting the issue to further Palestinian internal wrangling.

It is not only the Israelis who are in a hurry to make a hot peace. The Americans are keen as well to make up for the failed Deal of the Century Kushner and Trump announced last year.

Upon his arrival in Abu Dhabi, Kushner said: On the plane we asked the pilots to fly faster because there is great urgency between the people of both countries to break down old barriers, to get to know each other, to form new and hopefully very deep friendships. Signing the accord officially could be a boost to Trump in the run up to November US presidential elections.

Even if mere coincidence, it was remarkable that on the same day Israel reached a deal with Hamas in Gaza Strip to calm the situation down and to stopping firing rockets from Gaza on Israel in return for opening the crossings on the border and allowing Gazan fishermen more space in the Mediterranean Sea. The deal was brokered by Qatar.

Israelis are mindful of the rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. But as Tel Aviv is eager for a warm peace with the whole Arab Gulf, it is trying to appease all parties.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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A team of pharmacologists and researchers in search of plant compounds that could help with Covid-19 treatment has found an edible weed that showed promise in lab studies. Researchers from Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University found it in Delhis Aravalli Biodiversity Park, which they have been visiting since March.

In molecular docking studies conducted recently, Solanum nigrum (black nightshade; Makoy in Hindi), a weed and a vegetable commonly consumed in many parts of the country, the team says they found remarkable results.

Their research showed its constituents bind with ACE 2 (an enzyme the Sars-Cov-2 virus uses to enter the body) and have the potential to inhibit viral replication; cytokine storm and inflammation.

We wanted to develop a phytopharmaceutical drug. Professor CR Babu (Professor Emeritus, Delhi University) who developed the Aravalli Biodiversity Park had guided us through the park and helped us collect samples from eight potential plants. At that time, we didnt know much about the pathogenesis of the disease, so my team and I first worked on that and wrote a paper on how the disease impacts the body, said Professor Ramesh K Goyal, Vice Chancellor of the University.

Based on the first 206 Covid-19 deaths reported in India till April 10, Goyals team published a paper in Elseviers Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice journal which concluded, what is now well known, that patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and hypertension are at greater risk of developing Covid-19 infection. The team tried to understand the clinical characteristics of Covid-19 with the renin angiotensin system (RAS), hormonal system that regulates blood pressure.

In drug discovery, one of the mechanisms used is to see how the chemical compound interacts with the body through molecular modelling studies. The score from modelling gives us an idea of how the drug will perform. By the end of April 2020, it was very clear that Covid-19 has close molecular links with angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) -- (an enzyme the Sars-Cov-2 virus uses to enter the body) and Open Reading Frame protein (ORF8)a serological marker, said Jaseela Majeed, associate professor at the University.

ACE-2 in particular seems to be the main culprit for every complication of the patient like cytokine surge, inflammation and thrombotic events. Unfortunately, even today, no drug that inhibits ACE2 is available. We found that some constituents of black nightshade interact with ACE2 and its associated receptors. The docking scores for the compounds present in Solanum nigrum were higher than some repurposed drugs being used currently and also when compared with other phytochemicals under clinical trials. Our colleagues Professors Rajiv Tonk and Ajit Thakur are working on validating these results, explained Mahaveer Dhobi, associate professor at the University.

Based on some preliminary clinical evidence, results of which are still being compiled Goyal said the drug once developed could be useful for symptomatic patients unlike other plant-based interventions which are prophylactic in nature. The teams initial research results will be available in Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine journal soon.

The University team has prepared a formulation for the clinical trial permission and are in the process to get the support from various statutory and funding agencies.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is also in the process of developing a phytopharmaceutical drug for Covid-19. The US FDA in 2005 approved phytopharmaceuticals as botanicals. In 2015, phytopharmaceuticals were also approved by the DGCI but since then there were no trials conducted. We now have ACQH which is in phase II of clinical trials. Its safety is demonstrated. We believe ACQH to be antiviral, said Shekhar C Mande, director general, CSIR.

Phytopharmaceuticals work slightly differently from one cause-one purified compound theory of modern medicine. This involves extract of a compound which has a signature. But this is different from Ayurveda. It follows the same guidelines as modern medicine, Mande added.

Phytochemicals are coming up in a big way. They provide hope in supportive or palliative care but will take a long time in becoming a therapeutic solution. Docking studies are done on a computer but we have to see how they work on the body.

Researchers are studying anti-viral agents of all kinds but my personal feeling is that it will be a long way because the virus multiplies very rapidly, said Dr Shobha Broor, former head, department of microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi

Some phytopharmaceutical drugs for Covid-19 are already undergoing trials. They are different from Ayurveda or those specified in classical texts. These are purified and well characterised extracts from plants which are then standardised trough chemical, animal and clinical trials, said Dr VG Somani, Drugs Controller General of India
New populations of black holes revealed by gravitational waves

The gravitational wave (1) detectors LIGO and Virgo have just chalked up their biggest catch yet, a black hole 142 times the mass of the Sun, resulting from the merger of two black holes of 85 and 65 solar masses. The remnant black hole is the most massive ever observed with gravitational waves, and it could give us some clues about the formation of the supermassive black holes that sit at the centres of some galaxies. The mass of one of the merging black holes, 85 solar masses, provides information that could improve our understanding of the final stages in the evolution of massive stars. The discovery, to which several CNRS teams contributed as part of the Virgo collaboration, is published on 2 September 2020 in the journals Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.

At first sight, there is nothing particularly new about the detection of the birth of a black hole caused by the merger of two others, accompanied by the emission of a huge amount of energy: after all, a succession of similar events have been observed ever since 2015, when the gravitational waves produced by such phenomena were observed for the first time (2). However, GW190521, the signal recorded on 21 May 2019 by the LIGO and Virgo instruments, stands out from the crowd, for the signal is not only the most distant, and therefore the oldest, ever detected (the gravitational wave took seven billion years to reach us), but in addition the black hole resulting from the merger is also the most massive observed so far. Above all, the observation is the first direct evidence of the existence of 'intermediate-mass' black holes, which weigh in at 100 to 100 000 solar masses. Such intermediate-mass black holes are heavier than those resulting from the collapse of high mass stars, but much lighter than the supermassive black holes that sit at the centre of some galaxies. Until now, only indirect evidence obtained from electromagnetic observations hinted at their existence.

Intermediate-mass black holes are interesting since they may hold the key to one of the big puzzles in astrophysics and cosmology: the origin of supermassive black holes. Although the question remains an open one, one of the scenarios proposed to explain the formation of these cosmic monsters is precisely that of repeated mergers of intermediate-mass black holes.

With masses around 65 and 85 times that of the Sun, the two black holes that were observed to merge intrigue astrophysicists as well. This is because, based on our current knowledge, the gravitational collapse of a star cannot form black holes in the approximate range of 60 to 120 solar masses, since the most massive stars are completely blown apart by the supernova explosion that accompanies the collapse, leaving only gas and dust behind them. So, sitting right in the middle of this forbidden range, how did the black hole of 85 solar masses form? Is there something we haven't understood about the way in which massive stars end their lives? If it is not of stellar origin, could it too have resulted from an earlier merger of less massive black holes? Or alternatively, could it be a hypothetical primordial black hole, formed during the Big Bang? The observation of GW190521 clearly raises new questions about the formation of the enigmatic objects we call black holes.

Compared to earlier observations, the GW190521 signal detected by LIGO and Virgo is very short and harder to analyse. Due to its more complex nature, other hypotheses involving more exotic sources were also explored to explain it, and such possibilities are described in the article in Astrophysical Journal Letters. However, the most plausible source of this gravitational wave remains the merger of two black holes.

###

Notes:

(1) Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time, predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity in 1915 and detected for the first time a century later.

(2) Gravitational waves detected 100 years after Einstein's prediction (press release), 11 February 2016: http://www2. cnrs. fr/ sites/ en/ fichier/ cp_cnrs_engcharte. pdf; A Nobel for Gravitational Waves (CNRS News), first published 11 February 2016, updated 3 October 2017: https:/ / news. cnrs. fr/ articles/ a-nobel-for-gravitational-waves

About Virgo and LIGO

The Virgo Collaboration is currently composed of approximately 580 members from 109 institutes in 13 different countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) hosts the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, and is funded by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and Nikhef in the Netherlands. A list of the Virgo Collaboration groups can be found at http://public. virgo-gw. eu/ the-virgo-collaboration/ . More information is available on the Virgo website at http://www. virgo-gw. eu .

LIGO is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and led the project. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF, with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council-OzGrav) making significant commitments and contributions to the project. Approximately 1,300 scientists from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration. A list of additional partners is available at https:/ / my. ligo. org/ census. php .

The scientific articles announcing this discovery are co-signed by 99 scientists in France, working in eight teams from the CNRS and associated universities, part of the Virgo Collaboration:

- 'Astroparticule et cosmologie' laboratory (CNRS/Universite de Paris) ;

- 'Astrophysique Relativiste, Theories, Experiences, Metrologie, Instrumentation, Signaux' laboratory (CNRS/Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur/Universite Cote d'Azur) ;

- 'Institut de physique des 2 infinis de Lyon' (CNRS/Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1) ;

- 'Institut pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien' (CNRS/Universite de Strasbourg) ;

- 'Institut lumiere matiere' (CNRS/Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1) ;

- 'Laboratoire d'Annecy de physique des particules' (CNRS/Universite Savoie Mont Blanc) ;

- 'Laboratoire Kastler Brossel' (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite/ENS-PSL/College de France) ;

- 'Laboratoire de physique des 2 infinis - Irene Joliot-Curie' (CNRS/Universite Paris-Saclay).

Some of the authors are associated with the teams mentionned above while working in other laboratories: 'Institut Foton' (CNRS/Universite Rennes 1/Insa Rennes), Lagrange laboratory (CNRS/Universite Cote d'Azur/Observatoire Cote d'Azur), 'Laboratoire de physique et d'etude des materiaux' (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite/ESPCI Paris).

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
GREENSBORO, N.C.  Federal prosecutors in North Carolina announced voter fraud charges Wednesday against 19 non-citizens accused of illegally casting a ballot in 2016.

Each defendant voted in a federal election in 2016, and one defendant also voted in 2018, according to a news release from United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martins office. In some instances, the defendants were also charged with related offenses such as making a false statement.

The news release did not list the defendants' nationalities or say how their alleged crimes had been uncovered, although it said the matters had been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

Brief charging documents provided few details about any of the allegations. Many defendants did not have an attorney listed in court records.

The Associated Press attempted to contact all defense attorneys who were listed, reaching only two.

Helen Parsonage, who is representing three of the defendants, declined comment on the merits of the charges but said her clients would be "vigorously defended.

"These cases are clearly timed for partisan political purposes, she wrote in an email.

Another attorney, J. Scott Coalter, declined comment on his client's behalf but noted he found it rare to have the U.S. attorney for the Middle District handling misdemeanor cases.

A conviction of voting by a non-citizen, a misdemeanor, carries a maximum term of one year imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $100,000, or both.
Bryan Connor Herrell, a 26-year-old man from Colorado who served as a moderator for AlphaBay, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. His is the latest AlphaBay-related case to come to a close after authorities seized what was once the dark webs biggest marketplace for guns, drugs and stolen identities and financial data back in 2017. According to the Department of Justice, Herrell settled over 20,000 disputes between vendors and purchasers for the marketplace. He also kept an eye out for scams and monitored users attempts to defraud each other.

The DOJ says Herrell was paid in Bitcoin for his services and operated under the pseudonyms Penissmith and Botah, but the steps he took to preserve his anonymity werent enough to protect him. When the Royal Thai Police, the FBI and the DEA executed an arrest warrant for alleged AlphaBay founder Alexandre Cazes at his residence in Bangkok, they found an unencrypted laptop with files identifying people associated with the marketplace.

Cazes case was dismissed after he died in his cell in Thailand of suspected suicide. Meanwhile, Herrell pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization in January and faced up to 20 years in prison.

US Attorney McGregor Scott of the Eastern District of California said in a statement:

This sentence serves as further proof that criminals cannot hide behind technology to break the law. Operating behind the veil of the darknet may seem to offer shelter from criminal investigations, but people should think twice before ordering or selling drugs online  you will be caught. This office will continue using all means available to pursue darknet-based crimes, particularly those involving fentanyl, opioids, and other dangerous drugs.

According to an old Wired report, AlphaBay featured up to 300,000 listings and earned between $600,000 and $800,000 a day in revenue before it was seized. It was a massive business and its takedown led to the arrest not just of individuals running the marketplace, but also of vendors selling illicit goods on the dark web.

An AlphaBay public relations specialist was sentenced to three years in prison back in 2018, and at least a couple of drug traffickers were also sentenced to serve time. In February this year, feds charged Ohio resident Larry Harmon for laundering the equivalent of roughly $300 million in Bitcoin for drug dealers and other crooks who sold their goods on the marketplace.
(TNS)  Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said a cyberattack, in addition to Mondays software glitch, were responsible for Miami-Dade County Public Schools disastrous first two days of its virtual start to an already surreal school year.Carvalho made the shocking announcement outside School Board headquarters in downtown Miami, Fla., late Tuesday afternoon. He said the district suffered a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack Monday morning, simultaneously with a software glitch that blocked access to the districts servers, rendering multiple online school district features useless and teaching nearly impossible.Carvalho said the FBI and Secret Service have been called in and Comcast, the school districts internet provider, was subpoenaed around 3 p.m. He said he did not know who the perpetrator may be, but vowed to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.Yesterday I said I was frustrated and disappointed, Carvalho said. Today, I am frustrated and angry. He said the software glitch, which he described as an operating system software with bad code that needed to be fixed, was 100% resolved and optimized, adding that the switch worked fairly well on Tuesday. The simultaneous DDoS attack, he said, created a bottleneck of system requests that overwhelmed servers and locked students and teachers out.We are absolutely convinced this is a contributing factor to yesterdays problem, Carvalho said. This absolutely caused additional stress.He said whoever conducted the cyberattack did not hack in or penetrate district servers. It is not clear if the attack affected My School Online, the school districts new and controversial learning platform developed by K12, a for-profiit education conglomerate.Carvalho compared the high-profile attack to the cyberattack that struck when Floridas public schools debuted online standardized testing in 2015. Cyberattacks against schools have increased because they are viewed as easy targets.In 2019, there were 348 cyberattacks against U.S. schools, almost three times the level in 2018, according to an article in EdTech.Early Tuesday, a school district spokeswoman said the districts Internet service via Comcast was intermittently interrupted Tuesday morning but was soon resolved. She said 160,000 students and over 10,000 teachers were logged onto the K12 platform. Miami-Dade Schools has approximately 275,000 students and nearly 20,000 teachers.Given this took place during the beginning of school, we understand how important connectivity is for virtual learning during this unprecedented time, said Comcasts vice president of public relations, Mindy Kramer. We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working with the school district and law enforcement to ensure this doesnt happen again.Carvalho was reluctant to address issues with K12. Many teachers and students received error messages throughout the day that said the system was down for emergency maintenance.Even through backdoor links the district provided, teachers, students and parents were greeted with error messages. Entire class periods were wasted. Some classes had a teacher with no students, others had students but no teacher. Many pivoted to Zoom video chats and reported having no issues there.Teachers and students took to social media Tuesday to mock  or at least, make light of  the outages. Students made TikTok videos and teachers and parents circulated memes of banana dog  the scruffy pup adorning a banana print tee in the stock photo found on the ever-present K12 error page.Carvalho said the kindergarten through fifth grade element of K-12 was down for 30 minutes. The sixth grade through 12th grade portion was down for about an hour. He said district officials were in conversation with representatives from K12 Tuesday.Chief Academic Officer Marie Izquierdo said 107,000 students and teachers were logged on between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, and 103,000 logged on between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Another 67,300 logged on at 10:30 a.m.She said the school district marked 218,000 students as successfully getting through the system and connecting at some point. For those special classes that use Microsoft Teams, 71,700 students logged in. Many teachers turned to Zoom or Microsoft Teams in the wake of the disruptions.Carvalho said the district has detected challenges and optimization needs with the My School Online platform, but that the school district received assurances from the company that it will work optimally.Were going to hold the company accountable, he said.K12, the company that runs the My School Online platform, received a $15 million no-bid contract over the summer without board approval. That contract has not been made public.Carvalho said the contract will be discussed at the virtual School Board committee meetings on Wednesday.There is no mystery in the contract, he said.Carvalho changed his tone on Cisco, the Silicon Valley tech giant responsible for the software glitch, calling it an incredible partner.Looking forward to tomorrow, Carvalho said, I am now confident we have identified two sets of problems and two sets of solutions and the school experience Wednesday will improve dramatically.Thats far different from Monday and Tuesday, when thousands of the districts students and teachers could not sign onto their virtual classrooms for the first two days of school.The school district did not open its classrooms to students due to the coronavirus pandemic. Carvalho said Monday that the district would look to reopen classrooms in mid-September, providing the number of new COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward in Miami-Dade County.By 11 a.m. Tuesday, teachers and students were greeted with a new error message on K12: Due to emergency maintenance, some or all courses may be unavailable. Teams were working to resolve as quickly as possible.One teacher at Miami Central Senior High said she wasted the entire first period of school trying to log on, even while using her Internet connection from home. Any breakthroughs to the site quickly came and went. She then spent her time calling students parents to get them on Zoom.Another teacher at Coral Reef Senior High said she logged into the K12 website directly at 7:45 a.m., but wasnt joined by a student until 8:40 a.m. Later, 24 out of her 26 students were learning in K12. They accessed the platform via the school districts portal, a program called Clever and the Azure backdoor.Some were able to pivot to hosting classes via Zoom, the video chat platform.Not even trying K12 for last block, texted the Reef teacher, who dropped a Zoom link into the Newrow video chat on the K12 platform for students to click on. Waiting to know K12 is perfect before I go back. Kids are DONE.
Congratulations on buying your new home! You survived the hardest parts: making an offer, mortgage approval, the home inspection, and closing. Whew! Go ahead and take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You earned it.

But now the real fun starts: outfitting your home with everything you'd ever want and need. Of course, you do have every right to buy that neon beer sign you've always wanted. It's your house, and you'll decorate it how you want! But allow us to suggest a few more grown-up items that every well-appointed house ought to have. After all, your brand-new mortgage does mean you've reached peak adult status.

Our experts say the following items are worthy investments and will lend a touch of comfort, sophistication, and elegance to your new home.

1. Luxurious bath towels

Add some luxury to your towel selection. Coyuchi

Your towels looked OK in your last apartment, but it's time to up the ante. No more mismatched sets or ragged edges.

As an adult, its time to invest in some high-quality bath towels. These are something you use every day, and they should feel plush and luxurious, not like old gym towels from high school, says Christine Stucker, founder and creative director for Stewart-Schafer, with offices in New York and Connecticut.

Check out Coyuchis cloud loom towels ($18 and up, Coyuchi.com), which are made with certified organic cotton and woven in the Aegean region of Turkey.

2. High-quality mattress

Now's the time to invest in a quality mattress. parachutehome.com

Sleeping on any old mattress wont cut it in your new home. A supportive, comfortable mattress can help you get a good night's sleep and make you more productive during the day.

Your bed is of the utmost importance. You spend almost half your life in bed. This luxurious, high-quality mattress checks all the boxes," says Stucker. "We use Parachute's feather bed; its heavenly."

The mattress from Parachute ($1,299 and up, parachutehome.com) finds the balance between soft and firm and is constructed of layers of pure New Zealand wool, organic cotton, and pocketed steel coils hand-tufted together.

3. Bamboo silk sheets

These bamboo sheets come in lots of different colors. cariloha.com

With a deluxe mattress on your list, youll also need to ditch those decades-old sheets for something more elegant.

Your bed is one of the most important places in your home, and high-quality sheets are absolutely necessary, says Stucker. Carilohas thermal-regulating sheets will help you get a good night's sleep and are by far the softest sheets I have ever laid on.

The sheets are made of viscose from bamboo and have a sleek sateen finish with advanced box-stitch seams. They are softer than high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, are 3 degrees cooler than nonbamboo fabrics, have odor- and allergy-resistant properties, and are environmentally sustainable. ($239, cariloha.com)

4. Pretty dinnerware set

No mismatched dinnerware here. montesdoggett.com

Mismatched plates, cups, and cutlery were part of your old life. A new home means you have more space to hold extravagant (and socially distanced) gatherings and dinner parties. And you definitely dont want to be entertaining with paper plates, either.

Chic, well-made serveware is a must, says Nicole Palczynski, designer and founder of Vein Design in Los Angeles. She recommends a set of handmade ceramics ($262.50, MontesDoggett.com) from Montes Doggett, a North Carolinabased company that believes in fair trade and celebrates the inherent beauty and craftsmanship of pottery.

5. Meaningful artwork

Source art that has a story behind it. Tappan Collective

After moving into a new place, you'll notice the walls are glaringly bare. Add some life and character to your abode with artwork from talented emerging artists.

"Artwork brings spaces to life and helps curate your unique story," says Palczynski. "Pro tip: Layering mediums into your collection creates awesome depth and tactile interest to your spaces. Tappan Collective curates a wide breadth of price points and mediums so you can create depth and visual interest in your new space."

We love the Morocco pastels series ($350 and up, TappanCollective.com) that celebrates the design of cities in North Africa, such as Marrakech.

6. Unique serving bowls

Make a statement with a stoneware serving bowl. wrenpottery.com

Beautifully designed serving bowls can add a statement to your home and showcase any food or items placed in them.

Wren Pottery makes elegant one-of-a-kind, wheel-throw stoneware," says Stucker.

The companys large wildflower stoneware serving bowl ($125, WrenPottery.com) features bamboo brushwork of cobalt blue wildflowers and bees.

7. Fancy vent cover

An intricate vent cover is big on details. ventandcover.com

A decorative vent cover can add an extra special detail to further beautify your home.

"One by one, invest in items around your home that make every detail seem thoughtful," says Palczynski. "The wide range of vent covers from aptly named Vent + Cover add sophistication to a location many people tend to overlook."

These vent covers ($33.95, VentandCover.com) come in different sizes and designs in resin, metal, or wood for your floor, wall, and ceiling.

8. Scented candles

Create your signature scent with candles. Mar Mar Los Angeles

Set the mood of your home with a hand-poured scented candle made from natural ingredients like coconut wax and a cotton wick. Whether its something sweet, fruity, musky, or beachy, theres a candle thats right for you.

Our pick is the Moon Beach candle ($46, marmarlosangeles.com) from Mar Mar, a small company in Los Angeles.

Mar Mar's candles "are meant to evoke 'future memories'a potent mix of past experience and hopes for what's to come," according to the company.

Sounds like just the thing for a new homeowner.

9. Linen napkins

No more paper towels! gjustagoods.com

Linen napkins add a touch of luxury to your dining experience and as well as a splash of color to your table.

"Every homeowner needs linen napkins," says Palczynski. "The colorful selections from Gjusta Goods were designed for daily use at their sister restaurants and are sturdy, soft, and as groovy as Venice itself."

These napkins come in a set of six ($70, GjustaGoods.com) with contrast stitching. The napkins come in a choice of seven colors and can be machine-washed.

The post 9 Grown-Up Things Every New Homeowner Should Have appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Boubacar Keita

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former Malian president who has not been seen in public since his August 18 ouster in a coup, has been hospitalised after suffering a brief stroke-like attack, a doctor said Wednesday.

The Agence France Presse, AFP, reports that Keita, 75, was admitted to a private clinic in the capital Bamako on Tuesday evening, he said.



According to thorough analysis, the president was the victim of a transient ischaemic attack. It is an alert, but he is recovering well at the moment, a doctor at the facility said.

A transient ischaemic attack, also called a mini-stroke, happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted for a few minutes, causing stroke-like symptoms such as numbness on one side of the body, vision difficulties or confusion in understanding speech.

Although the symptoms are typically short-lasting, they are often a warning sign for future strokes, experts say.

Earlier Wednesday, an aide to Keita and a medical source had said the former president had been admitted to the clinic for a routine checkup and that he was expected to return home in the coming hours.

Asked how long Keita would stay, the doctor said: Its true, his return home was initially envisaged for today, but right now he is under observation.
Chicago Police Aware of Intelligence Indicating Gangs May Target Officers

The Chicago Police Department said officials are aware of an intelligence alert from the FBI indicating gang members have formed a pact to shoot police officers.

We have been made aware of this threat by a law enforcement partner, the department said in a statement to news outlets. The Chicago Police Department takes all threats against officer safety seriously and we will take all necessary measures to safeguard our officers.

The potential activity alert from the FBIs Chicago field office was obtained and published by WLS-TV.

Dated Aug. 26, the alert says that members of nearly three dozen street gangs have been actively searching for, and filming, police officers in performance of their official duties.

The purpose of which is to catch on film an officer drawing his/her weapon on any subject and the subsequent shoot on sight of said officer, in order to garner national media attention, the alert states.

However, the alert cites a contact whose reporting is limited and whose reliability cannot be determined.

During a press conference this week, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown was asked whether theres any suggestion that police officers are at a high risk of being targeted.

I think its bigger than the suggestion. I think 51 officers being shot at or shot in one year, I think that quadruples any previous year in Chicagos history. So I think theres more than a suggestion that people are seeking to do harm to cops, he said.

Law enforcement officials as a profession are already hyper-vigilant, he added, but when officers are shot here and other parts of the country, it makes us even more concerned about the safety of our officers.

Chicago Police investigate at the 25th District station on the Northwest Side, after several officers were shot outside the station, Chicago, on July 30, 2020. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Two officers were shot in the neighborhood of Homan Square early on Aug. 30. One has since been released from the hospital, while the other faces further hospital care.

The officers went to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle, Brendan Deenihan, chief of detectives, told reporters. By the time the officers got close to the vehicle, the defendant had crawled into the trunk of the car.

Using flashlights to see better, the officers spotted a gun in plain view. At that point, the defendant started moving toward the front seat, where the gun was.

Thats when things escalate, the officers have to make a split-second decision. Hes near the gun. Hes not complying. Hes refusing to come out of the car. Hes extremely close to the gun. Thats when they have to break the window and remove him from the car. At that time, he does have the gun on him. Hes still not complying. Hes not giving up his hands. The officers are trying to arrest him, trying to grab his hands, as you can imagine how chaotic it is, its super-fast, Deenihan said.

As they roll them over, thats when he starts shooting and we have the two officers shot. And at that point then, other officers returned fire as the defendant is trying to make his escape and he is placed into custody and the gun is recovered.

The suspect was identified as Jeffon Williams, 19, who was charged with seven counts of attempted murder. While a judge set bail at $10 million, CBS Chicago reported, Williams is being held because he violated bail terms in previous cases.

Criminal Court Judge John F. Lyke Jr. said Williams showed utter disregard for any person, any human being.
Former Offspring actor Richard Davies has welcomed his first child with his longtime partner Channelle Calderwood.

Richard, who played Jimmy Proudman in TV comedy-drama series, and Channelle both made the announcement on their social media channels on Wednesday.

Channelle shared an adorable photo of the infant, before writing lovingly: 'Our little slice of perfection, Freddie George Davies.'

'Slice of perfection!' Offspring actor Richard Davies has welcomed a son with his partner Channelle Calderwood

She let her fans and friends know that he arrived on August 12, the same birth date as Richard.

'Joining us the 12.08.2020 and officially hijacking his dad's birthday forever!'

Awww, how sweet: Channelle shared an adorable photo of the infant, before writing lovingly: ' Our little slice of perfection, Freddie George Davies'

Over at Richard's Instagram, he posted a snap of Channelle holding the gorgeous bub in her arms.

'And just like that I became a family man,' he wrote.

Channelle is the director of the Melbourne marketing firm Overport Agency.

'And just like that I became a family man,' Richard wrote, sharing a photo of Channelle and newborn baby Freddie on Instagram

The couple have kept the pregnancy quiet. Richard appeared in Offspring as a series regular from 2010 to 2017.

More recently, he had a role on Netflix's Tidelands in 2018, as well as in the 2016 film 2:22, alongside Teresa Palmer.

Richard previously revealed he became an actor by accident.

Private: The couple have kept the pregnancy quiet. Richard appeared in Offspring as a series regular from 2010 to 2017. Here: the couple on holidays together

The star enrolled in media studies at RMIT and had dreams of becoming a journalist.

However, a cameo appearance in a short film led him to TV.

'When you find something that you really love, it actually makes it pretty easy to switch careers,' he told Men's Health magazine in 2017.
The company noted that furloughs could be avoided if Congress passes an extension of the payroll support program, created as part of the coronavirus relief package known as the Cares Act. United received $4.9 billion in payroll support as part of the program. Among the conditions for receiving the funds, it along with other carriers had to agree to keep workers on the job through Sept. 30.
Butte police reports

Brutal assault

Jason Ray Stigen, 40, of Butte was arrested after a woman told officers that Stigen assaulted her, threatened to shoot her, shot a hole in the front and side windows and threatened to crash the car while she was driving the two from Rocker to Anaconda and back Monday afternoon.

When officers stopped the car near Nissler Junction, they witnessed the woman jump from the car and tell them that Stigen had assaulted her.

The alleged victim told officers that Stigen became irate and threatened her with a firearm. Using a .22 caliber rifle, he shot holes in two windows before grabbing the steering wheel in an attempt to wreck the car.

She also told police Stigen punched her in the face and tried to strangle her while she was driving. He also repeatedly told her he was going to shoot her.

Inside the vehicle were two .22 caliber rifles. Police also noted the victim had numerous injuries to her face and neck.

Stigen was transported to the Butte Detention Center and jailed for felony assault with a weapon and misdemeanor partner or family member assault.

Escapee caught

Officers received information around 8 a.m. Monday that an escapee from the Butte Pre-Release Center, Matthew Joshua Allen, 26, might be at a residence in the 500 block of South Idaho Street.

Officers witnessed two men get into a parked vehicle at the residence and identified Allen as the driver.

An attempt was made to stop the men, but they took off in the vehicle and crashed into a pole on Gold Street.

Allen took off on foot, but was soon apprehended. He reportedly resisted arrest but was eventually placed into custody and taken to the Butte Detention Center. He was jailed for felony criminal endangerment, felony out-of-jurisdiction warrant, misdemeanor resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor reckless driving and eluding police.

The passenger with Allen was released.

Scammed out of $5K

Shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, officers received a report of theft by deception. The female complainant said that on Aug. 27, she received a call from what she thought was a person representing Amazon. She was told that someone had illegally purchased an iPhone using her account and that her computer needed to be checked for viruses. Not realizing it was a scam, she let the person access her account remotely and allowed them, as they were testing, to make eight different transactions to the tune of $5,000. Police are investigating.

Items stolen

Around noon Wednesday, a person reported that someone had broken into a room at the Quality Inn, 2100 Cornell Ave. According to management, someone entered via a window and took $300 to $400 of merchandise, including comforters and a duvet.

Car vandalized

It was reported Monday afternoon that a car was vandalized near Platinum and Wyoming. A tire had been punctured and several scratch marks were left on the drivers side door.

Theft report

It was reported Monday that a snow blower was taken from a storage unit behind Sears, 3707 Harrison Ave.

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WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2020) US Special Representative for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said in a statement that he met with White House officials to discuss measures to bring China to the negotiating table on nuclear arms control.

"Always good to visit [White House Economic Adviser] Peter Navarro and Deputy Assistant to the President Ryan Tully at the White House to discuss measures to bring Communist China to the negotiating table on nuclear arms," Billingslea said via Twitter on Wednesday.

Last month, Billingslea said the Trump administration had dropped its demand for China to join its arms control negotiations with Russia. The administration is focused on securing a political agreement with Russia and then urging China to join the talks and subsequently a reaching an arms control agreement.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Billinglsea met in Vienna last month to discuss the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which limits both countries' nuclear weapon stockpiles but is set to expire in February.

The US Defense Department released a report earlier that estimated China's stockpile of nuclear warheads in the "low 200s," a fraction of US and Russian arsenals. However, the report said the US military believes China will double that number over the next ten years.
A new think tank report has called for the government to consider providing culture vouchers for theatre discounts when shows restart, similar to the current "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme.

Provided by the Centre for London, the report suggests solutions while footfall in the West End remains drastically low and the arts suffer from prolonged closure.

As published in The Guardian, the reports suggests that reduced or discounted pricing will encourage those who may not be as financially well-off to attend shows following the pandemic, and also increase spending in nearby cafes and restaurants.

Focussing on the West End, where there is a dense number of hospitality and arts employers, the scheme also proposes creating a new "London fringe" featuring outdoor performances on the city's streets.

Last month the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned that the West End faced an "existential threat" while venues remain closed and people stay away from the centre of the capital.

The Centre for London report added that empty spaces vacated by companies could be offered to artists and chefs, which in turn would provide pop-up cultural spots for locals or visitors.

It's also important to remember that while the West End draws a lot of focus, venues across the UK continue to suffer  a large scale initiative occurred last month where institutions were cast in red light to highlight the crisis.
02.09.2020 LISTEN

Born in Larteh in the Eastern region of Ghana on December, 24, 1955, Kwame Alfred Asiedu Walker is the youngest son of nine children. His parental and ancestry lineage spans across the lengths and breaths of Ghana.

Kwame's father, Nana Kwame Okanta Obrantiri was King of Larteh Akuapim. The paramount ruler of the Guan tribe and traditional areas which is the royal seat of the Guan tribe of Ghana and to date comprises a huge component of Ghana's population.

His mother, Beatrice Amma Adobea Quashie was the daughter of the late Nana Kwasi Vaadze Nyarko Quashie, "King of Boso", the paramount ruler of the Anum Boso tribe and traditional areas.

In 2016, following demands from a growing section of the Ghanaian electorate for a break in the apparent 2-party system, Kwame set out to contest in Ghana's Presidential race as an independent candidate but was unfortunately not shortlisted by the Electoral Commission.

He later took legal action against the EC to reinstate his candidacy in the 2016 elections, but unfortunately, that did not yield positive results.

This year, Kwame is looking at contesting the elections again stemming from his desire to see his country develop. He comes into the race with a lot of experience in leadership.

He is currently the lead consultant/collaborator for a Dublin Ireland and Infrastructure Development Group operations in West Africa. He has also spearheaded and championed the redevelopment, expansion, and beautification of the Accra-Tema motorway.

He advocated for the Ghanaian majority ownership of the National Telecom system during the Kufuor regime.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly everyone in Nebraska, with layoffs, furloughs, school closings and more. The West Central Nebraska Development District is teaming with the Southeast Nebraska Affordable Housing Council to help landlords.

Funding is available through a Community CARES Grant from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services that includes $800,000 for direct statewide landlord assistance. SENAHC is working with Nebraskas eight economic development districts to distribute the financial assistance to qualified landlords. Eligible landlords are those who have documented financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lease to low- to moderate-income tenants. Both criteria must be met in order for the landlord to participate.

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CARES financial assistance may be allocated to landlords in one of two forms, or in a combination of both. Regardless, landlords are only eligible for up to $10,000 in the form of a straight grant (no personal cash match or payback is necessary). Landlords may apply for up to $2,500 in direct financial assistance to recoup lost rent or utility payments due to tenants inability to provide a full payment after their employment was compromised as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Otherwise, landlords may apply for up to $10,000 for minor rental unit rehabilitation.
Raipur, Sep 2 : Chhattisgarh recorded a 6 percent higher collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in August this year, compared to the same month last year.

The state's GST collection was Rs 1,873 crore last year, which rose to Rs 1,994 crore now.

A state government statement said the higher collection of GST even amid Covid-19 reflects the economic policies of the Congress government in the state that boosted positive growth in the market.

The Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, Godhan Nyay Yojana and hike in procurement rate of tendu leaves and minor forest produce directly benefiting the villagers, farmers and tribes acted as boosters, claimed the statement.

The statement further says that in the GST revenue collection related report released by the Union Finance Ministry, an average downfall of 8 percent was registered in GST revenue collection in August 2020.

Against this backdrop, Chhattisgarh recorded a 6 percent hike in collection, thus placing itself in the fourth position among states, it said.
On Tuesday, 25 August, the Jordanian capital, Amman, hosted the third summit of the tripartite mechanism of cooperation among Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. The first summit had taken place in Cairo in March of last year, and the second took place in New York City during the ordinary session of the UN General Assembly in September 2019.

In the two previous summits, Iraq was represented by the former Iraqi prime minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi. This time, Iraq was represented by the new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadmi.

A few days earlier, Al-Kadmi was the guest of US President Donald Trump in what was considered a successful visit that took place in the context of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States.

In an interview with The Washington Post, the Iraqi prime minister proposed the creation of a new Mashreq or a new East in the Levant that would include Egypt. He explained that the idea is to cooperate to stabilise the region, and to find political solutions to the conflicts that are still raging in the Middle East. In addition, the new bloc of nations would work together to achieve economic prosperity for the people of the region.

Trilateral cooperation among Egypt, Jordan and Iraq is not new. Back in 1989, the three countries plus Yemen had set up what was called the Arab Cooperation Council, and saw the signing of various agreements that had covered economic, commercial, social and cultural aspects of the relationships among the member countries. However, the experiment was short-lived. Less than a year after its establishment, Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990, and that was the end of the newly-established council.

Before the signing of the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel on 24 October 1994, Iraq, Jordan and Syria had formed what was called the Eastern Front. It was a group of countries that had been in a state of war with Israel, and provided for a certain strategic equilibrium in the Middle East. It worked as a relative deterrent against Israeli expansionism in the Middle East, even after Egypt had signed the first peace treaty between an Arab state and Israel, on 26 March 1979. The front provided security and stability for the three countries, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait dealt it a death sentence.

Of course, the strategic context in the Middle East has dramatically changed, and neither Iraq nor Syria are in situation that would allow them to breathe new life into an old concept. Times have changed. However, the idea of a new East has its merits given the insecurity and instability reigning in the Middle East, a deplorable situation that has gone far too long, and opened the door wide to regional intervention in the Levant, and in Iraq in particular after the American invasion of Iraq in March 2003, combined with the disastrous impact of the Arab Spring.

If the three countries that have launched the tripartite mechanism of cooperation would work seriously for the creation of such a bloc, that would be a welcome move on their part. As explained by the Iraqi prime minister, such a bloc would work for peace, security and stability in the Middle East and would provide a counterweight to regional intervention in the Levant and in Iraq. The bloc would be defensive in nature with no war designs against any country in the region.

The idea of such a bloc is geared to the future rather than the past. Actually, we bear witness to the slow and gradual emergence of a different Middle East  a region that would live under a Pax Americana, where Israel would be the lead partner of the United States, after the latter withdraws from the Middle East, a strategy initiated by the present US administration, and would continue, albeit in a much slower pace, in case Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden becomes the 46th US president in November.

The bloc, once it becomes a reality, would defend the national interests of its founding members in the Middle East of tomorrow, that could see very close cooperation among the Gulf countries and Israel, once the former follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates in normalising relations with the Hebrew state. The US strategy of forming an alliance between Israel and the Sunni Arab states  namely, the Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan  is difficult to materialise in the way both the United States and Israel want. The tripartite bloc would be an insurance policy for the member countries against Israeli hegemony in the region in the medium and long term.

The idea caused the Iraqi prime minister some trouble back home, especially among pro-Iranian political forces and armed militias. Al-Kadmi assured them his ideas are not meant to target Iran, stressing that Iraq wants to have good relations with all neighbouring countries without exception.

The emerging Middle East will be full of cross currents and odd alliances that would impinge on the security and stability of major Arab powers in case they decline to become full-time partners in the Pax Americana in the region.

If the tripartite bloc is formed, it would provide a bulwark against a nation or a group of nations from within the Middle East and the Gulf  under American leadership  that would attempt to reorder the region according to their own visions and national interests.



*The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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WASHINGTON - While trying to define Democratic rival Joe Biden as an avatar of lawless anarchists, President Donald Trump has warned about rioters in the streets of liberal American cities. He has fanned fears of low-income minorities invading the suburbs.

And this week, he offered a new alert: "Thugs wearing dark uniforms," he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, had crowded en mass onto a plane to fly to Washington and wreak havoc at the Republican National Convention last week.

"A lot of people were on the plane to do big damage," Trump declared in a prime-time interview on Monday. When asked to elaborate Tuesday, the president told reporters that a well-known figure, who was also aboard, had informed him. "The entire plane was filled up with the looters, the anarchists, the rioters, people that obviously were looking for trouble."

Lacking details, the fantastical tale took on the wild, conspiratorial tone of a subversive Reddit subchannel or a foreign government disinformation campaign. That it was coming from Trump on a popular cable news show highlighted how his long-standing willingness to promote and disseminate conspiracy theories has become, in his view, central to a reelection effort that has foundered during the coronavirus pandemic.

"What does that mean? That sounds like conspiracy theory," Ingraham remarked after Trump stated that people in "dark shadows" were controlling Biden's agenda.

In recent months, Trump has touted the effects of sunlight, bleach and hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, as potentially beneficial to protect against the virus - despite warnings from medical authorities that such practices are ineffective or even dangerous. He has promoted a false conspiracy called "Obamagate," which holds that Biden and other Obama administration figures tried to "spy" on his 2016 campaign.

He also publicly embraced the "QAnon" movement - which posits that Trump is defending the country against a satanic cult of pedophiles - and he refused to repudiate a discredited theory that Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif), whose parents immigrated to the United States, is ineligible to serve as vice president. And he has invited questions from reporters for One America News, Gateway Pundit and the Epoch Times, fringe, pro-Trump outlets that traffic in falsehoods, conspiracies and hoaxes.

"The thing that concerns me is that people are looking to blame someone in all these crises, and so what Trump is able to do is to give them a target to blame shift blame onto something else. These are very convenient conspiracy theories for him to play off of," said Marc Ginsberg, a former U.S. ambassador to Morocco under president Bill Clinton who now serves as president of the Coalition for a Safer Web.

Ginsberg's organization has examined ties between QAnon, white nationalist groups and Republican politicians. Trump's conspiratorial talk about anarchists on the streets during the social justice protests has contributed, Ginsberg said, to pro-Trump elements on the far-right rallying to defend him as self-styled militias.

On Tuesday, Trump visited Kenosha, Wis., where a 17-year-old who attended a Trump campaign rally in January has been charged in the shooting deaths of two men during a night of street protests last week. In Portland, a man who appeared connected with a pro-Trump group was shot and killed after Trump supporters clashed with protesters.

"He's giving ammunition as the figurehead to all these groups that more or less support his agenda," Ginsberg said. "If he was discounting them and disowning them and marginalizing them, I don't think they would feel as empowered."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews defended Trump's Fox News interview by stating that his anecdote about the "thugs" on a plane was intended to raise questions about "who may be funding travel and lodging for organized rioters" in U.S. cities.

After Trump's renomination address at the RNC last Thursday, protesters accosted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and other Trump supporters as they filed out of the White House grounds onto public streets.

In Kenosha, Matthews said, "violent rioters who were arrested hailed from 44 different cities. An investigation is underway to determine who is funding these organized riots happening across the country."

On Tuesday, Trump's account of the thugs on the plane began changing from what he said the night before. Trump told Ingraham that the plane was headed to Washington, while on Thursday he said it going from Washington "or wherever." He also said Monday he couldn't say more about the incident because it was under investigations, but then told reporters on Tuesday that he would ask his acquaintance whether they would talk to reporters about what they supposedly saw on the plane.

Trump's story about the plane is similar to unfounded assertions posted on Facebook and other social media sites earlier this year that alleged without evidence that there was a secret network that was organizing protesters and transporting them to different areas of social unrest across the country.

Trump has willfully promoted baseless conspiracies for years, rising to political prominence a decade ago as a leader of the false birther movement that sought to discredit former president Barack Obama as foreign born. In the final days before the 2016 election, Trump's campaign released an advertisement that suggested a shadowy cabal of wealthy, Jewish elites - including financier George Soros, then Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein - intent on maintaining a globalist economic system were orchestrating Hillary Clinton's campaign.

This cycle, Trump has seized on the protest movement to promote a "law and order" message that has framed Black Lives Matter and other liberal groups as lawless mobs intent on riding a Biden presidency to upend America's social fabric. In his telling, Trump is the lone figure strong enough to stop that threat, and he has heavily courted law enforcement groups and denounced Democratic mayors and governors as failing to keep their streets safe.

In Kenosha, Trump met with law enforcement officials, but he did not meet with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man whose shooting in the back by police last week prompted street protests. Before leaving Washington, Trump told reporters that he had watched coverage of the protests and saw people breaking into the home of Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, a Democrat, who had asked Trump to refrain from visiting over concerns that his presence would inflame community tensions.

The president's remarks, Antaramian said Tuesday, were "completely false."

"I want to dispel the president's statement that angry mobs were trying to get into my house last night," he said. "Nothing of the sort happened."

Mark Fenster, author of the 2008 book "Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture," said Trump is "not really a conspiracy theorist in classic sense" because he's not interested in unearthing evidence.

"He does not sit in the library and comb sources to piece together bits of information to devise a conspiracy," said Fenster, a law professor at the University of Florida. "It's all intuitive, or he picks it up from someone else. He's really more of a conspiracy broadcaster."

Trump allies said his ties to fringe groups such as QAnon are exaggerated by the media, pointing out that the president never mentioned that movement, whose adherents have held signs at his rallies, until a reporter asked him about it two weeks ago.

"Well, I don't know much about the movement," Trump responded, "other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate."

Allies also noted that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows affirmed that Harris meets the requirements to hold the vice presidency.

Yet experts on extremist groups warned that the president's embrace of conspiracies has helped accelerate the mainstreaming of once-fringe ideas. Last week, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QAnon adherent who won a GOP primary in a Georgia Congressional race, attended Trump's renomination speech at the White House. Trump praised Greene, who has said Muslims don't have a place in Congress, as a "future Republican Star" in a tweet last month.

Clinton Watts, a former FBI agent who provided key testimony to Congress on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said the president's efforts to blame antifa, a loosely defined movement of far-left, anti-fascist groups, for provoking violence amid the social justice protests has contributed to severe misinformation.

Far-right groups, Watts said, present a significantly greater threat of domestic terrorism.

But Trump is exceedingly effective at "boiling everything down to the most basic component," he added. "Don't create some intricate narrative. Just go, 'Antifa, antifa, protests, antifa, guys on a plane, antifa.' It's all scary things."
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(Natural News) A lower landscape resilience forebodes a major extinction event across North American land biomes, found a study published in the journal Global Change Biology.

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology looked at 12 major plant biomes in North America to measure their landscape resilience  the ability of a certain habitat to persist and recover from environmental disturbances. They found that only 64 percent of the continents land biomes will be able to regain its pristine ecological conditions, indicating the possibility of an extinction event not seen since the end of the Pleistocene Epoch more than 11,000 years ago.

Our work indicates that landscapes today are once again exhibiting low resilience, foreboding potential extinctions to come, wrote the authors.

Decreased landscape resilience hints at extinction

Many animals went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. These include large animal species such as mammoths, saber-toothed cats and mastodons. While the cause of their extinction is still debated, scientists agree that the epochs warming temperatures likely played a huge role. Climate change caused glacier retreat and shifts in rainfall patterns, which eliminated food sources, disrupted birth schedule and exposed animals to hostile climate conditions.

Furthermore, the epoch saw the arrival of the first human settlers in North America, a group of hunter-gatherers known as the Clovis people. They hunted animals for food including keystone species such as mammoths. These species hold an ecosystem together, and their loss would be cataclysmic to a host of other animal and plant species.

In the present study, the researchers warned that a similar extinction event may befall North American ecosystems in the years to come. They analyzed two components of landscape resilience over 20,000 years: residence time or how long a biome type persists at a given site, and recovery time or how long it takes for a biome to recover its original ecological conditions.

They looked at more than 14,000 fossil pollen samples from 12 different plant biomes, such as deciduous forests, forest-tundra, prairies and Arctic vegetation. The samples were provided by the Neotoma Paleoecology Database, an open international data resource that stores and shares multiple kinds of paleoecological data.

Results showed that North American biomes had a residence time of 230-460 years and a recovery time of 140-290 years on average. However, not all plant biomes recover; the team found that only 64 percent of the biomes regained their pristine ecosystem conditions. Arctic ecosystems were the least likely to recover while biodiverse communities recovered the fastest.

The findings surprised the researchers as they expected that the plant biomes would thrive far longer than their findings showed. Furthermore, the prevailing ecological theory suggests that biodiversity boosts ecosystem resilience by improving functional redundancy. In turn, functional redundancy allows an ecosystem to remain stable and ecologically balanced if one or more species are lost. However, the team found that having a diverse species did not correlate with longer residence time.

But species richness does not necessarily reflect functional redundancy, and as a result may not be correlated with ecosystem stability, the researchers wrote.

They fear that a mass extinction may be on the horizon as landscapes today are displaying resilience levels not seen since the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. During this period, residence times were shorter while recovery times were longer. These conditions combined with the effects of human activity to deliver a one-two punch to several megafauna species.

Today, we see a similarly low landscape resilience, and we see a similar one-two punch: humans are expanding our footprint and climates are changing rapidly, said co-author Yue Wang. (Related: Silent Extinction: Complacency as a Global Epidemic.)

They urged authorities to implement conservation strategies that are focused on improving landscape resilience. This can be achieved by increasing local connectivity and targeting regions with rich and diverse landforms, said the team.

Ecology.news has more on the impact of climate change.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Exhibits.Museum.State.il.us

OnlineaLibrary.Wiley.com

News.GaTech.edu
In the first audit report of the PM CARES fund, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has stated that it received over Rs 3,076 crore as contributions from India and abroad within the first five days of its launch. The statement has recorded donations between March 27 and 31.

The fund was setup with an initial corpus of Rs 2.25 lakh. The receipts and payments account of PM CARES stated that Rs 3,075.85 crore came from domestic voluntary contribution and Rs 39.67 lakh was foreign contribution. It has also received interest of around Rs 35 lakh.

The statement mentioned that the fund paid Rs 2,049 as service tax on Forex conversion and had a closing balance of Rs 3076.62 crore as on March 31.

The audit statements accompanying notes 1 to 6" have not been made public. Therefore, the names of donors have not been revealed.

In a series of tweets, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned why the names of these generous donors" were not revealed.

Why? Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES FUND exempt from this obligation," said his tweet.

Chidambaram also tweeted, The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?"

In April 2020, the PMO had stated that PM CARES would not be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, since the fund consisted of private donations and not public funds. The corpus was setup as a separate Prime Ministers emergency fund to secure donations for its fight against Covid-19.

On July 11, the Centre had justified the creation of the PM CARES fund saying the mere existence of a statutory fund under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, would not prohibit the setting up of a different one that provides for voluntary donations.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that public sector units such as ONGC and OIL, along with, government departments had contributed nearly Rs. 2,000 crores to PM CARES.

The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chairman of the PM CARES fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.

Shrikar K Pardeshi, Joint Secretary in the PMO, signed the audit statement on behalf of PM-CARES Fund as Secretary" while Hardik Shah, the Private Secretary to PM Modi, signed the statement as Deputy Secretary of the Fund.

On May 13, Rs 3,100 crore was allocated from the PM CARES fund for the supply of 50,000 Made in India ventilators to government hospitals for migrant labourers and for vaccine development. Earlier this month, the PMO had said the money has also been allocated to set up two 500-bed Covid-19 hospitals in Bihar.

The Supreme Court had on August 18 rejected a plea to transfer the PM CARES Fund to the National Disaster Relief Fund. While disposing of the petition, the court added that there was no need for a fresh national disaster relief plan for the pandemic.

Days after this decision, Chidambaram had asked why the Prime Minister and three ministers were serving as Trustees in the fund if it was not set up by the Central government.

Accusing the BJP government of shielding the fund from scrutiny, Chidambaram asked why donations to the fund are counted against CSR if it is privately established. He asked if donations to other privately-established funds will also be counted against CSR.

Was the Fund set up by the Central government as concluded by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs? If not, who set up the Fund and in what capacity? If the Fund was not set up by the central government, why are the PM and three Ministers serving as Trustees? Who appointed them as Trustees? he asked in a series of tweets.

Chidambaram alleged that it is abundantly clear that the BJP government is making desperate efforts to shield PM-CARES Fund from any kind of scrutiny.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

As many as 1,858 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing the ministry.

According to Sadat Lari, 125 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,693 people is critical.

The official said that Iran's Tehran, Mazandaran, Gilan, Qom, Isfahan, Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Kerman, North Khorasan, Semnan, Yazd, Zanjan, and Qazvin provinces are considered 'red' zones.

So far, more than 3.28 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 378,700 people have been infected, and 21,797 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 326,800 have reportedly recovered from the disease.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.

The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.
(Newser)  Celebrity DJ and producer Erick Morillo has been found dead at his Miami Beach homedays before he was due in court on a sexual assault charge. Police say foul play is not suspected in the death of the 49-year-old, who was best known for 1994 hit "I Like to Move It," which he recorded under the name Reel 2 Reel, the BBC reports. Morillo was arrested weeks ago on sexual battery charges, reports TMZ. A fellow DJ told police that she fell asleep in Morillo's home in December last year after rejecting his sexual advances. She said she woke up nude and found Morillo standing next to her, also nude, Local 10 reports. He denied the allegation, but was arrested after a rape kit tested positive for his DNA. Morillo had a court date on Friday. (Read more disc jockey stories.)
U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, seen here in Pittsfield last month, has won against U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III.

Markey, Neal Win Democratic Primaries



Congressman Neal's win in the primary means he will serve another term since there is no challenger in the general election. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal have won their primaries by large margins against U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, respectively.

The progressive senator had been down in the polls earlier this summer and there had been speculation the storied Kennedy name would aid in putting the 4th Mass District representative into the Senate chamber.

Each racked up a long list of endorsements, with the younger Kennedy getting a late boost from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi while Markey had been backed from the start by rising star U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

But Kennedy's bid fell short, making him the first in the Massachusetts dynasty to lose a race here.

With just under 74 precincts reporting, Markey was leading about 54 percent to 46 percent, according to the Associated Press.

Kennedy made inroads into the Berkshires, particularly North County, winning in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida and Savoy, along with picking up Hinsdale and Peru.

Markey took North Adams 1,174 to 1,065, a margin of only 109 votes. The number of votes cast was 2,485, around by early or mail-in balloting. By 1:30 p.m., the turnout was 22 percent.

In Pittsfield, Kennedy picked up only one ward out of seven, losing to Markey 5,209 to 4,460.

Several town clerks reported steady voting but no lines.

"It has been a constant trickle. Not a raging river," said Town Clerk Christine Emerson in Cheshire, where 476 out of possible 2,455 ballots had been cast by 3 p.m.

Lanesborough had a 33 percent turnout, with 753 out of 2,302 votes being cast. Markey garnered 377 votes to Kennedy's 269.

Markey took Williamstown by a margin of 76 percent over Kennedy. In November, Markey will face Kevin O'Connor, winner of the Republican Senate primary over Shiva Ayyadura.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal also held onto his seat in a Democratic primary battle that determined the 1st Mass District's congressman for the next two years.

Neal, who's been in office since 1989, bested challenger Alex Morse by nearly 2-1 so far in reported totals.

The race between the incumbent and the Holyoke mayor was marred in the last weeks by a questionable scandal around Morse that his supporters believed was tied to certain Democratic leaders trying to protect Neal.

But there was also Neal's long career and his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee that had to be overcome.

In North Adams, Neal one four out of five wards with 1,333 votes to Morse's 900. Morse did win Ward 3 by 6 votes.

The results weren't much different in other Berkshire towns: Clarksburg went Neal 176-120, Lanesborough 394-249 and Williamstown 1,140 to 896.

Both races split Democrats -- both mayors had joined with Markey while the district attorney strongly supported Kennedy. In Pittsfield, a majority of the Pittsfield City Council backed Morse but many local Democratic leaders lined up with Neal.

But his Pittsfield support wasn't enough: Neal won the city 5,696 to 3,960. Morse didn't come close in any wards.
Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan By

Tiruvanaikka, a quiet town near Tiruchy with a massive temple complex and broad and aligned streets that resonate with sacred chants, is one of the pancha bhootha shrines of Shiva in South India. This temple, which has been active since the 5th century CE, shares the island of Srirangam with the famous temple for Ranganathaswamy, a form of Vishnu. Sanctified by the Thevaram hymns, the Tiruvanaikka temple is unique in several ways.

The temple walls echo the sound of inscriptions being chiselled to record information, royal orders, commands of officials and sometimes even the words of the Almighty. The oldest inscription found till now is an early Chola inscription of Parantaka I (10th century CE); there are more from the later Cholas, later Pandyas, Hoysalas, Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagara and Nayak kings. The knowledge corpus these equip us with is immense. For example, the temple houses a fragmentary inscription of Parantaka I that addresses him as Maduraikonda Parakesari and mentions his endowment to burn a perpetual lamp to the Mahadeva Bhattarar or Shiva as he was called then. Only very few inscriptions of Parantaka I have ever been documented, so this one is worth its weight in gold!

Following Parantaka, several inscriptions recording the long list of gifts, jewellery and land donations made by the medieval and later Chola monarchs are sprinkled all around the temple. However, Tiruvanaikka also has a few inscriptions that paint us a clear picture of the shift in political power from the great Cholas, whose might was almost history by the 13th century, to their subordinates like Kopperunchingan, the Kadava king. It is around the same time when the already popular Hoysala dynasty was expanding its territories. From the times of Rajaraja III, the Chola empire faced severe political turbulence and the rulers had to depend on the Hoysalas for their own safety. Due to its proximity to Kannanur, the second Hoysala capital, the Tiruvanaikka temple has a few inscriptions that reflect the Chola-Hoysala relationship.

A rare inscription of Chola ruler Parantaka I inside the temple | Arunkumar Pankaj

An often unnoticed shrine built during this period is the Somaleshwaram shrine housing an image of Shiva and Parvati. Two almost defaced inscriptions, partly in Kannada and partly in Grantha, record the structure being built by Vira Someshwara, the Hoysala king, in honour of his queen Somala Devi. Though small, the Dwarapalakas and Nandi icons seen here reverberate with the Hoysala finesse. Several inscriptions of Tiruvanaikka record the importance Vira Someshwara had in the development of the temple and his able administration.

River Kaveri garlands the island of Srirangam and a heavy monsoon often floods the settlements. Sometimes the gushing flood water even washes away boundary stones that demarcate the extent of individual lands. One inscription documents such an incident that happened in the times of Kulottunga Chola III, when a committee with representations from both the temples of Srirangam and Tiruvanaikka, along with government officials, measured the extent of the temple lands as per existing records and relaid the boundary.

The Tiruvanaikka temple since the 13th century CE has been a strong spiritual centre around which many religious institutions and monasteries functioned. Several inscriptions tell us that these institutions, despite following different branches of Shaivite philosophy, coexisted in close proximity to the temple. Narpattenaayiravar Mutt, Andar Embiran Mutt, Sangama Devar Mutt, Somanatha Devar Mutt and Akhilandanayaki Mutt are a few of the institutions that functioned here. Going by the names and descriptions of their traditions, one can be sure that these mutts propagated different branches of Shaivam, namelyPasupata, Siddhanta Saiva and Virasaiva. One such continuous tradition bestows the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, administered by the Shankaracharayas, with the privilege of performing the tatanka pradishtai, the ceremonial offering of the highly ornate and unique earrings to Tiruvanaikkas Goddess Akhilandeshwari.

It was a general tradition in the Chola period to address inscriptions of Shiva temples in the name of Adi Chandeshwara. The deity is in fact described as the senior attendant and caretaker of the temple. Among several such orders is an interesting one made in 1585 CE about the appointment of a certain Chandrasekhara Guru Udaiyar as the temple high administrative officer. The inscription starts by quoting the erstwhile tradition of selecting a disciple of a Pasupata sanyasi (a pontiff) for this post, command of which extended into general administration, accounts and associated power, checking on traditions and deciding on privileges for other temple employees.

However, with the appointment of Chandrasekhara Guru, the tradition shifts from appointing a sanyasi to a gruhasta (a householder). What makes it more interesting is that the representatives are expected to observe pasupata vratam; the inscription says Chandrasekhara Guru and his descendants shall now observe gruhasta pasupata vratam. The shift of administrative control from a pontiff to a householder and bestowing the rights directly to his descendants was a revolutionary change. How this was accepted by the other temple employees and devotees remain unanswered due to paucity of data.

These are less than a handful of examples from close to 200 inscriptions documented so far in the Tiruvanaikka temple. If that can give us such diverse information on events ranging from flooding to finance, burning a lamp to fall of a dynasty, different schools of philosophy to change in administration control, imagine how much our temples have in store to share with us! Unexplored areas like the role of Hoysalas in the Tiruvanaikka temple need to be studied in detail for a deeper understanding of our history. They are truly embedded layers of history, waiting to be deciphered.

Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan

Architect, serves on the govt-instituted panel for conservation of temples in TN

(madhu.kalai0324@gmail.com)
Why did the ball python cross the road in Beamsville? Possibly because it escaped an unsecured enclosure, said an Ontario snake breeder.

Niagara police posted a warning Monday asking residents not to approach a ball python, photographed in the town just east of Hamilton.

Mark Mandic, a ball python breeder and owner of Markus Jayne Ball Pythons, said police were right to ask people not to approach the snake.

Most people dont know how to handle the snake species he describes as docile and harmless.

You can say the same thing for cats or dogs out in public, Mandic said.

In Hamilton, pet owners are allowed to own non-venomous snakes up to three metres. And unlike dogs, small snakes dont require a permit to own.

Mandic says ball pythons dont grow close to three metres. The snakes grow to a maximum of about 1.8 metres, he says, but on average, males grow to about one metre and females grow to about 1.4 metres.

Niagara SPCA and Humane Society executive director, John Greer, estimated the snake photographed in town Sunday is only about 45 centimetres long.

Any snake that could grow longer than two metres  for example a 6.5-metre reticulated python  falls under Hamiltons extensive prohibited animals list in the citys pet bylaw.

The bylaws lists 16 orders of animals  such as primates, crocodylia (alligators) and proboscidea (elephants and hippopotamuses)  that are banned or restricted from being kept as pets, with some notable exceptions.

Backyard chickens and a variety of other farm animals, mammal and water fowl, are only allowed in areas with proper farm zoning (excluding licensed pot-bellied pigs);

you cant keep any venomous animals, except for three tarantula species: Chilean rose, Mexican red-knee and pinktoe;

non-venemous lizards are allowed, but only those that dont grow over two metres long;

you cannot keep cougars or raccoons and other large mammalian carnivores except for dogs, cats and ferrets;

rodents that grow to be larger than 1,500 grams are not pets;

marsupials are banned, except for sugar gliders;

raptors are banned, unless you have a provincial falconry permit.

For people interested in owning a ball python, Mandics first piece of advice is do your research.

Ball pythons require special equipment and attention.

The biggest problem, Mandic says, is people who want to put the snake in an aquarium and dont know how.

The snakes are all muscle, and can easily push out of an unsecured aquarium, Mandic says.

Fish aquariums are for fish.
By Akbar Mammadov

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan held discussions on logistics, e-commerce and internet technologies with Alibaba Group, the Chinese giant multinational technology company, the ministry said on September 1.

During the video meeting with representatives of "Alibaba Group" with the participation of Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade, discussions were held on the establishment of logistics and relevant warehousing infrastructure in Azerbaijan, opportunities for cooperation in the data centre and "cloud" infrastructure, e-commerce and other areas. Besides, the sides also agreed to establish a working group on cooperation.

Addressing the event, Guluzade stressed the importance of establishing and developing cooperation with Alibaba Group. He said that various projects are being implemented in the country to develop the information society, increase the ICT knowledge of the population, and promote the use of electronic services.

Furthermore, the minister noted that the concept of Government Cloud "(G-cloud) was adopted by the Presidential Decree dated June 3, 2019, on measures to create a "government cloud "(G-cloud) and provide "cloud" services.

Furthermore, Guluzade said that since 2016, Azerbaijans Postal Service Azerpoct LLC has been implementing a regional transit postal centre (HUB) project to implement international e-commerce. As part of the project, e-commerce products ordered by Azerpoct LLC from China have been received by Azerbaijan's Silk Way Airlines and imported to the country, processed as a mail and delivered to CIS and other countries since 2016.

At the meeting, a presentation on the company's Alibaba Cloud Computing and Tmall.com divisions has been held by a representative of Alibaba Group.

It should be noted that Alibaba Group provides sale services from consumer to consumer (C2C), from business to consumer (B2C) and from business to business (B2B) through web portals, including electronic payment services, search engines and cloud computing services.

Representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Azerbaijani Embassy China attended the meeting, and Alibaba Group representatives Sami Farhad, Director General of the Globalization Office, Laurie Luo, Director of International Government and Public Relations, Shi Feng, Deputy Director, General Manager of the Digital Public Sector, and Tony Chen, Deputy Director of External Relations, Tmall Imports and Exports attended the meeting.

It should be noted that earlier, on April 7, the founder of "Alibaba Group" Jack Ma and Alibaba foundations sent humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan as part of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

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WHITEHORSE - The migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for today's animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Emil Karpinski, PhD Candidate at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, is shown in this undated handout image. The migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for today's animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - McMaster University, JD Howell, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

WHITEHORSE - The migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for today's animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper.

The paper from Hamilton's McMaster University, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, says mastodon herds that migrated north during the warm periods were less genetically diverse, which made them more vulnerable to extinction.

Mastodons, similar to today's elephants and extinct mammoths, roamed much of North America, including parts of Mexico. Mastodons went extinct about 11,000 years ago along with mammoths, large-toothed cats, giant beavers and western camels.

Emil Karpinski, a paleontologist at McMaster's Ancient DNA Centre, said the report is the result of six years of research that examined the fossil bones and teeth of more than 30 different mastodons.

He said the research showed mastodons migrated north several times during periods between ice ages when the Earth warmed, but didn't survive when ice ages returned.

"Mastodons were much more at home in these warmer, wooded wetland habitats with an abundance of shrubs and trees like spruce and pine for them to eat," Karpinski told a panel discussion involving about a dozen mastodon experts.

"We wanted to see, which is kind of the end hope of all this research, if what we learn about these animals could be applied to present-day species," he said.

"We're observing very similar travels in species like moose, snowshoe hare, beavers, not just ones in the Arctic, but also various birds, fish and other species that are rapidly moving northward in response to climate warming."

Karpinski said the research indicates the mastodon herds that migrated north were less genetically diverse and were more susceptible to extinction.

Grant Zazula, a Yukon government paleontologist and one of the report's authors, said the research shows mastodon herds migrated north more than once with the same disastrous results.

He said the northern mastodons were decimated with the arrival of an ice age 250,000 years ago and were also wiped out by a second ice age about 100,000 years ago.

"Their populations would have peaked about 100,000 years ago and that's when climates were essentially as warm as they are today and the environment looked very similar to today's environment," he said.

Zazula said mastodons were not equipped to survive the colder climates of the ice ages.

"What this is showing us is those populations kind of at the frontier of migrations and range extensions really lack genetic diversity," he said. "It doesn't take very much to wipe them out. It could be a change in climate. It could be hunting. It could be disease."

 By Dirk Meissner in Victoria.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.
F rench satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo will republish controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad ahead of a trial into the deadly attack on its offices by Islamist terrorists.

The move by the Paris-based outlet was announced on Tuesday, a day before 13 men and one woman accused of supplying the attackers with weapons go on trial for charges of terrorism.

Among the cartoons, most of which were first published by a Danish newspaper in 2005 and then by Charlie Hebdo a year later, is one of Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse protruding.

We will never lie down. We will never give up, editor Laurent Riss Sourisseau wrote in a piece to accompany the front cover that will be published in print on Wednesday.

Twelve people, including some of Charlie Hebdo's best-known cartoonists, were killed when Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed the magazine's Paris offices on January 7, 2015 and sprayed the building with automatic gunfire.

The Kouachi brothers and a third Islamist gunman, who killed five people in the 48 hours that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre, were shot dead by police in different stand-offs.

Since the attacks the magazine has has had its editorial leadership under police protection.

The decision to republish the cartoons will be seen by some as a defiant gesture in defense of free expression. But others may see it as a renewed provocation by a magazine that has long courted controversy with its satirical attacks on religion.

After the 2006 publication of the cartoons, jihadists online warned the weekly would pay for its mockery. For Muslims, any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemous.

The freedom to caricature and the freedom to dislike them are enshrined and nothing justifies violence, the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote on Twitter in response.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Jay R. Jordan, Staff

A 7-year-old boy died Wednesday morning after his mother found him hanging in the bathroom of their west Houston townhome upon her return from delivering food, police told Metro Video.

The mother came home to her townhome in the 1000 block of Country Place Drive around 3 a.m. and called police soon after finding the boy hanging from the curtain rod. Dispatchers heard a child screaming in the background of the call, police said.
People wearing protective face masks walk on the main shopping street in Munich, Germany during the coronavirus crisis on April 30 2020.

German retail sales fell unexpectedly on the month in July, data showed on Wednesday, dashing hopes that household spending in Europe's largest economy will be powerful enough to drive a strong recovery in the third quarter from the coronavirus shock.

Retail sales were down by 0.9% on the month in real terms after a revised drop of 1.9% in June, calendar-adjusted data from the Federal Statistics Office showed.

This missed a Reuters forecast for a 0.5% increase, though retail sales are a volatile indicator often subject to revision.

The picture was a bit brighter when looking at the development over the past 12 months.

On the year, retail sales rose by 4.2% in real terms after an upwardly revised increase of 6.7% the previous month, the data showed.

Compared with February, the month before the outbreak of the pandemic, retail sales were 0.9% higher in real terms in July, the office said, suggesting that this sector of the economy managed to recover relatively quickly in a V-shaped development.

In the first seven months of the year, retailers increased their sales by 2.6% in real terms despite the crisis.

The data revealed huge gaps within the sector: sales in shops selling textiles, clothes, shoes and leather goods collapsed by more than a quarter in the January-July period whereas online retailers increased their sales by a fifth.

The German economy contracted by a record 9.7% in the second quarter as household spending, company investment and trade all collapsed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government has since March unleashed an array of unprecedented rescue and stimulus measures, financed with record new borrowing of 217.8 billion euros, to help companies and consumers recover from the crisis.

The stimulus package includes a temporary cut in value-added tax from July 1 until December 31 to give domestic demand an additional push in the second half of the year.

The government on Tuesday revised upwards its 2020 forecast for the economy to shrink by 5.8% this year from a previous estimate of -6.3%. That would still represent the biggest economic slump since World War Two.
KYIV, Ukraine - Dozens of journalists gathered Wednesday outside a police station in the capital of Belarus to protest the detention of colleagues covering a demonstration against the nations authoritarian president and an election the opposition sees as rigged.

Police detained several journalists from Belarusian news outlets Tuesday on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned demonstration. They could receive fines or jail sentences of up to 15 days, if charged and convicted.

We are witnessing the lawless action of law enforcement agencies, which are muzzling journalists without bothering about methods, Olga Loiko, a journalist with Belarus popular online news outlet tut.by.

On Wednesday, police detained her colleague Vadim Zamirovsky, a photographer with tut.by. He told The Associated Press that he was released after police officers threw him into a van, beat him up and checked his ID and press card.

As it tries to quell weeks of anti-government protests prompted by official results that gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term with 80% of the vote, his government also has revoked the accreditation of many Belarusian journalists and deported some foreign journalists.

Two Moscow-based Associated Press journalists who were covering the protests were deported to Russia on Saturday. In addition, the APs Belarusian journalists were told by the government that their press credentials had been revoked.

American and European Union officials have strongly condemned the targeting of media in Belarus.

During Tuesdays protest, hundreds of students marched across the city, chanting for Lukashenko to Go away! as they continued a fourth straight week of mass post-election protests.

The Interior Ministry said 128 people were detained across the country Tuesday for taking part in unsanctioned demonstrations, including 95 in the capital, Minsk. It said Wednesday that 39 of the detainees remained in custody pending court hearings.

More than 100 students of the Minsk State Linguistics University formed a human chain to protest Tuesdays detentions of students and professors. By Wednesday evening, similar human chains popped up all over Minsk, with hundreds of people joining in to express solidarity with detained protesters.

Viasna human rights centre said police detained 17 participants in Wednesdays protest.

Lukashenko, who has run the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for 26 years, has dismissed protesters as Western puppets.

During the first few days of post-election protests, police detained nearly 7,000 people and beat hundreds, drawing international outrage. The government has since avoided large-scale violence and sought to end the protests with threats, selective detention of protesters and prosecution of activists.

The United States and the European Union have criticized the Aug. 9 presidential election as neither free nor fair and urged Belarusian authorities to engage in a dialogue with the opposition. Lukashenko has dismissed the Wests input.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the U.S. and its European partners are together previewing significant targeted sanctions on anyone involved in human rights abuses and oppression.

The Belarusians deserve the right to choose their own leaders through a truly free and fair election under independent observation, Pompeo told reporters in Washington. We demand an immediate end to the violence against them and the release of all who are unjustly detained.

Belarusian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe of the Coordination Council that opposition activists set up after the election to try to negotiate a transition of power. Last week, two of its members were given 10-day jail sentences on charges of staging unsanctioned protests, and several others were summoned for questioning.

Pavel Latushko, a former minister of culture and ambassador to France who joined the council, travelled to Poland Tuesday after facing threats and being questioned. His departure came a day after the Belarusian president warned that Latushko had crossed a red line and would face prosecution.

Latushko told The Associated Press that he plans to return to Belarus later this month after attending a conference in Poland and also visiting Lithuania.

I havent violated the law, he said in a telephone interview from Poland. The problem is that the constitution and laws no longer work in Belarus. Its strange to hear the president make charges that can only be made in court.

Facing Western pressure, Lukashenko has vowed to cement ties with Russia, which has a union treaty with Belarus envisaging close political, economic and military ties. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week he stands ready to send police to Belarus at Lukashenkos request if the demonstrations turn violent, but added that there was no need for that yet.

During a visit to Moscow on Wednesday, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei thanked Russia for supporting the Belarusian government in the face of what he described as protests orchestrated from abroad.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized what he described as destructive Western criticism of the Belarusian authorities. Asked if Moscow plans to have contacts with the Belarusian opposition, Lavrov said that would not happen until the Coordination Council formulates a platform that conforms with Belarusian law.

He also noted that some council members have spoken against close ties with Russia.



Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.



Follow APs coverage of the political crisis in Belarus at https://apnews.com/Belarus

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London: Charlie Hebdo, the magazine attacked by terrorists during a deadly wave of assaults in Paris five years ago, has republished controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on the eve of a major court case.

Thirteen men and one woman will face trial from Wednesday for allegedly supplying weapons and other support to the two brothers who stormed the magazine's headquarters in January 2015 and killed 12 people, including some of France's best-known cartoonists.

The brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, were later killed in a gun battle with police. A third man with links to the pair, Amedy Coulibaly, also executed a police officer in the French capital and then murdered four people during a siege at a kosher supermarket.

Charlie Hebdo had long attracted the ire of Islamic extremists for its caricatures of religious figures, including the Prophet Muhammad. It has been publishing under extreme secrecy and security measures in the years since the attack.
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (L) and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann (R) announce the Federal Budget in Canberra, Australia, on April 2, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Australias Worst Economic Growth Figures to Be Released, Done Better Than Most Other Countries

Australia is set to release its worst set of economic growth figures in at least 60 years and confirm it is suffering the first recession since the early 1990s.

Economists expect the national accounts for the June quarter on Sept 2 to show an economic contraction of around six percent, driven by COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

This will follow a more modest 0.3 percent decline in the March quarter, when coronavirus first hit Australias shores, and confirm a technical recession of two consecutive negative quarters of growth.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said Australia had weathered the coronavirus crisis better than most other countries.

In all of the circumstances, Australia is performing comparatively better than most others, he told reporters in Canberra.

We are going to have to continue to do everything we can to get ourselves back into the best possible position.

The downturn has already seen the number of people unemployed push past more than one million for the first time.

Treasury has warned a further 400,000 Australians could join the dole queue before Christmas, partly as a result of Victorias harsh lockdown.

The June quarter result is expected to include a collapse in household consumption, weak building construction and a slump in business investment.

On the plus side, exports will make a strong contribution, as will government spending.

RBC Capital Markets head of strategy Su-Lin Ong said the national accounts for the June quarter would be more backward-looking than usual, given the dynamics of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some economists are concerned the September quarter could produce a third negative result due to the lockdown in Victoria, with the state accounting for a quarter of national output.

But at this stage, ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett expects the economy will expand modestly, with the re-opening of businesses in other states offsetting the Victorian slump.

However, the December quarter will prove more challenging, when support payments are wound back.

We expect though that the government will be keen to avoid a negative quarter, and anticipate a boost in stimulus measures in the October budget, Emmett said.

That approach would help to support growth in both the December quarter and over the medium term.

By Colin Brinsden in Canberra
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will start public consultation for the preparation of Master Plan of Delhi-2041, a vision document for the citys development in the next two decades, from September 2.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 11 am.

The first round of consultation to finalise the contours of the vision document will be done with the resident welfare associations of unauthorised colonies in the national Capital. The Centre, last year, had started the process of giving ownership rights to residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies.

A senior DDA official said, To begin this process, an online meeting will be held on September 2 with RWAs of unauthorised colonies of Delhi. This is to understand the issues in their localities and discuss possible solutions to improve the quality of life of residents in these areas.

DDA has roped in the National Institute of Urban Affairs, an advisory body under the Union minister of Housing and urban affairs, for the preparation of the MPD-2041.

DDA started the process to confer ownership rights to residents in unauthorised colonies in December 2019. Just days before the model code of conduct for the Delhi assembly elections was put in force, the Centre had handed over ownership rights documents to 20 property owners under Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY).

The DDA official said that for the consultation process, RWAs of these colonies can register themselves by sending an e-mail to mpd2041@gmail.com. The land-owning agency has also launched an interactive microsite Public Engagement Portal for MPD-2041 to disseminate information about the consultative process, said an official.

DDA vice-chairman Anurag Jain said, We look forward to active participation from the people of Delhi and seek their support towards shaping a shared vision for Delhi.

The DDA official said that the land-owning agency plans to hold large-scale consultative meetings with various groups. But due to the Coronavirus disease pandemic, these meetings will be held online.

After unauthorised colonies, DDA will hold meetings with various stakeholders and citizen groups such as RWAs, market and trader associations, industry associations, informal sector, women, children and youth, professional bodies and associations, etc. in the next two months.

The NIUA has been asked to submit the draft MPD-2041, an official said, by December this year.
Republicans are accusing three California Democratic congressional candidates of backing the defund the police effort, arguing that their support from a national progressive organization is proof enough of that link.

Democratic Reps. TJ Cox of Fresno and Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach (Orange County), along with Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a candidate for a Southern California congressional seat, continue to welcome the support and thousands of dollars from Indivisible, leaders of the defund the police movement, the National Republican Congressional Committee said in a blog post Monday. That support tells you exactly where these candidates stand on defunding the police  they support it.

Its a matter of dueling definitions of defund the police, with Republicans arguing that its a radical call to eliminate police protection entirely, while Democrats saying its about reforming the way law enforcement agencies operate.

The efforts to tie Democratic candidates to riots and anti-police rhetoric follow closely on the law and order mantra President Trump is using for his re-election campaign. Its also intensely frustrating for Democrats trying to walk a line that avoids calls from the left to eliminate or seriously downsize police forces but still recognizes the need to change law enforcement strategies in response to police mistreatment of Black people.

The latest Republican attack brought a quick response from Indivisible, which was formed in 2016 as a progressive response to the election of President Trump.

The NRCC is desperate, said Sarah Dohl, a co-founder of Indivisible. They know that candidates like Cox, Smith and Rouda have momentum and overwhelming grassroots support heading into November.

The committee should spend less time writing press releases and more time working on their talking points, Dohl said. Californians wont fall for it.

The GOP assault stems from an article that appeared Monday in the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative political journalism website. But while the story talked about the backing the three Democrats have received from Indivisible, it also said that none of them has actually said they support defunding the police.

That caveat didnt stop GOP groups and candidates from quickly jumping in.

Deadly riots rock America from coast to coast, but California Democrats in tight battleground districts are still relying on support from one of the most radical defund the police groups, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC closely linked to the House GOP leadership, said in a blog post.

Rouda continues cozying up to far-left groups who want to defund Orange County law enforcement, said Matt Ciepielowski, campaign manager for Roudas November challenger, Republican county Supervisor Michelle Steel.

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), who defeated Smith in a May runoff for the open seat and faces her again on Nov. 3, sent out a news release reprinting most of the Free Beacon story with the heading, In Case You Missed It...

At a campaign event in Orange County Sunday, Rouda said that its too much to expect police to deal with problems like mental health issues on the streets, troubles caused by homelessness and a variety of domestic dispute, as well as public safety and law enforcement concerns.

We need to do a better job of having other qualified individuals to take some of that load off them so they can focus on what they were hired to do, he said.

On its website, Indivisible recommends that supporters call local officials and tell them to defund your local police department and invest those funds in resources people need in ... communities of color, adding that in many marginalized communities, police and law enforcement represent harm and terror  not safety.

The GOP effort to tie Rouda to the defund the police movement reeks of desperate divisiveness, Roudas campaign said in a statement Tuesday. Like many Americans, he believes our nation can hold officers to account and address systemic racism without eliminating our entire public safety system.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:56:48|Editor: huaxia

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Indian army was killed Wednesday in an exchange of fire with the Pakistani troops on Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said.

The two sides exchanged fire on LoC in Tarkundi sector of frontier Rajouri district, about 227 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The exchange of fire in the sector was going on until the last reports poured in.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts. Enditem
Its been almost 17 years since "One Tree Hill" premiered, but the tight-knit male cast members are still texting on the daily  only these days instead of deciding where to hang after work, theyre talking diapers and onesies.

Tyler Hilton, who welcomed his first child  a daughter named Winnifred  with actress and filmmaker Megan Park in December, says his "One Tree Hill" family has been by his side, via text, as he tackles first-time fatherhood. In fact, Hiltons official membership into the dads club prompted the formation of a group text.

Theyve all been so stoked for me. Everyones so supportive, said Hilton, who portrayed Chris Keller in the series. They started a 'One Tree Hill' dad chat on Father's Day. It was the cutest thing. ... I was thinking, Dude, if any of us thought we'd one day be on a Father's Day chat together, we wouldve been like: What? It was wild.

Tyler Hilton and Megan Park with their baby daughter, Winnifred. (Steve Cowell)

I remember when we were younger, trying to figure out how to be adults, Hilton continued. Now we're figuring out how to be parents. I'm sure all of this will seem charmingly immature in 10 years. We'll look back and laugh, Look at us trying to figure out diapers!

The group conversation includes co-stars Chad Michael Murray (Lucas), Paul Johansson (Dan), Kieren Hutchison (Andy), Lee Norris (Mouth) and Antwon Tanner (Skills), who started the chat. Antwon leads the way, but we always forget hes even a dad because hes so cool, Hilton said. Hes got adult children, but doesnt seem like a dad.

So, what exactly do the dads discuss? Its just a really fun thing, Hilton said before pulling up the group thread. Lets see ... there was a lot of, Gentlemen, here we are  were dads! Yeah! And lots of joking around.

Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long.

Hilton, 36, said he's been leaning on Murray for advice since Park became pregnant. Chad helped me out a bunch before Winnie came along, he said of Murray, who has two children with his wife, Sarah Roemer. He and Sarah filled me in on everything and I texted him more than anybody in the beginning  about the dumbest, simplest things. He'd be like, Dude, get (onesies with) zippers  don't bother with snaps.

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Hilton said he has long admired Hutchisons parenting skills. Kieren was such a special guy to me, he said about the New Zealand actor, who has a 12-year-son, Quinn, with wife Nicole. He was my first friend who had a kid.

While the "One Tree Hill" brotherhoods clearly going strong, its not just the guys helping Hilton navigate parenting. He remains tight with mom-of-two Hilarie Burton, having continued acting together on Lifetimes "A Christmas Wish," which also starred Park.

Hilaries been checking on me constantly, Hilton said. Shes super-invested in us having a kid. She was really involved with helping us prepare for the birth and weve FaceTimed with her son, Gus, whos so into Winnie.

Park, 34, added that now that shes a mother, she has a deeper understanding of the heartbreak friends like Burton have faced in becoming parents.

We have a lot of people close to us who have struggled with infertility, and having Winnie has given us greater empathy for them, Park said. We also know that sometimes having a second babys not as easy as the first, so we dont know whats in store, but feel grateful it was so easy for us and that Winnies healthy.

While Hilton says he wants more kids, for now hes relishing every baby milestone, albeit amid the coronavirus pandemic. Initially quarantining in Parks native Ontario, the trio are back in L.A., where Parks making her directorial debut on "The Fallout," while Hiltons working on a follow-up to 2019s "City on Fire" album. He also recently released a touching video for his ballad, When I See You, I See Home  and eagle-eyed "One Tree Hill" fans can spot Norris and Hutchison in wedding footage.

As for whether Winnie has inherited his love for music, Hilton said she loves his bath-time serenades. Shes so obsessed and I get so much joy out of it!

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Watermark, a pioneer in educational intelligence, is pleased to announce the following recipients of its annual Watermark Scholars Program  Kristen Palmer  a student majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology  and Elise Ogden  a student majoring in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Chemistry at Bethel University. Both students submitted a scholarship application, answering the prompt: who or what has inspired you to pursue a career in STEM and what do you want to achieve upon graduation?, and were selected from an applicant pool of nearly 350 submissions.

It was a TedTalk by Joy Buolamwini, a black woman and AI programmer, that opened my eyes to the power of an Ethical AI Programmer. It made me realize that in order for technologies to work for everyone, I need to actively participate in tech spaces and address the problems that impact my community. Im excited to work with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning so that I can learn to combat the implicit biases that plague these fields. I hope that by pursuing this goal, I can make technology more equitable. I want to live in a world where technology can work as well for me as it does for anyone else, and Im grateful to Watermark for the support in pursuing this goal, said Palmer.

For me, it was upon learning that I did not inherit Huntingtons disease, I felt called to serve people with neurodegenerative disorders in honor of my family members. I chose to study Biochemistry/Molecular Biology as a foundation for my interest in researching proteopathies, and had the opportunity to study neurological topics in biochemistry, genetics, and bioethics abroad at the University of Oxford. I am currently applying to return to Oxford for an MSc in Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience as a stepping stone to becoming a translational neurologist. Im incredibly thankful for Watermarks support, commented Ogden.

Watermark Scholars is an annual program intended to provide financial opportunities to female college students pursuing STEM or other technology-related studies and careers. Both recipients received monetary support to help continue their education. This Watermark Scholars opportunity is an extension of the companys broader womens leadership initiative, Women at Watermark  designed to weave womens empowerment into the very fabric of the organization and encourage the growth of womens leadership through lifelong learning and professional development.

Were privileged to help support these women in furthering their education. We know that students are struggling to navigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19, including the shift to remote learning and financial strains. Amidst the current landscape, supporting students pursuing degrees and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has tremendous future impact  especially in industries in which women are traditionally underrepresented. We look forward to launching our 2021 scholarships at the end of this year, said Lisa Wright, VP of Market Intelligence & Strategic Partnerships and Women at Watermark Steering Committee Chair.

Watermark works to foster a culture of equal opportunity and that includes the growth of womens leadership opportunities, especially in STEM. To learn more, visit http://www.watermarkinsights.com.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting, two days after President Donald Trump did the same, his campaign announced Wednesday morning.

Biden is expected to meet with Jacob Blake Sr. and members of Blakes family in Kenosha as part of the visit, according to a spokesperson for the Blake family.

On Wednesday, the former vice president was asked what he was hoping to accomplish with the trip.

There's been overwhelming requests that I do come. Because what we want to do is we've got to heal. We've got to put things together. Bring people together. And so my purpose in going will be to do just that, Biden told reporters after a pandemic briefing in Delaware, noting hes in touch with elected officials in the state.

Asked as well if he agrees with his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, that the officers involved in the Blake and Breonna Taylor shootings in Kentucky should be charged, Biden said, Lets make sure justice is done.

I do think there's a minimum need to be charged, the officers, and as well as Breonna Taylor, and I might add, by the way, I think what happened in -- in Portland, where a -- one of the Trump guys riding along in vans inciting response, shooting rubber bullets, I guess, or paintballs, apparently there was someone was shot by someone in the crowd, with a bullet, killed, Biden said.

I think that person should meet the legal requirements, whatever that calls for, should be investigated and they should follow through on what needs to be done. Let the judicial system work, he added.

PHOTO: Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden boards an airplane at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Del., Aug. 31, 2020, as he travels to Pennsylvania for campaign events. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden said, if he were president, he wouldnt incite violence, as he said Trump does, and would take responsibility, something he said he wished Trump would do.

First of all, I wouldn't incite violence. I'd condemn it when it occurred, Biden said.

Number two, I would make sure everybody understood if I were president, any violence, any violence, protesting is a right and free speech is a right, but to engage in violence, burning, looting, and the rest, in the name of protesting is wrong. And that persons should be held accountable for their actions, he continued.

Story continues

His campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee will hold a community meeting in Kenosha, in the area where civil unrest turned deadly after authorities say Kyle Rittenhouse, a pro-police 17-year-old, allegedly opened fire, killing two men during protests.

Social media accounts associated with Rittenhouse's name contain references to support for President Trump.

The trip comes as pressure mounted for Biden to visit Wisconsin, a 2020 election battleground, and marks the farthest travel from his home state of Delaware since he went to Houston in June to meet with the family of George Floyd -- who was killed in May by a Minneapolis police officer -- before his funeral.

MORE:Amid tensions in Kenosha, Trump tours damaged businesses, meets with law enforcement

When Trump visited Kenosha Tuesday afternoon, he did not meet with the Blake family. Some of Blake's family members held an event alongside community activists at the site of Blakes shooting to counter the presidents visit. Trump toured damaged businesses and met with law enforcement officers during his trip.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump tours an area affected by civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump said he refused to speak with the family after they insisted upon their lawyers' involvement. A lawyer for the family said that was standard practice considering the investigations into what had occurred.

"I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that," Trump told reporters, saying he had heard Blake's mother was "a fine woman" and noting the shooting was being investigated.

MORE: Trump doesn't mention Jacob Blake in Kenosha visit

Biden and Harris spoke with the Blake family on Aug. 26.

This trip will be Bidens first to Wisconsin since October 2018, before the launch of his presidential campaign.

ABC News' Stephanie Walsh contributed to this report.

After Trump's 'law and order' visit, Biden says he'll go to Kenosha to 'heal' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
- A man of God was preaching during a church service in Douala, Cameroon, when he slumped and died

- In a video shared by Chidi Odinkalu, Reverend Father paused momentarily before he slumped while preaching

- Social media users have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the unfortunate incident

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Tragedy struck in Cameroon when a priest identified as Reverend Father Jude slumped and died while preaching the Homily.

The video of the incident was shared on Twitter by the former chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu.

Odinkalu wrote: Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Deido, in Cameroons commercial capital, Douala, was preaching the Homily at Mass earlier today when this happened. RIP to him.

The man, who was putting on a face mask, paused momentarily and then slumped. Other church priests rushed to his aid but he gave up the ghost.

Reverend Father Jude was the spiritual director of Catholic Men Association in Douala, Cameroon.

Some Twitter users took to the comment section of the post to share their thoughts about the unfortunate incident.

Twitter user with the handle @OYEDEJI wrote: "Can you observe a man wiping off sweat from his face because the room was stuffy, coupled with talking with face mask on. Yes, probably with an underlying condition. That is why I will remove my face mask if I can't breathe comfortably when having it on. Life has no duplicate!"

In response to @OYEDEJI, @divergentscou wrote: "Face mask can't tbe the primary cause, but I agree with you, that it could have contributed in speeding up the event.

Reverend Father Jude slumped and died during church service. Photo credit: @ChidiOdinkalu/Twitter

Source: UGC

"I noticed his eyes severally, there was serious indication that it will happen. May his faithful soul, rest in peace. Put on your Face mask. Stay Safe."

@Ote_nkwu wrote: "When I was in church this morning, a thought crossed my mind... What if the Priest collapses? And here it has happened somewhere else."

@blessedaplenty wrote: "Eternal rest grant unto him Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. Amen."

Below are other reactions:

Source: YEN.com.gh
The government has set next year's budget at a record W556 trillion, up 8.5 percent from this year (US$1=W1,185). Tax revenues are expected to decline by more than W9 trillion to around W292 trillion due to the economic slump, but the government plans to issue W90 trillion worth of debt to finance this massive shower. When President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017, the budget was a relatively modest W400 trillion. It has now risen by W130 trillion during the combined eight years of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. That means the country's fiscal debt will rise from W660 trillion in his first year in office to a staggering W945 trillion next year, surpassing W1 quadrillion in 2022, the final year of his single, five-year term. The fiscal debt ratio will rise from 36 percent in 2017 to 58.3 percent in 2024, according to the government's own data.

Global ratings firm Fitch has already warned that Korea's sovereign credit rating could drop if its fiscal debt ratio rises to 46 percent in 2023. But in fact it is almost certain to be way more than that. The fiscal balance after subtracting welfare spending is expected to fall to minus 5.8 percent this year, way below the minimum minus three percent recommended by the EU. Jitters over Korea's credit rating could lead to an exodus of foreign capital, and other side effects of the government's wanton spending are inevitable.

But the government and ruling party seem unfazed. Next year's budget includes hefty spending plans to finance various welfare projects to woo voters ahead of by-elections in Seoul and Busan. A whopping 36 percent of the budget is to be spent on welfare and unemployment benefit. Even more taxpayers' money is expected to be spent in 2022, when presidential elections are scheduled.

When Moon was an opposition lawmaker, he was a fiscal conservative and urged the government to keep the fiscal debt ratio below 40 percent. Now he says he can see no reason why this "arbitrary" level was set. Cheong Wa Dae went one better and claimed money "rots" if kept in government's coffers. One provincial governor affiliated with the ruling party claims that the country cannot go bankrupt no matter how much it spends.

What is worse is that the country's debt can never be slashed significantly once Moon is comfortably retired in his grace-and-favor home because most of the spending is tied to welfare and wages for public servants, which are almost impossible to cut once they have gone up. The government expects fiscal earnings to rise 3.5 percent on average annually during the next five years, but fiscal spending will soar 5.7 percent. Factoring in Korea's low birthrate and aging population, a snowballing fiscal deficit is imminent. Korea is setting off into uncharted waters of chronic government deficits, jettisoning its status as a global model of fiscal soundness for expensive populist stunts.


YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures and Russias Ministry of Transportation signed a protocol aimed at the development of the South Caucasian Railway. The document was signed by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Armen Simonyan and Russias Deputy Minister of Transportation Vladimir Tokaryev.

The protocol was signed based on the agreements reached during the 19th meeting of the Armenia-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic Cooperation and the activities of the inter-departmental task force.

The protocol will enable increasing the volume of cargo and passenger transportation and upgrading the trains, the ministry said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Tokyo: Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a longtime loyal assistant and the public face of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in daily media briefings, has emerged as a favourite to succeed him in an upcoming internal party vote.

A member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who doesn't belong to any faction, Suga has been approached by leaders of other party wings as someone who can ensure the continuation of Abes policies, including Japan's security alliance with the US, the coronavirus pandemic and measures to shore up the economy.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Credit:AP

Suga officially announced his candidacy on Wednesday, a day after former foreign minister Fumio Kishida and former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed their intention to run for the post.

He said he wanted to run to avoid a political vacuum at a time when the world's third-largest economy grapples with the impact of the pandemic, Reuters reported.
Crown Resorts employees based in Macau feared physical violence from gangster associates of one of the casino's "junket" business partners, who was linked to an international drug syndicate.

Crown's chief legal officer Joshua Preston told the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority's probity inquiry on Wednesday that Crown appears to have been linked to "some unsavoury characters" through its partnership with Ng Chi Un, who operated the "Hot Pot junket" until 2015.

Crown Resorts chief legal officer Joshua Preston, giving evidence via video link, told the inquiry some staff were afraid of "unsavoury characters" linked to one of its junket partners. Credit:NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority

The government inquiry was launched following reports by The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes last year that some of Crown's junket partners, who bring wealthy Chinese gamblers to its Australian casinos, had links to organised crime.

The reports revealed that the Hot Pot junket was linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate known as The Company and arranged for members of the gang to visits Crown's Perth Casino in 2015, where they turned over $800 million in the course of a few days.
SANTA ROSA, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Care By Design Hemp, a wholly-owned CannaCraft brand, announced today that it joined several industry leaders in an IRB-approved study to provide real world evidence of safety in cannabinoid product use which commenced this month.

The ValidCare study will measure the effects on the liver from daily use of full spectrum hemp derived CBD and CBD isolate by healthy adults. The resulting third party data will address the FDA's repeated request for more scientific data so it can confidently determine the appropriate regulatory path(s) for hemp-derived CBD products.

Care By Design Hemp is one of 13 leading CBD companies to participate in and fund this watershed research, out of more than 100 companies that were invited and screened. Other companies taking part include Charlotte's Web, Boulder Botanical & Bioscience Labs, CBDistillery, CBD American Shaman, Columbia Care, Global Widget, HempFusion, Kannaway, MedterraCBD, SunFlora, Asterra Lab, and Infinite CBD.

"Clinical data is necessary to the progress of cannabis treatments. Over the years we have commissioned several anecdotal studies with ten-of-thousands of consumers to identify patterns and aggregate data on cannabis' efficacy and side effects. Ultimately this information provided valuable insight on how we can better meet our customers' needs," said Tiffany Devitt, CannaCraft's Chief Government Relations Officer. "We look forward to participating in the ValidCare study and we know this data will help inform the next wave of innovation in cannabinoid therapies."

The first step of the process, according to ValidCare's initial press release, is to collect and provide "real world evidence" from healthy American adults who have consumed oral CBD products for at least 60 days. Measures include reported product experiences and a blood sample to understand how the consumer's liver reacts. The design calls for participation by a minimum of 700 consumers. This data will be combined with personal history, blood tests and product data to provide investigators with the opportunity to understand multiple variables across populations, products and lifestyles.

"Care By Design is a science- and data-driven company so I was ecstatic to hear about the opportunity to participate in a clinical, IRB-reviewed study on CBD's safety. There's a real dearth of quality safety data out there as cannabis and CBD have been very challenging to research historically due to federal restrictions," said Matt Elmes PhD, Head of Research and Development at CannaCraft. Adding, "We welcome this unique opportunity to work alongside our consumers to meaningfully advance cannabinoid science. The valuable data we generate together will undoubtedly impact the future of hemp-derived CBD in the USA."

The study commenced in late July, and ValidCare targets completion by the end of the year.

About ValidCare

ValidCare, LLC provides clinical research outsourcing (CRO) and consumer intelligence solutions for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and life sciences industries. ValidCare's proprietary platform supports virtual research powered by real world evidence (RWE) including self-reported consumer data to deliver insights that help improve research, regulations, product development and consumer health. For more information, visit www.validcare.com or call 844-825-4322.

About Care By Design

Care By Design is a wellness company with deep roots. Created in 2014 by patients seeking relief, Care By Design earned its success through operating with the highest integrity and making innovative products with unparalleled efficacy. Intent on harnessing the full healing power of cannabis therapeutics, Care By Design pioneered CBD to THC ratios that deliver powerful relief, cultivated by science. Their hemp products are available nationwide while their cannabis products are available in licensed dispensaries throughout California and Colorado. Backed by a team of expert cultivators, in-house scientists, clinicians, and caregivers, Care By Design exists to radically improve the lives of individuals and raise the baseline health of communities. Learn more at www.CBD.org.

Additional Information

Kial Long, VP Corporate Communications | CannaCraft, Inc.

[email protected]

Jim Walsh | Coppertop Media Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE CannaCraft

Related Links

cannacraft.com


After Sonam Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna managed to watch Christopher Nolans Tenet in a movie theatre. The latter is in Scotland with husband Akshay Kumar and their two kids, where the Good Newwz actor is shooting for his film Bell Bottom.

Sharing a glimpse of a scene featuring her mother Dimple Kapadia, she wrote, Finally saw Tenet in the theatre and though my mother is so laid-back that she refuses to do any publicity around it, she has a wonderful part and is completely incredible.

She also went on to quote Variety, which wrote about Dimples performance, A sinister whisper network of international arms dealers emerges, with one of them, Priya (the wonderful Dimple Kapadia, in the films wiliest performance) serving principally to coax the protagonist through the corridors of Nolans storytelling.

Earlier, Sonam watched the Hollywood film in London, where she stays with husband Anand Ahuja. The actor raved about Dimples performance in Tenet as she watched the highly anticipated espionage thriller on the big screen.

Sonam took to Instagram and shared a picture of Dimple, who makes her Hollywood debut with the film. So I went to watch @tenetfilm in the cinema today. Firstly the incredible experience of watching a film on the big screen is unparalleled. Secondly to watch the luminous Dimple Kapadia in the film gave me goosebumps. Nothing compares to cinema, the big screen and its magic. Nothing, the actor wrote on Sunday.

Also read: Sunny Leone and daughter Nisha make a painting together, gift it to a friend. Watch

Nolans Tenet is the first big-budget Hollywood feature to go for a theatrical release since the novel coronavirus shut down the cinemas worldwide in March. Dimple features in Tenet along with actors like John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Caine, Clemence Poesy, and Himesh Patel.

Actor Richa Chadha replied to Sonams post and wrote that the 61-year-old actor had made the country proud with her role in film. Missing the cinemas. What a film you got to see and what a moment of pride for India! Woohoo, Dimple Kapadia ji making her Hollywood debut with Nolan! she wrote.

(With PTI inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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The Madhya Pradesh high courts principal bench at Jabalpur directed private schools on Tuesday to take tuition fee from students that existed before the Covid period, thus giving relief to students and their guardians who were agitating over the issue, as per states advocate generals office.

There were numerous complaints from guardians to the administration in several districts and the state government that private schools were seeking all types of fees from the students even though the schools are closed. There were also complaints that several private schools were realising enhanced fees in the name of online classes being conducted during the Covid period, as per government officials.

This was despite the fact the school education department of the state government through its circulars dated April 24, 2020 and May 16, 2020 made it clear that educational institutions can take only tuition fees from the students during the period, as per officials.

The interim order from the high courts double bench comprising of chief justice justice AK Mittal and justice VK Shukla came on Tuesday on at least nine petitions filed in this regard. One of the petitions was filed by Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manchs PG Nazpande and Rajat Bhargava.

Deputy advocate general at MP high court, Jabalpur Swapnil Ganguly said, As per the interim order passed by the court on Tuesday the private schools can realise tuition fee during Corona period that existed before the period.

The petition of PG Nazpande and Rajat Bhargava alleged that the private schools were realising exorbitant fees from students in the name of smart and online classes and that this was happening despite the state governments order that the schools can only realise tuition fee from the students during the Covid period.
(Natural News) The thin blue line that is already barely holding our civil society together as it is coming off a summer of defund the police rioting and looting is getting thinner by the day as Americas criminal element grows in power, influence, and  apparently  wealth.

In fact, we wouldnt be surprised to wake up one morning in the very near future to see scores of American cities collapsing because cops, tired of the abuse, simply walked off the job and left unappreciative citizens to their own devices and scrambling for cover.

A tweet posted last week by independent journalist Andy Ngo said that a GoFundMe account established for Jacob Blake, the thug who was shot by Kenosha police had already raised more than $2 million.

The probable cause for #JacobBlake's felony sex crime charge says police responded to a crying woman's home who was wearing a gown & in pain. She said when she was sleeping next to her child, Blake raped her. Meanwhile, his GoFundMe has raised over $2m. https://t.co/LYLVgHGMUJ  Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 29, 2020

You remember him, right? He was shot by an officer after fighting his way through a taser and ignoring commands to stop as he reached into his SUV where there was a knife on the floorboard.

Yes, that guy  whose shooting resulted in a predictable round of looting and violence in a previously sleepy city of about 100,000 situated on Lake Michigan, violence that came before anyone knew the facts about the incident or the suspect. (Related: Taxpayer-supported NPR embraces looting and rioting  how long before the Left-wing network voices support for political genocide against conservatives?)

Speaking of knowing more facts, Ngos tweet also contained a link to a Daily Mail story which provided a host of new details regarding Blakes extensive, and filthy, criminal history and complaints:

The 29-year-old was accused of a Class G felony sexual assault  which could carry a maximum 10-year prison term  and two counts of domestic abuse involving trespass and disorderly conduct.

The warrant was dropped Friday afternoon amid outcry at the continued handcuffing of Blake for days after he was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer.

And whats more, Kenosha police knew about the warrant before they came in contact with Blake  which helps explain why he resisted arrest and refused to obey officers commands to stop moving towards the SUV he was drivingwhich wasnt even his.

If even half of what hes been charged with is true, then were dealing with a horrific sexual predator that has no business living in a civil society.

According to the probable cause statement on May 3, 2020 a Kenosha police officer responded to the very same address where Blake was shot at on August 24, 2020 for a report that an ex-boyfriend had broken into the residence and stole vehicle keys, a vehicle debit card before fleeing, the Daily Mail reported.

Warning: Graphic

While there, Blake allegedly awakened his ex-girlfriend and was standing over her early one morning saying, I want my s**t, according to the statement. As the victim was on her back, suddenly and without warning, Blake reached his hand between her legs, penetrated her vaginally with a finger, pulled it out and sniffed it, and said, Smells like youve been with other men.

That little episode earned Blake charges of criminal trespass, domestic abuse, third-degree sexual assault (a Class G felony), disorderly conduct, and domestic abuse  all of which, if he is convicted, carries in total a decade in prison, according to the Daily Mail.

Now its becoming clearer why Blake refused to cooperate with police.

But none of that matters to the Left-wing scumbags who have chipped in millions of dollars to ensure this miscreant is afforded legal counsel mere mortals could only dream of.

As for the city of Kenosha, residents there got a very famous visitor this week: President Donald Trump, who blasted thugs who rioted, looted and burned sections of the city for a dirt ball who was completely in the wrong.

Meanwhile, the officer who shot him, Rusten Sheskey, is on paid leave but is in danger of losing his livelihood.

No wonder were just a little closer to total anarchy.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NaturalNews.com
Scientists have developed a new theory as to how hearing loss may cause dementia and believe that tackling this sensory impairment early may help to prevent the disease.

Hearing loss has been shown to be linked to dementia in epidemiological studies and may be responsible for a tenth of the 47 million cases worldwide.

Now, published in the journal Neuron, a team at Newcastle University, UK, provide a new theory to explain how a disorder of the ear can lead to Alzheimer's disease - a concept never looked at before.

It is hoped that this new understanding may be a significant step towards advancing research into Alzheimer's disease and how to prevent the illness for future generations.

Newcastle experts considered three key aspects; a common underlying cause for hearing loss and dementia; lack of sound-related input leading to brain shrinking; and cognitive impairment resulting in people having to engage more brain resources to compensate for hearing loss, which then become unavailable for other tasks.

The team propose a new angle which focuses on the memory centres deep in the temporal lobe. Their recent work indicates that this part of the brain, typically associated with long-term memory for places and events, is also involved in short-term storage and manipulation of auditory information.

They consider explanations for how changes in brain activity due to hearing loss might directly promote the presence of abnormal proteins that cause Alzheimer's disease, therefore triggering the disease.

Professor Tim Griffiths, from Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences, said: "The challenge has been to explain how a disorder of the ear can lead to a degenerative problem in the brain.

"We suggest a new theory based on how we use what is generally considered to be the memory system in the brain when we have difficulty listening in real-world environments."

Work on mechanisms for difficult listening is a central theme for the research group, including members in Newcastle, UCL and Iowa University, that has been supported by a Medical Research Council programme grant.

Dr Will Sedley, from Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences, said: "This memory system engaged in difficult listening is the most common site for the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

"We propose that altered activity in the memory system caused by hearing loss and the Alzheimer's disease process trigger each other.

"Researchers now need to examine this mechanism in models of the pathological process to test if this new theory is right."

The experts developed the theory of this important link with hearing loss by bringing together findings from a variety of human studies and animal models. Future work will continue to look at this area.
Police late Wednesday said the encounter began when officers responded to a report of a man with a gun and came upon several people in and around a vehicle. They said two of those people ran, one of them displayed a firearm and an officer fired in response.
Pupils from a Dublin primary school will have to restrict their movements for the next two weeks after a student tested positive for Covid-19.

The school, which has nearly 500 students, sent home one of its classes yesterday after learning one of the pupils was diagnosed with coronavirus.

It is the first confirmed student case in the Republic since schools reopened.

The school has not been named by officials, with the HSE and Education Minister Norma Foley both insisting they cannot comment on individual cases.

An email circulated to parents said that while everyone was being notified about this case, the school "will not be informing all parents of each individual further case unless instructed by public health to do so".

Under HSE guidelines, schools do not have to alert all parents if there's been a confirmed case, only the "close contacts" of the student.

Parents were also told that siblings of students in the class sent home can still attend school if they are not showing symptoms.

"As you are aware, public health has declared that these cases will be inevitable in schools, and it is therefore inevitable there will be more such cases in the coming year," the email to parents said.

"If any pupil becomes symptomatic, you should contact your GP."

Students were asked to remain at home for 14 days and advised that live lessons will be held over Zoom in the meantime.

"I wish to commend public health officials who acted speedily on this matter and our school community are very encouraged with the efficiency of public health officials and their thorough, comprehensive and speedy intervention into this case," the principal said.

"The school has been following all public health protocols for the reopening of schools and I wish to thank the families who have been very supportive of the school's reopening.

"The school will continue to follow public health and Department of Education & Skills directives to schools in all matters, now and into the future."

The school reopened last Wednesday and will remain open, the principal confirmed.

A spokesperson for the HSE said it cannot comment on individual cases or outbreaks, but said when a case of Covid-19 is linked to a school, "health professionals discuss directly with the person, or family as appropriate, and asks them about their contacts".

"Public Health professionals will also discuss the matter directly with the educational facility, undertaking a public health risk assessment.".

Ms Foley said it would be inappropriate for her to comment on an individual case, but said the public health guidelines are "very clear".

She said in terms of contact tracing, she would not place the burden on any principal or board of management and it was a matter for public health.

Meanwhile, a primary school in Co Armagh also sent a class home after a child tested positive for Covid-19.

In a letter to parents that was posted on the school's Facebook page, the school's principal said a pupil tested positive on Friday.

He said he had sought the most up-to-date advice and told parents that health officials will contact them shortly with the latest advice.
Merchants, fleeced

Colonists were paying 45 per annum for a police force yet the frequency of robberies committed in merchants' stores in Sydney was getting out of hand, the Herald reported. The Police Association suggested the merchants form an Association for the Suppression of Thieving based on similar principles as those of the Cattle Stealing Association to deal with the "daring gangs of nocturnal depredators" still at large.

Baptist Chapel approved

His Excellency the Governor granted an allotment in Bathurst St. to Reverend J. Saunders for the erection of a Baptist chapel on the condition that the building be completed within a given time, and cost at least 800. For the past two months the place of worship had been the old Court House which was "inconveniently small". The Trustees intended to start the build immediately. Subscriptions from the public were to be received at the Bank of NSW.

A penchant for curls and cameos
Raipur, Sep 3 : Chhattisgarh on Wednesday recorded the worst ever single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases with over 2,000 fresh patients and 12 fatalities, including a senior BJP leader and former Mayor.

Now the total number of Covid positive patients in the state has reached 35,330, the Health Department said in its daily bulletin.

The state recorded 12 more Covid-19 fatalities, including former Mayor of Rajnandgaon Shobha Soni, who was a towering BJP leader in the area. The total fatalities in Chhattisgarh have now reached 299.

So far, 35,330 persons have been detected Corona positive in Chhattisgarh of which 18,220 have been discharged from different hospitals. Currently, there are 16,811 active cases in the state.

Meanwhile, the Central government has announced to rush a team to Chhattisgarh to assist the state in containing the sudden burst in Covid cases.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
" " Does element 115 (moscovium) have anything to do with powering alien spaceships? HowStuffWorks

Element 115 is an enigma of sorts. It was only added to the periodic table in 2016, yet for decades it has attracted extra attention because of a supposed connection to extraterrestrial technology and alien lifeforms.

Intrigued? Before we answer whether there is a connection, let's find out what element 115 really is.

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"Element 115, or moscovium, is a man-made, super-heavy element that has 115 protons in its nucleus," emails Jacklyn Gates, a scientist with the Heavy Elements Group in the Nuclear Science Division for Berkeley Lab in California. (As with all elements on the periodic table, the element's number corresponds to the number of protons in the nucleus of the element's atom.) "That is 23 more protons than the heaviest element that you can find in large quantities on Earth, uranium."

Gates says that element 115 is an extremely rare element that's made one atom at a time in particle accelerators. It exists for just a fraction of a second before it decays into another element.

"It is special because it is near a predicted 'island of stability' where some super-heavy nuclei might have much longer lifetimes. Instead of living for less than a second, they could exist for minutes, days or even years! That is long enough that we might be able to use them for practical applications," she says.

Element 115 was discovered in 2003 in Dubna, Russia at the Flerov Laboratory for Nuclear Reactions by a group of scientists led by nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian. The element was eventually named moscovium because Dubna is in Moscow.

To make this element, the scientists accelerated ions of calcium-48 (48Ca) to around 10 percent of the speed of light and then bombarded americium-243 (243Am) with them. Through this bombardment, they were able to successfully fuse the nuclei of 243Am and 48Ca atoms, says Gates. "To create a super-heavy element, you need the complete fusion of two lighter elements," she notes. This process produced four atoms of moscovium.

"The new element that they made had 115 protons (20 from the 48Ca and 95 from the 243Am)," she says. "This new element was then separated from all the other reaction products using the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator and then implanted into a detector where scientists were able to watch element 115 decay into element 113."

It took years for researchers to work out some of the details about moscovium. It wasn't until 2018 that Berkley Lab scientists figured out that the element's mass or atomic weight (the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom) was 288.

To nab this vital number, they repeated the process that the first discoverers used to pin down the element. In doing so, they managed to produce roughly one atom of moscovium per day, and that atom was captured by an instrument called FIONA (For the Identification Of Nuclide A), which to the untrained eye looks like a small metal bank vault. So far, moscovium doesn't have a practical use outside of scientific study.

Element 115 and the Alien Connection

Element 115 was only discovered in 2003, but it may sound familiar because the name has been around for decades in connection with UFOs, aliens and other related phenomena.

We're referring to the long-lived story of Robert ("Bob") Scott Lazar, who in 1989 went public with what he said was top-secret information about element 115. Lazar claimed to be a former employee at Area 51, the famous (and highly classified) area of the Nevada Test and Training Range operated by the United States Air Force, where his job was to reverse-engineer crashed alien flying saucers. He said that he'd personally worked with element 115, which was used to pilot alien spacecraft.

It is "impossible to synthesize an element that heavy here on Earth. ... The substance has to come from a place where super-heavy elements could have been produced naturally," Lazar said.

Lazar said that he'd seen evidence of anti-gravity propulsion technologies, and nine alien spacecraft stored in a hangar at Area 51. Those spaceships ostensibly used some sort of propulsion system that harnessed the inherent power of gravity, and thus utilized the characteristics of element 115 to work their technological wizardry.

The government doesn't confirm the employment of anyone who's worked at Area 51. And as some sources have pointed out, the gist of his claims have never been thoroughly disproved.

Yet, there is still the fundamental science contradicting his claims.

"No, there is no connection between this discovery and the claims of Bob Lazar," says Gates. "Presently, all the created atoms of element 115 have decayed way too fast to be used to fuel UFOs!"

So instead of the excitement about little green men and incredible spacecraft, we're left with real, tangible  and equally thrilling  science. For the people who are immersed in these advances on a daily basis, that's more than enough. After all, moscovium is an amazing element. Gates says that it is a sign that we're pushing the boundaries of what we know about the universe.

"Element 115 is special in that we can make it easier than some lighter elements like element 112 or element 113. Typically, as we add more protons, it becomes harder to make a new element. This trend is broken around element 115. Due to this, we have been able to make over 100 atoms of element 115 and begin to understand its nuclear and chemical properties," she says.

Virginia Trimble is a physics and astronomy professor at the University of California Irvine who also finds element 115 exciting.

"As 'discovery space' advances into heavier and heavier nuclides, their properties provide stronger and stronger tests of our basic physical understanding  they don't always decay in the expected patterns, and where more than a few atoms can be produced at once, they don't always have the chemical properties that you would expect from their position in the periodic table," Trimble says via email.

Editor's note: After this story was published, we heard from Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell who directed the documentary "Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers" and is very familiar with Lazar. Corbell emailed us some additional information about Lazar and element 115 that we've excerpted here: "When Lazar first came forward in 1989, he made a point to explain that theres no reason a version of element 115 couldnt be synthesized and observed at some point in the future. In fact  he predicted that it would be observed (as did many)  just likely not in a stabilized form (because of the statistical improbability of landing on a relevant isotope). ... The [isotope discovered in 2003] is not the isotope that would account for what Lazar has described having had access to while working at Area 51 (Site 4). Lazar reports that the 115 he had access to was far more stable.

"My understanding of Lazars thinking is that with the advances in bombardment techniques new isotopic combinations would be achieved. However  just like how gold has 37 different isotopes and only one isotope is stable  115 is suspected to have MOSTLY rapid decay isotopes... So hopefully in the future we will land on a version with a longer half-life  even if it just ends up being a few atoms of it. That would be cool  and one day will likely happen," Corbell says.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Elements have been discovered roughly every three years  until recently. Now, researchers must pump more technology (and money) into projects that may or may not generate fleeting atoms of newfangled elements. One lab in Russia  the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions  hunts relentlessly for new elements, in hope of expanding our understanding of the universe. In the past 50 years, the lab has discovered nine new elements.

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Originally Published: Sep 2, 2020
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- America's veterans just received another hand-up. No stranger to challenges and helping keep the country safe, US VALOR (Veterans Advancing through Learning, Opportunities, and Resources), a Oceanside, CA, non-profit focused on serving transitioning military personnel and veterans, is pleased to announce its U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program. Thanks to this new partnership between industry, government, and education, the US VALOR apprentices can continue their service as part of the country's cybersecurity workforce. SynED has worked closely with the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE), funded by the U.S. Department of Defense through the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research, to help bolster California's cybersecurity workforce through education, training and apprenticeship programs.

Like other apprenticeship programs, US VALOR will play an integral role in filling hundreds, if not thousands, of open cybersecurity positions across California. Many entry-level jobs can be started without a college degree, allowing workers to learn on the job while earning an education.

This model is perfect for veterans, which made it appealing to US VALORs President and Executive Director, Kelly Kendall, and Chairman of the Board, Chuck Buresh. They will provide a rich environment and growth experience for their apprentices. The accepted participants will work with employers during a twelve-month training program that includes professional certifications and more. This training is free of charge to the apprentices, thanks to the US VALOR model.

"Veterans bring life skills that are much more valuable than some credentials or degrees," said Kendall, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. "Veterans are interested in this career path and know that they need some help getting started. This is a way for them to save their GI Bill and work on a degree as they learn on the job."

Students will rotate among up to four cybersecurity firms (employer partners), staying at each one for three months, with the goal of receiving a full-time job at one of the four at the end of the 12-month program. They will take classes to obtain professional certifications and professional skills that are not routinely covered in the military.

"The goal is to help them understand what it's like in the civilian world, including things like how to give presentations and negotiate win/win scenarios," Kendall said.

California has long recognized the need to bolster its cybersecurity workforce, and US VALOR is helping to make it one step closer to reality.

"The most recent report from the California Cybersecurity Labor Market Analysis highlights that finding qualified workers to fill cybersecurity positions is a widespread challenge facing many employers throughout the state, and particularly defense contractors, across all industries." Compounding the issue is the fact that California's educational institutions are not currently supplying enough qualified candidates to fill the thousands of cybersecurity job openings," said Eileen Sanchez, CASCADE program director. "We are pleased that the partnership between synED and US VALOR's apprenticeship program represents a step forward in California's ability to enhance defense industrial base ecosystems and to address urgent cybersecurity workforce needs pertinent to our national security."

As one of the integral participants in CASCADE, synED, also a non-profit, provides professional services to help higher education meet workforce development needs. SynED will oversee the development of this model, with the goal of 90 cybersecurity job placements by mid-2021.

"We are honored to work closely with US VALOR and help them to be successful with their program and, in turn, help to fill the talent gap in California," said Teana Fredeen, CASCADE project manager for synED. "We are excited about the opportunities US VALOR will provide for the former men and women of our armed services."

For more information about US VALOR and their Registered Apprenticeship Program visit: www.usvalor.org

About SynED

SynED is a non-profit organization that acts as a catalyst to help colleges and other higher education partners equip students with the skills, they need to enrich their lives through education and knowledge and skill acquisition, giving them rich career opportunities. SynED is home to Cyber-Guild.org.

About US VALOR

US VALOR is the 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by KNC Strategic Services with a newly Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program that will focus on helping to train new U.S. Veterans for cybersecurity jobs. They are focused on training and hiring veterans and giving back to the American military and veteran communities.

About The California Advanced Supply Chain and Diversification Effort (CASCADE)

CASCADE is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment to bolster California's defense supply chain cybersecurity resilience, and to support the growth and sustainment of California's cybersecurity workforce through cybersecurity-related education curricula, training, and apprenticeship programs. CASCADE is led by the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR), in collaboration with multiple national and statewide partners in government, academia and industry. Activities include: Guidance for Defense Suppliers on Cyber Provider Services, Cybersecurity Resilience Workshops, Cybersecurity Assessments, Cyber Career Commercial Pathways, Defense Workforce Cybersecurity Skills Upgrading, Community College Collaborative Cybersecurity Workforce Initiative, Cybersecurity Internships/Externships with DoD SBIR/STTR Firms, Cybersecurity Apprenticeships and Cybersecurity Job Placements.

Contact: 866-420-4573

Liz Fraumann

[email protected]

SOURCE SynEd
Hong Kong: Handling of dead patients discussed

The Hospital Authoritys Central Committee on Infectious Diseases & Emergency Response today discussed two recent incidents involving the handling of patients' bodies confirmed with COVID-19 after death.

The authority noted that accident and emergency department healthcare staff usually need to start resuscitation for critical patients immediately upon their arrival, before a comprehensive consultation and risk assessment can be conducted, hence, healthcare staff should perform resuscitations in a full set of personal protective equipment and appropriate resuscitation rooms.

The committee also agreed that if a patient succumbs despite resuscitation, healthcare staff need to determine the need to test the deceased for COVID-19 based on risk assessment, so as to assist the Centre for Health Protection to conduct epidemiological follow-up action, including tracing the source of infection and arranging close contacts for quarantine.

Healthcare staff will notify the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department of the test results so that the relevant staff can go to the hospital to pick up the body for transfer to a public mortuary in accordance with the protective standard specified by the Precautions for Handling & Disposal of Dead Bodies.

If the test results cannot be available within a short time, the hospital and the department will handle the body as being classified as "category 2", as a precautionary arrangement.

When handling the body, staff must wear appropriate protective equipment, including gloves, water-resistant gowns and surgical masks. Goggles or face shields are needed for eye protection if there may be splashes, the authority added.

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  From the world's biggest musical acts, the Mall of Asia concert grounds will soon host the hottest releases in cinema to cope with the restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SM Cinema announced that a portion of the concert grounds located in Pasay City will be converted into a drive-in theater starting September 9.

Movie screenings by the Manila Bay will be held on Wednesdays to Sundays. A vehicle can have a maximum of four people inside, but they must stay inside their cars with their face masks on while ensuring social distancing is enforced at all times. The ticket costs P400 per person.

Drive-in cinemas are allowed in Metro Manila, which is under general community quarantine.

This cinematic feature was first tried out in SM Pampanga's Ampitheater in San Fernando. Cars are parked in open-air spots in front of a huge screen while they tune in to a radio frequency to ensure clear audio.
The efficiency of Turkeys measures against the coronavirus remains questionable, but they have clearly become a new government tool to fuel political tensions and polarization. Ankara has banned opposition protests and other politically inconvenient events while the ruling party has no trouble mustering crowds to promote its own agenda.

On Aug. 30, the government banned celebrations of Victory Day, marking Mustafa Kemal Ataturks decisive defeat of invading Greek forces in 1922 before his proclamation of the secular Turkish republic the following year. Heavy-handed police greeted those who took to streets in defiance of the ban. A parliament member from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) said he was kicked by the security forces. Police sealed off streets leading to Ataturks mausoleum in Ankara. The only group allowed to the mausoleum were supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who, flouting the solemn atmosphere of the edifice, chanted slogans in support of the president as he laid a wreath at Ataturks tomb.

In sharp contrast, Erdogan led a crowded and high-profile ceremony in eastern Turkey only a few days earlier to mark the anniversary of a 11th century battle that paved the way for Turkish settlement in Anatolia and the subsequent rise of the Ottoman Empire. Similarly, the pandemic did not stop nationwide events July 15 to mark Ankaras suppression of the 2016 coup attempt.

Perhaps the most striking gathering was the first Friday prayer that Erdogan led at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul July 24 after reconverting the Byzantine edifice from museum to mosque. Hundreds of people flocked to the square outside, many of them mobilized by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Though ecstatic men scrambling to reach the square overpowered the police barrier, there were no truncheons or kicks.

Clearly, the enforcement of pandemic measures has become a means of political discrimination, but worse, many in Turkey are convinced that the AKP is using the restrictions to advance an ideological war in line with its Islamist-rooted vision for the country.

The government has shown its true colors, CHP head Selin Sayek Boke told Al-Monitor. According to Boke, the AKP has defined like-minded people as us and everyone else as an enemy as part of a quest to build a new regime against the core tenets of the Republic, demonstrating that it will not hesitate to use any means to that end, including violence.

Boke took up Erdogans Aug. 31 visit to Giresun, a Black Sea city hit by deadly floods, where he addressed hundreds of supporters in what amounted to a political rally. This speaks volumes about the regime, she said. The government is prepared to do anything [to cling to power].  It is prepared to instrumentalize even the coronavirus pandemic.

Since lockdowns were lifted June 1, the government has banned all opposition demonstrations on the grounds of curbing the contagion and responded harshly to any defiance.

On July 21, for instance, police in the western city of Izmir violently dispersed women demonstrating against a wave of femicides following the gruesome murder of a university student. Protesters were truncheoned, punched and kicked.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples Democracy Party (HDP) faced similar treatment during attempted marches in June to protest the governments seizure of HDP-run local administrations. Participants were also fined for disobeying pandemic rules. Mehmet Akat, co-chair of the HDP branch in the western town of Saruhanli, was one of them. We were respecting physical distancing rules and wearing face masks, he told Al-Monitor. The police intervened on the grounds of the pandemic and detained 10 of us, locking us in a small vehicle. It was in that vehicle that I faced the coronavirus threat, not during the march, he said, adding that he was fined 1,000 Turkish liras ($136).

Journalists have faced fines as well. Turgut Dedeoglu, a cameraman for Arti TV, was fined in July while filming a protest by lawyers against amendments to the bar association law. To shoot the police intervention, I had to approach the crowd, just as the police themselves did, Dedeoglu told Al-Monitor as he recounted how he ended up with a fine of 390 liras ($53).

Some 261,000 people have been fined for disobeying physical distancing guidelines, according to the Human Rights Association, which said the fines lack legal grounds and should be rescinded.

The association's head, Ozturk Turkdogan, argued the government has also taken advantage of the pandemic to rush bills through parliament, including the amendment on bar associations, economic measures affecting millions of workers and a de facto amnesty to reduce the prison population. Wide public debates were required on all those bills, but they were passed as faits accomplis on the pretext of the coronavirus. Stakeholders were allowed [to express themselves] neither in parliament nor in the streets, he said.

The AKPs conservatism appears to have shaped the reopening of social life as well. While shopping malls and coffeehouses have reopened, theaters and musical venues remain closed. Establishments that serve alcohol have become targets of strict police scrutiny, ostensibly to control their adherence to pandemic measures.

And how effective have these measures to protect public health been? The contagion has only flared up, with the official daily tally standing at 44 dead Aug. 31, the highest since the reopening began in June.
Two weeks ago, Google started showing users in Australia a popup message, warning that some of the companys services might be impaired as a result of a proposed content-licensing law, which would require large digital platforms to pay publishers in return for linking to their articles. At the time, Facebook said it had no public comment on the proposed law. That changed rather dramatically on Monday: the companys senior executive in charge of Australian operations published a statement saying if the law goes ahead, Facebook will block publishers and people in Australia from sharing any local or international news on the social network or its photo-sharing service, Instagram. The statement said that the proposed legislation misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect. The competition authorities who came up with it, Facebook said, ignored important facts, most critically the relationship between the news media and social media and which one benefits most from the other.

After Google released its own open letter to Australian usersor rather, two of them, since the head of YouTube in Australia also published onethe Australian government quickly posted a response, accusing the search giant of misstating the facts about the legislation and how it would impact Googles services. It did the same with Facebook on Monday, publishing a statement that said the companys threat to block users in that country from sharing news was ill-timed and misconceived. The government release went on to say that the draft legislation, known as the News Media Bargaining Code, is designed to ensure that Australian news businesses, including independent and regional media, can get a seat at the table for fair negotiations with Facebook and Google. The statement also noted that Facebook already pays some publishers for their news, and added that it hoped all parties will engage in constructive discussions while the draft law is going through the legislative process.

In the post where he mentioned the potential for a news ban, Will Easton, Facebooks managing director for Australia and New Zealand, called the idea that the company should pay publishers for their content perplexing. The new code presumes that Facebook benefits most in its relationship with publishers, when in fact the reverse is true, Easton wrote. News represents a fraction of what people see in their News Feed and is not a significant source of revenue for us. Just as Google often does when such things are mentioned, the Facebook executive spoke about the billions of clicks that the platform sends to publishers, who place their content on the social network voluntarily, and how those clicks are worth hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising revenue. (This arithmetic, of course, ignores the fact that Google and Facebook have taken control of a majority of the online ad market, leaving traditional publishers scrambling for whatever crumbs are left). And Campbell Brown, the head of Facebook News, wrote about how much help the company has been providing to publishers through its $300 million Journalism Project.

ICYMI: Journalisms Gates keepers

The fact that the Australian governments response specifically mentioned independent, community, and regional media as beneficiaries of the proposed law seemed designed to address one of the main complaints about it, which is that the primary beneficiaries will be billionaire media owners like Rupert Murdoch, who owns a significant proportion of the countrys newspapers and magazines and has been accusing Google and Facebook of stealing his content for a decade or more. Some media analysts, however, argue that if the Australian governmentor any other governmentwants to provide some help to the struggling mainstream media industry, forcing Google and Facebook to pay for linking to their content is the wrong way to go about it, since the actual economic value of those links is debatable. Better to levy some kind of digital tax if financial support is the goal, some argue, and then use that to create a public fund that media companies can access.

Google has been down this road a number of times, and is not afraid to play rough: in 2014, when Spain passed a law to force it to pay for news, the company removed the entire country from its news index. It did the same with German publishers after a law was passed there requiring it to pay for links, and many saw their traffic plummet as a result. In France, it said it would only show headlines, so that it wouldnt have to pay for excerpts. Despite the saber-rattling by Google and Facebook, however, the Australian government seems to be holding firm so far. We dont respond to coercion or heavy-handed threats wherever they come from, said Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Our reforms to digital platforms are world-leading and following a groundbreaking 18-month inquiry. And Rod Sims, the head of the countrys competition regulator, told the Financial Times that Facebook and Google would have to remove all international news from their platforms, not just Australian news, or they could face fines that might run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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Heres more on Google, Facebook, and news:

Penalized : In May, CJR used its Galley discussion platform to hold a series of interviews with journalists and other experts about whether Google and Facebook should be compelled to pay publishers for their content. Some, like City University of New York journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, argued that they should not , and that the digital platforms are not responsible for the evolution of the advertising market or its impact on mainstream media. Others, like Emily Bell, the director of Columbias Tow Center for Digital Journalism, said that penalizing the digital platforms was a short-sighted move , and that we should be thinking about what kind of media market we want to have and then figuring out ways to get there, not just hitting Google and Facebook up for money because they happen to have a lot of it.

Flawed : In an instalment of his subscription newsletter Stratechery written after Google responded to the proposed code, media and technology analyst Ben Thompson argued that the Australian governments approach to the situation suffers from a number of flaws, and one is the idea that the platforms somehow owe publishers money. It is just assumed that Google and Facebook ought to be paying publishers for their content, but any sort of rational evaluation would suggest that money should flow in the opposite direction, he wrote . Google and Facebook direct traffic to publishers, and in Facebooks case in particular, that traffic comes from the publishers themselves and their readers placing links on the service.

Unbundled : In an editorial about the Australian plans, Bloomberg said the countrys government is looking to blame Google and Facebook for the evolution of the media industry, something that was caused by the internet . Journalisms business model wasnt broken by digital platforms. The internet unbundled many of the services  classified advertising, job postings, movie listings and so on  that newspapers once provided, while eroding the local or regional monopolies that made them so profitable, the business information service wrote . It offered consumers a wealth of free news and opinion and gave advertisers options and audiences that traditional publishers havent been able to match. Its true that Facebook and Google have capitalized on these trends, but they hardly caused them.

Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor, and the arbitrariness of the police-shooting news cycle

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
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Googles domination of the online advertising market appears to have stalled since Amazon last year became the third-largest digital ad platform in the U.S. behind the Google-Facebook duopoly.

Search ads  a mainstay of Googles revenues in the United States  are trending lower; but Amazons and Facebooks digital ad revenues will grow, according to a recent forecast by eMarketer.

This may have driven Google to accelerate its push into e-commerce, focusing on what it calls the messy middle  the space in the customer journey between what triggers the purchase and the actual purchase itself.

The key is to ensure brand presence, make their proposition compelling, and reduce the time between trigger and purchase, Google found.

Anything that will remove the messy middle is key, Ray Wang, a principal analyst at Constellation Research, told the E-Commerce Times. If I can get you to buy faster because you see a recommendation, a rating, a review, a seal of approval  thats the first step. The second step is to be able to replicate Amazons one-click purchase capabilities. Make it easy to buy now.

Google needs to monetize its advertising business with commerce in the long run, Wang said, because its ad business is being chipped away by Amazons digital ads based on product search and listings.

Googles latest e-commerce initiatives could play into the dissatisfaction some retailers harbor for Amazon.

Retailers are looking for an alternative to Amazon, Wang said. Also, they want to integrate commerce, advertising, search and even payments.

Googles Moves to Boost E-Commerce

Earlier this month, Google added support for keyword recommendations and campaign level optimization to the Google Ads application programming interface (API) and added a performance planner feature that lets retailers predict clicks, conversions and conversion values based on different customer spend levels and return on investment targets.

Google also announced new ways to showcase and augment the brand of businesses advertising with Google as well as those with an e-store on Google Shopping.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

One is a beta program that lets businesses upload or automatically curate relevant images from their website to their Google search ads, using Googles machine learning capabilities.

Another feature lets businesses dynamically highlight sales or time-sensitive deals with a countdown. Google will also provide suggestions on shipping, returns, and how to promote online availability.

Smart Shopping Ads

Google is also offering more visual ways retailers can stand out from competitors with Smart Shopping campaigns.

One is an icon to highlight features like free and fast shipping. This has increased conversion rates by nine percent, Google says.

Free and fast shipping provides small businesses with the opportunity to compete with larger retailers, Adam Jones, director of business development at Logical Position, told the E-Commerce Times. Seventy-seven percent of shoppers now indicate that reliable two-day shipping is the leading factor when completing a purchase.

Logical Position is one of two ad management partners Google selected for a pilot run in October involving use of the Free & Fast icon. The other was Sales & Orders.

Other new features, for retailers who have Google display ad campaigns, is access to new creative layouts, automatically generated video ads, and updated dynamic ads.

Dynamic ads show previous visitors to a retailers site tailored messages containing products and services the visitors previously had viewed on the site.

The dynamic ads feature displays the retailers business name and logo, and lets the retailer showcase the latest promotions and spotlight a single product.

Google has introduced portfolio bid strategies and bid strategy reports for Adwords Smart Bidding, in an effort to help retailers maximize returns from ad spending.

A bid is the maximum amount an advertiser will pay for an ad to show in the search engine page results when a consumer conducts a Google Search. The actual position of an ad is calculated by the maximum bid times the quality score. The quality score is based on the ads expected clickthrough rate, its relevance, and the landing page experience.

The Smart Bidding offering evaluates relevant contextual signals during an auction such as time of day, device type and operating system, so retailers can target the right shopper.

Another new Google e-commerce feature is a conversion value for sales to new customers in their Smart Shopping campaigns. A conversion value helps retailers track, optimize and report on their return on ad spend.

AI Recommendations

Google has also released in beta its Recommendations AI to all customers. This tool adapts to changing consumer behavior in real time and suggests the next best product to recommend, using deep learning machine learning models. It can scale to catalogs of tens of millions of items, correct for bias with extremely popular or on-sale items, and better handle seasonality or items with sparse data.

Two out of three consumers now expect personalization, George Barker, Head of Marketing at personalization software company Qubit, which offers Googles Cloud Recommendations AI and works with brands such as Kate Spade, Estee Lauder, and Shiseido.

The algorithms Google Recommendations AI uses were built using similar technology to Google Search and YouTube, two of the most widely used tools on the Internet, Barker said.

Much like when you land on YouTube and somehow youre watching a video you never thought youd find interesting, but do, those principles apply to e-commerce, Barker observed. Rather than views, its conversions.

More to Follow

Google is also launching a pilot program to do away with the commission it charges when consumers buy make purchases directly from search ads.

It will open its platform to other digital commerce providers, beginning with Shopify for inventory and order management, and both PayPal and Shopify for payment processing.

In addition, Google is enabling commonly used product feed formats so retailers can connect their inventories to sell directly on its platform without the need to reformat their data. The goal of this integration is to make it possible for a retailer who already sells on Amazon to more easily list their inventory on Google.

Later this year, Google will offer retailers a dynamically curated carousel of their most relevant products in an immersive, browsable shopping experience.

Sellers will also be able to include video content in their display ads.

Google also plans to add a small business filter on the Google Shopping tab and other e-commerce features for small businesses.

The Struggle With Amazon

Googles move into e-commerce is part of a longer-term strategy Google has to compete with Amazon in the e-commerce arena, Mark William Lewis, founder of Netalico Commerce, told the E-Commerce Times. Google has always dabbled in e-commerce but in the past few years theyve gotten more serious about it because so much of online ad revenue is from e-commerce brands.

The pandemic has accelerated that strategy because e-commerce is growing significantly more than expected, Lewis observed.

However, Google has an uphill battle because Amazon has such dominance on being essentially an e-commerce search engine that many people use it as their default place to search for a product, Lewis noted.

Over time, though, if they curate an experience thats as good as, or better than, Amazon, I think merchants will be less likely to rely on Amazon and trust Google more and there could be a shift.

Getting to the point where the customer experience offered can match Amazon might be a problem, Rebecca Wettemann, principal at research and advisory firm Valoir, told the E-Commerce Times.

The challenge for Google is its attention span, she said. If I had a dollar for every time Google said they were getting serious about something new, Id have at least enough for a few large pizzas. Google doesnt have a good track record of sticking with its plans, Wettemann quipped.
A Connecticut public utility is offering a reward to catch whoever is dumping raw sewage into its wastewater system.

Norwich Public Utilities said that over the past two weeks, a very large amount of raw sewage has been illegally dumped into our wastewater system through a storm drain or manhole.

Based on the data we have collected, it is likely that this unlawful activity is taking place in the Laurel Hill section of Norwich, the utility company said.

It said the dumping of untreated sewage is a very serious situation should be of concern to our community.

Norwich Public Utilities posted an image on its Facebook page showing murky, black/brown water running out of a hose. Written on the image were the words: Do you want this dumped on your street?

It listed a number of reasons why dumping raw sewage is bad:

It is illegal to dump untreated sewage directly into the NPU system in a residential neighborhood. This is a significant public health and safety issue

Our system typically handles wastewater that has been diluted by discharges from dishwashers, washing machines and stormwater. These illegal discharges damage our equipment and require repairs by our employees

The illegal dumping of sewage into the NPU system have an impact on our costs  and rates  which are paid for by all NPU wastewater customers.

The company asked residents to help us identify the individual or parties responsible for this illegal activity.

A reward will be provided to anyone providing information leading to the identification and/or arrest of the responsible individuals.

Norwich Public Utilities provides natural gas, electricity, water and wastewater collection to Norwich.

If you see a wastewater tanker discharging into a catch basin or manhole in your neighborhood, call NPU at 860-887- 2555.
Fr Paul Karam talks about the difficulties that followed the tragedy and devastation caused by the explosions of 4 August. Families are still mourning, in need of psychological support. From homes to businesses, reconstruction is the priority. Pope Francis expressed his closeness. AsiaNews continues its campaign to "Help devastated Beirut".

Beirut (AsiaNews)  The Lebanese "are coming out of a phase of shock" caused by the explosions in Beirut in early August, only to plunge in a series of "crises, mourning the victims of the countrys economic and social morass, said Fr Paul Karam, president of Caritas Lebanon.

The head of the Catholic charity spoke to AsiaNews a month after the tragic blasts that hit the capital leaving 200 people dead, 7,000 injured, and at least 300,000 displaced.

Today at the general audience, Pope Francis announced that Friday would be a world day of fasting and prayer for Lebanon, noting that it "cannot be abandoned in its solitude ".

The pontiff remains very concerned about the countrys fate as well as its deep political, economic and social crises, made worse by the novel coronavirus pandemic

Fr Karam notes that families are still in the mourning phase, trying to come to terms with their losses. Minds are still on the loved one who is no more, on the house that was destroyed," he explained. Pain and problems vary. A family may have lost their home, but they are whole, grateful to God that they are all still alive, despite devastation and material losses.

For the Caritas president, after a month "the magnitude of the tragic events and the depth of the crisis are still sinking: lost homes, vanished businesses, schools closed.

Over the past few weeks, the Catholic charity has continued to hand out food, medicine, basic necessities as well as provide psychological support to the families of the victims, he added. Now the goal is to rebuild homes, especially for those of the poorest people, at least 3,000, but the number could increase in the future.

At present, people are still trying to grasp the scale of the disaster and its effects on people's lives. This is why it is even more important to find a home for those who have lost theirs, help jumpstart the economy, and work for those who have lost everything amid rising poverty.

Renewing the appeal made right after the explosions, the clergyman stressed that there are still many needs and the crisis that lays ahead of us is great" amid existing social, economic, political and institutional problems, not to mention the health emergency.

If you can, continue to help us, especially the poorest and the new poor. It is necessary to help them restart economically and, at the same time, psychologically accompany the families affected.

It will be a long haul; the recovery will be slow given the thousands of injured, the hundreds of mutilated, and all those have suffered permanent physical and psychological damage. Do not leave us alone!

In order to help the people of Beirut and Lebanon, as well as Caritas Lebanon, AsiaNews is launching a campaign to Help devastated Beirut. Those who want to contribute can make a donation to:

PIME Foundation:

- International Bank Account Number (IBAN): IT78C0306909606100000169898

- Bank Identifier Code (BIC): BCITITMM

- Reason for transfer: AN04  HELP DEVASTATED BEIRUT
A Texas TV weather forecaster took her own life moments after she confessed to her 'sins' in a heartbreaking Facebook post, her colleague has revealed.

Kelly Plasker, a reporter with NBC affiliate KCBD 11 in Lubbock, died on Sunday at the age of 42, the station said.

In a lengthy Facebook post earlier in the day, Plasker shared a 'final confession for the sins I am responsible for' and claimed that she had a five-year relationship with a teacher who groomed her when she was in high school.

'My brain is broken and I cannot take it anymore,' she wrote.

Plasker's colleague Karin McKay paid tribute the weekend forecaster on the air on Monday night, describing how she had lost her son to suicide in 2018 and never recovered.

'What you couldn't see on TV was a broken heart,' McKay told viewers. 'I remember one day two years ago when she and I sat and talked in the studio and she told me her world would never be the same.'

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TV weather forecaster Kelly Plasker (pictured) took her own life on Sunday moments after she confessed to her 'sins' in a heartbreaking Facebook post, her colleague has revealed

In a Facebook post, Plasker shared a 'final confession for the sins I am responsible for' and claimed a teacher her groomed her for a five-year relationship when she was in high school

Plasker's colleague Karin McKay (pictured) paid tribute the weekend forecaster on the air on Monday night, describing how she had lost her son to suicide in 2018 and never recovered

'She said: "He was 19 years old, two weeks away from turning 20." Kelly was referring to her son, Thomas, who took his life in February of 2018,' McKay said.

The station then played a clip of Plasker speaking about her son months after his death in an interview with KCBD in June 2018.

In the clip the mother says through tears: 'With somebody in the house, he still felt so alone that he made that choice. It's very difficult for those of us who knew him to comprehend why.'

In the same interview, Plasker spoke about how she hoped other families can avoid the suffering altogether and prevent suicide by talking about it.

She said that she'd talked to her younger son about it, telling him: 'Please don't do this.'

Continuing her tribute, McKay said: 'Now, this weekend, our sweet Kelly took her own life, a cry for help that she made very public on her Facebook page.'

She described Plasker as 'a bright spot in our weekend mornings, arguably the prettiest on our First Alert Forecast team'.

'Kelly Plasker had a passion for sharing the forecast and keeping us safe... in more ways than just the weather,' McKay said.

She concluded the tribute by saying: 'The KCBD family extends our sympathy to Kelly Plasker's family. But we also express our gratitude for the time we shared with Kelly, someone who always brought joy to the newsroom.'

In a statement, KCBD Vice President Dan Jackson said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of KCBD weekend morning forecaster Kelly Plasker.

'Kelly was a dedicated member of the KCBD weather staff, well-liked by viewers, and admired by her co-workers.

'Our deepest sympathies go out to Kelly's family in this time of great loss.

'We would like to thank the many viewers who have reached out through our social media channels in kindness and support to honor Kelly's memory.

'Grief counselors have been made available to all members of the KCBD family struggling with this heartbreaking news.'

Plasker's death came two and a half years after her son Thomas (above together) died by suicide

Plasker described her grief over her son's suicide in an interview in June 2018 (pictured). 'With somebody in the house, he still felt so alone that he made that choice. It's very difficult for those of us who knew him to comprehend why,' she said through tears

The Facebook post Kelly published on the day of her death talked about her high school band director who she claimed was a predator.

'I got thrown off course in high school by a man twice my age. My band director, using his time at Frenship high school to find his new "soul mate!"' she wrote.

'He was supposed to be somebody looking out for me, but instead of looking out for me he looked at me in ways that men should not look at children. And I realize now that predators pick off easy prey. Particularly those without much family support or resources.'

She described how teacher's 'grooming, abuse and manipulation' affected the relationships she had later in life and said she had been 'convinced that I wasn't worthy, that I was never going to be good enough for anybody'.

'He snuffed out my future and my ambitions in the most influential time of my life, my prime when I had so many doors and opportunities to explore,' she wrote.

Plasker also alleged that the teacher groomed another student, and said she's spoke to other woman with similar stories.

'Thanks all I needed to get out there as my final confession for the sins I am responsible for adding to the cross,' she wrote.

'I love you my friends. My brain is broken and I cannot take it anymore.'

McKay described Plasker as 'a bright spot in our weekend mornings, arguably the prettiest on our First Alert Forecast team'. Plasker is pictured in a weather segment

KCBD did not report the circumstances surrounding Kelly's death in its first announcement Sunday night, but anchor Kase Wilbanks hinted that she took her own life by mentioning National Suicide Prevention.

He told viewers: 'Experts say stopping suicide means increasing the conversations about mental and emotional health.

'They say to reach out for help, so ask for help if youre struggling or have had thoughts of suicide. Everyone should educate themselves on warning signs for those we love.'

Wes Nessman, a host for Lubbock's FMX 94.4 rock radio station and friend of Plasker, said she was in 'great spirits' the last time he talked to her.

But he said: 'The last time she texted, I thought she was having physical problems.'

Nessman said that Plasker's passing was still too raw for him to speak more personally but did say that they had made each other laugh for years and he wished they had had a few more years of laughter.

Other people took to Twitter to pay tribute to Kelly.

Lauren Linahan of WTVM said: 'My heart is heavy. Thinking of Kelly Plaskers family, friends, and coworkers tonight.'

Bryanna Gallagher of Fox23 provided details for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and tweeted: 'Heartbreaking, my thoughts & prayers are with her family during this extremely difficult time.'

WKRN's Elizabeth Lane tweeted: 'Kelly Plasker was a staple in Lubbock and will be missed. So sad to hear this news and for the @KCBD11 family.'

While WJHL's Sydney Kessler said in a tweet: 'Its hard to lose such an amazing friend. Kelly Plasker, Im missing you more and more every minute. You were the best co-worker, work wife & friend a girl could ask for. I love you so much and Ill always wish I would have done more. #SuicideSucks.'

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
US is world's top telecom spy while bluffing with 'China threat': FM

Global Times

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/1 23:07:17

While the US was bluffing the world with its "China threat" policy, and warning that Beijing could steal their data, Washington has been the world's top source of telecom espionage all the time, Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, told the Global Times at a press conference on Tuesday, urging some US politicians to stop smearing China immediately.

The response came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated in an interview with a US radio program on Monday that the US will prohibit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from stealing users' data, to prevent TikTok users' data from falling into the hands of China's ruling party.

We have an obligation to ensure that the data of American citizens does not appear in the wrong place, and we will make every effort to prevent the CCP from obtaining data from hundreds of millions of American citizens, Pompeo said

The US secretary of state has indeed put into practice the famous phrase "We lied, we cheated, we stole," and is lying every day on network security matters, Hua said.

"How could a social media software organization like TikTok, that is favored by young people, with all those videos showing people dancing and singing, pose a threat to the national security of the US?" Hua asked.

While the US was bluffing the world about its so-called "China threat" policy, and warning that China could steal users' data, it has been the world's top source of telecom espionage all the time, added the spokesperson.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has long forced telecom operators such as AT&T and Verizon to provide users' data to it. As early as 10 years ago, the NSA used a "pseudo base station" called "Dirtbox" in monitoring projects such as the "Boundless Informant" program to simulate mobile phone base station signals, and it secretly accessed phones and stole users' data. In this way, the US has stolen data from at least 62.5 million mobile phones in France through "Dirtbox," Hua said, citing a report from the French newspaper Le Monde.

Moreover, Pompeo has repeatedly slandered TikTok, WeChat and other apps as "infiltration" tools of the Chinese government, but he did not tell the world that the US is the habitual criminal that manipulates mobile phone apps to steal secrets.

According to information disclosed in PRISM, a surveillance program under the NSA, the NSA has long regarded mobile phone apps as "data gold mines". In recent years, it has spent a lot of money in this field to mine data through apps. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Google Maps and even the mobile game Angry Birds have all been forced to cooperate with it.

Hua further noted that one of the "innovations" of the US intelligence service is to steal secrets from mobile phone app stores. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, the NSA and the intelligence agencies of other members of the Five Eyes Alliance initiated the so-called "Irritant Horn" project, which is to use Google's app store Play Store to plant spyware or exploit program vulnerabilities.

In recent years, the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel has exposed the NSA's invasion of the largest submarine optical cable between Europe and Asia, SME4. A number of optical fiber theft projects code-named Oakstar, Stormbrew, Blarney and Fairview, all initiated by the NSA, have also been exposed by media reports.

US media outlets have also reported that the true purpose behind the US Navy's all-out effort to upgrade and transform the Jimmy Carter submarine is to facilitate the theft of optical cables.

Moreover, the US State Department's so-called clean internet is nothing but a China-free internet and an ethno-exclusive network, according to an article posted on the US website Intercept. The US policy is nothing but a statement of "If there's going to be a world-spanning surveillance state, it better be made in the US," the report pointed out.

It is also widely reported that Crypto AG, a Swiss encryption firm selling equipment to more than 120 countries for more than half a century, is secretly owned by the CIA. So is the US Stateroom surveillance program revealed by Edward Snowden, in which spying activities are conducted in almost 100 US embassies and consulates worldwide.

"People should have a minimum of integrity and shame. Faced with these iron-clad facts, I hope that some senior US officials will stop discrediting China immediately," Hua said.

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New York

New York City is delaying the start of its school year by 10 days, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday, as part of a deal to avert a teachers' strike and calm principals and parents anxious about the start of in-person classes.

The city's 1.1 million public schoolchildren will not have any in-person or remote classes until Sept. 21.

The deal, which was hammered out during an overnight bargaining session between City Hall and the unions representing the city's teachers and principals, is intended to give educators more time to prepare for the most closely watched reopening effort in the country. It is also meant to give the mayor a longer runway to pull off one of the most ambitious, and riskiest, city initiatives in decades.

The mayor announced the new date about a week before the scheduled first day of school, leaving working families little time to rearrange their schedules. The announcement followed weeks of escalating pressure from union leaders, elected officials, teachers and principals who said they would not be ready to reopen as planned on Sept. 10. The city's powerful teachers union was poised this week to authorize an illegal strike for its 75,000 members.

Fulfilling a major union demand, de Blasio said the city would require random testing every month in all city schools starting in October.

Teachers will report to their schools as scheduled next week, and will spend the next few weeks physically preparing classrooms for children, ensuring that their students have devices for remote learning, and meeting the students virtually.

If the mayor succeeds in bringing many of New York's children back into classrooms, he will stand apart from every other big-city mayor in America, all of whom have opted to start the school year remote-only, as the virus has surged in their cities and political opposition to reopening has intensified.

The push to reopen schools, which is crucial for New York City's economic recovery, has been an enormous effort in a system with 1.1 million children and 75,000 teachers, not to mention tens of thousands of administrators and other workers.

The mayor had argued that the system's mostly low-income, Black and Latino students urgently needed in-person classes, an assertion widely supported by education experts.

New York has an enormous population of vulnerable public schoolchildren who have been largely failed by remote learning: About 750,000 public school children in New York City are poor, roughly 200,000 have disabilities and 114,000 are homeless.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

But the mayor's insistence that schools would be ready to reopen as originally scheduled on Sept. 10 frustrated many teachers and principals, who said they did not believe de Blasio understood the depth of the challenges they faced on the ground.

Officials have vowed to distribute 4 million face masks, 3.5 million bottles of hand sanitizer and 80,000 containers of disinfectant wipes. More than 3,500 electrostatic sprayers are being deployed to disinfect surfaces. But getting PPE and hand sanitizer into the city's public school buildings is only a first step. Educators raised concerns about ventilation in aging school buildings and said they did not understand how often they or their students should be tested. And beyond safety concerns, principals said they did not have enough information or support to essentially create two complementary versions of school: one in-person and one online.

Throughout the summer, principals already facing budget cuts did not know how many children would actually report to school, or how many staff they would have to teach students in the building and online.

Michael Mulgrew, the influential leader of the city's teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, had declared that the mayor's legacy would be tarnished if he had reopened schools as originally planned, suggesting that it would be "one of the biggest debacles in history." But Tuesday, Mulgrew sat beside the mayor in City Hall's stately Blue Room, and declared, "We now can say that the New York City public schools system has the most aggressive policies and safeguards of any school system in America."
The western city of Hrodna has been a microcosm of the political crisis that has engulfed Belarus after protests erupted over a presidential election widely seen as rigged. The city was witness to the first protests and arrests. Later, local state TV broadcast a protest where city councilors apologized for police brutality. But then embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka replaced the regional governor and visited the local garrison, in an effort to regain his grip.
Yusif Ali Abdi, who was subsequently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, has been given leave to seek compensation from the State after a Miscarriage of Justice application was granted by the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday.

In December of last year Somali refugee Mr Abdi was committed to the Central Mental Hospital, having been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of his son, 20-month-old Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, in a retrial.

Mr Abdi was tried before the Central Criminal Court in 2003 for the murder of his son, when a jury rejected his insanity defence and found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict.

The Central Criminal Court trial heard that on the night of the killing, his wife Ms Amanda Bailey and Nathan visited Mr Abdi at his apartment at Clane. Mr Abdi removed his son from his mother's bed around 4am and took him to the living room, where he locked the door and a number of loud bangs were subsequently heard.

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When Ms Bailey gained access to the room, the child's body was limp, his head was swollen and he had blood in his nose. Ms Bailey failed to find a pulse on her son and he was pronounced dead at 5.30am that morning.

Mr Abdi had spent 16 years in jail before his murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal on February 13th, 2019, and a retrial was ordered, after the court heard he had been correctly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2013.

Mr Abdi (47), with addresses at Charleville Road, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, and The Elms, College Road, Co Kildare, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge at the Clane address on April, 17th, 2001.

Mr Abdi, whose father died in the Somali civil war, came to Ireland in 1997 and was granted refugee status in 2000. He married Irish woman Amanda Bailey and they had a son Nathan, who was born in August 1999.

In a victim impact statement in December, Ms Bailey told the court that she did not believe "for one second" that Mr Abdi could have known what he was doing.

A pathologist said that baby Nathan died from head injuries, which were most likely caused from his head impacting at least three or four times against a hard surface such as a wall or floor.

Four consultant psychiatrists gave evidence in the retrial that Mr Abdi was suffering from schizophrenia in 2001 and that he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

At Wednesday's proceedings, Mr Justice Alexander Owens said that the granting of the certificate for a Miscarriage of Justice was not about "pointing the finger of blame".

The judge said that the chronic illness varied in intensity and that the diagnosis had now moved to accept that.

"There are only two outcomes of a jury trial in my opinion: conviction or acquittal," said Mr Justice Owens, who added that because the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity could not be appealed it was to be regarded as acquittal.

Mr Justice Owens said that because acquittal was not available to the Court of Appeal, a retrial had to be ordered even though "it was clear the original verdict couldn't stand and was wrong in a fundamental aspect".


Quebec Eyes Multi-Billion Dollar Lithium Investments

Brisbane, Sep 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( FRA:DML ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF ) announced today increased momentum concerning its growth plans in Quebec, Canada, following the restructuring of Nemaska Lithium and Government plans for additional investment in the province's lithium sector.On August 24, the Quebec Government announced a "new start" for Nemaska Lithium, with the Government and private partners pledging up to C$600 million (AUD$624m) to recapitalise the miner.Nemaska Lithium plans to commission a lithium mine and concentrator in Whabouchi and value-add by transforming its spodumene product into battery-grade lithium hydroxide.Commenting on the transaction, Quebec Economy Minister, Pierre Fitzgibbon said: "The development of the battery sector for electric vehicles is at the heart of government priorities. It is essential to establish as many links as possible in this sector, ranging from the extraction of minerals to the manufacture of batteries, so that Quebec can reap the maximum benefits."Significantly, Mr Fitzgibbon was quoted saying that the province "is seeking other investment partners for other projects in a wider battery-making push that Mr Fitzgibbon estimates will cost upward of C$7 billion, from mineral extraction to material production" (The Globe and Mail, August 24, 2020). The economy minister was also quoted by La Presse describing the Nemaska Lithium deal as "the first piece of the puzzle" for Quebec in ultimately building its own batteries.Sayona aims to support the province's ambitions by developing a lithium hub centred on Abitibi. This would comprise the Company's flagship Authier Lithium Project, the emerging Tansim project and North American Lithium (NAL), which Sayona is currently bidding for with the backing of a world-class team.Importantly, Sayona's bid for NAL has the unique advantage of being able to combine lithium produced from the Company's nearby Authier project with the lithium at the NAL site, facilitating a significant improvement in plant performance and economics.Following the Nemaska Lithium announcement, Sayona has been contacted by NAL's monitor (administrator), Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, requesting confirmation that Sayona's bid would remain open for acceptance until 30 September 2020. Sayona has agreed to the extension request.Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch commented: "Understandably, completing the Nemaska Lithium transaction has been the focus for both the Quebec Government and Investissement Quebec during recent weeks."However, we now look forward to accelerating talks with key stakeholders to deliver a successful turnaround at NAL, another vital piece of the puzzle in ensuring a profitable and sustainable lithium sector in Quebec."About Sayona Mining Ltd

Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au
Asia Former Khmer Rouge Torture Center Chief Duch Dies in Cambodian Hospital

Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch, is shown on a monitor in the press room of a court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Feb. 3, 2012. / Kyodo
NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will leave for Russia today to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is taking place under the shadow of an escalating border row between India and China, two of the bloc's key members.



Besides attending the SCO defence ministers' meeting on September 4, Singh will hold talks with Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu and several other top military officials with an aim to expedite implementation of a number of procurement programmes, officials said.



Singh will depart from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.



Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe is also expected to attend the SCO meeting.



The defence minister's visit comes just days after India withdrew from a multilateral war game to be held in Russia, and expected to be attended by the Chinese and Pakistani troops.



Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Chinese defence minister Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.



The SCO defence ministers' meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following Chinese army's unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.



The two sides have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to end the border standoff which began on May 5.



The fresh attempts by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area escalated the tension further.



Russia has already said that India and China should resolve the border dispute through talks and that a "constructive" relationship between the two countries was important for regional stability.



It will be Singh's second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.



Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting on September 10.



In his bilateral meeting with Russian Defence Minister Shoigu, Singh is likely to press for early supply of various weapons and spares to the Indian armed forces under defence contracts concluded earlier.



In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.



Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.



The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.



In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.



Last year, India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems.



Officials said the SCO meeting is likely to deliberate on regional security scenarios and ways to deal with various threats and challenges.



The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.



The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India and Pakistan became members of SCO in 2017.


In a class session of Anthropological Inquiries on February 13, 2020, Professor John Whitaker, anthropology, who is white, said the n-word. Whitaker employed the term as an example when speaking to the class about linguistics and taboo words.

Whitaker confirmed his use of the racial slur in a written response to an unnamed student who reported the incident. In the response, titled Letter to an Unknown Student, Whitaker states that his conscience is clear. He writes that his use of the term was educationally valid and falls within the protections of free speech and academic freedom. Whitaker concludes the letter by writing, You should call out instances of racism and bias. This was not one.

Errol Blackstone Jr. 20 responded to the Letter, which has circulated online, in an op-ed titled Response from a Black Alum to Whittakers Email. Blackstone writes that he is tired of witnessing Grinnell traumatize Black students under the guise of diversity or the civil exchange of ideas and calls for Whitakers resignation. In the piece, he responds to specific quotes from Whitakers letter and encourages readers to read Whitakers piece before his.

The S&B has published both pieces of writing below, as well as in separate articles for the public record and in the interest of public discourse. We will be following up on this specific incident, as well as other reports of racist language and behavior at Grinnell College, in further reporting. If you would like to speak with us about your experience, please email newspapr@grinnell.edu.

Letter to an Unknown Student

by John Whitaker

Dear Student,

You may or may not believe it, but I am largely on your side. However, you have accused me of insensitivity and racism because I spoke a word you object to in a class. I did not attach that word to anyone, or direct it to anyone. I spoke it in a classroom setting, to discuss and condemn it. My conscience is clear.

I dont expect that we will end by agreeing on everything, but I would like to explain where I stand in the hope that we can work towards understanding and tolerance of other views. I believe this is part of the better world that we are both working for, one that treats all individuals and groups more justly and without prejudice. This is my form of activism, which I pursue by teaching.

First, I expect I support much of your anti-racist agenda and your activism in that cause. I support your right to criticize my teaching, and I am glad that you feel safe in doing so. However, activist movements often make the mistake of demanding ideological purity and attacking supporters who do not follow the party line closely enough. This damages allies and plays into the hands of enemies. I believe that in most things, we are allies, not opponents. If you had been in my class, I think you would understand from the readings we use and what I try to teach that we agree on most substantial political issues and how the world must be changed.

However, I do not, and will not apologize for using an offensive word in a classroom context. Some people feel that speaking a word gives it power. I feel that speaking it without fear and confronting it is a better way of robbing it of its force. We both agree that this word is one that should not exist and should not be used. I have never used it to a person or about a person, and would not. However, without regard for our feelings, ugly words do in fact exist, and if I am cowed into saying the n-word you nevertheless hear the full slur. Ignoring facts or trying to suppress them by intimidation is the Trumps way, the dictators way of thinking, and it doesnt work.

You were not present in class to understand the context, and I am dismayed that you condemn me on the basis of a second-hand account. So perhaps a bit more context will help you understand what I was trying to do in class. We were discussing linguistics and taboo words. I handed out a page from Owen Wisters The Virginian, in which the villain calls the hero a son of a ___. I said something like: The word bitch was too awful to print in 1919, a time in which many academic texts used Latin to hide sexual references from women and children, who were felt to need protection and to be likely unable to read Latin. And so on. What are taboos today? How about nigger? This was always a vile word, but once common. Why is it that today, sexual words are common and barely noticed, while racial epithets are so condemned that newspapers cant print them? That was the discussion I wanted to have.

In this context, you also need to understand the American freedoms that protect us both. Your right to criticize me is protected by law. My right to use a word you do not like is also protected. My right to call President Trump a fool and a bigot is protected too; in some other places and times that would get me sent to prison or worse. This is part of what I think we are fighting for in this country. The right to criticize and even to insult others is a necessary part of our world, and it works both ways  Trump can call me a traitor, I can call him a disgrace, and we are both within our rights. You can fight for change, using harsh language against those you disagree with, as you have done with me. But the college has the right to punish speech acts only when they turn into personal attacks and harassment, which may not be in fact illegal, but which are unacceptable in our social setting. I have done nothing of the sort.

As a student, you are here to face new ideas, different people, and sometimes uncomfortable social and intellectual situations. If you are afraid of frank discussion of evil words and other unpleasant realities in the safe space of a classroom, with a professor who explicitly condemns the word and is outspokenly sympathetic and on your side in most of the political issues that concern you, how can you possibly learn to bear up under the stresses of an often hostile world?

The principles of free speech must be absolute and sacrosanct at an institution of higher learning, and in intellectual discourse generally. I will quote the handbook page to which Dean Harris referred me: Liberal education cannot take place without the free, open, and civil exchange of ideas. I do not hide behind this protection, but I assert it as a matter of principle. And this is why: I teach anthropology, which covers many things that are uncomfortable to many people. I do not try to be offensive in my teaching, though sometimes provocative. But merely teaching an idea or fact or stating your opinion is offensive to some. If I fear to offend by using a word, then I should also curb my tongue and not teach the principles and facts of evolution, deeply offensive to some friends of mine who know I will go to hell and have tried to convert me. I cannot teach that other religions are as worthy of respect and understanding as American Christianity, because that too confronts some peoples beliefs. I must fear to show a film that depicts violence, or one in which an animal is killed and eaten. These are unpleasant realities that some want to hide from. I am sympathetic and inclusive in discussing variation in kinship and marriage rules in different cultures, but there is no way you can talk about sex, and no way you can explain marriage, without the potential to offend someone who believes that only one kind of marriage or sexuality is right or that use of the word vagina is obscene or that I used the wrong pronoun. If I fear to offend, I should stop condemning the Confederates, because unfortunately they still have supporters who might attack me, and descendants who are decent people and think their ancestors were honorable. I should not mark a swastika on the board as I discuss the horrors of Nazi Germany and the symbols they usurped from prehistory, because that particular symbol is offensive. And I could find a hundred more examples.

I reject any suggestion that I have caused real harm beyond discomfort to anyone by using a nasty word in an academic discussion. I dispute the apparently fashionable belief that challenging students in the classroom and sometimes offending them results in harm. In my teaching, I regard some explanation of the principle of free speech and civil discussion with respectful disagreement as a duty, since these are principles critical to a liberal education, and very relevant as our society struggles against oppression. A climate of suppression from either liberals or conservatives is damaging to what we aspire to as teachers and the country we want as citizens. Protesting in the streets today is partly about making heard the voices of those who are silenced by a racist climate. This cause is not advanced by attempting to silence allies.

Yes, you should agitate for a better world, and you should call out instances of racism and bias. This was not one.

Sincerely,

John Whittaker, Professor

Response from a Black Alum to Whittakers Email

By Errol Blackstone Jr. 20

After reading Whittakers response, I was disgusted and mortified. The amount of arrogance that this white man carries is truthfully scary. He felt so emboldened by Grinnell College and an environment cultivated by white academia that he poorly quotes academic freedom in his defense.

Academic freedom does not give teachers unlimited freedom in the classroom. These arent my words but the words from Principles of Academic Freedom in the Faculty Handbook. Whittakers brazen stance on his entitlement to say nigger strays far from the classroom setting and his research. In fact, his stance falls under harassment according to Grinnell College Discrimination and Harassment Grievance/Complaint Procedure.

I am tired of the excuses for blatant racism committed at this college. I am tired of witnessing Grinnell traumatize Black students under the guise of diversity or the civil exchange of ideas. Enough is enough  I cannot address everything in Whittakers email, so I keyed in on specific quotes. I encourage everyone to read through his original email before reading my analysis.

I support your right to criticize my teaching, and I am glad you feel safe in doing so. However, activist movements often make the mistake of demanding ideological purity and attacking supporters who do not follow party lines close enough

No one mentioned activism or party lines. There is a tendency to take the experiences of BIPoC and transform it into political arguments. Stop erasing and construing our experiences! This student wants you to be held accountable for using a slur in a classroom setting. That is not asking for ideological purity. That is asking for the bare minimum.

I do not and will not apologize for using an offensive word in a classroom context. Some people feel that speaking a word gives it power. I feel that speaking it without fear and confronting it is a better way of robbing it of its force.

You admit that nigger is an offensive word, and you are grown enough to know the history of this word. Yet, you show no remorse for abusing your whiteness and status as a tenured professor to say this word. You as a white man cannot reclaim a racial slur. You do not get to decide how to rob the n-word of its force because this force cannot be used against you. This argument leads me to believe that you have used slurs outside of class and in many different contexts. That is the only way this argument can stand

What about taboos today? How about nigger? This was always a vile word, but once common. Why is it that today, sexual words are common and barely noticed, while racial epithets are so condemned that newspapers cant print them?

Firstly, the fact that you typed out the n-word in response to someone calling you out on saying the n-word is appalling. Secondly, the argument you presented lacks the much-needed nuance and tact that a professor of your caliber should have. The lack of intersectionality when considering this question (because Black women exist experience sexual and racial slurs) is concerning. You are essentially pitting two marginalized communities against each other in this argument (women vs. Black people), which is a problem. Furthermore, this question lacks the depth or inspiration that you think it might have. This isnt a new argument. This argument is brought up by racist white people who want to sing nigger to every song. Honestly, the way you laid out the context of this issue does not help your case.

In this context, you also need to understand the American freedoms that protect us both. Your right to criticize me is protected by law. My right to use a word you do not like is also protected. My right to call President Trump a fool and a bigot is protected too; in some other places and times that would get me sent to prison or worse.

This is where your argument leaves the range of academic freedom under Grinnell policy and that of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Academic freedoms in the classroom can only relate to class subjects and your response on politics does not fall under that. This email response is completely out of the classroom setting. Additionally, Grinnell College is a private institution. Freedom of speech limits the government from censoring its citizens. The way you have conflated freedom of speech to fit your argument is simply incorrect. Also, freedom of speech is not as protected as you think. In fact, a lot of activists in this country have been targeted by this government (many have risked their lives). Regular citizens (especially Black citizens) are attacked for utilizing their freedom of expression. In academia, this translates to tone policing and reprimanding of students who call out racist structures (which you are actively being a part of right now). Putting American freedoms at the forefront of your argument (and not human decency or respect) is a very Westernized viewpoint and is a gross display of your poor character.

the college has the right to punish speech acts only when they turn into personal attacks or harassment, which may in fact not be illegal, but which are unacceptable in our social setting. I have done nothing of the sort.

You are right about the colleges rights, but what you did and what you continue to do with this response IS harassment. Refer to Grinnell College Discrimination and Harassment Grievance/Complaint Procedure. Now, your tenure may protect you; however, please do not speak about harassment when you have not read Grinnells policy on it.

If you are afraid of frank discussion of evil words and other unpleasant realities in the safe space of a classroom, with a professor who explicitly condemns the word and is outspokenly sympathetic and on your side in most of the political issues that concern you, how can you possibly learn to bear up under the stresses of a hostile world?

No one is afraid. What you are doing and the way you are defending yourself is unacceptable. How can you explicitly condemn a word that you just argued the defense of using? These comments are extremely gaslight-y and ignore the experiences of people who have chosen to hold you accountable for your actions. You havent even apologized! Finally, how can you talk about a hostile world as a white professor to a student of color; especially when the issues youre bringing up are directly tied to RACE? People of color learn about racism from their birth in this society. White people learn about racism through higher education. The realities PoC face are significantly worse than whatever hostile world you can imagine. This comment along with this entire email response is condescending and ignorant.

I do not try to be offensive in my teaching, though sometimes provocative, but merely teaching an idea or fact or stating your opinion is offensive to some. If I fear to offend by using a word, then I should also curb my tongue and not teach the principles and facts of evolution

Impact vs. Intent: although you do not try to be offensive in [your] teaching it is evident that you have been and continue to be offensive. The fact that youre comparing your unfounded claims of freedom of speech to unfounded claims of religious freedom is telling. Additionally, youre co-opting the movements of so many marginalized communities that you do not belong to. The reality is: you do not care about these movements or the people that have spearheaded them. You feel entitled to say nigger, and you are trying to use their fights to justify yourself.

I should not mark a swastika on the board as I discuss the horrors of Nazi Germany

Wait are you drawing out swastikas on boards during class? You can easily show a picture of a swastika and still teach the history of Nazi Germany. So, there is a list of things you are doing incorrectly. What happens if you forget to erase the swastika after class? What about the Jewish students in your classes that might not be comfortable with this? I know Im not comfortable with a professor casually drawing swastikas for class. Do you think that drawing swastikas lessens its force? How far does this go? There are genuine consequences for your actions, and you are too self-centered to consider them.

I dispute the apparently fashionable belief that challenging students in the classroom and sometimes offending results in harm.

Offending someone with words can harm them emotionally or mentally, which is an actual form of harm. Either way, your teaching shouldnt aim to sometimes offend your students. And I can tell from this response and the ideas that you have proposed in this email that you are not challenging students in any worthwhile way.

Protesting in the streets today is partly about making heard the voices of those who are silenced by a racist climate. This cause is not advanced by attempting to silence allies

Once again you are co-opting a movement. You, as a cis-straight white man, cannot determine what makes this cause effective or valuable. Allies shouldnt have to be told to be silent. They should quiet themselves, listen to the marginalized people that lead the movement, and then act based on what they listened to. You are not an ally to any of the movements that youve mentioned in this email.

Yes, you should agitate for a better world, and you should call out instances of racism and bias. This was not one.

In conclusion, the only sound argument you have made in this response is the writing of your name. You have shown your sense of entitlement as a white man and proved that any classroom that you have cultivated in the past did not encourage anti-racist structures. Despite the many accolades that white academia has given you, you are not qualified to teach at Grinnell College or (in my opinion) any higher learning institution. The consistent condescending nature of this email (which is addressed to a student) and the inherited power professors have over students prove that you cannot provide a safe learning environment. You should be ashamed of yourself, and I hope whatever bad karma you have whipped up over your teaching career will culminate in the near future. At this point, an apology is not needed of you but a resignation.
The Gold Coast is in the box seat to host AFL's night of nights.

A venue for this year's Brownlow Medal is due to be confirmed in the coming days after the Gabba in Brisbane won the rights to host this year's grand final on October 24.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre has been outed as the likely venue to continue the AFL's ongoing partnership with the Queensland government.

It will be the second time the Brownlow Medal has been held outside Victoria after it was hosted by Sydney in 1999.

AFL boss Gil McLachlan said the prestigious event would be a 'hybrid event' where attendance numbers at the venue will be restricted to capped number.

Other players will make a virtual appearance via Zoom.

Last year's winner Nat Fyfe with partner Eleanor Brayshaw on the Brownlow Medal red carpet

'We have a partnership here (with the Queensland government) and I think we will announce that in the next couple of days without trying to be too cute with it,' McLachlan told reporters.

'It will be a hybrid event. Those players still competing and playing will not be able to attend the event. That will be virtual for them. Those who have come out of hubs because they aren't competing on the field anymore can attend.'

The AFL will spend the next 48 hours finalising the details for the Brownlow Medal, which is expected to held in the week leading up to the October 24 grand final.

Queensland is currently home to 13 AFL teams due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Richmond Tigers superstar Dustin Martin at last year's Brownlow Medal count in Melbourne

This year will be the first in the code'a 124-year history the decider will played outside Melbourne and under lights.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate welcomed Wednesday's announcement that the Gabba will host the grand final.

'As for the Brownlow, we have made our pitch and look forward to the announcement,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'Today's news definitely makes me feel like we have a set shot for goal right in front.'

The Brownlow Medal has been awarded to the best and fairest player each season since 1924, created and named in honour of late Geelong Cats player and VFL president Charles Brownlow.

The best three players on the field in every game throughout the regular home and away season are awarded points by the umpire.

Players suspended throughout the season are ineligible to win.

The Brownlow Medal is traditionally AFL's night of nights. Pictured is Dustin Martin with Richmond Tigers teammates at the 2019 Brownlow Medal

It's also the night the players' wives and girlfriends get their big moment to shine on the red carpet.

The Brownlows Medal has been held at Melbourne's Crown Palladium in recent years.

Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale is the hot favourite to take out this year's Brownlow Medal, according to sports betting agencies.

The AFL will recoup $12 million in ticket sales by hosting the grand final at the Gabba with a 30,000-seat capacity, the Herald Sun reported.

The announcement has already caused a stir with AFL's biggest rival code in what's traditionally rugby league heartland.

'Very strategic from the AFL, almost bordering on evil.' ' NRL 360 host Ben Ikin joked on the Fox Sports program Wednesday night.

Panellist Brent Read added: 'What do you expect from them? I'm not too worried about the AFL. How long have they been trying to take over Queensland now? And they've barely made a dent. I mean, good luck.'
Voltamp Power, a subsidiary of Voltamp Energy, Oman, has signed an agreement with Oman National Engineering and Investment Company (ONEIC) to book its first order for a pair of 500 MVA 220/132/33 kV power transformers.

The equipment will be manufactured at Voltamps modern plant in Suhar Industrial City. The order stems from a contract secured by ONEIC to construct a new 400/132/33 grid station at Al Jifnain with associated overhead lines (OHLs) as well as the installation of two 500 MVA 220 kV class power transformers at Misfah Grid Station.

Sayyid Aymen bin Hamad al Busaidy, Chairman, Voltamp Power, said: We are proud as an Omani company to have joined the elite club of 220 kV class power transformer manufacturers, says a report in the Oman Observer.

"We are grateful to Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) and Oman National Engineering and Investment Company (ONEIC) for putting their trust in us and we are confident to design, manufacture, test and supply them for their important projects. We continue to keep raising the bar in providing quality products and service to our valued customers.

Eng Abdullah al Badri, CEO of Voltamp Energy, said: We are proud to have established our brand as a reliable manufacturer of 132 kV class transformers in last 10 years and are happy to take the next step to 220 kV class transformers. At Voltamp, we are confident to reduce Omans and GCC dependence on global manufacturers and make GCC self-reliant in transformers of these capacities.

Voltamps technology partner for 220 kV class as well as 400 kV class power transformers is Tatung of Taiwan, who are also equity partners in Voltamp Power with a seat on the companys board. The Suhar factory was launched in October 2011 at a project cost of $30 million. -- Tradearabia News Service
ALLENDALE, MI  Since students moved back to campus last week, the number of positive coronavirus cases at Grand Valley State University has tripled compared to the total number of cases reported between Aug. 1-26.

College health officials reported 93 new positive coronavirus cases among students between Aug. 27  the last day of move-in week  and Aug. 31. That data was posted to the GVSU COVID-19 Data Dashboard, which was last updated Sept. 1. The number of cases over that five-day period is more than triple the 30 total cases reported between Aug. 1-26.

GVSU, which is offering a mix of in-person and virtual classes, began the fall semester Aug. 31.

In total, the university of about 24,000 students has reported 123 positive COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1, data shows. About 65% of the positive cases are in near-campus students, or students who live in off-campus housing within a mile of campus, data shows.

There have not been any positive cases found among GVSU faculty.

Half of the 123 positive cases were identified through the universitys testing efforts in partnership with Spectrum Health. University leaders announced in August that GVSU would conduct random coronavirus testing on students, faculty and staff this fall as a way to find any virus hot spots.

GVSU has conducted about 2,200 tests on campus so far, Vice Provost for Health Jean Nagelkerk said in a conference call with media Sept. 2.

Of the 123 positive cases, 62 were identified through GVSUs testing partnership with Spectrum Health. That means the other 61 cases were students who were tested elsewhere and reported to GVSU by local health departments.

Nagelkerk did not know how many of the total positive cases were among asymptomatic patients versus those who have experienced symptoms. But everyone who was tested through the universitys testing program was asymptomatic, she said.

In Kent County, 23 GVSU students have tested positive for COVID-19 with the Kent County Health Department, spokesperson Steve Kelso told MLive Wednesday. County health officials said most of those who tested positive were symptomatic.

The Ottawa County Health Department declined to provide numbers to MLive of how many GVSU students have tested positive with the county health department.

No GVSU students have been hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 thus far, Nagelkerk said.

Daily coronavirus case data released by the university is broken down between on-campus students; near-campus students who live within a mile of campus and other students, which include students who live over a mile from campus or whose location is undetermined.

GVSU had reported 30 coronavirus cases between Aug. 1-26, data shows. On Aug. 27, the university reported additional positive cases involving 11 near-campus students. On Aug. 28, cases were reported involving two near-campus students, and two other students.

There was a jump in cases Aug. 29, when GVSU reported 14 more positive test results from near-campus students and eight additional from other students. On Aug. 30, there were nine confirmed cases in near-campus students, two in on-campus students and five in other students.

On Aug. 31  the most recent data posted by the university  there were 20 positive cases reported in near-campus students, three cases involving on-campus students, and 17 cases among other students.

As a result of the rise in cases, the university has increased its self-assessed coronavirus level from Level 1: Low Level to Level 2: Moderate Level. The Level 2 assessment means GVSU has found a moderate number of cases with most from a known source and could implement some remote instruction in impacted areas.

If cases continue to rise, GVSU could also move up to a Level 3: High Alert, which would signify many cases, including community spread with some undetected cases, and Level 4: Very High Alert, which would mean widespread uncontrolled outbreak with many undetected cases.

Nagelkerk said, at this point, she does not think the current number of cases require classes to be moved online.

I think (123 positive cases) is right in line with what I was expecting to see, and hope that we can keep it low, I would be very pleased, Nagelkerk said. Were doing everything we can to keep that down and Im hoping thats what we will be able to do.

Students who spoke with MLive during move-in week said they were excited to be here while it lasts, some sharing concerns that GVSU could switch to online-only as a result in rising coronavirus cases.

Im just hoping to stay here as long as I can, freshman Maddy Evans said as she moved into her new dorm Aug. 25. I think most people dont want to have to move back home.

RELATED: Grand Valley students moving back to campus amid pandemic excited to be here while it lasts

In an effort to avoid surges in cases, Grand Valley is largely relying on students to follow the rules. Administrators are hoping to avoid large parties by focusing on educating students about the importance of social distancing amid the pandemic.

Our primary approach has been, and continues to be, one of education and prevention with health guidance and instructions about how to protect themselves in the community, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Loren Rullman told MLive last week.

However, some Grand Valley faculty have expressed concerns over large student gatherings at universities across the nation, which they said have served as excellent breeding grounds for COVID-19.

In an open letter signed mostly by GVSU professors, university faculty from across the state asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Aug. 25 to mandate classes that dont require face-to-face teaching be fully online to protect students and their colleagues from the coronavirus.

We faculty are ... motivated by what we see around the country in other schools, first-hand knowledge that university students dont always make decisions based on what is safest, (and) an understanding that the COVID-19 spreads easily among people meeting in groups (especially indoors), states the letter, signed by over 200 professors.

RELATED: Michigan professors ask governor to move university classes online after spikes in campus coronavirus cases

GVSU is not alone in its efforts to contain coronavirus among college students. Other universities across the state, including Central Michigan University and Western Michigan University, have reported rises in coronavirus cases since students returned to campus.

Nagelkerk said there have not been any outbreaks identified by health officials at GVSU.

Across the state, there are currently are six coronavirus outbreaks linked to college campuses, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website.

State health officials will not identify the schools or the number of coronavirus cases. However, it is listing the information by health district region.

There are three ongoing clusters on college campuses in Region 1 which includes Ingham, Jackson, Livingston, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawasee, Gratiot, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties. There are two new outbreaks at colleges or universities in Region 6, which includes Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Montcalm, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Osceola and Clare counties. Region 8, which is the Upper Peninsula, has one new outbreak on a college campus.

To help you navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS:

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

More on MLive:

Grand Valley to do random campus coronavirus testing, shift most classes online after Thanksgiving

Grand Valley asks students to track temperature, coronavirus symptoms for 2 weeks before classes start

Western Michigan students protest, share concerns with universitys reopening plan

More than 60 new coronavirus cases at Central Michigan University in past week

After spike in coronavirus cases, Adrian College intends to stay open, president says
Every Nepali is entitled to receive healthcare; it is a constitutionally recognised right. The quality of service provided to a patient can be improved if the hospital treating the patient knows in detail about the services in other hospitals.

Patients undergoing long-term treatment are referred to different hospitals if their past details are not known. In this process, they have to spend extra time and money. Therefore, a national electronic medical record system (NEMRS) should be implemented in all the hospitals of the country and all the government and private hospitals in the country should be linked to this system in order to provide quality services to the patients at affordable prices. Accordingly, the government of Nepal has recently begun an initiative to establish Nepals National Electronic Medical Record System (NEMRS).

If this system can be implemented in Nepal, all stakeholders including Nepali citizens, hospitals and the government will benefit. Even if the government spends some budget at the beginning, the non-monetary benefits the programme could return will be excessive.

At present, there are 1,388 government and non-government hospitals in Bagmati, 184 in Province 5, 174 in Province 2, 153 in Province 1, 95 in Gandaki, 66 in Karnali and 51 in Sudurpaschim. Many hospitals are yet to be linked to the Digital Health Information System-II operated by the Department of Health Services. Further, it is not yet sufficient as it only collects integrated information. There is a great need for NNEMRS to know the details of the services provided by the hospitals.

Nepal should also develop a digital record system, the National Electronic Medical Record System, to fully exploit communication and information technology. The government should initiate a programme to develop the NNEMRS as an open-source project. The system should be directed to record the health data of every citizen and provide access to every authorised healthcare professional. The system should include all the necessary modern tools for healthcare professionals to manage their patients well and it should be free of cost for them.

Indeed, the NNEMRS will provide guidance to the national health service on how it should develop and carry out all other functions of the information technology infrastructure on its foundation. The NNEMRS should be the main component of the NHS, not just one of many components.

The NNEMRS can help address challenges.

Without an effective electronic medical record, it is risky to initiate changes to improve the countrys health system. Here are some points on how the NNEMRS can help solve some of the difficult problems of Nepals healthcare system.

1.

Unavailability of reliable data

Healthcare data is very difficult to obtain and is often not reliable. This problem is aggravated due to different data structures and formats everywhere. Consequently, the public health policy formulation in Nepal is not able to accurately reflect the status of the grassroots or the needs of the people. Insufficient data is also a major obstacle for research that relies on large amounts of quality data for good results. Even the insurance sector, which relies on large data sets to design its products and individual patients data to confirm claims, is in crisis due to the lack of data availability and poor quality of data. Furthermore, a doctor does not currently have access to data collected by any other hospital. This leads to incomplete and fragmented records especially if the patient gets treatment from several doctors and hospitals as is seen in the case of many patients suffering from many chronic diseases. The information infrastructure supporting the health department of the entire country will also integrate data with a common structure and standards. This would create a consolidated data repository that would not only improve patient care but would allow for formulating better policies and would be a boon for biomedical research.

2.

Limited participation of private health sector

Although the government wants private hospitals and physicians to play an active role in public health initiatives, the private sector exists at a small scale in terms of their health services to the public. With an information-sharing infrastructure, the highest level of collaboration between public and private health organisations can be achieved.

3.

Health insurance hassle

Doctors and hospitals often complain that insurance payments do not reflect the market value for procedures and treatments, and the claim settlement process is cumbersome and error-prone. Government insurance schemes have been described as incompetent. All of these problems can be solved with the NNEMRS.

4.

Shortage of qualified doctors in rural and remote areas

Even the lack of qualified doctors in remote areas is a problem that the ICT can help solve. The NNEMRS can reappoint qualified physicians in urban or centralised locations by creating a centre for direct health workers to guide patient care remotely. Some in this guidance will be mediated through real-time telehealth tools and automated clinical practice guidelines. Indeed, in many cases, automated medical guidelines may later reduce dependence on an experienced doctor, as they prescribe medication based on individual patients data and provide specific advice to the patient at each stage. If more and more patients are able to get treatment locally, they will need the least services at hospitals, thereby reducing the burden on doctors and facilities at secondary and tertiary care centres.

5.

Accountability issues in healthcare employees

The very fast-growing absenteeism of peripheral healthcare workers is considered by many analysts to be a serious problem. This is partly due to the ground-level work that takes them away from the general supervision available in offices. An ICT platform can make the workers accountable by adding the workers location, where they are at the time and the place of residence of the patients. The carelessness of employees is also related to the problem of non-availability of medicines and other supplies in government hospitals. The decrease is partly due to theft, which leads to an increase in healthcare costs. An ICT platform that traverses medical treatment with the use of drugs and equipment and tracks their inventory will make such theft difficult.

In order to address the above problems, Nepal needs to develop the NNEMRS in a timely manner to help in obtaining accurate data of Covid-19 currently appearing in the world and similar other situations that may appear in the future. The government can also enlist various non-governmental organisations and private hospitals in the country for this purpose.

Rawal is the focal person of Health Management Information System Roadmap of Nepal, Department of Health Services.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 05:36:22|Editor: huaxia

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Pupils arrive at the campus of a primary school on the first day of the new school year in Nice, southern France, Sept. 1, 2020. The new school year kicked off on Monday in France where millions of students went back to classroom amid worrying epidemic situation, with safety concerns overshadowing the joy of "la rentree." (Photo by Serge Haouzi/Xinhua)



by Sonia Ounissi

PARIS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The new school year kicked off on Monday in France where millions of students went back to classroom amid worrying epidemic situation, with safety concerns overshadowing the joy of "la rentree."

In Albert Camus elementary school in Val-d'Oise department, one of the regions classified as red zone for the coronavirus, all the parents and teachers wore masks. Students arrived and left at different times to avoid the mixing of class groups and limit the contact of parents.

"In an unprecedented context, we start the new school year with unprecedented measures. It's a great pleasure to see all the children back to school," Patricia Gouasdoue, the school director, told Xinhua.

"It's necessary to continue learning with the virus, but 'risk zero' doesn't exist," she added.

Nolan, a 9-year-old boy, was happy to meet his friends and teachers he had last seen in early March before schools closed to stem the outbreak.

"It's good to see friends again, work with the teacher in the classroom like before," he said before joining his classmates for a bike race.

But for Nolan's mother, the picture is not so rosy amid worsening sanitary indicators, although she decided to send her son to school as she found that home-schooling was too hard a task.

"Things are not going well and I suppose with the return to schools, which means more contacts, the situation won't improve," she said.

"Nothing is guaranteed unless a vaccine or a treatment is discovered. In the meantime, I'm trying to live with my family as normal as possible, but with such epidemic it's so stressful," she added.

Coronavirus infections has surged in France in recent weeks, particularly among young people, prompting the government to order the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors and in workplace.

On Monday, France reported 3,082 new coronavirus cases, bringing the tally to 281,025. The number of clusters being investigated had increased by 16 to 375.

Under the government's back-to-school plan, students aged over 11 must wear face masks all time, including in classrooms. Schools have to limit the flow of pupils and parents during the rush for arrival and departure. In addition, classrooms should be regularly disinfected and ventilated.

"The government has taken all the necessary measures to allow the new school year to start with the most normal conditions possible even if the virus is still here," Prime Minister Jean Castex said early Tuesday.

"Parents, teachers, students must feel reassured, we will act wherever necessary," he pledged.

A group of 21 doctors, however, warned in a column published recently in Le Parisien newspaper, that "the protocol planned for the start of the school year does not protect staff, students and their families, and is insufficient to slow the current increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19."

"Nothing seems to prevent schools from becoming clusters," they wrote, asking to alternate between face-to-face and e-learning and make mask mandatory or all students over six years. Enditem
MONTREAL, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Gestion Audem, the Audet family holding company, has been made aware of the unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Altice USA and Rogers Communications Inc. to purchase all shares of Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) and Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA) (collectively, the "Corporations").

"Members of the Audet family unanimously reiterated that they are not interested in selling their shares. The family takes pride in its stewardship role in both companies, offering high-quality services to its customers, enriching the communities in which they operate and creating superior returns for shareholders through sound growth strategies," stated Louis Audet, president of Gestion Audem Inc.

Gestion Audem is a company that is controlled by the members of the Audet family and holds 69% of all voting rights of Cogeco Inc., which in turn controls 82.9% of all voting rights of Cogeco Communications Inc.

SOURCE Gestion Audem
Few people had heard of the nerve agent Novichok until 2018, when Western officials accused Russia of having used it in the attempted assassination of a former spy in Britain. It returned abruptly to the headlines on Wednesday, when Germany said the poison had sickened the Russian dissident Alexei A. Navalny.

But for decades, scientists, spies and chemical weapons specialists have known about and feared Novichok. It is a potent neurotoxin, developed in the Soviet Union and Russia in the 1980s and 90s, that can be delivered as a liquid, powder or aerosol, and is said to be more lethal than nerve agents that are better known in the West, like VX and sarin.

The poison causes muscle spasms that can stop the heart, fluid buildup in the lungs that can also be deadly, and damage to other organs and nerve cells. Russia has produced several versions of Novichok, and it is anyones guess how often they have actually been used, experts say, because the resulting deaths can easily escape scrutiny, appearing like nothing more sinister than a fatal heart attack.

That may have been the plan in the case of Sergei V. Skripal, a former Russian spy living in Salisbury, England. When Mr. Skripal was found barely conscious in a park on March 4, 2018, there was no obvious reason to suspect poisoning  except that his daughter, who was visiting, was with him, suffering the same symptoms.
McDonalds Corp. is the subject of a lawsuit by more than 50 Black former franchisees in the U.S. who say they were driven out of business after being pushed by the company to set up shop in crime-ridden areas and denied financial help extended to White franchisees.

The Black franchisees were steered to inner-city and urban areas with low-volume sales and high security and insurance costs, and were refused favorable franchise terms because McDonalds unfairly graded their performance, according to a copy of a complaint filed Tuesday in Chicago federal court.

The 52 franchisees are seeking as much as $5 million in damages for each of more than 200 stores they operated.

McDonalds said in a statement Tuesday that it categorically denies the allegations that the franchisees were unable to succeed because of any discrimination by the company.

These allegations fly in the face of everything we stand for as an organization and as a partner to communities and small business owners around the world, it said in the statement.

McDonalds said in July that it would step up efforts to fight systemic racism by addressing any hiring biases, increasing the diversity of its leadership and doing more to attract diverse franchisees.

The Black Lives Matter movement, while initially focused on police misconduct, has also spurred a push for corporate accountability around racial equity. On Monday, California lawmakers passed a bill to require corporations to include a minimum number of people of color on their boards, which would be the nations first such law.

McDonalds has come under fire in recent years for allegedly failing to prevent widespread sexual harassment in its restaurants and doing too little to protect its workers from Covid-19, as well as from violent customers. The company is in a tussle with ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook as it tries to claw back $37 million of his compensation after he was found to have allegedly carried on sexual relationships with subordinates.

Lower Sales

For decades, McDonalds ruthless, one-sided bargaining steered Blacks toward the oldest, most decrepit stores in the toughest neighborhoods routinely rejected by Whites franchisees, lawyers for the Black franchisees at Miami-based Ferraro Law Firm said in a statement. This severely limited opportunities for expansion and growth, and far too often set in place a chain of events - low cash flow, decreased equity, debt and bankruptcy - that led to financial ruin.

The Black franchisees average annual sales of $2 million was less than McDonalds national average revenue of $2.7 million from 2011 to 2016 and $2.9 million in 2019, according to the Ferraro firm.

A historic high of about 400 Black McDonalds franchisees in 1998 has dropped to less than 200 today because of the revenue shortfall, the franchisees said in their complaint.

McDonalds said in its statement that Black franchisees  including the former franchisees in the complaint  operate restaurants in all types of communities. It said that while McDonalds may recommend locations, franchisees ultimately select the locations they wish to purchase.

The company also said there has been consolidation in the total number of franchise organizations across all demographic groups in the last several years, and that the overall representation of Black operators in the McDonalds system is broadly unchanged.

It said some of the plaintiffs are franchisees that had been a part of the system for more than 20 years and retired after making yearly profits.

With assistance from Josh Eidelson, Leslie Patton and Daniela Wei.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

Trend:

By resettling people of Armenian origin in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan is not in keeping with spirit of searching for negotiated settlement to the conflict, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the US Matthew Bryza told Trend.

Speaking as the former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, it is disappointing to see people of Armenian origin are resettled from Syria and Lebanon in Nagorno-Karabakh. That sort of move by Yerevan is not in keeping with the spirit of searching for a negotiated settlement that characterizes the Minsk Group. When I was a co-chair of the Minsk Group, it was unimaginable that the Armenian government would have done something like that, because it would be a sign that it has lost all seriousness in pursuing a mediated settlement under the auspices of the Minsk Group. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to regenerate progress in the Minsk Group format, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
First comes the disease. Then the scapegoating.

Whether its Ebola, cholera and now COVID-19, Jesse Verschuere has witnessed a pattern of stigma against others in every disease outbreak he has responded to as part of the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.

The objects of prejudice have included health-care workers, minorities, immigrants, indeed any outsider or other who looks or acts different from those in the local community, says the Belgium-based Verschuere, who works to improve the ability of communities to obtain health care.

This bias occurs around the world.

And its not anything new.

Villainizing an unknown other as guilty of spreading, causing or exploiting disease has a long, hate-filled history, says Debora MacKenzie, author of the new book Covid-19: The Pandemic That Should Never Have Happened and How to Stop the Next One.

Back in 14th-century Europe, Jews were blamed  and thousands of them slaughtered  by Christian mobs who baselessly accused them of spreading the deadly bubonic plague by poisoning wells and streams. In 19th-century America, immigrants from Ireland, Italy and China were censured, variously and also baselessly, for bringing with them cholera and polio, among other feared infections.

So perhaps it shouldnt be a surprise that in the wake of COVID-19, the blame game is playing out once again.



This link between disease and blame is rooted in evolution, says Mark Schaller, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and co-author of Social Psychology of Prejudice. According to Schaller, aversion to unfamiliar outsiders is an instinctual, unconscious response to avoid the risk of infection. It forms part of what he calls the behavioral immune system, a kind of psychological parallel to the physical immune system.

This aversion to outsiders may have served a purpose long ago in avoiding unknown (and unfamiliar-looking) groups that could harbor unknown illnesses. This underlying psychology evolved in a different world, before modern medicine or public health, and is no longer adaptive, Schaller says. But were stuck with our ancient psychology, leaving us wary and with negative consequences for today  notably, prejudicial and discriminatory responses to people perceived to be different.

Singling out immigrants in particular for scapegoating is one such negative consequence, says Tahseen Shams, assistant professor of sociology at University of Toronto and author of Here, There, and Elsewhere: The Making of Immigrant Identities in a Globalized World. As examples, she points to the 1980s, when Haitian refugees and Africans were among those blamed for the AIDS epidemic, and to the current surge of anti-Asian racism.

When external threats occur, immigrant groups are often seen as the link bringing the threat inside our borders, closer to home, she explains. And that, she says, leads to stigma and harassment.

The Ebola outbreak has such examples. In 2014, when a traveler from Liberia developed Ebola while visiting family in Dallas, the citys African immigrant community was targeted and stigmatized, says Kevin J.A. Thomas, professor of African American and African Diaspora studies at the University of Texas, Austin and author of Global Epidemics, Local Implications: African immigrants and the Ebola Crisis in Dallas.

People were already traumatized by losing family to Ebola in Africa, he says, citing one pastor in the community mourning the loss of six family members in a single week. Then they had to deal with demeaning racist tropes in local media as well.

In this instance, the community found ways to counteract the prejudice they were facing, Thomas said. For example, they assisted with contact tracing of those who had interacted with the infected person.

Even those who come specifically to help in a medical crisis can be blamed, stigmatized, distrusted as outsiders who hurt rather than heal.



Read the whole story: NPR
TAMPA, Fla.: Yochebed Israel was the kind of person Congress had in mind when it voted in March to impose a temporary moratorium on many evictions as the coronavirus spread.

First, the furnace in her Tampa, Florida, apartment broke and her electric bill rose above $460 a month for five months. She fell behind on rent, forced to choose between keeping the lights on or paying the landlord.

Then she contracted COVID-19 in April, she said, missing two months of work without full sick pay as a certified nursing assistant at a long-term care center.

And then, in May, she came home to find an eviction order attached to her door.

It makes me feel the anxiety of being homeless, she said.

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This story was supported by grants from the Pulitzer Center, the Scripps Howard Foundation and the Park Foundation. It was a collaboration by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland, Big Local News at Stanford University, the University of Arkansas and Boston University.

___

The federal CARES Act, enacted March 27, was supposed to protect Israel and people in up to 20 million other rental households from just that fate. It barred landlords whose properties got federal benefits from filing to evict tenants for 120 days.

But a two-month investigation by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland found that cracks in the federal law appeared immediately.

Confusion about the moratoriums language, which played out in conflicting guidance from federal agencies and the courts, led to selective enforcement. Landlords were expected to determine for themselves if their property was covered by the law. And renters had virtually no legal help to fight back if wrongfully evicted.

Israels property manager, Tzadik Management, said through a spokesperson it didnt know the property in Hillsborough County, Florida, was secured by a federal loan. Court records show Tzadik has since asked to dismiss all 24 evictions identified by the Howard Center, including Israels, that it filed during the federal moratorium.

The Howard Center focused on eviction filings in 10 counties that are home to Memphis, Tennessee; Tulsa and Oklahoma City in Oklahoma; Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia; Tampa and St. Petersburg in Florida; New Orleans and Milwaukee all areas hit hard by the coronavirus. Prior to the pandemic, at least 20% of renters in those counties spent half or more of their income on rent and all had eviction filing rates well above the U.S. average.

The eviction moratorium expired July 24, and the Senate left Washington three weeks later without an agreement with the House to extend it.

The Trump administration said late Tuesday it would halt evictions for most renters through the end of the year to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The moratorium does not include money to help tenants in arrears but does include criminal penalties for landlords. It takes effect Friday, according to a draft in the Federal Register.

Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University and chair of the American Bar Associations COVID-19 Task Force Committee on Eviction, praised the administrations action as a tremendous intervention that promises to protect the health and safety of millions of renters. But she also warned in an email Tuesday night that it is only a half measure.

Without rental assistance to cover the mounting debt, it only delays eviction and its devastating consequences, she wrote.

The CARES Act eviction moratorium only covered rentals with mortgages backed by federal programs such as the Federal Housing Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal National Mortgage Association, also known as Fannie Mae; properties that received Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and people who got federal housing assistance, such as vouchers, to help pay the rent.

CONFUSION ON THE GROUND

Eric Dunn, director of litigation for the National Housing Law Project, said Congress should have passed a blanket moratorium in the spring covering all evictions for any reason.

What we got was a moratorium for nonpayment of rent from some housing, which is complicated and difficult to figure out, he said.

Landlords and property managers in four of the 10 counties examined by the Howard Center filed at least 101 evictions that violated the federal moratorium, a review of court and other public records found. The total is conservative because court data in some counties lacked key details needed to confirm CARES Act violations.

Courts or plaintiffs have since moved to dismiss all of them.

The federal moratorium placed the burden on landlords not to evict tenants in covered properties. In an effort to reinforce that, high courts in Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee ordered landlords to sign affidavits saying their property was not covered by the federal law. But even in those states, the Howard Center found wrongful evictions.

Confusion also existed around federal housing subsidies, such as Section 8 vouchers.

The CARES Act said if a landlord accepted subsidies for even one tenant in a property, it could not evict the rest of the tenants living there. But a Department of Housing and Urban Development FAQ said the agency does not have the authority to extend jurisdiction over unassisted tenants.

Michael Scaljon is general counsel for Ventron Management, which operates rental properties in Florida and Georgia. He said the company interprets the CARES Act to protect the tenants receiving Section 8 assistance but not their neighbors, and has filed evictions accordingly.

A Nebraska district court reached a different conclusion. In a June ruling, the court rejected the HUD guidance, saying the CARES Act language was clear and unambiguous that if one household receives federal assistance then all tenants in the property are protected from eviction.

In Florida, meanwhile, two neighboring county clerks differed in their interpretations of the Florida Supreme Courts order to suspend the issuance of all eviction notices, called writs of possession.

The Pinellas County clerk stopped issuing the writs, but neighboring Hillsborough County did not.

IMPACT ON TENANTS

The only way tenants could find out whether their building was covered by the federal moratorium was to search online databases, some of which only a mortgage holder could access.

Challenging a landlords assertion that an eviction was valid could be difficult even when a tenant had a lawyer. Court records showed the vast majority of renters being evicted had none.

Yet tenants bear the burden of wrongful filings, even if cases are dismissed.

Once an eviction is filed, it immediately results in a scarlet E for a tenant or a renter, Benfer said. It plummets credit scores and creates barriers to future housing opportunities.

A New Orleans court dismissed an eviction filing in June against 35-year-old Ernest George because his landlord accepted Section 8 vouchers from other tenants at the property, according to his lawyer. For the ironworker and his family, legal representation and the CARES Act provided a safety net.

Evictions hit minority communities harder even before the pandemic. Georges majority Black neighborhood in Orleans Parish had an eviction rate five times higher than the national average in 2017, according to a study of New Orleans eviction data.

Eviction moratoriums havent closed the gap. For example, in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, eviction filings dropped 77% in white neighborhoods but 68% in nonwhite neighborhoods after the CARES Act took effect.

IMPACT ON LANDLORDS

When landlords dont receive rent, it ripples into the local economy. From the landscaper to the plumber, people lose business and income, said Florida property manager Dave Sigler.

Its important that these rents get paid, he said. Not just to keep the owners having their houses, but it keeps the whole economy going on such a larger scale.

Landlords did not receive direct assistance from the CARES Act, but their federally backed mortgages were protected from foreclosure. The law provided up to 90 days of forbearance for multifamily properties and as much as a year for properties with four or fewer units.

In Tulsa, the city and nonprofits launched a massive effort to pay landlords months of back rent with private funds when courts reopened in June. If landlords accepted payments from the Landlord Tenant Relief Program, they had to agree not to evict tenants for nonpayment of rent for the next 90 days.

But organizers said landlords in less than 15% of eligible eviction filings took the offer. They didnt want to give up their right to evict.

WHATS NEXT?

Housing experts had warned that the scope of evictions would start to show in September; landlords were supposed to wait 30 days after the federal moratorium expired to file evictions. Trumps decision to extend and broaden the eviction moratorium could put off that reckoning until January at least for some.

Ashley Fitzgibbon could be one of them.

The Oklahoma City single mother of six said she thought she was finally getting it together before she lost her house-cleaning and babysitting jobs at the end of March.

It was just such a hard hit, she said.

Fitzgibbons rental house was not covered by the CARES Act and Oklahoma never instituted a statewide eviction moratorium. When the courts reopened in May, her property manager served her with a summons and has done so every month through August.

So far, the 35-year-old has managed to get the cases dismissed by borrowing money, adding a third roommate in her five-bedroom rental house and working odd jobs such as dog sitting and errand running to make rent each month.

Im so incredibly thankful that there were people that, like, had that safety net, and it sucks that I wasnt one of them, Fitzgibbon said.

Shes made the tough decision to sell her 2016 Ford Expedition. The proceeds, she said, will give her a financial buffer through the rest of the year.

And besides, she said she wasnt using it much anyway. She doesnt have the money for gas.

___

Clara Longo de Freitas, Arya Hodjat, Julia Lerner and Victoria Daniels from the University of Maryland, Abby Zimmardi and Mary Hennigan from the University of Arkansas and Noemi Arellano-Summer, Anoushka Dalmia and Nick McCool from Boston University contributed reporting for this story. Roxanne Ready, Big Local News Data Analyst Justin Mayo and Howard Center Data Editor Sean Mussenden provided data analysis.

DiPierro reported for Big Local News at Stanford. Wintrode, Perez, Canham-Clyne, Ahmed reported for the University of Maryland and McGoey and Pottiger gathered and analyzed data for Maryland

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
A Florida attorney accused of causing great public harm through a vast campaign of unprofessional, unethical, and fraudulent conduct, by way of thousands of insurer lawsuits has lost his latest battle to overturn his suspension and now faces a petition for contempt over alleged violations of the order.

The states high court rejected the request of Scot Strems to have his emergency suspension dissolved, accepting the recommendation of court-appointed referee Judge Dawn Denaro that it remain in place. Strems has been fighting allegations by The Florida Bar that he, with his firm, engaged in mendacious, bad-faith conduct and made false or fraudulent statements to other parties involved in suits, as well as the court.

The bar has also accused Strems and the Strems Law Firm (SLF) of illegally filing multiple lawsuits on an individual policy claim, delaying and ignoring court deadlines, and violating court orders. Several Florida insurers reported dealings with the firm that aligned with these allegations and a former associate of the firm testified that the firm had filed more than 10,000 suits against Florida property insurance companies.

Strems has denied the bars claims and filed a motion to dissolve the emergency suspension on June 26. In that filing, Strems attorneys claimed that the misconduct alleged by the bar did not warrant emergency suspension, saying the bars petition was deficient [and] does not demonstrate that Mr. Strems is causing immediate and serious injury to a client or the public.'

While the totality of the allegations may justify Bar scrutiny, they fall woefully short of justifying emergency suspension, the petition said.

The Florida Supreme Court ultimately disagreed, however. Strems is set to start trial for the allegations on Sept. 8.

Petition for Contempt

Meanwhile, the bar is now asking the high court to hold Strems in contempt of the suspension order, claiming in a 30-page petition filed Aug. 27 that Strems has repeatedly and continuously violated the order both in letter and spirit.

The Florida Bars latest filing claims that Strems clients, purportedly overseen now by a spinoff firm known as Property Advocates, P.A., are being harmed by the parties conduct.

Concerted and ongoing efforts by [Strems] and Property Advocates are jeopardizing the interests of their clients and causing an even deeper strain on the resources of the judiciary, the bar alleges. In that way these efforts are a continuation of the pattern of misconduct described in the Petition for Emergency Suspension.

In the contempt petition, the bar levels numerous allegations against Strems and the Property Advocates, which was established in the wake of Strems suspension when he transitioned ownership to SLF associates.

Among the bars claims is that Strems has continued to take on new cases as SLF and send letters of representation to insurance companies. These letters have served as SLFs first notice to the insurers that the firm was involved in the case, the bar says, despite Strems having been ordered to cease accepting new cases and to continue representing existing clients for only 30-days after the June 9 suspension order. The letters to insurers also directed that payments be made to SLF and that the firm be communicated with directly.

SLFs letters of representation clearly evidence the firms intent to begin settlement discussions with the insurer.  SLFs letters of representation clearly evidence the firms intent to collect insurance proceeds in connection with the firms ongoing and future services, the bar states.

The bar also claims Strems failed to immediately notify clients of his June 9 suspension, as required by the order, and instead waited until July 1  once ownership had been transitioned to the Property Advocates. In that communication, Strems advised clients that he was no longer involved with or the owner of the firm and advised clients of the new company name.

Respondent did not notify his clients of his suspension until he had devised a means for transferring those clients to his former associates, the bar states.

Additionally, the reorganization of SLF to Property Advocates has resulted in substantial confusion in the courts, the bar alleges, saying that in a bid to keep its cases moving, Property Advocates has filed numerous notice of change documents that are not motions to substitute or withdraw counsel in accordance with Florida law. The bar states the notices of change are also not accompanied by documents from clients authorizing the representation of Property Advocates in their cases, as required by law.

In many of its cases, the bar claims, there has been no filing at all regarding SLFs reorganization, and that SLF remains the counsel of record. If notice of change filings were made, they almost always occurred after the expiration of the 30-day wind-down period in the suspension order.

The Florida Bar cannot presently ascertain the number of cases in which there has been no filing to advise the court or the parties regarding respondents suspension or his firms reorganization, the bar states.

The result has led to confusion among the courts, clients and insurers, who have challenged the authority of Property Advocates to represent SLFs clients.

Beginning shortly after SLFs transition into the Property Advocates, courts and litigants across the state expressed confusion about whether Property Advocates were in fact authorized to represent its purported clients, the bar states.

The bar outlines several cases in which Florida courts have issued stays or ordered compliance by Property Advocates to follow the notice requirement laid out in the Strems suspension.

Two such examples include:

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. requested a stay in a case until The Property Advocates filed a substitution of counsel with proof of consent by the client and the court grants the substitution request. A Citizens spokesman told Insurance Journal last month the insurer had 802 pending cases with SLF/Property Advocates.

Another insurer, Southern Fidelity Insurance Corp., was granted a motion by the court to stay any further litigation involving Property Advocates until an order for substitution of counsel had been entered because Property Advocates had failed to provide the requisite notice to clients and failed to substitute counsel.

Transfer of Firm Ownership

According to the bar petition, Property Advocates has argued that the rule that applies to the sale of law firms is not applicable in its case because the transfer of SLFs ownership was not a sale for purposes of that rule. It also claims clients continue to be represented by the same licensed members of The Florida Bar that were in place before, during and after the Strems suspension order was issued.

However, the bar disagrees with its argument, noting that the ownership of SLF changed hands for value, specifically for 1 million shares of the firm at .10 per share, triggering obligations to clients that have not been met. The bar also notes that regardless of how Property Advocates defines the transaction with Strems, the firm is still required to protect the clients interest if their lawyers representation is terminated. In that event, the lawyer must give reasonable notice to the client, and allow time for the client to employ other counsel, if they chose.

Accordingly, the unusual fiction put forward by Property Advocates has created a pervasive uncertainty in courtrooms across the state regarding the simple, axiomatic issue of whether Property Advocates is in fact authorized to represent the parties it purports to represent, the bar states.

Any doubt and confusion could be resolved by simple written authorization of the firms purported clients, but to date The Florida Bar is unaware of any case in which such authorization has been provided, the bar says, and instead courts and litigants across the state must now expend considerable time, effort, resources, and money to unwind this fundamental issue.

Property Advocates, alleges the bar, has failed to properly notify its clients to the ongoing changes and issues and instead has contended that their clients interests are best served by being kept in the dark and forfeiting any opportunity to obtain new counsel.

Based on a continuation of the pattern of misconduct and violations of the suspension order, the bar has asked the court to hold Strems in contempt of that order, require that clients be sent proper written notices, require that he withdraw or substitute counsel (as necessary) in his clients cases and grant any other relief the court deems appropriate, including but not limited to, disbarment.

Strems has until Sept. 11 to respond to the bars petition.

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The fire captain of a New Hampshire town has died after falling ill during a recent physical test.

On Monday, Steve Tower, 54, who served as a captain for the Goffstown Fire Department, was completing a physical test at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in the nearby town of Concord when he fell ill and was taken to the hospital where he died, according to a press release.

On-scene firefighters and paramedics immediately rendered aid and Concord Fire Department transported him to Concord Hospital where he later died, the release from the New Hampshire Department of Safety said, adding that the department is currently investigating Towers death.

State Gov. Chris Sununu also issued a statement following the tragic news.

The passing of Captain Steven Tower of the Goffstown Fire Department earlier today is a tragic loss for the Goffstown community and the Granite State, Sununu wrote on Twitter Monday. "My sincere condolences and prayers are with Captain Tower's family and the entire team at the Goffstown Fire Department.

The passing of Captain Steven Tower of the Goffstown Fire Department earlier today is a tragic loss for the Goffstown community and the Granite State. My sincere condolences and prayers are with Captain Tower's family and the entire team at the Goffstown Fire Department.  Chris Sununu (@GovChrisSununu) August 31, 2020

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Tower served 30 years in the Goffstown Fire Department before retiring from his role and working at the archery counter at a Bass Pro Shops, according to the New Hampshire Union Ledger. In 2019, however, the veteran firefighter was asked to return as interim fire chief while the department searched for a permanent chief.

I asked him why he was going back, and he said it was the right thing to do for the department, Darrell Glencross, who worked with Tower at Bass Pro Shops, said.

Story continues

RELATED: California Firefighter Robbed While Battling Ongoing Wildfires: 'Absolutely Disgusting Behavior'

When Brian Allard was named the new chief, Tower stayed on. It seems like you want to come out of retirement, Allard recalled telling Tower at the time.

Tower was in the process of getting recertified for his old job as fire captain when he fell ill at the fire academy on Monday.

He was one of my early mentors. Not only me, but probably hundreds of firefighters across New Hampshire, Allard told the Union Ledger. He would take them, myself included, under his wing and show them the expectations of becoming a firefighter.

It wasnt about him, it was all about everyone else. He never reflected much on himself, he wanted to share his knowledge and make everyone else better, he continued. He was just a wonderful asset to this community, and this organization.
Stockholm, Sep 2 : Amid a record number of applications to Swedish universities, the country's Council for Higher Education has decided to cancel the entrance exams this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After much deliberation and mixed messages from the government and education authorities, and after having consulted college presidents around the country, the Council announced on Tuesday that it would cancel the bi-annual entrance exams known as the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT), reports Xinhua news agency.

The decision follows on the heels of a Tuesday op-ed, signed by 21 presidents of universities and higher-education colleges who argued that it would be unwise to go ahead with the national exams this year due to the risk of "cluster contagion".

"If 21 presidents tell me that they cannot take responsibility for any spread of the infection, well then I can't change my decision," Karin Roding, Director-General of the Council, told Radio Sweden.

The SweSAT is normally held twice a year at a number of locations throughout Sweden and is used as one of the means to gain admission to higher-education institutions.

It is made up of questions on mathematics, Swedish vocabulary, English reading comprehension and more.

In 2019, over 67,000 Swedes registered for the exam, an 11 per cent decrease compared with the year before, according to the Council for Higher Education which administers the SweSAT.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Last week, the New York Times reported that in a 2018 meeting with top leaders of the Department of Homeland Security, officials suggested deploying a heat ray microwave weapon along the border region with Mexico, to stop and deter incoming immigrants; the suggested weapon is capable of burning the skin of its victims.

What was originally developed as a crowd dispersal device by the US military, and eventually deemed too inhumane to be deployed and utilized in war, has been actively discussed in the highest circles of the US government for use as an anti-immigrant weapon.

Although officials claim implementing the Active Denial System was never considered, the fact that such a thing would be suggested under Trumps administration is not surprising. The needless cruelty of this weapon should not come as a particular surprise, given the general inhumanity that has shaped the anti-immigrant policies of Trump and his predecessors, which have turned the Southwestern deserts of the US into a vast graveyard.

Active Denial System "Heat Ray" weapon on US Marine Corps truck. (Image Credit USMC)

According to the US Border Patrol, more than 8,000 undocumented immigrants have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desertwhich straddles the border between northwestern Mexico and the states of Arizona and Californiainto the United States since 1998. This amounts to one death every day for more than two decades.

These official numbers are only the tip of the iceberg. The real number of those who die trying to cross the Southwestern border of the United States is much higher, as immigration and humanitarian activists working in the field have long maintained. A Texas sheriff told the New York Times in 2017 that For every one [body] we find, were probably missing five, meaning that the total death toll is likely in the tens of thousands.

The prospect of death is a very real one faced by immigrants when they embark on their journey north to cross the border. The reason why workers risk their lives is not hard to understand given the prevailing socio-economic conditions in their home countriesmaterial conditions for which the imperialist interests of the United States bear much responsibility.

However, far from seeking to ameliorate those situations, the US government and the Trump administration, in particular, have ramped up the demonization and criminalization of immigrants, and ramped up border security.

It is the ever-increasing border security measureswalls, fencing, surveillance cameras and dronesespecially along the main urban centers of the border, implemented by Democrats and Republicans alike, which have forced immigrants to take more remote and risker routes to enter the US, like the Sonoran Desert.

Immigrants, especially those coming from Central America, are extremely vulnerable all throughout their journey, not just when attempting to cross, since they have to deal with the southern Mexican border as well as with myriad checkpoints and government officials.

When individuals decide to start the long, hazardous road north, they have to contact smugglersknown as coyoteswho charge amounts as high as $10,000. Often families have to mortgage their homes or sell their lands to be able to afford such fees. During the course of the trip, given the networks that connect coyotes to organized crime, immigrants are often the targets of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder. But many take this risk because traveling without the questionable protection of coyotes to the northern cities of Mexico is even more dangerous in regions with significant drug cartel presence.

The cartels have absorbed the underground business of human smuggling for the most part; they capture newly arrived immigrants in northern Mexico and make them a deal they cant refusethey either have to cross being a drug mule or die where they stand. Between the cartels, the unforgiving deadly terrain, and US border security forces, the chances of death are perilously high.

The Mexican government under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has utilized these desperate immigrants as a bargaining chip with the Trump administration, and in the process has endangered the lives of thousands of vulnerable members of the working class. The Mexican bourgeoisie, always at the beck and call of its northern neighbor, has fallen in line with Trumps demands and implemented a stronger immigration crackdown in its southern border.

Trotsky said in May 1940 that the bourgeoise had turned the world into a foul prison, and in 2020 it continues to be an apt description of present conditions.

The world of decaying capitalism is overcrowded. The question of admitting a few hundred extra refugees becomes a major problem for such a world power as the United States. In an era of aviation, telegraph, telephone, radio and television, travel from country to country is paralyzed by passports and visas. The period of the wasting away of foreign trade and the decline of domestic trade is at the same time the period of the monstrous intensification of chauvinism, and especially of anti-Semitism.  Amid the vast expanse of land and the marvels of technology, which has also conquered the skies for man as well as the earth, the bourgeoisie has managed to convert our planet into a foul prison.
Petroleum jelly's initial purpose was as a medicinal salve, meant to speed up the healing process, when it was patented in 1872. Since then, the FDA has approved of it as an effective over-the-counter skin protectant, and it's been used as makeup remover, lubricant and homemade lip balm. Because it stops water from being evaporated and helps plump up the top layer of skin, it's beloved by dermatologists and beauty fiends alike. And it's a steal  a typical tub is around $5. [source: HowStuffWorks.com]

Another reason Dr. Fox recommends it as a moisturizer is that it has a very low rate of allergic reactions. "After surgery in my dermatology office, we've stopped using Neosporin and now use petroleum jelly and our patients have never had an allergic reaction to it."

Advertisement

But, as Dr. Taha noted earlier, there's a difference between a product being a great moisturizer and being a practical moisturizer. She finds that many Caucasian women will not use petroleum jelly as a moisturizer because it's so greasy. The greasiness is the occlusive aspect and one of petroleum jelly's advantages.

"If you deal with ethnicity a bit, culturally, certain ethnicities will use it more often than others to help with dry skin," says Dr. Fox. "It does work well so I do encourage it, but if someone is resistant, it's better for them to use another moisturizer than nothing at all."

But even if you don't use it in your day-to-day skin-care routine, try it out when you're skin has been up against the elements. If you have windburn from a day on the chilly ski slopes, a bike ride, or a windy beach day, apply petroleum jelly liberally to your face or wherever you see dry skin. The jelly helps ease discomfort. [source: ReadersDigest.com]

Not only can Vaseline add moisture to the skin on your face, but it can also put an end to chapped lips, dry, cracked hands and dryness on any other body part that's the victim of cool air [source: ReadersDigest.com]

For those who are eco-conscious and skin care-conscious, the one downside of petroleum jelly is that's not a green beauty product. A byproduct of petroleum (yep, the fossil fuel), it's approved by the FDA, but some of the refining methods use toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). They are removed during the refining process, but the European Union requires all products containing petroleum jelly to have a known refining history. That being said, it's generally safe to use on skin.

Learn more about using petroleum jelly as a moisturizer here.
When Marley Dias spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month, her resume was already pretty thick.

An appearance on Ellen. A speaking engagement at the same White House summit that featured first lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. An editor-in-residence gig at Elle.com that saw her interview Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic nominee for president. Her first book.
All I ask is that he keep his disrespect, his foul language far away from our family, Justin Blake said at a block party Tuesday organized by the Blake family and activists. We need a president thats going to unite and take us in a different direction. We want the same right hes got, and we want to be able to get our children home safely. They should be able to go anywhere they want in this nation and get home safely, and not get shot seven times.
Recent estimates indicate a prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States of 1 in 59 children with a well-established 4:1 male predominance. Individual costs for care are estimated at about $2.4 million, yielding a societal burden that is expected to exceed $400 billion by 2025. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications that improve the core symptoms of ASD.

Neuroscientists in the laboratory of Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., professor of biomedical science in Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and executive director of the FAU Brain Institute, are focused on serotonin, a mood-regulating molecule in the brain that regulates many brain synapses -- the gaps between nerve cells where signals are sent and received. The supply of serotonin is tightly regulated by a protein called the serotonin transporter (SERT), which sweeps away serotonin from synapses to limit its action. Shifts in the transporter's activity can significantly impact the ability of serotonin to act in the brain.

Changes in signaling by the neurotransmitter serotonin has been connected to autism for more than 50 years, dating back to findings of elevated serotonin levels in the blood of some people with the disorder, a feature termed hyperserotonemia. Since this time, multiple rare changes in the genetic code that impact SERT have been observed.

Recent studies of mice expressing the most common of these gene variants, called SERT Ala56, induces behavioral changes in animals that scientists connect to alterations in people with autism - repetitive behavior, altered communication, and atypical social interactions, as well as hyperserotonemia. Although the effects of the SERT Ala56 mutation are paralleled by other mutations in the SERT gene, none of these mutations are common enough to account for the number of individuals with autism demonstrating hyperserotonemia.

Blakely and collaborators have published a study in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, which now offers a possible explanation for this puzzle.

"We have known for some time that the activity and regulation of the SERT protein is critically dependent on a number of other proteins that tell the protein where to locate on nerve cells and how to act," said Blakely, lead author.

It turns out that the SERT Ala56 mutation changes the structure of the transporter in ways that keep these partner proteins from interacting with the transporter, a protein that Blakely's laboratory identified thirty years ago.

Last year, Blakely's former graduate student Meagan Quinlan, Ph.D., first author and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington, demonstrated that the SERT Ala56 mutation impacts the structure of the SERT protein in cells in culture, revving up the transporter into a state of abnormally high activity.

"We think that this high-activity state results in removal of too much serotonin from sites in the brain where serotonin is needed, both during development and in adults," said Quinlan. "I suspect that the structural changes we have observed likely reflected changes in the regulatory ability of SERT-associated proteins to maintain serotonin inactivation at normal levels."

To test this concept, Quinlan purified the mutant transporter from the brain of SERT Ala56 expressing mice, as well as from normal mice, and then determined whether proteins normally bound to SERT were still attached.

"We found that only a few proteins seemed to interact with SERT Ala56 more than they should. In contrast, many more proteins appeared no longer tethered to the transporter, including some proteins we already knew to be SERT regulators and others that have been linked to ASD," said Quinlan.

Blakely was actually quite surprised at the findings. "It is quite amazing that one of the smallest changes you can make in SERT can alter its interactions with partners," said Blakely.

According to Blakely, further work could reveal more extensive links between SERT and other genes known to associate with autism, broadening the impact of SERT Ala56 to other neurotransmitter systems.

"Following the scent of serotonin may well take us to molecules and medications we had no clue about just a few years ago," said Blakely.

Blakely's team recently reported a new small molecule that can tone down SERT activity and normalize behaviors in the SERT Ala56 mouse, a molecule that he hopes may lead to a new therapeutic.

"A goal moving forward with this drug is to see if it can reverse the changes in SERT Ala56 protein associations, tying the molecular changes we see with the mutant to how the drug may work," said Blakely.

ASD is a serious developmental disorder with increased prevalence that impairs the ability to communicate and interact and impacts the nervous system. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely and common symptoms can include difficulty with communication and social interactions, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors. No current medications treat the core features of ASD.

###

Study co-authors are Matthew J. Robson, Ph.D., Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati; Ran Ye, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University; and Kristie L. Rose, Ph.D., and Kevin L. Schey, Ph.D., both within the Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University.

Financial support for the studies derives from Vanderbilt Pharmacology T32 (GM07628), an Elaine Sanders-Bush Scholar's Award from the Vanderbilt Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research (Quinlan), Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center (P30DK058404), PhRMA Foundation Award and NARSAD YI Award 25230 (Robson), and National Institutes of Health grants MH096972 (Blakely) and MH094527 (Blakely).

About the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine:

FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is one of approximately 155 accredited medical schools in the U.S. The college was launched in 2010, when the Florida Board of Governors made a landmark decision authorizing FAU to award the M.D. degree. After receiving approval from the Florida legislature and the governor, it became the 134th allopathic medical school in North America. With more than 70 full and part-time faculty and more than 1,300 affiliate faculty, the college matriculates 64 medical students each year and has been nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum. To further FAU's commitment to increase much needed medical residency positions in Palm Beach County and to ensure that the region will continue to have an adequate and well-trained physician workforce, the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Consortium for Graduate Medical Education (GME) was formed in fall 2011 with five leading hospitals in Palm Beach County. The Consortium currently has five Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residencies including internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and neurology.

About the FAU Brain Institute:

Inaugurated in 2016 on the John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, Fla., the FAU Brain Institute, supports research, education and community outreach among more than 100 faculty level researchers at FAU and its affiliate research centers. One of FAU's four pillars that guide the University's goals and strategic actions, the Institute seeks to unlock the secrets of brain development, function and plasticity and how the mechanisms uncovered can be compromised to drive devastating brain disorders. From the study of neuronal development and signaling to investigations of brain diseases including addiction, autism, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, researchers from FAU's Brain Institute seek to generate knowledge that benefits society. For more information about the Institute and its members, visit http://www.ibrain.fau.edu.

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of three signature themes - marine and coastal issues, biotechnology and contemporary societal challenges - which provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu.
New Delhi: India will be hosting one of the key meetings of the Russia and China led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regional grouping on 30 November, a senior foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.

The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Governments will take place in New Delhi, Secretary (West) in the Indian foreign ministry Vikas Swarup said at a webinar.

This affords us (India) an opportunity to contribute in a substantive way to the trade and economic agenda of the SCO that is the main mandate of the summit in November," he said.

Swarup did not say whether the summit will take place with all the leaders from the SCO member states -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India  being physically present in New Delhi for the meeting or whether it would happen via video link. A person familiar with the matter said a decision on this would be taken at a later date.

India joined the SCO as an observer in 2005 and became a full member alongwith Pakistan in 2017.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was to arrive in Moscow later Wednesday for a meeting of SCO defence ministers and Foreign minister S Jaishankar was expected to visit Russia next week for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the SCO countries.

Swarup in his remarks described the SCO as a vibrant organization" that has emerged as a key regional organization in the Eurasian space in the past two decades of its existence."

It had opened up vast opportunities" for a resurgent and self reliant Atmanirbhar Bharat," Swarup said The SCO provides a springboard for India to reconnect with its extended neighbourhood," he added.

In his remarks SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov urged India to cooperate with the grouping in areas like connectivity, IT and pharmaceuticals

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : In a daring robbery, a group of youths first stole a mobile phone and then made a call for an Ola cab and robbed it. Their motive was to go to Murthal and have 'parathas' for dinner.

The Delhi Police has arrested the three accused and apprehended two juveniles in this connection. One of the accused is a BBA student in a Noida-based college.

Police station Nangloi, received a complaint where the complainant reported that his cab was booked through Ola from Krishna Mandir, Najafgarh Road, Nangloi. When the cab reached the pick-up point, 4 to 5 boys were present there who confirmed OTP of the booking to the driver.

"After that when they reached near Rajdhani Park, all the accused riding in the car started beating the driver and overpowered him. They robbed his two mobile phones, wallet and threw him out of the car. Accordingly a robbery case was registered at Nangloi and investigation taken up," said DCP (Outer) A. Koan.

During the course of investigation on the basis of intelligence, accused Sagar and Pankaj, both residents of Nangloi were arrested. During sustained interrogation both accused confessed to the crime and disclosed the names of three of their associates. Two juveniles were apprehended and one co-accused Abhijeet, also a resident of Nangloi, was arrested as well. Abhijeet is a BBA student in a Noida-based college.

"They planned to go to Murthal to have dinner and hence robbed the Ola cab by overpowering the driver. One of the juveniles apprehended is also involved in a murder case," said a senior police officer.
A US citizen seeking his day in court must first convince the judge that the man he accuses of orchestrating his torture in Egypt should not be immune from prosecution.

Former Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi is named as the defendant in a recent lawsuit filed in the US District Court in the District of Columbia by human rights activist Mohamed Soltan.

Soltan, a 32-year-old Egyptian-American, said the extreme torture he experienced during the nearly two years he was held as a political prisoner in Cairo was the direct results of actions taken by the highest levels of the Egyptian government, including by Beblawi. Following the Egyptian military's removal of Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood as the country's president in July 2013, Beblawi served as interim prime minister until March 2014.

Beblawi is at least physically, if not legally, within US jurisdiction. The former Egyptian leader currently lives in McLean, Virginia, and sits on the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.

Soltan, who also works in Washington, filed his lawsuit under the Torture Victim Protection Act. The 1992 law provides victims of state-sponsored torture with a mechanism to sue for damages if their alleged perpetrators, including former foreign government officials, are in the United States.

Its not just about me and everything that Ive endured, Soltan told Al-Monitor. Its also about deterrence and the prevention of torture.

Soltan, who was shot and jailed with thousands of others for participating in a peaceful sit-in in August 2013, spent much of his 643-day imprisonment languishing in solitary confinement, the suit alleges. He shed 160 of his 270 pounds while on a hunger strike before the US government successfully facilitated his release.

Soltan accuses Beblawi of coordinating with other Egyptian officials to carry out a campaign of indiscriminate killing, mass incarceration, and brutal torture against citizen journalists like himself who live-tweeted a massacre of protesters in Cairos Rabia Square. Should his lawsuit succeed, Soltan hopes officials will think twice before ordering abuses.

But in an effort to dismiss the case, Beblawis lawyers have argued that he is a diplomat and therefore should be immune from liability in the suit. The Donald Trump administration seems to agree.

In a letter sent to Beblawis defense July 7, the US State Departments Office of Foreign Missions declared that the former premier, according to its records, holds immunity as a principal resident representative of Egypt to the IMF, effective Nov. 2, 2014. He continues to serve in that capacity, the letter said, entitling him to "the same privileges and immunities as are accorded to diplomatic envoys."

We dont know why the State Department wrote the letter, said Eric L. Lewis, Soltans lawyer. We presumed that the US would not have an interest in giving [Beblawi] immunity or agreeing to immunity when an American citizen was tortured for 22 months.

Soltan, who now advocates for other Americans held in the Egyptian governments continued crackdown on activists, has worked with the Trump administration to bring home a number of high-profile detainees. That the US government has certified the immunity of the man he blames for his imprisonment, Soltan said, only strengthens my resolve and conviction that I am on the right side of issues.

But even with declarations of immunity from both the US and Egyptian governments, Soltans legal team said that Beblawis employer, the IMF, must also certify his status as a principal resident representative pursuant to the terms of the relevant United Nations treaty.

Reached for comment, an IMF spokesperson said the agency would not answer questions while the litigation is ongoing.

Typically, IMF officials are only entitled to immunity for acts taken during their official duties, which is why former director Dominique Strauss-Kahn was unable to escape prosecution when a Manhattan hotel mail accused him of sexual assault. But were an IMF employee to hold the added title of principal resident representative, they would be afforded the same, full range of immunities provided to diplomatic envoys.

I wouldnt be surprised if the government of Egypt pursued this additional status because they knew he would be at risk if he entered the United States, said Scott Anderson, a fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and former attorney-adviser at the State Department.

Questions over Beblawis immunity and why the US government chose to certify it  when it wasnt legally obligated to  have drawn the attention of a number of members of Congress.

Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy told Al-Monitor in emailed comments that the Vienna Convention, which is the UN treaty that outlines diplomatic immunity, serves an important purpose and should be respected, but neither the State Department nor the IMF should do anything that is not required by the treaty and that would prevent justice from being done in this case.

Leahy has asked the State Department for a copy of the notice that Egypt sent the US government regarding Beblawis position when he was named to the IMF board in 2014.

Neither Beblawis lawyers nor the Egyptian Embassy in Washington returned a request for comment. But in a recent court filing, Beblawis defense referred to Soltans recent motion to stay the court proceedings as a desperate attempt to delay dismissal of a politically motivated lawsuit against a fully accredited and immune diplomat.

Beblawis lawyers have expressed concerns that the lawsuit could compromise the United States sensitive relationship with Egypt and pose a threat to significant long-standing policy interests and have filed a motion to dismiss the case.

He is not necessary to the Egyptian-US relationship, Lewis said, pointing out that Beblawi represents 11 countries  not only Egypt  in his role at the IMF. This is just the Egyptians trying to get him a get out of jail free card.

At $1.3 billion annually, Egypt remains the second-largest recipient of US military aid. The administration of President Donald Trump, who reportedly referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as his favorite dictator, has maintained that assistance despite concerns over the countrys dire human rights record.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week, 40 members of Congress led by Democratic Reps. Adam Smith of Washington state and Ted Deutch of Florida urged the administration to hold Egypt accountable over its mounting human rights violations. The lawmakers cited the Egyptian governments targeting of US citizens and others with close ties to Americans, including Soltans family.

For the past two months, Soltans relatives in Egypt have been subject to what Human Rights Watch has described as an ongoing harassment and intimidation campaign aimed at silencing him. Days after Soltan filed his lawsuit in June, Egyptian security forces raided the homes of his relatives and arrested five of his cousins.

His father, Salah Soltan, is serving a life sentence in Egypt for his role in the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The prominent Islamic scholar, who is a legal permanent US resident, was moved to an undisclosed location in mid-June and hasnt been heard from since.

Soltan describes the apparent reprisals against his father and cousins as a clear attempt at derailing a US legal proceeding.

"Will it work? No," he said. "I will not be intimidated into silence."
Technavio has been monitoring the medical ventilators market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.52 billion during 2020-2024, decelerating at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901005647/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Medical Ventilators Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts

Frequently Asked Questions-

Based on segmentation by product, which is the leading segment in the market?

The ICU ventilators segment is expected to be the leading segment in the global market during the forecast period.





What are the major trends in the market?

Development of ventilators with automatic adaptation is one of the major trends in the market.





Who are the top players in the market?

Draegerwerk AG Co. KGaA, Fisher Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd., General Electric Co., Getinge AB, Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, Medtronic Plc, ResMed Inc., Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., and Smiths Group Plc. are some of the major market participants.





What are the key market drivers and challenges?

Increasing prevalence of respiratory disorders is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the limited reimbursement to patients restrains the market growth.





How big is the North America market?

The North America region will contribute 35% of market growth.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will decelerate during the forecast period. Draegerwerk AG Co. KGaA, Fisher Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd., General Electric Co., Getinge AB, Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, Medtronic Plc, ResMed Inc., Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., and Smiths Group Plc are some of the major market participants. The increasing prevalence of respiratory disorders will offer immense growth opportunities. To make most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations.

Medical Ventilators Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Medical Ventilators Market is segmented as below:

Technology Invasive Non-invasive

Geography North America Europe Asia ROW

Product ICU Ventilators Portable Ventilators

End-user Hospitals ASCs Home Care



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43217

Medical Ventilators Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The medical ventilators market report covers the following areas:

Medical Ventilators Market Size

Medical Ventilators Market Trends

Medical Ventilators Market Analysis

This study identifies ventilators with automatic adaptation as one of the prime reasons driving the medical ventilators market growth during the next few years.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Medical Ventilators Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist medical ventilators market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the medical ventilators market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the medical ventilators market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of medical ventilators market vendors

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five Force Summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

ICU ventilators Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Portable ventilators Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Product

Market Segmentation by Technology

Market segments

Comparison by Technology

Invasive Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Non-invasive Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Technology

Market Segmentation by End-user

Hospitals

ASCs

Home care

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Asia Market size and forecast 2019-2024

ROW Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Draegerwerk AG Co. KGaA

Fisher Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd.

General Electric Co.

Getinge AB

Hill-Rom Holdings Inc.

Koninklijke Philips NV

Medtronic Plc

ResMed Inc.

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd.

Smiths Group Plc

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901005647/en/

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Students from a law school in Haiti's capital took to the streets Tuesday to protest the murder of Monferrier Dorval, head of the bar association in Port-au-Prince.

Hundreds of university students clashed with police as they attempted to disrupt traffic along a main avenue by placing burning tires at intersections.

Police responded by firing tear gas into the crowd to disperse them.

Dorval was shot dead at his home on Friday night.

No one has claimed responsibility and there have been no arrests.

The students accuse the government of what they call complicit silence at the rise in violence and the renewed climate of insecurity which has once again become commonplace on Haiti.

Earlier this year a scathing United Nations report accused Haitian police of corruption and not protecting the population.

In February police exchanged gunfire with Haitian soldiers outside the national palace where police were protesting over low pay and poor working conditions.

The country is currently experiencing a political impasse without a parliament and is now run by decree under President Moise Jovenal.

(Image Credit Pixabay)
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County officials today reported nine new cases of coronavirus since Monday, bringing the total to 3,772 cases since March.

There have been no new deaths reported since Aug. 18  a full two weeks. A total of 204 county residents have died from the virus.

There are 15 people in local hospitals with Covid-19 today, officials said. For the first time since March, none of the patients is in intensive care, according to county data -- a milestone celebrated in a tweet from Robert Corona, CEO of Upstate Medical University.

Great day! First day since March 2020 that we have no COVID positive patients in our ICU! Upstate personnel have been incredible. #Upstate Strong and Smart.  Robert J Corona (@CEO_Corona) September 1, 2020

Of the nine new cases reported today, four were attributed to community spread; three were blamed on travel from outside the area; and two occurred in group living facilities (among residents or staff).

There are currently 171 active cases of Covid-19 in the county.

According to the state Department of Health, an average of 1% of people tested in Onondaga County were positive for the virus during the seven days ending Monday.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Small CNY firm lands contract to help nations largest school district return to class

Educating CNY: Syracuse.com launches initiative to inform, connect community around school reopening

New NY law requires employers to give sick leave to all workers; heres what you need to know

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

News tips? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023
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Johannesburg, R 23000 - R 27500 per month



12 Jan 2022
Good morning.

On Monday, Los Angeles County Sheriffs officials said deputies tried to stop a Black man who was riding a bike in South Los Angeles. They said he was stopped for a code violation related to the bike, but wouldnt elaborate on what the alleged violation was.

The man, Dijon Kizzee, 29, fled. Deputies chased him, eventually catching up. Sheriffs officials said Mr. Kizzee punched one of the officers in the face and dropped a bundle that they said contained a handgun.

When Mr. Kizzee dropped the bundle and made a motion toward the gun, officials said, the deputies opened fire. Mr. Kizzee died.

[Read the full story about the shooting.]

Soon, demonstrators gathered to protest. Family members grieved and demanded answers.
Eight men are facing felony charges for allegedly sexually assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old girl during a party last December, with a portion of the rape being recorded on video and then shared on Facebook.

Police in Providence held a press conference on Wednesday morning and announced the arrests of seven of the suspects, identified as Richard Tarell Chester, 20, of Massachussetts; Luis Cabrera, 19; Jose Vargas, 19; Erving Keith Colon, 25; Malcom Baptista, 19; Luis Luna, 19, and Carlos Chicon, 20, all of Providence.

An eighth suspect, Carlos Vasquez, 19, of Providence, remains at large and is being sought by police.

Police in Providence, Rhode Island, have named eight suspects in the December 2019 sexual assault of an unconscious 16-year-old girl, seven of whom have been caught

The crime took place during a house party on Glenham Street (pictured), where the teen was brought by two friends

Chester, who was allegedly seen in the video raping the teenager, has been charged with first-degree sexual assault on a person who was mentally incapacitated and conspiracy.

The other seven men have been arraigned on charges of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual assault on a person who was mentally incapacitated, and conspiracy.

Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements Jr said the case, which he described as 'horrifying, devastating, disturbing on so many levels,' began unfolding on December 20, 2019, when the 16-year-old girl woke up at around 1am suffering from vaginal pain and cuts on her thighs at a home in the 100 block of Glenham Street.

Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements Jr described the case as 'horrifying, devastating, disturbing' during a press conference on Wednesday announcing the arrests

According to court documents obtained by the Boston Globe, the girl was alone with Chester, who then ordered her to leave.

When she retrieved her phone, she discovered that someone had used the device to send mocking messages to her ex-boyfriend, saying that she was sexually assaulted by multiple men while she was unconscious.

'Not only did they criminally and viciously assault her, but completely violated her in so many inhumane ways,' Clements said.

During interviews with investigators, the teen remembered a man holding her down on a bed and pouring Hennessy brandy down her throat during a house party where she was brought by two people she knew, according to the records.

She also recalled waking up naked in a shower surrounded by 15 men who were laughing and possibly photographing her.

The girl and her family filed a police report later that day, but it was not until June 2020 that the investigation kicked into high gear thanks to the discovery of a video recording on Facebook depicting a portion of the sexual assault.

The footage, described by Police Major David Lapatin as 'sickening,' reportedly depicted the unconscious 16-year-old being sexually assaulted on a bed by multiple men while others stood by and watched.

The victim's mother recorded the video off Facebook and brought it to the detectives, who used it to identify the men in the footage and obtain warrants for their arrests, which were executed last week in Providence.

Police are searching for suspect Carlos Vasquez (left), who is wanted on charges of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual assault on a person who was mentally incapacitated, and conspiracy

When asked during the press conference carried live by WJAR why it took eight months to make arrests in this case, Chief Clements replied: 'this isn't like TV police shows: these investigations are complicated. They take a lot of time to solve.'

Clements explained that it took months to gather video evidence and statements, and identify the suspects, some of whom were previously known only by their street nicknames.

Chester, the girl's alleged rapist, is being held without bond. He has a lengthy criminal record that includes unrelated assault charges stemming from a clash with a father in a park in February 2020.

Some of the other suspects, among them Colon and Luna, also have prior records, and Chief Clements said on Wednesday that all of them are well-known to the police.

'Parents, watch your daughters, they dont belong going to these parties, these are dangerous, dangerous parties,' Major Lapatin said, adding that young men should be aware of the risks, too.
China has taken a naive US and its leaders for a ride over the past several decades, according to former top Indian-American diplomat Nikki Haley, who said the Trump administration through its robust Indo-Pacific strategy is now learning who its real friends are.

Speaking at the third India-US Leadership Summit organised virtually by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), former US ambassador to the UN Haley on Tuesday said Americans know that Indians are not a threat to them and as such, it is time for Indians to share their success story.

The US has been pushing for a greater role for India in the strategic Indo-Pacific which is seen by many countries as an effort to contain Chinas growing clout in the region.

Lets acknowledge how China did it. China was very strategic. This was very planned out and America was very naive. The thought leaders in America thought that if we were nice to China, if we open doors to China, it would become more like the West, that China would become more democratic, Haley said. Responding to a question from Mastercard CEO and president Ajay Banga, she said this was from both sides of the aisle -- Republican and Democrat leaders, all of whom thought that if the US was nice to China, there would be an alliance.

What the United States has to understand that the Chinese want to be communist and that they are not going to change, the 48-year-old former diplomat said.

Through this Indo-Pacific strategy, going forward America is learning who its real friends are. When you learn that, yes, its India. But now Indians need to go and show more of who they are, she said.

Explaining, she said that when people come across Indian businesses or an Indian professor or a doctor, they see the warmth, intelligence and genuine side of them, and they want to know more. What we have to do is not be shy. But really get out there and brag about ourselves. Now is the time for Indians to be proud, be okay talking about those accomplishments and be okay talking about their successes and let chil9dren talk about their accomplishments. Thats really important going forward because...we have to make sure that we take to the next level, said Haley, whose parents emigrated from Amritsar in Punjab. Americans are not threatened by Indians and realise that Indians make our country better, she said.

Haley is considered a top contender for the Republican ticket to the US presidential race in 2024. Responding to a question, Haley asserted that the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the Trump administration has been a real game changer for India-US relationship. When this administration took on the Indo-Pacific strategy, it was a real game changer for a lot of reasons. I had often thought that the US seemed to ally a little bit more with Pakistan and a little bit less with India, she said.

It just makes sense that the US and India are natural allies. We have the same values..., she said, adding that President Donald Trump very much saw that as well.

The Indo-Pacific strategy was one acknowledging something that should have been there all along, which is that the US and India should be natural allies, Haley said.

The Indo Pacific strategy, the former diplomat said, also acknowledged that the US and India face the same threat from China. So it was a way of saying were going to start looking at things differently. Weve seen that play out with the alliance that we see with the United States, India, Australia and Japan (a reference to the Quad group of countries). We are continuing to see that strengthen, she said.

From the military standpoint, the US and India have done well, Haley said, noting that the two countries still have some work to do on trade. Im hoping that we can break down some of those barriers that India has with tariffs on the United States. We will get there as well too, she said optimistically.

This has been groundbreaking for a number of reasons. We have to continue to build on that because as we look at mutual threats that we have, whether its with China or what India has seen with Pakistan and going forward, I think its all the more reason why we should find other ways to be strengthened and work together, Haley said.
King St. N., 100 block, 8 p.m. Aug. 24. A man assaulted a 19-year-old male with a knife. The male was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries. A 21-year-old Herndon man was arrested and charged with felony unlawful wounding and misdemeanor assault and battery.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no question hour and private members business during the monsoon session, according to a notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.However, zero hour and other proceedings will be held as per schedule.

In the wake of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no question hour and private members business during the monsoon session, according to a notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. However, zero hour and other proceedings will be held as per schedule. Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1.



Those who attend the session would be required to follow the necessary coronavirus protocols, including getting tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours.Top Government sources confirmed to ANI that the monsoon session of Parliament is to be held on a daily basis with no break even on the weekends. Proceedings of both houses will be held on a daily basis.

On day one (September 14), Lok Sabha will be held from 9 am to 1 pm while Rajya Sabha proceedings will be held from 3 pm to 7 pm. After September 14, Rajya Sabha will sit in the first half from 9 am to 1 pm and Lok Sabhas processing is scheduled from 3 pm to 7 pm.



ALSO READ: Unlock 4.0: Railways awaiting Home Ministry nod to start more special trains

Both the houses of the Parliament is to sit for four hours daily and every precautionary measure would be taken by the government in view of the pandemic.Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman already held a meeting with officials and gave instructions in the presence of the Health Ministry officials regarding how COVID-19 guidelines should be followed in this monsoon session.

Here are some reactions of the opposition from this decision:

MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in #Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled ? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950 ? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour?Pandemic excuse to murder democracy  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) September 2, 2020

News coming in that there won't be any Question hour during the Parliament session this time. The one hour where the Government is forced to answer questions is being taken away. To understand its significance & how it works, read this:https://t.co/gVfxWyaNyp  Meghnad  (@Memeghnad) September 2, 2020

No Question hour, only #MannKiBaat  Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) September 2, 2020

1/2 I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy&dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 2, 2020

India's Parliament session starts on 14 September, but no MP can ask any question as Modi has cancelled the 'Question Hour'. Is this a Parliament or a Ram Leela?  Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) September 2, 2020

Parliament won't have Question Hour PM doesn't do Press Conferences SC won't order investigation CAG doesn't do audits MEDIA won't question Govt LOKPAL doesn't do anything Masterstroke in Transparency by Modi. NO questions, NO audits, NO investigation = NO corruption  Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) September 2, 2020

ALSO READ: If Lalu Prasad, convicted criminal is getting 5 star facilities, CBI should take cognizance: Sushil Modi
Tech is playing an ever-greater role in work and the economy more broadly, meaning those who don't have access and lack training will be under-prepared for jobs of the future. According to a new study from Deutsche Bank, minorities are disproportionately impacted and "large chunks" of Black and Hispanic people could get shut out of the job market.

"If this digital racial gap is not addressed, in one generation alone, digitization could render the country's minorities into an unemployment abyss," Deutsche Bank said Wednesday in a note to clients.

Following a bottom-up societal study, the firm found that 76% of Blacks and 62% of Hispanics could be under-prepared for 86% of jobs by 2045.

"Due to the structural and infrastructural inequities, Blacks and Hispanics are 10 years behind Whites in levels of broadband access and almost 4 times more Blacks have poor Tech connectivity than Whites," the firm said. "In the era of Tech innovation, a year can be a lifetime. The impact of being 10 years behind is a staggering manifestation of multiple aspects of economic and societal development."

Tech inequality often starts during childhood, and can be broadly defined by three categories: access, training and hardware. Deutsche Bank found, for example, that 83% of White people in the U.S. have a personal computer, compared with 51% and 60% of Hispanic and Black people, respectively.

Covid-19 has not only hit minority communities the hardest, but it's also illustrated the digital racial gap. Deutsche Bank looked at mobility data for majority Black and White neighborhoods across New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and found that Black people left their homes 135% more than White people during the lockdown peak in April.

"Clearly, poor access to Tech connectivity and work-from-home jobs rendered minorities with few choices but to venture out of home to make a living, even with peril to their lives," the firm's strategists led by Apjit Walia said.
An historic first direct commercial flight arrives in Abu Dhabi from Tel Aviv on Monday after flying over Saudi Arabia to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE

Saudi Arabia agreed Wednesday to permit UAE flights to "all countries" to overfly the kingdom, as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu signalled more direct flights linking the UAE with the Jewish state.

The announcement comes after the first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi on Monday, which passed through Saudi airspace, to mark the normalisation of Israel-UAE ties.

Riyadh's decision marks another concrete sign of Saudi Arabia's cooperation with Israel even after it refused publicly to follow the UAE in establishing diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

The official Saudi Press Agency said the kingdom had accepted an Emirati request to allow the use of its airspace for "flights heading to the UAE and departing from it to all countries".

Netanyahu, meanwhile, announced that Monday's landmark commercial flight across Saudi Arabia would not be the last.

"Now there is another tremendous breakthrough," he wrote in a statement shortly after the Saudi announcement.

"Israeli planes and those from all countries will be able to fly directly from Israel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and back," Netanyahu said, without giving any timeline.

"Flights will be cheaper and shorter, and it will lead to robust tourism and develop our economy," he said.

- 'Alternative normalisation' -

Saudi Arabia has said it will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel until the Jewish state has signed an internationally recognised peace accord with the Palestinians.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan insisted that Wednesday's decision does not change the kingdom's "firm and established" position towards the Palestinian issue.

But the kingdom has cultivated clandestine relations with Israel in recent years based on a shared animosity towards Iran, in a shift spearheaded by de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"This is what I would call 'alternative normalisation'," said Ryan Bohl, of the US geopolitical think tank Stratfor, referring to Riyadh's announcement.

Story continues

"Saudi Arabia will explore indirect relations with Israel until the Saudi public is better prepared for a deeper strategic change. That will be a slow process," Bohl told AFP.

Allowing flights between Israel and the UAE to cross Saudi airspace save long detours around the Arabian peninsula.

"Today's announcement signals... the warming of relations between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel," Marc Schneier, an American rabbi with close ties to the Gulf, told AFP.

"While they are still deeply committed to the Palestinian people, this first step is a big one and should be celebrated."

This is not the first time the kingdom has opened its airspace for Israel-bound flights.

In March 2018, Air India launched the first scheduled service to Israel that was allowed to cross Saudi airspace.

- Sensitive politics -

President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, who has led a US push for Gulf states to establish ties with Israel as it seeks to isolate Iran, led an American delegation aboard Monday's flight.

Saudi Arabia's decision comes after Kushner met Prince Mohammed on Tuesday in the planned Red Sea megacity of NEOM.

On Wednesday, Kushner met with Qatari ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss "the peace process in the Middle East region," according to Qatar's state news agency.

There was no comment by the emir on the UAE's normalisation of ties with Israel, or any suggestion that Doha could follow suit.

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's biggest economy and home to Islam's holiest sites, faces more sensitive political calculations than the UAE.

Not only would a formal recognition of Israel be seen by Palestinians and their supporters as a betrayal of their cause, it would also hurt the kingdom's image as the leader of the Islamic world.

In 2002, Saudi Arabia sponsored the Arab Peace Initiative which called for Israel's complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967 and an equitable solution for Palestinian refugees, in exchange for peace and the full normalisation of relations.

burs-ac-gw/dwo
WESTPORT  With school set to open next week, the districts administration presented the latest changes to accommodate students including deciding that distance learning elementary students will follow a half-day schedule.

One of the reasons that was on hold was that we were getting information, or obtaining information, from families about how many students would be opting in to the distance learning program, Anthony Buono, assistant superintendent of learning, said at a school board meeting Monday. Once we got that information, we moved relatively quickly to find a resolution.

Following a half-day schedule for the remote learning program would ensure the pacing matches instruction in the hybrid model, he said.

The hybrid model for elementary students will split them into two groups separated alphabetically by last name, with one attending morning sessions and the other afternoon sessions. The sessions would rotate each quarter point of the year, according to the districts website.

In the event a student transitions from the distance learning plan to a hybrid plan, they would be at the same point in the curriculum and it would make for a smooth transition, Buono said.

Around 200 students have signed up for remote learning at the elementary level, according to Buono, with nearly 500 signed up across the district.

Superintendent Thomas Scarice said the Westport-Weston YMCA will provide an early morning program for students participating in afternoon sessions and vice-versa. The program could help address some of the concerns with the hybrid model in the community, he said.

I think, in fairness, working families with two working parents in town have spoken pretty loudly  on the record and off the record  that this is going to be a real challenge for them, he said. The Y really stepped up here.

The Board of Education also reviewed ventilation in the schools and health protocols for the school year.

Sue Levasseur, the districts health services supervisor, said the state has also released more guidance on how the district will tackle exposures or positive cases. The guidance covered scenarios ranging from cases reported within one classroom, to two or more cases within 14 days linked to exposure outside the school.

The recommendation is always to determine the close contacts, Levasseur said. The health department and we would determine that, and those close contacts would be excluded for 14 days.

For a scenario where multiple cases are being reported across different cohorts, the district could consider closing for 14 days, she said.

The great part of all this is the consideration, Levasseur said. We need to think about the considerations when we make the determinations, and that makes things not black and white.

dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Mitigating coronavirus in schools is the next chapter in slowing the spread of the virus, Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford told county commissioners on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Rutherford presented local coronavirus data and recommendations communicated to all the area schools, colleges and universities. He emphasized that the virus predominantly affects older adults or those with underlying health conditions.

As of Tuesday, Kalamazoo County had 1,808 cases and 88 deaths related to COVID-19.

In Kalamazoo County only 10% of cases are among those younger than 19, and no deaths reported within the county are among that age group. The health department advised local schools to consider their staff and students who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19.

When we talk about the risk in school settings, its important to really look at these vulnerable populations, Rutherford told county leaders Tuesday.

Still, it is inevitable the virus will make its way into the school system, he said.

We dont want to pretend like this is just going to be without incident, because were going to have positive cases, Rutherford said.

The health department developed a flow chart for schools, instructing them to create isolation areas for symptomatic students to wait until they are picked up from school. The family of the student would be advised to take them to the doctor, and staff at the school is then advised to contact the health department.

The health department will conduct contract tracing after a positive test result is determined. It is important that families get their students to a doctor immediately and receive rapid testing, when applicable, so contact tracing can be most effective, Rutherford said.

The overlap of COVID-19 symptoms and the common cold or flu symptoms will pose an added challenge, Rutherford said.

It adds another level of complexity, but its part of what we need to be diligent about, he said. People need to stay home when theyre sick.

The basic advice from the health department has not changed over the last seven months. Wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing remain a top priority, Rutherford said. He compared these strategies to basic safety measures taken to avoid being injured in a car crash, such as using a seat belt, not speeding and not texting while driving.

Were putting forth strategies to reduce the severity, the seriousness, the painfulness of something, he said. When we talk about these public health recommendations, theyre pretty simple.

Human behavior remains the hardest obstacle, Rutherford said. Commissioners asked if the county was ready for an influx of cases as college students return to campus. Most Western Michigan University students returned to campus last weekend, and the first day of classes is Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Rutherford said the county is working with WMUs Sindecuse Health Center to assist with testing and contact tracing. Still, the responsibility will be with students to adhere to guidelines, commit to quarantining and participate in contact tracing.

The downside to the fact that zero to 20-year-olds havent really been significantly impacted, from a health perspective, is that they dont take it as seriously as somebody that is really in more of those vulnerable groups, Rutherford said.

As it stands, Rutherford, said the health department is not planning any reduced-capacity mandate of 25 people in a group because it does not seem realistic to manage. Rutherford said citations for capacity or mask noncompliance would be difficult as law enforcement spends time chasing down parties to disperse crowds.

In addition to strong communication with law enforcement, relationships with local businesses have become crucial as students move backed to school, Rutherford said.

The health department has visited all the restaurants and bars in the area in preparation of students going back to school and the possibility of super spreader events.

The bottom line for them is, if the colleges and the schools close its not good for their business, he said.

Related: Where are Michigans latest coronavirus outbreaks? State now offering new data

The Kalamazoo region  which includes Allegan, Barry, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties  remains in the medium-high risk category based on data from Aug. 28, according to the state health departments MI Safe Start Map.

There were eight new outbreaks in the Kalamazoo region, according to the states new online outbreak tracker. The data set lists the outbreaks by region, but does not offer specific locations or additional details, such as number of cases.

The tracker was updated Monday, Aug. 31, with information collected for the seven days ending Thursday, Aug. 27.

State data did not record any outbreaks in the Kalamazoo region at K-12 schools or college and universities during that seven day period.

On Friday, Aug. 28, Western Michigan University reported 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases, stemming from testing at the campus health center over a two-week period beginning Aug. 9.

Related: Western Michigan University reports coronavirus cases as students return to campus

An outbreak is generally defined as an instance in which two or more cases are linked by a place and time, indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.

The outbreaks are primarily at long-term care facilities and agricultural/food processing/migrant camps, according to state data.

The Kalamazoo region had three new outbreaks in both long-term care facilities and agricultural businesses.

The region also has nine ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities, and 12 more in agricultural businesses.

In total, the region reported 34 ongoing outbreaks in categories such as childcare or youth programs, manufacturing or construction, an office setting, retail employees, religious service and social gatherings.

Ongoing outbreaks are those that had already been identified in previous weeks but have had at least one new associated case reported to the local health department in the last two weeks.

In total, the state of Michigan reported 93 new outbreaks and 199 ongoing outbreaks.

More on MLive:

Western Michigan students protest, share concerns with universitys reopening plan

Western Michigan University freshmen rolling with the punches as they move in during a pandemic

Michigan reports 8 coronavirus outbreaks at K-12 schools and 6 on college campuses

Portage elementary students welcomed back to school amid coronavirus pandemic

Online school start delayed for some Kalamazoo students amid software changes

These 100 Michigan schools will start the year with remote learning
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:56:23|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) is planning to put in place a guarantee scheme for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) to speed up the continent's economic transformation, an official said on Wednesday.

Amine Idriss Adoume, director in charge of delivery program and coordination at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), told a virtual meeting that one of the biggest impediments for the expansion of small businesses in Africa is the lack of affordable finance.

"The scheme will be developed jointly with partners and seeks to unlock access to affordable finance for the continent's small businesses," Adoume said during the launch of the Pan-African MSME Academy for Kenya.

The academy plans to launch across Africa with country-specific content in line with local business environments.

Adoume said the academy has been positioned to enable small entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable growth as they emerge through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AU is prioritizing development of MSMEs because of their significance in the region, he said.

There are currently between 95 million and 100 million MSMEs in Africa, employing some 300 million people, Adoume said.

"They are therefore a key driver of economic growth and employment in the continent," he added.

The AU official said the credit guarantee scheme will be designed to provide comfort to banks so that they can extend loans to MSMEs.

Adoume noted that commercial banks shy away from providing credit to small businesses because they are perceived to have high default risk.

Betty Maina, cabinet secretary at the Kenyan Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, said Kenya is also developing a credit guarantee scheme that will support commercial banks to extend financial support to small businesses.

MSMEs are a critical part of Kenya's economy as they constitute over 90 percent of all businesses and provide 30 percent of all employment opportunities, she said.

The Kenyan government has also established a list of goods that will be procured by public entities and supplied by local MSMEs, Maina said.

According to the ministry of industrialization, Kenya has so far launched three rounds of economic stimulus packages to cushion businesses and households against the effects of restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Enditem
J.P. Morgan's stock market guru has told investors to be ready for a Donald Trump win in November as his betting odds dramatically narrowed against Joe Biden.

Marko Kolanovic, a top analyst at the bank, said in a note to clients Monday that most investors are positioned for a Biden win, after he established a clear lead in the polls.

But he warned that liberal 'cancel culture' may be keeping Trump voters from speaking to pollsters, while protest violence could badly damage Biden's numbers.

Investors should prepare for a Donald Trump victory in November, a top analyst at J.P. Morgan has said, pointing to betting odds which show the pair neck-and-neck as proof (pictured)

Marko Kolanovic, who correctly called where the bottom of the market would fall amid coronavirus, predicted that 'liberal cancel culture' and protest violence will hurt Biden

Kolanovic pointed to betting odds - which have Biden and Trump neck-and-neck - as evidence that a so-called 'silent majority' could steer the Republican to victory.

Biden is currently leading Trump by six points in most nationwide polling, though Kolanovic warned that could be misleading.

Kolanovic said he expects Trump to receive a five to six per cent boost from people who were afraid or unwilling to declare their support for him in polls.

On top of which, Kolanovic said Trump could receive a further boost if public opinion swings against Democrats over protests that are gripping the US.

Research carried out between 1960 to 1972 showed that, amid peaceful pro-Democratic protests, the party receives a three per cent bump in voters.

But if those protests are perceived to be violent, then Republicans receive a boost of up to eight per cent, Kolanovic said in a note seen by Bloomberg.

Predicting that Republicans could get up to 10 per cent support from this year's protests, Kolanovic said that was down to 'the broad online availability of violent footage, but also the ability to influence social media to amplify this message.'

Biden has a six-point lead over Trump in national polling, but Kolanovic said that is misleading - and could be turned on its head when voters head to the ballot boxes in November

Trump has made 'law and order' the centerpiece of his campaign, visiting the town of Kenosha on Tuesday to examine damage caused by days of rioting there

Kolanovic is a highly-respected Wall Street analyst, who correctly predicted the US stock market would bottom out in March before rebounding.

Even as the market soared in July he continued to predict growth, before the S&P and Dow both registered their best August month since the 1980s

Meanwhile Donald Trump has made 'law and order' the central theme of his campaign, traveling to Kenosha in Wisconsin on Tuesday to examine damage caused by rioting in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed black man in the city.

Trump Jr also told Fox News that 'Biden voters' are responsible for burning and looting across America, while condemning the Democrat for not denouncing the violence sooner.

In a speech on Monday, Biden condemned violence from both 'left and right' and urged Trump to do the same.
LA County Cancels Churchs Parking Lot Lease Amid Pandemic Dispute

After Los Angeles County failed for a fourth time during the current pandemic to convince a judge to shut down indoor services at a popular Christian megachurch, the county is moving to evict the congregation from a parking lot its been using for 45 years.

Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church of the Valley claim they are being booted from the land used for parking that they have leased nonstop from the county since 1975 as an act of retaliation by the county whose officials have been rebuffed repeatedly by the courts. The church pays the county $8,300 per month in rent for the land, according to the lease.

A letter purporting to signal the end of the churchs lease on a large portion of its current parking lot was issued by the countys Department of Public Works on Aug. 28, according to the Thomas More Society, a public-interest law firm specializing in religious freedom issues. The letter, which provides a copy of a lease signed by the church and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and dated July 25, 2001, offers no explanation for the countys sudden interest in terminating the lease.

The house of worship was given just 30 days to vacate the property its members have been using for almost half a century.

The author of the letter, Mark Pestrella, director of public works, didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The county is retaliating against Grace Community Church for simply exercising their constitutionally protected right to hold church and challenging an unreasonable, unlawful health order, attorney Jenna Ellis, special counsel to the Thomas More Society, said in a statement.

In America, we have a judicial system to ensure that the executive branch does not abuse its power, and Grace Community Church has every right to be heard without fear of reprisal. The Democrats message to Americans is clearif you dont bow to every whim of tyranny, the government will come after you.

The sole reason for the eviction is because John MacArthur stood up to their unconstitutional power grab, Ellis said. This is harassment, abusive, and unconscionable.

The Grace Community Church parking lot, Sun Valley, Calif. on Sept. 2, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Although efforts to shut down the church have been unsuccessful, the countys lawsuit continues. The next hearing in the case is set for Sept. 4 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat, has ordered electricity and water turned off at homes and businesses that the county claimed arent complying with public health orders aimed at combating the CCP virus that causes the sometimes fatal disease COVID-19.

A month ago, Garcetti said that those hosting what he called egregious gatherings amid the pandemic would be punished.

While we have already closed all bars and nightclubs, these large house parties have essentially become nightclubs, he said, as reported by Deadline. The same thing we would do with businesses.

The countys most recent request for a temporary restraining order against the church was heard Aug. 24, and the next day, Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff of the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County denied the order, citing the absence of new law or circumstances justifying the granting of the injunction.

California began ordering businesses to close almost six months ago.

On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered almost all establishments, including churches, to shut down. On June 18, Los Angeles houses of worship were allowed to conduct reduced-capacity indoor operations. Reported cases of the CCP virus began to increase.

In July, most indoor activities were again banned. Places of worship in California are now restricted to a maximum of 25 percent of building capacity or 100 attendees indoors, whichever is lower, and singing and chanting are forbidden.

MacArthur said in court documents that the church suspended in-person services on March 12, before the county or state-issued stay-at-home orders banning large gatherings. Services were conducted online.

But after not holding in-person services for 19 weeks, church elders voted unanimously at a board meeting on July 23 to reopen the church for such services, MacArthur said. Indoor services began July 26 and were followed by a cease-and-desist letter from the county on July 29.
It was an interesting month for Google Search. We had a confirmed Google search glitch that had a huge temporary impact on the Google rankings and search results. SEOs are bracing themselves for the next core update. While we had a few unconfirmed Google updates and indexing issues as well.

Google Search Console launched Insights and a new API infrastructure. Google also added new reporting and tools to Search Console. Google launched the licensable badge in image search. New rich results test supports article structured data. Google Home activities structured data launched as well.

Google tested out this wild background image header feature that tried to match your query to an image - it failed quickly.

Plus so much more, which you can scan below the top headlines I hand selected related to Google webmaster related concerns for the past thirty-days. You can also check out the ongoing WebmasterWorld thread and last months recap.

Here are those topics:

Google Algorithm, Ranking & Indexing:

Google Search Console:Google SEO:Google My Business & Local:Google User Interface:

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
Melania Trump regularly used a private Trump Organization email account, an email from a MelaniaTrump.com domain, iMessage and the encrypted messaging app, Signal, while in the White House, according to her former senior adviser and close friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who says she corresponded multiple times a day with the first lady. "Melania and I both didn't use White House emails," says Winston Wolkoff, in an interview with The Washington Post, upon the publication of her tell-all memoir, "Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady."

The Post has viewed messages dated after the inauguration that appear to be from private email and messaging accounts used by Melania Trump. The messages contained discussions of government hires and contracts (including Winston Wolkoff's), detailed schedules for the president and first lady during the Israeli and Japanese state visits, strategic partnerships for the first lady's Be Best initiative, the logistics of the Easter Egg Roll, and finances for the presidential inauguration, key parts of which Winston Wolkoff, an experienced New York City events producer, planned.

Members of the Trump administration have already faced scrutiny for using private email. The House Oversight Committee last year began looking into the use of private accounts for government business by Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross also has used private email to conduct government business.Donald Trump spent much of the 2016 election cycle drawing attention to the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she served as secretary of state, calling it "worse than Watergate."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the first lady's emails.

A first lady is not a government employee, said Richard Painter, who was the chief White House ethics lawyer for George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, but "if she is doing United States government business, she should be using the White House email." Use of personal accounts is allowed under the Presidential Records Act, but it's risky: If those records are not carefully maintained, the White House might not be able to produce them in response to a subpoena. (Also illegal: discussing anything classified on unofficial accounts.) Bush's White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove got in trouble for losing records with personal emails in 2006.

"It's total hypocrisy," said Painter. "They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email."

Melania Trump's email habits have not been previously reported and are not described in Winston Wolkoff's book. She told The Post she left it out of the book because she "just had so much" to write about and was concentrating on telling the story of her personal interactions with the first lady and others in the White House.

Shesays she decided to discuss the first lady's personal email use  along with recordings she made of her conversations with Melania  with The Post after the White House attacked her integrity in response to the book.

Friends for 15 years

Winston Wolkoff's book, "Melania and Me," is unique in the landscape of books about the Trumps, as the first insider's look at the first lady's private world. The two had a 15-year friendship, says Winston Wolkoff, beginning in New York City and continuing through Melania's first year in the White House, where Winston Wolkoff was her unpaid senior adviser.

Winston Wolkoff's time at the White House ended badly. She was ousted from her role and subsequently cooperated with multiple investigations into spending on Trump's inauguration.

She felt "betrayed" by Melania, she says, because the first lady didn't publicly come to her defense when an inauguration committee tax return, and news reports, named an event planning firm she and business partners had created for producing the inauguration as the recipient of a $26 million payment. Most of that money was used to pay an independent subcontractor for a pair of two-hour live broadcasts, plus the costs of producing multiple inaugural events. (Winston Wolkoff personally retained $484,126 for her services, according to financial documents she showed The Post.)

In the book, she chronicles what she saw as extensive mismanagement and opaque accounting she witnessed while working on the inauguration. She writes that the first lady's needs seemed not only to be an afterthought, but on many occasions appeared to be actively thwarted. And she portrays a tense relationship between Melania and Ivanka Trump.

The White House has released several statements recently saying Winston Wolkoff's book is full of falsehoods. In a statement to The Post, Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump's spokeswoman and chief of staff, panned the book as "revisionist history." She also attacked Winston Wolkoff's motives and character, suggesting she wrote her book "based on some imagined need for revenge."

"Literally everyone she worked with was an obstacle in her mind, people she belittled and blamed for everything," Grisham wrote. "This is a deeply insecure woman whose need to be relevant defies logic."

Winston Wolkoff says that "everything in the book is 100 percent verifiable and factual" and showed The Post what appeared to be extensive digital and physical archives of emails and emoji-laden texts from the first lady that she is prepared to use to back up her claims  and played some audio recordings.

Winston Wolkoff told The Post she began recording her phone conversations with the first lady in February 2018 and until she and Melania stopped talking or texting on Jan. 1, 2019. She decided to do so, she says, the day after the White House terminated her contract, out of fear of becoming a "fall guy" as scrutiny of inaugural spending intensified. And, she says, because the first lady had made it clear she would not support her publicly or clear up matters in the press that Winston Wolkoff says were untrue.

On one recording, a voice that sounds like the first lady's is heard saying,"Don't be so dramatic. Because you were not fired. This came to that because this is politics."

"Anybody who secretly tapes their self-described best friend is not only dishonest, they're deceitful," Grisham said in the statement.

This was at the height of the Mueller investigation, Winston Wolkoff says, when protecting herself from the Trump family and the machinery of White House palace intrigue had suddenly started to seem very important. "I didn't record a friend. I would never record a friend," Winston Wolkoff told The Post. "But  this is very important  she was no longer my friend when I pressed record."

They met in early 2000s

In her New York life, Winston Wolkoff, 49, was Anna Wintour's right-hand special events planner at Vogue, the lead in producing the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala  the fashion world's premier annual event  for a decade. She then spent several years overseeing Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, which usually had an attendance of over 120,000 people, and started her own firm.

She and Melania became friends in the early 2000s. At the beginning of that friendship, Melania was a Slovenian immigrant model best known for dating, and later marrying, Donald Trump, and Winston Wolkoff was an established Vogue staffer. Over the years, they'd have long lunches together, talk about their kids. Winston Wolkoff says she admired Melania's cool confidence.

"Melania's not lonely; she's self-contained," Winston Wolkoff told The Post. "People think she's, like, sad and trapped, and she's not."

Before their falling-out, as Winston Wolkoff details in her book, she was Melania's confidante, a witness to Melania's interactions with Donald Trump, and one of a handful of people with whom the first lady could joke about her rivalry with Ivanka Trump, whom Melania liked to call "Princess," according to Winston Wolkoff. In one telling anecdote, Winston Wolkoff recalls conspiring with Melania to keep the first daughter out of certain photos during the presidential swearing-in, a plan she says they playfully referred to as "Operation Block Ivanka."

Operation Block Ivanka was "petty," Winston Wolkoff says, but in many ways felt like the only way to cope with the fact that "Ivanka would not stop trying to put herself in front of Melania"  figuratively and literally. Throughout planning for the inauguration, Winston Wolkoff told The Post, Ivanka kept sending her text messages about exactly where she wanted to be standing in the swearing-in photo, "and 'it's so important for me to be with my father' and literally sending me a picture of the Obamas" for reference, she says. "And I was like, 'When does she stop?' "

And so Winston Wolkoff says she studied the seating chart and made sure that Ivanka's face would be obscured from photos when she was seated, and that she would be not be at the center of the photos while standing. Winston Wolkoff told The Post that she was operating to protect the interests of her friend Melania, but also because she felt that "people were overstepping their boundaries" and there was something wrong with the first daughter being so disrespectful to the first lady of the United States.

"It is traditional and appropriate for the children of the president to join in such a historic occasion," said a person close to Ivanka. "A simple Google search could have helped Stephanie understand that."

The records Winston Wolkoff kept from her friendship with Melania suggest her wariness about the first daughter's motivations might have been shared by the first lady.

"You know how they are snakes," read an August 2017 text that appears to be from Melania to Winston Wolkoff, in reference to a conflict with Ivanka and Jared Kushner over staffing.

Winston Wolkoff showed The Post the entire exchange for context  which is a bit complicated, but the short version is that Melania and Winston Wolkoff believed Ivanka and Jared were preventing them from hiring Kayleigh McEnany for Melania's office. This was the second time a "poaching" like this had happened, Winston Wolkoff says. (McEnany is now White House press secretary. Her deputy, Sarah Matthews, disputed Winston Wolkoff's version of events.)

Tales of tension

Winston Wolkoff tells other stories in her book about tension between the first lady and the first daughter: that Ivanka tried to muscle in on planning a 2017 International Women's Day luncheon with Melania (despite Melania's objections) and read Melania's speeches in advance (which Winston Wolkoff says she refused); that Kushner attempted to take over offices in the White House's East Wing (typically the first lady's territory); that Melania was not informed that she could bring guests to the president's first address to Congress, and by the time she found out, the first lady's box had been filled with guests of Ivanka and Cabinet members. By the time Melania tried to start hiring top staffers very early in the administration, Winston Wolkoff says, they were told there was almost no budget left for the first lady's office and they lost qualified candidates. "Melania felt that her interests were being constantly stonewalled," Winston Wolkoff told The Post, "and we knew that it was always Ivanka behind the friction and suspicion and distrust."

Carolina Hurley, a White House spokeswoman who works with Ivanka, said in a written statement, "These are absurd, petty and desperate accusations from a clearly very insecure and paranoid former employee. Ivanka came to Washington to focus on policy that uplifts hardworking Americans and their families. This book is a sad attempt at relevance."

The president refused to take sides, according to Winston Wolkoff. "Again, it's their type of normal marriage," she told The Post. "Melania is not like any wife who would say, 'Your daughter is blah blah blah.' It's not worth it to her. There's an understanding between them that it just is what it is. And that's how she's decided she wants to live her life."

The picture she paints of Melania's relationship with Donald is sunny.

"They totally get along. It's crazy," she says. "I mean, they laugh together. She knows who she married. He knows who he married. They are one and the same."

Winston Wolkoff had never voted in a presidential election, but when Melania's husband made his run in 2016, she cast a vote for Trump. She writes in her book that working for the Trumps was "the worst mistake of my life." Of Melania, she writes, "I wish I had never met her."

She told The Post she has cooperated with prosecutors on three different investigations into inauguration spending (the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, the House Intelligence Committee and D.C.'s attorney general) and has gone "more than a million dollars into the hole" in lawyers' fees since working for the Trumps.

As for Grisham's assertion that she's out for revenge, Winston Wolkoff told The Post that's not the case. "This isn't about me doing something to Melania," she says. "This is about me sharing with the world who this family is and what goes on behind closed doors."

Winston Wolkoff says she went through "a breakdown" after her ouster and the end of her friendship with Melania. She says that, for the first time in two years, she's opening the shades of her apartment just a few blocks away from Trump Tower. That may be an exaggeration ("It was a year and a half at least," she says), but she feels lighter now. "This is the last thing I wanted to do," she told The Post about talking to a reporter. "But I had to know what happened, if this friendship was real, and how I got myself in so deep. It's upsetting to see them snow the country the same way they did it to me. They're hurting so many people."

After casting her first presidential ballot for Trump in 2016, Winston Wolkoff says shes planning to vote again this year  for Joe Biden.
Patreon, whose platform lets creators earn money from fans through subscriptions, has raised $90 million in new funding. The seven-year-old company says it now has a valuation of $1.2 billion, and its planning to use the financing to expand internationally and beef up tools for creators (and their fans).

Patreon CEO Jack Conte (pictured above), in a video announcing the funding Tuesday, said the company has never disclosed its valuation before because I didnt want to make it about Patreon  I wanted to make it about our creators. He also said its a significant moment and I do want to give it the gravity it deserves.

This level of belief in Patreon is proof that the world is changing, Conte said. The stigma of the starving artist is going to fade away.

Today, Patreon has more than 200,000 creators on the platform who have collectively earned $2 billion to date, directly from their fans, according to Conte. There are about 6 million subscribers (which the company refers to as patrons) who use Patreon.

Moving forward, creators from all over the world will be earning at least $1 billion a year on Patreon, Conte said in a blog post.

With the $90 million in new funding, San Francisco-based Patreon plans to focus on three key areas: continued expansion internationally with support for more currencies; enhancing the patron experience; and helping creators grow their audience with search discovery tools, Conte wrote.

New Patreon features in development include updated messaging features; allowing patrons to engage with each other; and more opportunities to physically show support of a creator in the form of more merchandise, according to Conte.

The Series E funding brings Patreon, founded in 2013, to a total of $255 million raised to date. The latest round was co-led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Wellington Management with new investor Lone Pine. Patreons previous round was led by Gladebrook Capital, which also invested the latest round. Its other previous investors are Thrive Capital, DFJ Growth and Index Ventures.
Rare protests have been reported from the ethnic Mongolian region in northern China over the imposition of the Mandarin in schools, which locals and rights groups say could lead to the wiping out of local language, identity, and culture.

The change in curriculum in schools in Inner Mongolia, which was enacted this week, means that three core subjects  politics, history, language, and literature  will now be taught in Mandarin, and not in Mongolian anymore.

The vast mineral-rich province shares borders with Mongolia and Russia.

Rights groups say the move to change the medium of instruction in schools in Inner Mongolia mirrors what Beijing has done in Tibet and Xinjiang where, after local languages were replaced, the focus now is to sinicise even Tibetans and Islam  assimilate, even subsume, local ethnic communities within the majority Han population.

HT has reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry for a comment on the protests.

Almost every Mongolian in Inner Mongolia is opposed to the revised curriculum, a 32-year-old herder from the Xilingol League area surnamed Hu told AFP news agency on Tuesday, warning that Mongolian children were losing fluency in their mother tongue.

In a few decades, a minority language will be on the verge of extinction.

Reports said schools were boycotted, and parents staged protests against the move.

The head of the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre, Enghebatu Togochog, told HT that locals fear the Mongolian language will be wiped out because of this decision.

What is happening in Southern Mongolia (Inner Mongolia) now as we speak is a region-wide civil disobedience resistance movement that is taking place against the Chinese Central governments attempt to wipe out Mongolian language, culture and identity once and for all, Togochog told HT over email.

Togochog spoke of cultural genocide being carried out in the region, home to the majority of over 5 million ethnic Mongolians.

The new wave of cultural genocide came under the name of Secondary Bilingual Education, and the goal of this policy is to completely replace all Mongolian-medium education with Chinese one across Southern Mongolia starting September 1, this year, Togochog said.

Christopher P Atwood, a professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches the history of Mongolia and the Inner Asian borderlands of China, explains the policy in the academic journal Made in China.

The plan is to begin transitioning to the state-compiled textbooks for language and literature, morality and law (politics), and history classes. The key point is that these classes will be taught in the national common languageMandarin Chinese. This policy will be formally implemented from the beginning of school, this 1 September, starting with language and literature in first and seventh grade, Atwood wrote in the journal, which is brought out by the Australian Centre on China in the World and the Australian National University.

Next year, it will be extended to morality and law and then to history in 2022.

So, from 2022, if all goes according to plan, all students in Inner Mongolia will be taking all three of these classes solely in Chinese, on the basis of the Chinese state-compiled textbooks. Previously, in many schools in Inner Mongolia, all of these subjects were taught in Mongolian through high school, Atwood added.

According to the AFP, the Inner Mongolia Education Bureau claimed in a Monday social media post that the number of Mongolian-language teaching hours remained unchanged.

According to Atwood, thats not true.

But the policy documents envision the new subjects being given greater prominence in the curriculum and taught at lower levels. At the same time, there is also a promise of no increase in school hours. Thus, the share of the class hours for the local classes per week is being reduced in order to increase the class hours for the national classes, which cannot but reduce the hours conducted in Mongolian, he wrote.

Mongolians also held a protest in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, on Monday against the move to Mandarin-only lessons in the neighbouring Chinese region.
President Vladimir Putin (right) would host Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow "in the next couple of weeks". (AFP)

Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Belarus on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday, after weeks of protests in Minsk against a disputed presidential election.

Lavrov also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would host Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow "in the next couple of weeks".

He made the announcements at the start of a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow, Russian news agencies reported.

Unprecedented protests broke out in ex-Soviet Belarus after Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state for 26 years, claimed re-election with 80 percent of the vote in the August 9 poll.

The 66-year-old strongman has refused to give in to protesters' demands to quit.

Putin has backed Lukashenko and raised the possibility of sending military support if Belarus "starts to get out of control".

Belarus has for years relied on Russia for cheap oil and loans and further economic assistance is likely to top the agenda of Mishustin's visit to Minsk.

In recent years the Kremlin has pushed for closer economic and political integration between the two ex-Soviet countries but Lukashenko has resisted an outright unification.

Separately, Belarus's Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin will visit Russia on Friday, his office said in a statement.

Khrenin will take part in a meeting of defence ministers of post-Soviet countries, it said.
Now, a segment of staffers who had seethed quietly over Packs attempts to reshape the agencies are in open revolt over his unsupported accusations about spies. The goals behind the transformations he has pushed for remain murky  although he has said he wants to ensure that VOA presents the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, some staffers say this means a realignment with Trump White House messaging. Pack declined interview requests through his spokesman, who also declined to respond to this story on the record.
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A Boston University student walking past a sign on the Warren Towers dorms in Boston on August 18 with instructions for what to do when someone in your household has COVID-19. Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Boston University faculty and students are at odds with the school's administration over its response to the coronavirus.

BU's provost, Jean Morrison, announced that professors would not be notified if students tested positive for the coronavirus, citing "strict privacy of everyone's test status."

Nathan Phillips, a professor of earth and environment at BU, condemned the privacy policy. "I don't think it's about privacy  I think it's about secrecy," Phillips told Insider.

Tensions are high as in-person classes are set to start Wednesday.

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Boston University is facing criticism after announcing that it won't notify professors if a student in their class tests positive for the coronavirus, citing "strict privacy of everyone's test status."

Many faculty members and students are not happy with that announcement or other policies the school has taken to try to limit the spread of COVID-19. In-person classes are set to start Wednesday.

"The efficacy of contact tracing is entirely dependent on the accuracy of the data shared by the individual who has tested positive," the university's provost, Jean Morrison, wrote.

"If students do not feel their privacy is protected, they may be less likely to fully and honestly participate in contact tracing, putting us all at higher risk," she continued, adding: "I know this decision will be a disappointment to some of you, but I hope that you understand that we have made this decision with the ultimate goal of keeping all faculty, staff, and students as safe as possible."

Judy Platt, the university's director of Student Health Services, echoed Morrison's sentiment on protecting students' privacy.

"We've always held the line that unless there is an immediate threat to someone's safety, we are not going to disclose health-related information," Platt told BU Today. "To do something differently for this, when we've always had a standard practice of confidentiality and privacy guarantees, I think would significantly undermine the efforts of contact tracing."

Story continues

The university instituted its own testing and contact-tracing infrastructure and set up a community dashboard to track on-campus cases. It will disclose positive tests to the public-health authority, BU Today reported.

But some faculty and students are worried the administration's coronavirus response could end up forcing classes online or result in more infections.

Elijah Lovkoff/Shutterstock

Faculty and students are scared

In the comment section of the BU Today article, nearly two dozen commenters  including ones describing themselves as students, faculty, and concerned parents  slammed the privacy policy and accused the university of weakening an effective approach to contact tracing of cases on campus by implementing it.

Daniel Star, an associate professor of philosophy at the university, wrote a blog post describing the university's approach to testing and contact tracing as "arguably a misleading and negligent policy statement."

"This policy choice is also negligent, because it attempts to prevent instructors from taking a course of action that is now widely recognized to be morally required by appropriately evolving public health standards," Star wrote on the community blog With All Due Caution, which it says compiles "commentary about university affairs."

Nathan Phillips, a professor of earth and environment at the university, condemned the policy, describing the university's justification behind it as "disingenuous."

"I don't think it's about privacy  I think it's about secrecy," Phillips told Insider, adding: "The right thing to do, the moral thing to do, the scientific thing to reduce risk would be to go remote for a couple of weeks in the event that there was knowledge that there was a positive case that was in the class."

He added that such knowledge would "essentially be like the collapse of a house of cards," as the campus would "quickly drive to an all-remote situation in that event."

A rising senior in engineering, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, acknowledged the privacy risks but said "the greater risk is potentially having a super-spreader event on campus."

"That may end up shifting a significant number of classes online and possibly even canceling part of the semester," the student told Insider.

"It's not that difficult to just tell people, 'Hey, you came in contact with someone,'" the student said.

Phillips said he had taken it upon himself to conduct his fall courses with the risk of coronavirus in mind  hosting outdoor courses that would be livestreamed to remote students.

The university has implemented policies meant to limit the spread of the virus, including campus-wide testing efforts for students and faculty and barring students from attending gatherings of more than 25 people on and off campus.

'It was wrong for us to be excluded from this, because we're in the classrooms too'

But Phillips said the university had not been hearing pleas from faculty and staff members to do more to protect them and their students.

"The administration and the way they've set this situation up has just excluded so many of the instructional staff from being a part" of the discussion, he told Insider. "Community and collective decision making has not been exercised here. We've been left out."

A spokesperson from the university wrote in a statement to Insider that "the policy is in line with public health best practices and if the professor meets the criteria of a close contact they will be notified."

"A close contact is defined as someone who had contact longer than 15 minutes with someone who tested positive and was closer than six feet, face covering or not," the representative continued.

The engineering student said students at the university had also been left out of the conversation.

"I feel like sometimes when these policies happen, students are a little bit excluded from ... the discourse, which is kind of defeating the point, because a lot of the BU efforts in reopening happens to be very undergraduate-centric," the student told Insider, adding: "I think that it was wrong for us to be excluded from this, because we're in the classrooms too."

Phillips accused the university board of taking an "individualized" approach to a "community-health problem in too many ways."

"They made a decision early on to make decisions in a top-down manner," he said, adding: "If they would have engaged in a community decision-making process, I think we would have solved everything."

Read the original article on Insider
(Natural News) The National Public Radio (NPR) has been caught giving Antifa author Vicky Osterweil a platform from which she can talk about her latest book: In Defense of Looting. In this interview, Osterweil talks about how looting is, in fact, a moral act that strikes at the heart of property, of whiteness and of the police.

Osterweil finished her book back in April, right before the rioting began. In it, she argues that rioting and looting are both ways for people to bring about real, lasting change in society. She also argues that the violent mobs who smash storefronts and steal from small businesses are questioning the validity of law and order.

Speaking to NPR reporter Natalie Escobar, Osterweil argued that looting was just another form of wealth redistribution and was not a criminal act of stealing or destroying another persons private property. Osterweil further stated that looting is just another way the people marginalized by an unequal society can reapportion its assets.

Osterweil also tries to argue that the mass shoplifting events that Americans have been witnessing since late May in cities like Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, Portland and Kenosha are not violent actions. This lack of concern for property also extends to life, because Osterweil tries to argue that people dont actually get hurt when looters ransack stores.

Most stores are insured, she argues. Its just hurting insurance companies on some level. Its just money. Its just property. Its not actually hurting any people. (Related: The rule of law is dead in California: Contra Costa DA will allow looters to steal anything they need.)

The fact that mainstream media outlets like NPR are giving radical leftists like Osterweil a platform proves their complicity in the actions perpetrated by Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and learn more about how the media is attempting to gaslight law-abiding Americans into believing that the violent rioting and looting is actually peaceful.

Antifa author criticizes small businesses who complain about looters

In another part of the interview, Escobar asks Osterweil about the legitimate argument that many people who respect property have made concerning small businesses. Escobar points out that many small businesses in the neighborhoods of cities like Minneapolis and Portland are even owned by Blacks, Latinos and other immigrants and people of color, and that the fact that looters are robbing from these stores hurts the supposed cause of racial justice supported by the Black Lives Matter movement.

In response, Osterweil showed that she had no sympathy at all for local and small businesses that have been destroyed by rioters and looters:

When it comes to small business, family-owned business or locally owned business, they are no more likely to provide worker protections. They are no more likely to have to provide good stuff for the community than big businesses. Its actually a Republican myth that has, over the last 20 years, really crawled into even leftist discourse: that the small business owner must be respected, that the small business owner creates jobs and is part of the community. But thats actually a right-wing myth.

To try and justify her argument, Osterweil points to 15-year-old African American girl Latasha Harlins, who was killed in 1991 by a Korean small business owner. This, along with the incident involving African American man Rodney King, helped kick start the racially motivated Los Angeles riots of 1992, which led to over 50 people dying and 1,000 buildings being destroyed or damaged, with the estimated cost amounting to over $1 billion.

[The Korean business] was a family-owned and immigrant-owned business where anti-Blackness and white supremacist violence was being perpetrated.

Conservative voices criticizing NPR and Osterweil

Many people have taken to social media to criticize the interview. Some are pointing the blame at Escobar and NPR, which is taxpayer-funded, for giving a radical leftist like Osterweil a platform from which she can air her socialist views. Others have expressed disbelief at how Osterweil can simply handwave away the violence perpetrated on communities by rioters and looters alike.

This glorification of looting and property damage is absolutely despicable and shameful, said Erielle Davidson, a senior policy analyst for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

Can you even begin to imagine what would happen if [Osterweil] were supporting violent MAGA protests with this insanity? said Ben Winegard, an assistant professor of psychology at Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Winegard also said that he supports the right of Osterweil to express herself and that she should not be harassed for being a leftist. However, he also believes that the arguments she presented on NPR were extremely poor and that it is surprising that the mainstream media outlet both had her on for an interview and published the interview knowing the lack of substance she put forward.

Keep an eye out for the fake news being peddled by the so-called journalists who work for mainstream media outlets such as NPR by reading more from alternative media websites that hold mainstream news outlets to account, such as MediaFactWatch.news.

Sources include:

Twitter.com

NPR.org

ThePostMillennial.com

Edition.CNN.com

FoxNews.com
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the fresh increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and electricity tariff.

The opposition party stated this on Wednesday in a statement by its publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) had on Wednesday adjusted the ex-depot price of PMS twice within a few hours.

The new price of N147.67 was made public shortly after the PPMC announced an initial increment to N151.56 per litre from the erstwhile price of N138.62 per litre.

Earlier before the PMS price hike, the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) across the country on Tuesday began the implementation of a new electricity tariff regime of N66 per kilowatt.

The NLC, which represents the interest of Nigerian workers, has condemned the increase amidst rising economic plight of most Nigerians.

Unjustifiable, distressing

Reacting to the increase in prices of the basic commodities, the PDP said it demands an immediate reversal of the new hikes to avert a national crisis.

It said the increase will result in upsurge in costs of goods and services and worsen the biting hardship being faced by Nigerians.

Our party asserts that by increasing the price of fuel from the N87 per litre it sold under the PDP to an excruciating N151 while at the same time allowing the hike in electricity tariff from N30.23 per kwh to over N66, the APC has left no one in doubt that its agenda is to inflict pain and hardship on Nigerians to satisfy their selfish interests.

The unjustifiable increase in the price of these essential supplies, coming barely a week after the APC brazenly posted a support for fuel price hike, while attempting to rationalize the excruciating hardship being suffered by Nigerians under the Buhari administration, has further confirmed that the APC is at the center of the harsh policies of the Buhari Presidency.

It is distressing that the APC administration increased the cost of essential commodities at the time the leadership of other countries are offering palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is instructive to add that our nation is doomed under the APC watch.

We know that the APC is an unfeeling party but it is indeed shocking that it could go to the extent of approving such a hike at this trying time, when many Nigerians are struggling to afford staple foods and other necessities of life, the party which lost to the incumbent APC government in 2015 and 2019, said.

The party challenged the APC and the Buhari administration to publish the parameters with which it arrived at the new fuel price.

Our party further challenges the APC-led Federal Government to publish details of its sleazy and over-bloated oil subsidy regime, including the involvement of APC interests in the claimed under-recovery for unnamed West African countries, running into trillions of naira, while Nigerians are made to bear the burden of high fuel costs.

Moreover, the APC and its government have failed to allow an open investigation into allegations of fuel price overcharge as well as the fraudulent subsidy regime through which over N14 trillion had allegedly been frittered by unscrupulous individuals in the APC.

Our fear is that the APC is pushing Nigerians to the wall with its obnoxious and anti-people proclivities and we caution that nobody should misinterpret the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Nigerians as a sign of weakness.

The party further called on the National Assembly to save the nation by calling the APC and its administration to order before the nation plunges into chaos.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday left for Russia on a three-day visit to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation.

The defence ministers of all eight SCO member nations are expected to deliberate on regional security challenges like terrorism and extremism and ways to deal with them collectively in Moscow on Friday, officials said.

The meeting is taking place under the shadow of a fierce border row between India and China, both members of the influential bloc.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe and Pakistans Pervez Khattak are expected to attend the SCO meeting. Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Wei on the sidelines of the SCO event, officials said there is no such plan.

Also read: Chushul aggression is part of Chinas plan. It wants to provoke India | Analysis

Heading to Moscow. During this visit, I shall be attending the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) & CIS members in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of victory in the World War II, Singh tweeted.

He said issues of mutual interest will figure in his talks with Shoigu.

India and Russia are privileged Strategic Partners. Looking forward to further this partnership during my visit, Singh said, In his meeting with Shoigu, Singh will press for expediting supply of a number of weapons systems, ammunition and spares to India by Russia under contracts which were concluded earlier, officials said.

In the talks, both sides are expected to officially finalise a long-pending proposal to produce AK 203 rifles in India.

Officials said Singh is also likely to request the Russian side to ensure timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India.

The delivery of the first batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India is scheduled by the end of 2021.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions Singh will depart for India from Moscow on the evening of September 5, they said.

The SCO defence ministers meeting is taking place in the wake of fresh tension between India and China following the Chinese armys unsuccessful attempts to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

The two sides held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to end the border standoff which began on May 5. The fresh attempts by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area escalated the tension further.

On Saturday, India announced withdrawal from a multilateral war game in Russia this month after it emerged that Chinese and Pakistani troops will also be part of it. However, officially it was announced that India is not joining it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is Singhs second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Russia has also invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the SCO foreign ministers meeting on September 10.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of SCO in 2017.
Foreign leaders congratulate Vietnam on National Day

Leaders of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar have sent messages and letters of congratulations to Vietnamese Party and State leaders on the countrys 75th anniversary of National Day (September 2).









President Ho Chi Minh's Mousoleum (Photo: VNA)

General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Laos Pany Yathotou sent a message of congratulations to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.



In the message, the Lao leaders warmly congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the process of national construction and protection over the past 75 years, saying these successes are a source of encouragement to Laos.



They expressed their profound gratitude to the fraternal Vietnamese Party, State and people for their huge, valuable and timely assistance to the revolutionary cause of the Lao people.



The Lao leaders affirmed that despite changes in the world and regional situation, the great relationship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam will be always treasured and preserved and perpetually exist together with the two nations, becoming a invaluable common asset, a rule of survival and development and a decisive factor of the revolution in each country.



General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Li Zhanshu sent messages of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, respectively.



The Chinese leaders spoke highly of Vietnams recent achievements and expressed their belief that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people will fulfill the targets set by the 12th National Party Congress, towards the 13th National Party Congress.



They affirmed that China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and stays ready to join hands with Vietnam to promote the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner.



Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and the Central Committee of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) sent letters of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and the CPV Central Committee.



The Cambodian King and CPP highly evaluated the development of the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and affirmed the determination to consolidate and strengthen the bilateral relationship with the motto good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability.



First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez extended congratulatory messages to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and PM Manuel Marrero Cruz sent a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.



The Cuban leaders said they are proud of the historical solidarity which was nurtured and enhanced during the common struggle for national independence, freedom and development, and expressed their wish to further promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.



Russian President Vladimir Putin extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. PM Mikhail Mishustin sent a message of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc while Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin extended congratulations to NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.



The Russian leaders congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development and its high role and prestige in the international community. They believed that the two countries will join hands to further deepen the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, thus meeting their interests and for prosperous development, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.



Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sent a letter of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.



The Malaysian leaders said they are delighted at the positive development of the bilateral strategic partnership and affirmed that Vietnam has become one of the closest economic and strategic partners of Malaysia. They express their wish to closely coordinate with Vietnam in its capacity as Chair of ASEAN 2020 to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region.



King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongorn sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha cabled a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.



The Thai leaders promised to join hands with Vietnam to expand cooperation in all spheres, including the settlement of adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.



In a letter of congratulations addressed to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong reiterated his commitment to support Vietnam successfully takes over the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. He spoke highly of Vietnams efforts in strengthening ASEANs centrality and cohesion, and promoting cooperation within the bloc and with outside partners to cope with and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.



Lee said he was pleased with the dynamic development of the Singapore-Vietnam strategic partnership over the recent past and expressed his wish to expand and further deepen the bilateral multifaceted cooperation.



President of Myanmar U Win Myint sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent a congratulatory letter to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and Henry Van Thio extended congratulations to Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh.



The Myanmar leaders hoped that the two nations will enhance trade and investment ties and people-to-people exchange, and both Myanmar and Vietnam will overcome the medical and socio-economic challenges caused by COVID-19.



They believed that the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership will see breakthrough development steps in the coming years.



On this occasion, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith; Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee for China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation; Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein; Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai; and Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin sent messages and letters of congratulations to Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.



Chairman of the LPRP Central Committees Commission for External Relations Sunthon Saynhachac also cabled a congratulatory message to Chairman of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.
Chinese smartphone company ZTE has launched the first Android smartphone with a selfie camera under its screen.

The ZTE Axon 20 5G, which has no price tag nor launch date, does not have a notch nor a cutout for the front-facing camera as many others do.

The phone is only available in China, and as such it remains to be seen how well the camera will perform with a screen in its way.

In order to ensure its performance good enough to warrant moving the 32MP camera, ZTE s latest smartphone has some other neat tricks.

A high transparency material apparently improves light input to the front camera, while an independent dual-control chip and integrated driver circuits are used to ensure the colours between the camera and the display sync properly.

ZTE has also used a unique driver circuit layout to avoid interference and impact on the front camera, and a special matrix to optimise pixels and improve display consistency, the company claims.

It also says that it has optimised the performance of the camera under several lighting conditions

As well as the front-facing camera, the speakers and also the fingerprint scanner have been moved under the screen.

As well as its headline feature, the Axon 20 has a 6.92-inch OLED display, while on the back is a four camera setup: a main 64MP lens, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a macro and depth camera each with a 2MP resolution.

It comes in two configurations: one with 6GB of Ram and 128GB of storage, and another with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Currently, the phone is only available for pre-order in China; there is no word yet if the phone will be released internationally. The Independent has reached out to ZTE for more information.

ZTE might have beaten other manufacturers to the punch with its smartphone, but it is not the only one planning to hide the front-facing camera under the screen.

Oppo released its USC technology (short for Under-Screen camera) last year, but only demonstrated it on a prototype device rather than one available for purchase.

Xiaomi has also said that it will release a phone with similar technologies next year.
Press Release

1st September 2020

Espoo, Finland  Nokia today announced that it is launching the first in a series of professional level certifications to train and certify industry professionals on end-to-end 5G networks, from network access to application management.

The Nokia Bell Labs End-to-End 5G Networking Certification program is vendor-agnostic and provides a deeper knowledge of 5G networking with a focus on Access, Core and Transport domains. It is designed for business and technology professionals as a follow-up to Nokias popular foundation-level 5G Associate Certification that was introduced in February.

By gaining a greater understanding of the concepts and frameworks of end-to-end 5G networking, companies will benefit from faster realization of 5G strategies and the competitive advantage of providing high-value 5G services.

Marcus Weldon, Nokia CTO and President of Nokia Bell Labs, said: The future of work is about workers in every industry being augmented with the knowledge that is most relevant to them for every task, at every point in time. A key enabler of that future is 5G networking technologies that will form the digital fabric of this future. Gaining knowledge of how end-to-end 5G networks will impact every possible aspect of our connected world is essential to select the right strategy for your business. So, whether you work in a communications service provider or an enterprise or an industry vertical that is on the leading edge of digitization, I encourage you to take advantage of the 5G Networking Course and the new Professional level Program that is being made available now.

Sergio Fasce, Vice President of NokiaEDU, the learning and development branch of Nokia, said: NokiaEDU and Nokia Bell Labs are working together to offer the next phase of our innovative end-to-end 5G certification program. The 5G Networking course is equally suitable for business leaders, technology professionals and University students providing detailed information to enable strategic decisions, while retaining the engaging format and practical use cases of the Foundation course.

Story continues

The End-to-End 5G Networking course is now available from the Nokia website, along with the associate-level Foundational Certification. Additional professional level certifications and courses will follow later in 2020. Each course has approximately an 8-hour run time which can be completed at the learners own pace.

Nokia is uniquely positioned to present this end-to-end perspective as it is the only vendor with a product and services portfolio that covers all 5G network elements, including radio, core, cloud and transport as well as management, automation and security. This offers operators and enterprises across all vertical industries (manufacturing, public safety, transportation, energy, etc.) a simple and efficient step-wise upgrade to existing radio access, core and transport domains, helping customers identify a faster path to 5G. Approximately 60% of Nokias 5G customers have selected more than just New Radio from its end-to-end portfolio.

Nokias momentum in 5G is underpinned by the companys continued leadership in cellular technology R&D and standardization. In March 2020, Nokia announced it had declared more than 3,000 5G patent families as essential for 5G, less than six months after declaring its previous milestone at 2,000 patent declarations Driven by world-class innovations from across the organization, including the renowned Nokia Bell Labs, it has played a leading role in contributing technologies to 5G, working with 3GPP to establish 5G standards and enabling the rollout of 5G networks. Nokia is now contributing towards the next set of standards, Release 16 and Release 17.

Resources:

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.

Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Phone: +358 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com




By John Farmer Jr.

Poor Dr. Fauci. The man misses a day to have surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal cords  a result, in part, of all the talking hes been doing to try to steer us through the pandemic  and the next thing he knows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on COVID-19 testing is relaxed. On Aug. 24, the CDC announced that those who have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms  do not necessarily need a test  .

This reversal of prior guidance puzzled and outraged public health officials because it seemed to downplay the known risk of asymptomatic infection. How did this reversal happen? Multiple reports indicate that pressure to relax the guidelines came from the White House; Dr. Fauci indicated that he was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing deliberations.

When he resumed speaking, Dr. Fauci repudiated the new guidance, stating that it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is.

Thats some job Dr. Fauci has. But before we feel too sorry for him, we should acknowledge that, as history shows, it could be worse. As historian John Barry has written, when you mix science and politics, you get politics. The truth is that being the science advisor to the powerful has never been easy.

Take, for example, the plight of an agronomist for Comrade Stalin trying to suggest that the reason millions of peasants are starving is that wheat-growing doesnt conform to Marxist ideology. Or that of a geneticist obliged to suggest to Hitler that the concept of a master race is biological nonsense.

Or, to take the classic case, what if you were an astronomer-priest brought in to advise the Pope in the early 1630s about whether the sun and other heavenly bodies orbit the earth, as the Church had held for centuries, or whether the sun was the center of a solar system, as the upstart astronomers Copernicus and Galileo claimed?

At that time, according to the Specola Vaticano, the current Vatican Observatory website, the 17th century Church was not at all anti-science: Clergymen devoted a lot of their time to the study of the sciences even then. ... Fr. (Christopher) Clavius (1538-1612)  was instrumental in the reform of the calendar, and Fr. (Giovanni Battista) Riccioli (1598-1671)  published the first modern map of the moon and named craters on the Moon after Jesuits and other scientists, including Copernicus and Kepler.

So here you are, Fr. Antonio Faucino, S.J., brought before the College of Cardinals to help the Pope explain the outcome of Galileos trial.

POPE: Brothers in Christ, I have good news. Our magnificent earth-centered universe remains intact. The music of the spheres plays on, as each heavenly body orbits the earth according to the divine plan, culminating in the magnificence of the sun, our greatest satellite, and beyond that the sphere of stars, set in motion by the hand of God! And we can still affirm that as true. Because Galileo has backed down. Isnt that right, Fr. Faucino?

FR. FAUCINO: Well as you know I wasnt there. I was nursing a sore throat and missed the trial. But yes. Galileo did recant, so his retraction leaves the long-standing vision intact.

POPE: He took it back, that whole earth is just another planet idea.

FR. FAUCINO: He took it back, yes. We made him take it back.

POPE: So therefore the sun does revolve around the earth, right?

FR. FAUCINO: Well, we can make the numbers work. That is, the data that we have on hand can support the notion that the sun and other planets revolve around the earth. If you add epicycles to the observed patterns of revolution, that conclusion can be reached, no question, Your Holiness. Its just that 

POPE: I hate experts. Dont you hate experts? You ask the little Faucinos of the world what time it is, they invent a clock. You ask them what day it is, they reconceive your calendar.

FR. FAUCINO: Its just that Galileos view works slightly better. You can look at the same data and construct a model where the earth and the other planets revolve around the sun. And the heliocentric model is, well, less baroque, less complicated.

POPE: Well, if it aint baroque, dont fix it I say. [Pause.] You know, you can laugh at my jokes, Faucino. After all I am your Pope. People say I am infallible. People say that about me. [Faucino laughs, clears his throat, pops a lozenge.] Besides, doesnt the Bible prove the heretics wrong? God Himself tells us in the Bible that Joshua stopped the sun in its orbit.

FR. FAUCINO: Well, it says the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day so that the Israelites could avenge themselves on their enemies. It doesnt really take a position on whether the sun stopped orbiting or the earth stopped revolving. The scenarios are equally unlikely.

POPE: And thus miraculous! And isnt that the point? Our explanations can only take us so far. Well never get by without a miracle or two. It takes three to make a saint.

FR. FAUCINO: There are things we cant explain, if thats what you mean.

POPE: You could complicate a rock fight, Faucino.

Facts are indeed, as John Adams said, stubborn things; scientific knowledge, which evolves, will always resist conformity to ideological first principles, which dont. Treating the decision to wear a mask, or social distance, or cooperate with contact tracing, as a choice properly based on libertarian beliefs rather than on evolving public health guidance is as foolhardy as arguing that fewer people would be sick if only we didnt test so much. Oh. Right.

No wonder Dr. Fauci is losing his voice.

John Farmer, Jr. Is a Professor of Law and the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 19:50:08|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sources said the Japanese government is likely to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents, while India's tally approached 3.8 million on Wednesday, the biggest number in the Asia Pacific.

The Japanese government may offer COVID-19 vaccinations for free to all residents so that the number of future fatalities and those developing severe symptoms and needing hospitalization can be mitigated, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

According to the sources, owing to the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 and its potential to render patients with extremely severe symptoms, the government wants the highest number of people as possible to get vaccinated.

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,769,523, as the death toll rose to 66,333, showed the latest data released by the federal health ministry. As many as 78,357 new cases and 1,045 deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours across the country.

Malaysia reported six new infections, the Health Ministry said, bringing the national total to 9,360. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that four of the new cases are imported and two more are local transmissions.

The cases in Indonesia rose by 3,075 within one day to 180,646, with the death toll adding by 111 to 7,616, the Health Ministry said.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 226,440 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,218 new daily cases.

The Australian State of Victoria recorded 90 new cases, pushing the seven-day average below 100 for the first time in nearly two months. Strict lockdown conditions have seen daily case numbers in Victoria steadily decline since peaking at over 700 in late July and early August.

New Zealand confirmed five new cases, including two in managed isolation facilities and three community cases.

South Korea reported 267 more cases compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 20,449. The daily caseload stayed below 300 for four days, but it continued to grow in triple digits since Aug. 14.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has increased to 938, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports. A total of 19 confirmed cases including 12 local transmission cases and seven imported cases were reported. Enditem
After a 5-month delay because of COVID-19, residents will have a chance to ask questions and share feedback in person tonight at a public hearing on the potential environmental impacts of the Martinsville Southern Connector project.

The Virginia Department of Transportation originally scheduled the hearing for March 26 but postponed it to Sept. 1 when Virginia declared a state of emergency during the pandemic. The deadline for public comments also has been extended.

Community members now have until Sept. 11 to submit comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Martinsville Southern Connector, a proposed 4-lane roadway that would run approximately 7.4 miles from the North Carolina line north to the U.S. 220/U.S. 58 bypass.

The public hearing will be an open house format, with VDOT representatives on hand from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Jack Dalton Park picnic shelter in Collinsville. However, because of continued risk of the coronavirus, VDOT is encouraging people to view the draft EIS and meeting materials at www.virginiadot.org/martinsvilleconnector and instead provide comments through the website, email, text message or postal mail.

For those who do attend in person, only 50 total people will be allowed in the space at one time. VDOT is advising the public to wear face coverings and will have disposable masks available for attendees who do not have their own, spokesperson Emily Wade said.

Three sanitizing stations will be in place at the hearing, and all surfaces will be sanitized every 30 minutes. In addition, individual pens and information packets will be provided to reduce potential contact points between people.

The long road to a new highway

The draft environmental report on the VDOT project website totals 474 pages, examining in detail the effect on waterways, air quality, hazardous materials, noise, residential relocations, archaeological sites and more.

It represents more than two years of study and public feedback since VDOT began looking at how to improve traffic flow and safety along Route 220 south of Martinsville.

The Martinsville Southern Connector route being proposed, known as Alternative C, was recommended by VDOT as the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative out of three possible paths in the study. The U.S. Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency concurred.

According to VDOT figures, Alternative C would affect an estimated 21,882 linear feet of streams, 3.7 acres of wetlands, and 298 acres of farmland, as well as requiring up to 25 homes and three industrial sites to be relocated. At $616 million, the estimated project costs are lower than Alternatives A and B, which VDOT puts at $757 million and $746 million, respectively.

In September, Henry County officials asked for part of the route to be shifted west in response to concerns from residents in the affected area. When the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved Alternative C in January, the agency directed VDOT to explore whether the route could be modified to reduce the impact on nearby properties.

The modified route reduces the number of potential home relocations from 25 to 21 without increasing the impact to wetlands and streams, Wade said. However, it could increase project costs from the original $616 million to $705.7 million, she added, while the estimated amount of forest clearing has been updated from 224 to 318 acres.

Wade explained the studys estimates are a worst-case scenario.

Efforts to further minimize impacts to resources may occur if/when project funding is identified, she wrote in an email. The cost estimate will be detailed in the final EIS. If/when the project advances, cost estimates will be further refined.

After the final environmental statement is released in December, VDOT will seek permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

Comments for and against

Since the draft EIS was published on March 6, VDOT has received more than 130 comments, a mix of support and opposition, Wade said.

Among the opposing comments is a letter from the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of itself and 16 regional and state environmental organizations calling for a halt to the wasteful and destructive proposal.

It is unnecessary, would increase sprawl and carbon pollution while destroying carbon sinks, and is a poor use of taxpayer dollars, SELC Senior Attorney Trip Pollard, who co-authored the letter, was quoted as saying in a news release.

The SELC letter criticizes VDOT for underestimating the full environmental impact of the new connector and states that the expected benefits of building this expansive new highway would fall far short of justifying its enormous cost.

The letter acknowledges some legitimate safety and traffic issues along U.S. 220  such as geometric deficiencies, backups at a number of intersections and the need for greater access management, but calls for VDOT to look at other alternatives before building the new connector through greenfield areas.

For instance, SELC attorneys wrote, the agency fails to adequately study alternatives such as upgrading the existing Route 220.

Information from VDOT shows the agency started the study with 11 potential routes and eventually narrowed the options to five, labelled A, B, C, D, and E. Two of these would have made improvements to 220 instead of building a route in a new location.

There were two alternatives (D and E) analyzed in the Draft EIS that would have either partially (D) or fully (E) reconstructed the existing U.S. Route 220 corridor, Wade wrote. Alternative D would require an estimated 84 relocations, and Alternative E would require an estimated 130 relocations.

Considering the context and severity of these anticipated impacts, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and VDOT determined that Alternatives D and E would not be retained for detailed evaluation.

As the project proponent, VDOT has a desire to implement an alternative that meets the Purpose and Need for the study, while balancing cost and impact. Though there is not a threshold for the number of impacts that are acceptable for a given project, the sheer number, associated costs and logistical challenges of Alternatives D and E do not reflect such a balance.

Henry County Administrator Tim Hall noted, Many of the same points that are raised in the letter from the Southern Environmental Law Center also were presented to the CTB during its approval process earlier this year. Ultimately, the CTB voted unanimously to allow the project to move forward.

Hall added that the project has received letters of support from Henry County, the city of Martinsville, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County, Roanoke County, City of Roanoke, Appalachian Power Company, West Piedmont Planning District Commission, and General Assembly members Danny Marshall, Charles Poindexter, Les Adams, Bill Stanley, John Edwards, and Terry Austin.

We need this road to help us continue our economic resurgence, Hall said. It is important to everyone along this corridor, as indicated by the widespread and bipartisan support shown by our neighboring localities.

This project will have a huge impact on all localities between the North Carolina line and our friends in the Roanoke Valley, because it will make it easier for everyones business and industrial community to get their products to market. The new project also would enhance safety along the entire corridor, which includes the Summit View Business Park in Franklin County.

Kim Barto Meeks is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at 276-638-8801.

Kim Barto Meeks is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at 276-638-8801.

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Kolkata, Sep 2 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday foiled a major smuggling bid with the seizure of 1,980 Phensedyl bottles that were being taken from India to Bangladesh.

The troops of 117th Battalion of BSF deployed at Kakmarichar Border outpost of Murshidabad district of West Bengal seized the cache whose market value is Rs 3,35,986. Phensedyl is a cough medicine that is rampantly used for drug abuse.

Following specific intelligence inputs, a BSF patrolling party was positioned at the suspected place of transfer at around 12.30 a.m. on Wednesday.

"The patrolling party observed suspicious activity. Four to five smugglers were involved. On being challenged by the BSF troops, the smugglers ran away taking advantage of the darkness and bushes in the backdrop," the BSF said.

After a thorough search of the area, the BSF said, its troops recovered six huge bags and a small one hidden in the bushes.

"A total of 1,980 Phensedyl bottles were seized from these bags. The seized bottles have been handed over to the police," the paramilitary personnel said.

The BSF of the South Bengal Frontier this year so far have seized 1,95,573 Phensedyl bottles, including Wednesday's cache.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 09:57:56|Editor: huaxia

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MONTEVIDEO, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Uruguayan government signed on Tuesday an agreement with Brazil on jointly monitoring COVID-19 in the border cities of Artigas and Rio Branco in Uruguay, and Quarai and Jaguarao in Brazil.

Uruguayan Minister of Public Health Daniel Salinas called the agreement "a new way to advance in the fight against COVID-19, with the collaboration of our (Brazilian) brothers."

With the agreement, these border cities will be approached as "health units." Criteria on diagnostic methods and preventive measures, such as the use of face masks, social distancing, and shop capacity, will be unified to control possible outbreaks.

These measures have already been applied on a pilot basis in the Uruguayan city Rivera and the Brazilian city Livramento, which are separated by only one avenue.

Brazilian ambassador to Uruguay Antonio Simoes praised the agreement, saying, "It is not enough to talk about brotherhood, but it must really be fulfilled." Enditem
In this Q&A, we speak with epidemiologist Kelly Kamm about virus latency, isolation versus quarantine, contact tracing, and why medical guidelines continue to change.

Kelly Kamm is an epidemiologist and assistant professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Michigan Technological University. Kamms expertise has been vital to informing the Universitys response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, she explains some of the more complicated aspects of COVID-19 in a college setting.

Want to Learn More about COVID-19? Youre Invited! Steven Elmer and Kelly Kamm  faculty in Michigan Techs Kinesiology and Integrated Physiology Department  along with the Health Research Institute, are teaching a COVID-19 course this semester. To increase community engagement and knowledge, Elmer and Kamm will host a Zoom town hall series as a component in the course. Community members are invited to the Zoom gatherings, which will be held Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. and broadcast on 97.7 The Wolf (WOLV-FM). The first town hall will be Thursday, Sept. 3, and sessions will continue weekly until Dec. 3.

How Long Am I Contagious?

Q: What is the latency period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19?

KK: The virus can take between two and 14 days for someone to develop symptoms or test positive from the time they are exposed. This is called the incubation period. Many factors impact the range of the incubation period. If you were exposed on Monday the 1st and had a COVID-19 test on the 5th, only about half the people who are infected will have a positive test or have symptoms at that time. Just because you test negative on day five does not mean that you are not infected; you could still test positive up to 14 days after the exposure.

Whats the Difference Between Isolation and Quarantine?

Q: How does the incubation period relate to how long a person needs to isolate or quarantine?

KK: If someone tests positive for the virus  whether or not they have symptoms  they are infected and must be isolated. Their time in separation is based on the infectious period, which is how long they are able to spread the disease to other people. The infectious period differs between individuals, but can be determined based on their symptoms and whether those symptoms are resolving, or a specified time period if they tested positive but never develop any symptoms.

Q: So, whats the minimum a person would need to isolate if they have no symptoms?

KK: If they test positive, but have no symptoms, they will be under isolation for a minimum of 10 days. If they develop symptoms anywhere in that 10 days, how long they stay in isolation depends on resolution of symptoms.

Typically a person who has been infected with COVID-19 becomes infectious to others two days prior to onset of symptoms (even if they are extremely mild and are not noticeable to the infected person). For health officials, quarantining people who contact tracers have identified as possibly infected prior to when symptoms appear is crucial to slow the spread of COVID-19. A person is infectious as long as they have symptoms.

Q: Are you saying that a person can be infectious to others as long as they have symptoms?

KK: Yes. The length of the infectious period due to the virus has a lot to do with the individual and their particular disease journey. Someone with a severe case will have a much longer infectious period than someone with a mild case.

Current Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] guidance is that a fever has to be entirely resolved for at least 24 hours with no medication to bring it down. Other symptoms (cough, loss of sense of smell, sore throat, shortness of breath) have to be improving and it must be at least 10 days since symptoms began.

The shortest time period of separation is 10 days if there are minimal or no symptoms, but the isolation period can be much longer than that in severe cases.

Q: How is quarantine different from isolation, then?

KK: We quarantine people who have been exposed but we dont yet know if they are infected or not. Someone with COVID-19 is infectious for one to three days before they experience symptoms. The quarantine is meant to prevent someone who is infected from spreading the disease during that period when they are infectious but do not know it. Because people can become positive for the virus anytime during a 14-day period after exposure, it is important to stay separated from others for that full quarantine period.

However, if you have multiple people in a household, you can be in quarantine a long time.

If one of your roommates tests positive and you cannot completely separate yourself from this roommate, you are continuously exposed to that roommate. That means that your last exposure, and day one of your 14-day quarantine, begins on the last day your roommate is infectious. So, if your roommate recovers after 10 days, your separation from other people includes the 10 days your roommate was infectious plus an additional 14 days (24 days total).

If one of your roommates tests positive but you are able to fully separate that roommate from the rest of the house, your quarantine starts the day your roommate was isolated from you. But if a second roommate tests positive on day 10 of your quarantine period, your quarantine will reset because you have a new exposure. Every time you have a new exposure to someone with COVID-19, your quarantine restarts, and you will need to be in quarantine 14 days after your last exposure.

Q: If you do live with multiple roommates or family members and someone in the house is in isolation, can you share bathrooms or other living spaces as long as youre not in the same room at the same time?

KK: No. The person in isolation must have their own bedroom and stay in that room. It is best if they have a separate bathroom, but if that is not possible, there are strict disinfection and use guidelines that must be followed. Meals should be left outside the individuals bedroom and no one else should use those dishes. You must remain totally separate.

How Does the Virus Spread?

Q: Wow, thats intense. But I thought as long as you remain six feet away and arent in the same room for longer than 15 minutes, you wont catch the virus.

KK: Six feet apart for no more than 15 minutes in an enclosed space is not a hard and fast rule. Its a good estimator, but not foolproof.

How Does the Virus Live on Surfaces? Learn more about virus surface chemistry in this short video.

The novel coronavirus is typically passed to others through airborne spread. If you sneeze or cough or droplets are formed when youre talking or breathing hard, those droplets travel through the air. If they come into contact with the nose, mouth or eyes of someone who is susceptible, that is a route of entry.

The closer you are to that someone, and the longer you stay there, the more likely it is for this to happen.

Another way you can catch the virus is through indirect contact. If someone coughs into their hand and touches a doorknob, they may leave virus particles on that doorknob. If you touch that doorknob and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, the virus can enter your body.

The key to preventing indirect spread is to wash your hands immediately after you touch things other people touch. Make sure to cough into your elbow, not your hands. Dont touch your face until you wash your hands.

How Does Contact Tracing Work?

Q: Michigan Tech is hiring people to work as contact tracers to make sure people who may have been exposed can quarantine themselves to keep the virus from spreading. How are you involved in contact tracing?

KK: I am helping recruit, train, and manage a team of student volunteers who will help the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department by conducting contact tracing in our campus community.

About the Researcher Kelly Kamm kbkamm@mtu.edu

906-487-1039 Research Interests Rural health

Maternal and child health

Breastfeeding

Care-seeking behaviors

Hand hygiene

Social determinants of health Researcher Profile

Q: Im happy to report that at least 100 people have answered the call to become contact tracers. But how many do you need?

KK: It is very difficult to estimate how much time or how many tracers we need. So many variables go into the time it takes to trace contacts.

Q: What do the contact tracers do?

KK: When someone tests positive for COVID-19, the health department calls them and interviews them. The health department official asks about who the positive case might have been around during their infectious period to identify who meets the threshold level of a close contact who needs to be quarantined. The general definition of a close contact is someone within six feet of an infected person during the infectious period for at least 15 minutes.

Contact tracers work to notify the close contacts of the need to quarantine and help connect those in quarantine with Michigan Tech and community resources they may need.

If you think you may be a close contact, call the health department and they can help you determine if you were. The health department notifies us if close contacts include people from the campus community. Our campus team is also able to identify people who report they are a close contact through the Daily Symptom Tracker.

Its really important to answer your phone or listen to your phone messages. This method to stop the spread of COVID-19 works best when a close contact is placed under quarantine as soon after the exposure as possible.

Information shared with the contact tracing team is confidential. We do leave messages and there is a way to call us back or we will keep trying. If you are called by a contact tracer, the phone number will come up as an MTU number with a 487 prefix.

Why Does the Science Keep Changing?

Q: Unfortunately, a lot of people are mistrustful of scientists and medical researchers right now. Theres a lot of misinformation out there. Why do medical and scientific guidelines keep changing?

KK: This is a brand-new disease, so everything we are learning is new. We are working to understand not only the virus itself, but also what public health measures work and dont work.

This is a coronavirus and scientists based a lot of the early information on SARS and MERS [coronaviruses that caused small outbreaks in 2003 and 2012, respectively], yet they are still very different viruses. We are continually refining and adjusting what we know as more data is available.

Q: To use a metaphor, coronaviruses could be compared to dog breeds. SARS-CoV-2 is a wolfhound, whereas MERS is a rottweiler. Theyre both dogs, but theyre very different.

KK: Exactly. When you have something so new, you have to build up the scientific knowledge base. Whats been said in the past that may be different now is not misinformation  its that weve learned more. It makes it very hard to understand because advice does, necessarily so, change.

For example, I cant estimate how many contact tracers I need because I dont know how many contacts a college student might have. We can use the information as we learn it to build on in the future.

In this age of, If I cant get it in two seconds, its so slow, we must remember that science takes time. Public health is a science.

Q: How long do you think it will be until theres a vaccine?

KK: The shortest time to get a vaccine has been four years; the average is 10 to 15 years. The fact that we think we might have a vaccine in just a year is scientifically pretty amazing.

Scientists mapped the entire genome of the virus within a month from when it was identified. Its amazing to look at how much we do know about this virus in such a short period.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
BOSTON and LANSING, Mich., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Voatz, the Boston-based mobile voting platform, today announced the successful completion of a first-of-its-kind virtual convention with the Michigan Democratic Party. This year's convention was the first to virtually nominate candidates for the state Supreme Court, among other elected positions, for the November ballot.

Forced to participate from their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 2,000 delegates both submitted signature nominations and voted for their preferred candidates on the mobile app downloaded to their smartphones. Besides the Michigan Supreme Court, candidates were nominated to the state Board of Education and boards at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. Roughly 91 percent of 2,092 credentialed delegates participated.

This milestone marks the fourth convention that the Michigan Democratic Party has completed in collaboration with Voatz, with the prior three conventions occurring on-site in Lansing and Detroit and using the Voatz tablet voting system. This prior collaboration contributed to a smooth transition to an all-virtual convention for the party without disruption, and marks yet another compelling case for the benefit of piloting technology options that make elections resilient.

"There were so many unique challenges with this year's convention because of the pandemic, but the Voatz platform eased many of our concerns," said Chrisy Jensen, Executive Director of the Michigan Democratic Party. "Voatz enabled our delegates to be verified remotely and participate through their smartphones. The convenience, safety and accessibility of voting this way was eye-opening for everyone who participated."

Voatz's staff worked closely with the party to ensure voter education, training, and a smooth rollout of the platform for all users. The platform was also built in cooperation with disability rights advocates, including accommodations for the visually impaired. Those who did not use the Voatz app had access to voting through a help desk.

"We've always enjoyed working with the Michigan Democratic Party and this time, are proud to have helped them with their first-ever virtual convention," said Voatz Co-Founder and CEO Nimit Sawhney. "These are such uncertain times in so many regards, including voting, and we wanted to ensure a seamless remote experience. We're happy to have seen such positive turnout from thousands of voters, who were able to cast their votes safely and securely."

About Voatz

Voatz is an award-winning mobile elections platform that leverages cutting-edge technology (including biometrics and a blockchain-based infrastructure) to increase access and security in elections. Since 2016 Voatz has run 70 elections with cities, universities, towns, nonprofits, and both major state political parties for convention voting. Learn more here.

About the Michigan Democratic Party

The Michigan Democratic Party fights for families, seniors, students and veterans, and works to elect Democrats across the state while holding Republicans accountable across the board.

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If youre like me, you probably thought funny man Norm Foster, Canadas most successful and prolific playwright, would be the very guy writing a comedy about COVID-19. Not so.

No, I have no intention of writing one. Im sure many other playwrights will attempt it, but the subject doesnt interest me. In fact, the subject depresses me. Im going to move on to subjects that make me feel good. Make me laugh. Ive never written about anything I didnt enjoy writing and has always been a joyful, rewarding experience for me. Ive never been one of those writers who needs the wringing of hands and the gnashing of teeth to be satisfied. Give me a smart setup and a good payoff any time.

Foster was in Costa Rica on vacation when the pandemic struck. His experiences on the flight home were like the pains of Job.

We flew out of the country on the last day that they were allowing vacationers to leave. On the flight home I suffered a ruptured abdominal aneurysm and had to endure that for five and a half hours. I thought it was food poisoning. I was rushed to hospital after the flight and doctors operated immediately. The doctor said I was lucky to be alive.

Four weeks into his recovery Foster suffered a gall bladder attack and had to have another operation to remove that.

This was all on top of having open heart surgery in September 2019. Not a great year overall. One that I want to forget.

In fact Foster says, For the longest while during COVID-19 I wasnt able to write anything. I didnt feel in the mood. And I always feel in the mood to write. But it did something to the creative juices. It pretty much killed them for me. I started writing again in the past three weeks, but it took me a long while to get interested again.

Foster has lost more than 50 productions of his plays as well as the annual St. Catharines-based celebration known as The Foster Festival. This includes a production of Wrong for Each Other in London, England, a tour of Jonas and Barry in the Home in Southern Ontario, Halfway There in Port Dover and Come Down from Up River at Theatre Aquarius here in Hamilton.

Financially, Ive taken a big hit. I have zero income right now because all the theatres have closed. Im hoping I can make it into the summer of 2021 when, with any luck, theatre will try to open up again. But Im not counting my chickens just yet. We, all of us in the theatre business, are suffering so I dont like to complain too much. Were all gong through the same thing and trying to keep our chins up.

Foster believes Canadians can still laugh. Definitely. I dont think it has affected our Canadian sense of humour. Personally though, Ill admit that Im laughing less these days. Ive become even more curmudgeonly than I already was. And thats going some.

Foster admits he misses things.

I miss simple things like meeting friends in a bar for a beer. I dont go to bars, or to restaurants now. I dont feel comfortable around groups of people. At my age, Im the low-hanging fruit for this virus. Im not taking any chances. If I had to be isolated with someone for two weeks Id choose my wife ... or Paul McCartney. Sorry, dear.

These days Norm Foster lives in Fredericton, N.B.

I moved there in 1979 and fell in love with it. I moved around since then but finally came back for good seven years ago. Its a medium sized town with friendly people. I really feel at home here.

Foster doesnt know what play hed like to write just now.

I havent thought ahead, but I guess that would be any play that would get me on Broadway. Come on! Its about time. Right now, Im working on a play that takes place during the first days of the War of 1812. Im really enjoying writing this play. Its fun and its clever. And yes, its a comedy based on fact.

Of the plays hes written, Foster thinks Jonas and Barry in the Home would speak most to the COVID-19 experience. It takes place in a seniors home and we all know that is one of the worst places to be during the pandemic. These two guys discuss death  and death, in fact, plays a big part in the play, even though its a comedy.

A favourite of the plays hes written is Hildas Yard. Although people think you are not supposed to have a favourite play, theyre supposed to be like your children, no favourites, Hildas Yard is mine. I like the setting of the Fifties because thats when I was a child. I like all the characters because they are good people who are each going through a tough time. And it has a couple of the funniest lines Ive ever written. Smart and funny, I call them. Another favourite is The Melville Boys, strictly for sentimental reasons. That was my first hit and the one that got my foot in the door in a lot of theatres across the country.

Having written 63 plays, seven of which were musicals, Foster isnt written-out yet.

I still dont think Ive written the musical that Im completely satisfied with yet, although Beside Myself which was at the Foster Festival last summer came close. Steve Thomas music in that show was terrific.

Fosters audiences are fiercely loyal. He thinks he knows why.

I think because they know what theyre going to see when they come to my plays. They are not going to be deeply offended and they know they are going to laugh and also be touched in the heart somehow. And theyre also going to think, when Im writing, I think about my audience. I know they expect a certain kind of play and I try to deliver it. But, at the same time I try to explore different topics for myself. I cant be writing The Affections of May every time out.

Foster is honest about what he thinks of the virtual plays proliferating now.

Im not crazy about them. I dont think the technology is watchable just yet. And even when it does become watchable, Im not sure Ill enjoy it. This is why we have theatres. Thats where plays were meant to be seen. I even have trouble with online streaming of plays and live broadcasts. Maybe Im too old school. When theatre comes back I think it will be a cautious time. It will be like wading into cold water. We will do it slowly until we get used to it. We all want things to be the way they were, but we cant rush it. I just hope that not everyone is going to want to put on a Covid play. Personally, thats the last thing Ill want to see.
Some employees of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited will soon be discharged of their duties.

This was announced in a statement signed by the Business Unit Managing Director WAC of the Company, Felix Gomis.

According to the statement, this declaration of redundancy has come about due to challenges faced by the company over the years exacerbated by the COVID-19 scourge and the numerous industrial actions experienced in the last few months.

The statement states that In accordance with the provisions of Section 65 of the Labour Act 2003 (ACT 651), management has notified the Chief Labour Officer of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations of the company's intention to declare a redundancy which will affect the employment of a number of employees.

This development will, however, be implemented after the leadership of the respective trades unions have agreed to the terms and conditions of the severance package.

Meanwhile, until the effective date of their termination is released, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana is asking its staff to continue to carry out their obligations.

Workers of Coca-Cola Ghana protest against removal of MD

In January this year, workers of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana embarked on a protest against the removal of the company's Managing Director, Seth Adu-Baah.

The workers accused the company of unfair treatment against Ghanaian managers.

Seth Adu-Baah, who worked with the company for 18 years, served as MD of Coca-Cola in Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Ghana, before he was allegedly forced out of the company by the Regional Head of the company.

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - The Khmer Rouges chief jailer, who admitted overseeing the torture and killings of as many as 16,000 Cambodians while running the regimes most notorious prison, has died. Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was 77 and had been serving a life prison term for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He died at a hospital in Cambodia early Wednesday morning, said Neth Pheaktra, a spokesperson for the tribunal in Phnom Penh that handled the trials over the regimes crimes.

Duch was admitted to Cambodian Soviet Friendship Hospital after developing difficulty breathing Monday at the Kandal provincial prison, said Chat Sineang, chief of the prison where Duch had been transferred from the tribunals prison facility in 2013. He added that the body would be examined for a cause of death before being handed to his family.

Duch, whose trial took place in 2009, was the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face the U.N.-backed tribunal that had been assembled to deliver justice for the regimes brutal rule in the late 1970s, which is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people  a quarter of Cambodias population at the time.

The communist Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. Only after neighbouring Vietnam pushed the Khmer Rouge from power did the scale and barbarity of their rule become absolutely clear.

As commander of the top-secret Tuol Sleng prison code-named S-21, Duch was one of the few ex-Khmer Rouge who acknowledged even partial responsibility for his actions, and his trial included his own wrenchingly graphic testimony of how people were tortured at the prison. The site in Phnom Penh which had been a secondary school before the Khmer Rouge came to power, is now a museum with stunning evidence of the cruelty with which the Khmer Rouge persecuted even its own members they accused of disloyalty.

Men, women and children seen as enemies of the regime or who disobeyed its orders were jailed and tormented there, and only a handful survived.

Everyone who was arrested and sent to S-21 was presumed dead already, he testified in April 2009.

The tribunal since Duchs trial has convicted two top echelon Khmer Rouge leaders, while two other defendants died before their trials could be completed. The regimes No. 2 leader Nuon Chea died during his appeals process. The tribunal, established in 2004 by an agreement between the U.N. and the Cambodian government, has cost more than $360 million.

The other whose appeal is under consideration, former head of state Khieu Samphan, almost certainly will be the last one to face trial, due to the Cambodian governments opposition to any more prosecutions. The top Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998 as a prisoner of his comrades in what had shrunk to a spent force of jungle-based guerrillas.

Youk Chhang, head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has collected voluminous archives about the countrys tragedy, said Duchs death is a reminder to us all to remember the victims of the Khmer Rouge. And that justice remains a difficult road for Cambodia.

Torturers under Duch beat and whipped prisoners and shocked them with electrical devices, Duch admitted to the court, but still he denied accounts from survivors and other trial witnesses that he took part in torture and executions himself. The offspring of detainees were killed to ensure the next generation could not take vengeance. Duch called himself criminally responsible for babies deaths but blamed his subordinates for battering the young bodies against trees.

He said the prisons own guards and interrogators were killed for small mistakes and showed rare emotion on the witness stand in June 2009 while speaking of seeing his fellow revolutionaries locked in the cells of his prison. Confessing to betraying his own friends, he said: That was beyond cowardly.

When a guilty verdict was finally delivered against him in July 2010, he was sentenced to 35 years, shortened to just 19 due to time served. The judges said they considered the Cold War context of the atrocities and Duchs co-operation and expressions of remorse, however limited. But outraged survivors feared he could one day walk free. On appeal, the sentence was lengthened in 2012 to life in prison for his shocking and heinous crimes against the Cambodian people.

Like many key members of the Khmer Rouge, Duch was an academic before he became a revolutionary. The former math teacher joined Pol Pots movement in 1967, three years before the U.S. started carpet-bombing Cambodia to try to wipe out Northern Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong inside the border.

The Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975 and immediately attempted a radical transformation of Cambodia into a peasant society, emptying cities and forcing the population to work on the land in the country they renamed Democratic Kampuchea. They backed up their rule with ruthless elimination of perceived enemies, and by 1976, Duch was the trusted head of its ultimate killing machine, S-21.

Tribunal judges said he signed off on all executions there and was often present when interrogators used torture to extract confessions, including pulling out prisoners toenails, administering electric shocks, and waterboarding. Despite his denials, the judges said he had at times taken part in the torture and executions himself.

The torture and executions that took place at Tuol Sleng were routinely recorded and photographed, and when the Khmer Rouge were forced from power in 1979, the thousands of documents and film negatives left at the prison became proof of the regimes atrocities.

Duch fled, disappearing for almost two decades in northwestern Cambodia and converting to Christianity until a chance discovery by a British journalist in 1999 led to his arrest.

Duch has several times asked for forgiveness, even offering at one point to face a public stoning. But his surprise request on the final day of the trial to be acquitted and freed left many wondering if his contrition was sincere.

___

Harmer reported from Bangkok.
San Antonio police officers 'acted appropriately' in the arrest of a black jogger even though they misindentified him as a domestic violence suspect last week, the department's police chief says.

On August 25 a woman called police saying her ex-husband strangled her. He was described as a black man wearing a green shirt who fled on foot.

Two police officers ended up arresting Mathias Ometu, a 33-year-old insurance adjuster for USAA as he was on his afternoon jog in a bright green shirt, but he was the wrong man.

On Tuesday, the San Antonio Police department released body camera footage of the incident showing Ometu refusing to cooperate with officers and share his name.

'Although he fit the description of a domestic violence suspect, Mr. Ometu was doing nothing wrong when he was stopped, and the officers were only doing their jobs when they stopped him,' Chief William McManus said in a statement.

On August 25 San Antonio police arrested Mathias Ometu (left), a 33-year-old insurance adjuster for USAA, as he was on a jog, mistaking him for a black domestic violence suspect. The real suspect was Dennis Anthony Smith Jr, 25, (right) who was eventually arrested on August 28

Chief William McManus said the officers who arrested Ometu 'acted appropriately' and were 'only doing their jobs'

'Both officers wish that things had turned out differently given Mr. Ometu turned out not to be the suspect. Although the police officers were assaulted, they were not injured. As such, they have asked that the charges against Mr. Ometu be dismissed. They also do not want Mr. Ometu to suffer any adverse consequences from the incident,' he added.

McManus said in his statement that Ometu should have cooperated with officers.

'The situation could have been resolved within minutes with any degree of information sharing with the police officers that would have helped them determine Mr. Ometu was not the suspect they were looking for,' he said.

Also on Tuesday Chief William McManus said he and Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales decided to drop the charges against Ometu and expunge the record.

Ometu was charged with two felony counts of assaulting a peace officer and spent two days in the Bexar County Jail following the arrest.

In the August 28 incident Ometu refused to speak with officers, asserting his right not to answer, and insisted he was just working out.

In the bodycam footage officers ask why he won't give them his information.

'Im on a run! Are you serious? Im not giving you my name, Im working out,' Ometu says.

'Because Im working out and youre bothering me. Im being bothered on a (expletive) normal run,' Ometu added.

When an officer explains Ometu matches the description of a domestic violence suspect, Ometu said: 'I dont care what description. I just want to do my damn run.'

'Alright then youre gonna be detained right now for being a suspect of family violence until I figure out who you are,' the arresting officer says, putting Ometu in handcuffs.

Ometu kicked officers when they handcuffed him and attempted to put him into a patrol car, according to the officers.

The woman who reported the assault arrived to the scene and told police Ometu was the wrong man.

The San Antonio Police Department shared bodycam video footage of the incident on August 25 on Tuesday. This is the moment police stop to question Mathias Ometu after they were looking for a black suspect in a green shirt

When an officer explains Ometu matches the description of a domestic violence suspect, Ometu said: 'I dont care what description. I just want to do my damn run'

Ometu kicked officers when they handcuffed him attempted to put him into a patrol car, according to the officers. The charges against Ometu were dropped Tuesday after he spent two days in the Bexar County jail on two felony counts of assaulting a peace officer

Officers still arrested Ometu and later charged him with two counts of felony assault on a police officer for kicking them, one of them in the face.

Dennis Anthony Smith Jr, 25, the true suspect, was arrested on August 28 on an unrelated 2018 robbery warrant.

Ometu's attorney, Adam Kobs, expressed thanks for the decision to not pursue a prosecution, but said that didn't absolve the department.

'The San Antonio Police Department is far from blameless. They falsely accused and unjustly arrested an innocent Black man,' Kobs said.

Cell phone footage taken by a bystander shows Mathias Ometu (center) being forcefully shoved into a police cruiser on August 25 in San Antonio, Texas

The San Antonio Police Department has admitted that Ometu was not the initial suspect and the victim told corroborated that fact

'SAPD's misconduct needs to be investigated and we expect a future inquiry and examination to occur.'

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said dropping the charges was the just thing to do and the arresting officers wanted to drop charges as well.

'It is important to note the officers involved in this case have requested dismissal as well,' Gonzalez said.

'Neither officer wishes to have him incur any future consequences are a result of this incident. This case is one of competing interests. It is the officers duty to investigate and detain a person of interest that may be a suspect in a crime versus a citizens right not to disclose their identification where no arrest has been made.'
MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- At the behest of an unnamed sponsor, $10,000 (USD) will be awarded to one reader of A Plan in Case of Morning by Phill Provance, forthcoming from Australian publisher Vine Leaves Press. The Facebook and Instagram social-media contest will launch the same day as A Plan in Case of Morning, Sept. 29, 2020, and run until midnight on April 16, 2021, when the owner of the post with the greatest number of reactions will receive the prize money.

The sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous, is donating the prize money for the contest out of love for Phill Provance's work under the stipulation that readers are not required to purchase A Plan in Case of Morning to participate and entries from readers who borrow copies from their local libraries or from friends are eligible. Nevertheless, while Vine Leaves Press will certainly publish as many copies of the book as necessary, the company reminds readers that library copies may be scarce and recent postal issues due to COVID-19 have delayed shipments throughout the summer. Consequently, anyone wishing to participate in the contest is encouraged to reserve a copy before the book's launch.

Moreover, the contest's sponsor requires that participation is open to anyone worldwide who can legally receive the prize money via PayPal and that participants are encouraged to solicit reactions to their posts from as many friends, family and neighbors as possible. The only rules, as per the wishes of the anonymous sponsor, are that only one post on either Facebook or Instagram will count as an entry per participant, the posts must be public, and each post must consist of (1) a picture of the post's owner and his/her/their hero, (2) the post owner's favorite quotation from A Plan in Case of Morning, AND (3) the hashtag #APlanInCaseOfMorning. For more information on the contest, participants are encouraged to visit APlanInCaseOfMorning.com.

To learn more about A Plan in Case of Morning, Phill Provance or Vine Leaves Press, please contact publicist Stu Hochron at [email protected] or by calling 732-261-8372.

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Painted nails or getting a manicure have almost always been strictly associated with women, at least in the Indian society. However, a trend that was once considered 'girly', has now transformed into a worldwide rage.



While there are still some people who raise their brows when men put on nail paint, others accept it and are rather inspired. Many iconic stars including David Bowie and Kurt Cobain started the trend. Besides that, notable designer, Marc Jacobs as well nailed the #MalePolish challenge on Instagram.

Beauty is a form of self-expression and isn't determined by gender. These trends are for one and all and hence, here are a few male celebrities who flaunted painted nails, extensions, manicures and broke the stereotype:

1. Jonathan Van Ness

 Instagram/Jonathan Van Ness

Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye is the ambassador for a famous nail paint brand called Essie.



Whether he is on the red carpet or on a talk show, Jonathan has not only levelled up the manicure game but has also broken stereotypes around gender-fluid fashion.

He encourages men all over the world, to not be ashamed of their choices and to be comfortable in what they love to do.

2. Harry Styles

 Instagram/Harry Styles

 Instagram/Harry Styles

Apart from lending us sartorial inspiration, Harry Styles also raised the stakes in the male beauty arena.



Even he has taken unexpected risks and has been spotted flaunting bold manicures that featured eccentric designs or bright hues. If we have to put it simply, he is truly nails goals.

3. Zac Efron

 Instagram/Zac Efron

Is there anything Zac Efron can't make look good? The former Disney Channel star took to Instagram and posted a picture of his painted nail in red, as his support towards ending the violence caused against children.



He was also seen wearing blue nail paint during the 2010 Teen Choice Awards.

4. Rahul Khanna

 Instagram/Rahul Khanna

It's not just Hollywood celebs who are breaking the gender-biased norms, but also our tinsel town stars. Rahul Khanna, for example, took to Instagram and posted a picture with black matte nail paint and quoted 'putting the man in manicure'.



His picture was a small initiative to hop on to the trend and try and normalise it.

5. ASAP Rocky

 Instagram/ASAP Rocky

 Instagram/ASAP Rocky

He is a trendsetter himself and the rapper has been at the vanguard of the male nail polish game. He doesn't stick to conventional styles, rather takes it up a notch by painting his nails in edgy designs, including eyes, flames, American flags etc.



ASAP Ricky is one of the very few men who brought back the trend into the mainstream. Hats off!

6. Bad Bunny

 Instagram/Bad Bunny

For the uninitiated, statement nails are Bad Bunny's signature. The rapper is usually seen bending society's traditional gender rules by wearing nail paints in his music videos.



To erase the toxic standards of masochism, he also goes the extra mile and even gets extensions, usually with striking details. You would have noticed the Puerto Rican star do that at many award functions.

7. Troye Sivan

 Instagram/Troye Sivan

 Instagram/Troye Sivan

What started as an experiment for a show, has turned into a trend for Troye. He is called the nail polish king for a reason, as he is seen sporting painted nails in most of his pictures.



He has taken to his Instagram feed several times flaunting versatile designs, from sparkly nails to a freshly done manicure.

8. Brad Pitt

 Instagram/Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt has experimented with nail varnish several times.



At the Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala, he stole the show with his subtle yet eye-catching manicure. With different patterns and colour put on every nail, Brad's nails coupled well with his swell outfit.
Ontarios post-secondary students are appealing to the provincial government for $1,000 in tuition relief after many lost out on summer jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, along with the Canadian Federation of Students and the College Student Alliance are asking that part-time students also receive a rebate of $500, and that federal pandemic-related emergency benefits for students not be used to calculate provincial student loan amounts.

Across the board, the sentiment remains the same: Students across the province are extremely worried about the financial barriers to access equitable post-secondary education, which has been furthered by the uncertainty of COVID-19, said Mackenzy Metcalfe of the undergraduate alliance, adding that the province also needs to boost OSAP student aid.

The government has provided some funding to post-secondary institutions to help cover the extra costs of COVID-19, and in 2019 cut tuition fees by 10 per cent, and froze them at that level for the 2020-21 school year.

I have heard from students across the province that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified their financial burdens, causing job losses for many of them and their families, and making it that much harder to afford tuition, said NDP Post-Secondary Critic Chris Glover, the MPP for Spadina-Fort York and former York University professor and Toronto school board trustee.

Students are also unhappy about paying full fees for online learning this fall, as most in-person classes are cancelled because of the pandemic, he added.

It is unfair to expect post-secondary students reeling from months of financial hardship and facing a limited campus and in-class learning experience this fall to pay the same hefty tuition fees that were too high to begin with, Glover also said.

Providing a rebate gives students a bit of pandemic relief, he also said.

He also said the government must exempt federal emergency benefit payouts from OSAP calculations, otherwise the federal government is giving money to students and the provincial government is scooping it out from under them.

Polling done by Campaign Research for the Star has shown that the public is onside with tuition relief for students, and a number of online petitions have sprung up asking the same.

In July, about 75 per cent of Ontarians said universities should provide a discount if students are learning online, and just 13 per cent said tuition should remain at current levels.

Campaign Research principal Nick Kouvalis said online learning is not popular among the public and if people think they are not going to get the full experience of being on campus, spending thousands on tuition doesnt seem fair.
Foreigners dancing at the Ganesh procession at Charminar on Tuesday. Picture by P.Surendra

The immersion of idols of Lord Ganesh in the city was peaceful on the 11th day of the festivities. The police are expecting that the immersion of idols may continue till early hours of Wednesday, as some people do not want to immerse the idols citing it as Tuesday, with a religious sentiment.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar along with senior police officials of the city inspected the security arrangements and the idol immersion process in the Hussain Sagar Lake at Tank Bund.

The commissioner said that the idol immersion process marking the conclusion of festivities passed of peacefully with the public cooperation.

The Commissioner along with his subordinates reviewed the immersion procedure through boating in the Lake, and also drove the boat himself wearing a life jacket.

Speaking to DC, Commissioner Anjani Kumar said, "The immersion process of idols Lord Ganesh is being held peacefully. He said that the immersion process may continue on Wednesday as several people did not carry out immersion due to their sentiments, as the 11th day fell on Tuesday."

About 4,800 idols of different sizes were immersed in Hussain Sagar Lake on Tuesday, and a total of about 15,000 were immersed till date since the day of festival.

"No untoward incident took place during the processions and people of the city are extending their cooperation in conducting the event," said the commissioner.

In Cyberabad, about 250 idols of five feet tall were immersed in various tanks and lakes and in Rachakonda, around 600 idols were immersed.
Ahead of Bihar polls, Jitan Ram Manjhi's party says it will join NDA

India

pti-Madhuri Adnal

Patna, Sep 02: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM(S) will join the NDA ahead of the Bihar elections, a party spokesperson said on Wednesday. The official announcement in this regard will be made by Manjhi on Thursday, said spokesperson Danish Rizwan.

The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) will not merge with any party, rather it will be a part of the NDA in the Bihar elections that is due in October-November, he asserted.

To help JEE, NEET exam candidates, railways to run 20 pairs of special trains in Bihar

HAM(S) national president Jitan Ram Manjhi will formally announce the party becoming a part of the NDA in Bihar on September 3, Rizwan said. The number of seats the party will get to contest in the upcoming elections was never an issue for it as the HAM(S) will join the NDA for the states development, he said.

The party is firmly standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for their development works, he added.

Manjhi had on August 20 severed ties with the Grand Alliance after spending two-and-a-half years in the opposition coalition, comprising of RJD, Congress, RLSP and Bollywood set designer-turned-politician Mukesh Sahni's Vikasshil Insaan Party (VIP). The HAM(S) chief had also postponed a meeting scheduled on Wednesday with some non-NDA and non-Grand Alliance parties, including the Jan Adhikar Party of former MP Pappu Yadav, to discuss the strategy for the elections. Manjhi met the chief minister last Thursday and believed to have held talks on seat sharing.

The HAM(S) wants to contest 15-20 seats, mostly in the Magadh region to which Manjhi belongs. But the JD(U) is willing to leave for it 10-12 seats, according to reports. Manjhi is the lone member of his party in the assembly. But, his induction would help the NDA's outreach to Dalits, particularly other than Paswans which is the support base of the LJP.

Clean drinking water to every household in Bihar by 2020: Nitish Kumar

Dalits in Bihar are over 16 per cent of the electorate and about 40 seats in the 243-member house are reserved for them. Manjhi had quit the JD(U) in 2015 after being forced to step down as the chief minister to make way for the return of Kumar.

Later, he formed the HAM(S) and contested 21 seats in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections as an NDA constituent. With the return of Kumar to the NDA in July 2017, he walked out of it to join hands with the opposition grouping.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

The social distancing reminders are everywhere at the Lafayette Township School, from cones in the entrance walkway to markings on hallway floors.
JCPOA Joint Commission meeting convenes as US pushes to kill Iran deal

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 1:23 PM

The remaining signatories to a 2015 Iran nuclear deal have kicked off a meeting in Vienna to discuss ways to keep the accord alive amid the United States' efforts to restore international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The Tuesday meeting is co-chaired by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, European External Action Service Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid along with representatives from the remaining parties to the nuclear deal -- France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and China.

Speaking about the special significance of the meeting, Araqchi said, "The issue of US efforts in New York will definitely be a serious topic in the session of the Joint Commission [to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).]

The Iranian diplomat expressed hope that the participants would hold constructive talks and reach consensus on the continuation of cooperation in the future and make decisions about ways to counter the US attempts aimed at destroying the multilateral nuclear accord.

The United States is trying to invoke the snapback mechanism in the multilateral nuclear agreement despite its withdrawal from the accord in May 2018 in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231 that endorses the JCPOA.

The United States' most prominent Western allies have refused to fall into step with the push, which follows Washington's humiliating defeat in securing an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran at the UNSC last month.

The president of the Security Council on August 25 dismissed attempts by the US to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran, citing a lack of consensus in the 15-member body.

The JCPOA Joint Commission meeting is also being held few days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi traveled to Iran on his first trip since taking up the top post last year.

At the end of the two-day trip by the IAEA chief, Iran and the UN agency issued a joint statement on agreements and the results of high-level talks between the two sides.

"After intensive bilateral consultations, Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement on the resolution of the safeguards implementation issues specified by the IAEA, in good faith. In this regard, Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA and facilitating the IAEA verification activities to resolve these issues," the statement said.

In a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh pointed to the beginning of the Vienna talks and said "important issues" are on the agenda of the meeting.

Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov noted Tuesday on Twitter that "consultations in different formats are already under way."

A spokesman for the European Union said on Friday that the bloc remains committed to implementing the landmark nuclear deal in order to observe international agreements and respect the EU's shared international security.

"The EU remains committed to implementing the JCPOA as a matter of respecting international agreements and of our shared international security," the spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano, said.

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I am a Hong Kong trained doctor and have worked for more than a decade in a number of public hospitals. I was once proud of the citys easily accessible medical services. But Hong Kong has changed. Today, the authorities treat anybody connected to the protests as second class citizens. Consequently, nobody is safe, not even within our public hospitals.

Over the past year, I witnessed and experienced several shocking incidents which reveal the systematic dangers that Hongkongers face. The Hong Kong police force stormed hospitals where protesters are receiving medical treatment to make arrests, irrespective of the medical state of their targets. Police officers warned both myself and my colleagues that we will face serious consequences if we contact the families of injured protesters, as our job usually requires. Armed riot police also cordoned off emergency hospital wards for no apparent reason other than to restrict medical help to the injured.

Ive witnessed male police officers insisting on accessing labour wards to question and intimidate pregnant women. Ive treated arrestees with serious injuries, including fractured bones, hours after the injuries occurred because they had been detained by police and refused medical attention. The injuries of such patients are usually more severe as a consequence and their recovery is more complicated. Sometimes, these patients are left with long-term health implications due to the delay of their medical treatment.

Police fired tear gas bullets less than a hundred yards outside of hospitals I have been working in. This makes our work fraught and more stressful than ever, impacting the treatment patients desperately need.

This sounds like a war zone, and thats exactly what it feels like from within Hong Kongs public hospitals.

These issues are well known to hospital management and government officials. Yet, little has been done. The police force simply deny their acts and harass those who raise concerns. I have been labelled a riot medic for medically attending to injured protesters, complaints have been filed against me and the police have intimidated, attacked and even arrested my colleagues who have volunteered as first aiders at protests.

The police are no longer interested in protecting the people of Hong Kong. Instead, their aim is to silence those who raise the alarm about whats happening here.

Since the National Security Law was imposed in Hong Kong on 1 July 2020, the situation has further deteriorated. The governments Liaison Office has condemned healthcare workers who express their concern about sending Covid-19 medical aid supplied by the mainland to Hong Kong. The consequences for giving medical assistance to protesters could now lead to life imprisonment. Just by penning this article I risk my life, as criticising the government or the police is now strictly prohibited.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the All Party-Parliamentary Group of Hong Kong for undertaking a full international inquiry into human rights abuses perpetrated by the Hong Kong Police Force against medical workers, and for hearing my testimony as a witness. Efforts like this remind us that the world has not forgotten us. Our government has failed to take accusations against the police seriously. This inquiry is a glimmer of justice, something which is quickly disappearing in Hong Kong.

Dr Paula Li is a medical worker in Hong Kong. The author is using a pseudonym to protect her identity.
The restaurant chain operator reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 73.9 crore in Q1 June 2020 as against net profit of Rs 71.6 crore in Q1 June 2019.

Revenue from operations tumbled 59.1% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 388.4 crore during the quarter. EBITDA slumped 88.7% to Rs 24.6 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019. EBITDA margin stood at 6.3% as on 30 June 2020, lower than 23% in Q1 June 2019.

The company reported pre-tax loss of Rs 97.7 crore during the quarter compared with a pre-tax profit of Rs 110.8 crore in the same period last year.

The impact of COVID-19 was felt severely in Q1 FY21. The nationwide lockdown led to a complete closure of stores initially, with dine-in and takeaway remaining closed for most of the quarter. The company leveraged its supply chain network, vendor partnerships and logistics set-up to ensure uninterrupted supply of raw materials to the stores. This allowed us to reopen our stores swiftly for delivery - Domino's was amongst the fastest to reopen restaurants with over 78% of the network resuming operations by June.

Both the delivery and takeaway channels recovered fully by August and delivered a year on year growth, with the delivery channel growing at 110.9% like-for-like (LFL) and takeaway at 161.0% LFL.

Cost-optimization measures like reduction in store operating costs, rent re-negotiation, variabalizing of store manpower cost along with significant cut down of fixed and discretionary expenses helped partially mitigate the adverse impact on profitability.

During the current quarter consequential to COVID-19 pandemic, the company has negotiated several rent concessions and recognized it in statement of profit and loss. Accordingly an amount of Rs 29.66 crore related to rent concessions has been reduced from rent expense included under other expenses. The net rent savings accounted in other expenses is Rs 20.30 crore.

As on 30 June 2020, the company had healthy liquid funds equivalents to Rs 640.1 crore in the form of cash and cash equivalents, bank deposits and investments, JFL said in a statement.

Jubilant had 1,354 Domino's Pizza restaurants across 288 cities as of 30 June 2020. Domino's Pizza same store growth (SSG) contracted 61.4% in Q1 FY21 as against a growth of 4.1% in Q1 FY20. However, online ordering (OLO) to delivery sales percentage was at 99% at end of the June 2020 quarter as against 81% in the corresponding period last year.

Jubilant's Dunkin' Donuts business had 30 restaurants across 10 cities as on 30 June 2020.

Commenting on the performance for Q1FY21, Pratik Pota, CEO and whole time director, Jubilant FoodWorks (JFL), said: "I am proud of the way the entire JFL family rose to the challenge last quarter and delivered a resilient performance. Responding swiftly to the crisis, we were the first to introduce Zero Contact Delivery and amongst the fastest to resume store operations. We worked on a focused cost reduction program and used the crisis to affect structural changes - variabalization of manpower, culling of unprofitable stores and foraying into the FMCG segment with the launch of ChefBoss. Our revenue recovery in July and August was encouraging, and we had returned to growth in the Delivery and Takeaway channels by August. We are excited about the future and confident that we will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before."

Jubilant FoodWorks jumped 4.54% to Rs 2246 on the BSE. It traded in the range of 2102.20 and 2255.05 so far during the day.

Jubilant FoodWorks is a food service company. It has the exclusive rights to develop and operate Domino's Pizza brand in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It has exclusive rights for developing and operating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants for India. The company has entered into the Chinese cuisine segment with its first owned restaurant brand, 'Hong's Kitchen' and has 4 Hong's kitchen restaurants across 2 cities in India (as of 30 June 2020). The firm has forayed into the ready-to-cook segment with a range of sauces, gravies and pastes under the newly launched brand, 'ChefBoss'.

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Back in June, reports emerged of the Chinese government forcibly sterilizing ethnic minority women in Xinjiang. The story, based on a paper by the researcher Adrien Zenz, was picked up by leading international news organizations. But local authorities in Xinjiang are now pushing back against the allegations. CGTN's Liu Jiaxin has more.

Two months ago, a report by German scholar Adrien Zenz claimed Chinese authorities are coercing Uygur women and other ethnic minorities to limit their populations.

In the paper, Zenz accuses China of "demographic genocide", prompting a cross-national group of western lawmakers to call for a United Nations investigation into the claims. But local authorities in Xinjiang describe the research as "nonsense" and question what they view as "biased data."

TURSUNAY ABUDUREYIM Grade One Inspector, Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "As a matter of fact, Xinjiang's Uyghur population has been increasing. The Uygur population is not only growing at a faster rate than the average for Xinjiang, but also higher than that of ethnic minorities and even higher than the Han."

Official government statistics show there was a decline in the birth and natural growth rates for Uyghurs in Xinjiang in 2018, compared to the year before. But, for 2018, the figures show the Uygur population growing by more than 6-percent  nearly double the national average.

Local officials in Xinjiang say Zenz's research ignores this data, describing the forced sterilization claims as "scandalous" and "malicious."

MUTALIP ROZI Director, Health Commission of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "Illegal activities such as forced birth control and forced pregnancy tests are banned in Xinjiang. Whether or not people of all ethnic groups take contraceptives and how they choose to do so are voluntary, and no organization or individual is allowed to interfere."

Officials say the overall decline in Xinjiang's population growth rate reflects global trends, as higher socioeconomic development tends to result in women having fewer children.
Due to the coronavirus, rural areas where migrants come from offer few opportunities. Survey shows that 58.84 per cent want to stay in the cities even if their children do not have access to local schools. In cities, migrants can earn on average US2 compared to S0 in rural areas. The authorities present contradictory data.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Despite the negative effects of the coronavirus on employment, migrant workers want to stay and live in cities.

A study released on Sunday by the Beijing Social Work Development Centre for Facilitators found that migrants workers see no opportunities in the rural areas where they come from and hope for access to better educational and health services in the cities.

According to the Beijing-based institution, more than 63 per cent of respondents say that rural areas do not offer enough job opportunities to survive; during the financial crisis of 2007-2008 the figure was 35.3 per cent.

The pandemic crisis has hit Chinas rural migrant workers, about 290 million, the hardest. They represent about a third of the countrys labour force, and have made a vital contribution to China's economic miracle over the past 30 years. Despite this, they do not have full rights.

Even though they may have lived in cities for years, they are still formally residents of their villages of origin. This means they have limited access to city hospitals, and their children cannot attend local high schools.

The existing household registration system (hukou) denies them access to social benefits since they are determined by official residence, not where people actually live.

Fully 58.84 per cent of survey respondents said they would stay in the city no matter what happens to have access to better education for their children; this is well above the 22 per cent who said so the same in another survey carried out by the same organisation during the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

For the government, the system restricting migrant workers rights is needed to contain welfare costs.

The inability to obtain residency in urban areas, combined with the lack of work and the cut in wages due to the pandemic, have made life in the city increasingly difficult for those who have moved from the countryside. However, this has not yet driven them to "home".

Another important factor is income. Per capita income in rural China has been declining since 2014. Chinas National Bureau of Statistics estimated that in 2018 a migrant could earn just over 3,700 yuan (US$ 542) per month in cities. By comparison, rural incomes averaged 1,023 yuan (US$ 150).

The findings are different from the data reported by state TV (CGTN), which recently said that as the end of July provincial governments had created 13 million jobs for migrants returning from the big cities.

The data cited by the CGTN is also contradicted by the Ministry for Human Resources and Social Security. On 8 August, the latter reported that 178 million migrant workers lived in cities at the end of June, about 97.3 per cent of the level reported for the same period last year.
Gurugram, Sep 2 : A 25-year-old woman working at a city-based five-star hotel has allegedly been molested and manhandled by a guest.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident, which occured at around 8.30 p.m. on Monday, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector-50 police station.

The victim originally hails from Manipur and currently lives in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area. She stated in her police complaint that on Monday night, she was on the guest floor in the hotel when the incident took place.

According to the complainant, she was escorting a guest to the room when suddenly a man from Room No 415 came outside and started troubling the guest and asked him to hand his bag over to him.

"When she tried to stop him, the man allegedly started attacking her and the guest and slapped them. Later, the man told both of them to kneel down and kiss his feet. The man also told her to lie down and remove his shoe and asked the other guest to lick his feet. When she objected, he put a knife on her neck and threatened her with dire consequence," the victim stated in his police complaint, the police said.

The victim further told the police that the man later pushed her against the wall and tried to molest her. When she raised an alarm, the security came inside but the man managed to run away from the spot, she alleged in his police compliant.

"We have registered a case and the accused has also been identified as Khanna. We are also scanning the CCTV footage and checking the hotel records to collect more information about the accused. Further probe into the matter is underway," said Surender Singh, SHO of Sector-50 police station.
Many relatives who experience severe long-term grief reactions after bereavement have more frequent contact with their general practitioner already prior to bereavement, as well as a higher consumption of antidepressants and sedatives than those who have fewer critical symptoms of grief over time. This suggests that it may be possible to prevent this by catching this group earlier. This is shown by a new research result from Aarhus University.

Each year, 55,000 die in Denmark, many of them following the course of a disease. The majority of these bereavements have an effect on several close relatives. A research project from Aarhus University has now examined both the consumption of medicine and contact to general practitioners (GP) among this group of relatives.

Mette Kjrgaard Nielsen from the Department of Public Health is behind the study.

We can see that there's a group of relatives who have increased contact with their own GP before the bereavement. Measured by symptoms of grief, such as intense longing and yearning, preoccupation with the loss and a lack of acceptance, these are the ones who find the situation hardest to deal with. This group also has a higher consumption of medicine. This means that during the course of the patient's illness, we already have contact to a group of relatives who appear to be severely psychologically affected." Mette Kjrgaard Nielsen, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University

Relatives should be traced earlier

The results have just been published in the British Journal of General Practice.

Relatives' grief symptoms were measured before the patient's death, and then six months and three years after the bereavement. In total, 1447 relatives, which is 83 per cent of all those involved in the study, contacted their GP. Among relatives with a constant high level of grief symptoms, even more (92 per cent) had contact with general practice, and this group had a higher consumption of antidepressants and sedatives than the relatives with a constant low level of grief symptoms.

This means that healthcare professionals have contact to - and thus the opportunity to identify - relatives who have a need for support already early in the process.

"It's relevant to follow up on the role of general practice in the case of relatives with a high level of grief symptoms or other psychological strain. There is a need for new studies to show how a preventive effort can be best used to help these relatives," says Mette Kjrgaard Nielsen.

Background for the results

The study is a population-based cohort study of relatives in Denmark. A total of 1735 relatives of patients with a terminal illness have replied to the questionnaire. All of the patients received drug reimbursement terminal subsidy due to the incurable nature of their disease and an expected short life expectancy. The relatives replied to the questionnaire while the terminal subsidy was being received, and then six months and three years after the death of the patient.
R eadily available steroids costing around 5 a dose have been found to reduce the risk of death in critically ill coronavirus patients, according to a new study.

An international team of researchers analysed seven Covid-19 trials involving three different types of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

The study, which was co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and analysed by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the University of Bristol, looked at patient mortality over a 28-day period after treatment.

It found that treatment with one of three types of corticosteroid led to an estimated 20 per cent reduction in the risk of death.

According to the scientists, it was equivalent to about 68 per cent of critically ill patients surviving after treatment with the steroids, compared to approximately 60 per cent surviving without them.

The results of the study, which involved the drugs dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday.

Scientists welcomed the accessibility of the steroids. Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, who leads on the Recovery trial, said treating 12 people with dexamethasone costs around 60.

What is dexamethasone, how does it work and when will it be used?

These drugs have been around for decades, they are the sort of drugs that every medical student learns almost as soon as they open a clinical pharmacology text book," said Professor Landray.

He said dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, which can be taken orally or intravenously, were widely available, cheap, well understood drugs.

But he warned that the impressive results are not sufficient to lead to a complete resumption  of life as we knew it.

He said that social distancing and wearing face masks remain as important as ever.

Jonathan Sterne, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Bristol, said: Steroids are a cheap and readily available medication, and our analysis has confirmed that they are effective in reducing deaths amongst the people most severely affected by Covid-19.

Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures 1 /9 Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures Coronavirus infecting a cell EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA The SARS-COV-2 virus begin the infection process of cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA Tthe SARS-COV-2 virus particles after infection and viral replication inside the cell (white circle in the left corner) EPA A series of dark spots, which are viral particles of the SARS-COV-2 virus, trying to infect the cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA An arrow pointing to a novel coronavirus particle attached to cell membranes, displaying its typical glycoprotein spike 'corona' on the viral surface (issued 02 April 2020), seen in an electron microscope image, the first black and white portrait of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (purple) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA

The results were consistent across the trials and show benefit regardless of age or sex.

He explained that the findings pointed to eight fewer deaths for every a hundred critically ill patients assigned to corticosteroids.

The seven control trials recruited 1,703 critically ill coronavirus patients from 12 countries from February to June and the study included patients who were taking part in the Oxford University-based Recovery trial, which used the drug dexamethasone.

Patients were randomised to either receive one of the three drugs or a placebo. Researchers said the mortality results were consistent across the seven trials, with dexamethasone and hydrocortisone giving similar effects.

Countries are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine (file photo) / via REUTERS

But there were too few patients involved in tests of methylprednisolone to enable researchers to estimate its impact with precision.

The study found that the steroids benefited patients regardless of whether they were on a ventilator.

But researchers said it appeared to have a greater effect on those who did not require medication to support their blood pressure.

The Recovery trial, which used dexamethasone, found the drug reduced deaths by up to a third among patients on ventilators, and by a fifth for those on oxygen.

Scientists from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Spain, the UK and the USA were involved in the study.

A scientist at work in the manufacturing laboratory where a vaccine against Covid-19 is being produced at the Oxford Vaccine Group's facility at the Churchill Hospital / Getty Images

Anthony Gordon, professor of anaesthesia and critical care, NIHR Research Professor, Imperial College London, who led one of the individual trials said the findings were not a cure.

The real advantage is that we understand now it is a class effect of the steroid, that there is more than one choice. This means that there should be better world supply, there shouldnt be any shortages, he said.

Prof Gordon, an intensive care consultant, said hydrocortisone could be used straight away, with it being available in intensive care units in the UK.

But Prof Landray said data showed hydrocortisone was not effective in patients with milder cases of disease.

Coronavirus vaccine hope as ministers fast-track mass rollout plan

He said: This is not a treatment for prevention, this is not a treatment for early out patients, general practice type cases, this is a treatment for people who are sick.

This is a treatment for people who are in hospital who need oxygen, whove got complications from Covid.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: One of the distinctive benefits of having our NHS is that weve been able to mobilise quickly and at scale to help researchers test and develop proven coronavirus treatments.

Just as we did with dexamethasone, the NHS will now take immediate action to ensure that patients who could benefit from treatment with hydrocortisone do so, adding a further weapon in the armoury in the worldwide fight against Covid-19.

Updated WHO guidance is due to be published on its website on Wednesday, Prof Sterne said.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer, hailed the work of UK researchers and trial participants.

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He said: It is impressive to see so many UK participants willing to take part in studies, and able to volunteer due to the rapid recruitment response of the NIHRs Clinical Research Network.

Research such as this will make the difference in controlling this virus.

Additional reporting by PA Media.
US President Donald Trump on September 1 pushed for action on the sale of TikTok shares to the United States operations and asked for "any piece of shares" for the US Treasury despite no authority. Trump had earlier issued executive orders to not only ban China-owned app that he links with cybersecurity risks but had also given a deadline to Americans to halt business with the company, effective this month. They had until September 15 to make a deal, after that, we close it up in this country, Trump was reported saying while addressing reporters outside the White House. At a recent press address, Trump declared a provision, saying, a substantial portion of the likely TikTok-Microsoft deal must be dedicated to American acquisition.

While critics have called Trumps legal action against TikTok as unconstitutional and as likely extortion with a political motive, Trump made clear that the United States had to be compensated. Insisting that the US government get a cut of the deal, Trump said that because his administration was making the deal possible, therefore, it is entitled to have a compensation, while speaking at a White House presser. Clearly, the US president demanded any bit of portion from the offering, but with well compensated, indicated a larger share.

In a separate statement, the TikTok video app owners said that the company, moving further, would strictly abide by new export guidelines in China that will make the complex sale of business portion viable as directed by President Donald Trump. According to Chinas state-run media reports, Xi Jinping approved a new set of rules published by China's commerce ministry last week that added the "civilian use clause to technological firms and products restricted for export abroad. New regulations, would be the first since China's export bans and restrictions on technological goods in 2008 that had made it a challenge for ByteDance to sell its US operations to Microsoft or any other US firm under Trumps executive orders.

"The [Trump] administration ignored our extensive efforts to address its concerns, which we conducted fully and in good faith, Tiktok said in a press release. TikTok accused Donald Trump of furthering the anti-China political campaign. It said that the US governments actions were not based on solid evidence and facts and were standing on "hearsay" suspicions.

Read: Top Democrat Condemns Donald Trump's Remarks Over Potential TikTok Acquisition

Read: TikTok To Fight Trump Over His Pending Order To Ban Its App

Whats the big deal about TikTok?



Let me assure you the security concerns surrounding TikTok are real and not lighthearted in the least. pic.twitter.com/XxFYyerknt  Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) September 1, 2020

TikToks CEO steps down

Only last week, TikToks CEO Kevin Mayer quit the company in the aftermath of filing a lawsuit against the Trump administrations crackdown on TikTok. The firm indulged in a legal battle as it sued the US President Trump post detailed scrutiny conducted by lawmakers over national security concerns. In a separate lawsuit, the Trump administration was dragged into court by the TikTok employee who argued that the ban threatens the livelihood of those employed with TikTok. Video app company filed a lawsuit at the federal court against the Commerce Department, President Donald Trump, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that questioned the Presidents impermissibly banning" of the app and sought to overturn his executive order.

In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for," TikTok Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mayer was quoted by AP as saying. "Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company," he added.

Read: Trump Offers $42 Million To Support Public Safety And Law Enforcement In Wisconsin

Read: Trump Wades Into Racial Tensions In Kenosha
02.09.2020 LISTEN

A former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission, Toni Aubynn, has asked government to consider the concerns of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the Agyapa Royalties agreement.

Mr Aubynn said the CSOs might have genuine concerns about the deal worth considering by the government.

It is not good when something that is purported to be good for the nation is being kicked against by the biggest opposition in this country and a lot of these credible NGOs  CDD, IMANI, Coalition of NGOs on mining  there must be something awkward about it.

The gold royalties is something that Ghanaians really cherish because it is not a private company. Therefore when they are raising issues, I think that it is a great idea for the government to sit back and listen and try and address some of these concerns, he said on Eyewitness News.

Civil society groups continue to mount pressure for the suspension of the operationalisation of the Agyapa Royalties agreement.

Some of these groups have already initiated an online petition to galvanize public support against the implementation of the deal.

This is despite an attempt by the Finance Ministry to put all related matters to rest.

Mr Aubynn suggested that the government could consider withdrawing and re-engineering the deal if concerns raised by the groups are legitimate.

If I were the government, I would just withdraw this and re-engineer it. Give it more transparency and involve two parties in Parliament so that it becomes acceptable by all.

He said although the deal was a good move, issues such as the approach for implementation should be examined.

In principle, the idea that you will try and make more for Ghana by using the Minerals Royalties Resources is not a bad idea. The question is the approach, the transparency, the structure.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also demanded an independent probe of the valuations of royalty rights in the Agyapa Royalties deal.

At a press conference on Tuesday, September 1, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said a future National Democratic Congress government will not honour the terms of the Agyapa deal if the doubts of the Minority are not cleared.

---citinewsroom
RALEIGH, N.C.: Joe Biden may have one of his best chances for a Southern victory in North Carolina, where he stands to benefit from a mild-mannered Democratic governor praised for his balanced approach to controlling the coronavirus.

Four years after he narrowly won the politically divided state carried by then-candidate Donald Trump, Gov. Roy Cooper has a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, in a July poll. Coopers reelection path offers clues to what will work for Southern Democrats in an election cycle that also will determine control of the White House and Congress.

On the surface, the strategies used in the Cooper-Forest contest one of the few closely watched 2020 gubernatorial races appear to mirror those of Biden and President Trump.

While other Southern governors followed Trumps lead, shunning mask mandates, Cooper ordered that face coverings be worn in public but he put the onus on businesses to enforce it and refrained from ticketing individual offenders.

He also took a balanced approach to shutdowns, closing bars and gyms while allowing all businesses in which customers could social distance to open at a reduced capacity. Unlike other Democratic governors, he placed few restrictions on construction and supported in-person school instruction.

Halbert Carmichael, 82, partly credits Cooper for the fact that his Raleigh retirement community, with about 150 residents, has only had a few positive cases. Nursing homes and residential care facilities account for half of the states coronavirus deaths.

I feel like Governor Coopers done a fairly good job, and I have absolutely no faith in the Republicans, Carmichael said.

Still, some want Cooper to go further in enforcing public health directives. While law enforcement agencies have been reluctant to punish businesses and individuals defying public health orders, the governor said in an interview that a lot of enforcement actions happen outside of public view, and enforcement is going as well as it can.

Coopers handling of the coronavirus could be behind his lead over Forest in the polls, said Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College.

We can see other governors of both parties who have been much more responsive and proactive have higher job approval ratings, and I think thats probably the deciding factor that puts Cooper at such an advantage at this point, Bitzer said.

A NBC News/Marist poll of 882 registered North Carolina voters conducted between July 14 and July 22 found Cooper leading Forest by 20 percentage points. The poll, which used live interviewers to call people on landline and mobile numbers, reported a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Cooper has tried to strike a balance in areas outside the pandemic: Early in his four-year term, he launched an unsuccessful bid in court to expand Medicaid an issue dear to Democrats but he also agreed to only a partial repeal of the states bathroom bill, which required students to use restrooms corresponding to their biological sex. That compromise appeased Republicans who supported the bill. In June, amid nationwide protests against racial injustice, the governor removed Confederate statues from the old Capitol grounds and formed a task force against racism.

Forest, meanwhile, has garnered attention with an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging Coopers authority to issue COVID-19-related executive orders without approval from a 10-member state body. Forest withdrew the challenge this month after a judge rejected his demand to block Cooper from shuttering businesses.

Mirroring the dynamic of other races during the pandemic, Cooper, the Democrat, has decided to remain off the physical campaign trail, while Forest, the Republican, routinely holds large gatherings where masks are not worn and social distancing is not practiced.

Despite his concerns for public safety, Cooper said he had no plans to stymie Forests campaign activities.

Youd have the same people who would complain if we had law enforcement go in and arrest people that we were violating their First Amendment rights, Cooper said.

Forest, who declined an interview request, likes to remind folks that Cooper had a mask dangling from his ear when he walked among racial justice advocates outside the governors mansion.

Forests candidacy centers on a push to reopen the state. In a statement, he said hed provide more information through the states online COVID dashboard, which he says hed use to replace the current culture of fear with clear goals and a path forward.

As governor, I will not pick winners and losers in the economy with poll-driven restrictions, Forest said.

Charles Parker, a 49-year-old carpenter in Raleigh, said he voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 after anti-Trump pressure from peers. Though he only knows Forest because of the lawsuit, Parker plans to support him and other top Republicans.

Im most interested in seeing law and order restored and an end to the corruption, Parker said.

But Forest is at a distinct disadvantage. In addition to being the lesser known candidate, he faces an onslaught of attack ads from Cooper and is far behind in fundraising. His campaign entered July with less than $2 million in cash, compared to Coopers $14 million.

Still, Republican groups havent given up on Forest.

We dont comment on strategy, but I can tell you that we view this race as an exciting opportunity to pick up a seat, Republican Governors Association spokeswoman Amelia Chass Alcivar said in a statement.

___

Follow Anderson at https://twitter.com/BryanRAnderson

___

Anderson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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
President Donald Trump highlighted American strength during a VJ speech in North Carolina, and managed to squeeze in a swipe at Democratic rival Joe Biden.

President Trump stood before a World War II-era battleship to declare the port city of Wilmington a World War II Heritage City.

As storm clouds gathered, he pointed to a bolt of lightning and said it was God saluting the event.

He honoured war veterans, including 97-year-old Hershel Woody Williams, the sole surviving Marine from the war to receive the Medal of Honour.

The West Virginia native fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific.

Hes 100% sharp, President Trump said of Mr Williams, who travelled to the key battleground state with the president aboard Air Force One.

I know a 78-year-old whos not so sharp, President Trump added, a clear allusion to Mr Biden.

Expand Close President Donald Trump designates Wilmington as the first American World War II Heritage City (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp President Donald Trump designates Wilmington as the first American World War II Heritage City (Evan Vucci/AP)

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had insisted earlier this week that there was no political purpose to President Trumps visit to North Carolina.

But when the president landed in Wilmington, he lost no time in criticising Mr Biden.

This is the most important election in the history of our country. I really believe that, because were running against people that have got some big issues, he told supporters on the airport tarmac.

They have got some big, big problems. Theyre stone cold crazy.

President Trump won North Carolina by 3.6 percentage points in 2016, but polls are showing an extremely close race taking shape in a state that generates 15 electoral votes for its winner.

The presidents visit to North Carolina comes as county boards start sending absentee ballots to voters on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence will follow the president by visiting Raleigh on Thursday.

Through September 1, more than 591,000 ballot requests had been received, compared with approximately 36,500 through the same period in 2016, the state elections board said on Wednesday.

More than half of the absentee ballots, or approximately 313,000, have been requested by Democrats. Republicans have requested more than 93,000 and registered unaffiliated voters account for approximately 183,000 ballot requests.

Mr Biden released a statement in advance of the trip saying that President Trump has not provided North Carolina with the road-map and resources needed to protect businesses, schools and families from coronavirus.

Instead of honouring the sacrifice of our front-line heroes, President Trump has repeatedly ignored public health guidance for political purposes, Mr Biden said.

Wilmington has been home to the Battleship North Carolina since 1962. The ship is now a floating museum. On September 2, 1945, Japans formal surrender took place aboard the USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.
Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday accused ruling party officials of plotting to assassinate him ahead of general elections next year.

Hichilema, 58, leads the southern African country's main opposition United Party for National Development.

Known as "HH", Hichilema grew concerned for his safety this week after local media reports that he had a hand in the privatisation of state companies in which he then bought shares.

Government officials on Tuesday accused him of "corrupt practices" and vowed to investigate the matter.

Hichilema has denied any wrongdoing and said ruling party officials would use the allegations as an excuse to "eliminate" competition.

"They are dead scared of our growing popularity and they don't want HH nearer and so they are planning to kill me," Hichilema told AFP by telephone on Wednesday.

"These people are scared of me and they plan to kill me once they fake my arrest, but I am not scared to die," he added. "I am prepared to pay a sacrifice in defence of public interest."

Government spokeswoman Dora Siliya was not immediately available for comment on Hichilema's concerns.

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu -- who took office after the sudden death of his predecessor in 2014 -- has been accused of cracking down on dissent to consolidate power ahead of the August 2021 vote.

Hichilema lost to Lungu in 2016 elections and rejected the result.

He was jailed for four months the following year for allegedly refusing to give way to a presidential motorcade.

Tensions flared again in 2018, when Lungu successfully asked the constitutional court to allow him to run again.

The opposition claim this breaches the two-term constitutional limit, as Lungu will in effect have served three times if re-elected in 2021.

Zambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991, which ousted the country's long-running post-independence leader Kenneth Kaunda.

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Entergy has partnered with the Jack Brooks Regional Airport to create a tent city on part of the airports property that will provide sleeping quarters for as many as 1,000 workers still on the job of returning power to the area after Hurricane Laura.

Alex Rupp, airport manager, said the utility approached the airport with a need for space as the masses of temporary line workers continue to repair systems through the area.

We gave them an area thats about 6 to 10 to 12 acres that wont interfere with airport activity, Rupp said.

Rupp said the airport served in a similar role for the Environmental Protection Agency and its mobile monitoring crews during Tropical Storm Harvey, but there hadnt been a staging area of this size before.

The parking lot and grassy area reserved for Entergy crews will be filled with utility trucks, tents, portable showers, dining areas and the other necessities linemen will need for the days ahead.

Entergy said as many as 4,000 workers were on the ground as of Tuesday morning, but that number is expected to drop off as workers specializing in clearing vegetation finish their work.

Allie Payne, a spokesperson with Entergy Texas, said the utility had to find another solution for housing crews due to the sheer number of linemen called into the area and issues with finding lodging elsewhere.

When a storm hits, the affected area cant always accommodate an influx of thousands of restoration workers, Payne said in an email to the Enterprise. To support this vast number of workers, Entergy sets up base camps, known as staging sites.

Entergy has previously reported the difficulty of finding enough hotel rooms for crews while observing guidelines for COVID-19.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that the meeting of the Joint Commission of Iran and five international mediators (Russia, China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom) in Vienna rejected Washingtons initiative to reinstate sanctions against Tehran.



"We are witnessing an important process of consolidation of parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) against this American venture. We are certain that the results of todays event will help our colleagues in New York continue their work in the right direction," TASS cited him as saying.



Ryabkov also emphasized that all the meeting participants again backed preserving the deal. According to him, they took stock of the JCPOAs current implementation and discussed steps to boost chances of saving it.



Moreover, the deputy minister pointed out lack of legal grounds behind U.S. attempts to reinstate sanctions against Iran and impose its "skewed and unilateral interpretation of the situation" on the world, disregarding any arguments.

"We are certain that if the international community and the UN Security Council members will continue to stick to principled positions on this issue, which is what we are working on, then the situation will emerge when the U.S. will be alone in the UN Security Council with this paradoxical point of view. At least, such a unique development seems rather likely. Therefore, the U.S. can end up losing a lot if it does not review its unfounded position and does not take obvious things into account," the senior diplomat underlined.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The volume of cargo transshipment from Azerbaijan via the ports of Turkey made up 16,374 tons in the first seven months of 2020, Turkeys Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure told Trend on Sept. 2.

According to the ministry, over the reporting period, the shipment of goods from Azerbaijan by ships flying the Azerbaijani flag via Turkeys ports made up 3,704 tons, and by ships flying the flags of other countries  12,670 tons.

Meanwhile, no cargo was transited from Azerbaijan via the Turkish ports, the ministry said.

The volume of cargo transshipment through the ports of Turkey amounted to 209.8 million tons from January through July 2020.

Over the mentioned period, ships flying the Turkish flag shipped over 16.9 million tons of goods.

In the first seven months of this year, the volume of cargo movement via Turkish ports by ships flying their countries' flags made up 8 million tons, while by ships flying the flags of other countries  184.8 million tons, the ministry said.

During this period, more than 41.8 million tons of cargo were handled in transit through the ports of Turkey.

In July 2020, the volume of cargo shipment through the Turkish ports amounted to 30.2 million tons. In this month, ships flying the Turkish flag transported over 2.6 million tons of cargo.

Cargo transshipment via the ports of Turkey by ships flying their countries flags amounted to 1 million tons, and by ships flying the flags of other countries  26.5 million tons.

Over 5.6 million tons of goods were transshipped in transit through the Turkish ports in July 2020.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Nvidia revealed its long-awaited GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards on Tuesday, and frankly, they look ferocious. The company claims these GPUs represent Nvidias greatest generational leap ever, and on paper, the GeForce RTX 3070, GeForce RTX 3080, and GeForce RTX 3090 certainly look to live up to those claims.

Our GeForce RTX 30-series announcement coverage and RTX 30-series vs. RTX 20-series spec comparison wade deep into the sort of nitty-gritty details that nerds love. But if youre a gamer who just wants a high-level tl;dr view of what matters with these graphics cards, read on.

Here are five things you need to know about Nvidias cutting-edge GeForce RTX 30-series.

1. They should be smoking-fast

One of the biggest digs against the older GeForce RTX 20-series was that those GPUs didnt provide enough performance uplift versus their predecessors. Nvidia listened. The company claims the $500 GeForce RTX 3070 will be faster than the former $1,200 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti flagship, and the $700 GeForce RTX 3080 will churn out frames at a much higher clip. As for the monstrous $1,400 GeForce RTX 3090, well, Nvidia didnt get into many hard performance details other than to say it will be the first graphics card capable of playing games at 8K resolution. Holy moley.

Check out these Nvidia-supplied performance charts:

Nvidia An Nvidia-supplied comparison of how the GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs compare against the RTX 20-series in a variety of games.

Nvidia

Nvidia

And yes, the GeForce RTX 30-series should absolutely scream in games with RTX features like ray tracing and DLSS enabled. Nvidia says the revamped RT and tensor cores inside these Ampere-architecture GPUs will be 1.7X and 2.7X faster than their predecessors, respectively.

Of course, you want to wait for independent testing to verify Nvidias lofty claims, but nevertheless: Giddy up.

2. The memory can make your games faster

The GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 pack cutting-edge GDDR6X memory, which promises to move data twice as fast as the GDDR6 memory found in the GeForce RTX 20-series. The 3090 comes packed with a whopping 24GB of it. Thats impressively ludicrous, but some new Nvidia technology aims to put that memory and the GeForce RTX 30-series PCIe 4.0 support to even better use: improving your game-loading times.

Nvidia

CEO Jensen Huang didnt go into much detail, but Nvidias RTX IO technology puts the speed of PCIe 4.0 storage to more efficient use, sending some loading and texture data over the PCIe 4.0 connection of the GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs to tap into their blazing-fast onboard memoryrather than routing all that information through the CPU first, where things could get bogged down. Games could load virtually instantaneously, Huang teased. Nvidia claims the technology offers 100X greater throughput with 20X lower CPU utilization than traditional methods.

Many questions remainincluding whether itll just work, or if game developers will need to actively support itbut its reassuring to hear that RTX IO is built upon Microsofts DirectStorage API for Windows. You know how Microsoft and Sony keep talking up how fast the storage is in their next-gen consoles? DirectStorage underpins the speedy Velocity Architecture storage system in the Xbox Series X, too.

3. New cooler, new 12-pin, new power supply?

Generating all these frames isnt free. The GeForce RTX 3080 draws 320W of powereven more than the previous-gen GeForce RTX 2080 Ti flagship, which sucked down 260W. And that beastly GeForce RTX 3090 is even hungrier, gobbling down 350W. Oof. You might need a new power supply to handle these graphics cards, though Nvidia says a 750W PSU should work just fine. Maybe dont pair it with an overclocked Core i9-10900K, though.

Nvidia How the new cooler works.

Nvidia needed to re-engineer its entire design to make this work. The GeForce RTX 3080 and 3090 use a tiny new 12-pin connector that combines the power of dual 8-pin connectors into a single slot, so that theyll fit on a new ultra-compact PCB inside the cards, which was needed to create a new cooling system with independent push/pull fans that tap your systems rear case fans for additional thermal help. Phew.

Even with all that, Nvidias Founders Edition cards come rated for 93-degree Celsius operating temperatures, higher than the 89-degree maximum set by the older RTX 20-series GPUs. All that said, Huang said the new cooler on the GeForce RTX 3080 operates a full 30 degrees cooler than the prior-gen RTX Titan. Good stuff.

4. Adios, SLI

Multi-GPU configurations havent really been compelling (or very operational) for several graphics card generations now, thanks to a mixture of increasingly powerful GPUs and increasingly wonky game engine support. The GeForce GTX 10-series reduced SLI support to two graphics cards, down from four prior. The GeForce RTX 30-series all but eliminates it.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090: The more you buy, the more SLI you save.

The $1,500 GeForce RTX 3090 BFGPU is the only card with an NVLink connector for SLI. Even the GeForce RTX 3080 that Nvidia called the 30-series flagship lacks it. Its no big loss to most people, especially since these GPUs look ready to absolutely chew through frames at 1440p and 4K resolutions, but pour one out, price-is-no-object monster rig enthusiastsunless you want to dump $3,000 into a twin 3090 rig for even better 8K gaming performance on a monster TV.

5. More than just hardware

Nvidias supporting the GeForce RTX 30-series launch with more than just the cards themselves.

Nvidia

While the RTX 20-series infamously launched without any ray traced games in tow, Nvidias RTX push for ray traced and DLSS games has been gaining steam for two years now. The company landed a titan for this release: Fortnite is getting ray-traced shadows and DLSS. With Minecraft rolling out ray tracing and DLSS earlier this year to glorious effect, the two most popular PC games in the world are firmly onboard the RTX bandwagon now.

Thats not all. Nvidias rolling out two new pieces of software to help you put the power of these new GPUs to greater use.

Nvidia Reflex is a revolutionary suite of GPU, G-SYNC display, and software technologies that measure and reduce system latency in competitive games. Well need to test it ourselves before drinking the Kool-Aid, of course, but Nvidia claims it can reduce click-to-display latency by up to 33 percent, or even a whopping 50 percent, which could give you a substantial edge over the competition in esports games where every millisecond matters.

Call of Duty Warzone, Valorant, Fortnite, and Destiny 2 will be among the first games to support Nvidia Reflex when it launches this month. Itll also be coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Apex: Legends.

Nvidia

Finally, if youre into streaming, youll want to check out the Nvidia Broadcast suite also rolling out this month. It taps into the AI tensor cores inside RTX GPUs to add some professional polish to your streams. The suite includes the magical RTX Video noise-cancellation feature, along with adjustable background blur, greenscreen-style background replacement, and automatic head-tracking effects for your video feed. They looked pretty darn impressive in the demo.

Looking for even more info? Check out our GeForce RTX 30-series announcement coverage and RTX 30-series vs. RTX 20-series spec comparison to wade deep into talk about transistor process nodes, HDMI 2.1 support, and more.
PVH Corp. is expecting more revenue declines in its wholesale business as the coronavirus pandemic pushes more retailers to seek bankruptcy protection.

The Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein parent announced today that its wholesale revenues declined 40% due to the temporary closures of the majority of its partners stores around the world during the first month of the second quarter. The shutdowns, it said, subsequently led to a sharp reduction in shipments and is likely to continue for the rest of 2020.

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Many traditional wholesale partners are planning their store-based businesses conservatively for the balance of this year, which will result in a reduction in shipments to these customers, chairman and CEO Emanuel Chirico said in a statement. The company expects the revenue decline in its North America wholesale business will be significantly more pronounced than in Europe and Asia due in part to recent bankruptcies.

However, PVH reported that its online channels  which grew 87% in the three-month period  exhibited strength across the companys traditional and pure-play wholesale customers. It added that this trend has continued into the third quarter to date, with all of its wholesale accounts buying inventory to accommodate their strong digital trends.

During the second quarter, the New York-based retail group reported adjusted earnings per share of 13 cents, much less than the prior years adjusted earnings per share of $2.10 but well above analysts estimates of a loss of $2.42. Revenues decreased 33% to $1.58 billion but still bested market watchers estimates of $1.25 billion.

Although direct-to-consumer sales fell 24% in Q2, PVH said that DTC trends have improved in the third quarter to date, with sales running down 15% compared to the prior year period.

Story continues

Our second-quarter revenue exceeded our expectations, reflecting better than expected performance in all our markets and channels, Chirico said. We continue to see outperformance in our digital businesses and across our comfort and casual assortments.

He added, As we head into the third quarter, trends in China and Europe continue to be very encouraging. However, our North America business continues to experience pressure due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the lack of international tourist traffic coming to the U.S.

At the end of the quarter, PVH had about $1.4 billion of cash on hand and roughly $1.3 billion of available borrowings under its revolving credit facilities.

As we continued to navigate the pandemic during the second quarter, we took immediate actions to address changes in our business needs by right-sizing our costs, driving our digital businesses, managing our inventories and raising additional capital to further support our already-solid financial position, Chirico added. We are confident that these focus areas  improving our products and assortments, strengthening our distribution, especially in our digital channel, and capturing cost efficiencies  will best position us to gain market share globally and win with our consumers.
LUDLOW  With Tuesdays primary behind them, two School Committee members will face off Nov. 3 for the 7th Hampden state representative seat left vacant by longtime Rep. Thomas Petrolati.

Facing no opposition in their respective party primaries, Republican James Chip Harrington and Democrat Jake Oliveira coasted to victory Tuesday and were declared winners by the Associated Press. The two Ludlow natives have served side-by-side for three terms on the towns school board.

Oliveira, 34, has served on the local board for that many terms. Harrington, 52, has served for five and sat on the Ludlow Board of Selectmen before that. Harrington twice unsuccessfully challenged state Sen. Eric Lesser for that seat  once as a Democrat and a second time as a Republican.

The 7th Hampden District encompasses Ludlow, Belchertown and slivers of Chicopee and Springfield.

If elected, Harrington has said management and recovery from this pandemic will be the most important issue for the next several months and year.

" So many small to medium locally owned businesses have been devastated by the pandemic, Harrington said. It is imperative that both our state and federal government continue to provide a financial lifeline so that these business owners can keep their doors open and adjust to the new normal.

His opponent has also cited managing this public health crisis and transitioning to safely re-open our economy as a priority.

As a legislator I will work to rebuild and modernize our economy to retain and attract young people to Western Massachusetts, Oliveira told The Republican prior the primary vote. My focus will be to modernize our economy with new ideas so it works for all, particularly for the residents of Western Massachusetts. I will embrace policies that encourage telecommuting. Moving in this direction will allow Western Mass to attract more young people because of our lower cost of living.

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Massachusetts primary election returns
AMHERST  University of Massachusetts-Amherst and town officials will convene an online community forum Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss their joint effort to mitigate spread of COVID-19 in the region, both parties said in an announcement for this event.

The officials are inviting members of the public to ask questions.

Topics include testing regimens in place for the disease, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine protocols, public health messaging, including to students, and the UMass Amherst Community Agreement.

An ad-hoc committee called Town-Gown Fall Reopening Group organized the public forum.

The university says a live stream of it can be accessed via https://livestream.com/umassamherst/community-members

Panelists for town include:

Amherst Police Chief Chief Scott Livingstone;

Fire Chief Tim Nelson;

Town Manager Paul Bockelman;

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek;

Town Council President Lynn Griesemer;

Acting Public Health Director Jennifer Brown;

William Laramee, Neighborhood Liaison Officer, Amherst Police Department;

Jon Thompson, Sr. Code Enforcement Officer/Building Inspector, Town of Amherst

Panelists for UMass-Amherst include:

Ann Becker, Public Health Director

Nancy Buffone, Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations

Patricia Cardoso-Erase, Associate Dean of Students for Conduct and Compliance

John Kennedy, Vice Chancellor for University Relations

Steve Goodwin, Deputy Chancellor

Brandi Hephner LaBanc, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life

Jeffrey Hescock, Executive Director, Environmental Health & Safety and Emergency Management

Sally Linowski, Associate Dean of Students, Off Campus Student Life and Community Engagement

Tony Maroulis, Executive Director, External Relations and University Events, UMass Management

The Sept. 3 forum starts at 5:30 p.m.

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates  In less than 24 hours on the ground, Israels first-of-its-kind delegation to the United Arab Emirates received a warm welcome that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Dozens of Israeli officials and their accompanying traveling press corps got a dizzying taste of Abu Dhabis glamorous hotels, historic landmarks and scorching climate. The Emirati charm offensive was on full display as the hosts literally pulled out the red carpet at the airport as they sought to convey a new spirit of friendship following the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries.

Emirati diplomats in their traditional white garb warmly greeted their Israeli counterparts, some wearing Jewish skullcaps, as they hammered out the initial details of agreements on a range of issues, including diplomacy, trade, science, technology and cooperation in countering the coronavirus pandemic.

It is a message of coexistence. It is a message of togetherness and tolerance in the region, said Jamal al-Musharakh, a senior Emirati Foreign Ministry official, in a briefing with the visiting reporters Tuesday. There are too many conflicts in the region and its high time to look forward to sustainable ways forward and hope for the future.

The overnight visit, after the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between Israel and the UAE, marked the apex of an accelerating warming relationship that had been mostly clandestine before the surprise Aug. 13 White House announcement establishing Israeli-Emirati ties. Since then, telephone lines were quickly connected between the countries, the UAEs ruler issued a decree formally ending the countrys decades-long boycott of Israel and several Israeli companies signed business deals with Emirati counterparts.

For the traveling journalists from Israel in tow, the visit offered a crash course in Emirati culture and hospitality and a brief window into a nation that had long been mysterious and inaccessible to Israeli citizens. The hosts arranged a private tour of the sparkling Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, with a guide highlighting its Jewish-themed artifacts. Official photographers captured images of the Israeli visitors that were later shared online.

A model was put on display of the future Abrahamic Family House, a massive multi-faith complex under construction set to open by 2022. It aims to house a mosque, a church and a synagogue, and is being touted as the most expensive Jewish house of worship ever built.

A lavish, multi-course dinner with an assortment of local dishes followed, with senior Emirati government officials sharing insight and anecdotes about their country, government and personal lives. Kosher food was provided to the observant Jews, as well as a ritual hand-washing station.

On Tuesday, representatives of the international media visited the Al-Dhafra Air Base, where 5,000 American troops are stationed, to highlight the close Emirati-American military alliance. The Israeli journalists were taken to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and to a cultural center, with a nod toward potential future Israeli tourists. Cheery government minders handed out souvenirs and UAE-themed trinkets.

Even so, it was a tightly controlled visit, with the Emiratis insisting almost all exchanges be kept off-record.

Only before departure, with an Israeli flag flapping on the Abu Dhabi International Airport tarmac below, did al-Musharakh, the senior Foreign Ministry official, express himself publicly. He said the UAE remained committed to solidarity with the Palestinians yet felt compelled to move ahead nonetheless with Israel.

While the Palestinians say they feel betrayed, the UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for a future state. It is also expected to help them acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Israel currently is the only country in the region to fly the stealth warplane.

Israels archrival Iran has also come down hard on the UAE. On Tuesday, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the recognition of Israel treason that will not last for long.

But the Emirati diplomat said such thinking was a thing of the past. He said relations with Israel culminate a national narrative of forward-looking thinking that renounces extremism and violence. He described the local atmosphere in two words: historic and hopeful.

The path to peace and prosperity is not paved in incitement and hate speech, he said, referring to Iran. It is through partnership and cooperation.

____

Follow Aron Heller on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap
DAVIS, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- California agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.

"California agricultural producers are vital to the state's economy, and FSA stands ready to assist in their recovery from these wildfires," said Connie Conway, state executive director for USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in California. "Once you are able to safely evaluate the impact on your operation, be sure to contact your local FSA office to timely report all damages and losses."

USDA encourages farmers and livestock producers to contact the FSA county office at the local USDA Service Center to learn which documents should be provided to help the local office expedite assistance, such as farm records, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.

Depending on the operation, FSA offers a number of disaster assistance programs to help offset eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program , Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program , Emergency Conservation Program, Emergency Forest Restoration Program, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and Tree Assistance Program .

Additionally, producers located in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also offers programs to help in the recovery process. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)'s Catastrophic Fire Recovery practice provides resource protection for areas burned by catastrophic fires. Benefits include preventing soil erosion protection, minimizing spread of noxious and invasive plants, protecting water quality and restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management.

Producers with Federal crop insurance coverage should contact their crop insurance agent for assistance. Producers should report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days.

"We can't predict when natural disasters will occur, but crop insurance can provide a safety net for California farmers and livestock producers when disaster strikes," said Jeffrey Yasui, director of RMA's Regional Office that covers California. "Our Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained when it comes to disaster recovery and are ready to assist impacted producers.

Assistance for Communities

Additional NRCS programs include the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which provides assistance to local government sponsors with the cost of addressing watershed impairments or hazards such as debris removal and streambank stabilization. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, conservation districts or any federally recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. When a watershed impairment occurs due to a natural disaster event, the district conservationist serves as the local facilitator for EWP activities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the lead federal agency for Presidentially declared natural disasters. All NRCS emergency work is coordinated with FEMA or its designee. Sponsors must submit a formal request (via mail or email) to the state conservationist for assistance within 60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access to the sites become available. For more information, please contact Greg Norris, EWP program manager, at [email protected] or (530) 792-5609.

"EWP provides immediate assistance to communities to mitigate potential hazards to life and property resulting from the fires," said Carlos Suarez, state conservationist for the NRCS in California. "We can work with a local sponsor to help a damaged watershed channel water and reduce erosion so that lives and property are protected while preventing further devastation in the community.

In addition to EWP, Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) is another valuable service that NRCS can provide following a wildfire. NRCS technical assistance can help fire victims with planning cost-effective post fire restoration practices.

More Information

Producers and landowners can use the online Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, answering five questions to identify USDA programs that will help meet disaster recovery needs.

For more information on all USDA disaster assistance programs, visit farmers.gov/recover, or contact your local USDA Service Center, which can be found at farmers.gov/service-center-locator. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, please contact your crop insurance agent.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

SOURCE USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service

Related Links

http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov


The Madhya Pradesh police have arrested a homoeopath in Bhopal for allegedly terminating a 14-year-old girls pregnancy illegally in 2018 at the behest of a vernacular dailys owner, who is accused of raping and sexually harassing minor girls, an investigator said on Wednesday.

Also read:Rape accused stripped, thrashed in Madhya Pradesh

Hemant Mittal, 48, the homoeopath, was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act after his arrest on Tuesday night.

The alleged abortion came to light after the owner of the vernacular daily, Pyare Mian, 68, was arrested on July 17 days after five minor girls were spotted in an intoxicated state in Bhopal. During counselling, the girls alleged Mian, who had been allegedly abusing them for years, had invited them to a party and allegedly raped one of them. Four minor girls from Bhopal and Indore later registered a rape and sexual harassment case against Mian.

Inspector Anil Bajpai said Mittal runs a hospital and Mian paid him Rs20,000 for the illegal abortion. The girl, who is now 16, lodged a complaint...against Pyare Mian on July 16 that he and his friend, Ubez Khan, raped her three times. Mian had taken the girl to Srinagar, where she came to know about her three-month pregnancy. He added Mian got the girls pregnancy confirmed at a hospital in Indore after returning from Srinagar and sought to terminate it. Bajpai said the doctors he approached for abortion refused to do so, citing the girls age and its illegality without the due process.

Mian asked his assistant...to look for a doctor in Bhopal to abort the foetus. ...[the assistant] took the girl to the hospital of Mittal for abortion and Mittal aborted the foetus, said Bajpai. He added police were interrogating Mittal and further investigation was on.

The district administration was planning to get the hospital sealed for illegal medical practices.

Mittal had also conducted sonography of the girl before conducting the abortion, said deputy inspector general Irshad Wali.

Police said Mians assistant, Sweety Vishwakarma, would allegedly lure girls from underprivileged families to Mian in the name of getting jobs, then invite them to parties and sexually abuse them after offering them liquor.

Activist Sarika Sinha said under POCSO Act, a doctor in such cases is required to report pregnancy to police, chief medical and health officer of the district concerned. Mittal should have informed the authorities, said Sinha. MTP Act allows only registered and qualified doctors to terminate pregnancy resulting from rape. As he [Mittal] is a homeopath and does not have qualification to terminate pregnancy, so he has violated MTP Act too.

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Lower Swatara Township police need help to identify a woman they say damaged items at a convenience store after she was asked to wear a mask.

Police say the woman went into the Souders Mini Mart at 11, Fulling Mill Road on Aug. 8. When an employee asked her to wear a mask, she damaged about $24 worth of items before leaving the store.

Anyone with information on the woman is asked to contact police at 717-939-0463. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the departments Crimewatch website.

Read more on PennLive:
The Health Ministry on Wednesday revealed that patients within the age group of 18-44 contribute to 54% of total COVID-19 cases. The data came on a day when Indias COVID-19 tally of cases galloped past 37 lakh with78,357 new instances of the disease reported in a day. The number of recoveries has however crossed 29 lakh, pushing the recovery rate to 76.98 per cent, the Union health ministry said.

Besides the total number of cases, the Ministrys data showed that 51% deaths are among senior citizens. 54% COVID19 cases are in the 18-44 years age group but 51% deaths are in the 60 years and above age group, the Health Ministry tweeted.

The Ministry further urged citizens to continue to strictly follow the COVID-19 safety guideline. It continues to be important to observe COVID-19 appropriate safe behaviour of wearing masks/face covers in public, following hand hygiene and cough etiquette, it said.

#IndiaFightsCorona54% #COVID19 cases are in the 18-44 years age group but 51% deaths are in the 60 years and above age group. pic.twitter.com/9ToEzUigYI  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) September 2, 2020

Meanwhile, a recent study said that widespread mask use and data-driven social distancing measures in India may help prevent over 2,00,000 COVID-19-related deaths in India by December 1. The study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in the US suggests that there is an opportunity to further limit the toll of COVID-19 in India.

India has so far reported 37,69,523 cases of the viral disease, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The total number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country has surged to 29,01,908, while the fatality rate has further declined to 1.76 per cent. There are 8,01,282, active cases in the country which comprises 21.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. Indias COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 and went past 30 lakh on August 23.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 4,43,37,201 samples have been tested up to September 1, of which 10,12,367 were tested on Tuesday.
Scott Morrison has lamented a heartbreaking blow to Australia after the economy shrank seven percent in the June quarter, confirming the first recession in three decades.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Sept. 2 confirmed the largest quarterly contraction on record, driving home the hammer blow of the COVID-19 crisis.

In the year to June, the gross domestic product fell 6.3 percent.

Two consecutive quarters of contraction in June and March, when gross domestic product fell 0.3 percent, put Australia into a technical recession.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was a devastating day for Australia.

Our Australian economy has been savaged by the COVID-19 global pandemic and recession, he told parliament on Sept. 2.

It is delivering an awful and heartbreaking blow to Australians and their families all around the country.

He cautioned against long-term reliance on support programs like wage subsidies and the increased dole, which will be scaled down from September.

The path to recovery will not be paved with endless support of the government, the prime minister said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the September quarter figure is expected to be slightly negative or flat as it includes Melbournes second lockdown.

Behind these stories and these numbers are heartbreaking stories of hardship being felt by everyday Australians as they go about their daily lives, he told reporters in Canberra.

Today we are reporting these numbers, but today everyday Australians are living them.

The government is pointing to JobMakera range of programs to boost skills, stimulate home building projects and encourage industrial relations flexibility.

It also brings forward spending on major infrastructure projects and $250 (US$183) million for the arts industry.

But Labor and unions argue a more comprehensive jobs plan is needed to jump-start the ailing economy.

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was a dark day.

This Morrison-Frydenberg recession is deep and its devastating for millions of Australians and their families, he told reporters in Canberra.

Were in the teeth now of a full-blown jobs crisis but the Morrison government still doesnt have a jobs plan to respond to it.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the figures showed the monumental recovery task ahead.

We need a recovery plan that is driven by the private sector, focused on job creation and getting investment going againand we dont have any time to waste, she said.

By Matt Coughlan
Chinas Malign Influence on U.S. Campuses

Recently, the United States is ramping up its efforts to combat Chinese espionage and influence on college campuses.

It comes as the administration is using an all-of-government national security approach to counter the Chinese Communist Party infiltration. The controversial Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes are particularly under scrutiny over concerns it pushes propaganda and restricts freedom of expression in U.S. classrooms.

Meanwhile, a number of high profile speakers including national security adviser Robert OBrien and FBI Director Christopher Wray, have given highly critical and lengthy speeches criticizing Chinas regime. These speeches were unprecedented in their scope.

Today we have Brian Kennedy on the show to talk about the threat Chinas influence poses in the United States. Brian is currently the Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, and also the author of Communist Chinas War Inside America, available on Amazon now.
World War II ended 75 years ago, but not all countries commemorate it on the same day. Wednesday is the anniversary of the formal September 2, 1945, surrender of Japan to the United States, when documents were signed officially ending years of bloody fighting in a ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Its known as V-J Day in some countries. But some nations mark August 15 as the wars end, the day Japans emperor made a speech announcing the surrender.

Five questions and answers about Japans surrender:

Q: WHAT IS V-J DAY?

A: An abbreviation for Victory over Japan Day, marked by the United States and its allies in the war and by the Asian victims of Japan who won their liberation from years of atrocities and oppression. Some countries, including Britain, Australia, the Netherlands and the Koreas, mark Japans surrender on August 15. Others, including the United States, mark the day on September 2, while the Philippines, China and Russia observe September 3. Japan mourns for its war dead on August 15 in a solemn ceremony attended by the emperor, political leaders and veterans families.

Q: WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT DATES?

A: The countries that observe August 15 mark Japans public announcement of its surrender. Others commemorate September 2, when Japan formally signed its surrender, ending a conflict that lasted, in various degrees, nearly half a century in parts of Asia. Then-US President Harry Truman said that the V-J Day proclamation had to wait until Japan officially signed the surrender terms.

Countries also mark different dates for political and historical reasons. In 2014, China set September 3 as a newly formalized historical day to annually mark the Victory Day of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The country celebrates with a military march. The Philippines also observes September 3, the day in 1945 when Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered in that country. Russia, which declared war against Japan on August 9, took military action against Japan until early September.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED ON AUGUST 15, 1945?

A: At noon on August 15, days after the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, Japanese Emperor Hirohito broadcast a surrender message to his people on the radio. The broadcast came one day after Japan told the United States and its allies that it was surrendering, and Hirohito and Japanese ministers signed the Imperial Rescript of Surrender.

The emperors radio statement was prerecorded on August 14 in secrecy. Palace officials protected the records from army officials who stormed the palace to steal them. The emperors voice, which most Japanese were hearing for the time time, was muffled and nearly inaudible because of poor sound quality.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945?

A: A formal signing of Japans surrender was held aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where in 1854 Navy Commodore Matthew Perry had signed a treaty with Japan to open up the feudal nation for trade with the United States. Aboard the USS Missouri, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu signed the Instrument of Surrender. The two men were later convicted of war crimes.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, also Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, signed for the United Nations, with Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz signing for the US. Delegates from other allied nations, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, China and the Soviet Union, witnessed the half-hour ceremony.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD?

A: The official signing of Japans surrender ordered that the country must cease all military actions, liberate prisoners of war and others in captivity and follow other terms. It also launched a seven-year US occupation that lasted until the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in April 1952, allowing Japans return to the international community. Japan has since become a major US ally in defense and other areas.

Since 1954, Japan has spent tens of billions of dollars in development aid, initially meant as war compensation, for the region. But it took more than two decades for Japan to normalize diplomatic ties with some of its wartime Asian foes. It restored ties with South Korea in 1965, and with China in 1972, though disputes over wartime history continue to affect Japans ties with its neighbors. Japan has yet to sign a peace treaty with Russia because of territorial disputes and has not established diplomatic ties with North Korea.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 3, 2020 - 00:46 | All, Japan, World

A freighter with 43 foreign crew members and about 5,800 head of cattle aboard went missing Wednesday while traveling in the stormy East China Sea, with one crew member later rescued, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The 11,947-ton Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call around 1:45 a.m. when it was about 185 kilometers west of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, according to the coast guard.

The coast guard launched a search operation, joined by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, with a surveillance aircraft. The MSDF found a lifeboat and a person with a life vest drifting around the waters Wednesday night, the Defense Ministry said.

Following the rescue of the Filipino male crew member, the coast guard said his health condition was not life-threatening.

The crew members of the Panamanian-registered vessel consist of two Australians, 39 Filipinos including the captain and two New Zealanders. The coast guard initially said a Singaporean was aboard but later corrected it and said the person was Australian.

The coast guard dispatched patrol boats to the area in search of the vessel, which left New Zealand on Aug. 14 and was scheduled to arrive in China next Friday.

Bad weather is hampering the operation. There were strong winds and torrential rain in the area Wednesday due to Typhoon Maysak, according to the weather station in Kagoshima.
One-fifth of the population in Chennai has been exposed to COVID, a serosurvey for the transmission of the infection in Greater Chennai Corporation areas has revealed. "Overall, one-fifth of the population in Chennai was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection," the GCC said in its preliminary finding. The sample size was around 12,000 to detect a sero-prevalence of 2 per cent, for a relative precision of 20 per cent design effect of 2.5 and for 95 per cent confidence interval. Of the individuals tested, 2,673 individualshad evidence of past SARS-CoV-2.

"The reading (inference) is 21.5 per cent of Chennai's population reached the immunity levels by July-end," GCC commissioner G Prakash told reporters. "Now, the (immunity) levels will be more and it would also mean a (comparatively) lower transmission rate," he said adding the scientific study would be useful to alter strategies to tackle COVID.

Around 80 per cent of the population is still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 here and "we need to understand the reasons for varying seroprevalence across zones to improve our control measures," the civic body said.

"There is huge variation in sero prevalence across zones ranging between 7.1 per cent in Madhavaram and 44.2 per cent in Tondiarpet."

The infection to case ratio is lower compared to some of the published studies (Santa Clara, National survey) - indicating high testing performance. The field data/sample collection activities happened between 18 and 28 July and the testing of the samples were completed by August 6, the GCC said in an official release adding the mean age of individuals surveyed was 41.1. The sero survey was conducted in the GCC areas to estimate the proportion of population exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The study design was a multi-stage cluster sample survey among individuals aged more than 10 years.
Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia on July 23, 2020. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Victoria Has Recorded Six Virus Deaths, 90 New Cases

Victoria has had six COVID-19 deaths, taking the state toll to 576 and the national figure to 683.

There were also 90 new cases overnight, a slight increase.

A six-month extension to the Victorian governments state of emergency powers passed parliament overnight after a surprise intervention by the Greens.

The bill passed just before 2am on Wednesday, with 20 votes in favour and 19 against.

The state government on Sunday will release its plans to move both Melbourne and regional Victoria out of restrictions, noting they will be different.

Benita Kolovos in Melbourne
The 2021 Civic Type R comes with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $37,495, while the Type R Limited Edition has an MSRP of $43,995 (neither including the $955 destination and handling charge). With only 600 Limited Edition units available, it is recommended buyers contact their local authorized dealerships directly for availability of this exclusive model.

The 2021 Type R Limited Edition will come in an exclusive Phoenix Yellow color, with gloss black paint on the roof, outside mirror caps, and intake vent on the hood, along with a dark chrome Civic badge on the rear hatch. Inside, each Limited Edition has a special numbered plaque on the center console designating its build number.

The 2021 Civic Type R and Type R Limited Edition carry forward the numerous updates made to the 2020 Type R, including the freshened front and rear exterior styling, larger grille opening and radiator for improved engine cooling, and interior updates such as the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, and a new weighted shift knob. Both feature the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment, including Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with Forward Collison Warning, Road Departure Mitigation with Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

TYPE R LIMITED EDITION

The 2021 Type R Limited Edition embodies multiple engineering and feature changes designed to maximize performance, without sacrificing Type R's unique combination of razor-sharp performance and civilized daily-driving manners.

Racers know that reducing weight is key to better performance at the track, which is why a number of measures were taken to reduce the curb weight of the Type R Limited Edition by 46 pounds versus the standard Type R.

Replacing the standard Type R wheels with lightweight forged-aluminum alloys from BBS saves the Type R Limited Edition an additional 18 pounds of unsprung weight, which has an important impact on agility and roadholding with a side benefit to ride comfort. The lighter weight results in lower rotational inertia, an effect amplified by lightweight two-piece floating front brake rotors that were applied to all Type Rs in 2020, which yielded a 2.5 pounds of weight savings per side. Going further still, 28 pounds of sound deadening materials have been removed from the roof, rear hatch panel, and front fenders and dash; even the cargo cover, rear heater ducts and rear wiper mechanism were removed to save weight.

The Type R Limited Edition also features grade-exclusive Michelin Cup 2 tires with improved cornering performance2. To take full advantage of the lighter weight wheels and extra-grippy tires, Limited Edition features unique programming for the Active Damper System (ADS), which was already updated just last year to sample inputs 10 times faster the before. Similarly, the electrically assisted power steering has been reprogrammed to match the elevated dynamic performance and lighter weight of the BBS alloys. The result is an even more rewarding driving experience, especially during on-track driving.

Under the hood, the 2021 Civic Type R and Type R Limited Edition draw power from the same race-bred 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with VTEC valvetrain, putting out a peak 306-horseopwer (SAE net) and a peak 295 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE net), with power to the front wheels delivered through a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. Both Type R models allow drivers to choose between three driving modes  Comfort, Sport and +R  that vary throttle mapping, damping force and steering assist.

Suzuka Track Record

The Civic Type R Limited Edition (European spec) recently stormed to a new front-wheel drive track record at Suzuka Circuit, Honda's Formula 1 racetrack in Japan, with a time of 2 minutes 23.993 seconds. Originally built as a test facility for Honda, the 3.6-mile Suzuka track's figure-8 configuration today is known worldwide as a highlight of the Formula 1 season as a driver and fan favorite. To read more about this achievement, visit Hondanews.com.

About Honda

Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic and Accord passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda's electrified vehicle lineup includes the Insight hybrid-electric sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, and the Clarity series.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2019, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

For More Information

Additional media information including detailed pricing features and high-resolution photography of all 2019 Honda models is available at hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda.

1 European specification

2 High-performance summer tires are not designed for winter driving and will wear faster than normal passenger car tires. Please see your Honda dealer for details.

SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Related Links

https://www.honda.com


Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has refused to say whether she struck a deal with the Greens to extend Victoria's state of emergency powers as industry groups say the move is another blow to business confidence.

It comes as the state recorded 90 new cases and six more deaths on Wednesday. The double-digit case figure comes after 94, 114, 73 and 70 cases were recorded over the past four days.

The state government secured a six-month extension of its powers to declare states of emergencies in four-week blocks after a marathon sitting of the upper house that ended just before 2am on Wednesday.

The government received decisive crossbench support from Greens leader Samantha Ratnam, who returned from maternity leave a month early to cast the deciding vote, as well as Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick.
Bosses and workers are divided about whether employees should return to the office, a survey has shown.

Some 60 per cent of employers wanted their staff back at their desks by the new year but just 42 per cent of workers felt the same.

The remaining 58 per cent felt this is too soon and 2021 would be a better starting date, or were unsure.

Data from 100 companies showed 58 per cent of staff members believed workers would spend just two or three days in the office when they go back - rather than spend the full five-day working week away from home.

Employers appear to be on the same page, as 60 per cent agreed that two or three days would likely be the average.

Bosses and workers are divided about whether employees should return to the office, a survey has shown

A total of 17 per cent of employers thought one day back would be the norm, while 25 per cent of employees felt a single day a week would be the average, the survey by the i found.

Some 80 per cent of employers felt working from home will be a 'core part' of their working life going forward - while 88 per cent of employees felt the same.

The survey's results came after Boris Johnson claimed 'huge numbers' of employees had already returned to workplaces across the UK.

The Prime Minister has launched a major drive to persuade more Britons to return to work as remote employees were warned they could be more at risk of being sacked.

He yesterday told the Cabinet that 'we know there will be more outbreaks' but he is 'absolutely confident' the Government will be able to deal with them.

Mr Johnson claimed 'huge numbers' of people are now returning to offices and 'quite right too' amid fears that Professor Chris Whitty could quit over the Government's push to persuade workers to ditch working from home.

The Prime Minister has launched a major drive to persuade more Britons to return to work as remote employees were warned they could be more at risk of being sacked

Mr Johnson (pictured with Rishi Sunak) yesterday told the Cabinet that 'we know there will be more outbreaks' but he is 'absolutely confident' the Government will be able to deal with them

The Prime Minister also appeared to acknowledge that his Government has been hit by a series of damaging U-turns in recent months.

He said: 'In the last few months, we've been sailing into the teeth of a gale.

'It is necessary to tack in response to the facts as they change, in response to the wind's change, but we have been going steadily in the direction, in the course we set out, and not been blown off course.'

Mr Johnson met with his Cabinet in the grand Locarno Suite at the Foreign Office - chosen because it has more space than Number 10 so that ministers can socially distance.

The opulent setting will be used for the meetings for the foreseeable future after months of Mr Johnson having to speak to ministers via Zoom.
T heres always a febrile atmosphere when the kids go back to school. And you know its going to be an exciting term when the school master has to clip the head boys ear on day one.

Order! I think there are questions being askedit would be helpful to those watching to know the answers, head teacher Lindsay Hoyle warned Boris Johnson.

The head boy, who had been squaring up to his rival, the school prefect Keir Starmer, answered back: Mr Speaker, I think it would be helpful to all those who are watching to know

But Hoyle was having none of Johnsons cheek: I think I will make the decisions today...

In their first test after the summer holidays, it was clear that Starmer had been swotting up on his PMQs homework while Johnson hoped to wing it.

Today also marked Starmers birthday. But Johnson failed to give him the birthday bumps.

Instead, the Prime Minister got a grilling on his first day back in the playground.

Starmers first blow was over the exam "fiasco", coolly asking Johnson: "So a straight answer to a straight question please Prime Minister: when did the Prime Minister first know that there was a problem with the algorithm?"

Johnson avoided the question, stating: We did institute a change, we did act.

Sir Keir Starmer / PA

He accused Starmer of "undermining confidence" and spreading doubts about the return to school. Johnson pressed him to admit that school was safe to go back to.

Come on, Johnson goaded him.

Buoyed by cheers from his classmates, Starmer smiled and replied: The Prime Minister is just tin eared and making it up as he goes along".

He added: "He's fooling nobody, even his own MPs have run out of patience.

Starmer has a reason to smile after a recent poll put Labour level pegging with the Conservatives for the first time in 13 months.

And just as Johnson was trying to shake off Starmers attacks, the Government announced yet another U-turn.

With growing discontent from his own his own benches, increasing criticism from Tory-friendly newspapers and a string of Government U-turns, Johnson needed to hit back.

And he did not hold back; alluding to Starmer's time as Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, he accused the Labour leader of supporting an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato.

A visibly angry Starmer brandished his finger at Johnson, saying: The Prime Minister said something about the IRA and I want him to take it back. I worked in Northern Ireland for five years with the police services of Northern Ireland bringing peace

A very concerned Headmaster Hoyle intervened, asking Johnson if wanted to withdraw his allegation.

Boris Johnson / PA

Johnson replied: I listened to the protestations of the right honourable gentleman and think they have would have been more in order throughout the long years in which he supported a leader of the Labour Party (Jeremy Corbyn)..."

But headmaster Hoyle signalled for Johnson to sit, before Starmer rained down a series of blows: When the Prime Minister has worked with the security and intelligence forces prosecuting criminals and terrorists he can lecture me.

I asked him to do the decent thing. But doing the decent thing and this Prime Minister dont go together.

Unrelenting, Starmer told Johnson it had been a wasted summer and the Government had lurched from crisis to crisis, U-turn to U-turn.

Staring down Johnson, he added: That serial incompetence is holding Britain back. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and finally get a grip?

Lacking ammunition, Johnson reverted to previous criticisms hed fired against Starmer including calling him Captain Hindsight and demanding he say that schools are safe.

Ive said it so many times, Starmer said with a note of exasperation.

School is safe. My own children have been in school throughout. Theres no issue on this. The Prime Minister is seeking to divide.

For his last strike, Starmer spoke of the hurt the Bereaved Families for Justice group felt after the Prime Minister cancelled a meeting with them.

Finally, Johnson bit back with equal might, explaining that he cancelled the meeting because of an ongoing legal challenge by the families against the Government.

In his last gasp, Johnson added: "It's absolutely typical of him that he should frame it in that way...

Of course I would be very happy to meet the families of the bereaved and sympathise deeply with all those who have lost loved ones throughout this pandemic and we all feel their pain and their grief.

Going back to school is never easy.

With few of his classmates to cheer him on in a socially distanced chamber, Johnson scored an F in his first major test after the holidays.

Loading....

At least he has a chance to re-sit next week.
Hong Kong's monetary authority has instructed banks to extend their loan repayment holidays for small businesses for another six months until April 2021, providing more breathing space for some of the biggest job providers as they struggle to crawl out of the city's worst recession on record.

All banks have to allow qualified corporate borrowers to waive the repayment of their corporate loans or mortgages until April 2021, extending the waivers from October 31, according to a statement by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). During the extended holiday period, companies will only need to pay the interest but not the principals on their loans.

The de facto bank's latest move is aimed at helping the city's struggling retail, property and service industries amid the lockdowns and consumption slumps caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"The extension of the repayment holidays for six months is very important to help the many SMEs solve their financial problems due to the pandemic," said Peter Shiu Ka-fai, a lawmaker representing the wholesale and retail sector. "Companies have had no income or have seen their revenue slashed substantially during the past two months. They simply do not have cash to repay their mortgage or other loans. Without the extension, many firms may not be able to repay their loans."

The business sector had lobbied the HKMA for the extension. A third wave of Covid-19 infections forced the government to introduce its toughest social distancing rules in mid-July. These included gatherings of no more than two people and stopping dine-in services at restaurants in the evenings. These moves pummeled Hong Kong's retail sales in July, which shrank 23.1 per cent year on year, continuing its contraction for the 18th straight month.

The HKMA ordered the first payment holiday in April, its first such move since its establishment in 1993, recognising that small and medium-sized businesses - which generate more than half of the city's jobs - bear the brunt of dwindling cash flow amid the crisis.

Story continues

The scheme covers small companies with an annual turnover of less than HK$800 million (US$103 million), without serious overdue loans. There are 130,000 companies qualified under the scheme, and 15,000 of them have applied for the payment holiday break since May. This qualification covers 80 per cent of corporate borrowers in Hong Kong.

Those approved for the first holiday can get another six months of payment break, while applications are open for other companies that have not previously applied, HKMA said. At the end of July 2020, banks had approved over 43,000 applications for loan tenor extension and other forms of relief, involving an aggregate amount of over HK$530 billion, according to the HKMA.

Any manufacturing business with fewer than 100 employees, or any non-manufacturing business with fewer than 50 people, can be defined as an SME. As many as 104 of the 162 licensed banks in Hong Kong have acceded to the HKMA's instructions in granting the payments holiday.

All loan principal payments of eligible customers due between November 2020 and April 2021 will be deferred by six months except for repayments of trade loans, which will be deferred by 90 days, HKMA said.

As customers are already familiar with the scheme and with banks adopting work-from-home arrangements in response to the pandemic, banks will not issue individual notifications to eligible customers regarding the extension of the scheme, the HKMA said.

Hong Kong Associations of Banks, HSBC, BEA and Bank of China (Hong Kong) all issued statements to voice their support.

"The HKAB urges corporate customers in need to contact their banks," the association said in a statement. "The banks will process requests related to principal repayment deferment in accordance with the guidelines set out by the HKMA."

In addition, HKAB said that its members also support the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation's loan programmes for SMEs.

"We welcome this extension of the payment holiday scheme as the economy is still hard hit by Covid-19. We will call up our customers to offer this relief measure," said Thomas Tsui Chun-man, general manager and head of corporate banking at BEA.

HSBC, the biggest lender in the city, since February has offered HK$150 billion worth of relief, including payment holidays to corporate and individual customers. BOCHK for its part has offered relief measures to over 10,000 corporate clients.

As the pandemic continues to disrupt businesses, mainly SMEs in the tourism, leisure and food and drinks industries, the Hong Kong government has introduced many measures to help SMEs and boost the local economy in recent months.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
NEW MILFORD  The Elephants Trunk Flea Market is making its long-awaited return this weekend with strict coronavirus restrictions in place.

The Facebook announcement about Sundays reopening has already been shared more than 600 times and garnered more than 675 comments, a testament to the outdoor markets popularity in the area.

The market is usually open on Sundays from April through December, but has been closed the whole season due to the coronavirus.

Most of the comments are a mix of excitement and wanting to ensure people will stay safe.

This is only going to work if everyone follows the rules posted by management, one person said.

The market, which is located on Route 7, has rolled out a number of changes this year, including requiring everyone to wear masks appropriately, keep at least 6 feet from each other and removing the picnic tables.

Things will be a bit different this season so that we can enforce social distancing for the safety of everyone, the Elephants Trunk Flea Market posted on its website and social media.

People who are in a high-risk group, not feeling well or sick are encouraged to stay home.

We do take social distancing guidelines serious and as a result, there will be a reduced capacity to both dealers and buyers, the Elephants Trunk said.

The super early buyer admission was suspended and all buyers must wait in their cars instead of lining up.

Early buyers can enter at 5:30 a.m. for $20. These tickets must be purchased online and are limited to 100 each Sunday. All buyers can enter beginning at 7 a.m. for $3 and will be tempered slowly.

Admission is free from 2 p.m. until the flea market closes at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets can be bought online through the markets website, https://www.etflea.com/tickets/ or on Eventbrite. Credit card payments will be accepted at admission for regular buyers.

Elephants Trunk started in 1976, growing from 15 vendors to 500 venrdors and food trucks from all over the East Coast. Its considered one of New Englands largests flea markets and has been featured in multiple seasons of HGTVs Flea Market Flip.

While Elephants Trunk said it appreciates its loyal patrons and vendors from around the world, visitors will have to follow Connecticuts travel advisory and those coming from places on the quarantine list cant come until theyve self-quarantined for 14 days.

Some of you may be planning to travel a distance to participate at our flea market, so please take into consideration the IMPORTANCE of Connecticuts travel advisory before you plan the road trip, Elephant Trunk said.

Updates will be shared on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you and if we all work together, we can do this, Elephants Trunk said on Facebook.

kkoerting@newstimes.com
Surveying and design work for the National Broadband Plan (NBP) rollout commenced in Longford on Monday 31st August.

In Longford, there are 8,602 premises in the Intervention Area (IA) AMBER area of the National Broadband Plan which includes homes, farms, commercial businesses and schools. This equates almost 40% of all premises in the county.

Under the National Broadband Plan, Longford will see an investment of 32M in the new high-speed fibre broadband network. This will enable e-learning, remote monitoring of livestock or equipment, e-health initiatives, better energy efficiency in the home, and more remote working.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) are the company undertaking the fibre network roll-out to enable high speed broadband connectivity for 537,000 premises across the country.

NBI would like the public to know that contractors will be on the ground Longford, both inspecting and recording pictures of infrastructure such as poles, cables and underground ducts. The teams have been fully trained in physical distancing practices, and how to engage with the public in a safe manner if and when required.

In Longford, the initial surveys will commence in the following areas:

Drumlish, Ennybegs, Moat Farrell, Cullyfad, Longford Town, Newtownforbes, Cloondara, Stonepark, Ardagh, Moydow and Kilashee

Entegro are the contracting company commencing this work and they will have vehicles and signage with both their own, and NBI logos. Employees will also wear hard hats and high visibility vests featuring the NBI logo. All contractors will also carry official ID cards & essential worker letters.

The NBI customer call centre number is 0818 624 624 (local call rate) or email contactus@nbi.ie for any queries. For further information on the NBP see www.nbi.ie

Councillor Paul Ross, Cathaoirleach, Longford County Council stated:

"This is very good news for County Longford as now more than ever the emergence of COVID-19 has made high-speed broadband connectivity an even greater priority. Since Covid restrictions were brought in some of our community are solely dependent on access to this vital facility to work, learn and to have equal access to the digital world. We welcome the fact that National Broadband Ireland have commenced surveying in County Longford and look forward to the entire county having high speed broadband access in the near future."

Ms. Christine Collins, Broadband Officer stated:

"The emergence and presence of COVID-19 has imposed a new world upon us. One in which social distancing dictates that many of us must work, communicate and connect in innovative ways. Access to high-speed broadband connectivity has never been of greater importance and has become a vital utility. Not only does it provide tools to assist in the economic recovery of the county, but it provides a platform, within which our communities can communicate and come together whilst staying apart. We are delighted that National Broadband Ireland has commenced surveying in County Longford."

Broadband Connection Points  BCPs (8 Free High-Speed Public WIFI Hubs in Rural Co. Longford - 2 schools identified as BCPs are for educational access only)

In advance of homes and businesses receiving future-proofed broadband directly to their door, a network of Broadband Connection Points will provide vital high-speed broadband access at locations within the amber area of the National Broadband plan.

Broadband Connection Points (or BCPs) are public locations which have been selected to receive 150Mb high-speed broadband connectivity in the first year (2020) of the National Broadband Plan. BCP locations which are schools are for educational access only, and the other BCPs will provide free public access for high-speed broadband connectivity. People living in the general area will then be able to access this broadband for their necessary requirements.

This project is well underway and NBI have surveyed all BCP locations in Longford. The first of these will open in Longford in the next month or two.

BCPs in Longford:
The branded content and creative agency will be headquartered in Singapore and will operate at the intersection of advertising and media

PHD has announced the official expansion of DRUM into Asia-Pacific. DRUM, Omnicom Media Group's branded content and creative agency, will be headquartered in Singapore and will operate at the intersection of advertising and media.

Specialising in combining audience and data insights, DRUM will apply their creative rigour of advertising to produce content with cultural impact for brands. With the launch, DRUM will be available in Australia, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, India, New Zealand and Singapore.

Following DRUMs successful run in New Zealand, where it bolstered PHDs capabilities in areas such as media partnerships, social media and influencer marketing as well as public relations, the further expansion into Asia-Pacific will evolve the agencys offerings and expertise, as well as service the increased client demand for creative solutions. Over the last 12 months, DRUM has been instrumental in helping PHD accelerate its growth mandate, successfully contributing to new business pitches, including recently added global client, Diageo.

This expansion is a clear commitment to drive growth, creativity and service our increased client demand in the Asia-Pacific region, said James Hawkins, CEO, PHD, Asia-Pacific. With DRUM present across more parts of Asia, we are able to better service our clients and collaborate at scale with brands on specialist partnerships, media content and creative services, where clients can tap into the skills and knowledge from expert DRUMMERS at the forefront of international trends and best practice.

PHD is focused on creating and harnessing ideas that make instrumental leaps for our clients, and we have seen tremendous success in seeking non-traditional solutions and using culture to help brands connect with their audiences in real, relevant and authentic ways, he added.

As an agency driven by a culture of creativity and collaboration, this expansion into Asia-Pacific aligns with PHDs vision of enabling brands to make the leap above their competitors through the innovative use of media communications and data-inspired creativity.

DRUM, as part of the PHD network, specialise in making content and communications that make brands a valued part of culture. Expanding the brand and our own creative culture into the Asia-Pacific region represents a hugely exciting development in the on-going success and growth of the network, said Luke Southern, Global Managing Director, DRUM. Im thrilled that DRUM will be enabling brands across Asia to further capitalise on creative services, branded content and culture to reach audiences that helps clients make the leap in achieving disproportionate growth, he added.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
Iraq has asked OPEC to be exempted from oil export cuts in the first quarter of 2021, the oil minister of OPECs second-largest producer and the least compliant member of the pact, said on Wednesday.

According to remarks of Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabba to local media, as reported by Reuters, Iraq has raised the issue with OPEC at several meetings.

The minister revealed efforts to exempt Iraq from the agreement to cut exports in OPEC and the subject has been broached with the organisations oil ministers in three consecutive meetings, Iraqi state news agency INA reported.

Iraq relies almost entirely on oil revenues for its government income, so the oil price crash and OPEC+ cuts are making things very difficult for the Iraqi economy and its budget revenues.

Oil revenues are critical to Iraqs budget income, but in recent months OPECs second-largest oil producer has come under pressure from its fellow OPEC+ partners led by Saudi Arabia to stop cheating on their production quotas and finally start complying with the OPEC+ agreement.

Iraq promised additional cuts of around 400,000 bpd in August in order to compensate for the lack of compliance with the deal in the previous months. These additional cuts are on top of Iraqs per-quota cut of 850,000 bpd under the OPEC+ pact.

Iraq, which has been the least compliant member of the OPEC+ production cut pact since it was first launched in January 2017, has been promising for months that it would reduce its oil production and fall in line with its quotasomething it hasnt done since 2017.

Despite the pledges and the reduced exports, Iraq has yet to comply with the production cut deal.

Iraqs crude oil exports fell in August to 2.597 million bpd compared to Julys exports of 2.763 million bpd, oil ministry data showed earlier this week.

According to the monthly Reuters survey, Iraq reduced its oil production in August and reached its highest compliance in recent years, but that compliance rate was still short of the 100-percent full conformity that OPEC+ demands.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
- Annual Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction Results 2020

OSLO, Norway, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiPlex,the Nordic leader for sustainable, innovative, and secure data centres, is proud to report a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of plus 48 compared to an industry average of minus 35 across the Nordics, outshining the competition.

As part of DigiPlex customer strategy, annual customer surveys are conducted and covers all DigiPlex Nordic markets to measure customer satisfaction.

This year's survey was performed by Netigate and the internationally recognised NPS measure was added. NPS judges the likelihood that DigiPlex customers will purchase again or recommend DigiPlex services to another company.

Loyalty and satisfaction significantly higher than benchmark

This year's DigiPlex customer survey, performed during the spring of 2020, delivered an NPS of plus 48, compared to NPS benchmark for the Nordic Data Center industry of minus 35. (Scoring ranging from -100 to +100.) Customers rated DigiPlex on key measures of satisfaction such as service quality, responsiveness, issue follow-up and resolution, proactivity, and the company's understanding of their businesses.

Almost two-thirds (61%) of DigiPlex customer respondents identified as Promoters (scoring between 9-10 out of a maximum of 10), with the average percentage of Promoters just 19%. Over half (54%) of respondents from non-DigiPlex customers were not satisfied with their current data center provider.

Commenting on the result, DigiPlex CEO, Wiljar Nesse, said; "Meeting or exceeding customer's expectations is extremely important for a mutually valuable and long-term partnership. The high levels of satisfaction among our customers as confirmed by this survey are therefore very gratifying. With DigiPlex culture of constant improvement, we will continue sharpening our customer offering to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty even further."

Christine nvik Nerhagen, Head of Professional Services Norway at Netigate added; "Netigate conducts thousands of NPS projects every year and we found it very interesting to engage with DigiPlex to create this unique study of the Nordic data center market. Netigate collected data from both DigiPlex customers and a customized NPS benchmark consisting of data from 300 IT-decision makers in the Nordic countries. Upon extensive analysis we could identify a remarkable level of satisfaction among DigiPlex customers compared to the Nordic data center industry."

DigiPlex was quick to react on the COVID-19 pandemic through regular communication with its customers on measures taken to reduce the risk of contamination within the business. It created a Corporate COVID-19 Response Team, segregated the workforce into dedicated teams per site, halted business travelling and attendance at external events, updated employee policies, increased safety protocols and restricted access across all DigiPlex data centers among other actions.

DigiPlex used its customer satisfaction survey to gain feedback on how satisfied customers were with these actions and the way DigiPlex communicated around COVID-19. The response was very encouraging with a rating of 4.33 for the way the company handled COVID-19 and 4.36 for its communication of operational decisions. Both ratings were out of a possible maximum score of 5 and compared to Benchmarks of 4.15 and 3.79 respectively for other Nordic data center companies.

"Our customers have been extremely committed in working with us to mitigate any potential operational risks during this pandemic. Maintaining transparent and timely communication with clients is always important, especially in times of crisis and it is clear that they welcomed our rapid and comprehensive communication around our COVID-19 response," said Fredrik Jansson, Chief Strategy, Marketing and Communications Officer, DigiPlex.

Methodology:

The customer survey was independently administered by Netigate and calculated overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. It was conducted on-line between May 25-June 15, 2020.The survey was built on customer satisfaction methodology structured around and measuring all stages of the DigiPlex customer journey. NPS was calculated in addition to specific measures used for internal best practice and customer service improvement.

Connect with DigiPlex

CONTACT:

Elisabeth Lennhede

Head of Communications

+46703322705

elisabeth.lennhede@digiplex.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/digiplex/r/digiplex-achieves-nps-score-more-than-twice-as-high-as-nordic-data-center-benchmark,c3187140

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Topsail Re, a recent entrant into the global reinsurance market, has selected DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) to deploy an end-to-end solution supporting the complete reinsurance life cycle.

Topsail Re is deploying the DXC SICS solution a leading reinsurance management platform implemented on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help manage their book of business. This will include treaty management, improving claims administration, ensuring accuracy with accounting transactions and reducing operational costs to support anticipated expanded growth.

"One of the core aspects of our business strategy is simplifying the reinsurance process for all parties and providing our partners with a stable, long-term platform," said David Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer, Topsail Re. "DXC's solution was the most comprehensive application of its kind and will save time and reduce costs through automation, as well as provide the reporting tools we need to meet regulatory requirements."

The DXC SICS platform is a core administration system that provides comprehensive automation across the complete reinsurance management life cycle. The solution streamlines reinsurers' processing needs, from new business to renewal management and accounting to retrocession. DXC's SICS platform has been deployed by more than 100 insurance and reinsurance companies globally.

"DXC is focused on helping Topsail Re optimize their reinsurance management life cycle as they continue to seize new business opportunities," said Phil Ratcliff, vice president and general manager, Global Insurance, DXC Technology. "Deployment of the DXC SICS solution will deliver the end-to-end platform Topsail Re requires and enable them to better serve customers."

DXC is a leading provider of core insurance systems, serving more than 80% of insurers in the Fortune Global 500.

For more information on DXC's SICS platform, click here. To learn more about DXC services and solutions for the insurance industry, visit www.dxc.technology/insurance.

About Topsail Re

Topsail Re is a closely held reinsurer domiciled in the Cayman Islands with affiliated offices in Greensboro, NC and Schaumburg, IL. Their strategy is to be disciplined and patiently develop long-term profitable relationships with companies that are like minded. Currently, Topsail Re writes in excess of $300M in premium income and is expanding its infrastructure to facilitate highly controlled growth.

Learn more about Topsail Re, visit www.topsailre.com.

About DXC Technology

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. With decades of driving innovation, the world's largest companies trust DXC to deploy the Enterprise Technology Stack to deliver new levels of performance, competitiveness and customer experiences. Learn more about the DXC story and our focus on people, customers and operational execution at www.dxc.technology.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005309/en/

Contacts:

Topsail Re

Jacqueline S. ("J.J.") May

COO EVP

+1.336.676.4478

jj.may@topsailre.com

DXC Technology

Dana Greenstein

Corporate Media Relations

+1.914.607.7631

dgreenstein@dxc.com
MILWAUKEE  Four people arrested in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during demonstrations have sued the city and Kenosha County, claiming discriminatory curfew enforcement that violates the First Amendment.

The plaintiffs, residents of Kenosha, Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, seek to represent a broad class of everyone subjected to the curfew, which they ask the federal court to find unconstitutional.

"In Kenosha, there are two sets of laws  one that applies to those who protest police brutality and racism, and another for those who support the police," the suit says.

Samuel C. Hall Jr., a lawyer representing Kenosha County and the sheriff's department, responded in a statement:

"This lawsuit, filed by out of state attorneys, is entirely without merit. The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department has worked tirelessly to bring order back to the community and has been careful to protect the rights of all citizens throughout that process. We plan to seek an immediate dismissal of this lawsuit."

On Wednesday afternoon, Kenosha ended the curfew, which had been extended through Labor Day weekend.

What we know about protests across the US: Joe Biden to visit Kenosha; Portland protesters target mayor's home; LA unrest continues

The suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, cites the widespread video of Kenosha authorities allowing a group of rifle-toting people to remain in an area from which the authorities were clearing out protesters the night of Aug. 25, even giving the armed people water and thanking them for their support.

One of the group, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, later that night fatally shot two men and wounded a third, according to a criminal complaint charging him with homicide and other counts.

'That's the shooter': Witnesses describe the night Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire in Kenosha

Kyle Rittenhouse, left, with backward cap, walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, with another armed civilian. Prosecutors on Thursday, Aug. 27, charged Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, in the fatal shooting of two protesters and the wounding of a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake.

According to the suit, no pro-police demonstrators are among the roughly 150 people arrested since protests began Aug. 23, the day Jacob Blake was shot in the back by a Kenosha police officer.

Story continues

Police and sheriff's deputies "have shown an unwillingness to enforce the State of Emergency in a viewpoint-neutral manner. Instead, they use it as a tool to silence those peaceful protesters who dare to confront this police departments brutality," the suit states.

The suit calls the curfew itself  which for several nights lasted from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.  unlawful because it has no exceptions for legal observers, the news media, or "alternative channels for free expression," and as such chills First Amendment rights.

It seeks an injunction barring further enforcement of the curfew, a declaration that it is unconstitutional, and unspecified damages for the plaintiffs: Adelana Akindes and Victor Garcia of Kenosha, Oscar Walton of Milwaukee and Danica Gagliano-Deltgen of Wauwatosa.

They are represented by North Carolina civil rights lawyer and Milwaukee native Kimberly Motley, who also represents the man who was wounded by Rittenhouse and the families of three men killed in separate instances by a Wauwatosa police officer.

E. Milo Schwab of Denver is listed as co-counsel for the plaintiffs.

Follow reporter Bruce Vielmetti on Twitter at @ProofHearsay.

Kenosha: Destroyed store's owners refused to be part of Trump 'circus,' president met with building owner instead

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kenosha, Wisconsin, protesters sue, say curfew unfairly enforced
GRAND ISLAND, Neb.  Patrick Kopke, the former chief of finance at the Nebraska State Fair, has been charged in Hall County Court with three counts of theft by unlawful taking totaling $5,000 or more.

Kopke, 29, will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

His name was mentioned prominently in an investigation into State Fair finances released by the Nebraska state auditor in July.

In the Hall County Court charges, Kopke is accused of committing fair-related theft three times in 2019  on Feb. 7 and 8; July 12; and Sept. 3.

The complaint against Kopke was filed Aug. 31 by Chief Deputy Attorney General David Bydalek.
Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das on Tuesday met with Air Force chief Masihuzzaman Serniabat and discussed defence cooperation between the two countries.

"Defence Cooperation between Indian Air Force and Air Force (BAF). High Commissioner of India, Riva Ganguly Das called on Chief of Air Staff, Air Force today, to discuss matters of mutual interest," Indian Embassy in Bangladesh tweeted.

On Tuesday, Das had called on Bangladesh Navy chief Vice Admiral Shaheen Iqbal and congratulated him on his appointment as the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).

"HC Smt. Riva Ganguly Das today called on V Adm Shaheen Iqbal, CNS, BN and congratulated on his appointment as the new CNS, Bangladesh Navy. Matters related to Bangladesh Maritime Cooperation also discussed," the Embassy tweeted.

Last week, High Commission of in Bangladesh had said that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's recent visit to Dhaka was part of ongoing bilateral engagement between two close and friendly neighbours.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Foreign Secretary's visit reflects the priority that India accords to Bangladesh as part of its Neighbourhood First policy.

(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.)
T he number of people who have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by 10, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

It means Britain's total death toll, within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, now stands at 41,514. This covers fatalities in all settings, including care homes.

A further seven people have died in hospitals in England, NHS England said.

Three of the deaths were reported in the Midlands, two in the north west, one in the south east, and one in the east of England.

One more confirmed coronavirus patient has died in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,495.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister said 20,788 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland, up by 156 from 20,632 the day before.

Some 86 of these new cases are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where restrictions where reintroduced last night.

There are 258 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of six in 24 hours.

Of these patients, five were in intensive care, down one.

Candlelit vigil for coronavirus victims and NHS - In pictures 1 /17 Candlelit vigil for coronavirus victims and NHS - In pictures Getty Images PA Getty Images PA PA PA PA Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images PA AP AP

In Wales, there have been no further reported deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus, health officials said.

The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 1,596.

Public Health Wales said the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country had increased by 42, bringing the revised confirmed cases to 18,105.

Meanwhile, two further deaths were reported in Northern Ireland on Wednesday, bringing the total to 562.

Another 71 people have also tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health said.

Some 463 new cases of the virus have been detected in the last seven days, bringing the total in the region to 7,365.
Hong Kong: Govt follows up on faulty masks

The Government Logistics Department (GLD) today said it has referred a case involving a batch of masks with suspected false indication of origin to Customs for follow-up action.

The department said it would make its best efforts to assist in investigations.

All the concerned masks are still in GLD stock and have not yet been distributed to government departments for use.

The masks were procured through direct engagement from a local supplier in March this year.

The supplier was required to provide 32 million masks, with Japan as the origin and the product specifications being in compliance with the American Society for Testing & Materials F2100 Level 2 standard.

The offered price was in line with the prevailing market price.

The supplier has already delivered the masks in batches to the department and received $97.75 million for the goods.

Before awarding the procurement contract, the GLD had received from the supplier product specification testing reports, production information and letters from manufacturers as proof of compliance with standards and place of origin.

The supplier submitted more product specification testing reports in June and July.

The GLD confirmed with the issuing body that the testing reports were genuine. It did not find any quality problems when conducting random goods inspections in accordance with established procedures.

It subsequently learnt that the 32 million masks delivered under the contract did not fulfil the contract requirements, in that not all of the masks received were from Japan.

The GLD immediately withheld payment of the remaining amount due to the supplier and rescinded the procurement contract.

It will seek to recover all losses and compensation from the supplier.

Additionally, Customs announced it had arrested a 39-year-old trading company director and a 47-year-old logistics company director in relation to the case.

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Michael Burke

EdSource

University of California must suspend all use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions, a judge ruled, siding with attorneys representing students with disabilities who argued that those students have not been able to access the tests during the coronavirus pandemic.

The ruling affects six of UC's nine undergraduate campuses that have gone test-optional, giving students the choice of whether to submit their test scores when they apply.

"There's never been such a thing as a level playing field to admissions for our most underrepresented students, but this ruling at least evened that field a significant bit," said Mark Rosenbaum, a director of the public interest law firm Public Counsel, which is one of the firms representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In May, the system's Board of Regents voted to stop requiring the exams in admissions but allowed campuses to give applicants the option of submitting test scores through fall 2022. Three campuses -- Berkeley, Irvine and Santa Cruz -- decided not to accept test scores at all, while Davis, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Barbara gave students the option to submit them.

In a statement, the UC system said it "respectfully disagrees" with Tuesday's ruling and is "evaluating whether further legal actions are called for." UC added that each campus "carefully assessed" whether to use SAT and ACT scores for fall 2021 and fall 2022.

"University admissions officials and faculty are best positioned to determine appropriate admissions decisions and procedures, taking into account the individual needs and priorities of a particular campus," UC said in the statement, which was attributed both to the Board of Regents and the systemwide president's office.

In a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court, the plaintiffs argued that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted testing locations, many students with disabilities were not able to access suitable testing sites.

The judge, Brad Seligman, agreed and wrote that while COVID-19 has "disrupted the testing process for many students," the barriers facing students with disabilities "are indisputably significantly greater" than those facing non-disabled students.

Seligman issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the UC campuses from using SAT or ACT test results while the lawsuit is ongoing. He scheduled the next court date for Sept. 29.

"Plaintiffs have shown that they are denied meaningful access to the additional 'benefit, aid or service' that the test option affords. Unlike their non-disabled peers, they do not have the option to submit test scores; even if they did, their chances of obtaining necessary test accommodations are virtually non-existent," Seligman wrote.

The ruling does not directly impact the state's other four-year university system, California State University, which decided to go test-optional for the 2021-22 academic year.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs praised Seligman's ruling. The decision "correctly recognized that what the Regents had done was set up a test-optional scheme for students without disabilities," said Rosenbaum.

One student and plaintiff in the lawsuit, identified as "Gary W," has learning disabilities and decided to take a gap year rather than apply to UC campuses. According to the lawsuit, he has faced "formidable barriers to taking the SAT, and has been unable to do so."

If he had been able to take the SAT, or if UC campuses did not accept any test scores, he would have applied, the lawsuit states.

"We are so proud of the courage the student plaintiffs showed by taking on the biggest university system and testing organizations in the country," Abigail Graber, an attorney with the law firm Brown Goldstein & Levy, said in a statement. "We hope the light they and the court have shined on the barriers students with disabilities face will help guide a movement toward inclusive and equitable access to higher education."

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.
Astrazeneca has struck a deal to mass-produce a potential Covid-19 vaccine, as it begins large-scale human trials in the US.

The FTSE 100 drugs firm will pay gene therapy group Oxford Biomedica 15million up front to scale up manufacturing capacity of the vaccine, as it hopes to win fast-track approval in the US, and plans to enrol up to 30,000 test candidates.

Astrazeneca's shot, developed in collaboration with researchers at Oxford University, is one of the most promising vaccinations under way.

Vaccine deal: Astrazeneca will pay gene therapy group Oxford Biomedica 15m up front to scale up manufacturing capacity of the vaccine

Experts hope it will halt the spread of coronavirus, which has already killed more than 850,000 people.

A final-stage trial is in progress in the UK, and reports have emerged that the US may be aiming for approval before the November presidential election.

Astrazeneca's chief executive Pascal Soriot said: 'We are moving quickly but without cutting corners, and regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes this potential Covid-19 vaccine.'

Oxford Biomedica said it expected to receive more than 35million more if the vaccine was successful, as it manufactures large batches of the vaccine until the end of 2021.

Already the UK has bought 100m doses of the vaccines, while the European Union has bought 300m. Astrazeneca shares fell 1.7 per cent, or 143p, to 8197p.
After a lull of nearly five months due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, the implementation of the Parking Management Area Plan (PMAP) is slowly kicking. The training of civic officials to effectively formulate and implement PMAPs has already begun.

Here are six things you need to know about the parking policy and PMAPs.

1.What is Delhis parking policy for?

The parking reforms were notified on September 23, 2019 by the Delhi government as Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Places Rules, 2019, commonly known as parking policy. Under the policy, municipal agencies will make parking management area plans (PMAPs) and regularise haphazard parking in residential as well as market areas. It also recommends a dynamic pricing mechanism for parking in peak and non-peak hours.

2.What is a PMAP?

It is an area-specific solution to streamline vehicular parking in residential and commercial areas. Municipal agencies have been authorised to make parking management area plans with neighbourhood-specific solutions. The PMAP primarily aims at giving priority to pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles and vending zones by improving availability of on-street and off-street parking in any area. In Delhi, these PMAPs are to be developed for almost the entire city by the three civic bodies  North, East and South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

3.Dynamic Pricing Mechanism

Dynamic pricing mechanism aims to motivate people to avoid roadside parking for long durations in market areas. It means that user will have to pay at least double for on-street parking for the first hour as much as off-street (multi-level, stack, cinema, mall) parking. On-street parking fees shall increase exponentially with every hour to discourage long duration.

4. The pilot project

After notification of the parking policy, three areas in south, east and north Delhi were chosen to be developed as model areas. These parking reforms were implemented in Lajpat Nagar-III in south Delhi, Krishna Nagar in east and Kamla Nagar in north Delhi on a pilot basis. Haphazard parking in these areas was regularised and at least one main market street was pedestrianised in Krishna Nagar and Kamla Nagar. However, Karol Bagh market was the first place where PMAP was first implemented in May 2019 even before the policy was approved.

5. Current status of the policy

In June this year, vehicular movement was allowed on pedestrianised stretches in Krishna Nagar, Karol Bagh and Kamla Nagar on traders demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now the Supreme Court has asked civic bodies to present a roll-out plan for the entire city. So the civic bodies have started training its engineers on the modalities of PMAPs and how to implement them in neighbourhoods as part of the new parking policy. Officials are being trained on how to make PMAPs for different localities in a way that they meet parking requirements.

6. The way forward

Now after training the officials, the civic bodies will start consultations with the RWAs and market associations in a fortnight to draw parking management area plans. According to civic officials, the municipalities have to submit PMAPs for areas under their jurisdiction to the Supreme Court by the end of the year. Initially those residential areas would be picked which are located near busy markets and witness spillover of vehicles. Pedestrians facilities will witness a major push under the parking policy.

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The County Commission on Wednesday balked at approving a local builder for a $20 million expansion project at the Silverdale Jail.

It did so after Commissioner Tim Boyd, a veteran in the construction business, said the previous largest job by KTM Builders was a $3.3 million project. He said the firm grew out of the former Keebler Construction and had mostly worked at putting up 19 Hobby Lobby units.

Voting no on approving the low bid of $20,069,078 were Chester Bankston, Katherlyn Geter, Warren Mackey, David Sharpe, Sabrena Smedley and Commissioner Boyd.

In favor were Randy Fairbanks, Chip Baker and Greg Martin.

Commissioner Boyd said, "Hiring them would be like hiring somebody who regularly builds garages on houses to build your whole house. It doesn't make any sense."

He added, "Knowing the limited experience this company has had and the fact they have been 100 percent retail, I could not in good conscience vote to approve this contract for a government building."

Commissioner Smedley had asked for assurances "that this is not going to come back to bite us."

At the close of the session, Mark Keebler, owner of KMT, called in to the Zoom meeting and said his firm was fully qualified to do the work after lining up a number of very capable subcontractors. He said, "We have met with all the major subcontractors and we have a thorough understanding of the project."

He and county officials said the firm had fully bonded the project. Todd Leamon, who heads county public works, said he was confident that the firm could handle the project and said it had been fully vetted.

Ed Jolley, a construction industry veteran, also called in. He said he had worked as the project manager and estimator on the work. He noted that in the past his firm at the time (EMJ) had completed the Hunter Museum expansion though it had never done a museum project before and it built the natatorium at Baylor School though it had not built a pool before.

He said KTM has the experience and the technical ability to build the jail project, and he said he hopes the firm will be given the opportunity to make its case.

Mr. Keebler said he was disappointed that he was not questioned about his firm during the meeting before the vote.

Officials said the next lowest bid was almost $700,000 higher. Path Construction bid $20,735,000. J&J Contractors was at $21.139,750. TriCon bid $21,143,600. Patriot Construction was at $21,927,159.

County officials said they would "regroup" before deciding what step to take next. County Attorney Rheubin Taylor advised that commissioners refrain from commenting further.

The private firm CoreCivic is pulling out of the Silverdale jail effective on the last day of the year, and the Sheriff's Office is taking over while making plans to shut down the downtown jail on Walnut Street.

The project includes new processing and release areas and a new public lobby as well as space to house 128 inmates.

The construction also includes two new covered recreation areas for inmates.

It is hoped to have the project ready by the end of 2022.

Sheriff Jim Hammond said there are also plans for a further "modular-style, cutting edge" expansion at the Silverdale jail. It would be funded by $10 million from an upcoming $80 million county bond issue. It would include a new dorm-style approach with storm-proof steel construction. Natural lighting would take the place of windows.

It would house 320 inmates as well as 16 more in a maximum security section. There would be pods with 32 inmates each.

Officials said TVs and tablets would be provided and steps would be taken to try to keep the inmates as active as possible and provide them with opportunities to better themselves.

The life span on that dorm-style addition "would be essentially endless," it was stated.

Officials said during the height of the coronavirus that the combined population of the two jails got down to the 800s, but now is above 1,100. Sheriff Hammond said he expects that it will still stay below the previous over-crowded levels due to a new focus of issuing citations, a FUSE program designed to keep those with mental issues out of the jail, and other alternative programs.

Coty Wamp, an attorney for Sheriff Hammond, noted that federal judges in recent months had stopped sending inmates to Silverdale. Most have been going to Bradley County.

Federal authorities had been paying $100 per day for housing federal inmates. She said discussions are underway to try to again hold federal inmates and get full payment.

Sheriff Hammond said it is planned to exit the downtown jail as soon as practical. He said he has been advised that the building is so defective that it could not be converted for another use.

The sheriff said efforts are underway to try to sign up current CoreCivic employees to work for the Sheriff's Office. He said the county has higher pay and better benefits. He said some of the workers would be going to other CoreCivic facilities.

He said, "We are asking them to please fill out applications." He said the county has gotten about 80 applications from current CoreCivic employees.

Sheriff Hammond said current county correctional employees would have priority in bidding for higher-level posts, such as corporal.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Executive Summary

The Global HDPE Pipes Market was valued at USD 17,317.50 Million in the year 2019. Growing demand for HDPE pipes for water irrigation systems in agriculture industry coupled with rising sewage disposal infrastructure development across the globe is expected to fuel the demand for HDPE pipes during the forecast period. Additionally, the rise in agricultural and industrial activities and demand for pipeline infrastructure is increasing in oil & gas exploration and production activities which is anticipated to drive the growth of the global HDPE pipes market.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955403/?utm_source=PRN





Most of the projects in China, the US, Germany and South Korea are delayed, and the companies are facing short-term operational issues due to supply chain constraints and lack of site access due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to get highly affected by the spread of the COVID-19 due to the effect of the pandemic in China, Japan, and India.



Plastic pipes and tubes are widely used to supply gases and liquids of all types. Plastics may be preferred over metal due to inherent advantages. They are lighter weight, do not require open flame to join, and they're flexible, which can simplify installation and reduce breaks due to freezing.



The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to grow with a higher CAGR owing to the rapid increase in urbanization, continuous industrial as well as residential construction, and infrastructure development in the region. Additionally, demand for oil and gas exploration and production activities is expected to propel market demand. The region has also witnessed rise in agricultural and industrial activities.



Scope of the Report

 The report analyses the HDPE Pipes Market by value (USD Million) and by volume (Million Tonnes).

 The report analyses the HDPE Pipes Market by Grade type (PE63, PE80, PE100, Others).

 The report assesses the HDPE Pipes market by Application (Wastewater, Oil & Gas, Irrigation, Portable Water, Others).

 The report assesses the HDPE Pipes market by Diameter (Large Diameter Pipes, Small Diameter Pipes).

 The Global HDPE Pipes Market has been analysed By Region (Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA) and By Country (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, India).

 The key insights of the report have been presented through the frameworks of SWOT and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Also, the attractiveness of the market has been presented by region, by Grade type, by application and by diameter. Also, the major opportunities, trends, drivers and challenges of the industry has been analysed in the report.

 The report tracks competitive developments, strategies, mergers and acquisitions and new product development. The companies analysed in the report include China Lesso Group Holdings Ltd., JM Eagle, Blue Diamond Industries, United Poly Systems, WL Plastics, Lane Enterprises, Inc, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Advanced Drainage Systems, Nexam Chemical, Orbia Advance Corporation.

 The report presents the analysis of HDPE Pipes market for the historical period of 2015-2019 and the forecast period of 2020-2025.



Key Target Audience



 HDPE Pipes Vendors

 Consulting and Advisory Firms

 Government and Policy Makers

 Investment Banks and Equity Firms

 Regulatory Authorities



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05955403/?utm_source=PRN



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Halfpricesoft.com is encouraging employers to download and test drive the in-house ezPaycheck software for easy paycheck processing Developers at Halfpricesoft.com are encouraging employers to download and test drive the in-house ezPaycheck software for easy paycheck processing

Paying employees is easy and efficient with the new unique pay rate options included in the updated ezPaycheck payroll software from Halfpricesoft.com. ezPaycheck has made it easy to handle vacation, holiday and leave pay effortlessly.

Developers at Halfpricesoft.com are encouraging employers to download and test drive the in-house ezPaycheck software for easy paycheck processing, said Dr. Ge, the Founder of Halfpricesoft.com.

ezPaycheck software is designed to automate paycheck processing to reduce time spent running payroll. The softwares graphical interface leads users step-by-step through setting up employee information, importing data, calculating payroll - including calculation of federal, state and local taxes; deductions for Medicare, insurance and 401(k) plans; and printing paychecks. Potential customers can download and try this software for at no obligation or cost at https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp.

Small businesses get unique features in the latest release of ezPaycheck payroll software:



Supports daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly payroll periods. Features report functions, print functions, and pay stub functions.

Automatically calculates Federal Withholding Tax, Social Security, Medicare Tax and Employer Unemployment Taxes.

Includes built-in tax tables for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Easily calculates differential pay

Prints miscellaneous checks as well as payroll calculation checks.

Prints payroll checks on blank computer checks or preprinted checks.

Creates and maintains payroll for multiple companies, and does it simultaneously.

Prints Tax Forms 940, 941, W2 and W3 (Please note, preprinted red forms required for Copy A W2 and W3).

Supports multiple accounts at no additional charge.

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Priced at $109 per calendar year (single user version), ezPaycheck payroll software is affordable for any size business. Customers seeking a way to streamline in-house payroll with more accuracy are invited begin the no obligation 30-day test drive at, https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp

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Founded in 2003, Halfpricesoft.com has established itself as a leader in meeting and exceeding the software requirements of small businesses around the US. Halfpricesoft.com is a developer of small business software, including online and desktop payroll software, online employee attendance tracking software, accounting software, in-house business and personal check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software, Accounting software, 1095 ACA form software and ezACH direct deposit software. Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of customers and will help small business owners simplify payroll processing and streamline business management.
Viral footage has emerged of two little boys were overjoyed to see each other again on their first day back to the kindergarten in Shanghai.

They are seen in the video jumping and embracing each other with excitement after being dropped off by their families outside the nursery school that had reopened following the coronavirus outbreak.

Millions of social media users have been amused by the childrens adorable reaction, calling it an example of pure friendship.

Viral footage has emerged of two little boys were overjoyed to see each other again on their first day back to the kindergarten in Shanghai Tuesday following the coronavirus outbreak

The trending footage comes as tens of millions of pupils are returning to the classroom after the Chinese education authorities have hailed the countrys anti-virus efforts a decisive victory.

The clip is said to have been filmed at a kindergarten in Shanghai on Tuesday, the first day of the nursery school welcoming the children back.

One of the boys is seen getting off an electronic bike after being dropped off by his parent.

Thrilled to see his best friend again, the child ran towards the other boy as they hugged each other with excitement.

The 12-second clip has amassed nearly three million views on Twitter-like Weibo after being shared by multiple news outlets today.

Social media users were entertained by the childrens adorable reaction, calling it an example of pure friendship.

The footage comes as tens of millions of pupils are returning to the classroom after the Chinese education authorities have hailed the countrys anti-virus efforts a decisive victory

One commenter wrote: Haha they are so cute! Children are so pure. This has reminded me of my childhood.

Another one replied: Isnt it great to be kids? You would never jump like that once you grow up, no matter how happy you are.

A third netizen said: This is a real example of pure and innocent friendship, so adorable!

The news comes as around 280 million students across China are returning to the campus this month after the Chinese officials gave a go-ahead for most schools in the country to open again.

Xinjiang in north-west China is the only region that has ordered its students to start the school year online after seeing a surge of coronavirus cases in recent months.

Wang Dengfeng, an official leading the anti-virus efforts at the Ministry of Education, said China had achieved a decisive victory against the virus after successfully cutting large-scale transmission and resuming the countrys economy.
We are living in a world filled with uncertainties, where the lack of international cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been a theoretical fear but a tangible reality.



Politicization of issues of public health has not only undermined the global fight against the virus, but caused further anxiety around the world. The withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization was a characteristic example, at a critical juncture. However, the desideratum remains for multilateralism to stay the course.

China and Europe joined hands during the pandemic and attempted to find common ground against a huge threat to public health. This does not mean there aren't marked disagreements.

At some time, for example, EU High Representative Josep Borrell talked about a global battle of narratives. What matters more in today's world is not to cultivate illusions about agreements on all issues among partners, but to forge a good understanding and mutual trust that allows collaboration.

The European tour of Wang Yi occurred in this framework. China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister visited four EU member-states, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands, and one non-EU member-state, Norway, in his first overseas trip after the outbreak of the pandemic.

The Chinese government aims at forging closer ties with European countries at the bilateral level as well as with the EU on the whole. These ties could and should be of a multifaceted nature.

The first priority is the continuous fight against COVID-19. While China has already brought the virus under control, many European countries are struggling to contain the second wave.

Complacency over the level of control of the existing peril before tackling new outbreaks, will further complicate the problem. COVID-19 respects no borders and this is what the experience of the first semester of 2020 suggests.

In a speech Wang Yi gave in Paris, he also talked about the necessity to "strengthen cooperation in the research, development and production of vaccines, drugs and testing reagents."



A branch of the Chinese company FOSUN, for example, has already agreed to deliver 10 million of doses of its German partner's BioNtech potential vaccine to Hong Kong and Macao. In August, the two companies announced the start of trials in line with a strategic development agreement they had signed in March. This is an example of the required collective effort at the private level.

Coordination against COVID-19 starts with public health concerns and expands to economic considerations. China is ahead because it entered recession in the first quarter and returned to growth in the second.

Other countries followed chronologically. The economy of Norway, for instance, suffered a 6.3% contraction in the second quarter, but it rebounded in June as it grew 3.7% in comparison to May. The question is how people-to-people exchanges will return to normalcy with mutually-acceptable hygiene protocols, and whether trade can reach pre-COVID-19 levels.

The recovery of the European economy is significant for China. Wang Yi publicly welcomed the EU recovery fund, a forward-looking initiative that opens for the first time the door for the issuance of common debt  notwithstanding the narrow nature of this issuance.

Of course, difficult discussions are expected on the China-EU Investment Agreement in a period during which Chinese FDI in Europe has already taken a downward trend, partly as a result of the so-called screening mechanism.

Additionally, the visit of Wang Yi in Oslo intensifies efforts for the conclusion of a free trade deal between China and Norway, possibly by the end of the year.



China and the EU countries he visited have different political systems and often see developments from other lenses. This became evident in some of the press conferences given in the last days. Nevertheless, this reality should not hinder their commitment to responding together to global challenges.

Perhaps the best news came from the German foreign minister in Berlin after his meeting with his Chinese counterpart that a decoupling of the relationship between the EU and China would not be in Brussels' interest. This is a clear indication of further advancing the concept of strategic autonomy.

In an uncertain world, Europe's commitment to multilateralism is good for stability and acknowledges China's growing role. Obviously, not all European countries, whether member-states of the EU or not, agree, and sometimes they chart their own foreign policies. But it is the general tendency and most important message of Wang Yi's meetings.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
The World Banks projections indicate that Vietnam could be the fifth-fastest growing economy in 2020. Photo: Le Toan

Spending a few hours walking around in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or any other locality in Vietnam, one cannot help but notice the immense energy and vitality. All streets and corners are bustling with dynamism featured by scooters and cars. People are using smartphones, one of the symbols of Industry 4.0 sweeping through the entire nation. Compared to just a couple of decades ago, Vietnam is now young, growing, and anything feels possible.

Before the Southeast Asian nation was opened to the wider world, Vietnam was one of the poorest in the world. By the mid-1980s, per capita GDP was stuck between $200 and $300. But in 1986, the government introduced the hallmark doi moi featured by a series of economic and political reforms, steering the country to becoming a socialist-oriented market economy.

Vietnam, after two decades of rapid economic growth, is today considered a development success story. Political and economic reforms have transformed Vietnam from one of the poorest nations in the world to a middle-income country within a quarter of a century, states the United Nations Development Programme in its introduction about the country on its website.

Currently, Vietnam is one of the stars of the emerging markets universe. Last year, the countrys GDP was $266 billion, representing a GDP per capita of $2,800, the highest in history. Its total export-import turnover reached $517.26 billion, up $36.7 billion against 2018. The export turnover hit $264.2 billion, up 8.4 per cent on-year, and the import turnover was $253.07 billion, up 6.8 per cent on-year.

Many global groups have set their firm niches in the ASEAN nation, including Samsung, Intel, Honda, Toyota, LG, GE, Cargill, Unilever, and Panasonic. Vietnam has also developed a large number of domestic private groups such as Vingroup, Hoa Phat, TH, Techcombank, VPBank, THACO, and Masan.

Peter Vanham, head of Communications at the Chairmans Office under the World Economic Forum, cited analysts from the World Bank and the United States think tank Brookings Institution as stating that Vietnams economic rise can be explained by many factors such as efforts of the government in reforming the domestic business and investment climate, and trade liberalisation.

Expanding trade

Vietnam has step-by-step expanded its relations with many nations. It has also actively and responsibly partaken in international forums and organisations.

Especially over recent years, the country has successfully negotiated and inked many free trade agreements (FTAs). To date, Vietnam has joined 16 FTAs comprising of seven as a member of ASEAN; five FTAs signed bilaterally with Chile, Japan, South Korea, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the EU (EVFTA); one as a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); and three others currently under negotiations  the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an FTA with the European Free Trade Association, and one with Israel. Moreover, Vietnam is also preparing for negotiations of an FTA with the United Kingdom.

Vietnam has also joined many high-profile forums and organisations such as the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Currently, it is acting as ASEAN chair and is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Its participation in FTAs and international organisations has given Vietnam both opportunities and challenges. Together with the roadmap in implementing its commitments in opening the Vietnamese market wider, the economys sectors/activities, including the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI), have been directly and indirectly impacted by FTAs, Lam Thi Quynh Anh, head of Division under the Office of the Inter-agency Steering Committee for International Economic Integration, told VIR.

According to Anh, FTAs contribute to further increasing trade relations between Vietnam and partners via the removal of trade barriers, which facilitates the attraction of FDI from the partners. With 13 FTAs that have come into force and three others currently under negotiations, Vietnam will have FTA-based relations with nearly 100 partners in the world.

The deals have helped Vietnam strengthen its trade cooperation with many nations, accordingly prompting foreign investors to pay more attention to the Vietnamese market, Anh said. This has opened up big opportunities in investment and business cooperation between Vietnam and foreign investors.

Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that as of August 20, there were 137 nations and territories investing in Vietnam, with total registered capital of $381.16 billion. The leading investment partners are also key trade partners in FTAs that have already taken effect, including South Korea ($70.15 billion), Japan ($60.25 billion), and Singapore ($55 billion).

According to Anh, though commitments in FTAs are largely focused on opening markets for goods via tariff reduction and removal, there are also provisions directly relevant to the opening of the service and investment market and to policies for foreign investors. This is clearly featured in FTAs having been negotiated and inked since 2012, especially new-generation FTAs like the CPTPP and the EVFTA, she said.

Best performer

Since early this year the whole world has been hit seriously by COVID-19, causing disruption in supply and production chains. Given its deep integration with the global economy, Vietnam has been hit hard by the pandemic. Yet, the health impact of the outbreak has not been as severe in Vietnam as in other countries due to proactive measures at the national and subnational levels.

According to analysis from Singapore-based ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), which covers the ASEAN partners of China, Japan, and South Korea, Vietnam is forecast to have the highest growth rate this year and next year, at 3.1 and 7 per cent, respectively, in the region (see box), thanks to the nations effective anti-virus measures and favourable structural economy, as well as skilful macro-monitoring from the government.

Furthermore, despite a serious decline in local production caused by the pandemic, Vietnam is also projected by the World Bank to be one of the fastest-growing nations worldwide in 2020, with the economy forecast to stay among a few nations with positive growth globally.

According to the World Bank, assuming a gradual improvement in the world economy expected to decline by -5.2 per cent this year, Vietnams GDP should rebound in the second half of 2020 so that the economy will grow around 2.8 per cent for the entire year. It should further expand by 6.8 per cent in 2021 (baseline scenario). With less favourable external conditions, the economy will expand by only 1.5 per cent in 2020 and 4.5 per cent in 2021 (downside scenario).

Regardless of scenario, Vietnam is expected to remain one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 2020. This projected performance means that Vietnam would be the fifth-fastest growing country in the world in 2020, said Stefanie Stallmeister, acting country director of the World Bank in Vietnam.

The bank explained that COVID-19 is a health shock that has forced governments around the world to make hard choices between saving lives and economic restrictions. While many countries hesitated in their decision process, Vietnam reacted quickly and boldly. The combination of early measures  targeted testing and tracking as well as innovative information campaigns  has proved to be highly effective.

Also citing the same reason, global data analysts and provider FocusEconomics told VIR in a statement that despite numerous difficulties caused by disrupted production chains due to COVID-19, Vietnam should still be by far the strongest performer in ASEAN thanks in part to a rapid resumption of domestic activity, as well as the effective health response allowed the swift lifting of restrictions from late April. FocusEconomics panellists project the economy will expand 2.7 per cent in 2020, and 7.5 per cent in 2021.
Forgetting to carry cash will no longer be an excuse not to tip, as a cashless tipping app is raising money to expand across the UK and the US.

ThankU, founded by British entrepreneur Adrian Harris, is aiming to pull in around 150,000 from investors to roll out its innovative technology.

Businesses which heavily rely on tipping can apply to get a ThankU microchip which sits in a discreet blue blob on a table, in a wristband, or even in a pair of cufflinks.

Businesses which heavily rely on tipping can apply to get a ThankU microchip which sits in a discreet blue blob on a table, in a wristband, or even in a pair of cufflinks

Customers who download the ThankU app on their smartphone can then tap their phone on the microchip, and choose to pay their server, porter or hairdresser a tip of any amount.

Harris hopes the app can become a vital lifeline for staff who rely on tips to supplement their wages, at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is encouraging many customers to cut down on cash usage.

On a recent trip to the US, Harris went to the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles and asked Frank Boquin, a veteran bell staff who has been working in the industry for more than 40 years, what he thought of the idea behind ThankU.

He said he literally wanted to hug me because he and his colleagues were suffering badly from societys move to cashless, and they had been desperately hoping for something like this to come along, Harris said.

It doesnt cost the business anything to use ThankU, and the app makes its money by charging the customer 10p on top of their tip.

ThankU is run by Harris and his 18-year-old chief technology officer, whom he describes as a tech whizz.
Republican state attorneys general on Wednesday condemned the prolonged violence and unrest gripping cities across the nation and called on Democratic attorneys general as well as Joe Biden to do the same.

The Republican Attorneys General Association noted that Wednesday marks 100 days since violent protests erupted in Portland the day after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, including after Floyd passed out.

Protests in downtown Portland have been ongoing since May 26, the day after Floyds death, and have been consistently followed by nightly criminal activity including assaults on law enforcement officers, destruction of property, looting, arson, and vandalism, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement last month.

Over the last 100 days, we have seen brutal acts of violent crime and arson across the country, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who serves as vice chairman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, said Wednesday.

The Defund the Police movement has emboldened criminals across the nation, and anyone who does not condemn this movement is helping to turn America into a lawless society, Carr continued. We must focus on restoring law and order, ending lawlessness, and ensuring that our neighborhoods are safe.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge agreed and called for seeking unity through civil discourse, not endless civil unrest.

Unfortunately, Democrats have learned nothing from their dangerous push to defund the police as violence and anarchy has continued to run rampant over the last 100 days, Rutledge said. We cannot allow the Democrats to continue to politicize nationwide civil unrest and put Americans in danger.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody warned that Democrats have made clear they will stand by while radicals attack our officers and destroy our cities.

Story continues

As the wife of a law enforcement officer, I know firsthand that these brave men and women put their lives on the line daily to protect our communities, she said. It is unacceptable that the attorney general of any state would stand idly by and watch their own cities burn around them.

After Floyds death, both peaceful protests and rioting broke out in metropolitan areas around the country, and calls emerged to overhaul and defund police departments. In Minneapolis, the city council announced that a veto-proof majority had voted to dissolve the department, a proposal opposed by both the mayor and police chief.

On Monday evening, Portland Police declared a riot after about 200 demonstrators marched to Mayor Ted Wheelers residence to demand that he resign. Rioters broke windows and started a fire in the area.

Several people have died since clashes began between activists and law enforcement as well as counter-protesters, including a pro-Trump demonstrator in downtown Portland who was fatally shot by a suspect who reportedly declared his allegiance to Antifa on social media before the incident. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters who his lawyer claims were part of a mob of that was threatening the teen.

More from National Review
A Freeport man who has spent decades performing as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, including stops across Central Illinois, was arrested Friday on charges related to disseminating a child pornography video, according to officials.

Authorities also charged George Buss, 63, of Freeport, with patronizing a prostitute following a six-month investigation that began in February, according to a police news release. Buss, who police said was arrested at his home, had been scheduled to be part of annual reenactment of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate in Freeport that had been set for Saturday, according to an event organizer.

Most recently, Buss was a featured attraction during a Sister Cities event in September in Decatur involving adults from Seevetal, Germany. He also has made past appearances in Bement, Coles County and McLean County.

Buss was ordered held on $200,000 bond and was being held Monday in the Stephenson County Jail, according to jail records. He appeared in court Monday and was set to appear in court again Sept. 10, according to court records.

The crimes George Buss stands accused of are heinous, state Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said in a statement.

I denounce him in the strongest of terms. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May their voices be heard and may justice be quickly served.

Buss has traveled around the country impersonating Lincoln, including reenactments of the Gettysburg Address at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. In 1994, a series of reenactments including Buss, who started impersonating Lincoln about 30 years ago, was televised on C-SPAN.

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Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Joel Lion and senior diplomats of the Israeli embassy are on an official visit to the city of Uman, the embassy's press service has said.

"The purpose of this visit is to get acquainted with the preparation of the city and the region on the eve of the anticipated Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah," the embassy said.

The delegation of diplomats met with Head of Cherkasy Regional State Administration Serhiy Serhiychuk and Uman Mayor Oleksandr Tsebriy, as well as the heads of the National Police, hospitals and the State Emergency Service. The ambassador also met with representatives of Breslov Hasidism and visited numerous relevant locations in the city.

"It is important to coordinate this issue with local authorities so as to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19 in the city. I appealed to all officials, and I met with them to do everything possible to reduce tensions in the city and to avoid further acts of anti-Semitism," he said.

Due to the danger of the spread of the coronavirus disease, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the decision initiated by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry to restrict foreigners from visiting the city of Uman, Cherkasy region, during this year's Rosh Hashanah celebrations.

The city of Uman, where the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, Rebbe Nachman, was buried, is a site of mass pilgrimage for followers of his teachings. In autumn, 20,000-30,000 pilgrims from different countries come to the city to celebrate the Jewish New Year. In 2020, Rosh Hashanah falls on September 18-20.

op
We figured this out ourselves, said Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, an associate dean at the universitys medical school, who helped devise the program. Federal guidelines were of little use, he said.

Trump administration officials like Adm. Brett P. Giroir, the testing czar and an assistant secretary of health, say they want states and localities to create their own testing plans that fit their specific needs rather than to be forced to follow federal dictates. But many experts complain that the lack of federal decision-making  including how many tests a day the United States should aim for  is an impediment in the nations battle against the virus, which so far has killed more than 184,000 people and infected more than six million.

Lets not just say we are ramping up and hope we get there. Lets have a goal in mind, said Dr. Mark McClellan, the director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under former President George W. Bush. Its not just a matter of getting the tests to market.

In a recent interview, Dr. Bruce J. Tromberg, who directs the N.I.H.s test development program, estimated that the United States needed to test about six million people a day, citing reports by experts at the Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations. Without federal assistance, he said, companies would at best produce only half that number by the end of the year.

The governments purchases of hundreds of millions of tests for nursing homes and other hot spots have helped spur development and manufacturing. The N.I.H. is trying to encourage even more production, Dr. Tromberg said, with grants that have allowed companies to build laboratories and open new manufacturing lines.

Six million daily tests is what we are on the trajectory for, he said.

But in a briefing last month with reporters, Admiral Giroir appeared to contradict that. I am really tired of hearing from people who are not involved in the system that we need millions of tests every day, he said. We are doing the appropriate amount of testing now.
We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief

To keep China in check, Indian Army will continue to maintain aggressive posturing

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: In the wake of China's provocative military manoeuvres to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, it has been decided that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing.

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh who left for Russia today had on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in Eastern Ladakh. Singh headed a high powered meeting of the China Study Group to review the situation.

Sources tell OneIndia that during the meeting it was decided that the Indian Army would continue to maintain aggressive posturing to deal with any misadventure by China. The Indian Army has also bolstered its presence around the southern bank area of Pangong Tso.

High powered group comprising Doval meets, analyses evolving situation with China

The meeting was also attended by External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General M M Naravane.

While additional troops have been deployed, it was also decided to bring in more weaponry like anti-tank guided missiles and tanks. Meanwhile, the Brigade commander level talks between India and China is taking place today.

All eyes would be on Singh's Russia visit where he would attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Defence Ministers' meeting. However, news agency while quoting sources said that there is no meeting of Singh with his Chinese counterpart that has been scheduled.
Shippensburg on Tuesday became the third Cumberland County municipality to extend discrimination protection to its LGBT community.

In a 5-1 vote, the Shippensburg Borough Council, which met on Zoom, adopted an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance that grants explicit protections to LGBT individuals with regards to employment, housing and public accommodations.

The ratification makes Shippensburg the 59th municipality in Pennsylvania to enact local protections for LGBT people. Carlisle and Camp Hill also have similar laws in its ordinance code. Shippensburg technically straddles two counties, making it the first Franklin County town to enact such a law.

We are extremely proud of Shippensburg Borough Council for taking clear action to protect LGBT individuals in their community from discrimination, said Jason Landau Goodman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, and advocacy group that has been pushing for similar nondiscrimination ordinances statewide.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the northeast that does not have statewide LGBT nondiscrimination protections. Local jurisdictions, however, have enacted laws. In recent years, advocates have pressed the General Assembly to pass legislation providing discrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals.

It is long overdue for the state to take action, Goodman said. In the meantime, Shippensburg joins other communities in sending a lightning rod to Harrisburg to pass comprehensive LGBT nondiscrimination protections, and paves the way for additional ordinances in small town Pennsylvania to be adopted.

Shippensburg last year became the latest backdrop for the perennial debate over such nondiscriminatory laws after a borough landlord refused to rent an apartment to a gay couple.

Michael Bugbee, then a 27-year-old student studying communications and sociology, was told he and his husband would have to find another place to live because they were gay. They encountered similar discrimination at other times.

Discrimination based on my sexual orientation almost left me without a place to live. This situation should not have legally been allowed to happen, said Bugbee, who remains enrolled at Shippensburg University and has taken an active role to push for reform. Shippensburg Borough Council has now taken the necessary action to make sure what happened to me doesnt happen to anyone again in our town.

Council president Bruce Hockersmith, vice-president Mitchell Burrows, and council members Josefine Smith, John Alosi, and Sandy Mailey voted in favor; Keith Swartz was the sole vote in opposition.

It is the intention of this ordinance that all individuals be treated fairly and equallythe saying it takes all kinds tells us that regardless of the personality we should be able to accept everyone for who they are, and deal with everyone without discrimination, Hockersmith said.

The ordinance takes effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

The push for statewide non-discrimination legislation has repeatedly run into opposition from conservative interests, including the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a statewide conservative-leaning pro-family group based in Harrisburg.

The organization argues that such a law would make it illegal for churches, schools and other organizations to limit their hiring practices to employing people who share their views on human sexuality and marriage. Further, they argue it would impact privacy rights by opening up restrooms, showers and locker rooms to the opposite biological sex in schools, workplaces and in public accommodations.

At the federal level, the seemingly divided U.S. Supreme Court has struggled to rule whether a key provision of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons. But in June, SCOTUS ruled in the so-called Bostock case, handing down what is widely considered to be a sweeping decision affirming that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a form of sex discrimination that violates federal law. The ruling applies to all places of employment, not just federal. Experts consider the scale and scope of this decision potentially akin to what Brown v. Board of Education did for school desegregation.

Gettysburg is expected to adopt a similar LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in the near future.

This story has been updated to correct the county in which Shippensburg resides; and to clarify the Bostock ruling.

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Zain Bahrain, a leading telecommunication operator in the kingdom, has commenced its Summer Internship Programme for a cohort of 8 University students from Bahrain University and Ahlia University.

Part of Zain Bahrains Youth Empowerment programme, the annual summer internship provides working exposure to Bahraini students for two months and is designed in coordination with the department heads to address existing business challenges.

Through the Youth Empowerment programme, Zain Bahrain aims to empower Bahraini youth with the latest skill combination to create a competitive workforce that is needed for the future market.

The interns currently studying Information Systems, Mobile & Network Engineering and Computer Science at the Universities will go through an intensive training programme leveraging on Zain Bahrains internal expertise that will elevate their skills as well as train them to become successful account managers in the future.

However, due to the Covid 19 situation, the 2020 Summer Internship Programme is being administered entirely online. During the two- month internship, the students will work with a dedicated mentor from different Teams during this mentorship, interns will learn more about corporate sales techniques, corporate customer services and other related techniques, and moreover, they will be involved in Community Engagement & Sustainability.

Virtual internship is a first for us and we are working towards ensuring that the interns are still going to have a meaningful work experience. Our focus through the internship programme is mainly to contribute to the development of Bahraini youth. Over the course of the summer, our eight interns will be gaining a hands-on work experience in the corporate world, sharing their talents and perspectives with us, and conceptualising their future in the working world.

"While devising the internship, we always keep in mind that we are not just providing mundane training, but building future leaders and change makers. We take pride in our commitment towards youth empowerment and ensure that our programmes prepare a generation that is ready for labour market opportunities thereby contributing to Bahrains Vision 2030, said Dana Bukhammas, Director Human Resources, Zain Bahrain.

Commenting on the summer internship, one of the interns, Abdulla, a University of Bahrain graduate said: I am delighted to have been given an opportunity to intern with Zain Bahrain. This is a steppingstone in my career and will help me develop my skills and knowledge in the field of telecom. So far, despite the market situation, we have managed to be positively involved and our mentors have ensured that we have a fulfilling experience.

The training programme is in line with the companys strategy and is a key pillar in contributing to the society and goal of embedding a socially responsible culture through Zain Bahrains operations in general.

To be eligible for Zain Bahrains Youth Empowerment Summer Internship Programme, students must be of Bahraini nationality, aged between 19 and 24 and should be in their second year of university onwards or a diploma holder.

The application period is closed for the 2020 Summer internship season. -- Tradearabia News Service
They located a vehicle  the make and model of which had not been released early Wednesday  in a grassy embankment on the left side of the interchange, she said. Authorities did not identify the man, but the Cook County medical examiners office said he was 25 and from Chicago.
Jared Keith Hodgson is from Conder in south Canberra

A drunk tradie who led police on a high-speed car chase claims he was forced to drive home because he ate a curry so spicy it made him poo his pants.

Jared Keith Hodgson, from Conder in south Canberra, told the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday that he was at a friend's place when he was served a spicy curry.

The 30-year-old panel beater said he does not usually eat spicy foods and 'defecated myself at her house,' The Daily Telegraph reported.

He also claimed he had three beers before dinner and two more as he ate the hot meal.

Court documents showed that Hodgson sped down both lanes of Ashley Drive in Gowrie in his Mitsubishi Lancer before he caught the attention of police.

Officers hit speeds of 130km/h during the chase and believe the tradesman drove faster.

After speeding through a roundabout Hodgson crashed into a gutter and careered through a traffic island, leaving a trail of skidmarks.

He then stopped for police on Ellerston Ave Isabella Plains.

The 30-year-old panel beater (pictured) told the court he does not usually eat chili and defecated himself at friend's house

Court documents said: 'The defendants eyes were bloodshot and glassy, he was unsteady on his feet, slurring his words, smelt strongly of intoxicated liquor and had defecated himself.'

When breathalysed, Hodgson blew 0.145 - six times the legal limit.

He pleaded guilty to driving unregistered, unlicensed and uninsured, as well as mid-range drunk driving and negligent driving.

Magistrate Margaret Hunter said the decision to drink drive 'had nothing to do' with soiling himself.

She added: 'His behaviour in terms of his driving was clearly a result of his intoxication.'

He was convicted, fined $1,600 and banned from driving for three months.
By Sam Richards

Bay City News Foundation

MARTINEZ (BCN)

Fadhila Holman's roots in Martinez run deep -- members of her family were there literally at the beginning.

"Don Ygnacio Martinez was my great-great-great grandfather, and Martinez was named for him," said Holman, who lived in Martinez for many years herself.

And she will soon be working in Martinez -- again -- as the CEO of the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union, which has bought the former Union Bank building at Main and Ferry streets and will move its headquarters and loan center from Berkeley in early 2021, she said.

The credit union recently sold its headquarters building on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley to the affordable housing builder Resources for Community Development, which plans to build the 87-unit Maudelle Miller Shirek Community building on that site next year.

The credit union, Holman said, then set about looking for a new, smaller home. At least 25 were considered, she said; the former Chevy's restaurant in Richmond's Hilltop neighborhood was almost chosen, but ultimately rejected (that building was destroyed by fire shortly afterward, in June).

The Martinez location, Holman said, will bring the credit union closer to more of its members, who over time have "migrated" from Berkeley and environs north along Interstate Highway 80 toward Vallejo, and along state Highway 4 into Martinez, Concord and eastern Contra Costa.

"We're seeing our members work in the Berkeley area, but they increasingly do not live in that area," Holman said.

Cooperative Center FCU won't leave Berkeley entirely, with a new Berkeley branch location planned at 3015 San Pablo Ave.

The move is also expected to bolster downtown Martinez, which before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March had been experiencing an increase in businesses (especially restaurants and microbreweries) opening.

"We are getting a new tenant with 20 full-time employees taking over a vacant building, which will add to the vibrancy of downtown and provide an economic boost to our businesses," said Mayor Rob Schroder, who owns an insurance business down the street from the soon-to-be credit union building.

"We are also welcoming a community and civic-minded organization with a rich tradition of providing socially responsible banking services to individuals who may not be able to otherwise receive loans at reasonable terms from larger banks," Schroder said.

Before her current stint with Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union, Holman was CEO of the former California Pacific Federal Credit Union that served the former Tesoro refinery in North Concord, and was heavily involved with both the Martinez Chamber of Commerce and the downtown business group Main Street Martinez.

She also helped create the "King of the County BBQ Challenge" competition that draws thousands to Waterfront Park over a weekend each June.

"I don't think you can find a warmer community than Martinez," Holman said.

The credit union's soon-to-be new home was, starting in the 1890s, the Bank of Martinez, the first chartered in Contra Costa County. It was destroyed in a 1904 fire, and damaged in the big San Francisco earthquake two years later. More recently, after some exterior remodeling, the building had been the Union Bank of California, which left a few years ago.

Inside the building, now undergoing renovation, are sections of decorative railing/fencing with a stylized Bank of Martinez "BM" logo from many decades previous. Holman said some Bank of Martinez "branding" figures to be part of the finished design.

Charles Gray of TruEdge Builds, a Folsom-based general contractor that works with credit unions, said the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union project will mix the historical with the modern.

"There's a lot to work with here," said Gray, who noted some concessions to modernity, like fire sprinklers, will be required. When asked whether any surprises have come up during demolition work, Gray said, "Not yet, but they will -- they always do."

Holman said the building will definitely have a more modern feel than it used to, "and we have to figure out a way to effectively use the space."

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.
Fish invasions follow Panama and Suez canal expansions

World maritime trade grows each year, aided by canal waterways that connect oceans and reduce shipping time, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Following recent expansions of the Panama and Suez canals, non-native fish species are invading new habitats according to a new report in Nature Ecology and Evolution by researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and the Leibnitz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Germany.

"We're seeing a shift from predominantly freshwater fishes to marine fishes in the Panama Canal (Lake Gatun) in a short period of time," said Mark Torchin, STRI marine ecologist. "The concern is that if fish invasions continue there is a good chance of some of those fishes moving into the other ocean, with unknown environmental consequences."

Larger locks to allow transit of NeoPanamax vessels (NeoPanamax refers to ships too big to pass through the original 1914 locks) through the Panama Canal were finished in 2016. Expansion of the Suez Canal to include a new, 35-kilometer channel concluded in 2015.

"During the planning phases of both projects, researchers warned about the risks of expanding these two canals," said Gustavo Castellanos-Galindo, postdoctoral fellow at STRI and guest scientist at ZMT. "This report documents those changes in real time."

Only four years after the Panama Canal expansion, long-term monitoring recorded the presence of 11 new marine fish species in Lake Gatun, which has served as a freshwater barrier to movement of marine fauna between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans since the canal opened in 1914. This takes the total number of marine fish species known from in the lake from 18 to 29. Marine fishes such as jacks, snooks, mojarras and ladyfish have entirely replaced freshwater fishes in some parts of the lake.

Salinity in the lake increased, although the cause has not yet been determined. Possibilities include increased ship traffic and lock usage and the new locks' design, which incorporates recirculation of some lockage water.

"These marine fish invasions are an early warning sign of what could happen if no corrective measures are taken," Castellanos-Galindo said. "Along both coasts of Panama there are hundreds of fish species that could tolerate the conditions of an even slightly brackish canal. We don't know what the ecological and socioeconomic consequences of these fishes crossing the canal to either the Pacific or the Atlantic would be."

"We can document the Panama Canal invasions because we have good, standardized and quantitative pre-expansion data," said D. Ross Robertson, STRI ichthyologist. "We need to get back out there to collect more data to find out exactly what is going on and to provide the science that will help policy makers mitigate the potential impact. This is a really good example of how the pandemic has interrupted field work with important implications for environmental decision making."

Whereas the barrier to fish crossing from ocean to ocean in Panama is a freshwater lake, in the Suez waterway, the Bitter Lakes were originally saltier than the Mediterranean and Red Sea, which also limited species movement. Nonetheless, throughout the history of the Suez Canal, more than 400 non-native animal species, including more than 100 species of marine fishes from the Red Sea, have entered the Mediterranean. With canal expansion, increased water flow diluted the lakes and eight new fish species entered the Mediterranean during the past five years.

Because fees for shipping through the canals account for roughly 10% of the gross domestic product in Panama and in Egypt, there is an economic incentive to continue to increase shipping traffic through the canals. The authors suggest creative, science-based solutions to limit environmental and socioeconomic damage. They propose that the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) may provide the ideal opportunity for ensuring that the canals are included in international maritime policy to limit the environmental and economic impacts of invasive species. In addition, because policy changes can take a long time to implement, they also suggest that the shipping industry could proactively address this issue.

The UN agency responsible for sustainable shipping, the International Maritime Organization, has implemented guidelines and obligations to reduce the spread of non-native species through ballast water--but they do not apply specifically to the canals.

In the case of the Suez Canal, it may be possible to use the hypersaline effluent from desalinization plants to make the Bitter Lakes saltier again, with the caveat that this alternative should be studied carefully before implementing. In both cases, sophisticated monitoring tools--using DNA in water samples to generate lists of the species detected and using sound to detect invaders, may help to catch invaders early before they establish large populations. Technology may also be put to work to directly address invasion by means of acoustic and/or electric barriers to deter invaders.

The authors hope that all of the stakeholders will recognize the importance of having the best scientific data in hand as they design new policy and mitigation measures.

###

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The institute furthers the understanding of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Promo video.

Castellanos-Galindo, G.A., Robertson, D.R. and Torchin, M.E. 2020. A new wave of marine fish invasions through the Panama and Suez Canals. Nature Ecology and Evolution.

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has said she will not be supporting the government's Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 which is due to come before the Dail this week.

The Bill was introduced by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee late last week and outlined new garda powers to close premises breaching public health guidelines for up to 30 days. It also stipulated that those premises could then have their licence renewal applications objected too.

Deputy Nolan was speaking ahead of a press event at Leinster House on Wednesday which is being organised by the Rural Independent Group, of which she is a member.

There was unanimous agreement by all members of our Rural Independent Group that the Bill far exceeds what can be described as a proportionate and reasonable response to limiting the spread of Covid-19," Deputy Nolan said.

READ NEXT: 21 pubs and restaurants found in breach of public health measures last week

"I simply do not believe that the use of threats and criminal sanctions is the way we should be approaching this issue.

"For one thing it clearly creates the impression that publicans and restaurant owners are such dangerous and reckless members of the community that they require extraordinary and exceptional powers to force them to comply with the Covid regulations and guidelines.

"If anything, the vast majority of these types of businesses have gone the extra mile in ensuring that the highest safety standards have been employed, often at significant cost.

"And what has been the government's response to this, but to introduce closure orders and criminal penalties.

"This is not the kind of collaboration and reciprocal respect that we need to see, and which has a much greater chance of being effective at preventing the spread of the disease because it ensures greater levels of public support," Deputy Nolan commented.

"Irish people and Irish businesses do not need the government standing over them with a big stick in order for them to be responsible.

"We have already demonstrated the reality of that in Laois-Offaly. Our communities saw what had to be done, and even if they did not like it, they got on with it and it worked, without a Bill of this severity being in place.

"There are also substantial and very real conflicts within the proposed Bill in terms of protecting the sanctity of the home and the kind of far-reaching powers that the Bill would confer on the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice.

"These are concerns shared by the gardai who feel that many aspects of the Bill may simply be unenforceable. They also feel that significant damage may be done to the policing by consent model that operates here in this State.

"I will be urging the government, along with all of my Rural Independent Group colleagues, to withdraw the Bill and to adopt a more nuanced and respectful approach; one which treats ordinary people and small business owners as responsible adults rather than potential criminals, concluded Deputy Nolan.
5 continents, 200 countries, 2000 cable systems, 500 million admirers; this globetrotting, Buddhist quoting, loveable international real estate expert, Tom John Light revealed 3 secrets behind the success of FTV Branded Residencies  the epitome of luxury and stylish living.

Thinking outside the box and manifesting quirky ideas that leave even the top names in the fashion industry speechless are just some of the many reasons this brand has been so successful. In a recent conversation, Tom revealed three secrets behind the success and popularity of the FTV branded residences.

Tom John Light

Q: Hello Tom, please share what differentiates FTV Residences from other real estate players?

A: FTV residencies cater to an upmarket rich and famous clientele with very few competitors attempting to infiltrate the market; they offer eco-friendly alternatives while increasing aesthetic appeal.

Q: FTV Residences has a global presence, which is your pet project?

A: The Fashion Diamond Cabanas project currently being penned in Bali is truly unique, never been done or seen before concept. The diamond itself, which is the building's outer shell, has to be seen to be believed; amongst its vast jaw-dropping features is a zero percent energy consumption design.

Q: What are some of the distinct features of FTV Residences?

A: The project currently being undertaken in India is awe-inspiring; featuring the signature diamond right at the entrance, double-height lobbies, designer elevators, a fully-loaded clubhouse, grand swimming pool, and an exclusive sky lounge overlooking the world-famous Buddh International Grand Prix racetrack; which means you can watch the racing while sitting at the breakfast bar.

Q: Tell us more about FTV Residences.

A: Other buildings splashed with brilliance include: The Schumacher Tower, The Armani Tower, The Trump Tower, and The Porsche Tower, which includes a unique car parking system; drivers ride up to the elevator in their car and are transported into their own personal garage adjacent to their own apartment. The building has three elevators to take cars to their personal garages and cost roughly $560 million to build.

Story continues

Having satisfied the artistic side of the package, the human calculators only concerned with facts and figures must surely be considering how all this indulgence accomplishes balancing the books? Consider this below:

The FTV brand will help the property sell quicker.

The FTV brand will increase the value of the real estate, which, in turn, allows developers to acquire prime locations.

Each location mixes high-end living with mental wellness.

Q: What is your driving force?

A: I work with love and passion, and my team shares the same passion for creating LOVE through design, always ready to showcase their vast talents to a world desperate to lower carbon footprint without forgoing luxury.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 15:32:35|Editor: huaxia

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Students take lessons at a female public school in Tripoli, Libya, on Sept. 1, 2020. Most of high schools in Libya reopened on Monday for the new semester with precautionary measures against COVID-19 as authorities plan to reopen all schools by the end of this year. (Photo by Nada Harib/Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Most of high schools in Libya reopened on Monday for the new semester with precautionary measures against COVID-19 as authorities plan to reopen all schools by the end of this year.

Adel Juma, undersecretary of the Education Ministry of the UN-backed government, said that although limited COVID-19 cases have been recorded in schools, the purpose of opening schools is to provide a chance for students to complete the school year, particularly for high school students, who constitute the largest segment of students in the country.

According to Juma, returning to school this year is optional for students and they can choose whether to go back to school or not.

Ahmad Masoud, head of the National Center of Examinations of the Education Ministry, said that all protective measures have been taken to reopen schools, including providing sanitizers, face masks and thermometers to teachers and students alike.

Fat'hi al-Hariri, principal of a secondary school for girls, said that reopening schools this year is a challenge for authorities.

"Everyone knows that the number of (COVID-19) cases have increased significantly. Despite the challenges, the Ministry of Education has provided all medical supplies," al-Hariri said.

He added that in order to keep a proper physical distance at school, they plan to reduce the number of students in all classrooms by half.

Sarah Ali, a high school student, said she is happy to return to school.

"We had fears of missing out on a school year. However, after returning today there is hope for completing the school year and taking final exams," she told Xinhua.

Ali said that she doesn't worry too much about the virus as long as everyone wear face masks and use hand sanitizers.

Libya has reported 13,966 COVID-19 cases with 237 deaths, according to the National Center for Disease Control.

To curb the spread of the pandemic, Libya has taken a series of precautionary measures, including closing its borders, shutting down schools and mosques, banning public gatherings and imposing curfews. Enditem
The Queensland government is working on two separate business cases for futuristic 160km/h Fast Rail links in the state's south-east.

The first business case is a proposed link between Maroochydore and Nambour on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Fast Rail links between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane and the Gold Coast are now being evaluated.

The second proposes a link between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Under the Fast Rail concept, conventional trains with modifications would traverse railway tracks at speeds up to 160km/h, similar to Queenslands Tilt Train speeds.
??Ahora | Ministra de Economia y Finanzas, Maria Antonieta Alva, junto al titular de @pcmperu, Walter Martos, sustentan en el @congresoperu los proyectos de ley de Presupuesto, de Endeudamiento y de Equilibrio Financiero del Sector Publico para el ano fiscal 2021.#Presupuesto2021 pic.twitter.com/r8PrFuwdTP
Hundreds of Connecticut state troopers voted that they have no confidence in the leadership of Gov. Ned Lamont, according to a letter from the state police unions leadership.

The vote produced similar results of no confidence in Commissioner James C. Rovella of the Department of Emergency Services, the state agency that oversees the force, and Lt. Col. John Eckersley.

Eckersley oversees the departments field operations.

When political appointees fail to make the safety of our members and the public their top priority, failed to preserve the history of the State Police, or make decisions based on preserving their own position, then we cannot in good conscience support them, union president John Castiline wrote in a letter Tuesday.

We are troopers and we will fight back when treated with disrespect, he added.

The governors office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Rovellas office and Eckersley also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The vote comes after the union, which represents some 850 state troopers, criticized the leaderships handling of Trooper Matthew Spina.

The trooper was removed from working with the public and placed under investigation after a video of him berating a motorist in an expletive-laced rant on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven was posted on YouTube.

In July, the Hartford Courant reported the unions plan to hold a vote of no confidence. A letter obtained by the newspaper provided Spinas treatment as an example of grievances against the departments current leadership.

Out of 707 members whose votes were qualified, 687 voted no confidence in the governors leadership, according to the results of the vote.

Rovella received 681 votes of no confidence from troopers, Eckersley received 682.

The state police union also sued the state over the police accountability law signed by the governor in the wake of protests over the killing of George Floyd.

The suit claims the laws mandates for the release of public records runs counter to the most recent state police collective bargaining agreement, which allows troopers to prevent their personnel records from being released to the public.
These technologies have the power to solve countless collective action problems that plague our society. The industrial applications of blockchain are enormous and represent a huge market that has been relatively neglected in favor of trendier but less transformational end-user applications.

Mavennet Systems Inc., Canadian leader in blockchain and Artificial Intelligence enterprise solutions, today announced its new position as the technical lead of the global ITEA 3 I-DELTA consortium. The consortium also includes Ryerson Universitys Cybersecurity Research Lab, headed by Professor Atefeh Mashatan.

The ambitious multinational project aims to make distributed ledger technologies more accessible by blending existing public and enterprise IT systems with next-generation blockchain technology. The move will help organizations across the world seamlessly collaborate on a scale that simply isnt possible using todays legacy systems.

I am truly excited and honored that the consortium has placed its trust in Mavennet to take the lead on this technical feat. This is a great recognition of all the hard work and infrastructure weve created in recent years to enable the mainstream production of large-scale blockchain implementations, said Patrick Mandic, CEO of Mavennet. As the technical lead, Mavennets first step will be to identify core intellectual property (IP) building blocks provided by our consortium partners and enhance their collaborative value through an interoperability framework. Our initial goal is to connect the currently-siloed identity, data, payment and transaction solutions throughout the supply chain, smart grid, smart city and loyalty verticals and facilitate market adoption. We believe this strategy will showcase the highly-tangible near-term benefits of increased blockchain collaboration.

The I-DELTA consortium has a strong starting point, as it will leverage its members substantial portfolios of existing blockchain work, including research, commercial projects and tools. These resources will then be used to forge seamless interoperable solutions that will benefit both consortium members and the broader global community.

The I-DELTA consortium is intended to run for three years, with aggregate funding of up to 7.6 million Euros (CAD$12 million).

The main goal of ITEA is to leverage advancements in software innovation to create impact for companies and countries across the globe, says Zeynep Sarlar, chairwoman of ITEA. We believe international collaboration will help us realize this mandate in a timely and efficient manner. Adding the technical knowledge of Canadian SMEs into global industrial solutions is both inspiring and very much in line with ITEAs purpose.

These technologies have the power to solve countless collective action problems that plague our society. The industrial applications of blockchain are enormous and represent a huge market that has been relatively neglected in favor of trendier but less transformational end-user applications, says Mandic. New paradigms need new coordination mechanisms and were grateful for the support offered by ITEA 3 and the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) in making I-DELTA possible. NRC IRAPs advisory services and funding were critical in helping us drive this multinational project with Ryerson University. This support it has enabled us to demonstrate Canadas world-class distributed ledger technology (DLT) domain expertise and its leadership position in regards to applied innovation.

About Mavennet Systems Inc.

Mavennet Systems Inc. is a Canadian solutions architect that builds scalable, interconnected blockchain solutions for private enterprises. Through leading solutions like QCAD, MetalTrail and Neoflow, Mavennet is helping companies realize impactful blockchain opportunities through accessible technology offerings, best-in-class implementation and top-tier support services. To learn more about what were doing to accelerate the adoption of blockchain and AI, visit http://www.mavennet.com.

About ITEA 3

ITEA is the Eureka Cluster program for software innovation, enabling a large international community to collaborate in funded projects that turn innovative ideas into new businesses, jobs, economic growth and benefits for society. It covers a wide range of business opportunities facilitated by digitization, like smart mobility, healthcare, smart cities and energy, manufacturing, engineering and safety & security. ITEA pushes important technology fields like artificial intelligence, big data, simulation and high-performance computing into concrete business applications. ITEA is open to large industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, academia and customer organizations. Its bottom-up project creation ensures that the project ideas are industry-driven and based on actual customer needs. For more information, visit https://itea3.org.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Its good to be back.

That was the statement a handful of dedicated gym members said as they walked through the doors of Retro Fitness in New Dorp.

Gyms in New York City, shuttered since March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, were officially allowed to reopen Wednesday with new protocols in place.

I decided to go to opening day at my gym to check out the new protocols. Some people on social media said theyd be there when it first opened at 4 a.m., but Im not at that level of commitment. I strolled in around 9:30 a.m. with my face mask secured and waited on a short line that had stickers on the floor to mark social distance boundaries.

After five minutes, I was at the counter with my phone out to scan a QR code. The code led to a website that prompted a short check-in questionnaire. The prompts asked if I had traveled or been exposed to COVID-19 in any way. After answering the questions and scanning my membership barcode, I was free to go inside. No temperature checks were conducted and the gym did not request members to make appointments. After working out, people were asked to sign out using their membership barcode before they left the building.

I noticed every other treadmill in the facility was marked unavailable to maintain social distance in the cardio section. Members were reminded to wipe down every piece of equipment after they were done using it.

Some people went so far as to skip the machines they intended to use if they saw someone using one nearby. The staff, who seemed happy to have members back in their gym, walked around sanitizing machines as members left them.

Those who worked out Wednesday morning while I was there kept their mask on with the occasional few who lowered it to catch their breath on the treadmill or stationary bike. Once they were off the machines, I noticed they pulled them back up.

Did that make me comfortable? Not exactly, but according to state guidance, individuals are permitted to temporarily remove their face covering while eating or drinking, as long as they maintain six feet of distance from others. Thankfully, there were a lot of machines open and I was much further than six feet away, so my workout went as planned.

Pro-tip: Come prepared with a second mask for after your workout. I went in knowing I would sweat all over my mask, so I disposed of it in the bathroom, wiped my face with a towel I brought from home and put on another mask to exit the facility.

After seeing how the first day went, I felt assured that the gym has the right measures in place to make it as clean and safe as possible. Just remember to wipe down any piece of equipment you use -- before and after you put your hands on it.

For more updates, and coverage of Staten Island news, follow @siadvance on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The coronavirus vaccine effort led by the World Health Organization (WHO) will not be working with the U.S., the White House said Tuesday.

WHO is leading in the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, but the U.S. believes multilateral groups will constrain it.

First reported by The Washington Post, this decision follows the White House's decision to pull the U.S. out of the WHO in early July. Trump claims the WHO is heavily influenced by China.

Some nations chose to work directly in securing supplies of coronavirus vaccines, while others pooled efforts to ensure success against the disease. The COVID-19 Global Access Facility, or COVAX, is set up by more than 150 countries.

That effort will allow nations to take advantage of a portfolio of potential vaccines to ensure that their citizens are quickly covered by whichever ones will be found effective.

Even governments having dealt with individual vaccine makers can benefit from joining COVAX, WHO said in an ABC article. Backup vaccines can be available to them if their own drug makers are unsuccessful.

U.S. Decision Baffles Health Experts

According to The Hill, choosing to opt-out of COVAX can be "a gamble" for the White House. It could mean the U.S. will be left behind if another country developed the first viable vaccine candidate.

Almost every nation in the world had been in initial talks on the COVAX project involving the WHO, the European Union, Germany, Japan, and several major nongovernmental organizations.

The COVAX plan, co-led with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, was of interest to some members of the White House. It was also backed by traditional allies of the U.S. like Japan, Germany, and the European Commission.

Some health and medicine professors have also found this decision troubling.

Georgetown University professor, Lawrence Gostin, said the U.S. is "taking a huge gamble" by this strategy. So did Kendall Hoyt for Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, who said the move was like opting out of an insurance policy.

For Hoyt, the U.S. could have taken part in COVAX and pursued bilateral deals with drug companies. This act would increase the odds of them having the first safe vaccine.

U.S. in COVAX Could Affect Other Nations Too

The decision that the U.S. made will also shape what happens in other parts of the world. The idea behind COVAX is to discourage hoarding and to focus on vaccinating high-risk people in every country first.

Experts said this kind of strategy could lead to better health outcomes and lower costs.

According to Forbes, the European Commission confirmed Monday that it would contribute 400 million euros ($478 million) to COVAX, and Germany has also joined the pact, said the WHO.

There have been dozens of experimental coronavirus vaccines, and a dozen of them have gone through human testing. It is the last and biggest hurdle in the fight against COVID-19, and, right now, they are looking for proof that they really work.

On Monday, Astra Zeneca announced Monday that its vaccine candidate had entered the last testing stage in the U.S. They said their study would involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial-ethnic and geographic groups.

Check these out!

COVID-19 Now Third Leading Cause of Death in US

Only 18% of Moderna COVID Vaccine Trial Participants are Latino, Black, Indigenous People

FDA Puts Emergency Approval for Blood Plasma as COVID-19 Treatment on Hold
Boys who had just graduated from high school  the classes of 41-44  died in North Africa, in the mountains of Italy and on the coral reefs at Tarawa. Death-by-telegram came knocking at your neighbors door, if not yours.

From our seats in 2020, we know how this Second Act ends. Weve seen the movie; its no surprise that Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains team up in the fog at the Casablanca airfield. But for those who tell of it  who survived the Second World War  the end of their second act was never scripted.

Three and a half years after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Allies had ended the Nazi reign, razed city after city, killed many Germans and exposed the barbarity of National Socialism. For millions, V-E Day  May 8, 1945  was a dream come true, a joyful roar in a grand moment for humanity, a day of parades and peaceful flyovers with sailors kissing nurses in the streets.

If only V-E Day had been the conclusion to Act II. But to the thousands of Americans still slugging it out in the Pacific Theater (and their families back home), V-E Day warranted but a few paragraphs in Stars and Stripes, the armed forces newspaper. There was, still, a war going on in places with more of the unfamiliar names Americans had to search out in the World Atlas, more tiny specks of black ink in a blue map. Where, exactly, is Okinawa? Why is there a battle at some place called Balikpapan?

For the duration muted the ebullience of V-E Day, even as magazines and newspapers carried ads for TVs and new fashions. War bonds were still being advertised to Help Finish the Job! opposite pages with a puff piece extolling the charms of a recent debutante. Pretending the war was over was imagining it would miraculously disappear.

In the winter of 1944 and 45 and spring of 45, Americas new B-29 bombers dropped incendiaries on Japanese cities that ignited maelstroms of fire, burning to death thousands of men, women and children in hellscapes straight out of Dante. Plans for the invasion of Japan had been drafted that would dwarf the D-Day landings at Normandy the previous spring. American troops  many of them veterans from the battlefields of Europe  were being assembled on the West Coast. As late as the first week of August 1945, the end of World War II was but a patch of clear sky on the horizon. From hell to heaven in 47? Maybe.

Without notice, in a moment beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, a most hideous week brought the war to a shocking, sudden end. In the blink of an eye, something reduced the city of Hiroshima into a landscape of molten glass, disappearing tens of thousands of its inhabitants, leaving no trace of them but their shadows. Three days later the city of Kokura would have suffered the same destruction, but smoke obscured the bomb drop, so Nagasaki, the backup target, was annihilated instead.
CATONSVILLE, MD, September 2, 2020 - If you are a budget-conscious traveler, there is a chance you've used a travel site aggregator like Orbitz to book your air transportation. Or, perhaps you shopped around on multiple aggregators, and made your final booking on an airline website. Did you ever wonder if you were presented with all airline options, or what kind of itineraries you could have received had you explored all airline sites one by one? Between aggregators and airlines, who ultimately has the upper hand?

Those questions were on the minds of two data scientists who conducted a comprehensive study on who has more clout: the airline or the aggregator? What they found was that the aggregator can come out losing the most when its site is not comprehensive.

The research study, to be published in the September issue of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, titled "Value of Aggregators," is authored by Selin Akca of the University of Zurich and Anita Rao of the University of Chicago.

"Search aggregators, such as Google, Kayak, Expedia, and Orbitz, improve consumers' search experience by providing a quick and comprehensive view of all available options," said Rao. "But those aggregators are facing increased scrutiny by regulatory authorities who fear that many firms are now at the mercy of aggregators and their ranking algorithms. This can pose significant operational, and even survival challenges for firms that are not part of an aggregator."

At the same time, some firms like Southwest Airlines have consistently bypassed aggregators, choosing instead to sell directly to consumers. This has given successful firms more market power.

To determine who benefits the most in the airline-aggregator relationship, the study's authors conducted an in-depth analysis of a 2011 dispute between American Airlines and aggregators Orbitz and Expedia, which centered on distribution fees on flight reservation systems.

"That dispute created a clear shift in the choice set available to consumers visiting Orbitz, with the timing being driven entirely by the contract renegotiation deadline," said Akca. "Expedia then delisted American's flights for a shorter three-month period in 2011. During that time, by bypassing the aggregators, American saved on its distribution costs, and its fares were not being presented on either Orbitz or Expedia."

The researchers revealed that loyalty to airlines is more common than loyalty to aggregators. According to the authors, nearly 52% of aggregator users browse only one airline, while most users use multiple aggregators in their searches. This means that more consumers tend to express loyalty to a specific airline over a specific aggregator, and they will use multiple aggregators to get the best option on the airline to which they are most loyal from a brand perspective. This further underscores the need for aggregators to be more comprehensive.

"When we studied the dispute between American Airlines and the aggregators, we found that the aggregator was negatively impacted in both site visits and purchases," said Rao. "Site visits at both Orbitz and Expedia dropped by nearly 11%, and purchases declined 2%."

Akca added, "Our results suggest that aggregators and search engines do not always have substantial market power. We learned that where consumers can choose between multiple aggregators and fewer airlines, the aggregator does not have as much market power as many might assume."

###

About INFORMS and Marketing Science

Marketing Science is a premier peer-reviewed scholarly marketing journal focused on research using quantitative approaches to study all aspects of the interface between consumers and firms. It is published by INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics professionals. More information is available at http://www.informs.org or @informs.
Newspaper Close To Khamenei Office Criticizes Officials Who Do Not Retire After 80

Radio Farda September 01, 2020

A hardliner Iranian newspaper linked to the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is criticizing Iranian politicians of advanced age who insist on holding official positions past the age of 80.

Referring to the recent resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Jomhouri Eslami [Islamic Republic] published a commentary on Monday, August 31 claiming that some elderly Iranian politicians have difficulty walking, yet still hold sensitive positions.

The daily, whose managing editor is Massih Mohajeri, a cleric close to the core of the Iranian regime, did not refer to any particular Iranian politician.

Ironically, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a hardliner member of Iran's Majles Parliament, reminded readers in a Monday tweet that Mohajeri, 60, has been the managing editor of Jomhouri Eslami since its launch in 1981. The daily has remained largely unchanged since its inception in its form and content, and has maintained its initial slant and even its same graphic layout.

Iranians are likely familiar with many statesmen, such as the 89-year-old Guardian Council and Expediency Council member Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, who are confined to wheelchairs because of old age, but still hold more than one key position requiring agility and sharpness in decision-making.

Yazdi was recently elected as a member of the Assembly of Experts, which is at least his third key position.

Other examples include Ebrahim Sheibani, the Tehran University Chancellor and a member of the Majles and the Tehran City Council, who has been photographed dozing off several times in the past two decades.

Pictures of biannual meetings of the Assembly of Experts, a body that is tasked with finding a replacement for Supreme Leader Khamenei, also often show elderly politicians sound asleep in the middle of serious meetings.

The Jomhouri Eslami editorial also observed that "(some) Iranian politicians are not even willing to let go of official positions even when they grow older than 90," and advised elderly politicians "to take a lesson from the Japanese Prime Minister."

One of the most well-known elderly politicians in Iran who has been the subject of many jokes and cartoons is Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, 93, who is the Chairman of the Assembly of Experts and the secretary of the Guardian Council.

Jannati has been the butt of many Iranian jokes that say he was a contemporary of Adam and Eve and played with dinosaurs as a child.

The commentary referred to the Law Banning the Employment of Retired Individuals, and said that even this law has not managed to coax elderly officials out of the office. The commentary added that although the law is still in effect, politicians have used advice by senior officials to exert pressure on various organizations to keep them employed, sometimes asking Khamenei for assistance to keep them in office past their retirement age.

The law was approved by the Majles in August 2018, but two years later, many officially-retired individuals are said to be holding official positions based on Khamenei's advice.

Reports from Iran say the Rouhani administration and various other institutions, even some of those that operate under the aegis of Khamenei's office -- including the state broadcaster, the Judiciary and the Supreme Council of National Security, as well as Oil, Health, and Intelligence Ministries and the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization -- have sought Khamenei's approval to keep retired individuals in office.

At 83, Khamenei has been holding the position of Supreme Leader for 32 years, and currently stands as one of the longest-serving officials in the world.

The Assembly of Experts houses the largest proportion by far of elderly Iranian politicians, with one of its oldest members, Ebrahim Amini, passing away in April at the age of 95.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/newspaper-close- to-khamenei-office-criticizes-officials-who -do-not-retire-after-80/30813674.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Annamarie Strawberry, a former secretary for State Sen. Vincent Hughes and City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, died Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. Read more

Annamarie Strawberry, 64, a former secretary for State Sen. Vincent Hughes and, later, former City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown, died Friday, Aug. 14, from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Kearsley Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.

Ms. Strawberry spent a lifetime caring for others. As a young woman, she attended Wilberforce University in Ohio, but she left college and returned to Philadelphia to raise her 1-year-old son and care for her ailing mother.

Years later, she became the caregiver for her younger sister and worked as a counselor for senior citizens at what was formerly called Haddington Multi-Services for Older Adults in West Philadelphia.

Born in Philadelphia in 1955, she was the older of two daughters of Jerome and Rosalie Strawberry. She graduated from West Philadelphia Community Free School, a unit of West Philadelphia High School, in 1974. She majored in biology at Wilberforce, where she was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

When Ms. Strawberry returned to Philadelphia, she found clerical work with Hughes and Reynolds Brown. She then worked with the elderly at the older adult center.

Her son, Charles, called his mother a loving and caring woman with a bubbly personality.

She was a social butterfly, he said. She was a teacher and nurturing. She tried to keep my eyes open to the world and make sure I had everything I needed to be successful.

Ms. Strawberry enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and shopping with her sister, Rosalie.

She was a dedicated member of her sorority and volunteered for service projects until she became too ill.

In addition to her son, Ms. Strawberry is survived by three grandchildren and other family and friends.

There will be a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Camphor United Methodist Church, 5620 Wyalusing Ave. Funeral services will be private.
A former president of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Shiv Sena was shot dead while his wife and daughter were injured in an attack in their house in Indore by unidentified persons in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.

The deceased Ramesh Sahu, 70, who was a dhaba owner, his wife Geeta Sahu, 65, and daughter Jaya Sahu, 42, were asleep in their house adjacent to the dhaba at Tejaji Nagar locality when three assailants entered the house around 2 am on Wednesday and shot at Ramesh Sahu with a country made pistol. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, said RNS Bhadoriya, inspector of police, Tejaji Nagar police station.

Geeta Sahu told the police that she heard some noise and opened the door to see three persons with their faces covered and armed with a pistol, sharp-edged weapons and sticks.

They pushed her aside, entered the house and snatched her gold chain. They started looting ornaments and cash. When she resisted they attacked her and her daughters with sticks. They demanded that they be handed over all ornaments and cash. The three men then entered the room where Ramesh Sahu was asleep after which there was the sound of gunfire. The assailants then left the house.

When my daughter and I entered the room we found my husband with bullet injury in his throat. With the help of driver and others working at the dhaba we rushed to MY Hospital where doctors declared him dead, Geeta Sahu told the police.

Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Indore Harinarayanchari Mishra said, Though it appears to be a case of loot and murder, we are investigating matter on other angles too as the deceased faced about one and a half dozen FIRs lodged with different police stations, related to property disputes. The accused are yet to be identified.

Mahesh Sharma, district unit president of Shiv Sena in Indore, said, Ramesh Sahu was state president of Shiv Sena for about a decade from 1991 to 2000. Then he was a member of the partys national executive for 4 years but later he was not active as a member of the party. We demand a high-level inquiry into the murder and immediate arrest of the accused.

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Two men have been charged with robbery and hate crime over the highly publicized attack on three transgender women in Los Angeles last month.

Carlton Callaway, 29, and Davion Williams, 22, both face lengthy prison sentences after they were hit with the charges Tuesday - two weeks after they allegedly beat and robbed social media influencers Eden Estrada, Joslyn Allen and Jaslene Busanet on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The attack was recorded by bystanders, and the footage sparked outrage among local residents and law enforcement officers alike.

Scroll down for video

Carlton Callaway (left) and Davion Williams (right) have been charged with robbery and hate crimes over a highly publicized attack on three transgender women in Los Angeles last month

The three women, social media influencers Eden Estrada (center), Joslyn Allen (right) and Jaslene Busanet (left), have spoken out about their experience and called for justice

According to a press release released by the L.A. County District Attorney, Callaway allegedly befriended the three victims in the early hours of August 17 and offered to buy them items from a store off Hollywood Boulevard.

After they left, he then 'approached one of the victims with a metal bar and demanded her shoes and bracelet'. He is then accused of attacking a second victim with a bottle. Police say he made derogatory remarks during the incident.

William is accused of then joining in on the attack by throwing a scooter at one of the women.

Deputy District Attorney Richard Ceballos of the Hate Crimes Unit has been assigned to the case as prosecutor.

The hate crime charges have been praised by LGBT activists.

Terra Russell-Slavin, policy director for the the Los Angeles LGBT Center, told NBC on Tuesday: 'I think we're really encouraged to see that the prosecutors moved forward with both filing charges and ensuring the charges had a hate crime enhancement. Hate crimes are really an attack on the whole community."

Eden Estrada (center), Joslyn Allen (right) and Jaslene Busanet (left), were attacked and robbed on Hollywood Boulevard as witnesses harassed them

Onlookers mocked three transgender women as they were attacked on Hollywood Boulevard. Pictured is victim Joslyn Allen cooperating with the suspect who she said was holding a metal bar as he demanded that she hand over her jewelry and shoes

Callaway now faces felony charges of grand theft, second-degree robbery, criminal threats, attempted second-degree robbery, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.

If convicted on all charges, he could spend 13 years and four months in prison.

Meanwhile, Williams has been charged with grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon, and is facing eight years and four months behind bars.

After the attacks, LAPD chief Michael Moore pledged to protect and support the trans community.

'I want to express to the entire transgender community that these kind of instances with hate and violence have no place in Los Angeles,' he stated.

'The LAPD stands fully in support of your rights, your dignity and respect to each of you as individuals. We will not allow this to occur here.'

Meanwhile, Los Angeles police deputy chief Justin Eisenberg slammed onlookers who were seen in videos of the attack watching on, rather than helping the women.

The three victims say the crowd urged their attackers on, even shouting transphobic slurs and throwing rocks at them as the violent scene unfolded.

'What was particularly callous about these crimes was the actions of the onlookers,' Eisenberg stated several days after the incident.

Eden Estrada (left) and Jasalene Busanet (right) were attacked and robbed in the early hours of August 17

Josyln Allen, who was the third victim of the August 17 attack, is pictured

After the attack, victim Eden Estrada took to social media to thank her followers for rallying around her.

'I want to say a heartfelt thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support we have received in the past 3 days. When this event happened, all I could think about was how grateful I am to be alive,' she wrote.

'I never knew that this would be seen by millions of people.

'It has really uplifted me in the darkest time of my life. Without all of your help, and the help of the LAPD, we would have never been able to make this amount of progress this fast.

'Trans lives matter. I don't care who you are or where you come from but you matter.'

Since the attack, protests have taken place to support the women and a GoFundMe has been established to assist with their legal fees.

It has raised more than $45,000.

A GoFundMe page for the three woman have raised more than $37,000 by Friday night

The attack comes amid rising concerns from LGBTQ right advocates who have accused US law enforcement of not doing enough when it comes to crimes involving transgender victims.

So far this year, at least 26 transgender or non-conforming individuals have been killed, with women of color deemed the most vulnerable group.

The Human Rights Campaign, reported 25 killings in 2019 and 29 in 2018, the most it had recorded in a year.
Imperial Valley News Center

Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Massachusetts Absentee Voting Rights Case

Boston, Massachusetts - Last week, the Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in the Supreme Judicial Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help ensure that uniformed service members serving their country away from home, their family members absent with them, and American citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in Massachusettss 2020 federal general election. The brief is part of the Department of Justices continued efforts to enforce the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

Our filing reflects the Justice Departments unwavering commitment to ensuring that military and overseas voters are afforded a meaningful opportunity to participate in federal elections, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. We will continue to ensure that the ability of our brave men and women serving in the military and our citizens residing overseas to participate fully in all federal elections is not infringed.

We are committed to protecting the rights of Massachusetts men and women serving our country and our citizens living overseas, including ensuring that their votes are counted and so their voices heard, said Andrew E. Lelling, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

The lawsuit in question, filed by private plaintiffs, involves a challenge to the absentee ballot receipt deadline for Massachusettss upcoming federal primary election on Sept. 1. The plaintiffs have asked the court to extend the ballot receipt deadline until Sept. 11.

The departments brief explains that UOCAVA requires states to transmit absentee ballots to military and overseas voters who have requested them at least 45 days before any federal election. Massachusetts needs sufficient time after the Sept. 1, primary election to certify and finalize the ballots so that the local election clerks will be able to send the military and overseas absentee ballots by Sept. 19, which is UOCAVAs 45-day deadline for the Nov. 3, federal general election. The brief does not take a position on whether the court should adjust the ballot receipt deadline, nor does it take a position on the merits of plaintiffs claims. But the brief notes that any adjustment to the ballot receipt deadline should allow Massachusetts time to comply with UOCAVA to avoid the real possibility of disenfranchising military and overseas voters for the Nov. 3, 2020 election.

UOCAVA requires states to allow uniformed service voters serving away from home (those serving both overseas and within the United States) and their families who are absent with them, and American citizens residing overseas, to register to vote and to vote absentee for all elections for federal office. In 2009, Congress enacted the MOVE Act, which made significant amendments to UOCAVA. Among those changes was a requirement that states transmit absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters who have timely requested ballots, by mail or electronically at the voters option, no later than 45 days before federal elections.
(Newser)  Mississippi voters will decide whether to accept a new state flag with a magnolia to replace an old one legislators retired under pressure because it included the Confederate battle emblem that's widely seen as racist, the AP reports. A commission on Wednesday voted 8-1 to recommend the magnolia over one other final design that featured a shield with wavy lines representing water. "We'll send a message that we live in the future and not in the past," former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, the flag commission chairman, said after the vote. The single design will go on the November ballot. If voters accept the design, it will become the new state flag. If they reject it, the design process will start anewand Mississippi will remain a state without a flag for a while longer.

story continues below

The commission decided Wednesday that in the weeks leading to the November election, it will promote the magnolia flag by calling it the "In God We Trust" flag. "More than any other time in our country, we need the mercy and grace of God," said commission member TJ Taylor, who is an attorney and policy director for the state House speaker. After the meeting Wednesday, the magnolia flag was raised on a pole outside the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, where it fluttered in a brisk breeze. Requiring the religious phrase on the new flag helped persuade some conservative legislators to retire the old one. Legislators shelved the Confederate-themed flag two months ago against the backdrop of widespread protests over racial injustice. (Other flag designs included beer cans and guitars.)
Bengaluru, Sep 2 : A miffed Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Wednesday denied that some actors in 'Sandalwood' had drug links and urged police to investigate claims by Kannada film producer Indrajit Lankesh on the nexus between the industry and suppliers of banned substances.

"As Lankesh gave names of a dozen Kannada actors to the state central crime branch police on August 31 and submitted some documents in support of his claims, we will take action against if the accused are proved guilty," KFCC representative Sa Ra Govindu told reporters here.

Objecting to Lankesh going first to media on August 29, and alleging that he had proof of at least dozen actors from the state's film industry, popular as 'Sandalwood' and some musicians taking drugs at late night or rave parties in and around the city, Govind said he (Lankesh) should have shared the information with the FKCC and discussed.

"Instead of meeting and informing us about the alleged nexus between drug mafias and the actors, Lankesh briefed police and spilled the beans on the alleged drug links to our industry, which is incorrect," said Govindu.

Lankesh made startling revelations about the rampant abuse of banned drugs in the multi-crore film industry three days after the Narcotic Control Bureau busted a drug trafficking racket in the southern state and arrested former Kannada television actress D. Anikha and two of her accomplices, R. Ravindran and M. Anoop from the city on August 26.

The central agency also seized huge cache of drugs from the accused, including 145 ecstasies or MDMA pills and Rs 2.2 lakh in cash from Royal Suites Hotel Apartment in the city's northeast suburb on August 21 and more pills in a follow-up raid last week.

The drug racket is suspected to supply recreational and party drugs to sandalwood actors, children of VIPs, students and others.

"Noted musicians and actors in the Kannada film industry are under the scanner after their links to drugs came to light," a NCB official earlier said.

Police has again summoned Indrajit on Thursday with evidence of actors and others using drugs even during film-shooting and late night or rave parties.

"Though Lankesh is a film producer, director and scriptwriter, he is not yet a member of our chambers and never told us about actors, dancers and music composers taking drugs," asserted KFCC president Jivaraj said.

Popular actor Doddanna said Sandalwood was considered a place of worship and a gurukula by hundreds of cine artistes who sweat to make a career in the film world.

"If some people are indulging in abuse, they should be punished. We have not seen or heard of drug use in the film industry. It is unfortunate that Gandhinagar, where theatres and offices of film distributors are located in the city centre as 'Ganjanagar'," lamented Doddanna.

Lankesh, 43, is the son of late noted editor P. Lankesh, who launched the popular "Lankesh patrika" (weekly tabloid) in Kannada in the 1980s. He is also the elder brother of eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her house in the city's southwest suburb on September 5, 2017 by unidentified assailants.

"As I am associated with the film industry as a producer, director and writer, I came to know that some of the parties in the Sandalwood circle are hosted by drug mafias in the state," recalled Lankesh.

Bengaluru Joint Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil said the anti-narcotics wing of the Crime Branch would investigate the case based on details Lankesh shared with it on the alleged nexus between drug dealers and Kannada film actors.
BELGRADE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The just-concluded European tour of China's top diplomat further demonstrated a need for stronger ties between the two sides to uphold multilateralism, stick to openness and scale up cooperation in the post-coronavirus world.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany came at a critical time when unilateralism is hurting global cooperation and international solidarity.

Reassuringly, upholding multilateralism is a major consensus reached during Wang's trip. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," he said.

Based on such concensus, it is hopeful that China and the EU, by working together, can help the world stand on the right side of history.

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the world's call for multilateralism more than ever. While certain nation has been tearing apart international deals and shunning its obligations, countries around the world should oppose unilateralism and protectionism by enhancing cooperation within multilateral frameworks and abiding by their multilateral agreements.

Wang also undersocred the spirit of openness during his talks with European leaders. "Openness brings progress, while isolation leads to backwardness" in the complicated and changing world, he said.

Accordingly, China is ready to step up negotiations for an investment agreement with the EU and bilateral agreements with EU member countries on free trade and other common interests.

Moreover, by engaging in wider cooperation in trade, investment, and industry, China and the EU are capable of injecting a strong and lasting impetus in their development and the global economic recovery in the post-coronavirus world.

Recent years have already seen mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe through the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe railway express, among others.

In fact, Wang's European trip itself is a sign showing China is gradually normalizing high-level visits which were interrupted by the pandemic, creating preconditions for future cooperation, observed Volker Tschapke, honorary president of Germany's Prussian Society.

By reaffirming commitments to multilateralism, openness and cooperation, China and the EU stand a good chance to forge a closer partnership that will bring benefits to both sides as well as the whole world.
(Photo : NASA) Hurricane map (Photo : Giga Khurtsilava/Unsplash) Catching a Hurricane with Bubble Net Is Possible

Scientists claim that while stopping a hurricane with a bubble net is theoretically possible, it would be too expensive to execute, according to Wired.

An atmospheric scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kerry Emanuel who is an expert in tropical storm formation said it is possible to weaken a storm by cooling the surface water within the hurricane's eyewall by 2.5 degrees Celsius.

However, the process of cooling several hundred miles of the ocean would require massive amounts of compressed air brought by a fleet of ships or airplanes. "It's possible, sure, if you put enough buoys out, yes," said Emanuel.

Well, Emanuel's take on the possibility of catching a hurricane strengthens the most recent suggestion from a Norwegian firm, OceanTherm. It involves having a "bubble net" submerged on the water that spreads across the path of a storm. OceanTherm CEO Olav Hollingster believes that the technique would reduce or fully eliminate the damages brought by the hurricane. The same technology is used since the late 1960s to keep fjords in Norway ice-free.

Bubble Net: How does it work?

The idea involves having a thin, long, flexible pipe that stretches between two ships and submerged a hundred feet from the surface. Imagine a giant aquarium bubbler, the pipe creates massive froth of bubbles as it rises to the surface.

Since hurricanes get their energy from the warm water surface, Hollingster claimed that the upward current of bubbles would push the cooler water to the ocean surface, which would take away the hurricane of its energy. Hollingster said that "hurricanes won't be able to build such strength" if we could avoid the rising temperature of the water. "They all disappear when they come into colder water," he added.

However, some scientists doubt such geoengineering projects as complex hurricane systems form from interacting atmospheric and ocean conditions, so merely altering one of these variables is not enough to affect the hurricane itself. "Hurricanes certainly need warm water, but they also need convection, a rotational component, and light wind shear above them," Colby College science, technology, and society professor and Harvard University visiting professor James Fleming said.

Meanwhile, OceanTherm has already been using its bubble net technology to deter ice from forming on two power plants. However, the bubble technology along narrow deep channels in the Norwegian coast works the opposite. A 1,500-foot-long metal tube is submerged about 180 feet deep. Then, compressed air is forced into the tube from a surface ship while the bubbles rise and bring warmer and saltier water to mix with colder freshwater on the surface. These salty bubbles warm the surface and keep the fjords ice-free.

It is indeed quite interesting how the technology works in Norway, but perhaps, the aim to catch hurricane is just too grand, particularly if it is deployed in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. However, the OceanTherm has some proposals on how to make it possible.

First, it can be used by attaching the bubble net across the 135-mile wide Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico, which is the entry point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Chief science advisor to OceanTherm Grim Eidnes, a former physical oceanographer at Norway's research institution SINTEF, believed this is a perfect spot to deploy a giant bubble net.

He added that the bubble net could be hung from the top with buoys, mounted on moorings, or to have two or more sea vessels in each direction. "The idea is to go before the storm, cool the water, and take them down. Then we would cut off the energy supply from the hurricane," Eidnes said.

However, this project would cost millions of dollars, although a pilot project could prove its viability at a lower cost. OceanTherm has already received some financial grants from the Norwegian government to construct additional computer simulations while the company still seeks for U.S. investors who are willing to support the project.

As Emanuel welcomed the possibility of catching the hurricane before it reaches the ocean surface, historian Fleming likened this hurricane project to science fiction. "You need a leap of faith and some gullible investors," he said.

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Written by CJ Robles

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio on Tuesday asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson violated the Hatch Act by using official channels to distribute a Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled Well Protect Americas Suburbs that Brown contends is overtly partisan.

A letter that Brown wrote with a group of Democratic senators says the piece Carson co-authored with President Donald Trump contains partisan messaging that includes calling out the Biden-Sanders Unity platform; labeling cities as liberal-run and Democrat-run; and statements about the left.

The column criticizes the left and the Obama-Biden era HUD for seeking higher density housing in suburban areas and says liberals believe this unprecedented federal disruption of the suburbs is required to battle climate change. It also contends The Biden-Sanders unity platform calls for reimposing the Obama-Biden dystopian vision of building low-income housing units next to your suburban house.

They say the suburbs are a problem because of unacceptably high levels of greenhouse gases generated by a family with its own house, a yard, two cars and a dog, says the column aimed at a demographic both parties are targeting in the 2020 presidential race.

Browns letter contends that both the column itself and its distribution by HUDs press office may have violated the Hatch Acts prohibition on federal employees using government resources for political purposes. Spokesmen for HUD did not respond to an emailed request for comment on Browns letter.

The 1939 law limits the political activities of federal employees in an effort to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.

Browns letter describes it as troubling that HUDs public affairs office sent out an Aug. 16 message on Carsons behalf entitled In Case You Missed ItOPINION: Well Protect Americas Suburbs: We reject the ultraliberal view that the federal bureaucracy should dictate where and how people live.

The distribution of this opinion piece through an official federal communications channel appears to violate both the letter and spirit of the Hatch Act, says Browns letter, which also objected that the message was distributed to a list of HUD grantees who could fear retaliation if they dont adhere to the Trump Administrations opinions.

The American people must have confidence that government officials are serving the public regardless of party affiliation. It appears as though Secretary Carson, may have knowingly violated the Hatch Act on August 16, 2020, by both publishing and sending a political message using government resources and employees, the letter from Brown says.

In a Wednesday interview with reporters, Brown criticized Trump for staging presidential nominating convention events on federal property, including making a speech at the White House to accept the Republican presidential nomination.

You know if it had been a Democrat who had stood at the White House and done a campaign event, the right wing media would be all over it, every Republican senator would be all over it, and theyve just been silent, all of them, because theyre scared of this president and they dont ever stand up to this president, even when he does wrong, said Brown, who is top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

Brown said the penalties for violating the Hatch Act include repaying the government for any resources that were improperly used, and losing ones job. He said the Hatch Act doesnt apply to elected officials like Trump, but he sets the tone and he has used federal employees to help him carry out these political acts.

People who have been part of this should be dismissed, he concluded.

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Jailed Belarusian Opposition Politician Charged With Taking Part In Mass Disorder

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 01, 2020

MINSK -- Belarusian opposition member Paval Sevyarynets, who has been in custody since early June, has been charged with taking part in mass disorder.

The politician's wife, Volha Sevyarynets, wrote on Facebook late on August 31 that a court in Minsk also extended her husband's pretrial detention by two months.

"I admire the courage, wisdom, and endurance of the Belarusian people. I thank the Lord that the church came out to defend truth and justice. I believe that Belarus will be free," Volha Sevyarynets wrote.

Sevyarynets, a co-chairman of the non-registered opposition Belarusian Christian Democratic Party, is one of dozens of activists and politicians who were detained in Minsk and several other cities across Belarus during the June 8 rallies at which hundreds of demonstrators were collecting signatures necessary to register presidential candidates other than the authoritarian incumbent, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, for an August 9 election.

His jail term has been prolonged several times since his initial arrest.

If convicted, Sevyarynets may face up to eight years in prison.

Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner in the election, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor.

Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets over the past three weeks to protest the results, saying Lukashenka's challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, actually won the election.

Lukashenka has shown no sign of giving in to the protesters, who are demanding his resignation, the release of all political prisoners, and free and fair elections.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/jailed-belarusian- opposition-politician-charged-with-taking- part-in-mass-disorder/30814690.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kurt Krug Kurt Krug is a Human Resources expert with years of experience in several industries. Kurt is a huge addition to our senior management team and I expect his knowledge and experience to drive our business both operationally and strategically," LPC President, Joe Dougherty, says.

Louisville Paving & Construction is thrilled to announce their new Human Resources Director, Kurt Krug. Krug brings over a decade of HR experience to the company in both Director and Vice President roles spanning multiple industries.

A results-based business leader, Krug possesses experiences across divisions with deep expertise in business administration, human resources, process innovation, and technology. LPC President, Joe Dougherty, supports this saying, Kurt Krug is a Human Resources expert with years of experience in several industries. Kurt is a huge addition to our senior management team and I expect his knowledge and experience to drive our business both operationally and strategically.

Working in both manufacturing and construction for more than a decade, Krug joins LPC from INOAC USA, Inc. where his most recent role was Vice President of Human Resources, Communications, & Governmental Affairs. As VP, he provided strategic direction for North American operations for over a dozen manufacturing plants, encompassing over 3,000 team members.

Mr. Krug has been active in numerous professional associations and held numerous memberships. He has served on the board for Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB), Federation Advanced Manufacturing Education (KY FAME), and Original Equipment Supplier Association (OESA). He is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Dougherty is confident that Krug will make an immediate impact on the company saying, I expect Kurt to raise the profile of the HR Department and to leverage its efforts in support of our overall corporate strategy. Hell also add tactical contributions to our Senior Management Team, given his strong leadership skills.

Kurt Krug stepped into his role as Senior Vice President at LPC on September 1st.
KCBD in Lubbock, Texas honored late weather forecaster Kelly Plasker on Sunday night, calling her a "bright spot in our weekend mornings, and in our lives."

Plasker, 42, was with KCBD, an NBC affiliate, for three years before her death, according to the station.

News anchor Kase Wilbanks said that Plasker's "sudden death early this morning has broken our hearts."

Though the cause of death has yet to be released, Wilbanks urged viewers during the tribute to "ask for help if you're struggling or had thoughts of suicide" and shared contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Plasker's death comes two years after her 19-year-old son, Thomas Locke, who died by suicide.

Rosalie Drake, market president for Townsquare Media also made a statement saying, "We are all mourning the loss of Kelly Plasker. Not just her family, and not just her work family. Everyone in Lubbock who knew her knows we've lost someone special, and the world is now a little less bright."

The Twitter community mourned the forecasters unexpected passing on social media.

"Kelly Plasker had a smile as big as Texas and a heart of gold. She loved big and hurt deeply. Her heart was broken from the suicide death of her son Thomas, and then her fathers sudden death just months later," journalist Sharon Maines wrote on Facebook.

"Her grief was a daily struggle but she put on that smile and persevered," she continued. "If any of you are strugglingplease, please, please talk to someone. There are so many broken hearts today. Prayers for Kellys two children and her family and all of us who loved her."

KCBD vice president and general manager Dan Jackson said in a statement, "we are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of KCBD weekend morning forecaster Kelly Plasker. Kelly was a dedicated member of the KCBD weather staff, well-liked by viewers and admired by her co-workers. Our deepest sympathies go out to Kelly's family in this time of great loss."

Among the kind words and condolences on social media following Plasker's tragic passing, the call to action to seek help was widespread.

"People you know are experiencing pain you will never understand. Consider kindness and empathy," meteorologist James Spann wrote on Twitter. "Getting help is not a sign of weakness, but a show of strength."
For a lot of these folks, the attention is the endgame, said the official, who said the same appeared true of many hard-line leftist antifa demonstrators. If you really sat down and said, What are the policy objectives youd like to see? They wouldnt want that because theres so much that comes with this, like having your voice heard in these settings and validating you to other followers.
The Egyptian president underscored the importance of the Israeli side 'not taking unilateral measures that would undermine the chances for peace'

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Egypt's support of any steps aiming to bring peace to the region while preserving the rights of the Palestinian people, a statement by the presidency read on Wednesday.

Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi received a phone call from the Israeli prime minister to discuss the latest developments in the region.

El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's support of moves to bring about peace to the region in a way that preserves the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and allows the establishment of their independent state and provides security to Israel.

He also lauded the recent UAE-Israel agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, describing it as a step in the direction of bringing peace to the region.

Under the peace accord reached in mid-August between the UAE and Israel, Israel has agreed to suspend the planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank.

The UAE is the first Gulf state and the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to sign a peace deal with Israel.

El-Sisi underscored the importance of the Israeli side not taking unilateral measures that would undermine the chances for peace, especially refraining from the annexation of Palestinian lands, Rady added.

He called for paving the way for regional and international parties to break the current deadlock of the Palestinian cause and push towards resuming negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to reach a fair and comprehensive deal based on the two-state solution in accordance with international references.

The statement added that El-Sisi urged adherence to the understandings of de-escalation between the Israelis and Palestinians regarding the Gaza Strip amid continued efforts by Egypt to reduce tensions between the two sides.

Egypt supports a two-state solution with East Jerusalem the capital of the Palestinian state and which is based on the 1967 borders, according to UN Security Council resolutions.

Cairo has repeatedly expressed its rejection of Israels plan to annex the West Bank and called for the revival of the peace process.

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Manama, Kathmandu

Nepal is making an exception to its coronavirus (COVID-19) ban on foreign arrivals, with Bahrains team of elite Royal Guard servicemen set to tackle two major peaks, it has been reported. The Himalayan country shut its borders in March, including grounding international flights just ahead of the busy spring season, devastating the local tourism sector.

But the Kingdoms multi-member party have been given special permission to enter Nepal to climb the 8,163-metre Mount Manaslu and the 6,119-metre Lobuche. Government spokesman Yuba Raj Khatiwada said on Monday that the team is being allowed to enter via a chartered flight.

They are due to arrive as early as mid-September, as they are also planning to climb Everestthe worlds tallest mountainnext year. More than 50 Sherpas will join the expedition, with helicopters used to minimise contact, said organiser Seven Summit Treks.

Nepal reopened its mountainsincluding Everestin late July for the autumn climbing season, in anticipation that international flights would resume in mid-August. But a jump in virus infections in recent weeks saw the government delay opening up such flights. Limited international flights resumed yesterday but only for citizens and foreign diplomats.

Domestic flights have not restarted. Foreigners have also been banned from entering Nepal by land. The absence of foreign climbers has exacerbated the financial fallout for tourist operators. The country of 28 million people recorded 9,000 new coronavirus infections and 91 deaths over the last 10 days. It has reported a total of nearly 40,000 cases and more than 200 deaths. Nepal is home to eight of the worlds 14 highest peaks, and foreign climbers are a major source of revenue.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges faced by media workers and journalists in Malaysia, according to a new report released today by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ report documents a disturbing deterioration in press freedom since Malaysias snap change of government in March 2020 and calls for urgent reforms to protect the countrys fragile media industry.

Challenges and Controls: Impacts of Covid-19 on Media Workers in Malaysia finds that after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, Malaysia implemented the oppressive Movement Control Order (MCO), while the country witnessed an increasing number of violations and attacks against anyone seen to be critical of sensitive topics and the new political order. The report details a list of charges and persecutions over the past six months under Malaysias existing draconian laws and regulations.

The report outlines the pivotal political switch in late February 2020, that saw Malaysias ruling government under the 94-year-old statesman Mahathir Mohamad crumble and collapse; and swiftly replaced with a concoction of party defectors and nationalist, conservative opposition politicians led by Muhyiddin Yassin.

"Malaysias newest government has not been in power six months, yet there is a documented disturbing decline in civil liberties and press freedoms under its command," the IFJ said. For journalists and media workers, it was a dashing of media reform dreams promised under the previous government and an expected return to political business as usual for the country.

The period has been punctuated with high profile cases including sedition charges against respected online news portal Malaysiakini, raids on Al Jazeeras Kuala Lumpur offices, and banning of the book Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance and Hope in New Malaysia. The report also presents recommendations to support the creation of a more conducive working environment for media workers in Malaysia with a focus on legal reforms and the creation of a media council to regulate the industry and protect media freedoms.

On September 9, representatives from the media and civil society groups will discuss the report findings and wider impacts for media, panellists on the webinar include the honourable Wong Shu Qi from the Democratic Action Party, journalist and the spokesperson for Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM) Radzi Razak, foreign correspondent Tashny Sukumaran and the CEO and co-founder of Malaysiakini, Premesh Chandran.

IFJ said: Armed with the repressive laws of contempt and sedition, the new government is silencing critics and undermining press freedom. For a resilient media industry that serves the public interest legal reforms are critical.
BERLIN (AP)  Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny's poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said.

The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon outrageous. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was completely reprehensible.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, Ullyot said.

The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was "a breach of international law.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

Story continues

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction. Today accusing #Russia is a must-do for any Western country, he said in a tweet.

In Moscow, Russian authorities were quick to blame Germany for not sharing its findings.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities are ready and interested in full cooperation and exchange of information with Germany but added that Berlin still hasnt provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor generals office and doctors who treated Navalny.

Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didnt find any poisonous substances in Navalnys system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred public statements without providing any facts whatsoever to a thorough investigation.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care but continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Navalny's prognosis is hard to predict. He said that very swift action is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the significant delay, given that Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.

The problem is that even if Mr Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues, Sella said.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putin's name and a signature next to it.

It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way  or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.

Navalny's allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.

The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.

The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.

The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalnys (possible) death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed," Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King's College London, said. "It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

___

Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London, Raf Casert in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this story.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:59:03|Editor: huaxia

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Official data show that a total of 2,842 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Wuhan opened their doors Tuesday to welcome about 1.4 million students. According to the city's education bureau, primary and secondary school students in Wuhan should carry masks with them, but they do not have to wear them at school. Though the COVID-19 epidemic has waned in China, schools at all levels still take strict anti-epidemic measures to safeguard the health of students. Wuhan, once hit hard by the novel coronavirus, has no confirmed COVID-19 cases currently. Nationwide, there were a total of 216 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland as of Monday.
Ian Mitchell of pop group the Bay City Rollers poses during an interview in May 1976 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns)

Ian Mitchell, a former bassist with the Bay City Rollers, has died at the age of 62.

The news was announced on the group's official Facebook page as they extended their condolences to Mitchell's loved ones.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchells death.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy, their family and friends. Rest In Peace, Ian, the message read.

Read more: Talking Heads David Byrne apologises for wearing blackface

Fans were then prompted to leave messages of condolence in the comments section. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Guitarist Stuart 'Woody' Wood added to tributes, writing on his Facebook profile: "Very sad, sad news about Ian Mitchell. Wed like to send our love and condolences to Wendy and all Ians family and friendsyou are in our hearts.

"I have many fond memories of Ian not only in the BCR days but also when we played together in the 80s with The Passengersgreat guys and great days! You will sorely be missed Ian"

Northern Ireland-born Mitchell took over the role of the bassist in the band from founding member Alan Longmuir, playing on their 1976 album Dedication.

The record contained the group's cover of Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Want to be With You'.

Pop group the Bay City Rollers, (back) Stuart Wood (Woody), Les McKeown, Derek Longmuir (front) Ian Mitchell, Eric Faulkner , pose for a group shot in May 1976 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns)

He left the group shortly afterwards where he was then replaced by Pat McGlynn.

Despite his short-lived stint with the Bay City Rollers, Mitchell famously got a namecheck in US comedy Friends.

Read more: Rihanna says shes forgiven Chris Brown

In a 2001 episode which saw Monica Gellar (Courteney Cox) get engaged to Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), she said: "I want a string quartet for the processional, a jazz trio for cocktails and The Bay City Rollers for dancing.

Chandler then replied: "You couldnt get The Rollers anyway as Ian doesnt play any more.
Wearing a face mask to reduce the chance of transmission of the novel coronavirus, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote May 18, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The coronavirus pandemic has put the spotlight on the United States' reliance on foreign countries for key pharmaceutical products.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month that directs the Food and Drug Administration to create a list of essential medicines and calls on the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to buy critical pharmaceuticals from domestic suppliers.

"We cannot rely on China and other nations across the globe that could one day deny us products in a time of need," Trump said on Aug, 6, in a speech at a Whirlpool factory in Clyde, Ohio.

But Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tina Smith of Minnesota are calling on Trump to go further to address the issue.

"We have introduced legislation, the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Defense and Enhancement Act that requires comprehensive action to revamp domestic manufacturing of critical drugs and their key starting materials and address vulnerabilities in our nation's supply chain," the senators wrote in a letter sent to the president on Wednesday.

"We hope you will work together with Congress in a bipartisan way to pass this legislation and eliminate this public health and national security gap."

The senators want his support for their legislation, which first introduced in July. The bill would increase funding for agencies to buy domestically produced drugs, promote drug development in the U.S. and require drug makers to annually report to the FDA information about their supply chains.

"Absent these meaningful actions, your Executive Order will not help address this legitimate national security and public health problem," they wrote.

The letter comes as the administration and democrats are sparring over the next round of virus relief aid. The president's executive orders to defer payroll taxes and extend unemployment insurance are limited, since the taxes are still owed, and unemployment payments are administered by the states.

Senators Warren and Smith call the EO on pharmaceuticals "vague and inadequate."

The U.S. imports more than 70 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients, the raw chemicals used to make drugs, according to the FDA, with the EU, India, China the largest suppliers. Production globally has shifted over the decades to countries that have more beneficial tax incentives, less-restrictive environmental laws, and/or cheaper costs of labor.

The president and lawmakers are in agreement that the overreliance on foreign components poses serious risk to public health and national security.

The president's executive order also calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to streamline regulations, including accelerating siting and permitting approvals for domestic manufacturing.

Wary of the administration's push to deregulate, Warren and Smith question the move "In developing this Executive Order, did the Administration consider the potential harms to the health and well being of the American people that could stem from waiving or expediting existing environmental regulations," they said.

The White House responded with a statement from Peter Navarro, the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing saying the president is taking action while Democrats in Congress "fiddle." He added, "We'd be more than happy to work in a bipartisan effort to turn this potent EO immediately into law, but sending snarky CYA letters that try to paper over the Democrats' failure on this issue in the middle of an election cycle does not seem in good faith."

The administration's efforts to boost domestic drug production have been chaotic at times. A $765 million government loan to Kodak to manufacture drug ingredients is on hold while the Securities and Exchange Commission investigates the company's disclosure of the deal, which was announced at the end of July.

Warren has also called on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to investigate. "The fiasco surrounding the decision to offer, then revoke, the Kodak loan also raises larger questions about corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement in the Trump Administration's response to COVID-19," she wrote in an Aug. 20 letter to the committee's acting chairman, Michael Horowitz.
Sydney: The large Solomon Islands province of Malaita says it will conduct an independence referendum after rejecting the Pacific nation's decision last year to cut its association with Taiwan and establish formal ties with China.

Home to about a quarter of the Solomons' population, the US-aligned Malaita has long held ambitions of becoming its own nation, although it is unlikely an independence vote would be recognised by the central government in Honiara setting up further discord.

Savo Island, seen from the coast west of Honiara, in the Solomons. Credit:James Brickwood

Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani said in a statement distributed overnight on Tuesday that Honiara had asserted continued pressure on the province to accept China despite knowing Malaita did not recognise the change in diplomatic ties.

"It is time for Malaita people to see whether they are still willing to be part of a country that its leadership is becoming dictatorial," said Suidani.
This formulation for Ivabradine will help increase adherence to therapy for chronic heart failure and chronic stable angina.

The global healthcare company Abbott has recently announced that it has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for its Ivabradine, once-a-day formulation.

Abbott has developed Indias first once-daily prolonged-release (PR) version of Ivabradine indicated for patients with chronic heart failure and chronic stable angina to address the unmet need for chronic cardiac diseases in India.

Abbott plans to launch the Ivabradine PR tablets in the Indian market in the coming weeks. In India, the estimate of people with heart failure range between 1.3 and 4.6 million, with 0.51.8 million new cases recorded every year. According to the Global Burden of Disease study, an estimated 14.4 million men and 7.7 million women have lost their productive years to coronary heart disease-related disability.

An AIIMS study estimates that non-adherence to medication ranges from 24% for people with cardiac disease to 50%-80% for people with hypertension in India. Ivabradine PR tablets can be prescribed as a once-a-day medicine compared to the multiple dosing generally required by patients for the management of the disease.

A phase 3 clinical study conducted by Abbott across 21 centers in India, the first of its kind to be conducted for this formulation, showed Ivabradine PR once-a-day formulation to be comparable with the conventional Ivabradine twice-a-day, in the management of patients with stable chronic heart failure, with comparable efficacy and safety profile. Ivabradine helps maintain a stable heart rate and prevent it from spiking, which is an important prerequisite in reducing symptoms and in improving the prognosis of both conditions.
A cloud of smoke and dust rises in the sky after the Tsar Bomba was detonated in October 1961. Ministry of Medium Machine Building of USSR/Rosatom

Russia just declassified footage of the moments leading up to the Tsar Bomba blast  the world's largest nuclear-bomb explosion.

The blast was equivalent to 50 megatons of TNT, making it nearly 1,500 times more powerful than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For decades, footage of history's most powerful nuclear weapon was kept top-secret.

Now, Russia is offering a behind-the-scenes look at the moments leading up to the detonation of that hydrogen bomb, known officially as RDS-220 and informally as Tsar Bomba.

Russia tested Tsar Bomba over a remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean on October 30, 1961  during the height of a nuclear arms race with the US. The country declassified documentary footage of that explosion on August 20, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Russian nuclear industry.

The 40-minute video, uploaded to YouTube, shows the explosion  a blast equivalent to 50 megatons of TNT. That makes it nearly 1,500 times more powerful than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined. Russia reported that the flash could be seen from more than 600 miles away.

The video starts as the bomb is transported by rail to the detonation site. From there, viewers get a peek inside the giant weapon  though the documentary doesn't divulge technical secrets about how the bomb was created, Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear historian at the Stevens Institute of Technology, told the New York Times.

Just before the detonation, the video shows two aircrafts fly to the testing range: One carries the bomb, while the other prepares to film the explosion. At best, there was a 50% chance the planes would survive, the BBC reported. The plane carrying the bomb is painted bright white to reflect the heat from thermal radiation.

When the weapon is released from the plane, a parachute helps it drift to the desired elevation: 13,000 feet above ground. That gives the plane enough time to fly a safe distance away.

Story continues

At 22:44 in the video, the bomb explodes. The footage shows a burst of light, followed by a giant orange fireball and mushroom cloud.

Though not shown in the footage, the shock of the blast forced the plane to drop 3,000 feet (the aircraft recovered before it landed). The explosion flattened the surrounding terrain, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake.

Cold War competition between the US and Russia

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev personally commissioned the weapon, so Tsar Bomba was nicknamed for him  translated, it means the Tsar's bomb. Krushchev originally planned to produce a 100-megaton weapon that would far and away exceed anything the US had built. But Russian scientists feared the radioactive fallout would be too destructive, so the Tsar Bomba wound up being less powerful than initially intended.

Prior to the Tsar Bomba explosion, the US had pulled ahead in the Cold War arms race: In 1954, the US tested the Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb, its most powerful to date. That blast was equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT. By comparison, the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, was 15 kilotons, and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki was 21 kilotons.

A 1994 issue of the Cold War International History Project Bulletin quotes a Russian cameraman who witnessed the Tsar Bomba blast.

"It seemed to suck the whole Earth into it," the cameraman said. "The spectacle was fantastic, unreal, supernatural."

Read more: Scientists describe setting off the world's first nuclear bomb 75 years ago

The blast destroyed homes in the nearby military town of Severny, about 35 miles from Ground Zero. The shockwave resembled a 5.0-magnitude earthquake, shattering windows and collapsing roofs hundreds of miles away.

Still, the video suggests that the altitude and meteorological conditions at the time Tsar Bomba exploded reduced the shockwave's impact. Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, says none of the nearby settlements "recorded any significant explosion consequences."

According to the Norwegian newspaper The Barents Observer, radioactive fallout from the blast was measured across Scandinavia. But because the fireball never made contact with Earth, that radiation was relatively minimal  especially considering the size of the bomb.

To this day, the explosion remains the largest nuclear bomb blast the world has ever seen.

Read the original article on Business Insider
On Monday, the Vienna Town Council approved the purchase of the Faith Baptist Church property for $5.5 million.

The decision will be funded by general obligations bonds from earlier in the year. The town is planned to close on the 3-acre property, 301 Center Street South, on September 18. The general obligations bonds refer to the $34.5 million in bonds given to the town every two years for capital improvement projects, such as property acquisitions. The bonds will also be used to support the construction of a new police station and be paid for by meals tax revenues from restaurants in Vienna.

The Vienna Town Council plans to rent the property to the church while it transitions to its new mission. Afterward, the Vienna Police Department will use it for 18-24 months during the construction of the new police station. Police Chief Jim Morris stated that, due to the purchasing of the church property, "people can come in and we'll still remain in the community in the heart of all of the activity."

The Vienna Town Council has not announced future plans for the property and asked for suggestions from community members. Nisha Patel, a Councilmember, stated "It's your property, and as town residents, I really hope you guys provide us with feedback about [what] you'd like to see go into that space eventually after its temporary use."

Steve Briglia, the town attorney, shared that the church has been a "vital and established part of the town for many, many years" since the 1950s. The church began considering selling the property a few years ago. Nevertheless, Faith Baptist Church was not ready to accept offers from the town until recently.




Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

The Federal Aviation Administration granted permission for Amazon to begin delivery drone operations.

Amazon Prime Air has existed since 2013 and began testing deliveries in June 2019.

The goal of the program is to deliver certain items by drone in under 30 minutes.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Amazon permission to fly its fleet of Prime Air drones. An FAA spokesperson confirmed the ruling to Business Insider, stating that the retail giant got an air carrier certificate allowing "unmanned aircraft systems," on August 29.

The Prime Air drone project began in 2013, and last June the FAA granted permission for Amazon to test drones in the US. "We will continue to develop and refine our technology to fully integrate delivery drones into the airspace, and work closely with the FAA and other regulators around the world to realize our vision of 30-minute delivery," Amazon Prime Air Vice President David Carbon said in a statement.

Take a look at the new drones that could soon be delivering packages across the US.

Amazon's fleet of drones has already put in thousands of flight hours.

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

They have a sense-and-avoid system that helps avoid obstacles like wires or chimneys using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

Amazon has not said when drones will roll out for regular deliveries, but in tests they have been used to deliver packages in under 30 minutes

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

Amazon has a few different drone models, optimized for different types of deliveries .

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

The newest model, seen here, can fly up to 15 miles, and deliver packages up to five pounds.

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

Source: Business Insider

Amazon first publicly tested drone delivery in Cambridge, England in 2016.

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

Now, the company says it is testing drones in five different countries using different designs and delivery mechanisms. "The look and characteristics of the vehicles will continue to evolve over time" Amazon Prime Air's website says.

Story continues

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

While Amazon hasn't specified what drones will actually be used to deliver packages, the newest model is likely to be closest to the final product.

Amazon Prime Air drone. Amazon Prime Air

Videos shared by Amazon show how the different drone designs compare. This video is from the early days of Prime Air, back in 2013.

Another 2015 video shows a different type of drone.

This delivery was in England in 2016, and took only 13 minutes.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Office showrunners made several careful choices about how the series was filmed. Not only did their decisions make for fun easter eggs, but their they also helped amplify the storytelling. Like Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), there was something unique about Michael Scotts (Steve Carell) talking heads that hinted at what was in store for the worlds best boss.

John Krasinski & Steve Carell | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Talking heads were an important part of The Office

At its core, The Office was a mockumentary series that, well, mocked documentaries. To achieve that documentary feel, fictional camera crews would sit each employee down for one-on-one interviews about their work day.

These shots were called talking heads. Every employee had a talking head at one point or another, where they would speak directly to the person interviewing them.

Sometimes, Jim would break the fourth wall outside of his talking heads, but that was more for the viewer experience. As Krasinski pointed out on Office actor Brian Baumgartners podcast, An Oral History of The Office, he was the window to the audience.

For the most part, though, talking head interviews were conducted in the conference room.

Jims talking heads on The Office contained a big secret about his future

All of the talking head interviews were filmed in the conference room. A window looking into the office was always in the background.

That is, all of the interviews except Jims were filmed that way. Jims talking heads always featured the window that overlooked the parking lot, or the world outside of the office.

Everybody was shot pointing into the office, where Leslie [David Baker] was sitting  so in front of Stanley  except for Jim, Randall Einhorn, a camera operator on the series, explained to Baumgartner on the podcast. I thought that Jim was the one person who was going to leave that place and had something bigger that [he] wanted to do.

Eventually, Pam Beeslys talking heads were filmed the same way as Jim Halperts

Before Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer) got together, her talking heads were identical to the other employees of the Dunder Mifflin.

When she and Jim finally became a couple, the background of Pams talking heads started to change. Suddenly, she had the window to the outside behind her.

Jim and Pam got in front of the windows because they were both going to leave and go to someplace better, Einhorn explained. As a couple, where Jim was going, Pam would follow. By the time The Office ended, the couple moved to Philadelphia so that Jim could work in his dream role.

Michael Scotts talking heads had a window facing the outside, too

As the boss, most of Michaels talking heads were filmed in his office. But did you notice what was in the background of those shots?

RELATED: How Steve Carell Saved The Office

A window to the outside world.

Like Jim and eventually Pam, Michael Scotts talking heads featured a window that overlooked the parking lot.

Showrunners may not have known exactly how or when Michael Scott would leave Dunder Mifflin, but somehow, they always knew he would. In season 7s Goodbye Michael, he leaves his job behind to start a new life in Colorado with his fiance, Holly Flax (Amy Ryan).
Its good to see the Canadian government standing with Australia in confronting Facebook and, by extension, the other big tech giants that dominate so much of our lives.

Governments are finally pushing back against Big Tech, and its important that the companies know they cant just pick off one country after the other. The more governments support each other, the more effective they will be.

So good on Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault for denouncing the threats directed at the Australian government as it pushes ahead with plans to make Facebook and Google compensate news outlets for news items they post on their platforms.

Facebook has taken the lead in attacking Australias move on this front, threatening to pull Australian news off its platform and from Instagram, which it also owns. The company is behaving like a global bully that simply doesnt care what petty local authorities do. No government should bow to that kind of pressure.

All this makes it even more important for Ottawa to follow through with its promise to bring in legislation this fall to deal with the challenge of the foreign-owned digital giants that up to now have been taking a lot more from Canada than they contribute.

Its not clear exactly what Guilbeault has in mind when he talks about bringing in a made in Canada solution. But he does say he has been closely following the examples of Australia and France, where regulators are pressing the social-media companies to pay for the news they post.

And Guilbeaults words are promising. It is about levelling the playing field, he says. Those who benefit from the Canadian ecosystem must also contribute to it, through the Canadian broadcasting sector or the fair remuneration for the use of news content... That includes making sure that Canadian news organizations continue to inform and empower our communities.

Thats a very welcome change from the way the Trudeau government approached the issue until a year or so ago  essentially standing on the sidelines while other countries pushed back against Big Tech.

Guilbeault has sounded a new note, one more in line with the approach set out in January by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by the government itself. It proposed a series of recommendations designed to make sure the digital giants contribute a lot more to the system they profit from so generously.

They included ways the government could help to foster a strong, financially stable news sector by, among other things, ensuring that news creators are compensated for the use of their original content by online platform providers.

Thats the basic direction Australia is going. The government there at first proposed a voluntary code to govern the relationship between the news industry and digital companies. But when that didnt work out it asked its competition regulator to develop a mandatory code. Google and Facebook will have to negotiate deals with news companies to pay for content, or face penalties.

The digital giants, no surprise, argue that all this is unfair and say they benefit the news industry as much as it benefits them. And with the threat of government action in the background, theyve introduced various programs to help struggling news organizations keep producing local journalism.

But the amount and quality of information available to citizens shouldnt depend on the largesse of Google, Facebook and the like. The digital platforms have been making billions of dollars off the back of original content producers, in the words of an open letter to the Trudeau government issued in May by Canadas major newspaper publishers (including, full disclosure, the company that owns the Toronto Star).

The government, through Guilbeault, has promised action this fall to tame the power of the digital giants. The threats issued by Facebook & Co. against its counterpart in Australia should not deter it. On the contrary, they should stiffen the governments resolve to act.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 15:54:42|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday arrived in Iraq's capital Baghdad for talks with top Iraqi leaders over bilateral relations while showing solidarity with the war-torn country.

Macron is expected to meet with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as well as other top officials during his one-day visit, according to local media reports.

This is Macron's first official trip to Iraq. He is also the first presidential-level official to visit Iraq since al-Kadhimi took office in May.

France is part of a U.S.-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces fight against the Islamic State militants by carrying out airstrikes against their positions in Iraq and Syria as well as providing military equipment and training to Iraqi forces. Enditem
[September 02, 2020] TCV Makes Strategic Growth Investment in Global Spend Management Leader Oversight Oversight, the global leader in spend management technology, today announced its acquisition by TCV, one of the largest growth equity firms backing private and public technology companies. The investment and expertise from TCV are expected to help Oversight expand its product innovation and build upon its market-leading portfolio of enterprise spend risk solutions. TCV will acquire a majority interest from Luminate Capital Partners, who will continue to support the company as a minority equity partner. Oversight's AI-powered platform digitally transforms audit and risk mitigation processes for enterprise organizations, finding risk across systems and spend channels. Using AI and best practices, Oversight continuously monitors and analyzes corporate card and vendor transactions quickly identifying fraud, errors, and wasteful spend to improve financial and compliance outcomes. "We are excited by this latest milestone in our company's trajectory," said Terrence McCrossan, CEO of Oversight. "TCV brings to the table a rich portfolio of growth-stage companies in the technology industry. Their expertise and track record of taking companies to the next level fits perfectly with our vision for Oversight." Since its inception in 1995, TCV has invested over $13 billion in leading technology companies, including Netflix, Facebook, Expedia (News - Alert), Spotify, Airbnb, GoDaddy, and Zillow. TCV also brings significant software buyout experience, having partnered with leading vertical market software companies, including ETQ, IQMS, Watermark, SMT, Rave Mobile Safety, Perceptyx, Vectra, CCC, and Avetta. "Oversight's platform uniquely addresses the spend risk thatis inherent in today's enterprise organizations," said Tim McAdam, General Partner at TCV. "We are impressed with the company's extensive portfolio of enterprise customers and look forward to partnering with Terrence and the entire Oversight team to capitalize on further growth opportunities." Hollie Haynes, Managing Partner of Luminate Capital, added, "Since our initial investment in 2016, Oversight has realized tremendous year-over-year growth, signifying the value automation and AI capabilities inject into finance operations. We are excited to join forces with TCV and Oversight to help more organizations realize the benefits of finance transformation." This move comes after a year of accomplishments and advancements for Oversight, including the launch of new platform enhancements that provide greater automation to help mitigate spend risk. In addition, Oversight was named a Top 10 Innovative Company in Georgia by the Technology Association of Georgia, one of the fastest-growing private companies by the Atlanta Business Chronicle's 2020 Pacesetter Awards and was recognized as a National Standard of the Atlanta Top Workplaces 2020 by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. "The move into a larger portfolio, with a premier growth equity firm focused exclusively on technology, will further propel us to our next phase of growth," states McCrossan. "We view this partnership as the next measure of great progress for the business and indicative of the momentum that we've captured in spend management and spend optimization for enterprise organizations." Shea & Company, LLC served as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Oversight. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to TCV. About Oversight The world's largest companies and government agencies trust Oversight to find and manage enterprise spend risk no matter where it resides. Oversight's AI-powered spend management platform monitors and analyzes 100% of spend transactions, reducing audit effort and eliminating data silos. With full visibility into spend, Oversight customers find and prioritize spend risk that would otherwise go undetected. By identifying fraud, misuse and process breakdowns, Oversight reduces out-of-policy spending by 70% while maximizing audit efficiency and eliminating cash leakage. https://www.oversight.com/ About TCV Founded in 1995, TCV provides capital to growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry. TCV has invested over $13 billion in leading technology companies and has helped guide CEOs through more than 120 IPOs and strategic acquisitions. TCV's software investments include Alarm.com, Altiris, Ariba, Avalara, ExactTarget, ETQ, FinancialForce, Genesys (News - Alert), IQMS, OSIsoft, Silver Peak, Sitecore, SMT, Splunk, and Vectra (among others). TCV is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with offices in New York and London. For more information about TCV, including a complete list of TCV investments, please visit http://www.tcv.com. About Luminate Capital Luminate Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on making investments in growth-oriented enterprise software companies. Luminate partners with management teams to provide capital to drive strategy, growth, and operational improvements. Luminate's portfolio of market leaders has also included AutoQuotes, Conexiom, Fintech, LiquidFrameworks, MSI (News - Alert), PDI, StarCompliance, and Thought Industries. For more information, visit www.luminatecapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005280/en/

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Iran has committed widespread torture to extract confessions of those rounded up in last years anti-government protests and subjected hundreds to grossly unfair trials, Amnesty International said in a new report published Wednesday.

Electric shocks, mock executions, waterboarding and ripping out fingers and toes were among the torture methods documented by the London-based human rights group, which interviewed dozens of Iranian protesters, witnesses, and others jailed or disappeared. Combined with video footage, official statements and court documents, the evidence reveals a catalog of shocking human rights violations carried out by Iranian police, prison guards and security forces, Amnesty International's report said.

A dramatic increase in gasoline prices last November, which came amid an economic crisis exacerbated by Washingtons sanctions campaign, sparked widespread anti-government demonstrations. Thousands of young, mostly working-class protesters took to the streets in at least 100 cities, demanding a complete overhaul of the political establishment.

An unknown number of protesters were killed in the bloody crackdown that followed. Iran, which blamed the unrest on interference from foreign governments, acknowledged in May that as many as 230 people died. The US State Department estimated at least 1,000 Iranians died in the chaos.

Videos showing Irans security forces deliberately killing and injuring unarmed protesters and bystanders sent shockwaves around the world. Much less visible has been the catalog of cruelty meted out to detainees and their families by Iranian officials away from the public eye, said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty Internationals deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Some 7,000 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, including children as young as 10, the report said. The rights group compiled the names of more than 500 people "subjected to unfair criminal proceedings on charges including insulting the Supreme Leader and spreading propaganda against the system.

Amnesty International says there were rapid-fire trials behind closed doors presided over by biased judges who relied on torture-induced confessions. Without access to lawyers, more than a dozen prisoners received flogging punishments, the report said. At least three people were handed death sentences for enmity against God relating to vandalism, and another is facing possible execution.

There was no immediate comment on the report from the Iranian government on Tuesday.

Among its recommendations, Amnesty International urged the United Nations to support the establishment of a UN-led inquiry into the alleged human rights violations. The group also called on UN member states to demand Iran release anyone detained for exercising their right to free speech.
EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated with additional information about the allegations. The police vehicles dash camera was turned off, not the officers body worn cameras, the Newark Police Department said in an amended statement on Sept. 2, 2020.

Two Newark Police officers are under investigation after they did not report a motor vehicle pursuit they participated in and shut off their dash camera during it, authorities said.

The officers, who were not identified, were remanded to administrative duties at the department and their alleged actions were referred to the Essex County Prosecutors Office for review, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement Tuesday night.

I have zero-tolerance for this type of questionable behavior, Ambrose said. Every member of the Newark Police Division knows how hard we have worked to build the publics trust. Policy violations like this erode that trust, and these officersand any others who think they can bend the ruleswill be thoroughly investigated.

The officers, who both have two years on the job, disabled the dash camera to hide their actions, officials said.

No other information was released Tuesday evening, as Ambrose said an update on the review by the prosecutors office will be released at a later time.

We are reviewing the matter to determine if any criminal violations occurred, Essex County Prosecutors Office Spokeswoman Katherine Carter told NJ Advance Media Tuesday night.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
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Linkedin Ardila Syakriah and Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 20:24 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42496b3 1 National #COVID19,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,health,hospitals,#hospital Free

COVID-19 patients are crowding hospitals as bone-tired medical workers continue to bear the brunt of rising case figures, with at least 183 of them having reportedly died of the virus.

More than 2,000 daily new cases appears to be the new normal for Indonesia, which on Wednesday recorded 3,075 new cases and 111 deaths -- bringing the tally to 180,646 confirmed cases, 42,877 of which are active cases, and 7,616 deaths.

The daily new cases figure hit record highs of more than 3,000 for three consecutive days last week, partly attributed to recent long weekends.

As people flocked to crowded places, COVID-19 patients swarmed hospitals, prompting fears of a "collapsing healthcare system", as described by senior public health expert Adang Bachtiar of the Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI).

"The latest situation is that there has been an escalation of the bed occupancy rate in some hospitals, especially in Jakarta," COVID-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito told a press briefing on Tuesday.

He said isolation and ICU bed occupancy rates at the capital city's 67 COVID-19 referral hospitals had reached 69 percent and 77 percent, respectively, on Aug. 28. The government was working on bringing the rates down to below 60 percent, including by sending patients in mild to moderate cases to Wisma Atlet, a makeshift hospital designated for COVID-19.

Read also: Indonesia sees record high in COVID-19 cases for third day running

But Jakarta is not the only one to see such a trend. Data from the Health Ministry's RS Online system obtained by The Jakarta Post show that some regions, though having seen an increase in isolation and ICU bed capacity, saw a spike in occupancy rates over the past week.

The provinces with the highest bed occupancy rates -- even as the number of beds increased -- were Bali, where occupancy increased from 59.44 percent on Aug. 23 to 72.55 percent on Monday, Jakarta (from 54.62 percent to 67.25 percent) and East Kalimantan (from 49.15 percent to 55.62 percent). These were followed by Central Java (from 41.76 percent to 49.30 percent), Banten (from 41.76 percent to 49.30 percent) and East Java (from 44.76 percent to 49 percent).

South and Central Kalimantan saw a slight decrease in the number of COVID-19 beds but their occupancy rates spiked from 53.22 percent to 59.25 percent and from 47.78 percent to 56.58 percent, respectively.

The Aug. 31 data show that Indonesia had a total of 42,435 isolation and ICU beds designated for COVID-19 patients, with 23 provinces each having fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 beds.

The country has 0.4 physicians per 1,000 population, according to World Bank data from 2018, much lower than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 3.4 in 2017.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan acknowledged on Tuesday that bed occupancy rates had reached "over 70 percent" and that his administration would increase its hospital bed capacity to suppress the rates to "below the ideal of 60 percent". He said it would involve more hospitals as COVID-19 referral hospitals. Jakarta has 190 hospitals according to Anies.

Read also: Jakarta to require all COVID-19 patients to be quarantined in hospitals

"Expanding capacity is not only about [adding] medical devices or rooms; the rooms and medical devices are ready. [It is also about] the human resources," Jakarta Health Agency head Widyastuti said, adding that the city had recruited some 1,800 medical workers ready to be deployed by next week.

Private hospitals had to previously reduce the number of their COVID-19 beds to accommodate non-COVID-19 patients, but the city was still working on involving more private hospitals in the pandemic response, she said.

Jakarta's main COVID-19 referral hospital, Persahabatan Hospital, which is designated for moderate to severe cases, has reported an increase in admissions since late June, with the bed occupancy rate standing at 70 percent on Monday.

Not only hospitals are feeling the strain; some community health centers (Puskesmas) have either been forced to close after their workers contracted the virus or have been running understaffed as some workers went into isolation.

In Subang, West Java, a Puskesmas has been temporarily closed after at least 41 of its workers contracted the virus.

West Java Health Agency head Berli Hamdani said that patients should be honest in disclosing their symptoms to medical workers to suppress health facility transmission, adding that the administration was trying to improve infection control and triage at health facilities.

Read also: Medics dying, infections soaring  its still the economy?

At least 104 doctors have died of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, including two final-year resident doctors and Sulis Bayu Sentono, one of only handful pediatric orthopedics in Indonesia, according to the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI).

Twenty-eight of these doctors were based in East Java, 22 in Greater Jakarta, 18 in North Sumatra and the remainder in various regions of the archipelago.

Nine dentists have also died of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the IDI. The Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI), meanwhile, said 70 nurses have died of the disease as of Monday.

The number of medical workers infected is estimated to reach thousands.

The IDI said it was looking into the deaths, including whether they had comorbidity factors and where they had been providing treatment. The association has previously called for a robust supply of protective personal equipment, better work schedules, routine testing and for hospitals to limit or not deploy workers with high risks and comorbidity factors.

Read also: Jokowi mourns medical workers who have fallen to COVID-19

The death of hundreds of "priceless" medical workers was an unbearable loss to a country with a poor doctor-to-population ratio and "uneven distribution of doctors centered in big cities only", said Adang of IAKMI.

Training a doctor required decades of investment, and losing them, in turn, would cost the country also decades of experience and add more burden to the already short-handed medical workers, he said.

"This is a very critical situation; the healthcare system is collapsing. Primary health care is seeing fewer visits; there's much worry. People are afraid of going to Puskesmas, so they go to the hospitals, causing this second layer to be overloaded," Adang said.

With health promotion, specific protection and early diagnosis -- the keys in tackling an outbreak -- remaining weak and the government resorting to knee-jerk reactions, it was inevitable that the situation would lead medical workers to develop fatigue and put them at higher risk of infections.

"Non-COVID-19 patients are affected, too [...]. We're in deep trouble, and we have to find a way out," he said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order providing additional funding for the construction of Guba-Gonagkand road in Guba district.

Under the presidential order, 22 million manat have been allocated to the Azerbaijan Highway State Agency for the completion of the construction of the road connecting 66 residential areas with a total population of 68,000 people.

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(Natural News) A massive dying star disappeared in 2019 without leaving any trace.

Clues to its sudden absence led an international team of astrophysicists to theorize that the old star may have been obscured by a giant cloud of dust. Otherwise, said the scientists, it could have turned into a black hole without going supernova  a first in the history of space research if thats the case.

The missing star used to be located 75 million light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. Its a luminous blue variable or LBV, a massive dying star thats prone to fickle fluctuations in brightness. Scientists estimated that the missing LBV was brighter than the Sun by about 2.5 million times.

We may have detected one of the most massive stars of the local universe going gently into the night, said co-researcher Jose Groh of Trinity College Dublin.

The researchers published their findings in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Mysterious star: Obscured or vanished

The missing star was well-studied between 2001 and 2011. In 2019, lead researcher Andrew Allan, also of Trinity College Dublin, and his colleagues were planning to study the star to learn more about its evolution. They were shocked to find the star missing from its host galaxy.

Stars bigger than the Sun usually end life via a massive supernova explosion. Such an explosion is easy to spot; they blot the sky around them with ionized gas and powerful radiation that reach light-years in every direction. The blast leaves a dense core of leftover stellar material that collapses under the weight of gravity and turns into a neutron star or a black hole.

But observations using the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope failed to detect either telltale signatures of the star or radiation imprints. The team sought to unravel this mystery by looking back into previous observations of the star from 2002 to 2009.

They discovered that the star was going through a period of strong outbursts between the observation period, unleashing great amounts of material at unusually faster rates. The outbursts were not atypical, however; the team noted that its normal for LBVs to experience multiple outbursts during the end-stage of stellar life. This makes them shine much brighter, as did the missing LBV prior to its disappearance.

The researchers posited that the outbursts ceased sometime after 2011. But its unclear what happened from that point onward. They suspected that the star dimmed considerably after the outbursts. By chance, a thick cloud of cosmic dust moved along before it, obscuring the star and further dimming its shine. In this case, they predicted that the star will likely reappear in the future.

On the other hand, its also possible that the LBV never recovered from the outbursts  it bypassed going supernova and transformed directly into a black hole.

If true, said Allan, this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner.

However, the researchers admitted that this is rare. The star would have formed a black hole that has 85 to 120 times the mass of the Sun prior to its disappearance. How this could have happened without a visible supernova is a mystery, said the authors. (Related: Supernova, resurrected: Scientists are puzzled by the star that wouldnt die.)

Missing star a failed supernova

The abovementioned LBV isnt the first star to be reported missing  in 2017, astronomers reported that the star N6946-BH1 vanished.

Telescope images showed that the star was clearly visible in 2007, brightened slightly around 2009 and completely vanished by 2015. Astronomers attempted to confirm the stars disappearance using the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. They drew blanks in both cases. They hypothesized that the star might have gone through failed supernova as indicated by its minor brightening.

N6946-BH1 is the only likely failed supernova that we found in the first seven years of our survey, said co-author Scott Adams.

The mystery of these two vanished stars are from over. Astronomers will have to dig deeper to understand how they disappeared. For now, they remain a puzzle that will certainly boggle scientists for years and prove highly rewarding once answers come to light.

Cosmic.news has more on space mysteries.

Sources include:

LiveScience.com

NewAtlas.com
The Istanbul-based leader of Syrias opposition interim government has denounced an agreement reached in Moscow over the weekend between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and the pro-Russia Popular Will Party (PWP), saying the sides are not legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. Abdurrahman Mustafa was cited by Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency as labeling the Kurdish-dominated SDC as separatists, while he accused the PWP of taking its cues from the Syrian regime.

Mustafa was in turn likely taking his cues from Ankara, which conflates the SDC and other components of the autonomous administration in northeast Syria with Kurdish militants fighting Turkey. Turkey formally aired anger over Moscows hosting of llham Ahmed, the SDCs president, never mind that prior to the collapse of Turkish-Kurdish peace talks in 2015, Ahmed used to meet with Turkish diplomats as well. Photos of Ahmed posing alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will have added to Turkeys sense of injury. Turkeys Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, who was in the Russian capital for talks on Syria on Aug. 31, did not get facetime with Lavrov.

Why it matters: Though Washington did not comment publicly, Ahmeds appearance in Moscow apparently raised some eyebrows in the State Department as well. US policy is to keep the Syrian Kurds away from Russia and the regime and to try to patch relations between them and Turkey. So what was she doing there and what useful purpose did it serve? There are several explanations.

The first is to reset relations with Moscow. Distrust has prevailed ever since the Russians allowed Turkey to invade the Kurdish-majority enclave of Afrin in early 2018 in exchange for its cooperation against jihadis in Idlib. Russia wants the Kurds to make peace with the regime and force the Americans to leave Syria. It has wielded its partnership with the Turks in Syria as a stick against the Kurds to this end and used it to drive a wedge between Ankara and Washington. The results have been mixed.

The signing of an oil deal between the autonomous administration and Delta Crescent, an obscure US company, announced in July, was seen as a new level of Kurdish defiance. The hostile reaction from Ankara, Damascus and Moscow, followed by a joint statement by Russia, Turkey and Iran condemning the deal, prompted the Kurds to reach out.

Its unknown when Ahmed flew to Moscow but it was clearly before she advertised her presence there in a Facebook post on Aug. 31.

The Kurds fear that unless they appease Russia, it would greenlight another Turkish attack against their territory. Since Turkeys October 2019 assault, the Russians have taken control over nearly two thirds of Kurdish-administered territory in the northeast. Russian military police are currently deployed the length of the Turkish border running from the Euphrates River to Iraq. Ahmeds visit was to pre-empt potential Russian retaliation over the oil deal and more broadly to clarify that the SDC had not placed all its eggs in the American basket.

The Russians, for their part, will have relished the opportunity to poke Turkey in the eye as they haggle with Ankara over Idlib and Libya. Any fallout impacting the Kurds friendship with Washington would have been a bonus. But there was none.

Upside downside: As for the agreement with PWP leader Qadri Jamil, though touted as the centerpiece of the visit it was in effect more of a sideshow. Jamil, Syrias former deputy prime minister for economic affairs and an ethnic Kurd, is formally part of the opposition. He says SDC-linked Kurdish groups ought to be represented at UN-facilitated talks between the regime and the opposition in Geneva. Turkey continues to block their participation and the United States has done nothing to help them. And the protocol inked between the PWP and the SDC endorses many of the autonomous administrations asks, including federalism for Syria. But Jamil is Russias guy, basically, said Aron Lund, a Syria expert at the Swedish Defense Research Agency, in emailed comments to Al-Monitor. He has no power to change how the constitutional committee talks in Geneva are set up, let alone to overcome a Turkish veto. Yet, Lund noted, the accord pleases Russia, it trolls Turkey, it helps build a convoluted case for SDC-linked parties Geneva participation. Theres no downside for Ahmed, except having to sit through a boring meeting with Qadri Jamil.

Know more: For more on Russian-US friction in Syria read Al-Monitors latest Week in Review and for more on Russian-Turkish squabbles read Sultan Kanj's piece on how Russia is gearing up for a fresh Idlib offensive.
The Made in Ghana definition has changed over the years. However, the success of Kantanka Cars has made Ghana one of Africas most important manufacturing economies in the last seven years. Apostle Safo Kantanka is the man behind this growth.

Image: youtube.com, @Kantankatvofficial

Source: UGC

Who is Safo Kantanka? Well, Kantanka is a religious leader, innovator, and one of the most successful car manufacturers in Africa. With over five decades in innovation and business, Apostle Safo is a multi-dimensional business personality and a patriotic Ghanaian.

10 facts you should know about Safo Kantanka

While there is a lot of information about Safo Kantanka in the media, people still have many questions about him. These queries can range from his personal life to the entrepreneurial journey. To help you know more about Kantanka, here are ten facts that probably never knew.

1. Apostle Safo is the first person in West Africa to build electric cars

While electric cars are becoming common in the advanced world, Africa has been slow to make engineless cars for African roads. Fortunately, Apostle Safo is redefining this narrative by being the first inventor to create the engineless car in West Africa. The new line of vehicles uses batteries that can be charged by solar or regular electricity.

Even though the companys operations are currently under his son, Kwadwo Safo Jr, he is still involved in major decision making. In an interview with CNN, he pointed out that his next assignment is to make the cars affordable to Ghanaians.

2. He is a key investor in technical education.

Image: pinterest.com, @ghanapage

Source: UGC

Apostle Safo is a trained artisan, but his innovations have redefined his understanding of education. He knows that the future of innovations in African depends on manufacturing and innovation industries. To nurture young people interested in technology, he founded Apostle Safo School of Arts and Sciences.

READ ALSO: Shatta Bandle bio: wife, house, cars, education, life story

The Apostle Safo School of Arts and Sciences aims at giving young Ghanaians a soft landing in the world of innovations by training them on relevant skills. Also, the college has mentorship programs for all students.

3. Apostle Safo made and sold soap to support the church in early 1970

After founding Kristo Asafo, he faced a lot of financial challenges. However, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka knew how to make household items such as soap. Therefore, he started making medicinal soap and distributing around his neighbourhood.

While the soap helped in curing skin diseases, his choice of work subjected him to a lot of ridicule. Some questioned Apostle Safos legitimacy as a church leader. Fortunately, his experience in creating soap was his eureka moment regarding his future innovations and solving peoples problems.

4. Safo invented Kantanka bass VII (a seven strings guitar)

In addition to being a frontrunner in the Ghanaian manufacturing industry, Safo loves music. In 1970, he invented a seven strings guitar  Kantanka bass VII. Although he did not mass produce the new guitar, his innovation was instrumental in the music world.

For example, thanks to his musical experiments, bands and musicians are not afraid to defy musical rules. Also, before his innovation of adding an extra string on the regular guitar, it was hard to extend the base range in music.

READ ALSO: List of top entrepreneurs in Ghana and what they do

5. His name Kantanka means the Great One.

Image: pinterest.com, @ghanapage

Source: UGC

In addition to his two names, Kwadwo Safo loves being called Kantanka. While it is unknown when he started using his third name, Apostle Kwadwo Safo has consistently named his inventions Kantanka. For example, his earliest creations, such as the guitar, had the name Kantanka.

Even though Apostle was born in a humble family, he is arguably the most innovative man in Africa. He has redefined the car manufacturing industry in Ghana, and more importantly, he has one of the biggest churches in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Shantel Jackson net worth, age, parents, bio, nationality

6. He is a firm believer in African healing methods.

Thanks to his earlier exposure to making medicated soap, Apostle Safo is a firm believer that the African healing methods are perfect remedies for most diseases. In 1987, he founded the Great KOSA Clinic. Currently, the hospital has branches in Accra and Kumasi.

Apart from treating specific illnesses, the African-centred hospital has special treatment for malaria, hernia, typhoid, asthma, and other terminal diseases. Through the Great KOSA Clinic, Apostle Safo has sparked medical innovations in Ghana.

7. Safo has received offers to relocate his company to Europe and Asia  but turned them down.

Most of Apostle Safo Kantanka inventions have a global impact, especially, in the vehicle manufacturing industry. Thanks to his approach to manufacturing and maximising on available car parts, major shareholders in the global car manufacturing industry have given him offers to relocate his plant to Asia or Europe.

However, speaking with Aljazeera, his son revealed that the main reason why Apostle Safo turned down the offers is he believes in Africas potential in manufacturing. The import tariffs may put his operations on the disadvantaged edge, but he is willing to remain in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Chocolate Kwaku Bediako bio: family, education and life story

8. He has delegated his companies operations to his children.

Image: facebook.com, @afroconcienciayafroportunidades

Source: UGC

From 2014, Apostle Safo runs his companies passively, thanks to his well-educated children. Although only two of Safo Kantanka children are known to the public, others are involved in his companies.

Sarah Adwoa Safo, for instance, is a public servant. While she is not part of Apostle Safos companies, Sarah is serving Ghanaians as the MP for Dome Kwabenya.

READ ALSO: Deloris Frimpong-Manso bio: net worth, Instagram, age, pictures, family

9. Safo has kept his family away from the public.

Apostle Safo is one of the few leaders, both in business and religious circles, that have managed to keep family away from the public. Only close friends know all his children or what they do (apart from two children).

How many wives does Apostle Kwadwo Safo have? He has one wife. However, Safo Kantanka wife is not a public figure as Safo.

10. Apostle Safo was born in Ashanti Region.

Although his businesses and companies are set up across Ghana and Europe, Apostle Safo is from the Ashanti Region. He had a normal upbringing, just like children in the region at that time.

How old is Safo Kantanka? Born in 1948, he is currently 72 years old. It is, however, hard to tell how old he is from just looking, thanks to his good health.

Apostle Safo Kantanka is one of the key African innovators. Apart from being a lover of science and technology, he is a church leader. In his long career as a business person, innovator, and a religious leader, he has remained humble and protective of his family.

Yen.com.gh has created a list of the 25 richest Ghanaians. This comes as the economy of Ghana has experienced growth consistently over the past couple of years.

From the list, it is clear that politicians hold the most wealth in Ghana. However, the richest person, Charles Ampofo, isnt a politician. Rather, he is the owner of Kampac group which is a conglomerate of companies in various sectors.

Source: YEN.com.gh
By PTI

WASHINGTON: China has taken a "naive" US and its leaders for a ride over the past several decades, according to former top Indian-American diplomat Nikki Haley, who said the Trump administration through its robust Indo-Pacific strategy is now learning who its real friends are.

Speaking at the third India-US Leadership Summit organised virtually by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), former US Ambassador to the UN Haley on Tuesday said Americans know that Indians are not a threat to them and as such, it is time for Indians to share their success story.

The US has been pushing for a greater role for India in the strategic Indo-Pacific which is seen by many countries as an effort to contain China's growing clout in the region.

"Let's acknowledge how China did it. China was very strategic. This was very planned out and America was very naive. The thought leaders in America thought that if we were nice to China, if we open doors to China, it would become more like the West, that China would become more democratic," Haley said.

Responding to a question from Mastercard CEO and president Ajay Banga, she said this was from both sides of the aisle -- Republican and Democrat leaders, all of whom thought that if the US was nice to China, there would be an alliance.

What the United States has to understand that the Chinese want to be communist and that they are not going to change, the 48-year-old former diplomat said.

"Through this Indo-Pacific strategy, going forward America is learning who its real friends are. When you learn that, yes, it's India. But now Indians need to go and show more of who they are," she said.

Explaining, she said that when people come across Indian businesses or an Indian professor or a doctor, they see the warmth, intelligence and genuine side of them, and they want to know more.

"What we have to do is not be shy. But really get out there and brag about ourselves. Now is the time for Indians to be proud, be okay talking about those accomplishments and be okay talking about their successes and let children talk about their accomplishments.

"That's really important going forward because we have to make sure that we take to the next level," said Haley, whose parents emigrated from Amritsar in Punjab.

ALSO READ: China seeks to set up military logistic facilities in about a dozen countries, says Pentagon

"Americans are not threatened by Indians and realise that Indians make our country better," she said.

Haley is considered a top contender for the Republican ticket to the US presidential race in 2024.

Responding to a question, Haley asserted that the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the Trump administration has been a real game changer for India-US relationship.

"When this administration took on the Indo-Pacific strategy, it was a real game changer for a lot of reasons. I had often thought that the US seemed to ally a little bit more with Pakistan and a little bit less with India," she said.

"It just makes sense that the US and India are natural allies. We have the same values," she said, adding that President Donald Trump very much saw that as well.

"The Indo-Pacific strategy was one acknowledging something that should have been there all along, which is that the US and India should be natural allies," Haley said.

The Indo Pacific strategy, the former diplomat said, also acknowledged that the US and India face the same threat from China.

"So it was a way of saying we're going to start looking at things differently. We've seen that play out with the alliance that we see with the United States, India, Australia and Japan (a reference to the Quad group of countries). We are continuing to see that strengthen," she said.

From the military standpoint, the US and India have done well, Haley said, noting that the two countries still have some work to do on trade.

"I'm hoping that we can break down some of those barriers that India has with tariffs on the United States. We will get there as well too," she said optimistically.

"This has been groundbreaking for a number of reasons. We have to continue to build on that because as we look at mutual threats that we have, whether it's with China or what India has seen with Pakistan and going forward, I think it's all the more reason why we should find other ways to be strengthened and work together," Haley said.
The traditional cultural values of Vietnamese people are spread widely, winning the hearts of many people around the world. This is the "soft" index that contributes to building Vietnams image, prestige, and position in the world arena.

VietNamNet would like to introduce an article by Mr. Mai Phan Dung, Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Today, in international relations, besides hard power, all countries are interested in strengthening and promoting soft power, thereby creating a national synergy.

Joseph S. Nye, an American political scientist, defines the term soft power as the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants without force or coercion". He summarizes that a nation's soft power is built on three bases: institutional value, domestic policy, foreign policy and cultural value.

The countrys own values

For Vietnam, soft power stems from the country's own values such as history, tradition, culture, humanistic ideology, the conceptual system of human life and worldview and the accretion, care and promotion of these values through the policies of the Party and the State as well as the awareness and action of each Vietnamese person at home and abroad.

Vietnam's soft power source has outstanding features:

First of all, due to its special geographical location, Vietnam is considered a bridge connecting continental Asia and Europe with Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, and the commercial gateway between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. But also because of this geographical position, Vietnam always had to fight against foreign invaders.

Understanding the devastation of war, the Vietnamese people attach more importance to the value of peace, always seek to save peace, to avoid war. However, when facing strong enemies, the Vietnamese people always show their solidarity and indomitable spirit. The creativity in the art of military and ingenious diplomacy has created glorious victories in the nations history.

The interesting thing is that after the victories, Vietnamese people are always generous and tolerant of the defeated, then are ready to make peace and harmony, and put aside the past to look forward to the future. This is the noble ideal that today's world is reaching out together.

Secondly, throughout history, due to the geographical location as the connection point between the North and the South, the West and the East, Vietnamese culture is influenced by many major cultures, including Chinese, Indian and Western cultures.

However, the Vietnamese people still preserve their traditional identities, skillfully absorb and select the external cultural quintessence that suit their own culture, customs and beliefs, thus avoid the assimilation of great cultures. Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam ... when being imported into Vietnam, were partly transformed, directing people to think and act according to the values of truth, goodness and beauty.

Thirdly, although the territory of Vietnam is not too large, it has diverse terrains and geographies, where 54 ethnic groups live together. This has created the richness of languages, costumes, cuisines, art performances, religious activities ... This richness and diversity have created a multicolored cultural picture, which is full of the charm of the Vietnamese people.

Fourthly, with a long history of building, defending the country and conquering nature, the Vietnamese people have completed the system of concepts and ideologies on human life and worldview with typical features: harmonious relationship, love between man and man, between man and nature ... These are also the factors that create modern Vietnamese people with industrious, creative qualities, simple but profound, those who love labor, love nature and have full sense of environmental protection.

From the beginning

During thousands of years of struggling for independence, unity, expansion of the territory and protection of territorial integrity as well as in the time of building the country, Vietnamese people have flexibly applied cultural diplomacy through the strategy of "diplomacy of the heart" and the diplomatic measures of peace.

Hue royal court music is the intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO

Today, cultural diplomacy is identified as a pillar, along with political diplomacy, economic diplomacy and overseas Vietnamese-related affairs to create a comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy. The connotation, attitudes, goals and measures of cultural diplomacy are clearly defined in the Strategy for Cultural Diplomacy to the period 2011-2020.

Over the past 10 years, cultural diplomacy has been methodically deployed, both at home and abroad. Thereby, information and images about the country, culture, history, people and policies of Vietnam have been promoted, disseminated and widely spread, helping people in the world understand, sympathize and love Vietnam, thereby leading to the decision to choose Vietnam as a destination for cooperation, investment, travel, use of Vietnamese branded products and services ... or support Vietnams views and policies.

Cultural diplomacy activities have contributed to blurring the image of a poor, backward and war-ravaged Vietnam to replace it with the image of a modern country still retaining traditional values, a country that is open and friendly, loyal to friends, respects partners, responsible for world affairs.

Made in Vietnam in the international arena

The "Made in Vietnam" or "Made by Vietnam" products are increasingly gaining positions in the world market. Cultural diplomacy activities have contributed to promoting an increasingly close and friendly image of Vietnam in the world, amid the trend of integration. Cultural diplomacy activities are also good opportunities for Vietnamese people to understand more about many cultures around the world.

Overseas Vietnamese representative missions have actively coordinated with domestic agencies as well as local authorities and people to organize many cultural diplomacy activities with diverse and creative content and forms to effectively introduce and popularize the directions, policies, potential and strengths as well as history and culture of the country and people of Vietnam, thereby contributing to deepening relations with other countries, especially strategic partners.

Outstanding cultural diplomacy activities are the introduction and promotion of Vietnamese philosophies and ideas through many forms of honoring typical individuals such as cultural celebrity Nguyen Trai, great poet Nguyen Du, teacher Chu Van An ... and especially President Ho Chi Minh.

Activities to honor President Ho Chi Minh abroad have been actively responded to by local authorities and people through the construction of statues, monuments, parks, museums, memorial houses ... named after President Ho Chi Minh or the organization of international exhibitions, seminars, the issuance of publications, movies, literature about President Hos life and career.

Events such as Vietnam Day, Vietnam Week have been held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in many countries with diverse contents on painting, cuisine, literature, and traditional arts, to promote friendly relations between Vietnam with partners and help people in host countries understand more about the country, culture and people of Vietnam.

Thanks to cultural diplomacy, international cultural organizations have granted many titles for the countrys heritage. To date, Vietnam has obtained 39 titles from the UNESCO in the fields of culture, science, education and information. These international titles have enriched the treasure of the cultural heritage of humanity, presented a great honor and promotion for the cultural values of Vietnamese people and helped international friends know about Vietnams culture and heritage.

Teaching Vietnamese abroad

Teaching Vietnamese overseas is also a meaningful activity. The preservation and development of the Vietnamese language not only helps the overseas Vietnamese community to look to their homeland and the country, but also arouses pride for those who are living, working and studying abroad when they have also become messengers to spread Vietnamese culture across the five continents.

Today, those who love Vietnam know Vietnamese cuisine through popular dishes such as pho (Vietnamese noodles) and spring rolls, Vietnams handicrafts with lacquer paintings, Dong Ho paintings, ceramics, ao dai, conical hats, Vietnamese agricultural products such as rice, tea, coffee, Vietnams martial arts such as Vovinam, Vietnamese performing arts such as nha nhac (Hue royal court music), gong, love duets, ca tru singing, xoan singing, don ca tai tu (southern folk songs), bai choi singing, then singing, ans water puppetry, or cultural works such as Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hue Citadel, Ho Dynasty Citadel, My Son Sanctuary ...

In the coming time, cultural diplomacy will continue to focus on major tasks: contributing to a peaceful and stable environment, taking full advantage of favorable international conditions for rapid and sustainable national development; promoting the image of Vietnam; preserving and promoting national identity; strengthening national strength; enhancing the country's international status and reputation; and at the same time actively contribute to the cause of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world.

Mai Phan Dung
Lynchburg City Schools students in grades pre-K through 12 began the school year remotely on Aug. 24, but some of the divisions most vulnerable students will return to school buildings beginning next week.

At Tuesdays school board meeting, division staff said some of the divisions special education students with more significant needs will begin to attend school in person starting Sept. 8. English-language learners and the divisions youngest students will be the next groups to return to school buildings.

Janenne Daniels-Bosher, director of special education in the school division, said the division is looking to bring between 60 and 70 special education students back to school buildings next week.

The hope is  we start out small and get through all the good things that will happen with this, and then be able to start bringing in  slowly  other students within the population, Daniels-Bosher said.

Some parents of special education students have the option to have their child continue receiving virtual instruction at home, Daniels-Bosher said. All special education students will continue to learn remotely through the second week of the school year, which ends Friday.

While special education students who are on the general education track and attend classes with their non-disabled peers will continue to learn remotely through the first nine weeks of the school year, students who are part of the divisions Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) will begin a hybrid model of learning, with two days of in-person learning and remote learning on the remaining days.

Virginia Alternate Assessment programs are designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities and allow them to work toward achieving academic standards that have reduced complexity and depth, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

Administrators said beginning Sept. 8, students in the divisions functional education VAAP programs will be assigned to a cohort group and attend school in person two days a week, either Tuesdays and Wednesdays or Thursdays and Fridays.

At its Aug. 4 board meeting, the school board approved a plan to reopen schools with all students learning remotely through the first nine weeks of the year, with flexibility to bring students into buildings before that time if safe. Edwards said it is likely that many students will return to schools before the end of the first nine weeks, and secondary students are likely to continue learning remotely through Oct. 23.

Allison Jordan, who was promoted to director of curriculum and instruction in LCS at Tuesdays meeting, said while LCS continues to operate under a remote-only model through the first nine weeks of the school year, around 170 English- language learning students will be the next to enter buildings.

Jordan said the division is working to begin distributing learning kits with tangible learning materials as soon as Sept. 8.

We want small numbers of students to come in safely, but were also going to bring some things out to the community, Jordan said.

LCS Superintendent Crystal Edwards said she is hopeful bringing VAAP students back into buildings next week will go smoothly.

The division is currently working with the transportation department to determine which cohort each student will be assigned to based on where they live, Daniels-Bosher said. Cohort information will be given to school case managers, who will then notify parents and guardians later this week.

While in school buildings, students will remain in their classrooms and practice social distancing. The divisions safety guidelines and practices, including a mandatory mask policy for all persons in school buildings and temperature checks, will be followed.

The next school board work session is scheduled for Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 5 p.m.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  A local court ordered the release of Joseph Scott Pemberton, the US Marine Lance Corporal convicted of killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014.

According to the September 1 decision of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court's Branch 74, Pemberton should walk free for good behavior.

Pemberton has served a total of 2,142 days or over five years and eight months in prison, but the court credited to him a good conduct time allowance of 1,548 days or more than four years. This yields an accumulated jail time of 10 years, one month, and 10 days, the court said.

Thus he is now entitled to be released for he had already served the ten (10) year maximum of his penalty, the order, signed by Presiding Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde read. The Court of Appeals initially sentenced Pemberton up to 12 years of imprisonment, but this was later reduced to a maximum of ten years.

The good conduct time allowance under the Revised Penal Code applied in Pemberton's case was under intense scrutiny in 2019 after it was revealed that some heinous crime convicts would be freed due to the measure, prompting the government to revise its implementing rules and regulations.

The Laude family appealed the court decision on Wednesday, arguing that Pemberton should not enjoy early release without proof of his behavior or participation in rehabilitation activities while in jail.

The motion for reconsideration added that Pemberton has never even joined fellow convicts at the New Bilibid Prison since he has been serving sentence solo and comfortably in Camp Aguinaldo. The U.S. soldier has been detained at the custodial center of the Armed Forces headquarters in Quezon City in line with the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement with the US.

Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag confirmed to CNN Philippines that the bureau received the court order via e-mail. It will undergo the usual validation, then Pemberton's release will be processed, he said.

The Armed Forces explained that although it provided the detention facility for Pemberton, the BuCor retains management and administration of all convicted detainees.

"We will assist BuCor in facilitating the release of Pemberton by virtue of such court order," AFP spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edgardo Arevalo said in a statement.

How Pemberton's jail time was cut short

Pemberton in June filed an urgent motion for the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to compute the time he served in jail by applying the good conduct time allowance law. In August, Pemberton appealed for his immediate release, claiming that the BuCor failed to give him a years worth of GCTA since it did not include in its computation his preventive imprisonment from October 22, 2014 until November 30, 2015.

The Olongapo court granted Pembertons partial motion for reconsideration and ruled that he should be given GCTA during the one year period. The court also took note that Pemberton already paid the Laude family the full amount of 4.65 million for civil damages.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who previously served as counsel for the Laude family, deplored the commuted jail sentence.

Laudes death personifies the death of Philippine sovereignty and the light penalty imposed on Pemberton proves that despite the President's independent foreign policy, that Americans continue to have the status of conquering colonials in our country, Roque said in a statement.

Rowena Flores, lawyer for Pemberton, meanwhile stressed that her client deserves to walk free since the court already said that he has exceeded his sentence. She also said that Julita Cabillan, Laudes mother, already agreed on Pembertons release on parole as early as 2017.

In October 2014, Laude was found dead in an Olongapo City motel room after a night out with Pemberton. Laude's neck was blackened with strangulation marks, head rammed into a toilet.

The high-profile case was brought back to the spotlight when President Rodrigo Duterte moved to terminate the VFA early this year. With the abrogation, Pemberton should be transferred to the state penitentiary in Muntinlupa, Roque said in February. The VFA remains in effect since the Duterte government suspended the termination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario, AC Nicholls, and David Santos contributed to this report.
Federal judge denies Robert Courtney's attempt to leave federal prison KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A federal judge ruled Monday that former pharmacist Robert Courtney will stay in a federal prison. Courtney argued he should be released because of the danger of contracting COVID-19 while in prison. He pleaded guilty in April 2002 in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri to 20 charges, including tampering with consumer products.

Postscript on this local pharma dude who angered the families of his victims after requesting release from incarceration because of the pandemic.Read more:
Justice Arun Mishra retires from the Supreme Court (SC) from September 2 after a six-year tenure. Many might describe him as one of the most controversial judges in the history of the countrys top court.

He was involved in some of the high-profile, contested and politically sensitive cases ever since he was elevated to the Apex Court in July 2014, after serving in Madhya Pradesh and as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan and Calcutta High Courts.

Some of the cases include the Sahara-Birla diaries, the Haren Pandya murder case, the Land Acquisition Act row, the medical bribery issue, the tussle within the CBI and the petitions against the Chief Justices of India (CJIs).

Last verdict

On September 1, after his Bench delivered a verdict on the management of Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple, Justice Mishra reportedly said: "Shiv-ji ki kripa se ye aakhri judgment bhi ho gaya (The last judgment has been delivered, by the grace of Lord Shiva).

Earlier on the same day, he delivered a judgment on the AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) issue involving telecom companies, allowing them a 10-year window to make the payments, sparking a debate.

This illustrious figure ended his tenure yesterday by granting telecom operators another 10 years to pay AGR dues. No contempt Sir - wish you the very best in your new assignment- NCLT Chairman, governor, RS- whichever the case may be, All India Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Mitra wrote in a tweet.

Courting controversies off-court

Justice Mishra has been making news off the court as well. In February this year, he faced flak from the legal and political fraternity when he described Prime Minister Narendra Modi a versatile genius while speaking at an SC-organised event.

More recently, he was also part of the three-judge panel that heard the much-talked-about contempt petition against advocate Prashant Bhushan.

On August 31, the bench fined Bhushan Re 1, and warned that if he fails to pay before September 15, he can be imprisoned for three months and debarred from practising law for three years.

Not to attend Bar Associations farewell ceremony

Justice Mishra, who turns 65 on September 3, is the son of Justice HG Mishra, a former judge of the Madhya Pradesh high court, who served from December 1977 to July 1982, when he died in office. He practised constitutional, civil, industrial, service and criminal law and served as the chairman of the Bar Council of India.

On his last day as an SC judge, Justice Mishra sits with Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, as part of the tradition of retiring judges sitting in the CJIs bench on the last working day.

Justice Mishra has, however, declined the SC Bar Association's invitation for a farewell ceremony, citing the coronavirus outbreak.

However, taking into consideration the severe situation and sufferings the world over on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, my conscience does not permit me to participate in any farewell function," he wrote.

Serving under seven CJIs, Justice Mishra, as per reports, authored 132 judgments and was part of 540 SC benches.

Here is a look at some of the controversial cases that Justice Mishra was part of.

The Sahara-Birla Diaries

In 2017, a two-judge Bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, dismissed a petition seeking a probe into what came to be known as the Sahara-Birla diaries. Common Cause, an NGO, had, in 2015, filed a plea in the SC, seeking a probe into Sahara-Birla documents as the Income-Tax department had not handed them over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which was looking into the matter.

The petitioner said the matter involved payments to top functionaries of political parties. The Bench held that persons holding high constitutional positions could not be subject to investigation based on loose papers.

The Land Acquisition Act

On October 23, 2019, Justice Mishra refused to recuse himself from heading a Constitution Bench, examining his own earlier ruling in a case related to the Land Acquisition Act.

The decision followed a campaign on social media and websites urging him to step down on grounds of judicial propriety. In March 2020, however, the Constitution Bench, upheld a 2018 verdict, written by Justice Mishra himself. The case pertained to different interpretations of Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

The Haren Pandya Murder

On July 5, 2019, a Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra convicted 12 persons in the case related to the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. While doing so, the top court overruled the acquittal of the accused by the Gujarat High Court, but allowed the appeals by the CBI and the Gujarat government.

Pandya was shot dead on March 26, 2003, in Ahmedabad. A CBI probe had concluded that he was killed to avenge the deaths in the 2002 riots, in the aftermath of Godhra train carnage. In August 2011, the High Court had acquitted the 12 accused of murder charges, overruling the 2007 conviction by a trial court.

The case was allotted to the two-judge Bench headed by Justice Mishra in October 2018. The top courts verdict overruling the Gujarat High Court order came a few weeks after the 2019 Lok Sabha election results, paving way for second term for the BJP. An earlier verdict could have had political ramifications on elections.

Cases against Chief Justices of India

On November 14, 2017, a Bench comprising three judges, including Justice Arun Mishra, dismissed senior advocate Kamini Jaiswals petition seeking a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the medical bribery case.

The CBI was investigating a Lucknow-based medical college that was allegedly trying to secure favourable judgment by bribing the sitting High Court and Supreme Court judges. Senior advocates Prashant Bhushan, Kamini Jaiswal and Dushyant Dave raised the involvement of the then Chief Justice of India, though he had not been blamed in the FIR by the CBI.

The judgment said it was highly improper on the part of the petitioner to allege conflict of interest in the petition and say that then CJI Dipak Misra should not hear it on the judicial side or allocate the matter on the administrative side.

On December 1, 2017, another PIL by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) on the same matter was dismissed by the same Bench. A fine of Rs 25 lakh was imposed on CJAR. On April 20, 2019, Justice Mishra was part of the Special Bench that was set up over the allegations of sexual harassment against then CJI Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Earlier, the CJI had headed the Special Bench set up on the day. But then Justice Mishra took over the three-judge Bench to consider if there was a larger conspiracy to blackmail the CJI. The Bench issued a notice to advocate Utsav Bains, who had claimed that the allegations against the CJI were part of a larger plot to destabilise the judiciary.

Retired Justice AK Patnaik was assigned to submit a detailed report after investigating the matter. A report was submitted to the court in September 2019. The SC employee who had levelled charges against the CJI was, however, reinstated in January 2020, and the criminal case against her dropped.

100% reservation in scheduled areas

On April 22, 2020, a five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Justice Mishra, struck down a government order issued by the Andhra Pradesh government in 2000 that granted absolute reservation for Scheduled Tribe candidates for teaching jobs in schools in scheduled areas.

The Bench held that the government order was arbitrary and not permissible under the Constitution. It cited the 1992 Indira Sawhney judgment, which capped reservations at 50 percent. The judgment sparked protests by tribal groups across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Nageswara Raos appointment as interim CBI chief

On February 2019, a SC Bench consisting of Justice Arun Mishra dismissed a joint petition by Common Cause and RTI Activist Anjali, questioning the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as CBIs interim director.

The Bench said that there was no illegality in Raos appointment since a high-powered selection committee had passed a resolution authorising the appointment. The petitioners wanted the Apex Court to quash the January 10 order, appointing Rao.
Amid the tense Indo-China border standoff and the Covid-19 pandemic, a Chinese student is keen to pursue postgraduation in Hindi from Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak. He is among the record 114 foreign students seeking admission to different courses at the government-run university in Haryana for the 2020-21 academic session.

Ajay Rajan, dean, centre of international academic affairs at MDU, says Guosong Zhao from Chinas Henan province is among the students from 18 nations who have applied for admission this year. We are eagerly awaiting this students admission. His decision to opt for India to pursue higher studies will motivate others, too, he says.

Students from at least 10 countries have applied for the first time. We are surprised to see such a rise in the number of foreign applications amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Rajan says.

MDU is the only state university in Haryana attached to the central governments Study in India portal.

SUSHMA SWARAJS INITIATIVE HELPS MDU

Saravjeet Singh Gill, deputy adviser of international relations, MDU, says the applications of 108 students were received through the central governments Study in India portal and six through the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

We had directly invited foreign students and the admission process began on August 31. It will continue till September 15, he says.

The universitys foreign students cell, which was launched from the 2013-14 session, was upgraded as the Centre for International Academic Affairs two years ago. The number of foreign students has seen a steady rise since April 2018 when former external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs decision to launch the portal was implemented.

Only 19 students had taken admission at MDU in 2013, 12 in 2014, six in 2015, four in 2016, seven in 2017, and 40 in 2018, 62 in 2019 and 114 this year.

Sunit Mukherjee, an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication who holds the charge of MDUs public relations department, says the quality of education, good food, similar culture and low cost of living as compared to other universities are primary reasons behind the increase in the number of foreign students seeking admission.

We charge an academic fee of 1.67 lakh from students belonging to the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations and 2.07 lakh from non-Saarc nationals besides a hostel fee of 30,000 a year, he says.

MOST APPLICANTS FROM AFGHANISTAN

All students have applied for on-campus postgraduate courses.

Courses such as masters in business administration (MBA), MA (public administration), MA (political science) and postgraduate diploma in career guidance and counselling are popular among international students.

According to the universitys international relations cell, of the 108 students who applied through the Study in India portal this time, 86 are men and 22 women.

Fifty-six applicants are from Afghanistan, including 11 women students, seven each are from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Tanzania, six from Ghana, and five are from Nigeria.

Yasmin Saifi from Afghanistan, who is enrolled in MA (public administration) at MDU, said over phone that students from her country chose India as both the countries have similar culture.

We can speak Hindi and English easily. More students from Afghanistan are applying at MDU as this university has better infrastructure, good faculty, and a peaceful and safe environment. Im waiting for the Government of Indias decision to resume classes so that I can return to MDU, she says.
by Austin Bay September 1, 2020

The post-election turmoil shaking Belarus has the typical storyline of a geriatric dictatorship losing its ability to control by fear. The corruption and grinding poverty produced by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and his regime's 26 years in power finally spurred a new reform-minded generation to challenge the dictator at the ballot box. Knowing they were despised, the dictator's gang rigged the election. Outraged by the fraud, reformers filled the streets with genuinely peaceful mass protests and appealed to free nations for help. Attempting to crush an energized opposition, the dictator's riot cops responded brutally, beating and arresting thousands.

This happens all the time? Unfortunately, yes, it does.

Though Lukashenko has thug qualities comparable to Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Belarus isn't a Venezuela or a Democratic Republic of Congo, two other nations where a vote has spurred violent instability.

Does chaos in these hard corners really matter? Here's one way to frame answers --plural -- to that question. Beyond compassionate concern for human beings suffering under a brutal dictatorship, Venezuela possesses the world's largest oil reserves and Congo dominates global cobalt production. The U.S. and its allies must remain diplomatically engaged and, when possible, hinder bad actors with economic and political sanctions.

Alas, Belarus has no precious resources. What it has is meager: a population between 9 and 10 million, a GDP around $190 billion and a crook government controlling 70% to 80% of the economy. Lukashenko is a former communist apparatchik. His 26 years in office is the current longest stretch in power of any European leader. Commentators have called Belarus the last communist dictatorship in Europe and even "Europe's last dictatorship," though Russian President and former KGB colonel Vladimir Putin is a tyrant of a type.

Twenty-first-century political geography, however, damns Belarus with a damnation that matters. Check the map. Belarus is the linchpin of nuclear-armed Russia's western front, the mirror image of Poland's new role in defending NATO's eastern front.

Belarus is also Russia's last Slavic satellite nation -- or so the Kremlin sees it, which adds a demographic interest to a Russia confronted by population decline.

The Kremlin sees Belarus as key to Russian defensive and offensive operations on Europe's new central front. Russia borders Baltic states and NATO members Estonia and Latvia, so Russian ground forces can directly threaten them. However, Belarus separates Russia from NATO nations Poland and Lithuania. A pro-Western government in Belarus denying Russian forces its territory reduces the prospect of a surprise Kremlin attack on Poland. It greatly diminishes the diplomatic and media leverage the Kremlin seeks when it conducts tank and mech infantry exercises along a NATO border.

Is this Russian threat theoretical? The Poles don't think so. Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine is fact, not theory. So is Russian hybrid war, toxic political meddling, information warfare, narrative warfare, economic threats, covert attacks and assassination.

As Belarus erupted following the hijacked Aug. 9 election, Russia conducted naval exercises in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland, and ground exercises near St. Petersburg and in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania.

For Russia, defending the Kaliningrad Oblast is both a defensive and offensive operation, with Belarus vital to both. Kaliningrad was once the Prussian city of Konigsberg. Russia kept the city and its environs as a special reward for winning World War II. In June 2016, NATO conducted Exercise Anaconda 2016. As the exercise ended, NATO troops entered Lithuania, liberating it from a Russian attack. The maneuver, however, explicitly cut off Kaliningrad.

Russia has a presence in Belarus right now -- overt and covert. In late August, Reuters reported Putin personally announced the Kremlin had created a police force to support Lukashenko. Poland immediately demanded Russia drop plans to intervene "in Belarus, under (the) false excuse of 'restoring control' -- a hostile act, in breach of international law and human rights of Belarusian people, who should be free to decide their own fate."

Yes, what happens in Belarus matters.
The 53-year-old allegedly started raping his own daughter, age nine, in 1997

A grandfather who allegedly raped his own daughter is also accused of sexually abusing his granddaughter and using her for child porn.

The 53-year-old faced court on Tuesday for allegedly abusing his nine-year-old daughter for two years from 1997, the Townsville Bulletin reported.

A decade later, the man from Townsville in north Queensland, allegedly began sexually assaulting his eight-year-old granddaughter.

The 53-year-old faced court on Tuesday for allegedly abusing his nine-year-old daughter for two years from 1997 (stock image)

Police alleged he abused her and penetrated her with objects in restaurants and public spaces around the city.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles told the publication the man allegedly used the girl to create and keep child exploitation material.

The man lived with his daughter, who is now 32, and granddaughter.

An investigation began when the Townsville Child Protection and Investigation unit received information about the allegations.

He faced Townsville Magistrates Court on 12 counts of indecent treatment of a child, rape, attempted rape and making child exploitation material.

New charges of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child were also laid against him.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia , Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The CMA Board issued its resolution on 22/12/1441 H., corresponding to 12/08/2020G, which included allowing residents and non-residents foreigners to invest directly in listed and non-listed debt instruments. This comes as part of CMA's strategic goals to develop the capital market "Financial Leadership Program" and in line with "Financial Sector Development Program" one of the main programs to achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

This resolution comes as a continuation of the CMA's endeavor to develop the debt instruments market by aligning its regulatory requirements with international best practices. In addition to that, the continuity of the approach of opening up the Saudi financial market to the world and enhancing the investment environment attractive for foreign investors, thus contributing to raising the efficiency of the market and increasing its competitiveness regionally and internationally. This resolution will also contribute to deepening the financial market, enhancing its role in capital formation, and diversifying investment products for foreign investor segments.

The CMA Board resolution included the following:

a) All foreign legal and natural persons may invest directly in debt instruments.

b) A non-resident foreign person may not invest in the market as a direct investor in listed debt instruments and as a qualified foreign investor or an ultimate beneficiary in swap agreements at the same time.

c) A foreign person who invests directly in debt instruments may not convert such instruments into shares listed in the Main Market, unless such person is among the categories of investors who are allowed to invest directly in the shares listed in the Main Market, or becomes an ultimate beneficiary in a swap agreement in accordance with the provisions of the Authority's instructions on swap agreements.

It is noteworthy that the Capital Market Authority worked on preparing a guide that aims to clarify the investment channels available for non-resident foreign investors, the methods of investing in listed securities, and the procedures of investment account opening. The guide can be viewed through the following link: (Link)

Contact:

Capital Market Authority

Communication & Investor Protection Division

[email protected]

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Ahead of the beginning of Parliament monsoon session, the Communist Party of Indias (CPI) Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam has written a letter to House chairman Venkaiah Naidu, over dropping of the Question Hour.

Given that the duration of time of Parliamentary sittings is the same as it has always been, suspension of Question hour and Private Members business is unjust and must be reinstated immediately, Viswam has said in his letter.

Question Hour and Zero Hour are integral to the democratic functioning of Parliament and have never been done away with in the history of independent India. By introducing these changes, the government has effectively ensured that its accountability to Parliament and to the people is done away with, he further said.

Also Read: No weekend break for MPs during monsoon session

In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said that there will be no question hour and private members business during the monsoon session of Parliament in the wake of ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Those who attend the session would be required to follow the necessary coronavirus protocols, including getting tested for Covid-19 within 72 hours, it further said.

The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1.

On its part, the government has reached out to the Opposition, explaining its decision to not include the Question Hour in the list of business, people familiar with the development said.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh spoke on the governments behalf to Opposition leaders, like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress and Derek OBrien of the Trinamool Congress.

Also Read: New protocol for Parliaments upcoming monsoon session

Congress leader Chowdhury later said that Singh informed him about the modalities involved him in holding the session of Parliament at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has gripped the country. Ahead of the beginning of the session, both the House of Parliament have made elaborate security arrangements and put in place Covid-19 protocols, and that would require the presence of a large number of officials in Parliament to brief ministers, Singh said according to Chowdhury.

Singh assured him that the government will try to accommodate the Oppositions demand for the Zero Hour to continue so that members can raise urgent matters .
The Ministry of Information Technology of the Government of India has banned 118 more Chinese owned apps, as part of what is a third crackdown on apps that are believed to be a threat to national security. The apps and games that are in the latest list of 118 include PUBG Mobile Lite, Ludo World, APUS Launcher, Ulike, AliPay, Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster, Tencent Weiyun, Baidu, FaceU, AppLock Lite and Cleaner - Phone Booster. These apps, depending on their availability on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, will be restricted for new downloads and apps that you may have already installed on your phone, will have their network and data based features restricted. This also comes at a time when Atmanirbhar Bharat is in focus, as the government is pushing for local development of products, apps and services, instead of relying on imports.

This comes after the Government of India banned 59 apps on June 29 and followed that up with a second crackdown almost a month later by banning 47 more apps that cloned the apps previously restricted in India. This has been done deriving powers under the section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 citing the concerns about the security, integrity and defence of India. Previously as well, popular apps that were banned included TikTok, Shareit, WeChat, Helo, Likee, UC News, Bigo Live, UC Browser, ES File Explorer and Mi Community. The government says these apps are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order."

Have You Also Read?

PUBG Mobile, APUS, AliPay, WeChat Work and 114 More Apps Banned by Govt: Full List Here

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures, says the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, in a press statement.

The banning of Chinese apps by the Indian Government is a welcome move. The privacy and safety of information of crores of Indian mobile users is of utmost importance and cannot be compromised. Anything that goes against Indias sovereignty and security needs to be addressed and thats exactly what the government has done," says Kiruba Shankar, Co-founder and President, 60 Seconds? app. 60 Seconds? is a short video app, well placed to be the alternative to TikTok. Data is the new oil and users information of crores of Indian users is valuable. We cannot let it fall in the wrong hands as it can be misused. It is very important to ensure that the user data and information are stored in servers in India and provide full assurance for the safety of the information," he adds.

It was in July that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and the Niti Aayog launched the Aatmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge giving a push to Indian app developers to create alternative home-grown apps for otherwise popular apps across categories and genres.
When 10-year-old Brady Snakovsky found out police dogs dont automatically get issued bulletproof vests, he knew right then that he had to do something about it.

He had been watching a show with his family almost two years ago when he noticed the K-9 wasnt as protected as its handler.

10-year-old Brady Snakovsky. (Courtesy of Leah Tornabene)

We were watching the show together and I didnt even notice that the dog wasnt wearing a vest, Leah Tornabene, Bradys mom, told CNN.

I was quite surprised that a child at age eight could recognize that there was an issue there, and that he could find a solution to fix that problem. It made me very proud to see him doing this, she added.

The observation sparked the start of Bradys K9 Fund, a nonprofit that raises money to supply bulletproof vests to police and military dogs. He created a GoFundMe page, which allowed him to buy the first four vests.

Brady Snakovsky has raised money through his nonprofit. (Courtesy of Leah Tornabene)

So far, Brady has supplied over 257 dogs with vests and has raised over US$315,000. He has supplied vests for dogs in 23 states and in Canada. Hes also supplied vests for military dogs in Afghanistan.

Tornabene said that most people dont realize that the police forces that have K-9 units have to rely on the help of donations, so every dollar matters. The handlers reach out to Brady by word of mouth or via his website.

K-9 Benny (is my favorite) because his handler was so thankful he started crying, Brady said, adding that hes become good friends with Bennys handler.

Brady Snakovsky has raised over $315,000 to provide bulletproof vests for police dogs. (Courtesy of Leah Tornabene)

Recently, Brady also ventured into a new local project. He created a dog park in Brunswick, Ohio, near his hometown, which is closed one day a week to allow police dogs a space to train with their handlers.

Brady has found out that police dogs are often in need of a place to practice and do their required monthly training, so he decided to provide one.

(Illustration  Daria Serdtseva/Shutterstock)

With the help of members of his community, they restored a park that was in need of some love and added dog-agility equipment for training purposes. Brady said he hopes to help as many police dogs as he can through the park and his nonprofit.

I like seeing the smile on the handlers face, he said.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
Geri Chaffees first live radio appearance came as a surprise.

As schools shut down to slow the spread of coronavirus, the sudden shift to distance learning left parents frazzled and frustrated. It quickly became apparent that, without in-person instruction, families of children who were not fluent in English faced additional barriers and schools would struggle to support them .

In Florida, where Chaffee lives, Spanish-speaking families had questions. But many of them had trouble finding answers because they did not speak or read English, lacked internet access or devices, or felt uncomfortable approaching school leaders to ask for help.

Concerned about the challenges that families faced in adjusting to distance learning, an acquaintance with Solmart Media, a company that owns Spanish-language radio stations in Florida, sought out Chaffee for advice.

At that time, they were getting a lot of calls from parents, like, What do we do? What does this mean? Hispanic parents, non-English-speaking parents. So, this producer called me and asked if I could do an interview, Chaffee said.

Chaffee figured she was up to the task. With a masters degree in educational leadership, the native Spanish speaker had home-schooled her bilingual, biliterate children with learning differences. She is also the founder of Dreamers Academy, a planned dual-language charter school in Sarasota, Fla.

During the interview, Chaffee recalled rattling off a series of tips to help families adjust to distance learning. Unbeknownst to her, the conversation was broadcast live to listeners across a 10-county area in the state. In the days after it aired, school administrators called her up or reached out on social media, asking for advice on parent engagement.

Oh no, that was live, she recalled thinking. I dont even know what the heck I said.

That conversation spawned Por Nuestros Ninos, a new Spanish-language radio show and podcast that aims to help families in Florida and across the nation navigate an uncertain fall after a tumultuous spring of distance learning. The show was borne out of the pandemic, but Chaffee expects it will continue even after students return to school.

Chaffee partners with Solmart Media for the weekly 30-minute national radio show, which now airs on more than 300 Spanish-language stations across the country. It features interviews with educators and leading English-language-learner researchers who share tips and insights on how parents can support their children.

Chaffee spoke with Education Week about Por Nuestros Ninos, which translates to For Our Children in English. The questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Education Week: How do you support Spanish-speaking parents?

Chaffee: There are the cultural barriers that we talk about on the show all the time. [Some families] are not going to go to the school and say, My kid is not doing well. I cant help them. I dont know how to read or write in English. Its almost taboo. We try to empower parents with information in a very casual conversation. Information, resources, tools that they can immediately put to use. We constantly remind them that they are their childrens first teachers and that the home is the first school and that, Weve got this. You can do this.

Education Week: What are the biggest obstacles that parents encounter when trying to advocate for their children?

Chaffee: Parents dont realize that they can go to school and they have a right to have an appointment and a professional [interpreter]. Not the custodian who is very nice and can translate. No, a professional [interpreter], an ESL person thats bilingual. They dont realize it. They can ask to speak to the principal, right? Ive seen that happen just recently. I was translating for a mom that was very upset. And right there, we discovered that [her son] had been crying for four weeks because he didnt want to be retained because his little sister who was also in 3rd grade and a twin made it to 4th grade. You can imagine this kid has been traumatized. Mom was able to express that to the principal while I was translating. And all I could think of is how many of these stories are there out there where parents are doing everything they can to help their kids succeed, but they dont even know the tools that they have in their toolbox.

Education Week: What can schools do to support parents who are not fluent in English?

Chaffee: Theres this incredible desire that these parents have. If we take advantage of the fact that their children could be bilingual and biliterate and that they have parents that are doing everything possible, because they really love America, we have an enormous opportunity here. Theres a lot of room for improvement. Right now, you hear, Oh, culturally responsive teaching and social, emotional learning, but it really has not translated into giving the teachers the tools they need. We need everything to be infused with equity and culturally-responsive teaching and learning.

To listen to the podcast, visit Chaffees web site https://www.pdo.org and click on podcasts.

Photo Credit: Por Nuestros Ninos host Geri Chaffee
China may have surpassed American military capabilities in the area of missile development and shipbuilding, and is likely to double its nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade, the US Defence Department said in an annual report to US lawmakers.

China has already achieved parity with  or even exceeded  the United States in several military modernisation areas, including shipbuilding, land-based conventional ballistic and cruise missiles, and integrated air defence systems, said the report, which was made public on Tuesday.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) with ranges of up to 5,500km (3,400 miles), compared with the US militarys single type of conventional GLBM, which is limited to a range of 70km to 300km (43 to 186 miles), and no GLCMs, according to the report.

Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.

China had developed its conventional missile forces unrestrained by any international agreements, the report said. The country also has one of the worlds largest forces of advanced long-range surface-to-air systems  including Russian-built S-400s, S-300s, and domestically produced systems.

Over the next decade, Chinas nuclear warhead stockpile  currently estimated to be in the low 200s  is projected to at least double in size as China expands and modernises its nuclear forces, the report said, adding that the goal is a nuclear triad with the development of a nuclear capable air-launched ballistic missile, while improving ground and sea-based nuclear capabilities.

Overall, the report, known informally as the China Military Power Report, portrays the rapid development of Chinas armed forces as part of its governments plan to achieve a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by 2049 and revise the international order.

Story continues

The Pentagon noted the progress in Chinas military had made since its first annual report to Congress in 2000, which assessed Chinas armed forces at that time to be a sizeable but mostly archaic military that was poorly suited to the [Chinese Communist Partys] long-term ambitions.

The latest edition reflects the growing concern that the Trump administration has about the [Chinese Communist Partys] ambitions for the PLA and rapidly developing PLA capabilities, said Bonnie Glaser, a China analyst with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Chad Sbragia delivered a presentation about the report, hosted by the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday.

Chinas missile systems have our full attention, as you might imagine, he said.

In putting the report together, Sbragia said the Pentagon sought to use Chinese military and Communist Party documents whenever possible at the same time it worked to filter out party rhetoric that can be distracting to American audiences and cause them to underappreciate Chinas very ambitious plans.

The report does not claim that Chinas military is currently 10 feet tall, nor, I think, certainly does China either, said Sbragia. It clearly faces a number of challenges, and Beijing is working to overcome those, which is really an important point.

It is likely that China will seek to build a military that is equal to or in some cases superior to the US military or the military of any great power that China perceives as a potential threat, added Sbragia, a former US Marine attache with Washingtons embassy in Beijing.

A major concern highlighted in the report is the increase in Chinese ground, air and naval forces available in the event of an invasion or armed conflict with Taiwan, which according to the report was 3-1 last year in favour of China but is now closer to 5-1, or even 12-1 if Chinas forces in the wider region are factored in.

Sbragia said these increasingly asymmetric numbers continued to shape US strategy and moves to reform the Pentagons own operations. It certainly drives us, he said, adding that its a motivating aspect of work in Washington that is not lost on the Chinese.

The worst case scenario is conflict and thats not where anyone wants to go, Sbragia said.

The Pentagon report follows a series of pronouncements by members of President Donald Trumps administration pledging to counter Chinas military operations in the South China Sea and near the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be a renegade province.

On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun called for closer Indo-Pacific defence relations with India, Japan and Australia  also known as the quad  and an eventual formation of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-style bloc for the Indo-Pacific, partly as a bulwark against potential threats from China. Last week, Trumps national security adviser Robert OBrien called Beijings claims in the South China Sea ridiculous.

In Beijing, a defence ministry spokesman dismissed the report, saying it misrepresented Beijings defence policy and military strategy.

The report is filled with ... cold war thinking ... aiming to vilify the modernisation of the Chinese military, defence spending and nuclear weapons policies, the spokesman said.

Its purpose is to incite confrontation between the mainland and Taiwan, and exacerbate tensions across the Taiwan Strait, he said, adding that Beijing might respond further, depending on circumstances.

Tuesdays report touched on theft of US research that could potentially help China modernise its military, a concern that has become a top priority across departments in Washington, and which prompted the US Justice Department to launch its China Initiative in 2018. That effort provided more resources aimed at countering such activity, and has resulted in a string of indictments against Chinese nationals in the US.

Last month, Wang Xin, a researcher at University of California, San Francisco, pleaded not guilty to charges that he attempted to hide his status as an active member of Chinas PLA. Wang was detained in June while preparing to depart from Los Angeles International Airport on a flight to Tianjin.

Also in August, a US magistrate judge ordered Tang Juan to remain in custody, calling her a flight risk, after authorities said she concealed her PLA ties. The Justice Department announced charges against Tang, Wang and two other researchers living in the US earlier this year, saying they deliberately hid their status as active PLA members. All were charged with visa fraud.

Another case came to light last week when the Justice Department announced the arrest of Guan Lei, who was not allowed to board a flight to China and after he refused an FBI request to examine his computer. According to the complaint, Guan is being investigated for possibly transferring sensitive US software or technical data to Chinas National University of Defence Technology.

Sbragia, who studied Mandarin at Beijings Capital Normal University earlier in his career, said the departments of State, Defence and Justice, among others, are trying to find a balance, ensuring that US research organisations and universities operate effectively even as their activities are monitored so that any access does not jeopardise US security.

I tell you, were all over it, he said. For a long time, its not necessarily that we didnt know these things were going on, we just werent necessarily taking specific action.

The Pentagon report also detailed the extent to which the PLA may be planning to build a network of military logistics bases overseas.

Beyond its current base in Djibouti, the PRC is very likely already considering and planning for additional overseas military logistics facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces, according to the report.

China has likely considered building such bases in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan, it said.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article China may outmatch American military in missile development and shipbuilding, says US Defence Department report first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Cornell University have conducted a study showing that many states across the US are not reporting fully on the number of people being tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in prisons, with some also not reporting on cases of fatalities.

Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein and colleagues also say that among the prison systems that are reporting on COVID-19 testing data, the number of people being tested varies widely between states and as compared with the general population.

However, overall, the deployment of more testing does lead to more cases being identified, with most state prisons having higher rates of infection than in the general population.

The team says the findings highlight the need to implement long-term testing strategies to accurately assess the impact COVID-19 is having in prisons across the US. Mitigation and surveillance strategies are also needed to flatten the COVID-19 curve in prisons across the nation, they add.

A pre-print version of the paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review.

The pandemic has quickly affected US prison systems

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on prison systems in the US at an alarming rate. In fact, correctional settings have become epicenters of disease, with nine of the ten largest single-site outbreaks having occurred in these environments.

Prisons are sites of congregate living, where it is impossible to practice common prevention activities such as social distancing, and most prisons have instead relied on incremental measures such as suspending visits, distributing masks, and reducing recreation time.

The communities that incarcerated individuals tend to come from and return home to are also disproportionately burdened by COVID-19.

Black Americans are both overrepresented in the CJ [criminal justice] system and are more likely to live in areas with higher poverty rates, have limited health care access, and have higher rates of jobs in service industries where they are less able to work from home, which increases exposure to COVID-19, explain the researchers.

The authors say that given the continued outbreaks in prisons across the country and the vulnerability of incarcerated individuals, it is essential to understand the impact of COVID-19 in these settings more fully by obtaining comprehensive data on testing, test positivity, and case fatality.

While this is a pressing national issue, this data must be assessed at the state level as each states Department of Corrections collects data independently and independently determines their COVID policies, writes the team.

What did the current study involve?

Now Brinkley-Rubinstein has gathered data from the COVID Prison Project on testing, test positivity, and mortality by state across 53 prison systems and compared the findings with data on each states general population using information from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The researchers found that many states were not fully reporting information on COVID testing in prisons and that some were also not reporting on case fatality.

As of July 15, 2020, 10 states and Puerto Rico were not reporting any testing information.

Testing varied widely between states that were reporting data

Among prisons that were reporting data, testing varied widely. For instance, Hawaii was testing 6 per 1,000 incarcerated individuals, while Minnesota was testing 1,531 per 1,000.

The team says previous studies have estimated national prevalence of various state and federal prison systems, but that it is important to understand the impact of the pandemic on prison systems at a more granular level. Pooling information on low incidence settings with information on those where outbreaks are occurring, for example, masks the local effect that COVID-19 is having on some states and communities across the country.

The teams findings showed that generally, more testing results in more cases being identified, but between-state variation in testing rates clouds understanding of COVID-19 incidence among prison settings in some states.

More tests within prisons than among the general population

The majority of prison systems had tested more incarcerated individuals than the state had the general population.

However, eleven prisons were testing fewer incarcerated people per 1,000 than had been tested in the states general population.

Among incarcerated individuals who were tested, the proportion who tested positively varied by state, from 0 to 42%.

On average, prison systems with the highest rate of test positivity had only tested a small proportion of the incarcerated population.

The rate of test positivity was, on average, also higher in prison systems than among the general population.

However, the rate was lower than among the general population in some prison systems, which included those in states where outbreaks had recently occurred in the general population, where very few incarcerated individuals had been tested, and where mass testing had been conducted.

Long-term testing and mitigation and surveillance strategies urgently needed

The researchers say that to assess COVID-19s impact in US prisons accurately and to flatten the curve in these settings, long-term testing and mitigation and surveillance strategies must be urgently implemented.

It is only through implementing these strategies and continually documenting COVID testing, cases, and fatalities that we will know the spread of COVID in our prison and the injustices it has created and perpetuated, they write. We call for future research to build on this data from the COVID Prison Project to protect the health of our nations often forgotten residents, concludes the team.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Bir Lehlu (Liberated Territories),Sept 01, 2020 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Government reiterated today its firm rejection of the continued existence of the illegal Guergarat crossing, which is an flagrant violation of the terms of ceasefire and military agreement No. 1.

The Saharawi government, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information, voiced its totally rejected to the persistent existence of the illegal breach in the Moroccan wall of humiliation in the Guerguerat area, as it is contrary to the provisions of the military agreement no 1 and the peace plan.

In this sense, the SADR Government has called on the Security Council to force Morocco to close this illegal passage, which continues to be a permanent source of tension in the region and a real obstacle to international efforts in the search for a solution.

On the other hand, the Sahrawi government has expressed its solidarity with the Sahrawi citizens stationed since yesterday in the framework of an act of peaceful popular protest in front of the illegal crossing in the Guerguerat, considering this spontaneous and natural act as another popular demonstration of the Saharawi people resistance against the illegal Moroccan occupation of parts of the soil of the Saharawi Republic.

The Sahrawi government holds the MINURSO mission, and the United Nations, responsible for the full security and protection of the Sahrawi citizens in Guerguerat who have full rights to free expression and peaceful protest to defend the inalienable rights of its people, against any acts of intimidation by the Moroccan occupation forces or their thugs.

It is totally unacceptable, says the Government Communique, that the MINURSO mission continues to turn a blind eye to the continued existence of this illegal crossing and the daily passage of goods, including huge tons of drugs, without assuming its responsibility to comply the mandate that has been entrusted to it by the Security Council, which is the organization of a self-determination referendum to put an end to the decolonization chapter of Western Sahara. SPS

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President Donald Trump mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for getting caught mask-less at a beauty salon, flaunting San Francisco COVID-19 rules.

'The Beauty Parlor owner must really dislike Crazy Nancy Pelosi. Turning her in, on tape, is a really big deal,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. 'She probably treats him like she treats everyone else...And she strongly supported a Kennedy who just lost in, of all places, Massachusetts!'

In another tweet on the topic, Trump boasted 'we will almost certainly take back the House.'

On Tuesday, Fox News reported that Pelosi had visited a San Francisco beauty salon the day before for a wash and blow-out and was seen on the salon's security walking around without a mask.

President Donald Trump mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday morning for getting caught mask-less and inside a San Francisco beauty salon, flaunting the city's COVID-19 rules

Fox News broke the story Tuesday that the House speaker had infuriated a salon owner for getting her hair done inside by one of the stylists who's an independent contractor

San Francisco beauty parlors weren't supposed to open until September 1, the next day, and services were to be done outside only.

The salon owner Erica Kious called Pelosi's visit a 'slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feel that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work.'

Kious also explained what happened.

The owner rents out chairs to different stylists and one of the stylists took on Pelosi as a client when the House speaker's normal sylist was unavailable.

The stylist reached out to Kious Sunday night.

'I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do? Kious told Fox News, adding that she 'can't control' what her individual stylists do.

Pelosi's Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill said in a statement that 'the speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements.'

He added that the speaker followed the rules as they were presented to her by the sylist.

'This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business,' Hammill told Fox News. 'The speaker complies with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.'

But Kious was still angry.

'We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just can't - it's a feeling - a feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down,' the salon owner said. 'I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen. I am a single mom, I have two small children and I have no income.'

'The fact that they did this, and she came in, it's like a slap in the face,' Kious added.

Trump's shaming of Pelosi comes less than a week after he hosted 1,500 supporters on the White House lawn and didn't require them to wear masks. Attendees' chairs were also not spread six feet apart as they watched Trump deliver his Republican National Convention address.

And while Trump's campaign has urged mask-wearing at his rallies, in New Hampshire on Friday an audience of supporters booed when they were told to put on their masks.

The president's tweet also referenced the fact that Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who Pelosi endorsed for Massachusetts Senate, lost his primary Tuesday night to the seat's incumbent, Sen. Ed Markey.
BAY CITY, MI  Earlier this year, a Bay City man began posting vigilante videos online, showing him meeting men he said he had lured by posing online as a minor. He has since posted more than two dozen videos on YouTube in which he publicly confronts the men.

Mark A. Hernandez says he has no plans to stop his activities although he himself is now facing two misdemeanor charges after someone confronted him. Hes accused of assault and battery and of breaking a smartphone.
I am Charlie: A supporter holds up a sign during a ceremony to pay tribute to the victims of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shootings. PHOTO: REUTERS/YOAN VALAT

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is republishing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed which unleashed a wave of anger in the Muslim world, to mark the start of the trial of alleged accomplices in the militant attack against it in 2015.

Among the cartoons, most of which were first published by a Danish newspaper in 2005 and then by Charlie Hebdo a year later, is one of Mohammed wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse protruding.

"We will never lie down. We will never give up," editor Laurent 'Riss' Sourisseau wrote in a piece to accompany the front cover that will be published in print today.

Twelve people, including some of the magazine's best-known cartoonists, were killed when Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and sprayed the building with automatic gunfire.

The Kouachi brothers, and a third Islamist gunman who killed five people in the 48 hours that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre, were shot dead by police in different stand-offs, but 14 of their alleged accomplices go on trial today.

The decision to republish the cartoons will be seen by some as a defiant gesture in defence of free expression. But others may see it as a renewed provocation by a magazine that has long courted controversy with its satirical attacks on religion.

After the 2006 publication of the cartoons, jihadists online warned that the weekly would pay for its mockery. For Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous.

"The freedom to caricature and the freedom to dislike them are enshrined and nothing justifies violence," the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote on Twitter in response.

In 2007, a French court rejected accusations by Islamic groups that the publication incited hatred against Muslims.
By Trend

Settlement of new ethnic groups inside sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is deeply complicating situation in NagornoKarabakh, Peter M. Tase, the US expert in European and Latin American politics, told Trend.

Settlement process of Syrian Families fleeing war torn Syria, is a perilous situation that will cause irreparable damages to the multicultural and inter-religious fabric in the Caucasus and Europe. It is disturbing to see that European Union Institutions (European Council and European Commission) are silent, continue to sleep in front of these atrocious acts taken by Armenian government, he said.

Tase pointed out that Armenian government and its fascist leaders are violating the International Laws daily and harming European cultural landscape. The brutal regime of Armenia is a serious and dangerous threat to European democratic standards and is harming the liberties of European citizens and the principles of four freedoms.

Settlement of new ethnic groups inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is deeply complicating the situation of Nagorno  Karabakh. Mistakes, grave blunders committed by the terrorist government of Armenia, including the new settlements established (inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan) with Syrian citizens are once again facts that stand within and beyond of preponderance of evidence that Yerevan continues to harm ethnic and cultural coexistence in the Caucasus and is introducing practices that were never applied even by European powers when these powers were colonizing African territories, noted the expert.

He went on to add that acts taken by the self-declared leaders of the so-called "Nagorno - Karabakh Republic" are grossly violating the international laws, European Union Convention of Human Rights and all Resolutions approved by the European Parliament that address Human Rights and prohibit artificial miscegenation of race on territories that are illegally occupied.

Armenia must stop these atrocious acts and become a responsible actor in the Concert of Nations.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has shown a great level of maturity and responsibility, despite the fact that Baku's Military Might, resilience of its Armed Forces and Loyalty within Azerbaijani Armed Forces is fascinating and superior to the standards of many countries in Europe and the Caucasus. There must not be any provocations of this magnitude undertaken by the fascist government of Armenia, otherwise Yerevan's grenade will blow on its leaders' very own hands, Tase concluded.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Kerala finance minister Dr Thomas Isaac tweet Thiruvonam day on Monday describing Vamana as a "cheat" has angered the BJP and hindutva organizations in the state.

The ministers controversial tweet, greeting the people of Kerala, said; "Happy Onam! We celebrate Mahabali who did not discriminate by caste or creed, not Vamana who cheated him." In his tweet Isaac also referred to Kerala announcing the floor price of 14 types of vegetables to suggest that people had something to celebrate this festival season.

However, Isaacs tweet didnt go down well with the BJP which accused him of insulting Vamana who is one of the reincarnations of Lord Vishnu. BJP state president K Surendran demanded an apology from Isaac for what he called hurting the sentiments of Lord Vishnus devotees.

With the minister's tweet attracting criticism from the BJP and a section of people on social media, Isaac came out with a clarification. "To all those who have been upset about my Onam tweet: Accept that there can be many narratives. I was referring to the one by Sahodaran Aiyyapan, an ardent disciple of Sree Narayana Guru. If you are not convinced, read his Onapatu, the most popular Onam song of Kerala."

Legend has it that Mahabali a generous king once ruled Kerala. He was sent to the nether world by Vamana. It is said that the devatas were threatened by the popularity of the charismatic Mahabali and the prosperity of his kingdom.

They felt jealous because the benevolent king belonged to the Asura clan. Vamana was sent to end Mahabali's reign in Kerala.

Onam is celebrated by Malayalees cutting across caste, religion and all other differences to welcome Mahabali who returns to his praja during the annual festival.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Kerala witnessed a controversy over a narrative associated with Onam.

In 2016, the then BJP national president Amit Shah wished everyone a "happy vamana jayanthi" with the image of Mahabali under Vamana's feet. Many felt that it was a deliberate attempt to change the narrative and redesign Onam as a festival of Brahmanical victory over "lower " caste groups.

Many allege that there have been systematic attempts by BJP and Hindutva groups in Kerala to project Onam as an exclusive Hindu festival.
By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has said Armenia was behind the defamation campaign and disinformation spread against Azerbaijan in the Russian media.

Abduallayeva made the remarks on September 2.

Once again, we are witnessing the dissemination of unfounded information against Azerbaijan, which is not based on any facts and reliable sources and is complete disinformation. We consider this as a defamatory and ugly campaign against our country, Abdullayeva said while commenting on the recent article published in Russias Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

The spokesperson stressed that Armenia, which is currently facing the problem of mobilization and plans to recruit militia, including foreign mercenaries, on a voluntary basis, is trying to divert the attention of the international community from its nefarious plans by spreading such fake information against Azerbaijan.

There is no doubt that Armenia, which has recruited mercenaries and terrorists from the Middle East as part of its aggressive policy against Azerbaijan, is behind this campaign.

Abdullayeva reminded that Monte Melkonian, one of the leaders of the ASALA terrorist organization and a direct participant in the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh, was declared a national hero in Armenia and was even included in Armenian textbooks for his heroism.

We emphasize that Azerbaijan has a strong and professional army, and our country does not need any outside forces to give a decent response to adversary forces, as well as to restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, Abdullayeva concluded.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry described as false Nezavisimaya Gazetas allegations that there is Turkish military base in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan and that Azerbaijan prepares for blitzkrieg against Armenia by bringing fighters from Syria.

As the Ministry of Defense, we officially state that there is no foreign military base or any other illegal armed group in the territory of Azerbaijan."

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The United States on Monday cautioned India against isolationist implications of the Atma Nirbhar programme and pointed to persisting systemic structural issues standing in way of a trade deal, contrary to the optimism projected earlier by some Indian officials.

The programme has put a question mark around this notion of self-reliance, Joseph C Semsar, deputy under-secretary for international trade, said referring to the Atma Nirbhar plan.

Our thought is that isolationist policies can also cause a decrease in exchange between businesses and economies, less technology and best practice sharing fewer joint research and development projects and stifled innovation, Semsar said.

He added: We urge the government of India to focus on creating an environment that will enhance Indias position in the global supply chain.

Semsar, who was filling in for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, addressed the issue in a virtual conversation at the ongoing annual summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), a trade body of companies from both countries.

The Atma Nirbhar programme was announced earlier this year to ramp up self-reliance as part of a government approach to confront Chinese border aggression.

The senior commerce department official also pointed to persisting issues in trade talks. We are making headway, but some systemic structural issues continue to exist, he said, adding that pressure must be kept up on both sides because ultimately, we cant get to a deal or a mini deal, unless were at the table having conversations and making progress on the issues that our respective governments care about.

Indian officials, on the other hand, have said the deal is ready for signing, at least from the Indian side and it is for the Americans to decide when, before the November 3 elections, or after.

To present itself as a credible alternative destination for companies shifting their supply chains out of China, deputy under secretary Semsar said that India needed to do much more on the ease of doing business even though it has made incredible progress overall.

India still runs 136 for starting a business, 154 for registering a property and 163 for enforcing contracts, Semsar said and added that Internationally, ease in these three areas is central to key, and attracting foreign businesses.
The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE  A domestic helper convicted in Indonesia for the murder of a Singaporean couple had disliked being scolded by them and wanted to return to her home country as she was unhappy with her employers.

Khasanah, then 41, had not intended to cause the deaths of Chia Ngim Fong, 79, and Chin Sek Fah, 78, but had assaulted them in response to their struggles, according to the State Coroners findings into the death of the couple, delivered on Wednesday (2 September).

State Coroner (SC) Kamala Ponnampalam noted that the Indonesian maid had been prosecuted in Indonesia.

The individual pieces of evidence from the link of the chain of circumstances support the inevitable conclusion that the death of (the couple) was a result of an unlawful killing perpetrated at the hands of their domestic helper Khasanah. It was a cruel and vicious attack on her defenceless and elderly employers, said SC Kamala. According to an autopsy report, Chia died from blunt force trauma to the head, while Chin sustained blunt force trauma to both her head and chest.

Khasanah is currently serving a 20-year-jail term in Indonesia for the couples murder. She had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Indonesian courts but appealed and had her term reduced to 20 years by the Jakarta High Court on 15 August 2018.

Khasanah started working for the couple on 25 May 2017. Chia had difficulty walking and required support while his wife was generally healthy.

On 21 June 2017, Khasanah saw her passport as she was tidying the cupboard of the couples son who was living with them. She then decided to run away as she did not like being scolded by Chin.

Khasanah then tried to think of a way to flee without being stopped and decided to tie the couple up and cover their mouths with duct tape. She entered Chias room intending to gag him. She thought that the elderly man would be drowsy from his medicine and would not be able to resist.

She found the man sleeping sideways on his bed with his back towards her. She then approached Chia and pasted the duct tape over his mouth. As she began tying up his hands with raffia string, Chia woke and began to struggle, causing the duct tape to loosen. Chia began to scream.

Story continues

In response, Khasanah turned on the television to drown out his screams and punched him in the face. When Chia continued to struggle, his skin tore off and he began to bleed profusely. On seeing the blood, Khasanah panicked. She picked up the wooden dressing table stool and used it to strike him repeatedly on the head.

Chin, who was in the room by that point, pushed the maid from behind. Khasanah then turned around and pushed the elderly woman, who fell into the ensuite bathroom and hit her head on the wall. As she was on the floor, Khasanah tied her limbs with raffia string and anchored it to the towel railing.

Chin continued to struggle and Khasanah stepped on her body while holding onto the sink until the woman was motionless. She then covered her victims mouths with towels and secured the towels with duct tape.

Khasanah then took her passport, cash and other items, and fled to Batam via ferry at the Singapore Cruise Centre at Harbourfront. The ferry left Singapore at 1.20pm.

At about 2.50pm, Khasanah called her employment agency using an unfamiliar number. She said she had made a mistake and asked for the residents of the flat to return home straightaway before hanging up. Sensing that something was wrong, the staff at the employment agency alerted the couples daughter, who tried to call her mother, and the house phone, to no avail. The daughter then told her husband to check on her parents.

Before the murder of his parents, the couples son had left for work at about 9am. He was only alerted to the incident through his sister, who informed him that their parents had been found unconscious in their Bedok flat, with Khasanah missing.

By the time the son returned home, police officers were processing the flat as a crime scene. Belongings, including cash amounting to $500, jewellery, handphone and watches and a laptop with a portable keyboard, were missing. He had not noticed anything unusual in Khasanahs behaviour leading up to the incident.

Khasanah said that she intended to sell the money for items. She told investigators that she had no intention to cause the death of the couple and only assaulted them as they struggled. She also admitted to calling the employment agency after the incident.

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Bedok double murder: Indonesian maid serving 20 years' jail in home country
TAIPEI/BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of the Czech Senate declared himself to be Taiwanese in a speech at Taiwan's parliament on Tuesday, channelling the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy's defiance of communism in Berlin in 1963, as China slammed him for crossing a red line.

China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has threatened to make Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil pay a "heavy price" for visiting the island. The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Addressing Taiwan's parliament, Vystrcil said Kennedy's declaration he was a Berliner was an important message for freedom and against communism.

"Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today's speech ... with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement: 'I am a Taiwanese,'" Vystrcil said, receiving a standing ovation.

Speaking in Berlin, the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, denounced Vystrcil.

"If he wants to visit Taiwan to designate it as an independent state, isn't this a public affront, a public challenge? That is why we must tell and we have told the Czech Senate speaker, 'You have crossed the red line,'" Wang said.

Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in 1963, telling the frightened people of West Berlin who were surrounded on all sides by Communist East Berlin that he was also a Berliner, is an address often called Kennedy's best.

Vystrcil has said his Taiwan visit underscores the "values-based" foreign policy put in place by late President Vaclav Havel, an anti-communist dissident and personal friend of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

While the Czech government has not supported his visit, it has been upset by China's strong condemnation and has summoned the Chinese ambassador. Beijing on Monday also summoned the Czech ambassador for a telling-off.

Czech President Milos Zeman has sought closer business and political ties with China since taking office in 2013, but his efforts have been hit by failed investment plans.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Joseph Nasr; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Steve Orlofsky)
Deputy Education Minister in charge of Basic & Secondary Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has hinted that there will be an automatic promotion after school children resume in 2021.



This follows the postponement of the 2019/2020 academic calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



President Akufo-Addo in his 16th address to the nation announced that the next academic calendar will resume January 2021.



"The Ghana Education Service, after further consultations, has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS 1 and SHS 1 students. The next academic year will resume in January 2021, with appropriate adjustments made to the curriculum, to ensure that nothing is lost from the previous year" he said.



Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Hello FM, Dr. Adutwum explained that pupils in class 1, for instance, will be promoted to class 2.



"The good news is that; the Junior High Three students have completed so their space will be left vacant for those behind to fill that space..."



According to him, those in class 1 for instance "will go to class two automatically. You change the school calendar and make additions: if they are to stay in the school for 180 days, you make it 190 then they catch up gradually..."





Listen to his explanation in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Simon Coveney

Just 48 years old, he has been a high-profile fixture in national and European politics for two decades.

Should his name go forward to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it will be difficult for her to overlook Mr Coveney's experience given that he has held key Cabinet posts - up to the role of Tanaiste - for almost half of his political career.

From one of Cork's prosperous "merchant prince" families, he was first elected in 1998 in a by-election following the death of his Fine Gael TD father Hugh.

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Brussels beckoned in 2004 when he was elected to the European Parliament for the Ireland South constituency. He remained a TD during his three years as an MEP but left Europe in 2007 to contest the general election here given the end of the dual mandate.

He married Ruth Furney the following year and the couple have three young daughters.

In 2010 he backed Richard Bruton in the ill-fated heave against then-Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny. Despite this, Mr Kenny appointed Mr Coveney as agriculture minister when the party won power and he is credited with handling the horse meat crisis well. Mr Coveney over-promised in housing, failing to end the practice of homeless families living in hotels.

He lost out to Leo Varadkar in the Fine Gael leadership battle in 2017 but landed the prestigious job of foreign affairs minister and later Tanaiste. He played a prominent role in Ireland's preparations for Brexit and in Ireland gaining a seat on the UN Security Council.

Mr Coveney was reappointed Foreign Affairs Minister in June.

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Andrew McDowell

The outgoing European Investment Bank (EIB) vice-president, whose term expired yesterday, was chief economic adviser to former Taoiseach Enda Kenny between 2011 and 2016.

Mr McDowell was at the centre of the Fine Gael-Labour Party government's response to the banking and financial crisis.

The coalition imposed several austerity budgets under the EU-IMF Troika programme. This partly paved the way for a return to economic growth that made Ireland one of the EU's fastest-growing economies.

Described as "the Taoiseach's brains" and a "walking policy machine" when he worked in Government Buildings, Mr McDowell was also a key figure in the negotiations to form the Fine Gael-led minority government with independents in the spring and summer of 2016.

The new administration then nominated him for the position of vice-president at the European Investment Bank in July 2016, a prestigious post that came with a gross salary of over 277,000 per annum. The EIB is the lending arm of the EU that loans billions to member states every year.

Mr McDowell's four-year term at the Luxembourg-based bank saw him take responsibility for economics, evaluation, treasury, and financing of energy and agriculture.

In his time with the EIB he also oversaw the establishment of its first offices in Dublin.

He holds an MBA from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business in UCD and has a post-graduate diploma in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.

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Frances Fitzgerald

Ms Fitzgerald resigned from Cabinet at the end of 2017 amid a Garda whistleblower controversy that threatened the then Fine Gael-led minority government. She fell on her sword to prevent an election and was later vindicated by the Disclosures Tribunal, which found that she had acted appropriately as justice minister.

She has since reinvented herself in Brussels by winning an election as an MEP for Dublin and has expressed an interest in the vacant seat on the commission.

As a former Tanaiste and senior minister in three portfolios, she can boast an impressive CV.

Ms Fitzgerald (70), a mother of three adult sons, is married to TCD Professor Michael Fitzgerald, an expert in autism.

A former social worker, Ms Fitzgerald got involved in the National Women's Council, later becoming its chairperson. She was first elected to the Dail for Fine Gael in 1992. Ms Fitzgerald failed to back John Bruton when his leadership was challenged in 1994 and never secured a ministerial post during the rainbow coalition.

She lost her seat during Fine Gael's 2002 election disaster and failed to make a Dail return in 2007. She took a Seanad seat and became the first ever Minister for Children when she was re-elected as a TD in 2011. Ms Fitzgerald was later seen as a safe pair of hands in the Justice brief when Alan Shatter was forced to go as minister in 2014. She said overseeing legislation bringing in same-sex marriage was a career highlight.

Ms Fitzgerald was appointed Tanaiste in 2016 and was kept in the role while being moved to the Business brief where she was involved in Brexit preparations.

Mairead McGuinness

A Fine Gael MEP for the Midlands-North-West constituency and first vice-president of the European Parliament, Ms McGuinness is now in her fourth term in Brussels and Strasbourg. She was first elected in 2004 for the now-abolished Ireland East constituency.

The former RTE presenter is one of the most highly regarded and respected Irish representatives in Brussels and serves on a number of committees including agriculture and rural development; environment; and constitutional affairs, which has responsibility for the Brexit process. The Louth-native has been a prominent Irish voice in the UK and international media during the Brexit saga.

Ms McGuinness went viral at the end of January when she told a flag-waving Nigel Farage and his fellow Brexit Party MEPs to "sit down, resume your seats, put your flags away, you're leaving".

As a former journalist, her CV includes stints as a researcher on The Late Late Show and a presenter on RTE's Ear to the Ground. She also worked with the Irish Farmers' Journal and as editor of the Irish Independent's farming supplement.

She famously clashed with veteran Fine Gael MEP and party colleague Avril Doyle when she first ran for the European Parliament 16 years ago. While both were elected, Ms McGuinness topped the poll, winning one in every four votes cast in the 2004 European elections.

She was less successful in a Dail bid in the Louth constituency in 2007 and also had an ill-fated tilt at the presidency in 2011 when she lost out on the Fine Gael nomination to Gay Mitchell. She failed in a bid to become European Parliament president in 2016 but was elected first vice-president a month later.
Sexual assault and domestic violence has soared by up to 60 per cent in parts of Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, while other crimes have dropped.

Areas of regional New South Wales, western and southern Sydney saw a significant increase in the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's latest report.

The quarterly review showed that crime patterns were significantly interrupted in April with theft dropping, but sexual assault had risen by 9.4 per in comparison to June 2018.

Sexual and domestic assault has almost tripled across parts of regional New South Wales (Shoalhaven pictured), southern and western Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic

Idyllic locations like the Hawkesbury region (pictured) recorded a 32.7 per cent increase in domestic assault. Sexual assault increased by 9.4 per cent overall in New South Wales

Sexual assault increased by 24.4 per cent in Western Sydney's Blacktown council area, encompassing suburbs like Toongabbie, Rooty Hill, and Mount Druitt.

The Sutherland Shire, with suburbs like Cronulla, Miranda and Caringbah also saw a staggering 59.2 per cent increase in sexual assault.

Domestic assault was also revealed to have a major upward trend in Sydney.

The northern Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury region saw domestic assault increase by 32.7 per cent.

Domestic violence was up 9.9 per cent across Parramatta in Western Sydney.

Favoured holiday destinations in regional New South Wales were also impacted by the troubling increase.

Sexual assaults in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven region skyrocketed with an increase of 63.9 per cent.

Well-known Sydney areas in Blacktown and Sutherland also reported a shocking increase in the number of sexual assaults (pictured, commuters wearing masks in Sydney)

NSW Police said they would support assault survivors after cases rocketed during the pandemic (Huskisson Beach in the Shoalhaven region pictured)

The idyllic wine region of Hunter Valley saw nearly 20 per cent more sexual assaults.

This also increased by 33.7 per cent in the Illawarra region south of Sydney.

SEXUAL AND DOMESTIC ASSAULT IN NEW SOUTH WALES Blacktown - 24.4 per cent increase in sexual assault Sutherland - 59.2 per cent increase in sexual assault Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven - 63.9 per cent increase Hunter Valley - 20 per cent increase in sexual assaults Illawarra region - 33.7 per cent increase in sexual assault Murray Shire - 25 per cent increase in domestic assault Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury region- 32.7 per cent increase Parramatta - 9.9 per cent increase in domestic assault Advertisement

The Murray Shire, in southern NSW, saw domestic violence assaults increase by 25 per cent.

BOCSAR Executive Director, Jackie Fitzgerald, said the continuing increase in reported sexual assaults was a worrying trend.

'It appears that at least some of the increase in sexual assault is related to an increase in secondary and mandatory reporting of child sexual assault.

'We will continue to closely monitor trends in this offence,' he said.

Other crime patterns decreased during the pandemic and saw considerably fewer break-ins, car theft and retail theft across New South Wales.

Four offences have trended down over the last two years: robbery without a weapon - down 12.6 per cent - steal from motor vehicle - down 12.1 per cent - steal from person - down 25.4 per cent - and malicious damage to property - down 5.4 per cent.

Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Mark Speakman, said the NSW Police Force was ready to support assault survivors during the pandemic.

'As citizens cooperate with social distancing directions, self-isolation and quarantine, there is an associated risk that domestic and family violence will increase.

'Victims have a right to live a life free from violence every single day. When it's safe to do so, I urge them to contact our hard working frontline services for support,' Mr Speakman said.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

NSW Domestic Violence Line (1800 65 64 63)
Reverend John Azumah

02.09.2020 LISTEN

After 20 years of living with the virus, known HIV/AIDS ambassador Reverend John Azumah indicates that his lab tests find no viruses in his system.

I can tell you with all hope and joy that my viral load is undetectable and that means I cannot transmit the virus, he told journalists in a training held by the United States Presidents Emergency Program For AIDS Response (PEPFAR).

Rev Azumah has now been put on one dose of Anti Retroviral Drugs a day instead of two dozes.

He has lived with this virus  undetectable state for the past four years with lab tests showing consistent results and he is now taking one dose of ARVs a day instead of two doses.

Same results have been found in another Ghana Aids Commission Heart to Heart HIV/AIDs Ambassador Charity Danso whose tests have come out with undetected HIV viruses.

This represents the growing scientific studies that have proven that, with religious adherence to antiretroviral medications, patients are able to reach a state where the Viruses become undetectable and untransmittable to other persons; a phenomenon globally code named U=U.

I started taking my antiretroviral medications some twelve years ago, I am still taking it and I will not stop and this is what we are encouraging all persons with the virus to do, he encouraged.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has its targets to ensure that by 2030 95% of people know their HIV/AIDS status; 95% of persons who test positive are put on Antiretroviral therapy and 95% of persons on Antiretroviral drugs attain the viral suppression state that Reverend John Azumah finds himself.

He however pointed out that this target will only be achieved when the frustrations of perennial shortages in Antiretroviral medications are plugged.

Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr Anthony Enimil explained that viral suppression below what laboratory systems could detect was an absolute possibility even though patients cannot be declared cured.

Speaking on the Starr Midday News, he however warned that the viruses had the possibility of increasing exponentially in number of patients stopped taking their ARVs.

Ghana has set short to long term targets aimed at meeting the 95-95-95 agenda with support from prominent bodies like the Global Fund and the United States Presidents Emergency Program For AIDs relief PEPFAR.

The country will however need to resource Heart to Heart HIV Ambassadors like Rev Azumah to tell his story nationwide to encourage testing and treatment.
Technavio has been monitoring the spirulina chocolates market and it is poised to grow by USD 151.32 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 9% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005102/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Spirulina Chocolates Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire).

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts

Frequently Asked Questions-

Based on segmentation by distribution channel, which is the leading segment in the market?

The offline segment is expected to be the leading segment based on distribution channel in the global market during the forecast period.

What are the major trends in the market?

Government support in promoting the production of spirulina is one of the major trends in the market.

At what rate is the market projected to grow?

Growing at a CAGR of over 9%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 151.32 million.

Who are the top players in the market?

Akal Food, Bio Benjamin Chocolate Factory, Doisy Dam Ltd., Giddy Yoyo Inc., Karmasukom Energy LLP, Landish Foods, Meraviglie Srlestle SA, The Algae Factory BV, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat Ltd are some of the major market participants.

What are the key market drivers and challenges?

Health benefits associated with spirulina products is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the fluctuations in raw material prices restraints the market growth.

How big is the Europe market?

The Europe region will contribute 39% of market growth.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Akal Food, Bio Benjamin Chocolate Factory, Doisy Dam Ltd., Giddy Yoyo Inc., Karmasukom Energy LLP, Landish Foods, Meraviglie Srlestle SA, The Algae Factory BV, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat Ltd. are some of the major market participants. The health benefits associated with spirulina products will offer immense growth opportunities. To make most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations.

Spirulina Chocolates Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Spirulina Chocolates Market is segmented as below:

Distribution channel Offline Distribution Online Distribution

Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43154

Spirulina Chocolates Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The spirulina chocolates market report covers the following areas:

Spirulina Chocolates Market Size

Spirulina Chocolates Market Trends

Spirulina Chocolates Market Analysis

This study identifies government support in promoting the production of spirulina as one of the prime reasons driving the spirulina chocolates market growth during the next few years.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Spirulina Chocolates Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist spirulina chocolates market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the spirulina chocolates market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the spirulina chocolates market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of spirulina chocolates market vendors

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Overview

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Distribution channel

Market segments

Comparison by Distribution channel

Offline distribution Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Online distribution Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Distribution channel

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Akal Food

Bio Benjamin Chocolate Factory

Doisy Dam Ltd.

Giddy Yoyo Inc.

Karmasukom Energy LLP

Landish Foods

Meraviglie Srl

Nestle SA

The Algae Factory BV

Vosges Haut-Chocolat Ltd.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

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There are tears in Arlene Olsons eyes as she describes the past few years shes been through.

My mother died, then my sister and brother in law died, I got diagnosed with my illnesses, and now I could be losing my job because of that.

Arlene was diagnosed in June with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia. Theyre not well known, but they are lifelong conditions that are often debilitating, and invisible to the world.

Arlene has lived with them for around 10 years. She describes the symptoms as like having a constant flu.

I cant control my body temperature, I cant breathe properly, I have no energy, I get extremely shaky and dizzy, and Im in constant pain  its like there are metal rods jabbing into my muscles.

Only recently with the stress of the family deaths have the symptoms become unbearable and shes crashed. Now, she is struggling to get back up.

With her sick days racking up, her employer has become concerned that she is taking too much time off, and could now face losing her job. Arlene says it feels like she is being constantly judged.

I feel like many people, including my employer, think I am just lazy, or neurotic. Its a daily battle  not just with the pain and constant exhaustion, but with the judgement from others.

I love my job, I love keeping busy, but everything takes so much energy. I struggle to make my bed, if I get in the shower Im wiped out for the rest of the day. Its difficult for people to understand  I honestly feel like Im missing out on life.

But one local charity is offering Arlene the much-needed understanding, knowledge, and guidance she needs to keep striving towards wellness.

Complex Chronic Illness Support work to improve the quality of life of people who have complex chronic illnesses.

They support, connect, advocate for and educate people diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

These illnesses have an element of chronic muscular and nerve pain and affect between two to four people in every 1000 of the population.

The effects of a complex chronic illness are many and can include extreme fatigue, pain, concentration and memory dysfunction, sleep disorder, and headaches.

Arlene is currently being supported by CCIS WBOP Field Officer Charlotte Kelp, who also lives with a complex chronic illness, and provides the mental support Arlene needs to stay positive.

Charlotte rings me at home to check I am ok, she is teaching me how to pace myself, how to not give myself such a hard time, and how to live with this. She is advocating for me at my work to try and help them understand my illnesses, and she is looking into WINZ to see what support I can get if I do lose my job.

If I didnt have CCIS and Charlottes support, I dont know if I would still be here today. The mental and physical toll of these illnesses can kill. It is a blessing that I found them.

CCIS offer a range of services including support groups, educational speakers, mindfulness workshops, home visits, one-on-one support, and a Towards Wellness workshop series.

Miranda Whitwell, Operations Coordinator at Complex Chronic Illness Support, says the positive difference their service has on members, their carers, and whanau is often described as life-changing.

Not only are members supported to gain an in-depth understanding of their illness, but they gain a whole new family of other members who understand what they are going through  they feel connected, listened to and validated.

With our education and guidance, many people who develop complex chronic illnesses can pursue a fulfilling and rewarding life and are once again able to actively contribute to their community.

CCIS sought funding through the WBOP COVID-19 Recovery Fund to help top up the wage subsidy and cover wages for their full-time staff members for three months.

The $14,540 received is ensuring their staff can continue supporting their 218 clients with home visits, phone contact, support groups, and workshops.

The Recovery Fund is phase two of local funders TECT, Acorn Foundation, BayTrust and Tauranga City Councils COVID-19 funding support. The fund aims to help key Western Bay of Plenty community groups survive the medium-term impact of COVID-19.

Miranda says the Recovery Funding has allowed Complex Chronic Illness Support to keep their doors open until their funding partners around New Zealand are able to open up funding rounds again.

With COVID-19 hitting the world, funding dissipated for charities almost overnight. As a charity, we feel we are constantly asking our funding partners for support and 2020 threw them an unexpected curve ball too.

Every day we work alongside people like Arlene, who struggle daily with meeting the demands of their employment because of life changing health concerns. Being able to offer them support in their time of need, when life is really hard, brings its own rewards.

Many of the conditions we support are not publicly funded, there is no magic pill to deal with their symptoms. New Zealand still does not recognise Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) as a disability, therefore we often dont qualify for other funding streams. But the work we do and the difference made in peoples lives is worth every time we have to ask, beg even.

We were extremely grateful that the Recovery Fund came to our rescue, it has given us a reprieve, time to take stock, re-evaluate and move forward. We are very grateful.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy says the AIIMS post-mortem report cannot ascertain if the death of Sushant Singh Rajput happened due to suicide or murder because the hospital never had his body.

He took to Twitter to express his view after learning that the some police officials have been "briefing" the media that the AIIMS report would decide if it was a case of murder or suicide.

"Some Police officials are briefing the media that the AIIMS post mortem will decide whether it is murder or suicide. How can they when they did not have the SSR body as in the case of Sunanda (Sunanda Pushkar)? At most AIIMS report can show what was done or not done by Dr.Cooper Hospital doctors," he tweeted.

On June 14, Sushant was found dead in his home in Mumbai. At that time, Mumbai Police had concluded it was a case of suicide, and investigated reasons that might have caused Sushant to end his life.

Many conflicting theories have emerged since then, adding to the mystery. Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family has been accused by the late actor's father KK Singh of abetting his son's suicide, among other charges. The case has now been transferred to the CBI.

Earlier in the day, Swamy took a jibe at filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, questioning if he has converted to Islam.

"Has Cinema Dada Mahesh Bhatt converted to Islam and taken name of Ashraf Butt? If not please ask him to correct the police records," Swamy posted.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of close to 48,000 slum dwellings situated along railway tracks in Delhi within three months, and to ensure compliance of its order, has stopped any court from passing an order of stay against such removal.

In the event an order is passed, the same shall have no effect on the eviction proceedings, the court ruled.

The court, which was hearing an application filed in the MC Mehta case relating to Delhi pollution matters, took this step on Monday, after the Indian Railways informed the court that despite a Special Task Force constituted to remove encroachments, political interference was coming in the way of getting the jhuggis removed. An order for removal of all encroachments passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 1, 2018 had led to the formation of the task force.

The verdict was uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Tuesday night. Justice Mishra demitted office Wednesday.

The court has passed the extraordinary order in exercise of its power under Article 142, which states, The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it. In the past, the apex court has exercised this power to pass similar orders in the 2G spectrum scam case by restraining courts across the country from taking up bail pleas of those accused in the scam.

Going through an affidavit filed by the Railways, the apex bench of Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari said: There is predominant presence of jhuggies in Delhi along with 140km route length of railway track in the region of NCT of Delhi Out of this, about 70km route length of track is affected by large jhuggie jhopri clusters existing in close vicinity of the tracks.

These clusters aggregated to about 48,000 jhuggies, most of which were present within the security zone of the Railways, according to the affidavit filed by Ashwani Kumar Yadav, additional divisional railway manager at DRM Office, Delhi Division, Northern Railways.

There are no official estimate as to how many people live in such slums. NGOs say that the land owning agency, the railways in this case, will have to do a survey to ascertain the number of dwellers.

The encroachments which are there in the safety zones should be removed within a period of three months and no interference, political or otherwise, should be there, and no court shall grant any stay with respect to removal of the encroachments in the area in question. In case any interim order is granted with respect to encroachments which have been made along with railway tracks, that shall not be effective. the order added.

Shivani Chaudhry, executive director of NGO Housing and Land Rights Network, said: Forcibly evicting people is never a solution. It results in greater impoverishment, homelessness, and marginalisation. This is also not the time to carry out evictions, given the serious public health emergency in the country on account of the pandemic.

Forcibly evicting 48,000 households will result in a grave human rights emergency that could threaten the lives of affected people. The government should ensure that consultations are held with affected people, and plans for providing adequate housing are developed with their prior informed consent, she added.

A similar direction was passed by the court with regard to removal of plastic bags and garbage from the tracks. The court directed the Railways, the Delhi government, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and concerned municipal corporations to meet next week and draw an action plan for cleaning tracks. The municipal corporations were asked to tell their contractors to lift the garbage from the designated places where the Railways dumps waste. The court apportioned the cost involved for the long-term cleaning plan to be shared by the Centre and Delhi government in a 70:30 ratio.

The apex court had involved DUSIB -- the agency that provides temporary/night shelters for the homeless in Delhi -- for preparing an action plan to remove garbage and encroachment, and enable rehabilitation of the people evicted from the jhuggis.

When contacted by HT, a spokesperson of the Northern Railways said that it will comply with the order issued by the Supreme Court.

In its report dated July 9, 2020, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA)  an expert body assisting the top court on environment issues -- pointed out that Indian Railways is a bulk waste generator and, as such, it is required to comply with the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, which require the waste generator to operationalise a plan for waste management. EPCA urged the bench to direct the Railways to make a time-bound action plan for solid waste management in the Northern Region, starting with Delhi and its vicinity.

Going by the EPCA report, the court was convinced that there was no action plan to rid tracks of the filth generated by trains and the surrounding human habitations. The bench remarked, The picture painted in the EPCA report as well as in the reply filed by the Railways indicates that nothing has been done so far and waste is being piled up and at the same time, there is human habitation which has come in the same area in an unauthorized way, which are required to be taken care of.

The court will take up the matter for compliance after one month.

Speaking to HT, senior advocate and environmental expert Raj Panjwani welcomed the courts decision, saying: This order may appear to have thwarted the alleged right of encroachers to seek further redressal. However, they are not without relief. They can approach the Supreme Court for grant of further time. As far as Delhi is concerned, for people who have encroached on land belonging to the government, there is a policy for rehabilitation. Even this approach can be looked into by the Railways.
Microsoft has launched a new tool to identify 'deepfake' photos and videos that have been created to trick people into believing false information online.

Deepfakes  also known as synthetic media  are photos, videos or audio files that have been manipulated using AI to show or say something that isn't real.

There were at least 96 'foreign influenced' deep fake campaigns on social media targeting people in 30 countries between 2013 and 2019, according to Microsoft.

To combat campaigns using this manipulated form of media, the tech giant has launched a new 'Video Authenticator' tool that can analyse a still photo or video and provide a percentage chance that the media source has been manipulated.

It works by detecting the blending boundary of the deepfake, and subtle fading or greyscale elements that might not be detectable by the human eye.

Microsoft says its Video Authenticator tool looks for signs of blending around the eyes and can give a 'score' showing how likely it is the video has been manipulated

Deepfake campaigns, carried out on social media, often seek to defame notable people, persuade the public, or polarise debates during elections or a major crisis.

Some 93 per cent of deepfake campaigns include new original content, 86 per cent amplify pre-existing content and 74 per cent distort verifiable facts, Microsoft's research revealed.

A faked video could appear to make people say things they didnt or to be places they werent - which could harm reputations or even influence election results.

To combat this Microsoft has also launched an online quiz designed to 'improve digital literacy' by teaching people about how to spot a deepfake.

You can try the online quiz on the SpotTheDeepFake.org website.

Some researchers have created their own deepfake videos to demonstrate the scale of the technological threat - for example, MIT produced a video that appears to show Richard Nixon telling the world Apollo 11 ended in disaster.

During the last UK general election, deepfake videos were also made of both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn endorsing each other.

The fact that they are generated by AI that can continue to learn makes it inevitable that they will continue to beat conventional detection technology, said Microsoft.

However, in the short term, such as the upcoming US election, advanced detection technologies can be a useful tool to help discerning users identify deepfakes.

Microsoft says its new Video Authenticator can analyse a still photo or video to provide a percentage chance, or confidence score, that the media is artificially manipulated.

In the case of a video, it can provide this percentage in real-time on each frame as the video plays.

Video Authenticator was created using a public dataset from Face Forensic++ and was tested on the DeepFake Detection Challenge Dataset, both leading models for training and testing deepfake detection technologies.

'We expect that methods for generating synthetic media will continue to grow in sophistication,' the tech giant explained.

'As all AI detection methods have rates of failure, we have to understand and be ready to respond to deepfakes that slip through detection methods.

Politicians are a major target for deepfake videos - during the last UK general election videos were released that seemed to show Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn supporting one another

'Thus, in the longer term, we must seek stronger methods for maintaining and certifying the authenticity of news articles and other media.

'There are few tools today to help assure readers that the media theyre seeing online came from a trusted source and that it wasnt altered.'

Microsoft has also launched another new technology that can detect manipulated content and assure people whether it is real or not.

Content producers will be able to add a certificate to say the content is real, which travels with it wherever it goes online. A browser extension will be able to read the certificate and tell people if it is the authentic version of a video.

To improve digital literacy Microsoft launched a tool that aims to train people to be better at spotting deeepfake images and videos

Even with new technology to 'catch and warn' people about deepfakes, it is impossible to stop everyone being fooled or every deepfake from getting through.

Microsoft has also worked with the University of Washington to improve media literacy to help people sort disinformation from genuine facts.

'Practical media knowledge can enable us all to think critically about the context of media and become more engaged citizens while still appreciating satire and parody,' the firm wrote in a blog post.

'Though not all synthetic media is bad, even a short intervention with media literacy resources has been shown to help people identify it and treat it more cautiously.'

Microsoft has launched an interactive quiz for voters in the upcoming US election to help them learn about synthetic media, develop critical media literacy skills and get a deeper understanding of the impact deepfakes can have on democracy.
Stan Wilson, Greensboro's director of Neighborhood Development, said that the Continuum of Care and Partners Ending Homelessness, the nonprofit that manages much of the day-to-day business of the continuum, have in recent years agreed to hand some of the responsibility for coordinating federal funds for the homeless to the city.

When the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order went in effect in March, the city stepped up to house more than 100 homeless people at the Greensboro Sportsplex. Later, those people and many more were moved to hotels paid for by the city, which received some federal reimbursement.

The Continuum of Care's plan to house the county's remaining homeless people in shelters operated by more than a dozen nonprofits would have exposed those people to a higher risk of COVID, some city officials argued.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan said during the meeting that people often look to the city to help homeless people in crisis, and it's only natural that the city would decide to take a more formal role.

"If we are going to be in that position where we are always mobilizing to make sure people are housed in an emergency situation, we might as well make sure that we are the ones who are responsible for it," Vaughan said.
Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School history teacher Alice Lee interacts virtually with her students on Aug. 21. (Los Angeles Times)

Its not last springs remote education, thank goodness. For the new school year in California, nearly every student has a computer of some kind and broadband access to online classes and instructional resources. There are actual grades for academic performance. And the state has set minimums for the number of hours teachers must provide instruction, some of which has to involve real-time interaction between teachers and students.

Almost none of these things were happening during the last three months of the past school year. A lot of students might as well have taken the last few months of the year off. When teachers werent fully engaged, students spent their time filling out worksheets, interacting directly with their teachers as little as once every couple of weeks. On the other hand, students with computers, committed teachers and parents who could afford to help them fared much better.

Of course, many teachers didnt know how to do video lessons, lacked equipment and had their own children to care for. Families werent prepared, either. The COVID-19 lockdown hit nearly everyone with immediate ferocity.

That claim cant be made for this fall. Theres been time to prepare. To their credit, Los Angeles Unified schools, along with many others in the state, have stepped up in a whole range of ways, including providing childcare for teachers children. There are real class schedules. And for elementary school students, specific times have been set aside for English and math lessons.

Still, no one should fool themselves into thinking that L.A. students are getting the kind of education that they would if this were a conventional school year. For one thing, teachers are not required to work as many hours  six a day instead of the previous eight. Other large school districts in California have agreements with teachers that call for the usual eight hours or something very close.

Add to this another concern: L.A. Unified appears to be defining student attendance so broadly, it might not mean that students are actually present and learning. If students appear during an online lesson at all, even if very briefly, or if they contact their teacher during the day, or turn in work without actually logging in during class, they can be counted as present. The district says its meeting the states requirements, but that shouldnt matter. This is not what most parents, teachers or the public think of as attending school.

Story continues

As for teachers shorter work day, L.A. school officials say their agreement actually requires more direct student-teacher interaction during the day, even if the total number of work hours is significantly shorter.

But adding more direct lesson time isnt the issue. There are just so many hours in a day that students can stare into a computer screen before their eyes glaze over and they stop absorbing new material.

Critics of the districts teacher agreement, including the reform group Parent Revolution, point out that the Elk Grove schools set aside far more time for parent-teacher communication, an important element when parents bear so much responsibility for making this work. Considerably more time could be spent on virtual office hours, during which students work independently but can call on their teachers if they get stuck.

Of course, just as during the spring, there will be many committed teachers devoting time far above the call of duty so that their students will learn as much as possible. Whats most important, now that there are at least some reasonable minimums for instructional time, is not how many hours the teachers work, but the quality of those hours. Are they engaging students during the limited classroom sessions or are they spending too much of that precious time having students fill out worksheets? Do they know how to reach out effectively through online platforms?

Supervision of those classes is crucial to making online learning more successful than it was last spring. The problem is that under L.A. Unifieds agreement with the union, teachers must be given advance notice when their class is going to be observed. Principals would get a more realistic idea of whats going on if they could pop in randomly.

Until on-campus instruction can begin safely, students, teachers and parents will need to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation. For now, L.A. Unified should be pouring resources into having principals and other administrators check in on classes often and giving teachers support and guidance. It should set up easy pathways for parents to raise concerns and get timely responses; parents already are complaining about long waits on hold for the hotline.

And students should not be counted as being in class for the day unless they truly are in class for the day.




US family fighting to free commercial fishermen held prisoner in British Virgin Islands

by Chris Chase

September 02,2020 | Source: SeafoodSource

A U.S. family from New Jersey is fighting to get the U.S. State Department to intervene in the imprisonment of Mike Foy, a commercial fisherman who has been held in the British Virgin Islands since 8 June.



Foy, according to a Change.org petition nearing 5,000 signatures, was waiting in the waters of Tortola for clearance to enter the island's port in order to obtain passport stamps for the crew so they could obtain clearance to Puerto Rico  a requirement of U.S. Customs. Instead, Foy was imprisoned and charged with illegal entry and unlicensed fishing after being told to dock his boat off the coast.



Foy was charged with illegal entry after being found in the territorial waters of the island. However, Foy claimed that he had received permission in order to get passport stamps required for some of his crew  Indonesian nationals holding C-11 transit visas. A subsequent investigation found that Foy had been denied entry due to the territorys COVID-19 pandemic response.



USA Today reported Foys lawyer, Andrew Minkiewicz  a Washington-based lawyer specializing in maritime issues  told them the British Virgin Islands is claiming fish found onboard Foys vessel was illegally caught in island waters. However, Foys tracking data proves thats not true, Minkiewicz said.



"The satellite tracking system sends a position every hour. Tortola claims he was elsewhere, which is not possible. He was six miles offshore when they claim he was one-and-a-half miles," Minkiewicz told USA Today.



Minkiewicz also said Foy was at no point in time aware he was under arrest until he arrived in the port.



According to the petition, Foy has been denied bail, his catch has been confiscated, and hes facing a fine of USD 511,000 (EUR 426,000) and a year of jail time. Meanwhile, his crew are stuck on the boat and barred from leaving.



The Change.org petition is calling for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to enforce the Fishermens Protective Act, which directs the office to intervene in cases where a U.S.-based vessel is illegally seized by a foreign government.



U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congressman Andy Kim, all Democrats representing New Jersey, wrote a letter to the deputy governor of Tortola about the incident last month, calling for a fair trial and safe treatment for Foy.



We are aware that our constituent, Michael Foy, has been detained in Tortola and have been in communication with the State Department and the [United States] Embassy in Barbados regarding the case, the letter states. We will continue to closely follow Mr. Foys case and expect him to be treated appropriately under safe and sanitary conditions. Mr. Foy should be treated fairly, and we support a fair legal process without delay.



However, the conditions in the jail cell are deplorable, the family told USA Today, and no progress has been made for his release.



"He has rats and cockroaches in his cell, so you can imagine many nights he goes without much sleep," Kimberly Foy Kelly told the publication.



John Duberg, of Land Ice and Fish based in Trinidad and Tobago, told the Miami Herald that Foy has been a customer for 15 years and has always closely followed the rules.



It is just an atrocity that he is being jailed and imprisoned now for 30 days for an administrative kind of mix-up and accused of doing things he clearly didnt do, Duberg said. He is definitely a U.S.-flagged commercial fishing boat that has all the licenses and permits to fish where he fishes.



In addition to the petition calling for the U.S. secretary of state to intervene, the American Sword and Tuna Harvesters have also urged the government to take action to help free Mike Foy.



The American Sword and Tuna Harvesters urge all relevant agencies of the United States government, and specifically the Department of State, to take all possible actions to obtain justice for Captain Foy, the ASTH wrote.



As more attention is given to Foys plight, hes rapidly approaching a 9 September trial that could determine whether he will face a year in a Caribbean prison.



Mike is an American fisherman who's devoted to his boat, his crew, and the fishery, the Change.org petition states. So why hasn't the U.S. government pressured Tortola to release him?

 2020 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
Detentions Made As University Students Protest In Minsk

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 01, 2020

MINSK -- Thousands of university students have gathered in the Belarusian capital for a march after the country's opposition called for a nationwide strike to coincide with the first day of the school year.

Columns of students carrying banned red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's rule flocked into the center of Minsk on September 1.

At least 55 people were detained as riot police dispersed protesters at several locations, according to the Vyasna human rights group. Video posted on social media showed police dressed in black charging into a line of students and forcefully dragging them away.

"September 1 is a day of knowledge. Knowledge of the meaning of Belarusian solidarity. Join this one-day strike, support the workers and show the government who is the real source of power," opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya's team said in a statement.

Lukashenka, who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner in an August 9 presidential election, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor.

Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have since taken to the streets across the country to protest the results, calling on Lukashenka to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections.

Much of Europe, as well as the United States and other countries, have criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members, both before and after the vote.

In a statement on September 1, UN human rights experts said they had received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people held in custody since the election.

"Any violation of the non-derogable prohibition of torture and ill-treatment must be prosecuted and punished," they said.

The experts also said that most people reported missing have been accounted for, but the whereabouts and the health situation of at least six individuals are said to be unknown to their relatives.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on September 1 called on the UN Human Rights Council to immediately convene to discuss the situation in Belarus.

Separately, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia announced on August 31 that they had slapped travel sanctions on several top Belarusian officials, including Lukashenka.

The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on up to 20 senior Belarusian officials suspected of involvement in election fraud and the brutal crackdown on protesters.

With the goodwill built up during a thaw in relations with the West quickly evaporating, Lukashenka, who has rejected the opposition's demands, has turned an eye toward the Kremlin, a traditional ally despite recent strains sparked by Minsk's courting of others.

On September 1, Lukashenka said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will safeguard "our common homeland from Brest to Vladivostok" and that he was ready to reroute the country's cargo from Baltic ports to Russian ports in response to the sanctions imposed by Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

"They say, it would be more expensive for Belarus," BelTa news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying.

"Of course, it would be a little bit disadvantageous for us. But we can agree with the Russians on tariffs," he said

Addressing students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on September 1, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of "delivering verdicts" on the crisis in Belarus, which he said is "unacceptable in the modern world."

Moscow has consistently accused the West of interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus.

With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/detentions-made-as-university -students-protest-in-minsk/30814903.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Penguin Random House parent company Bertelsmann has confirmed that it is interested in acquiring Simon & Schuster once ViacomCBS begins to again actively shop the countrys third largest trade publishing house after the pandemic fades Shortly after Viacom and CBS merged, the newly-formed company placed S&S on the sales block.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Bertelsmann chief executive Thomas Rabe said he was interested in S&S and that Bertelsmann would be ready to make a bid when the time comes. Weve been the most active player on the consolidation of the book publishing market in the last 10 years. We combined Penguin and Random House very successfully to create by far the largest book publisher in the worldactually, the only global book publisher, he said in the interview. Given this position, we would, of course, be interested in Simon & Schuster.

Based on 2019 revenue, PRH is the countrys biggest trade publisher and the largest trade publisher in the world, while S&S is in third position. In between the two is HarperCollins, a company that has long been rumored to be interested in providing more of a challenge to PRH. At a recent town hall meeting, HC CEO Brian Murray acknowledged that the publisher was looking into the possibility of acquiring S&S, sources told PW.

Lagardere, parent company of Hachette Book Group, has also been seen as a possible S&S suitor. Lagardere's travel group has suffered major losses due to the pandemic, but the company recently said it was interested in building its business around both its travel and book publishing subsidiaries. HBG is the countrys fourth biggest trade publisher, with North American revenues of about $734 million.

A number of international publishers are reportedly considering making an offer for S&S, as are some private equity firms.

Bertelsmann had not been considered a likely buyer for S&S because of antitrust concerns, but Rabe discounted the likelihood that the government would block the deal. We looked at this and we dont think it is an issue, Rabe told the FT. If you look at the market holistically, particularly the strength of Amazon, and it includes self-publishing and the like, we dont think this will be an obstacle.

In 2019, PRH had global sales of 3.63 billionabout $4.32 billion at current exchange rateswith PRH US contributing about $2.2 billion. HC had total sales of $1.69 billion in the same year. HC parent company News Corp does not break out the publisher's sales by region, but the U.S. is estimated to account for as much as two thirds of the companys total revenue, or about $1.1 billion. Combining HCs sales with S&Ss $814 million will still keep HC in second place behind PRH in the U.S. Conversely, if PRH was the winner for S&S, it would form a company with revenue of almost $3 billion in the U.S. alone.
Are you (bleeping) kidding me?

It was the cry of exasperation heard around Waterloo Region as parents found out  just one week before the scheduled start of classes  that the carpet had been yanked out from under their feet yet again.

Waterloo public school board trustees, meeting online Monday night, were told that most elementary students will now start Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 14 and 15, instead of the expected Sept. 8 and 9.

They, and the public, including thousands of parents now scrambling for child care, have not received a satisfactory answer about why this decision was made so late.

We had to make a really tough decision over the weekend, said education director John Bryant, who apologized to the community.

We know weve left some parents in the lurch, said the board chair, Cambridge trustee Jayne Herring.

Herring also said staff have worked days, nights and weekends this summer to figure out how to make school as safe and productive as possible. Theyve also adapted to constant changes decided by the Ministry of Education.

This is an unprecedented year, and were all just doing the best we can, she said.

Of course it is. But its the same unprecedented year that every other school board has had to deal with. And these other boards have managed not to change the first day of school at the very last minute.

The Waterloo Catholic school board, for example, is not delaying the first day for elementary students. Nor are the Peel and Durham public boards.

The Toronto public school board moved its start date forward to Sept. 14, but announced that decision on August 20. The Thames Valley public board, which includes London, also decided to start a week later than normal, but announced its decision last week. That gave parents more time to plan.

After the Waterloo public boards announcement, trustees heard almost instantly from unhappy parents.

What can we advise families who have rearranged schedules to go with the staggered start ... and now theyre faced with the delayed start? said Waterloo-Wilmot trustee Kathleen Woodcock.

For example, essential workers who had to change shifts?

It was more a statement than a question.

I asked board representative Alana Russell if the last-minute change had something to do with the boards earlier, laudable decision to require students in kindergarten to Grade 3 to wear masks at school, in addition to students in Grade 4 and up.

After that decision was made Aug. 17, the school board gave parents and guardians until Aug. 28 to reconsider whether they wanted their children in schools, or to learn at home.

That would have also been a good moment to rethink the timing of the first day of school.

RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/08/31/public-school-board-delays-the-start-of-school.html

Allowing parents another two weeks to decide on their childs education left very little time for the board to allocate teachers to the different physical and virtual classrooms.

But Russell said all that was only a factor, not the major reason.

The major reason seems to have been the enormous task, overflowing with difficult, detailed decisions, of how to design two parallel education systems that would keep students both safe and learning in the middle of a pandemic.

School board leaders often emphasize the importance of making everyone feel calm as school returns after a frightening six months.

But this latest flubbed decision has had the opposite effect.
PCR testing will be shifted to the seventh or ninth day, with the negative test allowing to complete 14-day self-isolation early.

Ukraine's Health Ministry will amend a protocol for self-isolation of COVID-19 patients.

"This week, the standard of medical aid, the testing algorithm will be amended, and we may allow completing self-isolation after 14 days without PCR testing if there are no clinical symptoms. Also, PCR testing will be shifted to the seventh or ninth day, with the negative test allowing to complete 14-day self-isolation early," Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko told a Kyiv briefing on Wednesday, September 2.

The official says free PCR testing is provided for persons who have recovered from the coronavirus. Today, a single negative PCR test and the lack of clinical symptoms are enough to officially confirm recovery.

"Therefore, I appeal to everyone who has recovered from coronavirus disease, while remaining on outpatient treatment: if you have no clinical symptoms, contact your family doctor and consult with them. Isn't it time for you to call up a mobile team that will take a biomaterial sample and deliver it to the lab for testing?" Liashko said.

COVID-19 in Ukraine: background
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help pet owners increase their chances of finding their lost pets, Australia-based company Critter Cops has partnered with thousands of billboards across the United States to advertise lost pets for a fraction of the normal billboard fees. For only $150 dollars, pet owners can have their lost pet featured on a local billboard and shared with other advertisers for seven days. Critter Cops is currently the only company in the world offering this service. The initial announcement of the billboard service on Facebook received an almost "viral" responseto date, the announcement post has over 6,000 Reactions, 4,000 Shares, and 600 comments.

Critter Cops founder Kelly Matthews (Right) with employee Katie Buchanan (left) celebrating the successful launch of the new digital billboard service for lost and stolen pets. 15k billboards selling for $150? The most successful lost and stolen pet service in the world launches their most innovative (and affordable) way yet to find lost and stolen pets - digital billboards across the country at unheard of prices.

"When a pet is lost, it's absolutely essential to get the word out to as many people as you can, as fast as possible. Billboards can do just that. But gaining access to one quickly and affordably can be difficult for pet owners seeking to reunite with their lost pets," said Bini Mudaliar, Chief Marketing Officer at Critter Cops. "Our billboard service helps pet owners feature their lost pets on a local billboard fast and at a low cost. We have been overwhelmed with the magnitude of inquiries since the announcement but we are embracing it and are truly humbled by the positive feedback we've received. We would also love for more animal shelters to spread the word about this new option because it is so much more successful in facilitating reunions in the early stages when animal shelters are initially contacted by owners."

Pet owners seeking to purchase a billboard for a lost pet can do so by filling in a billboard order form on the Critter Cops website, and a refund may be received any time prior to the billboard ad going live.

Critter Cops adds contracts for new billboard locations monthly. The company also endeavors to have its billboard service available worldwide within the next 12 months to two years.

In addition to its billboard service, Critter Cops offers various other services aimed at helping pet owners reunite with their lost pets. They include enlisting a group of 130 people competing to find a confirmed match, a unique option to have an ad for a lost pet appear randomly on the private Facebook walls of residents living within 10 miles of the pet owner's area code, and a tailored and intensive two-week service designed for stolen pets that comprises of a nationwide search for pets on sale, a Facebook ad campaign that reaches residents living within 100 miles, and a dedicated website where people can submit anonymous tips.

Critter Cops is also the largest group of stolen pet advocates in the world, hosting as many events as possible to create awareness on how to prevent pet theft. And the company continues to grow awareness in this arena as it believes that education will increase vigilance. Additionally, as possible, Critter Cops is working on creating as many working relationships with local law enforcement across all counties.

Critter Cops operates in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. The billboards are currently only available in the U.S., but the company is working to feature the service worldwide.

About Critter Cops

Based in Australia, Critter Cops is a worldwide lost pet services provider operating in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. The company offers online searches utilizing a team of 130 competing searchers, a unique Facebook campaign that targets residents surrounding a pet owner's area code, a billboard ad service, and a comprehensive, intensive search service made for stolen pets. For more information on Critter Cops, please visit CritterCops.net .

SOURCE Critter Cops
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a sweeping nationwide order temporarily halting millions of U.S. renters from being evicted, in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The order covers all 43 million U.S. residential renters as long as they meet income eligibility requirements, although an administration official said the government does not expect an 'overwhelming' use of the program.

The order lasts through Dec. 31 and applies to individual renters who do not expect to earn more than $99,000 this year or $198,000 for joint filers. It also applies to renters who did not report income in 2019 or received a stimulus check earlier this year.

The National Apartment Association said the CDC order risked further harm to the economy and would amplify the housing affordability crisis and destroy the rental housing industry. Without payments 'owners face a financial crisis of their own,' it said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a sweeping nationwide order temporarily halting millions of U.S. renters from being evicted, in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Renters must file sworn declarations warning eviction would leave them homeless or force them into a 'shared living setting because the individual has no other available housing options' and attest they have 'used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing.'

The administration warned renters could be 'prosecuted, go to jail, or pay a fine' if they lie or mislead in their declarations.

Renters will still owe accrued rent and the order does not prevent the 'charging or collecting of fees, penalties, or interest as a result of the failure to pay rent or other housing payment on a timely basis.'

An administration official told reporters the order was not an invitation to stop paying rent and said renters should pay a portion of rent if they can.

The CDC order said renters can 'still be evicted for reasons other than not paying rent or making a housing payment.'

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a U.S. House of Representatives panel earlier the measure was to ensure people 'don't get thrown out of their rental homes.'

Mnuchin said Congress should still approve rental assistance.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a U.S. House of Representatives panel earlier the measure was to ensure people 'don't get thrown out of their rental homes.'

In July, a firm estimated more than $21.5 billion in past-due rent is owed by Americans.

As unemployment surged to levels unseen since the aftermath of the 1930s Great Depression, a patchwork of federal, state and local eviction bans kept renters who could not make payments in homes.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 8 directed CDC to consider if temporarily halting residential evictions was 'reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.'

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill in May to extend enhanced jobless aid through January and allocating $100 billion for rental assistance. It would extend the federal ban on evictions for up to one year. The bill has not been approved in the Senate.

A spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden questioned why it took so long for Trump to back the moratorium and noted Biden backed the House proposal.

The order covers all 43 million U.S. residential renters as long as they meet income eligibility requirements, although an administration official said the government does not expect an 'overwhelming' use of the program

Democrats have also pressed Mnuchin to quickly negotiate a new coronavirus relief package.

Mnuchin said Tuesday the administration remains willing to work on a bipartisan agreement to help small businesses, the unemployed, children and schools.

But he said Democratic leaders in Congress are holding it up with hardened positions.

'Let's move forward on a bipartisan basis on points we can agree upon,' Mnuchin urged at a hearing by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. 'The president and I want to move forward.'

Mnuchin made the case that the economy's recovery has strengthened in recent weeks, citing improved consumer spending, growth in manufacturing and a rebounding housing market. It's the failure of some states to reopen activity that is holding back the economy, he said.

But Democrats insisted that dire economic conditions persist for many. 'Millions of Americans are now facing eviction, debt and hunger,' said the panel's chairman, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. 'As the pandemic drags on, states, cities and businesses are warning that more layoffs may be coming.'

The subcommittee's Democratic staff, meanwhile, said it has identified lapses pointing to possible fraud and abuse in a signature piece of the administration's relief effort, the $660 billion-plus small business loan program - including more than $1 billion awarded to businesses that received multiple loans.

The staff investigators said in a report that a lack of government oversight and accountability for the program 'may have led to billions of dollars being diverted to fraud, waste and abuse, rather than reaching small businesses truly in need.'

With bipartisan agreement, Congress enacted an unprecedented $2.3 trillion pandemic rescue package in March. Now the Trump administration and top congressional Democrats have been in a months-long stalemate over new relief legislation, with the two sides trillions of dollars apart. Lawmakers left Washington for the August recess without an agreement.

The impasse left millions of jobless people without a $600-per-week pandemic bonus unemployment benefit that had helped families stay afloat, left state and local governments seeking fiscal relief high and dry, and held back a more than $100 billion school aid package.

An estimated 27 million people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits, according to the Labor Department, though the figure may be inflated by double-counting by states.

Mnuchin identified additional spending on aid to small businesses as the area where Democrats and Republicans are most likely to agree. In sometimes sharp exchanges, he and Democrats on the panel disagreed over the state of the economy and traded blame for the impasse over new rescue legislation.

Mnuchin pinned the blame on a refusal to compromise by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. While touting the economy's partial recovery, he acknowledged that 'we have more work to do.'

Still, Mnuchin showed some openness to negotiating and even agreed, under prodding from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to phone Pelosi right after the hearing.

He said he doesn't support the Democrats' position for $2.2 trillion in spending in the next package, which contrasts with Republicans' stance of $1 trillion. He added, however, 'What's more important is ... getting money to American workers, American families, kids. There are tremendous areas of agreement, and that's what we should be doing right away.'

'I would publicly say I am willing to sit down at the negotiating table with the speaker with no conditions whatsoever any time,' Mnuchin said.

Pelosi this week said the talks faltered because administration officials 'do not understand the gravity of the problem' facing the country.
GREENWICH  Officers responded to central Greenwich on a report of vandalism and arrested a suspected intruder Sunday afternoon, police said.

Robin Schildge-Repaci, 58, of Quarry Knolls, Greenwich, was charged with burglary, criminal mischief, criminal intent to assault an officer and breach of peace, police said.

The arrest report stated that she threw a rock through a window, engaged in a dispute with an occupant and then kicked at an officer. She was later released on $1,000 bail.



A 51-year-old man from Worcester, Mass., was charged with criminal trespass Friday morning, police said. The arrest report stated he had been banned from the premises of the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich, and he was found at that location. He was released without bail.



Officers served an arrest warrant on a 29-year-old man from Greenwich on Friday afternoon, police said.

The arrest report stated he was involved in a traffic stop and found to be in possession of pills containing alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, a medication that can also create an addictive high if abused. The arrest report stated he did not have a proper prescription.

He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and later released without bail.



A 59-year-old Greenwich man was charged with threatening and violating a protective order, according to the arrest report, stemming from an incident in late July.

He turned himself in on an active arrest warrant Monday, and bail was set at $150,000.



A 48-year-old woman from Greenwich was charged Thursday with criminal lockout, disorderly conduct and interfering with police.

Police said she locked another person out of a residence, engaged in a physical confrontation and attempted to destroy evidence, according to the police report. She was later released without bail.



A 27-year-old man from Rye Brook, N.Y., was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a minor, according to police.

The arrest stemmed from an incident in mid-August, police said, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued. Bail was set at $25,000.



An altercation at Greenwich Hospital on the afternoon of Aug. 24 ended in arrest, according to police.

A 31-year-old man from Greenwich, was charged with threatening and disorderly conduct, after police said he yelled derogatory comments and threats. He was released without bail.



A 35-year-old man from Riverside was charged with breach of peace and criminal mischief on the evening of Aug. 26 at the Riverside Commons shopping center, police said.

Police said he jumped on a car and damaged its windshield. He was later released without bail.
Chinese people have been paying more and more attention to water safety, especially since the Wuxi "water crisis" in Lake Taihu in 2007. However, more than 10 years after the crisis, how healthy are Chinese lakes now?

A scientific research group, led by the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been monitoring the health status of lakes in China. As indicated by the research covered 30 lakes during 2008 and 2018, total phosphorus (TP), which is one of the major pollutants in Chinese lakes, increased in 47% of the lakes, while chlorophyll a (Chla) increased in 70% of the lakes. A dataset showing the results of monthly monitoring in 12 typical lakes also proved the increase of TP and Chla.

Lake Taihu is a good example of lake restoration efforts in China, since more resources have been put into it than into any other lake in China. However, results show that both TP and Chla have increased markedly in the lake since 2007, while total nitrogen (TN) has decreased significantly. As a result, cyanobacteria blooms have shown no sign of easing.

"This is because external loading was not fully controlled," said QIN Boqiang, lead scientist on the research. QIN noted that construction of an urban sewage pipe network effectively reduced the concentration of pollutants from urban discharge into the water body. However, the total amount of discharged pollutants did not decrease, due to the simultaneous increase in urban population and the rapid increase in urban water consumption.

Upgrading the technology of heavy-polluting enterprises or closing them altogether has effectively reduced point source pollution. However, agricultural and urban non-point source pollution has not been significantly reduced over the past 10 years.

In addition, the contribution of internal loading has been ignored for a long time. For example, as the economy developed, many pollutants were discharged into lakes via rivers. Unfortunately, the flow rate of lakes is very low in comparison with rivers. As a result, pollutants settled to the bottom of lakes, thus becoming a potential source of pollution.

Many lakes in China are shallow lakes and sediments are prone to resuspension due to disturbances such as wind and waves. "The pollutants in the sediments continuously enter the water body, thereby offsetting the positive effects of reducing external sources, especially in the initial stage of external source reduction," said QIN.

Climate change has also partially offset the positive effects of pollution control and lake management in recent years. For example, higher temperatures and more frequent heavy rain have accelerated the input and mineralization of nutrients in basins and lakes. At the same time, reduced wind speed also enhances water column stability in lakes and promotes the release of nutrients from sediments.

Based on this research, the group said that lake restoration in China should involve the reduction of effluent nutrients, especially phosphorus. QIN noted that such reduction should be "stricter in the future" to offset the negative effects of climate change and internal loading from sediments.

###
MANZINI  Some Members of Parliament (MPs) want government to do away with restricting the models of vehicles import car dealerships sell.

This follows the proposed Used Motor Vehicles Import Permit Specification Notice, 2020, which shall come into force in the next three months.

The proposed legislation, which was published in a gazette a fortnight ago, stated that a used motor vehicle requiring a permit shall not be older than seven years at the date of its purchase.

The import car dealerships bring into the country vehicles that have seen many emaSwati owning cars as they are cheaper than regionally assembled ones.

These vehicles christened Dubais by the populace are usually imported from countries like Japan and Singapore.

Following the notice to introduce this legislation by government, through the Ministry of Finance, some MPs said this was a move that would set up government against the people. They bemoaned that the proposed law would make purchasing vehicles more expensive for the masses as they would approximately cost over E100 000.

Majority

This amount, the legislators claimed, was too high for an average citizen as a majority of the working class earned between E3 000 and E10 000. The politicians purported that for an average employee, the proposed lifetime of the imported vehicles would be to their detriment.

One of the legislators, Mduduzi Simelane, said the proposed legislation would be to the disadvantage of his constituents as many were using the vehicles.

The Siphofaneni Constituency MP said barring import car dealerships from bringing into the kingdom these vehicles would lead to many people losing what they had already procured.

He said: When banning the importation of vehicles older than seven years, those with vehicles older than that will face a challenge when seeking spare parts as the import car dealerships also import spares for these vehicles.

This, he said, would take the country back to donkeys years as people would have dysfunctional vehicles with minimal places to buy spare parts.

Furthermore, he said the filter effects of the new legislation would be loss of income for many as some of these vehicles were used by taxi operators.

Also, he said those who hire out vans and mini-trucks would face a challenge as most of the trucks they used were older than the time frame proposed by government.

Simelane said government was also acting against legislation it had set before. Explaining his logic, he said, government through the Neal Rijkenberg-led Ministry of Finance had introduced the fuel levy. He said by virtue of introducing the Used Motor Vehicles Import Permit Specification Notice, 2020, there would be minimal levy to collect by government as fewer people would have vehicles to refuel.

The fuel levy introduced by government came to life through the Finance Bill, No.5 of 2019, which was assented into an Act. The fuel levy is currently E3.85 cents over and above the fuel price. This Act altered certain taxes, duties, levies, tolls and fees and amended certain enactments relating to taxes, duties, levies, tolls and fees and to provide for other matters relating thereto.

Address

Also sharing Simelanes views was Hosea Constituency MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza. He said the electorate who sent him to Parliament had been calling him endlessly seeking that legislators address this issue.

Mabuza said a majority of his constituents were driving these vehicles and would not afford those manufactured not more than seven years ago. He said these vehicles would be expensive for them as many people were low income earners while others bought them (cars) to venture into business.

These cars are as good as locally manufactured vehicles and my first car was worth E7 000 in 2003. That car is still functioning and someone is using it to run his spaza shop, Mabuza said.

The view of the legislator was that government was crossing the line to protect a few people with business interests and neglecting the masses it is meant to serve.

Expensive

This, he said, was because a few percentage of the citizenry could afford to purchase a regionally assembled vehicle as many were expensive and the sale packages were too high for an average citizen.

These cars are starter packs for the middle class and any person who seeks to venture into business, as they allow mobility and bringing this law into effect is against serving the people.

Also, Lomahasha Constituency MP Ndumiso Masimula said many people in his constituency were living within the minimal income range and afforded vehicles that were on average manufactured 15 years ago.

He said the new legislation would make buying a car quite expensive for an average man on the street as it would retail at over E100 000. Like the other legislators, he pointed out that some of his constituents used the vehicles for business.

Hawkers and taxi men use these vehicles and they pay tax while going about their business, Masimula said. He said altering the law would mean that these people would lose their source of income and fail to afford basic necessities.
A record number of Australian universities have been ranked among the best 200 in the world.

The Times Higher Education Rankings 2021 list included 12 Australian institutes, with nine of those improving their positions from the previous year.

Top of the list was the University of Melbourne, coming in at 31st, followed by the University of Sydney at joint 51st.

The top of the list for Australia was the University of Melbourne, (pictured) coming in at 31st

The Australian National University was ranked 59th, followed by the University of Queensland at 62, Monash University at 64 and the University of New South Wales at 67.

The University of Technology Sydney showed the most improvement, jumping a total 34 places to joint 160th.

The global list included more than 1,500 universities across 93 countries and regions, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date.

This was followed closely by the University of Sydney (pictured) at joint 51st

But educators fear the strong rankings could be short-lived as COVID-19 spells disaster for the country's tertiary education sector.

Times Higher Education chief knowledge officer Phil Baty said Australia's rankings may dwindle if border closures continue to impact international student numbers.

'But what we can reasonably assume is this is very vulnerable success [because] it is dependent on international students,' Mr Baty the Sydney Morning Herald.

While the University of Technology Sydney showed the most improvement, jumping a total 34 places to joint-160th

'The most significant thing will be losing income if there's a longer term reduction in international students. That funding pays for superstar researchers, doing quality research and driving up rankings.'

But he said Australia's handling of the pandemic could position it better for attracting international students than the United States or the United Kingdom.

'Australia and New Zealand have come out quite well despite the recent upsurge  perceptions of safety might advantage [them],' he said.

The University of Oxford retained the number one ranking for the fifth year in a row.
After a record setting year, we were able to continue our ambitious growth strategy in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and was able to recruit a tier one talent in Matt.

Matt joins us after a decorated career as a litigation associate with Gillis & Bikofsky, a prominent personal injury firm in Newton, MA. At Gillis & Bikofsky, Matt managed a robust case load of large personal injury matters and has recorded numerous jury verdicts and high settlements to his resume.

Matt earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University and his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University School of Law. While at law school, Matt served as an intern for the Major Felony Bureau of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston.

With over seven years of legal practice under his belt in Massachusetts, Matt was able to obtain admission to the New Hampshire bar on motion. We are confident he will make an immediate impact in the legal field in New Hampshire.

For more information go to: https://www.injury-law-center.com/

About Injury Law Center

The Injury Law Center is dedicated to handling serious, catastrophic injury cases. We have the resources, hands-on experience, and knowledge to guide clients through this challenging time. Our clients get a legal team that is innovative. We don't have a cookie-cutter approach; we go the distance with each client to ensure the best possible results. When you need a New Hampshire personal injury lawyer you can trust to go to bat for you, Injury Law Center is ready, willing and able to get you the best results possible. Call us at (603) 883-4100. Centrally located in Nashua, New Hampshire we are also licensed to practice in Massachusetts and New York.

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SOURCE Injury Law Center

Related Links

https://www.injury-law-center.com


WASHINGTON - Amid the Trump administration's troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic, senior White House aide Peter Navarro has refashioned himself as a powerful government purchasing chief, operating far beyond his original role as an adviser on trade policy.

But U.S. officials say the abrasive figure's shortcomings as a manager could influence how well prepared the United States is for a second wave of coronavirus infections expected this fall.

Navarro's harsh manner and disregard for protocol have alienated numerous colleagues, corporate executives and prominent Republicans. In a previously undisclosed incident, the White House Counsel's Office in 2018 investigated Navarro's behavior in response to repeated complaints and found he routinely had been verbally abusive toward others. Navarro narrowly avoided losing his job, but the abuse has continued as the White House has grappled with the pandemic, multiple administration officials said.

On Monday, the administration terminated one contract that Navarro had directly negotiated - for 42,900 Philips ventilators. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said the cancellation was "subject to internal HHS investigation and legal review." The contract had been criticized by a House oversight subcommittee, which concluded that the government had overpaid for the ventilators by $500 million.

The cancellation came after another transaction Navarro championed, a government loan to fund Kodak's transformation into a drugmaker, unraveled and became embroiled in a securities investigation. The watchdog panel says it is broadening its inquiry to examine all of Navarro's deals.

Navarro remains unbowed, scorning critics inside and outside the White House as disloyal and leaning heavily on his one true ally: President Donald Trump. The trade specialist's ascent from failed California political candidate and economics professor to one of the most central figures in the White House is a testament to his tenacity, indifference to bureaucratic formalities and ability to stay in the president's ear.

For much of Trump's presidency, Navarro has been an adviser, critiquing existing U.S. trade deals without responsibility for negotiating better ones. But since March, he has been in charge of coordinating the federal government's purchases of vital medical supplies using the Defense Production Act, a position Trump says is "more important, probably, than it's almost ever been in our country."

This story is based on interviews with 28 current and former administration officials, congressional aides and business executives, along with a review of government statements and securities filings. Many of those interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations or because they feared retaliation by Navarro.

Complaints over Navarro's combustible demeanor crested in the previously undisclosed 2018 investigation of his workplace conduct ordered by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, according to a former senior Trump adviser.

Kelly, a retired Marine, acted after months of complaints about Navarro's treatment of his staffers and colleagues. The trade adviser routinely exploded at his assistants while scheming to undermine other senior White House officials, this adviser said.

Young women appeared to suffer the most verbal abuse. Some female White House employees complained that Navarro, 71, was habitually disrespectful, assigning professional women to act as note takers during policy meetings rather than allowing them to participate, another former official said.

Navarro was dismissive when Kelly confronted him, calling the reports exaggerated. After increasingly tense conversations and mounting complaints, Kelly finally told Navarro he would not tolerate the hostile work environment he had created and asked White House Counsel Donald McGahn's office to investigate.

"If it's worse than what I'm hearing, you're gone," Kelly told Navarro, according to a person familiar with the exchange. "If it's as bad as what I'm hearing, I don't know. You may be gone."

After interviewing White House employees, the counsel's office concluded that Navarro had been verbally abusive. The probe concluded with Navarro being informally counseled.

"They couldn't make any real findings because he was hostile to everybody, not just women," said one former White House official.

At first, the intervention appeared to have succeeded. But after Kelly resigned in December 2018, Navarro returned to form.

In recent weeks, Navarro screamed at a low-level government procurement officer over a purchase of medical supplies under the DPA. When the official refused his order, Navarro grew incensed.

"Are you loyal to China or to the American taxpayer?" he bellowed, according to a person familiar with the exchange. Several other officials recounted similar episodes.

"Peter Navarro's highest priority during the last six months has been defeating the China virus and working to save lives, while creating thousands of jobs in the process. As Policy Coordinator, he's helped oversee the use of the Defense Production Act more than 80 times and pushed the interagency to work quicker and smarter. These attacks are without merit," Sarah Matthews, a deputy White House press secretary, said in response to detailed questions about the events described in this story.

For the past few years, Navarro was on the sidelines as Robert E. Lighthizer, the president's chief trade negotiator, hammered out commercial deals with several countries. As talks with China proceeded last year, Navarro, who opposed the eventual accord with Beijing, was not even allowed to see the negotiating text.

But today, he occupies a role with greater responsibilities, where his toxic personality and indiscriminate public commentary could have serious consequences.

On March 27, Trump tapped the Harvard-educated economist to coordinate the administration's emergency contracting for personal protective equipment, medical ventilators and syringes needed to fight the pandemic.

Navarro says the administration has dramatically increased production of protective masks, swabs, test kits and medical ventilators, plugging gaps that crippled the initial response to the novel coronavirus. In a White House report this month, he credited the president with leading "the most rapid mobilization of America's public health industrial base since World War II."

But Navarro also has criticized corporations such as General Motors and 3M as failing to move at what he calls "Trump time" and questioned the patriotism of colleagues who oppose his proposals.

"He loves to threaten people, and he's very good at that," said one business executive who described Navarro's criticism as unfair.

Trump administration officials have questioned Navarro when he demanded approval to write a check for "eight- or nine-figure amounts," explaining he lacked the authority to do so, according to one senior administration official.

Since mid-July, two major government contracts that Navarro lauded have become enmeshed in controversy.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding Eastman Kodak's disclosure of a $765 million federal loan Trump awarded to fund the launch of the company's new pharmaceutical division, the company said in a securities filing.

And Democrats on a House oversight subcommittee, after reviewing thousands of pages of emails and documents, concluded that Navarro was responsible for wasting more than $500 million by overpaying for ventilators manufactured by Philips. Navarro agreed to pay Philips almost five times as much per ventilator as the Obama administration had, accepting the manufacturer's opening bid without bargaining, the panel said.

"There's this public bravado," said one congressional investigator. "But in private they roll over and just get pushed around by these companies."

On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services terminated the Philips contract and two others, saying the United States now has "enough ventilators to meet maximum national capacity in a crisis."

Of the three, only the Philips contract is being investigated, an HHS spokesperson said.

Navarro also has been weighing in on policy issues far beyond his professional qualifications. A former economics professor at the University of California at Irvine with no known medical expertise, he publicly opines on coronavirus treatments.

Last month, he criticized the Food and Drug Administration for its delay in approving the emergency use of convalescent plasma, claiming that some experts "would rather have 100,000 people die from the virus" than take a chance on one person dying from a hastily approved medical treatment.

He also has tweeted that there is "blood on the hands" of media outlets questioning his advocacy of hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for covid-19 - the illness caused by the novel coronavirus - that the president has championed. Within the White House, Navarro has harshly criticized the FDA and Anthony Fauci, a member of the president's coronavirus task force and the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, telling the president that they are dragging their feet in advancing potential treatments and are insufficiently sensitive to the economic costs of the coronavirus fight. He has angered a number of senior public health officials, who complain that he doesn't know what he is talking about.

On July 14, he published without authorization an op-ed in USA TODAY attacking Fauci.

"He has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on," Navarro wrote of Fauci.

The White House later disavowed the extraordinary broadside, saying Navarro had acted without authorization. And USA TODAY published an editor's note, labeling the op-ed misleading. Amid the furor, Navarro called White House communications director Alyssa Farah to apologize, White House officials said. Navarro had proposed the op-ed, was told no and decided to write it anyway. Farah was infuriated, as was Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Yet Navarro went unpunished, these officials said.

In a statement, Farah said Navarro is a "valued voice on the airwaves articulating the Administration's viewpoint to the American people on a range of topics, including trade, manufacturing and rebuilding our economy."

He also has been harshly critical of prominent Democrats, including former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif) in a manner that would have been unusual for White House staffers in previous administrations. On Aug. 23, Navarro told Fox Business that the Chinese government favored Biden in the presidential race because "they know he can be bought; he's compromised."

Despite his serial controversies, Navarro enjoys strong support from Trump, who affectionately refers to him as "my Peter." During the Republican National Convention last week, Navarro appeared at Trump's D.C. hotel to headline an event for top donors called "The Art of the Deal."

"He's been able to channel the vision of the one person who matters: the president," said Tony Fratto, principal deputy White House press secretary in the Bush administration. "He speaks the president's language."

Still, even the president has had to clean up after his trade adviser. In June, Navarro triggered a fall in stock futures when he was quoted as saying the Phase 1 deal with China was "over." The president within hours responded with a tweet that described the agreement as "fully intact."

Trump has acknowledged Navarro's prickly persona. In an East Room ceremony in January to mark the signing of the deal with China, the president listed Navarro among several top officials. The mention of the aide's name provoked a slight tittering in the audience of politicians and business executives.

"He's a little different. We have all types," the president said in a good-natured gibe.

Navarro stays in frequent touch with people close to the president in "MAGA land," according to a senior administration official, and the president's son Donald Trump Jr. has praised him publicly.

"Peter is untouchable," this person said.

As head of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, a unit the president established in April 2017, Navarro oversees a handful of inexperienced aides. His deputy director, Christopher Abbott, graduated from American University only last year.

Even allies have felt Navarro's lash. In April, Michael Pillsbury of the Hudson Institute was startled to answer the phone and hear Navarro snarl: "I'm going to rip your f---ing throat out."

Pillsbury, a China expert at the Hudson Institute and occasional adviser to the president, told friends Navarro was irked by a headline on the Fox News website - "China expert Pillsbury scolds Navarro over rhetorical shots at Beijing" - which summarized some mild criticism he had offered in an on-air interview.

In May, the normally supportive Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs grew visibly angry with Navarro during a televised interview, accusing him of "peddling pablum and B.S."

Navarro is often hostile and overbearing in arguments, prone to attack anyone who disagrees with him as a representative of the "deep state." One former ally cut off contact with Navarro this year over his penchant for taking on battles outside of his trade expertise.

"He's gone off the rails," the individual said.

Navarro's history of constantly sounding alarms, especially over China's actions, has at times backfired. Earlier this year, he warned in two prescient memos that the coronavirus circulating in China could become a dire threat to the United States. But he was ignored, with many White House colleagues rolling their eyes at what was seen as just the latest Navarro broadside against China.

At the Senate GOP lunch on June 23, lawmakers asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about Navarro's statement 10 days earlier that the White House was seeking a $2 trillion economic rescue package. Mnuchin replied that Navarro had spoken without White House authorization, according to one person familiar with the exchange.

It was not the first time that Navarro had complicated the administration's relations with powerful figures in Congress.

In the spring of 2019, a handful of GOP senators met with Trump and Navarro in the Oval Office to discuss the president's tariffs, which were hurting Midwestern farmers. The meeting quickly grew contentious, according to two people familiar with the exchange.

Seated alongside the president and gesturing to charts used to illustrate his case, Navarro repeatedly spoke over the lawmakers. A frustrated Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, finally told Navarro he did not appreciate being interrupted, before telling the president he needed to hire new advisers, the people said.

Under Kelly, Navarro was often kept off the airwaves and confined to manufacturing issues. But the pandemic's focus on supply chain resilience and Chinese government behavior provided an opening.

As Trump struggled to recover from his sluggish initial response to the crisis, he tapped Navarro to oversee use of the DPA, a 1950 law that gives the president broad authority to require private companies to prioritize government orders.

In making the appointment, Trump praised Navarro "as a very trusted person" who had done an "incredible" job for him. But the aide's brusque approach to the by-the-book world of government contracting has drawn criticism.

"He just started behaving like a czar on something he knows very little about, calling and ordering people to do things," said one business executive familiar with his approach.

One controversy surrounds a decision by the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to approve a government loan to support Eastman Kodak's launch of a pharmaceuticals unit.

Appearing on Fox Business, Navarro hailed the July 28 loan announcement as a "great day here in Trump-land," saying it posed "minimal risk to the taxpayer" and had been executed with "the greatest of due diligence."

Navarro said the deal had originated with Abbott, a 2019 graduate of American University, who had identified Kodak as a vehicle for the government to increase domestic production of generic drug ingredients.

Almost immediately, questions were raised about unusual activity involving the company's stock.

On July 27, one day before the announcement, Kodak gave its chairman and chief executive, James Continenza, and three other top executives, options to buy the stock for as little as $3.03 per share.

At the time, Kodak shares were trading for less than that amount, rendering the options worthless. But when the loan was announced one day later, the stock soared to $60 before closing around $33, leaving each of the executives sitting on paper profits worth millions of dollars.

The DFC said in an Aug. 7 tweet that it was putting the deal on hold while "serious concerns" about it were addressed. Navarro responded by blaming the company.

"What happened at Kodak was probably the dumbest decisions made by executives in corporate history," he told CNBC. "You can't fix 'stupid.' "

Just one week earlier, Democrats on the House subcommittee on economic and consumer policy had called Navarro's negotiating "inept" and "incompetent" in a report on his handling of a ventilator contract with Philips.

Starting in mid-March, Abbott coordinated in-person and telephone meetings between his boss and the manufacturer, according to copies of emails between Philips and the White House cited in the report.

Philips's March 25 invoice for 42,900 ventilators was addressed to "Dr. Peter Navarro," almost two weeks before the formal agreement was signed. All of the key details of the contract with HHS, including price and quantity, were agreed by Navarro and the company before professional government contracting officials were involved, the report said.

"HHS professional contract officers were excluded until the last moment. By then, the generous terms of the contract had already been agreed to by the White House," the report said.

The Democrats' report said Navarro blundered by paying $15,000 per ventilator rather than the $3,280 for what it calls a "functionally identical" Philips unit ordered by the Obama administration.

Navarro agreed to pay Philips 50% of the $646.7 million contract value before any units were delivered, a down payment that HHS later trimmed by 80 percent, the report said.

"We do not recognize the conclusions in the subcommittee's report, and we believe that not all the information that we provided has been reflected in the report. We would like to reiterate that on no occasion has Philips raised prices to benefit from the crisis situation," said Steve Klink, a Philips spokesman.

Republicans blasted the report as "highly politicized" and "slipshod," saying Trump deserved credit for swiftly accelerating ventilator deliveries amid the crisis.
The butter row continues to gain momentum on Twitter with people flooding the micro-blogging site with mixed reactions. For the uninitiated, people on Twitter called for a boycott of Amul butter days ago.



And now, the microblogging site witnessed another trend where some people have switched their allegiance to Britannia butter.

Why is Britannia trending?

The trend picked up on Twitter after Janta Ka Reporter founder Rifat Jawaid wrote, As promised, weve moved to a new brand of butter! No hard feelings @Amul_Coop. We all are free to make our choices. To me, I can never support a brand or individual who support hate.

As promised, weve moved to a new brand of butter! No hard feelings @Amul_Coop. We all are free to make our choices. To me, I can never support a brand or individual who support hate. pic.twitter.com/4HVIJnJ2U7  Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) September 1, 2020

Heres how it all started.

The butter swap trend comes after Amul was revealed to have been one of the sponsors to Sudarshan News channel's program on "UPSC Jihad". This didnt go down well with people on social media.

Suresh Chavhanke, the channel's Editor-in-Chief decided to enlighten viewers in a promo clip of their upcoming show. He claimed that an 'expose' showed an increasing number of Muslim candidates were allegedly clearing the civil services exam.

According to reports, on Friday, the Delhi High Court had passed an interim order restraining the channel from airing the programme Bindas Bol. Chavanke, however, decided to go ahead with the show.

Subsequently, this created a furore on the micro-blogging site which, in turn, triggered massive outrage as many people vowed to boycott Amul products for their alleged "Islamophobia".

However, Jawaids post garnered mixed reactions on Twitter as some people sided with him and some were brutally honest with their opinion stating Britannia butter is terrible.

Check out the reactions here:

Meanwhile in India

where butter is an political issue https://t.co/CrjGj4wo7s  Ichigo A Panchal  (@Amitabhamilabha) September 2, 2020

Not just that, these very people condemn boycott when people want to boycott, lets say Aamirs movie... that too for Aamir spewing venom against his own country.

And here Amul just advertising its brand is a problem with them... @_sayema  B A (@bobbyfaith) September 1, 2020

Britannia is owned by the Wadias who are longtime donors & friends of the Sangh & its associates. https://t.co/ksdlVfgd1x    ()  (@swarupdas) September 1, 2020

If you really want to help #Britannia and hurt @Amul_Coop then you are doing exactly opposite to post this. This will increase Amul sales and damage Britannia. Simply because you switched, many Britannia user will switch to Amul, as you don't have credibility. https://t.co/FIot7OdBHH  Ashwin Nagar /    (@ashwinnagar) September 2, 2020

Britannia butter is terrible https://t.co/AJXvuVSjn1  Initnamees  (@SeemantiniBose) September 1, 2020

OMG!! Sir is boycotting Amul!!!

Amul is gonna face a massive loss rn and may have to shut down. https://t.co/caz8SGJ7oj  Samiksha  (@samiksha_875) September 1, 2020

I have Tried this brand and It's Not at all Utterly Butterly Delicious like @Amul_Coop Butter. Anyway Boycotting it is completely ur loss to ur Tastebuds isme tera ghata @Amul_Coop ka kuch nahi jaata https://t.co/BJ1XaIxEDV    (@KetanNayak777) September 1, 2020

Dont worry Britannia will stop selling butter to u or it will face the consequences of 80% people not buying it. https://t.co/fOawKwufCa        (@vaayuwind) September 1, 2020

This makes my brand loyalty to @Amul_Coop even thicker and stronger. I must say Amul is not just taste of India it represents mood of India as well. Patriotic fervour at peak with Amul. @Rssamul https://t.co/ZjojRPiME1 pic.twitter.com/eZQFjt9yKk  ASHWANI MAHAJAN (@ashwani_mahajan) September 2, 2020

As per the reports, Sudarshan News channel has been asked to respond to the notice issuedby the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which has sought a clarification after receiving several complaints.

The high court had issued notices seeking replies from the central government, Sudarshan TV, and Chavhanke on the petition, which has been listed for further hearing on September 7.

Don't forget to tell us your thoughts on this in the comments below.
Governorship candidates of different political parties for the September 19 election in Edo State on Wednesday decried their exclusion from a peace meeting called by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to address the spate of violence ahead of the elections.

The Benin monarch had specifically invited the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki and Osagie Ize-Iyamu respectively, and their deputies, as well as the top leaders of both parties.

14 political parties have fielded candidates for the election, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Oba of Benins meeting stemmed from the series of violent attacks that had trailed the ongoing electioneering among supporters of the two major political parties, the PDP and the APC.

There have been accusations and counter-accusations by the two parties over claims of violent attacks by alleged thugs in the past month.

However, Tracy Agol, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said as stakeholders in the forthcoming election, they should have been part of the meeting.

Mrs Agol said, I think the way they disseminated the information was not proper. I had to call other governorship candidates if they were aware of the peace pact at the palace, they said no.

Agreed maybe because of the fracas they (PDP and APC) have been having recently, but the truth is that other stakeholders ought to have been involved. If his Royal Majesty wants to address candidates, we should be included.

Amiemenoghena Akhalamhe, a candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, urged the Oba of Benin to reconvene a peace meeting involving all the 14 governorship candidates in the election.

Mr Akhalamhe said, we have 14 governorship candidates that have members and followers in this election and if a meeting of this nature is going on we should be included. If we are not aware of any peace meeting, as stakeholders in the forthcoming election, I think we should be invited again.

This election is not for PDP and APC alone. Although we have always preached peace, all stakeholders must be carried along.

Felix Obayagbon, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, said he was also not invited to the meeting.

I just heard of it now, I was not informed. Although we have not been violent in our approach to campaigns. It is the two giant parties, as they call themselves, that someone should fear. If our Oba invites me, I must attend, Mr Obayagbon said.

At the meeting, Oba Ewaure II warned politicians in the state, especially the candidates of the APC and PDP, against setting the state on fire over the forthcoming governorship election.

The peace accord was initiated by the Oba of Benin and it also had in attendance two former governors of the state, John Odigie-Oyegun, and Adams Oshiomhole.

The Benin monarch said he was worried about the violence across the state over the September 19 poll, stressing that politicians must learn to conduct themselves peacefully.

While noting that the election was not a do-or-die affair, he said the politicians must note that they have only this state to call their own and thus must do everything to protect it from disintegration.

Both of you are arming thugs and I worry about what will happen with these weapons after the poll. We are doing our bit internally. Traditional prayers are being offered so that there will be peace during the election.

I want to appeal to the politicians to control the youths, I want the politicians to assure us that there will be peace, you do not kill yourselves over an office. This is the worst scenario of all the politics that we have seen in Edo. Edo politics have been in the news for quite sometimes now for all the wrong reasons.

The Oba of Benin also said he has had sleepless nights over the spate of violence in the state, calling for peace to reign in the state.

The two candidates must toe the line of peace just like former President Goodluck Jonathan did when he willingly announced his acceptance of defeat in 2015. That singular act changed the prediction of the international community that Nigeria will break up as a result of that election.

We are begging you politicians, particularly the two political gladiators. You must all do your bit to calm down the tension in the state, Oba Ewuare II appealed.

The monarch maintained that the traditional institution remained non-partisan and warned his chiefs against making any political statement.

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In their responses, Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu gave their assurances to the monarch and promised to ensure that their supporters peacefully conduct themselves henceforth.

Mr Obaseki, the incumbent governor of the state, commended the monarch for his fatherly role.

I have sworn on oath to protect the people and it will be irresponsible of me to do otherwise, especially that which can lead to the destruction of lives and properties, Mr Obaseki said.

Similarly, Ize-Iyamu said he would ensure that his supporters peacefully conduct themselves throughout the remaining campaign period and during the election.

Mr Odigie-Oyegun also commended the monarch for the peace initiative and advised the key players to play by the rules.

On his part, Oshiomhole said as a product of peaceful elections, he would not deviate from that which would lead to a peaceful election.
With a heavy heart, Neil Brereton decided last week that it was time to fly home to Northern Ireland to help scatter his fathers ashes.

His father, Norman, died in June, but because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Brereton couldnt travel there for his funeral.

He and his wife, Maz, have decided its now relatively safe to fly. And, they reasoned, it wouldnt cost them anything out of pocket  Air Canada still owed them $14,000 in credits for other trips cancelled earlier in the pandemic.

So when the Toronto Beaches area resident called to book the new flight, he was floored when the Air Canada reservations agent said hed need to fork over another $2,200 and more than 200,000 Aeroplan points.

They told me the vouchers hadnt been issued yet. I was shocked. Some of the original flights were cancelled in the spring, said a stunned Brereton this week. With seats disappearing rapidly, he bit the bullet and spent the $2,200 and points.

To be going over to scatter my fathers ashes and to take care of his estate, and then to have to deal with this? Its awful. I cant believe theyd do this, said Brereton, adding hes been a loyal Air Canada customer for years.

We hadnt pushed for refunds, because we know what kind of trouble the travel industrys in. We thought we were doing the responsible thing by accepting credits, and this is what happens? Were not rich; $14,000 is a lot of money, said a frustrated Brereton, who finally got a $5,000 voucher  after hed already forked over the cash and points for the flight.

After questions from the Star about the complaint, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline would be reaching out to Brereton and allowing him to retroactively use the voucher towards the flight. He said the large reduction in the airlines flight schedule during the pandemic has resulted in a lot of people trying to get vouchers at the same time.

As a result, there have been some delays in processing vouchers for customers due to the volume. We are working to shorten this period, Fitzpatrick said.

The complaint lodged by Brereton and his wife is just one out of a massive wave of complaints against Canadian airlines during the pandemic. According to statistics released Tuesday by the Canadian Transportation Agency, it has received more than 8,000 complaints about Canadian airlines since March. Thats more than it received in all of 2018 and 2019. The agency says its still trying to work through the backlog.

The high volume of complaints comes as little surprise to air passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs, who says membership in his Facebook group has jumped to more than 36,000 today, from roughly 16,000 at the beginning of the pandemic. The vast majority of the complaints? Passengers frustrated about not getting refunds, confusion surrounding refund policies and delays in getting vouchers.

I might see one complaint a week about baggage. Everything else is about vouchers and refunds, said Lukacs.

Passengers, he said, are simply fed up, especially when they see consumers in Europe and the U.S. getting refunds rather than credits or flight vouchers.

People are frustrated, theyre angry. Its not like youve bought a car and its a lemon. Its like youve paid for a car and havent gotten it, said Lukacs, who suggests passengers also complain to regulators in the U.S. or Europe, if their flights either started or ended there. Credit card companies have also stepped in to help in some cases, he added.

Some people have had some luck getting chargebacks from the card companies, Lukacs said.

Travel industry professionals are also getting caught up in delays attempting to get refunds or credits.

Travel agent Stephanie Roles says shes still trying to get a credit or refund for a cancelled trip to Las Vegas for a friends Mothers Day wedding.

Im out $3,500 at this point. Ive been really polite, but Ive been getting nowhere with the airline, said Roles, who decided this week to complain to the CTA.

But even passengers who formally complain to the CTA are getting frustrated, saying theyve been met with lengthy delays.

Calgary resident Peter Scott, who had a cruise from Miami to Barcelona cancelled, said he got Aeroplan points refunded by Air Canada relatively quickly for his flight to Miami, and got an almost immediate refund from the cruise line, but struggled to get a refund from WestJet for his return flight home. He finally got an email this week from WestJet saying that the cheque was in the mail, for a trip he was originally supposed to take in May.

After several months of waiting for the CTA to deal with his complaint, a CTA representative said in an email last week that all COVID-19-related voucher complaints are currently on hold.

He was unimpressed by the email.

I was pretty disappointed. Theyre the agency thats supposed to be helping passengers, said Scott.

For its part, the CTA says the unprecedented volume of complaints has led to delays in processing and ruling on individual claims. It denied anything has been placed on hold.

We continue to process cases as efficiently as possible, but, due to the high volume of complaints received, the CTA continues to experience delays for facilitation cases. The language used was imprecise when stating that these cases are on hold, a CTA spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Neither Air Canada nor WestJet would comment on the volume of complaints the CTA had received.

We cannot comment as these are now matters before the CTA, a quasi-judicial body, said Air Canadas Fitzpatrick. Under the CTA process, the agency must first decide whether to entertain a complaint and, if so, it next investigates and then makes a ruling. Complaints are not in themselves a finding of wrongdoing.

WestJet spokesperson Morgan Bell said the CTA hadnt shared complaint statistics with the airline.

We havent seen anything or a report on the matter from the CTA, so we are unable to provide comment at this time, Bell said.

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PUBG and 117 other mostly Chinese-owned apps have been banned in India.

The block comes after the Indian government already banned some 59 other apps, which included TikTok.

The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that the apps are "prejudicial to [the] sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

The list includes PUBG Mobile  though not the full version of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, which is available on consoles  as well as other popular games such as Rise of Kingdoms, Chinese search giant Baidu and apps made by WeChat. Many of those banned were generic apps without brand names, such as "Photo Gallery & Album" and "Web Browser".

As with the previous list of banned apps, India did not specifically say that the apps were being banned because they were Chinese, and it did not mention the country in its announcement. But the majority of the apps named appeared to have Chinese developers or stakeholders.

Recommended TikTok banned in India along with 58 other mostly Chinese apps

Tensions between the two countries have continued over the summer, which have led to deadly skirmishes over a contested border. Internationally, questions continue to be raised over the data practices of apps developed in China, and their relationship the country's government, which among other things have led the US to threaten to ban TikTok if it is not sold.

The Indian government said that the ban came after the ministry "received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside of India".

It did not give any specific information about those complaints or mention any accusations against any particular apps.
The Morrison government is piling pressure on the states to accept a new regime to define coronavirus hotspots as a way to ease border controls and open the economy by Christmas.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison ramped up his warning against the barriers to trade and travel, saying Australians should not resign themselves to living in a "dislocated nation" during the pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australians should not resign themselves to living in a "dislocated nation". Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The federal government appears likely to go it alone on its new definition of virus "hotspots" if it cannot get a consensus with the states and territories on ways to free up parts of the country with low infection rates.

"We should aim for Australians to be able to go to work, to be able to be with their family at Christmas, and to return to visit their friends," Mr Morrison told Parliament on Tuesday.
The announcement comes at a critical time in Southwest Virginia, which was already economically stressed from the coal industry's decline prior to the current Covid-driven recession. Additionally, today is the first day of the annual Southwest Virginia Economic Forum, where the idea for the Solar Workgroup began in 2015. Since then, the workgroup has boosted enthusiasm for solar energy in the historic coalfield region and laid the groundwork to grow solar development through public outreach, research, training and policy. Last year, eight Southwest Virginia communities achieved national recognition through SolSmart designation for their initiatives to encourage growth of the local solar market.

The new solar partnership  an alliance of nonprofit, state government, educational and private sector entities that is unique in the Central Appalachia region  will take these efforts to the next level. The partners are working to achieve significant goals over the next three years, including the construction of 10 megawatts of solar in the coalfield region by the end of 2023, and the creation of 15 new, full-time jobs in solar construction, sales and marketing, entrepreneurship and small business development.

"Secure Futures brings innovative solutions for solar customers and a track record of excellent customer service to the partnership," said Chelsea Barnes, New Economy Program Manager for Appalachian Voices, a co-convener of the workgroup. "We are excited to work with a team so dedicated to ensuring that the economic benefits of the solar industry come to Southwest Virginia."

"We applaud the Solar Workgroup for seeking to bring solar jobs into the region, offering well-paying jobs in a rapidly growing industry that falls into the category of essential services in today's pandemic environment," said Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Futures, based in Staunton, Va. "In order to help ensure that these jobs come to Southwest Virginia, we need to work collaboratively with the incumbent electric utilities  including APCo, Old Dominion Power and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative  to apply the standards and expectations of the 2019 Electric Co-op Net Metering legislation and the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act. Key to our work will be solar Power Purchase Agreements and net metering solutions for commercial-scale customers."

Secure Futures will provide start-up funds for Lonesome Pine Solar and hire a Southwest-Virginia-based project coordinator. Additionally, Secure Futures is awarding a $50,000 grant to Mountain Empire Community College to fund solar installation apprenticeships and faculty mentoring. Lonesome Pine Solar will employ graduates of the college's programs and provide the installation services for the partnership's projects.

"Mountain Empire Community College is excited about the partnership and opportunity to bring more solar installation projects to our service region," said Dr. Kristen Westover, president of MECC. "The partnership will provide MECC's Energy Technology program students and graduates with incredible new hands-on opportunities in solar installation."

Securing Solar For Southwest Virginia builds on the established partnership between Secure Futures and Lonesome Pine Solar, LLC, headquartered in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

"I'm pleased and honored to join this innovative business model to establish local solar power businesses where none currently exist," said Glen "Skip" Skinner, president and manager of Lonesome Pine Solar. "In partnership with Mountain Empire Community College, Lonesome Pine Solar hopes to help students move from the academic world to applying their knowledge and skills developed to become gainfully employed in the solar industry, a new economy for Southwest Virginia."

"This partnership directly contributes to our Clean Energy Virginia efforts. While we continue to advance the renewable energy portfolio to meet the goals outlined in the Virginia Clean Economy Act, organizations like the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia play a vital role in fostering these opportunities," said John Warren, director of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. "DMME is glad to be a part of this group to also identify workforce development needs and help to create new jobs in the clean energy marketplace."

"This innovative and strategic collaboration promises to accelerate solar development across our region and wouldn't be possible without coordination among private sector, education, nonprofit and government partners. This partnership will provide building owners a real opportunity to leverage the advantages of solar while supporting and growing the local economy," said Bryan Phipps, vice president and chief development officer at People Inc., a co-convener of the workgroup.

Nonprofits, businesses and local governments interested in installing solar sign up for an initial consultation, register for an interested building owner webinar on September 30, and find more information at swvasolar.org/securing-solar . Individuals interested in potential training opportunities with Mountain Empire Community College and Lonesome Pine Solar can sign up for future announcements at the same link.

**Photos and other press materials are available in this Google folder . A recording of the project launch tele-conference will be added as soon as it's available.**

Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia

The Solar Workgroup is comprised of nonprofit and community action agencies, colleges, state agencies, planning district commissions, and other interested citizens and businesses seeking to develop a renewable energy industry cluster in the coalfield counties of Virginia. The Workgroup is co-convened by the UVA-Wise Office of Economic Development & Engagement, People Inc., and Appalachian Voices, with facilitation from Dialogue + Design Associates.

Secure Futures, LLC

As a market and policy leader, Secure Futures builds, owns, manages and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions for hospitals, schools and businesses. The company combines state-ofthe-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Futures became a Certified B Corporation.

Contacts:

Cat McCue, Appalachian Voices, [email protected], 434-953-8672

Erik Curren, Secure Futures, [email protected], 540-466-6128

SOURCE Secure Futures LLC

Related Links

http://www.securefutures.us


Former Home and Away star Isabel Lucas was spotted working on the set of her new project in Byron Bay on Wednesday.

The actress, 35, flaunted her slim physique in tiny black shorts and a pink T-shirt as she filmed scenes with her former boyfriend Chris Hemsworth's brother Luke on the beach.

The brunette beauty wore a neutral palette of makeup and styled her short hair in curls as she soaked up the sun while working on the shore.

Busy at work: Former Home and Away star Isabel Lucas (pictured) was spotted working on the set of her new project with Luke Hemsworth in Byron Bay on Wednesday

At one point, Isabel was also spotted taking photographs of her co-star on the sand while the production crew filmed them.

After filming the scene, the actress put on a warm green jacket and enjoyed a walk along the footpath.

On Saturday, Isabel went to great lengths to stay anonymous during a Zoom call with COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and lockdown critics, by covering her face with a black hoodie and mask and using the alias 'X'.

The anti-vaxxer told her co-panellists that she needed 'to be careful about being outspoken' because she was a famous Australian film and television actress.

New film: The actress flaunted her slim physique in tiny black shorts and a pink T-shirt as she filmed scenes with her ex-boyfriend's brother Luke Hemsworth on the beach

Filming scenes: At one point, Isabel was also spotted taking photographs of her co-star on the sand while the production crew filmed them

Natural beauty: The brunette beauty wore a neutral palette of makeup and styled her short hair in curls as she soaked up the sun while working on the shore

'I'm here and I don't want to be anonymous, but I am about to start filming a film and I do need to be careful about being outspoken because you can get dropped from charities, you can lose campaigns with car companies,' the 35-year-old said.

'It has happened to me in recent times for speaking out. I feel careful and I don't want to elicit any aggressive, threatening responses.

The actress has signed on to feature in The Ogilvy Fortune, just months after she was dropped as an ambassador for Plan International Australia, a charity for girls' equality following her controversial comments about vaccinations.

New deal: The actress has signed on to feature in The Ogilvy Fortune, just months after she was dropped as an ambassador for Plan International Australia

Beauty: After filming a scene, a makeup artist was spotted reapplying Isabel's makeup on the shore

Lucas said she felt '100 per cent called to shine a light on the reality of what's really going on' in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown directives.

'There's a certain level of agenda and darkness that has had authority ... and that has had a lot of people believing lies,' she said in the Zoom chat with other well-known figures in the anti-lockdown and anti-mask community.

The actress also claimed thst she met several doctors while living in California who dropped out of the medical field due to 'corruption'.

'All of what they were speaking about is what we're facing right now. When we are in a fear state, we just follow what we're told.

Long working day: Earlier in the day, the actress was spotted arriving to the set in blue jeans, a green jumper and pair of comfortable black sneakers

Break time: After filming the scene, the actress put on a warm green jacket and enjoyed a walk along the footpath

Lucas said that at the beginning of the pandemic in March she was asked by her local council to film a video calling on locals to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.

She appeared in the clip urging viewers to avoid travelling in NSW to slow the spread of coronavirus, saying: 'This is not the right time to be visiting Byron or other coastal towns, it's a good chance to give nature a break and ourselves.'

Lucas also revealed she regretted appearing in the clip during the Zoom chat.

'I saw that there was all these other great people doing it and it's that sort of thing where you can get looped in without realising you're being looped in,' she said.

'But those with a strong conscience and strong integrity won't as easily sell out.'

Disguise: On Saturday, Isabel went to great lengths to stay anonymous during the Zoom call with COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and lockdown critics, by covering her face with a black hoodie and mask and using the alias 'X'
The Dolbow family has farmed the rich soil of Salem County in South Jersey for so long that the road that runs along its cornfield is named after them.

But amid all the trials the family has faced over four generations of farming, David Dolbow, 52, sees something coming that could completely transform local agriculture: big solar.

Its definitely going to change the landscape, Dolbow said of Bil-Dow Farm. What he fears most is the loss of thousands of acres of prime farmland to utility-scale solar systems.

If you put solar on this land and take it out of production, youre talking about tons of food thats needed to feed the world, Dolbow said. People need to eat, and this ought to be the number-one priority.

Dakota Power Partners has plans to erect 400,000 solar panels on 800 acres in Pilesgrove Township off Route 45, about eight miles from the Dolbows farm. The township planning board is reviewing the plans for the Nichomus Run Solar Farm, which calls for an electric substation.

Dakota says the project would provide enough electricity to power 24,000 homes and generate $1 million a year in local tax revenue. It plans a dual use of solar and 1,000 ewes for an operational sheep farm. The sheep would graze under and between panels.

Dolbow, whose family owns 127 acres of preserved farmland in Mannington Township, said a 300-acre solar project is being proposed much closer to his property  on land he leases as part of his operations. He is vice president of the Salem County Board of Agriculture.

Though big solar projects on farms already exist in New Jersey, new ones have been dormant since 2012 when legislation rolled back state incentives, making the projects economically unfeasible.

A bill sponsored by State Sen. Bob Smith (D., Piscataway), chairman of the Environment and Energy Committee, would change that by directing the state Board of Public Utilities to establish a utility-scale-size solar energy program with farmland as a component. The bill, introduced Aug. 25, defines utility scale as a facility capable of producing at least 10 megawatts of power.

The bill, which Smith said could change, would reintroduce incentives to encourage solar to be built on farmland and forests to try to meet the states aggressive plan of generating 17 gigawatts of solar power by 2035. Gov. Phil Murphy wants 100% of the states electrical power supplied by clean energy by 2050.

Installing ground-mount solar arrays on open space is one of the cheapest ways to accomplish that for consumers who ultimately pay for the power. But the idea rankles some environmentalists.

Michelle Byers, executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said the bill would toss a law that currently steers solar arrays toward brownfields, landfills, rooftops, and parking lots.

The proposed law would not only make it easier to build large, utility-scale solar arrays on the states best farmland, it would also allow forests to be clear-cut to make way for solar projects, which makes no sense, Byers said in a statement.

The New Jersey Sierra Club hopes the state looks for space other than farmland and forests.

As the scale of solar projects increases, it is important that New Jersey properly finds land for it, Jeff Tittel, the clubs president, said in a statement. We should use existing developments or brownfields, create sound barriers on highways, use barges, rooftops, ponds, and more as suitable sites for solar panels.

Peter Furey, executive director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, said the solar bill has the potential to change the landscape.

We dont want energy interests coming in and dictating to local planning boards, Furey said. We dont want it on prime agricultural land. We think the debate is not finished.

In general, the Farm Bureaus board leans toward conservation of the land for agriculture.

So 20 acres of solar would be no problem, he said, and 20 acres is a lot of solar panels. But its when you talk about hundreds of acres where it could be destructive.

But Smith, the senator who proposed the bill, said he understands the concerns and wrote the bill so it would prohibit solar on preserved or environmentally sensitive land. Currently, the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program has 238,283 acres enrolled. About 40,000 of those acres are in Salem County.

Smith said the state needs to help tackle climate change because of its vulnerable 133 miles of shoreline. Its possible that a future version of the bill would prohibit solar projects on the states best farmland, but its unclear how many acres that would leave open for the state to achieve its goals. He also said its likely that mature forestland would also have restrictions.

In addition, Smith said hes considering separate legislation to encourage more dual-use solar  having agricultural and electricity production on the same land. Though agricultural yields and electric output are lower in such installations, the compromise allows both to exist with a combined economic value more than either single use alone. Panels would also be erected higher to allow for more use underneath, Smith said.

Dolbow, the farmer, said his family has already faced a painful transition away from dairy in favor of corn, soy, and hay. Farms such as his are also under stress from tariffs initiated as part of a trade war with China.

The farmer is probably the most optimistic businessperson in the world, Dolbow said with a grin. If youre not optimistic, you should get out of the business. But we just want to see this land stay as farmland.
This Saturday marks the running of the 146th Kentucky Derby. Like everything else in the COVID-19 era, schedules have been rearranged; sacrifices, concessions, and adjustments have been made; and new traditions have been born. Normally, the "Run for the Roses" occurs on the first weekend in May; now it is the first weekend in September. Normally, the race is the first in the Triple Crown series, now it is the second. However, one aspect that remains intact from 146 years of tradition is the depth and competitiveness of the field, accompanied by the potential to cash some juicy tickets ... just not at the window this year.

The 18-horse field is stacked with long shots. Of the 18 runners, only three are under double figure odds to win. Conveniently, all three of these runners have been placed alongside each other on outside posts. The group is led by overwhelming favorite No. 17 Tiz The Law (3-5). Tiz The Law is coming off a string of both statistically and aesthetically impressive victories, most recently capped by a dominating performance in the Aug. 8 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. This Barclay Tagg-trained colt also took down the first leg of the Triple Crown Series on June 20 with his Belmont Stakes win. Tiz The Law is eyeing immortality in becoming the 14th horse to win the Triple Crown, and given his historical prowess and sharp form heading into Saturday, you'll be hard-pressed to find a legitimate cause to doubt the possibility.

Sandwiching Tiz The Law are the second and third favorites, No. 16 Honor A.P. (5-1) directly to his inside, and No. 18 Authentic (8-1) to the outside. Both runners are more than game coming into Saturday and given that all three runners have exceptional natural speed, they will likely look to push Tiz The Law from the onset. Given the outside post position of the group and the anticipated contentious duel to get to the lead early, itll be interesting to see their respective strategies to establish strong positioning entering the first turn, which will likely decide their fates.

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Outside of the favorites, there are a few long-odds runners that will likely be considerably bet down come post time. Chief among them may be the Bob Baffert trained No. 10 Thousand Words at 15-1. Thousand Words is coming off an impressive gate-to-wire win in the Aug. 1 Shared Beliefs Stakes. Although facing a short field that day (four runners), he demonstrated the ability to secure an early lead, maintain it and fend off a late charge from the Derbys second favorite, Honor A.P.

Make no mistake about it, Tiz The Law is deserving of his favorite status. But if youre willing to turn a blind eye to that fact, or perhaps forecast trouble for him, the possible outcomes become boundless. With competent runners across the board with varying styles, anticipate a substantial payout on all exotic wagers (trifectas, superfectas, etc.) even if Tiz The Law notches the win.

Exercise rider Heather Smullen rides Kentucky Derby entry Tiz The Law during a workout at Churchill Downs on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Source: VNA)



Addressing a meeting on the disaster situation in the remaining months of this year and urgent measures that need to be done, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc noted that Vietnam is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters.

Therefore, he stressed, it is important to better forecasting and warnings through the application of modern technology.

The Government leader asked the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to stay ready to promptly deal with any possible circumstances.

The Ministry and Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade were required to coordinate closely in ensuring the safety of reservoirs, and not to store water in reservoirs at risk of poor safety.

The PM agreed with proposals of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control and related ministries and sectors to continue assisting localities affected by disasters, while asking the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry Planning and Investment to prepare budget reserves for disaster prevention and control.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, who is deputy head of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control, said that there may be from seven to nine storms in the East Sea by year-end, of which four or five will directly affect Vietnams mainland./.
It's official: In the 2020 election, Donald Trump will be running against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. With the Democratic ticket now confirmed, it's a good time to look at how things could change after the election if the blue team takes the country's highest office.

One of the big things Americans may be watching for is information on how the next president will help those who are struggling during the 2020 recession -- and, in particular, what type of coronavirus relief will be provided.

The good news for those hoping for more stimulus money to see them through these troubled times is that potential future VP Harris has signed on to an unorthodox stimulus proposal that happens to be a very generous one.

U.S. Capitol Building

Image source: Getty Images.

Kamala Harris wants to provide Americans with ongoing stimulus funds throughout the pandemic

Before she was Biden's VP pick, Senator Harris signed on to a stimulus plan called the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act. It would provide most households with a $2,000 monthly payment for each family member during the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

Under the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, individuals with incomes below $120,000 would receive a $2,000 monthly check, with married couples who file joint tax returns receiving $4,000 total. An additional $2,000 would be available per child up to a maximum of three children.

Americans would receive this money retroactively to March, when the economic chaos from COVID-19 first began. Data from federal benefits programs would be used to ensure funds were sent to every U.S. resident, even those who haven't filed recent tax returns or who do not have Social Security numbers.

And the payments would continue until three months after the coronavirus pandemic ends.

Will Americans receive this much money if Biden-Harris take the oval office?

Senator Harris' proposal is an unorthodox one, but other countries have provided ongoing stimulus payments even though the U.S. has not, so it's not completely out of bounds.

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However, the costs of such a bill would be substantial, which makes it unlikely Congress would sign on. However, the very fact that Harris co-introduced such a bill and spoke in support of it suggests the next administration would likely take a different approach to providing stimulus money that might perhaps be far more generous than what the current administration has proposed.

Whether Biden and Harris would suggest ongoing payments or be able to get a bill passed will likely depend on which political party holds the majority in the House and Senate following the 2020 election. If Congress remains divided, then the chances of such generous COVID-19 relief are substantially lower.

The state of the economy and the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide would also affect what a Biden-Harris administration can and will aim to do if there's a change in power. If cases are still spiking and unemployment remains high, the new president and VP will likely act with more urgency to provide generous aid.

Bolster your own finances, don't count on more stimulus money

There's no guarantee that the Biden-Harris ticket will win the election this November. And even if they do, and a Democratic president and VP are successful in passing another more generous stimulus bill, it will be many months before Americans see the money.

You can't afford to wait for more stimulus funds to make sure your finances are in order. Instead, you should take a close look at your financial situation now to see if you're well prepared to withstand a recession. Saving cash, bulking up your emergency fund, making sound investments in case of another market crash, and reviewing your asset allocation should all be on your to-do list.

Spending your time taking care of these tasks, as well as exploring other benefits and relief if you're struggling, will help to ensure that you're on good shape even if Sen. Harris can't help provide a big COVID-19 payment if she becomes vice president.

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Biden's VP Pick Has an Unorthodox Idea for the Next Coronavirus Stimulus Check was originally published by The Motley Fool
New York firefighters rescued a woman who had climbed onto the ledge of her 16th floor apartment to escape a blaze tearing through her home.

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire near Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street in Manhattan at around 1.30pm Tuesday and found the woman clinging to her window as smoke billowed out.

Firefighters sprang into action and performed a rare roof rope rescue from the 17th floor while one responder, Brian Quinn, stayed with the woman to keep her calm so she wouldn't fall or jump.

The dramatic rescue was caught on video posted to Instagram by the FDNY.

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Dramatic video shows FDNY firefighters rescuing a woman who had climbed onto the ledge of her 16th floor apartment to escape a blaze tearing through her home

One firefighter, Brian Quinn, scaled the side of the building from above and stood behind the woman to ensure that she wouldn't fall or jump

The fire had broken out inside the woman's apartment and she fled onto the thin ledge to escape.

As one group of firefighters secured the rope on the floor above to pull the woman to safety, another was in the apartment working to extinguish the flames.

Meanwhile, Firefighter Quinn climbed out of a window on the 17th floor and lowered himself so he could stand behind the woman to make sure she wouldn't fall.

He said one of his lieutenants was trying to coax her inside, but she wouldn't budge.

'She was completely panicked and she was not going to let go,' Quinn said.

'I was right behind her, so if she did decide to jump or let go I was holding her to the glass.

'I just said: "I'm not going to let you fall. We're going to get you inside."

He said the smoke finally began to disperse after firefighters broke the windows to the apartment - alleviating some of the woman's fear about going back in.

Firefighter Quinn describes the dramatic rescue to reporters after the blaze was contained

Quinn said the woman 'was completely panicked and she was not going to let go'

The smoke finally began to disperse after firefighters broke the windows of the apartment

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the crew's 'aggressive attack' managed to tame the fire enough to bring the woman into the apartment instead of going through with the rope maneuver.

The fire was contained within about 30 minutes.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro (pictured) praised the crew's 'aggressive attack'

Quinn noted that he and his crew had practiced the same drill just two hours before they responded to the Lenox Ave fire.

'We train all the time. That's our job,' he said.

'This was really a heroic rescue and shows the talent and bravery of the members of the FDNY, something that is rarely done,' Nigro said in the Instagram post.

'They used their skills quickly, assessed the situation quickly, did what had to be done, bravely.

'Thanks to their bravery, effort and ingenuity, we have someone who was saved here on Lenox Avenue. It's a happy day for her and a happy day for all of us.'

Nigro said the woman, who has not been identified, was treated for smoke inhalation.

First responders are remove gear from the building after the fire was contained

Firefighters kneel on the ground to catch their breath after battling the blaze
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters during her weekly press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 27, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump Seizes on Pelosi Hair Salon Visit: We Will Almost Certainly Take Back the House

President Donald Trump seized on a video that shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visiting a California salon earlier this week despite local restrictions that have kept hair salons closed to curb the spread of the CCP virus.

Security footage showed Pelosi walking through the studio with wet hair and without a mask. A hairstylist can be seen following her with a black face mask.

Nancy Pelosi is being decimated for having a beauty parlor opened, when all others are closed, and for not wearing a Mask  despite constantly lecturing everyone else, the president wrote on Twitter on Sept. 2. We will almost certainly take back the House, and send Nancy packing!

Pelosis office acknowledged the indoor hair appointment, saying that she was wearing a mask for the entire time. A spokesman said that she didnt wear the mask for a brief period when her hair was washed.

Pelosis deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill noted that Pelosi and her staff relied on an interpretation of a person who worked at the hair salon about what was allowed to be open in San Francisco, an area that Pelosi represents. The rules went into effect on Aug. 29, and the person wasnt correct, Hammill said.

The speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements, Hammill said in a statement to news outlets. This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.

Hair salons in San Francisco have been closed since March. Salon operators were told by state officials that they can open for outdoor services only.

Erica Kious, who rents chairs to independent stylists in her salon, told Fox News, One of the stylists who rents a chair from me contacted me Sunday night.

When she learned it was Pelosi, she said, I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do? Kious said she cant control what the stylists do if they rent chairs.

It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I cant work, Kious told Fox, adding that she cant believe Pelosi didnt wear a mask. Were supposed to look up to this woman, right? Kious said. It is just disturbing.

Pelosi and White House officials are slated to restart negotiations on pandemic relief efforts this month.
Burma Myanmar Civil Servants Offered COVID-19 Loans

The Ministry of Electricity and Energy in Naypyitaw. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy

Yangon  Myanmars government will provide two months salaries as interest-free loans to civil servants, according to the Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry.

The move aims to curb the impact of COVID-19 on civil servants, according to director-general Daw Thidar Tun of the Budget Department at the ministry.

The government has considered all aspects. Like it has provided rice and other basic food to struggling families, it will now assist civil servants, he said.

Permanent civil servants can apply for the loans. The moratorium is six months and the loans need to be repaid in one year.

Budget offices in regions and states are making lists of loan applicants and are due to send the lists to their headquarters in Naypyitaw by September 11. The headquarters will then seek approval from the Union government to proceed with the plan.

As they will get two months salary in advance, they will be able to spend on commodities and boost businesses, said Daw Thidar Tun.

A Naypyitaw-based civil servant, who did not want to be named, said: If we have to pay back the loans, it will be better to lend greater amounts to lower-level staff. Around five months salaries would be better for junior staff. The loan scheme is good but staff many will not receive the amount they need to get breathing space.

The salary for junior staff is just 180,000-190,000 kyats (US$134-142), meaning the loans will be 360,000 kyats ($268) with repayments of 300,000 kyats ($244) per month.

The loan scheme is also part of the governments COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan. Civil servants did not get anything when the government provided rice, oil, basic food and cash [to struggling communities]. So two months salaries will be a contribution, said a civil servant at the Internal Revenues Department in Bago.

There are 25 ministries in the central government with around 1.2 million civil servants.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

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Plans have been developed to enlist some State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) under the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) to afford Ghanaians the opportunity to own shares in these institutions.

According to the Director-General of SIGA, Stephen Asamoah Boateng who made the disclosure, the move is intended to create wealth for all Ghanaians and, also to have a say because they can now own shares in the SOEs that will be listed on the stock market.

Mr Asamoah Boateng who was speaking in an interview on GTV said the authority has begun deliberations with the GSE and has notified them of their intention to offload some of the state-owned enterprises.

According to him, the decision is in line with governing New Patriotic Partys policy of building and wealth creation under a private sector-led economic development.

He said the NPP as a party recognizes the special role of the Ghanaian private businessmen and women. He stated that even though the state may get involved, in creating businesses, its involvement will not be one that pushes the private sector out of business.

Asamoah Boateng said the assertion that the only time state-owned enterprises are sold off is when they are not performing is wrong, explaining that the notion is contrary to the thoughts he and his team at SIGA hold.

According to him, there are some state institutions that may be making profit and it is important that the authority builds wealth in the Ghanaian society as well. Making shares of such enterprises available for Ghanaians to purchase and partake in the profits thereof, is the sure way to prosperity for all.

There is a misconception that it is only those SOEs which are not performing that you must sell off. I have a different belief and my team shares that belief with me. We also need to build wealth in the Ghanaian community so you may have a state enterprise which is performing well and making money, why cant you let the Ghanaian participate and buy shares through the stock market so that people can also own shares? That is the beauty of what SIGA is coming up with.

Weve designed a position within our structure called Investment & Wealth Creation. So we are talking to the Ghana Stock Exchange that we might be ready to offload some of them through the stock market, Ghanaians will then go and buy and make money.

SIGA has categorised State businesses for efficient management of state assets.

Mr Asamoah Boateng disclosed that the Authority, with the approval of Cabinet, will classify state owned businesses under its wing into various categories based capitalisation and efficient & effective management that may be required to ensure maximum profitability.

My team has been working very hard on a strategic policy which would have to be approved by cabinet at some point. There are 103 state institutions some of which are non-operational and we cant manage all of them so the policy will classify all these entities strategically, based on their performance.

There will be one classification on the institutions that government must fully own (100%). For example, we can say maybe a company like ECG or Ghana Water (Company) must be fully owned by government or move it to the second category which is to invite private sector participation on a management contract basis or to dilute our shares to get private participation to help recapitalize them.

Responding to a question on the source of his belief in the inclusion of the private sector in government business, the SIGA boss said the private sector brings in a lot of expertise, capital and discipline to the work environments. "Those of us operating in the public sector needs to collaborate with the private sector in a win-win situation".
Donoshaytis previously was charged with battery following the Aug. 17 dispute in which she confronted Skokie resident Otis Campbell, his friend and his cousin over whether they were allowed to be near the Winnetka pier at 720 Tower Road. All three members of the group are Black, Campbell said.
New Delhi: A day after the Indian astronomers discovered one of the farthest Star galaxies in the universe estimated to be located 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) congratulated Indian astronomers on the discovery. NASA hailed the discovery as an effort that will further enable humankind`s understanding.

"NASA congratulates the researchers on their exciting discovery," NASA`s Public Affairs Officer Felicia Chou told ANI.

Chou further added, "Science is a collaborative effort around the world, and discoveries like these help further humankind`s understanding of where we come from, where are we going, and are we alone."

A team of astronomers led by Dr Kanak Saha from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) Pune discovered the galaxy called AUDFs01. India`s first Multi-Wavelength Space Observatory called 'AstroSat' detected extreme-UV light from a galaxy located 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

India`s AstroSat/UVIT was able to achieve this unique feat because the background noise is much less than NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

The Director of IUCAA, Dr Somak Ray Chaudhury, stated that the discovery offers a very important clue to how the dark ages of the Universe ended and there was light in the Universe.

"We need to know when this started, but it has been very hard to find the earliest sources of light," he said. India`s first Space Observatory AstroSat, was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on September 28, 2015.

Indias first Space Observatory AstroSat, which has made this discovery, was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on September 28, 2015. It was developed by a team led by ShyamTandon, Ex Emeritus Professor, IUCAA with the full support of ISRO.
By Hallie Gu and Colin Packham BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it had suspended barley imports from Australia's largest grain exporter, a ruling that threatens to inflame bilateral tensions. China's General Administration of Customs said barley shipments from CBH Grain would be halted after pests were found on multiple occasions, the administration said on its official WeChat account. CBH denied the charge as it said it would work with Australia's government to overturn the ruling. "CBH has not found any evidence to support the ...
Jefe del Gabinete: "La aprobacion del presupuesto que proponemos sera un mensaje claro para la poblacion de que para el Ejecutivo y el Congreso de la Republica, las personas son primero".#Presupuesto2021
The fourteen Islamist gunmen accused of helping the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish store on September 2, five years after the attack that sent shockwaves through France, face trial. According to reports, the defendants, three of whom will be tried in absentia and may be dead, face charges including financing terrorism, membership in a terrorist organisation and supplying weapons to the perpetrators. Back in 2015, the accused gunmen, in a series of attacks, had killed 17 people.

As per reports, the attack began on January 7, 2015, and it sparked a series of jihadist attacks on French soil, including lone wolf killings by people said to be inspired by the Islamic State group that has since claimed over 250 lives. The horrifying attacks started with the Kouachi brothers going on a killing spree in the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, which is a French satirical weekly. The following day, Coulibaly, who was an acquaintance of Cherif Kouachi, reportedly killed a female police officer. On January 9, he then killed four Jewish men at a kosher supermarket and said that he acted in the name of Islamic State.

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While the three assailants were killed by police, prosecutors reportedly said that they will be focusing on little helpers suspected of providing weapons or organisational support. National anti-terror prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricardo reportedly said that it is about an individual who is involved in the logistics, the preparation of the events, who provided means of financing, operational material, weapons, a residence. Ricardo added that the relatives of the victims and others would testify.

Macron defends freedom of blaspheme

According to reports, Charlie Hebdo itself plans to republish the cartoons of Prophet Mohammed that spurred huge protests in many Arab countries and reportedly drove the accused gunmen to act. Back in 2015, after publishing the caricature, Al Qaedas Yemen branch also reportedly place Hebdos then-director on its wanted list.

While Charlie Hebdos director Laurent Riss Sourisseau wrote in an editorial published on Wednesday saying, We will never lie down. We will never give up, the publication also reportedly drew condemnation from Pakistans foreign ministry, which said that decision to again print the cartoons was deeply offensive. But the French President Emmanuel Macron defended the freedom of blaspheme and also paid tribute to the victims of the attack.

READ: France Blames Britain's 'unrealistic Attitude' For Brexit Trade Talks Stalemate

Back in 2015, 17 people, including some of Frances most celebrated cartoonist, were gunned down. The three Islamist gunmen were killed when officers stormed the Jewish supermarket and the Charlie Hebdo office. The trial which begins on Wednesday was originally set for last spring, however, it was delayed by the coronavirus crisis that shut down most French courthouse.

Trial to run until November 10

According to reports, of the 14 suspects, three are being tried in absentia and other include Hayat Boumedienne, Coulibaly's girlfriend, and two brothers, Mohamed and Mehdi Belhoucine, all of whom fled for IS-controlled areas in Syria or Iraq just days before the attacks. The Belhoucine brothers were reportedly killed while fighting alongside IS, while the officials suspect the Boumedienne is on the run in Syria.

Mohamed Belhoucine and Ali Riza Polat, a French citizen of Turkish origin, reportedly face the most serious charges of complicity in a terrorist act, which carried a maximum sentence of life in jail. Polat is also thought to have become the ideological mentor of Coulibaly after meeting him in jail, opening channels of communication for him to IS. other suspects, on the other hand, are on trial for association with a terror group, a crime that comes with a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Furthermore, the trial is scheduled to run until November 10.

(Image: AP)

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A business owner has an angry message for the man who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of hand sanisiter and face masks from his western Sydney factory.

The accused, 34, will appear in court this month over the alleged theft from a business in Propect near Blacktown in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Police allege the man ram raided the warehouse to break in before using a forklift to load two pallets containing 1,350 bottles of hand sanitiser and thousands of dollars worth of face masks into his vehicle.

CCTV captured the Toyota Land Cruiser entering and leaving the factory, which helped police track down the vehicle later that afternoon near Penrith.

Factory owner John-Carlos El Khouri (pictured) bought pallets of face masks and hand sanitiser to offset losses his business has suffered during pandemic

Factory owner John-Carlos El Khouri was left bewildered.

'Mate, you're a scumbag. Honestly, who [allegedly] steals sanisiter?' Mr El Khouri told Nine News.

His auto parts factory warehouse is packed with pallets of products to keep Australians safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

'We've brought these products in to offset some of the losses that we've copped because of the pandemic,' Mr El Khouri said.

The Toyota Land Cruiser was captured entering the Rowood Road premises around 1.45am on Tuesday.

A Toyota Land Cruiser was captured on CCTV entering and leaving the factory, which helped police track down the allegedly stolen hand sanitiser and face masks

Mr El Khouri claimed the driver hit a water pipe on the way in and out of the premises, leaving a muddy mess behind.

'He's had to travel around the back of the building to get to the front of the building to smash open the doors,' Mr El Khouri said.

The Blacktown Proactive Crime Team commenced an investigation and tracked down the still dirty vehicle at a Cranebrook home near Penrith on Tuesday afternoon.

The alleged thief forced entry into this Prospect factory to steal two pallets of products

Officers executed a search warrant of the property and allegedly found the $7,000 haul in the garage.

A man was arrested and later charged with break and enter and not disclosing identity of the driver.

He was bailed to appear at Penrith Local Court on September 21.
TALLAHASSEE, FL, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp . (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF ), a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, announced today that it began offering edible cannabis products to patients in Florida. Following finalized regulations from the Florida Department of Health for the sale of edible cannabis products and approval of its products, Trulieve received approval for its first line of edibles in its medical cannabis dispensaries across the state, expanding patient access to the types of products they have been requesting for years.

As first batches are tested and shipments start to leave the cultivation and production facilities in Quincy, Florida, the Tallahassee store became the first to receive delivery and introduce edibles to store shelves. The Tallahassee dispensary is a historic location as the first MMTC dispensary in the state to serve a medical marijuana patient four years ago, as well as the first to receive and sell smokable flower when those rules from the DOH came out in March 2019. Today's sale marks another first in the state and is fitting to be in the home of the Florida's capital.

The first sale went to Arnold Lawson, a local patient. Lawson is not only a long-time patient and loyal Truliever, but a veteran and member of the company's TruVet program. Commenting on making the first purchase, Lawson stated, "I am excited to be part of Trulieve's special day. As a patient and as a member of the community, it was important for the state to release this form of medical cannabis for patients like me that rely on this relief. Having access to medication that is easily taken, in a measured way, provides me with better access to the medicine that has been proven to work for my ailments."

Starting August 27, when the Florida Department of Health announced final guidelines, Trulieve began working on submissions to the state for approvals to start production of certain product lines. Trulieve has a 10,000 sq. ft. commercial-grade kitchen at its production facility in Quincy, FL, one of only four cannabis companies in the state with an approved kitchen.

Today's soft launch in the flagship Tallahassee store is just the beginning of the roll out this week. In addition to its branded product line of TruGels, TruNanoGels, and TruChocolates, Trulieve has partnered with specialty edible brand partners Binske, Bhang, District Edibles and Love's Oven to expand its edible offerings to include cookies, brownies, and other products for Trulieve customers, pending Department of Health approval.

"This is a monumental day not just for Trulieve, but for our Truliever community," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "There has been strong demand for medication in this format for over three years now, as well as confusion from patients that visit our stores across the state looking for edibles and an administration method that best suits them and their lifestyle. We have patients across all demographics with an average age in the early 50s; many of these patients have requested edibles as they have less stigma associated with them, are often easier to ingest, and is a medication option that tastes good, too. Today we are able to offer edibles as yet another alternative for Florida's medical cannabis patients, and we look forward to the excitement to come as we stock our stores."

Trulieve's initial flavor release is its TruGel in blue raspberry. Trulieve received approval on other TruGel and TruNanoGel fruit flavors as well as TruChocolate in milk and dark chocolate flavors today. These Trulieve-branded choices will be joined by partner brands which are expected to follow once they receive DOH approval.

About Trulieve

Trulieve is a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also operates in California, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol TCNNF.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com .

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company and statements with regard to the Report and the Company's response thereto. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp.

Related Links

https://www.trulieve.com/


Brian Austin Green appears to be back on with tattooed bombshell Tina Louise, after the pair were caught enjoying a beach date on Monday.

And the Australian model, 39, proved she couldn't be happier about it, by sharing a slew of raunchy bikini shots on Instagram after being seen with the American star.

Tina, who boasts 2.4 million followers on the social media platform, revealed almost every inch of her incredible figure in the skimpy swimwear.

Peachy keen! Brian Austin Green's tattooed bombshell fling Tina Louise, 39, (pictured) left little to the imagination on Monday in a revealing bikini after a beach date with the star in LA on Monday

The bronzed beauty posed in a skimpy peach-hued bikini top, which showed her ample cleavage.

She paired the top with high-cut turquoise blue bikini bottoms that revealed the intricate tattoos which cover her body.

The beauty finished her look with silver jewellery, along with white rimmed square sunglasses. She let her blonded tresses flow freely.

Oh my! The bronzed beauty posed in a skimpy peach-hued bikini top, which showed her ample cleavage

Tina posed in a range of positions, including one with her hand over her torso and fiddling with her strap in the photos.

She captioned the post: 'Needed this', along with a blue heart emoji.

Tina was seen enjoying a beach date alongside beau Brian Austin Green earlier in the day.

Dream: Tina posed in a range of positions, including one with her hand over her torso and fiddling with her strap in the photos

During their outing, Brian could barely keep his eyes off the stunning model.

Brian reportedly split with Tina at the end of July after a month of dating, before the pair were seen looking cosy.

The former TV star has since caused controversy with former wife Megan, 34, by mocking her gushy social media posts with her new rapper boyfriend, Machine Gun Kelly, real name Colson Baker.

Tatt's hot! Brian reportedly split with Tina at the end of July after a month of dating, but they appear to be back on

The sighting comes just days after Brian told his Instagram followers he would 'never say never' about getting back together with Megan.

'I kinda feel like people are on paths in life and sometimes your paths are together and you travel that path together, and you see eye to eye and then sometimes those paths do different things,' he said during an Instagram Live on Saturday.

'We shared a lot together and we really went through a lot together,' he added of Fox, who started dating rapper Colson less than a month after their split. 'At some point I think our paths will regulate a bit and run parallel to each other.'

Outspoken: The sighting comes just days after Brian told his Instagram followers he would 'never say never' about getting back together with Megan

However, last month, trouble started when Megan posted a sexy mirror selfie of herself and Colson with the caption: 'Achingly Beautiful Boy... My heart is yours.'

The public display of affection appeared to be too much for her ex Brian, who threw shade just hours later by posting a snap of their three sons with the similar caption: 'Achingly beautiful boys..... my heart is yours.'

Brian and Megan share three children together Bodhi, six, Journey, four, and Noah, seven, while he also has another son Kassius, 18, - who features in his post - from his previous relationship with actress Vanessa Marcil.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 19:29:41|Editor: huaxia

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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivers the annual address to the nation in a parliamentary session in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 1, 2020. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered the annual address to the nation on Tuesday, outlining the main goals of the country's post-crisis development. (Kazakhstan's presidential press service/Handout via Xinhua)



NUR-SULTAN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered the annual address to the nation on Tuesday, outlining the main goals of the country's post-crisis development.

Elaborating on the plan to reshuffle government bodies, Tokayev said in his annual address that an agency for strategic planning and reforms with direct subordination to the president will be founded.

"The reforms developed by the agency should be specific, realistic and, most importantly, mandatory for all government agencies," said the president.

He instructed to reduce the number of public servants by 10 percent by the end of 2020 and by 15 percent next year, with the saved funds to be used to increase the salaries of the remaining employees so as to enhance the competency of public service.

Tokayev noted that a new regulatory and legal framework for small and medium-sized enterprises will be created within the next year, urging all levels of the government to stop interfering in entrepreneurial activities.

On the economic front, Tokayev outlined principles of the new economic course, including expanding private entrepreneurship, further opening markets, increasing productivity growth, and developing a green economy as well as human capital.

Regarding the agriculture sector, Tokayev said the country is tasked with realizing self-sufficiency in socially significant food products, increasing incomes of rural residents, improving productivity by 2.5 times, and scaling up the export of agricultural products.

To improve the quality of online education, the president said a unified remote education platform should be established to make more children from low-income families get access to computers and the Internet. Enditem
18:15 | Lima, Sep. 1.

"In addition, the Development and Social Inclusion Ministry programs have been enhanced. Putting all this together, the investment to support vulnerable families entails S/6.49 billion (US$1.83 billion)," he announced at a press conference.

Additionally, he said there are programs that provide grants for the construction of houses on owned land, as well as the maintenance of water inlets managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri ) and Trabaja Peru.

"All these programs required an investment of S/4 billion (around US$1.12 billion)," he said.

The Head of State affirmed that, together, the initiatives totaled more than S/14 billion (around US$3.94 billion) in investment.

"We are making a great effort. We recorded S/30 billion (around US$8.45 billion) less revenue this year and we must increase spending by S/14 billion (US$3.94 billion) to address the health needs, vulnerable families and all the programs that we have enhanced," he pointed out.

The top official explained that the economy had to be revived with some programs that were not included in the initial 2020 budget in order to provide this support for families.

"Thus, we launched the Arranca Peru (Get off the Ground, Peru) Program for the maintenance of over 5,000 kilometers of roads in all provinces across the country. There is not a single province in Peru without a road maintenance program," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:47:33|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will gradually resume direct inbound flights to the city from eight countries, starting from Thursday, the municipal government announced Wednesday.

The listed countries are Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Thailand, Pakistan, Austria, Canada and Sweden, all of which pose a low risk of cross-border infection and conduct nucleic acid tests for passengers, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government.

Negative COVID-19 test results before boarding will be a prerequisite for passengers of Beijing-bound flights.

The first flight after the resumption of operation will fly from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The number of passengers on direct international flights to Beijing will be capped at around 500 each day during the trial period. The number is expected to double after the trial run ends, Xu said.

Passengers will be tested for COVID-19 in a special section at the Beijing Capital International Airport after going through customs clearance and inspection upon arrival.

The travelers must also undergo a mandatory 14-day concentrated medical observation. Those who test positive for COVID-19 or develop fever or symptoms of respiratory illness will be transferred to designated hospitals, including their close contacts, Xu added.

In March, China started to redirect all international flights scheduled for Beijing to airports in 12 other Chinese cities, where passengers must undergo customs clearance and quarantine. Those passing quarantine inspection were permitted to fly to Beijing on their original flights.

As of Tuesday, a total of 511 international flights had been redirected, the CAAC said, adding that the country will adopt stricter epidemic prevention measures and make overall arrangements for the gradual resumption of other Beijing-bound direct international flights. Enditem
President Ho Chi Minh's Mousoleum (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Leaders of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar have sent messages and letters of congratulations to Vietnamese Party and State leaders on the countrys 75th anniversary of National Day (September 2).

General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Laos Pany Yathotou sent a message of congratulations to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

In the message, the Lao leaders warmly congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the process of national construction and protection over the past 75 years, saying these successes are a source of encouragement to Laos.

They expressed their profound gratitude to the fraternal Vietnamese Party, State and people for their huge, valuable and timely assistance to the revolutionary cause of the Lao people.

The Lao leaders affirmed that despite changes in the world and regional situation, the great relationship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam will be always treasured and preserved and perpetually exist together with the two nations, becoming a invaluable common asset, a rule of survival and development and a decisive factor of the revolution in each country.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Li Zhanshu sent messages of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, respectively.

The Chinese leaders spoke highly of Vietnams recent achievements and expressed their belief that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people will fulfill the targets set by the 12th National Party Congress, towards the 13th National Party Congress.

They affirmed that China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and stays ready to join hands with Vietnam to promote the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and the Central Committee of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) sent letters of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and the CPV Central Committee.

The Cambodian King and CPP highly evaluated the development of the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and affirmed the determination to consolidate and strengthen the bilateral relationship with the motto good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability.

First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez extended congratulatory messages to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and PM Manuel Marrero Cruz sent a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Cuban leaders said they are proud of the historical solidarity which was nurtured and enhanced during the common struggle for national independence, freedom and development, and expressed their wish to further promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. PM Mikhail Mishustin sent a message of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc while Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin extended congratulations to NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The Russian leaders congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development and its high role and prestige in the international community. They believed that the two countries will join hands to further deepen the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, thus meeting their interests and for prosperous development, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, while PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sent a letter of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Malaysian leaders said they are delighted at the positive development of the bilateral strategic partnership and affirmed that Vietnam has become one of the closest economic and strategic partners of Malaysia. They express their wish to closely coordinate with Vietnam in its capacity as Chair of ASEAN 2020 to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region.

King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongorn sent a congratulatory message to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha cabled a message of congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Thai leaders promised to join hands with Vietnam to expand cooperation in all spheres, including the settlement of adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter of congratulations addressed to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong reiterated his commitment to support Vietnam successfully takes over the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. He spoke highly of Vietnams efforts in strengthening ASEANs centrality and cohesion, and promoting cooperation within the bloc and with outside partners to cope with and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee said he was pleased with the dynamic development of the Singapore-Vietnam strategic partnership over the recent past and expressed his wish to expand and further deepen the bilateral multifaceted cooperation.

President of Myanmar U Win Myint sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent a congratulatory letter to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and Henry Van Thio extended congratulations to Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh.

The Myanmar leaders hoped that the two nations will enhance trade and investment ties and people-to-people exchange, and both Myanmar and Vietnam will overcome the medical and socio-economic challenges caused by COVID-19.

They believed that the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership will see breakthrough development steps in the coming years.

On this occasion, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith; Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee for China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation; Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein; Thai Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai; and Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin sent messages and letters of congratulations to Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.

Chairman of the LPRP Central Committees Commission for External Relations Sunthon Saynhachac also cabled a congratulatory message to Chairman of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.
The University of Oxford has been ranked first in an international league table for the fifth year in a row.

A number of UK universities have slipped down the Times Higher Education (THE) world rankings  with Cambridge dropping from third to sixth place and Imperial College London falling out of the top 10.

Experts have warned that the pandemic heralds a perfect storm of huge challenges for UK universities who risk losing international student fee income and the global flow of academic talent to institutions.

They say a hard Brexit  combined with the impact of Covid-19  could make British universities increasingly vulnerable and the UK risks losing its status as a higher education superpower.

Overall, the UK has 29 universities in the top 200, up slightly from 28 last year.

Of these, more than half (15 institutions) have dropped by at least one place in the past 12 months.

The annual list rates more than 1,500 universities from 93 countries and regions in five areas: teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.

The rankings show Oxford once again was named the best-performing university globally, ahead of Stanford University in the United States, which took second place.

US universities dominated the top 10 in the rankings, claiming a record eight places.

Rounding out the latest top five are three other US institutions  Harvard University, California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Cambridge University is no longer in the top five as it takes sixth place in the list, which is down three places on last year when it was third.

Imperial College London dropped out of the top 10, taking 11th place compared to tenth last year.

Phil Baty, THE chief knowledge officer, said: Over the past five years weve seen a steady decline in performance of UK universities at large. Before we even see the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit trickle down to our data the UK stands at an all-time low of just two universities in the global top 10.

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These gathering forces could create the perfect storm for British universities. Coronavirus delivers the joint challenges of attracting international students, whose fees many universities are reliant on, and global academic talent, vital to having world-leading teaching and research.

The Governments response to the pandemic could also be seen to damage attractiveness.

He told the PA news agency: If a hard Brexit follows the economic pain of Covid-19, our universities could become increasingly vulnerable, as we see ever increasing funding challenges that are unlikely to be able to be covered by the public purse.

If this happens, Britain runs the very real risk of losing its status as a higher education superpower.

Also making it into the top 50 alongside Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are: University College London (16th), the London School of Economics and Political Science (27th), Edinburgh University (30th), and Kings College London (35th).

Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford University, said: We are delighted to have consolidated our position at the top of the THE World University Rankings this year.

The international standing of British higher education is a testament to generations of investment in education as well as to our extraordinarily talented staff and students.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has posed such a threat to higher education around the world, has also demonstrated the critical role universities play in addressing global challenges.

Here is the list of the UK universities in the top 200 of the latest THE World University Rankings. Last years positions are in brackets, while = denotes joint position.

 1 (1) University of Oxford

 6 (3) University of Cambridge

 11 (10) Imperial College London

 16 (15) University College London

 27 (=27) London School of Economics and Political Science

 30 (30) University of Edinburgh

 35 (=36) Kings College London

 =51 (=55) University of Manchester

 77 (77) University of Warwick

 91 (87) University of Bristol

 =92 (=99) University of Glasgow

 =107 (112) University of Birmingham

 110 (=110) Queen Mary, University of London

 =121 (=117) University of Sheffield

 =127 (122) University of Southampton

 =133 (=128) University of York

 =136 (=139) Lancaster University

 =149 (133) Durham University

 =158 (=152) University of Nottingham

 =160 (=155) University of Leeds

 =160 (=146) University of Sussex

 163 (165) University of Liverpool

 =170 (=166) University of Leicester

 =174 (=146) University of Exeter

 =178 (=168) University of Aberdeen

 =178 (201-250) Newcastle University

 =191 (=198) Cardiff University

 =200 (192) University of East Anglia

 =200 (201-250) Queens University Belfast
PRISTINA, Kosovo - The leader of a junior party in North Macedonias governing coalition was questioned Wednesday by prosecutors from a special international court who are investigating possible war crimes committed during and after the war that led to Kosovos independence from Serbia.

Ali Ahmeti, 61, of the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration party, appeared for questioning at the offices of the European Unions rule of law mission in Kosovos capital. In July, Ahmeti said he was invited as a witness.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutors Office have international judges and lawyers charged with looking into allegations that former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, an ethnic Albanian separatist group, committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during and after the 1998-1999 war.

After questioning hundreds of ethnic Albanians, prosecutors charged Kosovar President Hashim Thaci, former parliament speaker Kadri Veseli and others with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, enforced disappearances, persecution and torture. A pretrial judge has not yet decided whether to proceed with the case.

The court did not issue a statement explaining why Ahmeti, whose party holds seven posts in North Macedonias new Cabinet, was interviewed in Pristina and not at The Hague, where the special court is based.

Ahmeti joined the Kosovo Liberation Army as one of its founders, although he is a resident of neighbouring North Macedonia.

Kosovos Parliament declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Most Western nations recognized Kosovos independence, but not Serbia.

Relations between the two countries remain tense.
As we approach the climax of a potentially enormous Permian-style discovery in the opening of Namibias giant, deep Kavango Basin, internationally acclaimed geochemist Daniel Jarvie explains in an exclusive interview why theres so much cause for excitement--and why the independent explorer who single handedly owns the entire basin is becoming so well known.

In this interview, Jarvie--one of the worlds most famous geochemist wildcatters renowned for his work worldwide, a major force behind Barnett Shale exploration since the 1980s and former chief geochemist for EOG Resources--explains:

Why Africa is the final frontier for oil and gas

Why Namibia is the onshore sweet spot

Why its all about the small, independent explorer, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (V: RECO, OTCMKTS:RECAF)

Why he jumped on this opportunity

Why its all about the source rock, and Kavangos got it

How a non-typical style of drilling might get them there faster

How Kavango compares to the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford

How the numbers could be so high they would be laughable

Jarvie recently released a report on Reconnaissance Energy Africas Kavango Basin, putting the potential at 120 billion boe (barrels of oil equivalent) which, if it all pans out, could make this one of the biggest oil finds of the last few decades.

James Stafford: Outside of offshore Guyana/Suriname, there hasnt been any exciting discovery news in the oil patch in a long time--especially onshore. So, why should we be excited about Namibia right now, or about Africa in general?

Daniel Jarvie: Two reasons: First, Africa is the final frontier for oil discoveries because its so vastly under-explored and we could even be looking at the last major onshore oil discovery on Earth.

Second, you can forget about super-majors like Exxon, Chevron when it comes to unconventional exploration outside of the United States they arent the ones who make these onshore discoveries work. Instead, you should be looking for locations where independents are out in force looking for the next big thing.

Story continues

So, why should we be excited right now about Namibia? Precisely because there is a very strong independent junior explorer here sitting on a sedimentary basin that rivals South Texas in a massively under-explored region.

James Stafford: Can you tell us more about Recon Africa (TSX.V: RECO, OTCMKTS:RECAF) in Namibia?

Daniel Jarvie: First of all, RECO founder, Craig Steinke jumped in on this in 2012. He didnt just jump, he attacked: Craig bought up the entire Kavango Basin, which spans Northeast Namibia and Northwest Botswana. The Namibian license covers 6.3 million acres. The Botswana license covers another 2.45 million acres. And they offer large scale plays that are both conventional and unconventional.

James Stafford: What was it that interested you in this project as a geochemist?

Daniel Jarvie: Ive worked all over the world, including in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and elsewhere, and Namibia was new to me and exciting, but its the petroleum systems involved here that make this narrative really flow.

If youre not a geologist or geochemist or related, as an investor you can fall into a bit of a black hole with these plays. Theres a lot of talk by promoters about big traps and their potential to hold a billion barrels of oil. But those traps--which are basically containers where hydrocarbons can get trapped -- mean absolutely nothing if theres no source rock to charge those containers. Source rock is where hydrocarbons are created, and it's the source rock thats responsible for a promising petroleum system.

I travel the world and collect source rocks.

For me, as a geological chemist, my excitement about Namibia--and Recon Africas Kavango Basin--was all about the source rock, which is one component of a petroleum system. A trap without a source rock charge is called a dry hole  which shows you the importance of source rock charge to the container.

James Stafford: So what specifically was it that really made you a believer in Kavangos petroleum system then?

Daniel Jarvie: Well originally I got to see the core from the Owambo Basin that flanks Kavango. The core is a dark, rich, organic shale. Thats what prompted my interest. And since then, every test and piece of news that has come out of this basin has only made me more confident.

Survey and analysis have already confirmed the basin reaches depths of up to 30,000 feet, and as geologist Bill Cathey has already noted, he hasnt seen a basin in the world of this depth and these geological conditions that isnt home to a major petroleum system or multiple petroleum systems such as in the Permian basin of West Texas-New Mexico.

James Stafford: So, whats next and what should potential investors expect with the next big news to come out of Kavango?

Daniel Jarvie: Now its all about targeting the drill, but the results of the next tests will be major drivers. This is where we prove up a working hydrocarbon system, so its a very big deal.

What were looking for is a section to penetrate that will give us the most information. Were drilling a stratigraphic test, which means geologically directed drilling to obtain information that will direct our efforts toward producing petroleum.

But the three stratigraphic drills were doing arent just basic stratigraphic tests. They will be much more. Theyre going to provide a lot of info on how much oil there is and what containers it has charged. That will be my job.

We need to know where the hydrocarbon system is and where its directed. With this bigger section in the countryside, we need to understand not only the source rock, but migration pathways with traps (containers) and seals (the lid on the container, i.e., the sweet spots).

James Stafford: From a technology standpoint, what can you tell us about the drill that would be relevant for investors who are keeping a close eye on Kavango?

Daniel Jarvie: Well one of the most important tech aspects of this is that we will also be drilling with water-based mud, which is a wonderful thing for me because it means we can identify pay zones that could otherwise be overlooked, e.g., low resistivity petroleum reservoirs such as the Middle Member of the Bakken formation.

If you arent an expert in drilling then you are unlikely to understand just how essential mud (drilling fluid) is when it comes to drilling. Its what can make or break a discovery. Thats one reason so much by-passed pay is discovered, e.g., look at the Permian basin  its been explored for 100 years and theyre still finding pay zones that have been overlooked or bypassed during drilling. As our initial drilling is both for discovery and science, the use of water-based mud is extremely important. Once production is in place, then changes can be implemented to the drilling fluid as desired.

Frequently, drillers who arent using this method end up drilling through a pay-zone without even noticing. For the uninitiated, a pay-zone is a favorable location for oil and gas production. It means its a highly exploitable zone. And the type of mud you use determines your likelihood of missing a big pay-zone.

Thats been a major problem in Mexico and even in the Permian basin for example, where most of the wells are drilled with oil-based mud. Oil-based mud makes it very difficult for geochemists to identify oil in the system due to the oil in the drilling fluid. Thats because the oil-based mud is reused and mixed in with other oil--sometimes even from a different basin-- so it skews the picture and makes a pay-zone difficult to pinpoint from a geochemical perspective

So, water-based mud is ideal for me, and thats what were doing at Recon Africa. Well be able to get outstanding data on both conventional and unconventional drill spots. And we wont be missing any pay-zones.

James Stafford: Why isnt drilling with water-based mud the go-to if its such a problem?

Daniel Jarvie: There is a difference when exploring in an unknown basin versus production drilling where the oil container has been pinpointed. In the latter case oil-based mud enhances drilling rates (i.e.,minimizes expense). On the other hand, we are trying to find oil and using water-based mud allows us to chemically see the oil. There are certainly many logging operations that allow assessment of petroleum charge, but geochemistry is the only technique that truly measures oil itself rather than inferring that it is oil.

Drillers are obsessed with drilling rates  how fast can we drill the hole to minimize drilling expense  a noble and economic cause. However, I go by the old axiom our job is not to drill a hole, but to find petroleum. As these are the first tests in the basin, we need the optimum samples to analyze for the presence of oil and source rocks.

Oil-based mud does have a number of advantages. It allows drilling more quickly because it lubricates the bit; it carries the cuttings back; it helps prevent shale from slopping into the hole etc. But from an exploration point of view, it has serious drawbacks.

One of the key characteristics of ReconAfrica is that the company owns its own drilling rig, so its much less concerned about the speed of drilling and more concerned with quality of data.

Many years ago I was working with a major in the Permian and I told them that if they drilled with water-based mud theyd find more bypass pay. The manager stood up and said We find bypass pay every day. Their geologist responded: Yeah, and we bypass pay everyday.

James Stafford: Looking at your report on Kavango and the general potential on page 2 These numbers look incredible. Have you come across numbers like this before? Are there any other plays to compare it to?

Daniel Jarvie: In the report, just released, I put total petroleum generation potential over Recons 8.75 million acres at 120 billion boe (Barrels of Oil Equivalent). Now, thats only looking at 1,641 sections, which represents only 12% of Recons total holdings in the basin. As Ive said, Ive been conservative with the numbers, and even so, if the potential pans out in full, they are pretty comparable to the Permian Wolfcamp and the Eagle Ford in Texas.

And ReconAfrica owns the entire basin, subject only to a government royalty. Theyve been extremely savvy about getting land.

James Stafford: Beyond using only 12% of Recons Kavango holdings, how conservative are you being?

Daniel Jarvie: I really cant stress strongly enough how conservative Ive been here. I like to be conservative with numbers. Most analyst and industry reports stress the total organic carbon content (TOC) of source rocks, but thats only half the story for hydrocarbon formation. The other key component is hydrogen. Good source rocks have not only good TOC values (say 2-7%) but also high hydrogen content in the organic carbon.

For my numbers on Recon, I only used a hydrogen content of 358 (mg/g), which is very conservative based on the rock Ive seen from the Owambo basin. In other words, on a scale of 1-10, I used 3 for hydrogen content, which is quite modest. For comparison, the Eagle Ford source rock would be a 6 and the Permian Wolfcamp a 5.

Thickness is the other key part, and as we dont know the thickness yet, we are going by what we saw in other sections, but there is 6,000 feet of Permian section in there so thats a very good start. I anticipate a thickness of between 300 and 400 ft of net petroleum generating source rock.

James Stafford: And if its 400 feet thick, you are estimating the potential at 120 billion barrels of total petroleum generated. And you think this is conservative?

Daniel Jarvie: I do. And its not even an unusual number for a basin this size, and this depth. The Eagle Ford and Permian Wolfcamp petroleum potentials are even higher using comparable thickness. They could be sitting on something absolutely huge.

If you apply those numbers to the entire basin they would be off the wall.

They would be laughable because they are so high.

James Stafford: And what would be a normal recoverability rate for a basin of this size and type?

Daniel Jarvie: One of the problems is that no one seems to know how much petroleum is in place when it comes to these kind of plays. This goes back to the Barnett shale. There were early reports that there were 10-15% recovery of the shale gas. But when they got a better handle of oil and gas in place it was more like 6-8%. And for oil, its much harder to produce. In the Permian I imagine they are getting 6-8% but it is more of a hybrid system that is better for production. The heterogeneity in our basin is expected to be comparable and therefore provide a high recovery rate from those charged containers.

James Stafford: Well on a 150 billion barrels thats not bad at all. But lets swing back to thickness for a moment. I noticed that the Owambo basin slide shows that the Kavango basin is thicker?

Daniel Jarvie: Yes, while the Owambo Basin showed extremely promising core, its depth as it relates to temperature was a major issue; it had not been cooked sufficiently to generate petroleum. What we can see is that theres a structural high before dipping down into the Kavango Basin, so we are thinking the thickness is probably close to double in this section, maybe more, and higher temperatures.

I have a feeling that its more based on what Ive seen. So we believe its a very thick shale and its at the optimal depth to get oil production.

See, everyone talks about the Eagle Ford, but unless you are in a sweet spot you have a hard time producing there. The sweet spot of the Eagle Ford has a 75% Kerogen conversion window, but if you move up to the 50% or 25% wells, those wells are not economic.

James Stafford: How would you compare the Kavango to the Eagle Ford?

Daniel Jarvie: Well the Kavango actually is quite different. Its more like the Permian Basin, and thats a big plus.

The Eagle Ford is marine carbonate source rock, and it averages 60% carbonate plus it is only about 220-250 ft thick. Kavango is dramatically different to that. From what we know so far, its more akin to the Permian basin, a marine shale that generates a high quality oil, and it is thick and heterogeneous system. I expect to find stacked pay zones throughout any source rock systems. There will likely be multiple source rocks by the way.

If you want to get a lot of oil out the system you love the heterogeneity. Thats one of the reasons the Permian works so well. Its also another reason to be excited about Kavango.

James Stafford: If you prove this system up, what comes next?

Daniel Jarvie: Then it becomes phenomenally more interesting.

We will probably have some oil production shows and indications of where it is. We will be able to tell the thermal maturity and can expand it across the basin so we can high grade different prospects by their depth and burial history.

Right now we dont have a good handle on that. The formation got laid down hundreds of millions of years ago but we dont know what has happened to it since. And thats what the first well will help with. And that will point us in the right direction.

James Stafford: How does it do that?

Daniel Jarvie: Think of it as a container that has a pipeline running to it from the source rock (a migration pathway). If we drill through the so-called pipeline we can identify oil that has travelled through it toward a big conventional container. Does it go to that trap? So it points to the direction the oil is going if it has gone through the system. It will pinpoint which trap should be best.

In fact the pipeline itself may be a reservoir such as the Middle Member of the Bakken formation.

James Stafford: How does RECOs Kavango stand up to your long-time wildcatting experience?

Daniel Jarvie: Given the nature of the basin and the tremendous thickness, this is pretty much a no brainer...It will be productive and Im expecting high-quality oil.

This was the issue when I worked in Uganda, for instance. We could see there was a system but knew there would be waxy oil. But Kavango is different: The system is marine and terrestrial so it should give us high-quality oil and allow it to move and be produced. You need to be able to flow the oil for optimum recovery.

The bottom line is this: The Kavango Basin has all the characteristics necessary for conventional and unconventional petroleum systems. Although Im known for my unconventional work, Im actually hopeful that the conventional exceeds the unconventional. Why? Because conventional reservoirs are inherently more productive.

James Stafford: And for our readers who dont know, what do you mean when you say rank wildcat?

Daniel Jarvie: It means theres not a single well on the property. Its like discovering a new continent.

There is nothing to go by except the aero-mag and the seismic. It doesnt mean its different. Just that it hasnt been explored and wasnt known about before.

James Stafford: How has a system this large and promising not been discovered before?

Daniel Jarvie: Well, when it comes to discovery, its often up to the independents to find the play. The majors then have the resources to come in and produce the system once it's been discovered. Look at the discovery and development of unconventional plays  its the independents who led the way starting with Mitchell Energy. In these unexplored oil frontiers, opportunities like this have just been overlooked.

James Stafford: Ok, and what does the seismic data you have so far tell you about the property exactly?

Daniel Jarvie: Well, the seismic data is very important because that shows where these traps or containers likely are.

The geologists and geophysicists working on Kavango have done a fantastic job mapping it out.

If you see a cross section, what you see on the seismic is where the faults and potential traps are. Thats what youre looking for. Where are the structures (containers) that have the potential to hold oil?

And then I come in and try to prove that the source rock has generated the oil they need to fill that trap.

James Stafford: Wow. But it just seems so unlikely that no one has stumbled across this play before now.

Daniel Jarvie: Yes, but, like I said, this is Africa. Look at East Africa: they are only just coming into production. So its unusual to come across an overlooked basin, but given the location and position in the world, its not overly surprising. The more surprising element is that the government actually had the aero-mag but didnt have the expertise to realize what it was showing them. But ReconAfrica did, and jumped in and scooped it up before anyone had time to blink.

Which leads to a final point: The Namibian government is great to work with, making way for viable exploration and production efforts. An oil friendly regime is vital for any oil project going forward.

James Stafford: Dan, in an effort to provide my readers with full transparency I should note that you are a shareholder in ReconAfrica, correct?

Daniel Jarvie: Yes, that is correct. I was a significant early investor in the company when it was private.

Other companies looking towards new oil frontiers for big returns:

Exxon (NYSE:XOM) is another company looking to cash in on Namibias oil boom. It recently acquired additional 7 million net acres from the Namibian government for a block extending from the shoreline to about 135 miles offshore in water depths up to 13,000 feet, with exploration activities to begin by the end of this year.

What Exxons banking on is that Namibia, which once fit together with Brazil, shares the same geology as Brazils pre-salt bonanza basins, Santos and Campos, which have already proved enormously resource-rich, according to Deloitte. When oil demand returns to normal, this will put Exxon in a great position to take an edge over its biggest competitors.



Chevron (NYSE:CVX) is another oil major with significant presence in Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Angola. In fact, the supermajor ranks among the top oil producers in the two African nations. Other areas on the continent where the company holds interests include Benin, Ghana, the Republic of Congo and Togo. Chevron also holds a 36.7 percent interest in the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, which supplies Nigerian natural gas to customers in the region.

While its interests are spread out among the continent, its all strategic. With bets on both oil and natural gas, Chevron is looking to take advantage of both of the fossil fuels. Though prices are still depressed at the moment, as fuel demand returns to normal, Chevron could be a big winner in as prices climb back up to pre-pandemic levels.

Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) is no stranger to the oil and gas game in Africa. In fact, the Dutch oil giant began drilling in the region in the 1950s, and now has assets in over 20 countries across the continent. Though it has sold off a number of assets in the region in recent years, it continues to maintain a strong presence in South Africa, in particular.

Shells South African assets are key because the government has been significantly more stable than some of the other big bets on the continent. Moreover, its been very supportive of Shell in its endeavors in the country. Its operations in South Africa include retail and commercial fuel, lubricant, chemical and manufacturing. Its also heavily invested in upstream exploration. It even holds the exploration rights to the Orange Basin Deep Water area, off the countrys west coast and has applications for shale gas exploration rights in the Karoo, in central South Africa.

Total (NYSE:TOT) is another major betting big on Africas potential. It has been present in the region for over 90 years, and it is showing no sign of reducing its footprint anytime soon. In fact, just recently, the company announced a major oil discovery offshore Suriname.

But Total also maintains a big picture outlook across all of its endeavors. It is not only aware of the needs that are not being met by a significant portion of the worlds growing population, it is also hyper-aware of the looming climate crisis if changes are not made. In its push to create a better world for all, it has committed to contributing to each of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This is good news for investors who often worry about how local entities are impacted when global energy giants move into their countries.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU; TSX:SU): As one of the biggest names in energy, Suncor has adopted a number of high-tech solutions for finding, pumping, storing, and delivering its resources. Not only is it big in the oil sector, however, it is a leader in renewable energy. Recently, the company invested $300 million in a wind farm located in Alberta.

While its primarily based out of North America, its assets in Africa and the Middle East should not be ignored. Though the oil downturn has weighed on the companys share price this year, many analysts are pointing to a turnaround, from which Suncor is likely to benefit.

When the rebound in crude prices finally materializes, giants like Suncor are sure to do well out of it. While many of the oil majors have given up on oil sands production  those who focus on technological advancements in the area have a great long-term outlook. And that upside is further amplified by the fact that it is currently looking particularly under-valued compared to

Tourmaline Oil Corp (TSX:TOU) is another Canadian resource producer focusing on exploration, production, development and acquisition within Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The company is in possession of an extensive undeveloped land position with long-term growth opportunities and a large multi-year drilling inventory. Tourmalines strong leadership make the company a promising pick for investors looking to take advantage of the tremendous Canadian oil opportunities which are due for a strong rebound as oil prices inch higher.

Husky Energy Inc (TSX:HSE): This integrated oil and gas company out of Western Canada lives up to its name, fierce and driven for success. Its already got a presence in some of the most well-known oil regions on the planet, but it hasnt stopped there. Its even positioned itself in Europe, Africa and as remote as the South China Sea.

Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO) still has some of the lowest cost producing oil sands in Canada and that is going to pay off as oil prices continue to rise and new tech breakthroughs bring breakeven prices even lower. The management is well known for being conservative, but that certainly shouldnt put investors off in a time when recovery is the buzzword of the day and consistency is sure to be rewarded.

Gibson Energy (TSX:GEI): has a long history in Canadas oil and gas game. Established in 1953, Gibson knows the industry inside and out. The company has a diverse portfolio which includes transportation, storage, processing, marketing and distribution of oil, condensates, oilfield waste, refined products and natural gas. With Gibsons huge array of assets and its multi-platform sales strategies, investors look to Gibson with confidence.

By James Stafford

**IMPORTANT! BY READING OUR CONTENT YOU EXPLICITLY AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY**

Forward-Looking Statements. Statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of Recon. All estimates and statements with respect to Recons operations, its plans and projections, size of potential oil reserves, comparisons to other oil producing fields, oil prices, recoverable oil, production targets, production and other operating costs and likelihood of oil recoverability are forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation: risks associated with oil and gas exploration, timing of reports, development, exploitation and production, geological risks, heterogeneity rates, marketing and transportation, availability of adequate funding, volatility of commodity prices, imprecision of reserve and resource estimates, environmental risks, competition from other producers, government regulation, dates of commencement of production and changes in the regulatory and taxation environment. Actual results may vary materially from the information provided in this document, and there is no representation that the actual results realized in the future will be the same in whole or in part as those presented herein. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements are also set forth in filings that Recon and its technical analysts have made, We undertake no obligation, except as otherwise required by law, to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Exploration for hydrocarbons is a speculative venture necessarily involving substantial risk. Recon's future success will depend on its ability to develop its current properties and on its ability to discover resources that are capable of commercial production. However, there is no assurance that Recon's future exploration and development efforts will result in the discovery or development of commercial accumulations of oil and natural gas. In addition, even if hydrocarbons are discovered, the costs of extracting and delivering the hydrocarbons to market and variations in the market price may render uneconomic any discovered deposit. Geological conditions are variable and unpredictable. Even if production is commenced from a well, the quantity of hydrocarbons produced inevitably will decline over time, and production may be adversely affected or may have to be terminated altogether if Recon encounters unforeseen geological conditions. Adverse climatic conditions at such properties may also hinder Recon's ability to carry on exploration or production activities continuously throughout any given year.

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Dominic Raab has reaffirmed the Government's commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid after speculation a Whitehall shake-up could see the budget slashed.

The Department for International Development today merged with the Foreign Office and there had been suggestions that the aid budget could be reduced as a result.

The damage done to the UK economy by the ongoing coronavirus crisis had also prompted calls for overseas spending to be cut.

But Mr Raab said the spending commitment will 'absolutely' survive the merger in a move which will be welcomed by charities but will cause outcry among some Tory MPs.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, today reaffirmed the Government's commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid as the Foreign Office merged with the Department for International Development

The merged departments will now be known as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with Mr Raab in charge.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has now left the Cabinet and will return to the Tory backbenches.

The merger provoked widespread criticism, including from charities and three former prime ministers, that it would harm the world's poorest people.

Some MPs had suggested the aid budget should be cut to help the UK balance the books in the wake of the current pandemic.

But asked if the 0.7 per cent target would survive the merger, Mr Raab told reporters in London: 'Oh, absolutely.'

Mr Raab was also asked about a report in The Times that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is seeking to divert billions of pounds from foreign aid to pay for upgrades to the UK's intelligence and defence capabilities,.

The Foreign Secretary replied: 'Well, there is loads of tittle tattle, rather colourful, in the media and I am not going to prejudice the comprehensive spending review.'

Earlier, Mr Raab said in a statement that the UK would use diplomacy and the aid budget to alleviate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, conflict and climate change.

He said: 'Global Britain, as a force for good in the world, is leading by example and bringing the international community together to tackle these deadly threats, because it's the right thing to do and it protects British interests.

'We can only tackle these global challenges by combining our diplomatic strength with our world-leading aid expertise.'

He pledged that a 119 million package, to come from the existing aid budget, would help alleviate extreme hunger for over six million people in Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Central African Republic, the Sahel, South Sudan and Sudan.

Although the foreign aid budget is not popular with some Tory MPs, others on the Government benches had reacted angrily to suggestions that ministers could axe the 0.7 per cent commitment.

The merger of the Foreign Office with the Department for International Development was opposed by Tony Blair who said he was 'utterly dismayed' by the move

Former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: 'With the ink hardly dry on our manifesto, I don't think the House of Commons would easily agree to balance the books on the backs of the poorest women and children in the world.'

Tory chairman of the Commons defence committee Tobias Ellwood said a cut would be 'shortsighted in failing to appreciate how well-targeted aid can strengthen relationships and open up new markets - thus helping the Treasury'.

Conservative former prime minister David Cameron previously warned the department merger was a 'mistake' and that it would result in the UK commanding 'less respect' on the global stage.

Tony Blair, the Labour former prime minister whose administration created the international development department in 1997, said he was 'utterly dismayed' by Boris Johnson's decision.
If Armenia wants to develop, it has to be competitive, and first and foremost in the Russian market. This is what second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said in an interview with RBK when asked if Armenia can develop its economy independently.

I dont think there is any country that can develop independently in a global world. It can exist, but not develop or feel secure. Overall, Armenias relations with Russia are a separate topic, and I think they could be discussed in a broader context. Can Armenia be self-sufficient in this market? Of course not. Its impossible. If Armenia wants to develop, it has to be competitive, and first and foremost in the Russian market. Its harder in the European market. Ive been through all that and know that its difficult, Kocharyan stated.
Portland mayor Ted Wheeler says he will be moving out of his condo to avoid the protests and rioting that have cropped up outside the building in recent days.

Wheeler announced the move in an email to other residents of the 16- floor high-rise on Tuesday, OregonLive.com reported, one day after a crowd of over 200 people gathered outside the building to demand his resignation, leaving fires and broken windows in their wake. Rioters graffitied and damaged the building and sidewalk and threw a burning bundle of newspapers into retail space on the buildings first floor, leading to the arrest of 19 people.

The mayor said it would be best for me and for everyone elses safety and peace that he find a new place to live.

I want to express my sincere apologies for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position, Wheeler wrote.

Amid a violent summer of unrest in the city, demonstrators have periodically congregated outside the building since mid-June.

Wheeler reassured fellow residents that police are taking their safety concerns seriously and invited them to voice their concerns in a Thursday meeting with himself and officers.

The mayor purchased a two-bedroom condo in the building in 2017 for $840,000 the paper reported. The building has 114 units plus retail space on the ground-floor.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf criticized Wheelers response to chaos in the city in a letter on Monday, saying that while the mayor had suggested unrest would ultimately burn itself out that the evidence demonstrates otherwise.

I urge you to prioritize public safety and to request federal assistance to restore law and order in Portland, Wolf wrote. We are standing by to support Portland. At the same time, President Trump has made it abundantly clear that there will come a point when state and local officials fail to protect its citizens from violence, the federal government will have no choice but to protect our American citizens.

Story continues

As nationwide protests and rioting erupted this summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd, other public officials have had struggles with protesters gathering at their residences, including outgoing Seattle police Chief Carmen Best and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

More from National Review
Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The leader of the Opposition Union des Forces de Progres (UFP), Mohamed ould Maouloud says the tense political situation in Mali is "the result of a biased electoral process" and not in line with the aspirations of the people
Tim Balk New York Daily News (TNS)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are going full Hollywood.

After pulling back from Buckingham Palace and moving to Los Angeles this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have inked a deal with Netflix.

The couple will churn out content ranging from documentaries to shows for tots, Reuters reported Wednesday morning.

The exact terms of the agreement werent immediately clear.

Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope, the couple said in a statement, according to Reuters. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.

Markle, 39, and Prince Harry, 35, agreed to surrender the loftiest royal titles in January. They shied away from the blistering British media spotlight that fixed on them and their small son, Archie.
A Parliamentary panel on IT, led by Congress Shashi Tharoor, is questioning Facebook today based on an article carried by Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which had alleged that the social media giant was overlooking the hate speech posted by some BJP leaders as well as right wing group.

In a second report, WSJ has stated how Ankhi Das, Head of Public Policy, Facebook India had been making internal postings over several years, where she shared details of her support for BJP. In a statement issued, Facebook maintained that Das posts did not show bias as alleged and that her posts were taken out of context. The social media giant stressed that its policies were strongly against hate speech.

Also read: Facebook News launches globally; commits to pay news publishers for content

Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Telecom and IT, has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, where he alleged that Facebook employees have been abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP ministers on several occasions. In his strongly worded letter, Prasad wrote that there had been multiple instances recently where Facebook has been used by anarchic and radical elements whose sole aim is to destroy social order, recruit people and assemble them for violence. However, we are yet to see any meaningful action against such elements. He also accused the senior Facebook management of bias and added that a vested lobby on the platform was blocking free speech.

He also alleged that in the run-up to the 2019 General Elections, the Facebook India management had made concerted efforts to not just delete pages or substantially reduce their reach but also offer no recourse or right of appeal to affected people who are supportive of the right-of-centre ideology.

Shankar pointed fingers at people of a particular political disposition who are using Facebook to stoke internal divisions and social disturbances.

The BJP and the Congress have both hit out at Facebook for being biased towards each other. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, International media have fully exposed Facebooks & WhatsApps brazen assault on Indias democracy & social harmony. No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nations affairs. They must be investigated immediately & when found guilty, punished.

Interestingly, both Prasad and Gandhi have alleged that vested lobbies at Facebook were trying to discredit Indias democratic process (as stated by Prasad) and were brazenly assaulting Indias democracy and social harmony (as stated by Gandhi.
Shootings in New York City were up 166 percent last month compared to August 2019, according to police crime statistics released Wednesday.

The Big Apple has seen a troubling spike in crime and violence this year, and new data shows there were 242 shootings recorded last month. In August 2019 there were just 91 shootings recorded.

The number of shootings rose in all boroughs except Staten Island.

The number of murders is also up citywide, increasing from 36 in August 2019 to 53 last month, marking a 47 percent rise.

Overall, crime for August 2020 increased from 9,033 reported last year to 9,093  a .7 percent increase.

The small increase in overall crime is due to a 17.5 percent reduction in grand larcenies. Rapes also decreased by 22 percent, but the NYPD warns that rape continues to be underreported.

Shootings in New York City were up 166 percent last month compared to August 2019, according to police crime statistics released Wednesday. The number of shootings rose in all boroughs except Staten Island

The number of murders is also up citywide, increasing from 36 in August 2019 to 53 last month, marking a 47 percent rise

Robberies climbed four percent this year with 1,276 robberies reported last month. In August 2019 there were 1,226 robberies reported.

Burglaries have also risen 22 percent. Last month 1,310 burglaries were recorded, a jump from 1,076 reported in August 2019.

'Despite all the continuing challenges, our NYPD officers are undaunted,' Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said.

'The work of our officers represents the best of the policing profession, and it continues as they increasingly engage with all of our community partners to protect life, prevent crime and build safer neighborhoods,' he added.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea spoke on CNN on Tuesday where he said police response times are down and he slammed the movement to defund the police

NYPD cops are out there  going into harms way, sometimes getting hurt, protecting New Yorkers. Its what they do every single day and night.



Thanks, @jimsciutto, for having me on today. pic.twitter.com/7vh8Zrrz2a  Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) September 1, 2020

Shea spoke on CNN on Tuesday where he said police response times are down and he slammed the movement to defund the police.

He said police response times are down because officers have been pulled off normal duty to help in protests across the city.

'You have the whole defunding movement which literally Jim  thousands of cops off the streetI think its cheap theater, I think it's politics, what we need is people to stand up and say good job, thank you,' he said.

'The cops are out there. They were up on the Upper West Side last night taking drug dealers off the streets, the cops are out there,' he added.

The movement to defund police departments gained traction with a string of police killings this year including that of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.

A local lights a candle at a memorial for 25-year-old Priscilla Vasquez, a mother of three who was shot in the head around 5am in the Bronx, on August 23

A masked-faced police officer watches the train station next to the ticket desk, a few blocks away from the crime scene on August 23

Police officers speak to locals at a crime scene on Atlantic Avenue where two individuals were injured by gunfire on July 18

Police stand at the scene of a shooting which happened as Save Our Streets was holding a peace march in response to a surge in shootings in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn on July 16

Police officers search a playground for evidence at a crime scene where two individuals were injured by gunshots on Atlantic Avenue on July 18

The uptick in crime has forced the NYPD to increase weekend patrols and shift officers to areas seeing a rise in shootings.

Police efforts to combat the surge in violence include collecting timely intelligence about crime conditions, short and long-term investigations to root out persistent drivers of violence, and grassroot engagement through Neighborhood Policing to solve problems at a local level.

Activists are demanding more resources and peace ahead anticipated violence over Labor Day Weekend.

This years annual West Indian Day parade, one of the citys biggest events that draws as many as three million people, will celebrate some performances online via Zoom.

The festival has been devastated by violence over the past few years, ABC7 reports.

This year community leaders are urging people to stay off the streets and celebrate their heritage at home.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a ruling that barred immigration authorities from arresting people suspected of living in the U.S. illegally if they show up at Massachusetts courthouses.

The decision by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston came in a case brought by prosecutors in two of the states largest counties. District attorneys and public defenders had argued that such arrests were disrupting the criminal justice system because defendants, witnesses and others were too afraid to come to court.

It overturned a June 2019 ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from arresting people for civil immigration violations as they are arriving at, leaving or inside a courthouse.

Courthouse arrests have angered lawyers, immigration advocates and even some judges, who want ICE to make courthouses sensitive locations generally free from immigration enforcement. While such arrests happened under President Barack Obama, lawyers say theyve seen an uptick under President Donald Trump.

In its ruling, the 1st Circuit said those who contested the practice failed to show that ICE lacks statutory authority to conduct such arrests in Massachusetts."

Bostons top prosecutor vowed to continue fighting the practice.

This fight is far from over, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. We are absolutely on the right side of justice here. It is never a loss when you are fighting for human rights, justice and building a safer community.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan also had challenged the governments practice of arresting immigrants at courthouses.

The group Lawyers for Civil Rights said it, too, would fight to get the ban on such arrests reinstated to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Courthouse immigration arrests impede justice by deterring witnesses and victims of crime from attending court. That harms all of us," the organization said in a statement.

The 2019 challenge was filed days after federal prosecutors in Massachusetts charged a state court judge with helping a man who was living in the U.S. illegally to sneak out the back door of the courthouse to evade a waiting immigration agent.

The judge in that case still awaits trial.

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
Gov. Phil Murphys latest state budget proposal eliminates a decades-old, nationally renowned mental health counseling program operating inside 100 school districts across New Jersey that educators and students say has saved lives.

The looming demise of the School-Based Youth Services Program has mobilized an army of supporters in a matter of days who must convince the state Legislature before Oct. 1 to restore the $11 million needed to keep the program going for the remaining nine months of the pandemic-stricken fiscal year.

But the decision by the Murphy administration to eliminate the program is not driven by finances alone. Officials at the Department of Children and Families believe the program it administers may have outlived its usefulness, according to a statement shared with NJ Advance Media Tuesday night.

A petition to save the program has already garnered 20,000 signatures at change.org. A student-led protest is planned for Friday outside the Statehouse in Trenton. A virtual rally of educators and mental health professionals and former students is scheduled for next week.

At a time when depression, anxiety and teen deaths by suicide are on the rise, defenders of the program say the free services, ranging from therapy, recreational and club activities and assistance to apply to college, are essential.

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Jeffrey Moore, the superintendent for the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, called the program one of the most important tools we have to address students emotional and mental health needs. At any one time, 100 to 150 students are enrolled in the program, run by licensed therapists affiliated with Hunterdon Behavioral Health and Hunterdon Medical Center, Moore said.

With the uncertainty and challenges associated with resuming school amid the coronavirus pandemic, It feels unconscionable we would be pulling theses services away right now, he said.

Nick Spanola said he started the petition because the program has had a profound effect on his life. The 2012 graduate of Brick Memorial High School said he not only used the programs services as a freshman, he also served as a peer counselor throughout the rest of his high school career.

For the last two years, Spanola, now a licensed counselor with a masters degree, works for the school based youth services program in Brick that helped him.

I understand the impact of this program. It made me want to be a counselor, he said. Not having this program breaks my heart and Ill do whatever I can to make sure it stays.

The proposed budget cut had an immediate impact, Spanola said. Preferred Behavioral Health, the private, nonprofit which employs the counselors, laid him off on Tuesday. He said he was calling students he had worked with to let them know what happened. They asked how they can help.

If it wasnt for this program, they wouldnt have been able to make it through high school, or a particular day they were having, Spanola said. It made all the difference in saving their life.

A spokesman for The Department of Children and Families said the decision to eliminate the program was made knowing there are now ample services available to take their place.

The original school based programs were created over 30 years ago and have without a doubt meant a lot to the children, youth, families and educators who use them, according to Children and Families spokesman Jason Butkowski. In the last 30 years, the array of services available in the state to support children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges -- as well as funding for those services -- has significantly changed.

The existing School Based Youth Services network operates in only a fraction of New Jerseys schools. Moreover, while some of the School Based programs have included mental health services, not all do, Butkowskis statement said.

Murphys budget, proposed on Aug. 25, zeroes-out the $11 million in state funds for the program, which in turn forfeits the $11 million in matching federal funds. Meanwhile, the administration is re-allocating $45 million within the departments budget to raise the treatment rates provided by privately-run Childrens System of Care, which serves youth at home and in community programs around the clock.

This investment, the first increase in 15 years, will allow DCF to better serve children with emotional and behavioral health care needs as mental health challenges increase, according to the proposed budget.

If lawmakers decide to reverse the governors decision to eliminate the program, it will take more than just restoring the $11 million, Butkowski said. The federal matching money has been re-allocated to other essential services within the revised state budget and so any restoration of funding would need to include that for a total of $22 million for the remaining nine months of Fiscal Year 2021.

Governor Murphys proposed investment in the Childrens System of Care ensures that all students across the state will be able to access high quality treatment and support services, Butkowskis statement said. DCF will be working closely with the Department of Education and local school officials to promote the Childrens System of Care as an effective and appropriate alternative.

The governor was asked Wednesday during his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton whether he would reconsider the decision to eliminate school based youth services program. Murphy acknowledged the issue has caused a lot anxiety.

Am I open-minded to try to get the right monies appropriated to deal with the most pressing needs we have as a state? You betcha, but I cant commit to a specific item, he said.

Supporters arent giving up.

Retired Human Services administrator Ed Tetelman, who helped establish the program during the Kean Administration in the late 1980s, said he contacted Murphy officials with the hope of saving the program. He said he was told mental health services are available in the community, therefore school-based services were no longer needed.

Ironically this was the very reason why we created the program, because teens do not access services in the community, Tetelman said. We needed to make them readily available and convenient for students in the place where they spend most of their days -- schools.

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University recognized New Jerseys school-based youth services program with an Innovations in American Government award in 1991.

Gov. Kean started the program and every governor through (Jon) Corzine, to my knowledge, has expanded it. It was one of the few programs that was expanded during the Florio administration during the budget crisis, Tetelman said.

Casey Fortson, a member of the Trenton Student Voice Power Movement, is helping organize the mask-required rally outside the Statehouse Friday to defend the program that was on track to help her look for colleges.

For me personally, the program was going to sponsor me to go on a college tour, Fortson wrote in an email. In an urban environment, is so important that we become exposed to different colleges and universities. I just thought that was an amazing experience and opportunity and so, so generous on their part.

Bob Guarasci, CEO of the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, which operates three school based youth services programs, is helping organize a virtual rally next week to save the program. The planning meeting alone drew nearly 120 school and mental health professionals.

This program helps kids deal with their struggles outside the classroom so that they can succeed inside the classroom, Guarasci said. Restoring the programs funding will help thousands of teens and adolescents in every corner of the state.

State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said the governors decision seems out of touch with the reality that opioid abuse is rising and students need greater access to mental health programs, not less.

We have young children and teens who are struggling from months of social isolation, separation from their friends, and the stress of starting a new school year with the education landscape constantly changing, Bucco said.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.
Republicans and Democrats disagree about many foreign policy issues, but not about the perception that the United States risks losing out to China.

For the Republicans, China is an existential threat, and President Trump warned recently, about the former vice president, China would own our country if Joe Biden got elected.

For the Democrats, China is a challenge, but manageable. Still, Mr. Biden has pledged that as far as pandemic preparedness goes, America will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.

Even if this tough talk is mostly campaign-trail rhetoric, the next president of the United States should beware of casting Americas China policy in nationalistic terms.
We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Australian Rural Capital Limited (ASX:ARC).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for Australian Rural Capital

Australian Rural Capital Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman & MD James Jackson for AU$100k worth of shares, at about AU$0.40 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$0.31). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Australian Rural Capital insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. Their average price was about AU$0.31. Although they bought at below the recent share price, it is good to see that insiders are willing to invest in the company. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Story continues

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership of Australian Rural Capital

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Australian Rural Capital insiders own 48% of the company, worth about AU$1.9m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Australian Rural Capital Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Australian Rural Capital insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Australian Rural Capital insiders feel good about the company's future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for Australian Rural Capital (3 are a bit unpleasant!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
The facade to Illinois School for the Deaf received a gift from the schools alumni association to celebrate the schools 180th year.

Every five years we do some sort of fundraiser for renovations at ISD, Deloris DeDe Summers, secretary for ISDs alumni association, said. We want ISD to look good, she said.

Onlookers from either State Street, College or Webster avenues will now be able to see the newly constructed gazebo which is housed at the same location as the older one  which was moved south of town to the Jacksonville Community Center for the Deaf.

The old gazebo was very old and it was not maintained for many years but we did not want to tear it down, Summers said. So we moved it to JCCD to honor Ron (Sipek), she said of whom the older gazebo is named after.

A brick path leading up to the gazebo will also receive an addition to celebrate the milestone.

We are planning to have a brick path that will go around the gazebo, Summers said. I think it will look good.

Because of the pandemic, lack of work and not being able to meet, planning and having a target date for the path has not been set.

It happens that people are not working and it has definitely made things interesting, she said of the pandemic causing delays. In years past, the board and community members hold a banquet to celebrate the school and talk about what projects are needed to be done.

In celebration of the Illinois School for the Deafs 175th year, for example, the alumni association had a fundraiser for an LED board that sits at the southeast corner of the campus.

In addition to projects around campus, Summers said members have helped seniors at the Illinois School for the Deaf receive special awards and with larger projects, sometimes, the state will help with funding. The gazebo project, though, was funded 100% by the association.
Engineer creates 'AI Clone of Jesus' that recites Bible

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A New York-based engineer has created an artificial intelligence algorithm that's been programmed with passages of Scripture and named AI Jesus.

Through the use of a natural-language processing system, engineer George Durendal programmed the AI to read the King James Bible "and nothing else," he said.

"I like to describe this A.I. as locking a baby in a room with nothing but a Bible for 15 years. You then open up the room 15 years later and find that it's learned to read, speak, and write using nothing but the Bible," the engineer wrote in an Aug. 25 post on Medium.

"In these days of trials and tribulations many have turned to religion. But what religion is left for those who have averted their gaze from the fables of old to the shiny metal toys of today? I present to you A.I. Jesus. An artificial intelligence of my invention created from the King James Bible and nothing else."



Durendal explained in an email to The Christian Post on Wednesday that he's not a particularly religious person but did attend a Catholic university, "which has made me a bit more cognizant of the influence of Christianity on Western philosophy."

He wrote some of the code for the project three years ago.

"With those snippets of code included it took me about two weeks from when I first had the idea. The actual A.I. takes a few hours to train and [it] reads the Bible tens of thousands of times," he explained, adding that in light of the Bible's influence on modern ways of thinking, he thought it was only natural that an A.I. system should learn it.

Durendal instructed the artificial intelligence program to write about "the plague," "Caesar," and "The End of Days."

"The A.I. is an Boltzmannian natural-language processing model," named after Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann, an Austrian physicist famous for his contributions in the field of statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics.

This particular model "tries to replicate the style of the King James Bible without quite copying it. But that description doesnt quite have as much cachet as A.I. Jesus," Durendal explained on Medium.

Durendal set up a Twitter account for the AI described as "A.I. Generated Clone of Jesus."

He also provided a link where people can read "the full corpus written by A.I. Jesus (approx. 60,000 words)."

The AI algorithm has been making up its own prophetic utterances, some of which sound foreboding and ominous because of technological glitches.

O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; When they saw the angel of the Lord above all the brethren which were in the wilderness and the soldiers of the prophets shall be ashamed of men, one portion reads.

Another portion declares: that thou shouldest take him a great multitude of people and the spoil of the wicked shall be the same things that are in the midst of the sea and the sea shall be the father of the devils.

Durendal added: "Whether or not God created man or man created God might be a topic of eternal debate. But what surely cannot be debated is mans creation of A.I. Jesus. Perhaps many thousands of years from now people and robots alike will pour over these texts as they do holy books today."
Mike Pompeo and Donald Trump

Washington: President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have condoled the demise of former president Pranab Mukherjee, terming him a "great leader" whose "visionary leadership" helped India's rise as a global power and paved the way for a stronger US-India partnership.

Pranab Mukherjee

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Mukherjee died on Monday evening following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments. He was 84.

"I was saddened to learn of the passing of India's former President, Pranab Mukherjee, Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

Donald Trump tweet

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"I send my condolences to his family and the people of India as they grieve the loss of a great leader," he said.

Earlier, Pompeo said that the United States was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Mukherjee.

Mike PompeoIn a distinguished career spanning more than half a century, Mukherjee worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of India as a parliamentarian, cabinet minister and as the president of the world's largest democracy, Pompeo said.

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"His visionary leadership helped drive India's rise as a global power and paved the way for a stronger US-India partnership, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 00:06:33|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday said that the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has climbed to 29,833 across the African continent as the number of positive cases rose to 1,252,552.

The Africa CDC, noting that five African countries account for over 70 percent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent that are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Ethiopia, also stressed that some 985,803 people who were infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent so far.

Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, South Africa alone accounts for about 50 percent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, followed by Egypt which has close to eight percent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, the Africa CDC said.

The continental disease control and prevention agency said that South Africa is way ahead compared to the rest of the continent both in terms of number of COVID-19 cases and ratio of COVID-19 infected population, the country has so far reported 627,041 cases and 14,149 deaths as of Tuesday.

The southern Africa country, which has so far conducted 3,693,721 COVID-19 medical tests, has so far registered 540,923 COVID-19 recoveries, and has 2.3 case fatality ratio, it was noted. Enditem
Loading Though an SSG guard previously told the inquiry he was recruited over WhatsApp, Mr Aggarwal said this was not how they employed guards, sourcing primarily from the company's database. "We don't recruit people from social media at all, not any social channel," he said. The SSG guard, who caught COVID-19, said he was not given any training in infection control before he started. Mr Aggarwal told the inquiry all guards were required to complete an online training module and Unified Security inducted guards at the start of their shifts.

"There was never any issues with PPE; there was PPE on site at Rydges," the SSG director said. He said he was surprised to learn that the SSG guard gave evidence that he had delivered food and worked at a warehouse after contracting COVID-19. Mr Aggarwal said he had urged staff to stay home if they were positive and said he had paid their wages while they quarantined. Unified Security are expected to give evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, responding to questions raised about the selection and expansion of its role in the program. Though the company was not known to the union movement and did not sit on the government's preferred panel of security suppliers, it became the main contractor for the quarantine program, offered $28.6 million for work across 13 Melbourne hotels.

Loading The inquiry was also told on Wednesday that another eight guards who worked at the Stamford Plaza, seven of them from United Risk Management, tested positive in June. United Risk Management said transmission may have occurred between staff car-pooling to work, working on the same floor or at shift change-over. The inquiry also heard stand-offs between a major security company and a state government department over the role security guards played in hotel quarantine led to the company being labelled "difficult". Wilson Security regional general manager Greg Watson told the Victorian inquiry into the quarantine program he thought he was escalating "fair and reasonable" concerns to the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

The Crowne Plaza on Spencer Street in Melbourne's CBD was one of the quarantine hotels Wilson Security manned. Credit:The Age In internal emails, Jobs Department officials called the firm "difficult" and appeared to favour Unified Security. "I didn't realise that we had won the reputation of being difficult to deal with at that point in time," Mr Watson said. "I think what we were pointing out were fair and reasonable in relation to infection control measures and indeed the powers of the security officer." The inquiry heard Wilsons sacked 23 guards, 21 of them in the first two weeks, over the 13 weeks they worked in hotel quarantine. One was sacked for hitting on a female detainee, sliding a note under the door that said: "Hey hun, add me on Snapchat." Mr Watson said the firm had hired a large volume of guards, many of them subcontracted, in a short space of time and some weren't suitable.

"So we took pretty well a no-prisoners approach, that this needs to be run very strictly," he said. No Wilsons guards tested positive for COVID-19, with the firm developing its own infection control procedures for all guards with a contracted epidemiologist. A report released by the Department of Health and Human Services released late on Wednesday showed that the Rydges outbreak evolved into 10 different genomic clusters after it was spread during a "super spreading event". It said that genomic samples of almost 1600 infections detected in the month from July 14 showed that all but 12 were linked to the botched hotel quarantine program at the Rydges Hotel. The other dozen cases were linked to a cluster at the Stamford Hotel.
Community health workers are an important resource for providing basic health care needs for the community, as well as helping facilitate clinical research.

"We know that community health workers are increasingly involved in research to engage individuals from underserved communities, and they make important contributions to the success of research in their community because they understand the socio-economic and cultural factors that influence it," says Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR/L, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Michigan Medicine and research health science specialist at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System's Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center.

"We absolutely need their partnership and assistance to engage underserved communities in research, but we have also found that training for community health workers in research best practices varies," she says.

Murphy, along with Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., MPH, FACE, of the University of Florida, and Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, are the principal investigators of a newly funded $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences that will help train and empower community health workers in research best practices.

"There are no national competencies for research best practices for community health workers," says Murphy, who also works as a faculty lead in the Education and Mentoring Group at the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR). Previously at MICHR, she led development of an online competency-based training in research best practices in social and behavioral research for clinical research professionals.

This grant will allow us to enable community health workers to better support research within their community. This is especially important in underserved communities where quality and translation of clinical research are hampered due to health disparities." Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR/L, Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine

Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the University of California Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, adds, "The work of our team is also timely in that we hope to address the challenges and health disparities underserved communities are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Addressing health disparities in research

The three principal investigators say the grant will address four main issues:

Provide a standardized education in research best practices for community health workers. Develop training for community health workers and promotoras (Spanish-speaking community health workers) that is relevant to their community's culture and language(s). Reduce barriers to accessibility of competency-based training and tools for training community health workers online. Empower select community health workers to become "champions" of the training to serve as peer mentors and facilitate the training of their colleagues at the community sites where they work.

"We believe this project will help to build an effective, community-engaged clinical research workforce and enhance research quality," Murphy says. "Which is a shift in the paradigm of training focused solely on clinical research professionals."

The University of Michigan serves as the contact institution for the grant and each primary investigator represents a different NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded center, with U-M's being MICHR.

The grant will also establish a national network of CTSA Community Advisory Boards, which will be a major dissemination pipeline for the training across CTSA-funded institutions nationwide.

The three investigators' institutions will serve as the first training hubs for the program.

"The hubs are representative of a diverse group of community partners and each hub has established partnerships in community settings that serves the Black and Latinx communities, and other racial/ethnic populations," Murphy says.

In addition, community health workers and community members will be engaged in content generation, as well as providing feedback on how the training and its implementation is being received.

"Community health workers understand the needs of their community and are an incredibly valuable resource, especially when it comes to engaging their community members in research that could help us reduce health disparities in the future," says Cottler, a dean's professor of epidemiology and director of community engagement of the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Grant: Training Promotoras/Community Health Workers using Culturally and Linguistically-Appropriate Research Best Practices. Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Award U01TR003409.
Online traffic to the domain 'mini-strokes.com' has been redirected to Donald Trump's official website after the US president denied having a stroke.

It is not clear who is behind the stunt but online pranksters also recently redirected a URL for anti-fascist organisation Antifa to Democratic candidate Joe Biden's website.

Questions surrounding the health of the president relate to an ambiguous hospital trip he made to the Walter Reed health facility last year.

In a newly published book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, it is suggested that the hospital visit was more serious than officially reported.

"Word went out in the West Wing for the vice president to be on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anaesthetised," the book stated.

The specific stroke claims appear to stem from a single tweet on Tuesday from political analyst Joe Lockhart, who questioned whether the reason for the unannounced hospital visit was a stroke.

"Did @realDonaldTrump have a stroke which he is hiding from the American public?" he tweeted.

There is no evidence to suggest that Trump's hospital visit related to a a stroke - a point that Mr Lockhart clarified in a follow-up tweet, stating "no reporting just a question."

Trump nevertheless responded to the question by denying he had ever had such health issues and insinuating that any such claims are part of a media conspiracy against him.

He tweeted: "It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favourite president, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS."

Trump's physician Dr Sean Conley also released a statement attesting to the president's health, claiming he "has not experienced nor been evaluated for" any strokes, mini-strokes or cardiovascular emergencies.

"The President remains healthy and I have no concerns about his ability to maintain the rigorous schedule ahead of him," Dr Conley said.

"As stated in my last report, I expect him to remain fit to execute the duties of the presidency."
Stephen Hahn

The Food and Drug Administration is blaming the messaging rather than the messenger in the aftermath of its blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 PR crisis.

The PR bloodletting at the FDA continued on Sept. 2 as external affairs chief John Wolf Wagner is out in the aftermath of Commissioner Stephen Hahns misstatements about the benefits of blood plasma treatment for COVID-19.

Emily Miller, chief spokesperson for the FDA during an 11-day run, was the first to be shown the door, exiting on Aug. 28.

Both Wagner and Miller were political appointees by Trump and may not have been qualified for the posts. Wagner was a former spokesperson for the Pentagon, Dept of Veterans Affairs and consultant for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Miller was a PR staffer on Ted Cruz's re-election campaign and a journalist at the conservative One America News.

But it was Hahn who oversold the wonders of blood plasma, which Trump touted as "a very historic breakthrough" when the announcement was made Aug. 23, just ahead of the beginning of the Republican convention.

Scientists blame Hahnnot the PR teamfor the mess, which undermined trust in the FDA at a critical juncture in the battle against COVID-19, which has killed 184K Americans.

A reputationally-challenged FDA will be hard pressed to convince Americans that the COVID-19 vaccines currently under development will be safe and effective treatments.

Hahn needs to heed the advice of Medscape, a site for doctors and health professionals, editor-in-chief Dr. Eric Topol and either tell the truth or resign.

In his Aug. 31 letter to Hahn posted on WebMD-owned Medscape, Topol expressed concern about Hahns leadership and statements that triggered the crisis in confidence.

The professor of genomics at the Scripps Research Center faulted Hahn for caving into the fantasies of Trump. He wrote:

Immediately after President Trump widely and aggressively promoted hydroxychloroquine as a 'miracle drug,' on March 30, 2020, you granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for this drug without any sufficient or meaningful supportive evidence. Proof of that was borne out on June 15, 2020 when you revoked that EUA, acknowledging lack of efficacy and 'ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects.'"

Topol went on to call Hahns blood plasma statement incorrect and a blatant misrepresentation of the data.

He reminded Hahn that the mission of the FDA is helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medical products and foods to maintain and improve their health."

Topol criticized the Commissioner for serially demonstrating a willingness to deviate from this bedrock premise.

It's your move, Stephen.
STROMSBURGWhat happens between sheep and sweater?

Soon the answer will lie in Stromsburg, as The Fiber Mill prepares to begin operation in middle to late September.

The Fiber Mill, now owned and operated by Kelsey and Phillip Patton, will be the only custom wool mill in Nebraska. Otherwise, the closest wool mill is The Shephards Mill in Phillipsburg, Kan. Before the Pattons purchased The Fiber Mill, it was located in Wellington, Colo.

Right now Ive got at least two months of work already lined up, Kelsey Patton said. Most of the fiber is coming from Nebraska and surrounding states, though Patton said she has someone from Michigan lined up as well.

Even though the process is mechanized, Patton said the process can take quite some time. It depends on a lot of factors. Finer wools take longer. Generally Id say it would probably take three of four days to go through, she said.
As Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers geared up in early March to respond to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, many moved to cancel elective procedures and in-person medical appointments in an effort to protect patients and staff from exposure and focus on coronavirus care.

From March 15 through June 15, the Veterans Health Administration -- or the veterans themselves -- canceled 11.2 million appointments across the system.

Read next: Heres the Marine Corps' Plan to End Gender Segregation at Boot Camp

While roughly 5 million of those appointments were tracked -- either conducted by telephone, video or rescheduled, at least 3.3 million needed the same type of follow-up and didnt get it, the VA Office of Inspector General said in a report released Tuesday.

The OIG review remains ongoing as inspectors look over the remaining canceled appointments, as well as efforts to reschedule and reach out to veterans.

The lack of follow-up, OIG inspectors said, may put patients at increased risk of not getting needed medical care.

"The OIG recognizes the efforts of VHA personnel to manage the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic," inspectors wrote in the report, "Appointment Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic." "Avoiding non-urgent, face-to-face appointments was warranted but unfortunately increased the risk of patients not receiving rescheduled appointments."

Beginning in early March, some VA facilities began screening patients for fever and other symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which was first reported as a cluster in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31.

VA medical centers also began restricting visitors to nursing home facilities and inpatient wards, as well as spinal cord and traumatic brain injury facilities.

Later, hospitals and clinics stopped all non-essential care and, according to the OIG, started canceling appointments. From March 15 to May 1, 7.3 million appointments were canceled, and a third of those, or 2.3 million, received no follow-up.

Slightly more than 1 million were converted to telehealth appointments, mainly by telephone, the OIG noted.

Exactly how many appointments were canceled by VA staff or patients themselves is unknown: On March 22, the VHA directed employees to classify all dropped appointments as canceled by the patient unless the provider was not available, according to the OIG.

The VHA rationalized this as reasonable, because in a national health care crisis, "It is in the veteran's best interest and there is agreement by the veteran," according to the report.

The VA reversed the guidance in April, but the classification distinction remains important. Under normal circumstances, VA medical facilities usually follow up on appointments canceled by clinics but not by patients.

The VA OIG estimates that about a third of the appointments nixed from March 22 to May 1 were classified as being canceled by the patient, leaving those patients to reschedule appointments themselves and resetting the wait to be seen.

The VA told OIG inspectors that it has instructed staff to follow up on all cancellations during the period, regardless of classification.

According to the report, VA facilities also canceled or discontinued more than a half million consults for specialty care, causing delays in care for veterans who need higher-level services.

The disparities have left some veterans, like Gary Fiffe, without reliable medical care for months.

"They've canceled probably 10 appointments on me," Fiffe told Military.com. "The Topeka VA is doing lab work in the parking lot in your car. There are people who have the best [personal protective equipment] -- masks, gloves -- in the world, and they won't let people in the hospital, only if you are on death's door. The clinic in the town where I live is basically fully staffed yet seeing a limited amount of patients."

"The hospital shutdown for a handful of people hurt countless others," wrote another Military.com reader. "The fact is, vets were turned away."

Appointment scheduling and patient wait times have long been a challenge for the VA, dating to 2012 when the Government Accountability Office noted shortcomings in the system. A scandal erupted in 2014 over patient appointment wait times and off-the-books schedules at VA medical centers and elsewhere.

The OIG expressed concern that the department will lose track of patients who need appointments at a VA facility or a referral to community care and made several recommendations, to include developing a strategy to reschedule patients, monitor facilities' progress and take follow-on action on canceled consults.

VHA officials concurred with the recommendations, saying it has completed plans and will conduct oversight.

Since the outbreak began, more than 52,000 veterans, employees and others treated at the VA have contracted COVID-19. Of those, 2,937 have died. Currently, 3,147 patients are being treated for the coronavirus in the VA health system.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: ER Visits at VA Medical Centers Have Fallen Sharply, and Scientists Are Concerned
The late Pranab Mukherjee, former president and long-time Congress leader, made his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee custodian of the diaries he wrote almost every day during his five-decade political career and authorised her to take a call on publishing them.

He has left his diaries with me, and left it to my discretion whether to get them published or not, Sharmistha Mukherjee said on Wednesday.

Mukherjee, 84, who died on Monday after a three-week battle with multiple ailments and was cremated with full state honours on Tuesday, came into politics in 1969 and subsequently served as minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce and then as Indias 13th president.

Writing a diary every day was one of Mukherjees ways to keep his famously encyclopaedic memory razor sharp until the very end, said his close friends.

I once asked him what the fate of his diaries would be, and he had said hed given them to his daughter because a lot of controversies can take place. In his diaries, he wrote whatever he thoughtthings that were off the record but he didnt want to publish it before his death, said veteran journalist Jayanta Ghoshal.

Ghoshal, who had known the late politician since 1985, said Mukherjee was in the habit of writing diaries since his days as cabinet minister in the Indira Gandhi government and continued to write them even after retiring as president.

In fact, the length of his entries had increased after he demitted the presidents office, he said.

Gautam Lahiri, another senior journalist and long-time friend, added that the seven-time parliamentarian would write a diary every day, but the entry would be for events that took place two days earlier.

I asked him once what the secret of his razor sharp memory was, and he told me that he wrote diaries not for the days event but for what happened two days ago. I try to remember that, he said.

So he would write diary entries everyday for events that happened 48 hours ago. In this way he would stimulate and exercise his mind, Lahiri said.

One entry that Lahiri knows of is a drawing by Mukherjees granddaughter. This followed a conversation between Mukherjee, the child and then prime minister Manmohan Singh.

After Pranab Mukherjee was elected as president, Manmohan Singh went to his house and Pranab da called his granddaughter and said, You were looking for a prime minister, he is a PM. She didnt believe it and ran away.

Later that day, his granddaughter drew a picture of Pranab da as PM. That picture is entered in his diary as a memory of the interaction between Manmohan Singh, his granddaughter and himself, Lahiri recounted.

The entire interaction, the journalist explained, stemmed from the much talked about topic of how Mukherjee never became prime minister.

Like most people, his family too felt that he should be made PM. He never aspired for that and he never told anybody. He believed that the presidents and the PMs posts are so honourable that they can only be offered one cannot go hankering after them. But his family members, even his grandchildren believed that one day day he would become PM, Lahiri said.

Mukherjee, who had a ringside view of events in India as it evolved through the decades, had told reporters in May 2012 that he was a diary writer but had no plans to publish them during his lifetime.

"That job will be done my daughter," he had said.

He had also indicated that since the diaries were a truthful account of events as seen by an individual "it is always better that they be made public after the individual is no more".

Mukherjee served as Indias president from July 2012 to July 2017. He continued to be a presence to contend with even after he demitted office, often making headlines as he attended book launches and delivered lectures.
At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in the Western Cape, a project was implemented that saved lives, and has the potential to save many more.

This electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in a lab. Image: NIAID-RML (CC BY 2.0)

Novel approach

Vector team

As the epidemic escalated, it became clear that the disease was hitting people with diabetes especially hard. A study looking at over 15,000 Covid-19 infections showed that of every 100 deaths in the Western Cape, 52 were in patients with diabetes. Diabetes was a more significant risk factor than all other comorbidities combined.Within the diabetic population elderly diabetics and those with kidney disease had the poorest outcomes of all. The mortality rate in this sub-group was almost 30%.This was why the provincial health department decided to try a novel approach. The department has access to a central database that captures the medical history of all patients who are treated within the public sector, as well as all positive Sars-CoV-2 laboratory tests performed in any Western Cape facility, both public and private. This made it possible to see from day-to-day whether there were patients who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 who fell into this extremely high-risk cohort and had not yet been hospitalised. Since we knew one in three of these patients was likely to die, we decided to take action to improve their outcomes. large study in China showed that improved glycaemic (glucose level) control, even over the short term of the illness, improves the outcome in diabetic patients. Also, we were seeing how improved treatment, including providing oxygen to patients, was improving the prognosis in patients whose lungs are affected.Unfortunately, many of these patients were being admitted to hospitals at a point in their downward spiral where either mechanical ventilation was required or only palliative care could be provided. At this point the outcome was usually very poor, with 40% of people in this group dying once admitted to hospital.We set up a team called Vector (Virtual Emergency Care Tactical Operation) on 17 July. Six doctors were recruited. Their job was to perform telemedicine (by telephone or other electronic means) consultations with patients diagnosed with Covid-19 in the highest risk groups.In effect the highest risk patients were called by the VECTOR team and offered admission to an Intermediate Care facility even if they were not clinically ill. If they declined admission initially, they were followed up daily.Their condition could change dramatically within a matter of hours. When in a facility they could be provided with care that may be difficult to provide at home  continuous oxygen, tight glycaemic control, and rapid escalation to higher levels of care if necessary. Our Intermediate Care facilities  the Hospitals of Hope: Cape Town International Convention Centre, Brackengate, and the Sonstraal facility in Paarl  have fortunately been able to offer beds for these patients. The results have been very promising.Prior to this intervention, out of 2,558 patients meeting the high-risk criteria, 718 died (28%). After the intervention was introduced, looking at data up to 14 August 2020 (one month of activity), out of 379 patients who have been allocated to the VECTOR team, only 17 died. Thats a mortality rate of 4.5%.Sadly, there are many patients who the VECTOR team is unable to contact, or who died before they were contacted, but even when these factors are considered, the total mortality rate amongst this high-risk group is still reduced, with a total of 117 deaths out of 592 patients, about 20%.The project has subsequently been extended into rural areas. The team is also supporting the provincial call-centre so that diabetics can be screened for any evidence of deterioration.As the first formal telemedicine initiative that the provincial health department has undertaken, early indications suggest that the VECTOR team has made a positive impact for a highly vulnerable group of patients. This initiative suggests that telemedicine has a valuable future role in the public healthcare system.
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35, 2020

Posted on 2 September 2020 by Doug Bostrom

121 Articles

Physical science of global warming & effects

Linearity of outgoing longwave radiation: From an atmospheric column to global climate models

Observations of global warming & effects

Antarctic Bottom Water Warming in the Brazil Basin: 1990s through 2020, from WOCE to Deep Argo

Rapid worldwide growth of glacial lakes since 1990

Ice-sheet losses track high-end sea-level rise projections

Trends and spatial variation in rain-on-snow events over the Arctic Ocean during the early melt season (open access)

Recent changes in heatwave characteristics over Korea

Roles of sea surface temperature warming and loss of Arctic sea ice in the enhanced summer wetting trend over northeastern Siberia during recent decades

Climate change drives increases in extreme events for lake ice in the Northern Hemisphere

Decline in Temperature Variability on Svalbard

The temperature increase in Greenland has accelerated in the past five years

Aridity trends in the Middle East and adjacent areas

Changing Spatio?Temporal Trends of Heat Wave and Severe Heat Wave Events over India: An emerging health hazard

Different changes in dry and humid heat waves over China

Climatology and trends of reference evapotranspiration in Spain

Secular trend of global drought since 1950

Long-term precipitation in Southwestern Europe reveals no clear trend attributable to anthropogenic forcing

A fingerprint of climate change across pine forests of Sweden

Instrumentation & observational methods of climate & global warming

Revisiting global satellite observations of stratospheric cirrus clouds (open access)

A new algorithm for sea ice melt pond fraction estimation from high?resolution optical satellite imagery

Modeling & simulation of global warming & global warming effects

Arctic Amplification: a Rapid Response to Radiative Forcing

The global?mean precipitation response to CO2?induced warming in CMIP6 models

Drought projections for Australia: Updated results and analysis of model simulations

Downscaling global ocean climate models improves estimates of exposure regimes in coastal environments (open access)

Projected precipitation changes over China for global warming levels at 1.5 C and 2 C in an ensemble of regional climate simulations: impact of bias correction methods

The surface warming attributable to stratospheric water vapor in CO2?caused global warming

The Influence of Warming Patterns on Passive Ocean Heat Uptake

Assessing Shifts in Regional Hydroclimatic Conditions of U.S. River Basins in Response to Climate Change over the 21st Century (open access)

Warming Patterns Affect El Nino Diversity in CMIP5 and CMIP6 Models

The Effect of Explicit Convection on Couplings between Rainfall, Humidity, and Ascent over Africa under Climate Change (open access)

On the Oceanic Origin for the Enhanced Seasonal Cycle of SST in the Midlatitudes under Global Warming

Dramatic Weakening of the Tropical Easterly Jet Projected by CMIP6 Models

Bias-Corrected CMIP5-Derived Single-Forcing Future Wind-Wave Climate Projections toward the End of the Twenty-First Century

Future changes in heatwave severity, duration and frequency due to climate change for the most populous cities

Rising extreme sea levels in the German Bight under enhanced CO2 levels: a regionalized large ensemble approach for the North Sea (open access)

Assessment of rainfall variability and future change in Brazil across multiple timescales

Changes of extreme climate events and related risk exposures in Huang?Huai?Hai river basin under 1.5C2C global warming targets based on high resolution combined dynamical and statistical downscaling dataset

Prediction of coastal flooding risk under climate change impacts in South Korea using machine learning algorithms

Climate change alters flood magnitudes and mechanisms in climatically-diverse headwaters across the northwestern United States

Simulation of long-term direct aerosol radiative forcing over the arctic within the framework of the iAREA project

Climate model advancement

Dynamics for El Nino-La Nina asymmetry constrain equatorial-Pacific warming pattern (open access)

Evaluation of coastal Antarctic precipitation in MAR3.9 regional and LMDz6 global atmospheric model with ground-based radar observations (open access)

Reassessment of shortwave surface cloud radiative forcing in the Arctic: consideration of surface-albedocloud interactions (open access)

Carbonconcentration and carbonclimate feedbacks in CMIP6 models and their comparison to CMIP5 models (open access)

Brief communication: Evaluating Antarctic precipitation in ERA5 and CMIP6 against CloudSat observations (open access)

Process?based analysis of the added value of dynamical downscaling over Central Africa

How can we improve the driving of the Quasi?Biennial Oscillation in climate models?

Sources of the inter?model spread in projected global monsoon hydrological sensitivity

The Future of Sea Ice Modeling: Where Do We Go from Here? (open access)

The Diurnal Temperature Range in CMIP6 Models: Climatology, Variability, and Evolution

The Moisture Budget of Tropical Cyclones in HighResMIP Models: Large-Scale Environmental Balance and Sensitivity to Horizontal Resolution (open access)

Performance of CMIP5 atmospheric general circulation model simulations over the Asian summer monsoon region

Evaluation of CMIP6 for historical temperature and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and its comparison with CMIP5

Cryosphere & climate change

Ice-sheet losses track high-end sea-level rise projections

Seasonal changes in sea ice kinematics and deformation in the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean in 2018/19 (open access)

Linking tundra vegetation, snow, soil temperature, and permafrost (open access)

Modeling intensive oceancryosphere interactions in Lutzow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica (open access)

Drivers for Atlantic-origin waters abutting Greenland (open access)

Trends and spatial variation in rain-on-snow events over the Arctic Ocean during the early melt season (open access)

Understanding Drivers of Glacier Length Variability Over the Last Millennium (open access)

The impact of the Amundsen Sea freshwater balance on ocean melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Physical properties of summer sea ice in the Pacific sector of the Arctic during 2008?2018

Biology & global warming

Latitudinal gradient in the respiration quotient and the implications for ocean oxygen availability (open access)

Biotic rescaling reveals importance of species interactions for variation in biodiversity responses to climate change (open access)

Projected effects of climate change on the distribution and abundance of breeding waterfowl in Eastern Canada

Owls hoards rot

Ocean Acidification has Impacted Coral Growth on the Great Barrier Reef

Climate change reduces the natural range of African wild loquat ( Uapaca kirkiana Mull. Arg., Phyllanthaceae) in south-central Africa

Climate change and ageing in ectotherms

Research challenges and opportunities for using big data in global change biology

Long?term warming destabilizes aquatic ecosystems through weakening biodiversity?mediated causal networks

Shifts in aquatic insect composition in a tropical forest stream after three decades of climatic warming

Satellite-observed decrease in the sensitivity of spring phenology to climate change under high nitrogen deposition

Temperature elevation and acidification damage microstructure of abalone via expression change of crystal induction genes

Previous exposure mediates the response of eelgrass to future warming via clonal transgenerational plasticity

Rapid adaptive evolution to drought in a subset of plant traits in a large?scale climate change experiment

A fingerprint of climate change across pine forests of Sweden

Warming can alter host behavior in a similar manner to infection with behavior-manipulating parasites

GHG sources & sinks, flux

The soil microbial carbon pump: from conceptual insights to empirical assessments

Quantifying net loss of global mangrove carbon stocks from 20 years of land cover change (open access)

Comparison of greenhouse gas fluxes and microbial communities from tropical forest and adjacent oil palm plantations on mineral soil (open access)

Enhancement of the North Atlantic CO2 sink by Arctic Waters (open access)

Aircraft-based inversions quantify the importance of wetlands and livestock for Upper Midwest methane emissions (open access)

On the relationship between tropospheric CO and CO2 during KORUS-AQ and its role in constraining anthropogenic CO2 (open access)

Solute Production and Transport Processes in Chinese Monsoonal Rivers: Implications for Global Climate Change

Lateral particle supply as a key vector in the oceanic carbon cycle

Gelatinous zooplankton?mediated carbon flows in the global oceans: A data?driven modeling study

Structure and parameter uncertainty in centennial projections of forest community structure and carbon cycling

Carbon storage estimation of Lessonia trabeculata kelp beds in Southern Peru: an analysis from the San Juan de Marcona region (open access)

Effects of plant functional group removal on CO2 fluxes and belowground C stocks across contrasting ecosystems

CO2 removal science & engineering

Robust paths to net greenhouse gas mitigation and negative emissions via advanced biofuels (open access)

Negative emissions and the long history of carbon removal

Geoengineering climate

Comparing different generations of idealized solar geoengineering simulations in the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) (open access)

What goes up must come down: impacts of deposition in a sulfate geoengineering scenario

Climate change communications & cognition

Addressing the climate change adaptation puzzle: a psychological science perspective (open access)

Agronomy & climate change

Modeling heat stress under organic dairy farming conditions in warm temperate climates within the Mediterranean basin

Food security under high bioenergy demand toward long-term climate goals (open access)

The value of climate-resilient seeds for smallholder adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (open access)

Prioritization of adaptation measures for improved agricultural water management in Northwest Bangladesh

Impacts of global warming on southern Californias winegrape climate suitability

Agricultural zoning as tool for expansion of cassava in climate change scenarios

Soil indigenous nutrients increase the resilience of maize yield to climatic warming in China

Economics & finance of climate change & mitigation

Rethinking the interplay between affluence and vulnerability to aid climate change adaptive capacity (open access)

Understanding different perspectives on economic growth and climate policy

Emissions trading in the development model of Colombia (open access)

Climate change mitigation & adaptation public policy research

National laws for enhancing flood resilience in the context of climate change: potential and shortcomings (open access)

Climate change adaptation

Progress in climate change adaptation in the Arctic

Improving Chinas Resilience to Climate-Related Risks: The China Framework for Climate Services (open access)

Humans dealing with our global warming

Evaluating the Portuguese diet in the pursuit of a lower carbon and healthier consumption pattern

Public views on carbon taxation and its fairness: a computational-linguistics analysis

Contributions of global warming and urbanization to the intensification of human?perceived heatwaves over China

Powers of 10: seeking sweet spots for rapid climate and sustainability actions between individual and global scales

Early retirement of power plants in climate mitigation scenarios

A modified and improved method to measure economy-wide carbon rebound effects based on the PDA-MMI approach

Other

Lessons from a high-CO2 world: an ocean view from  3 million years ago (open access)

Land use and climate change impacts on global soil erosion by water (open access)

The role of advanced end-use technologies in long-term climate change mitigation: the interlinkage between primary bioenergy and energy end-use (open access)

Enhancing production and flow of freshwater ecosystem services in a managed Himalayan river system under uncertain future climate (open access)

Tidally driven interannual variation in extreme sea level frequencies in the Gulf of Maine

Multivariate hazard assessment for nonstationary seasonal flood extremes considering climate change

The role of internal climate variability in projecting Antarcticas contribution to future sea-level rise (open access)

Three decades of research on climate change and peace: a bibliometrics analysis

Informed opinion & nudges

Unfinished business after five decades of ozone-layer science and policy (open access)

What does the GB power outage on 9 August 2019 tell us about the current state of decarbonised power systems?

Obtaining articles wihout journal subscriptions

We know it's frustrating that many articles we cite here are not free to read. One-off paid access fees are generally astronomically priced, suitable for such as "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" but not as a gamble on unknowns. With a median world income of $US 9,3733, for most of us $US 42 is significant money to wager against a small marginal cost.

Economists of a scientific bent may someday help scientific publishers bring science to their business activities as reflected in rational a la carte article disclosure fees. Meanwhile there are several possible paths to equality of information access short of paying an objectively and crushingly large fee for the unveiling of a single article:

Here's an excellent collection of tips and techniques for obtaining articles, legally.

Unpaywall offers a browser extension for Chrome that automatically indicates when an article is freely accessible and provides immediate access without further trouble. Unpaywall is also unscammy, works well, is itself offered free to use. The organizers (a legitimate nonprofit) report about a 50% success rate

If you're interested in an article and it is not listed here as "open access," be sure to check the link anyway. Due to time constraints open access articles are identified by us via imperfect machine analysis. Compared with Unpaywall statistics we successfully identify roughly 2/3rds of open access articles. There's definitely gold left in the ground.

How is New Research assembled?

Most articles appearing here are found via RSS feeds from journal publishers, filtered by search terms to produce raw output for assessment of relevance.

The objective of New Research isn't to cast a tinge on scientific results, to color readers' impressions. Hence candidate articles are assessed via two metrics only:

Was an article deemed of sufficient merit by a team of journal editors and peer reviewers? The fact of journal RSS output assigns a "yes" to this automatically.

Is an article relevant to the topic of anthropogenic climate change? Due to filter overlap with other publication topics of inquiry about 1/4 of RSS output makes the cut.

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Journals covered

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Previous edition

The previous edition of Skeptical Science New Research may be found here.
If Joe Biden isnt careful, Donald Trump might have a new nickname for him: Shutdown Joe.

Or maybe, Shut Down Joe.

Those monikers came to mind after the former vice presidents biggest blunder in the campaign thus far.

Im referring to Bidens comment, in his interview with ABCs David Muir, that if scientists advised him to shut down the country again to contain a winter surge of COVID-19 and the flu, I would shut it down; I would listen to the scientists. Its the sort of remark that surely plays well with voters who already support him. It might even have notional majority support.

But it doesnt help with the voters Biden needs to avoid antagonizing in swing districts.

Few stories bring that reality into sharper focus than Simon Romeros report on New Mexicos neck-and-neck congressional race between first-term Democratic incumbent, Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, and Yvette Herrell, her Republican challenger. New Mexico has trended Democratic in recent years, and a June poll had Biden with a comfortable lead in the state.

But Romero reports red-hot anger in the district over the restrictive coronavirus policies of the Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, that have helped keep case counts low at a painful economic price. There is open defiance by sheriffs, business owners and many others of Lujan Grishams policies. Turnout in the GOP primary surged by more than 40% over 2016, as against a Democratic increase of 5%.

The strategy of running hard to the right by avowing loyalty to Trump while blasting Democrats for problems associated with the pandemic, Romero adds, could be working for Herrell, who lost the 2018 race by fewer than 4,000 votes.

Whats happening in Torres Smalls district, which in 2016 went for Trump by a 10-point margin, isnt going to decide the presidential race, even in New Mexico. But it offers a taste of a powerful current of anxiety and resentment that Trump has positioned himself to exploit, and that  to judge by his shutdown remark  Biden doesnt seem to grasp.

The anxiety is from people hanging on by their fingernails (if theyre still hanging on at all) to jobs, businesses, livelihoods and homes on account of a pandemic whose toll in lives and health can be weighed against the costs of fighting it. In the hierarchy of fears, what is COVID-19 to a healthy 35-year-old restaurateur next to the prospect of losing everything except a meager government check?

The resentment goes just as deep among those who feel talked down to by people whose own track record as experts leaves something to be desired. Remember when (on Feb. 29) the surgeon general tweeted, Seriously people  Stop buying masks? Remember when the most urgent national need was for more ventilators  until those fears proved largely unfounded? Remember the scientists who hypocritically failed to abide by the sort of strictures they demanded of the public?

None of this is a failure of science per se, or an excuse for reckless personal behavior. It is certainly no justification for Trumps appalling management of the crisis, particularly his failure to promote and provide for adequate testing. But it is a failure by people who claim to speak, with unassailable authority, in the name of science. And loose talk of nationwide shutdowns plays into the fears of voters who feel they have been both impoverished and patronized.

The danger Biden now courts is twofold. He is promising to hand over his decision-making authority to unelected people who, whatever their education, expertise or virtues, havent gained the trust of fence-sitting voters.

And he is proposing to resort to a strategy that, as Wall Street Journal reporter Greg Ip reported Monday, is now being viewed by some economists and even health experts as an overly blunt and economically costly tool that could have been avoided in favor of alternative strategies that could slow the spread of the epidemic at much less cost.

All of this creates a dangerous opening for Trump. Voters wont necessarily turn to Biden if they feel he will merely rubber-stamp the same set of policies that they wanted to avoid in the first place. Democracies elect leaders to lead, not defer; to occasionally buck conventional wisdom, not parrot it.

Biden and his advisers may suppose theyre on a glide path to reelection against a manifestly flawed and failed incumbent. But they face an opponent who fights best when hes cornered, and who will take the same ruthless political advantage of Bidens line that George W. Bushs campaign did of John Kerrys calamitous classic about the Iraq War, I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it. The Hippocratic oath for the Biden campaign should be, First, do no self-harm.

The next time Biden is asked about lockdowns, he might cite a line from John F. Kennedy: Scientists alone can establish the objectives of their research, the 35th president said, But society, in extending support to science, must take into account its own needs.

Thats a line to win over a wavering voter.

Bret Stephens is a New York Times columnist.
Woman Dies as Part of 'Human Chain' Trying to Rescue Swimmers on Ala. Beach

Woman Dies as Part of 'Human Chain' Trying to Rescue Swimmers on Ala. Beach

Karen Graham was visiting Fort Morgan with friends as part of a girls' trip when the accident occurred

A Tennessee mother of two was killed over the weekend after a human chain she reportedly helped form to rescue a pair of beachgoers in Alabama went awry.

Karen Graham, 54, was on a girls trip with friends at the beach in Fort Morgan on Saturday when they got word that someone in the water needed help, NBC affiliate WPMI reported.

Someone started hollering for help, and Karen took off running to help, Grahams mother Laura Carrigan told the outlet.

She and about 20 other people quickly banded together and held hands to form a human chain, with Graham at the very front of the line, and they entered the water to make their way to the person calling for help, according to WPMI.

Go Fund Me Karen Graham

At some point, however, the chain fell apart, leaving those involved in distress. The Coast Guard reportedly said that it sent a response boat to the scene from Dauphin Island, but all rescues were made by local responders with Fort Morgan Fire Rescue.

Fort Morgan, Alabama

[Graham] was the first one in, and she was the furthest in the surf, so she got tossed around more than anybody else, Carrigan told CBS affiliate WKRG. She just didnt make it.

Graham was airlifted to a local hospital, but Carrigan told WPMI that the doctor said her daughter had swallowed too much water, and ultimately died of a heart attack from the salt build-up.

RELATED: 29-Year-Old Man Dies Trying to Save 3 Children From California River: 'Our Hero'

Im hurt, of course, that shes gone, but I know she worked really hard to save those girls lives, Carrigan told the outlet.

WPMI reported that the Coast Guard initially said it received a 911 report of a 9-year-old boy having been swept out into the current, though a witness who provided the outlet with video of the human chain said that the would-be victims were actually two young women.

Story continues

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Neither the Coast Guard not the Fort Morgan Fire Department immediately responded to PEOPLEs request for comment.

While Fort Morgan Assistant Fire Chief Michael Ludvigsen praised the bravery of those forming the chain, he told WPMI that people should refrain from making similar rescue attempts.

Dont get me wrong, there have been times when human chains have been successful. Its extremely dangerous, he said. Youre putting so many more people in danger.

RELATED: 18-Year-Old Dies After Rescuing 2 Friends Who 'Encountered Trouble' While Swimming in Ocean

A GoFundMe page arranged for the Collierville-based Grahams family has so far raised more than $5,000.

Karen is a HERO!! She gave her life to save another! She is also an organ donor and will be saving many more lives! the page read. I bet she is up in heaven dancing, like she loved to do!

Carrigan added to WKRG that her daughter was an energetic problem-solver, who loved life and would do anything for anybody.
A biker in his 60s has become the first person to die from COVID-19 after attending Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which saw more than 460,000 people descend on South Dakota for the 10-day annual event.

The Minnesota man, who has not been named, had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after returning from the rally and testing positive for coronavirus.

More than 260 people across 11 states have been infected by the killer virus in connection to the event, reported The Washington Post.

Cases in the Midwest and the Dakotas have surged in the two weeks after the rally and health experts are warning the true cost of holding the event could be far worse than official figures show.

A biker in his 60s has become the first person to die from COVID-19 after attending Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (pictured)

More than 460,000 people descended on South Dakota for the 10-day annual event

Photos from the rally showed masses descend on the small town where people packed close together in bars, restaurants and tattoo parlors with very few wearing masks and social distancing

The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed Wednesday the death of the man in his 60s and said he was one of at least 49 people in the state who have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the rally.

Kris Ehresmann, infectious-disease director at the Minnesota Department of Health, said rallygoers returned 'to locations that weren't seeing as much transmission to begin with' and spread the virus.

'You have the potential to amplify transmission in multiple places. That's what's concerning from a broader public health standpoint,' said Ehresman.

Multiple states have reported infections among Sturgis participants, with Post analysis recording the outbreak from the event now spans at least 11 states.

Meanwhile, cellphone data from Camber Systems places the reach even further, recording that 61 percent of all US counties have been visited by a rallygoer.

The host state of South Dakota has been hardest-hit by the fallout from the event, with local officials reporting 105 infections directly linked to the rally.

State health officials put out alerts about three potential COVID-19 exposures while the event was going on, after infected people visited businesses in the local area.

The map used anonymous cellphone data to track the movement of rallygoers into Sturgis in the days leading up to the event

Health experts believe the impact from the event could be far greater than official figures will ever reveal due to limitations in contact tracing in some states and because some rallygoers are averse to testing.

The Sturgis rally brings hundreds of thousands of people and their motorcycles from all over the US to western South Dakota each year.

Locals, officials and health experts voiced concerns about the 2020 event - which took place from August 7 to August 16 - due to the pandemic.

South Dakota, which had no limits on the size of indoor crowds and no mask mandate, was already experiencing a growth in COVID-19 infections in the month leading up to the rally.

But organizers plowed ahead and it was very much business as usual, with attendees not required to wear masks and no limit on the size of crowds.

The rally is thought to have been the biggest event held across the whole of the US since many states banned large events back in March when the pandemic started ripping through America.

Cellphone data tracked the movements of rallygoers in and out of Sturgis in the days leading up to the event.

The map created by data visualization company Tectonix, with the help of location-data firms X-Mode Social and SafeGraph, showed the extent of the widespread travel from across the country.

The majority of those who traveled to Sturgis came from the Midwest and South, it showed - states such as Texas and Arizona that were then in the grips of escalating outbreaks.

South Dakota daily positive cases. Infections in the Midwest and the Dakotas have surged in the two weeks following the event

Photos from the rally showed masses descend on the small town where people packed close together in bars, restaurants and tattoo parlors with very few wearing masks and social distancing.

Just days after the event concluded and people returned to their homes all across the US, the first cases directly linked to the rally began springing up in South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Infections in the Midwest and the Dakotas have surged in the two weeks following the event.

On August 7 - the first day of the event - South Dakota recorded 96 new cases of the virus.

Fast forward to August 28 and the daily cases reached a record high of 398.

In North Dakota, cases have more than doubled since the start of the rally, rising from 180 confirmed new cases on August 7 to a peak of 373 on August 28.

More than 6 million Americans have now been infected with coronavirus and the nation's death toll has topped 183,000.
A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic P...

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Godwin Obaseki and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC are currently in a peace meeting.

The meeting was convened by the Oba of Benin.

The Omo NOba NEdo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II called the meeting ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the State.

The election according to political analysts is majorly between PDPs Godwin Obaseki and APCs Ize-Iyamu.

Oshiomhole, Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu and other major political actors in Edo have, however, been summed by Oba Ewuare for peace talks ahead of the election.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:14:55|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani celebrated on Wednesday the Iranian diplomacy's "historic" success against the U.S. efforts at the UN Security Council to restore UN sanctions on Iran.

"I don't know of any case in history where the U.S. submitted a draft resolution in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and only obtained one vote," Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting broadcast by official IRNA news agency.

The Iranian president derided as "childish" the U.S. attempts to use a mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to reinstate UN sanctions, after Washington "completely" abandoned the agreement in 2018.

Referring to his recent phone conversation with the sitting president of the UNSC, Indonesia's Permanent Representative Dian Triansyah Djani, Rouhani said the UNSC chief also believed Washington has no right to use the mechanism.

Referring to the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting in Vienna on Tuesday, Rouhani said all P4+1 members explicitly shared Iran's view on the matter.

The United States not only has pulled out of JCPOA, but even threatened to punish any state committed to respect the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 issued after the JCPOA agreement, he added.

According to the Iranian government's predictions, Rouhani said, the non-oil sector of Iran's economy will be growing again next year, after two years of contraction caused by the U.S. sanctions. Enditem
RTHK: US further restricts Chinese diplomats

The United States will now require senior Chinese diplomats in the country to receive approvals from the State Department before visiting US university campuses and holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside the mission grounds, the Department said on Wednesday.

Washington cast the new moves as a response to what it said was Beijing's restrictions on American diplomats based in China. In a statement, the agency also said it was going to take action to help ensure all Chinese embassy and consular social media accounts were 'properly identified.' (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 09:48:23|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe government has begun preparing for a gradual resumption of domestic flights, as daily COVID-19 cases have been on a decline over the past few weeks.

"The plan is to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then move to international flights," Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said at a post-cabinet media briefing Tuesday.

"Government is finalizing on modalities for the reopening of airports to support the resumption of the tourism sector," Mutsvangwa added.

Zimbabwe closed its borders and airports in late March following the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

The government in June approved the resumption of the tourism sector, including boat operations.

Zimbabwe has recorded 6,559 COVID-19 cases with 5,241 recoveries and 203 deaths as of Tuesday. Enditem
U.S. to launch new annual economic dialogue with Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

09/01/2020 12:19 PM

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) The United States announced Monday that it will hold a new annual senior-level economic dialogue with Taiwan to strengthen bilateral economic ties, after Taiwan pledged last week it would open its market to previously banned categories of American pork and beef.

The announcement was made by David Stilwell, assistant secretary of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement late Monday.

The new platform, titled "Economic and Commercial Dialogue," will be led by the Department of State's under secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment, the statement said.

"This new senior-level annual economic dialogue will provide a platform to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan economic ties across a spectrum of priority issues, including reorienting technology and medical product supply chains; enhancing investment screening and intellectual property rights protection; and expanding infrastructure and energy sector collaboration," the statement said.

No indication was given of when the first annual meeting under the new platform might be held.

The announcement was made after President Tsai Ing-wen () on Friday said her administration will set maximum residue levels (MRL) for the controversial veterinary drug ractopamine in pork to allow imports of such pork from the U.S., starting on Jan. 1, 2021.

Tsai also said Taiwan would open its market to U.S. beef from cattle aged over 30 months, which has been barred because of fears of mad-cow disease.

Ractopamine is currently banned for use in pigs in Taiwan as well as in the European Union and China because of concerns over its safety to both animals and humans.

But the U.S. has long criticized Taiwan's zero-tolerance policy for ractopamine in pigs as an impediment to trade, and it has not held formal talks on trade with Taiwan through the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) framework since October 2016.

Tsai's announcement was welcomed by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and in Monday's statement, AIT commended Taiwan "for taking significant steps toward fulfilling its commitments on market access for U.S. pork and beef."

"These steps affirm Taiwan's global position as a reliable trading partner and will bring Taiwan into line with international standards applied by countries around the world," it said.

The Economic and Commercial Dialogue will take bilateral economic ties "to the next level," said AIT, the de facto American embassy in Taiwan.

Despite the general praise from the U.S. government, its main agency responsible for trade, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), has not issued any response to Tsai's announcement.

The USTR has been engaged in trade talks with China and may not feel the timing is right to jump into trade negotiations with Taiwan, but it was unclear if the creation of the new dialogue platform was at all related to the USTR's lack of reaction to Taiwan's move.

The USTR has been in charge of the bilateral TIFA talks since they began in 1994.

In response to the AIT's announcement, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang () thanked the U.S. for "taking a concrete move to deepen the Taiwan-U.S. trade and economic partnership."

"We hope that the dialogue will be an opportunity to forge new areas of economic cooperation between the two countries and allow Taiwan to better integrate with other world economies and become a key power in global supply chain," he added.

(By Chen Yun-yu, Yeh Su-ping and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ls

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A Roanoke County judge has certified charges to the grand jury against a Craig County woman who is accused of causing a fatal head-on collision in May.

Heather Renee Jones, 34, is charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and driving with a revoked license.

Jones appeared via video Wednesday in Roanoke County General District Court for a preliminary hearing. Judge Scott Geddes certified her charges to the grand jury, which will meet Oct. 2. The grand jury will decide if the case will move on for trial in circuit court.

According to search warrants, Jones was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Virginia 311 around 11:50 a.m. May 19 when her vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic. Her SUV collided with a Mini Cooper in the 3300 block of Catawba Valley Drive near Masons Cove.

The driver of the Mini Cooper, Jerry Lee Broughman II, 31, of New Castle, died at the scene. There was a young girl in the passenger seat of the Mini Cooper and a child in the back seat, both of whom were severely injured, according to witness testimony in court Wednesday.

Jones and the two girls were transported to the hospital.

According to both witness testimony and court documents, Jones had been released from the Roanoke City Jail the week before the accident.

Toxicology results showed that Jones had heroin in her system the day of the wreck. A doctor who analyzed the samples testified Wednesday that Jones most likely used heroin that morning. The doctor said she also found fentanyl at a concentration that could be considered lethal in some individuals.

Jones is being held in the Western Virginia Regional Jail.

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A 26-year-old woman iidentified as Rutendo Nhemachena has reportedly died while undergoing baptism at Manyame river in Zimbabwe.



Nhemachena is believed to have been possessed by a mermaid spirit before becoming violent and jumping into the river where the leading prophet, Isaac Manyemba was cleansing men and women with his aide only identified as Mai Manyika or Madzimai Jennifer.



HMetro reported that the people who were with her believed that she had been grabbed by a mermaid and didnt try to rescue her. Manyemba confirmed the tragic event by saying Nhemachena overpowered him and seemed like she was possessed by a mermaid spirit.



The Prophet said;



The two convinced me and I led them to the river where we attended to a number of men and women when Nhemachena suddenly came into the river possessed.



She pushed all of us and we failed to handle her before she immersed me and disappeared into the water.



We were comforted by one woman who claimed that her child was once taken by a mermaid when he was seven years old and returned from water at the age of 14."



Nhemachena family spokesperson, Patience Gwebede however denied suggestions that the deceased was abducted by a mermaid. She said the deceased was going to be buried in Chihota after a post mortem.



He said;



We are expecting the law to take its course as well as get an explanation from the traditional healer or Madzibaba and Madzimai who were conducting the cleansing ceremony."



National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the mishap and said the police are still investigating the circumstances leading to the drowning.





Source: LIB









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Twenty-five Bangladeshi nationals, who were lodged in Assams Dhubri district jail, were released and sent back to their country on Wednesday, an official said. They were in judicial custody since May 3 for breaching terms and conditions of their visas.

The Bangladeshis were sent back through Chengrabandha checkpost in West Bengals Cooch Behar district, a senior official of the Dhubri district administration said. The Bilasipara Sub Division Court of Dhubri district had passed an order regarding the release of the 25 Bangladeshis on Saturday.

The development came following a request from Bangladesh responding to which the police decided to withdraw the case against them and subsequently the court dropped the charges and ordered their release, the official said. Twenty-six men, including a person who died on July 1, had entered India on tourist visas but worked as fishermen in Jorhat and Sivsagar districts in the state.

On May 3, they had hired two vehicles from Jorhat for returning to their country during the nationwide lockdown. However, the Bangladeshis were stopped at Bahalpurunder Chapar police station of Dhubri district.

Since then, they were lodged in Dhubri jail. They were booked under certain sections of the Foreigners Amendment Act 2004 and the Passport Act 1967.

Meanwhile, 57-year old Bokul Mia, died on July 1 at Dhubri Civil Hospital where he was admitted after he had complained of uneasiness. The swab sample of the deceased was taken for COVID-19 testing and it was found to be negative. Bokul Mias body was handed over to his family members in the neighbouring country, the official said.
Erica Nlewedim, a Nigerian Actress and participant in Big Brother Nigeria Lockdown 2020, has become the target of public criticism from Nigerian influencers and celebrities because of her choice to reject the advances of another housemate. The rejected housemate, Laycon, confessed to being in a long-term relationship during his first week in the Big Brother house.

Following the outpouring of slutshaming, negative attacks on Erica by prominent Nigerians on social media, young African women are sharing similar experiences dealing with blowback from entitled men that they rejected. Visit #EricaIsMe for more tweets.

You refuse to date a lecturer he goes giving you an 'F'. You refuse to sleep with the Director he doesn't give you the role.A guy asks you out you say no he goes telling his friends he has slept with you.All this hate on Erica cos she said No #EricaIsMe STOP THE HATE#BBNaija  YourSoulMate  (@fhaleelahketan) September 2, 2020

I lost an internship opportunity just because the CEO asked me out and I turned him down because I wasnt attracted nor interested in him. I thought I was entitled to my own choice. But I guess its not so. I feel what Erica is going through because #EricaIsMe #Bbnaija  Bervelyn (@Bervelynnnnnn) September 2, 2020





Timeline of Events for ONTD

Week 1: Erica and laycon become friends. She waxes poetic over his talent and intelligence; Nigerians, after making fun of his appearance on opening night, appreciate her for her perceived lack of judgement.

Week 2: Erica and Kiddwaya develop a romantic connection, share a kiss in a truth or dare game. Laycon decides he has feelings for her.

Week 3: Laycon tells Erica about said feelings. She attempts to let him down easy by telling him she is only mentally attracted to him and wants to stay friends. Erica hooks up with Kiddwaya; Nigerians start slutshaming her, calling her Fingerica, and posting her videos on pornsites. Laycon begins a conversation tour around the house where he misrepresents her position and implies that she is leading him on.

Week 4-5: Laycon's tour continues. Best hits are 'I feel disgusted when i see them together', 'She is mentally unstable and expected all the guys to pursue her', 'I feel like she is the kind of girl that if I push hard enough, it will surely enter'. Other housemates decide that Erica is the bad person for hooking up with another single person instead of the guy in a long-term relationship, call her a gold-digger, player, and witch/diabolical person. Erica remains oblivious, spends most of her time with Kiddwaya, and tries to maintain a friendship with Laycon.

Week 6: Erica finds out that Laycon has been talking about her, gets angry, and decides to give him space. While black-out drunk (and in an argument with Kiddwaya), she has a conciliatory conversation with Laycon, asks for a hug at the end of it. He kisses her neck and face instead, but tells the other housemates that she tried to kiss him.

Week 7: Erica finally finds out that he has misrepresented her to other housemates. She makes it clear that she was never interested in a romantic relationship with him, and now, she's not invested in a friendship anymore. She says she wants him to stop talking about her and nominates him for eviction.

What follows is 72 straight hours of even more negative attacks on her. Prominent Nigerian celebrities and influencers have called her a whore, gold-digger, rich man's sextoy, classist b*tch etc. They also trended a hashtag with calls to disqualify her from the show.

ONTD, would you remain convinced you had a chance with a girl if she moved like this with another man 24/7?
Princess Diana met her untimely demise in a car crash on August 31 in 1997. Thus, people who admired the princess showed love and paid condolences for the departed Royal on social media. People shared their experiences and even spoke of the several good deeds done by Princess Diana. Amid this, the Royal Chef of Princess Diana too remembered her in a special way by posting a photograph which was given to him by Princess Diana herself. Chef Darren McGrady took to Twitter to share this image with people who were remembering the Queen of Hearts on her death anniversary.

Princess Diana's former chef shares an image of her

Also Read | 'The Crown' Season 4 Teaser Gives Fans A Glimpse Of Princess Diana Spencer; See Here

The picture featured Princess Diana dressed in denim pants along with a white shirt as she struck a pose for the camera. She autographed the picture with the word To Darren, Love from Diana. Darren shared this picture and captioned the post mentioning that 23 years ago, the world lost Princess Diana. He called her a special lady and so did a number of people who commented on the picture. People shared their condolences and tributes to the Princess on her death anniversary and even went on to speak about what a great woman she was. Users on Twitter also thanked Princess Diana for showing the true meaning of love, strength and courage.

Also Read | Peoples Princess Diana Died In A Car Crash On This Day In 1997; Read More

Twenty three years ago today the world lost this special lady. #PrincessDiana pic.twitter.com/JZf5ASebek  Darren McGrady (@DarrenMcGrady) August 31, 2020

Also Read | Princess Diana Musical To Premiere On Netflix Before Its Broadway Release In 2021

Another user even tweeted that they continue to miss Princess Diana who truly was the Queen of hearts. Several people also wrote about how Princess Diana inspired them by her selfless deeds. Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed met their untimely demise in a car crash when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont de LAlma tunnel. During the time of her death, her children William and Harry were only 15 and 12 respectively. According to Express UK, the brothers usually mark the death anniversary of their mother together. However, the pandemic situations coupled with Prince Harrys move to the US will make the brothers do things differently this year. The news portal claimed that the brothers will, however, connect through a video call to mark this day and remember their mother, Princess Diana.

Also Read | Who Is Elizabeth Debicki, The Actress Playing Princess Diana In 'The Crown'?

Remembering our Queen of hearts Princess Diana. #PrincessDiana pic.twitter.com/eMYQHNKfVb  marcia thorne (@RobinEarthAngel) August 31, 2020

Gone for 23 years today. Its important to remember someone who was so accepting and loving to ALL people when the country is so divided today. #PrincessDiana pic.twitter.com/PuIYJlkuUw  Nikki Hoskins  (@nhoskins34) September 1, 2020
New Delhi, Sep 3 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday that it has arrested notorious hawala operator Naresh Jain, who is suspected to have facilitated illegal transactions amounting to more than Rs 96,000 crore in India using over 600 accounts.

A senior ED official told IANS that the agency has arrested Jain under the sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

A Delhi court sent him to nine days' ED custody.

The official said that Jain along his accomplices has allegedly facilitated illegal transactions involving more than Rs 96,000 crore in India using over 600 bank accounts.

He said that Jain also transferred about Rs 11,800 crore to 114 overseas bank accounts on various pretexts.

The official said that he was arrested following a case registered by Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

He said that investigation conducted so far has revealed that Jain along with his accomplices hatched a criminal conspiracy to forge or fabricate documents in order to cause loss to the government exchequer by indulging in illegal foreign exchange transactions.

The official claimed that Jain allegedly ran an international syndicate of transferring funds through hawala channels using shell companies, tour-and-travel firms and through the formal banking network.

He said documents like identity proof, birth and education certificates, voter IDs, PAN cards and signatures were forged or fabricated to incorporate entities, operating bank accounts, facilitating bogus or over-invoiced or under-invoiced import and export transactions and rotation of the funds through a web of shell companies to cause undue benefit to the parties involved and loss to the government exchequer.

The official also said that Jain also facilitated parking of funds abroad by Indian nationals through his international hawala transaction structure created in India and in various other jurisdictions.

The official said that during investigation, it has been revealed that 450 shell companies have been used to rotate funds to the tune of Rs 96,000 crore for providing accommodation entries of Rs 18,680 crore to more than 970 beneficiaries.

The Delhi-based businessman has been under the scanner of the probe agencies for some time now and in 2016, the financial probe agency had slapped a Rs 1,204 crore notice on him for alleged contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The official said that Jain had financed contraband networks and was also arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the past.

He said that Jain was arrested by the NCB on December 6, 2009, following which he was picked up by the ED. He remained in judicial detention and custody for over a year.

He claimed that Jain was once pursued by the law enforcement agencies of Italy and the UAE and he had also come under the scanner of authorities in the US and the UK.

In its 2009 report shared with the Indian agencies, the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) had said that it had been tracking a money laundering racket involving the Delhi-based businessman, who was then allegedly operating from Dubai, and his accomplices since 2005.

Another ED official said that authorities in the UAE had sent a report to their Indian counterparts in 2009-10, alleging that Jain's syndicate facilitated money transfers in dirhams worth about Rs 2 lakh crore, suspected to have been raised through drug trade and bribery.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions Wednesday on the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, objecting to an investigation of US soldiers for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Also added to the US sanctions blacklist was Phakiso Mochochoko, director of the ICCs Jurisdiction, Complementary and Cooperation Division, for having materially assisted Prosecutor Bensouda, Pompeo said.

Pompeo said other ICC officials have already faced denial of visas to the United States over the investigations of US military personnel.

Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly, he said.

He added that visa restrictions and broader sanctions could be applied to those helping Bensouda and Mochochoko.

 Kangaroo court 

The move came after President Donald Trump authorized sanctions on the Hague-based tribunal on June 11 for probing and prosecuting US troops.

Pompeo at the time referred to the ICC as a kangaroo court and warned that if US soldiers are investigated by it, those of US allies in Afghanistan risk the same threat.

US Attorney General Bill Barr said in June that the ICC has become little more than a political tool employed by unaccountable international elites.

The sanctions were announced just two months before US elections, in which Trump is running in part on his record of standing up to international institutions which dont bow to US demands.

But Washingtons move also added to the broader pressure on the ICC to shore up its legitimacy, 18 years after it was founded to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The United States  like Russia, China, Israel, Syria and a number of other countries  is not a member of the ICC, and its opposition to the court is longstanding.

In 2002 the US Congress even passed the so-called Hague Invasion Act allowing the US president to authorize military force to free any US personnel held by the ICC, in theory making an invasion of Dutch shores a possibility.

 New low 

But the investigation into alleged wartime atrocities in Afghanistan possibly involving US military and civilian officials has turned Washingtons low-level opposition into a concerted campaign against the institution.

The United States argues that it has its own procedures in place to investigate accusations against troops.

Trump, however, used his executive powers last year to clear three military members over war crimes, including in Afghanistan.

Also underpinning Washingtons enmity is the ICCs investigation into alleged war crimes by US ally Israel against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Last year the Trump administration revoked Bensoudas US visa, but the court has continued with the probe, leading to the presidents June decision to permit economic sanctions against the court.

Balkees Jarrah, senior counsel at Human Rights Watch, said the sanctions move Wednesday Marks a shameful new low for US commitments to justice for victims of the worst crimes.
More than three in four Irish people (76 percent) donate unwanted items to charity shops because it reduces the amount of clothes being binned, according to research carried out by Oxfam Ireland.

With 13 million tonnes of textile waste produced globally each year - 95 percent of which can be reused or recycled  this statistic indicates a positive Irish response to a situation that is increasingly harming our planet.

225,000 tonnes of textiles are dumped in Ireland each year  some of which can take up to 200 years to decompose. Landfills are being fuelled by a global culture of throwaway fashion that is recognised as one of the biggest polluters in the world today, while also using up vast amounts of water in production processes; a vital and lifesaving natural resource denied to so many people.

Oxfam Ireland is proud to be a solution to throwaway fashion through its network of 42 shops across the island of Ireland, which accept and sell pre-loved clothes, shoes, accessories, handbags and more, diverting them from landfill.

Today, Oxfam is asking people to join them through Second Hand September  a challenge to say yes to shopping second hand for the month of September. The aid agency, which supports communities across the world impacted by the climate crisis, is encouraging people to take on the personal challenge for 30 days and discover the joys of pre-loved shopping.

Michael McIlwaine, Oxfam Irelands Head of Retail, said: Cheap production and plummeting prices means the clothes we buy often have a short lifespan, with more and more ending up in landfill sooner than they should. Our shops play a part by offering people a way to reduce the amount of items in Irish landfills as well as a way to reuse and extend the lifecycle of clothes and other items.

By donating and shopping in-store, the Irish public are not just protecting our environment, but are also supporting some of the most vulnerable communities worldwide, including those adversely affected by the climate crisis. People may not realise how much value and power their pre-loved donations and purchases hold. Every garment or item donated to, or bought in Oxfam raises vital funds to fight inequality and support our global mission to beat poverty.

Throughout September, were calling on people to say yes to second hand for 30 days. Our shop teams are ready to help people start, or indeed continue, their journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, starting with the clothes they buy. People can find out where their nearest Oxfam shop is, as well as lots of second hand shopping tips and inspiration throughout the month by visiting our website  www.oxfamireland.org/shs.

To learn more about Oxfams Second Hand September challenge, visit: www.oxfamireland.org/shs
A MAN has been charged with the murder of a Polish national in Wexford.

David Bolger (42) appeared before Gorey District Court charged with the murder of Przemyslaw Klimczuk (43) on May 1 last.

Mr Klimczuk died after being found with critical injuries at the Ashbrook Estate outside Enniscorthy four months ago.

Despite desperate efforts by emergency services personnel to assist him at the scene, he was pronounced dead a short time later.

David Bolger of Irish Street, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford appeared before Gorey District Court charged with the Polish man's murder.

The court was told by Detective Garda Paul Hayes that the accused was arrested, cautioned and charged with the single count at Enniscorthy Garda Station.

Judge John Cheadle was told the defendant made no reply when the charge was put to him.

As the charge involved is murder, bail can only be dealt with by the High Court.

Judge Cheadle heard the State was applying for a remand in custody.

He remanded Bolger in custody to appear again, via video link, before Cloverhill District Court on September 8.

Defence solicitor, Edward King, said his client was unemployed and applied for free legal aid.

Judge Cheadle granted the application and a request that the defendant receive any medical treatment he might require while in custody.

Prezemyslaw Klimczuk had moved to Ireland from his native Poland a number of years ago.

He worked in a number of jobs over the years including at a bakery and latterly at a meat plant.

The Pole, who was a father of two, had been resident in north Wexford for several years.
KAMLOOPS, B.C. - A pair of Snowbird jets took off from Kamloops, B.C., Tuesday, more than three months after a fatal crash near the city's airport.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - A pair of Snowbird jets took off from Kamloops, B.C., Tuesday, more than three months after a fatal crash near the city's airport.

The jets were given approval last week to head to their home base in Moose Jaw, Sask., after being grounded because of the crash on May 17.

Capt. Jennifer Casey, the team's public affairs officer, was killed, while pilot Capt. Richard MacDougall was seriously hurt.

It's believed the plane went down shortly after hitting a bird while taking off from the airport, crashing in a Kamloops neighbourhood.

Lt.-Col. Denis Bandet, the Snowbirds' commanding officer, says the team intends to return to Kamloops next week to get the rest of the planes.

Bandet says the Snowbirds will be forever grateful to the residents of Kamloops for their support during a difficult time.

He says MacDougall is recovering from his injuries and getting the best care from the medical staff at 15 Wing in Moose Jaw.

When the Royal Canadian Air Force announced the Tutor jets were allowed back into the air on Aug. 24, it also said there would be new restrictions for the aerobatics team.

The crash in May was the second in less than eight months and came after another jet went down in Georgia last October. A report released in June said a parachute became tangled in the ejection seat, leaving the pilot with minor injuries.

Similar concerns were raised by investigators in the May crash, which remains under investigation.

Col. Ron Walker, commander of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, said last week that next season will look different for spectators, with new restrictions on the jets' minimum flying height and speed.

(CHNL,The Canadian Press)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.
Syngenta India, a leading agriculture company, launched a series of national-level CSR interventions and support programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The programs have been successful in benefiting over 1.5 million farmers and farming communities ever since the lockdown was announced, thereby helping farmers sell 2442 metric tons of their produce.

These initiatives helped farmers earn Rs 4.87 crore amid the lockdown through a collaborative effort by Syngenta India Limited, Syngenta Foundation India, and Agri-Entrepreneur Growth Foundation (AEGF).

At the onset of the lockdown, an initiative was undertaken to provide financial services support to the farmers and underprivileged sections in Bihar through the extensive network of Agri Entrepreneurs (AE).

The digital financial transactions worth more than Rs 13.5 lakhs were successfully completed across ten districts of Bihar, through Spice Money and IDFC tools during March and April 2020.

In collaboration with the state government of Bihar, AEs ensured the availability of 13,266 ration cards for families below the poverty line. The AEs have helped more than 2,000 women, farmers, to access their Jan-Dhan accounts and have facilitated 2,000 farmers access PM KISAN, the national direct cash transfer scheme.

"Since the March 2020 lockdown, our AEs' have helped 12,290 smallholder farmers sell 6642 metric tons of produce and have enabled them to earn Rs 4.87 crores," said Dr KC Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India.

"As part of the program 500 boxes of grapes from Nasik were delivered to housing societies in Pune, transported grapes to Patiala, Punjab; supplied vegetables from Nasik to the e-commerce player, Go4Fresh; dispensed 100 metric tons of maize to online agronomy player Agri-Bazaar in Bihar; sold ten metric tons of onions in Delgur; traded 70 metric tons onions in Kota, and 42.5 metric tons in Alwar; marketed and sold 301 MT of jackfruit and watermelon in Jharkhand and ten metric tons of tea leaves from Assam. Under this project, we ensured an efficient sorting and grading mechanism that has helped build more trust between buyers and sellers, and this has resulted in better prices for the produce," added Ravi, giving details of the program.

"The AE program model positions an AE to fully understand the situation and respond quickly and precisely to farmers' agricultural needs, thus providing a high quality of response," said Rajendra Jog, CEO, AEGF.

Launched during 2019, AEGF is a collaboration between Tata Trusts and Syngenta Foundation India, aimed at creating wealth for resource-poor smallholder farmers in India through innovation, sustainable agriculture, and by linking them to value chains.

The awareness and education program driven by AEGF have so far successfully reached out to more than 15.8 lakh farmer family members and directly to over three lakh farmers in the states of Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana through a network of 1782 trained Agri Entrepreneurs (AE).

As part of CSR, Syngenta also provided frontline health professionals with 20,000 face masks, gloves, and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in many states, successfully implementing sanitization and awareness programs across 100 villages in partnership with state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.

3000 PPE kits to Frontline workers including 1000 kits to Sasoon Hospital Pune was also provided under this initiative.

Under Syngenta's CSR program, over 6,000 poor families were provided with essential grocery items in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Goa.

In partnership with Akshaya Patra, ISAP, and other NGOs, Syngenta has been providing food packets to farmers, truck drivers and workers across Punjab, Haryana Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Odisha, UP, Rajasthan, and Gujarat in major APMCs and Mandis.

"Through this initiative, we supplied about three lakh food packets," added Dr Ravi.

This story is provided by /BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the co

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This initiative is part of the SuburbanCares corporate pillar, which highlights Suburban Propane's continued dedication to giving back to local communities throughout its 41-state footprint. Suburban Propane has undertaken similar initiatives to support frontline healthcare workers in some of the most affected COVID-19 regions across the country, including: Chicago, Illinois; throughout the Greater Baltimore area, Maryland; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Syracuse, New York; Washington D.C.; and most recently, Tampa, Florida.

"We would like to take this time to recognize and thank all Houston Methodist medical and non-medical staff working around the clock to help the local community in these uncertain times," said Nandini Sankara, Spokesperson for Suburban Propane. "We are grateful to Whataburger for their collaboration in support of these great healthcare workers in Houston."

"Frontline healthcare workers are true everyday heroes, and they need our support now more than ever as they work tirelessly to serve the Houston community," said Whataburger Regional Director of Operations Jeff Foster. "Whataburger is proud to partner with Suburban Propane to show our most sincere gratitude and provide a warm meal to the brave men and women at Houston Methodist Hospital  Texas Medical Center."

"We are truly grateful when our frontline workers receive thanks and donations of meals," says Roberta Schwartz, Executive Vice President of Houston Methodist Hospital. "They are heroes in this pandemic, and it's so heartening to see their dedication appreciated. These meals provide a great morale boost."

Additional information on Suburban Propane's nationwide COVID-19 relief efforts can be found at https://www.suburbanpropane.com/ .

About Suburban Propane

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., is a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, servicing over 1 million customers through its 700 locations across 41 states. The company proudly celebrated 90 years of innovation, growth and quality service in 2018. The brand is currently focused on three core elements including Suburban Commitment - showcasing the company's 90+ year legacy of flexibility, reliability and dependability, Suburban Cares - highlighting dedication to serving local communities across the nation and Go Green with Suburban Propane - promoting the affordable, clean burning and versatile nature of propane as a bridge to a green energy future. Suburban Propane is a New York Stock Exchange listed limited partnership headquartered in Whippany, NJ. For additional information on Suburban Propane, please visit http://www.suburbanpropane.com/.

About Whataburger:

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 830 locations in 10 states and sales of more than $2.5 billion annually. Whataburger has 46,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 14 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just the way they like it. Whataburger is currently hiring restaurant leaders and offers competitive salaries, benefits and training. Visit whataburger.com for more information.

About Houston Methodist:

Houston Methodist comprises a leading academic medical center in the Texas Medical Center and six community hospitals serving the Greater Houston area. Each hospital is staffed by committed personnel who exemplify our I CARE values: integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence. Patient safety, quality and service are our highest priorities.

Houston Methodist Hospital, the system's flagship, is consistently listed among U.S. News & World Report's best hospitals , and we extend that same level of quality care across the system. Other available centers include Houston Methodist Emergency Care Centers, the Houston Methodist Imaging Center , the Houston Methodist Breast Care Center and the Houston Methodist Outpatient Center.

SOURCE Suburban Propane Partners, L.P.

Related Links

https://www.suburbanpropane.com


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has instructed US states and territories to prepare for one of two coronavirus vaccines to arrive as early as next month, according to the New York Times.

The leaked forms provide guidance for storing, administering and distributing 'Vaccine A' or 'Vaccine B,' which were unnamed, in the event that either is granted emergency use authorization by the end of October 2020 - just days before Americans hit the voting booths and decide whether to re-elect President Trump on November 3.

Currently, the vaccines being developed by Moderna and Pfizer are the furthest along in their clinical trials, with AstraZeneca's close behind.

The documents suggest that, if 'Vaccine A' is given emergency use authorization by October, ftwo million doses will be shipped then, with as many as 50 million additional doses going out by year-end.

For 'Vaccine B,' up to one million doses could be shipped by the end of October, and up to 35 million by year-end, according to the documents issued last Wednesday.

It comes after Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in the US, said that, if data clearly shows that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective ahead of planned trial end-dates, an emergency use authorization could be issued early.

While Americans are eager for life to return to some semblance of normality, a recent Stat News and Harris Poll survey found that 78 percent of people in the US think that the fast progress toward approval for a coronavirus vaccine is driven not by science, but by politics.

And experts share their fears.

'This gives me concern,' Dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and vaccine delivery expert Dr Peter Hotez told DailyMail.com.

'All of this together gives me the impression that this potentially more of a stunt than an expression of concern for public health, especially coming in the weeks before the election.'

CDC instructions sent to states suggest COVID-19 vaccines could be shipped by next month]

Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic, which has killed more than 180,000 people in the US, and sickened well over six million.

The Trump Administration launched Operation Warp Speed in an effort to expedite vaccine development via billions of dollars of investment in partner companies.

Operation Warp Speed has homed in on five lead candidates, of which three - those being made by AstraZeneca (with Oxford University), Moderna and Pfizer (with BioNTech) - are in their final-stage trials.

Moderna and Pfizer are currently in phase 3 clinical trials - the final run of human testing in tens of thousands of healthy volunteers - before they can apply for FDA approval.

Each company expects that could have significant data on whether or not their shots are safe and effective as early as this fall, and expect full results by the end of this year or start of next.

But clinical trials for coronavirus vaccines could be stopped weeks early, if data from the tests is 'overwhelmingly' positive that the shots work, and are safe, Dr Fauci told Kaiser Health News (KHN).

In fact, the nation's top infectious disease doctor said researchers would have a 'moral obligation' to stop the trials short to expedite approval of shots if there is little reason to believe they won't work or will pose significant side effect risks.

It's not an unprecedented move.

In fact, after review of data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) trial of the antiviral remdesivir for treating severely ill coronavirus patients, the experiment was stopped short for the same reasons.

Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci told Kaiser Health News that, if the data is convincing enough that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, trials could be halted early to expedite vaccination for those who got placebos and FDA approval (file)

CONFIDENCE IS KEY: AMERICANS MAY DISTRUST VACCINES DISTRIBUTED UNDER EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION EXPERT SAYS

The FDA's emergency use authorization (EUA), a kind of stopgap form of approval that is faster, but requires less stringent review than formal approval, has had its a checkered history amid the pandemic.

'It's a substandard review, [for] something that is going to be given to maybe hundreds of millions of Americans,' Dr Hotez said.

'The EUA mechanism has been tainted - we've seen what happened with hydroxy[chloroquine] release and retracted,' he added, referring to the FDA's March issuance of an EUA for the malaria drug touted by Trump, and subsequent decision to revoke its authorization, in June.

'Americans don't trust it, [and] many would not accept a coronavirus vaccine any way.'

And trust in the safety and effectiveness of a shot, as well as trust in the agency responsible for assessing and approving it is key.

If Americans don't trust a shot, they're unlikely to be willing to get one, and if a sufficient percentage of the population (estimated to be somewhere between 20 and 50 percent) is not vaccinated or has antibodies from surviving the infection, the US will not reach the threshold of herd immunity.

Polling of American attitudes toward prospective coronavirus vaccines has consistently shown that only fewer than half of people in the US plan to get a COVID-19 shot.

LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS CONCERNED THEY ARE ILL-PREPARED TO ROLL OUT VACCINES

While one or more options could be available as early as late next month, the path to delivering vaccines to 330 million people remained unclear until now.

'We haven't gotten a lot of information about how this is going to roll out,' said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Texas's Harris County Public Health department, which includes Houston, told the Associated Press.

In a four-page memo this summer, the CDC told health departments across the country to draft vaccination plans by October 1 'to coincide with the earliest possible release of COVID-19 vaccine.'

The documents distributed by the CDC last week lay out how to store and administer either vaccine - to the extent that those protocols have been determined by the shot-makers - and clarify that the vaccines will be sent to states at no cost.

'But but administration fees may not be reimbursable while a vaccine product is administered under an EUA,' the instructions read.

They also advise health departments to prioritize health care workers working in high risk areas and jobs for vaccination.

The CDC's instructions offer little guidance as to how to make sure these people get the shots first, or track who has or has not been vaccinated, beyond advising health departments to 'consider partnering with the private sector and with local hospital systems to provide vaccine in closest proximity to the prioritized populationsas possible, giventhe limitations with the product.'

It continues: 'For example, Vaccine A may be administered through mobile clinics if multiple mobile clinics are planned over a short period of time to ensure high enough throughput.'

But health departments that have been underfunded for decades say they currently lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track hundreds of millions of doses.

And they still do not know when, or if, they'll get federal aid to do that.

Dozens of doctors, nurses and health officials interviewed by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press expressed concern about the country's readiness to conduct mass vaccinations, as well as frustration with months of inconsistent information from the federal government.

The gaps include figuring out how officials will keep track of who has gotten which doses and how they'll keep the workers who give the shots safe, with enough protective gear and syringes to do their jobs.

With only about half of Americans saying they would get vaccinated, according to a poll from AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it also will be crucial to educate people about the benefits of vaccination, said Molly Howell, who manages the North Dakota Department of Healths immunization program.

The unprecedented pace of vaccine development has left many Americans skeptical about the safety of COVID-19 immunizations; others simply dont trust the federal government.

'We're in a very deep-red state,' said Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, a group of community health centers that serve mostly low-income people in five rural counties in South Carolina. 'The message that is coming out is not a message of trust and confidence in medical or scientific evidence.'

This photo shows vials used by pharmacists to prepare syringes used on the first day of a first-stage safety study clinical trial of the potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in Seattle. As the nation awaits a vaccine to end the pandemic, local health departments say they lack the staff, money and tools to distribute, administer and track millions of vaccines, most of which will require two doses (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

US SPENT BILLIONS ON DEVELOPING VACCINES - BUT IT'S UNCLEAR HOW THE ROLLOUT WILL BE FUNDED

The U.S. has committed more than $10 billion to develop new coronavirus vaccines but hasn't allocated money specifically for distributing and administering vaccines.

And while states, territories and 154 large cities and counties received billions in congressional emergency funding, that money can be used for a variety of purposes, including testing and overtime pay.

An ongoing investigation by KHN and the AP has detailed how state and local public health departments across the U.S. have been starved for decades, leaving them underfunded and without adequate resources to confront the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation further found that federal coronavirus funds have been slow to reach public health departments, forcing some communities to cancel non-coronavirus vaccine clinics and other essential services.

States are allowed to use some of the federal money they've already received to prepare for immunizations. But AP and KHN found that many health departments are so overwhelmed with the current costs of the pandemic - such as for testing and contact tracing - that they can't reserve money for the vaccine work to come.

Health departments will need to hire people to administer the vaccines and systems to track them, and pay for supplies such as protective medical masks, gowns and gloves, as well as warehouses and refrigerator space.

CareSouth Carolina is collaborating with the state health department on testing and the pandemic response. It used federal funding to purchase $140,000 retrofitted vans for mobile testing, which it plans to continue to use to keep vaccines cold and deliver them to residents when the time comes, said Lewis.

But most vaccine costs will be new.

Pima County, Arizona, for example, is already at least $30 million short of what health officials need to fight the pandemic, let alone plan for vaccines, said Dr. Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator and chief medical officer.

Some federal funds will expire soon. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from a fund in the CARES Act, for example, covers only expenses made through the end of the year, said Gretchen Musicant, health commissioner in Minneapolis. That's a problem, given vaccine distribution may not have even begun.

Although public health officials say they need more money, Congress left Washington for its summer recess without passing a new pandemic relief bill that would include additional funding for vaccine distribution.

'States are anxious to receive those funds as soon as possible, so they can do what they need to be prepared,' said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition, a national vaccine education and advocacy organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. 'We cant assume they can take existing funding and attempt the largest vaccination campaign in history.'

WHAT'S THE PLAN? STATES REMAIN UNSURE AND LACKING GUIDANCE FOR HOW TO SCALE UP VACCINATION

Then there's the basic question of scale. The federally funded Vaccines for Children program immunizes 40 million children each year. In 2009 and 2010, the CDC scaled up to vaccinate 81 million people against pandemic H1N1 influenza. And last winter, the country distributed 175 million vaccines for seasonal influenza vaccine, according to the CDC.

But for the U.S. to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus, most experts say, the nation would likely need to vaccinate roughly 70% of Americans, which translates to 200 million people and - because the first vaccines will require two doses to be effective - 400 million shots.

Although the CDC has overseen immunization campaigns in the past, the Trump administration created a new program, called Operation Warp Speed, to facilitate vaccine development and distribution. In August, the administration announced that McKesson Corp., which distributed H1N1 vaccines during that pandemic, will also distribute COVID-19 vaccines to doctors offices and clinics.

'With few exceptions, our commercial distribution partners will be responsible for handling all the vaccines,' Operation Warp Speed's Paul Mango said in an email.

'Were not going to have 300 million doses all at once,' said Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Health and Human Services Department, despite earlier government pledges to have many doses ready by the new year. 'We believe we are maximizing our probability of success of having tens of millions of doses of vaccines by January 2021, which is our goal.'

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said it will take time for the vaccines to be widespread enough for life to return to what's considered normal. 'We have to be prepared to deal with this virus in the absence of significant vaccine-induced immunity for a period of maybe a year or longer,' Adalja said in August.

In preliminary guidance for state vaccine managers, the CDC said doses will be distributed free of charge from a central location. Health departments local vaccination plans may be reviewed by both the CDC and Operation Warp Speed.

The CDC spent two days working with vaccine planners in five locations - North Dakota, Florida, California, Minnesota and Philadelphia - to discuss potential obstacles and solutions.

No actual vaccines were distributed during the planning sessions, which focused on how to get vaccines to people in places as different as urban Philadelphia, where pharmacies abound, and rural North Dakota, which has few chain drugstores but many clinics run by the federal Indian Health Service, said Kris Ehresmann, who directs infectious disease control at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Those planning sessions have made Ehresmann feel more confident about whos in charge of distributing vaccines. 'We are getting more specific guidance from CDC on planning now,' she said. 'We feel better about the process, though there are still a lot of unknowns.'

OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY COULD HAMPER RESPONSE

Still, many public health departments will struggle to adequately track who has been vaccinated and when, because a lack of funding in recent decades has left them in the technological dark ages, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

In Mississippi, for example, health officials still rely on faxes, said the states health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs. 'You cant manually handle 1,200 faxes a day and expect anything efficient to happen, he said.

When COVID-19 vaccines become available, health providers will need to track where and when patients receive their vaccines, said Moore, the medical director of Tennessees immunization plan during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 and 2010. And with many different shots in the works, they will need to know exactly which one each patient got, she said.

People will need to receive their second COVID-19 dose 21 or 28 days after the first, so health providers will need to remind patients to receive their second shot, Moore said, and ensure that the second dose is the same brand as the first.

Minneapolis Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant poses for a portrait at a COVID-19 testing event at Incarnation-Sagrado Corazon Church, in Minneapolis. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only covers expenses made through the end of the year, says Musicant. That's a problem, given distribution of a possible vaccine may begin in October (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

The CDC will require vaccinators to provide ' dose-level accounting and reporting' for immunizations, so that the agency knows where every dose of COVID-19 vaccine is 'at any point in time,' Moore said. Although 'the sophistication of these systems has improved dramatically' in the past decade, she said, 'many states will still face major challenges meeting data tracking and reporting expectations.'

The CDC is developing an app called the Vaccine Administration Monitoring System for health departments whose data systems don't meet standards for COVID-19 response, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, a nonprofit based in Rockville, Maryland.

'Those standards havent been released,' Hannan said, 'so health departments are waiting to invest in necessary IT enhancements.' The CDC needs to release standards and data expectations as quickly as possible, she added.

Meanwhile, health departments are dealing with what Minnesotas Ehresmann described as 'legacy' vaccine registries, sometimes dating to the late 1980s.

A HISTORIC TASK: HEALTH OFFICIALS GRAPPLE WITH HOW TO RECRUIT AND EQUIP VACCINATORS

Overwhelmed public health teams are already working long hours to test patients and trace their contacts, a time-consuming process that will need to continue even after vaccines become available.

When vaccines are ready, health departments will need more staffers to identify people at high risk for COVID-19, who should get the vaccine first, Moore said. Public health staff also will be needed to educate the public about the importance of vaccines and to administer shots, she said, as well as monitor patients and report serious side effects.

At an August meeting about vaccine distribution, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois health department, said her state will need to recruit additional health professionals to administer the shots, including nursing students, medical students, dentists, dental hygienists and even veterinarians. Such vaccinators will need medical-grade masks, gowns and gloves to keep themselves safe as they handle needles.

Many health officials say they feel burned by the country's struggle to provide hospitals with ventilators last spring, when states found themselves bidding against one another for a limited supply. Those concerns are amplified by the continuing difficulties providing enough testing kits; supplying health workers with personal protective equipment; allocating drugs such as remdesivir; and recruiting contact tracers - who track down everyone with whom people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been in contact.

Although Ehresmann said shes concerned Minnesota could run out of syringes, she said the CDC has assured her it will provide them.

Given that vaccines are far more complex than personal protective equipment and other medical supplies - one vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit - Plescia said people should be prepared for shortages, delays and mix-ups.

'It's probably going to be even worse than the problems with testing and PPE,' Plescia said.
German lawmakers demand answers over Wirecard collapse Germany's Green Party Bundestag Member Danyal Bayaz and Lisa Paus of the Green party, give a statement to the media, after an extraordinary meeting on the Wirecard scandal held by the German parliament's financial committee, in Berlin

By John O'Donnell and Christian Kraemer

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German lawmakers launched a parliamentary inquiry into the collapse of payments firm Wirecard on Tuesday in an effort to force the government to reveal more about a failure to avert the country's biggest post-war corporate fraud.

The investigation into the implosion of a company once seen as a German success story worth $28 billion(20.85 billion pounds) will increase pressure on German chancellor Angela Merkel and her deputy Olaf Scholz ahead of national elections next year.

Wirecard's demise has embarrassed Germany's government, which prides itself on a reputation for rectitude and reliability, amid criticism that authorities ignored red flags.

"This was a fake company," said Fabio De Masi, a German lawmaker who played a key role in launching the inquiry that empowers parliamentarians to interrogate officials and demand information. "We are not getting the answers we need".

The German government has said Merkel brought up Wirecard's planned takeover of a company in China during a visit there in September 2019 and that a senior official in her office subsequently pledged further support to Wirecard.

In an official parliamentary response, it said that Merkel did not know at the time of the irregularities at Wirecard, which is being dismantled after its disclosure of a 1.9 billion euro hole in its accounts in June triggered its insolvency.

Scholz, who heads Germany's finance ministry, is responsible for regulator BaFin, which has been criticised for failing to take Wirecard to task, spending years probing critics instead.

A spokesman for the ministry said it would cooperate with the parliamentary enquiry and that it was working on stricter rules for auditors, supervision and accounting controls.

The government has also said that there had been more than 1,000 suspect transactions involving Wirecard since mid 2017, although most were not related to the scandal.

Story continues

Money transfers are usually flagged to Germany's anti-money-laundering agency if, for example, they are suspiciously large.

'STONE WALLING'

Wirecard's former CEO Markus Braun and other executives have been held on suspicion of running a criminal racket that defrauded creditors of 3.2 billion euros.

Those accused, including Braun, deny any wrongdoing. Former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek is on the run.

The company's collapse has highlighted Germany's lax oversight of financial firms, prompting authorities from regulator BaFin to local government to deflect responsibility for what one top official conceded was a "total disaster".

"Instead of explaining itself, the government is stone walling," said Lisa Paus, of the Green party, announcing the alliance with the Left party and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) in launching the probe.

Wirecard started out handling payments for gambling and adult websites and had processed payments for companies including Visa <V.N> and Mastercard <MA.N>.

Some of the world's biggest investors held its shares before it unravelled after a whistleblower said it owed its success to a web of sham transactions.

Although allegations of fraud at Wirecard had been doing the rounds for years, German prosecutors focused on investigating the investors and journalists who highlighted irregularities.

The episode is unfolding as Germany holds the rotating presidency for the European Union, chairing key diplomatic meetings on European policy such as anti-money laundering.

The Financial Action Task Force, a global watchdog that oversees anti-money laundering controls in various countries, is also due to carry out a routine review of Germany's record.

(Reporting by Christian Kraemer and John O'Donnell; Editing by Tom Sims, Alexander Smith and David Evans)
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested an International Hawala Operator Naresh Jain under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 and secured nine days custodial remand from Rohini (North-West) court of Delhi.

The ED arrested Naresh Jain in connection with the ongoing PMLA investigation into his role in money laundering and international Hawala transactions.

On the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police, the ED initiated Investigation under the provision of PMLA against Naresh Jain and others under Section 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120 B of IPC.

The investigation conducted so far has revealed that Naresh Jain along with his accomplices hatched a criminal conspiracy to forge/fabricate documents in order to cause loss to the government exchequer by indulging in illegal foreign exchange transactions.

According to the ED statement, documents like identity proof, birth and education certificates, voter IDs, PAN cards and signatures were forged/ fabricated to incorporate entities, operating bank accounts, facilitating bogus/ over-invoiced/ under-invoiced import and export transactions and rotation of the funds through web of shell companies to cause undue benefit to the parties involved and loss to the government exchequer.

Naresh Jain is alleged to have facilitated parking of funds abroad by Indian nationals through his international Hawala transaction structure created in India and in various other jurisdictions. The probe has revealed that Jain has done Hawala operation of Rs 11,800 crore (approx.) in 114 foreign bank accounts.

During the investigation conducted so far, it has been revealed that 450 shell companies have been used to rotate funds to the tune of Rs 96,000 crore (appox.) for providing accommodation entries of approx. Rs 18,680 crore to more than 970 beneficiaries.

Jain was brought to the Enforcement Directorate office for custodial interrogation.
Quick question: Say you have a Rs five-lakh health insurance cover. You want to bump it up to Rs 10 lakh. How do you do that? You could try buying another health cover. Or, you could simply buy a top-up cover.

Exorbitant hospital bills for the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) treatment in many cases have pushed many to buy or increase their health insurance covers. Insurers and aggregators say they have seen an increase in demand for high-value covers and even top-up plans, thanks to growing awareness.

Lets say you, a 40-year-old, have New India Assurance regular cover of Rs 5 lakh in place, which comes with an annual premium of Rs 5,747. Given the exorbitant COVID-19 treatment bills, you feel this cover is not adequate and want to enhance your sum insured to Rs 20 lakh.

Now, if you were to buy another full-fledged health cover of Rs 15 lakh, you will be charged an additional premium of Rs 9,940. Your total premium payable, therefore, would be Rs 15,687.

How can you increase your health cover at a cheaper cost? Heres where a topup cover helps. A top-up policy, as the name suggests, is an add-on to your regular cover. It gets triggered only after the base cover is exhausted.

In the above example, if you were to buy a top-up, which would cost Rs 3,500, your total outgo will be limited to Rs 9,247, but the overall sum insured would still be Rs 20 lakh. Since it gets triggered only after this base cover is exhausted, premiums are far cheaper.

Top-ups work better with a base cover

But top-up covers work best if you have a base insurance policy. This is how a top-up policy works: If you have a base policy of Rs 5 lakh and your hospitalisation bill amounts to Rs 7 lakh, the top-up will get activated to fund the additional Rs 2 lakh. Having a base policy in place is not a prerequisite for buying a top-up; it can be purchased independently too. So, in this example, you would have had to pay Rs 5 lakh out of your pocket, with the top-up taking care of the balance Rs 2 lakh. The threshold  Rs 5 lakh in this case  is termed as the deductible limit.

Should you buy a top-up policy?

Although you dont need to buy a base cover to be able to buy a top-up cover, having a base cover helps, as it reimburses your medical costs below the top-ups deductible cover. To be sure, the single, large cover will be feature-rich and you must carry out a cost-benefit analysis before taking a call. But a top-up cover helps mainly in two cases: 1) enhancing your health insurance cover in a cheaper way; and 2) helping senior citizens, who wouldnt otherwise be able to afford a base health cover due to high premiums for that age-group, to cover serious ailments that can trigger large claims.

Still, must not rush to buy a top-up policy. Heres why.

Opt for a super top-up, instead.

Ensure that you do not focus only the top-up sum insured while buying the policy. Go through the terms and conditions to ascertain whether it is a simple top-up or a super top-up. A plain vanilla top-up comes into play only if a single claim exceeds the deductible limit. However, a super top-up is far more useful as it takes aggregate claims made during the year into account.

For example, lets say you have a base cover of Rs 5 lakh and have to be hospitalised twice during the same policy year. The first time, say, your hospital bill comes to Rs 2 lakh. And then, the second time, the bill comes to Rs 4 lakh.

Your base cover will pay Rs 2 lakh in the first instance. After this, your cover drops to Rs 3 lakh. For your second claim, it therefore pays you Rs 3 lakh. In this scenario, a plain-vanilla top-up will not get triggered as neither of the claims have, individually, breached the deductible limit (Rs 5 lakh). Therefore, when you settle your hospital bills the second time, you will have to fund Rs 1 lakh from your pocket.

A super top-up, on the other hand, will consider the aggregate of these two claims during the policy year. So, your base policy will approve the first claim of Rs 2 lakh as also partly settle the second claim to the extent of Rs 3 lakh. The super top-up will pay Rs 1 lakh  the amount exceeding the deductible limit in the second claim.

If you have purchased a regular top-up policy earlier, ask your insurance company if you can migrate to its super-top up plan, if it offers one.
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Two months after a boil water notice was issued for many of the residents who live off Highway 359, the warning has finally been lifted.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rescinded the boil water notice on Tuesday, claiming that the City of Laredo had taken the necessary steps to restore the quality of the areas drinking water. The city provided the TCEQ with laboratory results that show the water no longer needs to be boiled prior to drinking, cooking or bathing.
Mankind Pharma, one of the leading domestic drug companies, has tied up with DrOnA Health, a novel virtual-consultation platform for doctors to help them interact with their patients across various channels, including in-clinic and virtual, as part of their foray into telemedicine.

"We and DrOnA did a survey among patients and realised majority patients prefer to consult only known doctors. Unlike in most online health apps, this helps doctors retain their own old patients. From a patient's point of view, they can 'go' to their old and known doctor in a hassle free manner, in this testing time of Covid-19," said Rajeev Juneja, CEO, Mankind Pharma. The app is conceptualised as a doctors' own virtual clinic, where they can invite their patients to book an appointment through their m-site link. The app is available on both on Apple I-store and android platforms.

He said the sales team of Mankind has been promoting DrOnA Health among doctors as a service to help them. Over 10,000 doctors are now using the facility. Another special feature of the app is that it allows doctors to have complete ownership of data. They can delete their patients' data from the app whenever they want.

Rajeev Juneja said Mankind is currently conducting phase-I clinical trial of a novel formulation Niclosamide for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in India, in collaboration with South Korean firm Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. The trials are being done on 1,000 patients and data is expected to receive in the next 45 days. "We have exclusive licence for this novel drug in India and its potential is huge, considering the increasing number of Covid-19 cases," he said.

The company had launched infertility drug dydrogesterone, a generic version of Abbott's Duphaston tablets last year, and production had to be made triple to meet the demand. Mankind has set up a 500-scientist team of R&D infrastructure eyeing potential therapies in chronic segments. Now exports contribute about Rs 250 crore from 10-15 products and plans are to grow this business.

The Rs 6,000-crore turnover Mankind, the highest valued privately held domestic drug company, is not looking at an initial public offer in the next 3-4 years, considering the market situation. In the current financial year, the company is expected to grow by 9-10 per cent. Private equity companies Capital International and Chrys Capital have minority stakes in Mankind and in the latest deal a couple of years ago, the firm was reportedly valued over Rs 23,000 crore.

Also Read: Alembic Pharma share price gains 3% on USFDA nod for diabetes drugs

Also Read: Pharma companies to lose pandemic-induced pricing power in Q2 as economies reopen
The United States is adjusting its Taiwan policy and declassifying cables on Taiwan arms sales as China ramps up pressures on Taipei.

The U.S. is further clarifying that Washington's one-China policy is different from Chinese Communist Party's sovereignty claim over Taiwan.

A senior State Department official said Monday the latest U.S. moves were not a policy departure, but part of significant adjustments within the boundaries of Washington's longstanding "one-China" policy.

"The U.S. has long had a one-China policy. This is distinct from Beijing's 'One China Principle' under which the Chinese Communist Party asserts sovereignty over Taiwan. The U.S. takes no position on sovereignty over Taiwan," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell in his virtual remarks Monday to the Heritage Foundation.

Taiwan said it would continue to strengthen its defense capabilities, thanking the U.S. for its firm commitment to Taiwan's security. In Beijing, Chinese officials urged the U.S. to stop elevating relations with Taiwan.


Former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has demanded the sum of N6 billion and an apology published in other dailies, from Daily Trust newspaper for defamation of his character.

He made the demands on Tuesday in a letter signed by his lawyer, Adeola Adesipe.

According get to him the letter was set to Daily Trust following an article titled FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears published by the paper on August 30, 2020.

The writer of the article Iliyasu Gadu had described the former Minister as a drug addiction who once sought for rehabilitation in Ghana but had till date not been cured of the habit.

In the letter his lawyer decribed the article as libelous while demanding that negotiation be entered into for possible payment of N6bn as well and publish an apology in other newpapers.

The lawyer explained that the demands was made as a result of the irreparable loss the article had caused his client.

Be aware that our client has not only suffered immeasurable loss of goodwill, he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans, followers and colleagues across the globe.

Our client is alive to his rights both in law and equity but is disposed to an opportunity to undo the evil you have done by retracting the said insalubrious remarks on the same platform it was published and apologising to him in two other national dailies.

You are also advised to enter into negotiations with us for the sum of N6bn being a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our clients nobility, the letter read in part.
WASHINGTON - Echoing a discredited conspiracy theory, vulnerable Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is suggesting government statistics on coronavirus infections and deaths have been inflated.

Ernst, who is facing an unexpectedly tough reelection fight, made the comment after a man at a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa, said he believes the numbers of cases and deaths are much lower than reported. Experts refute that and new data suggests that the toll is probably significantly higher than the official count.

Ernst said she, too, is so skeptical of the official numbers.

These health care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if COVID is tied to it, so what do you think theyre doing? she said to the crowd on Monday, according to a report by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the disease has infected more than 6 million people in the U.S. and killed about 185,000 Americans. Of those deaths, 1,125 were reported in Iowa, according to the state website at midday Wednesday.

Asked later what she meant, Ernst said she was repeating what shes heard.

I heard the same thing on the news. ... Theyre thinking there may be 10,000 or less deaths that were actually singularly COVID-19. ... Im just really curious. It would be interesting to know that.

Later Wednesday, Ernst said in a statement, Over 180,000 Americans have died because of covid-19, adding that what matters is that Iowa gets the resources it needs.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force report from Sunday said Iowa had the highest rate of new cases per 100,000 population at 100, and the state has the fifth-highest positivity rate in the country. Thats the percentage of those tested getting positive results.

The state has a 14-day average positivity rate of 11%. The task force recommended closing bars in 61 counties, limiting gatherings to 10 or less in 28 counties, requiring masks statewide and testing all college students.

Nationally, 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, according to an analysis of CDC data by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press.

And half the dead were people of colour  Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and, to a marked degree, Asian Americans.

Playing down the severity of the pandemic is a favourite ploy of President Donald Trump, who has said he expects the virus to disappear. And it echoes a conspiracy theory thats been widely debunked by experts.

In recent tweets, supporters of QAnon misrepresented CDC figures, stating that the governments health agency had reduced the number of U.S. COVID-19 deaths to just over 9,000. Trump tweeted the false information, which was later taken down by Twitter for violating platform rules.

The CDC data table is based on an analysis of death certificates that mention COVID-19 as a cause. For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.

The other 94% list COVID-19 and other conditions together. Among those deaths, there were, on average, 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death, the public health agency said. It is rare for people not to have multiple medical issues at death.

Ernsts Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield, said the incumbents remarks were appalling.

We need leaders who will take this seriously, Greenfield tweeted.

___

Follow Kellman on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman
China 'provokes again with military movements in Ladakh

China has carried out "provocative military movements" in the Pangong Tso Lake area in Ladakh, in a fresh flare-up in the northern border, part of which was transgressed by the Chinese soldiers in May. Indian troops pre-empted Chinese army's activity in the intervening night of 29/340 August, the Army said.

The Army statement said that Indian troops took steps to thwart the Chinese attempt to "unilaterally change" facts on the ground.

"On the Night of 29/30 August 2020, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo. Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground, a defence ministry release stated.

The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity. A Brigade Commander level Flag Meeting is in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues, it added.

Army officials from the two sides are meeting to resolve the latest border dispute that comes more than two months after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in fighting that broke out between the two sides in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

China's foreign ministry as usual dismissed the allegations made by India.  Chinas border troops "always strictly abide by the Line of Actual Control, and never cross the line", spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has termed the latest border stand-off as "the most serious situation after 1962" war with China.

"This is surely the most serious situation after 1962. In fact, after 45 years, we have had military casualties on this border. The quantum of forces currently deployed by both sides at the LAC is also unprecedented," Rediff.com qquoted Jaishankar as saying in an interview last week.

Provocations by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) began at three places in April, and by June it escalated and spread to two other places toward the north in Depsang and Galwan Valley where India has built an all-weather military road along the disputed frontier.

On June 15, the situation turned deadly when the rival troops engaged in a night-time clash in Galwan that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China did not report any casualties.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away

Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee passed away in the evening today (Monday) after a brief illness, during which he was admitted to the RR Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.

Mukherjee, a Congress stalwart, was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and was operated the same day for removal of a clot in his brain.

Mukherjee, 84, passed away in spite of best efforts and prayers of doctors of RR Hospital confirmed his son Abhijit.

"With a Heavy heart, this is to inform you that my father Shri Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of doctors of RR Hospital and prayers, diyas and prarthanas from people throughout India! I thank all of You, Abhijit tweeted.

Mukherjee, a Congress stalwart, was admitted to the hospital in Delhi Cantonment on August 10 and was operated the same day for removal of a clot in his brain.

His condition deteriorated in the morning after he suffered a septic shock due to his lung infection, the Army's Research and Referral Hospital said.

The Bharat Ratna awardee had also tested positive for Covid-19 at the time of his admission and later developed a respiratory infection

Pranab Mukherjee was the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

The government of India has announced a seven-day state mourning from 31 August 6 September.

Extending condolences, President of India, Ram Nath Kovind wrote, "Sad to hear that former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee is no more. His demise is passing of an era. A colossus in public life, he served Mother India with the spirit of a sage. The nation mourns losing one of its worthiest sons. Condolences to his family, friends and all citizens."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wrote "I was new to Delhi in 2014. From Day 1, I was blessed to have the guidance, support and blessings of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I will always cherish my interactions with him. Condolences to his family, friends, admirers and supporters across India. Om Shanti".

"India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation. A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society.


AI/ML - Sr Software Engineer, Siri Experience Infrastructure Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Machine Learning and AI Summary

Posted: Sep 1, 2020 Role Number: 200189538 One of the beautiful things about working at Apple is the connection that every engineer has to the end customer. You will be working through close partnership with multiple teams in the AIML and Siri org. You'll be helping teams get deeper understanding of how the experiences we're building-in the home, on the go-are being used, looking at the key areas of performance, reliability and quality. You will be a part of a small, collaborative team of engineers in Siri Experience Infra team responsible for building and standardizing tools, process, code, and best practices across product teams with the aim of improving the quality of all of them holistically. You will be collaborating with engineers in several technical areas who have crafted the entire range of Siri's capabilities. Our team interfaces with all Domains, acts as a liaison between Domains/product teams and platform with the end goal of making it easier for the Siri engineers to release features. To succeed in this role, we are looking for a strong programmer and a creative problem solver who thrives in a rapidly changing environment, working across teams and organizations. We value team members who can quickly prototype, iterating all the way to high-quality implementations. We're having conversations about how to approach projects that would introduce step-change improvements in velocity, experience, performance, and engagement and it's an incredibly exciting time to be on the team! Key Qualifications 5+ years of industry experience

Good understanding of distributed systems

Experience with cloud-based infrastructure and platform services

Knowledge of common web services protocol (HTTPS/JSON/REST)

Experience with databases systems and data model design: SQL/NoSQL, Spark

Aptitude to independently learn new technologies

Ability to express ideas clearly within the team and across departments

iOS experience with Objective-C OR Swift a plus

Java, Scala and Python a plus Description Your technical knowledge to drive features and improvements is important. The nature of day to day role is highly cross-functional; therefore it's equally important that you must be comfortable with rapidly evolving requirements, and have excellent interpersonal skills. Responsibilities You possess strong skills in object-oriented software design and programming. You are excited about developing new features, maintaining existing code, fixing bugs, and contributing to overall system design. You will execute on product wide tasks by cutting across all Domains and providing leveraged impact. Specific responsibilities include a wide range of software engineering tasks across multiple Domain areas - Introduce new and assert existing metrics to help make informed decisions, rooted in data and in strategic thinking - Collaborate with cross functional teams to capture requirements, understand dependencies and architecture, and implement solutions with out of box thinking - Work with multiple teams across the organization to gain a deep understanding of the overlapping areas of improvement in multiple Domains. - Optimizing/aggregating incoming data for improving Siri engineering experience - Participate in the continual improvement of engineering tools and processes - Help figure out common service themes across multiple product teams, build those libraries and help product teams integrate those libraries, accelerating feature releases You will work closely with engineers, QA, and project managers throughout the software lifecycle in successfully delivering best-in-class secure and scalable systems. You take responsibility; you can demonstrate creativity, initiative, and the ability to work to deadlines. You feel a personal stake in the product you ship. You thrive in uncertainty and strive to bring order to it. You keep your eye on the ball; you build strong relationships; and you are constantly looking to improve yourself and your team. Education & Experience BS degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent work experience


GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Edges Higher as Weak Australian Growth Drags on Aussie

The Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rated edged higher today, with the pairing currently trading around AU$1.819.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) suffered today after Australia entered its first recession in 30-years following the release of the Australian GDP figure, which plunged by -7% in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the year-on-year figure also plummeted unexpectedly by -6.3%.

Marcel Thieliant, senior economist for Australia at Capital Economics, commented on the report:

While the drop in GDP last quarter wasnt much larger than the [Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)] had anticipated, it will keep the pressure on the bank to announce more stimulus.

Meanwhile, James McIntyre, an economist at Bloomberg, said:

The virus shock is a services shock. Around two-thirds of the slump in GDP can be accounted for by just four segments of household spending - vehicle use, travel, recreation and culture, accommodation and hospitality spending.

In other Australian economic news, today will see the release of Augusts AiG Performance of Construction Index. However, if this remains in contraction territory we could see AUD further weaken.

Pound (GBP) Rises as UK House Prices Soar to Record Highs in August

The Pound (GBP) edged higher against the weaker Aussie today after the release of the UK Nationwide housing prices figure for August beat forecasts and rose from 1.8% to 2%. As a result, Sterling has benefited from the all-time high.

Tobi Mancuso, a director of the property investment company Track Capital, was more cautious, however, saying:

The danger is that this frenzy could create a bubble in house prices that will be quickly deflated when stamp duty returns, so buyers should be wary of prices that feel overinflated.

Meanwhile, uncertainties over Brexit are holding back some of GBPs gains today. This follows informal talks between Michel Barnier, the EUs Chief Negotiator, and his British counterparty, David Frost in London yesterday.

However with no clear signs of any progress towards a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU, Pound (GBP) investors have remained cautious as the prospect of a no-deal continues to haunt British markets.

GBP investors will be looking ahead to todays speech from the Bank of Englands (BoE) Governor, Andrew Bailey. Any dovishness about the British economy, however, could drag down the GBP/AUD exchange rate.

GBP/AUD Forecast: Could a Dovish BoE Governors Speech Drag Down Sterling Tomorrow?

Australian Dollar (AUD) investors will be looking ahead to tomorrows release of Australias July trade balance report. Any significant increase in Australian exports could prove AUD-positive.

Pound (GBP) traders will be keeping a close eye on tomorrows release of the final UK services PMI for August. If this remains relatively strong, however, we could see Sterling claw back some of its losses against the Aussie.

Tomorrow will also see a speech from the Bank of Englands (BoE) Governor, Andrew Bailey. Any dovishness about the British economys ability to recover, however, could drag down the GBP/AUD exchange rate further.
There were ill-tempered scenes in parliament on Wednesday as Boris Johnson was told to withdraw remarks about Keir Starmer  after appearing to try and link the opposition leader to the IRA.

The prime minister had accused Sir Keir of being "a leader of the opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato", an apparent reference to former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Sir Keir reacted angrily to the attack, demanding the prime minister withdraw his comment  an intervention which was also backed by the Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.

The opposition leader said he would not be "lectured" by the prime minister and that he had worked in Northern Ireland with the security services prosecuting dissident republicans.

Immediately after making his comments Mr Johnson was interrupted by Mr Hoyle, who told him: "I think there are questions being asked, we do need to try and answer the questions put to the prime minister, it would be helpful to those watching to know the answers."

The prime minister appeared to try and continue with his attack, telling the Commons: "I think it would be helpful for all those who are watching to know..." before being interrupted again by the Speaker, who told him "I make the decisions."

Returning to the subject later in the session, Sir Keir angrily retorted: "The prime minister said something about the IRA and I wanted to take it back. I worked in Northern Ireland for five years with the police service of Northern Ireland bringing peace  prosecuted, as the director of public prosecutions, serious terrorists, for five years, working with the intelligence and security forces and police in Northern Ireland. I would ask the prime minister to have the decency to withdraw that comment."

After the prime minister ignored the plea, the Speaker Mr Hoyle intervened again, stating: "Can I just say there was a question about the allegation on Northern Ireland ... I think in fairness that he would like to withdraw it?"

But the prime minister said: "I listened to the protestations of the right honourable gentleman... I think they would have been more in order throughout the long years during which he supported a leader of the Labour party..." before being cut off again by the Speaker.

Sir Keir said: "When the prime minister has worked with security and intelligence forces prosecuting criminals and terrorists he can lecture me. I asked him to do the decent thing but doing the decent thing and the prime minister don't go together."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

Jeremy Corbyn's views on Northern Ireland were the subject of controversy during his leadership. Mr Corbyn has long supported a United Ireland, though he has repeatedly condemned violence, and voted in favour of the Good Friday Agreement.

As an MP Mr Corbyn met with Sinn Fein representatives at the height of the Troubles, which was controversial. He also campaigned on behalf of people wrongfully convicted of terrorism offences, such as the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six, who later had their convictions overturned.
The UK faces a permanent 33bn annual hit to the economy as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey told MPs on Wednesday.

Structural changes in the economy as people change their behaviours in response to the pandemic could cause long-term scarring to growth and employment, Mr Bailey warned.

The Bank predicts that behavioural shifts, such as more working from home and people being more cautious about going out, will reduce gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.5 per cent every year below where it had been expected to be.

Based on 2019 output, that equates to around 1,200 per household per year below what had been forecast before Covid-19 struck.

Much of the lost output is expected to come from a mismatch in skills. In the post-pandemic world, some sectors like retail and hospitality are likely to see much bigger job losses than others, while others face a shortage of qualified applicants, leading to a mismatch that lifts unemployment higher and drags economic growth down.

To the extent that there is structural change it is important because thats what can result in scarring  longer term dislocation of pieces of the economy, Mr Bailey told the Treasury Select Committee.

It can lead to longer-term unemployment and a rise in the natural rate of unemployment for a period of time.

Mr Bailey stressed that the economic outlook was at its most uncertain in at least a quarter of a century.

Dave Ramsden, Bank of England deputy governor, said he believed things could turn out to be worse than forecast.

We think the level of GDP will permanently be about 1.5 per cent lower. For me, all the risks are that the it will be greater than 1.5 per cent, he said.

One reason for this is that there will be a mismatch between peoples skills and the jobs available as some sectors are damaged more severely than others, he warned.

As we see the next phase of the recovery unfold we will be able to see the scale of the impact on the labour market but also be able to look at the degree to which the UK economy is repurposing in response to this shock.

One semi-permanent effect might be a fall in value of office and shop space as people work remotely.

That commercial real estate will probably see less investment in the near future, he said.

Whether that will result in a less productive or a more productive economy, thats an open question.

As shoppers make more purchases online, companies may choose to invest more of their money in capital rather than labour, Mr Ramsden said.

That might mean getting rid of shop-floor staff to spend money on distribution centres, websites, technology and vehicles, for example.

Over time, that could lead to greater productivity, the Bank deputy governor said.

Mr Bailey said that economic forecasting has been made difficult because people will continue to show widely differing levels of caution about coronavirus and few firm assumptions can be made about vaccines, treatments and the course that the pandemic will take.

He highlighted the fact that the Banks central scenario for the economy has more downside risks than in any previous forecast. That means the Banks analysts think there is a significant risk that the UK economy could perform worse than the scenario suggests.
TUNIS - At the end of a very long session in Tunisia's Parliament, 134 lawmakers against 67 voted confidence in the government of Premier Hichem Mechichi last night. Mechichi presented a government of technicians and was able to convince various political forces that his cabinet favored the superior interest of the nation over party interest.



The government team includes 25 ministers and three secretaries of State (including eight women) ''whose job will be periodically monitored to evaluate the government's performance and to guarantee that objectives are obtained'', the premier told Parliament, illustrating the five priorities of his government's action: stopping the hemorrhage of public finances; rationalizing debt and public expenditure; restoring the confidence of investors and supporting investments; reforming the public sector and protecting disadvantaged classes. For the first time, a blind university researcher Walid Zidi, became a member of the government as culture minister.



Mechichi, 46, a jurist and former interior minister and a close aid of president Saied, vowed that he will work in a constructive manner with all political parties and national organizations given his belief that all forces must unite at the service of the country. The premier expressed the conviction that only technicians and independent personalities can guarantee a minimum of stability to the country given the impossibility of ''finding a formula that can gather all political parties in the same government''. However, he stressed that he will work to implement effective mechanisms of coordination with parties and parliamentary groups so they can communicate their proposals to the government and that he will personally ensure ''this positive interaction and bilateral coordination through regular meetings''.



Those who voted in favor of the new government included the Islamic Ennhadha, Qalb Tounes, the group of national reform, Tahya Tounes and others. Opponents included the Islamist coalition al Karama, Echaab and Ettayar (Democratic group) and others. The Pdl of Abir Moussi announced a ''constructive'' opposition. Despite a discreet margin of yes votes obtained by the cabinet (the minimum required was 109 out of 217) with a fragmented parliament after the last elections, with no force obtaining more than 25% of the vote, it will however need to work to find ample consensus to pass scheduled reforms. For this reason, the premier stressed he would accept criticism and advice from all those who will bring added value to the government and serve the country's best interest.



The premier said he was aware of the poor economic situation (with employment at 18% and a GDP drop of 12%), also due to the coronavirus emergency which has nearly cancelled tourism revenues, a key sector for the country, and the continuing crisis in neighboring Libya. Mechichi's program focuses on increasing revenues while cutting public spending and attracting investments. ''It will be a government of action, success, efficiency and change that will seek innovative solutions to national issues, taking into account the country's means'', said the premier. Mechichi is the ninth premier since the 2011 revolution.
BOSTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertical farming, the practice of growing crops indoors under tightly controlled conditions, is continuing to expand rapidly. By using LED lighting tailored to the exact needs of the crop, alongside advanced hydroponic growing systems, and growing crops in vertically stacked trays, vertical farms can achieve yields hundreds of times higher than the same area of traditional farmland.

Investors and entrepreneurs alike are excited about the potential of vertical farming to revolutionize the global food system and some vertical farming companies have raised dizzying amounts of money. Plenty, a San Francisco-based start-up, and the most well-funded vertical farm, has raised $401 million in funding, with backers including SoftBank, Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Fellow US start-ups AeroFarms and Bowery Farming are not far behind, with $238 million and $167.5 million in funding, respectively.

While there has been much attention on these companies and their exploits, there are dozens of other companies in the industry developing their own approaches to vertical farming. Here, we explore some of the most innovative vertical farming start-ups, based on the recent IDTechEx report, "Vertical Farming 2020-2030".

Freight Farms

Freight Farms is a Boston-based vertical farming company that manufactures "container farms", vertical farming systems installed into 40' mobile containers. Alongside its container farms, Freight Farms provides the farmhand software, a hydroponic farm management and automation platform that also connects users with other Freight Farms customers. Container farms have many advantages - they are easy to transport, compact and relatively cheap to set up in comparison to other vertical farming systems. Container farms are often turnkey systems, too, meaning that they require much less experience and expertise to operate than either a factory-scale vertical farm or indeed a traditional farm.

Freight Farms recently released its most advanced container farming system, the Greenery, which it believes is the most advanced container farming system in the world. The Greenery is a turnkey system that uses an array of sensors to continuously monitor the growing conditions inside the farm, with the farmhand software automatically making adjustments and planning watering cycles in order to provide the optimum environment for growing crops and allowing users to control their Greenery remotely from a smartphone.

80 Acres  Collaboration, Food Experience

Despite their potential, many vertical farming start-ups have struggled over the years with the labor costs and power requirements for running a high-tech indoor farm. This has often forced producers to sell their crops at a much higher price than conventionally farmed leafy greens. Additionally, many founders of vertical farming companies have little experience in the food industry and can struggle with the day-to-day realities of running a food production industry.

80 Acres is an Ohio-based vertical farming start-up aiming to overcome these challenges by constructing the world's first fully automated indoor farm. The company was founded in November 2015 by Tisha Livingston and Mike Zelkind, who between them have over 50 years' experience in the food industry. Collaboration is also important to 80 Acres. The company believes that vertical farming is a very multidisciplinary field, requiring collaboration between partners who are experts in their own discipline. Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) developed the LEDs used in the facility and Dutch greenhouse automation company Priva developed the control and fertigation systems, with 80 Acres using its experience in food to bring the system together and integrate the technology.

The company currently operates a 75,000 square foot facility in Hamilton, a suburb of Cincinnati, which is set to expand to 150,000 square feet in summer 2020 following a $40 million investment from Virgo Investment Group. When completed, 80 Acres claims this facility will be the world's first fully automated indoor farm. The farm will be automated from seeding to growing to harvesting, using robotics, artificial intelligence, data analytics and around-the-clock monitoring sensors and control systems to optimize every aspect of growing produce indoors.

Jones Food Company

Jones Food Company is a British vertical farming start-up that operates Europe's largest vertical farm out of a warehouse in Scunthorpe, UK. It was founded in 2016 by James Lloyd-Jones and Paul Challinor, who wanted to build the largest vertical farming facility that they could in order to help overcome some of the operational problems plaguing the industry and bring vertical farming to the mainstream. After visiting several vertical farms in Japan, they decide that the only way to make vertical farming a success is to focus on scale and automation.

Jones Food Company focuses on maximizing automation and robotics in their facility to minimize operating costs, with its facility being modeled on a car factory, with the growing process resembling a production line - over the 25-day growing period, plants move from one end of the facility to another. Much of the work is done by machines, helping to reduce labor costs. Harvesting is carried out by bespoke machines and the heavy lifting is performed by a robot called Frank. This focus on automation means that only six employees are required to operate the Scunthorpe facility.

Jones Food Company has partnered with UK online grocery company Ocado, which currently owns about 70% of the business. Through this partnership, Jones Food Company is aiming to set up vertical farms next to Ocado's grocery depots, meaning that fresh produce could be delivered to shoppers within an hour of being picked.

Infarm

Infarm is a Berlin-based start-up that sells modular, hydroponic vertical farms for growing leafy greens and herbs in supermarkets, schools, and offices. A single two-square meter unit can grow 8,000 plants in a year, with the company claiming its farms use 95% less water than soil-based farms, take up 99.5% less space, use zero chemical pesticides, need 90% less transportation and use 75% less fertilizer.

Infarm has partnered with several major supermarkets across Europe, where it has currently deployed over 500 farms in stores and distribution centres. The company is also beginning to expand in the USA, having recently partnered with Kroger to trial its indoor farms in two QFC stores in Seattle. In the UK, it has partnered with supermarket chain Marks & Spencer, which is trialing in-store urban farming in seven locations in London, growing Italian basil, Greek basil, Bordeaux basil, mint, mountain coriander, thyme and curly parsley.

The company's business model is based around an "agriculture-as-a-service" model. The modular farms remain the property of Infarm, which receives income per harvested plant. Infarm then coordinates with clients such as retailers and takes care of the farm including installation, cultivation, harvesting and maintenance. Aside from the regular visits by service personnel to plant new plants, the farms are controlled remotely. This modular, data-driven and distributed approach  a combination of big data, IoT, and cloud analytics  sets Infarm apart from competitors. From a price point, Infarm is attractive for supermarkets, which get a better product at the same price. In addition, the plants, especially herbs, are harvested fresh, preserving color, smell, flavor, and nutrients.

For more information about the vertical farming industry and the innovative companies operating within the space, please see the recent IDTechEx report, "Vertical Farming 2020-2030", www.IDTechEx.com/VertFarm or for the full portfolio of related research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research.

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Media Contact:

Natalie Moreton

Digital Marketing Manager

[email protected]

+44(0)1223 812300

SOURCE IDTechEx
Supplier News

2 September 2020

TYSONS, Va. - Last week on Aug. 25-26, Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, brought together tens of thousands of industry professionals online for its annual customer conference, Cvent CONNECT US. The historic 2-day event was the largest gathering of event and hospitality professionals in history, and given the virtual, on-demand nature of the event, registration and attendance continue to increase each day as more people look to take part in the virtual experience and consume conference content. Cvent CONNECT US featured 28 breakout sessions, multiple product roadmap livestream presentations, a keynote speech from the company's CEO and Founder Reggie Aggarwal, one-on-one interviews with Arne Sorenson, President & CEO of Marriott, and Christopher Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton, and a distinguished panel of travel industry leaders featuring the CEOs of American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport.

Registration numbers for Cvent CONNECT US increased nearly tenfold year-over-year, highlighting the deep desire for meetings and event professionals to hear from global leaders about the future, connect and engage with their peers, and experience a virtual event first-hand hosted by the industry's leading event technology provider. Interest in the event spiked even further in early August when the company announced that it would power its customer conference with its new all-in-one virtual event solution, the Cvent Virtual Attendee Hub. It was the first time the company used the Virtual Attendee Hub for a live event, giving attendees a front row seat to Cvent's comprehensive virtual event experience.

"Putting our all-new product to the test for the first time by hosting an industry event with more than 42,000 registrants worldwide showed the unwavering confidence we have in both our product and our team," said Cvent Co-founder and CTO, David Quattrone. "We've had more than 1,000 technology experts working across the platform to help prepare for not just the successful launch of the Virtual Attendee Hub, but the many other product enhancements we announced at the conference. We knew we wanted to put the Virtual Attendee Hub on display at Cvent CONNECT, and we couldn't be prouder to have been able to deliver such an impactful virtual event experience to tens of thousands of people around the world."

During the event, Cvent highlighted several new products that are currently available or soon to be released including:

Comprehensive event safety features including its Source Safely microsite, which offers the biggest and most up-to-date global database of venue health and safety information available.

Cvent Instant Book, which will be released in phases starting at the end of 2020, will deliver a best-in-class solution for event planners to organize, and hoteliers to easily book, small scale events.

The extension of its popular free training and certification offer through December 31, 2020. The comprehensive training program gives industry professionals the tools they need to adapt to the current environment and prepare for the future.

Deep insight into The Cvent Virtual Attendee Hub including how the company leveraged the solution's broad functionality to pivot its in-person event to a virtual experience, and a look into what new features are being added throughout Q4 2020 and into 2021.

All of the sessions from the 2-day event are available on-demand on the event website. Registration to view the content is free and open to anyone.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:25:31|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writers Liu Fangqiang, Lyu Qiuping

HEFEI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Li Congling will soon visit the central Chinese city of Wuhan again, not to fight COVID-19 this time, but to accompany her son to the university where she secretly had a photo taken five months ago.

When her son Yu Zongxi received the admission letter on Aug. 26 from the prestigious Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, Li finally showed him the mobile phone photo, taken in front of the school gate.

"I kept it between myself and my husband, as I didn't want to put pressure on my son before the exam," said Li.

Li, 45, is a head nurse from the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.

In mid-February, she joined other medical workers from Anhui to Wuhan, capital of Hubei that was hit hard by the epidemic back then, to help treat infected patients.

"Although I was worried about my son who was preparing for gaokao, the national college entrance exam, I knew I did the right thing heading to Wuhan," she said.

The annual exam is deemed the most important event for tens of millions of high school graduates, as it provides an opportunity to set the direction for their future careers. More than 10 million graduates registered for this year's exam in July, one month later than usual because of the epidemic.

"My son saw me off at the hospital. He was silent when I boarded the bus, but I knew he was worried about me as well," Li recalled.

She was designated to the Union Hospital affiliated to the Tongji Medical College of HUST, and initially buried herself in work.

To allow people to recognize each other, all medical workers had their names written on the back of their protective suits. Next to her name, Li had a few more words -- "Yu Zongxi, you can make it in gaokao."

While Li was battling the virus in Wuhan, her 18-year-old son was fighting his own battle, preparing for the exam at home.

"We cheered up each other on phone calls. The best we could do for each other was do our respective parts well so that the other would be less worried," said Yu.

As his mom was working at the hospital, Yu started searching for information about the university online, developing a strong interest, and putting it on his ideal college list.

Under Li's watch, all 71 patients in her wards recovered and were discharged from the hospital.

According to the National Health Commission, more than 42,000 medical workers nationwide were sent to Hubei in the fight against COVID-19. The medics did not start to leave until mid-March when infections had waned, and most patients had recovered there.

As of Tuesday, Hubei reported a total of 68,139 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 63,627 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The disease claimed 4,512 lives in the province, according to the provincial health commission.

On the day before Li returned home in March, she paid a visit to HUST, the renowned university that her son often mentioned, and had her photo taken as a special way of wishing her son good luck in the exam.

Yu scored 668 points out of a full mark of 750 in gaokao, and was admitted by the School of Optical and Electronic Information of HUST.

Upon hearing the good news, a couple of Li's patients in Wuhan invited her to come back again and offered to show her family around.

"One of them said she would wait for us at the gate of HUST, take us to the scenic spot of the Yellow Crane Tower, and treat us with local snacks," Li said with a smile.

Yu is going to register at HUST on Sept. 17, and the family of four, including his grandmother, have planned to head to Wuhan together.

"I'd like to have another photo taken at the same spot with my mom, and visit the hospital where she worked day and night," said the young man. Enditem
katleho Seisa

For most Americans, deciding when to claim Social Security retirement benefits will be one of the biggest financial decisions they ever make. But the difference between the right or wrong decision can be costly. The typical beneficiary age 65 and up relies on Social Security for half of their income. But if a worker claims before their full retirement age  typically age 66 or 67, depending on the year in which they were born  their benefits will be permanently reduced.

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards

"The earlier the claim, the steeper the penalty," said Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which recently released a new research paper on the topic. Waiting to claim benefits beyond age 62, the earliest possible age when a worker can claim retirement benefits, pays off. If you wait until the full retirement age of 67, you will receive more than 40% more per month than you would at 62, Akabas said. Delay claiming until age 70 and you will receive more than 75% more per month. Real life factors, such as job losses or declining health, can limit someone's ability to delay their benefits. But there are also common misconceptions that may prompt retirees to make an early claiming decision, experts said during a Tuesday webcast hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Myth: Benefit cuts for older workers are imminent

zimmytws | iStock | Getty Images

The economic downturn prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic has not spared Social Security. The program could run out of funds sooner than had been predicted, according to recent estimates  as soon, in fact, as 2028 or 2032. Notably, the system will still be able to pay benefits when that happens, though they will likely be reduced. Many prospective retirees might be tempted to start drawing their monthly checks early, for fear that the money could go away. But people on the brink of retirement should not necessarily be worried, said Sita Slavov, a professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. "I personally don't think this is a significant risk for people nearing retirement because Social Security reform proposals generally don't cut the benefits of people nearing retirement," Slavov said.

Myth: When I stop working, I have to claim benefits

Thomas Barwick

The date when you stop working and the date you start claiming benefits do not have to coincide. Yet many people falsely believe they are related, said Jason Fichtner, fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and former principal deputy commissioner at the Social Security Administration. It is possible to continue working at 62 and not claim benefits, Fichtner said. Or you can stop working and not take benefits. "There are a variety of options you can do," Fichtner said. "But just because you decide to stop working does not mean you have to automatically claim Social Security retirement benefits."

Your decision to start benefits should be based on your personal situation. If you have an illness or other reason to believe you will not live long, it may make sense to start receiving the money early, Fichtner said. But the longer you wait, the higher your surviving spouse's benefits will also be, if they claim based on your record. The extra money will also help with health or long-term care costs as far as 20 years from now, he said. "You can always go to Social Security tomorrow," Fichtner said. "You can go next week or you can go next year. "When you need it, take it," he added. "But you should hold off until you do."

Myth: I should claim based on my break-even date

Westend61
Customs fees and taxes can now be paid via the National Portal, bahrain.bh without the need to physically visit service centers, the Ministry of Interiors (MoI) Customs Affairs announced.

Customs Affairs Head of Finance, Hamad Buhijji said: The new service, provided in collaboration with the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), is in line with the directives of the Minister of Interior, Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to digitally transform all the Ministrys services. Customs fees, and the tax payment service in particular, attract a high volume of requests, standing at approximately 73,000 transactions prior to the service going online.

He praised the partnership between Customs Affairs and iGA, expressing his appreciation for the authoritys efforts in making this service available to the public following a restructuring and revamping of processes and procedures, which are aimed at making it as accessible as possible.

Beneficiaries of the new service include customs brokers; importers with Bahraini or GCC citizenships; Bahrain or GCC commercial registration holders; governmental and non-governmental entities; international organisations, military missions, embassies and consulates; universities, schools, and other academic, professional, and technical training institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education; and Bahrain Customs itself.

Payments can be made via credit or debit cards by visiting bahrain.bh and selecting Pay Customs Fees and Taxes. Users should then enter their Customs Declaration Numbers and Importer Identity Numbers. To view importer identity types, users can select Help or Continue, which will display the details of the customs declaration including the Declaration Number, Importer Identity Number, total fees in Bahraini Dinars, and other details of due fees and taxes.

Applicants should enter personal contact details such as phone numbers or emails and make their payments to complete their transactions. Once done, payment details will be automatically displayed, showing the payment receipt, the customs declaration, fees, and the applicants details.

Beneficiaries must keep a copy of the receipt either by printing it or having it emailed to them.

The new service aims to streamline online transactions, helping to maintain social distancing practices throughout the coronavirus pandemic and enhancing government performance, saving the beneficiaries time and effort. -- Tradearabia News Service
Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh on Wednesday said a malicious campaign relating to his mental health was being run by few TV channels to defame his family and benefit actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused of abetting the actor's suicide.

The senior advocate told the media that Sushant's three sisters -- Priyanka, Mitu and Rani -- told him that they are extremely pained by the negative and false campaign related to his mental health which has been started by some news channels

The lawyer said the FIR lodged by Sushant's father is in public domain and inspite of this it is being said that the family was aware about his depression.



"The FIR clearly mentions that Sushant started having mental problems after Rhea came in his life. It also mentions that she was responsible for the problems and he became anxious due to the mental problems.

"Rhea never disclosed the files about Sushant's treatment to the family. Some of the prescriptions which were shared only mentioned about tablets and not the disease,"Singh said at a press conference.

The senior advocate said that a campaign is being run relentlessly by some channels and it is the earnest appeal of the family that do not increase sufferings of a bereaved family.

"Please do not add to the suffering of the family by spreading canard and false accusations," he said and also accused the Mumbai Police of forcing Sushant's family to sign the statements recorded in Marathi.



"The family never said that Sushant died by suicide. The statements were recorded by the Mumbai Police in Marathi. The family also objected to and asked the authorities not to write in Marathi if they want them to be signed. But they were forced to sign the statements," Singh alleged.

Singh also said that a suggestion is being made that Sushant had a life insurance policy and the family would not get the money if he is declared to have died by suicide.

"And it is for this reason that the suicide theory was later changed to abetment of suicide. I must inform all of you that Sushant did not have any life insurance policy," he said.

He also said that Sushant's father and sister have decided that no film/serial/book should be written/made without consent of his father and without script being shown to him.

"If anyone goes against it, they will do it at their own peril and appropriate action will be taken," Singh said.

Sushant, 34, was found dead at his Bandra residence. The actor's untimely demise was followed by a high-profile investigation by Mumbai Police during which many big names from Bollywood, including filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aditya Chopra, recorded their statements.



Later, the Supreme Court handed over the investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation.



Rhea is the main accused in the actor's death case in which the Enforcement Directorate has registered a case of money laundering.



The Narcotics Control Bureau has filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea.
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An attorney for teen Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse plans to sue Twitter and take CEO Jack Dorsey's 'a** down' after his account was briefly suspended for 'glorifying violence'.

Lin Wood is one of several lawyers representing the 17-year-old after he was charged with shooting dead two protesters and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week.

Wood said he was locked out of his Twitter account for nine hours on Tuesday night after he started tweeting about raising funds for Rittenhouse's legal defense.

The attorney says he was falsely accused by Twitter of 'glorifying violence'.

Twitter admitted after several hours that his account was mistakenly disabled.

Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, remains in jail after he was charged with shooting dead two protesters and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week

'I was arrested today & confined in Twitter jail falsely accused of glorifying violence. I was exonerated this evening by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' I am free tonight,' Wood tweeted after his account was restored.

'Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on 8/26 & is confined in Illinois jail falsely accused of murder. Kyle will be exonerated when truth is revealed by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' Kyle will be free soon.'

One of his attorneys, Lin Wood, is now planning to sue Twitter and take CEO Jack Dorsey's 'a** down' after his account was briefly suspended for 'glorifying violence'

Wood now plans to file a lawsuit against Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey.

He told Fox News that his account being blocked was just the later example of Twitter trying to censor conservatives.

'I'm going to take Jack Dorsey's a** down,' Wood said.

'He has been abusing the First Amendment of this country for his own agenda.'

Wood said he knew Twitter would try and censor him and that he had been careful to abide by Twitter's terms of service.

'I knew they were going to censor me because I'm sending a message of hope,' he said. 'I'm sending a message of truth. And I'm sending a message that Kyle Rittenhouse is innocent.'

He said he has been compiling a 'mountain of evidence' against the social media giant to prove they are suppressing free speech.

A Twitter spokesperson later said Wood's account was mistakenly blocked.

'This account was incorrectly actioned,' the spokesperson said. 'This has been reversed and the account has been reinstated.'

Meanwhile, several Facebook users have reported that the social media platform has been preventing them from sharing links to donate to Rittenhouse's legal defense.

Conservative YouTuber and conspiracy theorist Mark Dice said that Facebook had threatened to delete his account after he posted a video that showed Rittenhouse offering to help give first aid to protesters prior to the shootings.

He said Facebook removed the video and issued him a warning saying they don't allow praise or support for 'dangerous individuals'.

'In no way did I 'glorify' or celebrate him, nor 'praise' him. I simply posted a non-graphic video, and stated as a matter of fact what it showed. He helped a protester who was injured and didn't show up in Kenosha with any malicious intent to cause trouble,' Dice tweeted.

'I would be shocked if they didn't ban me completely by tomorrow for my other posts about the case.'

Rittenhouse remains in jail after being charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree homicide and one count of attempted homicide following the shootings on the third night of protests in Kenosha in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber were killed and Gaige Grosskreutz was shot in the arm in a series of encounters that were captured on cellphone videos.

Conservative YouTuber and conspiracy theorist Mark Dice said that Facebook had threatened to delete his account after he posted a video that showed Rittenhouse offering to help give first aid to protesters prior to the shootings

Several Facebook users, including another of the teen gunman's lawyers, have reported that the social media platform has been preventing them from sharing links to donate to Rittenhouse's legal defense

Witness accounts and cellphone video show that the shootings took place in two stages: Rittenhouse first shot Rosenbaum, then jogged away, stumbled and fell in the street, and opened fire again on Huber and Grosskreutz as members of the crowd closed in him.

After the gunfire, with his AR-15-style rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air, Rittenhouse walked toward police vehicles that kept going past him, even as a witness shouted, 'He just shot them!'

Police Chief Daniel Miskinis has explained the response as officers dealing with a chaotic scene.

Rittenhouse's lawyers say the teen later turned himself in.

While prosecutors call his conduct criminal, his lawyers say he defended himself against a mob trying to disarm and hurt him. They and other supporters portray him as a hero who stood up to lawlessness.

Trump on Monday sided with the 17-year old on the eve of his visit to Kenosha.

'He was trying to get away from them,' Trump said of Rittenhouse.

'And then he fell and then they very violently attacked him. I guess he was in very big trouble... He probably would have been killed.'

Rittenhouse is charged with two counts of first-degree homicide and one count of attempted homicide following the shootings

After the gunfire, with his AR-15-style rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air, Rittenhouse walked toward police vehicles that kept going past him, even as a witness shouted, 'He just shot them!'
A crowd stormed and burned down Iraqi broadcaster Dijlah TV's headquarters in Baghdad on September 1, as protesters accused the station of broadcasting musical content on a religious day of mourning. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stands in solidarity with the victimized media workers and urges the government to guarantee their safety.

On Sunday 30 August, Shi'ites - the majority in Iraq - celebrated Ashura, which commemorates the martyrdom in 680 of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, a founding event of Shi'ite Islam.

On the same day, Diljah TV aired its regular programming, including content featuring music and dancing. The broadcasts provoked the anger of dozens of demonstrators who considered it inappropriate and an "insult to religion."

Dijlah TV quickly apologized and claimed it was an unintentional error. However, several dozen demonstrators, angry at the festive program, assaulted the TV's premises the following day.

According to reports, the mob torched the office, injuring four media workers and destroying virtually all the bureau's equipment.

Warrant arrest against the TV director

In addition, a Baghdad court issued an arrest warrant against the station's director, Jamal al-Karbuli, accusing him of deliberately insulting religion, a charge which can be publishable with up to three years in prison under the Iraqi penal code.

It is not the first time that Diljah's TV offices have been attacked. In October 2019, armed masked men stormed the station's premises in Baghdad and burned them down. The IFJ condemned the incidents.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: "Violence against media workers in Iraq is on the rise. It's the Iraqi government's responsibility to protect media workers and guarantee their safety".
An amalgam of pseudo-left groups convened an online national assembly of tertiary education workers last week amid an intensifying assault on jobs and conditions throughout Australian public universities.

The event was an attempt to divert the growing disgust among university workers with the role of the sectors trade unions in volunteering unprecedented sacrifices, including large pay cuts, back into the arms of the very same unions.

The meeting was called by the National Higher Education Action Network, which describes itself as a group of rank and file NTEU [National Tertiary Education Union] members.

The fact that 460 people joined the event was a measure of the shock and outrage triggered by the depth of the offensive against educators and students, and the rush by the NTEU, which primarily covers academics, to offer concessions to the employers.

In line with the demands of the federal Liberal-National government and the corporate elite, university managements are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate 30,000 jobs by next year, accelerating pro-business restructuring programs. Thousands of fixed-term and casual jobs are being destroyed also, and workloads increased for remaining staff.

But those looking for a way forward against this offensive, and the betrayal of the NTEU, would have been sorely disappointed. From the outset, the organisers were solely preoccupied with propping up the NTEU and preventing a break out of its industrial and political straitjacket.

The organisers put to the event a resolution that did not even mention, let alone oppose, the fact that the NTEU is continuing to push through deals with the employers at individual universities to extract cuts to pay and conditions from its members, supposedly in return for meaningless promises to inflict fewer job losses.

In order to protect the NTEU, the resolution was deliberately silent on the fact that the union has stepped up its cooperation with managements after widespread hostility among university workers forced the union to abandon its proposed national framework that offered pay cuts of up to 15 percent, and still accepted the destruction of at least 18,000 jobs.

Far from denouncing the NTEU, the organisers resolution called for a partnership with the union. It proposed a protest demonstration involving the NTEU in October before the governments budget and called on the NTEU to support rank-and-file actions.

Despite their claims to be democratic, the organisers refused to put to the meeting an opposed resolution moved by Socialist Equality Party supporters. Before the event, the organisers had rejected the SEP motion as an amendment to their proposed resolution, saying it advanced a different political strategywhich it certainly did.

The barred resolution began by rejecting the NTEUs collaboration with the employers. It called for the formation of genuine rank-and-file committees to fight the union-enforced cuts. It proposed that the assembly:

 Opposes all the NTEUs efforts, via national or local agreements, to make university workers and students pay for the billions of dollars cut from funding by Coalition and Labor-Greens governments over the past decade, and the role of capitalist governments in worsening the global COVID-19 pandemic by their profit-driven responses.  Demands that, instead of big business being bailed out with billions of dollars, and billions more being handed to the military, resources be poured into healthcare and education funding, to protect the population from COVID-19 and guarantee the basic social right to free, first-class education for all students, including international students, and full-time jobs for all university workers.  Urges the formation of rank-and-file action committees of tertiary education workers and studentstotally independent of the NTEU, governments and employers. These are essential to (1) organise a nationwide, unified struggle, including a general strike, for secure well-paid jobs and basic rights, (2) protect university staff from unsafe COVID-19 conditions and (3) link up with school teachers and other workers nationally and internationally who are facing similar critical struggles against the impact of the worsening global crisis.  Supports an alternative, socialist perspective, based on the complete reorganisation of society in the interests of all, instead of the financial elite.

With all participants restricted to just two minutes (apart from four opening reports), Michael Head from Western Sydney University briefly outlined the necessity for this opposed line of struggle. He pointed out that the organisers resolution did not even refer to the global pandemic, which has been worsened by the profit-driven responses of every capitalist government.

Nor does it mention the role of successive governments, both Liberal-National and Labor-Greens, in slashing billions of dollars from universities, Head said. Instead, the motion seeks to divert us back into the arms of the NTEU, which has been the police force of the government-employer assault.

Head indicted the NTEU for working hand in glove with managements to enforce cuts. In one of the latest examples, at Macquarie University, where up to 1,000 jobs are threatened, the NTEU has appealed to the vice chancellor to negotiate with the union on proportional savings measures.

Carolyn Kennett from Macquarie University also spoke in favour of the counter-resolution. She said the NTEU was offering the Macquarie management concessions modelled on the unions earlier national framework, which outraged members had forced the union to withdraw.

Kennett said the NTEUs role was antithetical to the fight to defend jobs and conditions. Like other unions, it had prosecuted the attack on workers for years, through enterprise bargaining agreements with the employers.

Kennett emphasised the counter-motions demand for the redirection of the billions being spent on preparing the military for war. She spoke of the necessity for high quality free public education for allnot just for domestic students but also international students. She urged participants to contact the Committee for Public Education (CFPE), established by the SEP.

By contrast, the organisers resolution embraced the underlying agenda of the corporate elite. It called for the redirection of only unnecessary military spending, as if some were necessary. It proposed accessible education for students, not free education and the cancellation of all fee debts. Likewise, it did not demand an end to casualisation, just a meaningless radical reduction.

These formulations are not accidental. The pseudo-left groups involvedincluding Socialist Alternative, Socialist Alliance and Solidarityaspire to join the leadership of the union themselves. They are following in the footsteps of earlier members of their groups, such as NTEU national president Alison Barnes and New South Wales state secretary Michael Thomson, who are today in the forefront of enforcing cuts to jobs and conditions.

The events theme was spelled out by one of the opening speakers, Annette Herrera from Melbourne University. She urged the participants to build union power one workplace at a time. Roz Ward, from the pseudo-left NTEU Fightback group, said: We have to build around workplace issues.

Speakers identified themselves as proud union members and urged participants to recruit new NTEU members to try to boost its membership of about 30,000 in a workforce of more than 150,000. Seconding the organisers resolution, Paddy Gibson from University Technology Sydney said the objective was to push the union as far as it will go.

Another feature of the event was its support for efforts to install yet another Greens-backed Labor government. While criticising the present Liberal-National government, not a single one of these speakers referred to the role of previous Labor governmentsthose of Hawke and Keating and Rudd and Gillardin partnering with the trade unions to suppress workers struggles and slash billions of dollars from university funding.

The organisers resolution proposed a vague campaign of coordinated actions with the goal of making democratically planned, unprotected industrial action possible so as to defend universities from funding cuts. Far from a challenge to the outlawing of industrial action since the 1980s by the Labor-union accords and enterprise bargaining regime, this amounts to an indefinite delay to any industrial action.

That is in keeping with the NTEUs vehement hostilityreiterated at every union meetingto any industrial action that would break out of this union-backed straitjacket.

To fight the deepening attack on public education, the Committee for Public Education (CFPE) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) have jointly called for the formation of independent rank-and-file committees of university workers and students to prosecute a genuine industrial and political struggle against all the union-enforced attacks.

That requires challenging the capitalist profit system and turning to a socialist perspective based on the total reorganisation of society in the interests of all, instead of the financial oligarchy. We urge university workers and students to contact us.

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

CFPE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commforpubliceducation/

Twitter account: @CFPE_Australia

The authors also recommend:

NTEU appeals for negotiations after Australias Macquarie University announces massive job cuts

[25 August 2020]

Australian universities unveil job cuts of up to 30 percent

[24 August 2020]

NTEU Fightback aims to block revolt against Australian university trade union

[17 July 2020]

Reject Australian universities-NTEU job and pay cuts!

[15 June 2020]
Actress Raveena Tandon has responded to actor Kangana Ranauts accusations that 99 percent of people in the film industry consume drugs after lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani raised questions about Bollywoods deafening silence" on a serious charge."

Raveena said that the entire industry could not be generalised and it has the good and the bad."

Globally,99 % of judges, politicians, babus, officials, cops are corrupt. This statement cannot be a generic description for all. People are intelligent. They can differentiate between good/ bad. Few bad apples cannot spoil a basket. Likewise, our industry also has the good and the bad, she tweeted.

Globally,99 % of judges,politicians,babus,officials,cops are corrupt.This statement cannot be a generic description for all.People are intelligent.They can differentiate between good/ bad.Few bad apples cannot spoil a basket.Likewise our industry also has the good and the bad. https://t.co/2sicSRZaAP Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) September 1, 2020

Raveena was replying to Mahesh Jethmalanis tweet in which he indirectly indicated whether Bollywoods silence on Kangana Ranauts allegations implies complicity. A Bollywood actress makes a serious charge claiming personal knowledge on a TV channel with a large viewership that 99% of Bollywood consumes narcotic drugs. Not one person from that industry contradicts her. What inference is the public to draw from this deafening silence?

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma also responded to Maheshs tweet and said that he was baffled by the film industrys silence on Kanganas allegations. Though I belong to the same fraternity, I am as baffled as u And their silence also extends to them being called rapists, killers, mafia, etc, he wrote on Twitter.

Though I belong to the same fraternity,I am as baffled as u ..And their silence also extends to them being called rapists , killers ,mafia etc etc https://t.co/oap0ttPGLj Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) September 1, 2020

Recently, in an interview with Republic TV, Kangana talked about Bollywoods alleged drug nexus and claimed that 99% of people in the industry do drugs. She also alleged that a character artiste" spiked her drink and took advantage of her during her early days in the film industry. This came after the Narcotics Control Bureau registered a criminal case against Rhea Chakraborty, prime accused in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. The NCB is investigating the possible drug angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
By Akbar Mammadov

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces Relief Fund has collected $66,989 million as of 1 September, the Defense Ministry has reported.

The donations in the national currency amount to 113,415 million AZN ($66,754 million).

The Armed Forces Relief Funds dollar account has amounted to $213.577.88, whereas its euro and Russian ruble accounts have reached 18,341 ($21.770) and 5,000 ($67.61) respectively.

Thus, the total amount of the funds donated to the Armed Forces Relief Fund is about $66,989 million.

Azerbaijans Armed Forces Relief Fund was approved by the Presidential decree on 17 August 2002.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz




Haiti - News : Zapping...





St-Marc : Students in the street

On Tuesday in order to continue to demand the presence of teachers in classrooms, public school students once again took to the streets in the city of Saint-Marc. These protest movements are often punctuated by acts of violence and sometimes targeted non-public schools.



The former PM Ceant summoned by the ULCC

As part of its investigations into the loans of the ONAMART / ONAPHARMA program, whose mortgage contracts guaranteeing the loan have been signed by the Study of the Notary Ceant, the Unit for the Fight Against Corruption (ULCC) convened the Notary and former Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant to answer questions and clarify certain gray areas in these contracts...



Violent student demonstration

Several hundred students demonstrated in downtown Port-au-Prince to denounce the assassination of Batonnier Me Dorval. A State Service car was set on fire, barricades of flaming tires were erected. Tensions and moments of panic among residents of the neighborhood.



Chancellor Joseph explains to the Core Group the climate of insecurity

Chancellor Claude Joseph, in correspondence to the Corp Group explains that "The current climate of insecurity is orchestrated and maintained by shameless interest groups" who do not want the holding of elections which oppose the decisions of the State making them lose considerable advantages on energy and fuels and finally those who do not want constitutional reform.



FNE and students with special needs

A working session was held between Joseph Frantz Nicolas Director General of the National Education Fund (FNE) and Ms. Soinette Desirla Secretary of State for the Integration of People Living with a Disability around the support that the FNE could provide young people and children with specific needs, on the occasion of the start of the school year for the 2020-2021 academic year.



Congratulations from Ambassador Herve Denis

Herve Denis the Ambassador of Haiti in Washington DC, recently spoke with Fabiana Pierre-Louis, the youngest woman to be confirmed and the first of color to sit on the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey, to congratulate her.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Yesterday an Israeli El Al aircraft, which departed from Tel Aviv, landed in Abu Dhabi after flying over Saudi airspace. Meir Ben-Shabbat: Here to transform a vision into reality, unlimited collaboration between the two countries. Criticism from the Palestinian front: a peace made by denying rights. The Emirates first load of aid to Syria since the beginning of the war.

Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A little over two weeks after the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first direct air link between the two nations was made yesterday; during the route, the Israeli-flagged aircraft also crossed the skies of Saudi Arabia. This is the "first direct commercial flight" between the two nations, which took off from Ben Gurion international airport in Tel Aviv and landed at Abu Dhabi airport.

On board the vehicle of the El Al company there was a mixed Israeli-US delegation, which set foot in the Emirates at 3.39 pm local time after flying over the Saudi kingdom with special authorization. Leading the group was Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump and his special adviser for the Middle East.

At the head of the aircraft were the words "Peace, Salam, Shalom" (in English, Arabic and Hebrew), next to the company logo and the flight number: LY 971 on the way out and LY 972 on the way back, which are the respective telephone area codes of the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

The focus of the talks between the Israeli-American delegation and the Emirati counterparts are issues related to security, trade, collaboration in the scientific field and in the fight against the new coronavirus. Also tourism and the procedures for issuing visas between the two countries - now partners - for future travellers.

Upon his arrival, Kushner underlined the Riyadhs gesture, which granted "for the first time" the green light to fly over its airspace to an Israeli vehicle. The Saudis still have no relations with Israel and, even recently, they have reiterated - rejecting pressure from the White House - that diplomatic relations will only be possible after real peace between Israelis and Palestinians is achieved.

Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat addressed the Emirati hosts with the traditional Arabic greeting "Salamo alaykoum" (peace be with you); he then added that "we are here to turn a vision into reality" and that there are no "limits" to future collaboration between the two nations.

The reaction of the Palestinians was immediate and critical, delivered through chief negotiator Saeb Erekat who stressed that "there can be no real peace by denying the Palestinians' right to exist".

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, once allies of the Saudis and of the anti-Assad opposition front, have sent - and for the first time since the war began in 2011 - a load of medical and humanitarian aid to Syria, to be used in the fight against the new coronavirus pandemic.

The cargo, which arrived on the evening of August 30 via the Syrian Red Crescent, includes medicines, respirators and disinfectants and is the result of the first [telephone] contact, dating back four months ago, between President Bashar al-Assad and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammad ben Zayed.
The Woodlands Township Transit Department has a new motto and public education campaign called #SitSafe that emphasizes sanitizing of buses and trolleys, social distancing of riders and the wearing of face masks or coverings and other PPE. The goal: to maintain the highest levels of safety for both bus riders as well as transit staff.

The campaign, which includes instructional videos, special webpages and social media posts, is part of wider efforts to assure riders and workers that COVID-19 precautions are in place, said Ruthanne Haut, The Woodlands deputy director of community services overseeing transit and infrastructure.

(The) Hashtag SitSafea millennial on my staff thought of that. We put out a lot of information on our Twitter feed and (the hastag) fits well with that platform, Haut said. What we really want to convey in one sentence to our riders is that The Woodlands Express and the Town Center Trolleys are as safe as possible with the things under our control. It is doing our utmost to provide the safest ride possible.

Triple approach to safety

Haut said the three main tenets of the new program are extra sanitization measures, mandated social distancing practices and required personal protective gear for drivers and other transit staff. The buses in operation are only departing from the Research Forest Boulevard and Sawdust Road Park and Ride Stations with Sterling Ridge still closed. The buses

We also have purchased with the #SitSafe logo on it, masks. If you forget your facemask, you pick one up at the Park and Ride, Haut said. If you forgot your mask, you can get a mask on us. We are also promoting our ticket app. This is a touchless way for (riders) to enter the bus and ride.

The COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic has forced dramatic changes onto the buses the township runs to multiple locations downtown. After a drastic reduction in routes and closures of Park and Ride stations in March, township officials slowly expanded services and routes in May and June.

We are running a reduced schedule out of both (Park and Ride stations), there is plenty of capacity at this time. As ridership increases, we will add more buses and open (more routes), Haut said. Our Texas Medical Center ridership has remained high compared to pre-COVID levels. We have preserved all the routes to the Texas Medical Center from the Sawdust (Road) and Research Forest (Boulevard) Park and Ride (stations). (We) are at about 50 percent of our normal routes. With the buses, we only have half capacity, so about 23 riders. We have back-up buses, so if we get full, we have back-ups and everyone can still get a ride.

Mobile app usage encouraged

Haut said in a press release that in order to, limit contact between drivers and passengers, we ask that passengers download The Woodlands Express mobile ticketing app.

According to the press release, The Woodlands Express app is available to be downloaded on the Apple-oriented App Store as well as the website, Google Play.

Once the app has downloaded, open it up and create your account. Select Buy Tickets to purchase a ticket or Ticket Wallet if you have already bought a ticket and want to use it. Select the type of ticket you wish to purchase and accept the Terms & Conditions, officials stated in the release. Once purchase is complete, tickets can be found in the Ticket Wallet. Activate the ticket just prior to boarding. When boarding the bus, show your activated ticket to your driver for validation. Trip tools can also be accessed via the Trip Tools button which provides schedules, maps, and more.

As for the staff of the Transit Department, Haut said the vast majority of drivers and other workers have avoided acquiring the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. One driver did test positive for the virus in March, she added, but that person was immediately removed from work, went into quarantine and has fully recovered.

jeff.forward@chron.com
Daniel Andrews has cracked it with an ABC journalist who dared to question the motives behind his extended daily press conference briefings since Victoria's second COVID-19 wave paralysed the state.

After 62 consecutive days of press conferences, which regularly last longer than two hours, the Labor premier lost his cool after being quizzed by acclaimed ABC journalist Rafael Epstein on whether his daily addresses were a way of 'sidelining' the mainstream media and speaking directly to the electorate.

'Do you think this press conference makes the mainstream media less relevant to your political fortunes because you've got more direct communication?' Mr Epstein asked.

The 'direct line of questioning' prompted laughter and mutterings from other journalists in the room.

A peeved Mr Andrews hit back by saying he 'values' his hour-and-a-half with the 'mainstream media.'

Mr Andrews is under pressure over his controversial Stage Four lockdown because he refuses to confirm whether the draconian restrictions will be lifted on September 13. He was also forced to back down from his push for a 12-month extension to Victoria's State of Emergency - and instead accept a six-month extension.

This is despite a dramatic fall in the number of COVID-19 cases from a high of 725 new cases on August 5, to less than 100 since Saturday, and calls from everyone frm the Prime Minister Scott Morrison to doctors to lift restrictions because of growing concerns about the social and economic damage being done to Victoria.

Daniel Andrews has gone toe to toe with an ABC journalist who questioned him over the immense press he has done amid Victoria's second COVID-19 wave

During a media conference to discuss the state's 90 new cases on Wednesday, the Premier was quizzed by veteran radio reporter Rafael Epstein on whether his daily addresses 'sidelines' the mainstream media

'But I wouldn't agree with that analysis at all, Raf... I'm not motivated by bad headlines or good ones.

'Seriously, just have a look at the politics and history of this state in the last six years, do you really think I'm motivated by bad headlines? Really?'

Ms Epstein interjected: 'That wasn't my question about your motivations,' before Mr Andrews cut him off.

The premier continued: 'I get on and get my job done and I'll leave it to others to judge whether that's to their liking or not.

'There's not been that many good [headlines] has there? You've got a job to do, go and do your job because I respect the work you do.

'You'd have to give me some credit, I would think, that at every point in my public life I've advocated for more voiced in the media, not less.'

Mr Andrews said he respects everyone's right to have differing opinions on him, but said he doesn't have 'the time nor the interest to get fixated' on negative press.

'I'm far more focused on fighting this virus' he said.

'We've established the royal commission, they're doing their important work and the time will come when we can speak in freer terms but I don't think it's important to do that now.'

Victorian premier has become known for his lengthy press conferences and media addresses during Melbourne's second COVID-19 outbreak two months ago.

Mr Epstein, a veteran TV and radio reporter for the ABC, prompted laughter from other journalists over his question

Mr Andrews sparked outrage on Sunday for speaking at length about a mysterious 'plan' out of lockdown without providing details.

He mentioned the 'plan' 22 times during a press conference in Melbourne over the weekend.

'These case numbers are too high for us to open up, and they are still too high for us to put forward a definitive plan,' he said.

'Now, there will be a plan. It will come soon.

'It needs to be a clear plan that we are confident we can actually deliver. And I do appreciate that it is frustrating, but a plan that is real is always much better, I think, than one that is rushed out and really doesnt have the data sitting behind it, the evidence, the science.'

Victoria recorded six more coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, taking the state toll to 576 and the national figure to 663.

A six-month extension to the Victorian government's state of emergency powers passed parliament overnight after a surprise intervention by the Greens.

It passed 20 votes to 19, with Greens MP Ellen Sandell saying on Wednesday morning that they voted for the bill on its merits.

'There were conditions of our support ... this was about the legislation for us,' she told 3AW.

The controversial Victorian premier has become known for his lengthy press conferences and media addresses during Melbourne's second COVID-19 outbreak two months ago

While the government must report to parliament every four weeks as the state of emergency continues and the legislation is specific to this pandemic, Ms Sandell was asked why there weren't tougher oversight measures in the bill.

'That is disappointing, isn't it, that they are trying to avoid that scrutiny,' she said of the government.

'I'm not here to defend the government ... they are quite a secretive government, but ultimately the Greens make decisions based on facts and the health advice - that's what we have done in this case.'

Victorian Greens upper house MP Samantha Ratnam returned from maternity leave to vote for the government's amended bill early on Wednesday morning.

'I felt it was just too important that I had to be here,' she told reporters as she arrived at parliament with two-month-old Malala.
- Source:

02.09.2020 LISTEN

On May 16, Felicien Kabuga was arrested outside of Paris , where he had been living for over 10 years under a false identity. One of the presumed last leaders of the Rwanda genocide still at large, he has been wanted for over 20 years.

The indictments against him include the most serious charges of genocide. These were committed during Kabuga's time as head of Radiotelevision Libre des Mille collines from 1993, and as president of the National Defence Fund since it was established in April 1994.

This arrest marks the beginning of a long legal process in which the prosecution faces numerous challenges. The first of these is unravelling the mystery of 26 years spent in hiding .

The second challenge is whether the evidence sought has been preserved. A previous request to follow the money trail to establish guilt among ousted Rwanda officials was halted over fears of implicating current officials. What will happen when prosecution investigators seek such evidence in the future, not only in Rwanda, but also in Belgium, Switzerland, France, and elsewhere?

Finally is the issue of witness credibility. With the disappearance over time of many witnesses and the likely destruction of crucial records, witness credibility is one of the key issues of the Kabuga trial, along with the solidity of the evidence submitted to the judges.

Depending on who you ask, the trial could be held in Arusha, Tanzania, at The Hague in the Netherlands or in Kigali , Rwanda. However, these challenges  along with the fierce contention between Rwanda's leadership and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT)  which succeeded International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)  will soon play out for the world to see.

Allegations and evidence

Kabuga's recent arrest brought up the same accusations as those laid out in 1999, when his indictment was first published. He is described as the richest man in the country, one who imported machetes to arm genocidal killers. He is said to have had close family ties to the presidential couple. More significantly, he is said to have been responsible for funding and organising militia and vigilante groups.

As early as 1995, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda prosecutor undertook to establish the guilt of Kabuga, Finance minister E. Ndindabahizi and Planning minister A. Ngirabatware (Kabuga's father in law). But the court was soon thwarted by a lack of tangible evidence. Records kept by the ministries did not enable them to establish links with the genocide and the machetes hypothesis proved highly uncertain.

In 1999, the prosecutor turned to the accounting and staff management records of public and private companies. These helped reveal the funding mechanisms and networks that enabled the creation of the youth groups of the ruling party, the Interahamwe , and those of other parties. When war broke out, such groups morphed into youth militia serving the politicians that funded, housed (as did Kabuga in Kigali) or armed them.

Investigations made significant progress in 2001, with access to the bank accounts of individuals and organisations suspected of pillaging parastatal companies and the budgets of large government ministries. The atmosphere of impunity had been so great that the bulk of the transfers were sent directly to dignitaries' personal accounts.

In May 2001, the prosecutor's office tried to extend its search to the highest levels of power. A working programme was sent to the Ministry of Justice, with a list of names and institutions. The requests included operations carried out after the war with the accounts and property of figures from the old regime, either dead, under prosecution or recycled by the new authorities.

But on the day the request was submitted, a wave of panic washed across the banking world, particularly in Belgium. Banks there voiced their total opposition to the highest levels of the Rwandan State . The investigations were refused on the basis that they might harm national reconciliation and the country's reconstruction since they elicited concern from economic organisations now protected from scrutiny.

Can we hope that this evidence has been preserved?

Rwanda's agenda

Since relations between the ICTR and Kigali have been plagued by a series of crises, and because the credibility of international justice is often called into question in Africa, the MICT is facing a significant challenge.

For those wanting to know what happened in Rwanda, it would be unimaginable to forgo investigations of large swathes of the decision-making, organisation and operation of the war and genocide.

For Rwanda, the goal is to obtain formal recognition of its claim which places 'planning of the genocide against the Tutsis several years in advance.' The ICTR was never able to establish this. The theory of 'genocidal conspiracy' put forward by the ICTR's initial prosecutors, was quickly abandoned due to lack of sufficient evidence.

This failure was confirmed by judges in the trial of Colonel Bagosora , and again when Protais Zigiranyirazo was acquitted following his appeal. Because the main suspect Agathe Kanziga  the widow of President Juvenal Habyarimana  was never prosecuted by the ICTR, Kabuga became the prosecutor's number one target in 2001.

Whatever the outcome, the Kabuga trial will enable Kigali to again campaign for Kanziga, who still resides in France, to be tried in Rwanda. This would be a key trial, representing a final, outstanding political and judicial victory for Rwandan authorities.

With these final trials, the Rwandan government's main goal remains the same: consolidate their rewritten version of the tragedy, which is now the official history of the war and genocide and, as such, is protected by laws against denialism and revisionism.

Nevertheless, attempts to try Kanziga in Rwanda would run up against a familiar obstacle. It is true that Kanziga was never prosecuted by the ICTR. But how could prosecutors go after the widow of Juvenal Habyarimana, when they refused to investigate the attack and granted RPF total impunity by halting investigations into its crimes?

It is one thing to orchestrate the moral vilification of the presidential family, but quite another to call for a proper trial. Such a trial would open up adversarial hearings on the 6 April attack, international complicity and the war crimes and crimes against humanity that came with the Rwanda Patriotic Front's victory .

The question of Arusha

On 28 May, Judge Sekule of the MICT recommended waiting until pandemic restrictions were lifted before making travel arrangements to Arusha , but added that 'an appropriate alternative could be sought.'

A transfer to Arusha does indeed raise certain questions, concerning the accused physical state, the availability of Covid treatment centres, staff recruitment, among other issues.

There are hundreds of Rwandan witnesses to the crimes Kabuga is charged with. Therefore, authorities in Kigali may well request that the MICT hand the case over to them, after confirmation of its transfer from the French justice system to the Mechanism.

On 20 April, the Assembly of UN Member States voted to pass the resolution that

calls upon all states to cooperate with the Government of Rwanda to investigate, arrest, prosecute or extradite all remaining fugitives.

Rwanda could then be considered as an appropriate alternative, given that a high court has been established there for this purpose. The country has been internationally recognised for its rigorous management of the Covid crisis , and the EU has reinstated direct flights to and from Kigali.

However, another surprising possibility would be a guilty plea. It could only be accepted by the judges after a comprehensive and detailed hearing of the accused, in which he would be forced to tell the truth on the basis of proven facts. Should this option be accepted by prosecutor Serge Brammertz , it could lead to highly simplified proceedings.

A long version of this article in French and a version in Kinyarwanda can be downloaded here

Translated from the French by Alice Heathwood for Fast ForWord

Witness-expert at the ICTR Prosecutor's Office (1996-2010) and other national courts

By Andre Guichaoua, Professeur des universites, Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne
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Sewer lines  and the stuff that flows through them  could become a tool that public health experts use to get ahead of the next pandemic.

Researchers with the University of South Carolina have collected samples from wastewater treatment facilities across the country since April to test for the coronavirus.

Although the Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority is not a part of a study to see how prevalent coronavirus is in Myrtle Beach area wastewater, the research could influence how public health officials across the country monitor potential pandemics in the future.

And the results could show trends days ahead of human testing.

For something like a pandemic, in the event we have another pandemic, we will have the stage set to use sewage surveillance, said USC Arnold School of Public Health Professor Sean Norman.

Wastewater treatment facilities currently are not required to test for coronavirus in the sewage and there has been no documented cases of someone getting the virus from wastewater, according to a statement from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

However, public health officials know the virus is in wastewater with or without the study.

It's been known for quite some time that the virus, like other SARS viruses, is shed in feces, it's expected that all wastewater treatment facilities, especially domestic and municipal facilities, are experiencing increased loadings of the viral particles, according to DHEC officials. No difference in this dynamic would be expected for GSWSA.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus illness, can be found in wastewater when someone with the virus, asymptomatic or not, flushes their waste down the toilet.

Researchers can then test the water, determine how much of the virus is in it and then develop models to estimate how many people along the sewer line have COVID-19.

Norman is working with state and federal public health agencies to create models that will use wastewater to track the coronavirus and any potential virus prevalence within a neighborhood, zip code or region.

We are trying to understand the abundance of the virus in the sewage, but then relate that back to the cases that are within the zip codes we are testing, he said. We need all these pieces of the puzzle to be able to put it all together to understand whether we can eventually roll out a model that says when you will see a spike or valley in the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in the sewage.

Researchers are monitoring wastewater in eight locations across the state, with additional sites in Texas and California. GSWSA applied to be a part of the study, but due to the amount of water treatment facilities already involved and the capacity of the lab wasn't chosen.

They did request to be part of this study early on, but we had already chosen sites and I was beyond capacity to do the testing with a turnaround time that I thought to be acceptable, Norman said.

Samples are taken twice a week from participating facilities and then the data is compared to the results from DHECs confirmed coronavirus cases for zip codes.

Ultimately, the hope is to produce models that can use wastewater data to predict rises and spikes in the virus. While individual testing will still be needed, using sewage could become a key way public health leaders determine how common a virus is in society.

We did some sampling along our coastline, in some more touristy areas. We began to see spikes during vacation season. Once the mandatory mask policies were put in masks across the state, at that point we saw, when those mask policies were put in place we started to see a decreasing trend that we continue to see now, Norman said.

While sewage monitoring has been used to track opioids and other viruses, it has never been done on the scale Norman is doing now. Sample sites were chosen based on location, types of wastewater treatment facilities and the population of the surrounding area.

But before the research is deemed a success, Norman said his team needs to keep amassing data in order to test and ultimately prove that the method is useful to public health experts. The study will last through the end of the year, according to DHEC.

In the future, Norman said samples could be taken strategically along sewer lines to determine the prevalence of a virus in specific neighborhoods or along streets.

Norman sees his work as integral to the mission of the Arnold School of Public Health at USC. He hopes the work he and researchers are doing now will inform students and all South Carolinians of potential hazards in the future.

We are here to provide our general public with good health advice. Public health is about prevention, he said. So if we are able to provide leading indicators through sewage surveillance, we might be able to, in the long run prevent public health crises.
How cloud helped

The New ROI

Cloud  Next

The Connectivity Question

The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated state and local governments ability to shift on the fly. While work-from-home arrangements were sporadic pre-pandemic, government technology leaders quickly and effectively adapted to the new requirements. In Tennessee, more than half of all government employees were teleworking this spring, and in Massachusetts over 90 percent of back-office staff were working remotely.Cloud played a key role in empowering the rapid transition to new modes of work. Microsoft, for instance, announced in March that use of its cloud-based messaging and collaboration tools had jumped 37 percent in one week, at one point logging 900 million meeting and call minutes a week.In the COVID-19 crisis, cloud and software-as-a-service proved their utility, their versatility and their scalability. Government and private-sector technology executives say this practical demonstration will accelerate the adoption of cloud and SaaS going forward. A recent Flexera survey found 59 percent of enterprise IT leaders plan to increase cloud adoption either slightly or significantly as a result of COVID-19. More than one in three executives see the pandemic as an impetus to digitally transform their business, according to a survey by software-maker Wind River.Government was headed this way already. NASCIOs 2019 state CIO survey showed 34 percent of IT leaders had a cloud migration strategy in place and 51 percent had a strategy in development. The Center for Digital Government (CDG)* has also been tracking changing attitudes toward cloud technologies in cities, counties and states for several years. COVID-19 has opened up the throttle on those efforts.In a recent CDG webinar, state IT chiefs from California, Indiana and Arkansas all described the use of cloud and SaaS technologies as key to their successful COVID-19 response.In Indiana, CIO Tracy Barnes and his team supported some 120 state agencies in the push to work from home, and investments made last fall in cloud-enabled services helped make that transition possible. His department had been piloting Office 365, laying out governance for the use of such tools before the pandemic hit.That early investment allowed for us to quickly scale and stand up and expand our footprint, to support the massive work-from-home need that hit us almost overnight, he said.Californias state IT shop has been aggressively pursuing cloud since 2016, an effort that paid off in the COVID-19 crisis. CIO Amy Tong reported that 90 percent of some 200,000 state employees were able to transition smoothly to a telework environment.Hardware presented an initial challenge, Tong said: Existing rules required employees to use state-owned laptops when working remotely, in order to ensure security, but there werent enough such devices available. Tongs office flexed the rules, implementing uniform security protocols that made it safe for workers to access government systems via their personal devices.The ability to more easily implement new security protocols may be one of the chief benefits of working in a cloud environment. A recent NASCIO survey found that among government IT leaders who have implemented cloud applications and services, 53 percent say those uses are governed centrally. Advocates for cloud and SaaS have long said that centralized governance offers a way to bolster security across an organization.The state of Arkansas likewise benefited from cloud, with CTO Yessica Jones also supporting a rapid shift to telework. When it was time to stand up a call center, and we really needed to do it very quickly, pieces of that call center went to the cloud, she said. The pandemic unemployment assistance program also ramped up rapidly via a cloud deployment, and cloud has continued to play a role in supporting state employees return to work, with SaaS-enabled temperature measuring stations.In some cases, the successful transition to telework didnt just make state employees capable  it made them better.Jones office polled remote workers part-way into the crisis, and while some said they missed the daily interaction with co-workers, others mentioned that working from home allowed them to pay more attention to long-overdue tasks, she said. This aligns with private-sector experiences: A recent report from CNBC/Change Research found 60 percent of workers say they are either as productive or even more productive working from home.Around the nation, cloud and SaaS proved their worth in a number of ways amid the pandemic. The Illinois Department of Employment Security used Googles cloud-based contact center technology to handle more than 140,000 phone and Web inquiries a day, said Todd Schroeder, director of Global Public Sector Digital Strategy with Google Cloud.He also pointed to the Chicago Public Health Department, which leveraged their technology to build a health app to deliver important information and guidance directly to affected people.Cloud offered states a means to meet the need for large-scale remote access to key business applications, even as demand for services from citizens and other key constituents skyrocketed virtually overnight. Its the scalability of having services in the cloud that allowed many of these public services to be quickly ramped up to deal with the public demand, Tong said.Jones has reached a similar conclusion. For this particular event, how things developed so quickly, it really made good sense to just stand up cloud services for whatever the needs were, she said. One state saw a 400 percent jump in unemployment claims. Legacy systems couldnt keep pace, and CRM provider Salesforce worked with state officials to swiftly implement a cloud-based solution.In less than a week, we set up a virtual contact center, so that no one had to be in the call center sitting at a desk, said Salesforce SVP of Global Government Solutions Casey Coleman. With those digital capabilities they were able to work through that backlog, process the applications and get money into the hands of people who were in urgent need of assistance.For states already on the journey to the cloud, and for those still waiting in the wings, experts say the successful push to telework this spring could provide the catalyst for accelerated adoption.While many states have had some form of cloud first ambition in play in recent years, finances have proven to be a stumbling block for some. In a shift from legacy-era capital expenditures to a modernized operating-expenditure model, some have found it difficult to offer solid metrics around return on investment.IT leaders could point to cost savings through data center consolidation as a clear win for SaaS, along with other incremental gains. But the financial adjustment from CapEx to OpEx isnt apples-to-apples, and that made it hard to nail down a definitive ROI.With the productivity gains evident in the COVID-19 telework experience, it may become possible to generate a fuller economic argument in favor of cloud and SaaS. That economic argument becomes all the more persuasive, given that many states will face budget cuts as tax revenues decline amid the COVID-19-related economic downturn.Barnes said the economic considerations will be a key factor in determining his states future embrace of modern solutions. We have to make surethat we are delivering service that truly is able to be accessed and utilized by our users across the state. How do we do that with a pending massive budget cut? he said. Thats going to be the big challenge.Indeed, the expected downturn is starting to materialize, forcing creative approaches like Ohios recent request of its contractors, including those delivering IT services, to take a 15 percent pay cut on current contracts.Part of the answer lies in a more aggressive uptake of cloud and SaaS solutions. Where we can definitely show value and potentially show a decrease in cost and spend, lets look at what pieces we can start transitioning to the cloud and offloading from our internal support, Barnes said.If anything, state CIOs say, tight fiscal times could help them make the case for more as-a-service offerings. We are in a digital era, which means [we need] continuous investment into digital services, Tong said.The move to cloud has been an evolutionary exercise in state government. After initial forays proved successful, many adopted a cloud first approach, saying they would consider cloud and SaaS options first as they sought to modernize legacy systems.More recently, forward-thinking CIOs have adapted this slightly. Arkansas calls its strategy cloud right, while California is pursuing a cloud smart approach. This emerging terminology points to a more finessed approach to modernization, one that state CIOs say will be reflected in their post-COVID-19 efforts to broaden cloud adoption.Jones said of her team, were still firm believers in cloud. But that belief does not equate to blind faith.We believe that not everything is a good fit  whether it is the visibility, the cost  the security of the data, she said. There are many different things to be taken into consideration before moving an application or data to the cloud.Barnes described a similar approach unfolding in Indiana. Do you aggressively start pushing everything to the cloud? he asked. Short answer: No. The longer answer depends on the specific application or process, as well as the agency or department that owns or relies on that application. We always have to be focused on that business need.Certain situations may be a natural fit for cloud, but if the business is not ready, if the business is not capable, if the business doesnt understand the need and the opportunity with utilizing cloud tools and technologies  then we cant start pushing every technology and every solution down that path, he said.Some applications will be a fit  probably many, as IT seeks to reduce the cost burden surrounding upkeep of legacy systems, while simultaneously building in a new level of digital resiliency in response to the unexpected nature of the COVID-19 crisis.Cloud vendors say the success of cloud-based responses to the pandemic helped to prove out the case for modernization. IT leaders may have already understood the value of cloud and SaaS, but now these organizations can point to tangible outcomes. They were able to serve their constituents overnight, Schroeder said.Those who may have hesitated in the past  either because of budgetary concerns or fears of breaking ties with their legacy provider  have discovered those fears were groundless. We proved it all wrong, Schroeder said.This argument that we cannot touch the mainframe  well, we had to change it because it couldnt evolve to meet the pandemic requirements, and it worked, he said. It delivered unprecedented volumes of benefit. That will make people think about what else they can accomplish going forward. We are seeing the paradigm shift in motion.Salesforce has worked with 35 states during the pandemic crisis, and has also seen those governments leverage cloud in ways that could support further SaaS implementations in the future.Our customers will be able to take what theyre already doing and activate new capabilities for the next phase, said Coleman. Its about reopening the workplace safely and figuring out what digital channels need to be put in place [for citizens], in an environment where we still need to be social distancing, she said.State CIOs agree that state-level cloud engagements will likely expand more rapidly in the post-COVID-19 world  but only if theres enough bandwidth to go around. Connectivity will be a key factor in helping to determine how fast and how far they can push their cloud deployments.Not every single spot has a broadband connection, Tong said. Not every single spot has good Wi-Fi, or a Wi-Fi connection at the speed and affordability that even many of our state employees could manage.Barnes said connectivity proved a sticking point during the COVID-19 outbreak. Even getting employees to work from home in some of our rural areas was a bit of a challenge, he said. Its availability, reliability and affordability  because even in some areas where there is sufficient coverage, its not always affordable to actually get connectivity and get those folks up and running.The issue will likely need to be addressed in support of future cloud and SaaS efforts. You have to work very aggressively with the providers in your state to make sure that they realize and see that there is a priority of getting connections  in an aggressive manner, he said.Tong pointed to support from Internet service providers and even the FCC as possible means to bridge the gap where connectivity is lacking. This could mean pushing government documents across public Wi-Fi, and while this wouldnt be inherently risky, it would require a higher level of user awareness. Government workers would need to be taught what kinds of information can and cannot be shared across such a connection while still maintaining appropriate safeguards around privacy and security, she said.That willingness to explore uncharted territory  some might call it taking risks  may be one fortuitous outcome of the tragedy of COVID-19.We actually have this saying  were on COVID-19 time  meaning things that typically take two weeks, for example, to do, we need to do in two to three days, Tong said. Dont wait for that perfection. Take the risk. Do the best thinking and discovery, and be methodical as much as you can, and then just go. Move the ball forward.Historically risk-averse, government had to act fast in the face of the pandemic. The fact that it was able to successfully shift on the fly may have emboldened some in government IT to pursue projects  including cloud and SaaS  that in the past may have seemed problematic.Even before COVID-19, many state CIOs had cloud and SaaS high on their to-do lists. The NASCIO survey, for instance, found 92 percent of state IT leaders planned to expand their use of as-a-service models in the next three years. Those stats are supported by Center for Digital Government data from IT leaders in states, cities and counties alike. Looking ahead, state CIOs say they are widening that vision.Beyond just putting cloud in place in situations where it is appropriate, they are thinking about new strategies for ensuring that those as-a-service solutions are robust enough not just to support todays uses, but to withstand tomorrows unforeseen needs.We really need to start thinking into the future in case another event such as a pandemic hits, and how that solution will stand up against that, Jones said.Government Technology's
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear to be following in the footsteps of the Obamas by signing a new multi-year contract with Netflix.

The couple moved to Los Angeles earlier this year after stepping down as senior royals and are now cementing a new life in California with the creative deal.

According to the New York Times, the Sussexes have founded an unnamed production company and plan to make documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and childrens programming for the streaming platform.

Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us a statement released by the couple read.

Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens.

AP

This isnt Meghans first move to re-enter the creative industry she called home for over seven years. Earlier this year she lent her voice to narrate a Disney+ documentary about elephants.

While Meghan and Harry are expected to appear in some of the documentaries their production company makes, Meghan has previously stressed that she would not be returning to acting.

Getty Images

With Netflixs 193 million subscribers worldwide, the Sussexes are set to have access to a large platform to promote their charitable causes.

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After leaving office Barack and Michelle Obama, who are friendly with the Sussexes, signed a similar deal for an undisclosed sum with the streaming platform.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan and Russias Deputy Minister of Defense Andrei Kartapolov held a meeting on September 2 after the closing ceremony of the Warrior of Peace competition in Dilijan, Armenia.

They praised the process of the competition  which was organized with heightened safety precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic, the readiness of the participants and emphasized that the competition contributes to boosting cooperation.

Tonoyan and Kartapolov also spoke about a number of other issues of mutual interest, the defense ministry said in a news release.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
By Eli Walsh

Bay City News Foundation

California legislators made an 11th-hour effort to protect the state's tenants from evictions during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but some tenant rights advocates and an author of the bill said Tuesday that there's still much to do.

Assembly Bill 3088, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020, co-authored by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, sailed through the Assembly and state Senate Monday evening, the last day of the Legislature's 2020 session.

The law, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed late Monday night and went into effect immediately as an urgency statute, prevents property owners from evicting tenants if they cannot pay the entirety of their monthly rent due to pandemic-related financial distress.

Tenants that pay 25 percent of their rent between Tuesday and Jan. 31, 2021, cannot be evicted under the law, although landlords and property managers can file a civil suit in small claims court to recoup the remaining 75 percent.

Tenants can also be sued in civil court for rent payments missed through Aug. 31, but they cannot be evicted for those missed payments under the law.

AB 3088 extends the minimum period of time property managers and landlords must give as notice of missed payment from three days to 15. During that 15-day period, tenants must provide proof of financial hardship to remain protected from eviction.

"The bill we voted on last night I would describe as a less than perfect but absolutely necessary solution to a colossal problem," Chiu said in an interview Tuesday.

State legislators were under the gun to draft and pass eviction protections following the California Judicial Council's Aug. 13 vote to rescind the statewide ban on evictions during the pandemic that it had adopted in April.

If the state had not acted by Monday, millions of people across the state could have been evicted Tuesday, according to Chiu. The wave of evictions, Chiu said, would have turned the state's pandemic-induced recession into a full-blown economic depression.

Chiu originally proposed an eviction protection bill, Assembly Bill 1436, that would have offered more protections to tenants than the bill legislators passed Monday night.

AB 1436 would have prohibited evictions for missed rent payments until 90 days after the state's emergency order is lifted or April 1, 2021, whichever came first. Tenants would have had an additional 12 months after that to pay back rent before a property owner could take them to court.

"We set out to ensure that Californians unable to pay rent during this pandemic would be protected from eviction," he said. "And while the bill's original protections have been scaled back, the spirit of that policy remains in the law that was just signed by the governor."

Chiu and the co-authors of AB 1436 had collaborated with tenant rights advocates and labor organizations to draft the bill, which was also backed by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Landlord advocacy groups, however, bristled at the bill for being too lenient.

AB 1436 "would have encouraged tenants -- including those without financial hardships from COVID-19 -- to skip rent payments without fear of eviction," the California Apartment Association said in a statement upon the passage of AB 3088.

The bill's protections were eventually pared down, Chiu said, because both chambers had to pass the protections by a two-thirds vote for them to go into effect immediately.

As a result, the bill had to appeal to the chambers' more moderate and conservative members as well as their liberal factions.

"There were many moments where I thought this was not going to land but we were able to get there," Chiu said. "It was a very difficult negotiation."

Martina Cucullu Lim, the executive director of the San Francisco-based Eviction Defense Collaborative, argued that the bill was watered down to the point of "valuing property over people."

Cucullu Lim also said that even the 25 percent rent payment requirement was too steep for many state residents, especially those in communities of color that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and the economic turmoil it has wrought.

"The tenant community is very disappointed and disillusioned by this bill," she said. "The power and influence of the real estate lobby shines bright in it."

David Stark, spokesman for the Bay East Association of Realtors, said that smaller-scale property owners have been willing to accommodate some amount of financial hardship among their tenants, even prior to the pandemic.

Stark also suggested that local real estate businesses and property owners have been more affected financially by the "layer upon layer" of regulations than the pandemic.

"What I'm hearing on a regular basis is from real estate professionals that either have a few rental properties or they represent clients that have a few rental properties and the consistent message is 'I'm out, I simply cannot afford to be in the business of providing affordable housing,'" Stark said.

The ultimate solution, according to Chiu and CAA executive vice president of state public affairs Debra Carlton is the federal government providing financial assistance to the state to keep people in their homes and keep landlords solvent.

"COVID-impacted renters need financial assistance, from the feds, so they can pay their rent," Carlton said. "Otherwise, renters will be hard-pressed to pay the rent that's accumulated, and housing providers will go out of business."

Chiu added that he hopes a potential federal administration led by former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominees for president and vice president, respectively, will be more amenable to helping California financially as long as the pandemic persists.

"States cannot fix it on our own, particularly with significant budget challenges," Chiu said. "We just passed a $54 billion budget deficit and just don't have two pennies to rub at this moment."

Cucullu Lim said that EDC maintains faith in Chiu as an ally of tenants in the Bay Area and the state at large and will continue making efforts to craft a stronger bill when the new legislative session begins next year.

Chiu did not commit to simply re-introducing the text of AB 1436 but did emphasize that he will be monitoring the efficacy of AB 3088 and expects follow-up tenant protection bill will be necessary.

"Our work is certainly not done," he said. "We will be back. I'll certainly be working with the leadership of the statewide tenant movement to figure out what we do next."

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.
Vietnams Ministry of Health announced two COVID-19 cases, including one local, and 11 recoveries on Wednesday, with one fatality confirmed but not included in the death toll.

One of the new patients is 72 years old and comes from Hai Duong Province in northern Vietnam.

He exhibited symptoms of fever, headache, and fatigue on August 19.

He was admitted to a general hospital in Hai Duong where he was isolated and sampled for COVID-19 on August 30.

The Hai Duong Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi confirmed his positive tests on Tuesday.

He was then transferred to the Dong Anh branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in the capital, where he tested positive again on Wednesday.

The other case is a 30-year-old Vietnamese sailor who was isolated upon entry at a port in Khanh Hoa Province, located in south-central Vietnam, aboard a ship from Japan on August 30.

He hails from northern Thai Binh Province.

His sample was sent to the Pasteur Institute in Khanh Hoas Nha Trang City and came back positive on Wednesday.

He is currently isolated for treatment at a hospital for tropical diseases in Khanh Hoa.

Eleven coronavirus patients were pronounced free of the pathogen on Wednesday, all discharged from hospitals in Da Nang, a tourist destination on the central coast, according to the health ministry.

The ministry also reported that one COVID-19 patient had died on Tuesday night.

This fatality was not counted in the overall death toll as he had tested negative for the virus on August 30, August 31, and Tuesday morning, the health minitry said, adding that the 67-year-old patient in Da Nang had suffered pre-existing conditions, including chronic renal failure and hypertension.

Two other patients had also died after having tested negative for the pathogen at least three times, thus being excluded from the virus-related death toll.

Vietnam has documented 1,046 coronavirus cases, including 691 local infections, since January 23, when the pandemic first hit the country.

A total of 746 patients have beaten the virus while 34 have died, most having had serious comorbid medical problems.

Since the virus re-emerged in Da Nang on July 25, Vietnam has logged 551 local cases, most traced back to the beach city.

At the time of writing, Vietnam is quarantining 66,946 people who had close contact with infected patients or entered the country from pathogen-hit regions.

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The political conventions over, Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in the race for the White House by 50%-43%, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds. That advantage narrowed from the 12-percentage-point edge he held in June.

As Labor Day looms, launching the campaign's final sprint, the survey finds significant skepticism about whether the election can be trusted. If their candidate loses, 1 in 4 voters say, they aren't prepared to accept the outcome as fair and accurate  a signal of potential trouble ahead for a nation engulfed in a deadly pandemic and riven over issues of racial justice.

"I'm definitely worried about it," says Curtis Saffi, 38, an independent from Hampton, Georgia, who plans to vote for Biden. "Whether it's the post office or someone meddling in our elections, you really don't know."

Twenty-eight percent of the former vice president's supporters say they aren't prepared to accept a Trump victory as fairly won; 19% of President Trump's supporters say they aren't prepared to accept a Biden victory as legitimate.

An overwhelming 83% of Republicans say they are at least somewhat concerned that mail-in voting will lead to voter fraud; 62% are very concerned. That's an assertion Trump has hammered without offering evidence, and one that's disputed by election experts and academic studies.

"It will be 100% botched for sure," predicts David Brockman, 38, a Trump supporter from Columbus, Indiana, who was among those polled. "I have no doubt."

A third of Democrats are concerned about mail-in voting being open to fraud.

'War games': Experts role-played the Trump vs. Biden election. Their finding? Brace for a mess

The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken Friday through Monday by landline and cellphone, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points.

Suspicion over the count may be fueled by a divide over how Americans plan to cast their ballots. Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to say they'll vote in person and on Election Day, 56% compared with 26%. Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to plan to vote absentee or by mail, 47% compared with 21%.

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For many, a referendum on the incumbent

Trump defines the contest.

Among the president's supporters, 83% say they are voting for him; just 11% are voting against his opponent.

"I love him to death because he's not a politician," says Greg Hogue, 60, from Aldo, Texas. "He sticks foot in mouth, but you know what? He can get through all the bullcrap." Watching the Republican convention last week "solidified" his support of Trump, Hogue says.

Among Biden backers, 59% say they are voting for him, and 33% say they are voting against his opponent. In follow-up phone interviews, some describe the dangers of a second Trump term in grave terms.

"I think there's just something about Trump's rhetoric that is incredibly anti-democratic and worrying, beyond just the policies," says Antonio Gonzalez, 31, a Democrat from Portland, Oregon. "I genuinely worry about what would happen with four more years of him in office."

The research and design consultant was "heartened" by Biden's performance at the Democratic convention, he says. "He did a good job really articulating himself as a candidate and what he stood for," which Gonzalez calls particularly important given Trump's depiction beforehand of Biden as "incoherent."

President Donald Trump's supporters remain committed, though former Vice President Joe Biden leads in several polls.

The competing conventions, both revamped on the fly because of COVID-19, had almost precisely the same impact in energizing partisans. Two-thirds of Democrats and two-thirds of Republicans say the conventions made them more likely to support their party's nominees.

The Democratic convention fared somewhat better in persuading independents. By a narrow 2 points, 33%-31%, independents say watching the conventions made them more likely rather than less likely to support Biden. By 9 points, 38%-29%, they say the events made them less likely rather than more likely to support Trump.

By some measures, Biden's situation is similar to that of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton four years ago. In a USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll taken in August 2016, Clinton led Trump by 7 points. (That ballot test included third-party candidates; Biden leads Trump by 5 points in a ballot that includes third-party options.)

In that election, Clinton won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Trump.

"I'd say Biden is no better off at this point," says David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk Political Research Center, though there are significant differences between the two contests. "Hillary was more polarizing and less likable than Biden in terms of the favorable/unfavorable ratings. However, Clinton had more enthusiasm than Biden does today, which makes the analysis a bit dicey."

A divide over protests and violence

The nation is more fraught than it was four years ago. The death toll among Americans from the coronavirus is climbing toward 200,000, and thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to protest police treatment of Blacks. Some cities have seen looting and arson.

About half of those surveyed, 49%, say police shootings of Blacks reflect individual actions and misdeeds, and 41% say they reflect systemic racism in American society. There is a sharp partisan split: 83% of Republicans see individual misdeeds; 73% of Democrats see systemic racism.

A solid majority of Americans, 57%, say peaceful demonstrations should continue, even though violence has followed in some cities. Thirty-six percent say peaceful demonstrations should stop for now, because violence has followed.

Kenosha: Trump claims credit for bringing calm to Kenosha in visit criticized as politicizing racial unrest

Protests: Biden, Trump campaigns spar over blame for violent protests

On this, too, partisanship opens a deep divide. More than three-fourths of Democrats say the peaceful demonstrations should continue. Nearly six in 10 Republicans say they should stop.

"We need to get this situated  the violence, the looting, the rioting," says Brockman, the Trump voter from Indiana. "I mean, we're going to be in a civil war within the next six months if something doesn't happen."

Dana Carbonell, 35, a Democrat from Weehawken, New Jersey, supports the demonstrations, though not the violence. "I mean, the only way that change has happened in this country is by people taking it to the streets and making their voice be heard," she says.

In their interviews, Carbonell and Brockman are in accord on one thing. "Honestly, it's really important," he says of the election in November. She agrees. "One way or another, it's going to define our time," she says.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden leads Trump by narrower 7 points post-conventions: Suffolk poll
The US has has been investigating whether Clearstream violated US money laundering and Iranian sanction laws for years. Photo: Getty

Iran has said that it will legally counter a lawsuit filed in the US by creditors who are seeking to seize $1.7bn (1.3bn) of its assets held by the Deutsche Boerses (DB1.DE) Clearstream unit.

Earlier, the German stock operator said that creditors had filed the suit in New York in an effort to require Clearstream to hand offer the assets that reportedly belong to Irans central bank. Clearstream says the claims are groundless and that it will take steps to defeat them.

After repeated legal defeats in Luxembourg, the US plaintiffs are seeking legal action in US courts against Clearstream. Serious legal action is also underway to counter these measures, deputy governor of the Iranian central bank, Amir Hossein Tayyebi Fard, said in a statement.

There were no details given on which legal avenues Iran will take and when it will proceed to prevent the seizure of its assets.

READ MORE: The legacy of Abenomics explained as Shinzo Abe steps down

Its not the first time that the US has targeted Luxembourg based Clearstream. In 2019 a Luxembourg judge ruled in favour of Clearstream, refusing to enforce a US ruling that would help victims of the September 11 attacks, claim Iranian assets held by Clearstream.

The US has also been investigating whether the clearing house violated US money laundering and Iranian sanction laws for years, with Deutsche Boerse denying the allegations.

A New York court also awarded plaintiff over $7bn in damages, after it found evidence that Iran provided material support and resources to al Qaeda for acts of terrorism.

The militant group took responsibility for carrying out the hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon, in Washington. Iran has denied any involvement with the militant group and the September 11 attacks.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Independence Day of Artsakh.

We have created this important state holiday together, thanks to the joint efforts of all Armenians, the great responsibility towards our Homeland, the memory of our ancestors and the future of generations, thanks to our courage and bravery. We have created it having in mind the dream of having a free, independent and happy country. Today our people are on the path to implementing that dream. I am sure we will pass this path successfully because we are building, developing and protecting our mother land by creating necessary conditions for the dignified life of our citizens. We will do that instead of the fallen heroes of our people. This is the sacred duty of all of us.

Eternal glory to all our fallen heroes thanks to whom this holiday became a reality.

Long live the Republic of Artsakh.

Long live the Armenian people! reads the Presidents congratulatory message.

September 2, 2020, marks the 29th anniversary of the declaration of independence of Artsakh, formerly known as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

On this day in 1991, a joint sitting of lawmakers from the Nagorno Karabakh provincial council and the Shahumyan regional council proclaimed the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) within the borders of the former NKAO and Shahumyan region. The move was in line with the then-active legislation, particularly the April 3, 1990 law which entitled national autonomies to determine their status on their own.

On December 10, 1991, a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno Karabakh held a referendum, where the overwhelming majority, 99,89%, of the population voted in favor of complete independence from Azerbaijan.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
After the city of Miami demolished Liberty City resident Michael Hamiltons home last week, he slept in his yard for two days.

The building department had deemed the house unsafe and in violation of city code because it showed signs of structural stress and advanced deterioration throughout during an inspection in May 2019. Photos shot by the department and tucked in the file do seem to substantiate those descriptions.

And yet Building Director Ace Marrero insisted: Had the city known Hamilton, 70, was living there, it would have never just dumped him on the street. It would have helped him relocate ahead of the demolition. Nobody knew until the demolition crew arrived, he said.

Hamilton, however, says they did know. Because he told them a week earlier.

Hamilton said he called the department on Aug. 18, the same day the city posted the handbill on his door on 45th Street serving notice that the demolition would occur within the next 10 days or soon after. He says he dialed the number on the paperwork and believes he spoke with the person whose name was listed above it: Unless hes mistaken, that would be Rene Diaz, chief of the departments unsafe structures division.

He said the strangest thing...like quasi-court something,  Hamilton recalled about the city official explaining the process for obtaining the demolition order. Hamilton used that same wording  quasi-court something and quasi-judicial something  when recounting the interaction with two different Herald journalists on two different occasions.

A department notice reviewed by the Herald  one that had been sent to the deed holder, his cousin Richard Anderson, and returned unopened  also used the term quasi-judicial, suggesting it is a term commonly used when condemning a structure. Since Anderson resides in Gainesville and has a post office box there, Hamilton would not have seen it.

Neither the words quasi judicial nor quasi court were on the notice posted on the home before it was leveled.

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Diaz denies that he or any unsafe structures inspectors spoke with Hamilton.

Hamiltons attorney, David Winker, said his clients use of the legal term quasi  well before Winker offered to represent him legally  makes clear that Hamilton had made contact with the city.

Where the hell would he get that term from other than in a conversation with someone in the building department? he said.

Hamilton said the building official told him that the department had talked to his cousin and that Anderson was aware of the pending demolition. City records indicate the department never made contact with Anderson. Certified letters sent to his P.O. box went unclaimed.

Michael Hamilton shows the notice that was posted to his door. The city then came and leveled the home without attempting to help him find housing assistance.

Despite his conversation with someone at the city, when the city came in and knocked down the house, Hamilton ended up on the street in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, complicating any effort to receive homeless services.

Representatives from the Miami Homeless Assistance Program showed up two days and two nights later, after Keith Lorren, from the family living next door, began posting on social media about what had happened. The officials offered Hamilton a homeless shelter placement, following a 14-day quarantine in a hotel. But by then, Lorren had already begun making his own hotel arrangement for Hamilton, funded by donations he has collected through Facebook and GoFundMe.

Lorrens original goal was to raise at least $10,000 to cover the cost of the hotel room and replace the possessions Hamilton lost because of the demolition. He has since increased the goal to $20,000 to secure more permanent housing just in case the city doesnt help.

Local affordable housing advocate Daniella Pierre said regardless of the state of Hamiltons house, the city did not do enough to relocate him. Instead of being proactive, now theyre going to be reactive, she said. As soon as the city realized someone was living on the property, it should have notified Miamis civil rights and fair housing groups as well as the American Red Cross to ensure that fair housing rights are upheld to the fullest extent of the law, Pierre said.

According to the building department, when there is a known tenant on a property set to be demolished, its policy is to send human services to offer relocation assistance. If the property is a single-family home like Hamiltons but occupied by the owner, it is referred to the community redevelopment agency.

If no one makes themselves known to the city as a person residing, either legally or illegally, at the property it is extremely difficult for the City of Miami to assist them with the resources available, Marrero wrote in an email to the Herald.

According to city records, an inspector wrote that the house was occupied by squatters in a letter addressed to Anderson in May 2019.

The city keeps implying abandoned and derelict,  Hamilton said. I never left.

Frustrated by the departments repeated claim that it did not know he lived there, Hamilton has grown distrustful that the city will follow through in offering assistance. Though he has now agreed to the 14-day quarantine the homeless assistance program offered, he said theoretically they will pick him up this coming Friday.

Until then, hes sleeping in a Hampton Inn and watching the History Channel. Im just basically resting my muscles. My body just kind of aches all over, he said.

Winker, the lawyer helping Hamilton with the city, has a contentious relationship with Miami, including representing a committee that sought to recall Commissioner Joe Carollo. Last month, he was hit with a code complaint for allegedly operating a business  in his case, a law office  out of his home at a time when tens of thousands of South Floridians are working out of their homes due to social distancing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winker, who has also provided legal advice to a friend and freelance journalist working on a project with the Miami Herald, began representing Hamilton earlier this week and sent the city a letter demanding all records pertaining to the property.

He also asked if Hamilton could address the City Commission, to which City Manager Art Noriega replied: I think it would be appropriate to meet first.

Im going to ask the city to build him back a house, Winker said.
After hours of delay due to an alleged communication gap between authorities, Dr Kafeel Khan was released from Mathura jail in the wee hours of Wednesday. The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed his detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release. The Court said Khans speech at the AMU didnt promote hatred or violence but instead gave a call for national integrity.

Soon after the order, when Kafeels family reached Mathura jail for his release, the authorities refused to release him citing non-receipt of the order, following which the family had said they would file a contempt petition in the Allahabad High Court. In a tweet, his wife Dr Shabista alleged, Even after high court order they are not releasing drkafeel from mathura jail."

The authorities are not releasing Dr Kafeel Khan and are trying to implicate him again under some other charge. If he is not released from jail today, we would file a contempt petition in the High Court on Wednesday. The Mathura jail authorities are saying that they do not follow the order of the court but the orders of the District Magistrate, and they cant release Dr Kafeel until they receive the orders from the DM of Mathura, said the doctors brother Adeel Khan.

The District Magistrate of Mathura, Sarvagya Ram Mishra, said that the order of the High Court will be properly followed, but the matter comes under the District Magistrate of Aligarh as the NSA charges were invoked by him.

Meanwhile, Mathura Senior Jail Superintendent Shailendra Kumar Maitreya said that he has not received the court order yet and Aligarh DM Chandra Bhushan Singh could not be reached for a comment.

Lawyer of Dr Kafeel Khan, Irfan Ghazi has further alleged that he tried to meet DM Aligarh for hours regarding the release of Dr Kafeel but DM didnt meet him.

Kafeel was lodged in Mathura jail for nearly seven and a half months under the National Security Act on charges of making inflammatory speeches in Aligarh against the amended citizenship law (CAA) last year.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh said the Aligarh district magistrate, who passed the order for Khans detention, did a selective reading of his speech, ignoring its true intent. Khans lawyer Irfan Ghazi told PTI Mathura jail administration informed at around 11.00 pm that Dr Kafeel will be released, and at around midnight, he was released.

The high court allowed the writ petition filed by Khans mother Nuzhat Parveen and said the detention order by the district magistrate was illegal.

The petition argued that Khan was granted bail in February by a competent court and he was supposed to be released on bail. However, he was not released for four days and the National Security Act (NSA) was subsequently invoked against him. Hence, his detention was illegal.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hailed the courts decision and hoped the Uttar Pradesh government would immediately release Khan without any malice.

Quashing Khans detention order, the court said, A complete reading of the speech primafacie does not disclose any effort to promote hatred or violence. It also no where threatens peace and tranquility of the city of Aligarh. The address gives a call for national integrity and unity among the citizens. The speech also deprecates any kind of violence.

It appears that the District Magistrate had selective reading and selective mention for few phrases from the speech ignoring its true intent. The court further said in the instant case, the causal link is found to be missing or completely broken.

Under the NSA, a person can be detained without a charge for up to 12 months if authorities are satisfied that he or she is a threat to national security or law and order.

In its order, the court said, The writ petition for the reasons above is allowed. The order of detention dated 13th February, 2020 passed by District Magistrate, Aligarh and confirmed by the State of Uttar Pradesh is set aside. The extension of the period of detention of detenue Dr. Kafeel Khan is also declared illegal.

A writ in the nature of habeas corpus is hereby issued to release Dr. Kafeel Khan, the detenue, from State custody forthwith, it said.

The Uttar Pradesh government had extended Khans detention under the NSA by three months twice  in May and August.

In an order dated August 4, the Home Department had said the NSA was invoked against Khan on February 13, 2020, on the orders of the Aligarh district magistrate.

After this, the matter was sent to the advisory council, which, in its report, said there were enough reasons to keep Khan in jail.

On her way to Mathura after the court delivered its verdict, Khans mother Parveen told.
A 7ft 5in man who suffered from a medical condition resulting in him having "elongated limbs", was murdered by two men after a row broke out between the three at a house during an all-day drinking session, a court has heard.

Dimitry Hrynkevich (24), who moved to Killarney in 2002 from Russia, was found unresponsive and with multiple injuries to his head, face, and neck, outside the front entrance of a sheltered accommodation property where he was living at the time.

The attack is alleged to have taken place at the property, at Killeen Woods, Tralee, Co Kerry, on September 30, 2015.

Mr Hrynkevich was rushed to hospital by ambulance but died from his injuries two days later.

Arnoldas Ivanauskas (33), a Lithuanian national, with an address at The Parklands, Tralee, denies a charge of murdering Mr Hrynkevich.

On the reopening day of the trial, before the Central Criminal Court, which is sitting in Limerick city, senior prosecution counsel Roisin Lacey told the jury it was the State's case that the accused and another named man had "acted jointly and in concert together" during a violent assault on Mr Hrynkevich.

Expand Close Accused: Arnoldas Ivanauskas, above right, denies all charges in relation to the death of Dimitry Hrynkevich, in 2015 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Accused: Arnoldas Ivanauskas, above right, denies all charges in relation to the death of Dimitry Hrynkevich, in 2015

Ms Lacey told the jury that the other man, who is not before the court, was "in his native Poland, incarcerated for murder after the assault of Mr Hrynkevich".

She said Mr Hrynkevich and Mr Ivanauskas were drinking together in Tralee on the day in question, and ended up at the house at Killeen Woods, where they were met by the third man, and "more drinking went on".

Ms Lacey claimed "a row broke out and spilled outside the front of the house".

She said a number of witnesses will tell the court they saw the accused, the victim, and the other man "fighting, punching, screaming, and cursing".

One witness will say they saw the accused and the other man assaulting the deceased.

Two witnesses will say they saw the accused and the other man go to a nearby house to "wash their hands" after the alleged assault, and the accused had "blood" on his hands.

Mr Hrynkevich was discovered "lying on the ground, unresponsive, and in cardiac arrest", Ms Lacey said.

She claimed that "death was caused by the actions of the accused and another man".

However, Ms Lacey noted there was a "medical aspect" to the case, in which the deceased "suffered from Marfan Syndrome which he inherited from both parents, and that his father died quite young".

"It's a genetic disorder of the connective tissue, and can cause elongated limbs and tall stature - Mr Hrynkevich was 7ft 5in, he was very tall, and thin," she said.

"Sufferers of Marfan Syndrome tend to suffer cardiac problems and the deceased was no exception. As a teen, he had extensive cardiac surgery and had an aortic valve replaced, and the surgery was highly successful."

She added that Mr Hrynkevich had no cardiac health issue following the surgery.

Ms Lacey said a post-mortem revealed he had suffered "lots of bleeding around the brain".

The deceased had also sustained "fractures" to his skull, cheekbone, and to the Adam's apple on his throat.

He suffered "a violent assault with multiple sites of injury", Ms Lacey said.

The cause of death was recorded as loss of oxygen to the brain arising from a heart attack due to Marfan Syndrome, with contributory causes including blunt force trauma to the head.

After his arrest, Mr Ivanauskas allegedly told gardai that he and the deceased had shared at least two bottles of vodka, and beer.

He claimed the deceased had assaulted him first, and he had retaliated by punching him in the head, at least once.

He said the other man punched the deceased and he "joined in".

Mr Ivanauskas told gardai he saw the other man "stamp" on the deceased's head.

Ms Lacey said Mr Ivanauskas told gardai that he "did less" than the other man.

The trial continues.
Investigators urge to prolong detention of four defendants in Golunov drug planting case

 Moskva city news agency, Kirill Zykov

17:53 02/09/2020

MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI)  Investigators have lodged a motion seeking to extend detention of four former police officers accused in a case over planting drugs on journalist Ivan Golunov until December 7, RAPSI has learnt from the press service of Moscow's Basmanny District Court.

The hearing against defendants, Igor Lyakhovets, Maxim Umetbayev, Akbar Sergaliyev and Roman Feofanov, is set for September 4.

In late February, Alexey Kovrizhkin, the lawyer for Lyakhovets, told RAPSI that another defendant Denis Konovalov had testified against his client, saying it was him who had ordered to plant drugs on Golunovs bag and apartment. Investigators believe Lyakhovets, who does not admit guilt, is the organizer of the crime.

The defendants are charged with abuse of power, evidence tampering and illegal drug trafficking. Only Konovalov pleaded guilty. He was later released from detention and put under house arrest.

Investigators believe that they planted drugs on Golunov. Thus, they falsified the results of operative search activity that later became inculpatory evidence against Golunov in a drug dealing case; however, the drugs had been earlier illegally bought and kept by the police officers, according the Investigative Committee.

In late December 2019, investigators opened the case over arrest of Golunov. The journalist was recognized as an injured party. All five defendants in the case have been dismissed from police.

Golunov was arrested in Moscow on June 6, 2019. On June 8, the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow placed him under house arrest for 2 months. According to the Interior Ministrys official statement, police seized nearly 4 grams of methylmethedrone from Golunov.

The journalist pleaded not guilty, insisted that the drugs were planted on him during the arrest and claimed that his prosecution is related to his journalistic investigations.

According to his defense, an examination showed no drugs in his biomaterial.

On June 11, 2019, charges against Golunov were dropped because of a lack of evidence that he participated in the crime, and the journalist was released. On June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed two generals of police on the back of the arrest of Golunov.
Australian universities are notoriously afraid of upsetting governments. So we should all note how forcefully Margaret Gardner, the acting chair of the Group of Eight leading research universities, responded to the Morrison governments latest proposed intervention in universities. She said: We are concerned with the danger that  in the name of security  Australia may be inadvertently threatening the very democratic principles it holds dear.

Academic freedom on the line? Credit:Louise Kennerley

Gardner said she couldnt think of other universities in advanced democracies that were subject to a similar level of intervention in how they conduct their relationships with universities and other agencies across the world. She added: Its the sort of thing you see in authoritarian dictatorships.

The backdrop to Gardners remarks is that the Morrison government is due to introduce its Foreign Relations Bill on Thursday. If passed, it will give the government the right to cancel agreements that state and local governments and universities reach with overseas governments and entities. The details of all existing and new agreements will have to be notified to the Commonwealth. This will cover everything from trade and investment to cultural exchanges, university research partnerships, sister city arrangements and much more.

Although not specifically named, China is the target.
South American nation to reignite economy following five months of restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.

Airports, bus terminals, restaurants and gyms have reopened in most of Colombia as the Latin American nation attempts to reignite its economy following months of restrictions to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Hospital occupancy rates and COVID-19 deaths have stabilised across much of Colombia over the past 10 days, prompting the government on Tuesday to lift more of the emergency measures that had been in place for five months, including a ban on most travel within the country.

The health ministry said on Tuesday that coronavirus deaths had topped 20,000 as confirmed cases surpassed 624,000, the seventh-highest total in the world.

Declared in late March by President Ivan Duque, the nationwide restrictions led to the closure of thousands of businesses, causing joblessness to soar.

The Colombian government said the country is now in a phase of selective quarantine, with restrictions on events and large crowds to continue this month as more economic activity resumes with safety protocols in place.

We are not returning to things as they were before [the pandemic], Duque said in a nationally televised programme on Monday night. Nobody can let their guard down and all of us must protect each other.

Wingo Airlines staff wearing face shields and protective masks in a plane at El Dorado airport in Bogota [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

Bogotas El Dorado airport opened on Tuesday to passengers flying domestic routes for the first time since March, and long lines formed outside bus terminals around the country.

I am going to see my family. Its been too long without them, said Sara Rivas, a university student, who lost her part-time job at an office-supply shop two months ago.

Officials said international flights are expected to resume later this month and land borders could open in October.

Under Tuesdays reopening, municipal governments will be allowed to impose additional restrictions on businesses within their territories.

Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez announced that restaurants in the capital would be allowed to resume table service starting Thursday but at only 25-percent capacity.

She also said her administration would shut down portions of 100 streets around the city from Thursdays to Sundays so restaurants can serve more customers by placing tables outside.

The unemployment rate in Colombia has doubled to 20 percent since the pandemic broke out, and the Central Bank says the economy shrank 19 percent in the second quarter amid the lockdown.
Chinese regulators have granted a domestic fund custody licence to Citigroup, making it the first American bank to receive one after mainland regulators tweaked the rules this year to further open up the country's mutual funds sector.

Rule changes by the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission this year allowed local branches of foreign banks to apply for fund custody licences for the first time.

This licence granted by the CSRC lets Citibank (China) provide custody-related services to both mutual funds and private funds domiciled in China after passing an on-site inspection later this year.

"Citi's China domestic fund custody licence is great news for our global clients," David Russell, Citi's Asia-Pacific head of securities services, said in a statement. "As international fund managers, securities firms, and insurance companies set up in China, we believe they will want a trusted service provider to help them mitigate risks and reduce costs."

Standard Chartered was the first foreign bank to receive a domestic fund custody licence in 2018 under prior rules that allowed local subsidiaries to apply for such licences.

Banks, insurers and asset managers are scrambling to take control of their joint ventures in China this year after Beijing relaxed rules on the foreign ownership of financial services firms, which came earlier than expected.

Since April 1, global fund companies have been able to apply to the CSRC for approval to buy 100 per cent stakes in fund management joint ventures, which would allow them to create and distribute mutual funds for the US$2.3 trillion retail investor market in China.

JP Morgan Asset Management won an auction last month to take majority control of its onshore asset management joint venture, while the likes of Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have moved to take majority control of their securities joint ventures this year.

Story continues

HSBC said in August that it plans to hire between 2,000 and 3,000 wealth planners in China within the next four years as it looks to tap into growing incomes in the mainland, particularly in the Greater Bay Area.

Vanguard, the world's second-largest asset manager after BlackRock, said last week it would close its Hong Kong and Japan offices and move its primary regional office to Shanghai as it shifts its focus in Asia to mainland China.

BlackRock received approval last week to set up its own wholly-owned mutual fund business in Shanghai.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Most sudden cardiac arrests are not sudden, in the sense that most patients have visited a doctor or gone to a hospital during the two weeks before they happen.

Researchers used a Danish registry of 28,955 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests recorded from 2001 to 2014 to track the patients interactions with doctors and hospitals in the year preceding the event.

They found that 57 percent of them had contacted either a doctor or a hospital in the two weeks before their arrest. The data was presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

Over the year before the event, patient visits to the hospital increased gradually to 7 percent in the week before the event, from 3 percent a week one year earlier. Contacts with their doctors, either in person or by phone, followed a similar pattern, increasing to 54 percent in the week before the arrest from a relatively constant 26 percent a week the rest of the year. About 14 percent of the general population contacted their doctors over the same period.




SCHOOLS will reopen within the next two weeks for final examination classes starting with Cambridge examination candidates on September 14 while those sitting for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations will resuming classes on September 28.





This includes Upper Six, Form Four and Grade Seven classes and Zimsec examinations should start on December 1.





The Ministry of Primary and Second Education is working closely with other ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period.





Standard operating procedures have since been distributed to all schools, while infection prevention training for teachers and support staff from public schools is already underway.





Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed the dates after last nights Cabinet meeting and said there was ample time for recommended health measures to be put in place.





The schools opening dates are scheduled for 14 September 2020 for Cambridge examinations classes and 28 September 2020 for Zimsec examination classes. Cabinet approved that the Zimsec examinations should start on 1 December, 2020, she said.





The announcement follows weeks of debate, which have seen submissions from teachers unions, Parliament, trust schools and parents to the Government. Most groups are opposed to the early reopening of schools.





Regarding Primary and Secondary Education, Cabinet notes that based on on-going consultations with relevant stakeholders in that sector, the Ministry is continuing with its preparations for the re-opening of schools for the end of year 2020 final examination classes, said Minister Mutsvangwa.





She said 15 stakeholders have submitted their inputs while another nine are expected to make their submissions shortly.





Among those that were invited for input on the reopening of schools are: Zimbabwe Visually Impaired Teachers Union (ZVITU) and nine other teachers unions, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, the Association of School Development Committees, the Independent Colleges in Zimbabwe; the Private Schools Association of Zimbabwe; and the Association of Trust Schools.





Minister Mutsvangwa said Government is also finalising on modalities for the re-opening of airports to support the resumption of the tourism sector.





The plan is to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then move to international flights. Cabinet approved the resumption of the rest of tourism operations including boat operations.





Cabinet also received an update on the steps that are being taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic from the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who chairs the Ad Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the Covid-19.





The country now has 6 388 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 5 078 are attributed to local transmission. Harare has the highest number of cases with 2 532, followed by Bulawayo with 1 271.




KYODO NEWS - Sep 3, 2020 - 02:09 | All, Japan

Japan on Thursday officially lost its status as a country free from classical swine fever as recognized by an intergovernmental organization, as it has failed to contain an outbreak that started two years ago.

The World Organization for Animal Health, also known as OIE, suspended Japan's status on Sept. 3, 2018 after the country reported that pigs for fattening had been found dead in the central prefecture of Gifu.

According to the farm ministry, it marked the first reported case in Japan since 1992. The OIE in 2015 officially recognized the country as being free from the disease, also known as hog cholera.

In order to regain its status, Japan will have to ensure that there are no reported cases in the past 12 months and that no vaccinations for the disease are carried out during the same period.

Vaccinations against hog cholera began in Japan in October 2019 for the first time in 13 years.

A ministry official said it may take more than 10 years to eradicate the disease, considering the time Japan took last time.

The internationally recognized status is at times required for exporting pork to new markets.

To regain the status as soon as possible, the ministry has implemented stricter control measures for hog farms while also trying to develop new vaccines.

Hog cholera only affects pigs and wild boars but has a high fatality rate. Human health is not affected even if meat from an infected animal is consumed.
Cuban authorities launched a strict 15-day lockdown of Havana on Tuesday to halt the low but persistent spread of the new coronavirus in the capital.

Aggressive anti-virus measures, including airport closures, have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in Cuba, except in the capital, where cases have increased from a handful a day to dozens a day over the past month.

Starting Tuesday, Havana is under a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

Most stores are barred from selling to shoppers from outside the immediate neighbourhood, in order to prevent people from moving around the city.

Some Havana residents complained that the measures were complicating the already-difficult task of buying food in a city stricken by constant shortages and endless lines for a limited supply of basic goods.

Police were deployed on roads out of Havana to stop people without special permits to travel, issued only in extraordinary circumstances.

Some provinces that saw no new cases for weeks have begun detecting them in recent days, often linked to people from Havana.

The island of 11 million has reported slightly more than 4,000 cases and fewer than 100 deaths since the start of the epidemic, one of the lowest rates in the region.

The country made face masks mandatory in the early stages of its response to the pandemic, and in the first months of the crisis, police imposed aggressive fines and even jailed people for violations.

That stance slackened somewhat as Havana moved out of the first, strictest phase of lockdown in July, public transportation restarted and people returned to work. Cases began to climb, and the capital province returned to phase zero last month.

However, the measures failed to curb the rise of the coronavirus, as authorities lamented widespread violations of requirements, including the wearing of face masks, avoiding large gatherings and maintaining social distance.

The government announced last week that for at least 15 days the capital would be placed under the strictest measures to date. They include fines of up to $125 per violation, more than triple the average monthly wage.
More than 350 migrants including those rescued by a vessel sponsored by British street artist Banksy were transferred onto a quarantine vessel off Sicily, aid workers said Wednesday.

The 353 migrants on board Sea-Watch 4 included those rescued last week by the Louise Michel, a 30-metre boat sponsored by the mysterious artist.

Many had been on board under severely cramped conditions for the past 12 days, Weihe added.

"The first people have boarded the quarantine vessel and the operation is ongoing," Mattea Weihe, spokeswoman for the Sea-Watch humanitarian organisation told AFP.

The migrants are due to land in Palermo, Sea Watch said, after quarantine checks.

Meanwhile at Palermo's Cervello hospital a migrant mother who tested positive for COVID-19 and her baby were undergoing treatment, Italian news agency ANSA said.

The woman went into labour at the crowded migrant holding centre on the southern island of Lampedusa on Tuesday and authorities decided it would be better to fly her to Palermo.

However, she gave birth as the helicopter neared the city of Agrigento, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Palermo.

- 'The economy is crumbling' -

The transfers come as the latest arrivals fuel anger from local officials in Lampedusa and Sicily over a rise in illegal landings.

Italy has been struggling in recent months with daily arrivals of hundreds of migrants from North Africa, a task complicated by security measures imposed under the coronavirus crisis.

Sicily's regional governor, the right-leaning Nello Musumeci, and Lampedusa mayor Toto Martello met Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte in Rome late wednesday to discuss the issue.

The meeting came after an Italian court last week slapped down a decree issued by Musumeci ordering the closure of migrant centres on the island to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"Every day there is tension in Lampedusa, the economy is crumbling, the images is of an island at war," Martello told reporters after the discussions with Conte.

According to sources at the meeting, Conte promised two more boats, within 48 hours, to evacuate migrants from the island.

He also said that the payment of taxes by the island would be suspended. "The economic suffering, and not just that, deserves a strong response from the state," he said, according to the sources.

"We are aware of the difficulties you are living under and the need to study together the most effective solutions to these problems," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

From August 1 last year to July 31 this year, over 21,600 migrants arrived on Italy's shores -- compared with nearly 8,700 landings the year before, official data shows.

Despite the sharp rise, migrant arrivals are still far below the numbers recorded in recent years, especially before Rome signed a deal with Libya for its coast guard to prevent migrant departures.
A couple in New Zealand have been branded 'plague rats' after sharing a photo online bragging about how they refused to wear a mask on a public train.

Joachim Wanihi and his wife were commuting in Wellington on Monday when they were approached by a train guard about their lack of masks.

Mr Wanihi, in a post that has since gone viral, said he told the guard they were allowed to ride on the train despite not wearing a face covering before the officer walked away.

The couple were then approached by a policeman, who Mr Wanihi claimed offered them a mask before telling them to 'have a nice day' after they politely declined.

Masks are currently mandatory across all public transport in New Zealand under the COVID-19 alert level two restrictions.

Joachim Wanihi and his wife (pictured) have been slammed online after bragging about not wearing a mask while on a public train in Wellington

Mr Wanihi said he was offered a mask by a police officer but they politely declined on Monday

'Appreciate the Metlink staff & NZ Police for their professional conduct in approaching us for not wearing masks on the train this morning,' Mr Wanihi wrote.

'The train guard asked if we knew it was mandatory to wear a mask? We said that we are aware the government website said we cannot be stopped from entering the train without wearing a mask. He was gracious and took our tickets.

'The police came on board and asked if we would like a mask? We thanked him but said no thank you. He smiled and said have a nice day.

'Know your rights, but don't be an a*****e. My wife pictured here basking in God's grace.'

But the couple have since been hit with a barrage of abuse online for putting other people's health at risk.

The couple were hit with criticism online after sharing the photo with many suggesting their behaviour would lead to them catching the virus

Other New Zealanders defended the couple and said they had done nothing wrong

'Filthy plague rats the both of you,' someone wrote.

'Please, just wear a mask. You aren't clever for not wearing one. Solidarity is easy, just put literally any fabric over your face and you're compliant,' said another.

'Your wife gonna meet god real soon don't worry,' one said.

'You're going to be wondering where that God is when one or both of you catch it.'

But other New Zealanders rushed to the defence of the 'selfish' couple.

'That's great they were being so kind and good on you guys for being respectful. My daughter did the same yesterday,' one commented.

'There are lots of people that can't wear masks do you wish it upon them also? If others on the train are wearing masks and these two are not sick what's the issue?' someone wrote.

Following his backlash, Mr Wanihi said he would be willing to speak to people about the issue at a public place - but added he would not be wearing a mask.

Police said it would take some time for New Zealanders to get used to the new rules that were enforced on Sunday night.

A man is seen wearing a compulsory face mask in Auckland on Monday (pictured) as they became compulsory

'We recognise this requirement is something new for many Kiwis and it's something people may not have been used to doing previously,' Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said.

'While these masks have been designed to be disposable, as part of our education approach it is hoped that it makes the idea of wearing a face covering become more familiar for the public.

'Our response to COVID-19 has been to work with the public first and remind them of what is required from them.'

Scott Gallacher, the General Manager for public transport in the Wellington area said the post was 'disappointing'.

'It's disappointing that two people who recently featured on a social media post chose not to take the reasonable and responsible course of wearing face masks to fight the transmission of the Coronavirus, unlike most other passengers,' he siad.

'Metlink follows the Government's advice, which has made it clear that Metlink's frontline workers are not expected to risk their own health and safety by enforcing mask wearing or physical distancing.

'Ultimately, it is for passengers to make the right choices, for their own safety and the safety of others, or for the police to enforce the law.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Wanihi and NZ Police for comment.

From midnight on August 30, all of New Zealand was placed under alert level two restrictions.

This means residents can only gather in groups with a maximum of ten people and funerals are capped at 50.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured on Monday) said she was hopeful the new restrictions would prompt a drop in cases

Masks are mandatory on all forms of public transport and taxi and Uber drivers must also cover their faces.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged residents to wear a mask after a cluster of cases was traced back to a bus ride.

'Please wear them Auckland. If you go to a shop wear a mask, if you go to a mall, wear a mask. When you step out of your home we are asking you please wear a mask,' she said.

'This is one of the key ways we can protect you and those around you.'

The restrictions are expected to last until September 6.

There are 132 active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, after it enjoyed 102 days without a single case of community transmission.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - U.S. ADP private payrolls data for August is scheduled for release at 8:15 am ET Wednesday. Ahead of the data, the greenback traded mixed against its major counterparts. While the currency held steady against the franc, it rose against the rest of major rivals.. The greenback was worth 106.25 against the yen, 0.9111 against the franc, 1.3351 against the pound and 1.1854 against the euro at 8:10 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Portland Man Accused of Assaulting Federal Officers With Vehicle

A Portland man has been accused of repeatedly assaulting two federal officers with a vehicle during an incident over the weekend, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon said on Wednesday.

Lonnie Vantewa Albert, 55, has been charged for allegedly assaulting two Federal Protective Service officers with a sport utility vehicle on Aug. 30. Citing court documents, the U.S. attorney said the two officers, who were deployed to Portland as part of efforts to support federal law enforcement, noticed Albert while driving on east on Interstate 84.

One of the officers noticed that Albert, who was passing on their left, glanced towards him before making a sharp turn that nearly hit the officers vehicle. The driving officer tried to change lanes and pass Albert, but the 55-year-old swerved in order to block the officers, federal prosecutors alleged.

At one point, Albert made a sharp turn, striking the officers vehicle and caused his own vehicle to spin to a halt.

One of the officers got out of the vehicle to see if Albert was injured, but the 55-year-old drove toward this officer, then eventually fled the scene. The officers chased after him briefly to collect his license plate number and other identifying information.

Federal prosecutors said Albert exited the freeway and stopped his vehicle near a hospital, Adventist Health Portland. When the officers pulled into the hospitals parking lot, Albert went and struck the officers vehicle a second time, the U.S. attorney said.

Albert was later arrested by the Portland Police Bureau. According to state booking records, he was initially charged with state offenses of reckless driving and failure to perform duties of a driver when property is damaged.

Albert made his first federal court appearance on Tuesday and was released on conditions pending more court proceedings. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

The U.S. attorney said the Federal Protective Services vehicle sustained visible dents, scratches, and other damage.

Amid civil unrest across the nation in the wake of George Floyds death, federal officers and employees have been subjected to various forms of assault and intimidation. Oregons largest city had seen unrest and nightly riotsbroken up by occasional peaceful nightssince May 28.

Federal agents were sent to the city to protect the federal courthouse and surrounding areas from destruction. The violence had led to over 600 arrests between local and federal law enforcement. Meanwhile, more than 200 federal officers have been injured in Portland alone.

In an update on Monday, Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said 100 individuals have been federally arrested and 76 federally charged in Portland.

Last week, a 20-year-old was charged with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and intimidating a federal employee near the courthouse.






He spoke about Deepika Padukone being in awe of him after watching Gully Boy. The actress had told the young gun that she couldn't take her eyes off him. To which the actor said, Yes, she told me that after I met her post the screening. Then again, I met her for the readings of this (Shakun Batras) film. Now, my motive is to not let her take her eyes off me in this film (laughs!).

Talking about the project further, he said, It is a very different story and genre; it is domestic noir as Shakun Batra (director) calls it. At first, when I read it, I didnt know what it meant, but when Shakun shared his vision with me, I figured that it was a new-age and a contemporary story. It will be an experience for me to play a character with such layers. I am waiting to start shooting for it. Well, we are super stoked about this one. Aren't you too? He spoke about Deepika Padukone being in awe of him after watching. The actress had told the young gun that she couldn't take her eyes off him. To which the actor said, Yes, she told me that after I met her post the screening. Then again, I met her for the readings of this (Shakun Batras) film. Now, my motive is to not let her take her eyes off me in this film (laughs!).

Siddhant Chaturvedi, Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday star together in Shakun Batra's next. The film is set to have a contemporary storyline that will resonate well with the audience. Shooting for the project was supposed to happen in Sri Lanka however, the makers have now shifted it to Goa. This month, the cast and crew will finally begin shooting in Goa and a leading daily caught up with actor Siddhant Chaturvedi about how he is feeling ahead of the shoot. He said, I will be flying off to Goa this month for. We will be put up there for a period of one month.
The PM-CARES Fund, which was set up towards the end of March for covid-19 relief, received 3,076 crore in donations in five days since it was set up, according to an audit statement posted on the website. The statement, for the year ended March 2020, records donations between 27 March and 31 March. More than 3,076 crore came from domestic voluntary contributions, and 39 lakh from abroad. The funds first trustees are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, all in ex-officio capacity. For more national and international news, heres Mint Lite.

Navalny was poisoned

View Full Image The German government has said Russian opposition politician and Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent, Novichok.

The German government has said Russian opposition politician and Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent, Novichok. Navalny was airlifted to Berlin for treatment after collapsing on a flight in Siberia last month. He has been in a coma since. His supporters claim he was poisoned on Presidents orders, an allegation the Kremlin has dismissed. Germany said tests at a military laboratory produced unequivocal evidence" that Navalny was poisoned and condemned the attack and called for Russia to provide an explanation. A similar nerve agent was used in Salisbury two years ago to poison a Russian defector living in the UK. The defector and his daughter survived but one member of the public who came in contact with the nerve agent died. Novichok was developed in the erstwhile USSR in the 1970s as part of its chemical weapons programme.

Poverty falls in Brazil

View Full Image Brazil, the worst affected after the US, has distributed so much cash to citizens that poverty is approaching historic lows

Covid-19 has killed over 122,000 Brazilians but its also driven down poverty and inequality. Brazil, the worst affected after the US, has distributed so much cash to citizens that poverty is approaching historic lows. About 66 million people, 30% of the population, have been getting $110 a month in the countrys biggest social programme. Data from Getulio Vargas Foundation, one of Brazils top universities, shows those living on less than $1.9 a day fell to 3.3% in June from 8% last year, and those below the poverty line were at 21.7% compared with 25.6%. Both represent 16-year lows, Bloomberg reports. The schemes effect, which has made President Jair Bolsonaro very popular, is expected to play out in Novembers local elections, a precursor to the 2022 presidential race. Economists say the programme is unsustainableit cost Brazil over $9 billion in August aloneand the economy is likely to shrink 5% this year.

Rich will get richer

View Full Image Super-rich population boom

The world economy may be in tailspin due to the pandemic but many billionaires have been getting richer. Fortunes of Mukesh Ambani, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Zooms Eric Yuan, among others, have grown. The pandemic has changed the demand for certain goods and services, impacting shares of companies providing them. Knight Frank put out a report in March, saying the global population of UHNWI (ultra-high net worth individuals with assets of $30 million or more) grew 6.4% last year and stands at 513,244. Its likely to grow 27% by 2024, led by a surge in the super-wealthy in India (see chart) despite the slowdown. Its covid update says little is likely to change as the global financial crisis showed wealth creation recovers faster than expected.

On the menu: flight food

View Full Image No one really looks forward to in-flight meals but as the covid-19 outbreak suspended global travel, airlines have started selling their meals to customers missing the taste of travel

No one really looks forward to in-flight meals but as the covid-19 outbreak suspended global travel, airlines have started selling their meals to customers missing the taste of travel. Thai Airways began selling its meal boxes in April. In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is selling meals to airport staff, while Indonesias Garuda is offering its food as takeaway dinners on a tray, The Guardian reports. Even in countries like India, where flights have resumed, in-flight meals are not being served. GNS Nuts, which supplies American Airlines and United, was left with over 22,000kg of nuts, when the airlines removed food, and is now selling its luxury mixed nuts online. Australias Qantas sold business-class pyjamas, tea bags and hand cream, in care packs" priced at AU$25. In Abuja, Nigeria, an airline-themed restaurant is offering customers the illusion of flight, with windows with painted clouds and reclining seats.

Of forest loss and covid

View Full Image Scientists say the way were cutting down forests and building more is increasing the probability of pathogens moving from animals to humans.

Researchers have long been studying relationships between biodiversity, land use and emerging infectious diseases, but now their work to map outbreaks is in the spotlight due to covid-19. For a century, two new viruses have jumped from their natural hosts to humans every year. Scientists say the way were cutting down forests and building more is increasing the probability of pathogens moving from animals to humans. The study, published in Nature, analysed 3.2 million records from several ecological studies at sites around the world. It concluded the populations of species known to host diseases that jump to humans, like rodents and bats, increased as the landscape changed from natural to urban, and as biodiversity decreased. A paper in Science says governments could cut the risk of future pandemics by spending $22-33 billion annually in efforts to curb deforestation and the wildlife trade.

Curated by Shalini Umachandran. Have something to share with us? Write to us at businessoflife@livemint.com or tweet to @shalinimb

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South KC Shooting Postscript

KCPD investigates shooting Tuesday afternoon on city's south side Police in Kansas City are investigating a shooting Tuesday afternoon outside a laundromat in the 11500 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard.Authorities said police were at another call across the street about 3:30 p.m. when the shooting happened.

Newspaper Argues Against Prez Trump Talking Crime

KC murder rate down 33% during Operation LeGend? Don't believe Trump's fact-free claims There are lies, damned lies and statistics. And then there's President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump claimed credit for reducing murders in Kansas City. He pointed to Operation LeGend, an effort here and in other cities to supplement local law enforcement with dozens of federal officers tasked with reducing crime.

Tragic Shooting In The Dotte

One woman killed, multiple others injured in shooting near 26th and Quindaro KANSAS CITY, Kan. - One woman is dead and multiple others are injured following multiple shootings Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas. The police department received a call about a shooting just before 1 p.m. near 26th and Quindaro.

Porch Piracy Persists Amid Coronavirus Harsh Times

Lenexa police ask for assistance in identifying theft suspect LENEXA, KS (KCTV) - Police are asking for the public's assistance in identifying a theft suspect. The Lenexa Police Department posted a tweet Tuesday afternoon showing a video of a woman taking a package from a victim's apartment door near 95th and Quivira. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!

Kansas City Driver Charged

20-year-old KC man charged in hit-and-run crash near 38th, Pittman KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 20-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in connection to a hit-and-run crash that left a woman in critical condition. Austin Jackson faces charges of second-degree assault, tampering with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while revoked or suspended related to the Monday morning incident in which a car crashed into a home near 38th Street and Pittman Road .

Rock Chalk Suspected Creeper Confronts Court Date

Judge: Massage therapist for Kansas athletes bound for trial A man who provided massages for female athletes at the University of Kansas will have to face trial on charges accusing him of sexually abusing a young girl, a judge determined Tuesday.Shawn O'Brien, 49, of Lawrence, was charged in February with indecent liberties with a child based on allegations he had sexually abused the girl multiple times when she was 9 or 10 years old, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.

Kansas City Roundup Aftermath

US Attorney: 355 arrests, 122 guns seized in Operation: LeGend KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Federal officials are sharing the latest data on Operation: LeGend, the Department of Justice initiative designed to work with local law enforcement to address spikes in violent crime. U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison is reporting that the effort has netted 355 arrests since its start, including the arrest of 33 suspects in homicide cases.

In this roundup of metro crime news we offer a peek at police action, court cases and reports of continued violence despite the best efforts of local law enforcement backed up by the feds . . .Developing . . .
China's Foreign Ministry has accused Australia of being infected by paranoia, as concerns mount over the fate of Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei and the timing of another trade strike on Australian barley.

China has been shifting its barley imports to Argentina, Russia and France, new trade data shows, as the grain weathers its second trade hit this year and Australian exports are struck with their sixth infringement in six months. China on Tuesday night suspended barley imports from Australia's largest grain exporter, CBH, after it claimed pests were found on multiple occasions. CBH has denied the claims.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. Credit:AP

The daily escalation between the trading partners includes Australia announcing a new inquiry into Chinese interference at Australian universities, blocking takeover bids of Australian companies and Chinese telco giant Huawei withdrawing NRL sponsorship in the past week. In China, authorities have hit wine and barley with further trade strikes and detained Australian journalist Cheng on unknown charges.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Australia had been "infected with fear, conjecture and paranoia" and defended Beijing against claims of foreign interference. "We hope Australia will adopt a constructive China policy instead of a destructive one," she said.
Representative Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts, one of the Democratic Partys most powerful committee chairmen, beat back a challenge on Tuesday from a progressive insurgent in a race that embodied the clash between the partys leadership in Washington and a younger generation of activists on the left.

Mr. Neals victory over Alex Morse, a 31-year-old mayor who had endorsements from a number of high-profile progressive politicians and groups, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, broke a string of progressive triumphs that have recently upended senior House Democrats from New York to Missouri.

Late Tuesday, Mr. Neal was leading Mr. Morse by about 20 percentage points.

As chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over the tax code and other legislation that raises revenue for the government, Mr. Neal was the most prominent target of progressive activists in Democratic primaries this year. But he was also one of the most prepared and best financed, with a war chest of nearly $4 million and a team of allied outside groups to help him fend off a flood of money and resources into the district in support of Mr. Morse.

Mr. Neal, 71, was endorsed by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, who has defended many Democratic incumbents against challenges from the left. Mr. Neal has been in Congress since 1989, the year Mr. Morse was born.
Actor Timothee Chalamet has made a rare social media post in honour of his friend and co-star Zendaya, who celebrated her 24th birthday yesterday.

Tweeting out effusive compliments, Chalamet praised her ethical character and moral compass as he wished her a beautiful day.

He tweeted: Happy birthday to one of the most inspiring people I've met on my short journey. Someone with the strongest ethical character, and a moral compass that is in harmony with a totally fearless creative abandon.

Happy birthday @Zendaya, hope your day is beautiful, friend.. he continued.

Getty Images

His message didnt go unnoticed by Zendaya who said it was bout to make me tear up over here man. She continued, Thank you for this, I appreciate you very much

The pair are co-stars in the upcoming Denis Villeneuve film Dune, alongside Oscar Isaac. Although Zendaya told Instyle she wasnt in it very much, Chalamet and his performance made a big impression on her.

When I was watching the trailer, I was like, 'Oh my gosh!' I called Timothee and said, 'Dude! You should be proud.' It is a big deal to even be a small part of something with such a massive cast. And I love sci-fi stuff too. It's fun to escape into another world, she said.

Others who wished Zendaya a happy birthday include Kodak Black (who organised for 24 black balloons to be released in her honour while in prison), Viola Davis and her longtime stylist Law Roach. Roach called Zendaya his "ACE", sharing both a portrait of her and a video of their work together over the years - with Zendaya responding, "Love you so much, ride or die."

Dune is set to be released in the UK on December 18.
Rice University could be the first institution to change how fast and how long our phones can hold a charge or the way the world filters drinking water  and theyre getting $100 million to do it.

The Robert A. Welch Foundation has donated $100 million to Rice University for a new research hub that will engineer innovative materials that could further develop and create these technologies.

The Houston-based foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to chemistry research since the 1950s, and will distribute the funds to Rice over 10 years, allowing the institute to draw upon Rices various experts and faculty across disciplines and to recruit top researchers from around the world to focus on advanced materials.

The advanced materials is a field that doesnt get a lot of publicity, but no doubt, its everywhere, said Carin Barth, chair and director of the Welch Foundation.

Advanced materials are the underlying ingredient in nearly all technology and have been around for ages, said Yousif Shamoo, Rices vice provost of research. Metals, for example, were paramount during the Iron, Steel and Bronze ages. Silicon, still used in construction, is an advanced material paramount to multiple industries ranging from automobiles to sports.

Advanced materials such as semi-conductors, which have an electrical conductivity that falls between metal and glass, are used in cell phones, refrigerators and computers. Concrete has long been used to construct roads and bridges, and nanofibers, often made from electric-spun polymers, have been used in various medical devices, batteries and clothing that protect against heat or spills.

But the science and research behind advanced materials is continuously evolving, and the institute at Rice is looking to accelerate the advancement, Barth added. Instead of depending on discovering or finding these materials, researchers and scientists will take a more proactive approach.

One of the things were going to try to do differently is to identify the materials that we want based on the properties as we need them, Shamoo said. Rather than discovering, the idea is to use chemistry  to design materials.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Welch Foundations Adam Kuspa talks funding virus research and Houstons biomedical tech scene

This means researchers at Welch Institute for Advanced Materials might design materials that better conduct heat, that are more flexible or more rigid, or that can attract certain molecules, Barth said.

A material that could improve the filtration of contaminants, for example, could create a better sustainable water system. Other materials that havent even been invented yet could similarly contribute to the development or improvement of important aspects of our world, such as new energy and space systems, and advances in telecommunications, manufacturing, transportation, and security. Artificial intelligence will be used to aid this work, Barth added.

Many predict that such an institute could make Houston the destination for advanced materials research.

If theres a city to be positioned at the forefront of that, it really is Houston, said Rice President David Leebron, who like Barth noted as advantages the citys access to NASA and its budding technology and biotech industries and well-established energy and medical fields.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a virtual video played at a press conference Wednesday that it was no surprise that the Welch Foundation chose Rice for the partnership, especially considering the universitys work with the city to make it technologically advanced and competitive.

He congratulated Rice and thanked Welch for its generous gift, which he called an an investment in the city of Houstons future.

Welch Foundation President Adam Kuspa said the investment is a step in the right direction for the field of materials. While the opportunity to advance human capacity and quality of life through advanced materials is vast, and ideas for basic research are also extensive, the support and funding for it has been lacking, he said.

The new institute will be a chance for scientists to experiment, research and attack different problems, he said.

If you give very smart people the resources to realize their vision and their creativity about what the avenue of the research is, good can things happen. But you cant plan for it, said Kuspa. No one can guarantee when discovery of new materials will occur. Investment in research, however, he said, makes advancement more promising, which was the crux of late Houstonian and entrepreneurial founder Robert A. Welchs vision.

The Welch Foundation, launched with funds from Welchs trust after his death, has invested in basic research in chemistry and other scientific fields, endowing 48 chairs at 21 Texas universities and supporting renowned researchers.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Welch Foundation lauds Goodenough for groundbreaking battery research

The new Welch Institute in Rices Dell Butcher Hall builds on an existing relationship between Rice and the foundation. Support from the Welch Foundation led to Rices discovery of buckminsterfullerene, also known as buckyballs, a new form of carbon. The discovery laid the foundation for nanotechnology and resulted in Rice being awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, according to a university release.

Its just an example of what we can achieve in this city when we build these collaborations, Leebron said.

Overseen by a developing independent board comprised of Rice faculty, members of the Welch foundation, and Houstonians, the institute will conduct a national search for the chair of its scientific advisory board and an executive director. A president is expected to be in place by November. The institute will also work to collaborate with other colleges within the state, including University of Houston, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas A&M University.

My hope that it will make a difference in this city, Barth said.

brittany.britto@chron.com
Observing that courts cannot alter the terms of an insurance policy, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) last week struck down an order of the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directing an insurance company to pay the claim amount of Rs 55.19 lakh to a diamond trader from Surat.

A consumer forum or any court for that matter, does not have power to relax the warranty clause or any terms and conditions of an insurance policy, said NCDRC bench of presiding member Prem Narain and member C Vishwanath, after finding that the state commission had tried to bypass the warranty clause in the policy drawn by Surat based diamond trader, M/s. Dharmanandan Diamonds Private Limited.

The firm had on June 10, 2002, handed over 418 carat polished diamonds worth Rs 78.62 lakh to one of its commission agents, Arjanbhai Mangukia, who was supposed to show the diamonds to some prospective clients in Mumbai. Arjanbhai then came to Mumbai along with the diamonds.

On the next day, he, however, was found murdered at his rental premises in Mumbai, and since police did not find the diamonds with him, the firm lodged a claim of Rs. 78.62 lakh with its insurer, New India Assurance Company Ltd.

The insurance company appointed a surveyor to assess the loss, which came to be assessed at Rs 55.19 lakh. The company, however, repudiated the claim on the ground of breach of the warranty clause - the polished diamonds were not secured in a standard safe, as required under the terms of the policy. There was no standard safe at the rental premises of the firms commission agent.

The firm then filed a consumer complaint with the state commission, which allowed the complaint on October 30, 2015, and directed the insurance company to pay the firm--the loss assessed by its surveyor--- Rs 55.19 lakh.

Also Read: Panje: Contrary to forest report, complainants unearth 66 hacked branches

Both the diamond trader and the insurance company had challenged the order before NCDRC. While the insurance company was aggrieved by the order of payment, the firm sought full amount of claim, Rs 78.62 lakh, instead of Rs 55.19 lakh awarded by the state commission.

NCDRC upheld the stand of the insurance company that in view of the breach of terms of the policy, the claim was rightly repudiated and no amount was payable to the firm.

Also Read: Maharashtras Covid-19 tally crosses 8-lakh mark, death toll nears 25k mark

It seems that the State commission has agreed with the assertion of the complainant that the condition of the warranty was impractical and could not be observed as main work of the commission agent was to show the diamonds to prospective buyers and therefore, it was not possible to keep the diamonds in standard safe all the time, said NCDRC.

It said the argument did not hold good in the case, as the diamonds were given to the commission agent at Surat, from where the precious stones were brought to Mumbai, where the agent was to stay for the whole week. Clearly, when the diamonds were to be kept at a residence, they were required to be kept under locked safe of standard make as per the warranty condition of the policy, but there was no safe at Mumbai premises of the deceased agent, it added.

We are of the considered opinion that the warranty mentioned in the policy has been breached and therefore, the insurance claim is not payable, it concluded.

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Industry Advisory on North Korea Ballistic Missile Procurement

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

September 1, 2020



Today, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security are issuing an advisory on North Korea's ballistic missile procurement activities.

The advisory identifies key procurement entities and deceptive techniques used by North Korea's missile program, provides an overview of relevant provisions under U.S. law, including sanctions authorities, related to DPRK proliferation activities, and lists relevant resources. The advisory also contains annexes listing key items used in North Korea's ballistic missile program, as well as DPRK persons and entities currently subject to sanctions by the U.S. Government.

North Korea's continued efforts to expand its ballistic missile capabilities pose a significant threat to both regional and global stability. In 2017, North Korea conducted its inaugural tests of intercontinental ballistic missile systems, and, over the past year, has continued to test launch ballistic missiles in violation of a series of United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The United States is committed to working with our international partners to help limit the threat posed by North Korea's missile development efforts, disrupting North Korea's attempts to procure technologies for these programs, and promoting accountability for those entities and individuals assisting North Korea's ballistic missile program.

We urge the private sector to remain vigilant to efforts by North Korea to acquire missile-related technologies and equipment, including the specific items identified in this advisory, and to be aware of the sanctions risks under U.S. and UN authorities for assisting, even inadvertently, North Korea's ballistic missile-related procurement.

Link to the advisory here: https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/pdfs/2600-2020-north-korea-ballistic-missile-advisory

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Protection of citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic

The policy of putting people at the highest position, ensuring safety for all Vietnamese citizens returning from the epidemic zone, has helped people believe and understand that "the fatherland never abandons us".

VietNamNet introduces the second part of the talks with Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Lan - Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Consular Affairs - on the protection of Vietnamese citizens amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlimited locations

How have diplomatic staff made efforts to protect our citizens when the pandemic has not shown signs of slowing down?

In the context of strong pandemic outbreak in many regions of the world, with the motto of proactive, quick and effective protection of citizens, the Department of Consular Affairs has prioritized a number of specific tasks:

Keep reviewing and updating the situation and data of Vietnamese citizens abroad through current effective communication channels, especially to gather and collect statistics on the number of Vietnamese people who want to repatriate to take appropriate support measures.

Promoting cooperation with host countries to promptly exchange and coordinate the implementation of measures to support Vietnamese citizens; and decentralizing the level of influence and urgency of the issue in each area to propose a rational, effective and efficient plan to bring citizens home.

In addition, the Department of Consular Affairs has regularly coordinated with Vietnamese representative missions abroad to ask host countries to pay attention to and create favorable conditions for our citizens to access and ensure medical, security and safety conditions as well as other necessary supports such as procedures and papers related to the return of our citizens under the direction of the Prime Minister.

With the motto "fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy", to contribute to fulfill the advising task, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a member of the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Fight against Covid-19 Epidemic, and the Department of Consular Affairs will continue to preside over, coordinate with other agencies to implement the work of citizen protection in the spirit of rapid response without geographical limitation, ensuring appropriate quarantine and medical supervision requirements to protect the rights and the interests of Vietnamese citizens abroad.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Lan - Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Consular Affairs

Diplomats must quarantine themselves

Are there any difficulties in the protection of citizens overseas amid the pandemic?

The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented worldwide medical crisis in modern times, posing many difficulties for citizenship protection.

First of all, the pandemic has caused many difficulties in human resources for many overseas representative agencies. Not all agencies have officers in charge of citizen protection. Some diplomats had to quarantine themselves because they had close contact with F1 and F2 cases.

Secondly, the organization of flights is also complicated. In some places, it is difficult to get flight permission, while in others, flights have to be held in very remote locations.

Thirdly, those who are subject to citizen protection work are the people who encounter or are at risk of Covid-19 infection but have difficulty accessing medical services; whose visas are expired while being unable to return home; those who are expelled by foreign countries for violations of law; those who are infected with Covid-19 and need treatment. In the first wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Asian countries, our citizens in particular and Asians in general were stigmatized and considered the source of the disease.

Fourthly, the land border management issue, especially in March and April 2020, was under great pressure when the number of citizens returning home was very high.

What recommendations do you give to Vietnamese overseas?

In the process of bringing Vietnamese citizens back home, some flights carried Vietnamese citizens who were infected with Covid-19, which somewhat caused stressful psychology in epidemic prevention.

The need for repatriation is the legitimate right of every Vietnamese citizen living, studying and working abroad, but to share with the current efforts and difficulties of Vietnam, people also need to consider carefully and make the right decision about whether to return home or not in the current epidemic context. Specifically, they should consider the epidemic prevention situation in the host countries and the risks on repatriation flights.

They need to comply with the host country's anti-epidemic measures, regularly check and update regulations of the host country and airlines, ensure to have all required documents for repatriation (especially medical certifications). In the case of not having all necessary documents, the foreign side may refuse to allow transit or exit.

For those returning from abroad to or returning from/through epidemic zones, they need to: make accurate and truthful medical declarations upon entry; strictly obey medical supervision and quarantine for 14 days as prescribed. Acts of hiding, failing to declare, intentionally providing false information, and failing to comply with isolation will be strictly punished in accordance with law.

How can citizenship protection be the fulcrum for the Vietnamese community abroad?

The Department of Consular Affairs has regularly coordinated with Vietnamese representative missions abroad to take measures to protect our citizens abroad.

At home, we have joined other units in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen communication and propaganda work. Fast, correct, and sufficient information provision to citizens to help them understand and trust the Party, State and Governments policies in citizen protection tasks, support and coordinate with domestic and foreign functional agencies in the implementation of citizen protection measures is an important and urgent task.

So far this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distributed more than 50 citizen protection bulletins. The Ministrys spokespeople gave more than 100 responses related to the Covid-19 pandemic and citizenship protection tasks at the Ministrys regular press conference as well as private responses.

Vietnamese citizens from Equatorial Guinea return home. Photo: VNA

A special flight

How did diplomats try to coordinate with other agencies to successfully bring 219 Vietnamese citizens, including over 120 Covid-19 positive cases from Equatorial Guinea, back home?

Right after receiving the information, the Department of Consular Affairs actively coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Angola to request local authorities to ensure the legal rights of citizens in Equatorial Guinea. We also worked with Vietnamese agencies to develop national repatriation plans and quarantine options to avoid the spread of disease. This flight was very special as more than 120 people were positive for Covid-19.

It was quite hard for our diplomats in Angola to organize a flight in a country without a Vietnam representative office in the context that African countries were applying a travel restriction policy.

Besides the return plan, the reception and treatment of infected citizens, the accompanying people and the crew were also arranged very carefully and in detail. For the flight to take Vietnamese citizens from Equatorial Guinea back home, all citizens and crew after arriving in Vietnam were transported to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for monitoring, treatment and quarantine via specialized vehicles.

Thai An
The "whole package" of the US-India trade deal is almost ready and it can be finalised when the local political situation in the United States is conducive, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday.

Goyal said that he is in touch with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and both the countries agree that the deal can be concluded before or soon after the Presidential elections in November.

"The whole package is near ready and can be finalised at any time when the local political situation in the US permits them to. India believes that it has to be a win-win situation for both India and US," Goyal said during the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum's third Annual Leadership Summit.

"I spoke with Ambassador Lighthizer. We agree that we can look at doing it before elections also or soon after. I am open to signing up tomorrow," Goyal said.

He further said that it is in favour of India and the US to deepen their strategic partnership with the trade deal.

"It is in the interest of India and US to deepen our strategic partnership with this trade deal. It will open the doors to starting a dialogue on a larger bilateral engagement," the Union Minister said.

Goyal hoped that the two countries can move to the next stage of larger engagement for a free trade agreement.

Earlier on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had an interactive session with former US envoy to India Timothy Roemer, at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

(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.)
When Massachusetts was sued over its ballot receipt deadline for Tuesdays primary, a state attorney acknowledged election officials wouldnt count mail-in ballots that were not received by the 8 p.m. cutoff. Those votes would not be counted.

Still, the state argued against extending the receipt deadline so election clerks could count those postmarked ballots that arrived late. Massachusetts officials didnt want to risk throwing off the states entire election season schedule.

Assistant Attorney General Anne Sterman suggested an alternative: mail-in voters who worry their ballots would be held up by U.S. Postal Service delays or other issues could also cast a ballot in person. Only one of the ballots would be counted, Sterman said.

The suggestion sounded so bizarre that when the Supreme Judicial Court sided with the state, I decided to test the approach myself. Not because I wanted to vote twice, but because I wanted to mail a ballot and avoid the polls. And, if those efforts failed, I wanted to make sure I still had the option to make my vote count.

If a voter has already voted by the time their ballot arrives, the mail-in ballot is rejected and the envelope containing their ballot remains sealed, said Debra OMalley, spokesperson for Secretary of State William F. Galvins office.

Ideally, voters would check the status of their mail-in ballot on the state website before heading to the polls. If they didnt but their mail-in ballots were already received, they wouldnt be allowed to vote, OMalley said.

I managed to vote in person Tuesday morning while my mail-in ballot remained uncounted. But voting at the polls when youve applied to vote by mail is trickier than expected as poll workers seem to have different levels of understanding when it comes to this last-minute contingency plan.

Bostons absentee ballot line was flooded with calls from poll workers seeking to verify the city didnt already have a ballot from certain voters who had applied to vote by mail but ended up voting in person. The Election Department spoke with the Secretary of the States office to streamline this process and let voters cast their ballot without having to wait at a polling site for confirmation, according to a statement from the Boston Election Department.

Some voters in Medford had to vote in person after their mail-in ballots came back with no interior yellow envelope. City officials tried to send the envelopes to voters who didnt receive them, but Liz Schwartz never got hers.

When she went to the polls on Tuesday, Schwartz said she was initially turned away. A poll worker said she had to bring her unused mail-in ballot to the polling place before she could vote in person. Schwartz, who is on maternity leave, found time to go home and return with her mail-in ballot.

I did that, and then they handed me a ballot, Schwartz said. Its just an inconvenience, and its strange. It just seemed odd to me.

Voters who applied for mail-in ballots but want to vote in person shouldnt need to produce their unmailed ballots to do so, OMalley said.

I didnt bring my mail-in ballot to the polling place. It was probably sitting at the bottom of the blue mailbox down the street from my house Tuesday morning. But I almost left without casting my vote.

The vote-by-mail application

Vote-by-mail applications started reaching households in late July a week behind schedule, but voters still had more than a month to request mail-in ballots by mail, fax, hand delivery or email.

The response was overwhelming. Massachusetts received more than 1 million applications to vote by mail for the primary election, Galvin said in August.

I planned to heed the call to apply early. But I didnt. Blame my packed schedule as a journalist covering a pandemic or sheer laziness, but I was likely one of the last to send a vote-by-mail application to election officials in Boston. The citys Absentee Voting Division received an email with my application at 4:43 p.m. Aug. 26, the last day city officials could accept mail-in ballot requests.

My ballot arrived in the mail on Saturday, just two days later. That came as a surprise considering the recent service reduction at the U.S. Postal Service.

I planned to drop off my ballot in a mailbox or a local dropbox and use the states ballot tracker to make sure it arrived on time. Id head to the polls as a last resort.

A Massachusetts mail-in ballot includes instructions on voting by mail for the Sept. 1 state primary.

The ballot

Finding a convenient drop box three days before the state primary proved difficult. In Boston, dropboxes popped up at early voting locations throughout the city between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28.

By the time I received my ballot, the early voting period had ended and the dropboxes were gone. The only active dropbox I found was inside City Hall, which is closed on weekends.

My ballot sat on my desk until Monday. In a half-baked effort to send the ballot on its way, I dropped the envelope in a mailbox down the street at 1:58 p.m. Monday. Once the envelope fell in through the slit, I saw the collection times listed for this mailbox: 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

When I checked the state ballot tracker Monday night and Tuesday morning, it labeled my mail-in ballot not returned.

Mailbox in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood

The other vote

Outside the Robert & Theresa Parks Community Building in Mission Hill, a poll worker greeted voters with a large bottle of hand sanitizer. When I arrived Tuesday morning, she squirted some in my hand and directed me inside.

I stepped up to the check-in table and gave the poll worker my name and address. She was handing me a ballot when I asked if she needed to know I have a pending mail-in ballot.

Over the next 10 minutes, we debated whether I should be allowed to vote if I had a mail-in ballot still in the mail. The voter list had EV next to my name, indicating that I was an early voter. The poll workers had no evidence to verify my mail-in ballot wasnt received, so they called the Boston Election Department. No one answered.

The lines have been busy, the poll worker said. I later learned the city was getting calls from polling places across the city because of voters like me who had requested a mail-in ballot but opted to vote in person.

The polling official asked if I wanted to come back later. Maybe they would get an answer from the clerk by then.

I told them I would be back in five minutes and stepped outside. I called the department, hoping I would have better luck. After a few minutes on hold, a Boston elections official answered. She checked my name and address and confirmed what I more or less knew: my ballot had not been received. I was cleared to vote in person.

I walked back in and passed the phone to the polling official, who heard the news. A minute later, she handed back my phone and walked me over to the check-in table. A poll worker gave a ballot and struck the EV next to my name in red pen. Underneath, she wrote, voted in person.

I cast my vote and fed my ballot to the machine in under five minutes. The call to the local elections clerk took longer than the voting itself.

The process that youre describing going through is a process that only the most informed voters would actually go through start to finish, which is a concern, said Kristina Mensik, assistant director for Common Cause Massachusetts.

Mensik said the voting issues underscore the need for public education, which she says the states election coalition has worked on, and the need for clear regulations from the state.

Going to cast that second ballot is something that understandably would make a lot of people nervous just because it seems like youre trying to vote a second time, she said. If you cast a mail ballot but it has not been accepted yet, you still have a right to vote in person. The information on whether your ballot has not been accepted or not is information a poll worker should have.

According to the state ballot tracker, my mail-in ballot arrived by Tuesday night. The ballot was marked rejected.

Poll workers in Boston were trained on working with mail-in voters who would also vote in person, OMalley said. Some poll workers might still be adjusting to the new procedures, some might be new. Now that Boston and other cities have their first major vote-by-mail election under their belts, they can prepare to get it right in the fall.

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Police are appealing for witnesses after sheep were killed and two severely injured following a livestock worrying incident in Powys.

Two sheep suffered 'severe' injuries after an out-of-control dog attacked a flock near Clywedog Reservoir, Llanidloes.

The incident happened on farmland near the B4518 between 29 August and 31 August.

Dyfed-Powys Police's Rural Crime Team are urging anyone with information to come forward.

A spokesperson said: "We've been dealing with another livestock worrying, dog attack incident today.

"Sadly one ewe lost her life and these two suffered severe injuries".

Livestock worrying cost farmers across the UK 1.2m last year, according to NFU Mutual.

The figures show that a 15% rise in the cost of attacks in England led to the overall figure of 1.2m.

The sharpest cost rises in 2019 were in the South East  up 87% and the North West of England  up 79%.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all saw falls of 30%, 15% and 61% respectively.
" " Although most closely associated with European operations, the Boeing B-17 also flew in the Pacific. The plane wasSee more classic airplane pictures. s

The four-engine Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was arguably the most famous and almost certainly the best-loved bomber of World War II.

Curiously, the brilliant Boeing conception, first flown on July 28, 1935, was almost stifled by an agonizingly long gestation period that did not see the first production aircraft fly until June 27, 1939. Despite the airplane's demonstrated superiority over all its twin-engine competitors, the penny-pinching American Congress had been unwilling to authorize the plane's purchase in quantity until war seemed certain.

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The basic elements of the cantilever, all-metal monoplane design of the Boeing B-17 dated all the way back to the Boeing Monomail of 1930. These design elements were successively developed through the B-9 "Death Angel" twin engine bomber and the revolutionary Model 247 transport. The big advance in the Boeing B-17 was the employment of four engines at a time when the words "multi-engine" in a specification meant "twin-engine."

" " Boeing B-17s based in Europe flew mainly from bases in England. When the bombers were scheduled to return to base following a run, officers and others would gather outside to wait and count. m

The Boeing B-17C entered combat with the RAF, but was considered unsuccessful. A later version, the Boeing B-17D, entered the Pacific War on December 7, 1941. There followed a continuing succession of improved models: the B-17E, F, and G. Ultimately, 12,731 examples were built by Boeing, Lockheed (Vega), and Douglas.

" " The Boeing B-17 was legendary for its ability to return to base after sustaining damage that would have doomed a lesser aircraft. This badly mauled B-17 was photographed over Tunisia as it headed home with an almost-severed tail section. g

The Boeing B-17 spearheaded the USAAF's doctrine that formations of heavily armed bombers could fight their way through enemy fighters and carry out their missions. The Boeing B-17 proved that this was so -- but only at terrible cost in air battles, such as those over Schweinfurt and Regensburg, Germany. Fortunately, long-range fighters soon became available to escort the big, slow bombers to and from targets.

" " Ground crews were the unsung heroes of the Boeing B-17 story. These men kept the big bombers flying, even in the face of inadequate replacement parts and punishing flight schedules. n

A delightful airplane to fly, the Boeing B-17 won the hearts of its crews by its ability to absorb tremendous punishment and return home. The Fort fought brilliantly in every theater, then soldiered on long after the war in various support roles, such as air/sea rescue and reconnaissance.

For more information on airplanes, check out:

Boeing B-17 Specifications Wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in. Length: 74 ft. 4 in. Height: 19 ft. 1 in. Empty Weight: 36,135 lbs Gross Weight: 65,500 lbs Top Speed: 287 mph Service Ceiling: 35,600 ft. Range: 2,000 miles w/ 6,000 lbs of bombs Engine/Horsepower: Four Wright R-1820s/1,200 each, with General Electric turbo-superchargers Crew: 10 Armament: Thirteen .50-in. Browning machine guns; up to 17,600 lbs of bombs Read More
SIUs Simon Institute launches Meet the Mayor series next week

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute next week will launch a new series that focuses on how mayors across Illinois are working to serve their communities.

Leon Rockingham, Jr., the mayor of North Chicago and Illinois Municipal League president, will kick off the Meet the Mayor virtual discussions at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9. The free event is open to the public. Registration is required and closes when the virtual discussion starts.

Important role

The series of virtual conversations will examine how mayors from different communities across Illinois, each confronting unique circumstances, face these challenges and opportunities, John T. Shaw, Institute director said. Shaw noted there are nearly 1,300 mayors in the state.

This new series of conversations will help us understand the work that mayors across Illinois are doing to provide important services to their communities, especially during this time of disruption, he said. We look forward to hosting informative discussions with some of the most creative and consequential mayors. These conversations will help us better appreciate the diversity of Illinois and the daunting challenges confronting mayors in the Prairie State.

Given the partisan stalemate in Washington, D.C. and sometimes in Springfield, mayors are increasingly important, Shaw said.

Successful mayors are practical problem solvers and often are non-ideological, overseeing the delivery of services that are the most tangible and essential to Americans, he said.

Rockinghams successful tenure

A lifelong resident of North Chicago, Rockingham became mayor of the city in 2005. For more than three decades, he was a systems technician for AT&T and he served as North Chicagos 4th Ward Alderman from 1989 to 2001.

Mayor Rockinghams success in his community is striking and his leadership among Illinois mayors is inspiring, Shaw said.

As we move forward with this series, we will meet mayors from all parts of Illinois and with a wide range of backgrounds, Shaw said. We will discover what successful mayors do to serve their communities and constituents.

Compliment to Understanding virtual series

The discussion with Rockingham is an added component to Institute offerings. The Institute in April began an Understanding Our New World series that features historians, political analysts, and state and national leaders.

Registration is open for Rockinghams conversation

Registration for the free ZOOM meeting is available in advance. After completing registration, participants will receive an email confirmation with information about joining the meeting, along with the meeting ID and password.

Participants have an opportunity when they register to submit a question to Rockingham by email at paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu or by including it in the Questions and Comments section on the registration form.

More information on the Institutes events is available at paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/event-information/.
The Chinese territory of Hong Kong has started a mass testing program for the novel coronavirus.

Thousands of people lined up at more than 100 testing centers Tuesday, on the first day of the program. Hong Kong officials say the testing is an important step in the fight against the virus.

Critics are distrustful of the program, which receives support from Chinas central government. Some have expressed fear that the tests could be used to collect DNA from Hong Kong residents.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told reporters that more than 10,000 people  including many government ministers  had been tested by Tuesday morning.

This large-scale universal community testing program is beneficial to fighting the epidemic and beneficial to our society, Lam said. The effort would help the city overcome the health crisis and was a necessary step before the return of normal day-to-day activities, she added.

More than 500,000 people in the city of 7.5 million signed up for the testing before it began. The process is expected to last at least a week, possibly two. In all, the government estimates that at least 5 million people will be tested.

The program is aimed at identifying silent carriers of the virus  those without symptoms  who could be spreading the disease.

Priscilla Pun, a sales manager, told The Associated Press she got tested to give herself peace of mind. I dont see any reason not to do it, and this way I can let my family in Canada know that I am safe, she said.

Other Hong Kongers, like Giselle Ming, said she decided to take part to support the government effort, although she was not worried that she might be a carrier of the virus. In this bad situation of the coronavirus, I hope I can do something to help the society, she said.

Hong Kongs worst outbreak of the virus came in early July. At its peak, the territory recorded more than 100 locally spread cases a day, after going weeks without any in June. The outbreak has since slowed, with the city reporting just nine cases on Monday. That was the first time in two weeks that daily infections fell below 10.

Some pro-democracy activists, such as Joshua Wong, have publicly opposed the testing program. He called for a boycott, pointing to Swedish news reports that some test kits used there had high rates of false-positive results. Lam noted that while false-positives can happen, the tests being used in Hong Kong had passed quality and performance testing.

Wong suggested that a full closure of the border would be a better measure than the government tests. He said the current program was like having a pregnancy test without having birth control.

Lam has dismissed criticism of the testing plan as an attempt to smear the central government.

A pro-democracy union of healthcare workers formed during the protests last year also opposes the program. The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, which has 20,000 members, said mass testing was not the most effective use of resources and called for more focused testing instead.

It is clear to see that the government has one and only one goal ... to use the (coronavirus crisis) to achieve their own political aims, union leader Winnie Yu told a press conference. They shall do whatever they can to please the central government of China, even if it means placing politics above all things else, Yu added.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. George Grow 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

DNA  n. short for deoxyribonucleic acid -- a substance that carries genetic information in the cells of plants and animals

beneficial  adj. helpful or useful

society  n. a large group of people who live in the same country or area and have the same laws, traditions, etc.

symptom  n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present

outbreak  n. a sudden start or increase in the spread of a disease or fighting

positive  adj. in a medical test, positive means the person being tested has a disease or condition

smear  v. to say unpleasant or untrue things about someone

focus  v. to direct attention at something

achieve  v. succeed in doing something good, usually by working hard
On the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the Independence of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), leader of Homeland Party Artur Vanetsyan, accompanied by members of the political council and supporters, visited Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to the heroes who died for the defense of the homeland, as reported the political party.

The members of the political party laid flowers at the monument to the freedom fighters who died during the Artsakh war and the tombs of the victims of the Four-Day Artsakh War of April 2016, Sparapet (Commander-in-Chief) Vazgen Sargsyan and Warrior Andranik and respected their memory with a moment of silence.

On the occasion of the 29th anniversary of Independence of Artsakh, Vanetsyan also conveyed a congratulatory message to citizens. Today is the day of declaration of independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Today is a holiday for all of us. The existence of the free and independent Artsakh, the functioning of the Armenian army and the strengthening and empowerment of statehood in the two sectors of our unified homeland are the greatest achievements of the Armenian people throughout the past 30 years. Glory and honor to our soldiers and officers on the border and to the Armenian army. I congratulate the Armenian people on this glorious day and wish our homeland peace and wish us unity and more victories, he said.
The company said it will target experienced technology professionals as well as recent graduates from major universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges to create the best workforce for the future.

Infosys, Indias second largest IT services company, said on Tuesday that it would hire 12,000 local Americans in the US, over the next two years.

In 2017, the company had made a commitment to hire 10,000 local Americans in two years which it has already exceeded. Since then, the Bengaluru-based based firm said, it has created 13,000 jobs in the country.

The company will target experienced technology professionals as well as recent graduates from major universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges to create the best workforce for the future.

Infosys has been intensely focused on creating jobs in the US for the past three years, and I am proud that this new commitment to hire 12,000 American workers by 2022 expands on that previous initiative, said Salil Parekh, CEO, Infosys. We are excited to grow our presence in the US as the digital transformation journeys of our clients accelerate.

Ravi Kumar, president, Infosys said the companys commitment to create the news jobs in the country comes at a critical moment as the Covid-19 pandemic has created economic turmoil.

We will bring a specific focus on building pathways for those who have been impacted by the economic downturn and look forward to bringing on board individuals without traditional four-year degrees. Workers who have been left out of the digital economy will now have the opportunity to gain the skills needed for 21st-century careers.

In the past three years, Infosys has launched six technology and innovation centers in the US across Indiana, North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Texas, and Arizona. Through these centers, the company is building digital capabilities apart from training the next generation IT talent.

The US is by far the largest market for Infosys accounting for almost 60 per cent of the companys overall revenue.

Photograph: Jagadeesh N V / Reuters.
Bhopal:

Congress has been conducting a survey across the country to figure out the number of people who lost their jobs after demonetisation, a senior party leader said.

Party has told all its district presidents across the country to collect information about the jobs lost due to demonetisation, former Delhi minister and Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely told reporters here.

Lovely was here to review the preparations of the partys proposed countrywide agitation on January 6 against demonetisation.

Along with the job lost, the partys district chiefs and leaders will also gather information about various problems being faced by people due to this move, he added.

He informed that the party would hold a conference of its leaders in Delhi on January 11.

Lovely said that the ruling BJP regime at the Centre has not only put restrictions on money withdrawal but is also telling people how to spend their money.

This is an attack on the peoples freedom provided by the Constitution. The Centre is telling people how to spend their money, he added.

Ex-Delhi Minister alleged that the government has handed over the control of Indian economy to Chinese companies involved in the digital transactions business.

Before Diwali, they were giving call to boycott Chinese crackers. Now, they are handing over the control of Indian economy to Chinese digital companies, he said, adding, demonetisation has failed across the world leaving behind the country into the trap of long-term economic slump.

MP Congress Committee Chief Arun Yadav said that the party would continue to hold programme to create awareness against the demonetisation throughout the month.

We have scheduled programmes throughout the month of January. The party leaders would go to public and hold interactions, launch mass contact programmes among others to raise awareness among them on the issue, he added.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Canada and the Netherlands announced Wednesday their intentions to formally join Gambias genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.

Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok said in a joint statement the two nations were acting on obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent the crime of genocide and hold those responsible to account.

They urged other states to also support Gambias legal fight, which was launched on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference.

In bringing this application to the ICJ, Gambia took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar, Champagne and Blok said.

Calling the case of concern to all of humanity, Champagne and Blok said Canada and the Netherlands will assist with the complex legal issues that are expected to arise and will pay special attention to crimes related to sexual and gender-based violence, including rape.

The small African, mainly Muslim state of Gambia has taken majority-Muslim Myanmar to the UNs top court in The Hague accusing it of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention.

Around 740,000 Rohingya fled across the border into sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a huge military crackdown in Rakhine state in August 2017.

Myanmars civilian leader, Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, at the start of ICJ hearings in December 2019 rejected the genocide claims, warning the UN judges that allowing Gambias case to go ahead risked reigniting the crisis and could undermine reconciliation.

That three-day hearing sought emergency measures to prevent further violence against the Rohingya, pending the fuller case that could take years.
Future Fund chairman Peter Costello has signalled investors should not count on making easy passive returns from the sharemarket after massive stimulus policies in response to the pandemic put a rocket under stock prices in recent months.

The $161 billion Future Fund on Wednesday said it was preparing for a more volatile and challenging investment backdrop as it sharply lifted its allocation to cash and posted returns of minus 0.9 per cent for the year to June, the first negative result since 2008-09.

Future Fund chairman Peter Costello: "The factors that have fuelled strong performance in the past may not be there any longer." Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

As official figures showed a record contraction in Australia's economy in the June quarter, the taxpayer-owned fund highlighted the huge discrepancy between the sharemarket's recent buoyancy and the state of the world economy.

In a sign of the fund's deeply cautious outlook, its allocation to cash surged by 75 per cent in the June quarter to $27.4 billion, or 17 per cent of its portfolio.
Press Release

September 2, 2020 Bong Go backs bill modifying minimum height requirements for PNP, BJMP, BFP and BuCor; says measure will provide more opportunities for Filipinos to serve the country Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his support to a proposed bill modifying the minimum height requirements for applicants to the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Prevention, and the Bureau of Corrections. Senate Bill No. 1563, filed by Senator Ronald dela Rosa, lowers the height requirement to five feet and two inches for males, and to five feet for females who wish to enter said law enforcement agencies and become uniformed personnel. Waiving the height requirement for applicants belonging to indigenous groups will be retained. Go commended dela Rosa and his proposed measure, saying that it will help augment and strengthen the country's law enforcement and firefighting forces, and other first-responders in times of emergencies and calamities. "I want to commend the good sponsor for pushing for this measure and I wish to manifest my support and my intention to co-author this bill modifying the minimum height requirement for PNP, BJMP, BFP, and BuCor personnel," Go said. "Malaking tulong rin po ito upang mapalakas at mapatatag ang ating mga kapulisan, bumbero at iba pang first-responders pagdating ng oras ng sakuna," he added. It will give Filipino citizens more opportunities to serve the country, according to the Senator. "Marami pong lumalapit sa akin kahit noong hindi pa ako Senador. Nagpapatulong para ma-waive o mabawasan ang minimum height requirement sa pagiging pulis at bumbero," Go said. "Marami pong gustong magsilbi sa kapwa tao, kailangan lang po natin silang bigyan ng oportunidad na tumulong at magserbisyo," he added. During the period of interpellation, Go questioned why the previous administration vetoed a measure in 2013 that repeals the height requirements for applicants to the PNP, BFP and BJMP. Dela Rosa responded, saying that part of the veto message of the past administration states that it is "seriously apprehensive of the concerns propounded by the PNP and BJMP in the safety of their personnel in the performance of their duties, as well as public safety in general" as the "nature of their work in guarding detainees or escorting criminals, must possess the necessary physical attributes to perform their functions effectively." Dela Rosa added that they addressed these concerns, stressing his proposed bill seeks to simply lower height requirements, not repeal it unlike the previously vetoed bill. In his past statements, Go has repeatedly expressed his appreciation for law enforcement officers in the country, commending how they were able to rebuild and improve their reputation in the public eye due to their discipline and integrity. "Makikita niyo ngayon, ang mga pulis, ginagalang at nirerespeto na. Suportado namin kayong lahat ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Sa abot ng aming makakaya, tutulong kami sa inyo bilang pagkilala sa inyong mga sakripisyo para mapangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga Pilipino," Go said previously. "Nang umupo ang ating Pangulo sa Malacanang, inatupag niya kaagad na madoble ang sahod ng mga miyembro ng Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection at iba pang kaugnay na ahensiya," he also said. Go also shared that he has filed a measure to provide free legal assistance to police and military officers, explaining that law enforcers sometimes hesitate to implement the full force of the law, fearing harassment from powerful personalities who may file cases against them in connection with the performance of their official duties. "Kailangan din nating pagbutihin ang lahat na suportang legal na ibinibigay ng pamahalaan sa kapulisan upang mabigyan sila ng lakas ng loob na gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin, basta sa tamang paraan na naaayon sa batas," he said. Go, in July of last year, filed Senate Bill 393, otherwise known as An Act Providing Free Legal Assistance to Any Officer or Enlisted Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police on Any Charge Before the Prosecutor's Office, Court or Any Competent Body Arising from an Incident or Incidents Related to the Performance of Official Duty. The Senator also previously shared that "the long-term modernization plans of the PNP and AFP are being implemented as scheduled." Go, who had been going around the country to help victims of fire incidents prior to the pandemic, is also pushing for the modernization of the BFP and the strengthening of the country's fire prevention campaign and information drive as he seeks to better safeguard Filipinos from hazards, such as fires and other similar incidents. The Senator filed in July last year SB 204 or the "Act Strengthening and Modernizing the Bureau of Fire Protection, Providing Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes" which aims to enhance the BFP's capability to protect people and properties from destructive fires. The bill will also mandate, among others, monthly fire and disaster awareness information drives, particularly in informal settlements and economically depressed areas.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - House Speaker Larry Householders indictment rekindled several important debates about Ohio energy policy. Should we subsidize nuclear plants? What do Ohioans actually pay for their electricity? What value do renewable energy and energy efficiency have for utility customers?

The utility bailout law, House Bill 6, proposed to answer these issues last year. However, as we continue to learn how tainted that legislation is, we need to reopen those debates and re-examine these issues.

This time, we need to know the real costs, not the misleading figures Householder and FirstEnergy sold the state last year.

The issues are complex but can be explained simply, starting with where we get our power. Heres something many people dont know: Ohio utilities do not own power plants.

Ohio moved to a competitive system where the utilities gave up ownership of their power plants with a transition to competition that began in 1999. FirstEnergy Corp. transferred its nuclear plants to FirstEnergy Solutions. Those plants competed  and failed  in that market. The price of power from natural gas was simply too low. Thats why the nuclear plants needed bailing out  they couldnt provide electricity at a low enough cost.

In fact, a regional transmission organization called PJM dispatches power from around the East and parts of the Midwest as part of a multistate grid. Ohioans dont necessarily get their power from Ohio plants.

Householder and company claimed HB 6 will lower bills when it goes into effect in January 2021, but that took some creative math. If nuclear power costs more than natural-gas power and the legislature bailed out the nuclear plants, then how would customers save? How does propping up the more expensive option help customers?

It doesnt. But the legislature claimed it would by taking two charges off customers bills. These charges  one for energy efficiency and one for renewable energy  add up to $4.10 monthly. The nuclear bailout charge is only $2.50. By that simple, misleading calculation, customers will pay $1.60 less monthly.

Robert Kelter is a senior attorney leading the Environmental Law & Policy Centers Energy Efficiency Program.

However, utilities have to replace the energy efficiency they lose by purchasing more electrons. This costs customers money. In its May 2020 report to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, FirstEnergy claimed $2.73 of customer savings for every dollar spent on energy efficiency. Utilities also have to replace the renewable energy they purchased with more coal, natural gas or nuclear. Householder and other legislators simply didnt mention those charges when selling HB 6.

Based on average customer savings estimates from Ohio utilities 2017 annual reports, once HB 6 goes into effect, the average customer will pay $3.61 more monthly than they do now, plus that $2.50 bailout charge.

Householder and FirstEnergy passed off a $6.11 increase as a $1.60 savings.

The analogy would be selling your car. You no longer have to make your $200 monthly payment, but now you have to take Uber everywhere, which costs $400 monthly. You wouldnt claim you saved $200. But that is the argument the backers of HB 6 made.

Moreover, we lose the environmental benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The more we rely on efficiency and renewables, the lower the pollution, especially on the hottest days of summer when we use the most energy and power plants pollute the most.

Energy efficiency and renewable generation are good hedges against the need to reduce carbon pollution and tougher regulation of other pollution. They are also a good hedge if and when the price of natural gas or coal increases. A little insurance makes a lot of sense.

We need to repeal the misleading, scandal-tainted HB 6 and replace it with sound, forward-looking clean-energy policy that actually puts customers first.

Robert Kelter is a senior attorney leading the Environmental Law & Policy Centers Energy Efficiency Program, which is engaged across Ohio from ELPCs Columbus office.

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* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions, comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Portland police started encrypting officers radio communications June 3, days after nightly protests against racism and police brutality began. The switch came without public input or notice.

The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office and Gresham police followed suit and encrypted their communications Aug. 24, in a switch that was intended to be indefinite. The agencies returned to unencrypted channels Friday after discovering a technical issue.

Public safety communications between emergency dispatchers and police, or scanner traffic, has long been monitored by members of the press and others to track the response to shootings, stabbings and other calls. Encryption restricts ways for the public to gather information on unfolding situations without relying heavily on official police communications, often issued hours or days after officers have already left the scene. Portland police did not inform the public about a triple killing in June for three days.

The change comes at a time when cities nationwide are grappling with how to make police forces more transparent and accountable. But Portland police and city officials say the switch has been in the works for months.

Portland police Officer Derek Carmon, a spokesperson for the agency, said the effort began in November due to safety and information security concerns.

Although the plan was not complete, we did switch over to nets that were already encrypted shortly after the protests began, Carmon said in an email.

The change was first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, the citys police commissioner, has not responded to questions about the shift and its impact on police transparency. A spokesperson for Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who oversees fire and emergency communications, declined to answer any questions.

Dan Douthit, a spokesperson for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, said dispatch officials met with Portland police and other regional partners, to discuss encryption to protect officer safety in April and May. Officials also discussed making confidential medical information that is often discussed by fire and emergency medical services.

Portland Fire and Rescues radio traffic is still publicly available.

Officer Kevin Carlson, a spokesperson for the Gresham Police Department, said the agency did not want to be compromised by the general public listening in, citing officer safety and the recent uptick in protests in Gresham. The department returned to unencrypted channels last Friday after discovering some personnel could not access the encrypted channels. Carlson said Wednesday he did not know when specifically the department would return to encrypted channels, which they share with the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, but expected it was still an eventuality for the department.

Tung Yin, a law professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, said police are likely legally able to encrypt radio communications because of public record exemptions for officer safety. However, Yin said, the decision is tied into a larger philosophical question: whether police feel they can trust the public or whether they frame their operations and interactions with the public in terms of an us vs. them mentality.

Yin said the question is especially prescient if police departments are pursuing the change permanently, rather than as a temporary response to protests and civil unrest.

Denver police began encrypting radio traffic in July 2019, drawing rebuke from journalists. The Hennepin County Sheriffs Office, based in Minneapolis, decided to encrypt its radio communications in October, prompting criticism from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists. Radio traffic helps news organizations inform readers and viewers about public safety incidents while ensuring accountability and transparency from the police and fire departments that respond, the group said.

A joint Department of Homeland Security and National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium memo sent to Portland officials June 11 discusses the topic of encrypting radio traffic and signals what may be a national trend toward encryption. The document, obtained through a public records request by The Oregonian/OregonLive, was sent to Wheelers public safety adviser Robert King and Aaron Fox, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management operations specialist.

The memo recommends using encrypted channels, much like Portland police decided to do eight days earlier. The memo draws a connection between recent protests and an increase in the publics awareness and use of police scanner applications (apps) to monitor law enforcement activity.

Although the memo acknowledges many people who listen in are hobbyists or amateur radio enthusiasts, the document issues a grave warning.

Threat actors could use these unencrypted radio transmissions to identify locations of law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel with the intent of engaging in planned of opportunistic physical attacks, the memo says before qualifying in bolded script that agents have no credible information it is being used that way.

This story has been updated to reflect the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office and Gresham Police Department returning to unencrypted channels due to technical issues.

-- K. Rambo

krambo@oregonian.com

@k_rambo_

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
LANSING, MI -- The Lansing School District agreed to a $500,000 settlement recently after it was accused of failing to prevent bullying of a high school student who committed suicide in 2019, the Associated Press reports. Michael Martin was 13 years old at the time of his death and attended Lansing Everett High School.

Prior to his death, Martins mother, Joanna Wohlfert, said she asked school staff and a bus company to address bullying her son was facing and for them to help stop the problem. However, the district failed to take action prior to Martins death. Some of Martins teachers say they noticed a change in his behavior shortly before his death and also asked administration at the school to intervene.

Students told investigators Martin was routinely called names and shoved by classmates at school. The settlement called for $332,182 for Martins estate and $167,818 for lawyers. The settlement was reached last year after a lawsuit was filed by Martins family and revealed through public records obtained by the Lansing State Journal.

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A special Air India flight from Thailand departed for New Delhi on Tuesday, carrying 153 stranded Indians, under the Vande Bharat Mission.

12th Vande Bharat Mission flight from Thailand to India - AI 335 from Bangkok to Delhi departed with 153 pax. Mission team sent off pax. Thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Thai Immigration, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India, Indian Embassy in Thailand tweeted.

The Vande Bharat Mission started in early May to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus restrictions.

More than 12,60,000 stranded Indians have been repatriated under the Vande Bharat mission, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

The MoCA had said that between May 6 and August 30, a total of 12,60,118 persons were repatriated under the Vande Bharat mission.
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday denounced unprecedented sanctions imposed on its prosecutor by the United States in retaliation for a probe into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.

The Hague-based tribunal said the sanctions announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and another senior official, Phakiso Mochochoko, were serious attacks against the rule of law.

The International Criminal Court condemns the economic sanctions imposed by the US earlier today on the courts prosecutor and a member of her office, an ICC statement said.

These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, and the rule of law more generally.

The war crimes court said it continues to stand firmly by its personnel and its mission of fighting impunity for the worlds most serious crimes.

The ICC was founded by the Rome Statute, which entered into force in 2002, and has since been signed by 123 countries.

The head of the ICCs Assembly of States Parties, which groups the courts member countries, said separately that it would meet to discuss how to support the tribunal in the face of the US measures.

I strongly reject such unprecedented and unacceptable measures against a treaty-based international organisation, said assembly president O-Gon Kwon.

They only serve to weaken our common endeavour to fight impunity for mass atrocities.

The US move came after President Donald Trump authorised sanctions on the ICC on June 11 for probing and prosecuting US troops.
The chemicals produced by e-cigarettes combine inside people's lungs to make entirely new combinations that are toxic to living cells, scientists have found.

Chemicals that produce flavours such as vanilla, berry and cinnamon can mix up with other solvents in the gadgets and become a danger to health.

Whether using e-cigarettes - known as vaping - is safe has been a topic of debate for years as their use has increased rapidly, particularly among young people.

Scientists generally agree that they are safer than smoking tobacco, which is proven to cause more than a dozen types of cancer and contribute to other diseases.

But evidence is increasingly showing that vaping isn't good for you either.

The new research shows that the chemicals inside the devices can become toxic to cells living in the lungs or the blood vessels and heart.

Chemicals used in e-cigarettes (stock image) combine to create not-seen-before mixtures which are damaging to cells in the lungs and the linings of blood vessels, researchers said

'We consistently observed that the new chemicals formed from the flavours and e-liquid solvents were more toxic than either of their parent compounds,' said Professor Sven-Eric Jordt, a pharmacologist at Duke University in North Carolina.

He and colleagues at Yale University isolated chemicals used in e-cigarettes and put them onto human lung cells in a lab.

The cells were those that occur in the lining of the bronchi, which are the main airways that connect the windpipe to the insides of the lungs.

VAPING 'DOESN'T WORK AS A QUITTING AID' AND ACTUALLY LEADS TO TOBACCO Vaping doesn't work as an aid for quitting tobacco and actually has the opposite effect, suggests new research. Researchers said there was 'no evidence that e-cigarettes were helpful in the quit attempt' in a large-scale study in the US. Scientists from the University of California in San Diego carried out an analysis of data on 45,971 Americans included in the government-commissioned Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Participants in the study were interviewed in 2013 and 2014 and are interviewed every year. A quarter of smokers who tried to quit in the first years of their enrolment used e-cigarettes to help with their attempt. And at their follow-up interview one year later, 9.6 per cent had managed to stay away from tobacco over the previous 12 months. However, even though some had stopped smoking, researchers say the number who quit was hardly different at all from smokers who didn't use e-cigs. One of the studies' authors, Dr John P. Pierce, said: 'Among this representative sample of US smokers trying to quit, we found no evidence that e-cigarettes were helpful in the quit attempt. 'This lack of effectiveness was also apparent in the sub-sample who used e-cigarettes on a daily basis for this quit attempt.' The study was published in the journal PLOS One. Advertisement

Chemicals they looked at included the flavourings vanillin, ethyl-vanillin, benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, and the solvents propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine.

The team said that e-cigarette manufacturers often claim that their devices are safe because they contain chemicals considered to be stable.

But when they mix inside the devices, Professor Jordt and colleague found, they form unstable compounds which could then go on to damage healthy cells.

They appeared to irritate receptors in nerve endings linked to the heart and blood vessels, and also to actually be able to kill cells in the lungs.

Damaging effects could be seen even when the vapour was breathed in in low quantities.

The scientists said they were surprised by what they saw in the lab because they did not expect the chemicals to become more unstable and dangerous as they mixed.

'Activation of sensory irritant receptors can increase the heart rate and, in predisposed people, can lead to an irregular heartbeat and higher blood pressure,' said Professor Jordt.

'It can also increase secretions in the nasal passages and throughout the lungs and airways, leading to coughing and breathing difficulties.'

He added: 'This is the first demonstration that these new chemicals formed in e-liquids can damage and kill lung cells and probably do this by damaging their metabolism.

'Although, in some cases, more than 40 per cent of flavour chemicals are converted into new chemicals in e-cigarettes, almost nothing was known about their toxicity until now.'

The study also noted that the structures inside living cells were disrupted by the chemicals and became less able to carry out their usual functions.

The research was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

Professor Jordt's research is not the first to find that vaping can damage important cells in the body.

A study by the University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany, found in November last year that e-cigarettes could damage blood vessels in the brain and the scientists said countries should consider banning them.

Tests on humans and mice suggested vaping could stiffen the arteries and speed up the heart, raising blood pressure and risking brain damage. The effect on the heart mirrors what the Duke and Yale professors found in their lab experiments on human cells.

Vaping also produces a chemical which forces a naturally-occurring enzyme in the body to trigger internal tissue damage, the German researchers said.

Professor Thomas Munzel said: 'The results identified several mechanisms whereby e-cigarettes can cause damage to the blood vessels, lungs, heart and brain.

'This is a consequence of toxic chemicals that are produced by the vaping process and may also be present at lower concentrations in the liquid itself.

'Importantly, we identified an enzyme, NOX-2, that mediated all the effects of e-cigarettes on the brain and cardiovascular system, and we found that a toxic chemical called acrolein, which is produced when the liquid in e-cigarettes is vaporised, activated the damaging effects of NOX-2.

'Our data may indicate that e-cigarettes are not a healthy alternative to traditional cigarettes, and their perceived "safety" is not warranted.'

That research was published in the European Heart Journal.
The medical practice management software (MPMS) market is expected to grow by USD 894.49 million, accelerating at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. Download Free Sample Report

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005041/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Medical Practice Management Software (MPMS) Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

The increasing need for maximizing chair-time utilization is one of the major factors propelling market growth. However, the threat from open-source MPMS will hamper market growth.

Chair-time is the amount of time spent by patients in a doctor's clinic during examination or treatment. The effective utilization of chair-time helps doctors treat more patients, which results in higher revenues and improved profits. However, factors such as failure-to-attend, short notice cancellations, and unreserved chair-time are challenging the effective utilization of chair-time in hospitals. Hence, hospitals are increasingly adopting MPMS to overcome such challenges. For instance, MPMS is backed with features such as automated calls, which help in efficient appointment booking. The feature sends out reminder messages to patients about their next appointments and confirms their booking by filtering replies. This saves time and eliminates the need for routine calls to every patient, thereby ensuring effective utilization of chair-time.

More details: Report Page Link

Global Medical Practice Management Software Market: End-User Landscape

Based on the end-user, the hospitals segment is going to have a lucrative growth during the forecast period. The growth of the segment is driven by the increasing adoption of MPMS by hospitals to streamline their day-to-day operations. In addition, the rising need for efficient management of patient records and compliance is fueling the growth of the segment.

Global Medical Practice Management Software Market: Deployment Landscape

Based on the end-user, the cloud-based segment will have lucrative growth during the forecast period. The growth of the segment is driven by the advantages of cloud-based solutions over on-premise solutions. Besides, the availability of pay as per the use and subscription models are contributing to the growth of the segment.

Global Medical Practice Management Software Market: Geographic Landscape

By geography, North America is going to witness lucrative growth during the forecast period due to the growth of personalized and affordable healthcare systems in the region. In addition, the increasing implementation of IT services in the healthcare sector is driving the growth of the medical practice management software market in North America.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

Companies Covered

AdvancedMD Inc.

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.

athenahealth Inc.

Cerner Corp.

Computer Programs and Systems Inc.

Epic Systems Corp.

General Electric Co.

Greenway Health LLC

McKesson Corp.

MTBC Inc.

What our reports offer:

Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments

Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

Covers market data for 2019, 2020, until 2024

Market trends (drivers, opportunities, threats, challenges, investment opportunities, and recommendations)

Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments

Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Hospitals Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Diagnostic laboratories Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Physicians Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Pharmacists Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Deployment

Market segments

Comparison by Deployment

Cloud-based Market size and forecast 2019-2024

On-premises Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Deployment

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

AdvancedMD Inc.

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.

athenahealth Inc.

Cerner Corp.

Computer Programs And Systems Inc.

Epic Systems Corp.

General Electric Co.

Greenway Health LLC

McKesson Corp.

MTBC Inc.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

For more information about this report visit https://www.technavio.com/report/medical-practice-management-software-market-industry-analysis

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(Natural News) A new biotechnology company named Moderna is at the forefront of the covid-19 vaccination push, preparing to unleash new mRNA technology into human beings as soon as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants the company emergency authorization. The new mRNA vaccine technology has been covertly funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA, which is a military research branch from the Department of Defense. DARPA has already awarded $25 million to Moderna, yet this has yet to be disclosed in the 126 patents and 154 patent applications put out by Moderna.

Because of this, taxpayers are involuntarily helping to foot the bill for the new cell modification technology that inserts genetic instructions into humans so their cells will begin producing properties of the coronavirus for auto-immune experimentation. These undisclosed funds are in addition to the approximately $1 billion in taxpayer funds that were taken from the public via Operation Warp Speed to invest in the controversial vaccine science.

Modernas experimental vaccine got secretive DARPA funding, revealing dishonest motivations

Patent advocacy group KEI claims that Moderna has failed to disclose the DARPA funding, which shows Modernas dishonest motives from the start. These dishonest motives are even more prevalent in how the company is using their press releases to embellish the clinical studies on their experimental vaccine project, to enrich their investors and keep funds rolling in.

KEI is calling on DARPA and the Department of Defense to fix their patent applications. US federal law requires that government funding be disclosed in these circumstances. DARPA spokesman Jared Adams responded: It appears that all past and present DARPA awards to Moderna include the requirement to report the role of government-funding for related inventions. Further, DARPA is actively researching agency awards to Moderna to identify which patents and pending patents, if any at all, may be associated with DARPA support.

The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, signed into law by President of the United States George W. Bush in December 2005, indemnifies vaccine manufactures from liability, as long as a public health emergency is sustained by government officials. With the Department of Defense involved in the project, its important to note that the DoD has the power to establish policy, assign responsibilities, and provide procedures to establish a uniform DoD immunization program.

Modernas experimental vaccine is now too big to fail, as investors must cash in

Because of the astronomical amount of taxpayer funds invested into Moderna, this vaccine project is too big to fail. Investors must get a return on their investment, no matter what kind of rushed clinical results are pushed through in 2020. The stock market will dictate whether this vaccine is safe and effective, and with exemptions from liability, Moderna is protected from all damages they cause to human life, even when their experimental technology harms people in the short and long term (which includes trans-generational effects). For example, the inclusion criteria for the latest Moderna vaccine clinical study mandates that male participants engaging in activity that could result in pregnancy of sexual partners must agree to practice adequate contraception and refrain from sperm donation from the time of the first dose and through 3 months after the second dose.

Modernas experimental cell-modifying, gene therapy vaccine is slated to cost $37 per dose. In comparison, traditional vaccine development from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, is projected to cost approximately $3 per dose. These experimental jabs use lab grown, antigen-specific, chemical and biological formulations that depend on adjuvant augmentation of the individuals immune cells.

It is neither fair nor just that taxpayers are forced to fund this project while being told they must take the vaccine and they cannot be compensated if and when the vaccine causes injury. Due to the shoddy results from the first clinical trials, (which show 100 percent of recipients showing symptoms after two injections) the American taxpayers deserve a full refund right now, and deserve an honest press release from Moderna stating the risks associated with this rushed project, no matter how the truth affects the stock market.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

ESD.WHS.mil

ClinicalTrials.gov

NaturalNews.com
CAIRO - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has spoken on the phone with Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu, defining the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates as ''a step'' able to ''create peace'' in the Middle East, while also stressing the importance of avoiding further annexations of Palestinian territories which cold hinder the possibility of an accord, according to a statement published by the Egyptian presidency on Facebook.



The Egyptian president ''has stated Egypt's support for an initiative able to install peace in the region so as to preserve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, create their independent State and guarantee Israeli security, considering the Emirati-Israeli accord under the auspices of the United States as a step in this direction'', according to the statement published on the Facebook page of Bassam Radi, the spokesman of the Sisi presidency. Sisi ''stressed the importance for the Israeli side not to take unilateral measures that could hinder the possibility of peace and in particular to abstain from annexing Palestinian territories to give a possibility of succeeding to efforts by various regional and international sides to unblock the current stalemate of the Palestinian dossier'', it added. Along with stressing the importance of ''pushing for a resumption of negotiations between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides'', the Egyptian president ''emphasized the importance'' of agreements ''on the Gaza Strip in light of continued efforts by Egypt to reduce tension between the two sides'', the statement also said.
The real owner of a burned out Kenosha business declined Donald Trump's request for a photo opportunity at his store 'because everything he does turns into a circus' - only to be replaced by another man who hasn't owned the store for eight years.

Tom Gram, owner of Rode's Camera Shop in uptown Kenosha which was destroyed during unrest last week, said he refused to participate in the president's PR stunt as Trump did the rounds in the city Tuesday.

The businessman, who has owned the camera shop for eight years, was then shocked to see the previous owner posing on TV as the distraught owner in front of his burned-out store and praising the president for coming to the city's rescue.

Gram slammed Trump for using his shop for political gain and misleading voters by using a stand in for him in order to drum up support ahead of the November election.

This marks the latest controversial staged photo opp from the president after his infamous Bible snaps outside a Washington DC church back in June - despite the president's own rhetoric around the so-called 'fake news' agenda.

The real owner of a burned out Kenosha business declined Donald Trump's request for a photo opportunity at his store 'because everything he does turns into a circus' - only to be replaced by another man who hasn't owned the store for eight years. Pictured Trump's photo op with John Rode III - the former not current owner of the burned out store

Rode's Camera Shop, which dates back to 1911, was destroyed last week during unrest sparked by the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake who was gunned down by cops in front of his three young children.

The store windows were smashed, looters stole merchandise and it was set alight.

The White House reached out to Gram Monday asking him to pose with the president outside the damaged store during Trump's controversial trip to Kenosha Tuesday afternoon.

Gram told TMJ4 he immediately turned down the request because he didn't want to be involved in Trump's 'circus'.

'I think everything [Trump] does turns into a circus and I just didn't want to be involved in it,' Gram told TMJ4.

But rather than miss out on a chance for publicity, the real owner was simply replaced by a 'fake' business owner who stood next to Trump and heaped praise on the president for 'calming things down'.

Gram told TMJ4 of his surprise when he saw on TV the man he bought the business off eight years ago - John Rode III - posing outside his store and being introduced by Trump as the owner.

'John Rode III, owner of Rode's Camera Shop,' Trump said as he introduced Rode.

The real owner: Tom Gram (pictured), owner of Rode's Camera Shop in uptown Kenosha which was destroyed during unrest last week, said he refused to participate in the president's PR stunt as Trump did the rounds in the city Tuesday

Rode's Camera Shop was destroyed last week during unrest sparked by the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake who was gunned down by cops in front of his three young children. The store is pictured engulfed in flames

Rode's Camera Shop pictured before (left) and after (right) the unrest in Kenosha

Rode told the cameras: 'I just appreciate President Trump coming today, everybody here does.

'We're so thankful we got the federal troops here. Once they got here things did calm down quite a bit.'

The president has been taking credit for the arrival of National Guard troops in the city following unrest last week.

However it was actually Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers who deployed the National Guard to the city - 24 hours before Trump announced Guard troops be used.

Trump responded to Rodes' praise with: 'A day earlier would have saved his store.'

Gram bought Rode's Camera Shop from the Rode family eight years ago after he worked there for more than four decades.

Rode still owns the property where the store is located - at 2204 Roosevelt Road in Kenosha - but not the business.

Gram slammed Trump for deceiving the American public and for using his battered business to try to claw in voters.

He told TMJ4 he was disappointed Rode's comments have been framed as representing the views of a hard-hit business owner - something he points out is not the case.

'I think he needs to bring this country together rather than divide it,' Gram said of Trump.

Gram, who has owned the camera shop for eight years, was then shocked to see the previous owner posing on TV as the distraught owner in front of his burned-out store and praising the president for coming to the city's rescue. Pictured Trump's photo opp

Gram slammed Trump for using his shop for political gain and misleading voters by using a stand in for him in order to drum up support ahead of the November election. The staged images

'I think there's a lot of good people in this community and to say that only law enforcement is correct is not the message we need to hear right now.'

The White House told DailyMail.com Rode's family founded the century-old business before World War II and still owns the building that houses the damaged store.

This isn't the first time Trump, who regularly hits out at what he calls 'fake news', has come under fire for misleading the public with staged photos.

Trump amassed widespread criticism back in June when he marched from the White House to the historic St. John's Church for the now infamous three-minute photo op.

It later emerged that peaceful protesters demonstrating over the death of George Floyd were tear gassed and shot with rubber pellets so Trump could pose with a Bible.

Australian officials launched an investigation into the incident after several journalists, including members of the Australian press, were injured by the federal agents who pushed crowds back before a citywide curfew kicked in.

The bishop also criticized Trump's photo opp saying the diocese was not told about the visit beforehand and that the president 'didn't even pray'.

Several White House officials also tried to distance themselves from the saga, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper - who accompanied Trump on the visit - later saying he was not aware the visit was for a photo and instead thought he was going to review the troops.

This isn't the first time Trump, who regularly hits out at what he calls 'fake news', has come under fire for misleading the public with staged photos. Trump amassed widespread criticism back in June when he marched from the White House to the historic St. John's Church for the no infamous three-minute photo op

Trump's latest photo shoot came as he ignored the request of local officials not to visit Kenosha this week.

'I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,' Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote in a letter to Trump.

'I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.'

His visit was also unwelcome news to the family of Blake, who said they did not want to meet the president.

Justin Blake, Blake's uncle, told CNN Blake's father 'has no interest in speaking with President Trump.'

'President Trump is a racist who stokes racial tensions. He has been stirring racial tensions since he got in the White House.

'Why, as Jacob's uncle, would I want to talk to him? Our focus is on Jacob and healing the community,' he said.

Protests erupted in Kenosha last week following Blake's shooting which marked the latest in a string of recent incidents where black men and women have been killed or seriously injured by cops across America.

Blake was shot seven times in the back by a white cop in front of his three young children on August 23, leaving the father-of-six paralyzed from the waist down.

On the third night of protests in the city last Tuesday, a white 17-year-old shot dead two unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters and injured a third man.

On Wednesday afternoon 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested and charged with murder over the shooting deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha, and Anthony Huber, 26.

Jacob Blake (pictured) was shot seven times in the back by a cop in front of his three young children August 23

The image above shows the moment a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer fired at least seven shots into the back of Jacob Blake as he was getting into an SUV in a residential neighborhood

Kyle Rittenhouse's (pictured Tuesday night) shot dead two unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters and injured a third man in the streets of Kenosha last Tuesday

The police-obsessed Trump supporter shot Rosenbaum five times including in the head, the criminal complaint reveals, before calling a friend to tell them 'I've killed someone'.

He also allegedly shot activist Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm.

Outrage is building nationwide as people draw comparisons between the treatment of the illegally armed 17-year-old who had allegedly shot dead two men and injured another and the treatment of Blake by cops.

Shocking video footage appears to show Rittenhouse casually walk past cops and leave the scene with his rifle slung over his shoulder and his hands in the air following his alleged shooting rampage.

Blake was not armed with a gun when he was shot seven times in the back in front of his children two days earlier.

On Monday, Trump defended the actions of Rittenhouse saying he 'probably would have been killed' by an angry mob if he hadn't fired at them with the illegal gun he was carrying.

'He was trying to get away from them I guess, it looks like, and he fell on then they very violently attacked him,' Trump said in response to a question from DailyMail.com on Monday.

'It was something that we are looking at right now and it's under investigation, but I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would've been killed. It's under investigation,' he added during his press briefing.
We want to talk to him about what type of legislation, bills and laws, that we can start working on that would protect our African American children as they go out the door, Blake said. We want solid things that can be done that once they walk into office, theyll be willing to do. We want to talk about reparations. These are things that affect our community and disallow us from being part of the American Dream.
Abu Dhabi: In less than 24 hours on the ground, Israels first-of-its-kind delegation to the United Arab Emirates received a warm welcome that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Dozens of Israeli officials and their accompanying travelling press corps got a dizzying taste of Abu Dhabis glamorous hotels, historic landmarks and scorching climate. The Emirati charm offensive was on full display as the hosts literally pulled out the red carpet at the airport as they sought to convey a new spirit of friendship following the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries.

Emirati diplomats in their traditional white garb warmly greeted their Israeli counterparts, some wearing Jewish skullcaps, as they hammered out the initial details of agreements on a range of issues, including diplomacy, trade, science, technology and cooperation in countering the coronavirus pandemic.

It is a message of coexistence. It is a message of togetherness and tolerance in the region, said Jamal al-Musharakh, a senior Emirati Foreign Ministry official, in a briefing with the visiting reporters Tuesday. There are too many conflicts in the region and its high time to look forward to sustainable ways forward and hope for the future.

The overnight visit, after the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between Israel and the UAE, marked the apex of an accelerating warming relationship that had been mostly clandestine before the surprise Aug. 13 White House announcement establishing Israeli-Emirati ties. Since then, telephone lines were quickly connected between the countries, the UAEs ruler issued a decree formally ending the countrys decades-long boycott of Israel and several Israeli companies signed business deals with Emirati counterparts.

For the travelling journalists from Israel in tow, the visit offered a crash course in Emirati culture and hospitality and a brief window into a nation that had long been mysterious and inaccessible to Israeli citizens. The hosts arranged a private tour of the sparkling Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, with a guide highlighting its Jewish-themed artifacts. Official photographers captured images of the Israeli visitors that were later shared online.

A model was put on display of the future Abrahamic Family House, a massive multi-faith complex under construction set to open by 2022. It aims to house a mosque, a church and a synagogue, and is being touted as the most expensive Jewish house of worship ever built.

A lavish, multi-course dinner with an assortment of local dishes followed, with senior Emirati government officials sharing insight and anecdotes about their country, government and personal lives. Kosher food was provided to the observant Jews, as well as a ritual hand-washing station.

On Tuesday, representatives of the international media visited the Al-Dhafra Air Base, where 5,000 American troops are stationed, to highlight the close Emirati-American military alliance. The Israeli journalists were taken to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and to a cultural center, with a nod toward potential future Israeli tourists. Cheery government minders handed out souvenirs and UAE-themed trinkets.

Even so, it was a tightly controlled visit, with the Emiratis insisting almost all exchanges be kept off-record.

Only before departure, with an Israeli flag flapping on the Abu Dhabi International Airport tarmac below, did al-Musharakh, the senior Foreign Ministry official, express himself publicly. He said the UAE remained committed to solidarity with the Palestinians yet felt compelled to move ahead nonetheless with Israel.

While the Palestinians say they feel betrayed, the UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for a future state. It is also expected to help them acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Israel currently is the only country in the region to fly the stealth warplane.

Israels archrival Iran has also come down hard on the UAE. On Tuesday, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the recognition of Israel treason that will not last for long.

But the Emirati diplomat said such thinking was a thing of the past. He said relations with Israel culminate a national narrative of forward-looking thinking that renounces extremism and violence. He described the local atmosphere in two words: historic and hopeful.

The path to peace and prosperity is not paved in incitement and hate speech, he said, referring to Iran. It is through partnership and cooperation.
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As the world contends with the COVID-19 pandemic, civilian and U.S. military experts alike are voicing worries that combat units are ill-equipped to detect powerful new bioweapons that are likely to become a reality on the future battlefield.

Since the pandemic struck, the active-duty military has fared far better than the general population, thanks in significant part to its youthful population. While Defense Department-connected coronavirus cases have now surpassed 50,000, only six U.S. troops have died from the disease.

Nonetheless, COVID-19 has illustrated the ability of a biological threat to sideline military assets and cripple readiness. Early in the pandemic, the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt had to pause deployed activities to contend with a massive outbreak that infected about 1,200 sailors; elsewhere, many combat training rotations were put on hold as units isolated for months to prevent spread of the disease.

The military has learned to adapt with new safety protocols, and operations are returning to a new normal. But experts say that COVID-19 was only a wakeup call: a harbinger for the next new threat that may not be a naturally occurring pandemic, but a sophisticated bioweapon that troops may not be able to detect or deter until it's too late.

Read next: 'Deadliest' Parris Island Marine Reveals the Secrets of His Record-Setting Shoot

Over the past decade, the joint force has focused its attention on the threat of cyberattacks from countries like Russia and China that can devastate communications, GPS and other battlefield tech. But the military's ability to operate on a chemical-biological battlefield is still calibrated for the last war, when the chemical weapons threat was the predominant focus.

"I am a lot more afraid of the biological threat than I am of the chemical threat," Dr. Peter Emanuel, senior research scientist for bioengineering at Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command's Chemical Biological Center, told Military.com. As the executive agent for the Defense Department, the Army is responsible for overseeing chemical and biological warfare defense programs for the services.

Members from the 374th Medical Group check each other's Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear to ensure proper protection is achieved after donning the equipment at Yokota Air Base, Japan, August 8, 2018. (U.S. Air Force)

"My job is to make sure that the U.S. warfighter is safe on the battlefield that is contested.  When I am faced with a chemical threat, I have a lot of tools in my toolbox to give to the senior leaders," Emanuel said. "But when I am faced with a biological threat, I have very few."

A new age of biological weapons is now far more likely with recent advances in synthetic biology, a scientific revolution that could be a Pandora's Box that gives rise to deadly new strains of pathogens that are easily duplicated, scientists say.

The Pentagon is playing a significant role in Operation Warp Speed, a massive effort by government and private organizations that involves synthetic biology to develop and deliver 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by January 2021.

"That's how a vaccine is being made; we are using synthetic biology, purposely engineered biology to make the vaccine that is going to save the world," said Emanuel, the Army's lead for synthetic biology. But he worries that "super weapons" can emerge as easily as life-saving cures, he said.

"The same technology that is going to save you with a vaccine when Operation Warp Speed is complete," Emanuel said, "is the same technology that can create the next threat."

And there are very few short-term solutions to countering this new threat that can be accelerated with more money from Congress, experts maintain. Despite the warnings, there is little evidence that the Army has launched any initiatives to assess its readiness for the future bio threat.

Warnings Before COVID-19

The last time warnings emerged of U.S. adversaries possessing deadly biological and chemical weapons was in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but fears that then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would release weapons of mass destruction were based on faulty intelligence.

To prepare for such an attack, soldiers and Marines crossed into Iraq wearing chemical-biological protective suits known as Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear. U.S. combat units, believing the threat was real, inoculated troops against known pathogens such as smallpox and anthrax. Experts say that troops were likely more prepared then because they were dealing with known threats.

When COVID-19 hit nearly two decades later, it educated the world about how effective a global pandemic can be at creating an atmosphere of terror and helplessness while wreaking economic havoc.

The threat landscape is shifting as it becomes more likely that synthetic biology will allow scientists to alter pathogens such as anthrax, making them more resistant to traditional vaccinations and detection, experts say.

Scientists have been warning that natural pathogens distributed through trade and transportation are only a few of the perils that go along with this new biological revolution.

"Bioweapons have been with us a long time, but because of the revolution in biology that is going on, we have the capacity to make new, more powerful bioweapons that could evade all of our capacity to diagnose them and to treat them," Tara O'Toole, executive vice president of the not-for-profit scientific investment organization In-Q-Tel, testified at a November 2019 hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.

"And it is very unlikely, given the difficulty of gathering intel on these programs, that we will have advance tactical knowledge of what weapon we might be facing or even where it might come from," she added.

O'Toole, the former undersecretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology from 2009 to 2013, told lawmakers that the threat of new bioweapons and bioterror exists because of the advances that have been made in the life sciences in the past 40 years, which are now more accessible across the Internet.

"More and more people are going to have access to this technology as it becomes a foundational technology of the 21st century economy," according to the transcript of O'Toole's testimony.

Emanuel calls this the "democratization of science," meaning that the "first time you do something in science, it's very difficult, and then it becomes substantially easier as people have seen how you can do it."

In synthetic biology, scientists are applying the principles of engineering to biology to turn bacteria microbes into biomanufacturing, he said.

"As biotechnology becomes more mature and synthetic biology becomes the new thing, the democratization of biology now presents us with a conundrum -- Pandora's Box is open," Emanuel said. "I think that one of the concerns that has been bounced around ... is now that people have seen the power of biology to seize control of the global economy; does that make biology a more attractive weapon? Could the people that are intent on ill purpose suddenly rethink their ill-will to employ this technology? And that is a pretty scary thought."

From 2009 to 2019, the Government Accountability Office identified challenges in America's ability to detect and respond to biological events, highlighting vulnerabilities in biodetection technologies, biological laboratory safety and security, and emerging infectious disease surveillance, according to a June 2019 report.

In September 2018, the White House released the National Biodefense Strategy, which established a Biodefense Steering Committee including agencies such as the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But Dan Gerstein, a former Army officer and senior researcher at Rand Corp., says the U.S. is nowhere near ready to deal with future biological threats.

"I testified about a year and a half ago in front of the National Commission on Biodefense, and I followed a group of government guys. And the government guys were all happy to talk about how we coordinate and we share information and this and that," Gerstein, a former acting under secretary at DHS, told Military.com.

"I was the next one up, and I looked at the group and said, 'I hate to say this, but I'm like the turd in the punchbowl,' and I sort of laid into it. We are not ready. We don't have vaccines, we don't have protocols, we don't have [effective] biosurveillance."

Biodetection: the U.S. Military's Weak Link

Unlike a natural virus such as COVID-19, an effective biological weapon would cause exposed individuals to start showing signs of infection in hours, not weeks, said Gerstein, who holds a Ph.D in biodefense.

"If you had a properly prepared biological weapon -- think about a state-sponsored weapon -- it wouldn't act like a normal disease," he said. "You would have massive numbers of people who have received an overwhelming dose and ... you would actually see disease, in some cases, occur in hours."

When Gerstein was a signal brigade commander in the early 2000s, chemical-biological warfare training was always more focused on chemical weapons.

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carry a wounded soldier to a medical evacuation point, during Decisive Action Rotation 17-04 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., Feb 19, 2017. (U.S. Army/Spc. JD Sacharok)

"The sensors are actually pretty good for chemical, and if you emplace them according to doctrine, you should get a warning," he said. "The problem with biological is, we are just not very good at detecting it, and so we have always worried."

One of the main bio-detection systems in the U.S. military's inventory is the Joint Biological Point Detection System, which is a box about the size of a dishwasher that fits inside combat vehicles like the Stryker Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle.

It's designed to provide early warning and identification of aerosolized biological warfare agents. But the system is only somewhat effective against known agents, Thomas Spoehr, a retired Army lieutenant general and director of Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense, told Military.com.

"They detect only a set number of biological agents; they detect anthrax, because that is a very powerful biological weapon, and they detect plague and some others," said Spoehr, who is a former commandant of the Army's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

"If somebody was to engineer something new that your [system] wasn't set up to detect, you wouldn't get a positive reading," he said.

So a new bioweapon could be created if an adversary, such as a state-sponsored terrorist group, had the scientific technical support to engineer a synthetic new strain of a deadly virus, Gerstein said.

"You have to be able to know what you are targeting and, with biology, you get strains that change  and that causes problems; its much more difficult than it is for, say, a chemical warfare agent," he said. "One strain of anthrax will be found by the detector; another strain may not.

"A guy in a cave is not going to be able to do this now," he added. "What about state-sponsored bio-terrorists -- probably very easy."

The main weakness of current biodetection technology is that it has very little standoff capability, Emanuel said.

"For chemical detection, I can actually detect chemicals with discrimination at distance," he said. "That means that I don't have to walk right up to a chemical and touch it in order to be like, 'That is going to kill me.'

Current biodetection is tied to wet chemistry, or analysis of substances in the liquid phase, Emanuel said.

"The difference between a bacteria that is just going to live in your mouth and going to be fine ... and anthrax or plague or a virus like AIDS or COVID-19, is really just a couple of clicks of a molecule, and so it's very difficult for me to differentiate or discriminate a good bio from a bad bio," he said. "The state of technology is, you are linked to wet chemistry. I have to go over and stick a swab down your throat and then put it in a little tube and then run a machine. The further away I get [from] touching a bacteria or a virus, the less fidelity I get. From across the room, forget it."

Congressional language in the House Appropriations Committee's fiscal 2021defense appropriations bill shows lawmakers expressing encouragement for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) effort to develop a prototype sensor providing real-time detection of aerosolized biological threat agents.

In reality, DTRA's prototype is still in the very early stages of development, Emanuel said.

"If the detector proves effective, it will take many years before it is validated, produced and fielded to the U.S. military," he explained. "The reality is that we are limited in what current equipment is capable of performing."

Military.com asked the Army if the service is taking any steps to assess and possibly improve its biological agent detection capabilities based on threats emerging in the post-COVID-19 world, and was referred to the Defense Department.

Spoehr believes that the Pentagon has its hands full dealing with the massive response to the pandemic.

"I think in terms of the DoDs response to this, they have adapted on the fly," Spoehr said. "In terms of long-term response, its too early. My guess is they are taking the posture of, 'Hey, lets get through this and then we will do an after-action report and figure out whether we need to change anything.'

"Nothing long-term has changed yet; I suspect its going to change  but we may not see that for months."

Another concern among experts is what will happen once America moves beyond the hold of COVID-19.

Julie Gerberding, co-chair of the Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, touched on the problem when she testified, along with O'Toole, at the November 2019 Senate Armed Services hearing.

"When biothreats are recognized, policymakers do allocate emergency resources, but ... once the crisis fades and public attention subsides, urgency morphs into complacency, investments dry up, attentions shift and a false sense of security takes hold," she said in the transcript of the hearing.

It's not just about money, Emanuel said.

"You can't just throw money at this particular problem; it's a combination of three things," he said. "It's a combination of guided intent, money ... and science making some specific advances on fundamental problems."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: As Military and VA Coronavirus Cases Surpass 50,000, Recovery Indicators Appear
Native Sun News Today Columnist

Forty years ago Sioux Indians had made their claim that the State of South Dakota and the U.S. Federal Government had violated their rights as dual citizens of this country, another protest case finds its way to the Pennington County Court House in Rapid City August 22, 2020.

Led this time by a coalition put together by Nick Tilsen, the CEO of the Rapid City based NDN Collective, the Magistrate Judge Todd Hyronimus said he found probable cause for felony charges against the Oglala tribal member from Pine Ridge Reservation for protest actions at Mount Rushmore during the political speech given by President Donald Trump.

Hyronimus cited a video that showed Tilsen taking a shield from a State of South Dakota Guardsman (called in by Governor Kristie Noem as a protection against disruptive protesters), as well as testimony from two Sheriffs deputies.

We understand that our actions on July 3rd and the national media attention garnered deeply embarrassed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Sheriff Thom, said Tilsen. And what we are now facing is total backlash." https://t.co/wHTBjuusKN  NDN Collective (@ndncollective) August 21, 2020

Tilsen is charged with second-degree robbery and grand theft for taking the shield from the guardsman, two counts of simple assault and physical menace or credible threat which put them in fear of imminent bodily harm, three misdemeanor counts and impending a highway, unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct.

It means that Tilsen could be sentenced up to 15 years in prison for saying publicly that the Trump political speech at the Monument is an example of the continuing white supremacy and colonialism in contested native lands, the Black Hills.

The political display of the Trump visit here on July 3, 2020, was seen by many Indians as evidence that the State and the Oyate (Sioux Nation) are still at war from the illegal seizure of half the Sioux Nation 1868 treaty territory boundaries over a hundred years ago and that the Indigenous Black and Brown resistance which is going on throughout the nation today is played out by aggressive law and order systems at every opportunity.

Fifty years after the protest movement history demands answers and young Sioux Indians brought up in poverty and discrimination attempt to not only record their own history, but defend it.

Professor Elizabeth Cook-Lynn writes a column for The Native Sun News Today, in Rapid City, South Dakota, She is a retired professor of Native Studies and has taught at Eastern Washington University, University of California-Davis and Arizona State University. She is a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in Fort Thompson, South Dakota.

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today

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Berlin:

The first reprint of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" in Germany since World War II has proved a surprise bestseller, heading for its sixth print run, its publisher said on Tuesday.

The Institute of Contemporary History of Munich (IfZ) said around 85,000 copies of the new annotated version of the Nazi leader's anti-Semitic manifesto had flown off the shelves since its release last January.

However the respected institute said that far from promoting far-right ideology, the publication had enriched a debate on the renewed rise of "authoritarian political views" in contemporary Western society.

It had initially planned to print only 4,000 copies but boosted production immediately based on intense demand. The sixth print run will hit bookstores in late January.

The two-volume work had figured on the non-fiction bestseller list in weekly magazine Der Spiegel over much of the last year, and even topped the list for two weeks in April.

The institute also organised a successful series of presentations and debates around "Mein Kampf" across Germany and in other European cities, which it said allowed it to measure the impact of the new edition.

"It turned out that the fear the publication would promote Hitler's ideology or even make it socially acceptable and give neo-Nazis a new propaganda platform was totally unfounded," IfZ director Andreas Wirsching said in a statement.

"To the contrary, the debate about Hitler's worldview and his approach to propaganda offered a chance to look at the causes and consequences of totalitarian ideologies, at a time in which authoritarian political views and rightwing slogans are gaining ground."

The institute said the data collected about buyers by regional bookstores showed that they tended to be "customers interested in politics and history as well as educators" and not "reactionaries or rightwing radicals".

Nevertheless, the IfZ said it would maintain a restrictive policy on international rights. For now, only English and French editions are planned despite strong interest from many countries.

The institute released the annotated version of "Mein Kampf" last January, just days after the copyright of the manifesto expired. Bavaria was handed the rights to the book in 1945 when the Allies gave it control of the main Nazi publishing house following Hitler's defeat.

For 70 years, it refused to allow the inflammatory tract to be republished out of respect for victims of the Nazis and to prevent incitement of hatred.

But "Mein Kampf" - which means "My Struggle" - fell into the public domain on January 1 and the institute said it feared a version without critical commentary could hit the market.

Partly autobiographical, "Mein Kampf" outlines Hitler's ideology that formed the basis for Nazism. He wrote it in 1924 while he was imprisoned in Bavaria for treason after his failed Beer Hall Putsch.

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Oregon doesnt do enough to reach out to bike and pedestrian advocacy groups about how they are affected by massive state transportation projects and those constituent groups are omitted from a powerful state committee that is dominated by freight interests.

Thats one of the key findings from an audit released Wednesday by the Oregon Secretary of States office. Auditors examined how the Oregon Department of Transportation handled highway and freeway projects during a roughly three-year period ending in 2019.

The report comes as the state is expecting to enter some of the busiest construction years in decades, buoyed by the 2017 statewide transportation package, which calls for several large-scale projects in the Portland area. Those may include the contentious Rose Quarter freeway project, which is expected to cost more than $715 million, and others on key roads in the Portland area.

Oregons handling of the Rose Quarter project, in particular, led citizen groups like the Albina Vision Trust to pull out of committee that was tasked with advising the state on that project.

Metros proposed $7 billion transportation package, which voters will decide in November, highlights hundreds of millions of dollars in safety projects on state highways, so-called orphan highways that are within city limits like 82nd Avenue.

This audit pinpoints some key areas where ODOTs focus on safety could receive greater emphasis and support within the project delivery process, Bev Clarno, Oregons secretary of state, said in a statement. Its important that everyone  workers, drivers and pedestrians  gets home safely at the end of the day.

According to the report, Oregon sees an average of 488 crashes and five fatalities in road construction zones every year. Auditors examined the safety practices across the agency with an eye on recommending ways to improve safety and transparency.

The report found the state, while it has made progress in recent years to address pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns, still fails in key areas, including by not having representatives from those advocacy groups on an increasingly powerful advisory committee.

That committee, known as the Mobility Accessibility Committee, weighs in on projects during the design phase. These are the primary external stakeholders most frequently involved with traffic control decision making during the design phase, auditors wrote. And that committee has gained strength in the past eight years, the auditors found.

Freight and trucking officials, the auditors found, make up more than half of the 12-person committee and no one from bike, pedestrian or transit groups sits on the citizen group.

The MAC has no bylaws, no established voting procedures, no appointment process for MAC members, and no term limits, auditors wrote. This lack of formality and clarity hinders transparency over transportation project decisions and results in conflict and delays, they said.

Freight interests used that leverage in ways that benefitted their interest, auditors wrote.

They found several examples where traffic control proposals were scuttled in favor of plans that benefitted freight travel alone. A bridge project on Highway 22 originally proposed a full closure that reportedly would have been safer, saved money, and was supported by the neighboring community, the auditors wrote, yet freight did not support the detour plan for that project, and it was decided that the agency would pursue the more costly alternative that did not require a detour.

Auditors recommended that the state create a charter for the mobility advisory group to clarify its role in project delivery, and create a blueprint through which the state sends projects to that advisory body. It also recommended Oregon perform outreach to ensure that the needs of diverse stakeholder groups are sufficiently represented.

Kris Strickler, ODOTs director, said his agency agreed with the set of 10 recommendations presented by auditors to improve workplace safety and outreach to community groups.

We know success requires strong, intentional stakeholder partnerships; preserving and enhancing our states transportation system demands active engagement from all perspectives to arrive at the best decisions for our state, he said in response to the audit.

Strickler vowed to enact all the recommended reforms by varying times next year.

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 23:18:26|Editor: huaxia

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by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in the Indian capital said the third phase of mammoth exercise to determine the spread of COVID-19 had kickstarted on Tuesday.

The serosurvey, as a part of the new COVID-19 response plan, will enable authorities to prepare a broad strategy to combat the ongoing pandemic in the capital city and outskirts.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the third phase will cover all 272 municipal wards to analyze the COVID-19 situation in Delhi at a "micro-level."

"The sample size this time will be 17,000 and the exercise will be carried out for seven days," Jain told media.

The last seroprevalence survey was held between Aug. 1 and Aug. 7, which showed that 29.1 percent of the people surveyed had antibodies against the COVID-19 infection. Around 15,000 samples were collected in this phase.

"The fresh round of serosurvey began today. This time we will be doing it ward-wise, so all 272 municipal wards of Delhi will be covered, plus two assembly areas. Sampling will be done for a week. After that, results should come in seven to 10 days," Jain said.

Compared to previous surveys which were done district-wise, this time samples are being collected ward-wise to analyze the situation in the city at a "micro-level," officials said, and the results of the third serosurvey will be announced by Sept. 21.

As per the standard operating procedure (SOP) that has been shared with the officials in the capital's 11 districts, half of the samples will be collected from individuals aged between 18 and 49 years while 25 percent each from the age groups that represent minors and people aged 50 years and above.

This is much like the same as done in the previous two sample collection drives.

During the first phase of the survey jointly undertaken up by the Delhi government and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) from June 27 until July 10, a total of 21,387 samples were collected, of which 22.86 percent people were found to have developed antibodies against the Sars-Cov-2 virus causing COVID-19 disease.

Serology (antibody) tests are largely used for surveillance among the community. The tests can be used on people who have already been tested positive for the virus or even those who are asymptomatic. The exercise can reveal insights on immunity against COVID-19.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, periodic serosurveys are useful to guide the policymakers to conduct surveys in high-risk areas or vulnerable population who have been infected in the past and now recovered.

The survey will involve the collection of blood samples from randomly selected individuals. Blood samples will be collected for detecting IgG antibodies and it would be conducted using an IgG ELISA kit.

Delhi has the sixth-highest number of infections in India with 174,748 COVID-19 cases including 4,444 fatalities till date.

Currently, India is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic and the caseload seems to be increasing day by day.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 3,691,166 on Tuesday, with 65,288 deaths. India is the third worst-hit country due to the pandemic. Enditem
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/02/2020



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Paul Staehle has revealed the sex of his second child with estranged wife Karine Martins After taking a three-week break from social media, Paul took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday night to provide fans with an update on his whereabouts and current relationship status with Karine, who had left him and filed a protective order against him about a month ago.In his long post to fans, Paul mentioned his "sons" multiple times, which gives away Karine is pregnant with another baby boy. He and Karine are already parents to son Pierre, who was born on March 22, 2019."My life revolved around them. I have not seen my son since July. Next court date is now in December. I will not see my sons for a very long time," Paul wrote."So I am keeping busy and constructive. Karine is not in Brazil. I knew that when I traveled here. Now my mother is having a mental breakdown because she is also forbidden to see Pierre. I have lost my sons."Karine announced she's pregnant with the couple's second child in May, so she is due to give birth before the end of the year.Paul went on to suggest in his posting he's doing everything possible to keep his mind off being alone."I just want to stay busy and be productive. I have to accept the fact I will probably never see my wife and son again. Or see the birth or ever see my unborn child," Paul wrote."That being said, I think I am mentally doing what is best -- staying constructive and busy."Paul revealed he is keeping busy by cleaning up the former couple's home in Brazil."For everyone thinking I am chasing karine in Brazil, Karine is in Indiana, USA. I came here alone to clean and organize our brazil home. It needs to be sanitary and baby safe," Paul shared with his followers."I have been keeping busy since she left. I finished cleaning and organizing USA house so now I am doing the same thing in Brazil. All my work is on the internet so as long as I have internet I can be anywhere. Even court is on the internet these days."Last month, Paul warned his Instagram followers he'd be deactivating his social-media accounts soon because his addiction to the platforms had caused him nothing but pain and relationship heartbreak regarding his failed marriage to Karine."Focus on your loved ones," Paul wrote at the time. "Do not allow social media to destroy your relationships and family... I regret oversharing private matters on social media."Paul has seemingly shared all of the lows in his relationship with Karine on social media, dating back months and months.Paul has always involved fans in his fights with Karine and kept them up to date on the many times Karine allegedly threatened to file for divorce, return to Brazil, and take their son away from Paul.In fact, a huge argument on July 30 sparked the end of Paul and Karine's relationship, and Paul documented most of it on Instagram, including police involvement.Paul posted a lengthy Instagram Live video revealing Karine had made assault allegations against him and called the police. Paul told his followers he planned to file for full custody of his son after Karine allegedly cheated on him and violated a Child Protective Services case against her."We were doing a call, I look over, I see her talking to a Brazilian lawyer about child support and divorce. I asked her what's going on with this," Paul was shown telling police in the video when they arrived to the scene.Paul recorded himself yelling at Karine that she could not take his son out of the country, and he subsequently filmed himself claiming he had tested positive for an STD at the hospital as a result of an alleged affair Karine had with another man.Paul then revealed July 31 on Instagram that Karine had filed a "full restraining order" against him."I'm not allowed to be around her or my son, within 500 feet of them at all," Paul reportedly said on his account, sharing photos of the alleged order.Paul in turn made surprising claims about his estranged wife in his own protective order he had filed against Karine on July 30."I previously found glass in my food," Paul alleged in court documents obtained by Us Weekly. "I found similar glass shards from an item she broke."Paul also alleged that Karine's friends were calling him with death threats."[They are] threatening to come to my home and kill me. They requested I pay them $10,000 or I would never see my son again," Paul reportedly claimed, adding that Karine allowed Pierre to "run in the street [and] get into the chemical cabinets.""I fear for my wife's safety and mental well-being. I fear for my son's safety," Paul concluded.A judge therefore reportedly ordered Karine to stop all communication with Paul and stay 500 feet away from him at all times.Karine confirmed in early August that she had left Paul and obtained an emergency protective order against him.Karine said she needed to be "rescued from an environment" that was no longer healthy for her and her child, adding on Instagram, "Relationships are hard and sometimes it just can't be fixed anymore."Karine's protective order included an array of shocking allegations -- including that Paul had physically assaulted her, sexually assaulted her, and prevented her doctor from prescribing contraception to her.In the emergency protection order application Paul had shared on social media, Karine claimed Paul "forcefully rapes me," "hold[s] my Green Card and all my documents," monitors her phone, uses cameras to monitor her on his phone when he is not home, has forced her to drink beer while pregnant, and has forbidden Karine's doctor from prescribing birth control to her."On multiples occasions in the past 3 weeks the respondent pushed me, grab my breast squ[ee]zing and twisting, hurting me, pushing me to the floor, covering my mouth. He force his penis into my mouth and forcefully rapes me. If I refuse he throws things, he yells, or he threat[ens] to call police," Karine wrote in the handwritten two-page application.Karine added that Paul threatened to take their son Pierre away if she ever tried to leave him and forced her to "drink alcohol by threat[ing] me."Karine also mentioned Paul's obsessive use of social media, writing in the application, "He is constantly on social media making videos of me against my will saying I am crazy, saying I have mental illness. Recently he called [Child Protective Services] and told [them] I was always drunk, aggressive, and abusive to him.""He post on social media [that] I have [cheated with] several [men] even knowing that he [has] cameras around the house and I can't leave," she continued. "I have no access to money for my son or myself."In addition to allegedly denying Karine access to birth control, Karine said she wouldn't feel safe even if she returned to her native country of Brazil."I came to U.S. to visit my in-laws and now he [does] not let me go back. We got married in Brazil, not in U.S.," she wrote. "When I ask to go back to me family he threat[ens] [to] take my son away.""I am terrified he will hurt me or hurt my son because I runned away from him and I am even afraid to go back to Brazil now because He Can go to Brazil and hurt us."Karine ended her application by stating she was also afraid of Paul's mother Mary and wanted no contact with any of his family or friends."I have my family in Brazil but I don't feel that law enforcement will protect me from him there," she wrote. "I am afraid of him and his mother because his mother knows and sees what he does and she refused [to] report her son. I have witnessed him threat[en] and being violent with his own mother.""I do not want any contact with or his mother, his friends or family. I do not want them close, I am afraid of them hurt[ing] my son for revenge."Paul, however, denied the allegations Karine had made against him on August 10."It truley [sic] breaks my heart it has come to this. I have bent over backwards. I found work. Got a new home. A new car. Let her buy anything she wanted. I did the cooking, cleaning, laundry and took care of Pierre," Paul wrote in his Instagram Stories."I have never in my life physically or sexually assaulted anyone."Paul has claimed for quite some time that Karine has mental health issues, and so he addressed his beliefs in the message to his followers."I have made motions to the court for Karine to get mental help. I have had to double up on my therapy to cope with this madness," Paul wrote."Her motion against me with false allegations is for a 3 year restraining order against me and both my children. Alimony and child support. But I can not see her or my children at all."Paul and Karine currently star on the fifth season of : Happily Ever After?, which airs Sunday nights at 8PM ET/PT on TLC.The latest episode of : Happily Ever After? featured Karine meeting with an immigration attorney to figure out her rights in traveling back to Brazil alone with her son.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called the challenge in reopening America's schools a "national emergency" Wednesday that was compounded by President Donald Trump's failure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden said school superintendents estimate they need $200 billion to cover extra costs to protect health during the school year, and more would be needed for colleges. The former vice president said the federal government should cover costs for personal protective equipment, sanitizing cleansers and additional staff to keep classes smaller.

"This is a national emergency. But President Trump still does not have a real plan for how to open our schools safely," said Biden, who was accompanied to the speech in Wilmington, Delaware, by his wife, Jill, a longtime college professor and high school teacher. "Hes offered us nothing but failure and delusions from start to finish and American families and our children are paying the price."

The positions contrast with Trump, who has urged schools and colleges to reopen. Trump has promoted the development of vaccines and therapies for treating COVID-19. He said the spring shutdown was important to prevent the deaths of millions of people, but that states, their schools and businesses should reopen.

"Let them open safely and carefully," Trump said Aug. 27. "Open up their schools. Let them play football. Its got to open up."

The virus has killed 185,000 Americans and infected more than 6 million, but provoked different responses from the presidential candidates. Trump calls mask-wearing a recommendation, rather than a requirement. After a health briefing in mid-August, Biden urged governors to require masks for at least three months.

"Its unacceptable. We cant go on like this," Biden said. "We all want our schools to reopen  safely. With a plan that prioritizes the health of students and educators alike."

Story continues

Biden's education speech came at a time of intensifying travel for Biden and Trump, who has ridiculed the former vice president for campaigning largely from home during the pandemic.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (seated at table) and his wife Jill Biden attend a virtual meeting on school reopening at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sept. 2, 2020.

Biden's speech Wednesday followed a video briefing with six health and education officials, whose images were shown on a large video screen at The Queen theater, while the Bidens took notes at a table. The panel of experts included Sylvia Burwell, former secretary of Health and Human Services and now president of American University; former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

California State Board of Education.

Biden laid out proposals in June and July for reopening schools. He's proposed widespread testing and tracing of who has been in contact with people who are infected. He said he would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse states for spending on protective equipment for teachers as "emergency protective measures" that qualify for funding.

Biden also urged people to wear masks and keep a safe distance apart. And he proposed funding for equipment and training for teachers and other staffers before reopening.

"We need emergency support funding for our schools  and we need it now," Biden said. "Mr. President, that is your job. Thats what you should be focused on  getting our kids back to school."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Biden says reopening schools is a 'national emergency'
Singapore's Parliament House. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE  There can be no answer to the question of how much reserves is enough, or too much, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday (2 September).

The future is unknowable. We have no way to tell what may hit us from out of the blue, he said in Parliament.

Speaking during the debate on the Presidents Address, Lee said that as social safety nets are strengthened, a permanent imperative is to keep such programmes fiscally sustainable.

As a matter of principle, our social safety nets should be paid for out of current revenues. We should not draw down on what we have inherited, nor should we mortgage the future of our children, he said.

Lee noted that Singapore has built up significant reserves after several generations of frugal prudence, and that the founding generation never asked themselves whether they had too much savings.

Now the opposition says: show me how much we have in our reserves, before I decide whether to support your Budget and tax plans, he said.

Basically they are asking: I have something in the bank already. How much of that can I touch?

This was not the attitude of our forefathers, the founders who were building for the future. But the attitude of inheritors who think they have come into a fortune, and want to consume the fruits of their predecessors labours, he added.

Calling it fundamentally the wrong approach, Lee said that with the future unknowable, Singaporeans should take the attitude of its founders.

Whatever reserves we have, big or small, let us not think of touching them in normal times, he said. They are our rainy day fund, our guan cai ben (coffin fund), in Chinese it sounds better because thats the coffin fund.

He added, Every year, we live within our means; and whenever we are able to, we add a bit more to the rainy day fund, to make ourselves a bit more secure for when it really pours. And that is the way to build Singapore for the long term, and secure the future for our children and grandchildren.

Story continues

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

Other Singapore stories:

Lessons of COVID-19 must be learned to prepare for 'Disease X': PM Lee Hsien Loong

Government not ideologically opposed to any proposals to improve social safety: Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore's COVID-19 response 'not without shortcomings', would have done some things differently in hindsight: Lee Hsien Loong

49 new COVID-19 cases brings Singapore's tally to 56,901
Riga City, Latvia -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/02/2020 -- Cryptocurrency staking is one of the most rewarding proposals that attract investors to a crypto platform. However, the thing with some existing crypto staking platforms is that investors don't have enough flexibility with the staking amount or the staking period.



Drawing ideas from the previous staking platform, T2X in the new platform, plans to bring a revolution in the crypto staking world. T2X is a highly lucrative staking App platform featuring a user-friendly UI and is exclusively focused on STAKERS.



Besides being fully transparent and secure, what makes T2X unique is that the staking portal is controlled using smart contracts on the Iron blockchain network. Owners of T2X who are staking their tokens on their portal receive daily interests along with a small percentage of the overall value of T2X that enters the Auction Lobby daily.



Nearly 95% of the Tron (TRX) that goes daily into the Auction Lobby is distributed back to the stakers. Thus T2X is only a few of those staking portals that distribute heavy rewards to the platform stakers.



Getting Freedom from Slow Payments and High Transaction Fee



The T2X tokens have been specifically designed for speedy transactions without waiting for the transactions to confirm. Rather, it makes a perfect use-case for bringing crypto to daily payments and in the mainstream. Besides, another major USP of T2X is its low transaction fee.



The advantage of owning T2X is that by owning the tokens, users can further stake it to receive rewards in their accounts. The T2X token price is solely derived from the market factors of purchase and demand. Besides, there's no MAX supply or maximum cap for holding T2X and users can anytime swap it for Tron (TRX). This can be done seamlessly using the XSWAP feature on the platform.



This smart contracts-driven staking portal offers a very lucrative staking model. Apart from offering daily interests on the Stakes, users are incentivized to hold the T2X tokens for a long period of time through new bonus features, TRX dividends and much more.



There are four ways of acquiring and earning the T2X tokens.



Users can TRX for T2X of different crypto exchanges that list the T2X pairs.



Users can participate in daily auctions of 5 million T2X that decreases by a certain percentage every passing day. The daily auctions happen within the staking portal. The More TRX enters the action lobby, the lower the T2X  TRX Ratio goes.



Users can earn more T2X through an interest in staking their T2X tokens through the Staking Portal.



Similarly, users can also earn T2X through referrals and bringing more players within the ecosystem.



Unveiling the Next Generation Swapping Portal XSWAP



In partnership with the Void Development Team, the T2X Team has built its own swap exchange XSWAP. The platform allows investors to effortlessly buy and sell their T2X tokens against any listed pairs.



The Xswap exchange pools the trading fees and distributes it for Liquidity Providers dividends and Daily Auction Lobby Buy Backs. The T2X tokens purchased through action lobby as part of the buyback from XSWAP fees, shall be burned.



The XSwap swapping portal implements Void platform's key features like anti manipulation measures. These measures are aimed at protecting liquidity providers and safeguarding the overall price of any T2X listed pairs from any pump and dump or price manipulations. This instills reassurance among investors and helps them to invest with confidence.



Also, as part of the anti-manipulation measures, the XSwap exchange has also implemented transaction limits and liquidity limits. This protects investors against any massive pump and dump.



The T2X Staking System, Tron (TRX) Dividends, and Auctions



As said earlier, T2X staking portal has been specifically designed for STAKERS and providing them absolute flexibility. Users can have multiple stakes at a time and even end their stakes early if required.



Note, once the user starts staking his/her T2X tokens, they can't modify the stake. The minimum staking period has been kept as low as just one day. Users can stake their T2X tokens for any fixed number of days and earn interest on that. However, it is advised that for users to be eligible to earn staking bonus, they need to stake for a minimum of 5 days. Otherwise, stakers can lose some of their T2X in case they end staking early.



Every day, a staking pool for T2X tokens is calculated and shared among all the open stakes. Based on the staking tokens amount, the users withdraw their T2X tokens with interest at the end of the staking period.



One of the other benefits of staking T2X is receiving TRON dividends. The TRON dividends are distributed by calculating the TRON dividends pool to all open stakes and the total staking amount. The TRON dividend pool comes from the total TRX entry to the daily auction lobby.



These auction lobbies are basically daily auctions offering T2X tokens against the TRX depending on the T2X and TRON pool at the end of each day. The auction lobby for T2X pool starts at 5 million T2X tokens per day and will go up to 1 million over the next 365, but not lower than that.



Expanding the App Ecosystem



Currently, staking remains the main area of focus for the T2X platform. But as part of the long-term goal, the T2X ecosystem will continue to expand, offering newly created DeFi smart contracts and Games.



The concept is creating an engaging and rewarding platform simultaneously for all the stake holder, and at the same time creating a wide-scale use-case for the T2X tokens. Thus, T2X aims to become the next leading DApp on the TRON blockchain network.



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Germany on Wednesday adopted a policy for the Indo-Pacific centred round greater security and economic cooperation, with foreign minister Heiko Maas saying latent conflicts in the region would have global repercussions were they to erupt.

The policy guidelines, with the theme Germany-Europe-Asia: Shaping the 21st century together, were adopted by the cabinet since the shifting geopolitical power structures in the Indo-Pacific have direct impacts on Germany, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The economies of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are closely connected through global supply chains, while major trading routes pass through the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and the Pacific. If conflicts in the region adversely affect security and stability there, this has repercussions for Germany, too, the statement said.

Speaking on the adoption of the policy guidelines, Maas said: The Himalayas and the Malacca Strait may seem a long way away. But our prosperity and our geopolitical influence in the coming decades will depend not least on how we work together with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region.

Without naming any country, Maas added: We are watching with concern the arms race in the region, as well as latent conflicts which would have global repercussions were they to erupt.

His remarks come against the backdrop of Chinas aggressive actions in the region, including the months-long border standoff with India and deployment of military assets in the South China Sea.

The German foreign ministry noted that the Indo-Pacific wasnt clearly delineated in geographical terms and was defined variously by different actors. For Germany, the Indo-Pacific is the entire region characterised by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, it said.

It also noted that more than half the worlds population lives in countries around the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and recent decades have witnessed the rapid growth of countries such as Vietnam, China and India, with the region accounting for almost 40% of global GDP.

There are many fields in which Germany wants to work more intensively with the countries of the region, be it to strengthen the rule of law and human rights or to enhance exchange in the cultural, educational and scientific spheres. The security-policy sector plays a special role in this context, the foreign ministry said.

Economic relations too are being expanded through EU free trade agreements with additional countries in the Indo-Pacific and the aim must be to avoid unilateral dependencies by diversifying partnerships, it said.

Maas further said, We are sending a clear message today: The Indo-Pacific region is a priority of German foreign policy...Our aim is to strengthen our relations with this important region and to expand our cooperation in the areas of multilateralism, climate change mitigation, human rights, rules-based free trade, connectivity, the digital transformation and, in particular, security policy.

Germany wants to help shape the order in the Indo-Pacific so that it is based on rules and international cooperation, not on the law of the strong, he said.

Stability in the region is of vital importance to us in economic terms, too: we are a trading nation, and as such our prosperity depends directly on freedom of trade and of shipping routes, many of which pass through the Indo-Pacific region, he added.
The Bay Areas air-quality woes are almost certain to continue through the weekend, as a ridge of high pressure brings a heat wave and low winds. But the ongoing wildfires mean that smoke could be here for months, even as the fires are contained  and its just the beginning of wildfire season.

A Spare the Air Alert, which bans wood burning, has been extended through Thursday in the Bay Area, adding to a string of alerts issued every day since Aug. 14. It is the longest stretch ever, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Whether were going to see bad air quality for the next few months or not depends entirely on how much containment is achieved with the current fires, and also going forward, what the outlook is for the next few months as far as the weather conditions, said Charley Knoderer, meteorology manager at the Air Quality Management District.

The SCU Lightning Complex, the second-largest fire in California history, was 70% contained as of midday Tuesday and could be completely contained as early as Thursday, according to Cal Fire officials. The LNU complex is 66% contained and the CZU complex is 41% contained, and both could be completely contained as early as Sept. 8. Farther north, the August Complex fire burning in Glenn, Lake, Mendocino and Tehama counties is 20% contained, with an estimated total containment of Sept. 15.

Containment doesnt necessarily mean that fires stop burning  it is an indication of how much of a control line has been completed around the fire to stop spreading.

The National Park Services Point Reyes division wrote on Twitter on Monday that some areas in the Woodward Fire will continue to produce smoke for months.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

The area has a high fuel load, which means that theres a lot of dry brush, timber and grasses that will continue to burn even as the outskirts of the fire are suppressed, said Kimberly Nelson, spokeswoman for the Northern Rockies National Incident Management team. More fuel means that the fire burns longer and produces more smoke.

As of Tuesday, the Woodward Fire was 25% contained.

The higher that containment number gets, the less smoke were going to see off of the fire, but it doesnt mean its out, Knoderer said.

To see significant improvements in air quality, we have to wait for the fires to be extinguished and stop producing smoke, and we have to wait for more fresh air to blow in, said Joshua Apte, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley.

Knoderer said that as of Tuesday, the areas that are downwind from the major fires should be the most concerned about smoky air. That includes counties in the North Bay that are getting smoke from the August Complex, and San Francisco, Marin and Solano counties that are getting smoke from the Woodward Fire. The LNU and SCU complexes, he said, are not putting off nearly as much smoke as they have been in the past.

But even if the amount of smoke produced decreases, it could linger in the air if theres no rainfall or moisture in the air.

Youre going to be seeing smoke until you see the monsoons come in, and its going to be awhile, Nelson said.

The lack of rainfall also means that theres a lot of dry fuel  like the brush and grasses burning in the Woodward Fire  all over Northern California, Knoderer said. That creates highly flammable conditions as wind patterns change in the coming months.

Typically, as we move into the fall, we tend to see more of the Diablo winds, which are offshore winds, which tend to be really strong. Those are the kinds of winds that created the 2017 Firestorm in the North Bay and also the 2018 Camp Fire, he said. If theres any issue with winds, and anything that can start fires, then were looking at a pretty dangerous situation until we get our first rains.

Fire potential in California is expected to increase through October and November in wind-prone areas because of drier than average conditions and higher probability of frequent winds, according to the monthly seasonal fire potential outlook by the National Interagency Fire Center. Thats why theres a lot of concern going forward, Knoderer said.

For now, people should remain cautious and stay inside when possible.

We need to keep looking at the regular air quality data and make sure that people, if they smell smoke, stay inside and are aware that this is still going to be a problem, and it could last awhile, Knoderer said.

But not everyone can afford to protect themselves from the smoke, Apte pointed out, as many of the solutions  air conditioning, filter systems or even a job that allows for working indoors  cost money.

I think there are real inequity concerns, he said. People who are probably the least likely to have access to good health care are more likely to be impacted by the smoke.

In the longer term, ongoing air pollution from wildfire smoke could mean more damage to peoples health  it could lead to more hospital visits, more asthma attacks, more heart attacks and more deaths as people breathe the unhealthy air, Apte said.

With wildfires striking the major populated areas of California more and more frequently, weve unfortunately seen a turnaround in the trends of improving air quality that California has enjoyed for a long time, especially in Northern California, Apte said. A couple of weeks of bad fires are enough to get rid of many years of hard work in cleaning up the air.

Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks to the media during a press conference at the conclusion of the G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Australian State Lockdown Most Severe Outside of Wuhan Says Former PM Tony Abbott

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused the Victorian government of establishing a health dictatorship to respond to the CCP virus and said that tough border restrictions by other jurisdictions are economically unsustainable.

Ahead of a visit to the UK parliament house Westminster in London to discuss the UK-Australia cross-border trade agreements, Abbott on Sept. 1 gave a speech for British think-tank Exchange Policy.

During his speech, he was critical of the draconian measures implemented by Victoria premier Daniel Andrews since the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus spread from Wuhan, China in January.

For more than six months now in Victoria, under disaster and emergency declarations, homes can be entered, people can be detained, and the ordinary law of the land suspended, he said.

And the premier now wants to extend this health dictatorship for at least another six months.

The Labor Victorian government last night won a majority vote to extend the state of emergency for six months.

Andrews enacted strict stage four lockdown restrictions following CCP virus new cases reaching highs over 600.

Two months prior, Australia was recording low virus Abbot said, virtually zero community transmission until the extraordinary ineptitude of the Victorian Government in the management of its hotel quarantine system, produced.

What has been the biggest outbreak in Australia, so far, responded to with the most severe lockdown tried anywhere in the world outside of Wuhan itself, he said.

Abbot said there is no assurance lockdowns bring health benefits, but we are sure it hurts economies. He added, if you look at the virtual house arrest that five and a half million people of Melbourne have been under for the last month. Were conscious of the psychic damage that it can do.

He urged states to ease border restrictions which have been in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 disease.

As with the Spanish Flu state border closures, only worse, its been every jurisdiction for itself, in the form of pandemic protectionism, Abbot said.

States such as Western Australia and South Australia have virtually no corona cases, Abbot explained, but they are keeping borders closed from others with low cases figures.

States that want to admit foreign students, because they need the money, dont want to admit Australians from another state, he said.

Abbott said the CCP virus restrictions are not economically sustainable, estimated costs so far for the federal government to be around $300 billion, he urged state premiers to consider if the cure was proportionate to the disease.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Aug. 31 that Victorias lockdown had had a devastating impact on the economy.

An estimated 60 percent of Australias 2.24 million people on JobKeeper by the end of the year will be from the Victoria.
(CNN)  Two nuclear-armed powers, both run by nationalist governments at a time of economic tension, are once again squaring off along their shared border. Is this a recipe for disaster?

Earlier this week, China accused Indian troops of illegally trespassing on Chinese territory in the Himalayas, months after the two countries engaged in their bloodiest clash in more than four decades.

That incident, which left dozens of soldiers dead, had been followed by calls for calm and deescalation, but negotiations between Indian and Chinese officials went nowhere, and things are once again heating up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between the two countries.

Speaking Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "the Indian side has severely undermined China's territorial sovereignty, breached bilateral agreements and important consensus, and damaged peace and tranquility in the border areas, which runs counter to the recent efforts made by both sides for deescalation of tensions on the ground."

For its part, New Delhi has accused Beijing of being the aggressor, and such is the nature of the hotly-disputed 2,100 mile-long (3,379 kilometer) border, where there is little agreement even over the supposedly agreed-upon facts, like the LAC itself, that both sides could potentially be correct.

That the deescalation process pursued since their last clash in June did not amount to much comes as little surprise, given the outstanding disputes and geopolitical pressures on both sides. But even as outright conflict remains a thankfully distant prospect, there is reason for concern that relations between the two largest powers in Asia are getting worse.

Murky waters

The Line of Actual Control, the loosely-defined, de facto border, emerged out of the Sino-Indian border war of 1962, which itself was sparked by longstanding historical territorial disagreements.

For much of the 1800s, the Himalayas was a focus of the military and political rivalry between the three empires of Russia, Britain and China, with all three claiming various parts of the region. Decolonization only brought with it further confusion and antipathy, particularly after Pakistan split from India in 1947 as both countries gained independence.

On any map that attempts to show all three countries' supposed territories, the area between them is a mess of overlapping claims, with little agreement on any side.

The latest border incident occurred around Pangong Tso, a strategically located lake which spans an area stretching from the Indian territory of Ladakh to Chinese-controlled Tibet. It is south of the Galwan Valley, where the bloody clash between Chinese and Indian troops took place in June.

Antoine Levesques, research fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said that the lake itself holds little immediate military value to either side, but this has not stopped the ramping up of patrols and development in the area on both sides.

Until late last month, Levesques said, "diplomats had refrained from publicly and specifically discussing the situation at Pangong Tso lake. But it remains one location where successive rounds of military-led talks have failed to result yet in impactful or visible de-escalation and disengagement witnessed in other hotspots."

And while there is little immediate military value to the lake, there are strategic benefits to China in establishing control over the area, he added.

"As the site of a bloody tactical battle in 1962 which India lost, before losing that year's short conflict altogether, Pangong Tso carries considerable symbolic value," Levesques said, predicting that were any proper deescalation to be carried out, positions around the lake would likely be the last to be traded away or disengaged from.

Geopolitical tensions

For all both countries' talk of a desire for deescalation, a meaningful mechanism to prevent clashes still seems a long way off, though winter conditions will at some point make any further action in the Himalayas impossible for a period.

Partly, the latest disputes are a result of an increasingly assertive foreign policy on both sides. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing has become far more aggressive in its territorial claims not only in the Himalayas but also the South China Sea, while also taking a far harder line with regard to Taiwan and semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

For his part, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has overseen a marked shift in tone toward not only traditional rival Pakistan but also China. Last year, Modi's government revoked the limited autonomy granted to Indian-controlled Kashmir and split the former state into two union territories, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

This move alarmed many in Beijing, particularly as it was followed by aggressive comments by several leading Indian politicians, such as Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah telling a rally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that "any intrusion into the the borders of India will be punished."

Any Indian expansion or significant fortification of its hold over the region could threaten China's strategic goals in central Asia, Happymon Jacob, an associate professor at the Center for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told CNN earlier this year.

"China has invested more than $60 billion (on the economic corridor) with Pakistan" that runs through the disputed region, he said, adding that this is a "crucial element" of Xi's signature Belt and Road trade and development plan.

These moves set the stage for the June conflict, which brought relations between the two powers to new lows. While China was largely able to control public reaction through a downplaying of the issue in its tightly controlled state media, the reaction in India was outrage, with many jingoistic commentators calling for Delhi to take the fight to Beijing.

Speaking in July, Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution, said the clash "hardened views in the government, the strategic community, and the public that were already toughening because of Covid about China."

It also fueled an ongoing pivot of sorts by Delhi toward Washington, further alarming Beijing, which already regards itself as somewhat boxed in by the United States in the region.

"The US-China relationship is arguably about as tense as a relationship can be without being in a hot war. By contrast, the US-India relationship is on the ascent," Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, wrote recently. "Looking at the Ladakh crisis, Beijing's moves can be seen as an effort to deliver a tough message to both Washington and New Delhi: If you two are going to band together against us, then be ready to get pushed back."

The nuclear factor

In any dispute between China and India, there looms the shadow of both countries' nuclear capabilities.

The conflict in June was -- thanks to an apparent policy of not carrying guns on the disputed border -- fought with hands and clubs, about as far as you can get from nuclear weapons. However, both countries have been building up their military power, and have plenty of missiles and armaments positioned around the region.

Writing last month for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, analysts Toby Dalton and Tong Zhao described that clash as "the gravest military confrontation the two nuclear powers have faced in fifty years."

"If ties between the two powerful neighbors are indeed entering a more sharply competitive era, a crucial question arises: will nuclear weapons play a more prominent role as each country seeks to shape each other's behavior?" they added.

Unlike the India-Pakistan conflict, which is always spoken of with regard to the potential for it to spill over into nuclear war, the issue of atomic weapons is largely absent from the China-India dispute, at least in public.

"Nuclear weapons have mostly remained in the shadows, including during the 2020 border standoff," Dalton and Zhao wrote, adding, however, that under both countries' aggressive, nationalist leaders, "Beijing and New Delhi are improving their nuclear arsenals and conventional military capabilities, while ongoing debates in both capitals question the wisdom of continued adherence to nuclear restraint policies."

They expressed concern that because China's nuclear strategy is largely aimed at balancing the US, it overlooks the effects that Beijing's actions might have on India, which is far more conscious of -- and concerned by -- the nuclear strength of its neighbor.

"Beijing's lack of understanding of New Delhi's threat perception, disinterest in addressing India's security concerns, and gradual effort to strengthen its own nuclear forces could add fuel to India's perceived need to boost its strategic capabilities and nuclear arsenal," the two analysts wrote.

An arms race could set the stage for the India-China conflict to become far more like that between Delhi and Islamabad, where the chance for nuclear war is a danger that must always be considered, even when individual incidents are not in themselves particularly extreme.

'Prepared to pay a huge cost'

The dismissive attitude that many in China feel towards any potential threat from India was evident in state media coverage of the latest dispute this week.

"India's provocations along the border with China and the subsequent deterioration of bilateral relations will please those countries which have instigated India to act as a pawn in their strategy to contain China," said the state-backed China Daily on Tuesday. "But India should never expect to get substantial support from them should India's continuous provocations spark a war with China."

An editorial in the jingoistic tabloid Global Times, which has strong links to the Chinese military establishment, emphasized India's economic and coronavirus woes, before claiming that Indian moves on the shared border were an example of how "its nationalism is inflicting damage to itself."

"China is an immovable neighbor and much stronger than India," the paper said. "The two countries are suitable to be partners in seeking common development. But if New Delhi wants to label Beijing its long-term strategic rival, it needs to be prepared to pay a huge cost. In the meantime, it will never manage to get one more inch of land at China-India border areas."

In another piece, the paper quoted Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, who argued that India was "blindly follow(ing) the US by clashing with China."

The assumption in Beijing may be that in any such clash, it will emerge victorious, as it did in the 1962 war. But that was fought between two vastly different countries, neither of which was a nuclear power at the time, and the potential repercussions of a new conflict could be far, far greater.

This story was first published on CNN.com India and China are squaring off in the Himalayas again. How worried should we be?
Relatives gathered as prisoners such as opposition supporter Jose Daniel Hernandez were released from the Helicoide, the Caracas prison run by intelligence agency Sebin - Manaure Quintero/Reuters

The Venezuelan government has issued pardons to over 100 political opponents who had been imprisoned, fled into exile or taken refuge in foreign embassies, it announced on Monday.

The unexpected move comes ahead of parliamentary elections on December 6, which top opposition leader Juan Guaido has planned to boycott citing undemocratic conditions.

But the mass pardon could signal that sectors of the notoriously fractured opposition have agreed to participate. Its clear that the Maduro government doesnt release political prisoners for free, John Polga-Hecimovich, Latin America analyst at the US Naval Academy, told the Telegraph.

This clearly would be in exchange for something else. Of the 110 people pardoned, only 50 are currently jailed in Venezuela, according to local human rights group Penal Forum. The others listed are either holed up in foreign embassies in Caracas or living in exile.

The list included figures such as Freddy Guevara, an opposition leader who has been living in the Chilean embassy in Caracas since 2017, and Henry Ramos Allup, head of veteran opposition party Democratic Action.

But it excluded some of the most prominent opposition leaders, including Leopoldo Lopez and Julio Borges. Mr Lopez has lived in the Spanish embassy for over a year and Mr Borges lives in exile in Colombia.

Nor was there any pardon for Mr Guaido, the parliamentary leader who has been recognised by dozens of countries as Venezuela's legitimate president, and who has several outstanding judicial cases against him.

Mr Guaido insisted that Nicolas Maduro's government was using the pardons "as trading pieces" to "legitimise a farce," referring to the upcoming elections. "It is a trap and we are not going to fall for it," he wrote on Twitter, adding that "you cannot pardon those already innocent or who have immunity."

As the news of the pardons broke, dozens of family members gathered outside the infamous Helicoide prison in Caracas and other detention centres around the country waiting for their release.

Story continues

Theyve taken me away from my family, Antonia Turbay told local outlet VPI-TV after being released, fighting back tears. Authorities arrested the 68 year-old in June of last year, accusing her of helping a neighbour - also considered a political prisoner - escape house arrest.

It wasnt immediately clear whether the measure would lead to some in exile returning to the country or others living in foreign embassies to leave the premises.

Some also rejected the very notion of a pardon, insisting they had done nothing to be pardoned for.

"Pardon or insult, Maduro is neither president, nor am I a criminal," Americo de Grazia, a parliamentarian who has been outspoken about government and military corruption, tweeted from exile.

If you want peace in Venezuela, pardon the country from your usurpation of power.

Decembers parliamentary elections could mark a turning point in the oppositions effort to oust Mr Maduro. Although the US has promised to continue recognising Mr Guaido as the countrys legitimate president, his term as head of the countrys parliament ends this year.

Since January 2019, Mr Guaido has claimed the presidency under an article of the countrys constitution that allows the leader of the parliament to serve as acting president when the presidency is vacant. Mr Guaido and the opposition claim that Mr Maduros 2018 reelection was fraudulent and nearly 60 countries, including the US and UK, have recognised him as acting president.

The United States also rejected the pardon as tokenistic on Tuesday.

"Restoring constitutional rights that were illegally taken away should not be applauded," the State Department said in a statement. "All of these prisoners should be released immediately and unconditionally."
MADRID: A Spanish court on Wednesday ordered the heirs of Gen. Francisco Franco to hand over to the state a 19th-century palace used by the late dictator as a summer retreat.

The Spanish government had filed a lawsuit against the dictators descendants arguing that the Pazo de Meirs palace in the northwestern Galicia region was illegally acquired by the former dictator during the countrys 1936-1939 Civil War.

On Wednesday, in the first ruling on the case, Judge Marta Canales said that the estate was not transferred to Franco in 1938 as an individual but in his capacity as head of state. A subsequent attempt in 1941 to legalize the sale was null, the judge said.

The ruling can be appealed by Francos grandchildren. Neither the family nor their lawyer were immediately available for comment.

Last year, the government of Prime Minister Pedro Snchez won another judicial battle against Francos heirs that resulted in the exhumation and relocation of the dictators remains from the Valley of the Fallen, a grandiose mausoleum outside Madrid, to a family chapel in a small public cemetery.

As part of Snchezs Socialists campaign to address the dictators legacy, the government last year sued his descendants with new documents that it said proved how Franco tithed local workers to help fund the purchase of the palace from a private owner.

In her ruling, the judge wrote that Franco had paid nothing" for the property and, hence, that the dictator had bought nothing.

Government spokeswoman Mara Jess Montero welcomed the ruling.

The government is taking very seriously the democratic memory and the recovery of all the heritage that was robbed from the Spanish people in a fraudulent manner, Montero said.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
The coronavirus outbreaks, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the currently spreading coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all came via animal-to-human transmission or zoonosis.

Zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from animals to humans, which may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic.

Now, a University of Oxford scientist, who is working on a candidate vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), warns of an increased risk of outbreaks spreading from animals to people.

Increased threat of future outbreaks

Professor Sarah Gilbert said that human activity, such as urbanization and globalization, is driving the increasing threat. Animals start to live near communities and residential areas, while some animals are forced out of their habitats due to the continuous use of land for industrial and agricultural needs.

"Greater population density, greater travel, deforestation  all of these things make it more likely that these outbreaks will happen, and then something will spread," Gilbert said in a statement.

The warning comes after a mutated strain of coronavirus, which is ten times more infectious, was detected in Indonesia, as well as nearby countries like Malaysia and Singapore. The spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has impacted economies and livelihood and overwhelmed health systems around the world.

Source of SARS-CoV-2

Until now, it is still unclear where the SARS-CoV-2 came from, but data shows that it came from an animal origin. Coronaviruses are known to thrive in bats found in jungles across the globe. From bats, the virus may transfer to intermediate hosts, such as camels, pangolins, palm civets, and raccoon dogs.

Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus affinis). Image Credit: Binturong-tonoscarpe / Shutterstock

In the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the globe, scientists point to pangolins as potential intermediate hosts. Further, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak first emerged in a seafood market in Wuhan City, where wild animals are sold.

The presence of the virus in the intermediate host could have been a short-term event. If the virus jumped from a bat to another animal and from the animal to humans, there is no guarantee the virus is still circulating in the animal population. However, if the cycle repeats itself in the future, there is a considerable possibility of another coronavirus outbreak, which may be akin to what is happening to the world today, or worse.

Pangolins from smuggling are secured at the Natural Resources Conservation Center Riau, Pekanbaru, Indonesia, Wednesday. Image Credit: Arief Budi Kusuma / Shutterstock

Causes of zoonosis

In July, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in the United Kingdom has reported seven trends driving the increasing emergence of zoonotic diseases, including the increasing demand for animal protein, climate change crisis, and the unsustainable farming practices, among others.

The report also reveals ten practical steps that countries can do to reduce the risk of future coronavirus outbreaks, which include improved regulation of food systems, expanded research on zoonotic diseases, and incentivizing sustainable land management practices.

"The science is clear that if we keep exploiting wildlife and destroying our ecosystems, then we can expect to see a steady stream of these diseases jumping from animals to humans in the years ahead," Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, said. "Pandemics are devastating to our lives and our economies, and as we have seen over the past months, it is the poorest and the most vulnerable who suffer the most. To prevent future outbreaks, we must become much more deliberate about protecting our natural environment," he added.

Global toll

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 25.59 million people and has killed at least 852,000. The hardest-hit countries include the United States, with more than 6 million confirmed cases and more than 184,000 deaths, and Brazil, with more than 3.90 million cases and a death toll reaching 122,000.

The other countries with high case tolls include India, with more than 3.69 million cases, Russia, with more than 997,000 cases, Peru, with more than 652,000, and South Africa, with more than 628,000.
A teenager stabbed another teen to death in a Dublin park during a "melee" following a row over a bicycle, a barrister has told the Central Criminal Court.

James Dwyer SC opened the murder trial of the 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, by telling the jury of six men and six women that it is the State's case that the accused was not acting in self defence when he stabbed Azzam Raguragui (18) five times.

The accused has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Raguragui at Finsbury Park, Dundrum, on May 10, 2019.

Outlining the evidence the jury will hear, Mr Dwyer yesterday said that the trial arises out of a confrontation between two groups of youths, with the accused in one group and the deceased in the other.

Threat

At about 5pm on May 10 last year, counsel said, the deceased was with other teens in an area known as Rockfield, near the Balally Luas stop in Dublin 14.

Two associates of the accused arrived and there was a suggestion that a bicycle had been taken from a friend of the deceased and a threat was made by one of the members of the accused's group.

The deceased, counsel said, responded by telling this person that he was a "dead man".

The two youths associated with the accused left and went to a house where other members of their group, including the accused, had gathered.

Together they travelled to Dundrum to confront the other group. The accused, Mr Dwyer said, had armed himself with a knife.

Mr Raguragui was talking to a member of the accused's group when, counsel said, "suddenly, violence erupts".

He said it is not clear who dealt the first blow but the situation "erupted into a melee".

The accused and the deceased engaged one another, counsel said, adding: "It would appear that [the accused] was seen running after Azzam Raguragui who ran up a hill and slipped and fell and while on the ground [the accused] stabbed him repeatedly."

Mr Raguragui was pronounced dead in a hospital that evening and a pathologist would later find five stab wounds to his chest, back and neck.

One of two wounds to the chest caused fatal injuries that led to his death, counsel said.

Thrown

The accused went to Dundrum Garda Station the following day and made a voluntary statement in which he admitted to stabbing Mr Raguragui and said he did so in self-defence.

He also went with gardai to Finsbury Park and pointed out where he had thrown the knife.

Gardai recovered it and forensic testing showed that blood on the knife matched that of the deceased.

Mr Dwyer said the prosecution will bring evidence that they say shows the accused is guilty of murder and "did not act in any way motivated by self-defence".

The trial continues today in front of Mr Justice Paul McDermott and the jury.
Microsoft is honored to recognize Mazik Global for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud.

Microsoft gold partner Mazik Global has achieved the prestigious 2020/2021 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications. Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank Mazik in the top echelon of Microsofts Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success.

Each year we recognize Microsoft Business Applications partners from around the world for delivering innovation and driving unsurpassed customer success, said Cecilia Flombaum, Microsoft Business Applications Ecosystem Lead. Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their business performance as well as capabilities as an organization, whether thats creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honored to recognize Mazik Global for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud.

This Inner Circle recognition for Microsoft Business Applications coincided with the Microsoft Inspire conference, an annual premier partner event that took place July 2021. Inspire provides the Microsoft partner community with the opportunity to learn about the companys roadmap for the coming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations, and learn new skills.

Mazik Global is an innovation-first software company and trusted systems implementer that ensures its business products and services help customers grow with minimal operational friction. By collaborating with Microsoft for almost two decades, Mazik Global remains a leader in providing unparalleled value to its customers in industries such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, IoT, and government. This is the second year in a row that Mazik Global has achieved the Inner Circle honor.

ABOUT MAZIK GLOBAL

Mazik provides implementation, training, and consultation globally for businesses of all sizes. Specializing in Dynamics and the Power Platform, the company is known for its focus on the customer and its deft innovations. Its COVID-19 solutions helped a states public health agency increase testing capacity, and its Back to Work/Back to Back to School solutions are helping leading orgs ensure a higher degree of safety, crisis management, and early intervention as they return to work or campus. Visit Mazik on LinkedIn.
Photo: BC gov. Flickr

UPDATE: 4 p.m.

After five new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified in the Interior Health region in the past 24 hours, there are now 18 active cases in the area.

Despite this, none of the cases have required hospitalization.

IH says none of the cases are associated with the outbreak at the water treatment facility near Elkford, which was declared last week.

There remains one active case related to the outbreak among staff at the Okanagan Correctional Centre. The other six people infected have since recovered.

Since the pandemic began, the cases in the province's Interior have been largely centred around the Central Okanagan. More current detailed geographical data, by the province's 90 local health areas, is expected to be released Thursday.

ORIGINAL: 3:40 p.m.

Another 104 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in British Columbia in the past 24 hours, five of which have come from the Interior Health region.

The new cases bring the total number of positive tests in the province to 5,952. With 101 new recoveries, active cases grew by just three since Tuesday, to 1,127.

Hospitalizations grew by three, to 33, 14 of whom are being treated in intensive care.

Another 2,786 British Columbians are under active public health monitoring, after coming into contact with known cases.

The number of cases in the Interior Health region grew by five over the past 24 hours, to 445 positive tests since the pandemic began.

There have been no new COVID-related deaths in the province in the past 24 hours. Since the start of the pandemic, 209 people have died from the virus.

One new COVID-19 outbreak was declared at Surrey Memorial Hospital, while the outbreak at Langley Memorial Hospital is officially over.
Sir Keir Starmer accused Boris Johnson of serial incompetence in his response to coronavirus, as the prime minister dodged questions over when he first became aware of the looming debacle over exam results in the summer.

In the first session of Prime Ministers Questions since the House of Commons returned from its summer break, the Labour leader called on Mr Johnson to get a grip, saying he had wasted the last three months lurching from crisis to crisis, U-turn to U-turn when he should have been preparing the UK for a possible resurgence of Covid-19 in the autumn and winter.

But the prime minister insisted that his government had succeeded in turning the tide of this pandemic in spite of negativity and constant sniping from the opposition.

In angry exchanges, the prime minister was rebuked by Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle for using his replies to attack the leader of the opposition rather than answering his questions.

And Sir Keir told him: This has been a wasted summer. The government should have spent it preparing for the autumn and winter.

UK news in pictures Show all 51 1 /51 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty

Instead they have lurched from crisis to crisis, U-turn to U-turn.

To correct one error or even two might make sense. But when the governments knocking up 12 U-turns and rising, the only conclusion is serial incompetence. That serial incompetence is holding Britain back.

Will the prime minister take responsibility and finally get a grip?

Even as Sir Keir was speaking, the Department of Health announced a further U-turn, reversing the easing of local lockdown restrictions in Bolton and Trafford in response to council complaints that it had come too early.

But Mr Johnson told the Commons: I take full responsibility for everything that has happened under this government throughout my period in office.

And actually what has happened so far is that we have succeeded in turning the tide of this pandemic, in spite of ... the negativity and the constant sniping from the opposition, we are seeing a country that is not only going back to school but going back to work.

The prime minister ducked repeated demands from the Labour leader to tell the Commons when he was first made aware of the faults in the algorithm being proposed by exams regulator Ofqual to determine A-level and GCSE grades for students unable to sit the tests because of Covid-19.

He either knew of the problem with the algorithm and did nothing or he didnt know when it should have, Sir Keir told MPs.

Ofqual chair Roger Taylor this morning told a Commons committee that the system of calculating grades was a worst-case scenario imposed by education secretary Gavin Williamson against the watchdogs advice that it would be better for children to sit socially distanced exams.

But Mr Johnson  who hailed the results as robust when they were first unveiled, only to U-turn after a storm of anger from distressed pupils and parents  sought to point the finger of blame at Ofqual.

He told the Commons: Ofqual made it absolutely clear time and again that in their view, the system that was in place was robust. Ofqual is... an independent organisation and credit had to be given to their views.

The PM repeatedly attempted to turn the debate on to the question of whether Sir Keir had supported the return of pupils to schools, and fired off a scattershot of accusations against the Labour leader  at one point even accusing him of supporting an IRA-condoning politician. This prompted a furious rejoinder from Sir Keir, who pointed out that he had prosecuted republican terrorists as director of public prosecutions.

When Johnson failed to withdraw the allegation, Sir Keir told MPs: I asked him to do the decent thing, but doing the decent thing and this prime minister dont go together.

Responding to the PMs demand that he should say that schools are safe for children to return, Sir Keir said: Ive said it so many times. School is safe. My own children have been in school throughout.

There is no issue on this. The prime minister is seeking to divide.

Sir Keir accused Mr Johnson of being just tin-eared and making it up as he goes along.

He added: Hes fooling nobody, even his own MPs have run out of patience.

He cited a number of Tory MPs expressing frustration at government U-turns, including one reported to have said: Its mess after mess, U-turn after U-turn, its a fundamental issue of competence, God knows whats going on, theres no grip.

And he added: His own MPs are right arent they?

Mr Johnson branded the Labour leader as Captain Hindsight, leaping on a bandwagon, opposing a policy that he supported two weeks ago.

But Sir Keir replied: The problem is hes governing in hindsight, thats why hes making so many mistakes.
Yves here. Note that this full speed ahead on a vaccine follows the FDA fiascoes on masks, testing, ramping Gilead stock, and emergency use authorizations for hydroxychloroquinine and plasma. This sort of thing may cheer Wall Street, but its the last thing cautious individuals want to see. And if you read the article, admittedly well into it, the authors give reasons to be concerned about this rush, the big one being that the FDAs notion of overwhelming is anything but.

By Liz Szabo, an award-winning senior correspondent for KHN who previously covered medicine for USA Today and The Virginian-Pilot. Originally published at Kaiser Health News

A COVID-19 vaccine could be available earlier than expected if ongoing clinical trials produce overwhelmingly positive results, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease official, in an interview Tuesday with KHN.

Although two ongoing clinical trials of 30,000 volunteers are expected to conclude by the end of the year, Fauci said an independent board has the authority to end the trials weeks early if interim results are overwhelmingly positive or negative.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board could say, The data is so good right now that you can say its safe and effective, Fauci said. In that case, researchers would have a moral obligation to end the trial early and make the active vaccine available to everyone in the study, including those who had been given placebos  and accelerate the process to give the vaccine to millions.

Faucis comments come at a time of growing concern about whether political pressure from the Trump administration could influence federal regulators and scientists overseeing the nations response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and erode shaky public confidence in vaccines. Prominent vaccine experts have said they fear Trump is pushing for an early vaccine approval to help win reelection.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he trusts the independent members of the DSMB  who are not government employees  to hold vaccines to high standards without being politically influenced. Members of the board are typically experts in vaccine science and biostatistics who teach at major medical schools.

If you are making a decision about the vaccine, youd better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective, Fauci said. Im not concerned about political pressure.

The safety board periodically looks at data from a clinical trial to determine if its ethical to continue enrolling volunteers, who are randomly assigned to receive either an experimental vaccine or a placebo shot. Neither the volunteers nor the health workers who vaccinate them know which shot theyre receiving.

Manufacturers are now testing three COVID vaccines in large-scale U.S. trials. The first two studies  one led by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health and the other led by Pfizer and BioNTech  began in late July. Each study was designed to enroll 30,000 participants. Company officials have said both trials have enrolled about half that total. AstraZeneca, which has been running large-scale clinical trials in Great Britain, Brazil and South Africa, launched another large-scale vaccine study this week in the U.S., involving 30,000 volunteers. Additional vaccine trials are expected to begin this month.

In trials of this size, researchers will know if a vaccine is effective after as few as 150 to 175 infections, said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a call with reporters Friday.

It may be surprising, but the number of events that need to occur is relatively small, Redfield said.

Right now, only the safety board has access to the trial data, said Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services. As for when trial results will be available, we cannot determine if it will be the middle of October or December.

Safety boards set stopping rules at the beginning of a study, making their criteria for ending a trial very clear, said Dr. Eric Topol, executive vice president for research at Scripps Research in San Diego and an expert on the use of data in medical research.

Although the safety board can recommend stopping a trial, the ultimate decision to halt a study is made by the scientists running the trial, Topol said.

A vaccine manufacturer could then apply to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization, which can be granted quickly, or continue through the regular drug approval process, which requires more time and evidence.

Safety monitors also can stop a trial because of safety concerns, if it looks like its actually harming people in the vaccine arm, due to a lot of adverse events, Fauci said.

Fauci said people can trust the process, because all the data that outside monitors used to make their decisions would be made public.

All of that has to be transparent, Fauci said. The only time you get concerned is if there is any pressure to terminate the trial before you have enough data on safety and efficacy.

Topol and other scientists have sharply criticized the FDA in recent weeks, accusing Commissioner Stephen Hahn of bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration, which has pushed the agency to approve COVID treatments faster.

Stopping trials early poses a number of risks, such as making a vaccine look more effective than it really is, Topol said.

If you stop something early, you can get an exaggerated benefit that isnt real, because less positive evidence only emerges later, Topol said.

Stopping the studies early also could prevent researchers from recruiting more minority volunteers. So far, only about 1 in 5 trial participants are Black or Hispanic. Given that Blacks and Hispanics have been hit harder than other groups by the pandemic, Topol said, its important that they make up a larger part of vaccine trials.

Ending vaccine trials early also carries safety risks, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine developer who serves on an NIH advisory panel on COVID vaccines and treatments.

A smaller, shorter trial could fail to detect important vaccine side effects, which could become apparent only after millions of people have been immunized, said Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Researchers will continue to follow vaccinated volunteers for a full year to look for long-term side effects, Redfield said.

And Fauci acknowledged that cutting a trial short could undermine public confidence in COVID vaccines. One American in three is unwilling to get a COVID vaccine, according to a recent Gallup Poll.
HOUSTONAneros, maker of acclaimed prostate massagers, will turn its official colors from red to blue in September to raise awareness about prostate health and honor those suffering from related issues. Blue is the official color of National Prostate Health Month.

When it comes down to it, nothing is more important than personal health, said Brent Aldon, director of sales and marketing for Aneros, September is such an important month as National Prostate Health Month; we want to help bring more awareness and education to the masses. Whether you have a prostate or know someone that does, prostate-related health issues are important to who Aneros is as a company and brand. Going Blue for September helps to signify the importance of this month and these issues.

The American Foundation for Urological Disease, now known as the Urology Care Foundation, first designated September as National Prostate Health Month in 1999, which later led the United States government to officially designate September as National Prostate Health Month in 2015. Aneros plans to focus on content related to prostate health on social media and host a sale on prostate massagers on its website, Aneros.com.

National Prostate Health Month was established to increase public awareness of the issues surrounding overall prostate health and prostate cancer. During the month, health professionals around the country present educational activities and seminars about prostate risk factors, health issues and prostate cancer, as well as access to health screenings and prostate cancer screenings.

For more information, visit Aneros.com.
With only a week left before the start of classes, Manitoba has amended its policy on mask use on school buses, now mandating even the youngest students wear face coverings to minimize spread of the novel coronavirus.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With only a week left before the start of classes, Manitoba has amended its policy on mask use on school buses, now mandating even the youngest students wear face coverings to minimize spread of the novel coronavirus.

School divisions learned of the directive Tuesday, and immediately began the process of informing affected families.

The government announced the decision, without elaboration, in its daily COVID-19 bulletin. Officials will have more to say on the issue Wednesday, a provincial spokeswoman said.

Until now, health officials required students in Grade 4 and up wear masks while riding school buses. Younger children had been exempt.

Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association, said school divisions weren't totally caught off-guard, as a shift to mask-wearing for kindergarten students and older had been "on the table."

"Everyone has been fully aware throughout this process  especially when it comes to things like mask-wearing and who's going to wear masks and when they're going to wear them  that public health is going to shift that guidance as required," he said.

School divisions have been acquiring medical and non-medical masks on their own, as well as through the provincial government for weeks.

Students in Montreal wear masks on the school bus on Monday. (Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press)

"This (the new policy) will certainly require an adjustment in ordering, and an adjustment in forecasting the replenishment of stock," Campbell said.

Having younger children wear masks on school buses isn't an issue for Winnipeg School Division, spokeswoman Radean Carter said.

"It's just an added layer of protection on the buses," she said Tuesday. "It might make it a little bit easier for where you can't physical distance as far as you would normally want to."

Between 1,900 and 2,000 students normally ride the school bus in the province's largest school division in a normal year. This year, with physical-distancing requirements, it appears the WSD will only be able to transport about 750 students, including those requiring wheelchair access, which will be given priority.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Manitoba  which represents approximately 5,500 support workers, including bus drivers  applauded the wider mask mandate. However, president Abe Araya questions why masks are not also being required in schools for all younger students.

The union penned a letter to the Manitoba education minister last week, with a list of recommendations to ensure staff return to safe workplaces.

Among their asks: staffing buses with at least one adult who can monitor mask and physical-distancing compliance; clear directions on protocol when a student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms before boarding a bus; and ensuring there are enough school buses and bus drivers where needed.

Also in favour of universal masks on school transportation is the union that represents nearly 100 bus drivers in the Winnipeg School Division.

Manitoba has amended its policy, mandating even the youngest students wear face coverings to minimize spread of the coronavirus. (Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press)

"While we believe that mandatory masks for students of all ages is the right move, this wont matter in the (WSD)... if bus drivers dont get a fair deal before the Sept. 8 strike deadline," Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW Local 832, said in a statement.

Traeger said bus drivers are meeting Wednesday to discuss the looming strike deadline.

Tuesday's announcement was welcome among members of the Safe September MB campaign, a non-partisan collective of parents, teachers and community members pushing the province to create a remote learning option for all students this fall.

"Were pleased with this decision, but we know physical distancing is the best way to keep our students safe," said Lauren Hope, a Winnipeg mother, high school teacher and organizer with the collective.

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Hope said parents want to see the province delay the start of the school year and both update and provide clearer instructions about remote learning so no one is forced to home school their children if they dont feel comfortable sending them to class Sept. 8.

Brian O'Leary, superintendent at Seven Oaks School Division, said the school board is now trying to source smaller masks for the younger children.

"An 18-year-old in high school is going to need a different size than a four-year-old that is turning five and starting kindergarten," he said.

O'Leary said there will be challenges in implementing the mask policy for younger as well as older students. If students don't wear them properly, a lot of the effectiveness is lost, he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Maggie Macintosh

Reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Winnipeg Free Press. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Read full biography
More than 17,000 companies will attend the upcoming China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, organizers said.



As of Aug. 30, over 2,000 firms had signed up as offline exhibitors, while more than 4,000 companies will showcase their products and services online.

The fair, scheduled in early September, will feature 190 online and offline forums and business negotiation sessions, said Wu Lanlan, an official with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-council.

Overseas exhibitors and guests will mainly attend the fair through online platforms to forestall risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Li Hengqing, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Along with the China Import and Export Fair and the China International Import Expo, the CIFTIS is another important platform for China's opening-up push and is expected to see the announcement of fresh opening-up policies.

Some 90,000 people, including those from international organizations and foreign embassies in China as well as overseas business associations, will attend the fair.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 17:31:58|Editor: huaxia

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Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R, front) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas prepare to meet the press in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Qing)

- The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the world's call for multilateralism more than ever.



- By reaffirming commitments to multilateralism, openness and cooperation, China and the EU stand a good chance to forge a closer partnership that will bring benefits to both sides as well as the whole world.



BELGRADE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The just-concluded European tour of China's top diplomat further demonstrated a need for stronger ties between the two sides to uphold multilateralism, stick to openness and scale up cooperation in the post-coronavirus world.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany came at a critical time when unilateralism is hurting global cooperation and international solidarity.

Reassuringly, upholding multilateralism is a major consensus reached during Wang's trip. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," he said.

Policemen checks an outbound China-Europe freight train at Horgos Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 20, 2020. (Photo by Zhang Jia/Xinhua)

Based on such concensus, it is hopeful that China and the EU, by working together, can help the world stand on the right side of history.

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the world's call for multilateralism more than ever. While certain nation has been tearing apart international deals and shunning its obligations, countries around the world should oppose unilateralism and protectionism by enhancing cooperation within multilateral frameworks and abiding by their multilateral agreements.

Wang also undersocred the spirit of openness during his talks with European leaders. "Openness brings progress, while isolation leads to backwardness" in the complicated and changing world, he said.

Accordingly, China is ready to step up negotiations for an investment agreement with the EU and bilateral agreements with EU member countries on free trade and other common interests.

Aerial photo taken on April 11, 2020 shows a logistic station of the Erenhot Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The port has handled 379 China-Europe freight trains in the first quarter of this year. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

Moreover, by engaging in wider cooperation in trade, investment, and industry, China and the EU are capable of injecting a strong and lasting impetus in their development and the global economic recovery in the post-coronavirus world.

Recent years have already seen mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe through the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe railway express, among others.

In fact, Wang's European trip itself is a sign showing China is gradually normalizing high-level visits which were interrupted by the pandemic, creating preconditions for future cooperation, observed Volker Tschapke, honorary president of Germany's Prussian Society.

By reaffirming commitments to multilateralism, openness and cooperation, China and the EU stand a good chance to forge a closer partnership that will bring benefits to both sides as well as the whole world. 


Figure 1: Envisioned flow of novel coronavirus infection testing (AI diagnostic imaging developed through this joint R&D effort)

TOKYO, Sept 2, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital today announced the launch of a joint R&D project for AI technology to support diagnostic imaging via chest CT (Computed Tomography), which represents a promising candidate for the effective diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia.The newly-proposed technology supports doctors performing diagnostic imaging on patients suspected of having COVID-19 pneumonia, presenting the likelihood of infection through a numerical, three-dimensional visualization of the spread of shadows in the lungs using chest CT imaging. Applying AI to this analysis could significantly reduce the burden on doctors who diagnose COVID-19 pneumonia by automating a process that normally demands the visual confirmation of hundreds of chest CT images per patient.Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital anticipate that the system will deliver early detection of cases of COVID-19 pneumonia based on chest CT image findings, even in cases in which the possibility of infection is determined to be low upon initial examination.This joint research will enhance AI diagnostic support technology for novel coronavirus pneumonia, and Fujitsu ultimately aims to commercialize the technology as a healthcare solution for frontline medical professionals.BackgroundWhen treating patients who are strongly suspected of having a novel coronavirus infection, the diagnosis and treatment plan are determined holistically based on PCR test results as well as other test results including blood tests and chest CT test (Figure 1). Even if the PCR test is negative, the diagnosis of new-onset coronavirus pneumonia can be made by other tests, and imaging with chest CT is an important consideration.Doctors make lung disease diagnoses based on the characteristics of the shadows in the lesion on the patient's chest CT image. In addition to identifying abnormalities, they visually check hundreds of chest CT images per patient to understand the three-dimensional distribution of shadows throughout the lung. A growing demand for technologies that reduce the burden on doctors and support speedy decision-making has accompanied the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It is also important to identify novel coronavirus pneumonia from a CT scan of the patient's chest if there is a low likelihood of a novel coronavirus infection during the examination and PCR testing is not performed.In response to the need for diagnostic support, Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital will jointly embark on the development of AI-assisted diagnostic imaging technology for chest CT scans, which are considered to be an effective method in diagnosing novel coronavirus pneumonia.About the joint development of AI imaging support technologyPast CT image data of COVID-19 pneumonia patients from Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital will aid in the development of AI technology that detects abnormal shadow patterns in the lungs. As the AI learns from this data about the possibility of COVID-19 pneumonia, Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital will work together to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology.When diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia, patterns of abnormal opacities in the lungs as well as the spread of shadows across the entire lung is important information.Patterns of abnormal shadows are detected using AI developed by Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. The lung is divided into four areas on the CT image: the right lung periphery, the right lung center, the left lung center, and the left lung periphery. The distribution of shadows in the vertical direction in each area is displayed in a histogram(1). This will enable the development of new AI that can quantify the three-dimensional spread of shadows, while using the detected abnormal shadow patterns and shadow distributions to identify COVID-19 pneumonia.While showing the possibility of COVID-19 infection with the AI technology, the aim is to shorten the amount of time doctors spend visually confirming the three-dimensional spread of the shadow from hundreds of chest CT images and to allow even non-specialists to efficiently diagnose COVID-19 pneumonia.Future PlansThrough this joint research and development, Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital aim to deliver technology that leverages a variety of information for diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia to achieve improved diagnostic support from chest CT image diagnosis.Fujitsu is considering the commercialization of this technology as a healthcare solution. By linking it with electronic medical record information, the goal is to support diagnosis by doctors based on chest CT images, while also expanding the application area of this technology.Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital aims to contribute to society by integrating various studies conducted in the hospital and using them for diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia.(1) HistogramA type of statistical graph that enables visual recognition of data distribution conditions.About Fujitsu LtdFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
No traces of drugs or pesticides were found in the system of Nora Quoirin, the inquest into her death in a Malaysian holiday resort has been told.

The 15-year-old French-Irish schoolgirl, whose mum Meabh is from Belfast, disappeared from her familys cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year, sparking a massive search operation.

The teenagers lifeless, naked body was discovered 10 days later beside a stream in a palm oil estate over a mile away from the resort.

Giving evidence at the inquest today, chemist Suhana Ismail (52) said a drug analysis conducted on the three specimens obtained from Noras remains, including her liver, on August 19 last year, found no traces of common drugs.

She also performed a pesticide analysis on the three specimens on the same date, but did not find any traces of pesticide.

When asked why she only conducted an analysis on drugs and pesticides, Ms Suhana told Coroner Maimoonah Aid that it was because the Department of Chemistry Malaysia Toxicology Division only did analysis of these two substances.

Another chemist, Saiful Fazamil Mohd Ali, said an analysis was done on two soil samples obtained underneath Noras body and from the vicinity where the body was found.

He said both samples were most likely from the same source.

I did an analysis by looking at the soil characteristics and comparing both samples.

I believe that both are likely from the same source, he added.

When the coroner asked why it was likely, Mr Saiful said the Chemistry Department did not have access to nationwide land density data and the analysis was conducted based on the two soil samples received from the police on August 16 last year.

Nora went missing a day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a two-week holiday at the resort, about 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur.

Her body was found near a creek in a ravine on August 13.

Preliminary surgical reports have stated there was no criminal element to her death and that it was caused by gastrointestinal bleeding due to prolonged hunger and stress.

Officers say she was able to leave the resort by herself by getting out of a window which had a faulty latch.

Her parents, Sebastien and Meabh, are not present at the inquest due to coronavirus-related restrictions but will take part via the Zoom app,

The couple remain convinced that their daughter, who was vulnerable, had special needs and would not go outside her own front door alone, could not have reached the spot where her body was eventually found.

That location had already been scoured many times during the huge jungle search operation.

Speaking ahead of the inquest, they said they believe their eldest daughter was abducted from the villa.

The hearing continues.
She found fame as the voice of Disney's Moana in 2016.

And on Tuesday, Auli'i Cravalho used her platform to admonish those objecting to Hawaii's ongoing COVID-19 restrictions including a stay at home and work from home order.

The actress, 19, retweeted a video of people at a recent 'Reopen Hawaii' protest in Honolulu and wrote: 'Not a single Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) to be seen.'

Spoke out: She found fame as the voice of Disney's Moana in 2016. And Auli'i Cravalho used her platform to admonish those objecting to Hawaii's ongoing COVID-19 restrictions

Cravalho, who was born in Kohala, Hawaii, added: 'My thoughts havent left the multi generational households. The young and able need to protect the old. Protect our kupuna!!!'

In a third tweet, she explained: 'Kupuna are our grandparents and elders. They are most at risk of not surviving a case of Covid-19.'

'Please do what you can to protect the older generations, wherever you are.'

As of Monday, almost 6,000 people in Hawaii have active coronavirus infections with 300 hospitalized, according to local news website civilbeat.org. To date, 74 Hawaii residents have died from COVID-19.

Shamed: The actress, 19, retweeted a video of people at a recent 'Reopen Hawaii' protest in Honolulu and wrote: 'Not a single Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) to be seen'

'Protect the old': Cravalho, who was born in Kohala, Hawaii, said she was concerned about keeping older generations safe from the coronavirus

Pandemic: As of Monday, almost 6,000 people in Hawaii have active coronavirus infections with 300 hospitalized. To date, 74 Hawaii residents have died from COVID-19

Meanwhile, Cravalho's latest movie All Together Now debuted on Netflix over the weekend.

In her first feature live action role, the teen stars as a high school student with a powerful singing voice who dreams of attending Carnegie Mellon University.

The twist is that she lives with her alcoholic mother in an old school bus.

It's a long way from playing a Disney Polynesian princess but Cravalho told the AP: 'This felt like the next step. Im a little older and I love the challenge of showing these tougher emotions and telling these deeper stories.'

She explained: 'I really related to Amber. I genuinely understood her optimism.'

All Together Now also stars Fred Armisen, Carol Burnett and Judy Reyes and is currently streaming on subscription streaming service Netflix.

Live action role: Cravalho stars in the new Netflix movie All Together Now as a high school student with a powerful singing voice who dreams of attending Carnegie Mellon University. The twist is that she lives with her alcoholic mother in an old school bus
India and China will meet for the third round of Brigade Commander-level meeting in Chushul at 10am on Wednesday, a day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Chinese army engaged in provocative action" on August 31 even as commanders from both sides were engaged in discussions to de-escalate the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on the southern bank of Pangong Lake.

Chinas attempt to unilaterally change the status quo on the Pangong lake was the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

India and China have been closely engaged through diplomatic and military channels over the past three months to resolve the situation along the India-China border. The Chinese side violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of August 29-30 in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.

On August 31, even as ground commanders of two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to timely defensive action, Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter status quo," it said.

In view of ongoing tensions, the Indian Army has deployed two tank regiments and Infantry Combat vehicles in Chushul. Army Chief General Naravane has also put off his trip to Myanmar.

As tensions mounted on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in the region at a two-hour meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane among others. Government sources said India will maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the LAC to effectively deal with any Chinese misadventure".

Separately, the Brigade Commanders of Indian and Chinese armies held another round of talks in Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC with a specific agenda to discuss the situation around the Pangong lake. The sources said the meeting did not produce any concrete outcome, adding the Indian Army has further strengthened its position in several strategic heights" around the South Bank of Pangong lake and it is in a much better position now to monitor Chinese activities in the area.

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a border confrontation for months in the high-altitude snow deserts of Ladakh, and have held talks to reduce friction. The two have disputed the course of the frontier for over half a century.

The Indian official, who was briefed on the latest incident, said the movement of the Indian troops responded to an attempt by a large number of Chinese infantry to push through a key mountain pass late on Saturday. We mobilised and occupied the four heights," the official said, adding all four hilltops were on Indias side of the LAC.

The official said the Chinese soldiers were backed up by military vehicles and drew close enough to engage Indian troops in verbal arguments, but there were no clashes. He said the incident occurred on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, a picturesque lake where Indian and Chinese troops have been facing off since April.
Rating Action: Moody's assigns Aa3 to Lockport CSD, NY's Series 2020 refunding bonds

Global Credit Research - 01 Sep 2020

New York, September 01, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Aa3 rating to Lockport City School District, NY's $9.2 million School District Refunding Serial Bonds, 2020. Moody's maintains a Aa3 on the district's outstanding general obligation debt.

RATINGS RATIONALE

The Aa3 reflects the district's moderately-sized tax base, strong and stable financial position, elevated debt burden but manageable pension and OPEB liabilities.

We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. The coronavirus crisis is not a key driver for this rating action but could affect the district in fiscal 2021 which began on July 1. The district depends on state aid for 56% of its operating revenue. The State of New York (Aa1 negative) is currently experiencing significant declines and delays in income tax and sales tax revenue. Unless the federal government provides additional assistance, the state will likely reduce state aid to school districts in 2021 possibly resulting in use of some of the district's financial reserves or expense cuts. Positively, given the district history of strong financial management, the district is prepared to address operational changes to maintain fiscal health. The situation surrounding coronavirus is rapidly evolving and the longer term impact will depend on both the severity and duration of the crisis. If our view of the credit quality of the school district changes, we will update the rating and/or outlook at that time.

RATING OUTLOOK

Moody's typically does not assign outlooks to local government credits with this amount of debt outstanding.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATING

- Material increase in local economy and resident wealth and income levels

Story continues

- Reduction in long-term liabilities

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING

- Inability to maintain structural balance leading to decline in reserves

- Significant growth in long-term liabilities

- Contraction of the tax base or resident wealth and income levels

LEGAL SECURITY

The bonds are secured by the district's general obligation unlimited tax pledge. The bonds are further secured by and benefit from the New York State Section 99-b Intercept Program (Aa3 negative).

USE OF PROCEEDS

The bonds will be used to refund the district's outstanding Series 2011 and 2012 bonds for positive net present value savings.

PROFILE

Lockport City School District is located in Niagara County (Aa3) in western New York (Aa1 negative). The district provides pre K-12 education to 4,889 students in nine facilities.

METHODOLOGY

The principal methodology used in this rating was US Local Government General Obligation Debt published in July 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBM_1230443. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Susanne Siebel Lead Analyst Regional PFG Northeast Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street New York 10007 US JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Robert Weber Additional Contact Regional PFG Northeast JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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 Flash

A foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle, and to cease lifting its substantial relationship with Taiwan as well as any forms of official contact with Taiwan.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the comments in response to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell's announcement on Monday that the United States was establishing a new bilateral economic dialogue with Taiwan, aiming at strengthening "ties" with Taiwan.

Stressing that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests, Hua said at a daily press briefing that nobody should underestimate China's firm resolve and determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The one-China principle is the political basis and fundamental precondition for the establishment and development of China-U.S. diplomatic ties," Hua said, adding that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

In response to Stilwell's announcement of the declassification of six Reagan-era security assurances given to Taiwan, Hua said the so-called Taiwan Relations Act unilaterally enacted by the United States and the so-called "Six Assurances" to Taiwan constitute gross interference in China's internal affairs.

They severely violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, as well as basic norms governing international relations, Hua said, adding that they are entirely wrong, illegal and invalid.

"The Chinese government voiced firm opposition from the very beginning," she said, calling on the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, rather than the so-called Taiwan Relations Act or "Six Assurances."

"We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, to stop lifting its substantial relationship with Taiwan and to cease any forms of official contact with Taiwan, so as not stray further down an erroneous path," Hua said.
BOSTON - U.S. Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III in Tuesdays hard-fought Democratic primary, harnessing support from progressive leaders to overcome a challenge from a younger rival who is a member of Americas most famous political family.

It was the first time a Kennedy has lost a race for Congress in Massachusetts.

Markey appealed to voters in the deeply Democratic state by positioning himself as aligned with the liberal wing of the party. He teamed up with a leading progressive, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the Green New Deal climate change initiative  and at one point labeled Kennedy a progressive in name only.

That helped Markey overcome the enduring power of the Kennedy name in Massachusetts. The 39-year-old congressman sought to cast the 74-year-old Markey as someone out of touch after spending decades in Congress, first in the House before moving to the Senate.

At a victory celebration in his hometown of Malden, Massachusetts, Markey ticked off a series of priorities, from support for the Black Lives Matter movement to a call for Medicare for All, to combating climate change, a signature issue for Markey.

Every other problem is linked to it. No solution to any challenge will be successful unless we address it. There will be no peace, no justice and no prosperity unless we stop the march to climate destruction, he said. We must pass a Green New Deal.

To make good on those pledges, Markey said Democrats have to take back control of the U.S. Senate and oust President Donald Trump in November.

He is the most corrupt, most racist, most incompetent president in American history, Markey said. We must banish his agenda of division and destruction to the history books.

Markey also credited his win in part to support from younger voters telling them when they say youre too young, show up with your friends.

Earlier Tuesday evening Kennedy said that while the results arent the ones hed hoped for, he would work for Markeys reelection.

The senator is a good man. You never heard me say otherwise, Kennedy told supporters at an outdoor rally. Kennedy also suggested that the movement of supporters the campaign pulled together would continue past the current election.

We may have lost the final vote count tonight but we built a coalition that will endure, he said. I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat.

In the waning weeks of the campaign, Kennedy leaned into his familys long political legacy in Massachusetts. His pedigree includes former President John F. Kennedy; former U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, his grandfather; and former U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who held a Senate seat in Massachusetts for nearly half a century until his death in 2009.

Markey countered by leaning into his own family story  growing up in the working class city of Malden with a father who drove a truck for the Hood Milk company.

In one campaign video, Markey also paraphrased a famous JFK quote, saying, We asked what we could do for our country. We went out, we did it. With all due respect, its time to start asking what your country can do for you.

Markey found himself on the defence at times during the campaign, with Kennedy repeatedly trying to portray him as having a tin ear to racial equity concerns.

Kennedy faulted Markey for his initial opposition to the effort to desegregate the Boston Public Schools beginning in the 1970s.

Markey countered by noting that he changed his views on the contentious issue that tore at the fabric of the city. He also said he supported the creation in 1973 of a state Senate seat aimed at helping elect a Black senator to the Massachusetts Legislature.

Kennedy also repeatedly pointed to the father of Danroy DJ Henry, a young Black man from Massachusetts killed by police 10 years ago. Henrys father has criticized Markey, saying he failed to help the family seek justice.

Markey said he has apologized to the Henry family and signed a letter seeking a federal Justice Department investigation into the killing.

Markey also wasnt shy about talking about the Kennedy family, at one point pressing Kennedy to tell his father  former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy ll  to stop supporting a political action committee that was running ads against Markey.

Im sure your father is watching right now, Markey said. Tell your father right now that you dont want money to go into a super PAC that runs negative ads.

Kennedy said he had no idea if his father was helping fund the PAC.

Late in the race, Kennedy landed a major endorsement when Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally backed his candidacy.

While Markey, who served with Pelosi in the House for decades, congratulated Kennedy, Pelosis decision angered some of Markeys younger progressive supporters. Markey had earlier won the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Ed Markey wasnt afraid. He offered his expertise & partnership. He wasnt scared of big policy & didnt use kid gloves. Its great to watch him overcome the odds and win tonight, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Tuesday night.

The coronavirus upended the way both candidates could campaign  limiting more traditional means of electioneering like knocking on doors, shaking hands or holding big rallies.

Instead, the campaigns were largely waged online with virtual rallies, virtual endorsements, virtual fundraisers and virtual roundtable events to discuss issues. Eventually, as Massachusetts began to suppress the virus and emerge from a near lockdown, the candidates began to take their campaigns on the road with social distancing and face masks.

The showdown drew criticism from some Democrats nationally who feared it would siphon time and money away from defeating President Donald Trump and winning control of the Senate. It also wasnt cheap, with both Kennedy and Markey raising and spending millions.

Markey now faces a general election contest where he is considered a strong favourite against Republican primary winner, Kevin OConnor, in November.
Baghdad, Sep 3 : French President Emmanuel Macron said that France is seeking to boost cooperation with Iraq in all fields such as military and reconstruction.

He made the remarks in a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Wednesday, saying that France also supports the building of a metro railway in Iraqi capital Baghdad, Xinhua news agency reported.

As for military cooperation, Macron told the conference that France is abiding by supporting Iraq in the fight against Islamic State (IS) group, asserting the need to boost the military cooperation with Iraq in the war against the extremist group.

He also said that Iraq is an "effective" country in the region, and France and the international community are supporting Iraq, which is facing major challenges, including security.

For his part, al-Kadhimi told the reporters that Iraq is "grateful for the French support in reconstructing the liberated areas, which were destroyed by IS militants." He said that Macron's visit "comes in sensitive circumstances, given the difficulties the world is going through due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the collapse of oil prices, and the economic situation, as well as the tensions in the region." Al-Kadhimi also said that he talked with Macron about "a future project," using nuclear energy to generate electricity and other peaceful projects, which will be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"We discussed with Macron means to support the Iraqi government in its efforts to protect sovereignty," al-Kadhimi said. "We do not want to be an arena for confrontations but a zone of stability and moderation." Macron also met with Nichervan Barzani, head of Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

"We had a constructive meeting in Baghdad today. I am grateful to France for its continuous support (for Kurdistan) and for its strong relations with the people of Kurdistan region," Barzani tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Macron arrived in Baghdad for an official visit and met with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih.

Salih said eliminating terrorism "requires the support of friends and the international community, and we still have a lot to do in this regard." This is Macron's first official trip to Iraq. He is also the first presidential-level official to visit Iraq since al-Kadhimi took office in May.

France is part of a US-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces fight against the IS militants by carrying out airstrikes against their positions in Iraq and Syria as well as providing military equipment and training to Iraqi forces.
Interest in divorce, particularly among newlyweds, soaring amid pandemic: Legal org

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More couples, particularly newlyweds, have been seeking divorce agreements online amid the pandemic lockdowns, according to data collected by Legal Template, an organization with offices in Delaware and North Carolina that seeks to simplify the process of creating legal contracts.

A divorce agreement is a written document that outlines, with specificity, all the agreements between two parties concerning the division of their property, assets, debts, and arrangements for the custody, care and support of their children, if any.

In a recent report, Legal Templates said they have seen a 34% increase in the sale of their divorce agreement compared to the same period in 2019. Data collected from those sales have also provided the organization with insights from thousands of couples about why they are interested in ending their unions during the pandemic.

According to the data, interest in separation during quarantine peaked on April 13  a 57% increase compared to a month earlier on Feb. 13. This period was just 15 to 20 days into when most states began enforcing lockdowns and the closing of businesses.

More than half of their users expressing interest in divorce, 58%, during the pandemic were married five years or less. This figure was 16% higher than in 2019.

This indicates that recently married couples were less equipped to deal with the stressors of the COVID-19 virus than mature couples, the organization said.

Tensions were more visible among couples married five months or less. While only 11% of couples in this group purchased a divorce agreement in 2019 over the period examined by the report, that number doubled during the pandemic to 20%.

The data also showed that couples in southern states were far more likely to seek a divorce while the rate of couples with children interested in divorce also increased compared to 2019.

In a recent USA Today report, lawyers and marriage counselors expressed concerns that pandemic related stress on marriages could send America's divorce rate, which is at 50%, even higher once divorce courts are fully open.

While the stress of natural disasters have been shown in studies to historically lead to more breakups, Holly Davis, a family lawyer in Austin, Texas, with Kirker Davis, noted in an RA News report that her research into the records of Travis and Williamson Counties showed that while many people had researched divorce, the number of divorces in those counties are down.

Summertime, she said, is when her firm typically sees more divorce clients. But in Travis County, divorce rates are a third lower than they would normally be.

People are hunkering down right now and looking at their options, Davis told the publication. Its such a crisis time that people are worried about separating households, especially with schooling situations. Theyre in a contemplating space. There is a surge of people getting information and thinking about it, but I dont think were going to see a lot of people go through with it when everything is better.

While disasters can spell doom for some relationships, Davis agreed with research that they can also lead to growth for others.

I do think this time spent together does cause people to do some deep soul searching, Davis said. Do we have the same shared goals, and can we grow together? They are seeing that the pre-COVID world was a distraction. There are a lot of people who realize that the minute differences they were fed up with before are no longer important. I think its beautiful the way some people are making this pandemic work for the children. It gives me a lot of faith in humanity, she said.

John Weaver, a family law attorney and former magistrate who's an expert with decades of experience on the ramifications of family and marriage disputes, said in a statement to The Christian Post that while leading active Christian lives can help marriages, there are biblical grounds for divorce that church leaders need to consider when counseling their members during times of crisis.

Although hardness of heart prompted Moses to recognize and regulate divorce, the presumption in his day was that marriage vows should be kept, Weaver said. According to the Scriptures, divorce is expressly permitted on two grounds: a spouses adultery, a term which includes other serious sexual misconduct; and an unbelieving spouses desertion. Not only does physical abandonment destroy the marriage bond, but abuse and certain other egregious behaviors demonstrate the deserters deliberate renunciation of the marriage covenant. A believing spouse who is unrepentant may be functionally treated as if he or she is a deserting unbelieving spouse; the wronged spouse may be permitted to divorce on the basis of desertion. The bases for divorce are not trivial slights. Rather, they are intentional violations of marital vows.

Weaver, who has a master's degree in religion from Reformed Theological Seminary, recently authored a new book, titled, The Seven Principles of a Just Divorce: Biblical Wisdom and Legal Insight, in which he emphasizes the practical legal aspects of the divorce process, integrating biblical principles into the discussion.

I felt it was essential to offer readers a closer look at the financial and legal realities of divorce, Weaver said. So many people are unaware of the various issues that take place when a marriage is dissolved. I felt it would be beneficial to give readers an understanding of negotiations and various ways to resolve disputes  both inside and outside court, as well as important knowledge of things like alimony, equitable property division, child custody and support. Couples contemplating divorce should go into the process with as much information as possible. This legal information along with biblical wisdom will not always provide specific answers, but they will point the reader in the right direction.

The veteran family attorney hopes his book will help Christians better navigate the issue of divorce.

I dont think churches fully understand the tremendous spiritual, emotional, legal, and financial stress  as well as sense of loss  that those going through divorce are experiencing over an extended period of time, Weaver said.

Churches also should seek to engage with the couple, most likely with each individually, and to try to understand and address the familys needs  spiritual and emotional, as well as practical and financial  as much as possible. A deacon or similar person could inquire of their needs. The loss of established relationships within a church is often part of the collateral damage, and maintaining relationships with someone going through divorce is an important source of support for both the parents and children.
MITRIGAM, Kashmir  For more than two decades, Peerzada Lateef Shah risked his life in a high-wire political process to bring peace to Kashmir, the mountainous, predominantly Muslim region that has long chafed under Indias rule.

He organized rallies and encouraged Kashmiris to vote for a political party that did not want to fight India and would instead accept some degree of Indian authority. He even took five bullets for the cause, narrowly surviving an assassination attempt last year by Kashmiri separatists who saw him as a traitor.

Now, a little more than a year after India revoked Kashmirs statehood and upended years of policies that granted Kashmiris some autonomy, Mr. Shah is among a growing group of political moderates who feel betrayed, disillusioned and disenfranchised. For years, he and others sought a middle path that would bring stability to one of Asias most volatile regions. Today, Mr. Shah wonders whether his lifes work was a waste.
Tallulah Willis has been living her best life at her mother Demi Moore's house in Idaho with her boyfriend Dillon.

The loved up pair have been practically inseparable during quarantine, occupying themselves by doing water activities, having stream side picnics and taking scenic couples photos.

Last week it appears as if the two made the jump from Idaho to Cape Cod, Massachusetts as the designer and mental health advocate posted dreamy snaps from their picturesque vacation to Instagram.

Water babies: Tallulah Willis, 26 and her boyfriend of nearly a year are seen frolicking in Cape Cod with a friend's child on Monday. The pair recently made the jump from her mother Demi Moore's house in Idaho to spend time in Massachusetts after getting COVID tested

On Monday, It appeared as if the couple were getting a feel for parenthood as the pair playfully basked in the water with a family friend's child.

Holding matching sand pails and splashing around, Tallulah, 26, giggled uncontrollably with the young girl as she and boyfriend Dillon all held hands.

The statuesque beauty who has an extensive bathing suit collection, wore a black floral one piece with cutouts on the bodice.

The Wyllis designer captioned the photo, 'pure pure pure elation'. She added, ' ***all 3 water babies have tested negative' referring to their COVID-19 tests results before traveling and seeing friends.

Lovebirds: The pair have been practically inseparable during quarantine, occupying themselves by doing water activities, having stream side picnics and taking scenic couples photos

Beauty in strength: Though Tallulah has seemed to be in good spirits these past few months the fashion designer and mental health advocate is always one to candidly discuss how her mood ebbs and flows

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, has been very open about her struggles with mental health and even an eating disorder.

Though she has seemed to be in good spirits these past few months Tallulah is always one to candidly discuss how her mood ebbs and flows.

Switching gears from her ethereal beach snaps, Tallulah bravely opened up to her 332K Instagram followers on Tuesday.

In honor of September being National Suicide Prevention Month, the brunette beauty Instagrammed a baby photo of herself shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz with a poignant caption.

'I have low days, and in my lowest of lows, limbs heavy from exhaustion, I have questioned if I have the energy to keep pushing another day. Truly a horrifying sentiment to have swimming in your head' she wrote.

'But then I try to remember, I do it for her. I do it because she needs a voice, a champion, a Big Kid; To tell her it's ok, that she is safe that she is protected.'

She continued, 'If you look in the mirror and feel like what stares back is not worthy of love and care, if you cant trust your own intrinsic value as a human being, do it for them. Do it for them until one day, one alarmingly beautiful day, you can do it for yourself.'

The brunette continues to be a pinnacle of strength and light for her followers, providing a sort of unfiltered edge on her page that often gets lost on social media.
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Element Nutritional Sciences Inc., a private company, today announced that it has acquired Element Nutrition Inc. ("Element Nutrition") and Hammock Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Hammock Consumer"), and changed its name from PJ1 Capital Corp. to Element Nutritional Sciences Inc. (the "Company" or the "Resulting Issuer"). Further details of the acquisitions are contained in the section "Business Combination".

Element Nutrition

Element Nutrition is an innovative, research driven Canadian nutraceutical company specializing in the development of science-based products for the Global Consumer Packaged Goods ("CPG") market, with a portfolio focused specifically on men and women over the age of 50.

Element Nutrition's lead product, Rejuvenate is a proprietary, patented formulation that has clinically proven efficacy in helping prevent muscle loss due to Sarcopenia (muscle loss due to aging). Rejuvenate comes in pouches and the powder can be mixed with regular water. The Company will have Rejuvenate ready-to-drink available for purchase in the fall of 2020. Rejuvenate ready-to-drink offers 15 grams of organic plant protein in a 330ml tetra pak. It is sugar free, gluten free, dairy free and free of artificial sweeteners and colors.

Rejuvenate is already being sold through 9,000 points of distribution. Element Nutrition has received additional shelf space commitments for Rejuvenate, which will expand availability to a total of approximately 11,000 points of distribution by the end of October 2020. The Company currently has agreements with U.S. retailers such as: CVS Health Corporation and Walmart Inc.; and Canadian retailers such as: Loblaw Companies Limited, Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation, and Rexall Pharmacy Group.





1 Primary interviews, Zion Market Research

Element Nutrition has been built to scale efficiently and quickly, with established warehousing and infrastructure to enable seamless North America-wide distribution, and an operating e-commerce platform that guarantees shipment to 98% of the U.S. population within two business days.

Element Nutrition's portfolio also includes: JAKTRX, an elite brand of performance supplements.

Stuart Lowther, MSc., BSc.  Chairman and CEO of Element Nutrition

Element Nutrition was founded in Burlington, Ontario in 2015 by Stuart Lowther, a two-time nominee for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and an experienced nutraceutical executive, with a proven track record of creating value for shareholders. Prior to founding Element Nutrition, Mr. Lowther was the founder, President and CEO of Life Science Nutritionals ("LSN"), which was consistently listed among Canada's fastest growing companies until its sale to Santa Cruz Nutritionals in 2015. Prior to LSN, he was International Sales Manager for Jamieson Laboratories, where his efforts resulted in an increase in revenue of greater than 14 times over a two-year period until the company's sale in 2014 to a U.S.-based private equity firm. Mr. Lowther was also an executive at IOVATE Health Sciences, where he played a key role in growing the business from $40 million in revenue to over $200 million annually.

Mr. Lowther's team is comprised of seasoned executives that bring experience growing and managing well-known CPG and nutraceutical brands.

Hammock Consumer

Hammock Consumer was formed to bring unique, safe and effective consumer health products to the U.S. and Canadian markets. Hammock Consumer's lead product, Athletes GelTM, was launched in January 2020. The company continues to build its U.S. distribution network through retail and wholesale channels. In addition, Hammock Consumer has a proprietary e-commerce platform for direct to consumer distribution. Hammock Consumer continues to develop pipeline products that will provide superior treatment options to consumers and healthcare providers, while pursuing product acquisition opportunities to further advance the company's portfolio.

William Maichle  CEO of Hammock Consumer

William Maichle is the founder, CEO and President of Hammock Consumer, which was founded in North Carolina in February 2016. Mr. Maichle is an accomplished healthcare industry executive with 24 years of experience in product development, mergers & acquisitions, licensing, sales & marketing, and commercial operations. His career includes Chief Operating Officer at ProEthic Pharmaceuticals, and its successor company, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. Mr. Maichle held the positions of CEO, Nautilus Neurosciences and President, Tribute Pharmaceuticals US (both of which were sold to publicly traded companies) prior to founding Hammock in 2016. Mr. Maichle has held numerous board and advisory board positions in the healthcare sector.

Management Commentary

Stuart Lowther, Chairman and CEO of Element Nutrition commented, "In a rapidly growing market already worth over $1 billion1 annually, there are limited offerings available to men and women over the age of 50 to directly counteract natural muscle loss due to aging. With exclusive access to the only formulation that has been proven through 25+ clinical trials to rebuild, restore and rejuvenate muscle tissue, Element Nutrition is stepping into that gap. Our team has already established a robust ecommerce platform and secured 11,000 points of distribution across the U.S. and Canada for October 2020. We are also engaged in active discussions to enter target jurisdictions in Europe and Asia."

Mr. Lowther added, "With a track record of building valuable brands from start-up to sale and driving profitable growth at some of the most recognizable CPG, wellness and nutraceutical companies globally, we have the right senior management team to create shareholder value as we build Element Nutrition into a leader in the global consumer packaged goods market."

William Maichle, CEO of Hammock Consumer commented, "We are excited about Element Nutrition and Hammock Consumer joining forces. The Element Nutrition team have a great track record in consumer health, and we look forward to bringing additional depth to the combined Company."

Business Combination

The Company acquired Element Nutrition and Hammock Consumer effective August 31, 2020 pursuant to: (i) a share exchange agreement (the "Element Share Exchange Agreement") under which the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Element in consideration of the issuance of 24,375,000 common shares to the former shareholders of Element Nutrition; and (ii) a merger agreement (the "Hammock Consumer Merger Agreement") under which the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Hammock Consumer in consideration of the issuance of 9,375,000 common shares to the former shareholders of Hammock Consumer. As part of the Element Share Exchange Agreement and the Hammock Consumer Merger Agreement, the Company reserved for issuance an aggregate of 24,000,000 management performance warrants (the "Management Performance Warrants"). Each of the Element Share Exchange Agreement and the Hammock Consumer Merger Agreement contains voluntary lock-up provisions that apply to the former shareholders of Element Nutrition and Hammock Consumer.

Capitalization of the Resulting Issuer

The Company has outstanding 55,983,162 common shares, 24,000,000 Management Performance Warrants each of which is exercisable at C$0.30 until August 31, 2025 in the event certain performance targets are met and 1,333,300 options each of which is exercisable at $0.30 until August 31, 2025.

About the Company

The Company commenced operations in June 2020 with the objective of completing the acquisition of Element Nutrition and Hammock Consumer.

About Element Nutrition Inc.

Element Nutrition is an innovative, research driven Canadian nutraceutical company specializing in the development of science-based products for the Global Consumer Packaged Goods ("CPG") market, with a portfolio focused specifically on men and women over the age of 50. Element Nutrition's lead product, Rejuvenate, is a proprietary formulation that is clinically proven to assist in the rebuilding, restoration and rejuvenation of natural loss of muscle mass due to aging or other medical conditions. Element Nutrition also offers JAKTRX, an elite brand of performance supplements. Element Nutrition was founded in 2015 and is located in Burlington, Ontario.

More information about Rejuvenate can be found at: www.rejuvenatemuscle.com

About Hammock Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Hammock Consumer is a consumer-focused healthcare company located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company is dedicated to finding and providing topical, non-allergenic, natural-based solutions to treat a variety of skincare needs. Due to health education and rising prescription costs, consumers are increasingly taking control of their healthcare decisions. Hammock Consumer endeavors to meet consumer demands by offering a variety of over-the-counter products via e-commerce, in select markets, and on a national retail basis.

More information about Athletes GelTM can be found at: https://athletesgel.us

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward looking statements relate, among other things, to: internal expectations; expectations of the industry in which the Company's products will be marketed and sold; the safety and efficacy of the Company's consumer health and nutraceutical products; expectations for future capacity, costs and opportunities; warehousing, distribution and delivery logistics for the Company's products; anticipated synergies resulting from the completion of the Business Combination; the effect of the transaction on the merged companies and their strategy going forward; and forecasts with respect to the size of the muscle loss and topical pain markets in the United States and Canada.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; expectations regarding the size of the United States and Canadian health, nutraceutical and wellness markets and changing consumer habits; the viability of the Company's products; availability of distribution channels for the Company's product offerings; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; successful development of the Company's proposed products; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions or recalls on the sale of the Company's products in the United States and Canada; customer and distributor relations; fluctuations in securities markets; and the inability of the Company to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE Element Nutritional Sciences Inc.
Officials in Kenosha, Wisconsin, have lifted a curfew in the city that was roiled by a week of riots and unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

'After consulting with local law enforcement agencies, I have decided the curfew is no longer needed,' Mayor John Antaramian said in a statement Wednesday.

'The last several nights have been relatively peaceful in the community, and in the judgment of law enforcement, it is appropriate to remove the curfew.'

But Antaramian warned that he would not hesitate to reinstate the curfew if more violence erupted in its absence, saying: 'Criminal activity will not be tolerated and arrests will be made if needed.

'I am hopeful there will be no need to reinstate the curfew in the near future.'

Kenosha emerged as the latest flashpoint in a summer of US demonstrations against police brutality and racism after 29-year-old Blake was shot seven times in the back by police officers on August 23, leaving him paralyzed.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian (pictured) on Wednesday lifted a curfew in the city that was roiled by a week of riots and unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake

Kenosha emerged as the latest flashpoint in a summer of US demonstrations against police brutality and racism after 29-year-old Blake was shot seven times in the back by police officers on August 23. Pictured: An incendiary device goes off in front of a Kenosha Country Sheriff Vehicle as demonstrators take part in a protest on August 25

Anger at Blake's shooting, captured on video that went viral, led to street skirmishes with protesters hurling firecrackers and bricks at police in riot gear who fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets.

Protests devolving into violence left countless buildings burned, businesses looted and destroyed, cars charred and streets littered with debris.

The situation escalated on August 25 when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is white, opened fire on demonstrators with a semi-automatic rifle, killing two people and injuring a third.

Officials instated the 7pm curfew the same day as the Rittenhouse shooting in an effort to curb the violence as more than 1,000 National Guard troops descended on the city. Those troops have not yet been withdrawn.

Protests devolving into violence left countless buildings burned, businesses looted and destroyed, cars charred and streets littered with debris

A sign with the phrase '#KenoshaStrong' is seen among the rubble of a building that was burned down during riots that erupted after Blake was shot

The move to lift the curfew, which was originally set to expire next week, came the day after President Donald Trump visited Kenosha and toured property damage on Tuesday (pictured)

The move to lift the curfew, which was originally set to expire next week, came the day after President Donald Trump visited Kenosha and toured property damage and held a roundtable discussion with law enforcement and local officials.

Wisconsin's governor and Kenosha's mayor, both Democrats, had urged Trump not to visit because they feared it could exacerbate the unrest in the city.

'While presidents are always welcome to come to this great city, this is not the best time for a visit,' Mayor Antaramian said in a statement Sunday.

'We are hurting today and we are focused on healing, coming together as a community and rebuilding. There is a lot of listening we need to do in Kenosha and I worry that a visit from the president will delay this important work.'

But the president ignored his plea and in the end concerns about stoking violence were not manifested.

Jacob Blake (pictured with one of his six children) was left paralyzed after cops shot him multiple times in the back as he entered his car on August 23

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden followed Trump's lead and is planning to visit Kenosha with his wife Jill on Thursday.

The Biden campaign said that the former vice president will 'hold a community meeting in Kenosha to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face.' Afterward, both Joe and Jill Biden will make a 'local stop.'

Biden had hinted on Monday after delivering a speech in Pittsburgh that he was considering going to the Wisconsin city.

His campaign has already reached out to Blake's family and plans to meet with them on Thursday during his visit.

'Biden's contacted the family,' Jason Blake, Blake's uncle, told DailyMail.com. 'They've had a phone conversation with my brother. I'm sure they're going to make their way to meet with my family.'

'We want someone in the White House that will unite the whole country,' he added.

'We believe Biden is trying to united all Americans. I'm grateful to be able to meet him. I'm going to demand from him what we demand from anyone else - that there be legislation and laws protecting African Americans' safety and well being and that we have economic opportunity to build up our own communities.'

Joe Biden will visit Kenosha on Thursday for a 'community meeting'

'We appreciate the manner and approach his campaign are taking,' he continued.

During his own visit to Kenosha on Tuesday, Trump did not meet with the Blake family, nor utter the paralyzed black man's name.

During his roundtable discussion, Trump called rioters 'domestic terrorists' and suggested that white police officers who shoot or kill unarmed black people 'choked' or are 'bad apples,' refusing to believe there's a systemic problem between law enforcement and America's black community.

'The vast and overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable, courageous and devoted public servants,' Trump said.

'They're incredible, yet many politicians ignore their sacrifice and ignore the African-American, Hispanic-American victims,' the president continued, referring to crime victims of color, not those who have been unarmed and shot by officers, which have inspired weeks of Black Lives Matter protests.

When asked specifically about Blake being shot Trump responded, 'I feel terrible for anybody who goes through that.' He added that it's a 'complicated subject.'

Vouching for police officers Trump explained: 'you have people who choke.'

'And if they make a wrong decision one way or the other, they're either dead or they're in big trouble,' Trump continued. 'And people have to understand that. They choke sometimes. And it's a very tough situation.'

The president suggested that the police involved in the shootings and killings of unarmed black people amounted to some 'bad apples.'

Trump pooh-poohed a reporter's question about whether he believed systemic racism existed, which has been the main theme of the Black Lives Matter movement.

'You just keep getting back to the opposite subject,' Trump said. 'We should talk about the kind of violence we've seen in Portland and here and other places, it's tremendous violence.'

'This is what this is all about,' Trump said.

He laughed off the idea that most of the Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceable, pointing to the rubble he had just observed.

'I keep hearing about peaceful protests ... and then I come to an area like this and the town is burned down,' Trump said, sassing at reporters in the room for covering the protests like that. 'By and large this is not peaceful protesting,' he later added.
Strict rules to prevent the UK's foreign aid budget being spent on military purposes could be ripped up, Downing Street has suggested.

Boris Johnsons spokesman refused to commit him to internationally-agreed guidance on how aid should be spent  as the abolition of the department for international development (Dfid) triggered suspicions.

No 10 was asked to rule out changing the global definition of aid, after a report that the chancellor wants cash diverted to items such as new cyberweapons and AI-enabled drones.

But the spokesman declined to do so, instead pointing to the Conservative election manifesto, which merely pledges to do more to help countries receiving aid become self-sufficient, saying: Nothing more to add.

Earlier, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, also failed to stamp on suggestions of a controversial rule-easing, hinting at changes in this autumns spending review.

Asked about a switch from poverty-fighting to boosting intelligence and defence capabilities, he said: There is loads of tittle tattle, rather colourful, in the media and I am not going to prejudice the comprehensive spending review.

Rishi Sunak is pushing for new spending on develop cutting-edge military technologies to come from the aid budget, according to the report in The Times.

An overhaul of foreign, defence and security policy is due to conclude in November, but is threatened by a multi-billion-pound deficit in the Ministry of Defence's funding.

The chancellor has been clear that, if the review isn't cost-neutral, it is only right that any extra spending comes out of the 0.7 per cent, a Whitehall source told the paper.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA

In the Commons, Andrew Mitchell, the former Tory international development secretary, warned a commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid was inextricably linked to the rules.

We should not, as a country or a government, seek to balance the books on the backs of the poorest women and children in the world, he told Mr Raab.

The rules, set down by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), say that funding  to qualify as aid  must promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries.

The OECD website says allocations for military purposes are excluded, also ruling out military aid and promotion of donors security interests.

It is believed that even redefining internationally-agreed definitions of aid spending would require changes to the law enshrining the 0.7 per cent pledge  and would, therefore, trigger a huge row.

Nevertheless, making a Commons statement, Mr Raab again hinted at changes, while agreeing international rules were important.

There's plenty of scope for us to make sure  and it is absolutely right to make sure that we get maximum value for British taxpayers money, but also that we're driving a foreign policy, yes, that deals with some of the global challenges, he told MPs.

Meanwhile, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the international development secretary, was sacked from the government altogether with the death of Dfid  failing to land a junior ministerial post in the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, along with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). According to the reports, the CBI is yet to come across any evidence which suggests that the actor was murdered. For the unversed, Sushant was found dead in his Bandra flat on June 14, 2020.

According to a report in India Today, Sushant's newly accessed chat messages with a private bank employee contradicts the claims that he shared a strained relationship with his family. The report stated that Sushant and the bank employee exchanged few chat messages on May 20-21, in which they had a conversation about some investments.

India Today further reported that the chats reveal that Sushant had made his sister Priyanka a nominee on the said investments. This conversation happened barely a month before Sushant's demise.

This new revelation contradicts the claim that Rhea Chakraborty was controlling Sushant's finances, as alleged by Sushant Singh Rajput's father KK Singh in his FIR in Patna.

Earlier, Rhea Chakraborty lawyer Satish Maneshinde had claimed that Sushant's sister Priyanka had allegedly asked the actor to take some medicines with Rhea Chakraborty on June 8, and this was the reason why Rhea left his house.

However, Sushant's family lawyer Vikas Singh denied these allegations and was quoted as saying, "He (Sushant) had informed the family about anxiety and his sister was doing some self-medication. Since there was a lockdown, she got a prescription from Delhi."

ALSO READ: Sushant's Death Case: Shibani Dandekar Stands Up For Rhea Chakraborty; Asks 'What Was Her Crime'

ALSO READ: Sushant's Case: Sandip Ssingh To File Defamation Case Against Those Spreading Rumours About Him
KENTWOOD, MI  A staff member at East Kentwood High School, in Kentwood Public Schools, tested positive for COVID-19 last week, school leaders said.

All high school staff were notified of the positive case Monday, Aug. 24, through a letter sent by EKHS Executive Director of Human Resources Jamie Gordon, which was provided to MLive.

Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff confirmed the positive case to MLive on Sept. 1, and said the district was notified the staff member had tested positive the weekend prior to Aug. 24.

The employee was asymptomatic and had completed the districts daily health check, according to the letter sent to East Kentwood staff.

Kent County Health Department conducted contact tracing and did not find any other positive cases within the high school, health department spokesperson Steve Kelso told MLive.

The positive case was announced the same day the district began classes virtually last week. Kentwood Public Schools began online-only learning Aug. 24, and plans to offer an in-person learning option starting Sept. 8.

Zoerhoff told MLive the positive case does not impact the districts plans to bring students back to school next week.

RELATED: See first day of school photos of Michigan students amid pandemic

The staff member who tested positive was not in the school building Aug. 24, when staff members were asked to be on-site for virtual instruction, Zoerhoff said.

In this case, the district notified all high school staff that a positive case was detected. But district administrators said positive case reporting will depend on what is appropriate for each case.

For any future cases we will be following the procedures for a positive test and work with the Kent County Health Department to notify any staff member or student, who may be considered close contacts, Zoerhoff told MLive in a prepared statement.

The KCHD defines close contact as either: being within approximately six feet of a COVID-19 infected person for a prolonged period of time (more than 15 minutes) or having direct contact with infectious secretions from a COVID-19 infected person or a person with any COVID-19 symptom.

Because only one case was identified at East Kentwood, the incident would not be considered an outbreak  defined as an instance in which two or more cases are linked by a place and time, indicating shared exposure outside of a single household.

Eight K-12 schools in Michigan have reported new or ongoing outbreaks of coronavirus over the past week, and there also are six outbreaks linked to college campuses, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website.

Caledonia High School recently announced it will be closed through Sept. 11 after five students and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after the first day of in-person classes Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The issue began after a student, who did not attend in-person classes on the first day, began showing COVID-19 symptoms. But the student had contact the previous weekend with other students who did attend Tuesday.

Those people have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. The school will switch to virtual learning for the next two weeks.

Also in West Michigan, one staff member at Grand View Elementary in the Grandville School District tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

Superintendent Roger Bearup explained to parents that the staff member was only at the elementary for the half-day of school on Monday, Aug. 24.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS:

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

More on MLive:

No in-person classes for 2 weeks at Caledonia High School after coronavirus cases grow

Grandville Schools employee tests positive for coronavirus

Michigan reports 8 coronavirus outbreaks at K-12 schools and 6 on college campuses

Saline postpones football practice after positive COVID-19 test
As Massachusetts and Virginia lead the country in a push toward mandatory vaccination for both COVID-19 and the flu (which public health experts worry could exacerbate the current COVID-19 outbreak), a large group of protesters converged outside the Massachusetts State House in Boston, holding signs that read "Unavoidably unsafe," "My child, my choice," "Parents call the shots" and "I am not a threat."

Written in chalk in front of the statehouse was the phrase "No forced shots". While some protesters wore masks, many didn't.

The protest were inspired by an Aug. 19 announcement that influenza immunization will be required for all children ages 6 months or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, or K-12 schools.

In other words, children must be vaccinated, or else. Full-time undergraduate students, and graduate students under 30, will also be required to get the vaccine.

Activists insisted that "informed and voluntary consent" is a basic human right.

"The flu vaccine should not be a mandate. It should be a choice," Jessica Marchant said during a TV interview.

Others accused state officials of "taking advantage" of the fear caused by the virus.

"I think parents are vulnerable right now. They need their kids to go to school and they backed us into a corner," Taryn Proulx told WCVB. "We feel like we have to just comply or rearrange our whole lives and homeschool our children."

Health experts have warned of a brutal "twindemic" caused by the flu circulating alongside SARS-CoV-2. While COVID-19 most seriously affects older adults, children are much more vulnerable to the flu.
Mr. Tang Degao, President of China Hairdressing & Beauty Association, said: "As the top beauty trade show in Western China, CCBE has a strong industry influence and with professional service. Having the opportunity to meet industry peers and get sales orders at this moment has relieved pressure of the industry to some extent. The opening of CCBE boosted the confidence of the industry and achieved win-win of both exhibitors and visitors."

"The beauty industry looked forward to the opening of CCBE last June. For the industry, it was a welcome relief to finally have the opportunity to gather together, to touch and feel the products and to see friends in the industry," says Mr. Cui Hongbo, CCBE General Manager. "So, for anyone in the industry who missed our last event, you still have another chance this October!"

Some of the highlights of the Autumn edition includes:

The "4+1" model: The "4+1" model is the core of CCBE. This is a platform for trade buyers to source products from professional beauty, personal care, medical beauty, professional salon and international exhibitors.

The "4+1" model is the core of CCBE. This is a platform for trade buyers to source products from professional beauty, personal care, medical beauty, professional salon and international exhibitors. Fashion Shopping Zone: "Fashion Shopping Zone" provides exhibitors with a platform to expand 2C business.

"Fashion Shopping Zone" provides exhibitors with a platform to expand 2C business. A Comprehensive Platform to Show Trends of the Beauty Industry: Continuing the target of CCBE Spring edition this year - driving industry recovery and boosting the confidence of the beauty industry, the Autumn edition also aims to help "find a way out". By organizing conferences and forums, competitions, skill shows, CCBE will be a perfect platform to showcase the trends and latest technology of the industry.

The 44th CCBE (Autumn) will be on 22-24 October 2020 at Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center. Entrance is free to trade buyers. For more information on the event, please visit http://www.meibohui.com or follow the official WeChat account: cdmeibohui

For press enquiries, please contact:



Qi SHI

+86 28 6793 6356

[email protected]

Ms. Jane PIAO

+86 21 2326 3698

[email protected]



- end -

About Chengdu China Beauty Expo

Chengdu China Beauty Expo (CCBE) is set to be the most comprehensive beauty platform for West China beauty industry professionals to source new products and at the same time to network and upgrade their skills and update beauty market trends.

This is where brands, distributors, suppliers of cosmetics, skincare, hair care, nail care, spa and wellness products to beauty salon and aesthetic equipment and supplies come together to launch products, network and grow their business for the year ahead.

Since its launch 23 years ago, CCBE has gained industry recognition as the most important beauty trade show in West China.

About Informa Markets

Informa Markets is the world's leading exhibition organizer hosting more than 550+ leading B2B exhibition brands, including 15 core fields including technology, nutrition and health, biochemistry and pharmacy, life sciences, beauty, architecture, transportation, maritime, food and hotel, furniture, agriculture, advanced manufacturing and industry, jewelry and apparel, yachts, pop culture, etc.

SOURCE CCBE

Related Links

http://www.meibohui.com


Two motor vehicle accident victims fear they will soon be living in a car because their insurance company is refusing to provide temporary financial assistance needed because of COVID-19-related delays.

I feel degraded  like theyre torturing me. I mean I paid into this. I didnt do anything. I didnt ask for this accident, said Claire Trottier, 57, who was injured in May of 2019, along with her 36-year-old daughter Shannon Plante, who has cerebral palsy.

The two were returning from a shopping trip to the Ottawa-area g,roup home where they lived when another driver T-boned their vehicle. Trottier, who was recovering from a fall before the crash, is now using a walker and has a jaw injury thats left her unable to eat solid food. Plante, who suffered a concussion and injuries to her back and neck, can no longer use the stairs and has lingering mental-health issues related to the crash.

The pair are each entitled to accident benefits up to $1 million under a policy purchased from Economical Insurance Company, but delays with a pending assessment mean theyre still waiting  and in the meantime, they face losing a place to live.

Earlier this year, lawyers representing the women commissioned an assessment of the group home to determine the cost of the required modifications so that they can live safely and independently, and similar as possible to their pre-accident lifestyle. The anticipated range of cost was pegged between $363,000 to $1 million.

But that was before the municipality condemned the group home after finding leaky roofs and rats and that it is unsuitable for human habitation, according to personal injury lawyer Michael Switzer, who represents Plante. All the other tenants have left, but Trottier and Plante are defying an eviction notice because they have nowhere else to go, and no money to pay for rent anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Economical is refusing to advance any money for temporary accommodation until it conducts its own assessments, which, because of the pandemic, wont be completed until Oct. 1, explains personal injury lawyer Joseph Obagi, who represents Trottier.

He explained: Any rents paid in the interim would be credited against the substantial home modification expenses required for these two injured victims.

Their deplorable plight is an example of the ugly truth about how the motor vehicle victims are being treated during the COVID-19 pandemic, say the lawyers.

In over 25 years of practice, we have never had so little access to justice and the pandemic has simply made matters worse and given insurers a licence to unreasonably deny benefits, Obagi said.

However, Obagi said he and Switzer have hit a brick wall with Economical, which has not only refused to provide any interim relief, but even discuss the matter. The company denies that.

In an emailed statement to the Star, Economical Insurance said, it is our responsibility to know the facts and reconcile any inconsistencies before determining a claims decision, adding: As this particular claim remains open with our team, we are in communication with our customers in order to gather information and make an informed decision.

Trottier said she despairs at what the future holds.

Weve got no place to go, so me and my daughter will have to sleep in a car, she said.

Theres days I think of ending everything and the only reason why I dont is I could not leave my daughter in this world without me. Its cruel. You dont treat a dog like this.

Obagi says the request for interim support is entirely reasonable.

Were not talking about thousands and thousands of dollars in advance payments. Were talking about  lets get these people in a rental, lets pay the rent, lets get them into a safe place, then do all the extra reports you want, he said, adding its become urgent, of course, because winter months are coming.

In a followup email, Obagi wrote he and Switzer believe the Economicals conduct undermines the purpose and intent of an insurance policy and runs contrary to the Ontario governments directive to insurers to assist injured persons as much as possible in these pandemic times, especially when they are at their most vulnerable.

In Ontario, the Licence Appeal Tribunals Automobile Accident Benefits Service resolves disputes about an insured persons entitlement to benefits. But the pandemic has created a backlog of cases.

Our clients have nowhere else to turn, Obagi said.

In response to questions from the Star about the impact of the pandemic on the tribunals caseload, a spokeswoman wrote in an email that hearings are generally scheduled to take place within one year (of) filing, again dependent on the availability and readiness of the parties and their counsel.

Her email included links to the tribunals annual reports and operational data predating the pandemic. Data for 2020-2021 first quarter will be published in the fall, the email stated.
Belarus Blocks Catholic Church Head From Entering Country After He Criticizes Government

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 01, 2020

Belarusian authorities have barred Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz from entering the country, a day after the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus warned the nation's political crisis could lead to civil war.

Border guards blocked the 74-year-old archbishop of Minsk and Mohilev from entering from neighboring Poland on August 31, despite him being a citizen of Belarus.

"Border guards of the Republic of Belarus denied the head of the Belarusian Catholic episcopate entry to the country without explanation," Bishop Yuri Kasabutsky, an auxiliary bishop in the Minsk and Mohilev archdiocese, was quoted by the Catholic News Agency as saying.

The president of the Belarusian bishops' conference has been a vocal critic of the brutal crackdown on protesters in the wake of the country's contested August 9 vote.

President Alyaksandr Lukashanka, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner of the election, which was widely viewed as rigged. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past three weeks to protest the results and demand he step down despite a crackdown that has left hundreds injured and at least six dead.

In an address read at Catholic churches on August 30, Kondrusiewicz wrote that the country faced an "unprecedented sociopolitical crisis" and the prospect of civil war.

"In a peace-loving and tolerant Belarus -- as our country is known in the world -- brother raised his hand against his brother, as a result of which blood was shed and many people were injured," the metropolitan said.

"The difficult economic situation is also very alarming today. We are threatened by international isolation. More and more often you can hear the opinion that the threat of a civil war is becoming real, which none of us could have even thought of a few months ago," he continued.

"From the very beginning of the sociopolitical crisis, the Catholic Church has encouraged prayer and called problems to be solved through dialogue, remembering Christ's words that without him we could do nothing," Kondrusiewicz said.

Earlier this week, Kondrusiewicz condemned security forces after they blocked the entrance to the Church of Saints Symon and Alena in Minsk, a structure also known as the Red Church.

He has also condemned police beatings and detentions of protesters.

"The beating of peaceful demonstrators who want to know the truth, their cruel treatment and inhumane detention, is a grave sin on the conscience of those who give criminal orders and commit violence," he wrote in a message to Belarusian state officials on August 14.

According to official numbers, about 6 percent of Belarus's 9.5 million people are Roman Catholic, while 53 percent belong to the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The remainder of the population identifies as atheist, uncertain, or belonging to minority religions.

With reporting by the Catholic News Agency

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/30814143.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Boris Johnson was roasted for 'mess after mess' in the coronavirus crisis today after the government performed another embarrassing U-turn on lockdowns.

Bolton and Trafford were among a series of areas in the North West due to see restrictions eased today.

But the move was abandoned at the 11th hour after a furious backlash from local politicians including Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who said infection levels were still far too high.

As the dramatic volte face emerged, Mr Johnson was lashed by Keir Starmer at PMQs for 'making it up as he goes along'.

'It's mess after mess... U-turn after U-turn, it's a fundamental issue of competence,' the Labour leader raged.

'God knows what's going on, there's no grip.'

But a clearly stung PM retorted by branding Sir Keir 'Captain Hindsight'.

Announcing the latest abrupt change of heart this afternoon, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'Following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days, a decision has been taken that Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing restrictions.

'This decision has been made in collaboration with local leaders after reviewing the latest data. We continually monitor outbreaks across the country, and have seen infection rates increase more than three times in Bolton in under a week, and double in Trafford since the last review.'

Lockdowns are being lifted in some parts of the North West - but will now be kept in place in Bolton and Trafford

Boris Johnson (left) branded Keir Starmer (right) 'Captain Hindsight' after the Labour leader accused him of overseeing 'mess after mess' at PMQs today

Andy Burnham has blasted the 'completely illogical' lifting of local lockdowns across north-west England today

A chart shows the the different infection rates in each local authority area of Greater Manchester

Masks announcement is latest in string of Government U-turns The last-minute change of heart on lockdown in Bolton and Trafford is the latest in a long line of embarrassing policy shifts since February. Face masks in schools Ministers initially insisted that there was no need for pupils to wear masks in schools. However, after Nicola Sturgeon took the opposite view in Scotland, the position changed. The government is now advising that face coverings should be worn by secondary school pupils and staff in some areas of England. A-level and GCSE results U-turn in England Following criticism from students, headteachers and a backlash by Tory MPs, the Government announced A-level and GCSE grades would be based on teachers' assessments rather than a controversial algorithm devised by regulator Ofqual. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Gavin Williamson had previously defended the 'robust' system, which saw almost 40% of A-level grades reduced from teachers' predictions. Government's coronavirus contact-tracing app plans ditched A new NHSX app for contact tracing was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 12, pledging that it would be 'crucial' for preventing the transmission of coronavirus. It was trialled on the Isle of Wight but was then ditched on June 18 as the Government allowed Apple and Google to take over the project. A national rollout date has still not been set. Primary school children to return In early May, Mr Williamson set out the Government's ambition that all primary-age children in England would have at least four weeks in school before the summer. But on June 9, he said there was 'no choice' but to scrap those plans amid concerns that the two-metre social distancing rule would make a full return impossible. Coronavirus testing target On April 2, Mr Hancock set a goal of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month. Tt the Government's daily briefing on May 1, Mr Hancock said testing figures had hit 122,347 on April 30. However, the figures included the number of home tests (27,497) that had been sent out as well as the number of tests sent out to satellite sites (12,872). It suggested that the number of tests actually processed was closer to around 81,978 - short of the Government's target. NHS surcharge for overseas health and care staff On May 21 the PM stood by the fee that overseas health workers were being charged to use the NHS. However, just hours later, following mounting pressure from senior Tories, it was announced that foreign health and care workers would be exempted from the scheme. School meals voucher scheme England footballer Marcus Rashford was credited as playing a key part in forcing the Government to U-turn on its decision not to extend the children's food voucher scheme into the summer holidays. On June 16, Cabinet minister Grant Shapps said that free school meals are not normally extended to cover the summer period. Yet a few hours later, No10 reversed its stance, confirming that it would in fact extend the programme. Bereavement scheme to NHS support staff extended After criticism that care workers, cleaners and porters were being excluded from a Home Office scheme granting families of health workers indefinite leave to remain in the UK if they die of Covid-19, the Government announced an extension of the scheme on May 20. The scheme had been introduced in April to help support families affected by the pandemic. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the extension would be 'effective immediately and retrospectively'. Advertisement

It means hundreds of thousands of people in both areas will remain banned from mixing with people from other households, while businesses that were due to open - such as casinos - will need to remain closed.

Several areas in the North West will still come out of lockdown. They are Stockport, Burnley, Hyndburn and parts of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Earlier, Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people in Bolton and Trafford should 'continue to follow the guidance' not to have social gatherings in their home.

'We find ourselves at a completely unsustainable position this morning - that's the politest way I can put it,' he said.

'Overnight we've had restrictions released in two boroughs where we've got a rising number of cases - in one case in the red zone.

'And neighbouring boroughs are still under restrictions but with much lower numbers of cases.

'These restrictions were always hard to explain to the public but they are completely illogical now.'

His comments echo those of Trafford Council leader Andrew Western, who blasted the 'chaotic' way local lockdowns had been handled and accused ministers of making a 'purely political calculation' to lift the restrictions even as cases rose.

It came after his counterpart in Bolton, the Tory councillor David Greenhalgh, insisted an 'unforeseeable' rise in infections meant it was necessary to keep the lockdown in place.

While the ban on mixing households has been lifted in many areas, they remain in others including Oldham, Pendle and Leicester.

Businesses opened elsewhere on August 15, such as casinos, bowling alleys and indoor concert venues, will also be allowed to reopen.

Meanwhile, a rise in cases in Scotland has seen new lockdowns introduced in Glasgow as well as in East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Restrictions have been in place across much of the North West since July 15.

The request to maintain restrictions in Bolton was made following an emergency meeting between officials as the rate of new Covid-19 cases in Bolton surged over the weekend from 44.9 per 100,000 on Friday, to 56.4 per 100,000 yesterday.

Meanwhile, Trafford recorded 170 new cases up to August 29, up from 53 the week before. Its current rate of new cases at 59 per 100,000 residents puts it among the highest in England.

Analysis showed that new cases in Bolton were spread across the borough and not limited to a single area, community, or place of work, said the council.

Infections between different households appear to be the main cause of the spike with people aged 18-49 representing the overwhelming majority of new cases, it added.

The government also faced calls from fellow Tories to keep restrictions in place in Trafford and Bolton before deciding to do so.

Conservative leader of Bolton Council, Councillor David Greenhalgh, said: 'It is with a heavy heart that the cabinet and officer team have come to this decision and this will be incredibly disappointing for both residents and business owners.

'We urged the Government to lift Bolton out of the additional restrictions at a time when infection rates were low.

'This was the right decision at the time.

'However, there has been a sudden and unforeseeable rise in the number of coronavirus cases in Bolton.

'We have always been led by the data, which means we have no choice but to act quickly to keep everyone safe.'

Labour council leader Andrew Western earlier wrote to Matt Hancock to 'urgently request clarity' on the Government's position on Trafford.

In his letter, Mr Western said: 'Sadly I must highlight to you that Trafford has now returned to the Government's own amber zone in terms of cases of 100,000 population, and now has a significantly higher rate of cases than some other Greater Manchester boroughs who are not due to see restrictions lifted tomorrow.

'In short, this decision has caused chaos and confusion that not only impacts potentially on the health of my residents but on the likelihood of compliance in neighbouring boroughs that now have a lower infection rate than Trafford.

'The proposed arrangements now make little sense.

'The system has been undermined by the Government's decision-making processes.'
English French

ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radisson Mining Resources Inc. (TSX-V: RDS, OTC: RMRDF): (Radisson or the Company") is pleased to announce significant high-grade gold intercepts from the ongoing 60,000 m exploration drill program at its OBrien gold project located along the Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break, halfway between Rouyn-Noranda and Val-dOr in Quebec, Canada.

Drill results from the OBrien Project continue to validate our litho-structural model and demonstrate the potential for resource growth at depth and laterally along strike. Prior drilling demonstrated the potential for two high grade mineralized trends, located approximately 300 m and 600 m respectively to the east of and bearing similarities to structures historically mined at the OBrien Mine. Our efforts to step-out further to the east have been rewarded with multiple high-grade intercepts including 45.86 g/t over 2.10 m, 21.29 g/t over 2.00 m and 17.90 g/t over 2.15 m that appear to highlight a third high-grade mineralised trend in a relatively untested area approximately 900 m to the east of the old mine. Drilling so far has traced mineralization down to 500 m vertical depth, with the zone remaining open at depth and laterally.

Our exploration efforts to date have been limited to a strike length of approximately 1 km, a relatively small part of the 6 km prospective strike length along the prolific Cadillac Break. While we are impressed by results so far, we are even more excited at the prospect of leveraging our litho-structural model to target a repeat of our success over a much larger area that extends approximately 3.0 km to the east and now, post the New Alger acquisition, 3 km to the west of the old OBrien Mine, historically the highest grade gold mine in Quebec.

Results released so far represent approximately half of our planned 60,000 m program. We are well funded to expand our program to up to 75,000 m, permitting additional drilling into 2021. With three rigs in operation, we eagerly look forward to additional results as we systematically step out to grow resources laterally and at depth, commented Mario Bouchard, Chief Executive Officer.

Press release Highlights

Potential for a third high-grade mineralized trend, approximately 900 m east of the old OBrien mine, with multiple high-grade intercepts outside the boundary of defined resources.

Hole OB-20-149 returned 45.86 g/t over 2.10 m (500 m vertical depth) including 92.90 g/t over 1.00 m with visible gold showings (see photo 1 and photo 2 ) obtained 260 m below defined resources.

and ) obtained 260 m below defined resources. Hole OB-20-146 returned 17.90 g/t over 2.15 m (105 m vertical depth) and 21.29 g/t over 2.00 m (260 m vertical depth).

Hole OB-20-144 returned 5.79 g/t over 2.00 m (135 m vertical depth)

Highlights opportunity for significant resource growth in a largely undrilled area

Mineralization has been traced down to 500 m vertical depth, with the zone open for expansion laterally and at depth.

Opportunity for additional resource growth within a second mineralized trend located approximately 600 m east of the old OBrien Mine

Hole OB-20-142 returned multiple high-grade intercepts east of defined resources in the area including 5.58 g/t over 2.00 m, 11.02 g/t over 2.00 m and 5.81 g/t over 2.00 m

Current resources in the area are largely above 360 m vertical depth and mineralization remains open for expansion laterally and at depth.

Drilling continues to expand the first mineralized trend (36E Zone), approximately 300 m to the east of the old OBrien Mine and below the resource boundary

Hole OB-20-145 returned 12.48 g/t Au over 2.00 m core length (vertical depth of 725 m)

The majority of defined resources in the area are within 600 m vertical depth.

Drilling to date demonstrates continuity down to approximately 950 m, within an area extending approximately 300 m laterally and 350 m vertically below the resource boundary.

Mineralization is open for expansion laterally and at depth below 950 m.

With the close of the New Alger acquisition, Radissons claims cover a prospective strike length of 5.9 km along the prolific Cadillac Break

Prospective strike now includes approximately 3 km east and 3 km west of the old OBrien Mine, historically the highest-grade gold mine in Quebec (production of 587 k oz at 15.25 g/t average grade from 1926  1957).

Drilling thus far has mostly been limited to 1 km to the east of the old mine

The company plans to systematically step out further to the east as well as initiate drilling on high potential targets to the west of the OBrien Mine.

45,771 m of drilling completed to date with assays pending for approximately 12,771 m

Released results represent 55% of a planned 60,000 m program.

The company is funded to expand the program to over 75,000 m.

Figure 1 Cadillac Mining Camp Geological Map: Combined OBrien & New Alger Properties

Figure 2 OBrien project longitudinal section looking North

Notable drill results

Hole Zone From (m) To (m) Core

Length (m) Au (g/t) 

Uncut Comments OB-20-138 Upper 36E 380.00 382.00 2.00 6.29 Piche Conglomerate Including 381.00 382.00 1.00 9.53 OB-20-142 Upper 36E 42.00 44.00 2.00 5.58 Pontiac Greywacke Including 42.00 43.00 1.00 10.65 250.60 252.60 2.00 11.02 Piche Basalt 282.30 284.30 2.00 5.81 Piche Porphyry Including 283.30 284.30 1.00 9.56 OB-20-144 Kewagama 167.00 169.00 2.00 5.79 Piche Basalt Including 168.00 169.00 1.00 8.93 OB-20-145 Lower 36E 833.00 835.00 2.00 12.48 Piche Porphyry OB-20-146 Kewagama 72.00 74.15 2.15 17.90 Pontiac Greywacke Including 72.80 74.15 1.35 28.50 294.00 296.00 2.00 21.29 Piche Greywacke Including 295.00 296.00 1.00 42.40 *VG OB-20-149 Kewagama 549.00 551.10 2.10 45.86 Piche Basalt Including 549.00 550.00 1.00 92.90 *VG

VG denotes the presence of visible gold Core length or down hole width. True widths are estimated at 70% to 80% of down hole width. To the extent possible, primary intercepts reflect minimum mining width (1.5 m true width) consistent with assumptions used in the 2019 resource estimate. Assay grades shown uncapped. A capping factor of 60 g/t Au was used in the 2019 resource estimate Table includes only intercepts that meet 5 g/t Au cut-off and minimum mining width constraints used in the 2019 MRE.

Potential third high-grade mineralized trend (Kewagama area), 900 m east of the OBrien Mine

Hole OB-20-149 returned 45.86 g/t Au over 2.10 m core length (vertical depth of 500 m) with visible gold showing in a smoky quartz vein ( See figure 4 )

 The intercept was obtained 260 m below defined resources in a sparsely drilled area 900 m east of the old OBrien Mine

Hole OB-20-146 returned multiple high-grade intercepts including:

 17.90 g/t Au over 2.15 m core length (vertical depth of 105 m) including 28.50 g/t over 1.35 m

 21.29 g/t Au over 2.00 m core length (vertical depth of 260 m) including 42.40 g/t over 1.00 m

Hole OB-20-144 returned 5.79 g/t Au over 2.00 m core length (vertical depth of 135 m)

 The intercept was obtained 25 m above defined resources.

Resources in the area are mostly above 250 m vertical depth. Mineralization is open for expansion laterally and at depth.

Figure 3. Third potential high-grade mineralized trend, 900 m east of the old OBrien Mine

Figure 4. Visible gold showing in OB-20-149

Results from hole OB-20-144, OB-20-146 and OB-20-149, in conjunction with historical results, appears to be highlighting a third high-grade steeply dipping mineralized trend located approximately 900 m to the east of the old OBrien Mine. Further drilling is planned to confirm continuity down to 500 m vertical depth (260 m below the limit of resources in the area) where hole OB-20-149 intersected 45.86 g/t over 2.10 m. Mineralization remains open for expansion laterally and at depth below 500 m.

Drilling highlights opportunity for resource growth within the second mineralized trend, 600 m east of the old OBrien Mine

Hole OB-20-142 returned multiple high-grade intercepts outside and to the east of modeled resources in the area, previously highlighted by hole OB-20-124 ( See 8.35 g/t Au over 6.00 m ) and OB-19-106, these results include:

 5.58 g/t Au over 2.00 m from 42.00 m core length

 11.02 g/t Au over 2.00 m from 250.60 m core length

 5.81 g/t Au over 2.00 m from 282.30 m core length

Results from hole OB-20-142, OB-20-124 and OB-19-106 in conjunction with other recent results, appears to be defining a second high-grade steeply dipping mineralized trend starting approximately 300 m east of the high-grade trend defined down to a vertical depth of 950 m on 36E and F zones. While resources in this area are largely limited to the upper 400 m, results from the ongoing campaign indicate a trend that links above high-grade resources up to 175 m further down plunge. There are indications that the trend could extend deeper to 1,100 m where a historical intercept returned 17.46 g/t Au over 1.00 m. Overall results to date suggest strong exploration potential below 400 m for this sector with assays pending for additional holes in this area.

Drilling continues to expand the first mineralized trend (36E Zone) at depth below the resource boundary

Hole OB-20-145 returned 12.48 g/t Au over 2.00 m core length (vertical depth of 725 m)

 The intercept was obtained below the eastern boundary of resources at the Lower 36E Zone.

 120 m above a previously released intercept of 66.71 g/t Au over 4.70 m ( See OB-19-92W2b )

 60 m east of a previously released intercept of 37.76 g/t Au over 2.00 m ( See OB-19-98W2)

Current resources at the 36E zone are limited to 600 m vertical depth. Additional drilling is planned to establish the resource potential in the Lower 36E area, drilling thus far suggests strong continuity of mineralization down to 950 m, within an area extending approximately 300 m laterally and 350 m vertically below the resource boundary. This area remains a key focus for the current drilling program. All holes drilled on Lower 36E as part of this campaign have intersected mineralization within the targeted geological units, with most holes returning high-grade intercepts, often accompanied by visible gold showings. While the majority of drilling so far has been focused on testing the eastern extent of mineralization at depth, it remains open for expansion laterally (to the east and west) and at depth below 950 m. Drilling is currently underway to test the western extent of mineralization, with assays pending for hole OB-20-148W1 having intersected multiple grains of disseminated visible gold within a smoky quartz vein at the western boundary of the Lower 36E area.

Exploration program

To this date 45,771 m of drilling have been completed at the OBrien gold project with assays pending for approximately 12,771 m. Results released so far represent 55% of the ongoing 60,000 m drill campaign started in August 2019. The company is funded to expand the drill program above 75,000 m.

QA/QC

All drill cores in this campaign are NQ in size. Assays were completed on sawn half-cores, with the second half kept for future reference. The samples were analyzed using standard fire assay procedures with Atomic Absorption (AA) finish at ALS Laboratory Ltd, in Val-dOr, Quebec. Samples yielding a grade higher than 5 g/t Au were analyzed a second time by fire assay with gravimetric finish at the same laboratory. Samples containing visible gold were analyzed with metallic sieve procedure. Standard reference materials and blank samples were inserted prior to shipment for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program.

Qualified Person

Richard Nieminen, P. Geo, Exploration manager, acts as a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

Radisson mining resources Inc.

Radisson is a gold exploration company focused on its 100% owned OBrien project, located in the Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp along the world-renowned Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break in Abitibi, Quebec. The Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp has produced over 21,000,000 ounces of gold over the last 100 years. The project hosts the former OBrien Mine, considered to have been the Abitibi Greenstone Belts highest-grade gold producer during its production (1,197,147 metric tons at 15.25 g/t Au for 587,121 ounces of gold from 1926 to 1957; Kenneth Williamson 3DGeo-Solution, July 2019). For more information on Radisson, visit our website at www.radissonmining.com or contact:

On behalf of the board of directors

Mario Bouchard

CEO and Director

Certain information contained in the press release are subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to the intended use of proceeds of the Offering, the development of the OBrien project and generally, the above About Radisson Mining Resources Inc. paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook, constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and future events, could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward looking information can be found in Radissons disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com .

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements endeavours to develop the OBrien project and, more generally, its expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.
Russia steps up support for Belarus' Lukashenko Belarusian law enforcement detained over 100 students at Tuesday demonstrations in Minsk

Russia on Wednesday issued strong support for beleaguered Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following weeks of opposition protests, stepping up official contacts and vowing to defend the ex-Soviet neighbours' alliance.

Moscow has recognised as legitimate disputed elections in which the Belarusian strongman claimed a sixth term, while opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has declared herself the true winner.

Now the two governments have announced high-level political and military meetings in the coming days.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will arrive in Minsk on Thursday. He will be the most senior Russian official to make a public visit since the political crisis broke out over disputed presidential polls on August 9, with economic aid likely to top the agenda.

The Kremlin earlier this week announced that President Vladimir Putin would host Lukashenko in the coming weeks.

Russia has close ties with Belarus and props up Lukashenko's regime, in place for 26 years, with economic support.

President Vladimir Putin is keen to fully unify the countries, a project Lukashenko has opposed. But Moscow has accompanied its offers of military aid with calls for tighter integration.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin is due to arrive in Moscow on Friday for a meeting of ex-Soviet defence chiefs.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his most extensive comments on the crisis so far at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei in Moscow on Wednesday.

He vowed that Moscow would "firmly respond" to any attempts to "sway the situation" in Belarus, accusing Moscow's foes of attempting to "tear Belarus away from Russia" and undermine their shared union state, which includes economic and military ties.

Lavrov also backed a proposal for constitutional reforms that Lukashenko has raised, while giving few details of what this would entail.

Lavrov acknowledged that many protesters are peaceful but alleged that foreign groups, particularly from nationalist groups in Ukraine, were pushing to spark violence.

Story continues

He accused the European Union and NATO of "destructive statements" after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia not to "interfere" in Belarus and the EU agreed to draw up a list of people to target with sanctions.

Russia's top diplomat also ruled out the possibility of negotiation with the opposition's Coordination Council, set up to organise a peaceful handover of power, as its leaders have proposed.

"We think there's no point in meeting," Lavrov said.

- No 'colour revolution' -

One of the council's most prominent members, former diplomat and arts minister Pavel Latushko, said Wednesday that he had left the country for Poland and Lithuania, where he will meet Tikhanovskaya, who has taken shelter there.

"When I'll come back to Belarus, I don't know," he said, after being summoned for questioning along with other members in a criminal probe that the authorities have opened into alleged attempts to seize power. Several council members are now being held in detention.

Foreign minister Makei claimed that the situation in Belarus was calming down, despite police cracking down more harshly on daily protests.

"We agreed that internal contradictions in Belarus will be lifted within the nearest future," he said, stressing the country had avoided a "colour revolution" overthrowing a pro-Kremlin leader, like those seen in other ex-Soviet states such as Ukraine.

The latest of three huge protest marches was held at the weekend with more than 100,000 people attending. Police cracked down on student protests on Tuesday, detaining 128 people, according to the interior ministry.

The diplomatic meeting came as five Belarusian journalists who had been covering demonstrations faced a court hearing for participating in illegal protests. Lukashenko has sought to impede wide coverage of demonstrations and revoked accreditations of journalists for international media.

Lukashenko on Tuesday thanked Russian state television network RT for its "support", amid reports that the broadcaster sent staff to Minsk after some Belarusians working for state networks resigned in protest.

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of Directors of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI), through its president Benjamin Ortega is pleased to announce and welcome the appointment of its new Business Development Officer (BDO) Sharilyn Bryson effective September 1.

Bryson attended Milton Peters College, then successfully pursued her higher education in the Netherlands thereby obtaining a masters degree in Management Policy-Analysis (MPA) and Entrepreneurship, with a specialization in business management attained at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) van Amsterdam.

One of her roles and duties within her capacity as the Business Development Officer includes ensuring that the operations of the Chambers Business Center function effectively and efficiently.

The business community can expect a further enhancement in the level of engagement from COCI whereby their current business needs can be tabled, addressed, and lobbied with the relevant stakeholders.

Additionally, new, and upcoming business enthusiasts will see a further enhanced platform for which their business ideas can be developed and become a reality now that COCI has filled this essential position.

Brysons recruitment was conducted by an independent body outside of COCI and was the chosen candidate from a large number of applicants, not given only to her academic credentials but also to her open nature, bright ideas, and enthusiasm to serve the business community of St. Maarten during these challenging times.

In the words of Bryson, It is my desire to bring about effective change in the Chambers Business Center. I believe that there is an opportunity to further assist the business community in all business-related areas pertaining to knowledge, information, resources, and the latest business trends. It is my hope that the Chambers Business Center will become the go-to-place for your business needs, questions, and concerns.

Bryson has also expressed her gratefulness to have been given the opportunity to return home to St. Maarten to offer her knowledge and assistance to the countrys business community.

The Board and the Executive staff of COCI, take this opportunity to once again welcome Sharilyn Bryson and also to assure the general public that COCI would continue to do what is necessary to ensure that the services rendered are effective and at an optimal level during these COVID-19 times.
Nigerians have rejected the new pricing regime, as Power Distribution Companies, DISCOs commence the new price system approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC on Tuesday, September 1.

The DISCOs had previously announced that the new price regime will begin in July, but was faced with wide criticism. The government however pleaded that they suspend the implementation till further notice as the country was only gradually recovering from the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

However the DISCOs on September 1st announced that it had commenced the new pricing regime for some DISCOs across the country.

A decision that still did not go down well with Nigerians who have taken different platforms to express their disapproval of the increase.

Are you aware that DISCOS have increased electricity tarrif with effect from September 1st? And in case you dont know, its NERC approved! pic.twitter.com/XCIxgqJJbT  Gbemi Dennis (@GbemiDennis) September 2, 2020

11 months after FG set up a committee to review ownership of Discos the matter died silently New electricity tariff increase now takes effect Power supply is still abysmal Communities buy their power distribution facilities While Discos impose bills Animal farm  nafeeu (@nafeezi) September 2, 2020

DISCOs just increased tariff by 300% in another round of insane IMPUNITY. If we dont STOP them, they will keep RAPING us and making our PAINS their GAINS. We must FIGHT BACK! Sign Up 4 Sept PROTEST WALK against Estimated Billing! #CitizensChallenge! pic.twitter.com/otcnp5bfrK  Chris Ososa Asuelime (@OsosaChris) September 2, 2020

Has GENCOS increase bills, has TCN experience same? how dare should DISCOS increase tariff. Nigerians is obvious we dont have a government in place to check this, Close down NERC bcos they aint for us. I expect NERC to liaise with the discos and give Nigerians reply. https://t.co/SLnWkxXyET  John Edeh (@john84edeh) September 2, 2020

Im so elated for Buharist and APC supporters cos:

 Theyve their own filling stations where they buy fuel at N123/lit.

 Theyve their shopping malls where they pay only 5% VAT.

 Theyve their own DISCOs that charges less.

 Theyve their own banks with zero bank charges.  The Oracle (@Clemsakin71) September 2, 2020

DISCOs have increased electricity tariff. DSS have started inviting people over their social media posts. What a way to start September. And the crime we commited is? Being Nigerians! ??  Wale Adetona (@iSlimfit) September 2, 2020

Some states that has implemented the new price regime include the following;

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company,EKEDC, the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IEDC, the Abuja Electricity Distribution, AEDC, The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KEDCO, and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC.

According to the DISCOs, the new rates are categorised by the number of hours the customers are supplied electricity and will ensure full recovery of efficient cost of operations and reasonable rate of return on capital invested by the power firms.

They added that, it will also provide a path for transition to full service-based cost-reflective tariffs by July 2021.
Northern Gannet. Credit: Gergana Daskalova, University of Edinburgh

The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global change as those of rare species, a study suggests.

A study of more than 2,000 species reveals animal populations around the worldfrom the very common to endangered speciesare going up and down as global change alters land, sea and freshwater ecosystems.

The findings highlight a need to look beyond only rare species in order to improve efforts to conserve global biodiversity, scientists say.

Critically endangered animalssuch as the Hawksbill sea turtlewere previously thought to be at greater risk of decline than common species like red deer, but the study found a wide spectrum of changes in animal numbers.

Findings from the new study suggest the numbers within very common animal species are, in fact, as likely to increase or decrease as rare ones.

However, species with smaller population sizes were shown to be more likely to change from year to year, potentially increasing their extinction risk in the long term.

Until recently, scientists were still compiling data on how animal populations were shifting over time on a global scale across the different regions of the planet.

Eider duck. Credit: Gergana Daskalova, University of Edinburgh

Making use of the newly available data, a team of University of Edinburgh researchers studied nearly 10,000 animal populations recorded in the Living Planet Database between 1970 and 2014 to provide a new perspective on animal population change. These include records of mammals, reptiles, sharks, fish, birds and amphibians.

The team found that 15 percent of all populations declined during the period, while 18 percent increased and 67 percent showed no significant change.

Amphibians were the only group in which population sizes declined, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced increases.

The overall decline in amphibians makes them a priority for conservation efforts, researchers say, as their loss could have knock-on effects in food chains and wider ecosystems.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Carnegie Trust.

Mulga parrot. Credit: Gergana Daskalova, University of Edinburgh

Gergana Daskalova, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said: "We often assume that declines in animal numbers are prevalent everywhere. But we found that there are also many species which have increased over the last half of a century, such as those that do well in human-modified landscapes or those that are the focus of conservation actions."

Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, also of the School of GeoSciences, who co-authored the study, said: "Only as we bring together data from around the world, can we begin to really understand how global change is influencing the biodiversity of our planet. The original idea for this study stemmed from a fourth year undergraduate class at the University of Edinburgh. It is so inspiring to see early career researchers tackle some of the big conservation questions of our time using advanced data science skills."

Explore further Forest loss escalates biodiversity change
Motor vehicle traffic via the Giurgiu - Ruse border crossing point is currently difficult due to some protest actions carried out in Bulgaria, according to the National Road Infrastructure Management Corporation (CNAIR).

"As a result of protests carried out in Bulgaria on September 2, 2020 , between 09:30hrs-20:00hrs, motor vehicle traffic entering/leaving Bulgaria via the Giurgiu-Ruse border crossing point will be conducted on alternative routes," according to a press statement released by CNAIR.CNAIR recommends haulers to use of other border crossing points (PTFs) into Bulgaria, namely PTF Turnu Magurele - Nikopol; PTF Bechet-Orjahovo; PTF Calafat - Vidin; PTF Ostrov - Silistra; PTF Negru Voda - Kardam."We as kindly asking traffic participants to show understanding of of the existing situation and we assure them that CNAIR will quicken up specific activities, so that, after the end of the protests, traffic will become fluid as soon as possible," the release also mentions.
The star died after a long battle with colon cancer on Aug. 28, which also happened to be Jackie Robinson Day.

The Jackie Robinson biopic 42 is getting a theatrical re-release in honor of Chadwick Boseman.

Robinson was the first Black player in Major League Baseball in 1947, and Boseman played him in the 2013 sports drama. AMC Theaters will screen the film in more than 300 locations starting Thursday. Tickets will cost $5 and go on sale late Tuesday, PEOPLE reports.

The actor died after a long battle with colon cancer on Aug. 28, which also happened to be the same day the MLB celebrated Jackie Robinson Day. The tribute was initially set to take place on April 15 but was pushed back when the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More: Wire actor Clarke Peters breaks down over Chadwick Boseman

In the days since Bosemans death, fellow celebrities and fans have flooded social media with tributes. His 42 costar Harrison Ford, described him as compelling, powerful and truthful as the characters he chose to play, Ford said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. His intelligence, personal dignity and deep commitment inspired his colleagues and elevated the stories he told. He is as much a hero as any he played. He is loved and will be deeply missed, he added.

The Jackie Robinson Foundation also paid tribute to Boseman.

Chadwick was a dear friend of the Foundation  lending his time and visibility to help advance our mission, the charity posted on Twitter Saturday. Preparing for his starring role in 42, he studied extensively and spent considerable time with [Jackies wife] Rachel Robinson. A consummate professional, he absorbed every story, every memory and every photo and film excerpt he could consume to help translate the soul of an American hero. And now, Chadwick will be etched in history as a hero in his own right, especially having shown millions of black and Brown children the power of a superhero who looks like them.

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Read More: Michael B. Jordan honors Chadwick Boseman: I wish we had more time

Meanwhile, Bosemans final movie, Ma Raineys Black Bottom, co-starring Viola Davis, will be released posthumously on Netflix.

As we previously reported, the film follows the rising tensions and temperatures over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago, as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary Mother of the Blues, Ma Rainey.

Over the weekend, Twitter announced that Bosemans final post was the most liked tweet ever in the history of the platform.

Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Chadwick Bosemans 42 to return to theaters as tribute to actor appeared first on TheGrio.
Michigans health community continues to recommend coronavirus testing for asymptomatic individuals who might have been exposed to the virus despite a recent pivot in federal guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last week, the CDCs testing guidance was updated on its website. The new guidance states that asymptomatic individuals who have been in close contact with an infected individual do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or a health official has recommended you get tested.

Previously, it recommended that all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection, including those without symptoms, be tested for the novel virus, as about 40 percent of infected individuals are believed to be asymptomatic.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that it hasnt changed its COVID-19 testing strategies. Lynn Sutfin, spokesperson for the department, did note that the CDC guidance still allows for discretion of state and local public health officials on testing criteria.

The department is committed to a robust testing strategy that is focused on protecting the health and safety of all Michiganders, Sutfin said. We have not made changes to testing strategies in Michigan and continue to follow state prioritization criteria.

Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County, said she flat out disagrees with the CDCs change in guidance. She referenced a June outbreak at Harpers Restaurant and Brewpub in East Lansing, in which at least 30 percent of the 180 linked cases were asymptomatic individuals who might not otherwise have known they were carrying the infectious virus if they hadnt gotten tested.

She recommends individuals isolate themselves if they believe they have been exposed to someone who is infected. If they want to seek testing, she suggests waiting 7-10 days after exposure to allow for an incubation period.

The more testing you can do, the better it is, Vail said. Its been proven over and over again, that testing is how we find cases and do appropriate contact tracing, quarantine and isolation. Were trying to expand testing capacity, not shrink testing capacity.

Three Michigan health systems -- Sparrow, Henry Ford and Spectrum -- also confirmed they havent altered their testing recommendations.

Sparrow Health System in mid-Michigan, which has performed more than 100,000 tests for COVID-19, released a statement voicing their opposition of the new guidelines. In it, Director James Richard noted that much of the national laboratory and medical community also oppose the CDC guidelines.

Sparrow Laboratories continues to test all individuals, symptomatic or otherwise, including those with COVID, Richard said. Testing provides information on the COVID threat we face. The more we know about COVID in our community, the better Sparrow can address the threat.

Related: Thinking about getting a coronavirus test? 4 pieces of advice from Michiganders who have

At Henry Ford, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Adnan Munkarah said the health system will continue testing asymptomatic individuals out of an abundance of caution for our patients and our community. The system has conducted more than 115,000 tests.

Such testing includes asymptomatic patients for surgery, procedures, hospital admissions, labor and delivery, and when a physician recommends testing, including for vulnerable asymptomatic patients. We also provide testing to numerous organizations, including essential workers and nursing homes.

We wholeheartedly believe that identifying asymptomatic carriers is critical to containing COVID-19, Munkarah said. Testing protects patients, their families, our employees and the community.

We, like every health system, the State of Michigan, the City of Detroit and public health entities locally and nationally, trust the epidemiological science that irrefutably has proven that contagious disease cannot be stopped without identifying it and isolating it.

In West Michigan, Spectrum Health offers an online symptom tracker. If you answer no to all of the coronavirus symptoms but yes to the question asking if youve been exposed to someone with known or suspected COVID-19 in the last 14 days, the tracker will say you are eligible to be tested.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 1, Michigan has reported 103,186 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,495 deaths linked to the novel virus. The state is averaging a little fewer than 700 new cases and about 11 new deaths per day over the last week.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS:

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

Read more on MLive:

Coronavirus data moving to 6-day reporting schedule in Michigan

How has the increase in testing impacted Michigans coronavirus case numbers?

Michigan reports new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, Sept. 1

$300-per-week in federal unemployment to Michigans jobless wont last long
WebCie chosen to help Pizza Giant serve French posts and act as social community manager for Facebook

MONTREAL, Sept. 2, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Domino's Pizza of Canada Ltd. ("Domino's Pizza"), selects WebCie MTL Inc. ("WebCie") to assist the pizza giant deliver a more "Quebecois" voice to their Quebec Facebook and Instagram channels.

Domino's Pizza, located in Tecumseh, Ontario, chooses Montreal-based digital marketing agency WebCie, to provide: "colloquial" French translation services and Social Listening services for Domino's Pizza's Quebec French community.

The services being provided by WebCie to Domino's Pizza originates from the pizza company's desire to have a more Quebec footprint with regards to the voice used on its francophone social media channels.

Mr. Steve Karagioules, director of human resources at Domino's Pizza and native Montrealer, was tasked with the responsibility of identifying candidate agencies that would be able to meet Domino's Pizza's needs. Mr. Karagioules submitted WebCie's candidacy early on in the search for a Montreal-based agency.

WebCie was ultimately selected to perform said tasks for the pizza behemoth as they were able to demonstrate a high level of proficiency with everyday translation services geared at social media and an ability to respond to inbound messages in a timely manner due to a focus on hyper-responsive service.

Quotes:

Mr. Aylwin is delighted to have been awarded the contract and reiterates that, "Domino's Pizza was looking for people from here. People that would know how to deal with clients from Levis to Gatineau or Sherbrooke and so on. Culture in Quebec is distinct from others provinces and we have a duty to provide that distinctness to Domino's Pizza."

"WebCie has every hope of growing its Social listening and colloquial French translation service for other national businesses looking for a more organic footprint in the Quebec market." Mr. Aylwin also said.

About WebCie:

Our digital marketing agency was founded in 2016 in modest offices in Montreal-North. Our company prides itself on providing internet marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses. WebCie has also achieved certification in Google Ads Search and is a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional.

Our services are

Search engine marketing (SEM);

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO Services);

Social media management (SMM), monitoring and listening services;

Website design with front end/back-end service capabilities;

Online reputation management.

For further information contact:

Christopher Aylwin, President, [email protected] OR

Anne-Marie Frechette, Digital Marketing Manager, [email protected]

Related links:

https://webcie.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/webciemtl/

https://www.instagram.com/webcie/

https://twitter.com/WebCieMTL

https://www.linkedin.com/company/webcie

SOURCE WebCie

Related Links

https://webcie.ca/


Eamonn Holmes has said he wants to "heal and not divide" when he takes over BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show next week.

The This Morning presenter will fill in for regular host Stephen Nolan as he takes time off from his daily morning show.

"The Nolan Show is honoured that one of the UKs top newsmen Eamonn Holmes will be hosting the Nolan Show next week," the broadcaster tweeted.

"Ive admired Eamonn since I was a boy and we are so excited to have him.

"Get the News, Make the News with Eamonn Holmes on Nolan at 9."

Thanking his friend for the kind words, Holmes reassured Nolan's loyal listeners the show would be in good hands.

"I'll try to do it the same.... only differently," Holmes said.

"I hope your audience are welcoming. I want to listen, heal and not divide.

"For listeners and you to know that 'The Biggest Show in The Country' is in good hands and that I am one of them, there to listen."

The 60-year-old confirmed he would be flying home to host the show from Broadcasting House, Belfast.

Fans of the TV star said on social media there was "no better man for the job" and wished him luck with his new venture.

"So excited about hearing this Eamonn, that's me tuning in for sure," said one follower.

"I will tune in if your presenting, my favourite broadcaster," said another.

A third praised: "Fantastic Eamonn. Will be wonderful to hear you on air. Admired by many of us."

BBC presenter Vinny Hurrell and political correspondent Enda McClafferty will also have a turn hosting the show in Nolan's absence.

"Endas charm is the magic dust," Nolan said of the Derry man.

"And - if we can afford him & he can fit us in between his own shows/ Botox and waxing sessions - our @vinnybelfast."
White House adviser Jared Kushner travels to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia seeking more support for normalising ties.

After accompanying an Israeli delegation to the United Arab Emirates for historic normalisation talks, White House adviser Jared Kushner set off on a tour of other Gulf capitals on Tuesday, looking for more Arab support.

Israel and the UAE set up a joint committee to cooperate on financial services at the talks in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Kushner, United States President Donald Trumps son-in-law, accompanied the Israeli delegation Monday on what was billed as the first Israeli commercial flight to the influential Gulf monarchy, which agreed in August to normalise relations with Israel.

Israel exchanged embassies with neighbours Egypt and Jordan under peace deals decades ago. But until now, all other Arab states had demanded it first cede more land to the Palestinians, prompting criticism from stakeholders across the region.

Palestinians have condemned the deal as a stab in the back by a major Arab player while they still lack a state of their own. Turkey threatened to suspend relations with the UAE after normalisation was announced.

Israels archrival Iran has been scathing in its criticism. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted Tuesday that the UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the regions countries, and Palestine.

The #UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the regions countries, and #Palestine. Of course, this betrayal wont last long.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 1, 2020

Kushner later flew to Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia and is expected also to visit Qatar.

In Bahrain, which houses the US naval headquarters for the region, the state news agency reported that during his meeting with Kushner, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had praised the role the UAE has played in defending Arab and Islamic interests.

In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Kushner discussed the need for the Palestinians and the Israelis to resume negotiations and reach a lasting peace, state news agency SPA reported.

Looking at Israel media, you'd get impression they are celebrating UAE ties. When you consider they could've had ties w/ 57 Arab & Muslims countries (lots more direct flights!) if they just adhered to intl law you realize what they are actually celebrating today is impunity.  (((YousefMunayyer))) (@YousefMunayyer) August 31, 2020

While no further officials made statements that suggested they would soon recognise Israel, in remarks reported by the UAE state news agency WAM, Kushner suggested other Arab states could follow quickly.

Asked when the next would normalise ties with Israel, he was quoted as saying: Lets hope its months.

Saudi Arabia allowed the El Al charter flight carrying Kushner and the Israelis to use its airspace, in spite of its public resistance to normalisation.

Treachery

There are overlapping regional interests between Israel and Gulf Arab states, which are mainly ruled by Sunni Muslim monarchs who consider their biggest foe to be Shia Iran.

Israel has long held out the promise that their common enemy could bring them together, in spite of regional opposition to Israeli expansion on the occupied Palestinian territories.

That pic of Sheikh Zayed in the middle with Kushner, a staunch supporter of far-right Israeli illegal settlers, sitting under it and at the center of the room. Zayeds legacy in the UAE and the Arab world dragged through the mud. What a shame. pic.twitter.com/cWgPqBig4C  Mohammed (@MohamedHemish) September 1, 2020

Irans derisive comments were not limited to Twitter. In a fiery speech on Tuesday, Khamenei said: The Emiratis will be disgraced forever for this treachery against the Islamic world, Arab nations and Palestine.

The UAE, along with Israelis and evil Americans like the Jewish member of Trumps family, are working together against the interests of the Islamic world, Khamenei said, referring to Kushner, who is Jewish.

Asked about Khameneis remarks, UAE Foreign Ministry official Jamal al-Musharakh told reporters in Abu Dhabi: The path to peace and prosperity is not paved with incitement and hate speech.

Israeli officials have played up the economic benefits of the UAE deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said representatives of the two countries had signed an agreement on cooperation in financial services.





The state-run Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Invest in Israel, part of Israels economy ministry, issued a joint statement saying they had agreed to set out a plan to establish formal cooperation.

The Gulf states biggest lender, First Abu Dhabi Bank, later said it would open discussions with Israel lenders Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi.

Amid the historic normalisation talks, Kushner spent a morning meeting UAE military officials at an Abu Dhabi airbase that houses US military F-35 jets, advanced stealth aircraft that the Gulf state has long sought to buy despite Israeli objections.

The UAE has said normalisation should remove any hurdle blocking the sale. Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel still opposes selling the jets to the UAE.
The Opposition on September 2 slammed the Centre for doing away with the Question Hour during the monsoon session of Parliament that begins on September 14. It accused the government of using the coronavirus outbreak to reduce Parliament to a notice board.

I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy & dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe? Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on Twitter on September 2.

A day earlier, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said in a notification that in the wake of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there would be no Question Hour.

The Question Hour is the first hour in House that allows members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to ask questions from the government.

The notification also said there would be no private members' business. However, Zero Hour, which follows and is a more informal form of the Question Hour, will be on but has been curtailed to 30 minutes.

The monsoon session of Parliament starts on September 14 and concludes on October 1. This will be the first time that the two House will work in shiftsthe Lok Sabha will sit from 9am to 1pm on the first day and from 3pm to 7pm till October 1. The Rajya Sabha will sit from 3pm to 7pm the first day and 9am to 1pm for the remaining session. Parliament will also meet on weekends.

Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board & uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with, Tharoor wrote in another tweet.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said that doing away with the Question Hour was like murdering democracy.

"MPs required to submit questions for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 September. So Question Hour cancelled ? Opposition MPs lose right to question govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Question Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy," he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is learnt to have reached out to the Opposition, explaining why the Question Hour was scrapped.

The minister spoke to Opposition leaders including Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and TMC's OBrien.

Last week, Chowdhury had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him not to curtail the power of the members to ask questions and raise issues during the session. Curtailing the question and zero hours would not be in the interest of elected representatives, especially amid the pandemic, he said.

If this is true, it is not just a violation of a members right, but it also means that Govt is uncomfortable answering questions on their Governance. Govt is answerable to people & any move to cancel Question Hour reflects the autocratic mindset of Govt, another Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted.

His party colleague from Odisha and Lok Sabha member Saptagiri Ulaka said it would be the first time in the history of Parliament that there would be no Question Hour. Government is scared of opposition & using pandemic to avoid scrutiny, Ulaka tweeted.
This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

WASHINGTON  A federal appeals court panel has ruled for the first time that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are not entitled to due process, adopting a George W. Bush-era view of detainee rights that could affect the eventual trial of the men charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The 3-to-0 decision issued on Friday by Judge Neomi Rao at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the indefinite detention of Abdulsalam Al Hela, 52, who argued for release by saying that the evidence against him relied on anonymous hearsay and that he never joined or supported Al Qaeda or any other terrorist group.

A U.S. District Court earlier found that Mr. Al Hela, a Yemeni who fought in the U.S.-backed jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, became a trusted member of the international jihadi community for decades by helping would-be terrorists with travel and false identities.

But the appeals court judges were split on how and whether to address the broader question of whether Mr. Al Hela was entitled to the same due process protections as a U.S. citizen.
FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective masks make their way at a business district in Tokyo

By Daniel Leussink

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese firms slashed spending on plant and equipment by the most in a decade in the second quarter, the government said on Tuesday, suggesting the economy will take a protracted period to fully rebound from the coronavirus-induced slump.

Separate private-sector data showed that factory activity in August shrank at the slowest pace in six months, reducing some pressure on policymakers to act more aggressively to prevent a deeper recession. Other official data pointed to worsening labour market conditions.

The fall in spending comes after the government called a state of emergency early in the second quarter in a bid to tackle the health crisis, which also led to sharp declines in corporate profits and sales in the quarter.

Capital spending shed 11.3% in April-June year-on-year, the biggest drop since the first quarter of 2010, as the COVID-19 crisis hit investments by the manufacturing as well as service sector, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Tuesday.

"The deceleration in capital spending is likely to become stronger in the second half of the fiscal year," said Takumi Tsunoda, senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute.

"Production has fallen considerably so there are more moves to put off spending as it isn't seen as being necessary or urgent for the time being."

Tuesday's sharp decline followed a 0.1% rise in the first three months of the year. On a seasonally-adjusted basis, capital expenditure lost 6.3% quarter-on-quarter in April-June.

The negative data will be used to calculate revised second-quarter gross domestic figures (GDP) due on Sept. 8 of the initial estimate for a 27.8% decline - with some economists expecting a downward revision based on Tuesday's data.

While analysts expect the economy to fare better in the current quarter after the state of emergency was ended in late May, many forecast any rebound to be modest and a recovery to take years.

JOBLESS RATE EDGES UP

Story continues

Japan's seasonally adjusted jobless rate ticked up to 2.9% in July, separate government data showed, compared to a median forecast for 3.0% in a Reuters poll of economists.

The jobs-to-applicants ratio slipped for the seventh straight month in July, dropping to 1.08 from 1.11 in the previous month to mark the lowest reading since April 2014 - meaning fewer than six jobs were available per five job-seekers.

Japan is also in the midst of a leadership change after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he will step down due to worsening of a chronic illness, raising uncertainty about the outlook for monetary and fiscal policies.

The government expects the economy will recover to pre-coronavirus levels around the first quarter of 2022, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said last week.

The latest MOF survey showed manufacturers' business spending fell 9.7% from a year earlier, following a 5.3% drop in the previous quarter.

Corporate recurring profit tumbled 46.6% in the April-June quarter year-on-year, the biggest drop since the second quarter of 2009, due to declining demand for cars and other transportation goods.

Sales dropped 17.7% year-on-year in April-June, down for the fourth straight quarter to mark the biggest drop since January-March 2009.

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Sam Holmes & Shri Navaratnam)
All very true... but about that federal investigation.

Omar Maani, a former co-owner of politically-connected red light camera company SafeSpeed, has been charged with scheming with a former high-ranking Cook County official to bribe the relative of an Oak Lawn village trustee in order to install new red light cameras in the southwest suburb. Maani is charged with one count of bribery conspiracy in a two-page document known as a criminal information, which is typically used in cases [w]here the defendant intends to plead guilty.

If true, such a guilty plea and quick conviction would lay bare the truth that red light cameras for years have been used to bilk money from taxpaying citizens to fill the coffers of both state governments and the contractors those governments work with. In this specific instance, the accusations against Maani suggest fairly brazen behavior. Maani is accused of attempting to pay a close family member of trustee from a Chicago suburb in exchange for installing SafeSpeed cameras in the city. While that is good old fashioned Chicago area politics, its also textbook bribery.

And if you might think this was some one-off scheme, it came about in coordination with the chief of staff for Cook Countys Commissioner, Patrick Doherty, among others.

In February, Doherty was indicted on two counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to defraud, accused of conspiring with a fellow SafeSpeed sales agent and one of the companys owners to pay $4,000 in bribes to the relative of an Oak Lawn village trustee, in exchange for influencing that trustee to help approve the installation of additional cameras. The charges against Doherty came about two weeks after former Illinois State Sen. Martin Sandoval pleaded guilty to taking $70,000 in bribes to act as a protector for red light camera company SafeSpeed. Sandoval said he agreed to take bribes in exchange for blocking proposed legislation to ban red light cameras.

This again should lay to rest what the purpose of red light cameras is: revenue generation. They arent about safety. They arent about the law. They arent about influencing driving habits. They are about money, full stop.

Which is why they should not exist.
A record number of Australian universities have been ranked among the world's top 200, but experts warn their success could be short-lived if they can no longer fund strong research.

Nine of the country's 12 top-ranked universities have improved their position on the annual Times Higher Education rankings, which its chief knowledge officer Phil Baty said demonstrated Australia's "extraordinary success" in attracting international talent.

UTS has moved up to joint 160th in the annual Times Higher Education university rankings. Credit:Janie Barrett

"But what we can reasonably assume is this is very vulnerable success [because] it is dependent on international students," he said.

The University of Technology Sydney showed the most improvement, bolting 34 places to joint-160th, while Macquarie University nudged into the top 200 for the first time, at joint-195th.
With autumn and colder weather around the corner and no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, many people may be cooking at home more often during the months ahead. But it's hard to get inspired when your pantry is a jumble of half-full boxes of pasta, expired canned goods and spices that are long past their prime. How can you know what to cook when you don't know what you have or if it's even usable?

Having an organized and uncluttered pantry will make trying ambitious baking projects or cooking up some comforting soups and stews less stressful. We spoke with professional organizers and a food bank employee for tips on how to quickly  and inexpensively  get your pantry in order. Here are their suggestions.

Sort, toss and donate

Before attempting to organize your food, go through everything in the pantry and toss out expired products, said Vernestine Laughinghouse, founder of Absoulute Organizing Solutions in Washington, D.C. After that, think about what foods and supplies you'll really eat and use. Keep those things and donate or compost the rest, she said. Research your local food donation and compost options; when Kacy Paide, founder of the Inspired Office firm in Silver Spring, Md., reorganized her own pantry, she learned that her neighbors had helped establish a community composting initiative in her condominium complex. Local grocery stores and farmers markets often have composting stations, too.

The problem of excess food is a privilege, particularly now, as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the economy and caused record unemployment. Feeding America estimates that more than 54 million people, including 18 million children, may experience food insecurity in 2020. Organizers suggested donating unwanted  but fresh and edible  canned and dry goods to local food pantries and organizations. Don't try to donate expired food or items with dented, compromised packaging. "I've seen clients insist on giving canned food that's way expired," Paide said. "You don't want to burden a food pantry with the work of filtering through what's good and bad."

Fill shelves back to front

Enormous quantities of food move through the storage facilities at Second Harvest Food Bank, which serves Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay area. Maya Murthy, Second Harvest's nutrition director, said the organization served 500,000 households last month  double the number it usually serves  including many people who sought food assistance for the first time. Efficient organizing helps volunteers and staff get food where it needs to go, she said, and a backbone of that system is putting items with later sell-by dates at the back of the shelf and refrigerator and placing older items closer to the front. (These dates don't indicate when items spoil, but rather when they are at peak freshness, Murthy added.)

Group 'like with like'

Creating separate zones in the pantry to store similar items together makes it easy to glance at a shelf and immediately find what you're looking for. Paide suggests categorizing items by use; for example, keep baking supplies together, and group pastas and canned goods each in their own area.

If you're storing more than sealed containers in the pantry, research how the foods interact. Storing some fruits and vegetables together may cause them to ripen or go bad more quickly. Murthy doesn't recommend storing fresh fruits and vegetables in the pantry, because they could rot if you forget about them; store them in the refrigerator, and keep a small amount, if you'll eat them, out on a counter in a bowl. More hardy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, onions or garlic, can be stored in the pantry, though storing potatoes and onions next to one another could cause potatoes to develop sprouts more quickly.

Use reusable containers

Matching containers look great for Instagram and Pinterest, but Katrina Green, founder of Badass Homelife in Sacramento, wants to relieve would-be organizers of the pressure of uniformity. Buying matching containers can be expensive and can detract from the objective of the project, which should be to structure the pantry so it's one less thing to worry about. "It's about creating a system that makes your life easier," she said. Buying containers and then having to take time to take food out of packaging and sort it into containers could have the opposite effect.

Using containers you already have around the house or repurposing items, such as cardboard boxes from the mail, is a free and sustainable way to create storage within your pantry, Green and Paide said. Look for spare boxes, and cover them in decorative scrapbook or wrapping paper to make them look nicer, Green suggests. Laughinghouse and Paide also suggest washing old jars  ideally clear glass ones  and reusing them to store dry bulk goods. Or you can find containers in every shape, material and price range at big-box stores and online.

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Create simple labels with paper, tape or stickers to identify what's inside; they don't have to be fancy or professional-looking. "It's nice when your pantry looks almost like a kindergarten classroom, because then you can very quickly and easily move through your kitchen without as much guesswork," Paide said. She adds that you could even write the date you opened or bought the item on the label to easily keep track of freshness.

In some cases, removing products from their original packaging may help save space. Some older buildings or spaces with smaller kitchens may not have perfectly square cabinets, said Patricia Lee and Jeanne Taylor, co-founders of Tailorly Home, an organizing firm based in the San Francisco Bay area. Find containers that stack or can fit into odd nooks and crannies. Paide, who has a small pantry, says she uses little rectangular plastic containers from OXO because she "can't afford to have a really big jar that's one-quarter full."

Other items are better left in their original packaging, such as canned, pouched or tinned food, or items with preparation instructions printed on the package, Laughinghouse said. Neatly stack them or place them in containers with the labels turned outward.

Create in-cabinet solutions

If you don't want many individual jars or containers piled up, Laughinghouse suggests getting some larger baskets or boxes and putting separate categories of items in each one to corral them. To tame small items that can easily get lost, such as spices or cooking oils, Laughinghouse, Lee and Taylor all recommended using a rotating Lazy Susan inside a cabinet; get a single or double version depending on your needs. Adding extra shelving, such as a free-standing wire shelf, expands cabinet space vertically and makes it easier to stack items. Installing a pullout drawer or shelf on a rolling track is an easy way to make items more accessible; this works especially well in deep cabinets, Lee and Taylor said. Or add large tubs that pull forward.

Every organizer warned against creating new spaces to store pantry items, unless there is an immediate and specific need. Even if you have a storage unit, garage or spare room, loading those spaces up with extras won't ease clutter and could risk creating it, Green said.

"You want to make sure space is used smartly, because people expand to fill the space they have," Paide added. Keeping to the available space will help you avoid overbuying and waste.

Ultimately, how much space is necessary to store pantry supplies depends on the household; what's needed for one adult looks different from the needs of a larger family, Laughinghouse said.

"If you're purchasing anything, think about how you plan to use it before you buy it," she added. "Have a specific use for it. Don't just buy it because it's on sale."
Belarus says sanctions by Baltic states 'hasty steps,' vows to reciprocate

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 6:28 AM

Belarus has denounced three Baltic states for taking the "hasty steps" of imposing sanctions on Minsk, vowing to respond with reciprocal measures.

"We have said before that Belarus will need to take adequate measures to respond to the initiators of these steps. This will be done," Anatoly Glaz, the spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told RIA news agency on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia imposed travel bans on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other officials over what they said were the rigging of the August 9 election in Belarus and violence against protesters after the vote.

Lukashenko won a sixth consecutive term in the election. The Belarusian opposition and Western countries quickly alleged voter fraud, and mass protests followed.

The European Union (EU), meanwhile, has been working on a list of Belarusian individuals  expected to exclude Lukashenko  to target with similar sanctions.

Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who lost the election, has urged students to hold a one-day nationwide boycott of schools and universities on Tuesday, as the new school year begins.

Lukashenko has denied voter fraud and proposed the drafting of a new constitution less reliant on the head of state.

Speaking to Chairman of the Supreme Court Valentin Sukalo on Monday, Lukashenko referred to Belarus' political system as "somewhat authoritarian."

Work has already begun on drafting a new constitution, which will be put to a referendum.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Lukashenko to Moscow in a sign of support.

Last week, Putin announced that Moscow and Minsk had agreed to form a reserve of Russian law enforcement officers to be sent to Belarus to help maintain security if necessary.

But Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the situation in Belarus was under control and that there was no need to dispatch the reserve force.

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High powered group comprising Doval meets, analyses evolving situation with China

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: With the tensions with China soaring, the high-powered China Study Group (CSG) held a two hour meeting to review the situation.

The meeting held on Tuesday afternoon was attended by Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General M M Naravane.

Amidst face off with China, why the Indian forces will not budge from the heights

On the other hand, a flag meeting was also held at Chushul-Moldo BPM. This was the second meeting in two days, but there has been no breakthrough as yet.

Sources tell OneIndia that the meeting that was held on Monday was a stormy one.

However both sides decided to continue talking on Tuesday as well. The situation is an evolving one and is being analysed by the minute, the source also said.

This came in the backdrop of a provocative military movement by the Peoples Liberation Army. This attempt was however blocked by the Indian troops at Pangong Tso on Saturday.

The source cited above said that there was no scuffle or contact. The source further added that the Indian troops moved in to occupy the dominating heights on its side of the Line of Actual Control on Saturday on the South Bank of Pangong Tso. This was done after the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance reports suggested that the PLA was attempting move in to occupy the same area.

China pressing to double its 200-plus nuclear warheads in 10 years: Pentagon

The Chinese have claimed these heights as theirs. The move by the PLA was foreclosed by our soldiers. They had attempted to change the realities on the ground by intruding into our territory on the southern bank of Pangong Tso. There was no question of a casualty as there was no violent clash a source told OneIndia.

"The PLA violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," a statement from the Army said.

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground. The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity," the statement also added.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 8:42 [IST]
ISIS fighters continued to exchange gunfire with the commandos as they entered the building. Payne moved to open another fortified door. According to the press release, he managed to cut the first lock, but due to the heavy smoke from the fire, he had to hand off the bolt cutters to an Iraqi counterpart and retreat out of the building for fresh air.
There are no two ways about itthe covid-19 pandemic has left most Indian households in distress. Six months after the nationwide lockdown was implemented to curb the spread of the virus, households are reeling under the consequences of the economy slowing by way of layoffs, pay cuts or salary deferment. But the pandemic has pushed individuals with a long-term financial plan to either eliminate or re-evaluate some of their money goals.

According to ArthaYantra, a financial wellness and wealth management platform for working professionals, Indias average financial health score pre-covid was 354 on 1,000. A score below 300 means the financial health is critical, 300-450 is below average, 450-600 is average, above 600 is good and anything over 800 is very good.

The pandemic has only worsened the score. Financial health level, post covid, has dropped from the average 354 to 284 on 1,000, pushing the salaried to critical stage," said Nitin Vyakaranam, founder and CEO, ArthaYantra, which shared a comparison between pre- and post-covid data exclusively with Mint. The firm determines the score by taking into account over 70 parameters such as income, expenses, cash flows, liquidity, loans, insurance, goals and investment.

View Full Image Source: ArthaYantra research and survey





LIQUIDITY CONCERNS

Households are dealing with uncertainty around cash flows in the short to medium term. Further, with the virus still going strong, consumer confidence is low. Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, CARE Ratings, said this full year will be a washout in terms of liquidity access for households.

If given a pink slip, 71% of salaried individuals cannot manage their expenses beyond six months, according to data from ArthaYantra. This is largely because of lack of liquidity and the absence of an emergency fund, said Vyakaranam. Post covid, the situation has worsened and this will continue to worsen as we expect more pink slips. Liquidity levels of individuals with annual income up to 15 lakh has dropped by 60-70% on average with some segments already running out of money to meet basic expenses. Also, debt as a percentage of spending has seen a significant increase," he added.

The ratio between cash (or cash equivalents) to monthly expenses should be in the range of 3-6. So if monthly expenses are 30,000 and cash plus cash-like assets are worth 1 lakh, then the ratio is 3.3. ArthaYantra calls this the liquidity ratio.

Post-covid, for an individual with income up to 5 lakh, liquidity ratio is down to -0.13 from 4.19 (age 21-28) in case of a job loss or other financial emergencies. For individuals with income of 5 lakh-15 lakh, the liquidity ratio is down to 2.11 from 4.99 (age 29-36), and for those with income of 15 lakh-25 lakh, it has dropped to 3.90 from 6.4 (age 37-44).

Shweta Jain, CEO and founder, Investography, a financial planning firm, said liquidity is impacted to a large extent but it does help that expenses have been cut down in the last few months. It is now for us to see how spending patterns evolve as the economy opens up. There have been households where one partner has had a job loss and another has a cut in income, those have suffered the most. Theyve had to cut down not just on expenses, but also some aspirations for the future."

IMPACT ON GOALS

According to ArthaYantra, around 60% of salaried individuals have ruled out travel as a goal they want to plan for. About 50-55% of individuals have decided to delay buying a car by an average of 24-36 months. Further, 45% will delay buying a home by 36-60 months.

Some of the factors that are influencing these decisions include financial uncertainty, lack of liquidity, lower rentals, long-term movement of people from metros to smaller cities, and high cost of buying real estate," said Vyakaranam.

Most of the financial planners we spoke to said there has been a detailed review of previously set financial goals. Renu Maheshwari, CEO and principal adviser, Finzscholarz Wealth Managers, said they gave priority to the current needs of a client who owns small businesses over his long-term goal of attaining financial freedom. Although he had cash to invest during April, we suggested securing liquidity for the coming year, when cash break-even could become difficult. This action will result in delaying his goal of financial freedom by a couple of years," said Maheshwari.

One of Jains clients has decided not to send children abroad for education which was planned for in the past few years. Another client moved back to her home town after she lost her job in a senior role. She will now live with her parents to avoid dipping into her savings," said Jain.

Planners said it is usually the long-term goals that get compromised during such events and it could be with a hope that the future will present opportunities to make up for the current shortfall. We always recommend letting go of discretionary goals such as a vacation abroad and buying expensive cars. We recommend not compromising on goals such as retirement," said Maheshwari.

countering THE HIT

While it may look difficult, households must take steps to ensure they have adequate liquidity in the short term. The key to remain in control is to cut down on expenses and stick to a budget.

Lovaii Navlakhi, managing director and CEO, International Money Matters Pvt. Ltd, a financial planning firm, said this will allow you to focus on gradually bringing back income to the previous levels or higher. Monetizing on your skills or hobbies until the job market opens up with more opportunities is an option one could consider. In an upmarket community of one of my clients in the USand I am sure this is true in India as wellmany of those who did not work for a living are monetizing their capabilities in the areas of home cuisine which is being lapped up by friends tired of managing households continuously without the break of dining out or travel," said Navlakhi.

Covid-19 has helped people realize the importance of preparing for the worst and this is something you must adhere to when it comes to planning your finances. If youve eaten into your emergency corpus already, try and replenish it at the earliest to ensure that youre prepared for more rainy days.

disha.s@livemint.com

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Beirut, Sep 2 : French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on his second trip to Beirut, said that he expected Lebanese officials to deliver on their promises regarding reforms in the country within eight weeks, or else help will discontinue.

"If by the end of October the Lebanese authorities do not deliver on their promises, we will not offer help to Lebanon. I will explain to the Lebanese that we wanted to help but cannot do it due to lack of reforms," Xinhua news agency quoted Macros as saying to the media here on Tuesday, the last day of his visit.

The President did not rule out the possibility of imposing sanctions on Lebanese authorities if they fail to implement reforms.

"We will reach the sanctions level when we become able to hold specific people responsible for corruption and the lack of reforms in addition to identifying those responsible for illegal financial practices or other malpractices." Macron said that he has agreed with Lebanese authorities to follow a roadmap which was approved by all political parties during the visit.

The roadmap, according to the French leader, includes reforms in the electricity, banking and judicial sectors, in addition to conducting a forensic audit for the Central Bank of Lebanon.

Macron said that France will focus on four priorities in Lebanon in the coming period -- offering 7 million euros ($8 million) to fight against Covid-19, enhancing food security, providing funds and books to schools, and the reconstruction of Beirut's port.

He arrived in Beirut on Monday and then met Lebanese senior officials and civil society representatives, as well as attending several local activities.

Macron also visited Beirut's port to follow up on the work at the site following the August 4 explosions that killed 190 people, destroyed around 8,000 buildings and left some 300,000 homeless.

This was his second visit to Lebanon in less than a month.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Vacations, particularly family vacations, are important for they offer a complete break from the daily grind that spares no one. A vacation is one of the best ways to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect. It is time to find the freedom and space to be who you are and spend quality time with those who matter most. Its when you strengthen family bonds and make memories that last a lifetime.

Perhaps thats why Singaporeans love holidays. We jump at any opportunity to pack our bags and fly off. At least, that was how it used to be before the COVID situation unfolded. While theres really no telling when leisure travel can resume, it doesnt mean you cant go on full vacation mode.

To help you get started, we have suggested a list of hotels, attractions, activities plus promotions to make it all the more exciting!

Where to Stay?

If youre heading to Sentosa, spending a night or two is an absolute must! Otherwise, its not a holiday! If youre wondering where to stay, Sentosa has a wide selection of hotels to suit your needs and budgets  from themed hotels in Resorts World Sentosa (that the kids are sure to love) or an all-round pampering experience in Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa. Here are some options and deals you can look forward to:

One Degree 15 Marina Sentosa Cove

Stay 3, Pay 2 Staycay Deals

The longer the holiday the better, right? Especially when the additional night is free of charge! One Degree 15 Marina Sentosa Cove Singapore offers you a free 3rd night when you stay for 2 nights.

Nestled within the exclusive Sentosa Cove enclave, this hotel offers you luxurious private club amenities such as dining, spa, gym and an infinity pool.

Choose from the Marina View Room that offers a panoramic view of the marina through the floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to an outdoor balcony or enjoy the luxury of space in the deluxe Hillview Room. Heres something to really look forward to  a decadent bathtub with an overhead sunroof thats perfect for night stargazing while soaking in a therapeutic bath! Say goodbye to all the stress!

Story continues

The kids wont be bored for there is a myriad of activities for them. The air-conditioned playroom, arcade, library and childrens pool are just a few of the exciting things in store!

The Barracks Hotel Sentosa

Special Staycay Packages

We know how crazy things can get on a day-to-day basis. Juggling work, home and the kids school commitments is definitely a tall order so you need some space and the wind in your face to relax, unwind and indulge. This package offers you a chance to do just that with an added bonus  you can eat, drink, and be merry!

Sea Breeze & Champagne @ The Barracks Hotel Sentosa

Sweeten your stay in a Premier Room with an afternoon tea session at the exclusive lounge, The Living Room

Indulge in a decadent 3-tier set of local delights and sweet & savoury treats

Enjoy a free-flow of bubbly champagne

Enjoy a unique tea tailoring experience where you can create your own tea blend from a range of ingredients

Click here for more information.

W Singapore, Sentosa Cove

Escape! Dining Package @ W Singapore, Sentosa Cove

Feeling peckish? Dont worry. Youre covered, any time of the day. With this package, you can enjoy SGD50 dining credits on drinks or bites. So if youre into food, this is the place to go and you can dine whenever you want, on whatever you want! Click here for more info.

Sentosa Fun Pass

Sky Park by AJ Hackett Sentosa

What to Do?

Experience Nature

Holidays should offer a complete respite from all of that urban madness. Sentosa, known for its scenic attractions, is perfect for that! Most of Sentosas nature trails and attractions have reopened, so its time to breathe in some fresh air!

Experience a more tranquil side of Sentosa at the Sentosa Nature Discovery trail with interactive exhibits, sculptures and a lookout point. Draw your kids attention to the different trees and flowers on show that make up the eight types of habitat found on the island. Heres a challenge  try to spot the endangered Magpie Robin!

You can also enjoy a scenic treetop trek on the Fort Siloso Skywalk trail. Towering 11-storeys high and stretching 181 meters long, this one is sure to take your breath away! It will lead you to Fort Siloso, a treasure trove of WWII memorabilia, including coastal guns and the remains of fortified military structures and tunnels. The wax figures of Japanese and British soldiers are bound to fascinate your kids. Time for a history lesson!

In addition, you can visit Sky Park by AJ Hackett Sentosa. If youre an adrenaline junkie, you can take a dive off the 50 meters high AJ Hackett Bungy Tower. Alternatively, theres a Skybridge, a 40m walkway with see-through sections and a Giant Swing thatll hurtle you towards the beach at 120km/h. Its sure to just have the entire family squealing in delight!

Go for Adventure & Fun

Attractions in Sentosa have progressively reopened and here are some places you can have a whale of a time with the kids:

Madame Tussauds Singapore Universal Studios Singapore S.E.A. Aquarium iFly Singapore Skyline Luge Mega Adventure Park



What to Eat?

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa

Food. Glorious food. Eating is a national pastime in Singapore so really, whats a getaway without good food? Here are some of the fabulous deals you can look forward to.

1-for-1 Pizzas at Trapizza, Shangri-Las Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa

This casual Italian eatery is located on Siloso Beach. With its large dining space,it is ideal for families with young children. The kids will love the water play area so you can take your time to enjoy some authentic, hearty Italian fare!

With this ongoing deal, you can dig into the restaurants signature thin-crust pizzas and to make things more exciting, you can try their creative reinterpretations of classic cocktails!

It will indeed be a meal to remember!

1-for-1 Mains at Quentins Bar & Restaurant

Set in a thoughtfully restored colonial building, this restaurant explores a semi-fine dining concept. If youre looking for a more upscale option, you know where to go!

The cuisine is a glorious and exotic mix of Asian and European flavours so you can expect a gastronomic Eurasian dining experience with a modern twist.

With this offer, you can enjoy more for less. The Quentins Signature Curry Debal, Buah Keluak Curry, Pot Roast Beef and Shepherds Pie are just some of the many you can choose from!

More Deals

If thats not enough reason to start heading over to this island paradise, here are more reasons to spend a day out at Sentosa:

Free island admission until the end of September

Get $5 off your Grab ride to Sentosa with code SentosaFun

Sentosa Fun Pass

Make the most out of your trip to Sentosa with the Sentosa Fun Pass. Simply select your pass based on your desired number of tokens, and visit the attractions of your choice. Download the Sentosa Fun Pass Brochure for a handy guide to all the fun activities you can redeem on the island.

For a limited time only, Mastercard holders can enjoy 1-For-1 Sentosa Fun Pass 60 Tokens. Get more fun for less!

Want free fun? Register and redeem for the FREE Sentosa Fun Pass 2 X 10 Tokens Promo! Youve got to act fast though, for it is a limited promotion.

Click here for the full list of promos and deals.

Holiday In Peace, Safety First!

While all of this sounds good, we understand that you might be rather apprehensive due to the current pandemic. Rest assured, there are a host of safe management measures in place to ensure that your family is safe:

All guests are required to wear masks and observe safe distancing measures

Use of SafeEntry to check-in and out of all premises

Queue management systems to ensure safe distancing

Limits on group

In addition, Sentosa also adheres to the highest standards of sanitisation and hygiene along with rigorous cleaning and sanitising regimes at all highpoints and surfaces.

There you go, mums and dads! Weve done the thinking for you and curated a list of attractions, dining and accommodation options. For more information, check out the Fun Deals on the website.

While we all look forward to the day we can head to the airport and board a plane, you can embrace the new normal and have an enjoyable getaway at Sentosa. #Maketime for a getaway and create memories with your family, you dont want 2020 to be a blank page in the holiday diary!

The post Make the Most Out Of Your Sentosa Getaway With These Fantastic Deals! appeared first on theAsianparent - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids.
The stage is set for the surrender of top Maoist leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi. Police sources in both Telangana and Chhattisgarh confirmed to News18 that the former CPI-Maoist chief has left Chhattisgarh for Telengana and is expected to surrender soon.

Intelligence inputs suggest that on the 28th or 29th of August, Ganpathi left the jungles of Abudjmad. He left from the Dantewada-Narayanpur border via Gadchiroli for Telangana where he will reportedly surrender," a senior police officer told News18.

Seventy-four-year-old Ganpathi was replaced by Basav Raju as the CPI-Maoist chief last year. Local inputs suggest he was unhappy with the change in the hierarchy and was also concerned about his health.

Ganapathi played a crucial role in the formation of CPI-Maoist with the merger of CPI-ML-PWG and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004. Post the merger, and the unsuccessful direct peace talks with the government of then undivided Andhra Pradesh, the outfit witnessed a series of blows, after thorough anti-Maoist operations by the state police.

COVID situation is bad even in Bastar. The test can not happen without Aadhar card so unlike Malaria, this swab test or treatment cant happen in the jungles. Plus, senior leaders meet a lot of people in urban areas so the risk of catching the infection is more," a Chhatisgarh police officer said, commenting on the likely reasons that could have triggered the surrender decision.

Notably, after quitting the top post in the organisation, Ganapathy continued on as a member of the Central Committee.

Telangana police sources say Ganapathi approached the Telangana Police through some TRS leaders close to chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao. Ganapathi, who hails from Telanganas Jagtial district, may surrender before the police with a few other leaders of the banned outfit by the end of the week.

He was considered close to PWG founder, late Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, who was arrested in 1993.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights has issued a new report which documents the civilians killed by all active parties in Syria writes SY 24.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the killing of 122 civilians in August, noting that 20 percent of the victims lost their lives due to mine explosions.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the killing of 122 civilians, including 21 children and seven women, in August.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights added that among the victims were 12 civilians, including one woman, who were killed by the Syrian regime forces, three civilians killed by Russian forces, and one civilian at the hands of both the Islamic State and the armed opposition, the Syrian National Army.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia killed eight civilians, including a child and a woman, in August.

The network also documented the killing of 97 civilians at the hands of other parties, including 20 children and five women. The network also documented the killing of one doctor who was tortured at the hands of the Syrian regime forces.

Also in August, 13 people were torture to death, eight of whom at the hands of the Syrian regime, one at the hands of the Syrian National Army, three at the hands of SDF, and one at the hands of other parties.

The network indicated that one massacre was documented in August, following a car bomb explosion. According to the report, the term massacre refers to an attack that led to the killing of at least five people at once.

The network pointed out that the regime forces and Russia have committed various crimes, ranging from extrajudicial killing to arrests, torture, and enforced disappearance. Moreover, their attacks and indiscriminate bombing have caused the destruction of facilities and buildings, noting that there are valid reasons to believe that the war crime of targeting civilians was committed in many cases.

In its report, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the killing of a large number of Syrians due to mines, noting that none of the active forces in the Syrian conflict revealed maps of the places where the mines were planted.

The network also stated that the Islamic State violated international humanitarian law by killing civilians, and the SDF launched attacks that are considered a violation of customary international humanitarian law, causing civilian casualties or accidental injury.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state continues to see an increase in the number of newly reported coronavirus cases, with 1,157 on Wednesday, above the 21-day rolling average of 1,025.

In all, 125,767 people have had COVID-19 in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The number of people presumed to have recovered is 105,065.

The newly reported number of people who have died with coronavirus, however, was lower. Eleven people died, health department figures show. This is below the 21-day average of 21.

The new cases and deaths didnt necessarily all happen in the past 24 hours. There can be a lag of when they occur and when they are reported by local entities.

The cases and deaths of coronavirus are both those confirmed through testing and those the state and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider probable, which means they are diagnosed by a physician, among other criteria.

Hospitalizations

Seven hundred forty-six people positive with COVID-19 were occupying beds in Ohio hospitals as of Monday, the date for which the most recent numbers of are available. This is just 3% of total available beds.

Of the 746, 244 were in intensive-care units. This is 5.8% of Ohio ICU bed capacity.

And 126 people were on ventilators, making up 2.3% of ventilator capacity in the state.

The same time last week, 772 people were hospitalized  including 260 in ICUs and 144 were on ventilators.

Testing

Nearly 2.3 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Ohio, according to Wednesdays state report. This is an increase of 23,031.

Some people are tested more than once. However, if a person is positive more than once, theyre only counted as one case.

If youre experiencing coronavirus symptoms, the state maintains a map of sites where tests are offered here.

The percentage of tests coming back positive was 3.8% on Monday, the most recent date for which the state has a positivity rate. This is lower than the seven-day average of 4.1%.

The positivity rate is an indicator of how much infection there is in a community. The World Health Organization advises against reopening unless the infection rate is 5% or lower.

Outside Ohio

Globally, there have been 25.8 million cases and 858,000 deaths.

In the U.S., there have been 6 million cases and nearly 185,000 deaths.

Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering says nearly 80 million COVID-19 tests have been administered. The following five states lead in testing, by sheer numbers.

-California: 11.5 million tests administered

-New York: 8.3 million tests

-Texas: 5 million

-Florida: 4.7 million

-Illinois: 4 million

Ohio, the seventh largest state by population, ranks at No. 10 in testing, below North Carolina and above Tennessee.

Other coverage:

On prompting of White House, Gov. Mike DeWine reminds Ohioans to take coronavirus precautions over Labor Day weekend

Ohio Medicaid to seeks to make expanded telehealth permanent

Gov. Mike DeWine decries deadly July on Ohio highways, pushes lawmakers to pass distracted driving bill

1,453 newly reported coronavirus cases in Ohio, an increase not seen since July: Tuesday update

Read the public health order allowing limited reopening of Ohio senior and adult day centers
Coronavirus Updates:On Wednesday, state capital Bengaluru saw its biggest single-day spike of 3,420 cases, taking its overall tally in the state to 1,35,512

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Cumulatively, these five states reported 536 deaths in a day which is over 65 per cent of the total fatalities registered in the country during the period.

Five states -- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh  have accounted for over half of the total COVID-19 cases and close to 60 percent of the recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said yesterday.

So far, 1,37,616 people have recovered from the disease in the state, the bulletin said. The toll due to the disease mounted to 3,283 after 55 more fatalities were registered from different parts of the state, the bulletin said.

The COVID-19 discharge rate in West Bengal reached 83.04 percent on Tuesday after the state recorded the highest single-day recovery of 3,346 patients, the health department said in a bulletin. On Monday, the discharge rate was 82.49 percent.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 54 percent of COVID19 cases are between the 18-44 years while 51 percent of deaths are in the 60 years and above age group.

The session will take place during the annual UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders, which will take place this year mainly by videoconference due to the pandemic

The summit will debate "post-Covid-19 global governance in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security," Niger's UN Ambassador Abdou Abarry told journalists while presenting the Council's program for the month.

Niger, the current president of the UN Security Council, said Tuesday it will organize a 24 September video conference between heads of state to discuss the future of global governance following the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic has killed more than 851,000 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to the AFP count. More than 25.5 million cases have been registered.

Russia, which on Tuesday topped one million cases, along with Spain and Britain recorded the highest number of infections, while 216,080 people have died in Europe.

More than four million people have been infected with the coronavirus in Europe, according to a tally by AFP at 1640 GMT.

Only China, of the leading global economies, has escaped a recession sparked by the pandemic.

"Fiscal support will remain essential to sustaining many families and businesses," she said.

With the White House and Congress still at an impasse over a new emergency relief package, Brainard warned that "the economy continues to face considerable uncertainty associated with the vagaries of the COVID-19 pandemic" and business shutdowns risk becoming permanent.

Government spending will be "essential" to help struggling businesses and families weather the downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Federal Reserve governor Lael Brainard said Tuesday.

Some nations have worked directly to secure supplies of vaccine, but others are pooling efforts to ensure success against a disease that has no geographical boundaries.

The decision to go it alone, first reported by The Washington Post, follows the White House's decision in early July to pull the United States out of the WHO. Trump claims the WHO is in need of reform and is heavily influenced by China.

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will not work with an international cooperative effort to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral groups like the World Health Organization.

Indias coronavirus case count reaches 37,69,523 on Wednesday after 78,357 new cases registered in 24 hours. The toll rises by 1,045 to 66,333. There are 8,01,282 active cases, and more than 29 lakh patients have recovered.

The tournament was scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai. The Chinese government announced in July that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country would not host international sports events for the rest of 2020.

The International Federation of PGA Tours confirmed the inevitable on Wednesday when it canceled the HSBC Champions World Golf Championships event in China, reports PTI

With over 8.08 lakh cases, Maharashtras COVID-19 tally remains the highest among Indian states and union territories, according to the Union Health Ministry's latest update.

The total number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country has surged to 29,01,908, while the fatality rate has further declined to 1.76 percent. There are 8,01,282, active cases in the country which comprises 21.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The toll climbed to 66,333 with 1,045 more fatalities reported in 24 hours. India has so far reported 37,69,523 cases of the viral disease, according to the data updated at 8 am.

India's COVID-19 tally of cases galloped past 37 lakh on Wednesday with 78,357 new instances of the disease reported in a day, while the number of recoveries crossed 29 lakh pushing the recovery rate to 76.98 percent, the Union health ministry data showed.

The protocols will be decided in a day or two by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, government of India with the approval of the Home ministry," Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd MD, NVS Reddy said in a statement on Tuesday night.

"Managing Directors of all Indian metros held a video conference on Tuesday (September 1) to recommend protocols for necessary precautions and safety measures.

The Telangana government has permitted operation of metro rail services here in a 'graded manner' from 7 September. The announcement comes after the Centre allowed the metro services to resume operations across the country, as part of Unlock-4 guidelines.

The recovery rate of the state stands at 70.72 percent, he said.

A total of 2,152 people have been cured of the disease during August while, 2,609 people, including 989 security personnel, have been diagnosed with the disease in the state during August, the official said.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,226 active cases, as 2,979 people have recovered from the disease and seven have died of the infection.

Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 4,212 as 100 more people including 17 security personnel tested positive for coronavirus, a senior Health department official said on Wednesday.

The total number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 so far stood at 97,402 while 32,341 are under treatment. The recovery rate in Telangana was 74.5 percent.

Cumulatively, 14.83 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was 39,952, the bulletin said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.64 percent, while it was 1.76 percent at the national level.

Telangana continued to record an increase in coronavirus cases with 2,892 fresh infections and 10 more deaths, taking the tally in the state to 1.30 lakh.

Of the total, there are 80,770 recoveries and 28,443 active cases, said the health department.

Odisha registered 3,219 new COVID-19 infections, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 1,09,780, said the state health department on Wednesday. The COVID-19 toll climbed to 514 after 11 more patients succumbed to the highly contagious disease.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state has reached 83,853, which includes 1,074 deaths.

At present, 68,265 people have recovered and 67,093 have been discharged.

Five deaths and 690 new coronavirus cases were reported in Rajasthan on Wednesday, said the State Health Department. The Health Department also informed that 141 people recovered from the infection.

In Thane, 1,175 new cases were reported on Tuesday, taking the total count to 1,25,352, a district official said. The district also reported 27 more deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 3,577, he said.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Thane crossed 1.25 lakh on Wednesday after 1,175 more people tested positive for the disease in the Maharashtra district, officials said. Besides, the COVID-19 tally in neighbouring Palghar district reached close to 25,000-mark, they said.

Abarry said the meeting "on post-COVID-19 global governance in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security" will address traditional security threats such as conflicts but also crime and pandemics as well as adjustments to the current international system.

Niger''s UN Ambassador Abdou Abarry, who took over the rotating council presidency on Tuesday, told a virtual press conference on Tuesday that the meeting of the UN''s most powerful body will take place online on 24 September.

The UN Security Council will hold a high-level summit during the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly later this month to discuss security threats in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Four more MLAs have tested positive for COVID-19 in Rajasthan which recorded five more fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Wednesday. A Congress MLA and three BJP legislators had tested positive for the virus last week.

He was admitted to AIIMS' Trauma Centre, which is a dedicated COVID-19 facility, on Tuesday evening and is being attended to by a team of doctors led by Dr Neeraj Nischal, an associate professor in the department of medicine at the premier institute.

The condition of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh vice-president and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, who is undergoing treatment at the AIIMS here after testing positive for COVID-19, is stable, sources said on Wednesday.

Indias Case Fatality Rate (CFR) stands at 1.76%, one of the lowest globally while global CFR stands at 3.3%, said the health ministry on Wednesday. "India is reporting 48 deaths/million population, also one of the lowest in the world while the global average is 110 deaths/million population", it adds.

District collector Dr Vipin Itankar has also contracted the deadly infection and is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, the official said. As on Tuesday, the recovery rate in Nanded stood at 71 percent as 104 patients were discharged from hospitals, he said.

With 312 persons testing positive for coronavirus infection, the caseload in Maharashtra's Nanded district has reached 7,027, an official said on Wednesday.

On August 4, it dropped below the 10,000-mark for the first time since 30 May and stood at 9,897, owing to a good recovery rate and fewer new cases.

The number of active COVID-19 cases peaked to 28,329 on 27 June. It tapered off to 10,705 active cases by 31 July.

There were 10,596 active COVID-19 cases on 1 August. The number increased to 15,870 on Tuesday, an analysis of Delhi government's health bulletins showed.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi increased by around 50 percent in a month, with the city witnessing a marked uptick in new cases, according to government data.

AIIMS Delhi on Wednesday has said that it is temporarily suspending OPD services. "In view of need to optimise usage of available inpatient beds for hospitalisation of seriously ill emergency/ semi-emergency patients, it has been decided to temporarily stop routine OPD admissions," a statement read.

An octogenarian died of the novel coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the toll to 35 today, officials said. The number of cases of the pathogen rose to 2,733 with 52 more people testing positive for the infection, including 46 in Leh and six in Kargil, according to the officials.

Similarly, from the same date, passenger train services within Tamil Nadu shall be permitted, he said. Inter-state train services arealready operational in permitted routes.

"Considering public welfare, following the Standard Operating Procedure, from September 7, inter-district government and private bus transport will be allowed across Tamil Nadu," Palaniswami said in a statement.

While bus transport is allowed only within districts as of now, there were representations from the public to the government seeking facilitation of services to go from one district to another, he said.

Inter-district bus transport and passenger train services within Tamil Nadu would be permitted from September 7, Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced on Wednesday.

distancing of at least 6 feet as far as feasible, use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory, isolation wards in every

The health ministry has released SOPs on preventive measures to be followed during exams held during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among others, the SOPs include measures like maintaining a

The health ministry has released SOPs on preventive measures to be followed during exams held during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among others, the SOPs include measures like maintaining a distancing of at least 6 feet as far as feasible, use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory, isolation wards in every centre , neither staff nor examination centres at Containment zones shall be allowed .

According to the SOPs for Metro services, only asymptomatic people will be allowed.to avail the services and stations in containment zones will remain closed. Metro Rail corporations can take decisions to skip stations, reported The Hindu.

Metro services in Mumbai will remain suspended till October but from 7 Sept, but Delhi, Noida, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Maha Metro (Nagpur), Kolkata, Gujarat and UP Metro (Lucknow) have prepared their SOPs, reports quote Puri as saying.

Delhi Metro Yellow Line from Samaypur Badli to Huda City Centre to be operational from 7 September, said DMRC chief Mangu Singh. In the first stage, Delhi Metro services will operate in two shifts  7-11 am and 4-8 pm and normal operations will resume from 12 September, PTI quotes Singh as saying.

Andhra Pradesh reports 10,392 new coronavirus cases, and 72 deaths, taking the total cases to 4,55,531 including 3,48,330 recoveries and 4,125 deaths, said the health department. The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,03,076, it said.

However, the airlines were allowed to operate not more than 33 percent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. Modifying its previous order of June 26 where it had put the 45 percent limit on the number of domestic flights, the ministry issued an order on Wednesday stating that, "45 percent capacity may be read as 60 percent capacity."

Further easing the restrictions imposed to control the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the government on Wednesday permitted Indian airlines to increase the number of domestic passenger flights to 60 percent of their pre-COVID services, according to an official order. On 26 June, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had allowed the airlines to operate a maximum of 45 percent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. The ministry had restarted domestic passenger services from 25 May, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Madhya Pradesh recorded 1,424 new coronavirus cases, taking the total count of infections to 66,914, reports PTI. With 27 people succumbing to the infection since Tuesday evening, the count of fatalities rose to 1,453, officials said.

Maharashtra reports 17,433 new cases and 292 deaths, taking active cases to 2,01,703, recoveries to 5,98,496 and toll to 25,195: A total of 13,959 patients were cured today, and a total of 5,98,496 patients have recovered so far.

Karnataka reported its highest single-day spike of 9,860 new COVID-19 cases, taking its overall tally to 3,61,341. 113 more fatalities in the last 24 hours took the state's death toll to 5,950. There are 94,459 active cases in the state, said the state health department in its daily health bulletin. The state capital Bengaluru saw its biggest single-day spike as well with 3,420 new cases, taking its overall tally to 1,35,512, including 2,037 deaths and 93,563 discharges.

Uttarakhand records its highest single-day spike of 836 new coronavirus cases, taking infection tally to 21,234. Toll rises to 291 with 11 more fatalities while the number of active cases stands at 6,442, reports PTI quoting a health department bulletin

Noida-Greater Noida Metro will resume services from 7 September with curtailed timings, reports PTI. Only passengers with face masks, body temperature not more than 37.7 degrees Celsius will be allowed entry, said officials.

Twelve deaths and 1,511 fresh infections were reported in Rajasthan today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 84,674 including 70,674 recovered, 12,919 active cases and 1,081 deaths, said the state Health Department

The Punjab Health Department on Wednesday reduced charges for a rapid antigen test for coronavirus by private labs to Rs 700. Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the government has reduced the charges from Rs 1,000 to Rs 700, inclusive of the GST and other taxes. It has been left to the private labs to fix rates for the collection of samples from houses, he said in a statement. There are 45 ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) approved private labs conducting COVID tests in the state. The minister said the government has fixed a maximum of Rs 2,400 for a RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Karnataka reported its highest single-day spike of 9,860 new COVID-19 cases, taking its overall tally to 3,61,341. 113 more fatalities in the last 24 hours took the state's death toll to 5,950. There are 94,459 active cases in the state, said the state health department in its daily health bulletin.

With Metro rails set to resume services from 7 September in a graded manner, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced SOPs for their operation. The Metro timings will be staggered to begin with and only a limited number of Metros will ply, he said.

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal directed officers to augment the city''s testing capacity by taking a few steps, including ''testing on demand'', testing at the national capital''s border points and at major construction sites to check the spread of COVID-19.

India has been reporting one of the lowest COVID-19 fatality rates in the world with the figure further declining to 1.76 percent as on date against a global average of 3.3 percent, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The announcement came amid complaints from the public about difficulties faced in travelling long distances within the state since only allowed intra-district bus operations were allowed from 1 September

The COVID-19 toll in India increased by 1,045 to 66,333. There are 8,01,282 active cases, and more than 29 lakh patients have recovered.

Five months after its services were suspended, Hyderabad Metro Rail will resume its operations from 7 September in the city.

As India entered Unlock 4.0 on Tuesday, the total coronavirus case count in India rose to 36,91,166 with 69,921 people testing positive in 24 hours. The toll due COVID-19 climbed to 65,288 with 819 new fatalities while the recovery rate increased to 76.94 percent with 65,081 persons recuperating in 24 hours, the health ministry data updated at 8 am showed.

Five states  Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh  accounted for over half of the fresh COVID-19 cases and close to 60 percent of the recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said.

Cumulatively, these five states reported 536 deaths in a day which is over 65 percent of the total fatalities registered in the country during the period.

In the 24 hours between 8 am on Monday and on Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 11,852 new coronavirus infections, Andhra Pradesh 10,004, Karnataka 6,495, Tamil Nadu 5,956, and Uttar Pradesh 4,782. Together, they account for 56 percent of the cases added in a day, the official statistics revealed.

These five states have also reported the maximum number of patients that were cured and discharged in 24 hours, cumulatively accounting for 58.04 percent of the total 65,081 people who have recovered during the 24-hour period across the country.

While Maharashtra reported 11,158 recoveries in a day, the corresponding figures for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka stand at 8,772 and 7,238 respectively. Tamil Nadu registered 6,008 recoveries, while Uttar Pradesh reported 4,597.

While the recovery rate in the country neared 77 percent, the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.77 percent, said the health ministry. The number of recoveries is 3.61 times the active cases of the viral infection.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative 4,33,24,834 samples have been tested up to 31 August, with 10,16,920 of them being tested on Monday.

In Delhi, which reported its biggest single-day jump in nearly two months, the third round of the monthly sero-survey kicked off. Health minister Satyendra Jain said the all 272 wards and two Assembly areas in the state will be covered to arrive at a micro-level analysis of the situation.

Tripura, Chhattisgarh were among other states which reported a record rise in cases on Tuesday. While Tripura registered 509 fresh infections and 10 fatalities, 1,694 more tested positive in Haryana while 17 succumbed to the infection.

Karnataka allows bars to re-open, Uttar Pradesh revises weekend lockdown

As the country entered the fourth phase of the "unlocking" process, with more activities and services, the Uttar Pradesh government announced that markets would remain shut only in Sundays instead of on the weekends, while the Karnataka government said it has allowed bars, pubs to resume services with 50 percent capacity from Tuesday.

The Unlock process of the country had begun on 1 June with the graded reopening of commercial, social, religious and other activities. Unlock 4 came into effect from 1 September and will continue till 30 September.

The Karnataka government has allowed bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants in the state to serve liquor from Tuesday with 50 percent of their seating capacity.

There were restrictions on serving liquor since March, when the lockdown was first imposed , and until now only takeaways were allowed at these establishments.

The order by the Excise Commissioner said that such relaxations were already in place in states like Assam, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It also cited the government's revenue as one of the reasons behind the decision.

Bars also opened in Goa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

State-run buses were running again in Tamil Nadu capital Chennai, while places of worship, parks, shopping malls, hotels and clubs too reopened across the state.

In Uttar Pradesh, shops will remain closed only on Sundays, instead of the two-day weekend lockdown, said Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi. "The chief minister has instructed that there will be no weekly closure on Saturdays, and shops can remain open from 9 am to 9 pm. However, shops will remain closed on Sundays from midnight of Saturday to midnight of Sunday," he said.

The government had in July announced that shops and offices would remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays to stop the spread of the coronavirus infection.

However, under the recently released Unlock-4 guidelines, the MHA said that states should not impose lockdowns outside containment zones without taking the Centre into confidence.

In line with the directives, Madhya Pradesh revoked its decision on Sunday lockdowns but West Bengal decided to go ahead with a total shutdown on three days in September. Punjab too announced that existing restrictions like weekend curbs and night curfew will continue in all towns of the state.

States like Maharashtra and Nagaland allowed intra-state travel while many states, including West Bengal and Delhi said that Metro services will be allowed to resume. However, Delhi has decided to maintain status quo on all other restrictions and has not not issued fresh guidelines.

Railways to run more special trains

Meanwhile, to ease passenger movement in high-demand areas, the Railways said it will run more special trains in addition to the 230 plying currently, The consent for running these trains has been sought from state governments, said an official. The Railway ministry spokesperson, however, did not say how many trains will be added to the network.

Currently, all regular passenger services are suspended due to the coronavirus crisis.

Tripura, Chhattisgarh report record rise in daily cases

Several states including Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu recorded fresh infections and deaths.

Tripura registered its highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with 509 new cases, while a record 10 fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state's coronavirus toll to 113, a health official told news agency PTI. The fresh infections have taken the state's COVID-19 caseload to 12,156, he said.

Chhattisgarh witnessed the biggest spike in COVID-19 cases in a single-day with 1,514 people testing positive on Tuesday, taking the tally to 33,017, while 10 more patients died, pushing up the fatalities to 287, a health department official told PTI.

The state has 15,163 active cases at present as 17,567 people have been discharged after recovery, he said.

The National Capital recorded its biggest spurt in daily cases in nearly two months, with 2,312 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total to over 1.77 lakh. The toll mounted to 4462 with 18 fatalities, said a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

Maharashtra's caseload surpassed eight lakh (8,08,306) with 15,765 more testing positive, while the toll reached 24,903 with 320 deaths.

As many as 10,368 new coronavirus cases and 84 deaths were reported in Andhra Pradesh, taking the state's tally to 4,45,139 and toll to 4,053.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,928 new COVID cases pushing the total to 4,33,969, while the toll stood at 7,418 with 96 more fatalities. Of the over 5,900 new infections, the state capital reported 1,084 and the remaining were scattered across Tamil Nadu. The state tally of 4.33 lakh plus positive cases till date includes Chennai's 1,36,697 infections.

80% of Chennai population still susceptible to infection, finds study

A sero-survey in Chennai found that over a fifth of the city's population had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and around 80 percent of the population was still susceptible to the infection, said the Greater Chennai Corporation.

The sample size was around 12,000, of which 2,673 individuals had evidence of past SARS-CoV-2, it informed. The field data / sample collection activities happened between 18 and 28 July and the testing of the samples were completed by 6 August, the GCC said in an official release adding that samples were collected from individuals above the age of 10.

"The reading (inference) is 21.5 percent of Chennai's population reached the immunity levels by July-end," GCC commissioner G Prakash told reporters. "Now, the (immunity) levels will be more and it would also mean a (comparatively) lower transmission rate," he said adding the scientific study would be useful to alter strategies to tackle COVID here.

Around 80 percent of the population is still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 in Chennai and "we need to understand the reasons for varying sero- prevalence across zones to improve our control measures," the civic body said. "There is huge variation in seroprevalence across zones ranging between 7.1 percent in Madhavaram and 44.2 percent in Tondiarpet," it said.

Sero-surveys involve testing of blood serum of people to check for the prevalence of antibodies which indicate past exposure to the virus.

Previous such surveys have found that 51 percent of the population in five areas of Pune had developed anti-bodies while in Mumbai, there was a 57 percent sero-prevalence in slums and 16 percent sero-prevalence in non-slum areas.

Delhi begins latest round of sero-survey

Delhi which has in the past conducted two rounds of such a survey, began the lastest round on Tuesday. The sample size this time will be 17,000 and the exercise will be carried out for seven days, said the state's health minister.

"The fresh round of sero-survey began today. This time we will be doing it ward-wise, so all 272 municipal wards of Delhi will be covered, plus two Assembly areas. Sampling will be done for a week. After that, results should come in 7-10 days," Jain said.

The previous surveys were done district-wise. But this time, it is being done ward-wise to analyse the COVID-19 situation in the city at a "micro-level", he said.

The last sero-prevalence survey was held between 1 and 7 August, which showed that 29.1 percent of the people surveyed had antibodies against the coronavirus infection.

With inputs from PTI
South Africa: Partnerships crucial to curb farm murders, says Agriculture Deputy Minister

Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform Deputy Minister, Mcebisi Skwatsha, has condemned the spate of farm attacks, describing them as cruel and barbaric.

Skwatsha said this when he participated in a debate on farm murders in a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

We must all stand in solidarity with the affected families and vow in unison to prevent and combat farm murders. We must do everything we can to make sure the culprits are caught, prosecuted and sent to jail.

I want to join my colleagues to say all lives matter, whether that is the lives of farmworkers or the lives of farm owners.

As government, we must state categorically what is inscribed in the preamble of our Constitution. South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.

The Deputy Minister said all reasonable and peace-loving South Africans must condemn in the strongest terms what is clearly behaviour that is cruel, anti-social, barbaric and harmful to our endeavours to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous South Africa.

His remarks come after Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform Minister, Thoko Didiza, on Monday commended the swift arrest of suspects allegedly behind the triple murder on a farm in Magogong, outside Hartswater in the Northern Cape.

Addressing the House on Tuesday, Skwatsha condemned attacks on farm owners. This includes Mimi Jacobs from the Free State, who this year survived a brutal attack on her farm.

On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Police, on behalf of the entire government, we wish to convey these heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.

We bow our heads in honour of all those killed in farm attacks to mention but a few, Mr and Mrs Rafferty of KwaZulu-Natal, who were gunned down on 29 August 2020; the Brandt family in the Northern Cape, who lost three members of their family and thankfully, the culprits have been apprehended and in this instance the justice system is doing its job.

Skwatsha said the levels of moral degeneration and deviant behaviour in South African society are a cause for concern. He acknowledged that some farm murders are attributed to conflict between the owner and the farm workers.

That is why we pioneered the extension of security of tenure, which we are busy shaping up to fit the necessary conditions We must all stand in solidarity with the affected families and vow in unison to prevent and combat farm murders. We must do everything we can to make sure the culprits are caught, prosecuted and sent to jail, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Yves here. As the author points out well into the article, riots, as opposed to demonstrations, are seldom planned, although the opponents of the controversies at issue would have you believe otherwise. But the bigger issue is that this isnt as clear-cut a matter as orthodox pundits would have you believe.

By Matteo Tiratelli, who teaches sociology at UCL and is the Chair of Battersea Labour Party. Originally published at openDemocracy

When some of the recent Black Lives Matter protests against the murder of George Floyd ended in riots, the pushback was immediate and predictable: different visions of Martin Luther Kings legacy were fought over, rival interpretations of the Civil Rights Movement were deployed, and contrasting lessons were identified.

There can be no single interpretation of the turbulent 1960s, but there is much we can learn from historical work on this period. In particular, Omar Wasow s recent analysis of the tactics of the Civil Rights Movement makes a provocative argument that nonviolent protest helped to shape a national conversation which raised the profile of the civil rights agenda and led to electoral gains for the Democrats in the early 1960s.

By contrast, he argues, rioting in US cities after the assassination of Martin Luther King pushed white Americans towards the rhetoric of law and order, causing large shifts among white voters towards the Republican Party and helping Richard Nixon to win the 1968 presidential election shortly thereafter.

This is a controversial argument, even costing political analyst David Shor his job when he recently tweeted about Wasows thesis and received an angry response from those who saw it as a tone-deaf attack on legitimate protest. At the root of this controversy are important questions about whether framing riots as a tactical choice is appropriate, who that framing makes responsible for ongoing racial injustice, and what the fact that were having this debate says about peoples views of politics and priorities. As King warned in 1968:

A riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquillity and the status quo than about justice and humanity.

But social movements cant afford to ignore these arguments completely. The idea that violent protests might be risky is not surprising, since in societies that pride themselves on being peaceful, riots violate many taken-for-granted liberal values. Wasows rigorous, quantitative analysis gives this argument a historical foundation but it also has obvious resonances for today, at a time when President Trump is running for re-election on a law and order platform against the background of street protests in cities like Portland and Kenosha.

However, the implications of Wasows arguments are not as straightforward as they might appear. One immediate issue concerns his methodology and the size of the effects he estimates. The models reported in Wasows paper dont include any controls for time, which are normally included in statistical analyses to control for general trends affecting society as a whole, trends we assume would have happened anyway.

In an appendix to his paper, Wasow does report some models with a time control, and these significantly reduce the negative effect of rioting on white American opinion. Whether that affects his claim that Nixon would have lost the 1968 presidential election in the absence of riots is difficult to say without further analysis. But leaving the precise size of the effect to one side, it seems plausible to say that violent protests did alienate at least some potential allies of the Civil Rights Movement, and that this could have had significant electoral consequences.

But something else is clear from the public opinion data that Wasow collects. Even during the height of the supposedly nonviolentprotests of the early 1960s, the civil rights agenda was only momentarily pushed to the front of the national conversation. The sudden leaps that characterise the pattern of protests over time seem to be mirrored in the temporary nature of the shifts in public opinion they can cause.

This raises serious questions about the efficacy of protests whose primary aim is to change public opinion, because they operate at a completely different timescale to the slow cycles of policy development, institution building and cultural growth that are needed for fundamental political change. If politicians know that peoples attention is likely to have wandered away after a few short months, they have little incentive to follow through with meaningful reforms.

Source: Omar Wasow, Agenda Seeding: How 1960s Black Protests Moved Elites, Public Opinion and Voting, American Political Science Review, Volume 114, Issue 3.

The transitory nature of changes to public opinion shown in Figure One is backed up by a wider body of evidence. For example, Michael Biggs, Chris Barrie and Kenneth Andrews recently showed that the Civil Rights Movement had only negligible long-term effects on the attitudes of white Americans, making them no more likely to have liberal views on race or to support the Democratic Party. So if the effects of more respectable protests can also be questioned, where does that leave riots?

One often-ignored aspect of rioting is its ability to produce new generations of leaders and organisers and to serve as an inspiration for future struggles. As Vicky Osterweil argues in her forthcoming book, In Defense of Looting, many significant political movements were born in moments of riotous insurgency  Stonewall being an obvious and important example. The methodological challenges of measuring and testing these long-term cultural effects are enormous, but that doesnt mean they should be dismissed.

Theres also the question of whether riots should be thought of as a tactic at all. They are obviously not scheduled in the same way as a demonstration or a protest. Nor are they as easy to contain and control as a march or a public meeting. Rather than asking whether riots are effective, maybe we should ask whether they are justifiable reactions. Expressions of grief or anger may do little to challenge or change the situation which provoked them, but they can still be seen as apt and important responses. I have some sympathy for the consequentialist logic of focussing on the efficacy of riots, but we should be open to other frameworks of evaluation too.

Finally, its worth asking whether the reported backlash against the riots of the late 1960s is likely to be repeated in 2020. On the one hand, both sets of riots came shortly before presidential elections. The stakes are therefore similarly high. But on the other hand, todays very different media environment may alter the power of reporters to frame these events in positive or negative ways.

Social media, for example, has proven vital to the recent wave of protests against racism and police brutality, enabling the sharing of images and videos and serving as a vital educational and advocacy tool. So far, the impact of the protests on public opinion has been largely positive, with far more people overall citing race and racism as the most important problem facing the United States than crime and violence  though the latter has increased since May of 2020, particularly in certain demographic groups.

And while the rise in attention to racism shown in Figure Two is far smaller than the equivalent trend from the 1960s, the context of Covid-19 makes any direct comparison extremely difficult, especially when the question pollsters are asking concerns the most important problem we face.

Source: Authors graphic, compiled from Gallup Polling Data, 2020.

Its also worth emphasising that the effects of any event on public opinion are only partially determined by the characteristics of the event itself. Much more significant is the political struggle to represent it in particular ways in the public imagination.

So rather than criticising riots that have already happened, our focus should be on pointing out the absurdity of a logic in whichsystematic murder is excused but property damage is condemned; on demonstrating the ongoing horror of racist violence; and on depicting the myriad ways in which structural oppression is reproduced. That is the fight to which we must rededicate ourselves.
Erick Morillo, a DJ from New Jersey whose 1993 song I Like To Move It became a dance floor sensation, has died. He was 49.

Morillo, whose childhood was split between Cartagena, Colombia and Union City, is known for his work as a producer under the name Reel 2 Real, among others.

Local 10 News in Miami (WPLG) reports that Morillo was found dead at his home in Miami Beach after police received a 911 call Tuesday morning, three days before he was due in court on a sexual battery charge. A cause of death was not disclosed.

I Like to Move It was produced by Morillo and featured vocals from the Trinidadian artist Mad Stuntman (Mark Quashie).

The song was revived for a dance number in the 2005 animated film Madagascar.

Morillo, who started the house music label Subliminal Records in Weehawken, also had success with the 1991 song Muevelo, which he produced for Latin reggae artist El General, and the 1998 dance song Fun with Da Mob, his collaboration with DJ Sneak, Jose Nunez and Jocelyn Brown.

Morillo was arrested in August on a sexual battery charge after a December incident at his home involving a woman who accused him of making advances towards her when they went to his house for drinks. Both had worked as DJs at a private party on Star Island. The woman said that she fell asleep in a room by herself and woke up to find herself naked and Morillo allegedly naked and standing on the side of the bed.

According to Local 10 News, Morillo denied the accusations, but after the results of a rape kit tested positive for his DNA, he turned himself in. He was scheduled to attend a court hearing Friday.

In 2012, Union City honored Morillo, who graduated from the citys Emerson High School, by renaming a section of Bergenline Avenue, where Morillo lived (1406), for the DJ and producer. Erick Morillo Way is located between 14th and 15th Streets.

This is about setting an example for the youth of tomorrow and letting them know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to, Morillo said, accepting the honor, according to a Jersey Journal report.

I miss going to work.



Extrano ir a trabajar. pic.twitter.com/jghcAW9psP  Erick Morillo (@ErickMorillo) July 24, 2020

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Send a coronavirus tip here.
Loading As the government prepares for Sunday's release of its plan to end the state's lockdon, Mr Andrews said he had spent "many hours every week in very lengthy meetings" talking about improvements to the system as authorities attempt to identify the minutes that "make a real difference" to contact tracing. "Whether it's in IT, whether it's using artificial intelligence, machine learning, all the way through to putting more staff on, all the way through to pretty old-fashioned stuff like going and door-knocking people that we can't find," Mr Andrews said. "The fact that we've been able to achieve improvements, very significant improvements, whilst we've had the highest volumes that any contact tracing team in the country has had to deal with, I think should be seen as a positive. "[The artificial intelligence technology is being used to] interpret particularly long form interviews to try and find trends and patterns that might not necessarily be obvious."

The Age has repeatedly asked for greater detail on the performance of the contact tracing system but that information has not been released. Mr Andrews said the Department of Health and Human Services had received all the funding it needed to swiftly respond to COVID-19 cases. "It's not often that I've said to senior officials and others that what it cost is really not an issue - I don't often say those words, but the impact of this not working is so big that you've got to employ the best technology, the right number of people because ultimately the reward on the other side for that, albeit a significant investment, is so much bigger," the Premier said. State of Disaster Mr Andrews said the state of disaster needed to be extended to take the state through until the scheduled end of Melbourne's strict stage four lockdown on September 13.

The disaster declaration, which is above and beyond the state of emergency declaration, allows the government to enforce Melbourne's curfew and the ban on residents travelling more than five kilometres from their homes. Loading "This practically means that officers can ask for a name and address to check people are within five kilometres of their home or enter a home or business to check residents or staff are complying with gathering limits," Mr Andrews said in a statement. He stressed the disaster declaration would not necessarily be removed on September 13, even if stage four restrictions are eased. "Those decisions and that road map out ... must be and will be driven by the data," he said.

Survey shows symptomatic Victorians are not getting tested Professor Sutton said he was concerned that fewer than half of all Victorians with mild cold and flu symptoms were getting tested for COVID-19. He has been pleading with residents in recent days to get tested even if they have mild symptoms, to ensure health authorities have a full understanding of how much infection is in the community before restrictions are eased. He said testing asymptomatic people was not the priority because thousands of tests would find so few cases. Professor Sutton revealed that a survey had found fewer than 50 per cent of Victorians with mild symptoms, such as a scratchy throat or mild cough, were being tested.

More than 50 per cent of people with more severe symptoms, such as a fever, were being tested. "We want 100 per cent of people with compatible symptoms getting tested," Professor Sutton said. "We should really focus our efforts on making sure that more than 50 per cent of people who have symptoms who aren't getting tested are coming forward for testing  Some of those symptomatic individuals will have coronavirus. They're not showing up in our numbers because they're not coming forward for testing." 30 cases per day will allow authorities to get on top of 'mystery' cases Suburbs in Melbourne's west, north and outer south-east continue to be hotspots for COVID-19 and transmission is mainly occurring in aged care homes, healthcare settings and workplaces, Professor Sutton said.

He said most cases were being detected in the council areas of Brimbank and Wyndham in the west, as well as Casey and Greater Dandenong in the east. But about 15 per cent of all cases are "mystery" cases where the source of infection is not known. Twenty-four mystery cases were added to the state's community transmission tally on Wednesday. Professor Sutton said it would be desirable to reach 30 new cases per day, meaning the number of mystery cases would fall to single digits. "If we can get cases below 30 and the proportion of mystery cases continues to be driven down, then we will absolutely be in very low single figures and we will do that more detailed upstream investigation," he said.

"[The investigation] where you're actually looking at everyone they've been in contact with not just when they're infectious, but in the 14 days before they became symptomatic." Mr Andrews reiterated the call for people to get tested, after 13,912 tests were carried out on Tuesday. "If you cannot get tested, we can come to you. The turnaround time is much faster now than it has perhaps ever been, with the majority of those results back within 24 hours," he said. Among the state's 2415 active cases, 332 are healthcare workers.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought a number of challenges to schools, which were forced to close in the spring to help slow the spread of infection. One major challenge for schools was ensuring that students' nutritional supplementation needs were met when they were not attending school in person.

As schools across the country begin to welcome students back in person or for virtual learning, equity must be at the forefront of decisions pertaining to school emergency food services, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Ensuring access to food during these critical times is of paramount importance to meeting the public health needs of vulnerable populations at greatest risk for food security. Further, as schools contemplate re-opening plans, a greater emphasis should be placed on ways to maintain practices developed over the closure period, protecting access to supplemental nutrition." Gabriella McLoughlin, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown School's Prevention Research Center

McLoughlin is lead author of the paper "Addressing Food Insecurity Through a Health Equity Lens: A Case Study of Large Urban School Districts During the COVID-19 Pandemic," published in the August edition of the Journal of Urban Health.

McLoughlin and her co-authors conducted a mixed-methods study evaluating emergency meal distribution and strategy implementation from March to May in four large urban school districts: Chicago Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Los Angeles Unified School District and New York City Department of Education.

"We found that these four urban districts took distinctive steps to enhancing participation in emergency feeding programs through a health equity lens," McLoughlin said. "However, given the significantly lower than typical participation rates observed in each district, we present key ways that this could be mitigated by focusing on equity as a key priority. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and document analysis highlighted some gaps in reach and potential ways that they can increase participation in emergency meal programs."

Federal nutrition assistance programs like the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) help to address child food insecurity and improve access to healthy foods, McLoughlin said.

"Nearly 30 million students participate in SBP and NSLP daily, and 85% of SBP and 71% of NSLP participants receive free or reduced-price meals based on household income, meaning their families do not have adequate means to purchase food absent safety net programs," she said. "For many students, school meals make up one-third to one-half of their caloric intake in a day."

"Given the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on the economic landscape of the U.S. and subsequent surge in food insecurity prevalence, continuation of meal sites that serve meals to students and families may serve as a vital strategy to offset ongoing depravity," McLoughlin and her co-authors wrote. "This will be especially important for families/children at a greater risk for contracting COVID-19 who wish to remain at home and/or for parents who still cannot return to work through job loss or ongoing furlough.

"Further, depending on the school schedule and whether schools opt for a rotation system -; minimizing attendance and asking students to be at school on certain days of the week -; operating walk-up and drive-up meal sites would facilitate equitable access to supplemental nutrition despite students not attending schools full time. Continuation of various waivers granted by the USDA may therefore be necessary to combat rising food insecurity rates and ease the transition of going back to school amid the pandemic."

The authors of the study are members of the COVID-19 School Nutrition Implications Working Group, jointly supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network.
Is Your Music Legally Protected?

Recently, a number of companies have been popping up and preying on music creators and rights holders, offering protection for musical works. Here, industry lawyer Erin M. Jacobson explains why the companies are spreading misinformation, and the realities behind legally protecting your music.

Guest post by Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. of The Music Industry Lawyer

Music creators and rights owners ask me on a daily basis about whether their musical compositions and recordings are properly protected by copyright. Lately, there have been some companies popping up claiming to offer protection for musical works, and these companies are promoting misinformation that actively hurts music creators and rights owners. In this article, I set the record straight.

Copyright Protection

When a work created with sufficient originality to qualify for copyright protection and is fixed in a tangible medium of expression, it technically has copyright protection under the law. Fixed in a tangible medium of expression means that the work has been reduced to a physical format capable of being reproduced, such as writing it down, recording it on an audio or video recording, etc.

However, even though a work may have copyright protection when it is created, registering works with the United States Copyright Office provides certain benefits that one only has with a federal registration. These benefits include:

Being able to sue in federal court for copyright infringement;

Public notice of who owns the work;

Listing in the United States Copyright Offices online databases;

A legal presumption of ownership of the work in court (if certain conditions are met);

Statutory damages and attorneys fees (i.e. more money!) can be awarded to the winner of an infringement suit (if certain conditions are met); and

The date of creation listed on a federal registration certificate is the strongest evidence a court will consider.

Let me emphasize two of these points again:

A person (or company) cannot sue in federal court for copyright infringement without a registration with the U.S. Copyright Office, and the date of creation listed on a federal registration certificate is the strongest evidence a court will consider.

The Nature of Copyright Registration Companies

To be clear, there are some companies that will provide the service of filing copyright registration applications with the U.S. Copyright Office on a creators behalf. While one should still do ones due diligence on these companies to make sure they are experienced and will file the registrations correctly, the services these companies provide is not the focus of this article.

In this article, I am specifically talking about companies that offer registrations with their own service in order to protect a work. There are companies offering a date stamp  some of them even advertise an encrypted date stamp  to show evidence of the date of creation of a work. These companies charge just a few dollars per registration and make it appear that using their service will save the user a lot of money in comparison to the fees of the U.S. Copyright Office (currently ranging from $45-65 per application).

However, here is the problem:

First, as already explained, the date of creation listed on a federal registration certificate is the strongest evidence a court will consider. While a court may look at other outside evidence, there is absolutely no guarantee they will accept this evidence, and a court will still want the federal registration certificate. When I have inquired with these companies about whether they have any instances of a court accepting the registration they offer as valid, I have not received a response, and the fine print on these companies websites will state there is no guarantee their registration will be accepted as evidence by a court. In other words, the answer here is no.

Second, also as already mentioned, a federal registration certificate is required to pursue a copyright infringement claim in federal court. If one does not have a federal registration certificate and an infringement (or potential infringement) occurs, the owner of the allegedly infringed work will then have to immediately register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to pursue the claim, AND, will have to rush the application to pursue that claim timely. The Copyright Office calls this rushed status Special Handling, and charges a fee of $800 to rush the application.

While someone thought spending less than $5 on a registration with a private company was saving money, that person would end up having to pay $845-865 just to obtain a federal registration to have the ability to defend an infringement for one work. If the person initially registered the work correctly with the Copyright Office, the fee would have been $45-65, and would have come with all the protections afforded by federal registration, saving that person $800 (plus the money already spent on the other registration company).

A Note about Trademarks

Trademarks, which in the music space mostly apply to band names and company names, have a little more leeway here because trademarks can gain protection by use in commerce, i.e. out in the marketplace. However, the same benefits outlined for federal copyright registrations apply to trademark registrations as well.

Therefore, while these trademark registration services provide an example of using a name at a certain time, they do not provide the good will that can only be built by using the mark in commerce, which could include performing under that name, selling music under that name, etc. Plus, one also cannot sue to protect a trademark in federal court with out a federal trademark registration.

Therefore, the same arguments above also apply here as to why these companies are a waste of money.

What if There Is No Federal Registration?

For both copyrights and trademarks without federal registrations, there may be some protections under state common law, however, these protections only extend within a certain state (hugely important in the case of trademarks especially), and provide a much lower level of protection than federal registrations.

Conclusion

Music creators and rights owners receive bad information all the time  from friends, other people in the business, and the internet. However, what really makes me mad is when companies  many of them owned by musicians or former musicians  make promises to music creators and rights owners under the guise of helping them, when really the service they provide does not afford the level of protection suggested and is profiting off the ignorance of music creators who are simply trying to protect their work.

Are these companies malicious in their intentions? Probably not. They probably just saw what they thought was a creative business idea. As I mentioned, the fine print usually indicates that these services only provide an indication of a date of creation and no guarantee of acceptance as evidence by a court, but lets face it, almost no one is going to read the fine print. Independent musicians already working with smaller budgets do not need to spend money on worthless date notations when they should be putting their money toward receiving all of the benefits afforded by federal copyright registrations.

A person can file ones own registration applications with the U.S. Copyright Office, and those on a budget may be able to file some applications containing multiple works (if certain conditions are met). However, because the details of such registrations can often become nuanced, one can also hire an experienced music attorney to assist with correctly protecting ones works.

All music creators and rights owners deserve the real and true information on how to protect their works. The correct information is available and can be obtained with a little research or by working with professionals acting in accordance with the definitive procedures provided by U.S. Copyright Law.

Creators and rights owners owe it to themselves to protect their work correctly, rather than looking for a cheap solution that will ultimately leave them and their work unprotected when it counts.

This article does not constitute legal advice.

Erin M. Jacobson is a practicing attorney, experienced deal negotiator, and a seasoned advisor of intellectual property rights who protects musicians, songwriters, music publishers, Grammy and Emmy Award winners, and legacy artists and their catalogues through deal negotiations and proper intellectual property management.

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Richard Bransons Virgin empire has faced many challenges in its five-decade history, from high-profile legal clashes with British Airways and failed bids to run the UK national lottery to abortive forays into vodka, cola and bridal wear. The setbacks have been so numerous that overcoming them has become part of the Virgin DNA.

Yet the six-month battle to save Virgin Atlantic Airways has been a case apart, involving as it has the business that first truly took the group global and remains its best-known brand. The battle to stop the carrier from becoming one of the ...
Two cadaver dogs alerted on suspected traces of human decomposition and blood during a search eight years ago at the Cumberland County home of a man whose wife disappeared, a consultant to the FBI testified Tuesday afternoon.

Martin Grimes, who testified via video feed from his home in Oxford, England, said one of his dogs, Morse, alerted on an ax in the basement of Hap Seiders house on Willow Mill Park Road in Silver Spring Township during the search in July 2012.

Grimes said Morse, who was trained to detect latent odors of the decomposition of human remains, also alerted in the center of the basement, first and second-floor bathrooms, plumbing access panels and on a wool mask beneath a safe in an office.

His other dog, Keela, trained in the detection of minute traces of human blood, alerted on a stainless-steel knife in the drawer of a cabinet in the master bedroom, Grimes said.

Investigators said they believe that Rabihan Seiders, 53, was assaulted, killed and dismembered and burned in this home at 100 Willow Mill Park Road in Silver Spring Township.Sean Sauro

Chief Deputy District Attorney Courtney Hair LaRue is claiming Seiders, 66, who is on trial for homicide, killed his wife, Rabihan, 53, in late March 2012 and burned her body in the homes fireplace.

Defense attorney George Matangos is countering that Rabihan might not be dead but could instead have fled the U.S. with $3 million worth of her husbands property, including a cache of gold coins.

Under Matangoss questioning, Grimes said the dogs did not alert on the fireplace where LaRue claims Rabihan Seiders corpse was incinerated. Matangos also raised the idea that the dogs alerts were false positives. Grimes said both dogs, which have since died, had track records of accuracy.

Dr. Susan Marvin, an FBI metallurgist, testified under questioning by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Robinson that three rivets found in box of ashes seized from the Seiders home in April 2012 came from clothing produced by the firm Brittania.

A metal zipper found in the same box couldnt be tied to any specific clothing line, Marvin said.

On cross-examination, Marvin said she could not tell whether the rivets, which had been in a fire, came from male or female clothing since Brittania produces both. She said it appeared the rivets had been attached to a thick material, perhaps denim or leather.
Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation sent a congratulatory letter to Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice President of Azerbaijan.

"Dear Mehriban Arif qizi,

Please accept my warmest and sincere congratulations on your birthday.

Your energy, professionalism and ability to work with people, responsiveness and goodwill have earned you tremendous respect both in Azerbaijan and abroad. I always remember with warmth our meetings and conversations, during which we discussed many issues on the bilateral and international agendas and found common approaches to their solution. I highly value the trust that has been established between us.

The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is aware of the significant contribution you are making to the humanization of international relations and of your active participation in the preservation and enhancement of the worlds social and cultural values. We are also well aware of and highly appreciate your activities aimed at consolidating the global female community for the benefit of building a stable and secure future for our descendants.

Mehriban khanim, I wish you good health, good mood, inspiration, peace, kindness and prosperity from the bottom of my heart. May your life always have the respect and support of friends and colleagues, the warmth and love of family and friends.

I will always be glad to see you in Russia.

Please accept the assurances of my highest respect for you," the letter said.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Amazon workers protesting the company's policies during the coronavirus pandemic on May 1 in Hawthorne, California. Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Amazon posted a job listing this week for an "intelligence analyst" tasked with monitoring workers' efforts to unionize and reporting back to top executives at the company.

The analyst's job duties would also include gathering information for use in Amazon's legal actions, including restraining orders against labor groups, according to the listing.

Amazon deleted the job listing on Tuesday after Business Insider reached out for comment. It was shared widely by labor activists on social media before being taken down.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In a now-deleted job listing posted this week, Amazon advertised that it's looking to hire an "intelligence analyst" tasked with duties including snooping on workers' unionization efforts and reporting back to executives about their findings.

It's a sign of Amazon's escalating fight to stop its workers from organizing. The company has previously turned to unorthodox methods to quash unionization  its subsidiary Whole Foods built a heat map tool specifically for tracking unionization threats, Business Insider reported in April.

The job listing described the role as focused on "labor organizing threats against the company," as well as gathering material for Amazon's legal action against labor groups who protest the company.

"Individual analysts will work directly with Sr. Corporate Counsel to compile and provide assessments for use in court filings, up to and including restraining orders against activist groups; intelligence assessments are used by Legal to demonstrate to court of law that activist groups harbor intent for continued illegal activity vis-a-vis Amazon," the listing said.

The position also includes other responsibilities, including gathering information about competitors, geopolitical issues, and even "terrorism" threats that could inform Amazon's decisions. The analyst would also be expected to create "bespoke risk methodologies" tailored to Amazon's various business units.

Story continues

The job listing was taken down shortly after Business Insider reached out to Amazon for comment. The day after publication, an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that "the job post was not an accurate description of the role  it was made in error and has since been corrected."

The listing was shared widely on Twitter Tuesday morning before it was deleted.

The job description says the analyst would be responsible for communicating with managers at various levels of Amazon's chain of command, including regional managers, company vice presidents, and everything in between. Those positions are referred to as "L6-10 stakeholders" in the listing, referencing Amazon's leadership tiers.

"Analysts must be capable of engaging and informing L7+ ER Principals (attorney stakeholders) on sensitive topics that are highly confidential, including labor organizing threats against the company, establish and track funding and activities connected to corporate campaigns (internal and external) against Amazon, and provide sophisticated analysis on these topics," the listing said.

Labor organizing among Amazon workers has been gradually gaining steam in recent months. Warehouse workers organized at least four strikes this year, motivated in part to protest Amazon's mandatory overtime policy and working conditions amid COVID-19 that they said were unsafe. (Amazon denied this.)

Since then, Amazon fired at least three workers who were outspoken critics of the company's labor conditions during the pandemic, leading a high-ranking engineer at the company to resign in protest. Amazon has maintained that the workers were fired for other infractions, not for criticizing its labor practices.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Konark Malhotra, MD, vascular neurologist at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) and the AHN Neuroscience Institute, and principal investigator of the study Studies such as those led by Dr. Malhotra and his team are essential to improving our understanding of chronic disease management and developing better therapeutic strategies that can make a life-changing difference for stroke patients.

Intravenous thrombolysis may put stroke patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at a higher risk for intracranial bleeding and mortality, according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology by researchers at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Neuroscience Institute. The study, Intravenous thrombolysis in patients with chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis, surveyed various studies published across different countries and assessed the association of CKD among more than 60,000 acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing IV thrombolytic therapy.

According to the CDC, stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year, accounting for approximately one out of every 20 deaths. Nearly 90 percent of strokes are classified as acute ischemic strokes which take place when a blood clot or narrowed artery obstructs blood flow to the brain. Within minutes, the lack of oxygenated blood to the brain can cause a severe, permanent neurological injury, and even death.

Patients who suffer an acute ischemic stroke and arrive early to the hospital are often administered IV thrombolysis to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels, improve blood flow, and prevent damage to tissues and organs, said Konark Malhotra, MD, vascular neurologist at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) and the AHN Neuroscience Institute, and principal investigator of the study. We wanted to better understand how this course of treatment with IV thrombolytic therapy may impact an already vulnerable population with a specific chronic condition like chronic kidney disease.

In the systematic review, Dr. Malhotra and his colleagues evaluated outcomes with special attention being paid to intracranial bleeding, three-month mortality and functional independence rates with regard to a patients mobility and ability to maintain high levels of self-sufficiency.

Across 20 independent studies that were analyzed, a significant correlation was determined to exist between CKD and worsened clinical outcomes  most notably, a higher risk of intracranial bleeding and mortality.

The primary causation of worsened outcomes presents an opportunity for further research. A likely contributing factor is the high rate of comorbidities seen in the study population; for example, hypertension and diabetes are the leading causes of chronic kidney disorder, said Ashis Tayal, MD, neurologist and director of the AGH Stroke Center.

In addition to Dr. Malhotra and Dr. Tayal, other neurologists who contributed to the study include Aristeidis H. Katsanos, Nitin Goyal, Henrik Gensicke, Panayiotis D. Mitsias, Gian Marco De Marchis, Eivind Berge, Anne W. Alexandrov, Andrei V. Alexandrov and Georgios Tsivgoulis.

In another study published earlier this year in the AHA Journal of Hypertension, Dr. Malhotras team provided additional insight on how clinical outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients who undergo stroke thrombectomy procedures are impacted by elevated blood pressure levels.

Dr. Malhotra performed a systematic review and pooled results from 25 published studies involving 6,500 patients who underwent acute stroke thrombectomy. This study analyzed the association of blood pressure  systolic and diastolic -- before, during or after acute stroke thrombectomy with various clinical outcomes.

The authors found that higher blood pressure levels negatively affect stroke-related outcomes such as intracranial bleeding, death and functional independence in daily living.

Studies such as those led by Dr. Malhotra and his team are essential to improving our understanding of chronic disease management and developing better therapeutic strategies that can make a life-changing difference for stroke patients, continued Dr. Tayal.

AHN was recently recognized by the American Stroke Association for its excellence in stroke care. In August, the Network announced six Network hospitals earned Gold Plus Elite and Silver Plus designations for its adherence to guideline-directed therapies and protocols which in turn improves patient outcomes and decreases stroke recurrence rates.

For more information on the AHN Neuroscience Institute, visit http://www.ahn.org.

About the Allegheny Health Network:

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 12 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel Kilger is a pioneer of revolutionary techniques and concepts, who at a young age is on a mission to change the world. Now the innovator and entrepreneur has won two Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) 2020 CEO Awards, being named 'Healthcare Start-up CEO of the Year - Germany' and 'Growth Strategy CEO of the Year - Germany'.

The aim of the Awards is to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe from a variety of different sectors. Unlike many business awards that focus on the overall companies' success, instead the spotlight is individuals who make them tick namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors and senior-level management. The intention is to give worthy individuals the recognition they deserve, using their example to inspire others to achieve similar success.

Modern technology provides a constant connection to new customer bases, facilitating communication all over the world, and entrepreneurship and innovation are both key to the marketplaces of tomorrow. Daniel Kilger, the pioneer behind Start up SAFARI  Munich, and new health tech company Smokeless - welcomes these emerging opportunities with open arms. In an interview with Business Worldwide Magazine, he spoke about his passion for technology, entrepreneurial spirit and what the CEO Awards mean to him .

Daniel developed and launched his own social media platform at the tender age of fourteen. It was a huge success in his region, informing people of events in the local area and enabling them to communicate and exchange ideas about the different social activities available to them. Since then, he hasn't stopped working and coming up with new ideas, keeping networking at the heart of everything he does.

Daniel believes that communication is an essential ingredient to achieving business success. Upon graduating, he established an international academic partnership, encouraging students from his Munich university to partner in networking collaboration with students from a partner university in the USA. His passion for building business ecosystems and providing assistance to the next generation of start-ups in Munich, led him to initiate the Munich based Startup SAFARI. In under two years, it has become a prominent door opener for aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs, encouraging others to achieve their full potential.

Daniel promotes equality, providing a safe and productive environment for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion. He champions a harassment-free space designed to encourage entrepreneurship and foster long lasting bonds. He is also a big believer in cutting through red tape, working with companies and regulatory bodies to promote a more user friendly approach to start-ups.

His latest venture is Smokeless - a disruptive technology which aims to change the world for good by providing an easy way for people to stop smoking. Every five seconds one person dies from smoking related illnesses, but despite the risks a huge 96% of smokers fail to quit. Smokeless has been developed with smart algorithms, providing tailor made programmes for each individual, rather than offering a 'one size fits all' approach.

As Smokeless challenges the status quo, Daniel is placing himself as a pioneer within the realm of transforming health. He told BWM that the key to his success is determination and the strength to follow his own path. "Create your own journey...don't try to fit into a mould created by society to meet generic goals. Each journey is different, designed to be travelled at its own pace. To all students graduating in this surreal time, don't be afraid to build your own path and follow your own instincts. This can be your time." he said.

Further information about Smokeless can be found at https://smokeless.world/

An article on Daniel Kilger can be found on the BWM website: https://www.bwmonline.com/2020/08/17/daniel-kilger-pioneer-innovator-and-entrepreneur/

Further information about the Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards 2020 visit https://www.bwmonline.com/awards/ceo-awards-2020-winners/

About Business Worldwide Magazine

Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence throughout the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal enables an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and changes in legislation. This readership includes of CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies to name a few.

Contact

David Jones

Awards Department

E: [email protected]

W: http://www.bwmonline.com

SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine
The Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says he will petition Parliament after he was allegedly assaulted by National Security operatives.

I will officially send a petition to the office of Parliament, to the Speaker of Parliament, because I am a Member of Parliament and my privileges have been insulted, he said on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News.

The MP recounted that he was attacked in front of the James Town Police station after he had gone to help a journalist he commissioned for some work who had been detained by police.

The journalist was getting footage of an ongoing project for a documentary but was purportedly detained on orders from above, according to Mr Vanderpuye.

At the James Town Police Station, a group of men, including the men he says were with National Security, arrived and soon began beating him and his aide.

They came straight to us saying leave here and all of a sudden punches to my chest and one of them came from behind and one other came on my research assistant.

He said he was also punched and slapped in the face.

Police eventually intervened and provided refuge in one of the police stations offices.

The journalist was later released on bail and they were escorted by police to a polyclinic at around 1:45 am.

Mr Vanderpuye refuted suggestions he was associated with his attackers saying they have never worked for me though he admitted to having helped some of them through some legal challenges in the past.

He further accused the Parliamentary Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nii Lante Bannerman, of being behind the attack.

He fully endorses what these people have done. I have listened to him on various networks. He fully endorses what the people have done.

Commenting on the incident on the same show, Mr Bannerman rubbished suggestions that he was behind the attack.

He also said, What happened has nothing to do with politics.

Mr Bannerman claims the assailants were people scorned by Mr Vanderpuye.

The people are saying they have issues with you [Mr. Vanderpuye]. They have scores to settle with you. They have worked for you. You have used them from 2012 and 2016 and you have not rewarded them. You have not taken care of them and all that.

In the meantime, Mr Bannerman said the NPP was working to calm tensions.

I have called Lord Commey, I have called a couple of people to help talk to these boys. If this is what they are going to do we are not going to condone it, he said.

---citinewsroom
I entered the race for Attorney General because this Commonwealth is ready for fresh voices and ideas as we enter this new Virginia decade that reflect who we are, what we value, and where were going, Jones, 31, said in a statement Wednesday. My commitment to equity and giving a voice to those left behind is unflinching, and we are working tirelessly during this special session to make Virginia stronger and more just for every citizen.
Storytellers extraordinaire Angeline ODonnell, Abbeyfeale, Maddie Mazelle (11), Listowel, and Thanh Creed (12), Asdee, help launch the Listowel Storytelling Festival 2020 at Listowel Castle this week, adjacent the festival centre that is the Kerry Writers Museum

Frances Kennedy demonstrates her tall-tale-telling flair in the John B Keane room ahead of the event. Photos by Domnick Walsh

A two-time winner of the Mick McCarthy Storytelling competition in Finuge is the featured talent of this year's Listowel International Storytelling and Folklore Festival, from September 18 to 20.

Cork's Maria Gillen is the leading light of the young festival as it returns in the era of COVID in an online forum, rather than the in-person affair it previously enjoyed within the Kerry Writers' Museum.

But that's not to say the tales will be any less tall, hilarious or downright astounding as Maria and her fellow featured talent can deliver the goods as easily over Zoom as they can in the flesh.

Maria is already a dab hand at the Zoom-telling, having milked the online app for nearly every last drop of its storytelling potential throughout the lockdown, hosting special sessions with friends from across the globe for Storytellers of Ireland on St Patrick's Day and World Storytelling Day.

She was also the bean a' ti for the Mermaid Arts Centre Bealtaine Festival. Throw local talent like Frances Kennedy and Sonny Egan into the mix - as will be the case - and you've a recipe for a great draw from everywhere. Indeed, thanks to its online delivery in 2020, the Festival will be able to claim the 'international' of the title with greater verve.

But it might not have come to pass at all, what with the small matter of the pandemic. Kerry Writers' Museum manager Cara Trant said that it was Maria's advice on harnessing the internet that proved decisive.

"We were not sure if we would be able to host this year's storytelling festival" said Ms Trant, Manager of Kerry Writers' Museum. "We have been extremely fortunate to have Maria Gillen as our featured storyteller for the festival. Her advice and guidance on producing this online programme has been invaluable."

Meanwhile, the Festival is also partnering with St John's - although not its near neighbour in the Square, in this instance. The Listowel fest is joining forces with the St John's Storytelling Festival in Newfoundland to feature a selection of exceptional storytellers from Canada.

Events kick off on Friday evening with an open-air performance of storytelling, poetry, music and song at the foot of Listowel Castle as part of Culture Night 2020. This event will be live streamed on the Museum's Facebook page.

Saturday's programme features a Story Making Workshop on the theme of 'How stories can encapsulate resilience'. A new generation of storytellers will also be showcased at a Young Tellers session.

Featured storyteller Maria Gillen will perform a selection of her own stories on Sunday morning, followed by a children's storytelling session with Listowel-based storyteller Godfrey Coppinger. The weekend will culminate on Sunday afternoon with the 'Healing Hour' session featuring the best of North Kerry storytellers and artists.

"Kerry Writers' Museum would like to acknowledge the generous support from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Kerry County Council, without which the festival would not take place," Ms Trant added.
However, commission member Brian Dering said while hes in favor of the project, he doesnt think it fits the description of a group home since the veterans children would be allowed to stay with their mothers during her stay in the house.
Data Start-up GRID Raises $12m for Launch

Iceland-based GRID, a SaaS start-up for users of data, has raised $12m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to bring its product to market.



Founded in 2018 by 'data enthusiast' Hjalmar Gislason (pictured) and a group of software execs, GRID enables Excel users to convert their spreadsheets into interactive, web documents, dashboards and interactive applications that can be securely shared online, without the need to learn any new skills. According to the firm, GRID does for Excel and Google Sheets what data science notebooks have done for Python and R, making reporting of data and models 'easier and more powerful'.



New funding has been led by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from existing investors BlueYard Capital, Slack Fund, Acequia Capital and other strategic partners. Gislason comments: 'Data is now so ubiquitous in organizations that our entire way of thinking, reporting, and collaborating around data must improve. The key is to understand and leverage the ways people already work rather than introducing something completely new that interrupts existing workflows and requires people to rebuild what's already working for them. We're thrilled to have NEA joining us in delivering on this vision and are convinced that they are the best possible partner for us on this journey'.



Web site: www.grid.is .




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Linkedin Glenn Chapman (Agence France-Presse) San Francisco, United States  Wed, September 2, 2020 11:45 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4222f8f 2 World Facebook,Russia,US-Russia,unrest Free

Facebook on Tuesday said that it caught a budding Russia-linked campaign to fuel political chaos in the US, working off a tip from the FBI in its latest take-down of coordinated inauthentic behavior at the leading social network.

The network of 13 Facebook accounts and two pages posing as journalists and targeting left-wing progressives was removed for violating a policy against "foreign interference" at the platform.

The investigation that uncovered the covert operation, which was linked to the Internet Research Agency in Russia (IRA), started with a tip from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to Facebook head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher.

The network was in the early stages of building an audience, with little engagement from users, Facebook said.

"They put substantial effort into creating elaborate fictitious personas, trying to make fake accounts look as real as possible," Gleicher said while briefing reporters.

The list of topics in posts included "social and racial justice in the US and UK, NATO and EU politics, alleged Western war crimes and corruption, environmental issues, the founder of Wikileaks, tensions between Israel and Palestine, the coronavirus pandemic, criticism of fracking, French influence in Africa, the Biden-Harris campaign, QAnon, President Trump and his policies, and the US military policies in Africa.".

Unwitting freelance writers were recruited to write material to be posted online, according to Facebook.

The Facebook pages were said to be crafted to drive viewers to websites of the social network, and their operators were working diligently to get approval to run targeted ads.

"It follows a steady pattern where particularly Russian actors have gotten better at hiding who they are, but their impact is smaller and smaller and they are getting caught earlier," Gleicher said.

"These actors are caught between a rock and hard place: run a large network that gets caught quickly or run a small network that has limited reach."

Beyond Facebook

The campaign targeted its audience with English-language content focused heavily on a small number of political groups, including Democratic Socialists, environmentalists, and disgruntled Democrats in the US, according to an analysis by Graphika.

A consistent target of the network was left-leaning voters in Britain and the US with the potential to be dissuaded from supporting centrist leadership of the Democratic and Labor parties, Graphika determined.

The network worked to amplify a PeaceData website that posed as an independent news outlet, the analysis found.

Only about five percent of the English-language articles on the website dealt primarily with the US election or candidates, but they appeared oriented to build a left-wing audience and steer it away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bidens campaign, in the same way that the IRA tried to depress progressive and minority support for Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to Graphika.

The operation had a presence on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as on Facebook, according the social network analysis specialist.

Twitter said it suspended five accounts linked to Russia for "platform manipulation."

The accounts appeared to be associated with the PeaceData website and appeared to gain little traction on Twitter before being removed, according to the one-to-many messaging platform.

"Regardless of the low-level impact in this case, governments around the world must stop these practices," Twitter said in a tweet.

"Theyre antidemocratic."

Twitter is blocking links to content from the PeaceData website, which could still be accessed online Tuesday.

The website began publishing in December, and the Facebook accounts were set up in May, according to Graphika.

"The network was in its infancy when it was taken down," Graphika concluded.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 17:50 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4243852 1 News Wings-Air,Lion-Air,Makassar,tana-toraja,Sultan-Hasanuddin-International-Airport,travel,tourism,Airlines Free

Low-cost carrier Wings Air, a member of Lion Air Group, is to operate a new route connecting Makassar city and Tana Toraja regency in South Sulawesi starting Friday.

According to a statement, the airline is "the first and only" carrier currently offering the service, which will be available four times a week every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

From Makassar's Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Wings Air IW-1330 is scheduled to depart at 9:35 a.m. local time and land at Toraja Airport at 10:35 a.m. On the same day, Wings Air IW-1331 will leave Tana Toraja at 10:55 a.m. and arrive in Makassar at 11:55 a.m.

Read also: Travel guide to Labuan Bajo, Komodo National Park

The service will utilize ATR-600 or ATR-72-500 aircraft that can accommodate 72 economy class passengers.

The largest city in eastern Indonesia, Makassar serves as an important hub for passengers traveling to cities in Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua. Meanwhile, Tana Toraja, which lies 300 kilometers north of Makassar, is a popular destination among domestic and foreign tourists for its unique cultural ceremonies and traditions, such as the funeral festival, staycations at traditional Tongkonan houses and much more. (gis/kes)
By Aradhana Aravindan and John Geddie

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore must remain open to overseas talent even as it tightens immigration curbs to preserve local jobs, its prime minister said on Wednesday, warning a turn inwards would be a blow for the global business hub facing a record recession.

The city-state's jobless rate has hit a decade-high in recent months, despite the government spending about S$100 billion ($73.47 billion) in support measures to offset the impact of COVID-19 on its open economy.

Worries over jobs have turned the focus on its high immigration levels, an issue emphasized by opposition parties during a July general election in which they mounted a historic challenge to the ruling party's unbroken hold on power.

"Even as we adjust our work pass policies, we must be careful not to give the wrong impression that we are now closing up and no longer welcoming foreigners," Lee Hsien Loong said in a near two-hour impassioned speech in parliament.

"We may be under stress now, but we cannot afford to turn inwards."

Lee's government, which has been tightening the inflow of foreigners for several years, is taking more steps to promote local hiring. Last week, it raised the salary threshold for issuing work passes for foreigners, the second hike this year.

Singapore's political stability and pro-business policies have long attracted investments from big global firms.

Lee said a pharmaceutical firm, which he did not name, wanted to build a vaccine manufacturing facility in Singapore and several Fortune 500 companies were looking to relocate their regional headquarters to the city-state.

Financial firms also wanted to expand, including their technology operations.

"But for them to come here, they must feel welcome and be allowed to bring in the talent they need," he added.

Last month, authorities put 47 companies on a watch-list for potential discriminatory hiring practices against locals.

Story continues

Online vitriol against foreigners prompted state investor Temasek [TEM.UL] to call out "racist" posts against its employees.

($1 = 1.3611 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by John Geddie and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Martin Petty)
Not a big player in Bihar politics, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has adopted a unique way of drawing peoples attention in the state. In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic and scourge of flood in nearly half the state, out of box thinking is what is driving the political parties in Bihar to connect with the masses in the interiors, where online connectivity may not be easily possible.

Taking the message from Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, party workers have fanned out with oximeters and are testing and counselling people to take precaution or approach the nearby hospital should their oxygen count be lower than 95%.

A pulse oximeter is a device that measures blood oxygen level. Coronavirus patients need to be hospitalised if their oxygen level reaches 90 per cent or below, according to health guidelines.

The healthcare facilities and truth of testing in Bihar is not hidden for anyone anymore. We have opened hundreds of oximeter centres at the booth level to let people at least know their health condition so that they could act in time, said Bihar AAP chief Sushil Kumar Singh, adding that AAP workers gesture had drawn people closer, as they were also concerned about Covid, but did not know where to go.

Kejriwal had in August appealed to AAP volunteers across the country to distribute oximeters in every village, as it had helped save lives in Delhi. He also urged people to donate oximeters. The strategy has been adopted in poll-bound Bihar in a big way.

Many people have donated it, while our volunteers also buy it. We are also simultaneously carrying out our hum badlenge Bihar yatra and rendering our service to the people in getting tested for oxygen saturation level, which falls if a person is infected, said Sushil Singh, adding Covid-19 management in Bihar and the way the state tackled the migrants issue would certainly be a big poll issue in the state, as it has affected the people.

Amid the hype surrounding alliances, party hopping and seat adjustments in the two big coalitions, NDA and the Grand Alliance (GA), Singh said that the AAP was working quietly to get closer to the people by talking about their issues in their language.

AAPs banners and posters promise free education, free healthcare, employment to youth, corruption-free system and happiness to farmers to build a new Bihar, citing the Delhi model.

We are working on over 100 seats and we are aware we wont be able to fit in any of the two alliances due to inherent contradictions. We will decide later how many seats we should zero in on. Our message is clear Hum badlenge Bihar (We will change Bihar), just as AAP did in Delhi. We ask the people to compare the change with Delhi - be it in Covid management or in dealing with peoples basic needs. People from different walks of life have associated with us, he added.

The AAP leader said that partys Bihar affairs in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was constantly in touch with the party leaders and cadres in the state and once the election is announced, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwals virtual meetings would also be planned.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AAP had contested three seats of Kishanganj, Bhagalpur and Sitamarhi without any success. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the AAP had contested 39 of the 40 seats in Bihar, but could win none. In the 2015 assembly election in Bihar, it did not contest, but backed the anti-BJP group.

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- Atwoli condemned the planned downsizing set to be made by the struggling national carrier Kenya Airways

- The veteran trade unionist urged KQ to adapt to changing times for it to survive

- His remarks came after the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) and the Kenya Airports Workers Union (KAWU) joined hands to demand sweeping changes at the entire KQ board

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The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has given a seven-day ultimatum to Transport CS James Macharia to fire Kenya Airways (KQ) board chairman Michael Joseph over alleged mismanagement of the airline.

The long-serving workers' representative condemned the planned downsizing set to be made by the struggling carrier saying Joseph must go.

READ ALSO: David Murathe says he can challenge William Ruto for the Jubilee presidential ticket

COTU boss Francis Atwoli addressing workers in the past. Photo: Francis Atwoli.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Man causes stir online after jumping on money truck for a ride

Speaking on Tuesday, September 1, Atwoli said Kenya Airways must adapt to changing times insisting the country had many young modern-day managers who could steer Kenya's national carrier back to its glory days as the pride of Africa.

"Kenya has so many young people with talent to steer our airline. We cannot sit back and see the Rwandese coming up, Tanzanians are coming up, Ugandans are reviving theirs and in fact Ethiopia is buying more aircraft and then we are saying we can't do this.

"I saw KQ as East African Airways before it became a private entity and went spiraling down...It's out of pure mismanagement and people who have some personal interests. If within seven days an action is not taken then you will see what we will do...We will put in place mechanisms that will be make it difficult for top managers to access the airport," said Atwoli.

KQ announced KSh 14.3 billion loss in the first six months of 2020

Atwoli's remarks came just two days after two other unions, the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) and the Kenya Airports Workers Union (KAWU), joined hands to demand sweeping changes at the entire KQ board.

"Since 2004, every four years there has been a retrenchment at Kenya Airways but that has not changed the problems. With the kind of losses we have even if all of us were to go without a salary or work for free we will still make a loss," Murithi Nyagah the secretary general KALPA said.

READ ALSO: DP Ruto awasisimua wageni wake wa Mlima Kenya kwa kuwaimbia kwa Kikuyu

In the latest financial review, KQ announced a KSh 14.3 billion loss in the first six months of 2020 nearly double the amount it registered during a similar period in 2019.

A month ago, KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka indicated the airline would fire hundreds of its employees in a resizing exercise.

READ ALSO: Frank Lampard warned he will be sacked if Chelsea fail to challenge for titles after summer spending

The struggling airline that is now deep in the red zone said its revenues had dwindled over the last three months prompting it to cut on costs.

A decision has been reached to carry out an organisation-wide rightsizing exercise which will result in a reduction of our network, our assets, and our staff. Effectively, we have commenced a phased staff rationalisation process, which we expect to conclude by September 30 2020,"Kilavuka stated.

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
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 07:03:44|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in August for the third straight month, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported Tuesday.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 56 percent, up 1.8 percentage points from the July reading. Any reading above 50 percent indicates the manufacturing sector is generally expanding.

"That marked the highest level for the index since late 2018," Sarah House and Tim Quinlan, senior economists at Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in an analysis, noting that the production index registered 63.3 percent, and new orders index climbed to a 17-year high of 67.6.

The economists, however, noted that while the recovery may be broadening, the ISM report raises a number of "caution flags" regarding the sustainability of the recovery.

Despite the high reading on new orders, the employment component, at 46.4 percent, is consistent with manufacturers continuing to lay off workers, House and Quinlan noted.

"The need to further pare back employment, even if at a slower rate as seen in August, highlights that overall demand remains weak and manufacturers are not fully convinced that the recovery is durable," they said.

Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM's manufacturing business survey committee, also noted that "survey committee members reported that their companies and suppliers operated in reconfigured factories, with limited labor application due to safety restrictions."

"Panel sentiment was generally optimistic (1.4 positive comments for every cautious comment), though to a lesser degree compared to July," Fiore said.

After three months of contraction amid mounting COVID-19 fallout, the economic activity in the manufacturing sector rebounded in June, as states gradually eased lockdown measures and reopened their economies. The expansion continued in July amid a resurgence in new COVID-19 infections.

"Looking ahead, as the pandemic drags on, lingering softness in sales and an uncertain global outlook will weigh on capital spending, so manufacturers -- even those tied most tightly to goods spending -- are hardly in the clear," House and Quinlan said. Enditem
The rear section of an eight-storey residential building collapsed in Dongri area of Mumbai on Wednesday morning and a woman was feared trapped under a staircase, according to civic officials. Fire brigade, police and ambulances rushed to the spot and search and rescue operations were underway, the official told news agency PTI.

The incident took place on Sardar Vallabhbhai PatelRoad in Dongri area around 7.30 am when the entire back segment between the third and seventh floors of the old building caved in, the official said. A woman was feared trapped under a staircase of the building and efforts are underway to save her.

Meanwhile, a four-storey building collapsed in Palghars Achole area on late Tuesday night. The building was vacant when it collapsed and no casualties were reported, news agency ANI reported.

In a similar incident on August 27, a septuagenarian woman and a 12-year-old girl were killed after a portion of a three-storey building collapsed in Nagpada area of south Mumbai.
Manitoba First Nations have kept COVID-19 at bay, with zero on-reserve cases since the pandemic arrived in the province earlier this year.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Manitoba First Nations have kept COVID-19 at bay, with zero on-reserve cases since the pandemic arrived in the province earlier this year.

The most recent report from Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Co-ordination Team, dated Aug. 28, puts the number of lab-confirmed cases among First Nations people at 22, with 19 recovered. All cases are off-reserve. Three are in the Prairie Mountain Health region. There have been no deaths.

First Nations represented 11 per cent of tests done in Manitoba so far, with a total of 12,002 tests. Of those, 60 per cent of tests were completed for on-reserve First Nations people and 40 per cent for those who live in urban or rural areas, according to the co-ordination team.

Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Jennifer Bone said having a good team in her community has kept COVID-19 out.

"We have an incident commander and our health centre, our nurses. We rely heavily, and we still continue to rely heavily, on our health professionals that are working for our nation," Bone said.

The bottom line has been communication and information sharing  that includes between the incident commander and leadership, between leadership and staff, then out to the community by way of social media, Sioux Valley websites and other methods within the community.

The toughest and saddest part has been funerals.

"Weve had a pretty sad year in regards to losing our community members. Were fortunate that people have had them (funerals) at their homes. We have a tent and they were able to use that. We assist them in whatever way we can," Bone said.

"Again, we have our incident command team and they would go and visit the families to ensure that theyre aware of what the public health guidelines were, at the same time being mindful and respectful to the family and just sharing that information."

Birdtail Sioux First Nation Chief Ken Chalmers cites education, similar to Bones comments, and historical fear of diseases, such as smallpox and tuberculosis, as the main markers for success for his community.

"We lost a lot of our people  devastated by smallpox, devastated by tuberculosis," he said.

"I think its ingrained in us to fear these sort of things."

Also, with the first wave of COVID-19 that hit Manitoba, Birdtail put up a checkstop until the provinces numbers were down to zero. Anyone not a member of the First Nation was kept out.

"We had our health staff delivering information," Chalmers said. "They did a good job explaining what this was about."

A new store on the reserve helped members stay local, and not venture too far. Nevertheless, each home was provided with hand sanitizer and masks  everything they needed if they had to go on a trip or if they had to leave the reserve for essential services.

With Brandons case numbers up, Chalmers said he has heard band members arent going to the city anymore.

A sign at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation asks potential visitors to stay out of the community as part of COVID-19 safety measures. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Ultimately, Birdtail has depended on its pandemic plan.

"Thats changing all the time. Its there. Thats what we followed," he said.

That said, the First Nations checkstop came with a price tag of $75,000 per month. Chalmers said that wont be reimbursed by the federal government, and he told The Brandon Sun it would have to go back up this week because of the high numbers around the First Nation.

Flexible programming dollars  such Elders programs and Meals on Wheels  could be used to fund the checkstop, but Chalmers isnt certain that would be reimbursed and he and council were reluctant to go into that money.

"We cant be sure they wont claw it back or that we wont get it (program funding) next year," he said.

There were narrow parameters for security, for example. Funds could be used for security to keep someone self-isolating in their home.

"There really wasnt enough money for securing your reserve down," Chalmers said.

Sioux Valley doesnt have a checkstop expense like Birdtail does, though it has a "No visitors" sign.

"Its working. We did actually have some preliminary discussions regarding having barricades or completely closing down our community. But its just not possible because we have two provincial highways going through," Bone said.

The road to Birdtail, though, leads only to Birdtail.

Bone said people have definitely been respectful, especially those who do business with the community.

"Theyre calling," she said. "We havent hosted any meetings  a lot of Zoom (meetings)."

People, generally, call ahead, asking about restrictions.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Brandon, Sioux Valley is also doubling down on the information sharing, and is encouraging its members to limit their travel to essential services and needs only.

"Just making them more aware and letting them know to take precautions. But I think people are very aware of that," Bone said.

Chalmers said that at the beginning of the pandemic, some band members misbehaved.

"I think it hit home now," he said.

 mletourneau@brandonsun.com

 Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.
Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment

HIV remains an important risk factor for cervical cancer, with HIV-positive women 4-5 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to HIV-negative women. The Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) 2015 reported 79% of women had heard of cervical cancer but only 13% ever had a cervical examination. Many women were therefore surviving HIV but dying from cervical cancer, a condition that is both preventable and curable. In order to address this critical need and associated gaps, CDC Zimbabwe introduced cervical screening using visual inspection with acetic acid and cervicography (VIAC) and treatment with cryotherapy, thermal coagulation or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) in a see and treat approach in FY19.

CDC Zimbabwe and its clinical implementing partners introduced and scaled up cervical screening across all CDC supported districts thereby preventing women from developing cervical cancer. This was done through the integration of cervical cancer screening into existing HIV services, extensive technical support and revitalization of existing VIAC sites, recruitment and training of nurses and doctors who conduct cervical cancer screening and treatment, setting up of new VIAC sites to increase coverage and access, and demand creation among HIV positive women.

During FY19, CDC supported the revitalization of 39 VIAC sites and set up 12 new VIAC sites. To build human resource capacity, 72 nurses, 5 doctors, 3 clinical officers and 13 mentors/coordinators were trained quality quality cervical screening and treatment in CDC supported districts and facilities.

CDC and its clinical implementing partners International Training & Education Center for Health (ITECH) and Zimbabwe Association of Church-related Hospitals (ZACH) rapidly scaled up VIAC over FY19, achieving a remarkable 75% of the annual target as illustrated in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6: Number of Clients Screened for Cervical Cancer Using VIAC by Month Showing an Upward Trend

A total of 36,127 HIV positive women aged 25-49 years were screened. Service provision started at only 33 high volume sites in early Country Operation Plan (COP) 18. At the end of COP18, 48 facilities were providing VIAC, supported by direct service delivery (DSD) health care workers recruited and/or trained and deployed by CDC partners. The successful introduction and implementation of the program was a result of close collaboration between CDC and its Implementing Partners (IPs) and the MoHCC, recruitment and training of additional health care workers (HCWs) with a focus on VIAC, setting up VIAC sites within Opportunistic Infections (OI)/ART clinics, demand creation through integrated treatment literacy health education talks, and intensive site support and supervision to monitor implementation fidelity and provide on-site mentorship.

However, while encouraging screening numbers were achieved, treatments rates for eligible women were lower than expected as illustrated in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: CDC FY18 Cervical Cancer Cascade: Overall

Although the positivity rate of 8% is within the expected range, the treatment rate falls short of the expected minimum of 70%. In the coming year, CDC will prioritize efforts to increase coverage of access to treatment services for all eligible women while strengthening the referral system for those women requiring advanced treatment procedures that may not be available locally.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 05:49:58|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders on Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a game-changer for international peace and security.

The world has "entered a volatile and unstable new phase" in terms of the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, the UN chief told a virtual meeting with world leaders.

GAME CHANGER

Speaking at one of a series of international meetings among heads of state to enhance global cooperation in fighting terrorism and violent extremism, as part of the Aqaba Process, the UN secretary-general said the pandemic is more than a global health crisis.

The Aqaba Process is an initiative launched in 2015 in the Jordanian city of the same name by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, to strengthen international cooperation against violent extremism and terrorism.

"It is a game-changer for international peace and security," said the UN chief, emphasizing that the process can play a key role in "promoting unity and aligning thinking" on how to beat back the pandemic.

The meetings, held via teleconference, covered security challenges emerging in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to address them, in addition to means of unifying and integrating efforts among all stakeholders to counter the threats of terrorism and extremism.

This round of meetings reportedly saw the participation of the presidents of Nigeria, the Philippines, Kenya, and Bulgaria; and the prime ministers of Canada, Bulgaria, and Albania, in addition to UN and Interpol secretaries-general and NATO's deputy secretary general.

WARNING LIGHTS

Guterres told the virtual meeting that the coronavirus has exposed the basic fragility of humankind, laid bare systemic and entrenched inequalities, and thrust into the spotlight geopolitical challenges and security threats.

"The warning lights are flashing," he said, stressing that as the virus is "exacerbating grievances, undermining social cohesion and fueling conflicts," it is also likely to "act as a catalyst in the spread of terrorism and violent extremism."

Moreover, international tensions are being driven by supply chain disruptions, protectionism and growing nationalism - with rising unemployment, food insecurity and climate change.

GLOBAL SOLIDARITY

The pandemic has highlighted vulnerabilities to emerging threats such as bioterrorism and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.

"The world faces grave security challenges that no single country or organization can address alone," Guterres said, adding that "there is an urgent need for global unity and solidarity."

Recalling the UN's Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week in July, he reminded that participants called for a "reinvigorated commitment to multilateralism to combat terrorism and violent extremism."

However, a lack of international cooperation to tackle the pandemic has been "startling," Guterres said, highlighting national self-interest, transactional information sharing and manifestations of authoritarianism.

PEOPLE FIRST

The UN chief underscored the need to put people first, by enhancing information sharing and technical cooperation "to prevent terrorists exploiting the pandemic for their own nefarious goals" and thinking "long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes."

"This includes upholding the rights and needs of victims of terrorism... (and) the repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters, especially women and children, and their dependents to their countries of origin," he noted.

POST-COVID REBUILDING

The secretary-general also addressed the Centenary Summit of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) on how private and public sector cooperation can help drive post-COVID change.

He lauded the IOE's "significant contributions" to global policymaking for economic and social progress, job creation and a mutually beneficial business environment, calling it "an important pillar of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since its earliest days."

"Today, our primary task is to defeat the pandemic and rebuild lives, livelihoods, businesses, and economies," he told the virtual summit.

In building back, he underscored that workers and small businesses should be protected, and everyone be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

TRIPARTITE COOPERATION

ILO chief Guy Ryder highlighted the need for conscious policy decisions and tripartite cooperation to overcome transformational challenges, such as technological change and climate change, as well as COVID-19.

Ryder also flagged that employers must continue to collaborate in social dialogue and maintain their commitment to both multilateralism and the ILO.

The IOE represents more than 50 million companies and is a key partner in the international multilateral system for over 100 years as the voice of business at the ILO, across the UN, the G20 richest countries and other emerging forums. Enditem
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Marking a major advancement amid the pandemic, India has moved up four places to rank 48th in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020 released on Wednesday.

Compiled by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD business school, the index assessed 131 economies.

Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the UK and the Netherlands lead the innovation ranking.

South Korea joined the top 10 for the first time while Singapore is at number 8.

The top 10 is dominated by high-income countries.

While the innovation index shows year-on-year stability at the top, there is a gradual eastward shift in the locus of innovation as a group of Asian economies -- notably China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam -- have advanced considerably in the innovation ranking over the years.

India retained the highest rank in the Central and Southern Asian region, followed by Iran, said the report.

Moving up four positions since last year, India became the third most innovative lower middle-income economy in the world.

It ranks in the top 15 in indicators such as ICT services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering, and R&D-intensive global companies, said the report.

Thanks to universities such as the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and Delhi and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, and its top scientific publications, India is the lower middle-income economy with the highest innovation quality, added the report.

"As shown by China, India and Vietnam, the persistent pursuit of innovation pays off over time," said Former Dean and Professor of Management at Cornell University Soumitra Dutta. "The GII has been used by governments of those countries and others around the world to improve their innovation performance," added Dutta.
California had just passed a bill on late Monday, granting the extension of eviction moratorium, giving renters protection from getting kicked out of their homes.

The extension of the eviction moratorium is specifically crafted to help Californians amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill was passed in both houses of the California legislation. It was done in the final hours of its two-year legislative session, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Extension of the eviction moratorium also takes into account what is believed to be a coming wave of evictions.

California Governor Gavin Newsom crafted the bill with legislative leaders, tenant advocates, and landlord groups last week. He immediately signed it into law, and it takes effect right away.

As the state's economy is still at a standstill, backers say it will help keep 17 million people housed as the crisis continues.

Newsom knew that COVID-19 had made an impact on many people in the state, most notably with tenants.

For Newsom, the new law will protect tenants from eviction and keep homeowners out of foreclosure.

Until When Can Renters Feel at Ease?

The extension of the eviction moratorium will cover not all renters. People will have to submit a form each month declaring they face a COVID-19 related hardship and can't pay their rent, said Forbes.

San Francisco Chronicle noted that evictions would be stalled until February 1 for tenants who declared a loss of income due to the pandemic.

If a person does not make any formal declaration, their landlord can evict them for not paying to start October 5. Even if they did declare hardship, a person who gets evicted could have his landlord fined $1,000 to $2,500.

A renter's back rent owed from March 1 through August 31 of this year will be turned into consumer debt. This can't be used as grounds for eviction.

If a tenant wishes to receive constant protection, they would have to pay at least 25% of the total rent they owe from September 1 to January 31.

Sen. Anna Caballero said the goal of the moratorium extension is to protect tenants and also encourage banks. In a Los Angeles Times report, she said letting them take part and making sure they don't foreclose homes.

Their balance will also become consumer debt. Landlords can claim these payments in small-claims court by March 1 of next year.

While this buys more time for people to stay housed, this does not excuse them from paying their dues. Even the bill's strongest supporters said it would only stop the financial woes.

It will not do much unless and until the government gives more stimulus to help renters and landlords afloat.

Brian Augusta of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation said he is also supportive of the bill. But he also noted that tenants need more protection. An extension of the eviction moratorium won't do for him.

In a public hearing on Saturday, he told senators that he did not see the bill as a solution.

For landlords like Debra Carlton, the solution is financial aid. Support from the federal government will allow them to pay their rent, she said.

Check these out!

Most of Los Angeles Homeless Youth Are Latino - LAHSA

California, Florida, Texas Dismiss New COVID-19 Testing Plan

Second Round of Stimulus Checks Seem to be in Danger
There is no denying that Epics Fortnite standoff has garnered a lot of attention. Epic rallied against Apple with a group of developers, and some of the other tech companies like Microsoft are reacting strongly. Amidst the controversy, Germanys antitrust watchdog is keeping an eye on Apples App Store payment row. Moreover, the authorities are likely to open a national inquiry.

Earlier this month, Epic introduced a direct payment system on Fortnite to circumvent App Store fees. Soon enough, Apple removed Fortnite from App Store and also threatened to delete Epics developer account. Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple. However, the judge presiding the case sided towards Apple when it comes to App Store fees.

Andreas Mundt, head of the Federal Cartel Office, had the following to say, This has most certainly attracted our interest. He further added, We are at the beginning, but we are looking at this very closely. In an online briefing, Mundt hinted that Apples App Store and the Play Store distribute apps for almost all the smartphones in the world. According to him, the worlds largest app store represents an interesting habitat because they are the only two worldwide.

The regulatory authority has the power to impose fines; however, they typically carry out an administrative probe into large technology firms. The European regulatory authority investigates whether the companies in question have abused their market dominance and if anything needs to be changed.

The Federal Cartel Office is already investigating Amazon and Facebook. Even music streaming giant Spotify had bought a complaint against Apple. Last year, the authorities reached an agreement with Amazon with regards to terms for merchants. Facebook is currently appealing an order that asks it to stop the collection of user data. It would be interesting to see if the Federal Cartel Office will initiate a probe into App Store practices.

[via Reuters
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Thursday, two days after President Donald Trump made the trip.

Unlike Trump, they will meet the family of Jacob Blake, the black man whose shooting by police sparked protests and violence in the city and nationwide.

The Biden campaign said that the former vice president will 'hold a community meeting in Kenosha to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face.' Afterward, both Joe and Jill Biden will make a 'local stop,' which is understood to be the visit with the Blake family.

Biden had hinted on Monday after delivering a speech in Pittsburgh that he was considering going to the Wisconsin city, where the police shooting of Jacob Blake a week and a half ago has led to protests, riots and unrest.

'Biden's contacted the family,' said Justin Blake, Blake's uncle. 'They've had a phone conversation with my brother. We want someone in the White House that will unite the whole country.

Joe Biden will visit Kenosha, Wisconsin on Thursday for a 'community meeting.' During his trip to Pittsburgh on Monday he hinted a trip to Wisconsin was in the works

President Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday where he surveyed riot damage and held a roundtable with law enforcement and local officials

'We believe Biden is trying to unite all Americans. I'm grateful to be able to meet him. I'm going to demand from him what we demand from anyone else - that there be legislation and laws protecting African Americans' safety and well being and that we have economic opportunity to build up our own communities.'

'We appreciate the manner and approach his campaign are taking,' he continued.

Trump during his own visit to Kenosha on Tuesday did not meet with the Blake family, nor utter the paralyzed black man's name.

Instead he toured property damage and held a roundtable discussion with law enforcement and local officials.

There, he called rioters 'domestic terrorists' and suggested that white police officers who shoot or kill unarmed black people 'choked' or are 'bad apples,' refusing to believe there's a systemic problem between law enforcement and America's black community.

'The vast and overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable, courageous and devoted public servants,' Trump said.

'They're incredible, yet many politicians ignore their sacrifice and ignore the African-American, Hispanic-American victims,' the president continued, speaking of crime victims of color, not those who have been unarmed and shot by officers, which have inspired weeks of Black Lives Matter protests.

When asked specifically about Blake being shot Trump responded, 'I feel terrible for anybody who goes through that.' He added that it's a 'complicated subject.'

Vouching for police officers Trump explained, 'you have people who choke.'

'And if they make a wrong decision one way or the other, they're either dead or they're in big trouble,' Trump continued. 'And people have to understand that. They choke sometimes. And it's a very tough situation.'

The president suggested that the police involved in the shootings and killings of unarmed black people amounted to some 'bad apples.'

Trump pooh-poohed a reporter's question about whether he believed systemic racism existed, which has been the main theme of the Black Lives Matter movement.

'You just keep getting back to the opposite subject,' Trump said. 'We should talk about the kind of violence we've seen in Portland and here and other places, it's tremendous violence.'

'This is what this is all about,' Trump said.

He laughed off the idea that most of the Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceable, pointing to the rubble he had just observed.

'I keep hearing about peaceful protests ... and then I come to an area like this and the town is burned down,' Trump said, sassing at reporters in the room for covering the protests like that. 'By and large this is not peaceful protesting,' he later added.

State and local officials had asked Trump not to come to Kenosha, in case his appearance sparked more confrontations - but Wisconsin is a key swing state in the November presidential election.
A new survey finds Canadians are still positive about immigration, but want to see family reunification as a priority over economic-class and refugee-class immigration.

Canadians see family reunification as biggest priority in 2020 A new survey finds Canadians are still positive about immigration, but want to see family reunification as a priority over economic-class and refugee-class immigration.

Canadians see family reunification as biggest priority in 2020 A new survey finds Canadians are still positive about immigration, but want to see family reunification as a priority over economic-class and refugee-class immigration.

Canadians see family reunification as biggest priority in 2020 A new survey finds Canadians are still positive about immigration, but want to see family reunification as a priority over economic-class and refugee-class immigration. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canadians generally agree that immigration is positive for long-term economic recovery but want to see family members given the priority for immigration.

Coronavirus has slashed immigration numbers, especially in family-class sponsorship and refugee resettlement. Family sponsorship was down 78 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year. Refugee levels were the hardest hit, down 85 per cent, and economic-class immigration was down 52 per cent.

About 36 per cent of the respondents in a recent survey by the Association of Canadian Studies said that the family members of people already in Canada should be given priority in 2020. In 2016, that figure was only 30 per cent.

Learn more about family reunification

Support for prioritizing economic-class immigration stayed the same at 27 per cent between 2016 and 2020. Refugee class saw a significant drop in support from 29 per cent in 2016 to 16 per cent in 2020.

Compared to other regions, Alberta was the most supportive of family reunification with 44 per cent saying it should be the first priority. Not far behind was Atlantic Canada (42 per cent), and Ontario (36 per cent). Manitoba and Saskatchewan were joined together for the results reporting the lowest amount of support compared to other regions at 28 per cent, though this was still the highest share compared to other immigration classes.

These results were collected from 1,531 Canadians over the age of 18 between July 31 and August 2. Using the 2016 Census data, they were also weighted according to gender, age, mother tongue, region, education level and presence of children in the household to help ensure a representative sample of the population.

Critics are saying the Canadian government is not doing enough for family reunification during the pandemic, as many family members are separated due to processing delays. A petition, lead by Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan, got over 6,000 signatures calling for the creation of a Special Temporary Resident Visa to allow spouses and their children to reunite with their Canadian partners. Though the petition got more than enough support to be tabled, it wont go before Parliament until after House resumes on September 23rd.

When the 2020-2022 immigration levels plan was announced in March, before the coronavirus outbreak, family class immigration was locked in at targets of 91,000 new immigrants per year. Economic-class and refugee-class levels were each scheduled to increase year after year.

Canadian attitudes still positive toward immigration

Most Canadians feel positive toward immigration, a sentiment that spans across all age groups but is most prevalent among younger generations.

Most Canadians say that immigration will help Canadas long-term economic recovery. About 61 per said immigration will help, 22 per cent said it would hurt economic recovery, and 18 per cent said they did not know. Respondents from Atlantic Canada were most likely to say that immigrants would help the economy (67 per cent). The Prairie Provinces were the least likely to respond that immigrants would help the economy in the long term, but the share of people who responded favourably (52 per cent) was larger than those who said the opposite (26 per cent) and those who did not know (22 per cent).

Canadas government is also looking to immigration for post-coronavirus economic recovery. Recently, Canadian ministers of immigration met to discuss the future of immigration after coronavirus, discussing the importance of international students and attracting immigrants to rural Canadian communities.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of Armenias foreign ministry Anna Naghdalyan started her todays press briefing with congratulations on the occasion of the Independence Day of Artsakh.

Naghdalyan said during these years Artsakh has proved its capacity of organizing the countrys public-political life, ensuring the security of its people, as well as assuming international commitments, in particular towards the promotion of democracy and human rights.

The people of Artsakh have authorized their democratically elected authorities with a respective mandate to present their interests at the international field and first of all in the peace process. They also authorized to guarantee the comprehensiveness of the security system of Artsakh, ensure respective domestic and external conditions for the countrys normal development and prosperity, she said, adding that Armenia has a very close partnership with Artsakh at various domains. We are ready to take constant steps to further develop that cooperation.

September 2, 2020, marks the 29th anniversary of the declaration of independence of Artsakh, formerly known as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

On this day in 1991, a joint sitting of lawmakers from the Nagorno Karabakh provincial council and the Shahumyan regional council proclaimed the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) within the borders of the former NKAO and Shahumyan region. The move was in line with the then-active legislation, particularly the April 3, 1990 law which entitled national autonomies to determine their status on their own.

On December 10, 1991, a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno Karabakh held a referendum, where the overwhelming majority, 99,89%, of the population voted in favor of complete independence from Azerbaijan.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Turkey and Turkish-backed groups have been accused of looting goods from Kurdish homes and occupying residences in previously Kurdish dominated regions writes North Press.

Syrias northern city of Afrin is considered another source of funding for Turkish-backed armed opposition groups who dominate citys properties and shops.

Since Turkey and Turkish-backed groups launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 21, 2018, resulting in their control of the Kurdish-majority region, there have been widespread accusations of war crimes, including intentional ethnic cleansing.

After Turkey occupied Afrin, it settled thousands of Syrian Arabs there who been displaced from other areas in the country during offensives conducted by the Syrian government.

With thousands of Kurds from the city remain displaced from their homes, the demography of Afrin has been substantially altered by Turkey and its affiliated armed groups.

In a recent Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report covering the first quarter of 2020, the US Department of State said it is concerned about reports that Turkish-backed groups may have engaged in violations of the law of armed conflict in northeast Syria.

A new monthly report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for June detailed large-scale rights abuses in areas under Turkish control, such as Afrin.

Turkish-backed forces and the Turkish military took vast amounts of territory in northern Syria during Operation Euphrates Shield (August 2016  March 2017) and Operation Olive Branch (January  March 2018) to attempt to prevent Syrian Kurds from creating an autonomous region.

As a result of these operations and agreements with Russia and Syria, Turkey now controls a large contiguous area from Jarabulus to Idleb.

According to the report, a substantial amount of looted property is believed to have been sold in marketplaces in Azaz.

Many civilians seeking to return to their homes have found them occupied by fighters and their families, who have refused to vacate them and return them to their rightful owners.

This prompted the residents of the area to leave, fearing the increase in the ambitions of these factions, so that they would not have to pay royalties for staying in their homes.

Most of the residents of Afrin were subjected to displacement during the invasion of Afrin by the Turkish army and the armed factions affiliated with it in March 2018.

Most fled towards the northern countryside of Aleppo or the Autonomous Administration areas in North and East Syria (AANES) to escape the violations of the multiple factions against them.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
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Linkedin Kim Arin (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)  Wed, September 2, 2020 16:34 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423d1a9 2 News travel,Airlines,asymptomatic,travelers,airplane Free

Asymptomatic carriers may be capable of spreading the novel coronavirus to others on airplanes, a new study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, found that a passenger on an evacuation flight from Milan to Seoul appears to have contracted the disease after sharing the same bathroom as an asymptomatic patient.

That passenger, who was seated three rows away from the said patient, had worn her N95 face mask throughout the 11-hour flight except to eat or go to the bathroom.

Pulmonologist Dr. Yon Dong Keon, one of the Korean researchers who conducted the study, said based on epidemiological investigations, the most plausible explanation for the passengers infection with COVID-19 is that she was exposed to possible contaminants while using an onboard toilet.

As the passenger was isolating at her home in Italy by herself for three weeks prior to the travel, inflight contact with the asymptomatic patient is suspected to be the source of infection, he said.

Read also: American Airlines resumes trying to pack planes as virus cases surge

Strict infection control procedures were observed at airports and in the air, under the guidance of medical workers. All of the 299 passengers had been screened for coronavirus symptoms and given N95 respirators before they boarded the airplane.

Despite not having symptoms, the passengers were quarantined for two weeks upon arrival as per the Korean government protocols and tested regularly for the virus. Six tested positive on the first day, and remained without symptoms until they were discharged from the hospital. Given the incubation period, they are highly likely to have had the virus before flying.

On the final day of the quarantine, the passenger who used the same toilet stall as the asymptomatic patient during the flight tested positive after she was found to be negative in earlier examinations. She had no outside contact while in quarantine at the facility overseen by the government.

One key takeaway from this is that public restrooms are vulnerable to contagion, Dr. Yon said. To prevent transmission in bathrooms, he recommended minimizing surfaces touched by hands and flushing the toilet with the lid closed, as leaving it open may launch a plume of virus-laden particles into the air.

Other air travel safety tips include keeping face masks on, washing hands, disinfecting shared surfaces and limiting contact among passengers, he said.

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This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
A 27-year-old British man drowned yesterday while swimming off a beach in Corfu, just a day after a mother-of-four was killed when she was hit by a speedboat propeller.

The man, who is yet to be identified, was swimming several hundred feet from the shore of Kerasia beach in northeastern Corfu, when he was seen struggling in the water, Corfu Press reports.

Witnesses said locals jumped in the sea to save him and dragged the man to shore.

When he was pulled from the ocean the man was already unconscious, according to local media. Onlookers called the coastguard who tried to resuscitate the man using a defibrilator.

A 27-year-old British man drowned yesterday while swimming off a beach in Kerasia beach in Corfu (pictured)

Unfortunately, he died before they reached the hospital.

According to local news site enimerosi, the victim was on holiday with his girlfriend.

The man's death comes just a day after Claire Glatman, 60, the wife of multimillionaire property tycoon Mark Glatman, was killed when she was hit by a speedboat while swimming in the sea off Avlaki beach, Corfu on Monday.

Three English nationals aged between 20 and 30, two of whom have holiday homes on the island, are being investigated in relation to Mrs Glatman's death, local media reported.

The man's death comes just a day after Claire Glatman (left), 60, the wife of multimillionaire property tycoon Mark Glatman (right), was killed when she was hit by a speedboat while swimming in the sea off Avlaki beach, Corfu on Monday

This morning it was reported hedge fund manager Rob Lucas, 58, his son, 18, and daughter, 22, were questioned as possible witnesses by officers after Mrs Glatman's death.

The speedboat thought to have been involved in the incident was found abandoned at a nearby beach and has been moved to a local marina while port authorities carry out a forensic investigation.

Mrs Glatman was from Bedale in North Yorkshire and was on holiday with Mark, 63, and the eldest of her two daughters, who have been informed of her death. She also has two sons.
Description

GIS  01 September 2020: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, announced, yesterday, in a televised message to the Nation on the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, that the reopening of the Mauritian borders will be carried out in three phases. He also spoke about the setting up of a Court of Investigation following the grounding of the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio at Pointe dEsny, and the Peoples March which was held on Saturday 29 August 2020 in the streets of the capital city, Port Louis.

Speaking about the first phase with regards to the reopening of the countrys borders, Mr Jugnauth highlighted that it will comprise repatriation flights, for Mauritians stranded abroad, which will be ongoing until 30 September 2020. Mauritians returning to the country will be placed in quarantine centres, as it has been the common practice since the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Mauritius, he pointed out.

As for the second phase, Mr Jugnauth underscored that it will start from 01 October 2020, during which travel to and from certain destinations will be allowed. Those interested will be able to book their plane tickets and make their hotel reservations online, he added. Priority will be given to Mauritian nationals, those holding a residence permit, those employed in Mauritius and other visitors wishing to travel to Mauritius, he also said.

Finally, the progress of the Covid-19 pandemic in Mauritius and around the world, will dictate the implementation of the third phase, the Prime Minister indicated.

Speaking about the grounding of MV Wakashio, Mr Jugnauth reaffirmed Governments commitment in shedding light on the circumstances that led to the grounding of the vessel. As such, he announced, that former judge Mr Abdurafeek Hamuth, will chair a Court of Investigation which will be set up to look into the matter.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister commended Mauritian citizens who participated in the Peoples March last Saturday which was held without any incident in Port Louis. The March, he observed, is proof that freedom of expression is alive in Mauritius and that the country is a model of democracy.
A former federal prosecutor and accountant, Ryan K. Stumphauzer is serving as the receiver for Pennsylvania-based Par Funding and A Better Financial Plan, a King of Prussia firm. Read more

A court-appointed receiver in charge of Philadelphia lender Par Funding and King of Prussia-based A Better Financial Plan has given the first accounting of the millions of dollars at stake in the case for hundreds of investors and thousands of small-business borrowers.

On paper, Par Fundings assets of $450 million  mostly money tied up in loans  amply cover its $365 million in liabilities, mostly money put up by investors, according to the first report by receiver Ryan K. Stumphauzer.

If that were all, the report would buttress a key claim by Par Funding and ABFP, which are facing civil fraud charges: Enough money exists to cover investors, while the governments takeover could cripple the companys ability to make good on its promises.

But Pars assets will be reduced by bad debt, uncollectable loans whose size has not yet been estimated, warned Bradley D. Sharp, president of Development Specialists Inc., a consultant hired by the receiver. Sharps memo accompanied the receivers report.

For example: Owners of the Sit n Chat Diner in Franklin, N.J., who borrowed $100,000 from Par in 2016, paid back $70,000 over the next 3 years, but still owed $94,000 when it closed last year.

This was certainly predatory lending, Dan Marchese, the owners lawyer, said in an interview Monday. Par had agreed to accept just $27,500 more, but never actually dismissed the larger debt until the receiver went to court at the owners request to get the case dropped last week  for a writedown of 70% off what Par had said it was owed.

Should other Par loan paybacks similarly evaporate, there wont be enough to pay investors, potentially putting pressure on the receiver to go after other assets. His targets might include the multimillion-dollar payments Par made to co-founder Joseph W. LaForte and other insiders. Much of that money went to buy property in Philadelphia and other places, according to court filings.

Receiver Stumphauzer, a Miami lawyer, was put in charge of Par Funding and its assets on July 28 by U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, sitting in Florida, after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil fraud charges against LaForte and his wife, Lisa McElhone; Dean Vagnozzi, the owner of A Better Financial Plan; and others.

In its sweeping civil suit, the SEC says that Par Funding, as well Vagnozzi and other boosters of the company, had failed to warn investors of the risks before the firm earlier this year halted paying investors their principal plus interest. Those payments were resumed but were stopped again last month.

Pars borrowers, meanwhile, say that for years they have been subjected to aggressive collection efforts, including embarrassing letters sent to their customers, sudden withdrawals from their bank accounts, and visits from threatening collection agents.

The receivers report, released late Monday, found that small businesses owe Par $420 million. But total assets top $450 million, he found, once the tally included $22 million in company cash frozen by court order, a nine-seat, 2008 Cessna Citation Sovereign jet worth $6.8 million, and $1.6 million held by Pars former law firm.

Investors are owed $365 million, according to financial estimates accompanying the receivers report.

Among major investments were the $113 million put in by clients of Vagnozzis funds; $57 million from funds tied to a Long Island firm, A.G. Morgan Financial Advisors; $47 million from the Chehebar family, owners of the Rainbow Shops national clothing chain; and $18 million from a fund of Media-based firm PTK Investments.

Investment adviser Albert Vagnozzi, of PTK, declined to comment. He is Dean Vagnozzis brother and vice chair of the township supervisors for Upper Providence in Montgomery County.

Isaac Chehebar, who invested $15 million of his family total, also declined comment. He referred questions to a lawyer who did not immediately call back.

Along with steering customers to Par Funding, Vagnozzis business includes marketing funds in which investors bought shares in life insurance policies from the elderly at a discount, collecting the full amount when the sellers die.

In court pleadings, Vagnozzi has urged speedy payment of the premiums on those policies to keep that business going. But the report said that Vagnozzi and two law firms that represent his operation have still not provided court-ordered records the receiver says he must review before he spends cash that Vagnozzi has designated to pay for the policies.

Vagnozzis lawyer, Brian Paul Miller, disputes that criticism and has told Judge Ruiz that his client has cooperated.

The receiver also shed light on what happened to investors who declined an offer from Vagnozzi in April to move their Par Funding investment into longer-term, lower-yielding investments after Par stopped monthly payments.

Many agreed to the switch. But Par gave Vagnozzi several millions of dollars to pay investors who simply wanted their money back, even if they were paid less than the full amount, the receiver said.

Although those who demanded a return of their money received some of it, other investors who agreed to the switch now have to wait for the receiver to sort out various fund accounts. In his report, Stumphauzer said he was considering whether to ask those who were paid to return the money so that it can be divided more evenly.

The case has generated wide interest. More than 8,000 visitors have logged on to the receivers informational website, www.parfundingreceivership.com, in the last two weeks of August, Stumphauzer reported.
Graphic new footage has captured the moment black cyclist Dijon Kizzee, 29, was gunned down in the street by LA cops who allegedly shot him 20 times and then handcuffed his dead body.

The grainy surveillance video appears to show Kizzee running from the officers and falling to the ground before they shoot him dead, raising more questions about the cops' use of deadly force.

Kizzee was shot and killed by two cops while he was out riding his bike in South Los Angeles Monday afternoon.

The 29-year-old Lancaster man, who was visiting family in LA at the time, was riddled with bullets, with the attorney for his devastated family saying the cops shot him 20 times.

His death has sparked protests in LA calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism after what marks yet another incident where a black man has been killed by cops in recent months.

Graphic new footage has captured the moment black cyclist Dijon Kizzee, 29, was gunned down in the street by LA cops who allegedly shot him 20 times and then handcuffed his dead body

The grainy surveillance video appears to show Kizzee running from the officers and falling to the ground before they shoot him dead, raising more questions on the cops' use of deadly force and casting doubts on the threat he posed to officers. Kizzee is circled running

Kizzee, 29, (pictured) was shot and killed by two cops while he was out riding his bike in South Los Angeles Monday afternoon

Newly-obtained footage has provided a new angle of the shooting death of the 29-year-old.

The grainy footage shows a figure - thought to be Kizzee - running down the sidewalk followed by at least two deputies.

A struggle can be seen between at least two individuals before Kizzee continues to try to run from the cops and stumbles, falling to the ground.

At this point, dust is seen shooting into the air as the officers open fire on the black man while he is on the ground.

The video is grainy and fencing in the residential area blocks the full view.

However, it raises questions over the potential threat Kizzee could have posed to the officers when they shot him multiple times.

Cops have given very few details about the incident but have claimed Kizzee dropped a handgun and 'made a motion toward' it, which is when the deputies opened fire, the sheriff's department said Tuesday.

The new footage casts doubt on this version of events as it shows Kizzee trying to flee from officers and falling over in the seconds before gunfire rings out.

Kizzee's family say his death is the latest in a string of unwarranted and unlawful killings of black Americans by police. He is shown (right) with a woman believed to be his ex-girlfriend

The footage also reinforces the accounts of several witnesses who said Kizzee was trying to get away from the cops and did not point a weapon at officers.

One eyewitness Latiera Irby, 29, told LA Times she saw 'nothing in [Kizzee's] hands' and that she saw him being shot after he had fallen to the ground.

Irby said she was visiting her mom in the neighborhood when Kizzee ran up to her car and asked her to drive him away from the scene.

'He said, "They're coming to get me; they're coming to get me,"' she said.

'I didn't know who he was running from, so I told him no.'

She then saw him get into a scuffle with one cop, before the cop backed away, she said.

That deputy and another then gunned down Kizzee after he fell over, she said.

'He had nothing in his hands,' she added.

Deja, another witness, told AFP she didn't see Kizzee holding a gun and saw deputies handcuff him after the shooting - despite him being shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.

Another witness questioned the cops' claims Kizzee punched one of the officers prior to the shooting.

'They say the man punched the deputy, but I never saw that happen,' Alida Trejo, 52, told LA Times.

She said she heard up to 10 shots being fired at the black man.

Kizzee, dressed in a white tank-top and pants, is seen lying face down in the road by the right-rear tire of a silver pick-up truck after cops shot him around 20 times in the street

A separate video from a front door camera of a nearby home recorded the sound of at least 15 gunshots ring out.

The actual shooting cannot be seen on the video.

Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represents Kizzee's family and the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Jacob Blake, said Kizzee was shot more than 20 times.

According to Crump, his body was also left on the street for several hours.

'They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun,' he tweeted. 'He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours.'

One witness Timothy Ingram told LA Times Kizzee's body was left in the street until around 1 a.m. - he was shot at 3:16 p.m.

Ingram also said authorities refused to cover his body.

Two days on from the fatal shooting authorities have released very little information about Monday's events.

Lt. Brandon Dean said Monday two LA sheriff's deputies spotted Kizzee riding a bicycle in violation of vehicle codes and made a U-turn and tried to pull him over.

Kizzee dropped the bicycle and fled on foot for a block, Dean said.

The cops caught up with him and tried to make contact with him again.

As they approached, Dean said Kizzee, who was clutching items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and then dropped the items he was carrying.

'The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semi-automatic handgun,' Dean said.

The two officers - who have not been named - are seen aiming their firearms at the downed suspect having seemingly just shot him. They then allegedly handcuffed his dead body

The two officers then both opened fire on the man, striking him several times.

Kizzee was pronounced dead at the scene. No deputies were injured during the incident.

Footage of the aftermath appears to show the cops handcuffing Kizzee's dead body.

In the footage, Kizzee is lying motionless on the ground.

Four cops are seen approaching him and handcuffing him while bystanders are heard screaming 'how are you going to handcuff a dead man?' and 'Black Lives Matter'.

Authorities have provided no details on the unspecified vehicle code Kizzee was allegedly violating when the officers tried to pull him over.

They have also not released bodycam footage of the incident - or said whether it exists - or named the officers involved.

Authorities have also not confirmed how many times Rizzee was shot.

The two officers who shot Kizzee have been removed from the field as the investigation continues and placed on desk duty, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.

It is unclear what has happened with the other two.

Protesters at a makeshift memorial on Tuesday evening at the spot where Kizzee was killed by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies. Protests have erupted in LA following Kizzee's death as people demand answers over the shooting

Demonstrators gathered at a makeshift memorial at the site of the shooting in Los Angeles Tuesday evening. Kizzee's death is the latest in a string of cop killings of black men in America

Protests have erupted in LA following Kizzee's death as people demand answers over the shooting and outrage builds over what marks yet another cop killing of a black man in America.

Thousands have taken to the streets demanding justice and calling for an end to police brutality and racism since May following the 'murder' of George Floyd by a Minneapolis cop who knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes until he passed out and died.

Floyd's death reignited outrage over the death of Breonna Taylor, 26, who was shot eight times while sleeping in her bed when three plain clothes officers performed a no-knock arrest warrant at her Louisville apartment on March 13.

In June, unarmed father Rayshard Brooks was shot dead while he ran away from cops in the drive-thru of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta.

Just over a week before Kizzee's death, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a white cop in front of his three young children on August 23, leaving the father-of-six paralyzed from the waist down.
A cross-community group in County Derry has received a funding boost to continue their support of disengaged youths within their local communities amidst the current pandemic.

Maghera Cross Community Link has received 35,430 as part of the International Fund for Ireland (IFI)'s latest support package. It is one of five organisations awarded funding across the country.

The group is one of a number who are supported under the IFI's Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP), which targets young people in deprived areas who may become involved in criminal activity.

The programme typically engages with people from challenging family backgrounds, are vulnerable to paramilitary recruitment , have poor mental health, have experienced substance abuse of have left the education system.

Paddy Harte, IFI Chairperson, said the organisation has had to adapt.

In recent months our projects have managed to respond and adapt to provide innovative solutions for young people, he said.

In these truly challenging times, the IFIs ongoing support has helped foster community spirit and leadership.

People and communities have united like never before. Young people involved in our PYDP projects have been able to continue their development with over 500 classes delivered online and 147 gaining new qualifications during lockdown.

Over 5,000 food parcels were delivered to the most vulnerable and over 4,200 items of PPE gear were produced and delivered by PYDP projects and partners.

Only now are we seeing the true impact of Covid- 19 on our young people. Lockdown has forced many to feel more isolated than ever bringing mental health issues to the fore.

Positive engagement and support is vital to enable younger generations to become equipped with the confidence and necessary tools to embrace a new society post coronavirus.

Participants in the Maghera project have faced challenges such as loneliness, mental health issues, food poverty and a lack of daily routine.

One participant said the programme had helped him build his confidence.

When I joined,I had no qualifications and I didn't know how to read or write, he said.

I have a difficult home life due to addictions. The programme has helped build my confidence a lot.

I always wanted to work in security and through the Link I gained my SIA Door supervision licence and have a job as door security at a local hotel.

Three years ago I felt I had no positive future but this programme has completely changed my life.

Heather Boyd, who manages Maghera Cross Community Link, said ongoing community engagement was vital.

Bringing the community together has kept people engaged in difficult times, she said.

Many of our young people have volunteered at the local foodbank, delivered flowers to the elderly and even taken part in weekly online challenges at home.

Maghera is a divided community by an invisible interface, the programme has helped to break down some of these barriers.

The local community has seen the difference the programme has made to the lives of the young people.

Over the last three years, we have achieved a lot - 13 have gained employment whilst 11 have enrolled in further education.
Guided by the vision and passion of Carter Center founders Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, The Carter Center is a recognized leader in the global fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), focusing efforts to build health and hope in some of the poorest and most isolated places on earth.

The Center is a pioneer in the elimination and eradication of NTDs, beginning with the bold move in 1986 to tackle Guinea worm eradication and followed by innovations to safely deliver medicines for several diseases at one time. Additionally, The Carter Center uniquely integrates malaria and mental health work into one or more of its NTD programs. The Centers operational advances have been recognized through hundreds of published articles in peer-reviewed publications. This work has opened the window to progress, innovation, and development in more than 30 African and Latin American countries.

Highlighted Achievements

Leadership The Center-led Guinea worm eradication campaign has averted at least 80 million cases of this devastating disease among the world's poorest people.

Treatments The Carter Center has assisted distribution of more than 800 million doses of medicine to prevent NTDs.
A new list of new storm names for 2020/21 has been released and it has been revealed that Aiden will be the first storm to blow in across Ireland this winter.

The new list of names was compiled in a collaboration between Met Eireann, the UK Met Office and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).

Bella, Gavin, Julia, Minnie, Oscar, Ravi, Saidhbhin and Wilson are among the storm names.

Met Eireann, along with UK Met Office and KNMI (the Dutch National Weather Service), have released the list of storm names for the 2020-21 storm season https://t.co/UKZtRwqro1#StormNames #Stoirm pic.twitter.com/m7NZN1jA8V September 1, 2020

Naming storms was first introduced by Met Eireann and the UK Met Office in 2015 and joined by the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) in 2019.

Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann Evelyn Cusack said: "The naming of storms by National Met Services (as well as colour coding weather warnings as Yellow, Orange or Red) provides a clear, authoritative and consistent message to the public and prompts people to take action to prevent harm to themselves or to their property.

Ms Cusack, who is also Chair of the European Met Services' Storm Naming Working Group, added: "The storm names also add an extra interest for people with particular excitement in a family when one of their names appears in the list.

"We mostly pick names that can be easily pronounced but some are less generally recognised."

Ms Cusack said Ireland experienced an exceptionally wet and windy August this year, but 'Storm Aiden' is not expected anytime soon.

Once a storm is named by any national meteorological service globally, the name is retained if the storm moves into Irish waters.

For instance, Ophelia and Lorenzo were named by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the US and Emma by the Portuguese weather agency.

The names are in alphabetical order, alternating between genders. Following the NHC convention names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used.

The 2020/21 Storm names are: Aiden, Bella, Christoph, Darcy, Evert, Fleur, Gavin, Heulwen, Iain, Julia, Klaas, Lilah, Minne, Naia, Oscar, Phoebe, Ravi, Saidhbhin, Tobias, Veronica, Wilson.
BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to promote deeper-level reform and pursue higher-level opening-up to provide strong impetus for establishing a new development pattern.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the 15th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform.

Xi stressed that accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting domestic and foreign markets boost each other, is a strategic decision made in accordance with changes in China's development stage, environment and conditions, and a systematic deep-level reform concerning the overall situation of the country.

Efforts should be made to give full play to reform, remain firm in strategic determination, uphold and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China's governance system and capacity, he said.

Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, attended the meeting.

To build a new development pattern, both short-term responses and medium and long-run growth should be considered as a whole, and the country needs to accelerate reforms that help increase the efficiency of resource allocation, and reforms that help improve growth quality and efficiency, Xi said.

It is necessary to link up the construction of a new development pattern with the implementation of the strategy for coordinated regional development and the construction of pilot free trade zones, and explore building a new development pattern and creating a new highland of reforms and opening-up in regions where conditions permit, he said.

He stressed the importance of the forward-looking study of reforms, active and effective handling of unstable and uncertain factors, expanding policy space, and enhancing institutional resilience.

The meeting reviewed and approved a series of guidelines on innovative development of foreign trade, vitalizing higher education in the country's central and western regions, standardizing private schools for compulsory education, standardizing medical practices and pushing ahead with garbage sorting.

It also heard reports on the progress of rural reforms since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

The meeting called for efforts to enhance the quality of foreign trade, stabilize the industrial and supply chains, foster new growth drivers, further promote trade facilitation and optimize the environment for foreign trade development.

The meeting stressed upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership over universities and colleges to further develop higher education in the central and western regions. It called for focusing on local features and pooling education resources to stimulate the endogenous driving force of higher education in the regions.

The meeting noted that privately-run schools offering compulsory education should be kept well-regulated in a bid to fully implement the Party's education policy and uphold overall Party leadership over compulsory education.

Highlighting the vital contributions made by the country's medical and health care system in fighting COVID-19, the meeting stressed technological innovation as well as further regulation and more supervision on medical institutions and workers.

The meeting urged faster construction of facilities and better supporting policies to speed up the forming of a long-term waste-sorting mechanism.

Giving prominence to ensuring food security, the meeting stressed keeping the public ownership of land unchanged, not breaking the red line of cultivated land, and not damaging the interests of farmers.

Efforts should be made to improve the rural property rights system and the market-oriented allocation of factors, boost the allocation efficiency of various factors such as rural land, capital, talent, and technology, and stimulate the inherent vitality of rural areas, according to the meeting.

More accurate, targeted, and effective policies should be implemented to guide agricultural development transforming from production-oriented to quality-oriented, the meeting noted.

The country should vigorously implement the strategy of rural vitalization and set up sound institutions, mechanisms, and policy systems for integrated urban-rural development, said the meeting.

More work should be done to strengthen the resolve and confidence of all parties in deepening reform and accumulate strength for embarking on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, it said.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is known to affect the elderly and those with coexisting chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes more severely.

With infections continuing to rise in many countries and the potential for continuing viral persistence in the absence of a vaccine, there is an urgent need to understand SARS-CoV-2-mediated pathology better. Key to this are efforts examining human tissues potentially susceptible to infection.

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

Systemic Viral Dissemination and Disease

Many studies have focused on the lung and cardiovascular implications of the disease, but reports of liver, spleen, kidney, intestine, and brain involvement are piling up. One burning question has been whether the virus can infect the pancreas, causing or worsening glycemic control in type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Prior research has shown that amylase and lipase levels are high in blood samples taken from COVID-19 patients, while glucose control is impaired. Indeed, hospitalized patients develop diabetic ketoacidosis very commonly, indicating the shift in blood sugar levels to the higher side.

Earlier studies also show that diabetic patients are at increased risk of death with COVID-19, new clusters of type 1 diabetes are showing up in some localities, in temporal relationship to COVID-19, and pancreatic cells appear to express the host receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), potentially allowing the virus to infect and destroy them.

ACE2 Expression in the Endocrine Pancreas

Various earlier studies have reported contrasting results for ACE2 expression in the pancreatic tissue. Very few autopsy studies of pancreatic tissue have been performed since this tissue rapidly breaks itself down, as well as a marked lack of interest in this tissue. The current study thus aimed to use multiple ACE2 antibodies and to use a larger number of donor samples to mitigate some of this confusion.

The researchers from the University of Florida, Indiana University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Louisiana State University, Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Miami focused on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on -cells on type 1/type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1D or T2D). They examined ACE2 expression in both exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas, but particularly the islet of Langerhans, which houses the -cells.

Using publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data, along with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) studies to directly observe gene and protein expression of ACE2, they looked for this protein in human tissue using four commercially available ACE2 antibodies with IHC/immunoblot controls. They also evaluated the expression of the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein in pancreatic tissues from deceased COVID-19 patients derived from post-mortem studies.

Temporal Pattern of ACE2 Expression

The researchers also examined tissue from 36 COVID-19-negative donors who did not have diabetes, aged 0-72 years. They found that the ACE2 staining percentage of tissue increases steadily from birth to a peak in the adolescent years, to plateau in early adult life and finally decline over the age of 50 years.

At all ages, ACE2 is expressed in pancreatic duct epithelial cells and microvasculature within the endocrine regions, but not on -cells or -cells. These findings were confirmed using scRNAseq and smFISH gene expression data.

Low Levels of ACE2 in -Cells

The researchers looked simultaneously at scRNAseq data from five datasets, including 22 non-diabetic and 8 type 2 diabetics, finding low ACE2 expression in most islet cell subsets. This showed that normal pancreas from donors without COVID-19 expresses ACE2 mainly in duct cells and endothelium of the small blood vessels.

For the donor samples, in patients without diabetes, less than 2% of cells in the pancreas expressed ACE2, at 4% of acinar cells and over 5% of ductal cells. Type 2 diabetics showed ACE2 expression in 8% of both acinar and ductal cells. ACE2 expression in the islet cells was thus comparably low between diabetic and non-diabetic donors, while TMPRSS2 expression was above 50% in acinar and ductal cells. However, the expression of TMPRSS2 was low in most endocrine cells in the pancreas.

Thus, they found that both ACE2 and the cell protease TMPRSS2 were expressed at low levels in human pancreatic cells and the islets -cells. These findings were confirmed using direct visualization methods.

Pathological changes in pancreata of COVID-19 patients. (A) Pancreas tissue section from COVID-19 Patient 1 stained for H&E. Inset highlights fibrotic center with residual acinar cells and islet surrounding ductules. Scale bars: 3mm, inset 200m. (B) Pancreas tissue section from COVID-19 Patient 2 stained for H&E. Inset highlights microthrombus without adjacent hemorrhages. Scale bars: 4mm, inset 400m. (C) Pancreas tissue section of COVID-19 Patient 3 stained for H&E. Inset highlights a large, irregularly shaped pancreatic islet surrounded by fibrotic tissue. Scale bars: 4 mm, inset 200m. (D) Representative pancreas tissue sections from three COVID-19 patients stained for ACE2, insulin (INS) and glucagon (GCG). Scale bars: 200m. (E) SARS-CoV-2 NP observed in intralobular ducts (d) near an islet in the pancreas of COVID19 Patient 1. Scale bars: 10m. (F) Representative image of multiple ducts showing SARS-CoV-2 NP positivity in the pancreas of COVID-19 Patient 1. Scale bar: 20m.

Studies of Autopsy Tissue From COVID-19 Patients.

The researchers also looked at pancreatic tissue retrieved by autopsy of three patients with fatal COVID-19, aged 45-72 years. Two of these patients were known to have type 2 diabetes. They found that in the non-diabetic patient, fatty replacement of the acinar cells, with islets within the fibrotic regions. The other patients showed moderate to numerous islets.

They comment, These histopathological findings were compatible with the normal range of expected lesions within the exocrine compartment in pancreata from aged patients and those with T2D.

Direct visualization by IHC showed moderate ACE2 expression in duct epithelium and no evidence of viral N protein in the endocrine pancreatic tissue. Instead, N protein was localized to the duct epithelium, widely scattered through the exocrine pancreas, and there were several thrombotic lesions.

Implications

This information seems to rule out direct viral infection of endocrine -cells of the pancreas as the reason for the clusters of new diabetes cases or the increased mortality in people with diabetes with COVID-19. Indeed, the duct epithelium and microvascular endothelium seem to be more likely viral targets.

Another paper contradicts these results, demonstrating not only that ACE2 is expressed in endocrine cells within human pancreatic islets isolated from the pancreas. The small size of the current study may not allow susceptibility of the pancreas to be ruled out or confirmed. One possibility is that islet isolation is a process that may affect the expression of ACE2, or that exposure to higher doses of the virus may facilitate islet cell infection in an ex vivo setting.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Apple and Google are trying to get more U.S. states to adopt their phone-based approach for tracing and curbing the spread of the coronavirus by building more of the necessary technology directly into phone software.

That could make it much easier for people to get the tool on their phone even if their local public health agency hasnt built its own compatible app.

The tech giants on Tuesday launched the second phase of their exposure notification system, designed to automatically alert people if they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Until now, only a handful of U.S. states have built pandemic apps using the tech companies framework, which has seen somewhat wider adoption in Europe and other parts of the world.

States must choose whether they want to enable the Apple-Google system. If they do, iPhone users in those states will automatically be able to opt into the system without having to download an app. Theyll be prompted with a notification asking if they consent to running the system on their phones.

For people with Android phones, Google will automatically generate an Android app for public health agencies that phone users can then download.

The companies said they expect Maryland, Nevada, Virginia and Washington, D.C., to be the first in the U.S. to launch the new version of their tool. Virginia says nearly half a million of its 8.5 million residents have downloaded its app since the state in early August became the first to launch a customized pandemic app using the Google-Apple framework.

Other states that have since launched COVID-19 apps using the Google-Apple model include North Dakota, Wyoming, Alabama and Nevada. The University of Arizona also has one that is expected to eventually go statewide.

Some of the apps dont work as well once people travel across state borders, although a group of co-ordinating public health agencies is working to fix that by setting up a national server.

The technology relies on Bluetooth wireless signals to determine whether an individual has spent time near anyone else who has tested positive for the virus. Both people in this scenario must have signed up to use the Google-Apple technology. Instead of geographic location, the app relies on proximity. The companies say the app wont reveal personal information either to them or public health officials.

Individuals who receive such proximity alerts will typically be offered testing and health advice to prevent potential future spread of the virus.

Marylands Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, announcing the states participation in the Apple-Google system at a press conference Tuesday, said it will help public health officials more quickly notify people of potential COVID-19 exposure and enhance existing efforts by health workers to trace the contacts of infected people.



AP writer Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.
Duch oversaw the torture and confessions of thousands of men, women and children at Tuol Sleng, a school turned prison.

Duch, the former Khmer Rouge commander who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Kaing Guek Eav, who was better known by his alias Duch, was the first senior member of the Khmer Rouge to face trial for his role in a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.

Duch died at 00:52 am (17:52 GMT on Tuesday) at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

In 2010, a United Nations tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng, a former high school in Phnom Penh, which is now a museum and a moving memorial to those who died.

He was given a life sentence two years later after his appeal  that he was just a junior official following orders  was rejected.

Bou Meng, a Cambodian survivor of Tuol Sleng prison, points at a picture of Duch, in this photo taken on January 31, 2012, in Phnom Penh [Tang Chhin Sothy/ AFP]

His death is a reminder that justice is a long and difficult process, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which conducts research on the Khmer Rouge regime.

Perhaps it can bring some satisfaction to the living, and the fallen can now rest in peace, Youk told AFP news agency.

Smash to bits

At Tuol Sleng, codenamed S-21, detainees were tortured by Khmer Rouge guards, many of them teenagers because Duch saw them as like a blank piece of paper and easily indoctrinated.

The guards sought confessions for non-existent crimes and were instructed to smash to bits traitors and counter-revolutionaries. For the Khmer Rouge, that could mean anyone from school teachers to children, to pregnant women and intellectuals identified simply because they wore glasses.

Duch  himself a former maths teacher  had an obsessive eye for detail and kept his school-turned-jail meticulously organised. He maintained a huge archive of photos, confessions and other documents with which prosecutors were able to trace the harrowing final months of thousands of inmates.

The crimes committed by the accused at S-21 are rarely matched in modern history in terms of their combined barbarity, scope, duration, premeditation and callousness, International Co-prosecutor Bill Smith told the trial, at one point.

Duch  by the time of his trial a born-again Christian  expressed regret for his crimes.

I would like to acknowledge my legal responsibility for all the crimes that happened at S-21, especially the torture and execution of people there, he told the court in March 2009.

At S-21, new prisoners had their mugshots taken, and hundreds are now on display [File: Samrang Pring/ Reuters]

Skulls of those who died in Cambodias Killing Fields during Khmer Rouge rule in the 1970s [File: Tang Chhin Sothy / AFP]

Duch joined the Maoist movement led by Pol Pot in 1967 and was put in charge of Tuol Sleng after the regime seized power in 1975.

In their quest to build an agrarian utopia and rewrite Cambodian history the Khmer Rouge cleared cities and forced people into the countryside where they died from disease, starvation, overwork or execution. The brutality came to an end in 1979 when Vietnamese forces overthrew the regime in 1979, but Duch slipped away from S-21 and disappeared. Many assumed he had died.

Total control

But in 1999, Nic Dunlop, a British photographer visiting a remote village near the Cambodia-Thai border recognised him, setting in motion a chain of events that eventually led to his arrest.

In an account of Duch and his atrocities, The Lost Executioner, Dunlop wrote that the former commanders control in S-21 was total.

Nothing in the former schoolhouse took place without Duchs approval, he wrote. Not until you walk through the empty corridors of Tuol Sleng does Stalins idiom that one death is a tragedy  a million a statistic, take on a terrifying potency.

At S-21, new prisoners had their mugshots taken, and hundreds of those pictures now line the walls.

Norng Chan Phal, one of the few people to have survived S-21, was a boy when he and his parents were sent to Duchs prison and interrogated on suspicion of having links to Vietnam, considered an enemy by the Khmer Rouge.

His parents were tortured and killed but Chan Phal survived to give testimony at Duchs trial in 2010.

He was cooperative, he spoke to the court frankly. He apologised to all S-21 victims and asked them to open their hearts. He apologised to me too, Chan Phal told Reuters.

He apologised. But justice is not complete.

The work of the tribunal -a hybrid court of international and Cambodian judges  was tainted by its limited scope, the age of its defendants and accusations of political meddling.

It recorded only three convictions  including Duchs.
Turkey said on Tuesday that it was open to dialogue with its neighbor Greece to end the dispute over the oil and gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean and the right to explore them, as long as Greece is open to talking, too.

Tensions between Greece and Turkey flared up again in recent weeks after Turkey resumed drilling and exploration for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean in waters that Greece and Cyprus consider part of their territorial waters.

After weeks of tensions and angry statements from both sides, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference on Tuesday that Turkey would be open to dialogue to solve the dispute over the eastern Mediterranean, but only if Greece is also willing to talk.

Greece is trying to provoke Turkey with its hostile attitude, Cavusoglu told the news conference, as carried by Reuters.

Turkey said on Monday that it was extending the seismic exploration through September 12, with the Turkish navy issuing an advisory saying that the Oruc Reis exploration vessel would continue to work in the eastern Mediterranean until September 12, nearly two weeks after the initial end-date September 1.

Greece reacted to this, saying that Turkey continues to faithfully fulfill the role of troublemaker and destabilising factor in the region. It continues to ignore calls for dialogue and to escalate its provocations.

We call on Turkey to desist from its daily rants and to work for security and stability in the region, the Greek ministry of foreign affairs said on Monday.

The growing rift between Greece and Turkey, who are also both part of the NATO alliance, has had the European Union (EU) consider possible sanctions on Turkey over the drilling in the eastern Mediterranean. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called for dialogue last week but said that the EU could consider later this month sanctions on ships, activities, and financing related to Turkish drilling in the eastern Mediterranean.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As Unlock 4.0 commenced on Tuesday, most of the states further eased the coronavirus-induced restrictions on the movement of people and functioning of commercial establishments like bars and hotels with mandatory COVID-19 precautions.

After remaining closed for more than five months, bars and restaurants opened in states like Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Centre had allowed reopening of bars under the Unlock 4 guidelines.

A bartender arranges wine glasses at a lounge pub ahead of its reopening, after authorities allowed the sale and consumption of alcohol at the pubs and bars with social distancing during unlock 4.0, in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo

Bartenders wearing protective face masks arrange liquor bottles on the shelves at Lord of the Drinks, a bar and a restaurant, after its bar was re-opened, following easing of the lockdown restrictions that were imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease by the authorities, in Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

A worker wearing PPE kit sprays disinfectant inside a shopping mall after authorities eased restrictions during Unlock 4.0, in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo

A worker wearing PPE kit sanitizes Ego bar of Peerless Inn hotel ahead of its reopening for the guests, during Unlock 4.0, in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo

A bartender ready to serve the drinks as bars have opened as per unlock 4.0, in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo
Amid an increasingly polarised Muslim world, Pakistan's strategy to maintain diplomatic ties with countries in the Middle East is no longer working.

In a break from the past where the Gulf countries balanced their relations with Pakistan and India, they are now seen moving towards New Delhi and distancing from Islamabad, according to a report in the Al Jazeera.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is seen moving closer to Turkey and Malaysia - two countries that Saudi Arabia sees as challengers to its stronghold within the Muslim world, according to foreign policy analysts Abdul Basit and Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed writing in the Al Jazeera.

The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, went haywire last month when Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi openly rebuked the kingdom for its lack of support for Islamabad's interests on the Kashmir issue.

During a television talk-show, the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi made a statement that irked the Saudi "big brother", where he said that Pakistan would be "compelled" to "call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir."

In Basit and Shahab Ahmed's article, the remark by Pakistani Foreign Minister was not taken well by Riyadh and was seen as a veiled threat to concoct a new side against the Saudi-dominated Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

In retaliation, the kingdom was quick to request the sudden repayment of a billion-dollar loan extended to Pakistan in November 2018, which was renegotiated just six months ago. Besides this, it also refused to renew a deferred oil payments scheme that was part of the same loan which was given to Islamabad when the country was trying to avoid a possible sovereign default.

After Riyadh raised the bar, Pakistan was forced on a back foot. Thereafter, Qureshi, trying to save face, refuted reports that ties have strained between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the past few weeks. "The kingdom has neither asked Islamabad to return its loan nor has it suspended oil supply to Pakistan," Qureshi was quoted as saying by The News International.

As a result of Qureshi's backtracking, Pakistani journalists slammed the Foreign Minister saying it contradicted the comments he made earlier.

Soon after, Pakistan went into damage-control mode and had to send Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Riyadh. However, the visit turned out be futile as the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) did not meet Bajwa, and they were left to meet with Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

According to the Al Jazeera report, "the latest diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan should be seen in the broader context of recent strategic realignments in the Middle East and the Muslim world."

"For some time, Pakistan has been struggling to keep to its traditional policy of maintaining neutral relations with rival Muslim powers. While Islamabad is concerned about the deepening strategic and economic cooperation between its arch-rival India and a group of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is equally frustrated by Pakistan's overtures towards Muslim-majority states it views as hostile, such as Turkey, Malaysia and Qatar," it said.

The Gulf countries are now visibly seen moving towards India and distancing from Pakistan. The tides are turning in India's favour. One such example is MBS's February 2019 visit of South Asia.

During his tour, the Saudi Crown Prince made the unprecedented move of visiting India directly after Pakistan. After signing agreements worth USD 20 billion with Pakistan, MBS said he expects Riyadh's investments in India "to exceed USD 100 billion in the coming two years".

Saudi Arabia is not the only one. After India's August 2019 move to revoke article 370, Pakistan called Arab states to raise their voices. However, its Gulf partners including Saudi Arabia failed to put a front against India. Riyadh even told India that it understands "India's approach and actions in Jammu and Kashmir".

Amid the strategic readjustment in the Middle East, political analysts say that relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is bound to get bumpy as it appears that the former will continue to move closer to New Delhi. Islamabad, on the other hand, will have to retain its partnerships with several countries in the Middle East and return to Saudi Arabia's sphere.

-ANI

Also Read: Only way to stop Chinese provocations is by standing up to them: US State Dept
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 18:17:05|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has approved the reopening of health training institutions to enable final year students to complete their studies to help address the human resource gaps amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Mary Okwakol, executive director of the National Higher Council for Education late Monday said that institutions offering health-related training will reopen with final-year students undertaking health related training.

The groups of finalists considered include students undertaking bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery, nursing, midwifery, dental surgery, pharmacy, allied medical professionals, postgraduate students on health-related programs, among others.

"This is to enable students to complete their studies so as to fill the human resource gap the health sector would likely face," said Okwakol in a circular to principals of training institutions and vice chancellors of universities.

Museveni last week directed the national taskforce charged with spearheading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to review the possibility of a phased reopening of schools after they were closed in March, starting with candidate classes and clinical medical students.

The taskforce is also supposed to review the status of the remaining sectors that are still closed like tourism as well as the reopening of Entebbe International Airport, among others.

As of Sept. 1, Uganda had registered a cumulative total of 3,037 COVID-19 cases, 1,489 recoveries and 32 deaths since the index case was registered on March 21, according to the ministry of health. Enditem
There is no end to the coronavirus pandemic in sight yet and the world is already staring at another health crisis: the Covid-19 aftermath. They call it the post-Covid syndrome.

Post-Covid-19 analysis by top American scientific bodies the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that many patients who recovered from the coronavirus infection are facing milder to life-threatening symptoms. Hospitals across the world are witnessing deadly health issues like heart damage, stroke, neurological problems, lung damage or pulmonary fibrosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children.

India, so far, is not tracing down post-Covid syndrome cases, says union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, but other countries are already preparing for an emerging health crisis. They are scientifically recording the post-Covid syndrome cases to know further about SARS-CoV-2, a totally unknown virus just eight months ago.

A sample study by the Journal of American Medical Association conducted in Frankfurt, Germany found 78% of the recovered Covid-19 respondents developed heart-related problems. These were healthy individuals, aged 40 to 50 before the novel coronavirus infection. A study by the UKs Edinburgh University, in 69 countries across six continents, found heart abnormality in 55% patients while 15% patients showed severe abnormalities. All such recovered cases never had had related issues in the past.

Many recovered Covid-19 patients are also being re-hospitalised for pulmonary fibrosis, with damaged lung tissues. They may need oxygen support from time to time for the rest of their lives

Life-threatening Health Issues Post Covid-19 Recovery

Heart - Sample studies have found 80% healthy people facing heart problems post Covid recovery. Life-long disease, may result in multiple organ disability

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - 10% recovered Covid-19 cases may develop it, say research studies

Story continues

Breathlessness - Patient may require oxygen support for life

Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children - Severe illness in children, multiple organs show inflammatory response

According to a research paper posted by Americas National Institute of Health and similar papers published by other health-science entities, post-Covid syndrome can cause patients even to have nervous, immune, and metabolic system abnormalities, all affecting the body in sync, similar to a health illness known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), that was identified 70 years ago. ME is a long-term-effect health problem that deteriorates our strength and body.

Hospitals and doctors say many recovered patients are complaining about and being re-hospitalised for severe fatigue, brain fog, body ache and pain and immune aberrations, all ME symptoms. In severe cases, ME can also disable the whole body.

According to Dr Anthony Fauci, top American infectious disease expert, countries need to consider seriously that what many patients are facing is strikingly similar to ME. This is not a virus to take lightly, even with young people, Fauci said in an interview with Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Oved Amitay, CEO of the non-profit Solve ME/CFS Initiative, says 80% of ME cases are due to infections, mostly viral. And with Covid cases now touching the 2.5-crore mark, we are looking at an absolutely dark possibility.

SARS, MERS and Epstein-Barr virus triggered ME in many patients but if the same happens with SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19 virus, we cannot imagine the problems associated with it, seeing the global pandemic caused by it. There is no test available so far for ME, no scientific details on its origin, no cure available so far, no approved drugs and too few experts to talk about it. A 2015 study by the National Medicine in the US estimated that up to 2.5 million Americans suffered from ME.

There is no information on how many Covid-19 patients may end up having ME. According to Leonard Jason, a professor and an ME researcher at DePaul University in Chicago, said based on older research, 10% or an even larger number of Covid-19 patients may develop ME if they feel symptoms even after six months. That means a possibility of 2.5 million ME cases globally or 3.5 lakh cases in India, if we go by the current Covid-19 numbers.

Professor Jason adds that though the threshold is six months to see if post-recovery symptoms were shorter-lived viral syndrome or ME, the same cannot be applied if it is after Covid-19 recovery as very little is known about the novel coronavirus and there are more questions than answers.

Post-Covid-19 syndrome is also affecting children. Kawasaki-like disease or multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but life-threatening Covid-19 effect. It is a new syndrome observed in children that makes them very ill with signs of inflammation from multiple organs and severe organ damage.

According to the CDC, most MIS-C cases are being observed in children between 1 to 14 years of age. MIS-C cases have been reported from many parts of India and from across the globe. A CDC update on MIS-C says, the US so far has seen 694 cases and 11 deaths. 
Amaravati, Sep 2 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy with family members paid tributes to his father and late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on the latter's 11th death anniversary on Wednesday.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, his mother Y. S. Vijayalakshmi, wife Y. S. Bharati and other family members paid floral tributes at the late leader's 'samadhi' in Idupulapaya, Kadapa district.

Deputy Chief Minister Amjad Basha, Chief Minister's uncle and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman Y. V. Subba Reddy and leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) also paid homage.

YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was popularly known, was killed in a helicopter crash with four others in Kurnool district on this day in 2009.

Jagan Reddy tweeted on the occasion that the great leader may have gone physically but his memories and schemes will always live on. "In every step I take, my father continues to guide me," said the Chief Minister.

State ministers, MPs, legislators and YSRCP leaders also paid homage to YSR at various programmes. They garlanded his statue and recalled the services rendered by him during his term in office from 2004-2009 in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing an event in Visakhapatnam, YSRCP Parliamentary Party leader Vijaya Sai Reddy said YSR continued to live in the hearts of the people of both the Telugu states because of several welfare schemes launched by him.

He told the party cadre that YSRCP's victory in the ensuing municipal elections would be the best tribute to the late leader.

Paying his tributes to YSR, Telangana Congress Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy described him as a mass leader, a great friend, an esteemed colleague and an orator par excellence and said his exemplary administration will be remembered for years to come.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
India recorded a single-day spike of 78,357 new cases in the last 24 hours taking the tally past 37-lakh mark, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) on Wednesday.

With 1,045 new deaths reported in the country, the cumulative toll reached 66,333 deaths.

The total cases climbed to 37,69,524 including 8,01,282 active cases, 29,01,909 cured/discharged/migrated.

Maharashtra has 1,98,866 active cases while Andhra Pradesh reported 1,01,210 active cases.

10,12,367 samples were tested on Tuesday whereas overall over 4.43 crores samples have been tested so far, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Earlier today, the Union informed that fifty-four per cent of the total coronavirus cases in India were reported among people from 18 to 44 years of age while patients in 60 years and above bracket account for 51 per cent deaths.

"54% #COVID19 cases are in the 18-44 years age group but 51% deaths are in the 60 years and above age group," MOHFW tweeted.According to the Ministry, there are 8 per cent cases and 1 per cent deaths below 17 years of age.14 per cent of total coronavirus cases in India and 1 per cent of deaths recorded among the 18-25 age group.In the 26-44 age bracket, 40 per cent cases were reported and 11 per cent deaths.36 per cent deaths and 26 per cent cases were registered among people from 45 to 60 years of age.51 per cent fatalities and 12 per cent cases were reported in the age group of 60 and above.

(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.)
Accounts of a person flying around the Los Angeles International Airport wearing a jet pack has caused a buzz this week, but San Antonio had a more under-the-radar situation happen a few months ago.

Logan Puente and his friends Brianna Chacon, Michael Oldbucher and Ashton Simeon all spotted what they believe was a "floating man" rocketing into the air using a jet pack near the Hamilton Wolfe jogging trail on June 10 at 9:10 p.m. Puente went to the San Antonio Reddit page soon after, hoping to find others who had seen the same thing. The post generated a healthy amount of interaction, but only one other person, who said they were at the Starbucks on Fredericksburg, said they saw the flying person too.

RELATED: Video captures removal of 'absolutely' venomous snake from beneath New Braunfels home

Months later, attention surrounding the Reddit post is skyrocketing again. Puente says he believes it's due to the heightened interested in jet packs brought on by the recent Los Angeles incident.

"There was just this dude flying around," Puente remembered. "I initially thought my friend (Simeon) was joking."

He said the flight path lasted about 1o minutes. Puente said he and his group saw the person shoot up in to the sky, then lingered at the highest altitude for a few minutes before descending.

Considering their proximity to a graveyard, Puente said his friends thought they had seen some sort of ghostly apparition.

"We were dumbfounded, we thought we were hallucinating," he added.

Puente believes an open field near the San Antonio Medical Foundation is the spot where the mysterious jet packer was launching from. He plans on returning to see if he can spot him or her again.

The witness said he reached out to the city's aviation department, but has not heard back.

RELATED: Airline crews report jetpack flier near Los Angeles airport

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the FBI has launched an investigation into the incident at LAX after multiple pilots reported seeing a man in a jet pack flying near their planes, which is illegal, according to ABC.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the report was turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department, but authorities have not found the California jet packer, ABC reported.

The FAA also told ABC reports of unmanned aircraft sightings have increased "dramatically" over the past two years.

Unlike the San Antonio incident, the Los Angeles stunt has caused a stir online, especially on Twitter.

"full disclosure: i didnt even know jetpacks were a real thing," Twitter user @DavidWaldstein said.

Others chalked the oddity up to just being a part of 2o20.

"Carole Baskin on Dancing with the Stars? A man flying via Jetpack? 2020 bingo is getting even stranger in the 4th quarter," user @shelby_young said.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that India 'wholeheartedly' endorses the broad concept of working towards ensuring a trustworthy, dependable and reliable supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking at the Australia-India-Japan Ministers' meeting on 'Supply Chains Resilience' held via videoconference, he said the diversification of the supply chain is critical for managing the risks associated with the supply of inputs including disciplining price volatility.

"We could provide the core pathway for linking value chains in the region by creating a network of reliable long-term supplies and appropriate capacities," Goyal said.

The meet was held in the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis and the recent global-scale changes in the economic and technological landscape.

It was attended by Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Simon Birmingham, and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kajiyama Hiroshi.

The Ministers' underscored the necessity and potential to enhance the resiliency of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region.

Recognising the pressing need for regional cooperation on supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific, the ministers shared their intention to work towards the launch of a new initiative to achieve the objective through cooperation.

Addressing the trilateral meet, Goyal said that the initiative also dwells on improving the competitiveness of sectors.

"For this, we may need to identify the manufacturing and services sectors which contribute most to the domestic value addition in the region," Goyal said.

"We support the need for specific activities listed for enhancing the resilience of the supply chains which include those related to promotion and facilitating trade and investment as well as diversification of production base."

He said that the digitisation of trade procedures is a very important step for facilitating trade and thereby maintaining resilience in supply chains.
On Wednesday evening, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held an urgent meeting concerning forest wildfires in Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, the President's Office said, adding that according to the recent data, the area of fire is 400 hectares, of which 100 hectares is a crowning fire.

"In one of the villages, eight houses out of 150 ones burned down. Representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine told the head of state that the necessary amount of equipment and personnel were involved in fire-fighting and fire containment. In Luhansk region, units of the Armed Forces were involved. Alerting the local population with the aim of a possible evacuation has been organized, but people are still refusing it," the President's Office said in the statement in the Telegram channel.

According to the information the preliminary cause of the wildfire was the ignition of the landfill, from which, due to gusts of wind, the fire spread to the forest.

"However, law enforcement agencies do not exclude the possibility of arson. The wildfire overhaul continues, but the situation is complicated due to strong gusts of wind," the President's Office said.

The president said that he must receive operational information about the wildfire and keep the situation under control.

"I demand quick reactions to such events. If necessary, we must organize the evacuation of all people, we must first of all think about their safety. Everything must be done for the fire-fighting and fire containment. We must also think about allocating funding to cover losses. Not later, but now," Zelensky said.
Delhi HC asks Centre, Google to respond to mans plea to remove articles on his conviction in criminal case

Who is Saurabh Kirpal? Indias likely to get its first openly gay judge of Delhi high court

Delhi HC dismisses plea to stop publication, sale of Salman Khurshid's book : 'Ask people not to buy it'

Delhi HC refuses to stay streaming of Netflix movie 'Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl

India

pti-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Sep 02: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to stay at this stage streaming of Netflix movie 'Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl', on the Centre's plea that it depicts the Indian Air Force (IAF) in bad light.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the Centre as to why it did not approach the court before release of the movie on Over The Top (OTT) platform, and said an injunction cannot be granted now as the film is already streaming.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the Centre, said the movie has dented the image of the IAF as it showed that the force is gender biased, which is not correct.

Rhea Chakraborty's father Indrajeet called for questioning by CBI for second day

The high court sought response of Dharma Productions Private Limited, which produced the film, and Netflix on the Centre's plea to stop streaming of the movie.

The court said it was of the view that former Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena should also be made a party to the suit and issued notice to her, seeking her response. The movie was released on OTT platform on August 12.
The Biden campaign has announced the launch of Hindu Americans for Biden, as part of its efforts to attract the over two million members of the community in the US and address their issues, including hate crimes. Indian-American Congressman from Illinois, Raja Krishnamoorthi, is scheduled to address the first meeting of Hindus for Biden on Thursday, the organisers said on Tuesday. The move from the Biden campaign comes over a fortnight after the Trump campaign on August 14 announced the formation of the Hindu Voices for Trump.

In the November 3 presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his Indian-American running mate Kamala Harris will challenge incumbent Republican President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

This is, perhaps, for the first time in the history of the US presidential elections that the two major political parties have made an outreach coalition for the Hindus in the country. The development is being seen as a sign of the growing political prominence of Hindus in America. Hinduism is the fourth largest faith in the US, representing approximately one per cent of the US population in 2016. There have been official coalitions for Muslims and Jews in the past.

The diversity of the Hindu American community cant be understated and we wanted to make sure that their concerns are addressed directly through, among other things, events like this, said Murali Balaji, co-chair of Hindu Americans for Biden. We are highlighting the Biden campaigns commitment to the Hindu American community, one of the most loyal constituencies of the Democratic Party, he added.

According to its organisers, the event, as well as forthcoming ones, will energise Hindu Americans across age groups and cultural backgrounds to vote for former vice president Biden, particularly given his background as a person of faith. In addition to Congressman Krishnamoorthis address, there will be a focused policy discussion on how hate crimes against Hindus have surged threefold under President Donald Trump and what Biden will do to address these attacks on the community.

According to the FBIs hate crime statistics, since Trump took office, the number of hate crimes across the US has greatly increased, claimed Ajay Bhutoria of National AAPI Leadership Council. Indian-Americans of all (religious) backgrounds  Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jain and others  have been subjected to bullying and xenophobic attacks and need now, more than ever, a reassurance that our leaders in Washington will have their backs, he said.

Bhutoria asserted that as president, Biden will directly address the rise in hateful attacks and enact legislation prohibiting someone convicted of a hate crime from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Biden will appoint leaders at the Department of Justice who will prioritise the prosecution of hate crimes, and he will order his Justice Department to focus additional resources to combat hate crimes including religion-based hate crimes and to confront white nationalist terrorism, he said.

He will also seek legislation that increases the potential sentence for certain hate crimes that occur in houses of worship and other religious community sites, such as gurudwaras, mandirs and mosques. And, he will use his executive power to ensure that the Department of Justice pursues such heinous acts of violence against houses of worship to the fullest extent of the law, Bhutoria said.

Announcing the formation of Hindus for Trump, the Trump campaign had said that it honours the contributions by millions of Americans of Hindu faith. The inclusive economy, commitment to building up US-Indian relations, and fierce support for religious liberties for all is unmatched. Re-electing President Trump will reduce obstacles to religious freedoms for Hindus in America, it had said.

.
Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation sent a congratulatory letter to Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice President of Azerbaijan.

"Dear Mehriban Arif qizi,

Please accept my warmest and sincere congratulations on your birthday.

Your energy, professionalism and ability to work with people, responsiveness and goodwill have earned you tremendous respect both in Azerbaijan and abroad. I always remember with warmth our meetings and conversations, during which we discussed many issues on the bilateral and international agendas and found common approaches to their solution. I highly value the trust that has been established between us.

The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is aware of the significant contribution you are making to the humanization of international relations and of your active participation in the preservation and enhancement of the worlds social and cultural values. We are also well aware of and highly appreciate your activities aimed at consolidating the global female community for the benefit of building a stable and secure future for our descendants.

Mehriban khanim, I wish you good health, good mood, inspiration, peace, kindness and prosperity from the bottom of my heart. May your life always have the respect and support of friends and colleagues, the warmth and love of family and friends.

I will always be glad to see you in Russia.

Please accept the assurances of my highest respect for you," the letter said.
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Linkedin Toh Ting Wei (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Wed, September 2, 2020 11:54 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4223a8c 2 News Singapore-Airlines,Jetstar-Asia-Airways,Scoot,Airlines,travel Free

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group and budget carrier Jetstar Asia will be flying to more destinations and at a slightly increased frequency as the gradual recovery of the carriers continues.

Scoot, the budget arm of SIA Group, said Tuesday that it will restart flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Palembang, Pekanbaru and Yogyakarta this month, adding these to the 13 locations it was flying to last month.

Meanwhile, SIA said last week that it will begin adding more flights to cities such as Jakarta, London and Sydney in the next three months.

It will also restart flights to Surabaya in Indonesia this month.

With the gradual increase in flights, SIA Group's passenger capacity will reach about 11 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of November.

In comparison, it had been operating at 7 percent of its pre-COVID-19 capacity last month.

Jetstar Asia said on Monday that it will restart flights to Phnom Penh in Cambodia on Sept. 18.

Read also: Singapore Airlines Group passengers can now transit via Singapore from Indonesia

Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof from Endau Analytics said that despite the increased flights, the outlook for airlines remained bleak and they would have to endure the situation for a while more.

"While it won't help the bottom line, any incremental rise, however small, represents a psychological uplift for staff and passengers," said Mr Shukor.

The International Air Transport Association has said demand for air travel is unlikely to return to the levels before the pandemic until 2024.

In the meantime, beyond increasing flights, the local carriers have also announced new initiatives to retain customers.

SIA said Tuesday that it will tweak its loyalty schemes to allow passengers to more easily retain their loyalty status.

Jetstar Asia said on Monday that it will launch a program to offer passengers additional assurances about their safety while flying.

These include measures such as giving each passenger a sanitizing wipe, sequenced boarding and cleaning of planes during flights.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Anti-terror police are probing a man accused of trying to murder officers and muttering 'Allahu Akhbar' under his breath after the alleged attack.

Frederick Fadi Elrezz, from Lakemba in Sydney's south west, was arrested and charged with attempted murder at about 12.20am on Wednesday.

He is accused of attacking two officers with a knife and biting a third on York Street in the Sydney CBD.

Soon after, Elrezz allegedly told officers: 'I wanted to kill a cop in the name of Allah', The Australian reported.

He also allegedly said 'Allahu Akhbar' during his subsequent interview.

There is nothing in the 32-year-old's history that indicates he supports extremist agendas or that he has been radicalised.

But anti-terror teams will investigate his background to assess any potential links to terror organisations.

A policeman (pictured), 40, was allegedly slashed in the head and shoulder by a Lakemba man, 32, on York Street in the Sydney CBD at 12:20am on Wednesday

'It is routine in something like this,' a police source told The Daily Telegraph.

'But there is no affiliation with terror groups or any evidence he is even religious.'

When police collected Elrezz's belongings from the York St hostel where he'd spent the last 10 days, they didn't find anything which linked him to terrorism.

But police allege he may have some ideological beliefs.

Multiple search warrants were executed across several addresses following his arrest, and several items have been seized.

But senior officials have stopped short of calling the incident terror-related, pending inquiries into Elrezz's history.

Detectives are also investigating whether Elrezz had any mental health conditions which may have led to the alleged attack.

Police were called after the 32-year-old allegedly harassed a food delivery rider on George Street, which is one of the busiest streets in the city centre.

Officers then approached the man as he was walking along the nearby York Street, which is when he allegedly pulled out a knife and started attacking them.

One of the officers was left with blood gushing from his head and shoulder after arriving on the scene.

The injured officers were also taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where the 40-year-old officer (pictured)underwent treatment for lacerations on the left side of his head and another on his upper arm and shoulder area

A male senior constable, 40, was slashed across his head and shoulder while his male acting sergeant, 39, was slashed on the hand.

Meanwhile, a male probationary constable, 20, was bitten on his tricep.

The 32-year-old man was then disarmed and arrested, before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital for assessment.

Pictures from after the attack show blood pouring from the senior constable's head, covering most of his face.

A bite mark and blood can also be seen on the youngest officer's tricep.

The injured officers were also taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where the 40-year-old officer underwent treatment for lacerations on the left side of his head and another on his upper arm and shoulder.

Meanwhile, the 39-year-old was treated for a laceration to his finger and a knee injury and the youngest officer was treated for his bite.

Frederick Fadi Elrezz, from Lakemba in Sydney's south west, was arrested and charged with attempted murder about 12.20am on Wednesday accused of attacking two officers with a knife and biting a third on York Street in the Sydney CBD

Assistant Commissioner Michael Willing said the men were 'lucky to be alive' following the alleged attack.

'It appears to have happened in a flash with the bodycam vision quite confronting and we allege showing the man pulling a knife on the officers,' he said.

The alleged attacker was taken to Day Street Police Station following his discharge from hospital.

He has now been charged with cause wounding/grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder, wound person with intent to resist/prevent arrest, assault police officer in execution of duty cause actual bodily harm and resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty.

The man has been refused bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.

The officers' body cam vision and audio is also being reviewed.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a four-month halt on eviction proceedings against cash-strapped renters, invoking federal public-health laws out of a concern that a national homelessness crisis could worsen the country's coronavirus outbreak.

The new moratorium seeks to cover families experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic, aiming to help as many as 40 million Americans who are already struggling to pay their monthly housing costs in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who referenced that an action was imminent earlier in the day.

The policy comes roughly a month after President Trump signed an executive order tasking the U.S. government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to explore ways to protect renters amid the pandemic, as talks broke down on Capitol Hill over a new round of coronavirus relief. Brian Morgenstern, a spokesman for the White House, said the goal has been to ensure families "struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus will not have to worry about being evicted and risk the further spreading of, or exposure to, the disease."

But the moratorium, which was issued under the banner of the CDC on Tuesday, still stops short of what some Democratic lawmakers and housing experts said is necessary. For one thing, the Trump administration did not set aside any new federal dollars for renters, who eventually will owe their past-due balances, and landlords, who might face financial struggles of their own.

Diane Yentel, the president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, described the new eviction policy as "long overdue and badly needed." But, she added: "This action delays but does not prevent evictions. Congress and the White House must get back to work on negotiations to enact a COVID-19 relief bill with at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance."

Lawmakers included a 120-day federal eviction moratorium as part of the $2 trillion Cares Act they passed in March. The protections offered an early reprieve for a more limited category of renters in federally financed buildings as well as some homeowners as the pandemic upended the job market, leaving millions of Americans unexpectedly out of work.

But the protections did not go as far as what some housing advocates sought by failing to provide more assistance to help with missed payments. The eviction moratorium expired at the end of July, along with other programs including the government's expanded unemployment payments -- creating the conditions for what some experts described as a massive housing crisis.

Many states had in place their own policies protecting homeowners and renters from eviction even as federal rules expires -- but those safeguards similarly began to sunset into the summer. By Sept. 1, only 17 states and the District of Columbia still have any such eviction protections for renters place, according to Emily Benfer, a professor at Wake Forest Law who chairs the American Bar Association's work on evictions. Evictions in the meantime skyrocketed in states including Alabama and cities such as Tuscon, she said, though the Trump administration later reauthorized aid for some homeowners with federally backed mortgages.

"The eviction crisis is far from over, and in fact, it's picking up speed," she said, pointing to low-income families that are draining their savings and other resources to ensure they don't lose their homes. "They are paying with their futures. They are using credit cards and taking on financial risk. . . . They know without it they cannot keep their families safe."

The Trump administration's new policy applies to Americans who make under $99,000 each year, or couples who earn $198,000, including those who previously had received economic stimulus payments under the Cares Act. Under the directive, these families must prove they tried to pay their rent -- and sought to take advantage of existing federal housing support aid -- in order to be eligible for the eviction moratorium, according to senior administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

But the directive does not waive any debts that families may rack up over that period, and it explicitly leaves open the door for landlords to charge "fees, penalties or interest as a result of the failure to pay rent or other housing payment on a timely basis," according to a draft document posted Tuesday. Landlords still expressed serious reservations about the Trump administration's actions, fearing they could be left facing financial peril as a result.

"Not only does an eviction moratorium not address renters' real financial needs, a protracted eviction moratorium does nothing to address the financial pressures and obligations of rental property owners," said Doug Bibby, the president of the National Multifamily Housing Coalition, adding in a statement it meant the "stability of the entire rental housing sector is thrown into question."
He denied the assertion that the bills passed in exchange for hiring and retention of a few individuals.

The bills could not have passed without such broad support, and they were the product of years of deliberation, negotiations, and consensus building, Madigan said in the statement. Rep. Durkin knows this because Republican members and staff were directly involved in the negotiations of these bills. They witnessed firsthand that House Democrats challenged representatives of ComEd and Exelon on critical portions of their proposed bills. Rep. Durkin knows it, and all those actually involved in the process know it.

He called Durkins petition a political stunt only months away from one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes and questioned the Republican leaders own legislative dealings.

The law does not prohibit members of the General Assembly from making job recommendations. If Rep. Durkin wants to question whether legislators should be allowed to make job recommendations, I encourage him to be transparent and disclose all of the jobs he has requested or lobbyists he has recommended over the years. He should also disclose the various actions he personally took to pass the energy bills, both in 2011 and 2016, Madigan said.
The United States military says China will increase the size of its nuclear arms supply by at least 100 percent over the next 10 years.

The Department of Defense made the prediction in a yearly report to Congress, called China Military Power. The report was released on Tuesday. It says Chinas plan to modernize and expand its nuclear force is part of a larger effort to equal and, in some cases, pass the U.S. military by 2049 as the leading power in the Indo-Pacific area.

The report says China is thought to have more than 200 nuclear bombs. They are said to include nuclear warheads that can be fitted on missiles that can reach the United States.

US supply much larger

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia spoke to reporters about the report. He said the militarys leadership is concerned about the numbers of bombs, but also just the trajectory of China's nuclear developments writ large.

The United States nuclear supply with its estimated 3,800 active nuclear warheads, remains much larger than Chinas. The U.S. has submarines, airplanes and long-distance missiles that can carry out nuclear strikes. China lacks the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air. However, the new report notes that the Chinese military announced late last year it had an air-to-air refueling airplane, one equipped to carry such weapons.

In the past 15 years, the Chinese Navy has built 12 nuclear submarines, the report noted. Six of them can be used as sea-based nuclear deterrents. By the middle 2020s, the report said, China will likely build a new, guided-missile nuclear attack submarine. It could carry out a secret land-attack if equipped with the right missiles.

China has rejected pressure from the Trump administration to join the U.S. and Russia in a deal to limit nuclear arms. If China does not join the treaty, known as the New START, the U.S. might let the deal expire in February of 2021.

'Rule-breaking behavior'

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the world's "free and open" system was under attack by what he called China's "rule-breaking behavior" in the Indo-Pacific area. Esper spoke during a stop in Hawaii. He is now visiting Asian and Pacific Island countries to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Esper called the Indo-Pacific area the "epicenter" of great power competition. He promised that the United States would not surrender an inch to countries that threaten international freedoms.

A U.S. official told VOA that Chinese forces fired four missiles into the disputed South China Sea last week during military exercises.

The U.S. military later released a statement. It said that China's actions violate its promise to not militarize the South China Sea. It also said Chinas actions do not support the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific area.

Im Caty Weaver.

Reuters News Agency reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

trajectory  n. a path, progression, or line of development resembling a physical trajectory - example: an upward career trajectory

writ large  idiom shown in a clear way

deterrent  n. something that makes someone decide not to do something

expire  v. to end, to no longer be in effect after a period of time

inch  n. a unit of length equal to / yard (2.54 centimeters)

vision  n. something dreamed or imagined

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Mr. Bidens remarks came as the presidential race has been dominated in recent days by debates over racial injustice and protests. In a strongly worded speech on Monday, Mr. Biden sought to repudiate Republican efforts to paint him as radically anti-law enforcement, condemning violence and seeking to blame Mr. Trump for chaos on his watch.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump visited Kenosha, Wis., where a Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by a white police officer on Aug. 23, setting off protests that at times turned destructive. And on Wednesday, the Trump campaign held a conference call for reporters on the subject of left-wing mob violence.

Mr. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will travel to Kenosha on Thursday, where they will meet with Mr. Blakes father and other family members, according to a campaign official.

Weve got to heal, Mr. Biden said after his speech when taking questions from reporters. Weve got to put things together, bring people together. And so, my purpose in going will be to do just that  to be a positive influence on whats going on.

Asked whether the officers involved in the police shootings of Mr. Blake in Kenosha and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., should be charged, Mr. Biden replied: I think we should let the judicial system work its way. I do think theres a minimum need to be charged. (Mr. Bidens campaign said later that based on his knowledge of the situation, charges involving the officers looked to be warranted, but a full investigation was necessary first.)

The Biden campaign has long sought to make the race a referendum on Mr. Trumps character and leadership, focusing in particular on his stewardship of the pandemic and its economic fallout, and the speech on Wednesday represented an opportunity to put a spotlight on how Mr. Trumps handling of the crisis was affecting the nations schools.

This administration seems to think its all of a sudden going to go away, like angel dust is going to be sprayed around, Mr. Biden said of the health crisis and its economic reverberations. Everythings going to be OK. I just dont get it. They have to know better.
Bundled into a police van, beaten and crammed into a cramped Belarusian cell with dozens of others, Aleksei V. hadn't realized it was possible to feel such fear.

"I could never imagine being so scared in my life," Aleksei, 40, a marketing manager, recalled of his ordeal in the detention station after tens of thousands of protesters rejected the outcome of the Aug. 9 presidential election.

Strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who has been pictured in a protective vest and carrying a rifle on several occasions, still clings to power after 26 years while the protests continue.

Now, as pressure grows on Lukashenko at home and abroad more than three weeks after the election, personal accounts are emerging of the Belarusian regime's fervor in stopping the biggest show of discontent in the country's modern history.

Aleksei and another man with whom NBC News spoke allege that they were subjected to police brutality after having been detained in the days following the election.

Not every aspect of their stories could be verified, but they described similar conditions and treatment in custody  beatings, cramped cells, little to no food or water for days. Similar allegations were reported by international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Aleksei, who has a young daughter and did not want his full name used for fear of retribution, spoke by phone from Minsk a week after his detention  after having seen a psychologist because of a sudden stammer he said he developed while in custody.

Although he was later charged with attending an "unsanctioned mass gathering," he maintains that he was not there to protest but was instead out for a walk with a couple of friends, although he said he considered joining in if the rally was peaceful.

Court documents seen by NBC News confirm that he was detained in a park the evening of Aug. 10, the day after the election, as protesters gathered in central Minsk.

Story continues

He said he was crammed in a police van with five other people and taken to the city's Okrestina detention center.

After getting out of the vehicle, he said, he was hit with a baton on his back, a shoulder, his groin and his buttocks by masked men in uniforms.

After that, Aleksei said, he and 79 other people, all men  including several teenagers and journalists  were crammed into a small prison cell, where he said they had to stand, with nowhere to sit, for nearly 30 hours.

During the entire time, they were given a 2-liter bottle of water and a loaf of bread for all 80 people to share, he said. Toilet access and medical help were also limited, he said.

The next day, he said, they heard people in other cells demanding food and water, after which they heard them being led out of their cells and harshly beaten.

After hearing their screams and groans, Aleksei said, he and his cellmates huddled together, expecting that they would be next.

"I could hear their hearts beating," he said.

NBC News could not independently verify the details of his treatment, with Belarusian authorities not commenting on the treatment of individual detainees.

But as personal accounts of detainees like Aleksei started to emerge, Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Barsukov said there had been no abuses at Okrestina.

Aleksei's account was echoed in testimonies published by several human rights organizations.

Citing a woman who said she had been detained, Human Rights Watch reported that police officers mistreated and humiliated people detained during the protests, viciously beating them and cramming them into small cells while depriving them of food, drinking water and medical aid.

Amnesty International also collected testimonies from protesters who described being tortured or subjected to other ill treatment in detention centers, including being stripped naked, beaten and threatened with rape while listening to the screams of other victims.

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Aleksei said that around Aug. 13, he and half of his fellow detainees were transferred to a more spacious cell with running water, where they could stretch their legs and were given more food.

On Aug. 14, he said, he was taken out of the detention center in a police van and released in Minsk with no explanation.

Since he was released, Aleksei said, he has had trouble eating and sleeping.

"I felt like I was some sort of animal," he said. "I really hope the people who beat and tormented us will be held accountable one day. I don't want to have to cross the street every time I see a police officer."

He said he has since submitted a complaint about the treatment, but he is too scared to talk to the investigators in person out of fear that he might be detained again.

IMAGE: Aleksandr Luhanin (Courtesy Aleksandr Luhanin)

Aleksander Luhanin, 36, a video game developer, was also detained the evening of Aug. 10 as he walked home through central Minsk, court documents show. He said he saw small groups of protesters chanting as riot police looked on.

After he saw the police charge, he said, he ran toward a park, where he was surrounded and detained. He said he was crammed into a police van with six other people, some of whom already looked badly beaten, and was taken to Okrestina.

He was put in a tiny prison cell with 67 other people, with no room to sit, for about 24 hours, he said.

"No one could sleep in that position, so we took turns squatting by a wall for 15 minutes at a time so we could doze off," he said.

Periodically, he said, they could hear groups of people being taken out of their cells and beaten.

"It was creepy to stand there and have to hear it all," he said. "Everyone was paralyzed with fear and silent."

NBC News could not independently verify the details of Luhanin's account, either, with Belarusian authorities not commenting on the treatment of detainees.

He said they got water every two to three hours but had access to a toilet only twice in that time.

Luhanin said he and 21 other men were eventually moved into a more spacious cell and given food.

He said he and his cellmates were made to stand facing the wall for seven hours before they were transferred to another detention center, which turned out to be about 60 miles from Minsk.

From there, he said, he was released Aug. 14 with no possessions. Luckily, he said, he was met by volunteers waiting outside, who gave him water, food and cigarettes.

Holga Zalatar, 37, a mother of five, is one of hundreds of volunteers who have spent days, and sometimes nights, standing outside the walls of Okrestina  waiting for detainees to emerge.

Zalatar is in charge of keeping lists of those who have been released. She said it was a 24/7 operation, with a team of doctors, lawyers, psychologists, cooks and priests ready to help. Zalatar said that people would often come out disoriented and in a state of shock  but that remarkably, many were in good spirits.

"I am standing there shrinking from the horror of what they have lived through, and they smile back and say everything is OK," she said.

"And that's when you understand that they have not been broken. That they are strong, and they did not succeed in intimidating them," she said.

IMAGE: Holga Zalatar (Courtesy Holga Zalatar)

Aleksei and Luhanin were charged with taking part in an unsanctioned gathering, according to court papers  a charge both men deny. Their court documents show that they were tried in special court hearings at Okrestina.

The Belarusian rights group Spring 96 has both men's names on the list of detainees held at Okrestina.

Their names are also on a Supreme Court list of detainees sentenced to administrative two-week arrests for their part in the protests. The list does not mention the charges.

Luhanin said that looking back, he was lucky to escape with just a few bruises compared to much more serious injuries other detainees have described to the media and human rights organizations. But although he feels physically fine, he said, the emotional scars will linger.

"The insults and intimidation affected my emotional state," he said. "They treated us like animals. One of my cellmates was an old man who spent 20 years in Soviet labor camps, but he said he has never experienced such brutality."

While in custody, Luhanin had no idea what was happening in the country, so he was surprised to learn that the protests were still going on when he got out.

The day he was released, tens of thousands of factory workers and women clutching white flowers and balloons flooded the streets of cities across Belarus for the fifth straight day. The rallies continue more than three weeks after the disputed election.

"It was good to know everything wasn't in vain," Luhanin said. "That people rose up."

CORRECTION (Sept. 2, 2020, 7:10 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of a woman who assists detainees upon their release at Okrestina. She is Holga Zalatar, not Volga Zalatar.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

The COVID-19 outbreak has been the biggest crisis faced by China and the world in 2020, and it will take great wisdom to overcome the complicated challenges it brings.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with Xi Jinping at the core, has coordinated the overall domestic and international response to the situation and put forward China's solution to the crisis.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 1, 2020 shows the construction site of Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

When the outbreak first struck, China was entering the final year of its 13th Five-Year Plan for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Facing a virus never before seen in human history, the CPC Central Committee quickly formulated comprehensive scientific strategies to deal with this urgent and complex situation, and initiated a war of the people against the virus.

China's successful approach to dealing with the epidemic situation lies in the unified leadership of its government.

On Jan. 23, Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province and former epicenter of the epidemic, made a resolute announcement stating that public transportation in the city would be suspended in order to combat the spread of the virus. China then completed construction of the Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital just 10 days after the idea was put forward.

Furthermore, a total of 42,600 medical workers from across the country were dispatched to assist Wuhan, and 16 public facilities were turned into temporary hospitals in the city.

Peng Zhiyong (C), head of the department of critical care medicine of Zhongnan Hospital, performs diagnosis on a patient in the ICU (intensive care unit) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

China is committed to both epidemic prevention and economic development. After the epidemic began, China went all out to save lives and at the same time worked hard to coordinate epidemic prevention and economic social development.

Placing the top priority on life was the foundation of China's values in the battle against the epidemic. The CPC has always advocated being "people-oriented".

China has spared no effort in treating patients, regardless of their age or wealth. As of May 22, more than 3,600 patients aged 80 years or older were successfully cured in Hubei province, and the success rate in the treatment of patients aged about 80 years old was nearly 70 percent in Wuhan.

According to the National Healthcare Security Administration, the average total cost of treating a hospital patient with COVID-19 was 21,500 yuan (about $3,038). For severe cases, the average minimum cost was 150,000 yuan. All expenses were covered by the country's healthcare insurance system and government funds.

Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons against the disease, said an article by President Xi Jinping on global solidarity and cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

A medical expert team sent by the Chinese government to South Sudan arrive in Juba on Aug. 19, 2020, along with the eighth batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of South Sudan)

In the first half of 2020, President Xi Jinping held talks with nine leaders of national and international organizations, held 60 telephone conversations with foreign dignitaries and heads of international organizations, attended the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19, the 73rd World Health Assembly, and chaired the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19. On various occasions, President Xi Jinping made repeated calls to build a community of common health for mankind and work together to defeat the COVID-19 outbreak.

While taking good care of its citizens at home, China has also provided assistance to nations severely affected by the pandemic. By May, China had shared a set of technical documents, such as its latest versions of diagnosis and treatment plans, with 180 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations worldwide, dispatched medical experts to countries with emergency needs, and provided emergency assistance to nearly 150 countries and four international organizations.

The COVID-19 epidemic has once again proven that mankind is a community with a shared future. The Chinese solution, which transcends the zero-sum or law of the jungle mentality, is an embodiment of Chinese wisdom. Moreover, faced with this epidemic, it is China's responsibility to stand together with other countries and help each other.
There are 221 people on trolleys around the country waiting for beds, figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) show.

The union has said that overcrowding and Covid-19 are making for a "toxic combination" that is increasing the risk of infection while endangering both staff and patients.

The worst affected hospitals are Cork University Hospital with 50 patients on trolleys, closely followed by University Hospital Limerick which has 41 patients on trolleys.

Infection control is necessarily compromised in a hospital with patients in corridors and on trolleys.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer for Cork University Hospital, Liam Conway, said the overcrowding is worrying hospital staff: Covid and overcrowding make for a toxic combination.

This is a deadly virus and our frontline members are rightly worried for their safety and that of their patients. Infection control is necessarily compromised in a hospital with patients in corridors and on trolleys.

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The HSE assured us that there would be no tolerance of overcrowding during Covid. Yet no actions have been taken and we are sleepwalking back to mass overcrowding.

INMO said that in a letter to its union in May, the HSE pledged that overcrowded health and social care facilities will no longer be tolerated and it is now calling for direct government intervention to fulfil that pledge.

It is time for direct government intervention, especially ahead of the annual winter surge. We need to fund extra beds, expand step-down care, and fund additional home care packages. And this all needs a funded workforce plan to recruit additional nurses and midwives immediately, Mr Conway said.

The hospitals with the highest numbers of patients on trolleys today include:
The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has appointed an Islamic cleric recently freed from death sentence in Saudi Arabia as one of his senior special assistants.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Zailani Bappa, on Wednesday, the governor announced the appointment after receiving the cleric, Ibrahim Ibrahim, who had just found his way back home from Saudi Arabia after escaping a date with the hangman.

Mr Bappa said for nearly four years, Mr Ibrahim, a Quranic memoriser, faced the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after he was wrongly charged with drug trafficking.

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He described the meeting as emotional as the governor formally handed over the cleric to his waiting family.

The statement said members of the family had their hearts in their mouths for nearly four years as their loved one cooled his feet in a Saudi Arabia gaol awaiting death sentence.

Mr Ibrahim was in Saudi Arabia in early 2017 to perform the lesser Hajj but was arrested by the police shortly after he has lodged in his hotel room. He was charged with drug trafficking following a bag full of banned substance linked to his passport details.

The cleric was found guilty in a lower Saudi court and also in the upper court.

He was to be announced guilty and sentenced when Governor Bello Mohammed assumed office last year.

The governor then vowed to rescue the innocent Ibrahim as he sent a team of experts with the help of the Federal Government and appealed the case. He employed a team of Saudi lawyers for Ibrahim who proved to the court that the said bag did not belong to Hafeez Ibrahim.

Mr Ibrahim was finally acquitted early this year but could not return home due to restriction on international flights as a result of Covid-19.

He, however, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos on Tuesday following a night journey from Cotonou.

Mr Matawalle appointed Mr Ibrahim as one of his Senior Special Assistants.

He assured that his administration will continue to fight for the rights of citizens of the state wherever they are. He said that the travails of Mr Ibrahim is a lesson to all especially international travellers to be vigil and extra careful especially with their luggage.
A pet turtle has been found dead and left with a bone-dry body after its student owner left the animal in his university dorm in Wuhan due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Lin, a second-year undergraduate at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, kept his alligator snapping turtle in a cage with food and water before heading home for the Chinese New Year in January, according to reports.

The 22-year-old told local media that he had originally planned to return to the campus a month later but the university in the former coronavirus epicentre was forced to remain shut until August.

Lin, a second-year undergraduate at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, kept his alligator snapping turtle in a cage with food and water before heading home in January

Footage shows the dried up carcass of the dead reptile discovered by the Chinese student when he came back to his dorm on Monday evening.

Lin told reporters that he had purchased the turtle online last September and had been keeping it as a pet on the balcony of his student residence.

He left the campus on January 21 to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family in Taiyuan of northern Chinese province Shanxi.

Before going home, Lin kept his turtle in a cage with water and food.

Under the normal circumstance, the food and water left in the container could feed it for over a month, the undergraduate told Chutian Metropolis News.

Lin has kept the turtles carcass on a bookshelf in his dorm, according to his social media page

The reptile owned by the Chinese university student is said to be an alligator snapping turtle

I planned to return to the university around February 20, so the alligator snapping turtle shouldve been alive as planned.

The city of Wuhan was put under a draconian lockdown on January 23 as the Chinese authorities scrambled to contain the coronavirus from spreading.

The government eased travel restrictions on April 8 but universities in the city had only started to allow students to return to the campus since late August.

Lin has kept the turtles carcass on a bookshelf in his dorm, according to his social media page.

We will be brothers in another life, he wrote.

While some social media users found the video amusing, others were horrified by the incident, slamming the student owner cruel and irresponsible.

One commenter wrote: Why would you keep animals in your dorm? You probably cant even take care of yourself properly. Animals are also real lives.

Another one said: This is so cruel. You are not supposed to have pets in the dormitory anyway. You should always be responsible for it no matter what the reason is. You should be ashamed of yourself!

In June, another Chinese student found his two pet turtles had died and dried out after he left the animals in his dorm for five months due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The pet owner told local media that he thought the lockdown would only last for a short while and the reptiles would survive.
Pipeline pipes are loaded onto a truck at a Trans Mountain facility near Hope, B.C., on Aug. 22, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)

Canadas Resource Sector Struggling With Regulations, COVID-19

Sweeping regulatory changes give US and China an edge on Canadian oil and gas, say experts

Canadas oil and gas industry is struggling under new regulations that could see the sector decline even as the United States and China expand their own resource industries, experts warn.



The economic downturn brought on by COVID-19 has raised the stakes amid a new regulatory environment that includes more challenging environmental reviews under Bill C-69, which implemented the Impact Assessment Act last summer and expanded the review process for projects ranging from pipelines and ports to mine expansions.

Jack Mintz, an economist and the presidents fellow of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, says Canadas resource sector is seeing some bright spots, including the completion of some pipeline projects, but the regulatory challenge is significant.

The bigger issue is investment, and how these regulations might make people think its better to go elsewhere as theyre dissuaded from seeing Canada as a good place for [investment].

A recent report on Chinas carbon emissions notes that a 25 percent emissions drop due to the lockdown measures rebounded heavily in May as economic activity resumedlargely powered by coal.

The biggest drivers of the overall increase in CO2 emissions in May were 9 percent increases in thermal power generation and in cement output, the CarbonBrief report concluded.

With increases in investment in power generation and approvals for new coal power plants, the report forecasts that the power sector could be a big area for Chinese investment after COVID-19.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board invests in Chinese coal companies. The board has around $40 million of shares in China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., and millions in other coal companies in China.

Mintz said Canadas focus on reducing domestic emissions will put it at a disadvantage with China.

If we ended up killing our own oil and gas industries, we might trim down emissions while China is still using coal plants. So why shoot ourselves in the foot? What are we actually doing here? he says.



We could have an industry thats competitive because of the oil reserves. Canada can be part of that, but Bill C-69 makes it really hard to compete and complete projects.

Bill C-69 was controversial when it passed in late 2018 but it did have one significant industry voice behind itthe Mining Association of Canada.

That support vanished in August when the federal government decided to assess a project to expand an existing steel-making coal mine in British Columbia that was under provincial review.

We are very disheartened by the federal governments decision on the Castle Project given the expansion fell well below the threshold to being subject to the IAA [Impact Assessment Act], MAC president and CEO Pierre Gratton said in a released statement. This decision certainly has the potential to lead to longer timelines at a time of unprecedented global economic uncertainty.

The feds have said the size of the expansion and its proximity to the British Columbia-Alberta border prompted the review.

Elmira Aliakbari, the associate director of Natural Resources Studies at the Fraser Institute, says the scope of new regulations under Bill C-69 are being felt as other measures, including the federal carbon tax and coal phaseout, weaken the resource sector.

Canadas recent policy and regulatory changes have been particularly damaging given that deregulation and sweeping tax reforms in the United States have significantly improved the business environment in that country, particularly for the oil and gas sector, Aliakbari said.

Whats more, these new regulatory measures are particularly problematic given that various energy companies are now struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 recession.

One key policy change was Bill C-48, which banned oil takers from much of British Columbias coast and blocked the end point of a pipeline to Northern B.C.s coast that would have become a key international export route.

The federal government argued that tanker traffic would have threatened one of the last temperate rainforests left in the world.

Discussing Bill C-69 in June 2018, then-Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna said the bill was intended to guarantee more transparency with the review process for projects, as well as balancing negative and positive economic impacts of each decision with the goal of forging better relations with Indigenous Peoples.

Albertas government has criticized the bill and raised concerns about the loss of jobs in 2020, with 25,000 job losses forecasted by Alberta Central.

In July, Ottawa introduced rules enacting provisions of C-69 that require companies pursuing major resource projects to provide information at each stage of assessment on GHG emissions, as well as the impact of the project on carbon sinks, on federal emissions reduction efforts, and on global GHG emissions, mitigation measures, and climate change resilience.
ITBP jawans walk through tortuous road for 8 hours to handover local's body to family

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Sep 02: The army or jawans of the nation are known for their fortitude and benevolency.

In an another instance, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans recently walked over 25 kilometres over a period of eight hours in Uttarakhand to hand over the body of a local man to his family after the latter passed away.

The jawans walked to Munsyari from Syuni village in Pithoragarh district. The incident took place on Sunday.

The road to Munsiyari was very difficult and full of stones and boulders, but the ITBP team kept moving all the way very carefully.

The local had died due to shooting stones.

The 14th Corps of ITBP was informed about the death of a 30-year-old local youth in village of Syuni village, according to reports.

As soon as after receiving this information, the ITBP personnel reached the spot and secured the body. Due to incessant rains in the area, the road was closed for vehicular movement.

The ITBP jawans, with the help of local residents, decided to carry the body on a stretcher to Munsiyari, about 25 kms from Sunei.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 14:30 [IST]
The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) is asking the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu to immediately withdraw the 150-dollar fee charged for COVID-19 test at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

The Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company Limited, Yaw Kwakwa on Monday, August 31, 2020, announced that passengers who come into the country through KIA will be compelled to undertake mandatory COVID-19 testing at a fee of $150.

But according to BPS, the charge is a grave violation of Part VII of the International Health Regulations (2005).

BPS in a letter to the Health Minister dated Wednesday, September 2, 2020, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the fee.

Withdraw with immediate effect the USD150 testing fee per traveller completely.

The Bureau of Public Safety further urged the Ministry of Health to direct the Ghana Health Service to maintain the 72-hour prior-take-off/travel testing requirement and enforce a 14-day mandatory self-isolation regime for passengers arriving without a PCR test taken within the last 72 hours.

Okoe Boye clarifies $150 fee for COVID-19 testing at KIA

In an earlier interview, a Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye justified the 150-dollar COVID-19 test fee.

We've heard comments which suggest this is a rapid test and rapid tests are cheap and all that. It's true most rapid tests are cheap because they go in for antibodiesBefore you even develop an antibody, it takes between two to three weeks minimum to have them in your blood in your system and by that time your viral presence would have gone and whoever you would have come across, you would have already infected the person before the antibody could pick you. So, if you have a system like we have in Ghana of trying to stop entry into the country then rapid antibody testing is a no-go area.

So this test that is happening at the airport is an antigen test and I have complaints that the PCR test is not expensive so why is this more expensive than that one? Simply put, a PCR test is also an antigen test. Antigen goes for the causative organism and a PCR first extracts the DNA material and the RNA material. But what we have at the airport is one that doesn't go through that long process but is able to identify the virus using amino acid technology.

Below is the letter from BPS to the Health Minister

Dear Sir,

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATION VIOLATION: $150 PER TRAVELER MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING FEE AT GHANA's AIRPORT OF ENTRY

The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) writes to draw your attention to a direct contravention of the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations (IHR) by the Government of Ghana requiring your immediate attention.

Following the lifting of the ban on air travel by the Government of Ghana on 1st September 2020, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Ghana Health Service, has instituted a $150 mandatory COVID-19 test fee to be levied on travelers upon their disembarkation at the Kotoka International Airport. This is, apparently, part of the Governments measures to stop the international spread of the novel coronavirus.

As a socially engaged and committed organization, the BPS wholeheartedly welcomes efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, we find the Government's decision to mandatorily levy all travelers a $150 USD testing fee a grave violation of Part VII of the International Health Regulations (2005), which states, inter alia, that 'Except for travelers seeking temporary or permanent residence, no charge shall be made by a State Party for any medical examination provided for in the IHR, or any supplementary examination which may be required by that State Party to ascertain the health status of the traveler examined for the protection of public health.' (Article 40 Para 1, & 1(a))

The BPS, therefore, wish to request your outfit to:

1. Withdraw with immediate effect the USD 150 testing fee per traveler completely,

2. Maintain the 72-hour prior-take-off/travel testing requirement, and

3. Enforce a 14-day mandatory self-isolation regime for passengers arriving without a PCR test taken within the last 72 hours

The BPS herewith call on your high office to be guided by the purpose and scope of the IHR (2005) which are to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.

We further wish to call upon the Director-General of the World Health Organization to call all State Parties signed on to the IHR (2005) who are in violation of this regulation, to immediately implement fully the International Health Regulations (2005), in accordance with the purpose and scope set out in Article 2 and the principles embodied in Article 3. Indeed, we are not in normal times and thus, a watchful and responsive World Health Organization is just what the world, especially middle income and poor countries, need at this time.

Copied:

The Country Director, World Health Organization

Chairman, Parliamentary Select Committee on Health

All Media Houses

 citinewsroom
US officials told Foreign Policy that Pompeo's decision may affect up to around $130 million in foreign aid to Ethiopia

The United States has suspended aid to Ethiopia over the filling of its disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without an accord with Egypt and Sudan, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, quoting a State Department official.

The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter and asked not to be identified, said President Donald Trumps administration is increasingly concerned about the lack of progress in negotiations between the three countries.

He said the US government is working with the three countries to facilitate an agreement that balances their interests.

The US had brokered talks between the three sides late last year to break the years-long deadlock in negotiations, but failed to secure signatures from the three countries on a draft deal.

Washington stressed to Ethiopia that the filling of the 6,000-megawatt dam "should not take place without an agreement.

Egypt initialed the deal drafted by the US but Ethiopia refused to sign.

Addis Ababa announced in July that it had achieved its first-year target for the filling of the dams reservoir due to the rainfall season.

The move was condemned by Cairo and Khartoum, both of whom sought a legally binding agreement before the dams filling.

The State Department officials comments to Bloomberg confirm a report by Foreign Policy magazine on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approving a plan in late August to suspend some foreign aid to Ethiopia over the dam dispute.

US officials and congressional aides familiar with the matter told Foreign Policy last week that the decision made by Pompeo could affect up to $130 million in foreign aid to Ethiopia, adding that the finalised cuts could amount to less than $130 million, however.

The report prompted Ethiopia to ask for clarification from the US on the signalled cuts.

"We have asked for clarification on reports of the United States' decision not to give the $130 million it assigned to Ethiopia," Fitsum Arega, Ethiopias ambassador to the US, wrote on Twitter earlier this week.

The reported aid cuts come as negotiations sponsored by the African Union (AU) between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan ended in deadlock last week after the three sides failed to reach consensus over the legal and technical points of contention to be included in a preliminary integrated agreement on GERD.

The three countries' technical and legal committees were scheduled to come up with a unified draft from a collective report of the three capitals' proposals to be presented last week to South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current AU chair, but failed to reach a consensus.

The three countries agreed to send a letter individually to the AU president expressing their vision for the next stage of talks, according to a statement by the Egyptian irrigation and water resources ministry following the collapse of talks, which did not provide details on when the letters would be sent.

The AU-sponsored talks are observed by the US, the EU, the AU and the AU Commission.

The nearly completed $5 billion dam 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 has concerns on how the reservoir will be managed.

Ethiopia says the massive project, which it hopes will make it Africas largest power exporter, is key to its development efforts.

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An historic first direct commercial flight arrives in Abu Dhabi from Tel Aviv on Monday after flying over Saudi Arabia to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE

Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow UAE flights to "all countries" to overfly the kingdom, state media reported Wednesday, days after allowing an Israeli aircraft to pass over en route to Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia has accepted an Emirati request to allow "crossing the kingdom's airspace for flights heading to the UAE and departing from it to all countries", the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing a source from the civil aviation authority.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile announced that Monday's historic first commercial flight of an Israeli aircraft direct to the United Arab Emirates across Saudi Arabia would not be the last.

"Israeli planes and those from all countries will be able to fly directly from Israel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and back," Netanyahu said, without giving any timeline.

The announcements come after a US-Israeli delegation visited Abu Dhabi on Monday, on the first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE.

Saudi Arabia has said it will not follow the United Arab Emirates in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel until the Jewish state has signed an internationally recognised peace accord with the Palestinians.

But the kingdom has cultivated clandestine relations with Israel in recent years, in a shift spearheaded by de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In a sign of its cooperation with Israel, Saudi Arabia allowed Monday's historic flight to cross its airspace, halving what would otherwise have been a long detour around the Arabian peninsula.

However, Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's biggest economy and home to Islam's holiest sites, faces more sensitive political calculations than the UAE.

Not only would a formal recognition of Israel be seen by Palestinians and their supporters as a betrayal of their cause, it would also hurt the kingdom's image as the leader of the Islamic world.

Story continues

In 2002, Saudi Arabia sponsored the Arab Peace Initiative which called for Israel's complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967 and an equitable solution for Palestinian refugees, in exchange for peace and the full normalisation of relations.

But a shared animosity towards Iran, along with Saudi attempts to attract foreign investment to fund Prince Mohammed's ambitious Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, appear to be pushing the kingdom closer to Israel than ever.

bur-ac/dm/kir
Soldiers and civilians in the central province of Quang Ngai listen to the Declaration of Independence on the radio.

Photos courtesy of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Vietnam National Museum of History, the Vietnam Military History Museum and VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.
The Enugu State government says it has achieved 100 per cent success coverage in the just concluded specific-target polio vaccination in the state.

George Ugwu, Executive-Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

NAN reports that the state embarked on a six-day specific-target polio vaccination in 16 wards within the Uzo-Uwani council area between Aug. 22 and Aug. 27.

The exercise is targeted at vaccinating 35,775 children from three months to five years.

Mr Ugwu said the exercise was an overwhelming success and the targeted 35,775 children for the vaccination was exceeded and we got 37,852 which is above 100 per cent.

The executive secretary said that the agency had not achieved such a resounding target in a single specific-target polio vaccination exercise.

He said the exercise enjoyed the maximum support of all relevant individuals and organisations, including the council chairman, workers, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community-based organisations

The executive secretary noted that the exercise had to be extended for an additional two days to allow for effective and proper coverage of wards in difficult terrains.

We recorded coverage of 100 per cent in Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) and 96 per cent in the Fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (FIPV) in the just-concluded immunisation.

The agency enjoyed robust cooperation from the chairman of the council area that also ensured that other leaders and workers within the council area supported us to attain the success, he said.

Mr Ugwu, however, said the agency encountered few challenges during the exercise and that these centred on logistics and nature of the terrain.

We were able to overcome these challenges by involving more hands, more vaccination teams, additional two State Technical Facilitators (STFs) and ensure very close supervision and dedication of all involved in the exercise.

Of course, we have to extend the exercise for two additional days for effective mop-up and ensuring no child under the age range for the exercise is omitted, he said.

The executive-secretary commended Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the support he gave the agency, especially in the just-concluded polio vaccination exercise.

I also laud National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO, UNICEF as well as Rotary International, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, chairman of Uzo-Uwani council area and other stakeholders for their support to the exercise.

(NAN)
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To connect with and better support its female customers and other female financial decision makers, PNC Bank hosts an annual Women in Business Week. This year's event will offer a week's worth of virtual experiences, including a lineup of inspirational speakers such as Ellen Latham, founder of Orangetheory Fitness, and Shellye Archambeau, author of "Unapologetically Ambitious."

Virtual Women in Business Week, scheduled for Sept. 14 - 18, 2020, will provide female financial decision makers  from business owners and executives to women who may be managing their finances for the first time  with an opportunity to glean valuable insights for themselves, their families and businesses. Attendees will hear from experts, entrepreneurs and authors, and have an opportunity to meet PNC's first Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, among other senior leaders who are playing a critical role in driving diversity, inclusion and gender and racial equity across the bank.

"Women in Business Week is just one of the many ways in which PNC acts on our commitment to engage, enlighten, educate, inspire, attract and retain our clients who happen to be women," says Laura Gamble, PNC regional president of Greater Maryland, vice chair of the PNC Women's Business Development Executive Advisory Board, and a PNC-Certified Women's Business Advocate. "As we navigate these challenging times and have fewer opportunities to network, it is especially critical that we provide forums where women can engage and learn from one another."

Through its robust Women's Business Development efforts, PNC strives to provide women with timely, interesting and informative programs, enabling them to build on the banking relationships that are essential to financial wellness.

Virtual Women in Business Week events are free and available to everyone, including but not limited to PNC customers. From opportunities for families to learn together to a primer on the growing esports industry; from educational programs about women's suffrage to a celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, the week offers something for women at all stages of their financial journeys. Those who want to participate must register for each event and can do so at pnc.com/women or pnc.com/businesswebcasts.

Virtual Women in Business Week Events

Monday, Sept. 14

11 a.m. ET : Candid conversation with executive and author Shellye Archambeau about her career and experience as a Black female and her advice for creating a diverse, inclusive workplace culture. Archambeau will share excerpts from her new book, "Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms." Moderated by Richard Bynum , PNC's newly-appointed chief corporate responsibility officer.

Tuesday, Sept. 15: Bring a Girl to Work Day

11 a.m. ET : Votes for Women, a discussion with historians in Nashville, Tenn. , the state that put ratification of the 19th Amendment over the top. With Elaine Weiss , author, " The Woman's Hour." Moderated by Tracey Silverman , vice president, credit products expert, PNC.

Votes for Women, a discussion with historians in , the state that put ratification of the 19th Amendment over the top. With , author, " Moderated by , vice president, credit products expert, PNC. 2 p.m. ET : Esports: Leveling the Playing Field for Women and Girls. A conversation with industry leaders Angelica Sirabella , director of communications, Pittsburgh Esports League, and Auverin Morrow, lead Esports community manager, Hi-Rez Studios, who will shed light on career and financial opportunities in this growing industry. Moderated by Roseanne Silva , senior vice president, business chief technology officer, PNC.

Esports: Leveling the Playing Field for Women and Girls. A conversation with industry leaders , director of communications, Pittsburgh Esports League, and Auverin Morrow, lead Esports community manager, Hi-Rez Studios, who will shed light on career and financial opportunities in this growing industry. Moderated by , senior vice president, business chief technology officer, PNC. 4 p.m. ET : Story Time with PNC Great Readers, featuring three of PNC's notable community partners reading aloud their favorite children's books on video, including:

- "Should I Share My Ice Cream?"

- "Claudette's Miraculous Motown Adventure;" and

- "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Wednesday, Sept. 16: Ask the Experts

10 a.m. ET : Brand Trust in 2020: How Building Trust in Your Brand Can Lead to Deeper, More Resilient Relationships, featuring insights from Edelman PR expert Michele Anderson , vice chair of brand in the U.S., and results from the firm's Trust Barometer survey. Moderated by Dresdyn Hefferen, senior vice president, corporate marketing, PNC.

Brand Trust in 2020: How Building Trust in Your Brand Can Lead to Deeper, More Resilient Relationships, featuring insights from Edelman PR expert , vice chair of brand in the U.S., and results from the firm's Trust Barometer survey. Moderated by Dresdyn Hefferen, senior vice president, corporate marketing, PNC. Noon ET : Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Nina Vaca , Pinnacle Group CEO and chairman, and the presidential ambassador for global entrepreneurship. Moderated by Vicki Henn , chief human resources officer, PNC.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with , Pinnacle Group CEO and chairman, and the presidential ambassador for global entrepreneurship. Moderated by , chief human resources officer, PNC. 2 p.m. ET : Fighting Financial Fraud: A Conversation About this Parallel Pandemic and How to Protect Yourself and Your Company, with Debbie Guild , PNC chief security officer, and Miranda Creel , senior vice president and regional sales executive, PNC Treasury Management.

Thursday, Sept. 17: Women in Business Week Keynote Speaker

11 a.m. ET : An inspirational conversation with Ellen Latham , creator and co-founder of Orangetheory Fitness, a boutique fitness franchise with studios worldwide. Moderated by Arlyn Kalinski , vice president, Language Services manager, Diverse Growth Segments Group at PNC, the discussion will be based on Latham's "The Heartbeat of a Billion Dollar Business" program, with topics including:

- Turning a job loss into an opportunity;

- The importance of mentorship;

- Deciding to franchise; and

- Overcoming challenges related to COVID-19.

Friday, Sept. 18: Self-Care Day

Virtual Yoga, led by Heather Peterson , chief yoga officer for Denver's CorePower Yoga

, chief yoga officer for CorePower Yoga Reel Fitness with PNC's Sharon McKim , doctor of physical therapy

To view past webcast replays, including those featured in PNC's Women Who Achieve series, visit pnc.com/businesswebcasts. To learn more about PNC's women's business advocacy, visit pnc.com/women.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including the following: a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; and wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

CONTACT:

Katie Kirby

(216) 222-8725

[email protected]

SOURCE PNC Bank

Related Links

http://www.pnc.com


WASHINGTON and OTTAWA, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Carolina State University is investigating the crucial role that SFI-certified forests play in facilitating landscape connectivity in a changing climate. Landscape connectivity represents the extent to which a landscape supports the ability of plants and animals to move across the landscape. Some species with a limited range, like salamanders or pitcher plants, depend on connected landscapes to maintain healthy populations.



Connecting habitats has long been recognized as one of the keys to supporting conservation in landscapes dominated by people. But rapid changes to the earths climate and land use patterns mean new research is needed to ensure that conservation potential is maximized, while mitigating climate change impacts and limiting the loss of biodiversity.

We know that maintaining and enhancing connectivity is key to reducing the effects of habitat fragmentation from climate and land use change. This project represents an exciting evolution in how we think about connectivity and highlights how important managed and restored forests are to reconnecting the landscape. Were thrilled to be partnering with SFI on such a relevant issue in North Carolina, says Tina Mozelewski, a PhD Candidate at North Carolina State University.

The goal of this project is to forecast the growth patterns of forests in the Piedmont and Sandhills regions of North Carolina under high and low climate change scenarios and land use changes, both of which influence landscape connectivity. The project will also quantify how these forests, especially restored longleaf pine and managed forest areas, contribute to landscape connectivity.

Results from this and other studies provide a critical resource for all SFI-certified organizations by helping to enumerate outcomes related to biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation on lands influenced by the SFI Forest Management Standard and the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard. Identifying positive conservation outcomes, key learnings, and opportunities for improvement on the SFI landbase is critical to continual improvement of the SFI standards.

This work will illustrate the unique role of sustainably managed forests in contributing to the habitat needs of highly mobile species, facilitating corridors for species movement, and clarifying how the unique attributes of SFI-certified forests help build resilient landscapes under changing climatic conditions, says Paul Trianosky, SFIs Chief Conservation Officer.

A collaborative partnership

Collaboration is at the heart of the SFI Conservation Grants Program. It fosters partnerships between organizations interested in measuring conservation outcomes and motivating improved forest management and responsible procurement. This project brings together academics, NGOs, forest producers, and government agencies to help ensure a positive future, Trianosky says.

Weyerhaeuser, an SFI-certified company, is interested in using the results of this study to inform outreach to private landowners, to help enhance their forest management practices. Domtar, an SFI-certified company, is interested in learning more about longleaf pine restoration under climate and land use change, and how these efforts will advance landscape connectivity in the study area.

The Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center has provided both funding and critical knowledge about the climate and forests of the southeast, which have been used to develop the cutting-edge LANDIS-II Landscape Change Model. The South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are also active project partners collaborating on connectivity inputs and methodologies for the LANDIS-II.

About the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc.

SFI Inc. advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, non-profit organization that demonstrates our commitment to forests through our work in standards, conservation, education, and community. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments to achieve a vision of a world that value and benefits from sustainably managed forests. Learn more .

About the SFI Conservation Grants Program

SFI Conservation Grant projects research approaches to improve understanding of the relationship between forest management and important conservation attributes. Since 2015, researchers have been challenged to develop and test scalable approaches to measuring outcomes relative to biodiversity, water quality and quantity, and climate change. By linking projects with SFI-certified organizations, these efforts gain immediate relevancy and help improve the SFI standards. Since 2010, SFI has awarded 64 grants totaling more than $4.4 million to foster research and pilot efforts to better inform future decisions about our forests. When leveraged with project partner contributions, total investment exceeds $11 million.

Media contact

Daniel Pellegrom

Vice President, Communications

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

202-596-3452

media@sfiprogram.org

Conservation contacts

Tina Mozelewski

PhD Candidate

North Carolina State University

Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources

tgmozele@ncsu.edu
U.S. Rep Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, did not criticize Trump for making the trip, but was critical of the leadership he has demonstrated before and since the shooting. He wants to see a unifier in the White House, but said Trump is a divider.
SAN FRANCISCO  A firefighter was killed and another injured Monday battling a wildfire in the Northern California forest, authorities said.

The firefighter was killed in Mendocino National Forest north of San Francisco, where a wildfire that started on Aug. 17 was 20% contained, according to a statement from the U.S. Forest Service.

No other details were immediately available.

The blaze was burning in timber, chaparral and tall grass. It began as 37 separate fires but many have either been contained or merged, according to the Forest Service.

Many other fires continued to burn.

California was free of extreme weather warnings Monday but firefighters working to contain massive wildfires were cautioned about increasingly warm and dry conditions heading toward the Labor Day weekend.

The two largest fires, east and north of San Francisco Bay, were each about 65% surrounded, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. A third big fire, burning to the south in the Santa Cruz Mountains region, was 41% surrounded.

That fire has burned nearly 900 homes.

The progress has allowed thousands of people to return home but nearly 40,000 remained under evacuation orders, Cal Fire said.

Those fires and others began with a massive electrical storm on Aug. 15 that unleashed thousands of lightning bolts.

Hundreds of wildfires ignited in that time period have burned more than 2,218 square miles (5,747 square kilometers).

There have been eight deaths and more than 2,800 structures destroyed, many of them homes.

A Red Flag warning in Humboldt and Del Norte counties expired at late morning. Air quality alerts due to smoke went into effect for the Lake County air basin and in parts of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Twitter updated its trending topics section to help users better understand why a term is popular in a bid to combat bots and conspiracy theories.

The social media platform is pinning tweets to the top of topic threads that represented the trend well and gave added context.

In the coming weeks Twitter will start adding short descriptions to topics that are trending.

A combination of human curators and algorithms will determine if a tweet is reflective of a trend, while making sure it's not spam or abusive.

Scroll down for video

Twitter has begun pinning tweets to the top of trending threads to give better context to the story. A combination of human curators and algorithms will determine if a tweet is reflective of a trend, while making sure it's not spam or abusive

'It should be easier to understand what's being said immediately,' the company said Tuesday in a blog post announcing the update.

'Throughout Twitter, we've been working to bring people more context on what's happening with labels on Tweets and accounts as well as curated pages (aka Moments) and related articles on trends.'

Moderators and algorithms will be now tasked with weeding out bots and tweets that are trying to game the system.

Twitter is also blocking tweets from the conspiracy group QAnon from trending topics.

In the coming weeks, Twitter will be adding short descriptions to some trending topics. 'It should be easier to understand what's being said immediately,' the company said in a blog post announcing the update

Twitter hopes adding context to its Trending Topics module will help combat bots and conspiracy theories gaining traction in the section. QAnon made Wayfair trend in July with a conspiracy theory that the furniture company was engaged in child trafficking

In July, QAnon made Wayfair trend with a conspiracy theory that the furniture company was involved in child trafficking.

Earlier this year, Russian bots got a conspiracy theory that former members of Hillary Clinton's staff were rigging the Iowa caucuses to the top of Twitter's trending list, according to The New York Times.





Sophisticated botware was also responsible for tweets trending in 2018 that defended Saudi Arabia after the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, NBC News reported.

In July, President Donald Trump claimed Twitter's trending topics section was 'illegal' because it made him look bad.

'So disgusting to watch Twitter's so-called 'Trending', where sooo many trends are about me, and never a good one,' Trump tweeted on July 27.

Some critics - including some Twitter employees - have encouraged the company remove its trending topics section altogether. Others have suggested it turn it off until after the November 2020 presidential election

'They look for anything they can find, make it as bad as possible, and blow it up, trying to make it trend. Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!'

Facebook removed its trending topic tab in 2018 after criticism it was promoting misinformation and biased content.

It now has a dedicated news section that is curated by staffers.

Some critics - even some Twitter employees - have encouraged the company to do the same.

Others think it should just shut the module off until after the November presidential election.

Pinned tweets can now be seen on Twitter for iOS and Android and the company plans to add them to Twitter.com.

The topic descriptions will be written by Twitter's curation team, and 'will provide straightforward, clearly sourced context around why something is trending,' the company said.

Both updates will be available on Twitter in the US, UK, France, Australia, India and more than a dozen other countries.

The company admitted there was still room for improvement.

'To be clear, we know there is more work to do to improve trends and the context updates we're announcing today are just a small step in the right direction,' it said.

'There is more we can do to help people understand why something is trending and to provide transparency around how something trends.'
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As fitness enthusiasts returned to Staten Island gyms with zeal on Wednesday amid new coronavirus (COVID-19) safety and health protocols, exercise wasnt the only thing making them sweat.

Yes, New York City took another step toward normalcy after being shuttered in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, as gyms were permitted to open for the first time. Yet, heightened sanitation requirements, required mask-wearing, health queries and socially-distanced workout equipment made it clear to gym members that things are still far from normal.
New South Wales has recorded an additional 17 new coronavirus cases overnight, as a cluster in Sydney's CBD continues to grow.

There are now a total of 49 cases associated with the CBD outbreak, including a customer who dined at the popular Four Hand Pub, in Paddington.

Drinkers in the venue on August 26 from 6.30pm to 10pm who sat downstairs for more than two hours are considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days.

The state's Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant announced the climbing numbers during a press conference on Wednesday.

Fifteen of the new cases are linked to a known case or cluster while one of the new cases is in hotel quarantine.

The final case is locally acquired and the source is still being investigated.

The state's Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant (pictured centre) announced the new cases during a press conference on Wednesday

Eight of the new cases on Wednesday are linked to the CBD cluster, which has grown to 49 people. Pictured: People wearing masks in Sydney

Eight of the new cases are linked to the growing CBD cluster.

Dr Chant said the CBD cluster was expected to grow due to the high numbers of people flocking to the city for work each day.

She said it is important people come forward and check health websites for locations where COVID-19 cases have attended.

Around 20,083 coronavirus tests were conducted in the last 24 hours compared to the 'low numbers' of 14,000 over the weekend.

The number of cases at St Paul's Catholic College Greystanes, in western Sydney, has risen to six.

An additional four people in connection to the school - including close contacts - have tested positive to COVID-19 overnight.

The school has been cleaned and remained closed and the source of this infection is still being investigated, Dr Chant revealed.

The final new case is in connection to Liverpool Hospital.

A previously reported COVID-19 case - who worked at Cubbyhouse Childcare out-of-school-hours centre at Homebush Public School - has been excluded following further investigation.

The number of cases at St Paul's Catholic College Greystanes (pictured), in western Sydney, has risen to six

Anyone who was previously identified as a close contact is no longer required to isolate for 14 days.

There are currently 75 active COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health.

Five of these cases are in intensive case and three of these people are being ventilated.

Eighty-seven per cent of cases being looked after by NSW Health are being treated at home.

There are currently 75 active COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. Pictured: People wearing masks in Sydney

Anyone who attended the other locations identified on September 2 are told to monitor for symptoms and get tested for even the mildest of symptoms.

Other venues where people with COVID-19 have attended included Stockland Merrylands between 9am and 11am on August 29 and Metro Fuel Greystanes on August 27 between 3.15pm and 3.35pm.

A venue in Merrylands called Big Bun has also been identified as a location where someone with COVID-19 attended on August 27 between 3.30pm and 4pm.

Anyone who was in the Carslaw building of University of Sydney's Camperdown campus between 8pm and 8.20pm are also told to monitor for symptoms.

The final location is the Bus 810 on August 28 from St Paul's College at 3.04pm to Macquarie Rd opposite Boothtown Reserve Greystanes ar 3.28pm.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Samsung

Analysts are bullish on Samsung after the company unveiled a foldable phone on Tuesday and U.S. semiconductor company Nvidia said its next-generation gaming chip will be manufactured by the South Korean electronics giant. They see Samsung's shares trading at 70,376.32 Korean won ($59.35) in the next 12 months. That represents a 29% upside from Wednesday's trading price, according to an average target price collated by Refinitiv. Some analysts are even more bullish on Samsung. Daiwa Capital Markets' SK Kim has a 12-month price target of 82,000 Korean won, a more than 50% rise from Wednesday's trading price. New orders for Samsung's chip manufacturing operations or foundry, next-generation smartphone launches and a recovery in memory pricing next year are factors behind the analysts' optimism. "For SEC (Samsung Electronics), we maintain our positive view as we expect a favourable memory market environment in 2021, new foundry opportunities and attractive valuation compared with its peers such as TSMC," Kim told CNBC in an email.

Nvidia deal

On Tuesday, Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 30 Series of graphics processing units (GPUs). The chips are designed for PC gaming and promise to offer more realistic images on screen, thanks to so-called "ray tracing." This technology simulates how light reacts with objects around it. Nvidia chose Samsung to manufacture the chips using a so-called 8 nanometer process customized for these semiconductors. The move was seen as positive for Samsung. Daiwa's Kim told CNBC he expects the Nvidia deal to be worth $1 billion in revenue for Samsung. Samsung's semiconductor business is very important for the company. It includes the foundry business as well as the sales of so-called NAND and DRAM chips Samsung produces, which are used in devices such as laptops and smartphones, through to data centers. Semiconductors accounted for two-thirds of Samsung's operating profit in the second quarter of this year.

DRAM pricing, which has been under pressure in the second quarter, is expected to face further weakness for the rest of the year, according to a note released by UBS last week. The investment bank sees DRAM prices falling 8% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of this year. But the start of 2021 could bring a recovery. "First, we continue to expect DRAM pricing to start to recover in 1H21 as industry supply growth will not match demand when smartphones demand is closer to normalized levels," UBS said, referring to the first half of next year.

Foldable phones to drive earnings

On Tuesday, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 2  the company's third folding phone. The device launches on Sept. 18 for $1,999. While foldable phones remain a "niche" product for now, according to Sanjeev Rana, senior analyst at CLSA, who sees the number of these devices Samsung sells increasing each year.

Rana told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday he expects foldable phones to account for 2 million to 3 million of Samsung's overall smartphone shipments of 250 million this year. That figure will increase to between 8 million and 9 million in 2021, he said. "From 2022, foldable phones will become mainstream and given Samsung's positioning in this business ... Samsung is the first mover in this important product category. We expect foldable to become a major earnings driver for its smartphone business in the coming years," Rana said.

Samsung to gain from Huawei woes
Jammu, Sep 2 : Pakistan o Wednesday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K's Poonch district after an army JCO was killed in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Rajouri district.

A JCO of the army was killed in Pakistan firing along the LoC in Tarkundi sector of Rajouri district earlier on Wednesday.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Devender Anand said that at about 6.45 p.m. on Wednesday, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch district.

"The Indian army is retaliating befittingly," the spokesman said.

Pakistan has violated bilateral ceasefire along the LoC in J&K over 2,720 times so far this year.

As many as 27 civilians have been killed and over 100 others have been injured in these ceasefire violations.
A Pakistani national was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping a minor girl from Ukraine in Mathuras Vrindavan town, the police said.

The girl lives with her father in an apartment in Vrindavan, which the accused, also a resident of Vrindavan, used to visit frequently.

The father of the girl lodged an FIR at Vrindavan Kotwali on Tuesday blaming Anand Kumar, 24, a Pakistani national, for raping his 14-year-old daughter on the night of August 31 when he was away, said Avdesh Pratap Singh, officiating in-charge of Kotwali, Vrindavan.

The accused was arrested on Wednesday and will be presented before a court in Mathura. The medical examination of the survivor has been conducted, said Singh.

The police officer said the accused was from Karachi in Pakistan and has been living in Vrindavan on a tourist visa for the past 16 years.

The mother and brother of the accused also live with him in Vrindavan, said Singh.

The father of the survivor who is from Ukraine has been living in Vrindavan for the past five years as a Lord Krishna devotee. His wife lives separately in Vrindavan.

The case has been registered under section 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code. As the victim is minor, section  of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been included, the police officer said.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, had converted to Christianity in the late 1990s. Under the Khmer Rouge he was the director of the Tuol Sleng prison, where at least 17,000 people were killed by torture, hardship or summary execution. In 2012 he was sentenced to life in prison by an international UN court.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews) - Comrade Duch, a Khmer Rouge leader accused of crimes against humanity, died this morning at 5 am at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital. He had been sick for several years. Duch (his nom de guerre; his real name was Kaing Guek Eav), was serving a life sentence after being sentenced in 2012 by an international UN tribunal. He is also the only Khmer Rouge member to have asked forgiveness for his crimes after becoming a Christian.

Comrade Duch was the head of Tuol Sleng prison (code name: S-21), where at least 17,000 people died of torture, hardship or summary execution during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). It is estimated that in the name of the "zero revolution" desired by Pol Pot, the supreme leader of the Maoist organization, nearly 2 million people have died in Cambodia.

Old regime soldiers, opponents, intellectuals and ordinary people were forced to leave the cities and go to work in the rice fields, which earned the name of "killing fields" in the race to create a "new" communist society.

Duch died at 77 years of age. As an adult, a math teacher, he joined the Communist Party and then joined the Khmer Rouge. In 1975, when the organization took Phnom Penh, he became the director of Tuol Sleng, which is now a museum of Khmer Rouge horrors (photo 2).

In 1979, a Vietnamese invasion drove out the Khmer Rouge and Duch and the leadership fled to the borders with Thailand. He lived under an assumed name until he was recognized in 1999. Ten years later a UN court sentenced him to 30 years. In 2012, after appealing, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2010, 4 other Khmer Rouge leaders were tried: Khieu Samphan, former head of state; Ieng Sary, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ieng Thirith, Sary's wife and Minister for Social Affairs; Nuon Chea, ideologue of the regime and nicknamed "brother number 2".

Pol Pot, the bloodthirsty dictator known as "brother number 1" died on April 15, 1998, never having responded to the atrocities he committed. Of all these, only Comrade Duch admitted his sins and asked for forgiveness from the families of the killed.

For Duch, the awareness of the crimes committed and the request for forgiveness were the fruit of a long journey that began in 1996, when he embraced Christianity through his friendship with a Protestant pastor in a village near Battambang. After listening to the sermons of the Reverend Christopher Lapel, the former head of the S-21 prison - who had hidden his true identity, calling himself Hang Pin - asked to be baptized. He totally changed after having embraced Christ - says the Rev. Christopher in an interview with Time in 1999 - moving from deep hatred to love. He said he never received love as a child and in his youth. By converting to Christ, love filled his heart".

At the time, Pastor Lapel, who lost several friends and relatives in the S-21 prison, had confided that he did not harbour feelings of hatred "for the one person who confessed to having played a role in the death machine" devised by the Maoist revolutionary fanatics.
One in three employees in Ireland are vulnerable workers with an underlying health condition such as asthma, diabetes or cardiac issues. This is according to new research released by laya healthcare.

The survey  the first of its kind in Ireland to include both employers and over 1000 employees across all industries and sectors  also found four in 10 Irish workers (39%) are struggling to cope with everyday life during Covid-19 and 91% have reported some level of anxiety. Over half cited a fear of a second surge their main cause of anxiety.

However, just one in 10 are seeking external professional help for their mental wellbeing and almost eight in 10 workers have not taken any sick leave since March.

The research further reveals companies predict an average expense of 37,138 on returning employees to the workplace, such as putting in place new infrastructure, PPE provision and running wellness programmes. Fourteen percent of Irish employers are predicting costs of 50,000 or more.

Larger organisations are more likely to be providing mental wellbeing services to support staff returning to the workplace. However, just 45% of the pharma, manufacturing and IT sectors are providing such services for those returning to the workplace and just 39% in other sectors.



The research found 30% report loneliness and isolation were the key challenges of working from home, with 40% citing reduced interaction with work colleagues. It is estimated that 29% needed to see their GP but couldnt get an appointment. The same percentage of those surveyed needed to see a GP but felt too scared to visit a surgery.

Commenting on the research, Head of Health and Wellbeing at laya healthcare, Sinead Proos said, "To address workers concerns, protect the one in three employees who are vulnerable workers and fully comply with health and safety guidelines, long-term investment in building resources, education and training needs to be made. With over 270,000 companies operating in Ireland*, the total cost of returning employees to workplaces could well be in the region of 10 billion."

She added, "The coming months are going to be incredibly challenging. Early intervention and a culture of resilience needs to be prioritised to manage peoples mental and physical wellbeing long-term  both for those working in the office and remotely. Irish employers should ask themselves, is my workforce coping, and if not, do we have the right tools to support them over the coming months and years?."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
"Getting to meet them, and hear their stories, is just something super special. I know from speaking with other people that they enjoyed our presence just as much as we enjoyed theirs, and they inspire us to be better." Cadet Second Lieutenant Alexis Nyce.
Local doctor reports on effort to stop the virus

Ximending Night Market, shown in May 2019, is a very popular neighbourhood of Taipei. - chingyunsong - stock.adobe.com

A local doctor traveled this summer to Taiwan, a country noted as having had one of the best responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, one with a strategy that differs greatly from that of the United States or even the state of Washington.

The island country 100 miles off the coast of the People's Republic of China that has had 488 cases of the disease among its population of 23.6 million, even though its population is approximately 115 times as dense in its cities as Grant County, which has seen 2,338 cases. Picture Electric City (population about 1,000) with more than 10,000 people in it for an apt comparison of density, but with lots of nightlife.

That could be very fertile soil for SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but Taiwan, with just seven deaths, doesn't compare to Washington state's 1,931 deaths among about 7.6 million people spread over three times the area.

How does this happen?

Dr. Sam Hsieh, a surgeon and chief of staff at Coulee Medical Center, and his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Hsu, an endocrinologist at the hospital, traveled to Taiwan at the end of June for her father's funeral. Hsieh spoke with The Star on his observations during the trip.

Several factors are at play, Hsieh (pronounced Shay) observes.

The difference in the country's approach to the United States was apparent even on the plane there. The flight from Seattle to Los Angeles was fairly normal, although all wore masks.

But from L.A. to Taiwan, flight attendants were in full personal protective gear, including nylon hazmat-like suits. Meals were tailored to meet specifications to fight the spread of the disease: nothing hot so no blowing needed. And attendants had minimal interaction with passengers.

Getting off the plane in Taiwan, the Taiwan CDC meets travelers from the U.S., assigns each a health code identification barcode before asking health-related questions, takes their temperatures, twice, and sprays them with a decontaminant before putting them in a special Covid-outfitted taxi.

Before you get in the taxi to go to two weeks of quarantine, alone in a room (no couples), they wipe the bottoms of your shoes.

Food is delivered three times a day in quarantine, dropped off so there is no interaction. Hsieh stayed at his brother's home, but still quarantined alone.

"Psychologically, it did help that I was able to talk to family just outside my door," he said. Hsu stayed in a hotel.

You can also order food in from various shops, but don't try to slip out; it's about a $1,000 a day fine.

"They take it very seriously," Hsieh said. And health officials still contact you every day to see how you are doing, always very courteous and professional.

Taiwan's flight crews returning from the U.S. also go through all this, but quarantine for six days, he said.

Of course, everyone is wearing a face mask. In fact, after the first SARS epidemic in 2003, when 26 countries were infected with the first SARS-CoV virus, it became a social norm to wear a mask out of the house.

So when the current pandemic hit just over the straight, Taiwanese people put on their masks back in late January.

"When we went outside, Taiwan essentially was like nothing happened. It was operating like it always has a with the difference that everybody had a face mask on."

That includes famous nightlife.

Hsieh's quarantine room for 14 days. - submitted photo

"All the restaurants are open, all the cafes, all the movie theaters are open," Hsieh said. "Taiwan is very well known for something called the 'night market" - street food ... stalls just one after another ... phenomenally crowded."

Also at play, though, is a national system for tracking health information that helps when public health officials need to trace those who may have been infected.

Case quarantine, universal mask wearing, and contact tracing aided by a digitalized health system all helped keep Taiwan almost unscathed by the current pandemic, Hsieh said.

"It was almost like a centralized electronic health system that really helped them track their cases," Hsieh said. "That is something that is very important and something a lot of other countries are still working towards."
Estonias Crucial Role In Tackling Growing Cyber Threats

Estonia's presidency of the UN Security Council refreshes the debate on global cyber security just as the coronavirus pandemic exposes the consequences of failing to protect critical digital infrastructures .

By Esther Naylor

Recent targeted cyberattacks exploiting the increased demand placed on the healthcare sector during the pandemic led to many calls of condemnation as well as a renewed focus on the connection between cyberspace and the UNs role in maintaining peace and security.

Many world leaders and renowned experts have been urging governments to take action at the UN level to uphold the international laws being breached by these incidents. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres condemned those carried out on critical civilian infrastructure during his remarks at the Security Council in May following a wave of incidents such as cyberattacks on Czech hospitals and targeting of coronavirus medical research by hostile state actors.

At the same time, Estonia began its first ever presidency of the UN Security Council with a signature virtual event putting cyber security at the heart of its agenda and holding an event on cyber stability, conflict prevention, and capacity-building.

During this meeting member states recognised the COVID-19 crisis has created increased reliance on critical digital infrastructure, and some condemned those targeting hospitals with cyberattacks. However, one permanent security council member abstained from attending - Russia.

Russia-Estonia relations are generally often strained, but the infamous 2007 Tallinn cyberattacks - suspected to be Russian in origin - took down online services for banks, media outlets, even parts of the government, and triggered a radical change in how Estonia managed cyber security.

The lesson from Estonia for any country wishing to undergo digital transformation is simple  that threats to peace and security in the physical world can be translated to cyberspace. Through developing its cyber incident response, the governments own cyber security capacity and its digital infrastructure, Estonia became a model and a leader on digitization and e-governance efforts.

And although those involved in developing the governance of cyberspace pay credence to a multi-stakeholder approach - involving actors from the private sector, technical community, civil society and academia - states remain the key players.

Countries agreed on a number of commitments in 2015 on norms of responsible state behaviour with the aim of maintaining stability in cyberspace. Yet these commitments were voluntary rather than legally binding and the challenge remains in the implementation of these commitments, the evolving nature of cyberspace, the threat landscape, and the widening capacity gap between those countries with developed cyber capacity and those with nascent digitization.

At the UN level, the debate on global cyber governance is currently split into two parallel processes, within which there are differing views on how cyberspace should be governed. The Open Ended Working Group includes all UN member states and hears consultations from civil society, academia and industry, while the 2019 Group of Governmental Experts contains a group of 25 member countries.

Both processes were due to deliver reports from their proceedings over the next two years to the UN General Assembly, and, although these will most probably be delayed due to COVID-19, Estonias decision to put cyber security on the UN Security Council agenda can at least preserve momentum gained from the processes.

But despite being the most powerful UN body, which is capable of issuing binding resolutions, and having permanent members drawn from the worlds most powerful countries  and prolific users of offensive cyberattacks  the Security Council is often criticized for inaction or being paralysed by veto politics.

Worryingly the council has been unable to even pass a resolution on the coronavirus pandemic and its threat to peace and security. Indeed, exactly what the council deems a threat has evolved over time as events trigger changes in international relations. But what is certain is the fallout from the pandemic will underscore the need for international cooperation on cyberspace to maintain peace and security.

Estonias election onto the council accompanied by its campaign commitment to promoting cybersecurity issues is a promising start, and its non-permanent membership does give a genuine opportunity for assertive action against cyberattacks. It has already helped set a precedent of bringing attribution of a cyberattack to the Security Council when, along with the UK and the US, it attributed an attack on Georgia to Russia.

This sets a strong example of how countries can hold each other to account for violations of international norms and reminds states that actions have consequences. State-sponsored cyberattacks are among the most threatening to peace and security, and often states are also the target of such attacks. Therefore, bringing cyber to the Security Council acknowledges the role states have in fulfilling their obligations to each other.

Estonias role on the Security Council is also important for small states undergoing digital transformation which may be rather beholden to more technologically dominant states. The pandemic has stretched critical digital infrastructure to its limits and increased the overall harm caused by attacks.

Small states are often heavily reliant on other countries complying with international law and norms to maintain peace and security, but Estonia has the opportunity to frame the cyber security debate beyond the usual geopolitical tensions on the UN Security Council and reflect the true reality - that every country, regardless of size or power, has a key part to play in protecting cyberspace.

Esther Naylor Is Research Assistant, International Security Programme at Chatham House

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has opened investigation into competition and possible consumer rights violations in PayTV industry.

Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukere disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

He explained that the investigations was initiated after credible information, public announcement by operators and consumer perception analytics on dominant pay TV service providers.

According to him, over the past 24 months, the FCCPC has conducted and investigation, pursue legal actions in court secured an injunction pre-emptying price increase, entered specific orders regarding a provider.

Irukera added that the commision had also engaged in periodic surveillance and monitoring and more recently inquired into a purported tax increase by at least one provider.

This investigation is in order to address the commissions concern and publicly expressed consumer satisfaction with Pay TV services.

The scope of the inquiries includes but not limited to questions about unfair dealings, unreasonable and manifestly unjust contract terms, abuse of market power, colourable pricing and practices and other otherwise obnoxious or illegal conduct.

Operators are invited to familiarise themselves with the FCCPCA and statutory clarifications of their obligations to the FCCPC under S.104, in addition to and or irrespective of any obligations to other regulators.

The commision will continue to pursue initiatives and efforts that promote and ensure fairness to all, he said.
LOS ANGELES - A Black man was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies after he was stopped for a traffic violation while riding a bike, then ran from police, punched one officer and then made a motion toward a gun on the ground, authorities said.

The Monday afternoon shooting death of Dijon Kizzee in South Los Angeles prompted a peaceful protest hours later. Black Lives Matter marched Tuesday evening from the scene to a sheriffs precinct station.

The killing came on the heels of the police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that left Jacob Blake, who is also Black, paralyzed and spurred days of protests, reinvigorating the national debate on racial injustice and policing.

Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to ask the coroner to conduct an inquest into the fatal deputy shooting of 18-year-old Andres Guardado on June 18. Guardado was shot five times in the back after deputies said they saw him with a gun and he ran. Guardados family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Monday against the county, the Sheriffs Department and deputies involved in the shooting.

Kizzees family and friends created a small memorial for him at the shooting scene in the Westmont neighbourhood  leaving flowers, balloons and candles just feet away from first responders discarded blue medical gloves and rolled bandages.

The Sheriffs Department has not released Kizzees name, but two relatives confirmed his identity. In interviews with The Associated Press, they remembered the 29-year-old Kizzee as an energetic man with many friends and expressed anger at the shooting.

You guys take care of dogs. You dont take care of us, said Kizzees aunt, Fletcher Fair, addressing the Sheriffs Department. He was a sweet and loving young man. He had his whole life ahead of him, and it was cut short by rogue sheriffs.

Kizzees uncle, Anthony Johnson, 33, said they grew up together and were as close as brothers. Johnson said he often warned his nephew that, as a Black man, he had to be especially careful.

 You have a target on your back, just by being you,  Johnson remembered telling Kizzee as recently as a few weeks ago. He was like, Yeah, all right, uncle, like he always says.

A Sheriffs Department statement released Tuesday evening said deputies had tried to stop Kizzee for riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes, but he dropped his bike and ran. It didnt provide any more details about the alleged violation.

The deputies momentarily lost sight of him. But when they caught up, he immediately punched one deputy in the face and dropped a jacket, causing a black semiautomatic handgun to fall to the ground, according to the statement.

The shooting occurred when the man made a motion toward the gun, the statement said.

Latiera Irby, 29, told the Los Angeles Times that she had stopped by her mothers house to get her hair done when Kizzee came up to her car and told her: Theyre coming to get me; theyre coming to get me.

Kizzee offered her money to drive him away.

I didnt know who he was running from, so I told him no, she said.

Irby said a short time later, she saw Kizzee scuffle with a deputy, who backed away and then shot him.

The same deputy and another fired at Kizzee after he fell to the ground, she said, adding: He had nothing in his hands.

Police said the handgun was recovered, and no deputies were injured. TV news helicopters showed a gun near the body.

Dean said investigators had not yet interviewed witnesses or reviewed any surveillance or cellphone video.

Give us time to conduct our investigation, he said. We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the largest in the nation, does not have body cameras for deputies, though that soon will change. The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved funding, and the first round of deputies will be equipped with cameras next month.

Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force consultant to law enforcement agencies and a deputy sheriff in Plumas County, said the Los Angeles County deputies will need to explain how they felt Kizzee presented an immediate threat even though his weapon was on the ground.

For the officers to justify their shooting of Mr. Kizzee, they are going to have to articulate that they reasonably feared for their safety, Obayashi said.

It will be important for the deputies to be specific, he said.

What made you believe that he was an ongoing, immediate threat to the public? Obayashi said. Did you believe he was still armed? Why? And if he was armed and running away, what was your reason for feeling that he constituted a threat to yourselves or the public?

Fair described her nephew as a mothers child, saying Kizzee took care of his mother after a car crash until her death in 2011 from a heart attack. After that, he took care of his younger brother, Sean Jones, who is 18 and a recent high school graduate.

Fair lives near where Kizzee was killed and couldnt believe the circumstances surrounding her nephews death.

How do you get a violation on a bicycle? she asked. I stayed here until they picked his body up. I didnt want to leave.

___

This story has been updated to correct that the dead mans reported surname is Kizzee, not Kizee.
An Indian newsmagazine (India Today) uncovered a Pakistani espionage effort carried out via Android apps aimed at fans of the Indian military and police. This development is interesting for two reasons. One, it is possible for an experienced Internet user to investigate and expose online espionage efforts. Second, this particular Pakistani effort sought to get around the increasing awareness in the Indian security services that Pakistan (and China) are constantly developing new techniques that evade such scrutiny. The India Today investigators looked into two Android apps from developer SnowBerry that enable users to depict how the user would look in various Indian military and police uniforms. Indian Army PhotoSuit Editor 2020 and a similar app for police uniforms was available for free on the Google Play Store. A reporter sought to get in touch with SnowBerry, which claimed to be based in Birmingham, England. The reporter, who knew how to dig around in the Play Store and social media sites for additional information, soon discovered that SnowBerry was not based in England, but Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

Further investigation found that SnowBerry was one of several fake app developers. One of those claimed to be based in Australia and offered an app for BJP (the current ruling party of India) fans. At that point the India Today investigators went to an Internet security company for help in extracting more information from this suspect app software. It requires special skills and software, which Internet security firms regularly use, to dissect an app. Dissection of the SnowBerry apps revealed that these apps gave SnowBerry access to the users camera, files and other data on the cellphone. This data was transferred by SnowBerry to servers used by hackers. Some of these servers were already on a blacklist that alerted Internet security firms that anyone using these servers was engaged in illegal activities. SnowBerry was gathering photos taken by fans of the Indian military and police and culling that collection for photos of military significance to the Pakistan military. Further investigation showed that the SnowBerry crew were also active on Facebook where they carried out disinformation campaigns and other activities not yet revealed.

This sort of Internet based espionage is part of the Cyber Wars that have been going on between India and Pakistan since the late 1990s. It started in the 1990s as individuals attacked the web sites in other nations in response to diplomatic, ideological or other disputes. This was usually stirred up by some dispute over religion or borders.

When the Internet became a mass media after 2000 the amateur hackers found themselves being displaced by professional hackers who tended to concentrate on stealing money, or information they could sell. In some cases, these professional hackers got involved in national rivalries that had already been going on for a long time. An example of this the decades old online conflict between India and Pakistan. This conflict is unique and deemed a Cyber War for several reasons. First, it has involved numerous attacks on military and government networks to steal information or plant malware that can later be activated to crash the network. Many other attacks are against media to sway public opinion over issues like Pakistani efforts (since the late 1940s) to annex Indian Kashmir or accuse the other side of promoting terror and disorder. As the number of damaging incidents grew the victims began to notice they had something in common.

All this reflects trends in computer hacking, which has gone pro since the late 1990s. One side effect is the creation of many tools and techniques hackers created to carry out these Cyber War attacks. China is a major user of professional hackers for economic, industrial and military espionage. This was a direct threat to India and an inspiration for Pakistan. Both these South Asian nations were slow to get into large scale and professional level hacking but now they are both at it, mainly against each other. Both nations have a lot of local talent (software engineers and proficient amateurs) and for a long time, the attacks were unorganized and mostly directed at low-level activities like defacing websites and engaging in opinion manipulation on a larger and larger scale. Meanwhile, India was subject to more professional attacks by Chinese and North Korean hackers that led to the Indians mobilizing their own hackers, mainly to deal with Pakistan and, to a lesser extent, China. India sees China as the major threat and Pakistan as more a nuisance, but one with nuclear weapons.

With everyone so alert to the professional hackers there were opportunities for low-tech efforts like SnowBerry to join in. SnowBerry is not unique. There are lots of malevolent apps offered to cell phone users, especially those with Android phones. The Apple App store is far stricter in examining new apps. The Google Play Store has had to move in the same direction because the Play Store has become the favorite place for hackers and others with criminal intent to place their apps. Even Apple is constantly finding and removing misbehaving apps. Google has to remove even more malicious apps. Most of these misbehaving apps are in it for the money but a growing number are mainly about espionage.
Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has denied claims of his involvement in the recent land boundary dispute at Dome Faase in the Obom Domeabra constituency.

The Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Daniel Ofori Atta clarified this on behalf of the Okyenhene in a Citi News interview.

He noted that, one of the key figures in the dispute, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma said to be the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has not been commissioned by Okyenhene to draw a boundary between the Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga States.

Daniel Ofori Atta thus called for the immediate arrest and investigation of Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma .

The man who is said to have hired those hoodlums to cause mayhem was not sent to Dome Faase by the Okyenhene. We do not recognise him as chief within the Akyem Abuakwa traditional establishment. He has no authority to invade the township of Dome Faase.

We are denying completely the assertion that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma was dispatched to Dome Faase to draw a boundary between Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. We do not want any incident where the relationship between the Ga state and Akyem Abuakwa will be marred by this single incident, he said.

The coalition of Ga communities had alleged that the Mponuahene of Akyem Apadwa and the Akyem Traditional Council in the Eastern Region were taking their farmlands from them hence the resistance that led to chaos on August 25, 2020.

Hundreds of fear-stricken residents subsequently fled after claiming they were being harassed by military officers.

Over one hundred residents who were arrested by the military over the dispute were later released after a request by the elders of the community. Below is full statement from the office of Okyenhene

THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME  FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY

It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.

On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark. He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.

This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase. Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.

What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.

Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Signed

M. OFORI ATTA

STATE SECRETARY

CC: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE

HEADQUARTERS  ACCRA

THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

 citinewsroom
-- While scientists work to "spread sunshine," some Australian media reports are "casting shadow," said Wang Xining, minister of the Chinese Embassy to Australia.

-- A large amount of Australian newspapers are owned by News Corp Australia, one of Australia's largest media conglomerates, which is part of the U.S.-based News Corp.

-- The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) was taking nearly 450,000 Australian dollars (about 311,000 U.S. dollars) from the U.S. State Department to track Chinese research collaborations with Australian universities.

-- In the gloating to U.S. President Donald Trump on the 5G decision, in the call for an independent pandemic inquiry, and by invoking the 1930s analogy, Australia has looked at once brazen and inauthentic.

BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Several Chinese academics are cutting off communications with their Australian counterparts and canceling plans to travel to Australia amid a rise in China-bashing rhetoric in the country.

According to a report published Tuesday by the Australian Financial Review (AFR) titled "China think tanks sever academic ties as hostilities rise," some Chinese academics have said it is becoming "almost impossible to collaborate with Australian universities because of the rise in anti-China rhetoric."

The move followed a biased investigative report by The Australian about China's Thousand Talents Plan. Citing U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, the newspaper intended to portray the foreign talent recruitment program as "economic espionage and a national security threat."

Photo taken on May 27, 2020 shows a worker outside the closed Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

MEDIA REPORTS "CASTING SHADOW"

The Australian Academy of Science said it would be "such a great shame if that (global research effort) was jeopardized because of vilification that has no grounds," while Universities Australia declared that most of the country's important research took place across international borders and "with Chinese researchers in some really important instances."

Wang Xining, minister of the Chinese Embassy to Australia, said that science and technology were an integral part of the China-Australia cooperation. "It has brought and will bring enormous good to our business, to our society and to our people."

"Everything goes between us along the bilateral agreement is in compliance with both Chinese and Australian law," he said, comparing the Thousand Talents Plan with Australia's Global Talent Independent Program, which had an office in Shanghai recruiting Chinese scholars for research in Australia.

While scientists work to "spread sunshine," some media reports are "casting shadow," said Wang, adding that the embassy was always asked questions based on "hearsay and gossips," which were "whimsical and absurd."

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out at the beginning of this year, the Herald Sun labeled it as the "Chinese virus."

After the arrest of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of the Hong Kong riots and founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, some Australian reports portrayed him as a "hero," without interviewing those in Hong Kong who are against his stance.

Robert Ovadia, an Australian reporter, said on Twitter that "Lai's Apple Daily destroyed Hong Kong's peace and stability with deliberate falsehoods to warp perceptions."

"It is self-serving propaganda, no more, and certainly no champion of honest journalism or freedom," he tweeted.

A man surnamed Chen from China who has lived in Australia for nearly four decades told Xinhua that in recent years most reports he read about his motherland were "negative, with some even misleading."

"I have some Australian friends who had never been to China," he said, adding that "sometimes when they talked about their negative views about China, I asked curiously where were the views from. They were from local media reports."

Photo taken on June 23, 2020 shows the office building in which the Australian Strategic Policy Institute is located, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

U.S. INFLUENCE BEHIND THE SCENE

Just as the accusation against the Thousand Talents Plan came from the FBI, American influence has been found behind much China-bashing rhetoric in Australia.

A large amount of Australian newspapers, including the Herald Sun and The Australian, are owned by News Corp Australia, one of Australia's largest media conglomerates, which is part of the U.S.-based News Corp.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) "was taking nearly 450,000 Australian dollars (about 311,000 U.S. dollars) from the U.S. State Department to track Chinese research collaborations with Australian universities," according to an article by Myriam Robin carried by the AFR.

Defense contractors like Lockheed Martin are also among the ASPI's sponsors.

The ASPI has fabricated reports on policies in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which the Chinese government has repeatedly refuted.

A member of the ASPI was a bylined contributor to the coverage of Wang Liqiang, who was reported by Australian media to have defected to Australia and confessed that he had worked as a secret agent in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but later proved to be a convicted fraud with a fake ID.

"I see it as very much the architect of the China threat theory in Australia," said former ambassador to China Geoff Raby.

While some Australian politicians have voiced their worries about the so-called "Chinese influence," some experts believe they are, in effect, under American influence.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at a press conference in Canberra, Australia, May 29, 2020. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

In an opinion piece published by the AFR in May, Hugh White, professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University, noted that the Australian government framed its call for an independent inquiry into the origin of COVID-19 as "an investigation of Beijing's culpability for the outbreak," which was a mistake.

"The most likely explanation is that he (Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison) did it to please Washington," said the professor. "The Trump administration is plainly determined to talk up China's responsibility for the pandemic, both to deflect domestic criticism of its own woeful and at times farcical mismanagement of the crisis, and to score points against Beijing in their escalating geopolitical contest for influence in Asia and globally."

A similar viewpoint was expressed by James Curran, a non-resident senior fellow at the United States Studies Center and professor at the University of Sydney, in an article published on Tuesday by the AFR.

"In the gloating to U.S. President Donald Trump on the 5G decision, in the call for an independent pandemic inquiry, and by invoking the 1930s analogy, Australia has looked at once brazen and inauthentic. For all the existing differences between the U.S. and Australian positions on China, the perception amongst some Southeast Asian nations is that Australia remains too willing to do Washington's bidding," he said.

"Washington would not be concerned in the least about how this might affect Australia's standing in the region," he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep concern over the heavy floods that took a number of lives, submerged thousands of hectares of farmlands and houses, destroying farm produce and personal belongings in the affected communities.

According to the President, I am particularly sad over this incident because its a setback to our efforts to boost local rice production as part of measures to stop food importation.

President Buhari noted that, Kebbi State is the focal point of our policy to produce rice locally as part this administrations commitment to agricultural revival which suffered relative neglect in favour of food importation.

He said that With the loss of six lives and still counting; thousands of hectares of land flooded and estimated economic losses of more than one billion Naira by rice farmers in Kebbi State, we face a major setback in our efforts to boost local food production.

President Buhari noted that, This bad news couldnt have come at a worse time for our farmers and other Nigerians who looked forward to a bumper harvest this year in order to reduce the current astronomical rise in the costs of food items in the markets.

The President, while sympathising with the bereaved families and farmers affected by the devastating floods, has assured that we are going to work closely with the Kebbi State government in order to bring relief to the victims.
Election workers sort vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary at King County Elections in Renton, Wash., on March 10, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)

43 Percent of Americans Wouldnt Trust Election Result If Everyone Could Vote by Mail: Poll

More than 43 percent of likely voters wouldnt trust the integrity of the election result if state election officials sent unsolicited mail ballot requests or mail ballots to everyone on the voter rolls, according to a national Epoch Times survey conducted by Big Data Poll. Nearly 57 percent said they would trust the result.

One hundred million American voters will be able to cast their ballots by mail in the fall, according to a tally maintained by The Washington Post. Fifty-one million will receive ballots automatically, and 44 million will be sent ballot request applications. Twenty states have made it easier to vote by mail since the 2016 election.

Democrats are waging a well-funded legal campaign across the nation to make it easier to vote by mail. They are litigating at least 80 of the more than 100 vote-by-mail court cases across the nation. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said that his party had more than 600 lawyers working on election related cases.

President Donald Trump opposes a universal vote-by-mail election, arguing that its an invitation for fraud and opens the door to Election Day chaos due to the inefficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.

More than half of Republicans (56 percent) said they wouldnt trust the integrity of the election in case of universal access to mail ballots. Democrats expressed much more comfort with mail-in voting, with more than 3 in 4 saying they would trust the integrity of the outcome.

White voters expressed less confidence about a mail by vote election (53.7 percent) than black voters (68.5 percent) and Hispanic voters (62.9 percent).

Trump recently endorsed mail-in voting in Florida, explaining that the Republican governors there have done a good job organizing an effective system. But the president has strongly opposed universal vote-by-mail in other states, including Nevada, where Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak called in an emergency legislative session on Aug. 3 and rushed through a mail-in voting measure.

Logan Churchwell, communications director for the Public Interest Legal Foundation, told The Epoch Times that a massive influx of mail ballots will likely lead to an Election Day with no clear winner called.

Election night is not going to be results night just because you have so many states that do not have the institutional experience in mass mail elections. They certainly arent as equipped to process all that paperwork coming back, Churchwell said.

Republicans generally push for safeguardssuch as a witness signatureto protect the integrity of each mail ballot. Democrats say such measures amount to voter suppression. According to Churchwell, the suppression argument is novel and hasnt been brought up in recent election cycles.

The results were weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and region. The partisan affiliation breakdown was 36 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican, and 32 percent independent/other, mirroring the Aristotle National Voter File Database.

The Epoch Times National Poll was conducted by Big Data Poll and interviewed 2,169 likely voters nationwide sourced via voter file-verified online survey panels from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30. The sampling error is plus or minus 2.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval.

Read: AAPOR Transparency Initiative Checklist (pdf)

Read: Full Survey Results (pdf)
The remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal met in Vienna today in an attempt to keep alive the landmark accord they reached with Tehran in 2015.

Officials from China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran attended the European Union-chaired meeting in Austria, which came as the United States forges ahead with its controversial plan to restore international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Senior EU official Helga Schmid, who chaired the meeting, tweeted after it wrapped up that participants are united in resolve to preserve the #IranDeal and find a way to ensure full implementation of the agreement despite current challenges.

The Donald Trump administration accuses Iran of failing to comply with the same nuclear deal the United States withdrew from as part of Washingtons maximum pressure campaign in 2018. Last month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo initiated the process of reimposing international sanctions on Iran, which was rejected by nearly all of the 15-member United Nations Security Council.

Critics say the United States lacks the legal authority to reinstate sanctions, given that it walked away from the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative in Vienna, tweeted after the meeting that the JCPOAs joint commission reaffirmed today that the United States is no longer a participant to the nuclear deal, which makes its attempt to snap back sanctions null and void.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog tasked with monitoring Irans compliance under the nuclear accord, said in June that Iran had enriched uranium at almost eight times what is allowed under the agreement. Tehran, which insists its nuclear program is used for peaceful purposes only, says Washingtons exit from the deal and reimposition of sanctions means that Iran no longer obligated by the enrichment limits.

In a breakthrough for the other parties to the nuclear pact, Iran agreed last week to grant inspectors from the IAEA access to two suspected nuclear sites following a meeting among the agencys director general and key Iranian officials.
SYDNEY, Australia  Australias economic engine has run without a major hitch for nearly three decades. Propped up by rich natural resources, fast-growing trade with Asia, a talented work force and vibrant immigration rates, the country even avoided stumbling during the 2008 global financial crisis.

But the nation sometimes known as The Lucky Country could not escape the ravages of Covid-19.

On Wednesday, Australia officially fell into recession  defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth  for the first time since 1991. Australian officials said the economy shrank 7 percent during the three months that ended in June, a steeper fall than the previous quarter and its worst performance since the government began keeping records in 1959.

Todays devastating numbers confirm what every Australian knows: that Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on our economy and our lives like nothing we have ever experienced before, Josh Frydenberg, the countrys treasurer, said on Wednesday.

The Australian economy will most likely bounce back after Covid-19 is tamed. Its performance has been stronger than those of other countries, like Britain, where output fell 20 percent in the most recent quarter.
The peoples inhabiting the South Caucasus have a centuries-old experience of living together in peace and harmony. For centuries Christians, Muslims, Jews; representatives of different confessions and peoples lived without knowing any wars or enmity. Alas, for the last 200 years the Transcaucasia resembles a powder keg with strife on ethnic grounds, where the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict seems to be more acute.

This year, 115 years have passed since one of the most tragic events in Transcaucasia, which became the first bloody clash between Azerbaijanis and Armenians in history, which is listed in the archives of Tsarist times as the "Armenian-Tatar massacre". Although the reasons for the tragedy in 1905 and the current enmity are different, it was the events of the early 20th century that sowed the first seeds of hatred, sowing in the historical memory of both peoples and becoming a catalyst for further clashes.

Much can be learned about the events of those days from the tragic novel "The Bloody Years" by Mamed Said Ordubadi, written three years after the massacres in Baku and a number of other cities of Azerbaijan. However, in the following years, Soviet cinema left at least two masterpieces that the general public never paid due attention to and in which the directors showed the absurdity of the national policy of the tsarist authorities, which led to bloodshed in the South Caucasus.

The first motion picture "Baku People" directed by Viktor Turin, filmed in 1938 by "Azerfilm", tells about the struggle of workers for their rights, which turned into strikes on oil rigs in 1905. According to the plot, during the actions of the Baku workers against the oil owners, a strong friendship is struck between the driller Jafar and the Bolshevik Vanechka and his comrades - Zakharych and Ruben. Jafar ends up at an underground meeting of the Bolshevik organization. The police, having learned about the meeting, arrest all the participants and throw them into a Baku prison. The anti-popular policy of the tsarist officials played an important role in the reasons that prompted Jafar to side with the revolutionaries. In one of the plots, the enemy of the revolution, driller Ignatiy Trofimovich, encourages a fight between children of Azerbaijanis and Armenians, which broke out because of a child's prank when one child stole candy from another. The old man, personifying in the film the anti-popular policy of tsarism, instead of pacifying the childish temper, encourages them to fight. Having twisted one with the words "They are all like that, Armenians, they strive to pull off: beat, beat him", the old man Trofimich first calls on the Azeri to abuse his peer, and then grabs him and already calls on the Armenian boy to beat the "Tatar". Perhaps this is the most touching and at the same time tragic scene in the entire film. The grief-stricken father of the Azerbaijani Jafar appeals to the paramedic, but he refuses to accept the child, citing the fact that he does not examine the children of the revolutionaries. So the director showed the national policy of tsarism, which encouraged violence on national grounds.

The film "Personally Known" is the brainchild of "Armenfilm", filmed in 1957 by director Erasmus Karamyan. The picture tells the story of the revolutionary Bolshevik S.A. Ter-Petrosyan, known as Kamo (1882-1922). The film also shows the absurdity of the policy of the tsarist command in the multinational Caucasus, the violation of the rights of Armenians and Azerbaijanis by tsarist officials.

In one of the scenes, the tsarist command alternately receives the elders of the Armenians and Azerbaijanis of Tiflis. Both communities are alarmed by the tense interethnic situation over the massacre in Baku and have come to ask for help to prevent bloodshed. However, the commander of the Tiflis garrison, adjutant wing Gavril Petrovich, in which one can guess the features of the governor of the imperial court in the Caucasus, Count Vorontsov-Dashkov, receives a delegation of Armenians, and instead of taking measures to prevent violence, the situation is even more heated, saying that Armenian regions are in danger. He promises to issue weapons so that the Armenians can defend themselves against the "Tatars", according to the adjutant wing, "sincere enemies of the Armenians." Later, the same promises with the issuance of weapons are given to the elders of Azerbaijanis, who are agitated by the threat of violence. In this film, the director also reveals the essence of the policy of the tsarist authorities in the Caucasus, which led to bloodshed.

This policy has greatly exacerbated interethnic tensions in the South Caucasus, and both films show how the authorities, instead of impartial administration, acted on the principle of "divide and rule." It is reliably known that the massacre in Baku, which began after the murder of Azerbaijani Agarza Babayev, shook the entire region, resulting in massacres in several large cities of the Caucasus. Many sources put the main blame on the high military command of the tsarist authorities in Transcaucasia, which not only failed to take timely action to neutralize the unrest, but also contributed to the massacre. It is known that the pro-Armenian governor Vorontsov-Dashkov pursued an open anti-Turkic policy. Until today, many sources consider the incitement of the tsarist secret police as the main cause of the massacre.
The lightning-sparked wildfire that ravaged Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Californias oldest state park, has left it too dangerous for visitors, officials said Tuesday during a tour of the burned area by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Numerous blazes that grew together near Santa Cruz and razed the visitor center, lodge and nature museum also charred redwood, fir and oak trees, leaving many weakened or dead and likely to fall, parks district Superintendent Chris Spohrer said, according to a pool report provided to news organizations.

It will take a year or more to find and remove all of the trees that pose a danger of falling, Spohrer said.

If this is not a gut punch, then youre truly not conscious as a human being, Newsom, a Democrat, said after the tour of the park established in 1902.

One tree still smoldered as Newsom and two massive ancient redwoods, dubbed the Mother and Father of the forest.

Another tree, famous for having an opening in its massive trunk large enough for an automobile, suffered moderate to extensive damage during the fire but remains standing. Newsom walked inside, expressing awe at its apparent survival.

The fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains where the park is located broke out August 17 after an hours-long lightning storm that grew into one of more than two dozen major conflagrations that destroyed homes and forced nearly 200,000 people to evacuate in different parts of California.

Nearly 14,00 lightning strikes, mostly in central and northern California, have ignited hundreds of individual fires since Aug. 15. Those fires have collectively charred more than 1.48 million acres - a landscape larger than the state of Delaware, according to CalFire.

Seven fatalities have been confirmed, and nearly 2,500 homes and other structures have been reduced to ruin.
Juba, Sep 2 : South Sudan and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched a four-year national strategic plan to combat viral hepatitis disease.

Elizabeth Achuei Yol, Minister of Health, said that implementation of the new strategy will reduce transmission of the highly contagious disease, improve health outcomes, and contribute to attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

"The national strategic plan on viral hepatitis in South Sudan (2020-2024) is the first national health sector strategy on viral hepatitis. The strategy contributes to the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development," Yol said in Juba.

She said that South Sudan has an estimated one million people infected and 250,000 infected with Hepatitis B and hepatitis C respectively, adding that 20 to 30 percent of those who become chronically infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) could develop fatal liver ailments.

Yol said that the key objective of the strategic plan is to provide a coordinated, systematic approach of reducing mortality and morbidity due to viral hepatitis disease, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I therefore urge all sectors of government, implementing partners and the donor community to utilize the plan for the betterment of the health of the people of South Sudan, "added Yol.

Olushayo Olu, WHO Representative for South Sudan, said multilateral agencies will rally behind efforts to establish resilient health systems in the country amid resurgence of infectious diseases.
Nearly freezing and often an otherworldly shade of blue, glacial lakes form as glaciers melt and retreat. These lakes are a source of drinking and irrigation water for many communities. But they can turn deadly in an instant when the rocks that hold them in place shift and send torrents of water coursing downstream.

Now, researchers have compiled the first global database of glacial lakes and found that they increased in volume by nearly 50 percent over the last few decades. That growth, largely fueled by climate change, means that such floods will likely strike more frequently in the future, the team concluded in a paper published Monday in Nature Climate Change.

Dan Shugar, a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary, and his colleagues did not set out to take a global census of glacial lakes. They had originally planned to focus on only a few dozen concentrated in the Himalayas and neighboring mountain ranges in East and South Asia. But when the team finished writing computer programs to automatically identify and outline water in satellite images, they realized they could easily expand their study to include most of the worlds glacial lakes.

It wasnt that much of a bigger leap, Dr. Shugar said.

The researchers collected more than 250,000 Landsat images of the Earths surface and fed that satellite imagery into Google Earth Engine, a platform for analyzing large Earth science data sets, to assemble the most complete glacial lake inventory to date.
A video conferencing company that few had heard of before lockdown is now worth more than Britain's two biggest lenders combined following an explosion of people working from home.

Yesterday shares in Zoom soared by 35 per cent after it revealed profits had rocketed by more than 3,000 per cent between May and July.

This added over 20billion to its value, meaning it is now worth around 90billion  more than HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group put together.

Zoom's billionaire founder Eric Yuan has seen his fortune rise by almost 1billion to 9.5billion, according to Bloomberg data

It also means its billionaire founder Eric Yuan has seen his fortune rise by almost 1billion to 9.5billion, according to Bloomberg data.

The New York-listed firm saw a huge increase in users as countries introduced strict measures to stem the spread of the pandemic.

It became an essential tool used by families and companies around the world to stay in touch during lockdown.

The number of business customers with ten or more employees that signed up to its services over the three month period surged from 66,300 to 370,200  a rise of 458 per cent.

Zoom's astronomical rise has smashed Wall Street's expectations

New clients included big-name companies such as oil giant ExxonMobil.

In the UK its popularity boomed as people turned to 'video hangouts' to call loved ones, host pub quizzes and run virtual versions of cancelled events.

Its astronomical rise has smashed Wall Street's expectations, with the the Silicon Valley-based tech firm revealing it raked in as much revenue between May and June as it did in the whole of last year.

Turnover rose 355 per cent to 500million over the three months  compared with 464m for the entire previous year. And profits jumped from 4.1million to 140million.

But analysts have warned that the astonishing rise will not last once workers begin returning to offices. In the UK, some of the biggest companies have announced plans for staff to continue working from home for the rest of this year.

After two quarters of rampant growth during the coronavirus crisis, the company's share price has risen by almost 550 per cent since the start of the year. Yuan, now 50, spoke little English when he emigrated from China to the US at the age of 27.

He founded Zoom in 2011 after his bosses at telecoms giant Cisco refused to back his idea to create a Zoom-like product. But as well as its popularity soaring, Zoom has also faced criticism over privacy and security practices.

It is facing problems with 'zoom bombing', in which pranksters hijack other people's Zoom events and insult those present with racist language and hate speech. It is also facing scrutiny for its ties with China.
Melania Trump was the sister Stephanie Winston Wolkoff never had "a really confident, perfectly coiffed, ultimate older sister," the former senior adviser to the first lady writes in Melania and Me, her epic scream of a tell-all, which comes out Tuesday.

For 15 years, the women were "like Lucy and Ethel, or Snooki and JWoww," lingering over lunch in chic restaurants, attending each other's baby showers and surprise parties, and trading adoring emoji-laden texts. In fact, the greatest reveal in Melania and Me may be the fact that Trump's enthusiasm for emojis appears to rival her husband's for Twitter. With strings of happy and sad faces and hearts galore, she telegraphs a remarkable range of triumphs and disappointments  and now readers will see how correspondence from first ladies has evolved since the days when Abigail Adams implored her husband to "remember the ladies."

(L-R) David Wolkoff, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania Trump and Donald Trump attend a Unicef benefit in New York City in 2008. Credit:(Photo by BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Even in its heyday, the Wolkoff-Trump merger was rife with red flags: Trump rarely appeared at Wolkoff's charity events, and persistently called the author's son by the wrong name ("Taylor" instead of "Tyler"). Regardless, from the early 2000s to February 2018, when Wolkoff was abruptly dismissed from her role in the East Wing, the former Vogue staffer remained loyal to Trump. She was protective of the first lady, believed in the potential of the Be Best initiative (if not its name) and worked to the point where her body buckled under the stress of office politics. In the aftermath of her dismissal  handled by email, in a message addressed jointly to Wolkoff and a similarly fated colleague  she was, by her own admission, "a freaking basket case."

"I was there at the beginning," Wolkoff writes. "I witnessed the transformation of Melania from gold plate to 24-karat gold. I believed she had the heart to match, that she was genuinely caring and loving and worth all of our attention. Throughout our early friendship, she lived up to what I saw in her. Watching her now, and seeing that only the gold shell remains, I have to wonder if that's all she ever was, and I was the sucker who bought the fake watch on the street corner."
Included for New Construction of a Pre-K - 8th Grade School

TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy" or the "Company), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a new $172,000 contract from Thompson County School District in Colorado.

The new contract is for a new construction project of a Pre-K-8th grade school in the district. This additional school extends the existing contract between the school district and Galaxy to upgrade the older/current school projects. Galaxy will provide and install the paging, intercom, and clock system throughout the new school.

Gary LeCroy, Galaxy's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We have been working closely with Thompson County School District since late-2019 as they have continued to implement our technology solutions in all of their schools across their school district. This new school represents an even larger opportunity for us and demonstrates the strength of our land and expand business model as we continue to generate additional revenue with Thompson County School District."

The Thompson R2-J School District is located in Loveland, Colorado and covers territory in Loveland, Berthoud, a southern section of Fort Collins and portions of Windsor, Johnstown and unincorporated parts of Larimer, Weld and Boulder counties. It is the 17th largest school district in Colorado, serving more than 16,000 students within 33 schools (20 elementary, 5 middle, 5 high, 1 K-8 and 2 charter).

For additional information on Thompson School District, please visit: https://www.thompsonschools.org

About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

Galaxy Next Generation (OTCQB:GAXY) is a provider of interactive learning technology solutions that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales.

For additional information, please visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investors Contact:

IR@GalaxyNext.us

P:888-859-1274

SOURCE: Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604431/Galaxy-Next-Generation-Awarded-New-172000-Contract-from-Thompson-County-School-District-in-Colorado
The Delhi high court (HC) on Wednesday refused to grant a stay on the telecast of the movie Gunjan SaxenaThe Kargil Girl on Netflix, an over-the-top (OTT) streaming media service, after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) had moved the court to stop it from being aired.

Justice Rajiv Sakdher told additional solicitor-general (ASG) Sanjay Jain that the MoD has moved the court very late and an interim injunction on the telecast of the movie cannot be granted, as it has already been released.

The court sought the response of Dharma Productions, who has produced the film, and Netflix on the plea and posted the matter for the next hearing on September 18.

The MoDs plea stated that the makers of the film had represented to the IAF that the movie was based on the life of Gunjan Saxena, an IAF officer, and wanted the forces assistance for an authentic portrayal of the facts.

The plea alleged that the makers kept the IAF in the dark about the intent of the movie, which was a negative portrayal of the air force based on misleading and manipulative facts.

It cited that the makers also avoided entering into a formal agreement, or a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the IAF.

The plea argued that the pact was a prerequisite under the 2013 guidelines and the in-principle approval accorded to the makers of the film was at all times subject to the execution of the said MoU.

The plea stated that the makers had assured that they would proceed with the release of the film after a formal approval is obtained from the IAF.

However, all of a sudden, one of the makers informed the IAF that they had completed the filming of the movie, except for the section on the passing out parade, it said.

One of the makers had also sought the permission of the IAF to film the December 2019 passing out parade at the air force academy, the plea added.
President Klaus Iohannis told a news conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Wednesday that recent tensions between Greece and Turkey "do no good to the EU or NATO", but at the moment, there is no cause for concern in the Black Sea.

"These growing tensions, we must admit, in recent weeks in the eastern Mediterranean, do us no good and do no good to either the European Union or NATO. We were of the opinion that any dispute should be settled amicably, diplomatically and in no case by arms and gestures which may be misunderstood. Furthermore, I am convinced that the world will realize that this will not solve anything and they will return to the negotiating table. This is our stance," the head of state said.He said in reference to this conflict that he does not see any problems in the Black Sea region at present.
Picking a fight on social media is now just another day at the office for political partisans.

Picking a fight with social media, however, is a more perilous exercise, as Australia learned this week when Facebook announced it was ready to pull the plug on all that countrys news content on its platform.

Justin Trudeaus government is paying close attention, saying in no unclear terms on Tuesday that it is standing with Australia  which may be a little bit like unfriending Facebook.

The Canadian government stands with our Australian partners and denounces any form of threats, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said in an emailed statement.

Canada is siding with Australia in large part, we can assume, because its been hoping to go down a similar road in making the social-media giants pay for the news they reproduce on their platforms.

Facebooks response to Australia is going to make that a bit more complicated.

Late on Monday, Facebook announced that it would be pulling all Australian news content off its platform if Scott Morrisons government goes ahead with its legislation to charge social-media companies for the journalism content they distribute on their platforms.

The long-standing argument, also made by this very newspaper, is that it is unfair for Facebook to reap all the clicks and advertising dollars that should go to the people and businesses who produce the content being shared on social media.

Facebooks vice-president of global news partnerships, Campbell Brown, explained in a statement that the company isnt unsympathetic to journalism, but that Australias solution is the wrong one. Removing news in Australia is not the outcome weve been working towards; it is our last choice. We remain committed to helping the long-term sustainability of news businesses, which we dont believe the proposed legislation would achieve.

The Australian government is saying it is unbowed by Facebooks blowback.

We dont respond to coercion or heavy-handed threats wherever they come from,Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Reuters, arguing that the law was in the national interest, which goes hand in hand with a healthy local media industry.

For a while there, Australias bold bid to charge social-media companies for the news they reproduce was looking like the silver bullet to the economic woes of the journalism industry, including those in Canada.

As recently as June, Guilbeault said he was planning to talk to officials in Australia before unveiling plans this fall to give long-term assistance to the news and information industries. He is also talking to his counterparts in France, where the government has taken a different approach  more like copyright law  to charge tech giants for the news they distribute.

Guilbeaults office said on Tuesday that the minister is looking for a made-in-Canada solution, but offered no hints of what that would look like, or whether the Australia-Facebook spat has sent Canada back to the drawing board.

Facebook, for its part, has been arguing that its relationship with news organizations is more of a symbiotic one. Yes, it gets to circulate news  and more and more Canadians get their news from Facebook  but it also argues that the media gets to tap into a huge distribution network at no cost.

Will Easton, Facebooks managing director for Australia and New Zealand also issued a blog post, laying out this line of argument, as well as what Australian news companies stand to lose when their content is pulled.

News stories are thrown up on Facebook to encourage readers to share news across social platforms, to increase readership of their stories, Easton wrote. This in turn allows them to sell more subscriptions and advertising. Over the first five months of 2020 we sent 2.3 billion clicks from Facebooks newsfeed back to Australian news websites at no charge  additional traffic worth an estimated $200 million (AUD) to Australian publishers.

Similar figures are not available for Canada  I asked  but one assumes they would emerge if Guilbeaults plans resemble what Australia has been proposing.

Facebook has been arguing that it is not anti-journalism and that it is in fact in the midst of all kind of initiatives to help this ailing industry  fellowships for journalists, for instance, and a news licensing program being unveiled in other countries. That licensing agreement has put not-insignificant dollars in the pockets of U.S. media organizations such as the New York Times and Washington Post  according to some reports, an estimated cash infusion of as much as $3 million annually for big media players.

Similar deals for Canadian news organizations are not yet in the works and Guilbeault is still promising that some sort of plan to help the media business is coming before the end of this year. Arguing with Facebook, though, now looks a little more high-risk than arguing on Facebook.

Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt

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MANILA  A United States Marine who was convicted in 2015 of killing a transgender woman in the Philippines has been ordered released, drawing protests from activists.

Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, then 20, was convicted of homicide in the 2014 death of Jennifer Laude, 26. He was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison, which was later reduced to 10, and has since been held at Camp Aguinaldo, the Philippine military headquarters in metropolitan Manila.

The Olongapo City Regional Trial Court granted an appeal from Lance Corporal Pemberton on Tuesday and directed the Bureau of Corrections to release him. The court reasoned that he had served almost six years, including the time between his arrest and conviction, and that combined with a good conduct time allowance he had exceeded the 10 years. The Laude family has also received $100,000 in civil damages.

Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said on Wednesday that the military had not yet received a copy of the court order but would comply when it arrived.
To help doctors better manage patients with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the health ministry, along with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has prepared a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to answer queries, such as whether hydroxychloroquine should be given to health care workers as prophylaxis or whether medicines to prevent clotting should be given to patients even after they are discharged.

A set of 20 questions on the use of various therapies for Covid-19, such as the use of convalescent plasma, antiviral medication like Remdesivir and Favipiravir, and the deworming tablet Ivermectin has been uploaded to the health ministry website. The FAQs provide information on how to prevent sudden deaths in Covid-19 patients or when one has to be put on a ventilator.

The FAQs can be accessed here.

This is an extension of the e-ICU programme developed by AIIMS and the ministry where tele-consultations are held twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays to help doctors from across the country manage Covid-19 patients.

So far, 17 such sessions have been attended by doctors from 204 institutions across the country.

The aim of the programme is to reduce Covid-19 mortality further.

So far, India has reported 48 deaths per million population, less than half of the global average of 110 deaths per million population, according to data provided by the Union health ministry. The highest deaths per million population have been recorded by the UK with 611 deaths per million, followed by Brazil with 576 deaths per million population, and then the USA with 570 deaths.

We should expect more cases just because of the sheer size of our population. Even if 1% of the people get the infection, in terms of absolute numbers it will be a lot. However, the good things is that we have had fewer deaths due to the infection. Even if there is some under-reporting, deaths cannot really be hidden. And, this means that the situation is not very bad, people are silently getting the virus and recovering without even showing any symptom, said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung Hospital.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anonna Dutt Anonna Dutt is a health reporter at Hindustan Times. She reports on Delhi governments health policies, hospitals in Delhi, and health-related feature stories. ...view detail
In a shocking incident, a woman got on the aircrafts wings apparently because she was feeling too hot. The incident took place on Ukraine airport when the mother of two started feeling discomfort post planes landing. However, taking matters in her own hand, escaped the plane to take a walk on the aircrafts wings.

According to international media reports, the anonymous woman was returning from a vacation in Turkey with her kids. However, while deboarding the flight in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, she reportedly felt too hot. She then opened the emergency exit of the Boeing 737-86N and got out on the wings to get some fresh air.

A one-minute-long video clip, which is now doing rounds of social media, shows the woman clad in a white Tshirt and light pink trousers walking casually on the wing of the flight. As the video progresses, she could be seen completing her walk before getting inside.

Read:FAA: Airplane With 4 On Board Crashes In Bryan, Texas

Read: Gujarat's Seaplane Service To Begin On Oct 31; Ticket Price For Ahmedabad-Kevadia Out

The Ukrainian local media citing an eyewitness to the incident reported that the woman took a walk on the wings of the aircraft after almost all had deboarded the plane. The eye witness also added that her children were shocked to their mother walking on the wings.

'Passenger blacklisted'

"A passenger of flight PS6212 Antalya-Kyiv illegally opened the emergency exit of the plane after it stopped near gate 11 of terminal D and went on to its wing. The passenger was blacklisted for gross violation of aviation safety rules and behaviour onboard, " Ukrainian Airlines confirmed in a statement.

In the aftermath of the incident, police and Ambulance were called by the pilot. In addition, she has been also been barred frm flying on the Ukrainian airlines. When the woman was questioned by the cops, she was unable to explain the reason behind her shocking behaviour. Interestingly, tests showed that she was not drunk or on drugs.

Read: Pilots, Crew Bail Out Of Navy Plane Before Crash In Virginia

Read: Planes, Pizza And Cher: Biden Resumes Campaign Travel

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against five operatives of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), including a Kashmiri couple - Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir Beigh for allegedly conspiring to utilize the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian government and planning to indulge in arson to provoke riots.

The agency said the couple was conspiring to create unrest during anti-CAA protests by coining seditious slogans and making graffiti at public places and highlighting the same on social and international media.

The couple, along with others, had also conducted reconnaissance at prominent places in Maharashtra frequented by foreigners and attempted to make an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) for carrying out mass killings, the agency said in a statement.

Jahanzaib Sami (36) and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh (39), both from Srinagar, were the first ones to be arrested in the case in March this year by Delhi Polices Special Cell from Okhla after which the probe was handed over to the NIA.

Hyderabad-based Abdullah Basith, a key ISIS handler in India, and two others from Pune - Sadiya Anwar Shaikh (20) and Nabeel Siddick Khatri (27) were subsequently taken into custody by the central agency.

NIA spokesperson Sonia Narang said in a statement  Investigation has revealed that Jahanzaib, a B.Tech from Ferozpur, Punjab, got radicalised and inclined towards ISIS/ISKP by reading about it on the internet. He established contact with ISIS handler Huzaifa-al-Bakistani and latters father-in-law viz. Abu Usman-Al-Kashmiri (Head of Indian affairs of ISKP) in 2017 on a secure messaging platform.

Huzaifa-al-Bakistani further introduced him to Abdullah Basith, another ISIS operative, who is already in judicial custody in Tihar jail in connection with another NIA case (ISIS Abu Dhabi Module 2018 case), Narang said.

Hina Bashir, who had her higher education from Pune, also got radicalized since 2014-15 by reading ISIS-related content on social media. Jahanzaib and Hina got married in 2017 as both supported the ideology of ISIS, she added.

The agency said Jahanzaib, Hina Bashir, Abdullah Basith and Ms Sadiya were continuously in contact with ISIS operatives based in Khorasan and Syria.

On receiving instructions from ISKP Head viz. Abu Usman-Al-Kashmiri, accused Jahanzaib and Abdullah Basith prepared a magazine titled Voice of Hind inciting Muslims against non-Muslims and exhorting them to rise against the government of India and join ISIS. The magazine eulogises ISIS/ISKP terrorists including Huzaifa-al-Bakistani who was killed in July 2019 in a drone strike in Afghanistan and denigrates the Indian constitution and democratic system, Narang said.

Jahanzaib, Hina Bashir, Abdullah Basith and Sadiya were conspiring to utilize the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian Government by coining seditious slogans and making graffiti at public places and highlighting the same on social and international media. They were also provoking some gullible youth to participate in anti-CAA protests actively. In case these protests failed to provoke the Muslims, they were planning for arsoning of government buildings and public property so that riots could happen and they could exploit the sentiments of Muslims, she added.

Jahanzaib, Hina, Basith and Nabeel Siddick tried to make an improvised IED and were planning to carry out mass-killings in crowded places to further the activities of ISIS/ISKP in India. Reconnaissance was got conducted by them of certain sensitive locations in Maharashtra which are frequented by foreigners, agency said.

The agency last month arrested another person - Abdur Rehman alias Dr Brave from Bengaluru in the case, who was in contact with Jahanzaib as part of the conspiracy to promote the activities of ISIS/ISKP and had also visited ISIS medical camp in Syria in 2014. He will be chargesheeted later.

M S Khan, Kashmiri couples lawyer, said  The agency is making a mountain out of a molehill. There is no evidence in the case. Its all a bundle of lies.
This home along the Susquehanna River in Wormleysburg, is close to highways, shopping, restaurants.

It also affords amazing views of the river and Harrisburg city skyline, especially from the front porch.
Virtual ministerial fisheries meeting voices concerns over state of Pacific

September 02,2020 | Source: PMC

A new-look Regional Fisheries Ministers (RFMM) group met for the first time virtually last week to discuss the state of the Pacific Ocean and voiced their concerns over the state of coastal fisheries, climate change and marine pollution.



Their decisions reflected regional priorities for the fisheries and marine sector.



The ministers and senior officials were led by Cooks Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna and ministers representing Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and the Solomon Islands.



Senior officials from French Polynesia, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu were also in attendance at the Noumea-hosted web forum.



Their talks reflected with concern on the results that have signalled a decline in the status of key indicator invertebrate and finfish species, and reef and ecosystem health, which have direct impacts on livelihoods and food security.



They called for the strengthening of coastal fisheries management.



Puna addressed the meeting, saying: One undeniable and tangible resource, asset, and lifeline that we all possess is our shared fisheries resources.



He called for initiatives to diversify the use of fisheries and marine resources, using innovative and collaborative approaches.



While highlighting the Pacifics strong response to the national and regional security threats the covid-19 pandemic has posed, he stressed the importance of enhancing fisheries management, maintaining food and economic security.



Our collective response must always reflect how much we value our people, and the mana, resilience and Pacific community spirit that underpins the very fibre of our nations, he said.



The meeting, chaired by the FSMs Secretary for the Department of Resource and Development, Marion Henry, was hosted online, gathering Fisheries Ministers and officials from the Pacific Island Forum countries and territories as well as regional organisations



The talks covered regional coastal fisheries and aquaculture priorities and the impact of covid-19 on these fisheries, the 2020 Coastal Fisheries Report Card, and options for enhancing discussions on community-based management of coastal fisheries.



Ministers also endorsed the Regional Framework on Aquatic Biosecurity.

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Washington: China has taken a "naive" US and its leaders for a ride over the past several decades, according to former top Indian-American diplomat Nikki Haley , who said the Trump administration through its robust Indo-Pacific strategy is now learning who its real friends are.

Speaking at the third India-US Leadership Summit organised virtually by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), former US Ambassador to the UN Haley on Tuesday said Americans know that Indians are not a threat to them and as such, it is time for Indians to share their success story.

The US has been pushing for a greater role for India in the strategic Indo-Pacific which is seen by many countries as an effort to contain China's growing clout in the region.

"Let's acknowledge how China did it. China was very strategic. This was very planned out and America was very naive. The thought leaders in America thought that if we were nice to China, if we open doors to China, it would become more like the West, that China would become more democratic," Haley said.

Responding to a question from Mastercard CEO and president Ajay Banga, she said this was from both sides of the aisle -- Republican and Democrat leaders, all of whom thought that if the US was nice to China, there would be an alliance.

What the United States has to understand that the Chinese want to be communist and that they are not going to change, the 48-year-old former diplomat said.

"Through this Indo-Pacific strategy, going forward America is learning who its real friends are. When you learn that, yes, it's India. But now Indians need to go and show more of who they are," she said.

Explaining, she said that when people come across Indian businesses or an Indian professor or a doctor, they see the warmth, intelligence and genuine side of them, and they want to know more.

"What we have to do is not be shy. But really get out there and brag about ourselves. Now is the time for Indians to be proud, be okay talking about those accomplishments and be okay talking about their successes and let chil9dren talk about their accomplishments. That's really important going forward because...we have to make sure that we take to the next level," said Haley, whose parents emigrated from Amritsar in Punjab.

"Americans are not threatened by Indians and realise that Indians make our country better," she said.

Haley is considered a top contender for the Republican ticket to the US presidential race in 2024.

Responding to a question, Haley asserted that the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the Trump administration has been a real game changer for India-US relationship.

"When this administration took on the Indo-Pacific strategy, it was a real game changer for a lot of reasons. I had often thought that the US seemed to ally a little bit more with Pakistan and a little bit less with India," she said.

"It just makes sense that the US and India are natural allies. We have the same values...," she said, adding that President Donald Trump very much saw that as well.

"The Indo-Pacific strategy was one acknowledging something that should have been there all along, which is that the US and India should be natural allies," Haley said.

The Indo Pacific strategy, the former diplomat said, also acknowledged that the US and India face the same threat from China.

"So it was a way of saying we're going to start looking at things differently. We've seen that play out with the alliance that we see with the United States, India, Australia and Japan (a reference to the Quad group of countries). We are continuing to see that strengthen," she said.

From the military standpoint, the US and India have done well, Haley said, noting that the two countries still have some work to do on trade.

"I'm hoping that we can break down some of those barriers that India has with tariffs on the United States. We will get there as well too," she said optimistically.

"This has been groundbreaking for a number of reasons. We have to continue to build on that because as we look at mutual threats that we have, whether it's with China or what India has seen with Pakistan and going forward, I think it's all the more reason why we should find other ways to be strengthened and work together," Haley said.

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Government spokesman Amjad Adailah told a news conference that passengers entering Jordan would need proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel, alongside a compulsory test on arrival

Jordan will resume regular international flights from Sept. 8 to help revive an economy badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, after delaying the move several times over the past month, officials said on Wednesday.

Government spokesman Amjad Adailah told a news conference that passengers entering Jordan would need proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel, alongside a compulsory test on arrival.

He said the rules would include a minimum of one week of self-isolation to a maximum two weeks of quarantine for foreign travellers depending on the severity of the pandemic in countries they came from.

The government had repeatedly postponed reopening Amman's Alia International Airport, a regional hub, over fears that travellers could bring about a spike in infections. But in recent days worries had mounted about the impact of further delays on the debt-burdened economy.

Jordan has seen almost a doubling of cases in the last month to a total of 2,161 along with 15 deaths - a much smaller known toll than in many other Middle East countries - but authorities remain worried about a severe outbreak.

The closure of Amman's airport dealt a damaging blow to the aid-dependent economy by paralysing tourism, a major revenue source that was enjoying an unprecedented boom before the pandemic crisis.

The government was also under popular pressure to reopen regular flights to allow the return of thousands of Jordanians who lost jobs in Gulf states due to COVID-19 outbreaks there.

The halt to commercial flight service also inflicted millions of dollars of losses on Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ), the state-owned flagship carrier, industry executives say.

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RTHK: Harry and Meghan sign Netflix contract

Britain's Prince Harry and his American-born wife Meghan have signed a multiyear contract with Netflix to produce programming ranging from children's shows to scripted series, the streaming platform said on Wednesday.

The couple, who moved to Southern California with their infant son Archie earlier this year after stepping back from royal duties in the United Kingdom, will produce content on issues that resonate with them and that their nonprofit Archewell is focused on.

"Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope, the couple said in a statement. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.

The value of the deal was not disclosed, but it marks the couple's biggest step so far to engage in paid work in their new lives. In January, they had announced plans to be more financially independent and to pay for it themselves.

Meghan, formally known as the Duchess of Sussex, has no plans to return to acting under the deal. She is a former star of the USA Network television show "Suits."

The couple already have several projects in development, including a nature documentary series and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women, Netflix said.

"We're incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home - and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere," Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty

Like nearly every member of Congress, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) has received a deluge of calls, emails, and letters from his constituents over the past month asking about recent delays and service cuts at the U.S. Postal Service.

In his mailed responses to constituents concerns, two of which were reviewed by The Daily Beast, Garcia touts a pair of bills: the HEROES Act and the Moving Forward Act, both of which passed the U.S. House this summer.

Garcias prominent reference to the postal legislations generous funding of the USPS, and their provisions for modernizing the agency, leave the reasonable impression that he is offering the bills up to constituents as a possible solution to the issues facing the Postal Serviceor, even, that he supported them. The only problem: he did not. That fact is omitted from his letters.

A former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Garcia is among the newest members of Congress. On May 13, he won a hotly contested special election to represent Californias 25th District, a battleground seat that encompasses the suburbs to the north of Los Angeles. Two days later, the House voted to approve the HEROES Act, a sweeping, $3 trillion stimulus bill to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, which also included $25 billion in emergency funding for the USPS.

Garcia did not have the chance to vote on the HEROES Acthe would be sworn into office on May 19but all of his fellow GOP colleagues to-be, save for one, voted against the legislation. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the House GOP leader, routinely described the bill as a bloated vehicle for Democrats alleged push to enforce their socialism.

Then, in July, the House voted to approve the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that appropriated another $25 billion for USPS investments in modernizing postal infrastructure and operations, processing equipment, and other goods, as Garcia describes it. He noted to constituents that the legislation passed the House and awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Story continues

But on July 1, only three House Republicans voted with Democrats to pass the bill; Garcia was not one of them. A press release from Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, of which Garcia is a member, argued that the bill disguises a heavy-handed and unworkable Green New Deal regime of new requirements as an infrastructure bill.

A spokesperson for Garcia did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast about why the congressman was referencing bills he did not support in response to constituent concerns about the USPS, or if the congressman now supported either of those bills.

The freshman Republicans muddled messaging on the Postal Service is reflective of the political bind facing some in the GOP. But while Garcia floats solutions he actually did not himself back, other House Republicans have responded to the public outcry over mail delays by breaking with their partys official line that USPS concerns amount to a Democratic conspiracy theory.

On Aug. 22, the House convened in a rare, late-summer Saturday session to consider a bill that would roll back recent service changes implemented at the USPS by the new Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy. Most Republicans denounced the bill in strong terms as a political ploy from Democrats. Like the Russia hoax and impeachment sham, the Democrats have manufactured another scandal for political purposes, said Rep. James Comer (R-KY) during debate on the House floor.

But the legislation passed with the support of 26 House Republicansan unusually high number in the House on such charged billswho joined all Democrats in voting yes. Garcia was not one of them.

The operational reforms, made by USPS leadership in the name of efficiency and fiscal viability, led to delays in medication, food, and other supplies that were felt by residents in Garcias district as much as anywhere in the country. On Aug. 19, the local radio station KHTS reported that eight mail sorting machinesa target of recent USPS initiativeswere dismantled over the summer in the Santa Clarita Valley, which comprises the central part of the 25th District. The area accounted for nearly 9 percent of the total number of sorting machines that were taken offline in the entire state of California.

In a statement to the Ventura County Star ahead of the Aug. 22 vote, Garcia said that providing an additional $25 billion to the USPSthe very sum he mentioned in his previous letters to constituentswould be unnecessary.

I believe that we, as elected representatives of the people, have an obligation and a responsibility to safeguard taxpayer dollars," Garcia said. "While I cannot support this superfluous legislation, I continue to support and stand with the men and women of the USPS who are entrusted with our nations mail."

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The dispute dates back to the 1950s. Skirmishes were reported after India granted the Dalai Lama asylum following an uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959. War broke out three years later after China objected to India establishing outposts along the effective boundary, established by the British in 1914, between the Tibetan region and Northeast India. The current Line of Actual Control that forms the ambiguous border partially adheres to the British-drawn boundaries. Clashes were also reported in 1967 and again in 1987 in whats sometimes referred to as the loudspeaker war -- no bullets were fired and soldiers simply kept shouting at each other via loudspeakers. Relations improved as the two governments signed five treaties between 1993 and 2013 and -- with economic growth racing ahead in both countries -- China became Indias largest trading partner. The border remained mostly calm through 2017, when troops faced off for several months at Doklam, a plateau near the Indian border that is claimed by both China and Bhutan. The clashes are mostly seasonal, given the harsh winter conditions.
Germany says lab test showed proof without doubt that Russian opposition leader Navalny poisoned.

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, Germany has said.

The German government said testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

The Berlin hospital treating Navalny said he remains in a serious condition though he is improving.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  are likely to increase tensions between Russia and the West.

It said it expects a long recovery, and it still cannot rule out long-term consequences from the poisoning.

Here is how world leaders and organisations reacted to the news:

Russia

The Kremlin said Russia was ready to cooperate fully with Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: In general, we confirm that we are ready and have an interest in full cooperation and exchange of data on this topic with Germany.

Peskov complained that Russia had not received an answer to its request for German doctors to share their findings.

He insisted that before Navalny was evacuated to Berlin on August 22, Russia had not found traces of poisoning, reflecting earlier statements by doctors.





France

France said the use of Novichok against Russias Navalny was shocking and irresponsible.

I want to condemn in the strongest terms the shocking and irresponsible use of such an agent, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement.

Calling on Russia to explain what had happened, he added: Given Mr Navalnys political status in Russia, the attack against him raises serious questions. It is the responsibility of the Russian authorities to respond to them.

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the news was outrageous and urged Moscow to explain what had happened.

We have seen first-hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK, Johnson said on Twitter.

The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny  we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done, Johnson said.

The UKs Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said in a separate statement that Russia must tell the truth about what had occurred.

Its outrageous that a chemical weapon was used against Alexey Navalny. We have seen first-hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK. The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny  we will work with international partners to ensure justice is done.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 2, 2020

Germany

Chancellor Merkel said she strongly condemned the poisoning, saying he is the victim of a crime.

The aim was to silence him and I strongly condemn this [crime] in the name of the German government, Merkel said during a news conference.

Merkel announced that Germany was notifying its EU and NATO partners about the test results in order to decide on an appropriate, joint reaction.

United States

The White House said it is deeply troubled by confirmation in Germany.

Alexei Navalnys poisoning is completely reprehensible, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said on Twitter.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities.

The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents.

European Union

The EU chief Ursula von der Leyen denounced what she called the despicable and cowardly poisoning of Navalny.

Those responsible should be brought to justice, she said.

This is a despicable and cowardly act  once again. Perpetrators need to be brought to justice, she added.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

One of the priority directions of activity of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev is an army building, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Center for Social Research, Elshad Mirbashiroglu said, Trend reports.

Mirbashiroglu made the remark at a briefing on the public presentation of the third edition of the Trust Index, which reflects the activities of the President of Azerbaijan in the second quarter of 2020 (from April through June), and a report on a public opinion poll on the topic "Anti-crisis policy of the state in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in public opinion.

The special attention paid to the Armed Forces is primarily because the country is at war. The results of the survey clearly showed that the population supports the activities of the President of Azerbaijan on the military, said the deputy chairman.

Some 70.7 percent, that is, the absolute majority of respondents, consider the activities of the countrys President in the field of an army construction to be very effective. At the same time, 24.6 percent of respondents consider the activities of the head of state in this direction to be generally effective, 2.5 percent of citizens adhere to the opposite point of view. Effective activity in the field of army building acts as the main factor that determines the growth of confidence in the head of state. Thus, 82 percent out of the 24.6 percent of respondents who answered about the growth of confidence in the President, very positively assess the activities on the military; 27.6 percent of the 2.6 percent of respondents who reported a decrease in confidence also positively assess activities on the military, said Mirbashiroglu.

The new challenges at the international and national levels, development goals make it necessary to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public administration. As an important decision in this direction, personnel reforms are always in the focus of the head of state. These reforms carried out by the President were assessed by 53.9 percent of the respondents as very effective, and 32 percent - as most effective, 6.5 percent of the respondents do not consider the personnel reforms to be effective. The personnel reforms implemented by the President also played an effective role in increasing confidence in him, he noted.

"Thus, 68.6 percent out of 24.6 percent of the respondents, who showed the increased confidence in the President, praised the personnel reforms. Some 8 percent of the 2.6 percent of respondents who said about a decrease in confidence also assessed personnel reforms positively. At the same time, 81.2 percent of respondents, who consider the personnel reforms of the head of state to be very effective, also supported his initiatives in the fight against corruption. A significant part of those who negatively assessed the personnel reforms - 74.3 percent, consider it correct to bring officials who committed corruption cases to justice," noted Mirbashiroglu.

Mirbashiroglu also noted the flexible strategic measures taken by the President of the country in the field of security and foreign policy.

At this stage, Azerbaijan, occupying a fairly serious position in the system of international relations, was able to build a system of multilateral effective cooperation. This opinion is shared by the majority of those polled by the Center for Social Research. Thus, 54 percent of respondents consider the activities of the head of state in the field of security and foreign policy to be very effective, and 28.9 percent - mostly effective, added the deputy chairman.

"The opposite opinion was expressed by 6.5 percent of respondents. An increase in the percentage of people who found it difficult to answer was also observed. Thus, 10.7 percent of respondents found it difficult to answer the question related to activities in the field of security and foreign policy," Mirbashiroglu said.
Apple is currently under immense pressure from developers for its monopolistic App Store policies. The company has been criticized by a barrage of developers including Spotify, Facebook, Microsoft, and Epic Games, with the latter even taking it to court over this. Amidst all this, Apple has issued a press release highlighting that the iOS app economy has created 300,000 new jobs since April 2019 in the US alone.

The Cupertino company notes that the App Store supports over 2.7 million jobs across the United States, up from 2.1 million jobs from last year.

Apple highlights the growth of Caribu, a small company in Miami, that had to triple its team size from four to 12 employees to meet the tenfold increase in global demand.

Weve had incredible growth in the last year, and weve massively expanded our team to meet demand, says Tuchman. It means so much to us to not only be able to help connect families and friends at this difficult time, but to be able to provide stable, well-paying jobs to our growing number of employees as well. The App Store has given us a platform on which we can do both.

In Texas, the iOS app economy added 36,000 new jobs in the last year  an increase of 30 percent from last year. Texas-based retailer H-E-B, which was founded in 1905 and operates over 350 stores over the US, has achieved its 2021 revenue goals in a matter of months since it launched its My H-E-B just before the pandemic.

Apple is further helping the app economy by investing in educational programs and opportunities with its Swift Playgrounds, Everyone Can Code, and App Development with Swift program.

[Via Apple
Low cost carrier Transava is temporarily suspending operations from the Netherlands to markets in the former Yugoslavia due to travel restrictions and entry bans which have resulted in falling demand. The decision will affect the airlines operations to Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. The budget carrier is temporarily suspending its flights from Amsterdam to Ljubljana starting September 13. Services are set to resume on October 29. As of last Sunday, Slovenia has placed the Netherlands on its red list, requiring all arriving travellers, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality to go into fourteen days of quarantine, although some exceptions apply. Transavia was among the first airlines to restore operations to Ljubljana, once the airport reopened for commercial traffic. As a result, there will be no commercial flights between Slovenia and the Netherlands until late October.





Transavia will suspend its seasonal operations to the Croatian coast on September 19 and September 20. This includes flights from Rotterdam to Dubrovnik, Split, Pula and Zadar, as well as from Eindhoven to Rijeka. As all of these services are seasonal, they will not be restored until the 2021 summer season. Last year, flights were maintained until mid-October. All passengers arriving from Croatia into the Netherlands are required to self-isolate for a period of ten days, even if the traveller is in possession of a negative coronavirus Covid-19 test. Croatia Airlines, which last year maintained a seasonal one weekly service from Dubrovnik to Amsterdam via Pula, has not restored the flights this summer. It continues to run daily operations from Zagreb to the Netherlands largest city, although select flights in September have been cancelled. In addition, KLM continues to maintain services between the two cities.





The Air France - KLM subsidiary has temporarily suspended its flights between Amsterdam and Belgrade this September, with three weekly services scheduled to resume on October 1. Serbian nationals are not permitted to enter the Netherlands although some exceptions apply. A decision on whether to recommend the reopening of the European Unions external borders for Serbian citizens is expected to be made by the bloc tomorrow. Air Serbia continues to operate four weekly services to Amsterdam, while Wizz Air maintains two weekly operations to Eindhoven. Transavia was among the first foreign carriers to resume flights to Belgrade.
The escalating confrontation in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece has reached a new and dangerous stage. Top officials of NATO member states are openly threatening to wage war against one another in conflicts that could set the Mediterranean and the world ablaze.

Last Thursday, Turkish F-16 jets blocked Greek F-16s off Crete from overflying disputed zones of the eastern Mediterranean where Turkey is drilling for oil and gas. In July, Greek and Turkish naval flotillas steamed directly towards each other, avoiding a clash only at the last minute when Berlin intervened, calling Ankara and ordering the Turkish ships to change course. Tensions escalated in August, when France dispatched two warships and Rafale jets to back Greece.

The European Union (EU) foreign ministers meeting on Friday in Berlin marked a further shift to a more aggressive stance, backing Greece against Turkey. After the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said: We are clear and determined in defending European Union interests and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. Turkey has to refrain from unilateral actions.

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Turkish (Image Credit: Robert Sullivan/Wikipedia)

Borell indicated the EU could adopt economic sanctions to strangle the Turkish economy later this month. While thanking the efforts deployed by Germany in this attempt to look for solutions through dialogue between Turkey and Greece and Cyprus, he expressed the EUs growing frustration with Turkey and proposed sanctions against Turkish officials. He added that broader restrictive measures could be discussed at the European Council on 24-25 September.

In follow-up questions, Borell explained that the EU could target industries in which the Turkish economy is more interrelated with the European economy.

The same day, President Emmanuel Macron issued an extraordinary threat, comparing French deployments in Greece to the red line policy that saw France, Britain and the United States bomb Syria. This 2018 bombing, based on fraudulent allegations that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons, led Moscow to accelerate its build-up of Syrian air defences.

Macron said his policy is based on the view that aggressive military action is the only way forward. When it comes to Mediterranean sovereignty, I must be consistent in deeds and word, he said. I can tell you that the Turks only consider and respect that. If you say words that are not followed by acts ... What France did this summer was important: its a red line policy. I did it in Syria.

Turkish officials responded this weekend by warning that the Greek policy backed by the EU could provoke war. They cited Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis threats to expand Greeces exclusive economic zone from six to 12 milesincluding around Greek islands directly off the coast of Turkeyand reports that Greece is strengthening its ground forces on these islands.

This would be grounds for war, a casus belli, declared Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, while Vice President Fuat Oktay said: If it is not grounds for war, what is it?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Their aim is to imprison our country, which has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, into a coastal strip from which you can only catch fish with a rod. Ankara has already staked out extensive maritime claims, blocking projected gas pipelines from Israel, via Cyprus and Greece, to Italy and the European mainland.

The eastern Mediterranean conflict is the outcome of decades of imperialist wars, particularly the NATO wars in Libya, Syria and Iraq since 2011. These wars plunged Libya into a decade-long civil war and triggered a devastating proxy war between NATO-backed militias and the Russian-, Chinese- and Iranian-backed regime in Syria. Now rivalries over undersea oil and gas have lit the fuse in a region that, as when World War I began in 1914, threatens to erupt into a regional and global war.

Both the Turkish and Greek governments, devastated by a decade of EU austerity, are unpopular and seeking to prop themselves up by inciting war fever. This policy unfolds, however, amid a swirling morass of global conflicts over markets and strategic advantage, similar to the economic rivalries that plunged Europe into World War I, that are relentlessly fuelling the Mediterranean stand-off.

Geopolitically, the region is not only critical to efforts by the US and Europe to reassert their positions in the Middle East and Africa after their Syrian defeat, but also to Europes energy supply, and Chinas attempts to build up trade ties to Europe via the Middle East in its Belt and Road Initiative.

It is widely acknowledged that the disintegration of US imperialisms former hegemonic position is fuelling the conflict. In an editorial board statement, Theres a New Game of Thrones in the Mediterranean, the New York Times pointed to the far-reaching implications of the collapse of US influence.

Stating that only Germany seems to have the sway to mediate a return to sanity in a new and dangerous crisis, it added: In an earlier era, the United States would have stepped in to separate feuding NATO partners, as it did when Greece and Turkey almost went to war in 1996. President Trump did make a call to Mr. Erdogan urging him to negotiate, but that had no effectthe United States under the Trump administration is not regarded as a viable go-between...

The Libyan war has, moreover, divided both Middle Eastern and European countries between backers of the Islamist regime in Tripoli, including Turkey, and those of warlord Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya along the Egyptian border.

In its article How Europe is getting entangled in the big Middle East conflict, the Turkish website Ahval notes: On the one hand, there is the revolutionary alliance of Turkey, Qatar, the Muslim Brothers, a regional movement, and Iran. On the other hand, we see the status-quo entente of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel.  France, Greece, and Cyprus support the status-quo entente, while Spain and Malta seem more ready to support the revolutionary alliance, while Italy is jaywalking between the two, depending on the file.

Riven by insoluble conflicts, the EU is apparently trying to unify itself around the most aggressive policy against Turkey. This weekend, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian invited his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, to address a meeting of French ambassadors held to prepare Frances EU presidency, which starts in 2022. Le Drian stated that Frances plans would obviously be formulated to continue and complement the German presidency.

Maas made clear that the critical question for the EU is to develop an aggressive, independent global policy amid the US war drive against China. The United States looks at the rest of the world ever more directly through the lens of its rivalry with China, he said. In parallel, since Trumps election, American readiness to play the role of a global power ensuring stability has fallen. We also know China is forcibly pressing its way into the geopolitical vacuum this has left behind, making facts on the ground and using methods that cannot be ours.

On Turkey, Maas added, the EU foreign ministers meeting made very clear that its destabilizing policy in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean cannot be further tolerated. European sovereignty protects the sovereignty of all member states, including Greece and Cyprus.

Those arguing that German or European imperialism will peacefully adjudicate the Mediterranean conflicts are, however, placing heavy bets against history. Amid growing strikes and protests around the world against imperialist wars and official mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the critical question is the unification of the working class in a socialist, anti-war movement.
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Cold Plasma Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

A recent market study published by FMI on the Cold Plasma Systems market includes the global industry analysis of 2015-2019 & opportunity assessment for 2020-2030, and delivers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. Our analysts have conducted thorough research on the historical as well as current growth parameters of the market to obtain growth prospects with maximum precision.

Cold Plasma Systems Market: Segmentation

Regime Type Low-pressure

Atmospheric pressure Application Wound Healing

Cancer Treatment

Blood Coagulation

Dentistry

Packaging Decontamination

Food Surface Decontamination

Wastewater Treatment

Seed Germination Technology Remote Treatment

Direct Treatment

Electrode Contact End-user Medical Industry

Textile Industry

Electrical & Electronic Industry

Food & Agriculture Industry Region North America

Latin America

Europe

Middle East & Africa (MEA)

East Asia

South Asia

Oceania

For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12401

Report Chapters

Chapter 01- Executive Summary

The report gives a brief with the executive summary of the Cold Plasma Systems market, which includes a summary of the key findings and statistics of the market. It also includes the demand & supply-side trends pertaining to the Cold Plasma Systems market.

Chapter 02  Market Overview

In this chapter, readers can find the definition and a detailed taxonomy of the Cold Plasma Systems market, which will help them understand the basic information about the Cold Plasma Systems market. Along with this, comprehensive information about Cold Plasma Systems is provided in this section. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which help readers understand the scope of the Cold Plasma Systems market report.

Chapter 03  Key Market Trends

This section includes key trends impacting the market as well as the major development trends associated with product innovation.

Chapter 04- Key Success Factors

This section includes key successful factors concerning the success of prominent products, their USPs and the marketing and promotional strategies adopted by manufacturers to advertise the said product.

Chapter 05  Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Demand (in Value or Size in US$ Mn) Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030

This section explains the global market value analysis and forecast for the Cold Plasma Systems market for the historical period 2015-2019 & forecast period of 2020-2030, in value terms. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical Cold Plasma Systems market, along with an opportunity analysis for the future. Readers can also find the absolute $ opportunity for the current year (2020), a Y-o-Y growth trend analysis and absolute $ opportunity for the forecast period.

Chapter 06  Pricing Analysis

This section includes an in-depth regional pricing analysis of the Cold Plasma Systems market by regime type. In addition, a break-up in terms of manufacturer and distributor level pricing has been incorporated here.

Chapter 07- COVID-19 Crisis Analysis

This chapter explores the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on current and future growth projections. It incorporates the current statistics and the probable future impact, current GDP projections and its probable impact, and a comparison of the incumbent scenario with the 2008 financial crisis. Furthermore, this section also incorporates the impact of the pandemic on each of the segments covered in the report. It also provides a quarter-wise forecast, highlighting possible recovery scenarios in the near future.

Chapter 08- Market Background

This chapter explains key macroeconomic factors that are expected to influence the growth of the Cold Plasma Systems market over the forecast period. Along with the macroeconomic factors, this section also highlights forecast factors, pointing out the historical growth of top companies, new product approvals & launches, product adoption rate, research & development funding and product cost and value chain analysis for the Cold Plasma Systems market. Moreover, in-depth information about the market dynamics and their impact analysis on the market have been provided in the successive section.

Chapter 09- Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast 2020-2030, by Regime Type

This chapter provides details about the Cold Plasma Systems market based on regime type and has been classified into low-pressure and atmospheric pressure Cold Plasma Systems.

Chapter 10  Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Application

This chapter provides details about the Cold Plasma Systems market based on application and has been classified into wound healing, cancer treatment, blood coagulation, dentistry, packaging decontamination, food surface decontamination, wastewater treatment and seed germination.

Chapter 11- Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Technology

This chapter provides details about the Cold Plasma Systems market based on technology and has been classified into remote treatment, direct treatment and electrode contact.

Chapter 12- Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by End-User

This chapter provides details about the Cold Plasma Systems market based on end-user and has been classified into medical industry, textile industry, electrical & electronics industry and food & agriculture industry.

Chapter 13- Global Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Region

This chapter provides details about the Cold Plasma Systems market based on region and has been classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), East Asia, South Asia and Oceania.

Chapter 14- North America Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the North America Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes the U.S and Canada. Readers can also find the pricing analysis, regional trends, and market growth based on material and countries in North America.

Chapter 15- Latin America Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Latin America Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America.

Chapter 16- Europe Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the European Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Germany, Italy, France, the U.K, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe.

Chapter 17- South Asia Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the South Asian Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Rest of South Asia.

Chapter 18- East Asia Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the East Asian Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes China, Japan and South Korea.

Chapter 19- Oceania Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Oceania Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Australia and New Zealand.

Chapter 20- Middle East & Africa Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Middle East & Africa Cold Plasma Systems market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes GCC countries, Turkey, Northern Africa, South Africa and rest of MEA.

Chapter 21- Key Countries Cold Plasma Systems Market Analysis 20152019 and Forecast 20202030

This chapter provides the growth scenario of the Cold Plasma Systems market of 21 key countries by type, and form. Additionally, COVID-19 impact in the said market in all respective countries has been included.

Chapter 22- Market Structure Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about the tier analysis and market concentration of key players in the Cold Plasma Systems market, along with their market presence analysis by region and product portfolio and channel footprint.

For Information On The Research Approach Used In The Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-12401

Chapter 23- Competition Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the prominent stakeholders in the Cold Plasma Systems market, along with detailed information about each company, which includes company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the market players featured in the report are Nordson Corporation, ADTEC Plasma Technology Co Ltd., Bovie Medical Corporation, Europlasma NV, Henniker Plasma, Vetaphone A/S, Plasmatreat GmBh, Neoplas Tools GmbH, Ethicon Inc. (Johnson & Johnson) and Baxter International Inc.

Chapter 24- Assumptions & Acronyms Used

This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provides a base to the information and statistics included in the Cold Plasma Systems market report.

Chapter 25- Research Methodology

This chapter help readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions as well as important qualitative and quantitative information about the Cold Plasma Systems market.
Mali's ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been admitted to a hospital in the capital Bamako, the Associated Press reports.



It quoted two anonymous sources at a clinic where the former leader is reportedly being treated.



The 75-year-old politician was detained for 10 days by the military junta before he announced his resignation and was later freed to stay at his home.



During mediation talks, he was quoted as saying that he was not interested in the presidency.



The opposition had been calling for his resignation for months, blaming him for economic decline, corruption and a failure to contain a jihadist insurgency.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Almost 30,000 people from around the world answered the following question on Reddit: "Non-Americans of Reddit, what is your genuine reaction to what's going on in America right now?" They mostly feel sorry for a country they once had good feelings about. Some select comments, via Digg:

The US always appeared like an older, stronger brother  now it feels like this brother started using meth.

Confusion. It's so bizarre, how is it possible? Followed by empathy. A tonne of empathy.

There isn't a single thing that they can agree on, even basic human rights for people is a topic of discussion. There's way too many idiots for a country that is so far developed

I used to be a fan of the USA. At present for me it's like watching your idol self destructing live on camera. Really sad to see this.

I used to really admire america. The last few years has changed that perception drastically. The blatantly corrupt politics seem to have the whole country in such a tight grip that from the outside it looks like a 3rd world country. Your president is lying constantly and obviously yet he has outspoken followers in the millions who just disregards his lies. There seems to be no safetynet for the average person at all and you seem to rely on luck to get through your life. "I hope I don't lose my job, if i do i am fucked", "if i get sick i am fucked", "nvm the ambulance, ill call an uber, id rather die than pick up the hospital bill", "oh shit i had a kid, better start saving tens of thousands for college". Y our police force is ridiculous. People with not even a high school diploma can become cops? Are you serious? Shooting people left and right. Gun laws are out of control obviously. Religion also. It plays such a huge role in your society to the point that it actually affects elections. In "the greatest country on earth" in 2020. It is insane.

From Canada: your country is having a serious detrimental effect on ours right now, because morons are importing your politics (left and right). It's not your fault that we're so easily influenced but it's still frustrating. Also, your country is going to burn after this election, regardless of the result. I honestly hope you avoid a civil war. I've family down there, and typically whatever happens to you heavily effects us. You guys are so polarized right now it's insane. You've gone from slowly solving race problems to making them a billion times worse (and it's spilling over here), anyone that doesn't agree with you is either a Commie or a Nazi (depending on which side of the aisle you're on) It's fucking insane. My admiration for America has seriously dwindled. I hope you come out of it. I want to admire Canada's big brother again, not be scared of it. And no I don't blame trump. He's a symptom, not the cause.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. The first president of the NKR and the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said this in an interview with RBC TV of Russia.

According to him, the settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be viewed in a larger context and in the latters narrower context. "Given Azerbaijan's position which is voiced today, I simply do not see how a settlement can take place. There is just one fact: The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has never been part of independent Azerbaijan; that is a fact. The legal basis for the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is flawless; I wrote that declaration. During the secession of the republic, the constitution of the Soviet Union at that time was weak, the autonomy, even the national minorities living in densely populated areas decided their fate through referendums solely in accordance with the working legislation.

And the third factor is the fact of the existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic for almost thirty years; soon for 30 years, a year later.

Moreover, it develops effectively, even more effectively preserves and protects its borders. And today Baku denies the objective reality of these thirty years. But how can the problem be solved if you deny the objective characteristics of this problem?" Kocharyan asked.

"And when the halls of power were strong in the USSR, was it possible to solve that problem?" The journalist asked. "If Crimea could be transferred to Ukraine very easily, no doubt," replied the former president of Armenia and Artsakh.

"In your opinion, why was it not done in that case?" The journalist asked. "I have no idea; I can make assumptions. I believe that, ultimately, there was an ideology which, nevertheless, presupposed that it was being created ... I recalled the slogan, 'Soviet people, a united new historical community,'" Robert Kocharyan replied.
Odisha: Welcome To Indias First Two Tsunami Ready Villages

by MANISH KUMAR

September 02,2020 | Source: The Wire

Two coastal villages in Odisha have been declared the first two Tsunami Ready villages in the Indian Ocean Region. While parts of the country are still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, the two villages celebrated the announcement that came through in the first week of August. The recognition was given by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for the preparedness of the local community in two villages  Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district  against tsunamis.



Noliasahi falls under the Erasama Block of Jagatsinghpur district, one of the blocks that was worst hit by the 1999 Super Cyclone. According to archival documents of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), close to 7,000 people had lost their lives in this block alone while Odisha state overall saw close to 10,000 deaths, in the 1999 cyclone. Two decades down the line, many coastal villages in the block have reconstructed their homes and livelihoods after the severe devastation.



Amar Mondal is a sexagenarian betel vine grower from the village. Displaying his small patch of betel vine farm, he said that most of the villagers here rely either on fishing or betel vine growing for their livelihood. We had faced a severe blow when the cyclone hit us in 1999 as several loved ones lost their lives then. But now the village has been trained, equipped and well informed to fight tsunamis and cyclones, he told Mongabay-India.



Sunil Mondal is another villager from Noliasahi who is into prawn farming. He points to a two-storied Multipurpose Cyclone Shelter at one side of the village which has been envisioned to give shelter to the villagers at a time of emergency like tsunami. The UNESCO team came to our village in December 2019. A mock drill was organised in our village and the local community showed preparedness to fight against tsunami. This was possible because we have been trained to counter tsunami and ensure zero human causality, he said.



According to the protocols, there are 11 parameters on which the villagers and the local community are judged before they are given Tsunami Ready certification from UNESCO. These include preparation of a Community Tsunami Risk Reduction Plan, mapping of tsunami hazard zones, public display of tsunami information and evacuation maps among others.



The award was given to the village communities for their preparedness Government officials said that support like training, physical infrastructure and more was given to the communities by the government. The training has been given in such a way that the villagers can shift to cyclone shelters within five minutes. The cyclone shelter has been well equipped with safety gears used to fight a tsunami. Trainings have been given on what to do to an injured person needing medical emergency services, Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said.



He also added, They have also been trained to keep a bag with basic survival food items and essential medicines so that when a siren blows, they can quickly take the readymade bag and shift to the cyclone shelter within minutes. The local police, fire department and other have also been trained accordingly.



Venkatraipur is another coastal village in Ganjam district which has received the certification. The village lies around 600 metres away from the coastline. It has a defence establishment on its left and famous tourism hotspot Gopalpur Beach on its right side. The villagers said that it has faced several cyclones in the past but is now prepared in case of events like tsunami. The village has wide display boards with evacuation plans and maps in case a tsunami-like situation occurs and a well equipped Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters. The cyclone shelters in both Noliasahi and Venkatraipur have advanced radars and siren system to alert the villagers with tsunami warning.



There are around 400 households in the villages. K. Apparao, the sarpanch of Venkatraipur said that the village has its own Tsunami Risk Reduction Plan and a Village Level Committee which are de-facto managers of the cyclone shelter and frontline planners for disaster. Apparao explained about the micro-level planning his village has in case of a tsunami. We have a well defined navigation plan on where to head when the siren becomes active. We have installed posters and informative material boards for public awareness too. We have been also briefed about tsunami like its speed, damages it can do and how we can defeat it. We have a detailed map of the village mapping the hazardous zones, vulnerable households, he said.



The Ganjam district administration said that it has identified 44 coastal villages, including Ventakraipur, that lie very close to the coast as tsunami prone. Ganjam Deputy Collector (Revenue) Dibya Lochan Mohanta said that the coastal villages in the district have village level Disaster Management Plans of their own but these 44 villages like Venkatraipur have an additional Tsunami Risk Reduction Plan to especially prepare themselves against tsunamis.



The villagers in Venkatraipur had identified the most hazardous parts of the village, their navigations maps and display system. Then know how they can respond within shortest span of time, how to fight power woes and other issues, how to send message to outside when such disaster strikes, he said. The Tsunami Risk Reduction Plans of Venkatraipur and Noliasahi villages have details of resource planning, resource mapping, vulnerability and disaster mapping. The plans have details of households which host the elderly, differently-abled, children, widows, single women headed households and others which need higher attention during disasters.



Disaster management training



The training to the villagers was given in Odisha by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). The officials at OSDMA said that the civil defence, first aid, rescue, search and evacuation training were imparted to the villagers to empower them to respond to tsunami. The OSDMA said that it has identified a total of 328 tsunami vulnerable villages across the state which is located within 1.5 km away from the coastline. It claims to have also installed radars and sirens in 122 such villages and a good network of the radars to alert the entire coastline of Odisha during emergency.



Kamal Lochan Mishra, Executive Director, OSDMA said, We have a robust Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS). Odisha has a coastline of around 480 km along the Bay of Bengal. We have installed 122 Alert Siren Towers, mostly at cyclone shelters. These have been strategically placed so that the entire 480 km stretch could be alerted against tsunami warnings. Each tower has a siren whose sound is said to be heard upto 2.5 km radius. Mishra said that early tsunami taught them a lesson that the seawater intruded a maximum up to 1.5 km into the land. So it has now identified almost 328 such villages which could be called as tsunami-prone.



According to Tsunami Travel Time Atlas for Indian Ocean developed by IIT Kharagpur study if the tsunami is generated at Indian Ocean close to Indonesia it can hit Odisha coasts within three hours. So we need to alert the prone villagers before time, Mishra explained. Odisha has six coastal districts and as per sources in the government it wanted to get the certification for one model village from each district. The proposal was to take six villages for certification. Due to COVID-19, the UNESCO team and inspect and certify only two villages and the process got delayed, he said. The state may seen more Tsunami Ready certifications in the days to come as it now plans to convert all the 328 tsunami prone villages into Tsunami Ready villages by the end of this year.



To monitor and implement UNESCOs Tsunami Ready programme, the Indian government established a National Board through the help of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Members from the ministry, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Centre (INCOIS), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Andaman and Nicobar Islands Directorate of Disaster Management (DDM) and INCOIS were members of the board.



The National Board, after the verification of the implementation of the indicators at those villages as per guidelines, decided to recognise them nationally and recommended them to UNESCO-IOC for the recognition. Based on the National Board recommendations, UNESCO-IOC approved the recognition of two communities, Venkatraipur and Noliasahi, as Tsunami Ready Communities. With this recognition, India is the first country to implement Tsunami Ready in the Indian Ocean Region and Odisha is the first state, said a statement from the INCOIS, a constituent body of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.



Although the two villages have been certified as Tsunami Ready some dark spots still exist in these tsunami-prone areas. Both the villages still have some kuccha (temporary) houses that are highly prone to devastation in case a cyclone or tsunami hits. In Noliasahi, a 1 km stretch of road connecting the village is still a kuccha road, which is likely to escalate the woes in case of heavy rains and sea waters invading the village during a tsunami. The government however claimed that works on both the sectors are on.
The Sokoto State House of Assembly on Wednesday approved the appointment of Mainasara Ahmad and Abubakar Maikudi, as commissioners and members of the state executive council.

The approval followed a motion moved by Bello Ambarura (APC-Illela), which led to the screening of the nominees at the Committee of the Whole House.

Mr Ambarura said that the appointment is in line with the provision of Section 192 subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The nomination arose due to the existence of two vacancies in the State Executive Council.

This is as enshrined in the Public Service Rules and Regulations as well as other processes as required by the law pertaining to such appointments.

Moreover, the persons so recommended for the appointments are of proven integrity and dedication. They are people who have served the state and the nation in various capacities.

He said they were equipped to assist Gov. Aminu Tambuwal in discharging his statutory duties.

The members, after screening the nominees, unanimously approved the duos appointment in a voice vote after the Deputy Speaker, Abubakar Magaji, had called for it.

In another development, the assembly gave the assurance that it would have a closer partnership with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Sokoto Zonal office in promoting government policies and programmes.

Mr Magaji, the deputy speaker, gave the assurance when the Zonal Director, NTA Sokoto Network Centre, Hajiya Saudat Suleiman, paid a courtesy visit to the assembly.

Mr Magaji, who represented the Speaker, Aminu Achida, said that the partnership between the media and the state legislature is very cordial and will continue to remain so.

He thanked the zonal director for the visit and assured her of the assemblys commitment to enhancing the services of the media in the state.

Earlier, the zonal director, who is in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, commended the assembly members for their commitment toward enhancing democracy in the state.

She also commiserated with the members on the demise of one of them, late Isa Harisu, who slumped and died when he arrived at the assembly complex to attend the days plenary, on Dec. 30, 2019.
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Wednesday, Sept. 2, and the Bay Area returns to another patchwork of reopening rules. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

People across the Bay Area and California rely on the bounty of water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. But so do locals who live and work in one of the states most extraordinary places. A tunnel project spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newsom has united an otherwise divided region against it.

In the first installment of a new series, reporter Kurtis Alexander and staff photographers Santiago Mejia and Carlos Avila Gonzalez explore how climate change, drought and Californias unrelenting thirst have pushed this region to the brink and reignited the states water wars.

Read more.

Moving towards reopening, frustrations remain

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Instead of moving his barbershops chairs outside to Polk Street, Gabe Sandejas walked to a protest at City Hall on Tuesday morning.

Sandejas is part of a majority of the personal care industry that got absolutely zero reprieve in San Franciscos latest health order that allowed outdoor operations Tuesday for the first time in nearly six months. For many theres simply no place to set up shop outside.

Read more from reporter Rusty Simmons.

 S.F. unveils reopening plan for businesses, churches and some tourism sites.

 Which Bay Area counties are taking advantage of Californias new reopening plan?

 August was the deadliest month so far for the coronavirus pandemic across all of California. What about the Bay Area?

 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got indoor hair care at a San Francisco salon on Monday, despite the city not allowing it, report says.

 San Francisco schools will have to apply to reopen, with elementary schools first in line.

A potentially smoky fall

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

The Bay Areas air-quality woes are almost certain to continue through the weekend, as a ridge of high pressure brings a heat wave and low winds. But the ongoing wildfires mean that smoke could be here for months, even as the fires are contained  and its just the beginning of wildfire season.

Danielle Echeverria reports on whats driving the continuing smoke.

More: Big Basin Redwoods park, heavily damaged by fire, will stay closed for at least a year.

Air quality near you: Our real-time air quality map.

Around the Bay

 Legislative cleanup: Cant pay the rent? Heres how Californias new pandemic eviction law affects you. Wait till next year: The major housing, police bills that died when squabbling California lawmakers ran out of time. Pandemic impact: AB685 seeks to clarify what companies must tell employees and state officials about potential coronavirus exposure.

 On the floor with a newborn: Like many working parents during the pandemic, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, faced an impossible choice Monday: go to work or care for her child. She ended up doing both.

 Extensive repairs needed: S.F. Muni Metro light rail expected to stay closed through end of 2020 after equipment failures.

 Tests already on their way out: Judge bars University of California from all use of SAT, ACT scores in admissions.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

 Drought concerns: Another scuffle over Point Reyes elk population  this time over their water supply.

 Ammunition, explosives allegedly found in his house: A 55-year-old Gilroy man, allegedly a member of a far-right group tied to killings of a sheriffs deputy in Santa Cruz County and a federal security guard in Oakland, has been arrested for sending two dozen threatening letters to Santa Clara Countys public health director.

 Not exactly vision zero: If City Hall wants to do something about speeding, officials might take a look at their own workers, Phil Matier writes.

 Inside Klamath Refuges Duck Hospital: Crews save 2,000 birds infected with avian botulism.

Datebook

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Robin Williams death in 2014 was a wrenching loss to his fans across the world, but nowhere was that grief more profound than in the Bay Area, the adopted home of the comic genius.

The heartfelt documentary Robins Wish, which debuted Tuesday, Sept. 1, follows Williams last days through the eyes of his wife and friends, and reveals that, before taking his own life, the Bay Area icon was an unknowing victim of Lewy body dementia, a catastrophic neurological condition that impedes thinking, motor skills, sleep and other behaviors.

Read more.

More from Datebook:

Theater in fall 2020: Creativity finds a way, despite pandemic.

One on one: A musicians perspective on S.F. Symphonys intimate concert series.

Review: Essay collection Vesper Flights reveres beauty, birds and spirituality.

On the books: Underrated back-to-school films.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

In response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and strict safety guidelines required by the state, many school districts in New Jersey have drafted plans to reopen in September with all-remote learning instead of in-person classroom instruction.

As of Tuesday, more than 190 school districts across the state have indicated they want to begin the 2020-2021 school year with all-remote learning, while 59 districts plan to fully reopen and the remaining districts want to start the new school year with a hybrid mix of in-person and remote learning, according to state officials.

All school reopening plans need to be reviewed and approved by the state Department of Education before they can be implemented. After weeks of waiting for guidance from the state, school districts learned earlier this month that they may now officially ask the education department to approve their all-remote reopening plans.

Districts have to submit their requests within seven days of the first day of school, or as soon as practicable, according to the state guidelines. The late announcement of those guidelines has some school superintendents expressing frustration, because they have been unable to get approval for their all-remote plans as the first days of school are quickly approaching.

Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up with your email here:



For many school districts, the push to reopen with all-virtual instruction was prompted by lingering concerns over the coronavirus and questions over whether schools can guarantee a safe environment for students and teachers.

NJ Advance Media has been able to confirm the following districts are seeking state approval to start with all-remote classes for the 2020-2021 school year. NJ Advance Media will add to the list as more districts announce their plans. (For the very latest reopening plans, and additional details about specific schools, please contact your school district.)

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Atlantic City (remote at start of school year)

Atlantic County Vocational (remote until Oct. 5)

Brigantine (remote start, with re-entry on or before Nov. 11, the end of the first marking period)

Egg Harbor Township (virtual starting Sept. 8; plan to start hybrid schedule Oct. 26)

Greater Egg Harbor Regional (9th grade virtual until Oct. 6; 10th, 11th and 12th grade return Oct. 12)

Hamilton Township (remote at start of school year)

Pleasantville (remote at start of school year)

Somers Point (Jordan Road School to go all-remote at start of the year; New York Avenue and Dawes Avenue schools reopening on hybrid schedule to start.

BERGEN COUNTY

Bergen County Technical Schools and Special Services (remote through Oct. 19)

Bergenfield (remote start, until Oct. 16)

Bogota (remote until Oct. 19)

Dumont (virtual until Sept. 22)

Edgewater (remote for the month of September; district expects to re-evaluate in the middle of September)

Elmwood Park (through Oct. 19)

Fair Lawn (remote through Oct. 19)

Fort Lee (remote through Oct. 16)

Garfield (plan submitted to state Department of Education to start all-remote and transition to hybrid)

Hasbrouck Heights (remote until Oct. 5)

Hackensack (remote start, schools plan to reopen Nov. 2)

Lodi (remote start, through at least Oct. 19)

Lyndhurst (remote learning until Oct. 16; in-person instruction scheduled to begin Oct. 19)

North Arlington (remote through Oct. 16)

Palisades Park (remote through at least Oct. 13)

Paramus (remote until Nov. 9)

Ramapo-Indian Hills (remote until Sept. 24)

Ridgefield (remote through first marking period)

River Dell (remote until Oct. 5)

Rochelle Park (remote through Oct. 5)

Teaneck (remote through first marking period)

Tenafly (remote instruction for all students, district-wide)

Wallington (remote through Oct. 13)

Wyckoff (remote through Sept. 24)

BURLINGTON COUNTY

Bordentown (remote Sept. 3 through at least Oct. 9)

Burlington City (remote through at least Oct. 13)

Burlington Township (remote through first marking period)

Chesterfield (schools plan to reopen Oct. 19 with remote learning)

Eastampton (remote through first marking period)

Florence (remote through Sept 18, hybrid plan to start Sept. 21)

Lumberton (remote learning Sept. 8 to Sept. 18, hybrid learning starting Sept. 21)

Northern Burlington County Regional (students to begin 2 weeks of all-remote instruction on Sept 14, then report for in-person instruction Sept. 28 with a hybrid model)

Palmyra (remote)

Pemberton Township (remote through at least Oct. 13)

Rancocas Valley (remote Sept. 8 through Sept. 25)

Westampton (remote)

Willingboro (remote through Nov. 18)

CAMDEN COUNTY

Audubon (remote through Nov. 4)

Barrington (remote through at least Nov. 9)

Brooklawn (remote to start the school year)

Camden (remote through Jan. 31)

Cherry Hill (remote until Nov. 9)

Clementon

Collingswood/Oaklyn (remote through mid-October)

Eastern Regional (remote start, return to school Oct. 5)

Gloucester City (through Oct. 16)

Haddon Heights (through Oct. 30)

Lindenwold

Winslow Township (through Jan. 1)

CAPE MAY COUNTY

No public school districts confirmed for planning all-virtual instruction.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Bridgeton (remote through Oct. 13)

Commercial Township (remote through Oct. 13)

Cumberland County Technical Education Center (remote start, plans to move to hybrid model Oct. 13)

Cumberland Regional (remote start)

Deerfield Township (remote through Oct. 13)

Downe Township (remote through Oct. 13)

Fairfield (remote through Nov. 2)

Greenwich/Stow Creek (through Oct. 13)

Hopewell Township (through Oct. 12)

Lawrence Township (through Oct. 12)

Maurice River (through Oct. 12)

Millville (through Oct. 13)

Upper Deerfield (fully remote through at least Oct. 12)

Vineland (remote through Oct. 13)

ESSEX COUNTY

Bloomfield (remote through September)

Caldwell-West Caldwell (remote to Oct. 7 except for a group of self-contained special education classes)

Cedar Grove (remote to start; district to reevaluate by end of September and look to go hybrid by Oct. 19)

East Orange (remote through September)

Glen Ridge (high school remote-only through Oct. 5)

Irvington (remote start)

Livingston (school year to start all remote)

Millburn-Short Hills (rrmote through first quarter of school year)

Montclair (remote start)

Newark (remote through first marking period)

Nutley (remote through first marking period)

Orange (remote learning through Nov. 25; hybrid begins Nov. 29)

South Orange-Maplewood (remote through first marking period)

Verona (most students will start with remote learning except for pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, ESL and certain other students)

West Essex (remote to Oct. 2)

West Orange (remote start

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Delsea Regional (remote start

Deptford (remote through Sept. 30)

Gateway Regional (remote through at least Oct. 13)

Glassboro (starting fully remote, through Nov. 12)

Logan (remote for first marking period)

Monroe (remote through at least Nov. 16)

National Park Schools (remote through at least Oct. 13)

Pitman (remote through Oct. 5)

Washington Township (through Sept. 21)

West Deptford (all-virtual from Sept. 8 to Nov. 9)

Woodbury City (remote start, hybrid starting Nov. 9)

HUDSON COUNTY

Bayonne (remote start)

East Newark (remote until Nov. 13)

Guttenberg (remote start)

Harrison (remote through Nov. 13)

Hoboken (all virtual Sept. 14 to Sept. 19, optional in-person after that)

Hudson County Schools of Technology (remote through Sept. 28)

Jersey City (remote start)

Kearny (remote start)

North Bergen (remote through the end of September)

Union City (remote for at least the month of September)

Weehawken School District (remote to start with students moving to a hybrid schedule between Sept. 28-Oct. 14)

West New York (remote start)

HUNTERDON COUNTY

Flemington-Raritan (remote through Oct. 30)

Lebanon Township (remote start)

Readington (remote to at least Oct. 19)

MERCER COUNTY

East Windsor: (remote instruction from Sep. 9 to Nov. 9)

Ewing (remote start, return to in-person learning for those who have signed up for it: Grades K-2/SE - Sept. 9; Grades 3-5: Sept. 29; Fisher Middle School: Oct. 12; Ewing High School: Oct. 26)

Hamilton (remote through first marking period)

Lawrence Township (all students will start remote)

Mercer County Special Services (remote start)

Mercer County Technical Schools (remote through Nov. 9)

Princeton Charter School (remote start)

Princeton (remote start)

Robbinsville (students in grades 6-12 fully remote until Oct. 12. Pk-5 will remain in the hybrid or 100% remote model)

Trenton (remote start)

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

Carteret (remote until Oct. 9; plans to begin hybrid learning on Oct. 13)

Cranbury (remote through Oct. 16)

Dunellen (remote through the Thanksgiving holiday)

Edison (remote at least until Oct. 16)

Highland Park (remote until Oct. 5 for some students)

Jamesburg (remote until Nov. 1)

Metuchen (at least until Oct. 1)

Middlesex Borough (remote start)

Middlesex Regional Education Services Commission of New Jersey (remote start)

Milltown (remote in September; district to reassess for October)

Monroe (remote learning until Nov. 13 and reassess for hybrid learning to start on Nov. 16)

New Brunswick (remote during first two marking periods)

North Brunswick (remote during first marking period)

Old Bridge (remote until Oct. 12)

Perth Amboy (remote until at least Nov. 18, the end of first marking period)

Piscataway (remote until at least Nov. 13)

Sayreville (remote until at least Nov. 12)

South Amboy (remote until Nov. 13)

South Brunswick (remote start)

South Plainfield (remote start)

South River (plans for in-person instruction on Oct. 1)

Spotswood (remote until at least Sept. 18)

Woodbridge (remote until at least Oct. 12)

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Asbury Park (remote for first 30 instructional days; return to school Oct. 21)

Freehold Borough (remote start, will re-evaluate by Nov. 13)

Freehold Township (students in self-contained classes attend school in person beginning Sept. 8; first 2 weeks of school remain virtual for all other students, who return to school Sept. 21)

Freehold Regional High School District (through Oct. 19)

Long Branch (remote start)

Manalapan-Englishtown (remote at least the first two weeks of school for some schools)

Monmouth County Vocational School District (starting all-remote)

Neptune Township (remote start, will re-evaluate by the end of October)

Ocean Township (remote until Sept. 11)

MORRIS COUNTY

Boonton (remote at the start of the school year)

Butler (remote for most students; in person instruction for specific students

Dover (remote through first marking period)

Jefferson (remote through Sep. 30)

Montville (middle and high school students to start remote)

Mount Olive (district will start in-person on alternating weekly schedule or remote for grades K-3 while grades 4-12 will be synchronous full-day remote)

Mountain Lakes (high school to begin all-remote; other schools on a hybrid schedule)

OCEAN COUNTY

Lacey (remote to start, on Sept. 8, and then a hybrid model from Sept. 21)

Toms River (remote through first marking period)

PASSAIC COUNTY

Bloomingdale (remote start, with a review on Oct. 15 and a target date of Nov. 16 or sooner to reopen schools in a hybrid instructional program)

Clifton (remote to start year; district to reevaluate conditions on Oct. 1, with possible reopening for in-person instruction on Oct. 12.

Manchester Regional High School District (school year to begin remote)

Passaic (remote through September)

Paterson (remote through at least Nov. 1)

Prospect Park (remote through Nov. 11)

Ringwood (starting all-remote)

West Milford (remote until Oct. 1)

SALEM COUNTY

Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District (remote to start; may go hybrid on Oct. 19)

SOMERSET COUNTY

Bedminster (all virtual starting Sept. 10, phase-in hybrid learning model set to begin Sept. 29 through mid-October, depending on the cohort or small group the child is in. All cohorting students will be phased in no later than Oct. 15.)

Bernards (remote through Oct. 1)

Bridgewater-Raritan (remote through Oct. 12)

Franklin Township (remote start)

Hillsborough (virtual until Sept. 28, with plans to start hybrid option later)

Montgomery (virtual for September, then re-evaluating plans for in-person on Oct. 12)

North Plainfield (virtual at least through the first marking period)

SUSSEX COUNTY

Newton (remote until Oct. 2)

Sparta (remote through Oct. 30; in person instruction for students with IEPs in specialized programs)

UNION COUNTY

Berkeley Heights (Governor Livingston High School will begin remote only after a single day of hybrid instruction; remote only plan will be revisited monthly)

Cranford (virtual the first four days, starting Sept. 8, then hybrid starting Sept. 14)

Elizabeth (remote start)

Hillside (remote start, will reassess three weeks before the end of the first marking period)

Linden (remote start, will reassess the end of each month)

Plainfield (remote through at least Nov. 1)

Rahway (remote start)

Roselle (remote through first marking period)

Roselle Park (remote start)

Scotch Plains-Fanwood (remote start)

Springfield (remote through Nov. 2)

Union Township (remote start, will reassess on Oct. 15 for targeted return date of Nov. 1)

WARREN COUNTY

Phillipsburg (all remote through Oct. 5)

Warren County Technical School (all remote through first marking period)

Do you know of a school district thats planning to start remotely? Tell us about it here. As schools reopen across N.J., we want to know what is and isnt working. Tell us about it here.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Len Melisurgo and Casey Roland contributed to this report. Evan Slavit may be reached at eslavit@njadvancemedia.com. Nestor Sebastian may be reached at nsebastian@njadvancemedia.com.
Last week, a mob of white protesters swarmed a white woman eating dinner in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Video of the bullies demanding that patrons raise their fists in solidarity with the movement went viral.

Many pro-Trump and right-wing media personalities were quick to insist this verbal assault was emblematic of the entire Democratic Party and the broader American left. Never mind that the victim, Lauren B. Victor, was a fellow progressive who told a Washington Post reporter, Im very much with them. Ive been marching with them for weeks and weeks and weeks.

Among the funny things about this decidedly unfunny event is that it would have been almost impossible for this roving rhetorical goon squad to find the kind of victims they surely wanted. Adams Morgan is an especially liberal neighborhood in a very liberal city. Sure, there are some conservatives there  I lived in Adams Morgan for over a decade  but picking on random white people in Adams Morgan in the hope of finding MAGA types is like scouring Manhattans Upper West Side for taxidermists. Its theoretically possible to find one, but youll have your work cut out for you.

Regardless, Democrats would be well-advised to draw inspiration from Victors refusal to be bullied by a mob, even one she sympathizes with, because she is surely more representative of voters than the mob accosting her was.

American liberalisms Achilles heel has long been a reluctance, sometimes a flat-out inability, to criticize radicals to their left. In the 1960s, leading Democrats kowtowed to extremists out of what historian Fred Siegel called a riot ideology, and it cost the party dearly.

There have been exceptions. Americans for Democratic Action arguably saved the Democratic Party from its leftmost wing led by the useful idiot Henry Wallace, FDRs former vice president. Bill Clinton broke the GOPs monopoly on the presidency by deliberately picking fights with the left in order to attract more moderate voters. Clintons tactics were arguably more cynical than idealistic  he took time off from the campaign trail to oversee the execution of a severely brain-damaged Black man. But say what you will about his triangulation, it worked.

American politics has become a contest between two competing caricatures of reality. The primary driver of this dynamic has been the medias  particularly cable news  addiction to narrative journalism combined with the pernicious influence of social media. Twitter and Facebook make it all too easy to shine a spotlight on outlier events and present them as central to our lives. The focus on the ludicrous autonomous zone in Seattle earlier this summer let the right claim the whole city was like a Mad Max movie.

Similarly, the statistically rare (Im sorry, but its true) examples of outrageously bad behavior by some cops captured on video give many on the left permission to push a narrative of wholesale racial oppression by police.

Social media is like the wall on Platos Cave. Selective facts cast shadows we mistake for reality. If you take all your cues about whats happening in America from partisan Twitter, as so many journalists do, youd be a fool not to buy a gun and prepare for the coming apocalyptic helter-skelter.

The problem is intensified by the tendency of the hyper-politically engaged left and right to listen only to people in their own echo chamber and to mistake Twitter outrage for sentiment on the ground.

Joe Biden won the Democratic nomination largely because most of his competitors talked as if primary voters were indistinguishable from the very online left-wing activists and journalists who dominate MSNBC and CNN.

To his credit, Biden has unequivocally condemned rioting, vigilantism and street violence. But he took too much time to do it, not because he doesnt believe what he said, but because the campaign let the fringe define the center of the party. Condemning violence  by rioters and vigilantes alike  is a no-brainer; its a pre-partisan patriotic requirement of political leadership.

Hesitation to do so is not merely shameful, its political malpractice, because most voters expect it and even the appearance of reluctance feeds precisely the narrative that could cost Biden the election.

Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch.

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Army personnel killed

Jammu: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was killed on Wednesday in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened fire at forward posts in Keri sector, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, the sources said.

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The JCO was critically injured in the Pakistani firing and later succumbed to injuries, the sources said, adding Pakistan also suffered casualties in the retaliatory action but the exact details are awaited.

This was the second such incident in the past four days. On August 30, a JCO was killed in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
The Indian Army has further bolstered its presence in at least three strategic heights in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, days after foiling China's "provocative" actions to change the status quo in the area, government sources said on Wednesday.

IMAGE: A security personnel stands guard along the Srinagar-Ladakh Highway, at Gagangir in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo

Some "readjustments" in deployment of troops were also carried out on the northern bank of the Pangong lake on the Indian side of the Line of Control as part of precautionary measures, they said. The situation in the area was said to be sensitive.



The sources also said another round of military talks between the two sides on Wednesday to defuse tensions in the area remained inconclusive. The talks lasted nearly seven hours.

The talks at the Brigade Commander-level on Monday and Tuesday also did not yield any tangible outcome, the sources said.

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations.



The enhanced deployment came in the wake of unsuccessful attempts by China to change the status quo in the region.



The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it flared up for the first time on its southern bank, sources said.



At the military talks, the Chinese side conveyed its objection to India occupying certain strategic heights in the region, sources said.



But, the Indian delegation maintained that the heights are on the Indian side of the LAC, the sources added.



They said India wants to resolve the border row through talks, but at the same time it will effectively deal with any "misadventure" by China along the LAC.



In the wake of the Chinese attempts, the Indian Army has alerted all its frontline bases along the 3,400 km-long LAC to remain vigilant round the clock.



India had rushed in additional troops and weaponry to all sensitive border areas including in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors after the Galwan Valley clashes which significantly escalated the tensions.



On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.



External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese People's Liberation Army was engaged in "provocative action" again a day earlier when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation.

"The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source, adding India has significantly ramped up overall surveillance in the region.



In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying alleged that the responsibility for the border tensions lies entirely with the Indian side.



"The responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. China has exercised great restraint to avoid escalation," Hua claimed at a media briefing in response to questions on the Sino-India border situation.



Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General M M Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.



At the nearly two-hour-long meeting, it was decided that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the LAC to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", the sources said. A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area.



The sources said the Indian Air Force has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.



There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in the strategically located Hotan airbase, which is around 310 km from eastern Ladakh.



In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.



The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.



India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway was made for a resolution to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Each of those causes makes perfect sense.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs provide the lions share of new jobs and can help build wealth and increase amenities in the Black community.

Access to convenient, affordable and quality health care remains an urgent concern, especially in east Greensboro.

And the depth and breadth of the digital divide has become more painfully apparent as K-12 schools in Guilford County have shifted to remote learning to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

As for who will help to fill its coffers with enough seed money to be sustainable for the long term, Lindsay envisions people like Greensboro native and UNCG alumna Mae Douglas, who retired as an executive vice president and chief people officer at Cox Communications in Atlanta and has become an active philanthropist in her hometown.

This is sort of full-circle for me, said Douglas, a graduate of Dudley High School who decided to commit herself to community service when she returned to Greensboro.
Not long ago, in the before-the-pandemic times it seemed so easy to hop on a plane, and within a few hours, be in a different world. The cultural exchange could start with a restaurant recommendation from a taxi driver, or by stumbling into a farmers market or wine shop.

With only a few countries accepting United States passports, many of us have delayed or canceled our international travel plans. In fact, Airbnb reports a surge in bookings in rural areas as many people are limiting their excursions to road trips and staycations. Even our North American neighbors Mexico and Canada remain closed to nonessential travelers.

As a small consolation, cookbooks that are on sale and coming this fall can take you to far-flung places through recipes and personal stories and provide the cultural interactions that help us understand the world.

While the books are no match to meeting the fisherman who catches your dinner in the south of France, they do introduce readers to people they will want to meet, and places they will want to visit when its safe. Here are some cookbooks and recipes that will take you places.

Falastin: A Cookbook

By Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley

$35 (Ten Speed)

Described as a love letter to Palestinian cooking, Falastin weaves stories by Sami Tamimi, the executive chef and founding partner of Ottolenghi restaurant group, with the history of the region that touches the Mediterranean Sea where Palestinians have lived for centuries. Readers will be transported to Jerusalem with reliable recipes that are indicative of Palestinian home cooking, including Arabic breads, lentils with pomegranate and eggplants, and labneh cheesecake with roasted apricots and cardamom.

Lemon chicken with zaatar

As anyone who has cooked the chicken sheet-pan recipes from Samis previous cookbooks  Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and Jerusalem  knows, the secret weapon behind so many (seemingly) effortless dinners is a make-ahead chicken dish that can just be put into the oven when needed. All the work is done in advance, which means that at dinnertime there is little fuss, and happy feasting.

Serves four

3 lemons

1 whole chicken (2  lb./1.3 kg), cut into legs, thighs, and breasts with the wing-tips left on (or about 2 pound 2 oz./1 kg of chicken legs or breasts with the wing-tips left on), skin on,

2 onions, sliced in half, then each half cut into 3 wedges (2  cups/260 g)

2 heads of garlic, skin on, sliced in half, crosswise

2 teaspoon sumac

 teaspoon ground allspice

4 tablespoon/25 g zaatar

6 tablespoons/90 ml olive oil

 cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 ml chicken stock or water

Salt and black pepper

 cup/5 g parsley, finely chopped

 cup/30 g sliced almonds, toasted

Cut 2 of the lemons into -inch slices and place in a large mixing bowl. Finely grate the zest of the remaining lemon (to get 1  teaspoons of zest) and set this aside for later. Squeeze the same lemon to get about 1 tablespoons of juice and add this to the mixing bowl along with the chicken, onions, garlic, sumac, allspice, 2 tablespoons of zaatar, 2 tablespoons of oil, the stock, 1  teaspoons of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well to combine, then cover with a large plate and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight, if you have time).

Half an hour or an hour before baking, take the chicken out of the fridge; it should be at room temperature before going into the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Transfer the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet, skin side up, and pour on all the marinade and lemon slices. Drizzle the chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the onions have taken on some color.

Toward the end of the cooking time for the chicken, combine the parsley, lemon zest, remaining 2 tablespoons of zaatar, and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter along with the lemon slices and any juices that have collected at the bottom of the pan. Spoon the parsley mixture on the chicken, finish with the almonds, and serve.

(Reprinted with permission from Falastin: A Cookbook.)

In Bibis Kitchen

Recipes and Stories from Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean

By Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen

$35 (Ten Speed. Oct. 13)

In many cultures, bibi means grandmother. These are the women from eight countries whose personal stories of love, loss, war, migration and family, make up an evocative cookbook. Hassan and Turshen explore how recipes and culture tie people together through dishes like Sukuma Wiki, stewed greens and tomatoes, that are familiar to African and African Americans alike. The book is also filled with expressive photography by Khadija Farah and soulful food photography by Jennifer May.

Sukuma Wiki

(Greens with Tomatoes)

These well-seasoned greens are similar to collards, which, with their fragrant potlikker, are popular in the American South and are a reminder of the undeniably deep threads that tie together African and African American cooking. Sukuma Wiki means to stretch the week  in other words, using these greens, which are affordable and readily available, can help stretch any meal a bit further. Greens are a staple in Kenyan cooking and in most East African cooking in general. Serve this dish with rice for a traditional, healthy, and completely vegan meal.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

 teaspoon ground coriander

 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 pound kale and/or collards (or any dark leafy greens), tough stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

Kosher salt

 cup water

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, cumin, coriander, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, greens, a large pinch of salt, and the water. Stir everything well to combine, cover, and simmer until the greens are very tender and soft, about 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, season the greens to taste with salt, and serve immediately.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days and rewarmed in a heavy pot set over low heat (stir while you heat).

Reprinted with permission from In Bibis Kitchen.

World Food: Mexico City

By James Oseland

$35. Random House; Nov. 24

In this forthcoming title, James Oseland takes readers to Mexicos vibrant capital city for a day with chefs, home cooks, and bakers for dishes from street food to fine dining. He uses their voices to provide a lens into the culinary scene of Mexico City, which is influenced by indigenous and immigrant cultures. The book with 75 recipes and evocative photography is the inaugural cookbook in the World Food series. A Paris book follows in 2021.

Pasta con Camarones

Juicy with tomatoes, this pasta dish is light yet hearty, with depth of flavor from potent arbol chiles. Its based on a recipe from Gabriela Camara of Contramar, the greatest of Mexico Citys seafood restaurants.

Serves 4 as a first course, or 2 as a main course

8 ounces dried long pasta (such as fettuccine or spaghetti)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

14 medium white onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 dried arbol chiles, cut into 14-inch pieces, with seeds

6 medium Roma tomatoes, minced (about 2 cups)

12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

12 cup finely crumbled Cotija or Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 3 minutes; dont let the garlic turn too golden. Add the tomatoes and 12 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Raise the heat slightly, add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and pink, about 6 minutes. Taste for salt and add if needed. Add the cooked pasta and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and combine well.

Transfer the pasta to individual bowls, top with the basil and cheese, and serve immediately.

East

120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing

By Meera Sodha

$30 (Flatiron Books; Oct. 20)

For her third book, Meera Sodha, a vegan columnist for the Guardian, goes on a culinary journey to discover how home cooks center vegetables. She fills the book with personal stories of visits to countries like Sri Lanka and communities like Chinatown in London for inspiration. Vegan constraints are a catalyst for creativity, she writes. Her recipes, therefore, have suggestions for dairy substitutions, fermentations, and unexpected desserts including a salted miso brownie.

Millis Matcha Roll Cake With Raspberries and Cream

Milli Taylors grandma was Japanese. When she came to the UK in 1954, she had no option but to cook English food. Milli didnt inherit her grandmothers recipes but still became one of the best caterers in London.

Note: For this recipe, youll need a 10-inch by 13-inch jelly roll pan. The cake is best eaten on the day its made but can last in the fridge for two days.

Serves 8-10

 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons matcha powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 large eggs (separated)

 cup granulated sugar

 cup raspberry jam

Scant 1 cup heavy cream

2  tablespoons powdered sugar

Heaping  cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the jelly roll pan with parchment paper, folding it tightly into the corners so that the paper comes up the sides by 1 inch.

Sift together the flower, matcha, baking powder and salt. Separate the eggs from the whites into two large bowls. Add the sugar to the yolks. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Without cleaning the attachment, whisk the yolks with the sugar until it doubles, then stir in the matcha flour mixture into the egg yolk bowl.

Using a large spatula, fold the egg whites into the yolks, being careful not to knock out too much air. Pour the batters in the lined pan and level with a spatula. Tap the pan to release air bubbles. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch.

Remove from oven and let rest for exactly 1 minute, then place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the and gently flip to remove it from the pan.

Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch mark along the short end of the cake. Tuck the parchment paper over the edge, then loosely roll the cake from one short end to the other, rolling the parchment paper with it. Transfer to a cooling rack. Cover with a kitchen towel and cool for 30 minutes.

When cool, unroll the cake and spread jam to the edges. Whisk together heavy cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, then spread on top of the jam. Gently roll the sponge with the seam on the bottom. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate for two hours or until set.

To serve, cut into even slices.

Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books
(Newser)  Paul Rusesabagina, whose story of saving more than 1,200 Rwandans during the 1994 genocide was told in Hotel Rwanda, was kidnapped, his daughter tells the New York Times. The Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient now faces terror charges in Rwanda, and his daughter says he traveled from the US, where he is a permanent resident, to Dubai for what was supposed to be a short meeting, texting family members upon his landing last Thursday to tell them he'd gotten there safely. The next time they heard from or of him was when Rwandan authorities showed him handcuffed in the capital of Kigali on Monday. "We were shocked and surprised," she says, claiming her father was "kidnapped" and taken into custody because of his well-known criticism of the Rwandan government and President Paul Kagame, who has cracked down on dissent.

story continues below

The Times notes some have questioned his legacy, with one professor noting, "Its well known in Kigali that Rusesabagina handed over some Tutsi to the Hutu militias and made a considerable profit by demanding protection money from some survivors." Officials have not said anything more about the accusations against Rusesabagina, 66, since Monday. It's not clear how he got from Dubai to Kigali, nor when he might appear in court. "He wanted to speak for the people whose voices were suppressed," his daughter says. "Its time for the world and international community to speak up for him." "What theyre accusing him of is all made up," she adds to the AP. "There is no evidence to what theyre claiming  We know this is a wrongful arrest." (Read more Rwanda stories.)
Here are the share-worthy stories from Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia Patches to talk about tonight:

As Gov. Ralph Northam urged Virginians to continue health precautions to avoid coronavirus case spikes over the Labor Day weekend, the 7-day average of cases has started to increase in the last week. On Wednesday, 927 new cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total to 122,542 cases. There were 29 new deaths reported on Wednesday, and a total of 2,641 people with the virus have died, according to the Virginia Department of Health. In all, 9,678 hospitalizations have been reported.



The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has received a $10,000 "Better Cities for Pets" grant to help improve the quality of life for animals in the community. The funds will be used to help pet owners with urgent or chronic veterinary concerns in situations where funding is limited.



Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Loudoun Hunger Relief has distributed more than 1 million pounds of food to 14,000 families in Loudoun County. That's equal to providing food to about 55,000 individuals, the group said.

The City of Manassas is putting on a brief fireworks show on Saturday, Sept. 5 to celebrate the end of summer. The fireworks show will start at 8 p.m., the city said.



Story continues

Hazmat teams from two D.C. area fire departments responded to chemical leaks in the District Wednesday morning, including a sulphuric acid leak at the Department of Homeland Security complex in Southeast.



Also Worth a Look Today

Across America

This article originally appeared on the Annandale Patch
WILMINGTON, N.C.  As thunderstorms threatened, President Donald Trump sped through a V-J Day speech on Wednesday, trumpeting American strength and managing to squeeze in a swipe at Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Trump stood before an iconic World War II-era battleship to declare the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, a World War II Heritage City. He pointed to a bolt of lightning and said it was God saluting the event.

He honored war veterans, including 97-year-old Hershel Woody Williams, the sole surviving Marine from the war to receive the Medal of Honor. The West Virginia native fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific.

Hes 100 percent sharp, Trump said of Williams, who traveled to the key battleground state with the president aboard Air Force One.

I know a 78-year-old whos not so sharp, Trump added, a clear allusion to Biden.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had insisted earlier this week that there was no political purpose to Trumps visit to North Carolina. But when the president landed in Wilmington, Trump lost no time in criticizing Biden.

This is the most important election in the history of our country. I really believe that, because were running against people that have got some big issues, he told supporters on the airport tarmac. They have got some big, big problems. Theyre stone cold crazy.

Trump also encouraged those who cast votes by mail to cast two ballots in Novembers election, one by mail and another in person as a check to see if the mailed vote was counted.

Theyll go out and theyll vote and theyre going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way because if it tabulates then they wont be able to do that. So, let them send it in and let them go vote, Trump said in an interview with WECT-TV at the Wilmington airport. And if their systems as good as they say it is, then obviously they wont be able to vote. If it isnt tabulated, theyll be able to vote. So thats the way it is, and thats what they should do.

Trump made a similar appeal in remarks to supporters at the airport. You cant let them take your vote away; these people are playing dirty politics  dirty politics. So if you have an absentee ballot or, as I call it, a solicited ballot  you send it in, but I would check it, in any event, I would go and follow it and go vote, he said.

Trump won North Carolina by 3.6 percentage points in 2016, but polls are showing an extremely close race taking shape in a state that generates 15 electoral votes for its winner.

The presidents visit to North Carolina comes as county boards start sending absentee ballots to voters on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence will follow the president by visiting Raleigh on Thursday.

Through Sept. 1, more than 591,000 ballot requests had been received, compared with approximately 36,500 through the same period in 2016, the state elections board said Wednesday.

More than half of the absentee ballots, or approximately 313,000, have been requested by Democrats. Republicans have requested more than 93,000 and registered unaffiliated voters account for approximately 183,000 ballot requests.

Biden released a statement in advance of the trip saying that Trump has not provided North Carolina with the roadmap and resources needed to protect businesses, schools and families from the coronavirus.

Instead of honoring the sacrifice of our front-line heroes, President Trump has repeatedly ignored public health guidance for political purposes, Biden said.

Wilmington has been home to the Battleship North Carolina since 1962. The ship is now a floating museum. On Sept. 2, 1945, Japans formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.

Congress passed a bill earlier this year that included a provision requiring the secretary of the interior to annually designate one city in the United States as an American World War II Heritage City. Wilmington is the first city to get that designation.

___

Associated Press writers Jonathan Drew in Durham, N.C., and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 04:07:16|Editor: huaxia

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TUNIS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied and Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Libya Stephanie Williams discussed the latest developments in Libya during a meeting on Wednesday.

The two sides also discussed UN's efforts to achieve a political settlement in Libya, according to a statement released by the Tunisian presidency.

Saied stressed that the solution to the Libyan crisis should be based on the agreement of all its factions away from any foreign interference.

The president reiterated Tunisia's commitment not to interfering in Libya's internal affairs and to finding peaceful solutions to end the bloodshed in the neighboring war-torn country under the aegis of the UN.

He underlined the importance of the role of neighboring countries to find a peaceful solution to this crisis, "referring to the important coordination and consultation between Tunisia and Algeria to achieve stability in Libya," according to the statement.

Saied proposed to host in Tunisia a national dialogue which brings together various components of the Libyan people, "especially since our country is the most affected by the situation in Libya."

The UN official praised Tunisia's important role in achieving durable stability there.

According to Williams, it is necessary to go to the political dialogue as soon as possible given the dangerous conditions in Libya at the present time. Enditem
UK Labour leader Mr Starmer called on Mr Johnson to have the decency to withdraw a remark made about him relating to the IRA.

The British prime minister accused Mr Starmer of having supported an IRA-condoning politician by serving in former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns frontbench team.

Mr Corbyn, who has supported Irish republicanism, said in a 2017 interview with Sky News: I condemn all the bombing by both the loyalists and the IRA.





Mr Johnson told the Commons: This is a leader of the opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato and now says absolutely nothing.

Mr Johnsons comments were cut off by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, who called for order.

Mr Starmer demanded Mr Johnson withdraw his comments relating to the IRA, adding: Before I go on, the Prime Minister said something about the IRA and I want him to take it back.

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I worked in Northern Ireland for five years with the Police Service of Northern Ireland bringing peace.

I prosecuted, as director of public prosecutions, serious terrorists  for five years working with the intelligence and security forces and with the police in Northern Ireland.

I ask the Prime Minister to have the decency to withdraw that comment.

The Speaker asked if the prime minister wanted to withdraw his allegation he made about Mr Starmer.

Mr Johnson replied: I listened to the protestations of the right honourable gentleman and think they would have been more in order throughout the long years in which he supported a leader of the Labour Party [Mr Corbyn]

Mr Hoyle then signalled for Mr Johnson to sit down.

In response, Mr Starmer said: When the Prime Minister has worked with the intelligence and security forces prosecuting criminals and terrorists he can lecture me.

I asked him to do the decent thing, but doing the decent thing and this Prime Minister dont go together.
Bethany Carolyn Deibler, 25, of Clements, MD departed this life on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at her home.



She was born August 8, 1995 in Clinton, Maryland. She was the loving daughter of Sharon Ann McElhinney, of Mechanicsville, MD.



Bethany married the love her life, James Christopher Deibler, on August 18, 2018. Together they have celebrated just over two (2) years of marriage, and together for ten (10) years before her untimely passing.



She worked as Project Manager for SAIC. Making many wonderful friends working as a government contractor. She was working toward completing her college degree, having already successfully finished three years.



Bethany was a mother to a wonderful son, Ryan. She loved spending time with him and James. They enjoyed family vacations and just hanging around together. There was nothing more that Bethany loved above her family and friends. She and her best friend, Amelia Dixon, could spend hours talking, laughing and enjoying memories they shared.



Bethany may be gone, but she will never be forgotten. Her beautiful soul may have left her earthly body, but now she is in the heavenly skies soaring above and smiling down upon her family and friends.



She is survived by her husband, James C. Deibler, of Clements, MD; son, Ryan Joseph Deibler, of Lusby, MD; siblings, Ashley Veronica Gilbreath, of Atlantic Beach, FL and Gabriael Ryan Nosek of Mechanicsville, MD; parents, Sharon Ann McElhinney of Mechanicsville, MD, stepfather, Mark Edward Nosek, of Mechanicsville, MD and best friend, Amelia Dixon and many extended family and friends.



The family will receive friends for Bethany's Life Celebration Memorial Service, on Saturday, September 5, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Interment will be private.



Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com



Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
Plans by a Chinese billionaire to build a new city for thousands of Hong Kong residents in Ireland are moving forward as he intends to visit the country in the coming weeks.

Under the plans, up to 15,000 Hong Kongers would relocate to a newly built development called Nextpolis near Dundalk, Co Louth, over the next five years on a 50km sq site, making it the country's fifth largest city. There has been debate over whether the idea would hugely boost the local economy or be dismissed as folly and sci-fi fantasy.

In July, it was revealed Chinese billionaire Ivan Ko, chief executive of the Victoria Harbour Group (VHG), was searching for a site to relocate 500,000 Hong Kong nationals, on an autonomous 500km sq plot in one of six Irish sites.

Mr Ko, who had been in talks with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs before the Covid lockdown, has now scaled this figure back.

The group is attracted by low corporation tax among other reasons.

The proposal suggests a mixture of Hong Kong citizens and Irish living on the site.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ko, whose company is "dedicated to building a new city for the Hong Kong people", sent a representative to Dundalk to speak to Paddy Malone, the town's chamber of commerce spokesman.

The VHG spokesperson told Mr Malone that Dundalk was an area being considered as most favourable and that VHG wants to purchase land within a year, with 15,000 Hong Kongers being moved to Ireland by 2025.

"He said it would be everyone from bosses, to middle management, to operatives. It wouldn't be class or wealth-defined in any shape," said Mr Malone, speaking to Property Week.

Funding was not mentioned but Mr Malone added: "He was talking about putting in a bit of infrastructure, a university, a hospital and light rail."

Mr Ko is set to visit Dundalk at the end of this month. "[He] said expectation is that Ko would be coming to this region.

"That is as far as it went," said Mr Malone.

Dr Esmond Birnie, senior economist at the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre, calculated that: "Given the likelihood the Hong Kong emigres would be qualified, expect some uplift to productivity, so a gain to Republic of Ireland GDP of 2pc is possible."

But some are worried about integration.

Martin McDowell, managing director of Belfast-based Osborne King, said Nextpolis was "a very unusual concept which could be either a fascinating opportunity or a disaster for Ireland".

He added: "Non-integrated immigration is not an attractive option, especially to a country that has struggled to even integrate its own people."

However Mr Malone said that in the meeting with the VHG representative: "It was accepted that whatever came would have to be integrated within the community."
New Delhi :

Cutting down competition as of now to just two fighters - F-16 by Lockheed Martin and Gripen by Saab - Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said India will select one more single engine aircraft other than Tejas for indigenous manufacture under Make in India route.

His making it clear that the aircraft would be single engine means that double engine aircraft like F/A 18 by Boeing and Rafale by Dassault Aviation, both preparing for Indias next round of multi-billion deal for fighters, are out of the race.

Just-retired IAF chief Arup Raha had said India required about 200 medium weight category aircraft besides the 36 Rafale fighters.

Parrikar also made it clear that navy will continue supporting the development of naval version of Tejas but the current one will be just a technology demonstrator. He said that the navy is seeking a double engine aircraft.

ALSO READ: (Indian Defence Year Ender: Military prowess enhanced by Rafale deal, Agni 5's strike capability and LCA's Tejas induction)

He said when India decides to go for a twin-engine fighter to be made here, the government will also consider the Rafale. But as of now there are no plans to procure any additional aircraft, he added.

Talking about the next fighter competition of India, Parrikar said the need for a second production line for single engine aircraft is felt besides the one for Tejas.

The second line of single engine requirement is also felt for which we are thinking of using the strategic partnership route, he said.

The Defence Minister said once the chapter on strategic partnership is finalised this month, his ministry will start moving in the direction of single engine fighter aircraft.

He said by the end of this year, decisions on the next aircraft should be tentatively finished. Parrikar said few of the initial aircraft may come off the shelf by the rest would be made in India increasing the Indian capability in aviation.

He said the process for the next fighter aircraft will include both selection through normal process and government-to-government contract.

Selection of the local partner would be through a transparent and well defined process, he said, adding that capabilities and financial strength would also be looked into.

Once you select the local partner, the OEM obviously will be selected through a process of the way we do it. It means who gives the best offer, Transfer of Technology and many other things and price. There will be weightage to both to both, he said.

Parrikar added that once the company is selected, there will be a government-to-government contract to ensure that the other government stands guarantee to the promises made by the firm in terms of technology transfer and other issues.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Chandni Chowk is all set to change as shoppers will no longer be pushed around in the crowded narrow streets. They will now be able to shop in a relaxed way. One will be spared the agony of honking vehicles as the area will be a non-motorized vehicle zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Chandni Chowk redevelopment and beautification scheme will return the area to its historic glory.

Before the lockdown nearly 7 lakh people, including from from far off places, would visit the market. However, after the lockdown the market has been significantly impacted.

After the full completion of the development work, e-rickshaws will not ply on Chandni Chowk main road. The road will be only for pedestrians. Only the rickshaws registered with the MCD will ply within Chandni Chowk.

Earlier, low-hanging electrical wires and broken pipelines were a usual sight in the area, but no more now. People will only see a tree-lined road.

Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal President Sanjay Bhargava told IANS that Chandni Chowk is going to change completely. The remaining work is expected to be completed by November. The grandiose market will attract more footfalls.

Earlier, people used to experience several problems, but now there will be none. Due to wide roads and absence of cars, people will now be able to visit the market easily.

The market functioned well from December 2018 to January 2020 but the lockdown impacted it. Nearly 60 per cent of the shops have been closed due to the lockdown. But Chandni Chowk will now do brisk business again.

Shopkeepers also believe that due to the beautification of Chandni Chowk, the businesses here will expand. With the availability of metro, people will also be able to spend time here with their families.

Vehicles will be barred entry from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the new road built near the Red Fort. If a vehicle enters a restricted area it will be fined Rs 20,000.

One question on the minds of the people is where will the tourists who come from outside Delhi park their vehicles? For parking of vehicles, four major parking bays are being built around Chandni Chowk. These include Gandhi Maidan, Dangal Maidan, Church Mission and Parade Ground.

There are nearly 700 shops from Red Fort to Fatehpuri mosque. However, overall the number of shops is much more in Chandni Chowk.

Anish Jain, who runs Ashika Collection, told IANS, "There are some brokers in this market who fleece customers and take them to a few shops where they are stakeholders. Customers buy a cheaper product at an expensive price. A broker gets a share of 30 per cent from a specific shop." Rakesh Malhotra, a dealer in bags, told IANS, "Every business in Chandni Chowk will flourish. Now tourists can reach here easily. There will be no overcrowding unlike before. However, we are still considering that all buildings here are painted so that they look more beautiful."
The main focus of government is to further reduce COVID-19 mortality rate, said Medical and Health Department Special Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, he said that the mortality rate in the state is under control and some districts registered fewer deaths in comparison to their past record. Nellore, Chittoor, and Prakasam districts have registered an increase in deaths while Anantapur, Guntur, Krishna, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts witnessed a decline.

Similarly, the number of positive cases has increased by 6.26 percent by registering additional 8,139 cases. While districts Anantapur, Guntur, Krishna, Kurnool, and Vizianagaram witnessed a steady decline of cases, Nellore, Prakasam, and Srikakulam districts registered an increase in the number of cases.

In regard to the sero-surveillance, which was conducted in four districts- Anantapur, East Godavari, Krishna, and Nellore, by testing the presence of IgG Antibodies, it was identified that the prevalence of the virus in 16.7 per cent population of Anantapur district, 14.4 per cent in East Godavari, 21.7 per cent in Krishna, and 8.2 per cent in Nellore. It was also identified that a majority of prevalence was seen in urban areas and equally in non-containment zones.

As far as urban prevalence is considered, it was found that Anantapur has 28.8 per cent of sero-prevalence in urban areas, 19.5 per cent in East Godavari, 35.2 per cent in Krishna, and 13.8 per cent in Nellore.

Jawahar Reddy further said that the sero-surveillance program in the remaining nine districts is also being conducted. He said that the average doubling rate is currently 30 days, while the reproductive rate between August 23 and 29 is at 1.09 per cent. In a span of one week, over 72,000 cases have been registered, which is 56 per cent in rural and 44 per cent in urban areas.

He stated that 96 per cent of the cases are coming from containment zones and only four per cent of the cases are from non-containment zones.

Meanwhile, Reddy has requested the public to be on high alert, especially when there are symptoms like high fever, breathlessness, and oxygen saturation drops below 94. He appealed to the public to contact 104 helpline or local ANM or volunteer either to get shifted to a hospital or home isolation for treatment.

The state government had established control rooms at village level and district level for the convenience of the patients and also enabled telemedicine service through 14410 call centre.

He asserted that the public should take up the responsibility of containing the virus and stressed on using masks, maintaining physical distance, and washing hands at frequent intervals. "The state government is taking up an awareness campaign on the use of masks in partnership with UNICEF in order to contain the spread of the virus."

After the press meet, the Special Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy has inspected the services being rendered for corona patients at Pinnamaneni Siddardha hospital Gannavaram, COVID Care Center at Gudavalli and Vijayawada Government General Hospital. He was accompanied by Medical and Health Department Commissioner Dr Katamanaeni Bhaskar and Krishna district collector A Md. Imtiaz.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 01:20:19|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iran exported a total of 4.79 million tons of goods worth 1.75 billion U.S. dollars to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during the last Iranian calendar year (March 2019-20), Eghtesad Online news website reported on Tuesday.

The figure registered a 133 percent rise in value compared with the preceding year, Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, was quoted as saying.

"Our main export destinations in the CIS region were Russia with 457 million U.S. dollars, Azerbaijan with 429 million U.S. dollars and Armenia with 231 million U.S. dollars," Latifi said.

Iran mainly exported pistachios, liquefied natural gas, kiwis, Portland cement, tomatoes, apples and dates to CIS countries, he said.

Latifi also said that around 1.17 million tons of commodities worth 1.56 billion U.S. dollars were imported from the CIS states in the period under the study, which registered a 10 percent decline year-on-year.

Russia with 1.17 billion U.S. dollars, Uzbekistan with 147 million U.S. dollars and Kazakhstan with 104 million U.S. dollars were the main exporters to Iran among CIS countries, he added.

Major commodities imported into Iran from CIS nations included nuclear reactor parts, barley, sunflower oil, field corn, radio navigation devices and sheep carcasses, he noted. Enditem
FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is asking children to sing softly when they return to class.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Brunswick's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa on July 3, 2020. The New Brunswick government says students up to Grade 8 will be kept in classroom bubbles when school returns, but will be able to interact within their classes without physical distancing. Students will be asked to keep a two-metre distance from anyone outside their class group, and equipment used by multiple groups will be cleaned after each use. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is asking children to sing softly when they return to class.

The province released updated back-to-school rules Tuesday, requiring students up to Grade 8 to be kept in classroom bubbles to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Students will be allowed to interact within the classroom without physical distancing, but they will be required to keep a two-metre distance from anyone while outside their class bubble.

The province's Education Department said Tuesday the decision to keep students in classroom groupings was made to limit contact among children and to help authorities with contact tracing.

Mask-wearing will be required in common areas and on school buses for students in Grade 6 and up, and it will be encouraged for younger students. Masks won't be required inside classrooms.

The government says singing and music classes will be allowed but should take place outdoors as much as possible and students will be asked to sing softly.

Children in kindergarten to Grade 8 will be allowed to share instruments, while students in Grades 9 to 12 must maintain physical distancing and can share instruments only if they're disinfected between each use.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept 1, 2020.
The abrupt departure of a strong and long-serving leader is always a time of both anxiety and hope. The comforts of stability and familiarity are shaken, but there is the potential to right wrongs and breathe new life into the nation. Shinzo Abes unexpected announcement on Friday that he was stepping down after two stints as Japans prime minister, totaling eight and a half years, is just such a moment.

Mr. Abes greatest achievement was to bring stability to a government that had known seven prime ministers in seven years before him, and he used his firm control over the governing Liberal Democratic Party to begin a number of critically needed economic and social reforms. He put in place aggressive expansionary economic policies  referred to as Abenomics  that initially helped propel growth, employment and corporate earnings. He challenged how Japan did business, expanding the participation of women and immigrants in a deeply conservative society and shaking up the nations hidebound boardroom culture.

Mr. Abe advanced the notion that Japan needed to be a normal country by taking more responsibility for its own defense and signing free-trade deals with the European Union and the countries that remained in the Trans-Pacific Partnership after President Trump withdrew the United States. He consistently stressed the need to rein in North Korea. He also somehow managed to be one of the few foreign democratic leaders to maintain something of a rapport with Mr. Trump, thus keeping  in the words of an editorial in The Japan Times  a tempestuous Donald Trump from wreaking too much havoc on the Japan-U.S. relationship.

Yet by the time Mr. Abe stepped down, citing the same chronic disease that curtailed his first short-lived stint as prime minister in 2007, the coronavirus pandemic had largely wiped out the achievements of Abenomics, and his approval ratings were at one of their lowest points since his current term began in December 2012. His efforts to alter Japans deeply entrenched ways had made only a partial dent.
The Labour Court has thrown out a claim by construction workers at the Intel site in Leixlip centred around parking and an extended working day after managers said it would cost an "unsustainable" 55m.

Currently a number of large companies and contractors are developing manufacturing space and support buildings for Intel in a project that will require up to 6,000 construction workers on site at its peak.

In their claim on behalf of the construction workers, the Construction Industry Committee of ICTU was seeking compensation for a longer day as a result of their members' on-site parking arrangements being altered.

Right now, there are close to 2,500 construction workers on site. A spokeswoman for Intel stated that when the project is complete it will mean an extra estimated 1,600 full time permanent jobs for Intel in additional to the 4,500 now working at the campus.

ICTU was seeking the court to recommend that workers on the site be compensated as a result of this extended working day.

However, the companies, Ardmac, BAM, Mercury Engineering, Jones Engineering, HA O'Neill, Hegarty, Suir Engineering and Beckett Plastering stated that the cost of the claim before the court is conservatively estimated at 55 million which is unsustainable. The companies stated "in any event each worker on site already receives daily travel time or allowance payments".

The employers stated that those workers affected by the changed parking arrangements in 2019 were offered the opportunity to return to parking on-site and the majority of workers affected are, since early 2020, now parking on-site. The employers stated that some workers chose not to return and to avail of other car parks.

Chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Foley stated that the 226 workers who were on site in July 2019 had been offered a return to free parking on the site by March 2020. He stated: "In the meantime, they had been provided with free parking at an alternative location and free transport from there to the site."

Mr Foley stated the workers concerned receive a travel allowance."Taking account of all of the facts surrounding this matter the court cannot find a basis for concession of the trade union claim or recommend further engagement," he said.
The Army has named a four-star general to launch a new investigation into how leaders at Fort Hood handled Vanessa Guillen's reports of sexual harassment, her disappearance and death.

The embattled base in Killeen, Texas came under scrutiny when the 20-year-old specialist vanished in April after she told her family she was being sexually harassed by a superior. Her remains were found buried and dismembered two months later.

This year alone 23 soldiers have died at the base with at least five of those deaths linked to foul play.

General John Murray, the head of the Armys Futures Command, will conduct the new investigation into the base that's already undergoing an independent review issued by the Army.

Hes slated to arrive at Fort Hood in two to three weeks, according to CBS News.

The Army has named four-star general John Murray to launch a new investigation into how leaders at Fort Hood handled Vanessa Guillens reports of sexual harassment, her disappearance and death. Hes slated to arrive at Fort Hood in two to three weeks

The embattled base in Killeen, Texas came under scrutiny when the 20-year-old specialist vanished in April after she told her family she was being sexually harassed by a superior. Her remains were found buried and dismembered two months later

He is senior to all the generals in the chain of command at Fort Hood meaning he has the authority to recommend disciplinary action against them.

'There are currently several investigations underway at Fort Hood which are tasked with reviewing a wide range of topics and concerns,' the Army said in a press release.

'Gen. Murray will roll those efforts into a more complete and comprehensive investigation that will delve into all activities and levels of leadership,' the Army added.

The investigation was announced on Tuesday, the same day the Army announced Fort Hood commander Major General Scott Efflandt was removed from his post.

The probe will assess Efflandts actions. He will remain at Fort Hood until the investigation is completed.

The Army now says hell no longer take command of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss as previously planned.

A new commander will be named for the 1st Armored Division in the coming days.

Major General Scott Efflandt has been removed from his post following the deaths of at least 23 soldiers connected to the troubled army base, the Army announced Tuesday

Last week, the body of Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, (left) was discovered after he went missing back on August 17. Fort Hood soldier, Pfc. Gregory Morales, right was reported missing from the base a year ago on August 20, 2019. The 24-year-old's remains were found on June 21 in a field in Killeen

Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, of Pensacola, Florida was found dead July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, around 15 miles from the Fort Hood base

Timeline of Fort Hood disappearances/deaths February 1, 2020: PVT Eric Christopher Hogan and PFC Anthony Nevelle Peak Jr. die in a car crash March 1, 2020: SPC Shelby Tyler Jones is shot dead at a convenience store in Killeen March 5, 2020: Spc. Christopher Wayne Sawyer found dead at his home. Foul play is not suspected. March 14, 2020: SPC Freddy Beningo Delacruz Jr. is killed in a triple murder March 23, 2020: Fort Hood soldier Spc. Jovino Jamel Roy, 22, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting former Fort Hood soldier Michael Steven Wardrobe, 22 April 22, 2020: Vanessa Guillen goes missing and is last seen in the parking lot of the base. She disappeared after telling her family she was being sexually harassed by a sergeant on the base. May 18, 2020: Body of Army Pfc. Brandon S. Rosecrans, 27, was discovered with gunshot wounds and his Jeep was found three miles away engulfed in flames. June 19, 2020: Search teams discover the corpse of missing soldier Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales following a tip to Army base investigators. Remains were found in a field in Killeen, just over 10 miles from Stillhouse Hollow Lake, five miles from Fort Hood. July 1, 2020: First parts of Giullen's remains found about 20 miles east of Fort Hood. Spc. Aaron Robinson, 20, kills himself. Officials say he killed and dismembered Guillen and had the remains disposed of. July 17, 2020: Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, of Pensacola, Florida was found dead July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, around 15 miles from the Fort Hood base. August 2, 2020: The body of Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, is recovered from Stillhouse Hollow Lake following boating incident not far from where Morta was found. August 12, 2020: Spc. Cole Jakob Aton, 22, of Kentucky died after he was hit by a car as he was assisting a minor accident scene August 13, 2020: National Guard soldier, Sgt Bradley Moore dies during a training exercise at the base August 19, 2020: Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, is reported missing after he was last seen on August 17. August 25, 2020: The body of Fernandes is believed to have been found about 30 miles from Fort Hood

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The commanding general of US Army Forces Command, Gen. Michael Garrett, has directed Maj. Gen. John Richardson IV to formally assume the role of acting commander at Fort Hood from Wednesday, an Army statement read.

The decision comes following a string of 23 tragedies and deaths, according to CNN.

According to officials, the deaths include seven off-duty accidents, seven suicides, one combat-related death, four homicides, one of which was on the base, two of natural causes, one that was undetermined pending an autopsy, and one drowning.

Fort Hood is home to 36,500 soldiers.

Guillen disappeared on April 22 after telling family members that she was sexually harassed by her superiors on two different occasions.

A Fort Hood investigation couldnt corroborate her claims that she was sexually assaulted on the base.

Her remains were found on June 30 and July 1. Her suspected killer was fellow soldier Specialist Aaron Robinson who died by suicide when officers moved into arrest him on July 1.

A criminal complaint released the following day revealed Robinsons girlfriend Cecily Ann Aguilar, 22, told investigators Robinson killed Guillen by hitting her in the head with a hammer.

The girlfriend and Robinson then dismembered her body and disposed of it near a river.

An attorney for Guillens family claim Robinson also harassed Guillen.

Murrays investigation is separate from an independent review of Fort Hoods command climate ordered by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy that began in August.

He said in a visit to the base last month that Fort Hood has one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army.

The most recent death was Fort Hood soldier Sgt. Elder Fernandes.

Fernandes, 23, was reported missing on August 19.

Killeen police said he had not been seen since August 17 when his staff sergeant dropped him off at home. His body was found a week later on August 25.

Fernandes was found 30 miles from the Texas base where he was stationed, police said last month.

Fort Hood public affairs officer Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam later confirmed Fernandes had reported sexual abuse before his disappearance and was transferred to another unit, 'to ensure he received the proper care and ensure there were no opportunities for reprisals.'

Khawam, a lawyer representing the family of Vanessa Guillen, and now the Fernandes family, told ABC News that Elder got 'very, very depressed' after being sexually harassed.

Other soldiers to have died this year include: Pvt. Mejhor Morta; Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas; Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans; Spc. Freddy Delacruz Jr; Spc. Christopher Wayne Sawyer; and Spc. Shelby Tyler Jones.
Jawhar Sircar By

Onam, which bids farewell, is much more than a festival of joy, for it represents the core of the great reconciliatory heart of Hinduism. Most such celebrations recall the victory of a great God or Goddess over dark forces, personified usually by a demonic Asura. The Ramayana marks the destruction of a Rakshasa while the Durga Puja emphasises Devis triumph over Mahishasura.

Where killing Asuras is concerned, it is little Balagopala who gets the prize for the maximum numberfrom Putana to terrible Asuras like the whirlwind Trinavarta, the crane Bakasura, the serpent Aghasura, the ferocious bat Vyomasura, Keshi the horse and more. As an adult, he slew Narakasura as well. The point is, the Asura is invariably portrayed as an evil that engages the divinity in a mortal combat and the latter has to really struggle to overpower him. The only approved memory we are programmed to carry is hatred for the defeated demon. Not so in Kerala.

Though Mahabali came from an impeccable Asura lineage, he just does not fit into such an antagonistic bracket. True, his great grandfather Hiranyakashipu was a terror until he was vanquished by Narasimhama, but his grandfather Prahlada was a Vishnu-worshipping Asurathough he too suffered because of the jealousy of the Gods. According to the Kedara Kanda of the Skanda Purana, reiterated by Krishna in the Mahabharata, Prahladas son and Mahabalis very generous father, Virochana, was tricked by Indra disguised as a Brahman into offering his own head. We need not repeat how the wise and just king of Kerala, Mahabali, was also artfully led by Vishnu, dressed as a Vamana and pushed into the netherworld.

What emerges from these tales is that the Asuras had enviable skills and strength and when threatened, the Gods often resorted to subterfuge to win. But it is only in Kerala that Karma visits, because the people celebrate the victimthe annual return of their virtuous king Mahabali, not Vishnus overlordship over him. This does not make Malayalis any less Hindu. An attempt was made some four years to mainstream Onam, whatever that means, by suggesting that it be observed as Vamana Jayanthi. This proposal was met with popular anger and roundly rejected by Kerala. The homogenisers of Hinduism are still wondering what went wrong.

Numerous researchers, European and Indian, have grappled with the origins and significance of Asuras, Rakshasas, Danavas and related folk. Many scholars have indicated that the term Asura and his usual portrayal as a dark creature with a fearsome moustache reflected the prejudices of the fairer section in Aryavarta for the indigenous people of India. In his comprehensive coverage, Early Indians, Tony Joseph has established with convincing evidence that the more ancient layers of Indians had created their own advanced civilisations before Sanskrit speakers began to hegemonise. Texts have often attempted to erase the Asuras boundaries with the Devas by describing them as the descendants of Kashyap, one of the progenitors of all living beings, through two of his wives, the sisters Aditi and Diti.

It would perhaps be more appropriate to view Asuras as a genetic description covering all who differed with the narrative of the heartland. The mighty opponents among them were immortalised in tales that celebrated their defeat at the hands of Devas. In modern India, where casteism is still rampant in spite of constitutional prohibition and legal deterrents, long-suffering Dalits and subaltern groups have begun to celebrate or deify Asuras, Rakshasas and other anti-heroes of Hindu lore. Decades ago, Periyar had attacked the Ramayana and upheld Ravana as the hero and now some Dravidian groups are bent on valourising Narakasura who was vanquished by Krishna. Ravana has, incidentally, been worshipped for ages by certain traditional groups in Mandsaur, Gadchiroli, Bisrakh, Kangra, Mandya, Kakinada, Kolar and even Jodhpur. Mahishasuras festival in JNU shocked the education minister a few years ago, but then he has also become the epicentre of a counter culture even in some localities of Durga-worshipping Bengal.

Though symbolic, the message is clear and it is time to recall that it was the spirit of accommodation that had brought together so many different, widely varying and contesting communities in India. The process stretched over several centuries; patience and tolerance were its virtues. Once a definite triad of Vishnu, Shiva and Devi emerged as supreme by the first millennium, Hinduism went through massive mergers and acquisitions. Regional, local and minor deities were subsumed quite flexibly into one of the three, but their original autonomy was protected. These autochthonous deities were explained as avatars or roopas of the primary three, aided adroitly by sahasranamams. Care was taken to install safety valves like ensuring a position for the original non-Brahmin priests and by re-enacting ancient customs in temples and festivals.

In the absence of a Vatican or a single holy book, unity was achieved by respecting diversity, and a series of unwritten pacts were created through myths. These adjustments with local deities and beliefs, pax deorum, formed the building blocks of Hinduism. Incidentally, the most effective mass-based regional treaties that unite a whole people are seen in Kerala during Onam, and in Odisha. There, the wooden stump worshipped by the tribals was elevated and accepted as the highest god of the universe, Jagannath.Standardisation is antithetical to this spirit and Onam reminds us of the efficaciousness of contrariety.

Jawhar Sircar

Retired civil servant. Former Culture Secretary and ex-CEO, Prasar Bharati

(Tweets @jawharsircar)
Senator Olivier Jacquin expressed his concerns over the costs for France with regard to the teleworking agreement for cross-border workers.

The agreement was recently extended to allow cross-border workers to continue working from home until the end of the year, but the news has not been welcomed by all. The Meurthe-et-Moselle senator deplored the fiscal losses for France which would be caused by the extension.

Although it is certainly a relief for cross-border workers, Jacquin said the agreement had few advantages for France, instead giving money back to Luxembourg rather than compensating the country of residence.

The senator is campaigning for the establishment of tax compensation for Luxembourg in exchange for an increase in the number of days of working from home. In July he said he was in favour of increasing tax thresholds on the condition that the tax agreement between Luxembourg and France allowed for French compensation.

Photo tiree de la page Facebook du senateur francais Olivier Jacquin.

The agreement in question is valid until 31 December 2020 and allows cross-border workers to carry out their roles from home without being taxed in France or undergoing social security changes. The current text, validated by French and Luxembourgish authorities, goes well beyond what was negotiated by the two governments in 2018.

Prior to the pandemic, French border workers who spent more than 29 days a year working outside of the Grand Duchy would be taxed in their country of residence, and switched to the French social security system if they worked more than 25% of their annual working time (around 50 days) outside of Luxembourg. Currently, both these rules are suspended due to the health crisis.

Jacquin said he was glad cross-border workers could work from home during the global crisis, but said he regretted the loss of income tax to France in the process, particularly for certain income brackets. Although French negotiators tabled the suggestion, it was not adopted as part of the final agreement.

The senator said he hoped the issue of teleworking and the taxation of cross-border commuters would be addressed at the Franco-Luxembourg intergovernmental conference scheduled in the autumn.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to stay at this stage streaming of Netflix movie 'Gunjan Saxena  The Kargil Girl', on the Centre's plea that it depicts the Indian Air Force (IAF) in bad light.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the Centre as to why it did not approach the court before release of the movie on Over The Top (OTT) platform, and said an injunction cannot be granted now as the film is already streaming.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the Centre, said the movie has dented the image of the IAF as it showed that the force is gender biased, which is not correct.

The high court sought response of Dharma Productions Private Limited, which produced the film, and Netflix on the Centre's plea to stop streaming of the movie.

The court said it was of the view that former Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena should also be made a party to the suit and issued notice to her, seeking her response.

The movie was released on OTT platform on August 12.
TDT | Manama

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, along with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, met yesterday with the US Presidents senior advisor Jared Kushner and an accompanying delegation at Safriya Palace.

During the meeting, HM the King highlighted the historic ties between the Kingdom and the US, which span more than 120 years of diplomatic relations and more than 75 years of military cooperation. HM King Hamad emphasised the strength of bilateral relations, noting their continued progress in many fields, supported by a joint commitment to deepening ties to benefit the interests of both countries and the security and stability of the Arabian Gulf.

HM the King welcomed Kushners visit to the Kingdom and noted the US Administrations significant efforts to support peace and stability in the region. HM King Hamad further emphasised that GCC solidarity and stability depend, on all issues, on Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; affirming Bahrains unwavering support to its brotherly Kingdom in achieving further regional prosperity and stability.

HM, the King also highlighted the UAEs historic and continued efforts to support the interests and causes of Arab and Islamic nations, and their determined endeavours to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the Palestinian people their legitimate rights and lasting peace in the region. HM the King conveyed his greetings to US President Donald J Trump and wished the US further success and prosperity.
South Africa: Minister Pandor to lead SA at G20 meeting

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor is set to lead South Africas delegation to the extraordinary G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.

The virtual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 3 September 2020.

As was the case following the global financial crisis in 2008 and in line with the G20s historical role of finding solutions to the globes most pressing challenges, the world will be looking to the G20 countries to lead and coordinate international efforts to counter the human and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

At their Extraordinary Summit on COVID-19 held in March 2020, G20 leaders tasked the relevant officials to coordinate closely in support of the global efforts to counter the pandemics impacts. This includes proportionate border management measures in accordance with national regulations and providing assistance where necessary to repatriate citizens.

While border management is an essential element of national sovereignty, enhanced international coordination in the implementation, monitoring and phasing out of cross-border measures in the future will amplify their impact and minimise disruptions on people and trade.

In this regard, the Saudi Presidency has called a meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers to assess lessons learned and to draw collective experiences for dealing with future pandemics, said DIRCO on Wednesday.

It is expected that the G20 Foreign Ministers will, among other things, exchange national experiences and discuss lessons learned from the cross-border management measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also expected that ministers will enhance G20 coordination and possible areas of future cooperation, including the repatriation of nationals and treatment of third-country nationals; and consider possible ways to reinforce the overall preparedness framework for cross-border measures.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi and senior government officials, will join Pandor in the meeting.

The meeting, which will take place under the theme, 'Strengthening International Cooperation across Borders', has been called by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, current President of the G20.

The meeting is set to get underway at 2pm, South African time.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi governments tree officer to check on 24 old trees in Chandni Chowk area and, together with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, formulate a plan to restore them and save them from further damage of any kind.

The corporation Wednesday submitted an affidavit listing the old trees in Dariba Kalan, Urdu Bazaar, Jama Masjid and Jagat Cinema areas on the courts earlier directions, issued while hearing a plea to restore an approximately 300-year-old tree in Nai Sadak area of Chandni Chowk.

On August 6, Nai Sadak resident Nitin Gupta had filed a plea, through advocate RK Kapoor, about the unauthorised construction taking place in the area that was hampering the tree.

While hearing his petition, justice Najmi Waziri had said it cannot be denied that in the Walled City, especially in the densely populated and heavily built-up area of Chandni Chowk, there are hardly any trees. Therefore, each tree in that neighbourhood is valuable and would need protection, he said.He had then asked the tree officer and the north corporation to jointly carry out a tree census in the Walled City.

On Wednesday, the civic body in its affidavit said that it has identified the trees and work has started to remove the concrete from around their trunk base.

Advocate Ajay Arora, the standing counsel of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said in some places, the work to remove the concrete could not be carried out because of lack of space and, in one case, the danger posed to a house as the tree is abutting the foundation of that house. He also informed the court that at six places, people have constructed temples near the base of the tree and so the matter has been referred to the religious committee of the Delhi government for necessary action.

He also said some of the trees fall in the jurisdiction of the public works department(PWD) and the PWD has already completed the concrete removal work.

Following this, Waziri directed that the tree officer visit each tree and guide the corporation on the measures needed to restore and safeguard each tree.

Waziri also pulled up the Delhi government for its failure to protect the 300-year-old banyan tree in Nai Sadak, which has been damaged due to the illegal construction.

The Delhi government then detailed the action taken to remove cement and girders from around the tree, which is believed to have been standing since before the British rule in India.

Advocate Gautam Narayan, the additional standing counsel of the Delhi government, said a large number of its roots have been damaged and, perhaps, are now dead for want of oxygen and moisture. But due to a high regenerative potential of the root system, the tree could develop new roots once the concrete around its base is removed and replaced with good alluvial soil or sandy loam. To prevent the attack of termites, due to presence of dead and decaying roots, and also to prevent the onset of pests (root borer) and pathogens (soil-borne fungi and bacteria), 1% neem cake will be added to the roots.

However, the court was unhappy that the upper girders, which were stifling the tree branches, are yet to be removed. The judge said action should be taken against the outgoing tree officer for not acting on the complaint given by area resident Kushmakar Rastogi in January.

We are talking about a treasure, a living creature. How can you not act on the complaint given by Rastogi in January, rather you had given him a date in August, Waziri said while adding, Take action against the officer. You cant keep on cutting trees because of the incompetence of officers.

Advocate Narayan told the court that the current tree officer had taken charge only recently and is trying to learn the ropes. He ensured the court that the remaining girders will be removed forthwith. Following this, the court asked the tree officer to visit the tree and see that there is no further construction happening around it.The matter would be now heard on September 15.

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The Asthma Society of Ireland has welcomed the extension of the smoky coal ban to 13 new towns in Ireland. Last December it was announced that the smoky coal ban was being extended and this ban came into effect this month.

The affected areas which will no longer be able to burn smoky coal are:

Cobh, Middleton, and Mallow, Co. Cork

Killarney in Co. Kerry,

Longford Town, Co. Longford,

Castlebar and Ballina, Co. Mayo,

Ashbourne and Laytown Bettystown, Co. Meath,

Tullamore, Co. Offaly,

Tramore, Co. Waterford

Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

Despite this move there are growing calls for the Government to go further and move toward a ban on all smoky fuels for the benefit of our collective health and the environment.

This recommendation is informed by a report by University College Cork (UCC)s Environmental Law Clinic, conducted in response to legal concerns expressed by former Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton, which delayed the expansion of the smoky coal ban nationwide.

All smoky fuels produce harmful pollutants, which not only contaminate the climate but can have a potentially lethal effect on our health. Researchers took legislation, health, climate, competition and social justice into consideration. Having compared the possible outcomes of implementing a smoky coal ban, a smoky fuel ban or low smoke zones across a number of areas, the UCC report recommends that implementing a nationwide smoky fuel ban in Ireland is the most robust option at this time.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 1,180 people die prematurely per annum in Ireland from air pollution. Air pollution costs the Irish State an estimated 2 billion annually when the pressure placed on the healthcare system and days missed from work are taken into consideration.

While improving emissions is a concern for the Irish Government, the Asthma Society hopes that more radical steps will be taken to improve our air quality for the benefit of all.

Air pollution has also been proven to cause asthma in children, specifically Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), which is commonly sourced from traffic emissions and emission from solid fuel burning. Globally, four million new cases of asthma in young children are, on estimate, attributed to NO2 emissions. Efforts to reduce NO2 levels could substantially reduce new asthma cases in children.

Emily Blennerhassett, interim CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said: Currently in Ireland, 380,000 people have asthma and 890,000 people will suffer from the condition at some stage of their lives. Air pollution can severely impact their quality of life by triggering asthma symptoms while studies have shown that air pollution can cause asthma in young children.

"Reducing air pollution can save lives and better the quality of life for someone with asthma. Restrictions and measures implemented to combat the coronavirus have led to a drastic reduction in NO2 and Particulate Matter (PM) levels in April 2020, resulting in 11,000 avoided deaths from air pollution in EU countries and an estimated 35 fewer deaths in Ireland alone.

"Other avoided health impacts include 1.3 million fewer days of work absence, 6,000 fewer new cases of asthma in children, 1,900 avoided emergency room visits due to asthma attacks and 600 fewer preterm births.

"The fight against air pollution has been a key aspect of our work for a number of years. There is a need for it to be discussed not only as a climate issue, but as a health issue. While responsibility for policy, planning and the legislative framework in relation to these issues rest with other Government departments still, the Department of Health has an important role to play in the delivery of clean air for the benefit of health.

"A move towards a ban on the use of smoky fuels would positively impact not just people living with respiratory conditions such as asthma, but also the health of the general public," Ms Blennerhassett added.

In a bid to raise awareness of air pollution as a health issue, the Asthma Society has engaged with several Oireachtas members to brief them on the reports findings of the UCCs Environmental Law Clinic report and to outline the negative effects of air pollution on people with asthma.

The Asthma Society want to ensure that those who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty and health implications are taken into consideration through a just transition away from smoky coal and smoky fuels. This transition could be difficult for those living in homes heated by solid fuels. Retrofitting plans laid out in the Programme for Government can help support these houses who would have a high regular exposure to harmful emissions.

Prof. Owen McIntyre, a professor at the School of Law in University College Cork, said of the recommendations: A seriously considered nationwide prohibition on all smoky solid fuels, appropriately designed to protect human health, would give rise to few problems of consistency with the requirements of EU law. Such a measure would also make a significant contribution to the reduction of Irelands greenhouse gas emissions.

"To avoid risk of exacerbating fuel poverty, the UCC study suggests that the move should be introduced in tandem with a package of just transition measures to benefit those dependent on smoky solid fuels for domestic heating and those employed in related industries. Such social safeguards would be entirely consistent with the EU law requirement that a measure potentially impacting the internal market should be part of a seriously considered policy.

The Regulation of Smoky Fuels in Ireland: Assessing Options for Reform report and political briefing are available to view on www.asthma.ie/smoky-fuels.
Relatives of Damian Lamar Daniels said the decorated military veteran had never suffered a mental health crisis before last week, when the former Army sergeant was so overcome by paranoia that his brother called the American Red Cross for help.

The Red Cross called the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. The tragic outcome on Aug. 25  another Black man shot to death by law enforcement  has sparked further complaints over police use of force.

Losing a loved one is traumatic, Annette Watkins, Damians mother, said in a statement. To see a loved one who is in clear crisis, be senselessly murdered, after serving his country, is unbearable. We pleaded for help. They gave us death.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

Philadelphia-based civil rights attorney Lee Merritt on Tuesday called for the sheriffs office to release body camera footage of the incident, as well as the name of the deputy who killed Daniels with two gunshots. A week after the shooting, the sheriffs office still had not released an incident report.

Merritt, Watkins and her two surviving sons met Tuesday with District Attorney Joe Gonzales to discuss the shooting. Gonzales told them that the sheriffs office still was investigating and had not yet filed its case for prosecutorial review.

Mental health is a crisis that needs to be addressed by people outside the criminal justice system, Gonzales said in a statement. We hope to be able to provide answers to the family of Mr. Daniels once we have received and reviewed this shooting and have presented it to a Grand Jury.

The sheriffs office received four calls in a 24-hour period that Daniels, 30, was in mental distress. Although the veteran had recently lost two family members, he was not suicidal and had not been diagnosed with any disorder, Merritt said.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

This was his first mental health crisis, the attorney said. His family noticed that he had begun to hallucinate, his conversations seemed to border paranoia.

Daniels brother, Brennan, called the Red Cross for help, Merritt said.

They were particularly concerned that law enforcement was not the appropriate agency to respond, that we needed medical health professionals, people who can encounter this scene without unreasonably fearing for their lives, Merritt said. But the American Red Cross contacted the sheriffs office.

Despite access to clinicians at the Center for Health Care Services and a mental health unit of 14 deputies trained to interact with the mentally ill, the sheriffs office tapped none of those resources. Instead, three patrol deputies  one of them a trainee in her fourth day on the job  responded to Daniels home on Liberty Field street outside Loop 1604 on the far West Side.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

The deputies spent 30 minutes on his front porch talking to the veteran, who was carrying a firearm under his shirt. Eventually, the deputies deemed that Daniels was a danger to himself or others and tried to detain him for mental health treatment, Sheriff Javier Salazar said last week.

What complicated the situation here is he was armed and did not intend to come along easily by the looks of what Ive seen on the (body camera) video, Salazar said. And so they attempted to disarm him.

Salazar told reporters that a deputy reached for Daniels arm, but they werent able to bring him under control. By a certain point, they were wrestling over a deputys Taser. And then they tried Tasing him several times. And the Taser just did not have a measurable effect on him.

At a certain point, (Daniels) gained control of his (own gun), Salazar continued. It was within his shirt. Its through a very thin piece of material. And I believe he could have very easily manipulated toward that trigger and fired while those deputies fought him.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

One of the deputies  a 52-year-old, 14-year veteran of the sheriffs office  then fired the two fatal shots.

Salazar said the deputies did a good job handling the call. But Merritt blasted their tactics.

The failure to comply to a lawful police officer command when they are there for a wellness check should not be a death sentence, the attorney said.

Their actions didnt represent best practices for dealing with someone in a mental health crisis, Merritt continued. Start with the fact that a Taser was deployed. Tasers have been proven to be particularly ineffective to someone in a mental health crisis. It agitates. It escalates the situation.

It was clear that he did not want to go, he said, and at that point their job was to deescalate.

Daniels family members declined any further comment.

Staff Sgt. Keith Patterson recalled serving with Daniels in Afghanistan from May 2012 to February 2013. They went out on 100 or so supply missions to forward operating bases along narrow one-lane roads, sometimes unpaved, under constant risk of roadside bombs or ambushes.

The bombs, called improvised explosive devices  or IEDs  were a big issue.

It was one of our briefs we got every time we rode outside the wire, said Patterson, 29, of Little Rock, Ark. Potential IED threats, locations where they might potentially be. One mission we actually had to sit and wait for route clearance because of IED.

Soldiers didnt sleep well before a mission, but Patterson remembered Daniels, a motor transportation specialist, as kind and jovial, often armed with a goofy smile.

He was the most gentle soul youll ever meet, even in theater, he recalled. He was sweet and humble, always had a smile on his face. Even when we ran missions, and many of those missions were late at night, he was always smiling. Everybody else was groggy, tired, and hes smiling and laughing.

They were stationed at Forward Operating Base Andera, near the town of Ghazni in southeastern Afghanistan.

Patterson, a 10-year Army veteran who is now a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Daniels didnt seem bothered by the violence.

I think we all handled it the same way, and thats for each other. It was times we would come back from missions and our living quarters were hit by mortars  and all we would do is laugh about it, he said.

It was the first of two tours of the war zone for Daniels, who earned a Combat Action Badge. His active-duty service lasted from July 2010 to March 2016 and he left the Army Reserve at the end of 2017.

Patterson said he stayed in touch, not as much as I should have, and there was no hint of trouble when they talked earlier this year. His friend spoke of buying a home for his mother, and sounded like the same old Daniels, cheery, he said.

One of our friends, he talked to Daniels probably a week before the incident and he told me that Daniels was pretty much stressed out from losing his relatives. He was taking it kind of hard, Patterson said, adding he didnt know the details.

Patterson posted a tearful video on Facebook this week, remembering his buddy and excoriating Bexar County sheriffs deputies for the shooting, saying it could have been avoided.

I dont know if there was supposed to be a show of force or to forcefully get him help, I dont know what they were thinking, Patterson said. If somebodys attacking you and you dont even know whats going on, youre going to try to defend yourself.

Protesters outside of the Bexar County Courthouse on Tuesday said the sheriffs office should have sent in a trained mental health expert.

There should have been at least one mental professional there during the crisis, someone who is trained and knows how to deescalate people who are in a mental health crisis, said Lexi Qaiyyim, 25.

Valerie Reiffert, 32, agreed.

He was in a mental health crisis, and it should not have ended up with his death, she said. He was going through a crisis, he was a veteran, he had lost two family members. I dont understand how quickly it can go from empathy to wrestling to death. I dont understand why that has to happen.
Sandie Crisp (AKA The Goddess Bunny) is a Los Angeles drag queen, actress, and model. Transgender and born with polio, she labels herself as the last glamor star of Hollywood and has been an inspiration to many to never give up no matter the odds. In 2020 Crisp announced her candidacy for President of the United States under the platform of uniting the country again.

Where did the name Goddess Bunny come from?

In 1986 I won a contest in West Hollywood that deemed me a Goddess. People just started calling me Goddess Bunny and it just stuck.

You've conquered LA as a star, what does the city mean to you?

Los Angeles is my home. If you don't show respect for the home that you live in you'll never be able to carve out the rest of your life.

You've defied the odds for misfits and punks everywhere and proved that you can accomplish anything no matter the obstacle, what advice do you give the ones who look up to you?

I am the original rebel and I will never be put in a box. Just because I was born a certain way doesn't mean I have to follow suit with that brand. Nobody has to follow suit in how they are born and the obstacles they go through. I'm the queen of the underground. I just don't take bullshit. When we are born we are taught a lot of things and the first thing we are taught is how to communicate. We need to start using our communication skills a lot more intelligently so things won't be as screwed up as they are. That's why I'm running for president.

So you are running for President in 2020?

Yes, it's a write-in campaign. Basically, when you go vote you write my name in, Sandie Crisp. Now, of course, the country doesn't know about this but if I get 65% of the young people to write my name in I think we have a good shot. This way the media won't see me coming! Now that Kanye West has shot himself in the foot it's time to boost up my campaign.

And you ran for mayor of Inglewood in 2014? What did you learn from that election that you can take into this one?

Let me speak this in as plain of English as possible. Every American, every visitor from other countries, are going to be treated as human beings when I'm president. I don't care what color their skin is, I don't care what language they speak. I will equal out the pay for men and women, women will make the same amount as men for doing the same job. All the programs that Donald Trump closed I am going to open back up. I want to sit in congress and discuss it with them. We are working for this country, I don't care what house you're in, we are to be a fine-tuned machine. You are either with the people or you're out of here!

I think congress needs a women like you to shake some shit up!

They will look at me and go, "Where in God's name did this person come from?" It's about time we have someone like me in charge! When I'm in the White House all my children are coming to live with me!

How do you think you will connect with the people?

I've lived all around the USA since the day I was born. I'm all-American honey. I will lower all your rents, you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Once I'm in office I will end this racial divide. When I do my address to the nation I will let everyone know there's a new sheriff in town!

How would you handle the ongoing police brutality in this country?

They would be instantly stripped of their badge and put in jail. Police are just the school yard bullies all grown up. I would make it really bad for them by putting them in the gay tank too. You ever seen a straight man in a room full of drag queens? They get pretty scared real quick!

What does your vision of the future look like?

I want the United States to be like when I grew up, we didn't have bars on our windows. We knew our neighbors, our neighbors were there for us when something bad happened. We need to start getting close to our neighbors. Let's make friends with all the people around us for God's sake!

You'd certainly be like no other president this country has ever seen.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden's minds are fuckin wasted dude. Yes, I'm in a wheelchair, yes I might need someone to wipe my ass when I go to the bathroom, but I'll tell you what, we had a disabled president before!

You're referring to Franklin D Roosevelt?

Bingo! The same disability I have which is Polo. If he could run this country then so could I!

Do you have a campaign slogan?

"This is our country, we made it together, so let's live together as one."

Image of Goddess Bunny: By Rick Hall  Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3172449

Image of White House: By AgnosticPreachersKid  Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4119836
As millions of Virginia students and educators begin an unprecedented school year altered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, First Lady Pamela Northam will make socially distanced and virtual visits to child care classrooms, family day homes, Head Start programs, elementary schools, and other providers that serve the Commonwealths most vulnerable children and families.

Monday afternoon, she visited Oak Point Elementary School students during a Google Meets session with Mark Merz's pre-k class.

Northam, who's previously visited the school and read to Merz's class in recent years, said she was pleased to see how engaged this years students were in a virtual setting.

While participating in the virtual session, Northam interacted with the children, sang songs with them and doted on how smart they already were.

The tour includes each of the commonwealths eight superintendent regions, starting with Region 7 on August 31 and September 1. Throughout the tour, the First Lady will highlight the importance of school readiness and the need to expand access to quality early learning. As the First Lady visits classrooms across Virginia, she will thank educators and deliver hand sanitizer, masks, and books donated by bbgb books, an independent childrens bookshop in Richmond.

The beginning of a new school year is usually an exciting time of year for parents, teachers, and students, but challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have made this school year like no other, First Lady Northam said. I continue to be impressed with the extraordinary efforts of our educators to keep children safe, connected, and learning. Quality early learning and child care programs are a launchpad to success for our youngest Virginians, and now more than ever, we must ensure every child in the Commonwealth has the opportunity to build a strong foundation.

Over the past two school years, the First Lady and staff have traveled over 5,000 miles, making more than 80 different stops and engaging with educators, parents, students, legislators, and local leaders from the non-profit and business communities. These tours have informed the administrations early childhood education policy, including transformational legislation during the 2020 General Assembly session that builds a foundation for Virginia to expand access to quality early learning opportunities to more children than ever before.

This pandemic has shined a bright light on just how important quality, affordable early learning and child care programs are for our children, our families, and our economy, said Governor Ralph Northam. Educators across the Commonwealth are adapting to the challenges brought on by this public health crisis and serving our youngest learners heroically. Even in these difficult times, our administration remains committed to doing all we can to close readiness gaps, support the most vulnerable Virginians, and continue building a stronger, more equitable early childhood education system.

Since April, the Virginia Department of Educationand Department of Social Serviceshave made more than $80 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding available to support child care providers and essential personnel, and increase access to early childhood education programs for children with academic and social-emotional needs. The Governors introduced budget for Special Session includes additional support for children 0-12 affected by disruptions in the child care and education landscape.

Childcare providers in Southwest Virginia play a pivotal role in the economy, making sure parents can work while their children are cared for in a high-quality learning environment, said Travis Staton, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia. Across Southwest Virginia, the unsung heroes of the health crisis are those providers who have remained open in order to make sure essential workers can serve in their professional roles.

During First Lady Northam's visit to Oak Point, Smyth County Schools Superintendent Dennis Carter told her of the collaborative efforts of the school district, United Way, Mount Rogers Community Services and the board of supervisors to help provide childcare for children of working parents.

Northam's tour will continue with stops through the commonwealth each week through September.
Seattle, Sep 2 : To combat the spread of disinformation, Microsoft has unveiled a new tool that will spot deepfakes or synthetic media which are photos, videos or audio files manipulated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) which are very hard to identify if false or not.

The tool called Microsoft Video Authenticator can analyse a still photo or video to provide a percentage chance, or confidence score, that the content is artificially manipulated.

In the case of a video, it can provide this percentage in real-time on each frame as the video plays.

The tool works by detecting the blending boundary of the deepfake and subtle fading or greyscale elements that might not be detectable by the human eye, Microsoft said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Deepfakes are video forgeries that make people appear to be saying things they never did, like the popular forged videos of Facebook CEO Zuckerberg and that of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that went viral last year.

"We expect that methods for generating synthetic media will continue to grow in sophistication. As all AI detection methods have rates of failure, we have to understand and be ready to respond to deepfakes that slip through detection methods," said Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President of Customer Security and Trust.

There are few tools today to help assure readers that the media they're seeing online came from a trusted source and that it wasn't altered.

Microsoft also announced another technology that can both detect manipulated content and assure people that the media they're viewing is authentic.

This technology has two components.

The first is a tool built into Microsoft Azure that enables a content producer to add digital hashes and certificates to a piece of content.

The hashes and certificates then live with the content as metadata wherever it travels online.

"The second is a reader - which can exist as a browser extension or in other forms - that checks the certificates and matches the hashes, letting people know with a high degree of accuracy that the content is authentic and that it hasn't been changed, as well as providing details about who produced it," Microsoft explained.

Fake audio or video content, also known as 'Deepfakes', has been ranked as the most worrying use of artificial intelligence (AI) for crime or terrorism. According to a latest study, published in the journal Crime Science, AI could be misused in 20 ways to facilitate crime over the next 15 years.

Deepfakes could appear to make people say things they didn't or to be places they weren't, and the fact that they're generated by AI that can continue to learn makes it inevitable that they will beat conventional detection technology.

"However, in the short run, such as the upcoming US election, advanced detection technologies can be a useful tool to help discerning users identify deepfakes," Microsoft said.

"No single organisation is going to be able to have a meaningful impact on combating disinformation and harmful deepfakes," it added.

Microsoft also announced several partnerships in this regard, including with the AI Foundation, a dual commercial and nonprofit enterprise based in the US, and a consortium of media companies that will test its authenticity technology and help advance it as a standard that can be adopted broadly.
Broadcasters Miquita Oliver and AJ Odudu has spoken candidly about their experiences of growing up as young black women in the UK.

AJ, 32, and Miquita, 36, have revealed that they each experienced struggles with their identities as they spent time in environments that lacked diversity.

However, both stars have credited their mothers with helping them to embrace who they are over the years following periods of self-loathing.

Speaking out: Broadcasters Miquita Oliver, left, and AJ Odudu, right, has spoken candidly about their experiences of growing up as young black women in the UK

In an interview with Women's Health, Miquita, who co-hosted Channel 4's Popworld between 2001 and 2006, said: 'It was rough having my body develop, fluctuate and become fleshier in front of the Popworld cameras.

'I was also one of few people of colour on TV back then and my body anxiety was compounded by self-loathing about being black.

'I cut off my curls and got hair extensions because I felt they made me look more acceptable  more white. I just wasnt very comfortable being a mixed-race woman.'

Mother's wisdom: Miquita is pictured as a baby with her mother, chef and musician Andi Oliver

Miquita, whose mother is chef and musician Andi Oliver, 56, also spoke about her mixed-race heritage and it's only recent months that she learned of her famous parent's experiences with racial abuse.

She said: 'Growing up, I saw Mum as being so celebratory of our culture. So I was surprised to hear  during discussions sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests  about the racism she experienced growing up, and the shame she once felt about being black.

'Now, Im proud of myself, proud of my heritage and proud to be my mums daughter.'

Andi, who was born in the UK to an Antiguan family, also spoke on her own experiences with racism as a child.

Opening up: Andi, who was born in the UK to an Antiguan family, also spoke on her own experiences with racism as a child. Pictured in March 2019

'Growing up in 1970s Suffolk, I was the only black girl in my school,' she recalled.

'I had a really rough time  people were overtly racist and I used to fantasise about being a little white girl; Id walk around at home with a towel on my head, pretending I had blonde hair.

'I thought the more I spoke, the more I would draw attention to the fact that I was black, so I kept quiet.'

She added: 'Right now is the most confident Ive ever been in my body and my blackness. I feel like the older I get, the more settled I feel in myself; I find so much joy in being me.'

Singled out: AJ, pictured as a child with her mother Florence Odudu, revealed she was the only black child in her school when she was growing up and was singled out by other pupils

For TV presenter AJ, the experiences also started early, having been the only black child at her school in Lancashire.

Out: Read the full interviews in the October 2020 issue of Womens Health , on sale now

'At school in Blackburn, where I grew up, I was the only black kid,' she told Women's Health. 'Classmates would touch my hair and call me names. I tried to fit in by ironing my hair and gelling down the front bits.

'Mum would say to me, "Why are you doing this?" Im grateful for how shes always encouraged me to stop trying to change myself to fit in.'

She continued: 'Mum was bold and brave and knew herself. Shed pick me up from school dressed in colourful Nigerian fabrics, and even though Id be like, please just wear jeans, I admired her for it.

'Now, I champion my heritage, and Im grateful that she taught me to do so.'

Read the full interviews in the October 2020 issue of Womens Health, on sale now, and also available as a digital edition.
By Trend

The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has amended Order No. 42 dated February 14, 2020 "On measures to temporarily restrict the export of certain goods from the country", a source in the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

According to the document signed by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, the period of the orders validity has been extended until November 1, 2020.

At the same time, medical masks were excluded from the "List of goods banned for export from the territory of Azerbaijan in order to meet the needs in the fight against a new type of coronavirus infection (COVID-19)."

Below is a list of goods for which the export ban has remained in force:

No. Code Name of goods 1. 2207 10 000 0 Non-denatured ethyl alcohol with an alcohol concentration of 80% and more 2. 2207 20 000 0 Denatured ethyl alcohol of any concentration and other alcoholic tinctures 3. 2208 90 910 0 Non-denatured ethyl alcohol with a concentration of less than 80%: in a volume of 2 liters or less 4. 2208 90 990 0 Non-denatured ethyl alcohol with a concentration of less than 80%: in a volume of more than 2 liters 5.  group 30 Pharmaceutical products (excluding unpackaged and packaged gauze products for retail sale, as well as goods included in items 3001 and 3006) 6.  3808 94 Disinfectants 7.  3822 00 000 0 Tests for detecting coronavirus (COVID-19) infection 8.  3926 20 Overshoes 9.  4015 19 Sterile and non-sterile gloves 10.  5603 Fabrics used in production of medical masks and respirators (for surgical operations and procedure masks), disposable protective clothing (coveralls) used by medical personnel 11.  6210 10 Disposable protective clothing (coveralls) used by medical personnel 12.  6307 90 Medical masks and respirators (for surgical operations and procedure masks), disposable protective clothing (coveralls) used by medical personnel 13.  9004 90 Sealed safety glasses for medical personnel 14. 9019 20 000 0 Ozone, oxygen and aerosol therapy equipment, respirators or other therapeutic apparatus 15.  9025 19 Portable thermometers allowing remote measurement of human body temperature

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Mumbai:

Screenwriter Salim Khan has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately address mass molestation incidents that happened in Bengaluru on the New Year Eve.

The 81-year-old Sholay scribe took to Twitter to express his anguish over the incidents which he termed as shameful.

Honble PM Narendrabhai, you have time and again mentioned that Indias youth will drive the country forward. Its a shame what the youth have done in Bengaluru. Such acts are happening repeatedly all over. We were also young once but never have such things happened.

Narendrabhai the power of the youth is double edged it can go either way. You need to address it immediately @narendramodi @PMOIndia, Khan tweeted.

The alleged incident happened on Saturday night in and around the junction of Brigade Road and M G Road, where thousands had gathered to herald the New Year.

As per the eyewitness, women were molested and groped and lewd remarks were also passed by miscreants late night on December 31 in the posh area even as it was claimed that 1,500 police personnel had been deployed to control the crowds.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Their story touched the hearts of thousands and on Wednesday, Samantha Byrne (nee Gamble) was laid to rest from the Co Down home she shared with husband Frankie.

Samantha's wish to marry before passing away from terminal cancer persuaded the Executive to allow her wedding to go ahead during lockdown.

She passed away on Sunday and was buried in the dress she wore at her wedding.

A short service at the couple's Loughbrickland home, the scene of their wedding just three months ago, was attended by family and close friends.

Expand Close Samantha Gamble and Frankie Byrne on their wedding day / Facebook

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Whatsapp Samantha Gamble and Frankie Byrne on their wedding day

It was only through frantic appeals from her family to the First and Deputy First Ministers that Samantha won permission to marry the love of her life.

Days after Covid-19 restrictions on marriages for the terminally ill were lifted she got her wish of a wedding day on May 22.

Samantha had been diagnosed with soft cell sarcoma in 2018 and told she had two years to live. The cancer then spread to her lungs, neck and spine and her condition had deteriorated in the weeks before she was due to marry.

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She passed away on at the Southern Area Hospice, aged 53, with First Minister Arlene Foster among those to send sympathies.

In a tribute earlier this week, husband Frankie (54) said: "There are so many people we have to thank for giving us so many special memories. We had the most beautiful day together at the wedding. It's all we ever wanted but for a while it looked like it would never happen, we knew time was getting short."

Following the service, Samantha was laid to rest at Banbridge New Cemetery.

Expand Close Pictured: Samantha's husband Frank Byrne and her daughter Jessica Gamble. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pictured: Samantha's husband Frank Byrne and her daughter Jessica Gamble.

Following the service, Samantha was laid to rest at Banbridge New Cemetery.

Donations in lieu of flowers were to The Southern Area Hospice.
Despite corona lockdown, Ukraine increasing exports

09:00, 02.09.20 906

In August, Ukraine exported 13% more products against July.
Announcing new limits on Chinese diplomats in the United States, Mr. Pompeo said he would be meeting next week with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where he would promote tit-for-tat policies to counter Beijings aggressions.

From the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a clear and intensifying pattern of bullying its neighbors, Mr. Pompeo said.

He said Chinese diplomats would no longer be allowed to visit American universities, meet local government officials in the United States or hold off-site cultural events with more than 50 people without the State Departments approval. Mr. Pompeo called it a reciprocal response to limits that Beijing imposed on American diplomats in China.

It marked the latest escalation of retaliation between the two countries, which has included banning journalists, limiting official travel and shuttering consulates. Mr. Pompeo also urged universities to go a step further by disclosing and, in some cases, divesting from Chinese investments in endowment funds.

As for the World Health Organizations efforts to fight the pandemic, Mr. Pompeo said the United States would work only in a way thats effective, thats not political, that is science-based.

And what we have seen demonstrated from the World Health Organization is that it is not that, he said.

As a result, the United States will not be among at least 172 countries that plan to partner in the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. Instead, the Trump administration has begun working independently with health organizations that are also part of the World Health Organization effort, including a $1.6 billion commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Campaign signs in Exeter Pa., on Tuesday before a rally by Vice President Mike Pence. Read more

To cover how Pennsylvania is shaping the 2020 election, The Philadelphia Inquirer has launched a new email newsletter. Every Wednesday, youll get reporting from counties across the state, insight into issues that impact you, fact checks on what candidates are saying, and more. You can sign up to get it in your inbox here. You can also view the web version of this email.

Greetings from two opposite corners of Pennsylvania, where weve both found something incredible: signs of a regular presidential election.

A pandemic-induced freeze to campaigning that had been thawing for a couple months has melted away completely this week, as the race shifts into a higher gear just before Labor Day. Joe Biden was in Pittsburgh on Monday, Mike Pence was near Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, and President Donald Trump will be in Westmoreland County tomorrow.

There are rallies  although only one side is putting them on right now. There are even tussles over lawn signs. Read on. Follow all our election coverage. And email us at election@inquirer.com.

 Julia Terruso, Andrew Seidman (@JuliaTerruso, @AndrewSeidman, election@inquirer.com)

Two very different campaigns

Its almost like a normal presidential campaign out here.

Yesterday, we were at a rally with Pence in Luzerne County. Today, after a swing through the Harrisburg suburbs, were in Westmoreland County, where well see Trump himself tomorrow. Both Northeast Pennsylvania (where Pence was) and Southwest Pennsylvania (where Trump will be) are onetime Democratic strongholds where Trump surprised in 2016 and where Republicans may need to do even better this time to offset losses in the suburbs.

But there is still something different about this coronavirus campaign season: Only one side is campaigning like theres no pandemic.

Consider that Biden spoke in front of just a small group of reporters in Pittsburgh as he condemned violence and looting and accused Trump of fomenting chaos in the streets. Supporters didnt show up, because they werent invited.

Almost 300 miles away, hundreds of Trump supporters lined a highway to welcome Pence. One elderly woman told us her son urged her to stay home  not because of the coronavirus, but in case protesters infiltrated the crowd.

Were expecting an even bigger crowd for Trump himself tomorrow. Meanwhile, traveling through Cumberland County outside Harrisburg on our way west, the way to find Biden supporters was knocking on doors with Biden signs out front.

This all reflects the alternate universes the parties and their leaders are living in: Democrats sheltering in place with Biden, Republicans venturing out to rally for Trump. It played out in how they formally accepted their parties nominations, too, with Biden speaking to the camera from a mostly empty Wilmington event space, before Trump addressed a largely maskless crowd at the White House  and treated them to a fireworks display on the National Mall.

Biden has held smaller, socially distanced events, with eastern Pennsylvania, close to his Wilmington home, as a frequent destination. And his campaign has signaled hell do more in-person campaigning in the weeks ahead.

But Trump measures his supporters enthusiasm by crowd sizes, so the crowds are here. Biden is betting voters will ultimately reward his cautious approach at a time when the pandemic is still killing about 1,000 people a day in the U.S.

A new poll out this morning shows the race in Pennsylvania is getting closer. So buckle up.

Answering your questions about voting

Do I need a stamp to vote by mail?

No. All counties will provide prepaid postage for submitting your filled-out mail ballot, funded by the state. (You still need postage for ballot applications and voter registration forms.)

When is the last day I can vote by mail?

Your ballot must be received by county elections officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day, according to state law. That means it doesnt matter when you postmark or physically mail your ballot. What matters is whether it is received by the end of Election Day.

Thats one reason why its a good idea to request your ballot early and return it as soon as possible: If mail delivery is slow or unpredictable and your ballot arrives after Election Day, it wont be counted. Even if you put it in the mail days before the election.

Lawmakers could still change the deadlines, and state or federal courts could order them changed.

Read more: Everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania, by mail or in person

Send us more voting questions here

 Jonathan Lai (@Elaijuh)

What were paying attention to

Overheard on the campaign trail

Were not too far from our opponents boyhood home, but its Trump country now.

 Vice President Mike Pence, during a rally Tuesday in Exeter, near Joe Bidens childhood hometown of Scranton

Lawn sign larceny

People stealing each others campaign lawn signs isnt a new political phenomenon. But like many things in 2020, it seems worse now.

The Washington Post delved into sign-swiping in Pennsylvania, including all the ways people are trying to deter thieves (including glitter, vaseline, and displaying them only from inside, through windows).

We saw some of this in Cumberland County, where one man got so sick of his signs getting pilfered that he put the four he had in a tree (see above). The lone Democrat on the Mechanicsburg borough council zip-tied hers to her fence posts. We also saw a sign next to a Biden sign that warned would-be sign snatchers: Every time you steal a sign we will donate to Bidens campaign.

Robert Forbes, a retired Army officer from Camp Hill, had one of the most brazen tales of treachery: I had a friend come over, hes a Republican. Few hours after he left I got a text message from him. It was a picture of my Biden sign.
SHERMAN  The Sherman Chamber Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Eliot Bailen, will present a celebration of the upcoming 250th birthday of Ludwig von Beethoven at 6 p.m. Sept. 6, at the field in the IGA Plaza in Sherman.

According to a statement, the German composer is considered the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. The program features Beethovens Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, one of his early works first performed in 1780 and dedicated to Empress Maria Theresa. Also on the program is Rossini's Quartet for Arranged Winds in B-flat Major. In April 1822, Rossini, a contemporary of Beethoven, was in Vienna for a festival of his music, and the two met for the only time.

Musicians Susan Rotholz, flute; Jo-Ann Sternberg, clarinet; Peter Reit, horn; Michael Green, bassoon; Eliot Bailen, cello; Jill Levy, violin; Sarah Adams, viola; Peter Weitzner, bass will perform.

One of the few regional organization currently presenting live outdoor concerts, Bailen said the Ensemble was "preserving the feeling of community and a sense of continuity and normalcy as we do our best to keep SCE's traditions alive in the face of Covid."

Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs and to feel free to picnic. Rain date is Sunday, September 6 at 4 pm.

The outdoor event will follow CDC and State of Connecticut guidelines for social distancing and rules for events and programs. Face masks are required. Blankets must be spaced 15 feet apart.

The ensemble requests that tickets be purchased in advance to minimize contact the day of the performance. General Admission to the concert is $30. Senior and Student admission is $25. Children 15 and under will receive free admission when accompanied by an adult purchasing a regular admission ticket. Tickets may be purchased at SCEmusic.org or by calling 860-355-5930.

Also on Labor Day weekend, the SCE Bluegrass Band will present its annual free Bluegrass Jamboree on Saturday, September 5 at 1 p.m. at the Sherman IGA Plaza, Sherman, and on Sunday, September 6 at 1 pm at the Kent Barns, Kent, featuring fiddler extraordinaire Paul Woodiel.

Bring your own chairs, snacks and beverages or visit and support local purveyors.

In compliance with State of Connecticut guidelines, patrons are asked to obtain tickets in advance at SCEmusic.org or by calling 860-355-5930 in advance to minimize contact the day of the performance. While this is a free concert a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help the Sherman Chamber Ensemble continue providing live, world-class music close to our homes.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1982 to bring world-class live classical music performance to Western Connecticut and nearby New York State. It has been described in The New York Times as "about as close as it gets to the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert."
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun says Washington and its European partners will continue to press Belarusian authorities to free political prisoners, end violence against protesters, and allow citizens to choose their government through a free and fair election.

Speaking in an interview with RFE/RL by telephone on September 1 following a European tour that brought him to Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, and Austria last week, Biegun also warned that a Russian military intervention in Belarus would have a very negative impact on Moscows ties with the United States and European countries.

You, the people of Belarus, have reminded us how important democracy and freedom are. We are in awe of the courage that you have shown, and we wish you the very best, he said, vowing that the United States and its international partners will work as closely as possible to ensure that you have the right to select your own government through a free and fair election under independent observation that is guaranteed to you by the Belarusian Constitution and by relevant international documents.

Please know that you have the support of the world as you advance your goals toward that end.

Bieguns comments came as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is showing no signs of giving in to hundreds of thousands of citizens who have taken to the streets across Belarus since the results of the August 9 presidential election were published.

Lukashenka, who has kept a tight grip on Belarus for 26 years, was declared the winner of the vote, which was widely viewed as rigged in his favor, with just above 80 percent of the ballots.

The demonstrators want the 66-year-old Belarusian leader to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold new elections.

Western Criticism

The United States and the European Union have criticized the vote as neither free nor fair and have called on the government to begin a dialogue with the opposition.

We dont see any progress at all in the crisis, Biegun told RFE/RL, adding that the United States and the international community will continue to press the Belarusian government to meet its obligations under the charter of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Our basic demands are the immediate release of the unjustly detained[and] an end the violence against protesters, he said.

Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent.

Amid Western condemnation of the postelection crackdown, Russian officials have backed Lukashenka and condemned what they said were attempts from abroad to take advantage of unrest in the former Soviet republic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week announced that a contingent of Russian security forces was prepared to deploy to Belarus in the event of "looting" by demonstrators.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow on September 2, has claimed that "no one is making a secret of the fact that this is about geopolitics, the fight for the post-Soviet space."

However, Biegun told RFE/RL that the United States has never seen Belarus as a contest between East and West, nor do we see it in that manner now.

This is a contest between the Belarusian leader and his own people. And were trying to work with our partners to keep this at the front of this, he said.

Biegun also said he had told Russian officials during his visit to Moscow that while we did not seek or see this as a geopolitical contest, there would be substantial consequences for the relationship between Russia and the United States, between Russia and Europe in the event of a deployment of Russian forces to Belarus.

The last four years has been very challenging for U.S.-Russian relations, but it is possible that it could be worse. And one of the things that would limit the ability of any president, regardless of the outcome of [the U.S. presidential election in November], in developing a more cooperative relationship with Russia, in any sphere, would be direct Russian intervention in Belarus.
Warning: Distressing vision.

Last night ABC News introduced what appeared to be an uplifting story from Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek on how Kenya coronavirus restrictions have led to lifesaving service for women in childbirth.

Most of it was just that.

Except that in the middle of the report were scenes of a Nairobi curfew in which authorities could be seen whipping locals who were breaching it.

ABC neglected to warn viewers about some of the vision.

A cultural divide perhaps, but a reminder to please alert your audience.
A print journalist, Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief of USA Today, will moderate the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris on Oct. 7.

The debate commission, a nonpartisan group that has overseen all general-election debates since 1987, has sole discretion to pick the moderators, and the presidential candidates are not allowed to veto the choices.

Some gamesmanship, though, is inevitable. The commissions primary criteria are journalistic skills and the ability to confidently take charge of a nationally televised broadcast. But organizers also prefer that neither campaign vociferously objects to any of its choices.

This year, the debate commission may not get its wish.

Mr. Trumps communications director, Tim Murtaugh, issued a statement on Wednesday claiming, without evidence, that some of the chosen moderators can be identified as clear opponents of President Trump and charging that Mr. Biden will actually have a teammate onstage.

Mr. Murtaugh did not say which of the moderators he was accusing of bias, and the Trump campaign did not clarify when asked for additional comment. He also wrote that the choices are not the moderators we would have recommended if the campaign had been allowed to have any input. In fact, the debate commission never allows campaigns to formally advise on the choices of moderators.
Breonna Taylor's former boyfriend was offered a plea deal from prosecutors earlier this summer that would have forced him to implicate her in an "organized crime syndicate," his attorney said Monday.

Scott Barton, an attorney representing Jamarcus Glover, a twice-convicted drug dealer, said initial plea sheets included Taylor's name among a list of associates, but that it was removed from later drafts. Louisvilles top prosecutor said that the offer was part of early draft negotiations with Glover and his lawyer that was removed by prosecutors and never part of the court record.

Taylor, 26, an African American emergency medical technician, was shot and killed during a police raid at her home in March. Her death has become a rallying cry against police brutality and racial injustice.

Breonna Taylor. (Family photo)

The news of the plea offer raised the question of whether law enforcement officials were attempting to provide an incentive to Glover to help justify the raid that resulted in Taylors death.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is one of three lawyers representing Taylor's family, said in a statement Tuesday that they are "outraged that prosecutors would attempt to justify" Taylors death by leaning on Glover to "falsely state  after her death  that she was part of an organized crime syndicate."

"This is why the Black community has no trust in America's justice system," the statement said. "Its enormously ironic that the accused drug dealer here acted with honor, refusing to falsely discredit" Taylor.

"The police killed Bre once, and now theyre trying to kill her again by killing her reputation and her good name," they said. "Disgusting behavior by those who are supposed to be the protectors of justice."

Barton said his client has maintained that Taylor had no involvement in the drug trade, which Glover also told The Louisville Courier Journal in an interview Wednesday. Glover was arrested Thursday in connection with two 2019 criminal cases, about 15 hours after he spoke to The Courier Journal, the newspaper reported. He has a $50,000 bond, jail records show.

Story continues

"The police are trying to make it out to be my fault and turning the whole community out here, making it look like I brought this to Breonnas door," Glover said.

He told The Courier Journal that Louisville Metro Police acted upon erroneous tips to secure the no-knock search warrant carried out at Taylor's home the night she was killed.

Sam Aguiar, a lawyer representing Taylor's family in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in July, posted a photo to his Facebook account Monday that he said was a plea offer. In the photo caption, he claims Thomas Wine, the Jefferson County prosecutor, had named Taylor as a "co-defendant" in a deal offered to defendants July 13. Aguiar did not name the defendants to whom he was referring. Lonita Baker, another attorney for Taylor's family, said Wednesday that Aguiar had received the photo from Glover's family. The photo posted of the document appeared to list Taylor as a "co-defendant" in illegal activities leading up to April 22  weeks after she was killed.

"Way to try and attack a woman when shes not even here to defend herself," Aguiar wrote in the post.

Responding to the Facebook post, Wine's office said in a statement Monday that his office did not name Taylor as a co-defendant in a pending drug case against Glover. A case including Taylor as a co-defendant was never presented to the grand jury, Wine added.

"Our office has not and does not posthumously indict any person who is deceased," Wine said.

Wine said that the agreement Aguiar posted on Facebook was a draft, and "part of pre-indictment plea negotiations with Mr. Glover and his attorney." The plea deal draft was first reported Monday by WDRB, a local television station.

"Those drafts were never part of the court record and are not court documents," Wine said, adding that Glover had implicated Taylor in his alleged criminal activity in jailhouse recordings.

Wine said that, when he was advised of the discussions, he directed that Taylors name be removed out of respect for her. Included in his statement Monday was the final plea sheet he said was emailed to Glover's attorney July 21. It did not include Taylor's name but it did list her address as a place where Glover picked up mail packages. The plea deal was withdrawn when Glover failed to surrender to court, Wine said.

A spokesman for Wine's office, Jeffrey Cooke, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that Taylor was one of four people listed as co-conspirators in early drafts of the plea deal. He said that the prosecutor's office did not intend to shame Taylor by naming her in those drafts but that it did so because Glover had allegedly implicated her.

On the night of the raid, Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed when they heard the sound of someone knocking on their front door, according to her family's lawsuit and Walker. Walker has said that he and Taylor shouted out asking who was there, but police did not identify themselves.

Police Lt. Ted Eidem said at a March 13 news conference officers had knocked on the door several times and "announced their presence as police who were there with a search warrant."

Walker fired a warning shot and police proceeded to shoot erratically into the home killing Taylor, according to Walkers interview with the police and the lawsuit.

Walker, who is a licensed firearm carrier, said that he and Taylor were scared and that he grabbed his gun fearing the home was being broken into. Aguiar has said that no drugs or cash were found at Taylor's apartment after the raid.

One of the three officers who fired his weapon during the raid, Brett Hankison, was fired in June. The other two officers and the detective who requested the warrant have been placed on administrative leave.

Walker filed a civil lawsuit against the city and police department Tuesday.
We knew from experience that the essence of communal computing, as supplied by remote-access, time-shared machines, is not just to type programs into a terminal instead of a keypunch, but to encourage close communication.  Dennis Ritchie, The Evolution of the Unix Time-Sharing System, 1996.

Dozens of different operating systems have been developed over the years, but only Unix has grown in so many varieties. There are three main branches. Four factors have facilitated this growth:

Portability . It was the first widely-used operating system written in a high level programming language, C, making it easier to port to different hardware architectures.

Modifiability . Since it was written in C, modifications and enhancements are relatively easier to make.

Free open source software. The original version was developed at AT&T Bell Labs, a non-profit research institution, so the source code was permitted to be published and shared with others.

Open system . Research scientists designed it as an open, modular system, with a host of utilities and features to assist with the development and integration of new applications.

The different versions of Unix fall into the following three branches, described in more detail below:

System V. In the late 1970s, a few companies started to develop products based on the AT&T Unix code. In 1979, AT&T announced that they intended to commercialize Unix themselves, and established Unix System Laboratories (USL) to develop a supportable product. In 1983, USL published the first release of the new commercial baseline, called System V Release 1 (SVR1).

In 1982, AT&T agreed to terms for a consent decree with the US Government that ended their monopoly control over telephone access, but also allowed them to get into the computer business, so they began to market Unix on a commercial scale. USL released SVR2 in 1984, and SVR3 in 1987, which they sold on their own computers, as well as licensed to other vendors who customized and then resold it with their own hardware.

In 1987, AT&T entered an alliance to develop a standard Unix version with Sun Microsystems, the leading vendor of the BSD Unix variant. In 1989, USL released SVR4, which integrated the System V and BSD Unix baselines.

The AT&T alliance with Sun alarmed many of the other Unix vendors, who then formed the Open System Foundation as described below. AT&T then established a rival group called Unix International. However, despite considerable effort, AT&T didnt have much success in the computer marketplace, and they finally sold their Unix business to Novell in 1993. Novell then handed over the Unix trademark and System V source code to the X/Open group. In December, 1993, Novell released the last System V Unix, a multiprocessor version called SVR4.2MP.

In 1996, the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) bought the Unix business from Novell in order to integrate System V with their leading Unix version for the Intel personal computer. SCO, and maintained the System V baseline for several years until making it available for free.

BSD Unix. In November, 1973, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie presented a paper on Unix at the Symposium on Operating System Principles at Purdue University, where Bob Fabry from the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) heard about the work. Fabry requested a copy of the system, received Unix edition 4 in January, 1974, and a group of UCB computer scientists and mathematicians began working with the system.

In 1975, graduate students Bill Joy and Chuck Haley started working with the Unix system. They wrote a line editor called ex and a Pascal language compiler for the system, which Joy released in 1977 as the first Berkeley Software Distribution (1BSD). Joy released 2BSD in 1978, which updated the Pascal compiler and included two utilities he had written  a full screen wysiwyg text editor called vi, and a terminal interfacing interpreter called termcap.

In 1979, DARPA decided to consolidate on one operating system to reduce the cost of supporting different systems at their various sites, and to provide a common foundation to enable sharing of software. They selected Unix to be the standard, among other reasons because it was easily portable between different hardware computer systems. In the fall of 1979, Fabry made a proposal to DARPA to build a Unix version for DoD based on the forthcoming 3BSD release.

In 1980, DARPA awarded a contract to UCB to create a DoD version of Unix. Fabry then set up an organization called the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG), with Joy as project leader, to work on what would become BSD Unix. The first version was called 4.1BSD, and released in 1981. The CSRG continued on to integrate many new capabilities into Unix, such as networking, virtual memory, and a fast file system. The 4.2BSD release in 1984 included TCP/IP networking, and the 4.3BSD release in 1986 included a Domain Name Server, expanding the number of sites able to implement Internetnetworking. The final release was 4.4BSD in 1993.

Up until 1988, use of BSD Unix required an AT&T license, since each release included AT&T source code. However, the licenses began to increase in cost, the mechanism was inconvenient, and some vendors only wanted the BSD originated components. Therefore, in June, 1989, UCB published Networking Release 1 containing their TCP/IP networking system for the first time without any AT&T code, and released under an open license that allowed free source code modification and distribution.

In one of the first major efforts at open system distributed development, Keith Bostic then led an initiative to get people to rewrite the hundreds of AT&T utilities from open specifications. By the end of 1991, a completely new Unix had been developed that didnt include any AT&T code, which was then released as Networking Release 2 under the same open license.

In 1991, a group of former CSRG members established a company called BSDI to market a commercial version of Unix based on Networking Release 2. AT&T then sued BSDI and UCB for disclosing trade secrets and infringing copyrights. UCB then counter-sued AT&T for not acknowledging the source of a lot of UCB code in the System V baseline. Finally a settlement was reached which required some minor code-tweaking to the BSD source, which was then released as 4.4BSD-Lite under UCBs open software license. This version was then used as the baseline for development of several other free software versions, including FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD.

Open systems. By 1982, the minicomputer industry was beginning to grow. Several computer companies began to develop commercial versions of Unix, some based on System V, and some on BSD Unix. Each vendor differentiated their system by adding unique features, but also recognized that they had a common interest in preventing AT&T from monopolizing the market. Several efforts were made in the in 1980s to develop open Unix specifications and standards, such as by the IEEE POSIX group and a European group of companies called X/Open, with some limited success.

In 1988, in response to AT&Ts alliance with Sun described above, several vendors formed a group called the Open System Foundation to develop a new Unix operating system from open specifications and end their dependence on the AT&T code. The OSF/1 system was released in 1991, but it wasnt as mature as the established systems, so there was only slow adoption some of its components by AT&Ts biggest competitors like DEC and IBM.

In 1993, a lot of the fight went out of the Unix wars when AT&T left the computer business and sold System V to Novell, who then assigned the rights to Unix to X/Open. In 1996, OSF and X/Open merged into The Open Group, which still promotes open system standards today.

In the late 1990s, interest began to coalesce around Linux, the first really open Unix system released under the free software GNU license, and which might finally unify the Unix family after three decades of development.
Description

GIS  02 September 2020: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, paid tribute, this morning, to the former President of the Republic of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, following the demise of the latter. The Prime Minister was signing a Condolence Book at the High Commission of India, in Port-Louis.

In a statement, Mr Jugnauth expressed sincere condolences to the Republic of India in his own name and on behalf of Mauritius on the passing away of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The former Indian President, he said, was an important political figure who contributed significantly in politics and social development as well as in other sectors.

The Prime Minister underlined that Shri Pranab Mukherjee was a pivotal political figure who had acquired considerable experience in the field of Government politics.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister spoke about his meeting with the former Indian President during an official visit to India. He thus shared that Shri Pranab Mukherjee was remarkably calm in demeanour and was a brilliant intellectual.

Prime Minister Jugnauth also recalled that Shri Pranab Mukherjee had a special consideration for Mauritius and had contributed in enhancing and strengthening the bilateral and diplomatic relations between Mauritius and India.
The Trump administration is proposing to roll back a regulation that has spurred manufacturers to produce high-efficiency showerheads. Credit: EPA

For more than 25 years, Congress has directed U.S. government agencies to set energy and water efficiency standards for many new products. These measures conserve resources and save consumers a lot of money. Until recently, they had bipartisan support.

But President Trump has turned efficiency standards into symbols of intrusive government. His administration has opposed many of these rules, including standards for light bulbs, commercial boilers, portable air conditioners and low-flow toilets. His latest target: showerheads.

The Energy Policy Act of 1992, passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by Republican President George H.W. Bush, set the maximum flow rate for showers at 2.5 gallons per minute. President Trump is proposing to increase the rate, which he calls inadequate to wash his "beautiful hair."

It may sound funny, but it's not. As someone who writes and teaches about water law and policy, I know that the U.S. water supply is finite and exhaustible. Most Americans take water for granted, but as population growth and climate change exacerbate water shortages, experts increasingly argue that water policy should promote conservation

When is a showerhead not a showerhead?

On Aug. 13, the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the existing standard for showerheads. The documentation prints out at 25 pages of mind-numbing rationalization. Its definition of showerheads exemplifies the byzantine logic behind this policy shift.

Under the Trump administrations proposed rule, each of these fixtures could produce up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute from each separate nozzle. Current law limits the entire device to 2.5 gallons per minute. Credit: DOE

For example, the proposed rule provides three images of fixtures with between three and eight heads attached to a single pipe coming out of the wall. So long as none of the individual heads has a flow greater than 2.5 gallons per minute, the measure asserts that each fixture satisfies Congress's quest for water and energy conservation.

How can the Energy Department allow shower fixtures with as many as eight heads, each emitting 2.5 gallons per minute? For context, Webster's dictionary defines a showerhead as a "fixture for directing the spray of water in a bathroom shower."

But the proposed rule interprets "showerhead" to mean "an accessory to a supply fitting for spraying water onto a bather." With this sleight of hand, a congressional rule limiting showerhead flows can be deftly avoided by installing a hydra-headed fixture with multiple "showerheads," each flowing at 2.5 gallons per minute.

The agency also released a fourth image of a wall fixture with seven nozzles, which the rule would not subject to the 2.5 gallons per minute maximum. The Energy Department deems these fixtures a "body spray" rather than a showerhead because they are "usually located" below the bather's head. (Of course, the person showering may be short, or the plumber may install the fixture high on the shower wall.) Body sprays may have six or eight nozzles with no flow limits.

The sad part of this foolishness is that the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program, which identifies water-efficient projects and promotes water conservation, has been spectacularly successful, at virtually no cost to consumers or the regulated community. Showers constitute 17% of residential water use. That's 40 gallons per day for the average family, or 1.2 trillion gallons annually in the United States.

The proposed new rule classifies this device as a body spray, not a showerhead. Credit: DOE

WaterSense fixtures and appliances have saved Americans more than 4.4 trillion gallons of water and US$87 billion in water and energy expenses since the program began in 2006. Low-water-use fixturesincluding showerheads, toilets and washing machinesare now the accepted norm across the United States.

Some early products, such as the first high-efficiency toilets, had some hiccups. But that was 20 years ago. Today, notwithstanding President Trump's declaration that "people are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once," consumers embrace low water-use fixtures because they work well, save money and reduce water and energy consumption.

Tapped out

Today the United States faces serious water problems. Georgia and Florida are fighting a prolonged battle over flows in the Apalachicola River. Excessive groundwater pumping is causing water levels in wells to plummet and springs to dry up. As I explain in my book, "Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It," farmers are competing with cities for water.

More than 2 million Americans dont have running water in their homes, according to a 2019 report.

COVID-19 has helped to make the affordability of water a national issue. Some rural areas, such as the Navajo Nation, where many people need to haul water to their homes and villages, have higher rates of coronavirus infection. People who have lost their jobs find themselves unable to pay their water bills, which in turn compromises the financial stability of water providers.

Allowing showers to use more water would have several unfortunate consequences for cities across the country. It would increase the amount of water cities must treat; raise the chances of raw sewage overflows at water treatment plantsespecially in cities such as Washington, D.C. that combine storm and sewer water; and increase the amount of energy used to pump and treat water.

Disrupting low-flow fixture rules would create special hardships for western cities, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, that have struggled with water shortages for decades. Both cities remarkably reduced their total water use between the 1980s and 2020, despite rapid population growth, partly by converting residences to low water-use fixtures.

Water is not just another natural resource. Without it our bodies cease to function, our crops dry up, and our economy grinds to a halt. We can't make any more water, so it makes sense to use the water we have wisely.

Explore further Researchers find correlation between showerhead bacteria and lung infections

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquaters on March 11, 2020 in Geneva.

WASHINGTON  The Trump administration outlined on Wednesday the next steps it will take as the U.S. withdraws from the World Health Organization, a convoluted process that will take at least a year to complete.

"The position of the White House is that the WHO needs to reform and that is starting with demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party," explained Nerissa Cook, deputy assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.

"We are advocating for greater transparency and greater accountability and we want to see speedier and higher quality of communications," Cook said, adding that the administration wants "to see very strong management and focus on the prevention and detection and response to pandemics."

Cook added that the U.S. could still reconsider its position of withdrawing from the WHO if the administration finds that the organization made enough reforms.

The WHO did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

One step the administration has taken is to unravel its financial ties by reprogramming millions of dollars. The United States is understood to be the largest funder to the WHO.

"Right now the Department is in the process of notifying Congress of the reprogramming of the funds," Cook said, without providing additional details.

The latest revelation comes on the heels of the Trump administration's decision to not participate in the WHO-led coronavirus vaccine effort. The Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, or COVAX, initiative includes more than 170 nations and is aimed at "working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplayed concerns on Wednesday that the United States' absence from the initiative would be detrimental to global health.

"There is no nation that has been more willing and as deeply committed to delivering vaccines all around the world as the United States of America," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department. "We will dwarf every nation in terms of the financial resources," he added.
- Not all passengers who arrived at the Kotoka International Airport underwent the mandatory COVID-19 test

- Some of the passengers said their reason for not undergoing the test was because they did not fall within the category of those who needed to be tested

- If the journey is less than 6hrs and the passenger possesses a test certificate from the country they are coming from, then on arrival in Ghana only the COVID test certificate would be presented

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

The Kotoka International Airport, yesterday, September 1, 2020, opened to receiving the first batch of international travels since the closure of the country's air borders in March 2020.

At the arrival terminal of KIA, some passengers who got there revealed that they did not undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing.

In a news report monitored by YEN.com.gh on TV3'S News360, some of the passengers said their reason for not undergoing the test was because they did not fall within the category of those who needed to be tested.

Speaking in an interview with TV3's Komla Adom, one of the passengers confirmed that her flight was not part of those who were supposed to be tested.

KIA: Not all passengers who arrived underwent mandatory testing Source: Myjoyonline.com

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Paying over GHc800 for COVID-19 test is a good bargain - Okoe Boye

If the journey is less than 6hrs and the passenger possesses a test certificate from the country they are coming from, then on arrival in Ghana only the COVID test certificate would be presented

Contrary to that, if the journey to Ghana is more than 6hrs, on arrival in Ghana the passenger has to undergo the mandatory test at KIA.

Meanwhile, the report stated that others also underwent the 30 minutes mandatory process at the airport, which was reportedly not stressful.

Confirming why some things did not go as planned at the airport, the Deputy Minister in charge of National Security, Henry Quartey, said those who were on the KLM chartered flights were granted waivers to enter the country.

He however said they are expecting a report on the process at the airport to be able to take some steps to make it even more efficient.

READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo confirms opening of Kotoka International Airport

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 16th COVID-19 address confirmed that the Kotoka International Airport would begin operation on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

According to him all passengers who would be reporting to the Kotoka International Airport are to have a negative COVID-19 test result.

He made it clear that all passengers who would be disembarking at the KIA aside possessing a negative COVID-19 test result, need to undertake another test, with that individual bearing his or her own cost.

In view of this, during a tour of the airport and a subsequent press conference at the same venue, President Akufo-Addo announced that passengers would be required to pay an amount of $150 for testing.

READ ALSO: Opening of Kotoka: 6 requirements of passengers who arrive at the airport

Ghana re-opens Kotoka International Airport to passengers |#Yencomgh

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Thimphu, Bhutan  Wed, September 2, 2020 12:30 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4227156 2 World Bhutan,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

Bhutan, the remote Himalayan kingdom famous for measuring gross national happiness, on Tuesday took the first steps to lift its coronavirus lockdown, saying there was limited community transmission.

The country of 750,000 people between India and China -- one of the few nations in the world that have yet to register a virus death -- has so far recorded 225 infections.

"Experiences in many countries reveal a surge in Covid-19 cases, mostly detected in the second week of post-lockdown," Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, a doctor who continues to practice on weekends, said in a television address late Monday.

"Which is why our re-opening strategies should be gradual."

The shutdown was first imposed in early August after a Bhutanese woman tested positive after interacting extensively within the community. She had earlier tested negative.

The health ministry said the lockdown was being gradually lifted as there had been an uptick in cases in recent days but no widespread community outbreak.

It added that most new cases were from confined clusters or quarantine facilities where Bhutanese returning from overseas have to stay for 24 days.

Under the new guidelines, people will be allowed to leave their homes for non-essential activities like walking from Tuesday to Thursday.

In the following three days, public transport would resume. Private travel would be allowed after that.

If there is no major outbreak, the government would further relax other restrictions.

International flights to the isolated nation remain suspended.
The Peoples Democratic party (PDP) has thrown fresh challenge to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State to clarify his role in the controversies surrounding the establishment of a fruit factory in Ehor, Uhunmwode Local Government Area when he was Secretary to the Edo State Government.

Dan Orbih, Chairman of PDP Campaign Council, at Ward-to-Ward rally in Ehor on Monday, challenged the APC governorship candidate to explain to the people of the state how tax-payers money was spent on the phantom industry and its privatisation.

Orbih alleged that Ize-Iyamu denied the people of Uhunmwode opportunities of deriving benefits from the factory which was meant to provide succour and better standard of living for the people.

Orbih declared: The present APC candidate played a key role in the establishment of Ehor fruit factory that never work.

He has no reason to come here for Campaign. How do you explain to Edo people the millions of tax-payers money that was used to establish that company that never produce a sachet of fruit juice.

Incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, PDP candidate in the election, urged voters in Ehor to reject any political party that does not bring prosperity to the people. Obaseki assured the people that he would correct the marginalisation of Uhunmwode Local Government Area was subjected to by the past administration, provide more infrastructure to the ones already done.

We have constructed over 27 roads in Uhunmwode. Who says there are no roads in Uhunmwode?

We must change the way we do things in Edo and make sure that the godfather does not come back, Obaseki said.

The Enogie of Ehor, His Royal Highness. Godwin Ogiehor, on behalf of the Council of Enigie (Dukes) in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, demanded incumbent Governor Obaseki to use the skill acquisition centre in the area for a temporary hospital to treat accident victims.

The Enogies declared their endorsement of Obaseki, praying for him and his running mate, Philip Shaibu. The traditional rulers acknowledged that Obaseki is their son and they will support him.

Obaseki is our son. We will support your re-election with prayers. We have approved Eight years for you, hence, the laws permit you to run for a second term in office.

We did it before for your predecessor who was a non-native against one of our own.

You will complete your second tenure. The ancestors have approved it.

Your campaign is a formality. Uhunmwode is the gateway, Ogiehor declared.

Former Senate Minority Whip, Rowland Owie, lamented the travesty of futile attempts by former Governor of the State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to frustrate his successor whom he described as a trail blazer from completing his tenure having had support from Benin leaders of thoughts and the Traditional rulers in his time.

PV: 11
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Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | Sept 2, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic disaster declaration in Pennsylvania has been renewed. Meanwhile, a Montgomery County Commissioner is no longer allowed to ban people from his social media accounts. The York City School Board furloughs nearly 100 employees. A checkout-free store launches near Pittsburgh.

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Todays episode refers to the following articles:

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The French satirical paper whose staff was decimated in a violent attack by Islamic extremists in 2015 is reprinting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad cited by the killers, declaring "history cannot be rewritten nor erased."



The announcement on Tuesday came on the eve of the first trial for the January 2015 attacks against and, two days later, a kosher supermarket.

The killings touched off a wave of violence claimed by the Islamic State group across Europe. Seventeen people died 12 of them at the editorial offices along with all three attackers.

Thirteen men and a woman accused of providing the attackers with weapons and logistics go on trial Wednesday. In an editorial this week accompanying the caricatures, the paper best known for vulgar irreverence said that although it had declined to publish caricatures of Muhammad since the attacks, doing so for the opening of the trial was necessary.

The only reasons not to stem from political or journalistic cowardice, the editorial said.

As the attackers, brothers Chrif and Said Kouachi, walked away from the carnage, they cried out We have avenged the Prophet.

Claiming the attacks in the name of al-Qaida, they then killed a wounded policeman point-blank and drove away.

Two days later, a jailhouse acquaintance of theirs stormed a kosher supermarket on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, killing four hostages and claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Kouachi brothers had by then holed up in a printing office with another hostage. All three attackers died in near-simultaneous police raids.

The supermarket attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, also killed a young policewoman.

The caricatures re-published this week were first printed in the fall of 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, setting off sometimes violent protests in early 2006 by Muslims who believe depicting Muhammad is blasphemy.

Charlie Hebdo, which was then little-known outside France and regularly caricatures religious leaders from various faiths, republished them soon afterwards. The paper's Paris offices were firebombed in 2011 and its editorial leadership placed under police protection, which remains in place to this day.

Laurent Sourisseau, the paper's director and one of the few staff to have survived the attack, named each of the victims in a foreword to this week's edition.

Rare are those who, five years later, dare oppose the demands that are still so pressing from religions in general, and some in particular, wrote Sourisseau, who is also known as Riss.

Three of the accused, including the wife of one of the attackers, will not be at the trial because they are abroad and it's not known if they're alive or dead.

Most of the 11 who will appear in court say they knew it was for a crime but claim they had no idea it was for mass killings.

Among those inside the market was Lassana Bathily, an employee whose home village in Mali was just 20 kilometers from that of Coulibaly's. Bathily hid a group of the store's Jewish customers in a cold room and slipped out to warn police about the terror attack inside. Eleven days later, the unlikely hero was granted French citizenship. He is among nearly 200 plaintiffs at the trial.

We want to know what really happened even if the terrorists won't be there. I hope that those who worked with them, helped them financially will be punished for what they did. That's the only thing we expect," Bathily said.

We want to know the truth because we don't know anything, we've heard nothing for the past five years.

The world rallied behind France in the days after the killings. Leaders from around the world joined millions of people who poured into Paris' enormous Rpublique plaza and other gathering spots in France bearing defiant signs that read I am Charlie.

But the January 2015 attacks were seen as a colossal intelligence failure for France. At least one of the Kouachi brothers had travelled to Yemen to train with al-Qaida.

Chrif Kouachi, the younger, acknowledged as much in an interview with a French television network during their final siege. Said Kouachi was under surveillance until mid-2014.

In a 2008 interview with Le Monde newspaper, Coulibaly himself described prison, where he met Chrif Kouachi then awaiting trial on terrorism charges, as the best crime school. Their jailhouse mentor is among those scheduled to testify.

Afterwards, the French government reorganized its intelligence structure, raised the national security budget and hired hundreds more investigators to monitor homegrown extremists.

The opening of this trial is the moment to remember that the fight against Islamist terrorism is a major priority of the government," Interior Minister Grald Darmanin said Monday in a speech at the French intelligence headquarters. "We will fight relentlessly. The trial will be filmed for posterity, a rarity in France reserved for proceedings of historical import.

One of the three absent defendants is Hayat Boumedienne, Coulibaly's wife who fled to Syria days ahead of the attacks. She took a starring role in one of Islamic State's propaganda blitzes, urging French Muslims, men and women alike, to follow her path.

French media reported that a woman who returned from Syria encountered Boumedienne last year at the enormous al-Hol camp for Islamic State families, living under an assumed name. Since then, the camp has seen numerous escapes.

(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.)
This March 16, 2020 file photo shows vials used by pharmacists to prepare syringes used on the first day of a first-stage safety study clinical trial of the potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in Seattle. As the nation awaits a vaccine to end the pandemic, local health departments say they lack the staff, money and tools to distribute, administer and track millions of vaccines, most of which will require two doses. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Public health departments, which have struggled for months to test and trace everyone exposed to the novel coronavirus, are now being told to prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines as early as Nov. 1.

In a health departments that have been only about half of Americans saying they would get vaccinated, according to a poll from AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it also will be crucial to educate people about the benefits of vaccination, said Molly Howell, who manages the North Dakota Department of Health's immunization program.

The unprecedented pace of vaccine development has left many Americans skeptical about the safety of COVID-19 immunizations; others simply don't trust the federal government.

"We're in a very deep-red state," said Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, a group of community health centers that serve mostly low-income people in five rural counties in South Carolina. "The message that is coming out is not a message of trust and confidence in medical or scientific evidence."

PAYING FOR THE ROLLOUT

The U.S. has committed more than underfunded and without adequate resources to confront the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation further found that federal coronavirus funds have been slow to reach public health departments, forcing some communities to cancel non-coronavirus vaccine clinics and other essential services.

States are allowed to use some of the federal money they've already received to prepare for immunizations. But AP and KHN found that many health departments are so overwhelmed with the current costs of the pandemicsuch as for testing and contact tracingthat they can't reserve money for the vaccine work to come. Health departments will need to hire people to administer the vaccines and systems to track them, and pay for supplies such as protective medical masks, gowns and gloves, as well as warehouses and refrigerator space.

Minneapolis Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant poses for a portrait at a COVID-19 testing event at Incarnation-Sagrado Corazon Church on Aug. 15, 2020, in Minneapolis. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only covers expenses made through the end of the year, says Musicant. That's a problem, given distribution of a possible vaccine may not have even begun. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

CareSouth Carolina is collaborating with the state health department on testing and the pandemic response. It used federal funding to purchase $140,000 retrofitted vans for mobile testing, which it plans to continue to use to keep vaccines cold and deliver them to residents when the time comes, said Lewis.

But most vaccine costs will be new.

Pima County, Arizona, for example, is already at least $30 million short of what health officials need to fight the pandemic, let alone plan for vaccines, said Dr. Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator and chief medical officer.

Some federal funds will expire soon. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from a fund in the CARES Act, for example, covers only expenses made through bidding against one another for a limited supply. Those concerns are amplified by the continuing difficulties providing enough testing kits; supplying health workers with personal protective equipment; allocating drugs such as remdesivir; and recruiting contact tracerswho track down everyone with whom people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been in contact.

Although Ehresmann said she's concerned Minnesota could run out of syringes, she said the CDC has assured her it will provide them.

Given that vaccines are far more complex than personal protective equipment and other medical suppliesone vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 94 degrees FahrenheitPlescia said people should be prepared for shortages, delays and mix-ups.

"It's probably going to be even worse than the problems with testing and PPE," Plescia said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A lawyers suggestion her client should receive a lighter sentence for his role in several vicious jailhouse attacks due to the risk of contracting COVID-19 while in custody did not sit well with a local judge.

It is ironic that were talking about mitigating your sentence because you werent safe in the jail when two of your offences involve beating the bejesus out of other guys in the jail, Judge Fergus ODonnell told Michael Frederick.

Obviously, those people have the right to be safe as well.

In Ontario Court of Justice in Welland Wednesday, 34-year-old Frederick was sentenced to three years behind bars on several charges including weapons offences and for his role in several assaults at Niagara Detention Centre.

One of the assaults left a prisoner with multiple fractures to his face and back.

However bad it is to have consensual fights in the detention centre, theres just something offputting about a bunch of guys ganging up on one guy, the judge said.

It just rejects any sense of fairness. Ganging up on someone is cowardly, thug-like behaviour and there is no excuse for it.

On Feb. 13, court heard, Frederick was among several prisoners who assaulted another inmate in the maximum security wing at the Thorold jail. The victim suffered several fractures to his nasal bone.

Four days later, Frederick was involved in another assault at the jail.

This time, a 51-year-old prisoner had initially squared off with another inmate for a consensual fight when he was sucker-punched and fell to the floor.

Four men, including Frederick, then punched, kicked and stomped the victim about his head and torso.

The man was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for numerous injuries including fractures to his forearm, ribs and vertebrae in his lower back. He also sustained fractures to his jaw, nose and eye socket.

The judge asked Frederick to consider how he would feel if his son found himself behind bars in the future, and is set upon by other prisoners.

Im not saying this to be cruel. I hope this never happens, but think about it as a theory, ODonnell said.

How would you feel if your son was in jail and three or four other guys laid into him and beat the crap out of him? It wouldnt be fair to your boy to be subjected to that, and its not fair for you to be participating in something like that.

Frederick was also sentenced for several crimes which occurred in Niagara Falls in fall 2018, one involving a throwing star  a three-bladed device prohibited in Canada  and another involving a man being confronted by a prowler and having a gun pointed at his head. An investigation revealed the weapon was a BB gun.

The judge told the offender to consider his time in the penitentiary as an opportunity as he will be able to take advantage of various rehabilitative and treatment programs.
on Wednesday reported 2 per cent decline in its total sales at 4,43,969 units in August.

The company had sold a total of 4,52,551 units in the same month last year.

Domestic sales last month stood at 4,28,231 units as against 4,25,664 units, a growth of 1 per cent, it said adding this was the first time in the ongoing fiscal that its domestic sales breached the 4 lakh units mark.

Exports during the month stood at 15,738 units as against 26,887 units in August last year.

Commenting on the sales performance, HMSI Director Sales & Marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleria said,"In August, over 90 per cent of our network is back to business and we are seeing some green shoots with higher customer enquiries."



The company's domestic sales crossed 4 lakh units mark for the first time this fiscal on the back of improved supplies and higher utilisation of production capacity, he added.

"With festivals approaching, our line-up of 14 models, including our latest motorcycle Hornet 2.0 will excite new customers," Guleria said.

Last month, the company launched its Hornet 2.0 motorcycle price starting Rs 1,26,345 (ex-showroom, Gurgaon).

(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.)
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackmer, part of PSG, a Dover (NYSE: DOV) company, and a global leader in specialty pumps and reciprocating compressor technologies, is pleased to announce the availability of its new MAGNES Series Sliding Vane Magnetic Drive Pumps. The pumps represent the latest advancement in seal-less magnetic drive technology.

Blackmer MAGNES Series pumps incorporate innovative design features that provide a unique combination of flexibility, functionality and reliability. The result is a product that solves typical legacy operating pain points, including unexpected dry run; pumping fluids with solids; handling of fluids with entrained vapors and poor inlet conditions; and inflexible pump operating range, while also delivering technically superior handling of hazardous chemicals in severe-duty applications.

Blackmer MAGNES Series pumps are positive displacement rotary vane pumps that use a magnetic drive without dynamic seals, providing a leak-free pumping solution for difficult-to-seal, expensive, valuable, dangerous and hazardous liquids. Its rotary vane magnetic drive pump design combines the leak-free benefits of a magnetic drive pump with the numerous advantages of sliding vane technology, including self-priming, line-stripping, product recovery, indefinite dry-run capability, solids handling, thin/thick viscosity flexibility, easy maintenance, low to zero NPSHr, 70% to 90% pump efficiencies, and full-curve operational flexibility.

The pumps are currently available in a 3-inch model in both ductile iron and stainless-steel construction, with a 4-inch model expected to be released in January 2021. The MAGNES Series pumps feature a non-metallic, proprietary composite containment shell that provides the coupling strength of a thin wall metallic shell and the reliability of an eddy-current-free design. Unlike alternate pump options that must be tuned to a single BEP, MAGNES Series magnetic drive pumps have the robustness and flexibility to handle multiple changing fluid and system conditions. MAGNES pumps are available with an optional close-coupled drive design that enables quick and easy system setup, eliminating time-consuming alignment processes.

For more information on Blackmer, please go to blackmer.com. Blackmer is a product brand within PSG, a Dover company. For more information on PSG, please go to psgdover.com.

About Blackmer:

Blackmer is the leading global provider of innovative and high-quality positive displacement, regenerative turbine and centrifugal pump, and reciprocating compressor technologies for the transfer of liquids and gasses. For more than a century, the Blackmer name has stood for unparalleled product performance, superior services and support, well-timed innovation and a commitment to total customer satisfaction. Supported by a worldwide network of distributors and original equipment manufacturers, Blackmer pumps and compressors are used in a multitude of applications in the Process, Energy and Military & Marine markets. Blackmer, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, is part of PSG, a Dover company. For more information on Blackmer, please go to blackmer.com.

About PSG:

PSG is a global pump and dispensing solution expert and leading manufacturer of pumps, systems and related flow-control technology for the safe and efficient transfer of critical and valuable fluids and materials. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, PSG is comprised of several world-class brands, including Abaque, All-Flo, Almatec, Blackmer, Ebsray, EnviroGear, Griswold, Hydro Systems, Mouvex, Neptune, Quattroflow and Wilden. PSG products are manufactured on three continents, North America, Europe and Asia, in state-of-the-art facilities that practice lean manufacturing and are ISO-certified. PSG is part of the Pumps and Process Solutions segment of Dover Corporation. For additional information on PSG, please visit psgdover.com. PSG: Where Innovation Flows.

About Dover:

Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Fueling Solutions, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale, operational agility, world-class engineering capability and customer intimacy to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of over 23,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com.

PSG Contact:

Mark Pyk

(616) 475-9330

[email protected]



Dover Media Contact:

Adrian Sakowicz, VP, Communications

(630) 743-5039

[email protected]



Dover Investor Contact:

Andrey Galiuk, VP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations

(630) 743-5131

[email protected]

SOURCE Dover

Related Links

http://www.dovercorporation.com


A Napa tattoo shop owner has apologized on social media after coming under fire for a posting some deemed racist.

Online commenters are calling for a boycott of his business Simms Ink Studio. In addition, a number of Simms Ink tattooists have ended their affiliation with the business.

On Aug. 30, on social media including Twitter and Instagram, owner Dane Simms wrote: Over the past few days, I have been shown the misjudgment in the management of my personal social media and have realized how it has negatively impacted those that I care about the most.

These actions have affected my work family & community in a negative way and for that I am discouraged and remorseful, Simms wrote.

In no way did I mean for these posts to impact the lives of those around me. I ask you to judge me on my actions and not the people associated with me. It was wrong of me and I am here to own my actions.

The post, made sometime before Aug. 30, was an image of the 17-year old gunman charged with killing two people and wounding another at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The caption on Simms post read: Blame It All On My Roots I Showed Up In Boots And Ruined Their Black Lives Affair

This one had me dying ha ha wrote Simms, adding an emoji of a middle finger extended. fuck blm, or Black Lives Matter, he added.

The posting, from Instagram, has since been removed.

Simms Ink has two locations, one at 1920 Lernhart St., near Imola Avenue in Napa and one in Hayward.

The uproar was partially spurred by a Facebook group called Stop Napa Hate, which founders say is dedicated to calling out racist behavior.

Many have different views than mine, which is fine and I never meant for it to affect my businesses, Simms wrote.

I apologize to all who work in my establishments that know the real me and who I am. I dont have hate in my heart and I will always support freedom of speech and those oppressed.

You might disagree with my political views but I can tell you I stand for the betterment of my community and both my families, work and home! I am devoted and loyal to both. I believe in small business and choose to support locally owned businesses no matter the owners background.

I dont agree with the violence and unrest caused by some of the protesting these last few months, I will stand with peaceful protesting and those who use their freedom of speech for positive change. I understand that some of my comments are taken out of context, because I do not support elements of certain organizations does not mean I dont support black lives, brown lives and all lives.

I have allowed perception to become reality and I understand that my actions on social media might cause people to unfairly label me. What I have been is insensitive to others and what they are experiencing.

Simms could not be reached for a comment this week. Two artists at the Napa studio on Tuesday declined to comment.

Daoud Dalia of Napa is one of the administrators of Stop Napa Hate. Speaking for himself, not on behalf of Stop Napa Hate, Dalia said the Simms post had generated a lot of controversy among the Facebook group.

Its obvious that he was supporting this young mans choice to murder people exercising their rights to protest, said Dalia. Simms was basically glorifying such behavior, he said.

Its not the first and its not going to be the last time a person calls out a person or business in Napa for similar actions, said Dalia.

Dalia said he thought Simmss apology wasnt sincere. There was no feeling of regret. It was to save face and save his pockets.

For Dalia, It didnt really resonate that this is a person thats willing to change their ways.

This isnt the first time this year such a social media post has affected a local business owner, with Stop Napa Hate at the center of it.

In June Norm Sawicki, owner of the Trancas Steakhouse, also apologized for social media posts many called racist.

Reached by phone on Monday, Sawicki had this advice for Simms:

Dont post anything again, period, said Sawicki. People take things the wrong way and most people that get upset dont have any sense of humor.

Isnt that an extreme reaction?

Nope, said Sawicki.

Watch now: the difference between coronavirus symptoms and allergies

You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com

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The current public health emergency has shown just how critical adequate and affordable broadband infrastructure is for communities and individuals trying to work, access health care and attempt to teach kids from home.

Yet over one-fifth of rural Americans lack access to broadband, while some estimates suggest that figure could be much higher.

The problem has spurred many state governments to take an active role in trying to connect more rural communities to high-speed internet, whether its by incentivizing providers to serve rural areas or creating dedicated offices aimed at helping more people get online.

As part of our ongoing research on how broadband access affects economic development, we conducted a study that examined which of these state policies are actually working.

Why broadband matters

The pandemic has brought home the importance of high-speed internet access in all manner of everyday life.

Recent studies have found that broadband matters for jobs, income, business relocation, civic engagement and health.

While availability has generally increased over the past decade, there is still a significant digital divide in terms of who has access to broadband. The latest data available shows that in some states, less than 50% of rural residents have a broadband connection available where they live.

Policies meant to increase access

Many state governments have adopted one or more of three approaches that can affect broadband availability: establishing broadband offices, increasing funding and restricting municipal networks.

In 2018, 25 states, including Minnesota, Tennessee and North Carolina, had offices with full-time employees devoted to getting more residents connected to high-speed internet. In general, they work with providers and communities to find ways to connect those without high-speed connections and to improve adoption rates where broadband already exists.

A total of 18 states, such as Colorado and California, had special funding programs that help subsidize broadband deployment in rural areas. These programs offer financial incentives to providers to install broadband infrastructure in lower-density areas where obtaining a profit is more difficult.

Utah, Wisconsin and 18 other states have adopted policies that restrict the ability of cities, utilities and other public entities to build their own broadband networks. Supporters of these restrictions, which arent intended to increase access, argue that municipal networks represent unfair competition to private providers.

We wanted to know how these policies affected the share of rural Americans connected to either standard broadband -- with download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second -- or a fiber-optic network. We also considered how the policies affected competition, defined as access to two or more providers. We analyzed data from 2012 to 2018 on all 3,143 U.S. counties and focused on the changes in the rural portions of each county since a policy was put in place. We performed a regression analysis to tease out the impact of each individual policy in states that implemented more than one.

We controlled for a variety of characteristics that might also affect broadband availability, such as population density, income and education. We also factored in political ideology, under the assumption that more conservative residents and legislatures are less likely to support a broadband office or funding and more likely to impose municipal broadband restrictions.

Assessing the impact

Overall, rural areas saw an average increase in broadband availability of 47 percentage points, rising from 24% in 2012  around when many states began implementing policies  to 71% in 2018. Access to faster fiber climbed 16.5 points to 23%.

But these figures varied widely depending on which state a rural American lived in  and what policies were in place.

Having a dedicated funding program turned out to have the greatest positive impact on getting more people in rural areas connected to broadband and fiber. Our analysis found that the policy increased broadband access by an average of 1.8 percentage points compared with states without the policy in place. Gains for fiber were even higher at 2.1 percentage points. The share of counties with access to more than one broadband provider climbed 1.4 points above what would otherwise be expected.

Imposing restrictions on municipal broadband, on the other hand, had a significant dampening effect on internet access. Counties whose states imposed such restrictions experienced broadband access gains 3.7 percentage points less than what they would have enjoyed without the policies in place. Fiber access was 1.6 points less, while the policy had a negligible impact on competition.

We found that state broadband offices had little impact on the availability of broadband or on the number of competitors, though they did lead to higher fiber availability, raising access by 1.5 percentage points more than in states without the policy. Recent research has emphasized the importance of the faster speeds that fiber provides for economic growth and employment.

But since broadband offices are relatively new, we believe the jury is still out on how effective they are. Other research has found benefits to broadband offices, such as better planning and outreach. It may just take more time for more of their benefits to show up in the data.

Moving in the right direction

Putting it all together, we would estimate that a state like Louisiana  with restrictions on municipal broadband and no dedicated funding program  could improve rural access to broadband by 5 percentage points above their normal rates of growth over the next six to seven years by changing those two policies.

And it seems like some states may already be aware of the advantages of doing so. In 2019, seven more states put in place funding programs to encourage broadband, and five softened their restrictions on municipal networks. Tennessee is currently considering removing its restrictions entirely.

On the whole, states have made significant gains in narrowing the rural-urban digital divide. Hopefully, states that have seen less improvement will learn from their neighbors.

But access is only part of the equation. Another important factor is affordability, which is why its important for states to pursue policies that can increase competition and reduce prices, too.

This article was first posted on The Conversation.
On Monday Scoop Distribution celebrated the highlight of a challenging but exciting year of growth and innovation as they opened the doors to their new, built-for-purpose premises in the Richmond Park development.

Having been one of the first distributors in South Africa to import and sell wireless products, their slogan Your Network, Our Passion goes unchallenged.

Today, almost 20 years later, the impressive upgrade to their Cape Town Distribution Centre reinforces their presence in the ICT industry.

The new building in Cape Town offers exciting features for an even more efficient, inviting customer experience  including an impressive 2,300m warehouse which vastly increases the amount of stock holding at their Cape Town branch.

Newly-designed areas for customer, courier, and container dispatch enhances the efficiency of the flow of products into and out of the dispatch centre.

Customer engagement will further be facilitated with a state-of-the-art product training facility and the R&D and RMA testing centre allows their team of techies to engage and test the latest and greatest technology for continued product enhancement.

Though the move is an obvious highlight, Scoops evolution in terms of operational excellence is also worth a closer look.

When you start the day with a challenge to yourself of what can we do better?, there is very little room for the ideology of if it aint broke, dont fix it, said Scoop CMO Amelia van der Vyver.

Everybody likes being part of a success story and she makes no secret of the fact that her blood runs blue and orange.

Scoops daily mantra Keep it simple and customer focused has resulted in some exciting operational changes this year.

Scoop customers spoilt for choice

Over the last few months, several new online transactional options were launched for Scoop customers.

Because one size does not fit all, we addressed our customers vastly different operational realities by implementing three procurement models, which resulted in the integration of physical and virtual transacting

Click and Deliver: A 100% online option, with order placement, payment, and shipping via their website. Click and Collect: Allows for online order placement and payment with the option to collect your order from their branches. In and Out: Caters for last-minute or emergency order-and-collection at their branches.

Additionally, a number of online payment options were added to their website.

Online ordering animation

Being in the ICT industry the majority of our customers are proficient with technology, so online ordering is nothing new or challenging, said Van der Vyver.

However, to make the process even more fun and showcase some of the options available on our website we contacted the animators at Wagtale and had them produce a short informative video. The real-time stock and pricing per product and various shipping and payment options are showcased in a Scoop-style, simple, no-fuss quirky format.

If you have any hesitation to use the web order facility, you can view a simple instructional video to boost your confidence and fill in the gaps.

Zero contact proof of delivery

When collecting orders from any of their branches, customers also no longer have to physically sign invoices.

By simply mounting a camera on their dispatch counter, they are now able to take an image of the customers ID which in turn links to an invoice number and is used as a POD (Proof of Delivery).

No more use of paper (the trees are smiling), no more clasping of pens and jamming of printers  its simple and safe.

Scoops move to their new premises and ongoing innovation proves that they are prepared and determined to remain responsive, robust, and resilient.

Their confident, positive outlook will undoubtedly encourage customers in the ICT industry to visit them at their new premises.

We are truly grateful to our team and our customers for their contribution to our growth and success and we look forward to welcoming all at our new premises  Team Scoop.

Click here for more information from Scoop
Bengaluru, Sep 3 : Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Chairman R.P. Sharma was critically injured when his revolver got accidentally discharged while he was cleaning it, an official said on Wednesday.

"Sharma, 59, suffered two bullet injuries in the neck and was rushed to Columbia Asia hospital," said an official.

The revolver, owned by the IPS officer, was loaded when he was cleaning it at his residence at Kothanoor here. He had intended to sell it off.

Sharma's daughter found him bleeding and rushed him the hospital.

The officer's health condition is said to be critical and Police Commissioner Kamal Panth has reached the hospital.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Wednesday that the government had met all of its commitments for peace talks with the Taliban, as a team left for Qatar to prepare for negotiations.

Ghani's remarks came after Kabul broke an impasse with the insurgent group on Monday by resuming a protracted prisoner exchange, a key hurdle to long-delayed negotiations between the two sides opening in Doha.

"The government has fulfilled all its commitments in the peace process that the international community had hoped for," Ghani told a team of government-backed negotiators at a meeting at the presidential palace, his office said.

"The release of Taliban prisoners is a clear demonstration of the government's commitment to peace."

Kabul had baulked at the release of the final 400 Taliban inmates who Ghani described as "a danger to the world", before a group of prominent Afghans approved their release for the sake of peace talks.

A senior government official told AFP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity that at least 200 prisoners have been released since Monday and the process "will continue today too".

The government has not confirmed if the release has been completed.

Paris and Canberra had opposed the released of militants on the list tied to the killing of French and Australian civilians and troops in Afghanistan.

It is not known if those militants have been released.

In return, the militant group has freed four Afghan commandos and are expected to release two more on Wednesday, a Taliban official said.

"We expect the Taliban to live up to their commitments on the release of the remaining captives," Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

The prisoner exchange was agreed in a deal between the Taliban and the United States in February, which said Kabul should release 5,000 militants in return for the Taliban freeing 1,000 Afghan troops.

Ghani said that a "critical stage of peace" had been reached and that the talks would help reduce violence and finalise a permanent ceasefire.

Story continues

The Taliban have said they were willing to begin negotiations "within a week" of the prisoner swap being completed and blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations.

Kabul has sent a "small technical team" to Doha to make logistical preparations, Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace Affairs told AFP.

Anwari said that Kabul's negotiators will also leave for Doha "very soon".

emh-jds/ecl/qan
Sonys efforts to revive its dying smartphone business may see it extend the software support period for its flagship devices. According to a new report coming from Japan, Sony is planning to provide up to three years of Android OS updates to its 2020 flagships.

The report says the Sony Xperia 1 II, which released earlier this year with Android 10, will get updates up to Android 13. The upcoming Xperia 5 II will also get the same level of software support. It will presumably launch with Android 10 and will get updates up to Android 13.

While these are unconfirmed claims as of now, theres no reason why the Japanese company shouldnt do that. It may well have to move out of comfort if it wants to attract more buyers for its Xperia smartphones.

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The same source also adds that Sonys older flagships will only get two years of guaranteed Android OS updates. This essentially means the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 will get updates only up to Android 11. Both the devices launched with Android 9 Pie last year.

Sony isnt changing its update policy for its mid-range smartphones either. The company currently provides only one major Android OS update to its lower-cost phones and it is, unfortunately, sticking with that policy. The Xperia 10 II mid-ranger, which launched alongside the Xperia 1 II, will only make it up to Android 11.

The Xperia 10, Xperia 10 Plus, Xperia Ace, Xperia 8, Xperia 8 Lite, and other older models such as Xperia XZ3, meanwhile, will all end life on Android 10. Thats disappointing given how capable some of these phones are. If Sony is really considering three years of software support for its flagship models, it should reconsider its software update policy for lower-cost models as well.

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Sony will join Samsung in providing three years of Android OS updates

If the report turns out to be true, Sony will join Samsung in providing up to three years of Android OS updates for its select smartphones. The Korean company announced its plans during the Galaxy Note 20 launch event early last month.

However, while Samsung is extending this generosity to its 2019 flagships as well as select Galaxy A series mid-range phones, Sonys efforts seem to be limited to its 2020 flagships only.

That said, itd still be nice to see Xperia phones being on par with Samsung Galaxy smartphones in some regard. Hopefully, Sony will issue some kind of official communication around this software update situation soon. Perhaps, during the Xperia 5 II launch in a couple of weeks. The upcoming Sony flagship launches on September 17, 2020.
Cancers gain and lose large sections of chromosomes in some of their cells but not in others, a process that may indicate ongoing evolution and selection for preferred traits, report a team of researchers led by the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), The Francis Crick Institute and the University College London. The finding, published in the journal Nature, was prevalent in 22 tumor types, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer.

The amount of ongoing structural evolution of these cancer genomes is way higher than we originally anticipated, and higher than the community usually suggests, says Dr. Roland Schwarz, head of MDCs Evolutionary and Cancer Genomics Group and one of the papers senior authors.

The variation seems to favor gaining or making more copies of large chromosome sections containing genes that benefit cancer cells, and losing sections with genes that would work to suppress the tumor. Which makes sense, but this was never shown before that this happens on an ongoing basis across so many tumor types, Schwarz says. Mom or Dad first?

Schwarz and first paper author Tom Watkins, a Ph.D. student at The Francis Crick Institute whom Schwarz co-supervises, have worked together for the past five years to develop a method that could help clarify these large-scale mutations in much greater detail. These changes, called somatic copy number alterations, can include full chromosome arms or even whole chromosomes, far bigger than point mutations in single genes. Specifically, they wanted to know if a change is on the maternal copy of a chromosome, or the paternal copy, or both, and the order in which changes occurred.

Understanding the amount of ongoing chromosomal instability and resulting copy number heterogeneity could inform future approaches to treatment, Watkins says.

Using a novel algorithm called refphase and statistical analysis, they were able to achieve this fine haplotype level of detail. Together with colleagues, they applied the approach to 1,421 samples from 394 tumors representing 22 tumor types. Critically, these samples were taken from at least two different parts of the tumor, which enabled the researchers to compare differences across regions.

These datasets are still quite rare, so I was excited to work on the largest pan-cancer collection of multi-region data, says Marina Petkovic, a Ph.D. student in Schwarzs lab, which is part of the MDCs Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), and a second author on the paper.

They found a large variety in chromosomal gains and losses between cells taken from different parts of the tumors. This high level of variation was found in all the tumor types analyzed.

Widespread imbalances

The team often found that in one part of the tumor, a gain or loss was only on the maternal copy of the chromosome, but in the other part of the tumor, the gain or loss was only on the paternal copy. This phenomenon, which Schwarz and colleagues first named in a 2017 study, is called mirrored subclonal allele imbalance (MSAI). These MSAI events are present in many tumor types, we find them everywhere, Schwarz says.

These imbalances could possibly indicate separate evolutionary events happening in parallel, which would suggest selection. Further investigation is required to better understand if the chromosome segments being gained or lost are indeed helpful for the tumor, or random. But one thing is for sure, the finding provides strong evidence that cancer continually remodels its genome on a large scale, which is also called chromosomal instability.

It addresses an ongoing debate in the cancer genomics field. Some argue there is a rash of evolutionary changes at the beginning of a tumors life, but then the genome remains relatively stable. Others, including Schwarz and his colleagues, suspect these changes are ongoing throughout the cancers life. Our approach provides substantial evidence for ongoing chromosomal instability at a level of detail that was previously impossible, Schwarz says.

Schwarz and his team are currently beta-testing their algorithm for public release as an R package, an open-access software for data analysis. This will enable others in the field to use their technique.

###

Further information

Lab of Dr. Roland Schwarz

press release: A close-up look at mutated DNA in cancer cells

Literature

Tom Watkins et al. (2020): Pervasive Chromosomal Instability and Karyotype Order During Tumour Evolution, Nature, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2698-6

Downloads

3D structure of a melanoma cell derived by ion abrasion scanning electron microscopy. Foto: Sriram Subramaniam, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Lizenz: CC BY-NC 2.0

Dr. Roland Schwarz Foto: Felix Petermann, MDC

Contacts Dr. Roland Schwarz

Head of the lab Evolutionary and Cancer Genomics

Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of Max Delbruck Centrum for Molecular Medicine (MDC)

+49-30-9406 3200

oland.schwarz@mdc-berlin.de Christina Anders

Editor, communications department

Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)

+49-30-9406 2118

christina.anders@mdc-berlin.de

oder presse@mdc-berlin.de The Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)

The Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) was founded in Berlin in 1992. It is named for the German-American physicist Max Delbruck, who was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. The MDC's mission is to study molecular mechanisms in order to understand the origins of disease and thus be able to diagnose, prevent and fight it better and more effectively. In these efforts the MDC cooperates with the Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH ) as well as with national partners such as the German Center for Cardiovascular Research and numerous international research institutions. More than 1,600 staff and guests from nearly 60 countries work at the MDC, just under 1,300 of them in scientific research. The MDC is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (90 percent) and the State of Berlin (10 percent), and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. www.mdc-berlin.de
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The indefinite hunger strike launched by the mother of a three-year-old boy who died after accidentally swallowing coins continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday in front of the District Hospital in Aluva demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the death. Nandini, mother of Prithviraj, is staging the protest. Local residents have formed an action council named, Prithviraj Justice Action, to organise the campaign seeking justice for the deceased boy. The stir was launched on August 29. The family resides at Kadungalloor near Aluva.

Soon after the child swallowed the coin on August 1, he was rushed to the District Hospital, Aluva. Later, doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, advised them to give rice to the child and that the coin would go out naturally, said the parents.

The child was brought home and by night his condition worsened. Though he was rushed to Aluva District hospital, he breathed his last in the wee hours.A chemical examination report had recently concluded that natural causes could have caused the death. However, the relatives are not ready to accept the finding.
Governor Udom Emmanuel has advised the new Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police to carry out his duties with fairness without political and illegal interference, insisting that as Governor he will not encourage him on an illegal errand.

Governor Emmanuel said on Tuesday, when the new Police Commissioner, Mr. Amiengheme Andrew visited him at Government House, Uyo.

Let me say this that as you are here, I will never ask you to do anything illegal for me. I have never asked for injustice against mankind. Its something against my life principles he said.

The Governor however assured of a good working relationship with the Police authority and other security agencies in the State for effective security of the State.

Mr Emmanuel maintained that when a government and people work with the security agents without asking for any illegality such society will always experience peace and harmony.

I want to first of all welcome you and let me register sincerely on behalf of the entire Exco and citizens of this State and our utmost thanks to members of your team.

He promised his administrations zeal to support the command noting that Akwa Ibom State is a very serene State to work in.

The new Police Commissioner, Mr. Amiengheme Andrew, in his address, stated that he hoped to give the citizens a sense of security and stamp out all forms of criminality in the State.

My primary aim as Im being posted to this Command is to make sure the citizens of Akwa Ibom State sleep well. There will be zero tolerance for any forms of criminality no matter how small or big. It will not be tolerated.

He expressed gratitude for the reception accorded him in the state and solicited for cooperation of citizens with officers of the Force maintaining that, security is everybodys business.

He called on members of the public to alert the force of any case of lawlessness by its men, restating his commitment to rid the Akwa Ibom Police Command of corrupt elements.
The collaboration will provide Southeastern Grocers with one-to-one customer marketing and intelligence to grow loyalty and drive preference

TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Eye Solutions, a digital global marketing technology company that helps retailers create one-to-one customer connections, and dunnhumby, the global leader in customer data science, are collaborating to enable the personalization of promotions for Southeastern Grocers, Inc. (SEG), and provide the retailer with a deeper understanding of its customers' behaviors and preferences.

As part of Southeastern Grocers' journey to become a digitally enabled, omni-channel retailer, the grocer is investing to serve the needs of different customer groups and at the individual consumer level. After launching the first phase of Southeastern Grocers' omni-channel strategy in July 2020 to enable the coupons-at-receipt channel, Eagle Eye is now working with dunnhumby to improve the retailer's effectiveness of promotions across multiple channels and grow shopper loyalty.

"Our commitment to providing our customers value has never been greater or more important in today's environment. We are working hard to ensure our offers and promotions are as relevant as possible to each customer by tailoring to their spending habits and day-to-day needs," said Adam Kirk, SVP of Marketing at Southeastern Grocers.

The ability to personalize grocer and CPG brand offers and drive effective one-to-one marketing at scale has been a long-standing challenge for retail marketers, primarily due to a lack of connected customer data and digital marketing infrastructure that can process and analyze millions of customer transactions in real time. Eagle Eye's AIR Platform powers the interactions and processing of shopper data; dunnhumby's customer data science and technology analyzes that data to determine which offers are most relevant to specific shoppers and most likely to deliver sales outcomes.

"Achieving personalization at the scale required for retailers to successfully compete for the hearts, minds, and wallets of shoppers depends on having all customer data connected with insights available in a single place. Working with Eagle Eye, we can provide SEG with intelligent analysis and recommendations to best engage with their customers to drive optimal results," said Jose Gomes, President of North America, for dunnhumby.

Knowing which customer cohorts are likely to respond to specific deals and CPG brand offers  right down to availability at specific locations or time of day  increases promotional effectiveness and incremental spend. The collaboration paves the way for Southeastern Grocers to offer targeted promotions and rewards through its mobile app and website, and drive sales growth strategically and sustainably.

"With dunnhumby, we've accelerated execution on Southeastern Grocers' retail vision and are on track to deliver a complete omni-channel strategy in record time. Our culture of rapid innovation and the speed of implementation to date means the retailer can get much more out of the customer data they already have," said Tim Mason, CEO of Eagle Eye. "Now, Southeastern Grocers can connect new channels and data to grow share of wallet by understanding customers' preferences and habits. By collaborating with dunnhumby, we can deliver offers designed to drive one more product per visit, one more item per basket, or one more visit per customer, ultimately delivering an uplift in sales."

For more information about Eagle Eye, please contact Kelsey Dielman at [email protected].

About Eagle Eye Solutions

Eagle Eye is a leading SaaS technology company transforming marketing by creating digital connections that enable personalised performance marketing in real time through coupons, loyalty, apps, subscriptions and gift services.

Eagle Eye AIR enables the secure issuance and redemption of digital offers and rewards at scale, across multiple channels, enabling a single customer view. We create a network between merchants, brands and audiences to enable customer acquisition, interaction and retention at lower cost whilst driving marketing innovation.

The Company's current customer base comprises leading names in UK Grocery, Retail and Food & Beverage sectors, including Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and John Lewis & Partners, JD Sports, Greggs, Mitchells & Butlers, Pizza Express and in Canada, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart and Esso.

Eagle Eye is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom and has offices in Manchester, Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia.

Web  http://www.eagleeye.com

Twitter  @WeAreEagleEye

About dunnhumby

dunnhumby is the global leader in Customer Data Science, empowering businesses everywhere to compete and thrive in the modern data-driven economy. We always put the Customer First.

Our mission: to enable businesses to grow and reimagine themselves by becoming advocates and champions for their Customers. With deep heritage and expertise in retail  one of the world's most competitive markets, with a deluge of multi-dimensional data  dunnhumby today enables businesses all over the world, across industries, to be Customer First.

The dunnhumby Customer Data Science Platform is our unique mix of technology, software and consulting, enabling businesses to increase revenue and profits by delivering exceptional experiences for their Customers  in-store, offline and online. dunnhumby employs nearly 2,500 experts in offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas working for transformative, iconic brands such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter &Gamble, and Metro.

Web  https://www.dunnhumby.com/

Twitter  @dunnhumby

SOURCE Eagle Eye

Related Links

https://www.eagleeye.com


India on Tuesday called out Pakistan for propagating fake news through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Malicious propaganda, misinformation, #infodemic, fake news. Call it what you may. Do read this report from the @stanfordio on motivated false propaganda from Pakistan. The truth is out for the world to see, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (New York) tweeted.

This follows a report by Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) on its investigation exposing a network of Pakistan-based Facebook and Instagram accounts that leveraged mass reporting to silence critics of Islamabad.

On August 31, 2020, Facebook suspended 103 Pages, 78 Groups, 453 Facebook accounts, and 107 Instagram accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As it notes in its takedown report, Facebook attributed this network to individuals in Pakistan, the SIO report reads.

Facebook shared a portion of this network on August 28 with the SIO which then conducted its own investigation and brought out its report.

The report highlights how a network of social media accounts originating in Pakistan posted Pakistani nationalist messages and criticized the Indian government. It also highlighted how the mass reporting networks operated, with Group and Page administrators mobilizing social media users to report accounts that were critical of Islam or the Pakistani military/government.

Moreover, many pages and Groups posted Pakistani nationalist content, praising ISI, the Pakistans intelligence agency and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

It further said this is not the first public suspension of coordinated activity in Pakistan and that in April 2019 Facebook suspended a network of accounts linked to the InterServices Public Relations wing of the Pakistani military.

According to Digital Forensic Research Lab, that network represented a significant influence operation, apparently aimed at boosting support for the army inside Pakistan and boosting support for Pakistan abroad.

Additionally, reporting shows that Pakistani politicians work directly with prominent social media trolls to get pro-Pakistan hashtags trending on Twitter.

The SIO report also noted the repeated invoking of duty towards religion and nation for mass reporting.


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Pupils from a Dublin primary school will have to restrict their movements for the next two weeks after a student tested positive for Covid-19.

Holy Family National School in Rathcoole, which has nearly 500 students, sent home one of its classes yesterday after learning a pupil was diagnosed with coronavirus.

It is the first confirmed student case in the Republic since schools reopened.

An email circulated to parents said that while everyone was being notified about this case, the school "will not be informing all parents of each individual further case unless instructed by public health to do so".

Under HSE guidelines schools do not have to alert all parents if there has been a confirmed case. Only the "close contacts" of the student are told.

Symptoms

Parents were also told that siblings of students in the class sent home can still attend school if they are not showing symptoms.

"As you are aware, public health has declared that these cases will be inevitable in schools, and it is therefore inevitable there will be more such cases in the coming year," the email to parents said.

"If any pupil becomes symptomatic you should contact your GP."

Students were asked to remain at home for 14 days and advised that live lessons will be held over Zoom in the meantime.

"I wish to commend public health officials who acted speedily on this matter and our school community are very encouraged with the efficiency of public health officials and their thorough, comprehensive and speedy intervention into this case," said principal Colm Byrne.

"The school has been following all public health protocols for the reopening of schools and I wish to thank the families who have been very supportive of the school's reopening.

"The school will continue to follow public health and Department of Education & Skills directives to schools in all matters, now and into the future."

The school reopened last Wednesday and will remain open, Mr Byrne confirmed.

A spokesperson for the HSE said it cannot comment on individual cases or outbreaks, but said when a case of Covid-19 is linked to a school, "health professionals discuss directly with the person, or family as appropriate, and asks them about their contacts".

"Public health professionals will also discuss the matter directly with the educational facility, undertaking a public health risk assessment," the spokesperson added.

Education Minister Norma Foley said it would be inappropriate for her to comment on an individual case but said the public health guidelines are "very clear".

She said in terms of contact tracing she would not place the burden on any principal or board of management and it is a matter for public health.

A primary school in Co Armagh, just north of the Louth border, also sent a class home after a child tested positive for Covid-19.

Donal Keenan, principal of Jonesborough Primary School, said the child's classmates may be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

In a letter to parents, Mr Keenan said a pupil tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

Minister Foley will today appear before the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee as it examines how the reopening of schools has operated on the ground.

Representatives of parents and teacher groups are expected to make a range of submissions and identify areas of concern.
Its not often destinations make requests of tourists. Normally travellers make demands of the places they are out to see, holding them to account on forums like TripAdvisor (often to the point you wonder whether they are talking about a stretch of sand or a careless ex-lover).

2020 has changed all that. Its now par for the course for tourism-dependent destinations to make health and safety requests of those who come to visit. From requesting a COVID negative test before exiting the airport to enforcing a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine on arrival, the strategies are varied.

The aim? Limit the spread of The Bat Kiss.

One beachy Brazilian paradise has just made an unconventional demand of any tourist that visits. To enjoy the tropical idyll that is Fernando de Noronha, a Brazilian island which sits 334km off the countrys northeastern coast (with the the worlds best beach to boot), you must have had COVID-19.

Dig a little deeper and youll find the request makes sense: you must have had COVID-19 and have recovered from it.

Visitors will need to prove they have recovered from the virus, and will need to submit one of two types of tests  PCR virus tests or IgG antibody tests  at least 20 days before arriving at the island, Traveller reports.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fernando de Noronha (@fernandodenoronha) on Jul 12, 2020 at 7:36am PDT

Famous for abundant sea life, pristine beaches and dramatic mountainsides rising above the coast, Fernando de Noronha is a tourist mecca and UNESCO world heritage site.

The move by the tourism-dependent archipelago, which has about 3,100 permanent residents according to the most recent census estimate, speaks to the unique ways that state, local and national governments are trying to return to a semblance of normal as new COVID-19 cases and deaths stabilize in many parts of the world, Reuters reports.

Flights already appear to be filling up with island employees.

Imagine vc chegando em Fernando de Noronha p/tirar ferias e sendo recebido dessa maneira, subjugado por uma autoridade investida de um poderzinho arrogante e tirano. Gostou? Que tal? pic.twitter.com/jAS3Xub0e9  Bia Kicis (@Biakicis) August 27, 2020

The islands decision has also sparked debate over the level of immunity that coronavirus patients develop after surviving a first infection. As Reuters reports, though there have been cases of re-infection reported, including in Brazil, such instances are relatively rare.

Guilherme Rocha, Fernando de Noronhas administrator, said of the policy: Only tourists who have already had COVID and have recovered and are immune to the disease will be authorised (since) they can neither transmit it, nor be infected again.

Andre Longo, the health secretary of the state of Pernambuco, said in a statement: There hasnt been community transmission on the island for a long time. We have to keep it that way.

Obviously, this step is going to be done with an eye on safety and reactivating economic activity on the archipelago.

At the time of writing Fernando de Noronha has reported 93 confirmed cases of coronavirus and no deaths. It banned tourism in March and has now re-opened to tourists who have recovered from COVID, starting September the 1st.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fernando de Noronha (@fernandodenoronha) on Jun 6, 2020 at 7:06am PDT

Mainland Brazil has experienced 120,000 known deaths and 3.8 million confirmed cases. This number has begun to stabilise in recent weeks but remains high. Controversial Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has attracted domestic and international condemnation for his laissez-faire approach to The Pandemic  one that has softened slightly since he caught the dangerous virus, ironically.

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Tal Kopan San Francisco Chronicle (TNS)

WASHINGTON  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had her hair shampooed and blow-dried indoors at a San Francisco hair salon Monday, although city rules do not allow for such care during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report.

Fox News reported the visit Tuesday and obtained security footage of the styling treatment.

San Francisco began allowing salons to operate outdoors starting Tuesday, with a plan to open indoor operations in October, but such services were not allowed Monday.

Fox identified the hair salon as eSalon. It is unclear whether the salon made an exception for Pelosi or was allowing other clients to get their hair done despite the shutdown order. The Chronicle has left messages for the salon owner, Erica Kious.

Kious told Fox that a stylist who rents a chair at the salon texted her about the impending visit from the San Francisco Democrat on Sunday night.

The salon owner criticized Pelosi over the visit but did not explain why she allowed the stylist to use the salon during the shutdown.

She told Fox that Pelosis visit was a slap in the face, given that local rules have kept salons closed for six months.

Security video footage from inside the salon posted by the news network shows Pelosi moving through the salon with wet hair, wearing a robe, and with what appears to be a face covering around her neck. The attendant with her is wearing a mask.

On the left: Nancy Pelosi today shaming Americans, saying "you must wear your mask."



On the right: Nancy Pelosi yesterday violating covid rules for salons and not wearing a mask. https://t.co/vUfa9fsCsT pic.twitter.com/aUveM3Fn9m  Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) September 1, 2020

The story was quickly seized upon by conservative media and emailed out to reporters by a spokesman for House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.

Pelosis spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement, The speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements. This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.

John Cote, a spokesman for the San Francisco City Attorneys Office, had no immediate comment.

Pelosi has been an outspoken advocate of mask wearing and following scientific advice on physical distancing during the pandemic, as well as a critic of President Trumps response to the crisis. She requires that masks be worn on the House side of the Capitol and in House office buildings, and wears a mask herself when moving through the Capitol. She removes it to speak for interviews or news conferences.

On Monday, before her reported hair appointment, Pelosi criticized Trump for his Republican nomination acceptance speech in which hundreds of attendees sat close together on the White House South Lawn, with few of them wearing masks.

The president made a statement of his contempt for science when he invited 1,500 people to sit in close proximity without distancing and masks, Pelosi said. " This was a bad example for the rest of the country that was made in defiance of science.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein contributed to this report.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
HONOLULU - When Japanese military leaders climbed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, the battleship was packed with U.S. sailors eager to see the end of World War II.

On Wednesday, the 75th anniversary of the surrender, some of those same men who served the United States werent able to return to the Missouri in Hawaiis Pearl Harbor because of the worlds new war against the coronavirus.

The commemoration initially was supposed to be a blockbuster event with parades, movie premieres, galas and thousands of people honouring the veterans in their 90s or beyond, some who may be marking the milestone for the last time.

Because of the threat of the virus, the ceremony was scaled down to about 50 people, with local veterans and government officials gathering on the USS Missouri in masks. The names were read of surviving WWII veterans, including 14 who were on the ship the day the Japanese surrendered.

Jerry Pedersen, 95, was one of them, watching history unfold as a young Marine. He and his comrades who live in the mainland U.S. had to watch a livestream of the ceremony from home instead of on the decks of the battleship as planned.

Well, I was very disappointed, yes. I was hoping to maybe see a friend or two, he said. I just want to share with at least my family and a couple of other folks some of the feelings that I was going to express when I got there.

Those feelings are complicated, said Pedersen, who dedicated his life to peace after the war ended.

War must not happen again, he said, recalling the words uttered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on the day the Japanese surrendered. But were still oscillating on many of the things that are necessary to bring us peace.

Pedersen wore a blue Marine uniform recently sent to him for the ceremony as he watched the event from a laptop at his sons house in rural West Sacramento, California. His three adult children, their spouses and some grandchildren gathered around the computer, clapping and hooting when his name was called. Pedersen smiled and gave a fist pump.

For me, it was the end of the killing, the war that had taken millions of soldiers and many, many, many millions of civilians in wars in Europe and finally in the Pacific that came to an end that day. And we were celebrating, he told The Associated Press.

I had the feeling that day. I made a pact with myself that Im going to be a peacemaker in my life, said Pedersen, who went to college after the war, got his doctorate and became a minister.

He watched remotely as WWII-era warbirds flew over Pearl Harbor and video messages played from veterans and others in a tribute to those who couldnt attend or had passed away.

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he was honoured to commemorate and reflect on the sacrifices and victories of our service members and allies who helped fight for and secure peace.

At the end of his keynote address, he built a case for a strong military for the future.

We honour the legacy of those who came before us and recommit ourselves to defending todays international rules and norms so that the road is safer and is better for generations yet to come, Esper said. The United States commitment to the role today is the same one we made to the freedom-loving people of the world in 1941  that we will remain ready to fight any foe and defend any friend.

The U.S. entered the war after Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Thousands of service members were killed and wounded, about half of them dying on the USS Arizona, which still sits submerged in Pearl Harbor next to the USS Missouri Memorial, a floating museum.

Four years later, after massive losses on both sides that included the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese indicated they would surrender on Aug. 15, then met with Allied forces aboard the Missouri on Sept. 2 to sign the Instrument of Surrender.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the country can learn from WWII veterans about targeting the problems of our time.

Some compare fighting a pandemic akin to fighting a global war, Ige said. What I do know is that we cannot go wrong in following their example in the face of any adversity. Their courage under fire, strength of character, resilience over time provides a clear road map for us to follow in all that we do, whether we are fighting a social injustice or a virus.

___

Associated Press journalist Terry Chea contributed from West Sacramento, California.
Flights connecting Thailand, Cambodia and Pakistan in Asia; Greece, Denmark, Austria and Sweden in Europe, and Canada in North America  countries with relatively small numbers of imported cases  will resume

Beijing: The Chinese capital is opening up to international travel after a gap of six months following the COVID-19 pandemic, with an official announcement saying that flights from eight countries, including its "all-weather ally" Pakistan, would be permitted from Thursday.

Beijing, which banned all international flights from 23 March, on Wednesday announced plans to resume direct international flights beginning Thursday, signalling that the pandemic has been contained in the city.

Flights connecting Thailand, Cambodia and Pakistan in Asia; Greece, Denmark, Austria and Sweden in Europe and Canada in North America  countries with relatively small numbers of imported cases  will resume.

The first direct international flight to Beijing will depart from Cambodias capital Phnom Penh on Thursday which will be operated by Air China.

Meanwhile, India operated its fourth ''Vande Bharat'' flight to China on Wednesday.

The flight carried several Indian expats to Shanghai from Delhi and carried a large number of stranded Indians who wanted to go back home.

India has so far operated four ''Vande Bharat'' flights to Shanghai and Guangzhou besides three earlier to Wuhan to airlift Indians, mostly students, stranded in the city when the virus was at its peak in February.

China is gradually permitting flights from different countries, including the US to Shanghai and other cities mainly to bring back its stranded citizens abroad.

After a break since late March, Beijing airports will open again to welcome passengers from eight countries directly into the city, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.

Since March, all international flights bound for Beijing have been rerouted to other Chinese cities, in a bid to prevent the imported cases of coronavirus.

All international passengers entering Beijing like other cities in China would undergo 14-day collective quarantine periods for medical observations and take nucleic acid tests twice, Beijing health authority spokesman Gao Xiaojun told a press conference on Wednesday.

Beijing reported no new case for 26 consecutive days as of Wednesday, according to local health authorities.

It does not mean, however, that Beijing  or other cities in the country could relax their prevention and control measures, as China has been seeing growing numbers of imported cases in recent months, according to some experts.

With the experience of dealing with resurgent outbreaks in cities like Beijing and Dalian of northeast China''s Liaoning province, China is increasingly capable of handling imported cases, and COVID-19 prevention and control has become a regular task, Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Global Times.
Don Jazzy and Tiwa Savage both appear to have toned down their social media posts in recent days after the meeting with the DSS and police in Lagos.

Details have emerged on how Nigerian music producer, Michael Ajereh widely known as Don Jazzy, and Tiwatope Savage popularly known as Tiwa Savage, were invited by the Department of State Serviced for questioning over alleged political utterances against the administration of President Muhamamdu Buhari.

In recent months, following a sharp rise in sexual assault cases across Nigeria especially against women, Tiwa Savage began a movement known as WeAreTired in protest of the situation.

Through the movement, the musician called on Buharis administration to take action to stem the tide of rape in the country.

According to findings by SaharaRepoters, this in addition to several posts on social media calling on the government to live up to its responsibilities to Nigerians earned Tiwa Savage an invitation by the DSS.

Together with Don Jazzy, Savage was invited to the DSS office in Lagos two weeks ago during which they were warned to be careful with their posts on the social media.

Shortly after that episode, the two celebrities together with colleagues Yemi Alade and Waje were summoned by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, who while sharing efforts they were making to tackle rape and other problems in the state and country, warned the musicians to steer clear of political comments in order not to incur the wrath of the President Buhari administration.

A member of Tiwa Savages management team, who confirmed the development to SaharaRepoters, said that the celebrated female artiste will not stop speaking for Nigerians regardless of any move by governnent.

But as if to confirm the subtle warning from governnent, Don Jazzy and Tiwa Savage both appear to have toned down their social media posts in recent days after the meeting with the DSS and police in Lagos.

For example, Don Jazzy, who is known to actively engage his numerous followers on social media, last posted anything on Twitter more than 22 hours while Tiwa never continued with her hashtag after the meeting with DSS Director at their Shangisha, Lagos office.

Apart from the two celebrities, the DSS has also invited a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, over his comments on the operations of Boko Haram in the Northern part of Nigeria.

While speaking on a radio programme, Mailafia had stated that a serving governor in the North was the commander of Boko Haram. See Also Politics Again, DSS Invites Former CBN Deputy Governor, Mailafia, Over Comments On Terrorism

He was invited twice for questioning by the DSS and also invited for interrogation by the police in Abuja, which he turned down by seeking a relief in court.
Turkey Tuesday rejected Austrias charges of espionage after Vienna claimed it arrested a person who confessed to carrying out spying activities of the Turkish secret service.

We reject the unfounded claims made by the Austrian authorities about our country. It is obvious that anti-Turkey circles are behind these allegations, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said.

We are amazed that the Austrian government has drawn conclusions from these allegations.

Tension mounted between the two countries after Austrias interior minister, Karl Nehammer, Tuesday accused Turkey of exerting influence in the European country through espionage activities.

Karl Nehammer told media at a news conference that one person, arrested following June brawl between Turkish and Kurdish groups in Vienna, has confessed to having been recruited by the Turkish secret service to spy on other Turkish citizens or Austrian citizens with a Turkish migration background and then report them to the Turkish security authorities.

Nehammer indicated that Austria will file charges on suspicion of espionage and will vehemently fight against Turkish influence.

Turkish espionage has no place in Austria. There is no place for Turkish influence on liberty and fundamental rights in Austria. We will fight against it vehemently, he said.

Over 30 Austrians were detained in Turkey between 2018 and 2020 after entering the country and courted by the Turkish service to spy on its behalf, according to the Austrian interior minister.
WASHINGTON  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his controversial speech to the Republican National Convention was "lawful" and had been reviewed by the State Department.

Pompeo addressed the GOP convention in a message he recorded from Israel, while he was on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East.

The move broke longstanding diplomatic protocol and perhaps the State Department's own policy on engaging in partisan political activity. Previous secretaries of state have eschewed such overtly political activities.

"The State Department reviewed this. It was lawful," Pompeo told reporters during a news conference Wednesday. "And I personally felt it was important that the world hear the message of what this administration has accomplished."

Pompeo's decision to address the convention sparked withering criticism from former diplomats and ethics experts. Several critics noted that Pompeo himself approved a policy last year specifically barring State Department employees from participating in a political convention.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses the Republican National Convention in a prerecorded video from Jerusalem, Israel, on Aug. 25, 2020.

The policy, outlined in a December 2019 State Department memo, says agency employees cannot "engage in political activity in concert with a partisan candidate, political party, or partisan political group."

The memo adds: "Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees may not even attend a political party convention or convention-related event."

And in July, Pompeo warned State Department employees against engaging in restricted political activity. It is important that the Departments employees do not improperly engage the Department of State in the political process, and that they adhere to the Hatch Act and Department policies in their own political activities," he wrote in a July 24 cable.

Pompeo argued he was addressing the convention "in my personal capacity," even though he used his speech to tout President Donald Trump's foreign policy and did so while on official U.S. government-funded travel.

Story continues

Pompeo did not say who at the State Department reviewed his decision or what the conclusion of that review was.

Last week, Rep. Joaquin Castro, a top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, opened a probe into Pompeo's decision, saying he has "a gross disregard" for ethics rules and "a blatant willingness to violate federal law for political gain."

Other individuals and outside groups have also filed complaints with federal ethics officials, seeking investigations into whether Pompeo's speech was a violation of the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in certain partisan political conduct.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during his weekly briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, on September 2, 2020.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, announced last week his committee would move to hold Pompeo in contempt of Congress, alleging an "unprecedented record of obstruction" and noting Pompeo's refusal to comply with the committee's subpoenas.

Engel said State Department officials told him they would only turn over the requested documents if the committee agreed to open a probe into Hunter Biden's dealings in Ukraine. Democrats say that is an effort to "smear" former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump's rival in the 2020 election.

"In other words, Pompeo will give the committee what we were seeking if we join in a smear of the Presidents political rival," Engel said.

Pompeo did not respond to a question about the contempt resolution during his Wednesday news conference.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Pompeo says RNC speech from Israel was 'lawful'
A gaping, funnel-like hole estimated to be at least 50-meters-deep has been discovered in a remote area of the arctic, on the Yamal Peninsula, in Siberia.

Discovered accidentally from the air by a Vesti Yamal television crew en route from an unrelated assignment, the mysterious crater is the latest to be spotted in northern Siberia since the phenomenon was originally documented, in 2014. Chunks of soil and ice were thrown hundreds of metres around the funnel, which strengthens scientists theory that such craters are the result of methane gas buildups in pockets of thawing permafrost under the surface of the Earth. As pressure increases, the lid of the pocket is blown off and the methane gas is released.

This object is unique. It carries a lot of additional scientific information, which I am not yet ready to disclose, Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky, of the Russian Oil and Gas Research Institute in Moscow, told Vesti Yamal. This is a subject for scientific publications. We have to analyse all this, and build three-dimensional models.

In a literal sense, it is a void space filled with gas with high pressure, Bogoyavlensky added. The covering layer distends, the thickness of which is 5-10 metres approximately.

The Russian professor who previously claimed that human activities, like gas drilling could be a factor in the forming of these craters expressed his concern about the risk of such structures forming close to gas pipelines, production facilities or residential areas.

A group of scientists conducted an expedition to examine the large cylindrical crater, the latest of several discovered in the Siberian Arctic in the last decade.

We know of seven craters in the Arctic area, Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky said back in 2015. Five are directly on the Yamal peninsula, one in Yamal Autonomous district, and one is on the north of the Krasnoyarsk region, near the Taimyr peninsula. We have exact locations of only four of them. But I am sure there are more craters on Yamal, we just need to search for them.
In less than 24 hours on the ground, Israel's first-of-its-kind delegation to the received a royal welcome that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Dozens of Israeli officials and their accompanying travelling press corps got a dizzying taste of Abu Dhabi's glamorous hotels, historic landmarks and scorching climate.

The Emirati charm offensive was on full display as the hosts literally pulled out the red carpet at the airport as they sought to convey a new spirit of friendship following the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries.

Emirati diplomats in their traditional white garb warmly greeted their Israeli counterparts, some wearing Jewish skullcaps, as they hammered out the initial details of agreements on a range of issues, including diplomacy, trade, science, technology and cooperation in countering the coronavirus pandemic.

It is a message of coexistence. It is a message of togetherness and tolerance in the region, said Jamal Al Musharakh, a senior Emirati Foreign Ministry official, in a briefing with the visiting reporters Tuesday.

There are too many conflicts in the region and it's high time to look forward to sustainable ways forward and hope for the future.

The overnight visit, after the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between and the UAE, marked the apex of an accelerating warming relationship that had been mostly clandestine before the surprise Aug. 13 White House announcement establishing Israeli-Emirati ties.

Since then, telephone lines were quickly connected between the countries, the UAE's ruler issued a decree formally ending the country's decades-long boycott of and several Israeli companies signed business deals with Emirati counterparts.

For the travelling journalists from in tow, the visit offered a crash course in Emirati culture and hospitality and a brief window into a nation that had long been mysterious and inaccessible to Israeli citizens.

The hosts arranged a private tour of the sparkling Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, with a guide highlighting its Jewish-themed artifacts. Official photographers captured images of the Israeli visitors that were later shared online.

A model was put on display of the future Abrahamic Family House, a massive multi-faith complex under construction set to open by 2022. It aims to house a mosque, a church and a synagogue, and is being touted as the most expensive Jewish house of worship ever built.

A lavish, multi-course dinner with an assortment of local dishes followed, with senior Emirati government officials sharing insight and anecdotes about their country, government and personal lives. Kosher food was provided to the observant Jews, as well as a ritual hand-washing station.

On Tuesday, representatives of the media visited the Al Dhafra air base, where 5,000 American troops are stationed, to highlight the close Emirati-American military alliance.

The Israeli journalists were taken to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and to a cultural center, with a nod toward potential future Israeli tourists. Cheery government minders handed out souvenirs and UAE-themed trinkets.

Even so, it was a tightly controlled visit, with the Emiratis insisting almost all exchanges be kept off-record.

Only before departure, with an Israeli flag flapping on the Abu Dhabi Airport tarmac below, did Al Musharakh, the senior Foreign Ministry official, express himself publicly. He said the UAE remained committed to solidarity with the Palestinians yet felt compelled to move ahead nonetheless with Israel.

While the Palestinians say they feel betrayed, the UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for a future state.

It is also expected to help them acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Israel currently is the only country in the region to fly the stealth warplane.

Israel's arch rival Iran has also come down hard on the UAE. On Tuesday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the recognition of Israel treason that will not last for long.

But the Emirati diplomat said such thinking was a thing of the past. He said relations with Israel culminate a national narrative of forward-looking thinking that renounces extremism and violence.

He described the local atmosphere in two words: historic and hopeful." The path to peace and prosperity is not paved in incitement and hate speech, he said, referring to Iran. It is through partnership and cooperation.

(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.)
PRESS RELEASE

Contribution of the balance of the New Money facility

for an amount of c. 180 million

Update on the business

Paris(Euronext Paris: TCH; OTCQX: TCLRY) (the "Company") is pleased to announce today that, as planned, all the conditions precedent required in connection with the contribution of the balance of the EUR 420 million new financing (the "New Money") have been granted or satisfied. In consequence, c. EUR 180 million (in principal, net of costs and commissions) (the "Balance of the New Money") have been made available to Tech 6 (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company). This is pursuant to a New York law bond issue by Tech 6 subscribed by the lenders of the New Money, for the purpose of financing the short term liquidity needs of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group"). Tech 6 has concurrently lend the total amount of the Balance of the New Money to the Company by way of an intragroup loan.

In consideration of the funding of the Balance of the New Money, additional security interests have been granted as security to the lenders of the New Money, in particular a fiducie (equivalent of a trust under French law) over the securities of Gallo 8, a subsidiary of the Company.

Additionally, Technicolor announces that, on July 31, 2020, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court presiding over Technicolor's Chapter 15 proceedings granted recognition of the order of the Commercial Court of Paris dated July 28, 2020 approving Technicolor's accelerated financial safeguard plan. The US Bankruptcy Court's order gives full force and effect to the French Court's approval order and prohibits Technicolor's creditors from taking any action inconsistent with the accelerated financial safeguard plan in the United States.

Update on the business:

Based on business activity during the months of July and August, the Group remains confident of achieving the outlook presented in its press release issued on July 30 2020, including the achievement of cost savings in excess of 160 million during the year;



In Production Services, recent discussions with the major US studios confirm a pick-up in general activity in the film industry;



New cinema releases remain on hold at present, which is leading to a reduction in revenue in DVD Services, but back catalog demand remains strong;



Connected Home continues to experience increased demand for broadband gateway products, especially in North America, as consumers seek better home broadband and wifi experience.

About Technicolor:

www.technicolor.com

Technicolor shares are admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris exchange (TCH) and traded in the USA in the form of American Depositary Receiptson the OTCQX marketplace (OTCQX: TCLRY).

Investor Relations

Christophe le Mignan: +33 1 88 24 32 83

Christophe.lemignan@technicolor.com

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Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Mostly clear, breezy, and very cold. Near or below zero wind chills by morning. .

Tonight

Mostly clear, breezy, and very cold. Near or below zero wind chills by morning.
Credit: University of Manchester

An analytical breakthrough that could significantly improve our chances of finding extra-terrestrial life in our galaxy has been discovered by a team at The University of Manchester.

In new research published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the researchers demonstrate a reanalysis of existing data that represents a new milestone in the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

The collaborative research team has dramatically expanded the search for extra-terrestrial life from 1,400 stars to 280,000increasing the number of stars analysed by a factor of more than 200.

The result suggests that less than 0.04% of stellar systems have the potential of hosting advanced civilisations with the equivalent or slightly more advanced radio technology than 21st century humans. As well as improving the limits for nearby stars, the team for the first time actually placed limits on more distant stars with the caveat that any potential lifeforms inhabiting the outer limits of the galaxy would need even more powerful transmitters in order to be detectable.

The analysis, say researchers, can only locate intelligent and technically advanced civilisations that use radio waves as a form of communicationthey could not, for example, detect "simple" life or non-technical civilisations.

Credit: University of Manchester

The team is made up of Masters student Bart Wlodarczyk-Sroka and his advisor Professor Michael Garrett at the University of Manchester in the UK, and Dr. Andrew Siemion, director of the Breakthrough Listen Initiative, have placed the best limits ever on the prevalence of artificial radio transmitters, dubbed techno-signatures, in the Milky Way.

Combing through the catalogue produced by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia spacecraft, which measured the distances to over a billion stars, the researchers recalculated limits on the prevalence of transmitters around additional stars within the radio telescope's fields of view. By selecting stars out to much larger distances (up to about 33,000 light years) than the original sample of nearby stars, they were able to expand the number of stars studied from 1,327 to 288,315.

Team leader Mike Garrett had always been troubled that SETI searches didn't usually take into account the many other cosmic objects that fall within the range of sky a telescope is sensitive to, in addition to the main target. According to Garrett, Gaia has changed all that: "Knowing the locations and distances to these additional sources," he says, "greatly improves our ability to constrain the prevalence of extra-terrestrial intelligence in our own galaxy and beyond. We expect future SETI surveys to also make good use of this approach."

"Our results help to put meaningful limits on the prevalence of transmitters comparable to what we ourselves can build using twenty first century technology," remarked Wlodarczyk-Sroka.

"We now know that fewer than one in 1600 stars closer than about 330 light years host transmitters just a few times more powerful than the strongest radar we have here on Earth. Inhabited worlds with much more powerful transmitters than we can currently produce must be rarer still."

The sheer number of stars studied enabled Wlodarczyk-Sroka to place some of the most stringent limits to date on the prevalence of powerful radio transmitters in this region of our galaxy. In addition, for the first time, the team have been able to do this as a function of stellar typethe extended sample includes not only a wide range of main-sequence stars, but also numerous giant stars and white dwarfs.

Explore further Astronomers identify 18 metal-poor stars in the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy

More information: Extending the Breakthrough Listen nearby star survey to other stellar objects in the field, arXiv:2006.09756 [astro-ph.IM] Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Extending the Breakthrough Listen nearby star survey to other stellar objects in the field, arXiv:2006.09756 [astro-ph.IM] arxiv.org/pdf/2006.09756.pdf
Baramulla: An army personnel takes position during an encounter between the security forces and terrorists in North Kashmir's Baramulla district on Aug 22, 2020. One terrorist was killed in the encounter. The encounter erupted after a joint team of t Image Source: IANS News

Shopian: Army personnel conduct cordon and search operations after four terrorists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Aug 28, 2020. One militant surrendered and heavy cache of arms and ammuniti Image Source: IANS News

Baramulla: Searches being conducted at the site of grenade attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, on Aug 31, 2020. Six civilians were injured on Monday in the grenade attack. According to the police, militants targeted a secur Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 2 : The Resistance Front (TRF), the newly-floated militant outfit in Kashmir, has put out a list of 62 political workers and "informers" on social media, warning them of grave consequences.

The list also carries a chilling message.

"More to come and if these stooge won't shun this traitors' path then more will go. It's just the tip of the iceberg and the list is more than that. Don't make us act harshly so do shun your anti-Kashmir struggle activities and don't become pawns of the occupier regime. Rest you know," TRF said in an accompanying message with the list.

"This is the list of #Kashmiris published by #TRF, a virtual organisation assisting militants, alleging that #Kashmiris in the list are traitors and warned them to get ready to face its consequences. They also said that these are just few names, list is big @KashmirPolice", Asian Osint said in a tweet.

"A list of political workers, sarpanches, and supposed police informers among others has been uploaded on social media platforms by the media cell of newly-formed militant group 'TRF'. In total 62 names have been published in this list with many more to come as per the post," Sagar Kaul said in a tweet.

Police say that TRF is a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and most militants killed in encounters who claim to belong to the TRF are actually associates of the LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen. The police say that the outfit has been floated at a time when Pakistan is facing the heat from the FATF to wind up terror camps and end its support for terrorists.

TRF has been floated to present Kashmiri militancy as an indigenous one internationally, police said. TRF has been using social media to glorify homegrown militancy and to take ownership of the attacks. Sources say this is an effort to take centre stage of militancy in Kashmir and attract more youth to its fold.
Strongly rejecting the Centres suggestion that states can borrow to meet their current GST revenue shortfall, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the options given by the Centre are tantamount to a betrayal of the trust and moral responsibility of the government towards the states, equating the action to an attack on the federal structure of the country.

Asking Modi to intervene, Banerjee said the Centre passing on its constitutional obligation of meeting the revenue gap to the states was a travesty and an abrogation of the fundamental basis on which the states gave up 70% of their taxing powers, including the entire VAT regime, to usher in the GST regime.

The only condition for giving up all of these powers was the promise of full compensation of shortfall in GST collection for five years, on an agreed formula, she wrote.

Banerjee reminded Modi that he, as chief minister of Gujarat, had opposed the implementation of GST, and Arun Jaitley had said the BJP was against the implementation because it did not trust the then government in honouring compensation of GST losses to the states.

Today, his words are ringing in our ears as we are losing trust on the BJP Government in the Centre, in honouring its solemn promise of fully compensating GST losses to the states, the letter said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week offered states two borrowing options to tide over their GST revenue shortfall as the GST cess collected was not adequate to compensate them this financial year. States could either borrow Rs 97,000 crore from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or take Rs 2.35 trillion from the market under different terms.

Apart from West Bengal, the governments of Punjab, Delhi, Kerala, Telangana and Chhattisgarh have already rejected both borrowing options.

Defining both options as unilateral, Banerjee said states are being pushed to borrow at a time when many of them are unable to pay salaries to their employees and some even having to default on pensions to their senior citizen employees.

The TMC chief said the Centre must borrow to meet the shortfall and, in return, the states will support a resolution that cess collection continue beyond the five years till the entire debt of the Centre is totally liquidated, along with the entire interest payment cost.

The government of India has the power to monetise its debt while the states do not have that. Also, the government of India gets a much lower interest on such borrowing while the interests on such borrowings by state would be much higher, she pointed out in her letter.

Banerjee also said when GST was being introduced, it was on the basis of trust between the Centre and states, and there was no legalistic approach. She said the government now seeking the Attorney Generals opinion, who says it is not the responsibility of the government to compensate the states, is an act of subterfuge to undermine the trust reposed by the States in the spirit of cooperative federalism. Thereby, it appears to be an onslaught on the democratic and federal structure of the country, she added.
Ismail Haniyeh to meet other Palestinian factions in rare talks on how to respond to normalisation deals with Israel.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was in Beirut on Wednesday for a week-long visit that will see him meet with Palestinian factions over growing cooperation between their enemy Israel and Arab states.

Haniyehs visit, his first to Lebanon in 27 years, comes after an August 13 announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to normalise ties.

On Thursday, Haniyeh will meet representatives of other Palestinian factions in rare talks on how to respond to such accords and to a Middle East peace plan announced by Washington this year, said the Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka.

The meeting at the Palestinian embassy in Beirut will coincide with talks in Ramallah between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of Palestinian factions there.

Thursdays joint discussions in Ramallah and Beirut aim to develop a unified Palestinian strategy to confront normalisation schemes  and to reject plans to annex the West Bank as well as [Trumps] deal of the century', Baraka said.





Speaking from Ramallah, Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said the talks also sought to boost ties between the factions.

They aim to open a new page, to end divisions, achieve national reconciliation and build a national partnership between all factions, he said.

The Palestinian embassy in Lebanon said a part of the meeting was organised in Lebanon because most participating officials were residing either in Beirut, Syria or Ramallah.

Baraka justified the choice of Lebanon by saying the country is a supporter of the Palestinian cause and has a large population of Palestinian refugees who would be adversely affected by United States President Donald Trumps plan for the Middle East.

The last time most heads of Palestinian factions held joint talks was in 2013 in Cairo.

Under the US plan unveiled this year, Israel would retain control of the disputed city of Jerusalem as its undivided capital and annex settlements and other areas in the occupied West Bank.

On August 13, Trump announced an agreement between the UAE and Israel to normalise ties.

Under the watershed US-brokered deal, Israel has suspended, but not permanently dropped, annexation plans.

The UAE became the third Arab country to agree to normalise ties with Israel, after Egypt signed a peace deal in 1979 and Jordan followed suit in 1994.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday there are many more unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel.
Veronica Gerber was set to go before Ontarios human rights tribunal on Monday in a bid to see her mother more often during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But three days before the case was to be heard, Dorothea Gerber, 82, died at the Toronto long-term care facility where she had lived for more than a decade.

Veronica Gerber had been scheduled to appear before the tribunal seeking an interim order to restore her visitation rights to their pre-pandemic status.

Although that interim order is no longer needed, Veronica Gerber said she still plans to proceed with the case, alleging her mothers rights were repeatedly violated during her final months.

The operator of her mothers nursing home denies the allegations and says strict visitation policies have been key to the companys success in keeping the novel coronavirus out of its facilities.

But Veronica Gerber says barring family members from visiting left her mother cut off from key emotional and psychological support as the pandemic swept across the province.

Residents are not prisoners in a pandemic prison, and their rights have been disrespected, she said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Veronica Gerber alleges the operator, Shepherd Village Inc., misconstrued government guidance meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 and arbitrarily created policies that allowed paid caregivers into the home while shutting residents closest relatives out.

The Ontario government appeared to acknowledge much on Wednesday when it announced new visitation rules for essential caregivers would take effect across the province on Sept. 9, noting past regulations had been applied inconsistently among different homes.

She said she still wants to air her concerns before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario in order to ensure future residents in her mothers position retain access to what she sees as crucial support.

There are residents rights, and I dont believe that emergency orders ... trump that, she said.

Veronica Gerber said she was generally satisfied with the medical care her mother received at the Shepherd Lodge facility in east Toronto for most of her time there, noting she had dementia and used a wheelchair when she was admitted but was bedridden by the time COVID-19 arrived in Ontario.

In the lead-up to the pandemic, Veronica Gerber said she had unrestricted access to her mother and visited her at least once each day, often to assist with feeding and other evening routines. A paid worker also visited a few times a week to offer social interaction and companionship, she added.

Veronica Gerber first learned of Ontario Ministry of Health restrictions on visitors to long-term care homes on March 14, when staff informed her she would not be allowed in to Shepherd Lodge. The province had issued sweeping guidelines that day barring access for all but essential visitors  defined at that time as the parents of ill minors and relatives of adults believed to be dying.

Two days later, during an email exchange with Shepherd Lodges director of care, Veronica Gerber was told that the paid companion would continue to have access to the home.

Shepherd Village contradicted that position in a written submission to the tribunal, saying the paid caregiver would not have been permitted inside and adding 80 per cent of other such visitors who had access to the home before March 14 were kept out once lockdown measures took effect.

The Ontario government updated its guidance for long-term-care home visits on June 10, stressing the emotional well-being of residents as a top priority. The revised directive gave individual homes discretion over developing their own policies and scheduling visits, but said they must also consider whether the person requesting time with a resident was an essential caregiver. The Ministry defined that role as someone providing unspecified care services to one resident at a home, noting theyre often drawn from the ranks of close family members.

A lawyer representing Shepherd Village declined to comment on the case, but written submissions filed on the companys behalf argued Veronica Gerber fell short of meeting that threshold.

While it is acknowledged that (Veronica Gerber) provided emotional and psychological comfort and support to (Dorothea Gerber) through her daily visits, such comfort and support does not constitute essential services/support that would bring her within the definition of an essential visitor, the statement reads.

Were it otherwise, almost any family member of a resident could be considered to be an essential visitor, which would entirely defeat the critical health and safety considerations underlying the (ministrys) directives and the Lodges visitor policy.

Veronica Gerber said she did not see her mother in person between March 13 and May 19, noting she was allowed into the home at that point because of a deterioration in Dorothea Gerbers health that briefly placed her in palliative care.

She said the time apart took a toll on her mothers well-being. Dorothea Gerber was permitted to take anxiety medication on an as-needed basis, and her daughter said records show the number of requests for such treatment jumped 75 per cent between mid-March and mid-May.

She said the long absence also left the older woman feeling confused and unsettled, leading to some heartbreaking questions when the two finally reunited.

My mom asked me if I had moved ... or did she do something wrong, Veronica Gerber said. I had to reassure her that no, I hadnt moved, she hadnt done anything wrong. Its just I hadnt been able to come.

Both Veronica Gerber and Shepherd Village said extensive lobbying resulted in a few compassionate visits being granted once Dorothea Gerbers health improved.

Veronica Gerber was eventually classified as a family caregiver in late July and allowed to resume daily visits at that point, though they were required to be scheduled and involved staff members escorting her to and from her mothers room.

Visitation limits were increased when Dorothea Gerber went back into palliative care in mid-August, and Veronica Gerber said she was at her mothers side when she died peacefully on Aug. 28.

The Ontario government declined to comment on Veronica Gerbers case, but laid out new visitation rules late Wednesday afternoon.

Under the updated regulations, essential caregivers will be allowed to visit homes, including during COVID-19 outbreaks, subject to direction from the local health unit.

The new policy means a resident can designate two caregivers who can visit without time limits. If a home is not in outbreak, or the resident is not symptomatic or self-isolating, the caregivers can visit together.

Todays announcement will ensure that guidelines on (caregivers) visits are applied consistently across homes so that all residents get the support they deserve, Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton said in a written statement.

The changes come too late for Veronica Gerber and her family, but she said she hopes raising the matter before the tribunal prevents others from feeling the loneliness and fear that dogged her mother in her final months.

My mother didnt want a hug from her (personal support worker). She didnt want a kiss from her (registered nurse), she said. She needed to connect with me and her extended family.
The movie, to be voiced by Stephen Fry and Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley, is being made completely independently and hit its initial $50,000 fundraising target in just 12 hours.

Jim Capobianco, the writer and director of The Inventor, explained why he wanted to make the film independently.

He said: "We want to create a completely new way of making an animated feature film of this scale".

"Our Kickstarter community is part of the film from the very beginning, joining forces with some of the best and most creative minds in the industry and allowing us to open access and truly share the process and the making of the film."

"We hope to inspire the next generation of animators and Leonardos of the 21st century."

The project brings together the people who have been behind some of the greatest animated films of recent years including Isle of Dogs, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Song of The Sea, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Lion King.

The money raised so far will pay for 'The Animatic', this is the blueprint that guides all of the craftspeople who work on the film.

Now Jim is inviting more film fans to sign up to The Inventor Kickstarter campaign so they can progress the next part of the project.

Jim added: "We are absolutely over the moon by the support we've received so far. Now we're inviting more people to join us so we can fund the music development, sound design and concept art.

"Leonardo's story very much resonates with the issues we face in our world today. He was the ultimate free thinker, who challenged the orthodoxy of his time. Stories like his can be inspiring and show us all a way forward."

Supporters of the film will get a host of rewards including exclusive artwork, signed illustrated scripts, behind the scenes tours, animation masterclasses, exclusive film credits, and could even appear in the film.

If you would like to support The Inventor and be part of the next stop-motion animation hit film go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/77077682/the-inventor

For media enquiries please contact

Ellen Byrne

[email protected]

+353 86 028 9499

www.theinventorfilm.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Jim Capobianco was nominated for the Original Screenplay Academy Award in 2008 for Ratatouille.

was nominated for the Original Screenplay Academy Award in 2008 for Ratatouille. Jim Capobianco's credits also include key contributions to Disney and Pixar animated classics such as The Lion King , Finding Nemo , Wall-E , Inside Ou t and Coco , and most recently directed the animation sequence of Mary Poppins Returns .

credits also include key contributions to Disney and Pixar animated classics such as , , , t and , and most recently directed the animation sequence of . The Inventor is produced by Robert Rippberger and Jim Capobianco and is executive produced by Don Hahn , producer of some of the most successful animated films in recent history including The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast .

and and is executive produced by , producer of some of the most successful animated films in recent history including and . The film is a European and American co-production from Foliascope ( France ), Melusine Productions ( Luxembourg ), Curiosity Studio ( Ireland ), and Leo & King ( USA ).

PHOTOS, VIDEOS & GIFS

Synopsis:

The insatiably curious and headstrong inventor Leonardo da Vinci leaves Italy to join the French court, where he can experiment freely, inventing flying contraptions, incredible machines, and studying the human body. There, joined in his adventure by the audacious princess Marguerite, Leonardo will uncover the answer to the ultimate question: "What is the meaning of it all?"

Tagline:

Embark on an exhilarating journey with perhaps the greatest genius of all time in this humorous story for the whole family inspired by the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci. From the Academy Award nominated writer of Pixar hit Ratatouille, and story artist of animated classics like The Lion King, Inside Out and Coco.

About The Inventor:

THE INVENTOR is produced by Robert Rippberger and Jim Capobianco and is executive produced by Don Hahn, producer of some of the most successful animated films in recent history including The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. DoP Peter Sorg previously worked on cult stop-motion features Frankenweenie and Coraline. In addition to the stop motion, some hand-drawn sequences will be overseen by Academy Award nominee Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea). Music will be done by Alex Mandel who composed for the academy award winning Pixar film, "Brave."

Executive production credits also include Ilan Urroz, Kat Alioshin, Stephan Roelants, Carmella Casinelli, Dave Lugo, Wes Hull, and Eleanor Coleman.

www.theinventorfilm.com

SOURCE TheInventorFilm
By Odunewu Olusegun

Bank customers have become clearly unhappy with the sporadic debits from their deposits. Indeed, the social media is replete with reports from very angry bank customers, who consider these deductions as a rip-off of their hard-earned incomes.

At the end of every financial year, these little but regular amounts chopped off from various account holders run into billions of naira and form a major source of revenue for most of the banks in Nigeria today.

An elderly customer of a first tier bank, Olaoye Akande, accused Nigerian banks of extortion by tricks.

Nigerian banks are too money conscious. Withdrawing money, they would charge for debit. If you credit your account, they will charge you for putting money in your account. The way the banking sector treats its customers is very unfair. What if customers no longer put money into the bank, how would they survive?

A First bank user, Ifeoma Okeke is not happy with her bank as she claims they charge her more than N200 for monthly SMS. According to her, she doesnt see the need for the use because some of the SMS sometimes doesnt make sense.

They would send alerts for debit and credit which is normal but sometimes the credit is not even normal credit but their own bank transaction. Most of their SMS are for information like quick banking, bank maintenance fee and the likes. Arent those types of messages supposed to be free? So why do I get charged for something like that?

Meanwhile a banker who craved anonymity said, We have lots of customers who have made their complaints about not being able to withdraw more than N10, 000 from other banks. What they should understand is that an ATM is not supposed to attract any charge until after the third withdrawal in a month and besides if one is using their banks ATM they can withdraw as many times as they like without getting charged at all.

While the Central Bank of Nigeria has put in several measures to curtail the excesses of the banks with the new guide to charges by banks in December, 2019 which reduced some charges, or completely cancelled some, Banks still create a way to circumvent these guidelines in order to beef up their revenue base.

Some of the changes introduced in the revised guide included: a graduated fee scale for electronic transfers to replace the old flat fee of N50. Card maintenance fee for current accounts was also abolished while saving accounts now attract a maintenance fee of N50 per quarter from N50 per month.

Similarly, ATM charges were reduced to N35 after third withdrawal within a month from N65, and so on and so forth, but despite the intervention of the CBN, many Nigerians still complain of arbitrary charges on their bank accounts.

Ayankunle Babatunde, a trader, said the amount a particular new generation bank charged him for Card Maintenance prompted him to close his account after several years of running it.

The charges are just too crazy, he said of the amount deducted from sundry services. It is not even worth it.

There are some traders I know who would not open an account, said another trader in Lagos. They handle cash. They ordinarily will not trust any bank with their money but even if they want to, will they go ahead with all these stories of arbitrary charges that we have in Nigeria?

Also, Blessing Okugbe, an undergraduate, explained that although students accounts are easy to open because they attract zero balance, some of the charges effected on those accounts could be disheartening.

They allow you to open the account without any money; savings account. But when you carefully calculate the charges they deduct for card maintenance and all that, youd realize nothing is free, she said.

She explained that because they are students, there is a limit to how they can cope with the arbitrary charges.

According to a finance and public policy expert, Jide Ojo, even the issue of removal of charges on ATM withdrawal has been grossly flouted by banks. Unlike before when bank customers can withdraw up to N40, 000 at once, now you can only withdraw N10, 000 at once.

Bank customers in Nigeria have continually lamented the arbitrary imposition of various charges and several cases relating to failed banks transactions, fraud and so on.

In recent times, cases of failed bank transactions without early or no refund have taken a toll on banks transactions, and calls are constantly being made to the apex bank to correct the rising trend.

PV: 11
NOW THAT Virginia stands at the cusp of adopting a bipartisan redistricting process  an anti-gerrymandering, pro-transparency reform that most of the states top Democrats embraced, lobbied and campaigned on for years  it is the state Democratic Party itself that is opposing it. Thats ironic and disappointing, but maybe not surprising: Last fall, for the first time in a generation, the party took control of both houses of the state legislature, meaning that it is now free to draw its own voting maps, choose its own voters and preserve its own power, just as Republicans who controlled Richmond tried to do for the past decade.
The London-based, insurance-focused investment firm Beat Capital Partners said it is creating a dedicated underwriting vehicle, funded by Bain Capital Credit, which will provide capital through its Syndicate 4242 to support Beats underwriting businesses operating in the Lloyds of London market.

In conjunction with the transaction, Bain Capital will become a significant minority investor in Beat and will join the companys board of directors, according to the announcement by John Cavanagh, chairman of Beat.

Beat specializes in helping specialty underwriters set up their own companies. It supples startup funding, underwriting capacity, along with regulatory, information technology and back office services.

Since its inception in 2017, Beat has invested in start-up businesses that are now generating gross premiums of over $300 million in 2020. Among the underwriters it has invested in are Brace, Chord Re, Tarian and Syndicate 4242, which it acquired in 2018. Beats investments operate independently of one another under their own management and brand.

Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in late 2020.

Beat is owned by its management, including founders John Cavanagh and Tom Milligan, along with global insurance investor Paraline Group and specialty wholesale insurance distributor AmWINS Group.

Boston, Mass.-based Bain Capital Credit is a global credit specialist with approximately $40 billion in assets under management.

Evercore, GC Securities, RPC and Andrew Holderness Consultancy advised Beat on the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis, PWC, Holman Fenwick and Towers Watson advised Bain.

Topics Mergers Excess Surplus Lloyd's
district reported 3,433 new



cases in the last 24 hours, taking its count to 1,73,747 on Tuesday, a health official said.

He said the death toll rose to 4,183 with 56 more patients succumbing to the infection during the same period in the western district.

Also, 1,419 patients were discharged from hospitals following their recovery from the infection, the official said.

"Of the 3,433 cases, 1,695 were reported from areas under Municipal Corporation limits (the city), where the count rose to 97,068. With 966 cases, Pimpri-Chinchwad's tally rose to 50,296," he said.

The number of positive cases in rural and Cantonment Board areas increased to 26,383, the official 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.)
New York City educators have reacted with horror and anger over the announcement by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) that it has agreed to a plan to reopen the largest school district in the United States by mid-September. The deal with Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio will delay the opening from September 10 to September 16, with a resumption of in-person schooling for hundreds of thousands of children beginning on September 21.

For weeks, educators, parents and students have been denouncing and protesting the reckless and chaotic plans to open schools for more than a million students and 135,000 teachers and support staff. New York City, an earlier epicenter of the pandemic with nearly 24,000 coronavirus-related deaths, is the only large urban district that will open this fall with in-person learning.

With anger reaching a boiling point, UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced last week that the union would seek authorization from union delegates to call a strike as a last resort. On Monday evening, the unions 100-member executive board unanimously backed the proposal, and the delegate assembly, made up of building reps from more than 1,600 schools, was set to vote on Tuesday.

Teachers protest against unsafe school reopening, August 3, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

By Tuesday morning, however, Mulgrew and other union leaders appeared at a press conference with de Blasio, along with Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, who said district officials have been working night and day with our labor partners to put together the plan. Mulgrew claimed the city had the most aggressive policies and greatest safeguards of any school system in the United States of America. The unions delegate assembly approved the deal Tuesday night by an 82-18 percent margin.

The union officials never intended to wage any serious fight. The same ploy was used by the Detroit Federation of Teachers over the past two weeks. After 91 percent of Detroit teachers voted in favor of a safety strike, the DFT announced a deal last week to open the schools under a hybrid model of in-person and online learning, combined with hazard pay, to entice teachers to return to schools in another city that has been an epicenter of the virus.

The claim that the schools can be reopened safely in New York City or anywhere else is a patent lie. Many if not most of the citys schools are dilapidated and poorly ventilated, making them a vector for the spread of the virus. Under the union-backed plan, 10-20 percent of students and staff will be randomly tested starting on October 1 and only every month thereafter. In his remarks to Tuesdays delegate assembly, Mulgrew absurdly claimed this partial testing was adequate, stating, We wanted to test everyone, but our experts said that would only be good for three days. Wouldve made people feel better but would not be effective.

Rank-and-file teachers immediately denounced the deal on social media and on other outlets. One teacher told the WSWS, Im told by my union rep that over 1,000 schools were inspected, and the UFT has enough to bring safety issues to court. That being said theyre telling us, We will see you inside school on the 8th. What a sellout!

In a post on social media, an educator gave voice to the widespread sentiment for a strike, writing, So, once again, it will be left up to TEACHERS to figure out what the city didn't figure out in the past 5 months. STOP SELLING US OUT!!! FULL REMOTE OR WE STRIKE!!!

Another tweeted, Just to be clear, we never asked for more planning time. We dont need more planning time, we proved that in March when we established a non-existent curriculum platform in a week. We need safety. We asked for safety measures. This is March all over again.

Last March, the UFT colluded with de Blasio to conceal the extent of infections and block demands by teachers to close schools, a delay that would cost the lives of at least 121 educators. With the school openings expected to lead to a resurgence of COVID-19, another catastrophe is in the making. This is exacerbated by the fact that New York City hospitals will not be able to count on out-of-state volunteers this time because hospitals are now overrun with COVID-19 patients across the country.

If this homicidal policy is to be stopped, educators in New York City and other districts must take matters into their own hands by building rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the teachers unions, to mobilize the strength of the working class to halt the unsafe opening of schools.

No confidence can be placed in the American Federation of Teachers (the parent organization of the UFT) and the National Education Association, which are opposed to any mass struggle that would expose the anti-working class character of the Democratic Party, particularly on the eve of the presidential elections.

Whatever their rhetorical and tactical differences, both the Democrats and Republicans are fully behind the back-to-school campaign. Getting children back in school, no matter what the cost in lives, is critical from the standpoint of herding workers back into the factories and other workplaces where they can produce the profits demanded by Wall Street.

President Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Republican governors are most naked in their opposition to science and the use of bullying threats against districts that do not fully open and resistant teachers that do not comply. Last week, Dr. Scott Atlas, Trumps quack doctor brought onto the coronavirus task force because of his support for the murderous herd immunity policy, toured Florida schools with Governor Ron DeSantis, saying, We are the only country of our peer nations in the Western world who are so hysterical about reopening schools.  We seem to be the only country willing to sacrifice our children out of fear.

Afraid that such statements are only throwing gasoline on the fire, which could provoke a revolt by teachers and parents, the Democrats have professed their concern about safe schools and worked with the trade unions to suppress opposition. On Tuesday, Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and current teacher, began a two-week Back to School tour with a stop at a Wilmington, Delaware school. She plans to visit 10 cities, including Grand Rapids, Michigan; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona and Jacksonville, Florida, where teachers have organized repeated protests and have set up the Duval Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, independent of the unions.

Over the weekend, AFT President Randi Weingarten hosted an online meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which, while denouncing Trump and the Republicans, deliberately concealed the role of the Democrats, including de Blasio and the governors of New York, California, Michigan, Hawaii, Colorado and other states that are forcing teachers and students back to school.

On Wednesday, the AFT is holding a series of Day of Action online rallies to promote Biden, whose campaign has already pledged to oversee a regime of austerity that would eclipse the eight years of brutal budget cuts and attacks on teachers that Biden helped carry out under the Obama administration.

The unions falsely present Biden and the Democrats as champions of workers and public education because the Democrats rely on them to suppress strikes and other forms of resistance. In return for this, the Democrats protect the institutional and financial interests of the union apparatus, including the deduction of dues from workers paychecks that has enabled Weingarten to become a multimillionaire, with an annual salary of more than $500,000.

Last month, the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee was established to unite and organize opposition to the unsafe opening of schools, independently of the unions. In addition to the Duval Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in Florida, many more are being built in New York, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii and other states. The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is calling on teachers to unite with other sections of workers and actively prepare for a national general strike.

At the same time, these committees demand full funding for internet access, computers and remote-learning, and income protection for parents who must stay at home to care for their children. No return to school must be permitted until there is regular universal testing, the revamping of heating and ventilation systems, a permanent reduction in class sizes and safe school conditions overseen by rank-and-file safety committees answerable to educators, parents and students, not the corporate and financial elites. To pay for this, teachers must demand that the trillions handed over to Wall Street in the CARES Act be rediverted to meet social needs.

We urge all those who wish to build a local or statewide rank-and-file safety committee in your area to sign up today and join our Facebook group. Make plans to attend the next online call-in meeting of the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee this Saturday, September 5, at 3pm EDT. Register today and share widely with your coworkers and friends!
(Judges are bound by sentencing guidelines, which are different in each part of the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland, and must take into account mitigating circumstances, such as early guilty pleas, co-operation with police and remorse, as well as aggravating factors, such as intent and excessive violence.)

David Bieber: jailed for a minimum term of 37 years by the Court of Appeal, after which he can apply for parole.

American David Bieber murdered Pc Ian Broadhurst (34) and attempted to kill Pcs Neil Roper and James Banks on December 26, 2003, in Leeds.

The murder sparked a nationwide search before he was captured.

Using a false passport, Bieber entered the UK in 1996 after fleeing the US.

Unarmed traffic policemen Pc Broadhurst and Pc Roper detained Bieber after identifying false number plates on his stolen BMW on the day of the killing.

Bieber drew a 9mm handgun and fired at the officers. Pc Broadhurst was hit once in the back before Bieber shot him in the head at point-blank range.

Aaron Brady: set to be sentenced in October and facing a minimum sentence of 40 years

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Co Armagh man Aaron Brady was found guilty last month of carrying out the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

The 41-year-old was shot dead outside Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.

Mr Donohoe had been on duty in Bellurgan when he was killed with a shotgun blast from Crossmaglen man Brady.

A jury at Dublin's Central Criminal Court found Brady (29) guilty of murdering Mr Donohoe during the robbery of the credit union.

The conviction carries a life sentence with a minimum 40-year prison term.

It was the longest murder trial in the history of Ireland.

Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton: jailed for 24 and 14 years

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Constable Stephen Carroll (48) was the first PSNI officer murdered by paramilitaries after he was shot dead by the Continuity IRA on March 9, 2009.

He was ambushed while responding to a bogus 999 call at Lismore Manor in Craigavon.

In 2012 Brendan McConville from Craigavon and John Paul Wootton from Lurgan were convicted of his murder. The pair still maintain their innocence.



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A case involving DNA evidence helped to secure the murder convictions, including gun residue on a coat linked to McConville recovered from a car said to have been used by the killers.

Dale Cregan: sentenced to life imprisonment

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Greater Manchester Police Constables Nicola Hughes (23) and Fiona Bone (32) were murdered by Dale Cregan in September, 2012.

Cregan lured the officers after making a hoax emergency call in Hattersley, Greater Manchester.

When they arrived he ambushed the unarmed officers after shooting and throwing a grenade at them.

Both officers were hit by at least eight bullets as Cregan fired 32 shots in 31 seconds. Pc Bone died at the scene.

Pc Hughes died later in hospital.

Cregan was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order on June 13, 2013.
Among the most serious problems cited by the report were companies coercing franchisees into buying more products than they could sell, pushing them to maintain 24-7 operating hours and making misleading recruitment promises to store owners about the prospects for their new businesses.

The commission warned that those practices, among others, may have run afoul of Japans antimonopoly law by abusing a superior bargaining position. It requested that the countrys eight leading convenience store chains submit a plan for taking corrective measures. The commission also said it would seek further information about possible legal violations by the companies.

Convenience stores are ubiquitous in Japan, with more than 55,000 locations so widely spread throughout the nation that the government considers them part of the national infrastructure.

But the industry has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years after allegations by franchisees that companies have used strong-arm tactics to force them to overstock their stores and maintain 24-7 operations, leading some short-handed and overworked owners to collapse from exhaustion.

In early 2019, the decision by Mitoshi Matsumoto, a 7-Eleven franchise owner in the Osaka area, to close his store in defiance of company policy set off a media frenzy and put the issue in the spotlight. The trade commission began its inquiry nearly one year ago, amid mounting public pressure on the industry to change its practices.
Donald Trump; Proud Boys; Federal Officers; Portland

Donald Trump, with Patriot Prayer founder and Republican Senate candidate Joey Gibson speaking during a campaign rally for Gibson on August 4, 2018 (L), and Federal officers operating amid tear gas while clearing the street in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 21, 2020 (R) Getty Images/Salon

Violence in the streetspolitics, 2020-style

That we are in a time of great political divide is not news.

That those divides are turning physical, and sometimes dangerous, is developing as a major theme before the elections, perhaps predictably.

That we have a bunch of loose words from our candidates for president is neither calming the streets nor helping to establish credibility in government to consider the grievances of the public. Indeed, all it seems to be doing is to give the candidates platforms for more sloganeering.

Worse, the candidates don't seem to be getting at who is responsible for now nightly fighting that witnesses report are more between leftist anarchists and right-wing white supremacists than warring with police.

There are a growing number of reported clashes, real and imagined. The real ones have included the incidents in Kenosha, Wis., of course, where a white teen committed to defending police, has been charged for killing two protesters and a shooting overnight of a man in a Portland caravan who was wearing a Trump hat, and the less real one of note this week involved Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who reported that he was assaulted by a "mob," which turned out to be 100 people shouting at him and his wife.

Facts are overly short, and slogans are ruling the day. Meanwhile, ought we not be concerned that whatever violence there is in localized single blocks of different U.S. cities is spreading to fistfights over mask-wearing in stores or protests that are meant to be vocal, but specifically not violent?

Violence real and imagined

For Donald Trump, peaceful protests that turn violent in the early morning hours are all from one side: "You know what I say? Protesters your ass," Trump said to cheers at an airport rally in New Hampshire on Friday. "I don't talk about my ass. They're not protesters, those aren't protesters. Those are anarchists, they're agitators, they're rioters, they're looters."

Story continues

Opponent Joe Biden, who is seen as decrying violence in too general a manner, told CNN that Team Trump is "rooting for violence" in American streets because it allows them to drive fear for political gain. Biden cited a quote from Kellyanne Conway that "the more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better news for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order."

Trump seized on the footage of protesters near the White House who gathered around Sen. Paul, who was escorted away by police.

But video of the incident appears to show a much smaller crowd that didn't touch Rand Paul or his wife, and they seem to have sustained no injuries. Actually, several videos of the incident were posted to social media; one shows a denser crowd while another video by reporter shows a smaller crowd shouting "Breonna Taylor," a Paul Kentucky constituent who was killed in a mistaken police raid into her Louisville home, and "say her name."

In any event, there was no violence here.

Growing violence

By contrast, nightly violence is continuing in Portland, Ore., "between a core of pro-Black Lives Matter and anti-fascist protesters and law enforcement," reports The Guardian. There is a pattern of politically polarized street violence with broadly leftwing and anti-fascist activists sometimes facing off against far-right groups.

Last weekend, a right-wing "Say No to Marxism in America" rally  including members of far-right groups like the Proud Boyssaw serious, widespread violence directed not only at leftist counter-protesters, but also reporters. One right-wing protester drew a firearm, others carried knives and guns, some had wooden shields with nails driven through.

The Washington Post recorded exchanges from Kalamazoo, Mich., and Bloomington, Ind., to Chicago and Portland, with people on both sides of the divide punching and beating each other, often with police appearing to be little more than observers. Some of the violence has been linked to pro-gun groups and far-right extremist organizations.

In Weatherford, Texas, heavily armed protesters, including members of several far-right Texas-based groups, clashed with demonstrators seeking removal of a Confederate statue from the grounds of the Parker County Courthouse. The next day, brawls erupted at a local campaign event in Tyler, 100 miles east of Dallas. A week later, police were called to break up a gathering of hundreds of motorists, many flying Trump and Confederate flags, who descended on a historical Black church in Dallas that displays a two-story Black Lives Matter sign.

This week, in central Pennsylvania, a man marching from Wisconsin to D.C. for this week's anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington was shot and wounded. Protesters have also been shot, in some cases fatally, A group of people berated customers at D.C. restaurants this week who refused to raise their fist in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, though the confrontations were nonviolent.

What to do

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have made much of spreading fear of violence in Joe Biden's America but taking no responsibility for violence in Trump's America. More, they are pointedly singular-focused on violence that arises from protest from Black Lives Matter and other left causes, without seeing participation by right-wing groups.

As president, Trump's remarks in New Hampshire underscore that he is not even distinguishing between peaceful, lawful protest and "looting." He is more focused on protecting the rights of gun-toting thugs than he is on whether there is any intelligent discussion of policing abuses, systematic racism or the dozens of questions raised by street protests.

Biden and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris are getting hit by not being vocal enough, while winning some political points for actually paying attention to what the protests are about.

"We are not just a polarized society  we are increasingly a confrontational society now," Mark Pitcavage, a historian and senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism told The Washington Post.

As voters, we ought to be doing more, and demanding that leaders do more to make the divide more debate than physical confrontation.

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After officially stepping down as senior royals, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex left the U.K. for America. They stayed at a property in Canadas Vancouver Island before moving to California. Their first stop was Tyler Perrys Los Angeles Beverly Hills estate.

In August, it was confirmed that the pair left the media moguls residence and purchased a home for $14 million in Santa Barbara county. But their new neighbors reportedly arent thrilled to have the couple living near them and have become annoyed that they are there. Read to find out why Meghan and Harry arent the most popular people in Montecito at the moment.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS  WPA Pool/Getty Images

RELATED: Prince William and Meghan Markle Agree That 1 Royal Tradition Can Be Damaging

Problem Prince Harry and Meghan faced living at Perrys mansion

Perrys Beverly Hills mansion where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously took up residence is an eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom estate. It sits atop a hill and the problem the couple experienced living there had to do with privacy.

Hello! Magazine noted that when the trails and parks around the estate reopened after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, anyone jogging or hiking to the hilltop could see into their temporary home.

In an effort to stop strangers from watching them and their young son, Archie, the prince and former Suits star decided to have privacy screens installed around the property. They also had more security cameras put it in as well.

Reason new neighbors have been super annoyed since they moved in

The couple is said to be very happy with their new nine-bedroom, 19-bathroom Montecito house. However, not everyone shares their joy.

According to TMZ, locals are super annoyed that ever since the duke and duchess showed up so have helicopters, more tourists, and paparazzi. The town located about 90 miles outside of LA is normally a pap-free zone, but thats changed now that Sussexes moved in.

Residents say that choppers have been flying overhead around four times a day and photogs have staked out areas around town including a shopping center, waiting for the moment Harry and Meghan emerge.

Neighbors told the media outlet they are frustrated and they want the paps to give it a rest, because they feel things are getting to the point where everyones privacy is being compromised.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

The Sussexes were accused of angering their neighbors in the past

This isnt the first time reports have surfaced about neighbors being unhappy living around the Sussexes.

Back when they were still in England at Frogmore Cottage, sources told The Sun that the prince and his wife issued a set of demands of how neighbors should conduct themselves in their presence.

Some of the rules allegedly given to folks who lived around them were not to try and engage them in conversation, not to pet their dogs, and not to ask to see little Archie.

However, a palace spokesperson later denied that any such demands were made by Meghan and Harry.
The RDI Hub, ADAPT Research Centre and Microsoft will this week investigate the societal benefits for AI at the inaugural John McCarthy AI Summer School. John McCarthy, who the RDI Hub building in Killorglin, Co Kerry is named in honour of, is considered one of the founding fathers of the discipline of AI when he coined the term in the mid-1950s.

This week, over two days, experts and thought leaders in the field of AI will virtually gather to discuss how the constantly growing field of AI can be harnessed for the benefit of society, with a particular focus on how it will change ways of working and the impact of AI post COVID-19.

The inaugural event is aiming to create a community which will share best practice and foster the development of the conversation around AI which, according to estimates by PwC, has the potential to boost Irelands GDP by 48 billion in 2030.



The John McCarthy AI Summer School will take place over two half days on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of September, from 1pm to 5pm, with a mix of plenary lectures and roundtable discussions.



Topics of discussion across the two days will include:

AI and the COVID-19 pandemic

AI for sustainable agriculture

AI for sustainable cities

AI from science fiction to the science classroom

The speaker list for this online event brings together Irish and international experts and includes:

Professor John Kelleher  TU Dublin

Professor Vinny Cahill  Trinity College Dublin

Professor Joseph Walsh  IT Tralee

Mark Sparvell  Microsoft

Dr Haithem Afli  CIT

Rumman Chowdhury PhD  Accenture

Professor Rozenn Dahyot - Trinity College Dublin

Professor Rohit Nishant - Universite Laval, Canada



Commenting on the intiative, CEO of RDI Hub, Liam Cronin said, "AI is going to have a truly transformative effect on our lives over the coming years. Already it is a discipline which has risen to prominence recently with applications in the battle against COVID-19 but there is so much more to AI than in healthcare and we are looking forward to discussing its diversity with our speaker panel."

He added, "Our aim is that the John McCarthy AI Summer School will become a calendar moment for the development of AI and sharing of knowledge and we look forward to our first event next week in partnership with ADAPT and Microsoft."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
HIV-1 Virus. Credit: J Roberto Trujillo/Wikipedia

The observational study involving more than 1,300 people was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University of Malawi College of Medicine and colleagues at the University of Cambridge.

It found most patients admitted to hospital knew their HIV status, and that 90% were taking antiretroviral therapy.

However, approximately one-third of patients established on HIV treatment had significant levels of HIV in their blood, and more than 80% of these patients had resistance to two or more of their HIV antiretroviral drugs.

Patients with multidrug resistant HIV were 70% more likely to die within two months of being admitted to hospital than those without drug resistance.

This is the first study reporting such data in hospitalised patients, as access to HIV drug resistance testing is not widely available in high HIV burden African settings.

Dr. Ankur Gupta-Wright from LSHTM and project lead said: "There has been an unprecedented scale-up of antiretroviral therapy in high-HIV prevalence settings in sub-Saharan Africa. However, HIV remains a common cause of admission to hospital, with a high risk of death. Our results show drug resistance is an important cause."

Distinguishing HIV drug resistance from alternative explanations for progressive illness whilst taking antiretroviral (HIV) treatment, such as patients not sticking to required dosage or stopping treatment altogether, is not usually possible. Patients who develop advanced HIV while established on ART often go undetected.

Most available data on HIV drug resistance come from outpatient clinics, where failing HIV treatment is much less common. However, hospitalised patients represent a key target group for intensified interventions, given their relatively high risks of treatment failure, advanced immunosuppression, and high short-term mortality.

This study was based on patients living with HIV who were admitted to hospital in Zomba, southern Malawi. Samples were collected at the time of hospital admission to test for the amount of HIV virus in the blood, to see if patients were responding to their HIV antiretroviral medication.

By sequencing the virus and looking for mutations, patients with high levels of HIV in their blood were tested for resistance to HIV drugs. After two months, the team compared whether patients failing ART and/or with HIV drug resistance were more likely to die.

Of 237 patients with HIV drug resistance results available, 195 (82%) had resistance to lamivudine, 128 (54%) to tenofovir, and 219 (92%) to efavirenz (all first-line drugs used to treat HIV at the time of the study).

Dr. Gupta-Wright said: "These are worrying results. ART changes and saves lives, but drug resistance is threatening this progress. Timely diagnosis and management of ART failure and drug resistance in this patient population could improve individual patient outcomes and contribute to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets set for 2030. Rapid HIV-1 viral load tests for hospital inpatients need to be implemented, so results are available quickly and patients can be switched to alterative antiretroviral therapy.

"This could potentially save the lives of many patients living with HIV on treatment who are admitted to hospital."

Professor Ravi Gupta, from Cambridge University and senior author on the study said: ''These important findings highlight the threat posed by drug resistant HIV and call for rapid tests for drug resistant virus that could aid in determining treatments and interventions for patients in hospital.''

The authors acknowledge limitations of this study including the introduction of a new antiretroviral drug in Malawi last year called Dolutegravir, which may overcome some of the resistance found in this study.

The study is published in Lancet HIV journal.

Explore further HIV patients showing signs of multidrug resistance in Africa
Nigeria's House of Representatives speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is going to Ghana for a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart following the recent diplomatic tension.



Mr Gbajabiamila told Nigerian media that the main topic of discussion would be issues affecting Nigerians in Ghana.



The information ministers for both countries had spoken about the matter with Nigeria's Lai Mohammed accusing Ghana of deporting Nigerians and closing shops owned by Nigerian citizens.



In his response, Ghana's Information Minister Kojo Nkrumah said the Nigerians who were deported were involved in criminal activities, and that all foreign shop owners, whose documentation were not in order, had their premises closed.



Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months following trade tensions and the demolition of the Nigerian diplomatic building in Accra.

Source: BBC









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One might find it rather curious that a classically minded interior designer like Matthew Patrick Smyth would leave his beloved 18th-century weekend retreat in Sharon, Connecticut, for a neglected 1970s prefab in the woods. But when he was notified of a price reduction on the listing he had been tracking in nearby Salisbury (Smyth is a self-proclaimed real estate junkie), he didnt think twice. I immediately went to see the property and ended up buying it that same day, says the Manhattan-based Smyth, who also keeps an apartment in Paris. My friends thought I was crazy, but I needed a change and I wanted the challenge of tackling a ranch house like this. The 2,200-square-foot residence, originally constructed for a Pan Am pilot by the custom prefab company Deck House (now Acorn Deck House Company), fell into disrepair after having been rented out for years. The home was a mess, with layers of linoleum, avocado green appliances, a hot tub, a steam room, and a dated stone fireplace, recalls Smyth, although Im sure it was quite the jazzy bachelor pad when it was first built. It still had a good energy about it that I felt right away.

In order to see what he was working with, the designerwhose new book, Through a Designers Eye: A Focus on Interiors (Monacelli Press), comes out this monthbegan by taking down every last bit of drywall to expose the framework. There were so many walls and I needed to find out where the support beams were, explains Smyth. Upon opening up the floor plan, he created a more substantial entry area and converted the attached garage into an office that doubles as a guest room. The latter is now Smyths favorite room in the house, thanks to the best view of the mountains and the addition of a treasured English armchair. A close second might be the new main bath, the piece de resistance of which is a large soaking tub that looks out onto yet another picturesque pastoral vista.

Story continues

In choosing the furnishings, the designer flexed his editing muscles more than hes used to. I could pile on the antiques in the Sharon house, but I had to be more careful here, says Smyth. Decor needs to be appropriate for its environment and architecture, but I also couldnt abandon my love of antiques just because I moved to a midcentury-modern house. I didnt want it to feel stereotypical of that era, either. With that in mind, he decided on a mix of his most prized antique and vintage finds alongside custom upholstery, focusing his eye on pieces that were overall visually lighter than the ones I had been living with in my previous home.

He started by choosing three key items: A South African captains trunk that welcomes guests in the entry, and a circa-1850 Irish console and a gilded Regency mirror, both of which grace the living area. After that, everything else fell into place, explains Smyth. Its simple, light, and comfortable, yet its still elegant. And theres nothing too precious, enabling guests to feel completely relaxed. The art lining the walls consists mostly of works by friends that Smyth holds near and dear. Acting as your own client can be difficult because the choices are endless, he says. But this house sums up exactly how I want to design at this stage of my career. Its a true reflection of who I am right now.

Discover an Inspired Mix of Styles in This Connecticut Country House

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Theyre going to try to ensure hes still breathing, Rusesabaginas daughter Carine Kanimba told The Associated Press from Washington. The first and most important thing is ensuring hes being treated well and then we will do everything in our power, with the help of the Belgian government, to bring him home.
She's making a sensational comeback to the ITVBe show after a nine-year absence to celebrate its milestone 10th anniversary.

And Amy Childs proved there's no rest for the wicked as she continued to film scenes for The Only Way Is Essex in the county late last month.

The OG castmember, 30, caught the eye in a flowy maxi dress as she joined hazmat suit-wearing Chloe Sims and Georgia Kousoulou for a spot of bee-keeping in a field.

On her work grind: Amy Childs proved there's no rest for the wicked as she continued to film scenes for The Only Way Is Essex in the county late last month

Commanding attention, the reality TV star icon looked sensational in the shirted ensemble, which she teamed with a Gucci waistbelt.

The media personality amped up the glamour by sporting a pair of patent nude heels, which worked well with her chain-strap designer handbag.

A gold watch, massive shades and hooped earrings served as her accessories for her outdoor adventure.

With her blonde tresses styled into a half up half down 'do, Amy complemented her beauty with dewy make-up.

In good company: The OG castmember, 30, joined hazmat suit-wearing Chloe Sims (L) and Georgia Kousoulou (R) for a spot of bee-keeping in a field

Chic: Commanding attention, the reality TV star icon looked sensational in the shirted ensemble, which she teamed with a Gucci waistbelt

Standing tall: The media personality amped up the glamour by sporting a pair of patent nude heels, which worked well with her chain-strap designer handbag

Ilford native Chloe, 37, proved safety comes first as she wore the protective suit, a face shield and matching gloves alongside her close pal James 'Diags' Bennewith.

The lively duo put on kooky displays as they bred bees for their honey, with Diags, 29, even sporting a pair of black and yellow wings for the occasion.

Earlier in the day, make-up artist Chloe stunned in an oversized denim jacket which read: 'Love like Gods'.

The TV star dressed her outerwear with a black slogan T-shirt, PVC leggings and chunky boots.

Decked out: Ilford native Chloe, 37, proved safety comes first as she wore the protective suit for the activity

Having fun: The mother-of-one was accompanied by her close pal James 'Diags' Bennewith

In their element: The lively duo put on kooky displays as they bred bees for their honey, with Diags, 29, even sporting a pair of black and yellow wings for the occasion

Full-on protection: Her outfit was complete with a face shield and matching gloves

Style chameleon: Earlier in the day, make-up artist Chloe stunned in an oversized denim jacket which read: 'Love like Gods'

Accessories: Chloe rounded things off with circular-framed glasses and a Balenciaga handbag

The mother-of-one rounded things off with circular-framed glasses and a Balenciaga handbag.

Georgia, 29, meanwhile, stunned in a flirty beaded crop top with white wide-leg trousers and box-fresh shoes.

The online influencer, who brought her pet pooch along for the ride, had her temperature checked on arrival amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Fashion savvy: Georgia, 29, meanwhile, stunned in a flirty beaded crop top with white wide-leg trousers and box-fresh shoes

Sporty chic: Kelsey Stratford opted for comfort in black gymwear, which hugged her enviable figure

Vibrant: Ella Rae Wise stood out in multi-coloured tie-dye print co-ords, complete with a clingy crop top and matching leggings

Amy, who is a mum to daughter Polly, three, and son Rich, 21 months, briefly returned to TOWIE for the special 200th episode in 2016 but hasn't been a regular on the show since 2011.

She departed after being offered a rumoured 200,000 to appear on the relaunched Celebrity Big Brother.

ITV2 chiefs were said to have put their foot down as they didn't want TOWIE stars appearing on other reality shows.

During her time on TOWIE, the mother-of-two introduced the vajazzle to viewers across the nation and claimed she wanted to be 'bigger than Jordan.'

Less is more: Clelia Theodorou cut a casual figure in a black running top and capri bottoms

Out and about: The former glamour model looked as she had just finished a jog in the park as she fuelled up on coffee

In a chat with The Sun, Amy spoke about her return as she shared: 'It is me having a laugh again. I feel like I am enjoying work again.

'I felt like I really needed this to get my confidence back. I was focusing on my kids and my business and I needed this to focus on myself again, so that definitely means seeing me more on TV.'

Her best lines have been revisited in a new clip in promotion of the special edition. For the video, the beauty struts around, showing off her curves in black swimwear before speaking from a hot tub.

She says: TOWIEs 10? Oh shut up! Im ready for a party!

Watch him work: Diags posed up a storm as he took delight in playing with the bees
Former military officials and political operatives see trouble for Donald Trump in a poll that shows active-duty troops are flocking to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden just two months before the November election.

Just over 41 per cent of those military personnel surveyed by Military Times say, if the election were held today, they would cast a ballot for the former Democratic vice president. Slightly more than 37 per cent say they would vote for the president. Four years ago, a version of the poll taken a month before Election Day gave Mr Trump the support of 40.5 per cent of those service members surveyed, compared to 20.6 per cent for the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.

The commander in chief's three-point drop with military members is less than his slippage with other groups, like suburban white woman, but is still statistically significant. What's more, Mr Biden is pilling 20 points higher with the group than Ms Clinton, suggesting a leftward slide.

Former military officials and political operatives point to Mr Trump's words not matching his actions as a big reason military members are flocking to the Democratic nominee. They also say his refusal to push back forcefully on Russia and his handling of domestic matters that affect military families as much as civilian ones.

"People see things working not the way they expected. As a candidate, President Trump said he would get us out of Iraq, get us out of Syria, and get us out of Afghanistan," said Daniel Davis, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in South Korea and did combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. "So it's natural to see a reduction in support.

"Military people are saying, 'Are you different or are you the same as other politicians?'" Mr Davis said. "His decisions to keep us in these forever wars is more poignant for us. No one talks about how your family looks at you and says, 'Why do you have to go back to Iraq? Why are you going back to Afghanistan? Why are there still Americans in Syria?'"

Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, says the president likely turned off some military personnel after reports surfaced that the Russian government was paying Taliban forces to kill US troops in Afghanistan.

"Most military personnel believe Trump has mishandled the Russian offer of bounties on dead American soldiers," said Mr Bannon, who also believes troops are uncomfortable seeing their colleagues patrolling streets at home as the country deals with protests of perceived racial inequality. "An overwhelming majority of service men and women oppose the president's calls to use the military to put down civil disturbances," he said.

That cocktail of actions and inactions by the commander in chief is why 42 per cent of those military personnel surveyed by Military Times said they "strongly" disapprove of Mr Trump's time in office. That's a troubling shift for the Trump campaign: A version of the poll taken early in Mr Trump's presidency revealed 37 per cent of uniformed personnel viewed him unfavourably.

The results are just one part of what is becoming an increasingly complicated and confusing electoral map just two months before Election Day. Both parties are still trying to determine their best path to 270 Electoral College votes, and see reasons for hope and worry.

For the challenger: On the one hand, Mr Biden still has a statistically significant national lead and is up in many battleground states. On the other, Democrats are growing worried about Minnesota, a state that long has been a Democratic presidential lock, with the Biden campaign now spending money on advertising there.

For the incumbent: After a dismal summer that saw him drop in the polls, Mr Trump is hanging around and is within striking distance of Mr Biden, drawing closer in several key swing states as he hammers a law-and-order message that might resonate with the military voters he has been shedding. But on the other, his campaign is spending money in Georgia, which long as been a presidential red state.

The Military times poll did not ask military members about domestic issues, but experts say those weigh heavily on their minds, too.

"If the polls of the general public are any indication, military personal fault like their civilian friends and families fault the president for failing to effectively fight the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans and pushed millions of others into unemployment or bankruptcy," Mr Bannon said.

The poll was released the same week that the Lincoln Project, led by anti-Trump Republicans, announced a new leadership group composed of almost two dozen veterans, Blue and Gold Star family members and other military types.

"Our veterans, service members, and their families know what a leader should be and have seen first hand how Donald Trump has failed his sacred duty as Commander-in-Chief," Fred Wellman, the group's senior adviser for veterans affairs, said in a statement.

"Words are not enough to show support for them and now we continue to face a global pandemic amid efforts to undermine our national elections," he said. "So, now we are called upon to step up again and fight for our nation and volunteer at home to serve locally in our communities as poll workers and supporters when so many cannot because of their risks of illness."
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati says its not luck, rather measures put in place by tourism officials, primarily responsible for keeping COVID-19 infections in check despite large crowds continuing to gather on Clifton Hill.

Weve always been concerned with the crowds and thats why weve taken proactive measures to deal with them, said Diodati.

He described comments made by Niagaras acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, in a story published by the Niagara Dailies, as very negative.

In the article, Hirji said there have not been large outbreaks connected to the large crowds on Clifton Hill, but its more a function of luck, alongside the declining number of cases in southern Ontario. He said given how quickly COVID-19 can spread, relying on chance is not a wise public-health strategy.

It would be nice to hear him give credit once in a while for all the proactive measures made by so many people to get this right, said Diodati.

We did absolutely everything we could based on best practices, COVID protocols and guidance from public health experts. The proof is in the pudding. Id say weve been very successful. Yes, luck is always a factor in everything, but you cannot discount the proactive efforts made by so many.

Diodati pointed to Niagaras low daily case count as proof measures in place are working.

He said parking and street furniture along Clifton Hill has been removed to allow for more pedestrian room, physical distance markers have been installed on the ground and Crush the Curve ambassadors have been in Clifton Hill and other tourism areas to educate visitors about proper protocols.

We created a program, safetoplay.ca. We worked with Niagara Health system to set up a tourism-industry drive-thru COVID testing centre at the convention centre. Thermal heat temperature checks. What more could we possibly have done, given the fact that so many people here depend on tourism to pay their bills, to feed their families. Shutting it down (again) was never an option. Opening it safely was the only way out of this and we did it.

Diodati said hes really proud of how the industry came together to make sure that (this season) was safe for our guests, our workers, and our community.

Joel Noden, vice-president of marketing for HOCO, which owns most of the properties on the south side of Clifton Hill, said officials implemented many measures to make the area safe.

He said the goal, from the beginning, was to keep people moving along the hill.

A lot of the images that you see are people moving  theyre not standing in one spot, said Noden. I think thats a common misperception that people are standing on the hill  theyre moving between Niagara Parks and up the hill.

He said the company decided against opening arcades, which allowed for more room, while stores have limits on how many people are allowed inside at one time.

We eliminated a lot of seating in the area  so that people arent congregating.

Noden said once Niagara Region implemented a mandatory mask bylaw for indoor spaces, the number of people officials have seen wearing masks more than doubled.

He said when visitors sign on to the companys Wi-Fi, a message appears letting them know about the mask policy and other safety precautions.

We have an LED board that repeats that message over top of Boston Pizza.

Noden said the company has installed more than 100 hand-sanitizing stations on its properties.

Its becoming part of (visitors) regular regiment of when you leave some place, you sanitize  when you go in some place, you put on a mask.

Hirji declined to comment on Diodatis statements, but pointed out that large gatherings present an increased risk of virus spread.

He said there has been COVID-19 linked to activity on Clifton Hill, including cases for which people infected with the virus had been among those crowds.

We should be concerned about protecting the health of people and the health of those businesses and avoid a situation where more restrictions, including another lockdown, are required because that would have a devastating impact on those businesses, he said.
Two secondary schools in Northern Ireland are the latest to report positive cases of Covid-19.

It's understood the cases where diagnosed in pupils at De La Salle College in west Belfast and Larne Grammar School.

According to reports a sixth form pupil has tested positive for the virus at De La Salle.

In a letter to parents and guardians, seen by the Belfast Telegraph, Claire White, principal of De La Salle College said a "member of the school community" has been diagnosed with the virus and advice has been sought from the Public Health Agency.

According to this advice, Mrs White said close contacts of the individual have been informed that they need to self-isolate and one classroom and study area have been closed for 72 hours to undergo a deep-clean.

Pupils and staff affected will also be be advised separately by the PHA, the letter added.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mrs White said she could not confirm if the individual who tested positive was a staff member or pupil due to confidentiality reasons, however she added an effective system has been put in place to deal with such situations.

Wednesday is only the second day the school has been opened fully to pupils following lockdown.

"Ensuring the safety of pupils and staff is my absolute priority and I will continue to monitor this situation carefully and keep you informed," Mrs White concluded in her letter to parents and guardians.

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Larne Grammar school has also announced that a pupil has tested positive for Covid-19.

In a letter to parents and guardians, principal Jonathan Wylie said the pupil concerned has not been on school grounds since August 27, six days before they received their positive diagnosis

Mr Wylie said he has contacted the Education Authority and the PHA and has been advised that no further action is needed from the school.

He added that, in the event of a positive case in the school community, the PHA's contact tracing team will seek to identify those who have been in "close contact" with the individual who tested positive, i.e someone who has been within two metres of the person for more than 15 minutes from 48 hours before the onset of symptoms to 14 days after.

"On this basis, no other pupil or member of staff is required to take any further action at this time and school will continue to operate as normal," Mr Wylie said.

"Ensuring the safety of pupils and staff remains my priority and I will continue to monitor this situation carefully and keep you informed, if necessary."

The latest confirmed cases come after positive tests at a number of schools in Northern Ireland.

On Monday Holy Family Primary School in Magherafelt sent a letter to parents announcing that a Primary 3 pupil had tested positive.

Ballyclare Secondary School was unable to reopen on Monday after a pupil tested positive after being in the school on Thursday, August 20.

Two schools on the Falls Road - St Kevin's Primary and St Louise's College - previously confirmed positive cases among the school communities.
The article quotes McGirl as saying, Never before during the past twenty years, to my own personal knowledge, has the ice gone out before the 10th of March  the river generally breaks up between that date and the 15th. The rancher went on to note that the winter had been the mildest within my recollection.

By July of that year, McGirl had returned from a trip to Nebraska, the Gazette noted, where he traveled to present his compliments and a bale of free wool to the Boy Orator of the Platte. That was the nickname given to William Jennings Bryan, a politician who would go on to become Secretary of State and famous for prosecuting John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school.

Over the course of his lifetime McGirl had been witness to an amazing array of events. By 1921 he was standing on the Little Bighorn Battlefield for a re-enactment of the Seventh Cavalrys defeat when an airplane flew over. A Billings Gazette reporter heard McGirl tell an acquaintance, If Custer had had one of those, one bomb would have demoralized the whole Sioux tribe.

Obituary
MARIANNA  Multiple law enforcement agencies executed several search warrants in Jackson County, Florida, that led to several drug arrests Tuesday.

Erik Leronn Gammons, 38, of Marianna, is charged with three counts of sale of a controlled substance. Darryl Dewayne Hayes, 35, of Marianna, is charged with nine counts of sale of a controlled substance and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Roy Hilton Porter, 62, of Greenwood, is charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance, trafficking cocaine and possession of marijuana with intent to sale. Ashley Smith, 37, of Marianna, was arrested on a pre-existing warrant for possession of marijuana and a pre-existing warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia. Marcus Daughtry, 37, of Jackson County is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

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Tuesday, the Jackson County Drug Task Force with assistance of the Jackson County Sheriffs Offices Patrol Division, the United States Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Jackson Correctional Institution K9 Tracking Team and the Apalachee Fugitive Task Force Teams executed multiple search warrants in the Mount Tabor community.
How one national nonprofit is equipping seniors for the future of health care

When COVID-19 safety protocols shifted whole sectors of the health care industry from in-person visits to a telehealth model, Arjun and Hannah Verma watched their parents - a pulmonologist and a cardiologist - fret about some of their elderly patients who were unprepared for the switch. The elder Vermas were concerned that their patients who didn't own camera-enabled devices or know how to use videoconferencing platforms would be forced to forgo critical care.

Arjun and Hannah, who live in Orlando, Florida, realized they had a few devices around the house they weren't using, and they figur...
NORWALK  A New York man spit on one officer and kicked another following an arrest Tuesday morning, police said.

One officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest of 36-year-old Johnny Peralta, Sgt. Sofia Gulino said Wednesday.

Gulino said Peralta was arrested after a domestic disturbance at the Double Tree Hotel, 709 Connecticut Ave., around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

While being taken into custody, Peralta would actively resist, scream obscenities, and kick out at officers, and the interior of the police cruiser, Gulino said.

Police detained Peralta after receiving reports of a disturbance being caused by a man possibly under the influence of narcotics at the Double Tree Hotel, Gulino said.

The victim told police Peralta had been drinking overnight and consuming some narcotic and had grown increasingly irritable, police said.

Police said when the victim tried to leave the hotel room, Peralta pulled the person back into the room, forced the individual on to the couch and threw a chair at them, Gulino said.

During a struggle, the victim was also shoved into a nightstand, police said.

Despite Peraltas efforts to keep the individual from calling 911, police were eventually contacted, Gulino said.

Police said the victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Peralta was charged with third-degree assault, first-degree unlawful restraint, interfering with an emergency call, assaulting a public safety officer and disorderly conduct. He was held on $55,000 bond and appeared in court Wednesday.
Organic sales growth of 15.7% in first-half 2020:

1,476 million in sales

Up 15.8% as reported

As expected, a mixed sales performance, with faster momentum in molecular biology solutions contrasting with a slowdown in microbiology, immunoassays and industrial applications

Robust growth in contributive operating income before non-recurring items, to 253 million, or 17.1% of sales

Alexandre Merieux, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "In today's unprecedented health crisis, bioMerieux's positioning as a specialist in infectious disease diagnostics takes on all of its meaning and allowed to rapidly provide high-performance solutions for diagnosing COVID-19. Despite the pandemic's negative impact on certain product lines and taking into account health and economic conditions, bioMerieux is expected to deliver a remarkable performance this year. However, this performance is not projectable beyond 2020

Regulatory News:

The Board of Directors of bioMerieux (Paris:BIM), a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, met on September 1st under the chairmanship of Alexandre Merieux and approved the consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2020. The statements had been reviewed by the Statutory Auditors.

Consolidated data In millions 2020 2019 change as reported Sales 1,476 1,275 +15.8% Contributive operating income before non-recurring items(1) % sales 253



17.1% 198



15.5% +27.8% Operating income(2) 232 189 +22.7% Net attributable income 173 141 +23.0% Earnings per share (in ) 1.46 1.19

(1) Contributive operating income before non-recurring items corresponds to operating income before non-recurring items relating to the BioFire acquisition and integration and before accounting entries relating to the BioFire purchase price allocation.

(2) Operating income is the sum of contributive operating income before non-recurring items, BioFire acquisition fees and purchase price amortization expense and "material, extraordinary and non-recurring items" recognized in "Other non-recurring income and expenses from operations, net".

SALES

NB: Unless otherwise stated, sales growth is expressed at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation (like-for-like).

Consolidated sales amounted to 1,476 million in the first half of 2020, up 15.7% like-for-like from 1,275 million in the year-earlier period. Reported growth stood at 15.8% for the period. There was little or no impact from exchange rate movements, as the decline in emerging market currencies against the euro canceled out the increase in the US dollar.

Analysis of sales In millions SALES SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 1,275 Currency effect +2 +0.2% Changes in scope of consolidation(1) -1 -0.1% Organic growth

(at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation) +200 +15.7% SALES SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2020 1,476 +15.8%

NB: A definition of the currency effect and of changes in the scope of consolidation is provided at the end of this press release.

(1) Disposal of businesses in Australia and acquisition of Invisible Sentinel on February 7, 2019.

ANALYSIS OF SALES BY APPLICATION

Sales by Application In millions Q2

2020 Q2

2019(3) change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Six months ended June 30,

2020 Six months ended June 30, 2019(3) change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Clinical Applications 601.6 529.8 +13.5% +14.1% 1,257.4 1,056.7 +19.0% +18.7% Molecular biology 264.1 154.1 +71.3% +70.8% 557.3 326.3 +70.8% +68.7% Microbiology 208.7 247.1 -15.5% -14.2% 460.4 484.5 -5.0% -4.2% Immunoassays 96.2 119.9 -19.8% -18.2% 195.0 229.2 -14.9% -14.2% Other lines(1) 32.5 8.6 x 2.8 x 2.7 44.7 16.7 x 1.7 x 1.6 Industrial Applications(2) 105.8 113.7 -6.9% -5.2% 218.8 218.3 +0.2% +1.1% TOTAL CONSOLIDATED SALES 707.4 643.5 +9.9% +10.7% 1,476.2 1,275.1 +15.8% +15.7%

(1) Including Applied Maths, BioFire Defense, and R&D-related revenue arising on clinical applications.

(2) Including R&D-related revenue arising on industrial applications.

(3) Including the transfer of certain veterinary operations from industrial to clinical applications.

Clinical application sales, which accounted for approximately 85% of bioMerieux's consolidated total, rose by 14% year-on-year to 602 million in the second quarter of 2020, and by nearly 19% to 1,257 million over the first half.

In molecular biology , the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY product line reported remarkable growth in the second quarter, led by sales of the new version of the respiratory panel with SARS-CoV-2. Including BioFire Defense sales recognized in "Other lines", molecular biology sales rose by around 80% over the period. The BIOFIRE installed base continued to expand, to more than 14,000 units at June 30, 2020, versus 10,400 at December 31, 2019. The extraction and ARGENE lines also made a significant contribution to molecular biology sales growth, reflecting their complementarity with the syndromic approach.

, the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY product line reported remarkable growth in the second quarter, led by sales of the new version of the respiratory panel with SARS-CoV-2. Including BioFire Defense sales recognized in "Other lines", molecular biology sales rose by around 80% over the period. The BIOFIRE installed base continued to expand, to more than 14,000 units at June 30, 2020, versus 10,400 at December 31, 2019. The extraction and ARGENE lines also made a significant contribution to molecular biology sales growth, reflecting their complementarity with the syndromic approach. The microbiology business was impacted by the slowdown in reagent sales across all product lines due to the decline in hospital visits, while equipment sales rose steeply during the quarter.

business was impacted by the slowdown in reagent sales across all product lines due to the decline in hospital visits, while equipment sales rose steeply during the quarter. Sales of the immunoassay line also slowed in the wake of lockdown measures and the decline in hospital use.

Industrial application sales, which represent around 15% of the consolidated total, decreased by 5% year-on-year to 106 million in the second quarter. While business with customers in the pharmaceutical industry continued to trend upwards, the agri-foods market contracted over the period, dragged down by the impact of the health crisis.

ANALYSIS OF SALES BY REGION

Sales by Region In millions Q2

2020 Q2

2019 change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Six months ended June 30,

2020 Six months ended June 30,

2019 change

as reported % change

at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation Americas 364.7 285.7 +27.7% +28.0% 762.4 581.8 +31.0% +30.2% North America 325.7 246.5 +32.2% +29.8% 684.0 507.9 +34.7% +31.4% Latin America 38.9 39.2 -0.7% +17.2% 78.4 73.9 +6.1% +21.5% Europe(1) 225.0 231.5 -2.8% -1.7% 472.7 454.7 +4.0% +4.4% Asia Pacific 117.7 126.3 -6.8% -5.6% 241.1 238.5 +1.1% +2.0% TOTAL SALES 707.4 643.5 +9.9% +10.7% 1,476.2 1,275.1 +15.8% +15.7%

(1) Including the Middle East and Africa.

Sales in the Americas (52% of the consolidated total) rose by 28% year-on-year to 365 million in the second quarter and by 30% to 762 million in the first half.

In North America (46% of the consolidated total), quarterly growth was primarily led by strong demand for the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY molecular biology product line.

(46% of the consolidated total), quarterly growth was primarily led by strong demand for the BIOFIRE FILMARRAY molecular biology product line. In Latin America, every country except Brazil and Colombia reported robust growth in second-quarter sales, supported by the deployment of molecular biology solutions.

Sales in the Europe Middle East Africa region (32% of the consolidated total) came to 225 million for the second quarter, down 1.7% year-on-year. Sales for the first six months were up 4% from the previous year, at 473 million.

In Europe (27% of the consolidated total), solid growth in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia failed to offset the slowdown in the Benelux countries, Poland and Switzerland.

(27% of the consolidated total), solid growth in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia failed to offset the slowdown in the Benelux countries, Poland and Switzerland. The situation remained contrasted in the Russia Middle East Africa region, where vibrant growth in Russia, Egypt and the Middle East in the second quarter was somewhat offset by a transient decline of sales in Africa.

In the Asia-Pacific region (16% of the consolidated total), sales came to 118 million in the second quarter, representing a year-on-year decline of around 6%. The robust sales performance in Japan and Australia was more than offset by the slowdown in China, where lower exposure to the molecular biology lines meant that they were unable to make up for the slowdown in sales of the other lines.

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

Gross profit

Gross profit for the first six months of the year came to 816 million or 55.3% of sales, down slightly from 55.7% in the prior-year period. The erosion in gross margin primarily reflected the adverse currency effect and the impact of phantom stock option plans (PSOPs) in the United States. Excluding these two factors, gross margin was unchanged for the period, despite the higher proportion of instruments sales in the first-half mix.

Contributive operating income before non-recurring items

Contributive operating income before non-recurring items came to 253 million for first-half 2020, a year-on-year gain of 28%. Contributive operating income before non-recurring items as a percentage of sales was 17.1% as reported. An expense of 42 million was booked in the first half in respect of the PSOP bonus plans in the United States that are indexed to the bioMerieux share price, compared to an expense of 26 million in first-half 2019. bioMerieux also recognized a 4 million expense on the settlement of its obligations under a defined benefit pension plan for bioMerieux Inc. employees in the United States. The currency effects reduced reported contributive operating income before non-recurring items by 7 million.

Selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to 382 million, or 25.9% of sales, compared with 27.8% in first-half 2019. The improvement was primarily attributable to the decline in selling expenses (conventions and business travels) as a result of lockdown measures.

amounted to 382 million, or 25.9% of sales, compared with 27.8% in first-half 2019. The improvement was primarily attributable to the decline in selling expenses (conventions and business travels) as a result of lockdown measures. R&D expenses came to 203 million, or 13.8% of sales, compared with 179 million and 14% in first-half 2019. The increase in outlays reflected both the programs undertaken to develop new SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and the ongoing commitment to driving innovation across every product line.

came to 203 million, or 13.8% of sales, compared with 179 million and 14% in first-half 2019. The increase in outlays reflected both the programs undertaken to develop new SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and the ongoing commitment to driving innovation across every product line. Other operating income stood at around 22 million for the period, unchanged year-on-year.

Operating income

Depreciation and amortization charged against assets revalued at BioFire's date of acquisition amounted to 9 million in first-half 2020, unchanged from first-half 2019. In June 2020, the Board of Directors also decided exceptionally to reduce the dividend by 22 million and to allocate these funds to supporting initiatives in the public interest. Of these funds, 12 million has already been recognized in other non-recurring expenses from operations in first-half 2020.

As a result, consolidated operating income came to 232 million in the first half, representing a 23% increase on the 189 million reported for the first two quarters of 2019.

Net income of consolidated companies

Net financial expense amounted to 12 million over the period, down slightly from 14 million in first-half 2019.

The Group's effective tax rate for the first half of 2020 stood at 21.7%, versus 20.8% in first-half 2019, which benefited from the preferential tax rate applied to intellectual property under the new Foreign-Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deduction in the United States.

Net attributable income amounted to 173 million for the first half of 2020, up 23% from 141 million one year earlier.

CASH MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE

Free cash flow

EBITDA1 came to 345 million in first-half 2020, or 23.4% of sales, up 22% from the 283 million reported for the same period one year earlier. The increase reflects growth in contributive operating income before non-recurring items and net additions to depreciation and amortization of operating items and operating provisions.

Income tax paid represented 60 million, an increase from the 51 million paid in first-half 2019, in line with activity.

Working capital requirement rose by 22 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily as a result of the following factors:

inventories rose by 55 million during the period, mainly due to slower sales of the microbiology and immunoassay lines;

trade receivables decreased slightly, thanks to the growth in business in the United States;

trade payables declined by 10 million, in line with the reduction in average days sales outstanding;

other working capital requirement items improved by 37 million, led by the increase in accrued taxes and payroll liabilities (particularly the provision on the PSOP bonus plans indexed to the bioMerieux share price).

Capital expenditure outlays represented around 8.6% of sales or 127 million in first-half 2020, versus 123 million in first-half 2019.

In light of the above, free cash flow came in at 144 million in first-half 2020, compared to 55 million one year earlier.

Change in net debt

Purchases of non-current financial assets, net of disposals, amounted to 9 million, versus 72 million in first-half 2019. bioMerieux also bought back its own shares in an amount of around 2 million.

A dividend of 22 million will be paid in the second half of the year instead of in the first half as was the case in 2019.

As a result, consolidated net debt came to 192 million at June 30, 2020, versus 317 million at December 31, 2019.

FULL-YEAR OUTLOOK

In light of the uncertainties linked to the current health crisis, bioMerieux has deemed it preferable not to issue any new annual guidance as of the date of release of its interim results. Nevertheless, based on the robust first-half performance and the nature of bioMerieux's business, the favorable impact on financial results is expected to continue in the second half.

GOVERNANCE

The Board of Directors has decided to rename its Human Resources, Appointments and Remuneration Committee to Human Resources and CSR Committee. Thus, the Committee, in addition to its historical missions, will be in charge of ensuring that the Company takes CSR topics into account, and their integration into its strategy.

___________________________

1 EBITDA corresponds to the aggregate of contributive operating income before non-recurring items, and operating depreciation and amortization.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF THE FIRST HALF

Launch of COVID-19 diagnostic tests

During the first half, bioMerieux received:

an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the BIOFIRE COVID-19 test;

COVID-19 test; an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the ARGENE SARS-COV-2 R-GENE test;

SARS-COV-2 R-GENE test; an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the BIOFIRE Respiratory 2.1 Panel (RP2.1);

Respiratory 2.1 Panel (RP2.1); CE marking for the VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM serology tests

bioMerieux issued a 200 million Euro PP bond

On June 29, 2020, bioMerieux announced that it had issued a 200 million Euro PP new debt with a top-tier European institutional investor. The private placement comprised two tranches: one 7-year 145 million tranche and one 10-year 55 million tranche, bearing an aggregated annual coupon of 1.61%.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

CE marking for the BIOFIRE Respiratory 2.1 plus Panel with SARS-CoV-2

On July 15, 2020, bioMerieux announced that the BIOFIRE Respiratory 2.1 plus Panel (RP2.1plus) had obtained CE marking. RP2.1plus simultaneously tests for 23 pathogens (19 viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and 4 bacteria) responsible for the most frequent respiratory tract infections.

Launch of BIOFIRE MYCOPLASMA test for mycoplasma detection in biopharmaceutical products

On July 16, 2020, bioMerieux announced the launch of BIOFIRE MYCOPLASMA, an innovative test for mycoplasma detection in pharmaceutical products used for biotherapeutics (antibodies, hormones, cell and gene therapies, etc.). Based on the BIOFIRE technology used for several years in the field of clinical diagnostics, BIOFIRE MYCOPLASMA allows pharmaceutical industry customers to carefully monitor the risk of contamination at each step in their manufacturing processes.

FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM serology tests

On August 7, 2020, bioMerieux announced that it had received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and VIDAS anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM serology tests. These tests detect antibodies in people exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

INVESTOR PRESENTATION

bioMerieux will hold an investor presentation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 2:30 pm CEST (GMT+1). The presentation will be given in English and will be accessible via conference call or webcast.

Conference call: France Europe United States +33 (0)1 76 77 22 57 +44 (0)330 336 9411 +1 (323) 794-2423 Access code: 5153696

Webcast: https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1359165&tp_key=6c99c81d9f

INVESTOR CALENDAR

Third-quarter 2020 sales October 22, 2020

Notes and definitions

The above forward-looking statements are based, entirely or partially, on assessments or judgments that may change or be modified, due to uncertainties and risks related to the Company's economic, financial, regulatory and competitive environment, notably those described in the 2019 Universal Registration Document. Accordingly, the Company cannot give any assurance nor make any representation as to whether the objectives will be met. The Company does not undertake to update or otherwise revise any forecasts or objectives presented herein, except in compliance with the disclosure obligations applicable to companies whose shares are listed on a stock exchange.

Currency effect: this is established by converting actual numbers at the average rates of year y-1. In practice, those rates are either average rates communicated by the ECB, or hedged rates if hedging instruments have been set up.

Changes in scope of consolidation: these are determined:

for acquisitions in the period, by deducting from sales for the period the amount of sales generated during the period by acquired entities as from the date they entered the consolidated reporting scope;

- for acquisitions in the previous period, by deducting from sales for the period the amount of sales generated in the months in the previous period during which the acquired entities were not consolidated;

- for disposals in the period, by adding to sales for the period the amount of sales generated by entities sold during the previous period in the months of the current period during which these entities were no longer consolidated;

- for disposals in the previous period, by adding to sales for the period the amount of sales generated during the previous period by the entities sold.

ABOUT BIOMERIEUX

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 55 years, bioMerieux is present in 44 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2019, revenues reached 2.7 billion, with over 90% of sales outside of France.

bioMerieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMerieux is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market. Symbol: BIM ISIN Code: FR0013280286 Reuters: BIOX.PA/Bloomberg: BIM.FP

www.biomerieux.com

APPENDIX 1: QUARTERLY SALES BY REGION AND APPLICATION

Sales by Application in millions and Change in Sales by Application

First quarter Second quarter First half 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Clinical Applications 655.8 526.9 601.6 529.8 1257.4 1056.7 Microbiology 251.6 237.4 208.7 247.1 460.4 484.5 Immunoassays 98.8 109.3 96.2 119.9 195.0 229.2 Molecular biology 293.2 172.1 264.1 154.1 557.3 326.3 Other lines(1) 12.2 8.1 32.5 8.6 44.7 16.7 Industrial Applications(2) 113.0 104.6 105.8 113.7 218.8 218.3 TOTAL SALES 768.8 631.6 707.4 643.5 1,476.2 1,275.1

(1) Including Applied Maths, BioFire Defense, and R&D-related revenue arising on clinical applications.

(2) Including R&D-related revenue arising on industrial applications.

First quarter Second quarter First half As reported Like-for-like(3) As reported Like-for-like As reported Like-for-like Clinical Applications +24.7% +23.3% +13.5% +14.1% +19.0% +18.7% Microbiology +6.7% +6.3% -15.5% -14.2% -5.0% -4.2% Immunoassays -9.4% -9.9% -19.8% -18.2% -14.9% -14.2% Molecular biology +69.7% +66.9% +71.3% +70.8% +70.8% +68.7% Other lines(1) +50.6% +43.8% x 2.8 x 2.7 x 1.7 x 1.6 Industrial Applications(2) +6.0% +7.9% -6.9% -5.2% +0.2% +1.1% TOTAL SALES +21.5% +20.8% +9.9% +10% +15.8% +15.7%

(1) Including Applied Maths, BioFire Defense, and R&D-related revenue arising on clinical applications.

(2) Including R&D-related revenue arising on industrial applications.

(3) At constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation.

Sales by Region in millions and Change in Sales by Region

First quarter Second quarter First half 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 Americas 397.7 296.1 364.7 285.7 762.4 581.8 North America 358.2 261.4 325.7 246.5 684.0 507.9 Latin America 39.5 34.7 38.9 39.2 78.4 73.9 Europe(1) 247.7 223.3 225.0 231.5 472.7 454.7 Asia Pacific 123.4 112.2 117.7 126.3 241.1 238.5 TOTAL CONSOLIDATED SALES 768.8 631.6 707.4 643.5 1,476.2 1,275.1

(1) Including the Middle East and Africa.

First quarter Second quarter First half As reported Like-for-like(2) As reported Like-for-like As reported Like-for-like Americas +34.0% +32.2% +27.7% +28.0% +31.0% +30.2% North America +36.7% +33.0% +32.2% +29.8% +34.7% +31.4% Latin America +13.7% +26.7% -0.7% +17.2% +6.1% +21.5% Europe(1) +10.8% +10.7% -2.8% -1.7% +4.0% +4.4% Asia Pacific +10.0% +10.5% -6.8% -5.6% +1.1% +2.0% TOTAL SALES +21.5% +20.8% +9.9% +10.7% +15.8% +15.7%

(1) Including the Middle East and Africa.

(2) At constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation.

APPENDIX 2: SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT JUNE 30, 2020

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

In millions of euros 30/06/2020 30/06/2019 NET SALES 1,476.2 1,275.1 Cost of sales -659.8 -565.1 GROSS PROFIT 816.4 709.9 OTHER OPERATING INCOME 21.9 21.2 Selling and marketing expenses -282.3 -271.7 General and administrative expenses -99.9 -82.5 Research and development expenses -203.0 -178.9 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES -585.2 -533.0 CONTRIBUTIVE OPERATING INCOME 253.1 198.1 BioFire acquisition's fees and depreciation costs (1) -9.0 -8.9 OPERATING INCOME BEFORE NON-RECURRING ITEMS 244.1 189.3 Other non-recurring income (expenses) -12.0 0.0 OPERATING INCOME 232.1 189.2 Cost of net financial debt -8.5 -10.7 Other financial items -3.9 -3.5 Income tax -47.7 -36.4 Investments in associates -0.3 0.0 NET INCOME OF CONSOLIDATED COMPANIES 171.7 138.7 Attributable to the minority interests -1.2 -1.8 ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PARENT COMPANY 172.9 140.6 Basic net income per share 1.46 1.19 Diluted net income per share 1.46 1.18

(1) Non-recurring items relating to the acquisition and integration of BioFire, and accounting entries relating to its purchase price allocation.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

ASSETS (in millions of euros) 30/06/2020 31/12/2019 30/06/2019 restated(1) Intangible assets 491.0 508.4 530.2 Goodwill 651.0 652.5 649.7 Property, plant and equipment 916.7 894.7 807.4 Right of use 124.3 130.5 134.3 Financial assets 51.1 41.9 71.8 Investments in associates 0.0 0.2 0.2 Other non-current assets 14.8 16.1 15.3 Deferred tax assets 98.8 99.0 89.2 NON-CURRENT ASSETS 2,347.8 2,343.5 2,298.3 Inventories and work in progress 541.9 494.7 481.1 Accounts receivable 535.3 552.1 494.8 Other operating receivables 76.7 61.1 89.0 Tax receivable 25.4 42.3 27.2 Non-operating receivables 12.4 13.3 12.1 Cash and cash equivalents 589.5 275.0 247.7 CURRENT ASSETS 1,781.1 1,438.5 1,351.9 ASSETS HELD FOR SALE 0.0 0.0 0.0 TOTAL ASSETS 4,128.9 3,781.9 3,650.2 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (in millions of euros) 30/06/2020 31/12/2019 30/06/2019 restated(1) Share capital 12.0 12.0 12.0 Additional paid-in capital Reserves 2,178.3 1,919.1 1,912.1 Net income for the year 172.9 272.8 140.6 SHAREHOLERS' EQUITY 2,363.2 2,203.9 2,064.7 MINORITY INTERESTS 44.5 50.7 51.9 TOTAL EQUITY 2,407.7 2,254.6 2,116.5 Net financial debt long-term 338.1 153.7 520.2 Deferred tax liabilities 137.5 141.2 141.1 Provisions 49.1 62.3 48.9 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 524.8 357.2 710.2 Net financial debt short-term 443.2 438.6 149.3 Provisions 45.6 47.0 42.3 Accounts payable 201.2 211.9 189.5 Other operating liabilities 412.2 381.1 376.7 Tax liabilities 25.6 32.3 22.4 Non-operating liabilities 68.7 59.3 43.1 CURRENT LIABILITIES 1,196.5 1,170.1 823.4 LIABILITIES RELATED TO ASSETS HELD FOR SALE 0.0 0.0 0.0 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 4,128.9 3,781.9 3,650.2

(1) Comparative data at June 30, 2019 have been restated to reflect the impact at that date of the changes in the value of the Hybiome assets and liabilities recognized at December 31, 2018.

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT

In millions euros 30/06/2020 31/12/2019 30/06/2019 Net income of consolidated companies 171.7 269.7 138.7 - Investments in associates 0.3 0.0 0.0 - Cost of net financial debt 8.5 20.6 10.6 - Other financial items 3.9 2.5 3.5 - Current income tax expense 47.7 77.8 36.3 - Operating depreciation and provisions on assets 91.6 189.5 85.0 - Non-recurring items and BioFire acquisition's fees and depreciation costs 21.0 17.8 8.9 EBITDA (before non-recurring items) 344.7 577.9 283.0 Other non current operating gains/losses

(w/o exceptionnal depreciations, assets losses and capital gains/losses) -11.7 -0.1 0.1 Other financial items

(w/o accruals disposal of financial assets) -3.9 -2.0 -3.5 Operating provisions for risks and contingencies 0.8 -6.8 -11.9 Change in fair value of financial instruments 0.2 -1.4 -0.9 Share-based payments 4.4 9.4 5.0 Elimination of other gains and losses without any impact on cash or operations -10.2 -0.9 -11.2 Change in inventories -55.5 -71.0 -59.3 Change in accounts receivable 6.1 -57.3 1.4 Change in accounts payable -10.1 32.9 8.5 Change in other operating working capital 37.2 26.0 12.2 Change in operating working capital (1) -22.3 -69.4 -37.2 Other non operating working capital 15.6 2.1 1.7 Change in non-current assets 1.3 0.4 1.0 Other cashflows from operation -5.4 -66.9 -34.5 Income tax paid -59.9 -81.6 -51.4 Cost of net financial debt -8.5 -20.6 -10.6 Net cash flow from operations 260.7 407.9 175.3 Purchase of property, plant and equipment -127.4 -272.5 -123.3 Proceeds on fixed asset disposals 11.8 17.1 5.4 Purchase of financial assets Disposals of financial assets -0.6 -2.4 -2.3 FREE CASH FLOW (2) 144.5 150.1 55.1 Purchase Disposals related to minority interests -4.7 48.5 20.0 Impact of changes in the scope of consolidation -4.0 -72.8 -68.4 Net cash flow from (used in) investment activities -124.9 -282.1 -168.6 Increase in capital 0.0 0.1 0.0 Purchases and proceeds of treasury stocks -1.9 0.0 0.5 Dividends to shareholders 0.0 -41.3 -41.3 Flow from new loans REF! 0.0 0.0 Flow from loans reimbursment REF! -69.2 -10.7 Variation of interests without taking or loss of control 0.0 -23.5 -23.7 Net cash flow from (used in) financing activities 174.6 -133.9 -75.2 Net change in cash and cash equivalents 310.4 -8.1 -68.4 Net cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 264.0 278.2 278.2 Impact of currency changes on net cash and cash equivalents -7.7 -6.1 -3.0 Net cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 566.7 264.0 206.9

(1) Including additions to and reversals of current provisions.

(2) Available cash flow is defined as cash flow from operating activities plus cash flow from investing activities, excluding net cash and cash equivalents from acquisitions and disposals of subsidiaries.

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Just over seven months ago, no one in the US had a confirmed case of Covid-19. On Monday, the US topped 6 million cases of coronavirus, which has killed over 183,000 people and left many young adults with long-term problems.

But there's a bit of good news: 'As a nation, we are clearly doing better now on the last day of August than we were on the first day of August,' said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

'(Daily) cases have come down. Deaths are starting to decline. Hospitalizations are down. This is good news, and it's largely because of smart policies in Texas and Arizona and Florida around masking and closing bars,' Jha said.

'But there are still parts of the country where things are both bad and even getting worse. In the Dakotas, in Kansas and other states, we still see a lot of cases. And as a nation, we're still seeing a lot of cases of coronavirus. So progress, but we have a long way to go.'

Why it's time to double down on masks and distancing

Many Americans are fed up with this pandemic, and some have let their guard down -- especially when spending time with friends or family.

But that's the opposite of what needs to happen, said White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx.

'We know we can't always be perfect. We know that we'll put this message out about private gatherings and something will happen and you'll realize you have been in a situation, you've been around people, you didn't have your mask on,' Birx said.

'That is the time to make sure you're protecting others in your household and around you by wearing a mask when you're around them, even if they're family.'

Birx urged Americans to take personal responsibility, especially if they want to help keep economies open.

'Right now, we gain freedom through wearing our masks and socially distancing,' she said.

Mass gatherings such as the recent motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, are a reminder of the danger of people not taking such precautions: At least 260 Covid-19 cases are associated with people who were there.

The annual rally usually attracts about half a million people, and this year brought 460,000 attendee vehicles, according to the state's department of transportation. Masks were not required, and many didn't wear them or keep their distance from others, even at mass events such as a Smash Mouth concert.

With the Labor Day weekend coming up, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told people to avoid large gatherings, because the coronavirus 'is still looking for you.'

'You know what happened during Memorial Day and the Fourth of July weekend,' Turner said at a news briefing. 'People came together, and then the virus took off, and then you saw the numbers go up.'

The race for a vaccine: Balancing safety with speed

Three vaccines are now in Phase 3 trials in the United States -- drugmaker AstraZeneca's started Monday -- but a vaccine probably won't be publicly available until at least early 2021, health officials have said.

But the Food and Drug Administration could consider authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine before Phase 3 trials are over, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn told the Financial Times. CNN has reached out to the FDA for comment.

Still, health officials face a steep challenge with public trust and getting enough people to get a vaccine to really drive down the pandemic.

A CNN poll this month indicated 40% of Americans wouldn't get a Covid-19 vaccine, even if it's free and easy to access.

Part of the problem is public skepticism of the FDA after the agency's premature authorization of hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma therapy, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Both hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma therapy have been touted by President Donald Trump, who appointed the FDA commissioner.

'The problem is both with hydroxychloroquine and with the convalescent plasma, we saw a real politicization of that scientific debate in a way that I think has all of us concerned,' Jha said.

'So what I'd like is for the science to drive this decision, for it to be very transparent, and for political leaders to not get involved in deciding when a medicine or a vaccine is safe or not.'

To increase public trust, several prominent physicians and experts have called for the creation of an independent commission separate from the FDA to review the data from Covid-19 vaccine trials.

'I'm hearing this from my peers, from doctors and nurses. They're not anti-vaxxers. They're pro vaccine. They vaccinated their own children. But they are skeptical about this vaccine,' said Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, director of the clinical trials unit at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

But Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the US Department of Health and Human Services, said any eventual approval of a Covid-19 vaccine would be the same as for any vaccine.

'There is a thing called a Data Safety Monitoring Board, an independent body that is assigned to each clinical trial,' Mango said.

'We have no insight into the data until the DSMB says we can look at it. They can come back and say, 'This is not a good vaccine.' They could come back before we even have 30,000 folks enrolled and say 'We have enough. This looks great.''

World Health Organization officials on Monday cautioned that emergency use authorization of vaccines should not be taken lightly by regulators like the FDA.

'The emergency use authorization or licensing is something that has to be done with a great deal of seriousness and reflection. It's not something that you do very lightly,' WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said during a news briefing.
Britain is still not engaging constructively in Brexit talks with less than two months to go before both sides want to strike an agreement, the EUs chief negotiator has said.

Speaking at a think tank in Dublin via video-link Michel Barnier said a meeting this week with his British counterpart had not resulted in any progress.

I came back from London this morning. We did not see any change in the position of the UK. I am worried and I am disappointed, Mr Barnier said following his meeting with David Frost.

Britain left the EU at the end of January 2020 but remains tied to the single market and customs union until the end of this year. Both sides are trying to negotiate an agreement to replace the current economic arrangements, and say it needs to be complete by October  but progress has been slow to non-existent so far.

Also speaking on Wednesday, Boris Johnsons spokesperson said the meeting between the two sides had been a useful review but that major difficulties remain.

Painting a mirror image of Mr Barniers concerns, the spokesperson said: The EUs insistence on progress on state aid and fisheries is an obstacle to making progress overall but we remain in close contact with the EU side.

Mr Barnier said guarantees by the UK on fair competition, fisheries and solving disputes were needed if progress was to be made.

So far the UK, frankly speaking, has not engaged constructively ... On all these issues the UK side continues to disappoint, Mr Barnier told the seminar at the Institute of International and European Affairs.

These are no technocratic issues. At stake are tens of thousands of European jobs and livelihoods ... our safety and wellbeing, our environment and climate, our fundamental rights.

He added: How can we conclude our long-term economic partnership agreement ... without knowing which system of state aid or subsidies the UK will put in place, without any assurance that the UK will not use its new regulatory autonomy to distort competition with us in the future?

On the issue of fishing, Mr Barnier claimed that the British position would lock Irish fishermen out of waters that they had been fishing in long before either country had joined the EU, or its predecessor the European Economic Community.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

But one UK source said: Barniers speech is a deliberate and misleading caricature of our proposals aimed at deflecting scrutiny from the EUs own positions which are wholly unrealistic and unprecedented.

For our part, we have been consistently clear that we are seeking a relationship that respects our sovereignty and which has a free trade agreement at its core, similar to those the EU has already agreed with like-minded countries.

Both sides are meeting for full talks again in London next week, with a further round scheduled in Brussels for the last week of September.
HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GeoTree Solutions has signed an agreement with Owens Corning Infrastructure Solutions, LLC to distribute AslanTM 200 Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) bars for structural strengthening of concrete structures.

GeoTree a division of ClockSpring|NRI, and is a leading high-performance critical infrastructure solutions company. GeoTree is already a distributor of Aslan 200 and has now secured agreement to hold distribution rights across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

GeoTree President, John Hepfinger said: "This product is an important part of our offering to our customers and we are delighted to have secured distribution rights. This agreement means we will be able to introduce our range of other products and services to a wider group of organizations offering them additional and complementary support. We we offer second-to-none engineering expertise, project-level support and installation experience.

"The AslanTM 200 CFRP bars in NSM installations are used to structurally reinforce, strengthen, and uprate concrete structures and are well-suited to GeoTree's RenewWrap structural strengthening portfolio of engineered carbon and glass fabric-based, epoxy and urethane-saturated composite reinforcement systems."

Owens Corning is a pioneer in the field of FRP concrete reinforcement and strengthening. The company has been instrumental in the development of steel-free, glass and carbon concrete reinforcement bars. Owens Corning has worked with authorities to set global codes and standards. AslanTM 200 CFRP Bars have a tensile strength greater than steel, are one-fifth the weight of steel rebar and are impervious to chloride ion and chemical attack.

Chad Fenbert, General Manager, Rebar at Owens Corning, said: "GeoTree has a strong track-record of providing customers with engineering and in-field support. This agreement will further serve the needs of customers using our product and those who wish to do so."

Hepfinger added: "Our customers continue to approach us with complex problems. Working with respected companies like Owens Corning allows us to provide unique and robust solutions to their needs."

About GeoTree Solutions

GeoTree Solutions is a provider of highly engineered solutions for repairing, rehabilitating, strengthening and protecting critical infrastructure spanning the water and wastewater, oil and gas, industrial, and civil sectors. GeoTree's geopolymer solutions, GCCM, and onshore/offshore RenewWrap structural strengthening products can be applied to culverts, sewers, slopes, berm and tank containment areas, and civil structure repairs such as pilings, bridges, wharfs, silos, tanks, buildings, monuments, and towers. www.GeoTreeSolutions.com

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LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

University of Tokyo (joint 36 th ) maintains top 50 position, as Kyoto University climbs to joint 54th

Japan is the 2 nd most represented country or region in the entire rankings, with 116 universities qualifying, including 6 appearing for the first time

The University of Oxford retains top spot for the 5 th consecutive year, despite overall decline for UK universities

Mainland China's Tsinghua University becomes the first ever Asian university to make the overall top 20 (joint 20th)

Record number of universities qualify for the 2021 ranking (1,527) from 93 countries or regions

18 countries or regions represented in the top 100

141 universities debut in the rankings with France's Paris-Saclay University (joint 178 th ) ranking highest of the new entrants

US (59) is the top represented country or region in the top 200, followed by the UK (29), and Germany (21)

View the full THE World University Rankings 2021 here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking View the THE World University Rankings 2021 methodology here:https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2021-methodology

Times Higher Education (THE), has today announced the results of its World University Rankings 2021, which underline the shifting strength of higher education and research around the world. Japan's top performing universities continue to impress, as Japan remains the second most represented country or region overall. The UK's University of Oxford claims top spot for the 5th consecutive year, while US domination of the top 10 masks wider decline, and mainland China's Tsinghua University becomes the first ever Asian university to break into the top 20 since the current methodology was launched in 2011.

The THE World University Rankings are the most balanced and comprehensive global ranking, with 13 separate performance metrics covering the full range of core activities for research-intensive universities: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. This year's ranking analysed over 86 million citations across more than 13.6 million research publications and included survey responses from 22,000 scholars globally.

The 17th edition of the Rankings sees a record 18 countries and regions represented in the top 100, and 93 represented overall, demonstrating that geopolitical competition in the global knowledge economy is intensifying. Moreover, a record 1,527 institutions qualify for the 2021 edition, a 9% increase from the 2020 rankings when 1,397 institutions qualified.

Since the current methodology was introduced, the University of Tokyo has achieved a top 50 spot each year, achieving joint 36th in the 2021 ranking. Kyoto University also impresses, climbing 11 places to joint 54th position. Since 2017, Kyoto University has managed to improve its previous ranking position year on year. Additionally, Tohoku University continues to push for its first top 200 finish since 2015, as it moves up into the 201-250 band (previously 251-300 in 2020).

Notwithstanding the success story of the University of Oxford, the UK's status as a higher education superpower is under challenge, as institutions from Asia show clear signs of continued improvement. Of the UK's highest 20 ranked institutions last year, only five were able to improve their position in the table. The US also sees the challenge from Asia affecting its performance. Its universities continue to perform well at the top end of the ranking, commanding the highest number of positions in the overall top 10 (8) since the rankings began, as the University of California, Berkeley, climbs 6 places, from joint 13th to 7th. However, 50% of the US's 20 best performing universities from the 2020 ranking fail to maintain their position. Over the past five years, the US has lost 4 positions in the overall top 200 (63 in 2016, 59 in 2021) as competition rises for the top spots.

University Name Country / Region 2021 Rank 2020 Rank Change University of Oxford United Kingdom 1 1 = Stanford University United States 2 4 + 2 Harvard University United States 3 7 + 4 California Institute of Technology United States 4 2 - 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 5 5 = University of Cambridge United Kingdom 6 3 - 3 University of California, Berkeley United States 7 =13 + 6 Yale University United States 8 8 = Princeton University United States 9 6 - 3 University of Chicago United States 10 9 - 1

TABLE: Overall Top 10 - THE World University Rankings 2021

Asia's rise is fronted by mainland China's Tsinghua University (joint 20th), which becomes the first Asian university ever to break into the THE World University Rankings top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011. This achievement is an indicator of the wider positive movements in higher education for mainland China, and the rest of Asia in recent years. Since 2016, mainland China has gained 5 additional places in the top 200 (from 2 in 2016 to 7 in 2021). It has also doubled its representation in the top 100 since last year, gaining 3 additional places (6 in total). Of the 7 universities that achieved a top 200 place in 2020, 85% improved their position in 2021, as mainland China continues to challenge the world's very best.

In total, there are 16 Asian universities in the top 100, the highest total for Asia since the rankings began. Mainland China's Fudan University (joint 70th), Zhejiang University (joint 94th), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (100th) and South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) (96th), all move into the elite group. Of those 16 institutions, 13 of them either improved or maintained their position from last year, demonstrating the rising competition from Asia at the expense of western higher education systems.

In terms of representation, Japan has an impressive 116 qualifying universities, making it the second most represented country or region in the rankings (second to the US, 181). The US dominates the top 200 positions (59), with the United Kingdom (29) and Germany (21) following in second and third. Overall, European representation at the top of the table is in a steady decline, losing 9 top 200 places in the past 5 years (105 in 2016, 96 in 2021). This is a result of China, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Canada all gaining positions in the same period. However, it's not all doom and gloom for Europe, as Germany's top five performing universities in the 2021 ranking all improve or equal their 2020 ranking positions. Furthermore, Paris-Saclay University (joint 178th), formerly Paris-Sud University, is the highest ranked new entrant in the 2021 ranking.

The THE World University Rankings 2021 sees 141 universities qualify for the first time. India has the highest total of new entrants, with 14, and sees a record number of ranked institutions as a result (63). After India, the US (13), mainland China (10), Russia, Japan, and Iran (all 9), bolster their representation in the rankings following a number of new entries. There is also a first ever entrant for Botswana: the University of Botswana (1001+).

Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at THE, commented:

"Japan's top universities are consistently performing at the top end of the World University Rankings table, with The University of Tokyo, Kyoto University and Tohoku University all improving or maintaining their 2020 positions in our most competitive rankings so far. Furthermore, Japan is once again the second most represented country or region in the THE World University Rankings, demonstrating its ambition to compete with the very best on the world stage of higher education.

This year marks a milestone for Asian higher education, as China's Tsinghua University disrupts the traditional domination of western universities at the top of the table, breaking into the top 20 for the first time. This trend is likely to accelerate further as the coronavirus pandemic heralds a perfect storm of huge challenges for primarily western universities. With a likely decrease in the international flow of students and staff around the world, and possible funding challenges among the west's established higher education sectors, we could see Asia capitalise. If homegrown talent stays in the region instead of making its traditional migration to elite western institutions, particularly in the US and the UK, we could see the start of a dramatic rebalancing of the global knowledge economy to Asia's benefit."

LINKS TO APPENDICES:





Full THE World University Rankings 2021

THE World University Rankings 2021 Methodology

TABLE: Full Japanese Performance - THE World University Rankings 2021

TABLE: Overall Top 200 - THE World University Rankings 2021

ABOUT THE

THE is the trusted global data partner for higher education. Drawing on five decades of expertise in the sector, millions of individual data points, more institutions participating in our flagship university rankings than any other and 28 million website users in 2019, we offer deeper and richer insight into university performance than anyone else. From powerful data-driven insights and strategic consultancy support to agenda-setting events and hiring solutions, our products and services enable everyone in higher education to make smarter, more informed decisions.

For more information, visit www.timeshighereducation.com or find us on Twitter @timeshighered @THEworldunirank and @THEuniadvice

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

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+44(0)7471 355250
It looks like Google has brought back its Material Design Blog after a long break between posts. As reported by Android Police the company has published eight separate posts recently.

Material Design has somewhat faded into the background in terms of public consciousness. After it returned to the Google Play Store in 2019 little has broken news-wise on the platform. Other than a Material Design based Google Groups makeover there has been little to report.

Perhaps that is set to change with the revival of the Material Design Blog by Google. If the company commits to more regular and interesting posts maybe interest will return.

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Google looking to revive Material Design Blog

Material Design is a design language created by Google back in 2014. A blog accompanied this with the most historic available post dating back to mid-2018. However, between then and now posts have been few and far between.

There appears to be little structure and regularity to the blog post. However, this dump of posts may signal a change of intention to more regular posting to promote more engagement.

The most recent posts cover a range of topics meaning that there is something that would appeal to everyone. At the top of the page, there is also a letter from the editor. This clearly signals a changing moment in the blog and we should expect more in the future.

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Material Design blog returns with eight posts

The first two most on the blog page concern color. Both looking at designing a material theme with one more focussed on the theme for Android.

Below this, we have a similar pair of posts that concern themselves with typography in Material Design. Then there is another pair that looks more at shape in Material Design. Finnaly, there is a post that looks at transitions using Material motion for Android.

Many anticipate that with the revival of the blog Google will offer more information and guidance for developers. For those looking to design a new app, site, or service this could be a very useful tool.

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Hopefully, Google will continue to provide useful content and guidance in these blog posts. If this is not a flash in the pan then this resource could prove very beneficial to many who want to use Material Designs tools.

With any luck, we will be able to bring you some useful updates from this blog as they come and point you towards the most useful information it offers.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 17:12:20|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's success in controlling COVID-19 means the economy is in a steady revival mode. The following facts and figures indicate how the country is forging ahead in resuming work and production:

-- The 19th China International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition kicked off on Tuesday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

This year's expo features both online and offline events. Offline events last five days, and the online expo will be held from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30.

Over 500 enterprises from both home and abroad attended the expo, which has the theme of upgrading for win-win cooperation.

The offline event has a total exhibition area of 60,000 square meters and 2,016 booths. According to official statistics, over 36,000 people visited the offline exhibition on the opening day.

The online event is attended by about 1,500 enterprises from China, Germany, Japan and other countries.

-- A China-Europe freight train for cross-border e-commerce B2B exports departed from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Tuesday morning, marking the first of its kind in the country.

The train, fully loaded with 43 containers of cross-border e-commerce products, including clothing, household appliances, and daily necessities, is bound for Germany, Poland, and other European countries.

Starting from Tuesday, 12 directly subordinated institutions of China's General Administration of Customs, including the Chongqing Customs, have been added to a pilot list for conducting cross-border e-commerce B2B export supervision.

Cross-border e-commerce B2B exporters will be given priority for inspections and streamlined declaration procedures, with more efficient clearance at lower costs.

The launch of the cargo freight service blazes a new trail for foreign trade companies and makes it easier and more convenient for them to enter the global market, according to the Chongqing port and logistics office.

-- Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, will add and resume more than 1,500 flights in September to meet the demand of the coming travel rush.

A total of 16 airlines, including Air China, Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines, plan to add and resume over 1,500 flights in Haikou, as this month sees the peak flow of students returning to colleges while next month will see a further spike for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.

About 1,346 flights are expected to be added linking Haikou and major tourist cities including Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Meanwhile, about 180 flights are scheduled to be resumed. Enditem
In June 2020, Planterra Foods, a Colorado-based start-up, debuted its first line of plant-based protein products with its new consumer brand, OZO. The new line is making a name for itself with its exceptional taste, simple ingredients and a nutritional advantage aiming to grow flexitarian consumption by offering a positive protein solution.

"We exist because of the decades of work done by past plant-based food brands and most recently by the growing rise of meat alternative brands," said Macken. "We're here to say thank you to the brands that helped shine a light on this growing category, paving the path for Planterra Foods and our OZO brand to lead this next generation of plant-based foods. I believe it's important to recognize how much this industry has evolved, but we've only just begun."

Read the full letter from Macken below:

An Open Letter to People Who Love Food:

There's been recent chatter and attempted 'take downs' around some companies that helped pave the way for the plant-based food industry and brands. To be clear, plant-based meats have been around for decades and we'd be remiss if we didn't take a moment to say thank you to Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, who shined a light on this space and helped elevate it to where it is today. I believe it's important to recognize how much this industry has evolved, but we've only just begun.

We are Planterra Foods, a new company founded with the intent of feeding future generations. Our goal is to delight people from vegans to flexitarians to meat-eaters by giving them more delicious plant-based protein choices, like our first consumer brand OZO. Our goal is to grow flexitarian consumption through offering a positive protein solution and reimagined protein sources for everyone. Eating delicious food is one of the greatest joys in life, and Planterra is delivering protein choices that are OZO Good.

We set out to be more than just another line of plant-based protein. Our foods are delicious, nutritious, and we only use Non-GMO, clean ingredients that are powered by an exclusive blend of high-quality pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mycelia.

Planterra Foods is the next generation in plant-based foods and I can tell you, the future of this category is bright! Though we may be one of the newer companies, we've got big plans and disruptive innovations in the works.

We invite you to join us at our table and we'd be honored to be served at yours. We think everyone will love what you taste and understand what the future of plant-based foods has to offer.

Best,

Darcey Macken

CEO of Planterra Foods

ozofoods.com | planterrafoods.com

OZO products contain no cholesterol and less calories, fat and saturated fat than 80 percent lean ground beef, as well as other leading plant-based protein brands currently in the market. OZO products also have up to 22 grams of protein per serving, are non-GMO and certified vegan by BeVeg . Unique to the category, Planterra Foods uses a high-quality pea and rice protein that relies on the fermentation of shiitake mycelia (root) to create a nutritionally superior product that enhances the taste and minimizes the flavor impact, while improving the digestibility of the plant-based protein.

For additional information, visit PlanterraFoods.com and OZOFoods.com , and join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest , Twitter and LinkedIn .

About OZO

OZO is the first brand brought to market by Planterra Foods, an innovative plant-based protein start-up from Colorado. Dedicated to delivering foods that are abundantly flavorful, and positively delicious, OZO has the backing of one of the world's leading food companies. OZO dishes up foods that broaden choices and bring new possibilities to the table. Brimming with benefits for you and the planet, their foods help you eat well, feel better and live your best. For additional information, visit OZOFoods.com.

About Planterra Foods

Planterra Foods is a new, innovative plant-based protein start-up company based in Colorado dedicated to bringing exceptional variety and thoughtful plant-based protein choices that are beneficial to both you and the planet. Innovation, convenience and taste are at the forefront of Planterra Foods and OZO. Planterra Foods is owned by JBS USA, one of the world's leading food companies. For additional information, visit PlanterraFoods.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Austin McClelland

[email protected]

630-624-2380

SOURCE Planterra Foods

Related Links

https://planterrafoods.com


Plans are being made across the country for how to safely send students back to school in the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A physically distanced classroom with masks and hand sanitizer is seen at Kensington Community School amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

Plans are being made across the country for how to safely send students back to school in the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Here is a look at what the various provinces have said about getting kids back to classes.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA

British Columbia has laid out its plan for studies to resume in "learning groups" this fall. School districts are to post final back-to-school details online by Aug. 26.

Back to class: Schools were initially scheduled to welcome students back full time on Sept. 8, but the province announced it is pushing back the restart date by two days to Sept. 10.

Groups: Students will be sorted into learning groups to reduce the number of people they come in contact with. For elementary and middle school students, groups will be no larger than 60 people. Secondary school groups will be capped at 120.

Physical distancing: Students and staff don't need to maintain physical distancing within their learning group, but contact should be minimized. Outside the group, physical distancing is required. Students should be more spaced out in classrooms.

Masks: Students and staff will not be required to wear masks in schools, but the province says it's a "personal choice that will always be respected." It says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry recommends non-medical masks be worn by adults and older students when they are unable to physically distance like in hallways and on buses.

New routines: The province is urging schools to stagger recess, lunch and class transition times and take students outside whenever possible.

Transportation: Middle and high school students are asked to wear masks on buses. Students should be assigned seats, and a transparent barrier may be used to separate the driver.

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ALBERTA

The province is planning to fully reopen schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 this fall. Measures will be tightened if an outbreak occurs and class sizes could be reduced to 20.

Back to class: School will be back in session with extra safety measures, but the province says there are programs to support remote and alternative learning.

Groups: Schools should sort students into cohorts by class when possible to minimize contact with others.

Physical distancing: Physical distancing is recommended when possible. Rooms should be rearranged to increase space between desks.

Masks: Masks will be mandatory for staff and many students in some school settings. Students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear masks in all common areas, such as hallways and on buses. Staff are required to wear masks whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained. Mask use will be optional for kids in kindergarten through Grade 3. The government says all students and staff will receive two reusable masks as part of the policy.

Transportation: Parents are asked to bring their children to school if they can. Students who take the bus will sit in the same seat every day.

New routines: Schools are advised to consider a "no sharing policy," with each student bringing their own supplies. Class, lunch and recess schedules will be staggered.

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SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan first unveiled a set of back-to-school guidelines in June, but released more details and made some changes in August.

Back to class: Students will return to class on Sept. 8 after the province pushed the date back from as early as Sept. 1

Groups: Groups of students and staff members assigned to them should stick together throughout the day and try not to mingle with other groups. Schools should aim to minimize the number of different instructors who interact with students throughout the day.

Physical distancing: Officials say maintaining physical distance is "less practical" for younger children, and the focus should be on limiting physical contact. Officials suggest limiting hugs and hand holding and suggest using alternative greetings such as air high fives. Schools are also to have dedicated quarantine areas where symptomatic students can go before they are picked up by parents.

Masks: The province says it's up to school boards to decide whether to make masks mandatory for students and staff. The chief medical health officer advises Grade 4 to 12 students should wear them in busy areas such as hallways and on buses.

Transportation: Parents should take their kids to school when possible, and pickup and drop-offs should happen outside. Students using school transportation should be assigned seats, and a partition may be used to separate the driver.

New routines: Start times, recess, lunch and class transitions may be staggered to allow for more space for physical distancing. Schools should rearrange their classrooms to space out students. Students and staff are asked to bring hand sanitizer. In school public health visits for routine vaccinations will include COVID-19 testing, with parental consent.

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MANITOBA

The Manitoba government says students are going back to the classroom on Sept. 8 with new guidelines.

Back to class: All students from kindergarten to Grade 8 are to have in-class instruction five days a week. High school students will also be in class full time, however, there may be some days of remote learning.

Groups: When physical distancing isn't possible, students will have to be organized into cohorts of no more than 75, and minimize contact with others. In these cases, there must be at least one metre between their desks.

Physical distancing: The province says students are required to maintain a two-metre distance to "the greatest extent possible." When it isn't possible, physical barriers may be an option. Spaces should be arranged to encourage separation.

Masks: Masks are strongly recommended for students in Grades 5 to 12. They are required when taking the bus.

Transportation: All students, drivers and any other passengers on school buses will be required to wear masks. Parents are encouraged to transport their children to school if they can.

New routines: Lunch and recess are to be staggered to minimize congestion, and in many cases teachers will change classrooms instead of students.

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ONTARIO

Ontario students will be back in class September, but their schedules and class sizes may vary depending on where they live.

Back to class: Elementary students and many high schoolers will be in school five days a week in standard class sizes. However, secondary students at two dozen boards that are higher risk will only attend class half the time, and will spend the rest of the week working on "curriculum-linked independent work." Parents will also have the option to keep their kids out of class, and boards must provide options for remote learning.

Groups: For high schoolers in high-risk districts, class sizes will be capped at 15. Meanwhile, elementary students won't be broken up into smaller groups, but will be grouped into cohorts and their exposure to different teachers will be limited.

Physical distancing: While Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the aim is to keep students one metre apart from each other, a guidance document says only that schools should promote "as much distancing as possible" rather than being strictly enforced.

Masks: Masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4 through 12, and will be strongly encouraged for younger kids when they're in indoor common areas. Staff will be expected to wear masks.

Transportation: Some school boards may have more than one student assigned to a seat. When physical distancing isn't possible, masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4 to 12, and younger students will be encouraged but not required to do the same.

New routines: Students in some districts will have to pre-register for in-person schooling. Some schools may limit or even ban visitors, including parents. Breaks will be scheduled to allow students to wash their hands.

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QUEBEC

All elementary and high school students in Quebec will be required to attend class in September unless they have a doctor's note indicating they're at high risk of COVID-19 complications or they live with someone at risk. Those students will be allowed to study remotely.

Back to class: Class attendance is mandatory for elementary and high school students. For Grades 10 and 11, schools have the option of alternating schedules where students attend one day out of every two  as long as schools cannot maintain stable classroom bubbles. Grade 10 and 11 students are encouraged to attend classes as much as possible.

Groups: Each classroom will be its own bubble and students will not be required to maintain a two-metre distance between classmates.

Physical distancing: Students will need to keep a two-metre distance from all school staff, as well as all other students outside their classroom bubble. There are no physical distancing requirements for children or teachers in pre-school.

Masks: All students in Grade 5 and up  as well as all school staff  must wear a mask inside all common areas of the school except the classroom. Masks can also be removed when students are eating.

Transportation: No more than 48 students will be allowed on a school bus, with no more than two students sitting on the same bench. Preschool and elementary school students are strongly encouraged to wear masks, while older students are required to wear them.

New routines: When schools return in the fall, teachers will move from classroom to classroom, but students will stay put.

Backup plans: In the event of an outbreak in one class, the entire classroom bubble will be sent home to continue studies remotely. Authorities are also putting together an emergency protocol in the event of a second wave to ensure instruction continues online if entire schools are again forced to close. Ideas include quickly distributing tablets or laptops to students needing them and establishing a digital platform to continue courses and maintain communication.

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NEW BRUNSWICK

The province has outlined a set of requirements schools must follow in developing their plans for the fall.

Back to class: Students in kindergarten to Grade 8 are to attend school full time, while those in Grades 9 to 12 are to be taught using a combination of in-class and remote instruction. At-home course work can include online learning, guided projects and experiential education.

Groups: For kindergarten through Grade 2, group sizes will be reduced to about 15, wherever possible. Group sizes should also be shrunk for Grades 3 to 5. Grades 6 to 8 will resume at regular class sizes. Students in Grades 9 to 12 will not be grouped because of their schedules and course options. Students up to Grade 8 will also be kept in classroom bubbles to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Physical distance: Grade 9 to 12 classrooms are required to maintain a one-metre distance, while a two-metre distance is recommended in common areas at all grade levels. Students up to Grade 8 will be allowed to interact within the classroom without physical distancing, but they will be required to keep a two-metre distance from anyone while outside their class bubble.

Masks: Mask-wearing will be required in common areas and on school buses for students in Grade 6 and up, and it will be encouraged for younger students. Masks won't be required inside classrooms. Teachers for kindergarten to Grade 8 can choose whether they want to wear a mask or shield in the classroom, while teachers for Grades 9-12 will be required to wear one when they cannot physically distance from students.

Transportation: Curtains will be installed inside school buses to separate drivers from students. If physical distancing is not possible, drivers will be required to wear a mask or face shield. Students must sit in the same seat every day. Students in kindergarten to Grade 5 will sit alone or with a member of their household. Students in Grades 6-12 wearing masks will sit two to a seat, and if they are sitting alone or with a member of their household, they do not have to wear a mask.

New routines: Arrivals, breaks and lunches are to be staggered. Public access to school buildings will be limited, and students, staff and visitors may also be subject to screening. High school students will be expected to have their own laptop or similar device, and some subsidies will be available. Drinking fountains will be replaced with water bottle-filling stations. The government says singing and music classes will be allowed, but should take place outdoors as much as possible and students will be asked to sing softly. Children in kindergarten to Grade 8 will be allowed to share instruments, while students in Grades 9 to 12 must maintain physical distancing and can share instruments only if they're disinfected between each use.

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PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Schools on the Island are preparing to welcome all students back to class, while drafting backup plans for remote studies if required.

Back to class: Schools are to reopen for teachers and staff on Sept. 1 and for students on Sept. 8.

Groups: Students will be organized into cohorts when possible and limit their exposure to others.

Physical distancing: Students will be taught about the importance of physical distancing, and extra teaching and cleaning staff may be hired. Schools are also asked to reduce class sizes as much as possible, reconfigure classrooms and make use of spaces such as libraries and multipurpose rooms.

Masks: The province says all staff and students in Grades 7-12 are "strongly recommended" to wear masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Students from kindergarten through Grade 6 may wear masks when physical distancing is impossible. Staff interacting with children who have complex medical needs are strongly recommended to wear face shields and gloves.

Transportation: Parents are asked to take their kids to school whenever possible. To reduce the number of riders on buses, schools may add vehicles and routes or implement walk-to-school programs. It is strongly recommended that all students and drivers wear masks on the bus.

New routines: P.E.I. education authorities are revising curricula for this school year to make up for learning gaps caused by lockdown constraints. Schools will stagger schedules to minimize congestion. The provincial school food program will be expanded next year in keeping with public health precautions. Elementary school students will stay in their classrooms for lunch.

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NOVA SCOTIA

Education Minister Zach Churchill says the province's objective is for schools to return to 100 per cent capacity in the fall, but its plan includes measures to address the possible onset of a second wave of COVID-19.

Back to class: The province aims to have all elementary and high school students in classrooms by Sept. 8.

Groups: Students will be asked to keep to cohorts.

Physical distancing: Students and staff will be encouraged to maintain a two-metre distance whenever possible. Lecture rooms will be reorganized to increase space between desks.

Masks: Masks are not required in classrooms, but students and staff may choose to wear them. While it's recommended that they bring their own, masks will be provided to those who don't have one. Staff and students in Grades 10 to 12 must wear masks when physical distancing is difficult.

Transportation: Students who take the school bus will be required to wear non-medical masks.

New routines: Only students and staff will be permitted to enter school buildings. When possible, teachers will be asked to move their classes outdoors. Students will be asked to bring their own computers to school, and the province says it has acquired an additional 14,000 devices for those with limited access to technology.

Backup plans: If a COVID-19 outbreak occurs during the academic year, schools will move to a blended learning model with smaller class sizes and home learning for older students. Students, teachers or others who have had some or prolonged contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be sent home to isolate for two weeks and will be tested. Those who had casual contact with a confirmed case, either by walking past them or being near them in a hallway or in other common areas, will not be required to isolate.

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NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

The province's back-to-school plan aims to maximize in-class attendance with the option of a return to remote learning if the COVID-19 risk increases.

Back to class: The province's plan outlines three scenarios  in-class instruction, remote learning or a combination of both, depending on the COVID-19 risk in a particular community.

Groups: Cohorting by class is recommended when it's feasible, but students' schedules shouldn't be disrupted to support smaller groupings.

Physical distancing: Schools should aim to create a two-metre distance between desks, or as much distance as possible. However, provincial authorities say these precautions should not interfere with the daily school routine, and strict physical distancing should not be "over-emphasized" to children, because it is not practical and can cause psychological harm.

Masks: The province does not recommend masks for children, but says their use should not be "stigmatized" for those that choose to wear them. Staff will not be required to wear masks if physical distancing is possible.

Transportation: It will be up to school districts to determine their transportation operations, considering precautions such as assigning seats and separating the driver with a physical divider.

New routines: All students must bring their own supplies in keeping with a "no sharing" policy. Parents will be allowed to accompany kindergartners for their first day. It says suggestions will be provided to school administrators to accommodate parents.

Backup plans: In the event of moderate-to-widespread transmission of COVID-19, school districts will move to online learning. Classroom attendance should be limited to about 50 per cent when the COVID-19 risk in a community is considered low to moderate. Newfoundland and Labrador says it will spend $20 million to purchase laptops for teachers and students in Grades 7 through 12 to support remote learning.

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YUKON

The territorial government says it's making plans for the next school year that include flexibility around the number of students in classes if there's a second wave of COVID-19 or increased risk of transmission. It says each school will determine how it will adjust its operations to meet those guidelines, and school principals and staff are expected to share that information prior to September.

Back to class: Preliminary plans indicate that in rural communities, all students will return to school full time. In Whitehorse, however, kids in kindergarten through Grade 9 will return to full-day in-school instruction, while Grades 10 to 12 will spend half their day in the classroom, and the rest learning remotely.

Groups: Class sizes may be smaller to meet safety restrictions.

Masks: Wearing masks is a personal choice.

Transportation: Bus school and schedules will be posted to the territory's website.

New routines: Schedule shakeups may mean that some students won't have their regular teacher or the same classmates. School meal programs may be adapted with new safety measures and pickup options.

Backup plans: The territory has outlined a spectrum of school options if the risk to the community increases, ranging from rotating schedules to suspension of face-to-face learning.

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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

All N.W.T. schools have submitted plans to reopen their doors this fall. The territory says education authorities are taking a flexible approach in their planning to account for a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall.

Back to class: While plans will vary from school to school, the territory will offer in-person instruction whenever possible, while ensuring alternative options are available.

Groups: Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 will be in classroom "bubbles," and won't have to practise physical distancing within these groups.

Physical distancing: For Grades 7 to 9, students are asked to maintain a one-metre distance from each other, and two-metre distance from staff. Grade 10 to 12 students are asked to allow for two metres of distance from their peers and instructors.

Masks: Students of all ages may be required to wear masks in situations where physical distance cannot be practised, such as moving through the hallways.

Transportation: There may be changes to bus schedules, and all riders will be required to wear masks.

New routines: More time will be spent learning outside. School hours and schedules may also look different. Students are asked to label personal items and not share.

Backup plans: The territory says schools are preparing to shift between in-person, distance and blended learning at short notice should there become active COVID-19 cases.

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NUNAVUT

The territory has released a four-stage plan for reopening schools based on the risk of the novel coronavirus in a community.

Back to class: There are no reported COVID-19 cases in Nunavut, so all schools are set to reopen this fall with enhanced cleaning and safety precautions.

Groups: It is recommended that schools cohort students by class and limit mixing as much as possible.

Physical distancing: Distance requirements will depend on what stage a community is in, and will primarily be achieved by limiting school attendance.

Masks: In most cases, the use of masks is not recommended for children. If there are exceptions, parents will be notified, and masks will be provided.

Transportation: As it stands, bus schedules are set to resume. Students older than 13 may be required to wear masks.

New routines: Group activities will be limited. Students won't be allowed to share food in lunchrooms.

Backup plans: The territory says schools could go part-time if contact tracing were to identify a possible source of COVID-19. All schools would be closed if community transmission were to take place.

This report was first published by The Canadian Press on Sept. 2, 2020.
With the help of a Community Assistance Block Grant administered by Montgomery County, Childrens Books on Wheels will be hosting free Occupational Safety and Health Administration 30-hour training this month for its third year in a row.

Rita Wiltz, Executive Director of CBOW, said the idea to apply for grant money and hold the training came to her out of the blue. The training at CBOW is called Project Re-Set and the grant is worth $25,000. The organization regularly responds to needs in the Tamina community, where it is located, outside of the scope of literacy and reading that CBOW is based on.

OSHA 30-hour training is a comprehensive training course specifically devised for safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors; the program provides complete information on OSHA compliance issues, according to the OSHA website.

The training will be held Sept. 21-24. There are enough seats for 15 to 20 people while also social distancing at the Sleepy Hollow Multipurpose Building in Tamina.

By the end of the training, the participants will have an OSHA certificate that applies to numerous fields, including construction, where OSHA requirements are a vital part of the job. The grant was awarded to CBOW to host the training in order to assist low-income youth in attaining good-paying jobs, according to Joanne Ducharme, Director of Community Development for Montgomery County.

100 percent of Community Developments focus is on assisting low-income persons in the county to gain or keep self sufficiency. This takes many forms, from education and job skills training programs to Meals on Wheels to help elderly remain independent in their own homes, Ducharme said in an email to the Courier. On the surface, it seems like we do a little bit of everything, but the common connection is that we serve like income persons and we find programs focused on helping people live independently. The need is great and varied.

Community Development helps repair derelict housing, assists shelters and housing programs, provides emergency financial assistance, and funds victim assistance programs. Ducharme stresses that the programs provided are funded by federal taxpayer dollars from income tax, not local property taxes.

They are an example of our residents taxes coming back home to help out local citizenry, Ducharme said.

This will not be the first time that CBOW has hosted OSHA 30 training, and in past years Wiltz said the response from the community was extremely positive.

A lot of people, their life is not around a four-year college degree, but they need to work, and they need to take care of their family, Wiltz said.

The applications for this round of grant funding were released in January, before COVID-19, and due in March, so the pandemic did not have an effect on this round of funding.

According to the OSHA website, the training can cost around $189. Because of the grant, the training at CBOW is provided at no cost. Interested parties can contact Wiltz at 281-844-7596.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
The Air Force recently tested a new next-generation fragmentation bomb on the F-16 Fighting Falcon meant to be an alternative to cluster munitions that diminishes the risk of unexploded ordnance, according to a news release.

Through a series of flights held in July, the 28th and 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadrons measured battle damage from the BLU-136 Next Generation Area Attack Weapon at the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to Air Combat Command.

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"The operational tests were designed to gather data to determine the operational performance of the BLU-136, specifically in the areas of blast and fragmentation damage," Lt. Col. Daniel Lambert, 28th TES Global Strike division chief, said in the release. "This data will help decision makers determine if the BLU-136 is a viable substitute for the Air Force's fleet of cluster bombs."

The 2,000-pound bomb is intended for "light vehicles, light structures and personnel," the release said. When paired with a joint direct attack munition (JDAM) GPS-guided tail kit, the BLU-136 becomes the GBU-31v11 bomb; and because it's compatible with the JDAM kit, it will be ready for operations "if and when fielded," Lambert said.

"This also means that the delivery of the GBU-31v11 from any other aircraft will likely require little to no changes in loading or delivery tactics," he added.

During the test, personnel drew several rings -- 75, 150 and 225 feet in radius -- around the intended target, explained 1st Lt. Savanah Bray, spokeswoman for the 53rd Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

After the test, they found fragments exceeding 225 feet from the center of the target, she told Military.com on Wednesday. "Within 150 feet, severe damage is likely to occur," she said.

But the fragments themselves are non-explosive, "making it a less-hazardous alternative to cluster munitions," the release said.

The Pentagon for decades has used cluster bombs, which, when broken apart, disperse smaller bomblets or submunitions through their target.

Cluster bombs are not without controversy: The New York Times in 2017 reported that the weapons' "dud rate" often approaches 20% when deployed in combat situations, meaning they frequently fail to detonate when they're supposed to and thus can make the environment extremely dangerous to friendly forces and civilians.

That same year, the Pentagon reversed its plan to ban cluster munitions and kept its stockpiles, citing threats from North Korea as the reason to keep the munitions.

Then-Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that developing a replacement for cluster bombs would take too long when faced with the North Korean threat, so the Pentagon looked to its available capability.

The Pentagon was tasked by President George W. Bush's administration to bring cluster bombs' failure rate under 1% or find an alternative. However, the Defense Department said the U.S. military's efforts to develop more reliable, and thus safer, cluster munitions that have a failure rate of 1% or less were unsuccessful, the Associated Press reported at the time.

Nonetheless, Shanahan signed a directive that December to end a 2008 policy approved by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, which had stipulated the Pentagon would "no longer use cluster munitions which, after arming, result in more than one percent unexploded ordnance" by the end of 2018.

"You're probably familiar with the fact that we've been working on a technology to eliminate the danger of cluster munitions," Shanahan said. "But the timing of that technology to eliminate the danger, and the need to backfill the shortfall in munitions, did not line up."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

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Almost half of New Yorkers think the Big Apple is 'on the wrong track' amid a spike in crime and COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a new survey published Monday.

The survey, taken in July by The Manhattan Institute, shows 42 percent of residents spoken to think the Big Apple is headed in the wrong direction, 46 per cent of the 1,485 people questioned think things are on the right track; the rest are unsure.

Those behind the poll said: 'The results show a city divided and pessimisticespecially among those least able to afford the cityand consistent support, across partisan divides, for certain reforms.'

Two in five of those questioned said that they would leave the city, if they had the ability to live anywhere they wanted with the economy and public safety the two leading worries for New Yorkers. The NYPD got the support of 53 per cent of the city; 40 per cent disapprove of the unit.

The survey, taken in July by The Manhattan Institute , shows 42 percent of residents spoken to think the Big Apple is headed in the wrong direction. 46 per cent of the 1,485 people questioned think things are on the right track

Two in five of those questioned said that they would leave the city, if they had the ability to live anywhere they wanted with the economy and public safety the two leading worries for New Yorkers

For Mayor Bill de Blasio the picture was mixed with 45 percent saying they approve of him; 46 percent said they disapprove.

But more than 70 per cent of those surveyed said they approve of the job Gov. Andrew Cuomo is doing.

New York City has seen a startling uptick in crime this year, which police say is due in part to the pandemic, staggering unemployment, and protests decrying police brutality and racism.

On Tuesday the NYPD's chief chaplain was mugged during his daily walk on the Upper West Side. Rabbi Alvin Kass, 84, said he was walking at Riverside Drive and West 107th Street around 5.45am when an individual approached him and said 'Im hungry, I need food.'

The suspect began rifling through the rabbis pockets and grabbed some cash, but when they found Kass police shield, they dropped it and fled on foot, cops say.

The rabbi was not injured in the incident and no arrests have been made. Kass is the NYPDs longest-serving officer, working for more than 54 years.

On Monday a New York judge was punched in the face by a stranger on a Citi Bike as she walked to work in Manhattan, police said.

Judge Phyllis Chu, 56, was heading to a downtown courthouse from the Staten Island ferry at around 9:30am when law enforcement say she was randomly attacked.

The incident came just hours before two more people were shot in the Bronx.

And on Saturday a New York City man was arrested after he was caught on camera allegedly attempting to rape a 25-year-old woman on an Upper East Side subway platform.

A mover puts belongings into a moving truck following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan on September 1

A Flatrate moving van in the Greenwich Village neighborhood in New York on Thursday, August 20

In Manhattan's Upper West Side residents have complained and threatened to sue the Mayor after homeless people were moved into three luxury hotels in the area to protect them from COVID-19

There was a 162 per cent increase in the number of shooting victims and a 166 per cent increase in the number of shooting incidents during the four-week period that ended on August 23 compared to the same period last year, police data shows.

During the four-week period ending on August 23, the city recorded 48 homicides - a 50 per cent increase from the 32 homicides that were recorded during the same period last year.

Between January 1 and August 23, the city recorded 280 homicides - a 35 per cent increase from 208 homicides that were recorded during the same period of 2019.

In July, murders were up 58.8 percent when compared to the same month last year. Shootings were up a staggering 177 per cent.

The New York police departments chief chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass, 84, was mugged during his morning walk on the Upper West Side Tuesday morning

New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, left, speaks alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio. For Mayor Bill de Blasio the picture was mixed with 45 percent saying they approve of him; 46 percent said they disapprove

In Manhattan's Upper West Side residents have complained and threatened to sue the Mayor after homeless people were moved into three luxury hotels in the area to protect them from COVID-19.

Residents of the upscale neighborhood complain that the move-in of the vagrants has brought with it increased crime, random violence, drugs, public urination and open prostitution.

At the moment more than 13,000 homeless people are being housed in 139 hotels across the Big Apple, including three luxury hotels  The Belleclaire, The Lucerne and The Belnord  on the Upper West Side.

On Saturday Jose Reyes, a Bronx resident, was arrested after he was caught on camera allegedly attempting to rape a woman on a subway platform. He has been charged with attempted rape, assault and harassment.

The uptick in crime comes as protests have unfolded across the country denouncing police brutality and seeking to defund police departments.

New York City announced it will slash the police budget by $1billion in July. The department budget was almost $6billion for the 2020 fiscal year.
Imperial Valley News Center

Russian National Arrested for Conspiracy to Introduce Malware into a Nevada Company's Computer Network

Reno, Nevada - A Russian national made his initial appearance in federal court last week for his role in a conspiracy to recruit an employee of a company to introduce malicious software into the companys computer network, extract data from the network, and extort ransom money from the company.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBIs Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.

Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov, 27, a citizen of Russia, was charged in a complaint with one count of conspiracy to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer. He was arrested on Aug. 22, 2020, in Los Angeles and had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alexander F. MacKinnon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, California, who ordered Kriuchkov detained pending trial.

According to the complaint and statements made in court, from about July 15, 2020 to about Aug. 22, 2020, Kriuchkov conspired with associates to recruit an employee of a company to introduce malware  i.e., malicious software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system  into the companys computer network. The malware would supposedly provide Kriuchkov and his co-conspirators with access to the companys system. After the malware was introduced, Kriuchkov and his co-conspirators would extract data from the network and then threaten to make the information public, unless the company paid their ransom demand.

Kriuchkov entered the United States using his Russian passport and a tourist visa. He contacted and met with the employee numerous times to discuss the conspiracy. Kriuchkov promised to pay the employee $1 million after the malware was introduced. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Kriuchkov provided the employee with a burner phone, and instructed him to leave the burner phone in airplane mode until after the money was transferred.

After being contacted by the FBI, Kriuchkov drove overnight from Reno, Nevada, to Los Angeles. Kriuchkov asked an acquaintance to purchase an airline ticket for him in an attempt to fly out of the country.

The charges and allegations contained in a complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was led by the FBIs Las Vegas Field Office with assistance from the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office; the FBIs Sacramento Field Office; the Washoe County Sheriffs Office; and the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Casper and C.S. Heath, Senior Counsel of CCIPS, are prosecuting the case.
A south-east Queensland aged-care home staff member is one of two new coronavirus cases in the state on Thursday, with all staff and residents at the facility to undergo testing.

The employee works for Karinya Place facility in the Lockyer Valley town of Laidley, about 63 kilometres south-west of Brisbane.

Staff and residents at Carinity's Karinya Place aged-care home will undergo coronavirus testing as a precaution. Credit:Google Maps

The new patients are a man and woman aged 30-39. They live together and are believed to have contracted the virus after coming into contact with another case.

In a statement on Thursday, the facility's parent company, Carinity, said the employee was in home quarantine and "did not work while experiencing any symptoms".
Taking a starring role in a ripped-from-the-headlines movie that subtly takes aim at the celebrities embroiled in last year's infamous college admissions scandal might be risky for any Hollywood actor considering Tinseltown's close social circles. For Penelope Ann Miller, it threatened to be downright awkward.

"I had worked with Felicity [Huffman] and I'd met Lori Loughlin, so we are acquaintances a little bit, and it is in some ways scary because you hope you're doing justice to it or playing it authentically. But there was never any intent to hurt anybody with this," says Miller of her role in the creatively titled made-for-TV film The College Admissions Scandal.

Penelope Ann Miller (right) with Mia Kirshner in the Lifetime drama The College Admissions Scandal. Credit:AETN

"I certainly didn't want to do some sort of cheesy rip-off thing. We wanted to make something that was very true to life and real and important  as much as I know Lifetime is sometimes known for doing things that can have the wrong connotations."

The film is the equivalent of a brisk skim of the scandal's Wikipedia page, though with commendable performances from Miller (playing an entitled interior designer with delicious bite) and Mia Kirshner (a mother realising her misguided devotion has backfired), and is among a hefty slate launching the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) on Foxtel.
"Unfortunately, today we have recorded new worrying figures both as regards the new cases of infection, and especially the number of deaths and the number of people admitted to intensive care wards. I want to extend my condolences to the families grieving by the loss of their loved ones. In the context of new relaxation measures adopted since 1 September, such as the resumption of cultural activities and the reopening of restaurants, as well as the upcoming start of the school year, I make a new appeal: dear Romanians, continue to be responsible! The virus, in the absence of a vaccine, has only one barrier: the care of each person and those around them," the president told a press conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.He reiterated the importance of preventative measures, such as wearing a mask, keeping the social distance and hand hygiene, adding that these are "the only weapons" in dealing with the new coronavirus."The government, the state authorities have taken and continue to take the necessary measures. Of course, not everything is perfect and those mistakes can be recognized and corrected. But each of us is fighting our own battle with the infection. In all countries of the world health systems have been under extreme pressure and Romania has been no exception," Iohannis said.Iohannis thanked the medical staff "for their devotion and professionalism" and called on the medical staff, hospital managers and the Public Health Directorates to continue the work started, to organize themselves and "to maintain the endowment of the hospitals at a high level" so that they have at their disposal everything needed to care for the sick.Asked why the last two weeks' statistics of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control place Romania in the first place, among the EU member states, in terms of the mortality rate caused by COVID-19 , the president reiterated the importance of prevention."Yes, I have obviously talked to the Minister of Health in the last days and throughout the pandemic. The data is worrying and, for this very reason, I repeat at every public appearance that people should take care to wear a mask, to keep the distance, to wash their hands. (...) I think we have discussed this issue with the authorities' fault and we can remember that we were doing well in controlling the epidemic until the PSD [Social Democratic Party] delayed in Parliament the adoption of the Quarantine Law and, then, we remember very well that, unfortunately, at the time, a large number of people became infected, because the idea was induced that this disease is not dangerous. Now we are paying the price for that," said Iohannis.On the other hand, the president voiced his conviction that the necessary protective masks will be provided for the beginning of the school year."I understand that the delivery of these awnings has started and it is obviously the responsibility of the company that received the contract to deliver as it committed itself to do. Otherwise, of course, there are details that can be explained by those who concluded the contract. (...) Solutions will surely be found. Solutions will also be found in the government, they will also be found in the local administrations and I understand that many administrations have already started to procure such masks to make them available to students, respectively to teachers," the head of state went on to say.
Global property giant Knight Frank has hired two senior technology leaders to bolster its efforts in harnessing digital to navigate the industrys turbulent waters as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc everywhere.

Darren Warner is the new head of IT, bringing with him 20 years experience, most recently at auto-distribution and retail company Inchcape. He returns to the property sector after previously serving for 10 years as APAC IT director with CBRE.

Hell work alongside the ominously titled, head of disruption, a new role occupied by Al Jansen, previously chief technology officer with PNO Group, and director of Sydney tech foundry Uber.Biz.

Both started their new roles earlier in the year.

In an interview with CIO the men explained that Knight Frank was looking to pivot away from being and being seen as an intermediary in the property market, to more of a trusted advisor.

Smarter collection and processing of data would be key to this, with important announcements concerning new deployments of AI and cloud technology expected in coming weeks.

Jansen said digital disruption is now a big opportunity for real estate, which had been slower than some other industries to embrace technology.

The pandemic has been an accelerator. We anticipate there will be big shifts in the market in the future and we intend to be one of the leaders of change, he said.

This involves rethinking the current ways of operating and devising innovative ways to make the most of the technology available to us.

Warner noted the property market is of course very different now compared to when he was manging IT for CBRE, but said he looked forward to meeting the challenges ahead.

I look forward to moving back into the property space, where I have extensive experience in driving transformational programs to standardise and consolidate IT services and facilitate company growth.

Jansen and Warner are presently bringing online several new digital platforms, and have partnered with Sydney startup Empirical CRE to provide internal sales, leasing and advisory teams with data-driven insights, supporting both consumption and contribution of property listing information across greater Sydney.

Real estate has been very traditional for a long time, Jansen explained. Success is living out of a black book. This is the first generation where major owners of properties can partner with startups like Empirical.

Knight Frank is also bringing on new digital platforms and tools designed to improve collaboration between staff, as well as supporting them with professional and personal challenges related to working from home.
Billions: Teslas Musk is now worth more than $100bn

Elon Musk is now the third-richest person in the world.

Mr Musk passed Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg this week as shares of Tesla continued their unrelenting rally after undergoing a forward stock split. Musk is now worth $115.4bn (97bn) compared with $110.8bn for Mr Zuckerberg, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

In addition, Jeff Bezos's ex-wife MacKenzie Scott became the world's richest woman, passing L'Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers. Ms Scott (50) received a 4pc stake in Amazon.com as part of her divorce from Mr Bezos and she is now worth $66.4bn.

Elon Musk (49) has seen a meteoric rise in his wealth, with his net worth growing by $87.8bn this year as Tesla shares surged almost 500pc.

He also secured an audacious pay package - the largest corporate pay deal ever struck between a chief executive officer and a board of directors - that could yield him more than $50 billion if all goals are met.

Tesla, a favourite among amateur investors on online trading firm Robinhood Financial, has been one of the largest beneficiaries of the boom in retail investing during pandemic lockdowns. At one point last month, almost 40,000 Robinhood accounts added Tesla shares during a single four-hour span. And the trend isn't limited to the US.

South Korean retail investors have piled into Tesla this year and hold about a 1pc stake in the American auto maker.

Tesla's $464bn market value now exceeds that of retail behemoth Walmart, the largest company in the U.S. by revenue.

Last week, Mr Musk joined Messrs Zuckerberg, Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in the rarefied centibillionaire club as tech stocks rose.

The heady pace of wealth accumulation in is in stark contrast to the state of the global economy.

Economic growth has slumped sharply since the pandemic began with companies laying off millions of workers and consumer demand cratering.

The brunt of economic pain has been borne by young and lower-wage workers, whose jobs are typically more vulnerable to Covid-related layoffs.

Mr Musk however still has a long way to become the world's richest person. Even after his costly divorce, Jeff Bezos is still worth more than $200bn.
More Than 60% of U.S. K-12 Public School Students Will Now Start School Virtually This Fall We continue to see a shift to online learning from previously announced or mandated in-person plans, noted Burbio co-founder Julie Roche, noting that districts such as Hawaii, Dallas, Boston as well as mid-size communities throughout the NY region walked back existing in person plans. As star

More than 60% of US K-12 public school students will be attending school remotely to start the school year, up from an estimated of 52% in early August according to a comprehensive and ongoing survey conducted by Burbio.com, a data service that aggregates school and community calendars nationwide. Specifically, 62% of students are projected to be learning online to start the year, 37% will be attending in-person either every day or certain days of the week, and just under 1% of students are in school districts that still havent finalized plans. A national overview of the data can be found at Burbio's School Opening Tracker.

We continue to see a shift to online learning from previously announced or mandated in-person plans, noted Burbio co-founder Julie Roche, noting that districts such as Hawaii, Dallas, Boston as well as mid-size communities throughout the NY region walked back existing in person plans. As start dates got closer districts decided they werent ready to bring students in the classroom.

On Tuesday New York City, the nations largest district, pushed its start date back to September 21st while maintaining plans for hybrid learning. Schools have now started in most of the country. Future changes in the data will be driven by districts that have already opened making changes in one direction or the other.

Of the 37% of districts having in-person learning, 19% are attending school every day and 18% will be attending a hybrid format where students only attend on certain days.

Even as the majority of changes in the Burbio study involve a shift to virtual learning from in-person, several districts are making transitions in the other direction. Orange County, FL, and Killeen TX, schools have already transitioned to in-person learning after a remote start. Burbio estimates over 11 million students across the US are currently attending school in-person either every day or certain days of the week.

Schools in the Sun Belt shifting to in-person from virtual are an interesting trend, added Roche. If they can make a successful transition, we expect to see more changes like that in the month of September. Many of the districts who postponed in-person plans in late August set goals to start in-person learning early in the Fall. Its going to be a very fluid across the US as districts learn what they are comfortable with.

Burbios data set consists of more than 80,000 K-12 school calendars across all 50 states and is dynamically updated as events are added or changed. For this initiative, Burbio actively monitors districts representing over 35,000 schools, including the 200 largest school districts in the U.S. District plans are reviewed every 72 hours to identify changes. School districts in the data set are a mix of sizes and distributed nationally in such a way to represent local decision-making across the country

####

About the Methodology

Margin for error is 2.73% at 95% confidence level. For detailed methodology visit https://about.burbio.com/methodology/ or email dennis@burbio.com

About Burbio:

Burbio.com is the industry leader in aggregating school, government, library and community event information for digital consumer engagement and business decision making. Burbios technology organizes and streams millions of hyper-local events across the US and keeps them automatically updated. Burbios relevant and critical content is engaging for consumers and important for business decision making. In addition to the Burbio.com consumer service, Burbio works with digital media companies, local broadcasters, real estate firms, government and library partners, national non-profits, corporate clients and investment professionals who use this community event information to engage consumers and better manage and predict their business.
JOHANNESBURG  On the guidance of President Trump, the State Department said Wednesday that the United States was suspending some aid to Ethiopia over the lack of progress in the countrys talks with Egypt and Sudan over a disputed dam project it is completing on the Nile River.

It was an unusual example of Mr. Trumps direct intervention on an issue in Africa, a continent he hasnt visited as president and rarely mentions publicly. The dam dispute centers on two of Africas most populous and powerful nations, Ethiopia and Egypt, and some have feared it could lead to military conflict.

A State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press the decision to temporarily pause some aid to a key regional security ally reflects our concern about Ethiopias unilateral decision to begin to fill the dam before an agreement and all necessary dam safety measures were in place.

It is not clear how many millions of dollars in aid are being affected, or for how long. The decision was taken by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo based on guidance from the president, the spokesperson said.
Rating Action: Moody's affirms First Hawaiian Bank's ratings (A3 long-term issuer); maintains stable outlook

Global Credit Research - 02 Sep 2020

New York, September 02, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has affirmed the ratings of First Hawaiian Bank. The bank has an a2 standalone Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and long-term/short-term deposit ratings of Aa3/Prime-1 and a long-term issuer rating of A3. The rating outlook remains stable. First Hawaiian Bank is the operating bank subsidiary of First Hawaiian Inc., which is unrated.

The ratings affirmation reflects Moody's unchanged view of the bank's standalone profile against the backdrop of the economic downturn in the US during 2020, caused by the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

Affirmations:

..Issuer: First Hawaiian Bank

.... Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed a2

.... Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed a2

....LT Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed A1(cr)

....ST Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed P-1(cr)

....LT Counterparty Risk Rating (Local Currency), Affirmed A2

....LT Counterparty Risk Rating (Foreign Currency), Affirmed A2

....ST Counterparty Risk Rating (Local Currency), Affirmed P-1

....ST Counterparty Risk Rating (Foreign Currency), Affirmed P-1

....LT Issuer Rating, Affirmed A3, Stable

....LT Bank Deposits, Affirmed Aa3, Stable

....ST Bank Deposits, Affirmed P-1

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: First Hawaiian Bank

....Outlook, Remains Stable

RATINGS RATIONALE

The affirmation of the ratings and the a2 BCA, which is one notch higher than the current a3 median of rated US banks, reflects First Hawaiian's strong financial profile, which is supported by a leading market position in the State of Hawaii (Aa2 stable) and a conservative credit culture, which has resulted in historically strong credit quality. The bank has a low risk funding profile as a result of its abundance of deposits, which more than fully fund its loan portfolio. Its capitalization is sound, with tangible common equity as a percentage of risk-weighted assets of 11.7% as of 30 June 2020, and provides capacity to absorb unexpected losses that could materialize as the coronavirus-related economic disruption continues. Its pre-provision earnings generation has been robust aided by above-peer average operational efficiency with a cost/income ratio of 53% for the first half of 2020. Its long-established Hawaiian banking franchise, while a credit strength, also presents a geographic concentration risk in that operating in one small economy makes the bank's risk profile more vulnerable to localized economic downturns. First Hawaiian has modestly mitigated this risk with approximately 27% of its loan portfolio in the US mainland, Guam and Saipan.

Story continues

The rating agency expects that First Hawaiian's capitalization, asset quality, and profitability will decline in the coming quarters as a result of the economic deceleration, before returning to typical levels within 24-36 months. The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the state of Hawaii and its tourism industry are likely to result in a more severe economic decline than the remainder of the US, where the weakened tourism sector is not as large of a concentration risk in the local economies. The top employment sectors in the state of Hawaii are leisure and hospitality services and government, each accounting for about 19% of state employment at the end of 2019. As a result of the disruption in visitor arrivals and the efforts to stem the outbreak, Moody's believes First Hawaiian's performance is more at risk relative to most US banks where the current median BCA is a3, but the bank also benefits from modestly above peer capitalization and significantly better pre-provision profitability.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

The BCA and ratings of First Hawaiian Bank could be upgraded if it increased its capitalization and liquidity profile or improved its geographic diversity without increasing its asset risk.

Sustained deterioration in asset quality and profitability, which make it less likely for First Hawaiian to maintain its current capitalization over the long term could be negative for its BCA and ratings. A downgrade could also result from expansion initiatives outside the bank's island-based regional banking franchise that would indicate an increase in risk appetite.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks Methodology published in November 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1147865. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES

For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.

The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.

These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.

Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.

Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Rita Sahu, CFA VP - Senior Credit Officer Financial Institutions Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 M. Celina Vansetti-Hutchins MD - Banking Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IGEL, provider of the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces, announces that Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Canada has adopted virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) along with IGEL OS to streamline how it delivers, manages and secures its entire end user computing (EUC) environment for over 16,000 students. This comprises 3,200 endpoints in 200 computer laboratories split across four geographically dispersed campuses.

Darryl Meyers, Sask Polytech's team lead enterprise desktop management, explains, "Students were the catalyst for change. Moving to VDI was a big change with many moving pieces. As part of this we needed a thin client platform that 'just works' which IGEL delivers."

IGEL OS has been used to quickly convert existing Dell PCs into Linux-based managed endpoints. This means Sask Polytech can extend the lifespan of desktop hardware thereby saving CAD $1 million over five years as devices aren't refreshed annually. This frees-up budget to invest in other projects and helped to fund the educational institutions move to VDI.

Sask Polytech is Saskatchewan's only polytechnic and the province's primary institution for post-secondary applied education and research. Offering more than 150 programs and employing more than 1,500 faculty and staff, Sask Polytech provides certificate, diploma and degree programs and apprenticeship technical training for students on four campuses - Prince Albert, Regina, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon - as well as through distance education opportunities and academic partnerships.

Located at its main datacenter in Saskatoon, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops has been installed running on clustered Cisco UCS Servers which utilize VMware's vSphere Hypervisor. Sask Polytech worked with Canadian cloud specialist and IGEL reseller, iRangers, on the project.

Implementing VDI meant a new desktop solution was required to provide connectivity and help the organization meet three primary goals. First, the technology had to be simple to learn, while offering advanced capabilities with easy implementation. Second, the polytechnic wanted to extend the physical lifespan of hardware in VDI-converted labs. Third, a consistent user experience was essential.

VDI has drastically simplified how IT is now managed and enables staff and students to work in any computer lab at any time to access applications specific to their courses rather than being tied to particular physical classrooms and availability based on teaching schedules.

Meyers says, "Our technical team is small. Having something that they could have confidence in supporting properly was a priority. IGEL stood out. It matched our primary goals and then some. And this has proved to be the case in practice. The simplicity of the system is its biggest advantage as it just works. Anyone can bring a computer online in minutes so we can respond to departmental requests for equipment really fast."

The IGEL OS-powered endpoints have also enhanced IT security. Because the OS is 100% locked down, students can't move icons about, introduce malware or viruses which used to be a constant worry.

Ken Shipman, IGEL's regional sales manager in Canada, said, "For academic institutions where IT environments are complex and budgets at an absolute premium, IGEL OS is a compelling, unique and defendable solution. Converting and then leveraging existing PC hardware  some of which was 10 years old in Sask Polytech's case  saves a huge amount of money yet adds all the configuration and management features that anyone could require when tasked with running thousands of endpoints."

Moving forward, the Sask Polytech EUC team will work on a project to install IGEL OS on desktop computers connected to peripherals in 600 smart classrooms. These devices include overhead projectors, smartboards, document cameras and so on. The target is to convert every computer room and computer to run IGEL OS by the end of 2020.

For more information on the Sask Polytech success story, read this blog.

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IGEL Community: www.igel.com/community

About IGEL

IGEL provides the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces. The company's world-leading software products include IGEL OS, IGEL UD Pocket (UDP) and IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS). These solutions comprise a more secure, manageable and cost-effective endpoint management and control platform across nearly any x86 device. Easily acquired via just two feature-rich software offerings,  Workspace Edition and Enterprise Management Pack  IGEL software presents outstanding value per investment. Additionally, IGEL's German engineered endpoint solutions deliver the industry's best hardware warranty (5 years), software maintenance (3 years after end of life) and management functionality. IGEL enables enterprises to save vast amounts of money by extending the useful life of their existing endpoint devices while precisely controlling all devices running IGEL OS from a single dashboard interface. IGEL has offices worldwide and is represented by partners in over 50 countries. For more information on IGEL, visit http://www.igel.com.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has held a phone call with the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, and enlisted North Macedonia's support for Ukraine's integration into NATO and the EU, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service has reported.

According to the report, Kuleba congratulated Osmani on his election as North Macedonia's foreign minister.

"Dmytro Kuleba expressed hope that North Macedonia would support Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration as a member of NATO and a candidate country for EU membership. Bujar Osmani assured [Kuleba] of such support and expressed his readiness to share the successful experience of [his country's] integration into the North Atlantic Alliance," the report reads.

Both parties paid special attention to the development of trade and investment between the two countries. Osmani said he was confident that his country has great potential for the development of economic cooperation and trade with Ukraine.

The sides also discussed North Macedonia's joining the EU sanctions policy against the Russian Federation.

"Bujar Osmani stressed that North Macedonia continues to share the EU's position and supports Ukraine in its efforts to protect and restore territorial integrity and sovereignty within internationally recognized borders," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Both parties agreed to intensify the political dialogue and strengthen bilateral relations between Ukraine and North Macedonia, as well as to resume the work of the joint committee on the implementation of the free trade agreement as soon as possible.

Kuleba invited Osmani to pay a visit to Ukraine. Osmani accepted the invitation and, for his part, invited Kuleba to visit his country.

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Israeli airlines will be allowed to cross through Saudi Arabia on a regular basis, shattering a 72-year taboo as Gulf Arab nations and the Jewish state draw steadily closer together.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia approved a United Arab Emirates request to use the kingdom's airspace "for all flights coming to the United Arab Emirates and leaving to all countries," a consequential, if oblique outreach to Israel. The short statement by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, citing an unidentified official at the aviation authority, was quickly followed by a tweet from the foreign minister.

Two days earlier, Saudi Arabia allowed Israel's flagship carrier, El Al Israel Airlines Ltd., to fly over its territory for the first time to hold a first round of peace talks with the UAE in Abu Dhabi.

The opening of Saudi skies, closed because the countries have never had diplomatic relations, reflects the growing willingness by Gulf Arab states to publicly recognize a rapprochement with Israel that's rooted in a common animosity toward Iran. Developments have been moving quickly since Israel and the UAE announced last month that they would normalize ties, with Emirati and Israeli banks, airlines and other businesses eager to take advantage of the opportunity to join forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the decision. "These are the benefits of a peace that is genuine," he said.

The political benefits come with a practical boon to airlines and travelers. Flights will no longer have to go down the Red Sea and up the Gulf of Aden to avoid Saudi airspace, which tacked hours and big expenses onto long-haul flights.

Two years ago, Saudi Arabia had allowed Air India to fly directly to and from Israel, but permission was withheld from Israeli airlines, at a great disadvantage to them. The lifting of these restrictions will also benefit other airlines, such as Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which said Tuesday that it started selling tickets to Israeli passengers in the lead-up to normal commercial flights between the UAE and Israel.

The Palestinians have watched with dismay as Arab nations once hostile to Israel have opened to cooperation. If the Palestinian statehood cause once was a wedge between them, then the intensity of Arab opposition to Israel has waned as shifts in the regional landscape create new shared interests.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said his country's stance on the Palestinian cause is unwavering and won't change with the new decision on flights to and from the UAE.

Riyadh has said it remains committed to the Middle East peace initiative the country put forward in 2002, proposing normalized relations only after Israel meets several conditions, including a withdrawal from territories occupied in the 1967 war and claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.
Singapore Airlines extends PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite membership, eases renewal criteria

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has extended all PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite memberships by 12 months when they expire between March 2020 through to February 2021.

For memberships that expire between March 2021 and February 2022, SIA will credit 50 per cent of the PPS Value as Reserve Value or Elite miles required for renewal into the PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite members accounts respectively.

As a result, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite members need to accrue only half of the PPS Value or Elite miles required during the membership year to retain their statuses, the national carrier said in a press satement.

Photo courtesy: Singapore Airlines

In addition, from today until October 15, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite members can earn PPS Value or Elite miles on non-air spend and activities. This will also count towards their renewal of their membership statuses.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, SIA has introduced several initiatives to support its members. This includes extending the validity of all PPS Rewards and Elite Gold Rewards that are due to expire in 2020 to March 2021.

The validity of KrisFlyer Elite miles that were expiring between April and December 2020 have also been extended by between six to 12 months. PPS Club Gift Vouchers issued in 2019 have had their validity period extended through to December 2020.

We are very grateful to our PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite members, who have shown unwavering support for Singapore Airlines throughout this unprecedented crisis," said JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, SIA.

"By making it easier for them to renew their membership status, we hope to both allay their concerns and show our appreciation for their loyalty.
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Britain's roads and railways were still almost empty today as the drive to get workers back to offices following the summer holidays stalled again.

While some London Underground trains were beginning to look busier during rush hour this morning, hardly anyone was to be seen arriving at major terminals in the capital including Waterloo and Paddington.

Commuters travelling into London on train lines such as Great Western Railway and Southeastern also tweeted photographs of near-empty carriages, while pictures of the M40 during rush hour also showed very light traffic.

London transport networks are barely busier than last week, with Tube use yesterday still more than 70 per cent down on this time last year. Buses in the capital are now carrying only half their usual numbers.

However, there were 550 jams across 230 miles of roads in London as of 8am, with congestion levels at 41 per cent, compared to 28 per cent last Wednesday - a rise of 13 percentage points or nearly double the amount.

TomTom data also showed this was up on the same time yesterday at 36 per cent, but still well below last year's average of 67 per cent. Congestion at 7am today was 34 per cent, up from 25 per cent at the same time last week.

Photographs showed heavy traffic on roads in South West London today including in Putney and Roehampton, with Google Traffic maps showing delays on routes mostly inside the North and South Circular roads

It comes as Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said 'more than half' of staff are 'fully back in the offices' at the Department for Work and Pensions amid a push for civil servants to get back to their desks.

Light traffic during rush hour on the M40 near Warwick this morning as people continue to stay at home across Britain

A person walks alongside an escalator at Canary Wharf Underground station in East London this morning

Empty bus stops outside London Victoria station this morning as parts of the capital remain very quiet during rush hour

The concourse at London's Waterloo station looks very quiet this morning despite it being rush hour in the capital

Congestion levels at 8am today (far right) were at 41 per cent (red line), compared to 28 per cent last Wednesday (red dotted line) - a rise of 13 percentage points or nearly double the amount. This was up on the same time yesterday at 36 per cent, but still well below last year's average of 67 per cent (blue dotted line), according to the data from TomTom

A Google Traffic map at 9.30am today shows busy roads in Central London (red), but many in the suburbs are clear (green)

An empty concourse at London Paddington train station this morning as railway stations continue to be nearly deserted

A mostly empty Southeastern train is photographed by a commuter during rush hour at 7.30am this morning

The 7.23am Great Western Railway train from Swindon to London Paddington this morning is mostly empty

A lone woman uses an escalator at Canary Wharf station in East London during rush hour this morning

The near-empty concourse at London's Waterloo, which is Britain's busiest station, during this morning's rush hour

A platform at Canary Wharf Underground station in East London, which is mostly empty today despite it being rush hour

Rail passengers arrive at Victoria Station in London during the morning rush hour today

London Underground ticket barriers are pictured not being used at London Victoria station during today's morning rush hour

London transport networks are barely busier than last week, with Tube use more than 70 per cent down on this time last year

This graphic shows Transport for London passenger usage split by the type of Underground station for each day

As Downing Street tries to encourage people back to the workplace, Ms Coffey told BBC Breakfast: 'Even then we have capacity on how many people can be in a Covid-safe environment within our workplace.'

Ms Coffey added that 799 of the department's 804 sites are open, and hoped that children returning to school would give parents more opportunities to go back to the office.

Teaching union chief admits 'schools are as SAFE as possible' as millions more children enjoy 'calm' return to classes in England today... after weeks of unions stoking fears of Covid threat facing staff and pupils Teaching union chiefs today admitted schools were as 'safe as possible' as millions more children returned to classes in England and Wales after six months at home during the coronavirus lockdown. The National Education Union said schools were seeing a 'very calm, managed and positive' return to the classroom as families largely appeared to defy virus fears, with many schools reporting high attendance rates. Teacher Joanne Conlon with some of her pupils on their first day at St John the Baptist Primary School in Belfast yesterday However in Scotland more than 100,000 pupils are absent from school, with 117 testing positive for Covid-19 and the attendance rate in the country's schools  which went back on August 11  at just 84.5 per cent. Mary Bousted, joint general-secretary of the London-based NEU, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'Yesterday for those pupils who returned and today when more will return, it's a really important day. 'There'll be lots of nervous children and young people this morning, and I'm sure when they get into school they'll very quickly be reassured by the routines and be really glad to be back with their teachers and their friends.' She added: 'I think that leaders, teachers and support staff have worked really hard to put protocols in place to ensure that it's a safe as possible return to school. They have worked really, really hard. 'So we hope that everything will go well, and the signs are at the moment that it's a very calm, managed and positive return to school  and that's good.' However, she added that schools were struggling with the extra costs of cleaning, putting Perspex screens up, and rearranging the school  amid the 'huge distraction which was the A-level and GCSE fiasco in secondary schools'. Ms Bousted continued: 'So one of the real concerns is that this is costing quite a lot, and schools do not have that money in their budget, and that's a worry  and that will be a continuing worry.' It follows teaching unions being accused in June by MP Jonathan Gullis, himself a former teacher, of mounting a 'campaign of fear' by urging parents not to send children back to 'death trap' schools. Advertisement

She said: 'It's important that employers and employees have that discussion about Covid-safe environments. There will be more opportunities for parents to go back into the office if that's what is the best thing for them and their employer.'

Britain took a huge step back to normality yesterday as children finally returned to school, but the drive to get workers back to offices stalled again  on the first day after the summer holidays.

Early reports put pupil attendance at above 90 per cent  a figure at little risk of being matched in many workplaces. Ministers hoped reopening schools after six months would let more parents return to the office.

But many of the largest railway stations remained eerily empty during what was once the rush hour.

Figures out yesterday suggested that West End traders could lose 10billion a year and shed 50,000 jobs because of a sharp drop in business from commuters and foreign visitors.

Sir Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbenchers, said most healthy adults had little to fear from coronavirus and should get on with their lives now the epidemic was under control.

'I want the PM to level with the nation, be honest with the nation, look it in the eye and say it is all of our duty to do our bit for our communities and society,' he told Channel 4 News.

'At the forefront of that is getting on with our lives and going back to work.'

Fellow Tory MP Steve Baker, who returned to Parliament yesterday along with all his staff, said: 'Of course it's disappointing that workers aren't going back, and I would advise the public to consider the consequences of their continuing to work from home when their children are back in the classroom.

'I don't want to condemn anyone, but I would advise people to look down the road and look at the ruin that awaits us if we don't get back to the office.

'There are people relying on office workers coming back, and many of them will lose their jobs. The consequences will be dire for ordinary working people, the whole economy and inevitably eventually for every last one of us.'

Downing Street fears huge job losses in town and city centre shops and cafes if workers do not return to their pre-lockdown commuter patterns.

Later this week, ministers will launch a PR blitz, encouraging all employees to get back to normality.

Mr Johnson has faced criticism for failing to up his rhetoric on the issue. There have also been questions about the Government's inability to get civil servants back to set an example.

The Prime Minister attempted to address the issue at his socially-distanced Cabinet meeting in the Foreign Office yesterday, saying: 'Across the country hundreds and thousands, millions of pupils are going back to school thanks to the huge efforts their teachers and their parents have made over the last few days and weeks.

'People are going back to the office in huge numbers across our country, and quite right too.'

No 10 said it was unable to provide any evidence to support this claim.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'It is too soon for us to be able to share figures with you on people returning to work. The message from the PM is he recognises the importance that returning to work has in stimulating the economy.'

He said more civil servants would begin to return 'over the coming weeks'.

Former transport minister John Spellar accused Mr Johnson of 'making it up' to cover for government indecisiveness.

He added: 'If No 10 have any evidence to support the Prime Minister's claims they should publish it immediately. If they are serious about encouraging people back to work, then transparency and credibility are absolutely vital.'

Transport for London confirmed Tube numbers were down 72 per cent yesterday compared with the same day last year. Bus use was down 53 per cent.

Some Twitter users have joked that they are not going back to work just to save Pret A Manger by buying a coffee or sandwich

Heavy traffic heading into London on the A3 Roehampton Vale in South West London this morning

Passengers ride on a London Underground Jubilee line train during the rush hour in the capital this morning

Traffic makes its way into London on the A3 Roehampton Vale in the South West of the capital this morning

Commuters arrive in Waterloo Station in London during the morning rush hour today

The concourse at London's Waterloo station, which is Britain's busiest train station, is pictured during the rush hour today

Commuters walk along the platform at London Waterloo station this morning during rush hour in the capital

Passengers commute on a London Underground Jubilee line train during the rush hour in the capital this morning

Heavy traffic heading into the capital on the A219 Putney Hill in South West London this morning

Commuters walk through the ticket gates at London's Waterloo station during rush hour in the capital this morning

Passengers wait for rail services at Victoria train station in London during the morning rush hour today

However, the authority said Underground use had risen 8 per cent in a week and buses by 6 per cent.

Train timetables will be restored to almost 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels from Monday although rail insiders suspect any increase will be slight because many operators have told their staff to continue working from home for months to come.

The Mail revealed that in late July just 20 per cent of civil servants were back at their desks  the only time the Government has revealed any details at all about working patterns in the wake of the pandemic.

Whitehall's union boss has warned that just a third of civil servants are likely to be back by Christmas.

Nickie Aiken, Tory MP for Cities of London and Westminster, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that as many as 50,000 employees in the capital's retail sector faced losing their jobs due to the lack of visitors.

She pinned some blame on a 'huge fall-off in confidence' in public transport.
Much like many of her industry colleagues, Janhvi Kapoor is also making efforts to make work from home a reality. The actor, who had earlier shot for a magazine cover at home during lockdown, has now shared a glimpse of how she and sister Khushi Kapoor have been prepping for photo shoots at home.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, Janhvi shared a picture of Khushi striking a candid pose amid a makeshift set up for a photo shoot. She wrote, When you cant go to the studio so you make it come to you.

Janhvi Kapoor shared a picture of Khushi Kapoor on her Instagram Stories.

The two sisters put up a backdrop made out of a big piece of cloth in a corner of their house. A ring light is seen in front of it with a mobile phone tied to it instead of a professional camera. Khushi is seen laughing as she tries to strike a cool pose. She is seen dressed in a black tee and denims, with a tiny handbag.

Janhvi had featured on the cover of Harpers Bazaar magazine in April, clicked by Khushi. The cover picture showed Janhvi, in a satin night suit, holding her dog Panda in her arms, while standing in a beautiful room. A video shared on the magazines Instagram page showed a glimpse of what went behind the photo shoot. Janhvi was seen begging her dog to pose for the camera in the video.

Meanwhile, Janhvi is also trying her hand at painting in free time. Unlike many other Bollywood celebrities, the actor is yet to resume shooting of her upcoming film projects. She recently shared a picture from her painting session on Instagram and wrote, Been trying to be a painter this past week.

Also read: Sonu Sood reveals he bagged his first film, after many auditions, by simply taking off his t-shirt

Last month, Janhvi saw the release of her film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl on Netflix. The film starred her in the titular role of an Air Force pilot who played a crucial role during the Kargil War. While her performance was praised by the critics, the film also led to several controversies regarding the creative liberties taken. Janhvi currently has three films in her kitty: Roohi Afzana, Dostana 2 and Takht.

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Aerial view of Lujiazui Financial District at dusk, Pudong, Shanghai, China. Fei Yang | Moment | Getty Images

From regulatory approval to business decisions, major American financial giants are moving deeper into the Chinese market, even though political tensions between the two countries are growing. Citi announced Wednesday it received a domestic fund custody license from the China Securities Regulatory Commission  becoming the first U.S. bank and the first of the top 5 global custodians to do so. The license will allow Citi to hold securities and sell related custody services to China-based mutual funds and private funds, if Citi passes the regulator's inspection later this year, according to a press release from the bank. "We have invested significantly in our Securities Services operations in Shanghai, and we plan to continue building up our local capabilities to meet our clients' increasing demand in China, such as fund administration and other outsourcing services," David Russell, Citi's Asia Pacific head of securities services, said in the release.

Whether the Mainland judicial system can support a vibrant financial market and smooth transactions is still to be seen. If not, then the opening up would only put China as an important emerging market rather than creating a financial centre. Tianjun Wu deputy economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit

In the last two years, the Chinese government has sped up efforts to allow greater foreign access to its previously closed financial market. Relaxing ownership restrictions and granting business licenses to American financial institutions are also part of the phase-one trade agreement between the U.S. and China. The Chinese regulatory approval for Citi follows similar moves for other foreign financial institutions that have long wanted to expand their operations in the local market. On Aug. 21, New York-based global asset management giant BlackRock gained approval to set up a wholly-owned asset management business in China, according to the Chinese securities regulator's website. The company has six months to establish the firm, with registered capital of 300 million yuan ($43.9 million), the filing said. On June 13, American Express' joint venture with LianLian DigiTech in China received approval from the People's Bank of China to clear local bank card transactions, according to an announcement on the central bank's website. U.S. mutual fund giant Vanguard is also planning to close its Hong Kong and Japan operations and move its Asia headquarters to Shanghai in the next six months to two years. Vanguard said in an email to CNBC on Wednesday that the Hong Kong stock market will remain critical to the firm's investment funds, and that in order to focus on individual investors, it decided to wind down its Hong Kong operation, which primarily worked with institutional clients. There are also indications that American investment bank J.P. Morgan may be closer to buying out its current joint venture partner in fund management, China International Fund Management. The price was publicly disclosed on Aug. 25  70 billion yuan ($1 billion), according to an online posting on the Shanghai United Assets and Equity Exchange for state-owned assets.
James L. Starnes, navigator of the battleship Missouri, was 24 years old when he learned he would play a key role in the ceremony to mark the end of World War II.

After the Japanese conceded defeat, President Truman announced that Mighty Mo, the behemoth 58,000-ton flagship of the 3rd Fleet, would host the signatories of the instrument of surrender in Tokyo Bay.

My job was to make sure we did not screw up, said Starnes, 94, who performed the role of officer of the deck the morning of Sept. 2, 1945.

A former lieutenant commander in the Navy who now lives in a retirement community in Stone Mountain, east of Atlanta, Starnes is one of the few remaining veterans who organized the ceremony on the Missouri 70 years ago.

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Five years after joining the Navy Reserves officer-training program as a student at Emory University in Atlanta in 1940, Starnes was responsible for working out the logistics of the ceremony to mark the formal end of the six-year war that had killed more than 60 million people.

At first he prepared for an elaborate, formal affair with ceremonial dress and gleaming sabers. We thought, well, this has never happened before, he said. Well have a big celebration, put on the white uniforms and polish up our swords.

Before the ceremony, however, Starnes got word that Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, wanted officers to wear their daily service clothes  khaki button-up shirts with open collars and no ties. We fought them in our khaki uniforms, and well accept their surrender in our khaki uniforms, MacArthur was reported to have said.

In the run-up to the big day, Starnes main responsibility was working with the ships captain, Stuart Sunshine Murray, and the admirals staff on getting all the various parties  the Allies and the Japanese, as well as nearly 200 correspondents and photographers from all over the world  on and off the battleship.

Starnes likened the job to conducting a symphony orchestra. The timing had to be precise, so there was a lot of fine-tuning: MacArthur made it plain he didnt want Japanese dignitaries on the Missouris deck more than five seconds before 9 a.m., but he also didnt want them to arrive late.

Rehearsals were staged again and again to work out how long it would take members of the Japanese delegation to disembark from their small boat, come up the gangway, cross the quarterdeck and then reach the surrender deck.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

Of particular concern was the Japanese foreign minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, who had an artificial leg  his right leg had been blown off by a Korean independence activist in Shanghai several years before. Young sailors with swab handles strapped to their legs stood in for Shigemitsu in practice to make sure that the ceremony would be able to accommodate him.

On the morning of Sept. 2, clouds loomed over Tokyo Bay and the mood aboard the gray battleship was somber as the U.S. Marine band played The Star-Spangled Banner.

Just before 9 a.m. as planned, Starnes  dressed in pressed khakis, with a pair of binoculars around his neck  waited to meet the Japanese delegation, including Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu, chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff.

Once reaching the deck, the Japanese had to walk past eight seamen, each one more than 6 feet tall. Starnes had picked them out in a calculated effort to emphasize Allied superiority and intimidate the Japanese delegation.

When the Japanese  some wearing tails and top hats  saluted and asked for permission to come aboard, Starnes said, Permission granted.

There was no anger or hostility, Starnes said. This was peacetime, he said. It was a very formal, very dignified ceremony.

Just before proceedings got underway and the surrender documents were brought onto the battleship, it became clear that the elegant mahogany table, a present from the British fleet, was too small to hold both documents during the signing.

With only minutes to go, a humble folding table was grabbed from the crews mess, where cooks had just finished cleaning up after breakfast. Hurriedly, Capt. Murray grabbed a green tablecloth, stained with coffee spots, to drape on top.

Thousands of men, from the militarys top brass to regular crewmen, watched as officials signed the documents formalizing the surrender of the Empire of Japan; the Allied copy was bound in leather, the Japanese copy in canvas.

There were a few hitches  the Canadian representative signed on the wrong line  yet for the most part the 23-minute ceremony, broadcast around the world, ran smoothly.

Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always, MacArthur told the assembled crowd. These proceedings are closed.

MacArthur then turned to Adm. William F. Bull Halsey. Where are the damn planes? he asked, referring to the plan to have 450 carrier planes from the 3rd Fleet, followed by B-29 bombers, fly in formation above the battleship.

Suddenly, as the Japanese were escorted off the deck, a swarm of U.S. aircraft roared overhead. They were so low they made the sky black, Starnes said.

When it was all over, Starnes said, he felt tremendously elated. Id gotten through all of it  I had a lot of friends who died  and here it was all over.

Yet throughout, Starnes remained stoic, carrying out his business. I was on duty, Starnes said. I wasnt in a position to jump up and celebrate. I had to write the log after the ceremony.

After the war, Starnes enrolled in Emory Universitys Lamar School of Law and went on to have a successful career in real estate and banking. A decade ago, he traveled to Pearl Harbor to celebrate the 60th anniversary of V-J Day aboard the Missouri, and last year he published a short book, Surrender: September 2, 1945, chronicling his wartime experience.

A lot of people have looked at me as a hero, Starnes said. I wasnt a hero. I was just a participant who happened to be in a particular spot at a particular time.

Jarvie is a special correspondent.

ALSO:

China is rattling nerves as it prepares to strut its military might

Communists version of Chinas wartime record frustrates Taiwan
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Report Synopsis

Future Market Insights (FMI) offers an eight-year forecast for the UK TDS Meter market between 2019 and 2027. In terms of value, the UK TDS Meter market is expected to register a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. The study provides the global market dynamics and trends across six regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Japan, APEJ, and MEA, which influence the current nature and the future status of the UK TDS Meter market over the forecast period.

UK TDS Meter Market Report Description

This research report provides a detailed analysis of the UK TDS Meter market and offers insights about the various factors driving the popularity of UK TDS Meters. The UK TDS Meter market report includes an extensive analysis of the key industry drivers, challenges, market trends, and market structure. The UK TDS Meter market study provides a comprehensive assessment of the stakeholder strategies and imperatives for succeeding in the business. The UK TDS Meter market report also includes the market segmentation on the basis of the product type, test type, end use, and region.

The UK TDS Meter market is expected to witness significant value and volume growth during the forecast period owing to the high demand for research laboratories and textile industries in various countries around the world.

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The global UK TDS Meter market report starts with an overview of the UK TDS Meter market in terms of value and volume. In addition, this section includes an analysis of the key trends, drivers, and challenges from the supply, demand, and economy side, which are influencing the UK TDS Meter market.

On the basis of product type, the UK TDS Meter market has been segmented into pen type UK TDS Meter, portable UK TDS Meter, and benchtop UK TDS Meter. On the basis of test range, the UK TDS Meter market has been segmented into auto range, low range (<2000ppm), and high range (>2000ppm). On the basis of end use, the UK TDS Meter market has been segmented into governmental (municipal bodies), agriculture, industrial, environmental sciences, aquariums, and others.

A detailed analysis has been provided for every segment in terms of the market size analysis of the UK TDS Meter market across different regions. This section provides a detailed analysis that covers the key trends prevalent in the global UK TDS Meter market.

The next section of the global UK TDS Meter market report covers a detailed analysis of the UK TDS Meter market across various countries in the region. It provides an outlook for the UK TDS Meter market for 20192027, and sets the forecast within the context of the UK TDS Meter market. This study discusses the key trends within countries contributing to the growth of the UK TDS Meter market as well as analyses the degrees at which the drivers are influencing the UK TDS Meter market in each region.

The key regions and countries assessed in the UK TDS Meter market report include North America (the U.S. & Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, & the rest of Latin America), Europe (Germany, U.K., Italy, France, Russia, & the rest of Europe), Japan, APEJ (China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, & the rest of APEJ), and MEA (GCC Countries, Turkey, South Africa, & the rest of MEA). This report evaluates the present scenario and the growth prospects of the UK TDS Meter market across various regions globally for the period 2019 2027. We have considered 2018 as the base year, and provided data for the remaining 12 months.

To offer an accurate forecast, we have started by sizing the current market, which forms the basis of how the UK TDS Meter market is expected to grow in the future. Given the characteristics of the global UK TDS Meter market, we have triangulated the outcomes of different types of analysis based on the technology trends.

As previously highlighted, the global UK TDS Meter market has been split into a number of segments. All segments on the basis of the product type, test range type, end use, and region have been analysed in terms of basis points to understand the relative contributions of each segment to the growth of the UK TDS Meter market. This detailed information is important for the identification of various key trends in the global UK TDS Meter market.

In addition, another key feature of the global UK TDS Meter market report includes the analysis of all the key segments in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. This is traditionally overlooked while forecasting the market, however, the absolute dollar opportunity is critical in assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify the potential resources from a sales and delivery perspective in the global UK TDS Meter market.

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In the final section of the global UK TDS Meter market report, we have included a competitive landscape to provide clients a dashboard view based on the categories of providers in the value chain, their presence in the UK TDS Meter market, and key differentiators. This section is primarily designed to provide clients an objective and detailed comparative assessment of the key providers specific to a segment of the UK TDS Meter supply chain and the potential players for the same.

Report audience can gain segment-specific vendor insights to identify and evaluate the key competitors based on an in-depth assessment of their capabilities and success in the UK TDS Meter market. Some of the key vendors of UK TDS Meters are HM Digital Ltd., Palintest, Hanna Instruments, Apera Instruments, Bante Instruments, Hach, Panomex Inc., Eutech Instruments Pvt. Ltd., Geotech Environmental Equipment Inc., Horiba Ltd., Intertek Group Plc, Optiqua Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Pentair Plc, Systonic, Milwaukee Instruments, Inc., General Tools & Instruments LLC, Presto Grroup, Precision Scientific Instruments Corporation, and Halma.

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The has



decided to increase judicial activities from September 8 and has also directed the district courts to take appropriate measures to take up more pending cases, Registrar General Rai Chattopadhyay said here on Wednesday.

Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan, upon consideration of the recommendation of the Covid Committee of the High Court comprising senior judges, has ordered that attempt should be made for making provisions for taking up of criminal appeals up to the year 2018, which are ready for hearing.

Civil and criminal revision filed up to 2018 which are ready for hearing, and petitions filed under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 up to the year 2019 which are ready for hearing, should also be attempted to be taken up, the order, dated August 31, said.

"This will be purely on the basis of consent of all effective parties and applications may be filed indicating the consent of parties for such matters to be listed," the Chief Justice's order said.

It said that as per the agreement of the parties, the hearings can be exclusively by video conference or in the hybrid form or even physically, provided that, no more than eight lawyers are required to be present in court at any given point of time.

Beginning September 8, there should be three division benches sitting on a daily basis in addition to the bench presided over by the Chief Justice and four single benches, the order said.

All matters pertaining to the Port Blair Circuit Bench will be heard every Wednesday in the video conference room, with a division bench and a single bench taking up petitions listed for hearing, Chattopadhyay said.

The order said that as far as the district courts are concerned, district judges should take appropriate measures, as the circumstances warrant, to increase the functioning in the courts.

"For a start, criminal trials in which the recording of evidence has been completed should be taken up for completion of arguments. Similarly, civil suits where evidence has been closed should also be taken for the completion of arguments," the chief justice's order said.

It said that upon the consent of both sides, recording of evidence can also begin in criminal trials and civil suits.

(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.)
I watched Jaws recently. The choice was a deliberate one.

Recently, during Aunty Ronas long term visit to Australia, Jaws kept coming back to me. For a while I tried to ignore it and write articles without focusing too much on the situation. Keep my head down. Do the right things. Stay home. Wear a mask. Wash my hands.

Jaws kept on returning. Then a series of images from the movie Jaws appeared on my tumblr feed.

I realised something. I had to watch Jaws.

Great White Shark!

Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg was released in 1975. You may know the plot. Great White Shark appears in the waters of Amity Island and begins to feed on the population. The authorities try to hush up the shark attacks and tell the concerned Police Chief Brody to calm down.

Amity Islands big holiday weekend is coming up. No one would come if the attacks were made public. The islands economy would be devastated. A second attack takes the life of a young child. Alerted, the locals and others hunt for the shark. They catch a tiger shark and are quick to call it over.

Police Chief Brody calls for an expert on sharks. The expert, Hooper is not convinced that the tiger shark caught was responsible. Late at night they check the tiger sharks stomach and find no evidence of human consumption.

The local government is entrenched in the islands commercial and economic reality. The mayor of Amity Island runs a Real Estate business. Amitys biggest earning weekend is about to begin. Holiday dollars! the Mayor affirms with emphasis to Chief Brody.

Obviously Jaws attacks again. This time the attack is broadcast by the media who have turned up. Jaws strikes where Chief Brodys son is boating with his friends. Finally it is clear to all that this is no normal event. The islands big weekend is ruined.

Anyone Find This Familiar?

Any of this sound familiar to you? Threat to the population at large, elected officials weighing commercial needs over public safety, attempts to keep business as normal while a crisis looms. Eventual capitulation of elected officials in the face of the disaster they tried to cover up.

As someone who lives in Victoria, Australia, in August of Trash Fire 2020 Jaws is very familiar. There is a scene in Jaws that echoes how many people in Victoria feel. It is not the final death of the shark. Nor is it the moment where two kids with a cardboard fin scare those swimming with disastrous results.

This scene has the mourning mother of a child that was taken right in front of her confronting Chief Brody. She slaps him in the face. Why? Because Brody knew weeks before that the Shark was out there. He had been shushed by the Islands Mayor. There is no slap for the mayor, neither the doctor who changed the post mortem result.

Premiers and Prime Ministers

Dan Andrews is Victorias Chief Brody. As is Gladys Berejiklian in New South Wales and Annastacia Palaszczuk for Queensland. The health of the state dictates the perception of the Premier and its elected leaders. While the Prime Minister is for the Nation, public health is a state concern.

When Prime Ministers can go watch their team play it displays the health of the state and the nation. Meanwhile the MCG will be empty this September. No sport is being played across Melbourne. This does not mean that Aunty Rona will stay away, especially if its business as usual.

Business is National and Global. Our ability to travel rapidly is unprecedented in world history. Technology is such that we can move with speed and efficiency. The thing about technology is that it not only enhances our strengths. It magnifies our weaknesses.

In Melbourne the state government checked in on 500 people who had tested positive for Aunty Rona. One in four were not at home. They were out, mostly at work. Where? Well that could be anywhere across metropolitan Melbourne. All hopefully with masks on.

The response has been one of force. The threat of fines hangs heavily in the air. Melbournians are only allowed 5kms from home. If we can go to work we are required to have a permit from our employer. Why? Because of the weakness of human beings and the technology of travel. Though there is a third reason.

Casual Labour Pains

Casual labour is one of the main sources of infection. People who are paid little for short hours across multiple venues. People employed at Aged Care facilities, Hospitals, Abattoirs, Construction, Security, Fast Food and Retail.

Why? Age, language group, religion will change but the situation is the same. They are unable to afford the rent and bills one job cannot provide to pay. So they take work where they can get it. They get no sick leave, holiday pay or other benefits. Not working equals eviction or worse.

Our inability to control the population is related directly to the way in which we treat the lowest paid. We force on them a structure of debt which is exacerbated by a housing and rental market that is over priced.

Like Amity Island we are the ones who have manufactured our own calamity. The reality of work, housing and travel means that eventually unless other means are found to control the spread shutdowns are unavoidable. Welcome to the new reality. Next Jaws sighting, Bondi?
Offices to close for four-day Songkran substitution holiday long weekend

PHUKET: The two Songkran substitution day public holidays will be observed this Friday (Sept 4) and next Monday (Sept 7), bringing a four-day public holiday this weekend for all government offices and many workers across the country.

cultureCOVID-19tourismeconomics

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 2 September 2020, 11:02AM

On the two public holidays this Friday (Sept 4) and next Monday (Sept 7), most government offices on the island will be closed, Image: The Phuket News

Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome explained last month that the two holidays are counted as two Songkran substitution day public holidays. The holidays were designated to be observed in September as there are no other public holidays to be observed this month.

The move was also hoped to spur domestic travel over the weekend to help provide a boost to the tourism industry.

Songkran, Thai New Year, is traditionally celebrated April 13-15 each year. This year, however, the annual water festival came as the country was under lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and Phuket was under its Tambon Lockdown, whereby people were denied any movement out of their resident subdistrict.

For the coming long weekend, water play remains banned and no official Songkran events have been organised to mark the occasion.

On the two public holidays this Friday and next Monday, most government offices on the island will be closed, including the Phuket Immigration Office, Employment Office, Land Transport Office and the islands three District Offices.

All main bank branches will be closed, except branches in shopping centres, which will remain open as normal.

There will be no ban on alcohol.

Police stations across the island will remain open for the public and some local consulates will also be open to serve their respective citizens on this holiday.
With flames racing across hundreds of square miles throughout Colorado and California this summer and a warming climate projected to boost wildfire activity across the West, residents can't help but wonder what our beloved forests will look like in a few decades.

A new University of Colorado Boulder-led study offers an unprecedented glimpse, suggesting that when forests burn across the Southern Rocky Mountains, many will not grow back and will instead convert to grasslands and shrublands.

"We project that post-fire recovery will be less likely in the future, with large percentages of the Southern Rocky Mountains becoming unsuitable for two important tree species--ponderosa pine and Douglas fir," said lead author Kyle Rodman, who conducted the study while a PhD student in the Department of Geography.

Previous CU Boulder studies have looked at individual fire sites, including the site of the 2000 Walker Ranch fire in Boulder County, and found that forests recovered slowly or not at all. Even 15 years post-fire, as many as 80% of the plots the researchers surveyed still contained no new trees.

Rodman and his team of coauthors--including scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Arizona University, Colorado State University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington--wanted to build on those studies, projecting the future by looking at the past.

To that end, they looked at 22 burned areas encompassing 710 square miles from southern Wyoming through central and western Colorado to northern New Mexico. The team focused on ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests, which make up about half of the forested area in the region.

"For those of us who live along Colorado's Front Range, these are the trees that we see, live near and recreate in on a daily basis," said Rodman.

Higher elevations, lower temperatures fare better

The study, published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, included regions that had burned as long ago as 1988, and land ravaged by the 2002 Hayman Fire near Colorado Springs; the 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire southwest of Denver; the 2000 Eldorado Springs and Walker Ranch fires near Boulder; and the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire outside of Durango.

Using satellite images and on-the-ground measurements, the scientists first reconstructed what the forests looked like prior to the fire. Then, by counting juvenile trees and looking at tree rings, they assessed how well the forests were recovering. Not surprisingly, those at higher-elevations with lower temperatures, and more precipitation fared better. Those with more surviving trees nearby (which can spread their seeds via wind and water) were also more likely to rebound.

Meanwhile, lower-elevation forests, like those south of Pueblo or in portions of the Front Range foothills, proved less resilient.

And compared to regions that burned in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the more recent burn areas failed to bounce back.

"This study and others clearly show that the resilience of our forests to fire has declined significantly under warmer, drier conditions," said coauthor Tom Veblen, professor of geography at CU Boulder.

The team then used statistical modeling to project what might happen in the next 80 years if montane forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir were to burn under different scenarios. In one scenario, humans do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change escalates unchecked. In another, considered a "moderate emissions scenario," emissions begin to decline after 2040.

'The future is not written in stone'

Currently, the team estimates that about half of its study area is suitable for post-fire "recovery." (Trees there may return to at least their lowest densities from the 1800s).

By 2051, under the moderate emissions scenario, less than 18% of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests will likely recover if burned. Under the higher emission scenario, that number dips to 6.3% for Douglas fir and 3.5% percent for pine forests.

Meanwhile, Veblen notes, the number and intensity of wildfires will continue its steady rise. The number of acres burned annually across the country has already doubled since the 1990s.

"The big takeaway here is that we can expect to have an increase in fire continue for the foreseeable future, and, at the same time, we are going to see much of our land convert from forest to non-forest," said Veblen.

Rodman, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hopes the database of post-fire recovery he and his team have created can help land managers better plan where to invest their resources, or not, after a fire.

For instance, they may be better off planting seedlings in regions more likely to bounce back, rather than plant them in dry sites no longer suitable for their survival.

He also hopes the projections spelled out in the paper give people one more reason to care about climate change.

"This was a hard study to write and can be a bit depressing to read, but there are some positive takeaways," he said. "If we can get a handle on some of these trends and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, the outcomes may not look so dire. The future is not written in stone."

###
Siesta Key's Juliette Says Brandon Is 'Really Struggling' After Reunion and Seeing Camilla Move On

Juliette Porter & Madisson Hausburg say "things are going to change" if there's a season 3 but drama will stay the same

For the first time since the explosive Siesta Key reunion, Camilla Cattaneo is speaking out.

During an appearance on Wednesday's episode of The Gay & The Girl podcast, the reality star opened up about the moment she found out that Brandon Gomes fathered a baby boy this summer after cheating on her.

Cattaneo said things between the two were "rocky" even before she found out. "Something was going on, we both knew," she recalled. "And then this came out."

About a month ago, she was home in Florida when she got a call from him in California.

"I was in the pool or something, and go to my phone and I see five missed calls. And I'm like 'What the heck?'" she said. "Brandon never double calls like that. So already calling him [back] I was nervous, and then that bomb was dropped."

"I just went on the floor. I had a panic attack. I didn't even know what was happening," she continued. "I was just like, 'What? You're kidding. Is this fake? Are you pranking me?' And it wasn't, obviously. I just blocked him on everything."

A couple of days later, they shot the virtual reunion, where a distraught and emotional Gomes, 25, announced the news to the rest of the cast.

"It was horrible," Cattaneo said. "It was so nerve-wrecking. I was like, this is literally the last thing I want to do when I just found this out."

Camilla Cattaneo/instagram; Brandon Gomes/instagram Camilla Cattaneo and Brandon Gomes

"The reunion was the first time I saw him face-to-face [over Zoom]," she continued. "I feel like that's why it was so emotional for me, because they also played the clip back from this season of us about to move in. And he's about to tell everyone, the whole world, that he has a kid with someone else. So it was a lot."

Story continues

As for Gomes and the mother of his child, Cattaneo said the two were never together, and that it was "just a random hookup."

"She sent me screenshots of drunk conversations. ... It seemed like a quick booty call," Cattaneo said. "She doesn't live here."

Though Gomes has since returned to Siesta Key, Cattaneo has refused to see him in person thus far.

"I unblock him sometimes, because you know, I'm trying to see what's up," she said. "He's been leaving stuff on my car, sending stuff to my house. He's trying to show me that he's going to be a better man or whatever. But he knows, I told him, right now, I can't. I'm focusing on me, and you need to focus on being who I thought you were since the beginning. I don't know if the show got to him, his head. It's not an excuse, but who knows."

"He's been just texting me things randomly, but I'm not answering," she continued. "It's like, right now, there's nothing to say. Your actions proved enough. So time will tell what he's going he do. Time will tell. Right now we can't be together, and that's it."

When they do reunite, rest assured that the MTV cameras will be rolling.

"They're [producers] talking to us and stuff, but the problem is corona[virus]  they can't get the filming equipment here," she said. "They wanted to film me and Brandon first talking, because you know, that's like a lot to get on the show. So that's why I'm not seeing him, too. I'm kind of waiting for that  since everyone knows what happened, I want everyone to be involved in exactly what's going on. Like the first time I see him, and everything, you know?"

RELATED: Siesta Key Star Madisson Hausburg Is Engaged to Show's Former Producer Ish Soto  'Found My Forever'

And despite her own heartbreak, Cattaneo admitted she does empathize with her ex given the situation.

"My friends are like, 'Don't feel for him.' And I'm like, 'How can I not?'" she said. "At the end of the day, this is something that's insane for him. Forever you will have this. It's a life-changer."

Still, "I know he's going to step up" as a dad, she added. "He's a good person."

The two had even discussed kids and their own future during their relationship.

"Oh yeah, of course. We've always talked about stuff like that," she said. "He definitely wishes I was the mother of his kid, obviously. It's just like, that's not how it happens when you cheat."

During the reunion, which aired last week, Gomes told his costars that he found out he had a child with a woman he "hooked up with" 10 months ago  while he was dating Cattaneo. He vowed to "make things right" and be "the best man I possibly can be," but Cattaneo accused him of not "dealing with this situation."

"He tells me, 'I had a one-night stand with this girl, and she's telling me that she has a kid and it's mine,'" she said. "I talked to the girl and she tells me that Brandon knew the whole time that she was pregnant and decided to block her when she said she was keeping the baby."

After the reunion, Gomes introduced his son, named Quincy, to his followers on Instagram. He also dedicated a lengthy apology to Cattaneo in a follow-up post, admitting that what he did was "selfish" and that he wishes he "could go back and do everything different."

During a recent appearance on PeopleTV's Reality Check, Juliette Porter said her costar and friend is "trying to stay positive"  and working to reconcile with Cattaneo.

"He's actually been reaching out to Camilla a lot, trying to get back, sort of, or at least just trying to show her how sorry he is," Porter said. "I hang out with Camilla kind of a lot and she's actually doing great. She was like, 'You know what, I don't need that in my life, I'm going to keep doing me.'"

"After she found out, she flew to Cabo," Porter added. "She was just living her best life, and she actually seems like she's moving on, so I'm happy for her."
As the nation watched on television the last journey of former President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday, there was mourning in Bengals Jangipur that, in 2004, ended the Congress veterans anguish of never winning a public election despite serving as cabinet minister since the 1970s.

Mukherjee contested and won the Jangipur seat in Murshidabad district in 2004 and won it again in 2009. Till 2004, he had been a member of the Rajya Sabha. Perhaps people dont like me, Mukherjee had jokingly said during an interview.

After the 2004 victory, Mukherjee said in his first speech at Jangipur that he was thankful to the people for finally giving him a land to represent. According to the 2011 census, 66.27 % of the districts population comprised of Muslims.

Mohammad Sohrab, a former Congress MLA and now a senior TMC leader in the district, was Mukherjees election agent in 2004 and 2009.

I had cast my vote for Pranab Babu in Rajya Sabha election, Lok Sabha election and even in the election for the Presidents post. I knew him for 50 years. He will be missed forever, said Sohrab.

In 2004, ensuring his victory was a Herculean task as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which had a strong base, had won the seat twice earlier. Our job was much easier in 2009, added the former lawmaker.

Pranab Babu was a very religious person and respected all religions. His visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters raised many questions here, he added.

Now the minister of state for labour in the TMC government, Jakir Hossain is another person who played a key role in Mukherjees Lok Sabha victories.

Hossain said, I met Pranab Da for the first time a few months before the 2004 polls. He said, Jakir, I need your help to win the seat. I assured him that victory would be ours.

I used all my influence on voters to ensure his victory in 2004. But in 2009, the developmental work he had done in the preceding years made the polls a cakewalk for us, said the minister.

It is only because of Pranab Da that I got the opportunity to step inside Rashtrapati Bhawan, an experience I will never forget, said Hossain.

Now, the lawmaker from the Raghunathganj assembly constituency, Md Akhrujjaman was one of the lieutenants of Mukherjee during the poll campaigns.

Also Read: Stickler for protocol: When Pranab Mukherjee snubbed Obama and Erdogan

In 2004, Congress MLA Samar Mukherjee told me that Pranab Da would contest from Jangipur and asked me to find out a suitable house for him in Raghunathganj town. We selected the house of Mukti Dhar, a local resident, said the TMC MLA.

I was among the key strategists during the campaign. I requested Pranab Da to ensure deployment of Central security forces at Geria and Sekendra, where rigging was part of polling back in those days. The Election Commission did not allow it. However, it was probably because of Pranab Das image that no one dared to rig the polls in those places, said Akhrujjaman.

Also Read: Bangladesh High Commission to hold special condolence meet to honour Pranab Mukherjee

I have countless memories. I will never forget that because of him I could fly in a helicopter and visit the Rashtrapati Bhawan, added the lawmaker.

After Mukherjee gave up the seat in 2012 to become the President of India, his son, Abhijit Mukherjee, succeeded him as the Congress candidate. He retained the seat twice in a row till the ruling Trinamool Congress wrested Jangipur in 2019.

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SHOTLIST SOFIA, BULGARIASEPTEMBER 2, 2020SOURCE: AFPTV 1. Extreme wide shot Anti-government protesters besiege Bulgaria's parliament building at the start of the legislature's autumn session, shouting 'Resign!'2. Wide shot Anti-government protesters shout 'Resign!' outside Bulgaria's parliament building3. Close-up Anti-government protesters scuffle with police outside Bulgaria's parliament building4. Close-up Anti-government protesters scuffle with police outside Bulgaria's parliament building 5. SOUNDBITE 1 - Plamen Yosifov, protester from the northern city of Ruse (male, 43 years old, Bulgarian, 14 sec): "What is happening in Bulgaria is disastrous -- the state belongs to the mafia. The whole government must tender their resignations because they've plundered whatever there was to be plundered and there is nothing left." 6. Cutaway: Extreme wide shot Anti-government protesters scuffle with police outside Bulgaria's parliament building 7. Cutaway: Extreme wide shot Anti-government protesters scuffle with police and get pepper sprayed outside Bulgaria's parliament building 8. Cutaway: Close-up Anti-government protesters are helped after they got pepper sprayed by police during clashes outside Bulgaria's parliament building 9. SOUNDBITE 2 - Denitsa Dimitrova, protester from the capital Sofia (female, 34 years old, Bulgarian, 15 sec): "I left Bulgaria nine years ago to live in Ireland but I came back this year to take part in the change because I want Bulgaria to be a place where I can live, without having to emigrate to have a normal life." 10. Cutaway: Extreme wide shot Police cordons are seen outside the Bulgaria's parliament building during clashes with anti-government protesters 11. Cutaway: Extreme wide shot Anti-government protesters throw water bottles, stones and straw at police cordons surrounding Bulgaria's parliament building 12. Wide shot Anti-government protesters hold a slogan reading 'Game over' as they besiege Bulgaria's parliament building at the start of the legislature's autumn session13. Close-up Anti-government protesters hold a heart sign reading 'We love BG' as they besiege Bulgaria's parliament building at the start of the legislature's autumn session
Cheryl Tiegs' Balinese-style home in Bel Air just sold to Fox News boss Lachlan Murdoch. Where Real Estate Is Never Boring!

Fox News Boss New Owner Of Cheryl Tiegs' Home

Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corporation, co-chair of the Wall Street Journal and son of Rupert Murdoch, has purchased his supermodel-neighbor Cheryl Tiegs' Balinese-style home for $14.1 million. The home was listed at $18.5 million.

Although Murdoch has not explained why he bought his neighbors home, it was likely for more privacy as Tiegs 1.5 acres adjoins his 10-acre estate, Chartwell Mansion, that he bought last year for $150 million. When it was the most expensive home on the market in the United States. Chartwell, seen as the TV home of the oil-rich Clampett family in the 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, was originally priced at an eye-watering $350 million. Murdoch now owns a massive statement property and added Cheryls home with its tropical touches. In contrast to the formality of Chartwell's French neo-classic style.

The Tiegs' home, both inside and out, has the look and feel of an island in the tropics with its own koi pond and lily pads at the entrance behind gates that open to a long drive adding more privacy. Palms, huge Monstera vines and tropical flowers abound in the landscape and along paths. The house itself is a study in bold natural elements, textures and colors from fabrics, floors, glass walls opening to vegetation and stunning hilltop views. The 4,770-square-foot house has five bedrooms, five baths, huge open spaces for entertaining both inside and out, a wine cellar, pool and guest house with a three-car garage. While Tiegs spent freely to restore the home, a kings ransom could not have created a more perfect decor to complement its Balinese style of architecture.

Murdoch's new homes are located in Bel Air among some of L.A.s most elegant estates where adding an additional next-door property when they become available is not unusual. Chartwells previous owner added another neighbors home, Ronald and Nancy Reagans former residence, to the estate. Located within The Platinum Triangle of Holmby Hills, Beverly Hills and Bel Air, the neighborhood draws celebrity residents including Rod Stewart, Steve Martin and was home to Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley, Sonny and Cher and many other highly successful musicians and film stars.

Lachlan Murdoch has just purchased supermodel Cheryl Tiegs' Balinese-style home for $14.1 million. It adjoins Murdochs recent $150 million purchase of the Chartwell Mansion. The listing was held by Jade and Tiffany Mills of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills. Murdoch was represented by Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland, Beverly Hills.

Visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com for more historic, spectacular and celebrity homes and real estate news and Celebrity Home Video Tours.
The US Department of Commerce has proposed a sweeping set of new rules to clarify and streamline the administration and enforcement of anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws.

The proposed changes will enhance its efficiency and create new enforcement tools... to address circumvention and evasion of trade remedies, the agency claimed in its 33-page public notice of the new rules, published on the Federal Register last month. The comment period for that document ends on September 14.



The proposed rules aim to make changes in how Commerce conducts the scope of its proceedings and how it deals with circumvention of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders. The proposal also revises rules covering how Commerce will conduct reviews of potential new shippers that might be subject to duties, in addition to providing procedural changes for filing requirements and the timing of filing deadlines.



Successful trade cases are far too often undercut by a variety of schemes to skirt the law and avoid duty payment. These regulations will give Commerce new tools and confirm its authority to crack down on circumvention schemes and hold duty evaders responsible, according to Timothy Brightbill, partner in the international trade practice at Wiley Rein and chair of the Committee to Support US Trade Laws, an organization of companies, trade associations, labor unions and workers.



Its particularly notable that Commerce is clarifying its ability to self-initiate a circumvention inquiry, and to apply a circumvention ruling to a whole country if necessary, Brightbill said. In the past, Commerces approach on circumvention has been on a company-by-company basis, so this change  which is consistent with recent practice  is very welcomed by domestic industries, he added.



Products including grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES), reinforcing bar, coated steel and oil country tubular goods (OCTG), among others, have faced circumvention probes in recent years. As Fastmarkets has previously reported, affirmative circumvention findings can result in higher domestic prices.



Notably, Mexico last month agreed to establish an export permit program to prevent non-domestically produced steel goods from being passed as domestic Mexican products into the United States. And in July the US House of Representatives passed an amendment to set minimum funding levels for trade enforcement activities at the International Trade Administrations Office of Enforcement and Compliance.



Commerce also proposed changes to bring more clarity to its scope inquiries, which seek to determine whether a given product is covered by anti-dumping rulings.



If it is determined that a particular product is found with the scope of a ruling, duties can be imposed retroactively, Brightbill explained.



The ability to make scope rulings retroactive will also deter evasion and help in enforcement efforts, he added.



Industry reaction

Other trade law experts have expressed support for the proposed changes.



It will probably make it a little bit easier to argue for certain, more protectionist use of the trade laws, Nithya Nagarajan, partner at Husch Blackwell, said.



Tamara Browne, who heads the government affairs practice at Schagrin Associates, said that these changes are being made to a vital part of trade law.



The laws that Commerce administers on the Title VII side [of the Tariff Act of 1930] are the only tools of recourse any party can use to fight back against unfair trade  either a dumping or subsidy claim, Browne noted.



Even though anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws have been used successfully over the years, unfair trade practices have continued. They have not abated, Browne said. This has been a record year for filings. Its been a very busy year.



But not everyone cheered the proposals.



As of Wednesday September 2, attorneys from three law firms  Mowry & Grimson, deKieffer & Horgan and Husch Blackwell  had filed comment letters with Commerce requesting that the deadline for comments be extended until mid-October.



Noting that the proposal presents the most significant group of proposed regulatory changes [since 1996], the Mowry & Grimson attorneys objected to the fact that the proposal was released without warning, in the middle of August, and in the midst of a pandemic.



Others argued that while the new rules might make circumvention findings easier, they still might fail to stop the flow of products into the US from exporters such as China.



The proposed regulations take a situation that is already pretty bad and makes it worse, Lewis Leibowitz, an international trade law attorney, told Fastmarkets.



Leibowitz also contended that the new rules could prompt some American manufacturers that rely on imports to eventually move all of their operations outside the US, effectively defeating the purpose of the rules  that is, protecting domestic US steel production.



Fastmarkets is hosting a webinar, Insights to Drive Success in the 2020 HRC Contract Season, on September 9. Click here to sign up.
The United States on Wednesday hit out at China over the border dispute with India in its statement where it underlined that the only way to stop these provocations is by standing up to Beijing and hoped for a peaceful resolution between the two republics.

A US State Department spokesperson said that the United States is closely monitoring the India-China border situation. Were closely monitoring it and hope for peaceful resolution. As Secretary (Mike) Pompeo said on several occasions, whats so disturbing is emergence of clear pattern of Beijing acting increasingly aggressively, both domestically and abroad.

From Taiwan Strait to Xinjiang, South China Sea to Himalayas, cyberspace to international organisations, were dealing with Chinese Communist Party that seeks to repress its own people and bully its neighbours. Only way to stop these provocations is by standing up to Beijing, said the US State Department.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Tuesday slammed China for using coercive tactics in pursuit of territorial and maritime claims in the South and East China Seas, as well as along its border with India and Bhutan.

Chinas leaders use tactics short of armed conflict to pursue Chinas objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region," the Pentagon said in its annual report on China to the Congress.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said the Chinese army engaged in provocative action" on August 31 even as commanders from both sides were engaged in discussions to de-escalate the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on the southern bank of Pangong Lake.

Chinas attempt to unilaterally change the status quo on the Pangong lake was the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

Meanwhile, even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew to Moscow on Wednesday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meeting, there are indications now that even External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will take part in the foreign ministers meeting on September 10. However, the MEA is yet to make an announcement to this effect though.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to make an announcement to this effect though. Last week, at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said, EAM has received an invitation to participate in the SCO foreign ministers meeting to be held in Moscow next month and as soon as we have a decision on his participation, well inform you.

India and China have been closely engaged through diplomatic and military channels over the past three months to resolve the situation along the India-China border. The Chinese side violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of August 29-30 in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.

On August 31, even as ground commanders of two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to timely defensive action, Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter status quo," it said.

The MEA said the government has taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions with Chinese side through both diplomatic and military channels and has urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops.
Saudi Arabia is continuing to divert its oil away from Americas shores.

The kingdom last month loaded about 5.6 million barrels a day on to tankers, a small increase from July, vessel-tracking information compiled by Bloomberg show. Within that, an ever-smaller share went to the U.S., and cargo data show that deliveries in the week ended Aug. 28 dropped to what could be the lowest in decades.

For Saudi Arabia, cutting oil shipments into the U.S. is the quickest way to telegraph to the wider market that its tightening supply. The U.S. government is alone among major oil-consuming nations in publishing weekly data on crude stocks and imports, which carries enormous influence among oil traders. Those figures will be released later on Wednesday.

Saudi crude exports to the U.S. dwindled to about 177,000 barrels a day in August, tracking data show. Although that number could rise as more vessels indicate their final destination, its still a fraction of the 1.3 million barrels a day the kingdom shipped to America in April, when the flow threatened to upend the U.S. oil market.

RESERVES: Saudi Arabias reserves grew in July from lowest since 2010

While its clear that shipments on the trade route are slumping, data from vessel tracking and cargo unloadings often wont tally perfectly with weekly import numbers produced by the Energy Information Administration. Thats because its not possible to know precisely when a cargo that gets unloaded will appear in the U.S. government data.

Shriveling Imports

The U.S. imported 355,000 barrels of Saudi crude, or about 51,000 barrels a day, in the week through Aug. 28, customs data compiled by Bloomberg show. That entire volume arrived on the West Coast. The U.S. began publishing weekly data in 2010. Before then the figures were monthly. Flows in the weekly data have never been below 51,000 barrels a day. In September 1985, there were no receipts of Saudi crude for the entire month.

Government data processing and weather can further complicate the picture. A 496,000-barrel shipment of Saudi crude arrived in Port Arthur, Texas, on Aug. 21, though it wasnt processed by customs until three days later, so its not clear whether it will be included in the EIA figures, which cover the period Aug. 22-28.

Hurricane Laura, which battered the U.S. Gulf Coast last week, may have also affected shipments. More than 60 oil and gas tankers sought refuge in the western Gulf, waiting for the storm to pass. Only two supertankers from Saudi Arabia were scheduled to reach the region after mid-August -- others were bound for the West Coast.

FUEL FIX: Our energy news. Your inbox. A perfect combination.

One of those vessels, Khuzama, discharged its cargo and idled near southern Texas until Laura blew past, eventually making its way toward Louisiana. Another, Rimthan, was scheduled to arrive at its destination on Aug. 31. It lingered briefly near South America until the storm subsided and is now entering the Gulf.

Supertankers in the Gulf generally offload their cargoes on to smaller vessels for delivery to import terminals. A single supertanker, capable of hauling 2 million barrels of crude, can significantly affect imports. A full vessel could add 285,000 barrels a day to weekly import data.

It takes five-to-six weeks for a tanker to make its way from Saudi Arabia to the U.S. Gulf or West Coasts, meaning any vessels that left in August wont arrive until at least the middle of this month. If crude loadings from the kingdom in recent weeks are any indication, the U.S.s dry spell of oil imports from Saudi Arabia is likely to continue for some time.

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'Lebanon cannot be abandoned to its solitude,' the pope said at his first limited audience with the public in six months because of the coronavirus crisis.

Pope Francis warned Wednesday that Lebanon faced "extreme danger that threatens the very existence of the country" following last month's massive explosion.

The leader of the Catholic Church focused on the disaster-hit country almost a month after the huge blast in the Beirut harbour ripped through the city, killing more than 180 people and wounding at least 6,500.

"Lebanon cannot be abandoned to its solitude," the pope said at his first limited audience with the public in six months because of the coronavirus crisis.

"A month after the tragedy... my thoughts are still with dear Lebanon and its particularly hard-pressed population," Francis said, holding a Lebanese flag brought to the audience by a young priest.

"Faced with the repeated tragedies that each of the inhabitants of this land knows, we realise the extreme danger that threatens the very existence of this country," he said.

The pontiff held his first audience in a closed courtyard of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, with a maximum of 500 faithful.

Jorge Bergoglio - the birth name of Francis -- last hosted an audience on February 26, as the grip of Covid-19 closed around Italy.

Then the Argentinian pope, who is fond of direct contact, shook hands with dozens of faithful and hugged a few children massed in the front row of the audience of some 12,000 people.

But there were no hugs on Wednesday, with Francis simply exchanging a few words with those present, all wearing face masks.

So far, the coronavirus has killed more than 35,000 people in Italy since it was first detected, according to the latest official statistics.

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Camille Grammer was one of several notable names who lost their home in the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018.

But the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum has been soldiering on, after the house was fully demolished.

She appears to be near completion on the reconstruction of her Malibu estate, nearly two-years after losing almost everything in the wildfire, which claimed 93,000 acres of land and destroyed more than 400 structures.

Home sweet home: Camille Grammer appears to be near completion on the reconstruction of her Malibu estate, nearly two-years after losing almost everything in a wildfire

Tragic loss: She was one of several notable names who lost their home in the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018 (pictured in November, 2019)

Aerial photos of the 52-year-old's home reveal an entirely new structure erected on the same land, which sits in walking distance to the beach.

In December of 2018, one month after the fire, she wandered through the destruction in an attempt to salvage a few memories.

Camille captioned the Instagram post: 'It has been an emotional and stressful couple of weeks. I have been going through the items I retrieved from what is left from my home.

'The pictures of my children put a smile on my face. Thinking of those who also lost their homes.'

New structure: Aerial photos of the 52-year-old's home reveal an entirely new structure erected on the same land, which sits in walking distance to the beach

New life: The 90210 actress originally bought the 6,000-square-foot, gated community property in April of 2015, following her 2011 divorce from Kelsey Grammer, 65

Totally demolished: She had to have the house demolished in May of 2019, previously telling Page Six: 'Im not sure whats going to happen. Its been a nightmare'

She later had to have the house demolished in May of 2019, previously telling Page Six: 'Im not sure whats going to happen. Its been a nightmare.

'They need to demo the toxic debris because the house burnt from the top down. And they have to remove anything thats toxic from the house and then they have to demo the rest of it and start from scratch.'

The 90210 actress originally bought the 6,000-square-foot, gated community property in April of 2015, following her 2011 divorce from Kelsey Grammer, 65, with whom she shares daughter Mason Olivia, 18, and son Jude Gordon, 16.

Prior to being evacuated, she managed to grab all her 'jewelry, documents, birth certificates, and passports.'

She told People at the time: 'I also took some photographs that meant something to me. We packed as much as we could into three cars.'

Salvaging memories: In December of 2018, one month after the fire, she wandered through the destruction in an attempt to salvage a few memories

Emotional and stressful: Camille captioned the Instagram post: 'It has been an emotional and stressful couple of weeks. I have been going through the items I retrieved from what is left from my home'

Family memories: She added: 'The pictures of my children put a smile on my face. Thinking of those who also lost their homes'

Up in flames: According to CBS Los Angeles, more than 3,000 firefighters were dispatched to tame the flames

LAFD reportedly retrieved some of Camille's priceless artwork, which she collected over 20 years, as well as two Ferraris in the garage.

She added: 'They were so brave to do that. They did whatever they could. They are incredible. It's a total loss. Most everything is gone. We'll see if there is anything to salvage.'

According to CBS Los Angeles, more than 3,000 firefighters were dispatched to tame the flames.

Camille married attorney David C Meyer, 57, on Hawaii's Big Island just a month before the fire, later moving into a nearby beachfront property, which she renovated a couple years after purchasing.

The couple later dropped $5.85million on a 5,483-square-foot, six-bedroom, six-bathroom home in the upscale neighborhood of Brentwood Park.
Unstarred questions, or written questions that ministers need to reply to, will be allowed during the monsoon session of Parliament, but question hour will remain cancelled, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The decision has been taken at a time when Opposition parties have strongly protested against the move to not schedule question hour, calling the decision an attempt by the government to avoid being questioned, and describing it as an attempt to curb their rights.

The unstarred questions will have to be submitted to the secretariat and answers will be provided on the day the question is listed (it will also be uploaded on the website), the people cited above said.

owever, oral or starred questions will not be allowed -- in the interests of time, and to ensure that the number of people in Parliament is kept low (when a question from a ministry is listed to be asked as a starred one, key officials of the ministry are expected to be in Parliament).

The session may also not allow private member billsthrough which MPs seek policy or legislative changesand the Zero Hour during which MPs raise current issues, might be limited to just half an hour. These changes have been necessitated by the fact that the session is happening against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which continues to surge across India. The budget session of Parliament ended on March 23. The monsoon session, which usually starts around mid-July, is now scheduled to start on September 14 and end on October 1.

I have suggested to the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to keep the duration of the zero hour at 30 minutes. They will take the final decision. Govt is ready to have discussions on every issue. We have also requested the Speaker to take unstarred questions, said parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi.

This is the first time in the recent history of Parliament when the Opposition has questioned the process of a session apart from the usual political objections to the government policies.

Question Hour, which normally lasts 60 minutes provides the only window for guaranteed answers from ministers and help MPs hold the government accountable in Parliament.

Joshi defended the move to scrap Question Hour and claimed that almost all parties agreed to this arrangement. Opposition parties are raising questions regarding question hour and zero hour. Arjun Ram Meghwal, V Muraleedharan & I spoke to every party regarding this and except for the TMCs Derek OBrien, everyone agreed [to scrap question hour], he said.

Earlier in the day, Trinamools Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien tweeted: MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted: I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy&dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?

Biju Janata Dals Bhartruhari Mahtab maintained that Question Hour is the individual right of elected members to make the government accountable. So if there is no Question Hour, individual members rights are curtailed. Some methodology should be found. Discussion under rule 193 that doesnt entail a voting is good but sometimes the minister have not replied to such a debate.

The BJP hit back by claiming that the uproar over the suspension of Question Hour is hypocrisy by members of the opposition.

A BJP functionary said with Parliament convening only for 4 hours daily, it is natural there is a paucity of time and Question Hour has been cancelled but that unstarred questions will be allowed.

The BJP also defended the move by stating that State assemblies have functioned after March without question hour in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

BJP is in opposition in most of these states and it did not raise a hue and cry there, the functionary added on condition of anonymity.

Frequent disruptions during the session were also flagged by the BJP, which cited that in the last eight sessions, out of the 162 hours allotted for Question Hour, only 59 hours were used and more than 102 hours were lost due to disruptions and adjournment.

MPs may also not be allowed to bring private member bills. A Lok Sabha circular said, In view of the request of the government owing to prevailing extraordinary situation due to Covid-19, the Speaker has directed that no day be fixed for transaction of Private Members business during the Session.

Question hour is when governments are held accountable. it is part of the basic structure of parliamentary democracy. And the argument that Question Hour means presence of many officials in Parliament also incorrect as officials are not needed if ministers come prepared I never depended on officials, said Congress leader and former minister Jairam Ramesh.

DMKs Kanimoshi tweeted, BJP govts decision to suspend the Question Hour for an entire session conveys just one message  Even elected representatives have no right to question the government.

Experts stressed on the importance of Question Hour.

The simple act of MPs asking questions of the government is the cornerstone of government accountability to parliament. Combined with zero hour it is an aspect of parliamentary functioning where MPs participation is not based on party politics. Questions be it starred or unstarred also open up data about the working and thinking of the government. Since the beginning of this Lok Sabha, approximately 15000 have been asked and answered, said Chakshu Roy, head of PRS Legislative Research.
BISMARCK, N.D.  The Army Corps of Engineers is recommending that the federal government negotiate a settlement with North Dakota for more than $38 million that the state spent policing protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the Department of the Army is asking the Department of Justice to enter into settlement negotiations with the state to avoid protracted and costly litigation, particularly in light of the harm that occurred in this case.

The request comes following U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynors decision last month to deny the federal governments motion to dismiss North Dakotas lawsuit seeking to recover more than $38 million in damages the state claimed from the monthslong pipeline protests almost four years ago.

I request that you consider engaging in settlement discussions with North Dakota to determine whether a reasonable resolution is within reach Army Under Secretary James McPherson wrote in his letter to Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan Davis.

North Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer called the recommendation very significant and the right thing to do for the federal government.

North Dakota assumed all costs including the cleanup of actions facilitated by the Corps of Engineers, Cramer said Tuesday. The state has one thing in mind and that is to make us whole. We dont go away on these things like everybody else.

The $3.8 billion pipeline has been moving oil from the Dakotas through Iowa to Illinois for more than three years. Thousands of opponents gathered in southern North Dakota in 2016 and early 2017, camping on federal land and often clashing with police. Hundreds were arrested over six months.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has long argued that the Corps allowed and sometimes encouraged protesters to illegally camp without a federal permit. The Corps has said protesters werent evicted due to free speech reasons.

Traynor, who is based in Bismarck, ruled last month the Corps failed to comply with its own mandatory permitting process.

As a result, there was no limitation on the gathering and no bond available to clean up the spoiled environment that was left, his ruling said.

Stenehjem said he had an appointment to speak with federal lawyers by telephone on Tuesday.

We have made our demands, Stenehjem said. I hope they are willing to negotiate in good faith. If not, we will prepare for trial.

Stenehjem said North Dakota has a strong case and holds the upper hand in negotiations now with the federal judges ruling last month.

I wouldnt trade legal positions with the Corps, Stenehjem said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh

In the context of the diverse implications of the pandemic currently devastating the global economy, what were the priorities of participating countries on the agenda at the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and ASEAN Free Trade Area Council?

This year is extraordinary as all countries have to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Its implications and tackling measures have affected economic development in diverse facets. We, therefore, need to set out new priorities to supplement the 2020 Action Plan.

The first priority is looking at supply chain disruptions which have dealt a heavy blow to most ASEAN economies, as most members in the bloc are export-oriented. These activities play an important role in regional and international supply chains and show our heavy reliance on material sources as well as input supporting industry items for export production to serve major export markets.

Second, the measures for pandemic prevention and treatment have badly influenced the circulation of merchandise flows, with much of it essential for living, as well as activities for pandemic prevention and treatment.

We also looked at restrictions relevant to the movement of natural persons and resources due to COVID-19 implications, as well as the strong impacts on major export markets due to the application of measures for pandemic prevention.

Accordingly, ASEAN members need to work out measures to increase the resilience of our own economies and bolster adaptability to the new situation.

In the role as ASEAN chair, right from the outset of 2020, Vietnam has been proactive in coordinating with other members and the ASEAN Secretariat to pen out new contents to complement ASEAN high-level meetings, and mechanisms with the ASEAN+3 (Japan, China, and South Korea) and other partners to ensure reaching set targets and requirements in fighting the pandemic as well as facilitating intra-bloc economic development.

Hence, the goals for 2020 are the combination of long-term development targets, including the ASEAN Economic Community Strategy towards 2025 with 13 important initiatives Vietnam has built, which have been approved in the ASEAN cooperative framework.

Significantly, this year we must also achieve short-term goals in order to tackle the immediate problems of ASEAN economies that mostly affect small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

These contents got full exposure in the framework of the ASEAN Summit held in April, and associated meetings such as ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM), ASEAN+3 Economic Ministers Meeting, and ASEAN-South Korea Economic Ministers Meeting.

Most recently, the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting held in August basically approved the long-term programme for economic rebound in ASEAN with multiple measures to expedite the set targets.

ASEAN has circumvented the ongoing crisis by carrying out business as usual via various online forums

Can you offer more details on the initiatives that Vietnam has presented in the meetings and their significance to the blocs future development?

Vietnam has presented diverse initiatives embedded in the agenda of the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting related to the measures in dealing with COVID-19, or in the Joint Statement between ASEAN Economic Ministers and South Koreas Economic Minister on enhancing supply chain connectivity with the engagement of ASEAN countries and South Korea.

ASEAN member countries show high consensus with the initiatives and the content Vietnam has presented. For instance, the countries commended the measures presented to help minimise the issuance of policies and non-tariff measures that might create barriers to intra-ASEAN businesses, while the measures to strengthen connectivity, particularly between SMEs, through support programmes in the public sector also won plaudits.

In addition, the efforts to foster digital transformation capitalising on an e-government IT platform, dubbed as a crucial fundament of the Hanoi Action Plan, were applauded by authorised agencies of engaging countries upon implementation. Notably, of the 13 priorities and initiatives on economic cooperation Vietnam has presented in 2020, two initiatives (the Building ASEAN Digital Integration Index, and Connecting ASEAN innovative centres) were completed at the time the 52nd AEM took place.

Other initiatives and priorities are under active implementation strictly following the set goals. Vietnam, other ASEAN members, and partner countries have been proactive in solving outstanding issues with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), one of the economic cooperation priorities in the year Vietnam holds the ASEAN chair role.

Finally, Vietnam has given out important recommendations in forming a high-level ASEAN taskforce whose functions are studying and penning out measures assuring the accomplishment of dual targets: the effective prevention and tackling of COVID-19 while simultaneously enabling ASEAN countries to reach a new normal via enhanced connectivity between members and with outside partners.

Continuing on from joint statements and action plans on COVID-19 prevention, there has been another joint statement on strengthening ASEAN+3 co-operation. What is the message behind this statement?

Any ASEAN statement aims to realise the common goals of building a self-controlled and resilient ASEAN community against COVID-19 impacts.

With total merchandise value touching $2.8 trillion and GDP value surpassing $3 trillion, ASEAN is the fifth-largest economy on a global scale. In 2019, ASEAN countries managed a fair growth pace and made the list of GDP top performers. In addition, most ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, look forward to developing an export-oriented and open economy and are active members in international economic integration.

Hence, the requirements set in the statements and co-operative plans in ASEAN and ASEAN+3 centre on supporting the bloc to gradually perfect regulatory system in trade investment and economic management, and further enhance intra-ASEAN legal capacity, simultaneously striving to build up a framework and seamless infrastructure within the region, and connecting with ASEAN+3 economies.

Another important task in the ASEAN+3 framework is to empower existing supply chains along with enhancing their resilience and efficiency.

Partnership in this framework not only aims to ensure instant material supply sources, but also strives to increase connectivity and institutionalisation to facilitate the movement of investment flows, as well as market access opportunities among ASEAN countries and with partner nations.

The targets we are looking for are stepping up efforts to reach the goal of signing the historic RCEP in Hanoi in 2020, in parallel to opening more opportunities for connectivity with potential economic and trade partners in order to constitute more conducive frameworks in favour of ASEAN economies and businesses.
New York : After it was reported that Mike Pence was put on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Donald Trump had needed to be anesthetised during a surprise hospital visit last November, the US president was moved to tweet a denial that he suffered a series of mini-strokes.

Previous speculation around the visit has centered on whether the US president had a heart attack, which Trump has denied.

On Tuesday, he wrote: It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favourite president, me, went to Walter Reed medical center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes.

Citing three anonymous sources, the novelist and anti-Trump campaigner Don Winslow has said he has been told Trump suffered a series of strokes.

Dr Sean Conley, Trumps physician, said in a statement the president had not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke) or any acute cardiovascular emergencies.

Trump also wrote: Never happened to THIS candidate FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another party!

The US president, who is 74, has consistently accused Joe Biden, his 77-year-old opponent in this years election, of mental frailties related to his age. But the presidents own mental health has also been widely questioned, in light of slips while reading teleprompter speeches and uncertain movements in public.
-  59 

 2019 






Flavia Godinho Mafra

A pregnant woman has died after allegedly being lured to a fake baby shower by an old school friend in Brazil.

She was found dead and her baby cut out of her body.

The woman, identified as Flavia Godinho Mafra was said to be 36 weeks gone when she was found dead in Canelinha, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

The old school of Godinho confessed that a brick was the murder weapon. According to the suspect, she lured Godinho to the murder scene on the pretence of a baby shower where she killed her, NSC total reports.

The detective attached to the case, Paulo Alexandre Freyesleben e Silva confirmed that the cause of death of the 24-year-old victim, was a sharp cut to the abdomen and wounds from a brick, according to G1 newspaper.

On August 28, the pregnant womans mother and husband reportedly found the womans lifeless body at an abandoned pottery yard with the baby cut out from her.

According to local police, the baby was taken to hospital by the suspect and her husband, who were both apprehended by officers.

The suspect, who were friends during their school days, reportedly confessed to police that she had nurtured the idea of stealing a child after she lost her own baby due to a miscarriage in January. She finally executed the idea when she lured her friend.

The baby girl remains in hospital where she is said to be receiving treatment for the injuries sustained when she was allegedly ripped from her mothers belly.

Authorites are yet to confirm if the baby was removed while her mother was alive or if she was already dead.

Flavia, who majored in pedagogy and had a job as a substitute teacher at a school, has been laid to rest the Municipal Cemetery of Canelinha.
Two more residents of Patrick County have died from COVID-19.

That information was released Wednesday morning in the data release from the Virginia Department of Health.

Thats now 13 residents of Patrick County who have died from the virus, which is just behind Henry County's 16 as the highest mortality rate in the West Piedmont Health District.

Patrick County now has had 10 deaths since Aug. 1 and 1,341 deaths per 100,000 population, the VDH says.

The county also had eight new cases of the novel coronavirus and one more hospitalization in Wednesdays report.

Overall there were 20 new cases reported in the district -- nine in Henry County, two in Franklin County and one in Martinsville, along with Patrick -- and VDH statisticians reduced Martinsville's total number of hospitalizations from 49 to 48.

Patrick County is the site of a significant outbreak of cases at the Blue Ridge Therapy Connection senior-care center in Stuart, where dozens of residents and employees were revealed in July as having been infected by the novel coronavirus. A handful of those patients died.

Health district officials seldom can comment on cases and outbreaks other than to track a specific case by the persons residence. All other data is sorted either by locality, district or region.

Spokesperson Nancy Bell did not respond immediately to questions about whether these two deaths  or how many of the 13 -- were related to the outbreak at Blue Ridge.

Meanwhile, Sovah Health released its biweekly report on patients to show that, as of Wednesday, there were 30 patients being treated for COVID-19 at the hospitals campuses in Martinsville and Danville.

Usually officials break down the numbers by campus, but this weeks report only said that the majority of them are located in Danville, that the number was a decrease from last report, on Aug. 19, and that the hospital has adequate capacity to meet patient needs, including in critical care and intensive care.

Sovah spokesperson Kelly Fitzgerald said that "Danville and Martinsville patients, including those who have tested positive for COVID-19, may be transferred between facilities based on bed availability, staffing and clinical needs of the patient."

The release said Sovah Health continues to take all necessary precautions to protect patients and staff, including limiting entry points to the facility, screening all individuals for symptoms of COVID-19, universal masking and maintain a strict limited visitor protocol.

Hospital officials encourage the public to practice social distancing and hand hygiene and wear a mask or face covering while in public.

VDH reported Wednesday that Henry County has had 858 cases, with 94 hospitalizations and 16 deaths. Martinsville has had 329 cases, with 48 hospitalizations and 6 deaths. Patrick County has had 237 cases including 47 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Franklin County has had 218 cases, 11 hospitalizations and 1 death.

By comparison, Danville has reported 616 cases, and Pittsylvania County has had 791.

Statewide there have ben 122,542 cases and 2,641 deaths statewide -- up by 129 since Tuesday. Some 9,678 people have been hospitalized.
Mirna Arana worked for a San Francisco cleaning company for three years, scrubbing floors and toilets at houses, apartments and offices.

She said she would toil from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with few breaks and then get paid for about six hours of work per day.

Id just look at the checks and say, How is it Im working so much and Im getting paid so little? she said in Spanish through an interpreter. I didnt even know there was a minimum wage; I didnt know they needed to pay me overtime.

Such egregious violations and unawareness of rights are all too common among San Francisco domestic workers, according to a report released Wednesday by Rutgers University. It found that about half of all workers in private homes (cleaners, nannies, cooks and health care aides, for instance) experienced wage violations such as underpayment, not paying overtime and not providing required breaks  but fewer than 1% filed complaints.

Now the California Domestic Workers Coalition and Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents San Franciscos heavily Latino District Nine, hope to change that. On Wednesday, theyll announce a campaign to create a San Francisco Domestic Work Dignity Council that would bring together workers, employers and city representatives to set industry standards.

We need to improve conditions for the people who clean homes, take care of our children and care for our seniors and people with disabilities, said Megan Whelan, director of programs at the Domestic Workers Coalition. Her vision is that the board would promote standards for health and safety, a living wage, racial and social equity, as well as increasing education and training for both workers and employers. The Rutgers report shows how marginalized an already invisible industry is, Whelan said.

Domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. They toil alone in private homes without colleagues and away from public view. Theyre not covered by health and safety standards. They dont have benefits like sick leave. They often have multiple employers. Many are immigrants, sometimes undocumented.

The widespread violations are not being addressed, said Ronen, who started her legal career representing domestic workers and day laborers and helped write the states 2013 Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, which mandates overtime pay. Systems where people get the support and encouragement they need to come forward, dont really exist for domestic workers. So much is behind closed doors. It requires really specific and different strategies to protect their rights.

Thats why domestic workers need a voice  and outreach to encourage them to use it.

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2009

The Rutgers report shows that assuming that vulnerable workers will complain is problematic, said Janice Fine, director of research and strategy at Rutgers Center for Innovation in Worker Organization, who co-authored the report with Daniel Galvin and Jenn Round.

One potent strategy, she said, is focusing on egregious cases with fines and penalties that are so significant that it sends a message across a sector so employers realize they must comply with the law. Were looking for ripple effects.

Having city agencies such as the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement enlist community organizations to reach out to workers, called co-enforcement, is the best way to elicit information about violations, she said. Workers are the ones who know whats going on, but will only talk to organizations they know and trust, Fine said.

Some employers said theyd welcome more standards and education.

Maria Guillen, a retired city worker who lives in Daly City, has long hired a house cleaner and tried to treat her fairly, for instance, deciding together to use nontoxic products and contributing to portable benefits via the nonprofit Alia. She welcomes the idea of a standards board.

This is a workforce that shouldnt be hidden in the shadows, she said. There should be support to guarantee that they have dignity and respect  and fair wages.

The pandemic and widespread unemployment have exacerbated pressures on workers.

The level of economic desperation is a lot higher, Whelan said. If workers are undocumented, theyre not getting any kind of assistance like unemployment insurance. People feel forced to take jobs that might not pay minimum wage or overtime because they really need work right now.

Santiago Mejia / Special to The Chronicle 2016

Liliana, for instance, has been working for several years, putting in about 55 hours a week cleaning houses in San Francisco through a woman who is a Duena de Rutas  the owner of a cleaning route. She asked to withhold her full name as she fears retaliation from her employer and urgently needs to keep the work.

Some of the houses are three stories tall; some are smaller apartments. No matter the size, Liliana makes $40 per house. She brings in about $300 to $400 a week  averaging around $6 an hour.

Once, Liliana worked up her nerve to ask for more money. La Duena de Rutas said if she didnt like the wages, she should look for work elsewhere.

I have looked, but for me there arent any other options, so I have to keep working for her, said Liliana, speaking in Spanish through an interpreter. She did some cleaning through La Colectiva, a worker-owned collective, and appreciated that she was paid well, but during the pandemic those jobs have been scarce.

Liliana now gets called to work once or twice a week; her husbands restaurant job has also slashed his hours. She, her husband and their 14-month-old share a three-bedroom Mission District apartment with six other people.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Wage violations proliferate Violations of wage laws, such as underpayment, not paying overtime, or not providing mandated breaks, is most rampant in these industries, according to a report that analyzed data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Industry Estimated wage violations per 10,000 workers Private households 5,098 Waste management/remediation 2,857 Food services & drinking places 2,392 Personal and laundry services 2,273 Rental and leasing services 2,143 Source: Rutgers University See More Collapse

Shes thought about filing a complaint, but as an undocumented person, shes afraid that her employer might report her to immigration authorities.

She hopes that San Francisco will address the plight of people like her.

We are a community of women who are very hard-working, very honest, and I dont want to see more of the exploitation that I have gone through, she said. We all should get access to more education about what our rights are as domestic workers and be able to make enough money so we can survive in this city.

For Arana, the situation at her cleaning work eventually reached a breaking point.

At one cleaning job, she fell and hit her head and back, leaving her unable to work for a week.

They said, Thats not our responsibility, she recalled. She suffered a miscarriage after long, physically demanding days that included moving furniture. When she got pregnant again, she asked the company for a lighter schedule  and it fired her.

Her obstetrician referred her to the social-justice support group Mujeres Unidas y Activas (United and Active Women), where she learned about her rights. She filed a state Labor Commissioners Office complaint against the employer, but the company closed its office and didnt send anyone to the hearing.

Still, she felt empowered by having spoken up and wants to help other workers avoid similar abuses.

We all have rights, she said. Its illegal for employers to defraud you and steal your wages in the way that happened to me. I want people to know they shouldnt be quiet; they shouldnt be afraid. We have to speak up.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) listens to testimony in Washington on May 12, 2020. (Toni L. Sandys/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Cassidy Cancels Cancel Culture, Keeps Scripture on Facebook Page

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wanted to leave no doubt about his position when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asked him to stop putting Bible verses on his official Facebook page.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation has demanded that I stop sharing Bible verses with you. The Left wont bully me into canceling Christianity. Their request is denied, Cassidy wrote in a tweet on Sept. 1.

Our constitution says we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, Cassidy said during a telephone interview with The Epoch Times from Louisiana on Sept. 2. They want for themselves freedom from religion and therefore, cancel everybody elses freedom of religion.

He pointed to what he described as the cancel culture as a negative influence on the countrys daily political discourse.

One thing I think we have got to cancel is the cancel culture, Cassidy said. The idea that our fellow Americans cannot live freely because somebody is triggered by whatever, its just too much.

The Louisiana Republican, whos a medical doctor, was responding to an Aug. 14 letter he received from FFRFs co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor.

A concerned Louisiana resident contacted FFRF to report that every Sunday, bible verses are posted to your official government Facebook page. Please see the enclosed screenshots, the letter states.

We write to request that you refrain from posting messages that proselytize or endorse religion on your official government social media accounts. When a government official uses his elected office, including governmental platforms such as an official Facebook page, to promote his personal religious beliefs, he violates the spirit of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Barker and Gaylor head a nonprofit foundation that claims to have 32,000 members. The foundations purpose is to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to non-theism, the two said in their letter.

The Supreme Court has long held that the Establishment Clause mandates government neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion. Your office violates this constitutional mandate when it proselytizes the Christian faith to all constituents, such as directing them to Trust in the Lord.

But a top official with a Texas-based legal institute that specializes in First Amendment litigation disagreed.

Once again, the FFRF is wrong on the law, First Liberty Institute General Counsel Mike Berry told The Epoch Times on Sept. 2.

Americans do not give up their religious freedom just because they are elected to office. But what is truly outrageous is that the FFRF would choose to target Senator Cassidy for expressing a message of peace and hope, Berry said. This proves that the FFRF is not interested in anything other than erasing the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

The Plano, Texas-based institute currently has dozens of active cases at all levels of government in which its attorneys are arguing on behalf of churches, private schools, individual public employees, and private individuals whose First Amendment right to freedom of religious practice is threatened or has been compromised.

The institute won a 72 Supreme Court decision in June 2019 protecting the Bladensburg Peace Cross erected in Bladensburg, Maryland, as a memorial to 49 local men who as members of the U.S. military died during World War I.

This is a landmark victory for religious freedom. The days of illegitimately weaponizing the Establishment Clause and attacking religious symbols in public are over, the institutes president, Kelly Shackelford, said in a statement when the decision was announced.

Our Founders would have been appalled at this attempt to make the government hostile to our religious heritage, history, and symbols. The attempted perversion of our Constitution is now over, and every American now has more freedom than they have had in decades, with a government no longer hostile to people or expressions of faith.

Earlier this year, the institute also gained a major victory when U.S. Navy officials revised a controversial policy that barred active service members from attending in-service religious services. The change was prompted by the institutes efforts on behalf of a group of active-duty Navy officers.

This is a major victory for the Constitution and for religious freedom within our military. This means tens of thousands of our brave service members will be able to safely and freely exercise their religious beliefs, Berry said in a statement about the Navys change in policy.

Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc
More than four months after Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sought to hold China and the Chinese Communist Party accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, the lawsuit remains stalled in federal court.

Neither the Chinese government, the Communist Party nor the officials named in the lawsuit have filed a response, KCUR-FM reports.

Missouri served the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing with summonses on July 17. Under U.S. law, a foreign state or agency has 60 days to respond after theyre served.

That means the defendants deadline to respond could be as soon as late September. But because U.S. law generally grants foreign states immunity, most legal experts agree the case isnt likely to go anywhere even if the defendants do respond.

Its always been very reluctantly that American courts have gotten involved with foreign policy, said Karen Alter, an international relations expert at Northwestern University.

The basis (for the lawsuit) is not strong, echoed Mary Ellen OConnell, who teaches international dispute resolution at the University of Notre Dame.

Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for Schmitt, said that the states attorneys have worked diligently to pursue all steps necessary to obtain service under The Hague Convention, which is a complex process.

Nuelle declined to say what steps the attorney generals office would take if China simply ignores the lawsuit.

The suit, which was filed on April 21, argues the defendants efforts to suppress information, arrest whistleblowers and deny the coronavirus contagious nature led to the loss of life and severe economic consequences in Missouri.

COVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic disruption, and human suffering, Schmitt said in a press release about the lawsuit. In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real  thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table.

Schmitt called the lawsuit historic, but legal experts at the time mostly panned it as a stunt aimed at shifting blame to China for the pandemic. President Trump and members of his administration have consistently sought to fault China for the pandemic, often referring to the disease as the China virus or Wuhan virus.

After it was filed, the Chinese Foreign Ministry termed the lawsuit frivolous, saying it only invites ridicule.

Even if the case moves forward, Schmitt has a high hurdle to overcome. The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA) grants immunity to foreign states, although exceptions exist for commercial activities in or directly affecting the U.S. and for wrongful acts in the U.S.

Simply put, any scholar or practitioner with working knowledge of foreign sovereign immunity would have taken one look at the headlines about these lawsuits (as I did) and assess immediately that there is no basis for jurisdiction in a U.S. court, Chimene Keitner, an international law professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law, wrote in April about lawsuits filed against China over the coronavirus.

Schmitts lawsuit sought to position itself within the exceptions to FSIA by referring to the commercial activity of Chinese government-run laboratories, but those activities took place in China, not the U.S.

While some suits against foreign governments have been successful, those usually have fallen under Congressional legislation authorizing lawsuits against specific foreign countries like Cuba and Iran. In Irans case, the strategy was to form something called the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal. But those cases are the exceptions to the rule that American courts dont usually get involved in foreign policy.

Its very hard to maintain a coherent policy when you could have a judge anywhere creating a ruling that all of a sudden sets off a foreign policy problem, Alter, of Northwestern University, said. Of course, thats not something the Trump administration worries about. The more annoyances on China, the better.

OConnell, of Notre Dame, said that while Schmitts lawsuit faces tough hurdles in overcoming FSIA, I imagine that Missouri considered that this might be one of those unusually controversial, politically sensitive cases in which they might succeed in a U.S. court.

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act is just this Christmas tree of different provisions and amendments that Congress keeps changing and adding, and then the courts rule, OConnell said.  . And with so many judges who dont have familiarity with the strange details, and if Chinas not there to put in a full case, I would give it more of a chance than Professor Keitner does, she said.

Related:

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Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 USA China Missouri
U.S. oil and gas companies are investing millions of dollars into technology aimed at curtailing the methane that escapes into the atmosphere even as the Trump administration rolls back regulations aimed at curtailing releases of the potent greenhouse gas.

Methane-detection technologies can be found on the ground, where workers use hand-held monitors to sniff out methane leaks; in the skies, where drones carrying sensors locate trouble spots in drilling and pipeline operations; where satellites scan entire oil basins to identifying the largest plumes.

The array of technologies is needed to capture the massive volumes of the greenhouse gas that escape into the atmosphere, said Daniel Zimmerle, director of Colorado State University methane emissions program. The EPA estimates that about 570 million metric tons of methane, the primary component of natural gas, are released in the atmosphere annually, with about 60 percent coming from manmade sources.

About 28 percent of manmade methane comes from oil and gas drilling, processing operations and pipeline leaks, the EPA says. The advocacy group, Environmental Defense Fund, however, estimates that oil and gas emissions are likely 80 percent higher than EPA estimates.

Generally speaking, Zimmerle, something like half or more of the emissions come from a small percentage of the emitters.

The relaxing of methane regulations, which the Environmental Protection Agency finalized in August, has split the oil and gas industry, primarily along the lines of big and small. Small to mid-sized independent companies, citing the costs of compliance, largely supported the easing of methane monitoring requirements.

But international oil majors and large independents opposed the rule change. Many of these companies are under pressure from governments and shareholders to adjust their businesses to the realities of climate change. In addition, growing awareness of methane pollution is undermining the reputation of natural gas as cleaner fuel to bridge the transition to renewable energy.

In April, for example, Exxon Mobil said it would conduct field testing of eight methane-detection technologies, including laser-based sensors carried by light planes or helicopters , drone-mounted sensors and satellites to detect emissions across almost 1,000 locations, primarily drilling and natural gas compressor stations in Texas and New Mexico.

The British oil major BP said in June that its venture capital arm had invested $5 million in Satelytics, software company that uses advanced imaging technology and machine learning to monitor methane emissions and other environmental changes, such as changes to salt content of water and soil.

From the ground up

The technologies for detecting methane emissions have evolved rapidly over the past 15 years, in both the precision of the measurements and the portability of the instruments, said Joe von Fischer, associate chair of the Colorado State University biology department.

THINKING SMALL: Companies offer super-cool solution to flaring

Around 2005 the first low-cost, highly sensitive portable laser-based methane sensors were developed and rapidly adopted by the energy industry. Some were small, about the size of a shoebox, that workers could use on the ground; others could be placed the front of an airplane or car to cover wider areas.

Another big advance in methane-detection technology came in 2002 with the launch by the European Space Agency of a satellite equipped with an imaging technology capable of seeing gases, invisible to the naked eye, in the lowest region of the atmosphere. This began the era of satellite-based methane detection.

A third innovation coincided with the development of drones. Equipped with methane sensors, drones can detect methane leaks more quickly than a worker carrying a hand-held sensor.

The responsible producer

Jonah Energy, a Denver oil and gas company, launched a methane detection program 2 years ago to monitor operations in the gas-producing region of western Wyoming. The company uses drones and hand-held infrared cameras to spot escaping methane and dispatches technicians to fix most of the leaks on the spot.

Utilizing a drone platform with a forward-looking infrared camera on it helps us continually reduce emissions, said Paul Ulrich, Jonah Energys vice president of regulatory affairs.

Some technology companies combine sophisticated sensors with data analytics to provide innovative solutions to their leak problems. The Austin start-up SeekOps has developed a proprietary, miniaturized methane sensor that is sensitive enough to detect gas in the parts-per-billion range and compact enough to be mounted on a lightweight drone.

Sensitivity is a big selling point and the efficiency with which we can conduct surveys, Andrew Aubrey, SeekOps CEO and co-founder, said.

Another company, Bridger Photonics of Bozeman, Mont., has developed a laser-based sensor, which, when mounted on the underside of a small plane, is so sensitive it can detect even the smallest of leaks over a wide area. Were catching a large fraction of the basins emissions, CEO Pete Roos said.

Space-based measurements

The next generation of methane-detection technology can be found in in space.

In June 2016, the Montreal company GHGSat launched Claire, the worlds first high-resolution satellite capable of measuring greenhouse gas emissions from any industrial facility in the world.

Its second satellite will be able to capture images at 100 times higher resolution than any comparable system enabling the satellite to pinpoint methane emissions from specific sources such as oil and gas wells, according to the company. The satellites launch, scheduled for Sept. 1, was postponed because of weather. It has not been rescheduled yet.

COMMENT: U.S. needs better methane rules to compete

Bluefield, a private data technology company based in Quebec City, Canada, takes emissions data collected by satellites and enhances it using algorithms that can quantify leaks from millions of emitting sites around the world.

Within the next two years, the company plans to launch its own satellite, which will focus on leaks that are about one-tenth the size of those that can be found by competing satellite companies, said Bluefield CEO Yotam Ariel.

Democratization of data

Environmental groups, notably the Environmental Defense Fund, have joined commercial companies in getting into the methane-detection business.

The Environmental Defense Fund is collecting a years worth of methane data across an approximately 6,200-square-mile study area of the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The project uses planes, helicopters, tower-mounted sensors and ground-based mobile sensors to detect methane releases in the basin, center of the nations oil production.

Recent measurements from the project found that oil and gas operations were losing 3.5 percent of the natural gas they produced to escaping methane  nearly three times the rate reported by the EPA.

Weve seen a leakage rate upwards of 3 percent to 4 percent of gas leaking into the atmosphere, which is a jaw-dropping figure, said Ben Ratner senior director with EDF+Biz, an Environmental Defense Fund that works with businesses to help lower their carbon footprints.

The Environmental Defense Fund is also planning to launch its own satellite through an affiliate MethaneSAT, Ratner said. The satellite, a joint project of the environmental group and partners - Harvard University, Ball Aerospace, Cal Tech and Smithsonian Atmospheric Observatory -- is slated for launch in late 2022 or early 2023.

Having non-government organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund record methane-emissions data from space democratizes the information on environmental contamination, von Fischer said.
Authorities in Da Nang will screen representatives of 60,000 households for COVID-19 in the next five days, starting on Thursday, after they have already finished testing one-fifth of the citys population.

This mass screening is meant to trace any undetected coronavirus case in the community, Ngo Thi Kim Yen, director of the Da Nang Department of Health, said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, local medical centers will start testing representatives of 60,000 households  equal to 30 percent of Da Nangs total  that have never been screened for the virus since the pathogen re-emerged in the beach city late last month, Yen added.

Each household will send a representative to be screened, she elaborated, further explaining that if the persons test result comes back positive, the household will be isolated and the remaining members will be tested.

The screening is expected to be complete within five days.

Da Nang, a touristy beach city, hopes to have a comprehensive assessment of the outbreak situation, which will form the basis for its plan to ease social distancing restrictions on Saturday, Yen said.

Medical facilities in Da Nang can take 14,000 samples a day, she added.

They have tested around 228,000 people, or one-fifth of Da Nangs population, since July 25, when the city reported the first domestic case after Vietnam had spent 99 days recording zero locally-transmitted infections.

The Southeast Asian nation has logged 550 local cases since that date, most linked to the coastal city, according to the Ministry of Health.

Vietnam has documented no new community-based infections for the last four days, with the national tally remaining at 1,044 cases, including 690 domestic infections, 735 patients having recovered from the respiratory disease, and 34 having lost their lives.

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Rice is the most consumed staple food in the world. It is especially common in Asia, where hunger concerns are prevalent.

Rice is classified as an annual plant, which means it completes its life cycle within one growing season then dies. However, in some tropical areas, rice can continue to grow year after year when taken care of properly.

Just as grass grows back in a lawn after it is mowed, rice can be cut after it is harvested, and the plant will regrow. The farming practice of cutting the rice above ground and allowing it to regrow is called ratooning.

Although Rice ratooning allows farmers to harvest more rice from the same fields, it requires a longer growing season compared to traditional single-harvest rice farming.

In many areas of the world where rice is grown, a long growing season isn't a problem due to the tropical climates. But in Japan, cooler weather means rice ratooning has been a rare farming practice.

Hiroshi Nakano and a research team set out to learn more about the potential of ratooning to help Japanese rice farmers. Nakano is a researcher at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization.

Average temperatures in Japan have been higher in recent years. As climate change continues to affect the region, rice farmers may have a longer window for growing rice. "Rice seedlings will be able to be transplanted earlier in the spring, and farmers can harvest rice later into the year," explains Nakano.

"The goal of our research is to determine the effects of harvest time and cutting height of the first harvest on the yield of the first and second rice crops," says Nakano. "Ultimately, we want to propose new farming strategies to increase yield as farmers in southwestern Japan adjust to climate change."

During the study on rice ratooning, researchers compared two harvest times and two cutting heights of the first crop. After the first harvest, they collected the seeds from the cut off portions of the rice plants. Researchers measured the yield by counting and weighing the seeds. The second harvest of rice was done by hand and the yield was determined in the same way.

The total grain yield and the yields from the first and second crops were different depending on the harvest times and cutting heights. This wasn't too surprising, since the team already knew harvest time and height affected yield.

Rice plants harvested at the normal time for the first crop yielded more seed than the rice plants harvested earlier. "That's because the plants had more time to fill their spikelets with seed," explains Nakano.

"At both harvest times, rice harvested at the high cutting height had a higher yield than the low cutting height," says Nakano. That's because the plants cut at a higher height had access to more energy and nutrients stored in their leaves and stems.

"Our results suggest that combining the normal harvest time with the high cutting height is important for increasing yield in rice ratooning in southwestern Japan and similar climate regions," says Nakano. "This technology will likely increase rice grain yield in new environments that arise through global climate change."

###

Learn more about this research in Agronomy Journal. This work was supported by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).
In recent weeks, several of the states most powerful chief executives have felt compelled to speak out in response to the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement and nationwide protests sparked by the killings of Black Americans.

At the same time, a number of them have committed to new efforts aimed at recruiting more diverse groups of leadership candidates, in addition to better supporting the advancement of people of color in their own organizations.

Whether those efforts produce actual change will be revealed over time. The dearth of diversity in the top floors is not new. Experts say it is not a problem that will be quickly solved.

Were dealing with literally decades of white privilege in American corporations  and its hard to break through that privilege, said Fred McKinney, a professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at Quinnipiac University and a member of the states Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board.

Similar initiatives in past years have yielded modest results, contributing to generations of racial homogeneity in executive echelons, experts said.

If you dont have a pipeline of Black professionals and executives coming up in a company, it shouldnt surprise anybody that the top person is a white man, McKinney said.

Scant diversity at the top

Twenty-five of the companies on this years Fortune 1,000 list of the largest publicly traded firms in the country are headquartered in Connecticut.

Their names will be familiar to anyone who follows the markets or business news.

Something else about them will likely ring familiar as well: They are primarily led by white men.

In that they are no different than most other large companies in the U.S. Business Insider reported in July that only three Fortune 500 companies in the country have a Black CEO  a total equal to only 0.6 percent of the chief executives in that group. In comparison, 13 percent of the national population is Black, according to the most recent Census data.

In Connecticut, a couple of Fortune 1,000 firms have diversified their top positions.

Norwalk-based Frontier Communications is led by Bernie Han, who is Asian-American. He was hired as CEO last December, having held a number of senior-level roles at Dish Network in the past decade.

Frontier did not make Han available for an interview, but it provided a statement from him.

At Frontier Communications, our leadership embraces diversity because we recognize a culture of inclusion is critical to achieving business goals and building a stronger organization, Han said.

/ CMG

Stamford-based Synchronys Margaret Keane is the rare woman among the CEOs of the states Fortune 1,000 organizations.

Frequently interviewed about the significance of being a woman who leads a Fortune 500 company, Keane has not shied away from speaking publicly about Synchronys response to the events of the past few months.

Our country is awakening to the need to meaningfully address racial injustice and equality, Keane said on an earnings call in July.

Hearst Connecticut Media reached out to all of the states Fortune 1,000 companies for this article. More than half did not respond or declined to comment.

Mixed results

Diversity and inclusion strategies have yielded gains at some companies. Data provided by Synchrony and Bloomfield-based Cigna, for instance, show that their workforces racial and ethnic demographics are in line with state and national rates.

Those firms and a number of others in Connecticuts Fortune 1,000 cohort have earned accolades for their efforts to diversify their workplaces.

Rhonda Nesmith Crichlow, who was hired in 2016 as Stamford-based Charter Communications chief diversity officer, said the firm in the past few years has made substantial strides advancing diversity and inclusion.

That includes improving diverse representation at our senior leadership levels beyond the executives who appear on our website, Crichlow said. We recognize there is more work to do, and we remain committed to furthering our progress.

But a number of HR experts also see a long road ahead for programs aimed at making executive ranks more heterogeneous.

When you look at all these very successful firms and very little diversity at the top, that, to me, is indicative of a lack of execution in the last five years, 10 years to ensure that their population had a level of diversity, said David Lewis, founder and CEO of Norwalk-based HR services firm Operations Inc. The only organizations that you could cut some slack for would be ones who could show that they did cultivate a good population of diverse candidates, but before those people were tapped to make it to the top position in a division or in a company, some other company came knocking and poached them away.

Crichlow and her counterpart at Cigna, as well as other executives interviewed for this article said the largely white composition of their companies most senior positions is not symptomatic of discrimination or bias against minority employees.

There are so many factors that go into it  from whats the job and whats the availability of talent, said Susan Stith, Cignas vice president of diversity, inclusion and civic affairs.

Mary Butkus / Mary Butkus

Others offer different assessments. Black employees in the corporate sector often feel marginalized and overlooked and encounter subtle racism, according to Guy Fortt, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples Stamford branch.

Many Black professionals say its harder for Black employees to move up the ladder, while white professionals dont realize how different the workplace is for Black professionals and how much harder it is for them, Fortt said.

Pledging to make changes

Acknowledging that their workforces are still not diverse enough, a number of the states Fortune 1,000 firms have rolled out new initiatives in the past few months.

In July, Cigna announced the launch of its Building Equity and Equality Program, a five-year undertaking that executives said would expand and accelerate the companys efforts to support diversity, inclusion and equality for communities of color.

Among the changes, Stith cited the implementation of diverse candidate slates. Such a practice would help to address the gap between the 34 percent of all Cigna employees who are ethnic minorities and the 10 percent representation for that group among executive/senior officials and managers.

Diverse candidate slates will focus on how do we bring into the interview process more diversity, Stith said. We will look at that within a certain level in the organization, and that becomes our pipeline to build to those more senior ranks because youve got to start somewhere.

Synchrony recently formed a senior-level committee to focus on diversity and equality issues across all areas of its business.

We were very focused coming into this year on Black and Hispanic leadership. And particularly Black.  because we dont have enough, Keane said in an interview with Time . Were doing a lot of soul-searching  We get all these awards (and could say) were great. But, like, lets look at the numbers on some of these things and how we make a difference. We have to double down on all this right now.

Anthony Collins Photography 2019 / CMG

Other Connecticut-based Fortune 1,000 companies that have recently signaled that they would do more to tackle racial inequality inside and outside their organizations include Hartford-based The Hartford, Stamford-based Pitney Bowes, Stamford-based United Rentals, New Britain-based Stanley Black & Decker, Norwalk-based Xerox and Norwalk-based Booking Holdings.

Longstanding work

Signaling the growing focus on diversity, a number of Fortune 1,000 firms in the state and country have appointed chief diversity officers in the past few years.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Charter, Cigna and Synchrony, Greenwich-based XPO Logistics in July named one of its top HR executives, LaQuenta Jacobs, as its first chief diversity officer. She is not related to the companys CEO, Bradley Jacobs.

HR executives see diversity efforts as necessary to supporting employees well-being and catalysts for critical thinking and a broader range of perspectives in the workplace.

Im an African-American woman, Im a certain age and grew up in a certain community, Stith said. Thats part of who I am  but there is so much more. ... The other part of the reality is that people make decisions about where they work by your diversity and also how inclusive you are.

Many firms also see their employee diversity as vital to forging strong customer relationships.

We have to understand our customers and relate to them and understand their perspective, said Craig Pintoff, United Rentals chief administrative officer. Doing that through a diverse workforce is one method. Thats part of the customer service and respect of the communities we serve.

Staying the course

If companies commit to their new programs, executives said those initiatives could make a major impact.

This is a movement, not a moment, Stith said. Were showing that theres momentum behind the words that we say. These are not just words; these are real actions. And were going to show our employees and our external clients and customer stakeholders exactly what we mean when we say those words.

HR experts such as Lewis caution that it could take considerable time to see real results.

Itll take five years for you to be able to look at this, Lewis said. If you see that there is a greater level of diversity in that (executive) population  visually, perception wise and in reality  I would then argue, at that point, thats demonstrative of actions that came as a result of (the response to the death of) George Floyd.

Nationwide demographic forces could also drive change when todays youth move into the workforce.

White students accounted for slightly less than half of the population in public elementary and secondary schools, while Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander pupils shares have increased in recent years to, respectively, 27 percent and 6 percent, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Black students comprised 15 percent of the total, down slightly from their percentage in 2000.

Im optimistic about the beliefs, understanding and experience of young Americans  white, Black, brown and Asian Americans, said Quinnipiacs McKinney. They realize that the best positions in American corporations should not be reserved for white men and that these corporations can do better.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declared on Wednesday he will run for the leadership of the ruling party, a race he is heavily favored to win, which would likely ensure the veteran politician will become the next prime minister.

Suga, a longtime aide to outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is widely expected to carry on Abe's policies of fiscal and monetary stimulus, said he was entering the race to avoid a political vacuum at a time of crisis.

"I decided to run in the LDP leadership race after some deep thought on what I can do as a politician and a member of Abe's administration," Suga told a briefing.

The party's leader is set to take over as prime minister given the LDP's majority in the lower house of parliament.

Abe announced his decision to resign last week, citing poor health.

Suga's main competitors in the Sept. 14 party vote are a former defence minister, Shigeru Ishiba, and ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida, but Suga's position looks strong.

He has secured the backing of five of the LDP's seven factions, public broadcaster NHK and others reported.

The party decided on Tuesday to hold a slimmed-down election with just members of parliament and three votes from each of the 47 prefectures  an advantage for Suga.

Many party chapters will poll rank-and-file members to decide how to allocate their three votes, but experts say this is unlikely to change the momentum growing for Suga if the members of the five factions back him.

Financial markets also favor Suga, assuming he will continue with the reflationary "Abenomics" strategy aimed at reviving the economy.

But Ishiba is by far the most popular candidate among the public and has been on a media blitz over the past few days, raising questions about the possibility of change after Abe's eight years at the helm.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has condemned unprecedented sanctions imposed by the United States on prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her top aides in retaliation for a probe into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

The Hague-based tribunal said the sanctions announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against Bensouda and another senior official, Phakiso Mochochoko, were serious attacks against the rule of law.

Pompeo announced the moves on Wednesday, saying that the ICC continues to target Americans.

The ICC said in a statement the new measures are another attempt to interfere with the Courts judicial and prosecutorial independence and crucial work to address grave crimes of concern to the international community.

The sanctions include a freeze on assets held in the US or subject to US law and target Bensouda and the courts head of jurisdiction, Mochochoko.

Pompeo also said individuals and entities that continue to materially support Bensouda and Mochochoko would risk exposure to sanctions as well.

We will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction, Pompeo said.





The war crimes court said it continues to stand firmly by its personnel and its mission of fighting impunity for the worlds most serious crimes.

The ICC will continue its investigation into possible war crimes by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan.

The State Department also restricted the issuance of visas for individuals Pompeo said were involved in the courts efforts to investigate US personnel, though he did not name those affected.

Member countries of the International Criminal Court hit out against the unacceptable sanctions.

I strongly reject such unprecedented and unacceptable measures against a treaty-based international organisation, said O-Gon Kwon, president of the ICCs Assembly of States Parties.

Pompeo says the move is part of the administrations pushback against the world court for investigations into the US and its allies [Nicholas Kamm/Pool via Reuters]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was concerned by Pompeos announcement, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Dujarric said that we trust that any restriction taken against individuals will be implemented consistently with a decades-old US deal with the United Nations to host the world bodys headquarters in New York.

The European Union promised on Thursday to defend the ICC while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the United Kingdom regretted the US move.

The International Criminal Court is facing persistent external challenges and the European Union stands firm against all attempts to undermine the international system of criminal justice by hindering the work of its core institutions, Peter Stano, spokesman for EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, told reporters.

We are committed to strengthen our suport to the ICC because this is key factor in fighting against impunity. We are standing by the ICC and we are not happy to see steps which are going against the activities of the ICC.

Stunning perversion

Bensouda was given the go-ahead by the court in March to investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and US forces.

The US revoked Bensoudas entry visa last year in response to the possible Afghanistan inquiry. But under an agreement between the UN and Washington, she was still able to regularly travel to New York to brief the UN Security Council on cases it had referred to the court in The Hague.

What doe these people have in common? Myanmar generals accused of atrocities

Saudi officials linked to Jamal Khashoggi's murder

President Assad for mass abuses in Syria

ICC prosecutors investigating war crimes The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on all of them. pic.twitter.com/Xdb0Za9U63  Human Rights Watch (@hrw) September 2, 2020

Rights groups immediately condemned the US designations.

Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch international justice director, said it was a stunning perversion of US sanctions.

The Trump administration has twisted these sanctions to obstruct justice, not only for certain war crimes victims, but for atrocity victims anywhere looking to the International Criminal Court for justice, he said.
Four cells have been damaged after windows were smashed while a small fire "was lit" outside one of the cells at another Queensland prison overnight.

The latest case of prison unrest occurred at Borallon Correctional Centre in the Ipswich suburb of Ironbark about 9pm on Wednesday, when firefighters and paramedics were called to the facility.

In a statement, a Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said two guards were taken to hospital and the fire was extinguished by prison officers.

"Four cells have been damaged at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre overnight," QCS said.
Over the last four decades, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) has become one of the most outstanding inter-parliamentary models in Asia and a symbol of solidarity, cooperation, and unity in diversity within the ASEAN Community.

Vietnamese Party and State leaders pose for a group photo with leaders of AIPO member parliaments at the opening of AIPO-23 in Hanoi on September 9, 2002 (Photo: VNA)

According to former Vice Chairman of the National Assemblys Committee for External Relations Ngo Anh Dung, AIPA was initially the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO), which was formed on September 2, 1977 in Manila, the Philippines, with five members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

The establishment of AIPO aimed at promoting collaboration among legislative bodies of regional countries as well as the sharing of information and experience in law-building, thus enhancing mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity, and unity among members.

In 2007, along with the changing of its name as AIPA, the organisation supplemented and adjusted its Charter, completing the organisation of a Jakarta-based Secretariat and strengthening the supervision of the implementation of resolutions through the yearly reporting mechanism.

Commenting on the efficiency of AIPA in fostering cooperation among member parliaments for reaching ASEAN goals, especially over the last decade, Chairman of the NA's Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau said that all activities of the Assembly have been associated with ASEANs yearly agenda.

ASEAN Chair Statements, which cover issues from the Political-Security Community, the Economic Community, and the Socio-Cultural Community, have served as the foundation for AIPAs activities, he said.

He noted that AIPA member parliaments have accompanied ASEAN members governments in realising resolutions and declarations approved by ASEAN countries.

Giau stressed the significance of women parliamentarians in AIPA activities, contributing ideals in areas such as politics and socio-economy and ensuring gender equality and the rights of women and children.

Along with ASEAN, AIPA has played a major role in strengthening solidarity and mutual understanding and trust among people in regional countries while positively supporting governments in effectively implementing trans-national cooperation, encouraging the maintenance of national identity, and assisting in improvements to the capacity of member parliaments, he said.

AIPA has also walked shoulder-to-shoulder with regional countries in dealing with major challenges such as the consequences of the global financial crisis, sustainable development, regional security, development gaps, and trans-national crime, Giau said.

Through general assemblies, AIPA has issued a host of resolutions regarding important issues, in particular politics, security, and trust building.

AIPA has helped foster regional integration through the enhancement of cooperation among inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary institutions and the promotion of global peace and international law.

Amid complex developments in the region and world, AIPA has released resolutions calling for stronger engagement from Southeast Asian parliaments in coping with security and political issues in the region. Parliaments have played an important role in ASEAN cooperation for the construction and development of the ASEAN Community, Giau noted.

In the field of economy, AIPA has paid much attention to bolstering cooperation among ASEAN countries and between the grouping and its partners. AIPA has also approved resolutions highlighting the need to narrow the development gap among ASEAN member countries as well as between the bloc and other regions.

AIPA has supported the implementation of the Blueprint of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and suggested that ASEAN make periodical assessments of implementation in line with the AEC Vision 2025.

Regarding the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), AIPA parliamentarians have stressed the need for ASEAN member countries to ensure that economic development is accompanied by the sustainable development of natural resources, minimisation of the negative impact of climate change, food and energy security, and environmental protection and biodiversity.

AIPA has also helped increase regional cooperation in education, culture, and healthcare, while enhancing the role of women in ASEAN, protecting childrens rights, and contributing to resolving issues in the environment, labour, immigration, poverty, and drugs.

AIPA has also contributed to creating consensus among member countries in applying poverty reduction measures, promoting the observation of migrant workers, strengthening discussions on education and vocational training, preventing child labour, fighting drug trafficking and the spread of epidemics and trans-national crime, and cooperating in environmental protection and increasing cooperation in culture and tourism within ASEAN. AIPA has also increased the role of women in all areas and at all levels.

It has supported ASEAN member countries governments in building the ASEAN Community on all three pillars: politics-security, economy, and socio-culture.

Giau said that Vietnam's admission to the organisation in 1995 was a historical milestone in the Vietnamese parliaments relations with its counterparts in regional countries.



Vietnam has actively engaged in AIPA activities since then, including hosting the 23rd and 31st AIPA General Assemblies in 2002 and 2010, respectively, as well as thematic meetings and committee-level meetings, he said./.VNA
(TARKIO, Mo.) The Atchison County Health Department has been notified of a positive COVID-19 case who had attended a family visitation and funeral in the Tarkio, Mo. area on August 27 and 28.

Anyone who attended that funeral is strongly advised to monitor their health.

The Atchison County Health Department is recommending that you continue to maintain a physical distance of six feet when in public settings, stay home when you are sick, perform proper hand washing and clean frequently touched surfaces.

The health department also said that if you cannot maintain six feet of physical distance from others, it is recommended to wear a face covering.

If you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, a new cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever or chills, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea, please stay home and call your health care provider for guidance regarding symptoms and next steps.

For further question, you can contact the Atchison County Health Department at 660-736-4121.

For more information visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus or visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website at www.dhss.mo.gov/coronavirus.

The Missouri coronavirus 24-hour hotline is 877-435-8411 to address questions or concerns related to Covid-19.
Italy's coronavirus situation is among the best in the European Union (EU) despite a recent rise in new infections, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told the Senate in his report on the pandemic.

"The European epidemiological picture has significantly deteriorated since my last speech here before you, on August 10," Speranza said on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

He cited new data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), saying Italy's incidence of the virus per 100,000 inhabitants stands at 23 now, lower than some other European countries.

In Italy, Speranza said, "the real news is the extremely marked decrease" in the average age of the newly infected, to 29 years.

Italy's younger generation has become the "tool of diffusion of the virus" and "this is why we must ask our young people to give us a hand" with the use of masks, social distancing, and hand hygiene, the health minister said.

Speranza added that at the next meeting of EU health ministers, the Italian government will propose "a mechanism of reciprocity" so that coronavirus testing can be carried in all the main European airports.

With regards to schools, Speranza promised that "all our schools will reopen in September, and they will do so safely."

The government, he said, has made "unprecedented direct investments of 2.9 billion euros," hired 97,000 new teachers, provided 11 million free surgical masks a day to students and teachers alike, and delivered 2.4 million new, single-seat desks so pupils can maintain social distancing in class.

The issue of how to run an educational system safely in the Covid-era "is a planetary one," Speranza said, reminding senators that due to the pandemic "190 countries around the world have had to shut down their schools, affecting 1.6 billion students".
The company removed more than 800 Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups run as part of a network.

Islamabad, Pakistan  Social networking giant Facebook has removed more than 700 Facebook accounts, groups, pages and Instagram accounts that were part of a Pakistani network of coordinated inauthentic behaviour, the company said in a monthly report.

In all, the company removed more than 800 Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups in August, its report on coordinated inauthentic behaviour revealed on Tuesday.

This included two other networks: one based in Russia and focusing on the US, UK, Algeria and Egypt; and one based in the US and focused on Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia.

The largest network was based in Pakistan and consisted of 453 Facebook accounts, 103 pages, 78 groups and 107 Instagram accounts, the report said.

The vast majority of the accounts, pages and groups engaged in coordinated reporting of content and people that were critical of Pakistans government or supportive of India, and some engaged in spam, Facebook said.

The social media giant describes coordinated inauthentic behaviour as coordinated efforts to manipulate public debate for a strategic goal where fake accounts are central to the operation.

In April 2019, the social media company removed 103 accounts in a similar purge it says was linked to employees of the Pakistani militarys public relations arm.

Silencing the critics

Facebook shared details of the network with the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) Cyber Policy Centre days before taking down the pages.

The network encouraged users to mass-report accounts that were critical of Islam and the Pakistani government, and in some cases accounts that were part of the Ahmadi religious community, said a report released by the SIO.

The network also had messaging praising the Pakistani military, along with some Indian military fan pages and groups of unclear purpose.

The SIO said the current networks activity, while troubling, was not as sophisticated nor as high quality as the 2019 takedown.

The network encouraged members of its groups to use an extension to Googles Chrome browser developed for the purpose of automating the reporting of content on Facebook and its associated platforms.

The creator of the extension stated on Facebook that he made the tool to be used against accounts like anti-Islamic, anti-Pakistani or even groups and pages which is a great threat on social media.

The aim of the network appeared primarily to be to silence critics of Pakistans government and armed forces, as well as certain forms of religious expression.

Many of the pages and groups that were part of the network, in addition to calling on users to report content, also posted content praising the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI, Pakistans intelligence agency) and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Stanfords report said.

Many of the Instagram accounts appeared to primarily have been removed because they were being operated from Pakistan while being claiming to represent Indian nationals.

In total, the reach of the network was significant, Facebook said, with about 70,000 accounts following one or more of the pages, about 1.1 million members and 11,000 followers on Instagram.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 07:38:23|Editor: huaxia

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A meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission is held in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 1, 2020. Relevant parties reaffirmed their commitment here on Tuesday to preserve and implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. (JCOPA/Handout via Xinhua)

VIENNA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Relevant parties reaffirmed their commitment here on Tuesday to preserve and implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

Secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid, who chaired a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, wrote on Twitter that participants of the meeting were "united in resolve to preserve the Iran Deal and find a way to ensure full implementation of the agreement despite current challenges".

All participants, including delegates from China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and Iran, reaffirmed the importance of preserving the agreement, recognising that "it is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, as endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231," according to a statement published on the website of the EEAS later Tuesday.

The delegates reaffirmed that the United States unilaterally announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018 and that it had not participated in any JCPOA-related activities subsequently, it said.

"U.S., being a country that has withdrawn from the JCPOA, does not have the legal ground or legal standing to trigger a snapback," Fu Cong, director general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters after the meeting.

"This position has been echoed by the majority of the international community, as has been shown in the voting of the Security Council, and that momentum needs to be maintained," he said.

Fu called on the international community to continue to stand on the right side of history, safeguarding multilateralism and upholding the authority of the JCPOA and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

China hopes that all parties should resolve differences in terms of agreement implementation through dialogue and consultation within the framework of the JCPOA Joint Commission, and restore the balance of rights and obligations under the deal, he said.

China welcomes the consensus reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on allowing IAEA inspectors access to two locations, and urged all relevant parties to help implement the agreement, Fu said.

As the JCPOA cannot solve all regional security issues, while maintaining effectiveness and authority of the JCPOA, China supports the establishment of another dialogue platform besides the JCPOA for reaching a new consensus on maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.

Participants of the meeting also reiterated the importance of nuclear non-proliferation projects, in particular the Arak Modernisation Project and the stable isotope project in Fordow, according to the EEAS.

"Taking into account the potential consequences of the US decision in May to end the Arak waiver, participants reiterated their strong support and collective responsibility for the continuation of the project," it said. Enditem
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday that Hurricane Laura was probably worse than Hurricane Rita 15 years ago, apologizing to anyone who thought he had diminished the impact of the storm that slammed into the Cameron coast with 150 mph winds.

"It was never my intention to convey the damage was anything other than horrific," said Edwards, who had apparently received some negative feedback. "It was every bit as bad as (Hurricane Rita in 2005) and probably worse where it struck; very catastrophic."

Edwards also said Laura cut a wider swath of damage than Rita, which was evident by Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana becoming one of three more parishes eligible for FEMA help as 600,000 Louisianans remained without clean water.

'I knew I was going to die': Shrimpers rescue one another from sinking boats while riding out Hurricane Laura

While energy companies continued to whittle away slowly at reducing power outages  down to about 250,000 Tuesday from a high of 600,000  72 water systems still weren't functioning as of Tuesday morning.

That leaves about 170,000 people with complete or partial water outages and another more than 400,000 whose water is under a boil advisory. In the worst hit areas of southwestern Louisiana, including the epicenter of Lake Charles, electricity and water could still be weeks away.

Buildings and homes are flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura near Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Entergy Louisiana President Phillip May along with local and state government officials will discuss the restoration plan for Calcasieu and Cameron parishes on Wednesday in Sulphur.

The company said May will describe the catastrophic damage the companys electrical grid suffered as a result of Hurricane Laura and what will be done to fully restore power to the region during a press conference.

'We'll take care of you': Trump surveys Hurricane Laura storm damage in Texas, Louisiana

Meanwhile, Acadiana parishes Acadia and Vermilion and Ouachita joined six others made eligible for aid under President Donald Trump's major disaster declaration.

Story continues

Edwards encouraged everyone impacted in Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Vernon, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Ouachita and Vermilion to apply for the help.

"Please register for FEMA assistance as soon as you can," said Edwards, who requested the declaration for 23 parishes. "If you're in the other 14 parishes please know we're continuing to advocate for you."

The governor said he intends to return to Lake Charles on Wednesday and travel to Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis and Vernon parishes on Thursday.

Louisiana's Hurricane Laura death toll remained at 15 Tuesday.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Hurricane Laura 'worse' than Hurricane Rita, Louisiana governor says
(Natural News) An ongoing study that keeps track of how the nations of the world are faring with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) contains some eye-opening revelations about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ).

In all areas where HCQ is used  the United States is not one of them, thanks to Anthony Fauci and the left  the official death rate from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is a shocking 73 percent lower, on average, than in areas where HCQ is prohibited.

When HCQ is used early, the death rate from the Wuhan coronavirus is even lower, the study reveals  up to 77.3 percent lower than in places like the U.S. and Canada where HCQ is off limits, in fact.

What this all suggests, of course, is that Fauci, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and all other entities currently in the way of HCQ being made available to Americans are guilty of murder.

This is ironic when considering that the left is blaming President Donald Trump for the 180,000 reported deaths from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19)  a number that has since been reduced about 95 percent by the CDC, which recently indicated that there have actually only been a few thousand deaths in people who were diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) while having no other pre-existing conditions.

All in all, the death rate associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) appears to be exceptionally low, and even lower in areas of the world where HCQ is used early to treat patients.

Be sure to check out the full C19Study for yourself.

Medical establishment STILL bashing HCQ as ineffective and dangerous

Despite having already been caught lying about the alleged dangers and ineffectiveness of HCQ in treating the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the medical deep state is still at it in bashing this simple, inexpensive generic drug.

Most recently, a paper published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, the official journal of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), claims that taking HCQ with the antibiotic drug azithromycin does not lower mortality in Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

Both alone and in combination with azithromycin, the study contends, HCQ is not effective and sometimes increases the risk of mortality. This stands in stark contrast to the experience of Dr. Stella Immanuel, who says she has successfully treated hundreds of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with HCQ.

Im here because I have personally treated over 350 patients with COVID, Dr. Immanuel stated during the Americas Frontline Doctors (AFD) event that was widely censored from social media after its initial airing.

Patients that have diabetes, patients that have high blood pressure, patients that have asthma, all people, she added. Weve not lost one patient! And on top of that, Ive put myself, my staff, and many doctors that I know on hydroxychloroquine for prevention.

A quick internet search for the latest news on HCQ only suggests the opposite, however. Article after article, and study after study, has absolutely nothing good to say about HCQ, likening it to a death drug for the purpose of keeping it out of the hands of patients desperately in need of a cure.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed plan to unveil new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines at warp speed is moving right along, with the first marketable candidates to be ready for mass distribution in a matter of just a few more months  possibly even in time for the election, according to statements recently made by Trump to the media.

More up-to-the-minute news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

c19study.com

CDC.gov

NaturalNews.com

SciTechDaily.com

NaturalNews.com
Meat Industry Ireland says it has found common ground with Siptu following talks on workplace safety today in the wake of a spate of Covid-19 outbreaks at meat plants in the midlands that led to three counties being locked down.

It says it is in agreement with Siptu over mass testing and keeping factories running -- and plan to work more on a Code of Practice in two weeks' time.

But Siptu divisional organiser Greg Ennis said the problems in meatpacking cannot be solved without addressing the lack of sick pay for workers.

"For someone who was at the meeting it was not all that positive. I will say both Meat Industry Ireland and Siptu do have common interest in maintaining worker safety and continuing business which protects the workers.

Advertisement "However I would be extremely disappointed with the fact that Meat Industry Ireland have refused to engage in sick pay for workers.

Individual employers

According to the Irish Times after the meeting Mr Ennis said that progress had been made on other elements of a proposed charter or code of practice for the sector, including safety measures to protect workers against Covid-19, testing for the coronavirus and inspections of plants.

Talks on these issues are expected to reconvene between Siptu and employers in the meat processing sector later this month.

Meat Industry Ireland meanwhile said after the meeting that pay and conditions were not matters within its mandate but rather rested with individual employers.

Mr Ennis said he was disappointed that the organisation was not prepared to engage in a process aimed at introducing a standardised across-the-board agreement on sick pay and pensions.
DUBLIN, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "String Inverter Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global string inverter market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% during the forecast period of 2020-2025.



Factors such as increasing deployment of solar projects, on account of the supportive government initiatives, and the declining price of solar photovoltaic components are expected to drive the market. Governments across the world have incorporated various policies to implement renewable energy as a source of alternative energy.



However, the lack of financing options to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the residential sector in underdeveloped and developing economies is expected to hinder the string inverter market growth during the forecasting period.



Key Highlights

The utility segment is likely to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to the increase in solar power projects in various countries across the globe to develop a sustainable and affordable energy source.

With the targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the coming years, countries across the globe are adopting various targets to mitigate climate change. For instance, California is one of the prominent states in the United States , that has targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% by 2030. Moreover, it is estimated that by 2030, the global demand for electricity would be nearly 36 thousand terra watts hours. The increasing demands for electricity clubbed with the targets for GHG emissions are expected to promulgate the increase in renewable energy facilities like solar PV, which is likely to create an opportunity for the string inverter companies to expand its business in the near future.

is one of the prominent states in , that has targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% by 2030. Moreover, it is estimated that by 2030, the global demand for electricity would be nearly 36 thousand terra watts hours. The increasing demands for electricity clubbed with the targets for GHG emissions are expected to promulgate the increase in renewable energy facilities like solar PV, which is likely to create an opportunity for the string inverter companies to expand its business in the near future. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, with the majority of the demand coming from China , Japan , and India .

Market Trends



Utility Segment Likely to Witness Significant Growth

Utility-Scale solar photovoltaic installations are massive projects that cover multiple acres of land that are used to generate electricity, solely for distribution purpose. The string inverters are used to convert the generated direct current (DC) by the solar panels into alternating current (AC).

The utility-scale solar facilities generate electricity through several technologies that include concentrating photovoltaics (CPT), concentrating solar power (CSP), and photovoltaics (PV). Among all, photovoltaic is the most widely implemented technology, on which string inverters are getting used.

In2019, global solar PV installed capacity was nearly 580.2 gigawatts (GW) and is expected to increase during the forecast period on account various initiatives taken by the countries to have a sustainable and cheaper form of energy source.

Utility segment string inverters are primarily three-phase, have a power rating of more than 80kW, and have unique properties to withstand extreme climatic conditions.

For instance, the solar park project in Tatvan town of Turkey is one of the recent utility solar projects, that installed nearly 40 string inverters. The installed capacity of the park is around 5 megawatts and was commissioned in 2019.

is one of the recent utility solar projects, that installed nearly 40 string inverters. The installed capacity of the park is around 5 megawatts and was commissioned in 2019. With increasing demand, investment for solar utility projects are growing over the years. Countries like China and the United States are among the top countries that are concentrating on having a large number of utility projects in the upcoming years. Such steps in the utility sector are likely to have a large installation of string inverter and thus would help to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific to Witness Significant Growth

Asia-Pacific is dominating the region with the highest installed capacity of solar PV and string inverters. In 2019, the region has nearly 330 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV installed capacity, with China , Japan , and India as the major countries.

is dominating the region with the highest installed capacity of solar PV and string inverters. In 2019, the region has nearly 330 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV installed capacity, with , , and as the major countries. China is the major country in the region with approximately 205 GW of solar PV installations in 2019. It is expected that the country is planning to double its installation capacity by 2025, which is likely to expand the string inverter market during the forecast period.

is the major country in the region with approximately 205 GW of solar PV installations in 2019. It is expected that the country is planning to double its installation capacity by 2025, which is likely to expand the string inverter market during the forecast period. Tengger Desert Solar Park and Longyangxia Dam Solar Park of China , Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, and Kamuthi Solar Power Station of India are the few key projects in the region that have installed string inverters.

, Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, and Kamuthi Solar Power Station of are the few key projects in the region that have installed string inverters. As per the National Energy Administration (NEA), China has allocated three billion yuan of subsidiaries for solar projects during the year 2019. Out of the total, nearly 750 million yuan is expected to allocate to the rooftop solar power projects. Subsidiaries allocated is expected to install more solar PV facilities, which is likely to boost the string inverter installations during the upcoming years.

Competitive Landscape



The string inverter market is moderately fragmented. Some of the key players in the market include KACO New Energy GmbH, Delta Energy Systems GmbH, ABB Ltd, Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Chint Power Systems Co Ltd, Ningbo Ginlong Technologies Co Ltd, Fronius International GmbH, SMA Solar Technology AG, and Eaton Corporation.



Key Topics Covered



1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope of the Study

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Study Assumptions



2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



4 MARKET OVERVIEW

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Market Size and Demand Forecast USD billion, till 2025

4.3 Recent Trends and Developments

4.4 Government Policies and Regulations

4.5 Market Dynamics

4.5.1 Drivers

4.5.2 Restraints

4.6 Supply Chain Analysis

4.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Phase

5.1.1 Single Phase

5.1.2 Three Phase

5.2 Power Rating

5.2.1 Up to 10kW

5.2.2 11kW to 40kW

5.2.3 41kW to 80kW

5.2.4 Above 80kW

5.3 End-user

5.3.1 Residential

5.3.2 Commercial & Industrial

5.3.3 Utility

5.4 Geography

5.4.1 North America

5.4.2 Asia-Pacific

5.4.3 Europe

5.4.4 South America

5.4.5 Middle-East and Africa



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.2 Strategies Adopted by Leading Players

6.3 Company Profiles

6.3.1 KACO New Energy GmbH

6.3.2 Delta Energy Systems GmbH

6.3.3 ABB Ltd.

6.3.4 Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd.

6.3.5 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

6.3.6 Chint Power Systems Co. Ltd.

6.3.7 Ningbo Ginlong Technologies Co. Ltd.

6.3.8 Fronius International GmbH

6.3.9 SMA Solar Technology AG

6.3.10 Eaton Corporation PLC



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vg80tk

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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Bindi Irwin has opened up about the incredible moment she found out she was pregnant with her first child.

In an emotional Instagram post, the 22-year-old revealed that husband Chandler Powell was making a cup of tea when she broke the exciting news.

She accompanied the post with a photo of herself cuddling up to Chandler, covering her baby bump in an oversized Australia Zoo jumper.

'A moment where time stood still': Bindi Irwin (right) has opened up about the incredible moment she found out she was pregnant with her first child to husband Chandler Powell (left)

'Discovering that I was going to become a mother will forever be a moment where time stood still,' she wrote.

'I took a test and ran into the kitchen where Chandler was making us tea,' she continued.

'He didnt hear me come in so I speechlessly watched him pouring the water into my most loved hedgehog mug.'

Bindi said that the news changed their future forever and left her filled with tears of joy.

'This news would change the course of our future in the best way. I started crying tears of pure joy and told my sweetheart husband that my test was positive,' she added.

'I started crying tears of pure joy and told my sweetheart husband that my test was positive,' Bindi wrote

The discovery led to the pair sitting down over a cup of tea to discuss their lives together.

'We sat together with tea talking about the future and how we were going to share such wonderful, life changing news with the people that we love,' wrote Bindi.

'In that short span of time the gorgeous baby I'm carrying became the most important part of our lives.

'We sat together with tea talking about the future and how we were going to share such wonderful, life changing news with the people that we love,' wrote Bindi

'It is such a blessing knowing that this tiny person has chosen us as parents,' she added, before stating that the baby would be loved by both their families and the entire Australia Zoo team.

'I cant wait to find out what this amazing new soul loves in life, and experience the world all over again through their eyes,' she finished.

Bindi and Chandler were married on March 25, in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo.

The couple met close to seven years ago in November 2013 when Chandler, who hails from Florida, was touring Australia for a wakeboarding competition.
Flu viruses may spread via dust, research suggests. (Getty Images)

With flu season approaching, it may be worth giving your house a thorough clean.

Although typically spread via coughs and sneezes, research suggests flu viruses may also travel through the air in dust.

Scientists from the University of California, Davis, painted a flu virus strain on the fur of guinea pigs that were immune to the pathogen.

Read more: When should you not ignore a cough?

The animals transmitted the virus to uninfected guinea pigs, despite not carrying it in their respiratory tract.

The scientists concluded flu viruses may therefore spread in the air via dust, fibres and microscopic particles.

The team state this has obvious implications for the coronavirus, however, they stressed it is unclear whether the same results would apply to other respiratory infections or even additional flu strains.

At-risk patients are advised to have a flu vaccine before the virus circulates; typically December to March in the UK. (Getty Images)

Its really shocking to most virologists and epidemiologists that airborne dust, rather than expiratory droplets, can carry influenza virus capable of infecting animals, said study author Professor William Ristenpart.

The implicit assumption is always that airborne transmission occurs because of respiratory droplets emitted by coughing, sneezing or talking.

Transmission via dust opens up whole new areas of investigation and has profound implications for how we interpret laboratory experiments as well as epidemiological investigations of outbreaks.

Read more: Can old wives' tales really help fight colds?

There are three types of flu viruses  A, B and C. Every year, one or two strains of type A  typically the most severe  circulate, as well as type B, which generally causes a less severe illness.

Each February, the World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the strains that are most likely to be circulating in the northern hemisphere over the following winter.

Based on this, the WHO recommends which flu strains vaccines should protect against.

The NHS advises at-risk patients get the jab before the UKs flu season, which typically runs from December to March.

Story continues

As well as spreading via coughs and sneezes, the viruses are known to survive on certain surfaces, like door handles or used tissues  known as fomites.

To better understand the different ways the virus may land on these objects, the scientists looked at whether tiny, non-respiratory particles they called aerosolised fomites could carry the pathogen between guinea pigs.

Animals that were immune to flu had the virus painted on their fur.

Using an automated sizer, the scientists found the guinea pigs gave off up to 1,000 virus particles per second as they moved around their cage.

Read more: 5 everyday places cold and flu viruses linger

These went on to infect other susceptible animals, according to results published in the journal Nature Communications.

Finally, the scientists tested whether microscopic fibres from an inanimate object could carry infectious viruses.

They exposed tissues to a flu virus, let them dry out and then crumpled the tissues in front of the automated particle sizer.

Crumpling the tissues released up to 900 particles per second, at a size that could be inhaled.

These virus-contaminated tissues were also capable of infecting cells in the laboratory, the results revealed.
Renters and housing advocates attend a protest to cancel rent and avoid evictions in front of the courthouse amid the COVID-19 in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2020. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

California Extends Eviction Moratorium for Five Months

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers agreed on Aug. 31 to an extension of eviction protections designed to help both tenants and landlords impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The extended moratorium, Assembly Bill 3088, runs through Jan. 31, 2021. It was signed into law by Newsom two hours before a midnight deadline, and will protect millions of tenants from eviction and property owners from foreclosure due to the economic impacts of COVID-19, according to an Aug. 31 press release.

Beginning Sept. 1, tenants must pay 25 percent of their rent to avoid eviction. They are still responsible for the remaining 75 percent, which becomes a legal debt, but do not have to begin paying the balance until March 1, 2021.

The unpaid amounts cannot be the basis for an eviction, but landlords can begin recovering the debt in an expanded small claims court when the moratorium expires. The bill protects landlords by extending certain anti-foreclosure protections.

The newly passed legislation also guarantees that no tenant can be evicted until Feb. 1, 2021, for not paying rent from March 4 through Aug. 31 if they are able to provide a declaration of hardship due to the pandemic. The unpaid rent becomes a consumer debt to the landlord, according to the new law.

COVID-19 has impacted everyone in Californiabut some bear much more of the burden than others, especially tenants struggling to stitch together the monthly rent, and they deserve protection from eviction, said Newsom.

This new law protects tenants from eviction for non-payment of rent and helps keep homeowners out of foreclosure as a result of economic hardship caused by this terrible pandemic.

Some critics of the bill applauded the extension, but decried the relatively short length. A previous bill, Assembly Bill 1436, would have extended the eviction moratorium through April 21 before lawmakers reached a compromise on the newer iteration.

David Levy, a program specialist for The Fair Housing Council of Orange County, told The Epoch Times that the bill could prove to be problematic for tenants down the road.

While it does offer substantial relief to tenants who cannot pay due to pandemic-related financial distress, it sets up a cliff for those that may still be struggling when it comes to paying full rent for February, Levy said via email.

It leaves open the possibility that those tenants could be hit with an immediate 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit that could lead to an eviction action commencing as early as February 8th.

The Fair Housing Council advises tenants to pay as much rent as they can afford each month, while still allowing for their other essential expenses, so they do not find themselves unable to meet minimum standards.

They may eventually face a legal action to recover back rent even if it is not one for eviction, so they should not dig themselves into a hole from which they cannot climb out, Levy said.

Dean Preston, founder of the advocacy group Tenants Together, said via Twitter on Aug. 28 that the temporary relief leaves tenants vulnerable to mass eviction in Feb. 2021. The proposal offers limited relief and contains many problematic compromises to appease the landlord lobby, he said.

Unfortunately, this proposal seems to be as much about protecting real estate profits as it is about saving people from eviction in the midst of a pandemic, Preston stated.

The California Apartment Association (CAA), an organization supporting apartment owners and managers, applauded the bill in an Aug. 28 statement.

The groups CEO, Tom Bannon, said, We applaud the Legislature and governor for advancing legislation with protections for tenants truly harmed by COVID, while ensuring that owners can evict nuisance tenants and residents who can afford to pay rent but choose to game the system instead.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said tenants and landlords can rest easier following the signing.

No one should lose their home due to this public health crisisand while cities like Los Angeles have strong tenant protections in place, there is no substitute for a clear, statewide framework that keeps hard-hit Californians under a roof, he said.

According to an Aug. 21 report issued by the states Employment Development Department, Orange County has lost over 200,000 jobs in 2020. The countys unemployment rate as of July was 12.3 percent, the report said, lower than the statewide rate of 13.3 percent.

A financial security study released Aug. 7 by the nonpartisan Aspen Institute in Washington estimated that from 31 percent to 42 percent of California households are at risk of eviction, based on confidence levels in the ability to pay for their next months rent.

Newsom called the new extension a bridge to a more permanent solution and called on the federal government to stabilize the housing market.

We need a real, federal commitment of significant new funding to assist struggling tenants and homeowners in California and across the nation, Newsom said.
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- In Fact, for the 1st Time, it's Not Only "a Physical", But Also "a Digital" Annual Collective, Popular Mega-Event "Euro-Fair" for 2020, that embattled "Strasbourg-Events" Director General, Albane Pillaire, acknowledged to "Eurofora" that she ambitiones to Realize, right in the Middle of a Europe-Wide ReBouncing Virus, After a "Bumpy" DeConfinement's Start, this Summer, which Reached ...+6.711 New Daily Infections Today in France, (See, f.ex.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/hastydecofinementflop.html, etc), Urging to Develop an almost Omni-Present "Digitalisation", as a Protection, which Could, however, Become Also a Chance... (See Infra).





- This very Rare Popular Mass-Event in Nowadays Europe, while Fairs are Still under a "Derogation" Measure Regime Legally, since a General Prohibition in France Continues, in Principle, until October 2020, Can't be Authorized but Only with the Presentation of "very Strong Guarantees", Obliging her young Team to Meticulously Work for the Careful Preparation of Many and Various kinds of Precautions, in order to have a Real Chance to Succesfully Address in Practice such an UnPrecedented Big Challenge. (On specifically Sanitary Issues, See "Eurofora"s Publication of Strasbourg City's Public Health Chief, Dr. Alexander Feltz's Replies to Our Questions, added to those of CEO Albane Pillaire too, at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eurofairtestforeuparliament.html, etc).

One of among the Most Important such "Guarantees", Against the Virus, is, Obviously, a Wider than Ever "Digitalisation", of as Many as Possible, Concrete Aspects of this Exceptional 2020 Euro-Fair, whose Crucial Role was Clearly Confirmed by "Strasbourg-Events"' CEO Albane Pillaire, as a matter of Principle, in Reply to a relevant "Eurofora"s Question, during the Annual Press-Conference of Today, which is a Traditional "Flagship" Event of the Socio-Economic and even Political Resumption of Collective Activities from the Autumn's Beginning.

=> It Includes, among others, Also : a complete "DeMonetisation of Payments", prefering to use "E-Currency", Instead of Cash, with Digitaly Operating "Cards" on the Fly, (f.ex. to Buy certain Products), and/or Internet Payments, (f.ex. to Buy Tickets, etc). Visitors use "E-Tickets", and Even Journalists' "Press Cards" are Dowloadable in a Computer, and, Eventualy, "Printed" independently, as "Eurofora" was Told during that Press Conference. There are No more Any Paper "Flyers", Neither "Maps" or "Lists" of various Stands, Nor "Time-tables" of Events on Paper, Contrary to the Past : All that is Now Accessible and Visible through EuroFair's WebSite, as well as in a Special "App", prepared for this Event, and Dowloadable Even at the Visitors' Personal Smart-Phones.

Everyone who Enters this 2020 EuroFair Must "Scan" his/her "E-Ticket" and/or "Press Badge", etc, at a Digital Machine, as well as Also Reveal his/her Identity and Provide his/her basic Personal Data, in Addition to being Known and Reachable throughout the Visit, (apparently by Smart-Phone), almost as People were Obliged to do in ...China (sic !), in order to Move around with "Scanned" Personal "Codes", during this Virus' Crisis, while "Health Checks" for Diagnosis of Virus are "Proposed", But "Not Imposed", as "Care" is Provided, by Health Specialists, for Eventual "Asymptomatic" Infected Persons, and Everybody is Also "Counted" (and "Scanned"), Both while "Entering" and while "Leaving" the Compound, in order to Calculate the Total Number of People Inside, at the Same Time, which Must Not ByPass 5.000, according to the Current Legal Regulations, (thanks to a "Constantly UpDated" Digital List, obviously). According to their Age, and/or Preferences, Potential Visitors May, Even, be Proposed some "Specific Time Slots", better "Fitting" their Characteristics, (as, f.ex., a "Quiet" Period for Elders, with Less Affluence of Crouds, More Availability for Children Care, etc), and/or, eventually, Special "PathWays" visible at the "Digital Map", (Comp. Supra), etc. A Specific "App", that Visitors are Strongly Incited to Download in their Smart-Phones, (as, Also, in Some Political Congresses, f.ex. Organized by Brussels-HeadQuartered EU outlets, Parties, etc., Already on 2019), "Facilitates" such Digital Interactions during the EuroFair.

-------------------

All this concerns the Exceptional Context, which Surrounds, on 2020, the overall Area and Framework, Inside which would take place the Popular Event of Strasbourg's Euro-Fair. But a Real "Digital Revolution" Might come from something Else, which, initially, Appears of, comparatively, Secondary Importance, almost Anodynous : I.e. the Content of this 2020 EuroFair itself, the Products and Activities that it Offers to the Visitors, inside the above-mentioned Exceptional Framework.

In Fact, the Digitalisation Imposed by the Fight against the Virus (Comp. Supra, and : ..., etc), by Suppressing f.ex. the Traditional Paper versions of the EuroFair's Map, List of Companies, Time-table of Events, etc., made the Organizers pay much More Attention to their WebSite, than in the Past. And the Same goes Also for the Above-Mentioned "App" Downloaded into Visitors' Smart-Phones, (Comp. Supra), as well as Even the DeMaterialisation of Payments which required a Digital Expression of the Products, (etc). The Result was for the main Organizer of that EuroFair 2020, "Strasbourg-Events"' CEO Pillaire, to Announce, in Reply to an "Eurofora"s Question, on the occasion of Today's Press Conference, that "Each Pazrticipating Company will have a Digital Space, in the EuroFair's WebSite, in order to Present its Products and Activities, as well as its Coordinates, Prices, Proposals, perhaps Daily Events, etc". "Each Businessman will have His Own Digital Space, and it Depends on him, How he will Organise and UpDate it", she Told us.

- "We are Doing That for the 1st Time", in a History of 88 Annual Editions of Strasbourg's "Euro-Fair", and "We Started (to Prepare it Just at the Beginning of this Summer. So, we Hope to be Able to Finish it on Time, for the about 450 Businesses which have Already Declared their Participation", as well as, "Perhaps 200 or 300 More, which Might be added" in the MeanTime. At any case, Each Participant Will have the Opportunity to eventually UpDate his Part of the WebSite, Up to the Last Minute", Pillaire added.

- In Fact, Nobody really Knows Yet, How this Novel Digitalisation will Finally Work in Practice, for this 1st Time, But, at least, one thing is Clear : - "All Businesses will be Able, if they wish, to Eventualy, propose to Sell their Products Also <<On Line>>, and Deliver them as they can, f.ex. near the EuroFair's entrance, By Post, or Otherwise", Now or Later-on, she Replied to a specific "Eurofora"s Question on that Key Practical matter.

=> The Point, Obviously, is, that, in this way, they Can Overcome the "Inevitable UnCertainty" about "Whether Most People might Fear to go to a Collective Event as long as the Virus Still Circulates around, Or, on the Contrary, Frustrated, Nowadays, After a Long Period withOut Yet enough Occasions for Meet and Interact with Other Persons, and/or Breath, Outdoors, some Fresh Air, Together with their Family and Friends, while also Discovering New things, Will, rather, Rush to Seize This Rare Opportunity", as she explained. Because, at Any Case, All Interested Potential Clients, would be Informed about the Offers of Businesses Presenting their Products at Strasbourg's "Euro-Fair", and, If they Wish, they Would be Able to get in touch remotely, and, Eventually, Pass Command also "On Line", so that they would "Not be Obliged to Physically Come on the Spot", (If they might, Perhaps, be Afraid of the Virus). This does Not Exclude, Moreover, the Possibility for Some People to "First Visit the EuroFair, and Afterwards Pass Command On-Line", While Others, Might, on the Contrary, Discover something Interesting through that WebSite, and, Afterwards, decide to Come on the Spot", as "Eurofora" suggested and Pillaire Agreed.

>>> - "In that sens, Yes, We are, for the 1st Time, indeed Preparing Not 1, But 2 EuroFairs on 2020 : One Physical, and anOther Digital !", Positively resumed, Replying to "Eurofora", <<Strasbourg-Events>>' CEO, in fine, with a Bright Smile.

- By the way, "Many Businesses are Still Frustrated by that Recent "Lock-Down" Because of the Virus' Crisis, and feel Eager to Renew Contacts with the People and potential Customers asap, So that they May Really rush to Seize this Opportunity", she pointed out. At any case, since "Several among the Participants had Not Yet Sufficient Experience on How to Set Up and Efficiently Use a part of a WebSite, We are Accompagnying them, by Providing practical Help" for that purpose.(Meanwhile, "Eurofora" noticed that Most Participants, at least until now, prefer to Publish a Short Resume of their Products, with a simple Link at Their own Websites, most of them quite Well Build).



+ And, Pillaire promised to Afterwards Publish, Not Only the Number of Physical Visitors at this EuroFair's Compound, (as it's Traditionaly done), But Also the Number of Digital Visits that Will be made at its Website, (as well as, if possible, their Origins : F.ex. from Which Cities and/or What Countries, etc., Including their Eventual Outcomes, such as Contacts, Cooperations, Transactions, etc).

=>At any case, "What we will do Now here, (with this Exceptional "Euro-Fair" of 9/2020), Will be, shortly Afterwards, Evaluated, in order to Reach practically Useful Conclusions for Other such Collective Events, Both Throughout France and elsewhere in Europe", Strasbourg City's Public Health Chief, Dr. Alexander Feltz (in charge of the Sanitary Issues) also said Earlier, in this Same Press Conference, where he Replied to Relevant "Eurofora"s Questions, (See: ..., etc).

>>> In this Way too, Added also to the Fact, that, as "Eurofora" observed, (triggering an amused smile by Pillaire in agreement), Many Web Visitors might be ... "from (Physically, But Not Digitaly) Far Away Scandinavia" (sic !), then, Strasbourg's Traditional EuroFair Might, indeed, Start to progressively Become Really and Fully "European", even in Practice !

Indeed, this 2020 EuroFair being, mainly, Composed of 3 Parts : a) on "Homes", b) "Shopping", and c) "Food", the First seems very "Popular" Nowadays, probably Due to the Virus which incites People to Stay Home, (as Pillaire observed), and Might have some Interesting Ideas also for Other Countries, while the Second has Obviously a Lot of Easily Transportable Items, and the Third reminds f.ex. the Most Famous, Internationaly, French Export : i.e. the Wines, (to the point that US President Trump had notoriously Threatened to Tax French Wines IF Any Digital Taxes were imposed to the GAFAM !), as well as a Tasty Strasbourg's ...Coffee, reportedly shipped, not only to Nearby Germany, but Even to Russia and Japan !... As of a Traditional Strasbourg EuroFair's item : a series of New "Inventions" serving Various Purposes in EveryDay Life, If it's Continued, would Certainly Find several Interested People at EU's Common Market, (on Condition that the Internet's Big Potential is Well Used).





***

(NDLR: current Website = https://www.foireurop.com/liste-exposants/ + etc).

(../..)

("Draft-News")
Katsumoto Saotome at his home in Tokyo with his hachimaki headband from World War II. He worked at a factory to support the war when he was 12. He and other students sometimes wore the headbands on their way to work.

Credit... Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times
Scammers worldwide have been exploiting people's fears of lost jobs and income during the Covid-19 lockdown, by using phishing mails, fake websites and social media to extract personal information, spread malicious software or defraud unsuspecting victims.

Anna Collard, SVP content strategy and evangelist of KnowBe4 Africa

Exploiting pandemic disruption

According to Kasperskys spam and phishing report for Q2 2020, one technique used by scammers was to pose as HR employees to send emails informing recipients that they had been laid off. The emails contain malicious attachments that purport to be receipts for two months salary.The employee was informed that the company had been forced to discharge them due to the pandemic-induced recession, the researchers write. The dismissal followed the book, in that the attachment, according to the author of the e-mail, contained a request form for two months worth of pay. Needless to say, the victim only found malware attached.Banking phishing attacks also took advantage of peoples economic woes by sending emails purporting to offer various pandemic-related discounts and bonuses, directing them to links that gave attackers access to the victims computer or personal information.Scammers have targeted South Africans hoping for financial relief during the lockdown too: local banks warned customers of phishing scams claiming their UIF funds had been approved, and referring them to an attachment, and fake emails from the government claiming recipients had to insert their banking details on a link to access free funding.The Department of Labour also cautioned the public about a scam on social media promising people a pay out of R30,000, using a spoofed departmental website asking people to check if their names appeared on a list of those entitled to funds. The goal? Stealing peoples personal information such as bank login details or downloading malicious software.These scams highlight at least two lessons: First, fear and anxiety are powerful inducements to getting people to open malicious email. Second, consider the role organisational policy can play here. Do people expect to receive such important notices by email? They probably shouldnt.The disruptions wrought by lockdowns around the world presented a wealth of opportunities for scammers who took advantage of newly remote work environments and supply chain interruptions to target victims.Kaspersky researchers report that they observed a spike in voice phishing scams at the end of the quarter. These scammers sent emails posing as Microsoft directing recipients to call the Microsoft Support Team at the phone number supplied in the email.The share of voice phishing in email traffic rose noticeably at the end of Q2 2020, they write. One mailshot warned of a suspicious attempt at logging in to the targets Microsoft account, originating in another country, and recommended that the target contact support by phone at the supplied number. This spared the scammers the need to create a large number of fake pages, as they tried to get all the information they needed over the phone.Scammers also took advantage of global shipping complications by sending fake notices of delivery delays. Other scams mailed targets claiming their packages could not be dispatched due to restrictions on certain types of goods, directing them to an attached archive which opened remote access to the victims computer.New-school security awareness training can enable your employees to make smarter security decisions by teaching them how to recognise these tactics.
Ciena Corporation CIEN is slated to report third-quarter fiscal 2020 results (ended Jul 31, 2020) on Sep 3, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 49%. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 25 cents.



The Hanover, MD-based networking systems, services and software company is expected to have recorded slightly higher revenues year over year. Despite a challenging environment, Cienas performance is likely to have benefited from the proper execution of its strategy that centers on innovation, diversification and global scale.



Lets discuss the factors that are likely to get reflected in the upcoming quarterly announcement.

Factors at Play

During the quarter under review, Telia Carrier  a leading network service provider  deployed an integrated C&L-Band photonic line system from Ciena. Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, the international wholesale unit of Deutsche Telekom, selected Cienas WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e)  the industrys first 800G programmable solution  to meet increasing traffic requirements across its pan-European network.



Cienas technology was deployed by Telefonica UK to migrate legacy traffic onto a new packet network capable of supporting 5G, IoT and other next-generation applications. Vodafone New Zealand advanced its network by deploying 800G technology using Cienas WL5e coherent optics between its data centers in Auckland.



Sparkle, TIM Groups fully-owned global operator and the first international service provider in Italy, adopted Cienas WL5e to upgrade its 10,476 km fibers on the Curie submarine cable. Ciena was selected by Spark, a New Zealand-based telecommunications company, to provide hardware, software and services to build Sparks Optical Transport Network (OTN 2). These developments are likely to have had a positive impact on Cienas fiscal third-quarter top line.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for aggregate revenues is pegged at $972 million that indicates a rise of 1.1% from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Adjusted earnings per share are pegged at 83 cents, which calls for growth of 16.9% from the prior-year quarters recorded figure.

Story continues

What Our Model Says

Our proven model doesnt conclusively predict an earnings beat for Ciena this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Earnings ESP: Cienas Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00% as both are pegged at 83 cents.

Ciena Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

Ciena Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

Ciena Corporation price-eps-surprise | Ciena Corporation Quote

Zacks Rank: Ciena carries a Zacks Rank #3, at present.

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Here are some companies that you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.



Campbell Soup Company CPB is slated to release fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 results on Sep 3. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.67% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Signet Jewelers Limited SIG is scheduled to release second-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Sep 3. The company has an Earnings ESP of +38.82% and a Zacks Rank #3.



Patterson Companies, Inc. PDCO has an Earnings ESP of +19.78% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is set to report first-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Sep 3.

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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at a meeting on September 2 approved the resolutions on signing agreements with the governments of the Republic of Singapore and Iceland on air service, the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry has reported.

The regulations are designed to fulfill the domestic procedures required for the conclusion of the above-mentioned agreements between Ukraine and the Republic of Singapore and between Ukraine and Iceland.

"Despite the global aviation crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to expand the list of countries we work with in air travel. We are preparing to conclude two intergovernmental agreements on air services with Singapore and Iceland. Today, the Government approved the draft of these agreements and authorized the head of the State Aviation Service to sign them on behalf of the Ukrainian side, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii said.

The agreements will determine the procedure for regulating international flights during the operation of contractual routes between Ukraine and Singapore and between Ukraine and Iceland, the procedure for designating airlines, will establish conditions under which airlines will be granted and revoked permits to operate scheduled flights, regarding aviation security, etc.

ish
The Allahabad high court on Tuesday, September 2, quashed Dr Kafeel Khan's detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release, saying the Aligarh district magistrate did a 'selective reading' of his speech at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Dr Khan has been in jail since January 29 after he delivered the speech at the AMU during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in December.

Subsequently, the stringent NSA was slapped on Dr Khan in February, in connection with his anti-CAA speech.

After being released from jail, Dr Khan thanked the court and said, 'I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers, who raised their voice for my release. The administration was not ready for release, but because of the prayers of people, I have been released.'

Dominic Xavier heaves a sigh of relief for Dr Khan who has been languishing in Mathura jail since January.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
In 1861, this is what secession looked like: marching bands playing, fireworks lighting up southern skies and, eventually, shooting.

In 2020, heres what secession looks like: the click of the block function on Facebook so that we dont ever have to see posts from people whose opinions we dont share.

This process of self-isolation is hardly new. Bill Bishop and Robert Cushing wrote a book about this back in 2008. The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart looked at how people have been self-segregating themselves by ideology in a way we havent seen before.

Some of that is geographical  we used to have a lot more swing states, but now there are really only about a dozen states that matter in a presidential election, perhaps even fewer.

But a lot of it isnt. A Washington Post survey in 2016 documented how few voters really knew anybody on the other side: More than half the people who support one of the two major-party candidates say they do not have any close friends or family voting for the other. Fifty-four percent of voters in Trumps camp say they have no Clinton supporters in their inner circles. And 60% of Clinton backers say they are not close to any Trump voters.

We suspect if that same question were asked today  after four years of unfollowing and blocking on social media  the divide might be even starker.

We were reminded of this by two events recently, one nationally, one locally.

The roster of speakers at the Democrats national convention included a few Republicans, most prominently former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who was a candidate for the GOP nomination four years ago. The point was to show that Joe Biden can appeal across party lines and that its OK for disaffected Republicans to vote for him. Youd think that Democrats would rejoice that theyve won over a high-profile Republican defector, however temporarily. Winning an election is about addition, not subtraction. But not all Democrats saw it that way. Some were horribly offended. With the exception of being Anti-Trump, Kasichs record stands against everything our party supports, tweeted the Kent State College Democrats. His inclusion at the convention would be an affront to our values. Others had a similar response. So much for the big tent, eh?

The more local example came at the pro-police Back the Blue rally in Roanoke last week. In some ways, the event was indistinguishable from a Republican rally. It was organized by the two Republican candidates for Roanoke City Council, Peg McGuire and Maynard Keller. Among the speakers were the districts Republican congressman (Ben Cline) and the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate (Daniel Gade). There was, though, one other speaker. That was David Bowers. Hes a Democrat who served 16 years ago as mayor and once was the Democratic nominee for the 6th District seat in Congress. This year, hes running again for mayor  as an independent. Heres what Roanoke Times reporter Alicia Petska had to say about Bowers appearance at the rally: Bowers faced some skeptics in the audience. As he approached the stage, one person exclaimed with dismay that he was a Democrat. Why would anyone at a Republican-tinged, pro-police rally object to a Democrat showing up to agree with their message? Wouldnt they want that? Like we said before, winning is about addition.

So heres where we are as a society: Not only are those on the left and the right isolating themselves from each other whenever possible, theyre objecting to people on the other side even agreeing with them  from the Democrats who found Republicans making a case for their presidential nominee offensive to the Republicans who reacted with skepticism and dismay to Roanokes former Democratic mayor endorsing their pro-police message.

Its a fine thing for people to argue over politics. Democracy is built on the premise that citizens will argue over politics  better that than not being able to argue over them. But its also built on the premise that we can tolerate our fellow citizens and not treat them as some kind of odious other.

What we had in 1860-1861 was a geographical secession  the Southern states leaving (or trying to leave) the Union. What were seeing today is a kind of social secession. You know those science fiction movies where theres some kind of parallel universe? Thats what we have here  parallel societies where people living or working side-by-side effectively live in different universes based on their ideology. They may all experience the same weather, but theyre exposed to very different political environments. Someone on the left may never really hear a conservative argument, except perhaps by caricature. Likewise, someone on the right may never hear the liberal side, except perhaps filtered through a conservative news source. This may make life temporarily more pleasant for both sides, but its not conducive to governing a diverse society where compromises often have to be made to accommodate our complexity. Of course, compromise has become a dirty word.

After the 1972 presidential election  in which Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern by a landslide  the New York Times film critic Pauline Kael was said to have remarked: I dont know how Richard Nixon could have won. I dont know anybody who voted for him. She didnt actually say that  what she said was I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I dont know. Theyre outside my ken. In any case, the paraphrased version get paraded around every four years as an example of how certain elites are out-of-touch with the rest of the country  although it works just as well the other way around. Its fair to say today that both left and right are out-of-touch with one another  often intentionally so. They dont have to agree, of course. They shouldnt agree  we need those kinds of disagreements. But wed be better off if each side had a better understanding of the other. Perhaps then we wouldnt fall into the dangerous trap of treating those on the other side as an enemy, as Republican gubernatorial hopeful Amanda Chase recently did when she declared that those who disagree with her on police funding are not Americans.

We know how the secession of the 1860s worked out  not very well for the secessionists. We dont know yet how this social secession will work out. Frankly, wed rather not have to find out.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, shifted their focus to the citys mayor, and police declared a riot as people broke windows, vandalized a business and set a small fire inside the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives.

The demonstration that began late Monday and extended into Tuesday fell on Wheelers 58th birthday and featured shiny golden alphabet balloons that protesters used to spell out an expletive.

They sang on the street outside the mayors building, some wearing party hats, and the fire was set with a bundle of newspapers in a store housed on the ground floor of Wheelers building. There were no reports of major damage or injuries.

Wheeler, who is also police commissioner, has come under fire for his failure to bring the violence in Oregons largest city under control and for heading up a police force that has used tear gas multiple times against demonstrators.

Some also blame the mayor for engaging in a war of words with President Donald Trump instead of focusing on local needs. Trump has put Portland and other Democrat-led cities in the crosshairs of a law and order re-election campaign theme  a move thats escalated tensions in the city and drawn the attention of right-wing Trump supporters.

A supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was killed Saturday during clashes between dueling protesters. A caravan of Trump supporters, estimated at about 600 cars, encountered Black Lives Matter protesters as they drove through the downtown and skirmishes broke out.

Police have not announced an arrest in the slaying of Aaron J. Danielson, 39, of Portland, and have said nothing about what led up the shooting.

Police Chief Chuck Lovell denounced the vandalism and said it was an escalation of previous protester actions.

The families that live inside have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives. As Ive stated repeatedly, the nightly violence is coming at increased cost, he said.

Lovell added: This is impacting the safety of our entire City and urgent action is needed. Our elected officials need to do their part to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. The violent behaviour must end.

Wheeler said late Tuesday on his Facebook page that the vandalism negatively impacted a minority-owned business.

Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal, and distract from, the important message of the racial justice movement. Organizations in the community who encouraged or condoned these actions are complicit, he said.

Wheeler added: The community must rise up and say enough is enough and hold all of us accountable. We cannot truly move on together and make the positive changes we want to see until this violence is stopped. All violence.

Protesters were angered last Sunday when Wheeler held a news conference about the shooting and traded barbs with Trump, who was watching the conference live on TV and tweeted insults at Wheeler.

Many said afterward that they wanted to hear about solutions to the violence and how to keep the citys Black residents safe. They complained that the mayor instead engaged in political theatre with the president to raise his own profile.

Wheeler, the son of a wealthy timber scion, is seeking a second term against Sarah Iannarone, a candidate to the left of him who has marched repeatedly with protesters.

Wheeler said at the news conference that he does not believe in completely defunding the police, would not resign and would not turn over the Portland Police Bureau to Jo Ann Hardesty, the citys first Black councilwoman.

He used that press conference to try to score political points with a president we already know is a problem. He was asked point-blank what could have been done to prevent this, what could we do better in the future, and he did not have concrete strategies, said Cameron Whitten, founder of the Black Resilience Fund and a longtime activist in the city. It truly was appalling.

The situation grew more uncertain Monday, when two suburban counties and a nearby city refused to send deputies and officers to help the Portland police keep the peace. The Oregon State Police and sheriffs deputies from Multnomah County  the county that includes Portland  are bolstering the citys force.

But officials in Clackamas and Washington counties and the city of Gresham said they would not send law enforcement personnel to Portland.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said flooding the city with more law enforcement would never work because Portlands newly elected district attorney has dismissed charges against hundreds of protesters arrested for nonviolent, low-level crimes.

Roberts and Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett also said the liability for their deputies would be too great.

The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DAs office. The next night they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again, Roberts said.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, has so far declined to send the National Guard to Portland, as Trump has suggested.

_____

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus
Trump admin. grants $1M to Kenosha Police, $4M to businesses damaged from rioters

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The Trump administration will be granting $1 million to the Kenosha Police Department in support of their efforts to defuse the current unrest in the city, according to remarks made by President Donald Trump while visiting Kenosha on Tuesday.

Trump told reporters that he will also be granting $4 million to small business recovery for those businesses that have suffered damages from the riots, and $42 million statewide to advance law enforcement efforts.

President Trump announces federal aid to Kenosha:



- million to Kenosha law enforcement

- million to support the small businesses that have suffered

- million to support public safety statewidepic.twitter.com/NRsy7BK5pc  Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 1, 2020

"We must give far greater support to our law enforcement. Its all about giving them additional support. These are great people. ... These are brave people. Theyre fighting to save people that they never met before, in many cases. And theyre incredible. We must really be thankful that we have them, and we have to help them do their jobs," Trump said.

The president traveled to Kenosha to observe the damage from the riots that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23.

Following the tour of the damages, Trump held a roundtable conference joined by Attorney General William Barr, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wold, Senator Ron Johnson, Congressman Bryan Steil, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis, and others.

During the conference, Trump asked a pastor to pray for the current situation in Kenosha.

"Father, we ask you to forgive us all when weve strayed from your ways and where weve not acknowledged your word. We ask that you would continue to cause this nation to be one nation, under God," Pastor James Ward of Insight Church prayed.

Trump described the root of the violence as a message driven by reckless far-left politicians.

"To stop the political violence we must also confront the radical ideology that includes this violence. Reckless far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist  they'll throw out any word that comes to them," he said at the roundtable.

"We have to condemn the dangerous, anti-police rhetoric."

Trump also expressed some sympathy toward police, saying they could have a long "spotless" record but make one "wrong decision" in "a quarter of a second."

"Theyre under tremendous pressure. And they may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record. And all of a sudden, theyre faced with a decision. They have a quarter of a second  quarter of a second  to make a decision. And if they make a wrong decision, one way or the other, theyre either dead or theyre in big trouble. And people have to understand that. They choke sometimes. And its a very tough situation, right? Then people call them 'bad' and 'horrible,'" he said.

Blake, 29, was shot seven times in the back by a Wisconsin police officer. He survived but is paralyzed from the waist down, his family said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting, said officers were dispatched to a residence "after a female caller reported that her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises."

Officers tried to arrest Blake but after two unsuccessful taser attempts, Blake "walked around his vehicle, opened the drivers side door, and leaned forward. While holding onto Mr. Blakes shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times." Blake admitted afterward during the investigation that he had a knife in his possession. A knife was recovered from the drivers side floorboard of his vehicle.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Blake was trying to intervene in a domestic incident and that his children were in the vehicle when the shooting happened. He argued that Blake was racially profiled.

The conversation around the Kenosha riots increased one week ago when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three rioters, killing two and injuring one, after they chased him down and attacked him.

Trump commented on Rittenhouse at a White House press conference on Monday and erred on the side of Rittenhouses defense, saying he was trying to get away from them, referring to the mob who was chasing the armed teenager.

He was trying to get away from them, I guess it looks like, and he fell and then they very violently attacked him, and it was something that we are looking at right now and its under investigation. But I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably wouldve been killed. Its under investigation.
Glasgow is waking up to new lockdown restrictions today following a spike in coronavirus cases.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move after 66 new positive tests were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area yesterday.

Restrictions on visiting other households now apply to people living in Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.

Exceptions were given  on top of emergency circumstances or providing care to a vulnerable person  for extended households which were established during lockdown.

This includes people who live alone, couples who do not reside together and parents who live alone with children under 18.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move after 66 new positive tests were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area yesterday

Under the new rules - which also apply to West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire - residents are no longer allowed to meet up with other households indoors

Indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to 'essential-only' to protect the most vulnerable

It is expected the measures will be in place for two weeks, however the Scottish Government will review them after one week

Ms Sturgeon said: 'I have just chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government's Resilience Room (SGoRR) which met to discuss the rising number of new Covid-19 cases across Scotland but particularly the rising number of cases in recent days in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

'Over the past two days, we have seen 314 new cases in Scotland and 135 of these in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

What are the new lockdown rules imposed in West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Glasgow No meeting people from other households indoors

Members of different households - who are not in a bubble - should only meet outdoors or in hospitality settings with social distancing

Any close contacts of someone who has tested positive should isolate for 14 days

Only essential visits to hospitals and care homes

Outdoor visits to care homes are allowed. There should only be three people at a time and the visit cannot last longer than two hours Advertisement

'If these numbers continue or  and this is the fear  they rise further, then more people will fall ill from Covid-19 and more people will enter hospital and intensive care.'

She added: 'Transmission appears mainly to be happening inside people's homes and between households, rather than in pubs and restaurants.

'Having carefully considered the data and consulted with local public health officials, local authorities and Police Scotland  all of whom were involved in the resilience meeting discussion that has just taken place  I can therefore confirm this evening that we have decided to take the following action.

'From midnight tonight, if you live in local authority areas of East Renfrewshire, the city of Glasgow or West Dunbartonshire you should not host people from other households in your home and you should not visit someone else's home  no matter where that is.'

It is expected the measures will be in place for two weeks, however the Scottish Government will review them after one week.

Meanwhile, indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to 'essential-only' to protect the most vulnerable.

Outdoor visits to care homes will be permitted for up to three people from a maximum of two households, in line with current guidance.

Schools and nurseries will remain open, and plans for the opening of colleges and universities remain in place.

Ms Sturgeon added: 'I understand this will not be welcome news for people living in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire but it is necessary to help us limit the spread of Covid-19.

'Acting now gives us the time and the space to protect people and get more control over the virus.'
A man on Friday wearing a shirt calling for freedom for Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen charged with fatally shooting two people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump at a press conference on Monday defended Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old supporter charged with killing two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"That was an interesting situation," Trump said. "He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell, and then they very violently attacked him."

Trump did not mention that authorities believe Rittenhouse had already fatally shot one person before the scene he described.

Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump refused to condemn the actions of a 17-year-old supporter who has been charged with killing two men last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"That was an interesting situation," Trump said at a press conference Monday. "He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell, and then they very violently attacked him."

Trump did not mention that Kyle Rittenhouse was suspected of fatally shooting one person even before the scene he described.

Rittenhouse, who crossed state lines to patrol the streets of Kenosha during protests and unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, is accused of shooting three people, according to a criminal complaint the state of Wisconsin filed Friday.

The first person shot was Joseph Rosenbaum. An autopsy found he was shot multiple times, including in the back, fracturing his pelvis and perforating his right lung and liver. He also had gunshot wounds to a thigh and his forehead.

Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges.

Rittenhouse's attorney has said the shootings were in self-defense, but the criminal complaint says video of the incident reviewed by the police showed the victim "appears to be unarmed."

Story continues

The complaint says that after Rosenbaum was shot, Rittenhouse  who was carrying a semiautomatic rifle  tried to flee, prompting a chase, during which the complaint says he fell and then shot two men, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz.

"He was in very big trouble," Trump said. "He probably would have been killed. It's under investigation."

But the criminal complaint cites video of the incident that it says shows Huber was not attempting to kill anyone but rather "appears to be trying to pull the gun away from the defendant."

According to an autopsy, Huber died of a "gunshot wound to his chest that perforated his heart."

Biden immediately condemned Trump's comments

The Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, issued a statement condemning Trump's comments.

"Tonight, the president declined to rebuke violence," Biden said. "He wouldn't even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it."

Initially, Trump's reelection campaign sought to distance the president from Rittenhouse, who attended a January rally for the president, as BuzzFeed News first reported.

"President Trump has repeatedly and consistently condemned all forms of violence," a representative said on Wednesday  despite the president encouraging violence against protesters and hecklers at his campaign rallies. "This individual had nothing to do with our campaign, and we fully support our fantastic law enforcement for their swift action in this case."

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
BAGHDAD: French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Iraq on Wednesday and said the main challenges facing the country are Islamic State militants and foreign interference in its affairs.

We are here for, and we will continue to support, Iraq," Macron said at a news conference in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih.

Iraq should not become a battleground for proxy conflicts between other states, Salih said. Iraq faces the challenge of balancing the interests of the United States and Iran, both key allies.

Iraq is a sovereign state that wants balanced relations with all its neighbours," said Salih.

We do not want Iraq to be a battleground for the conflicts of others, we want others to participate in achieving stability in Iraq and respecting its sovereignty."

Macrons visit is the first by a Western leader to Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office in May, becoming the third head of government in a chaotic 10-week period that followed months of deadly protests in a country exhausted by sanctions, war, corruption and economic challenges.

Kadhimi was selected by parliament in May to head a government that would guide the country towards early elections and has called for one to be held in June 2021.

Early elections are a main demand of anti-government protesters who staged months of mass demonstrations last year.

French officials have said Paris is concerned by a resurgence in Iraq of Islamic State, which is profiting from political uncertainty and rivalries between Iran and the United States.

Islamic State, which once occupied a third of Iraqs territory, has been largely defeated there but continues to carry out ambushes, assassinations and bombings.

The war against Islamic State isnt finished  we will continue to act alongside you in the framework of the anti-Islamic Sate coalition," said Macron.

The second challenge is the one of the multiple foreign interferences that have been going on for several years."

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 Washington Square News (WSN) published an editorial Monday defending the efforts to implement race-based housing at New York University (NYU). The student-run newspaper published its editorial under the headline Providing Spaces for Black Students Does Not Mean Segregation.

The statement was produced in response to the outpouring of public opposition triggered by the World Socialist Web Sites exposure of the initiative, which went viral on social media last week.

The first point that must be made about the editorial is that it confirms the initial report by the WSWS, which stated that NYU was planning on implementing racially segregated student housing. Following this report, NYU issued a statement declaring it false and misleading, and the AP posted a fraudulent fact-check concluding that the report was false.

As the WSN editorial states, the initial petition produced by the Black Violets student group requested on-campus housing that provides Black-identifying students with a space to celebrate Black culture and find community and support. It notes that the university issued a statement that it was working with the authors of the petition to see how they could best achieve their goal of creating a safe space for Black students on campus.

While the editorial asserts that NYU has not agreed to provide housing only designed for students of one race, this is the clear and stated intent of the proposal. And the editorial goes on to explicitly defend racially segregated housing.

The WSN argues that establishing racially separate housing for black students does not amount to segregation because segregation is a term heavily associated with the creation of white-only spaces under Jim Crow laws.

By creating a space for marginalized students in residence halls NYU is not segregating dorms, WSN writes, but providing Black students with a supportive place within an institution where they represent just over 10 percent of the previous years incoming class.

The editorial board argues that allowing African American students to live in separate campus housing based on race is no different than established units for first generation students, international students or those interested in French language and culture! They claim further that this would create a space on campus where black students can feel safe and supported.

This argument is deeply reactionary. If racially separate housing is necessary to make African-Americans students feel safe from their peers, why not separate dining halls, class rooms and ultimately, as under Jim Crow, separate schools? Students must consider seriously the logical outcome of this initiative.

Whether it realizes it or not, the WSN is replicating the arguments of Jim Crow segregationists who insisted that the white and black races could never live together peaceably and therefore segregation was necessary to protect both. The defenders of segregation argued that the separation of the races arose from the customs and desires of both whites and blacks and was therefore beneficial to education.

In Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 case that struck down legal segregation in public schools, the superintendent of Topeka schools, Kenneth McFarland, said that segregation was the outcome of the social customs of the people. Here is the exchange:

Q: Have you ever, as an administrator of schools, considered it part of your business to formulate customand social customs and usage in the community?

A: Mr. Goodell, I think the point is extremely significant; in fact, its probably the major factor in why the Board of Education is defending this lawsuit, and that is we have never considered it, and there is nothing in the record historically, that its the place of the public school system to dictate the social customs of the people who support the public school system.

The implementation of Jim Crow laws and customs in the 1900s was not primarily meant, as the WSN claims, to create white-only spaces free from blacks, but to drive a physical wedge between black and white workers in the factories and forestall the reemergence of a united movement of poor white farmers and black sharecroppers that had threatened Democratic Party rule throughout the South in the Populist movement of the 1890s.

Significantly, in attacking the World Socialist Web Site's criticism of the housing plans at NYU, WSN cites the WSWS critique of the New York Timess 1619 Project. The WSWS, it notes, published a series of articles attacking the project for promoting a race-based world view in line with that of the Nazis.

This gets to the heart of the issue. In its critique of the Times project, the WSWS denounced the effort to interpret and falsify all of American history entirely through the prism of race and racial conflict. The history of the US was presented as a conflict between white people and black people, in which class divisions and class struggle were entirely excluded.

The politically motivated falsification of history, we wrote, legitimizes the effort of the Democratic Party to construct an electoral coalition based on the prioritizing of personal identitiesi.e., gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, and, above all, race. The elevation of race into the fundamental category of history and contemporary politics, we explained in the passage to which the WSN objects, is a mirror image of Trumps own racial politics, and it bears a disturbing resemblance to the race-based world view of the Nazis.

This political logic is carried out in the NYU plan, which is part of an aggressive promotion of racialist politics on campuses throughout the country. It cannot be separated from the broader strategy of the Democratic Party and its affiliated media outlets to insist that the basic social category in American society is race, not class.

Racism certainly exists. It is promoted by the state, and by the Trump administration in particular. The White House is actively inciting fascistic violence, as the developments of the past week make clear. However, the claim that black students confront an epidemic of racism on campus, that they need to have segregated housing in order to feel safe from white students, is a lie.

The answer to racism, moreover, is not the separation of the races, but the fight to unify workers of all races. Indeed, the promotion of racialist politics only plays into the hands of the far right.

It is significant that the WSN begins its editorial by referring to the protests over police violence following the murder of George Floyd by police in May. The Democratic Party responded to the multi-racial protests that erupted in the aftermath of the killing of Floyd by hijacking them and promoting the lie that what was expressed in Floyds murder was the consequence of white supremacy, not the violence of the ruling class and its state.

The outcome is the Democrats nomination of Joe Bidenan individual with a decades-long history as a representative of the ruling classand Kamala Harris, an ex-prosecutor who enforced laws targeting the poor and oppressed, including minority workers and youth.

What is expressed in the racialist campaign for segregated housing at NYU has nothing to do with the interests of workers of any race. Racial and identity politics express the interests of privileged sections of the upper-middle class who are fighting for positions, including in academia.

It is notable that those promoting the Black Violets petition have nothing to say about the massive cost of tuition and housing, the enormous cost of attending college and the skyrocketing cost of living, particularly in Manhattan, where the campus is located. Their demands are completely devoid of anything relating to the interests of the working class, of any race, gender or ethnicity.

What limits access to NYUone of the most elite private universities in the worldfor students of all races and ethnicities is above all the immense levels of social inequality that prevail in American society. The average cost of one year at NYU, after financial aid is factored in, is more than $42,000, or two-thirds of US median household income. On top of this, campus housing, food and living expenses for an NYU student cost an estimated $100,000 over four years.

The struggle against racism is impossible outside the struggle to unify the working class against capitalism in the fight to establish socialism, which would mean genuine equality for all. Public education must be supported and expanded with trillions of dollars in funding to build new schools and train more teachers and staff members. Higher education must be made free and available to all who wish to attend. It is on this basis that the effort to set aside housing based on race at NYU must be rejected by all students and workers.
In a major change in free agriculture power supply policy, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to withdraw subsidy to power distribution companies towards agriculture power supply every year.

Instead, the government will pay money directly to farmers for the power consumed by them in their fields and they, in turn, could pay the power bills to the Discoms.

An order to this effect (GO Ms No. 22) was issued by state energy secretary Nagulapalli Srikanth on Tuesday.

The free power supply to agriculture was introduced in combined Andhra Pradesh during the regime of late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.

Until now, farmers have been enjoying unlimited free power supply there was no measure of how much power they are consuming. The state government has been bearing this loss being incurred by Discoms by extending free power supply to farmers in the form of power subsidy every year.

According to Srikanth, there are 17.55 lakh agriculture power connections in Andhra Pradesh consuming an average of 12,232 million units of power as per the 2020-21 estimates. The government has been incurring an expenditure of nearly 8,354 crore every year for supplying this power to farmers free of cost. This amount is being paid to Discoms in the form of power subsidy.

According to the latest decision, the government will not pay this subsidy amount to Discoms with effect from the next financial year 2021-22. Instead, it will credit the amount for the power bill directly into the account of farmers in the beginning of the month so that they, in turn, would pay the bill for the Discoms.

Like in the past, the farmers will not have to pay a single rupee for the power they consume for their agriculture operations. This will help the farmers know how much subsidy they are getting from the government every month and they will get a right to demand quality power supply from discoms, Srikanth said.

However, there is a condition. The farmers will have to install meters for their agricultural power connections, so that they know how much power they consume every month and the Discoms would be able to bill for the power consumed.

Srikanth said decision to introduce direct benefit transfer (DBT) for agriculture power consumers was taken in view of the condition imposed by the Centre as part of performance-linked reforms under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in order to avail of additional borrowing.

The government said it would open fresh bank accounts for farmers to credit the power subsidy directly every month. It proposed to constitute committees at village, block, division, Discom and state-levels for the smooth implementation of the new policy. These committees, besides creating awareness and redressing grievances, will also be responsible to conduct enrolment for new connections.

The opposition parties strongly resisted the governments decision to do away with power subsidy to Discoms and introduce direct benefit transfer to farmers.

Telugu Desam Party legislator Anagani Satyaprasad alleged that the state government was trying to shift the burden of power subsidy to farmers. Why should it transfer the money to farmers and ask them to pay the bills to Discoms again? The government can anyway pay the Discoms directly, he said.

He wondered when the government was not in a position to pay salaries to the employees on time, how it would pay the farmers towards power bills. He also opposed the installation of meters for agriculture power connections.

CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna also demanded that the government withdraw the new agriculture power policy.

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Leidos might be the No. 1 company on the 2020 Washington Technology Top 100 but its size isnt just about scale, it's also a key factor in their ability to adapt and be flexible in the face of customer demands.

We have the scale to spread out our overhead and keep our rates down, said Roy Stevens, chief of business operations. We can invest those savings in repeatable solutions that gives us differentiation for our customers.

The company can point to five major achievements of the past year as evidence that the scale is has been adding and the investments it has been making are paying off. The company has won three major contracts: Two recompetes in DISAs Global Solutions Management Operations II contract, worth $6.5 billion, and the Hanford site environmental clean-up contract, worth $4 billion, and one take away, the $7.6 billion Navy NGEN contract, that is still under protest by the incumbent Perspecta.

The company also closed two major acquisitions. It acquired Dynetics, a space engineering firm, for $1.65 billion and then the transportation security business of L3 Harris for $1 billion.

Looming over all of this continues to be the 2016 acquisitions of Lockheed Martins Information Systems and Global Solutions business, valued at $4.6 billion.

The impact of that deal still reverberates through the company, but in a very positive way.

It is nice to stand in front of investors that were a little skeptical (in 2016)  and say heres what we were trying to achieve and heres what weve achieved, Stevens said.

The company hit No. 1 this year with $8.1 billion in prime contracts.

Lockheed brought discipline and experience working on complex systems and projects, while Leidos had a heritage that rooted in ability and entrepreneurship.

We brought those two into a new culture, Stevens said. And this is a people business so a key attractor for is that we are empowered to make decision and we have the ability to move quickly when we need to.

The NGEN win, while still in protest limbo, is one Leidos likely would not have pursued with IS&GS and it is one they worked for three years. Simultaneously, the must-win recompetes of GSMO II and the Hanford contract and other large competitions underway.

Over the last year, Leidos faced protests over $18.6 billion worth of contract wins. It has prevailed in all of those. The NGEN contract is now at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Stevens says the wins are a validation of the IS&GS acquisition. You have to integrate, but the last 18 months to 24 months we see the fruits of all that we laid out in 2016, he said.

Now the company has made two more big bets, though not on the scale of IS&GS, but still deals that bring scale in important market areas.

The transportation security market is one that Leidos has worked in for years, but Stevens described their presence as sub-scale. The company just wasnt big enough to make much of an impact.

The proactive in pursuing the acquisition when L3 and Harris announced their merger. We knocked on their door and said if you are looking at your portfolio, we want to be first in line, Stevens said. We were really persistent with that.

With the acquisition closed, Leidos is now No. 2 globally behind the U.K. company Smiths Detection.

Because Leidos was already in the transportation security business, it has been able to consolidate operations and find cost synergies in areas such as research and development. The plus for the folks coming over from L3Harris is that security is a core mission for Leidos. Security and safety is in our mission statement, Stevens said.

We want to double down on the business, he said. There are opportunities to expand what Leidos is doing in the United States with FAA but also globally with air traffic control customers in the U.K. and other countries.

Youll see that as part of the innovation we can bring to the market, Stevens said.

L3Harris adds more products to the portfolio, which can be enhance Leidos services offering. We were wanting to get a little more into our mix, he said.

With Dynetics, Leidos is getting into areas of the space market where they didnt have much presence and it adds capabilities such as manufacturing and prototyping. We also saw a culture fit in that their strength is agility and doing things in a cost-effective manner and with some rapidity, Stevens said.

Dynetics fills a gap for Leidos between R&D efforts and production with their ability to bring prototypes on line and prove new concepts. For example, they are doing a lot of work in hypersonics, obviously an area we want to get into, he said.

We think they are a really nice fit and well see it prove out over time, Stevens said.
Man Arrested as Captain America During Burglary Turns Hero

NEWS PROVIDED BYSept. 2, 2020ATLANTA, Sept. 2, 2020 / Standard Newswire / -- A Mississippi man who was arrested after dressing up as Captain America to commit a break-in has turned real-life hero.What a difference one year has made for David Hobbs. His very public arrest in Sept. 2019 for burglarizing the shed of an armed former Marine in Clarksdale, Miss.--while comically dressed up in a Captain America costume with padded chest and fairy wingscaptured the attention of Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, New York Post and other media, while going viral on social media.This Sept. 18 at 11:30 AM ET, the laughter will turn to applause for 37-year-old Hobbs. After struggling with drug addiction since he was 15 and amassing multiple arrests, Hobbs will receive a one-year sobriety award during a pastor's conference ( https://www.pastoraladdictionsummit.com/ ) at Good Landing Recovery, the holistic faith-based organization where David received treatment and now helps counsel other addicts. The event is open to working press and will be held at Good Landing's headquarters at 256 McMillan Rd, Dacula, GA 30019."So the judge said, 'Okay, if you want to go to rehab, I 'ma let you,'" Hobbs fondly recalled the Mississippi judge who sentenced him to complete a drug rehabilitation program in lieu of serving more jail time. "I've never been to any rehab before in my life. Thirty days come, and you know, I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna stay 60 days, and then, next thing you know, it was 90 days," he said.Good Landing Founder and CEO Trey Lewis will share David's comeback story ( https://www.facebook.com/goodlandingrecovery/posts/6637550842102320 ) and present him with the much-anticipated award during the scheduled pastor's conference, designed to inform and educate area leaders "there is addiction in your church, whether you know it or not.""David came to us at rock bottom. Websites and news outlets around the globe picked up on his moment of weakness and mocked him. Literally millions of people saw his story and laughedbut God..." Lewis remembered, continuing "within just a short time, David's life has come full circle!! He's sober, he's helping others beat addiction and God is getting all the glory! No one is laughing now at this amazing transformation.""We understand that no addiction is just a physical or mental battle, and it doesn't just affect one person's life. Our goal is a total transformation of each person, inside and out, so we can return them to a healthy, safe, and healing family environment," said Lewis of the unique mission of Good Landing Recovery.Social media ridicule has turned into praise and admiration for Hobbs, who said,"The same people who were writing me off and laughing now 'like' anything I post on Facebook or anything that I'm doing...they're telling me how proud they are of me. Some of those same people are messaging me on Facebook asking me for advice, to help bring other people they know out of addiction.""God's blessing my life and I want to bless somebody else. The person I was and the person I am are two different peoplethe person before no longer lives inside me," Hobbs said.Good Landing Recovery exists to destroy the power of addiction by creating an atmosphere where God can restore families and lives through the body, spirit, and soul, uses an integrative approach to each person's recovery emphasizes healing and growth in every area of their life. For information, visit https://goodlandingrecovery.com/ SOURCE Good Landing RecoveryCONTACT: Gregg A Wooding, 972-567-7660Related Links
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod summoned Russia's ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin to a meeting with the Foreign Ministry's foreign policy director, according to his tweets.

The meeting came as tensions rose following the alleged incursion into Danish airspace by a Russian Su-27 fighter, near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic, while in hot pursuit of a U.S. Air Force B52 bomber last Friday, wrote NATO's Allied Air Command on its website on Monday.



According to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Friday's incident was the first of this kind of violation for several years.



"Completely unacceptable violation of Denmark's airspace by Russian Su-27 fighter. (I) will raise issue with Russian authorities to avoid repetition," Kofod tweeted, adding "DK(Denmark)will always defend our air space, insist on international law."



The Russian action prompted the immediate launch of Danish Quick Reaction Alert aircraft to counter the violation, near the Danish island of Bornholm, resulting in the lone Russian fighter turning back before the interception, local media reported.



Earlier Tuesday, Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen called it an "unacceptable violation of Danish airspace."



Russian Defense Ministry has denied that the Russian fighter violated the Danish border, saying the fighter's action was to prevent a violation of Russian territory.



"On August 28, 2020, a Su-27 fighter from the air defense duty of the Baltic Fleet was raised to identify and prevent a U.S. Air Force B-52H strategic bomber from violating the Russian state border," TASS cited the ministry as saying.



"The flight of the Russian Su-27 fighter, accompanied by an American bomber, was carried out over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in strict accordance with international rules..., without violating the borders of other states," the statement added.
Commercial pilots are accustomed to sharing the sky with birds or, more recently, drones, but on Sunday two pilots reported a novel sighting at 3,000 feet approaching Los Angeles International Airport: a man flying a jet pack.

Tower, American 1997  we just passed a guy in a jet pack, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 1997 from Philadelphia told air traffic control, about 6:35 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. The exchange was captured and posted by LiveATC.net, which shares live and archived recordings of air-traffic-control radio transmissions.

Were they off to your left side or right side? the controller asked. The pilot said the person was 300 yards to the planes left, and about 30 seconds later, another pilot said he had also seen the man pass by. The controller, after asking the pilot of JetBlue Flight 23 to keep a lookout, added, Only in L.A.

Now both the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.

American Airlines declined to identify the pilot, referring inquiries to the FAA. A JetBlue official would not comment.

Seth Young, a pilot and a professor of aviation at Ohio State University, said it was very dangerous" to fly so close to an airplane, especially in the busy airspace near Los Angeles International Airport.

The risk is obviously having a collision with that airplane or getting a drone, or the person getting ingested into an engine, Young said. We have these issues with birds flying within congested airspace, as well.

Because there has been an increase in the past few years in the numbers of aerial vehicles, primarily drones, around airports, the FAA has enacted rules and restrictions regarding flying close to airports, he added. Authorization from the FAA would be required to fly in such controlled airspace.

Could the pilots have been mistaken? Young said he would not dispute a pilots perception, as they have excellent vision and are trained to spot small objects in the air.

Jet packs have long been portrayed as futuristic vehicles in comic books or spy movies, but not much headway has been made in making the technology safe and available for recreational or commercial use.

The main issue is fuel efficiency  most jet packs are not equipped to fly for more than a few minutes, making it difficult for them to get very high. The devices are mostly popular among enthusiasts or used as tourist attractions for thrill seekers who want to experience a few minutes of airborne flight, typically over open fields or water.

Glenn Martin, an inventor from New Zealand, tried to develop a jet pack that would be practical for commercial use and could reach higher altitudes. The device was named one of 2010s best inventions by Time, which reported that the jet pack could theoretically take a person up to 8,000 feet and hold 30 minutes worth of fuel.

But when a New York Times reporter tried it in 2008, Martin said his team had not taken the device higher than 6 feet. He speculated that if you can fly it at 3 feet, you can fly it at 3,000. Ten years later, the company appears to be defunct.

That does not mean others have quit trying to achieve high-altitude flights with jet packs. Earlier this year, a Jetman Dubai pilot flew nearly 6,000 feet up using a jet pack. The flight lasted three minutes.

JetPack Aviation, based in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, invented what it calls the worlds only JetPack, which can reach up to 15,000 feet in altitude and can be operated for about 10 minutes. Its founder introduced the jet pack in 2015 with a flight around the Statue of Liberty.

But the company does not sell the jet pack for recreational use, requiring people to take a three-week course to learn how to operate it and use it in a controlled space.

As for Sundays sighting, David Mayman, JetPack Aviations founder, said, Honestly, we dont know whos working on a machine that would be foolish enough or reckless enough to do that.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
A 53-year-old man has been found dead on the roof of a veterinary surgery.

Queensland Police and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) were called to the business in Capalaba, 19km from Brisbane, at 5.30pm on Tuesday.

Investigators believe the man may have been electrocuted.

Queensland Police and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) were called to the business in Capalaba, 19km from Brisbane, at 5.30pm on Tuesday (street view pictured)

Investigators believe the man may have been electrocuted and a report is being prepared for the coroner

WHSQ officers are expected to return to the business on Wednesday to continue their investigation, Brisbane Times reported.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the death is not being treated as suspicious.

She said a report is being prepared for the coroner.
A group of senators wants to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes, the military's newspaper for service members, as the organization faces being totally defunded before the year is out.

The bipartisan group, led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), on Wednesday sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper to preserve the "historically significant publication," which only requires "a tiny fraction" of the Defense Department's annual budget, according to the lawmakers.

Read Next: Military Moves Forward with Plan to Make Air Force One Supersonic

"Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nation's freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom," the 15 senators said in the letter. "Therefore, we respectfully request that you rescind your decision to discontinue support for Stars and Stripes and that you reinstate the funding necessary for it to continue operations."

The Pentagon in February proposed cutting all of the newspaper's funding -- roughly $15.5 million annually -- to reallocate those dollars toward other high-profile programs, such as space, nuclear and hypersonic systems, Esper said at the time. The Senate version of the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act does not contain funding for the paper; lawmakers will convene this fall to develop a joint version of the bill.

"We trimmed the support for Stars and Stripes because we need to invest that money, as we did with many, many other programs, into higher-priority issues," he said during a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, following DoD's $740 billion budget submission to Congress. Stars and Stripes is published in print and online.

While the paper, which is distributed to U.S. troops stationed at bases worldwide, maintains editorial independence, it receives federal funding as part of the Pentagon's Defense Media Agency. About $8.7 million of the subsidy comes through operations and maintenance (O&M) funding, and about $6.9 million from contingency operations funds, Stripes said. The remainder of the Stripes annual budget comes from advertising, subscriptions and sales.

The senators warned that the deadline for the paper's operation to disband is fast approaching.

"We understand that DoD plans to cease publication of Stars and Stripes on September 30, 2020 and completely dissolve the organization by January 31, 2021 as a result of the proposed termination of funding in the fiscal year 2021 President's budget," they said. "We urge you to take steps to preserve the funding prerogatives of Congress before allowing any such disruption to take place."

In July, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a Marine veteran, introduced an amendment during the House Armed Services Committee markup that would allocated the necessary $15.5 million to keep Stars and Stripes afloat.

"Thousands of troops around the globe rely on them for the kind of news that just isn't covered elsewhere -- stories from American bases, the latest Department of Defense news, and transparency coverage that cuts through political and military brass BS talking points," Gallego said. "It's exactly the type of honest coverage that our armed forces need, and we weren't going to let the Administration stifle these voices without a fight."

The lawmakers on Wednesday noted that because of language within the previous year's continuing resolution, passed to sustain funding levels, DoD also cannot legally terminate a program "until a full-year appropriations bill is enacted."

"It was Stars and Stripes that revealed the Defense Department's use of public relations firms that profiled reporters and steered them toward favorable coverage of the war in Afghanistan," the lawmakers said.

"Most recently, the paper brought to light the failure of schools on U.S. military installations to shut down during the pandemic, despite Japanese public schools doing so. These stories illustrate why Stars and Stripes is essential: they report on stories that no one else covers."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Related: DoD Budget Proposal Cuts All Funding to Stars And Stripes; Lawmakers Back Newspaper
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Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Madrid, Spain  Wed, September 2, 2020 10:10 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c421d3c1 2 World Spain,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,COVID-19-curve,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

Spain's health ministry said on Tuesday the number of coronavirus cases detected daily had declined over the past four days, further off a peak of around 10,000 reached about 10 days ago, and officials said no new lockdown was necessary.

The country diagnosed 2,731 infections in the past 24 hours,

but these data could be revised in future as Spain updates its statistics retroactively. Tuesday's update raised the tally since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic by 8,115 cases to 470,973 overall, more than any other western European nation.

Since bringing the first wave largely under control through a strict lockdown that ended in June, Spain has suffered a sharp resurgence of infections as measures were relaxed and mass testing began.

Still, Health Minister Salvador Illa stressed that the surge in infections had not led to heightened pressure on hospitals, where occupancy of beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients is at around 6% across the country.

He also said the mortality rate of the virus remains far below the March-April peak, when nearly 900 daily deaths were reported. The latest data showed 159 deaths were registered in the past seven days, bringing the total up to 29,152.

The reduced death toll reflects the preponderance of new infections hitting younger people who display little or no symptoms of illness due to their stronger immune systems, whereas older people comprised most of the cases in March-April.

"From a public health perspective the current situation does not call for a new lockdown," Illa said on Onda Cero radio. "If we do things right, if we follow the recommendations of experts, it won't be necessary."
Tourists at the Tidal Basin across from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington on March 19, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

White House Rejects Proposal to Rename, Remove, or Contextualize Historical Washington Monuments

The Trump administration has unequivocally rejected a Washington committees series of recommendations regarding how to rename, remove, or contextualize dozens of monuments, schools, parks, and buildings in the area, among which are the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement late Sept. 1 that as long as President Donald Trump is in the White House, the recommendations from Washington Mayor Muriel Bowsers office will go absolutely nowhere.

As the mayor of our Nations capital citya city that belongs to the American peopleshe ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration, McEnany said.

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere weighed in on Twitter, asking rhetorically whether Bowsers Twitter page was a parody account. Thank God [President Trump] would never consider such an idea, he wrote.

Potentially removing the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial? This is a parody account, right? Thank God @realDonaldTrump would never consider such an idea. https://t.co/i1BFMbkIrt pic.twitter.com/hmGJiDTMV7  Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) September 1, 2020

The committee, District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions (DCFACES), is recommending that Bowser use her powers on the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission to advocate to remove, relocate, or contextualize nine national monuments:

Columbus Fountain

Benjamin Franklin Statue

Andrew Jackson Statue

Jefferson Memorial

George Mason Memorial

Newlands Memorial Fountain

Albert Pike Statue

Washington Monument

George Washington Statue

Such monuments are outside of the purview of the Washington government and therefore cant be directly acted upon by Bowser.

Bowser had formed the DCFACES working group amid nationwide protests in which participants have been rallying against police brutality and systemic racial inequities. The group released a 24-page executive summary (pdf) on Sept. 1.

Mayor Muriel Bowser attends a press conference in Washington on June 10, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Mayor Bowser charged [DCFACES] with evaluating named DC Government-owned facilities and make recommendations as to what, if any, actions need to be taken if the person the facility is named for is inconsistent with DC values and in some way encouraged the oppression of African Americans and other communities of color or contributed to our long history of systemic racism, the groups website reads.

In its summary, the group says its decision-making prism focused on key disqualifying histories, including participation in slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Rights Act.

The White House statement from McEnany accused Bowser of repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots: demolishing our history and destroying our great heritage, noting that the working groups plan recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument, Christopher Columbus Statue, Andrew Jackson Statue, and Jefferson Memorial, and contains many other ludicrous recommendations.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks at the White House on Aug. 31, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Our Nations capital is rightly filled with countless markers, memorials, and statues to honor and respect the men and women who built this country, McEnany said, adding that Trump believes these places should be preserved, not torn down; respected, not hated; and passed on for generations to come.

In addition to targeting federal properties, the DCFACES committee in its report called for the renaming of 21 public schools; nine residential buildings and campuses; 12 public spacesparks, fields, and playgrounds; and seven government buildings.

Bowser said in a statement on Sept. 1 announcing the report: Washington, DC is a city driven by inclusivity and diversitythese values are at the core of who we are and what we fight for. We are also a city united by the idea that we can always do better, that we can always find a way to do more good for more people. The recommendations in this report will guide us as we move forward in advancing these shared DC values.

She also announced that she looked forward to reviewing and advancing the groups recommendations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(UPDATE: Woman dies, husband critically injured after plane crashes into mid-Michigan farm field)

MIDLAND COUNTY, MI -- A 70-year-old man had to make an emergency landing in a Midland County farm field after an engine failed on his airplane.

Troopers with the Michigan State Police Tri-City Post were dispatched around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, to the area of Shaffer and Lewis roads in Warren Township, just outside of Coleman, for a report of an airplane crash.

The pilot, a 70-year-old Beal City man, told police the four-seat aircrafts engine failed when he was flying at approximately 1,000 feet.

He attempted to restart the engine multiple times after it failed.

When those efforts were not successful, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing in a soybean field.

The privately-owned plane flipped onto its top during the emergency landing, police said.

The pilot was the only person on the plane. He was not injured.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified about the crash and will work to determine the cause of the engine failure.

The incident remains under investigation.
South Africa: COVID-19 expenditure characterised by mismanagement, AG finds

Poor financial management by public institutions once again reared its ugly head during the disbursement of COVID-19 relief scheme funds, an audit report has found.

The synopsis is contained in Auditor-General Kimi Makwetus first of a series of special reports on the financial management of governments R500 billion COVID-19 relief package. The package was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

Due to the extent of the findings, the office of the AG will now forward a list of potentially fraudulent cases to the multi-agency fusion centre  the Special Investigating Unit and law enforcement agencies  for swift follow-up investigations and possible prosecution.

While the relief package totalled R500 billion, the AGs report focused on R147.4 billion allocated through the supplementary budget of June 2020.

A bulk of this was distributed to support for vulnerable households (R40.9 billion); health (R21.54 billion); support to municipalities (R20 billion); other frontline services (R13.62 billion); basic and higher education (R12.54 billion). The rest was distributed among other services. Of this, R68.9 billion (47%) had been spent by July 2020.

Makwetu first cast the spotlight on the payment of the temporary employer/employee relief scheme (TERS) and social grants. These were introduced to provide economic relief to the vulnerable and assist employers to protect jobs.

By 31 July, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) had paid just over R37 billion in TERS benefits and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) had paid R19.6 billion in social grants, the Auditor-General said.

In this regard, Makwetu said the new system implemented for TERS incorrectly calculated the benefits for the first lockdown period (27 March to 30 April) by not taking into account the actual period of inactivity and the portion of the salary paid by employers, resulting in significant overpayments.

Analysing payment data and checking the beneficiary information against other government databases, the Auditor-General flagged several payments that require investigation.

The office is now verifying payments made to ineligible recipients. Among these are people beyond the legal age of employment, deceased, working in government, receiving social grants or students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

Recalculations of claims and reconciliations with payment data identified overpayments, underpayments, duplicate payments and discrepancies such as approvals for payments made before the date of application.

Makwetu said there was also poor input and validation controls on the new system and a manual claim submission process used in the first two weeks of implementation further heightened the risk of invalid or manipulated claim information.

This was also the case in the payment of the R350 relief funds which, the report finds, was paid to people who are not in distress or ineligible.

Turning attention to the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), Mkwetu said audits were in different stages of completion. However, the offices data analyses of orders placed by health departments identified that some items were priced at more than double and even five times the prescribed price.

By June 30, R6.4 billion of R22 billion had been used on health related services.

Similar instances were identified in the procurement of PPE in the education sector, where the national and provincial departments are not procuring PPE at market-related prices, Makwetu said.

Although emergency procurement processes were allowed for procuring PPE, this did not mean all supply chain management requirements were relaxed.

Teams are still busy auditing the procurement processes, but are identifying matters such as suppliers not having valid tax clearance certificates, quotation and competitive bidding processes not being correctly applied, inadequate or inaccurate specifications and evaluation criteria and the incorrect application thereof, conflicts of interest, and the awarding of a contract in the health sector to a supplier with no previous history of supplying or delivering PPE," said the AG.

Quarantine sites

The Auditor-General said while 6 123 quarantine sites were initially targeted, only 510 sites had been identified by the Department of Public Works and only 192 activated for use by the Department of Health.

It is unlikely that government will pursue the original target for quarantine sites, as the demand for such facilities has been relatively low, he said.

Field hospitals

While R4.8 billion was made available for 66 field hospitals across the country, only 18 of these projects had been completed by 30 June.

The audit of the procurement processes for appointing contractors only recently commenced as a result of delays in providing us with the information and documentation requested, but the audit teams have already identified non-compliance with legislation in the processes followed, Makwetu said.

This, he said, is another area in which there is a need for closer cooperation between the Health and Public Works Departments to monitor the demand for additional beds and the implementation of the initiative.

In his closing remarks, Makwetu urged all oversight structures to examine the report to direct oversight actions. He called on accounting officers and executive authorities to account for the implementation of the COVID-19 initiatives and the management of the funds.

This report should become the baseline for oversights interrogation of how the multi-billion rand fund made available for the COVID-19 response was used. Our upcoming reports will also be a useful tool to monitor whether the control weaknesses that open up the funds to abuse are being closed and whether instances where abuse had already happened, were appropriately dealt with, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 09:43:01|Editor: huaxia

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BOGOTA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Colombian Minister of Health and Social Protection Fernando Gomez on Tuesday asked citizens to continue adhering to sanitary measures to better control the spread of COVID-19 as various sectors of the economy have begun to reopen.

"It is very important that Colombians do not have the feeling that everything has already happened. The virus continues to exist, it is among us, and if we lower our guard, there is a significant risk of outbreaks," he said.

The country's aviation sector was reactivated on Tuesday, with several local flights reopening after being closed for five months due to the pandemic, while inter-municipal transport also resumed operations in some regions with necessary biosecurity measures.

"I am optimistic because I have seen how Colombians have been learning and have generated social discipline to face the pandemic," said the minister.

Air passengers who traveled on the first flights were required to submit negative COVID-19 test results in addition to following airport biosecurity measures.

Last week, Colombian President Ivan Duque decreed that the country would end mandatory preventive isolation at the end of August and begin selective isolation, social distancing, and individual responsibility on Sept. 1 in an attempt to reopen parts of the economy.

Vice minister of Political Relations for the Interior Ministry, Daniel Palacios, said that as of Tuesday, some activities have returned to "normal," although strict sanitary measures are still in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

"The presidential decree encourages teleworking from home unless they are essential functions. We went from having mandatory isolation throughout the country, to being in an opening where there are prohibitions," said Palacios. Enditem
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 1, 2020 / Coral Gold Resources Ltd. (TSXV:CLH)(OTCQX:CLHRF) ("Coral" or the "Company") reports that Nevada Gold Mines ("NGM") continues to advance the Robertson Project in the Cortez region of Nevada where Coral retains a net smelter returns royalty (NSR).

NGM recently delivered its summary of work completed in Q2 2020 at Robertson. In terms of drilling activities at Robertson, NGM reported that the following was completed:

2,195 meters of resource drilling;

927 meters of geotechnical drilling;

354 meters of metallurgical drilling.

NGM is also progressing the evaluation and other pre-development activities at Robertson including:

Evaluating several processing scenarios for the Robertson Resource (see discussion on resource below);

Locating major infrastructure items such as crushing plant, CIC plan, heap leach pad, waste dump and haul roads;

Constructing test well drill pad for upcoming aquifer test; and

Continuing ongoing study work, including waste/ore and material characterization work and biological/archaeological baseline work.

As announced in Coral's news release dated March 16, 2020, Barrick included an inferred mineral resource at the Robertson project in their 2019 reserve and resource statement, included in the Cortez operation within Nevada Gold Mines.

Coral Gold Management is encouraged by the progress made during Q2 2020 on the Robertson Project, specifically with the evaluation of several processing scenarios and work to locate key infrastructure that, which signals progress in the development of Robertson.

Coral's NSR at Robertson

After the sale of the Robertson Project to Barrick in 2017 (now held within NGM), Coral retains a life of mine sliding scale, 1% to 2.25% NSR on the project. Coral's NSR is subject to potential advance royalty payments as well as a right of first refusal enabling NGM to acquire the NSR if the Company wishes to sell the NSR to any third party. The royalty increases with an increase in the price of gold. Details of the NSR are available on Coral's website.

Story continues

Qualified Person

The technical data in this press release was reviewed and approved by Alan Morris, P.Geo, who is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101.

About Coral Gold Resources Ltd.

Coral Gold Resources is a precious metals exploration company operating in Nevada, where it has explored one of the world's richest gold districts for over 30 years. The Company's primary asset is a sliding scale net smelter returns production royalty on Nevada Gold Mines' Robertson Property in Nevada. The Company also holds a portfolio of strategically-located exploration projects near Nevada Gold Mine's Pipeline/Cortez Mine Complex on Nevada's Battle Mountain/Cortez Trend. Coral remains debt free with a strong balance sheet. Our overall objective is to generate long-term wealth for shareholders.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"David Wolfin"

__________________________________________

David Wolfin

President & Chief Executive Officer

Coral Gold Resources Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release contains statements that are forward-looking statements and are based on numerous assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any projected future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

SOURCE: Coral Gold Resources Ltd.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/604174/Coral-Gold-Provides-Q2-Report-on-Nevada-Gold-Mines-Progress-at-Robertson-Project-in-Nevada




Scientists in the UK have demonstrated a prototype quantum network for secure online communications that can't be penetrated by cyber attacks.

The University of Bristol's 'multiplexing' system splits light particles that carry information to multiple internet users from a single central source.

Researchers have demonstrated the technology  which employs the odd effects of quantum entanglement  on optical fibres in different locations across Bristol.

If rolled out, the system could make the contents of online messages completely safe from interception while saving several billions of pounds spent on current quantum communications systems.

Quantum tech employs the freaky effects of quantum physics  the nature of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels  for advances in communications.

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A close-up of the equipment to maintain quantum entanglement - when two particles become inextricably linked. The quantum physics experiment has demonstrated an important step towards quantum cryptography between many users, an essential requirement for a secure quantum internet

The researchers say their unique prototype is understood to be the largest-ever quantum network of its kind and could transform how people communicate online.

'This represents a massive breakthrough and makes the quantum internet a much more realistic proposition,' said study author Dr Siddarth Joshi at the University of Bristol's Quantum Engineering Technology (QET) Labs.

'Until now, building a quantum network has entailed huge cost, time, and resource, as well as often compromising on its security which defeats the whole purpose.

'Our solution is scalable, relatively cheap and, most important of all, impregnable.

'That means it's an exciting game changer and paves the way for much more rapid development and widespread rollout of this technology.'

Project leader Dr Joshi optimising the central quantum network hub. The 'multiplexing' system splits light particles that carry information to multiple internet users from a single central source

Generally, the internet relies on complex codes to protect information, but hackers are increasingly adept at outsmarting such systems.

These cyber attacks result in embarrassing privacy breaches for global firms, costing trillions of pounds annually in total and compromising customer data.

With such figures projected to rise, quantum has been hailed for decades as the revolutionary replacement for standard encryption techniques.

So far physicists have developed a form of secure encryption, known as quantum key distribution, in which particles of light, called photons, are transmitted to carry information.

Artists impression of the quantum network, which provides every user with mathematically perfect secure encryption keys

The process allows two parties to share, without the risk of interception, a secret key used to encrypt and decrypt the information.

But to date this technique has only been effective between two users, rather than a network of multiple users.

For a party of eight users to each send information to each other, for example, each one has to be establishing one-on-one connections with every other user.

One way of avoiding this is to add a third party to each transmission, but having this 'person in the middle' can be a security risk.

Sebastian Neumann at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, one of the experts involved in the project, explains the issue on a blackboard.

Under the former method, for each of the eight users to be able to communicate without a 'person in the middle', there would need to be 56 individual connections and receiver boxes.

WHAT ARE RECEIVER BOXES? Receiver boxes are devices that receive and measure quantum signals. 'Think of it as some device that connects to your laptop on one end and to the optical fibre on the other, Dr Joshi told MailOnline. Eventually we will make these devices small enough to be just another chip inside your computer or phone. Advertisement

Under this system, as the user numbers grow, the logistics become increasingly less and less feasible  for instance, 100 users would take 9,900 receiver boxes in total.

The team's quantum technique applies a seemingly magical principle, called entanglement  a weird physical phenomenon that legendary physicist Albert Einstein described as 'spooky action at a distance'.

Quantum entanglement describes two particles and their properties becoming linked without physical contact with one another.

This means two different particles placed in separate locations, potentially thousands of miles apart, can simultaneously mimic each other.

This process presents far greater opportunities for quantum computers, sensors and information processing.

Instead of making a physical connection, such as a glass fibre, between each and every user, the researchers created a system where every user only has a single glass fibre connected to a source of quantum entanglement.

'Until now efforts to expand the network have involved vast infrastructure and a system which requires the creation of another transmitter and receiver for every additional user,' said Dr Joshi.

'Sharing messages in this way, known as trusted nodes, is just not good enough because it uses so much extra hardware which could leak and would no longer be totally secure.

'Instead of having to replicate the whole communication system, this latest methodology, called multiplexing, splits the light particles, emitted by a single system, so they can be received by multiple users efficiently.'

The network in operation, showing the receiving hardware for all eight users for information transfer. For the tests, all receivers were within the lab so researchers could monitor them. But they were connected via fibres that went across the city of Bristol

The team created a network for eight users using receiver boxes monitored within the lab, each receiving information from the single system.

To demonstrate its functionality across distance, the receiver boxes were connected to optical fibres via different locations across Bristol and the ability to transmit messages via quantum communication was tested using the city's existing optical fibre network.

'Besides being completely secure, the beauty of this new technique is its streamline agility, which requires minimal hardware because it integrates with existing technology, 'Dr Joshi said.

While previous quantum systems have taken years to build, at a cost of millions or even billions of pounds, this network was created within months for less than 300,000.

The financial advantages of multiplexing technology become more apparent as the network expands.

While 100 users on previous quantum systems might cost in the region of 5 billion, Dr Joshi believes multiplexing could slash that to around 4.5 million, less than 1 per cent.

'With these economies of scale, the prospect of a quantum internet for universal usage is much less far-fetched,' said Dr Joshi.

'We have proved the concept and by further refining our multiplexing methods to optimise and share resources in the network, we could be looking at serving not just hundreds or thousands, but potentially millions of users in the not too distant future.'

The system has been detailed further in the journal Science Advances.
Chris & Amber Cruise at U of L Health, donating proceeds from the company's "One Heartbeat" bourbon barrel flag. America has shown up in a very big way. We have received an overwhelming amount of orders and have been able to sell a flag in every state, Chris Cruise said.

Cruise Customs Flags bourbon barrel flags are, once again, gaining national attention. Co-owners and husband and wife team, Chris and Amber Cruise, were interviewed live on Fox and Friends last week discussing their latest bourbon barrel flag project, America-One Heartbeat, a charitable endeavor they launched in March amid the healthy-at-home initiative implemented due to COVID-19.

The project was conceptualized as an instrument for supporting frontline healthcare workers during the global pandemic. The special edition, One Heartbeat flag has one stripe / bourbon barrel stave containing an etched heart rhythm just below the flags stars. The Shepherdsville-based company donated 100% of its One Heartbeat flag sales to the medical community.

America has shown up in a very big way. We have received an overwhelming amount of orders and have been able to sell a flag in every state, Chris told Fox and Friends while sitting beside Amber, both donning matching One Heartbeat shirts.

Over 5,000 flags were purchased in just 60 days allowing Cruise Customs Flags to donate $70,000, splitting the proceeds between two Louisville hospital systems, UofL Health and Norton Healthcare. Weve been able to do some amazing things with this money. Weve created zen rooms in the hospitals that are relaxation spaces where workers can go to get a mental break from this. Proceeds have also helped feed them during long shifts, Amber added. Thanks to the influx of One Heartbeat orders, Cruise has also been able to hire more employees--specifically veterans--not only providing monetary contributions to nearby hospitals, but also providing jobs to the local economy.

The Cruises, themselves, have served on the frontlines, albeit in different capacities. Chris is an Army veteran and Amber a healthcare worker, so they view this as a patriotic way to honor the brave people who comprise both of their fields.

This isnt Cruise Customs Flags first appearance on Fox. Their bourbon barrel flags were featured on Fox and Friends in July 2019 discussing the veteran-crafted flags on National Bourbon Day.

For their next charitable endeavor, Cruise Custom Flags is partnering with the Making Strides Campaign in preparation for Octobers Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They are donating 50% of their Breast Cancer Awareness Lieutenant flags proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

To support the causes while enhancing your space, visit https://cruisecustomsflags.com.
The middle of a pandemic has proved to contribute its unique challenges to the start of a school year. With a big spotlight on the spread of germs, Plainview Independent School District is discouraging students from sharing school supplies.

After learning that and reflecting on her experiences as a College Hill Elementary student more than two decades ago, Yvette Arellano, manager of Easy Stop Storage in Plainview, decided the supplies collected by the branch she manages were meant for that school.

Macy Martinez, director of communications and marketing for Easy Stop Storage, said the company has about 20 locations  which include a heavy presence in Texas and locations in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri  and they all collected thousands of school supplies including pencils, backpacks and other items for donation. The drive was part of the companys most recent customer promotion. A donation toward the drive earned renters a discount. It was also open to the public.

Martinez said the supply drive is one of many different efforts by the company to give back to the communities it serves.

We help out where we can, she said.

The company has conducted food drives, fed families during the holidays, given to local schools and has conducted countless other community outreach efforts and promotions.

This school supply drive has been well-received by the companys team of managers, Martinez added.

For Plainviews manager, the necessity struck a chord. Arellano, who also manages Floydadas location, said she attended College Hill as a bilingual English as a Second Language (ESL) student back in the late 1990s. Her family didnt have much money, she said. So going back to school was always a expensive.

By conducting the drive and giving back to College Hill, Arellano said, she hopes to maybe ease that burden a bit for some of the families who may be experiencing the same.
According to New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, Vice President Mike Pence was put on standby to temporarily assume the powers of the Presidency during President Donald Trump's unannounced visit to Walter Reed hospital in November 2019.

Suspected health issue

President Trump had undergone a quick exam and a series of laboratories as part of his annual physical, according to the White House. The Trump administration had let the President do his check-up in preparation for a "very busy 2020."

Schmidt wrote that he learned that hours before President Trump went to Walter Reed hospital, word went out in the West Wing for the vice president to be on standby to take over the powers of the Presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized.

On September 1, Vice President Mike Pence disputed that he had been placed on standby during the visit. He told Fox News' Bret Baier that he is always informed of President Trump's movements, whether it was on the day of his annual check-up or any other day. He added that there was nothing out of the ordinary about that day.

Also Read: US Marshals Rescue 39 Endangered Children in Georgia and Busted a Sex Trafficking Ring

When asked on whether he had been placed on standby, Vice President Pence said that he does not recall being told to be on standby. He said he was informed that the President had a doctor's appointment and that a part of his job is that he will always be on standby since he is the vice president of the United States.

While Pence did not assume the powers of the Presidency, the account raises questions about the reason for President Trump's unscheduled visit.

President Trump's visit did not follow the protocol of a routine presidential medical exam. Medical staff at the hospital did not get a staff-wide notice about a presidential visit to the medical center in Maryland, ahead of the President's arrival.

Typically, the medical staff in Walter Reed hospital would get a general notice about a "VIP" visit to the medical center ahead of a presidential arrival, notifying them of certain closures at the facility.

But that did not happen when President Trump visited the facility, indicating that it is a non-routine visit, and it was scheduled at the last minute.

A source told CNN that it was possible for a small group of doctors to have been involved in President Trump's medical exams and that they were notified before the President's visit.

However, it still does not explain why the medical staff at the hospital was not aware of Trump's visit when they should have been.

White House's response

Following the report that Pence was asked to be on standby, President Trump clarified on Twitter that he did not experience "mini-strokes" last year, contrary to the rumors circulating online.

President Trump's physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement that the President has not experienced nor been evaluated for any strokes, mini-strokes, or cardiovascular emergencies, as reported by The Washington Post.

Conley said that the President remains healthy and that he has no concerns about Trump's ability to maintain the rigorous schedule ahead of him. He added that according to his report, Trump is expected to remain fit to execute the duties of the Presidency.

Related Article: President Trump Scheduled to Visit Kenosha, Where Jacob Blake Was Shot, Amid Unrest

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Donald Trump at the White House briefing room podium - Al Drago/Bloomberg

Donald Trump will have known that the Kyle Rittenhouse case was likely to come up when he scheduled a White House briefing on Monday afternoon and went hard on his presidential rival Joe Bidens stance on law and order.

The story of a 17-year-old who went onto the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, to keep the peace but ended up accused of killing two protesters and injuring a third has dominated the US headlines since it happened last week.

Which makes the US presidents response when asked if he condemned the actions of Mr Rittenhouse and other vigilantes all the more telling - he declined to say yes, instead mounting a defence for the accuseds behaviour.

The remarks reflect not just the fractured debate about anti-racism protests and episodes of violence seen this year in America but also how, with two months to go, Mr Trump sees a message that could help win him re-election.

Firstly, the complexities of the incident must be untangled. Numerous pieces of footage have surfaced which show snippets of what happened that night, videos which are sure to form a central part of the court battle to come.

In one, Mr Rittenhouse is running, apparently being chased, before turning and shooting. In another he trips and is kicked and hit by a skateboard when down, after which he shoots multiple times again.

The videos have led some on Right to argue that Mr Rittenhouse was acting in self-defence, a message Mr Trump echoed as he outlined his own view on the case from the White House briefing room podium.

You saw the same tape as I saw and he was trying to get away from them, I guess, looks like. And he fell and then they very violently attacked him, the president said. He added later he probably would have been killed.

He did not voice a message others have delivered - that a 17-year-old boy should never have gone out onto the streets with a rifle to try to police the situation himself.

Mr Biden was among those who criticised the president's remarks. But to fully understand the stance, the wider picture must be viewed.

Story continues

The country has seen a huge anti-racism protest movement erupt after the shocking death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck.

The protest spread from Minneapolis, Mr Floyd's hometown, in May to cities across the country and then worldwide. The movement is multifaceted. The majority of demonstrations have been peaceful. But in places they have resulted in violence, rioting and looting.

In even fewer places, there have been long-running clashes between some demonstrators and law enforcement, such as in Portland, Oregon, where for three months there have been regular scenes of violence.

Mr Trump has firmly sided with law enforcement, framing Mr Biden as too weak on rioters and looters and himself as the only man who can keep Americas streets safe - a message undermined by the fact the current violence is happening on his watch.

He has done so by pushing two slogans synonymous with former US president Richard Nixon - law and order and silent majority.

Mr Nixon won the US election in 1968, the year which saw the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King - triggering widespread race riots - and Democrat presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy, by vowing law and order.

Mr Trump is trying the same playbook. He hopes that with scenes of violence playing out in US cities - Democrat-run cities as the president now refers to them on account of their mayors - the voters will back the candidate seen as best placed to end it.

By declining to criticise Mr Rittenhouse, who reportedly attended at least one Trump rally, and other militiamen taking to the streets during anti-racism protests the US president is - however controversially - seen to be standing against the rioters.

Mr Biden has accused the president of expediency, saying he looks at this violence and sees a political lifeline. Mr Trump still trails in the polls, given coronavirus and the recession, though the gap is narrowing. Could a focus on riots change the president's fortunes?

Something Mr Biden did on Monday suggests so. He came out hard against the rioters, decrying their "lawlessness" and calling for prosecutions. It was a tacit acknowledgement that the president's law and order rhetoric was cutting through.
Victoria has recorded another 113 COVID-19 cases and 15 more deaths following five days of double figures.

The jump in infections comes as leaked top secret documents revealed Melbourne's strict lockdown and curfew could be set to continue for another two weeks.

According to the road map, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date the city's Stage Four comes to an end.

Single people and single parents would also be given the right to have a nominated visitor at their home.

However, the Victorian government has claimed the leaked map is 'out of date'.

Victoria has recorded 113 new COVID-19 cases and 15 more deaths on Thursday

The coronavirus-riddled state recorded just 90 cases on Wednesday followed by 70 infections on Tuesday and 73 on Monday.

Victoria's death toll now sits at 591.

Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to give more details on the new infections later on Thursday morning.

According to the leaked government report, which was obtained by the Herald Sun, there are bigger changes coming from September 28, including the curfew being lifted and increased social gatherings.

The report stated that from September 28, up to five people, including children, from up to two households will be allowed to meet outdoors for social interaction.

Outdoor personal training would be allowed for up to two people per trainer and outdoor pools will open for exercise for up to 20 people at a time.

The documents claim that to move to Stage Two, the state must record a daily average of fewer than five new cases over a two week period.

Top secret draft documents for the city's exit road map have revealed the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew and keep restrictions on businesses for an additional two weeks

A girl wearing a face mask is seen walking through the grounds of the MCG on Wednesday

Many Melburnians have become fed up with the strict lockdown and have since retaliated against police.

In Dandenong, in the city's south-east, residents have organised to go for their one hour of daily exercise together at the same time - prompting a swarm of police officers.

Some residents were seen running through the streets on Sunday, damaging property and even lighting flares as they called for an end to the lockdown.

Three men aged 17, 18, and 22, were arrested and given infringements.

An anti-lockdown protest has also been planned for this Saturday afternoon in Melbourne's CBD.

Police have warned any attendees they may be fined or arrested.

More than $2.9million in fines have been given out within the last month for residents breaking curfew.
The Government: a thought-provoking read that tackles the reasons why the world is how it is now and why making the right choices in life is essential to oneself and to the greater good of many. The Government is the creation of published author Shaquonda Carter, a native of Pensacola, Florida. She volunteers her time by fellowshipping and worshipping with the people of God in effort of encouraging and inspiring others that transformation is possible with God.

Carter shares, You can obtain a life of purpose and clarity by making a decision. That decision will create a pathway to determine if you will live soberly or impaired.

As Im evolving in life, I have come to realize that my life is in the shape, it is in because of my decisionthe decision I make during the challenging times and the good times. And these decisions are derived on the information we compiled throughout our existence on Earth. This is a small perception, considering the condition of the world, but if we really examine our lives, we can come to the conclusion that we are more connected than apart, and everyone on the earth has a responsibility to make it a better place.

In The Government, I have discussed my thoughts on why the world is in the state of its condition and how we play a vital role in making the right choice not only for ourselves but also for those who are living in it as well.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Shaquonda Carters new book is a brilliant discussion that brings awareness and knowledge through ones perspective as it encourages readers to examine their life choices with wisdom and clarity.

View a synopsis of The Government on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase The Government at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Government, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, census takers will ask a few questions and will enter the answers on their Census Bureau smartphone. If no one is home, they will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online or by phone. If necessary, they will make additional visits to collect responses from the household.
This Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, satellite image released by NASA shows Typhoon Maysak over Japan's southernmost islands. The powerful typhoon was blowing over Japan's southernmost islands early Tuesday on course for Japan's main southern island and later the Korean Peninsula. EOSDIS via AP



Typhoon Maysak was barreling toward South Korea on Wednesday, putting the country on high alert over what was forecast to be one of the most powerful typhoons in years.



The typhoon was moving at 19 kph over seas some 190 kilometers south of Seogwipo in Jeju as of 3:00 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Its maximum wind speed was 45 meters per second.



Maysak was forecast to make landfall between Busan and Geoje at around 1:00 a.m. Thursday before moving northward to the country's eastern coastal regions. It was then expected to travel to North Korea before downgrading near the North's eastern city of Chongjin on Thursday night.



The agency said that Maysak may be more powerful than Typhoon Bavi that hit the country last week and was expected to follow a similar route as Typhoon Maemi, which left 131 people dead or missing and 4.2 trillion won (US$3.5 billion) in damage in 2003.



The weather agency forecast the typhoon would affect the country's southern and eastern coastal areas while pouring heavy rains and bringing strong winds in the inner land area as well.



Heavy rain was expected in the areas, with rain of more than 400 mm soaking Jeju and parts of the country's eastern coastal regions, such as Gangwon and North and South Gyeongsang provinces.



The weather agency also issued a heavy rain alert for all of Seoul Wednesday evening.



Maximum wind speed was forecast at up to 50 mps near Busan and maximum wind speed of 33 mps was predicted. A wind speed of 40 mps can topple big rocks and moving vehicles.



With the typhoon approaching the country, a typhoon warning has been issued for seas surrounding Jeju, the south coast, southern waters of the West Sea and the East Sea as well as parts of South Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces.



Strong winds measuring 28 mps hit areas in Jeju and the southern coastal region, with heavy rain accompanied by lightning and thunder observed in Gyeongsang.



Power was disrupted at more than 7,000 households in Jeju, as strong winds damaged power cables.

The warning was expected to be expanded across the country, including the greater Seoul area, on early Thursday.



More than 400 domestic flights, including 180 scheduled to depart from Jeju, have been canceled at airports across the country, according to Korea Airports Corp.



Thousands of ships in coastal areas have evacuated to port cities to brace against the storm. The coast guard has designated parts of seas south and east of the peninsula as danger zones and restricted ships from operating on affected routes.



Jeju's Cheonjin port was submerged in water while strong wind toppled a street tree, damaging cars parked nearby. Including this, a total of 52 instances of damage have been reported in the island.



Some education offices in affected areas advised schools to reschedule classes or run classes online due to safety concerns.

The regional governments of South Gyeongsang Province, Busan and Ulsan went into an emergency response mode, bracing for the arrival of the typhoon.



In addition to Maysak, the season's tenth typhoon, Haishen, was also moving northward from waters northwest of Guam at the speed of 22 kph. Via Japan, the typhoon is forecast to reach the South Gyeongsang Province next week.

Showers were expected across South Korea over the weekend due to the typhoon. (Yonhap)
United Airlines said Wednesday it plans to furlough 16,370 employees in October, a smaller number than the airline predicted in July because thousands of workers agreed to leave with the travel industry facing a slow recovery from the pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this July 18, 2018, file photo a United Airlines commercial jet sits at a gate at Terminal C of Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. United Airlines plans to furlough about 16,000 employees in October 2020 as air travel continues to be hammered by the pandemic. That's fewer furloughs than United predicted in July, when it warned 36,000 employees that they could lose their jobs. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

United Airlines said Wednesday it plans to furlough 16,370 employees in October, a smaller number than the airline predicted in July because thousands of workers agreed to leave with the travel industry facing a slow recovery from the pandemic.

Airline officials had outlined 36,000 potential furloughs in July. Since then, thousands of workers took early retirement, buyouts, or long-term leaves of absence.

United officials said the forced job cuts will begin Oct. 1, when a prohibition on furloughs ends. They said the furloughs would be postponed if Washington approves another $25 billion to help passenger airlines cover payroll costs.

Flight attendants will bear the brunt of the cuts, with 6,920 getting furlough notices. About 2,850 pilots, 2,260 airport-based employees, 2,010 maintenance workers and 1,400 management and support staff would also lose their jobs.

The figures do not include the 7,400 employees who took buyouts or early retirement. Up to 20,000 more accepted reduced work schedules or took voluntary leaves lasting up to 13 months.

Most union employees in the airline industry whose jobs are cut have rehiring rights  management and administrative staff generally do not. United began the year with 96,000 employees, 84% of whom were represented by unions.

The flight attendants union said United's announcement understates the job losses. The union said more than 15,000 flight attendants will leave the United payroll unless Washington approves more payroll aid for airlines, and another 3,400 who stay to keep health insurance will get no guarantee of work or income.

Where will we go? The unemployment line, said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. The situation in the airline industry is not better than July when furlough notices went out. Its actually worse.

United officials said they were still discussing ways to limit pilot furloughs. Airlines are cautious about furloughing too many pilots because federal requirements for ongoing training mean it takes longer to bring them back.

United's disclosure comes after American Airlines said it expects to furlough or lay off 19,000 workers starting in October, and Delta has warned nearly 2,000 pilots that they could be furloughed.

Airlines don't need all their workers because air travel has plunged during the pandemic. Even with a modest recovery since April, U.S. air travel is down about 70% from a year ago, costing the airlines billions in revenue.

The airlines have cut schedules  United's schedule this month is only 37% of its schedule in September 2019  slashed expenses and borrowed billions to survive the pandemic.

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Josh Earnest, a United senior vice-president, said the Chicago-based airline doesn't expect travel to return to normal until a vaccine for COVID-19 is widely available, and that the recovery is likely to be uneven. The airline expects to recall furloughed workers piecemeal, he indicated.

We don't have to snap everybody back at the same time, he told reporters. We can basically build our workforce as we need it and as our schedule grows and as demand recovers.

Airlines that accepted federal aid to cover payrolls have been barred from furloughing or laying off workers since March. United took $5 billion in payroll cash and loans. United and other airlines and their unions are lobbying for another round of payroll support that would run through next March, but the proposal is in limbo because of stalled negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats over another large virus-relief measure.

President Donald Trump repeated Tuesday that his administration plans to help the airlines, but he didn't give any specifics.

___

David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter
Berlin, Sep 2 : Visiting Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that as two major independent forces in the world, China and Germany should strengthen strategic consultation, deepen strategic coordination and expand strategic cooperation, in a bid to take on three tasks.

Yi made the remarks during talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese FM said the world is facing three major choices -- multilateralism or unilateralism, openness or closeness, cooperation or confrontation.

The first task, Yi said, is to strengthen global anti-epidemic cooperation and revive the world economy. At the time when the prevention and control of Covid-19 have become a regular practice, China is willing to work with Germany to expand the "express channel" for personnel exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in vaccine and medicine development, in a bid to take care of the health of the two peoples and make contributions to global public health security.

Yi said that China and Germany should advocate for global solidarity, support the World Health Organization and oppose wrong acts and words stigmatizing global anti-epidemic cooperation.

The two sides should also implement the consensus reached at the G20 summit to help Africa and other less-developed regions, in a bid to give more momentum to the world economy, Yi added.

The second task is to advance the China-European Union (EU) relations to a higher level, the Chinese FM said, adding that developing strategic partnerships with Germany and Europe is China's strategic choice rather than an expedient measure, without any influence from the third party.

As partners rather than rivals, China and the EU should accommodate and learn from each other to help stabilize the turbulent world, Yi said.

He hoped that Germany will play a constructive role in promoting China-EU mutual trust and cooperation during the current German rotating presidency of the EU Council.

For his part, Maas said that Germany highly values Germany-China relations and EU-China relations, and further developing relations with China is a key target of Germany as the current EU Council rotating president, adding that Germany will work with China to promote the success of the important EU-China political agenda in the next phase.

"Decoupling" is not in the interest of any party, said Maas, adding that China is a major country with great influence, so that it is impossible to find lasting solutions without China's participation in dealing with major international issues such as tackling climate change.
There isn't a third person in our marriage but there is a rival. My husband is passionate about a family-run fasting clinic in Uberlingen, overlooking Lake Constance, Germany.

He goes alone twice a year and was there at the beginning of lockdown. He happily remained there for six weeks unable to get home.

Buchinger Wilhelmi was founded 70 years ago by Otto Buchinger, a medical officer in the navy who cured himself of paralysis caused by rheumatic fever by fasting for 19 days in 1918.

Now one of the world's leading therapeutic fasting centres, Buchinger is run by Otto's great-grandson Leonard Wilhelmi. The German government demanded that the clinic remain open during lockdown, to be available for Covid patients. But after Easter, having taken the requisite health and hygiene precautions, they encouraged guests. They are currently full with "a completely different clientele", according to owner, Raimund Wilhelmi (Otto's grandson). "Normally, two thirds of our guests are repeat guests.

Now, 50pc have come for the first time and they are much younger. People are waking up to a new awareness about health as Covid affects everybody." His son Leonard adds: "The main causes in violent reactions to Covid are diabetes, high blood pressure and being overweight.

We have been treating these conditions for decades and our goal is now to equip people with a better immune system." The minute my husband heard about their new immune-boosting programme, he signed us up for two weeks' "holiday" in August.

This was an extravagance at a cost of more than 2,000 a person. After an hour in this sleek minimalist medical centre, my 16-year-old daughter burst into tears. All her "boarding-school issues" were ignited.

My inner rebel similarly baulked at the first 24 hours that we had to spend eating in our rooms, until the results of our Covid tests, taken on arrival, came through. (Thankfully they were negative or we would have been quarantined in our rooms for our entire stay.) Thank goodness the clinic does not advise couples share rooms - 80pc of guests go alone - so we each had our own room.

As Andrew was doing the full 10-day fast of 250 liquid calories a day, which I couldn't stomach (I was on 800 solid calories a day and Daisy, 1,800), a shared room would have destroyed our marriage.

Not because Andrew had an enema on the bed every other day but because his preternatural joy freaked us out.

Until we were fully institutionalised the stricture wore us out. Every morning at 7am, you visit the nurse who weighs you, takes your temperature and your blood pressure.

Mornings are spent exercising - there are daily two-hour organised hikes and a schedule of excellent exercise classes. Every morning, I swam in Lake Constance, which saved my sanity. Lunch - divine organic vegetarian food, which is frankly ingenious as 800 calories seems abundant - is at midday. Then at 1pm, the entire clinic goes to bed for a hot liver compress.

There is a collective sepulchral calm as a nurse enters your room to place a warm flannel and hot water bottle on your abdomen. You are swaddled in a thin sheet and tucked into bed. Bliss. As the liver and gall bladder busy themselves detoxifying, you sink into a grateful sleep. An hour later, a nurse brings you a pot of apple tea. Then more exercise.

Supper is at 6.30pm, then it's early to bed. I marvelled at how long and how well I slept, averaging at least 10 hours a night. A panoply of blood tests on arrival, included in the package, revealed that my main problem was vitamin D deficiency. A good level is 60, mine was 27.

Vitamin D was prescribed and if I had needed them, vitamin infusions of B and C would have been recommended, too. The medical care here is outstanding. A lung scan was also on offer at a superior local clinic if necessary for pesky Covid symptoms. Dr Francoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, the scientific director, explained the benefits of fasting; both full fast and intermittent fasting - where you go from 12 to 16 hours without eating. "When you fast, all your digestive processes are in rest.

Without needing the energy to digest, all stresses are diminished and you actually need less immunity. During this time, you change your microbiome. You stimulate the lungs, skin, kidneys, liver and the system itself triggers autophagy; an extraordinary capacity of the body to eliminate damaged cellular structures. When you fast, you activate stem cells to rejuvenate immune cells."

On a full fast, it is important that food is carefully reintroduced. The clinic insists that you stay for three days after fasting ends for "regeneration" so you don't start overworking your body too early. On departure, I had lost 2.5kg, 3cm from my waist and reduced my BMI from 23.5 to 22.7.

My daughter's teenage spots cleared up and my husband lost 7kg. It wasn't exactly a holiday - at varying times we all felt extreme anger, sadness and, thankfully, side-splitting hilarity.

Emotional detox is real. But we returned home on a health high. My biggest shift is that I no longer fear hunger. Dr Francoise recommends waiting an hour when you feel hungry, which I now do. This has sustained my weight loss. My husband was right - the investment into our health has paid off.
Perhaps it was bovine inspiration.

Whatever the reason, Pam Martin of Jacksonville now can add the title winning butter cow creator alongside executive director of the Passavant Foundation.

The butter cow is a staple of many Midwest state fairs and the unofficial mascot of the Illinois State Fair since the 1920s. But with the pandemic shutdown of this years event, many fair-goers were left udderly disappointed.

Puns? Oh, there are plenty to come.

My family always went to the Illinois State Fair. Ive gone every year until now, Martin said. I really missed going to the fair and seeing the butter cow in the dairy building. Friends seem to have enjoyed remembering their own trips to the fair.

Illinois Times latched onto the idea of having a contest in which people made their own butter cow and submitted photos for votes.

'In the Quest for Butter' Kevin Eckhoff created a short film, "In the Quest for Butter," that has drawn more than 1,500 views to Pam Martin's Facebook page. See More Collapse

Given that last years fair creation used about 600 pounds of butter, the publication decided to scale things down a bit and added the word miniature to the competition.

The idea was solidified.

Martin recalled seeing a photo of former Gov. Jim Thompson taking a ride down the mainstay big slide to open the fair and decided to have her creation doing the same.

Governor Thompson loved the Illinois State Fair and the big slide, she explained. With the recent passing of Gov. Thompson, it also seemed perfect to honor the governor since he loved the state fair.

Armed with a few pounds of butter and plenty of cow puns  #udderlyrediculous and #hoofinghilarious helped draw in the social media crowds  Martin sketched out a design and then started carving away.

It wasnt as easy as it might seem.

Butter is amazingly hard to carve. I have a new appreciation for the professional artists who make the life-size cow, she said. I quickly determined it would be too hard to make the cow look real, so I went with a cartoon look.

Soon, Bovine on the Big Slide was born.

Technique? Thanks for thinking there was some involved, she told judges. Mostly in and out of refrigerator, made in stages by trial and error.

She submitted photos of the creation and found herself in the company of dozens of others with their own pet projects. There were three age groups and one category for out-of-state artists.

Martin took to social media and worked the crowds at meetings and the votes started rolling in. Co-workers joined in the fun, with Passavant Area Hospital communications coordinator Kevin Eckhoff even coming up with a short film, In the Quest for Butter, that has drawn more than 1,500 views to Martins Facebook page.

She found out Monday afternoon that she had won.

While a nice end to the story, Martin said she was most mooved by the smiles it brought to acquaintances.

The butter jokes have also made people laugh, she said. Its been silly fun and a nice diversion from concerns of the world.

In addition to the fame that accompanies being an official winner, Martin will receive a $75 prize.

She has pledged to use the money to make 11 more silly cow sculptures for  what else?  a cowlendar.
The High Court has granted Jacob Ngarivhume $50,000 bail following his arrest in July for organizing a nationwide protest over corruption and the deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe.

Justice Siyabona Musitu granted the Transform Zimbabwe leader the bail on condition that he does not use Twitter until his case is finalized, should surrender his passport to the court and report to the police three times a week.

Ngarivhume was denied bail three times together with freelance journalist, Hopewell Chinono, who also detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, was granted $10,000 bail by a Harare court.

Ngarivhume and Chinono are facing charges of inciting violence.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  A House of Representatives panel has approved tax breaks for foreign investors in the bill that would create an economic zone around San Miguel Corporations Bulacan airport.

House Ways and Means Committee members voted in favor of the tax provisions under the proposed Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Act.

This came after the House Economic Affairs Committee led by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda approved the House Bill 7483 itself on Tuesday morning.

READ: House panel approves bill creating economic zone around SMCs Bulacan airport

The bill gives incentives such as tax and duty-free importation of raw materials, capital and equipment to registered enterprises inside the proposed Bulacan ecozone.

Companies are also entitled to existing fiscal incentives granted under the Omnibus Investments Code of 1987, such as tax holidays and tax credits.

The ecozone will complement SMCs soon-to-rise New Manila International Airport in the town of Bulakan in Bulacan province, just north of Metro Manila.

SMCs 735.6-billion masterpiece, also dubbed as a game changer, is seen to boost economic growth and ease traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The lawmakers also approved on second reading Tuesday evening HB 7507 granting San Miguel the franchise for the construction and operation of the airport.

READ: House OKs franchise for SMCs Bulacan airport project on 2nd reading

Salceda, explaining the approval of the proposed bills, said the airport and the ecozone are a "package deal" that will attract more foreign investors to the country.

The planned airport, which can accommodate six runways, will cover a land area of 2,500 hectares, bigger than the size of Makati City or Mandaluyong City.

Once you have a new big airport that is the gateway to the Philippines then like even I think, for example, mga other industries that fly-in, fly-out for hours could certainly locate there and they could take advantage of [the new facility], the committee chair said during the hearing.

SMC Holdings operations head Engr. Edgar Dona also told the committee that the area can be extended twice to cover all airport-related activities.

Dona was citing the 50-year concession agreement between Department of Transportation and SMC representatives signed in 2019.

SMC will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of the airport for half a century.

But of course the final metes and bounds will be determined by the granting agency, the DOTr, as we finally submit the airport plan, Dona told the solons.

The countrys top diversified conglomerate earlier said the huge airport can handle up to 100 million passengers from around the world once its fully operational.

Because as you very well know, if its an ecozone, many of the products that have been produced there will be exported to other countries. And within the airport area, definitely cost and logistics will be reduced, DOTr Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Ruben Reinoso Jr. said when asked by Salceda.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Wednesday that the mask mandate is not a political issue.

He told members of the County Commission, "This has nothing to do with peoples' liberties. Everyone who tries to make it a political issue is just plain wrong.

"I hope we never let politics get in the way of the health and safety of the people we represent."

He said, "Nobody is going to be put in jail" for not wearing a mask.

The county mayor said masks are not a guarantee of not getting the COVID-19, but they "not only protect you, they protect others against you."

He stated, "Wearing a mask and social distancing give you a better chance" of not coming down with the sometimes-fatal virus.

He acknowledged that August was the deadliest month yet in Hamilton County in COVID cases, but he said "the numbers are trending down."

County Mayor Coppinger said a lawsuit was filed against a local business for violating the mask mandate put down July 10 because he said after some six visits and a phone call "the company said, 'We're not going to comply.' "

He said other local businesses went along with the requirement after discussions with health officials.

The county mayor said most business owners reported that their customers felt safer with everyone wearing masks.

County Mayor Coppinger said a friend to him and other county officials is in the hospital now battling for his life with the coronavirus. He said the man's family said he believed strongly in wearing a mask and was bothered when others did not. He said the man's family does not know where he picked up the virus.
Vodafone Idea (Representative Image)

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The board of Vodafone Idea will meet on September 4 to discuss fund raising proposals, as it struggles to keep its business alive in India.

The board will assess capital raising measures such as public issue, preferential allotment, private placement, including a qualified institutions placement, by way of issuing equity shares of other instruments.

In a statement to the BSE, Vodafone Idea said the board will "consider and evaluate any and all proposals for raising of funds in one or more tranches by way of a public issue, preferential allotment, private placement, including a qualified institutions placement or through any other permissible mode and/or combination thereof as may be considered appropriate, by way of issue of equity shares or by way of issue of any instruments or securities".

Also Read: AGR case verdict | Here's what Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Tata will pay after Supreme Court order

On September 1, the Supreme Court allowed telecom players a 10-year timeline to pay adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. The apex court also asked the companies to make an upfront payment of 10 percent of the outstanding amount.

According to an assessment by the Department of Telecommunications, (DoT), Vodafone Idea owed Rs 58,254 crore. The telecom major owes balance AGR-related dues of around Rs 50,399 crore, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on July 20.

On September 1, Vodafone Idea said it would sell its 11.15 percent stake in Indus Towers to Bharti Infratel for slightly over Rs 4,000 crore.
President Donald Trump touched down in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday looking to make a point: The world falls apart without him. Whether the point is accurate or true or helpful or even worthwhile doesnt matter to Trump 62 days out from Election Day and down double digits in the polls. Trumps visit was always 100 percent about him; the people, the city they live in, and the state that encircles them are props of convenience for Trump to remind voters: I told you so. It makes sense then that the White House was soliciting small-business owners to join the president on a wreckage tour of shops that were looted and destroyed. Thats a theme that will play for the president. But when the owner of Rodes Camera Shop, which was looted and burned in the unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, declined to join the spectaclethe White House shrugged and just trotted out the stores former owner to make the point they were going to make anyway.

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John Rode III, owner of Rodes Camera Shop, Trump said by way of introducing Rode during a roundtable discussion Tuesday afternoon. That certainly sounds right, but eight years ago John Rode III sold the store owned and operated by his family for more than a century to longtime employees Tom Gram, who stuck around after getting a summer job at the store four decades ago, and Paul Willette, who spent more than a decade working at Rodes before becoming a co-owner. I think everything he does turns into a circus and I just didnt want to be involved in it, Gram said of refusing the White House offer. John Rode III still owns the building that was destroyed, but that doesnt resonate the same way as losing your own business, your own livelihood, does, so Trump just elided that part.

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I just appreciate President Trump coming today. Everybody here does, Rode said, standing outside the store that wasnt his anymore. Were so thankful that we got the federal troops in to help because once they got here, things did calm down quite a bit.

Unfortunately, they had a few days when people wouldnt call us, Trump said. They just dont want us to come in, and then destruction is done. A day earlier, we wouldve saved your store. Absolutely, Rode replied. One day earlier, Trump said. One day earlier, Rode replied.
The Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on Wednesday adjusted the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, twice within a few hours.

The new price of N147.67. was made public shortly after the PPMC announced an initial increment to N151.56 per litre from the erstwhile price of N138.62 per litre.

The PPMC is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and currently imports almost all of Nigerias petrol.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how details of internal memo made available to marketers and other stakeholders showed that the new directive becomes effective September 2.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold to marketers at the depots.

The memo was signed by D.O Abalaka, the depot manager.

Please be informed that a new product price adjustment has been effected on our payment platform, the memo said.

To this end, the price of Premium Motor Spirit is now one hundred and fifty one naira, fifty-six kobo (N151.56) per litre.

Lamenting the increase in an earlier interview with PREMIUM TIMES, a depot owner said that his depot would not sell for less than N155.60 to marketers and other filling stations.

To buy each litre, you pay draft of N2 on each litre, you pay union dues, and of course you have to make a profit, the depot owner said on Wednesday, asking not to be named as he had no permission of his union to speak to journalists.

Most depot owners and major marketers buy the petrol directly from the PPMC, store in their own depot and then sell to other marketers and filling station owners from whom Nigerians buy.

After our earlier report and the depot owners comment, the PPMC announced the new ex-depot price of N147.67.

With the latest increment, Nigerians should thus be expecting a petrol price of about N156 per litre at filling stations, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The Review

The latest price was contained in a separate memo by the PPMC.

In the memo signed by Onya Schola, the PPMC said it has reviewed the price to N147.67.

It added that for automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel, the ex-Lagos PDO was put at N165 while for those operating in transfer points like Oghara, Calabar, Portharcourt and others, the price was put at N160.

The reviewed prices become effective September 2, the memo said.

The Nigerian government, through the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) recently announced a deregulation policy wherein the NNPC would no longer subsidize petrol for Nigerians but the PPPRA would still determine the sale price based on market forces.

Since the start of the new deregulation police, before last month, the PPPRA would release a price range that marketers could sell the product for. However, no such rangr has been published for September.
The hotel industry and its employees are in big trouble.

Four of 10 hotel workers still are out of work, the American Hotel & Lodging Association reports. Two-thirds of hotels are operating at less than 50 percent capacity, far below what is necessary to pay their banks and investors back.

Texas is especially suffering, with a 64 percent drop in revenues during the second quarter of 2020, according to my colleague Randy Diamond. The occupancy rate in San Antonio was 31.6 percent, while Houston managed 36.8 percent, hospitality consultancy Source Strategies calculated.

This is the biggest revenue drop we have ever seen, more than three times what we saw at the worst part of the Great Recession in 2009, said Paul Vaughn, senior vice president of Source Strategies.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Vigilance required to keep COVID cases going down and economy going up

Labor Day offers no respite. Only 16 percent of Americans say they will travel this long weekend, and only 14 percent of hotel rooms are booked, the American Hotel & Lodging Association found.

Conditions are unlikely to improve until there is a coronavirus vaccine. Only 38 percent of Americans plan any overnight travel before the end of the year, an association poll found.

We are incredibly worried about the fall and what the drop in demand will mean for the industry and the millions of employees we have been unable to bring back, association president Chip Rogers said. The job loss will be devastating to our industry, our communities and the overall American economy.

Empty beds lead to empty tables. The National Restaurant Association says the industry lost $131 billion between March and June. A brief comeback in May and June was quashed when COVID-19 cases spiked in July, leading people to stay home.

The same dynamic is triggering airline layoffs. Federal assistance required companies to keep employees on the payroll until October, but with travel showing no sign of recovery, jobs soon will disappear.

American Airlines has released a plan to furlough 17,500 workers and layoff 1,500. United is considering 36,000 layoffs; Spirit could let go another 3,000. Delta will eliminate 2,000 jobs in addition to 17,000 early retirements. Southwest has negotiated extended time off or early retirement with 17,000 employees.

The shockwaves reverberate down supply chains. Boeing negotiated voluntary buyouts with 7,000 workers in May and started a second-round of buyouts last month. Slower assembly lines in the Seattle area will mean job losses at Boeings suppliers across the country.

Keep these trends in mind when the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report comes out Friday. Analysts think the United States probably added 1 million jobs in August, but that does not constitute an economic recovery.

A million Americans made first-time claims for unemployment insurance just two weeks ago, the Labor Department reported. More than 14 million still are receiving benefits. The Coronavirus Recession is still ruining lives.

Congress returns next week, and the immediate question is whether House Democrats and President Donald Trump will negotiate additional economic aid or let the chips fall where they may.

Trump may pretend the pandemic has passed and urge people to resume work, studies and travel. And local leaders could lift limits on hotel and restaurant occupancy and reschedule conventions and festivals. But that does not mean people will show up.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: 5 months of COVID failure with 10 months to go

Most Americans remain worried about catching the virus and are staying home, avoiding enclosed public spaces and practicing good hygiene. We are limiting our time in the grocery store and only meeting small groups of people outdoors at a distance. Few are in the mood to party.

The coronavirus has sickened more than 6 million Americans and killed 180,000. A new series from the Wall Street Journal reveals how playing politics worsened the toll  not just one partys politics, but a slew of shortsighted decisions made over decades.

Consumers are not going to pick up the slack, which leaves policymakers to decide what happens next. Trump and Congress either can hammer out a new aid package to help the unemployed buy food and pay rent, or they can politicize the crisis ahead of the election and continue making poor decisions.

Ive said before that we must do better, and in this case, I mean better politics. COVID-19 is killing our friends and family because we are too busy getting angry at our neighbors over political affiliations.

Americans should not forget this is a democracy and we are in charge. Do not allow politicians to manipulate you by stoking the anger and fear that favors them. We should be demanding unity and resolve and firing those who put party over country.

Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy.

twitter.com/cltomlinson

chris.tomlinson@chron.com
Holidaymakers are braced for new travel restrictions as Greece and Portugal could become the latest countries to be added to the UK-wide quarantine list.

Pressure is mounting on England to consider imposing quarantine rules on travellers arriving from Greece amid reports of people returning with coronavirus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a decision on whether to impose restrictions on the countries would be announced on Friday.

Rising Covid cases prompted the Scottish Government to announce travellers from Greece would have to self-isolate for 14 days from Thursday, while Wales began asking arrivals from the island of Zante to enter quarantine.

The UKs biggest tour operator Tui has suspended its holidays to the resort of Laganas on Zante.

But Greece has insisted it is doing everything in our power to keep UK holidaymakers safe.

It comes as rising cases in Portugal were prompting many UK tourists to pay hundreds of pounds to fly home before Saturday.

In recent weeks, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced changes to its quarantine exemption list on Thursday nights, with the new rules being imposed on Saturdays at 4am.

In Portugal, the seven-day coronavirus cases rate is 22.7, compared with 14.2 for the previous week.

A seven-day rate of 20 is the threshold above which the UK Government has considered triggering quarantine conditions.

There were 14.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Greece in the seven days to September 1, up from 14.1 a week earlier and a similar rate to the UK.

(PA Graphics)

In Buckinghamshire, two groups of people have tested positive for coronavirus after returning from abroad  including a group of teenagers from the Marlow area who are reported to have been on a trip to Zante.

Buckinghamshire Council said some of them were pupils at Sir William Borlases Grammar School and all the affected households were self-isolating.

Tour operator Tui also said it was aware of a small number of positive Covid-19 test results following a flight from Heraklion in Crete to London Stansted on August 27.

Story continues

One passenger on the flight, who had been contacted by NHS Test and Trace and asked to self-isolate, complained that hardly anyone on the flight had been wearing a mask.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the PA news agency: Our flight was hideous, hardly anyone wore a mask and the crew didnt do anything about it.

A passenger arriving at Heathrow Airport after new quarantine measures were announced earlier this year (Steve Parsons/PA)

We raised the issue twice with the cabin crew who still didnt enforce it.

My family is okay but we are having to self-isolate.

Im so sad for my son because he has to miss his first week back at school.

A Tui spokeswoman added: We can confirm that no guests tested positive for Covid-19 in our hotels and no symptoms were displayed before or during the flight home by any of the customers.

It came after Public Health Wales confirmed at least 16 cases of Covid-19 from three different parties who were on Tui flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on August 25.

One traveller claimed that the flight was full of selfish covidiots, with passengers not wearing their masks properly and disregarding the rules.

(PA Graphics)

In a statement, Tui said that cabin crew and other passengers confirmed there were multiple warnings about wearing face masks on the flight.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that officials had not notified Wizz Airline that eight passengers on a flight back from Crete had tested positive for coronavirus.

The teenagers, from Hampshire, were diagnosed after returning to London Luton airport on 25 August, it said.

But the Department of Health and Social Care said that it had taken action to advise the necessary people to self-isolate and its contact tracing team had been in touch with Wizz Air.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Armando for his tenure with us," said Paul Clark, President & CEO. "He has been a complete asset to our organization and to our clients fulfilling the role of practice leader. He is leaving large shoes to fill and he will be missed."

Clark and Lavey Benefits Solutions, Inc. announces the retirement of their Vice President of Human Resources and Practice Leader, Armando Llorente, after many years of valued service. Armando has been an integral leader at Clark and Lavey Benefits Solutions since 2011 and has built close, meaningful relationships with several clients. His last day will be on August 7, 2020.

Clark & Lavey is also proud to introduce Jennifer Hayes as their new Human Resources Practice Leader. Jennifer brings 18 years of hands-on experience with organizations such as Enterprise Ireland assisting members in developing, designing, and growing businesses in the United States and abroad. As a certified NLP instructor, Jennifer incorporates this method of learning into both her content and delivery of trainings. Given Jennifers proven track record in human resources, Clark and Lavey is excited to evolve their firm to continue to provide first-class service for their clients. Stacy Barrow from Marathas Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP will continue to work with Clark & Lavey as their legal partner, and in conjunction with their Human Resources department as needed.

Paul Clark, President & CEO, and Laura Bennett, CFO, both agree that Armando announcing his retirement was sad news for Clark & Lavey, but that everyone is happy for him. "It has been a pleasure to work with Armando for his tenure with us. He has been a complete asset to our organization and to our clients fulfilling the role of practice leader. Armando has always been ready to assist with any HR needs our clients have, everything from day to day issues to providing training courses geared toward a specific client based on their company size and needs. He is leaving large shoes to fill and he will be missed."

About Clark and Lavey Benefit Solutions, Inc.

Headquartered in Merrimack, NH, Clark & Lavey Benefits Solutions, Inc. is an innovative market leader providing employee health benefits to companies, organizations, and associations in fully-insured, self-insured and group medical captive scenarios. Clark & Lavey also provides live seminars, webinars, and HR consulting services that address all aspects of employee benefits and corporate governance.

Contact them at 603.883.3773 or https://www.clarklavey.com.
Nineteen-year-old Florida woman Madison Ann Bryant urinated in front of a sheriff's office squad car and offered oral sex to an officer to get her confiscated Juul e-cigarette back on Sunday, authorities say

A 19-year-old Florida woman urinated in front of a police car and offered oral sex to an officer to get her confiscated Juul e-cigarette back, authorities say.

Madison Ann Bryant was charged on Sunday with disorderly intoxication, a misdemeanor and offering a bribe to a public servant, a felony, according to The Smoking Gun.

Sheriff's deputies found Bryant around 2.20am sitting on the median of the US 27 highway in Leesburg, a city 45 miles from Orlando.

Bryant said she exited a nearby truck after getting into a fight with the driver, her boyfriend, about 'their relationship issues.'

Deputies spoke with her boyfriend, 22, who smelled of alcohol and he was arrested for drunk driving.

They had been at a party earlier and left because they were arguing.

Bryant 'appeared to be heavily intoxicated' and 'spoke of many topics that did not make much sense', the arrest report said. She did not initially face arrest.

As she waited with deputies for a ride home she said she 'needed to use the bathroom and wished to go on the side of the road,' according to the arrest affidavit.

A deputy offered to drive her to a gas station to use the restroom.

Instead Bryant 'pulled her pants down and urinated directly in front of' the squad car, holding onto the vehicles push bar as traffic passed by.

Cops found her sitting on the median of the US 27 highway in Leesburg, Florida (above)

While on the way to the county jail, Bryant repeatedly asked a sheriffs deputy to give back her Juul vaping device, which had been confiscated by officers and offered oral sex in exchange for the Juul, according to the arrest report. File image above

When she pulled her pants back up she was arrested for disorderly intoxication.

While on the way to the county jail, Bryant repeatedly asked a sheriffs deputy to give back her Juul vaping device, which had been confiscated by officers.

She insisted she needed the Juul 'for anxiety'.

'Madison asked me if I was married and had children,' a deputy said in the report.

When he responded Bryant 'stated that she was not trying to "f**k that up" and that she would "suck my d**k" if I gave her her Juul.'

The officer did not reply to Bryant.

Bryant, who was listed as working in real estate in her arrest paperwork, was released from the Lake County jail after posting $3,000 bond.

Her arraignment is set for September 29.
Qantas Airways announced plans to cut up to 2,500 more jobs by outsourcing its Australian ground handling operations to lower costs as it braces for a A$10 billion ($7.17 billion) revenue hit due to the pandemic this financial year.

The job cuts flagged on Tuesday are on top of 6,000 across its workforce announced in June, which would take the total job losses to nearly 30% of its pre-pandemic staffing.

Qantas' head of domestic operations Andrew David said outsourcing ground handling jobs at the country's biggest

airports would save an estimated A$100 million each year in operating costs.

"It would match our ground handling services with fluctuating levels of demand," David told reporters at a briefing. "We know an external party can turn our aircraft at 40% lower cost than we can using our resources."

It would also allow the airline to avoid investing A$100 million in equipment like tugs and bag loaders over the next

five years by outsourcing the work to a specialist ground handler, Gareth Evans, Chief Executive of Jetstar, Qantas'

budget arm, said.

The executives did not name the firms that could be involved in the outsourcing, but major ground handlers in Australia include dnata, Swissport and Menzies Aviation.

Qantas shares were up 1.7% on Tuesday afternoon, compared with a 0.2% rise in the broader market. As part of a union agreement, Qantas said it would also have to offer the opportunity for the 2,000 ground handlers at its main brand to bid for the work, though it will not have to do so at Jetstar.

The airline said it would complete its review over the next few months. Most of its ground handling employees have been stood down from work for months and are receiving government aid due to the decline in travel demand.

Transport Workers' Union National Secretary Michael Kaine, whose union represents the ground handlers, said in a statement the announcement of job losses was "utterly devastating".
Realme Becomes One of the Five Biggest Smartphone Brands in All Eight Key Southeast Asian Markets

By Ding Yi / Sep 02, 2020 12:53 PM / World

Despite being a lesser-known smartphone brand in its home market in China, Realme is on course to becoming a big name in Southeast Asia.

For the first time, Realme, the budget sub-brand of Chinese smartphone maker Oppo, gained a position among the five biggest smartphone brands in all eight key Southeast Asian markets including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in the second quarter of 2020, according to a report by market research firm Counterpoint Research looking at total shipments.

The strong performance came as quarterly smartphone shipments in Southeast Asia saw a year-on-year decline of 19% due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of the eight major markets, Realme performed best in the Philippines in the second quarter, where it grew its shipments 7400% year-on-year and 97% quarter-on-quarter, surpassing Oppo, Xiaomi and Samsung to claim the second spot with a market share of 21%. In the previous quarter, Realme ranked fifth.

During the period between April and June, Realme outshone Apple, Xiaomi and Oppo in terms of volume to become the third-biggest smartphone seller in Malaysia with a market share of 15%. The Chinese brand, for the first time, made it onto the top five list in Singapore in the second quarter after increasing its smartphone shipments 300% year-on-year and 100% quarter-on-quarter, giving it a market share of 4%.

Realme took the fourth spot in Thailand and Cambodia with respective market shares of 12% and 8%, while it ranked fifth in Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar with respective market shares of 12%, 9% and 6%.

Overall, Realme continued to be the fastest-growing smartphone brand in the whole Southeast Asia region, growing its shipments 141% year-on-year and 64% quarter-on-quarter to capture a market share of 13%, Counterpoint said, attributing the growth to the companys strong online sales presence, low-price strategy, word-of-mouth marketing and social media campaigns.

The research firm also talked up Realmes efforts to implement a 5G-focused strategy, which helped it take the top spot in 5G-enabled smartphone shipments in Thailand in the second quarter, with a market share of 43%.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

Related: Chinese Smartphones Thrive in India Despite Tensions
The death toll in the wake of Hurricane Laura in Southeast Texas continues to rise, with a 48-year-old man in Orange becoming the fifth in the region to die from an improperly placed generator amid another day of power outages.

David Tyrone Heard was found Tuesday by a family-member who called the Orange County Police Dept. around 2 a.m., according to Captain Robert Enmon.

Heard was alive when he was transferred to an area hospital, but was later pronounced dead.

Enmon said a generator was found in the garage, adding that the fire department took a carbon monoxide reading  that showed dangerous levels of fumes in the house.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced any time fuel is burned in vehicles, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

At low levels, CO is impossible to detect, with symptoms appearing after prolonged exposure.

Symptoms include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

Dozens of people have been hospitalized in Southeast Texas in recent days, and four others were fatally poisoned by generators in two separate incidents.

Related: 4 dead in SE Texas from possible carbon monoxide poisoning

Last Thursday, six people thought to be homeless sought shelter in a Port Arthur pool hall, where they initially had a generator outside for power, according to Justice of the Peace Brad Burnett. They later moved the generator inside, causing the death of two Vietnamese men  53- and 60-years old  and one unidentified person. They were discovered Friday morning.

Friday afternoon in Beaumont, police found 61-year-old Alphonso Devon Williams dead in his N. 7th Street.

When officers arrived at about 3:51 p.m., they found Williams in an upstairs garage apartment with a generator in the garage below, the department said.

An autopsy has been ordered, but his death is believed to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

In a separate incident near 1 a.m. Friday, 17 Mid-County residents were brought to various local hospitals after extreme carbon monoxide exposure of 400 parts per million, Port Neches Assistant Fire Chief Mike Stegall told The Enterprise.

The exposure and loss of life comes as some parts of Southeast Texas continue to be without electricity, including much of Orange County, which took the hardest hit from Hurricane Laura.

Utility crews continue to work to restore damage caused by Thursday mornings storm.

The carbon monoxide-related death toll in Southeast Texas now matches that of Hurricane Rita in 2005, where one misplaced generator cost the lives of five people in one home, including three children.

Related: Family's deaths from generator shock Beaumont

Enmon warned anyone using generators should place them outside and away from any vents or windows.

Burnett reiterated that, adding that generators can be useful or deadly.

They can be your friend, or they can be your enemy, Burnett said. It's something that you don't realize it is happening to you. You can actually just go to go to sleep while it's happening and it's got you.

I'd ask everyone, if you're using a generator, please be mindful of this. And if you know someone that's using a generator, please tell them what happened. I think that would save somebody right there.

isaac.windes@hearstnp.com

twitter.com/isaacdwindes
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Johns Hopkins Appointed as Member of Scientific Advisory Board

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - AWAKN Life Sciences Inc. ("AWAKN") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mathew Johnson, Ph.D, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr. Johnson is one of the world's most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics. He has conducted seminal research in the behavioral economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behavior through his role of Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Johnson published psychedelic safety guidelines in 2008, helping to resurrect psychedelic research; he developed and published the first research on psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction in 2014; published the largest study of psilocybin in treating cancer distress in 2016; and his 2018 psilocybin abuse liability review recommended the placement in Schedule-IV upon potential medical approval. He also published in 2017 the first data indicating that MDMA pill testing services may reduce harm, specifically by reducing drug consumption of unknown or undesired adulterants.

AWAKN's SAB provides strategic scientific counsel as the company implements its vision and strategy across three business lines of clinical research, therapeutic clinics and practitioner training.

Dr. Ben Sessa, AWAKN Chief Medical Officer, stated: "Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. His career and CV in the field of psychedelic research is as impressive as his personal connections and networks within the field. Since the early 2000's, working alongside Professor Roland Griffiths, the Johns Hopkins team have set the standard for contemporary psilocybin research. And Matt has since gone on to carve his own path through this ever-emerging space. His special area of interest is addictions. He carried out the world's first psilocybin therapy study exploring a treatment for nicotine addiction and is now exploring psilocybin as a treatment for opiate dependence. But Matt's depth of knowledge goes far beyond that of simply the neurobiology of psychedelics. Matt's personality is that of an open-minded, compassionate scientist, which informs his extensive work around the social, cultural and psychological aspects of drug misuse; making him equally comfortable and informed carrying out studies amongst recreational users as he is with clinical patients."

"It is exactly this kind of multidisciplinary, world-leading and pioneering approach to all aspects of psychedelic research and practice that makes him perfectly suited for the AWAKN scientific advisory board. Under Matt's guidance, AWAKN can push in even further innovative directions in our quest for essential future applications of psychedelics for much-needed major public concerns. We warmly welcome him to AWAKN. Above all else, beyond the academic heroism, he is a great pleasure to be around."

Anthony Tennyson, AWAKN CEO, stated, "Dr. Johnson is at the forefront of international research and thought leadership in the psychedelic field. His experience and knowledge will be invaluable to AWAKN on our journey to becoming the leader in European psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. I am extremely pleased that Dr. Matthew Johnson has agreed to join Professor David Nutt, Dr. Ben Sessa, Dr. Dawn DeCunha and Dr. Mike Hart on our scientific team."

About Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D.

Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins. He is one of the world's most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics, and has conducted seminal research in the behavioral economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behavior. Dr. Johnson earned his Ph.D. in experimental psychology at the University of Vermont in 2004.

Working with psychedelics since 2004, Dr. Johnson published psychedelic safety guidelines in 2008, helping to resurrect psychedelic research. As Principle Investigator he developed and published the first research on psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction in 2014. Dr. Johnson and colleagues published the largest study of psilocybin in treating cancer distress in 2016. His 2018 psilocybin abuse liability review recommended placement in Schedule-IV upon potential medical approval. He is Principle Investigator on funded studies investigating psilocybin in the treatment of opioid dependence and PTSD. Beyond psilocybin, in 2011 Dr. Johnson published the first-ever blinded human research showing psychoactive effects of salvinorin A, the active constituent in Salvia divinorum. He also published in 2017 the first data indicating that MDMA pill testing services may reduce harm, specifically by reducing drug consumption of unknown or undesired adulterants.

Dr. Johnson is recognized for his research in behavioral economics, behavioral pharmacology, and behavior analysis. He has conducted seminal and widely cited research applying behavioral economic principles such as delay discounting and demand analysis to decision making within addiction, drug consumption, and risk behavior. This includes research determining delay discounting to be a fundamental behavioral process underlying addiction across drug classes, using economic demand analysis to determine the roles of nicotine and nonpharmacological factors in the abuse liability tobacco and other nicotine products, and using delay discounting, probability discounting, and demand analysis to understand sexual risk including condom non-use in casual sex situations. He conducted the first research administering cocaine to humans in determining that cocaine increases sexual desire and affects sexual decision making. He has conducted similar research administering methamphetamine and alcohol, examining effects on sexual decision making. He has published studies on drugs across nearly all psychoactive classes, including studies of cocaine, methamphetamine, tobacco/nicotine, alcohol, opioids, cannabis, benzodiazepines, psilocybin, dextromethorphan, salvinorin A, GHB, caffeine, and cathinone analogs compounds (so-called "bath salts").

Dr. Johnson was 2019 President of the Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse Division of the American Psychological Association, and is current President of the International Society for Research on Psychedelics, an organization he founded with colleagues. He has received continuous NIH funding as Principal Investigator since 2009. He has reviewed for >75 journals and has served as guest editor on two special issues on psychedelics. Dr. Johnson has reviewed grants for NIH, NSF, the US Military, and multiple governments outside of the US. He is a standing member of the Addictions Risks and Mechansims (ARM) NIH study section. He has provided invited presentations in 13 nations.

Dr. Johnson has been interviewed widely by media about psychedelics and other drugs. These have included interviews by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Globe and Mail, the Daily Mail, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Denver Post, the Baltimore Sun, CNN, CBS News, NBC News, the Atlantic, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Vogue, Whole Living, the Washingtonian, Scientific American, Nature, Vice, Insider, Inverse, Healthline, and Psychology Today. Dr. Johnson has appeared for interviews on numerous television and radio shows including 60 Minutes, CNN's Wolf Blitzer Situation Room, Fox Business News' Kennedy, the Dr. Oz Show, PBS' Retro Report, Labyrint (television show in the Netherlands), Spectrum News NY1, the BBC World Service, NPR's Morning Edition, NPR's Kojo Nnamdi Show, New Zealand Radio, and Newstalk Radio Ireland. Dr. Johnson's panel discussion with Tim Ferriss at the Milken Institute Global Conference was broadcast on the Tim Ferriss Podcast. Dr. Johnson and his research were featured in an episode of Breakthrough on the National Geographic Channel, produced by Ron Howard, and in Michael Pollan's best-selling book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.

About AWAKN Life Sciences

AWAKN Life Sciences is a UK and European Union focused company that is dedicated to integrating psychedelics into mental healthcare, working across three business lines of clinical research, therapeutic clinics and practitioner training.

More Information

Anthony Tennyson | CEO

anthony@awaknlifesciences.com

Dr. Ben Sessa | CMO

ben@awaknlifesciences.com

awaknlifesciences.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63113
The global media solutions provider has created live streaming OTT services, including providing CDN capabilities, for a number of broadcasters. The roster includes francophone pan-African Christian channel Benie TV; Espace TV, the largest (by audience size) privately owned channel in Guinea; national public broadcast companies ORTN Tele Sahel in Niger and Tele Congo in the Republic of Congo.Mobile/tablet/TV apps for Android, Apple and Amazon Fire TV, which also deliver audience analytics, have been provided by Globecast as a feature when needed. Free VOD content from the channels existing YouTube account and news feeds from their website and social networks are also included in the apps. Globecast says that it has worked closely with each broadcaster to give them the shortest possible time to market courtesy of its TV Everywhere suite of services, project management and use of pre-approved apps.The result claims Globecast is that new and existing broadcast customers are recognising the benefits of using a single supplier for satellite and OTT delivery, from both a technical and customer service point of view. While there are variations from country to country across Africa, internet access  and therefore OTT service access  is characterised by the use of mobile phones as the primary device to consume content, so services need to take this into account, said Frederic Torasso, Globecast , TV Everywhere product manager, explaining the commissions.The emergence of cost-effective (sub-$30) smart feature phones, such as mobile handsets powered by the KaiOS operating system, helps bridge the digital gap; with voice interactions and web app support included. Broadcasters across the continent are increasingly eager to reach these devices with their OTT video services as well as the wider African community around the world.
Sudans transitional government and the revolutionary front initialled on Monday a peace accord in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The move has put an end to 17 years of civil war and conflicts that have torn the country since the 1950s.

Sudans Revolutionary Front comprises four armed movements that have been fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in the south, and in Darfur, in the west. The movements in Darfur include Sudans Liberation Army, spearheaded by Arko Minnawi, and the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Jibril Ibrahim, brother of founder Khalil Ibrahim, a former minister in Al-Bashirs government.

The two parties that initialled the agreement have resolved issues pertaining to power division, security arrangements, compensations to the families of the victims of war, among other key issues.

The accord grants autonomous rule to the Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Revenues and resources of the two states shall be divided between the federal authority, which will receive 60 per cent, and local authorities, that will be given 40 per cent.

According to the agreement, Sudans Revolutionary Front shall be allocated 25 per cent of cabinet and parliamentary seats and three seats in the sovereign council. The countrys transitional period will be extended for 39 months starting 1 September, as per the accord, during which time the armed movements forces should be disbanded and legally re-integrated as part of several security arrangements.

Sudans transitional period was slated for 39 months starting in the second half of 2019, a few months after a popular revolution toppled the Omar Al-Bashir regime in April.

The pact follows 10 months of negotiations in Juba. Absent from the accord, however, were the Sudan Liberation Army, led by Abdel-Wahed Mohamed Nour, that controls strategic locations in Darfurs Marrah Mountains, and a faction of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North, headed by Abdel-Aziz Al-Helw, whose forces are engaged in South Kordofan conflicts.

For over a year now, Sudans transitional government has been prioritising negotiations with rebel forces to seal peace deals in regions wretched by conflicts since Al-Bashirs rule. Mondays pact is a vital accomplishment for a government that is strenuously trying to revivify the economy and redraw foreign relations severely damaged under Al-Bashir.

The success of the new pact is a challenge, particularly after previous peace deals had crumbled, such as the Darfur Peace Agreement, sealed in Abuja in 2006.

Comprehensive peace in Sudan is the priority of Abdalla Hamdoks government, which focuses on resuming peace negotiations in the nearest time possible with the Sudans Peoples Liberation Movement-North and the Sudan Liberation Movement. The governments reform programme strongly depends on spreading peace across the corners of Sudan.

Abdallas government is hoping once comprehensive peace is reached in Sudan the refugees and the displaced will go back to their villages and construction and development operations will kick-start in Darfur and war-torn regions.

Peacemaking is difficult, albeit not as much as peacebuilding, which requires a political will. The Sudan government will not be able to spread peace without tangible support from the international community, especially influential countries and international financial institutions.

Regional powers, including Egypt and the Gulf, have supported the new accord that shall contribute to Sudans stability and help Khartoum focus on pressing issues, foremost among which is the plummeting economy, and launch local development programmes, the absence of which has resulted in the lack of peace and stability for decades.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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MBABANE  At least six pupils at Mater Dolorosa High School were sent home for allegedly not complying with COVID-19 regulations.

The pupils, who are in Form V, are said to have been suspended for four days last week, following that the head teacher found them in a group without wearing masks, an act which is against the school regulations.

According to a teacher, who preferred to comment on condition of anonymity, she noticed that some of her learners were absent from class until they returned four days later.

I asked one of them why he was not present in class for the past four days. The response I got was that the head teacher had suspended him with his friends because they failed to comply with the schools regulations in relation to COVID-19. I was told that the learners were in a group and did not observe social distancing, yet they were also not wearing masks, the educator said. The teacher also stated that she was not aware of the exact number of implicated pupils, but she was sure of six of them. She disclosed that since they had opened, some of them were quite a handful and defied the school rules. However, children will always be children. Some of them get up to mischief, but we deal with them the best way we know how, the teacher said. Meanwhile, one parent said she was worried about the time her child had lost while away from school.

Critical

This is a critical year and our children have lost so much time away from school. We have also sacrificed the little money we have to pay school fees so it is really concerning when such happens, she said.

The parent said this was not the time to suspend pupils from school. Instead, she suggested that the school should implement some sort of punishment to correct them for their wrong behaviour.

Another parent claimed that her child had told her that he was only in a group discussion with his schoolmates.

What concerns me the most is that I was not even formally informed why my child was sent home. When I inquired from the child, he said he was in a group with his friends discussing a past paper, the parent claimed.

When queried if she was aware of the possibility that pupils had breached the regulations, the parent admitted that some learners were known to be mischievous at times. However, she insisted that the school authorities could have engaged them in talks, rather than to send them home.

When reached for comment, Head teacher John Ngwenya politely requested not to comment on the issue. He was quizzed why the pupils were sent home and that their parents claimed that they were only discussing their academic work.

He then said he did not send the pupils away as there were procedures for suspension of pupils. Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza said they did not condone such behaviour. She encouraged the pupils to always be on their best behaviour.
Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators.

More than 400 of New Jerseys public and private school districts are starting the 2020-2021 school year with a hybrid model combining in-class and at-home learning, while another 242 districts will open all-remote, state officials said Wednesday.

We all know this will be a school year unlike any other, Gov. Phil Murphy said at his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton.

State education officials said:

 434 school districts will open this week or within the next few weeks with a hybrid model combining in-person and remote learning

 242 districts will open all-remote with all students learning at home

 68 districts will open with all in-person classes

 22 districts will have some combination of all-in-person classes for some students and remote classes for others. That includes districts where elementary schools will have in-person classes, while older children learn remotely or with a hybrid model.

New Jersey has nearly 600 public school districts, but the totals are higher because the state officials included public, charter and renaissance school and some private schools that serve students with disabilities in the numbers, state officials said. Other private and religious schools are not included in the statistics.

Though classes are starting soon, the state is still reviewing many districts school reopening plans. At last count, 35 district plans had not been reviewed yet and another 221 were still under review because state or county officials had questions or the district wanted to make revisions, education officials said.

Under rules unveiled earlier this summer, New Jersey students and teachers will be required to wear masks in the classroom unless they have breathing difficulties or other health problems. Schools are also being asked to keep students six feet apart in the classroom and on buses or install barriers.

We are confident that these steps we have in place will make the kind of chaotic situations we have seen in other states far less likely to happen in ours. Yet, we also have in place specific health guidance for what to do when a case arises in a school, or if we see a spike in cases or a cluster in a school, Murphy said.

All families also have the option of requesting all-remote learning, even if their schools are offering in-person classes.

The state has given school districts flexibility in crafting their own reopening plans and opening dates. Though some have criticized education officials for giving school officials too many choices, resulting in vastly different reopening plans from district to district, implementing rigid rules was unrealistic, state officials said.

That doesnt work in a state as diverse as New Jersey, Kevin Dehmer, interim commissioner of the state Department of Education.

Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up with your email here:



Murphy announced in June that New Jerseys public schools would reopen for the 2020-2021 school year with at least some in-person classes. But several school districts pushed back against that plan, saying they didnt have enough teachers or safety measures in place to reopen buildings.

In August, the Murphy administration said districts could start the school year all-remote as long as they had a good reason and a plan to eventually start in-person classes. That lead to a flood of school districts saying they planned to take the all-remote option to take more time to prepare their school buildings and teachers for in-person classes.

Preparing for the start of the new school year has been difficult for many districts. Some, including Freehold Regional and Elizabeth, have had hundreds of teachers ask to take leaves of absences or early retirements because they did not feel safe returning to the classroom. That has lead to shortages of substitutes and replacement teachers.

Other districts have had trouble getting shipments of personal protective equipment, laptops for students and other items needed for the first day of school.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.

Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Israeli prosecutors on Wednesday filed charges against three adults and eight minors in the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl last month in the Red Sea resort of Eilat.

A justice ministry statement said the suspects were variously accused of aggravated rape, aiding and abetting aggravated rape, indecent acts, failure to prevent a crime and other offences.

It said that Issi Rafailov, 28, and Ilizir Meirov, 27, were charged with aggravated rape, along with 17-year-old twin brothers who were not identified due to their age.

Osher Shlomo, 19, and six other minors were charged with being accomplices to the rapes and performing indecent acts.

Some were present during the commission of acts of rape and aided it by the fact of their presence, as they laughed and watched what was going on, thereby enabling and facilitating the committing of acts of rape, the chilling statement said.

Others watched a minor lying naked on the bed for the purpose of stimulation and sexual gratification or humiliation, without doing anything to stop the acts of rape taking place in the room.

The case has sparked widespread outrage in Israel and triggered a campaign echoing the global #MeToo movement.

Reports emerging on August 20 that the alleged perpetrators had queued outside the minors hotel bedroom, awaiting their turn to take advantage of her inebriated state, prompted protests in several Israeli cities the same day.

The girl had reported the alleged crime to police in Eilat earlier but the case at first went largely unnoticed.

In late August, thousands of Israelis staged a symbolic hour-long work stoppage to protest the growing violence against women and girls in Israel, and lack of sufficient punishment, organisers said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had condemned the shocking incident.

Its not only a crime against a young girl, its a crime against humanity itself that deserves condemnation from all of us, he said after reports of the alleged rape emerged.

The justice ministry said on Wednesday there was yet to be a decision on whether to press charges against additional suspects.

Last year, a 19-year-old British woman claimed she had been gang-raped by 12 Israeli males, aged 15 to 18, at a hotel in Cyprus.

She was later found guilty of lying about being gang-raped and given a four-month suspended sentence.

Womens rights groups condemned the Cypriot court judgement, and the womans lawyer said she was appealing against the conviction.
Punjab Director-General School Education, Mohammad Tayyab on Wednesday directed principals of various government schools to provide new school uniforms to students of Classes 1 to 8 by October 26.

The funds of 7.42 crore have been released to the district and the same has been transferred in the accounts of block primary education officers (BPEO) which will be further sent to the bank accounts of schools to purchase new uniforms.

The heads have been asked to inform parents to provide the measurements of their wards.

Each school will get 600 per student to purchase a uniform that includes a pair of shoes, socks, a belt, tie, shirt, trousers, skirt, sweater, and turban. The masks are to be made from the leftover fabric of the uniforms. Around 1.23 lakh students, of which 78,632 are girls, 39,792 are boys belonging to scheduled caste (SC) and 5,351 students belong to below poverty line (BPL) category, will get free uniforms.

The school heads have stated that after receiving funds from the BPEOs they will place the order of uniforms and parents have been informed to provide the measurements of their ward. Previously, the school authorities received funds after November and within a month, they have to provide uniforms to students. But this year, funds have been released in September due to which the uniforms will be provided to students in time.

Headteacher of Government Primary School, Haibowal Kalan, Shivani Sood said, With the number of rising Covid-19 cases in the district, it is important to take precautionary measures and thats why we are not asking parents to visit the school. Once the uniform is ready, all the items will be sent at the kids doorstep. In our school, there are 873 students studying in Class 1 to 5.

In the Government Model Senior Secondary Smart School, Punjab Agricultural University, there are over 1,200 students studying in Classes 1 to 8. The school authorities have decided to float tenders and will place the order at the earliest. School principal, Sanjeev Thapar, said, We have received the funds and tenders will be floated so that we can get the new uniforms stitched for the students. Parents will be asked to inform the class teacher regarding the measurement and a new uniform will be provided to students by next month.

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FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives delivered an election campaign announcement Wednesday about education, but not before Premier Blaine Higgs made a point of repeatedly crowing about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Brunswick Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers reacts to the provincial budget delivered by New Brunswick Finance Minister Ernie Steeves in the Legislature in Fredericton, N.B., on March 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives delivered an election campaign announcement Wednesday about education, but not before Premier Blaine Higgs made a point of repeatedly crowing about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign for the Sept. 14 election, now in its third week, has featured the usual assortment of promises and rhetoric, but it has become clear the Tories want to focus voters' attention on Higgs' response to the viral scourge.

Higgs, who was leading a 23-month-old minority government when he called a snap election last month, reminded the crowd in Oromocto, N.B., that New Brunswick continues to have a low infection rate  relative to most other provinces  and is now leading the country in terms of an economic recovery.

Since the pandemic was declared, the province has reported 192 confirmed cases, marking the lowest number of COVID-19 infections in Canada, next to P.E.I. and the territories. Neighbouring Nova Scotia has five times as many confirmed cases at 1,085. Two New Brunswickers have died as a result of COVID-19 and there were only four active cases in the province as of Wednesday.

As Education Minister Dominic Cardy was about to announce that a Tory government would increase the wages of early childhood educators and expand a food program to every school, he made a point of focusing on Higgs' leadership.

"We've seen that when a challenge was thrown in our direction that no one could have imagined happening ... we've seen a party and a government that's up to the job," Cardy said. "We've seen a party and a government able to take on a challenge ... and not just to do well, but to deliver a truly world-class result."

Higgs was introduced by the local Tory candidate, Mary Wilson, who cited comments made last week by the Bank of Montreal's chief economist, who said New Brunswick was projected to outperform most provinces in 2021.

Wilson said that projected achievement was "largely due to our premier's successful handling of the COVID-19 crisis."

In keeping with the theme, Higgs began his stump speech by noting the province's real estate market was on the upswing, as was construction, renovations and tourism.

Higgs then suggested the province was also ahead of the curve in Canada when it came to education.

"We are fortunate that we can safely reopen our schools when many other places around the world are still wondering what to do," he said, later noting that New Brunswick had closed its schools earlier than most other jurisdictions.

Earlier in the day, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers promised his party would table a balanced budget no later than the third year of its mandate if elected to govern. He made the pledge while campaigning in St. Stephen, N.B., where he said the party would make fiscal responsibility a top priority.

"The recovery is far from over," he said, attempting to cast a shadow over Higgs' sunny assessments.

Vickers also took a swipe at Higgs, saying the Liberals would not adopt the Conservatives' approach of balancing the budget on the backs of the province's most vulnerable. The Liberal leader said Higgs intends to carry on with spending cuts that will hobble the province's economic recovery.

"Blaine Higgs wants you to think his plan has gone away. It hasn't."

In response, Higgs declined to say when his party would balance the books if it won the election. The Tory leader said the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic has put that kind of fiscal pledge out of reach.

He tried, however, to turn the tables on Vickers, asking the Liberal leader if he was willing to raise taxes to eliminate the province's $300-million deficit, something Higgs has promised not to do.

Later in the day, Vickers told supporters in Saint John, N.B., he had "no plans" to raise taxes. And he again tried to counter Higgs' leadership messaging with a dose of realism.

"Blaine Higgs wants people to think things are back to normal," he said. "We can't pretend everything is all right."

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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation issued a statement saying it was glad to see Vickers "recognizes that one can't keep writing budgets with red ink forever."

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Green party Leader David Coon issued a statement Wednesday announcing that a Green government would require the province's Crown-owned utility, NB Power, to use 100 per cent renewable energy sources energy by 2035.

Coon said that was a realistic goal, considering the province could invest in vastly improved energy efficiency, wind energy, solar farms, storage technologies and long-term purchases of hydroelectric power from Quebec and Labrador.

"Mr. Higgs and Mr. Vickers are clinging to their 20th-century ideas about energy as the climate crisis intensifies," Coon said. "But, the path is clear ... (and) I know how to get us there."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.

 By Michael MacDonald in Halifax
Burberry has been handed more than half a million pounds to make PPE equipment for the NHS.

The luxury fashion house donated more than 100,000 items to healthcare workers back in April, earning praise from Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

It was handed a 573,000 contract to make gowns and protective equipment two months later, newly released Government records have revealed.

The contract was not advertised to other potential suppliers, according to Government records which were published today.

Burberry has been handed a 573,000 contract to make PPE equipment for the NHS, Government records released today have revealed

EU rules allow the Government to circumvent the usual processes if only one supplier is capable of delivering on the contract, or if unforeseen events mean that speed is vital.

During the early days of the pandemic several luxury fashion brands turned their production lines over to make desperately needed PPE.

Burberry retooled its Castleford site in Yorkshire to produce gowns for healthcare workers.

It allowed to company to win the 573,000 contract, in addition to donations of around 160,000 pieces of PPE to date to the NHS and healthcare charities since the pandemic started.

The luxury fashion house donated 100,000 items to healthcare workers back in April, earning praise from Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured)

This has included non-surgical gowns made at its Castleford site, and surgical masks that it bought abroad.

At the start of April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock praised Burberry for its help in supplying the NHS with the PPE it needed.

Mr Hancock said: 'I'll give a shout-out to Burberry who have turned over their production to the production of gowns to add to the stockpile and to get PPE to people who need it which is another part of the national effort.

'I think Burberry deserve credit for what they've done so far for the nation and hopefully lots more Burberry gowns to come.'

Weeks later Burberry highlighted the PPE it had donated in an update to investors on April 24

Burberry said: 'Our trench coat factory in Castleford is now manufacturing non-surgical gowns and supplying them to the UK National Health Service.

'We are also sourcing surgical masks through our supply chain and supplying them to the NHS and charities such as Marie Curie, which provides nursing care for families living with terminal illness in the UK.

'To date, we have donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE.'

Burberry has donated around 160,000 pieces of PPE to date to the NHS and healthcare charities since the pandemic started

The retailer added it would not rely on Government support for jobs in the UK, where more than a third of its employees are based.

Burberry has since announced it cut 150 jobs in the UK and 350 based overseas on July 16.

Rival fashion brand Mulberry also switched its handbag factory in Somerset to making 8,000 gowns for NHS workers in Bristol in April.

The Government has previously faced criticism over some of the contracts it has signed during the height of the pandemic.

Two weeks ago it was revealed that management consultants McKinsey had been paid more than half a million pounds for a less than month-long contract to provide a 'mission and vision' for the Government's new test and trace body.
A shooting left a man dead Tuesday evening in the International District.

Daren DeAguero, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said officers responded around 6:15 p.m. to reports of gunfire in the 200 block of Charleston NE, near Central and Pennsylvania.

Officers arrived and discovered a male subject laying on the sidewalk, he said. The male had been mortally wounded and died on scene.

DeAguero said detectives are investigating and gave no other details.
The tradition continues  sort of.

Switching gears this year, organizers of Canadas largest rib fest will be celebrating the Labour Day event with a drive-thru on Sept. 7.

Heres what you need to know.

1. The drive-thru rib fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Burlington Centre (777 Guelph Line) parking lot. Guests are asked to enter from the Fairview Street entrance and remain in their vehicles. Food vendors will take orders and payment (cards preferred), and will deliver each order to your vehicle.

2. All COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place.

3. Among this years ribbers are Camp 31 BBQ, Bill Bones BBQ, Pistol Petes Smokehouse and Silver Bullet BBQ. Also on hand will be East Side Marios, Blaze Pizza, Twisted Tomato, Tiny Tom Donuts and Ontario Corn Roasters.

4. The event will include live music.

5. Proceeds will once again go to Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore.

Read more about:
KBR has been awarded a $75 million recompete contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central to enhance infrastructure at multiple bases in Djibouti, Africa.

Under this five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, KBR will provide engineering, design, construction, renovations, repairs, maintenance, demolition and other services at both Camp Lemonnier, and its associated Chabelley Airfield.

This work complements KBR's premier base operating support throughout Africa. Notably, the company has provided base operating support services at Camp Lemonnier since 2013, with work in the region dating back to 2002.

While performing key services in Africa, the KBR team has achieved more than 25 million hours without a lost-time safety incident, a salute to KBR's commitment to sustainability and safety.

"KBR will continue its legacy of delivering trustworthy results and expertise to the US Navy through this award," said Byron Bright, KBR Government Solutions President. "We are proud to be a part of strengthening these bases for our troops and allies."

For over 75 years, KBR has helped ensure the success of US government missions and military readiness. The company provides solutions for base and contingency operations, asset management, prepositioned stocks and operations maintenance for US and allied forces globally. Known for excelling in complex and extreme environments, KBR is trusted to overcome some of the nation's most pressing challenges.-- Tradearabia News Service
Philippines: Won't Stop Doing Business with Chinese Firms Blacklisted by US

2020-09-01 -- The Philippines is not a "vassal state of any foreign power" and won't cut business ties with Chinese firms that Washington has blacklisted for their roles in Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.

The Philippine government will work with these Chinese companies because it is in the "national interest" to complete flagship infrastructure projects in the country involving these firms, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a virtual press briefing. Both the Philippines and China are among countries with contending territorial claims in the South China Sea.

"I will be categorical. [The] Sangley project will continue [and] all other projects involving Chinese companies that are banned in the U.S. can continue in the Philippines," Roque said. "We are not a vassal state of any foreign power and we will pursue our national interest."

The construction of an international airport in Sangley, a project valued at U.S. $10 billion, involves the Beijing-controlled China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), one of 24 Chinese firms and individuals that were placed on a list of sanctions by the United States on Aug. 26, for what Washington said was their role in constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea.

According to Roque, Duterte stated firmly at a cabinet meeting on Monday night that it was in the Philippines' interest to complete the airport and other infrastructure projects.

"[T]he president was clear, he will not follow the directive of the Americans because we are a free and independent country, and we need Chinese investments," Roque told reporters.

According to the Philippine government, in addition to the Sangley project, the CCCC has secured memorandums of understanding for five other local infrastructure projects in Davao, Cebu and the former Clark U.S. Air Force base north of Manila.

Duterte's decision to keep business relations intact with U.S.-blacklisted Chinese firms came after Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Friday he would "strongly recommend" that the government cut links with Chinese firms, if they were found to be linked to Beijing's efforts to expand its military footprint in the South China Sea.

Apart from the Philippines and China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In July, the U.S. declared that Beijing's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea on the basis of "historic rights" were unlawful.

The Chinese firms and individuals that were blacklisted last week are involved in reclamation activities in the waterway, the U.S. said when announcing the sanctions.

American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctioned firms and individuals were involved in China's extensive dredging campaign in the South China Sea. He also accused China of destroying the marine environment in parts of the sea through its efforts to build military bases.

"Since 2013, the PRC [People's Republic of China] has used its state-owned enterprises to dredge and reclaim more than 3,000 acres on disputed features in the South China Sea, destabilizing the region, trampling on the sovereign rights of its neighbors, and causing untold environmental devastation," Pompeo said.

"The PRC must not be allowed to use CCCC and other state-owned enterprises as weapons to impose an expansionist agenda. The United States will act until we see Beijing discontinue its coercive behavior in the South China Sea, and we will continue to stand with allies and partners in resisting this destabilizing activity."

'Chinese takeover of Philippine waters'

Pamalakaya, a group representing fishermen on Manila Bay, meanwhile has warned that the Sangley airport project threatens the livelihood of fishermen on the island of Cavite and could be a prelude to a "Chinese takeover of Philippine waters."

The group also used strong words to describe the CCCC, saying its intentions are not honorable.

Don't "compromise the sovereignty, environment, and most especially the socio-economic rights of tens of thousands of Caviteno fishermen to pave way for a mega project of an established Chinese plunderer and aggressor," Pamalakaya said in a statement.

"We call on Governor [Jonvic] Remulla not to lay open Manila Bay to a Chinese firm that is involved in a massive reclamation and construction of military facilities in the West Philippine Sea," Pamalakaya head Fernando Hicap added, using the Filipino name for the South China Sea.

Hicap, who lives on the Cavite coast, said about 26,000 fishing families could be displaced by the airport project once it is completed.

"We humbly appeal to the incumbent governor of Cavite to completely terminate the airport project," he said. "The people of Cavite, most especially the fisherfolk, the coastal population, do not need an airport, but a coastal community integrated to a sustainable livelihood."

For now, though, the joint venture airport project between CCCC and Filipino firm MacroAsia is in its last stages and is scheduled to be finished soon, Remulla said last week.

He added that the local government would immediately end the project if Duterte or the defense department asked it to do so.

Opposition figure unhappy with Duterte's decision

Risa Hontiveros, a senator from the opposition in the Philippines, doesn't agree with Duterte's decision. She alleged that there might be collusion between the Beijing-run firms blacklisted by the U.S. and Filipino officials in China's construction of artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

Hontiveros has asked the Senate to investigate these connections.

"It's been recently revealed that Chinese companies that participate in the building of military islands in the West Philippine Sea have projects with the Philippine government, so it is not hard to suspect dubious engagement by either party," Hontiveros told reporters.

She said China's construction of artificial islands was a threat to the security of the Philippines, adding that intelligence officials had said these islands were being used as outposts of the Chinese maritime militia to allegedly harass Filipino fishermen.

"It is alarming that the island bases have put the Philippine archipelago within range of Chinese combat aircraft and bombers," Hontiveros said. "This is a clear threat to our national security."

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

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GREEN OAKS, Ill., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthShore Care Supply is elevating its company culture with its new headquarters, which was designed to facilitate better communication and interaction among employees. The design includes an ideation room, huddle rooms, alcoves with functional couches and chairs, a massage chair, a product testing lab and a lunchroom featuring a robust marketplace serving a large selection of food and drinks. Hand sanitizer is readily available to support safety protocols, tall windows allow abundant sunlight to stream in, a living moss wall adds a refreshing natural touch and the entire space is open and flexible.

Companies with a high level of employee engagement are 21 percent more profitable than those with poor engagement. Furthermore, studies show that treating employees as stakeholders greatly increases an organization's chances of achieving successful outcomes. Recognizing that company culture is imperative to long-term success and that employees are an organization's most valuable asset, NorthShore Care Supply has consistently taken measures to strengthen its culture.

To this end, NorthShore Care Supply President and Founder Adam Greenberg sought input regarding the new building from his employees. Greenberg encouraged staff to get involved in the details, down to selecting the paint color for the walls, fabric for the lunchroom booths and the design of the workspace furniture.

"We value collaboration and I wanted to create a setting that encourages it, even as our company grows. While the new headquarters perfectly accommodates our current number of employees, it was also thoughtfully designed to scale up in the future in accordance with our growth," Greenberg said.

Greenberg put a great deal of thought into the company's new address: 1 Confidence Drive. NorthShore Care Supply was permitted by the local village to use the address because it was the first business to move into the new commercial development. He wanted the name of the address to reflect the confidence the company gives customers who use its incontinence products. People dealing with incontinence can reclaim their lives thanks to NorthShore Care Supply's products, which gives them a significant boost in confidence.

Once inside the building, a verdant moss wall dominates the wall leading to the lunchroom and is emblazoned with "#NorthShoreCares." This hashtag, which NorthShore Care Supply regularly uses on social media, reinforces the company's commitment to positively impacting the lives of those managing incontinence. Employees were enthusiastic about the idea of a 'green' moss wall when it was proposed, as moss walls have been shown to enhance focus, reduce stress and improve air quality.

In addition to an ideation room and huddle rooms for staff members, the space also includes consultation rooms where employees can consult with customers. The lunchroom is anything but ordinary, with industrial lighting in a loft-style setting and a mix of chair, high-top and booth seating. The marketplace features a cashless kiosk and a wide variety of food, beverages and other items. Greenberg is also making complimentary ice cream available when all of the employees return to the office.

The Customer Care & Service experts at NorthShore Care Supply play a critical role in strengthening the company's reputation and, in turn, its success and growth. In addition to undergoing in-depth product education, these employees now have a collaborative, serene, calm and welcoming space on the second floor to call their own. The department also includes a high-tech training room, a dedicated conference room and breakout spaces. Electric standing desks are outfitted with ergonomic chairs and shelves where employees can store personal items. Large windows overlook a scenic pond and let in plenty of sunlight.

NorthShore Care Supply's new warehouse has emerged as a high-tech fulfillment center complete with conveyor automation and automatic mobile robots. This sophisticated technology ensures employees can quickly, safely and efficiently package, organize and store customer orders. It also relieves them of the physical toll that lifting and loading heavy items can place on the body.

Greenberg also recently commissioned the installation of touch-less hand sensors, foot-operated door openers, plexiglass "sneeze" shields and automatic hand sanitizer dispensers to minimize contact with surfaces and help protect employees.

"The elements we have incorporated into our new headquarters are all items that employees mentioned they would like to have. Accommodating their preferences was important to me. I want to do everything in my power to make our employees happy, as they are the reason for our success. Plus, satisfied employees are more likely to provide exemplary customer service and we want our customers to receive the very best from us," Greenberg said.

About NorthShore Care Supply

NorthShore Care Supply was founded in 2002 by Adam Greenberg after family members struggled to manage their incontinence with retail adult diapers. NorthShore is the leading direct-to-consumer brand of high absorbency adult diapers and incontinence supplies in the U.S. providing peace of mind to those with moderate to severe incontinence. NorthShore is committed to #EndHealthStigma to help 80 million Americans living with some form of bladder or bowel dysfunction. For more information, visit northshorecare.com.

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Boris Johnsons former Conservative leadership rival Jeremy Hunt said he dodged a bullet by losing out in the final contest to become prime minister last year.

The influential Tory MP shared his sense of relief that Mr Johnson won the battle to replace Theresa May at No 10, given the scale of the coronavirus crisis.

I certainly dodged a bullet, theres no question, when you look at the year that poor Boris has had, Mr Hunt said when asked if he was relieved not to have the top job on Sky News.

Its been a very tough year for anyone who is prime minister, to deal with a pandemic [that is] completely unprecedented.

He told host Kay Burley: I would loved to have done the job, but I recognise that Boris Johnson did something very important, which is that he got a 80 seat majority for the Conservatives.

Recommended Hunt warns patient care will suffer if NHS overhaul goes ahead

The Tory MP added: Whether or not you love or loathe the Conservatives, we do now have political stability. And with all the problems we faced in the period prior to that with the hung parliament, I dont think anyone would have wanted to have that kind of instability in the challenges we currently face.

Mr Hunt, now chair of the Commons health and social care select committee, was asked why he turned down a chance to be in Mr Johnsons Cabinet.

He did very kindly offer me a job in his Cabinet, but I wanted to spend a bit more time with my kids  although after five months with them solidly Im beginning to question that decision, he joked.

Mr Johnson took 66 per cent of the Tory members vote in the final round of the leadership contest compared to Mr Hunt on 34 per cent.
Her removal violated her right to a hearing, according to the AAUP's findings, and came after NU and UNL administrators caved to pressure from conservative state senators who demanded Lawton's firing.

Since UNL's censure, faculty and administrators have worked to clarify the campus's disciplinary policies in order to "make it clear for administrators what procedures have to be followed and when they have to be followed," according to Faculty Senate Past President Kevin Hanrahan.

Language delineating different procedures for "immediate suspension" of a faculty member versus other forms of discipline, the formal complaint process and timeline, and responsibilities of special faculty committees called to investigate complaints passed the Faculty Senate in October 2019, and UNL worked to secure support from faculty leaders at NU's other campuses in Omaha and Kearney, said Hanrahan, an associate professor of voice in the Glenn Korff School of Music.

Speaking at Tuesday's UNL Faculty Senate meeting, which was conducted via Zoom, Hanrahan said the other campuses agreed to support the language in January.
KENOSHA  On the heels of President Donald Trump's visit to Kenosha to support law enforcement in the wake of community protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Joe Biden announced he will visit the city Thursday  marking the former vice president's first campaign stop in the state since declaring his candidacy.

The Democratic presidential nominee and his wife Jill are scheduled to hold a community meeting on Thursday in Kenosha "to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face," according to a statement from Biden's campaign. After the meeting, the Bidens will make an unidentified local stop.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Biden said he has received an "overwhelming request" that he visit Kenosha, where at-times violent protests followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, on Aug. 23. Protests started more than a week ago in the community and on Aug. 25, two protesters were shot and killed and a third wounded allegedly by a 17-year-old from Illinois who had traveled to the city to protect buildings alongside other armed counterprotesters.

Biden said he plans to meet with Kenosha community leaders, business owners and law enforcement.

"Weve got to heal, weve got to put things together, bring people together," Biden said Wednesday. "My purpose in going will be to do just that.

Advocates charges for officer

Meanwhile, Biden told reporters he believes the officer who shot Blake, Rusten Sheskey, "needs to be charged. Biden also called for charges in the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment by police in March.

The comment by the Democratic presidential nominee came after he was asked about remarks by his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former county prosecutor and state attorney general, that the officer should face charges.

Biden also called for action on citizens who have committed violence as part of civil unrest, including the fatal shooting of a far-right groups supporter in Portland, Oregon.

In a one-minute ad titled Be Not Afraid released Tuesday by his campaign, Biden condemns looting and rioting as lawlessness, plain and simple.

"Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames. He cant stop the violence because for years hes fomented it," Biden said in the ad. "Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction.

On heels of Trump visit

On Tuesday Trump met with local law enforcement, National Guard members and business owners in Kenosha to push for "law and order" to clamp down on protests sparked by police violence in cities such as Kenosha, Portland and Minneapolis.

Some people think those are two terrible words  law and order  and theyre not terrible at all, theyre beautiful," Trump said Tuesday in Kenosha.

Several state and local Democratic officials, including Gov. Tony Evers and Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, urged Trump to call off the trip for fear that it could fan the flames of ongoing unrest in the community.

Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Andrew Hitt issued a statement on Wednesday questioning if Evers also plans to ask Biden to reconsider his trip to Kenosha.

"Thankfully, President Trump didnt listen to him and delivered tens-of-millions of dollars in aid to help rebuild Kenosha," Hitt said in a statement. "Will Governor Evers also urge Joe Biden to stay away?

Evers' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden said on Wednesday he had not yet spoken with Evers, but had contacted the governor's staff regarding his Thursday visit.

First visit

While Biden has held multiple online events including forums and a virtual campaign speech, he has yet to visit the battleground state as a presidential candidate, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden's last trip to Wisconsin was a stop in Madison in October 2018. Hillary Clinton famously did not campaign here before losing the key battleground state by fewer than 23,000 votes. The last time a Democratic presidential nominee visited the Badger State was a November 2012 Madison stop by Barack Obama.

While originally slated to accept the nomination for president in Milwaukee during the Democratic National Convention two weeks ago, Biden ultimately canceled his trip as the convention shifted to a mostly online format. Biden accepted the nomination from Delaware, his home state.

Biden's lack of on-the-ground presence in the state has drawn sharp criticism from both state Republicans and Trump's team. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other members of his administration have made multiple stops in Wisconsin this year.

Hitt described Biden's visit as a "desperation trip."

"It shouldnt take rioters burning down the city of Kenosha to get Joe Biden to visit our state," Hitt said in a statement. "Joe Biden made COVID excuses as to why he couldnt visit Wisconsin, but the seven-day average of new COVID cases in Wisconsin remains nearly unchanged compared to the DNC week."

Photos: Scenes from President Trump's visit to Kenosha

The Associated Press and Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report.
US Republicans criticize Pelosi over hair appointment

U.S. Republicans criticized House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday for going to a hair salon in San Francisco in an apparent violation of the city's coronavirus pandemic regulations, but the Democratic leader said she had been told by the salon the appointment was allowed.

Pelosi briefly addressed the issue to reporters in San Francisco, saying, "I take responsibility for falling for a set-up."

Under strict rules to combat the coronavirus pandemic, hair salons in San Francisco were still prohibited from admitting customers on Monday, when Pelosi had her appointment, although salons elsewhere in the state and across much of the country were already open.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans seized on a brief video of Pelosi's appointment, which first aired on the Fox News channel, to accuse Pelosi, the most senior elected Democrat in Washington, of hypocrisy.

Trump - who took months to embrace mask-wearing as a way to slow the spread of Covid-19 - used the incident to attack Pelosi, saying on Twitter that she is "constantly lecturing" others.

"The Beauty Parlor owner must really dislike Crazy Nancy Pelosi. Turning her in, on tape, is a really big deal," the president wrote.
This is part of CNBC Make It's series on what it's like to be Black in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley has long been a culture dominated by white men, with a fraught record of following up on commitments to fix its race problem, from major tech companies that have barely moved their numbers on diversity to a lack of funding for Black founders. Here, CNBC Make It spoke with Black professionals to hear their experiences.

Being a Black founder in Silicon Valley means always carrying the weight of wondering whether your Blackness will affect your success, Yonas Beshawred, the founder and CEO of San Francisco-headquartered tech company StackShare tells CNBC Make It.

"It's difficult to pitch a room full of VCs regardless of their race or gender," Beshawred says. "But as a Black founder, there's additional cognitive load because you are thinking about race in the back of your mind and are processing questions like, 'Have they ever funded a Black founder? Have they ever even heard a pitch from one? Are they not interested because I look unfamiliar?'

"They're just questions, not accusations, but they're there."

Beshawred, 33, who is the son of Ethiopian immigrants, had the idea for his start-up after working in IT strategy consulting at Accenture. The job gave his insight into how large companies made decisions about technology and software and he felt the process could be improved for large and small companies as well as start-ups with a professional directory for developers.

"I was eventually fed up that this solution didn't exist, so I started StackShare as a side project using WordPress and my personal credit cards back in 2014," he says.

Since then, Beshawred has raised $7 million from firms including 500 Startups and from angel investors who hail from big companies like of Facebook, Salesforce and McKinsey. StackShare has seven full-time employees and five part-time contractors.

In Beshawred's years of pitching investors, he's been rejected a lot. But he doesn't believe it's due to the color of his skin.

"I've probably heard over 100 'nos' from VCs and angels, Beshawred says. "I never really thought it was because I was Black. I always believed, and still believe, that traction trumps all," he says.

"That's what I told myself over and over again  that the only thing that matters is that I have the numbers and a compelling vision. And if I have that then I can find investors who will back me. In my experience, that has mostly proven to be true."

Still, Beshawred says in Silicon Valley, he is consistently the only Black person in the room, which can be lonely and is "discouraging and frustrating." When he first started raising money in 2015, he didn't know a single Black investor, angel or VC.

Beshawred says he is now connected to a community of Black founders and technology workers because he helped start an organization called Harambeans, a network of over 250 African founders who have collectively created over 3,000 jobs and raised over $400 million in total for their companies, he says. He's also launched an organization called Ethiopians in Tech in the Bay Area and a new organization called the Ethiopia COVID-19 Response Team (ECRT), a platform for professionals from all over the world to collaborate responses to Covid-19.

Today StackShare has five Black investors (mostly angels), says Beshawred, but not everything has changed. It's still "not uncommon for me to pitch a room full of three or four white males," he says.

And to Beshawred and many of his peers, it feels as if white founders have an easier time fundraising.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 2, 2020 - 22:55 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan reported on Wednesday 594 new coronavirus cases, the third-lowest daily tally in a month following the recent moderate infection increase.

Nonetheless, a government panel on virus prevention said the same day it is too early to say if the resurgence since the end of a state of emergency in late May is over, citing a continued spike seen in some areas such as Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures.

The 594 cases compare with 633 cases Tuesday and 437 Monday and fall well below the highest level of nearly 1,600 in early August.

The latest figure brings the cumulative number of nationwide cases to 70,368 cases including around 700 from the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. The death toll rose by 13 to 1,340.

"We have not determined whether the rise (in the number of infection cases) has stopped or not," said Takaji Wakita, chairman of the panel and director general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Tokyo confirmed 141 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total in the capital to 21,128, the highest of Japan's 47 prefectures.

The daily figures from the metropolitan government reflect the most recent totals reported by health authorities and medical institutions.

The single-day tally compares with 170 cases reported on Tuesday and 100 on Monday.

Tokyo hit a monthly record of 8,126 new cases in August, with a daily record of 472 on Aug. 1. But despite the capital seeing daily cases in triple digits on every day of August bar one, infections began to trend downward from the latter half of the month.

The capital is maintaining its alert at the highest of four levels, meaning "infections are spreading."

The metropolitan government has extended a request until Sept. 15 for establishments serving alcohol and karaoke venues in Tokyo's 23 wards to close by 10 p.m. as many cases have spread from there.

Meanwhile, the request for such businesses outside the 23 wards was lifted Tuesday.

Related coverage:

Japan mulls offering COVID-19 vaccines for free to all residents

Half of people in Japan feel healthier due to coronavirus outbreak
Accused paedophile Malka Leifer has lost her appeal in Israel's Supreme Court against a finding that she is mentally fit to be extradited to Australia.

The ex-principal, 52, faces 74 charges of sexually assaulting female students during her time at the ultra Orthodox Adass Israel school in Elsternwick in Melbourne's south-east.

Malka Leife (right) in court in Jerusalem in 2018. Credit:AP

In May, the Jerusalem District Court found Ms Leifer was fit to stand trial after a years-long battle to return her to Australia to face charges. She appealed that decision, which the Supreme Court unanimously rejected on Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The judgment paves the way for the extradition process to continue. The District Court will decide on September 21 whether Ms Leifer should be extradited, but she will have further avenues for appeal.
Ukraine ups gas imports by 30% in Jan-Aug  operator

16:55, 02.09.20 2175

During the reporting period, gas was imported exclusively from Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 04:18:52|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that upholding multilateralism and opposing unilateralism is among the major consensus reached during his current visit to five European countries.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas after their talks.

According to Wang, he had candid and in-depth exchanges with leaders and foreign ministers of the five countries on bilateral relations as well as the international situation, and reached broad consensus.

One major consensus is upholding multilateralism and opposing unilateralism. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," he said.

China and Europe need to step up collaboration, adhere to the concept of multilateralism, take multilateral actions, abide by multilateral agreements and strengthen multilateral institutions, he explained.

Another key consensus is to promote solidarity and cooperation while taking a stand against division and "decoupling," Wang said.

"We all agree that China and Europe need to enhance cooperation in fighting COVID-19, and to resume personnel exchanges and practical cooperation as soon as possible, to make 'Chinese-European contributions' to the recovery and growth of the global economy," the Chinese State Councilor noted.

"We all agree that, we should, in a responsible attitude towards the future and destiny of mankind, jointly resist the counter-current of inciting division, 'decoupling' and confrontation, to prevent the world from slipping back into the rule of 'the law of the jungle'."

Thirdly, consensus has been reached that efforts should be made to uphold the overall interests of China-Europe relations as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership, and properly manage differences, Wang said.

Regarding differences, the two sides need to deepen understanding and mutual trust through equal-footed dialogue as well as candid exchanges, aiming for a win-win through mutually-beneficial cooperation, to manage differences in a constructive manner, he added.

Wang said, his trip to five European countries is the first by the Chinese foreign minister to Europe in a time when prevention and control against the COVID-19 pandemic become regular practices. It is a strategic communication between China and European countries against the backdrop of mounting uncertainties in the international situation.

All five countries, he said, attach great importance to their ties with China, all hope to resume exchanges and cooperation with China as soon as possible and are willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to jointly tackle global challenges.

"I can also feel that European countries have concerns too," said Wang, citing their concerns about a further spread of the pandemic and the threat of a deep recession of world economy; about a rising unilateralism, and the deliberate creation of 'decoupling' and division which gives rise to increasing confrontations in the international sphere. Enditem
Ukraine and China will develop political dialogue and increase the volume of practical cooperation.

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar and Vice Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Le Yucheng agreed on this during a video conference on September 1, the Foreign Ministrys press service reported.

Among other topics that were in the spotlight were further interaction within international organizations, ways to intensify trade and economic cooperation, joint participation in the implementation of projects within the framework of China's One Belt, One Road initiative.

"The parties assured each other of the invariability of the fundamental principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, stipulated by the political documents concluded since the establishment of diplomatic relations," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Chinese diplomat invited his Ukrainian counterpart to visit Beijing. In turn, Emine Dzheppar confirmed the invitation to Le Yucheng to visit Kyiv for the next round of political consultations.

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Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has already surpassed the U.S. in missile development and its number of warships and air defense systems under the Chinese Communist Partys plan to achieve dominance by 2049, the Defense Department said in a sobering report Tuesday.

The ultimate goal of the Peoples Republic of China, or PRC, is to develop a military by mid-Century that is equal to  or in some cases superior to  the U.S. military, or that of any other great power that the PRC views as a threat, the DoDs annual report to Congress said.

To that end, the PRC has marshalled the resources, technology, and political will over the past two decades to strengthen and modernize the PLA in nearly every respect, the report said.

Under the national strategy pressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the result has been that China is already ahead of the United States in certain areas essential to its overall aim of progressing from homeland and periphery defense to global power projection, the report said.

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The PRC has the largest navy in the world, with an overall battle force of approximately 350 ships and submarines, including over 130 major surface combatants, the report said.

Thats compared to the U.S. Navys current battle force of 295 ships.

In addition, the PRC has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, while the U.S. currently fields one type of conventional GLBM with a range of 70 to 300 kilometers and no GLCMs, the report said.

In some respects, China is also ahead on integrated air defense systems with a mix of Russian-built and homegrown systems, the report said.

The PRC has one of the worlds largest forces of advanced long-range surface-to-air systems  including Russian-built S-400, S-300, and domestically-produced anti-air systems  making up part of its robust and redundant integrated air defense system, the report said.

Despite the advances, the PLA remains in a position of inferiority to the U.S. in overall military strength, said Chad Sbragia, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for China.

The 173-page DoD report does not claim that Chinas military is 10 feet tall, but the Chinese Communist Party wants it to be, and has the plan and resources to reach that goal, Sbragia, a retired Marine officer, said at an American Enterprise Institute forum on Chinas military.

At an earlier Pentagon briefing on the report, Sbragia said Beijings military strategy was driven by the view that the U.S. has decided upon a long period of confrontation to counter the global spread of Chinas influence.

He said that China increasingly views the United States as more willing to confront Beijing on matters where the U.S. and PRC interests are inimical.

The CCP leaders view the United States security alliances and partnerships  especially those in the Indo-Pacific region  as destabilizing and irreconcilable with Chinas interests, Sbragia said.

The DoD report, titled Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China comes about two weeks before Congress is set to return from recess to convene a Senate-House Conference Committee on the National Defense Authorization Act and the defense budget for Fiscal Year 2021.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has acknowledged downward pressures on the defense budget to offset the enormous costs of the COVID-19 response while arguing for sustained increases of 3-5% in defense spending in future years to maintain U.S. superiority and readiness.

The 20th annual report on China by DoD noted the staggering improvements in Chinas ability to build, coordinate and project power since the first report was issued.

DoDs first annual report to Congress in 2000 assessed the PRCs armed forces at that time to be a sizable but mostly archaic military that was poorly suited to the CCPs long-term ambitions, the report said.

In 2000, the PLA lacked the capabilities, organization, and readiness for modern warfare, the report said. But the CCP, it added, recognized the shortcomings and set about with determination to strengthen and transform its armed forces in a manner commensurate with its aspirations to strengthen and transform China.

More striking than the PLAs staggering amounts of new military hardware are the recent sweeping efforts taken by CCP leaders that include completely restructuring the PLA into a force better suited for joint operations and for expanding the PRCs overseas military footprint.

The PLA has already established its first overseas military base in Djibouti, about a mile from U.S. Africa Commands main base on the Horn of Africa.

In its commentary on the DoD assessment, the American Enterprise Institute noted that the report also stressed that The PRC has likely considered locations for PLA military logistics facilities in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan.

Despite the progress made by Chinas military over the past two decades, major gaps and shortcomings remain in readiness and operational capability, the report said, but Chinas leaders are acutely aware of the problems and have detailed plans to overcome them.

Of course, the CCP does not intend for the PLA to be merely a showpiece of Chinas modernity or to keep it focused solely on regional threats, the report said.

As this report shows, the CCP desires the PLA to become a practical instrument of its statecraft with an active role in advancing the PRCs foreign policy, particularly with respect to the PRCs increasingly global interests and its aims to revise aspects of the international order, it added.
The members of All India Youth Akali Dal on Wednesday held a protest outside the District Administrative Complex, Sector 76, seeking the dismissal of social justice minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot over the alleged scholarship scam.

The protestors burnt the effigy of the minister and raised slogans against the government. Parambans Singh Bunty Romana, president of the youth offshoot of Shiromani Akali Dal, said the scam had brought out the true picture of the Congress government.

Parminder Singh Sohana, district president, questioned the chief minister on his compulsion or helplessness that was preventing the ruling Congress party from taking action against a corrupt minister. Unless Dharamsot resigned, a fair probe was impossible, he added.
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.  An Air Force attack drone was damaged Wednesday when it went off a runway during takeoff at Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico, the military said.

The remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 49th Wing was the only aircraft involved, base officials said in a statement.

A board of Air Force officers will investigate the accident to determine the cause, the statement said.

The base is 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of El Paso, Texas.
Tokyo, Sep 2 : The Japanese government may offer free Covid-19 vaccinationse to all residents so that the number of future cases and fatalities can be mitigated, informed sources said on Wednesday.

According to the sources, owing to the highly contagious nature of the Covid-19 and its potential to render patients with extremely severe symptoms, the government wants the highest number of people as possible to get vaccinated, reports Xinhua news ageny.

At a meeting convened last week, outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the government aims to secure by the first half of 2021 enough Covid-19 vaccinations for all of the country's citizens, as part of its new measures and protocols to combat the virus.

The vaccines will be purchased from reserve funds from the budget of the current fiscal year to March 2021, the government said.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government said it had agreed with British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc. to receive 120 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed with the University of Oxford.

Similarly, Japan has also agreed with Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech SE to receive 120 million doses of their potential vaccine, providing its development proves successful.

Meanwhile, those testing positive for the virus but displaying no symptoms or only showing mild symptoms, will be asked to self-isolate at home or at designated facilities under the government's revised guidelines.

As of Wednesday, Japan has reported a total of 69,001 coronavirus cases, with 1,307 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
- By Alberto Abaterusso





Allegion PLC (NYSE:ALLE) and L3Harris Technologies Inc (NYSE:LHX) announced quarterly dividends on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

These stocks draw the attention of dividend investors, as these long-term payers have grown their distributions strongly over the past five years.

Allegion PLC

The Irish global manufacturer and seller of mechanical and electronic security products and technical solutions announced that on Sept. 30, it will distribute a 32 cents per common share quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of record as of Sept 16.





The distribution will be in line with the previous one. The ex-dividend date is scheduled for Sept. 15.

Based on Tuesday's closing price of $102.10 per share, the quarterly dividend generates a forward yield of 1.25%.

Allegion PLC has paid dividends for more than five years and increased them by a compound annual growth rate of 27.5% over the last five years.

The company sustains the quarterly dividend with $302.4 million available in cash on hand and equivalents. The company generated an operating cash flow of nearly $510 million over the last 12 months of activities through the most recent quarter, which ended on June 29.

The share price has increased 7% over the past year, determining a 52-week range of $77.37 to $139.24.

2 Strong Dividend Growth Stocks Announce Payments

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.42 billion, a price-book ratio of 13.90 and a price-earnings ratio of 33.32.

Wall Street sell-side analysts issued a hold recommendation rating for the stock and have established an average target price of $104.28 per share.

L3Harris Technologies Inc

The Melbourne, Florida-based provider of tech solutions for mission-critical challenges of government and commercial customers announced that on Sept. 22, it will pay a quarterly cash dividend of 85 cents per common share to its shareholders of record as of Sept. 9.

Story continues

The ex-dividend date is scheduled for Sept. 8. The payment will be on par with the prior distribution.

Based on Thursday's closing price of $177.72 per share, the quarterly dividend produces a forward dividend yield of 1.91%.

L3Harris Technologies Inc has been distributing dividends for more than 30 years and increasing them by a CAGR of 10% over the last five years.

The company funds the payment of the quarterly dividend with $1.95 billion in cash on hand as of June 30. The prior 12 months of operating activities through the second quarter yielded almost $941 million.

The share price has fallen by 16% over the past year for a 52-week range of $142.01 to $230.99.

2 Strong Dividend Growth Stocks Announce Payments

The market capitalization is $38.42 billion, the price-book ratio is 1.72 and the price-earnings ratio stands at 29.83.

Wall Street sell-side analysts recommend a buy rating for the stock and have established an average target price of $235.84 per share.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any securities mentioned.

Read more here:







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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


by Mathias Hariyadi

The Indonesia Medical Association (IDI) is investigating the high number of deaths. Stress and a heavy workload, combined with the lack of adequate protective equipment, are the main culprits. More anti-pandemic measures are being implemented, including social distancing and curfews. In Jakarta however, the governor wants to reopen cinemas to ease tensions.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  At least a hundred Indonesian doctors have lost their life in the past few months after contracting the novel coronavirus. Along with nurses and other medical staff, they played a leading role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information comes from the Indonesian Medical Association (Ikatan Dokter Indonesia, IDI), which is opening in investigation into the cause of the high number of fatalities and determine how to better protect doctors health, IDI spokesperson Halik Malik said.

Speaking on behalf of the IDI, its president, Daeng M. Faqih, sent condolences to the families of the victims.

Stress is one of the leading causes of mortality among health professionals, due to excess workload and physical fatigue, which weaken the immune system. Inadequate personal protective equipment is another major factor.

For one doctor, who did not give his name, the ongoing pandemic comes with multiple challenges. Excess work is compounded by the lack of discipline among Indonesians and the failure to comply with rules of hygiene. But the most worrying thing is the number of asymptomatic patients" who are among the main carriers of the virus.

So far, some 178,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the country with 128,000 recoveries, 42,000 hospitalisations and 7,505 deaths.

In the past two weeks, outbreaks have occurred in several cities and there is no sign that the pandemic is receding. In fact, the number of cases is rapidly increasing.

In the past 24 hours, 2,775 new cases have been reported. The recent holidays, and associated gatherings and public meetings, risk giving the pandemic a boost.

The five provinces with the highest number of cases are Greater Jakarta, East Java, West Java, Central Java and Bali.

The virus has now spread to at least 488 districts, with 90 per cent of the country affected by the pandemic.

In West Java, Governor Ridwan Kamil yesterday imposed social distancing until 28 September, whilst a curfew will be in place in some of the most affected cities to prevent meetings and gatherings.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan by contrast wants to reopen cinemas to ease the stress among the population.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Madrid  Wed, September 2, 2020 11:31 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c422122c 2 News Spain,travel,tourism,Tourist Free

Foreign tourist arrivals in Spain plummeted by 75 percent year-on-year in July despite the reopening of borders in the world's second-most popular tourist destination, official figures showed Tuesday.

July was the first full month of Spain's new normality since Madrid reopened its frontiers on June 21 and lifted a state of emergency that ushered in one of the tightest lockdowns in the world.

Tourism is a pillar of the Spanish economy, accounting for some 12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 13 percent of employment.

Foreign tourist spending also slumped in July, falling by 79.5 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, figures released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) showed.

Per tourist, the average amount spent was down 17.8 percent.

But after more than three months of lockdown, the figures showed a big increase on June, with foreign tourist arrivals 12 times higher, and visitor spending 18 times higher.

In July, the largest number of incoming tourists were French, who accounted for a quarter of all arrivals, followed by Germans then Britons, who are normally the largest national visitor group.

The Balearic islands were the most popular destination in July, accounting for nearly a quarter of all visitors to Spain, followed by the northeastern Catalonia region then Valencia in the southeast.

Due to the drop in arrivals, hotel reservations slumped by 73.4 percent in July, while other tourist accommodation bookings (such as apartments and campsites) fell by 49.9 percent compared with July 2019, recent INE figures show.

When the borders reopened, Spain had hoped to claw back some of its losses by billing itself as a safe tourist destination.

But it has since been battered by an explosion of new COVID-19 cases, prompting many countries to issue travel warnings or impose quarantine restrictions on arrivals from Spain.

Topics : Spain travel tourism Tourist
The victim told police he did not know the suspect but thought it was somebody he had refused to give a cigarette to earlier, in the station, according to the affidavit. He told police he was shot as he sat on a bench waiting for a bus.
Senator Edward J. Markey turned back a primary challenge Tuesday from Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, handing the Kennedy family its first-ever electoral loss in Massachusetts and demonstrating the growing strength of the progressive left.

Forging a coalition of younger and more liberal Democrats, the sort of voters who once formed the core of the Kennedy base, Mr. Markey was winning about 54 percent of the vote when Mr. Kennedy called him to concede. Soon afterward, The Associated Press declared him the winner. Mr. Markey had 55.5 percent of the vote as of Wednesday morning.

By winning renomination in a generational clash  and the marquee Democratic Senate primary of the year  Mr. Markey, 74, proved that the ascendant left is not eager to simply throw out long-serving incumbents in favor of younger rivals, such as the 39-year-old Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Markey, who was first elected to Congress in 1976, was able to outflank Mr. Kennedy with progressives, leaving the heir of Massachusettss most storied political dynasty little opening.

The mail and TV blitz that Mr. Kennedy deployed in recent weeks that depicted his grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, and great-uncles did little to affect the outcome.
A British Conservative Party MP has slammed Tony Abbott's appointment to the UK's Board of Trade.

Caroline Nokes said the former Australian Prime Minister is a 'misogynist' who is not the sort of man that should be representing the British people.

The Australian government, which currently has an international coronavirus travel ban in place, granted Mr Abbott an exemption to fly to London last week where he is tipped to take up a new role as a trade advisor in the aftermath of Brexit.

Scroll down for video.

Caroline Nokes (pictured) said the former Australian Prime Minister is a 'misogynist' who is not the sort of man that should be representing the British people

Tony Abbott (pictured) travelled to London last week where he is expected to take up a new role as a trade advisor to the UK in the aftermath of Brexit

He is expected to work alongside Trade Secretary Liz Truss who heads up the British Trade Board.

But Ms Nokes says his appointment is likely to undermine Ms Truss, who is one of the most senior women in Boris Johnson's government.

Ms Nokes was herself part of the Cabinet under Mr Johnson's predecessor Theresa May as Immigration Minister, but was removed from her position on his second day in power.

'I'm not sure I can come up with words for how awful I think it is she is president of the board of trade and is being told she is going to jobshare with a bloke from Australia,' she told the BBC.

'He is a misogynist, he has very poor views on LGBTQ rights and I just don't think this is a man who should be anywhere near our board of trade.'

The Former Australian Prime Minister is pictured wearing a protective mask after speaking at a Policy Exchange event in London on September 1

Mr Abbott has often come under fire for his staunchly conservative views, including climate change denial and opposition to same sex marriage.

In 2011, the Australian Liberal Party Stalwart caused outrage when he campaigned in front of offensive signs that described Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a 'witch' and another man's 'b***t'.

The following year Ms Gillard took to parliament in a landmark speech scolding Mr Abbott for his apparent sexism.

'If he [Mr Abbott] wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a mirror. That's what he needs,' she told parliament.

But despite his controversial viewpoints, Mr Abbott is vastly experienced when it comes to drawing up international trade deals, signing three free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan during the two years he was in office.

Julia Gillard once said the moment Tony Abbott (pictured with microphone) used signs describing her as a 'witch' and a man's 'b***h' back in 2011 for an anti-carbon tax rally should have ended his career

During a discussion at the UK's Policy Exchange think tank, Mr Abbott defended his record and highlighted the importance of an Australian-Britain free trade agreement.

'Inevitably if you have convictions you'll draw criticism but if you want to get things done, you need people with convictions and if you lack convictions, it's very hard to get things done,' he said.

'I think it's in Britain's interests and it's in Australia's interests that this particular free trade deal be done as quickly as possible.'

But Ms Nokes is not convinced Abbott is the right man for the job.

'We need a free trade deal with Australia and we need it to be quick, but we also need free trade deals with the rest of the world. Is he the sort of man who should be representing us globally? No.'

There has been no official announcement regarding Mr Abbott's new role in the UK.
The All-China Women's Federation holds a symposium with women entrepreneurs in the catering industry in Beijing on August 26. [China Women's News]

The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) held a symposium with women entrepreneurs in the catering industry in Beijing on August 26, to study the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and exchange opinions on how to give full play to the role of women and families in stopping food waste.

Huang Xiaowei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACFW, delivered a speech at the symposium.

Huang stressed giving full play to the advantages of the catering industry, and called for women and families to play their role in stopping food waste in daily life and contribute to fostering a social environment where waste is shameful and thriftiness is commended.

At the symposium, representatives of women entrepreneurs shared their experience in preventing food waste and gave relevant suggestions.

Yang Liu, Member of the Standing Committee of the ACWF and President of the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry, and Song Xiaoxi, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Hospitality Association, launched an initiative to call for the catering companies to increase their sense of social responsibility, transform the modes of operation, strengthen refined management and publicize role models.

Yin Zhijun, chairperson of the board of a tea culture company based in Beijing, suggested that rejection of wasting food should be included in social education, and the idea of saving food should be inculcated in children's minds.

Yan Qi, Member of the Executive Committee of the ACWF and Chairperson of a food culture company based in Chongqing, introduced some methods of preventing food waste, including taking the lead in formulating the convention of preventing food waste, improving catering industry standards and focusing on innovative services.

Zhang Lijun, Vice-President of the China General Chamber of Commerce, analyzed the causes of food waste and gave suggestions on ending food waste through changing old customs and habits, promoting the transformation and upgrading of the catering industry and improving system standards.

Huang appreciated the patriotic spirit, the sense of responsibility and the deeds of women entrepreneurs who responded to the call and took practical measures to resist food waste. She said that diligence and thrift are good traditions of the CPC and a sign of social civilization and progress.

She hoped that women entrepreneurs in the catering industry should take the lead in stopping food waste and incorporate the idea of resisting food waste and promoting thrifty habits into the industry's entire process  procurement, storage, processing, sales and service. They were urged to promote the social custom of practicing thrift and opposing waste as well as to facilitate the enterprises' sustainable development.

The women's federations at all levels were urged to guide members of the executive committees, recipients of the honorary title of the March 8th Red-banner Holder and women role models at their posts in the catering industry to be role models of saving food.

Huang also urged the women's federations to influence and lead more women and families to inherit the virtues of diligence and thrift, practice a green lifestyle and contribute to maintaining national food security and promoting social civilization and progress.

Zhang Xiaolan, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, also attended the event. Wu Haiying, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, presided over the symposium.

Huang Xiaowei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, speaks at the symposium with women entrepreneurs in the catering industry on August 26. [China Women's News]

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)
South Africa: Parliament speaks out on farm murders

The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, has warned that attacks on farms threaten food security, employment and the economy.

Both farm workers and farm owners are of equal importance in the agricultural chain, Mandela said.

He made the remarks following the recent attacks on four farms in Hartbeespoort in North West province.

In one incident, a woman and her children were held captive on a farm in Broederstroom. The attackers also fled with a family car and stolen valuables.

Any type of violence against women and children is abhorred. We must ensure the reduction of crime against vulnerable groups, Mandela said on Tuesday.

The committee condemned attacks on farm owners and farm workers, and called for increased police visibility in communities.

Mandela said Community Policing Forums and Community Safety Forums must be strengthened.

He also encouraged all communities to know their neighbours to create a non-racial and socially cohesive South Africa.

We must, through our governments approach to social compact, ensure that we all contribute meaningfully to the creation of peaceful and safer societies. We need to bring all the stakeholders and key role players on board in fighting the scourge of violent crimes, Mandela said.

He said rural farmers, farm workers and farming communities are especially vulnerable, as they are isolated and far from essential services, including emergency medical care, fire and police services.

The urban/rural divide bequeathed to us by the legacies of colonialism, apartheid and further compounded by the slow pace of rural transformation and rural economic development, is a cause for grave concern, and this bedevils our efforts to effectively wipe out crime. We must ensure that we take collective responsibility for the safety and the development of rural communities.

The set-up of the district councils in rural areas must play a role in ensuring that people living in their areas take part in deciding solutions to their problems. Through the new district development model, we must further ensure the implementation of the National Rural Safety Strategy (NRSS), Mandela said.

Mandela said the killing of farmers and farm workers has debilitating consequences.

One of the key findings by Johan Burger, from the Institute for Security Studies, in research conducted in 2018 on Violent Crime on Farms and Smallholdings, is that farm attacks and farm murders have increased in line with the general upward trend in South Africas serious and violent crimes. These crimes have been found to share similarities with the trio crimes category of house robbery, business robbery and carjacking, Mandela said.

He said the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development will work with the Portfolio Committee on Police to ensure that rural communities, inclusive of farming communities, get the required protection and services from the police.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Every time the society tries to underplay womens capabilities or people come to doubt "if a woman can get the job done, women have given a befitting reply to every naysayer. That is not so much to do with verbal retaliation, as it is to prove their point through solid action.

Yet again, another woman has proven that women are no less than their male counterparts when it comes to leading others and serving their country. Just like this officer who has created history by writing down her name as the incharge of Indias largest central armed police force in Kashmir.

 Youtube - Jaago Badlo Bolo

Known as a location with high militancy activities, IPS officer Charu Sinha is all set to take the reins of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) formation in Kashmir as its first woman commander.



Here is what we know about IPS officer Charu Sinha.

1. Officer Charu Sinha is the newly appointed Inspector General (IG) of Central Reserve Police Force Srinagar sector. This comes after the Supreme Courts February verdict where it cleared decks for female officers to serve as army commanders in permanent service.

2. Officer Sinha is a 1996-batch IPS officer of the Telangana cadre, who is known as a tough taskmaster, fearless in the face of threat and true to her duties as a serving police officer.

 svpnpa(dot)gov(dot)in

3. Said to have extensive experience working in terror zones, as the Inspector General of CRPF's Srinagar sector, officer Sinha will be supervising the deployment of the paramilitary forces' battalions in and around the city of Srinagar.



4. Before being appointed to this position, officer Sinha had been serving as the Inspector General of CRPF in Jammu.

5. This isnt the first time officer Sinha has been given a rather sensitive and crucial posting. Previously, the IPS officer had headed the CRPF formation in Bihar and Telangana where she is said to have successfully carried out a number of anti-Naxal operations.

 Twitter Bhadur_clicker

6. After her successful tenure in Bihar and Jammu, the latest responsibility of the Srinagar sector was recently handed over to officer Sinha. The Jammu sector was created in 2005 and officer Charu became the first female officer to occupy the IGs seat.



7. As per the CRPFs statement, the Srinagar sector under officer Sinhas jurisdiction includes over three districts of J&K, namely Budgam, Ganderbal, and Srinagar as well as the Union Territory of Ladakh. It also includes two ranges, 22 executive units, and three Mahila companies. Officer Sinha will also be heading all operations involved in this sector.

8. Officer Sinha is expected to oversee the sectors involvement in anti-terror operations, working closely with the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir police.

 Twitter Bureaucrats India

9. While the CRPF boasts of around 3.25 lakh personnel, Officer Sinha will be the head of approximately 65 battalions which have been deployed in Kashmir for law and order duties and specialist counter-terrorist operations.



IPS Officer Charu Sinha has become an inspiration for many young women in the country and we wish her the best on her latest appointment.
Weeks after Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States, I met an American friend who had spent years overseas as a foreign correspondent. She offered a bleak view of her country.

I had said, more out of faith, that I thought American institutions were strong enough to withstand Trumpian assaults. I was relying on the history I was familiar with: Washington district judge John Sirica demanding that President Richard Nixons administration hand over tapes during the Watergate trials; Republican senator Howard Baker asking about Nixon, What did the president know and when did he know it?"; leading US newspapers defying the White House and publishing the Pentagon Papers, a leaked report that showed what the Defense Department knew about the Vietnam War and wasnt revealing; and more recently, former secretary of state Colin Powell, who served under Republican presidents, defending Democrat Barack Obama from rightist smears. In the US, institutions mattered.

To be sure, there was always partisan politics, especially when relations between the executive and legislative branches worsened, with government shutdowns and impeachments of Bill Clinton and Trump. In the run-up to the 2003 Iraq War, the US press did poorly, with some reporters becoming the administrations cheerleaders, parroting government propaganda. And the judiciary too opted for expediency at times, such as when the Supreme Court enabled George W. Bushs 2000 election after the poll stalemate in Florida.

My friend was polite about my optimism. Trump does not have to break the law; he will attack the norms," she said. And once those norms are undermined, anything is possible." Institutions are fragile, she implied; they work only if those in charge adhere to rules followed for generations.

Breaking rules is not difficult. Clever people find ways to do so. The Republican-controlled Senate would not give a hearing to Merrick Garland, whom Obama appointed to the US Supreme Court, saying such nominations cant be made in the presidents final year, even though there is no such rule. And yet, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would hold hearings for a new Trump appointee (if there is a vacancy in the next two months), even though this is an election year, because the same party controls the Senate and the presidency. Again, theres neither such a rule, nor a convention. Such sophistry erodes norms.

In fact, the Trump administration has violated not just norms, but also laws. Think of the number of his associates and appointees being indicted or sentenced. The administration has been fatal for many of its citizens. More than thrice as many Americans have died due to coronavirus than the number of US soldiers killed in the Vietnam War. But, like a bull in a china shop, Trump acts audaciously because he knows he can get away with it. There is a Yiddish word, chutzpah, but that doesnt explain it, because chutzpah has a certain charmit speaks of street-smart roguishness. Trumps audacity is raw, that of a dangerous bully.

Whether or not Trump wins, he has transformed the Republican Party. It is no longer the party of the rich American who wanted to pay less taxes and upheld the benign paternalism of noblesse oblige to fix societal ills that the state couldnt and shouldnt fix. Trumps party uses the states power to intrude in peoples lives, interferes with markets and the economy, tears up international commitments, and has made it easier for bigots and racists not only to flaunt prejudice, but brandish weapons with impunity and intimidate (sometimes even shoot) those who look or think different.

In early 2017, when I lived in London, my friend Nirmal Ghosh, the Washington correspondent of Singapores daily Straits Times, came visiting. He was to speak at a university about how he reported US politics for an overseas audience. An American in the hall asked him if he saw any difference in covering the US after nearly three decades of reporting from Asia. Ghosh had reported from Singapore, the Philippines and India before his last Asian posting, Thailand, where he covered Indo-China. Not at all," Ghosh said. It is very easy to understand Trumphe operates exactly like some Asian leaders I have covered," he added, pointing out the relatives Trump was appointing to key positions and the cronies he was rewarding. Ghosh had covered businessmen-turned-politicians in Thailand, a comical strongman in the Philippines, and seen the collusion of business and politics elsewhere. He spoke of how leaders in Cambodia and Zimbabwe did it, and said Trump would be no different.

That is the ultimate tragedy for American democracy. It was never perfect, for no democracy is. Aspects of it still inspire. The spontaneous support for the Black Lives Matter movement; the lawyers fighting inhumane administration policies that target refugees; the journalists who ask tough questions of the administration; and the judges who uphold the law and not the legitimacy of temporary rulers. America will need more of these, if those fragile norms are to survive and for the nation to become united again.

Salil Tripathi is a writer based in New York. Read Salils previous Mint columns at www.livemint.com/saliltripathi

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All seems well as Father Jude conveys his sermon to the congregation in French

A priest wearing a coronavirus mask collapsed and died while giving a sermon at his church in Cameroon on Sunday.

Catholic priest Reverend Father Jude can be seen speaking to his congregation from the pulpit in French before he falls to the ground in Cameroon's western city of Douala during Sunday Mass on 30 August.

At first, all seems well as Father Jude conveys his spiritual lesson to the parishioners.

He then pauses and looks around the church, before clenching his fist, and he briefly appears to regain his composure.

At first, all seems well as Father Jude conveys his spiritual lesson to the parishioners in Cameroon's western city of Douala during Sunday Mass last weekend

Father Jude pauses during his sermon on Sunday in Douala, western Cameroon

Father Jude's eyes then become droopy and he sways on the spot before slumping backwards, to the left of the pulpit. He can be heard breathing heavily into the microphone before he drops.

At the end of the video, fellow clergymen wearing face masks can be seen rushing to the priest's aid as women in the church scream.

It is not yet known whether the priest had any prior medical conditions.

The footage was shared on Twitter by lawyer Chidi Odinkalu, who is also the former chairman of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission.

'Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Deido, in Cameroon's commercial capital, Douala, was preaching the Homily at Mass earlier today when this happened. RIP,' he wrote.

This is the moment Father Jude collapsed while delivering his sermon in Cameroon on Sunday

At the end of the video, fellow clergymen and parishioners wearing face masks can be seen rushing to the priest's aid as women in the church scream

Social media users were shocked by the priest's sudden death.

One wrote: 'Oh my God! Right at the pulpit while preaching a sermon!?'

'May his soul rest in peace and may the Lord he served grant him eternal rest in his kingdom.'

'Life isn't just short it's unbelievable,' said another.

'That man must have left his house with the hopes of returning to a wife and children.

'The life is short, just live it right when you can.'
A fire has wiped out a small country town's only supermarket and butcher, forcing locals to leave their border bubble to get supplies.

The inferno tore through Mungindi, a town on both sides of the Queensland and New South Wales border, which has suffered through drought and COVID-19 restrictions.

A butcher shop caught fire on Tuesday night before spreading to the supermarket, a clothing store and an apartment block. The RFS contained the blaze by 9.30pm.

Investigations are underway into the what started the fire, which is estimated to have caused $1million worth of damage.

The inferno tore through Mungindi, a town on both sides of the Queensland and New South Wales border, which has suffered through drought and COVID-19 restrictions

A butcher shop caught fire on Tuesday night before spreading to the supermarket, a clothing store and an apartment block. The RFS contained the blaze by 9.30

Moree Plains Shire Mayor Katrina Humphries told Daily Mail Australia that Mungindi's 600 locals would be forced to leave their border bubble to travel to Mooree to buy supplies.

'Although we are in the shire we aren't all in the bubble, only selected postcodes have been included in it,' she said.

'It's completely split our shire. I've spoken to elderly people who are so frightened that they can't get into Moree to go to the shops because then they'll break the travel bubble.'

The nearest place for Mungindi residents to buy their groceries is Goondiwindi - 162km away - or into Queensland which would require them to isolate for 14 days.

'So if they come out of Mungindi to shop in Moree or something like that they can't then go into Queensland to have their medical issues. That is just cruel and wicked and brutal,' she said.

Ms Humphries said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's hard border closures and the creation of travel bubbles within certain postcodes has created division in her shire.

'We've never had this division like this before,' she said. 'It's just cruel and unnecessary and it doesn't make sense.'

'We've got no COVID. The whole [pandemic] we have had one case and that was transmitted from a hospital back in April.'

'We have always had a great affinity with south east Queensland and now its just been cut off. This is so sad, what else can our beautiful communities have to deal with?'

Moree Plains Shire Mayor Katrina Humphries said Mungindi's 600 locals would need to leave the border bubble for essential supplies

Ms Humphries said she was in awe at the community's resilience and bravery.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced the Queensland Government will provide $100,000 in emergency funding for temporary store to supply locals with basic essentials.

'My heart goes out to the Mungindi community tonight, which has seen a freak fire rip through its CBD, destroying several businesses, including the butcher shop, clothes store and the only supermarket,' he said in a statement on Tuesday night.

'They're looking at a couple of sites to establish that at the moment just to make sure locals can continue to access their basic needs and basic supplies.

'I'll be in Mungindi [on Wednesday] to inspect the damage and do what I can to help the community rebuild.'

NSW Deputy John Barilaro said he would be pushing for looser border restrictions to help the affected communities.

'We'll set up a range of new facilities quickly with local government,' he said.
Chennai, Sep 2 : The Air Customs Department here on Wednesday said it has seized three parcels containing a total of 215 MDMA pills and 7 grams of MDMA crystals valued at Rs 7 lakh.

Three post parcels, which arrived from the UK and the Netherlands and were suspected to contain narcotic substances, were intercepted by the Chennai Air Customs at the Foreign Post Office, said the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport in a statement.

On opening a parcel addressed to a person in Ooty from Netherton, UK, the Customs officials found a pouch containing 15 grey skull shaped 'MYBRAND' MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) pills and seven grams of MDMA crystal power.

The second parcel from the Netherlands addressed to a person in Nammakal in Tamil Nadu contained 50 green grenade and 50 purple skull MDMA pills in two plastic pouches.

The third parcel containing 100 MDMA pills with 'Tesla' marking was also from the Netherlands and was addressed to a Chennai resident.

According to Customs, the addresses mentioned the parcels were found to be fake when followup searches were made and an investigation is on.
Ziyad team is currently in Beirut organizing the food distribution drive and coordinating donations from eight of the most popular local food manufacturing companies in Lebanon including Al Rabih, Castania, Grapeful, Mechaalany, Second House Gourmet Foods, Al Forno, Msallem and Ziyad. The donations will be distributed by our trusted nonprofit partners.

Ziyad CEO Nemer Ziyad said that the drive is intended to boost the spirit and morale of the people of Beirut and Lebanon.

"With our local efforts along with our partners in Lebanon, we hope to empower our communities, help the local economy and provide a glimpse of hope for a better future," Nemer Ziyad said.

"We believe that hope starts with food. We want to remind Beirut that they are important to us by providing special high-quality food that we hope will comfort them during these difficult times. We also want them to know that they will not be forgotten and that the world cares. Ziyad truly cares and we want to do our best to strengthen their will to restore, rebuild and move forward. That is the Lebanese spirit."

Nemer Ziyad adds, "We are especially grateful to the food manufacturers who partnered with us in this effort. They have all made a commitment to help and we are so proud of their involvement and support."

Maher Chebaro, a renowned food specialist, chef and critical member of the Ziyad team is on the ground in Beirut overseeing the support drive.

"Being Lebanese, this is coming from my heart but being a member of Ziyad Brothers, is also coming from the spirit of community support that Ziyad has built over the years, and I am proud to be a part of that. In a time filled with so much loss and heartache, we're dedicated to giving families the joy and peace of eating together," Maher Chebaro said.

Ziyad Brothers Importing is one of the most recognized producers of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods in the United States, distributing products to more than 2,500 ethnic grocery stores and over 10,000 major mainstream American food retailers.

For more information on Ziyad Brothers Importing and their Support Beirut Campaign, visit them online at www.Ziyad.com/beirut and follow on social media @ziyadbrand. Food items donated are viewable online at Ziyad.com, including additional photos and pictures of the food donation packaging.

Note to Editors:

Both Nemer Ziyad in Chicago and Maher Chebaro in Beirut are available for interviews.

MEDIA Contacts: Marissa Ziyad, 708-307-5965

[email protected]

SOURCE Ziyad Brothers Importing
U.S. The Daily Beast

via TwitterA man and woman in New York have been both fired and arrested for verbally assaulting a family on a train in an incident that police have determined to be a hate crime.The Daily Voice reported that Justin Likerman and Kristin Digesaro, of Long Island, turned themselves in on Wednesday. They have been charged with aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. New Yorks Metropolitan Transit Authority said the charges were brought in conjunction with the Manhattan Distri
August 21, 2020, made it exactly a year that current ministers in President Muhammadu Buharis cabinet assumed office.

President Buhari was sworn in for a second term on May 29 after winning re-election in February 2019 after which he assigned 43 ministers from all the states including the FCT with their portfolios.

Although the president earlier appointed the ministers on July 23, 2019, they were not sworn in until August 21, 2019.

In the appointment, the president retained some of the ministers who served in his last administration which include the minister of education, Adamu Adamu.

While Mr Adamu was reappointed as the education minister, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba was appointed as the minister of state.

However, Mr Nwajiuba previously served as the Chairman of TETFund Board of Trustees before his appointment as the junior minister of education.

Promises

Mr Adamu made some promises on projects he intended to embark on to further stabilise the education sector. His promises were contained in the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP 2016-2019) many of which he was unable to fulfil.

Mr Adamu in October last year stretched the ministerial strategic plan blueprint tagged A Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) 2018  2022 in order to implement and the goals of the MSP in his second tenure.

Some of the promises in the MSP include reduction of out of school children by enrolling 2,875,500 children in schools annually for three years; promotion of community schools; removal of every form of payment (levies) in basic schools; Curriculum and Policy Matters; Tertiary Education; Education Data and Planning, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Library Services in education.

It also included Youth and Adult Literacy; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Basic and Secondary Education and Teacher Education Capacity Building and Professional Development.

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More promises

Mr Adamu during the World Teachers Day ceremony promised to ensure the federal government implemented its commitment to the endorsement of Safe Schools Declaration.

Mr Adamu also promised to remove 10.2 million out-of-school children from the streets in the next five years. Currently, Nigeria has 10.5 children out of school which is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa

The minister also directed the Federal Scholarship Board to pay scholarship stipends to Nigerian students studying in Russia.

Achievements

One of the notable achievements of the education minister is giving the directive that all unqualified teachers should be removed from schools.

The minister also secured funding of N220 billion grant from the World Bank to tackle the problem of out-of-school children.

His other achievements include his consistency in releasing guidelines on school reopening to contain the spread of COVID 19 among pupils.

Mr Adamu reversed the resumption of schools of schools on July 13, 2020, saying schools in Nigeria schools will not open until it is safe to do so. He later announced that graduating classes can resume in order to write their examination.

The minister also released guidelines ahead of the resumption of schools at every level in the country. The guidelines were for the safe reopening of schools.

There has also been a percieved reduction in examination malpractice in schools across the nation.

Failures

The minister has not been able to resolve the issues that led to strike actions in the Nigerian tertiary education system. These strikes coupled with the COVID 19 which led to the closure of schools has further crippled the sector.

The major failures are the ripples from inadequate funding of the sector. The funds allocated to education is low against the stipulated 15 to 20 per cent proposed by the UNESCO(links). For instance, only 6.7 per cent of the 2020 budget was allocated to the education sector.

Also, the issue of out-of-school children remains a big challenge which the minister has not been to resolve.

Similarly, there is still a high number of unqualified teachers in the teaching profession. The 2018 personnel audit by the Universal Basic Education Commission showed that over 300,000 teachers in Nigeria are unqualified as they do not possess the prescribed minimum qualifications for teaching.

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Experts argue there is a huge decline in the quality of education for the past one year.

Lack of infrastructure in schools is also a major failure of the minister in the past one year. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the implication of lack of facilities and infrastructure in the education sector .

During the lockdown, many students in public schools were unable to learn virtually because there are no facilities and infrastructures in place.

Bad to worse

For the national coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Soweto the education sector has moved from bad to worse under the minister.

It is particularly worrisome that the increase in out-of-school children is not only due to the insurgency in the North-east but also reflects the worsening economic conditions and the consequence of government anti-poor policy of education commercialisation which is increasing the rate of school dropouts especially in states previously categorised as educationally-advantaged states, he said.

READ ALSO:

According to him, under the stewardship of the education minister, public tertiary schools have been rocked by agitations and strikes due to controversy over the imposition of IPPIS.

So also has the policy of increasing school fees beyond what students from poor working-class background can afford. So against this background, its clear that the COVID 19 pandemic and the associated lockdown and closure of schools is actually a minute portion of the crisis bedevilling the education sector.

Mr Soweto said the minister performed woefully.

So for me, there is no other way to rate a minister that has presided over such a monumental tragedy in the education sector than a failure. The education minister and the anti-education government he serves do not deserve a day more in their positions, he said.
Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-Mass.) talks to reporters Tuesday at a campaign stop in Boston. (Associated Press)

The 2020 political season has delivered a lot of curveballs, and heres another: For the first time in U.S. history, a Kennedy has lost an election in Massachusetts.

Sen. Edward J. Markeys ability to beat back a challenge from Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III in the states Democratic primary Tuesday was a tribute to the incumbent's skill at organizing progressive activists behind him against a scion of a storied political family.

It was also a tribute to a broader political dynamic that reaches beyond Massachusetts and the Democratic Party: The loosening grip of family dynasties in American politics.

In both parties, the Old Guard has been challenged by the rise of populist movements: the white nationalism that brought Trump to power in the GOP, and the multiracial progressivism that nearly gave Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders the Democratic presidential nomination.

With the rise of those anti-establishment forces, some of the most famous names in politics have been thrown to the sidelines in the last five years: Clinton. Bush. Romney.

Being a Kennedy in Massachusetts gave the 39-year-old the momentum, money and political connections to have a good shot at unseating Markey, a 74-year-old who has served more than four decades in Congress.

But it was not enough to get Kennedy over the finish line. Three hours after polls closed Tuesday, the Associated Press declared Markey the winner in one of the nation's most hotly contested primaries.

The Kennedy name has lost some of its magic in the Bay State, said Jim Manley, a longtime advisor to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who was Joseph Kennedy's great-uncle. Things are changing and a political dynasty doesnt mean what it used to.

Markey is all but guaranteed to win reelection this fall in the heavily Democratic state. Kennedy loses his House seat, which will leave Congress without any members of the Kennedy clan for only the second time in 73 years. (There were no Kennedys seated there in 2011-12.)

Story continues

Political dynasties are fading at the presidential level as well. In each of the last eight presidential contests, the lineup of major candidates has included at least one member of the Bush, Clinton or Romney families.

Many had expected the 2016 race to be a clash of dynasties, when former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seemed likely to face off against Jeb Bush, a brother and son of presidents. But Donald Trump, a businessman outsider with no political pedigree, beat them both.

The previous GOP presidential nominee, Mitt Romney  son of the Michigan governor who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in 1968  has been sidelined by his own party because of his outspoken criticism of Trump.

Plenty of legacy politicians remain on the scene, but their pathways are not unobstructed.

Donald J. Trump Jr. may try to succeed his father in 2024, but many ambitious Republicans have the same idea.

Liz Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, is in the House GOP leadership and has designs on moving up  although she faces resistance from Trump loyalists over her occasional criticism of the president.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo  son of the late Gov. Mario Cuomo  is seen as a possible presidential contender, but his centrist pragmatism puts him at odds with progressives, and he chose not to run in 2020.

No family has a legacy as broad and deep as the Kennedy clan, which has produced one president, two senators, and three House members. Most came from Massachusetts. None of them ever lost a race there. Until Tuesday.

Ever since Kennedy  a fourth-term House member who is the son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and grandson of Robert F. Kennedy  announced his challenge to Markey, it was seen as more of a generational clash than an ideological one because the two differ little on issues.

Kennedy was almost immediately seen as a front-runner, enjoying double-digit leads in some polls. Markey  first elected to Congress in 1976, before Kennedy was born  has been a low-profile senator with a relatively thin record of legislative accomplishment.

Some Kennedy boosters assumed Markey would retire rather than face a bitter fight. The 2020 campaign season had been littered with insurgent candidates beating longtime incumbents in New York, Illinois and Missouri.

That did not happen. Markey fought back aggressively and flipped the script that had bedeviled other embattled incumbents: He presented himself in ads and campaign messaging as the insurgent fighter from a blue-collar town  Markey from Malden  against a privileged member of the political elite.

He traded on his decades of work on climate change, a top priority among young Democratic voters. In a game-changing endorsement, he won the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the rising progressive star with whom hed cosponsored the Green New Deal. She immunized him against the rap that he was too old and irrelevant.

When it comes to progressive leadership it's not your age that counts. Its the age of your ideas, she said in an ad.

Kennedy initially tried to downplay his family ties  until Markey went after them and ended one ad with a tagline resonant of President Kennedy's inaugural address.

We asked what we could do for our country. We went out, we did it," Markey said. With all due respect, it's time to start asking what your country can do for you."

Kennedy defended his family, accusing Markey of questioning their integrity, weaponizing their history, appropriating their words.

If he wants to talk about the Kennedys, then I will talk about the Kennedys, he said.

The increasingly personal campaign vaporized Kennedy's polling lead, suggesting that the Kennedy name was not the political talisman it once was. It had, after all, been 14 years since a Kennedy was on the statewide ballot.

Since then, a lot of Democrats in Massachusetts have come into the process because of Barack Obama in 2008, said Mary Anne Walsh, a Democratic consultant in Boston. Its a different kind of politics, a different kind of activism.

Markey made an implausible connection with young insurgents through Ocasio-Cortez, as well as endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and some of the progressive congressional candidates like Missouri's Cori Bush who had ousted incumbents elsewhere.

The Kennedy name may have been a liability as well as an asset if he was trying to make the case for generational change.

Kennedy got the benefit of being a Kennedy, but he also got the problem that its hard to look like the challenging underdog, said former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who retired in 2012 from the House seat that Kennedy won with only token opposition. The advantage that led him to clear the field in the first place took away from him the mantle of the daring young outsider on the flying trapeze.
A 24-year-old man, Lukman Tijani, was on Tuesday, arraigned before an Osun State Magistrates Court in Okuku for allegedly killing three family members during a robbery in their house.

Mr Tijani was also charged with attempting to escape from police custody.

He was accused of stabbing to death Sarah Oyediran and two children living with the retired teacher at Inisa in Odo Otin Local Government Area of the state.

The police prosecutor, Mustafa Tajudeen, told the court that the defendant also attacked the deceaseds husband, Tunde Oyediran, leaving him injured after stealing from the family.

READ ALSO:

The incident, according to Mr Tajudeen, occurred on July 24, at about 1 p.m.

He (defendant) was armed with a cutlass, a pair of pliers and other weapons, robbed Tunde of his Wema Bank ATM card, which he used to withdraw the sum of N300,000.

The defendant also stabbed to death Sarah Oyediran, Toyin Adeniran and Favour Onifade  all family members on the same date, the prosecutor told the court.

He said Mr Tijani tried escaping from police custody after his arrest.

The alleged offences contravene sections 319(1), 320, 509 and 451, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

Mr Tijani faces seven counts bordering on armed robbery, murder, stealing and attempt to escape from lawful custody. He was not allowed to take a plea before the magistrate due to the nature of the alleged offences.

The Magistrate, O. B. Adediwura, therefore, ordered that the prosecutor duplicate the case file and send it to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

He then asked that the defendant, Mr Tijani be remanded in the Ilesa Correctional Centre till September 21 when the matter will come up for mention.
Oorja Cleantech LLP announced the a new set of lab results for Radic8s Viruskiller technology. After analysis by a leading Indian laboratory, it was proved that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as well as 14 other respiratory viruses were effectively eliminated by the Viruskiller VK 401. With a triple filter arrangement  a pre-filter, a carbon filter and a HEPA filter  and a reactor chamber comprising of nanotubes coated with Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and high power Ultraviolet C (UVC) lamps, Viruskiller successfully neutralises viruses and bacteria in the air.

Hyderabad-based Oorja Cleantech is importing Radic8s Viruskiller air sterilisation technology from South Korea in three different configurations, namely the Hextio, VK- 401 and VK-102. These steriliser units, each with a lifespan of over ten years, are designed for both personal and commercial use. Oorja Cleantech brings these products to India not only to fight against the current pandemic but also as long-term protection from various viruses and bacteria. It uses a two-stage process of filtration followed by sterilisation, which eliminates viruses, bacteria and pollutants in a single air pass.

The test was performed at a leading lab in India, and the link to the report is http://viruskiller.co.in/viruskiller-test-reports/. Two rounds of pathogens were tested against the VK 401:

A heavily concentrated mix of 14 viruses and bacteria SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

The Viruskiller unit was placed inside a chamber, and a small inlet was created to inject the infected aerosol. Filter media were kept at both the inlet and outlet of the steriliser to check the air quality. On examining the inlet filter, it showed positive results for viruses, whereas the outlet filter was confirmed to be free of any virus; hence, sterilising the air.

The test report further shows that since Viruskiller includes multiple, high quality filters (a pre-filter, HEPA filter and carbon filter) it also effectively traps particulates and contaminants. The product also received a positive nod from the Hon. Minister for Health, Telangana Govt, Mr Etela Rajender, in July 2020.

Madhusudhan Rao, Founder & MD of Oorja Cleantech LLP, said, It is important to focus on reducing exposure to airborne infections in public settings. We can control what we touch, eat or drink, but have no choice when it comes to the air we breathe. Recent bulletins from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. and the World Health Organisation suggest the airborne nature of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19); hence our focus is on providing sterilised air. A recent test with another laboratory in Canada also shows that Viruskiller reduced airborne pathogens contaminating surfaces by 99.8 per cent.

Viruskiller was tested against bacteria like Chlamydophilia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilius influenza and viruses like Influenza -A, Influenza -B; Respiratory Syncitial Virus-A, Respiratory Syncitial Virus -B, Influenza -A- Strain H1, Influenza A- Strain H3, and Influenza A-Strain H1 pdm09, as well as SARS-CoV-2.
Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during the trial against former Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga - EPA

The Trump administration has imposed "unprecedented" sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and one of her top aides for continuing to investigate war crime allegations against Americans.

Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, announced the moves as part of the administration's pushback against the tribunal, based in The Hague, for investigations into the US and its allies.

The sanctions include a freeze on assets held in the US or subject to US law and target prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the court's head of jurisdiction, Phakiso Mochochoko.

Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly, Mr Pompeo told reporters.

Ms Bensouda was given the go-ahead by the court in March to investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and US forces.

Mr Pompeo had previously imposed a travel ban on Ms Bensouda and other tribunal employees because of its investigation into allegations of torture and other crimes by Americans in Afghanistan.

Human rights groups and others have condemned the administration's moves against the court and Wednesday's announcement was immediately met with criticism.

Richard Dicker, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, called it "a stunning perversion of US sanctions, devised to penalise rights abusers and kleptocrats, to persecute those tasked with prosecuting international crimes."

"The Trump administration has twisted these sanctions to obstruct justice, not only for certain war crimes victims, but for atrocity victims anywhere looking to the International Criminal Court for justice," he said.

In March 2019, Mr Pompeo ordered the revocation or denial of visas to ICC staff seeking to investigate allegations of war crimes and other abuses by US forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere. He also said he might revoke the visas of those who seek action against Israel.

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Katherine Gallagher, a human rights lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, described the move as unprecedented. To see ICC prosecutors listed on OFAC (The Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions list bc (sic) of investigations of war crimes & crimes against humanity is simply incredible. Shame, she tweeted.

Pompeo said designations were being made because the #ICC continues to target Americans. There has been NO movement in the investigation of US torture - at least that I as a legal representative has seen. Instead, Afghanistan situation is on hold, pending decision on deferral.

Agnes Callamard, United Nations Special Rapporteur, wrote: Speechless right now. I am. Sanctions against the Prosecutor of the ICC??
BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ  Burlington County is one of eight counties statewide that still has a moderate risk of coronavirus transmission, according to a new report.

As of Wednesday night, there were 6,806 cases of the coronavirus in Burlington County with 459 confirmed deaths and 48 probable deaths. There were 40 new cases reported on Wednesday. Trace investigations are underway in all new cases.



The New Jersey Department of Health's "COVID-19 Activity Level Report," which is issued weekly, says that New Jersey's statewide activity has dropped to "low" for the first time since the state began identifying its status in mid-February.



New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.



The other seven counties that remain at a moderate risk include Camden, Gloucester, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem and Union counties.



Thirteen counties, in particular, have shown significant progress since the state Department of Health has begun releasing weekly reports on the status of the outbreak.



The report also divides New Jersey into regions and assesses their rates of new cases, COVID-19-like illnesses and positivity rates. Gov. Phil Murphy said the new report provides regional metrics for health and safety risks "that have further guided our decision-making" in reopening New Jersey. Read more here: New NJ Report Shows Moderate Coronavirus Activity In 8 Counties



Burlington County is actively engaged in contact tracing positive coronavirus cases. The focus is on close contacts, defined as closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes, household contacts and those that work in high risk settings such as healthcare workers and long term care facilities.



If community exposure has occurred, where a coronavirus positive person was in close contact with people for an extended period of time, while symptomatic, county officials will notify the public. Since residents are abiding by the social distancing requirements, officials said they have not run into that issue since early in the pandemic.



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Reminder: Mass exposure, due to social distancing guidelines, and the cooperation of the public has been minimized. Residents are reminded to remain 6 feet apart while obtaining essential items or services, and stay home unless absolutely necessary.



With reporting by Tom Davis



See related: NJ Coronavirus Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

This article originally appeared on the Cinnaminson Patch
Nader Salameh, left, and son Gavyn get their hair cut by Anthony Ho, left, and Christian Mikhail in the parking lot of Press Box Barber Shop in Lawndale. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County officials announced an updated reopening plan Wednesday, keeping shopping malls shuttered while allowing barbershops and hair salons to operate indoors again under certain restrictions.

The new approach comes amid a generally improving pandemic picture that allowed Gov. Gavin Newsom last week to issue new guidelines allowing counties  no matter their COVID-19 status  to reopen some businesses.

County officials, balancing public health concerns versus business interests in a region where unemployment has reached 20%, opted to take a cautious approach.

Hair salons and barbershops will be allowed to operate indoors at 25% capacity if they practice social distancing, and employees wear masks and follow other health-related mandates.

The news that the county wasn't allowing shopping malls to reopen disappointed business owners and employees who've struggled these past few months with enormous financial uncertainty.

At the Beverly Center, which contains almost 1 million square feet of retail space, mall officials expressed frustration with the county's decision, saying other cities like Denver, Salt Lake City and Miami have allowed malls to reopen. Beverly Center, when opened, will implement health and safety protocols and use an advanced air filtration system recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a mall spokesperson.

"We are anxious to fully reopen so we can put a considerable number of people back to work," said Maria Mainville, director of strategic communications at Taubman, which owns the Beverly Center and operates several other shopping centers across the country. "We have fully reopened our shopping centers without incident in every other market where we have operations. We understand that these are unprecedented times, but we would simply like an even playing field."

Barbershop and salon owners welcomed the reopening news, but said the 25% capacity rule was still too strict.

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"Landlords won't be reducing their leases by 75%," said Fred Jones, the legal counsel for the Professional Beauty Federation of California.

L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said the decision to reopen hair salons and barbershops was based on the county's data trends, along with what the county has learned during previous reopenings. He did not provide specific details on why restrictions for malls were not lifted.

"The virus is widespread in our community," Davis said. "The improvements we see do not mean victory. It is still easy to transmit, and often people who are contagious don't have symptoms."

Supervisor Hilda Solis offered more words of caution for residents, especially those considering celebrating the Labor Day weekend without regard for the virus. "We can easily be knocked off that path of recovery if we see another surge in cases after the holiday week, which is was what happened after Memorial Day and the Fourth of July," she said.

Officials also announced some changes to school protocols. Beginning Sept. 14, K-12 schools can offer in-school services for small groups of students with individualized education plans, students requiring instruction for English as a second language and students needing other specialized in-school services. Schools can offer services to these students as long as they fully implement the county's reopening protocols.

"This will get children who are in most need of in-person learning back into the classroom," Davis said.

In San Francisco, plans announced Tuesday by Mayor London Breed and Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax also reflect a cautious approach.

The city reopened outdoor pools, indoor malls, outdoor hair salons and barbershops and outdoor personal services with some restrictions on Monday. But indoor operations at barbershops and hair salons may not reopen until late September. Nail salons may reopen for indoor services, with modifications at that point, as well as indoor church services, with 25% of a building's capacity for a maximum of 25 people.

The state has placed L.A. County , along with 37 other counties, on Tier 1 of its reopening plan for having widespread risk of the virus. The county has recorded more than 244,000 cases and almost 5,900 deaths. In recent weeks, those numbers have declined and stabilized, but August stands as the countys deadliest month since the pandemic hit.

Times staff writers Maura Dolan and Colleen Shalby contributed to this report.
The full impact on bilateral trade will only be seen once the pandemic ends and economic life returns to normal.

Amazons returns centre in Sered is an example of a successful US project in Slovakia. (Source: TASR)

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While the list of US investments and companies active in Slovakia is not very long, numbering about 90, it include big technological companies like IBM, Dell, AT&T, and the medical company Medline. The Slovak company InoBat and the US company Wildcat Discovery Technologies have also made a joint investment into the R&D of e-car batteries.

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Attracting investments from the electromobility sector is a key prerequisite for the transformation of the automotive industry in Slovakia, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) told The Slovak Spectator.

Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced US investors to reconsider their planned investments and some even had to downsize their workforce in Slovakia.

Hard hit by COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the United States very hard, inflicting a heavy human and economic toll. The abrupt halt in activity to contain the spread of the coronavirus from March onwards has resulted in a 5-percent contraction in the first quarter of 2020 year-on-year, the sharpest drop recorded since 2008, as well as a surge in the unemployment rate, according to the trade credit insurer Coface.
Photo: The Canadian Press Emil Karpinski, PhD Candidate at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, is shown in this undated handout image. The migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for today's animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - McMaster University, JD Howell, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

The migration of extinct mastodon herds to Yukon and Alaska during warm periods between ice ages could hold clues and warning signs for today's animals moving north during a warming climate, says a new research paper.

The paper from Hamilton's McMaster University, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, says mastodon herds that migrated north during the warm periods were less genetically diverse, which made them more vulnerable to extinction.

Mastodons, similar to today's elephants and extinct mammoths, roamed much of North America, including parts of Mexico. Mastodons went extinct about 11,000 years ago along with mammoths, large-toothed cats, giant beavers and western camels.

Emil Karpinski, a paleontologist at McMaster's Ancient DNA Centre, said the report is the result of six years of research that examined the fossil bones and teeth of more than 30 different mastodons.

He said the research showed mastodons migrated north several times during periods between ice ages when the Earth warmed, but didn't survive when ice ages returned.

"Mastodons were much more at home in these warmer, wooded wetland habitats with an abundance of shrubs and trees like spruce and pine for them to eat," Karpinski told a panel discussion involving about a dozen mastodon experts.

"We wanted to see, which is kind of the end hope of all this research, if what we learn about these animals could be applied to present-day species," he said.

"We're observing very similar travels in species like moose, snowshoe hare, beavers, not just ones in the Arctic, but also various birds, fish and other species that are rapidly moving northward in response to climate warming."

Karpinski said the research indicates the mastodon herds that migrated north were less genetically diverse and were more susceptible to extinction.

Grant Zazula, a Yukon government paleontologist and one of the report's authors, said the research shows mastodon herds migrated north more than once with the same disastrous results.

He said the northern mastodons were decimated with the arrival of an ice age 250,000 years ago and were also wiped out by a second ice age about 100,000 years ago.

"Their populations would have peaked about 100,000 years ago and that's when climates were essentially as warm as they are today and the environment looked very similar to today's environment," he said.

Zazula said mastodons were not equipped to survive the colder climates of the ice ages.

"What this is showing us is those populations kind of at the frontier of migrations and range extensions really lack genetic diversity," he said. "It doesn't take very much to wipe them out. It could be a change in climate. It could be hunting. It could be disease."
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Linkedin Julia Suryakusuma (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 10:28 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c421dc3f 3 Opinion COVID-19,indigenous-people,indigenous-people-rights,local-wisdom,pandemic Free

A few days ago I was doing my routine morning walk when I came across a very upsetting scene. In one of the parks in my housing complex I came across a slaughter site.

No, not of humans or animals but of trees. However, it was no less horrifying for me. There were many trees in that park but my favorite was a big flamboyant tree with a trunk so wide were I to hug it, my arms could only reach half way.

But that morning, my beautiful, majestic tree was no longer standing. It had been felled and cut into pieces, like a dismembered human body with sawdust scattered around it akin to splattered blood stains. I was so upset, when I got home I was sobbing because I had lost a beloved friend.

I found out the next day that the reason for the cutting of my flamboyant tree as well as a few others was due to an infestation of termites in the park. How ironic that the huge powerful trees could be destroyed by these tiny insects. But then, humans, the world order and our normal way of life is being made decidedly abnormal, by the invisible COVID-19 virus, so size really does not matter.

The emotions I had about the trees in my park made me think of the fate of many indigenous peoples who depend on the forest. If I felt that upset about my flamboyant tree being cut down, imagine how devastated they would feel, especially with massive deforestation, losing their livelihood and their ancestral home.

As if on cue, around the time of my tree disaster, I received a book called Menjaga Rimba Terakhir (Safeguarding the Last Forest), written by the incomparable Mardiyah Chamim who takes on giants. What synchronicity!

Aug. 9 was International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People. Just eight days after that was Aug. 17, Indonesias 75th independence day. My last column two weeks ago bore the title Independence for the Nation, independence for women? The title of this column today could also be the same: Do the indigenous peoples of Indonesia, the custodians of the forest, the ones who have lived in the archipelago since probably time immemorial, are they independent? Sadly, Mardiyahs book suggests that they are not.

I first met Diyah, as she is affectionately called, at an antitobacco campaign. She had written a book called A Giant Pack of Lies, published in 2010, which took on Big Tobacco and investigated the tobacco industrys unethical practices in Indonesia through their own documents.

Her new forest book was about the struggle of the Suku Orang Rimba (People of the Jungle), sometimes also known as Suku Anak Dalam (Hinterland Tribe). Its often abbreviated as SAD, the meaning of which in English is so appropriate as it describes the fate of indigenous people worldwide who are increasingly displaced from their own lands by the interests (read: greed) of corporations. Ironically, but predictably, the state tends to defend corporations. By defending the Suku Orang Rimba, Diyah is taking on giants: Not just timber and palm oil companies, but the entire system of financiers, industries and multinational corporations, traders and retailers worldwide that support our modern consumeristic life.

A recent example was the criminalization and capture of Effendi Buhing, the head of the Kinipans, a group of indigenous people in Central Kalimantan, which environment activists accused as being the state legalization of the robbery of customary land in the Jokowi era.

On Aug. 26, Buhing was arrested by security forces at his house, allegedly for committing theft, coercion and robbery. In fact he and his friends were attempting to defend themselves because their forest was cut down to be converted into palm oil plantations.

Ironically, this act of violence happened just days after President Joko Jokowi Widodo wore traditional clothes from East Nusa Tenggara on Indonesias 75th Independence Day, symbolizing his support of local culture. Well, Pak Jokowi, mere symbolism doesnt cut it!

But back to Mardiyahs book. Its solid, not just because of its thickness (580 pages) but also its content. Based on two years of research, both library and field research, its a personal adventure as well as a grounded piece of journalistic work (unsurprisingly given her background as a journalist). Its comprehensive, covering the views of indigenous people, government officials, as well as environmentalists who have dedicated their lives to protecting the forest. Beautiful color photos are interspersed throughout the book. A real treat!

The book was published also as a documentation of three decades of Warung Informasi Konservasi (Information Center for Indonesian Conservation), or WARSI, a community of environmental activists founded on Dec. 27, 1991, in anticipation of their 30th anniversary in 2021.

The publication of the book in a time of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the theme of the International Indigenous Peoples day: COVID-19 and indigenous peoples resilience. Indeed, the two are closely connected. We may not be able to completely emulate the way of life of indigenous peoples, which is in harmony with nature, but we certainly can be inspired by them.

COVID-19 proves that humans are not the masters of the world as we like to think ourselves to be, and that the balance of the ecosystem is the key to restrain the rate of mutation of deadly viruses. So, start balancing folks!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
PARIS - The trial for the January 2015 terror attacks against the newsroom of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and supermarket Hyper Cacher opened on Wednesday morning at a special court in Paris. During three days of terror over five years ago in the French capital and its surroundings, the brothers Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly carried out the attacks that killed 17 people. The attackers were killed by police special units and the gendarmerie. Now 14 defendants are on trial. They are suspected of different levels of complicity and of providing logistical support to the authors of the attacks that were part of an unprecedented wave of terrorism in the country. The trial, which is taking place under strict security measures, is scheduled to last until November 10.



Several survivors of the attacks, including journalists and former staff members of Charlie Hebdo, attended the hearing. The satirical magazine has republished the blasphemous cartoon with a caricature of Mohamed, which sparked the fury of Islamic fundamentalists, ahead of the trial. The defendants were in glass cages surrounded by police officers whose faces were covered with balaclavas. ''We must not be scared - said the lawyer of Charlie Hebdo, Richard Malka - neither of terrorism nor of freedom. The spirit of Charlie Hebdo is to refuse to renounce to our freedoms, to laugh or be blasphemous''. Along with the 14 defendants, Hayat Boumedienne, the partner of Coulibaly who converted to Islam and fled to Syria, is being tried in absentia along with the Belhoucine brothers who also disappeared before the attacks and were last reported at the border between Iraq and Syria.
It was the State case that on the same day, Sithole produced a forged residence permit to police. The detective then called Sadc, which denied having an employee by the name Sithole.
Officials from Vietnam and China met this week after months of maritime disputes, including a sunken boat and missile tests.

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met Vietnamese ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai in Beijing.

Wei said at the meeting China hopes to strengthen unity, closely cooperate and appropriately handle disputes with Vietnam in the face of global changes, according to a statement on the ministry's website.

Coolig China - Vietnam tensions

Asia political experts say the two sides are seeking to cool tensions between the Asian neighbors to prevent an escalation of their recent conflicts at sea.

Its an attempt to dial down, I think, tensions, not end them but to dial down tensions specifically, said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Although the two Communist party-run states are known for dramatic ups and downs in their relations, the first eight months of 2020 tested the downside with a series of incidents in the contested South China Sea.

In April a Chinese survey vessel sank a Vietnamese fishing boat. Two months later, a Chinese survey ship passed within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of Vietnams coast in an exclusive economic zone or EEZ. In August the Chinese military test-fired two missiles near the Paracel Islands, a South China Sea archipelago controlled by Beijing but vehemently contested by Vietnam, Chinese media reports say.

They rammed the Vietnamese fishing vessel, they sent the (survey ship) Haiyang Dizhi No. 8 to Vietnams EEZ, and I think thats what really drove the Vietnamese up the wall, said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington.

Vietnam for its part angered China with a March 30 note to the United Nations rebutting the legal basis for Beijings maritime claims. China cites historical usage records to back its maritime claims.

Vietnam and China contest sovereignty over the 3.5 million-square-meter waterway thats prized for energy reserves and fisheries. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan dispute the Chinese claims as well. China has strengthened its control over the past decade by landfilling tiny islets for military use.

US influence in Asia

Defense officials in Beijing hope China and Vietnam will oppose hegemonism and interventionism, China's foreign ministry statement added.

Chinese officials want the defense ministers talks with Vietnams ambassador to cast China as a collaborator among Asian governments, said Alexander Vuving, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. Lack of willingness to cooperate would make Chinas former Cold War foe the United States more influential in Asia.

China wants to show the world that they are able to cooperate, and they are actually cooperating with smaller neighbors, said Vuving.

China hopes particularly to bolster its image around Asia after U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeos tough talk against it, which Thayer describes as an onslaught. Pompeo said in July the United States would protect Asian countries threatened by Beijing, including in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Navy regularly passes ships into the sea to show its open internationally despite Chinese claims to about 90% of it.

China sees U.S. movement in the sea as intervention by an outside power. Australia, Japan, and the United States have separately offered military aid to Vietnam over the past four years.

China is Vietnams top trading partner as well as a key source of raw materials for Vietnams all-important manufacturing sector. For the Vietnamese, the agenda is to maintain sort of a friendly relationship with China, said Vuving. They badly need that, so at least at the minimum they have to keep the channels with China.

In the longer term, China hopes to persuade Vietnam into joining its $1 trillion Belt-and-Road initiative, he added.

The seven-year-old global project aims to build new infrastructure to foster trade routes around Eurasia. Vietnam, where citizens distrust China over centuries of territorial disputes and the ongoing South China Sea conflict, has resisted supporting the project.
But in stop after stop, Wang had to deflect questions about Chinas tough new national security legislation in Hong Kong, policies in Xinjiang or the origins of the novel coronavirus, which he suggested could have come from outside China.
Bosses at the Campaign for Real Ale have been blasted for their 'tasteless and insensitive' covid-themed festival pint glasses.

The limited-edition glass for this year's 'virtual' Great British Beer Festival has been printed with images of white virus cells.

The group has now apologised for the design after the design sparked fury on social media.

Hundreds of people criticised the move, with many saying they would cancel their CAMRA memberships because of it.

CAMRA has been blasted for this 'tasteless and insensitive' Covid-themed pint glass for its 2020 beer festival glasses.

Twitter user @WithintheWalls was outraged that the company was seen to be celebrating 41,449 deaths with the Corona virus branded glasses adding 'What utter disrespect?'

Another Twitter user @ashleymeerkat was in such disbelief she queried whether the designer was already 'drunk' when coming up with the idea.

TheTwitter user @Jesslionman said: 'Uh...Well here's a short sighted promotion. Shame on you CAMRA, I suspect you will lose a lot of respect over this!'

And Twitter user @Gary_Anderson said he couldn't believe the glass design had ever been 'approved' stating: 'I know it's 'only a glass' but how the entire chain of personnel involved in the design, commissioning, approving and manufacture of this glass all agreed that this was a good idea is unbelievable'

Hundreds of social media users took to Twitter to show their disgust at CAMRA's decision to launch the pint glass

Manchester brewery Beer Nouveau retweeted CAMRA's post and added: 'I can see what their intentions were with this. But this is a seriously bad execution of idea, and the following non-apology doesn't help.'

Some have defended the glass design, saying: 'It's the most quintessentially British thing to do, to take what has hurt, oppressed and impacted you adversely and make it a figure of fun.'

The design has been released in support of this year's Great British Beer Festival, which has gone virtual for its 2020 edition and is due to take place next weekend.

Total disgrace: CAMRA officials have apologised for their insensitive decision but Twitter users are sickened

Following the backlash, CAMRA has posted a public apology and statement.

Festival organiser Catherine Tonry said: 'As someone who has suffered lasting lung damage after contracting COVID-19, I am all too aware how serious the illness can be and the devastating and long-term impact it has had on so many of us.

'I sincerely apologise to anyone who has taken offence to the glass theme.

'We choose a theme every year and wanted to ensure the design recognised what was at the front of everyone's mind.

'COVID-19 has been the defining event of 2020, and has severely impacted the beer and pub sector - as well as many of our personal lives.

'In fact, this is the first time we have held the festival digitally in over 40 years of hosting the Great British Beer Festival.

'We hope that despite the difficulties faced by many, the festival will give people the chance to come together over a pint and discover new brewers and cider producers to support throughout this period of uncertainty.'

The Great British Beer Festival is the UKs largest trade and consumer show dedicated to the brewing industry.

With around 1,000 beers produced across the country and further it attracts upwards of 50,000 trade and consumer visitors.

The years sold-out online event will focus on appreciating pints from afar with live masterclasses.
Scientists observed what appears to be a bulked-up black hole tangling with a more ordinary one. The research team, which includes physicists from the University of Maryland, detected two black holes merging, but one of the black holes was 1 1/2 times more massive than any ever observed in a black hole collision. The researchers believe the heavier black hole in the pair may be the result of a previous merger between two black holes. This type of hierarchical combining of black holes has been hypothesized in the past but the observed event, labeled GW190521, would be the first evidence for such activity. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and Virgo Collaboration announced the discovery in two papers published September 2, 2020, in the journals Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The scientists identified the merging black holes by detecting the gravitational waves--ripples in the fabric of space-time--produced in the final moments of the merger. The gravitational waves from GW190521 were detected on May 21, 2019, by the twin LIGO detectors located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, and the Virgo detector located near Pisa, Italy.

"The mass of the larger black hole in the pair puts it into the range where it's unexpected from regular astrophysics processes," said Peter Shawhan, a professor of physics at UMD, an LSC principal investigator and the LSC observational science coordinator. "It seems too massive to have been formed from a collapsed star, which is where black holes generally come from."

The larger black hole in the merging pair has a mass 85 times greater than the sun. One possible scenario suggested by the new papers is that the larger object may have been the result of a previous black hole merger rather than a single collapsing star. According to current understanding, stars that could give birth to black holes with masses between 65 and 135 times greater than the sun don't collapse when they die. Therefore, we don't expect them to form black holes.

"Right from the beginning, this signal, which is only a tenth of a second long, challenged us in identifying its origin," said Alessandra Buonanno, a College Park professor at UMD and an LSC principal investigator who also has an appointment as Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany. "But, despite its short duration, we were able to match the signal to one expected of black-hole mergers, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, and we realized we had witnessed, for the first time, the birth of an intermediate-mass black hole from a black-hole parent that most probably was born from an earlier binary merger."

GW190521 is one of three recent gravitational wave discoveries that challenge current understanding of black holes and allow scientists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity in new ways. The other two events included the first observed merger of two black holes with distinctly unequal masses and a merger between a black hole and a mystery object, which may be the smallest black hole or the largest neutron star ever observed. A research paper describing the latter was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on June 23, 2000, while a paper about the former event will be published soon in Physical Review D.

"All three events are novel with masses or mass ratios that we've never seen before," said Shawhan, who is also a fellow of the Joint Space-Science Institute, a partnership between UMD and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "So not only are we learning more about black holes in general, but because of these new properties, we are able to see effects of gravity around these compact bodies that we haven't seen before. It gives us an opportunity to test the theory of general relativity in new ways."

For example, the theory of general relativity predicts that binary systems with distinctly unequal masses will produce gravitational waves with higher harmonics, and that is exactly what the scientists were able to observe for the first time.

"What we mean when we say higher harmonics is like the difference in sound between a musical duet with musicians playing the same instrument versus different instruments," said Buonanno, who developed the waveform models to observe the harmonics with her LSC group. "The more substructure and complexity the binary has -- for example the masses or spins of the black holes are different--the richer is the spectrum of the radiation emitted."

In addition to these three black hole mergers and a previously reported binary neutron star merger, the observational run from April 2019 through March 2020 identified 52 other potential gravitational wave events. The events were posted to a public alert system developed by LIGO and Virgo collaboration members in a program originally spearheaded by Shawhan so that other scientists and interested members of the public can evaluate the gravity wave signals.

"Gravitational wave events are being detected regularly," Shawhan said, "and some of them are turning out to have remarkable properties which are extending what we can learn about astrophysics."

###

The research paper, "GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Coalescence with a Total Mass of 150 Solar Masses," was published in Physical Review Letters on September 2, 2020.

The research paper, "Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 Solar Mass Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521," was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on September 2, 2020.

The research paper, "GW190814: Gravitational Waves from the Coalescence of a 23 Solar Mass Black Hole with a 2.6 Solar Mass Compact Object," was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on June 23, 2020.

The research paper, "GW190412: Observation of a Binary-Black-Hole Coalescence with Asymmetric Masses," has been accepted for publication in Physical Review D, and was published on Arxiv on April 17, 2020.

About LIGO and Virgo

LIGO is funded by the NSF and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and lead the project. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council-OzGrav) making significant commitments and contributions to the project. Approximately 1,300 scientists from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration. A list of additional partners is available at https://my.ligo.org/census.php.

The Virgo Collaboration is currently composed of approximately 550 members from 106 institutes in 12 different countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) hosts the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, and is funded by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy, and Nikhef in the Netherlands. A list of the Virgo Collaboration groups can be found at http://public.virgo-gw.eu/the-virgo-collaboration/. More information is available on the Virgo website at http://www.virgo-gw.eu.

Media Relations Contact: Kimbra Cutlip, 301-405-9463, kcutlip@umd.edu

University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

2300 Symons Hall College Park, Md. 20742

http://www.cmns.umd.edu

@UMDscience About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 9,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $200 million.
In a limited relief to members of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP), the Bombay high court has permitted them to hold prayer meetings at the Doongerwadi Tower of Silence at Kemps Corner on September 3 from 7 am to 4.30 pm on the occasion of Farvardin Roj.

The court has said that only six persons, not below the age of 10 years and not above the age of 65 years, would be permitted at a time to be present in each of the five prayer pavilions in the premises along with two priests.

The court also said that in the case of a violation of SOPs laid down by the centre and the guidelines issued by the state government with regards to Covid, the petitioner trustee would be personally held liable for contempt and punishment.

A division bench of justice R D Dhanuka and justice Madhav Jamdar, while hearing the petition filed by Viraf Mehta, a trustee of the BPP, was informed by advocate Prakash Shah that after the meeting with the principal secretary home and secretary disaster management department, as directed by the court on Monday, they had filed an additional affidavit with a modified itinerary for September 3.

Shah submitted that around 200 members of the community would reach Doongerwadi and the trustees would ensure that all Coved-related protocols were followed.

On Farvardin Roj, Parsis offer prayers for the souls of their departed loved ones.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh and advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni had submitted that since congregation of people was not allowed, hence BPP should ensure that all the 200 members do not reach the venue at the same time.

Also Read: Maharashtra launches Mission Begin Again today with further relaxations

Shah and Mehta have accordingly assured the court that the members would come only at the appointed time given to them and would leave after praying for half an hour. They also submitted that not more than six members would be present along with two priests in each of the five pavilions in the expansive property; hence there was no question of a congregation.

Also Read: Courts cant relax the terms of Insurance policy: National consumers body

After hearing the submissions, the court accepted the undertaking of BPP and directed the state to make arrangements for smooth flow of traffic outside the venue and also said that Mehta would be held personally liable for violations of the undertakings given to the court.

The court also reiterated that BPP should ensure that members below the age of 10 years and above the age of 65 years were not allowed. The court disposed of the petition stating that it was allowing the community considering the peculiar facts of the case and hence it should not be treated as a precedent and disposed of the petition.

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Biofourmis is part of a small but growing group of venture-backed start-ups looking to augment traditional medicines with digital technology, including wearables and software. The hope for these kinds of digital-drug combinations is to add personalization to medicine to help ensure the right patient gets access to the right drug at the right time. By tracking how patients are faring outside of the hospital, doctors might suggest a change in dosage or a different combination of drugs. In theory, such technology is attractive to pharmaceutical companies looking to boost the efficacy of expensive specialty medicines. The field is known as "digital therapeutics," and research firms estimate it could be worth more than $9.6 billion by 2026. It's part of a larger trend of digital technology making its way into the health care sector, which is worth more than $3.5 trillion in the U.S. alone. Now Biofourmis is going to get help in its quest with a new $100 million infusion led by Softbank's Vision Fund 2, with participation from previous investors, including Sequoia.

Wearables, but not for consumers

To get a sense of what Biofourmis does, it's instructive to look at one of its customers, Novartis, maker of a heart failure drug called Entresto. In this case, a doctor prescribing Entresto would ask the patient if they wanted to enroll in a support program. If the patient agrees, Biofourmis ships them a wearable device that tracks their heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and other relevant metrics. That gives Biofourmis' team a better sense of whether the patient is improving at the rate they should be. There's also an app for patients to check their own progress and relay their symptoms, as well as a dashboard for their doctors and nurses. Biofourmis worked closely with doctors to develop the technology. One of the company's longtime medical advisors and boardmembers is the cardiologist Maulik Majmudar, who has worked at Amazon for several years on the team behind the "Halo" health-tracking device. While Halo is meant for consumers, Biofourmis' wearables are intended for clinical uses. Typically, the pharmaceutical company will pay for the wearable device up-front so the patient doesn't bear any additional financial burden. Biofourmis CEO Kuldeep Singh Rajput said the company ran multiple clinical studies to show that wearables can help clinicians predict heart failure events several weeks in advance, and intervene before that happens. Heart failure is the main area of focus for now, although the company has been increasingly been branching out into other disease areas. In the U.S., more than 6.5 million people have heart failure, which costs the health care system more than $30 billion to manage. It's also one of the leading causes of death. The company says it is also moving into other areas like chronic pain, oncology and Covid-19. It is also looking to expand by selling its services into health systems to help monitor patients once they get discharged. In the U.S., hospital systems are penalized if they have a higher-than-expected 30 day readmission rate after a patient is discharged for conditions like pneumonia and heart failure.

Finally the right time?
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Just weeks ahead of the scheduled legislature session, two more ministers in the B S Yediyurappa cabinet have tested positive for coronavirus.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa on Tuesday said he had tested positive for Covid, while on Monday evening, Women and Child Development minister Shahsikala Jolle too stated that she had contracted the virus.

Including Chief Minister Yediyurappa, eight ministers in the state cabinet have been infected. I have been confirmed as Covid-positive today. There are no problems with my health, but have been advised hospitalised treatment by doctors. I am hopeful that I will recover soon with everyones good wishes, Eshwarappa tweeted on Tuesday evening.

Shashikala Jolle, however, has been advised home isolation. The minister said that she is asymptomatic.

Party and cabinet colleagues, including Yediyurappa, wished quick recovery for both ministers.

BJP MLA from Tirthahalli and Karnataka Housing Board Chairman Araga Gnanendra too tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Ministers who have tested positive so far

B S Yediyurappa, Chief Minister

C T Ravi, Minister for Tourism and Kannada and Culture

B C Patil, Agriculture Minister

Anand Singh, Forest Minister

B Sriramulu, Health Minister

S T Somashekhar, Minister for Cooperation

Among Opposition leaders who have tested are KPCC president DK Shivakumar, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, his son and Varuna MLA Dr Yathindra, MLA GT Devegowda, JDS leader HD Revanna, and others.
Portland police and Oregon State Patrol officers work together to arrest a woman during rioting in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 11, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Oregon State Troopers Federally Deputized in Portland

Oregon State Police (OSP) personnel sent to Portland in a renewed bid to end the unrest there have been federally deputized, a spokesman confirmed to The Epoch Times.

Most of OSP resources assigned to Portland have been cross deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service, Capt. Timothy Fox, the spokesman, said in an emailed statement on Sept. 2.

OSP is not criticizing any officials and we respect the authority of the District Attorney, but to meet the Governors charge of bringing violence to an end we will use all lawful methods at our disposal.

The service didnt respond to an inquiry.

State police have worked with the U.S. Attorneys Office to review arrests made by troopers for potential prosecution.

Seventy-six people arrested in relation to Portland unrest have been charged on a federal level, a Department of Justice spokeswoman said this week. Approximately 774 arrests have been made since May 28, according to city and federal data reviewed by The Epoch Times.

Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County district attorney, speaks to reporters at City Hall one day after a man was shot dead, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced a new policy in August that guides prosecutors to presumptively decline to pursue some charges against those arrested during protests and riots, including disorderly conduct and interfering with officers.

The decision triggered the withdrawal of state troopers the next day, Fox told The Epoch Times. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, sent state police back to Portland over the weekend after a man was shot dead in the city.

Brown has turned down offers of federal assistance. She appealed to law enforcement agencies in adjacent counties to send personnel, an appeal rejected by sheriffs and a police department.

A spokesman for Schmidts office said he was looking into the deputization matter. Browns office didnt return a request for comment.

An Oregon State Trooper arrests a man during rioting in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Brown told KOIN that some troopers were federally deputized during the earlier deployment.

Troopers are committed to working with our community, with the goal of protecting free speech, keeping the peace, and keeping people safe as they exercise their right to peacefully protest, the spokesperson said. The U.S. Attorney and Multnomah County D.A. work together every day deciding which cases each will prosecute.

The news of the deputization was first reported by Deborah Bloom, a freelance reporter.

According to federal law, the director of the U.S. Marshals Service is authorized to deputize a number of persons to perform the functions of a deputy U.S. Marshal. The persons include selected federal, state, or local law enforcement officers.
The Christian Association of Nigeria on Tuesday urged Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to issue a suspension of the implementation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

The request was contained in statement issued by CANs President, Rev. Olasupo Ayokunle, as gotten from Channels.

CAN said the organization is yet to be availed with the authentic version of Act, which is made up of 870 sections besides the sundry and complex schedules and addendum.

We consider the Act, as indeed, a complex of statecraft compendium, laden with issues that are grossly inimical to national interest, security (- peace and stability), and overall wellbeing of the Nigerian-state, CAN stated.

Cama expressed concern over the amount of controversy the ACT has generated since it was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 7.

From the reactions of stakeholders and a cross-section of the Nigerian-state, it is apparent that the Act either did not receive input from the respective various interest groups or failed to accommodate their views, sundry concerns and varying interests of the Nigerian people.

Without prejudice to our observations, such a law ought to welcome and accommodate the sundry and varying interests of the Nigerian people, CAN said.

CAN therefore called upon the Buhari-led administration to issue the appropriate directives to suspend the implementation of CAMA 2020 and affirm a thorough reappraisal of the legislation that is in correlation with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).

The Act has serious consequences for the functioning of nonprofits, including churches, in the country, critics have said.

Read Full Statement Here:

President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR

State House

Abuja

Mr. President,

We respectfully acknowledge the invitation extended to us to make an input into the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020 following the myriad of objections that attended the enactment of the Act.

While we sincerely appreciate the courtesy of your invitation, we are however constrained from doing so on the following grounds:

We are yet to be availed with the authentic version of the voluminous Act, made up of 870 sections besides the sundry and complex schedules and addendum. We consider the Act, as indeed, a complex of statecraft compendium, laden with issues that are grossly inimical to national interest, security (- peace and stability), and overall wellbeing of the Nigerian-state. From the reactions of stakeholders and a cross-section of the Nigerian-state, it is apparent that the Act either did not receive input from the respective various interest groups or failed to accommodate their views, sundry concerns and varying interests of the Nigerian people. Without prejudice to our observations, such a law ought to welcome and accommodate the sundry and varying interests of the Nigerian people. Furthermore, we are mindful that comments in public domain are beginning to indicate that CAMA, 2020 has the potential that can further undermine the faith of stakeholders in the Nigerian-state. The reactions from public officeholders have not helped matters because they are binary in perspective and pander towards a fait accompli. The dominant schools of thought in the public domain, hold the view that should stakeholders of the Nigerian-state seek judicial intervention or amendment of the Act by the National Assembly, they shall achieve nothing much, as they consider such, as exercises in futility. We must allay their fears and encourage them to exercise their democratic rights in our participatory democracy; hoping that when citizens approach these state institutions, they shall rise up to the challenge.

Mr. President, from the foregoing, we are of the opinion that you should kindly issue the appropriate directives to suspend the implementation of CAMA 2020 and affirm a thorough reappraisal of the legislation that is in correlation with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), other extant legal and policy frameworks, the national economy, national security, national interest and the wellbeing of the Nigerian-state.

In order to participate actively in such an exercise, you may wish to kindly furnish us with an official version as assented by you. This will enable us do the due diligence required, please.

Once more, do accept the assurances of our esteemed consideration as we pray for the continued presence and Will of the Almighty God of all-creation by the Holy Spirit in Nigeria through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Savior, Redeemer and soon coming KING. (Amen)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 09:41:06|Editor: huaxia

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WUHAN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- No new confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in central China's Hubei Province Tuesday, the provincial health commission said Wednesday.

By Tuesday, Hubei still had three close contacts under medical observation. The province cleared its confirmed cases on Aug. 31 as one imported case was discharged from hospital after recovery.

Hubei has reported a total of 68,139 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 63,627 patients have been cured and discharged from hospitals. The disease claimed 4,512 lives in the province. Enditem
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Chinese leaders led by Xi Jinping will attend an event on Thursday morning to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

They will be joined by representatives from all walks of life in the Chinese capital to present flower baskets to martyrs at a museum of the war in Beijing.

The event will be broadcast live by the China Media Group.
MIAMI, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conviva Care Centers today announced it was recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in the categories of Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and Diabetes Recognition Program (DRP). The celebrated recognitions are a testament to the outstanding care its centers provide to senior patients in Florida and Texas, along with the commitment its physician-led network of more than 300 primary care doctors have to help seniors age well.

The NCQA recognized 60 Conviva centers throughout Florida and Texas for their impact on improving quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. The core of the PCMH model is communicating with patients and families/caregiversa fundamental mission of Conviva. As a primary care organization that cares for the senior population, Conviva is a healthcare delivery model making a difference.

"We are extremely honored to be recognized by such a prestigious organization," said Kevin Meriwether, CEO of Conviva. "Our clinicians pride themselves on creating a gold standard of care for seniors to make their lives better. These recognitions speak not only to that goal but also to the overall efficient operations that are evident at every Conviva care center. A PCMH recognition is a standard that benefits practices, clinicians, and patients."

According to NCQA, the move of payers away from a traditional fee-for-service model to one that rewards integration and quality care is rapidly increasing. They are working with organizations that have a strong infrastructure and quality improvement initiatives as PCMH.

The NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program recognizes clinicians who use evidence-based measures to provide quality care to diabetic patients. In order to earn this accolade, clinicians must submit data to demonstrate that they have met specific criteria for the six clinical performance measures comprising the DRP.

"It is extremely gratifying to receive this honor because it recognizes Conviva for providing the highest level of care," said Meriwether. "It's a public declaration and a strong statement that we belong to an elite group of healthcare providers."

ABOUT CONVIVA

Conviva continues to reinvent excellence in healthcare by embracing meaningful patient relationships focused on producing optimal health outcomes. With more than 90 convenient locations throughout Florida (Broward County, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, and Tampa/Gulf Coast) and Texas (Corpus Christi, El Paso, and San Antonio), the vast network of Conviva Care Centers is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of more than 300 primary care physicians and over 800 affiliated specialists that provide a wide range of vital healthcare services that patients require daily, including the advantages of senior care activity centers and 24/7 on-call physicians. The success of Conviva is measured by its patients' clinical outcomes and long-term health benefits. To learn more, visit http://www.ConvivaCareCenters.com, or call (833) CONVIVA.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of healthcare organizations and recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare. The website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers, and others make more-informed healthcare choices. NCQA can be found online at (ncqa.org), on Twitter at (Twitter.com/NCOA) or Facebook (facebook.com/NCQA.org), and on Linkedin (linkedin.com/company/ncqa).

SOURCE Conviva Care Centers
Better understanding of the surface chemistry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is needed to reduce transmission and accelerate vaccine design.

Researchers at Michigan Tech, TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory and University of Edinburgh call for increased research on virus surface stability and interaction in Surface Chemistry Can Unlock Drivers of Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Variety of Environmental Conditions in the Cell Press journal Chem. They highlight the need to understand the different environmental conditions that affect the surface chemistry of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.

Creating an Unfriendly Surface for Viruses

Were told to wash our hands with soap for 20 seconds to kill viruses. Why? Because the soap interacts with the surface chemistry of a virus, particularly the lipid, or fatty, casing around it, and essentially makes the virus explode.

Handwashing is a clear example of why understanding how viruses interact with surface environments is important. Increased research will better equip us to diminish how long viruses survive on surfaces or in the air, an important way to stop the spread.

Play Virus Surface Chemistry and COVID-19 video Virus Surface Chemistry and COVID-19 Expand Research by Michigan Tech's Health Research Institute seeks to understand the surface chemistry of viruses and how its interactions with surfaces  stainless steel, copper, plastic, cardboard  can increase the virus's viability or kill the virus particles.

If the surface is not friendly, its easier for the virus to fall apart. Where the virus has more friendly interactions with the surface, its more likely to stay infectious, said Caryn Heldt, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Health Research Institute at Michigan Technological University.

About the Researcher Caryn Heldt heldt@mtu.edu

906-487-1134 Research Interests Bioseparations

Virus removal and detection

Biosensors Researcher Profile

Viruses have unique ways of interacting with surfaces. The surface chemistry of the virus will change how the virus interacts with water, Heldt said. If water such as humidity, which is common in your breath and in the air, gets between the virus and a surface, it can really change the way the virus interacts with that surface. The virus surface and the environment: you cant separate them out.

More Than One Way to Skin a Cat Or a Virus

Part of the reason the scientific communitys understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve is because there are only a few techniques available to measure the small amounts of virus particles required to infect a person as compared to other types of biomolecules, such as proteins.

We need to understand how viruses interact with surfaces with and without water present, but the traditional ways we think of studying surface chemistry cannot detect these low levels of virus, Heldt said.

COVID-19 Testing Lab Since opening in April, Michigan Techs COVID-19 testing lab has run more than 3,500 samples, or the equivalent of testing 1% of the population of Michigans Upper Peninsula.

Heldt and coauthors said their article provides a broad overview of different ways researchers could learn more about these surface interactions on a chemical level.

Unlike the viruses that cause influenza, SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through aerosols, or particles that travel through and stay suspended in the air when people talk, sing, cough or sneeze.

The flu is transmitted by large droplets you breathe out, which fall to and stay infectious on surfaces. Heldt said surfaces have not been ruled out as a mode of transmission, but that the most common form of transition seems to be aerosol inhalation. Its about how close you are to someone and for how long, she said.

The Scientific Method In a short essay for the Michigan Tech Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture series SARS-CoV-2: What Kind of Crisis is This? Caryn Heldt advocates for better science literacy and explains why widespread public misunderstanding of the scientific method has led to so much confusion about the virus.

Temperature and humidity in particular seem to have greater effects on the SARS-CoV-2 virus virility.

For the first time, we highlight potential mechanisms of the novel SARS-CoV-2 surface stability in various environmental conditions including temperature and relative humidity, said Aliakbar Hassanpouryouzband, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh.

While viruses are typically more stable when its colder, which explains why flu season hits during the winter, that doesnt seem to be the case for the virus that causes COVID-19. However, researchers can infer from what heat does to molecules  it increases their energy, causing them to move and vibrate more quickly  that increased vibrations of virus molecules causes them to explode and no longer be infectious.

When it comes to humidity, viruses need to bind some water to their surfaces. But dehydrating a virus molecule isnt a cut-and-dried solution  it can actually make some molecules more stable.

Grants and Funding NSF CAREER award 1451959

Along with further research into the effects of humidity, temperature and other environmental conditions, theres a need to explore the effects of pH balance and protein casings on the virus. The work to better understand the surface chemistry of SARS-CoV-2 will help scientists around the world design vaccines for this pandemic and those of the future.

Atomic Force Microscopy tips can be negatively or positively charged to measure the surface charge on the virus. Image Credit: Chem Journal-Cell Press

We hope that this article will assist experimental scientists worldwide in their investigations for unravelling the molecular drivers implicated in this new coronavirus transmission from the surfaces as well as in vaccine development and antiviral drug design, said Edris Joonaki, fluid properties expert at TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
The countrys telecom authority said it sent notices to management of five apps for indecent content streaming.

Pakistan has blocked Tinder, Grindr and three other dating apps for not adhering to local laws, its latest move to curb online platforms deemed to be disseminating immoral content.

Pakistan, the second-largest Muslim-majority country in the world after Indonesia, is an Islamic nation where extra-marital relationships and homosexuality are illegal.

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority said it has sent notices to the management of the five apps, keeping in view the negative effects of immoral/indecent content streaming.

Press Release: PTA has blocked access to five dating/live streaming applications i.e. Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi. pic.twitter.com/gFJxsgcn6m  PTA (@PTAofficialpk) September 1, 2020

PTA said the notices issued to Tinder, Grindr, Tagged, Skout and SayHi sought the removal of dating services and moderation of live streaming content in accordance with local laws.

The companies did not respond to the notices within the stipulated time, the regulator added.

In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, a Tinder spokesperson said: Our team uses a network of industry-leading automated and manual moderation and review tools, systems and processes  and invests significant resources  to prevent, monitor and remove inappropriate content from our app.

At the same time, we are constantly evaluating and refining our processes, and will always work with regulators and law enforcement, where possible, to protect our members, the statement added.

The statement added that Tinder would welcome the opportunity to discuss the product and any moderations efforts with the PTA.

Tinder, a globally popular dating app, is owned by Match Group while Tagged and Skout are owned by the Meet Group.

Grindr, which describes itself as a social networking and online dating application for LGBTQ people, was cleared to be sold by a Chinese company this year to an investor group called San Vicente Acquisition for $620m.

Data from analytics firm Sensor Tower showed Tinder had been downloaded more than 440,000 times in Pakistan within the last 12 months. Grindr, Tagged and SayHi had each been downloaded about 300,000 times and Skout 100,000 times in that same period.

Critics have said Pakistan, using recent digital legislation, has sought to rein in free expression on the internet, blocking or ordering the removal of content deemed immoral, as well as news critical of the government and military.

Some took to social media to raise their concern about the ban.

PTA is creating undemocratic trends; courts need to stop PTA, local journalist and TV anchor Moeed Pirzada tweeted on Wednesday.

Pakistani Telecom Regulator, PTA, deciding what adults should watch privately or not is itself "immoral" if "morality" or "moral order" could be understood as a term in Islamic Pakistan! PTA is creating undemocratic trends; courts need to stop PTA! https://t.co/nmCVSqWJR6  Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) September 2, 2020

Another local journalist Amber Shamsi said the PTA was on a moral policing spree, wondering what the authority will ban next.

PTA is on a moral policing spree. Whats next, streaming sites? 

Pakistan blocks Tinder, other dating apps over 'immoral' content https://t.co/IjQJEyh4UZ  Amber Rahim Shamsi (@AmberRShamsi) September 2, 2020

In July, Pakistan issued a final warning to short-form video app TikTok for explicit content posted on the platform, while livestreaming app Bigo Live was blocked for 10 days for the same reason.

Pakistani authorities reiterated that concern to TikTok officials in a recent meeting.

Last week, the PTA asked YouTube to immediately block all videos they consider objectionable from being accessed in the country.

The demand was criticised by rights campaigners who fear creeping censorship and control of Pakistans internet and printed media.

And in July, authorities issued a final warning to Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, ordering it to filter any obscene content.

The Muslim-majority country has several existing or proposed restrictions that target free speech, usually in the name of Islam or national security.
J. R. Webster's contribution to education studies and administration within Britain is immeasurable and so, in Wales, is his legacy in the field of bilingualism and rural education. He also popularised the work of the Polish migr artist Joseph Herman and the Swansea-based artist Ceri Richards.

Roger Webster was born in Anglesey and left Llangefni secondary school for the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, to study geography. His first post was at Trinity College, the Church of Wales teacher's training institute at Carmarthen, where he taught social studies from 1948 to 1951.

In 1951 he accepted a lectureship in the Department of Education at the University College of Wales, Swansea, where he came to know a new professor, Charles Gittins, a gifted educationalist who influenced him greatly. They had much in common: interest in the history of education, in bilingualism, in committees and in research. Webster gained his doctorate on the history of secondary education in Wales and it became a model for other historians of education.

In 1961 he left academic life to become Director for Wales, Arts Council of Great Britain. His stay of five years was hectic. He established regional associations for Wales as well as strengthening the visual arts department; he served on the influential Lloyd Committee at the National Film School. But he missed the world of the university and in 1966 he was appointed Professor of Education at the University College of North Wales, Bangor.

For the next 12 years he became an influential figure in higher education: he was a member of the James Committee on teacher education, a member of the Venables Committee of Continuing Education, chairman of the Education Studies Advisory Committee of the Open University; and he chaired the standing conference on the studies in education. All this meant constant travel from Gwynedd to London and elsewhere.

In 1978 he was appointed Professor of Education and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, succeeding the energetic Professor Jac Williams. Webster maintained the faculty's reputation as a power-base of bilingual education (although Webster's interest in bilingualism was less politically motivated than his predecessor), enlarging the facilities and ensuring Welsh-medium education would be well served throughout the Eighties.

Outside the faculty he served on the Telecommunications Advisory Committee as well as on the Post Office Users National Committee, of which he was chairman for Wales for eight years. For this he was appointed OBE in 1988. He was proud also of being appointed in 1984 Governor of the Commonwealth Institute.

Roger Webster retired in 1991. He maintained his wide interests despite ill-health and did so with natural charm and goodness.

John Roger Webster, educationalist, administrator: born Gaerwen, Anglesey 24 June 1926; Director for Wales, Arts Council of Great Britain 1961-66; Professor of Education University College of North Wales, Bangor 1966- 78; Professor of Education and Dean of Faculty of Education, University College of Wales 1978-91; OBE 1988; publications include Ceri Richards 1961, Joseph Herman 1962; married 1963 Ivy Mary Garlick (two sons, one daughter); died Aberystwyth, Dyfed 2 April 1995.
Crude oil futures rose on Wednesday after a more-than-expected draw in US crude stockpiles and as solid US factory data raised optimism of a post-pandemic economic recovery, boosting risk appetite among investors.

Brent crude futures were up 33 cents at $45.91 a barrel as of 0034 GMT, extending gains into a third day.

US West Texas Intermediate futures rose 33 cents to $43.09, following the previous day's gain by 15 cents.

US crude inventories fell by 6.4 million barrels in the week to August 28 to about 501.2 million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said, compared with analysts' expectations for a draw of 1.9 million barrels.

Gasoline stocks also fell by 5.8 million barrels, more than analysts' estimates of a draw of 3.0 million barrels.

Analysts had forecast a sixth weekly drawdown in US crude inventories in a Reuters poll.

"Positive tone was also set on hopes for a swift economic recovery following a healthy US economic data, which raised investors' risk appetite and propelled US stock market and oil prices," Kazuhiko Saito, chief analyst at Fujitomi Co, said.

"Also, slower-than-expected resumption of oil output in the United States after Hurricane Laura raised concerns over tighter supply," he said.

US manufacturing activity accelerated to a more than 1-1/2-year high in August amid a surge in new orders, lending support to Wall Street and oil markets.

US Gulf of Mexico offshore oil output on Tuesday was down by 525,099 barrels per day, or 28.4% of the region's daily production, the US Department of Interior reported, as energy companies restarted more activity in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

Still, 71 of the US Gulf of Mexico's 643 manned platforms remained evacuated, down from 117 production platforms on Monday, the regulator said.

On the global supply side, oil output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose by about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, a Reuters survey found.

From May 1, OPEC and allies, known as OPEC+, made a record cut of 9.7 million bpd, or 10% of global output, after the virus destroyed a third of world demand. From August 1, the cut tapered to 7.7 million bpd until December.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to apologize Wednesday for her visit to a San Francisco hair salon that was supposed to be closed under the citys coronavirus pandemic rules, and suggested the business had tricked her.

Pelosi said she took responsibility for falling for the setup to have her hair done inside the salon Monday. But the San Francisco Democrat said that if anyone owes an apology, its the salon.

I think that this salon owes me an apology, for setting me up, she said at an event about school reopenings in San Franciscos Noe Valley.

Pelosis visit to the salon set off a firestorm when Fox News posted security footage of it Tuesday. Her visit happened one day before salons in the city were allowed to open for business, but only outdoors.

Now Playing: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited an indoor hair salon for service, but her office claims she didn't know she did anything wrong. Video: KTVU

The state began allowing salons and barbershops to reopen indoor service Monday, after having barred it for most of the pandemic. But individual counties can keep closures in place. In the Bay Area, San Francisco and Alameda counties are not allowing salons to have customers indoors.

Pelosi indicated that e Salon, the Cow Hollow business where she had her hair done Monday, had given her an incorrect version of the rules.

I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that Ive been to over the years many times, and when they said, Were able to accommodate people one person at a time. I trusted that, the speaker said during a combative exchange with reporters in the empty schoolyard of Mission Education Center Elementary School.

A lawyer for the stylist who did Pelosis hair said in a letter released Wednesday evening the salons owner had reopened her business in April, in violation of various public health orders. The letter also charged that the owner objected to Pelosis salon visit after the fact because of her political leanings.

The salon owner, Erica Kious, did not respond to requests for comment.

Pelosis comments Wednesday acknowledged she was not aware of local rules prohibiting such indoor treatments. There is no provision in San Francisco for customers to get their hair done indoors one at a time.

The speaker wasnt asked Wednesday why she didnt know the citys rules. Pelosi splits her time between her home in San Francisco and her work in Washington, D.C.

Her response came after conservative critics jumped on Pelosi for appearing hypocritical in supporting restrictions on businesses and other aspects of public life to quell the pandemic, while engaging in a locally banned activity herself.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Liz Harrington said there have been instances of salon owners who have opened their business against local laws being jailed. California has not prosecuted business owners for violating pandemic rules, but a salon owner was briefly jailed in Texas for defying court orders to close up shop.

You cant get your hair done, eat inside at a restaurant, travel, attend a funeral, or protest without mandatory quarantining. But Democrats can, Harrington wrote in an email. This isnt about health or science. Its about power. Democrats want to rule your life. But dont expect their rules to apply to them.

Kious earlier told Fox that she had been unable to prevent Pelosis visit. She said an independent stylist who rents a chair in her establishment was the one who hosted Pelosi. Kious said she received a text message Sunday that the speaker would be coming in.

A lawyer for cosmetologist Jonathan DeNardo said his client got advance approval from Kious to serve Pelosi two days before her appointment on Monday.

Ms. Kious took special interest in the appointment during this telephone call, wherein she made several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi and her purported responsibility for temporarily suspending operations of Ms. Kious business, said the letter from attorney Matthew Soleimanpour, who is based in La Jolla.

The letter added that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed were actually responsible for the shelter-in-place restrictions.

Kious has not responded to phone messages left by The Chronicle, including after Pelosi accused the salon of engaging in a setup.

Pelosis spokesman said Wednesday that she had been having her regular stylist do her hair at her home during the pandemic, but that person wasnt available Monday. So she arranged to have her hair styled at eSalon after the shop told her it was OK, he said.

At the center of negotiations over coronavirus relief in Congress, Pelosi has been a vocal proponent of wearing masks and following scientific advice. She has sharply criticized President Trump and other Republicans for downplaying the need for masks and proper social distancing practices.

The short clip from Pelosis salon treatment that Fox released shows the speaker, with wet hair and wearing a robe, walking through the establishment with a mask around her neck.

Asked Wednesday why she wasnt wearing a mask at the time, Pelosi said she had just had her hair washed.

I dont wear a mask when Im washing my hair. Do you wear a mask when youre washing your hair? I always wear a mask, she said.

Masks and business closures have been at the center of political and culture wars amid the pandemic.

In Washington, some Republicans have resisted wearing masks in the Capitol building, despite requests from leadership that they do so. After Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert tested positive and reports of Republicans staffers being forced to work mask-less emerged in the media, Pelosi ordered mask-wearing in all House office buildings and on the House side of the Capitol.

Trump tweeted Wednesday that Crazy Nancy Pelosi is being decimated for having a beauty parlor opened, when all others are closed, and for not wearing a Mask - despite constantly lecturing everyone else. We will almost certainly take back the House, and send Nancy packing!

Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, said she was baffled by Pelosis refusal to apologize. She said the optics of the salon visit fall somewhere between bad and horrendous, and play into conservative stereotypes of Pelosi as an out-of-touch liberal elite who doesnt adhere to the standards she touts for everyone else.

She would have done better having one of her grandkids do her hair, having it look terrible on TV, and then it sends this message of, Im in it with you, Levinson said.

Asked about the controversy at a separate news conference, Mayor London Breed said the country had more important things to worry about than whether Pelosi had engaged in a violation of city rules.

We have our speaker working day and night against the challenges we have at the White House, Breed said. Its unfortunate this conversation has blown up in the way it has and distracted us from the real issue.

Chronicle staff writer Aidin Vaziri contributed to this report.

Tal Kopan and Rachel Swan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan, @rachelswan
A mum has devised an ambitious plan to fly 90 babies back to Australia from the UK to meet their extended family for the first time.

Carly McCrossin launched the 'fly the babies home' campaign on August 5 after three tough months in UK's lockdown watching her daughter grow while her family in Australia and her husband's in New Zealand missed major milestones.

She hopes to organise a charter flight for her to take 'lockdown' baby Ailish, born in April amid the coronavirus pandemic, and others families with young ones home for Christmas.

'The heartbreak of not being able to introduce your newborn baby to your families is something unimaginable that I still, even after a few months, I cant quite seem to quite get my head around,' she said in a video posted to Facebook.

Carly McCrossin (left) has launched the 'fly the babies home' campaign on August 5 to help Australian and New Zealand families stuck abroad return home to visit loved ones for Christmas

'And every day Im packing up her clothes that she wont fit into anymore, knowing that theyll never see her that small.

'Every day a little piece of my heart just kind of breaks off because youre being robbed of so many just incredible memories of her that you want to share with your family and you cant.

The mother came up with the idea after 'sitting around, getting sadder and sadder' about the situation, then decided to make a video to reach out to any people in London that have a lockdown baby and have family in Australia or New Zealand.

More than 19,000 citizens and permanent residents stuck overseas are battling cancelled flights as limitations on international arrivals drive up competition.

Airlines are routinely selling their high-priced seats to remain profitable, reducing the availability of economy tickets.

Families that are interested in making the journey will then be asked register into the campaign online then self-shield and isolate for two to three weeks prior to boarding the flight.

'Im reaching out to commercial airlines to say if you have any jets, or I dont know how it works, if youve got any planes that youd be willing to dedicate like an airline number to us or a flight to us so we could get home for Christmas, I would be just so appreciative,' she said.

Once transport has been secured, she will reach out to the governments to ask whether the group can self-isolate in their family homes upon arrival if they have quarantined prior.

In a video announcing the plan (pictured), the mother said she was left heartbroken by not being able to introduce her family in Australia and her husband's in New Zealand to their newborn

By August 11, the mother had received 67 registrations, which grew by 95 the following week.

Ms McCrossin told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday she now has a total of 98 families, which includes 196 adults, 91 babies and 37 toddlers.

She said they will be coronavirus safe flights, but the journey will not be free.

'Everyone on the flight will be required to pay the normal return UK to AU/NZ airfare depending on the class of travel chosen or offered,' the online registration page reads.

'We may need to pro-rata the ticket price depending on how we socially distance the passengers across the range of classes.

'Depending on the number of passengers and destination we may not be able to fly into your preferred destination choice  but we will definitely get you as far as we can!'

An Instagram page dedicated to the cause has amassed 181 followers.

Ms McCrossin told fans on August 22 she was 'looking forward to the reply emails next week of flight options'.
Eric Metaxas on why pastors need to address politics, Black Lives Matter, and 'woke' Christianity

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Ahead of an election he believes is crucial for the future of the American Church, Eric Metaxas has made a case for why Christians have a moral obligation to vote Republican this November  and why pastors need to boldly address political issues from the pulpit before its too late.

In an interview with The Christian Post on Aug. 25, Metaxas argued that evangelicals who suggest there are biblical reasons to vote for either party this election are wrong and misreading current events. The conservative author and radio host clarified that while agrees with the basic principle of refusing to make an idol out of politics, to say you could vote for either candidate and it's OK is another thing.

Were not in a position where we can play that game, the 57-year-old New York native warned. The Democratic Party of the past, he said, is a whole other story than the dramatically radically left party of today, pointing out that both Bill Clinton and John F. Kenney were centrists who understood that big government can be a problem.

The Democratic Party today is in bed with cultural Marxism, whether overtly or by not calling it out, he said. If I believed the Joe Biden of today would be the Joe Biden of 30 years ago, we could have a conversation about that. But the idea that a man who is a husk of his former self and who will effectively be a frontman for what has become a dramatically radically left party  I think people should understand what that means for religious liberty and every kind of liberty.

Metaxas pointed out that from day one, Biden vowed to sign the Equality Act, a move the conservative author believes will effectively cripple religious liberty across America.

People don't seem to think that that kind of bad thing can happen in America because we've been so blessed with religious liberty and prosperity, he said. Its important to understand that religious liberty is not a small thing; when the government gets involved and starts telling us what we can and cannot do, that's no different than the Nazi Party infiltrating churches and saying, We're not going to allow you to preach the Gospel anymore. You have to Nazi-fy your doctrine, we dont want you talking about the Jewishness of Jesus.

When Americans begin kowtowing to the government on big issues like sexuality, marriage, and issues of life, theyre no longer free, Metaxas stressed.

If Biden is elected, he will immediately put in place those kinds of things, he said. Its going to harm churches in a way that we've never imagined in America. If the church is harmed, the whole country suffers because the church is supposed to be God's hands in the world. I really believe that that is so crucial.

The Democratic party has also made a common cause with openly Marxist organizations like Black Lives Matter and Antifa, Metaxas said  a fact that should scare people if they really understood what that means.

While the Democratic Party of the past said abortion should be safe, legal and rare, todays party is staunchly advocating for late-term abortion, Metaxas argued.

I remember when the Democrats had something to offer and we could have a dialogue, he said. But things have gotten so divided and the Democratic Party has rather cynically decided to lurch as far left as possible. You now have an entire party that no longer has pro-life candidates. I think it's tragic.

Metaxas also criticized professing Christians for participating in Black Lives Matter protests or supporting the organization. Those who truly care about the urban poor and really believe black lives matter must reject the organization called Black Lives Matter and Antifa because they are explicitly Marxist, he contended.

Americans need to understand just how dark a vision they present. They offer us utopia, but its like offering Heaven without the cross, he said. The problem is, theyre singing a song we havent yet heard in this country, so some of us are lured by it.

Many young Christians, in particular, buy into woke ideologies because they dont understand the basics of civics, of what it means to be an American, and why the United States is great, according to the popular talk show host.

This country is not great because the blood running in American veins is better than the blood running in somebody else's veins, he stressed. It's great because of the ideas that the founders gave us of self-government. If you don't teach young people, that even though our founders were flawed people, they did some great things; if you are unwilling to recognize the greatness of what they did, you're simply being foolish. You're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The Republican Party, he said, created a system that was able to abolish slavery, abolish Jim Crow, and could give us a black president and a hero like Martin Luther King who, based on Christian principles, called those founding documents promissory notes. He understood that these notes were great and we needed to fulfill them.

Unfortunately, according to Metaxas, many schools are taken over by people with an anti-American narrative or teachers unions that have a certain bias, which, he said, harms the whole nation.

To hold to the belief that the United States is immune from descending into chaos is "foolish," Metaxas said, pointing out that other great nations have taken turns in the wrong direction  Nazi-era Germany  with devastating effects.

People have to pray hard that we don't take that wrong turn because there's no reason that we shouldn't, he warned. It has to be the perfect storm; things going just right or just wrong. If circumstances are a certain way, nations can lurch horribly to tragedy. Its vital that those of us who understand these parallels and these object lessons from history communicate this as much as we can.

All we can do is pray and do what we can and leave it in God's hands. But I do know that we haven't taught this stuff for generations. So we shouldn't be surprised that young people in the United States are attracted to these things. Theyve not seen how wicked certain governments can be and how little freedom people can have. If they see that, they get a different perspective.

Metaxas is the author of popular books like Amazing Grace, Miracles, and Bonhoeffer, and most recently, a series of humorous childrens books that includes Donald Drains the Swamp, Donald and the Fake News and Donald Builds the Wall.

The Donald series is political humor in the form of a kids' book, Metaxas said. Most people need to laugh at some of what's happening, maybe because it is so serious. You need to know you're not crazy. I thought that by putting it in the form of these humor books, were able to celebrate a little bit of what is happening in a good way in the country because not everybody thinks the country is falling apart or falling under the sway of an authoritarian leader.

Though the books are funny, they give people permission to say, I'm not the only person seeing what is happening, Metaxas said. I think people who have been pro-Trump need something to celebrate with; often it's the left that creates the culture and the stories and that do the satire, and it's important that you get that from both sides.

Acknowledging that many Christians find Trump distasteful, Metaxas offered the reminder that a vote for Donald Trump is not necessarily a vote for Donald Trump; its a vote for policies.

Christians need to realize that while it isnt woke to vote for Trump, they need to do so, not because they like the guy but because his policies and the people he puts in place have a basic American constitutional view, which will, in the end, be fairer and present more opportunities to everybody, he said.

If I care about the poor, which policies are going to bless the poor? Forget about me and my rights; God commands me to care for the poor. The policies of the left are going to harm the poor and black lives. The rhetoric not only is meaningless but its a smokescreen. The reality is, those policies for over 50 years have been taking the black vote for granted and have been destroying those communities.

Churches must be bolder in understanding they have a role to speak about politics, he emphasized.

You have to make a moral choice and you can't divide politics and your faith. If your faith is lived out, it's going to have to deal with policy and laws and morality. I think it is the job of pastors to know how far they can go with their congregations. If you're worried about losing parishioners, you're worried about the wrong things. You should fear God and fear not speaking when He calls you to speak. Thats the role of what it is to lead spiritually.

Metaxas applauded the pastors that do address political issues and challenged those who do not to get on your knees and ask God to give you the courage to say what He would have you say in this hour before it's too late.

Sometimes we don't get a second chance, he said. And I think, unfortunately, this election is one of those times.
A 25-year-old man, Emmanuel Gyimah, who allegedly tried to steal bitumen locally called coal tar belonging to his employers nearly met his untimely death when he got trapped in a big barrel containing the product.

The suspect is currently on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.

Emmanuel Gyimah and his alleged accomplice, Bernard Koranteng, secretly entered the premises of ENH Emotion Company at Kansaworodo in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis last Sunday purportedly to steal the bitumen.

Luck, however, eluded Gyimah who fell into the barrel containing the bitumen when he attempted to draw some of the product from it.

The alleged accomplice, Koranteng, who was then keeping watch around, took to his heels when he realized that the security man at the company's premises was approaching after his friend had fallen into the barrel.

According to the Manageress of the company, Regina Ayiworoh, she received a call from the security on duty that Gyimah and his accomplice Koranteng secretly entered the company's premises to steal the bitumen.

She said she quickly called the Ghana National Fire Service and the police patrol team to assist in saving the suspect.

The suspect was later rescued and rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital for treatment and he is now in a stable condition.

---Daily Guide
The industry expects minority and women-owned owned enterprises to be subcontractors or team members rather than project leads, and this pigeonholes us. We can break ground, but we cant gain ground. Its a struggle to be accepted as the lead, says McKissack & McKissack CEO Deryl McKissack

McKissack has been fighting for diversity and inclusion in the AEC industry for almost four decades. She founded her namesake architecture, engineering and construction management business in 1990; today it is one of the nations oldest and largest Black- and female-owned AEC firm.

The industry expects minority and women-owned owned enterprises (MWBEs) to be subcontractors or team members rather than project leads, and this preconception pigeonholes us. We can break ground, but we cant gain ground. Its a struggle to be accepted as the lead, McKissack says. One obvious reason is that AEC is a homogenous industry; just look at the stats. Its hard for minorities to get in the room, meet potential clients and establish strong relationships that will lead to new business opportunities. People often hire who they know.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that Blacks are underrepresented in AEC professions. They number 6.4% of all construction workers and 6.1% of architecture and engineering professionals, but are 12.3% of the workforce. By contrast, 88% of all construction workers and 84% of all architecture and engineering professionals are white, yet only 78% of the total workforce is white.

Why Diversity and Inclusion Are Critical to AECs Future

The architecture, engineering and construction industry touches every building Americans use and all the infrastructure that makes modern life possible. It shapes entire communities, building structures worth $1.3 trillion every year, and draws talent from manufacturers, knowledge workers and trade professionals. But culturally, the AEC industry is homogenous. Embracing diversity gives organizations new perspectives that lead to creative solutions. Creating diverse and inclusive companies will raise the AEC industrys economic impact; research shows that diverse companies are more profitable.

The AEC industry must also become more inclusive to be relevant and profitable in the future. Given the tight costs and returns that apply to building projects today, and the changing nature of Americas populaceset to be a majority minority nation by 2045AEC teams must stay attuned to the requirements and perspectives of projects end users to ensure usability and high occupancy rates.

A 7-Step Plan to Confront Racism in the AEC Industry

Today, racism and lack of diversity in the AEC industry translates into missed opportunities and insular solutions; represents lost earnings; prevents the formation and growth of MWBEs; and deters economic development in underserved communities. To prompt change and help MWBEs reach parity, McKissack is proposing a 7-step planand asking all AEC industry businesses to adopt it.

1. Acknowledge there is racism in the AEC industry. Racism is a serious problem and industry members must commit to fix it with concrete actions. This includes helping minority firms develop and grow so they can be on the same economic playing field; making majority-owned company boards more diverse; promoting more minorities to executive and senior leadership positions; changing company cultures; and measure and report progress.

2. Be an active participant in helping minorities close the wealth gap by hiring, enabling and supporting AEC minority-owned businesses. Black Americans have 1/10th the wealth of white Americans; this is driven by a lack of inherited assets, historically limited or restricted access to capital and inadequate educational and training opportunities. Hiring minority AEC firms that can grow wealth by developing strong businesses that can be passed down to generations or sold. Hiring minority firms also helps these small businesses create capital, manage cash flow and create jobsand minority-owned firms hire and train minority employees.

3. Eliminate anti-racist policies and practices. Move the conversation from diversity to racial equity. Invite everyone to the table--and the country club. Examine not only hiring, retention, and promotion practices, but also procurement, charitable giving and community involvement. Develop fair, transparent and inclusive processes for company and team decision-making.

4. Require, demand and allow MWBEs to be direct suppliers. Change procurement policies: Currently, lead teams are often required to include minority teamsits time to give qualified Tier 1 businesses of proven excellence the opportunity to lead. Create a pipeline of sustainable opportunities for minority firms and commit to building them into high-growth businesses. This comprehensive approach ensures continued financial growth, employee satisfaction and employee retention.

5. Develop creative strategies and programs to hire, train, retain and promote diverse workers, from fostering internships and mentorship programs to recruiting at historically Black colleges and universities. Diversity is the solution to systemic labor shortages. Train leaders to be inclusive; diversity does not stick without inclusion. Support AEC Mentor programs and focus on projects that enable and inspire minority entry into STEM education. Work with labor unions to address the disparity in Black and Latinx apprentice participation, and inspire, train and retain minorities in trade opportunities.

6. Mandate and enforce strict goals to use minority suppliers. Redefine procurement priorities; procurement departments should be mandated to find and identify MWBE Tier 1 suppliers. They should also demand that majority firms partner with minority suppliers 100% of the timeonly the procurement process has the power to make this happen. Use minority suppliers that reflect the local populace and include local trades and businesses.

7. Invite community-based minority suppliers to the table in underserved neighborhoods. Reduce community disruption by providing and sharing the economic fruits of the job. Use small businesses in local communities when involved in any community project. These services can range from transportation providers, security companies, catering, landscapers and cleaning companies. Make sure to develop an ongoing list of such companies.

The inequities wrought by COVID-19, along with those brought to light by #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, make this the right time for CEOs to lean in and radically change the AEC industry from the inside out. Doing so will advance racial equity and justice in AEC, which is long overdue, McKissack adds.

Some companies have already begun to implement similar initiatives, but very few with the full force of the CEOs office and leadership team. McKissack is asking her peers to commit their firms to change using these seven steps.

ABOUT MCKISSACK & MCKISSACK: McKissack & McKissack is a national architecture, engineering, program- and construction-management firm with more than 30 years of experience working with clients to envision and deliver building and infrastructure projects that enrich peoples lives and empower communities to flourish. Based in Washington, D.C. and with offices in Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, the firm is ranked by Engineering News-Record as one of the top 50 Top Construction Management For-Fee firms and one of the 50 Top Program Management Firms in the nation and by the Washington Business Journal as one of the top 25 design firms in the metropolitan Washington area.
fernandogarciaesteban/iStockBY: MEREDITH DELISO, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK)  Families and educators pushing for a delay to the start of the New York City school year breathed a sigh of relief this week, as city officials announced in-person learning is postponed. But for some, the relief was temporary.

With a majority of the district's 1.1 million students planning to return to buildings during the coronavirus pandemic, city officials have acknowledged the task is no easy one, and questions on details remain, leaders say.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the start of in-person learning in New York City public schools had been delayed to Sept. 21 to give schools more time to get staff trained in health and safety protocols and prepare for both remote and blended learning. The district's blended-learning plan was initially set to begin on Sept. 10.

The move followed weeks of campaigns from unions, administrators, community leaders, medical professionals and teachers urging the city to postpone in-person learning amid concerns about reopening safely. The United Federation of Teachers, the city's largest teachers union, was set to vote on a strike authorization hours before de Blasio's announcement.

"Teachers, who usually get two days of professional development at the beginning of the school year, will now get nine," schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said Tuesday. "We've heard from everyone in our schools that have said we need some more time."

While acknowledging a victory, some officials outlined the work that lies ahead. New York City Councilman Brad Lander said on social media he was "relieved" about the delay. "Now we need to double-down and use the time to insist on real progress on what needs to happen to make schools safe for learning," he said, including details such as testing protocols, ventilation inspections and staffing shortages.

"The City still needs to use the delay to inspect every building, get nurses & PPE & testing in every school, roll out childcare plans, and support schools to implement outdoor learning," he added.

For Cathy Grodsky, president of the District 26 Presidents' Council, an organization of the Queens district's PTA presidents, there's one "basic question" of which many parents still wonder: "Who will be teaching our children?

"We need the details, we can't wait any longer," Grodsky, who has four school-age children, told ABC News. "Who will be teaching our children remote, and who will be teaching our children in person if they go?"

"When we're up against this pandemic, and bringing people back into these buildings, the devil is in the details," she added.

MORE-UFT, a caucus within the UFT, welcomed the delay, but said in a statement that the agreement "does nothing to address myriad other concerns raised by advocates, teachers and parents." Those concerns include the "increased risk for schools in neighborhoods with high infection rates, the safety of students eating meals indoors, safety concerns around mass transit and an underfunded MTA, or the massive budget cuts that Gov. Cuomo is pushing through at the state level, possible layoffs still looming, and what those cuts will mean for class sizes and safety."

Tuesday's announcement gave some clarity on safety and testing protocols as schools plan to reopen for hybrid learning. Buildings or rooms that do not meet safety standards based on the UFT's 50-item safety checklist -- including social distancing of student desks, the availability of masks and face shields, and a room-by-room review of ventilation effectiveness -- will remain closed, the union said.

As of Monday, the UFT had inspected more than 1,000 of the roughly 1,400 buildings in the district, with plans to finish the rest this week, a UFT spokesperson told ABC News.

Schools will be provided daily with a 30-day supply of PPE, including masks and disinfectant, Carranza said Tuesday.

Starting Oct. 1, schools will test monthly a random sample of 10-20% of its on-site students and staff for COVID-19. Testing will be free, with results within 48 hours, the city said. Those who test positive will be quarantined for 14 days, and city contact tracing teams will work to find potential contacts. A class will go remote if it has a case, while more than one case in a school will move the entire school to remote instruction until contact tracing is completed, the city said.

Schools will also switch to remote instruction if the city's seven-day rolling average of positive tests is 3% or higher. It has been hoving at around 1% since late July.

The UFT had initially demanded universal testing of all students and teachers. On Tuesday, de Blasio said that the monthly mandatory testing program was "a way to do this in a way that makes sense and is attainable for a school system this large." With 1.1 million students, New York City is the largest school district in the country, and the only big-city school system planning to reopen for in-person teaching this month.

Grodsky had hoped to see earlier and more frequent testing as schools reopen, pointing to COVID-19 outbreaks on college campuses.

"It should be a clear warning sign for all of us," she said. "It seems like it's a recipe for failure."

MORE-UFT called attention to over 300 nurse vacancies in its statement. On Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan said that the city was on track to have "the available nurses in every one of our buildings."

As for information on free child care that will be made available to 100,000 students, including the application process, details will come "very shortly," de Blasio said Wednesday.

Parents who had planned to start sending their children to school in-person next week will now also need to scramble. "This 11th-hour decision-making is unfair to everyone," Grodsky said.

De Blasio acknowledged Tuesday that families will need to make accommodations, but said it is a "modest change to resolve outstanding issues."

For some, the delay isn't enough time to address safety concerns. New York state assembly member Alicia Hyndman, a self-described public school parent, said on social media that she was "pleased to hear" about the postponement, "but let's be honest that is not enough time." She recommended delaying until Oct. 10 "to get this done the right way."

Mark Cannizzaro, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, said in a statement that the Department of Education must now "seize this time" to "implement necessary safety protocols, program classes, and align all school staff towards critical goals for this unimaginable school year."

"The task before us is still monumental," he said.

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Namma Metro operations will resume in a graded manner from September 7, when trains will run only on the Purple line between Byappanahalli and Mysore Road for three hours each in the morning and evening peak hours.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Wednesday said a standard operating procedure (SoP) will be issued on Thursday, providing details of the rules to be followed by commuters. The metro services are resuming in a graded manner to help officials, as well as commuters, adjust to the new rules.

Accordingly, the trains will run on the Purple Line from 8 am to 11 am and 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm to cater to the needs of the commuters during the peak hour.

The services on the Green Line between Nagasandra and Yelachenahalli will begin on September 9. The time table will remain the same, with three hours each in the morning and evening peak hours.

Near-normal operations will begin from September 11, when services will commence at 7 am and close at 9 pm. The frequency of the train will be at an interval of five minutes during peak hours and 10 min in the non-peak hours.

Passengers will have 60 seconds of 'dwell time' at all stations, except Kempegowda station in Majestic where they can't linger more than 75 seconds. Only one or two entry gates will be operated in a station.

There will no tokens issued and only travellers carrying smart cards with online recharging will be allowed.

'Aarogya Setu not must'

In a message, BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said the installation of Aarogya Setu will be encouraged, but the app will not be mandatory. Face mask, on the other hand, is must at all times.

Officials will run operations at about 20% of the full capacity to maintain social distancing, which will limit the number of passengers per train to 400 commuters. Not more than 50 commuters will be allowed at the station platform at any time.

Elderly persons and very young children have been advised to avoid travel.
At the first SCBE, the exhibitors have successfully explored business opportunities through trade talk with about 20,000 professional visitors from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign brands, wholesale agents, retailers, beauty salons and nail salons, cross-border e-commerce platforms, social e-commerce platforms and manufacturers. Based in Shenzhen, the development engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, SCBE has attracted the attention of various media and over 100 media have reported on this grand event.

Affected by the dual impact of the shuffling in traditional retail industry caused by new upgrade of cosmetics consumption and the pandemic, supply chain has become the hotspot issue for the beauty industry. On the one hand, the supply chain sector is in demand. On the other hand, in the global supply chain system, there are tests of risk resistance capacity and market competition. Therefore, the supply chain sector must always be ready for keeping pace with the times to help opening up the full industry chain system. Co-organized by Informa Markets, BolognaFiere and Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Co., Ltd., SCBE, as a major business platform gathering industry-wide exhibitors and promoting industry recovery, has played an important role in reshaping confidence, bridging new network and outputting high-tech products. It is exactly the strong endorsement of SCBE that has attracted the participation of many outstanding exhibitors at home and abroad from a wide range of fields including not only professional beauty, personal care and toiletries but also cross-border e-commerce, beauty supply chain and new retail technology.

The industry-recognized superb business matching

Based in Shenzhen, the forefront of technological innovation, the first SCBE has met the expectations, thanks to its profound insights of the pandemic-stricken beauty market and superior resources of global supply chain. During the three-day exhibition, SCBE has arranged nearly 100 high-quality business matching meetings between the selected exhibitors and the professional buyers with clear procurement needs from Amway, Watsons, Infinitus (China) Company Ltd, DR PLANT (Guangdong) Biotechnology Co.,Ltd, Nanjing Channel Dressy, CHARM ZENUS, Guangzhou Blue and White Porcelain Health Management Co., Ltd, and Shenzhen Creditbundle International Co. Ltd. (a subsidiary of ZTE Group). The buyers have highly recognized the trade talk and business matching.

Mr Liu Jianyi, Brand Director of Guangzhou Blue and White Porcelain Health Management Co., Ltd said, "Thanks to the organizer for the business matching at which I have found the suitable suppliers. We have just completed an order earlier, but the craftsmanship of that supplier does not fully meet our requirement. At the onsite one-on-one business matching set by the organizer, I have found a very suitable supplier. Moreover, the organizer's arrangement is very considerate. I am very satisfied!"

"In the business matching arranged by the organizer, we have found more suitable suppliers. We will definitely visit again next year and bring more friends from the industry to visit with us", said Mr Luo Guanbin, Deputy General Manager of Shenzhen Creditbundle International Co.Ltd.

For the exhibitors, SCBE is undoubtedly a good opportunity where they can meet potential business partners and achieve good cooperation results. It is worth mentioning that the mini program platform introduced by SCBE has received tremendous popularity from the exhibitors as it has, to a large extent, helped the buyers to have convenient and comprehensive understanding of the exhibitors and products before the show resulting in efficient on-site business exchanges and cooperation.

Ms Vivi, Sales Manager of Guangzhou Eastbox Co., Ltd also recognized and praised the on-site business matching. She said, "I thank the organizer very much for arranging the on-site business matching which has brought many potential clients for cooperation. It is effective. Thank you for this opportunity."

Special zones help beauty companies to open new channels for corner-overtaking

With objective insights of the market demand and industry pain points, SCBE carefully lays out a diversified exhibition with different special zones that striving to accurately output high-quality resources and trendy technological information.

Deeply affected by the current pandemic, the offline beauty channel desperately needs mature retail technology to overtake on the corner. SCBE has joint hands with Shanghai Exland International Exhibition Co., Ltd. And created a new Future Shop on the spot for the Greater Bay Area with future retail store as the carrier to show the increasingly mature Chinese retail technology, such as smart store management system and immersive experience.

In addition, the LITTLE B from The Beast has partnered with SCBE and CENTDEGRES to create the "LITTLE B BOX" demonstrating how offline retailers can attract more customers by enhancing shopping experience through innovative business models.

Apart from the traditional trading mode, buyers have experienced SCBE's "KOL Live-streaming" which included many fashionistas for onsite live broadcast to realize generating sales on cloud and visiting the exhibition offline. In recent years, live-streaming has shuffled the entire KOL industry. The official rise of live-streaming sales has changed the sales channels and models disruptively.

SCBE has especially set up the E-beauty zone to help the brands directly reaching the emerging markets. The zone has gathered well-known cross-border e-commerce platforms of external trade such as Shopee, AliExpress, Newegg, Amazon and Wish whose representatives also shared their new business models of the emerging foreign markets at the Cross-border E-commerce Summit for Exports.

Serving as the yoke-breaker for the beauty industry, the special zones have not only brought cutting-edge trends, new models and new thinking but also many possibilities in the post-pandemic era as well as opened up a broader development path for the beauty professionals.

Dependable trendy content made visit worth buyers' while

SCBE has elaborately organized special onsite events during the exhibition including themed seminars and live activities, aiming to create valuable ideas through further discussion on the hot topics.

The trend forecasting agency WGSN helped us to grasp the consumers' needs in the first place and then the innovation opportunity by exploring the coming post-pandemic beauty tendency through the discussion on the transformation of global consumption trends, future beauty strategies, innovative retails and brand strategies. Global Data has brought new observation on the changes in consumer behaviours in the sub-sectors of beauty industry in the post-pandemic era.

The 10th AHMA Hair & Styling Awards and Hair Culture Exchange Hair Show, co-organised with Asia Hair Masters Association (AHMA) invited the WAHL ambassador team and the representative hairdressing masters in Guangdong to join the potential young hairdressers to conduct a hair show with both artistic and visual effects. MGP Image Design Art School created an innovative performance of shiny makeup where well-known makeup artists, makeup masters and experts with millions of fans will deliver the new makeup trend. Guests from Beijing China Cultural Tourism and Creativity Co., Ltd., PPW, and Kakao Friends has shared new cross-border idea of the integration of IP licensing and beauty industry.

The various events in the three days were rich and full of dependable contents. SCBE has also introduced mini-program live-streaming and joined hands with influential media, i.e., Daily Chemicals, C2CC, Hair8.net and YMX to conduct online live-broadcast for more industry players to participate in the sharing. All these activities have accumulated more than 200,000 views.

The exhibitors and buyers fully approved the first SCBE. Mr Feng Yixing, General Manager of Yangjiang Paston Beauty & Manicure Products Co.,Ltd has gained a lot at the exhibition. He said, "Under the pandemic of this year, I am very grateful to the organizer for holding SCBE in Shenzhen which is of great significance. At the exhibition, we have met many sincere customers who have great intention of cooperation. This has brought new momentum to the development of our company."

Ms Fan Qingqing, General Manager of Guangzhou Mas Beauty Bio Tech Co., Ltd felt lucky for participating in this high-grade exhibition where she has not only found suitable new suppliers, but also received a lot of trend information from several forums. She said, "Overall speaking, the exhibition is very satisfactory. I have found some new suppliers. I also have listened carefully in one of the on-site forums and gained some market information and knowledge."

The wonderful SCBE never ends and the flourishing age of beauty industry is worth the wait

As the first professional beauty exhibition in the Greater Bay Area, SCBE has undoubtedly boosted the beauty industry in the area and even in the whole country. Targeting at the new generation of consumer groups, new retail channels and the entire beauty supply chain, the inaugural SCBE has built a one-stop beauty supply chain platform for the industry, narrowed the distance between exhibitors and buyers and helped them to achieve supreme business matching. The successful holding of SCBE will further activate the vitality of the beauty market and find more breakthroughs for brands, distributors and retailers.

The next SCBE will be held during July 29-31, 2021 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre. SCBE will look forward to seeing visitors again at this industry gathering.

For more information and activities, please visit the SCBE website: www.southchinabeautyexpo.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Download the high-resolution images at the following link: https://we.tl/t-M9WQkRsESN

About the organiser:

The South China Beauty Expo is organised by Informa Markets, BolognaFiere and Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Co Ltd.

About INFORMA MARKETS (www.informamarkets.com)

Informa Markets Beauty has an extensive network powered by B2B events across 11 cities in Asia (Bangkok, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tokyo), the world's fastest growing markets. By further expanding its strength, the Beauty Portfolio now includes a new B2B event in Miami 2021 serving the East Coast and USA, South America and Caribbean Islands regions. Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. We provide marketplace participants around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. We connect buyers and sellers across more than a dozen global verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure. As the world's leading market-making company, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

About BOLOGNAFIERE GROUP (www.bolognafiere.it)

BolognaFiere Group is the world's leading trade show organiser in cosmetics, fashion, architecture, building, art and culture. The Group has a portfolio of 75 events in Italy and 25 events abroad, notably Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, the most important meeting point in the world for beauty professionals, established in 1967 and held in Bologna, Italy. For the 2019 edition, Cosmoprof registered more than 265,000 attendees from more than 150 countries in the world, with an increase by 10% of foreign professionals, and 3,033 exhibitors from 70 countries. The Cosmoprof platform extends throughout the entire world, with its events in Bologna, Las Vegas, Mumbai, and Hong Kong, China (with Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, Cosmoprof North America, Cosmoprof India, and Cosmoprof Asia). Recently the fifth exhibition of the network has been announced: Cosmoprof CBE ASEAN, in Thailand, will focus on the cosmetic industry in South-East Asia. In 2020, South China Beauty Expo, a new show in Shenzhen, China, took place in July. The Cosmoprof platform will reinforce its influence in Europe, thanks to the acquisition of the German group Health and Beauty, in South America, thanks to the collaboration with Beauty Fair -Feira Internacional De Beleza Profissional.

About SHANGHAI BAIWEN EXHIBITION CO LTD (www.cbebaiwen.com)

Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Company is a branch of Informa (FTSE 100), the world's largest exhibition magnate, and also the organiser of China Beauty Expo (CBE), China's renowned beauty show. With over ten years of experiences in planning and organising quality exhibitions, Baiwen has won the honors of quality, professionalism and authority. China Beauty Expo, with an annual exhibition space of 260,000sqm, is one of the top three beauty shows in the world. As the international trading platform covering full supply chain of beauty products, CBE includes three shows, namely China International Skin Care and Washing Product Show, Shanghai International Skin and Hair Care Product Show and Shanghai International Daily-use Chemicals' Ingredient, Packing and Machinery Show. Baiwen is currently the Chairman Unit of Shanghai Exhibition Industry Association and Vice Chairman Unit of Shanghai Daily-use Chemical Association. CBE has been awarded the honors of Shanghai's Well-known Brand, Shanghai Brand Exhibition, Shanghai Brand Service etc.

SOURCE South China Beauty Expo (SCBE)

Related Links

http://www.southchinabeautyexpo.com/


BEIJING, Sept. 2 -- The Chinese military has expressed opposition to the Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2020, an annual report released by the U.S. Department of Defense.

In response to press question on Wednesday, the Information Office of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the U.S. report is full of the zero-sum Cold War mentality.

The report exaggerates the so-called Chinese military threat, distorts China's defense policy and military strategy, smears Chinas military modernization development, defense expenditure and nuclear policy, and provokes cross-strait confrontation and intensifies tensions across the Taiwan Strait, which are extremely wrong, said the Office.

The Chinese side is resolutely opposed to the report and will make further response depending on the situation, the Office announced.




If Tibet had remained a free and independent country today it would have been the tenth largest country with 25 lakh square km of land, it's geographical unit being the largest and the highest plateau in the world standing at an average elevation of 4,000 metres above sea level which is often called the roof of the world.

The Tibetan Plateau hosts 37,000 glaciers, one fourth of the world. It is a major source of fresh flowing rivers and dotted by thousands of lakes which are origins of some of the biggest and longest rivers in Asia. Rivers like Indus, Satluj, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Yellow River flow in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China, catering to a population larger than that of entire China. It is shocking that such a reservoir of water and natural resources in Asia has been occupied by China and there has not been a word of protest on this.

Ancient Indian Buddhist culture is preserved in Tibet because of the shared history and culture between India and Tibet. In the Indian public psyche Kailash Mansarovar was part of India. Tibetans used to visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India at Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Amravati. Border was irrelevant between India and Tibet. People used to freely crossover. Today there are two armies and there is no point of crossover. Indians have to go to Tibet through Nepal. After the Galwan valley clash the armies of the two countries are standing eyeball to eyeball armed to the teeth.

After the Dalai Lama took refuge in India almost one lakh Tibetans have come to India, most of them living in Karnataka and in Indian Himalayan regions. Dharamshala, the seat of the Dalai Lama, is considered the capital of the Tibetans where the Government in exile is based. Although many Tibetans still dream of a free Tibet, India's desire to become close to China in the past has made the possibility of independence for Tibet remote. Being a refugee in India, the Dalai Lama has been speaking for autonomy adhering to India's One-China policy.

In seventy years of Chinese invasion more than ten lakh Tibetans have been killed; 6,000 monasteries destroyed; clear felling of Tibetan forest and carting away timbers to China has led to mad floods in lower lands in South Asia; mountains are bombed and strip mined for Gold, Copper, lithium and rare earth; Tibetan nomads and farmers have been robbed of their traditional pastureland and now encased in matchbox houses in artificial villages like the American style reservations.

In a nutshell, the genocide Tibet witnessed was ignored by the international community only for the greed for Chinese trade. Faced by the resilience of Tibetan resistance today China is targeting Tibetan language, culture and the Buddhist faith which they consider as the obstacles in their attempts to homogenize the Tibetans and integrate the "minority" into the Chinese hegemony.

Globalization has brought over 160 countries to trade with China as the otherwise western "liberal democrats" blindly accepted the One-China policy and recognized Tibet as a part of China. These trading partners have directly benefited at the cost of Tibetan suffering.

Burdened under such global pressure Tibetans have been suppressed to such a point that even a simple act of possessing the Dalai Lama's photo in Tibet could land you in jail on charge of separatism. Although Tibetan youth do not retaliate like others in Palestine or Kashmir, many youngsters in Tibet resorted to self-immolation and till now the reported numbers have reached 155 in Tibet alone.

There has as been a cancerous wound around Indias Himalayan neck ever since India's humiliating defeat during the Chinese invasion of India in 1962. The recent Galwan Valley massacre has only added salt to the wound. It has come to this because, when China invaded the neighbouring country Tibet in 1950, India was in high romance with the newly-established communist regime under Mao Zedong after a bloody revolution.Ignoring India's civilizational relationship with Tibet, India hoped to gain from the emerging power of the People's Republic of China and thus celebrated Hindi-Chini bhai bhai. The Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army, replaced the Tibetans across the 4,085 kilometres of Himalayan border which is proverbially said to have been guarded by only 60 Indian policemen. India never had a common border with China before that.If Tibet had remained a free and independent country today it would have been the tenth largest country with 25 lakh square km of land, it's geographical unit being the largest and the highest plateau in the world standing at an average elevation of 4,000 metres above sea level which is often called the roof of the world.The Tibetan Plateau hosts 37,000 glaciers, one fourth of the world. It is a major source of fresh flowing rivers and dotted by thousands of lakes which are origins of some of the biggest and longest rivers in Asia. Rivers like Indus, Satluj, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Yellow River flow in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China, catering to a population larger than that of entire China. It is shocking that such a reservoir of water and natural resources in Asia has been occupied by China and there has not been a word of protest on this.Ancient Indian Buddhist culture is preserved in Tibet because of the shared history and culture between India and Tibet. In the Indian public psyche Kailash Mansarovar was part of India. Tibetans used to visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India at Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Amravati. Border was irrelevant between India and Tibet. People used to freely crossover. Today there are two armies and there is no point of crossover. Indians have to go to Tibet through Nepal. After the Galwan valley clash the armies of the two countries are standing eyeball to eyeball armed to the teeth.After the Dalai Lama took refuge in India almost one lakh Tibetans have come to India, most of them living in Karnataka and in Indian Himalayan regions. Dharamshala, the seat of the Dalai Lama, is considered the capital of the Tibetans where the Government in exile is based. Although many Tibetans still dream of a free Tibet, India's desire to become close to China in the past has made the possibility of independence for Tibet remote. Being a refugee in India, the Dalai Lama has been speaking for autonomy adhering to India's One-China policy.In seventy years of Chinese invasion more than ten lakh Tibetans have been killed; 6,000 monasteries destroyed; clear felling of Tibetan forest and carting away timbers to China has led to mad floods in lower lands in South Asia; mountains are bombed and strip mined for Gold, Copper, lithium and rare earth; Tibetan nomads and farmers have been robbed of their traditional pastureland and now encased in matchbox houses in artificial villages like the American style reservations.In a nutshell, the genocide Tibet witnessed was ignored by the international community only for the greed for Chinese trade. Faced by the resilience of Tibetan resistance today China is targeting Tibetan language, culture and the Buddhist faith which they consider as the obstacles in their attempts to homogenize the Tibetans and integrate the "minority" into the Chinese hegemony.Globalization has brought over 160 countries to trade with China as the otherwise western "liberal democrats" blindly accepted the One-China policy and recognized Tibet as a part of China. These trading partners have directly benefited at the cost of Tibetan suffering.Burdened under such global pressure Tibetans have been suppressed to such a point that even a simple act of possessing the Dalai Lama's photo in Tibet could land you in jail on charge of separatism. Although Tibetan youth do not retaliate like others in Palestine or Kashmir, many youngsters in Tibet resorted to self-immolation and till now the reported numbers have reached 155 in Tibet alone.

During the visit of Chinese President or Premier Indian police customarily arrest Tibetan activists and jail them to appease China

Tibetans believe that if their spirit is free, China can never conquer them. Whereas Confucianism and Buddhism had a strong hold on Chinese society once, today the only religion the consumerist China worships is money. However, Tibet still maintains a Buddhist culture and that is why the Tibetans believe they will overcome the Chinese rule one day.

During the visit of Chinese President or Premier Indian police customarily arrest all Tibetan activists and jail them only to appease China. Yet, younger generation Tibetans take their inspiration from India's 200 years of freedom struggle. Even up to 1942 most Indians didn't believe their country was going to be free in five years.

The Quit India Movement called upon by Mahatma Gandhi had difficulty garnering mass support. But the situation in London was such that the Empire was collapsing under its own weight. Similarly, Tibetans believe that a day will come when Chinese would leave Tibet to save their own homeland.

China has occupied not only Tibet. The Uyghur East Turkestan, a Muslim country with 18 lakh sq km was occupied by China in 1949. In the same year Southern Mongolia with 12 lakh sq km and Manchuria with 84,000 sq. km were annexed to the People's Republic of China. Today 60% of China's 96 lakh sq km of land is occupied territory. But China's expansionist designs don't stop there. China's Belt and Road project is planned to rule the world industry.

Chinese Communist Party, the biggest political party in the world that runs China as a blatant capitalist country in the name of communism, also owns the PLA, runs the judiciary, the media and also appoints the country's President as Mao's legacy. Therefore even after killing over 4.7 crore Chinese, Mao's portrait still adorns Tiananmen Square. Most people in China do not know anything about the Tiananmen Square massacre, China's open secret.

After the Galwan Valley massacre and the recent case of China again dragging India to the UN on Kashmir is a proof that China has no respect for Indias territorial integrity. As China faces international isolation due to Covid-19 pandemic and the trade war with the US, India must stand up to China's bullying and junk its One China Policy by supporting Tibetan independence. India's support of the Dalai Lama's nonviolent movement for freedom will have global resonance.

Towards this, the first step every Indian must take is to start addressing the "China border" as Tibet border. After all, India has formed Indo-Tibetan Border Police to safeguard its Himalayan borders with Tibet. India must recognize the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and His Holiness the Dalai Lama as leader of all Tibet. Being the most important symbol of peace and leader of nonviolent movement, India must recognize this 85 years old with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

---

*Tenzin Tsundue is a Tibetan poet and activist, who lives in Dharamshala; Sandeep Pandey is Magsaysay award winning social activist and is vice-President, Socialist Party (India)


Ah, the fresh new term smell of September. In many ways, the first week of this month is more of a new start than January 1.

I have ingrained memories of new blazers, uncomfortable shiny Clarks shoes and a brand new school bag neatly packed.

As a studious schoolgirl, I'd go back into the classroom every autumn brimming with enthusiasm.

And, boy, are we ready for some back-to-school positivity this year.

While my three sons have never shared my swotty tendencies and would normally need some cajoling to get them back into their blazers, this year is different.

Although summer was an adventure of sorts for them  sleeping in, taking their chances with groups of teens in the park, going out on their bikes, risking public transport and ordering takeaways wherever they happened to be  my youngest, 14, admits even he is bored by it.

Susanna says she and her family are ready for some back-to-school positivity But she says she is confused by the 'mangled mess' of the details of the return. Pictured: These children in Doncaster were among those who had to wear face masks on their first day back at school

And while the alarm call will come as a shock, a return to the school day will do us all good.

But when it comes to the details, I put my hand up from the back of the class and admit I am utterly confused. What a mangled mess.

Piers and I, now back after our summer break, worked throughout the pandemic.

As in all workplaces, there are Covid-19 restrictions in place at the GMB studio but you have to get on with it.

I don't get why that isn't the case with schools. Why does it all seem so neurotic and chaotic?

Even the ever-organised Kirstie Allsopp came a cropper. Yesterday she tweeted she accidentally sent her son back to school a day early.

I, too, was hard pushed to pin down when, where and through which entrance my boys should re-enter their London state secondary.

The school sent out a 20-minute video explaining the details, but it has taken me three attempts to watch it, and I've relied on a parents' group chat to get to grips with the rules.

There will be an early and a late shift, separated by an hour and, of course, my two are in different ones.

Off-air gossip I am heartbroken at the news of brilliant Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman's death from cancer at 43. I was at the GQ Awards 2018, where he won International Man of the Year. Asked about his success, he said he had no choice but 'to live in the moment'. We should all learn from him. Advertisement

Despite being one boy down  my eldest is preparing for university  the school run just got more complicated.

There will be different entry points for students. Not knowing the names of the doorways, I am leaving it up to my boys to work it all out.

But I can imagine teachers tearing their hair out herding the children like cats as they funnel separate year groups to their safe zones.

How working parents of younger, less independent children will cope is beyond me.

When my youngest son asked if he needed a face mask, I confidently replied 'yes', but only in corridors.

Then a friend told me the answer was 'no', only schoolchildren in lockdown areas in England need to wear them.

A glance at the Government website says that masks are recommended in communal areas where social distancing can't be enforced.

I'm still scratching my head. Does that mean he should wear one in the corridor or not? I'll have to re-watch the video.

Another friend told me masks worn on the bus must be removed on arrival, put in a plastic bag to take home and then a fresh mask worn in school.

It all seems so convoluted, especially when you consider so many of the children will have been hanging out together anyway.

I don't blame teachers for the mayhem.

After dealing with the woeful mismanagement of exam results, headteachers are trying to make schools as safe as possible in the face of an avalanche of guidelines.

Susanna and Piers Morgan worked on Good Morning Britain throughout pandemic. There are restrictions in place at the GMB studio but you have to get on with it and Susanna doesn't understand why the same isn't the case for schools

It was classic Gavin Williamson to issue new Department for Education advice  a 25,000-word document  on Friday night, the eve of a bank holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, I worry about the experience my eldest faces as he starts university. The University and College Union says it is too dangerous for face-to-face teaching to resume.

But after holidays abroad, being on planes, enjoying a pint in Wetherspoon's, it's frankly ridiculous to put a stop to our 18-year-olds being properly educated in a tutorial.

The truth is our children need their education back and we will get used to the new rules. But no more last-minute guidelines please, Gavin.

It's time to let headteachers get on with their job.

The very real scourge of face mask fatigue

I am a great advocate of face masks but we've all got so lazy with them.

I've seen people wear them on their chins, or only over their mouths, or not at all.

On a hospital visit the other day, an elderly lady removed hers to sneeze as I walked by. I understand why.

The thought of sneezing into one is repulsive, but isn't catching germs the point?

Meanwhile, I had a massage and had to wear a mask while lying face down. I felt like I was about to pass out and had to go home.

We all need to sort out our mask etiquette.

Forget the curse, I hope my friend Ranvir clinches a Strictly romance

The BBC couldn't afford the ludicrous fee Piers would no doubt demand, but I'm excited my beautiful and graceful colleague Ranvir Singh, pictured, is the one stepping into the Strictly limelight this year.

She is about to have the time of her life, with three months on Planet Sequins, so it made me giggle when she said what she was looking forward to was 'having regular Covid testing'.

Her Strictly journey is going to be more exciting than that! It turns out her main fear is the fitness factor as, like me, she's put on a stone in lockdown.

Susanna hopes Ranvir Singh, who is stepping into the Strictly limelight this year, will find romance on the dancefloor

But thanks to the dance practice in the training room, she can rest assured she'll be in the shape of her life by Christmas.

Ranvir is single, so I'm hopeful she might end up in a romantic hold on the dancefloor.

But when I asked her about the Strictly Curse to try to wheedle out who she will be partnered with, she replied coyly: 'Doesn't that only apply when one of the couple is already attached?'

Fancy footwork indeed.

Off-duty Rishi rocks

As if he weren't in favour enough, Rishi Sunak has gone up in the popularity stakes by nailing casual dressing.

A rare achievement for a male politician, but with his smart-casual jacket, navy jeans and stylish footwear, Rishi looks even more like the saviour we need in these troubled times.

Compared with Boris' dishevelled downtime look, Rishi is a fashion icon.

But with tax hikes on the horizon, his stylish look might be a necessary distraction.
Parents going through a divorce, students losing a loved one, or maybe even something as simple as an argument with a friend  these are the traumas that students face on a daily basis, many needing to turn to a mentor or counselor to get them through the tough times.

But how does that work when the coronavirus pandemic has taken away students ability to simply drop by their favorite teachers classroom for a quick chat or their school counselors office whose door is always open to talk?

What is the solution when even professional outlet such as the staff of the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health seeing a 50 percent increase in patient intake phone calls since March?

This is what Grand Strand school counselors face as school reopens  both in higher education and K-12.

Counselors have been tasked with increasing ways students can access services to help with depression, anxiety and stress from a distance  as many campuses have started their school years with a virtual campus, awaiting a potential return to the physical classroom that reintroduces the social interaction many students crave.

Students are now faced with having to be more intentional and proactive about setting up a virtual meeting with a school psychologist.

Coastal Leadership Academy, a Socastee-area public charter high school under Erskine College, has hired a non-profit mental health organization for students, teachers and parents, said Jean Hungerpiller, CLAs guidance counselor.

All of this isolation is very concerning, she said, adding the age group of students she works with is susceptible to depression. Teachers are stressed out, too, and so are the parents. I feel like we are being real proactive by providing those services.

Students, whether learning from a distance or in person, will be placed in a crew group with leaders who will monitor students throughout the year, making sure they are logging into class and doing stress relief exercises, Hungerpiller said.

We have a lot of different people who are staying in contact with the students, she said.

The school plans to dedicate the first two weeks of school to make sure students are comfortable and proficient in accessing their classes. Students were given the choice to do virtual, hybrid or totally in person this school year.

More than 16,700 students across public schools in Horry and Georgetown counties have enrolled in totally virtual learning, which requires a semester-long commitment.

Horry County Schools has 13,377 of its 45,000 students enrolled in the districts virtual program. The school district is also offering a hybrid model that will be determined based on the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control COVID-19 disease activity report that categorizes counties by low, medium or high spread.

Georgetown County School District had 3,349 students as of Aug. 24 enrolled in the districts all-virtual program, said GCSD spokesperson Ray White. GCSD has nearly 8,900 students enrolled for the upcoming academic year, with the highest number of students enrolled virtually at Georgetown High School, according to GCSD data.

GCSD plans to start the academic year virtually on Sept. 8.

Guidance counselors, school psychologists and other mental health staff will be available to support students and staff during the pandemic. GCSD psychologists and counselors began offering telecounseling after schools closed months early at the end of last academic year due to COVID-19.

Students in the brick-and-mortar instruction program will receive telecounseling while the district is in the remote phase, said Emma Wheeler, GCSD psychologist for Waccamaw Middle and High schools.

Wheeler said she was initially nervous when starting telecounseling last school year because it was something new to get used to, but the switch was smoother than she expected.

I quickly realized my students were born into a culture where virtual communication was the norm, so it was not much of an adjustment for them to receive counseling through videochat, she said.

Wheeler quickly discovered advantages of telecounseling, which she said were students being able to show their home and favorite belongings, as well as introduce her to their siblings and pets.

I was also easily able to video chat with parents before or after my students session to get their perspective on how the student was doing, answer questions and address any concerns, she said.

It is essential, Wheeler said, that schools staff let students know they are important to the staff members and that the staff is invested in their well-being, learning and futures.

If a child can do well, they will, Wheeler said. If a child isnt successful in virtual learning, its important families and schools work together to find out why and provide the appropriate support for the student to succeed.

We hope to be able to provide face-to-face counseling to these students, if and when it is determined safe to do so, Wheeler said. Students in the virtual program with counseling services, can continue to receive telecounseling for the remainder of the school year.

Last year, teachers reported some students did not remain in contact with school officials for learning and counseling. However this year, the district said this year will be different.

Within the first few months of closing schools, teachers were directed to reach out to their students and contact by emails, phone calls, texts, digital platforms, and lastly, home visits, according to Executive Director of Special Service Michael Caviris.

He said that if school staff couldnt reach students, they were directed to share those names with school guidance, RBHS counselors, psychologists and school administrators so that they may best communicate with them.

This group was able to at times contact family members or close friends, Caviris said.

When it comes to younger children, they may be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus because most younger children need hands-on teaching and others have no choice but to attend school because of their parents' work schedule, said Melissa Fulton, a parent and counselor at Divine Destiny Counseling & Consulting in Andrews.

Each student is different, each individual is different, Fulton said. However, there are various factors that need to be considered...It just depends on the individual and the child.

Fulton added students with ADHD and behavioral issues may struggle a bit.

To better help those she serves, Fulton has started to offer Telehealth and other virtual services for both parents and students.

I know the stress that can be on not only the students, but the parents as well, Fulton said.

High alert for higher education

Sarah Lozier-Laiola, Coastal Carolina University professor of digital culture, has undergone training to be a mentor to faculty members to help ease their stress and anxiety with teaching online courses. Lozier-Laiola, as well as other professors on campus, has added a section to her syllabus to remind students to take care of their mental health, as well as their physical health.

Maintaining your mental and physical health should always be your number one priority while at school, Lozier-Laiolas syllabus reads. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is even more important to draw attention to. I will do everything I can in this class to help you prioritize both your physical AND mental health

There are many challenges with online learning and the pandemic depending on the student and professor, said Dr. Elizabeth Carter, director of CCUs Livewell Office.

This is literally a whole new world, she said. Self care does need to look a little different than it maybe has in the past.

She said students being unable to socialize because of social distancing guidelines could be a barrier for some students. The university is offering telemental health appointments to any student in need of the service.

Carter said its important for students and faculty to remember to take breaks, exercise and have a routine.

Coastal Carolina University is launching We Will, a public health campaign to share guidelines, information about the pandemic and how students are stepping up to help prevent the spread of the virus.

At this point, we kind of all know what we should be doing, but its hard, Carter said.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College has several initiatives in place to help with the mental health of students as they are learning online. The college has a licensed counselor on staff who provides in-person and virtual services to students, said HGTC spokesperson Nicole Hyman.

Students have varied needs, Hyman said. We not only provide the mental health counseling, but also help students understand the resources that are available to assist them in meeting their basic needs.
Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca was in Peterborough Wednesday to meet with a small group of educators and union leaders, and he said Premier Doug Fords half-baked plan to return more than two million children to school spends only 78 cents daily on every kid in Ontario  an assertion that MPP Dave Smith called inaccurate.

Del Duca met with a dozen teachers and union leaders at the Holiday Inn, and he said hes been touring Ontario to hear from people who all want class sizes to be capped at 15.

Parents and everyone else want smaller class sizes, they want a proper investment, and most of all they want the Premier to step up and show proper leadership, which has been sorely lacking, he said.

Del Duca noted that when Ford announced in late July that children would return to school in September, he announced $309 million would be spent on a safe back-to-school plan that would include spending on personal protective equipment and additional school nurses.

That works out to 78 cents daily per child across Ontario, Del Duca said, which he thinks is underfunding.

But that 78-cent figure is inaccurate, said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith in an interview. Smith said the provincial government has increased the spending on back-to-school to nearly $900 million, not $309 million as previously announced.

When you do the math on that, its not 78 cents. Its completely a false statement, Smith said. Ontario is investing more money on COVID defence in education than any other province.

Smith also said Ontarios return to school plan is the envy of other provinces.

Were leading the country in a safe return to school, he said.

Ive heard a similar line from Doug Ford: hes talked about Ontarios plan being the best in the country, Del Duca said.

What I would say is that while I respect every other province and territory, my daughters go to school in Ontario.

The Ontario government announced on Aug. 13 it would boost its spending on back-to-school: $50 million more was promised for better ventilation systems in schools, for example.

But that same day the Ontario government also announced that $496 million in school board reserves can be used toward the back-to-school plan, and some critics have said that moneys included in the governments $900 million figure when it shouldnt be.

Regarding the idea of capping class sizes at 15, Smith said it makes no sense when the prevalence of COVID-19 varies from one municipality to the next.

You cannot make a decision centralized in downtown Toronto and say it has to be applied identically across Ontario.
Under the state of California's new COVID-19 reopening plan, only two criteria are used to determine which color "tier" a county is assigned: Number of daily cases per 100,000 residents and test positivity.

Case totals are a function of testing and in order to prevent high-testing counties from being punished, the state added a "test adjustment factor" to the case metric.

"Case rates include an adjustment factor for counties that are testing above the state average," state officials wrote on a page explaining the new system. "The incidence is adjusted downwards in a graduated fashion, with a maximum adjustment at twice the State average testing rate."

State officials originally did not provide any specifics on the adjustment factor, but the state's new "Safer Economy" page now displays the testing adjustment factor in effect in each California county. In the San Francisco Bay Area, eight of nine counties are getting a significant testing boost. The adjustment factor allows San Francisco County, which has a case-per-100K rate in the purple tier, to qualify for red tier status.

All nine Bay Area counties have test positivity numbers that would qualify for the red tier or orange tier.

Here are the listed case totals  both adjusted and unadjusted  for each Bay Area county when using the state's most recent data (the week of Aug. 12 to Aug. 18):

Alameda (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 10.6 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 9.3 (purple)

Contra Costa (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 10.8 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 10.8 (purple)

Marin (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 5.9 (red)

Adjusted case rate: 4.6 (red)

Napa (red tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 6.5 (red)

Adjusted case rate: 5.8 (red)

San Francisco (red tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 9.8 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 6.4 (red)

San Mateo (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 8.6 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 7.6 (purple)

Santa Clara (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 8.6 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 6.7 (red)

Solano (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 9.1 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 8.0 (purple)

Sonoma (purple tier)

Daily cases per 100,000 residents: 15.9 (purple)

Adjusted case rate: 14.0 (purple)

When using the testing adjustment factor, Marin County and Santa Clara County's most recent case totals qualify for the red tier. Counties are assigned their tiers every Tuesday, and a county must remain in a tier for 21 consecutive days before moving to the next one. To move forward, a county must meet the next tier's criteria for 14 consecutive days.

Marin County officials have stated that they expect to move into the red tier next week, although it is unclear if Santa Clara County will be able to record 14 consecutive days of meeting the red tier's metrics before the next assessment on Sept. 8.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting
Tata Motors, Indias leading automotive brand, today announced the launch of the XM(S) variant of the Tata Nexon. In a bid to cater to the growing customer demand, and to make premium features more accessible, the company is now offering the XM (S) variant with an Electric Sunroof at a starting price of INR 8.36 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi), making it the most affordable vehicle across segments with this feature in India.

Along with the Electric Sunroof, the XM(S) variant comes loaded with features like Automatic Headlamps, Rain Sensing Wipers and Steering Mounted Controls. The variant also retains the existing features of the Nexon XM, such as the Electronic Stability Program, LED DRLs with Projector Headlamps, Driver and Co-Driver Airbags, Hill Hold Control, ConnectNext Infotainment System by Harman and Multi- Drive Modes (Eco, City and Sport). These along with a plethora of state-of-the-art features make this variant a compelling package.

Available in both petrol and diesel, the Nexon will come with two transmission options - Manual and AMT. Detailed prices are as below:

Petrol Diesel XM (S) Manual 8.36 lakhs 9.70 lakhs XMA (S) AMT 8.96 lakhs 10.30 lakhs

* Prices Ex showroom Delhi

Commenting on the introduction of the Nexon XM(S), Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head, Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors said, The Nexon has always been a product of pride for Tata Motors. It established us as the flagbearer of safety by becoming Global NCAPs first Five Star rated car in India in 2018. The industry, media and customers alike have appreciated the car for its design and driving dynamics. With the launch of our New Forever range of vehicles earlier this year, we promised to keep our products fresh and up to date with the changing customers demands. Keeping up with our commitment, we are elated to announce the launch of Nexon XM(S). A product that will now allow our customers to enjoy superior features such as the electric sunroof at a compelling price. With this addition to our Nexon range, we will provide our customers with a premium driving pleasure & state-of-the-art features at attractive prices, thereby making our products accessible to all.

To know more or to book the new Nexon XM(S), one can visit the nearest Tata Motors showroom or the website https://cars.tatamotors.com/suv/nexon The Company is organising test drives on demand at the customers preferred location. Customers can also enquire, request a test drive, make bookings and choose from a range of attractive financing options, via the Companys recently launched end-to-end online sales platform called Click to Drive, from the comfort and safety of their homes.

#StayHomeStaySafe
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 00:24:42|Editor: huaxia

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Students perform on the opening ceremony of the new school year at a school in Kiev Oblast, Ukraine, Sept. 1, 2020. Over 4.2 million students have resumed their studies in Ukraine, including 428,000 first-graders, as the country marks the start of the new school year. Children from the 21 cities and districts in "red" quarantine zones will not return to school in person, instead studying remotely until the epidemiological situation changes. (Photo by Sergey Starostenko/Xinhua)

KIEV, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Over 4.2 million students have resumed their studies in Ukraine, including 428,000 first-graders, as the country marks the start of the new school year.

Children from the 21 cities and districts in "red" quarantine zones will not return to school in person, instead studying remotely until the epidemiological situation changes.

According to the country's education ministry, educational institutions in "green", "yellow" and "orange" zones will operate as usual, but with strict adherence to precautionary measures.

All personnel in these regions must undergo temperature control at the start of each working day, and classes are advised to have different starting and break times to reduce the risk of infection, the ministry said.

The ministry also suggested that teachers in "orange" zones wear protective shields during classes, while those in "green" and "yellow" zones should practice social distancing.

A total of 123,303 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 2,605 deaths, have been registered in Ukraine as of Tuesday, alongside 57,802 recoveries. Enditem
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County suspended two jail officers and issued a written reprimand to a third for their respective roles in the mistaken release of three inmates in a single day.

The county issued a five-day suspension without pay for Quincy Jimson and one day for Alicia Rowe-Cook. Guard Robert Parente received a written reprimand.

County officials have not yet issued their decision on possible punishment for their supervisor that day, Cpl. Adam Broeckel.

Jimson previously was disciplined with a written reprimand for a mistaken release in the summer of 2019, Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said. He was one of several employees punished after they released four inmates by mistake over six months, including an inmate accused of murder.

Jimson previously worked in the jail area where jail workers book and release inmates. Rowe-Cook and Parente had not, according to letters of discipline issued Wednesday.

All three officers put incorrect information into the jails computer system on June 13, resulting in the inmates release despite not posting bond set by a judge earlier in the day.

The jail was short-staffed at the time. Six officers typically work in that area, but only two worked that day, according to court records. Rowe-Cook and Parente filled in to help but had no training on how to input information into the jails computer system.

Jimson failed to check on the other two officers work but documented that he did, according to the letter. He also helped input information into the jail computer system for two of the inmates that eventually were released.

Rowe-Cook and Parente also input incorrect information into the jail system. According to the letter, Rowe-Cook was also disciplined for failing to write a written statement about what happened that day.

All three are veteran officers. Jimson was hired in 1995, Rowe-Cook in 1999 and Parente in 2003.

The three inmates each faced misdemeanor charges when the guards released them after their arraignments. Two were charged with domestic violence and one with assault.

Police arrested two later, and the third received a summons to appear in court at a later date.

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Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov will pay a visit to Moscow on September 3 to participate in a meeting of the defense ministers of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States and members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on September 4, a source in the Defense Ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, the visit will last until September 6.
In first foreign visit since PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi formed govt in May, French president pledges support for Iraq.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged support for Iraq and said the main challenges facing the country are Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group fighters and foreign interference in its affairs.

Macron is the first head of state to visit the Iraqi capital since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraqs former intelligence chief, formed a new government in May.

We are here for and we will continue to support Iraq, Macron said at a news conference in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih.





Any foreign intervention may undermine the efforts exerted by you as a government.

Iraqi officials should continue to share the vision of restoring Iraqs sovereignty, he said, adding that this is a very significant enterprise not only for Iraq, but also the entire region.

I would like to reiterate that France totally supports the Iraqi state and institutions.

Macron had earlier said he was heading to Baghdad to launch an initiative alongside the United Nations to support a process of sovereignty.

Later on Wednesday, the French leader met al-Kadhimi during his day-long trip, which comes amid a severe economic crisis and coronavirus pandemic that has put a huge strain on Iraqi economy and politics. He is also expected to meet Nechirvan Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.

Al-Kadhimi was selected by parliament in May to head a government that would guide the country towards early elections and has called for one to be held in June 2021.

His predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi quit under pressure from protests against corruption and foreign interference in December last year.

Early elections are a main demand of anti-government protesters who staged months of mass demonstrations last year and were killed in their hundreds by security forces and gunmen suspected of links to Iran-backed armed groups.

Salih told Macron the Iraqi leadership is looking forward to a future where Baghdad will claim an essential and a central role in the region.

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This area must be in a peace and stability situation, and the base of this stabilities proceed from the strengthening of Iraqs role as a competent country with sovereignty, he said.

President Salih said he looked forward to a longer visit by Macron in 2021, and al-Kadhimi said he hoped France and Europe as a whole could help restore stability to the rocky region.

We do not want to be an arena for confrontations but a zone of stability and moderation, al-Kadhimi said in a news conference, adding that France and Iraq would sign energy agreements in the future and deepen military cooperation.

We talked about a future project, using nuclear energy to produce electricity and peaceful projects, which will be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency  which will create jobs and address electricity shortages.

US-Iran tensions

After a United States-led invasion toppled former president Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq was ravaged by waves of sectarian conflict that culminated in ISIL capturing swaths of the country six years ago.

At the same time, the country has been caught for years between its two main allies, Iran and the United States, a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washingtons withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.

France is among the European nations that remain key backers of the 2015 agreement.

Al Jazeeras Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Baghdad, said Macrons visit was an important step, especially since the country is caught between two allies who are at odds with each other.

Al-Kadhimi, who is backed by the US, assumed office on May 7 when Baghdads relations with Washington were precarious. Like previous Iraqi leaders, he has to walk a tightrope amid the US-Iran rivalry.

The January assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and top Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the US in Baghdad prompted demands by Shia legislators that US forces leave Iraq.

Al-Kadhimi visited Washington last month, where he held talks with President Donald Trump. He said his administration is committed to introducing security reforms as rogue militia groups stage near-daily attacks against the seat of his government.

Other crises for al-Kadhimi include slashed state coffers in the crude oil-dependent country following a severe drop in prices, adding to the woes of an economy already struggling amid the pandemic.
Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister tipped to become a British trade envoy, has said elderly Covid-19 patients should be allowed to die to reduce the economic costs of lockdown.

Mr Abbott accused Western politicians of choosing to spend ruinous amounts of money on healthcare rather than encouraging the public to face up to the risks of the virus.

He warned that thanks to "virus hysteria", draconian lockdown measures could persist almost indefinitely, adding to the economic slowdown and creating a "something-for-nothing mindset" among young people living on furloughs.

His comments, made during a visit to London yesterday, come just a week after it was reported that Mr Abbott - a staunch supporter of Brexit - was to be made Britain's new joint president of the Board of Trade. The position would involve drumming up deals for the UK around the world in the post-Brexit era.

Mr Abbott addressed the Covid issue during a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, in which he said it would be better to allow elderly Covid patients to die naturally rather than keeping them alive through expensive medical care.

He said it was costing Australia as much as 110,000 (123,600) to give an elderly person an extra year's life, substantially beyond what it would usually pay for life-saving geriatric care.

Conservative MP Caroline Nokes said Prime Minister Boris Johnson should scrap the appointment of Mr Abbott as a trade adviser, saying he was a "misogynist" who would undermine Trade Minister Liz Truss and should not be "anywhere near" the board of trade. "Is he the sort of man who should be representing us globally? No."

Mr Abbott, who was Australia's prime minister between 2013 and 2015, has also warned in public of pandering too much to "health dictatorships" with regard to resolving the pandemic crisis.
Cannabis connoisseurs will have something to be excited about as a new express delivery service for online Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) orders has begun offering its services in the Peterborough area.

Domain Express from Domain Logistics is the company that will be offering the delivery service to places like Peterborough.

Since the beginning of the pandemic we have been offering free one-day shipping via courier service through our partners at Domain Logistics, said Daffyd Roderick, senior director of communications and social responsibility for the provincially operated Ontario Cannabis Store.

We have slowly grown across the province, he said. By the middle of this month it should reach about 73 per cent of adult Ontarians.

The people of Peterborough can expect good service, said Roderick.

Domain Logistics is the company providing the courier service through a variety of local couriers, he said. They can expect a high degree of communication, and for the most part our customers are very satisfied with the service provided by our partners.

Express service of cannabis products will take up to three days, including weekends, and will be delivered to the front door of customers homes between the 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Registered customers will receive a text message with delivery time.

It is an adult-only product, Roderick said. We only deliver to adult Ontarians, 19 and over and the couriers, using COVID protocols, and will request identification at the doors through glass.

There is no need for contact, there is no need to sign a signature, but one of the real reasons for OCS to request this is that there is safe and responsible distribution of the product.

Roderick said the expansion to Peterborough is happening because the city and area are underserved with regards to deliver of regulated cannabis products.

Postal workers, Canada Post, no longer deliver to the door for products that need to be signed for. They have to be picked up at the depot, for many people that is not something, especially in the early stages of COVID-19 that they were willing to do, he said. So we looked to increase our ability to deliver to the door and we have done that through our partners at Domain Express.

He said cannabis shipments are currently being fulfilled out of a distribution centre out of the Greater Toronto Area, and that they are planning on moving near the end of September to a new facility in Guelph.

Cannabis can be ordered through Ontario Cannabis stores at ocs.ca.
Emboldened by the lack of consequences, the political left in this country has escalated from yelling at people in restaurants to physical assaults, property destruction, and even murder. Senator Rand Paul's account of the harrowing events of the leftist mob following the last night of the Republican convention serves as another reminder for Americans to consider their personal safety.

Self-defense is often an uncomfortable topic for many. A friend recently asked what he should do in circumstances where he and his wife are accosted in public. Setting aside the grief that this is even a topic in our country, he referred to his own health issues as an impediment to self-defense. My response: "The question needs to be asked and answered long before any altercation."

"What are you prepared to do?"

Now in my 35th year as a caregiver for my wife who lives with severe disabilities, I clearly understand the need for her protection  and mine. While she cannot be left defenseless, she also cannot be left without a caregiver. Both of her legs are amputated below the knee, and fleeing on prosthetic legs is not an option in an assault. When flight remains impossible, fight is the only option.

If, while in an urban area (which I have no plans to ever visit again), a mob approaches our vehicle, the decision is already made. The vehicle becomes the instrument of self-defense, and the mob endures the consequences. When the choice is to trust one's vehicle versus the benevolence of a mob, the car wins every time. Being pulled from a vehicle could be a death sentence for either of both of us, so one prepares for the worst. Preparation always beats "luck."



YouTube screen grab.

Living defenseless in an America allowing lawlessness in urban areas is like playing Russian roulette. Doing so while caring for an impaired loved one approaches suicidal. Part of self-defense often involves owning a firearm. Since an unloaded and inaccessible weapon is useless, a gun-owner bears the responsibility of learning to properly wield and secure the firearm. Furthermore, if one is a caregiver, that weapon must never be accessible to an impaired loved one (or child).

When violent assault is upon you and a loved one you care for, self-defense remains paramount. Yet the fear of legal charges leads many down an erroneous path of passivism. If attacked by lawbreakers, caregivers themselves may be required to become law enforcement. The legal consequences cannot be as important as survival in those moments. At the beginning of my martial arts instructions, my instructor often stated, "I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six."

While some may cringe at such statements, serving as a caregiver provides clarity and perspective about self-defense. Self-defense is not about bloodlust or rage. Standing between an assaulter and a loved one in a wheelchair is not about hating the one in front of you, but rather loving the helpless one behind you.

The challenge is to prepare for those moments long before they arrive. For an increasing number of Americans, those moments are here.

The left continues the absurd desire to defund the police  which makes pillaging and plundering much easier. Yet, in a world where elected officials fail to discharge their responsibilities while receiving cover from a compliant media, one cannot solely depend upon the protection of even fully funded police officers. Ironically, the same terms used to describe law enforcement also describe the role of a family caregiver: to serve and protect.

Family caregivers are often the first  and last  line of defense for the most vulnerable among us. Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to be prepared.

Peter Rosenberger is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program Hope for the Caregiver. Peter is a 2nd Dan in Hapkido. www.hopeforthecaregiver.
Mr Markey had harnessed support from progressive leaders to overcome the challenge from a younger rival who is a member of Americas most famous political family.

It marks the first time a Kennedy has lost a race for US congress in the state. Mr Kennedy is the son of former representative Joe Kennedy II, the grandson of Robert Kennedy, and the grand-nephew of John F Kennedy.

Mr Markey appealed to voters in the deeply Democratic state by aligning himself with the liberal wing of the party.

He teamed up with a leading progressive, New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the Green New Deal climate change initiative  and at one point labelled Mr Kennedy a progressive in name only.

That helped Mr Markey overcome the enduring power of the Kennedy name in Massachusetts.

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The 39-year-old congressman had sought to cast the 74-year-old Mr Markey as someone out of touch after spending decades in congress, first in the house of representatives before moving to the senate.

At a victory celebration in his hometown of Malden, Massachusetts, Mr Markey ticked off a series of priorities, from support for the Black Lives Matter movement to a call for Medicare for All, to combating climate change, a signature issue for Mr Markey.

Every other problem is linked to it, he said.

No solution to any challenge will be successful unless we address it. There will be no peace, no justice and no prosperity unless we stop the march to climate destruction.

We must pass a Green New Deal.

Of President Donald Trump, Mr Markey said: He is the most corrupt, most racist, most incompetent president in American history.

We must banish his agenda of division and destruction to the history books.

Earlier on Tuesday, Democratic representative Mr Kennedy said that while the results are not the ones he had hoped for, he would work for Mr Markeys re-election in the November poll.

He said: The senator is a good man. You never heard me say otherwise.

Mr Kennedy also suggested that the movement of supporters the campaign pulled together would continue past the current election.

We may have lost the final vote count tonight but we built a coalition that will endure, he said. I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat.

In the waning weeks of the campaign, Mr Kennedy had leaned into his familys long political legacy in Massachusetts. His pedigree includes former president John F Kennedy; former US senator and US attorney general Robert F Kennedy, his grandfather; and former US senator Edward Kennedy, who held a senate seat in Massachusetts for nearly half a century until his death in 2009.

Mr Markey countered by leaning into his own family story  growing up in the working class city of Malden with a father who drove a truck for the Hood Milk company.

The incumbent now faces a general election contest where he is considered a strong favourite against Republican primary winner, Kevin OConnor, in November.
Ohio-based regional bank holding company Huntington Bancshares, Inc. has committed to $5 billion in loans, investments and philanthropic efforts in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday.

Its part of a $20 billion community plan that aims to increase access to capital, especially for women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses; expand lending and education to make homeownership accessible and affordable; and investing in community efforts like affordable housing, food security, workforce development and social equity.

In this critical time when businesses are confronting the extreme challenge of a public-health crisis, recession and issues related to social equity, Huntingtons purpose of looking out for people calls us to do more for Michigans small businesses, consumers and communities, said Sandy Pierce, Huntingtons director of Private Banking, Insurance Agency, Vehicle Finance and Regional Banking in a press release.

We believe this commitment is a very meaningful investment in Michigans economic future.

In the coming months, the bank will announce specific programs to support small businesses along with individuals and communities.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II praised the banks initiative in a press release.

This is great news for Michigans small-business owners who have faced unprecedented challenges as we have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic over the past six months, Whitmer said.

These are Michiganders who have spent their lives building their businesses and who need our help now more than ever. I am proud to work with Huntington Bank as they continue to provide support to our small-business owners and build strong communities in our state, and Im committed to continue working on behalf of small-business owners as we fight back against COVID-19.

At a press conference, Gilchrist said through the federal Small Business Paycheck Protection Program, 785 restaurants got a grant of at least $150,000. Only one was a black-owned restaurant.

Coronavirus itself does not discriminate. But it is a parasite that feeds on the inequities that are historic and that are current in our society, Gilchirst said.

The Huntington investment would help ensure that valuable small businesses in Michigan communities have the capital to operate, he said.

Related stories:

With 4,000 new businesses per week, Michigan entrepreneurship hits record levels during pandemic

After 50 years in business, Michigan bowling alley to permanently close due to pandemic

Nothing is predictable this year: Michigan retailers report positive July despite pandemic disruption
In this article IHG-GB

Hotels are rolling out the red carpet for a new breed of traveler: your new puppy. Lockdowns, social distancing and new work-from-home arrangements have caused animal adoptions to soar across the United States. A new TD Ameritrade survey found that 33% of Americans  and half of millennials  have considered fostering or adopting a pet since the global outbreak. Rescue centers and shelters have been cleared out, with many reporting more applications than there are animals to adopt. Globally, online searches for "dog-friendly hotels" began trending upward in February, and they've more than doubled from 2019. Hotels are responding to the interest by openly courting owners with packages designed for pets.

Spa packages and special menus

Four-legged guests at The Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida can get blueberry facials, dead sea salt scrubs and milk thistle paw soaks at a local pet boutique. That's in addition to a welcome box, daily dog-walking services, a 1-hour photo session (with up to 40 images), a 5-hour cruise on a yacht, and a $500 shopping spree, starting at $9,300 for a two-night stay. Owners looking to spend less can opt for the hotel's basic pet package for a one-time $100 fee.

The cost to book the Crescent Canines package at Dallas's Hotel Crescent Court is $150. Vanessa Christina Photography

Guests at Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, Texas can book "s-paw" pet services (from a local groomer) and receive "pupcakes" treats from Sprinkles bakery, a collapsible water bowl and a dog toy as part of the Crescent Canine package. "Our biggest question wasn't 'why' we wanted to cater to pets, it was 'how,'" said Denise Mope, the hotel's director of sales and marketing. "We're incredibly proud of the Crescent Canines program as it offers the same level of detail and service to our guests' pets as we have provided to them for decades."

Outdoor adventures: hiking, camping and island hopping

Active pet owners and their dogs can look into the "Pines Pup Bucket List" at The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Guests receive maps with dog-friendly hiking routes and can record adventures from their dog's point-of-view through a rentable GoPro camera that attaches via a pet harness. Both can cool down over "yappy hours" at pet-friendly restaurants and spa treatments back at the hotel, the latter which includes dog massages, baths and blow-outs.

Tiny Muppet from Vail, Colorado signed the guestbook at The Pines Lodge. Courtesy of The Pines Lodge

Dogs receive their own rawhide bone during the "Pupdown Pillow Service" at bedtime as well as toys and curated menus during their stay. Before departing, they can memorialize their trip by leaving a paw print and photo in the hotel guest book. Campers may want a little pet luxe too. Travelers who book one of over 70,000 pet-friendly RV resorts, cabins and other campsites available on Campspot, a booking platform with locations in 47 states and Ontario, Canada, receive discounts on luxury pet products from Paw.com. The pet supply company can ship faux fur beds, waterproof throw blankets, car seat covers, cargo liners and other pet travel gear to campers' homes before the trip begins.



Paw.com sells car door guards, cargo liners and other pet-related travel supplies. Tyler D. Way

Not only do dogs receive freshly-caught fish for dinner at Le Barthelemy Hotel & Spa, but they get their own reserved lounge chairs on the beach and the opportunity to paddleboard and kayak with their owners in the ocean. Located on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, the hotel is scheduled to reopen on October 28. In 2019, it was named the 25th best resort in the world in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards.

Animal swag and souvenirs

At the Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale in Paradise Valley, Arizona, dogs are greeted by a welcome card and framed photo  of themselves  in the room. They leave with a cactus bandana and bag of locally-made apple and oats biscuits as part of the hotel's Pampered Pup Package.

Lemon gets to keep her cactus bandana. Courtesy of Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale

Dogs are welcome at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, as are cats, hedgehogs, penguins and ostriches. The San Francisco-based group has hosted those animals, and more, under to its ultra-flexible pet policy. Owned by Intercontinental Hotels Group, the boutique hotel brand operates 69 hotels around the world and provides pet bedding, food and water bowls, and homemade pet treats at no additional cost.

Kimpton's pet policy is simple; if a pet can fit through the door, it can stay. @lisadieder, Courtesy of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

The latest perk? A Spotify pet playlist with 52 minutes of music to ease travel-weary animals. In January, the music service launched an entire website for users to make playlists based on their pets' personalities. "Hotels have been first-to-market in providing pet amenities to attract guests, none more so than Kimpton," Mark Cushing, CEO of the Animal Policy Group and author of Pet Nation, told CNBC's Global Traveler. "Millennials and Gen Z have shown in survey after survey that they want to provide for their pets at the same level as themselves, particularly with health care." Kimpton's concierge services can advise on pet-friendly restaurants, parks, groomers and stores, and the hotels provide dog walking and pet-sitting services. Some hotels have non-alcoholic doggie beer and employ a director of pet relations to greet animals when they arrive.

Sammy, shown here, was named the director of pet relations at Waldorf Astoria Park City. Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Park City
Six months ago, Money Man had 400,000 Spotify monthly listeners. Now hes at 4.9 million.

Much of that boost comes from the trap rappers Kobe Bryant tribute song 24, which further soared in popularity after Lil Baby jumped on a remixed version in August. But that collaboration wasnt just good fortune. It happened because Ghazi Shami, CEO and founder of indie music distribution company Empire  which started working with Money Man in March  slid into Lil Babys DMs.

I was like, My bro, got a Money Man record going viral, can I shoot you a bag to hop on the remix?' Shami tells Rolling Stone.

Baby cut the record and sent it back 48 hours later. Shami raced to his self-built studio space at Empires headquarters in San Francisco to tweak the arrangements before remixing and remastering the record himself, and the remix dropped two weeks later to loud applause on August 14th.

Shamis entire business model revolves around being hands-on and fast-acting. He met Money Man two years ago the same way he negotiated the 24 remix with Lil Baby  through Instagram DMs. Money Man had recently gotten out of a deal with Cash Money Records and decided to release music independently; Shami was struck by his intellect, and his ability to handle his own contracts and write songs about things like veganism, personal finance, and other topics of substance. Everyone was chasing him because he was charting on Apple Music on his own, says Shami. While heading to dance music festival ADE in Amsterdam, he decided to randomly message Money Man, offering to swap his direct flight for one with a four-hour layover in Atlanta, Georgia to meet up.

And they did. In the Uber ride from the Atlanta airport to meet Money Man, Shami heard the rappers song Exotic for the first time, which featured the lyric Im independent like Ghazi  written well before the pair had even started talking.

Story continues

Ive had a lot of these types of moments happen to me in life, where Ive kind of spoken things into existence, says Shami. That felt like one of those moments.

The pair only talked in person for about an hour before signing a deal.

Money Man is still independent; the rapper doesnt have a manager, or even an attorney. After agreeing to work with Shami, Money Man had four songs that had been unofficially released on YouTube  so Shami grabbed those songs, took a picture off the rappers Instagram for cover art, and loaded it all right before Christmas 2018. The goal was to show the performer how fast and lean the process of releasing music could be  an idea thats relatively unheard of in the major-label system, which often involves much hoop-jumping and periods of hurry up and wait. That project got into the top 15 of Apple Musics album chart.

I wanted to make him look like a god in his own city.  Ghazi Shami on the marketing strategy for Money Man

Their next project together, the 15-track Paranoia, got into Apples top five. Thats when everyone really started to pay attention, Shami says. He put together an elaborate and hyper-local marketing plan: I wanted to make him look like a god in his own city, says Shami, who wrapped MARTA trains and buses, placed 30 billboards throughout Atlanta, and took the record to nearby radio stations.

On March 2nd, Money Man dropped the eight-track project Epidemic, on which 24 is the opening song. Another song Courtesy talks about starting a metaphorical pandemic with his music and counting his money while binge-watching Netflix during quarantine. And the artist didnt hesitate to keep the ball rolling, dropping the 14-track State of Emergency before the end of March.

Shamis team immediately sent 24 to TikTok creators and other digital tastemakers. By circulating through the Internets underbelly, the song eventually caught the attention of social-media influencers with millions of followers.

We noticed that 24 just continued to pick up steam, says Shami. It was doing 100,000 plays a day, then it started doing 300,000 a day, then half a million plays a day  eventually it was like a million.

Spotifys Carl Chery, creative director and head of urban music, noticed 24 bubbling up on smaller playlists and put it on Rap Caviar. Chery moved it higher on Rap Caviar after the remix dropped; Apple Music also slotted it into its Rap Life playlist, where it took on new life. Instead of stopping there, Shami encouraged Money Man to release a deluxe version of Epidemic, which extended the life of the album and its hit song even further. If this song really reaches critical mass, you could have a gold album, Shami told Money Man.

Empire then had Money Man enter a collaboration with The Shoe Surgeon, revamping the classic Jordan look with purple and yellow snakeskin; Money Man will wear the shoes in the upcoming music video for 24  as the latest artist to embrace brand partnerships in music videos. For now, only tastemakers will be sent the shoes, but eventually fans will also be able to win them in a contest. Money Man has also dropped his own merch line, and Shami says they sold $100,000 in products this week alone.

The rapper is currently in Houston, where hes working on the 24 music video with Lil Baby. Shami  who says hes in the studio twice a week, sourcing beats and engineering  plans on digging in deeper with Money Man over the next six months. He expects 24 to become the rappers first platinum single in the next 60 days.

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Job Title: Accountant Billing

Organization: Liquid Telecom

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Finance Manager

About US:

Liquid Telecom is the leading independent data, voice and IP

provider in eastern, central and southern Africa. It supplies fiber optic,

satellite and international carrier services to Africas largest mobile network

operators, ISPs and businesses of all sizes. Liquid Telecom also provides

payment solutions to financial institutions and retailers, as well as award

winning data storage and communication solutions to businesses across Africa

and beyond.

Job Summary: The Accountant Billing will be responsible

for assuring billing accuracy and timeliness, this includes creating the

service order and invoicing process. Provides support to the accounts

receivables process through the financial billing reports.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Billing and revenue assurance



Raises Local Service Orders for all new sales

orders capturing both NRR and MRR revenue figures



Generates bills/invoices for all projects

implemented and completed by SDU and forwarded for billing. Including billing

for HAI and VAS  domain hosting, Firewall, virtualization among other services



Stops billing for all terminated and/or

disconnected circuits ensuring they are not billed and notice periods are

adhered to



Generates credit notes to correct billing errors

and for SLA rebates ensuring the proper approval process is followed



Proposes provisions for credit notes to account

receivable as per LTU credit policy



Enforces billing contractual terms per contract

between LTU and clients

Customer accounts set up and maintenance



Opens new accounts for new customers upon

confirming that proper approvals have been adhered to



Updates customer records with latest updates as

required from time to time

Customer Relations Management



Maintains high customer satisfaction in the area

of billing



Maintains the efficient control, logging, and

resolution of customer billing enquiries and/or disputes



Liaises closely with interdepartmental resources

while solving customer complaints

Churn Alert



Notifies NAM and Customer experience manager of

any form of churn indication in the day to day dealing with customers

Reporting



Generates daily/weekly and monthly reports

detailing the revenue activity, including, churn, credit notes, short term and

long term deferred reports and any other reports that may be required from time

to time

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate for the Liquid Telecom Accountant

Billing job must possess the following:



Degree  BCOM or business administration

majoring in Accounting and finance is an added advantage (Essential)



Certified Credit Control Professional

Qualification will be an added advantage (Desirable)



CPA II or ACCA II (Desirable)



A minimum of two years of experience preferably

in the telecommunication industry



Extensive knowledge of Billing, receipting, and

accounting packages.



Proficient in using computer software (e.g.

Excel) and accounting application systems



Knowledge of Billing, ERP, and accounting

applications



Demonstrate commercial awareness  an interest

in business and an understanding of the wider environment in which an

organization operates: its customers, competitors e.t.c



Very strong Communication Skills and the ability

to express complex technical concepts effectively, both verbally and in

writing.



Highly self-motivated and directed.



Keen attention to detail.



Ability to effectively prioritize and execute

tasks in a high-pressure environment.



Experience working in a team-oriented,

collaborative environment.

How to Apply:

All applications should be submitted to hr.uganda@liquidtelecom.com



Deadline: 2nd

September 2020

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or

find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Open letter from long-stay tourist in Phuket spurs action from Prime Minister

PHUKET: The Prime Minister has ordered his assistants to investigate the circumstances of a German long-stay tourist in Phuket whose open letter was published by The Phuket News, appealing for him to be allowed to stay in the country after the visa amnesty ends on Sept 26, instead of being forced to go back to Germany where COVID-19 infections have recently skyrocketed.

tourismimmigrationCOVID-19health

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 2 September 2020, 09:20AM

An open letter by German long-stay tourist in Phuket Bernhard Stoever has spurred action by the Prime Minister. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

An official working at the Prime Ministers Delivery Unit, a research and policy advisory division that operates under the Prime Ministers Office and reports directly to the Prime Minister, confirmed on Tuesday (Sept 1) that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha had read the open letter, penned by German man Bernhard Stoever.

In his open letter, published online by The Phuket News on Aug 22, Mr Stoever urged the Thai government to consider the circumstances he and many other long-stay tourists already staying in Thailand were facing.

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! he wrote.

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, he added.

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, he explained.

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, he added.

Mr Stoever asked the Thai authorities whether it was possible to issue a provisional 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 hotspot, he said.

Speaking to The Phuket News on Tuesday, Mr Stoever said that allowing long-stay tourists such as himself to be able to stay in Thailand was a win-win for both parties.

With long-stay tourists like myself, all my money goes directly to the local community. I stay at a place with no kitchen, so I eat out all the time, and even my laundry is done outside. Everything I do contributes to all the small business around where I am staying. This is the same with any long-stay tourist, he said.

He added that he knew he was not alone with his predicament. A German lady and an American both did not want to return home due to the state of COVID-19 infections in their home countries.

The officer at the PDMU that The Phuket News spoke with on Tuesday said that Mr Stoevers plea had been heard at the highest level. PM Prayut had asked the PDMU to interview Mr Stoever and investigate how many other long-stay foreign tourists already in Thailand were facing the same predicament.

We want to know more about the case of the German man in Phuket, and similar cases in other provinces, the officer said.

We are seeking a way to help the German man, and similar cases, to stay in Thailand and extend their visas. We want them to stay, he added.

Mr Stoever welcomed the news. I want to stay. I want to live, he said on Tuesday.

To gain clear feedback directly from other long-stay tourists wanting to stay in Thailand, the officer at the PDMU invited such tourists to email a clear description of their situation. By arrangement, such tourists can send their emails to stayinthai@classactmedia.co.th. The Phuket News will forward all relevant emails directly to the PDMU. Emails must include contact details and the Subject line must say, Please let me stay.

People were urged to send their emails as soon as practically possible.

We have no deadline for receiving these emails, but the PDMU will report its findings directly to the Prime Minister, and this will need to be done soon, the officer said.
Manuscripts laid hidden in an ancient Chinese tomb for 2,200 years that describe 'pathways' in the human body  making them the oldest surviving anatomical text in the world.

The documents were first uncovered in the 1970s by scientists working at the Mawangdui burial site in Changsha, but the team was unable to interpret them and the text had remained a mystery - until now.

Researchers learned the ancient dialect, allowing them to read the 'Mawangdui text' that describes the organization of the body in the form of divisions and each highlighted associated disease patterns that may arise in these pathways.

Prior to the discovery, the roots of anatomy was traced back to ancient Greek, but the 'findings re-write a key part of Chinese history.'

Manuscripts laid hidden in an ancient Chinese tomb for 2,200 years that describe 'pathways' in the human body  making them the oldest surviving anatomical text in the world

'The Mawangdui medical texts were only discovered 40 years ago. Nobody has yet proposed that they are an anatomical atlas,' reads the study published by researchers at Bangor University in the journal The Anatomical Record .

'We suggest that the primary reason for this is not that Confucianism renders anatomical study through dissection inherently implausible, instead, we propose that reading these texts requires the ability to view the anatomy of the body through a naive lens that is significantly different to our modern perception of science and medicine.'

'Additionally, reading ancient Chinese is a specialist skill.'

The manuscripts were written in 168 BCE and contain different Chinese languages and dialects that were part of China during the Han era, which was a major hurdle for the scientists who pulled them from the tomb.

The manuscripts were constructed before the well-known acupuncture texts of the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, which has been revered in China as the birth of acupuncture

'To read these texts therefore requires not only the ability to read the traditional script, as well as modern simplified script,' reads the study.

'It also represents a substantial paradigm shift for scholars, especially those from the West accustomed to explanations of the universe that are based in modern science.'

The manuscripts were found in 1973 inside the tomb of Lady Dai, a Han dynasty aristocrat, at the Mawangdui burial site in Changsha.

Vivien Shaw with Bangor University and her team spent time learning the ancient language with the hope of one-day reading the words etched on the piece of silk.

'We have to approach these texts from a different perspective than our current Western medical view of the body's separate systems of arteries, veins and nerves,' said Shaw.

'The authors did not have this understanding, instead, they looked at the body from the viewpoint of traditional Chinese Medicine, which is based on the philosophical concept of complementary opposites of yin and yang, familiar to those in the west who follow eastern spiritualism.'

The manuscripts were constructed before the well-known acupuncture texts of the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, which has been revered in China as the birth of acupuncture.

The Mawangui texts make no mention of acupuncture, but gives descriptions of pathways, which was adopted by the Yellow Emperor's Canon  revealing the texts were written first.

The re-discovered copy maps out structure inside the human body and many were only seen through dissection.

The manuscripts were found in 1973 inside the tomb of Lady Dai, a Han dynasty aristocrat, at the Mawangdui burial site in Changsha

'Our findings re-write a key part of Chinese history,' said Shaw.

'The contemporary Han era was a time of great learning and innovation across arts and sciences, so this type of classical anatomical science fits with the prevailing culture of the time.

'We believe that our interpretation of the text challenges the widespread belief that there is no scientific foundation for the 'anatomy of acupuncture,' by showing that the earliest physicians writing about meridians were in fact describing the physical body.'
Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.

While one or more options could be available toward the end of this year or early next, the path to delivering vaccines to 330 million people remains unclear for the local health officials expected to carry out the work.

We havent gotten a lot of information about how this is going to roll out, said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Texas Harris County Public Health department, which includes Houston.

In a four-page memo this summer, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health departments across the country to draft vaccination plans by Oct. 1 to coincide with the earliest possible release of COVID-19 vaccine.

But health departments that have been underfunded for decades say they currently lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track hundreds of millions of doses. Nor do they know when, or if, theyll get federal aid to do that.

Dozens of doctors, nurses and health officials interviewed by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press expressed concern about the countrys readiness to conduct mass vaccinations, as well as frustration with months of inconsistent information from the federal government.

The gaps include figuring out how officials will keep track of who has gotten which doses and how theyll keep the workers who give the shots safe, with enough protective gear and syringes to do their jobs.

With only about half of Americans saying they would get vaccinated, according to a poll from AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it also will be crucial to educate people about the benefits of vaccination, said Molly Howell, who manages the North Dakota Department of Healths immunization program.

The unprecedented pace of vaccine development has left many Americans skeptical about the safety of COVID-19 immunizations; others simply dont trust the federal government.

Were in a very deep-red state, said Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, a group of community health centers that serve mostly low-income people in five rural counties in South Carolina. The message that is coming out is not a message of trust and confidence in medical or scientific evidence.

PAYING FOR THE ROLLOUT

The U.S. has committed more than $10 billion to develop new coronavirus vaccines but hasnt allocated money specifically for distributing and administering vaccines.

And while states, territories and 154 large cities and counties received billions in congressional emergency funding, that money can be used for a variety of purposes, including testing and overtime pay.

An ongoing investigation by KHN and the AP has detailed how state and local public health departments across the U.S. have been starved for decades, leaving them underfunded and without adequate resources to confront the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation further found that federal coronavirus funds have been slow to reach public health departments, forcing some communities to cancel non-coronavirus vaccine clinics and other essential services.

States are allowed to use some of the federal money theyve already received to prepare for immunizations. But AP and KHN found that many health departments are so overwhelmed with the current costs of the pandemic such as for testing and contact tracing that they cant reserve money for the vaccine work to come. Health departments will need to hire people to administer the vaccines and systems to track them, and pay for supplies such as protective medical masks, gowns and gloves, as well as warehouses and refrigerator space.

CareSouth Carolina is collaborating with the state health department on testing and the pandemic response. It used federal funding to purchase $140,000 retrofitted vans for mobile testing, which it plans to continue to use to keep vaccines cold and deliver them to residents when the time comes, said Lewis.

But most vaccine costs will be new.

Pima County, Arizona, for example, is already at least $30 million short of what health officials need to fight the pandemic, let alone plan for vaccines, said Dr. Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator and chief medical officer.

Some federal funds will expire soon. The $150 billion that states and local governments received from a fund in the CARES Act, for example, covers only expenses made through the end of the year, said Gretchen Musicant, health commissioner in Minneapolis. Thats a problem, given vaccine distribution may not have even begun.

Although public health officials say they need more money, Congress left Washington for its summer recess without passing a new pandemic relief bill that would include additional funding for vaccine distribution.

States are anxious to receive those funds as soon as possible, so they can do what they need to be prepared, said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition, a national vaccine education and advocacy organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. We cant assume they can take existing funding and attempt the largest vaccination campaign in history.

WHATS THE PLAN?

Then theres the basic question of scale. The federally funded Vaccines for Children program immunizes 40 million children each year. In 2009 and 2010, the CDC scaled up to vaccinate 81 million people against pandemic H1N1 influenza. And last winter, the country distributed 175 million vaccines for seasonal influenza vaccine, according to the CDC.

But for the U.S. to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus, most experts say, the nation would likely need to vaccinate roughly 70% of Americans, which translates to 200 million people and because the first vaccines will require two doses to be effective 400 million shots.

Although the CDC has overseen immunization campaigns in the past, the Trump administration created a new program, called Operation Warp Speed, to facilitate vaccine development and distribution. In August, the administration announced that McKesson Corp., which distributed H1N1 vaccines during that pandemic, will also distribute COVID-19 vaccines to doctors offices and clinics.

With few exceptions, our commercial distribution partners will be responsible for handling all the vaccines, Operation Warp Speeds Paul Mango said in an email.

Were not going to have 300 million doses all at once, said Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Health and Human Services Department, despite earlier government pledges to have many doses ready by the new year. We believe we are maximizing our probability of success of having tens of millions of doses of vaccines by January 2021, which is our goal.

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said it will take time for the vaccines to be widespread enough for life to return to whats considered normal. We have to be prepared to deal with this virus in the absence of significant vaccine-induced immunity for a period of maybe a year or longer, Adalja said in August.

In preliminary guidance for state vaccine managers, the CDC said doses will be distributed free of charge from a central location. Health departments local vaccination plans may be reviewed by both the CDC and Operation Warp Speed.

The CDC has vetted state and federal vaccination plans in five locations: North Dakota, Florida, California, Minnesota and Philadelphia. No actual vaccines were distributed during the planning sessions, which focused on how to get vaccines to people in places as different as urban Philadelphia, where pharmacies abound, and rural North Dakota, which has few chain drugstores but many clinics run by the federal Indian Health Service, said Kris Ehresmann, who directs infectious disease control at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Those planning sessions have made Ehresmann feel more confident about whos in charge of distributing vaccines. We are getting more specific guidance from CDC on planning now, she said. We feel better about the process, though there are still a lot of unknowns.

OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY COULD HAMPER RESPONSE

Still, many public health departments will struggle to adequately track who has been vaccinated and when, because a lack of funding in recent decades has left them in the technological dark ages, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

In Mississippi, for example, health officials still rely on faxes, said the states health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs. You cant manually handle 1,200 faxes a day and expect anything efficient to happen, he said.

When COVID-19 vaccines become available, health providers will need to track where and when patients receive their vaccines, said Moore, the medical director of Tennessees immunization plan during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 and 2010. And with many different shots in the works, they will need to know exactly which one each patient got, she said.

People will need to receive their second COVID-19 dose 21 or 28 days after the first, so health providers will need to remind patients to receive their second shot, Moore said, and ensure that the second dose is the same brand as the first.

The CDC will require vaccinators to provide dose-level accounting and reporting for immunizations, so that the agency knows where every dose of COVID-19 vaccine is at any point in time, Moore said. Although the sophistication of these systems has improved dramatically in the past decade, she said, many states will still face major challenges meeting data tracking and reporting expectations.

The CDC is developing an app called the Vaccine Administration Monitoring System for health departments whose data systems dont meet standards for COVID-19 response, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, a nonprofit based in Rockville, Maryland.

Those standards havent been released, Hannan said, so health departments are waiting to invest in necessary IT enhancements. The CDC needs to release standards and data expectations as quickly as possible, she added.

Meanwhile, health departments are dealing with what Minnesotas Ehresmann described as legacy vaccine registries, sometimes dating to the late 1980s.

A HISTORIC TASK

Overwhelmed public health teams are already working long hours to test patients and trace their contacts, a time-consuming process that will need to continue even after vaccines become available.

When vaccines are ready, health departments will need more staffers to identify people at high risk for COVID-19, who should get the vaccine first, Moore said. Public health staff also will be needed to educate the public about the importance of vaccines and to administer shots, she said, as well as monitor patients and report serious side effects.

At an August meeting about vaccine distribution, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois health department, said her state will need to recruit additional health professionals to administer the shots, including nursing students, medical students, dentists, dental hygienists and even veterinarians. Such vaccinators will need medical-grade masks, gowns and gloves to keep themselves safe as they handle needles.

Many health officials say they feel burned by the countrys struggle to provide hospitals with ventilators last spring, when states found themselves bidding against one another for a limited supply. Those concerns are amplified by the continuing difficulties providing enough testing kits; supplying health workers with personal protective equipment; allocating drugs such as remdesivir; and recruiting contact tracers who track down everyone with whom people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been in contact.

Although Ehresmann said shes concerned Minnesota could run out of syringes, she said the CDC has assured her it will provide them.

Given that vaccines are far more complex than personal protective equipment and other medical supplies one vaccine candidate must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit Plescia said people should be prepared for shortages, delays and mix-ups.

Its probably going to be even worse than the problems with testing and PPE, Plescia said.

___

Szabo is a writer for Kaiser Health News. Associated Press writer Michelle R. Smith and KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber contributed to this report.

This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN, which is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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
Actor Dia Mirza recently received a special mention by the Nelson Mandela Foundation for her contributions to a variety of causes including nature conservation and vulnerable children protection programmes. Dia was surprised and humbled by this and shared how such recognition keeps one motivated to work for the betterment of humanity.

Responding to the tweet by Nelson Mandela Foundation, Dia told Hindustan Times, "It was just a sweet surprise. I had no idea and a mention just popped on my Twitter and it was just so sweet and wonderful. Sometimes surprises and recognitions such as these keep you going and keep you motivated. He was such a wonderful man and I admired him so much and the work that his family is continuing to do is so admirable."

This is so kind. And means so much  Thank you. Have always admired Madiba and this is truly special @NelsonMandela  https://t.co/LJMbqIkBHt  Dia Mirza (@deespeak) August 24, 2020

Talking about the Foundation's 'Celebrate Women, While Women Are Alive' campaign, Dia said, "They've been running a campaign to talking about women and applauding and recognising all those who've been working towards global goals. These are also based on recommendations send to them from people. There must have been people who sent my name to them, that's how it must have happened."

On what drives her to be a part of important causes, Dia said, "Somehow when you are passionate, it defines your purpose and it opens up things. I try not to be consumed by a capitalist approach and think about how much money I have to make. Of course money s important , it can help further many of the causes so many of them need funding as most of what I do is self-funded. I work for money but I don't work only work for money."

Dia is a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, UN Secretary General's advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, and is associated with organizations and causes such as Wildlife Trust of India, Save The Children, and Swacch Bharat Mission.

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan And Others Give A Shout Out To Indian Weavers On National Handloom Day

ALSO READ: Dia Mirza: I've Lost Films To Others, But The Things Being Said Are Deeply Personal And Hurtful


The expanded polystyrene market is expected to grow by USD 1.84 billion, accelerating at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. Download Free Sample Report

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005051/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Expanded Polystyrene Market for Packaging 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Environmental benefits associated with expanded polystyrene are one of the major factors propelling market growth. However, the growing popularity of bioplastic packaging will hamper market growth.

Expanded polystyrene packaging products are more sustainable compared to other packaging products such as plastic, wood, and cardboard. They are recyclable, reusable, consume less energy, and are light in weight. Many such environmental benefits are encouraging end-users and consumers to increase the preference for expanded polystyrene packaging products, which is driving the growth of the market.

More details: Report Page Link

Global Expanded Polystyrene Market for Packaging: Application Landscape

Based on the application, the electronic appliances segment will have lucrative growth during the forecast period. The growth of the segment is mainly driven by the increasing use of expanded polystyrene for electronic appliances to ensure safe transportation. In addition, the rising demand for lightweight packaging solutions is fueling the growth of this segment in the market.

Global Expanded Polystyrene Market for Packaging: Geographic Landscape

By geography, APAC will witness lucrative growth during the forecast period due to rapidly expanding e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), household appliances, and personal care end-user industries in the region. Also, the rising population in the region is contributing to the overall growth of the global extended polystyrene market.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

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Companies Covered

Alpek SAB de CV

BASF SE

Kaneka Corp.

NOVA Chemicals Corp.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

SUNPOR Kunststoff GmbH

Synthos SA

The JACKON GROUP

Total SA

Versalis Spa

What our reports offer:

Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments

Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

Covers market data for 2019, 2020, until 2024

Market trends (drivers, opportunities, threats, challenges, investment opportunities, and recommendations)

Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments

Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Electronic appliances Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Food and beverages Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Healthcare Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Alpek SAB de CV

BASF SE

Kaneka Corp.

NOVA Chemicals Corp.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

SUNPOR Kunststoff GmbH

Synthos SA

The JACKON GROUP

Total SA

Versalis Spa

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

For more information about this report visit https://www.technavio.com/report/expanded-polystyrene-market-for-packaging-market-industry-analysis

About Technavio:

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005051/en/

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Her full recovery is still a distant prospect, the politician says.

Leader of Ukraine's Batkivshchyna Party, MP Yulia Tymoshenko, who recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus, for the first time spoke up about her current health condition.

"Finally today, my crisis condition is behind. And although recovery is still a distant prospect, now there is an opportunity to return to normal life, step by step," the legislator wrote on Facebook.

Tymoshenko says "fighting off a serious disease for almost two weeks alters the perception of reality."

Read alsoDaily COVID-19 spike reaches new high in Ukraine with almost 2,500 cases on Sept 2"I'd like to thank everyone who treated me, who prayed for my health, who in the first minutes of trouble rushed for help, providing medication, treatment advice, and life-saving offers. All this was really timely, necessary, and helpful in fighting off this trouble," she said.

Fighting off a serious disease for almost two weeks alters the perception of reality

Tymoshenko contracts COVID-19: background

On August 23, Tymoshenko's press secretary said the leader of the Batkivshchyna Party had tested positive for COVID-19.

Tymoshenko's daughter Eugenia, as well as Eugenia's husband Arthur Chechetkin, also fell ill, according to media reports.

On August 25, it was reported the politician was on a ventilator.

On August 26, Ukrainian MP from the Batkivshchyna Party's parliamentary faction Vadym Ivchenko said Tymoshenko was in critical condition.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Telehealth claim lines[1] increased 4,132 percent nationally from June 2019 to June 2020, rising from 0.16 percent of medical claim lines in June 2019 to 6.85 percent in June 2020, according to new data from FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. Although considerable, that increase was less than the year-to-year increase the previous month, when telehealth claim lines increased 5,680 percent nationally, from 0.15 percent of medical claim lines in May 2019 to 8.69 percent in May 2020.The data represent the privately insured population, excluding Medicare and Medicaid.

While increasing greatly from 2019 to 2020, telehealth claim lines fell 21 percent nationally on a month-to-month basis, from 8.69 percent of medical claim lines in May 2020 to 6.85 percent in June 2020.

Trends in the four US census regions (Midwest, Northeast, South and West) were similar to those in the nation as a whole. In each region, there were large percent increases in volume of claim lines from June 2019 to June 2020, but these increases were smaller than the increases from May 2019 to May 2020. In addition, in each region, there was a drop in volume of claim lines from May 2020 to June 2020. The biggest drop was in the Northeast, where the decrease from May to June was 33 percent, from 12.5 percent of medical claim lines to 8.4 percent.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is suggested by the higher telehealth utilization from March to June 2020 in comparison with the same months in 2019. In March and April 2020, many states prohibited in-person rendering of elective procedures and non-emergency medical care, making telehealth an attractive alternative. Many of these prohibitions expired in May as states began to open up, perhaps accounting for the drop in the telehealth share of total medical claim lines in May and June relative to April. However, as the pandemic continued, telehealth usage remained high by comparison with 2019.

Other notable findings of the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker concern the top five telehealth diagnoses:

Mental health conditions, already the number one telehealth diagnosis nationally and in every region in May 2020 , accounted for an even larger share of telehealth claim lines in June 2020 . Nationally, this diagnosis increased from 40 percent to 44 percent of telehealth claim lines from May to June 2020 . Increases in the Northeast and Midwest were particularly notable, with claims in the Northeast increasing from 41 percent in May to 48 percent in June, and in the Midwest from 49 percent in May to 54 percent in June.

, accounted for an even larger share of telehealth claim lines in . Nationally, this diagnosis increased from 40 percent to 44 percent of telehealth claim lines from May to . Increases in the Northeast and Midwest were particularly notable, with claims in the Northeast increasing from 41 percent in May to 48 percent in June, and in the Midwest from 49 percent in May to 54 percent in June. Exposure to communicable diseases was the number five diagnosis in the South and in the West in June. This diagnosis did not appear among the top five diagnoses nationally or regionally in May.

Launched in May as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. In addition to data on the volume of claim lines, diagnoses and urban versus rural usage, each infographic includes findings on the top five telehealth procedure codes.

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information. FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated, "It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a substantial impact on telehealth. FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker shows the specifics of how this venue of care is being transformed."

For the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, click here.

Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health, a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 32 billion claim records contributed by payors and administrators who insure or process claims for private insurance plans covering more than 150 million individuals. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish and an English/Spanish mobile app, which enable consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offer a rich educational platform on health insurance. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Careand How to Fix It and Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:

Rachel Kent

Director of Marketing, Outreach & Communications

FAIR Health

646-396-0795

[email protected]



[1] A claim line is an individual service or procedure listed on an insurance claim.

SOURCE FAIR Health

Related Links

http://www.fairhealth.org


Former Chief Statistician of India, Pronab Sen, said that the Q1 GDP data does not fully convey the extent of the damage that the lockdown inflicted on the economy. In an interview with moneycontrol.com, Sen said that the data sample contains data from only the larger companies that were impacted due to the lockdown and not the unlisted, smaller firms.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs data would come which would have all registered companies, including the unlisted. Thats where I suspect the damage would really come out because that data would include the smaller companies that I think have been worse affected than the larger ones that are currently included in the sample. And then after that comes the informal sector," Pronab Sen, was quoted as saying.

On Monday, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said GDP contraction in the April-June period of FY21 was the largest slump on record since India started reporting quarterly data in 1996. The fall in output compares to 3.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter, which was the worst performance in at least eight years. This is the sharpest contraction since the nation started publishing quarterly figures in 1996, and is worse than any of the G20 nations.

Commenting on the extent to which the Q1 GDP data reflected the damage to the Indian economy, Sen said that this is only the first step as the QI data reflects the effect of the lockdown and doesnt really provide an indication of what the dynamics would be going forward.

That will come later. The lockdown effects will persist a little longer because we have these localised lockdowns happening. So the data is going to be in a sense affected by that. But when you have damage of this magnitude because of the lockdown, it takes time for it to play out through the economy. Those effects would be starting now and go on possibly for a year, year-and-a-half. So this is only an indication of the initial shock that the economy has faced," Sen added.

Sen said that besides agriculture, there is no data in the informal sector. He, however, added that thats only a part of the story.

First, the first quarterly estimate is largely based on corporate data. Even in that, it is limited to listed companies, those which have to submit quarterly reports to the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Second, as far as the companies are concerned, because of the lockdown, SEBI had extended the time within which the returns have to be filed. So, a lot of the companies have filed the returns yet," Sen told moneycontrol.com.

He added that when those would come in, the numbers would have to be updated again as then there would be the availability of data of all listed companies as opposed to the partial data available at present.

Like I said, this is only listed companies. Then the Ministry of Corporate Affairs data would come which would have all registered companies, including the unlisted. Thats where I suspect the damage would really come out because that data would include the smaller companies that I think have been worse affected than the larger ones that are currently included in the sample. And after that comes the informal sector," he said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

As reported earlier, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today accepted the redentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece Nikolaos Piperigos.

Trend publishes some excerpts from President Aliyev's remarks at the meeting.

Frankly speaking, I think the last few years have seen very low levels of cooperation between us, President Aliyev said.

We had more active contacts in the past. As you know, I have paid an official visit to your country, two presidents of Greece have paid official visits to Azerbaijan, and so has the prime minister of your country. However, these contacts stopped after the previous Greek government came to power, and this was an initiative of the Greek government. Thus, there are almost no active contacts at present. There is no exchange of delegations, President Aliyev added.

We need to think about how to plan on our cooperation in the future. Mr.Ambassador, I will speak to you openly. Of course, diplomats have their own style of communication. I studied at an institute that trains diplomats, so I know what diplomatic language is like. But I think that in order to have a clear idea of where we are, what we want and how we can move forward, it would be good if we know each other's positions, the Azerbaijani president said.
The practice of producing herbs in the Armenian Highlands dates back to ancient times. The region was home to a number of valuable herbs which were exported to different parts of the ancient world. Back in the first century Roman author Pliny the Elder praised the toning and rejuvenating properties of the then famous herb Upan (Laserpitium) used in treating tuberculosis, fever, and liver cirrhosis, among other diseases. The healing power of Armenian herbs was also described in the works of Herodotus, Strabo, Xenophon and Tacitus.

Centuries later, Armenian herbs and herbal teas are exported to different countries worldwide including the EU member states where they have earned the appreciation of the Chancellor of Germany. Eastern Partnership: Ready to Tradean EU4Business initiative helps local companies produce internationally competitive herbs and herbal teas and enter new markets. The project is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and funded by the European Union (EU) under its EU4Business Umbrella.

There is a saying, The higher the mountain, the better the herb, which is most likely the key to success of the local herbal teas, most of them produced from wild herbs. The quality of the local herbs and herbal teas are also praised by the experts of the project who have been providing continued consultations to Armenia-based companies helping them produce internationally compliant teas.

Adhering to quality standards - all the way from cultivating and harvesting - is paramount. Sorting, removal of foreign matter, correct drying levels are key in producing a top-notch product as well as proper storage and warehousing to ensure the material is kept dry and away from light. Quality controls through the production site to reduce any risks  quality management systems such as HACCP are an excellent way for a business to review and manage this throughout the supply chain, international tea expert Angela Pryce says.

For two years now Angela and Sanjo Guhu -international tea expert from India - have provided training and individual consultation to the local tea producers  from quality control to marketing and logistic solutions.

What works for local customers is not always appealing to European consumers. For example, local consumers like herbal blends with a strong flavour while European customers prefer a more subtle taste. As Angela recommended, we are looking to expand our production to blend local herbs with black and green teas. We also intend to issue a new line of fruit tea blends to make our products more competitive internationally, a project beneficiary, Director of Ritea Company Rita Martirosyan says, adding that the ingredients of medicinal herbal teas should be compliant with the EU database and indicated on the pack when exported to the EU.

The project has also provided Armenian companies consultations on ways to enter new markets and present their products on leading international platforms. Local companies have established business ties with international buyers at major trade shows such as BIOFACH trade fair for organic food, SIAL food processing and ANUGA international food and beverage fairs.

The export potential for Armenian herbs is huge. The main challenge for businesses within the local market looking to export would be to ensure that their product is legally compliant to be sold as a health product within the retail market. Particularly if the product is being sold with a link to health, there are legal requirements in place to make sure that the brands do not mislead the customer or are not making a false claim, notes Angela Pryce.

In 2019 Armenias State Revenue Committee reported 11,6 tons of tea in exports. According to the National Statistical Committee, the volume of tea exports from Armenia dropped to 1,5 tons in January-June, 2020 which is largely due to the COVID-19 crisis. As Angela Pryce notes, the sales of traditional black tea bags is declining as consumers switch to herb and fruit infusions. For instance, the UK market has reported volume growth of around 30% since 2013, which creates favourable conditions for businesses looking to export their herbal products to this or other international markets.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the International Trade Centre and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
China seeks to set up military logistic facilities in about a dozen countries: Pentagon

International

pti-Madhuri Adnal

Washington, Sep 02: China is seeking to set up more robust logistics in about a dozen countries, including three in Indias neighbourhood, to allow its army to project and sustain its power at greater distances, a Pentagon report has said.

In addition to the three Indian neighbours -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar -- the other countries where China is considering to base its military logistics and infrastructure are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday.

High powered group comprising Doval meets, analyses evolving situation with China

In its annual report Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) 2020 that was submitted to the US Congress on Tuesday, the Pentagon said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.

A global PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRCs global military objectives evolve, the Pentagon said in the report.

China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, it said, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Seal Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.

Similarly, the Pentagon said, Beijing uses One Belt One Road (OBOR) to support its strategy of national rejuvenation by seeking to expand global transportation and trade linkages to support its development and deepen its economic integration with nations along its periphery and beyond.

OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease Chinas reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca, it said.

Amidst face off with China, why the Indian forces will not budge from the heights

China leverages OBOR to invest in projects along Chinas western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders, the report said. First announced in 2013, Chinas OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy advanced by President Xi Jinping.

According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.

"Host nations can perform an essential role in regulating the PRCs military operations as Chinese officials very likely recognise that a stable long-term relationship with the host nation is critical to the success of their military logistics facilities," it said.

Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training. They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military.

In August 2017, China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti. Chinese Navy Marines are stationed at the base with wheeled armoured vehicles and artillery but are currently dependent on nearby commercial ports due to the lack of a pier on base, the report said. Chinese personnel at the facility have interfered with US flights by lasing pilots and flying drones, and China has sought to restrict Djiboutian sovereign airspace over the base, the report said.
Ed Markey prevailed today over Joseph Kennedy III in the Democratic Party primary in Massachussets, all but securing another term in the U.S. Senate and putting the Kennedy dynasty's political cachet to the torch. Kennedy, endorsed by Nancy Pelosi, is the first of his line to be thusly defeated in Massachussets. Markey, on the other hand, now becomes a progressive legend.

Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, speaking at that event, praised Markey's ability to communicate with generations of progressive politicians. And she didn't mince words while talking about his challenger, who she suspects was trying to avoid a run against U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley for the next open Senate seat.

"This is a colossal waste of our time as Democrats, we're going to come down to the mat to have a Democrat beat a Democrat and then, you know, bodies strewn across Massachusetts," Rollins told reporters. "I've said this to (Kennedy)  I think it's selfish, and it's with respect to him wanting to look at what he wants in the future."
Spriggs Rd., 14000 block, 6:17 p.m. Aug. 21. A message was left on the voice mail at a place of worship, with improper language and the threat of a bomb. No bombs were located. Earlier that evening, officers responded to a threatening message that was reported to have occurred at the Jewish Temple of Congregation Ner Shalom located at 14010 in Woodbridge earlier that evening. The investigation revealed that a message was left on the temples voice mail including inappropriate language and the threat of a bomb. A police K-9 responded and searched the area for any bombs, but none were located. At this time, the threat appears to be isolated to this place of worship. The investigation continues.
A former bodyguard of late North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-il has been denied asylum in Canada, and says he fears he will be killed by the communist regime if deported back to neighbouring South Korea.

The situation is bleak, Lee Young-guk, 57, told the Star on Tuesday through an interpreter.

(The regime) tried to kidnap me when I was in South Korea. If Canada returns me there, Im a dead man.

In 2000, Lee joined an exodus of defectors and made it to Seoul via China. In 2016, he arrived in Toronto with his wife and two children, seeking asylum. He claimed he had fled threats and persecution in South Korea for his outspoken criticism of its neighbour to the north while the two countries were trying to mend their tense relationship.

But in rejecting Lees claim, the Immigration and Refugee Board said he lacked credibility after trying to distance himself from the cruelty of the regime and playing down his role as a military adviser under Kims dictatorship.

Kim died in 2011 and was succeeded by his son, the countrys current leader, Kim Jong-un.

I find there is substantial evidence  to show the brutality committed by the regime, by the leaders and the common population throughout the regime of Kim Jong-il, asylum adjudicator Brenda Lloyd wrote in refusing Lees claim in a decision released on July 31.

The claimant himself described I believe that North Korea is the worlds most repressive country.

According to his claim, Lee began working as Kims bodyguard in 1978. When his service ended 10 years later, he became a military adviser from 1988 to 1991. He then took a break to study in university before returning to the military department in 1994.

Lee says he escaped twice, and that the first time he was captured and sent to labour camp for five years.

In the Yodok concentration camp, in order to survive, to get more food, I volunteered to carry and bury deceased inmates in the mountains. People would ask each other, that theyre buried with a piece of note in a medicine bottle containing their personal identity details. I personally buried over 300 bodies.

Lee published a book, I Was Kim Jong-ils Bodyguard, about his life in the dictatorship and said he advocated for the human rights of North Koreans after he defected to the south, where he also changed his name to Lee Young-dae.

However, Lloyd said there was no documentation provided in regards to his human rights activities with the exception of attending conferences as a former bodyguard of Kim Jong-il.

I find the lack of documentation surprising given his allegations this is why he is being targeted and also due to the two books he wrote, Lloyd said.

During the hearings between October and March, the adjudicator also questioned Lees claims that he faced two kidnapping attempts in South Korea, in 2004 and 2007. Lee said South Korean police refused to investigate the incidents because he only reported them in 2014, well past the five-year statutory time limit for prosecution.

Waiting for years after the incidents to file a complaint lacks credibility, she said. If he felt threatened for kidnapping or threats, it is not credible he would delay for so many years.

There is no serious possibility that the claimants would be persecuted or would be subjected, on a balance of probabilities, to a danger of torture or to a risk to life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment in South Korea.

Lee said he was disappointed with the boards decision.

In a dictatorial system, if you dont follow what the government tells you to do, your whole family and you get punished and destroyed, said Lee, who said he would like to appeal the asylum decision.

Jack Kim of HanVoice, a Toronto-based advocacy group for human rights in North Korea, said the dynamic between the two Koreas and the North Korean defectors is complex.

The treatment of the defectors changes between the conservative and progressive administrations in South Korea, he added.

The conservatives are very anti-North Korea and have a very adversarial approach to North Korea. They tend to use defectors as the vanguards. On the flip side, the progressives first priority is to engage with North Korea and make peace, said Jack Kim.

There has been this flip-flop of opinions. The defectors are caught in this political crossfire in South Korea. Currently, (President) Moon Jae-ins administration has been accused of cracking down on North Korean defector groups and NGOs that criticize North Koreas human rights records.

He said North Korean defectors have faced societal discrimination by their peers in the south, with some having complained they have been targeted in isolated incidents by the communist regime after resettling in the south.

It is likely there are agents of the north in the country. It is hard to quantify how many there are, but there is a subjective fear North Koreans do have.

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DJ Erick Morillo, best known for his song 'I Like To Move It' has passed away at the age of 49.

According to TMZ, the DJ and music producer was found in Miami Beach, with Miami Beach PD saying there were no apparent signs of foul play.

DJ Erick Morillo, best known for his song 'I Like To Move It' has died at the age of 49. Photo: Getty

Erick produced his biggest hit I Like To Movie It with Trinidadian vocalist Mad Stuntman in the 90s which the DJ released under the stage name Reel 2 Real.

The track regained popularity after being used in the 2005 DreamWorks animated film Madagascar.

He made one more album as Reel 2 Real called Are You Ready For Some More? before launching his own label, Subliminal Records in 1997.

He then released numerous singles and remixes as well as his 2004 album My World.

According to TMZ, Erick's death comes after he was reportedly arrested in Miami on sexual assault charges.

The DJ reportedly turned himself in on August 6 and was scheduled for a court hearing on Friday according to Local 10.

If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter to get all the latest news and hacks. Or if you have a story tip, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.
Imperial Valley News Center

Seventh Generic Drug Manufacturer Is Charged In Ongoing Criminal Antitrust Investigation

Philadelphia , Pennsylvania - Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. (Teva) has been charged with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs, the Department of Justice announced today.

According to a superseding indictment filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the company participated in three conspiracies from at least as early as May 2013 until at least in or around Dec. 2015.

Todays charge reaffirms that no company is too big to be prosecuted for its role in conspiracies that led to substantially higher prices for generic drugs relied on by millions of Americans, said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justices Antitrust Division. The division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that companies that blatantly cheat consumers of the benefits of free markets are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Count one charges Teva for its role in a conspiracy that included Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark), Apotex Corp. (Apotex), and others. On May 7, Apotex admitted to its role in this conspiracy and agreed to pay a $24.1 million penalty. On July 14, a grand jury returned an indictment against Glenmark for its role in the same conspiracy, which todays indictment supersedes. According to the charge, Teva, Glenmark, Apotex, and unnamed co-conspirators agreed to increase prices for pravastatin and other generic drugs. Pravastatin is a commonly prescribed cholesterol medication that lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Count two charges Teva for its role in a conspiracy with Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (Taro U.S.A.), its former executive Ara Aprahamian, and others. On July 23, Taro U.S.A. admitted to its role in this conspiracy and agreed to pay a $205.7 million penalty to resolve that charge as well as its role in a separate antitrust conspiracy. Aprahamian was indicted in February 2020 for his role in the conspiracy with Teva, among other charges, and is awaiting trial. According to the charge, Teva and its co-conspirators agreed to increase prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs including, but not limited to, drugs used to treat and manage arthritis, seizures, pain, skin conditions, and blood clots.

Count three charges Teva for its role in a conspiracy with Sandoz Inc. and others. In March 2020, Sandoz admitted to its role in this conspiracy, as well as in conspiracies with other generic drug manufacturers, and agreed to pay a $195 million penalty. According to the charge, Teva and its co-conspirators agreed to increase prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs including, but not limited to, drugs used to treat brain cancer, cystic fibrosis, arthritis, and hypertension.

During these difficult times, it is absolutely essential that our pharmaceutical companies conduct business with the well-being of the consumer in mind, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Stuller, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. When generic drug companies conspire to artificially increase prices, they do so to the detriment of many who depend on these medications to maintain good health. Along with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the USPS Office of Inspector General remains committed to investigating those who would engage in this type of harmful conduct.

Todays charges, the latest in a series of law enforcement actions taken against large drug companies, confirm that this kind of criminal behavior in the generic pharmaceutical industry will not be tolerated, said James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs Washington Field Office. Price fixing and bid rigging is a crime, and the American peoplewho rely on these drugs to treat serious ailmentsare the ones who pay the price when companies like Teva conspire to raise their costs. The FBI remains committed to holding companies accountable for their illegal and reprehensible activity.

Todays superseding indictment against Teva is another important step in this ongoing criminal investigation, which has already recovered hundreds of millions of dollars, said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Along with our partners at the Antitrust Division, we remain heavily focused on illegal price fixing and market allocation in generic drugs and on addressing the impact those practices have on federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Teva is the seventh company to be charged for its participation in conspiracies to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs. Five previous corporate cases were resolved by deferred prosecution agreements, and Tevas co-conspirator Glenmark is awaiting trial. Four executives have also been charged; three have entered guilty pleas, and one is awaiting trial.

A criminal charge merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Each of the charged offenses carry a statutory maximum penalty of $100 million for companies. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than $100 million.

This case is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, market allocation, bid rigging, and other anticompetitive conduct in the generic pharmaceutical industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division with the assistance of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Washington and Philadelphia Field Offices, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
2018s blockbuster film Black Panther will remain one of Marvels most memorable films for a long time. The star-studded cast, including the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, and the now-deceased Chadwick Boseman, delivered powerful performances that helped the film become one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Although all of the stars in the film were praised for their performances, Jordan, in particular, was applauded for his harrowing portrayal of Erik Killmonger, the films central antagonist. His preparation for the role has been well-documented, as he claimed he went into deep isolation and worked out for a year and a half to deliver a believable on-screen performance.

Part of this preparation also included the makeup required for his Killmonger costume, which apparently took nearly 3 hours to complete every day!

Michael B. Jordan spent significant time preparing for the Killmonger role

RELATED: Black Panther Star Michael B. Jordan Felt A Little Bit Depressed After Filming Wrapped

Its a known fact that many actors spend months preparing for their roles, both physically and mentally. Method actors, in particular, tend to put themselves through unusual experiences in an attempt to better relate to the characters they are portraying, and Jordan tends to follow this notion.

Jordan went out of his way to better acclimate himself with the Killmonger role in the months leading up to production and hasnt been shy about revealing this. He spent months in solitude and worked out extensively to prepare for his performance, according to Metro.co.uk.

I spent a lot of time alone. Eriks a very lonely guy, a very pained character so thats part of it, Jordan said. And also like physically preparing for it, working out, training, it was kind of a Swiss army knife of a lot of different skill sets. So training for about a year and half before we started filming really helped with the preparation for the role.

His Killmonger Scars took nearly 3 hours to apply each day

One of the more memorable parts of Killmongers appearance was the signature scars that riddled his body. Signifying every kill hed acquired over his lifetime, the scars were clearly visible every time Jordan took his shirt off on-screen.

Apparently, these scars took an extremely long time to apply to his body, requiring several hours a day to install. According to Insider, The [] actor spent around two-and-a-half hours in the makeup chair to get 90 raised marks placed on his body every day. The scarification process entailed transferring each mold and then blending and painting them to match Jordans skin tone.

The scars were inspired by Denzel Washingtons role in Glory

Jordan revealed that the idea for the scarring actually came from a role one of his idols, Denzel Washington, played in the 1989 Civil War drama Glory. According to CinemaBlend, Jordan revealed this truth while honoring Washington during the 47th AFI Life Achievement Gala.

I remember hearing stories about you and I heard stories that when you were huddled around the campfire in that film [Glory], you werent supposed to be shirtless but you still had the scars put on your back, so you could feel it, so you could know thats what your characters been through. I tell you right now tonight, brother, thats the only reason why Killmonger, when I played that role, I had those scars, even when I wasnt shirtless  because of you. So I want to say thank you for that.

Sometimes method actors tend to go a little overboard when it comes to preparation, but its a good thing Jordan didnt let this role get the best of him for too long.
WASHINGTON  Dr. Scott W. Atlas has argued that the science of mask wearing is uncertain, that children cannot pass on the coronavirus and that the role of the government is not to stamp out the virus but to protect its most vulnerable citizens as Covid-19 takes its course.

Ideas like these, both ideologically freighted and scientifically disputed, have propelled the radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford Universitys conservative Hoover Institution into President Trumps White House, where he is pushing to reshape the administrations response to the pandemic.

Mr. Trump has embraced Dr. Atlas, as has Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, even as he upsets the balance of power within the White House coronavirus task force with ideas that top government doctors and scientists like Anthony S. Fauci, Deborah L. Birx and Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, find misguided  even dangerous  according to people familiar with the task forces deliberations.

That might be the point.

I think Trump clearly does not like the advice he was receiving from the people who are the experts  Fauci, Birx, etc.  so he has slowly shifted from their advice to somebody who tells him what he wants to hear, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University who is close to Dr. Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.
Susan, 71, (pictured) from Hertfordshire

SUSAN, 71

Dating Past?

I have dated online over the past five years, mainly at my daughters prompting. Were both single and encourage each other to find someone. But I havent seen anyone seriously and Im not currently on any dating sites. I am open to meeting someone, although coronavirus has made that difficult this year.

VITAL STATISTICS Married for 45 years, single for seven, two sons and one daughter. CURRENT ROLE Retired from the pharmaceutical industry. Now a voluntary worker. WOULD LIKE TO MEET A chap who is kind, youngminded, and cultured. Im not looking for a marathon runner, because I have had joint replacements. Advertisement

He loved languages, but didnt respond when I spoke French

Pre-Date Nerves?

No, Im a sociable person. I did tell my daughter and two friends I was going on a blind date and they said, You go, girl. As a former college lecturer, Im used to meeting new people. I was excited about going to London. For the date, I chose a green outfit that Id bought in Spain before lockdown. I often travel to Nerja to stay with a friend and we go shopping together.

First Impressions?

I was a couple of minutes early, and was sitting by the window when I saw a man with a moustache and wearing a blazer and thought, I bet thats him. While a moustache is not to my liking, he immediately struck me as a nice man.

Easy To Talk To?

Matthew has lived abroad nearly all of his life and told me about his time in the Far East running hotels and his more recent career on cruise ships. His heart is clearly hankering to live abroad again.

Matthew did all the talking and rather liked to chat about himself. When I found out he spoke languages, as I do, I attempted to start a conversation in French, but he didnt continue the conversation and changed the subject. I was surprised, but he may have misheard me.

He has sacrificed a lot for his lifestyle and told me being childless was one of his regrets.

Embarrassing Moments?

None, it was a lovely afternoon.

Did Sparks Fly?

No, he smiled and talked a lot, but there was no chemistry.

Did You Kiss?

No, it was not relevant.

What do you think he thought of you?

I dont think he was interested in me at all. He only asked me one question at the end of our meal, plus Im not sure Matthew wants to settle down.

Would your family like him?

No, because were not on the same wavelength. I liked listening to his stories, but we are too different. I have no regrets, although it was a real leap of faith for me to leave my Hertfordshire home.

Matthew, 66, who works abroad on cruise ships

MATTHEW, 66

Dating Past?

Its been pretty patchy on the romance front because working abroad on ships isnt good for a relationship. I split with my last partner after two-and-a-half years because I was away so often. Unsurprisingly, Ive never married, but I have been engaged twice.

One fiancee unfortunately died and another left me for someone else. I did arrive home once to see another chaps picture next to my then partners bedside.

Pre-Date nerves?

I dont get nervous. At my age nothing fazes me, Im past those sorts of feelings. Although, I did shave off my lockdown beard and get a haircut before the date.

First Impressions?

VITAL STATISTICS Single for two-and-a-half years, no children. CURRENT ROLE Manager on cruise ships. WOULD LIKE TO MEET Someone who likes sports, animals and travel. I love golf and have worked all over the world. Advertisement

At my age nothing fazes me...Im past those sort of feelings

Sue is a bouncy and fun person. I was pleased with the match.

Easy to talk to?

I was a good boy and didnt discuss politics, but explained to Sue I only returned to the UK because of the financial impact on the cruise industry. We have both travelled extensively. I lived in Thailand for 35 years running a hotel before joining the cruise industry. I speak Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian and French, too. I also discovered we have both lived in France and the Middle East.

I let Sue choose the wine: a delicious Spanish white.

Embarrassing moments?

None.

Did sparks fly?

While I tend not to make snap decisions about people, there was no flirting from either side. She was different to my normal type. I think we could be friends, but we didnt exchange phone numbers because I forgot to ask for hers.

Did you kiss?

No. That was out of the question with the coronavirus situation, so we bumped elbows instead. Id be happy to meet up with Sue for lunch whenever she is in London. We spent almost three hours together and there were no awkward silences.

What do you think she thought of you?

I think she will say that I was all right and that we had great fun together. We had a lively conversation and I think she enjoyed it.

Would your family like her?

Yes. She lives in Hertfordshire and we probably know the same social crowd of people.

SUSAN'S VERDICT 7/10 LIKED? I loved having a day out in London. REGRETS? None. COFFEE OR CAB? Cab. Advertisement
Syracuse, N.Y.  Alternative rock radio station 95X (WAQX-FM) is helping keep live music alive in Central New York with a virtual festival.

95X announced it will host the Binge This Festival - A Virtual Concert Experience, featuring national recording artists performing over two nights on Sept. 26 and 27. Performances begin at 7 p.m. each night with a lineup that includes The Head and the Heart, Cold War Kids, lovelytheband, Saint Motel, All Time Low, Neon Trees, Judah and the Lion, Barns Courtney, Local Natives, and Nothing But Thieves.

The entire show will be streamed for free online at 95x.com and 95Xs YouTube channel at youtube.com/95xSyracuse.

We knew our listeners were missing live music and since we cant all get together right now, we decided to do the next best thing...Bring the show to them! 95X Program Director Joe D said in a statement. You can sit back on your couch and enjoy the show. Plus, no long lines for the bathroom or overpriced beer!

Concerts have been largely shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic; the 2020 New York State Fair and the entire season at St. Josephs Health Amphitheater at Lakeview were canceled. Many artists have shifted to livestreamed performances or socially distant events, like drive-in concerts.

95X, owned by Cumulus Media, had hosted concerts like the 95X Big-X-Cuse and the 95X-Mas Pajama Jam in recent years.

The Binge This Fest Lineup:

 Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.: The Head and the Heart; Cold War Kids; Local Natives; Neon Trees; I Dont Know How But They Found Me; lovelytheband; Dayglow; Barns Courtney; Peach Tree Rascals; Leo the Kind

 Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.: Grouplove; All Time Low; Saint Motel; Judah and the Lion; Meg Myers; White Reaper; The Unlikely Candidates; Robert Delong; Nothing But Thieves; Chaz Cardigan; The Dirty Nil
Pope Francis, sitting centre right, during his general audience, the first with faithful since February when the coronavirus outbreak broke out, at the San Damaso courtyard at the Vatican (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Francis has held his first public general audience after a pause of nearly six months due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Francis used Wednesdays audience to call for solidarity as the way to exit the crisis.

The pope said: The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: We are all linked to each other, for better or for worse.

Expand Close Pope Francis with Lebanese priest Georges Breidi as they hold a Lebanese flag in a moment of prayer in remembrance of last months explosion in Beirut (Andrew Medichini/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pope Francis with Lebanese priest Georges Breidi as they hold a Lebanese flag in a moment of prayer in remembrance of last months explosion in Beirut (Andrew Medichini/AP)

He added: To come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity.

About 500 faithful attended the audience in the Vaticans San Damaso courtyard.

Under strict safety rules, the faithful kept social distances as they sat in the courtyard and were all required to wear masks.

Expand Close Pope Francis speaks to faithful wearing face masks (Andrew Medichini/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pope Francis speaks to faithful wearing face masks (Andrew Medichini/AP)

The pope did not wear one as he met the crowd, but kept a safe distance from the faithful, who were cheering and waving at him.
Dominic Cummings has moved No10 aides into a new 'mission control' as part of a drive to sharpen up government.

The maverick aide - who ditched his has trademark scruffy style for a smart suit as the new political term started yesterday - has introduced a Nasa-style set-up in the Cabinet Office.

The open-plan space is being used by a tight-knit circle of advisers, with socially-distanced desks grouped into policy areas overseen by Mr Cummings and data guru Ben Warner.

Big screens are also being deployed to display detailed metrics about progress with policies and the coronavirus crisis - in keeping with the former Vote Leave head's determination to make government more data-driven.

Dominic Cummings ditched his has trademark scruffy style for a smart suit as the new political term started yesterday (left), in stark contrast to his usual work attire, which typically involves a T-shirt and jogging bottoms or jeans (pictured right last month)

Boris Johnson held his first Cabinet meeting yesterday following the summer holidays

No10 permanent secretary Simon Case was unveiled as the new head of the civil service yesterday - the youngest holder of the post in living memory - with a mandate to force through changes.

In June there were reports Mr Cummings told political aides a 'hard rain is coming' in Whitehall, suggesting the Cabinet Office needed radical overhaul.

A series of mandarins have departed during the drive for change.

While out of government, Mr Cummings wrote extensive blogs detailing his fondness for 'red teams' explicitly tasked with finding reasons why policies should not be pursued, and his criticism of the Whitehall infrastructure.

That included saying the Cabinet room was not fit for purpose because it does not have any 'tools' for modern times - with even the clock not always working.

The former Vote Leave chief, who worked for Michael Gove at the Department for Education, previously described the civil service machine as 'Kafkaesque', and wrote of support for ministers: 'The whole structure of 'submissions' and 'red boxes' is hopeless. It is extremely bureaucratic and slow...

'The whole approach reinforces the abject failure of the senior civil service to think about high performance project management.'

Mr Cummings - who took time off for an undisclosed medical operation recently - donned a smart suit for the first Cabinet meeting called by Boris Johnson after the summer holidays.

It was a stark contrast to his usual work attire, which typically involves a T-shirt and jogging bottoms or jeans.

The upgrade came as the PM spelled out his desire to get the country back towards 'normality' despite the coronavirus crisis.

The government is facing a barrage of problems, with children returning to school for the first time since lockdown this week.

Meanwhile, there is mounting Tory unrest about the handling of the pandemic and the struggle to get workers back in offices, to avert the collapse of town and city centres.

The public finances have been left in tatters by the huge bailouts, but there is fury at briefings suggesting Chancellor Rishi Sunak could raise taxes in the Budget this Autumn.
Police quiet on probe into Phuket students death

PHUKET: Two weeks have passed since the death of 20-year-old student Pornpiphat Mint Iaddam, who collapsed while running after a cheerleading practice session at Phuket Rajabhat University on Aug 19, and police say they are still investigating the students death.

deathpolice

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 2 September 2020, 07:32PM

Deputy national police chief Pol Maj Gen Suchart Theerasawat was in Phuket two weeks ago to give a public update on the investigation, but Phuket police have made no progress since. Photo: The Phuket News / file

They have also confirmed that no new charges have been filed.

Lt Col Chana Sutthimas of the Phuket City Police, who is leading the investigation into Nong Mints death, on Aug 24 said that police had already interviewed many people regarding the young students death.

However, he declined to answer further questions about the investigation yesterday (Sept 1), instead referring all enquiries to Phuket Provincial Commander Col Witoon Kongsudjai.

Col Witoon also remained reserved in his replies to questions from The Phuket News.

Police are continuing their investigation, he said.

I can confirm that no new charges have been pressed against any persons under investigation, he added.

So far police have announced that they have presented a charge of negligence causing the death of another person against a female senior student at the university.

The student has admitted that she ordered Nong Mint to run laps as punishment for making mistakes during the cheerleading practice, but denied the charge against her.

The student has been released on bail, Col Witoon confirmed, but he declined to answer any further questions about the students involvement.

Just days after Nong Mints death, deputy national police chief Pol Maj Gen Suchart Theerasawat, who flew to Phuket to be updated personally on progress in the case, publicly said that police were thoroughly investigating how far Nong Mint was ordered to run as punishment for making mistakes during the cheerleading practice.

The university claims that Nong Mint was ordered to run laps around the car park where the cheerleading practice was held and collapsed, and later died, after running only a few hundred metres.

However, initial news reports consistently reported that Nong Mint was ordered to run eight laps around the pond at the university, and collapsed and died after running several kilometres.

Police so far have yet to make any public statement on this simple, yet critical factor in Nong Mints death.

Col Witoon also declined to comment on whether the university was being investigated for any negligence in Nong Mints death, especially amid reports that only first-year students were ordered to run laps as penance for making mistakes during the cheerleading practice, raising the issue of whether the university was taking any proactive steps to prevent hazing on campus.

Police are also waiting for the results of an in-depth examination of Nong Mints body by hospital staff. At this stage, no other people have been charged, was all Col Witoon would say.

Asked when the investigation was expected to be completed, Col Witoon said, Police are working on it to finish it as soon as possible.

During his visit to Phuket on Aug 24, deputy national police chief Pol Maj Gen Suchart warned against people making any presumptions about what had caused Nong Mints death.

However, he also said, This case should take a short time to process, and if the medical results come quickly, the case can be prosecuted and closed.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer is asking people to double down on their efforts following the highest daily number of new Covid-19 cases in over three months.

Yesterday, it was announced that 217 new infections had been reported but for the tenth day in a row no patients with the virus died.

There were 103 positive tests in Dublin, 25 in Kildare and 17 each in both Limerick and Tipperary.

Ronan Glynn says while the number of cases is substantial, the five day moving average remains relatively stable at 115 cases per day.

Dr Ronan Glynn said: While the number of cases today is the highest daily reported figure since May, the five-day moving average remains relatively stable at 115 cases per day.

"However, this is still a substantial number of cases and I urge everyone to double down on their efforts now  wash hands regularly, physically distance from others, wear face coverings where appropriate, avoid crowded areas, know the symptoms, isolate and contact your GP if you have any concerns."

Anthony Staines, Professor of Health Systems at DCU, says it won't be clear how the reopening of schools will affect the numbers for some time.

"The opening of schools had no effect on what has happened. The effect of that - if there is one- won't be visible for five to 10 days," said Prof. Staines.

"But the more transmission there is in the community, the harder it is to keep the schools open.

"I think for all of us it is a very high priority to keep the schools open, to keep them work uninterrupted."

Of the cases reported yesterday, 70% were in people under the age of 45.

Professor Anthony Staines from DCU says we need to communicate better with young people about the dangers of Covid.

"The GAA, for example, have done great work with the number of GAA players who have been affected either themselves or their families.

"I think that kind of direct outreach from young people who know about what is going on to other young people can be very powerful."

Prof. Staines said that he has great admiration for Ronan Glynn but said the audience for his press conferences among 16-25-year-olds would not be very high.
(Natural News) Researchers report that roughly 6.8 million fewer girls will be born throughout India by the year 2030 thanks to the heavy usage of selective abortions in the country.

This is according to a study published in the journal Plos One in which researchers from Saudi Arabias King Abdullah University of Science and Technology projected the sex ratio at birth in 29 Indian states and territories. They found the strongest cultural preference for a boy in 17 northern states in India, with the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, showing the biggest deficit in female births.

Since sex determination tests started being used in the 1970s, India is estimated to have 63 million fewer women. A 1994 Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act rule made it illegal for an unborn childs sex to be revealed except for strict medical purposes, but the enforcement of this rule has been quite lax in most areas and the sex ratio in much of country has continued to get worse.

The current ratio of women to men in India is between 900 and 930 females per 1,000 males. Some districts fare worse, however. In Sikar, for example, the ratio is 888 girls born for every 1,000 boys. Boys in the country are viewed as breadwinners and are more likely to receive better medical care and more nutritious food than girls, who are widely viewed as a burden across all social classes.

Womens empowerment advocate Anuradha Saxene said: It will take time to remove deep-rooted custom and belief. Progress is slow and incremental, but we are working on making girls valued and cherished instead of being seen as a liability who needs a huge dowry to be married off.

Young marriage contributing to the problem

Adding to the problem is the fact that many Indian girls get married when they are quite young; 27 percent of girls in the country get married before age 18. Many of these young girls lack the awareness and confidence they need to challenge those in their husbands family who are pushing them to abort girls. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently stated he was mulling raising the legal marriage age for girls from 18 to 21.

There is also a very lucrative black market for tests to determine a babys gender. The Guardian reports that police regularly arrest gangs, often in sting operations, who offer to test pregnant women to determine their babys gender for hundreds of dollars.

Another big part of this problem, of course, is the fact that India is not making any moves toward criminalizing abortion, which has been legal in the country for any reason during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy since 1971. The abortion rate in India is considered extremely high, and its believed that more than 300 million babies have been aborted there since 1971. The total market for abortion pills in the country is around half a billion dollars.

Many women who say they are in favor of full abortion rights dont realize the ways in which the practice can work against them, and this is just one example of that in action. Jonathon Van Maren wrote on LifeSite News, A procedure trumpeted as a tool of female empowerment has become the primary method of destroying tiny females in unprecedented and horrifying numbers.

The problem is not unique to India; other countries registering a disproportionately high number of boy births on account of sex-selective abortion include China, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, and some countries in the Balkan peninsula.

A research analyst for the Population Research Institute, Jonathan Abbamonte, said in 2019 that approximately 15.8 million girls have been lost to sex-selective abortion and other forms of prenatal daughter elimination since the year 1990, an amount that is roughly equivalent to the populations of Finland and Portugal combined.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

ChristianPost.com
BANGKOK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A growing number of international and Thai companies are investing in Thailand's medical to help address the COVID-19 situation as well as to build on the country's potential as a medical hub, the Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) said.

BOI data shows that international and Thai investors have filed 50 project applications, worth a total investment value of 12.69 billion baht (USD400 million) during the first six months of 2020. In April, the BOI approved a special incentive scheme to accelerate investment in the medical industry.

"The projects that were submitted largely relate to the production of the medical devices and parts needed to support the rapid response to the coronavirus outbreak," said Ms. Duangjai Asawachintachit, Secretary General of the BOI. "We have approved more than 80 percent of the projects in order to respond to the situation, while paving the way for Thailand's longer-term development as a manufacturing hub for medical devices and supplies."

The 50 applications include projects for the manufacture of medical devices or supplies such as rubber gloves and masks, and of Non-Woven Fabric such as Spunbond or Melt blown used as raw materials in the manufacture of masks and medical devices, BOI data shows.

Other projects are in the field of biotechnology, including that filed by Apsalagen Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Siam Bioscience Co., Ltd. and Germany's Haase Investment, which is the main shareholder in Biotechrabbit GmbH, a producer of biological reagents. Apsalagen's biological reagents and mastermixes are used in the production of rapid tests (RT-PCR) used in the detection of COVID-19.

Recently, the BOI also approved a biotechnology development project undertaken by KinGen Biotech, a 50-50 joint venture between South Korean biotech firm Genexine, and Thailand's KinGen Holdings Co., Ltd. The company has pledged to invest 406 million baht (around USD12.8 million) to develop and manufacture in Thailand bioactive compounds, such as Plasmid DNA and Fusion Protein. The venture will work closely with the King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi in the local research and development as well as the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, the BOI said.
Yerba mate offers the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate all in one beverage

The instant success of the MateCaps Kickstarter campaign proves demand is high for alternative energy drinks that are not only healthy but also good for the environment. The creators of MateCaps saw a need to provide energy and focus, without the jitters, so they created naked yerba mate Caps to enjoy in a multi-use reusable bottle. They are available now on Kickstarter at Early Bird discounts of up to 42%.

Yerba mate is a traditional South American brew known for offering the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate all in one beverage. MateCaps offers a 100% compostable energy drink available through a monthly subscription service. Rather than throwing single-use containers in the trash, MateCaps are package-free.

We always knew we had a great product and its exciting to be able to share it with so many backers, said Marcos Stubrin, Co-Founder and CEO of MateCaps. It feels great to offer something that fills a need without having a negative effect on the environment. Were looking forward to shipping MateCaps to every corner of the world.

How it Works:



The MateCaps multi-use bottle is 14 oz. and has the same functions as a reusable travel cup

Users can brew mate with Caps or loose-leaf yerba mate and store any hot or cold drink

Fill up the bottle with water, place the Cap inside the custom filter and go

MateCaps offers fresh and tasty blends of organic yerba mate, each with unique benefits and functions

Our dream is to introduce yerba mate feel good energy to help everyone say goodbye to single-use packaging and reach their highest potential, said Stubrin.

For more information and to pre-order MateCaps at early bird discounts, visit the MateCaps crowdfunding page on Kickstarter. Kickstarter backers receive a lifetime 25% discount.

The MateCaps Mission - The purpose of MateCaps is to build a conscious community and to come together in creating a larger impact in the world. Backing MateCaps means fighting deforestation in the Amazon and supporting local women entrepreneurs from the land of yerba mate in Misiones, Argentina. The bottle is made from durable, FDA approved and environmentally friendly materials. It was sustainably designed to offer multiple functions and to be a long-time MATE.
Vice President Mike Pence visited Luzerne County on Tuesday and continued to push the importance of keeping Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Im here for one reason and one reason only, because Pennsylvania and America need four more years of President Donald Trump, according to an account from The Citizens Voice in Wilkes-Barre.

Were going to have a great victory, he told the crowd that gathered at Kuharchik Construction Inc., in Exeter. Were going to make Pennsylvania and American stronger.

Pence noted that he was speaking in a town just a short drive from Joe Bidens hometown of Scranton, the story said, adding that Pence said he and President Donald Trump have become Northeast Pennsylvanias favorite sons. I know were not too far from our opponents boyhood home, but its Trump Country now, Pence said.

Pence spoke for just over a half-hour, according to the story.

A small group of Democrats made the trip and stood holding up signs supporting Joe Biden, according to an account from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

It already has been a busy campaign week in Pennsylvania. Pences visit to Pennsylvania came after Biden visited Pittsburgh on Monday while Lara Trump campaigned in Bucks County, the Inquirer noted. Trump is scheduled to go to Latrobe in Westmoreland County on Thursday.
A judge presiding over a family law case denied a father a fair trial by bullying and demeaning his lawyers in court, an appeal court has ruled.

In an extraordinary case, the Full Court of the Family Court of Australia listened to audio recordings and read transcripts of Federal Circuit Court Judge Guy Andrew's interactions with lawyers in a parenting and property settlement dispute last year.

"Oh, God", "rubbish", "this is pathetic" and "that's garbage" were among the judicial exclamations recorded.

Judge Guy Andrew's treatment of lawyers for a father in a family law case denied the man a fair hearing, an appeal court said. Credit:Angela Wylie

The court  Justices Steven Strickland, Ann Ainslie-Wallace and Garry Watts  said Judge Andrew's "cruel, insulting, humiliating and rude interactions" with the father's Queens Counsel and solicitor amounted to an abuse of power. The court ordered a retrial before a new judge, at taxpayers' expense.
One month after a massive explosion at a fertilizer storage facility tore through Beirut and reopened Lebanons old wounds, Pope Francis expresses his and the Churchs solidarity with the troubled nation and calls for a worldwide day of prayer on Friday, 4 September.

By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Wednesday called for a day of prayer and fasting on Friday for Lebanon. Besides the deadly explosion of 4 August in Beirut, the nation has been going through the worst economic and political crisis in its history.

One month after the tragedy that struck the city of Beirut, my thoughts turn once again to Lebanon and its people, so sorely tried, the Pope said during his weekly General Audience. He called a Lebanese student priest with a flag of his country to stand next to him.

Freedom and pluralism

Reiterating the 1989 appeal of Saint Pope John Paul II he said, Lebanon cannot be abandoned in its solitude. Holding the corner of the Lebanese flag as a gesture of his closeness with the Middle East nation, he described Lebanon as a country of hope and expressed admiration for the peoples faith in God and their ability to make their country a place of tolerance, respect and coexistence unique in that region.

Lebanon, the Holy Father said, is a message of freedom and an example of pluralism, both for the East and for the West. For the good of the country and the world, we cannot let this legacy be lost, he said, alluding to the long-drawn crisis in the country.



Even before Covid-19, Lebanon was undergoing the worst economic crisis in its history, which triggered large-scale anti-government protests last year. Today, nearly half the country's 6 million people are living below the poverty line. Analysts warn that the scale of the catastrophe may be worse than the 15-year civil war, which raged from 1975 to 1990.

Appeal to political and religious leaders

Pope Francis encouraged all Lebanese to persevere in hope and to summon the strength and energy needed to start anew. He particularly urged political and religious leaders to commit themselves with sincerity and openness to the work of rebuilding, setting aside all partisan interests and looking to the common good and the future of the nation.

The Holy Father asked "the international community to support Lebanon and to help it emerge from this grave crisis, without becoming caught up in regional tensions".

He exhorted the people of Beirut to take courage and find strength in faith and prayer. "Do not abandon your homes and your heritage. Do not abandon the dreams of those who believed in the dawn of a beautiful and prosperous country. "

Addressing the country's pastors, bishops, priests, the consecrated and lay people, he urged them to accompany their suffering faithful with apostolic zeal, poverty, austerity and humility. "Be poor together with your poor and suffering people," he said, insisting, "Be the first to give an example of poverty and humility."

Help your faithful and your people to rise up and be protagonists of a new rebirth.

The Holy Father urged the nation's Church leaders to work for harmony, the common good, and a true culture of encounter and living together in peace and fraternity, which he said was so dear to St. Francis.

"This," he pointed out, "will prove a sure basis for the continuity of the Christian presence and your own inestimable contribution to the country, the Arab world and the whole region, in a spirit of fraternity among all the religious traditions present in Lebanon."

Closeness and solidarity with prayer and fasting

Finally, Pope Francis invited "everyone to join in a universal day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon on Friday next, 4 September".

On that day, he said, he intends to send Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Lebanon as an expression of his "spiritual closeness and solidarity" with the Lebanese people. He encouraged all to demonstrate their closeness through concrete works of charity.



The Pope also invited other Christian Churches and religious traditions to join this initiative in a manner they deem most appropriate.

At the end of the appeal, the Holy Father invited all to stand and pray silently for Lebanon.
Parisans love their cafes. And were not just talking crema: were talking tables, chairs, the whole croissant and kaboodle. But theyre not the only ones with a bean scene. In cities like Sydney, Australia, where there are rapidly growing foodie movements, many citizens now look upon what used to be a revered institution  the cafe au lait  with disdain, believing their coffee to be the best in the world.

That said, tourists worldwide  Australians included  still look to the French cafe (if not coffee) experience with reverence, despite most Antipodes arrogantly (but not always incorrectly) asserting Parisian coffee tastes like burnt dishwater. Likewise, across the pond, many Americans still see France as a rite of passage, not just because of the museums and art galleries, but due to the al fresco culture and gastronomy, best experienced with a croissant in one hand and a noisette in the other.

RELATED: Secrets To Dressing Like A Parisian When Youre Not One

But other than our historical and cultural projections, what makes the French cafe experience so popular? One Paris-based photographer Patrick Colpron recently took to Instagram with an image (and caption) we believe sheds light on this question.

Lorette & Les Garcons, Cafe life is when you just take the time to love a little instead of rushing from place to place. It is when you can afford to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order taken for a simple coffee and another 15-20 minutes to have it brought to you. The time it takes to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of another persons company, a fresh newspaper or a good book.

Always something new to discover, taste and experience.

Sounds simple but its a world away from the takeaway piccolos of Sydney or the laptop filled Starbucks of Los Angeles.

Despite the health risks of travelling at a time like this, many argue now could be the best period in history to visit Paris, with Politico reporting a 16 million drop in tourists and the WSJ writing that with such a decline in customers, even waiters are friendly.

Maybe as life gets ever more complicated, and global events threaten to raise the blood pressure of even the most well-adjusted individuals, we could all benefit from getting back to basics.

Your coffee and newspaper await.

Read Next
US attempts to re-impose sanctions on Iran doomed to failure: Russia's Lavrov

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 3:04 PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has once again taken a jab at the United States' attempts to re-instate sanctions on Iran in violation of a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal, saying such unlawful bids are doomed to failure.

The United States has lost all its rights by abandoning its obligations under the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Lavrov said in an address to students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on Tuesday.

"The United States wants now to use a rather complex, sophisticated legal instrument, which was laid down in the JCPOA and approved by the United Nations Security Council [Resolution 2231 that endorses the deal], to restore the collective sanctions," he said.

However, he emphasized, the snapback mechanism has been envisaged "exclusively for a situation when Iran does not fulfill its obligations, which is not the case."

The top Russian diplomat also criticized the US for threatening to re-impose unilateral sanctions on Iran and to ban all other countries from doing trade with the country.

The United States is trying to invoke the snapback mechanism in the multilateral nuclear agreement despite its withdrawal from the accord in May 2018 in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231.

All the remaining signatories to the JCPOA say the US does not have the legal right to trigger the provision set out in the JCPOA because it pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

Washington also suffered a humiliating defeat in securing an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran at the Security Council last month. Only the Dominican Republic voted 'yes' to Washington's resolution calling for the extension of the embargo beyond October 18.

The president of the Security Council on August 25 dismissed attempts by the US to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran, citing a lack of consensus in the 15-member body.

Elsewhere in his address, Lavrov said his country supports direct dialogue between the United States and Iran and is ready to help prepare the ground in this regard, if both sides are interested.

"It is always better to directly state one's claims and hear a direct answer," the top Russian diplomat said.

Lavrov's speech came on the same day that the remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal kicked off a meeting in Vienna to discuss ways to keep the JCPOA alive amid a US push to restore international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Germany, China urge preservation of JCPOA

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said on Tuesday that Germany and China share a view that it is essential to preserve the JCPOA after the US withdrawal.

Speaking at a press conference following talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Maas added that the issue had been extensively discussed at the UN Security Council over the past several weeks.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Case Western Reserve University said its partnering with a local company to develop polymer materials that can be used by the U.S. Army.

The Cleveland university said its teaming with PolymerPlus of Valley View on the $5.4 million Army contract, which could be worth as much as $11 million.

PolymerPlus, which was founded in 2010 out of Case Western, is the primary industry contractor on the project, which also includes two other subcontractors. PolymerPlus was recently purchased by Peak Nanosystems LLC of Texas.

Read the full story on cleveland.coms sister site, Cleveland Business Journal.

Get the best in local business news sent straight to your inbox with the Cleveland Business Journal. Free to sign up.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.2

By Tamilla Mammadova  Trend:

Georgia has significantly increased the export of butter to Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).

According to Geostat, in 2020 Georgia sold 480 tons of natural, and other types of butter to Azerbaijan worth $2.8 million.

In 2018 Georgia sold 12.2 tons of butter to Azerbaijan worth $73,200.

Geostat did not provide statistics for export of butter from Georgia to Azerbaijan in 2019 and 2017, while in 2016 Georgia supplied 25 tons of butter to Azerbaijan, for $97,400.

The volume of butter exports from Georgia to Azerbaijan was even higher in 2015, when 94.5 tons of butter worth $410,000 were sold to Azerbaijan.

The external merchandise trade (excluding non-declared trade) of Georgia amounted to $6.03 billion from January through July 2020, 17.6 percent lower compared to the same period of 2019.

The exports equaled $1.75 billion, while the imports stood at $4.27 billion (17.9 percent lower).

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356
Desperate to salvage his presidency, Donald Trump is inciting racial violence by encouraging armed vigilantes to confront protesters angry over the killing and maiming of unarmed Black people by the police. The president is stoking civil conflict to distract voters from his failed leadership and strengthen his electoral prospects.

Deadly as it is, Mr. Trumps latest tactic reflects his view of the presidency as the tool of one man. Rather than serve the people, Mr. Trump is trying to extend his time in office while undermining any constraints on his power.

Across the executive branch, Mr. Trump and his appointees have flouted long-honored norms and violated laws with relative impunity. They have succeeded largely because Senate Republicans have sacrificed oversight and accountability on the altar of subservience to this president so long as it preserves their majority control.

Under Donald Trump, the abuses have touched almost every corner of government, suggesting the president views democracy itself as his opponent.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

By Zeyni Jafarov  Trend:

The entrepreneurs in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic received loans worth 18.9 million manat ($11.1 million) from January through June 2020, Trend reports citing the data of the State Statistics Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Some 11.3 million manat ($6.6 million) of that amount were allocated for the creation or expansion of production spheres, 7.5 million manat ($4.4 million) - for the development of private entrepreneurship.

The production and service facilities were created in various spheres of economic activity within 69 projects through the state support and 133 low-income families were self-employed.

During the reporting period, there were 96,500 hired employees in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, 37,900 employees of them - in the public sector, 58,600 employees - in the private sector. Some 638 new jobs were created.

The average monthly salary of one employee amounted to 524.8 manat ($308.7) during the reporting period.

The employees working in the field of finance, insurance, state governance, social security and those employed in wholesale and retail trade had the highest average monthly salaries.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Sept. 2)

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @jafarov_zeyni
The retailer had previously announced it would donate 100,000 items to healthcare workers back in April and was singled out for praise by England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Two months later, it was handed a 573,000 (645,000) contract to make gowns and protective equipment.

The contract was not advertised to other potential suppliers, according to Government records which were published on Wednesday.

EU rules allow the Government to circumvent the usual processes if only one supplier is capable of delivering on the contract, or if unforeseen events mean that speed is vital.

During the early days of the pandemic several luxury fashion brands turned their production lines over to make desperately needed PPE.

Burberrys Castleford site in Yorkshire retooled to produce gowns for healthcare workers.

It allowed to company to win the 573,000 contract, in addition to donations of around 160,000 pieces of PPE to date to the NHS and healthcare charities since the pandemic started.

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This has included non-surgical gowns made at its Castleford site, and surgical masks that it bought abroad, points heavily publicised by the business.

At the start of April, Mr Hancock praised Burberry for its help in supplying the health service with the PPE it needed.

Ill give a shout-out to Burberry who have turned over their production to the production of gowns to add to the stockpile and to get PPE to people who need it which is another part of the national effort, he said.

I think Burberry deserve credit for what theyve done so far for the nation and hopefully lots more Burberry gowns to come.

Weeks later Burberry highlighted the PPE it had donated in an update to investors: Our trench coat factory in Castleford is now manufacturing non-surgical gowns and supplying them to the UK National Health Service.

We are also sourcing surgical masks through our supply chain and supplying them to the NHS and charities such as Marie Curie, which provides nursing care for families living with terminal illness in the UK. To date, we have donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE.

The UK government has previously faced criticism over some of the contracts it has signed during the height of the pandemic.

Two weeks ago it was revealed that management consultants McKinsey had been paid more than half a million pounds for a less than month-long contract to provide a mission and vision for Englands new test and trace body.
An effort to allow duplexes on most California single-family lots died late Monday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

A bill that would have allowed for duplexes on most single-family lots in California passed the Assembly late Monday night, but died when the year's legislative session came to an end before the Senate could take it up for a vote.

After an initial attempt fell short of passage by three votes, the Assembly took a second look at Senate Bill 1120, passing it with a margin of 42 to 17, just one vote more than was needed and just three minutes before a midnight deadline to clear both houses.

But the bill did not reach the Senate with enough time for legislators to take it up, a spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), the bill's author, confirmed.

SB 1120 wouldn't have outlawed single-family houses. But it would have required local governments to permit applications to convert a house into a duplex or to demolish a house and build two units, either as a duplex or two single-family houses.

Property owners could also have split their lot in two and built two more units, thus allowing four homes where there previously was just one.

The defeat marked the latest failure for a series of high-profile measures aimed at boosting density to ease a housing crisis most economists blame on a lack of supply that's caused people to bid up the cost of housing to find a place to live.

Among those efforts was Senate Bill 50 that would have allowed for mid-rise apartment buildings near transit and job centers.

It failed in January, leading Atkins to introduce SB 1120, which she said could increase supply, while respecting neighborhood character.

But like SB 50, it drew fierce opposition from community groups who said it was a developer giveaway that would ruin single-family neighborhoods, while producing mostly high-end housing that wouldn't help those most at need.

In South Los Angeles in particular, residents feared SB 1120 would unleash an investment flood that would accelerate gentrification. Some in the community saw it as an affront to how hard Black Americans fought to join single-family neighborhoods, battling redlining, racist covenants and even violence.

Story continues

SB 1120 passed the state Senate in June, 39 to 0, with one abstention, but still needed to pass the Assembly.

If it did, it would then need to come back to the Senate, because it was amended slightly.

As the clock ticked toward midnight, the bill was finally brought up on the Assembly floor. Among the supporters was Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who spoke while holding her newborn baby after being denied the ability to vote by proxy amid the pandemic.

"I was actually in the middle of feeding my daughter when this bill came up," she said after arriving on the Assembly floor. "I just come down here in strong support of this bill, and urge my colleagues: It's the simplest way we can have density that still adheres to neighborhood character. "

Others urged a no vote. Some decried that the bill would limit local control; some said they may have supported the bill, but worried a major change to California neighborhoods was being rushed without time for proper debate and analysis.

"This is a major piece of public policy and we should be debating this not for 15 minutes, not for 30 minutes but for several hours," said Assemblyman Chad Mayes, a former Republican Assembly leader and now independent from Yucca Valley. "I still could support, maybe next year, but not this year, because we haven't had the time to properly debate it."

Ten minutes to midnight, the bill hit 38 votes, shy of the 41 needed to pass, and it was put aside.

A few minutes later, it was brought back and passed at 11:57 p.m.

It was on to the Senate, but it was too late.

Midnight passed without a vote in that house where Atkins, the bill's author, is Senate leader.
Photo: The Canadian Press A view of the central building of the Charite hospital where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack and poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government said Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 citing new test results. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny's poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called on Russia to explain what happened, calling the use of a chemical weapon outrageous. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was completely reprehensible.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, Ullyot said.

The European Union also called for an investigation and its foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was "completely unacceptable and a breach of international law.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.

Russian authorities appeared reluctant to comment on the poisoning, instead blaming Germany for not sharing its findings with Russian law enforcement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities are ready and interested in full co-operation and exchange of information with Germany but added that Berlin still hasnt provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor generals office and doctors who treated Navalny.

Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didnt find any poisonous substances in Navalnys system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred public statements without providing any facts whatsoever to a thorough investigation.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care but continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Navalny's prognosis is hard to predict. He said that very swift action is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the significant delay, given that Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.

The problem is that even if Mr Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues, Sella said.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putin's name and a signature next to it.

It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way  or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.

Navalny's allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.

The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.

The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.

The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalnys (possible) death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed," Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King's College London, said. "It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.
The EU's foreign policy chief held talks with Libya's UN recognised government on Tuesday to push for renewed efforts to resolve the country's long-running conflict.

Josep Borrell met the head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, whose administration recently announced a truce after months of hostilities with troops loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar.

"#Libya remains top priority for EU. We welcome recent ceasefire understanding, and continue to support dialogue and Libyan-led political resolution to conflict," Borrell tweeted after the meeting.

Haftar launched an offensive to seize Tripoli in April 2019, but was beaten back this year by Turkish-backed pro-GNA forces. Fighting has stalled around the central Mediterranean port of Sirte, the gateway to Libya's eastern oil fields and export terminals.

The GNA and Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based parliament that partly backs Haftar, in late August made separate announcements that they would cease all hostilities and hold nationwide elections, drawing praise from world powers.

"EU strongly supports Berlin process, mediation efforts and deescalation measures, including arms embargo - key elements to bring Libyan conflict to an end," Borrell tweeted.

He was referring to a January summit in the German capital where the main countries involved in the Libyan conflict agreed to respect an arms embargo and to stop interfering in Libya's domestic affairs.

Borrell said he had also discussed ways "to advance (the) political process", revive joint military talks between the two sides and to lift an oil blockade imposed since January by pro-Haftar groups demanding a fair share of hydrocarbon revenues.

Sarraj also met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. By - (AFP)

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who also met with Sarraj on Tuesday, said Italy supported the ceasefire and that foreign interference "must stop".

According to comments released after the meeting, Di Maio called Libya "a crucial crossroads for building a new model" of development in the Mediterranean, while Sarraj voiced interest in Italian firms investing "to support Libya's development and growth".

Di Maio previously met with Sarraj in late June, promising that a Mediterranean naval operation to enforce the arms embargo would be effective.

EU diplomat Borrell later on Tuesday met the head of the National Oil Corporation Mustafa Sanalla, and tweeted that they had discussed the "need to ensure that oil production can resume, for the benefit of all Libyans and for the unity and prosperity of #Libya."

Haftar last month authorised a partial lifting of the months-long blockade of oil terminals to help ease power cuts in the east, according to a military official loyal to him.

The north African country, which sits on the continent's biggest crude reserves, has been mired in a complex web of conflicts since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Haftar is supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as Russia, while the GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar.
The lawyer representing the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by police when officers executed a no-knock warrant on her apartment in March, said Tuesday that he does not believe his client, Kenneth Walker, fired the shot that injured one officer during the incident.

Walker, 28, is suing the city of Louisville as well as Louisville Metro Police for assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process and negligence.

We know police are firing wildly from various angles, Walkers attorney Steve Romines told the Louisville Courier Journal. The timeline and evidence at the scene is more indicative of [police] actually shooting Mattingly than it is Kenny Walker.

Officers claimed they announced themselves when they entered Taylors apartment searching for illegal drugs and said they were immediately met by gunfire from Walker. A wrongful death lawsuit levied by Taylors family said that Walker, a registered gun owner, thought an intruder was breaking into the apartment. Walker fired what he called a warning shot with his gun, for which he has a Kentucky conceal-carry permit. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the femoral artery as police exchanged gunfire with Walker.

Louisville has since banned no-knock warrants, the type that was issued for Taylors residence. The warrant was issued because police suspected that a man connected to a drug ring was receiving packages containing drugs at Taylors apartment.

Kenny continues to reel from the death of the love of his life, but he is also the victim and survivor of police misconduct  misconduct that threatens his freedom to this day, states Walkers civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Jefferson County District Court.

The conduct of the officers is being investigated by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and the FBI.

Taylors name became known nationally during the protests against police brutality and racism that erupted after the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

More from National Review
The solid rocket booster roared to life Wednesday on a test stand in Promontory, Utah, guzzling 6 tons of propellant each second for 126 seconds and generating more thrust than 14 four-engine commercial airliners.

The duration of the test, just over two minutes, is how long the booster will ignite when launching astronauts to the moon.

It is really impressive to see a rocket that large fire off into the desert, Bruce Tiller, manager of the Space Launch System boosters office at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, said during a news conference.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Blue Origin-led lunar lander arrives in Houston

NASA and Northrop Grumman Corp., the boosters prime contractor, conducted a full-scale rocket booster test Wednesday. This booster is part of the Space Launch System rocket NASA is developing to create a sustainable lunar presence.

Each launch of the rocket requires two boosters. The rockets first launch, propelling an uncrewed Orion capsule in the Artemis I mission, is slated for next year and its boosters are currently being assembled in Florida. Artemis II, the first crewed mission, is scheduled by 2023. Then the Artemis III mission would return humans to the moon in 2024.

The Orion spacecraft for Artemis I recently completed an important review and has been approved for flight, NASA said on Tuesday.

A variety of booster tests have already been completed for the first three missions. Wednesdays static fire was to test and evaluate new propellant ingredients and a nozzle design that could be used for deep space missions beyond Artemis III.

On launch day, the 177-foot-long solid rocket booster will stand taller than the Statue of Liberty. Its five motor segments will be filled with a propellant that has the consistency of a pencil eraser. Of the boosters 1.6 million pounds, this propellant accounts for 1.5 million pounds.

These boosters will be attached to the rockets core stage thats being built by Boeing. Together, the two boosters and core stage (which is powered by four of Aerojet Rocketdynes RS-25 engines) will produce 8 million pounds of thrust. The two solid rocket boosters produce more than 75 percent of this thrust during the first two minutes of ascent.

Ultimately, NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the moon in 2024, though many consider this an aggressive timeline. In a blog post last week, NASAs head of human spaceflight Kathy Lueders said the uncrewed Artemis I mission could launch by November 2021  three years behind schedule.

On HoustonChronicle.com: NASA OIG: Tell Congress that moon rocket is over budget and behind schedule

About the booster Two solid rocket boosters will help propel NASA's Space Launch System rocket. Each booster is: Length: 177 feet Diameter: 12 feet Weight: 1.6 million pounds Propellant: polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN) Thrust: 3.6 million pounds Source: NASA See More Collapse

Lueders also said the rockets development costs through the Artemis I mission increased to $9.1 billion, 30 percent more than the $7.02 billion development baseline cost set in 2014 when NASA was targeting November 2018 for the rockets first launch. A 30 percent increase in development costs requires NASA to notify Congress and not spend additional money beyond 18 months unless the program is reauthorized by law and the agency creates a new baseline for the programs scope, expected costs and schedule commitments, according to the agencys Office of Inspector General.

In her blog post, Lueders said Congress had been notified of the new cost and schedule commitments. She said NASAs assessment occurred prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she remains confident a November 2021 date is achievable.

Tiller was impressed that Northrop Grumman continued manufacturing and organized this test during the pandemic.

To pull it off now after 6 months of what weve been through is very impressive, he said, and NASA is very appreciative of that effort.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com

twitter.com/a_leinfelder
Chattanooga Area Food Bank announced Wednesday it received a $60,000 donation from Publix Super Markets Charities to support the Food Banks School Mobile Pantry Program and emergency hunger relief in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Food Bank serves 20 counties across Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia where nearly 200,000 people overall could face food insecurity as a result of the pandemic.



Officials said, "Publix Charities is a long-time supporter of the School Mobile Pantry Program that provides monthly distributions during the school year of needed, nutritious food to families facing hunger. The Food Bank is working closely with schools to ensure programs like School Mobile Pantries continue regardless of changes to school schedules. The donation will help serve the one in five people overall, including one in four children, expected to be affected by the economic impact of COVID-19. Publix Charities has given a total of $674,923 to Chattanooga Area Food Bank since 2008."



It is a fitting way to kick off Hunger Action Month by hosting Publix which is an inspiring example of how action can help fight hunger, said Food Bank Interim President & CEO Mark Hilling. Publix supports our efforts to fight hunger year-round through financial and food donations, giving hope to people across our 20-county service area who are facing hunger.



Officials said, "Additionally, as the impact of the pandemic took shape, many produce and dairy farmers around the Southeast saw their buying partners dry up and found themselves dumping or plowing over product they could no longer sell. Meanwhile, food banks throughout the region were experiencing substantial increases in need. To bridge the gap, Publix implemented a program to purchase surplus produce and milk from farmers and deliver it directly to food banks. Since then, Publix has purchased and delivered more than 11 million pounds of produce and 500,000 gallons of milk to Feeding America member food banks throughout the Southeast, including 284,949 million pounds of produce and 7,920 gallons of milk to Chattanooga Area Food Bank."



It has been our privilege to support hunger relief throughout the Southeast for many years now, and this work has never been more important, said Publix CEO Todd Jones. We are grateful for the opportunity to support Chattanooga Area Food Bank and to alleviate hunger in the communities we serve and bring hope to those who need it most during these uncertain times.



Anyone in need of food can visit chattfoodbank.org/hungry to find help close to where they live. Hamilton County residents may dial 211 or text their zip code to 898-211 to be connected with a voucher for an emergency food box.






The vertical lift module market is expected to grow by USD 758.22 million, accelerating at a CAGR of almost 11% during the forecast period. Download Free Sample Report

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005047/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Vertical Lift Module (VLM) Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Rising warehouse capacity addition in Europe is one of the major factors propelling market growth. However, the volatility in steel prices will hamper market growth.

The growth of the pharmaceutical and automobile industries has resulted in the expansion of warehouse facilities across Europe. Besides, technological advancements led by the growth of communication and information technology in many European countries have further increased the demand for warehouses in the region. This is encouraging vendors in the market to expand their warehouse facilities to cater to the growing demand. For instance, DACHSER, a prominent logistics and warehouse player in Europe, is making significant investments to expand its warehouse capacity across Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and France. Such expansion plans are increasing the need for warehouse material handling equipment such as vertical lift modules. Therefore, the rising warehouse capacity addition in Europe is expected to drive the growth of the global vertical lift module market during the forecast period.

More details: Report Page Link

Global Vertical Lift Module Market: Application Landscape

Based on the application, the automotive segment is going to see lucrative growth during the forecast period. The segment is mainly driven by the rising production of automobiles across the world. Besides, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles in countries such as the US, China, and Japan is contributing to the growth of the segment.

Global Vertical Lift Module Market: Geographic Landscape

By geography, APAC is going to witness lucrative growth during the forecast period due to the increasing adoption of automation across various industries in the region. Also, the rising FDI in the manufacturing sector is expected to drive the growth of the vertical lift module market in APAC during the forecast period.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

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Companies Covered

Automha SPA

Bastian Solutions LLC

Daifuku Co. Ltd.

EffiMat Storage Technology AS

Ferretto Group Spa

Gonvarri Material Handling AS

Hanel GmbH Co. Kg.

Interlake Mecalux Inc.

Kardex AG

Modula Inc.

SencorpWhite Inc.

SSI SCHAEFER Group

Stanley Black Decker Inc.

Weland AB

What our reports offer:

Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments

Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

Covers market data for 2018, 2019, 2020, till 2024

Market trends (drivers, opportunities, threats, challenges, investment opportunities, and recommendations)

Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments

Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Automotive Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Food and beverage Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Retail Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers Demand led growth

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Automha SPA

Bastian Solutions LLC

Daifuku Co. Ltd.

EffiMat Storage Technology AS

Ferretto Group Spa

Gonvarri Material Handling AS

Hanel GmbH Co. Kg.

Interlake Mecalux Inc.

Kardex AG

Modula Inc.

SencorpWhite Inc.

SSI SCHAEFER Group

Stanley Black Decker Inc.

Weland AB

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

For more information about this report visit https://www.technavio.com/report/vertical-lift-module-market-industry-analysis

About Technavio:

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - After a 48-hour lull, Senegal has returned to the gruesome death toll of coronavirus victims with three new deaths, the Ministry of Health and Social Action announced on Wednesday during its daily briefing on the disease
Sanford, Avera health officials say pandemic is at 'whole new level'

Officials said Avera is seeing record positive tests as well as positivity rates, resulting in challenges to both staffing and patient care.
"For nearly six years, Canadians serving in uniform or chipping in at home played a vital role in achieving a hard-won peace," said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. "The Royal Canadian Mint's circulation coin issued on the 75 th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is a fitting tribute to their legacy of bravery, of service, and of tremendous sacrifice. They have our enduring thanks, and I hope we can all live up to that legacy as this coin changes hands from one generation to the next."

"The Royal Canadian Mint's tradition of honouring our troops through coins goes all the way back to 1943, when Chief Engraver Thomas Shingles created the first Victory Nickel that called on all Canadians to work together to win the Second World War," said Marie Lemay, the Mint's President and CEO. "Today, that inspirational message has found a new home on a special $2 commemorative circulation coin that is a proud 75th anniversary salute to every Canadian who played a role in ending this historic conflict."

The $2 circulation coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is inspired by the 1943-45 Victory Nickels designed by Thomas Shingles. The "V" for Victory on the inner core of the new toonie was, at the time, a rallying call to support the war effort from coast to coast to coast. The letter is overlaid with a flaming torch and flanked by maple leaves over the dates 1945 and 2020.

The words VICTORY and VICTOIRE appear on the outer ring, as does a message engraved in Morse code. "We win when we work willingly" and "La bonne volonte est gage de victoire" first appeared on wartime Victory Nickels. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt in 2003.

Limited to a mintage of three million coins, two million will feature colour. The new $2 coin is now entering general circulation. Canadians will find it in their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of $2 coins.

Veterans of the Second World War, residing at the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa, also shared their thoughts on the 75th anniversary of the end of hostilities:

Betty Bell (Royal Canadian Air Force, Women's Division, Air Woman Grade 1)

"I was in London, England, when victory was declared and the city erupted in one huge celebration. The crowd danced and sang in the streets of Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. Servicemen were sitting on top of lamp posts above the cheering crowd. Victory had been won at a price, but now Europe was free and the lights were on again. No more blackout, no more bombs."

John A. Commerford (Canadian Army, Artillery Gunner)

"I felt a great sense of relief and appreciation for still being alive."

Carl Reiser (Royal Canadian Air Force, Flying Officer)

"I was happy to be going home."

The Mint is adding to this historic commemoration by offering related collector products. There are 15,000 coloured and 5,000 uncoloured limited-edition special wrap rolls of 25 uncirculated coins each, retailing for $79.95. Customers may also purchase a collector keepsake set featuring both versions of the commemorative circulation coin, packaged with uncirculated versions of our 2020 classic circulation coins (5-cent to $1). It retails for $22.95 and its mintage is set at 100,000.

These collectibles may be ordered as of today by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca/victory.They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg boutique, as well as through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. The Mint is one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca. Follow the Mint on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Images of the circulation coin and collector products are available here.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint

Related Links

https://www.mint.ca/




An internet imagery.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian and Russian navies will hold a mega military exercise in the Bay of Bengal on September 4 and 5 to further bolster their operational interoperability in dealing with emerging security challenges, official sources have said.

As part of the Indra Navy exercise, a plethora of maritime drills such as gun firing on surface and aerial targets, tracking exercises and replenishment at sea approaches are planned, they said on Tuesday.



The exercise is taking place at a time when India is engaged in a bitter border row with China in Eastern Ladakh.



The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean Region, deploying a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row to send across a message to Beijing as the maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for China's supply chain through sea routes.



In July, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a US Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship.



The Indra exercise was earlier planned in Vladivostok in Russia but was postponed due to the corona virus pandemic.



Russian Navy ships Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Tributs and Boris Butoma along with a fleet of helicopters will be part of the exercise, the sources said.



The Indian Navy will deploy Ranvijay (destroyer), Sahyadri (frigate) and Kiltan (corvette) and Shakti (tanker) with integrated helicopters, they said.



The sources said the exercise will be non-contact and at sea only passage exercise.



"The exercise will once again showcase the level of friendship, trust and interoperability between Indian Navy and the Russian Navy," said a source.



The Russian naval fleet is visiting the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 3.



India-Russia Indra exercises among the armies, navies and air forces of the two countries have been taking place since 2005.



In the exercise with the US Navy in July, four frontline warships of the Indian Navy participated. The US carrier strike group was transiting through the Indian Ocean Region on its way from the South China Sea.



The US Navy carrier strike group comprises USS Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson.



The Indian Navy carried out similar exercises with the Japanese navy in June.


North Adams Schools Use $1M in Grants to Prepare for School Year

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The North Adams Public Schools has received more than $1 million grants to aid it in shifting to remote learning or, later on, a hybrid model of learning.

The grants will fund a range of technology and support materials as well as a coordinator of digital learning and instructional technology.

"North Adams was recently the recipient of a rather large remote-learning grant that has allowed us to really think about how we would utilize that those funds to support our teachers this year, knowing that we will be highly dependent on remote learning, whether it's hybrid or fully remote," Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the committee on Tuesday, adding that the grant also allowed the school system to bring back all the teaching assistants that had been reduced because of the level-fund budget.

Business Administrator Carrie Burnett said the grants totaled $1,013,392. The major grants included:

Remote Learning Technology Essentials grant for $61,293 to purchase Chromebooks and hotspots.

Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief of $491,049

Coronavirus Relief Fund school reopening grant for $304,425, which was used to bring back all the TAs.

The total grants, including from the city's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, are funding support for video for remot instruction on the Canvas online learning platform; webcams for Zoom and Google Meet sessions for conferencing; short-throw projectors for remote learning and to ensure social distancing within classrooms; the use of Zonar Systems, a bus tracking software; insulated food bags for serving in the classrooms; device carts, dashboard management, warranties, licenses, Chromebooks, internet and broadband upgrades; and cloud-based services.

"This has allowed us to officially be a one-to-one device district," Burnett said.

"I just want to acknowledge the incredible work of Dr. Kimberly Roberts Morandi, Miss Kimberlee Chappell, and Ms. Carrie Burnett," said Malkas, also adding in Thomas Simon, director of student support services. "We were getting grant RFPs very, very quickly, and many other districts chose not to even pursue some of the competitive grants, because they felt that they just didn't have the bandwidth to do this. ...

"I really want to acknowledge their work and their contributions because they have really allowed us to be in a place where we feel very confident in providing a really safe, as well as appropriate supported education, as we go into the 2020-2021 school year."

The school year began on Monday for staff and faculty, as teachers began professional development for the remote-learning model that begins on Sept. 15 for all students. The state Department of Education has allowed schools to reduce the number of required school days from 180 to 170 if those 10 days are used for teacher professional development and preparation.

Vice Chairwoman Heather Boulger asked what the timeline was for transitioning from remote to hybrid  having students at least part time in the classroom.

"We voted at the last meeting to start the school remotely, but we neglected to have a timeline associated with that," she said. "And I was wondering what that timeline is. I know that there's lots of parents and teachers and community people that are very anxious to get things started."

Mayor Thomas Bernard, chairman, said the negotiations subcommittee is currently in talks with the North Adams Teachers Association on that issue.

"I know that everybody's impatient, everybody's got a lot to balance, and I know we're doing this as other districts are, trying to be respectful of all constituencies," he said.

Boulger said she was wanted to make sure that parents were fully informed of the process and that any agreements be communicated as quickly as possible.

"I just wanted to say that I know that everybody's working really, really hard," she said. "So as soon as we can get that information out to the public that would be greatly appreciated."

School districts around the state have been separately negotiating with teachers on how instruction will be delivered. The position of a coalition of school workers that includes the Massachusetts Teachers Association is that health concerns should take priority in any reopening plans  including such issues as sanitation, ventilation, and rapid testing.

About a third of teachers in the North Adams Public Schools have opted to work completely remotely.

"As of right now our percentage for teachers who have been asked to be completely remote is 32.6 percent of our teachers," Malkas told the committee. "However, I have recently received another two requests that are being processed so that percentage would actually be closer to 33."
DALLAS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Among playwright Mark Oristano's earliest childhood memories is a photograph in his grandmother's New York apartment. It was of Albert Einstein, inscribed to his grandfather, Herbert Maass, Sr., thanking him for everything he had done.

Albert Einstein, (l) and Herbert Maass, (2nd from rt) at groundbreaking for the Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton, NJ, 1939.

"My grandfather was a top Wall Street lawyer from the 20's through the 50's. But it wasn't until long after he was gone that I learned he had been instrumental in both bringing Einstein out of Nazi Germany to the U.S., and building the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where Einstein spent the last part of his career."

Having read a few of the thousands of books on Einstein, Oristano said he was struck by an idea.

"I always thought it amazing that we had this genius of geniuses in America, but he was not involved in the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. He was, however, longtime friends with the project director, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. So, in 'what if' playwright mode, I wondered what would happen if Einstein wangled an invitation in March of 1945 to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and spent a day trying to convince Oppenheimer to make sure the bomb was a dud."

The result, The Impact of the Gadget on Civilization, will be shown in online streaming form, produced by Dallas theater company IMPRINT Theatreworks. The streaming schedule runs from September 17th through the 26th, at 8pm US Central time each night. Tickets are available at www.imprinttheatreworks.org.

An ensemble-driven company, IMPRINT Theatreworks dedicate each of their seasons to providing unique and thought-provoking theatre while uniting and engaging the community. IMPRINT remains committed to providing a safe space for artists to work together to create, with intention toward inclusivity and collaboration. We promise to not allow hate to define this critical moment.

WWW.IMPRINTTHEATREWORKS.ORG

Contact: Ashley White

[email protected]

646-932-7555

SOURCE Mark Oristano

Related Links

http://www.imprinttheatreworks.org


KABUL -- Afghan officials say the government is dispatching a delegation to Qatar ahead of long-delayed peace talks after authorities pressed ahead with the release of Taliban prisoners.

Kabul broke an impasse with the Taliban this week by resuming a prisoner exchange, a key hurdle in the launch of negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha, where the militant group has a political office.

A government source told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that all of the remaining Taliban in custody will be released on September 2.

"All obstacles have been removed," Firdon Khawzon, a spokesman for Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, the body leading the peace process, told AFP. "The prisoners' exchange will be completed soon."

Speaking to Reuters, Khawzon said that a government-mandated negotiation team will leave for Doha on September 3.

Najia Anwari, a spokeswoman for the State Ministry for Peace Affairs, said that a "small technical team" had been sent for Doha "for logistical preparations."

Kabul's team of negotiators will also leave for Qatar "very soon," Anwari said.

Officials were quoted as saying Kabul had released some 200 Taliban inmates since September 1 to spur the start of long-delayed peace negotiations.

The fate of a group of 400 "hardcore" Taliban prisoners has stalled peace negotiations between the government in Kabul and the Taliban to end nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has blamed Kabul for delaying the talks and said they are willing to begin peace talks "within a week" of the prisoner exchange being completed.

The negotiations are part of an agreement reached between the militants and the United States in February in an effort to end the Afghan conflict.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Scientists at UC San Diego have discovered a new anode material that enables lithium-ion batteries to be safely recharged within minutes for thousands of cycles. Known as a disordered rocksalt, the new anode is made up of earth-abundant lithium, vanadium and oxygen atoms arranged in a similar way as ordinary kitchen table salt, but randomly. It is promising for commercial applications where both high energy density and high power are desired, such as electric cars, vacuum cleaners or drills.

The study, jointly led by nanoengineers in the labs of Professors Ping Liu and Shyue Ping Ong, was published in Nature on September 2.

Currently, two materials are used as anodes in most commercially available lithium-ion batteries that power items like cell phones, laptops and electric vehicles. The most common, a graphite anode, is extremely energy dense--a lithium ion battery with a graphite anode can power a car for hundreds of miles without needing to be recharged. However, recharging a graphite anode too quickly can result in fire and explosions due to a process called lithium metal plating. A safer alternative, the lithium titanate anode, can be recharged rapidly but results in a significant decrease in energy density, which means the battery needs to be recharged more frequently.

This new disordered rocksalt anode--Li3V2O5 --sits in an important middle ground: it is safer to use than graphite, yet offers a battery with at least 71% more energy than lithium titanate.

"The capacity and energy will be a little bit lower than graphite, but it's faster, safer and has a longer life. It has a much lower voltage and therefore much improved energy density over current commercialized fast charging lithium-titanate anodes," said Haodong Liu, a postdoctoral scholar in Professor Ping Liu's lab and first author of the paper. "So with this material we can make fast-charging, safe batteries with a long life, without sacrificing too much energy density."

The researchers formed a company called Tyfast in order to commercialize this discovery. The startup's first markets will be electric buses and power tools, since the characteristics of the Li3V2O5 disordered rocksalt make it ideal for use in devices where recharging can be easily scheduled.

Researchers in Professor Liu's lab plan to continue developing this lithium-vanadium oxide anode material, while also optimizing other battery components to develop a commercially viable full cell.

"For a long time, the battery community has been looking for an anode material operating at a potential just above graphite to enable safe, fast charging lithium-ion batteries. This material fills an important knowledge and application gap," said Ping Liu. "We are excited for its commercial potential since the material can be a drop-in solution for today's lithium-ion battery manufacturing process."

Why try this material?

Researchers first experimented with disordered rocksalt as a battery cathode six years ago. Since then, much work has been done to turn the material into an efficient cathode. Haodong Liu said the UC San Diego team decided to test the material as an anode based on a hunch.

"When people use it as a cathode they have to discharge the material to 1.5 volts," he said. "But when we looked at the structure of the cathode material at 1.5 volts, we thought this material has a special structure that may be able to host more lithium ions--that means it can go to even lower voltage to work as an anode."

In the study, the team found that their disordered rocksalt anode could reversibly cycle two lithium ions at an average voltage of 0.6 V--higher than the 0.1 V of graphite, eliminating lithium metal plating at a high charge rate which makes the battery safer, but lower than the 1.5 V at which lithium-titanate intercalates lithium, and therefore storing much more energy.

The researchers showed that the Li3V2O5 anode can be cycled for over 6,000 cycles with negligible capacity decay, and can charge and discharge energy rapidly, delivering over 40 percent of its capacity in 20 seconds. The low voltage and high rate of energy transfer are due to a unique redistributive lithium intercalation mechanism with low energy barriers.

Postdoctoral scholar Zhuoying Zhu, from Professor Shyue Ping Ong's Materials Virtual Lab, performed theoretical calculations to understand why the disordered rocksalt Li3V2O5 anode works as well as it does.

"We discovered that Li3V2O5 operates via a charging mechanism that is different from other electrode materials. The lithium ions rearrange themselves in a way that results in both low voltage as well as fast lithium diffusion," said Zhuoying Zhu.

"We believe there are other electrode materials waiting to be discovered that operate on a similar mechanism," added Ong.

The experimental studies at UC San Diego were funded by awards from the UC San Diego startup fund to Ping Liu, while the theoretical studies were funded by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation's Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBS) Local Spectroscopy Data Infrastructure program, and used resources at the San Diego Supercomputer Center provided under the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE).

###

The team also collaborated with researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab, who used neutron diffraction to determine the atomic structure of the Li3V2O5 material. Researchers at UC Irvine and Brookhaven National Lab led by Professor Huolin Xin performed high resolution microscopic studies to resolve the structural changes after lithium insertion. Finally, the teams at Argonne National Lab led by Jun Lu, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, conducted X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption studies to reveal the crystal structural change and charge compensation mechanisms of the material during (de)lithiation. This study used national lab facilities including the beamline VULCAN (Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Lab), beamline 17-BM (Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab), beamline 5.3.1 (Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab).

Paper Title: "A disordered rock salt anode for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries." Co-authors include Haodong Liu, Zhuoying Zhu, Qizhang Yan, Sicen Yu, Yiming Chen, Yejing Li, Xing Xing, Yoonjung Choi, Shyue Ping Ong and Ping Liu, UC San Diego; Xin He, Jun Feng, Robert Kostecki, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Yan Chen, Ke An, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Rui Zhang, Huolin L. Xin, University of California; Lu Ma, Ruoqian Lin, Brookhaven National Laboratory; Tongchao Liu, Matthew Li, Khalil Amine, Tianpin Wu, Jun Lu, Argonne National Laboratory; Lucy Gao, Del Norte High School; Helen Sung-yun Cho, Canyon Crest Academy.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, Stephanie Williams, on Wednesday called for the resumption of the political process in Libya before the fragile opportunity created by the informal cessation of hostilities is lost
When President Donald Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday to survey the damage caused by violent protests, at least one local store's owners said they had no interest in meeting with the president.

"I said no, thank you," Paul Willette told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Willette is co-owner of Rode's Camera Shop, which opened more than 100 years ago before being destroyed in a fire caused by rioters. "I didn't want anything to do with President Trump."

"If it were any other president I would, but not this one. I can't begin to describe my frustration with him. I politely declined coming down there. I didn't want to be part of that fiasco."

Rode's Camera Shop first opened in 1911. Longtime employees Willette and Tom Gram bought the store from their employer, John Rode, in 2011.

Gram, who worked in the shop for more than 40 years before buying it, told WTMJ the White House called him Monday to see if he would join the president to discuss the damage caused to his store. Gram said he immediately refused.

Trump in Kenosha: Trump claims credit for bringing calm to Kenosha in visit criticized as politicizing unrest

I think everything he does turns into a circus and I just didnt want to be involved in it, Gram told the Milwaukee station.

The violent demonstrations broke out in Kenosha after a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, multiple times in the back in August, leaving him paralyzed.

President Trump talks to reporters in front of the burned out remains of B & L Office Furniture in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sept. 1, 2020.

Gram was surprised to see on TV that Trump was instead joined by Rode, the store's former owner, who still owns the property. Rode was very supportive of the president.

"John Rode III, owner of Rode's Camera Shop," Trump said, introducing the previous owner during a roundtable discussion in Kenosha. "We're going to help you. That's a very, very complete rebuild we're talking about down there."

Trump said the business might have been spared if Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had called in the National Guard sooner, repeating a claim he made throughout his visit to the town.

Story continues

But it was Evers who activated the states National Guard on Aug. 24, which was the same day Rode's Camera Shop was burned and a day after Blake was shot. Three days later, Evers asked for help from Arizona, Michigan and Alabama, which sent Guard troops.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump and Rode stood outside a burned out storefront, which the Sentinel Journal reported was B&L Office Furniture, a store that was also torched by protesters. The furniture store is located a few streets over from Rode's Camera.

"This store was here 109 years. Just about the oldest in the nation, doing what you do," Trump told Rode.

"I just appreciate President Trump coming today; everybody here does," Rode said. "Were so thankful that we got the federal troops in to help because once they got here, things did calm down quite a bit. And our city police and sheriff and fire departments are awesome. They worked harder than you can believe, 24/7."

Trump claimed that if federal support had been called in a "day earlier, we wouldve saved your store."

"Were going to work with you. Were going to help you," Trump told Rode. "Well help you rebuild. Its a great area. Its a great state. This should never happen. A thing like this should never happen. They have to call early."

In addition to Rode, Trump was joined at the roundtable by Scott and Linda Carpenter, owners of B&L Office Furniture, Kimberly Warner, owner of the Authentique Gifts and RePourd Candle Factory, and Riki Tagliapietra, who said he was representing two downtown businesses that were vandalized.

Like Rode, Warner praised the president and offered him "great thanks for saving our town."

'They miss a 3-foot putt': Trump tells Ingraham some officers 'choke' during shootings

Gram told WTMJ he was disappointed to see Rode's views portrayed as those of current ownership.

He said Trump needs to "bring this country together rather than divide it."

"I think theres a lot of good people in this community and to say that only law enforcement is correct is not the message we need to hear right now," Gram said.

After the store was destroyed, Gram and Willette told the Kenosha News they were devastated by the loss of the business.

"This was just a building, but peoples memories were inside. Thats what is killing me," Willette said.

"A woman had just come in Monday and brought in a photo of her grandparents in elementary school, wanting it to be restored. I left it on my desk," he added. "Now its all gone. Our customers lost family memories."

"We understand the protests," Gram told the Kenosha News. "but why destroy these businesses?"

Contributing: Courtney Subramanian and David Jackson

Trump unmasked: President goes maskless in Kenosha, and urges others to do so despite COVID-19 order

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump in Kenosha: Owners of destroyed store refused to meet Trump
Stranded assets

A few dots near the bottom corner of the world map in the southern Atlantic, the Falkland Islands were once at the forefront of a new era for the oil industry as companies scoured the planet for resources.

Yet a decade after the discovery of as much as 1.7 billion barrels of crude in surrounding waters, the British overseas territory known for sheep rearing and tension with Argentina looks as remote as ever. Rather than the next frontier, the project to extract energy risks being added to a list of what companies call stranded assets that could cost them huge sums to mothball.

As the coronavirus ravages economies and cripples demand, European oil majors have made some uncomfortable admissions in recent months: oil and gas worth billions of dollars might never be pumped out of the ground.

With the crisis also hastening a global shift to cleaner energy, fossil fuels will likely be cheaper than expected in the coming decades, while emitting the carbon they contain will get more expensive. These two simple assumptions mean that tapping some fields no longer makes economic sense. BP Plc said on Aug. 4 that it would no longer do any exploration in new countries.

The oil industry was already grappling with the energy transition, copious supply and signs of peak demand as Covid-19 began to spread. The pandemic will likely bring forward that peak and discourage exploration, according to Rystad Energy AS. The consultant expects about 10% of the worlds recoverable oil resourcessome 125 billion barrelsto become obsolete.

There will be stranded assets, said Muqsit Ashraf, senior managing director responsible for the global energy industry at Accenture Plc. Companies are going to have to accept the fact.

The Sea Lion that cannot roar

The Sea Lion project in the Falklands promised to be a world-class resource when Rockhopper Exploration Plc found the field in 2010. Hundreds of millions of dollars later and after enduring a flare up between Argentina and Britain over the legality of the project, the first phase still hasnt brought any oil to market.

Premier Oil Plc, Rockhoppers partner, suspended work on Sea Lion earlier this year, and on July 15 wrote off $200 million of investment because later phases looked unlikely to happen.

Larger companies have also begun voicing that realization for other projects. BP said in June it would evaluate its portfolio of discoveries and leave some undeveloped. Chief of Staff Dominic Emery already hinted last year at what kind of resources might never  see the light of day. Complicated projects could be shelved in favor of fields that are quicker to develop, such as U.S. shale, he said.

The pressure to curb emissions may also prompt companies to leave the most carbon-intensive reserves in the ground, as Frances Total SE acknowledged last month when it took an $8 billion writedown on carbon-heavy assets.

The list of projects most at risk includes deepwater discoveries off Brazil, Angola and in the Gulf of Mexico, said Parul Chopra, vice president for upstream research at Rystad. Canadian oil-sands projects such as the expansion of the Sunrise development in Alberta are also in doubt, he said.

Sunset at Sunrise

The Sunrise deposit, a joint venture between BP and Husky Energy Inc., has an abundant supply of bitumenpotentially as much as 3.7 billion barrels. Extraction, though, is complicated. Most oil-sands projects resemble mining operations. The bitumen is dug out of the ground and processed into heavy crude, which must then be diluted with lighter hydrocarbons before it can be refined into fuel.

Sunrise is more complex and more costly. The deposit is too deep to be dug up, so instead its injected with steam to get the bitumen flowing into a well, from where it can be pumped to the surface.

Sunrise was meant to be built in three phases, ultimately producing more than 200,000 barrels of bitumen a day over 40 years. The first 60,000-barrel-a-day stage started in 2015, just as crude prices were slumping amid the first U.S. shale boom. Since March this year, output has shrunk to around 10,000 a day, net to Husky, amid plunging prices and restrictions on pipeline capacity.

Oil price milestones from 2008 to present:

June 2018: 165.76 USD/barrel (all-time high)

2011 to July 2014: Around 100-120 USD/barrel

From October 2014: Decreased to below 60 USD/barrel

January 2016: Decreased to below 40 USD/barrel

April 2020: Reduced to 11.26 USD/barrel

Currently: Around 40 USD/barrel Neither Husky, which runs the project, nor BP have disclosed a timeframe for the next stages of development. Theyll require crude prices well above current levels, suggesting an expansion isnt imminent, said Mike Coffin, an analyst at research group Carbon Tracker Initiative.

Beyond their economic viability, carbon-intensive oil sands also sit uncomfortably with BPs ambition to become a net-zero company by 2050. No new oil-sands projects fit in a world compliant with the Paris climate accord, according to Carbon Tracker.

Husky has said its long-term plans include the potential to expand Sunrise, but declined to estimate timing or the oil price required. A BP spokesman said the company is reviewing oil-sands projects.

Ultimately, with oil in abundance, doubts about the strength of long-term demand and pressure to eliminate the most carbon-intensive production, its a calculation that may become increasingly stacked against projects like Sunrise and Sea Lion.

Many assets are already stranded from an oil-price cycle perspective, said Christyan Malek, head of EMEA oil and gas research at JPMorgan Chase & Co. But when you then add the carbon curve, that takes a bigger chunk out.

Van Cuong
Photo credit: Matthew Horwood - Getty Images

From House Beautiful

IKEA is donating $2 million to help fund Governor Ralph Northam's initiative to help Virginia residents facing evictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The donation, which Virginia is matching, will go toward expanding legal services for those residents at risk of losing their homes.



"Our Commonwealth faced an eviction crisis before COVID-19 arrived in early March, and the ongoing global pandemic is making this problem even worse," Governor Northam told 13News Now. According to the Washington Post, Governor Northam said that more than a million Virginians have filed for unemployment because of lost jobs due to the pandemic, putting them at risk for eviction.

The IKEA U.S. Community Foundation's $2 million donation is the amount of money that the retailers' Virginia-based employees received in unemployment benefits when its two locations were closed at the start of the pandemic, the Washington Post reports. The Legal Services Corporation of Virginia will use IKEA's donation and the state's funds to hire 20 Legal Aid attorneys over the next two years, so that Virginia residents facing evection will have legal representation if they have to go to court.

We are appreciative of the ongoing support from the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the unemployment funds paid to our co-workers who were furloughed in the early weeks of the pandemic, IKEA Retail U.S. president Javier Quinones said, according to 13News Now. People are the heart of our business, and these unemployment benefits helped IKEA U.S. co-workers during a difficult time. We now have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, and weve decided to pay it forward to support the ongoing relief efforts in our local communities.

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Although shared enmity of Iran has largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians, Israel remains unpopular in much of the Arab world. The UAE has promoted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state. Saudi Arabia welcomed the UAEs move but was careful to stress it would only open ties with Israel on the condition that peace is reached with the Palestinians.
T-Mobile to lay off 74 Overland Park employees KANSAS CITY, Mo. - T-Mobile is expected to lay off 74 employees in Overland Park. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice was posted Monday on the Kansas Works website. The company already had let go of more than 200 workers in June following a merger with Sprint.

Following at Sprint takeover, the winning telcom giant has continually told lame mainstream local media that they're keeping the HQ and saving as many metro jobs as possible. Meanwhile layoffs keep moving forward. Read more:
While most Charleston-area music venues are just now figuring out how to reopen to the public safely after the governor's performance hall ban was lifted in late July, a bar hangout on the Isle of Palms has been hosting concerts since early May.

The Windjammer has a unique feature that allowed the beachfront space to keep hosting large-capacity shows, even with the 6-foot social distancing mandate.

Its "sunset stage," an outdoor stage at the edge of the volleyball court, has become a haven for acoustic and full-band performances alike for months now, even with the noise ordinance curfew, which originally cut off music at 9 p.m. but now kicks in at 10 p.m.

Unlike The Gaillard Center or Charleston Music Hall, which operate exclusively as performance venues, The Windjammer falls in the category of The Royal American or Tin Roof  a bar and restaurant that also hosts live music. That means it was allowed to open when restaurants were (with guidelines) back in May, and it was allowed to host up to 250 patrons like other concert venues at the end of July  the best of both worlds.

The first show ever on The Windjammer's sunset stage was Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish back in 2015, when the entire volleyball court, deck and surrounding beach were packed with shoulder-to-shoulder fans. The coronavirus-era concerts at The Windjammer look much different.

The 1,100-capacity outdoor area must adhere to the 250-person limit currently set under Gov. Henry McMaster's executive order. The volleyball court is now filled with spaced-out tables for parties of eight or less at each. Masks must be worn when patrons aren't seated and eating or drinking.

"We don't think it's safe to put 250 people inside The Windjammer, so we've pushed them outside," The Windjammer's talent buyer Scottie Frier offered.

After The Windjammer reopened on May 7, he hosted the first music performance on May 8. It was an acoustic set, as were many that first month, and no advertising was involved. A beach bar in the peak of the summer season doesn't need any advertising, even during a pandemic, Frier assured.

"I never thought when I was hired here, Id be trying to keep people away from the venue," he said. "We dont want successful promotion to cause a problem with a show. We've had to turn people away already many times."

The Windjammer hasn't hosted an indoor show since March, but figuring out exactly how to utilize the outdoor stage wasn't a walk in the park either.

At first, patrons tried dancing in front of the stage, so staff put up caution tape and trash cans to block them, Frier recalled. Some mischievous rule-breakers tried to move tables together at one point, but that was ameliorated with barricades between each party and extra security.

"I dont think theres a better group out here when it comes to being conscious of how they run their operations," said Isle of Palms Mayor Jimmy Carroll.

Carroll said that The Windjammer has had employees test positive for the coronovirus since reopening. In response, the venue was closed and deep-cleaned and all employees were sent home and tested.

"They're doing everything right," Carroll said. "That's what I'd like to see of all of our businesses."

The Windjammer is in a unique, and tough, position in which many of its patrons are visitors in town for a beach vacation. Patrons who just set their suitcases down at Wild Dunes Resort might not have heard about the local mask mandate. Those in vacation mode are looking for a good time and letting loose inhibitions, a mindset that doesn't mix well with pandemic rules.

"When people get a little drunk, they can move around a little more than they're supposed to," said Brian Jarvis of The Midnight City Band, which played at The Windjammer on July 6. "But The Windjammer staff is doing everything possible to enforce those rules."

Another complication involves the controversial new parking rules on Isle of Palms that initially warded off The Windjammer's potential patrons. The Isle of Palms City Council has responded to some of those concerns by cutting off front-beach meters at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Many metered, lot and free spaces that were limited at one point are now available again.

For the local bands that The Windjammer is hosting again, this stage feels far more familiar than the limited-capacity bar and restaurant gigs they've been scraping by on during the pandemic.

"Were making due with the bars, but The Windjammer feels the closest to what we had before COVID," Jarvis said. "It feels like a real show."
Pakistanis to protest arrival of Chinese fishing vessels

by Adnan Aamir

September 02,2020 | Source: Nikkei

Fishermen in Pakistan will protest the arrival of 20 Chinese deep-sea trawlers that will fish in the exclusive economic zone off Sindh and Baluchistan provinces.



The pressure group Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum has announced a campaign against the trawlers' arrival near Karachi. According to the PFF, fish stocks in coastal areas have already declined by more than 72% since last year due to uncontrolled fishing. Now they fear that the trawlers will further deplete Pakistan's marine resources.



The trawlers arrived off the coast of Sindh and Baluchistan in the first week of August. They have not started fishing yet. It is not known which part of China they came from.



PFF Chairman Muhammad Ali Shah said in a statement, "These vessels threaten the livelihoods of small fisher[men] by depriving them of catch today, and in future by ecologically destroying the sea."



Following the PFF's lead, fishermen in the southwestern city of Gwadar have also announced a protest campaign against the vessels. Gwadar is a central part of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. In the past, Gwadar fishermen have protested against Belt and Road infrastructure projects that prevented them from going to sea.



The president of the Gwadar Fishermen Alliance, Khuduaidad Waju, said the Chinese ships will badly hurt local fishermen.



"Fishing in the sea is a source of livelihood for over 2.5 million people in coastal towns of Sindh and Baluchistan, and the new trawlers will deprive us of our livelihood," he told the Nikkei Asian Review.



In the wake of protests, the provincial supervisory body Registrar Cooperative Societies Sindh has written a letter to a manager of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society, which issued the permit to the Chinese deep-sea fishing vessels. The letter, a copy of which was made available to Nikkei, asks the manager to detail the agreement with the company that owns the vessels, the Fujian Hengli Fishery.



The issue has reached the National Assembly. Aslam Bhootani, who represents Gwadar, told the legislature last week that the arrival of the Chinese trawlers has created fear among the area's fishermen.



Bhootani told Nikkei that the deep-sea vessels "have large fishing nets which not only capture a lot of fish but also destroy the ecology of the marine life." He added that the fishermen of Gwadar have small boats and can't go into deep waters. "Local fishermen of Gwadar do not stand a chance against these Chinese vessels, and that is why we oppose them," he said.



Experts also view the protests against the backdrop of wider resentment against Chinese economic expansion in Pakistan under the Belt and Road framework.



Mohan Malik, a professor of strategic studies at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, told Nikkei that most developing countries that signed on to the Belt and Road Initiative do not have much leverage to say "no" to China even when its deep-sea fishing fleet engages in predatory practices at the expense of workers and fishermen in host countries.



China has built the world's largest fishing fleet with heavy government subsidies, Malik added. Faced with depleted fish stocks in the seas around China, Beijing's giant trawlers are increasingly targeting new waters, such as the Arabian Sea off the coast of Pakistan, to satisfy the country's insatiable appetite for seafood -- one-third of total world consumption.



Resentment against the Chinese is also reflected in the Gwadar fishermen's opposition to the Chinese deep-sea vessels.



"Allowing the Chinese deep-sea trawlers to fish is tantamount to selling the seas of Baluchistan to them," Waju said. He vowed that the fisherman of Gwadar will hold strong protests against the new vessels starting next week.

 Nikkei Inc.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
BERLIN  Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalnys poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said.

The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon outrageous. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was completely reprehensible.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, Ullyot said.

The European Unions foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was a breach of international law.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction. Today accusing #Russia is a must-do for any Western country, he said in a tweet.

In Moscow, Russian authorities were quick to blame Germany for not sharing its findings.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities are ready and interested in full cooperation and exchange of information with Germany but added that Berlin still hasnt provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor generals office and doctors who treated Navalny.

Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didnt find any poisonous substances in Navalnys system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred public statements without providing any facts whatsoever to a thorough investigation.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care but continues to improve.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Navalnys prognosis is hard to predict. He said that very swift action is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the significant delay, given that Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.

The problem is that even if Mr Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues, Sella said.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putins name and a signature next to it.

It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way  or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.

Navalnys allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.

The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.

The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.

The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalnys (possible) death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed, Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at Kings College London, said. It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

___

Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London, Raf Casert in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this story.
Credit for this accolade goes to our incredibly dedicated, skilled, and hard working team, and to our valued and loyal customers who have put their trust in us for the last 23 years.

Carolina Restoration Services, which since 1997 has provided tens of thousands of residential and commercial clients across the Carolinas with comprehensive start-to-finish insurance reconstruction solutions, proudly announced today that it has been named to the Inc. 5000. The Morrisville, North Carolina-headquartered company was ranked 4,708, and was also named to the Inc. 5000 in 2018.

The Inc. 5000 is widely considered the most prestigious and authoritative annual ranking of the nation's fastest-growing companies, and the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. All firms named to the 2020 list are privately held, based in the U.S., have generated revenues of at least $2 million in 2019, and have demonstrated revenue growth over a three-year period (2016-2019).

We are delighted to be making our second appearance on the distinguished Inc. 5000 list, commented Carolina Restoration Services President Travis Bailey, whose company is the largest family-owned and operated full-service disaster restoration firm in North Carolina. What makes this distinction so important and meaningful is that it recognizes sustained growth over a period of three years. Credit for this accolade goes to our incredibly dedicated, skilled, and hard working team, and to our valued and loyal customers who have put their trust in us for the last 23 years."

Last month, Carolina Restoration Services was named a Best Places to Work in 2020 by the Triangle Business Journal. It was the third time that the company received the prestigious honor, which celebrates companies for creating policies and a work environment that employees value.

In addition, Carolina Restoration Services has been named by the Triangle Business Journal as one of the Triangles 50 fastest-growing firms (Fast 50) in six of the last seven years. The IICRC-certified company has also been awarded Best Family Business by the Triangle Business Journal, and Employer of the Year by the Town of Cary Chamber of Commerce.

About Carolina Restoration Services

Based in Morrisville, NC, Carolina Restoration Services is the largest family-owned and operated full-service disaster restoration firm in North Carolina. The company assists residential and commercial property owners experiencing damage from fire, smoke, water or storm-related events through a full range of solutions, including 24-hour emergency response. Learn more at http://www.carolinarestorationservices.com \or connect through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/carolina-restoration-services.
By Park Ji-won





Pastor Kim Hong-do Korea Times file
Rank 6 | Dubai | Country: United Arab Emirates (Image: Reuters)

Indians traveling home from UAE no longer need to register with the local consulate, the Consulate General of India in Dubai said in a statement on September 1.

The registration was required for those traveling on the repatriation flights introduced from May under the Vande Bharat Mission.

But "since a number of flights are operational by both UAE and Indian carriers along with flights operated by Air India/Air India Express from Dubai/Sharjah, tickets for which are available online, the process of registration at the website of the Indian Consulate, has been abolished with immediate effect," the statement said.

Also Read: International flights on September 2: Here are the flights operated by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission

UAE was among the first countries with which India established an air travel bubble to operate scheduled flights.

Apart from Air India and its unit Air India Express, many of the private carriers, including IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet are operating flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The statement reiterated that passengers traveling to India are 'advised' to get the RT-PCR test done, not before 96 hours of the departure and upload it on Air Suvidha portal, to get exemption from institutional quarantine for all airports in India.
Rights of media employees violated 17 times in Russia in July through August

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:49 02/09/2020

MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI)  Seventeen cases of violation of the rights of persons being employees of mass media outlets were registered in Russia over July and August by a center monitoring how the rights of journalists are respected, the press service of Russias Presidential Human Rights Council reports on Wednesday.

According to the centers documents, violations were recorded in the Khabarovsk, Astrakhan, Saratov, Tomsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kemerovo, and Krasnoyarsk regions, as well as in the Republic of Bashkiria.

The monitoring center Protection of Media Rights was founded in March 2019 with the aim to create a system of monitoring of observance of journalists rights in Russias regions.
Electric vehicle charging groups are pulling their opposition to a bill making its way through the California Legislature that would add training requirements on workers who install charging equipment.Groups like the Electric Vehicle Charging Association (EVCA) and ChargePoint, a charging infrastructure supplier, were able to work through concerns about Assembly Bill 841 . The legislation is designed to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved communities as well as create a new program within the California Energy Commission (CEC) to fund school upgrades through electric ratepayer-funded energy efficiency efforts. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, also contains provisions related to training certifications for electric vehicle infrastructure installers.Charging infrastructure leaders like EVCA, found the requirements well intentioned, but faulted requirements related to electricians' compliance with the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP), a trademarked curriculum, which industry officials originally described as lacking proper oversight. They also aregued that the requirements would impose a significant burden on electrical installers in rural areas outside of the Bay Area or Los Angeles who would have less access to the training program.Our position is that if the state is going to mandate EVITP for training content on EV charging, then we would like government oversight of the program to ensure the curriculum is up to date and inclusive of higher speed technology; available statewide including north of Sacramento and in the Inland Empire; available online and quickly to avoid slowing down installations when the bill goes into effect; and affordable to all participants, wrote Anne Smart, vice president of public policy at ChargePoint, in an email toin August before the bill was amended.Negotiations among the parties and Tings office led to changes to the bill which would place more state oversight over the program, allow third-parties to provide required training, open up more training opportunities in other parts of the state, and would also delay the requirement for a year.Of the more than 30,000 state-certified general electricians in California, most have the skills to install charging infrastructure, say industry officials. However, only about 1,400 of them have been certified through the EVITP, with only about 40 certified trainers in the program, according the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).Together, these amendments will better ensure charging station deployment is not unduly slowed while achieving your goal of instituting safety standards, wrote a coalition of officials from ChargePoint, EVCA and Enel North America in an Aug. 24, 2020 letter to Tings office.The changes come as the state is set to rapidly expand its EV charging infrastructure in southern California with the announcement by electric provider Southern California Edison to invest $417.5 million toward deploying charging infrastructure across its service area.The move, which will install thousands of charging spots in the southern third of the state, will add to the employment opportunities for electricians and other workers affiliated with EV charging infrastructure, as well as greatly add to the overall charging network.The Los Angeles region is an electrification hot spot not only because of its population and tremendously busy roadways with resulting air-quality challenges, but because it is a place where the electric car market is already beginning to thrive, said Gennet Paauwe, communications advisor for Veloz, an EV advocacy group based in Sacramento. Expansion of the charging network will lead to its visibility and more widespread acceptance that owning and charging an electric vehicle is not just possible, but easy  easier and less costly than stopping at the gas station.The program to expand charging infrastructure, outlined by SCE directly aligns with ChargePoints mission to accelerate the buildout of essential EV charging anytime a driver needs and everywhere they go across the states metropolitan areas, rural and disadvantaged communities, and on the highway, said Anthony Harrison, head of utility partnerships at ChargePoint, in a statement.
The Susan G. Komen Foundations San Antonio office will close as part of the breast cancer nonprofits major restructuring  a move that will eliminate more than 60 affiliate groups across the country and consolidates operations under a single corporation.

Elyse A. Bernal, the charitys San Antonio executive director, said she learned in late April that the groups local operations eventually would be integrated into the national organization, based in Dallas.

Komen communications director Sean Tuffnell said the San Antonio chapter hasnt been given a timeline yet for its closure, but its not among the first group of affiliates thats being asked to close by the end of the year.

The Susan G. Komen San Antonio board of directors has not made any decisions at this time regarding closure, as they continue to gather additional information regarding the intention and future plans of our national Susan G. Komen office, Bernal said Wednesday.

She referred most questions to the national organization.

Tuffnell didnt know how many employees of affiliate chapters would lose jobs, but said they are encouraged to apply for new positions within the centralized organization.

On ExpressNews.com: 20th annual Komen Race for the Cure draws thousands

Before the pandemic, the San Antonio chapter had a staff of three employees, including Bernal, who worked out of an office near San Antonio International Airport, the chapters website states.

A 2018 group tax filing for Susan G. Komen shows the San Antonio chapter also has a 13-person governing board made up of unpaid volunteers. They likely will be asked to serve in advisory positions, Tuffnell said.

He said that up until this spring, the nonprofit was operating as separate incorporated entities and everyone was executing the mission differently.

Despite the eventual closure, Bernal said the chapters mission remains the same  ensuring that each dollar raised in San Antonio stays in San Antonio to assist with breast cancer treatment, services, and research impacting our most vulnerable populations.

Its race and walk fundraiser was postponed in the spring amid restrictions on social gatherings, but is planned as a virtual walk Sept. 26.

Like all nonprofits across the city, we are shifting to creative approaches during the pandemic to make sure our constituents can support our mission in a safe and meaningful way, she said.

A group of local breast cancer survivors opened the San Antonio chapter in 1997. Since then, it has pumped millions of dollars into organizations that offer screenings, treatment, education and after-care services.

This year, a total of $217,500 was awarded in grants to several agencies, including the American Cancer Society, which provides free transportation to treatment, and the SLEW Wellness Cancer Center, which provides wigs, bras, massage therapy and counseling for residents who cannot otherwise afford it.

A $21,750 grant covered the cost of 140 mammograms for low-income women between the ages of 40 to 74 at the Robert B. Green Downtown Campus and the Mays Cancer Center.

University Health System spokeswoman Shelley Kofler said the Komen Foundation told the county hospital that this grant would be its last because the chapter is closing by the end of the year.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios Mays Cancer Center gets $10.3 million in state funding

Nonprofit organizations across the country are facing financial shortfalls amid fewer donations. The traditional model of raising funds to give to other organizations may be on its way out.

On April 24, Komen CEO Paula Schneider said the nonprofits reorganization would focus on supporting patients in a more direct, personal way.

She announced plans to develop a new patient navigation program and improve its national Komen Breast Care Helpline (1-877-GO-KOMEN) and treatment assistance program.

The needs of our community are changing, and we must change to more effectively meet those needs, she said.

Part of that new direction means shifting away from paying for brick-and-mortar office space, Tuffnell said.

Soon after the panademic reached Texas in March, Komen officials decided to close its physical offices in Dallas, which serves as its headquarters, allowing employees to work from home.

Tuffnell said switching to remote work ensures that more of the donors dollar will be spent directly on services in areas where there is the greatest need.

Theres no reason why we need an IT person in San Antonio and Austin and Dallas, said Tuffnell, who has worked remotely since March. We can have one person to support the entire enterprise. We want to make it a unified experience for everybody so that no matter where you live you can access Komens support.

Laura Garcia covers the health care industry. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura
Recent estimates indicate a prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States of 1 in 59 children with a well-established 4:1 male predominance.

Individual costs for care are estimated at about $2.4 million, yielding a societal burden that is expected to exceed $400 billion by 2025. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications that improve the core symptoms of ASD.

Neuroscientists in the laboratory of Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., professor of biomedical science in Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and executive director of the FAU Brain Institute, are focused on serotonin, a mood-regulating molecule in the brain that regulates many brain synapses -; the gaps between nerve cells where signals are sent and received.

The supply of serotonin is tightly regulated by a protein called the serotonin transporter (SERT), which sweeps away serotonin from synapses to limit its action. Shifts in the transporter's activity can significantly impact the ability of serotonin to act in the brain.

Changes in signaling by the neurotransmitter serotonin has been connected to autism for more than 50 years, dating back to findings of elevated serotonin levels in the blood of some people with the disorder, a feature termed hyperserotonemia.

Since this time, multiple rare changes in the genetic code that impact SERT have been observed. Recent studies of mice expressing the most common of these gene variants, called SERT Ala56, induces behavioral changes in animals that scientists connect to alterations in people with autism  repetitive behavior, altered communication, and atypical social interactions, as well as hyperserotonemia.

Although the effects of the SERT Ala56 mutation are paralleled by other mutations in the SERT gene, none of these mutations are common enough to account for the number of individuals with autism demonstrating hyperserotonemia.

Blakely and collaborators have published a study in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, which now offers a possible explanation for this puzzle.

We have known for some time that the activity and regulation of the SERT protein is critically dependent on a number of other proteins that tell the protein where to locate on nerve cells and how to act." Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., Study Lead Author and Professor of Biomedical Science, Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University

It turns out that the SERT Ala56 mutation changes the structure of the transporter in ways that keep these partner proteins from interacting with the transporter, a protein that Blakely's laboratory identified thirty years ago.

Last year, Blakely's former graduate student Meagan Quinlan, Ph.D., first author and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington, demonstrated that the SERT Ala56 mutation impacts the structure of the SERT protein in cells in culture, revving up the transporter into a state of abnormally high activity.

"We think that this high-activity state results in removal of too much serotonin from sites in the brain where serotonin is needed, both during development and in adults," said Quinlan. "I suspect that the structural changes we have observed likely reflected changes in the regulatory ability of SERT-associated proteins to maintain serotonin inactivation at normal levels."

To test this concept, Quinlan purified the mutant transporter from the brain of SERT Ala56 expressing mice, as well as from normal mice, and then determined whether proteins normally bound to SERT were still attached.

"We found that only a few proteins seemed to interact with SERT Ala56 more than they should. In contrast, many more proteins appeared no longer tethered to the transporter, including some proteins we already knew to be SERT regulators and others that have been linked to ASD," said Quinlan.

Blakely was actually quite surprised at the findings. "It is quite amazing that one of the smallest changes you can make in SERT can alter its interactions with partners," said Blakely.

According to Blakely, further work could reveal more extensive links between SERT and other genes known to associate with autism, broadening the impact of SERT Ala56 to other neurotransmitter systems.

"Following the scent of serotonin may well take us to molecules and medications we had no clue about just a few years ago," said Blakely.

Blakely's team recently reported a new small molecule that can tone down SERT activity and normalize behaviors in the SERT Ala56 mouse, a molecule that he hopes may lead to a new therapeutic.

"A goal moving forward with this drug is to see if it can reverse the changes in SERT Ala56 protein associations, tying the molecular changes we see with the mutant to how the drug may work," said Blakely.

ASD is a serious developmental disorder with increased prevalence that impairs the ability to communicate and interact and impacts the nervous system. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely and common symptoms can include difficulty with communication and social interactions, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors. No current medications treat the core features of ASD.
A look at the shareholders of Caledonia Investments plc (LON:CLDN) can tell us which group is most powerful. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership.

With a market capitalization of UK1.4b, Caledonia Investments is a decent size, so it is probably on the radar of institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Caledonia Investments.

Check out our latest analysis for Caledonia Investments

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Caledonia Investments?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Caledonia Investments. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Caledonia Investments' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Caledonia Investments. Cayzer Trust Company Ltd is currently the largest shareholder, with 35% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 8.7% and 4.4% of the stock.

Our research also brought to light the fact that roughly 51% of the company is controlled by the top 4 shareholders suggesting that these owners wield significant influence on the business.

Story continues

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Caledonia Investments

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Caledonia Investments plc. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth UK20m. Most would see this as a real positive. Most would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. Still, it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, with a 11% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 46%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Caledonia Investments you should be aware of, and 2 of them make us uncomfortable.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
The Board of Directors of Ltd (VIL) will meet on Friday to discuss and evaluate proposals for raising funds in one or more tranches through public issue, issue of equity shares or securities among other options.

The announcement came after the Supreme Court's September 1, verdict on the (AGR) issue, wherein the top court gave a 10-year timeline to the telcos to repay their dues, with an upfront payment of 10 per cent by March 31, 2021.

"A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company is scheduled to be held on September 4, 2020, inter-alia, to consider and evaluate any and all proposals for raising of funds," the company said in a regulatory filing late Tuesday.

The board will consider raising funds in one or more tranches by way of a public issue, preferential allotment, private placement, including a qualified institutions placement or through any other permissible mode or combination thereof, by way of issue of equity shares or by issue of any instruments or securities, including securities convertible into equity shares.

According to an assessment by the Department of Telecommunications, (DoT), owed a total of Rs 58,254 crore. As per the government, the operator now owes balance AGR dues of around Rs 50,399 crore.

On Wednesday, shares of rose after plunging in the previous session weighed down by the verdict. Around 11 a.m., its shares on the BSE were trading at Rs 9.61, higher by 8.10 per cent from its previous close.

--IANS

rrb/sn/in

(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.)
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Germany claims the Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been poisoned with a Novichok class nerve agent.

German Cabinets Spokesperson Steffen Seibert said that at the initiative of the Charite hospital the Bundeswehrs special laboratory had carried out toxicological analysis of Alexei Navalnys test samples, TASS reports.

The analysis provided indisputable proof of the presence of a Novichok class nerve agent, he said.

Seibert added that Chancellor Angela Merkel held a meeting with some ministers and agreed a number of steps in the light of the latest data. According to the spokesman, the German Foreign Ministry is to officially inform Russias ambassador on the results of the tests. The European Union, NATO and the OPCW will also be briefed about Navalny.

Navalny was rushed to hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk on August 20 after collapsing on the Tomsk-Moscow flight. He was in a coma and was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. On August 22, he was airlifted to the German hospital Charite. On August 24, German doctors said that indicators of cholinesterase inhibitors had been found in his body. The doctors added that his life was out of danger but long-term complications for his nervous system could not be ruled out.
Miffed with the forest departments report which claimed that just 11 to 14 mangrove trees were hacked at Panje in Uran, Navi Mumbai, a local resident and an environmentalist have filed a follow-up complaint submitting photographic evidence of 66 hacked trees at the site.

The mangrove cell has agreed to reinvestigate the site to confirm the allegation.

Meanwhile, a member of the Bombay high court (HC)-appointed mangrove and wetland grievance redressal panel has asked all city-based environmentalists to approach the HC to file a contempt petition, as the committee had failed to address several cases of mangrove destruction, including Panje.

On Monday, a local resident and birder Parag Gharat, and environmentalist Aishwarya Sridhar wrote to the forest department opposing the mangrove cells submissions that investigated a section of the Panje wetland on Saturday.

The duo were also among the complainants who highlighted the mangrove destruction at Panje last week by filing separate complaints on Wednesday and Friday. We decided to visit the site during low tide on Monday for easier access to deeper patches that were not inundated and found 66 hacked mangrove tree branches at a small distance from each other. We have taken photos of each branch and can guide the forest department through the entire route of environmental violation, Gharat said, adding, The reason why the forest department found very little trees cut is because their inspection took place closer to high tide when most of the cut branches were underwater and could not be clearly seen.

Mangrove destruction was banned by the HC in September 2018 across Maharashtra. This is clearly contempt of HC orders and an attempt to prove that this wetland has no mangroves so that the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) can start land filling the area, said Sridhar.

Environmentalists, the City Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (Cidco), and private companies have been in a tussle for over two years now to protect Panje from proposed industrial and residential projects including the NMSEZ. The owner of the land is Cidco, Navi Mumbais planning agency, which has leased it out to private companies developing the NMSEZ.

On Saturday itself, the forest department wrote to the Raigad district administration to act in the matter and told Cidco to respond to the environmental violation. HT had reported on Sunday that Cidcos nodal officer (environment) said that mangroves had been hacked by unidentified persons for aquaculture purposes (tree branches to hold nets during high tide). There is no such activity at Panje or in the vicinity for decades now, countered Sridhar.

Ashish Thakre, the deputy conservator of forest (Alibag) said, We will be sending our team of forest officers to the site again during low tide to inspect and confirm the exact number of trees hacked. It is a serious violation and exact details need to be brought on record.

Stalin D, a member of the HC-appointed panel, responded to one of the complainants in the Panje mangrove destruction case on Sunday. His letter, which HT has reviewed, read, As a member of the committee I apologise for the miserable failure on the ground to protect Panje. All directions given by the committee to Cidco, revenue department and local administration have been flouted time and again. Please consider filing a contempt petition in the Bombay HC at the earliest.

He told HT that the states coastal zone management authority, responsible for issuing permissions for building a seawall near Panje, had not attended a HC-committee meeting while local residents of Panje village had vested interests in actively pursuing wetland destruction. I want to ensure citizens do not feel handicapped in such environment violations, and complainants need to know the facts. There is a need to highlight the lawlessness even after clear instructions have been passed by the HC, said Stalin.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Badri Chatterjee Badri Chatterjee is an environment correspondent at Hindustan Times, Mumbai. He writes about environment issues - air, water and noise pollution, climate change - weather, wildlife - forests, marine and mangrove conservation ...view detail
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: On a day when 106 deaths were reported due to coronavirus in Punjab, many villages in Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, SBS Nagar districts, have decided to not allow state health department teams to enter their villages for testing.

Villagers of Bhuttiwala in Muktsar had opposed the Health Departments team which had come to collect the samples for Covid-19 testing and even passed a resolution to that effect which stated that unwilling and asymptomatic persons cannot be tested for the virus, while also raising doubts about the procedure.

A panchayat member said:  We will not allow sample collection of asymptomatic and unwilling people. But will not stop anyone willing to undergo a test.

In a separate incident, a case has been registered against a 23-year old Ram Singh of Nangla village in Bathinda by the Mansa Police for spreading rumours about the pandemic on Whatsapp, as per sources.

Batala Police has also registered a similar case against few persons for stopping health workers from executing their duties at Hargobindpur due to spread of misinformation, as a result of which, multiple villagers are now refusing to get tested.

Meanwhile in Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhs home district Patiala, a few panchayats of Ageta, Dhanauri, Dhanaura and Fatehgarh Chana have too passed similar resolutions.

"The health workers will not be allowed to take samples without our consent, they have to do sampling in our presence we will cooperate with them, a villager said.

Reacting to recent developments, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that delayed diagnosis is the main cause behind the state's high mortality rate.

As many as 67 per cent of all covid-19 deaths were due to patients reporting at the health facility for the first time after suffering severe signs and symptoms, he disclosed, adding that these cases then become

difficult to manage, leading to fatalities.

Pointing to reports received from districts about resistance in communities to sampling and testing for COVID, he said even symptomatic persons with co-morbidities have not been reporting to the healthcare facilities till the disease becomes acute.

Sharing a glaring statistic, Sidhu said that more than 50 per cent covid-19 fatalities in Punjab were reported among people suffering from diabetes.

The situation could worsen if the 'negative propaganda' against health workers isn't brought to a halt, he said and appealed people to cooperate with the state government in arresting the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, as many as 35 MLAs including Randeep Nabha and Parminder Dhindsa have tested positive for coronavirus in the state so far.


SPRINGFIELD  City Councilor Adam Gomez soared to victory in Tuesdays primary for state Senate in the Hampden District, defeating five-term incumbent Sen. James T. Welch.

Gomez took 10,270 votes to Welchs 6,929, for a margin of 60% to 40%.

There is no Republican on the ballot for Novembers general election, meaning Gomez is almost all but certain to claim the seat. Welch called to congratulate Gomez, and said he will help him in any way for the transition. The term begins in January.

Gomez said he and his supporters are going to soak in this win.

Were excited, were overwhelmed, but were happy, and were ready to meet with all leaders and all parts of the community that are encompassed in the Hampden District, Gomez said. His top priorities are economic development, housing and health care, he said.

He also said he was looking forward to spending some quality time with family and thanking his supporters.

Were just humbled, Gomez said. It was a really close race. And we look forward to the future of the Hampden District, Gomez said.

Gomez is midway through a two-year term on the council, and he did not say Tuesday whether he will finish out his term.

Gomez and his supporters spent the day at the polls after beginning their day at a ground zero tent erected on Demond Street in the citys Brightwood neighborhood, the candidate said. There were efforts at keeping volunteers and supporters safe from the coronavirus by social distancing and other precautions, he said.

The Hampden District includes all of West Springfield, along with Wards 2, 3 and 4 in Chicopee, and more than half of Springfield including the citys more racially diverse neighborhoods.

Welch, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving as a state representative, congratulated Gomez on running a spirited race.

He was a gentleman throughout, Welch said.

Welch, of West Springfield, and supporters had a low-key event at his campaign headquarters on Hampden Street in the Springfields downtown. He spent Tuesday driving from poll to poll and delivering doughnuts to those working the polls.

Welch had said that dealing with the coronavirus pandemic was a top priority in running for reelection, and he cited his experience on Beacon Hill.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 03:30:17|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows a view of the outdoor exhibition area near the China National Convention Center, where the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held, in the Beijing Olympic Park in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

"It would send a positive signal to the world that, despite some negative impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, states like China are still able to pursue the way towards economic recovery, international cooperation and foreign trade, particularly in the sector of services, which is a very important part of the global economy."

by Li Jizhi

BRUSSELS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is an ambitious event that will send a positive signal to the world as most countries are endeavoring to contain the coronavirus pandemic, a member of the European Parliament said on Tuesday.

Jan Zahradil, chairman of the EU-China Friendship Group in the European Parliament, noted that the event, to be held later this week in Beijing, has been supported by international organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

"It would send a positive signal to the world that, despite some negative impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, states like China are still able to pursue the way towards economic recovery, international cooperation and foreign trade, particularly in the sector of services, which is a very important part of the global economy," he said.

China's total trade in services amounted to 2.62 trillion yuan (about 382.4 billion U.S. dollars) from January to July, down 15.2 percent year on year, Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The trade in knowledge-intensive services reached 1.15 trillion yuan, up 8.9 percent year on year, accounting for 44 percent of the total services trade in January-July.

Commenting on the statistics, Zahradil said some figures are positive and some are not that positive, but it seems that China is getting out of the crisis caused by COVID-19.

Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows a rehabilitation robot functioning in an outdoor exhibition pavilion near the China National Convention Center, where the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held, in the Beijing Olympic Park in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

Since China is a vital part of the global economy, its partially recovered growth and improved situation in foreign trade will benefit the global recovery, he told Xinhua in an interview.

The progress will affect Europe as well, as the European Union (EU) is also a substantial part of the global economy, said Zahradil, who is also vice chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade.

The MEP reminded both Europe and China to be alert to the possible second wave of the pandemic, which could mean another economic slowdown. As autumn is coming, some European countries have reintroduced restrictive measures, he noted.

Zahradil hoped the event, which feature 190 online and offline forums and business negotiation sessions, will not be spoiled by uncertainties stemming from the pandemic.

"I would be moderately optimistic, but I think we cannot say that we are out of the worst already. So let's be patient, let's be careful and let's be prepared for further complications."

As of Aug. 30, over 2,000 firms had signed up as offline exhibitors, while more than 4,000 companies will showcase their products and services online. More than 17,000 companies will attend CIFTIS, according to the organizers. 
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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 08:15 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4211ffb 1 Editorial COVID-19,pandemic,Jakarta-COVID-19,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,lockdown,physical-distancing,hospital Free

From whatever angle, the current state of the pandemic in the country does not look good. The first wave of transmission that began six months ago has not ended. The number of cases and deaths has continued to increase and the curve of infection has never flattened, despite the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in virus epicenters like Jakarta and East Java.

There has not been any significant improvements in measures to reduce transmission either, turning hospitals in the worst-hit regions into virus clusters, instead of safe places where people can receive treatment. There have been numerous reports of hospitals becoming overwhelmed, with bed occupancy exceeding half of the maximum capacity.

Health workers have been the main casualties of the uncontrolled transmission. The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) reported on Monday that 100 doctors had died from COVID-19 since the first cases were confirmed on March 2. As of Tuesday, Indonesia had recorded more than 177,500 confirmed cases and more than 7,500 deaths.

The Health Ministry has played down claims about hospitals becoming overwhelmed, saying the nationwide capacity was still sufficient. But we have reason to doubt this, given the governments poor reporting on cases and deaths.

COVID-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito has admitted that the bed occupancy rate at COVID-19 hospitals in Jakarta was no longer ideal. Jakarta currently has 67 COVID-19 referral hospitals and 170 hospitals providing services for COVID-19 patients.

However, he added, the bed occupancy rate in isolation rooms and intensive care units (ICU) in Jakarta had reached 69 percent and 77 percent respectively. Wiku said the rate needed to drop to 60 percent to reduce the burden on healthcare workers.

Given the situation, the reopening of schools and other activities must be delayed and drastic measures need to be taken to stop transmission. It has been proven that compromises to salvage the economy do more harm than good in the fight against the virus.

For virus epicenters like Jakarta, it is time to consider whether the transition to normal activities should be stopped and restrictions reimposed.

The government should even consider implementing a full lockdown in the capital to curb high intercity mobility. Strict measures to enforce health protocols and ban crowds should also be considered.

In countries known for their success in handling COVID-19, like China and South Korea, governments were prepared to reinforce lockdowns to prevent further spikes in cases. Indonesia has not looked back since it moved to reopen the economy two months ago.

It is true that Jakartas transition out of restrictions has been extended and Balis reopening has been delayed, but no real measures have been taken to ban crowds and restrict mobility. People seem to have returned to normal activities despite the crisis facing hospitals, as more doctors and nurses fall prey to the virus.

The lack of awareness about the hospital crisis must be addressed, or else the countrys health system will be in danger. We face a long and uncertain fight against the virus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin may address the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, according to a preliminary program of speeches at the general debate released on Tuesday.



This year the debate is expected to be held in the format of recorded video addresses due to the coronavirus restrictions. However, the UN noted that leaders are not forbidden to personally visit the organizations headquarters, TASS reported,



Now the Russian leader is the seventh in the list of speakers, after the heads of Brazil, the United States, Turkey, China, Chile and Cuba. On the same day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron plan to address the UNGA.



The UNGAs high-level week this year is scheduled for September 22-29 mainly in a virtual format. So far, US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have announced plans to arrive and deliver their speeches.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Vindicator in Youngstown, a 150-year-old paper that shut down last year because of financial struggles, is being celebrated in a new book on the anniversary of its final edition.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Vindicator in Youngstown, a 150-year-old paper that shut down last year because of financial struggles, is being celebrated in a new book on the anniversary of its final edition.

"No Holds Barred" includes hundreds of columns by the paper's long-time columnist, Bertram de Souza, multiple historic photos, and reminiscences by former writers and editors at the paper, whose closing  one of the biggest U.S. papers to disappear to date  left a hole in northeastern Ohio media coverage.

FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2019, file photo, Bertram de Souza works on a story for The Vindicator newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio. The Vindicator, a 150-year-old paper that shut down last year because of financial struggles, is being celebrated in a new book on the anniversary of its final edition. "No Holds Barred" collects hundreds of columns by de Souza, the paper's long-time political columnist. It also features multiple historic photos and reminiscences by former writers and editors at the paper, whose closing, one of the biggest U.S. papers to disappear to date, left a hole in northeastern Ohio media coverage. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

The hard-charging columns by de Souza often elicited angry  and unprintable  letters to the editor and web comments. One reader was so furious they used an ice cream store's sign to direct a public expletive at him in the mid-2000s.

Taking it all in stride was de Souza, 70, a native of Uganda who earned a journalism degree at Kansas State University, worked for the Selma (Alabama) Times Journal and earned a political science master's at Marquette University before arriving in Youngstown in 1979.

He said the book celebrates the support that reporters received from the family-owned paper, no matter how rocky the going got. With the help of former colleagues, de Souza winnowed about 1,600 columns down to about 300 that appear in the book.

"The columns reflect the commitment of this family to really watchdog journalism, to trail-blazing journalism," de Souza said. "They gave me free reign to write whatever I wanted to write."

Vindicator publisher Betty Brown Jagnow and her son, Mark Brown, the general manager, announced in June 2019 that The Vindicator would cease publication because of financial losses. It shut down for good on Aug. 31, 2019.

The paper's support for journalism for the public good dates to the 1920s and 1930s, when The Vindicator railed against attempts by the Ku Klux Klan to establish a foothold in the Mahoning Valley, Brown said in an interview.

The paper "always fought for the common man, always tried to do what was right for the general public," Brown said.

"No Holds Barred" book divides de Souza's columns by topic, including the mafia, public corruption, General Motors  the GM plant in nearby Lordstown finally closed in 2019  Youngstown State University and politics.

In a 1998 column, de Souza mocked an apparent mob warning to a county prosecutor to keep his mouth shut, delivered in the form of a dead finch. "Its supposed to be a canary, stupid," de Souza wrote.

In a 2005 piece, as gang violence rocked the city, he suggested sending gang members convicted of gun crimes to Iraq for two years. "That should be enough time for the cretin to either get killed, injured or to find God. Any of the three outcomes would be acceptable."

A 2012 column lambasted bonuses given to 400 Youngstown State employees for student enrolment increases as the worst idea "in the annals of dumb decisions" made on the university's "hallowed grounds."

One of de Souza's favourite targets was native son Jim Traficant, a sheriff turned U.S. representative who became just the second member of Congress to be expelled when a jury convicted him in 2002 of corruption charges. Traficant died in 2014 after a tractor accident on his farm.

In 1998, de Souza called Traficant's hiring of a economic development specialist with questionable qualifications, "tantamount to letting a butcher perform surgery."

The book is history told by commentary, said Robert McFerren, the paper's former art director and the book's designer.

"We cant let this just be forgotten," he said. "It needs to be remembered in the long term because it is part of our history and our job of what we did here."

Although the paper died, its name lives on as part of a deal with The Tribune Chronicle in neighbouring Trumbull County. The Ogden Newspapers chain bought the name, subscriber list and news website from the family-owned "Vindy" in Youngstown.

Three TV stations still cover the area, along with the Tribune-Chronicle, the Youngstown Business Journal, and Mahoning Matters, a McClatchy and Google news initiative.

Though de Souza's columns reflect the past, their subject matter is evergreen, said the book's editor, Cynthia Rickard, de Souza's ex-wife and a longtime Vindicator reporter and editor.

"Going through these columns was not just a look back into history but an eye-opener that we are still going through these same issues today," Rickard said.
US can 'assure Taiwan nothing'

Global Times

By Yang Sheng Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/1 22:42:42 Last Updated: 2020/9/1 23:24:27

China should prepare for 'showdown' on island as Washington escalates hostility: expert

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned the US not to go any further on a "wrong and dangerous path" on Tuesday, after the US declassified its detailed documents showing illegal assurances that were made by Washington to the island of Taiwan in 1982 and posted them on the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) website on Monday.

Chinese mainland experts said in the past, Washington was cautious about playing the "Taiwan card" in dealing with Beijing and it kept a low-profile on making exchanges with Taiwan as Washington used to concern about Beijing's reaction, but the latest move has proven that the hostility among US decision-makers against China is unprecedented, and China should seriously prepare for a final "showdown" with the US on the island.

The US released two declassified cables from nearly 40 years ago on its security assurances, or the so-called "six assurances," to the island of Taiwan that reflected the US' commitment to the island after it discontinued recognition of the island's "sovereignty" and established formal diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979. The two cables from 1982, declassified on July 16, 2020, and posted on the AIT's website earlier on Monday, focus on arms sales to Taiwan and the 'Six Assurances' made to the island.

The six assurances are: the US has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan; Has not agreed to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan; Will not play a mediating role between Taipei and Beijing; Has not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act; Has not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan; Will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC.

Former US president Ronald Reagan secretly made these assurances to the Chinese island territory in 1982 without informing the PRC. The assurances were made following calls from US defense experts, former officials and pro-Taiwan politicians who received funding as political donations from the island's authorities while serving in Congress at the time.

But these assurances are not a secret at all, the US was previously low-profile and few of its diplomats and officials would openly talk about the issues during formal occasions, as they cared about the mainland's reaction, said experts.

Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a routine press conference on Tuesday that "the Taiwan Relations Act and the so-called six assurances that the US unilaterally made to Taiwan has seriously violated the one-China principle" and "the China-US Three Communiques" - the "political foundation and fundamental preconditions" for China and the US to establish diplomatic ties.

"From the very beginning, China has always opposed" the six assurances and the Taiwan Relations Act, as they are "totally incorrect, illegal and invalid," Hua said.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC, remarked on Tuesday that "the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's act to rely support from the US for its separatist activities will face consequences, responding to the DPP authorities showing gratitude to the US for reaffirming its assurances.

Jin Canrong, associate dean of the Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that in the past, China had made it very clear to the US that the Taiwan question is the relationship's most sensitive issue, so the US has kept a low-profile even if it played the Taiwan card from time to time.

But the unprecedented hostility that the Trump administration has shown toward China could at least remind Beijing to abandon any illusions and prepare for a final showdown with the US regarding the Taiwan question, he said.

"Now we are not sure if the US would dare to establish formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan or not, and what China can do is to prepare for the worst-case scenario and speed up its military preparation. Once the US breaks the bottom line, the mainland must solve the problem by force once and for all," Jin stressed.

'Unable to assure anything'

Although hyping these declassified documents is provocative, the US State Department's top diplomat for East Asia still wants to make it clear that this was not a US policy shift, as the Trump administration understands the consequences, said analysts.

David Stilwell, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told a virtual forum hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation that the US' latest moves were not a policy shift, but part of a set of "significant adjustments" within Washington's longstanding "one-China" policy, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

In fact, both US politicians and the Taiwan separatist authorities understand that the US can assure Taiwan nothing if the mainland launches a military operation to reunify the island, and this is why the US always keeps its commitments or assurances to Taiwan vague, Lu Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The US dare not make any clear assurances to Taiwan on sending troops to fight in a war with the mainland once the island is reunified with the mainland by force, and the assurances instead focus on how to make the island an ATM for US military industrial giants, said mainland experts.

Lu said the authorities on the island also understand that they are "pawns on a chessboard" and that's why they are also afraid of a miscalculation with the mainland.

Taiwan gets frightened

The latest incident has revealed that Taiwan authorities are worried about a potential conflict caused by a miscalculation or accident. A US military aircraft appeared in the skies over Taiwan on Sunday, which was suspected of taking off from a Taiwan-based airfield and flew to Japan, according to a Beijing-based think tank.

But on Monday, the Taiwan "air force" immediately said the information was "totally against the facts" and accused the mainland think tank and media of "releasing disinformation to damage regional security and stability," according to Taiwan media cna.com.

A Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times "it's hilarious that the Taiwan military has accused the mainland think tank and media with such a tone, because it was them and the US who increased military interactions and activities to provoke the mainland recently. And they didn't explain why the aircraft's ADS-B signal was detected in the skies over the island."

This could be a US military plot to fabricate the signal to show the positioning of the aircraft in Taiwan "airspace," increasing the chances of miscalculation and military conflict with the mainland, but the US didn't inform the Taiwan military, and the island's authorities became extremely frightened and worried about its own security once the tensions escalate, but they also dare not blame their "American bosses," said the expert.

Lu said a series of ongoing drills in four different regions of the West Pacific by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have already displayed China's stance and determination on the matter, as well as military preparation for a final showdown.

Since the US seeks to maintain its provocations, then the war of words would be useless, and China's reaction would be to reveal more of its military operations instead of solely releasing statements, he noted.

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She recently announced that she's expecting her first child with fiance and Tammy Hembrow's ex Reece Hawkins.

And now American model London Goheen has been slammed for charging her followers to see photos of her baby bump on OnlyFans.

The 22-year-old, who boasts 515,000 Instagram followers, copped backlash after revealing that she's going to be charging fans $14.99 per month on the subscription service.

Backlash: Instagram model London Goheen was SLAMMED by her followers this week for making people pay $15 per month to see her baby bump on OnlyFans, after announcing her pregnancy. Pictured with fiance Reece Hawkins

'She's literally charging people for her OnlyFans to view pics of her bump? What the f**k,' one follower commented on London's pregnancy announcement on Instagram.

Another wrote: 'Wow sis is really charging $9.99 per month to see her pregnancy photos lol.'

One fan said that while she's happy for influencer Reece, 25, and London, they just can't comprehend coughing up the cash for the images.

'What the f**k': The 22-year-old, who boasts 515,000 followers, copped backlash after revealing she's going to be charging fans $14.99 per month on the subscription service

'Congratulations. I would love to keep track of everything for your pregnancy. Just like with your relationship to watch you guys grow together... But I don't want to pay for an OnlyFans...'

However, another follower said that posting to OnlyFans is a good idea, saying it's 'so much safer and more secure!!'

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, London defended her decision to show off her baby bump on OnlyFans.

Baby joy! On Wednesday, Reece and London announced that they're expecting their first child together, just weeks after getting engaged

'I have chosen to show detailed parts of my pregnancy on that platform because I've had to experience harassment and bullying for the last two years over my relationship with Reece,' she explained.

'I have 100 per cent control of my profile and what people have access to and comment on.

'I never said it was compulsory. People can choose if they wish to subscribe or not. If people don't like the idea of it or disagree with my decision then they don't have to be involved...

'I'm pregnant!' London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account

'We're just doing this to ensure a HAPPY POSITIVE FRUITFUL PREGNANCY.'

On Wednesday, Reece and London announced that they're expecting their first child together, just weeks after getting engaged.

American model London made the announcement on Instagram, by sharing a sweet image of herself kissing influencer Reece.

More secure: She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action'

'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one wbu?' London captioned the image.

Reece also shared similar images of the pair, calling London his 'Baby Momma' and the 'love of my life.'

'Baby Momma alert. Having a baby with the love of my life and my best friend,' he wrote.

London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account.

Content: London said she'd be posting 'updates, gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online

'I'm so excited that I can finally share with y'all the news that I'm PREGNANT!!!' London's post began.

She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action.'

'We've also been harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action a few times due to harassment, bullying and stalking over the last year... with that being said I've decided I'm going to share my pregnancy journey on another platform where I feel SAFE and POSITIVE,' she explained.

She added that she wants to welcome her child in a 'happy and healthy environment.'

Would you pay? OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography. London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content

'This is the most magical time in my life and I feel so blessed to be able to share my journey and for the people who support us to be involved in watching our family grow together,' she concluded.

London said she'd be posting 'updates, gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online.

OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography.

London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content.

Wedding bells: Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating. Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement

In another post, she clarified that she will still be posting on Instagram but won't be going into 'detail.'

'Hope everyone can understand and if you can't and your angry and you feel the need to tell me about your anger towards me then clearly that shows I've made the right decision,' she wrote in one Instagram story.

Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating.

Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement.

Reece shares two children with ex Tammy Hembrow, son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four.
Biden made the comment a day before he is set to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Trump travelled on Tuesday.

United States presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the officer who shot Jacob Blake to be charged as he prepares to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Biden will visit the city, which has seen daily protests since the August 23 incident, on Thursday, just two days after US President Donald Trump made a controversial trip to Kenosha. That came despite requests from local and state officials that the president stay away for fear his presence would further agitate the situation.





On Wednesday, Biden told reporters that the officer who shot Blake, Rusten Sheskey, needs to be charged while also calling for charges in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment in March.

Lets make sure justice is done, the candidate said.

Biden said the trip is intended to help heal the city, where there have been daily, and at times violent, protests following the wounding of Blake, who was shot seven times in the back and reportedly paralysed as he was trying to get into a car as police US tried to arrest him. The states governor last week activated the National Guard to quell the unrest.

Former Vice President Biden, who has already been in contact with Blakes family, said he planned to meet with business and civic leaders during the trip.

Diverging messages

Bidens call for the officers to be charged represents a counterpoint to Trumps approach to the unrest that has swept across the US during months of demonstrations calling for racial justice, initially sparked by the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minnesota in May.

During his trip to Kenosha, a city about 100,000 in the battleground state of Wisconsin, Trump visited a street where buildings had been burned by the protests before holding a round table with law enforcement. He pledged to continue to support police in the state and country and denied systemic racism was a factor in police killings of Black people.

Instead, Trump said, bad apples and good cops who choke were mostly to blame for recent high-profile incidences. The president said he continued to push a wider law and order message that says US cities and suburbs are under threat from agitators, rioters and looters.

Both supporters of President Donald Trump and Black Lives Matters protesters came out from the presidents controversial visit [Morry Gash/The Associated Press]

Biden, meanwhile, has sought to underline wider security concerns in the country, fuelled by what he calls Trumps ineptitude to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and his fomenting of racial discord.

Biden has also accused Trump of failing to condemn the violence committed by his supporters.

On Monday, Trump defended Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who allegedly fatally shot two men after coming to the Kenosha protest armed with a semiautomatic rifle. In mobile phone footage recorded before the killings, the teenager, who has received significant support from some segments of the right, said he had come to Kenosha to protect property.

Trump suggested to reporters that the killings appeared to be self-defence, a view that diverges from prosecutors account of the events.

Playing politics

Both campaigns have accused the other of playing politics with Kenosha, with Trump acknowledging before his trip that the visit could increase enthusiasm.

Kenosha represents the first city that has become a hot spot of the recent race-related unrest that either candidate has visited in recent weeks. Both the president of the local NAACP chapter and the citys mayor said earlier this week it was too early for either candidate to come to the city.

In many ways, Kenosha encapsulates the states voting potential for both candidates. Trump carried the county by just 238 votes in 2016, while Obama trounced his Republican opponents in the county by 18 and 12 percentage points in 2008 and 2012, respectively.





Trumps narrow win in Wisconsin in 2016 was fundamental to his Electoral College victory. He was the first Republican to win the state since 1984. Meanwhile, Democratic opponent Hillary Clintons failure to visit Wisconsin during the campaign is often cited as one of many contributing factors to her surprise loss.

While some analysts have suggested that northern battleground states like Wisconsin, with predominantly white populations, may be particularly susceptible to Trumps tough-on-crime rhetoric, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed crime remained way down on the list of Americans concerns, with only eight percent citing prevention as a top priority.

Meanwhile, 78 percent said they were very or somewhat concerned about the coronavirus, and 30 percent said the economy and jobs were their top priority for the country.
Claris Ventures, a Turin, Italy-based newly formed venture capital firm, announced the first closing of its maiden fund, Claris Biotech I, at $30m.

The fund, which has a final target of 80m, is focused on early stage biotech investments. It is backed by primary Italian institutional investors including CDP Venture Capital and Compagnia di San Paolo, as well as other local family offices and private investors.

Founded by Pietro Puglisi and Ciro Spedaliere, Claris will mainly invest in Italian companies with therapeutic compounds possibly addressing highly unmet clinical needs. The ideal investment stage is 12-24 months before Phase 1 study launch. The firm will lead 5-15m financing rounds, aiming at providing adequate resources to get to a clinical proof-of-concept, typically completing a Phase 1/2a study.

The team actively collaborates with the Molecular Biotechnology Center (University of Turin) and with the CEINGE research and diagnostics center (Naples).

Commenting on the announcement, Pietro Puglisi said: Contributing to the development of new therapies and, at the same time, creating value and economic impact is a challenge we are honored to accept.

The passage from preclinical to clinical development is crucial for the future of new biopharma ventures: our exclusive focus allows us to curate every little detail, maximize the probability of success, he added.

We work across research, finance and pharmaceutical industry. Understanding the fundamental logic of different ecosystems is key to provide strategic insights to our portfolio companies, Ciro Spedaliere said.

The closing was advised by McDermott, Will & Emery law firm.

FinSMEs

02/09/2020




The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer will be opening a new office in Dalton, with a grand opening celebration on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. at 1300 North Thornton Ave. Suite #2.The Austin Hatcher Foundation offers free services to families faced with pediatric cancer, and the addition of this new office in Dalton will allow the foundation to reach and serve more families in the surrounding areas. The Dalton office will offer mental health counseling, occupational therapy, neuropsychological testing and art-based therapy.In June, the foundation opened its newest 33,000 square-foot Education Advancement Center in Chattanooga to expand the services offered to families faced with childhood cancer.The Dalton location is a phase-one office location, providing the foundation with a space to grow and have a larger North Georgia footprint in the future.This space to grow our services was made possible by Hamilton Health Care Systems President and CEO Jeff Myers, and we are so grateful for this support, said Austin Hatcher Foundation President Amy Jo Osborn. This gives us the opportunity to continue extending our services to more and more families, not only in Chattanooga but also to our surrounding neighbors in Dalton.
New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a drug peddler named Basit on Wednesday morning with links to Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty. According to NCB sources, Showik allegedly used to buy drugs from Basit.

This is the second arrest made by the NCB in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday evening, the agency arrested another drug peddler after conducting multiple raids based on information related to drug supply. The arrested drug peddler has been identified as Zaid. As per sources, Basit had introduced Showik to Zaid.

With these two arrests and the drug peddlers' links to Showik, it has been learnt that the NCB can soon summon Rhea and her brother for questioning.

Meanwhile, as per sources, the NCB sleuths on Tuesday also detained two more alleged drug suppliers and brought them to its Mumbai office for questioning.

The NCB has already registered a criminal case against Rhea, Showik, her talent manager Jaya Saha and a Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya under several sections of the NDPS Act.

Rhea and Gaurav Arya allegedly exchanged messages about drug consumption. Her deleted WhatsApp chats hinted at a possible drug conspiracy in Sushant's case.

Gaurav Arya has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and appeared for questioning on Monday and Tuesday. The ED is recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He, however, has claimed he had never met Sushant but said that he had met Rhea once in 2017. He also stated that he has no connection with the Sushant case.
Sesa sen By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Retail loan growth, which has seen a dramatic decline, now appears to be making a recovery. In July, the segment registered a growth of 11.2 per cent (it was slowest in June at 10.5 per cent in the last 12 months), showed the Reserve Bank's monthly credit data. In absolute numbers, the outstanding credit rose to Rs 25.3 lakh crore during the month as against Rs 24.9 lakh crore in the same period of the corresponding year.

The gradual unlocking of economic activities has also seen the month-on-month growth in credit to the sector inching up 1.6 per cent in July (the highest since February). During the lockdown months, retail loans  covering segments like home loans, vehicle loans, and credit cards  nosedived Rs 62,861 crore in April, followed by Rs 11,928 crore dip in May.

According to the RBI data, segments such as credit card debt (+7.9% YoY) vehicle loans (+8.1% YoY) and other personal loans (+13.3% YoY) drove the recovery in July.

In fact, consumer durables registered a 62.3 per cent growth vs degrowth of 72.5 per cent in July last year. On the other hand, education loans registered a degrowth of 3.8 per cent as compared to a decline of 1.8 per cent a year ago.

Similarly, housing loans, which accounted for 53 per cent of the retail loans, slowed to 12.3 per cent this year in July as compared with 19.2 per cent in July 2019.

Broadly, however, retail credit is still lower than the year-on-year growth over the last two years when it has been in the range of 15-20 per cent. In July 2019, the y-o-y growth in retail loans was a strong 17 per cent.

Analysts say people aren't feeling confident to borrow even as banks are flushed with funds. The bruised economy, further battered by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, has dragged consumption and the data is in sync with indicators such as falling sales of automobiles, consumer durables and homes.

The slowing growth also comes despite the central bank cutting repo rate by 115 bps since the lockdown was imposed late March.

Banks continue to remain risk averse, despite availability of ample liquidity, due to the Covid-led uncertainty contributing to weak credit pick-up. We expect overall credit growth to remain slower in the near term as banks are selective in giving fresh loans due to asset quality concerns, said Sanjay Agarwal  Senior Director, Care Ratings.

Whether the uphill trend in retail loan growth will sustain will be known after repayments start flowing in as the loan moratorium ends.

Besides, another set of much-awaited fiscal stimulus to boost consumption ahead of the crucial festive season would advance credit flow and the larger economy facing recession. It also requires government measures to arrest job losses and increase disposable incomes.
A young pregnant woman was found dead with her unborn child cut out of her womb after being lured to a fake baby shower by a friend who had become obsessed with stealing a child.

The woman, who has been identified locally as Flavia Godinho Mafra, 24, was 36 weeks pregnant when she was murdered in the town of Canelinha, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.

The partner of her school friend admitted using a brick to kill her after luring her to the murder scene on the pretence of a baby shower, local media reported.

The friend confessed to having become obsessed with stealing a child after she had a miscarriage earlier this year, police said.

Brazilian woman Flavia Godinho Mafra, 24, is pictured in an undated photograph. Mafra, who was 36 weeks pregnant, was brutally murdered by an old school friend who had become obsessed with stealing a baby after having a miscarriage herself. She removed the baby from the mother's body using a blade

Mafra poses with her husband in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Mafra was 36 weeks pregnant at the time of the murder. It's unknown whether the baby was removed while she was still alive

Pictured: The knife used in the horrific crime in Brazil. Police said Mafra's cause of death was a sharp cut to the abdomen and wounds sustained from being hit with a brick

The detective responsible for the case, Paulo Alexandre Freyesleben e Silva, confirmed that the cause of death of the 24-year-old victim was a sharp cut to the abdomen and wounds from a brick, according to national newspaper G1.

The body was reportedly found by the victim's husband and mother at around 9am on Friday.

It had been dumped in an abandoned pottery yard in the Galera neighbourhood.. The baby was missing.

Police later found it had been taken to the hospital by the suspect and her husband, who were both arrested.

According to the police investigation, the arrested woman, who was an old school friend of the victim, told the police officer she had lost a child due to a miscarriage in January and had become obsessed with stealing a child.

Mafra's body had been dumped in an abandoned pottery yard in the Galera neighbourhood of Canelinha, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina

According to NSC Total, the baby girl remains in the Children's Hospital of Florianopolis, where she has been given antibiotics and pain medication for the injuries sustained when she was ripped from her mother's belly, but is otherwise in good general health.

The autopsy will confirm if the baby was removed with the pregnant woman alive or if she was already dead.

Flavia, who studied pedagogy and worked as a substitute teacher, was buried in the Municipal Cemetery of Canelinha after a brief ceremony.
A shooting earlier this month in Eastons West Ward was justified because the shooter was defending herself against an attacker, according to Northampton Countys district attorney.

The woman who was shot, 30-year-old Tiasha Elaine Ennis of Easton, is charged with aggravated assault for punching and kicking a woman she believed was having relations with the father of Ennis child, according to court papers.

Ennis was shot in the shoulder and suffered a collapsed lung during the incident just before 1 p.m. Aug. 17 in the 900 block of Ferry Street, District Attorney Terry Houck said at a press conference Wednesday morning.

She felt terrified and afraid for her life, Houck said of the woman who shot in self-defense.

Ennis was riding in a car with acquaintances when in the 900 block of Ferry Street she yelled, stop the car, stop the car, and then got out and confronted a woman on the sidewalk on the north side of the street, court papers say.

Ennis accused the other woman of having intimate relations with Ennis childs father, court papers say. Houck said Ennis claimed she found proof of the infidelity on social media, but the woman later told police she didnt know Ennis. The woman is identified in court papers only as N.S.

Tiasha Elaine Ennis was shot the afternoon of Aug. 17, 2020, in the 900 block of Ferry Street in Easton, police said.Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com

Houck said Ennis is 6 inches taller and 80 pounds heavier than the woman she confronted. The other woman felt overpowered and unable to break free from Ennis grasp, court papers say. Pushed up against a brick wall and taking several punches to the face and being kicked, the other woman was terrified and afraid for her life, court papers say.

The woman removed a gun from her fanny pack and warned Ennis about the 9 mm Luger, police said. Ennis continued to punch and grabbed at Ennis hand and the gun, police say. Ennis fired the gun once and the round went through Enniss upper body, police said.

The woman had a valid Pennsylvania concealed carry permit, police said.

The woman summoned help and tried to get people to call 9-1-1, court papers say. Witnesses were reluctant to help police with the investigation, according to Easton police Lieutenant Matthew Gerould.

Someone later approached police and said she received video footage of the shooting from someone on social media, court papers say. The footage confirmed the shooters statement, police said. Police provided the video to lehighvalleylive.com. Police still arent sure who shot the video of the incident, Gerould said.

Ennis, later speaking from St. Lukes University Hospital in Fountain Hill, admitted she had never met the woman she confronted. Ennis said the other woman denied the infidelity and, feeling disrespected, Ennis grabbed her by the hair, and then began beating her up and punching her, police said.

Ennis was released Aug. 20 from the hospital and is expected to recover, police said.

Houck said some reasons the shooting was justified include: the woman attacked was on her parents porch and never left her private property, she suffered an unprovoked attack by a woman she says she didnt know, the attack was by a much larger woman, she warned Ennis to stop attacking or she would shoot and she stayed there until police arrived.

Ennis charges should serve as a cautionary tale to others who seek street justice, Houck said.

This is why you dont do stuff like this, Houck said. Just because youre bigger or stronger, you dont know what youre going up against when you have somebody involved like this. This ought to be a message to people to not do this kind of stuff because this is what can happen.

Someone else suffered injuries not related to gunfire and was checked out by medical personnel, police said. The other woman was bleeding from the mouth, had scrapes on her face, a bite on her hand and swelling to her head, police said in court papers.

Investigators did not get initial cooperation from witnesses, police said. There have been 16 shootings in the past 14 weeks in Easton, Gerould said. He said victims and witnesses are consistently uncooperative, and in the Ennis case police encountered people who were counterproductive to our investigation.

Thats frustrating for police and prosecutors, Houck said. Theyre supposed to be on the same side as the bystanders, he said. Neighbors should not fear retribution for cooperating with authorities, Houck said.

With respect to the shootings in Easton, I worry that somehow these people think that somehow these punks and these thugs are somehow connected to something greater than they are. We dont believe that. These guys are just punks. Theyre not members of these intricate gangs, Houck said.

He said neighbors can report information anonymously. They need to work with law enforcement before violence escalates more, Houck said.

If people are afraid for those reasons to speak up, they shouldnt be, Houck said. Because what will ultimately happen here is a child is going to get killed in the crossfire. And then when that happens, everything is going to go nuts. As it should.

Ennis, of the 100 block of South Ninth Street in Easton, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, records show.

District Judge Robert Weber on Wednesday morning set bail at $25,000 unsecured during Ennis arraignment. Ennis preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. Sept. 14 before District Judge Daniel Corpora.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Penal facilities in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region lack mother-and-child homes  ombudsman

 flickr.com/ Quinn Dombrowski

12:08 02/09/2020

ST. PETERSBURG, September 2 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  Correctional institutions of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region have no functioning facilities where women giving birth in penal colonies could live with their children, the Office of St. Petersburg Rights Commissioner Alexander Shishlov informs RAPSI on Wednesday.

The fact was revealed when the Ombudsman studied a case of a convicted woman, who gave birth in a penal colony run by the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). The body reported that no such home existed at any correctional facility it operated.

The case of this young convicted woman was reported to the St. Petersburg Ombudsman by city rights activist Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko; Leningrad Region Children Ombudsman Tamara Litvinova and rights activist Leonid Agafonov took part in settling the situation in the interests of the child.
Army convoy moves on Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir. In a fresh incident in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese PLA carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Tso (lake) but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops, the Army said on Monday. (PTI)

Contradicting Indias stand that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) had carried out provocative military movements in an attempt to change the status quo at the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake in the Ladakh sector both on Saturday night and on Monday, China on Tuesday lodged a protest and accused India of grossly violating China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violating relevant agreements, protocols ... and severely damaging peace and tranquillity in the border areas on Monday, adding that it has made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honour its commitments.

This came on a day when New Delhi said that even on Monday (August 31), even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action (for the second time since Saturday late night).

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said, On August 31st, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the LAC again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas.

Claiming that what India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, the Chinese Embassy statement also accused Indian troops of violating the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass ... and conducting flagrant provocations, adding that this again stirred tension in the border areas.

China claimed it has made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honour its commitments, immediately stop all the provocative actions, immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the LAC, and immediately stop any actions leading to the escalation and complication of the situation.

The Chinese Embassy added, Indias move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas. What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this.

The Chinese side however, violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of 29th and on 30th August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.

As stated by Indian Army, the Indian side responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity.

Furthermore, on 31st August, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo.
In 2019, there were 16.1 million tourists that traveled in 2018 through the breathtaking Country of Indonesia. Comprised of 17,000 islands, each year, Indonesia was ranked at 20th in the world tourist Industry in 2017, also ranked as the ninth-fastest growing tourist sector in the world and saw around 20 millions tourists in 2019.

Despite the tourist frenzy, for Gregg Jaden, it is an incredible place to photograph and film.

Even if you're not looking to take stunning photos like Jaden, Indonesia has something for everyone. Whether it is foods to taste, places to explore, or interesting people to meet you will never be bored in this beautiful country many people call home.

Come Along on the Ultimate Travel Guide for 7 Incredible Must See Locations When Traveling to Indonesia.

1 - TumpakSewu Waterfall In East Java, Indonesia

TumpakSewu waterfall is quickly becoming famous as one of the most incredible waterfalls in Lumajang, East Java. Social media has exploded tourism to this location that offers endless angles to photograph.

It is made up of so many waterfalls unlike anything you have ever seen. You can hike down the steep mountain side to see these falls first hand being submersed in the rushing water or take a breather gazing ad its entirety from above.

These waterfalls roar into a horseshoe shaped jungle ravine that looks like something right out of a movie. The feeling can only be described as an enchanted experience if you visit these incredible falls.

2. Borobudur Jawa Tengah

On your trip to Indonesia, you need to explore the largest Buddhist temple in the world, Borobudur Jawa Tengah near Yogyakarta.

This fascinating ancient architecture allows tourists to see every single level of this 1,200-year-old temple.

If you're planning to see Borobudur, then it's ideal to wake up early get a good spot for sunrise. Around five in the morning is the most tranquil time of the day and perfect for taking photographs as the sun rises in the distance of this beautiful temple.

3. Jomblang Cave

You are about to be mind blown. Traveling to the Jombalang Cave will take you about a day hike but the view and feeling of silence mixed with unreal sunbeam light is well worth the journey. Another location to arrive early as you'll be spending half the day there. Check times for best light conditions inside the cave.

Jombalang Cave isn't necessarily a cave either, rather a sinkhole that is apart of a cave system. You will need to book a tour for this cave experience because you will be lowered down into the cave using rappelling equipment and a harness.

Don't worry if you're a first-time cave explorer either! Since you need a tour to explore this cave, then it is without a doubt perfect for beginners. They will walk you through every step of the way so there is no need to worry.

4. Prambanan Temple

If you're looking to experience traditional Indonesia's cultural, then Prambanan Temple is a magnificent place to visit. The temple was built over 1,000 years ago so you can only imagine how fantastic it looks today.

Exploring these temples is a trip that you want to absorb all day long. You can walk in the temples and on the grounds of these fantastic beasts. The tall central tower is 154 feet high and stands right in the middle of it all.

If you're looking for a bit of an explanation of the temple, guided tours are offered. If you're looking to spend the day photographing the beautiful sights, then you will want to venture off and explore on your own.

5. Kampung Warna-WarniJodipan

The Kampung Warna-WarniJodipan is located in Malang, Indonesia, and is also known as the village of color. The residents of this one of a kind place have really put this on the map. You will want to visit and see the rows of brown and white houses all of a sudden transform into rows and rows of vibrant and magnificent colors like a rainbow.

This was a project done by the community which goes to show how kind and hospitable the people here truly are. They want to bring peace and happiness to everyone around them. Make sure to take the time to meet some of the people who are living within the village during your visit!

6. Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo is one of the best adventures in East Java. It is one of the many active volcanos in Indonesia. It also is the second-highest waterfall and provides some must-see views.

There are so many different angles to take photos of if you're planning to travel to Mount Bromo. You're going to want to spend lots of time here. Get there early. You will need to rent a jeep to get up the mountain as the roads turn to sand near the top. The crowd usually leaves after sunrise.

One of Gregg Jaden's favorite things to do at this spot in Indonesia is to get there early and catch an amazing sunrise. You will need to start your journey in the middle of the night like at 2:30 am to see the beautiful sunrise and snap a few amazing moments.

7. Tegalalang Rice Terrace

Another stunning location right in Bali is the Tegalalang Rice Terrace with its green rice paddies on countless levels that seem to stretch on for miles and miles with no end in sight.

When you get to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace you will see the view from above as it rolls down as a hill would. It will take you about 30 minutes to an hour and a half to hike down and explore the entire rice terrace but it is well worth it!

This is a favorite place for Gregg Jaden, he always flies his drone as the shots from above are truly awe-inspiring. To increase the magic of this amazing location, having a model in the middle of the rice fields will stamp the photos timeless.

Why Everyone Must Travel to Indonesia

Whether you're planning a trip to travel to Indonesia or you're only adding it to your bucket list there are plenty of places that you will want to see in this incredibly gorgeous Country. You can without question take Jaden's word for it as you can see from the photos.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 06:05:44|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday noted "with concern" the imposition by the United States of sanctions against the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another senior official, in the latest of a series of unilateral policy moves against the body.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the ICC of "illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction," announcing sanctions against Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the head of the Jurisdiction Complementarity and Cooperation Division, Phakiso Mochochoko, in accordance with a U.S. executive order issued in early June by President Donald Trump involving "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Associated with the ICC."

Pompeo made the accusation as The Hague-based court probes whether U.S. forces have committed alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, UN News has reported.

On behalf of the UN chief Antonio Guterres, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said "we continue to closely follow developments on this matter."

"We will be analyzing any possible implications that this development may have with respect to the implementation of the agreement," he said.

Cooperation between the United Nations and the ICC is founded on their Relationship Agreement, which was approved by the General Assembly on Sept. 13, 2004.

In line with previous statements of the U.S. secretary of state, Dujarric said, "we trust that any restrictions taken against individuals would be implemented consistently with the host country's obligations" under the UN Headquarters Agreement.

As the top prosecutor, Bensouda has visited the United States frequently to attend key meetings in the Security Council. Enditem
IT Hiring vacancy

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Amid the Covid pandemic and issues around H-1B visas, experts had suggested that IT firms offshore-onshore ratio  the number of people working in India versus onsite  could increase, and onsite hiring may slow down. The remote working model, they explained, would drive this.

That may not quite be the case as factors such as visa denials, travel costs and the need to have local employees from the same culture and time zone influence decisions around this.

Infosys to hire more in the US

Bengaluru-based IT major Infosys has announced that it will hire 12,000 people in the US over the next two years. According to analysts, this could be because of uncertainty over overseas travel, visas and improving margins.

Over the last couple of years, Infosys margins have been a concern. Salil Parekh, the companys CEO, said in a press conference last year that the increase in subcontractor costs is affecting margins and increasing localisation would help bring it down.

This came on the back of rising visa rejections. Infosys saw the highest denial rate for new H-1B petitions in the US (59 percent) between October 2019 and March 2020, according to an analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy, an immigration think tank. The denial rate has increased by over 50 percent for the company over the last five years.

This impacted margins as the company had to make do with subcontractors, who are expensive, in the US. For instance, the cost of subcontractors increased from Rs 1,166 crore in 2008-09, when Infosys revenue was Rs 20,264 crore, to Rs 7,646 crore in 2018-19, when revenue was at Rs 73,107 crore. Subcontracting costs shot up 555 percent over the decade, outpacing the companys 260 percent revenue growth.

So, Infosys has been stepping up overseas hiring since 2017. The company currently has about 13,000 local hires in the US.

Infosys peer TCS employs close to 20,000 American workers. Over 60 percent of the employees of the top four IT firms in the US are locals.

Pareekh Jain, founder, Pareekh Consulting, explained that most of these US hires are likely to be freshers, unlike the H-1B visa holders, who are in the mid to senior job band. This would help in improving margins, he added.

Long-term strategy needed

That is only a part of the issue. Covid-19 has made companies realise they need a long-term strategy for the overseas market as digital gains momentum.

Business travel is a significant portion of the cost for IT firms. Travel increased over the last couple of years as digital gained traction, which translates to an increased need for onsite engagement with clients.

In an earlier interaction with Moneycontrol, Manoj Bhat, CFO, Tech Mahindra, said: Digital as a category has been characterised by people wanting to sit across the table, brainstorming and trying to figure out solutions in an agile manner. So, if you look at onsite as a percentage of revenue, it has been consistently high and that is directly linked to visa costs.

Companies had to put a break on travel due to Covid-19 and are now closing deals virtually. But once the situation comes under control, the need for more such conversations could increase and having local employees in the same culture and time zone would definitely be a big help.

This would also help companies mitigate sudden challengers such as the recent visa ban introduced by the US government. The ban made it difficult for IT firms to move resources.

All IT firms, including Infosys, would want to avoid a situation where they are unable to cater to a project or close a deal because of unavailability of onsite resources. This is important considering that the US accounts for about 60 percent of their revenues.
A man who accidentally sent 20 sexually explicit photos and two videos of his ex-wife to her young son has been placed on a good behaviour bond.

The Brisbane man was found guilty on Tuesday of using a carriage service to harass after he sent the material to a mobile phone in March 2018, The Courier Mail reported.

While the phone was originally bought for the 11-year-old boy, it was also used to facilitate contact between the former lovers after she blocked him on her phone.

The court heard how the boy took the device to his mother when he received the messaged and did not open them.

The court heard the boy took the device to his mother when he received the messaged and did not open them (stock image)

Magistrate Belinda Merrin told the court that the woman felt 'degraded, sick and angry' when she saw the messages.

All images and videos were taken consensually while they were married, the court heard.

The man pleaded not guilty to the harassment charges, claiming he was trying to 'rekindle' their relationship.

But Ms Merrin rejected his claim and said his ex-wife made it clear she only wanted to communicate via email.

'They were sent in circumstances that the complainant was very clear that the only method of communication she wanted to have with the defendant was by email and solely for the purposes, as it related to the children.'

'It must be very obvious to you that would have been completely unwanted, unwelcome and likely to cause upset.'

When asked whose phone it was by police, the man responded: 'That's not his phone that's [the woman's] phone.'

The magistrate could not prove the man was aware the phone belonged to the woman's son when he sent the messaged.

He was released on a $600 recognisance order and a nine-month good behaviour bond.
Footy WAG Rebecca Judd has revealed that her nine-year-old son, Oscar, is going on school camp later this week, despite the stage-four lockdown in Melbourne.

The model-turned-entrepreneur, 37, revealed on Tuesday's 3pm Pick-Up that Oscar was preparing for his first ever overnight camp... at home via Zoom.

The 'virtual camp' for year three students was introduced because coronavirus restrictions in Victoria made an actual excursion impossible.

Milestone moment: Footy WAG Rebecca Judd has revealed that her nine-year-old son, Oscar, is going on school camp later this week, despite the stage-four lockdown in Melbourne

'My son Oscar has his year three camp coming up,' Rebecca began.

She explained that her eldest child will stay at home for the duration of the 'trip', and has been given a number of tasks and activities to keep him occupied.

'We got a big list of all the things sent home to prepare,' the mother of four said.

School camp, COVID-style: The model-turned-entrepreneur, 37, revealed on Tuesday's 3pm Pick-Up that Oscar (left) was preparing for his first ever overnight camp... at home via Zoom

The parents at Oscar's school were told to make space and provide play equipment for their children to build forts and cubby houses.

School administrators also sent a tongue-in-cheek letter asking for 'permission to tear the house apart'.

Rebecca added: 'Bush art is needed to be collected. We have a list of gum nut sticks, twigs, rocks...

'There's a Minute to Win It game, so we need plates, biscuits - chocolate-coated will give the best result.'

New normal: The 'virtual camp' for students was introduced because coronavirus restrictions in Victoria made an actual excursion impossible. Pictured: Oscar Judd

Rebecca called her son from the radio studio, and he explained that the first night will involve his class cooking chicken schnitzels at home and watching a movie.

The Judds' children are being home-schooled as Melbourne remains under stage-four lockdown following a deadly second wave of COVID-19.

Rebecca often jokes that her kids are too much to handle, sharing videos to Instagram highlighting the mess they cause around the house on a daily basis.

She and her husband, retired AFL star Chris Judd, share four children, son Oscar, daughter Billie, five, and twin boys Tom and Darcy, three.

Carnage: The Judds' children are being home-schooled as Melbourne remains under stage-four lockdown. Rebecca often jokes that her kids are too much to handle, sharing videos to Instagram highlighting the mess they cause around the house on a daily basis
The Bering Sea in the Northern Pacific Ocean has less ice than at any time in the last 5,500 years due to climate change, a new study shows.

Analysis of vegetation from St Matthew Island off the coast of Alaska shows sea ice in the region was last this low at the end of the Stone Age and before the reign of the pharaohs.

The Bering Sea will 'inevitably' lose its winter sea ice in the coming decades, due to solar radiation and greenhouse gases from human activities released into the atmosphere, US experts say.

Usually in the Pacific Ocean, as the ice melts and retreats each spring, it releases fresh water and nutrients into the sea water.

Changes to when and where this meltwater is released can affect phytoplankton blooms and in turn disrupt Bering's entire ecosystem.

A view of St Matthew Island in the Bering Sea. Isotope analysis of a peat sample from the island allowed researchers to determine sea ice extent in the region for the past 5,500 years

'What we've seen most recently is unprecedented in the last 5,500 years,' said study author Matthew Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

'We haven't seen anything like this in terms of sea ice in the Bering Sea.'

Researchers focused on a sample of peat  made from partially decomposed organic matter including plant material  to reveal historical ice cover in the Bering.

The peat core from the 140-mile-square St Matthew Island provides 'a look back in time', according to UAF, as it's naturally been recording what's happening in the ocean and atmosphere.

Researchers sampled peat cores from St. Matthew Island - a remote island in the Bering Sea in Alaska

By analysing the chemical composition of the core, which includes plant remains from 5,500 years ago to the present, scientists can estimate how sea ice in the region has changed.

In particular, changes are indicated by the relative amounts of two isotopes of oxygen  oxygen-16 and oxygen-18.

The ratio of those two isotopes changes depending on patterns in the atmosphere and ocean, reflecting the different signatures of precipitation.

More oxygen-18 makes for an isotopically 'heavier' precipitation, while more oxygen-16 makes precipitation 'lighter'.

A heavy ratio signals a seasonal pattern that causes the amount of sea ice to decrease and a light ratio indicates a season with more sea ice.

The scientists analysed isotope ratios throughout the peat layers, providing a time stamp for ice conditions that existed through the millennia.

They generated computer simulations using an isotope-enabled general circulation model called IsoGSM.

After reviewing the isotopic history, researchers determined that modern ice conditions are at remarkably low levels.

Reductions in Bering Sea ice are due to more than recent higher temperatures associated with global warming, however.

Atmospheric and ocean currents, which are also affected by climate change, play a larger role in the presence of sea ice.

'There's a lot more going on than simply warming temperatures,' said lead author Miriam Jones at the US Geological Survey.

'We're seeing a shift in circulation patterns both in the ocean and the atmosphere.'

The findings also suggest the North Pacific is sensitive to even small changes in the difference between sunlight absorbed by the Earth and energy radiated back into space.

This difference, known as radiative forcing, is affected by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere by human activities, such as the burning of fuels.

But it's possible that the effects of carbon dioxide concentrations on sea ice may only become apparent after several decades.

This could mean there will be a complete loss of winter ice by the year 2050 in the Bering Sea, thanks to today's emissions.

The study, published in Science Advances, sheds light on just a fraction of the planet's oceans and historical ice cover.

 Slide me  By the end of April 2018, ice cover in the Bering Sea was far below average for the time of year. The maps above show sea ice extent in the Bering Sea on April 29, 2018 compared to more normal conditions on April 29, 2013

In its annual rhythm of growth and melt, sea ice across oceans generally retreats throughout spring time, although not every region melts equally.

Summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has noticeably diminished in recent decades as carbon dioxide emissions have increased.

Meanwhile, winter ice coverage in the Bering Sea, which melts by summer, has appeared to remain relatively stable over the record, the UAF researchers reveal.

This suggests that winter sea ice may be less vulnerable to climate change compared with summer ice.

In 2018, NASA reported that about 310,000 square miles or 'two Texases' of ice had disappeared from the Bering Sea at springtime, compared with the same time of year for 2013.

According to the International Arctic Research Center and NOAA, the winter of 2017 to 2018 brought less ice in the Bering Sea than any winter since the start of written records in 1850.
Secondary schools are facing a chronic shortage of teachers in the coming months due to delayed retirements, high-risk staff needing time off and people not applying for jobs in urban areas due to high rents.

Unions speaking at the Covid-19 response committee today have painted a bleak picture as schools across the country reopen.

The committee is meeting today to hear input from teachers and parents about how the return of schools is operating on the ground.

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The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) said schools in cities, particularly Dublin, will be hit hardest.

General secretary Michael Gillespie said there is a serious lack of teachers for pinch subjects such as languages and science.

In a months time we will have delayed retirements going to hit the system so there is going to be a massive shortage of teachers and we will only have a minor number available to replace them, he said.

The number of teachers who are at high risk plus the retirements that are coming, we believe there will be a chronic shortage of teachers, most of these will be in the urban areas, in particular Dublin.

Mr Gillespie said the number of young people testing positive for coronavirus is rapidly on the rise and that schools do not have the staff to support absences.

If youre the only physics teachers in the school and you go out sick, you wont get a replacement. Thats absolutely certain, he said.

The committee also heard how a large number of teachers are expecting babies and are very concerned about returning to the workplace.

John Boyle, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), said some female teachers who are pregnant are being advised by their GPs not to return to school.

This is despite HSE advice stating that evidence gathered so far shows that pregnant women are not at-risk.

We dont fully know how it affects pregnant women and their babies, the advice on the agencys website states.

A circular from the Department of Education also states: Under the current HSE guidelines, a pregnant employee is not deemed to be at very high risk of serious illness from contracting Covid-19, unless suffering from a serious heart condition.

Mr Boyle said anecdotally the union is hearing that there have been very few applicants for jobs in urban areas and that in time, this can only get worse.

He said younger teachers are choosing to work in rural areas where there is a lower cost of living.

Meanwhile, concerns were also raised about staff having to restrict movements not being paid for time off.

We do have concerns where a teacher will be self-isolating, if that were to occur a number of times throughout the year, it wouldnt take too long to mount up the days so that the teacher would end up being on half pay or potentially no pay due to Covid-19, Mr Boyle said.

We know there is Covid pay for people who test positive but if teachers are off for a number of days and test negative, the days will build up, he added.

Education Minister Norma Foley is due to appear before the committee later today.
Dr Kafeel Khan was released from the Mathura jail as the Allahabad High Court granted temporary bail to him. Dr Khan was charged under the NSA for his alleged inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during CAA protests.

Hours after the Allahabad High Court granted conditional bail to him, Dr Kafeel Khan was released from the Mathura jail. Dr Khan was charged under the National Security Act for his alleged inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Notably, the order came days after the Supreme Court asked the High Court to decide and dispose of the petition related to the release of Kafeel Khan in 15 days. Khan told reporters shortly after his release that he wanted to thank all 138 crore Indians for standing by him during his struggle, he thanked the judiciary for giving the order, in which they said that the Uttar Pradesh government made a false, baseless, and fictitious case to keep him in prison.

In a light-hearted tone, he further added that he also thanks to the UP STF which did not kill him while bringing him to Mathura from Mumbai. Speaking about his future plans right after his release, Khan said that he wanted to go to the flood-affected states of Bihar, Kerala, and Assam and take part in the relief works there.

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He also put forth a plea to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, stating he urges the chief minister to reinstate him in his job so that he could work for the people as a Corona warrior. Khan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in January from Mumbai after he allegedly made inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during a protest against the CAA on December 12, 2019. He was on February 14, 2020, charged under the National Security Act.

Also read: AGR case: SC grants 10 years to telecom companies to pay dues
One name calling writer wants the Quickly editors to reveal their names. How ridiculous! I believe one of Quicklys intent is to provide a means for free and open commentary that is not compromised or personalized by revealing names of editors or writers. However, the writer wants a specific name because in his/her world it is not enough to focus on ideas, opinions, and quips. The writer wants to openly denigrate the commentary, the person who wrote the comments, and the person(s) who had the nerve to select comments that are not aligned with his/her world.
An aerial view of al-Dora oil refinery in Baghdad

CAIRO (Reuters) - Iraq oil minister said the country seeks exemption from OPEC export cut agreement during the first quarter of 2021, state news agency reported on Wednesday citing local media.

Ihsan Abdul Jabbar added Iraq will adhere to cuts over the next three months.

(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, writing by Hesham Abdul Khalek)
The family of the late politician, Moshood Abiola, have narrated how they were attacked by some gun-wielding armed robbers on Wednesday, at their Ikeja home in Lagos.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the armed robbers attacked the house, on Wednesday, and went away with property worth millions of naira. The incident occurred around 4 a.m.

Speaking on behalf of the family, one of the children of late businessman, Tundun Abiola, in a statement said the family members were subjected to emotional torture by the armed robbers.

The hoodlums subjected the family to extreme emotional torture and harassment and stole cash and other valuable items belonging to the family. The police have since been informed. The crime is being investigated, part of the statement read.

We are consoled by the fact that no life was lost in this unfortunate and frightening incident.

We give glory to Almighty Allah and we thank friends and family members across the world who have called and sent messages of support and solidarity, the statement said.

This newspaper also gathered that the Lagos State police commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, has visited the family.

Mr Abiola, a business mogul cum politician, contested for the presidency in 1993.

The election results were annulled by military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, even when it was certain that Mr Abiola had won the polls.

He was awarded the national honour of GCFR posthumously on June 6, 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari who also changed democracy day to June 12 in honour of the deceased.
The state education department on Wednesday decided to reduce the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 by 30%.

The decision has been taken on the recommendation of experts committee and in consultation with the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education chairman, said education minister Govind Singh Thakur on the sidelines of a meeting with department officials.

During the term and annual exams, questions will be asked from reduced syllabus, but the teachers will have to teach the full syllabus.

The minister said the decision to cut the syllabus has been taken in view of the Covid-19 outbreak due to which schools in the state were closed for over five months. A notification to this effect will be issued soon, he said.

In the Covid-19 times, the department tried to continue education through TV and online mediums. However, students have been facing many problems like lack of connectivity and some even dont have smart phones. So, the syllabus has been reduced on the lines of CBSE, said Thakur.

WINTER VACATION CANCELLED

He said the government has also decided to cancel the school winter vacation. There will be no holidays on second Saturdays and even the gazette holidays will be reduced, he said.

This will help compensate for 55 to 60 academic days lost due to Covid pandemic, said Thakur.

Annual exams for all schools will be held in March next year, while the practical examination will take place in the month of April.

TEACHERS DAY EVENT POSTPONED

The education minister informed that the Teachers Day programme slated for September 15 has been postponed due to national mourning on the death of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

The event will now be held on October 5 on the occasion of World Teachers Day.

Education secretary Rajiv Sharma, Himachal Pradesh School Education Board chairman Suresh Kumar Soni, board secretary Akshay Sood and elementary education director Shubh Karan Singh were present in the meeting.

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Washington: The US has claimed that China is looking to set up more robust military logistics and infrastructure in more than a dozen countries to project and sustain its power at greater distances, as per a report by Pentagon.

China is seeking to set up more robust logistics in about a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday.

The Pentagon, in its annual report "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China (PRC) 2020" that was submitted to the US Congress, said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.

"A global PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRC's global military objectives evolve," the Pentagon said in the report.

The report said that China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Seal Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.

Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are vital to global trade.

"China's leaders use tactics short of armed conflict to pursue China's objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region," the Pentagon said in its annual report to the Congress.

The report also mentions that China is likely to increase the number of its nuclear warheads over the next decade from the low 200s now and is nearing the ability to launch nuclear strikes by land, air and sea, a capacity known as a triad.

The Pentagon said the growth projection was based on factors including Beijing having enough material to double its nuclear weapons stockpile without new fissile material production.

According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.

"Host nations can perform an essential role in regulating the PRC's military operations as Chinese officials very likely recognise that a stable long-term relationship with the host nation is critical to the success of their military logistics facilities," it said.

Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training.

They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military.

The revelations came as tensions rise between China and the United States and as Washington seeks to have Beijing join a flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. (TSXV: CEM) (OTCQX: CNSNF) ("Constantine" or the "Company") is pleased to report that on August 28th, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the Bureau of Land Management's approval of the Palmer Project's Plan of Operations for exploration work and road construction.

The Company is also pleased to report that 2020 field work season began in early August at the Palmer Zinc-Copper-Gold-Silver Project in Southeast Alaska ("Palmer" or the "Project"). The work represents the major portion of the 2020 budget of US $2.15 million.

BLM Wins 9th Circuit Court Appeal

In December 2017 groups aligned with the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) sued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for granting Constantine's Plan of Operations (PoO) authorizing construction of 2.5 miles of road in support of exploration, contending that the impacts of a future mine should have been part of the exploration approval process. On March 15, 2019 Judge Burgess, presiding Judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Alaska, granted summary judgment to the BLM, Constantine, Alyu Mining Co., Inc. and Haines Mining & Exploration Inc., thereby denying each of SEACC's claims. In an eight-page Decision filed on August 28, 2020 the Ninth Circuit affirmed Judge Burgess's Order.

The Company agrees with the Court's opinion that the potential impacts of a future mine were not required to authorize construction of 2.5 miles of road in support of exploration. Constantine recognizes the importance of ongoing scientific studies and stakeholder discussions during the exploration process and remains committed to quality science and meaningful engagement with stakeholders through every step of our mineral exploration, that will help us create a responsible mine proposal for consideration in the future.

Garfield MacVeigh commented that, "We believe the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided correctly on this matter and are pleased with this opinion that is important for all companies conducting exploration projects in the United States."

2020 Field Program

The program includes summer field work, environmental and project permitting work for future underground exploration development and continued outreach to keep the Haines Borough and State of Alaska informed on project activities.

Surface geological work is focused on upgrading geological and prospect information to assist in advancing drill targets and resolving the offset on the Kudo fault that displaces the thickest part of the downdip South Wall deposit (CMR14-65 -89.0 meters grading 0.79% copper and 5.03% zinc including 7.4 meters grading 2.05% copper and 10.23% zinc). Much of this work is being carried out from the new road that has been completed to an underground exploration portal site.

Additional work is also in progress on the AG deposit (Inferred Resource of 4.3 million tonnes at 4.64% zinc, 0.12% Copper, 119.5 g/t silver, 0.53 g/t gold, 34.8% barite) that is the subject of a Master of Science dissertation.

2020 Environmental Studies and Permitting Update

The Company continues to build and expand the baseline environmental science database, fulfill environmental monitoring requirements and advance project permitting for future underground exploration.

In July 2019, the Company received all the necessary approvals to proceed with an underground exploration plan for the Palmer Zinc-Copper-Silver-Gold Project, Southeast Alaska. Subsequent to approval, the Waste Management Permit ("WMP") to manage wastewater and waste rock issued by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation ("ADEC") was remanded to ADEC staff for further review due to a 9th Circuit Court Decision in the County of Maui vs. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. That review is continuing so that the Company can comply with the new interpretation of the Clean Water Act that arose out of the Supreme Court's April 23, 2020 Opinion in the County of Maui vs. Hawaii Wildlife Fund case. The Company, in consultation with ADEC, has been collecting additional hydrologic information and plans to submit an updated Wastewater Discharge System Design and supporting data to ADEC for final discharge authorization in the future.

About the Palmer Project

Palmer is a high-grade volcanogenic massive sulphide-sulphate (VMS) project located in a very accessible part of coastal Southeast Alaska, with road access to the property and within 60 kilometers of the year-round deep-sea port of Haines. Mineralization at Palmer occurs within the same belt of rocks that is host to the Greens Creek mine, one of the world's richest VMS deposits.

A Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) presents a low capex, low operating cost, high margin underground mining operation with attractive environmental attributes (see news release dated June 3, 2019). Exploration has resulted in the discovery of the new AG deposit and continued to grow the resource base to its current estimated size of 4.68 million tonnes indicated grading 5.23 % zinc,1.49 % copper, 30.0 g/t silver, 0.30 g/t gold and 9.6 million tonnes inferred grading 4.95 % zinc , 0.59 % copper, 69.3 g/t silver, 0.39 g/t gold. VMS deposits are known to occur in clusters, and with at least 25 separate base metal and/or barite occurrences and prospects on the Project, there is abundant potential for discovery of multiple deposits.

The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Constantine is proud to be contributing to the local Haines economy by creating employment opportunities and working with local businesses to support exploration work at the Palmer Project.

Qualified Person Statement

Michael Vande Guchte, P.Geo, is the Company's Vice President Exploration and a qualified person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Vande Guchte has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About the Company

Constantine is a mineral exploration company led by an experienced and proven technical team with a focus on the Palmer Project being advanced as a joint venture between Constantine (51%) and Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. (49%), with Constantine as operator. The plan is to continue to expand and discover new resources while the project is being advanced towards feasibility.

With the successful spinout of the Company's gold assets into HighGold Mining Inc. last year, the Company has made a decision to evaluate new opportunities for gold in addition to its flagship massive sulphide base metal Palmer project. We have identified several key gold prospects on our 100% leased lands that we are currently exploring.

On Behalf of Constantine Metal Resources Ltd.

"Garfield MacVeigh"

President

For further information, please visit the Constantine Metal Resources website at www.constantinemetals.com, or contact:

Garfield MacVeigh, President

Email: info@constantinemetals.com

Phone: +1 604 629 2348

Notes:

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, the Company's 2020 Palmer Project environmental and exploration plans,and statements regarding the Palmer Project. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the Company's business and the industry and markets in which it operates.

Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, commodity prices, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of Constantine to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of Constantine expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, imprecision of mineral resource estimates, aboriginal title and consultation issues, exploration risks, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licenses, changes in laws, regulations and policy, competition for resources and financing and other factors discussed or referred to in the Company's most recent MD&A under "Risk Factors".

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63053
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2020 / AurCrest Gold Inc. (the "Company" or "AurCrest") (TSXV:AGO) is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a Data Acquisition Agreement with Windfall Geotek Inc. ("Windfall") (TSX-V: WIN) to acquire geological and technical data (the "Data") related to its Ranger Lake Gold Property, a set of 50 cell claims east of the Campbell Gold Mines mill complex in the world famous Red Lake mining district.

Windfall's computer-assisted resource discovery program ("CARDS") analysis assists in the identification of high priority gold targets by combining public and private data sets of interest to the mining community, in this case highlighting areas of interest that are geologically similar to other gold discoveries and deposits in the Red Lake mining district. AurCrest will be using this Data and the high priority targets generated as an exploration tool to support exploration activities in the fall of 2020 through winter 2021. The Company acknowledges that while the Windfall CARDS system employs data from nearby advanced exploration companies and producers, no direct comparison to these sites should be inferred. The Company also acknowledges that areas of mineralization hosted on nearby or adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the AurCrest Ranger Lake Gold Property.

AurCrest will pay CDN$15,000 and issue of 300,000 common shares of AurCrest to Windfall to acquire the rights to the Data and rights to the CARDS technology necessary to use the Data. A further CDN$25,000 will be paid and a further 400,000 common shares will be issued to Windfall if the Company drills one of the high priority targets identified by the Data within two years of the signing the Data Acquisition Agreement This transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.

AurCrest Gold is a leader in the First Nations advancement into shared participation and inclusion in the regional mining opportunities and counts as its board of directors and management, past and present, many indigenous business and cultural leaders. AurCrest is proud to play a leading role in the gold exploration of Northwestern Ontario, especially in the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt and the Red Lake mining district, as it forges new business relationships between Canada's founding cultures.

About AurCrest Gold Inc.

AurCrest is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. AurCrest has a portfolio of properties in Ontario, which include the Richardson Lake, Ranger Lake and Bridget Lake gold properties.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

AurCrest Gold Inc.

Christopher Angeconeb

President and C.E.O

(807) 737-5353

christopherangeconeb@gmail.com

Ian Brodie-Brown

Director of Business Development

(416) 844-9969

ianbrodiebrown@gmail.com

Forward Looking Statement:

Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. AurCrest undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AurCrest Gold Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/604486/AurCrest-Gold-Signs-Data-Acquisition-Agreement-with-Windfall-Geotek-Inc-for-the-Ranger-Lake-Gold-Property
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD; MSE:ERDN) ("Erdene" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the filing on SEDAR of the independent Feasibility Study (Feasibility Study or FS) Technical Report (the Report) for its 100%-owned, high-grade, open-pit Bayan Khundii Gold Project (Bayan Khundii or BK) in southwest Mongolia. The Report, entitled Bayan Khundii Gold Project Feasibility Study, NI 43-101 Technical Report, dated August 31, 2020, with an effective date of July 20, 2020, was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) by a consortium of International and Mongolian firms, coordinated by Roma Oil and Mining Associates Limited (Roma). The Report is available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.erdene.com .



Quotes from the Company:

"The Bayan Khundii feasibility study results confirm the robust returns of this project in its base case, and the significant upside from ongoing district-wide exploration and rising gold prices, said Peter Akerley, Erdenes President and CEO. As a low-capex, low-opex project within an emerging gold district, Bayan Khundii offers investors and stakeholders strong leverage to gold as we seek to grow the resource base and move towards the goal of first production in early 2022.

An 18,000 metre exploration program is underway, currently focused on upside in the Bayan Khundii area and initial drilling of the recently discovered Dark Horse prospect, continued Mr. Akerley. This program has the potential to add to Bayan Khundii reserves and to expand resources across the broader district.

On the development side, we have commenced the construction readiness, detailed design work and permitting processes required to move rapidly to construction, concluded Mr. Akerley. With the proceeds of the recently closed C$20 million private placement, led by a strategic investment from Eric Sprott, and the engagement of HCF International Advisers Limited ("HCF"), with a mandate to secure project debt financing, we have visibility to the required funding.

Story continues

NI 43-101 Feasibility Study Highlights (US$1,400/oz Gold Price, unless noted)

Base Case after-tax Net Present Value of US$100 million (NPV 5% ) and 42% Internal Rate of Return (IRR), increasing to US$274 million and 93% IRR, respectively, at a gold price of US$2,000/oz

Life of Mine Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Depreciation of US$257 million, increasing to US$472M at a US$2,000/oz gold price

Total recovered gold over the initial phase of the Khundii Gold District development of 381,700 ounces

All-in sustaining cost (AISC) of US$733/ounce of gold recovered and upfront capital costs of US$59 million

BK Measured and Indicated Resources of 521,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.16 g/t gold and 103,000 ounces of Inferred resources at 3.68 g/t gold

BK Proven and Probable Reserves of 409,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.71 g/t gold

Average annual gold production of 63,500 ounces, including 77,600 ounces in Year 2

Eight-year project, comprising one-year pre-production, six-year operating life and one-year mine closure

Payback period of less than 2 years

Adjacent high-grade resources and recent discoveries provide high probability growth options

Significant benefits to Mongolia, including Life of Mine royalties and taxes of US$103 million and approximately 400 new direct jobs in Bayankhongor Province

Further details on the Feasibility Study can be found in the Companys press release, dated July 20, 2020 and the full Report is accessible on the Companys website.

About Erdene

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. Erdenes deposits are located in southwestern Mongolias Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the worlds largest gold and copper-gold deposits. The Company has been the leader in exploration in the region over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District with interests in three mining licenses and two exploration licenses hosting multiple high-grade gold and gold/base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: the 100%-owned Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar gold deposits.

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and the Mongolian stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com . Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain required third party approvals, market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE

Erdene Contact Information

Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or

Robert Jenkins, CFO

Phone: (902) 423-6419 Email: info@erdene.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErdeneResource LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erdene-resource-development-corp-/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILs5s9j3SLmya9vo2-KXoA




Internally displaced people in Nguetchewe, northern Cameroon.  UNHCR/Moise Amedje

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, strongly condemns an attack which killed seven people and wounded 14 others at Koyape, a village hosting internally displaced people in Cameroons Far North Region on 1 September.

The suicide bomb attack took place near Kolofata, close to the border with Nigeria, where some 18,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have sought safety over the past seven years. It comes just a month after 18 people died and 15 were injured in an attack by an armed group attack against the Nguetchewe IDP site on the second of August.

We are horrified by these senseless attacks on people who have been torn from their villages, fleeing violence perpetrated by armed gangs which rage in the region, only to be stripped of safety again after they just found refuge elsewhere, said Olivier Guillaume Beer, UNHCR Representative in Cameroon.

The killing of innocent civilians has to stop. This is contrary to international humanitarian law and human rights law. We call on armed groups to respect the rights and lives of civilians populations.

An estimated 7,000 Cameroonians from Kordo and Gueredou villages near the countrys border with Nigeria have fled their homes since 11 August, seeking safety in neighbouring areas.

The displaced population has been targeted in relentless attacks, forcing them to flee.

Recent attacks follow a significant rise in violent incidents in Cameroons Far North Region, including looting and kidnapping by Boko Haram and other armed groups active in the region. Brutal violence has plagued the Lake Chad Basin, killing more than 30,000 people and forcing over three million to flee. Some 2.7 million people are now displaced internally in Northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Another 300,000 Nigerian refugees have fled into neighbouring countries.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
US President Donald Trump has extended his condolence over the demise of Pranab Mukherjee, saying, "saddened to learn of the passing of India's former President, Pranab Mukherjee".



I was saddened to learn of the passing of India's former President, Pranab Mukherjee. I send my condolences to his family and the people of India as they grieve the loss of a great leader. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2020 Several other prominent US leaders and organisations also condoled Mukherjee's death, saying he will go down in history among India's most distinguished statesmen and scholars. Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, "Saddened to hear of the passing of former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, whose visionary leadership was instrumental in bringing the United States and India closer together. We extend our deepest condolences to people of India during this difficult time". Condoling Mukherjee's demise, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, tweeted, "President Shri Pranab Mukherjee was a devout public servant who believed deeply in the importance of our two nations tackling global challenges together. Jill and I are saddened to hear of his passing - our prayers go out to his loved ones and the Indian people". President Shri Pranab Mukherjee was a devout public servant who believed deeply in the importance of our two nations tackling global challenges together. Jill and I are saddened to hear of his passing our prayers go out to his loved ones and the Indian people. pic.twitter.com/SJfaDEKjGi Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 1, 2020

The US India Business Council said with Mukherjee's death, India lost an incredible statesman. He was a long-time supporter of the US-India partnership, it tweeted.

In a statement, the Indian Overseas Congress, USA, expressed deep sorrow and condolences on the demise of Mukherjee.

"He was a quintessential congressman, formidable leader and a great parliamentarian, said George Abraham, vice-chairman of the IOC, USA.

Pranab Mukherjee passed away on Monday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi at the age of 84. The 13th President of India was cremated on Tuesday with full state honours at the Lodhi road electric crematorium. Pranab Mukherjee was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, in August last year.

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Google has announced it is offloading the cost of digital services taxes from three European countries on to its advertisers.

From November, companies from the UK, Austria and Turkey which promote themselves on the tech giant's platforms, such as Google Ads and YouTube, will face increased fees.

The charge will be in line with levies ushered in by the individual national governments.

British advertising fees will rise by 2 per cent, while Austrian and Turkish advertisement fees will go up by 5 per cent.

Google's decision to make advertisers bear the cost of the levy follows in the footsteps of Amazon, which last month said it would stop absorbing the increased costs and instead pass it on to sellers.

But hiked fees have been met with dismay from advertisers, who claim it is another blow to the hard-hit sector.

Google has announced it is offloading the cost of a UK digital services tax on to its advertisers, which will face price rises of 2 per cent from November (London office in King's Cross pictured)

Defending the decision, a Google spokesperson said: 'Digital service taxes increase the cost of digital advertising.

'Typically, these kinds of cost increases are borne by customers and, like other companies affected by this tax, we will be adding a fee to our invoices from November.

'We will continue to pay all the taxes due in the UK, and to encourage governments globally to focus on international tax reform rather than implementing new, unilateral levies.'

Since the government introduced the tax in April, tech corporations have been grappling with how to plug the price gap.

Amazon initially footed the tax itself while it tried to broker a deal with ministers which would not see its sellers impacted.

But when talks ended in stalemate, it announced that it would be increasing fees for UK sellers by 2 per cent.

Search engines, social media and online marketplaces with global revenues of over 500million and UK revenues of 25million on digital services have all been slapped with the levy.

Google's decision to make advertisers bear the cost of the levy follows in the footsteps of Amazon (logo pictured), which last month said it would stop absorbing the increased costs and instead pass it on to sellers

The UK tax was announced by then-Chancellor Philip Hammond in the 2018 Budget, but only came into force this year and is only supposed to be temporary until an international standard is thrashed out.

The government claims it will clamp down on taxes on profits being paid in countries with lower rates.

But, as tech companies are increasingly moving to transfer the costs, advertisers have called on ministers to safeguard the industry.

Reacting to the announcement from Google, Phil Smith, director general of the trade body ISBA, said: 'While this is disappointing news for our members, it is the inevitable outcome of the UK's unilateral approach to digital taxation.

'We have been consistent in warning government of the potential consequences of this approach, including the risk of an increase in costs to advertisers in the UK market.

'With further headwinds from government hitting the advertising sector in the coming years, it's time government proved that they recognise the importance of the sector to the economic recovery.'

Google paid only 44million in corporation tax in the UK last year while its staff in Britain earned an average of 234,000 per person.

Its UK arm spent more than 1billion on pay and bonuses in the year to the end of June 2019, up by a quarter from the 829million figure in the previous year.

Google's UK operation is mainly used as the marketing and sales division of its European operation, which is headquartered in Dublin, where taxes are lower.
OTTAWA - New data from some of Canada's biggest police forces show major COVID-19 lockdowns across much of the country in the spring led to a sharp uptick in calls to police for domestic violence and people in a mental health crisis.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police attend the scene of a multiple shooting in Calgary, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. New data from some of Canada's biggest police forces show major COVID-19 lockdowns across much of the country in the spring led to a sharp uptick in calls to police for domestic violence and people in a mental health crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

OTTAWA - New data from some of Canada's biggest police forces show major COVID-19 lockdowns across much of the country in the spring led to a sharp uptick in calls to police for domestic violence and people in a mental health crisis.

At the same time, police say reports of many other crimes fell, including robbery, assault, sexual assault and impaired driving.

Statistics Canada released the data today using information provided by 17 police forces across Canada between March and June.

During those months, an estimated three million people lost their jobs as restaurants, retail outlets, gyms, movie theatres and tourism businesses were forced to close.

Public safety experts and mental health advocates worried the anxiety and pressure of the pandemic was going to wreak havoc on already stressed families, leading to more domestic violence, child abuse and mental health trauma.

The initial data reported by police appears to bear witness to that, with calls to police for domestic disturbances up 12 per cent, for people in a mental health crisis up 11 per cent and for child welfare checks up almost 19 per cent.

The 17 police forces responded to more than 38,000 calls for domestic disturbances and violence in those four months, an increase of more than 4,000 such calls during the same period in 2019.

At the same time, reports of assaults fell 12 per cent, reports of sexual assaults fell 25 per cent, robbery reports were down 20 per cent, car theft fell 15 per cent and drunk driving reports were down 14 per cent.

The 17 police forces serve almost two-thirds of the Canadian population, and include the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, and forces in almost a dozen major urban centres including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and Ottawa.

The statistics agency warns the data are incomplete at the moment and do not represent the full picture of police reported crime but do provide a glimpse of crime in some parts of Canada during the most strict period of lockdowns due to COVID-19.

Data on this will continue to be collected until the end of the year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.
THE chair of Offaly's vintners has called for new guidelines which will allow all pubs to reopen during the pandemic.

In the week when many more drink-only pubs around the county began offering food rather than remain closed, Cllr John Clendennen said bars should be given a chance to prove they can operate safely.

We really need to look at what is happening in Europe and right now Irish wet pubs are the only wet pubs in Europe that aren't open, said the Fine Gael councillor, who runs the Giltraps pub and glamping accommodation in Kinnitty.

He now believes the time has come to allow all pubs to reopen with limits on capacity and rules on social distancing.

The pub remains a crucial social outlet, especially in rural Ireland, he argues. We're trying to bring people together and keep people apart, he says.

The Government has given the gardai extra powers and these should be used when pubs breach guidelines.

If we are given that chance to operate in safe environment it won't be the gardai that determine if we open or close, it'll be the market.

It's becoming very, very clear that customers now want a safe environment, they want to go and have a socially distanced pint and not be in a crammed environment.

In Tullamore alone, about half a dozen 'wet' pubs have reopened in the couple of weeks.

Cllr Clendennen said ongoing State support for the sector into next year will be crucial.

This is all going to have to be monitored very closely by the Government and they need to try to work with businesses to ensure they are sustainable while providing a safe environment.

Under the existing regulations, pubs can only serve alcohol if the customer first orders a 'substantial meal' at a cost of at least 9.

The 9 figure dates from 2003 when the licensing and club registration legislation relating to the consumption of meals in certain public premises was amended.

From 1979, the minimum spend was 2 and prior to that it was 25 pence (or five shillings).

In the past these laws often enabled nightclubs to keep their bars open beyond the general closing times.

The 9 provision appears to have been used for the Covid-19 regulations because in law it is tied to the definition of a 'main midday or evening meal'.
Has any peacetime government faced so many forbidding challenges as this one? I doubt it.

There is looming economic mayhem resulting from closing down the economy because of Covid-19. Unemployment is certain to rise.

There is a growing possibility of a No Deal Brexit, which would lead in the short term to thousands of lorries queueing in Kent as the French imposed tariffs, and an extra dollop of economic pain.

And there is Scotland. Losing it, I mean.

Of the three threats, the loss of Scotland is the greatest. We'll recover from the Covid-19 depression, and either learn to live with the virus or kill it off with a vaccine. In five years' time, it will just be an unpleasant memory.

Has any peacetime government faced so many forbidding challenges as this one? I doubt it

Despite being a nasty shock, a No Deal Brexit would open up trading opportunities outside Europe, which in due course would create new wealth for this country.

But an independent Scotland would be an enduring disaster. A country which had mislaid a third of its land mass could scarcely be called the United Kingdom. How would we describe the surviving stump? Britain, maybe. You could drop the Great bit.

Except for myopic Little Englanders, divorce would be an existential crisis. Our country, and many shared institutions, would cease to exist. What was left would be fundamentally different.

Does Boris Johnson realise this? Of course. He knows that, as Lord North is remembered as the prime minister who lost America, his memorial could be that of the man who presided over the break-up of the Union. He'd have to resign immediately.

So what can be done to stop it? Can it be stopped? Mr Johnson says there won't be a second referendum on Scottish independence while he's in No 10, such a vote being in Westminster's gift. This is not a tenable position.

There is Scotland (pictured, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon). Losing it, I mean. Of the three threats, the loss of Scotland is the greatest

Scotland's First Minister and Scottish Nationalist leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has enjoyed a good pandemic, presenting herself as a competent national leader pursuing different policies to Mr Johnson.

On Tuesday, she confidently undertook to set out her demands for another referendum over the next six months. There is an election for the Scottish Parliament next May.

The SNP will probably increase its number of seats. Ms Sturgeon  bossy, infuriating to many English eyes, but also very cunning  will interpret an overwhelming victory as an endorsement of a referendum. It will be hard to gainsay her.

Mr Johnson will try to hold the line  which is that the 2014 referendum was described by her predecessor Alex Salmond as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. Ms Sturgeon's response will be that a majority of Scots voted against Brexit in the 2016 European referendum, and the nation can't be tied to the Union against its will.

Sooner or later, the Prime Minister will have to give in. There's nothing some Scots like more than a grievance, and being denied another referendum ad infinitum would probably lead to a vast national sulk.

Recent polls suggest a narrow majority for independence. This would surely increase if Ms Sturgeon were able to portray the Scottish nation as being thwarted by English Tories.

I don't suggest Mr Johnson should put up the white flag at once. Better wait until it's clear that Brexit is not the economic catastrophe the SNP predicts, thereby undermining one of its core arguments.

But in the end it will be impossible for the Prime Minister or his successor to stand against what the First Minister will represent as a desire by Scots to have a democratic say in their future.

Many observers think that, next time, the pro-independence faction will win. It is undoubtedly going to be very hard to stop the Scot Nats.

This isn't the time to rake over old coals, but I can't resist a dig at the Scottish Labour hierarchy who championed devolution as the best way of finishing off the SNP. One of them, George Robertson, said that 'devolution will kill nationalism stone dead'. It has actually put a rocket under it.

This isn't the time to rake over old coals, but I can't resist a dig at the Scottish Labour hierarchy who championed devolution as the best way of finishing off the SNP. One of them, George Robertson (pictured), said that 'devolution will kill nationalism stone dead'. It has actually put a rocket under it

Labour's assumption that a PR system north of the border would ensure the three unionist parties would collectively always be able to outvote the SNP in the new Scottish Parliament turned out to be tragically mistaken.

If only Gordon Brown, Donald Dewar, Robin Cook and Co had paid more heed to the warnings of their Scottish Labour colleague, Tam Dalyell. He prophesied that 'devolution is a motorway, without exits, to independence'.

Well, let's not dwell too much on past mistakes. Can a Tory Prime Minister, whose act goes down less well in Scotland than in many parts of England, still save the Union?

Let me suggest four ways in which it might be done. One is to plead with Ruth Davidson to stay on as Tory leader in Scotland  a role she is filling temporarily, having previously stood down  while the new leader, Douglas Ross, gets himself elected to the Scottish Parliament.

No disrespect to Mr Ross, but Ms Davidson is the only Scottish politician who can match, and in some respects surpass, Nicola Sturgeon. Mr Johnson, with whom she doesn't get on, has bought her off with a peerage. She should put it on ice. She's only 41! Boris should beg.

The second way is for the Government to make the case that Scots are likely to remain much better off as part of the UK. Recent official figures, unchallenged by the SNP, show that people in Scotland receive 2,000 a head more in public subsidy than their counterparts in the rest of the country.

The argument should not just be about money though, and the certain drop in the standard of living that independence would entail. In a dangerous world, Scotland is more secure as part of a still substantial military power with international clout.

A third way of counteracting the SNP would be to embrace the idea of former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway, recently tacitly approved by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove (a Scot), to give some 700,000 Scottish-born voters in England a vote in a referendum.

Why shouldn't they have a say in the future of their country? The SNP is terrified of the prospect, rightly believing that such people are more likely to vote against independence.

The same SNP tried to gerrymander the 2014 referendum by persuading David Cameron that 16-year-olds, liable to support independence, should be allowed to vote. The Government must fight for the right of all Scots to take part.

Finally, there is another argument, hard to define, which in a way goes deeper than all the others. It is about shared history and shared values. Gordon Brown used rightly to say that the Scots and the English are similar peoples.

For all the differences accentuated by devolution, we are bound together by generations of common experiences and myriad family connections stretching across the border. Scots and English are rooted in the same popular culture and, dare one say, the same BBC.

Take the fight to Nicola Sturgeon is my cry. Bring back Ruth Davidson. Proclaim the virtues of Britishness. My God, it's going to be a difficult battle for Boris Johnson to win, and at stake is something infinitely more precious than his political reputation: the future of our country.
Almost an year ago, a couple of bird strikes at the Ambala Airbase forced Indian Air Force to reach out to local authorities to stop breeding of pigeons at nearby houses. One of these birds crashed into the engine of an IAF Jaguar fighter jet and the pilot jettisoned fuel tanks of the aircraft.

Around 10 kg of practice bombs were attached to the aircraft, officials said. Lauding the quick reaction, the IAF released a 48-second video of the birds hit and drop of fuel tanks as soon as pilot took off from the airforce station.

An year later, the IAF has reached out to authorities again, this time complaining about the garbage lying near the IAF station. The garbage pile is attracting increased bird activity over the airbase putting both the pilots life and plane at the harms way and this has not gone well with the Director General Inspection and Safety, Indian Air Force.

#SavingLives: On the morning of 27 June19, an IAF Jaguar aircraft loaded with two additional fuel drop tanks & Carrier Bomb Light Stores(CBLS) pods took off from AFS Ambala for a trainingmission. Immediately after take off, the aircraft encountered a flock ofbirds. pic.twitter.com/Mb0otqadVe Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 28, 2019

As per a report, the DG I&S Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has written a letter to Keshni Anand Arora, Chief Secretary, Haryana, asking to resolve the garbage crisis near the IAF station where Rafale is stationed.

The letter reads that the safety and security of the Rafale aircraft inducted at Ambala on July 29 is the prime focus of the IAF.

The letter also states that the station has a high concentration of birds that may cause serious damage to the fighter jets, more particularly multi-million dollar Dassault made Rafale, which was recently inducted in IAF at the said airbase.

He also states that Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Ambala met Joint Commissioner and Additional Municipal Commissioner of Ambala through Aerodrome Environment Management Committee meetings conducted on 24 Jan 2019, 10 July 2019 and 24 Jan 2020 to recommended measures and reduce the pile.

IAF has also recommended immediate implementation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) scheme that will reduce the activity of large birds like black kites in the aerodrome zone of 10 km around Ambala airfield.

Last year, IAF wrote a letter to local municipal body in regards to pigeon problem in the are. IAF have suggested that a few locals are breeding pigeons in their houses that are in close vicinity to the base. A complaint was filed highlighting that pigeons dont seem to be afraid of the loud noise of the aircraft.
The Zimbabwean government has announced that schools will be reopened in two weeks for students who will sit for examinations later in the year.



Those preparing to sit for Cambridge examinations will resume on 14 September.



Students preparing for Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) exams scheduled for 1 December, will return to school on 28 September.



The cabinet made the decision after consultations with education and health officials.



Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the two weeks were enough for measures to be put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.



Zimbabwe has 6,559 confirmed cases of Covid-19 according to the country's health ministry.



The World Health Organization and Unicef last month urged African nations to consider reopening schools safely to secure the future of children who were being affected by the long closure.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Donald Trump floated an idea to supporters Wednesday that they vote twice - once by mail and once by person - to see if mail-in balloting is working.

'So let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote. If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote,' Trump suggested to a crowd gathered at the airport in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he had traveled to pay tribute to the city's World War II history.

It would be considered voter fraud for people to knowingly vote twice in an election.

President Trump spent significant time greeting a crowd of hundreds at the Wilmington airport, going up and down the line and addressing them twice, floating that they should vote once by mail and once in person

President Trump spoke to a crowd of supporters on the tarmac in Wilmington, North Carolina, saying he expected to again win the state and South Carolina, Georgia and New Hampshire while he believed Michigan and also Minnesota were in reach

Trump's comments were the latest the president has made to sow confusion about the mail-in voting process, something he previously confessed could give Democrats an edge.

Democrats have been pushing for more mail-in voting options due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Trump arrived in Wilmington Wednesday and twice talked to hundreds of supporters who had awaited his arrival.

They packed in behind metal fences and very few wore masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Trump called the election the most important ever.

'Because we're running against people that have some big issues, 'he said. 'They've got some big, big problems. They're stone-cold crazy. As you know Joe Biden, he doesn't have a clue, we can't let it happen to our country,' the president said.

Out of earshot from the White House pool, Trump engaged with a local journalist who had informed him that 600,000 voters in North Carolina could vote absentee.

'I don't like that,' Trump said, according to NBC News.

'If it's as good as they say it is then obviously they won't be able to vote. If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote. So that's the way it is. And that's what they should do,' Trump also told the crowd.

North Carolina is a key swing state that helped Trump win the White House over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

He predicted to the crowd that it would happen again.

So we're going to win North Carolina, we're going to win South Carolina, we're going to win Georgia, we're going to win New Hampshire,' Trump said.

He won all the southern states in 2016, but came up short in New Hampshire despite winning there in the GOP primary.

'We just got a great poll from Michigan,' Trump added.

Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, were the three states that Trump surprisingly won to win the White House.

'Minnesota looks like it's really good, it hasn't been won since 1972 by a Republican,' the president added.

Minnesota remained blue in the last election but has become a target for the Trump campaign especially in light of the unrest in Minneapolis following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd.

Trump has been campaigning hard against the riots caused when 'Black Lives Matter' protests have gotten out of control, basing his 2020 campaign around the theme of 'law and order.'
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been deluged with a flood of media requests about a conspiracy theory promulgated by QAnonan increasingly violent far-right group praised by President Donald Trump that is widely known for spreading disinformation.

As the agency attempted to manage the fallout of a controversial Health and Human Services announcement that it had revised testing guidelines to exclude individuals who do not exhibit symptoms, officials were sidetracked by a barrage of inquiries about whether the CDC had lied about the number of Americans who died as a result of the coronavirus. Over the weekend QAnon, a movement whose believers often push out falsities on a myriad of subjects, promoted a bogus theory that only 6 percent of people listed as having died from the coronavirus had actually died from COVID-19.

Officials at the CDC said they spent the last several days fielding questions or requests for comment from dozens of local and national outlets asking to clarify whether the agency had falsified its data. The wave of emails and calls about the conspiracy theory caught officials off-guard.

The amount of requests we had to deal with on this issue was insane, one senior official said. And these were from legitimate outlets. This is all easily debunked by just searching our website for the actual statistics.

The CDC effort to combat accusations from QAnon, a relatively new, increasingly unhinged movement thats making inroads into online health communities, shows the power that conspiracy theorists can have during the pandemicespecially when boosted by the president. It also shows just how permeable the barrier between conspiracy cranks and established media outlets can be.

In all my time working in the government Ive never had to deal with something this crazy. The level of disinformation spread by this group has grown in recent months and now were having to actively debunk it through the press.

Story continues

The six percent claim was embraced by conservatives, who have been eager for ways to downplay the virus American death toll and have claimed for months that the CDC and hospitals were overcounting COVID-19 deaths. To QAnon supporters, the claim purports to show that COVID-19 has killed only 9,000 people, with the vast majority of the roughly 183,000 COVID-19 casualties actually killed by another ailment.

But they were wrong. In one section of an older data set, which relied on information collected from death certificatesone of the two main ways the CDC analyzes mortality in the U.S.6 percent of people were listed as dying from COVID-19 alone. The death certificate algorithm scans for words such as COVID-19 and novel coronavirus when analyzing mortality. In 94 percent of deaths with COVID-19, other conditions were listed in addition to COVID-19, such as diabetes or hypertension. Those conditions are often listed in the part of the death certificate that includes events that lead to an individuals death.

Despite the QAnon calculation errors, the claim has been boosted by President Trump and his campaign. Trump himself retweeted a post promoting the false statistic before Twitter deleted it for violating company rules, while Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis posted a link to an article on fringe website The Gateway Pundit trumpeting the 6 percent figure.

The claim has also been promoted by high-profile QAnon conspiracy theorists, who believe that Trump is secretly engaged in a shadowy war against a global cabal of cannibal-pedophiles. The tweet Trump reposted, for example, came from a Twitter user and QAnon believer named Mel Q, a reference to QAnon.

This isnt the first time during the pandemic that QAnon believers have played a key role in promoting coronavirus disinformation. Social media networks of QAnon supporters have become powerful ways to disseminate bogus stories about COVID-19, with QAnon believers promoting the viral disinformation video Plandemic, among others.

The debacle over QAnons inaccurate read of the mortality statistics is just the latest example of how the CDC has in recent months tried to combat efforts by Trump and his supporters to downplay the death count.

Earlier this summer, Trump and members of his coronavirus task force pushed for the CDC to change the way it counted COVID-19 deaths. As The Daily Beast previously reported, The White House pressed the agency to work with states to change how they count coronavirus deaths and report them back to the federal government. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the task force, urged CDC officials to exclude from coronavirus death-count reporting some of those individuals who either do not have confirmed lab results and are presumed positive or who have the virus and may not have died as a direct result of it.

Officials inside the CDC pushed back, claiming the move would skew mortality statistics. Since then, the team inside the CDC in charge of counting deaths has worked overtime to ensure the data it publishes on the agencys website is accurate and as up-to-date as possible.

The running narrative within the team is that the U.S. has underestimated, not overcounted, the number of people who have died from the coronavirus. As of Sept. 1, the CDC has reported that 183,050 Americans have died since the start of the pandemic.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to stay at this stage streaming of Netflix movie 'Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl', on the Centre's plea that it depicts the Indian Air Force (IAF) in bad light. Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the Centre as to why it did not approach the court before release of the movie on Over The Top (OTT) platform, and said an injunction cannot be granted now as the film is already streaming.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the Centre, said the movie has dented the image of the IAF as it showed that the force is gender biased, which is not correct. The high court sought response of Dharma Productions Private Limited, which produced the film, and Netflix on the Centre's plea to stop streaming of the movie.

The court said it was of the view that former Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena should also be made a party to the suit and issued notice to her, seeking her response. The movie was released on OTT platform on August 12.

Also read: Gunjan Saxena: Indian Air Force raises objection to negative portrayal in Janhvi Kapoor film

Also read: Gunjan Saxena: Here's how B-town supported Janhvi Kapoor-film amid criticism
A first trailer has been revealed for the upcoming Netflix film version of Boys in the Band

Directed by Joe Mantello, the new film will be released on 30 September on the streaming platform. It focusses on an uncomfortable birthday gathering amongst a group of gay friends on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Based on the Tony Award-winning revival, the cast includes Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto and Andrew Rannells.

You can watch the brand new trailer here:

The comedy, which first opened in 1968 and ran for over 1000 performances, was later adapted into a film in 1970, directed by William Friedkin. Mark Gatiss and Ian Hallard starred in a north London 2016 revival of the show, which transferred to the West End the following year.

Ryan Murphy has a series of stagey shows heading for Netflix, including The Prom big-screen adaptation and a new series based on A Chorus Line.
London's Heathrow Airport could axe up to 1,200 jobs, around a quarter of its frontline roles, as a result of a downturn in the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been claimed this atfternoon.

The airport has informed union officials that it was triggering a 45-day consultation period about the proposed cuts, Sky News said, citing unidentified sources.

Insiders told Sky that a deal is still possible if unions could agree revised terms but that if an agreement wasn't reached, approximately one-fifth of Heathrow's total workforce of about 5,700 people could be put at risk, the insider said.

The airport's plan involves cutting around half of workers' salaries by up to 20 per cent. If no agreement is reached, then job cuts could be implemented.

Heathrow has seen passenger numbers drop dramatically during the last six months, with July's traffic reportedly down 95% year-on-year.

Heathrow is set to axe up a quarter of its frontline staff as the number of passengers travelling through Heathrow Airport last month fell by nearly 7 million compared to July 2019

Just 867,000 people travelling through the west London airport last month, compared with 7.7million in July 2019.

The airport is hoping to find a deal that would cut employee pay and change benefits.

It said in a statement: 'Covid-19 has decimated the aviation industry, which has led to an unprecedented drop in passenger numbers at Heathrow, costing the airport over 1billion since the start of March.

'Provisional traffic figures for August show passenger numbers remain 82% down on last year and we must urgently adapt to this new reality.

Last month Ryanair slashed flight capacity by a fifth over a drop in the number of passenger bookings, while Easyjet announced it was closing bases in Stansted, Southend and Newcastle, which currently have 670 members of staff

'Discussions with our unions have taken place over four months and our final offer is informed by feedback we have received from them.

'But with air travel showing little sign of recovery, these discussions cannot go on indefinitely and we must act now to prevent our situation from worsening.

'We have now started a period of formal consultation with our unions on our offer, which still guarantees a job at the airport for anyone who wishes to stay with our business.'

The drop in numbers prompted Heathrow's boss to call on the government to scrap its 14-day quarantine and instead focus on testing travellers from high risk countries last month.

A spokesman for the airport said in a statement: 'Covid-19 has decimated the aviation industry which has led to an unprecedented drop in passenger numbers at Heathrow, costing the airport over 1 billion since the start of March.

'Provisional traffic figures for August show passenger numbers remain 82% down on last year and we must urgently adapt to this new reality.

'Discussions with our Unions have taken place over four months and our final offer is informed by feedback we have received from them.

BA boss accuses the government of causing 'further chaos' Yesterday Willie Walsh, the CEO of BA owner International Airlines Group accused the government of causing 'further chaos and hardship' for travellers based on 'arbitrary' statistics. He wrote in The Times: 'Another U-turn by the Government, adding Portugal to the quarantine list, will cause further chaos and hardship for travellers. 'The Government is using arbitrary statistics to effectively ban 160 countries and in the process destroying the economy. The Government needs to introduce a testing regime to restore confidence.' He added that the 'ever-shifting list' of countries requiring two weeks of quarantine means 'the UK has officially hung up the 'Closed' sign'. Advertisement

'But with air travel showing little sign of recovery, these discussions cannot go on indefinitely and we must act now to prevent our situation from worsening.

'We have now started a period of formal consultation with our Unions on our offer, which still guarantees a job at the airport for anyone who wishes to stay with our business.'

Environment Secretary George Eustice said earlier this week that border controls were always kept under review, but warned that screening on arrival would not remove the risk of the disease being imported into the country.

It comes a week after Gatwick announced plans to axe up to 600 jobs in a 'signifcant restructure' after feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on passenger and air traffic numbers.

The airport is operating at around 20 per cent of its capacity and has around 75 per cent of its staff on furlough.

Consultations have begun with staff over redundancies, as it prepares to cut up to 24 per cent of its workforce.

Passenger numbers across the UK were down 89 per cent last month compared to last July.

The number of passengers flying into UK airports surged to 1.3million people in July - compared to just 200,000 arriving in each month during April, May and June.

But figures from 12 months ago showed around 11.1million people flew into the UK's airports.

Pilots, cabin crew and other airline workers have all been struck with redundancies after the Covid-19 pandemic grounded the majority of flights six months ago.

Hopes that the summer would bring more passengers have been dashed by changing quarantine measures at some of Europe's most popular tourist destinations.

Yesterday Willie Walsh, the CEO of BA owner International Airlines Group accused the government of causing 'further chaos and hardship' for travellers based on 'arbitrary' statistics.

British Airways CEO Willie Walsh has accused the government of causing 'further chaos,' amid claims Portugal is about to go back on the UK's quarantine list

He wrote in The Times: 'Another U-turn by the Government, adding Portugal to the quarantine list, will cause further chaos and hardship for travellers.

'The Government is using arbitrary statistics to effectively ban 160 countries and in the process destroying the economy. The Government needs to introduce a testing regime to restore confidence.'

He added that the 'ever-shifting list' of countries requiring two weeks of quarantine means 'the UK has officially hung up the 'Closed' sign'.

Countries on official quarantine list Spain France Croatia Malta UAE Jamaica Switzerland Belgium Czech Republic Austria Netherlands Bulgaria Canada Singapore Advertisement

British Airways, which grounded its Gatwick fleet in March following the outbreak of Covid-19, had said that all short-haul flights from Gatwick will be consolidated into Heathrow until at least September.

BA itself announced it would be forced to cut hundreds of jobs at Gatwick in a bid to stay afloat during the fallout of the coronavirus.

Last month budget airline easyJet annouced it was closing its bases in Stansted, Southend and Newcastle in a cost-cutting drive - as Ryanair reduced its flight capacity by a fifth.

Jet2 also announced it was making 102 pilots redundant.

Engineering companies supplying the aviation industry and have also been hit hard in recent months.

Airbus, Europe's biggest aircraft maker, last week announced plans to slash nearly 15,000 jobs across its global operations - including 1,700 in the UK.

Last week Rolls Royce reported a 5.4billion loss in the first half of 2020 as its CEO announced it had halved the number of aircraft engines it had built so far this year - after shedding 4,000 jobs.

Chief executive Warren East said: 'About 4,000 people so far this year have left the organisation, that's spread across the whole group, the UK Germany, Singapore, all around the world.

'It includes about 2,500 voluntary redundancies and early retirements in the UK and we expect to be at about 5,000 by the end of this year.

'We simply don't need the scale of manufacturing facilities that we have, what we're doing is consolidating things to achieve greater efficiency where we do make things.'
Dir: William Nicholson. Starring: Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, Josh OConnor, Aiysha Hart, Ryan McKen. 12A cert, 100 mins

Its painful to watch someone cling to a dead romance. Edward (Bill Nighy) is telling his wife Grace (Annette Bening) that he wants to leave. Hes met someone else. Gripping his mug of tea  the most British of comfort blankets  he struggles to make eye contact with the woman he knows hes betrayed. The camera timorously searches Graces features for a reaction. But no tears are shed. She remains strangely, disconcertingly cheery as she informs him that their marriage is far from over. All will be well with a little work. Youre not even trying! she adds.

Hope Gap, William Nicholsons second film as a director, is a world away from the projects hes usually known for, having co-written both Gladiator and Les Miserables. The emotional ground it covers is far more ordinary  namely, the shock of someone youve spent your entire life with suddenly appearing to you as a stranger.

This isnt just the story of a husband and the wife hes left behind, but of their son (Josh OConnors Jamie), whom Edward invites home to serve as a buffer. He tries to soothe his mothers worries as best he can (OConnors gentle, subdued aura is well served here), while privately worrying that his own floundering relationship is proof hes turning into his father.

The films setting is as pleasant and unobtrusive as possible. Theyre a distinctly middle-class family living in picturesque Seaford, taking daily walks up to the cliffs to muse  all captured in bright, crisp hues by cinematographer Anna Valdez-Hanks. Edward is a teacher, while Grace is putting together a poetry anthology entitled I Have Been Here Before, intended to remind readers that every feeling is a recycled one, experienced countless times throughout history.

Graces placid surroundings have a way of amplifying her own distress. Her cries of pain ricochet off the walls. Denial morphs into delusion, as she patiently sits on the stairs of her home each day, waiting for Edward to return. Benings British accent feels off, but its measured, dreamlike tones fit surprisingly well with Graces increasing detachment from reality. At times, it borders on the absurd. She acquires a puppy and names it after her husband, then compares herself to the widows and orphans of war. Bening makes her eccentricity believable.

Hope Gap is an adaptation of Nicholsons own Tony-nominated play The Retreat from Moscow, its title inspired by Napoleons failed invasion of 1812. Edward recounts the story to his pupils, so that the film can gracelessly offer it up as a metaphor for his failed marriage. But Nicholson doesnt stop there. Its all contactless now! Edward exclaims. Hes talking about card payments; were meant to think of human socialisation. Though the cast gamely delivers each idea, finding the musicality in the ebb and flow of Nicholsons words, Hope Gap never seems to grasp the crucial differences between theatre and film. A full buffet of metaphors isnt necessary when the camera itself can say so much about a characters state of mind. What is rich on stage can feel crowded and stiff on film.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 19:17:29|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has brought back a total of 254 stranded nationals from the United States on a chartered flight under the government's evacuation plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chartered flight from Seattle to Ulan Bator landed at the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport here on Wednesday afternoon, Mongolia's State Emergency Commission said in a statement.

The repatriated people consisted of pregnant women, the elderly, children and disabled and sick people, and those with financial and other problems, the commission said, adding that they will be isolated at designated facilities for 21 days.

Following its suspension of international commercial flights, Mongolia has repatriated more than 19,000 nationals on chartered flights, buses or trains from different parts of the world, according to the commission.

The Asian country planned to operate at least 12 flights this month to bring back more stranded nationals from abroad.

As of Wednesday, the country has reported a total of 306 COVID-19 cases, all of which were imported.

No local transmissions or deaths have been reported in Mongolia so far. Enditem
Colombia and Albania would seem to have little in common. But they have been united since the Covid-19 outbreak in banning the export of a product that rarely finds its way into trade policy: toilet paper.

Thankfully, theyre the only two countries to have taken such action. But hundreds of other products have been ensnared by the protectionist impulse this year  many, but not all, tied to Covid-19. For developing nations in particular, the dangers are great: A sweeping retreat into restricting exports and imposing high import tariffs could exacerbate the current global economic slowdown and stifle the economic growth that reduces poverty. The early signs are not encouraging.

Developing countries have been subjected to hundreds of protectionist measures this year. The U.S. Commerce Department, for example, announced in April that its slapping anti-dumping duties on a few companies in India and Turkey that export quartz surface products used for home furnishings. A few days earlier, Commerce announced an investigation of mattress producers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam for allegedly selling their products at less than fair value.

But much of the protectionist activity has been undertaken by developing countries themselves. In July, for example, India announced restrictions on the imports of televisions, power tillers, and cut flowers. Argentina has announced import duties on gluten free infant formulas and urinary catheters. Turkey has raised import duties on outdoor plants and corks, while Egypt has banned the import of white raw sugar. Sri Lanka has imposed a 15-fold increase in the tariffs on select onions. And the list goes on.

More than 70 percent of the new protectionist measures have been subsidies and export measures (such as restrictions on what can be shipped out of a country), according to Global Trade Alert. Other tactics include tariff hikes and quotas. The sectors most targeted for protectionism this year have been pharmaceuticals, textiles, and medical/surgical equipment.

But the next most common targets  cereals, apparel, plastic products, and vegetables  have a less direct connection to Covid-19. And therein lies the risk  that countries habitually resort to protectionism during emergencies in a short-sighted bid for economic security.

There have already been health consequences associated with the restricted flow of goods. More than 70 countriesrestricted the export of medical materials, which meant that many African nations had limited access to diagnostic tests, according to John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

All of these actions come against the backdrop of the World Bank estimating that global growth will decline by 5-8 percent this year, pushing an additional 71-100 million people into extreme poverty. The latter figure would represent the first global increase in extreme poverty since 1998.

An expansion of protectionist policies, which are often adopted during economic downturns, would cause those numbers to rise. The trade war that broke out in the 1930s intensified that decades economic turmoil. And in just the past decade, the share of world trade impacted by policy-driven distortions such as export incentives, subsidies, and import tariffs, has risen from 40 percent to about 75 percent, according to United Nations data. In other words, the world economy is being splintered by the kind of mercantilist policies that depress economic efficiency and opportunity.

Add up all the protectionist measures throughout the world and the result will harm workers in exporting countries and depress economic growth nearly everywhere. We already know that global trade is projected to decline 18 percent this year, according to the World Trade Organization. And the United Nations projects that foreign direct investment flows will fall 30-40 percent. Those numbers could rise if the protectionist trend continues.

Why does this matter? Because the experience of the past four decades  from China, India, and elsewhere  demonstrates that expanding trade and foreign investment is essential to economic growth in developing nations. And economic growth is the most powerful and sustainable antidote to extreme poverty, helping more than one billion people to escape it over the past four decade  the biggest and fastest rise in living standards in human history.

There is nonetheless going to be a temptation for policymakers to ramp up protectionist measures designed to help the poor. The risk is that these measures will take precedence over the trade liberalization that is going to help the poor the most.

The poverty reduction over the past four decades is a monumental achievement. But theres no guarantee the progress will continue. As the World Bank wrote recently, the pandemic could alter the very structures upon which the growth of recent decades was built.

The Covid-19 shock to the global economy is a test of whether policymakers have mastered the lessons from the past. Those lessons are crystal clear: Protectionism is a recipe for higher poverty, while market-based policies will help deliver the economic growth that fosters opportunity and prosperity.
Arthur had pushed for Saturdays race to be canceled unless it barred spectators. Some people reacted as if he had spoken blasphemy, he said, because the race is just such a sacred time for our city. But what they fail to realize is that it has never been sacred for us, for over 100 years now, because we havent been included in that celebration. We havent been included in that economic impact. We havent been included in Louisville.
In a nutshell: Samsung announced today that it's bringing a pair of ultra-short throw Premiere projectors to its high-end lineup of Lifestyle TVs. The 4K-capable 120" LSP7T and 130" LSP9T have been designed to offer the ultimate home cinema experience, with the latter model also being the world's first HDR+ certified projector. Samsung has not revealed their price but plans to launch them globally later this year.

Samsung has some pretty unique models in its Lifestyle TV lineup, ranging from the rather discreet QLED Serif and Frame TVs to the rotating 43-inch 4K Sero TV that's anything but. These displays have now been joined by Samsung's latest 4K ultra-short throw laser projector called The Premiere.

Set to transcend the display experience, without the display, The Premiere series consists of the 120" LSP7T and the 130" LSP9T 4K laser projectors. Samsung claims the latter model is the world's first projector to feature HDR+ certification and uses triple laser technology to deliver high contrast with up to 2,800 ANSI lumens of brightness.

The Premiere also features support for 'Filmmaker Mode,' which Samsung says is the first of its kind for a projector, enabling users to watch movies as the director intended. The setting, usually found on high-end TVs, disables post-processing like motion smoothing and preserves the original aspect ratio, color and frame rates for a true cinematic experience.

Built-in woofers and Acoustic Beam surround sound takes care of audio, while support for Samsungs Smart TV platform/Smart Hub ensures access to a variety of streaming apps and mobile connectivity features like Tap View and screen mirroring.

As with most consumer products these days, the projectors are wrapped in homely fabric (around the edges), allowing them to blend easily with the environment. Expect a premium price tag on The Premiere when Samsung launches it worldwide later this year, starting with the US, Europe and Korean markets.
People bow before the statues of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on the occasion of 67th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice agreement in Pyongyang, July 27, 2020. The U.S. government has extended the travel ban on North Korea for another year. AFP



The U.S. State Department has extended the travel ban on North Korea for another year, citing what it called a "serious risk" of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. citizens by the communist state, a public notice showed Tuesday.



The one-year extension marks the third of its kind since Washington declared all U.S. passports invalid for visits to, in and through the North on Sept. 1, 2017.



The move followed the death of Otto Warmbier, who died six days after he returned home following his release from North Korea in June 2017. The then 22-year-old had been detained by North Korea since January 2016 on suspicions of trying to steal a propaganda poster from his hotel in Pyongyang.



"The Department of State has determined that there continues to be serious risk to United States citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention representing imminent danger to their physical safety," said the public notice, posted on the website of the U.S. Federal Register.



"Accordingly, all United States passports shall remain invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK unless specially validated for such travel," it added.



Separately, the State Department maintains the highest level-4 or "Do Not Travel" travel advisory on the North, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its own website.



"Do not travel to North Korea due to COVID-19 and the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals," says the travel advisory, dated Aug. 6.



No massive outbreak of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the impoverished North, which has nearly closed off all its borders, including those shared with its largest communist ally China. (Yonhap)


Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Or Unlearning.

Dont let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action, author Jim Rohn writes. But sometimes we must first unlearn what we once believed to be true before were able to learn and take action. One of my big questions is why arent environmental chemical exposure and bioaccumulation being discussed in initiatives to combat disease if there is so much known about the detrimental health effects of these toxicants? When no discussion is happening, self-education on the bodys environmental chemical burden has to happen. But Im getting ahead of myself. Lets first begin with a good understanding of the human body.

The Human Body.

A very simple training module on Anatomy & Physiology is available from the National Institutes of Health. Its a self-paced learning tool that can help you understand how the human body works. You can select a body system, such as the Endocrine Glands & Their Hormones, and outside links will be accessible throughout the module that will guide you to even further information and resources. Each module is also wonderfully illustrated to help with understanding the material more fully.

Maybe you have an issue with your thyroid gland or your cardiovascular system and want to know more about what that system looks like when its functioning at its optimal level, as well as what happens when that system goes awry. Its a great website to spend time with to educate yourself and others on their bodies.

Enter Toxicants.

The American Cancer Societys website lists environmental chemicals that have been linked to cancer and each category offers a way to download more information. For instance, under Known Human Carcinogens classified as Group 1 chemicals by the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer, one can download pdf files on the chemical in question. As you scroll down the website, youll see chemicals listed by the National Toxicology Program with an option to download their 14th report on carcinogens. But keep scrolling. The results are staggering.

The Bodys Chemical Burden.

There are 273 chemicals on the National Toxicology Programs website with information on how they affect our organs, tissues, and body systems. And those 273 chemicals just relate to cancer. Hundreds more chemicals are listed for other diseases affect every body system. On the NTP site you can search by animal or human, or both, and then click on the chemicals listed in the results to find out how one is being exposed. It also shows you whether the research evidence is strong or merely suggestive.

Pesticides And Autoimmune Disorders.

How might the environment be affecting 24 million people in the US with autoimmune disorders? Researchers have found that exposure to pesticides can be a factor, so can exposure to mercury. But autoimmune disorders are sometimes amplified by exposure to other environmental pollutants, as well. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association lists over 100 disorders on their website with links to help you learn more about them, complete with Education Modules.

Toxic Free.

A non-profit organization, Toxic-Free Futures website hosts a wealth of information. One blog begins, What do sperm, kids, salmon, and orcas have in common besides that they all swim? All can be harmed by toxic chemicals put in consumer products! Spread the word about this organization that is not only helping to create more awareness of the problems we face today with environmental chemical exposure, but are also offering resources and tools to help us avoid future exposure as much as we can.

Pediatric Training Course.

In the early 1950s when I was born my mother didnt pass numerous environmental chemicals on to me through her placenta. Yet in just the last decade and a half, data showed that the average infant came into this world with an average of 287 toxicants in their umbilical cord blood. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has developed a wonderful resource  the Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit Training Module. This free course will take approximately 90 minutes to complete and if you need continuing ed credits, simply complete the post test.

More CEs And Online Learning.

You can also catch up on CEs or just learn more from the National Environmental Health Association. Their website has endless information and theres a good chance that youll find a topic youre interested in. The Collaborative on Health and the Environment website has provided webinars and podcasts since 2002 on topics related to environmental health science. Even in the archived podcasts one can still listen to the recordings and download slides and resources. There are hundreds available, and theyre free. Find a topic that interests you and listen while you commute!

Elementary School Classroom Resources.

Are you an elementary or middle school educator and would like to share environmental science with your students? ToxTown, a division of the National Institutes of Healths National Library of Medicine, hosts a website where you can download lesson plans, games, and hands-on activities to teach kids about sources of exposure to environmental chemicals. There are also printable PDF files, videos, and links to other informational websites. Here is an example of a 2-minute video from ToxTown on nutrient pollution for kids.

There are several other websites with activities, games, and resources. One such website is the Sustainable Community Website from the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences has an entire website devoted to the environment and kids health. It, too, has games, activities, songs, and lesson plans. Additionally, National Geographic offers lesson plans for Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-12.

Screening For Chemicals.

Several years ago, I opted to undergo a pricey body burden screening test from Genova Diagnostics. Their Toxic Effects Profile tested for 45 of the most common chemicals found in humans, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chlorinated and organophosphate pesticides, PCBs, BPA, phthalates, and parabens. For someone who had been eating organic since the late 1970s and had used the safest personal care and cleaning products for almost four decades, it came as a complete surprise when the results showed I was in the 80th percentile for benzene and styrene, the 95th percentile for PCB153, and showed detectable levels of DDE, phthalates, pesticides, BPA, and parabens. Being in the 95th percentile means only 5% of other individuals that were tested exceeded the level found in my body.

Dont want to spend $1,000? Dr. Claudia S. Miller developed the most widely used screening instrument for chemical intolerance. A professor at the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio, she researches the underlying environmental causes of disease. Take this questionnaire found on her website.

Detoxification.

Okay. So now you know we all have chemicals in our bodies. Are you looking for a formal detoxification plan? The University of Wisconsins Integrative Medicine website has a 12-page pdf file you can download. It includes what to eat, supplements that can assist the body, and more.

Youll notice tthis document mentions the use of milk thistle, dandelion and turmeric. Are you familiar with the American Botanical Council website? Take advantage of the all the information it has to offer on plant medicine and essential oils that you may be using in your detoxification program or elsewhere in matters related to your health.

The Unlearning Part.

Hopefully if youve gotten this far you recognize that many of the chemicals used today are not safe, even though were told that they are. There are plenty of problems with toxicants and their effects on the human body, so please continue to learn (and unlearn) by reading my other blogs. Then please help spread these resource-filled blogs on your social media!
The candidates kicked off the US general election campaign season this week, reflecting the presidential races urgency.

United States President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have ramped up their campaigns this week, with the former vice president returning to the campaign trail and both candidates holding their first duelling events since their partys conventions wrapped up.

The campaign blitz represents the urgency of the race for both candidates and comes before the Labor Day holiday on September 7, which historically marks the beginning of the most aggressive general election campaigning.

Amid a coronavirus pandemic that has, in terms of confirmed cases and deaths, hit the US harder than any country in the world, and continued racial unrest in cities across the US that has at times turned violent and deadly, both campaigns have been jockeying to control the narrative.





That began on Monday when Biden, returning to the trail for the first time after taking a removed approach to campaigning amid the pandemic, sought to rebut claims by Trump that radical left Democrats were allowing agitators and rioters to overrun cities and suburbs.

Instead he presented Trump as a leader whose ineptitude in handling the health crisis has posed a far more pressing security concern to Americans.

During an event in Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday, in which Biden took questions from reporters for the first time since the Democratic convention, the candidate called safely re-opening schools during the pandemic a national emergency while charging Trump still doesnt have a real plan for the crisis.

He also said the police officers involved in the shootings of Breonna Taylor in Louisville Kentucky and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin should be charged.

Biden is set to visit Kenosha, which is in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, on Thursday, just two days after Trump made a controversial trip to the city, despite pleas from local and state officials that he stay away for fear that his visit would agitate unrest.

Trump used the trip to highlight his law and order message that has become increasingly central to the campaign, decrying property damage and attacks on police during protests as domestic terror.





American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home, Trump said on Wednesday during a World War II memorial event in Wilmington, North Carolina in an address that appeared was rushed due to lightning.

With 61 days until the November 3 election, both candidates on Wednesday also announced plans to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a hijacked plane crashed in a field, apparently as it was being diverted to Washington, DC.

It was not immediately clear whether their visits to the memorial in Shanksville will overlap, but the visits will likely be the closest that the candidates have been to one another in months.
A top French appeals court said Wednesday it would rule on September 30 whether Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga is to stand trial in France or face a UN tribunal in Tanzania.

Kabuga, who is 84 according to officals, but claims to be 87, was arrested in May at his home outside Paris after 25 years on the run.

He is accused of being a leading financier of the 1994 Rwanda genocide of some 800,000 people by Hutu extremists targeting rival Tutsis but also moderate Hutus.

A French court ruled in June that Kabuga should stand trial at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) based in Arusha, Tanzania.

But his lawyers appealed, citing frail health and fears the UN tribunal in Africa would be biased against him.

During a hearing Wednesday at the Cour de Cassation, Frances supreme court for criminal cases, Kabugas lawyer Louis Bore also argued that his client could not be properly treated medically in Tanzania.

Kabuga has diabetes, high blood pressure and leukoaraiosis, an incurable illness that erodes physical and cognitive abilities, Bore said.

If Frances highest appeal court endorses his transfer, Kabuga would have one month to appear before the MICT, which took over the duties of the UNs International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda when it formally closed in 2015.

Kabuga, once one of Rwandas richest men, was indicted by the tribunal in 1997 on seven counts, including genocide. He denies all the charges.

He is alleged to have funnelled money to militia groups as chairman of the national defence fund.

Kabuga is also accused of setting up the Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines, which incited people to murder.
The first presidential debate will be moderated by 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace, who bored down on tough questions in a sit-down with President Trump about his boast of acing a cognitive test.

The bipartisan commission on presidential debates announced the moderators in a release Wednesday.

None of the moderators were on a list provided by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, although he had put forward a number of other Fox moderators and commentators as suggestions.

Instead, representatives from Fox , C-SPAN and NBC will moderate the upcoming debates between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Wallace will host the first debate, to be held in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University.

According to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the moderators will be:

-Chris Wallace of Fox News for the debate Sept. 29 in Cleveland.

-Steve Scully of C-SPAN for the "town meeting" debate Oct. 15 in Miami.

-NBCs Kristen Welker for the debate Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The commission also announced Wednesday that USA Todays Susan Page will moderate the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City with Vice President Mike Pence and Democrat Kamala Harris.

President Donald Trump tours an emergency operations center and meets with law enforcement officers at Mary D. Bradford High School, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

There was no immediate reaction from either campaign to the selections.

Trump and Biden have said they will attend the scheduled debates, which are meant to offer voters to opportunity to see the contrast between the candidates on live television.

Trump's team has tried to pressure the commission to move up the debates, citing increased use of early and absentee voting because of the coronavirus.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden receives a briefing from education leaders and experts in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

We are grateful to these experienced journalists, who will help ensure that the general election presidential debates continue to serve their unique educational purpose of helping the public learn about the candidates. Each individual brings great professionalism to moderating and understands that the purpose of the 2020 debate formats is to facilitate in-depth discussion of major topics,' the commission said in a statement.
CHICAGO (AP)  A familiar narrative emerged in the days that followed Jacob Blakes shooting by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, one seen many times after a Black man or woman is killed or grievously wounded by police: That somehow Blake's actions or his past can explain why an officer fired seven bullets into his back.

Despite shocking bystander video and impassioned pleas from community and family members, authorities have offered few details about the shooting or the white officer who carried it out, instead highlighting scant information about Blake without elaborating or explaining its relevance to the shooting.

So, the sexual assault charge levied against Blake in July in connection with domestic abuse allegations quickly became part of the story, though authorities have refused to discuss its bearing on the police use of force on Aug. 23.

This is what they do. They are trying to distract us from what we saw on the video, said Blake family attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and dozens of other victims of police brutality and vigilante violence.

They are trying to leave him with any kind of criminal history (so) its OK not to care about his life," said Crump, who called it a playbook" for when police maim or kill Black people.

That's the message Blake's family has hammered home as the 29-year-old remains in the hospital, where doctors have told them he may never walk again.

They shot my son seven times  seven times, like he didnt matter, Blakes father, Jacob Blake Sr., said. But my son matters. Hes a human being and he matters.

Relatives have called Blake a devoted father who was attempting to break up a domestic dispute, trying to be a hero, as his cousin, Adria-Joi Watkins put it. The grandson of an Illinois minister who was active in the civil rights movement, Blake, his mother tearfully told reporters, would have been very unpleased by the eruption of unrest in Kenosha after the shooting.

Story continues

In the absence of investigative details, police unions have been particularly aggressive in putting as much responsibility for violent confrontations as possible on those killed or injured by officers.

In 2014, for example, a union spokesman rushed to the scene where a white Chicago officer fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. He told reporters that, in the moments before the shooting, the teenager had lunged at the officer and his partner, leaving them no choice at that point but to defend themselves.

It was not until a year later, when dash-cam video of the shooting was finally made public, that the city saw that the teen was in fact walking away from police when he was shot 16 times. The video became the centerpiece of the trial in which the officer was convicted of second-degree murder.

This year, after video showed the waning minutes of Floyds life under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer after he allegedly passed a counterfeit bill at a store, the police union president complained about media coverage of the subsequent unrest and firing of the officers involved, falsely claiming that Floyds violent history wasnt being reported.

While state and local authorities issued vague statements about the investigation of Blake's shooting and refused to address most questions seeking clarity, the police union in Kenosha issued a statement combating what it called the purely fictional depiction of events from Blakes lawyers and others. Among the contentions were that Blake was holding a knife, had resisted arrest and even put one of the officers in a head lock  none of which authorities investigating the shooting have been willing to comment on.

And because arrests and civil court proceedings are a matter of public record, details about people wounded or killed by police officers that have nothing to do with the encounter in question  ranging from divorces to minor drug charges  also enter the narrative. In contrast, service records of police officers are guarded and often only made public after lengthy legal battles.

As a result, the information authorities have provided thus far about the officer who shot Blake begins and ends with this: His name is Rusten Sheskey and hes been with the Kenosha police department for seven years.

As for the shooting itself, authorities, citing the need to protect the integrity of the investigation, have raised far more questions than they've answered.

In cellphone video recorded by a bystander, Blake is seen walking to the driver-side door of an SUV as officers follow him with guns drawn, shouting. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire. Three of Blakes children were in the vehicle. A shakier second bystander video taken from the other side shows officers appearing to try to grab Blake while he is on the ground before he stands up and walks toward the vehicle.

Blakes family has said that he initially went to the scene to break up a domestic dispute.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul would not address that contention at his only news conference about the shooting, saying only that police were dispatched to the scene after a woman reported her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises. On police audio from the day of the shooting, a dispatcher can be heard telling officers a complaintant says Jacob Blake isn't supposed to be there."

But Kaul refused to address whether Blake was indeed the boyfriend referred to in his statements or on what charge Blake was being arrested.

In discussing whether Blake was armed, Kaul said Blake admitted to police that he had a knife in his possession. But Kaul did not say when Blake said that or whether Blake was holding the knife. Instead, he said a knife was found after the shooting on the drivers side floorboard of the SUV.

For Crump and others, the shooting and all that followed has again revealed the existence of two criminal justice systems: one for Black defendants and the other for white defendants. They point to video footage showing police vehicles driving past Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha as the white teen carried an assault rifle moments after he allegedly fatally shot two protesters.

Do you think armed vehicles and Jeeps are going to ride right past a Black man?  asked filmmaker Spike Lee during an interview on CNN last week.

To Crump, investigators' failure to release information is the first chapter in a story hes seen over and over.

They are trying to cover for this officer, they dont want him held accountable, the attorney said.
Ford Park doesnt need any more controversy, but it got some on Tuesday. Jefferson County commissioners had to reject a bid to buy the park because they hadnt met a basic legal requirement. State law requires that a minimum bid for property to be set upon its appraised value. The $22 million base bid the county set for Ford Park was established before the appraisal was presented to the commissioners, so they couldnt approve the offer they had received.

This is something that should not have happened. Ford Park is the most controversial project in the countys history. Taxpayers dont need another reason to resent it.

The county has a legal team that is supposed to address issues like this. Judge Jeff Branick is also an attorney, though that is not a requirement for holding that position. Commissioners should have known in advance what they had to do to sell the park legally and properly.

If the park is sold, taxpayers should have full confidence that the process was handled correctly and commissioners got the best price possible. Preventable problems like this dont further that goal.

To his credit, Precinct 2 Commissioner Brent Weaver had been saying this all along about waiting for the appraisal. His colleagues should have listened to him, especially since the gap is so large between Tuesdays base bid of $22 million and a preliminary value of the land and structures at $43.3 million. The first number was used because it represents the outstanding debt left on Ford Park.

Now the commissioners must determine if they can find a buyer at what could be a higher number. They dont have to set the base bid at the appraised value, but they must take that into consideration. They could still sell Ford Park for around $22 million if they determine thats in the taxpayers best interests. Overall, they still want to sell Ford Park, and so do the taxpayers they represent.

This process also assumes that the buyer has the resources and plans to operate the park. One potential buyer might have different vision for the future of the park than another, and commissioners should take that into account. They should want the best future for the park, one that helps ensure it stays open and operational, or of course expands to new attractions.

But thats down the road. First commissioners have to line up their ducks so the park can be sold. They should try to do that as soon as possible, and do it correctly if they get another opportunity.
Cabinet clears repeal of farm laws: Bill to be placed in Parliament

Cabinet approves infusion of Rs 1,500 crore in IREDA: Here are the Highlights

Union Cabinet approves Mission Karmayogi: What this step to reform bureaucracy is all about

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 02: The Union Cabinet has approved Mission Karmayogi, the nation programme for civil services capacity building.

This programme will lay the foundation for capacity building for civil servants so that they remained entrenched in Indian culture, while they learn from best practices across the world.

Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare Indian civil servants for the future by making them more creative, constructive, imaginative, proactive, innovative, progressive, professional, energetic, transparent and technology enabled.

A council headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will help approve civil services capacity building plans under Mission Karmayogi. The mission would focus on individual civil servants and institutional capacity building.

At the top would be the Prime Minister's HR Council, comprising the national and International experts under the chairmanship of the PM.

The Karmayogi scheme will be the biggest Human Resource development programme of the government. A civil servant should be imaginative & innovative, proactive & polite, professional & progressive, energetic & enabling, transparent & tech-enabled, constructive & creative in order to meet the challenges of the society," secretary, C Chandramouli said.

ED arrests hawala dealer Naresh Jain

He also said that capacity building commission will be set up which will harmonise training standards, create shared faculty and resources and will have a supervisory role over all training institutions so that there is common understanding of India's aspirations and development goals, he also added.

He also said that Capacity Building Commission to harmonise training standards, create shared faculty, resources, and have a supervisory role over all central training institutions.

Further the Union Cabinet also approved three MoUs. These are one between the textile ministry and Japan for quality evaluation method.

The other one approved is between the mining ministry and Finland and the third between the ministry of new and renewable energy and Denmark, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar informed the media after the Cabinet meeting.

Further the Cabinet also approved the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020.
Kangana Ranaut took to Twitter to respond to filmmaker Anubhav Sinha's tweet regarding her allegations of drug abuse in the film industry. The Bollywood actor explained her stance while taking a dig at the filmmaker's skepticism, that she has 'no doubt that he has never been invited to Bollywood parties'. In her tweet, Kangana said that she was referring to the 'most high profile parties and inner circle of hugely successful stars' when she said the '99% people from the industry have been exposed to drugs'.

Kangana's response to Anubhav Sinha

In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Kangana said that most Bollywood actors consume drugs almost like water' and that nearly everyone has been exposed to hard drugs. In response to her statement, Anubhav Sinha took to Twitter on August 31 to take a dig at her and said, "Anyone who says 90% of any industry is on drugs is on drugs."

Read | Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab Goswami, Claims '99 Per Cent Of Bollywood Consumes Drugs'

On September 2, Kangana Ranaut replied to the filmmaker on Twitter. The Tanu Weds Manu star said, "I have no doubt that people like you have never been invited to those parties cos these drugs are expensive." She also went on the say that she can guarantee that '99% superstars have been exposed to hard drugs'.

Read | Kangana Shares Screenshot Of Mumbai CP 'liking' Derogatory Tweet On Her; Cops Say 'never'

Anyone who says 90% of any industry is on drugs is on drugs. Even the drugs industry itself will have a much lower percentage.



Talking of low percentages...... ok let it be....  Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) August 31, 2020

Hey I specifically mentioned most high profile parties and inner circle of hugely successful stars, I have no doubt that people like you have never been invited to those parties cos these drugs are expensive, 99% superstars have been exposed to hard drugs and I guarantee this.  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 2, 2020

Kangana opens up about Bollywood-Drug link

After Rhea Chakraborty's chats referencing the purchase, use and purported 'spiking' of drugs in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death case went viral, Kangana Ranaut was the first and the only one to talk about Bollywood's link to drugs. She even agreed to speak to the Narcotics Control Bureau, provided she is given protection.

In her exclusive interview on Republic, she revealed shocking information about the drug abuse within the industry. Ranaut said that LSD, cocaine and ecstasy pills were the most commonly used drugs at the Bollywood parties. She went to say that the film industry has almost turned into a 'gutter' due to the consumption of drugs.

Read | Kangana Reveals Details Of B'wood Drug Parties, Claims, 'I've Seen How Vulgar It Becomes'

We have to set standards for our nation, about who are our role models. Our youth is involved in drugs in a very severe way. The film industry should be held responsible for this because they have made them role models," said Kangana Ranaut

"At some point, 99 percent of them. Some might have faced health conditions, or because of age, or after being admitted or having repercussions, they have quit now after doing it throughout their youth. Even if I count them, there are 99 percent people. Everybody without fail, at some point, is doing it, and if there is a party, everyone is indulging in it," she said.

Read | Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab On Bollywood's Drug Reality, Says Was 'given Injections'

Read | Kangana Ranaut Speaks To Arnab, Claims, 'Bollywood Consumes Drugs Like Food'; Watch
China has strengthened and modernized its military capabilities in recent years to the point where its Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is already ahead of the United States in some areas, the Pentagon said in a report to Congress published on Wednesday.



China now has the worlds largest navy, with an overall battle force of around 350 ships and submarines compared with the U.S.s 293 ships, the report said.



Its ruling Chinese Communist Party now commands more than 1,250 ground launched ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, while the U.S.' arsenal contains GLBM with ranges of up to 300 kilometers and no GLCMs, it said.



China also boasts one of the worlds biggest advanced long range surface-to-air defense systems, the report found.



But it said recent improvements in the PLAs ability to conduct joint operations, its combat readiness, and its overseas reach were more striking than the PLAs staggering amounts of new military hardware.



China under Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping also looks set to embark on a further three decades of PLA modernization and reform, it said.



The report was in stark contrast to a similar report in 2000, which found Chinas armed forces to be a sizable but mostly archaic military that was poorly suited to [Beijings] long-term ambitions.



The report warned that Chinas foreign policy seeks to change the rules-based international order and mold it into something closer to its ideology, and that the PLA looks set to be an effective tool with which to achieve those aims.



It is likely that China will aim to develop a military by mid-century that is equal toor in some cases superior tothe U.S. military, or that of any other great power that China views as a threat to its sovereignty, security, and development interests, the report said.



It said the PLA is developing capabilities to provide options for China to dissuade, deter, or, if ordered, defeat third-party intervention during a large-scale, theater campaign such as a Taiwan contingency, the report said.



China has said Taiwan, a democratic island that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party nor formed part of the Peoples Republic of China, must unify with China or face a potential invasion by the PLA.



"For the U.S. to come out with a report like this means that it is letting the rest of the East Asia region know that it is watching what the PLA does very closely and ... and that if they cooperate with the U.S., they will have nothing to worry about," Taiwan military analyst Lee Cheng-hsiu told RFA.



"They also want to send the message to China that the U.S. military stands ready [in the Asia Pacific region], and isn't going anywhere," he said.



A growing nuclear power



China is also a growing nuclear power, according to the report.



The number of warheads on ... land-based ICBMs capable of threatening the United States is expected to grow to roughly 200 in the next five years, the report said.



Chinas nuclear forces will significantly evolve over the next decade as it modernizes, diversifies, and increases the number of its land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms, it said.



A Chinese military commentator, who gave the pseudonym Li Feng, said the estimates likely stemmed from traceable, international transactions involving materials needed for the production of nuclear weapons.



"There are many clues, especially from the declaration, supervision, and verification mechanisms under the International Atomic Energy Agency," Li said. "China has participated in those processes, so it's possible to form a scientific estimate of the amount of weapons-grade nuclear material China can produce."



He said any significant expansion of the country's nuclear arsenal would also become apparent to the international community.



"There will be many clues to expansion that cannot be covered up," Li said.



Once China increases its nuclear weapons, it will become more isolated internationally



Surge in production



Li said a recent comment by Global Times editor Hu Xijin on social media to the effect that China should expand its nuclear arsenal to 1,000 warheads to curb U.S. strategic ambitions had likely made the job of Chinese negotiators at forthcoming strategic arms reduction talks with the U.S. far more difficult.



"The question is, what will the international community think of you if you suddenly produce 400 additional nuclear warheads, while claiming to want to get rid of nuclear weapons altogether?"



According to estimates by the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has around 4,300 warheads, followed by the United States with 3,800, and China with about 320.



Lee Cheng-hsiu said given that China has a no-first-strike nuclear weapons policy, any future conflict with the U.S. will likely be limited to conventional warfare.



"If a war breaks out in East Asia, the most important thing will still be comparative conventional capabilities," Lee said. "That's why the U.S. [report] made a point of mentioning China's more than 1,000 conventional ballistic missiles, because they are capable of hitting Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea."



"Japan and South Korea are in a military alliance with the U.S., while the U.S. military also regards Taiwan as being of great strategic importance."



The U.S. report said the PLA, which already has a major military base in Djibouti, is likely planning to expand its overseas network of bases and logistics facilities.



Future locations could include Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan, it said.



A global PLA military logistics network could interfere with U.S. military operations and provide flexibility to support offensive operations against the United States, the report said.



'Civilian-Military Fusion'



Meanwhile, at home, the ruling Chinese Communist Party is pursuing increased militarization of the whole of Chinese society, and of the economy, under its civilian-military fusion policy that has previously been deployed in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where more than one million ethnic minority Muslims have been incarcerated in prisons and re-education camps, the report found.



The policy includes mixed military and civilian manufacturing facilities, technology resources and know-how, as well as building military requirements into civilian infrastructure and using it for military as well as civilian purposes.



[This] means there is not a clear line between [Chinas] civilian and military economies, raising due diligence costs for U.S. and global entities that do not desire to contribute to the PRCs military modernization, the report said.



China's defense ministry hit out at the report on Wednesday, calling it "utterly wrong" and a misinterpretation of Beijing's policy and military strategy.



The report "defamed China's military modernization, defense expenditure, nuclear policy and other issues", the ministry said in a statement.



Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lau Siu-fung for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
China is seeking to set up more robust logistics in about a dozen countries, including three in India's neighbourhood, to allow its army to project and sustain its power at greater distances, a Pentagon report has said. In addition to the three Indian neighbours -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar -- the other countries where China is considering to base its military logistics and infrastructure are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday.

In its annual report Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China (PRC) 2020 that was submitted to the US Congress on Tuesday, the Pentagon said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.

A global PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRC's global military objectives evolve, the Pentagon said in the report. China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, it said, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Seal Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.

Also read: LAC standoff: Indian Army thwarts 3rd military provocation attempt by China in 3 days

Similarly, the Pentagon said, Beijing uses One Belt One Road (OBOR) to support its strategy of national rejuvenation by seeking to expand global transportation and trade linkages to support its development and deepen its economic integration with nations along its periphery and beyond.

OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease China's reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca, it said. China leverages OBOR to invest in projects along China's western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders, the report said.

First announced in 2013, China's OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy advanced by President Xi Jinping. According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.

Also read: Ladakh border clash: China can make India suffer more 'severe' military losses, says Global Times

"Host nations can perform an essential role in regulating the PRC's military operations as Chinese officials very likely recognise that a stable long-term relationship with the host nation is critical to the success of their military logistics facilities," it said. Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training.

They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military. In August 2017, China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti. Chinese Navy Marines are stationed at the base with wheeled armoured vehicles and artillery but are currently dependent on nearby commercial ports due to the lack of a pier on base, the report said.

Chinese personnel at the facility have interfered with US flights by lasing pilots and flying drones, and China has sought to restrict Djiboutian sovereign airspace over the base, the report said.

Also read: India-China border tension: Both sides position tanks within firing distance at Pangong Tso
The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo yesterday commissioned a 16-bed Community Health-Based Planning Services (CHPS) compound to serve residents of Kwame Anum in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and its environs.



The facility which was constructed with funding from the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation is fitted with an out-patient department, a delivery room, labour ward, a reproductive and child health area, two consulting rooms and a pharmacy.



It also makes provision for a laboratory and administrative offices to serve the estimated 30,000 population within the Obom Domeabra constituency of the municipality.



In a brief speech to open the health centre, Mrs Akufo-Addo noted that the initial idea of Infanta Malaria Foundation was to rehabilitate the already existing CHPS compound but upon consultation with the community and health service leaders, it was decided that a new centre was constructed.



She indicated that the Kwame Anum Health Centre would provide lifesaving and essential services such as immunisation against the 13 childhood killer diseases, maternal, child health, nutrition and emergency services to improve the well-being of indigenes.



Health is a fundamental human right and the CHPS initiative is an important strategy to address the health needs particularly of women and children, she said.



Since its establishment in 2017, Mrs Akufo-Addo said, Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation has put up three CHPS compounds in Kobedi in the Sunyani West district of the Bono Region, Adenkrebi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and Nyanshegu in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern Region.



She pledged commitment of the foundation of which she is co-founder, to support interventions for the prevention and treatment of malaria in the country.



Director of Public Health for the municipality, Dr Abena Okoh in a remark, expressed gratitude to the First Lady and the Infanta Malaria Foundation for the intervention.



She expressed confidence that the CHPS compound would complement efforts at achieving Universal Health Coverage by bringing health closer to the people.



Dr Okoh assured that the facility would be put to good use and properly maintained to serve the populace and help improve their health.



She seized the occasion to entreat parents to present their children, from zero to five years, to present their children for polio immunisation and an upcoming malaria survey by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).



Present to witness the commissioning of the facility were the MCE for Ga South Hon. Stephen Nyarni, MP of Obom Domeabra Constituency Hon. Parliamentary Candidate for the NPP Philip E.K Doe and the chief and leaders of Kwame Anum.



In a related development, the First Lady also cut sod for the construction of an ultramodern library at Amasaman in the Ga West municipality.



The project is expected to be completed within the next six months.



She also inaugurated the Amasaman New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaign team for the 2020 elections and held meetings with market women and traditional leaders within the municipality.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









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New Delhi: Filmmaker Boney Kapoor, who is presenting Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan's forthcoming film 'Vakeel Saab', has announced financial aid to the families of three of the actor's fans who recently died in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district.

Three young fans of Pawan Kalyan were electrocuted to death while they were erecting an almost 40 feet high poster of the power star on the eve of his birthday, news agency ANI reports. Pawan Kalyan turned 49 today (September 2).

Pawan Kalyan, who is also the party chief of Jana Sena Party (JSP), condoled the untimely demise of his fans, and assured help to their families. Meanwhile, Boney Kapoor, on behalf of the entire team, released a statement announcing monetary help to the families of the deceased.

A total of seven people were putting up the poster, which touched a live 6.5 KV electric wire passing overhead. While three of them were killed, four others suffered injuries.

"With heavy hearts, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the three fans who unfortunately lost their lives. We, along with millions of others, express our solidarity to their families in this hour of grief. We come forward to announce financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We also request all fans to value their lives and be safe," read the statement.

Meanwhile, on Pawan Kalyan's birthday, the motion poster of 'Vakeel Saab' was unveiled. It is the Telugu remake of Hindi film 'Pink'.

(With ANI inputs)
A woman who claims she was shot in the breast by a right-wing protester wielding a paintball gun on the streets of Portland is now suing him for $250,000.

Meg McLain filed suit against Alan Swinney, who identifies himself as a member of the far-right Proud Boys group, on Tuesday - saying he deliberately shot her during demonstrations in the city on August 22.

McLain, who says she was a curious bystander amid violence between right and left-wing demonstrators, is claiming a quarter of a million dollars for 'pain, discomfort, distress, and interference with daily life.'

Alan Swinney, a self-declared member of the far-right Proud Boys and a vocal Trump supporter, is being sued for $250,000 after firing paintballs at protesters in Portland

Swinney was pictured firing into the crowd with a paintball gun as violence flared between 300 pro-Trump demonstrators and counter-protesters

The lawsuit described Swinney as 'an irresponsible gun owner who travels to Oregon to organize.. purposefully violent rallies and events'.

It also includes a social media post from Swinney in which he appears to admit shooting members of the crowd, while claiming self-defense.

Multiple photographs and videos taken on the day in question show Swinney firing the paintball gun into the crowd, and being hit by paint in return.

At one point he also drew a handgun and pointed it into the crowd, but did not fire.

Michael Fuller, the attorney representing McLain, said the shooting was reported to police at the time, but they refused to arrest or issue a citation to Swinney.

Meg McLain claims she was shot in the right breast while observing events, and is now suing Swinney for 'pain and distress'

'Its just one of the many cases where police are seemingly showing favoritism to Trump supporters,' Fuller told The Oregonian.

Prosecutors are investigating the violence in Portland on August 22, but so far no charges have been filed against Swinney.

Around 300 pro-Trump demonstrators had gathered in the city that day for a rally, following weeks of marches by left-wing BLM and Antifa groups.

As the two sides faced off, paintballs began flying while clouds of mace filled the air.

Police largely stood by as the violence escalated, with police chief Chuck Lovell saying later that he was worried intervening would escalate things further.

Portland has been gripped by weeks of near-continuous protests that began in the wake of George Floyd's death and have now been ongoing for 96 days.

The violence ratcheted up at the weekend with the fatal shooting of Aaron 'Jay' Bishop, a member of the pro-Trump Patriot Prayer group, in the city.

The lawsuit also brands Swinney an 'irresponsible gun owner' after he was pictured pointing a handgun at protesters, though did not open fire

Swinney was involved in clashes between protesters and counter-protesters in Portland on August 22, with police criticized for not intervening in the clashes

Portland has been gripped by more than three months of demonstrations that began in the wake of George Floyd's death in May, and have continued since then

Police are thought to have identified Michael Forest Reinoehl, who describes himself online as 100% antifa, as a suspect.

Left-wing marchers have repeatedly targeted law enforcement buildings along with mayor Ted Wheeler's house during their nightly events.

Wheeler announced Monday that he will be moving home after his condo in an upmarket area of the city was repeatedly targeted by protests which have been ongoing for months.

Ted Wheeler sent an email to other people living in the Pearl District block where his two-bed, $840,000 condo is located after activists lit fires outside the building, set off fireworks and blared music to 'celebrate' his 58th birthday on Monday night.

Wheeler apologized for 'the fear that you are experiencing due to my position' before announcing his move, saying it is 'best for me and for everyone else's safety.'
He had been held after police responded to the home of Gabriel Tyson Sr., 66, and his 65-year-old wife, Carmella Tyson, for a well-being check. The grandson was in the home at the time.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- For all those who cite Intel Corp.s troubles as symbolic of the U.S. semiconductor industrys decline, here are two heartening words: Nvidia Corp.

On Tuesday, Nvidia  a red-hot maker of chips for video games, artificial intelligence and cloud computing  proved again that it is way ahead of its rivals in terms of innovation and performance. The Silicon Valley-based company announced a lineup of three new gaming graphics cards based on its latest Ampere chip architecture, saying they will deliver up to double the performance of its prior offerings in the greatest generational leap in its history. Prices for the new products range from $499 to $1,499, with two due to come out later this month and the third to be released in October. All in all, the news was enough to send Nividias shares up more than 3%.

Nvidia management has already signaled its confidence for its new gaming-card offerings. This may very well be one of the best gaming seasons ever, Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said during an investor conference call last month. The executive is right to be optimistic because demand for Nvidias lineup will benefit from a number of gaming industry developments. First, new titles such as Microsoft Corp.s recently released Flight Simulator 2020 require more graphics horsepower than current chips can provide. Further, the release of the next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony Corp. later this fall will broaden the base of hardware that can run ray-traced enabled games  a technology pioneered by Nvidia that offers stunning, much improved lighting effects. The company said Tuesday hundreds of games with ray-tracing are currently under development.

Even before Tuesdays launch, Nvidia had been thriving as its cloud-computing data center and current generation gaming products benefited from Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. The companys market value has more than doubled year to date to roughly $340 billion and it is now worth more than its two main rivals  Intel and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  combined.

Story continues

Nvidias run may be just getting started. In March, I wrote how investors shouldnt underestimate the potential of its next-generation Ampere architecture, predicting the increase in performance from the new chips may lead to a series of positive earnings surprises. Thats been the case already, with Nvidia posting a couple of better-than-expected quarters on the back of its new data-center products.

Tuesdays impressive launch likely means there are many more quarters of strong financial results ahead. Its going to be a good holiday for both PC gamers and Nvidia, Americas new chip leader.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Tae Kim is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. He previously covered technology for Barron's, following an earlier career as an equity analyst.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Hyderabad, Sep 2 : Another 'fire' in underground hydroelectric station at Telangana's Srisailam created panic on Wednesday but a top official later clarified that it was a 'mock drill' to check the preparedness of the employees in the event of an accident.

Employees at the Telangana State Generation Corporation (TS Genco) plant at Srisailam left bank canal in Nagarkurnool district ran out in fear with 'fire' breaking in one of the units where repair works going on after last month's fire.

Coming close on the heels of the August 20 fire accident which claimed the lives of nine employees, the fire, accompanied by explosions, triggered chaos among the workers. All employees present at the scene came out safely.

They heaved a sigh of relief after it was announced that it was only a mock drill to check their preparedness. TS Genco and Telangana State Transmission Corporation (TS Transco) Chairman and Managing Director Prabhakar Rao said it was a mock drill.

The mock drill was kept a secret with only Prabhakar Rao and another senior official aware of it. They said it was conducted to check the emergency response system.

This was done in the wake of reports that nine employees were trapped in the August 20 fire as they were not properly guided about the exit from the tunnel in the event of a fire.

A short circuit is believed to have caused last month's fire in the underground power house. Of the 30 employees present at the scene, 15 could escape to safety while six were rescued.

Srisailam dam is located across Krishna river which serves as the border between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had already ordered a probe by the CID into the fire accident.

Additional Director General of Police, CID, Govind Singh is heading the probe.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the coronavirus disease COVID-19, can penetrate many different body cells. This has been shown in multiple research papers published in recent weeks. Thus, not only can the function of the respiratory tract and the lungs be severely disrupted, but also numerous other organs. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can also penetrate the so-called beta cells in the pancreas and damage them, as a research team involving the Cluster of Excellence "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" has now observed for the first time.

These cells are responsible for producing the insulin required for a healthy metabolism. A SARS-CoV-2 infection can apparently disrupt this function, which as a result leads to diabetes. The observations were published by Professor Matthias Laudes, Schleswig-Holstein Excellence-Chair for endocrinology, diabetology and clinical nutritional medicine at Kiel University and his research team of the Clinic of Internal Medicine I at the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, together with researchers from Munich and Dresden, in the renowned scientific journal Nature Metabolism.

The publication is an initial description of insulin deficiency diabetes after a COVID-19 illness, based on an observed case. "A 19-year-old patient came to us in the clinic with newly-developed severe diabetes with insulin deficiency. It could be shown that he apparently had experienced a SARS-CoV-2 infection a few weeks before," reported Laudes, who is also a member at the steering committee of the Cluster of Excellence "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" (PMI). "Such an insulin deficiency diabetes, i.e. type 1 diabetes, is usually triggered by an autoimmune response, in which the immune system incorrectly identifies the beta cells in the pancreas as foreign and attacks them. But this autoimmune response was not present in this patient. We assume that here, the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself attacked the beta cells."

This also fits with the fact that the beta cells possess a crucial receptor: the ACE2 receptor. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can specifically bind with this receptor. The receptor is also used by the virus as an entry point into the other body cells which it attacks.

The lead author of the publication is the medical doctor and early career researcher Dr. Tim Hollstein, who only joined the department of Professor Laudes at the beginning of this year, after a research stay at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the U.S. "I am delighted that Dr. Hollstein could make such an important observation as a young early career researcher. This newly-discovered metabolic disease demonstrates how important a detailed clinical and laboratory chemical characterization of COVID-19 can be for patients at a university endocrinological center," said Laudes.

Under the leadership of cluster spokesperson Professor Stefan Schreiber, the UKSH is also conducting a long-term follow-up study into COVID-19 patients under the name "COVIDOM," in which all persons reported as infected in Schleswig-Holstein will be invited to participate.

"This success of Professor Laudes and his team underlines the importance of accurate follow-up observation after COVID-19. We are certain that as a result of this disease, even more health-relevant metabolic problems can arise," said PMI spokesperson Professor Stefan Schreiber, head of "COVIDOM" and director at the Department of Internal Medicine I at the UKSH, Campus Kiel.

Explore further Coronavirus damages the endocrine system

More information: Tim Hollstein et al. Autoantibody-negative insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report, Nature Metabolism (2020). Journal information: Nature Metabolism Tim Hollstein et al. Autoantibody-negative insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s42255-020-00281-8
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Planetary astronomer receives NASA grants for two new studies of main asteroid belt

The majority of asteroids in our solar system are found in the Main Asteroid Belt, which is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Although millions of objects populate the belt, most are relatively small, and astronomers have not actually studied many of them in detail.

Northern Arizona University assistant professor Cristina Thomas, whose research focuses on asteroids, recently received two grants from NASA to study two different types of asteroids in the Main Asteroid Belt. The results of her studies will add to the existing body of knowledge in this field, helping scientists better understand the origins of asteroids.

$100,000 grant to study 'space weathering' of small Koronis asteroids

Thomas, who was selected as a NASA Early Career Fellow in 2014, recently received $100,000 in funding through the fellowship program for a pilot study of small asteroids in the Koronis family, a large family of stony asteroids thought to have been formed at least two billion years ago in a catastrophic collision between two precursor asteroids. Thomas will obtain observations of small Koronis family members using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) to determine whether they have the same spectral characteristics as the largest family members.

"Past capabilities have limited our spectral observations to the largest objects in the Main Belt, so this is something that very few have done. Specifically," said Thomas, "I'm looking for signs of space weathering, which is the result of an object being exposed to the space environment over time. Space weathering is a long-standing question in asteroid science that affects spectroscopic interpretations of near-Earth and Main Belt asteroids."

"We haven't done a lot of work on small objects in the Main Belt and I have done some work on the Koronis family in the past, so it seemed like a good place to start. I'm excited it's been selected!"

In a previous study of the Koronis family of asteroids, Thomas examined changes in spectral slope within the family that are indicative of space weathering. Her findings implied that unweathered objects exist in the family.

$331,000 grant to understand Trojan-like asteroids

Thomas was also recently awarded a $331,000 grant by NASA for a three-year project to find asteroids with spectra similar to the Jupiter Trojans in the Main Asteroid Belt. Graduate student Oriel Humes is working on the project with Thomas.

"The Trojan asteroids have very specific spectral slopes in visible and near-infrared wavelengths," Thomas said. "I used results from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which observed a lot of objects but has very limited data, to identify these Trojan-like candidates in the Main Belt. The work will tell us about the delivery of material to the Main Belt from the outer solar system when the planets were migrating and the Trojan population was captured in their orbits near Jupiter."

###

About Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University is a higher-research institution providing exceptional educational opportunities in Arizona and beyond. NAU delivers a student-centered experience to its 31,000 students in Flagstaff, statewide and online through rigorous academic programs in a supportive, inclusive and diverse environment. Dedicated, world-renowned faculty help ensure students achieve academic excellence, experience personal growth, have meaningful research opportunities and are positioned for personal and professional success.

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Massachusetts residents can now make their homes smell like the state they live in thanks to Homesick Candles.

For $29.95, Homesick Candles is selling a Massachusetts Candle. The websites description of the candle reads recall the smell of a crisp fall afternoon with apple cider, simmering coffee, and just-baked doughnuts. Sweet hints of tonka bean are balanced by spicy cinnamon and a touch of fragrant clove. The top note of the candle smells include coffee and apple cider, the middle consists of cinnamon, clove and donut, while the bottom takes on a vanilla and tonka bean odor.

The natural soy wax candle company didnt make that candle the only Massachusetts-related product, as there is also the Boston Candle. Selling for $29.95 as well, the candles smell is described as Spiced tea with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove; orange citrus and ginger with notes of vanilla sugar recollect memories of the City on a Hill. One reviewer said it Reminds me fall walking through the Commons on a brisk day, and another saying its Such a nice fall smell, yet I find myself lighting it up during the summer months. Truly exceptional.

If neither of these candles are appealing, there is a wide array of city candles and state candles to choose from, in addition to country candles.

When making your purchases, there are several promo codes available to cut down the final price. From Sept. 2-3, customers can use the code SUNSET to get 15% while you can use promo code LABORDAY from Sept. 2-8 to get 20% off orders of $100 or more, 25% off orders worth $500+ and 30% off orders worth $1500 or more.

New customers can sign up and receive 15% off their first order plus early access to new products, exclusive promotions and more.
US TV host Reid on Tuesday said Donald Trump radicalises his followers the way Muslims do.

Civil organisations in the United States are calling on MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid to apologise for comments they claim are Islamophobic.

In a segment on the Tuesday airing of her primetime show the ReidOut, Reid discussed US President Donald Trumps unwillingness to reprimand Kyle Rittenhouse, who authorities claim murdered three people with an assault rifle during Black Lives Matter protests.

Reid began her controversial comments: When leaders, lets say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the US media describe that as they are radicalising these people, particularly when theyre radicalising young people.

Thats how we talk about the way Muslims act, she added. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalising people?

joy-ann reid just compared radicalized trump supporters to "the way muslims act" this is islamophobia, she should apologize immediately. pic.twitter.com/2geymhcBOr  Bes (@besf0rt) September 1, 2020

While the comments initially did not receive much attention, they were heightened after it was widely shared on social media.

The comments have come under fire from advocacy groups and legislators alike.

Reid must apologize on air tonight for spreading the false, dangerous myth that Muslims are inherently radical and violent. MSNBC also needs to take action to ensure anti-Muslim bigotry has no place on its network, Muslim Advocates, a national civil rights organisation, said in a statement.

Words have great power. Joy Reid has an important platform and an essential voice in addressing civil rights, race relations, and other important national issues, Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organisation, said in a statement emailed to Al Jazeera.

But, especially because we admire Reid, we call on her to recognize the impact of her comments and make an on-air apology for her words, which repeated painful anti-Muslim stereotypes. SPLC would be pleased to join other civil rights and Muslim leaders in a meeting with Reid and her producers to discuss how the impact of her words perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two of the first Muslim women elected to the US Congress, both called for an apology.

Words matter and these words feed into the harmful anti-Muslim rhetoric & actions that we continue to see in this country. It is even more painful to hear it from someone I admire. We deserve an apology. https://t.co/Ei1R4FojZJ  Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 1, 2020

Tlaib said: These words feed into the harmful anti-Muslim rhetoric & actions that we continue to see in this country. It is even more painful to hear it from someone I admire, while quoting a tweet from Omar which called casual Islamophobia  hurtful and dangerous.

Others, such as conservative writer and occasional MSNBC guest Jennifer Rubin, said Reid was only highlighting a double standard.

She was making the point about a double standard. She was not AGREEING with it, Rubin said on Twitter.

MSNBC was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday and has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.

Reid has previously faced criticism for remarks made on a blog which were considered derogatory towards Muslims and the LGBTQ community. Reid apologised for those remarks.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Symptoms of Tonsillitis are mostly similar to Covid-19 and can cause worry among parents during this pandemic. As tonsillitis is common among most of the children especially during monsoon and winter, one may get confused with the disease with COVID and further compound their problems being created by pandemic. Sore throat leads to difficulty in swallowing, scratchy sounding voice, bad breath, fever, headache, stiff neck thus leading to poor appetite are the most common symptoms of this disease among children.

Depending upon the persistence of the symptoms, it needs to classify as normal, acute, chronic, says Dr. Syed Abdul Hakeem, Consultant ENT Surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Kondapur, Hyderabad. When the symptoms mentioned above are continuing for more than two to three days coupled with fever, pain then it is advised to contact the doctor. Depending upon the severity and history of the disease the doctor may advise the treatment. If it is turning into acute and i n t o a chronic disease, then the doctors will recommend the surgical procedure named Tonsillectomy through will infected Tonsils are removed from the body, says the doctor with over 19 years of experience in ENT.

As children are tend to play in playgrounds and on roads every day at school or at home, they expose themselves to variety of viruses and bacteria. As Tonsils are your first line of defense against these bacteria and viruses, they became vulnerable to infection easily. In order to reduce the chances of infecting Tonsils, it is advised to drink plenty of water, gargle with warm water every day, avoid polluting environment, clean hands regularly and maintain hygiene after playing or coming back from schools. With all the above measures, one can reduce the chances of getting infected thus safe guarding Tonsils thus saving our first line of defense against any infection that may cause several diseases that includes Covid-19, says Dr Hakeem.
Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection, Meghan and Harry said in a statement. Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.
The global solid state transformer market shall witness a noteworthy growth in forecast period owing to rising adoption of electric vehicles and SST systems in renewable energy generation stations. Europe to dominate the global industry by 2027

NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Research Dive has added a new report to its offering titled, "Solid State Transformer (SST) Market, by Product (Distribution Solid State, Power Solid State, Traction Solid State), Application (Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, Power Grid, Traction Locomotives, Alternative Power Generation), Regional Analysis (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAMEA): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027"

The global solid state transformer market accounted for US$ 176.0 million in 2019 and is projected to reach up to US$ 1,246.4 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 26.0% from 2020 to 2027.

Download Sample Report [75 pages] of Solid State Transformer Market at https://www.researchdive.com/download-sample/350

Market Dynamics

The growing adoption of advanced SST systems in the renewable energy generation stations and electric vehicle is a significant factor expected to drive the growth of the global solid state transformer market over the forecast period. In addition, numerous benefits of SST systems such as higher load resonant capacity, most effective in power management, bi-directional electricity flow, etc. is another factor projected to bolster the market growth by 2027. Moreover, the growing trend towards adoption of electric vehicle (EV) and the favorable initiatives by government to support EV industry is likely to create lucrative growth opportunities in the SST market. However, high investment costs in the initial phase for the production of SSTs is expected to be a major threat for the market growth in the coming future.

COVID-19 Impact on the Industry

The COVID-19 crisis has adversely affected the global solid state transformer market due to the unavailability of raw materials in the pandemic for manufacturing of electrical equipment. Besides, transportation of finished equipment and products has been effected drastically, which is estimated to impact the solid state transformer market negatively. However, the significant players of the market are implementing several business growth strategies to sustain in the pandemic.

Download COVID-19 IMPACT ANALYSIS ON Solid State Transformer (SST) Market

Key segment findings of the market:

The global solid state transformer market is segmented on the basis of Product, Application, and Region.

Among product, the power solid state segment is estimated to hold a significant market size by 2027 owing to wide-ranging utilization of power SSTs for multiple transformer applications such as distribution systems, voltage transformation, etc.

Among application, the alternative power generation segment is projected to grow at a considerable rate during the forecast period owing to extensive usage of SST systems for alternative power generation application.

Regionally, Europe is predicted to play a dominant role in the global SST market by 2027 due to the increasing consumption of power in major European countries.

Top Key Players of the Solid Stat Transformer Industry

The major players operating in the global solid state transformer market include

Eaton Schneider Electric MASCHINENFABRIK REINHAUSEN GMBH Siemens Varentec, Inc. GRIDBRIDGE ABB General Electric Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

These market players are adopting several growth strategies such as partnerships & collaboration, R&D activities and novel product service launches to strengthen their position in the global market.

The report summarizes various aspects such as financial performance, SWOT analysis, recent strategic moves & developments and product portfolio of all these key players functioning in the global market. Download Top Companies Development Strategies Summary Report [75 pages]

More about Solid State Transformer:

Solid-State Transformer: An Effective Alternative to Traditional Transformers

Global Solid State Transformer Market to Grow Enormously by 2027 Owing to Advanced Product Launches

Similar Reports:

Metal Air Battery Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 - Download Sample Report Aluminum Air Battery Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 - Download Sample Report

About Research Dive

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ADRIAN, MI  Adrian College intends to stay open for the rest of the fall semester despite more than 6% of students and staff recently testing positive for coronavirus, the colleges president said.

In a video message to students, faculty, staff and parents, Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking said a vast majority of the 139 cases on campus are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Some students went home, Docking said, and none have been hospitalized.

More than 6% of students, staff test positive for coronavirus in first week of Adrian College classes

Docking also gave professors the option to move their classes online for two weeks in an effort to flatten the curve.

Were doing this, obviously, because we plan to (return to) regular, in-class sessions as soon as possible, Docking said. But we really do want to bring down these numbers.

According to the Lenawee County Health Department, there have been 555 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county as of Sept. 1. Approximately 48% of those cases are active, which means those people are monitoring at home or hospitalized, health department officials said.

The health department noted that the jump in cases in people age 18 to 24  57 between Aug. 23-31  is associated with students returning to Adrian College and Siena Heights University, which only has two positive and active cases.

However, the health department notes that due to the timing of when results are referred to the Michigan Disease Surveillance System, not all Adrian College COVID-19 cases are reflected in the health departments count.

Along with allowing online classes, Docking said the college has enacted a few different safety measures, including an all-takeout food service and continuing to limit large gatherings, which is the colleges biggest concern.

We do intend to remain open for the rest of the semester, Docking said to students and staff. We want you to do all of the things that weve talked about  social distancing, hand washing, face coverings, etc.  and to really be responsible for your actions. Were all in this together, and this is a battle we all face, but we love Adrian College and we want our school to stay open and we want you to stay here on campus, but we all have to live according to these rules.

READ MORE:

Passionate feedback, prompts Adrian College president to reverse cuts to humanities departments

Adrian College to introduce esports program this fall

Coronavirus app doesnt track students locations all the time, Albion College president says


HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Evotec SE (EVTCY.PK, EVOTF.PK), a German drug discovery and development company, announced a partnership agreement with the University of Oxford regarding access to biospecimens from the biobank Quality in Organ Donation or QUOD. The company did not disclose any financial terms of the agreement.



QUOD is an initiative of The Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences or NDS at the University of Oxford in close collaboration with the National Health Service Blood and Transplant or NHSBT organisation in the UK.



The QUOD biobank, a joint programme by a consortium of UK academic transplant centres and NHSBT, is funded by NHSBT and the Medical Research Council. It provides blood, urine and tissue samples from heart, lung, liver and kidney from consented organ donors for researchers with anonymised integrated medical records.



Under the terms of the partnership, Evotec will investigate at first samples from 1,000 donors of the QUOD biobank using a comprehensive multi-omics analysis (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics). This data will complement Evotec's existing patient database, generating a greater understanding of disease mechanisms across indications, i.e. cardio-vascular, kidney, and liver diseases.



Investigation of diseased versus healthy human biomaterial using a multi-omics approach combined with clinical data will provide extensive knowledge, indispensable for advancement of organ transplantation, drug discovery as well as clinical and biomarker research.



QUOD biobank's samples have been collected over several years with QUOD's primary goal to identify biomarkers, explain mechanisms of injury and repair, and improve organ utilisation and transplantation.



Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, said, 'We are proud to enter this collaboration with the QUOD programme, which expands our strategic partnership with the University of Oxford beyond LAB282, our first-of-its-kind academic BRIDGE partnership. Comprehensive molecular profiling of patient samples will re-define health and disease according to dysregulated molecular disease mechanisms. This will open new doors for intervention and corresponding patient stratification.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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For the past two years the Beers With(out) Beards festival has been a big hit in New York but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its gone virtual this year.

The festival, the largest celebration of women in the beer industry in the U.S., was designed to help change the conversation about who drinks and makes beer, Thrillist reported.

Picture the last beer you drank Now picture the person who brewed that beer, Grace Weitz told Thrillist. Nine times out of 10 people picture a big burly man, probably wearing flannel with some type of scraggly beard. Thats the stereotype that we want to change and evolve.

Now they are using the pandemic to hopefully to reach even more people.

In 2020, weve gone digital, giving us the ability to reach more people, feature more businesses, and connect with more beer drinkers than ever, the website states.

Those interested can tune in online for workshops and talks on Oct. 10. They are also offering boxes of beer delivered straight to your door.

The VIP box, which costs $60, includes 11 beers, a festival glass designed by Kailah Ogawa and access to all of the digital programming.

This box also includes a Massachusetts brewery, Lamplighter Brewing.

The brewery located in downtown Cambridge has reopen since closing earlier this year due to the pandemic. They have also been hosting local events.

The boxes, however, are only available for shipment in certain states, which doesnt include Massachusetts. But those in Massachusetts that are interested can still pick up beer from Lamplighter Brewing and participate in the online workshops.

Todays release is a tasty batch of Side Salad, brewed this time with fresh lemon verbena!   If you havent had the... Posted by Lamplighter Brewing Co. on Thursday, August 27, 2020

Related Content:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 14:09:42|Editor: huaxia

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Counter-Narcotic Police in crackdown on drug smugglers captured two persons and found 14 kg drug including 8 kg heroin from their possessions in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Wednesday, provincial police spokesman Hejratullah Akbari said.

Both the arrested men were attempting to take the contraband out of the provincial capital Kunduz city but captured during a search operation, the official said, adding investigation is underway to locate the ring supporting drug traffickers in the province.

A day earlier on Tuesday, two more drug smugglers along with 4 kg heroin were arrested by police in Ali Abad district, Kunduz province, police said. Enditem
Image: Twitter/@drkafeelkhan

Kafeel Khan, a doctor from Uttar Pradesh who was jailed for 212 days under the National Security Act (NSA) for an alleged speech against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, was released from Mathura jail late on September 1.

The Allahabad High Court earlier in the day quashed the detention of Khan under the NSA and ordered his immediate release. The bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Marhur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh allowed the writ petition filed by Khan's mother Nuzhat Parveen and said the order for his detention passed by the district magistrate is illegal.

Khan has been in jail since January after he allegedly delivered a provocative speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the anti-CAA protests in December last year.

The petition alleged that Khan was granted bail in February by a competent court and he was supposed to be released on bail. However, he was not released for four days and the NSA was subsequently invoked against him. Hence, his detention was illegal, the petition argued.

Under the NSA, people can be detained without a charge for up to 12 months if authorities are satisfied that they are a threat to national security or law and order.

The order issued by the court says, "A complete reading of the speech of Dr Kafeel Khan prima facie does not disclose any effort to promote hatred or violence. It also nowhere threatens peace and tranquillity of the city of Aligarh. The address gives a call for national integrity and unity among the citizens."

"It appears that the District Magistrate had selective reading and selective mention for few phrases from the speech ignoring its true intent." The court further said in the instant case, the "causal link is found to be missing or completely broken".

The paediatrician first came into limelight when 60 children lost their lives at the Gorakhpurs BRD Medical College Hospital due to shortage of oxygen in August 2017. He spent almost nine months in prison. After two years, he was absolved of charges of medical negligence and corruption in connection with the case.
A family from rural New South Wales have begged Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for a border exemption so their son can return home from boarding school in the school holidays.

Gravesend mother Kate Warby's son Hunter is attending boarding school in Brisbane, 500km northeast from his family home in northern NSW.

Both Hunter and his family want the 12-year-old to come home for the upcoming holidays in two weeks, but strict Queensland border controls have made his return nearly impossible.

'We can't get to him at the moment,' Ms Warby told 2GB.

'This is his first year away at boarding school and he would definitely be home to help his father and I and go and help his grandparents, aunties and uncles on the farm.

'He's a great help and we're going to miss him.'

Kate Warby (pictured) has pleaded for border exemptions for boarders so she can see her son Hunter in the upcoming school holidays

While Hunter is able to return home to Gravesend, a small country town 615km north of Sydney, he would be required to quarantine for two weeks on return to Queensland at great expense.

'Hunter is free to come home, we can get him home, yet to get him back we're going to be up for in excess of $7,000 to 8,000 for hotel quarantine and that's just not an option,' Ms Warby said.

'To hear it last night in his voice, he just desperately wants his father and I to be able to bring him home.'

Ms Warby said many Outback families in her district are struggling with not being able to see their children, despite having no cases or transmissions of coronavirus in the region.

She hoped political leaders could put themselves in her shoes and allow for travel exemptions for boarding students.

'We're holding onto hope that at the eleventh-hour compassion, empathy and just common sense will prevail at the end,' Ms Warby said.

'These kids need to come home and recharge. They need to see their families.

'They're coming out of a busy term, an uncertain year and they desperately need their families because there's no place like home.'

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) has refused to change her border rules despite several dramas

Traffic queues at the NSW-Queensland border check point in Coolangatta on August 7

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday revealed her state's border wouldn't open until at least October.

'We said we would review at the end of the each month and there has been no advice from the chief health officer to change what we are doing,' she said.

'I'll tell you what we're looking for - to keep Queenslanders safe, that's what we're looking for.'

Queensland's extreme border restrictions were highlighted last week after Ballina woman Kimberley Brown lost her unborn baby girl after she was forced to travel 750km for an urgent operation because she was unable to enter the state.

Despite problems with hospital admissions, Ms Palaszczuk said she would not be changing her border closure policy.

'Queensland will continue to have our borders closed to keep Queenslanders safe, I'm not going to be moved on this,' she said.

'Fundamentally the health of Queenslanders is my number one concern.

'We know that people wanted to open our borders earlier. We would have seen a situation that's happening in Victoria happening in Queensland.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been outspoken in his criticism of border closures and asked state premiers to commit to having their borders open by Christmas.

'Australia was not built to have internal borders. In fact the very point of federation was not to have them. That was the point of Australia,' he said.

'We must be one and indivisible as a nation. We must be Australians first and we must not allow this crisis to force us to retreat into provincialism. That's not the answer.'
New Delhi:

The CBI on Tuesday arrested Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay in connection with the alleged Rose Valley chit fund scam, the second of a party MP within a week.



Bandopadhyay, who arrived at the CBI office in Kolkata at around 11 am, was subjected to more than four hours of intensive interrogation by CBI, after which he was arrested.



The TMC MP had been summoned thrice earlier by the investigation agency.



His arrest in the alleged Rose Valley scam came close on the heels of the arrest of another Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal on Friday. Paul, an actor-turned politician, is now in the CBI custody in Bhubaneshwar.

Aslo read | Rose Valley chit fund scam: TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay faces CBI grilling



On reaching the CBI office on Tuesday, Bandopadhyay told waiting reporters that he had come to face interrogation and know what the charges were against him.

The TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the arrest as 'vindictive politics'. Banerjee announced that she will stage a sit-in protest against Central Govt to oppose Bandyopadhyay's arrest. An emergency meeting of the party's parliamentary committee has been called as well.

Also read | Arrested TMC leader Tapas Pal undergoes medical tests after complaining of health problems

As it happened:



CRPF deployed outside BJP's Kolkata office pic.twitter.com/uCLszWIklz  ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017

#CBI isssues statement on TMC leader's arrest:

"The Central Bureau of Investigation has today (Tuesday) arrested a Member of Parliament in an on-going investigation of a Chit Fund case.



"The instant case was registered on June 5, 2014 under section 420/408/409/120-B/34of IPC and Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978, on the orders of the Honble Supreme Court dated May 9, 2014 passed in Writ Petition No 401 of2013 and 413 of 2013 against then Chairman of a private Group of Companies and others on the allegations that the said company had collected around Rs 17,000/- crore illegally from general public after enticing them with false promise of paying higher rate of interest.



"After investigation, chargesheet was filed on Jan 1, 2016 under section 420,409, 120B of IPC and 4 and 6 of Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978 against four persons including then Chairman; then Managing Director; then Director and Ex Director of said Group of Companies and three private companies of said Group. Further investigation is continuing as per provisions of Section 173(8) CrPC to examine the roles of other accused persons to find out aspects of larger conspiracy and money trail.



"The arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court."



#WATCH TMC workers protest outside BJP's Kolkata office after TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's arrest pic.twitter.com/WttBqJxz0H  ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017

#TMC MP Idris Ali denied any possibility of an attack on BJP office by party supporters, "I have no knowledge of any such attack, TMC can't do any such thing."



#Derek O'Brien says, "Wednesday at 2.30 we will protest in Delhi, we will be protesting at Parliament. We will not stop. Our leader Mamta Banerjee has said we will protest everywhere against this political vendetta," he added.



TMC workers protest, pelt stones and try to enter BJP's Kolkata office after TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's arrest; pic.twitter.com/DiMB2VYnUT  ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017

#BJP office attacked again, stone pelting begins: Reports

#TMC MLAs & MPs including Saugat Roy, Dinesh Trivedi & Partha Chatterjee reach Kolkata's CBI Office to stage protest against Bandopadhyaya's arrest (Read full story here)

#Breaking: BJP office in Kolkata attacked by TMC students' wing after TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's arrest

#Sudip Bandhopadhyay booked under IPC section 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120b (criminal conspiracy)

#Tomorrow (Jan 4) will protest in Kolkata over arrest (of TMC MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay). On 9 Jan protest to start in 10 states on demonetisation: WB CM

#TMC MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay will be taken to Bhubaneswar (Odisha) by CBI on Tuesday night

#We strongly condemn the political vindictive attitude of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah: Mamata Banerjee

#For no reasons arrests have been made. Only reason is Note Bandi: Mamata Banerjee

#We will be with the people. This is not only financial emergency. This is full-fledged emergency: Mamata Banerjee

#Amit Shah, Narendra Modi should be arrested, PM Modi does not understand Indian politics: Mamata Banerjee, WB CM

#Many political parties are scared, but are not able to speak out. Emergency situation is going on: Mamata Banerjee, WB CM

#People should come out on roads against #DeMonetisation move, people will teach them a lesson: Mamata Banerjee, WB CM

#If they think that after the arrest (of TMC MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay) we won't protest, they are wrong: Mamata Banerjee, WB CM

#I challenge PM, he cannot do anything, can't suppress the voice of the people: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM

#Will take the legal battle forward, will seek justice from the court: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM on TMC MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay's arrest

#Will protest outside RBI Kolkata on 9th January, and on 10th and 11th January in Delhi: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM

Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam

According to CBI, the West Bengal-based Rose Valley group cheated investors of Rs 17,000 crore, making the chit-fund scam seven times bigger than the Saradha scandal that generated a lot of political heat in the eastern state.

The hospitality-to-real estate group robbed millions of investors, most of them from low-income group, in at least 10 states, including West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, promising exaggerated returns, the reports said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Indian special forces member killed in China border showdown This picture in New Delhi includes portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fighting with Chinese soldiers on the borders high in the Himalayas

A Tibetan-origin soldier with India's special forces was killed in the latest border showdown with Chinese troops on their contested Himalayan border, a Tibetan representative said Tuesday.

The death is the first reported from two incidents in 48 hours on the border which has heightened tensions between the giant nations just two months after a battle that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

India and China, which fought a border war in 1962, have accused each other of seeking to cross their unofficial frontier in the Ladakh region in a bid to gain territory on Saturday night, and then again on Monday.

Neither side has announced any casualties but Namghyal Dolkar Lhagyari, a member of the Tibetan parliament in exile, told AFP that the Tibetan-origin soldier was "martyred during the clash" on Saturday night.

She said another member of the Special Frontier Force that reportedly includes many ethnic Tibetans who oppose China's claim to their home region was wounded in the operation.

- "Provocative military movements" -

The world's two most populous countries have sent tens of thousands of troops to the region since a brutal June 15 battle fought with wooden clubs and fists.

India has said 20 troops were killed. China acknowledged casualties but did not give figures.

The two sides blamed each other for the latest incidents.

India's defence ministry said Chinese troops "carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo" at the border on Saturday.

China's People's Liberation Army said that India was "seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty" with its operation staged Monday and demanded that Indian troops withdraw.

India's foreign ministry said Tuesday that China had caused the latest incident "even as ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation."

Indian media reports, quoting military sources, said PLA forces tried to take hilltops traditionally claimed by India around Pangong Tso, a lake at 4,200 metres (13,500 feet) altitude.

Story continues

India's defence ministry said its troops "undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground."

The Business Standard newspaper said that the SFF had been used to take heights that China considers its own. The Indian government does not comment on the special force's operations.

Amid calls for boycotts of Chinese goods, India has stepped up economic pressure on China since the June battle and repeatedly warned that relations would suffer unless its troops pull back.

India has banned at least 49 Chinese owned-apps, including the TikTok video platform, frozen Chinese firms out of contracts and held up Chinese goods at customs posts.

ash/tw/ch
WASHINGTON - The lawyer for Patrik Mathews is asking a U.S. court to throw out two of the four charges against the former Canadian Forces reservist and alleged neo-Nazi, and to allow his client to stand trial separately from his alleged co-conspirators.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON - The lawyer for Patrik Mathews is asking a U.S. court to throw out two of the four charges against the former Canadian Forces reservist and alleged neo-Nazi, and to allow his client to stand trial separately from his alleged co-conspirators.

In a series of motions filed Monday in Maryland District Court, lawyer Joseph Balter is also urging the judge to quash a raft of wiretap, email and location evidence that he argues is prejudicial against Mathews and was obtained by way of warrants that violated his constitutional rights.

Master Cpl. Patrik Mathews, shown in this undated RCMP handout photo was reported missing to police on Monday. The lawyer for accused neo-Nazi and former Canadian Forces reservist Patrik Mathews has asked a U.S. court to drop weapons charges against his client and to allow him to stand trial separately from his alleged co-conspirators. In documents filed Monday in Maryland District Court, lawyer Joseph Balter also argues that much of the evidence in the case does not relate to the charges against Mathews and that the warrants used to obtain it violated his client's constitutional rights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP

"The search warrants were issued in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, because the affidavits underlying the warrants did not establish probable cause to believe evidence of the crimes ... would be found," the documents argue.

A separate motion also seeks to suppress statements Mathews himself gave to investigators, whom the defence accuses of violating his right against self-incrimination, his constitutional right to counsel and his Miranda rights.

Mathews, a former combat engineer, vanished from Beausejour, Man., last year following media reports alleging he was a recruiter for a white-supremacist group known as The Base. He's been in custody since January along with two others, Brian Lemley Jr. and William Bilbrough, after the trio were arrested as part of a broader FBI investigation of the group.

All three have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors in Maryland allege the three men were part of an elaborate white-supremacist plot to touch off a U.S. race war. They accuse Mathews of advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains to incite a civil war in the name of creating a white "ethno-state," and of planning to violently disrupt a pro-gun rally in Virginia.

Mathews is facing four charges, including two counts of being an alien in possession of a firearm and two counts of transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony.

The latter two charges are "multiplicious," Balter argues  the offence they describe is essentially the same as in the other two, meaning that Mathews is being charged twice for the same offence.

He has also moved for his client to be tried separately from the other two on the grounds that Mathews won't be able to get a fair trial as a co-accused.

"The presentation of evidence against the co-defendants in a single trial will be prejudicial to the rights of Mr. Mathews because the vast majority of discovery does not relate to Mr. Mathews' alleged offences," Balter writes.

Because Lemley and Bilbrough face a number of charges that Mathews does not, "the jury will be unable to compartmentalize the evidence as it relates to Mr. Mathews."

The motion also contemplates the likelihood that prosecutors will introduce evidence of statements made by either co-defendant that would implicate Mathews. "Should the co-defendants not testify at trial, Mr. Mathews would be denied his confrontation rights as provided by the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

The flurry of filings is the first public movement in months on the case, which like countless others has been slowed and complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The court agreed twice to waive U.S. speedy-trial deadlines owing to the complex nature of the case, the sheer volume of evidence and the extenuating public-health circumstances.

Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men in January linked to The Base, a group that has been attracting more scrutiny from law enforcement in recent months.

Officials say it is part of a wider spread of white nationalism and extremist ideology throughout the U.S., following a model similar to that of al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and other violent organizations that rely on the internet and social media to mobilize independent cells or individuals who share their philosophies.

Other motions filed with the court this week make clear that the discovery process is not yet complete; both Lemley and Mathews are seeking the right to file additional motions after Monday's deadline "based upon ongoing investigation and discovery disclosures."

A pre-trial teleconference between prosecutors, defence counsel and District Judge Theodore Chuang has been scheduled for Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2020.

 Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle
Saudi king sacks top military officials in new 'graft' cases amid royal power struggle

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 7:11 AM

The Saudi king has sacked several military officials, including two senior royals, over what is claimed to be graft charges, sparking speculation of a stepped-up push to consolidate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's hold on power.

In a royal decree on Tuesday, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud removed Prince Fahad bin Turki of his role as commander of joint forces in the Saudi-led coalition waging war against Yemen.

His son, Abdulaziz bin Fahad, was also relieved of his post as deputy governor of al-Jouf region.

According to the decree, the officials, along with four others, face an investigation into "suspicious financial dealings" at the defense ministry.

The decree said the crown prince  who also serves as the defense minister  designated Lieutenant Gen. Mutlaq bin Salem bin Mutlaq al-Azima to replace Prince Fahd.

The decree was based on bin Salman's missive to the so-called Anti-Corruption Committee.

Prince Fahd was commander of the Royal Saudi Ground Forces, paratrooper units and special forces before becoming commander of joint forces in the Saudi-led coalition, according to Saudi daily Arab News.

Since rising to power on the back of a palace coup in 2017, bin Salman, who is considered Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler, has spearheaded a campaign against alleged corruption in the government.

The campaign, however, is widely believed to be aimed at getting rid of the obstacles to the prince's hold on power.

In the most high-profile purge later that year, scores of royals, ministers and businessmen were detained at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel under tight security.

The majority of those high-profile figures later agreed to monetary settlements in exchange for their freedom and paid colossal sums of money.

Earlier this year, three senior royals, including the king's younger brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz and bin Salman's predecessors, Mohammed bin Nayef, were arrested.

The controversial crown prince has been embroiled in a number of scandals, including the assassination in 2018 of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

More recently, bin Salman has been sued by former intelligence agent, Sa'ad al-Jabri, at a US court for a murder plot against the exiled figure.

The heir to the throne has also been under fire over the bloody war he has been leading against Yemen and the harsh treatment of activists at home.

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Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The testing for the coronavirus pandemic in Kenya has slowed substantially since the US ordered its companies manufacturing the chemicals used in the virus testing not to sell globally, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, said on Wednesday
K-State research among first to analyze safety of industrial hemp as cattle feed



Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020



Kansas State University veterinary researchers Hans Coetzee, left, and Michael Kleinhenz are studying the safety of using industrial hemp in feed for cattle. | Download this photo.

MANHATTAN  A pair of studies at Kansas State University is bringing new insight to farmers and producers seeking to incorporate industrial hemp in cattle feed.



After the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp production in the U.S., interest has grown in industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity, including as feed for animals. FDA approval, however, through the Association of American Feed Control Officials would be required before hemp could be fed to livestock or pets.



"Although hemp can be legally cultivated under license in Kansas, feeding hemp products to livestock remains prohibited because the potential for cannabinoid drug residues to accumulate in meat and milk has not been studied," said Hans Coetzee, professor and head of the anatomy and physiology department in the College of Veterinary Medicine.



A team of K-State researchers recently received a $200,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish concentrations of cannabinoids in livestock after exposure to industrial hemp.



"Industrial hemp is typically grown to produce oil, seed, fiber and medicines," said Michael Kleinhenz, assistant professor of beef production medicine. "While varieties of hemp may be planted for a single or dual purpose, such as for seed and fiber, byproducts consisting of leaves, fodder and residual plant fibers remain after harvest. These byproducts could serve as potential feedstuffs for animals. Because these are predominantly cellulose-containing plant materials, the ideal species for utilizing these feeds are ruminant animals, specifically cattle."



While there is interest in the use of hemp for cattle feeds, there are questions about whether the feed can be used safely because of concerns about tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, intoxication and the presence of other bioactive cannabinoids. Kleinhenz noticed that most research was focused on humans, mice and swine, but not on cattle.



"This is surprising because cattle can readily utilize industrial hemp byproducts as they can digest cellulose plant materials in their rumens," Kleinhenz said.



Kleinhenz is part of a multidisciplinary research team consisting of pharmacologists, toxicologists, analytical chemists and horticulture experts. The hemp used in the studies was grown at K-State's John C. Pair Horticultural Center near Wichita. Other K-State researchers involved include Geraldine Magnin, Zhoumeng Lin, Steve Ensley, Jason Griffin, Katie E. Kleinhenz, Shawnee Montgomery, Andrew Curtis, Miriam Martin and Coetzee. The research team also included John Goeser and Eva Lynch, Rock River Laboratories.



"We observed that the acidic cannabinoids, such as CBDA and THCA, are more readily absorbed from the rumen than other nonacid cannabinoid forms, such as CBD and CBG," Kleinhenz said. "Now that we have found that some cannabinoids are readily absorbed from the rumen, the next steps are to study the tissue and milk residue depletion profiles of these compounds after animal feeding experiments. The effects of cannabinoids on cattle are also unknown."



Follow-up experiments will include pilot studies to examine the effect of feeding hemp on animal behavior and immune function.



"Our goal is to fill in the knowledge gaps," Kleinhenz said. "Until feedstuffs containing hemp are established as safe in animals, our data will assist producers in managing situations involving intentional or unintentional hemp exposures."



The two published studies are "Nutrient concentrations, digestibility, and cannabinoid concentrations of industrial hemp plant components," which can be found in the journal Applied Animal Science, and "Plasma concentrations of eleven cannabinoids in cattle following oral administration of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa)," which was published in Scientific Reports.
Telehealth is an American idea that seems to have been accepted by everyone during the coronavirus pandemic. It involves talking to a doctor on a computer or smartphone.

Medicare is Americas government-paid healthcare for older Americans and the disabled. It changed its rules to permit doctors to use telehealth to see patients. Now there is a push to make telemedicine available to everyone in the future.

Talking to a doctor on a computer or phone increased a lot when communities shut down in early spring because of the virus. Telehealth visits decreased as things slowly reopened, but they are still far more common than before.

Expanding telehealth will involve creating a balance between cost and quality. Some are worried about privacy or fraud.

I dont think it is ever going to replace in-person visits, because sometimes a doctor needs to put hands on a patient, said Seema Verma. She is the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Trump administrations leader in the movement for increased telehealth.

Its fair to say that telemedicineits come of age this year, said Murray Aitken of the data company IQVIA. It studies the use of telemedicine.

During of the coronavirus shutdown, telehealth made up more than 40 percent of basic care visits for patients with traditional Medicare. Before coronavirus, it was only 0.1 percent of care.

As the governments main health care program, Medicare covers more than 60 million people.

A recent poll of older Americans by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation found that more than 70 percent of people are interested in using telehealth for follow-ups with their doctor.

Privacy, however, was an issue, mostly for those who had not experienced telemedicine. The poll found 27 percent of older Americans who had not had a telemedicine visit were worried about privacy. Among those who had tried telemedicine, only 17 percent were worried about privacy.

Many others who tried telemedicine did have some worries. About 80 percent were concerned the doctor could not physically examine them, and 64 percent worried the quality was not as good.

For Medicare user Jean Grady of Westford, Vermont, telemedicine was very effective. She was required to see a doctor by Medicare to continue receiving insulin for her wearable pump. She worried about possible exposure to COVID-19 at a doctors office.

So, she talked to her doctors technology expert and downloaded the suggested teleconference software.

She said she would do some future visits by video, but not all because, for example, she will need blood tests that are done in the office.

Many private insurance plans offer some telemedicine coverage.

In the past, traditional Medicare had restricted telemedicine to those who live far out in the country and had to travel long distances to see a doctor.

When the coronavirus hit the U.S., officials changed the restrictions so Medicare users could use telemedicine. Making such changes permanent would require legislation from Congress.

Senator Lamar Alexander is chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. He says he would like to see greater use of telemedicine while keeping costs down.

The goal, he said, should be better outcomes and better patient experiences, at a lower cost.

One of the big questions is: Should doctors be paid the same for a telemedicine meeting as they are for an in-person meeting with a patient?

While Congress wants to quickly pass new legislation, I think it is worth taking a little more time, said Juliette Cubanski. She is a Medicare expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. She, and others in the healthcare industry, are worried about fraud.

Andrew VanLandingham is a lawyer with the Department of Health and Human Services. He called telehealth experimental. He worries about the unknown risks.

But many see the opportunities, especially in the areas of mental health and the treatment of chronic conditions.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pandemicn. the fast spread of an infectious disease over a very wide geographic area

fraudn. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable

datan. information used to study or plan something

polln. a study in which people are asked what their opinion is and is meant to find out what the public thinks about an issue

insulinn. a substance created by the body that helps turn sugar into energy

nonpartisanadj. not linked to any political party

chronicadj. something that happens again and a again over a long period of time
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:09:59|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday affirmed the necessity that Israeli should "refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would undermine the peace process, especially annexing any Palestinian lands," according to the Presidency Office statement.

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sisi said that "avoiding such measures aims at opening more space for mobilizing regional and international efforts to break the current stalemate in the Palestinian issue," the spokesperson of the presidency Bassam Radi said.

It would also allow the resumption of negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides in order to reach a fair and comprehensive solution on the basis of a two-state solution and in accordance with international references for achieving security, peace and prosperity for the people in the region, Radi added.

The president also emphasized the importance of sticking to the Palestinian-Israeli truce on the Gaza Strip, in light of Egypt's ongoing endeavors to mitigate the tensions between the two sides.

"Egypt supports any steps that would bring regional peace in a way that maintains the rights of the Palestinians and security of Israel," Sisi said, praising the United States brokered the United Arab Emirates-Israeli deal as a step in this regard.

Sponsored by the U.S., Israel and the UAE reached an agreement on Aug. 13 to work towards a "full normalization of relations."

It's the first deal Israel signed with a Gulf country and the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan that normalized relations with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively. Enditem
Donald Trump Jr has accused 'Biden voters' of rioting and looting after the Democrat blamed his father for violent unrest in cities across America.

Trump Jr said Biden sat in silence for ten days in 'tactic acceptance' of the unrest, and only decided to denounce it when polling showed it was hurting his campaign.

He also claimed that Obama escaped blame for riots in Ferguson and Orlando during his presidency, and accused Trump's critics of having a 'double-standard'.

Donald Trump Jr has accused 'Biden voters' of burning down cities across America as he hit out after the Democrat blamed his father for the unrest

Trump Jr spoke out after Biden used a speech in Pennsylvania to denounce 'rioting and looting', saying it is 'not protesting' and calling on it to end.

He also denounced violence 'from left and right' while calling on President Trump to do the same.

Shortly afterwards, the president defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot two protesters dead in Kenosha.

Asked to respond to Biden's comments, Trump Jr said: 'No-one said that about Obama when you had the Ferguson riots, or Orlando, or the numerous riots there.

'The reality is that Joe Biden said almost nothing about these things. He sat there.

'There must be tacit [sic] acceptance because these are Biden voters, these are Democrat voters, that are out there doing this.

'You don't see the conservatives burning down businesses, you don't see conservatives attacking others for wearing a MAGA hat.

Trump has made 'law and order' the centerpiece of his reelection campaign, blaming Democrats for violence and unrest across America (pictured visiting businesses destroyed by rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin)

'Imagine wearing a MAGA hat in Portland? No. You could wear a Biden hat in any city in the country and no-one would do anything.

'That's the difference, that's the double standard. Joe Biden said himself the other day... well, he was going to stay in his basement bunker for another 10 days before addressing it, until the polling issue came out, and then all of a sudden he says "well I may have to leave the bunker 10 days early."

'Ten days to act, as a president, this guy wants to lead our country? This guy isn't fit to lead a kindergarten class.'

Trump Sr has moved to make 'law and order' the centerpiece of his reelection campaign, telling voters that the current unrest will get worse in 'Biden's America'.

In order to hammer home the message, Trump paid a visit to the city of Kenosha on Tuesday, which was partially-destroyed by riots sparked by the police shooting of unarmed black man Jacob Blake.

Biden used a speech on Monday to denounce rioting, looting and violence 'by left and right' while calling on Donald Trump to do the same

During scripted remarks, he called rioters 'domestic terrorists' while praising police, who he argued shouldn't be demonized for making snap-decisions on whether or not to open fire in tough situations.

'The vast and overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable, courageous and devoted public servants,' Trump said.

'They're incredible, yet many politicians ignore their sacrifice and ignore the African-American, Hispanic-American victims.

'And if they make a wrong decision one way or the other, they're either dead or they're in big trouble,' Trump continued.

'And people have to understand that. They choke sometimes. And it's a very tough situation.'

Trump did not mention Blake once by name during the speech, after a meeting with his family fell through because they insisted on having lawyers present.

The president said he felt that was 'inappropriate', while Blake's father Jacob Sr insisted he didn't want to 'play politics'.
Carlos Wizard Martins is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is considered one of the leading entrepreneurs of Brazil, the founder of the Wizard schools, the largest chain of language schools in the world. In 2012, Martins found himself on Forbes Magazine's Billionaires list, when he sold his company to the British Pearson Group for $750 million dollars. At present, Carlos W. Martins holds investments in several areas, such as food, retail, technology, logistics and real estate, among others. However, for the last two years he has dedicated 100% of his time to being a 'social entrepreneur'. After having spent almost 2 years assisting refugees in the Amazon region, this year he has dedicated his efforts to combating the Covid-19 pandemic. He organized a national movement involving over 10 thousand doctors who emphasize the early treatment of the disease.

In his book, Refugees, Martins tells of the period in which he dedicated his time to offering a new life to thousands of refugees who gave up their families, friends and cultural ties in search of survival, protection and the recovery of their very dignity. "I saw that each refugee fights an internal and silent psychological battle at every moment, with each dilemma-filled choice that is made. In spite of all the difficulties, they left their country, fleeing hunger, misery, misfortune and despair", his book relates.

For this author, being a refugee is not a choice, seeing that no one plans to go through such an ordeal, but it is thrust upon a person by the way things happen, contrary to what one might imagine. "However, what fills my soul is realizing that the painful path these people face to escape the quandary they are in is filled with hope and the willpower to overcome all obstacles. I perceived in each situation how hope makes it possible for the fight for survival to continue", the author affirms.

The objective of the book is, not only to tell of the love among people who unite to aid their fellow beings, but also to sound the alert of the importance for all of us to set our differences aside and come to the aid of hungry refugees. All proceedings from the book will be directed to support refugees worldwide.

One of the chapters of the book is dedicated to Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of Chobani, the number one brand of yogurt in the world. Both Carlos and Hamdi share a very similar life story. They were not born in the United States. They came from humble family origins and in their youth, they came to study English in America. Following their academic studies, each one opened a company. Carlos, in education and Hamdi in the food industry. Each of their companies became a world leader in its market niche. These two entrepreneurs sold their businesses and landed on the Forbes Magazine list of billionaires. Now, they share the same passion: to assist and support refugees on a global scale.

SOURCE Ink Comunicacao
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two people have been arrested and charged in connection with a July murder on the North Side, according to Syracuse police.

Zachary Marshall, 16, of Syracuse, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, police announced Wednesday in a news release.

Nautica Harp, 19, of Syracuse, was charged with one count of hindering the prosecution, police said.

Marshall is accused of killing 30-year-old Miguel Quintero on July 30 at 4:30 p.m., police said. Quintero was pronounced dead at the scene on Neutral Court, a one-block street runs parallel to Park Street, between Pond and Mary streets.

Marshall was arrested Aug. 12 by U.S. Marshals in Sumter, South Carolina, police said. Sumter is a city between Charlotte, N.C. and Charleston, S.C.

Two days later, Harp was arrested at Syracuse headquarters, according to police.

Harp graduated from the Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler in 2019.

The arrests were not made public for more than two weeks because the department was working to extradite Marshall from South Carolina and also arranged to bring back some evidence, said Sgt. Matthew Malinowski, a Syracuse Police Department spokesman.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter.
A mass semi-insurrectionary uprising, popularly known as the hartal (a strike coupled with a general stoppage of work and small businesses), erupted in Sri Lanka 67 years ago on August 12, 1953. It shook the ruling class of the island to the core and marked a political turning point.

Lacking a genuine revolutionary leadership, that is a Marxist-Trotskyist party, the uprising was defeated by the right-wing United National Party (UNP) government. This bitter experience has powerful lessons today for the working class in preparing for its revolutionary struggles ahead.

Internationally, the year 1953 was tumultuous. Workers uprisings erupted in East Germany and Czechoslovakia in June against the Stalinist governments installed by the Soviet bureaucracy. Then in August came a near two week-long general strike of four million French workers against austerity measures.

Sri Lanka's governing UNP cabinet in 1952

Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) suffered an economic crisis. Rubber and tea exports fell sharply because of the end of a boom created by the three-year bloody Korean War begun in 1950 by the US imperialism.

The UNP government, which came to power just a year earlier with a convincing majority, took ruthless steps in July 1953. It removed the subsidy for rice, the countrys staple food, increasing the price three-fold. It also raised the prices of essential commodities such as sugar, withdrew the midday meal for school children and slashed expenditure on health and other social programs, while increasing charges on railway transport and postal, telephone and telegraphic services.

Finance Minister J. R. Jayewardene said the government had to remove the food subsidy because it could not find the money to finance the countrys development program. He cynically told the poor: Grow your own food. At the same time, he announced tax concessions and other handouts to the rich

The unbearable inroads into living conditions ignited discontent among workers and the rural poor, which had been simmering for years. In 1948, the ruling elite, long servile to British colonial rule, had supported formal independence in order to quell the struggles of the working people for improved social and living conditions.

Just after this independence, the UNP government abolished the citizenship of hundreds of thousands of Indian-origin plantation workers. It was a cynical step calculated to divide the working class along ethnic lines and thus prop up capitalist rule.

On July 23, 1953, as mass opposition brewed against the governments austerity measures, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), which commanded considerable support among workers and in rural areas, announced a one-day protest on August 12.

LSSP leader NM Perera addressing a mass protest in Colombo's Gall Face Green in opposition to a UNP budget

The Stalinist Communist Party (CP) and the Viplavakari Sama Samaja Party (VLSSP), a right-wing nationalist group that had split from the LSSP, joined the campaign.

Seeking to exploit the unrest, the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) condemned the governments repression but did not support the protest. The SLFP had been formed in 1951 in a split from the UNP led by S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike, in a bid to head off the rising disaffection. The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, or Federal Party, of the Tamil capitalist elite expressed support for the protest but also did not participate.

On August 12, workers, peasants and youth took matters into their own hands. To counter the police, they built barricades to block each entrance to the capital Colombo. At one barricade across the road close to the Kirullapone Bridge, people battled against 80 police constables.

Wires were cut, blocking telegraph, telephone and other communication links between Colombo and other regions. In some places, wooden bridges were dismantled and other small bridges were blasted with dynamite. Transport and postal services were stopped. Some railway tracks were torn up for a mile or so and some trains were stopped and seized.

The terrified UNP cabinet met on board the British warship, the HMS Newfoundland, anchored in Colombos port. It declared an emergency, called out the military with orders to shoot at sight, sealed the offices and presses of working-class parties, imposed a curfew and introduced capital punishment for damaging property.

Police shot dead nine workers and youth in Colombo and the southern and western rural areas, and seriously wounded another 175 protesters.

Though the protest was called for one day, in some areas the demonstrations continued, especially in the Colombo suburbs and southern areas, despite the LSSPs call for a halt.

The LSSP organised no action nor did it call for the building of defence committees. Nevertheless, the protests erupted in areas where the Trotskyist movement had been active during the previous decade. At the time, the LSSP was the Sri Lankan section of the Fourth International, the world Trotskyist party, but had been increasingly orienting toward parliamentarianism and trade unionism around limited economic demands.

The Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India (BLPI) had been established in 1942 as a section of the Fourth International and fought for a Trotskyist program across the Indian sub-continent, including Ceylon. However, an opportunist faction led by N. M. Perera and Phillip Gunawardena broke from the BLPI and reverted to a nationalist program, under the banner of the LSSP, in the mid-1940s.

In 1950, the BLPI merged with the LSSP, sweeping aside the all-important political issues of the split. The BLPIs section in India had earlier merged with the nationalist Socialist Party of India. These mergers amounted to liquidating the BLPI. This was an adaptation to the post-World War II settlements between the imperialist powers and the Soviet regime to head off working-class uprisings that included British imperialisms grant of formal independence to Sri Lanka.

In the ensuing years, the LSSP further drifted away from Trotskyism, joining the revisionist tendency of Michael Pablo and Ernest Mandel that had emerged in the Fourth International. This tendency attributed a progressive role to the Stalinist Soviet bureaucracy and abandoned the Trotskyist program of building independent revolutionary parties. In the semi-colonial countries, they proposed fusing sections of the Fourth International with bourgeois nationalist movements.

The LSSP opposed the Open Letter issued by the American Trotskyist leader, James P. Cannon, in November 1953 calling for the rejection of this liquidationism, and refused to join the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) to fight Pabloism. Despite having criticised Pablo, it remained with the Pabloite International Secretariat.

The LSSPs nationalist drift was expressed in its role in the 1953 hartal. As The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka) explains:

Dr. Colvin R. De Silva

Subsequent LSSP mythology has seized on the 1953 hartal to demonstrate the partys revolutionary character. In reality, the LSSP provided no leadership to the mass movement In a lengthy article, Colvin R. de Silva declared the hartal to be a new stage of the class struggle that bore the imprint of workers and peasants alliance. But he concluded that the fight was now to compel the UNP government to hold a fresh general election. The LSSP all along viewed the hartal as nothing more than an adjunct to its parliamentary manoeuvring. [page 58]

While the LSSP proposed parliamentary activities, the intensity of the struggle shocked significant sections of the ruling elite. They threw their support behind Bandaranaikes SLFP, as an alternative capitalist party to the UNP. Bandaranaikes Sinhala Only policy proposed Sinhala as the official language, fomenting anti-Tamil communalism to divide the working class that has been expressed in the class unity during the hartal.

The LSSPs betrayal of the mass struggle paved the way for the SLFP to take office in the 1956 parliamentary election. Far from drawing a revolutionary lesson from the hartal or self-critically analysing the event, the LSSP was rapidly backsliding politically.

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike

In fact, the LSSP entered a no-contest pact with the SLFP during the 1956 election and adopted a stance of responsive co-operation toward the SLFP government, voting for its throne speech in parliament in 1956 and 1957. The leader of the VLSSP, Philip Gunawardana, entered the SLFP government as a cabinet minister.

Internationally, the Pabloites covered up the LSSPs backsliding, creating the conditions for the great betrayal of 1964, when the LSSP, faced by another working-class upsurge, entered Sirima Bandaranaikes SLFP-led coalition government. By that act, the LSSP finally completely abandoned international socialist principles, accepting ministerial posts in a capitalist government to help suppress the struggles of the working class.

The horrific conditions faced by workers and the rural poor ever since, including decades of anti-Tamil communalism and civil war, are a consequence of this historic betrayal.

The working class needs to draw the lessons from the 1953 hartal in the context of the unfolding crisis of global capitalism today and its sharp expression in Sri Lanka. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a new impetus to the worldwide class struggle, in which the assimilation of the lessons of the past will be crucial.

First and foremost, the hartal showed that whatever the courage, fearlessness and militancy of workers, that alone is not adequate for the working class to take power. It needs a revolutionary party based on the program of international socialism and a thorough assimilation of all of the historic experiences of the working class internationally, including in Sri Lanka, of the LSSPs degeneration and betrayal.

Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution provides the essential basis for the impending revolutionary struggles. It established that in countries with a belated capitalist development, only the working class can address the democratic tasks and social questions by taking the leadership of the rural poor and oppressed to carry through a socialist revolution. That means building the ICFI and its sections, the Socialist Equality Parties.
Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilmember Helen Gym and Councilmember Derek Green stand outside of Lowell Elementary in the Olney section of Philadelphia during a news conference and demanded more funding for schools floundering under the pressure of the coronavirus pandemic. Wednesday is the first day of virtual school for 125,000 Philadelphia School District students. Read more

Despite its being the first day of school, there were no students inside Lowell Elementary on Wednesday, and without significant federal help, it will be difficult to safely bring them back this year, local, state and national leaders said outside the redbrick building.

Officials including Mayor Jim Kenney and American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten took aim at President Donald Trump and Senate leaders who have failed to pass the Heroes Act, a COVID-19 relief package that would send billions to cities and school systems like Philadelphias, which opened, fully virtual, Wednesday.

 READ MORE: On back-to-school eve for 125,000 Philly students, a level of excitement, but concerns about finances

This is clearly not a typical first day of school for anyone, Kenney said. Under normal circumstances, wed be in school buildings, greeting students and teachers, wed be celebrating all the promise a new school year brings. Had the White House led a competent national pandemic response under the direction of medical experts, we might very well be in a different position today. But here we are.

As classes began for 125,000 kids across the district Wednesday, teachers, students and parents reported some first-day glitches, but enthusiasm at the beginning of the 2020-21 term.

The school systems server encountered technical difficulties early on, creating barriers to learning for some; district officials said students who lack equipment or internet access  Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. estimated this week that 18,000 students remained unconnected  would be marked as having an excused absence.

Philadelphia schools will remain virtual through mid-November; Hite has said he hopes children can begin returning to buildings, at least part-time, after the first marking period concludes.

The costs of the coronavirus have proven steep for schools: Philadelphia School District officials have said they will spend at least $60 million on COVID-19-related purchases, from masks and desk partitions to extra cleaning staff and hand sanitizer. It is money they cannot afford.

And those costs do not touch the billions it will take for Philadelphia to fix conditions that existed inside city schools prior to the pandemic.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Phila.) recalled touring Lowell, at Fifth and Nedro Streets, where he attended elementary school. He was struck by the poor shape the building was in last year: In midwinter, it was so hot on upper floors of the building that teachers and students had to crack open windows to breathe properly, but in the hallways, people were bundled up in coats against the cold. There was mold and parts of the ceiling showed leaks.

That scares the hell out of me, said Boyle, the husband of a teacher and father of a first grader. How on earth in the richest country in the world, in the history of humanity, can we allow this to happen?

Weingarten, president of the national teachers union, underscored the need for federal funds to get children in Philadelphia and elsewhere back to school.

How are we going to afford all these things when we cant even get a window open in Lowell Elementary School? Weingarten said. When we dont even have soap in bathrooms?

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan hailed his members, who he said were currently working harder than ever and doing so under an expired contract. The PFTs pact expired Monday; 13,000 teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries and other school workers authorized him to negotiate for two more weeks before considering other options.

The district has tied any raise for teachers to the PFTs agreeing to a reopening plan, which Jordan said created a false dichotomy that defies logic and devalues educators.

Nevertheless, negotiations were productive Tuesday, Jordan said, and both sides would continue to talk Wednesday.

As the dignitaries spoke Wednesday, 5-year-old Zahkir Satchell played on the steps of his new school. Zahkir is a new kindergartner, and his mom, Lexus Rowe, came to Lowell to pick up books for him. Rowe said she had to stay home from work as a certified nursing assistant to take care of Zahkir and his sister, a fifth grader at Grover Washington Middle School.

She was worried about Zahkirs starting such a crucial year of schooling without ever having set foot in his classroom or met his teacher face-to-face, but was resolved to figure it out.

And as for the little guy?

I wish I was in school, Zahkir said.

By the end of the day, teacher Ashante Carr was more exhausted than usual after the first-day crush at Waring Elementary in Spring Garden. Her day was marked by tech hiccups  broken links, Zoom fails, lost Google slides  but full of kids overjoyed to get back to school, even if it wasnt in person.

There were lots of hellos and I missed yous in the chat, said Carr. They were so happy, and their excitement carried me through.
Lopez Obrador emphasised his major achievements: the fight against corruption and his governments austerity.

For a president with a plunging economy and the worlds fourth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is not doing so badly.

In his second state-of-the-union address on Tuesday, Lopez Obrador emphasised what he considers his major achievements: the fight against corruption and his governments austerity.

This government will not be remembered for being corrupt; our principal legacy will be cleaning up Mexicos public life, he said.

The president also noted the challenges facing his administration, including the coronavirus pandemic and the struggling economy, but gave his positive take. Mexico will emerge from the pandemic with a better public health system, and his economic strategy relying on direct support to those most in need is beginning to bear fruit, he said.

Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador no longer has the near-sky-high approval ratings he once had [File: Mexicos Presidency/Handout via Reuters]

He still gets 52 percent support for a coronavirus policy that amounts to little more than damage control with as little testing as possible and almost no contact tracing or mandatory lockdowns. It focuses instead on expanding the number of hospital beds.

The honeymoon for Mexicos Teflon president is clearly over and he no longer has the near-sky-high approval ratings he once had.

According to a Reforma newspaper poll published Monday, Lopez Obrador still has a 56 percent approval rating; that is down from a peak of 78 percent in March 2019. The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points.

Nor has Lopez Obradors anti-crime strategy been working; murders are stuck at around 3,000 per month in the nation of almost 130 million inhabitants, about the same level as seen during the last two years.

Drug cartels continue their bloody turf battles, and cocaine flights and fentanyl pill exports continue.

Despite the fact that people are seeing the problems we have and that the results are quite meager, they nevertheless give the president quite a high rating, said Jose Antonio Crespo, a political analyst at Mexicos Center for Economic Research and Training.

People demanding the resignation of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commonly referred to by his initials AMLO, in a protest organised by the Frente Nacional anti-AMLO or National Front Against AMLO, at the Plaza de la Republica in Mexico City, on August 30, 2020 [AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo]

Lopez Obrador hopes his main legacy will be going after corrupt politicians who stole hundreds of millions of dollars in past administrations.

A lurid series of leaked videos and testimony in recent weeks has reinforced what most Mexicans have long thought  that former administrations were full of crooks  but they provide little legally admissible evidence. Most of the accusations, including videos of politicians handling suitcases full of cash, were made by a former state oil company director who himself hopes to avoid prison.

In fact, 58 percent of those surveyed in the Reforma poll did not think the corruption cases would lead to any concrete results, while only 28 percent thought suspects would go to jail.

But with nothing to brag about on the economic front  gross domestic product dropped 18.7 percent in the second quarter  the anti-graft campaign may be a key part of Lopez Obradors strategy for the 2021 midterm elections, in which he hopes to hold on to his bare majority in congress and win more governorships for his Morena party.
02.09.2020 LISTEN

The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) of Ghana has appointed Keskine Owusu Poku as the new Public Relations Coordinator.

Keskine, who is currently studying for his PhD in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, UK, is a very active social commentator and strong youth advocate.

He had his high school education at Prempeh College and later went to University of Ghana, Legon where he read Political Science.

Keskine holds a Masters degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

As an ardent social media user, Keskine is very popular among his peers and actively use social media to engage the youth of Ghana.

When news of his appointment went public, many social media users particularly on Facebook congratulated him, with Nana Kwadwo Boakye, a member of the NPP Communications Team in Ashanti Region, describing Keskine as a selfless youth-centered and results-oriented personality.
Extensive criminal histories are, apparently, no barrier to running a stock exchange in the United States.

By Pam Martens and Russ Martens of Wall Street on Parade.

Members Exchange (MEMX), a brand new stock exchange, has announced that it will begin live trading of select stocks for the first time on September 21 with a full phase-in on September 29.

Criminal histories are, apparently, no barrier to running a stock exchange in the United States to the deeply conflicted way of thinking of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which issued its approval to operate the exchange on May 5.

Investors in the new stock exchange are some of the most serially-charged Wall Street banks, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and UBS, along with the hedge fund, Citadel Securities. BlackRock, which is up to its neck in the Federal Reserves deeply conflicted bailout programs, is also an investor, as is the high-frequency trading firm, Virtu Financial, and others.

JPMorgan Chase has been criminally investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice at least four times in the past seven years. A criminal probe in 2013 looked at how the bank had used bank depositors savings to gamble in exotic derivatives in London, eventually losing $6.2 billion. That case was known as the London Whale and ended in the bank paying $900 million in fines. No criminal charges were brought against the bank.

In 2014, JPMorgan Chase was charged with two criminal felony counts for how it mishandled the business account of Ponzi mastermind, Bernie Madoff. JPMorgans compliance staff looked the other way at screaming red flags of money laundering in the Madoff account for decades. Bank employees told authorities in the U.K. that it thought Madoff might be running a Ponzi scheme. It filed no such concerns with U.S. regulators. The bank pleaded guilty to both felony counts.

In 2015, the Justice Department brought another criminal felony count against the bank, this time for engaging with other banks in rigging foreign exchange markets. The bank again pleaded guilty. In both the 2014 and 2015 cases, JPMorgan Chase was given a deferred prosecution agreement by the Justice Department.

On September 16 of last year, the Justice Department indicted two current and one former precious metal traders at JPMorgan Chase on criminal RICO charges, a charge typically leveled at organized crime members. The traders were charged with running a racketeering enterprise out of the precious metals trading desk at JPMorgan Chase. The bank has indicated in an SEC filing that the bank itself remains under a criminal probe in the matter.

In July of this year, Goldman Sachs settled a criminal indictment against it in Malaysia for $3.9 billion over its involvement in a bribery and kickback scandal known as 1MDB. According to a Bloomberg report in December, the U.S. Department of Justice also has an ongoing criminal investigation of the firm related to the same matter.

According to the 10-K (Annual Report) that Goldman filed with the SEC on February 21, it is cooperating with the Department of Justice in the 1MDB case but the resolution could result in the imposition of significant fines, penalties and other sanctions against the firm, including restrictions on the firms activities. Lets hope that not being allowed to own a stock exchange is one of those restrictions

Continue reading the article
On September 1, Facebook threatened to block Australians from sharing new stories on the social media platform if the new proposal will force them to pay for it.

Paying the publishers

The threat is the company's response to an Australian law that would force Facebook and Google to negotiate fees with the news companies whose stories appear on their respective platforms. The fines will be millions of dollars if the companies fail to comply.

However, Facebook said that it would stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram if the government proposal becomes law, as reported by The DailyMail.

According to an expert, Facebook wanted to kill off Australia's initiative to stop the law from spreading to other countries where the financial impact would be more severe.

The social media giant says that it faces unlimited costs if the move becomes law in Australia. The company is now fighting a battle to stop the proposal from becoming law.

Also Read: Fact Check: Were the 39 Rescued Children in Georgia Found in a Trailer?

Meanwhile, the Australian government dismissed Facebook's threat and vowed that it would not respond to coercion.

Google has also expressed their dismay against the new law with pop-ups saying that the way Australians use Google is at risk, but has not threatened to cut off their services like Facebook, as reported by The Guardian.

Australia's proposal is targeting stories that appear in Google searches and the news feed on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, without any profit going to the businesses that produce the news.

Australia says that what they are doing is a fundamental bargaining power imbalance, which means that news websites are unfairly deprived of advertising revenue siphoned off by Facebook and Google.

In 2019, local advertisers paid Facebook Australia $674 million or  370 million. According to regulators, Facebook and Google benefit financially from showing the news stories.

Both companies also boost their status as news providers in Australia and collect user data, which is used to improve their services.

Facebook also profits from the "like" and "share" buttons on other websites, which allow its servers to track the activities of its users and send them tailored ads.

Aside from paying the content, the measures would also force transparency around the closely guarded algorithms that tech firms use to rank content.

The code will require Facebook and Google to give publishers 28 days notice of any algorithm changes that are likely to have a significant impact on their traffic.

The initiative is being watched around the globe as media companies worldwide face financial struggles, made worse by the current coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook's threat

In a statement, Facebook's Australia and New Zealand managing director Will Easton said that the proposed overhaul misunderstand the dynamics of the internet, as reported by BBC.

Easton said that the proposed law would force Facebook to pay news organizations for content that the publishers voluntarily place on platforms and at a price that ignores the financial value that platforms bring publishers.

The managing director also said that assuming that the draft code becomes a law, they will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram.

Related Article: 17-Year-Old Accused of Being Mastermind in Devastating Twitter Hack

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Ukraine is protesting against human rights abuses and persecution of its citizens in Russian-occupied Crimea and is working to release all political prisoners of the Kremlin, the President's Office has reported.

"Ukraine strongly protests against human rights violations and persecution of its citizens living in the temporarily occupied Crimea," she said.

The President's Office said that these days a court in Rostov-on-Don is considering the case of Crimean Tatar activists, public journalists and human rights activists, who face between 15 and 21 years of prison.

According to the report, Marlen Asanov, Memet Belyalov, Tymur Ibrahimov, Ernes Ametov, Server Zekiryaev, Seyran Saliyev, Server Mustafayev and Edem Smailov are accused of organizing and participating in a terrorist organization, although they only gathered in a mosque and had religious literature in their homes.

"In fact, the indigenous people of Crimea are deprived of the right to practice their religion in their homeland," the President's Office said.

According to the report, Ukraine works every day for the release of all political prisoners and captives held in the temporarily occupied territories and in the Russian Federation.

op
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 21:14:18|Editor: huaxia

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An international trade fair to be held later this week in Beijing will contribute to the development of Russia-China cooperation and technology transfer, said a Russian expert.
Cardinal Jean Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan calls for reconciliation, respect for the law, and dialogue as necessary conditions for peace, in preparation for the Ivory Coast's presidential elections in October.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

In certain circumstances, silence can be likened to cowardice and complicity with iniquity.

With these words, Cardinal Jean Pierre Kutwa began his letter on Monday to Ivorian citizens, expressing concern about the developments on the countrys political front in the buildup leading to the presidential elections, scheduled for October 2020.

The socio-political life of our country is taking a dangerous turn, the Cardinal noted. As the presidential elections approach, we are forced to notice the radicalization of positions on both sides. These positions, he pointed out, have become more pronounced since the declaration of the candidacy of the president of the Republic on 6 August 2020.

Alassane Ouattara, 78, Ivory Coasts incumbent president filed his candidacy for re-election after initially saying that he would not run again after being president for two five-year terms from 2010  2020. Ouattara said that he changed his mind after the death of prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly of a heart attack in July.

Protests, unrest

Ouattaras candidacy bid for the October elections has generated fresh tensions in the country. In August, several violent clashes stemming from Ouattaras bid left several dead and more than 100 injured.

The Ivorian Constitution limits presidents to two terms but Ouattaras supporters argue that a 2016 amendment to the Constitutions reset the clock, permitting him to seek a third term. However, opposition and civil society groups hold that Ouattaras candidacy is unconstitutional and therefore should not be permitted.

Cardinal Kutwa, speaking against the violence, said it was unacceptable that citizens of the same country, armed with clubs, stones, machetes and firearms would go about killing, injuring each other and causing material damage.

He mourned the deaths of the victims of the clashes, praying that the dead may rest in peace and for consolation for their families.

Presidential election candidates

Posing major threats to the incumbent presidents third-term bid for the presidency are several candidates.

Pascal Affi NGuessan of the Ivorian Popular Front party (FPI) presented his candidacy on Thursday. NGuessan, a former prime minister, is running against Ouattara for a second time after losing to him in the 2015 presidential elections.

Another candidate is former president, Henri Konan Bedie of the Ivory Coast Democratic party (PDCI). 86-year-old Bedie led the country from 1993 to 1996.

Supporters of Ivorian ex-president Laurent Gbagbo have also submitted his documents to the electoral commission to get him registered as a candidate in the October elections. Gbagbo, 75, who was tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) was freed conditionally in 2019 after he was cleared of crimes against humanity linked to the violence that erupted after the 2010 elections. He has been adopted as the presidential candidate of the EDS (Ensemble pour la Democratie et Souverainete).

Appeal for peace, dialogue and reconciliation

Invoking his responsibilities as a pastor, Cardinal Kutwa called for non-violence, dialogue, and respect for the law,  all things without which, one cannot build a modern and peaceful state, he pointed out.

He also stressed the importance of forgiveness, pointing out that there is no peace without justice and there is no justice without forgiveness. Forgiveness, therefore, is the path to reconciliation without which social cohesion is impossible. Reconciliation also allows antagonists to unite and start again.

Appealing to the individual and collective conscience of the nation, the Cardinal urged everyone to search for solutions for the crisis pointing out that the current situation of unrest does not bode well for the organization of elections.

Ivory Coast, our country, is a country of dialogue by tradition, he stated. Let us remember this! Let us not put dialogue under the snuffles to take paths that do not honor our beloved country.

Respect for laws

Cardinal Kutwa pointed out that the fundamental laws of the country which allow for the recognition of the rights and freedoms of the citizens, is a good place to start to help everyone to live in justice, reconciliation and peace in preparation for the organization of peaceful elections.

Stating that the force of law is and always will be to be preferred to the law of force, he called for a common interpretation of the constitution that respects the former - which is a path to peace with respect for rights, as opposed to the latter which leads to disorder.

Addressing the countrys president, whose candidacy the Cardinal considers to be unnecessary, he reminded him of his duty as guarantor of the Constitution and national unity, which calls for his courageous involvement with a view of restoring calm in the country.

Concluding, the Cardinal prayed that everyone, in the exercise of their duties, will have the wisdom to accomplish them in accordance with the law, especially with respect to right to life, saying that only justice that recognizes each persons rights and duties will bring us peace.
A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to a man accused in a north-east Delhi riots case, while stating that there is no electronic evidence against him. The court also said while in the charge sheet the complainant has said that he was shot in the left leg , the FIR had said that he was shot in the right leg.

Additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav granted bail to Imran, who was accused of rioting and attempt to murder on a complaint by one constable Deepak, on a bail bond of 20,000, while observing that the accused was not named in the FIR.

The judge also said there is no CCTV footage of the incident available, wherein the accused could have been seen to be a part of the riotous mob.

Imran was arrested on March 18 in connection with the rioting that took place in Bhajanpura area. Later, on the basis of his disclosure statement, he was arrested for shooting constable Deepak in his leg.

The court said the investigating agency has failed to provide the call detail records (CDR) location of the accused, placing him at the scene of the crime on the date of incident. It said that even thetest identification parade (TIP) of the accused was not conducted by the police.

The judge said the complainant was discharged on the same day from the hospital and the injuries suffered by him were stated to be simple in nature.

A perusal of the examination report (charge sheet) of complainant constable Deepak reveals that he was medically treated for the gunshot injuries sustained in his left leg, whereas in the FIR, he had stated that he suffered gunshot injuries in his right leg, the court said in its order of September 1.

The judge noted that the accused was not arrested from the scene of crime; instead, he has been picked up merely on the basis of his disclosure statement made in another FIR. The judge said that besides this disclosure statement, prima facie there is no direct evidence to connect him with the incident.

.there is no electronic evidence on record against the applicant. The investigation in the matter is complete. There is no public witness cited in the case, whom the applicant can threaten or intimidate, the judge said while granting bail.
A record number of migrants reached Britain by illegally crossing the Channel last month, it has been confirmed.

More than 1,450 arrived by small boats in August, bringing the total since the start of the year to more than 5,000. Just 1,850 migrants made the journey in 2019.

The massive rise comes despite a vow from Home Secretary Priti Patel last autumn to have made the crossings an infrequent phenomenon by this point.

The Home Office has sought to blame French authorities and activist lawyers for the increase and for difficulties removing asylum seekers once they arrive in Britain.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel

About 100 migrants were seen arriving in the port of Dover yesterday, with at least 15 small boats reaching British shores.

The daily total included women and children, as well as three men on an inflatable kayak.

One woman in her 20s was seen being brought ashore by Border Force officers in a wheelchair.

Others were brought into Dover aboard the UK Border Force patrol boat Hunter.

They were seen being ushered out of the cabin on to the stern of the vessel where they were given life jackets.

Immigration officials then helped them ashore one by one and escorted them up the gangway.

More than 1,450 arrived by small boats in August, bringing the total since the start of the year to more than 5,000. Just 1,850 migrants made the journey in 2019

A dinghy believed to have been used to cross the Channel was seen being towed into the harbour shortly afterwards.

Later, more arrivals believed to be migrants were seen coming into the port, sitting on the front of an RNLI lifeboat.

About a dozen in life jackets were helped ashore, where they were met by border officials.

The previous monthly record for migrant arrivals was 1,075, set in July. Augusts arrivals saw 235 reach Britain on just one day  which was also a record.

Miss Patel is seeking a deal with French authorities that would allow migrant boats to be turned back in the Channel. No agreement has yet been reached.

Yesterday, the Mail revealed the taxpayer was hit with a 1billion bill for the asylum system last year.
The United States hopes for a peaceful resolution to the border dispute between India and China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.

More missile tests were done in China last year than all western nations combined. If youre going to be serious, youve to use those in a way that is consistent with how nations undertake obligation under nuclear proliferation treaties, Pompeo said while addressing a press conference at the State Department.

The US Secretary of State further said that China had a patter of bullying its neighbours and this pattern was evident in the developments happening in the South China Sea.

From the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a clear and intensifying pattern of bullying its neighbours. It is also evident in the South China Sea, Pompeo said.

Pompeo also said that Washington was calling on China to engage in talks with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibethan Buddhism.
The French satirical magazine attacked by Islamist gunmen in 2015 is republishing controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to mark the start of the trial of alleged accomplices in the attack.

Among the cartoons to be published in Charlie Hebdo is a drawing of Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse.

We will never lie down. We will never give up, editor Laurent Riss Sourisseau wrote in a article which accompany the front cover when it is published in print on Wednesday.

Twelve people were killed when Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and raked the building with automatic gunfire.

The Kouachi brothers and a third gunman who killed five people in the 48 hours following the Charlie Hebdo massacre were shot dead by police, but 14 of their alleged accomplices will go on trial on Wednesday.

The caricatures were first printed in 2006 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten, and set off sometimes violent protests by Muslims, who believe any depiction of Muhammad is blasphemy.

In 2007, a French court rejected accusations by Islamic groups that Charlie Hebdo incited hatred against Muslims.

The freedom to caricature and the freedom to dislike them are enshrined and nothing justifies violence, the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote on Twitter in response.

Frances president, Emmanuel Macron, said it was not his place to pass judgement on the magazines decision, saying France has freedom of expression.

Speaking on a visit to Lebanon, Mr Macron said it was incumbent on French citizens to show civility and respect for each other and avoid a dialogue of hate.

Its never the place of a president of the Republic to pass judgment on the editorial choice of a journalist or newsroom, never. Because we have freedom of the press, Mr Macron said.

Additional reporting by agencies
A hunter from Oregon was gored to death by an elk he wounded with an arrow the night before, police said.

Oregon State Police said Mark David, 66, was archery hunting on private property in the Tillamook area on Saturday when he shot a bull elk.

Mr David was unable to track down the wounded animal before dark and so he planned to return the next morning to find the bull with the landowner.

The 66-year-old hunter, of Hillsboro, managed to find the wounded bull at around 9.15am on Sunday.

"The elk charged David and gored him in the neck with its antlers," said Oregon State Police.

"The landowner attempted to help David but he sustained fatal injuries and died".

Police added that the elk was killed and its meat was donated to the Tillamook County Jail following the investigation.

According to the National Geographic, a male bull elk's can reach up to four feet above it's head so that the animal stands at nine feet tall.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the capital of Belarus, beginning the fourth week of daily protests over the poll (AP)

Thousands of students boycotted the start of the school year in Belarus yesterday and signs of a possible rift appeared in an opposition alliance that has led weeks of protests against veteran President Alexander Lukashenko.

Mr Lukashenko faces the biggest challenge of his 26-year rule since claiming victory in an election last month that opponents say was rigged. Mr Lukashenko denies electoral fraud and shows no sign of backing down.

In a rare public reproach, his main challenger, Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, issued a statement criticising the strategy of another opposition group with which she formed an alliance during the election campaign.

Ms Tikhanouskaya fled into exile two days after the August 9 election. From her new base in Lithuania, she declared herself the rightful winner and launched an opposition council with the aim of ensuring a peaceful transfer of power.

Ms Tikhanouskaya said the council "should not be dominated by any political party", after opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova and the team of jailed presidential candidate Viktor Babariko announced the creation of a party called 'Together'. She also said the declared aim of Mr Babariko and Ms Kolesnikova's camp to enact constitutional reform was a distraction from the goal of removing Mr Lukashenko and holding new elections.

Ms Kolesnikova's camp said it did not wish to disrupt the work of the council, and that it backed Ms Tikhanouskaya's call for new elections.

"Not a single Belarusian doubts Svetlana Tikhanouskaya's victory, and that her victory was stolen," it said.

Answering a call from Ms Tikhanouskaya, students waving opposition flags staged marches and collected signatures outside several colleges in Minsk, calling for Mr Lukashenko to step down.

Video footage showed students being dragged away from a crowd and detained by masked security forces.

There were also new protests yesterday at two high-profile industrial plants and a business park just outside Minsk.

Mr Lukashenko sought to draw a line under the demonstrations against his rule as he visited a training college in southwestern Belarus.

"The president emphasised that the eventful summer is over," the official Belta news agency said.

The European Union has been working on a list of individuals to target with sanctions but is expected to exclude Mr Lukashenko.

Western countries are wary of provoking an intervention by Russia.
About 85% of all cities have nominally nonpartisan elections, in which candidates party affiliations never appear on the ballot (researchers, however, have ways of sussing out partisanship nonetheless). And in some cities that do have partisan elections, the leading candidates may all be Democrats, making their partisan identities unimportant. Party is less relevant, anyway, to local races that may turn on who can clear the snow fastest, or negotiate with the teachers union effectively, or build the most affordable housing.
"It appears at least from the Australian end that Australia is sort of trying to take a significant directive role rather than a follower role," said Stuart Orr, professor of management at Deakin University in Australia.

Those four countries belong to a group dubbed the Quad, which formed in 2007 to discuss security issues in Asia, including Chinas activities. Specialists predict more from the Quad, this time galvanized by Australia, even though the United States normally leads.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggested in a speech Wednesday that his country would work more closely with India, Japan and the United States -- an ally already so close that a Chinese newspaper in May quoted a netizen calling Canberra a "dog" of Washington.

Canberra broke its neutral stance toward China with harsh pledges and comments in May, June and July due to a series of problems with the communist government, despite brisk trade ties. In particular, Australia openly backed the United States last month by sending the United Nations a letter that described Beijing's sovereignty claims in the contested South China Sea as illegal.

Australia's recent shift to a more combative stance against China will tighten political and military coordination among U.S.-allied nations that want to check Beijing's maritime expansion, analysts said this week.

 'Concrete Action'

On Wednesday, Morrison, addressing an Indo-Pacific security forum, noted the June Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India. The partnership calls for meetings at least once every two years between defense ministers. Morrison added Wednesday that Australia reached a memorandum of cooperation in July to work with Japan on space cooperation and said Australia planned to take "concrete action to support our Pacific and Southeast Asian friends and family." Japan and India have their own bitter territorial issues with China.

The U.S. and Australian governments have cooperated for decades on resisting foreign governments that Washington dislikes. Now the U.S. side is embroiled in a trade dispute with China. Both Western countries resent China for suspected technology-related crimes and want the Asian country investigated as the source of the coronavirus. Australia proposed in May a formal inquiry into the Chinese origins of the pandemic and a month later Morrison said his country had been the target of a "state-based" cyber-attack. Beijing called the June remark a smear.

Compared to other countries worried about Beijing, "I think Washington and Canberra are on the same page of the book about the problems with China," said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. "I think that they have a much stronger sense of unity about confronting China in a smart way," he said. None of the Quad countries claims the South China Sea, but all of them see it as a pivot point for Chinese expansion past its land borders and recall Beijing as a Cold War foe.

 Fish, Energy Reserves, Shipping Lanes

China vies for sovereignty over the contested sea with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. All five rival claimants have weaker militaries and less infrastructure on the sea's hundreds of tiny islets than does China. Claimants prize the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea for fish, energy reserves and shipping lanes.

Officials in Beijing cite historical usage records to defend their claim over about 90 percent of the sea. "China would at least have to be wary and at the same time it would have to be more concerned about Australia and the U.S. leading or sort of spearheading what they would likely see as rather unwelcome prospects of greater external interest and perceived meddling in the South China Sea," said Collin Koh, a maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

India may hope to build up the Quad amid its military standoff with China near a disputed land border, London media organization India Inc. suggested in a commentary after Morrison met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Australia's leadership role in the Quad could mean more joint naval exercises that anger China, scholars believe. Japan and Australia joined the USS Ronald Reagan and a strike group last month for joint exercises southeast of China.

U.S.-Australia military exercises will gain speed, especially if they involve Japan, India, and traditional pro-U.S. European allies such as France and the United Kingdom, said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

 'Moral Standpoint'

Southeast Asian states, despite overlapping South China Sea claims with Beijing, have shown less enthusiasm than have Quad countries toward Australias new assertiveness. Some, such as Brunei and the Philippines, receive aid and investment from China. Their negotiating bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hopes for an eventual maritime code of conduct with Beijing.

However, they welcome the Quad's activities from a "moral standpoint," Koh said. Australia and Vietnam, the most outspoken maritime claimant, issued a joint statement last year to express "serious concerns about developments in the South China Sea, including land reclamation and militarization of disputed features," a likely reference to Chinese activity. Expect Australia eventually to step up engagement with Vietnam, Thayer said.
Dover Street Market Paris  an alternative, indie version of a luxury group  has brought buzzy New York-based label Vaquera into the fold, along with a budding Paris talent named Victor Weinsanto, a protege of Jean Paul Gaultier.

Its necessary to be flexible and open to all ways of helping people, said Adrian Joffe, chief executive officer of Dover Street Market and president of Comme des Garcons International, disclosing the developments exclusively to WWD. A lot of people wish to join the family and Im looking worldwide.

The five emerging brands already under the DSMP umbrella  Paccbet, Youths in Balaclava, Liberal Youth Ministry, ERL Eli Russell Linnetz and Honey F-king Dijon  come from all corners of the globe and enjoy varying degrees of help across brand development, production, representation and distribution.

Joffe, who discovered Weinsanto at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week last March, is initially offering only showroom space at 6 Place Vendome during the next round of shows in the French capital, giving the young Frenchman access to all of DSMPs customers.

What does DSMP get? In Joffes view, his personality and his energy makes the showroom more interesting. In the future, if we can help him with production, we will.

For Vaquera, DSMP will produce and distribute about half of the brands spring 2021 collection and distribute the couture pieces it produces itself. Joffe had already let Vaquera  designed by Patric DiCaprio, Claire Sullivan and Bryn Taubensee  use Dover Street Market New York for a last-minute catwalk event for its fall 2020 collection in February, foreshadowing the new collaboration.

Joffe describes DSMP as a platform to change the system and be open to all different ways of working.

What I like is the organic nature of it  everyone at their own pace, he explained in an interview at his Paris office. Its very free. I dont want to own people.

Story continues

DSMP is wholly owned by Comme des Garcons, but it doesnt own the brands under its umbrella. Rather it helps nurture original products, and has at its disposal a range of factories in France, Portugal and Turkey that it uses for some of its Comme des Garcons lines.

Creativity is becoming even more important, Joffe said. I want to work with great people with a lot of talent.

Come January 2021, Joffe plans to turn over its Trading Museum  a retail space in the same courtyard as the Comme des Garcons flagship on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore  to these seven young and quirky labels. It will dub the space Dover Street Trading Market, making it the second Paris outpost of Dover Street Market after a perfume shop that made its debut last year.

Well do events, signings and things as soon as we can travel, Joffe noted.

Weinsanto, 26, trained at Atelier Chardon Savard Paris and has worked at Y/Project, Maxime Simoens and Chloe. After two years working with Gaultier, which he describes as his formative experience in the industry, he launched his Weinsanto label earlier this year and sold his first designs to private clients. He described the invitation to show in the DSMP showroom as an honor.

It will be a great platform for me to show my work to many professionals I wouldnt have otherwise had the chance to meet, he said.

Trained as a ballet dancer as a child, Weinsanto describes his style as between retro-futuristic and cabaret. What I wish to represent is something fun and joyful, he said.

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SEZs account for just about a third of India's merchandise exports (and roughly the same proportion of services exports).

Yet, the notion of creating global manufacturing centres of the kind that propelled China to superpowerdom retains a durable appeal within the Indian policy-making establishment, notes Kanika Datta.

IMAGE: The HCL Tech Noida SEZ campus. Image used for representation purpose only. Photograph: Mohit Agarwal/Wikimedia Commons

In the melee caused by the abrupt national lockdown on March 24, the sun set unnoticed on a key income tax break for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on March 31.

The post-lockdown economic tumult has distracted from the several calls over December and January to extend the 100 per cent income tax holiday on export income from SEZs in the interests of attracting foreign investment for the prime minister's signature Make in India programme.

The fascination with SEZs endures, though they represent one of the most consistent failures of economic policy since 1965, when Kandla, Asia's first such zone, was set up.

Even after a high-profile new policy was announced in 2005, SEZs account for just about a third of India's merchandise exports (and roughly the same proportion of services exports).

Yet, the notion of creating global manufacturing centres of the kind that propelled China to superpowerdom retains a durable appeal within the Indian policy-making establishment.

A good part of the SEZ appeal lies in the promise of insulating manufacturers and service providers from the chaotic realities of doing business in India.

Unlike China, which modelled its SEZs on the Shannon free trade zone in Ireland to offer global manufacturers the advantages of giant integrated efficiencies and economies of scale, the principal impulse for India's SEZs was to offer businesses shelter from troublesome rules and regulations and tax laws.

But the United Progressive Alliance's well-meaning 2005 efforts to revive the SEZ concept ended ignominiously; just about a third of those that received approval went into operation and several operators, who had gambled on SEZs as a real estate play, were forced to deregister land when their projects were non-starters.

On paper, the 2005 SEZ Act certainly offered a systemic approach -- duty free imports of raw materials, income tax breaks and exemption from domestic sales tax and excise (these were the pre-GST days).

A special purpose Board of Approval, chaired by the commerce secretary, would scan proposals and each zone would have a single window authority to provide administrative, infrastructure and other facilities.

In short, India was to be transformed into an agglomeration of streamlined futuristic enclaves with First World physical and social infrastructure.

But if this updated Utopian (or at least Chinese) vision foundered it was because SEZ policies were completely unaligned with other policies, principally those related to land and labour, the permanent Achilles' Heels of investment in India.

After much fierce debate, efforts to give SEZs relief from inflexible labour laws and labour inspections and so on were turned down (this was when the Left parties still had some influence in Parliament).

So labour law compliances applicable to any industrial unit in India were applicable to SEZs.

If onerous compliance -- there are 674 compliances at the central level and 26,484 at the state level, according to Teamlease Services -- removed one element of the attraction for SEZs, the sheer difficulty of acquiring large tracts of land became the other.

Soon enough, SEZs were among the several industrial projects unwittingly caught up in the toxic politics that came to characterise land acquisition by business and industry, led by the redoubtable Mamata Banerjee and her successful campaign to destroy Tata Motors' car plant in Singur.

The upshot of this was a law stipulating compensation levels that made land acquisition prohibitively expensive even as the Narendra Modi government's early attempts to alter this by way of an ordinance foundered.

And then, of course, came the reckoning on revenue foregone.

Modi's quest for a streamlined tax system sans exemptions and loopholes resulted in then finance minister Arun Jaitley decreeing a sunset clause for SEZ tax breaks as March 31, 2020, in 2016, which the latest Budget reiterated.

Politicians are well aware of the impediments to investment in India but the absence of a viable social safety net makes it politically difficult to formally campaign for easier hire-and-fire laws or lower compensation for land losers.

The China model of creating Township and Village Enterprises to support rural labour who lost their livelihoods from the giant land acquisitions for SEZ seems not to have occurred to any Indian leader.

Nor has the possibility of mobilising the vast land banks available to the government via Port Trusts and public sector units.

Falling global demand since 2008, the confusions of the GST after 2017 and the successive rise of protectionist tariffs from 2019 have been triple whammies for exporters, including those from SEZs.

And yet, in mid-2019, the Modi government pushed through a controversial amendment to the 2005 Act, which first appeared as an ordinance, to widen the definition of businesses permitted to set up shop in SEZs to include "trusts and any other entities the government may permit from time to time".

Why trusts or "any government entities" need to be operating in an SEZ no minister could explain adequately.

But clearly, a policy that has failed again and again mysteriously retains its attractions for the political class.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
New Delhi: Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Wednesday (September 2) requested the University Grants Commission (UGC) to extend the deadline of September 30 for completion of all Under Graduate and Post-Graduate final semester/year examinations, till October 10.

"This will ensure scheduling of exams with at least one day gap so that exam centers can be sanitized properly," the state Higher Education Department told ANI.

Earlier on Monday, the Odisha government has decided to complete all the final semester examinations of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in varsities by September 30, and announce results before October 31 as per the UGC guideline. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of vice-chancellors and principals through video conference.

The meeting reportedly decided to conduct a special examination in December 2020 for those students who cannot take the exams in September due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the back paper exams of final semester students whose results would be declared by October 31.

According to PTI, Odisha's Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, who has tested positive for COVID-19 is and in-home isolation said the examinations can be held offline/online/blended/multiple-choice/open book/OMR mode according to the UGC guidelines.

Sahoo reportedly said that the universities and autonomous colleges will take their decisions on when to hold examinations.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This study evaluates the trajectories of global economic recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic and elucidates the medium-term impact of muted demand and supply on aftermarket revenues for 2020. Taking the long-term view, the study also underscores growth opportunities and evolving business models that, if leveraged on, will aid the aftermarket's resurgence when the global economy is restored to pre-pandemic levels.According to the analysis, aftermarket revenue expanded by 4.1% in 2019. This was largely driven by a 3.2% growth in vehicles in operation, with the contraction in global gross domestic product (GDP) growth stifling consumer expenditure on new vehicle purchases. Slowdown in new vehicle sales also meant increased focus on the aftermarket from all stakeholders, more so from the OES channel, to sustain business at the dealer level by offering new vehicle services. This translated into the development of newer partnerships and evolution of newer channels to the market. For 2020, the analyst had initially forecast a 4.0% growth in aftermarket revenues, with India and China leading the growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has put paid to these hopes, and the global automotive aftermarket will have to pull through headwinds that will result in the industry posting a de-growth, ranging between 4.9% and 11.6%, depending on the nature of the ensuing economic recovery across regions.

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By Trend

The products export from West Azerbaijan Province (northwestern Iran) decreased by 33 percent in terms of volume and by 15 percent in terms of value during the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 20-July 21, 2020), compared to the same period last Iranian year, Supervisor of West Azerbaijan Customs Administration Tohid Azarbod told IRNA, Trend reports.

According to the official, 367,900 tons of non-oil products worth $533 million were exported from the West Azerbaijan Province during the reporting period.

Azarbod added that including watermelon, apple and rubber industry products were mainly exported from the province during the reporting period.




Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden discusses his plan to safely reopen schools amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, September 2, 2020.

In recent weeks, the presidential contenders have clashed over who bears the blame for violence that has broken out at protests against police brutality and systemic racism in cities across the country.

Those results come amid redoubled efforts by the Trump and Biden campaigns to pummel each other over a series of crises that have roiled the U.S. political landscape for much of the year and continue to weigh heavily on Americans' minds.

As of Wednesday, the polling averages show some movement toward the president:

A shift in the wake of the nominating conventions is hardly unprecedented, and most national polls indicate no dramatic bump for Trump since the start of the Republican National Convention. But some recent surveys still indicate an uptick in approval for the incumbent, and some swing-state polls show a larger change in Trump's favor.

Joe Biden is still beating President Donald Trump in most general election polls  but averages of recent surveys show signs that the Democratic nominee's lead is narrowing slightly following the parties' national conventions.

Trump has sought to frame himself as the "law and order" candidate, repeatedly blaming Democrats for the unrest caused by "radical-left anarchists" and groups such as Antifa. The RNC made the tumultuous protests a key feature of its programming, though the president this week declined to condemn pro-Trump demonstrators when given the opportunity.

While the Democratic National Convention did not focus on the unrest, Biden since accepting the nomination has condemned the violence and ripped Trump for failing to keep the peace. "The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America. So now, he's trying to scare America," Biden said in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Biden has also continued to assail Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed at least 184,600 people in the U.S. and threatens the livelihoods of millions of others. A large majority of registered voters remain concerned about the pandemic, and nearly 60% say Trump is at least partly responsible for the high number of Covid-19 cases in the U.S., according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday.

Trump has pushed state leaders to relax their social distancing restrictions, which were put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 but have wrought havoc on the economy.

Polls on average show more Americans approve than disapprove of Trump's job on the economy  though that gap has narrowed significantly from earlier in the year, according to RealClearPolitics.

Overall, Reuters' online poll of 1,335 American adults, conducted Monday and Tuesday, found Biden's 7-point lead over Trump  47% to 40%  to be largely unchanged since before the late-August conventions. The poll has a credibility interval of 3 to 5 percentage points.

Another poll out Wednesday from Grinnell College and Selzer & Co. gave Biden a 49%-41% advantage over Trump. That poll, conducted last Wednesday through Sunday, is based on phone interviews with 827 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

But at least one other national poll released Wednesday found Trump cutting into Biden's lead.

USA Today/Suffolk University's latest gave Biden a 7-point gap over Trump at 50%-43%, respectively. That's down from the pollster's June survey, which gave the Democratic challenger a 12-point advantage over the president. The survey of 1,000 registered voters, conducted by phone from Friday through Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Biden continues to fend off Trump in the all-important battleground states  but that gap is narrowing, polls show.

RealClearPolitics gives Biden an overall spread of 2.5 points over the president in an average of state-specific polls in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona. That gap shrunk from 3.8 points at the start of the RNC.

One poll released Wednesday also showed a significant shift toward the incumbent in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state that Trump won in 2016 over then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The latest survey from Monmouth University gives Biden a 4-point lead over Trump among all registered voters in Pennsylvania, 49%-45%. That's within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, and significantly tighter than the university's prior poll in July, which had Biden up 13 points in the Keystone State. The new poll of 400 Pennsylvania registered voters was conducted by phone between Friday and Monday.

Democrats are anxious to avoid a repeat of the defeat in 2016, when Clinton won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Trump in a series of upsets in key swing states.

"This is really a game of inches. The Trump campaign is looking to peel off a little bit of Biden support here and a little bit there," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a press release. "It may be working, despite the fact that Pennsylvania voters personally like the Democrat more, although this gap has narrowed."
Shocking new footage has emerged online that allegedly shows Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse punching a young girl several times in the midst of an argument.

The footage, which first began circulating on Twitter earlier this week, was captured on July 1  just weeks before the 17-year-old shot dead two Black Lives Matter protesters and seriously injure a third with an AR-15 amid on-going riots in the city.

The melee occurred in Downtown Kenosha, according to the two men who filmed the clip, Reese Granville and CJ Wakefield, who also identified the teen depicted as Rittenhouse to the Journal Times.

The teen boy in the footage is also seen wearing the same American Flag Crocs that Rittenhouse was seen wearing in a widely shared photo of the shooter from his Facebook page.

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Shocking new footage has emerged online that allegedly shows Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse punching a young girl several times in the midst of an argument

The teen boy in the footage is also seen wearing the same American Flag Crocs that Rittenhouse was seen wearing in a widely shared photo of the shooter from his Facebook page

The video begins with two females arguing in a parking lot in Downtown Kenosha.

In the first clip, the teen identified to be Rittenhouse and several other young males are seen watching on as the confrontation between the two girls unfolds. One of the females, who is wearing a white tank top, accuses the other of touching her.

Moments later, the argument escalates and the teen believed to be Rittenhouse and another male begin exchanging words with the accused female, dressed in grey sweatpants. A third female enters the fold and begins fighting the girl in sweatpants.

The teen believed to be Rittenhouse then joins in with the assault, appearing to land at least four punches on the girl, including on the back of her head and abdomen, while another male attempts to hold him back to no avail.

Granville and Wakefield are then seen both hopping out from the car, as two other men from a vehicle in front do the same.

In a second video captured by a passenger of the other vehicle, a man in seen jumping out of a burgundy SUV and to confront the teen believed to be Rittenhouse.

Do not put your hands on a female [expletive], he says.

In total, four men approach the teen. One of the men begins grappling with him, striking him several times and forcing him the ground.

In the first clip, the teen identified to be Rittenhouse and several other young males are seen watching on as the confrontation between the two girls unfolds. One of the females, who is wearing a white tank top, accuses the other of touching he

The teen believed to be Rittenhouse then joins in with the assault, appearing to land at least four punches on the girl

The teen believed to be Rittenhouse strikes her at least four times, including in the head and the abdomen, drawing the attention of passers-by

As the teen scrambles on the ground in an attempt to escape, a number of the men begin kicking him as female voices are heard urging them to stop.

The teen believed to be Rittenhouse, dressed in red, white, and blue shorts, is eventually able to stand and is seen hobbling away from the parking lot. The four men who stopped to confront him also run back to their cars.

It is unclear if authorities were called to the scene. Rittenhouse has not officially been identified as the teen involved by any law enforcement.

Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha last week, during unrest spurred by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back.

Investigators say the teen, who is being detained in his home state of Illinois while he awaits extradition, shot and killed 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum while with an armed militia group who claimed they were seeking to protect businesses from looters.

Rittenhouse then ran from the scene of the shooting but was chased by a group of demonstrators and stumbled. In a video from the night, a second protester, 26-year-old Anthony Huber is seen swinging a skateboard at the teen, before Rittenhouse fatally shoots him in the chest.

A third man, Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, approached the teen and was shot in the arm. Images show that Grosskreutz was holding a handgun when he was shot.

In total, four men approach the teen believed to be Rittenhouse. One of the men begins grappling with him, striking him several times and forcing him the ground.

The teen believed to be Rittenhouse, dressed in red, white, and blue shorts, is eventually able to stand and is seen hobbling away from the parking lot. The four men who stopped to confront him also run back to their cars

According to his defense attorneys, Rittenhouse says he was acting in self-defense. One of his lawyers, John Pierce has praised the teenager for his actions and argued that he was only defending himself against a relentless mob trying to disarm and hurt him.

'This is 100 percent self defense,' Pierce told Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight.

'The only individuals Kyle shot were the three individuals attacking him and putting him at risk. This is a 17-year-old kid, this is amazing what he did.'

It echoes comments made by President Donald Trump on Monday night who sided with the teenager, saying he was trying to get away and would have been killed by the protesters if he had not opened fire.

In addition to his AR-15-style rifle, Rittenhouse's lawyer said the teenager also had had a first aid kit with him to help treat injured protesters.

Pierce said the incident escalated when a shot was fired as Rittenhouse tried to retreat from a group of protesters who, he claims, became enraged that the teen was trying to put out fires.

Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha last week, and for wounding a third man

In a video from the night, a second protester, 26-year-old Anthony Huber is seen swinging a skateboard at the teen, before Rittenhouse fatally shoots him in the chest

'They began screaming that Kyle needed to be killed and they were going to kill him. They started relentlessly hunting him as prey as he ran down the street attempting to retreat,' Pierce said.

'Mr Rosenbaum, who was leading the attack on him, set upon him immediately... began to assault him from behind, attempted to take his weapon, take his firearm, and Kyle, when he turned, he instantaneously had no choice but to defend himself by firing because he was in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.'

Pierce also denied that Rittenhouse brought the AR-15 across state lines from Illinois to Wisconsin. He says the teen acquired it from a friend in the state.

'That firearm never crossed state lines. It is a legal firearm in Wisconsin,' Pierce said, adding they would be arguing it is within his second amendment rights.

Witness accounts and cellphone video show that the shootings took place in two stages: Rittenhouse first shot Rosenbaum, then jogged away, stumbled and fell in the street, and opened fire again on Huber and Grosskreutz as members of the crowd closed in him.

After the gunfire, with his AR-15-style rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air, Rittenhouse walked toward police vehicles that kept going past him, even as a witness shouted, 'He just shot them!'

Police Chief Daniel Miskinis has explained the response as officers dealing with a chaotic scene.

Rittenhouse, a sometime lifeguard, later turned himself in, his lawyers said, and is now jailed on homicide charges.
Australians will have 25 million extra little reminders to donate to charity with the roll-out of a special one dollar coin.

The Royal Australian Mint has coined the 'Donation Dollar', a green-centred version of the currency, in time for International Day of Charity on September 5.

The mint plans to produce 25 million coins, one for each Australian resident, in the next few years with three million in circulation from Wednesday.

Australians will have 25 million extra little reminders to donate to charity with the roll-out of a special one dollar coin

The Community Council for Australia says one-in-five people are predicting they or their family will need charitable support in the next 12 months and the new coin is a little reminder to give.

'Every one of these coins is a chance to spark new conversations about generosity,' CCA chair Tim Costello said.

'It might be a small coin, but it will circulate as a constant reminder to give, and that can make a big difference.

'We are hoping people will ask questions like who are you giving your donation dollar to, which charities do you already support, is it time to give a little more?'

A recent survey found three-in-five people would be likely to give a Donation Dollar to charity if they received one in their change.

More than 80 per cent of Australians have donated something in the past year, but 70 per cent admitted they often forgot or lacked time to do so.

The twin shocks of coronavirus pandemic on the heels of a catastrophic bushfire season triggered an upswell of generosity peaking in December.

However, a report by JBWere estimates donations will fall 18 per cent over the next two years due to the economic fallout of COVID-19.

Australia has about 57,000 charities and not-for-profits all vying for attention.

It is hoped that the Donation Dollar will prompt people to change their behaviour and donate smaller amounts more often, not just in times of crisis.

CCA chair Tim Costello said the Donation Dollar arrives at a time when many Australians needed a helping hand.

'There's no doubt in my mind this is a gift that will benefit those who are most vulnerable in our nation,' he said.
A businessman who was to be a crucial Crown witness at the criminal trial of former mining ministers Ian Macdonald and Eddie Obeid has been un-cooperative and has remained outside the jurisdiction, the NSW Supreme Court has heard.

Alan Fang, a Chinese citizen, told a corruption inquiry in early 2013 that his friend Ian Macdonald took him to Mr Obeids parliamentary office in June 2008.

Businessman Alan Fang (inset), who was to be a crucial Crown witness at the criminal trial of former mining ministers Ian Macdonald and Eddie Obeid, has been un-cooperative and has remained outside the jurisdiction, the NSW Supreme Court has heard. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Mr Fang said there was a discussion with Mr Obeid about possibly purchasing the Obeids farm Cherrydale Park as there were very good resources underneath the farm.

His evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption contradicted both politicians claims that Mr Macdonald was not aware of the Obeids' coal plans.
As bankruptcy courts attempt to ensure companies survival, the dynamics of a fast-paced process designed to prioritize secured lenders  which in the case of many large apparel retailers include banks and hedge funds  pose considerable challenges to the interests of rank and file store employees.

Often, store associates, and even store managers, dont learn of their companys bankruptcy filing until just before it happens, and even then, how theyll fare in the proceedings can largely remain unclear. That uncertainty has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the furloughs of tens of thousands of apparel retail employees, and kept non-essential stores closed for months.

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The dynamic overall has left workers unsure of whether their company will be successfully sold, or reorganized, or simply wind up liquidating, and if theyll still have a job on the other side, said Michael Duff, professor at the University of Wyoming College of Law, who teaches labor law and bankruptcy.

In theory, theres supposed to be equal treatment outside of the domain of secured creditors, he said. [But] not enough questions are asked about how the system operates after that because the folks who are harmed, lets be perfectly clear, dont have a seat at the table when discussions are being held regarding bankruptcy policy.

When a court is asked to weigh the competing interests in a retail bankruptcy, it often reminds its supplicants that its ultimate concern is the fate of the companys employees.

In the ongoing J.C. Penney bankruptcy, for instance, where more than 70,000 employees jobs depend on the retailers ability to execute a complex restructuring sale in the next month or so, the Texas bankruptcy judge presiding over the case put it this way: Im trying to balance the concerns of everyone involved, U.S. bankruptcy Judge David Jones said at a hearing Monday. I have 70,000 people who need a job, I have stores in small towns that dont have alternatives, I have shareholders who believe that theyre entitled to value.

Story continues

Bankruptcy for the employee

In a corporate bankruptcy, employees are generally considered unsecured creditors, lower in the bankruptcy codes priority scheme for who gets repaid first.

In that category, employees are technically more or less on equal footing as vendors, landlords and others. But unless they have a union representing them, store staff dont necessarily get a formal role on bankruptcy creditors committees that help direct the process, which usually include other large unsecured creditor groups. In 2019, just 6.2 percent of private sector employees belonged to a union, according to data released in January by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For employees losing their jobs as a result of bankruptcy, labor experts say it can also be challenging to navigate questions about features like severance and payment for unused benefits. While those questions are typically governed by federal and state workplace laws, such protections may be suspended during a bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy law changes a lot of the law that exists, and that governs employees and others outside of bankruptcy, said Richard Seltzer, partner at Cohen Weiss and Simon LLP, who has represented the Workers United union in the bankruptcies of Barneys New York last fall, and Brooks Brothers this year. And its sometimes a very hard adjustment to realize that what you depended on normally doesnt necessarily exist.

But employees may have some leverage during high profile bankruptcy proceedings that draw public scrutiny, particularly when they are staying on to do things like conduct store closing sales.

As retailers use the Chapter 11 process to re-evaluate leases, close less profitable stores and renegotiate rent on those they plan to keep open, such sales are a valuable source of revenue and a way to offload excess inventory. But they are time-sensitive, even during a pandemic, as they must take place within tight deadlines dictated by the terms of the retailers debtor-in-possession loans and any restructuring agreement with lenders.

J.C. Penney, which has reopened hundreds of stores around the country during the pandemic in order to facilitate its quick exit from bankruptcy, has made an acknowledgement of employees work in conducting going-out-of-business sales. The retailer, which had paid out roughly $10 million to a group of top executives including a $4.5 million cash incentive to chief executive officer Jill Soltau before its bankruptcy filing in May, has since obtained a Texas bankruptcy courts approval for additional payments to other employees in its 70,000-strong staff.

In June, Penneys outlined payments for associates at its closing stores in the form of retention, severance and incentive bonus programs, at a time when those employees were still furloughed after pandemic-related lockdowns in March and April.

The company sought a total of up to $14.5 million in severance for some 2,200 employees, including some hourly associates and all salaried associates including general managers, supervisors, designers and others. It also sought up to $2.5 million in retention bonuses for roughly 9,100 employees including certain groups of managers or hourly associates, and an additional store-closing bonus program to provide a total of up to $250,000 to a group of eligible employees. Penneys also sought to pay up to $4.3 million for unused paid time off for more than 4,800 eligible employees, according to court filings.

It is necessary to do so because today those stores are closed and those employees today are on furlough, said James Mesterharm, managing director at AlixPartners LLP, a financial adviser for J.C. Penney, told the court at a bankruptcy hearing in June. In order for us to reopen those stores for the going-out-of-business processes and to have store employees help us with that process, to maximize the value of inventory, sales, it is important for us to have an engaged workforce and one that is assisting the company through that process in a productive manner.

Penneys, which entered its bankruptcy with some 846 physical stores, has indicated in its Texas bankruptcy court filings this summer that it plans to close more than 240 locations. In June, as soon as some states began to lift lockdowns on non-essential businesses, the retailer began the process of closing some 154 stores, estimating that each store closing sale would take roughly 10 to 16 weeks to complete in order to maximize the value of the inventory, as its advisors have told the court.

Life after liquidation

In the case of a liquidation, and particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail employees face conditions that can be grueling and often unsafe.

Two former sales employees at the now shuttered Art Van furniture chain described to WWD how, during the stores bankruptcy sales, they had faced throngs of irate customers crowding stores beyond capacity and demanding to know why they wouldnt receive their orders. The employees also said they were concerned about having to face large numbers of angry customers in close proximity inside their stores during the COVID-19 outbreak, and losing their health insurance during Art Vans bankruptcy in March.

You had people in your face, and they were yelling at you, calling out your name, and youre trying to explain, You know, Im sorry, at this point, all I can tell you is to either try and pick something else or well give you something else for the money, said Shirley Smith, a former sales manager at Art Vans Taylor, Mich., location, who had worked at the company for 23 years.

And when people are angry, spit flies, and theyre in your face, she added. We were very much at risk, and didnt know it.

Laura Virgo, a former Art Van store manager at another Michigan location, described daylong efforts at crowd control, even fielding threats from customers.

I hadnt even had a sip of water or used the bathroom all day, Virgo said of her first day handling a store closing sale in March. I mean, just like, it didnt stop. It was overrun, unsafe, there was no regard about our health or safety and putting us in that position.

The timing of it, where the liquidation takes place just as the pandemic is coming through, it really diluted the accountability that they should have, to what they did, Virgo said.

A representative for Thomas H. Lee Partners, an investment company that had acquired Art Vans assets in 2017, declined to comment.

In June, Democratic lawmakers including Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois introduced The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act, targeted at some of the inequalities built into the process. The bill sought to prioritize paying employees severance, and restricting the kind of bonus payments that bankrupt retailers often seek for their top leadership, according to a statement by Sen. Durbin at the time.

Neiman Marcus, whose bankruptcy is ongoing since May, had paid out some $4 million in bonuses to its chief executive officer Geoffroy van Raemdonck in February, in what the companys advisers have told the court were performance related bonuses. In addition, the company had also paid out pre-bankruptcy retention bonuses to other executives within a month before it filed for Chapter 11, at a time when it had furloughed the vast majority of its roughly 13,200 employees.

In July, the retailer also won the Texas bankruptcy courts approval for a Key Employee Incentive Plan that would provide up to $10 million in bonuses to a group of executives. And its proposed reorganization plan, which is subject to a confirmation hearing scheduled for this week, also includes a management incentive plan, one of its advisers said in court.

Neiman Marcus has brought back most of its furloughed employees at this point, and has currently opened 43 Neiman Marcus stores, two Bergdorf Goodman stores, and five Last Call stores. But most of its Last Call locations will be shuttered as part of the bankruptcy, and full-time associates of those closed stores were offered severance and access to job placement services, a company representative said.

While the Democrats bill isnt expected to gain traction in a Republican-controlled Senate, and is generally viewed as more of a symbolic gesture, it still plays a role in articulating the inequities of the bankruptcy process, said Duff, the University of Wyoming law professor.

I almost dont care whether its political theater or not, he said, of the bill. The fact that somebody took the time to craft an alternative vision of what bankruptcy could look like, I think is important.
Violinist Mia Cooper, leader of the RTE Concert Orchestra, at a photocall in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin to launch the 2020 Top Security Frank Maher Classical Music Awards for sixth year students, with a 5,000 prize for the winner. Photo by Peter Houlihan.

There's good news for Kerry's classical teens as the Top Security Frank Maher Classical Music Awards for sixth years is going ahead this year, with a 5,000 prize for the winner.

Violinist Mia Cooper, leader of the RTE Concert Orchestra, helped officially launch the search for entries for the largest such competition for secondary schools in Ireland.

Kerry schools have produced two finalists for the high-calibre competition since it went nationwide in 2012.

The Awards were created in 2001 by Emmet O'Rafferty, chairman of the Top Security Group to honour the memory of his late teacher, Fr Frank Maher, a pioneer in the nurturing of musical talent in secondary schools.

"Life must go on and we believe it is important to keep supporting young musical talent, now more than ever. From feedback we've received, the Frank Maher Awards are not only a vital financial boost to the winner, but also securing a place in the finals itself is an important achievement to have when applying to music colleges and institutions," said Emmet.

"It's for these reasons that we decided to go ahead in 2020. There will be changes to the competition night format to comply with all prevailing Covid-19 protocols and ensure a safe environment for our finalists," he continued.

Past winners have received national and international recognition for their achievements and used their prize money as a springboard towards a professional career by funding their studies at some of the world's most renowned music colleges and institutions, including the Juilliard School, Barenboim-Said Akademie, Royal College of Music, Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de Musique et de Danse, Kronberg Academy and the Meadows School of the Arts to name a few.

The Awards are open to sixth year secondary school students of string, woodwind, brass and piano.

The 5,000 top prize will be used by the winner to attend a recognised place of tuition, a course of study in Ireland or abroad or on a purchase necessary for the development of their talent. The finalists will each receive a 300 bursary.

The closing date for this year's entries is Friday 11th September 2020. A maximum of seven finalists will be selected by an independent board of adjudicators.
Rutherford Institute Defends Right of Firearms Training Facility to Re-Open, Warns Against Attempts to Use Pandemic to Curtail Gun Rights

NEWS PROVIDED BY

The Rutherford Institute

Sept. 2, 2020



TONOPAH, Nev. Sept. 2, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a Nevada firearms training facility threatened with fines because of its plans for reopening.



In a letter to officials with Nye County, Nevada, on behalf of Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, Rutherford Institute attorneys warned local officials against abusing government authority during the pandemic to curtail Second Amendment rights. Pushing back against claims by Nye County officials that Front Sight faces fines and other penalties due to its plan to allow more than 50 persons in its training facility, Institute attorneys point out that firearms training, designated as "essential infrastructure," is exempt from the governor's emergency restrictions. Moreover, attorneys assert that Front Sight Firearms Training Institute is exempt from gathering restrictions and mask requirements imposed by Nevada's governor because state law forbids the use of emergency powers to prohibit activities at the core of the constitutional right to bear arms, including training in the safe use of firearms.



"As the courts have recognized, the constitutional right to possess firearms for protection wouldn't mean much without the training and practice that makes it effective," said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. "While the government is struggling to formulate an appropriate response to COVID-19, it cannot use this pandemic as a justification for curtailing fundamental rights. The Constitution still applies."

MAKE THE GOVERNMENT PLAY BY THE RULES OF THE CONSTITUTION: SUPPORT THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM



Front Sight Firearms Training Institute is one of the world's premier gun training facilities, with nearly a million citizens completing courses taught by seasoned military and law enforcement professionals on the safe and effective use of firearms. Front Sight is located in a remote area of Nye County near the southern border with California. Citizens travel from around the country to attend courses at Front Sight, often in large groups. After shutting down in March 2020 due to restrictions on the number of persons who could gather at the training facility and mask requirements imposed by Nevada Gov. Steve Sislolak, Front Sight announced in August that it would be reopening and operating its facility to accommodate the large number of persons from across the nation seeking the training it provides. When it learned of Front Sight's plans, Nye County officials contacted Front Sight and warned that its plans violated the Governor's emergency orders. The County asserted that Front Sight would be subject to citation by the state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has imposed fines of nearly $230,000 upon businesses for asserted violations of the Governor's emergency orders.

In response to the governmental threat against Front Sight, The Rutherford Institute sent a letter to Nye County challenging the legality of any attempt to fine or restrict Front Sight's training activities under the Governor's emergency orders. Institute attorneys point to a Nevada statute that enforces the Second Amendment right to bear arms by forbidding the Governor from using his emergency powers to impose additional restrictions on the possession, carrying display or "use" of firearms. The letter cites court decisions recognizing that firearms training is a core aspect of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Additionally, Institute attorneys point out that "shooting ranges" have been designated as "essential critical infrastructure" that are not subject to the Governor's emergency orders. The letter also argues that the mask mandate creates a safety hazard in connection with firearms training, and does not apply to Front Sight.

The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit civil liberties organization, defends individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated and educates the public about threats to their freedoms. The Institute is representing Front Sight in collaboration with Leslie Mark Stovall of Stovall & Associates, Pahrump, Nev.

The Rutherford Institute's letter to Nye County is available at www.rutherford.org.



SOURCE The Rutherford Institute



CONTACT: Nisha Whitehead, 434-978-3888 ext 604, nisha@rutherford.org


'Huge potential' in nation for global spirit firms

From:ChinaDaily | 2020-09-02 09:23

International spirit companies have huge growth potential in China as global brands have yet to fully penetrate the world's largest alcoholic spirits market, according to a report by RIES Positioning Strategy & Consulting.

While spending on spirits in China reached 600 billion yuan ($87.96 billion) last year, accounting for over one-fifth of the global total, just four percent were contributed by global mainstream spirit firms, the study said.

The lion's share was occupied by China's baijiu, represented by the likes of Kweichow Moutai and Wuliangye, whose consumption by mostly Chinese customers reached 5.2 billion liters last year.

"Local customers lack full knowledge of the brand categories of whiskey, brandy, and vodka, but have partial recognition of specific brands (such as Louis XIII, Martell, and Jack Daniels)," said RIES China Senior Consultant Xiao Yao in offering advice to international spirits companies.

In 2019, the market for brandy was worth roughly 18.5 billion yuan, making it the top category of foreign spirits in China. However, the market is weighed down by sluggish growth rates.

"Foreign liquor makers should prioritize category promotion rather than brand promotion so that they can 'implant' whiskey, brandy, and other similar brand categories in the minds of consumers," Xiao said.

China's whiskey market, which is worth roughly 3.65 billion yuan in 2019, has exhibited a relatively stable outlook.

Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the net profit for baijiu in 2020 is projected to slide for the first time in seven years, although high-end baijiu have been better at withstanding the blow of the disease.

For instance, Moutai reported its net income jumped 13 percent in the first half as the recovering local economy boosted demand for its ultra-premium line of baijiu.

While revenue growth remained solid in the last quarter, slower volume growth suggests a more difficult recovery in demand, Bernstein analysts led by Euan McLeish said in a research note in July.

Xiao noted baijiu is also in a position to penetrate overseas markets, but as opposed to strategies for international spirits producers, baijiu makers should prioritize brands rather than the product category.

"A retrospect on the history of whisky and brandy giants shows that their development are closely linked with a country's strength," said Xiao. "With China's rising status, baijiu should seize the precious opportunity for global expansion."

To attract young Chinese consumers, the report said liquor makers should roll out low alcohol content offerings and multiple flavors such as juice mixtures.

"During our research, we find that spirits consumption happens naturally, such as when people reach a certain age," Xiao said. "These innovations are set to cultivate people's alcohol consumption habits from a relatively younger age."

Wang Shuyu in Shanghai contributed to this story.
Market valuation to reach about USD 4.8 billion by 2027 from about USD 2.6 billion in 2018

Rapidly ageing population and introduction of new drugs is driving the market forward

North America and Europe will hold a massive share of the global viscosupplementation market over the forecast period

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the forecast period of 2019 to 2027, the global viscosupplementation market will grow at a rate of about 7%, pulling up the market worth from about USD 2.6 billion in the year 2018 to about USD 4.8 billion by the end of the stated period.

Transparency Market Research notes, "Interplay of several growth factors is witnessed, keeping the market buoyant. Some of the notable trends and drivers include increasing prevalence of osteoarthritis, introduction of new drugs, rapidly ageing population, and growing preference for minimally invasive surgeries."

Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Viscosupplementation Market- https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/covid19.php

Key Findings of Global Viscosupplementation Market Study:

Retail pharmacies segment under the distribution channel category is set to account for a notable share of the market over the forecast period

Animal segment under the source category of the report is anticipated to dominate the market and the non-animal segment is expected to chart high growth

Under the category of type, knee osteoarthritis segment is set to be a promising segment, contributing notably to growth in the market

Three injections segment will dominate growth in the product category over the forecast period

For a detailed analysis of global viscosupplementation market by product type, application, source, distribution channel and region, visit TOC https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/10232

Key Drivers of Growth in Global Viscosupplementation Market:

There is a notable growth in number of knee osteoarthritis cases, creating a pressing need for development of novel and more effective drugs for management of pain

Growing geriatric population is a prominent contributing factors in the growth of global viscosupplementation market over the forecast period

There is a notable surge in demand for minimally invasive surgeries world over and this is fuelling growth in the market

Request Brochure of Viscosupplementation Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/brochure.php

Regional Analysis of Global Viscosupplementation Market:

In 2018, North America held a prominent market share and the trend is anticipated to continue into the forecast period

held a prominent market share and the trend is anticipated to continue into the forecast period Surge in demand for minimally invasive surgery, introduction of new drugs in the market, and growing incidence of osteoarthritis is leading to growth in the region

High CAGR is set to be recorded by the Asia Pacific (APAC) region from 2019 to 2027 owing to high prevalence of osteoarthritis

Analyze global viscosupplementation market growth in 30+ countries including US, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Benelux, Nordic, China, Japan, India, and South Korea. Request a sample of the study https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample.php

Competitive Landscape of Global Viscosupplementation Market:

Transparency Market Research has covered top companies in its report on global viscosupplementation market. These companies include Sanofi, Anika Therapeutics, Inc., Seikagaku Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, Ferring B.V., LG Chem, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, and Bioventus, Inc. The report also carries information on product portfolio, recent developments, financials, business strategies, and business segments.

Purchase the Viscosupplementation Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php

It is quite pertinent to note here that in the vendor landscape of global viscosupplementation market, players that hold a majority share are Zimmer Biomet, Sanofi, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, and Anika Therapeutics Inc. These players are active and aggressive in terms of growth and use a host of measures to achieve the goal. These include increasing research and development activities, entering partnerships and collaborations, merging with or acquiring other companies. These do not come as a surprise as most players are focusing upon new product development and expanding reach to carve off a higher market share.

Browse More Press Release - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/press-releases.htm

Global Viscosupplementation Market: Segmentation

Viscosupplementation Market, by Product Type

Single Injection



Three Injections



Five Injections

Viscosupplementation Market, by Application

Knee Osteoarthritis



Hip Osteoarthritis



Hand Osteoarthritis

Viscosupplementation Market, by Source

Animal



Non-animal

Viscosupplementation Market, by Distribution Channel

Retail Pharmacies



Hospital Pharmacies



Online Pharmacies

Viscosupplementation Market, by Region

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



Germany





U.K.





France





Italy





Spain





Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan





Australia & New Zealand

&



Rest of Asia Pacific



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Rest of Latin America



Middle East & Africa

&

GCC Countries





South Africa





Israel





Rest of Middle East & Africa

Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare Industry:

Osteoarthritis Drugs Market: Rise in R&D expenditure, increased prevalence of osteoarthritis across the globe, increased geriatric population, rise in awareness regarding degenerative bone diseases in developing countries, and rich pipeline of innovative treatment options are some factors that are expected to boost the global osteoarthritis drugs market during the forecast period.

Hip Replacement Implants Market: The global hip replacement implants market is estimated to be driven by rise in geriatric population and augmented demand for hip arthroplasty/replacement surgical procedures. In addition, high incidences of lower extremity conditions like various hip ailments, osteoporosis, and Osteoarthritis (OA) are further likely to bolster the growth of the global hip replacement implants market.

Orthopedic Biomaterials Market: The global orthopedic biomaterials market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of ~7% during the forecast period. The market growth can be largely attributed to the ascending demand for orthopedic implants, surge in the number of sports-related injuries, noteworthy advancements in technology, and growth in the number of research and development activities.

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Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals.

Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.

TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision."

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Industry Update

Appointment

2 September 2020

Amber Lancaster

Appointed Executive Chef

At The MC Hotel in Montclair - NJ, USA

Amber Lancaster joins Aparium Hotel Group as Executive Chef for The MC Hotel, a boutique property located in the heart of Montclair, New Jersey. Lancaster will oversee menus for ALTO and Allegory as well as the event spaces at The MC Hotel. Lancaster brings over 10 years of experience in the food and beverage industry working at renowned establishments across Paris and Chicago. Named by Zagat as "9 Chefs to Know in Chicago," Lancaster has held positions at numerous Michelin star restaurants including Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris and Alinea in Chicago, as well as the historic Hotel de Crillon in Paris. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Lancaster creates Contemporary American small plates inspired by her travels. Lancaster attended the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Paris, following in the footsteps of her culinary icon Julia Child earning her Le Grande Diplome.

Aparium Hotel Group Aparium Hotel Group is a company founded and controlled by experienced professionals in hotel development, management, and marketing who hold the belief that great hotels are a destination sought out by travelers and a favorite place for locals - a philosophy Aparium calls Translocal Hospitality. more information

Recent Appointments at Aparium Hotel Group Harper Counts - Corporate Director of Sales 10 September 2021  Harper Counts joins the team as Corporate Director of Sales overseeing the sales teams both within the organization and across Aparium's portfolio of properties. Prior to joining Aparium, Counts was the Director of Sales and Marketing for The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel, and will lend her expertise in the luxury market to boost growth at Aparium's award-winning luxury properties. read more

Max Wastler - Vice President of Brand 8 September 2021  Max Wastler joins Aparium as Vice President of Brand overseeing the image and experience of the Aparium brand as a whole and each individual brand within the portfolio of hotels and restaurants. Wastler brings nearly two decades of branding and marketing experience to Aparium having previously consulted on strategy and storytelling for companies such as J. read more
David Blaine has successfully performed a new stunt that saw him floating above Arizona holding onto balloons.

The magician and performer went more than 24,000 feet high during the stunt on Wednesday, before disengaging from the balloons and landing thanks to a parachute.

Blaine began the stunt, deemed Ascension, on Wednesday morning. After liftoff, he put on a parachute when he reached an altitude of around 8,000 feet.

He then continued his climb, at one point going up 500 feet a minute.

Throughout the stunt, Blaine communicated with a team via audio link to help ensure his safety. He praised them for making him feel secure during the performance.

Blaine monitored his blood oxygen saturation levels during the stunt.

He needed to avoid hypoxia, which happens when the bodys oxygen levels are too low. The condition can occur at high altitudes.

Around 15,000 of altitude, Blaine stopped ascending for a moment and spoke to his daughter, who provided encouragements.

He reached an altitude of 24,900 feet before jumping into the air and opening his parachute.

Blaine landed safely on the ground shortly afterwards.

The stunt was live-streamed on YouTube.

Blaine was originally supposed to perform it between New Jersey and New York, but had to move to Arizona due to logistics.
The number of students with disabilities in the public education system is predicted to grow by 50 per cent in the decade to 2027, and they will need twice as many specialist teachers and thousands more support classrooms.

Modelling predicts a 50 per cent increase in the number of students with disabilities in NSW schools. Credit:Quentin Jones

Six new special needs schools will also have to be built every year if diagnosis and enrolment rates continue and policy settings do not change, modelling by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for the NSW Department of Education found.

The confidential report, obtained under freedom of information laws, prompted mental health experts to call for a major investment in disability support staff, training and resources for schools, saying teachers are not equipped to respond.

But a spokesman for the department said the BCG analysis was a working document rather than a final report, and had been commissioned to inform the 2018 disability strategy. Some of its data definitions did not align with the department's.
Older movies fall under the Retro category, and will have the same admission costs that the drive-in has charged since opening. Tickets are $3 for Midwest Theater members and $5 for non-members.

Unlike new releases, the car load pricing will remain in effect for retro flicks. Movie goers who are members will be charged a maximum of $10 per car, while non-members will pay a maximum of $15.

Admission for retro double features will be announced with the shows.

The gates will open at 6:45 p.m. starting Friday, with the film starting approximately 30 minutes after sundown. This week, that is approximately 7:50 p.m.

Starting Sept. 18, all films will start at 7:30 p.m. for the remainder of the season unless otherwise noted.

High Five Club

Concessions are available with an option for carside delivery in addition to drive-up service. Among the selection are staples like popcorn and candy, as well as hot foods like pizza, nachos, brats and pretzels.

At the Midwest Theaters Broadway venue, outside food or drink is not allowed. At the Skyview drive-in, it is strongly discouraged.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 2, 2020 - 16:50 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The Japanese government is considering offering COVID-19 vaccinations for free to all residents to limit the number of deaths and people developing severe symptoms in the country, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.

The government aims to have as many people as possible receive the vaccine since the virus is characterized as being very contagious and having a high risk of causing severe symptoms to people infected with it, the sources said.

Last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government wants to secure vaccines for all citizens by the first half of 2021 as part of a set of measures against the virus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness.

Under a plan that is currently being discussed, the government is considering prioritizing medical workers, the elderly and people who have underlying illnesses. Municipalities will be in charge of offering the vaccinations, the sources said.

Vaccines against the virus have been under development in many countries, with some now in the clinical trial stage.

Since there are no data from the trials showing the effectiveness or the degree of side effects depending on the age or health conditions of those vaccinated, some government officials have been opposed to differentiating the financial burden among people.

The government is considering having the vaccine purchases be financed by reserve funds from the budget for the current fiscal year to March 2021.

Health minister Katsunobu Kato said Wednesday the government has been discussing how to create a necessary system to administer the vaccines.

"We will draw a conclusion about the financial support depending on our discussions and the nature of the vaccines," he added.

Kato said Tuesday that Japan will join an international framework, co-led by the World Health Organization, which aims to guarantee equitable global access to potential vaccines.

A government panel of health experts, however, has indicated the difficulty of developing an effective vaccine, saying, "There is no guarantee that an ideal vaccine will be created in terms of both safety and effectiveness."

The government is also expected to decide how to cover the cost of compensation that vaccine manufacturers may face if health issues occur before the shots will be offered to people.

Related coverage:

Q&A: Japan's coronavirus-related travel restrictions

Japan to join int'l framework to procure coronavirus vaccine

Japan to secure COVID-19 vaccines by 1st half of 2021: Abe
Laying off thousands wont eliminate federal deficit

Re: Tough times ahead: what is Trudeau prepared to cut? Aug. 29

Predictably, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is raising alarm bells about the federal deficit. To believe Aaron Wudrick, only huge cuts in public spending can help Ottawa avoid falling into a persistent structural deficit now that were on our way out of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

But what do Mr. Wudricks proposals amount to and what do they ignore? For one, his call to save taxpayers $14 billion a year by axing the federal civil service is, in effect, a $14-billion wage cut to Canadian workers.

Taxpayers may very well pay the public sectors salaries, but those salaries are re-circulated into the economy in the form of consumer spending at local businesses. Laying off thousands of workers in a time of mass unemployment is hardly a recipe for a sustainable economic recovery.

Mr. Wudricks pleas to the contrary, there are alternatives to wage cuts.

A fairer tax system is the most obvious and pressing. Last year, studies by the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Canada Revenue Agency found corporate tax avoidance and tax evasion schemes cost the federal treasury $51 billion a year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored the urgent need for tax fairness. In the two months from March 16 to May 16, the five richest billionaires in Canada saw their net wealth explode by more than US$5 billion, rising to over US$64 billion, while millions of regular Canadians were thrown out of work.

If we really want to tackle the deficit, lets start by taxing corporations and billionaires.

Matt Corbeil, PhDSt. Catharines

Saddened by death of longtime councillor

Re: Former NOTL councillor Dennis Dick dies of lymphoma, Aug. 25

I was saddened by news of Dennis Dicks passing, all the more so because yesterday I was calling Dennis phone number, unaware he was ill.

He had my vote for council in every election he contested.

When I, as a new resident to Niagara-on-the-Lake 14 years ago, was given his name to call for help, I did so. Dennis was there to help. He did so often. He helped as a neighbourly way of living.

I offer my condolences to his family and friends.

Kaspar PoldNiagara-on-the-Lake

Penner was a greater danger to himself

Re: Police cleared in New Years Eve shooting death of St. Catharines Fred Penner, Aug. 20

Last Dec. 31, 56-year old Fred Penner from St. Catharines was shot and killed by police because he was walking around with a large kitchen knife. He was threatening to the public, and police felt they, too, were in danger.

The Special Investigations Unit cleared the officers of wrongdoing because the force used by police was justifiable.

Police at times do have to make split decisions. However, Im wondering if Penner would be alive today if police had taken a different approach. At close range, couldnt the police have aimed and shot at Penners arm, shoulder or leg.

Oh well, Penner never got that second chance; police felt justified pumping nine bullets into a person in mental crisis.

I believe Penner was more of a danger to himself because it cost him his life, and the health system failed him.

Lou CesarSt. Catharines

Endicott needs traffic lights, too

Re: New traffic lights installed at busy Welland intersection, Aug. 25

Interesting, this expenditure was warranted but lights at Endicott Terrace are not, with no explanation.

Endicott is still a speedway that has yet to be addressed by Mayor Frank Campion and the two ward councillors.

Why are you ignoring the safety of local taxpayers?

Don SmithWelland

Letters welcome

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The Justice Department has launched a criminal inquiry into the leadership and financing of protests against police abuse that have roiled American cities as the protest movement has become a political flashpoint in the contentious presidential campaign.

Federal authorities asserted Tuesday that they are not targeting free speech rights, but rather "coordinated, criminal activity ... and violence related to riots, destruction of federal property and violence against law enforcement officers."

Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec declined to elaborate on the specific targets of the inquiry.

The acknowledgement by the Justice Department followed remarks by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, who late Monday first disclosed the inquiry as "targeting" leaders of organizations and those who may be funding their movement "across the country."

"What we know ... is that we have seen groups and individuals move from Portland to other parts of the country," Wolf said in an interview on Fox News.

Portland police take control of the streets after making arrests on the scene of the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 in Portland, Ore.

Asked why leaders of Antifa, a loosely organized extreme far-left ideology, and Black Lives Matter, formed in part to call attention to violence against Black communities, had not been arrested, Wolf said: "This is something I talk to the AG (Barr) personally about. And I know that they are working on it."

Portland has has seen almost daily demonstrations since George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer May 25.

President Donald Trump has since seized on the unrest to promote a "law and order" campaign theme in the homestretch of the 2020 campaign. Trump is taking that campaign to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, where the community has been reeling from separate demonstrations related to the last month's shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times in the back in an encounter with local police.

Ahead of his Wisconsin trip, the president has stoked controversy by refusing to condemn the actions of a 17-year-old accused in the fatal shootings of two Kenosha protesters in the days after Blake was wounded.

Story continues

Trump on Monday appeared to publicly embrace a defense attorney's account that the suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, acted in self-defense.

Referring to cellphone video of the incident, Trump told reporters that Rittenhouse, armed with a rifle, was "trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like" and said that protesters "violently attacked him." Trump repeatedly noted the shooting remained under investigation but also appeared to lean into Rittenhouse's self-defense argument.

Rittenhouse has been charged with five felonies and a misdemeanor after shooting three people Tuesday, two of them fatally. Rittenhouse was acting as security against rioting and considered himself a militia member, his attorney said.

"The cause of all this," Wolf said, "is local officials and state officials not taking this seriously enough from Day One."

In a scathing letter Monday to Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler, Wolf said the city's "inaction has fostered an environment that has fueled senseless violence and destruction night after night."

"For more than three months, Portland has become the epicenter of crime and chaos, with rioters attacking government buildings with the intention of burning them to the ground," Wolf said.

Wolf's comments were prompted by Wheeler's Aug. 28 letter to Trump rejecting federal assistance.

"On behalf of the city of Portland: No thanks," Wheeler wrote.

"We dont need your politics of division and demagoguery. Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic," the mayor said. "And we know youve reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection."

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian had urged Trump on Monday to pick another time to allow the city to heal.

"The timing on this was not good," the mayor said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justice Department investigating protest leaders, funding
The makers of web-connected devices including smart TVs, watches and fridges will be told to make their systems more secure from hackers under a new industry code.

The new code of practice will be released on Thursday, and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will tell manufacturers to start developing the devices with in-built security, warning the poor cyber security features were exposing their customers to hacks.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says the security features of many internet-connected devices are not up to scratch. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Cyber attackers are increasingly targeting "internet of things" (IoT) devices, with cases of hackers getting into home security cameras and paedophiles hacking into baby monitors.

Automatic security updates, a point of contact for declaring and fixing vulnerabilities, and a ban on weak passwords are among the measures put forward in the code of practice.
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Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

A recent market study published by FMI on the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market includes the global industry analysis of 2015-2019 & opportunity assessment for 2020-2030, and delivers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. Our analysts have conducted thorough research on the historical as well as current growth parameters of the market to obtain growth prospects with maximum precision.

Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market: Segmentation

Product Type Electrophysiology Medical Devices Laboratory Devices

3D-Mapping Systems

Electrophysiology Medical Devices Recording Systems

Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation Systems

Intracardiac Echoradiography (ICE) Ultrasound Imaging Systems

Electrophysiology Medical Devices X-Ray Systems

Others Electrophysiology Medical Devices Ablation Catheters

Cryoablation Electrophysiology Medical Devices Catheters

Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation Catheters

Microwave Ablation (MWA) Systems

Laser Ablation Systems Electrophysiology Medical Devices Diagnostic Catheters

Conventional Electrophysiology Medical Devices Diagnostic Catheters

Advanced Electrophysiology Medical Devices Diagnostic Catheters

Ultrasound Electrophysiology Medical Devices Diagnostic Catheters Indication Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Flutter

Atrioventricular Nodal Re-entry Tachycardia (AVNT)

Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome

Bradycardia

Others End-user Hospitals

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories

Ambulatory Surgery Centers Region North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Oceania

Middle East & Africa

For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12402

Report Chapters

Chapter 01- Executive Summary

The report gives a brief with the executive summary of the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, which includes a summary of the key findings and statistics of the market. It also includes the demand & supply-side trends and the technological roadmap pertaining to the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market.

Chapter 02  Market Overview

In this chapter, readers can find the definition and a detailed taxonomy of the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, which will help them understand the basic information about the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market. Along with this, comprehensive information about Electrophysiology Medical Devices is provided in this section. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which help readers understand the scope of the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market report.

Chapter 03  Key Market Trends

This section includes key trends impacting the market as well as the major development trends associated with product innovation and development.

Chapter 04- Market Background

This section includes the prominent dynamics (drivers, restraints & opportunities) which are responsible for shaping the markets growth trajectory during the upcoming decades forecast. The chapter also sheds light on the relevance and impact of the prominent forecast factors along with macro-economic trends such as the global GDP and healthcare outlook.

Chapter 05- COVID-19 Crisis Analysis

This chapter of the report sheds exclusive light on the present as well as projected future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market. It incorporates the current economic outlook and comparison with the 2008 financial crisis as well as quarter-wise forecast for the remainder of the current year. The chapter concludes by providing a probable recovery scenario across the short-term, medium-term and long-term forecast periods respectively.

Chapter 06- Market Context

This chapter elucidates on the overall market scenario, taking into account the key products unique selling proposition (USP), disease epidemiology, regulatory scenario, key promotional strategies, product adoption analysis and value chain analysis among other aspects.

Chapter 07- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Volume Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030

This section explains the global market volume analysis and forecast for the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market for the forecast period of 2020-2030, in value terms. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical projections of the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, providing historical, current and future projections in 000 units. The projections are given on a year-on-year basis.

Chapter 08- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market- Pricing Analysis

In this section, the report incorporates a detailed pricing analysis at the regional as well as global levels, along with a detailed break-up demarcating the levels of manufacturing and distributor pricing.

Chapter 09- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Value (US$ Mn) Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast, 2020-2030

In this chapter, the report includes a year-on-year growth trend and opportunity analysis for the upcoming decade (2020-2030). It provides historical, current and future market value projections in US$ Mn.

Chapter 10- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast 2020-2030, by Type

This chapter provides details about the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market based on type and has been classified into laboratory devices, ablation catheters and diagnostic catheters.

Chapter 11  Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Indication

This chapter provides details about the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market based on application and has been classified into atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia (AVNT), Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome, Bradycardia and others.

Chapter 12- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by End-User

This chapter provides details about the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market based on end-user and has been classified into hospitals, cardiac catheterization laboratories and ambulatory surgery centers.

Chapter 13- Global Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 by Region

This chapter provides details about the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market based on region and has been classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), East Asia, South Asia and Oceania.

Chapter 14- North America Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the North America Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes the U.S and Canada. Readers can also find the pricing analysis, regional trends, and market growth based on material and countries in North America.

Chapter 15- Latin America Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Latin America Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America.

Chapter 16- Europe Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the European Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Germany, Italy, France, the U.K, Spain, BENELUX, Russia and Rest of Europe.

Chapter 17- South Asia Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the South Asian Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Rest of South Asia.

Chapter 18- East Asia Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the East Asian Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes China, Japan and South Korea.

Chapter 19- Oceania Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Oceania Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes Australia and New Zealand.

Chapter 20- Middle East & Africa Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030

This chapter provides details about the growth of the Middle East & Africa Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with a country-wide assessment which includes GCC countries, Turkey, South Africa and rest of MEA.

Chapter 21- Key Countries Electrophysiology Medical Devices Market Analysis 20152019 and Forecast 20202030

This chapter provides the growth scenario of the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market of 22 key countries by type, and form. Additionally, COVID-19 impact in the said market in all respective countries has been included.

Chapter 22- Market Structure Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about the tier analysis and market concentration of key players in the physiology equipment market, along with their market presence analysis by region and product portfolio.

For Information On The Research Approach Used In The Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-12402

Chapter 23- Competition Analysis

In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the prominent stakeholders in the Electrophysiology Medical Devices market, along with detailed information about each company, which includes company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the market players featured in the report are Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic Plc, Koninklijke Philips N.V, Boston Scientific Corporation, Japan Lifeline, Stereotaxis, Microport Scientific Corporation, Biotronik, Acutus Medical, Baylis Medical, EP Solutions SA, APN Health LLC, Teleflex and Merit Medical Systems.

Chapter 24- Assumptions & Acronyms Used

This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provides a base to the information and statistics included in the physiotherapy equipment market report.

Chapter 25- Research Methodology

This chapter help readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions as well as important qualitative and quantitative information about the physiotherapy equipment market
NASA-NOAAs Suomi NPP satellite passed the Atlantic Ocean during the early morning hours of Sept. 1 and obtained an infrared view of Tropical Depression 15. TD15 is located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a nighttime view of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season's latest tropical cyclone off the coast of North Carolina. Ocean swells from the depression are affecting coastal North Carolina today, Sept. 1.

Tropical Depression 15 formed by 5 p.m. EDT off the coast of North Carolina and showed organized convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone). The storm has been battling vertical wind shear since its formation, which has kept it from intensifying into a tropical storm.

NASA's Night-Time View

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided a nighttime image of 15 during the early morning hours of Sept 1 when it flew over the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Infrared data showed the most powerful thunderstorms east of center where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep convection remains displaced to the east and southeast of the depression's low-level center due to increasing west-northwesterly wind shear.

The image was created using the NASA Worldview application at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

TD15's Status

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported the center of Tropical Depression 15 (TD 15) was located near latitude 34.7 degrees north and longitude 73.1 degrees west. TD 15 is centered about 140 miles (225 km) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The depression is moving toward the east-northeast near 14 mph (22 kph). This general motion is forecast today, followed by a turn toward the east by Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will continue to move away from the North Carolina coast today.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. The depression could become a tropical storm later today or tonight. Gradual weakening is anticipated by late Wednesday. The system is forecast to become a remnant low on Thursday.

TD15's Effects Along the U.S. Coast

Although the depression is off the coast of North Carolina it is generating ocean swells that are affecting the U.S. coast. NHC said, "Swells generated by the depression will continue to affect portions of the Outer Banks of North Carolina through this evening, causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions." There are no other watches or warnings in effect and the storm is forecast to move away from the coast.

About NASA's EOSDIS Worldview

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks "right now."

NASA Researches Earth from Space

For more than five decades, NASA has used the vantage point of space to understand and explore our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. NASA brings together technology, science, and unique global Earth observations to provide societal benefits and strengthen our nation. Advancing knowledge of our home planet contributes directly to America's leadership in space and scientific exploration.

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov



Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
An American backpacker who moved to New South Wales one year ago has revealed the unique Australian habits that make her swoon - from 'cute' slang to the way people text.

Katie Payne, 22, left Iowa in the Midwestern United States in August 2019 for a four-month stint in Newcastle, 163 kilometres north of Sydney, but enjoyed her time so much that she returned in January 2020.

The Northern Iowa University graduate has been living in the east coast city since then and appears to have fallen in love with the 'Aussie' way of life, if a recent video on her TikTok account is anything to go by.

On Sunday, Ms Payne posted a clip fawning over Australians for their 'obsession' with KFC and electronic music, slang terms and penchant for signing off messages to people they like with a line of 'kisses'.

Scroll down for video

American backpacker Katie Payne (pictured at the Sydney Opera House) who says she 'dies' when her Australian friends leave kisses at the end of text messages

She said it 'makes me die' when her Australian friends leave 'x's at the end of texts and had a similar reaction to use of the term 'lollies', which is the Australian word for candy or sweets.

'If you text me with an 'x' at the end of the message, I'm a die (sic). I can feel your kiss through the phone,' she says in the video.

She adds: 'And your love for KFC... You know we forget about that in the US. It's kind of like  'oh, KFC'  but you guys f*****g love it, and that's cute.'

Ms Payne (pictured) said she loves when people say 'lollies', which is the Australian term for candy or sweets

Standing testament to Ms Payne's self-professed love affair with everything Australian is her Instagram feed, which is filled with gushing tributes to the Land Down Under

Standing testament to Ms Payne's self-professed love affair with everything Australian is her Instagram feed, which is filled with gushing tributes to the Land Down Under.

Photos show her beaming as she soaks up the very best of Australia, posing in front of the Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay and gazing out over the Victorian coastline from the Great Ocean Road.

Her TikTok video, which has been viewed 317,000 times since it was posted on Sunday, has drawn hundreds of comments from Australians discussing their preference for food, music and writing style.

Ms Payne's favourite Aussie habits  The nationwide obsession with KFC  Love for electronic music  Saying 'lollies' instead of candy or sweets  Signing off text messages with 'x's to loved ones and love interests Advertisement

Photos show Ms Payne beaming as she soaks up the very best of Australia's east coast beaches (pictured)

'All of us Australians are confused how the rest of the world doesn't sign off texts with 'x' and 'xx' when it's someone you really love,' one woman replied.

'Okay but Aussie KFC is unbelievably superior to any other KFC,' said a second.

Another KFC enthusiast added: 'That's because we have like three fast food options and Wicked Wings and Zinger burgers just happen to be superior.'

Others said the Australian obsession with KFC is 'probably because there's only Red Rooster as the other option for chicken'.
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to promote deeper-level reform and pursue higher-level opening-up to provide strong impetus for establishing a new development pattern. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the 15th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. Xi stressed that accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting domestic and foreign markets boost each other, is a strategic decision made in accordance with changes in China's development stage, environment and conditions, and a systematic deep-level reform concerning the overall situation of the country. Efforts should be made to give full play to reform, remain firm in strategic determination, uphold and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China's governance system and capacity, he said. Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, attended the meeting. To build a new development pattern, both short-term responses and medium and long-run growth should be considered as a whole, and the country needs to accelerate reforms that help increase the efficiency of resource allocation, and reforms that help improve growth quality and efficiency, Xi said. It is necessary to link up the construction of a new development pattern with the implementation of the strategy for coordinated regional development and the construction of pilot free trade zones, and explore building a new development pattern and creating a new highland of reforms and opening-up in regions where conditions permit, he said. He stressed the importance of the forward-looking study of reforms, active and effective handling of unstable and uncertain factors, expanding policy space, and enhancing institutional resilience. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of guidelines on innovative development of foreign trade, vitalizing higher education in the country's central and western regions, standardizing private schools for compulsory education, standardizing medical practices and pushing ahead with garbage sorting. It also heard reports on the progress of rural reforms since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The meeting called for efforts to enhance the quality of foreign trade, stabilize the industrial and supply chains, foster new growth drivers, further promote trade facilitation and optimize the environment for foreign trade development. The meeting stressed upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership over universities and colleges to further develop higher education in the central and western regions. It called for focusing on local features and pooling education resources to stimulate the endogenous driving force of higher education in the regions. The meeting noted that privately-run schools offering compulsory education should be kept well-regulated in a bid to fully implement the Party's education policy and uphold overall Party leadership over compulsory education. Highlighting the vital contributions made by the country's medical and health care system in fighting COVID-19, the meeting stressed technological innovation as well as further regulation and more supervision on medical institutions and workers. The meeting urged faster construction of facilities and better supporting policies to speed up the forming of a long-term waste-sorting mechanism. Giving prominence to ensuring food security, the meeting stressed keeping the public ownership of land unchanged, not breaking the red line of cultivated land, and not damaging the interests of farmers. Efforts should be made to improve the rural property rights system and the market-oriented allocation of factors, boost the allocation efficiency of various factors such as rural land, capital, talent, and technology, and stimulate the inherent vitality of rural areas, according to the meeting. More accurate, targeted, and effective policies should be implemented to guide agricultural development transforming from production-oriented to quality-oriented, the meeting noted. The country should vigorously implement the strategy of rural vitalization and set up sound institutions, mechanisms, and policy systems for integrated urban-rural development, said the meeting. More work should be done to strengthen the resolve and confidence of all parties in deepening reform and accumulate strength for embarking on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, it said. Enditem


HMD Global's upcoming range of smartphones includes the Nokia 3.4 and Nokia 2.4, both of which will belong to the budget range. The details of the Nokia 3.4 were leaked recently and it is time for the Nokia 2.4 now. Renowned tipster Evan Blass has managed to obtain some renders of the Nokia 2.4 ahead of its expected debut at this week's IFA in Berlin.

Blass has posted these renders on Patreon and Gizmochina has seemingly access to them. In a report by Gizmochina, the Nokia 2.4 shows up in renders, looking very similar to the Nokia 2.2. There is a waterdrop-style notch at the top and the rear panel is made of polycarbonate. I see two cameras on the back located at the dead centre with the LED flash right below them. Below that camera island is the fingerprint sensor that should be reachable easily.

Also discernible from the renders are the volume rocker and the power button on the right side of Nokia 2.4 while the left edge has the Google Assistant button. I am not sure whether the Google Assistant will be reprogrammable this time but it is there for people who frequently summon the voice assistant. The Nokia 2.4 can be seen in a cyan-like shade with some blackish gradient towards the bottom on the rear panel. I am expecting at least two more colour models for the Nokia 2.4, much like there are for other Nokia smartphones. Rumours say these could be grey and purple colourways.

Blass has not shared the specifications of the Nokia 2.4 along with the renders but we have them from before. Rumours are rife the Nokia 2.4, codenamed Wolverine, will pack a 6.5-inch 720p display and run Android 10 out of the box. A recently spotted listing on Geekbench for the model showed a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset, which belongs to the entry-level. The listing also revealed there could be two memory variants: 2GB RAM and 32GB, 3GB and 64GB. There could be a 4500mAh battery on Nokia 2.4.

HMD Global is expected to launch the Nokia 2.4, Nokia 3.4, Nokia 6.3, and Nokia 7.3 at its IFA event but it would not be a surprise if the company chooses to finally unveil the Nokia 9.3 PureView flagship that has overstayed in the rumour mill.
Last Friday, 58 pupils were sent home following the discovery of 5 coronavirus cases at the International School of Luxembourg.

Although many schools in the country have yet to reopen for the autumn term, the International School of Luxembourg has already seen around 60 pupils placed in quarantine within mere days of returning to school. The reason for the quarantine was the discovery of 5 positive asymptomatic cases at the school. All five are said to be doing well.

The ISL confirmed that two classes were affected, and parents and the Health Directorate had been informed of the situation. The school stated that the pupils in quarantine would be allowed to return to class once they had tested negative for the virus. Tests are carried out five days after contact with the infected person. According to RTL sources, the pupils concerned are aged between 12 and 18 years old.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenias foreign ministry condemns Turkeys recent action which denied airspace to German military plane flying to Yerevan, Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said during a press conference today.

Its condemnable that Turkey is already obstructing the operations of peacekeepers within the NATO and the UN frameworks, simply because of its anti-Armenian positions. We have also raised this issue among our international partners through diplomatic channels, she said.

Turkey denied airspace to German military plane flying to Armenia.

The plane was on its route to Armenia to pick up Armenian peacekeepers serving under the German command in Afghanistan.

A Turkish air traffic controller spontaneously and without any explanation refused to grant a flight permit to the German military aircraft. Germany had to send the plane to Armenia on a longer route, using Russias airspace, managing to transport the Armenian peacekeepers already in mid-August.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
B russels' chief Brexit negotiator has said 'it is the UK's responsibility' to find a compromise and avoid crashing out of the EU.

Michel Barnier said on Wednesday that he is worried and disappointed after his counterpart, David Frost, made no concessions to end the impasse during informal talks.

The pair met in London on Tuesday ahead of the eighth round of formal negotiations next week.

The EU negotiator has reiterated that a deal must be brokered by the strict deadline of the end of next month ahead of the transition period on December 31.

The pair met in London on Tuesday ahead of the eighth round of formal negotiations next week / AP

We need a breakthrough, we need to move, Mr Barnier said after a speech hosted by Dublins Institute of International and European Affairs think-tank.

If the UK wants a deal with us and a fair agreement for a zero-tariff, zero-quota access for British access to our market of 450 million consumers then they will have to move and it is their choice, it is their responsibility.

We are ready to make fair and constructive compromise but not at the detriment of the EU.

Number 10 acknowledged it is clear that it will not be easy to achieve a deal / AFP via Getty Images

Number 10 acknowledged it is clear that it will not be easy to achieve a deal.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said David Frost and Michel Barnier had a useful review of the whole agenda before our talks during informal Brexit discussions on Tuesday.

But as I said, major difficulties remain and the EUs instance on progress on state aid and fisheries is an obstacle to making progress overall but we remain in close contact with the EU side and we will look forward to the next round of talks next week in London.

Mr Barnier said: We did not see any change in the position of the UK. This is why I express publicly that I am worried and I am disappointed because, frankly speaking, we have moved.

Ive shown clearly openness to find compromise.

If they dont move on the issues which are the key issues of the EU, the level playing field, fisheries and governance, the UK will take itself the risk of a no-deal.

Mr Barnier said the EU will not accept the livelihoods of fishermen and women being used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations.

And he said good luck, good luck to those who say leaving without a trade deal has opportunities.

Frankly speaking, there is no reason to under-estimate the consequences for many people, many sectors, of a no-deal  it will be a huge difference between a deal and a no-deal, he added.

Mr Barnier also warmly thanked Phil Hogan, the Irish politician who resigned as EU trade commissioner after intense scrutiny over whether he broke coronavirus regulations.

He said: I will miss Phil Hogan, on whom I could always count to relay any Irish concerns to me very directly over the last four years.
Michel Barnier was disappointed with the UK's attitude in the latest round of negotiations, he said. - Bloomberg

Michel Barnier has wished Britain good luck with surviving a no deal Brexit after accusing the UK of holding European Union fishermen hostage in the deadlocked trade talks.

The EUs chief negotiator said Britain had shown no willingness to compromise over fishing rights and warned that unless the UK caved there would be no trade deal with the EU.

Obviously the UK will recover the full sovereignty of their waters. No doubt. No question. But it is another thing, another story, speaking about the fish which are inside those waters, he said before next weeks round of negotiations in London.

Mr Barnier hit back after the Prime Ministers spokesman blamed Brussels for the lack of progress in last weeks round of negotiations on Wednesday.

Where the EU has shown openness to possible solutions, the UK has shunned our offers, Mr Barnier said and insisted the deal had to be ready by the end of October.

He demanded credible guarantees from Britain on state aid such as subsidies and that the UK agree to level playing field guarantees in tax, labour rights and the environment.

He said the Government was trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage over EU businesses in sectors such as cars, road haulage, agriculture, manufacturing by undercutting the blocs standards.

A UK source said, "Barniers speech is a deliberate and misleading caricature of our proposals aimed at deflecting scrutiny from the EUs own positions which are wholly unrealistic and unprecedented.

"We have been consistently clear that we are seeking a relationship that respects our sovereignty and which has a free trade agreement at its core, similar to those the EU has already agreed with likeminded countries.

Mr Barnier warned there would be a huge difference between striking a trade deal and a no deal exit at the end of the transition period on December 31.

"Sometimes I listen to the UK speaking on the chance of no deal, the reporting of no deal. Good luck. Good luck. But frankly speaking there is no reason to underestimate the consequences for many people, he said.

Story continues

No deal would be Britains fault because the government had refused to extend the transition period, he said.

Britain's chief negotiator David Frost (L) and EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels last month. - Yves Herman/Shutterstock

Mr Barnier said, Since the start of these negotiations, the UK has not shown any willingness to seek compromises on fisheries. The UK government's position has not evolved in the past months.

The French official said that the UK had not tabled any new legal texts on fishing rights. Media reports that he had blocked any discussion on UK room papers were ridiculous and contrary to the truth, he said.

Mr Barnier has signalled that the EU could drop its demand for continued access to UK waters under the same terms as it enjoys under the blocs Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

The UK wants a Norway style fishing deal with annual negotiations over fishing opportunities based on the zonal attachment method rather than the CFPs historic catch patterns, which disadvantage British fishermen.

The UK government's position would lock out Ireland's fishermen and women from waters they fished in long before Ireland or the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973. And of course, the fishermen and women of many other EU countries, Mr Barnier said.

That is just not acceptable. We will not accept that the work and the livelihoods of these men and women be used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations," he told the Dublin-based Institute of International and European Affairs.

Mr Barnier called on Britain to back down in the next round of negotiations in London after Brussels said it could accept zonal attachment as one of the factors in dividing fishing opportunities after Brexit.

Mr Barnier, who met David Frost, the UKs negotiator, on Wednesday, said he still hoped to agree the deal "even if it is very difficult because of the British politicians.

He said that despite the current tensions, he still hoped a deal could be done in time.

"The EU has repeatedly shown flexibility and creativity to work with the UK's red lines - on the role of the European Court of Justice, on preserving the UK's legislative autonomy and on fisheries. It is time for the UK to reciprocate on those issues that are fundamental for the EU," Mr Barnier said.

He added, "I continue to think that Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants an agreement with the EU."

The Prime Minister's spokesman said, "Major difficulties remain. The EU's insistence on progress on state aid and fisheries is an obstacle to making progress overall.

"While an agreement is still possible and is still our goal, it is clear that is not going to be easy to achieve."
Road sign advising social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19. (PA)

The rising number of coronavirus cases in the UK is down to more tests being carried out and does not point to a second wave, an expert on medicine has said.

Medical experts have previously predicted that the UK will see a second wave of the virus in winter, a forecast echoed by World Health Organization (WHO) Europe director Hans Kluge last week.

However, Professor Carl Heneghan of the University of Oxford believes that while a comprehensive system of national test and trace has led to an uptick of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the UK, that does not mean the disease is on the rise.

Instead, Heneghan said new mild cases are not infectious, and are simply being picked up by sensitive tests, providing positive results.

A driver wearing PPE hands a swab test to soldiers helping at a pop-up COVID-19 drive-through testing centre in Dalston, Hackney. (PA)

These virus particles already been dealt with efficiently by immune systems of those who have contracted COVID-19, Heneghan said.

He told MailOnline: There is currently no second wave. What we are seeing is a sharp rise in the number of healthy people who are carrying the virus, but exhibiting no symptoms.

Almost all of them are young. They are being spotted because  finally  a comprehensive system of national test and trace is in place.

He added: The government urgently needs to send out a clear, concise message that the risk from COVID-19 is currently low.

Heneghan said the fear that people with coronavirus but no symptoms are spreading it to others is not borne out by the experiences of the past six months.

Newly released data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that weekly death registrations involving COVID-19 in England and Wales fell to 138 in the week ending 21 August  their lowest level since before lockdown.

However, an increase of cases has seen the government halt its planned easing of local lockdowns in Bolton and Trafford.

But, writing in The Spectator, Heneghan said that in the UK we appear to have the reality of viral circulation, which is probably waning fast.

Story continues

He highlighted how deaths in both the UK and Italy  the two European nations worst hit by COVID-19  remained low and stable, despite weeks of rising cases.

He added that the sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for testing meant that the smallest fragments of the virus in a sample are amplified millions of times  providing a positive result even when someone is not infected by the whole virus.

These fragments do not make the whole virus, he wrote, and therefore cannot infect other people.

Heneghan added: Evidence is mounting that a good proportion of 'new' mild cases and people re-testing positives after quarantine or discharge from hospital are not infectious, but are simply clearing harmless virus particles which their immune system has efficiently dealt with.

Health secretary Matt Hancock has warned that the UK faces a possible second wave of coronavirus in winter. (Getty)

Those whose immunity is more active are exactly in the age group of observed 'positives' and least likely to end with severe disease.

On Wednesday health secretary Matt Hancock warned that a rise in infections in healthy people could result in a second wave of coronavirus.

He told MPs in the Commons: I said in July that a second wave was rolling across Europe and sadly were now seeing an exponential rise in the number of cases in France and Spain. And the number of hospitalisations is sadly rising there too.

We must do everything in our power to protect against a second wave here in the UK.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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The Navi Mumbai crime branch unit 2 and Panvel police jointly arrested three more accused on Wednesday involved in rice black-marketing racket from Khalapur and Bhiwandi. Police had arrested three persons the first week of August and had seized 380 metric tonnes of rice.

The three arrested accused are identified as Navnath Rathod, 25, Sattar Sayyed, 25 and Krushna Pawar, 45. Rathod and Sayyed are from Karnataka, while Pawar is from Vijapur. Three more persons were detained earlier in the racket, though they have not been arrested yet.

The accused illegally collected ration grain from Maharashtra, Karnataka and black marketed it to Africa. The grains were sold through e-auction conducted under the Food Corporation of Indias (FCI) Open Market Sales scheme. Till now around 32,827 metric tons of ration rice have been exported during the lockdown period.

On August 1, the Navi Mumbai Police busted the rice black marketing racket where three persons illegally bought 110 tonnes (1.10 lakh kg) rice meant for the poor in the ration shops in Solapur. The accused had been exporting the rice to Dhaka, Qatar and Madagascar selling it at three times the price.

Senior police inspector, Ajaykumar Landge, said, After we detained the first three accused, they led us to two more companies situated in Khalapur and Bhiwandi involved in the racket. Our teams conducted raids and we seized 270 metric tons of grain worth 1.20 crore.

Three persons were arrested from here and we have found that through E-auction system they have already sold almost 32,000 metric tons of grain to Africa. There are 18 more accused involved in the case.
The Houston Chronicles Live Updates blog documents the latest events in the coronavirus outbreak in the Houston area, the state of Texas and across the U.S. with a focus on health and economic impacts.

The Houston Chronicles ongoing coverage is available to subscribers. Subscribe now for full access and to support our work.

Total coronavirus cases:

 642,649 cases in Texas, including 13,091 deaths.

 155,928 in the Houston region, including 2,954 deaths.

 More than 6.1 million in the U.S., including 185,674 deaths. Click here to see a U.S. map with state-by-state death tolls and the latest coronavirus case counts.

 More than 25.9 million in the world, with over 860,883 deaths. More than 17.2 million people have recovered. You can view the worldwide totals here.

Resources on COVID-19 and Texas' reopening: Use our interactive page to track the spread of cases through Harris County and the rest of Texas. For a detailed look at our state, check out the Chronicle's Texas Coronavirus Map. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.

Latest updates from today:

8:20 p.m. Texas' positive test rate on Wednesday dropped below 10 percent for the first time since June 22, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data.

The test rate dropped from 10.13 percent to 9.64 percent. The rate on June 22 was 9.76 percent.

The statewide case total went from 638,607 to 642,649 -- an increase of 4,042 cases. Another 172 newly reported deaths brings that total to 13,091.

The state's seven-day rolling average for new cases is now at 4,335.7, down from Tuesday.

The Houston region's count is 155,928, up 971 from Tuesday. Harris County added 595 new cases Wednesday, and is now at 108,085 cases total. There have been 2,954 deaths in the Houston region, up 41 from Tuesday.

The rolling average of viral tests dropped from 44,142 to 43,460.

Statewide, there were 4,149 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19. There are 55,717 total staffed hospital beds, 11,752 beds available and 1,137 ICU beds available. There are 7,252 ventilators available.

- Matt Dempsey

6:30 p.m. Furlough notices went out Wednesday to 16,370 United Airlines employees, company executives said, pointing to the pandemics devastating effects on travel demand, reports Amanda Drane.

The furloughs, affecting 1,349 workers in Houston, are to start Oct. 1. United said it planned to recall employees once travel demand rebounds.

The announcement comes as national leaders battle over what to include in a second round of coronavirus relief packages.

4:42 p.m. The COVID-19 crisis is the ideal time for Texas legislators to expand Medicaid, the federal insurance program for low-income residents, advocacy groups say. The Texas Medical Association, along with 32 other organizations representing physicians, dentists and child welfare groups, said widening the safety net would help many cover the costs of COVID-19 care if they get sick.

4:30 p.m. State and local health officials are investigating a COVID-19 outbreak at Heritage Park of Katy Nursing and Rehabilitation facility.

There have been 14 deaths so far at the facility -- four related to COVID and ten pending further review, according to Harris County Public Health. Another five residents and staff members are actively being monitored by the agency for COVID-19.

HCHP started investigating the facility May 24 after three people tested positive. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services is also examining the outbreak.

Heritage Park issued a statement about the investigation:

"Heritage Park of Katy operates in a legally compliant manner, consistent with CDC, CMS, and State and Federal guidelines. Unfortunately, we serve a population that is inherently susceptible to COVID-19. We will cooperate with appropriate public health agencies to ensure our facility continues to operate safely for both our residents and our staff. Out of respect for the confidentiality of our residents and staff, we have no additional comment at this time."

3:15 p.m. Driven by demand for curbside and delivery services during the pandemic, H-E-B's updated grocery app for iOS has been cited as an example by Apple of how its App Store creates jobs. The context: Apple has been besieged by local and federal officials, as well as high-profile competitors, for what some say are heavy-handed strategies in the App Store.

3 p.m. Some 1,300 defendants are awaiting resolution on murder or capital murder charges in Harris County District Courts. The cases have piled up more and more rapidly over the past three years, starting with Hurricane Harveys closure of the courthouse and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving families and defendants waiting in emotional and legal limbo. On today's Coronavirus Chronicles, Ferrill Gibbs talks with courts reporter Samantha Ketterer about the situation.

2:45 p.m. Reports of new cases have fallen significantly around the country since July; they are now flat in 26 states and falling in 15 others. But in nine states, cases are still growing, and in some, setting records  especially in the Midwest. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota all added more cases in a recent seven-day stretch than in any previous week of the pandemic. Together, they reported 19,133 new cases in the week ending Sunday, according to a New York Times database  6.4 percent of the national total, though the five states are home to only 4 percent of the population. In each, some of the biggest surges in new case numbers have come in college towns.

2:15 p.m. Like many of Houstons charitable organizations, the Memorial Hermann Foundations annual fundraiser had to be rescheduled from its original date in May due to the coronavirus pandemic. The good news is that last weekends virtual event benefiting the health care systems adult and pediatric heart and vascular services flexed creative muscle. The better news is that organizers got a chance to celebrate more than $2.6 million raised by supporters over the past year.

-- Amber Elliott

12:55 p.m. Dallas County officials on Wednesday for the first time since May lowered the color-coded coronavirus threat level to orange after a sharp and sustained decrease in new COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, the Dallas Morning News reported. The nonbinding guide written by public health, epidemiology and infectious disease experts was first published in May as the state began to reopen the economy. Until Wednesday, the county has never lowered the perceived risk from its highest zone, red.

12:30 p.m. The weekend after the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump shared two tweets claiming U.S. coronavirus deaths have been vastly overstated. But is it true? Check the PolitiFact ruling here.

11:40: Victoria Arriazola is graduating from Texas A&M University in December. But she doesnt know if shell get to actually walk across the stage. Arriazola, 21, is one of many college students dealing with the struggles the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to young professionals. The unknowns of the virus have led to hiring freezes and remote work for many industries, and Arriazola became acquainted with that firsthand in March.

-- Jordan R. Miller

11:05 a.m. United Airlines announced plans to furlough 16,370 employees due to the pandemic's devastating effects on travel demand, including 1,349 in Houston. The furlough notices will take effect Oct. 1, and United plans to recall employees once travel demand rebounds.

-- Amanda Drane

10:55 a.m. An immigrant from Honduras has died of COVID-19 while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Conroe detention facility, the agency said Wednesday. Fernando Sabonger-Garcia was pronounced dead at 11 a.m. Friday at the Conroe Regional Medical Center . ICE reported that Sabonger-Garcia was transferred to the hospital on July 26 from Joe Corley Processing Center. The center in Conroe is one of five detention facilities under the agencys Houston office reporting COVID-19 cases.

-- Olivia Tallet

9:50 a.m. Two Alvin ISD staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week, leading to a 14-day shutdown of their classrooms, district spokeswoman Renae Rives said. One of those cases was at Alvin Elementary School in Alvin and the other was at McNair Junior High School in Pearland. Both cases were in self-contained classrooms, according to Rives. Self-contained classrooms often consist of special education students and their teachers.

-- Ted Dunnam

9:10 a.m. Labor Day offers no respite to the coronavirus-driven crisis in the travel industry. Only 16 percent of Americans say they will travel this long weekend, and only 14 percent of hotel rooms are booked, the American Hotel & Lodging Association found.

The shockwaves reverberate along supply chains, writes Chris Tomlinson, with more than 14 million people receiving unemployment benefits.

So when Congress returns next week, lets see if the president and lawmakers will negotiate more economic aid. If they dont, Americans can and should take action.

9:06 a.m. Long lines and delays in receiving test results plagued city and county-run COVID-19 test sites earlier this summer, causing a lot of frustration for people looking to see whether theyd gotten the virus.

Thats something that private labs around the country, including the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, are hoping to change. The universitys doctors group, UT Physicians, now offers COVID-19 testing for employers, Chronicle reporter Gwendolyn Wu writes.

At its limit, the group can process up to 1,000 swabs a day. Companies said its a relief to get their employees in and out of a test site quickly, and get the results within 48 hours.

8:40 a.m.: Ever since March, more people have started to dread the first of each month.

Its the day rent is usually due. Sometimes, its the date that car notes are due too, and maybe utilities. Renters who have lost their old sources of income wonder how they can scrape together enough money to stay housed. And theres always the next month to worry about.

The economic fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic has pushed people already struggling even further back and put people who never had problems paying bills in an uncertain position theyve never experienced before. Businesses are trying to stay alive by cutting hours or cutting positions altogether.

The eviction moratorium announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control will ease the situation for renters who meet the requirements of the new measure, although they still will owe rent and wont be out from under other bills. Houston and Harris County have both offered another round of rental assistance. It wont be able to serve everyone who needs help.

Here, Houstonians facing housing instability share their stories with Sarah Smith.

7:50 a.m. Demand for jet fuel in the United States has been on a steady rise since May, when public health fears of the coronavirus brought the airline industry nearly to a standstill.

While still far below normal levels, in mid-August U.S. jet fuel demand reached more than 40 percent of the amount consumed a year earlier, up from around 20 percent in May, according to Energy Department data.

7 a.m. The number of coronavirus cases in Texas is at 638,607, an increase of 5,598 cases since yesterday. The state also reported 143 deaths for a total of 12,919, according to the Chronicle's Matt Dempsey.

In the Houston region, the number of coronavirus cases increased by 1,088, bringing the total to 154,957. The region also recorded 22 more deaths, bringing the total here to 2,913.
Funding will help Inari enhance its toolbox of seed technologies to reduce the worlds agricultural footprint and increase crop and food production for people around the world.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Inari Agriculture, a biotechnology company developing next-generation seeds, has secured $145 million since its founding less than four years ago and is expanding its operations at its Purdue Research Park-based Seed Foundry.

There are several goals we are working toward at the Seed Foundry, including reducing the time and cost to develop new seeds, and improving water and land use for crops like corn, wheat and soybeans, said Ponsi Trivisvavet, Inari Agriculture CEO. With the funding, we can support additional team members and increase our staff in West Lafayette to accelerate our seed research at an even faster pace.

Trivisvavet added that the research advancements would help Inari expand its extensive toolbox of proprietary and exclusively licensed technologies to create new products and added production value for farmers around the globe.

Right now, we are focusing on corn, wheat and soybeans because these are common food sources around the world and common crops in the U.S., Trivisvavet said.

The funding will help support plans to introduce gene-edited hybrid corn and soybean varieties with improved yield results and reduce water and fertilizer requirements.

The company opened the Seed Foundry in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2018. The company also has locations in Ghent, Belgium, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We conduct crop genetics research in Cambridge and Belgium, but we wanted a location in the Midwest where our customers are and where a majority of corn, wheat and soybeans are grown, Trivisvavet said. We visited several locations and felt that being close to Purdue University would provide a number of important benefits, including a pipeline of talent from Purdue and easy travel around the Midwest. An important added benefit is that the people in the Midwest have grown up around agriculture, and they understand it and connect well as a team. 

Team members at Inaris West Lafayette site include Purdue graduates.

We all know that we need to change the way we produce food in order to meet the growing global needs for food security, and Purdue and Inari share this critical goal, said Karen Plaut, Purdues Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. The funding that Inari has secured in such a short amount of time demonstrates that Inari is fast becoming a world leader in seed research.

Purdue has had three World Food Prize laureates, its College of Agriculture was rated in the top 20 in the world and No. 7 in the U.S. by Qualacquarelli Symonds, and its Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering was ranked as the top program in the country in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report. The College of Agriculture's International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) collaborates with educational institutions, agencies and organizations throughout the world.

About Inari

Inari uses genetic technologies and data science to develop next-generation seeds that reduce the natural resources required to grow food, while providing farmers with more choice, performance and value. Inari, founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium. The company was honored as a 2019 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. To learn more, visit www.inari.com or follow us on TwitterC and LinkedIn.

About Purdue Research Park

The Purdue Research Park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation and is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The Purdue Research Park manages the Purdue Technology Centers in five sites across the state of Indiana with locations in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. The nearly 240 companies located in the park network employ about 6,000 people. The Purdue Research Park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about leasing space in the Purdue Research Park, contact 765-588-3470 or click Purdue Research Park.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, Purdue Research Foundation, casequin@prf.org

Inari: Julie Borlaug, 214-597-1009, Julie@inari.com

Sources: Ponsi Trivisvavet, ponsi@inari.com

Karen Plaut, 765-494-8362, kplaut@purdue.edu
PARIS: Fourteen suspected accomplices of the French Islamist militants behind the 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris go on trial on Wednesday.

The perpetrators of the attacks and alleged accomplices include:

CHERIF AND SAID KOUACHI

Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said were in their thirties when they stormed the office of Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7, 2015. Armed with automatic rifles, they killed 12 people, including some of Frances best-known cartoonists.

A two-day manhunt ensured. The brothers were killed when police stormed their hideout in a print works northeast of Paris.

Before becoming radicalised, Cherif was delivering pizzas and dreaming of rapping. His religious beliefs hardened after meeting Farid Benyettou, a salafist who ran a cell known as the Buttes-Chaumont group that sent a dozen youths to Iraq.

Police arrested Cherif as he prepared to fly to Syria en route to Iraq in 2005. He spent 18 months in jail.

AMEDY COULIBALY

Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a policewoman 24 hours after the Charlie Hebdo attack. A day later, Jan. 9, security forces killed the 32-year-old during a siege at a Jewish supermarket which claimed the lives of four hostages.

In a video later released online, Coulibaly said he had acted in the name of Islamic State. He said he had jointly planned the attacks with the Kouachi brothers.

The assaults were justified by French military interventions overseas, he said.

HAYAT BOUMEDIENNE

Hayat Boumedienne, Coulibalys partner at the time of attack, is one of three of the 14 suspected accomplices who will be tried in absentia. It is not known if she is dead or alive.

She fled to Syria via Spain and Turkey days before the attacks with two other defendants, Mohamed and Mehdi Belhoucine. Investigators say she joined Islamic State in the Iraq-Syria region.

Boumedienne is charged with membership of a terrorist organisation and financing terrorism. The charges carry a maximum of 20 years in jail.

MOHAMED BELHOUCINE

Mohamed Belhoucine faces the most serious charge against any of the 14 defendants of complicity in terror and a maximum sentence of life in jail.

Investigators allege he helped Coulibaly prepare his attack, including by supplying the e-mail addresses of militant contacts, as well as the video in which he pledges allegiance to Islamic State.

ALI RIZA POLAT

Investigators allege that Ali Riza Polat, a 35-year-old Frenchman of Turkish origin, was aware of the attackers intentions and helped the three men amass their arsenal of weapons and munitions.

Polat is also accused of participating in a terrorist network and complicity in the crimes committed by Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers. He faces life in jail if convicted.

PETER CHERIF

Peter Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, is suspected by investigators of ordering the Charlie Hebdo attack, according to security and judicial sources.

Cherif will be called to testify in the case over the role of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the shootings.

Cherif fought with al Qaeda in Falluja, Iraq, and was detained in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and then in Mosul, where he escaped, according to a French investigation into the Buttes-Chaumont cell.

In the 2010s he spent time in Yemen until his arrest in Djibouti by French and U.S. agents in 2018.

He was transferred to France where he remains in prison awaiting trial on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation.

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
Social media giant faces scrutiny after media reports revealed it ignored anti-Muslim hate speech by BJP leaders.

An Indian parliamentary committee has grilled a top Facebook executive after the social media giant was accused of bias and not acting against anti-Muslim posts on its platform.

The closed-door hearing on Wednesday followed accusations in newspaper reports that the social media giant was allowing hate speech on its platform and that its top policy official in India had shown favouritism towards Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After the hearing, which lasted three and a half hours, the 30-member committee agreed to resume discussions later, including with representatives of Facebook, chairman Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet. Tharoor, an opposition Congress party lawmaker, did not give any details about the hearing.

Facebook came under scrutiny after a series of reports by the US-based Wall Street Journal (WSJ) showed the company ignored anti-Muslim hate speech by BJP politicians while Facebooks public-policy chief in India, Ankhi Das, made decisions favouring Modis party.

On Tuesday, New Delhi-based English daily the Indian Express reported that following a request from the party, Facebook had removed pages critical of the BJP months before the 2019 general elections.

In email exchanges reported by the Express, the BJP had told Facebook the pages were in violation of expected standards, with posts that were not in line with facts.

Al Jazeeras requests for comment from Facebook went unanswered.

India is Facebooks biggest market, with more than 300 million users, while the companys messaging app, WhatsApp, boasts 400 million users in the worlds second-most populous nation.

The BJP spends more than any political party in India on Facebook advertisements.

Politicians within Modis Hindu nationalist party have come under scrutiny for running online campaigns laced with false claims and attacks on the minority Muslim population.

Dozens of Muslims have been lynched in the past six years by vigilantes, with many of the incidents triggered by fake news regarding cow slaughter or smuggling shared on WhatsApp.

The WSJ had reported last month that Das refused to apply the companys hate speech policies a BJP politician and at least three other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups.

Facebook allowed the posts on its platform and did not punish violations by BJP members to avoid damaging the companys business prospects in the country, the WSJ said. Time Magazine made similar allegations last week.

In light of these revelations, T Raja Singh, a BJP politician at the centre of the controversy, was banned by the social media group.

Das last month apologised to Muslim staff for sharing a post that dubbed Muslims in India a degenerate community, according to a report by US media outlet BuzzFeed News.

It is unethical corporate practice to allow the director of Indias public policy team to also have lobbying responsibilities with the Indian government, Subbu Vincent, Director of Journalism and Media Ethics at the Marrkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, told Al Jazeera.

This is a copout at the highest decision-making level for Facebook in any country, he added.

Opposition attacks Facebook

The Facebook deposition was originally slated for Tuesday but was deferred following the death of former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.

The opposition Congress party said in a statement on Tuesday that there was a blasphemous nexus between the BJP and Facebook.

The aim of the BJP is divide and rule and the social media giant Facebook is helping them achieve this, it said in the statement. Last month, the party wrote two letters to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking him to specify steps being taken to investigate allegations against its operations in India.

Regional leaders are also planning to question the worlds largest social media company about its policies regarding hate speech and fake news.

The Delhi government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, said it would call Facebook executives to appear before its own assembly panel for posts it alleges incited violent religious riots in the city in February. At least 53 people were killed in that violence.

Opposition parliamentarian Derek O Brien, in a letter sent to the Facebook CEO on Tuesday, also said there was enough material in the public domain, including memos of senior Facebook management (in India) to show bias favouring the BJP.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha leader @derekobrienmp letter to #Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, alleging a Facebook-BJP nexus in Bengal ahead of next year's Assembly polls. pic.twitter.com/FSjJiefPFj  Anita Joshua (@anitajoshua) September 2, 2020

Modis party and its members have repeatedly denied the allegations and instead accuse Facebook of censoring pro-India content.

On Tuesday, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and said the platform was censoring content posted by people supportive of the right-of-centre ideology.

Prasad also alleged in the letter that recent press reports were the result of selective leaks  to portray an alternate reality.

This interference in Indias political process through gossip, whispers and innuendo is condemnable, Prasad said.

The social media giant has denied any bias towards the Hindu nationalist party and said it was open, transparent and nonpartisan.

We take allegations of bias incredibly seriously, and want to make it clear that we denounce hate and bigotry in any form, Facebook India chief Ajit Mohan said in a statement soon after the controversy broke last month. But the company also admitted it had to do better on tackling hate speech.

The social media company created an oversight board this year, which will consist of 40 members once fully staffed, to handle free speech issues like those raised by the WSJ, Santa Claras Vincent said.

If the India policy team is doubtful about its own appearance of partisanship, even when for clearly anti-Muslim bigotry and incitement of violence, Ms Das could have easily reposed faith in this board by escalating the cases to it. It has not.

Vincent said this indicated that Facebooks US leadership has taken a political position on India, and undermined its own oversight board.

Right-wing bias?

Facebooks alleged favouritism towards Indias Hindu nationalists is not the first time the social media giant has been accused of tacitly supporting right-wing groups.

Last year, campaign group Avaaz said the tech giant was failing to rein in a tsunami of hate posts inflaming ethnic tensions in Indias northeast state of Assam.

Avaaz said the dehumanising language  often targeting Indias Bengali Muslims  was similar to that used on Facebook about Myanmars mainly Muslim Rohingya before an army crackdown and ethnic violence forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee in 2017 to Bangladesh.

A 2019 analysis by Equality Labs, a South Asia research organisation, showed that groups sharing anti-Muslim content on Facebook included supporters of Modis party or were linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer organisation and the ideological parent of the BJP. It found that 93 percent of the hate speech reported to Facebook was not removed.

Thenmozhi Soundararajan, executive director of Equality Labs, said Facebook lacks the capacity to remove widespread hate speech on its own and has been disingenuous and slow to act.

They have no interest in removing violent users because it is against their business interests, Soundararajan told the Associated Press.

She said Facebook India must ensure diversity in its content moderation team and consumer oversight of hate content.

The platform has also come under fire in Myanmar over hate speech directed at Rohingya over the past decade.

Investigators from the United Nations said Facebook played a key role in spreading hate speech that fuelled the violence.

200811064451991

The company admitted two years ago that it had been too slow to address the problem.

Also last month in the US, a Facebook engineer was reportedly fired for internal posts revealing that right-leaning groups and individuals in the US were given preferential treatment by preventing their posts from being removed, despite violating content rules.

Far-right news website Breitbart, non-profit group PragerU and Trump supporters Diamond and Silk, were some of the organisations and personalities favoured by Facebook, according to internal posts seen by Buzzfeed.

Additional reporting by Usaid Siddiqui
Credit: Cancer Research UK.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, treatment will typically involve a combination of chemotherapy drugs, surgery and for many, radiotherapy. And if the cancer comes back after these treatments, the options become even more limited.

For some children, there may be a clinical trial that could help. But many are testing combinations of chemotherapy drugs or radiotherapy techniques already in use.

It's something researchers are keen to change, spending years trying to test a newer, more targeted approach to treating children and young people's cancers.

And with the help of two studies that we're part fundingthe Stratified Medicine Paediatrics platform and the innovative ESMART trialthis ambition is becoming a reality.

We spoke to Professor Lou Chesler, a children's cancer expert at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Dr. Lynley Marshall, a children and young people's cancer consultant and drug development expert at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, about the changing landscape of paediatric cancer treatment.

The first of its kind

Stratified Medicine Paediatrics is the first prospective study of its kind in the country. And according to Chesler, it was sorely needed.

"The thinking these days is moving more and more towards being specific with cancer treatments," says Chesler. "And that means finding a feature of the tumour that we can target."

Hunting for those hidden genetic clues requires detailed genome sequencing technologies. Technologies that, before the Stratified Medicine Paediatrics, were not generally used for most children's cancers.

"We really never had a platform in the UK for studying our patients systematically and in detail," Chesler explains. "It took us a good five years to set up the infrastructure to do this in the UK. And I think that in itself was really important because we were behind other large-scale international efforts in the US, Germany and France in this regard."

But now, thanks to Stratified Medicine Paediatrics, the team are routinely sequencing children's tumours once their cancer has relapsed. Each child's tumour is analysed in unprecedented detail, using more than one approach, in the hope of uncovering a feature of the tumour that could be targeted by an existing treatment.

And it's important to Chesler that as much information as possible is gathered. "We need to maximise the amount of information gathering we can do with this biopsy sample," says Chesler. "This data will be an excellent guide that will enable us to make better decisions about what targeted drugs we could use to treat our patients."

To make a difference, Stratified Medicine Paediatrics, which we part fund thanks to a donation from Children with Cancer UK, doesn't just have to be detailed, it also has to be rapid and efficient.

"We need the information delivered within three weeks for clinicians to use it effectively. We have achieved that, and ideally we now aim for two weeks," says Chesler.

The pipeline

The conversation about Stratified Medicines Paediatrics begins when a child or young adult with cancer relapses. If the family are happy to take part, a sample (biopsy) of the tumour is then taken.

The sample first goes to Great Ormond Street Hospital and then on to the Centre for Molecular Pathology at The Institute for Cancer Research, where the tumour is scrutinised and a molecular report is produced.

An expert panel of clinicians and scientists can then discuss the findings, combining this with information about the child's cancer to recommend potential treatment options based on the specific genetic faults identified in the tumour.

In many cases, this will mean enrolling the child in a clinical trial like ESMART.

A unique clinical trial

"ESMART is one of the first trials where biopsies are mandatory. It's very innovative," says Chesler.

Smart by name, smart by nature, the clever design of ESMART means that it's testing the benefits of not one, but multiple new treatments, including immunotherapy drugs, and often in novel combinations, all at the same time.

ESMART was designed collaboratively within the Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) European paediatric early phase clinical trial consortium, which UK centres and investigators play a key role in. The trial started in France in the summer of 2017, with the first UK arm opening in December 2019, with Dr. Lynley Marshall at the helm.

"It's now grown into a 15-arm study. Some arms have already met their recruitment criteria and closed, while others have expanded to include additional patients because of good activity," says Marshall. "Then, as the science develops and a new compound or new combinations become available, we have the ability to test them as a part of ESMART."

The Royal Marsden was the first to open as an ESMART centre in the UK, Manchester Children's Hospital has recently opened, and a further three centres will be opening up across the country imminently.

And while ESMART and Stratified Medicine Paediatrics were developed separately, they are intimately linked, with clinicians from each of the UK ESMART sites dialling into the Stratified Medicine Paediatrics' expert tumour boards.

Accessing targeted agents, faster

Marshall comments that while there is still an important place for traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, access to new, more targeted agents offers real possibility of benefit for children who have relapsed.

And the design of the ESMART trial means there are a large range of options, some of which are highly specific, thanks to a real drive to offer drugs of significant interest for childhood cancers that aren't available in other trials.

"The unmet need was there because there weren't already trials of those agents open, and we really felt that was a good way to get those into a very efficient study design," says Marshall. "The key thing is that the clinical trials are a means to offer these targeted therapies to our young patients safely in a controlled, regulated way and at a much earlier stage than they would otherwise be able to access them."

This offers tangible hope for children who have exhausted other options.

"Hearing the term 'clinical trial' when you've got a child who has cancer, I can imagine it may sound frightening at first, but actually, good trials offer real hope. And for families that have lived through multiple relapses, it's just knowing that there's something else that they can try with the real possibility of benefitit just makes all the difference."

There's more in store

Through studies like ESMART and Stratified Medicine Paediatrics, researchers are working more closely than ever to offer new treatments to children with cancer.

"What we're really proud of in this programme is the collaboration between research communities and the innovative design of the Stratified Medicines Paediatrics. It's delivering across borders and between scientists and clinicians, investigators and pharma companies, all for the benefit of patients. And that is very multidisciplinary and positive."

And with such a strong grounding in the research community, Stratified Medicine Paediatrics has got off to a remarkable start. In its first year of operation, the team sequenced the tumours of over 150 patients. "It's kind of like a Ferrari. When you first get in, you don't have a clue how to drive it, it's got all these buttons. I think our programme was like that in the first six months," says Chesler. "But it now operates super smoothly and very reliably. I'm so proud of that".

And, according to Chesler, it's only just the beginning. The team hope that the samples taken through Stratified Medicine Paediatrics will help improve the diagnosis and monitoring of children's cancers.

"The next main goal is to one day remove the need for tissue biopsies, by extracting the same information from blood." This would prevent the need for an intrusive operation.

For ESMART it's a matter of ongoing recruitment into the trial, continuing to adapt as some arms of the trial expand and others finish, while adding all the information they gain about childhood cancers to an extensive international database.

"The knowledge we're building up about paediatric cancers will help to drive future treatments and future trials. It's really exciting and could make a huge difference for patients," says Marshall.

Explore further Precision trial highlights need for new approach to treating genomically complex cancers
Capri Holdings Limited (NYSE:CPRI), a global fashion luxury group, today announced the appointment of Hannah Colman as Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Choo, reporting to John D. Idol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capri Holdings.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005655/en/

VERSACE (Photo: Business Wire)

Ms. Colman has an unrivalled knowledge and understanding of the Jimmy Choo brand as one of company's earliest employees joining 24 years ago as Store Manager in the first boutique on Motcomb Street, London. From there she went on to serve in a number of roles including most recently President EMEA and Global E-commerce. Currently she has been serving as Interim CEO.

John D. Idol, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Hannah has been instrumental in Jimmy Choo's growth with her instinctive vision for the brand. She has done an outstanding job leading the business during a highly challenging and unprecedented time. I have every faith that she will continue to lead Jimmy Choo to even greater heights. Our company has an excellent team in place and I am confident that under Hannah's leadership the brand will continue to go from strength to strength."

Sandra Choi, Founder and Creative Director of Jimmy Choo, said, "Hannah and I have worked together since the start of our fashion luxury house. I couldn't be happier that she will now lead our company as we continue to grow Jimmy Choo as one of the most important British luxury brands in the world. We share the same vision for the future of this brand that we both love."

Hannah Colman, Chief Executive Officer of Jimmy Choo, said, "Having been part of the Jimmy Choo team since 1996 I am thrilled to be leading such an iconic British luxury house. Working alongside Sandra over the last few months as Interim CEO has been a great experience and it's a privilege to lead such a talented team who have done an incredible job of steering the brand through the events of this year. I take the responsibility of writing the next chapter of this remarkable luxury house incredibly seriously and couldn't be more excited by the opportunity."

About Capri Holdings Limited

Capri Holdings Limited is a global fashion luxury group, consisting of iconic brands that are industry leaders in design, style and craftsmanship. Its brands cover the full spectrum of fashion luxury categories including women's and men's accessories, footwear and ready-to-wear as well as wearable technology, watches, jewelry, eyewear and a full line of fragrance products. The Company's goal is to continue to extend the global reach of its brands while ensuring that they maintain their independence and exclusive DNA. Capri Holdings Limited is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CPRI.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200902005655/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations:

Jennifer Davis

(201) 514-8234

Jennifer.Davis@CapriHoldings.com



Media:

Emma Woolley

+44 207 368 5025

Emma.Woolley@JimmyChoo.com
WASHINGTON - Representatives from Fox News, C-SPAN and NBC will moderate the upcoming debates between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

According to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the moderators will be:

Chris Wallace of Fox News for the debate Sept. 29 in Cleveland.

Steve Scully of C-SPAN for the town meeting debate Oct. 15 in Miami.

NBCs Kristen Welker for the debate Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The commission also announced Wednesday that USA Todays Susan Page will moderate the vice-presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City with Vice-President Mike Pence and Democrat Kamala Harris.

Trump and Biden have said they will attend the scheduled debates, which are meant to offer voters to opportunity to see the contrast between the candidates on live television.

Im looking forward to debating the president and Im going to lay out as clearly as I can my vision for the county, Biden said

There was no immediate comment from the Trump campaign.

Trumps team has tried to pressure the commission to move up the debates, citing increased use of early and absentee voting because of the coronavirus.



AP writer Will Weissert contributed from Wilmington, Delaware.
Actress-veejay Shibani Dandekar has called out media personnel for misbehaving with Rhea Chakraborty, who is accused of abetment to suicide in the death of her late boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput.

Shibani posted a lengthy Instagram note in the support of Rhea, whom she has known for a long time.

"I have known Rhea Chakraborty since she was 16 years old. Vibrant, strong, vivacious... such a bright spark.. so full of life! I have witnessed such a stark contrast to this side of her personality over the last few months as her and her family (some of the warmest best people you will ever meet) have experienced the most unimaginable trauma. We have watched the media behave like complete vultures on a witch-hunt, vilifying and torturing an innocent family to breaking point," Shibani wrote.

She also shared the current situation has affected Rhea's family a lot.

"Her basic human right taken away as the media play judge jury and executioner! We have seen the death of journalism and a frightening side of humanity! What was her crime ? She loved a boy, looked after him through his darkest days,put her life on hold to be there for him and when he took his own life she was crucified.

"What have we become? I have seen her first hand what this has done to her mother's health , how it has affected her father who gave his life to serve this country for 20 years, how quickly her brother has had to grow up and how strong he has had to be," Shibani added.

She even promised Rhea to be with her always, demanding justice for the latter.

"My Rhea, you are a pillar of strength, so resilient. I have so much love and respect for you, for the human being you are and for fighting this till the end knowing that you have the truth on your side... I am sorry you had to go through this.. I am sorry that we weren't better. I am sorry that so many people let you down, doubted you, weren't there for you when you needed the most.

"I am sorry that the best thing you ever did in your life ( looking after Sushant) led you to the worst experience of your life. I am so sorry. I am with you always. Justice for Rhea," Shibani concluded.

Many celebs agreed with Shibani.

"I an crying, my heart hurts to know what they are doing to our little rabit. She is our baby sister forever," Anusha Dandekar commented.

Dancer-actress Lauren Gottlieb thanked Shibani for writing the post.

Sushant was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14. Currently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing his death.
It seems like something always affects Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plans.

Five months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially left the monarchy, the royal prince is expected to have already adapted in his environment. Since his wife is an American citizen, it should be easier for him to embrace his new world away from the royal family.

However, the royal prince is about to turn into a resident alien, as he has not done anything about a possible U.S. citizenship.

According to Express, the cutoff to be considered as a resident is 183 days. The process is also known as the substantial presence test.

To pass this, a person should be physically present in the U.S. "for 31 days during the current year and 183 in the last three years."

In Prince Harry's case, it has been 159 days since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Canada and relocated in California. It means that he is nearing the cutoff point, and he could be liable to pay taxes once it happens.

Meghan could sponsor Prince Harry. However, immigration and tax expert David Lesperance told the news outlet that Prince Harry is unlikely to be in the U.S. on a green card since this would make him a U.S. citizen for tax purposes.

However, this process can be refuted since Prince Harry is also a resident in another country.

With that said, if the Duke of Sussex were to stay in the U.S. past that threshold, what Lesperance fears would definitely happen.

If he refuses to have a visa instead of a green card, then he could choose to be a U.S. taxpayer this year and a U.K. taxpayer next year.

The set-up is called the O-visa, and Lesperance believes that this could give Prince Harry the maximum flexibility he wants.

"In another world, [Harry] could say, 'we're having another baby, I want to be home changing diapers, our activity for shooting a movie will be in the U.S. so this year I will be a U.S. person for tax purposes, next year I may not be'," he explained. "Whereas, if you have a green card, you are a U.S. person for tax purposes until you give up that green card."

It is highly likely that the royal prince would avail a visa called the O-1 non-immigrant visa. This allows individuals with remarkable achievement in their field to stay in a country without shouldering taxes.

The tax expert added that Prince Harry could use his background as the founder and organizer of the Invictus Games to qualify for this visa.

Although he has a lot of choices to choose from, an insider revealed earlier this year that Prince Harry is not considering getting a green card.

An insider told E! News that Prince Harry has a valid reason why he refuses to apply or does not consider U.S. citizenship.

"Harry is not applying for a Green Card or dual citizenship anytime soon, which will come as a surprise to many because that is what most people assumed he'd do on moving to the U.S.," the insider said.

READ MORE: Princess Diana's Death: 3 Times the Royal Family Disappointed, Hurt the Princess of Wales
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation positioning itself to engage in the production, growth and sale of its brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, is pleased to announce that it has solidified its arrangement with McSmart (as defined by the listing statement) for the launch of its previously announced Microdosing Packs through three Smart Shops operated by McSmart. The Microdosing Packs are anticipated to become available for purchase to consumers in the Netherlands before the end of September 2020, at the following Smart Shop locations: (i) two Tatanka locations, and (ii) the Headshop. In addition, the Microdosing Packs are also expected to become available for purchase in the Netherlands on Tatanka's website at www.tatanka.nl.

"All of us at Red Light Holland are very excited as our Microdosing Packs are so close to being on shelves and available for online purchases. We are still anticipating our premiere product launch, with our newly coined phrase "iMicrodose," happening later this month, and working so closely with McSmart is something we are truly appreciative of," said Todd Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company.

Magic truffles, which are sold in their natural, raw and unprocessed form, need to be refrigerated. As such, two of the Smart Shops are also expected to feature Red Light Holland-branded fridges to house the magic truffles and display their iMicrodose packs in a clever and unique way. The Microdosing Packs have a shelf-life of approximately 3 months.





Red Light Holland Microdosing Packs



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2017/62997_redlight.jpg

About Red Light Holland Corp.

The Company is an Ontario-based corporation positioning itself to engage in the production, growth and sale of its brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws. The Company's brand of magic truffles are expected to be sold in the Netherlands through existing Smart Shops as well as its e-commerce platform, and are expected to be initially made available in the form of its previously announced Microdosing Packs.

Story continues

For additional information on the Company:

Todd Shapiro

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Tel: 647-204-7129

Email: todd@redlighttruffles.com

Website: https://redlighttruffles.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Readers are further cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking statements (including, but not limited to, the assumption that (i) the Company will be able to execute on its business plan, and will receive one or multiple licenses, permits, and authorizations from time to time necessary to execute on its business plan, (ii) the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, (iii) there will continue to be a demand, and market opportunity, for the Company's product offerings, (iv) the Company will be able to establish, preserve and develop its brand, and attract and retain required personnel, (v) the Company will be successful in offering for sale the Microdosing Packs as contemplated herein, on the terms and within the timelines anticipated by the Company, (vi) current and future economic conditions will neither affect the business and operations of the Company nor the Company's ability to capitalize on anticipated business opportunities, and (vii) the magic truffles currently being grown by the Company will be ready for harvest and distribution within the timelines anticipated by the Company, and in particular, will pass the testing criteria established by the Company), although considered reasonable by management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and result in actual results differing materially from those anticipated, and as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements, forward-looking financial information and other metrics presented herein are not intended as guidance or projections for the periods referenced herein or any future periods, and in particular, past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of the Company in this news release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast or projection of the Company's future results. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/62997
According to the Pew Research Center, half of Hispanics said they worry daily or nearly every day about financial issues like paying their bills, the amount of debt they carry and the cost of health care, and more 1 . The increased financial strain caused by the pandemic has also created uncertainty as parents and students work to fund and continue higher education. As a result, McDonald's created the "HACER More Scholarship" to help more students pursue college degrees despite the pandemic. So, in 2020, 100 additional scholarships will be awarded, bringing the total to 130, versus 30 in 2019. The additional scholarship recipients will be selected from the 2019 HACER National Scholarship pool of applicants that meet the existing criteria for the scholarship and will be enrolled in school for spring of 2021. "HACER More Scholarship" recipients will be selected this October, allowing them to use the funds for the current academic year.

"Despite the difficulty of this time, students are showing their resiliency by continuing their education," said Santiago Negre, HACER scholarship committee judge and head of McDonald's National Hispanic Consumer Market Committee. "McDonald's and our owner/operators are committed to our communities and customers, so we are honored to contribute to the educational pursuits of Hispanic students through the HACER National Scholarship program, having done so for the last 35 years."

The McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is one of the largest programs committed to college scholarships. Since 1985, it has awarded $31.5 million to Hispanic college students pursuing their higher education dreams. This year, in addition to receiving scholarships, the 30 winners of the 2020 HACER National Scholarship received a "tech backpack" that included a laptop, wireless mouse, and headphonessome of the tools needed to succeed in a virtual learning environment.

"It's a huge relief to know even with the difficulties we're all facing this year, like adapting to a new way of learning, keeping ourselves and our families safe, and more, that I no longer have to worry about the burden of tuition costs thanks to McDonald's," said Vladimir Rosales, one of the 2020 HACER National Scholarship winners, awarded $100,000 to attend San Jose State University in California. "I'm thankful that this year McDonald's is not only supporting me in achieving my higher education goals but is also giving another 100 Hispanic students the same opportunity."

The McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is just one of many company initiatives created to educate the next generation of youth. This includes the Black & Positively Golden Scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the McDonald's/APIA Scholarship program for Asian and Pacific-Islander American students. The Archways to Opportunity program for crew gives eligible employees at participating U.S. restaurants the ability to earn a high school diploma, receive upfront college tuition assistance, access free education/career advising services and learn English as a second language.

Hispanic college-bound high school seniors and their parents are encouraged to visit mcdonalds.com/hacer for additional college resources in English and Spanish and for details on how to apply for the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship. The scholarship application period for the next academic year opens on October 5, 2020 and runs through February 3, 2021.



1. "Coronavirus Economic Downturn Has Hit Latinos Especially Hard." Pew Research Center, Washington D.C. (August 4, 2020) https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2020/08/04/coronavirus-economic-downturn-has-hit-latinos-especially-hard/

ABOUT McDONALD'S

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds .

Contact

Nathaly Renderos

[email protected]

630-408-8250

SOURCE McDonald's USA

Related Links

http://www.mcdonalds.com


The Indian Army has captured all positions and posts in the Ridge area on the southern bank of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, government sources told News18 on Wednesday amid escalating tensions on the border with China.

We havent entered their (Chinese) location, but dominated our posts. We are in dominating position at this point, a source said.

India is committed to border security under PM Narendra Modi and we hope China will come for a peaceful border solution now, the source added.

Both countries had held Brigade Commander-level talks on Tuesday in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the latest confrontation which was triggered by the Chinese militarys provocative movements on the southern bank of Pangong lake. Chinas attempt to change the status quo on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 was thwarted by Indian troops.

China has denied that it started the latest flare-up, with an embassy spokeswoman in New Delhi accusing Indian troops of trespassing across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - the de facto border - and conducting flagrant provocations".

India and China were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it was for the first time that such an incident occurred on its southern bank.

This is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

Both sides then agreed to pull back with military chiefs in the region holding five rounds of talks.
Zero Hash, a Chicago, IL-based provider of an infrastructure to settle digital assets in an automated and regulated way, closed its Series C funding round of undisclosed amount.

The round was led by tastytrade, a Chicago-based holding company that owns major broker dealers including tastyworks and Dough, as well The Small Exchange, with participation from existing investors Bain Capital TradeStation, CMT Digital and Monday Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to enrich its feature base around its automated lending infrastructure as well as expand its product offering to include ACH processing.

Led by Edward Woodford, co-founder and CEO, Zero Hash provides the infrastructure to settle digital assets in a completely automated and regulated way. Key features include:

Identity: Verify users identities, with KYC/AML requirements under the BSA.

Balance: Verify real-time account balances and deposits across all assets, with ownership validation.

Lock: Lock and unlock the withdrawals of assets in real time for committed and exited transactions.

Transfer: Transfer the ownership of assets with Zero Hash providing the regulatory framework to serve 97%+ of the US population. All transfers can be automated with a full screening of assets to ensure compliance.

Transactions: Access detailed transaction history with real time transaction updates across 1000+ transaction pairs.

Loans: Submit and manage digital asset loans with complete customization and automation of margin payments, collateral management and more.

Zero Hash is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business as well as a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in more than 45 states. It also holds a virtual currency license from NYDFS.

The client base, that it has publicly announced, includes payment service providers including Moonpay and Banxa, established broker dealers including TradeStation as well as some of the largest OTC groups globally.

FinSMEs

02/09/2020
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) - President Rodrigo Duterte called on his fellow world leaders to build a new order in combatting terrorism during a teleconferencing in the anti-terrorism initiative called the Aqaba Process hosted by Jordanian King Abdullah II.

Build new order: one that is more secure, just, and humane  where there is no room for the barbarity of terrorists and extremist forces," said Duterte, as quoted in a statement released by the Office of the President.

"And one that is fair, equal, and sustainable- where progress and prosperity, he added.

The Aqaba Process is a series of international meetings among heads of state launched in 2015 to address violent extremist threats and strengthen counterterrorism effort.

In the two-hour meeting, Duterte called for more openness, deeper solidarity, and stronger cooperation among nations in countering terrorism and violent extremism and even facilitating economic recovery.

We will not let up in our fight against terrorism," he said. "And we will not allow COVID-19 to bring our people to their knees.

Duterte also said the government will continue to work on narrowing deep-seated inequalities as part of the whole-of-nation approach against terrorism.

The Philippines has been battling for years terrorists who have carried out deadly attacks, the latest of which were last week's twin suicide bombings in Jolo, Sulu that left 15 people dead and 75 injured. The Abu Sayyaf -- a group notorious for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings is believed to be behind the blasts.

Aside from addressing terrorism, the Philippines will also intensify its economic cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries as economies are affected by the pandemic, according to Duterte.

The key to shared prosperity is the free movement of goods, capital, and services, complemented with appropriate social safety nets, said Duterte. This is why we in ASEAN are drawing up a comprehensive recovery plan anchored on strengthening economic cooperation and supply chain connectivity.

Joining Duterte in the meeting as part of the countrys delegation were Senator Bong Go, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Leslie Baja, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr., and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Chief of Presidential Protocol Robert Borje.
B oris Johnson has demanded Russia explain itself after the "outrageous" Novichok poisoning of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

The Prime Minister pledged to work with international partners to ensure justice is done.

The German government said toxicology tests at a military laboratory showed "unequivocal proof" that the military-grade nerve agent was deployed.

Mr Navalny, a thorn in the side of Russian President Vladimir Putin, collapsed on a plane on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

The anti-corruption activist was transferred to Berlins Charite hospital, where he remains in a coma, after Russian doctors repeatedly ruled out poisoning.

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny (file photo) / REUTERS

The Kremlin has denied any involvement. It comes as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called on Russia to tell the truth about the incident, saying he was deeply concerned.

Novichok was used by suspected Russian spies to target former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in March 2018.

Mr Raab said: It is absolutely unacceptable that this banned chemical weapon has been used again, and once more we see violence directed against a leading Russian opposition figure.

The Russian government has a clear case to answer. It must tell the truth about what happened to Mr Navalny.

We will work closely with Germany, our allies and international partners to demonstrate that there are consequences for using banned chemical weapons anywhere in the world.

Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement that testing by a special German military laboratory had now shown proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

It is a dismaying event that Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia, Mr Seibert said.

The German government condemns this attack in the strongest terms.

Ms Merkel said Mr Navalny was the victim of an attempted murder by poisoning and the aim was to silence him.

She said there are very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer and must answer.

A file photo of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is under fire over the poisoning / AP

Germanys foreign minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador has been summoned and told that Berlin expects a full and transparent investigation.

The revelation by Germany risks further souring relations between Moscow and the West. The White House branded the apparent poisoning "completely reprehensible" and vowed to hold Russia accountable.

Allies of Mr Navalny, who heads one of Russias most prolific opposition movements - Russia of the Future - say he was poisoned on orders of Mr Putin, a claim the Kremlin denies.

Last week, Russia's Prosecutor General's Office insisted a preliminary inquiry had found no evidence "deliberate criminal acts committed against" Mr Navalny.

Novichok is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at the Charite initially identified in Mr Navalny and a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.

Russian opposition figures have a history of falling victim to assassination attempts by suspected Kremlin agents, some of which have been successful, such as in the case of Alexander Litvinenko who drank tea laced with Pulonium-210 in a London hotel in 2006.

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Following the Salisbury poisonings, Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack, which left the Skripals in a critical condition and killed a local woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the UK.
(Newser)  The German government left no room for interpretation on Wednesday, saying toxicology tests returned "unequivocal proof" that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok group. Russia has denied that the opposition politician, who has been in a coma since falling ill in August on a flight from Siberia to Moscow, was poisoned at the direction of Vladimir Putin, but the BBC reports the German government isn't swallowing that.

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CNN reports a German government rep called it "startling" that Navalny "was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia." Germany asked Russia to explain what happened and said it "will discuss an appropriate joint response with the partners [meaning the EU and NATO] in the light of the Russian response." A Novichok nerve agent was also used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018. (Read more Alexei Navalny stories.)
Saudi Arabia is rolling back its famous chequebook diplomacy, a long-standing policy of injecting petrodollars in exchange for an influence that observers say has not produced tangible results, AFP reported.

For decades, the wealthy kingdom has channeled billions of dollars to help its allies and the enemies of its enemies in an effort to bond its position as an Arab power and leader of the Muslim world.

But as the sharp drop in demand has led to shrinking oil revenues, the kingdom is rethinking old alliances that Saudi observers say were swallowing money with little to offer in return, while Riyadh's quest for regional supremacy increasingly clashes with rivals Iran, Turkey, and Qatar.

A swathe of regional countries, from Jordan and Lebanon to Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan, have been the top recipients of Saudi aid over the past decade, said Middle East expert Yasmine Farouk, said Middle East expert Yasmin Farouk.

"The dual economic impact of the coronavirus and low oil prices, however, may lead Saudi Arabia to restructure and rationalise its aid," said Farouk, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"The country is already seeking to end the perception of being 'an ATM'."

The kingdom has invested billions in rebuilding Lebanon after the civil war, but has expressed frustration over its failure to curb Hezbollah.

"Saudi Arabia will not continue to pay Hezbollah's bills, and the Lebanese have to shoulder their responsibilities towards their country," Saudi columnist Khalid al-Sulaiman wrote recently for the pro-government Okaz newspaper.

"It is no longer possible for Saudi Arabia to continue paying billions to Lebanon in the morning and receive insults at night.

"This situation is no longer compatible with the new Saudi foreign policy, as Saudi money does not fall from the sky or grow in the desert."

Saudi Arabia is also disenchanted with Pakistan as the latter is pushing Riyadh to take a firm stance on the disputed Kashmir region and threats to raise the issue in other Muslim forums. Such a threat is especially unpleasant for Saudi Arabia, which is home to the most sacred sites of Islam and considers itself the leader of the Muslim world.

A diplomatic source told AFP that the kingdom recently withdrew $ 1 billion from a $ 3 billion loan from cash-strapped Pakistan, and an expired multi-billion dollar oil loan to Islamabad has not been renewed.

"Pakistani elites have a bad habit of taking Saudi support for granted, given what Saudi has done for Pakistan over the decades," tweeted Ali Shihabi, a Saudi author and analyst.

"Well the party is over, and Pakistan needs to deliver value to this relationship. It's no longer a free lunch or a one-way street."

Riyadh's ties with Pakistan have historically been very warm, but the relationship has been one-sided, Saudi Arabia's Prince Talal bin Mohammad al-Faisal said.

"It (has) only benefited one side in 'real world' terms," he tweeted.

"That side is Pakistan."

Pakistan and Egypt, another billionaire ally, have rejected calls for troops to support the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.

Further fueling the confusion in Riyadh, a leaked 2015 audio recording showed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi making fun of the Gulf powers, including Saudi Arabia, saying they ride on money like cheese in butter.

This view was echoed in 2018 by US President Donald Trump when he received Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office and showed a chart listing billions of dollars in military hardware sales to Riyadh.

"Take their money," Trump told NBC News the following year, justifying his support for the kingdom's rulers after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi caused a worldwide outcry.

Observers say Riyadh is struggling to win respect, and its once leading role in the Muslim world is increasingly questioned by its rivals.

Farouk said the Saudis are increasingly unhappy with their ungrateful allies.

States that have traditionally received lavish infusions from Saudi Arabia, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine, have "already seen instances in which aid was frozen, decreased or cut off", she added.
Mick Fanning split from his ex-wife Karissa Dalton in early 2016, after seven years of marriage.

And life has certainly changed for Karissa in the years since parting ways with the 39-year-old surfing champion.

The 33-year-old founder of bridal website The Lane officially moved on from her marriage in 2018 when she found love with Ryan Bienefelt, a carpenter from Sydney's northern beaches.

Life after love: Inside the life of surfing champion Mick Fanning's ex wife Karissa Dalton, following their split in 2016. Pictured together in happier times

The pair went public with their romance in August 2018 while on a ski trip to Queenstown, New Zealand.

During that holiday, they posted loved-up photos of each other on their respective Instagram accounts

Before dating Karissa, Ryan had been in a relationship with pop star Natalie Imbruglia from 2016 to 2017.

In September 2018, Ryan announced that Karissa was pregnant by uploading a photo of her to Instagram in which she cradled her baby bump in a black slip dress.

New man: The 33-year-old founder of bridal website The Lane officially moved on from her marriage in 2018 when she found love with Ryan Bienefelt (right), a carpenter from Sydney's northern beaches who previously dated pop star Natalie Imbruglia from 2016 to 2017

Karissa gave birth to a baby girl on January 5, 2019, naming her Veia Valentina.

Shortly after her arrival, Karissa shared a gorgeous black and white photo of the child sleeping peacefully at the couple's Byron Bay home.

She added a quote by Australian artist and writer, Tess Guinery, which read: 'Sometimes we get given the opportunity to make a brave choice. A choice, to surrender the things that have been great, in exchange for greater.

Going public: The pair went public with their romance in August 2018 while on a ski trip to Queenstown, New Zealand. During that holiday, they posted loved-up photos of each other on their respective Instagram accounts

Baby on board! In September 2018, Ryan announced that Karissa was pregnant by uploading a photo of her (left) to Instagram in which she cradled her baby bump in a black slip dress

Baby bump: During her pregnancy, Karissa posted several pictures to Instagram of herself with her bump on display

'It's here a soulful, lively, heart out of chest, tears on cheeks, I'm alive kind of passion lives - it lives just around the corner, from surrender's bend.'

In the months following the child's birth, Karissa and Ryan shared several baby pictures of Veia.

On Mother's Day this year, Ryan shared a sweet tribute to his partner on Instagram.

Baby joy! Karissa gave birth to a baby girl on January 5 this year, naming her Veia Valentina

'Thank you for bringing us the most precious gift of all. We love you. Happy Mother's Day ,' he wrote.

Karissa has also been kicking goals in her professional life in the four years since her split from Mick.

As the founder and creative director of bridal website The Lane, Karissa spends her days travelling around the globe for glamorous photo shoots.

'Thank you for bringing us the most precious gift of all': On Mother's Day this year, Ryan shared a sweet tribute to his partner on Instagram

Glamorous: Karissa looked effortlessly chic in this photo of herself holding Veia on August 10

Last year, she travelled to Italy and stayed inside the ancient caves of Matera while working on a glossy editorial shoot for The Lane.

Karissa, who was six months pregnant at the time, had to drive around loose cliff edges while travelling to the location.

'A shoot I won't forget... didn't quite realise shooting here would mean driving around loose cliff edges, reversing right to the very edges to get a run up for the next corner!' she wrote on Instagram.

Italian adventure: Karissa was six months pregnant when she travelled to Italy to direct a photo shoot for The Lane

High flyer: In July 2018, she travelled to New Mexico with her friend Pia Miller (left), who posed in the sand dunes for another bridal photo shoot

In July 2018, she travelled to New Mexico with her friend Pia Miller, who posed in the sand dunes for another bridal photo shoot.

She also visited the Maldives in September 2018, before jetting to Yucatan, Mexico, in January the following year.

Mick and his new fiancee, Breeana Randal, welcomed their son, Xander Dean Fanning, three weeks ago.

Proud: Mick and his new fiancee, Breeana Randal, welcomed their son, Xander Dean Fanning, three weeks ago. The couple are pictured with Breeana's midwife

Mick announced his engagement and baby news with Breeana in February.

'This beautiful woman has stolen my heart and I'm so excited to create a beautiful family with her. Bub is due in August,' he told his Instagram followers at the time.

Karissa and Mick met in 2004 and married in 2008, before calling it quits in early 2016.

Case of the ex: Karissa and Mick (pictured in happier times) met in 2004 and married in 2008, before calling it quits in early 2016

Mick's marriage split followed a tough six months for the three-time world champion, in which he fought off a shark while competing in South Africa, followed shortly afterwards by the sudden death of his brother Peter in late 2015.

It was the second death he'd experienced in his immediate family, after his older brother Sean died in a car accident in 1998.

'That was the one that just floored me. I was like, "What else? What else can be taken in a year?" At the end of 2015, I just hit rock bottom,' he told 60 Minutes last month.
BOSTON - After the 1963 assassination of U.S. president John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy famously compared his 1,000-day presidency to Camelot, a popular Broadway musical about the legend of King Arthur  crafting a wistful shorthand for the Kennedy tenure, and by extension the entire Kennedy dynasty.

Now, 60 years after JFKs election as president, some are wondering if the days of Camelot are over after U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy llls failed attempt to oust incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey in Tuesdays state Democratic primary.

The loss marks the first time a member of the political dynasty has come up short in a race for Congress in Massachusetts.

The 39-year-old Kennedy, even as he conceded the election, seemed to leave open the possibility of a future chapter in his familys long political saga.

No matter the results tonight, I would do this again with all of you again in a heartbeat, Kennedy told supporters. We may have lost the final vote count tonight, but we built a coalition that will endure because this coalition, our coalition, is the future of a Democratic party.

In reality, a successful revival for Kennedy is going to be tough given the states changing political landscape, said Jeffrey Berry, a professor of American politics and political behaviour at Tufts University.

Its going to be difficult for him to come back and do elected politics here in Massachusetts because the Democratic side is very crowded with a lot of very capable people, Berry said, pointing to potential rivals including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

Berry said Kennedy was in a difficult position because it was hard for him to run to the left of Markey, given New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs endorsement of Markey.

Kennedy instead won the endorsement of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

That left him as the establishment candidate, which was not a good position to be in, Berry said.

The Kennedy legacy hung over the race, especially in the closing weeks, when Kennedy more explicitly invoked his pedigree including JFK; former U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, his grandfather; and former U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who held a Senate seat in Massachusetts for nearly half a century until his death in 2009.

Kennedys father, Joe Kennedy ll, also held a Massachusetts seat in Congress from 1987 to 1999.

For his part, the 74-year-old Markey was able to flip the Kennedy script, highlighting his blue-collar roots growing up as the son of a driver for the Hood Milk Co. in working-class Malden, a Boston suburb.

In one campaign ad, Markey also offered an updated take on a famous JFK quote, saying: We asked what we could do for our country. We went out, we did it. With all due respect, its time to start asking what your country can do for you.

One loss doesnt necessarily mean the end of the Kennedy mystique, said Erin OBrien, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Is Camelot over? No, she said.

OBrien pointed out that early on, polls were giving Kennedy the edge, in large part because of the political cachet of his last name.

But as the race wore on, Kennedy struggled to answer the fundamental question of why he was running  a question that helped trip up Edward Kennedys 1980 campaign for president, which was also against an incumbent, Democratic president Jimmy Carter.

He was trying to make a change argument, but became a corporate moderate, and Ed Markey became the second coming of Bernie Sanders, OBrien said. He became the embodiment of privilege or inherited wealth, and those are two things that Democrats are not looking for in elected officials.

In the end, she said, Kennedy couldnt reveal his real reason for challenging Markey  to avoid a crowded Democratic field in a future race for an open Senate seat that could include popular Democrats like Pressley, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton and Attorney General Maura Healey.

Joe Kennedy gambled and he lost, she said.

Kennedys defeat is also a loss for the national Democratic partys bank account.

The scion of one of the countrys most famous political dynasties was popular among high-dollar donors well beyond Massachusetts. Kennedy helped raise millions of dollars for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats campaign arm, during the 2018 midterm elections. He also stumped for more than a dozen other candidates.

Massachusetts voters may have rejected him, but few remaining House Democrats carry the same national fundraising appeal as Kennedy.

Lost in the talk of the Kennedy legacy is Markeys own long history of winning elections. First elected to the House in a special election in 1976, Markey has never lost a subsequent race in the House or Senate.

Other members of the extended Kennedy clan have lost congressional contests outside Massachusetts. In 1986, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend lost a U.S. House race in Maryland, and in 2002, Mark Kennedy Shriver also lost a congressional primary in Maryland.

In his concession speech, Kennedy gave a nod to the extended Kennedy clan.

To my mom, my dad, my twin brother and the rest of a rowdy bunch of crazy cousins, you all are my heroes, he said. You are my example of what public service should be and can be when it is done with courage and grit.

And while there may be no other members of the family waiting in the political wings, you cant count the family out completely, Berry said.

He has two adorable children, and maybe 40 years from now, theyll run, he said.
The ongoing Sandalwood drug abuse controversy has been hogging the news headlines for the past few days. Its being alleged that a number of folks from Kannada film industry have been involved and according to director Indrajit Lankesh, these actors and technicians were in touch with dealers. The filmmaker had already given CCB police all the details and evidence he had with him with regards to the high-profile case.



In the meantime, actor and activist Chetan Kumar had taken to his social media account to share his views on the explosive case. The actor shaded a few of his fellow artists for advertising tobacco-based products and other online games like rummy for money.

Without taking any actors name, Chetan had tweeted, While the current focus is on exposing film personnel/actors who use #drugs privately Isn't it hypocritical to not point fingers at film 'stars' who for money OPENLY advertise for alcohol (as soda), gutka/pan masala, gambling (rummy), etc? Aren't they 'ambassadors' of social evils? (sic). Check out the tweet below:

While current focus is on exposing film personnel/actors who use #drugs privately...



Isnt it hypocritical to not point fingers at film 'stars' who for money OPENLY advertise for alcohol (as soda), gutka/pan masala, gambling (rummy), etc? Arent they 'ambassadors' of social evils?  Chetan Kumar /  (@ChetanAhimsa) September 1, 2020

And now, Kiccha Sudeep who was talking to the media during his visit to the Siddaganga Mutt was quizzed about Chetan Kumars jibe towards actors who endorse pan masala and rummy games. The actor was quoted by Vijay Karnataka as saying, He is unable to directly state names and is struggling to name me directly. Those who speak out should always speak directly. We have also done a lot of service. They should give attention to that and listen carefully. A small little sound may come out of it.

ALSO READ: Kiccha Sudeep Condemns People Who Connected Chiranjeevi Sarjas Name To The Drug Abuse Controversy

ALSO READ: Kiccha Sudeep Birthday: Kotigobba 3 Star Says 'There Wont Be Any Celebration
Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Wednesday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting April-June quarter earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Companies set to announce their earnings are Coal India, Arvind Fashions, Bannari Amman Sugars, Dish TV India, Infibeam Avenues, Jubilant FoodWorks, Kernex Microsystems, Navkar Corporation, Sadbhav Engineering, Sandur Manganese, Satin Creditcare Network.

Yes Bank: The private lender cut lending rates by 10-35 bps across tenures.

Infosys: The IT major said it will hire 12,000 American workers over the next two years,

TVS Motors: Company's total sales declined by 1.1% at 2.87 lakh units vs 2.90 lakh units in August.

Vodafone Idea: The board will consider raising funds in a board meeting on September 4.

Indian Oil: Compnay said its board has approved an investment of Rs 1,268 crore for setting up a needle coker unit at its Paradip refinery in Odisha.

Max Health: The company's board approved raising up to Rs 1,200 crore via QIP and Rs 550 crore via NCDs

Adani Green: The company got ranked as the largest power generation owner in the world after the company secured 8 gigawatt solar energy contract from the government in June.

ONGC: reported 85% YoY fall in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended June to Rs 1,090 crore, while its revenue declined 43% to Rs 62,496 crore. The company's board also approved raising up to Rs 35,000 crore via debt.

Shriram City Union: The company's board will consider raising Rs 150 crore via NCDs on a private placement basis.

Earnings Today: Coal India, Arvind Fashions, Bannari Amman Sugars, Dish TV India, Infibeam Avenues, Jubilant FoodWorks, Kernex Microsystems, Navkar Corporation, Sadbhav Engineering, Sandur Manganese, Satin Creditcare Network among others will report Q1 results today.
Herring also asked for an emergency hearing because localities are under extreme time pressure to print and mail absentee ballots, which must be sent by Sept. 19.

West announced his presidential bid on the 4th of July. On his campaign website he calls for creating a culture of life, restoring prayer in the classroom, working to reduce household debt and student debt and reforming the approach to policing in a manner that treats all Americans the same.

West, who wore a Make America Great Again hat at the White House in 2018, denied in a recent podcast with Nick Cannon that he is a GOP plant meant to siphon off Democratic votes for Joe Biden.

Cant nobody pay me, West said. I got more money than Trump.

The suit says that on Aug. 11 Wilson was approached by a representative of the West campaign while he was riding his bike and was asked to be an elector for the state. The suit says Kanye Wests name was never mentioned.
MMS look for explosive reconnection events as it flies through the magnetopause  the boundary region where Earth's magnetic butts up against the solar wind that flows throughout the solar system. Credit: NASA Goddard/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith; NASA Goddards Conceptual Image Lab/Josh Masters/Joy Ng

An alert pops up in your email: The latest spacecraft observations are ready. You now have 24 hours to scour 84 hours-worth of data, selecting the most promising split-second moments you can find. The data points you choose, depending on how you rank them, will download from the spacecraft in the highest possible resolution; researchers may spend months analyzing them. Everything else will be overwritten like it was never collected at all.

These are the stakes facing the Scientist in the Loop, one of the most important roles on the Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, mission team. Seventy-three volunteers share the responsibility, working weeklong shifts at a time to ensure the very best data makes it to the ground. It takes a keen and meticulous eye, which is why it's always been left to a carefully-trained humanat least until now.

A paper published today describes the first artificial intelligence algorithm to lend the Scientist in the Loop a (virtual) hand.

"MMS is the first big NASA mission implementing machine learning into its mission operations," said Matthew Argall, space physicist at the University of New Hampshire and lead author of the paper.

The algorithm performs a single task: detecting when the spacecraft crossed from Earth's magnetic field to the sun's, or vice versa. But it's just the first of many special-purpose algorithms that could change how MMS science is done.

Bursting Earth's Bubble

An invisible force field surrounds our planet, a giant bubble ballooning more than 40,000 miles into space. This is our magnetic field, and it serves us in several ways. It keeps things out, deflecting harmful cosmic rays that would otherwise strike Earth's surface, endangering life. But it also keeps things in, setting traffic patterns for the particles buzzing through near-Earth space. Electrons, tiny and light, turn tight pirouettes around Earth's magnetic field lines; heavier ions plod along in slower, wider loops.

But Earth's magnetic field is nothing compared to the sun's. Particles blown away from the sun, known as the solar wind, carry our star's magnetic field far past the orbit of Neptune. The particles within it trace out the sun's magnetic field lines, colliding with Earth's magnetic bubble along the way. The collision sites form an invisible boundary that scientists call the magnetopause.

By and large, the magnetopause holds strongbut not always. When conditions are right and magnetic fields align, the solar wind can puncture our magnetic bubble. The site of the breach is known as an electron diffusion region, or EDR, and finding them is the MMS mission's primary goal.

Within an EDR, the sun's and Earth's magnetic field lines fuse, cancel each other, and vanish. Electrons, energized and unbound, zip to and fro in a chaotic pandemonium.

"It's like they lost their lane lines while somebody stomped on their accelerators," said Barbara Giles, senior project scientist for MMS.

These particle bursts trigger a chain reaction that sparks the northern and southern lightsthey can even endanger astronauts and spacecraft in their way. EDRs erupt throughout the universe, from the middle of solar flares to the rims of black holes. MMS searches for them closer to home, at the edge of Earth's magnetic field.

But catching one in the act is exceedingly difficult. EDRs appear without notice, extend as little as two miles across (within a 14 billion mile-wide search space), and last only tenths of a second. In five years of continuous search, MMS has measured just over 50. But each time it crosses the magnetopause, where our magnetic field meets the sun's, it has another chance to see one.

Animation showing the four MMS spacecraft in space. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab/Walt Feimer/Genna Duberstein

Hunting for Magnetopause Crossings

So the Scientist in the Loop sifts through each orbit's data, hunting for magnetopause crossings. But they don't necessarily stand out in the dataidentifying them is more like pinpointing when a drizzle turns to rain. A single orbit's data may contain as few as two or as many as 100 magnetopause crossings, with false alarm look-a-likes peppered in between. To find them, the Scientist in the Loop simply has to put in the time.

"In the earliest days, it was basically a full-time job," said Rick Wilder, space physicist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado. Since then, Wilder has helped optimize the Scientist in the Loop's workflow and trained new recruits into seasoned experts. Today, an experienced Scientist in the Loop only needs a few hours a week. But it's still a strain on researchers who volunteer on top of busy schedules. "Fatigue is always in the back of our mind," Wilder said.

They had always planned to automate parts of the Scientist in the Loop's role, but finding an algorithm to match human performance was a challenge. Scientists can see larger trends in data, something most algorithms struggle to do. "Part of what a scientist does is look at the progression in time of the data," said Argall. "For instance, being able to identify that you're in the magnetosphere at one point, and using that to influence how [you see] the data evolving."

Argall and his collaborators built an algorithm that tries to emulate how humans read data. It takes the form of a neural network, a data-processing technique inspired by the brain. Unlike traditional algorithms, neural networks program themselves through trial and error. Argall showed the network examples of magnetopause crossings, then tested it on new cases. If it answered wronga non-crossing was chosen, or a true crossing was missedhe sent an error signal, triggering a cascade of adjustments before the next test. Like human Scientists in the Loop, the network learned to identify magnetopause crossings from experience.

But most neural networks process data in isolated snapshots, whereas scientists see measurements unfolding in time. The team approximated the scientist's ability by using gates to store the data the network just saw as well as the data coming up next. As the network decides if it's looking at magnetopause crossing or not, it can access surrounding data points to help. "The algorithm adds input data from the past and future to provide context for the decision it's making at the present time," Argall said.

It's the first algorithm of what may be many. The team imagines building several special-purpose detectors to work together in a hierarchy. (An assemblage of specialists, others have found, outperforms one jack-of-all trades algorithm.) At the lowest level, "region classifiers" look at the data to figure out where the spacecraft is in space. They pass their output to region-specific "event classifiers," which look for the phenomena researchers want to find. With success over the next few years, MMS could automatically detect far more than magnetopause crossings.

"We could take requests, say for a certain signature in the data, and bring it down in real time," Giles said. "It becomes a system observatory in that sensea community resource."

That's still a ways off. The new algorithm currently matches human judgments about 70% of the time. (Even scientists don't agree with each other 100% of the time.) Since October 2019, each week's Scientist in the Loop has treated it like an assistant, double-checking their work and catching any mistakes.

"But I'm sure within a few more years, with these techniques that he's developing, he's going to make the Scientist in the Loop redundant," Giles said. "We will know when that day comes, because all they will do is go in, check a box, and move on."

With a trusty algorithmic assistant by their side, scientists could focus on those wiggles in the data they don't yet know how to label. We may be glimpsing a future where algorithms are less tools than collaborators, working alongside scientists as both learn from new data together.

Explore further TRACERS heliophysics mission enters Phase B

More information: Matthew R. Argall et al. MMS SITL Ground Loop: Automating the Burst Data Selection Process, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (2020). Matthew R. Argall et al. MMS SITL Ground Loop: Automating the Burst Data Selection Process,(2020). DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2020.00054
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 3, 2019 shows a road along the Pangong Tso lake in Ngari, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

The Chinese embassy in New Delhi says:

- Indian troops illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake.

- China has urged the Indian side to restrain its frontline troops.

NEW DELHI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday urged India to immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and immediately halt any move that would escalate tensions.

In response to a media query on the China-India border situation, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Counselor Ji Rong said China has urged the Indian side to restrain its frontline troops and immediately end all provocative actions.

"On Aug. 31, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas," Ji said.

Indian and Chinese national flags flutter side by side at the Raisina hills in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 16, 2014. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

"India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas," said the spokesperson.

"What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this," she added.
Dear Editor:

Heres a peace plan for the Middle East:

A land called New State is established between Israel and Jordan, maintaining the current borders of the West Bank. The settlements populations become the citizens of New State. The current settlers will own the land where they live and be governed equally by the laws and constitution of New State.

Jews there will be as Jews in the U.S. and United Kingdom, etc. with love for Israel while paying taxes and supporting the new country. This will help New State in many ways. New State cannot be free of Jews as Israel is not free of Arabs.

Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas retires, and Fatah becomes one of many parties in the parliament of New State. Then take money from the Kushner plan and give every Palestinian of voting age $100,000. This creates an immediate middle class.

Gaza is not involved with New State; the U.S. Embassy in Israel returns to Tel Aviv; and the capital of New State is a brand-new, world-class port city on the Red Sea, created with the help of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. And an Arab corridor to the sea is formed.

Now is the time, while Prince Mohammed bin Salman is still there, to build the next Dubai. And New State becomes the most industrious country in the Arab world.

Jeff Gold

West Hurley, N.Y.
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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday alleged that incidents of persecution and killing of Dalits were taking place in Uttar Pradesh, and demanded that the Yogi Adityanath government should stop "ignoring" them and take action. The Congress has been alleging that the law and order situation is deteriorating in Uttar Pradesh under the BJP rule, a charge denied by the state dispensation.

"Incidents of persecution and killing of Dalits are happening in UP. Mahoba, Agra, Gorakhpur, Rae Bareli, Hardoi," she alleged, listing the places from where such incidents have been reported. Will the BJP government bother to explain why the incidents of persecution of Dalits are not stopping in the state, the Congress general secretary asked.

"The state government should stop ignoring these incidents, take action and answer," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a press conference on August 28, 2020 (Image: Pool Photo via AP)

After becoming Japans longest serving Prime Minister last year, Shinzo Abe decided to call it a day on August 28 because of his worsening health. Apologising to the people of Japan for leaving my post with one year left in my term of office, and amid the Coronavirus woes, while various policies are still in the process of being implemented, Abe bowed out of public life which saw him winning six electoral contests.

After resigning from his first stint as Prime Minister in 2007, he got a rare second term in December 2012 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2017 which enabled him to give stability to a nation desperately seeking it.

He leaves behind a nation which has been transformed, both domestically and in foreign policy, despite his not being able to achieve some of his most-cherished objectives, such as negotiating with North Korea the return of Japanese citizens abducted decades ago, resolving a territorial dispute with Russia, and most ambitious of all, revising the post-war constitution to give more power to the military.

In a nation known for preferring incremental changes, Abe was keen to shake up the status quo from the very beginning.

On the economic front, his signature strategy of Abenomics, which relied on a mix of bold quantitative easing, fiscal spending and structural reforms, did manage to ignite growth in a stagnant economic landscape at least initially. Japan witnessed its longest economic expansionist streak under Abe before the impact of COVID-19 grinding it to a halt.

Abe tried to do something which the Japanese conservative leadership hadnt dared to touch before him. He tried to address the issue of Japans shrinking labour force by revising migration and gender policies. In an attempt to help women get into the workforce, Abes womenics pushed companies to increase their hiring of women with the help of specially tailored government policies such as preferential government contracting to reward companies that hired women and government funded day-care centres. It may not have completely changed the employment landscape for women in Japan, but it forced Japanese corporate sector to confront its deeply-entrenched biases.

Abes imprint on Japans security policy is going to be equally significant. He managed to normalise Japanese approach to its national security, gradually, but surely. Shaped by his conviction that Japan should assert its strategic role regionally and globally, he increased defence spending, and was unapologetic about the need for Japan to enhance its power projection capabilities. His government reinterpreted the constitution to allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War II, as well as revoked a ban on exercising the right to defend a friendly country under attack.

This domestic shift allowed Abes Japan to have a more robust regional and global engagement. Despite facing challenges from the Trump administrations transactional approach towards its allies, Abe managed to keep the US-Japan ties on an even keel. Japans role in the global security architecture has evolved to a point where discussions are underway about it potentially joining the Five Eyes intelligence partnership between the United Kingdom, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

At the regional level, he was the first one to articulate the Indo-Pacific vision back in 2007 when he delivered his speech outlining the Confluence of the Two Seas to the Indian Parliament. It was this strategic vision that he shaped his foreign policy outreach during his stint in office, which saw him nurturing ties with major regional powers such as India and Australia and defence partnership with Southeast Asia.

For India, Abe will remain a very special Japanese leader. His fondness for India and his vision for India-Japan ties has been central to his vision of the Indo-Pacific. After visiting India during his first term, he gave bilateral ties a new momentum by becoming the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit India thrice.

His relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their convergent worldviews allowed India-Japan ties to touch new heights in recent years. It was under Abes leadership that one of the last irritants in this bilateral relationship, Japans resistance to recognising India as a nuclear power, could be tackled when the two nations finally decided to sign the civil nuclear pact in 2016.

Growing concerns about Chinese aggression has resulted in Tokyo and New Delhi reconfiguring bilateral ties to make them more ambitious from undertaking joint projects in Indias Northeast and wider South Asia to the revival of Quad in 2017, and joint connectivity projects such as the Asia Africa Growth Corridor. As India expanded its footprint in East and Southeast Asia, it has found support from Japan which has also been steadfast in its support for New Delhis position on its border disputes with China. It was Abes leadership which allowed Tokyo to expand the ambit of its ties with New Delhi.

So as Abe departs, he leaves behind a consequential legacy of a rare breed of Japanese statesmen who shaped not only Japanese domestic milieu, but also managed to have a significant imprint on global strategy. For a self-confessed conservative, this is a truly remarkable achievement.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday rejected Pakistans efforts to get two Indian nationals designated as terrorists under the 1267 sanctions committee process after Islamabad failed to produce evidence to back up its allegations.

The move by Pakistan was widely perceived as retaliation for Indias success last year in getting Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar listed as a global terrorist by the 1267 committee, which focuses on the designation of terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, Taliban and their affiliates.

Pakistan had launched an initiative to designate a total of four Indians as terrorists in 2019, telling the UN Security Council that they were allegedly involved in state-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan further alleged the men were part of an Afghanistan-based group that helped organise terror attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

The efforts to designate two of the Indians  identified by Pakistan as Venumadhav Dongara and Ajoy Mistry  were rejected by the Security Council in June and July, largely because of efforts by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity.

The effort to designate two other Indians  identified by Islamabad as Gobinda Patnaik and Angara Appaji  were initially blocked through a technical hold by the US, the UK, Germany, France and Belgium as they wanted Pakistan to provide evidence to back its allegations, the people said.

During consultations behind closed doors on Wednesday, when the term of the hold ended, Pakistans effort to designate the remaining two Indians was rejected by the Security Council as it failed to furnish any proof, the people added.

Indias permanent representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, tweeted: Pakistans blatant attempt to politicise 1267 special procedure on terrorism by giving it a religious colour, has been thwarted by UN Security Council. We thank all those Council members who have blocked Pakistans designs.

Pakistan has repeatedly sought to rake up what it claims is Indias alleged role in fomenting terrorism on its soil at various UN bodies in recent months, but without any takers for its allegations. It even made a false claim that its envoy to the UN had delivered a statement at a UN Security Council meet on terrorism but this was later proved to be false.

Some of the Indians that Pakistan had sought to designate as terrorists had been working in Afghanistan in the past.
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Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 17:38 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4241e52 1 City COVID-19,Bogor-Agricultural-University,Depok Free

Experts have expressed skepticism about whether the curfews imposed in Bogor and Depok in West Java will be effective in curbing the rapid transmission of COVID-19 in the two cities.

The Bogor and Depok administrations began imposing curfews last week, requiring places like supermarkets, restaurants and malls to close at 6 p.m. and prohibiting outdoor activities after 8 p.m.

Both cities have begun to see spikes in COVID-19 cases, with 61 new confirmed cases recorded in Depok city and around 60 recorded in Bogor regency and Bogor city on Tuesday. Bogor and Depok cities are currently categorized as high-risk, or red zones, with high rates of transmission, while Bogor regency is categorized as a medium-risk or orange zone.

Berry Juliandi, secretary-general of the Indonesian Young Academy of Science (ALMI) and IPB University biologist, expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the curfews in slowing the increase in COVID-19 cases, saying transmission could also occur during the daytime.

Maybe this kind of restriction can suppress the increase in COVID-19 cases, but the result wont be significant, Berry told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Read also: Chaotic: Epidemiologists concerned about healthcare crisis after recent surge in COVID-19 cases

Syahrizal Syarif, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, worried the curfew would negatively impact businesses that operate at night, saying opening hours of businesses should last until 10 p.m.

While he believed that imposing lockdown measures was the best way to reduce transmission, as has been proven in countries like Australia, he also said closing down the economy might not be the right strategy for Indonesia, which has experienced at least six months of economic slowdown during the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

The most important thing is that people wear masks, maintain physical distance and wash their hands regularly, he told the Post. This is because [respiratory] droplets have been the main cause of transmission [...]. Therefore, masks and physical distance are non-negotiable.

He advised the administrations to stage public information campaigns on the importance of following health protocols and to begin imposing heavier sanctions against those found not wearing masks.

Berry suggested that regions with high rates of transmission should be allowed to enforce lockdowns, with the government providing basic necessities and social assistance for residents.

Amid the rise in cases, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has extended the PSBB measures in Bogor, Depok and Bekasi until Sep. 29.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved Mission Karmayogi, a nation skill building programme for civil servants. Announcing the decision at a media briefing, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar termed the initiative as the "biggest human resource development reform in the government". The officers and government employees will get an opportunity to improve their performance under the mission, he said.

"Today the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to bring this very big, post-recruitment reform, where an opportunity will be given to officers and employees to improve their own performance," Javadekar said.

A council, headed by the Prime Minister and having chief ministers as members, will approve the civil services capacity building plans under the scheme, he said.

"Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare the Indian civil servant for the future by making him more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled. Empowered with specific role-competencies, the civil servant will be able to ensure efficient service delivery of the highest quality standards," a government statement read.

The government will set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with a total outlay of Rs 510 crore over a period of five years for the operation of an online platform and facilitate digital learning. The programme will be delivered by setting up an Integrated Government Online Training - iGOTKarmayogiplatform.

The skill development programme for the civil servants was announced a week after the Union Cabinet approved the setting up of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), which will conduct computer-based common eligibility test (CET) for central government jobs. This is considered to be a post-recruitment reform for the government servants.

Among others, the Cabinet also approved for signing of memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with Japan for cooperation in the field of textile and geology & mineral resources. Textiles Committee of India has inked pact with Japan's Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre for improving quality and testing of Indian textiles and Clothing for the Japanese market.

Besides, India and Finland has signed agreement for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources.

Also Read: Delhi Metro to resume with staggered hours, cashless transactions from September 7

Also Read: Chidambaram digs up PM Modi's 2013 tweet to attack govt on failing economy
Joe Biden condemned President Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, saying that if Mr. Trump and his administration had "done their jobs," more schools would be able to reopen to in-person learning this fall.

"If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on in this crisis, American schools would be open. And they'd be open safely," Biden said in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. "Donald Trump and [Education Secretary Betsy] DeVos have not stepped up."

Biden accused Mr. Trump of "starving schools of the needed funding, funding they need now." He slammed the president and Republicans for being unwilling to consider a Democratic proposal passed in the House in May that would have provided additional financial help for schools.

"Mr. President, where are you? Where are you? Why aren't you working on this?" Biden said, making a personal entreaty to the president. He urged Mr. Trump to "get off Twitter" and invite congressional leaders to the Oval Office.

"You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal  a deal for somebody other than yourself," Biden said.

Biden said there should be "universal guidance" for reopening schools and daycare centers, and added that the federal government should provide assistance to parents whose children are forced to undergo remote learning.

Biden said that he believed that it is impossible to get the economy back on track unless the coronavirus is mitigated.

"The idea that you're able to get the economy back on track without getting COVID under control, it's completely counterintuitive," Biden said. "There's going to be no need in my view to be able to shut down the whole economy."

He also said he would pressure governors and local officials to impose a mask mandate, saying there's a "question under the Constitution" about whether a president can institute a national mandate. Biden has previously said he supports making wearing a mask a national requirement for three months.

Story continues

"Why do you wear a mask? To protect your neighbor? To keep someone else from getting sick and maybe dying. I call that patriotic. This is the United States of America. Every generation has made sacrifices to help others in moments of crisis," Biden said.

Biden also took questions from reporters, his first time doing so since he formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president last month.

Biden's campaign also announced on Wednesday that he would be traveling to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Thursday. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump visited the city, which has been roiled by protests since the police shooting of a Black man and the deaths of two people by a suspected vigilante shooter at a subsequent demonstration. Biden said that local leaders and members of Congress had asked him to come to Kenosha.

"There have been overwhelming requests that I do come," he told reporters. "What we want to do is we've got to heal, we've got to put things together, bring people together. My purpose in going is to do just that, to be a positive influence."

He also said he would be meeting with local community and business leaders and law enforcement.

The Democratic presidential nominee drew a contrast between himself and Mr. Trump, whom he has accused of fanning the flames of dissension. Earlier this week, the president declined to denounce suspected vigilante shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who has been charged with killing two people during protests in Wisconsin.

"I wouldn't incite violence. I would condemn it when it occurred," Biden said, adding that he supported law enforcement and believes that the majority of law enforcement officers are good people. "What I'd be doing is I'd be bringing people together in the White House right now," he said.

Mr. Trump did not meet with the family of Jacob Blake, the seven times in the back by a police officer. His family has been vocal in denouncing violent protests since Jacob Blake was shot on August 23. The 29-year-old father of six remains hospitalized and is paralyzed from his injuries, his family lawyers have said.

It is unclear whether Biden will meet with the Blake family while in Kenosha.

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Trump says Pence was never on standby, denies "mini-strokes amid speculation over his health

Biden slams Trump's coronavirus response and school reopening failures

Sneak peek: Dead Ringer
From the fall of 1939 to the summer of 1945, the world was swept into the vast and deadly conflict we now call World War II. Stacker looks at 20 of the defining moments of that epochal conflict, and how each turned the tide of war.
Protesters attempt to escape from tear gas while trying to leave the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) during clashes with police in Hong Kong, China, on Nov. 18, 2019. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

27 Hongkongers Re-arrested Over University Clashes Last Year

Hong Kong police on Sept. 2 re-arrested 27 protesters who gathered near Polytechnic University last year in support of students trapped inside as police tried to storm the campus.

The 27 protesters, aged between 16 and 37, include 15 students, one teacher, and office workers. Two are underage, according to police. They all face the charge of illegal assembly, with one person also accused of possessing an offensive weapon: a laser pointer.

Twenty-five of them had previously refused bail after they were arrested from the scene last year.

The police siege on the Hong Kong college campus in November 2019, which lasted for about two weeks, was one of the most violent episodes during the anti-extradition bill movement that started in June last year. Hundreds were at one time trapped inside as police bombarded the school with tear gas, water cannons, and projectiles.

Protesters clash with police outside Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, on Nov. 17, 2019. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Protesters had occupied the university, using it as a base to block the citys central cross-harbor road tunnel, in an effort to pressure the Hong Kong government into fulfilling their pro-democracy demands.

On Nov. 18, as large numbers gathered outside the campus to support those entrapped, police deployed force to disperse them and later arrested 135, senior police commander Ho Chan-tong told reporters at a Wednesday press briefing. Most of these people have rejected police bail, which he said was an attempt to shed responsibility.

Protesters react as police fire tear gas while they attempt to march towards Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hung Hom district of Hong Kong on Nov. 18, 2019. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

At the press conference, police played clips of molotov cocktails being thrown and of arrows and bows found on school grounds. Ho characterized the PolyU protesters as rioters who caused serious damage.

There were also an unidentified number of people police planned to arrest on Wednesday but could not find, Ho said, as he warned arrestees against fleeing Hong Kong.

The accusations, the offenses, they wont go awaybecause there are many indictable offenses, he said, noting that there is no time limit for prosecution.

If you abscond, you destroy your future, your lifenot only your life, but the lives of your family members and loved ones, he warned.

The arrestees are due to appear in court next Wednesday.

The police are also hunting for eight activistssome who already fledwho face accusations linked to last Julys storming of the citys legislature building and a protest on Aug. 31 last year, according to South China Morning Post, citing an anonymous police insider.

At least dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested since Beijings national security law for Hong Kong came into effect in July. The laws sweeping terms criminalize acts that Beijing deems as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with possible life imprisonment. Some have fled the city, fearing a Beijing crackdown.

Mainland Chinese police on Aug. 23 intercepted a boat and detained 12 Hongkongers between 16 and 30 years old who were reportedly headed to Taiwan for political asylum. The arrestees, except for one person charged with violating the national security law, all faced charges related to their previous participation in pro-democracy protests, according to Hong Kong media reports. They are currently being held in Shenzhen citys Yantian Detention Center, according to reports.

China Times, a Taiwan-based media known for its pro-Beijing slant, cited anonymous sources saying that Taiwan authorities have arrested another five Hong Kong protesters who tried to escape to Taiwan. They were sent to the southern city of Kaohsiung, according to the report. Taiwan authorities have not confirmed the information.
MONTVALE, N.J., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ESM Ferolie, a company that offers tailored brand-building solutions to consumer-packaged goods manufacturers on a super-regional scale announces the integration of LBM Sales, LLC into its' Sales and Marketing Agency.

LBM Sales, LLC was founded in 1972 to represent Confection, Snack, Beverage and Grocery Manufacturers to Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Drug Stores and Distributors in the Upstate New York Market. Kevin Weiner and Paul Weiler have led LBM's Ownership Team since 2004.

"Kevin and Paul have an immense amount of industry, agency and leadership experience, working with prominent branded and private label consumer products clients. We're greatly looking forward to having them on our team," said Tony Ferolie, President and CEO of ESM Ferolie.

In their new roles, Weiner and Weiler will be responsible for sales and marketing strategies as well as providing growth plans for Confection, Snack and Beverage Clients in the market. They will also assist Tony Lubrano, EVP of Confection, GM and HBC as he continues to build the agency's corporate portfolio in these categories.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the ESM Ferolie team and am more than ready to utilize my skillset at a company that is at the forefront of regional excellence in our industry," said Weiner.

"Coming together with ESM Ferolie will allow us to focus on clients and customers while Business Insights, Merchandising and Strategic Development is handled by a team of seasoned veterans with a very clear vision of how to develop winning solutions for our clients and customers," said Weiler.

ESM Ferolie

ESM Ferolie, is a fourth generation family owned and operated super regional sales and marketing agency. The firm has led client growth and satisfaction with customized sales and marketing solutions since 1948. Staffed with over 550 experienced and talented associates from Maine to Florida and West to Ohio, ESM Ferolie provides the customer reach and resources of larger, national companies and the personal touch and market know-how of local market experts. Building on a tradition of service excellence the agency consistently exceeds clients' expectations and delivers solutions from strategy development to product placement on the retailer shelf.

Media Contact:

Jill Natzke

[email protected]

847.778.9282

SOURCE ESM Ferolie




The People's Liberation Army opposes the United States' Pentagon releasing a report hyping up the so-called "Chinese military threat". It also promises to take further action in accordance with the development of the situation, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Pentagon published its annual assessment of the Chinese military on Tuesday, titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2020".

The report claimed China is seeking to build overseas military facilities in over a dozen countries, double the size of its nuclear arsenal and develop a military by mid-century that is equal to -- or in some cases superior to -- the US.

The ministry said the report is chock-full of Cold War and zero-sum game mentalities to hype the so-called "Chinese military threat". The report also has "misunderstood China's defense policy and military strategy, and smeared the PLA's modernization effort, defense spending, nuclear policies and other issues".

The ministry accuses the US report of driving a wedge between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, thus stirring up tension in the region.

"These actions are extremely erroneous, and China resolutely opposes them," the ministry said, adding it will take further action in accordance with the development of the situation.
According to BIC, the list recognizes investment program managers located in banks and credit unions based on several qualifying criteria, including the number of advisors they oversee, team assets under management*, percentage growth in team production, and production per advisor.

"We want our members to receive personalized, professional guidance on the path to retirement," says Nathan Anderson, chief operating officer and executive vice president at Mountain America Credit Union. "Being named a top program manager at Mountain America Investment Services attests to the hard work and high quality of service the wealth management team provides to members pursuing their financial dreams."

"On behalf of LPL, I congratulate Chad Waddoups on being recognized for his leadership and management of the investment program located at Mountain America Credit Union," said Arthur Osman, LPL Financial executive vice president, Institution Services. "It takes vision, support from the institution and partners, and commitment from a talented team to be able to lead a program to these heights. We applaud Chad Waddoups and the team for the work they do and we look forward to supporting their continued success."

The investment program at Mountain America Credit Union is supported by LPL Financial, a leading retail investment advisory firm and independent broker/dealer. LPL Financial is the nation's leading provider of third-party investment services to financial institutions, offering insurance and investment services to more than 800 banks and credit unions nationwide**. The Institution Services offering provides consulting, back-office support, access to technology and resources delivering integrated capabilities, and solutions to address the evolving needs of bank and credit union investment programs.

About Mountain America Investment Services

Mountain America Investment Services provides comprehensive, long-term wealth planning services to help credit union members work toward their goals. We specialize in offering support for personal investments, tax strategies, retirement, and estate planning. We provide investment services through LPL Financial at locations across the Intermountain West. Our team of experienced advisors is here to guide you along your journey. To learn more or set up a virtual meeting or in-person meeting at any Mountain America Credit Union branch, visit macu.com/investments.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial (https://www.lpl.com) is a leader in the retail financial advice market and the nation's largest independent broker-dealer***. We serve independent financial professionals and financial institutions, providing them with the technology, research, clearing and compliance services, and practice management programs they need to create and grow thriving practices. LPL enables them to provide objective guidance to millions of American families seeking wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning and asset management solutions.

Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Mountain America Credit Union and Mountain America Investment Services are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Mountain America Investment Services, and may also be employees of Mountain America Credit Union. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Mountain America Credit Union or Mountain America Investment Services. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

Not Insured by NCUA or Any Other Government Agency Not Credit Union Guaranteed Not Credit Union Deposits or Obligations May Lose Value

*The team assets under management numbers reported by BIC include advisory and brokerage assets serviced by the advisor team. Asset numbers reported were as of 01/1/2020.

**Source: 2018/2019 Kehrer Bielan TPM Survey. Based on Financial Institution Market Share.

***Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2019

LPL Financial, Mountain America Credit Union, and Bank Investment Consultant are not affiliated entities.

SOURCE Mountain America Credit Union

Related Links

http://www.macu.com


Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden said he would like an onscreen fact check ticker to counter Donald Trumps lies during the upcoming debates.

Speaking at a campaign event to lay out his plan for reopening schools in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Biden said he is preparing for the debates by going over everything the president has said and the multiple lies hes told.

He then went on to say that it would be great to have a fact check ticker at the bottom of the screen.

It would make a great debate if everything we said was instantly fact-checked by an agreed to group of people, he said, before conceding that it probably wouldnt be possible.

He added: Im looking forward to debating the president, and Im going to lay out as clearly as I can what I think we have to do to bring this country back and build it back better, and Im looking forward to the debates.

Cable news shows have in the past live fact-checked presidential speeches, but a debate format might prove more challenging.

The debate schedule was finalised some time ago, but the moderators for the three presidential debates and the one vice presidential debate were announced on Wednesday.

The first debate on 29 September at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, will be moderated by Chris Wallace, anchor of Fox News Sunday.

On 7 October Kamala Harris and vice president Mike Pence will debate each other at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, with Susan Page, Washington bureau chief of USA Today acting as moderator.

The second presidential debate on 15 October will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Centre for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, and will be formatted as a town hall-style event, moderated by Steve Scully, senior executive producer and political editor of C-SPAN.

Finally, the third presidential debate on 22 October at Belmost University in Nashville, Tennessee, will be moderated by Kristen Welker, co-anchor of Weekend Today and White House correspondent for NBC News.

The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates selects the dates, locations, formats and moderators for each of the debates.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched a fresh purge after sacking the country's top military commander in Yemen and his son for 'suspicious financial dealings'.

Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz and his son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, along with other officials, form part of an anti-corruption investigation, the kingdom said early on Tuesday.

The announcement attributed the actions to a referral by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 35-year-old son of King Salman who earlier carried out mass arrests as part of a similar anti-corruption drive that also targeted potential rivals to his rule.

Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, commander of Saudi forces in Yemen, and his son Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, have been sacked due following 'suspicious financial dealings,' according to state media

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been behind several campaigns targeting focused on clamping down on corruption

A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency referred to 'suspicious financial dealings monitored at the Ministry of Defence,' without elaborating.

As a result, the statement said the kingdom fired Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, a prince in Saudi Arabia's large ruling family in charge of allied forces in the Saudi-led war in Yemen against Iranian-allied Houthi rebels.

Authorities also removed his son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, from his position as the deputy governor of Saudi Arabia's al-Jouf region in the kingdom's northwest.

In 2017 the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was turned into a luxury prison following the mass arrest of businessmen, royals and others

The kingdom is investigating four other officials as well, all on the orders of 84-year-old King Salman, the statement said.

It was not immediately clear if those accused had been detained.

Anti-corruption officials 'shall complete the investigation procedures with all relevant military and civil officials, take the necessary legal measures against them and submit the outcomes,' the statement said.

After coming to power, Crown Prince Mohammed has been behind several anti-corruption campaigns, including turning Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel into a luxury prison in late 2017 as part of a mass arrest of businessmen, royals and others.
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While President Trump has insisted that schools physically reopen, the private school his son Barron is attending is sticking with remote learning.

Yes, that feels like a double standard, but its more complicated than that. Barron will have a computer and internet access at home. Hell have adults making sure he does his work, and hell be able to eat his fill without free school lunches.

In short, affluent children will mostly be fine even without in-person classes. But one study found that almost 17 million American children live in homes without high-speed internet, and more than seven million dont have a computer at home. For disadvantaged kids, online learning is an oxymoron.

Prolonged school closures will worsen dropout rates across the nation, for missing just 10 percent of class days is associated with a sevenfold increased risk of dropping out. Even in normal times, only 53 percent of children attending Bureau of Indian Education schools finish high school. Closures after Hurricane Katrina led many students to leave school for good.
A COVID-19 vaccine could be available earlier than expected if ongoing clinical trials produce overwhelmingly positive results, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official, in an interview Tuesday with KHN.

Although two ongoing clinical trials of 30,000 volunteers are expected to conclude by the end of the year, Fauci said an independent board has the authority to end the trials weeks early if interim results are overwhelmingly positive or negative.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board could say, "'The data is so good right now that you can say it's safe and effective,'" Fauci said. In that case, researchers would have "a moral obligation" to end the trial early and make the active vaccine available to everyone in the study, including those who had been given placebos  and accelerate the process to give the vaccine to millions.

Fauci's comments come at a time of growing concern about whether political pressure from the Trump administration could influence federal regulators and scientists overseeing the nation's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and erode shaky public confidence in vaccines. Prominent vaccine experts have said they fear Trump is pushing for an early vaccine approval to help win reelection.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he trusts the independent members of the DSMB  who are not government employees  to hold vaccines to high standards without being politically influenced. Members of the board are typically experts in vaccine science and biostatistics who teach at major medical schools.

"If you are making a decision about the vaccine, you'd better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective," Fauci said. "I'm not concerned about political pressure."

The safety board periodically looks at data from a clinical trial to determine if it's ethical to continue enrolling volunteers, who are randomly assigned to receive either an experimental vaccine or a placebo shot. Neither the volunteers nor the health workers who vaccinate them know which shot they're receiving.

Manufacturers are now testing three COVID vaccines in large-scale U.S. trials. The first two studies  one led by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health and the other led by Pfizer and BioNTech  began in late July. Each study was designed to enroll 30,000 participants. Company officials have said both trials have enrolled about half that total. AstraZeneca , which has been running large-scale clinical trials in Great Britain, Brazil and South Africa, launched another large-scale vaccine study this week in the U.S., involving 30,000 volunteers. Additional vaccine trials are expected to begin this month.

In trials of this size, researchers will know if a vaccine is effective after as few as 150 to 175 infections, said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a call with reporters Friday.

"It may be surprising, but the number of events that need to occur is relatively small," Redfield said.

Right now, only the safety board has access to the trial data, said Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services. As for when trial results will be available, "we cannot determine if it will be the middle of October or December."

Safety boards set "stopping rules" at the beginning of a study, making their criteria for ending a trial very clear, said Dr. Eric Topol, executive vice president for research at Scripps Research in San Diego and an expert on the use of data in medical research.

Although the safety board can recommend stopping a trial, the ultimate decision to halt a study is made by the scientists running the trial, Topol said.

A vaccine manufacturer could then apply to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization, which can be granted quickly, or continue through the regular drug approval process, which requires more time and evidence.

Safety monitors also can stop a trial because of safety concerns, "if it looks like it's actually harming people in the vaccine arm, due to a lot of adverse events," Fauci said.

Fauci said people can trust the process, because all the data that outside monitors used to make their decisions would be made public.

"All of that has to be transparent," Fauci said. "The only time you get concerned is if there is any pressure to terminate the trial before you have enough data on safety and efficacy."

Topol and other scientists have sharply criticized the FDA in recent weeks, accusing Commissioner Stephen Hahn of bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration, which has pushed the agency to approve COVID treatments faster.

Stopping trials early poses a number of risks, such as making a vaccine look more effective than it really is, Topol said.

"If you stop something early, you can get an exaggerated benefit that isn't real," because less positive evidence only emerges later, Topol said.

Stopping the studies early also could prevent researchers from recruiting more minority volunteers. So far, only about 1 in 5 trial participants is Black or Hispanic. Given that Blacks and Hispanics have been hit harder than other groups by the pandemic, Topol said, it's important that they make up a larger part of vaccine trials.

Ending vaccine trials early also carries safety risks, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine developer who serves on an NIH advisory panel on COVID vaccines and treatments.

A smaller, shorter trial could fail to detect important vaccine side effects, which could become apparent only after millions of people have been immunized, said Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Researchers will continue to follow vaccinated volunteers for a full year to look for long-term side effects, Redfield said.

And Fauci acknowledged that cutting a trial short could undermine public confidence in COVID vaccines. One in three Americans is unwilling to get a COVID vaccine, according to a recent Gallup Poll.
Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced that Maryland is ready to reopen movie theaters, begin holding concerts and expand the size of religious gatherings as he granted permission for a modified third phase of coronavirus recovery to begin at 5 p.m. Friday.

Citing improving infection rates, the declining use of intensive care beds and expanded testing availability, Hogan said it is safe to lift more of the social restrictions that have been in place since March.

"We have crushed the curve and saved lives," Hogan, a Republican, said at a news conference, adding that not all activities have permission to resume. "We're just slowly entering Phase 3, and we're going to see how that goes."

Hogan reiterated that local governments have the power to decide how much to reopen and can move at a slower pace than the state. It was not immediately clear which jurisdictions would proceed with the loosened restrictions.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday evening that Hogan's announcement "has again taken us by surprise." Elrich said the county will review Hogan's order "to determine the best way to move forward for our residents and businesses while protecting the public health."

Montgomery, which has the state's second-highest number of cases after Prince George's County, typically has lagged the state in lifting pandemic restrictions. Representatives for Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

Hogan previously had said the state would only enter Phase 3 when a vaccine for the novel coronavirus was available. He said that his plan has evolved since it was released in April and that the state's improving metrics suggest Maryland can move forward from the second phase, where it has stayed for more than two months.

Under Hogan's plan, movie theaters and concert venues may open at 50% capacity, or with 100 people indoors, whichever is less. Outdoor events are capped at 50% capacity or 250 people. Retail establishments and houses of worship can operate at 75% capacity, up from 50%.

Maryland's test positivity rate has stayed below 5% for 68 consecutive days, Hogan said, down from 26% at the peak of the pandemic in April. Hospitalizations, deaths and the case count have also consistently declined.

As the state battles the virus, Hogan said, "it is also important that we continue to fight to protect and fight for the health of our economy, the health of our small-business community and our struggling Maryland families by continuing to push to safely reopen our economy."

Hogan also criticized eight Maryland counties, including Montgomery and Prince George's, for submitting reopening plans that did not include options for any students to return to school in person this fall.

While Hogan announced the lifting of restrictions, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, said earlier in the day that he will leave tighter social and economic restrictions in place in eastern Virginia through Monday, Labor Day. He said loosened restrictions ahead of holiday activities could worsen the spread of the virus.

"I know a lot of folks want to get things back open on Labor Day," Northam said during a news conference. But he noted that the Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays both led to case increases, particularly in the beach communities of Hampton Roads.

"We don't want to repeat that as the summer draws to a close," Northam said.

If infection rates hold steady through the weekend, Northam said he will consider lifting some of the tighter restrictions in that part of the state.

While the rest of Virginia is in a third phase of coronavirus restrictions, Northam tightened policies in Hampton Roads at the end of July because of a spike in infections. He reduced indoor dining in restaurants to 50% of capacity, imposed a 10 p.m. cutoff for alcohol and banned gatherings of more than 50%.

The percentage of positive test results in that region has declined, but, at nearly 9%, is still higher than the statewide average of about 7%.

Northam said he is concerned about a rise in cases in rural southwestern Virginia, where the average of 220 new cases a day rivals numbers in far more populous northern Virginia.

"This is especially concerning for a region where there are fewer hospitals," he said.

He also noted recent reports of outbreaks on college and university campuses in the state as students return for the fall.

"We're watching this very closely," he said, noting that he speaks with college and university presidents almost daily. As long as institutions follow their approved reopening plans and work with local health departments, he said, they can move ahead with plans to resume classes.

Northam criticized President Donald Trump for reclassifying teachers as critical workers who must stay on the job even if they have been exposed to covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

"That's the wrong thing to do," he said. "If you are a teacher and there's a high chance you've been exposed to covid-19, you should be tested and stay home until you get the results."

Northam said the virus is likely to be active through the fall and winter. He emphasized that residents should not let down their guard.

The state's infection rates are "at a more acceptable range, but we're still not close to where we need to be to ease these restrictions," he said.

The greater Washington region reported 1,692 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, as well as 38 additional fatalities. The District of Columbia reported 57 cases and no deaths; Maryland had 614 cases and six deaths; Virginia had 1,021 cases and 32 deaths.

The daily death toll was the region's highest number of fatalities in a single day since Aug. 6. The number of deaths in Virginia was the highest since Aug. 1.

The rolling seven-day average of new infections in D.C., Maryland and Virginia was 1,595 on Tuesday, a number that has mostly held steady for more than a week.
He continued: There are people that are on the streets. There are people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane, it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. Theyre on a plane.  But they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention.
Israel has struck Syria again, this time hitting southern Syrian and reportedly killing 11 people in process writes Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Israel launched another round of airstrikes on southern Syria Monday evening, with at least 11 people killed, according to media reports.

The strikes targeted Iranian positions close to Damascus with Syrian air defences activated, according to regime media.

Seven Iranian militia fighters, three Syrian soldiers, and a civilian were killed in the strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian regime media reported two dead and that a woman civilian was among those killed.

Video footage from the area showed Syrian air defences firing into the air with regime media claiming serveral Israeli missiles were downed.

Israel, which does not usually acknowledge attacks in Syria, referred only to military operations in its northern sector.

The IDF is working to secure strategic objectives with a series of operations, especially in the northern sector, Israeli military spokesperson Hadi Zilberman told KAN Reshet Bet radio on Tuesday, according to Israeli media.

Israel has been alarmed by the growing presence of Iranian militias in Syria, particularly in the south of the country, and has launched hundreds of strikes on militias linked to Tehran.

Israels military also believes that as much as one-third of Syrias air defences have been destroyed in strikes.

It has also targeted the alleged transfer of missiles and militants to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Strikes on Hezbollah fighters in Syria have been a more sensitive issue, with the movements leader, Hassan Nasrallah, threatening retaliation against Israel in such targeted killings continue.

Iran has sent thousands of fighters  particularly from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan  to help prop up the Syrian regime.

Tehran has been accused of building a permanent military presence in Syria, particularly in the countrys resource-rich east where a number of bases have been established.

The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will never support any call for a revolutionary government, its chief of staff told a plenary hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines does not support this movement in calling for a revolutionary government, precisely because of the reason that it is unconstitutional and we find it politically motivated," Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay told the CA's Committee on National Defense which later confirmed his nomination as AFP chief.

Gapay said that while he recognizes that all military personnel are entitled to their individual opinions, backing a revolutionary government "will cause more harm than good at this point in time in our country."

"Our actions are being guided by our sworn duty to uphold and protect our Constitution and serve our people," he said firmly.

Last week, the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee launched an event to express support for a Duterte-led revolutionary government which the group said will help fast-track the establishment of federalism before the Presidents term ends in 2022.

President Rodrigo Duterte initially distanced himself from the issue, but on Monday said he wanted a public discussion on a proposal to establish a revolutionary government in the country.

As I said, the revolutionary government should not be discussed in sub rosa (in secrecy). It should be discussed publicly, said Duterte during his weekly address.

The President also said discussions on the proposed revolutionary government in the country should include the military.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued refunds of over 98,625 crore to more than 26.2 lakh taxpayers between April 1 to September 1, 2020, said the Income Tax (I-T) Department in a statement on Wednesday.

The I-T refunds of 29,997 crore were issued in 24,50,041 cases and corporate tax refunds of 68,628 crore have been issued in 1,68,421 cases, the statement said.

In wake of COVID-19 pandemic, CBDT has extended the due date for filing of Income Tax Returns for FY 2018-19 (AY 2019-20) from July 31 to September 30, 2020.

The CBDT earlier said the income tax authorities can share information with scheduled commercial banks, a move that would ease the lenders hassle of deciding TDS deductibility on various payments to their customers.

In a notification dated August 31, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) included scheduled commercial banks, listed in the second schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, under Section 138 of Income Tax Act for sharing of information.

CBDT is the apex tax body on personal income tax and corporate tax. Section 138 of the Income Tax Act empowers income tax authorities to share information/ details of its taxpayers with other agencies.

The move will especially help in cases such as TDS under Section 194N, which requires multiple income tax related information and declaration from customers making withdrawal, analyst said.

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Chancellor Angela Merkel, who over the years has taken pains to preserve Germanys diplomatic relations with the Kremlin, took the unusual step on Wednesday of publicly calling Russia out.

Mr. Navalny has been the victim of a crime, Ms. Merkel in a statement. It raises very serious questions that only the Russian government can and must answer.

Russia is unlikely to provide such answers.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin said it had not been informed of Germanys findings before they were announced, the Russian state news outlet Tass reported.

No, such information was not conveyed to us, said the presidential spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov. He added that Russian doctors had found no evidence of any poisonous substances in Mr. Navalnys system before he was moved to Germany.

German officials said the Russian ambassador had been briefed at around the same time the findings were made public.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said on Wednesday that American officials found the German conclusion about the use of Novichok very credible and deeply concerning. He said Washington was discussing a response with Germany and other allies.

It is unclear what Western governments can do to curtail such behavior. Despite years of escalating sanctions, expulsions of diplomats and international isolation, the Kremlin, according to Western intelligence agencies, continues to act concertedly to undermine American and European institutions and violate international norms.
Despite Changing Plans and Safety Concerns, Conoco Survey Finds That Americans Continue Taking To The Road Amid Coronavirus Pandemic







Great Road Trips and Super Drives

"The road trip has long been an important part of American culture and it's reassuring to see that some things don't change even in times of uncertainty," said Sarah Bolding, senior brand director at Conoco. "At Conoco, we're committed to helping our consumers find their sense of adventure in the safest way possible."

Safety is now a top concern when roadtripping with 49% of respondents saying they're concerned about putting themselves at risk of contracting the virus and 44% worried about being around too many people. With these concerns, the amount of road trip planning people are doing has also increased. Prior to the pandemic, 38% of people said they planned a road trip just a few days to a week in advance. Sixty-six percent now say that they anticipate needing more time to plan. Additionally, 77% of Americans are planning to limit their stops to only the essentialsfor gas, the bathroom and foodand will avoid going into shops or lingering in crowds.

Americans' main reason for roadtripping continues to be spending time with friends and family (48% pre-pandemic and 42% mid-pandemic). Weekend trips are still the most common, with the average length of a road trip 2-3 days before the pandemic, which has remained consistent. A new kind of road trip has also come about as a result of the number of people who can now work wherever there is a strong wi-fi connection. For those with the ability to work from home, the new idea of "working from anywhere" is appealing  81% who had the option would consider a road trip to work from a new location.

Where are today's road trippers headed? In general, most Americans are planning a trip 3-5 hours from home (41% of respondents). In the Rocky Mountain region, destinations known for their outdoor activities were top of the list, with many respondents planning trips to Colorado, Montana, California, Wyoming and Utah. The average Rocky Mountain resident was more likely to be planning a trip 8+ hours away from home, with 38% vs. 28% of the national average. In the Rocky Mountains, people were most comfortable driving to national and state parks (57%), followed by lakes and beaches (47%) and small/mid-sized towns (47%). They were least likely to be comfortable traveling to cities, with only 38% of respondents in the region comfortable with the idea.

Travelers can stay safe at the pump with mobile pay in the My Conoco mobile app to limit contact with surfaces outside and in store. For more information, visit https://www.conoco.com/mobile-apps.

About the Conoco Road Trip Survey

The Conoco Road Trip Survey was conducted on behalf of Conoco by Toluna Group to explore consumer attitudes and behaviors toward road tripping shortly before and after COVID-19.

Fieldwork was conducted from March 7-18 and July 7-29, 2020 among a national sample of 2,000 adults aged 16-39, living in either the Rocky Mountain, West Coast or Midwestern/Heartland regions, have a valid driver's license, have bought gas in the last 30 days, and have taken a road trip in the last 6 months.

About U.S. Marketing at Phillips 66, 76 and Conoco

Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. With a portfolio of Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties businesses, the company processes, transports, stores and markets fuels and products globally. Headquartered in Houston, the company has 14,500 employees committed to safety and operating excellence. Using a network of branded marketers and dealers operating approximately 7,000 outlets, its U.S. Marketing business supplies TOP TIER Detergent Gasolines under the Phillips 66, 76 and Conoco brands. For more information, visit http://www.phillips66.com/ or follow us on Twitter @Phillips66Co.
WILMINGTON, N.C. - As thunderstorms threatened, President Donald Trump sped through a V-J Day speech on Wednesday, trumpeting American strength and managing to squeeze in a swipe at Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Trump stood before an iconic World War II-era battleship to declare the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, a World War II Heritage City. He pointed to a bolt of lightning and said it was God saluting the event.

He honoured war veterans, including 97-year-old Hershel Woody Williams, the sole surviving Marine from the war to receive the Medal of Honor. The West Virginia native fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific.

Hes 100 per cent sharp, Trump said of Williams, who travelled to the key battleground state with the president aboard Air Force One.

I know a 78-year-old whos not so sharp, Trump added, a clear allusion to Biden.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had insisted earlier this week that there was no political purpose to Trumps visit to North Carolina. But when the president landed in Wilmington, Trump lost no time in criticizing Biden.

This is the most important election in the history of our country. I really believe that, because were running against people that have got some big issues, he told supporters on the airport tarmac. They have got some big, big problems. Theyre stone cold crazy.

Trump also encouraged those who cast votes by mail to cast two ballots in Novembers election, one by mail and another in person as a check to see if the mailed vote was counted.

Theyll go out and theyll vote and theyre going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way because if it tabulates then they wont be able to do that. So, let them send it in and let them go vote, Trump said in an interview with WECT-TV at the Wilmington airport. And if their systems as good as they say it is, then obviously they wont be able to vote. If it isnt tabulated, theyll be able to vote. So thats the way it is, and thats what they should do.

Trump made a similar appeal in remarks to supporters at the airport. You cant let them take your vote away; these people are playing dirty politics  dirty politics. So if you have an absentee ballot or, as I call it, a solicited ballot ... you send it in, but I would check it, in any event, I would go and follow it and go vote, he said.

Trump won North Carolina by 3.6 percentage points in 2016, but polls are showing an extremely close race taking shape in a state that generates 15 electoral votes for its winner.

The presidents visit to North Carolina comes as county boards start sending absentee ballots to voters on Friday. Vice-President Mike Pence will follow the president by visiting Raleigh on Thursday.

Through Sept. 1, more than 591,000 ballot requests had been received, compared with approximately 36,500 through the same period in 2016, the state elections board said Wednesday.

More than half of the absentee ballots, or approximately 313,000, have been requested by Democrats. Republicans have requested more than 93,000 and registered unaffiliated voters account for approximately 183,000 ballot requests.

Biden released a statement in advance of the trip saying that Trump has not provided North Carolina with the roadmap and resources needed to protect businesses, schools and families from the coronavirus.

Instead of honouring the sacrifice of our front-line heroes, President Trump has repeatedly ignored public health guidance for political purposes, Biden said.

Wilmington has been home to the Battleship North Carolina since 1962. The ship is now a floating museum. On Sept. 2, 1945, Japans formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.

Congress passed a bill earlier this year that included a provision requiring the secretary of the interior to annually designate one city in the United States as an American World War II Heritage City. Wilmington is the first city to get that designation.

___

Associated Press writers Jonathan Drew in Durham, N.C., and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
PHOENIX, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - 4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) ("4Front" or the "Company") announced that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission ("CCC") has granted 4Front's Mission Dispensary and cultivation/processing facilities in Worcester, Massachusetts, authorization to commence adult-use retail and production operations. The soft launch of adult-use sales will start this Friday, September 4, with a Grand Opening on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.

Entry into the adult-use market significantly expands 4Front's total addressable market and is expected to drive both top-line and bottom-line growth at the Company in the second half of 2020 and into 2021. Massachusetts is a core growth market for 4Front, with the Company also executing its fully funded expansion plans that are underway at its Georgetown, Massachusetts production facility, which are expected to significantly increase its output from this location to meet market demand.

"Receiving adult-use licensure in Worcester is another significant milestone for the Company and follows adult-use licensure at our Georgetown facility in August. We would like to thank the CCC for their support during the licensing process," said Leo Gontmakher, CEO, 4Front Ventures. "Consistent with our Company's culture of setting operational goals and executing upon them, it's great to see the continuing momentum as we announce another of what I expect to be many achievements in the back half of this year. I am proud of the hard work from each of our employees in making this happen. We expect this to augment the recent accelerated growth we're experiencing in Massachusetts as we continue to benefit from replicating our tried and true production capabilities, now fully supported by our retail stores."

Interested consumers can visit the Mission dispensary at:

640 Lincoln Street

Worcester, MA

To receive company updates and be added to the email distribution list please sign up here.

About 4Front Ventures Corp.



4Front (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) is a national multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, with a market advantage in mass-produced, low-cost quality branded cannabis products. 4Front manufactures and distributes a portfolio of over 25 cannabis brands including Marmas, Crystal Clear, Funky Monkey, Pebbles, and the Pure Ratios wellness collection, distributed through retail outlets and their chain of strategically positioned Mission branded dispensaries.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, 4Front has operations in Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Michigan and Washington state. From plant genetics to the cannabis retail experience, 4Front's team applies expertise across the entire cannabis value chain. For more information, visit 4Front's website www.4frontventures.com.

This news release was prepared by management of 4Front Ventures, which takes full responsibility for its contents. The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in 4Front Ventures' periodic filings with securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements related to future developments and the business and operations of 4Front Ventures, developments with respect to legislative developments in the United States, expectations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, future revenue or Adjusted EBITDA expectations, statements regarding when or if any contemplated or in-progress transactions will close or if/when required regulatory approvals are attained, and other statements regarding future developments of the business. The closing of the transactions described in this news release, including the divesture of Pennsylvania and Maryland assets and the sale of convertible debt, is subject to customary conditions and there can be no guarantee that such transactions will close.

Although 4Front Ventures has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. federal laws; change in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. 4Front Ventures disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and 4Front Ventures does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

SOURCE 4Front

Related Links

https://4frontventures.com


A Nova Scotia tidal energy company has won the competition to fill the vacant berth at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy site in Parrsboro, N.S.

As part of the agreement, Big Moon Power must remove the failed Cape Sharp tidal turbine that is still sitting on the ocean floor in the Bay of Fundy.

"Big Moon is extremely pleased to have won this procurement from the province of Nova Scotia and to continue our efforts to advance the tidal industry in Canada," stated Big Moon chair Lynn Blodgett in a news release.

Big Moon Power has provided a security deposit of $4.5 million related to its commitment to retrieve the tidal turbine. The 1,300-tonne turbine has been stranded on the bottom of the Minas Passage since 2018 when a parent company of Cape Sharp Tidal Venture, OpenHydro Group Ltd., filed for liquidation.

"Obviously, we were looking for parties that were well qualified and have adequate technical capabilities," said John Dalton, the president of Power Advisory LLC, the company that oversaw the call for proposals. "[Big Moon] satisfied all those requirements as well as provided the desired financial security."

Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press

Big Moon Power is no stranger to tidal power research in the Bay of Fundy. It has experimented with prototypes in Scots Bay. Big Moon's technology, called a Kinetic Keel, allows it to harness tidal power without installing anything on the ocean floor.

With authority from Energy Minister Derek Mombourquette, Big Moon Power has been granted a marine renewable-electricity licence, which includes the design, construction and operation of eight 500 kilowatt in-stream tidal energy generators. No generation is allowed until an environmental monitoring plan is submitted.

The removal of the Cape Sharp turbine may not happen anytime soon. Big Moon Power must submit and have a retrieval plan approved by the province and has a deadline of Dec. 31, 2024, to raise the turbine.

In an interview with CBC News last year, Mombourquette said he hoped the turbine would be out of the water by October 2020.

MORE TOP STORIES
The logic of proud nationalism dictates that maps may become larger, but they certainly cannot be allowed to shrink. This requirement to defend the map at any cost is part of the essential character of the nation-state.

Joining the Dots is a weekly column by author and journalist Samrat in which he connects events to ideas, often through analysis, but occasionally through satire

***

There are reports of fresh tensions between the Indian and Chinese militaries in Ladakh from around Pangong Tso. The situation there has smouldered since the bloody clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley area in June in which 20 Indian and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers died in hand-to-hand fighting.

The Chinese, according to a report in The Hindu, are currently occupying around 1,000 sq km of territory in Ladakh that was not in their possession before this year. This is in addition to the whole of Aksai Chin, the barren high-altitude desert between Ladakh and Tibet that appears on Indian maps as a part of India, although it has never been in the physical occupation of any government of independent India. India on its part rules Arunachal Pradesh, which appears in Chinese maps as their territory. The latest reports indicate that Indian forces also pre-emptively occupied the heights on the southern banks of Pangong Tso in Ladakh, thus pushing into areas where they were not formerly present.

Differing maps present countries with a problem that is very difficult to solve. It is not politically feasible for any government to align maps to ground realities because that would be seen as giving away swathes of the countrys territory. Even though the territories in dispute may never actually have been ruled by either of the contending parties, national pride is involved. Historical realities are forgotten and clashes, possibly escalating into war, become a path that cannot be avoided.

The territorial dispute between India and China is over borderlands that are at the edges of both countries. They are over spaces that were largely blanks on the map until after 1800, and in some cases, even after 1900. The fight over them is actually a consequence of technologies of communication that have enabled state cores to expand their reaches to distant peripheries. The clash is fundamentally one caused by nation-states colonising what were formerly non-state spaces.

Take Aksai Chin, for example. The area was and is a forbidding desert that remained uninhabited and uninhabitable for most of the history. It ended up finding its way into the map of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir thanks to a junior civilian sub-assistant of the Survey of India named WH Johnson, whose cartographic exertions in 1865 made it Kashmiri territory. In 2003, writing (paywall) on this in the Economic and Political Weekly, Mohan Guruswamy noted that Johnsons survey is not without some controversy. To have completed the journey to Khotan, which lay well beyond the forbidding Kuen Lun range, and to return to Leh in the time he did, he would have had to be covering over 30 kms a day. Even if that frenetic pace were possible, it is doubtful any serious survey effort would have been possible.

Regardless of the quality and veracity of Johnsons surveying and map-making, the Maharaja of Kashmir was pleased to find his territory suddenly enlarged. Johnson resigned from his Survey of India job and was appointed governor of Ladakh by the Maharaja. The territory he had quite literally drawn into Jammu and Kashmir however remained unoccupied. A few years later, according to an article by AG Noorani, the British Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne, believing the territory to be of no value, and not wishing to leave a no-mans land between their domains and China, suggested the Chinese should be encouraged to take it as a way of ensuring the Russians, then seen as the primary threat for British India, did not find a way in.

The status of Aksai Chin remained unclear even after India and China emerged as modern nation-states in their present avatars in 1947 and 1949 respectively. Praveen Swami, in a piece for Firstpost earlier this year, pointed out that Indias 1950 map of its borders included no claim to Aksai Chin, recording the Ladakh frontier areas as undefined. Ladakh sort of shaded into Tibet on that map; there was no line between them.

India and China today are now fighting over those very same no-mans lands that neither of them had actually previously owned, or even particularly wanted.

The case of Arunachal Pradesh is similar. Much of the area in dispute appeared as blanks on the map until after 1900. The first surveys from the Indian side were done in the early 1900s by British expeditions that followed the course of one or the other of the Brahmaputra rivers formative tributaries, the Lohit, Dibang and Siang. There were no roads, the rivers were not navigable by boat, and the thick jungles were inhabited by tribes that were hostile to strangers, often greeting them with murderous physical attacks. There was of course no question of any existing administrative machinery, either Indian or Chinese, of any kind. No emperor in Delhi or Beijing, and no king in Tibet or Assam, had ever ruled those lands.

These areas, which had never belonged to anyone but the local tribes, gradually began to appear on Indian and Chinese maps as their own territories. They became an administrative territory called the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) under Indian rule, after being part of Assam immediately after Independence. Beijing first laid claim to NEFA, with the exception of Tirap, as well as parts of Ladakh, in a 1958 official map, according to Swami.

The maps then took on a life of their own. The nation-state deified them. For India, an expansive map even became a backdrop to the image of Bharat Mata  although the original painting of Bharat Mata by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905 had no such cartographic character to it.

Neither India nor China can now allow changes to their maps. The logic of proud nationalism dictates that maps may become larger, but they certainly cannot be allowed to shrink. This requirement to defend the map at any cost is part of the essential character of the nation-state. Flag-waving populism and majoritarianism only make it more obvious.

Majoritarianism is part and parcel of the nation-state, which by definition belongs to a certain group, explicitly in many cases, but implicitly in others. We know that England belongs to the English and Spain to the Spaniards, China to the Han Chinese and Japan to the Japanese, Pakistan to Muslims and Israel to Jews. However, all countries tend to have internal diversity, because that is simply how the human world is. The degree of diversity varies, but there is diversity everywhere. The internally diverse population of the country is united under the majority in the nation-state by the imagery of map and flag, the emotional tune of the national anthem, and the social contract of the Constitution. Without these bindings, the centre cannot hold.

Any assault on its map, flag, anthem or Constitution is thus an existential issue for the nation-state.

This is why the escalating dispute between India and China in Ladakh may continue to escalate. The territory in question may be a sliver of land in a high-altitude cold desert far away from the national heartlands, inhabited by populations very different from the respective dominant majorities on either side but if in our perception it is ours, and in their perception it is theirs, both sides are now bound to defend their maps, as they were in the past.

Having embarked upon a path of confrontation, it will be extremely difficult for India and China to back down from their positions and claims.

 Featured image via Press Trust of India
Boris Johnson today hinted that 'flexible' season tickets could be introduced soon to encourage workers to get back to offices.

The PM said the government and rail companies were cooperating 'at pace' to develop tickets that can be used a few times a week.

The news came as the government stepped up its efforts to get Britons to return to workplaces, amid fears that deserted town and city centres are on the verge of collapse.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said that more than half of staff were in the office at her department. But she said it was down to employers and employees to discuss their arrangements.

Many companies say they cannot accommodate the normal staffing levels at their bases due to coronavirus social distancing rules.

Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons today) said the government and rail companies were cooperating 'at pace' to develop tickets that can be used a few times a week

Travellers at Waterloo Station in London this week, a key commuter route into the city

And at PMQs, Tory former minister Damian Green pointed out that commuters in his Kent constituency would be unable to get better value season tickets for coming in two or three days a week.

In counties surrounding London, it is typically cheaper to get a weekly ticket than three peak day returns.

Mr Johnson said: 'We are working at pace with rail companies to try to deliver new products, in terms of ticketing, which ensure not just better value, but also enable people to get back to work in a flexible way.'

Amid a push for civil servants to lead from the front, Ms Coffey said 'more than half' of staff are 'fully back in the offices' at the DWP.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she added: 'But even then we have capacity on how many people can be in a Covid-safe environment within our workplace.'

Ms Coffey said that 799 of the department's 804 sites are open, and hoped that children returning to school would give parents more opportunities to go back to the office.

The minister told the programme: 'It's important that employers and employees have that discussion about Covid-safe environments,' and added: 'There'll be more opportunities for parents to go back into the office if that's what is the best thing for them and their employer.'

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said that more than half of staff were in the office at her department

Pictures from the previously bustling City of London this week have shown empty streets and Tube stations at rush hour

At PMQs, Tory former minister Damian Green pointed out that commuters in his Kent constituency would be unable to get better value season tickets for coming in two or three days a week

Pictures from the previously bustling City of London this week have shown empty streets and Tube stations at rush hour.

But the Prime Minister has claimed that people are returning 'in huge numbers to the office'.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'We've been clear with departments that they need to ensure Government workspaces are Covid-secure and permanent secretaries have been undertaking the work to return civil servants to the office or workplace.'

Responding, Mr Johnson said: 'This is a leader of the Opposition who backed remaining in the EU and now is totally silent on the subject, now has performed a U-turn. He backed - in fact he still does Mr Speaker - this is a leader of the Opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato and now says absolutely nothing. This is a leader of the Opposition who sat on the front bench whilst there was anti-Semitism...'

Mr Johnson's comments were cut off by the Speaker who called for Order.
A woman who met her 53-year-old husband as a teenager and is younger than his eldest daughter wants to break down the 'gold digger' stereotype in their age gap relationship.

With 27 years between them, Kelsey Kammeyer Allen, 25, said that she and her husband Paul Allen, 53, often attract curious stares from strangers when they kiss or hold hands while out in public together.

But the happy couple from Salt Lake City, Utah, never let their age get in the way of true love, and the pair tied the knot in June 2019 after being together for five years.

Now the happy couple are trying for a baby of their own to complete their family - and Kelsey joked it's strange to be a step-grandmother before she's a mother.

Esthetician Kelsey first met Paul - who has three children aged 27, 25 and 23, along with three grandchildren - back when she was just 19 years old and he was 47.

Kelsey Kammeyer Allen, 25, said that she and her husband Paul Allen, 53, often attract curious stares from strangers when they kiss or hold hands in public because of their age gap

Paul has three kids aged 27, 25 and 23 - Marcus (right) Alyssa (left) and Lindsey (top), seen with the couple at their wedding - and three grandkids. Kelsey is younger than his eldest daughter

And while she never imaged falling for someone so much older, Kelsey said there was an instant attraction between them and the pair quickly fell in love.

But throughout their relationship, Kelsey said their difference in age has caused a few awkward moments such as strangers assuming they were father and daughter - while she has also felt judgement from people who presumed she was a 'gold digger'.

Kelsey said: 'I first met Paul when I was 19, I was living in California at the time and my brother invited me to a poker party when I was home in Utah visiting.

'I was young, it sounded like fun, so I decided to go. My brother and Paul had known each other for a long time, they are hunting buddies.

Throughout their relationship, Kelsey said their difference in age has caused a few awkward moments

While she never imaged falling for someone so much older, Kelsey said there was an instant attraction between them and the pair quickly fell in love

'I met him there, we all had so much fun and so all of us kept hanging out after that. I gradually started falling in love with him because he is such an incredible man.

'It was hard at the start. There is a big age gap between us, I never imagined I would end up with an older man.

'We'd go out in public and people would stare at us. I felt nervous to hold his hand because I knew people were judging us.

'There is so much stigma around a younger woman being with an older man, they think we are "Gold Diggers" just after their money.

'There have been a couple of instances where people assumed we were father and daughter, and it's always a bit awkward.

'But after a year of dating, I finally let it go. I realized I loved him, life is short and no one else's opinion matters as long as we are happy.

'I think at first, everyone was not too sure about our relationship.. But once our families got to know each other, everyone was very accepting.

'His kids were a bit wary at first about my intentions, but after I spent more time with them, we all got along so well.'

The happy couple are trying for a baby of their own to complete their family - and Kelsey joked that it's strange to be a step-grandmother before she's a mother

Kelsey told how Paul's daughter said she has an 'old soul' while he is 'young at heart', which is why they match well

Kelsey was over the moon when romantic Paul - who has owned his own successful landscape business for 27 years - popped the question outside the Versace mansion in Miami Beach, Florida back in 2018 while they were on vacation.

About a year later, the loved-up pair walked down the aisle in a close-knit ceremony in Utah surrounded by family and friends - who Kelsey said have been incredibly supportive.

She said: 'We were in Florida on vacation, and we just had dinner at the Versace mansion.

'After that, we walked across to the beach and he proposed. I was over the moon.

'Then a year later, we had a lovely wedding in California on the beach. It was very intimate and beautiful.

'Now we are trying to have a baby. It has always been my dream to be a mom.

Kelsey was thrilled when Paul - who has owned his own landscape business for 27 years - proposed outside the Versace mansion in Miami in 2018 while they were on vacation

The happy couple, from Salt Lake City, Utah, never let their age get in the way of true love, and the pair tied the knot in June 2019 after being together for five years

Kelsey said there is a misconception that younger women with older men are just after their money

'It's funny that I'm actually a step-grandma before I'm actually a mother. We call ourselves the modern family. The traditional unit isn't as common anymore.

'We are so incredibly happy together and wouldn't change anything for the world.'

Stunning Kelsey is now sharing her story in the hopes that it will help break down the stigma surrounding age gap relationships - while also proving that anyone can fall in love.

She added: 'I hope one day the stigma surrounding age gap relationships will change. There is a misconception that younger women with older men are just after their money.

'But I have always been an independent person. I love to work and make my own money.

Kelsey, pictured with Paul, is now sharing her story in the hopes that it will help break down the stigma surrounding age gap relationships - while also proving that anyone can fall in love

Kelsey said she loves Paul with all her heart and he is the 'most perfect husband she could have asked for'

'I could easily survive on my own. I'm not some lost little girl with daddy issues that needs someone to take care of them.

'There are so many wrong ideas about people in age gap relationships. We honestly are such a normal couple but he just happens to be older than me.

'His daughter said something really sweet, and that is that I have an old soul, and he has a young heart, that's why we match up.

'Everyone's story is different, age truly is just a number. I fell in love with Paul for who he is, not for his age.

'We don't focus on age, we could have let it tear us apart, but we love each other too much to let that happen.

'We are so happy, and I am so excited for the future. I love Paul with all my heart and he is the most perfect husband I could have asked for.'
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has tested positive for Covid-19, his spokesperson has said.

Mr Berlusconi, 83, has confirmed to have been infected following precautionary check and is self-isolating at home in Arcore, near Milan.

The media tycoon plans to continue to work from there until he completes the necessary quarantine period, his office said.

Alberto Zangrillo, Mr Berlusconis personal doctor at Milans San Raffaele hospital, told Italian news agency Adnkronos he had no symptoms but had decided undergo a test after a recent stay in Sardinia.

The Mediterranean island has seen a sharp increase in coronavirus incections following an influx of tourists.

The three-time Italian premier had been recently pictured with an old friend, businessman Flavio Briatore, who was treated in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 last month.

Mr Berlusconi had tested negative at the time.

Recommended Italy to shut nightclubs and make face masks compulsory outdoors

The ex-PM has recently gained new attention on Italys political scene ahead of regional elections in late September, when his centrist Forza Italia party could prove crucial for a possible win of the centre-right opposition.

Italy, which has suffered one of Europes worst outbreaks of Covid-19 with over 270,000 confirmed cases and 35,500 deaths, has managed to contain the outbreak since a peak in fatalities and infections in March and April.

However, the country recorded a steady increase in new cases in August, with experts blaming gatherings of people associated with holidays and nightlife.
T he Government relied too heavily on scientific advice during the initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, a think tank has claimed.

Ministers should have been prepared to act in the absence of scientific certainty in the early stages of the outbreak, an Institute for Government report said.

The IfG also criticised the Government's ambition to reach 100,000 tests per day by the end of April, saying it had not been well thought through.

It said the Government "lacked a wider sense of strategy" at times.

It accused Health Secretary Matt Hancock of making the testing commitment "without a strong enough sense of how the Government would use additional capacity".

A Government spokesman defended the response to the crisis, saying ministers "make no apology for being guided by the best scientific advice".

The IfG report said: "Ministers made much of 'following the science'. But it is not enough to use evidence: ministers and civil servants also need to understand the limitations of both the evidence base and the forums through which it is channelled, and, difficult as it might be, ministers must be prepared to act in the absence of scientific certainty.

"Failure to do so now seems likely to have cost a significant number of additional lives, and contributed to the UK suffering the highest excess death rate in Europe over the period to the end of May."

The IfG also said that while school closures and social distancing measures were contemplated in February, some "key aspects of making them work - like remote learning arrangements for schools and guidance for police - were not considered until after decisions had been made".

However, the report praised the successful rollout of economic support measures, which the IfG said showed that ministers and officials "can find fast ways to consult those who will be affected by a policy or programme and think through how it will be carried out, before making a decision".

A Government spokesman said: "We make no apology for being guided by the best scientific advice during this unprecedented global pandemic - as the public would expect.

"We keep our response under constant review and have been prepared to adapt as new evidence emerges and we learn more about this virus.

"Working closely with the public and private sectors we rapidly built the largest diagnostics infrastructure in British history."
Captured by their teacher as a gift, a collection of student graduation photos went viral on Facebook in Vietnam in mid-August thanks to its heartwarming depiction of the familial love between the high school graduates and their parents.

It portrays high school students in graduation gowns, holding a red diploma while their families are by their side, their faces glowing with satisfaction.

The photos were taken by Pham Van Thong, a geography teacher at Ngo Van Nhac High School in the Mekong Delta province Tien Giang.

Taken after the national high school exam in early August, these portraits are Thongs gift to celebrate his students accomplishments.

According to Thong, the majority of his students come from families that are floating around the poverty line; they can barely afford education for their children, let alone a graduation photoshoot.

As a way to commemorate the occasion, Thong brought up the idea of a photographic project with his students and their parents.

Most of the parents were excited about the idea of photographs marking such a momentous occasion in their childrens lives, Thong recollected.

Some of them did refuse to appear in the images for fear that their unsightly looks might be an embarrassment for their children.

However, most kids have talked their parents into appearing in front of the camera, to which they ultimately surrendered, Thong recalled.

A student in a graduation gown is seen holding a duck, her familys livelihood, while her mother holds a high school diploma. Photo: Pham Van Thong

Moving between photoshoot sites proved to be a substantial challenge to Thongs project since the locale is a remote one, where houses are scarcely dispersed.

For this reason, Thong and his student Nguyen Quang Huy had to spend a few days completing their intended work.

The teacher talked of those unforgettable snapshots from the life that his students and their families lead.

Thong reminisced about the trip to the house of a female student and her 67-year-old grandmother.

The students mother passed away when she was very young, meaning she had never met her mother, and her father moved out of town for work, leaving her alone with her grandmother in a remote house.

It takes a lot of work to get to her home over a long and bumpy road.

To this day, I still cannot fathom how she made it to school every day traveling on that road, he exclaimed.

The photoshoot had to be paused halfway through because her grandmother burst into tears.

Her grandchild passed the exam, but she has no means to support further education for her, which means her grandchild would have to compromise her dreams.

A student in a graduation gown is pictured walking next to her father on a rural field. Photo: Pham Van Thong

There is another student whose father sells lottery tickets for a living. The fact that his family is classified as a poor household did not stop the student from excelling in his studies.

He chose to apply to military school to have his tuition fee and subsistence expenses covered, and his hard work paid off in the entrance exam results.

Rocky as their journey to education may be, their perseverance shone through, helping them conquer all obstacles, Thong said.

The exam results of Thongs students were welcomed with joyfulness by the teacher, yet at the same time, he was aware that the struggles of the kids have not ended.

Some will not be able to pursue further education due to their financial circumstances. It perturbs me that some of my students will face formidable obstacles in their next pursuits.

A student in a graduation gown is shown fanning his father while he reads a high school diploma. Photo: Pham Van Thong

Since his students have not yet received their diploma, Thong brought his own  one that he earned after graduating from high school 15 years ago  for them to use as a prop.

I did fight to earn this diploma. The same goes for them, their work was accompanied by the dedication of their parents. They deserve to see the achievements of their children on their graduation day.

Quang Huy, the associate that contributed work to Thongs project, said of his experience, Im very proud and happy to see photos of [my friends] standing next to their parents, whose hard work was the very reason for the success that they have today.

A student in a graduation gown shows a high school diploma to his family. Photo: Pham Van Thong

A student in a graduation gown is seen using the stethoscope of his father in a medical clinic. Photo: Pham Van Thong

A student in a graduation gown is shown next to his mother in front of the familys altar. Photo: Pham Van Thong

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MIDDLETOWN  Local dignitaries gathered Tuesday afternoon for a joy-filled, informal christening of the new Beman Middle School at the track which overlooks the massive building now under construction.

With the $87.35 million construction project humming along in the background, Board of Education officials and city leaders spoke to several-dozen members of the community  several of them instrumental in ushering the naming project to fruition.

When done, the state-of-the-art building will incorporate an innovation lab and the latest tools used in 21st-century learning.

The crowd clapped and whistled as construction workers at the top of the building unveiled the temporary banner at the conclusion of the ceremony.

The Beman family  theyre smiling on us today, said the Rev. Moses Harville of Cross Street AME Zion Church before leading a prayer of blessing. In the midst of a struggle, you can rise above slavery, racism, classism, sexism.  Peace and love, nurturing, caring and sharing are all that the Beman family represents.

Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner said the occasion was monumental for me, as a Black man, the history of this beautiful city, and our American history.

He recalled the presentation by Wesleyan University assistant professor of African-American studies and Middlesex County Historical Society Director Jesse Nasta on the familys local and national significance early on in the naming process.

There was one thing that resonated with me: the last name, Beman. When you unwrap it, that last name is Be A Man. When you think about African-American history, weve been striving to be a man to be recognized in this country as a whole, not a half, Conner said.

Looking at it from an African-American, that brings significant context to me, he said.

The Common Council officially named the new middle school, located in front of Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Wildermans Way, on Aug. 3.

Woodrow Wilson Principal Cheryl Gonzales, calling herself an advocate of social justice, said she was very pleased to be a part of the event honoring the legacy of a family who stood at the forefront of abolition and the voting rights for African Americans.

We will honor the memory of Caesar, Jehiel and Leverett Beman, and Amos Beman by providing an equitable and future-driven education, she said.

Common Council Majority Leader Gene Nocera, co-chairman of the middle school building committee, a role he shares with Councilwoman Jeanette Blackwell, said hes pleased the banner will greet students when the 2020-21 academic year begins Thursday.

Middletown Public Schools will be operating under a hybrid plan of learning, with rotating in-person and virtual classes, during the pandemic.

Mayor Ben Florsheim called the new facility a monument to learning. Victory has many fathers and mothers, and certainly all our due credit today. This is so much more than a school building. We are on a campus that is transformative for the whole city of Middletown.

Board of Education Chairwoman Deborah Cain said the project was a yearlong effort by countless, committed people.

The Bemans bought parcels of land near Wesleyan University, known as the Beman Triangle, so African Americans could own their own property, she said. It encompasses a wedge-shaped block of land bordered by Vine and Cross streets, and Knowles Avenue on the western boundary of the school.

Five original homes remain there today, Cain said.

Board of Education member Lisa Loomis-Davern shared a quote from the book, The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, which, she said, exemplifies the Bemans: Everything you touch, you change, and everything you change changes you.

Regardless of the rocky and unforgiving soil that was around them, they persisted in planting seeds in the hope of shaping a more free and just future, Loomis said. Their name is our seed for this next generation.
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

With hundreds of Oximeter centres, AAP gets closer to people in Bihar

Not a big player in Bihar politics, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has adopted a unique way of drawing peoples attention in the state. In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic and scourge of flood in nearly half the state, out of box thinking is what is driving the political parties in Bihar to connect with the masses in the interiors, where online connectivity may not be easily possible. Read more

Cabinet approves Karmayogi scheme for government officials, Javadekar calls it biggest HRD reform

The union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Mission Karmayogi, a skill building programme, for its civil servants, which it said will help them in the future. Read more

World champion PV Sindhu pulls out of Uber Cup in Denmark

World Champion PV Sindhu has decided to skip the Uber Cup, in Aarhus, Denmark starting from Oct 3-11. The prestigious Thomas and Uber Cup Finals is supposed to restart international badminton after a gap of six months. Read more

Xiaomi India launches Redmi 9A, prices start from 6,799

Xiaomi has announced the latest Redmi 9A as a part of their Redmi A series of smartphones today. The Redmi A series are a part of Xiaomis budget offerings that aim to get users the best of the specs without having to splurge. Read more

Volkswagen opens bookings for Polo and Vento BS6 with auto transmission

Volkswagen India on Wednesday announced the start of bookings for BS6 Polo and Ventos automatic variants. While the former has been priced at 9.67 lakh, the later is priced at 12.99 lakh (all prices are ex showroom and are introductory). Read more

Hina Khans rainbow-hued eye make-up game is perfect for masked fashion amid Covid-19

Hina Khans fashion game has got to be the strongest when it comes to telly actors. From her choice of clothing to her unique styling, be it her hairdos or her make-up, the Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame starlet is constantly experimenting and setting new fashion goals. Read more

Amid tiff with China, Rajnath Singh heads to Russia for SCO meet: Key details

Amid tension with China at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is headed to Russia for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting. Read more
Wednesday delivered a handful of new active COVID-19 cases in Champaign County, with an additional four bumping up the total number of active cases in the county to 549.
By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Russia has stepped up its logistic support for private military contractor Wagner Group in Libya with some 338 military cargo flights from Syria in the nine months to July 31 to aid Wagner fighters backing eastern-based Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The report by independent sanctions monitors - submitted to the U.N. Security Council Libya sanctions committee, but not yet public - also found that Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Russia, and Qatar breached an arms embargo on Libya.

The U.N. missions of Jordan, Russia, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the accusations in the report. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in January that if there are Russians in Libya, they are not representing or paid by his government. [nR4N29101F]

The U.N. report assessed "that direct Russian Federation military logistic support to ChVK Wagner, and possibly the other Russian Federation based private military companies ... significantly increased from January 2020 to June 2020."

It listed some 338 "suspicious flights from Syria by Russian Federation military aircraft" to Libya between Nov. 1, 2019 and July 31, 2020. In a confidential May report, the sanctions monitors said that Russia-based Wagner Group had up to 1,200 people deployed in Libya. [nL1N2CO16W]

Libya descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014, it has been split, with an internationally recognized government controlling the capital Tripoli and the northwest, while Haftar rules the east.

Haftar is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the government is backed by Turkey.

"The arms embargo remains totally ineffective," the U.N. report said.

"Since the more direct engagement by Turkey in December 2019 and the United Arab Emirates in January 2020, arms transfers to Libya by those two member states have been extensive, blatant and with complete disregard to the sanctions measures," it said.

Story continues

The report also found that Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE breached U.N. sanctions by not inspecting "cargo of suspicious commercial vessels or aircraft destined for Libya for which there were reasonable grounds."

The U.N. missions of Egypt and Syria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
This article is adapted from The Climate Beat, the weekly newsletter of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism initiative strengthening coverage of the climate story. The author is Covering Climate Nows deputy director.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES has no plan to address the climate crisis.

This is not a partisan observation; it is a fact, supported by Donald Trumps own statements and the Republican Party platform, which, as in 2016, outrightly dismisses the climate threat and ridicules efforts to mitigate it. On August 23, the eve of the Republican National Convention, the presidents team released a bulleted list of Trumps priorities for a second term. The word climate did not appear once. Given the unparalleled and scientifically incontrovertible threat that climate change presents, this is shocking, though it is not a surprise.

Too often, the press meets the president on his termsand, in doing so, fails to interrogate something that is unacceptable from the nations leader, no matter ones political sympathies. Does the president have a plan on this issue? a journalist asks. Of course not, goes the answer. Who would be fool enough to ask? And so the issue goes undiscussed.

The effect, however inadvertent, is that journalists are giving a pass to the president on an issue of supreme and urgent importance to the countrysand, indeed, humanitysfuture. The public, meanwhile, is left woefully uninformed about the magnitude of the climate crisis and the necessity of a policy response.

In fairness, theres a lot on the medias and the publics collective plates right now: historic protests for racial justice and horrifying, devolving violence in city streets; a pandemic that has taken the lives of 183,000 Americans and counting; an economic crisis, with joblessness to rival the Great Recession. These are all matters of pressing concern, and they deserve every ounce of journalistic rigor theyve been given. Each is also closely intertwined with the climate emergency, however, so theres really no excuse for skipping over it.

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Even when nature itself delivers an opportunity to discuss climate change, many in the press let it slide. Last weeks Hurricane Laura escalated with a startling quickness, making landfall as one of the strongest storms on record to hit the Gulf Coast. The damage was not as catastrophic as initially feared, but the storm nevertheless left nearly a million people without powermeaning no air-conditioning, even as a nasty heat wave then brutalized residentsand sparked a worrying chemical fire at an industrial plant in Louisiana. Yet, as Laura bore down on the Gulf Coast, and as the Republican National Convention commenced, a combined fifty segments on the hurricane broadcast by NBC News, CBS News, and ABC News did not connect the storm to climate change or to Trump and the Republicans policies, according to analysis by the research organization Media Matters for America.

Other components of these networks, including their digital platforms, fared better, and a few leading print outlets, including the New York Times, the Associated Press, and The Guardian, did make the climate connection. At CNN, climate correspondent Bill Weir published a comprehensive survey of extreme weather that climate change is driving around the world and observed that youd never know that from watching the Republican National Convention. And CNNs Dana Bash drilled Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Peter Gaynor on whether or not he accepts climate science and considers climate change a threat to the United States. Im not a scientist, Gaynor repeatedly demurred.

It is disappointing that Bashs strong line of questioning feels so rare.

In truth, getting this story right doesnt take high-level mathjust the normal journalistic commitment to present information in the proper context. Climate change and the failure of political leaders to address it are matters of fundamental context, both when it comes to extreme-weather stories and to the broader story of this election cycle. Credible journalists would not, for example, report on coronavirus deaths without noting the Trump administrations halting, often unscientific response. Nor would they report on clashes in the streets between right-wing militias and Black Lives Matter protesters without noting the presidents own incitement of the violence that has ensued. So why do mainstream outlets repeatedly skip over the contexta crisis and no plan whatsoever to answer itwhen it comes to climate change?

Conversely, the media has given a fair amount of attention to former vice president Joe Bidens $2 trillion clean-energy plan, which in all but name calls for a Green New Deal and is by far the most ambitious climate action plan ever to accompany a major-party platform in the United States. The key tension in stories about Bidens plan, however, is often whether it will be judged as sufficient by the progressive wing of his party or whether Biden will be able to translate his plan into votes. This is a worthy subject, but surely the greater tension is between a nominee with a workable plan and a nominee with no plan at all. If journalists overemphasize Bidens plan, and potential progressive discontent with it, it leaves audiences with the impression that Bidens plan is more controversial than the presidents, which of course is not the case.

Journalists must do better in the weeks between now and Election Day. With the country embroiled in so many immediate crises, it may seem wrongheaded to insist on the climate story. But storms like Hurricane Laura, the raging wildfires in California, and the derechos that devastated the Midwest just weeks ago show that the climate crisis is not some faraway threat. Its here now, and it demands a swift and comprehensive political response, no matter your political allegiance. That Trump offers none is an outrage. It should be headline news. Journalists must say so, with all the tenacity and drive they have brought to the other stories of this historic moment.

WASHINGTON POST PUBLIC EDITOR: Political conventions are always propaganda

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Andrew McCormick is an independent journalist and former CJR Delacorte Fellow. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the South China Morning Post, and more. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewMcCormck.
Filmmaker and journalist Indrajit Lankesh on Tuesday claimed that at least 15 people in the Kannada film industry were involved in drug trafficking. He made the claim a day after deposing before the police to share the information about the alleged drug racket operating in the film industry.

I have given (names of) around 15 people whom I know are into drug business. I shared those names with the police, Lankesh told PTI.

Lankesh was questioned for nearly five hours by the Central Crime Branch on Monday for his statement that there were many people in the film industry who were into the drug business either as consumers or sellers. The filmmaker made the statement in the wake of the Narcotics Control Bureau busting a drug trafficking racket here and said some prominent musicians and actors in Karnataka were under its scanner.

The filmmaker said he wanted to expose the drug use in the industry. There are celebrities, when they start smoking and start doing cocaine, they are the brand ambassadors of youth today. These people think it is cool.., he added.

Also read: Khushi Kapoor poses in style for Janhvi Kapoor as actor shows off their photo shoot set-up at home. See pic

Lankesh said he suspected that some of the parties organised in the Sandalwood were hosted by drug mafias within the industry. Lankesh did not rule out the possibility of the Mumbai underworld behind the supply of drugs to a section of people in the Kannada film industry.

Meanwhile, the police said they were probing the matter.

Noted Kannada film star Sudeep on Tuesday said he was not aware of the industry being in the grip of drug menace and appealed against its portrayal in negative light based on isolated incidents. I can only say what I know. I am from the film industry. I really dont know anything about it.., he said.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
Ackerman Werner: We can be both cautious, functional in this environment
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisian prime minister-designate Hichem Mechichi, in his inaugural address to parliament here Tuesday, painted a gloomy picture of the economic and social situation of the country
The HSE has written to Alcoholics Anonymous over a meeting the health service alleged contravened Covid-19 guidelines.

Health chiefs claimed they were aware of a meeting that breached regulations on numbers attending, the wearing of face masks and social distancing.

In a letter dated August 25, officials said they were concerned that more than six people attended, contrary to the tightened restrictions imposed last month as coronavirus infections rose.

Now dozens of AA groups, which only resumed face-to-face operations last month after a six-month suspension, have again voluntarily suspended meetings.

They will continue via online platforms such as Zoom.

The majority of AA and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups went to great lengths to try to adhere to HSE guidelines.

They insisted all attending should wear face masks, off-ered contact tracing details and adhered to social distancing and sanitisation measures.

However, compliance with the six-person rule for indoor gatherings emerged as an issue.

The AA general service office has written to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly asking for urgent clarification.

"This letter should serve to remind us of the seriousness of the pandemic while highlighting the reputational risks to the good name and work carried out by AA in Ireland," it said.

"We should always be conscious of our responsibility to others inside and outside of AA."

Politicians have expressed concern that groups providing an essential service, such as AA and Narcotics Anonymous, could now effectively be forced to shut down at a time when revellers have been seen flouting Covid controls in Dublin and Killarney.

Politicians said AA groups adhering to guidelines such as face masks, social distancing, contact tracing and sanitisation should be deemed an essential service and exempted from the six-person rule brought in to tackle the pandemic.

Several warned there could be serious mental-health consequences over the loss of such services for a prolonged period.

Sobriety

Sinn Fein deputy Thomas Gould expressed concern at the move and asked why AA and NA meetings have not been deemed essential.

"For some people, these meetings are a lifeline to help them retain their sobriety," said the Cork north-central TD.

"These meetings are controlled environments where contact tracing, social distancing and risk management is possible. If clusters have arisen from these meetings, they must be stopped, but we have no information on that.

"These are well-run and well-managed organisations that I would trust to put their members first and do everything in their power to keep society safe while still providing the support necessary to those struggling with past problematic alcohol and drug misuse during this pandemic."
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Scottish holidaymakers have complained that they are being punished for behaviour of drunken louts on Zante as hundreds rush home from Greece to beat Nicola Sturgeon's Covid quarantine deadline.

All passengers arriving in Scotland from 4am on Thursday will have to self-isolate for 14 days amid fears that partying youngsters on the island are rife with the virus.

One passenger tweeted tonight: 'Sat waiting @zante airport and I wish I wasn't, far too many youngsters, @jet2tweets , put them all one plane to send them home!! Stressy!!'

While another younger tourist wrote: 'Just found out that Scotland added Greece to the quarantine list... UK u better watch it cause I'm not spending 14 days in a hotel self-isolating.'

It comes after the Welsh Government yesterday singled out the island and imposed a 14-day self-isolation period on anyone returning from Zante.

There is mounting pressure on Boris Johnson to remove Greece from the UK's travel corridor exemptions after a cluster of cases in Buckinghamshire were linked to Zante on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a passenger on a flight back from Heraklion in Crete has said she was asked to self-isolate after it was believed someone on the plane had tested positive for the virus.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had received a text from NHS Test and Trace saying she was in contact with someone on August 27.

But she said that the only place she was in contact with anyone where someone would have her contact details was the Tui flight back to London Stansted.

She added: 'Our flight was hideous, hardly anyone wore a mask and the crew didn't do anything about it.

'We raised the issue twice with the cabin crew who still didn't enforce it. My family is OK but we are having to self-isolate.

'I'm so sad for my son because he has to miss his first week back at school.'

A Tui spokeswoman said it was aware of a 'small number' of positive Covid-19 test results following flight TOM5449 returning from Heraklion to Stansted on August 27.

Around 190 passengers on a Tui Airways flight landing at Cardiff from Zante yesterday were asked to self-isolate for 14 days and - in the first example of state-sanctioned testing - they will be swabbed within 48 hours and again after eight days (stock photo of a Tui jet)

The rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of population in Greece over the past seven days is just 14 - well short of the government's quarantine threshold of 20

Nicola Sturgeon tweeted today to explain that her decision was due to 'a number of positive cases' in people returning from Greece over recent days

Greece lashed back at Sturgeon's 'harsh' quarantine move yesterday as thousands more holidaymakers face chaos.

Countries on UK Government's quarantine list Spain France Croatia Malta UAE Jamaica Switzerland Belgium Czech Republic Austria Netherlands Bulgaria Canada Singapore Advertisement

The Greek tourism minister pointed out that the country's infection rate is 'well below' the threshold set by the UK government.

Scotland dramatically declared that from 4am tomorrow arrivals from the popular destination must self-isolate, while Wales is placing restrictions on incomers from the island of Zante after a rash of cases.

Boris Johnson is now under massive pressure to follow suit, with a crunch meeting due to happen later.

But the moves have sparked fury as the infection rate in Greece as a whole is still well below the mark used by the UK government to trigger inclusion on the quarantine list, of 20 cases per 100,000 population in a seven-day period.

It raises questions about how holidaymakers can judge whether to travel to destinations, with complaints that the goalposts keep being shifted.

Greece's tourism minister Harry Theoharis insisted the country has 'a much lower number of infections compared to most other countries in Europe'. The rate per 100,000 of population over the past seven days is just 14.3 - well short of the government's alert level.

'We have put in place a comprehensive set of protocols and measures,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'We take targeted measures where we see concentration (of cases).

He added: 'We feel that this is a bit harsh.'

UK ministers are today holding an emergency meeting with Welsh and Scottish officials about the rules on Greece, while Portugal is on the brink after cases rose above the mark set by the government.

Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething said he would be pressing the UK Government to consider the potential risk in Greece following six clusters amounting to more than 30 cases of Covid-19 in the last week.

The cases had come from four flights, two of which landed in England.

Tour operator Tui has said it will no longer offer holidays to the resort of Laganas on Zante.

Mr Johnson now faces increasing pressure to put Greece on the UK's quarantine list after Scotland and Wales imposed restrictions on Britons returning from the holiday hotspot.

Nicola Sturgeon's government is mandating two weeks of self-isolation for anyone arriving from 4am on Thursday, while her Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford has singled out the party island of Zante.

Around 190 passengers on a Tui Airways flight from Zante to Cardiff last night were asked to self-isolate for 14 days and - in the first example of state-sanctioned testing - they will be swabbed within 48 hours and again after eight days.

'There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient,' Mr Gething said.

He added that all passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday night would be told to quarantine and would be given two Covid-19 tests, one within 48 hours and another eight days after their return.

'In addition, I have pressed for an early meeting with the UK Government and devolved nations [today] to consider the latest assessment of risk by the Joint Biosecurity Centre,' he said.

'There is an obvious need for us to consider the potential for changes to the regulations in Wales which would require travellers arriving in the UK from Greece and possibly elsewhere to self-isolate on their return.'

Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, said: 'Laganas is a popular resort with young people who traditionally holiday in large groups of friends.

'The health and safety of our colleagues and customers is our primary concern and recent cases shows that some customers are not following social distancing and Covid safety measures.

'It is therefore the right thing to do to protect and reduce a now identified potential risk to others by no longer offering holidays to this specific resort.

'The recent cases in Wales have highlighted a demographic of customers that have recently returned from Zante and subsequently tested positive. As the only airline that flies between Cardiff and Zante it has allowed us to understand trends that may also be seen in other areas of the UK.'

Trips to all other resorts in Zante will continue as normal.

Scotland's chief medical officer Gregor Smith said: 'There is a compelling public health risk around importation of the virus, especially given the number of imported cases linked to the Greek islands.

'The flow of travel between Scotland and Greece, and the behaviour we have seen from some of those travellers, means that on public health grounds there is a strong case - supported by public health directors - to remove Greece from the exemption list.'

The move came as holidaymakers scrambled to return from Portugal amid growing concerns restrictions could be reimposed to arrivals from there.

With thousands of Britons having travelled to Portugal since the country was exempted from quarantine measures on August 22, rising cases there were prompting airlines to increase capacity as holidaymakers hurried to return in case restrictions are reimposed.

There were 22.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Portugal in the seven days to August 31, up from 14.5 a week earlier, according to figures calculated by the PA news agency based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Despite the changes in Wales and Scotland, the Department for Transport in London said there were no plans to amend travel arrangements with Greece.

Greece's current infection rate is 13.7 per 100,000 people, while the UK Government's threshold for its quarantine list is 20 cases per 100,000.

But there are grave fears that these relatively low numbers belie how rife the contagion is on Greek party islands popular with young Britons.

Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, criticised the Government's approach to quarantining countries, claiming it was damaging the travel industry and leaving holidaymakers confused.

He said: 'Yet again haphazard announcements and rumours around quarantine have sparked chaos and confusion for holidaymakers, with many facing an unenviable choice between paying extortionate prices for last-minute flights home or the disruption caused by two weeks in isolation on their return.

'When the dust settles on what has been a disappointing summer for so many people, it's clear that a reassessment of the Government's approach to managing the threat posed by coronavirus to holiday travel will be needed.

'The travel industry will also need greater Government support to make it through the tough months ahead while major reforms will be needed to restore confidence among holidaymakers who have often been left out of pocket and with nowhere to turn for support when the pandemic has left their travel plans in tatters.'

Authorities impose new restrictions on the island of Zante as fears grow holiday destinations could become new covid hotspot Local restrictions have been put in place on the islands of Zante/Zakynthos amid fears of a rise in coronavirus cases. These include:

Suspension of any kind of live events and celebrations such as parties, trade fairs, religious ceremonies, open markets etc.

Prohibition of operation of all food/catering sector-related shops, services and facilities from midnight - 7am the next day.

A ban on gatherings of more than 9 people, either indoors or outdoors;

A limit of 4 people per table in any restaurant, except for cases where the party consists of family members, where the limit is 6 people;

Mandatory use of face masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces. Advertisement

Seven of those on Tui's August 25 flight to Cardiff were infectious at the time of flying and all 193 passengers have been told to self-isolate, the Welsh Government said.

One traveller claimed that the flight was full of 'selfish covidiots', with passengers not wearing their masks properly and disregarding the rules.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams told the Welsh Government's weekly press conference that a statement about other flights coming into Wales would be made on Tuesday.

'The Welsh Government is deeply concerned by the reports from people who were on that flight about the lack of appropriate measures to keep everybody on that flight safe,' she said.

'My colleague Vaughan Gething, the health minister, is in discussion with all relevant parties and will be making a statement later today about other flights that may be operating out of Greece and into Cardiff Airport.'

On Tuesday, Public Health Wales said one further person with coronavirus had died in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths there to 1,596.

There were a further 51 positive cases of Covid-19 reported, bringing the number of cases to 18,063.

Dr Christopher Williams, incident director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: 'All passengers are being followed up by their local Test Trace Protect teams.

'They should all self-isolate at home, as they may become infectious, even if they have no symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should book a test without delay.'

Stephanie Whitfield, who was on the flight in question, claimed the 'inept crew couldn't care less' after passengers took off their masks and mixed freely with friends and families on board.

The flight left all 193 people on board facing two weeks self-isolation and comes amid fears that Zante could be a new coronavirus hotspot.

Mrs Whitfield, from Cardiff, who was on the flight with her husband, told the BBC: 'This flight was a debacle. The chap next to me had his mask around his neck.

'Not only did the airline not pull him up on it, they gave him a free drink when he said he knew a member of the crew.

'Loads of people were taking their masks off and wandering up and down the aisles to talk to others.

'As soon as the flight landed, a load of people took their masks off immediately. The flight was full of selfish 'covidiots' and an inept crew who couldn't care less.'

According to Dr Gwen Lowe, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, there have been about 30 cases in the last week linked to Zante, and confirmed in people who were on different flights and staying in different locations.

She also admitted: 'These are confirmed positive cases and we're expecting that number to rise.'

The Foreign Commonwealth Office updated its advice for Britons travelling to Zante, or Zakynthos, after an increase in local restrictions to combat the virus.

TUI has defended itself over the claims and insisted that all passengers wore masks and complied with Covid protocols 'for the duration of their flight'.

A statement said: 'The health and safety of passengers is always our priority and we are concerned to hear of Mrs Whitfield's claims.

'Our crew are trained to the highest standards and in line with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) guidelines.

Passengers on board a TUI flight from Zante to Cardiff all have to self-isolate after seven tested positive for coronavirus

'Passengers are informed prior to travel and via PA announcements on the flight that they have to wear masks throughout and are not allowed to move around the cabin. Masks can only be removed when consuming food and drink.

'A full investigation is now underway as these concerns weren't reported during the flight or before today.'

Tourists now face several restrictions on what they can do on the island, including the suspension of live events and celebrations such as parties, trade fairs, religious ceremonies and open markets, as well as the prohibition of all food and catering sector-related shops, services and facilities from midnight to 7am the next day.

Several Britons who visited Greece in recent weeks have reported cases of the virus.

Last week, 11 teenagers from Plymouth tested positive for the coronavirus, with up to 30 infected in total after returning from Zante.

Plymouth's director for public health Ruth Harrell said that some of the teenagers went gone on a 'night out in Plymouth's bars and restaurants' before they were aware of the risk.
B oris Johnson has been branded "heartless" after declining to meet campaigners representing families bereaved during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Prime Minister said "of course I will meet the bereaved" when questioned last week in an interview about attempts by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to secure a meeting.

But the campaigners trying to secure a swift public inquiry into the Governments handling of the crisis shared a letter from Mr Johnson in which he "regrettably" declined to meet with the group.

"Its a U-turn followed by a U-turn," said campaign co-founder Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus.

"The Prime Minister has done a 360: dodging five letters, then agreeing on live TV to meet with us, and now quietly telling us hes too busy. Its heartless."

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran had earlier written to the Prime Minister saying she was "shocked" to learn that he had "refused" to meet the group  which says it represents 1,600 families.

Mr Johnson previously told Sky News: "I am not aware of those letters but I will of course write back to every letter we get. Of course I will meet the bereaved."

But writing to Ms Goodman, the Prime Minister acknowledged "a letter will be of little comfort against the grief and heartbreak that families have suffered" as he declined a meeting.

The letter sent by Boris Johnson to Bereaved Families for Justice / PA

"As much as I would wish to be able to offer my condolences in person to all those who have suffered loss, that is regrettably not possible and so I am unable to meet with you and members of Bereaved Families for Justice," he wrote.

Mr Johnson also said he understands the group have instructed solicitors who are in pre-action legal correspondence over an independent inquiry.

He said he will hold the inquiry "at the appropriate time" and urged all further correspondence to be dealt with by their respective legal teams.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has responded to Bereaved Families For Justice to express his sincere condolences to all families who have sadly lost loved ones to this terrible disease.

"He remains committed to meeting with members of the public and families of key workers who have been bereaved as a result of Covid-19.

"The Prime Minister is resolute in his determination to beat this virus and prevent further families from suffering such dreadful loss."
Some Areas Seeing COVID-19 Call Center Traffic Tapering Off

In the spring, when the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic began to be felt across the U.S., the demand on call centers both public and private spiked. Call centers, accustomed to dealing with a seasonally predictable pattern of incoming calls, were suddenly faced with unpredictable call spikes, and many struggled to catch up. Customers reported frustration and an inability to reach a human agent no matter what time of the day they tried.

While call centers of private companies had a little more wiggle room  after all, its not an emergency if your book order is delayed, or an item of clothing needs to be returned  call centers that support regional governments and healthcare resources were particularly mission-critical at a time they didnt have the resources to keep up. Wait times increased by many times over, and dropped and abandoned calls were rife. Many calls simply couldnt get through.

In some parts of the country, there is evidence that calls to public COVID call centers are slowing as the pace of infections slow. In North Carolina, a rising trend of infections began to drop in late July as more areas mandated masks, social distancing and quarantines.

At the Wake County Emergency Operation Center's COVID-19 call center Raleigh, North Carolina, calls have tapered off from the spring, when state lockdowns spawned a wide variety of questions from area citizens. Katy Punch, the call centers director, told Spectrum News 1 that at the height of the pandemic, more than 30 employees fielded hundreds of calls of day. Today, a few staffers answer about 100 calls per day as the state's stay at home order has eased.

"The most common calls are looking for testing...We show them how to register online and make an appointment," said Punch.

Currently, the county has no plans to discontinue the call center service, however.

"They'll [county officials] judge how long it will last based on the need of the community," said Punch.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
James Madison University has halted in-person instruction for, at least, the rest of the month as the campus deals with a "rapid increase" in the number of coronavirus cases, the school's president announced Tuesday.

More than 500 active cases of the coronavirus have been reported since July 1, including roughly 150 positive cases among tests taken at the university's health center, according to the school's covid-19 dashboard used to track the virus's presence on campus. More than 370 students and employees have reported contracting the disease since Aug. 17.

Out of 83 tests performed on students and employees at the university's health center Monday, 18 had positive results, according to the school's dashboard.

The university in Harrisonburg, Va., invited students to begin moving onto campus Aug. 21. A mix of in-person, online and hybrid classes started Aug. 26.

Now, the school is asking students to return home by Monday, when in-person classes are expected to transition online, Jonathan Alger, the campus' president, wrote in a message to the campus. Some specialized classes, including graduate research, will be offered in a hybrid format, Alger added.

"This is a difficult message to deliver, and while it is made in the best interest of public health and safety, we know it will come as a disappointment to many," Alger wrote. He also advised students returning to their homes away from campus to quarantine for two weeks upon arriving to their destination.

Alger also cited concerns about a potential bed shortage for sick students who need to quarantine. JMU's covid-19 dashboard shows 79 out of 143 beds reserved for self-quarantine have been allocated to individuals who have contracted the virus.

Students who have already started to self-quarantine have been told finish their prescribed period of isolation before leaving campus, Alger said.

The university will make a decision about students' return to campus by Sept. 25, Alger said. Face-to-face instruction could resume on or after Oct. 5 if university and health officials deem it to be safe.

"Protecting the health of our Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community - including students, faculty, staff - is our top priority, and we need to act swiftly to stop the spread as best we can," Alger said.
Scientists and health campaigners have condemned the Trump administration after it distanced itself from the World Health Organisations global initiative for the development and equitable distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.

More than 150 countries are engaging with the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (Covax)  a multilateral WHO scheme aimed at working with manufacturers to provide countries with access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved.

This approach would allow nations to take advantage of a portfolio of potential vaccines to ensure their citizens are quickly covered by whichever ones are deemed effective.

However, the US government has refused to cooperate with the international initiative, opting to go it alone while placing billions worth of advance orders on the most promising vaccines currently in development.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also indicated its willingness to authorise a coronavirus vaccine before large-scale phase three clinical trials are complete, raising further concern that the Trump administration is positioning itself to hoard supplies of promising doses.

The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organisations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organisation and China, White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement on Tuesday.

This president will spare no expense to ensure that any new vaccine maintains our own FDAs gold standard for safety and efficacy, is thoroughly tested, and saves lives, he said.

The move has drawn widespread criticism, with experts warning that Donald Trump was pursuing a dangerous strategy of vaccine nationalism that endangered the lives of American citizens.

Global Justice Now, which campaigns on issues of trade, health care and justice in the developing world, warned that Mr Trumps approach was fuelling a global scramble by rich countries to hoard potential vaccines that would deplete global stocks for lower income nations.

Heidi Chow, a senior policy manager, told The Independent: Donald Trump is racing ahead with his vaccine nationalism strategy and so its no surprise that he is refusing to join international vaccine efforts.

The fastest way to end this pandemic is through global collaboration and governments should be focusing on multilateral solutions to maximise global supplies while ensuring a fair allocation for all countries based on public health needs.

Alex Harris, the Wellcome Trusts head of global policy, said: It is disappointing that the US has decided not to join Covax. The only way were going to end this pandemic is if countries work together.

The WHO has warned against the threat of vaccine nationalism, with directer general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arguing that for the world to recover faster, it has to recover together, because its a globalised world: the economies are intertwined.

Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Show all 13 1 /13 Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Cheryll Mack, 46, a registered nurse in the emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift outside the hospital where she works. "The Covid-19 spread has affected a lot of livelihood, a lot of people's lives. It has created a crisis, death in general. So I would like to ask not one single person, but all people worldwide, to converge and join the platform that this is something that nobody can fight individually," said Mack. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Dr Laura Bontempo, 50, an emergency medicine doctor wears her personal protective equipment she uses when she sees patients, while posing for a photograph after a nine-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moments have actually been separating families from patients, there is a no-visitor policy now and taking people away from their loved ones is very challenging," Bontempo said. "I'm used to treating sick patients. I treat sick patients all the time. It's very different knowing that the patient you are treating, is actually a risk to you as well. That's the main difference here. No one who works in hospitals is afraid of treating sick people. Just want to keep staff safe and the patients safe at the same time." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Ernest Capadngan, 29, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment unit poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment during the shift was just seeing Covid patients die helpless and without their family members beside them," Capadngan said. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Martine Bell, 41, a nurse practitioner in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a six-hour shift outside the hospital where she works. "The hardest thing in all of this, has been taking care of fellow healthcare providers. It really hits home and it's really scary when you see someone that could be you coming in and now you're taking care of them. It's also hitting home that once healthcare providers start getting sick, who is going to be taking care of the public," Bell said. "It's very stressful, everyone is on edge. We don't know who's coming in next, or how sick they're going to be, or if we are going to get a whole bunch of people or if we're not going to get no one. It's a really stressful and just a completely unusual time for all of us." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Kaitlyn Martiniano, 25, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment poses for a photograph after a 12.5-hour shift, outside the hospital. "We have a lot of patients and they are pretty sick right now but we have not yet been hit as hard as New York or Seattle, so I feel like we are very lucky with that so far. Every day you have to just be optimistic." Said Martiniano. "I think the reason that we are not being hit as hard right now is because so many things are closed, and because so many people are staying at home." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Tracey Wilson, 53, a nurse practitioner in an intensive care unit (ICU), poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "I had a patient fall out of bed today and I had to call his wife and tell her and she couldn't come see him, even though she pleaded and begged to come see him," Wilson said. "There is a lot of unknowns and with that unknown is a lot of anxiety and stress that we're not used to dealing with." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Meghan Sheehan, 27, a nurse practitioner in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "I think the hardest moment has been the fear that lives within all of us. There is a lot of unknown right now. We fear what's going to happen tomorrow, how the emergency department will look next week when we come in. We have fears about our own colleagues, whether they will fall ill. We also fear that we could be asymptomatic carriers and bring this virus home to our families and our loved ones. There has been a lot of fear over our supplies and whether we'll run out. And then obviously there is the fear that we will see patients and not be able to do everything we normally can to help save patients' lives," Sheehan said. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Kimberly Bowers, 44, a nurse practitioner in an ICU, poses for a photograph after a 13-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment was a young woman who died and her family wasn't able to be here with her," Bowers said. "I think right now, it's just frustrating and scary just not knowing what comes next." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Tiffany Fare, 25, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment unit poses for a photograph after a 13-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "One of the hardest moments was having to see a family member of a Covid patient, say goodbye over an iPad, rooms away. That was a tough one, I can't imagine how hard it would be to be saying goodbye, you can't see your loved one and then they're gone," Fare said. "My team has been really great to me. We've worked really well together and we've really come together in this crisis. We don't really know each other, we all come from different units within the same hospital, so for us to come together and work so well as a team, it's been a journey but I think that's what is giving me hope." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Dr Kyle Fischer, 35, an emergency medicine doctor, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where he works. "Since it's a new virus, we don't have any experience with it. For most diseases I am used to seeing it and taking care of it and this, I don't have any starting place. I know what I'm hearing from New York, I've read all of the papers it seems like, but no one knows what the correct answers are, so there's a huge amount of uncertainty and people are really, really sick. So it's hard to second guess whether or not you are doing the right thing when you think you are but you never quite know," said Fischer. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Julia Trainor, 23, a registered nurse at a surgical ICU, poses for a photograph after a 14-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment was having to put a breathing tube in my patient who could no longer breathe for herself and after the breathing tube went in, we called her family and the husband, of course, couldn't visit her because of visitor restrictions at the hospital. So I had to put him on the phone and hold the phone to her ear, as he told her that he loved her so much and then I had to wipe away her tears as she was crying," said Trainor. "I'm used to seeing very sick patients and I'm used to patients dying but nothing quite like this. In the flip of a switch, without the support, they're completely isolated. They're very sick. Some of them recover and some of them don't. But the hardest part, I would think, is them having to go through this feeling like they are alone." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Lisa Mehring, 45, a registered nurse who works in a biocontainment unit with Covid-19 patients, poses for a photograph after a 12.5-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works in Maryland. "Seeing these new moms have babies has been the hardest moment along with having do their pumping for the new moms and them not being able to be with their newborn children, it's hard to think of the family that they are missing," Mehring said. Photos Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Jacqueline Hamil, 30, a registered nurse in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift outside the hospital. "The hardest moment of my shift today, I was in charge, and we had a really sick patient that was in a really, really small room and usually, when we have sick crashing patients, we can have a ton of resources and a ton of staff go in and help with the nurse and the doctors that are taking care of that patient. But due to the patient being ruled out for the coronavirus, we could only have five or six people in the room at a time and putting on all the gowns and gloves and masks and face shields to protect us in case the patient does have coronavirus, it takes a while, so the nurse that was in there, ended up being in the room for you know 6, 7 hours with minimal breaks and it was hard being in charge and knowing that she was stuck in the room and really nothing I could do to help her," Hamil said. Reuters

Dr Joshua Moon, a research fellow in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex, said that Mr Trumps decision to snub Covax was fairly par for the course.

He has demonstrated time and time again that multilateralism is not something he is willing to engage in  and that America First really means America Only, said Dr Moon.

On a general tack, however, this is not just a move that harms the Covax agreement but harms America itself. Without equitable access to a vaccine (if and when it is ready), the spread of Sars-CoV-2 will likely remain active elsewhere and repeatedly be imported again and again into the US.

Dr Suerie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, said Americas failure to participate in any sort of multilateral effort to secure vaccines marked a real blow.

The behaviour of countries when it comes to vaccines in this pandemic will have political repercussions beyond public health, she said.

The WHO has said that even governments making deals with individual vaccine makers would benefit from joining Covax because it would provide back-up vaccines in case the ones being secured through bilateral deals with manufacturers arent successful.

Earlier this week, the European Commission said it would contribute to the initiative, while the WHO said Germany had joined the pact.

The Commission, announcing that it would provide 400 million euros in guarantees, did not clarify whether EU states would acquire shots through the WHO scheme.

Mr Trump has previously criticised the WHOs handling of the coronavirus pandemic, accusing it of being too focused on China and issuing bad advice. In May, the president announced that the US was cutting ties with the organisation.
The all-new 2021 Toyota Venza features a cutting-edge hybrid powertrain, a roomy and well-equipped interior and a standard all-wheel drive system.

Crossover SUV shoppers in California's Central Coast region have an impressive new model choice: the 2021 Toyota Venza at Toyota of Santa Maria. The all-new 2021 Venza has many things going for it, with its eye-catching exterior design, and efficient hybrid powertrain, excellent traction with its standard all-wheel drive system, state-of-the-art multimedia and driving assistance technologies, high-level safety and an inviting cabin.

The exterior of the 2021 Venza has an elegant design, while the interior provides a great deal of comfort and functionality, with an eight-way power drivers seat and a generous amount of storage space. With the Star Gaze fixed panoramic glass roof, vehicle occupants can enjoy a great view of the sky above and a sense of airiness in the cabin. Interior technologies include an infotainment system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, the 9-speaker JBL Premium Audio System, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and a 10-inch color Head-Up Display.

The 2021 Venza comes equipped with an efficient hybrid powertrain, which combines a 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine with three electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. This helps the Venza get an estimated fuel economy of 40 combined mpg. The electric motors in the Venza provide a considerable amount of torque, resulting in quick acceleration. Drivers can customize the performance characteristics of the Venza with the selectable modes for SPORT, NORMAL, ECO and EV. With the EV mode, the Venza can drive on electric-only power for short distances. With its standard Electronic On-Demand AWD system, the Venza is a great choice for off-road adventures.

With the abundance of safety-enhancing driving assistance features in the Venza, drivers can count on a very safe ride. This includes Automatic High Beams, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, the Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, Lane Tracing Assist and Road Sign Assist.

Automotive shoppers that are interested in learning more about the 2021 Venza at Toyota of Santa Maria are encouraged to visit the dealerships website at http://www.toyotasm.com or call (866) 574-3306.

Toyota of Santa Maria is located at 700 East Betteravia Road in Santa Maria.
New Delhi: Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh Wednesday said a malicious campaign relating to his mental health was being run by few TV channels to defame his family and benefit actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused of abetting the actor's suicide.

The senior advocate told the media that Sushant's three sisters -- Priyanka, Mitu and Rani -- told him that they are extremely pained by the negative and false campaign related to his mental health which has been started by some news channels.

The lawyer said the FIR lodged by Sushant's father is in the public domain and in spite of this it is being said that the family was aware of his depression.

"The FIR clearly mentions that Sushant started having mental problems after Rhea came in his life. It also mentions that she was responsible for the problems and he became anxious due to the mental problems. Rhea never disclosed the files about Sushant's treatment to the family. Some of the prescriptions which were shared only mentioned about tablets and not the disease," Singh said at a press conference here.

The senior advocate said that a campaign is being run relentlessly by some channels and it is the earnest appeal of the family that do not increase sufferings of a bereaved family.

Please do not add to the suffering of the family by spreading canard and false accusations, he said.

Singh also said that a suggestion is being made that Sushant had a life insurance policy and the family would not get the money if he is declared to have died by suicide.

"And it is for this reason that the suicide theory was later changed to abetment of suicide. I must inform all of you that Sushant did not have any life insurance policy," he said.

"Sushant's father and sister have decided that no film/serial/book should be written/made without the consent of his father and without the script being shown to him. If anyone goes against it, they will do it at their own peril and appropriate action will be taken," Singh said.

Sushant, 34, was found dead at his Bandra residence. The actor's untimely demise was followed by a high-profile investigation by Mumbai Police during which many big names from Bollywood, including filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aditya Chopra, recorded their statements.

Later, the Supreme Court handed over the investigations to the CBI. Rhea is the main accused in the actor's death case in which the Enforcement Directorate has registered a case of money laundering.

The Narcotics Control Bureau has filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea.
"I believe we will, this will become the most important initiative to scale Sikh teachings for global audiences, - Prof. Mohanbir Singh Sawhney

The Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) announces the first official release of The Guru Granth Sahib Project (TGGSP) website to coincide with the First Prakash Purab (Illumination day) of then known Adi Granth in 1604. SikhRI is making the timeless treasure-house accessible for today's seekers, scholars, and techies to connect with the Sabad-Wisdom.

Three years ago, the Guru Granth Sahib Project was envisioned as a curative-collaborative effort. Its research and development phase has completed eight different Banis (Compositions). Its technology, UX paradigm, and user persona were developed in the last few months. The current team consists of 31 members.

I consider SikhRI to be a leading research organization with 18 years of demonstrable record in delivering several key projects in educational resources. When they approached me about starting TGGSP, I took this on as a challenge that intermixes content, technology, and marketing. If we get this right, and I believe we will, this will become the most important initiative to scale Sikh teachings for global audiences, remarked Prof. Mohanbir Singh Sawhney, global IT Marketing expert, and TGGSP Strategic Alliance partner.

Translations, currently available in Panjabi and English of the Guru Granth Sahib, limit the profound depth, cultural opulence and poetic genius so eloquently revealed in the Guru Granth Sahib. In awe and reverence, we have attempted to converse and draft the verbiage that we hope is capturing the letter, message and spirit of the original language of the Guru Granth Sahib, shared Dr. Ishmeet Kaur Chaudhry, Assistant Professor of English literature and TGGSPs English Reviewer.

In reflecting on the projects vision, SikhRI Co-Founder and TGGSP Project Lead, Harinder Singh, said, We are disrupting the Sikh theological space which is currently caught between binaries created by men. This is the first effort in history to include the female perspective in developing an understanding of the Sikh canonical text enthroned to the Guru-Perfection. The process intentionally integrates a diverse array of schools of thought, acknowledges their strengths and biases, and builds on the collective knowledge transfer to expand them for current times. It is for teenagers and seniors, for the religious and the atheists, and so on.

This is another SikhRI milestone on a twenty-year journey to complete the research on each word of Guru Granth Sahib: etymology, grammar, and meaning. The team of subject matter experts carves a literal translation and an interpretive transcreation. Then, a commentary is composed. All is done in contemporary English and Panjabi while incorporating musical, poetical, and historical dimensions, added Dr. Jaswant Singh, TGGSPs Content Lead.

We are excited to release complete work to date on Asa ki Var: it is about 300,000 words (equivalent of 629 pages). We will be releasing Banis in the coming weeks on TGGSP site.

To access The Guru Granth Sahib Project, please visit: app.gurugranthsahib.io

For inquiries, please contact: Manpreet Singh

Manpreet.Singh@SikhRI.org | +1 855-913-1313 ext. 701
London, Sep 2 : Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans for a second Scottish independence referendum, paving the way for publishing draft legislation for a new vote before next May's elections for the parliament in Edinburgh, British media reported Wednesday.

Sturgeon, leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), announced the resumption of work on the bill in her annual programme for Scottish government on Tuesday, alongside plans for a 100-million-pound green jobs fund and proposals for a "National Care Service".

She said a new draft bill will be drawn up setting out the timing and terms for a new independence referendum, as well as the question to be asked to voters if it is given the green light by Westminster, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sturgeon said she will "make the case for Scotland to become an independent country, and seek a clear endorsement of Scotland's right to choose our own future".

Sturgeon also outlined her legislative agenda, saying that suppressing COVID-19 is "our most immediate priority - and it will remain so for some time".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ruled out a new independence vote for Scotland. Under current British law, an independence referendum would need the consent of the Westminster Parliament.

In 2014, people in Scotland voted by a majority to remain part of Britain in what was described as a "once-in-a-generation" poll.
On September 8-9, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine will hold the Kyiv Jewish Forum for the second time, which this year, given the epidemic situation in the world, will be held online in partnership with the Jerusalem Post.

Despite the fact that a direct meeting is impossible in the current situation, it is expected that the Second Kyiv Jewish Forum will become a large-scale and important world-class event.

Presidents and prime ministers of various countries, representatives of the US State Department, the UK House of Lords, religious leaders and world-famous scientists have already been invited to participate in the Forum. President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, Alternate Prime Minister of Israel Benny Gantz, US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, President of Poland (1995-2005) Aleksander Kwasniewski, Human Rights Advocate Natan Sharansky, Professor of Harvard University Serhii Plokhii and several dozen other speakers of the Forum will share their views on the issue of the fight against anti-Semitism, the future of Judaism, preserving the memory of the Holocaust, Israeli-Iranian relations, honoring the memory of the Babi Yar victims and other issues.

According to Boris Lozhkin, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, Ukraine is not an accidental place for consolidation of the world Jewry. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, a quarter of all Jews in the world lived in Ukraine, and today the descendants of the Ukrainian Jews are in all corners of the world without exception.

In the last few years, we have witnessed a real revival of the Jewish life in Ukraine. The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine seeks to contribute to the development of the world Jewish community, which is why we are organizing the Kyiv Jewish Forum, a global platform for discussing the opportunities and problems facing the world Jewry, and finding effective solutions, said Boris Lozhkin on the subject of holding the Kyiv Jewish Forum.

The first Kyiv Jewish Forum was held in Kyiv with the participation of more than 500 delegates from many parts of the world, including Israel, the United States, Canada and Europe. The level of representation and the importance of the issues discussed at the Forum made the Kyiv Jewish Forum an authoritative global platform for addressing the issues that worry not only the world Jewry, but everyone in general.

You can get acquainted with the program of the Second Kyiv Jewish Forum and receive reminders about broadcasts on the Forum's website.
The parliamentary standing committee on information and technology held an over three-hour long meeting with Facebook officials and experts on Wednesday, with its members discussing recent allegations of political bias against the social media company before the meeting was adjourned with no conclusions.

Facebook officials were summoned following a string of media reports in the last three weeks that showed that a key executive from its India operations team intervened to protect a politician linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from action over hate speech.

In response to overwhelming media interest in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology that just adjourned, this is all I can say: we met for some three & a half hours & unanimously agreed to resume the discussion later, (including) with (representatives) of Facebook, panel chair and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet.

The meeting was attended by Facebook India managing director and vice president Ajit Mohan. The committee decided to summon the social media company again. The panel, according to a member who asked not to be named, lapses on September 11 and Facebook has been asked to appear in front of the panel that will be reconstituted.

According to a member present at the meeting, some members raised objections over why no one from Facebooks policy team appeared as a witness. The recent allegations surround Facebook Indias public policy head Ankhi Das, who, according to a report by Wall Street Journal on August 14, intervened to stop a ban against BJPs Telangana MP Raja Singh.

They have taken cognisance of so many violations, why has no action been taken? said this member, asking not to be named.

Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil reiterated his partys stand seeking a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the allegations, while BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asked for reports of what exactly transpired during the Cambridge Analytica controversy, this person added.

The Cambridge Analytica controversy refers to the misuse of Facebook in the run up to the US presidential election in 2016 to glean political preferences of Americans and target them with misinformation, a concerted operation that involved Russia-linked individuals and is believed to have influenced the outcome of the polls. The Congress met with Cambridge Analytica before the 2019 parliamentary election but says it did not hire it.

According to a second member, questions were raised at the meeting about Facebooks neutrality and the backdrop of people working with the social media magnate.

When asked about Das, who is at the centre of the raging controversy for alleged violation of Facebooks hate speech policy, the company said it would respond in writing, this member added. Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday that the Opposition was pushing for a criminal inquiry into the companys conduct and a termination of its contracts with the government.

Electronics and information technology minster Ravi Shankar Prasad also wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, alleging company executives were biased against people who believed in BJPs ideology.

In the meeting, the members asked about Facebooks ties with governmental organisations and the Election Commission, and its executive was asked why the company functions as a publisher in the United States but as an intermediary in India.

Facebook asserted that it was maintaining neutrality and global standards, said the second member quoted above. They also said that political background had no bearing on their decisions.

We thank the Honourable Parliamentary Committee for their time. We remain committed to be an open and transparent platform, and to giving people voice and allowing them to express themselves freely, Facebook said in a statement after the meeting.

Experts said the scope of the problem is larger than the current exercise can address. We need the government to take a stand on content moderation, said Jyoti Panday, researcher with Internet Governance Project, Georgia Institute of Technology. This is only policy theatre, a PR exercise.

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Ameya Dalvi

A budget of Rs 25,000 opens doors to phones with flagship-grade processing hardware, premium designs and high-end cameras. There are some really good options available for purchase for this budget this month. You have phones with last-generation flagship processors, 64 MP cameras, quad cameras and full-screen AMOLED displays, among other things. Here are the best smartphones you can currently buy under Rs 25,000 in India.

Best phones to buy under Rs 25,000 in India

Realme X3

Realme has upped their game in the sub-25K segment with the release of the Realme X3. From a fairly potent Snapdragon 730G in the Realme X2, they have jumped to Qualcomms last generation flagship chip  the Snapdragon 855+  in their new midrange phone. You can have the 6 GB RAM/128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The display is impressive, with a 6.6-inch Full HD+ screen that flaunts a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is generally available in more expensive handsets. But they have switched from the AMOLED screen on the X2 to an LCD display here to keep the price down. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

(Also Read: Poco X2, Samsung Galaxy M31 to Redmi Note 9 Pro: Best phones under Rs 20,000 (Aug 2020))

Though the design isnt unique anymore, the textured glass back does look nice. The camera department on the Realme X3 is quite versatile, and includes a 12 MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom. It is accompanied by a 64 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP macro camera. If four cameras werent enough, you get two more at the front. Theres a 16 MP + 8 MP front camera combination to take care of selfies and video calls. A 4,200 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day of moderate usage. But whats even better is that the bundled 30W fast charger juices it up in just about an hour. The Realme X3 runs Android 10 with Realme UI on top.

Realme X3 price in India: Rs 24,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Redmi K20 Pro

Xiaomi has dropped the price of Redmi K20 Pro (Review), thus making it a great all-round option in this budget. It has a very attractive exterior with a glass body and an eye-catching Aura Prime design. You get a 6.4-inch Full HD+ notchless AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a 20 MP pop-up selfie camera on top. An in-display fingerprint scanner keeps things clean. Powering this phone is Qualcomms previous flagship Snapdragon 855 SoC, with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.



The camera department on Redmi K20 Pro is quite impressive too. You get three cameras at the back: a 48 MP main camera with a Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13 MP ultrawide camera with a 125-degree FOV and an 8 MP telephoto lens that gives you 2X optical zoom. No redundant cameras here to please the marketing team. They manage to capture some high-quality images in varied lighting conditions, and can also record super slo-mo videos at up to 960 fps. A 4,000 mAh battery keeps it powered for over a day of moderate usage. The smartphone launched with Android Pie and MIUI 10, but received an Android 10 update with MIUI 11 earlier this year.

Redmi K20 Pro price in India: Rs 24,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Honor 20

The Honor 20 (Review) has been a perennial presence in this list. It too has an elegant design with a compact (for todays standards) 6.26-inch Full HD+ display and an in-display punch-hole front camera. The Honor 20 is powered by Huaweis previous flagship Kirin 980 chip, and comes bundled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage at a very competitive price. It launched with Android Pie, but the Android 10 update with Magic UI 3.0 started rolling out a couple of months ago.

The rear has four cameras comprising a 48 MP primary camera, 16 MP ultrawide camera, 2 MP macro camera and 2 MP depth sensor. The rear cameras do a very good job in different lighting conditions. Its 3,750 mAh battery provides ample power for a day of moderate usage, and the company bundles a fast charger that can charge 50 percent of the battery in less than 30 minutes. The Honor 20 gives you very little reason to complain at this selling price.

Honor 20 price in India: Rs 22,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

(Also Read: Realme 6i, Poco M2 Pro to Xiaomi Mi A3: Best phones under Rs 15,000 (August 2020))

Non-Chinese brand Smartphones under Rs 25,000 in India

This is one of the most common queries we have received over the past couple of months. So, here are two smartphones from a non-Chinese manufacturer that you can buy under Rs 25,000. This time too, both belong to Samsung. They dont have processors as powerful as the above three, but can match them in other departments.

Samsung Galaxy A51

The Samsung Galaxy A51 (Review) retains its place in the list. It may not have the processing muscle of other phones in this list, but can still hold its own in the display and photography department. This phone too has quad cameras at the back with a combination of 48 MP primary camera, 12 MP ultrawide, 5 MP macro and 5 MP depth sensor. You can capture some quality photos from the primary camera, and its portrait and macro shots are quite impressive too. The 32 MP front camera should please selfie enthusiasts.

The Samsung Galaxy A51 has an impressive 6.5-inch Full HD+ sAMOLED display with excellent colour reproduction and a tiny hole for the front camera at the top centre. The phone is powered by Samsungs mid-range Exynos 9611 SoC, and comes bundled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. Its 4,000 mAh battery manages to last a day of moderate usage. The Samsung Galaxy A51 runs Android 10 with One UI.

Samsung Galaxy A51 price in India: Rs 23,990 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy A70s

Galaxy A70s is another Samsung phone in the list with an even larger display and a Qualcomm chip instead of Exynos. It has a massive 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ screen with a drop notch and a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The display is sharp and vibrant with good sunlight legibility. It has a larger 4,500 mAh battery that comfortably lasts over a day of moderate usage. The phone is powered by an efficient and still fairly powerful Snapdragon 675 SoC, and you get 6 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage that can be expanded further up to 1TB.

The Samsung Galaxy A70s has a triple camera setup at the back, with a 64 MP primary camera teaming up with an 8 MP 12mm ultra-wide camera and a 5 MP depth sensor. They do a commendable job in good to decent lighting, but not so much in low light. Theres a 32 MP front camera here too. The Samsung Galaxy A70s launched with Android Pie, but a stable Android 10 update for this phone with One UI 2.0 started rolling out a couple of months ago.

Samsung Galaxy A70s price in India: Rs 24,990 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage
Russia says US war games in Estonia 'provocative, extremely dangerous'

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 01 September 2020 3:12 PM

Russia says live-fire exercises by the United States in Estonia, near Russia's western borders, are "provocative" and "extremely dangerous" as they would escalate tensions in Europe.

The Russian Embassy in Washington raised the alarm about the war games in a statement on Tuesday.

The war games, involving an infantry brigade of the Baltic Armed Forces and the 41st Field Artillery Brigade of the US Army, started in Estonia on September 1 and will run until September 10.

The drills are the first live-fire exercises by US artillery units outside of their permanent bases in Europe.

The embassy's statement censured the planned use of multiple launch rocket systems "in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders," and said, "The Russian Federation has repeatedly proposed to the United States and its allies to limit training activities and to divert the exercise zones from the Russia-NATO contact line."

"We consider the actions of the US Armed Forces in Estonia provocative and extremely dangerous for regional stability," the Russian mission said.

"Why is this demonstrative saber-rattling? What signal do the NATO members want to send us? Who is actually escalating tensions in Europe? And this is all happening in the context of an aggravated political situation in that region of the European continent. A rhetorical question is  how would the Americans react in the event of such shooting by our military at the US border?" the statement said.

Russia has long been wary of NATO activity near its borders, slamming military drills and missile deployments in Eastern Europe and near its western borders as provocative.

NATO military activity in the region has increased since 2014, when Crimea rejoined Russia following a referendum and when a military conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine.

Russia denies violating Denmark's airspace

In another development on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry rejected a NATO accusation that a Russian jet had intruded into Danish airspace.

The US-led military alliance claimed on August 28 that a Russian Sukhoi had followed an American Air Force B-52 into Danish airspace and committed a significant violation of the airspace of a NATO member.

The Russian Defense Ministry said no such violation had taken place and the flight had been carried out in strict accordance with international airspace regulations.

The ministry said the Su-27, which was scrambled to identify the US Air Force strategic bomber, flew over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea.

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Bishop Prays For Femi Fani-Kayode

Some prominent Ministers of God, on Sunday, 30 August, joined hands together, to pray for the former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode after the Lagos state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told him he would become Nigerias President some day.

He was a guest at Bishop Isaac Idahosas celebration of 31 years in ministry in Lagos, where several other Pastors were present.

FFK received, with faith, the prophecy that he would one day rule Nigeria if he remains humble.

Source:Legit
ANN ARBOR, MI  State officials are seeking public comment on a proposed cleanup plan for the Gelman dioxane plume in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, known as EGLE, has scheduled an online public meeting from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 14 to discuss a new consent judgment negotiated by the state, polluter Gelman Sciences, city of Ann Arbor, Scio Township, Washtenaw County and Huron River Watershed Council.

The state sued Gelman over its pollution in 1988, leading to a Circuit Court consent judgment in 1992 that has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2011.

Its proposed to be amended again as part of a legal settlement to require more aggressive cleanup and more monitoring of the toxic chemical plume thats been spreading for decades through the Ann Arbor areas groundwater.

The proposed cleanup plan includes more pumping and treating and attacking the pollution at the source, the old Gelman filter-manufacturing site off Wagner Road.

Expert explains cleanup plan for Ann Arbor dioxane plume in 7 new videos

The collective efforts of the state and local parties have resulted in substantial enhancements to the cleanup and monitoring efforts at the Gelman site and EGLE looks forward to overseeing implementation of the revised consent judgment. I encourage participation in the public comment process, EGLE Director Liesl Clark said in a statement.

The hard work of the local government intervenors alongside the state has produced a shared proposal for more work at the site that all of the parties agree on, Attorney General Dana Nessel added in a statement.

Now the public will have the chance to weigh in on that shared proposal, a step I applaud on the part of both EGLE and the local governments.

In addition to a public comment period at the Sept. 14 meeting, EGLE is accepting email input through Sept. 21 at EGLE-RRD-Gelman@Michigan.gov.

Written comments also can be sent via mail to Dan Hamel, EGLEs project manager for the Gelman cleanup, at EGLEs Jackson District Office, 301 East Louis Glick Highway, Jackson, MI, 49201-1556.

Those interested can register here for the Zoom meeting and receive an email about how to join. Pre-registration is not required and anyone interested in attending can join the meeting when it begins.

Those who would like to participate by phone can call 213-787-0529 or toll free at 888-808-6929 and use conference code 881478.

EGLE advises those who wish to remain anonymous to click the link to join at the start of the meeting and enter only a first name and last name initial and put eglemeeting@mi.gov in the email field.

A county map of the Gelman dioxane plume originating in Scio Township and moving easterly through Ann Arbor's west side as of 2019. Small dots on the map mark the locations of drinking water wells, while different types of larger circles show the locations of monitoring wells and groundwater extraction wells for treatment operations by polluter Gelman Sciences. The red outlined area is the prohibition zone where groundwater use is prohibited per court orders.Washtenaw County

Gelman used dioxane in its manufacturing operations from 1966 until 1986.

The plume has impacted 3.5 square miles of Ann Arbor and Scio Township, according to EGLE, which says there are currently no known health risks associated with it.

Impacted areas in Ann Arbor are served by municipal water, though there are Scio Township residents on well water that have had varying levels of dioxane in their water over the years. There also are lingering concerns about dioxane in shallow groundwater potentially getting into basements in residential areas just west of downtown Ann Arbor or rising to the surface in areas such as West Park.

The biggest fear is that dangerous levels of dioxane could eventually contaminate Barton Pond, the citys main drinking water supply. There have been trace levels detected in Barton Pond on several occasions over the last two years, most recently at 0.33 parts per billion this month, the highest its ever been.

There also have been trace levels of dioxane detected in the citys drinking water on two occasions in the last two years  at about 0.04 to 0.06 ppb earlier this year.

Dioxane is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. It also can cause kidney and liver damage, and respiratory problems.

Just a few parts per billion in drinking water, with longterm exposure, poses a 1 in 100,000 cancer risk, according to EPA.

A closer look at the proposed Gelman plume cleanup plan. Is it enough?

A public-review copy of the proposed consent judgment is posted on EGLEs Gelman plume webpage. Local officials also have created an online repository for all of the previously confidential settlement documents released this week.

The proposed agreement applies a lower exposure limit for dioxane in drinking water, down from 85 ppb to 7.2 ppb, as well as a new limit for dioxane in groundwater venting into surface waters, down from 2,800 ppb to 280 ppb.

Gelman has voluntarily complied with the 7.2-ppb limit for drinking water since state standards were updated in October 2016, though its now proposed to be formally incorporated in the consent judgment.

In addition to updating the criteria, other changes to the consent judgment incorporate additional safeguards to protect human health and the environment, according to EGLE.

These updates include increasing the number of contaminated groundwater extraction wells, the number of monitoring wells in Ann Arbor, the number of compliance monitoring wells in Scio Township and source removal efforts on the Gelman property; in addition to preparing advance contingency plans to extend municipal water to four areas that rely on wells for drinking water if data and information indicates that the plume will expand into these areas.

After receiving public input in the coming weeks, local officials, including the Ann Arbor City Council, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and Scio Township Board of Trustees, are expected to vote on adopting the proposed consent judgment before going back to court Oct. 22.

Whats proposed is a polluter-funded cleanup, but it wouldnt fully rid the areas groundwater of dioxane, officials note.

Some activists have argued the city should instead seek a federal Superfund cleanup to try to restore local groundwater aquifers to drinking water standards.

The citys hydrogeological expert, Larry Lemke, has concluded the plume has spread so far its not possible to clean it up to a pristine standard, city officials note.

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RelaxStation eyes move outside downtown Ann Arbor
The mayor of Washington DC has been slammed by the White House after a committee she founded to review the city's monuments and statues recommended the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial be 'removed, relocated or contextualized'.

Mayor Muriel Bowser formed DCFACES in July, amid a nationwide discussion about how America's history should be represented, and who should be commemorated.

She said their job was 'evaluating public spaces to ensure the namesake's legacy is consistent with DC values'.

On Monday the 34 members of the working group delivered their report, which will now be reviewed and potentially implemented by the mayor.

They found nine statues and monuments that they listed for 'remove, relocate or contextualize'.

Among them was the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and statue of Andrew Jackson.

The Washington Monument was identified as problematic by a committee in the US capital

The 34-member DCFACES committee also said the Jefferson Memorial should be reviewed

The Andrew Jackson statue outside the White House was among nine statues of concern

Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, said she would study the recommendations

DC monuments listed for 'remove, relocate or contextualize' The DCFACES committee listed nine federal monuments in Washington DC that needed to be looked at: Christopher Columbus Fountain

Benjamin Franklin Statue

Andrew Jackson Statue

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

George Mason Memorial

Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain

Albert Pike Statue

Washington Monument

George Washington Statue Advertisement

The committee said it took into account five factors when making a decision whether something should be renamed or taken down: did the honoree participate in slavery, was the honoree involved in systematic racism, did the person support oppression, was the person involved in a supremacist agenda, and did the honoree violate the city's human rights law.

Critics of the Democrat mayor leapt on the idea that the world-renowned landmarks could be removed or relocated.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany immediately dismissed their 'ludicrous' findings.

'By publishing a plan that recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument, Christopher Columbus Statue, Andrew Jackson Statue, and Jefferson Memorial - among many other ludicrous recommendations - the radically liberal mayor of Washington, D.C., is repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots: demolishing our history and destroying our great heritage,' she said.

'Our Nation's capital is rightly filled with countless markers, memorials, and statues to honor and respect the men and women who built this country.

'President Donald J. Trump believes these places should be preserved, not torn down; respected, not hated; and passed on for generations to come.'

She said that Trump would ensure 'the mayor's irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere'.

'She ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration,' McEnany said.

The Christopher Columbus fountain outside Union Station was deemed problematic

The Benjamin Franklin statue, on 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, was also listed

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt dismissed the suggestions immediately

'Not on my watch. Never going to happen,' tweeted David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Interior.

Alyssa Farah, White House communications director, tweeted: 'I'm not even sure what relocating the Washington Monument would entail.'

And DC political hopeful Will Mascaro, in the running to be an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, said he celebrated the idea of commemorating a wider variety of people, but was strongly against the removal of the existing nine statues and memorials.

'Also, where does the Working Group recommend we RELOCATE 81,000 ton Washington Monument to, exactly???' he said.

'I can't believe my tax dollars have been spent commissioning this report.'

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said he would refuse to remove the nine memorials

White House communications director said the idea of relocating the Monument was ludicrous

Aspiring local politician Will Mascaro laughed off the idea of removing the Monument

In making their decisions, the committee was asked to evaluate 1,330 named places - schools, residential housing, streets, neighborhoods, parks, recreation centers, libraries and monuments.

Of those, 153 were named after 'persons of concern'.

Some of the groups recommendations were widely expected; for example, Woodrow Wilson High School has been a prime candidate for a name change for years due to Wilsons open public support for segregation.

The report doesn't go into detail about how 're-contextualizing' would work, but there have been recent recommendations that plaques be added to the monuments to Jefferson and Washington, explaining that their namesakes were longtime slave-owners.

Bowser, in a Tuesday tweet, said she looked forward to reviewing the recommendations from the task force, which she had tasked with 'evaluating public spaces to ensure the namesakes legacy is consistent with #DCValues.'

Bowser has very little power to control what happens on federal land. She and the D.C. Council fought for years to have a statue of former Confederate general Albert Pike removed; they were unsuccessful because the statue sits on federal land. In June, hundreds of protesters toppled the Pike statue while officers from the Metropolitan Police Department looked on and kept their distance.

Demands for a reassessment of DC's monuments and statues have been growing, and have sharply divided people.

Donald Trump has seized on the discussion as a 'culture war', insisting that the debate should not even be held.

Yet even as he introduced fines for toppling statues, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, ordered the removal of Confederate statues from within the Capitol.

Across the States protesters have been taking matters into their own hands, with memorials to Confederate generals such as Robert E Lee frequently attacked, as well as Christopher Columbus, who 'discovered' the Americas for his Spanish patrons but in doing so wiped out a huge swathe of the Native population.

Monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests There has been a renewed push to remove Confederate monuments following the death of George Floyd in the custody of police. In May and June 2020, a number of monuments and memorials were destroyed or removed, or commitments to remove them were announced. Some had been the subject of lengthy, years-long efforts to remove them. Where legal avenues had all but failed, some monuments were deliberately broken. Many statues of Christopher Columbus were removed, as he participated in abuses against Native Americans and his arrival in the Americas was the beginning of the genocide of Native American people. Monuments to many other local figures connected with racism were also removed. Some pro-Union or anti-slavery monuments were also targeted, as they were seen to embody disrespectful attitudes towards Native Americans or the enslaved. At least 63 monuments or plaques in cities across the country have been removed since the protests began. General Stonewall Jackson and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Richmond, Virginia Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the immediate removal of several confederate statues. 'These statues, although symbolic, have cast shadows on the dreams of our children of color,' Stoney said. 'Let me be clear, removing these monuments is not a solution to the deeply embedded racial injustices in our city and nation, but is a down payment.' The work began with the statues of General Stonewall Jackson, who became one of the best-known Confederate commanders, and General Robert E. Lee, who was the only president of the Confederate States of America. People watch as the Stonewall Jackson statue is removed from Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia on July 1, 2020 A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Virginia John C. Calhoun, Charleston, South Carolina Crews in Charleston tore down a statue of politician John C. Calhoun, a former Vice President of the United States, from its pedestal in Marion Square on June 24. He is remembered for strongly defending slavery and for advancing the concept of minority states' rights in politics. Workers use cherry pickers to help remove the John C. Calhoun statue atop a monument in Marion Square in Charleston, South Carolina in June The John Breckinridge Castleman monument, Louisville, Kentucky John Breckinridge Castleman was a Confederate officer and later a United States Army brigadier general as well as a prominent landowner and businessman in Louisville, Kentucky. The statue will eventually make its way to Cave Hill Cemetery, where Castleman is buried. Jefferson Davis statue from Kentucky Capitol rotunda, Frankfort, Kentucky The statue had been in the building since 1936. Five years ago, Frankfort officials voted to get rid of the statue, but ended up just removing the bronze plaque that was displayed in the front. Workers hoist a statue of Jefferson Davis after removing it from the Kentucky state Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky in early June Charles Linn, a city founder who was in the Confederate Navy, in Birmingham, Alabama Linn was a sailor, wholesaler, banker and industrialist. He was a captain in the Confederate Navy and later one of the founders of Birmingham, Alabama. Robert E. Lee that stood in front of Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama Robert Edward Lee was an American Confederate general best known as a commander of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 until its surrender in 1865. The Robert E. Lee Statue stands off its base at Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama, pictured in June 2020. The school has a majority black student population Edward Carmack, a former US senator, Nashville, Tennessee Carmack was an attorney, newspaperman and political figure who served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1901 to 1907. Following his political service, and after an unsuccessful run for Governor of Tennessee, he became editor of the one-year-old Nashville Tennessean. Protesters toppled the statue of Edward Carmack outside the state Capitol after a peaceful demonstration turned violent at the end of May in Nashville, Tennessee Confederate Adm. Raphael Semmes , Mobile, Alabama Raphael Semmes was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860. During the American Civil War, Semmes was captain of the cruiser CSS Alabama, the most successful commerce raider in maritime history, taking 65 prizes. The pedestal where the statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes stands empty, in Mobile, Alabama. The city of Mobile removed the Confederate statue without making any public announcements Bronze statue of Confederate soldier named 'Appomattox' removed from Old Town Alexandria, Virginia The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the American Civil War. Advertisement

George Washington, whose monument towers over DC, owned more than 300 enslaved black people at the time of his death, and, while alive, had those he enslaved whipped when they didn't work hard enough, or tried to run to freedom,

Washington's defenders insist he was simply acting as expected for his time; his detractors point out that he owned slaves while a growing number of others around him actively opposed slavery and committed their lives to abolition.

Washington, along with other Founding Fathers and 10 of the first 12 presidents all owned slaves.

Andrew Jackson, beloved by Trump, has had his statues around the U.S. defaced in multiple cities.

Jackson was the seventh president, serving from 1829 to 1837.

In addition to owning enslaved people and co-owning a plantation in Coahoma County, he also oversaw the forced migration of Native Americans in which many died.

In July a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson called for the Jefferson Memorial to be pulled down and replaced with a statue of Harriet Tubman.

Lucian K. Truscott IV, describes himself in a New York Times op ed as 'the sixth-generation great-grandson of a slave owner'.

Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, was the third president of the United States, ruling from 1801-9.

Jefferson's grandson Thomas Jefferson Randolph, was Truscott's great-great-great-great grandfather.

The Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC should be removed, a descendant has argued

Lucian Truscott, right, is a sixth generation grandson of Thomas Jefferson. He is pictured with his cousin Shannon, who descended from Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings

He argued that the domed marble monument to his ancestor, built by Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1939 -1943, was inappropriate given Jefferson owned 600 slaves.

'It's a shrine to a man who famously wrote that 'all men are created equal' in the Declaration of Independence that founded this nation  and yet never did much to make those words come true,' Truscott wrote.

'Described by the National Park Service as 'a shrine to freedom,' it is anything but.

'He should not be honored with a bronze statue 19 feet tall, surrounded by a colonnade of white marble.

'The time to honor the slave-owning founders of our imperfect union is past.

'The ground, which should have moved long ago, has at last shifted beneath us.'

His remarks were approved by another of the thousands of Jefferson descendants, Chris Truscott.

'Me too. And yes,' he tweeted.

Chris Truscott, another Jefferson descendant, agreed with Lucian Truscott's view

Lucian Truscott, a 73-year-old journalist and novelist who graduated from West Point before taking up a career as a writer, told how as a child he had played at Jefferson's Monticello estate, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He described running around the grounds and enjoying the historic plantation house.

Truscott argued that Monticello served as a more fitting memorial to Jefferson because it contextualized his entire life, slavery included.

'Monticello is an almost perfect memorial, because it reveals him with his moral failings in full, an imperfect man, a flawed founder,' he wrote.

The statue of Thomas Jefferson, inside the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC

Jefferson had at least nine children, including six with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings.

Her 'cavelike' quarters are on display at the Virginia estate.

Jefferson did not free Hemings. She was permitted to leave Monticello by his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph not long after Jefferson's death in 1826, and went to live with her sons Madison and Eston in Charlottesville.

'My cousins from the Sally Hemings family are also the great-grandchildren of a slave owner,' he wrote.

'But the difference is that our great-grandfather owned their great-grandmother. My family owned their family.

'That is the American history you will not learn when you visit the Jefferson Memorial. But you will learn it when you visit Monticello.'

Truscott concluded that the Jefferson Memorial should be replaced with a statue of Harriet Tubman, who he described as 'one of our founding mothers'.

'To see a 19-foot-tall bronze statue of a Black woman, who was a slave and also a patriot, in place of a white man who enslaved hundreds of men and women is not erasing history,' he wrote.

'It's telling the real history of America.'
On guard: Wisconsin National Guard members protect the Kenosha public safety building more than a week after Jacob Blake was shot by police. PHOTO: REUTERS/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

US President Donald Trump has claimed "people that are in the dark shadows" are "controlling the streets" and manipulating his Democratic opponent Joe Biden to sow chaos.

When Fox News host Laura Ingraham suggested the claim "sounds like conspiracy theory", Mr Trump doubled down, launching into a tale of a plane that allegedly flew from an unnamed city to Washington this weekend loaded with "thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear".

The strange exchange prompted head-scratching from Trump critics and produced few clear answers about what precisely the president was referring to. He declined to elaborate, saying the case was "under investigation".

"What does that mean?" Ms Ingraham asked. "That sounds like conspiracy theory. Dark shadows - what is that?"

"No, they're people that you haven't heard of," the president said. "They're people that are on the streets, people that are controlling the streets."

Mr Trump then described a plane "from a certain city this weekend, and on the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear". Ms Ingraham asked where the plane came from, but the president demurred.

But the allegations fit into Mr Trump's efforts after a week of deadly violence at protests in Wisconsin and Oregon to blame the unrest on Democrats and left-wing anarchists, ignoring the role of armed right-wing agitators in both places.

Debunked rumours of a plane filled with black-clad rabble-rousers setting out to harass right-leaning towns and suburbs have appeared on social media in the past.

Mr Trump yesterday said rioters who damaged buildings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, had committed acts of "domestic terror" as he visited the city to push his tough law-and-order message.

The US president said the city had been "ravaged by anti-police and anti-American riots" and accused "reckless far-Left politicians" of criticising police officers and pushing a "radical" ideology that risked the safety of the country's streets.

In Kenosha, he visited buildings destroyed by the protests which broke out after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, an African-American man, in the back seven times in an incident captured on camera.

The US president had been urged by local Democratic politicians, including the state's governor Tony Evers, not to come to the city, with some claiming his presence could raise tensions.

After touching down and leaving the airport, Mr Trump was met by around 100 people, some holding Black Lives Matter signs or ones that called him a "liar". Others waved "Trump 2020" slogans.

The US president provoked controversy the day before the trip when he refused to condemn Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who travelled from Illinois with a rifle to Kenosha last week and is accused of killing two protesters and injuring another.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has denied having a series of "mini strokes" amid reports Vice President Mike Pence was put on standby as he sought hospital treatment in November.

"It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favourite president, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Centre, having suffered a series of mini-strokes," Mr Trump said.

"Never happened to this candidate - fake news. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate!" he added, alluding to his frequent claims that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's mental acuity is somehow lacking.

Mr Trump's denial comes amid new scrutiny of his unannounced weekend trip to Walter Reed last November, during which the White House said the 74-year-old began "portions of his routine annual physical exam".

However, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, West Wing staffers were told to put Mr Pence on standby "to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Mr Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetised."

On Monday, Joe Lockhart, former press secretary for Bill Clinton, floated the theory that the president was covering up a stroke. The White House denied Mr Lockhart's allegation, and Dr Sean Conley, a White House physician, said: "I can confirm that Mr Trump has not experienced nor been evaluated for any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported."
The US says Chinese diplomats will need approval to visit US universities and hold cultural events.

The United States has said senior Chinese diplomats will now be required to secure State Department approval before visiting US university campuses and holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside embassy grounds in a move that drew condemnation from Beijing.

Washington has cast the move as a response to what it said was Beijings restrictions on American diplomats based in China. It comes as part of a Trump administration campaign against alleged Chinese influence operations and espionage activity.

The State Department said it also would take action to help ensure all Chinese embassy and consular social media accounts were properly identified.

Were simply demanding reciprocity. Access for our diplomats in China should be reflective of the access that Chinese diplomats in the United States have, and todays steps will move us substantially in that direction, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news briefing on Wednesday.

Rising tensions

The Chinese Embassy in Washington condemned the move as a gross violation of Vienna Conventions that govern diplomacy.

The US should correct its mistakes, revoke the relevant decisions, and provide support and facilitation for Chinese diplomats in the US to carry out the relevant activities, the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, reported the embassy as saying.

The US has been taking steps to restrict Chinese activity in the country in the run-up to the November presidential election, in which President Donald Trump faces a strong challenge from Democratic challenger Joe Biden and where he has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy platform.

Relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate amid disputes over trade, Taiwan, Tibet, human rights, Hong Kong and the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump has blamed China for failing to adequately respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

The US has recorded the most cases and deaths in the world and Trumps handling of the pandemic has become a key campaign issue after the president pushed for a lifting of restrictions designed to curb the spread of the virus.

Despite Trumps previous affinity for Chinese President Xi Jinping, his administration has been ratcheting up up restrictions and sanctions on Chinese officials, government agencies and companies since last year, beginning with travel limits imposed on diplomats, and registration requirements for Chinese media outlets.

In June, the US ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, which prompted Beijing to force the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu.

University threats

Pompeo on Wednesday also revealed that Keith Krach, the State Departments under-secretary for economic erowth, had written recently to the governing boards of US universities alerting them to alleged threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

These threats can come in the form of illicit funding for research, intellectual property theft, intimidation of foreign students and opaque talent recruitment efforts, Pompeo said.

He said universities could ensure they had clean investments and endowment funds, by taking a few key steps to disclose all (Chinese) companies investments invested in the endowment funds, especially those in emerging-market index funds.

On Tuesday, Pompeo said he was hopeful Confucius Institute cultural centres on US university campuses, which he accused of working to recruit spies and collaborators, would all be shut by the end of the year.

Last month, Pompeo labelled the centre that manages the dozens of Confucius Institutes in the US an entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence and required it to register as a foreign mission.

The State Department announced in June it would start treating four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies, calling them mouthpieces for Beijing.

It took the same step against five other Chinese outlets in February, and in March said it was slashing the number of journalists allowed to work at US offices of major Chinese media outlets to 100 from 160 due to Beijings long-standing intimidation and harassment of journalists.
TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. ("Supreme Cannabis" or the "Company") (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) is pleased to announce that further to the previously announced amendments (the "Amendments") to the terms of the Company's outstanding 6.0% senior unsecured subordinated convertible debentures issued in October 2018 (the "Debentures"), it has filed a prospectus supplement that qualifies the issuance of up to 58,300,000 common shares of the Company to holders of Debentures (the "Debentureholders") resident in eligible jurisdictions.

In consideration of the reduction of the principal amount of the Debentures by $63.5 million, among other consideration, the Company will issue an aggregate of 116.6 million common shares (the "Consideration Shares") to Debentureholders. Debentureholders resident in eligible jurisdictions will receive half of the Consideration Shares as freely-trading shares, and the other half of the Consideration Shares will be subject to a four-month restricted period. Debentureholders resident in other jurisdictions will be entitled to receive Consideration Shares subject to restricted periods, subject to applicable securities laws.

In order for eligible Debentureholders to receive freely-trading Consideration Shares, such Debentureholders are reminded to instruct their CDS participants to make the appropriate election with respect to jurisdiction of residency through CDS before the election deadline (the "Election Deadline"), which is expected to be on or around September 8, 2020. Any eligible Debentureholder that fails to elect prior to the Election Deadline will receive 100% of the Consideration Shares subject to a four-month restricted period.

No action is required by Debentureholders in order to receive their entitlement to Consideration Shares or Accretion Debentures, other than eligible Debentureholders wishing to receive freely-trading Consideration Shares being required to make the appropriate election through CDS as described above.

On September 9, 2020 the Company will enter into a supplemental trust indenture to implement the Amendments. At such time, all Amendments to the Debentures will become effective and Debentureholders will receive their pro rata entitlement to Consideration Shares and Accretion Debentures.

As of September 9, 2020, trading of Debentures on the Toronto Stock Exchange will occur on a post-Amendment basis.

About Supreme Cannabis.

The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc., (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), is a global diversified portfolio of distinct cannabis companies, products and brands. Since 2014, the Company has emerged as one of the world's most premium producers of recreational, wholesale and medical cannabis products.

Supreme Cannabis' portfolio of brands caters to diverse consumer and patient experiences, with brands and products that address recreational, wellness, medical and new consumer preferences. The Company's recreational brand portfolio includes, 7ACRES, Blissco , 7ACRES Craft Collective, Sugarleaf and Hiway. Supreme Cannabis addresses national and international medical cannabis opportunities through its premium Truverra brand.

Supreme Cannabis' brands are backed by a focused suite of world-class operating assets that serve key functions in the value chain, including, scaled cultivation, value-add processing, automated packaging and product testing and R&D. Follow the Company on Instagram , Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn and YouTube.

We simply grow better.

Forward-Looking Information.

Certain statements made in this press release, including statements concerning the proposed amendments to the Debentures and the completion and timing thereof, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to anticipated events or results and other statements that are not historical facts. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.supreme.ca/


Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, learns about efforts to strengthen ecological protection of the Yellow River at a section of the river in Wuzhong city, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, June 8, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

Key Party meeting stresses conservation, development of water resources crucial

A key Party meeting on Monday stressed the need to promote the intensive and economical utilization of the water resources of the Yellow River to ensure its high-quality development.

The meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reviewed a guideline on development planning for the Yellow River basin.

The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River, known as China's Mother River, "concern the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation", read a statement released after the meeting.

Efforts should be made to improve its environment, optimize the allocation of water resources, facilitate high-quality development of the whole basin, improve people's lives and promote the inheritance of Yellow River culture, it said.

"It is important to respect natural laws and taking targeted measures according to local circumstances to improve the environment in the Yellow River basin," the statement read.

It mandated efforts to reduce floods and droughts along the Yellow River for the long run and to improve the country's capabilities in dealing with various kinds of natural disasters by strengthening scientific research.

To boost the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, meeting participants decided that effective measures should be adopted to accelerate the transformation of driving forces, to establish the modern industrial system with distinctive local features and advantages and to advance rural vitalization.

The meeting also stressed the need to protect and carry forward Yellow River culture and explore its value in modern times to strengthen Chinese people's confidence in Chinese culture.

The 5,464-kilometer-long river feeds about 12 percent of China's population, irrigates about 15 percent of arable land, supports 14 percent of national GDP and supplies water to more than 60 cities.

The Yellow River basin has a drainage area of over 752,000 sq km and covers seven provinces and two autonomous regions.

Since Xi became general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, he has made many visits to inspect the environmental conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, with the most recent in June, when he inspected the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Monday's meeting also reviewed a report on the latest round of disciplinary inspections by the 19th CPC Central Committee.

It said that results of the inspections showed that central Party and government organs should be more consciously implementing various kinds of decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on comprehensively deepening reform, thus pushing forward the country's modernization of its governance system and governance capabilities.
KINSHASA, Congo - Congo is seeing an upsurge in cases of the plague, as the vast Central African nation also battles outbreaks of COVID-19 and Ebola.

Since June, Congo has recorded at least 65 cases of the plague, including at least 10 deaths, in the eastern Ituri province according to Ituri provincial chief of health Dr. Louis Tsolu.

While the plague is endemic in Ituri province, the number of cases is increasing and has already surpassed the total recorded in 2019 which had 48 cases and eight deaths, according to WHO.

The new plague outbreak appears to have started in June when a 12-year-old girl in the Rethy health zone died with symptoms related to the plague  headache, cough, enlarged lymph nodes, and a fever. More deaths in that area were later recorded with symptoms of the plague, which manifests in three different forms: Bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.

The transmission of bubonic plague between humans usually occurs when people do not take preventive measures, especially in Congo when they follow traditional burial practices in which they wash and touch the corpses of those who died from the disease, authorities say. The plague is initially transmitted to humans who are bitten by fleas living on rodents. Antibiotics are usually used in treatment.

This year health workers are finding it difficult to assist people in eastern Congo because of insecurity caused by armed militias. The plague cases have also increased while Congo is also fighting COVID-19, which has infected more than 10,100 people and killed at least 260. There is also an Ebola outbreak in the western Equateur province, which has killed 43 people, although in June Congo succeeded in bringing to an end a larger Ebola outbreak in the east that lasted for nearly two years and killed nearly 2,300 people.

The plague is mostly endemic in Congo, Peru and Madagascar, which saw a large outbreak in 2017 with more than 2,300 cases and 202 deaths, according to WHO.
A priest identified as Reverend Father Jude slumped and died while delivering a sermon in a Catholic church in Cameroon, central Africa.



Catholic priest Reverend Father Jude can be seen speaking to his congregation from the pulpit in French.



All of a sudden, he falls to the ground in at the Church in Cameroon's western city of Douala. The incident took place during a Sunday Mass on 30 August, reports Daily Mail.

Twitter/@ChidiOdinkalu

The reverend father who was wearing a mask while preaching slumped and other congregants ran to rescue him, however, he died on the spot.



Also Read: Ancient Underwater Church Becomes Visible In Turkey Thanks To Reduced Pollution Amid Lockdown

The footage was shared on Twitter by lawyer Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission.



VIEWERS DISCRETION ADVISED

#LifeIsShort



Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Diedo, in Cameroon's commercial capital, Douala, was preaching the Homily at Mass earlier today when this happened. #RIP pic.twitter.com/dDGlA5mC98  Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) August 30, 2020





'Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Deido, in Cameroon's commercial capital, Douala, was preaching the Homily at Mass earlier today when this happened. RIP,' he wrote.

Catholic Priest Collapses, Dies during Church Service.

Tragedy struck in Cameroon when a priest identified as Reverend Father Jude slumped and died while preaching the Homily. Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Deido, in Cameroon.

Babu Owino

Citizen TV

Dennis Okari pic.twitter.com/6HKgOTvsjZ  Wish Fm (@Wishfmradio) September 1, 2020





A Twitter user named @OYEDEJI wrote: Can you observe a man wiping off sweat from his face because the room was stuffy, coupled with talking with face mask on. Yes, probably with an underlying condition. That is why I will remove my face mask if I cant breathe comfortably when having it on. Life has no duplicate!



Can you observe a man wiping off sweat from his face because the room was stuffy, coupled with talking with face mask on. Yes, probably with an underlying condition. That is why I will remove my face mask if I can't breathe comfortably when having it on. Life has no duplicate!  OYEDEJI ANTHONY (@OYEDEJI) August 30, 2020

Social media users expressed shocked at the priest's sudden death. One wrote: 'Oh my God! Right at the pulpit while preaching a sermon!?' 'May his soul rest in peace and may the Lord he served to grant him eternal rest in his kingdom.' 'Life isn't just short it's unbelievable,' said another.

Also Read: Keeping Social Distancing In Mind, Priest Squirts Holy Water At Churchgoers With Water Pistol

Image For Representation/Reuters

In the viral video, the priest can be heard breathing heavily into the microphone before he drops.

Also Read: Priest From UP Has A Tumor On Face And Is Worshipped As A Reincarnation Of Lord Jambavan

At the end of the video, fellow clergymen wearing face masks can be seen rushing to the priest's aid as people in the church scream. The cause of the death and any pre-existing medical conditions of the priest are yet to be known.
'In India, a really popular and well-entrenched leader is not defeated by a rival.'

'Such a leader has to defeat himself,' observes Shekhar Gupta.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi descends from the ramparts of the Red Fort after addressing the nation on Independence Day, August 15, 2020. Photograph: Press Information Bureau of India

A hundred-plus days into the Chinese 'dharna' in Ladakh, six months into the coronavirus crisis and in the fourth year of economic growth decline, the many critics of Narendra Modi are exasperated.

Why are the people, hurting so badly, not turning against him?

Aren't they hurting?

Has Mr Modi subjected them to some kind of a spell, conjuring up a collective suspension of disbelief?

Is it black magic?

Although that is something you've been hearing in a very different context, a star's death and his live-in girlfriend.

It is nothing of the sort.

This is the way Indian politics is.

Ask people if they are hurting, they will say yes. Do you blame Mr Modi? Remember, many of the most miserable migrant workers walking back home hundreds of miles away were still saying, 'What could Modiji have done? He took the risk to save lives'.

Similarly on China, the economy.

It takes time cleaning up the mess of 'seventy years'.

The Congress left a weak military.

Corruption had to be countered first.

Coronavirus? He ordered a total lockdown in time at great risk and cost, he evangalised masks and social distancing and never trivialised the pandemic unlike Boris Johnson, Donald Trump or Jair Bolsonaro.

What can he do if this wretched virus wouldn't listen to him?

If you are a Modi critic, I know that I am getting you even more exasperated.

Because that is the idea.

To understand hard politics, you have to accept the reality, however rude.

You can find a hundred flaws in the latest India Today Mood of The Nation poll.

Yet, it has a good track record. Now it puts Mr Modi's popularity at its highest point at arguably the most messed up point of our economy, national security, internal cohesion and a pandemic in his six years.

So what's going on?

Take a walk anywhere, and ask strangers who will admit they are hurting, if they regret voting for Mr Modi.

If there is an election again, who will they vote for? And do they see a choice emerging? I am sorry, if the answers get you even more exasperated.

Are the people nuts then?

Let me put this differently to you.

What do ordinary people do when hospitalised by a terrible sickness? They trust the doctors. They are the ones who wear white coats. They are trying their best.

The choice of changing hospitals is rarely exercised.

That's how a lot of Indian voters, hurting severely for many reasons, look at their situation now.

There's been a flurry of advice lately from the pundits on how to defeat Mr Modi and what not to do.

Get the Opposition together, is the old trope.

It never works against a truly entrenched leader. Check out Indira Gandhi in 1971 against the Grand Alliance.

Get all Left and secular forces together. Yawn.

The Left here was always a red herring, the basic politics was using caste to keep divided what somebody was working to unite using the Fevicol of religion. That battle is over.

If Narendra Modi, accompanied by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, governor and the RSS chief, leads the ceremonial bhoomi puja at Ayodhya and nobody in the Opposition, with the exception of Asaduddin Owaisi speaks out against it unqualifiedly, you know that old, post-1989 Mandir versus Mandal story is over.

See the political map of India.

State by state, where do you see leaders who could mount a credible challenge to Mr Modi? Amarinder Singh, Mamata Banerjee, ok.

Now name a third. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana stay out of this yet. But already the families ruling the latter two are supplicants of the BJP on the big issues that really matter to it. Just like in Odisha.

Other possibilities? Change the leadership of the Congress.

Let Rahul Gandhi go. Who would replace him? Some would say his sister, some would want no Gandhi. There is also a suggestion that the Congress re-consolidate, bringing in all of the prodigals, Mamata, Sharad Pawar, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, even the Sangmas.

But have you asked them if this is what they'd want? And even if they agree, who would lead them?

All of this is pure fantasy at this point.

All of it involves too many assumptions, too much wishful thinking, too many moving parts to build a functioning machine.

Which brings us to a concept, quite familiar to the smarter people I believe, but which I was told about just the other day.

Collateral benefit of a visit to the India International Centre lounge after five months. It is called Occam's Razor.

Now, William Occam (also spelt Ockham), born circa 1285 AD England, grew to be an Anglican priest and was no rationalist.

He developed a theory, instead, to justify and rationalise divine miracles.

His idea, that when there were many competing theories to predict what might happen, or why something happened, then the simplest of these was going to be correct.

To make it simpler still, the fewer assumptions you need to make in arriving at a conclusion, the more plausible it will be.

Conversely, if you made too many assumptions, you were going to go wrong.

He used it so often, and was so successful with his future-gazing that this was immortalised as the principle of Occam's Razor.

Presumably because he used it as often as a man might use a razor.

My interlocutor applied this principle to future politics in India.

And as we tossed many scenarios for 2024, he said, see which is the one with the fewest assumptions? It is Mr Modi coming back to power with another full majority.

Every other permutation fails the test of Occam's Razor. Which sent me scurrying to Uncle Google to read up a bit.

If you keep it simple, therefore, toss all wishful thinking, and look back on your own political history you might see some light.

In India, a really popular and well-entrenched leader is not defeated by a rival.

This is irrespective of which side of the fight a Gandhi is on.

Such a leader has to defeat himself. Or herself, as with Mrs Indira Gandhi in 1977.

And Rajiv in 1989. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost in 2004 not to a defined challenger, but to his own party's double-edged arrogance of advancing an election and then declaring 'India Shining' much too prematurely.

So, what do you do then if you can't stand Mr Modi and do not have a Green Card ready? Do you wait for him to defeat himself? Or, go beyond wishful thinking and do something different, harder?

The conventional way to fight a popular, strong leader is to find another leader with charisma, ambition, endless patience and a new idea.

If politics is a mega market place, you need product differentiation.

Unless all of that comes together, Mr Modi is impregnable.

You can pray to your favourite god and hope he will defeat himself like those in the past we just named.

By Special Arrangement with The Print

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
A female shopper received a creepy text message from a stranger who stole her phone number from a COVID-19 sign-in sheet.

Several women from North Shore, north of Auckland, recently reported unwanted advances after filling out contact tracing forms.

One of the customers received a text message after a visit to Countdown in Glenfield.

The 23-year-old left her contact details on a sign in sheet at the store entry on the weekend after forgetting to bring her phone to the shops.

One of the customers received a text message after a visit to Countdown in Glenfield, (pictured) the New Zealand equivalent of Woolworths

On Tuesday morning she was horrified to receive a text message from an unknown number.

'Hey hw r u,' the message read.

When she asked who sent the message she was advised they had gotten her number from a 'covid tracer form'.

She immediately deleted the text message and blocked the phone number.

The shopper was concerned whoever contacted her may have photographed the entire sign-in sheet.

'It's a bit scary to get text messages like that, especially that someone thinks it is appropriate to take your information off something like that,' she told the New Zealand Herald.

A female shopper received a creepy message from a stranger who stole her phone number from a COVID-19 sign-in sheet

But she laid blame on the supermarket chain for failing to protect the privacy of its customers.

'And it should be enough for stores to know it shouldn't be displayed out in the open,' she said.

'I'm good at keeping things quite private but to think it could get into the hands of the wrong person  You never know what people will do.'

Countdown has urged customers to respect the privacy of other shoppers while using contact tracing forms.

A spokesperson for Countdown told the New Zealand Herald they would be happy to look into the shopper's concern and notify police.

The spokesperson said paper forms were under close supervision from supermarket staff before being locked away in the office.

Meanwhile the Office of the Privacy Commissioner is urging residents to use the NZ COVID Tracer app as the best method for tracking their movement

Meanwhile the Office of the Privacy Commissioner is urging residents to use the NZ COVID Tracer app as the best method for tracking their movement.

The office has encouraged the shopper to lodge a complaint with the business over the incident.

If the situation was unable to be resolved, the complaint could be escalated to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Countdown for comment.

A similar incident was reported in May after a customer was contacted by a Subway employee who had visited one of their franchises in North Shore.

The staff member who took the customer's order was fired after reaching out to her on social media.

He sent her an email, text message and requests on Facebook and Instagram after taking her details from a sign-in sheet.

The sandwich chain now operates a digitised contact-tracing system which is inaccessible to employees.
Battle archives of a well-known Chinese general of the Anti-Japanese War have been open to the public on Tuesday in northeast China's Jilin Province.

These precious archives recorded Yang Jingyu's 47 battles against the Japanese aggressors in the last some 100 days of his life. According to Jilin Archives, the archives was found at a headquarter site of the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1953.

Yang Jingyu, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was sent to northeast China to fight Japanese troops in 1932. He fought to the end and died on the battlefield in 1940 at the age of 35. He once served as president of Northeast China Anti-Japanese Committee, secretary of the CPC Harbin Committee, secretary of the CPC Nanman Provincial Committee, and general commander and commissar of the First Northeast China Anti-Japanese Joint Army.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The new United Nations Security Council president, Niger, said the body will stick with a decision to not reimpose sanctions on Iran, despite the United States request, Reuters reported today.

There is a monthly rotation of the presidency among the 15 countries that comprise the Security Council, and Niger is serving for September. Nigers ambassador to the United Nations, Abdou Abarry, made the comments today.

Were staying with this decision ... that was stated and announced by the president of the Security Council last month, said Abarry, according to Reuters. The president then was Indonesias Dian Triansyah Djani.

In August, the United States asked the UN Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Iran, saying Iran is not complying with the 2015 nuclear deal that prohibited Iran from building a nuclear weapon. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, removed sanctions on Tehran in exchange for its compliance on the nuclear issue. The agreement includes a mechanism whereby parties to the deal can trigger snapback sanctions on Iran if the Islamic Republic violates the deal.

The council rejected the US efforts to put the sanctions back in place. European parties to the deal said at the time that the United States cannot trigger the return of sanctions because it withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Russia and China are the other signatories, along with Iran.

Under the deal, which is specified in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, other members of the council can put forward a sanctions relief extension for Iran in the event a country triggers the sanctions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that if any members of the council introduce a resolution to continue sanctions relief on Iran, the United States will veto it.

The Nigerien envoys comments at the UN, however, signal that the organization is still of the opinion that the United States has no authority to begin the snapback process in the first place.

The ambassadors statements are an added setback for the United States as it attempts to further deter Iran. Also in August, the Security Council declined to extend a weapons embargo on Iran that expires in October, as per the 2015 deal.

Iran denies it is building a nuclear weapon, but the United States continues to take action. Last week, the US government seized control of websites it said Iran was using to facilitate oil deals with Venezuela.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tony Herbert understands the need to contain spread of the coronavirus. Yet as someone who comes from the nightlife business he doesnt understand why restaurants in New York City havent yet reopened dining rooms, despite neighboring counties and states getting back into the indoor eating and drinking business.

To make himself heard hes staging a rally at City Hall on Monday, Sept. 7.

The rally will start at noon and run til 3 p.m. with a variety of speakers including some from Staten Island.

Herbert is the head of the New York Multicultural Restaurant and Nightlife Chamber of Commerce based in Brooklyn. He says, Im in support of small business owners who have poured their life savings into their businesses just to lose everything. Why cant New York open in the same way other places have?

He added, This outside dining is dangerous in a lot of ways. You have cars going by with fumes and crashing into the diners. And then theres gun violence -- thats a safety issue.

I understand we dont want to go backwards. But not only are our businesses suffering but those who need jobs are suffering, said Herbert.

This is a New York thing. This is important, he said. To contact Herbert, he offers his cell phone number -- 347-977-2300.

STATEN ISLANDERS IN THE MIX

Several Staten Island restaurant owners have expressed interest in the rally hoping to show their support. The effort follows on the heels of another large rally at City Hall held in August in support of small businesses reopening.

Richie Holmes of Juicy Lucy in Ocean Breeze plans to attend on Labor Day, his day off. Max Calicchio of Maxs EsCa is behind the effort as well but may have to tend to the restaurant that day as it is open.

As one of the founders of IROAR -- the Independent Restaurant Owners Association Rescue -- Calicchio said the mayors announcement that schools would be delayed in opening sounded alarm bells. His thinking is that history will repeat itself: dining rooms were shut down as the same time as were the schools in mid-March.

Now they have an excuse and a reason not to reopen. Theres a lot of discontent. People are just very unhappy right now, theyre being strung along and strung along, said Calicchio.

He guesses on the reasoning for such delays in reopening.

Maybe they want to see how Jersey plays out. Thats been their game plan -- just like they did with the outdoor dining. Jersey did it and then we did it a week later. They want to see what happens somewhere else instead of taking the lead themselves, taking the reins, Calicchio said. Or maybe government agencies arent staffed well enough to check up on restaurants to ensure theyre following proper guidelines, the proprietor surmised.

I cant understand it -- its the only thing that came to my head. Were hoping for the best but it doesnt look good out there, said Calicchio.

In the meantime, the boroughs politicians continue to put pressure on Albany to set an opening date for outdoor dining. Most recently, local officials penned a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomos office.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

IN OTHER FOOD NEWS THIS WEEK:

Ins and outs of drive-ins . . . saving the restaurants -- and our sanity | Pamelas Food Service Diary

Todays fig news -- fake and otherwise -- from S.I. to Timbuktu | Pamelas Food Service Diary

Getting ready for cold-weather dining in NYC

Ralphs Ices moves locations on the South Shore

Adobe Blues postpones reopening

A federal bailout for Americas restaurants: Will this help NYC?
M ore Tasers, new laws and the increased provision of protective equipment to combat a surge in attacks on police are proposed today in a safety blueprint published by the countrys top officers.

The report, by the National Police Chiefs Council and the College of Policing, says that new measures are needed because of an unacceptable rise in assaults, which has led to a 26 per cent jump in the number of officers being injured.

It adds that 15 officers have also lost their lives to a criminal act since 2008 and that every chief constable, including Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, must now consider ways of preventing further harm.

The report was published as Home Secretary Priti Patel met Lissie Harper, the widow of Pc Andrew Harper. He was killed on duty in Berkshire in August last year when he was dragged along the road by a stolen vehicle.

The report says measures should include a potential increase in the use of Tasers. It also calls for the introduction or enhanced provision of body armour, safety shields, bite guards, slash and needle-stick resistant gloves and self-application tourniquets. Further recommendations include the development of remotely operated vehicle immobilisation devices to reduce the risk of officers being targeted by cars and a new offence of deliberately using, threatening or attempting to use a vehicle to target police.

It also proposes that officers should be given better training on how to de-escalate incidents, partly based on hostage negotiation techniques, to prevent attacks taking place.

But it says that there should also be a hardline approach to prosecution when assaults do occur, and warns that many officers feel that such crimes are not taken seriously enough by the courts.

It adds that the law should be changed so that spitting and hate offences against emergency workers are treated as aggravated offences in response to a recent spike in incidents in which offenders have threatened to infect officers with Covid-19 and longer-standing problems with sexual and racist attacks on officers.

The report states: Police officers and staff come to work every day to serve the public and bring offenders to justice. They do not come to work to be abused, kicked, punched, spat at, attacked with a weapon or assaulted in any other way. This is not acceptable, it is not part of the job and it must not be tolerated or condoned.
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Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:08 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4215a93 1 National Education,health,COVID-19,school-reopening,distance-learning,internet-connection Free

Gemma Holliani Cahya

The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The governments plan to fund schoolchildrens access to the internet in support of online-based learning has spotlighted the social gaps that children living in poverty and in remote areas must face, experts have said.

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim announced on Thursday that the state would allocate Rp 7.2 trillion (US$ 532 million) in mobile phone credits and mobile data packages to support distance learning methods for the nations students and teachers, at a time when the pandemic has all but canceled face-to-face interactions across the country.

Read also: Teachers, parents fret over health risks as schools prepare to reopen

The state subsidy aims to cover the needs of the nations 60 million school students in the form of 35 gigabytes of internet data per student every month until the end of the year, while every teacher would get a monthly data allotment of 42 GB.

The ministry is verifying and updating its national student data until Sept. 11, which would give it a better idea of potential data package recipients.

Under the new scheme, which is financed by ministry funds reallocated from the delayed Mobilization Organization Program (POP), each university student and lecturer would also get 50 GB of mobile data per month.

While applauded by many, the creative solution still leaves some big holes in the implementation of distance education, as experts note that not every student in the country has a mobile phone or an internet connection.

Retno Listyarti, a commissioner for the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), said that while her office expressed appreciation for the ministrys decision, she insisted that the plan followed a class bias.

She said the program only provided learning aid only for those who could afford smartphones and access to a stable internet connection.

Such assistance cannot be enjoyed by poor students and students who live in rural areas. This group of students can only access education with face-to-face learning methods, but there is no help from the government for them, Retno said in a statement on Monday.

According to 2018/2019 statistics on the Indonesian education sector, a bit more than half of all Indonesian students are active internet users.

Read also: Embracing educational disruption under pandemic

Heru Purnomo, secretary-general of the Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI), also believes that the allocated funds are excessive.

It is too big to only solve one problem, especially when internet data wont be enjoyed by people from poor families who do not have smartphones to begin with, he said on Monday.

Heru suggested other ways to implement distance learning, such as optimizing the role of public broadcaster TVRI for airing educational programs for schoolchildren and students. He believes TV programs are still able to reach more students in Indonesia, even those in households without any hi-tech gadgets.

The KPAI also reminded the government that internet connection was rarely the only thing that students faced. Retno appealed to the ministry to work with every school and map out each of their unique learning environments, rather than just handing out a lump sum for internet data packages.

If we have a clear map of the problems and needs [of each school] then the Rp 7.2 trillion can also be allocated for [other needs], she said.

Among those are buying smartphones for students and teachers who need them, installing internet signal boosters in areas with spotty coverage, helping teachers cover commuting costs in places where they can only teach in person, and supporting infrastructure for face-to-face learning.

In a recent survey of 3,347 schools across the nation, the KPAI found that most schools had been lacking adequate infrastructure to ensure proper sanitation for students and faculty members  considered more important for in-person learning than phone credits  even before the pandemic.

The data showed that 46 percent of schools have less than five sinks, while only 6 percent have more than 20 sinks on site. The survey also shows that 5 percent of schools do not provide soap and that another 28 percent only provide it some of the time.

Sanitation has become more important than ever as frequent and proper hand hygiene is one of the most important measures for curbing the spread of COVID-19, especially as schools mull over reopening their classrooms for face-to-face learning.

All of that requires large sums of money. So the budget must go toward education, especially for preparing school infrastructure in line with health protocols, Retno said.

This is the only way to guarantee and fulfill the right of millions of Indonesian children and teachers to live, be healthy and have access to education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on education, widening the gap between children from well-off families and their poverty-stricken peers.

This is further complicated by the governments decision to shift the responsibility for reopening schools to local administrations  and effectively to the parents and teachers themselves.

Read also: Indonesia to allow phased reopening of schools in COVID-19 green zones: Minister

Data from the education ministry show that 4,966 schools in green and yellow zones have reopened their doors for face-to-face instruction. The government says that green zones are areas that recorded zero cases of COVID-19 and that yellow zones are areas that have a low risk of transmission.

Green and yellow zones cover some 43 percent of cities and regions in the entire archipelago.
NEW HAVEN  A city man was ordered held without bond on a federal firearms charge Tuesday after prosecutors, citing evidence from an ongoing New Haven police investigation, said he is believed to have been involved in an altercation just prior to the fatal shooting of Dayshon Smith.

Denzel Suggs, 26, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon by the federal government on Aug. 19. He had been arrested by New Haven police on July 31 and charged at the state level with carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm and interfering with an officer.

No charges have been filed in connection with Smiths death.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins, citing an ongoing New Haven police investigation, argued during Tuesdays detention hearing that releasing Suggs could pose a risk to the community and that he could be at risk.

Collins, as part of that argument, said Suggs is believed, based on the investigation, to have been involved in an altercation at a barbecue on Aug. 15. He was free on bond in the state case at that time, she said.

Collins said police believe that a man tried to hit Suggs with a bottle during an argument. Suggs allegedly then pulled out a gun and fired, then a melee, ensued, Collins said.

During that commotion, Collins said, 40 shots were fired. Smith was killed; five others were wounded. No suspects have been named and no charges have been filed in the shooting incident or Smiths death.

Collins argued that, if released into the community Suggs could be at the risk of being retaliated against be involved in further alleged violence perpetrated by the Exit 8 gang, of which she alleged Suggs is a member.

Defense attorney James Maguire argued that the government was offering rumors and word on the street, and thus had not come close to its burden to provide clear and conclusive evidence that Suggs poses a sufficiently dramatic risk to warrant pre-trial detention.

He noted the chaotic nature of the alleged Aug. 15 incident and said it was unclear whether Suggs was involved.

Collins, among other alleged evidence, cited Facebook posts, other information and jailhouse phone calls. She said there was Facebook video of Suggs at the barbecue, but not of the shooting.

Maguire argued that Suggs should be released into the custody of his parents, who he said live in the Annex neighborhood. Suggs has a steady job as a street sweeper, which he obtained after earning his CDL, he said.

Judge Sarah Merriam said the government was not required to produce admissible evidence during a detention hearing, affecting the standard for clear and conclusive evidence at this stage.

She said she was required, instead, to accept hearsay, and proffer balancing the information they potentially represent with the inherent danger of relying on them in an effort to safeguard the community from further crimes.

This is a very close call, said Merriam.

The potential dangers surrounding Suggs, as suggested by the government, were serious, she said. Suggs also allegedly ran from New Haven police on July 31 and allegedly was in the company of another gang member, she noted.

Noting the gun charge, the risk, and what she characterized as weak but meaningful evidence that Suggs had been involved in an altercation at the party, Merriam ultimately ordered that Suggs be detained and held without bond ahead of trial.

The defense has the right to appeal or offer new potential conditions of release, she said.

Suggs has not entered a plea at either the state or federal level to the gun charges.

A second man, arrested at the same time as Suggs and also allegedly a member of the Exit 8 group, also was detained without bond Tuesday.

Collins mentioned some of the evidence proffered in Suggs hearing, but said the government would be comfortable with the second man being released once further details regarding his living situation are determined.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
People vote at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center on Election Day in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 02, 2020. There were fewer polling locations across the city for people to vote from on Pennsylvania's primary election day due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

For almost all of the 125,000 students in the Philadelphia School District, the 2020-21 school year starts today  remotely. Phillys schools will remain that way until at least November as the district tries to plan a coherent learning experiences for students, maintain a safe atmosphere for workers, and grapple with looming financial issues. My colleague Kristen A. Graham stays on top of it all.

And, again, thanks for sharing your feedback with me. If you have more comments or questions about this newsletter in particular, feel free to reach out to jrosenblat@inquirer.com.

 Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Its not that there arent rules in place for holding an election. Its that there are so many efforts to change the rules. Thats been causing uncertainty while election officials work to finalize their plans and voters try to figure out how to actually cast their ballots.

Pennsylvania is a state that President Donald Trump won by less than 1% of the votes cast in 2016. So, even small changes that impact voter turnout could have a massive impact.

Launching the school year is going to be a challenge. Philadelphia School Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said as much. Graham interviewed Hite about todays atypical start to the Philly school year. He insisted, though, that theres still a level of excitement and optimism.

But with the launch of the school year come concerns about finances. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers contract expired this week without a new agreement being reached. Hite said that the district is projected to face major long-term deficits without aid from the city or state.

What you need to know today

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

Thats a really cool way to capture the light. Thanks for sharing, @kslouf.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

Thats interesting

Opinions

No recess on a playground. No cafeteria time. Only a herculean effort by valiant teachers on the other end of a lonely modem connection, and whatever scraps of attention caregivers could manage to dish out  if any.  writes columnist Maria Panaritis about the beginning of virtual schooling.

This Pro/Con piece asks whether a Sixers arena at Penns Landing would be good for Philly.

Wiley Cunningham, a Philadelphia homeless advocate and member of Philadelphia Housing Action, and Jennifer Bennetch, the founder of #OccupyPHA and co-founder of Philadelphia Housing Action, write about what the city can do to create plans for permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.

What were reading

Your vote could decide if Philly will revamp its police oversight commission. Billy Penn has the story.

Eater spoke with 23 chefs, activists, restaurant workers, and more to look into crystal balls and envision what a perfect restaurant industry could look like in five years.

The Guardian wrote about a butcher shop that has lasted 300 years and the current 90-year-old butcher who has to decide when to hang up his coat.

Your Daily Dose of | Love

Tatiana Cruz wasnt too happy when she was asked to work a Friday night shift last month. The nurse with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was going to get extra money and her boyfriend, Dominic Gatta, a nurse practitioner at HUP, was also working that night. Then, a colleague suggested they check out the hospitals helipad, and Gatta was waiting there, got down on one knee, and pulled out a ring.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : Two-wheeler and commercial vehicle manufacturer Bajaj Auto's total sales in August fell by 9 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

According to the company, total sales during the month under review fell to 356,199 units from 390,026 units sold during the corresponding month of 2019.

Similarly, Bajaj Auto's total domestic sales stood at 185,879 units -- down 11 per cent -- from 208,109 units sold in August last year.

The company's overall exports declined by 6 per cent to 170,320 units from 181,917 units shipped out during the like month of 2019.

In term of two-wheelers, the company's total sales slipped by 1 per cent to 321,058 units from 325,300 units sold in August last year.

The company's commercial vehicle sales during the month under review declined by 46 per cent to 35,141 units from 64,726 units sold during the like period of last year.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Paraprofessionals are hourly workers. Starting pay varied depending on an employees level of education and ranged from $15.12 an hour to $17.90 an hour in the first year of the contract. Starting pay increased to between $15.72 and $18.50 in the third year of the contact. All employees were to receive $1 an hour raises the first year and 60-cent an hour raises in the second and third years of the pact, the contract stated.
UAE betrays Islamic world: Ayatollah Khamenei

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue / 1 September 2020 / 13:52

Tehran (ISNA) - The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met with the directors and heads of the Department of Education on Tuesday September 1, 2020, via a videoconference in the 34th Conference on Education.

Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the region's countries, and Palestine. Of course, this betrayal won't last long".

"The UAE rulers opened the door to the region to the Zionists, and they have ignored and normalized the question of Palestine, which is a question about the usurpation of a country. This stigma will remain on them," he added.

"The nation of Palestine is under various, severe pressures. Then, the UAE cooperates with the Israelis and the filthy US agents - such as the Zionist in Trump's family - against the interests of the world of Islam and commits the greatest atrocity against it," the Supreme Leader went on to say.

The meeting was conducted as a video conference due to the conditions caused by the corona pandemic.

End Item

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(L) Incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey speaks in Malden, Mass. on Sept. 1, 2020. (Michael Dwyer/AP) (R) U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks outside his campaign headquarters in Watertown, Mass. on Sept. 1, 2020. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Ed Markey Defeats Challenger Joe Kennedy III in Massachusetts Senate Primary

Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), the grandson of assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has conceded defeat to incumbent Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary late Tuesday.

Polls closed around 8 p.m. EDT. With 43.99 percent of precincts reporting, Markey had 54.3 percent while Kennedy had 45.7 of the votes.

Massachusetts Democrats and Republicans were choosing nominees for nine U.S. House seats in addition to Markeys Senate seat.

Markey thanked his supporters for the win in an announcement on Twitter.

Tonight is more than just a celebration of an election, it is a celebration of a movement, he wrote. Thank you to the thousands of grassroots supporters who organized around the principles that we believe in. We could not have done it without you.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) takes the stage at his primary election rally in Malden, Mass., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Gretchen Ertl/Reuters)

Speaking from his hometown in Malden, Markey told his supporters, I spoke with congressman Kennedy just a few moments ago and I extended my respect and congratulations for a campaign that has been fierce at times but always fueled by a shared commitment to the people of this great commonwealth.

We both love Massachusetts and the United States of America, he added. I look forward to talking with congressman Kennedy and working with him to make the lasting, meaningful change that I know we are both committed to.

He spoke about his agenda to address climate change and pass the Green New Deal, and also expressed his opposition to President Donald Trump.

Priority number one is to move Donald Trump from the White House, Markey said. We must banish his agenda of division and destruction to the history books.

After conceding defeat, Kennedy told his supporters outside his campaign headquarters in Watertown that he would now work to help Markeys reelection.

Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who ran for the seat held by Sen. Ed Markey, speaks at his primary election rally in Watertown, Massachusetts, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

The senator is a good man. You never heard me say otherwise, Kennedy said.

He said that his coalition of supporters who do not have the luxury of accepting the status quo will continue their fight for universal healthcare and civil rights improvements.

We may have lost the final vote count tonight but we built a coalition that will endure, he said of his own campaign. I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat.

The unsuccessful challenge makes it the first time a Kennedy has been defeated in a race for Congress in Massachusetts.

Kennedy announced his bid for the Senate seat in September 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had endorsed Kennedy in late August.

Markey appealed to voters in the deeply Democratic state by positioning himself as aligned with the liberal wing of the party. He teamed up with a leading progressive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), on the Green New Deal climate change initiativeand at one point labeled Kennedy a progressive in name only. Markey also received endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Kennedy, 39, had sought to cast Markey, 74, as someone out of touch after spending decades in Congress.

Markey will now face Republican Kevin OConnor, an attorney, in the general election on Nov. 3.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The first day of school has officially begun for Sarah Michelle Gellar and her children, who are continuing their studies at home in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.

But already the Buffy The Vampire Slayer has sent a plea for help.

Sarah, 43, jokingly asked for assistance from fans as she documented her first day of homeschooling on Wednesday, which was riddled with problems.

'Send help': Sarah Michelle Gellar jokingly asked for assistance from fans as she documented her first day of homeschooling on Wednesday, which has already been riddled with problems

'In case anyone was wondering how the first day went... the fire alarm started going off ten minutes in ... and no ladder we had was tall enough to reach... so seems about right for 2020 #sendhelp #homeschool #teachersareheroes,' she wrote.

In the video, Sarah stood in her living room holding onto two signs announcing her children's first day of school in quarantine.

'Send help,' Sarah whispered to the camera.

Sarah and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. share daughter Charlotte, 10, and son Rocky, eight, together.

The apples of her eye! In the video, Sarah stood in her living room holding onto two signs announcing her children's first day of school in quarantine

Just the girls: Gellar with her daughter Charlotte in 2012

The couple celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, and Sarah marked the occasion with two black-and-white snaps from their special day.

'You... are my favorite husband #happyanniversary,' she captioned the sweet snaps.

Sarah and Freddie, 44, tied the knot in Mexico just two years after they first started dating.

The couple both starred in the hit 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer before becoming romantically involved in real life.

That's her boy! The Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress with her son Rocky in 2015

Congratulations! Sarah celebrated 18 years of marriage with her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. on Tuesday

Man and wife: The intimate photos showed the nearly newlywed couple exchanging vows, both wearing matching white

Friends first: The actor credits their early friendship for their enduring relationship (pictured 2002)

Now, nearly 20 years later, the couple are parents of two.

Sarah and her husband welcomed daughter Charlotte in 2009, followed by son Rocky in 2012.

The stars were friends for two years before becoming romantic, which Freddie credits their thriving, long-lasting relationship to.

Proud parents: Sarah and her husband welcomed daughter Charlotte in 2009, followed by son Rocky in 2012 (pictured 2002)

'We just became friends. It's one of the reasons I think our relationship has always been so good,' he told E! in 2017. 'We were friends for a good two years before we ever went on a date. She knew what kind of guy I was, she knew what my morals were, my priorities were, and vice versa.'

Though they were opposites, Freddie said that ended up working to their favor.

'Neither one of us would have ever - if you ask her, she would have been like, "Oh my God, I thought he was a dork." And I'd be like, "Oh my gosh, she just ran a million miles an hour and I couldn't keep up with her."

'We ended up being the perfect balance, you know what I mean? But it didn't happen until years after, and there was a solid foundation built, and that's probably the main reason why we've always been cool and grooving.'

Bully the Vampire Slayer is available on Stan in Australia
Pastor Todd Bell, who runs his own church 225 miles away in Sanford, officiated the August 7 wedding in Millinocket that has now been linked to 134 of the state's COVID-19 cases

The number of coronavirus cases linked to a Maine wedding has now risen to 134 as it's revealed that the pastor who officiated the nuptials held a Sunday service after health officials said they were investigating an outbreak at his own church.

Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention said there has now been 123 confirmed and 11 probable cases in the state that have been linked to the August 7 wedding in Millinocket.

Theresa Dentremont, a 83-year-old woman who did not attend the wedding, has since died after health officials say she contracted COVID-19 from a guest.

Pastor Todd Bell, who runs his own church 225 miles away in Sanford, officiated the wedding and has since said that six families from his church also attended the nuptials.

Bell's Calvary Baptist Church went ahead and held indoor services on Sunday - just one day after CDC officials revealed they were investigating an outbreak of COVID-19 at his place of worship.

There were at least five confirmed cases linked to Bell's church as of Saturday, health officials said.

The officials have not confirmed if they consider the cases to be linked to the wedding. They did confirm, without releasing Bell's name, that Calvary Baptist's pastor had officiated the wedding.

They warned that people who attended services at the church between August 9 - two days after the wedding - through August 23 could have been potentially exposed.

Footage from a livestream of the service showed Bell giving a defiant sermon and, at one point, a 15-person choir standing next to each other on stage to sing, according to the Boston Globe. None of those on stage wore masks.

Bell's Calvary Baptist Church went ahead and held indoor services on Sunday - just one day after CDC officials revealed they were investigating an outbreak of COVID-19 at his place of worship. Footage from a livestream of a service showed Bell giving a sermon

According to social media posts, Bell - who is a pilot - flew from Sanford to Millinocket the day before he was due to officiate the wedding

Addressing the outbreak at his own church (pictured above), Bell said they had told those who were sick to avoid coming to services and to quarantine at home

During his sermon, Bell addressed the coronavirus outbreak linked to the wedding.

'I officiated the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding,' Bell told the congregation.

'Six families from our church went there. We never expected to get COVID. Nobody expected to experience the things that happened because you went to a beautiful wedding like that.'

He said he had been on the receiving end of negative social media comments for officiating the wedding before quoting a Bible verse that reads: 'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.'

'Men have reviled me,' he said during his sermon.

Bell addressed one comment about him flying his plane to another part of the state after the person commented that he was likely going to spread COVID-19 at a casino there.

'Be a good place to spread it,' Bell said. 'Gambling has killed more people and ruined more homes and destroyed more things in our society almost than liquor or pot or pornography... Gambling is wicked.'

Addressing the outbreak at his own church, Bell said they had told those who were sick to avoid coming to services and to quarantine at home.

At one point, Bell told his congregation that he was putting his faith in God instead of a vaccine.

He also said that any vaccine would contain 'aborted baby tissue'.

Theresa Dentremont, 83, died in Maine's Millinocket Regional Hospital on August 21 after becoming infected with coronavirus. Her 97-year-old husband Frank Dentremont was hospitalized at the same facility a few days later with COVID-19 but has since recovered

The couple had been self-isolating at their home for much of the pandemic given they fell into the high-risk COVID-19 category

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Amy Bell, administrator at the church, said: 'We were only guests at the wedding that was held at Tri Town Baptist Church in East Millinocket.'

When asked about a Facebook post in which Todd said he was 'marrying' the couple, she added: 'He was the officiant but that was all. We were just friends and guests.'

DailyMail.com did not receive a response when it reached out the the church for further comment on Monday.

The wedding that Bell officiated, which was held on August 7, has made national headlines ever since health officials first revealed guests had started testing positive for COVID-19 just days later.

The ceremony was held at the Tri Town Baptist Church before an indoor reception took place at the Big Moose Inn.

According to social media posts, Bell - who is a pilot - flew from Sanford to Millinocket the day before he was due to officiate the wedding.

The bride and groom have not been publicly identified.

The reception venue has since admitted that they misunderstood local capacity rules for COVID-19 restrictions and overbooked the event.

Sixty-five guests attended the wedding despite the state having a 50-person limit for indoor gatherings, health officials say.

Cases believed to be tied to the wedding have since been detected in two nearby towns, the East Millinocket school system, a nursing home and a county jail 200 miles away after a jail employee attended the nuptials.

As of Wednesday, Maine had reported 4,548 cases and 132 deaths from COVID-19.

The ceremony was held at the Tri Town Baptist Church before an indoor reception took place at the Big Moose Inn. Sixty-five guests attended the wedding despite the state having a 50-person limit for indoor gatherings, health officials say

As of Wednesday, Maine had reported 4,548 cases and 132 deaths from COVID-19

Among those deaths was 83-year-old Theresa Dentremont who died in Maine's Millinocket Regional Hospital on August 21 after becoming infected with the virus.

While she did not attend the wedding, the hospital believes she may have been infected by one of the guests.

Her 97-year-old husband Frank Dentremont, who is a WWII veteran and the oldest resident of resident of East Millinocket, was hospitalized at the same facility a few days later with COVID-19.

His son, Frank Dentremont Jr, revealed in a Facebook post that his father had since miraculously recovered and was due to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.

Dentremont Jr told the Washington Post that he recalled hearing about the wedding, which has now been linked to 123 of the state's coronavirus cases, but believed his father and stepmother would have been safe.

The couple had been self-isolating at their home for much of the pandemic given they fell into the high-risk COVID-19 category.

'I had heard the stories about the wedding thing,' he said.

'I thought, 'My dad and stepmom weren't there. They've been quarantining themselves; they'll be fine'. Who could have known?'

Dentremont Jr has said he doesn't want to speculate on who could have given his stepmother and father the virus.

He has also said he isn't angry at those who went ahead with the wedding.

'Nobody did this consciously,' Dentremont Jr said. 'If they knew they were the ones at fault, I'm sure they'd feel terrible.'
Highlights Google on Tuesday announced that it is expanding its Flood Forecasting Initiative in India as well as Bangladesh.

Google says the tool helps in predicting when and where the flooding will take place

The new initiative by Google can help save more than 200 million people in India.

Google on Tuesday announced that it is expanding its Flood Forecasting Initiative in India as well as Bangladesh which uses AI-driven tools to predict floods. The company claims that the tool helps in predicting when and where the flooding will take place so that the people living in nearby areas and relocate to safer places. Since India is one of the countries affected by massive floods every year, this new initiative by Google can help save more than 200 million people in India.

"In recent months, we've been expanding our forecasting models and services in partnership with the Indian Central Water Commission. In June, just in time for the monsoon season, we reached an important milestone: our systems now extend to the whole of India, with Google technology being used to improve the targeting of every alert the government sends. This means we can help better protect more than 200 million people across more than 250,000 square kilometersmore than 20 times our coverage last year. To date, we've sent out around 30 million notifications to people in flood-affected areas," Yossi Matias, VP Engineering and Crisis Respond Lead, Google.

The tool would not only help 200 million people in India but also 40 million people in Bangladesh, which is another South Asian country where floods occur everywhere. "In addition to expanding in India, we've partnered with the Bangladesh Water Development Board to bring our warnings and services to Bangladesh, which experiences more flooding than any other country in the world. We currently cover more than 40 million people in Bangladesh, and we're working to extend this to the whole country," the blog read.

Google in a survey discovered that 65 percent of people who receive flood warnings before the flooding begins to take action to save themselves and their belongings. It was found out that people moved to safer places and stored their belongings at places where there were fewer chances of flooding.

"We're providing people with information about flood depth: when and how much floodwaters are likely to rise. And in areas where we can produce depth maps throughout the floodplain, we're sharing information about depth in the user's village or area. We've also overhauled the way our alerts look and function to make sure they're useful and accessible for everyone. We now provide the information in different formats, so that people can both read their alerts and see them presented visually; we've added support for Hindi, Bengali, and seven other local languages; we've made the alert more localized and accurate, and we now allow for easy changes to language or location," the Google said.

The search giant said that it will send alerts in Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, and 7 other local languages.
A cheeky dolphin named Frodo sunk his teeth into a man's hand during a friendly open ocean encounter.

Fisherman Ty Duncan said he had repeatedly come into contact with the playful animal near Noosa, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, over several years.

Mr Duncan recorded his latest interaction with Frodo on Friday as the dolphin approached his outstretched hand before biting down on his fingers.

Fisherman Ty Duncan filmed his close open ocean interaction with a friendly dolphin named Frodo (pictured above) near Noosa, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on Friday

Heartwarming footage showed Frodo swim up to Mr Duncan's small fishing boat and lift his head and jaws out of the water.

The dolphin happily held on to Mr Duncan's hand as he laughed and exclaimed 'it's got my fingers'.

'The bite doesnt hurt at all, it was just playing. That specific dolphin is always super friendly.

'It might recognise my boat or something. Ive seen him for at least the last five years,' Mr Duncan told Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Duncan said he had shared multiple encounters with Frodo and described him as 'the friendliest dolphin I've ever met'.

The fisherman has even swum with the aquatic mammal on one occasion.

'Other dolphins will keep their distance and won't really engage but this one, as you can see, doesn't mind it at all,' Mr Duncan said.

The video showed Frodo have another nibble at Mr Duncan's fingers and allowed the fisherman to pat his head.

Mr Duncan said he had encountered the playful dolphin multiple times over the years and recorded Frodo playfully biting his hand (pictured above)

The fisherman described Frodo (pictured) as 'the friendliest dolphin I've ever met' and recorded himself patting the dolphin

Viewers of the 'adorable' footage were quick to voice their praise for the 'cute' dolphin.

'It seems like dolphins are the golden retrievers of the sea,' one commenter said.

'It just wants to have a swim buddy, jump in and have a go at it,' another user wrote.

Other commenters said the encounter was 'sick', 'cool', and 'amazing'.

Mr Duncan's footage also showed Frodo happily swimming underwater and around the boat.
Copado, a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce The Copado DevOps Talent Center offers a single place for businesses in search of DevOps skills to find professionals with a broad skill set to accelerate their Salesforce projects.

Copado, a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce, today introduced the Copado DevOps Talent Center to connect businesses with the worlds leading Salesforce DevOps talent. This website is the industrys first and only resource for Salesforce DevOps training, certification, and staffing to address the growing skills gap and demand for Salesforce DevOps expertise.

Through a partnership with Salesforce recruitment leaders Mason Frank International and Salesforce talent creators Revolent, the Copado DevOps Talent Center offers a single place for businesses in search of DevOps skills to find professionals with a broad skill set to accelerate their Salesforce projects. Copado will be able to connect the right talent with the right teams. As DevOps talent spreads across the Salesforce ecosystem, more businesses will be able to successfully deliver projects on time and on budget.

Were delighted to have partnered with the Copado DevOps Talent Center, said James Lloyd-Townshend, Chairman and CEO of Mason Frank. DevOps is one of the fastest-growing areas of demand for Salesforce professionals and finding skilled workers who can add genuine value to organizations is becoming increasingly difficult for them. This partnership will allow us to connect more businesses with the world-leading talent that we have access to.

IDC reports that 4.2 million new Salesforce jobs will be created by 2024 and 30% of jobs in emerging technologies will go unfilled by 2022. Finding and retaining skilled DevOps talent is one of the biggest hurdles facing Salesforce teams. Well-oiled DevOps processes unlock rapid delivery, delivering valuable applications to the business faster.

This is an incredibly exciting partnership for us to become involved with, added Nabila Salem, President at Revolent. Weve already been able to inject the Salesforce ecosystem with a diverse range of net new talent. Our partnership with the Copado DevOps Talent Center enables us to deliver our world-leading training with a focus on an area that the platform really needs.

The DevOps Talent Center includes three new certifications on Copado Academy -- DevOps Consultants, Advanced Consultant and Architect. These new tracks will define and deliver deeper DevOps experience that will prepare consultants to both implement and optimize large scale Salesforce projects.

Additionally, Copado created two new official Salesforce Trailhead Modules on DevOps and Continuous Innovation, the first ever from a Salesforce ISV. Copado has already trained more than 10,000 Salesforce DevOps specialists in the first half of 2020 and is on track to certify 20,000 by the end of the year.

As companies pivot to virtual workforces and accelerate their digital transformation strategies, Copado is providing the training, certification and now the staffing needed to close the DevOps skills gap, said Sanjay Gidwani, Chief Operating Officer at Copado. Businesses need the right talent and the right skills to achieve rapid delivery and rapid ROI in their Salesforce investments. Partnering with Mason Frank and Revolent is the natural next step to help Copado-certified DevOps professionals find their dream job.

More information about the DevOps Talent Center can be found at https://www.copado.com/success/devops-talent/

Follow Copado:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutions

Blog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/

About Mason Frank International

Mason Frank International is the largest Salesforce-specific recruiter in the world. With offices on four continents, the company has exclusive access to over 70,000 contract and permanent Salesforce professionals in its database and experienced, certified Salesforce professionals rely on Mason Frank for advice on career opportunities. Mason Frank takes the time to understand the technical and cultural requirements for both job-seekers and hiring managers to find the best match for each role. In fact, Mason Frank has recruited over 6,750 Salesforce professionals in 87 countries for Salesforce partners, ISVs and customers. Half of its registered job seekers work exclusively with Mason Frank and 95% of its clients have used the companys services more than once. More information can be found at https://www.masonfrank.com/

About Revolent

As part of Tenth Revolution Group, Revolent is a world-leading cloud talent creator focusing on the Salesforce ecosystem. It cross-trains and certifies job seekers with some tech experience, offering a highly structured and lucrative launchpad into the cloud market. For businesses, Revolent provides cost-effective, certified cloud professionals that result in immediately billable resources with zero risk to the business. With hubs in the USA, UK and Australia, Revolent has won multiple awards for its work within tech ecosystems, as well as receiving glowing reviews from over 50 different clients.

Follow Revolent

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revolentgroup/

Twitter: @revolentgroup

About Copado

Founded in 2013, Copado is a leading DevOps platform for Salesforce. For enterprises wanting to accelerate their Salesforce deployments, Copado simplifies the release process, increases developer productivity and maximizes return on investment. The platform is comprised of Agile Planning, Release Management and Compliance & Testing. Backed by Insight Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures, Copado counts more than 200 enterprises as customers, including Fair Trade, MassMutual, Shell and Vlocity. With more than 7,500 installations, Copado has received the top rating of 100 percent positive feedback on Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: https://www.copado.com/

# # #


ROME - Greece has announced the first case of coronavirus at its largest migrant camp in Moria, on the island of Lesvos, where nearly 13,000 asylum seekers are living in precarious conditions. The person who tested positive is a ''40-year-old Somali man'', said a migration ministry source, explaining that the man is a refugee who has recently returned to the island from Athens. Over 12,700 people live in Moria although the facility is built to host less than 2,800.
Facebook and Twitter have taken down a network of Russia-linked accounts accused of spreading conspiracy theories and undermining democracy ahead of the US presidential elections.

The social networks attributed the campaign to the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA), which was previously behind a major online effort to interfere with the 2016 US elections.

Thirteen Facebook accounts and two pages were removed for violating the sites policy against foreign interference  co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour on behalf of a foreign entity.

Facebook said the network had achieved little reach on the platform when it was taken down.

This network was in the early stages of building its audience, primarily on the left of the political spectrum, and saw nearly no engagement on Facebook before we removed it, the social media giant said in its August Co-ordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Report.

The people behind this network posted about global news and current events relevant to the countries and left-leaning communities they targeted, including social and racial justice in the US and UK, Nato and EU politics; alleged Western war crimes and corruption; environmental issues; the founder of Wikileaks; tensions between Israel and Palestine; the coronavirus pandemic; criticism of fracking; French influence in Africa; the Biden-Harris campaign; QAnon; President Trump and his policies; and the US military policies in Africa," it said.

According to Facebooks report, the network had around 14,000 accounts following one or more of its pages, and the English language page had a little over 200 followers.

It said around $480 (360) had been spent on Facebook advertising, paid for predominantly in US dollars.

The network had also attempted to gain political advertising authorisation to run such adverts in the United States.

Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Show all 15 1 /15 Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook is born On 4 Feb, 2004, 19-year-old Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched a website called 'TheFacebook' from his dorm. Within 24 hours the college social network had more than 1,000 users Wikimedia Commons Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Winklevoss twins sue Zuckerberg Within one week of launching, fellow Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of stealing their idea. It would be four years later when the resulting lawsuit was finally settled Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Open for business The social network finally opened it platform to everyone on 26 September, 2006. The move proved the catalyst in supercharging the site's already explosive growth PA Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Billion-dollar bid Yahoo offered $1 billion to buy Facebook in September 2006 but Zuckerberg turned it down. 'I dont know what I could do with the money,' Zuckerberg reportedly said. 'Id just start another social networking site' Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network In the money In September 2009, almost five years since the site launched, Facebook turned a profit for the first time Getty Images/iStockphoto Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking the lead Facebook overtook MySpace in 2010 to become the worlds most popular social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking on the tech giants In 2011, Google launched its own social network that it hoped would knock Facebook from its perch. Despite its initial success, Google+ ultimately failed and will be shut down completely in 2019 Getty Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook goes public On 18 May, 2012, Facebook went public. The initial public offering raised $16 billion  the third largest in US history Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Gobbling up the competition Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for $1 billion, consolidating its position as the world's leading social network Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network One billion users On 4 October, 2012, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had hit 1 billion users. 'If youre reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honour of serving you,' he wrote in a blog post Getty Images Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Expanding its empire In February 2014 Facebook acquired the messaging app WhatsApp for $19.3 billion REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Two billion users In June 2017, Facebook passed the 2 billion user milestone REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Privacy scandal On 17 March 2018, news broke that UK firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from around 87 million Facebook users for the purpose of political profiling in the build up to the 2016 US presidential elections Shutterstock Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Record profits Despite the scandals and subsequent #DeleteFacebook campaign, Facebook posted record profits just before its 15th anniversary, the equivalent of $7.37 from each of its 2.32 billions users iStock/Independent Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Unhappy users A study found that people are happier when they dont use Facebook, adding to mounting evidence surrounding the impact social media has on mental health Rex Features

Alongside Facebook, Twitter said it had suspended five accounts for platform manipulation, which it said it could reliably attribute to Russian state actors.

Regardless of the low-level impact in this case, governments around the world must stop these practices, Twitter said.

Theyre anti-democratic. Attempts to manipulate our service to undermine democracy  by both foreign and domestic actors  will be met with strict enforcement of our policies.

Facebooks latest Co-ordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Report also revealed a number of accounts, pages and Instagram profiles linked to a US-based strategic communications firm which was carrying out inauthentic behaviour in Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia.

A further network of more than 450 Facebook accounts, as well as pages, groups and Instagram accounts operated from Pakistan has also been removed, which had focused on relations between Pakistan and India.

The Russian IRA was a key part of the investigation undertaken by former FBI director Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

The resulting report concluded that the IRA was involved in an interference effort across social media aimed at benefiting Donald Trump's campaign.

Earlier this year, current FBI director Christopher Wray said attempts to interfere with US politics by Russian groups were still ongoing.

"We are seeing, and have never stopped seeing, efforts to engage in malign foreign influence by the Russians," he said at a US House Judiciary committee hearing.

Additional reporting from agencies
Islamabad, Sep 2 : After the Islamabad High Court directed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 'surrender' by September 10, the government has asked the PML-N supremo to return from London and face justice.

Replying to a question at a press conference held after a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Shibli Faraz said on Tuesday that Sharif should return to the country, appear before the court and answer its question, reports Dawn news.

"If a person, who has remained the country's Prime Minister three times, considers himself above law, then this is something the citizens of Pakistan need to think about," he added.

Faraz said that Sharif's health seemed alright as was evident from his photographs uploaded on social media where he was seen walking and eating at a restaurant in London.

He claimed that the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was faced with divisions as several groups had emerged within the party.

On October 29, 2019 the Lahore High Court granted the former leader an eight-week bail for treatment within Pakistan and on November 16, he got a four-week permission to travel abroad for treatment.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will deliver a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Virtual Summit of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (#GMIS2020) which is scheduled to take place on September 4-5.

The Summit will also convene the Heads of State of the Republic of Angola, Armenia, Brazil, Ghana, in addition to the Prime Minister of Cambodia and Crown Prince of Jordan to participate in discussions centred around how fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies can shape the future of manufacturing, strengthen global value chains, and restore global economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a statement said.

Ministerial representatives will also be present on behalf of the Presidents of Egypt, Indonesia, and the Republic of Rwanda, alongside Heads of United Nations (UN) agencies, it added.

A key session at the #GMIS2020 Virtual Summit will gather Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola, Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, and Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission, to discuss Germanys Marshall Plan with Africa which aims to harness the potential of 4IR technologies to accelerate economic growth and the spread of inclusive and sustainable development across Africa.

Germany has made Africa a focus of its G20 Presidency and adopted this collaborative initiative with the continent in an effort to help bolster entrepreneurship and innovation and create the estimated 20 million yearly new jobs needed for its young population. The panel will explore what factors are needed to catalyse industrialisation on the African continent and how policymakers, development partners and the private sector can address these opportunities through initiatives like the Marshall Plan.

Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola, said: For Africa to reach its true potential we must focus on meeting the needs of our young people through providing quality education and training, especially when it comes to the advanced digital technologies of the fourth industrial revolution which hold great potential to deliver sustainable development for citizens everywhere. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through partnership with the international community and initiatives like the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit are essential to help facilitate these partnerships.

Armen Sarkissian, President of Armenia, Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Crown Prince of Jordan, and Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia will participate on a panel session focused on Restoring prosperity in a post-pandemic world. The pandemic has been the catalyst for a shift towards e-learning all around the world, however it has exposed the widening digital divide between developed and developing countries. The discussion will consider how 4IR technology can help achieve prosperity for populations in less developed countries that might be affected by a crisis, and how the international community can provide the support and tools needed for this to happen.

Crown Prince of Jordan Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, said: Instead of abandoning our global system of cooperation and multilateralism, Jordan, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II, believes a better global integration is the way forward - a re-globalisation that builds on the strengths and resources of each of us, for the benefit of all, ensuring global synergy and prosperity.

Armen Sarkissian, President of Armenia, said: Internet connectivity and access to digital technology has become a basic prerequisite for prosperity but the pandemic threatens to widen the digital divide that already exists between men and women, rural and urban areas, and developed and less developed countries. A global approach is required to address this issue if the world is to stage a fully inclusive recovery and brighter future for all people and I look forward to discussing ways to achieve this with my counterparts at GMIS.

Other Heads of State who will be represented at the Summit include Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of Egypt, represented by Nevein Essam El Din Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry; Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda represented by Hon. Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Rwanda; and Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, represented by Gen. (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime & Investment Affairs.

LI Yong, Director-General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will be joined by Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on a panel focused on Gearing up for a manufacturing renaissance, discussing best practices to strike a balance between creating a more resilient manufacturing sector and delivering a framework of social prosperity to ensure the promotion of inclusivity and sustainability.

Badr Al-Olama, Head of the Organising Committee for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, said: We are honoured to welcome the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Heads of State from Angola, Armenia, and Ghana, as well as the Prime Minister of Cambodia and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Jordan. The participation of these global leaders reflects the inclusive and truly global perspective of GMIS as it sparks debate on the future of manufacturing, and how fourth industrial revolution technologies can spread sustainability and prosperity across the world. The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, forcing businesses to redistribute their manufacturing activities and accelerate their digital transformation strategies. This requires collaborative management between all stakeholders.

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) is a joint initiative by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The third edition of the Summit (#GMIS2020) will be held virtually under the theme  Glocalisation: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Global Value Chains. The #GMIS2020 Virtual Summit will feature a cross-section of close to 100 global leaders from the worlds public and private sector participating across more than 20 virtual sessions.

Discussions will focus on the major issues facing the manufacturing sector and will explore how the adoption of 4IR technologies, localising production capabilities and capacity building, and spreading inclusive and sustainable development will all be critical to the future of global value chains.

The Summit will also hold five working group sessions gathering a cross-section of experts from world-leading organisations to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to promoting the role of women in manufacturing; enhancing industrial safety and security; advancing the decarbonisation of industry; developing future leaders of industry; and setting up an Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Performance (ISID) Index that helps measure the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) performance of public and private sector entities.TradeArabia News Service
East Hanover, NJ. September 2, 2020. Researchers conducting a large international study of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) examined the impact of the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on their study participants. Compared with pre-COVID baseline assessments, findings from a COVID Impact Survey administered during lockdown showed minimal changes in depression, anxiety, and quality of life, and in the impact of MS symptomatology on activities of daily living.

The article, "The emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis" (doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-10160-7) was published online August 19, 2020 in Journal of Neurology. The article is included in SpringerLink's COVID collection: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-020-10160-7

The authors are members of the CogEx Research Team, comprised of site investigators from Canada, the United States, Italy, the UK, Denmark, and Belgium. The COVID Impact Survey was administered during the suspension of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) involving 131 participants at 11 sites in the above six countries. The trial's principal investigator is Anthony Feinstein, MD, PhD, of the University of Toronto.

The COVID pandemic has had substantial impact on the general population, raising concern for populations at increased risk for infection, as well as for detrimental psychological and social effects of quarantine and social distancing requirements. The pause in the RCT provided an opportunity for investigators to assess the impact of the pandemic on the population with progressive MS in real time.

Participants from all sites responded to the COVID Impact Survey while under social restrictions from May 2020 to July 2020. COVID infection was reported by 4% of participants, according to lead author Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of the Centers for Neuropsychology, Neuroscience and Traumatic Brain Injury at Kessler Foundation. Comparing baseline with COVID assessments revealed minimal changes in depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Impact of MS symptomatology on daily life functions was also minimal, except in the small subset with COVID-19 infection, where the impact was significant.

"Minimal effects were not what we expected to see," said Dr. Chiaravalloti, noting that the findings were consistent across different continents. "People with progressive MS appeared to have adapted more effectively to the lockdown conditions. Knowing their increased risk, they may have been early adopters of safety precautions, which may have provided a sense of control that countered negative emotional reactions," she speculated. "They are also accustomed to living with medical uncertainly and social isolation, two major factors that fueled high levels of psychological discomfort in the general population."

The COVID Impact Survey showed that the majority of participants actively engaged in mental and physical activities during lockdown. ""This is not surprising given that the aim of the RTC was to measure the outcomes of such activities," Dr. Chiaravalloti reported. "Focusing on elements of a healthy lifestyle may have mediated the negative effects on wellbeing in this group with progressive MS."

###

This research was supported by Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada grant EGID3185.

About Multiple Sclerosis and the MS Society of Canada

Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world. On average, 11 Canadians are diagnosed every day. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). It is considered an episodic disease meaning that the severity and duration of illness and disability can vary and are often followed by periods of wellness. Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49 and the unpredictable effects of the disease will last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides information, support and advocacy to people affected by MS, and funds research to find the cause and cure for the disease, bringing us closer to a world free of MS. Please visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 for more information, to get involved, or to support Canadians affected by MS by making a donation.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

For more information, or to interview an expert, contact: Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org.
Flight experiences ate different for different people. Take-offs and landing can often cause a lot of breathing troubles or even anxiety and nausea and people often try out several ways to prevent this including chewing on a something to balance the air pressure inside ears during the take-off.

However, a woman passenger flying with Ukraine International Airlines took a completely different route to breathe some fresh air after feeling too hot inside the flight. Accompanied by her two children, the woman took a flight from Turkey, where she went on holiday, and came to Kyiv, Ukraine.

As she was feeling too hot after her plane landed, she decided to walk all the way from the fin of the plane to the emergency exit gate of the Boeing 737-86N to get on the wing of the flight and get some air. Her walk was so casual and relaxed that she looked least bothered to be out there on the wing.

The entire incident was caught in the camera and uploaded on YouTube.

A witness revealed reports that the woman chose to get on the wing when almost all the passengers had deboarded the aircraft. Her act also left her children embarrassed, who were standing next to the witness and said, This is our mum".

The aircraft landed and almost all the passengers got off. She walked almost all the way from the tail to the emergency exit row, opened the door, and went out," the man revealed.

The pilot had to call the police and ambulance after they got hold of the woman. As a result, she was barred from flying with Ukraine International Airlines.

Moreover, when the police interrogated her for the act, she was unable to explain the behaviour. Her tests revealed that she was not drunk or under the influence of drugs.
The family of a Black man who was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies is calling for the officers involved to be identified and prosecuted, as a second night of protests got underway Tuesday.

The man, identified by family as Dijon Kizzee, 29, was pursued Monday afternoon for riding a bicycle in violation of vehicle laws, authorities said. Following an altercation with the two officers, he allegedly dropped a gun and was shot several times, officials said.

What appears to sound like at least 15 rounds can be heard fired off-screen in doorbell camera footage obtained by ABC News.

MORE: Protesters gather after LA sheriff's deputies shoot Black man during confrontation

During a press briefing Tuesday, activist Najee Ali, a spokesperson for Ben Crump, the family's lawyer, said that Kizzee was shot while unarmed and running away.

Several eyewitnesses of the incident in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont told ABC News Tuesday that Kizzee was unarmed and backing away at the time of the shooting.

One, who wanted to be called by only his last name, said he and his girlfriend were feet away from the shooting. Martin, 23, said they saw Kizzee drop what appeared to be a bundle of clothing and heard a clattering like a phone falling on the ground seconds before the officers opened fire. He said they didn't hear any orders from the officers prior to the shooting.

Tim Ingram, 52, who lives across the street from the site of the incident, told ABC News that Kizzee had his hands up when he was shot, and that the officers continued to shoot after he was down.

In an update Tuesday night that did not name the suspect, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that two deputies observed a man commit a vehicle code violation while riding a bicycle. The man allegedly ran from the scene and punched one of the deputies in the face once. "After he punched the deputy, he dropped a jacket at which time a black semi-automatic handgun fell to the ground," the statement said. "The suspect made a motion toward the firearm, it was at that time a deputy-involved shooting occurred."

Story continues

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

In describing the incident late Monday, Lt. Brandon Dean of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told reporters that the suspect was struck several times, with both officers firing their weapons.

Deputies recovered the handgun that the man had been carrying, he said.

The deputies have been removed from the field during the investigation, officials said Tuesday.

Kizzee's family is demanding the identification and arrest of the officers who shot Kizzee, Ali said. They also are calling for the sheriff's department to immediately implement body cameras. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is set to start deploying body cameras in the fall.

PHOTO: Gloria Gonzalez carries her daughter, Violet, 5, as protesters face off with Sheriff deputies hours after killing Dijon Kizzee, Aug. 31, 2020, Los Angeles. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Polaris)

A second night of protests over Kizzee's death was planned for Tuesday evening, as the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police organized a march outside the South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station. According to organizers, Kizzee's family participated. Protesters were demanding that the officers be identified and arrested for murder.

At the press briefing earlier Tuesday, Fletcher Fair, Kizzees aunt, spoke out in anger over violence against Black people.

"I think this is so dirty of any department -- sheriff's department or any department to kill people. They don't kill any other race but us and this don't make any sense," Fair said. Right now, Im sad and Im mad at the same time, she said. Why us? ... We're tired. We are absolutely tired.

MORE: Autopsy results confirm Andres Guardado was shot in the back

In a high-profile deputy-involved shooting back in June, 18-year-old Andres Guardado was shot and killed after two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies said they saw him wielding a gun in front of a business and led them on a foot chase. The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed that he was shot five times in the back.

ABC News' Lisa Sivertsen, Timmy Truong and Robert Zepeda contributed to this report.

Family of Dijon Kizzee calls for officers in shooting to be identified, prosecuted originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said September 2, citing new test results.

Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement that testing by a special German military laboratory at the Charite's request had now shown proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

It is a dismaying event that Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia, Seibert said. The German government condemns this attack in the strongest terms.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was transferred two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. The nerve agent is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at the Charite initially identified in Navalny.

Germany demanded a response from the Russian government. The Kremlin said Wednesday it hadnt been informed yet of Navalny being poisoned with a nerve agent.

Such information hasnt been relayed to us, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state Tass news agency.

Seibert said the German government would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results. He said that it will consult with its partners in light of the Russian response on an appropriate joint response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he added.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putin's name and a signature next to it.

The Russian doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia repeatedly contested the German hospitals poisoning conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and that their tests for cholinesterase inhibitors came back negative.

In the Charite's latest update, the hospital said Navalny was still in an induced coma but in stable condition.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts say it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent after the Soviet Union collapsed, and that the Novichok used in the attack could have come from them.

According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, there is no record of Novichok having been declared by any nation that signed the chemical weapons convention.

Britain has charged two Russians -- alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU --- in absentia with the 2018 attack, which left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a local woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

British police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and sprayed on the front door of Sergei Skripals house in the city of Salisbury in southwest England.

More than three months later, the bottle was found by a local man, 48-year-old Charlie Rowley. He was hospitalized and his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents.
A best selling author has been charged with child homicide after her seven-month-old daughter died in a suspected drowning.

Fiori Giovanni, 35, will face court on Wednesday morning after baby Illen was found unconscious on July 18 at the family's Southbank home in Melbourne at 7.20am.

Paramedics desperately attempted to resuscitate the infant but she sadly died at the scene.

Giovanni, who lives with her partner Ben Bellinger and their two children, wrote a moving tribute to Illen on social media where she called her 'their beautiful little angel'.

Fiori Giovanni (pictured), 35, will face court on Wednesday after baby Illen was found at the apartment she shared with her partner Ben Bellinger and their two children on July 18

Giovanni wrote a moving tribute on social media after the tragic incident calling her 'our beautiful little angel'

She wrote: 'A shining star was sent to us to inspire, change, and transform our lives in the short 7 and half months we had the pleasure of being with her.

'Our beautiful angel may be gone and we can't physically hold her but her amazing presence can never be forgotten as she'll forever be in our heart.

'And the light she has sparked in us can never be put out.

'We are currently not taking calls for we need this time to heal and process and be there for our beautiful son Odis but we've decided to have her cremated so that she can always be here with us.'

The couple held her funeral over Zoom as family and friends could not attend in person due to coronavirus restrictions.

In the weeks after her child's death, the motivational speaker posted a video on social media where she spoke about her grief.

'As life would have it, I no longer have to imagine the tragedy or the pain that comes from losing something,' said Ms Giovanni.

'I tragically lost my little girl of seven-and-a-half-months-old a few weeks ago and no, I am not ready to talk about it yet, as it is still incredibly fresh and we are still trying to go through it as a family.

She described it as 'a day by day process' and said she is learning more about herself and how she can move forward.

'Being born in a war torn country, making my way to my western country, adapt a life here with a new language, culture, people, while trying to still keep my identity and build something I could be part of.

'I thought I had been through the worst type of pain the world has to offer.

'But I'm quickly realising that the kind of pain that comes from losing a child is a different kind of pain. It's something that takes a piece of you and I don't think you ever get it back.

'It is something that I have never felt before.'

Ms Giovanni is a bestselling author and humans rights activist regularly appears on television as a guest panelist. Pictured here on Studio 10

Ms Giovanni (pictured on stage) appears regularly on television as a guest panelist, attends corporate functions as a keynote speaker and has sold more than 30 books

Ms Giovanni is a bestselling author and humans rights activist with a raft of accolades to her name.

She appears regularly on television as a guest panelist, attends corporate functions as a keynote speaker and has sold more than 30 books.

Her autobiography Defy your Destiny talks about the challenges she overcame to arrive in Australia and how she was able to become an entrepreneur.

She was born in Eritrea and was 12 years old when she convinced her parents to let her escape an arranged marriage to a 25-year-old man.

At the age of 14 she started a summer camp which she later realised was preparation for mandatory army service.

She later fled to neighbouring Sudan in search of a better life.

Ms Giovanni set up 'My Mind Valley' which is an affirmation program designed around her 'unrelenting belief that people can change their world by changing the way they speak to themselves.'
Brad Pitt took his new rumoured girlfriend, 27-year-old model Nicole Poturalski, to Chateau Miraval in the south of France last week.

The move seemed calculated as almost exactly six years ago, the 56-year-old actor wed his estranged wife Angelina Jolie there. Their wedding anniversary is August 23, 2014.

And on Wednesday a source told UsWeekly that the Oscar-winning Troy actor simply doesn't care if the Maleficent actress gets so angry that she retaliates.

Nice going: Brad Pitt took his new 'girlfriend' Nicole Poturalski to Chateau Miraval in the south of France recently; he is seen left in February and she is seen right on Instagram

Painful: The chateau is where Brad and Angeline Jolie wed in 2014. In fact, it is very close to their wedding anniversary date which was August 23

'Taking Nicole to Miraval on their former wedding anniversary, Brad knows exactly what he is doing and the reaction its going to get from Angelina,' a source told the site.

'He just doesnt care if Angelina is going to lash out. He expects she will.'

Brad and Angelina were married at the Chateau Miraval, located in the village of Correns, just over six years ago.

The intimate ceremony was only attended by a handful of guests and their six children: Maddox, 19, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12.

The couple filed for divorce in 2016, and they're still engaged in an ongoing custody battle.

She may stroke back: On Wednesday a source told UsWeekly that the Oscar-winning Troy actor simply doesn't care if the Maleficent actress gets so angry that she retaliates; seen in London in 2019

According to E! News, Pitt and his lady friend landed in France in late August. Nicole is reportedly staying with Brad while he's at the vineyard over the weekend.

According to a local, Brad is visiting Miraval because he's 'participating in a campaign for his wine.'

The chateau, which he and Angelina purchased in 2011 for $60 million, is famous for its wines, especially its rose. He also just launched a champagne.

The rumored couple were spotted exactly one week ago - August 26 - as they stepped off a private plane in the south of France, after flying from LAX in Los Angeles to the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, before transferring.

Pitt likes the bubbly: According to a local, Brad is visiting Miraval because he's 'participating in a campaign for his wine.' The chateau, which he and Angelina purchased in 2011 for $60 million, is famous for its wines, especially its rose

'They were kissing and Brad was being super attentive to her,' a source told OK! magazine. 'He was in a semi public place but didnt seem to mind people seeing him. Shes a real beauty and obviously a lot younger than him.'

The model's husband: The beauty reportedly has an open marriage with husband Roland Mary, seen in 2015

Most recently, the Tomb Raider actress moved to have the judge overseeing her divorce trial removed due to business dealings he has with one of Brad's lawyers.

She's also reportedly considering moving with the children to the UK, which would make it considerably more difficult for her ex to spend time with the kids.

Although Brad's potential relationship with Nicole is only now drawing widespread attention, the two may have been together for as long as nine months.

They were first spotted together in November during a performance of Kanye West's opera Nebuchadnezzar at the Hollywood Bowl.

The bombshell, who has a son, has graced the cover of ELLE and is currently signed to Next Management in Los Angeles and A Management in Germany.

She's also married to Berlin-based restaurateur Roland Mary, with whom she's allegedly in an open relationship.

The timeline also raises the possibility that the multi-lingual model may have been leaving messages for the Tree Of Life star on her Instagram.

Her last post: The siren was in a mint green bikini as she posed on a beach

Beachy babe: And before that, the runway veteran was seen in a pink Polo hat near the shore

'Missing my strolls with my Love,' she captioned a since-deleted post from February.

She followed it up with another post from March, which she captioned, 'Saturdays these days for me is self-reflection, reading books spending time with my better half.'

So far, the two have stayed quiet about a possible relationship.

In December, Brad shut down most rumors about his dating life during an interview with The New York Times.

'People always say they don't read about themselves. I never believe it,' he said. 'I don't go out of my way to avoid it; I just don't seek it out. I don't know how many women they've said I've been dating the last two or three years, and none of it's true.'

The Hollywood hunk previously shot down rumors that he was dating Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 16:54:57|Editor: huaxia

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VIENTIANE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lao Ministry of Health has urged people countrywide to remain vigilant and help control the spread of dengue fever, as the number of infected cases across the country continues to rise.

According to a report from Lao Ministry of Health on Wednesday, a total of 5,781 people have been diagnosed with dengue fever and 11 deaths have been recorded.

The highest number of dengue patients were reported in Lao capital Vientiane at 1,338 with four deaths, while 680 cases and two deaths were reported in Bolikhamxay province, and 606 cases were recorded in Vientiane province.

Lao Ministry of Health suggested five simple measures as the most effective method of dengue control which is being practiced by households across the region.

These measures consist of closing and sealing all unused containers, flushing out all water vessels, placing small guppy fish in water jars as these eat mosquito larvae, cleaning areas around homes, and remembering to do these four tasks each week.

According to the World Health Organization, dengue fever is one of the fastest emerging infections, with Thailand, Laos, the Philippines and Singapore also seeing high incidence. The number of cases in the Western Pacific Region has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Enditem
Trains out of of London King's Cross to Edinburgh, Leeds, Lincoln and Bradford have been cancelled in fresh hell for commuters.

All trains out of the major station in London were cancelled at around 5.30pm this afternoon after damage to overhead electric wires in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

The overhead lines were entangled on a train, pulling neighbouring lines and lowering them.

Engineers are on site but disruption between London and Peterborough and Cambridge is expected to continue until the end of the day.

Commuters are facing fresh hell after damage to overhead electric wires in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, cause all trains coming out of London's Kings Cross to be cancelled this afternoon. Pictured: Customers on an LNER service exit the train after it is halted

The overhead lines (pictured) were entangled on a train, pulling neighbouring lines and lowering them

The disruption began before 2pm and is affecting London Northeastern Railway services previously headed to York, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.

Grand Central trains between London Kings Cross and Bradford Interchange and Sunderland have also been affected.

Great Northern trains between London Kings Cross and Ely and Kings Lynn and Hull Trains between London Kings Cross and Hull are also disrupted.

Trains are currently unable to run between Stevenage, Hitchin and Peterborough.

Angry customers have taken to social media to complain about replacement bus services coming into London.

One wrote: 'Because of your delays it is now unlikely that I will be getting into London before the public transport closes for the night. I will therefore need to book an Uber to get me home.'

Another said: 'What is going on I am currently on a rail replacement bus from Peterborough to Sandy connecting onto another bus meant to get us to Stevenage then onto London?

'At the moment no one knows where were meant to be what is going on. Sort it out.'

Managing Director of LNER David Horner apologised for the disruption while customers Tweeted their frustration earlier this afternoon

The line between Hitchin and Cambridge was reopened and trains began operating between the stations but journey times may be extended by up to 90 minutes.

Managing Director of LNER David Horner said: 'My apologies to LNER customers affected by this afternoon's disruption at Biggleswade due to damage to the overhead electric wires.

'Engineers are on site but we expect the disruption will continue for the rest of today.'

LNER said: 'Overhead lines form the power supply that move trains. Earlier today, these got entangled on a train, and also pulled neighbouring lines, lowering them.

The disruption began before 2pm and is affecting London Northeastern Railway services previously headed to York, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness

'This essentially meant trains are unable to move. Network Rail are currently assessing the damage.

'Attempts are currently being made to reopen the line towards Cambridge.

'This incident will have a severe impact on services to/from Peterborough, with work required overnight to resolve the issue.

'Therefore, you may wish to look at alternative travel arrangements for any journeys on this route.'

Great Northern and Thameslink are advising passengers to not travel at this time.
Businessmen from Jammu and Kashmir have sought a comprehensive financial package for the revival of industry in the UT, especially Kashmir division, which has been in doldrums for over a year.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) on Tuesday evening via video-conference highlighted the plight of businessmen here during a meeting with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The virtual meeting, which was also attended by businessmen from Jammu, lasted for an hour.

The industry is under deep stress due to subsequent lockdowns after the revocation of Article 370 and Covid-19 pandemic. As per KCCIs estimates, different business sectors have suffered losses worth 40,000 crore in the past year.

KCCI president Shiekh Ashiq said the Union minister was very cordial in the conference and said the Centre was ready to help with the revival of business activities in J&K.

I reminded the finance minister of our meeting with her in March before the Covid-19 lockdown. At that time too, she had promised full help and support and gave us assurance. I am hopeful something good will take place this time.

Ashiq said Sitharaman told them she had joined the conference to listen to their problems. We sought a soft package for revival of tourism sector. We also demanded assistance for uplifting the horticulture sector on the pattern of Himachal Pradesh where several schemes have been introduced for the same, besides handicraft and other sectors.

Recently, KCCI members had held a meeting with Lt governor Manoj Sinha who formed a working group to give suggestions for business revival.

The KCCI president said many young men and women who had established fresh units in the last few years suffered huge losses. They (young businessmen) were going to create opportunities for others, but now they are hunting jobs for themselves in different cities of the country and feel dejected.

He added that the Union finance minister has assured the business community of full support from the central government.
What happened when a shark crashed our swim call... You can also catch ME1 Cintron, our shark watch who fired the shots at the shark, explaining what happened tomorrow morning on Good Morning America! And, everyone is safe, including the shark. The shots turned it away from our shipmates so they had time to get out of the water. A few of its buddies later showed up and they swam off together. Posted by U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball on Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Coasties had a shark scare during a recent swim in the Pacific Ocean. The incident included shots fired at the shark to redirect it away from swimmers.

The Coasties response to the shark attack? Requests to watch JAWS and Sharknado that night.

First, everyone is safe  We even saved the inflatable unicorn! the U.S. Coast Guard said in a Facebook post. And with that, we share one of the most amazing events many of us have ever experienced at sea.

Coasties were swimming in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 26 when a 6- to 8-foot shark appeared near their ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball. A Coastguardsman fired at the shark several times to direct it away from swimmers. No one was injured, including the shark.U.S. Coast Guard

The crew of USCG Cutter Kimball had finished operations for the day, there were no vessels for miles around, the weather was perfect and the crew was looking for a way to break up the Groundhog Day-like monotony after weeks at sea, the post said. Solution: A swim call.

The swim was conducted under a fully vetted and tested plan, including safety briefs, setting up communications, a small boat with extra crew stationed 50 yards from the ship, an armed shark watch, an open and manned rescue station, and an accountability system, the post said.

Everything was by the numbers. Everyone was having a great day. Everyone was smiling and having fun. It was perfect! the post said. And then... Bridge personnel reported, Shark! over the radio.

Coasties were swimming in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 26 when a 6- to 8-foot shark appeared near their ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball. A Coastguardsman fired at the shark several times to direct it away from swimmers. No one was injured, including the shark.U.S. Coast Guard

The 6- to 8-foot shark - no exaggeration - surfaced near the ships rescue door and began swimming toward a group of 30-40 swimmers who were about 10 yards away.

The scene was right out of a Hollywood movie, the post said. The shark, likely a longfin mako or a pelagic thresher, was not something to mess with!

Our animal-lover chief who wants to save every animal she finds yelled, Shoot it! the post said.

Metalsmith Petty Officer First Class Cintron was on shark watch duty, the post said. As crew members scrambled for the ship ladder, the open stern notch and the small boat, Cintron fired several bursts at the shark with amazing accuracy to direct it away from the swimmers who were just feet away. The shark would turn away after each burst but kept coming back toward the shipmates. Cintron likely saved one or more of his shipmates from a shark attack.

Coasties were swimming in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 26 when a 6- to 8-foot shark appeared near their ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball. A Coastguardsman fired at the shark several times to direct it away from swimmers. No one was injured, including the shark.U.S. Coast Guard

It wasnt the panic of the 4th of July scene from JAWS, but once everyone realized what was happening, they moved with a purpose! the post said.

The only injury was a small  and ironic  scrape to Operations Specialist Petty Officer Third Class Berks knee, which he got while climbing aboard. The scrape was in the center of an open shark jaws tattoo.

Seriously, you cant make this up! the post said.

Coasties were swimming in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 26 when a 6- to 8-foot shark appeared near their ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball. A Coastguardsman fired at the shark several times to direct it away from swimmers. No one was injured, including the shark. That is, except for a small scrape in the center of a open shark jaw tattoo on a Coastguardsman's knee.U.S. Coast Guard

No one on the ship had seen or heard of a shark showing up during a swim call. As the new subject matter experts, the crew is writing updated Shark Watch & Response Tactics.

The crew shifted to fishing for the rest of the afternoon, the post said. But the experience was still fresh on their minds when it came time for a flight deck movie  the top requests were JAWS and Sharknado.

Coasties were swimming in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 26 when a 6- to 8-foot shark appeared near their ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball. A Coastguardsman fired at the shark several times to direct it away from swimmers. No one was injured, including the shark.U.S. Coast Guard

The shark was uninjured in the incident.

It was most likely curious and not looking for a meal, the post said. We picked our location to try and avoid such an encounter, but it is their ocean after all. It later joined a few smaller buddies that showed up and they swam off together.

READ MORE:

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and Airlines have inked a partnership that allows members of their frequent flyer programmes to earn and spend points on each other.

A frequent flyer program (FFP) is a loyalty programme wherein a passenger earns points for travelling on an airline's flights, which can then be used to get rewards on the same airline or partner

"The partnership enables Club members to earn and redeem CV points on flights operated and marketed by Airlines," said on Wednesday in a press release.

Vistara's FFP is called Club Vistara and Airlines' FFP is called JAL Mileage Bank.

Members of JAL Mileage Bank will be able to earn and spend their miles on flights operated and marketed by Vistara, the release noted, adding the partnership came into effect from Monday.

Now, Club Vistara members can earn and redeem points when travelling on partner airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.

The aforementioned two airlines entered a code-share agreement in 2019. A code-share agreement allows an airline to sell seats of other airline's flights on its distribution network.

Vistara is yet to start flight operations between India and Japan.

Five days ago, the airline started services to London's Heathrow airport as part of the bilateral 'transport bubble' between India and the UK. It is also considering similar flights to Paris and Frankfurt.

Since July, India has signed separate bilateral air bubble pacts with countries like the US, the UK, the UAE, Germany and France. In an air bubble pact, airlines of both the countries can operate passenger flights under certain restrictions.

Scheduled passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Ukrainian national guardsman has been sentenced in Italy for the alleged complicity in the deaths of an Italian reporter and his Russian interpreter in the Donbas warzone in 2014.

The first part of The Wrong Place documentary was aired at the Italian Senate this week to address a high-profile case of a Ukrainian national guardsman Vitaliy Markiv, whose sentencing in Italy Ukraine has branded "politicized" and in Russia's interests.

The authors of The Wrong Place dig deeper into the circumstances of the deaths of Italian reporter Andrea Rocchelli in Donbas six years ago, according to RFE/RL.

They also look into the charges pressed against Markiv who was part of the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Forces fighting off Russian hybrid proxy forces in eastern Ukraine.

Cristiano Tinazzi, the documentary's director, says the task of the journalistic investigation was to probe the Rocchelli-Markiv case more deeply, rather than defending the positions of defense or prosecution.

"With this film, we propose to open a debate to better understand a resonating case, we propose to go all the way to find the truth," said Eleonora Mongelli, deputy head of the Italian Federation for Human Rights.

It is noteworthy that the event was attended by a representative of the Democratic Party (with the government coalition), Senator Roberto Rampa.

Read alsoUkraine's envoy urges Italian media to objectively cover Markiv case"I'm a convinced pacifist, but I realize that in a time of war, unfortunately, soldiers are bound to kill. At the same time, it is impossible to imagine that murder cases are initiated regarding all tragic incidents occurring at war. I think this film will help achieve the desired result by providing new elements for a deeper understanding of the case," he said.

The audience was shown a 35-minute fragment, where the authors revealed new facts and talked with witnesses who have not been involved in the trial.

Vitaliy Markiv case: background
Yet, for all of this, the young and healthy have a tiny chance of falling seriously ill. That minimal risk they run, and nearly all are taking it eagerly, is a small price to pay for the experience of bravely confronting lifes realities. To protect them and the broader community we must be crafty and adaptable. We have to do all we can to contain, manage and mitigate. We cannot be fools. But we would be foolish to think we can wait out a virus. We will reckon with it sooner or later. And all we have is the now, whether of our choosing or not.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death, called Rhea Chakrabortys father for the second round of questioning on Wednesday.

Chakrabortys father Indrajeet reached the DRDO guest house in Mumbais Kalina where the CBI team is stationed around 10:25 am this morning. Chakraborty, her brother and mother have not been summoned on Wednesday so far, an official said.

Indrajeet and Chakrabortys mother Sandhya were grilled by the central agency for about nine hours on Tuesday.

The investigation agency has so far interrogated Rajputs cook Neeraj Singh, house help Keshav Bachner, roommate and creative director Siddharth Pithani, his former business manager Shruti Modi and house manager Samuel Miranda.

The 34-year-old actor was found dead at his Bandra apartment on June 14 following which the Mumbai police had registered a case of accidental death and recorded statements of nearly three dozen people.

Rajputs father KK Singh the filed an FIR in Patna accusing Rhea Chakraborty and her family of abetting Rajputs alleged suicide and misappropriating his money that led to a war of words between Maharashtra and Bihar Police. The Supreme Court last week upheld the transfer of the FIR lodged in Patna to the central agency.

Apart from CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are also probing the case from the money laundering and drugs-related angles respectively. The NCB made its first arrest in the case on Wednesday.
Kolkata: On May 13, 1952, the Rajya Sabha met for the first time. And till May 26, 1952, there was no Question Hour in the Upper House for paying more attention to other important businesses.

Then, the decision to suspend the Question Hour drew severe criticism and one of the members on May 19, 1952, (while addressing the chairman of the House) had said, It appears that under powers conferred on him under Article 118(2) of the Constitution, the chairman has modified the practice obtained in the old Council of State relating to asking of questions by members to the disadvantage of the rights of such members.

The next day, on May 20, 1952, the chairman informed the House that Question Hour would be allowed from May 27-28. Then, three starred questions and 12 unstarred questions were listed for May 27, 1952, and three starred questions and 45 unstarred questions were listed for May 28, 1952. The controversy came to an end and the first question was asked by then Rajya Sabha member SV Krishnamoorthy Rao on May 27, 1952. He later became the first deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha on May 31, 1952.

Once again, after a few more suspensions of the Question Hour in the past, the controversy is back in the Legislature of the Union. There wont be any Question Hour in the monsoon session which detractors say will deprive the opposition leaders and any members to hold the Centre accountable for its work/actions/decisions taken".

A notification in this regard was issued and as per the directives the monsoon session of Parliament, for both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, will start from September 14, 2020, and it will continue till October 1 with a total 18 sittings.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O Brien has expressed concern over the decision while Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sees this move as an attempt to reduce Parliament to a rubber stamp.

During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) Sessions there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of Emergency, 44th Amendment, Presidents Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a regular session. MPs are required to submit Qs for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy, Derek tweeted.

The TMC parliamentarians concern was backed by Tharoor, who tweeted, I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy & dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?

While the leaders are outraged over the decision, political expert Kapil Thakur explained the importance of Question Hour in Parliament.

It is the most important session of Parliament to catch the government on various decisions taken against the interest of the people. It is the session (in the first hour of sitting) to hold the union government accountable for its actions. Primarily there are three types of questions which are starred questions, unstarred questions, and short-notice questions," he said.

The starred questions must be submitted 15 days in advance by the parliamentarian and only 20 questions are selected for oral answers on a day by the minister-in-charge related to the questions. Based on the Speakers discretion, an MP can ask two supplementary questions. The second one is unstarred questions. These are those questions which get direct replies from the respective ministries. The questions should be submitted 15 days in advance and nearly 230 of them go to the minister for explanation per day during the session. The third one is a short- notice question, which is related to urgent public matters. An MP can request a short-notice question by giving intimation within 10 days. All questions under this category are answered orally followed by supplementary questions. Acceptance of short notice questions is at the discretion of the Speaker.

Besides, there is one more category, and that is questions to private members, Thakur said. In this case, questions will be asked to members who are not ministers. These questions are related to parliamentary committees, private member bills and resolutions, he added.

In the past, there were many instances when Question Hour sessions were not held.

For example, In 1961, 1975, 1976 and in 1977, Question Hour sessions were suspended for special businesses like Orissa Budget, approval of Proclamation of Emergency, Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Bill, 1976 and approval of Presidents Rule in Tamil Nadu and Nagaland, respectively.

On July 21, 1975 (the 93rd session), the minister of state in the department of parliamentary affairs moved a motion, which read, That this House resolves that the current session of the upper house being in the nature of an emergent session to transact certain urgent and important Government business, only Government business be transacted during the session and no other business whatsoever and all relevant rules on the subject do hereby stand suspended to that extent.

The move angered the parliamentarians and the chairman intervened and he said, regarding allowing the Question Hour or not allowing the Question Hour, it is a point to be decided by merule 38 is very clear on this pointon my own considering the importance of the present situation, I have decided not to have the Question Hour. It is within the authority of the Chairman. He has used it independently of the Government or anybody else. Nobody can question it.

On November 26, 1962, during the 41st session of Parliament, the parliamentary affairs minister held a meeting with the opposition leaders and then it was unanimously (those present at the meeting) decided to dispense with the Question Hour.

During the 78th session, the House decided not to hold the Question Hour with effect from December 6, 1971 during the remaining part of the session due to war with Pakistan.

Before that, on March 18, 1954, Question Hour was dispensed with for consideration and passing of the Press (Objectionable Matter) Amendment Bill, 1953.

During the 201st session, summons for the session was released at a short notice and Question Hour was suspended.

Similarly, due to a terrorist attack in Parliament on December 13, 2001, during the 194th session (November 19, 2001 to December 19, 2001), the chairman decided to dispense with the Question Hour on December 18 and 19, 2001.

No Question Hour was fixed for the first few days of the commencement of the 75th, 100th, 101st and 112th sessions of Parliament due to short or inadequate notices.

Speaking to News18.com, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, I am personally not attending the monsoon session because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the context of suspending the Question Hour session, he said, Not only Question Hour but also the Zero Hour session was suspended. There is no time for such sessions because the timing has been reduced from normal seven hours (roughly) to three hours. There is no scope. Besides all, I believe that the government should have called a meeting with the leaders of the House before taking the final decision on suspending the Question Hour. All the elected representatives should have been consulted. There are other ways to raise questions like calling attention, short-notice questions but that requires the Speakers discretion.
Cuba has successfully dealt with the pandemic outside of the capital, Havana, where new cases continue to be reported.

Cuban authorities have ordered a strict 15-day lockdown of Havana, seeking to stamp out the low-level but persistent spread of the novel coronavirus in the capital.

Aggressive anti-virus measures including closing down air travel, have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in Cuba with the exception of Havana, where cases have surged from a handful a day to dozens daily over the last month.

Starting on Tuesday, Havana was placed under a 7pm to 5am curfew. Most stores are barred from selling to shoppers from outside the immediate neighbourhood in order to discourage people from moving around the city.

Some Havana residents complained that the measures were complicating the already difficult task of buying food in a city stricken by constant shortages and long lines for a limited supply of basic goods.

Its a good cause, getting rid of all of this [coronavirus], but in the end they arent going to get rid of the lines, Josuel Suarez, a 26-year-old engineer, told the Associated Press news agency. The situation is already difficult, and on top of that these restrictive measures, and people have to eat, to resolve their problems.

Others welcomed the tighter control.

Many people dont pay attention to medical advice. This is how were going to resolve this situation, which isnt easy, Rosa Rojas, an 80-year-old homemaker, told AP. I go out because I need to, but there are people in the street with no reason, drinking rum and hanging out in parks without a face mask.





Police stationed on every road leaving Havana are supposed to stop everyone who does not have a special permit to travel, meant to be issued only in extraordinary circumstances.

Some provinces that saw no new cases for weeks have begun detecting them in recent days, often linked to travellers from Havana.

The start of in-person classes was also indefinitely delayed in Havana, even as schools open normally in the rest of Cuba.

The island of 11 million people has reported slightly more than 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with fewer than 100 deaths, one of the lowest rates in the region during the pandemic.

The government made face masks obligatory in the early stages of its pandemic response, and in the first months of the crisis police aggressively fined and even jailed people for violations.

That stance slackened somewhat as Havana moved out of the first, strictest phase of lockdown in July, public transportation restarted and people returned to work. Cases began to climb, and the capital province returned to phase zero last month.

But the measures failed to brake the rise of coronavirus infections, as authorities bemoaned widespread violations of requirements including wearing face masks, avoiding large gatherings and maintaining social distance.

People waiting to enter the first wholesale outlet for private eateries, during the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Havana, Cuba [Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters]

The government announced last week that for at least 15 days the capital would be placed under the strictest measures to date. These include fines of up to $125 per violation, more than triple the average monthly wage.

We are going to demand people follow the rules with a lot of rigour so that our country sees the results it deserves, said Dr Francisco Duran, the countrys head of epidemiology.
Caleb McGough, 10, does schoolwork with his mother, Rebecca Penglase, at her dining room table Saturday, March 16, 2019. McGough is one of more than 34,000 Pennsylvania students who attend cyber charter schools, and he started school online after moving to Northeast Philadelphia because his mother feared he would be bullied as he was in his New Jersey elementary school. Read more

Families are in need of educational options now more than ever as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Seventeen of the 20 largest school districts in the country, including the School District of Philadelphia, have chosen to begin this school year without offering an in-person learning option for students. Although remote learning may prove suitable for some families, others may strongly prefer in-person instruction for various educational and child-care needs.

The only way to truly address the diverse needs of families during the pandemic  and beyond  is for Pennsylvania to fund students, rather than school districts, directly.

This is exactly how we fund many other taxpayer-funded initiatives, including Pell Grants for higher education and prekindergarten programs. For these programs, funding goes to families who can then choose from a wide array of public or private providers of the service. The same goes for food stamps. In these scenarios, the power is rightly in the hands of families rather than institutions.

 READ MORE: While most Philly charters are opening virtually, this school started in person

The current public health crisis has produced countless examples of special interests pushing to prevent families from having educational options. Pennsylvania is no exception. In March, the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators lobbied to make it illegal for families to enroll in virtual charter schools during the lockdown because they were concerned about school districts losing money.

Earlier this spring, the state legislature passed a bill preventing state education dollars from following additional students to charter schools, which protected traditional public schools at the expense of families who might need other options. Now, State Rep. Steve McCarter (D., Montgomery) is planning to introduce a bill that would freeze enrollment at virtual charter schools.

Pennsylvania could decide to instead put families first by allowing education dollars to follow children to the school that works best for them  whether that be a traditional district-run public school, charter school, or private school. One way to do so would be to expand access to the states two private school choice programs.

Expanding families educational options would not only benefit children but would also have a positive impact on the rest of society. My just-released study suggests that giving families more options could produce substantial economic and societal benefits through higher lifetime earnings and reductions in crime. The studys model estimates that doubling current tax-credit scholarship funding in Pennsylvania could produce around $3 billion in additional lifetime earnings associated with improved academic achievement, and save $115 million via reductions in the social costs related to crime.

 READ MORE: Philly-area children, parents, and teachers brace for a school year unlike any other

A timely solution to providing families with more educational options was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature last month. The proposal would provide federal education dollars from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act directly to students to help families offset the costs of homeschooling and private education. These scholarships would be available to help 500,000 K-12 students in Pennsylvania get back on track this fall.

Other states like Oklahoma and South Carolina have already taken advantage of this idea by reallocating much of their federal stimulus dollars directly to families to help them adapt this school year.

Funding students directly would also reduce inequities in school systems by allowing all students to have access to alternative education options. Wealthier families are already accessing pandemic pods and microschools. Families without the funds for these models risk seeing their students fall further behind.

Allowing just two-thirds of Pennsylvanias currently allocated K-12 education dollars to follow students to their school of choice would provide each child with $12,500 per year. Thats well over the average private school tuition in the state, and would be more than enough to cover the costs of pandemic pods and microschools.

If a business like Walmart doesnt reopen, families can take their money elsewhere. Shouldnt families similarly be empowered to take their childrens education dollars elsewhere if schools dont reopen in ways that fit the needs of students and parents? Education funding is intended to help children learn, not to protect a government monopoly.

Corey DeAngelis is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute. He is also the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute.
A wildflower native to southeastern Pennsylvania is one of two new species described for the first time by Charles Horn, professor of biology at Newberry College in South Carolina.

The two new species of aquatic plants  described by Horn in an article in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas  are part of a group of plants that his previous work elevated to species level more than 30 years ago.

The first species, the few-flowered roundleaf mud-plantain, is found in southeastern Pennsylvania and along the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to North Carolina. It produces 3-6 small, white to light lavender flowers.

The second species, the Missouri roundleaf mud-plantain, is found in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, in the southern Great Plains. It produces 5-13 small, lavender to purple flowers.

Both plants grow in water or wet soil, such as freshwater marshes and river margins.

They were originally described as varieties of the bouquet mud-plantain, a species found across wide swaths of North and South America that Horn officially defined as its own species in 1986.

As time has gone by, weve developed new techniques, new methods, new insights, and of course, more field trips, Horn said. In the last three or four years, Ive been collaborating with a variety of other folks, including some botanists in Brazil. And weve developed sort of a new take on what is a species. And so, the result was that we have now officially described two new species of the group referred to by the common name, mud-plantain.

He said the recent discoveries have been part of an on-and-off project for the past 30 years.

When I did my dissertation back in the 1980s, I said, these things look a little different, but I dont have enough material to feel confident that they are different, he explained. And so I put it on the proverbial back-burner, and then as I went out and did some more field trips and gathered more information, I was able to reach the conclusion and work out the details, and thats what Ive been doing for about the last year-and-a-half.

In 2017, Horn also worked with Brazilian botanist Marco Pellegrini to define two other species of aquatic plants native to southern Brazil.

Horns ongoing research includes the presence and distribution of native and rare species of azaleas of the southern Appalachians. Since 2000, he has focused on the rare May-white azalea, first described as a species in 1999. The flower is found only in South Carolina, with 65 populations in 13 counties.

In 1986, he established the Newberry College Herbarium, a collection of over 25,000 dried and documented plant specimens from the piedmont regions of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, along with collections from the Bahamas, Belize, Dominica and Guyana.

Horn explained the implications of his research: In the field of plant biology, one of the questions that always comes up is, How many species are on planet Earth? Have we documented all those species? And a lot of people feel that, these botanists have been working in North America for 300 years, weve gotten every species identified and observed and we have them clearly understood. The answer is no.

The bottom line is, this is an ongoing process as we discover new things, go to new places, we have to always reevaluate, how does this fit in with what we already know?

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
SOFIA -- Violent clashes erupted between Bulgarian police and protesters in central Sofia in one of the biggest showings in nearly two months anti-government protests calling for the resignation of the countrys prime minister and chief prosecutor.

Thousands of protesters gathered early on September 2 on Sofias Independence Square, home to the parliament, the government building, and the presidential administration, at the start of a so-called Grand National Uprising in response to the government's plan for a new constitution.

The rally took place on the first sitting of the National Assembly after summer recess. It followed weeks of mass demonstrations across Bulgaria against what protesters say is oligarchic control over Bulgarias government and judicial system.

Tensions rose as protesters tried to break through the police cordon and pushed police buses.

Riot police fired pepper spray against protesters who threw eggs, tomatoes, and stones, according to Sofia police chief Georgi Hadzhiev, who said officers were affected by an unknown gas aimed at them.

In the evening, some protesters threw firecrackers and small bombs at police.



Health officials said some 45 people including police officers, were treated in hospitals.

State news agency BTA reported that more than 30 people were detained during the violence, in which protesters and journalists from the commercial channel bTV were also wounded.

A number of them were said to have been taken to hospital for treatment.

The Interior Ministry said a gendarmerie officer was taken to hospital with a wound in the head.

The protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, his government, and Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev. They also want parliament to be dissolved and early elections to be held.

In parliament, President Rumen Radev called for the immediate resignation of Borisov and Geshev, and appealed to deputies to dismiss the plan for a new constitution.

"It was not the lack of a new constitutionthat brought the people onto the streets, but the lack of morality in the leadership, the erosion of statehood, and corruption," Radev said.

Borisov has pledged to resign if lawmakers approve his call for the election of a grand national assembly tasked with voting on a new constitution.

After two days of negotiations with parties, the ruling GERB party on September 2 said it had collected the more than 120 signatures in parliament needed to start debate on a new constitution and convene a grand national assembly.
By Trend

According the Geneva Conventions, moving civilians into a war zone as well as into (pacified) occupied territories is a Crime of War, Thomas Goltz, journalist, professor at the University of Montana (US), Honorary Doctor of ADA University, told Trend.

His remarks came in response to a question about the illegal settlement of other ethnic groups by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The problem is proving it and then prosecuting it, said Goltz.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Some schools are now collapsing and combining in-person classes as enrolment dips as parents choose to keep their children learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, says the association representing public boards.

Typically, schools undergo a reorganization in early October, but with school boards surveying families in August about their intentions, that work is being done now  but this year, its not quite the same ... I dont know of a school board that doesnt have a bit of a reorganization if theres an influx of students  but a reorganization for students not showing up, that is unusual, said Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association.

And, she added, the concerns about collapsing classes right now is that schools open in the next couple of weeks, and parents and teachers are just finding out class assignments and are confused about why classes would be merged and made larger during a pandemic.

Abraham noted that some, but not all boards are combining classes.

School boards have reported about one-quarter of students opting for remote learning.

The province has announced about $900 million in pandemic-related funding for boards, and the bulk of it  $500 million  to come from school boards own reserves. Additional money has also come from the federal government, with an immediate $381 million for Ontario.

Boards are using some of the government funds to hire teachers to make classes smaller, Abraham said, and some like Toronto are targeting teachers for schools in areas hardest hit by COVID-19.

We have heard from school boards, who even with the ability to access reserve funds, even with the extra funding it helps, but we could use more funding and we could make our classes smaller, she said.

For the most part, Abraham added, elementary classes wont be at 15, a number that has been discussed by parents and some experts as a preferred size.

If you are collapsing a class, you are not going to get 15 out of two classes joined together, in all likelihood, she added.

Speaking at Queens Park on Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Elliott said we certainly know that many parents are concerned about sending their children back to school given the COVID situation but said that the provinces plans have many layers of risk minimization put into this plan, from physical distancing, from wearing masks to making sure that these students wash their hands on a regular basis and through creating the pools of children that interact with each other. So, we are ready for it.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said boards are now essentially (ascertaining) said how many children will be in class. And then correspondingly, how many staff need to be in our schools to provide education for those kids in class, because this year were providing a remote option as well it creates more of a challenge for school boards.

He said we do believe that this will stabilize over the next few days once those final numbers are provided from parents to school boards, and that theyll be the right complement of teachers to support our kids.

But schools continue to struggle with class sizes, especially in kindergarten and from Grades 4 to 8. A Toronto District School Board elementary principal last week said her upper-year students will be in classes of about 27, as will those in kindergarten, making proper physical distancing difficult in a regular classroom.

Lecce said school boards have been given very clear guidance, when it comes to distancing ... the bottom line is our commitment is to ensure distancing can be achieved. We are asking school boards to work very hard to do that, and they are.

Premier Doug Ford said he knows parents have worries.

People have anxiety  I understand because I have it too, Ford said. Everyone is a little nervous and there may be a few bumps in the road. We will get through it. We have every resources, all hands-on deck, every minister, every resource, every board of directors, everyones on full alert on this. And were ready.

Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca launched a website for parents and educators to report and share local stories about school reopenings.
Rapper Akon has revealed plans for a futuristic $6 billion city in his Senegal homeland modelled on Black Panther's Wakanda.

The R&B star, who boasts two multi-platinum albums, told a news conference on Monday he had laid the first stone for the city in the Atlantic Ocean village of Mbodiene, around 60 miles south of the capital Dakar.

The solar-powered Akon City will offer hotels, a university, hospitals, business and leisure centres including a casino, as well as movie studios, all featuring futuristic designs by architect Hussein Bakri, with African sculptures for inspiration.

Wakanda, the fictional African city of the Black Panther comic book series, served as additional inspiration, Akon acknowledged.

The solar-powered Akon City will offer hotels, a university, hospitals, business and leisure centres including a casino, as well as movie studios, all featuring futuristic designs by architect Hussein Bakri, with African sculptures for inspiration

Wakanda, the fictional African city of the Black Panther comic book series, served as additional inspiration, Akon acknowledged

As he was growing up in the US state of New Jersey, where his family moved when he was seven, Akon 'ran into a lot of African-Americans that didn't really understand their culture,' the 47-year-old said.

'So I wanted to build a city or a project like this that will give them the motivation to know that there is a home back home,' he said, adding that he had received the blessing - and advice - of Mbodiene's elders.

Speaking alternately in English and Wolof, the dominant language in Senegal, the talent with hits including 'Locked Up' and 'Smack That' said that Akon City would also include a 'village of African cultures'.

'As you come in from America, or Europe or anywhere in the diaspora, and you feel like you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop,' said Akon, whose real name is Alioune Badara Thiam.

The musician and green entrepreneur who set up Akon Lighting Africa to boost solar power on the continent said the new city would be built using renewable materials of African origin to the extent possible.

He said the project would cost an overall $6 billion but would not name the principal investors because of confidentiality clauses.

'We are still talking with partners and investors,' Akon said, adding that local investment 'no matter how small or how big' would be welcome.

Akon said he told Bakri - who accompanied him at the press conference - 'I need a building that looks like a statue that you can take home... like real African sculptures that they make in the villages.'

He added: 'The shapes might be weird, but they are African.'

Work will start early next year, with completion of the first phase set for 2023.

Akon, pictured left, told a news conference Monday he had laid the first stone for the city in the Atlantic Ocean village of Mbodiene around 60 miles south of the capital Dakar

Akon performing with Becky G at the European MTV Awards in Seville, Spain, last year

The town will initially cover some 55 hectares (135 acres) but grow to 500 hectares by the end of the decade, with plans for artificial islands and a marina that can accommodate cruise ships.

Bakri said the city's population would eventually reach 300,000.

There have even previously been reports that the city would trade in a crypto-currency named 'AKoin' after himself.

West Africa continues to suffer the economic pain brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and so such a level of private investment, at a time when it has appeared scarce, is much needed.

Senegal's Tourism Minister Alioune Sarr hailed the project, saying he hoped it would give the lie to 'Cassandras... who always view new projects as pipe dreams' and vowing to help see that it is completed on schedule.

Akon, who said the project would benefit the local people, notably young Senegalese, is not the only international star with West African roots involved in such investments.

British actor Idris Elba - son of a Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father - plans to build an eco-tourism complex on an island off Sierra Leone, having visited the former British colony in December last year.
FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), the world's largest independent blockchain think-tank, and Blockwall, a leading blockchain investment firm, are excited to announce the launch of Blockchain Research Institute Europe (BRIE).

This partnership will establish the BRIE as the preeminent European blockchain think-tank. Building on the path-breaking work of the BRI and the deep network of Blockwall, the BRIE will bring together Europe's top industry leaders, academics, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, and researchers to undertake ground-breaking research on blockchain technology, bridging the gap between the technological functionality of blockchain and the real market need.

"Blockchain is a team sport, and we need global cross-industry solutions to address the challenges and seize the opportunities in business today," said Dale Chrystie, Blockchain Strategist at FedEx. "As a global business, FedEx is pleased to see the Blockchain Research Institute launch BRI Europe to further strengthen and expand its impact globally."

The BRIE will be establishing an expert council of industry-leaders to help foster research, innovation, and the strategic direction of blockchain in their industries. The expert council will comprise leading executives from European corporates, academic institutions, and the public sector.

"Blockchain technology can be applied to improve and transform existing processes," said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Reimelt, former CEO and President DACH and Europe at General Electric. "I look forward to working with the BRIE in order to promote the adoption of blockchain technology in Europe and supporting its implementation and integration into business models, specifically in the energy industry. It is time for Europe to manifest its leading role in this emerging industry and I see the BRIE as an ideal platform to facilitate this."

The BRIE will take a leading role in European blockchain education, offering a range of webinars, books, events, and online courses.

"The Blockchain Research Institute has been a key strategic partner for INSEAD in strengthening and growing our online learning offerings," said Peter Zemsky, Deputy Dean at INSEAD Business School. "With the launch of BRI Europe, we look forward to further expanding our impactful collaboration in this key market and beyond."

Through the BRI's Build program, the BRIE will support its members' strategies of testing and implementing blockchain technologies, partnering their teams with the most suitable stakeholders from its ecosystem.

"We see blockchain as adding crucial functionalities to the internet and representing a backend revolution," said Dominic Briggs, General Partner at Blockwall. "Here in Europe, blockchain technology opened up a completely new universe of business models to invest in and it offers the opportunity to tap into value which was too complex to exploit with centralized systems. Europe is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of this revolution and together with the BRIE we want to support European corporates, entrepreneurs, and governments to take a leading role in this development."

"As a global leader, the Blockchain Research Institute believes that the best way to steward the blockchain revolution is to collaborate with leading regional partners who share our vision and ambition," said Don Tapscott, Executive Chairman at the Blockchain Research Institute. "For us, Blockwall is the ideal partner to lead the blockchain transformation in Europe."

"We are excited to partner with Blockwall to launch the Blockchain Research Institute Europe, and usher in the next wave of digital transformation for Europe and the world," said Alex Tapscott, Co-founder at the Blockchain Research Institute.

Interested companies can now join the Blockchain Research Institute Europe. Visit www.brieurope.org to learn more.

Contact:

Dominic Briggs

Managing Director

Blockchain Research Institute Europe

[email protected]

SOURCE Blockchain Research Institute
Belarusian Police Detain Demonstrators

By VOA News September 01, 2020

Belarusian authorities detained scores of demonstrators Tuesday as university students protested in Minsk to demand the resignation of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Hundreds of students marched through the center of the capital to the Education Ministry on the first day of classes, in the fourth week of mass protests against Lukashenko's August 9 reelection, which the students, other activists and critics maintain was rigged. Lukashenko won a sixth term in office.

As police moved to disperse the crowds, they detained a portion of the demonstrators, some of whom were students, according to local media reports. Police confirmed people were apprehended but did not say how many.

The Viasna Human Rights Center in Belarus said riot police beat many of the students who had been detained, and it noted that several university professors also were apprehended.

Additionally, reports say several organizers of work stoppages at large industrial plants have been detained, prompting people to gather Tuesday near several of the plants in a show of support for the striking workers.

Prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into the opposition's Coordination Council, which was formed last month to negotiate a transition of power in the wake of the election.

Lukashenko has said council members and other activists are under the control of Western nations, and he accused them of trying to create a parallel government.

The protests were triggered by a government crackdown shortly after the election that resulted in the detention of nearly 7,000 people. Three people were killed, and hundreds of others were hurt when police dispersed peaceful protesters using rubber bullets, clubs and stun grenades.

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PasarPolis, the Indonesian-based startup focused on making insurance policies more accessible in Southeast Asia, has closed a Series B round totaling $54 million. Investors include LeapFrog Investments and SBI Investment, both firms that focus on financial services; AlphaJWC; Intudo Ventures; and Xiaomi.

Gojek's venture capital arm, Go-Ventures, which participated in PasarPolis Series A two years ago, returned for this round.

Founded in 2015 by chief executive officer Cleosent Randing, PasarPolis operates in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Randing said the the insurance penetration rate in the ASEAN region is currently just 3.6%, and the startup's goal is to reach people who have never purchased insurance before with products like inexpensive "micro-policies" that cover broken device screens.

The company now partners with more than 30 insurance providers, and sells most of its products through its mobile apps. In 2019, PasarPolis says it issued more than 650 million policies to people buying insurance for the first time, including ride-hailing drivers, delivery couriers, and online merchants.

Sales continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic because of increased demand for insurance and online services. In June alone, the company claims it served more than four million new customers, and has now sold policies to more than 35 million customers in total.

Nishant Kumar, PasarPolis chief technology officer, told TechCrunch that the new funding will be used on its AI-based claim automation platform, which allows the company to customize insurance products for different industries.

It also plans to invest in PasarPolis Mitra, an onboarding platform for agents. Soft-launched in May 2020, PasarPolis allows people to apply to become Mitra, or insurance agents, for the company. PasarPolis currently has a network of about 10,000 agents in Indonesia, who help customers pick policies and process claims.

"We plan to invest in infrastructure to help our Mitra be able to engage with our customers more," said Kumar. "We believe its important for us to implement both online and offline strategies as an insurtech player."

Story continues

Kumar added that even though technology plays a "pivotal role" in making insurance products accessible to more people, PasarPolis does not "see digital as just a medium to sell insurance. We think that technology can be used to segment risk in real-time and provide more affordable insurance to the masses."

Two of PasarPolis main competitors in Southeast Asia include Qoala, another Indonesia-based insurtech startup that recently raised funding, and Grab Financial Group, which launched a new portfolio of consumer financial services last month, including expanded insurance offerings.

Randing told TechCrunch that PasarPolis competitive advantage is its "ability to offer highly customized and modular insurance products that are integrated with partners systems." These include health and accident coverage for Gojek's drivers and passengers; insurance for small- to medium-sized businesses that cover damaged products and missing items; and policies that protect e-commerce customers.

An example of the type of customized insurance products PasarPolis can create is a policy for Gojek ride-share drivers that covers stolen vehicles and costs less than USD $4 a year.

The company is also a licensed insurance broker, which is why it is able to operate PasarPolis Mitra. "The platform is so unique to Indonesians, that it enables anyone, from professional insurance Mitra, Gojek drivers, stay-at-home moms, and furloughed employees, to earn additional income, especially during the new normal," said Randing.
New Delhi, Sep 2 : Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency or the ISI could be planning attacks on Indian establishments in Afghanistan while India is engaged with China at other frontiers, intelligence agencies have flagged.

The security establishments of Afghanistan and India have been alerted that Pakistan-sponsored terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) may carry out vehicle-borne attacks on the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad and use improvised explosive devices.

"Four suicide attackers from the LeT have been sent to Kunar province. They are planning a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on the Indian consulate in Jalalabad," said the Indian intelligence agency.

A senior government officer stated there have been a number of threats against Indian establishments in Afghanistan. One of its main reasons being Pakistan remaining insecure about Indian influence in Afghanistan. "So they may use proxies/sponsor terrorists groups to target Indian personnel and infrastructure," the officer said.

Pakistan has also engaged the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) to execute high visibility and high impact attacks targeting ethnic minorities in Kabul. They have started targeting Hindu and Sikh communities in Afghanistan. Once the strength of these communities were in tens of thousands with well-established businesses and high-ranking positions in the government. Now, most of them have fled to India, Europe, or North America after decades of war and persecution.

Further, Pakistan is alluring Indian Muslims to seek jihad. It has also turned Afghanistan into a breeding ground for such Indians.

Recently, the UN Security Council stated that the Indian ISIS affiliate -- Hind Wilayah -- that was announced on May 10, 2019, already has around 180 to 200 members present in Kerala and Karnataka.

The current security situation in Afghanistan remains volatile with both the Taliban and the ISKP stepping up attacks across the country.

In its bid to enhance territorial power, the Taliban seized control of Yumgan district in the northeastern province of Badakhshan on March 28 and 29 while continuing with its attacks targeting the Afghan Security Forces. The Talibs have long controlled the Yumgan and Jurm districts of Badakhshan Province until the government forces retook them late in 2019.

The Afghan Security Forces this year inflicted heavy casualties on the militant group and retook control of Khamab district of Jawzjan province on April 18.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
While flying to some off-the-beaten-path, exotic destination may not be in the cards right now, we could all use a quick break as this strange pandemic summer stretches on and on.

The good news: Texans need not travel too far to experience one of the best quick getaways in the U.S.

Austin has just landed a top spot on travel website Hotwire's 40 best cities in America list for a "quickie" getaway in 2020. Touted as the "Live Music Capitol of the World," Austin ranked No. 8 on the list of major metropolitan cities.

BEST CITIES TO RETIRE: Two Texas cities make Forbes list of best places to retire in 2020

"Quarantine has made us stir crazy and that's probably putting it lightly, " brain health expert Dr. Mike Dow said in a Hotwire press release. "We've heard everyone talk about flattening the COVID-19 curve it's important to flatten the mental health curve."

In making its selections for its "Make It a Quickie" list, Hotwire took a look at 10,000 internal and external data points across 300 cities based on these four factors: ease of arrival and driveability (30 percent), best bang for buck (30 percent), things to do and leisure (30 percent) and population (10 percent).

What's cool about this list is that travelers can choose the scale of their destination and getaway experience from major urban centers and mid-size must-sees to small town favorites and "itty bitty cities." High on the list for major metropolises are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Oklahoma City, Seattle, Memphis, Indianapolis, Austin, Denver and Portland.

A recent survey by Hotwire found that more than four in five (81 percent) adults state that after the quarantine, quick getaway trips offer an ideal chance to test the waters before investing in a longer vacation.

Hotwire also discovered changes in travelers' patterns amid the pandemic, including more travel by car (50 percent), visiting less crowded spots, (43 percent), researching a hotel's cleanliness procedures (29 percent) and traveling close to home in case of emergency (26 percent), according to the survey.

"Travel, especially quick local getaways are a valuable way to balance our physical health with our mental health and can increase connections in our brain, thereby improving both our current and future mood so quickie getaways are actually an investment in your well-being," Dow added.

Hotwire has rounded up a few things that should be on your must-do list for Austin. From Barton Creek to Hamilton Pool, explore some of Austin's best swimming holes. If you need to just unwind and take a hike, drive out to the Hill Country or spend a day at Emma Long Metropolitan Park.

alison.medley@chron.com
Regional language news and content aggregator Dailyhunt is in talks to raise about $100 million, seeking a valuation of $1.2 billion as it looks to cash in on the big jump in online content consumption following the coronavirus outbreak, sources said.

The round is likely to be led by existing investor US-based Falcon Edge Capital that recently raised $300-million India-focused fund, sources said. The deal could make the Bengaluru-based company Indias newest unicorn, a privately held firm valued at a billion dollars or more.

The deal has not closed yet, but it should get done given their traction and because no one has been able to compete with them at the same scale. The valuation, however, is a bit aggressive, said a person close to the talks on condition of anonymity.

Dailyhunt was valued at $625 million when it raised $36 million from James Murdochs Lupa India in May, Entrackr reported.

Dailyhunt did not respond to Moneycontrols email while Falcon Edge declined to comment.

Run by Verse Innovation Pvt. Ltd, Dailyhunt aggregates content from newspapers and websites and is available in 13 languages, including Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bhojpuri.

It also offers original video content in Hindi and Telugu and a free live television streaming service in nine languages through strategic partnerships.

One of the earliest entrants in the regional content aggregation space, Dailyhunt, previously known as Newshunt, was founded by ex-Nokia employees Umesh Kulkarni and Chandrashekhar Sohoni in 2009.

Three years later, Virendra Gupta acquired the company and is now the chief executive. Former Facebook India head, Umang Bedi, joined the news aggregator in February 2018.

Dailyhunt has been looking to raise a large round of funding for more than a year now. In the last couple of years, it raised between $20-50 million from Goldman Sachs, Sofina, Lupa India and Stonebridge Capital.

Like most content startups, Dailyhunt makes money by serving ads, a business model largely seen as unsustainable because the online advertising market is cornered by Google and Facebook, whose personalisation algorithms are generally better.

Dailyhunt users can create an account and select their preferred news outlets that helps in personalising their feeds, similar to Chinas TikTok, Douyin and Toutiao, which is Chinas largest online news aggregator. It has a For You section on its app, a design choice similar to the Chinese apps.

As India-China ties plunge to their lowest in 50 years and Chinese investments face increased scrutiny, banned TikToks parent ByteDance is a minority shareholder in Dailyhunt, where it led a $25 million round in 2016.

TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps were banned by India a few days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with the troops of the neighbouring country in Ladakhs Galwan Valley on June 14.

Indian content startups, in news or social media space, have found monetisation challenging, though sources say Dailyhunt has a revenue of about $50 million, an exception in the space.

Regional language platforms such as ShareChat and Pratilipi, have, so far, not been able to monetise beyond a few million dollars despite a sizable user base.

Another news aggregator, InShorts, backed by Tiger Global Management, also wants to make a dent in the space.

Dailyhunt and others with regional content as a focus have a non-English speaking, non-metro core audience, whose purchasing power is relatively low. It is a segment online advertisers have been wary of so far because it is difficult to make money from these users, said an investor in the space, requesting anonymity.

Dailyhunt, however, stands to gain in the long run from the pandemic, which has dealt a big blow to revenues of the already struggling newspaper industry and driven up digital news consumption.

In the initial months of the pandemic, lower ad spends online hit digital media platforms but in the long term, they stand to benefit.

Dailyhunt has also faced headwinds on the regulatory front. The government said in August last year that foreign direct investment in digital media firms should not exceed 26 percent but has since not clarified or enforced the rule.Dailyhunts investors are all foreign, including venture capital firms Sequoia Capital, Goldman Sachs, Sofina and ByteDance.
New York, Sep 2 : While accusing Beijing of bullying its neighbours, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington hopes there would be a peaceful settlement of the escalating tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.

"We are hoping for a peaceful resolution of the situation on the India-China border," he said at a news conference in Washington.

"From the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a clear and intensifying pattern of bullying its neighbours," he said.

In the latest confrontation, New Delhi has said that China carried out "provocative military movements" on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake between Sunday and Monday but Indian troops stopped them from moving into its territory.

This followed clashes between the troops of the two countries in June in which 20 Indian soldiers and some Chinese troops were killed.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, David Stillwell, who spoke to reporters after Pompeo, attributed China's intensifying aggressiveness from the Himalayas to Taiwan to Beijing's attempts to take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"What we've seen since the corona outbreak from Wuhan is it seems the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) is trying to take advantage of the situation, and India, I think, is one of those examples of that," he said.

He declined to say how the US would help India if the tensions worsened, indicative of Washington's limitations in stepping into the conflict.

Asked by a reporter if the US would share intelligence with India or help it, he said that he would "defer that question to others who are more closely related to the Indian part".

"For the conflict in the Himalayas, like all things, especially, related to the PRC's differences of opinion with its neighbours, we advise them to return to dialogue, resolve these things peacefully without coercion or use of force," he said.

"Our friends in Beijing, I would ask them to follow their commitment to resolve these things through peaceful means and dialogue." Pompeo said that he would be holding virtual meetings next week with his Indo-Pacific and ASEAN counterparts.

During the wide-ranging discussions, he said: "I will also raise how the Trump administration is restoring reciprocity to the US-China relationship." He announced several restrictions on Chinese diplomats in the US, mirroring some of the conditions Beijing has placed on Washington's diplomats.

Pompeo also asked China to hold talks with the Dalai Lama and criticised Beijing's actions in Tibet.

"We are also concerned about Chinese actions in Tibet, in the light of the General Secretary's recent calls to Sinicise Tibetan Buddhism and fight splitism there," he said.

China' President Xi Jinping also holds the title of the Communist Party's General Secretary.

"We continue to call upon Beijing to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions to reach a settlement that resolves their differences," Pompeo said.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)
China recently rolled out its first smart grain warehouse with multifaceted capabilities to facilitate production, stockpiling and scientific research in Nanjing, the capital of southeastern Jiangsu province.

The warehouse operates with the support of applied sciences and big data analysis to form a modern information system dedicated to facilitating potential grain transactions and expanding high-tech applications. It will set a standard in developing national grain production and preservation by utilizing systematic digital technologies and scientific achievements.

The warehouse's 11 storage rooms, which belong to Nanjing Lingshan Grain Inventory Co Ltd, function under a synthesized monitoring system consisting of wireless sensory facilities that can show indexes of internal conditions, such as air quality, pest invasions, indoor humidity and temperature alterations. By evaluating changes within the warehouse, the equipment being launched guarantees the safe preservation of grains.

The warehouse project was part of a platform dubbed "the Silicon Valley of Jiangsu Grains" that was jointly established by the College of Information Engineering at Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu Grain and Edible Oil Transaction Market and the Quality Monitoring Department of Grain and Edible Oil of the Jiangsu Provincial Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

Along with taking on research projects for industries at provincial and national levels, the platform has benefited 8,800 agricultural cooperatives with key technologies applied for digitalized stockpiling practices. By renovating 552 granaries, the platform has produced a direct economic gain estimated at 246 million yuan ($35.97 million), with the loss of stockpiling dropping to less than 1%, the storable rate soaring to 98% and the use of chemical agents dropping by 80%.

Content created in partnership with Science and Technology Daily
President Donald Trump has praised his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, for her speech to the Republican National Convention, and defended her from cruel criticism over her English pronunciation, noting it is not her first language.

'They like her, they love her style, her class, her grace,' Donald Trump said when asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham about Melania's appeal to female voters in an interview that aired on Tuesday.

'I thought she gave an incredible speech,' Trump added. 'And you have to understand, it's not her first language,' he continued, referencing critics including Bette Midler who mocked the first lady over her accent.

'How many people could come over and make a speech to the world, think of it, no think of it, she did an incredible job,' Trump said.

President Donald Trump has praised his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, for her speech to the Republican National Convention

The First Lady spoke about her migrant background in her RNC speech, telling the audience that 'I was able to achieve my own American dream'

The president added that his wife will be participating actively in his re-election campaign, saying 'she'll be very much involved, she wants to see this be a victory.'

Melania won praise from some for her compassionate RNC speech last week, in which she told families affected by the coronavirus pandemic 'youre not alone.'

However, others unleashed shocking criticism of the first lady, a native of Slovenia, over her accented English and ethnic background.

Actress Bette Midler apologized after tweeting that Melania 'can't speak English' and calling the first lady an 'illegal alien.'

Midler admitted she was 'wrong' to mock Melaniain social media posts she shared while watching the Republican National Convention.

'A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!' Middler had written in a tweet.

(From R) Barron Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, US President Donald Trump, Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner stand after the president accepted the Republican nomination

The First Lady spoke about her migrant background in her RNC speech, telling the audience that 'I was able to achieve my own American dream'.

The Slovenian-born former fashion model moved to the US in the 1990s and was granted American citizenship in 2006.

'Growing up as a young child in Slovenia, which was under communist rule at the time, I always heard about an amazing place called America - a land that stood for freedom and opportunity,' she said.

'As I grew older it became my goal to move to the United States and follow my dream of working in the fashion industry.

President Donald J. Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump depart after the First Lady delivered her speech during the second night of the Republican National Convention

'My parents worked very hard to ensure our family could not only leave and prosper in America, but also contribute to a nation that allows for people to arrive with a dream and make it reality.'

In her speech she also called for an end to what she called 'violence and looting' during the months of race protests after the death of George Floyd.

'Instead of tearing things down, let's reflect on our mistakes. Be proud of our evolution and look to our way forward,' she said.

'Every day let us remember that we are one nation under God, and we need to cherish one another.'
A Citigroup China unit has received a domestic fund custody licence from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the bank said on Wednesday, the latest foreign financial firm to expand its presence in mainland China, Trend reports with reference to Reuters.

Citi is the first U.S. bank to receive such a licence, which will allow it to hold securities for safekeeping on behalf of mutual funds and private funds domiciled in China, once it has passed an onsite inspection.

Despite Sino-U.S. political tensions, several U.S. asset managers are expanding their presence in China, after foreign ownership restrictions were scrapped earlier this year.

BlackRock last week became the first global asset manager to win regulatory approval to set up a mutual fund unit in China, and Vanguard Group announced it would shift its Asian headquarters to Shanghai and close its Hong Kong and Japan operations.

As international fund managers, securities firms, and insurance companies set up in China, we believe they will want a trusted service provider to help them mitigate risks and reduce costs, David Russell, Citis APAC Head of Securities Services, said in a statement.
A new paper in The Economic Journal finds that bus drivers are more likely to let white riders ride for free and less likely to let Black riders ride without paying the fee.

Police officers must issue tickets to drivers exceeding the speed limit. A grocery store worker is not allowed to hand out goods free of charge. Similarly, bus drivers require all passengers to have valid tickets before being allowed onto the bus.

This study set out to test what happens when decisionmakers have to make unmonitored judgments. Do they voluntarily provide favours? And, if so, do they reward and accommodate some people more than others?

This study tested for discretionary favours, i.e., private accommodations, in everyday consumer transactions. In the study, the researchers hired test customers randomly assigned to board public buses where they presented a travel card with a zero monetary balance and asked the bus driver if they can have a free ride to a bus stop. While the public bus company's official rules and policies mostly discourage employees from providing a service free of monetary charge, close to two-thirds of observed bus drivers granted such favours, and predominantly to lighter-skinned people.

Based on 1,552 transactions in Queensland, Australia, the authors uncovered strong evidence of racial bias: bus drivers were twice as willing to let white testers ride free as Black testers (72% versus 36% of the time). Indian testers were accepted at 51%, while Asian testers were treated similarly to whites; being offered a free ride 73% of the time. Such racial bias against Black citizens still existed after controlling for several other variables including the bus driver's age, gender, and race. Based on the data, researchers found no evidence of own-group bias: bus drivers were just as likely to grant free rides to customers from other races as they were to customers of their own race.

The study revealed strong evidence of racial discrimination. A key feature in the field experiment is that the bus drivers had only a few seconds to decide regarding a person standing in front of them. Here the bus drivers appeared to use a customer's skin colour as a proxy for other unobservable group characteristics. The uncovered white privilege was reduced but still present when test customers wore business attire or dressed in army uniforms.

"Our findings show that white privilege extends into marketplace favours, or private accommodations, that are often hidden and unregulated," said Redzo Mujcic, one of the paper's authors. "The level of white privilege found is markedly greater than previously documented in other markets and public services, such as employment and housing, where discrimination is already illegal. As a society, we need to think about ways to eliminate such bias in daily interactions, especially given the large economic and social costs that accrue to discriminated minorities. For example, white citizens can simply refuse any such gifts in future transactions."

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The paper, "The Colour of a Free Ride," is available (on September 2) at https://academic.oup.com/ej/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/ej/ueaa090.

Direct correspondence to:

Redzo Mujcic

Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick

Scarman Rd,

Coventry CV4 7AL, UNITED KINGDOM

redzo.mujcic@wbs.ac.uk

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Daniel Luzer

daniel.luzer@oup.com

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals
Africa's Leading Carrier Neutral Tier III Data Centre We are proud of the quality and scale bar we have set in the region and are scaling to be the de-facto digital data hub for West Africa, says Dr Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director of Rack Centre.

Rack Centre, the leading carrier neutral data centre operator in West Africa, has announced an expansion programme that will increase capacity to a total net lettable white space of 6000 square metres and allow for 13MW of IT power capacity in its Lagos campus. The expansion will bring unprecedented carrier neutral scale to West Africa and is in response to increasing demand for data centre space from cloud uptake, telecommunication investment and outsourcing of IT facilities by enterprises in the region.

In March 2020, Actis, a London private equity firm, announced an investment in Rack Centre, taking a controlling stake in the business alongside Jagal. The funding for this expansion will come from a $250m pan-African data centre platform established by Actis and Convergence Partners, a leading ICT infrastructure investor in Africa. In addition to Rack Centre, the platform is also actively developing additional buy and build opportunities across Africa, to establish a network of carrier neutral data centres aimed at catering to carrier, cloud and hyperscale customers. Tim Parsonson, co-founder of Teraco Data Environments, the largest carrier neutral operator in Africa, joins the Board as Chairperson. The platform has also engaged Frank Hassett, a veteran of the global data centre industry and previous Vice President of Infrastructure at Equinix, who brings over 1300MW of build and operate experience, to assist with hyperscale expansion.

Africa is at the start of a critical time in its development, as the 4th industrial revolution offers the chance to leapfrog many of Africas challenges and harness the immense potential of its people. Convergence Partners is delighted to partner with Actis in accelerating the growth of high quality data centre infrastructure, an indispensable part of the foundation of this revolution in the region. said Andile Ngcaba, chairman of Convergence Partners.

With 138 million Internet subscribers, more than any country in Africa or Europe, and the largest population and GDP in Africa, Nigeria is a key entry point for global telecommunications, content and cloud players seeking access to the region. However, a lack of cost effective, energy efficient IT infrastructure has been a constraint to doing business in the region. Rack Centre brings global best practice to Nigeria, as the first carrier neutral data centre in the region to achieve Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility (TCCF). As a uniquely scale carrier neutral player, Rack Centre allows unrestricted connectivity between customers, telecommunication carriers and internet exchange points within its data centres.

"We are proud of the quality and scale bar we have set in the region and are scaling to be the de-facto digital data hub for West Africa, says Dr Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director of Rack Centre, Mass adoption of digital working models and content distribution is driving growing investment in the region and Rack Centre offers a world class location to house these IT and telecoms facilities.

Supporting this ambition, engineering consultancy Arup have been appointed for the project. Arups multidisciplinary data centre design teams are world leaders in the design and construction of data centres, having designed over 2,000MW of IT capacity for industry leading tech giants and co-location providers across the globe.

Sustainability and Energy Savings

Data centres are energy intensive. With the data demands ever increasing, the design of Rack Centres Phase 2 facility will target regional industry leading Power Utilisation Efficiency (PUE) benchmarks, and will contribute towards [Sustainable Development Goals] in particular Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure and Climate Action. Rack Centre is working on various green data centre initiatives to set other benchmarks in the Africa data centre landscape.

About Rack Centre

Founded in 2012, Rack Centre is the only carrier neutral Tier III Constructed Facility Certified data centre in Africa and focuses solely on providing best in class data centre colocation services and unrestricted interconnect between carriers and customers. This gives customers a technically superior, physically more secure and lower cost environment for their information systems.

Rack Centres carrier neutrality allows customers to manage traffic to get better value, lower latency and higher resilience, and creates an open market for partnerships between customers, networks, cloud and content providers, the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria and managed service providers.

Rack Centre clients include 40 telecommunication carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), global Tier 1 networks and pan Africa international carriers, including direct connection to all 5 undersea cables serving the South Atlantic Coast of Africa and every country on the Atlantic coast of Africa.

For additional information: Follow us on LinkedIn

About Actis

Actis is a leading emerging markets investor. With a growing portfolio of investments across Asia, Africa and Latin America, Actis has raised over US$15bn since inception, and deployed capital across the real estate, private equity, energy and infrastructure asset classes.

The responsible investing ethos of values-drive-value, is at the heart of Actis belief that capital invested in growth markets can and should be transformational, leading to sustainable value creation and mitigation of risk.

Actis is a signatory to the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), an investor initiative developed by the UNEP FI and the UN Global Compact. The firm has been awarded the highest rating score, A* for the third consecutive year in the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) independent assessment.

About Convergence Partners

Convergence Partners is a seasoned pan-African private equity investor experienced in growing businesses to deliver enhanced investment returns while simultaneously driving continental development through investment in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and services. With over US$300mn of capital under management, Convergence Partners brings its skills, experience and capital to develop new investment opportunities as well as actively adding value to investments across the lifecycle of ICT assets. As a value investor, the firm accelerates communications access, digital inclusion and ICT infrastructure development in Africa

To date Convergence Partners has partnered with several global best-in-breed operators and has played a leading role in landmark African ICT infrastructure investments that have changed the paradigm in pricing of broadband services and availability of reliable, quality networks, services and new technology offerings.

For more information, visit http://www.convergencepartners.com/

About ARUP

Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the worlds most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. From 90 offices in 38 countries our 11,000 planners, designers, engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world with creativity and passion.

Arup Press Enquiries: Media@arup.com
A retired army colonel arrested over crimes during the Uruguayan dictatorship admitted to murder, kidnapping and torture, according to official documents released on Tuesday.

"I executed many people, kidnapped and imprisoned in various countries, for which I received congratulations from the army high command during the process and in democracy until last year," wrote Gilberto Vazquez in 2006.

The letter was revealed by the Mothers and Relatives of Disappeared Detainees in Uruguay after accessing the minutes of a 2006 army trial.

Ignacio Errandonea, a member of the relatives organization, said the court handed the letter to Carlos Diaz, the army commander-in-chief at that time, to decide whether or not the admission amounted to a crime.

Diaz ordered the trial to continue and said the alleged crimes would be "communicated in due course" to the defence minister.

The court "found Vazquez guilty of offending (military) honor by using a toupee" to escape detention "but not for all the barbarities he confessed to," said Errandonea.

"Where is the honor of those generals?"

"They hid these facts from the ministry, they hid these facts from justice," added Errandonea.

On Friday, the organization shared other minutes from the court case, in which Vazquez admitted to crimes against humanity during the dictatorship that lasted from 1973 until 1985.

"I had to kill, I killed and I have no regrets. I had to torture and I tortured," said Vazquez, who was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of 28 Uruguayans captured in Argentina in 1976.

He was taken before the military court after escaping from a military hospital by faking an illness to leave the prison where he was being held ahead of a possible extradition to Argentina to face charges of crimes committed during the dictatorship.

The mothers and relatives organization gained access to the court minutes following a request to the defense ministry for access to public information.
A Vasai-based start-up, supported by the Indian Institutes of Bombay and Patna, is offering a line of affordable prosthetics that contain features such as the sense of touch.

Robo Bionics, a start-up by alumni of IIT Patna and University of Mumbai, was among the 15 start-ups chosen in August under the StartupToScaleup scheme supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India (GOI). Through the programme, young healthcare and edtech start-ups get a chance to elevate their innovation to the international markets.

GrippyRobo Bionics productis a line of inexpensive prosthetics that are easy to use and also address some of the difficulties that amputees face with body-powered as well as externally powered prosthetics.

Llewellyn Dsa, co-founder of Robo Bionics, started developing the technology after she completed her M Tech on a Robotic Prosthetic Hand at IIT Patna. Inspired by a batchmate, who had no hands owing to a birth defect, she started the firm in 2016.

When my team and I started looking at the market for myoelectric (prosthetics that use electronic sensors to detect muscle and nerve activity) hands, we found that while they are available in the market, they have a lot of drawbacks. They are heavy, have a steep learning curve and function in a very robotic way. To solve this we, at Robo Bionics, researched the market, customer pain points and technology to bring out Grippy, said Dsa.

Grippy, while being affordable, offers features such as sense of touch, grip control and adaptive shape control which is unique for every user. While a basic prosthetic of grippy is priced at Rs60,000, an advanced one can cost up to Rs75,000. A professional approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India makes the socket that connects the part between Grippy and the users hand. The cost for the socket could range from Rs25,000 to Rs50,000 depending on the complexity.

Incubated at IIT Patna, the startup is supported by the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay, as well as the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), government of India.

Our device is undergoing rigorous safety testing in a lab accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories in Pune. After that we will bring our Grippy, a high-quality prosthetic hand, made in India, to a limited set of users, as a pilot study under the supervision of clinicians and professionals, said Dsa. The product, which is awaiting two patents, is expected to be launched in the market by April 2021.
The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

Whats happening

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey fended off a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a tightly watched race Tuesday seen by many as a referendum on the state of the Democratic Party.

Markey, who has served in Congress for more than 40 years, bucked a trend that has seen older, established Democrats lose primary races to younger challengers. He won by aligning himself with the left wing of the party and earning the endorsement of progressive stars like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who herself had unseated a long-serving Democratic representative in 2018.

Kennedy, the 39-year-old grandson of former Sen. and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, led by a significant margin in polls when he entered the race just over a year ago. But that lead gradually evaporated during the course of a heated campaign in which Markey, 74, built a devoted online following among younger progressives who bolstered his candidacy through memes while leveling harsh criticism at Kennedy. In the end, Markey won the race by more than 10 points.

By running for the Senate, Kennedy forfeited his chance to hold on to his seat in the House. His loss is the first time a member of the Kennedy political dynasty has lost a statewide race in Massachusetts.

Why theres debate

The Massachusetts Senate primary has been considered by many political observers to be a strong indicator of the balance of power within the Democratic Party in 2020 and beyond. Though their relative ages may suggest otherwise and their policy platforms were quite similar, Markey successfully managed to sell himself as the insurgent face of systemic change by emphasizing his progressive credentials  especially his early support of the Green New Deal. Kennedy, on the other hand, was seen as the establishment choice because of his family legacy and endorsement from mainstream figures like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Story continues

To some observers, the main takeaway from the race is the extraordinary power that Ocasio-Cortez and other young progressives have developed to influence Democratic voters. On paper, the contest fit the profile of an up-and-coming contender looking to unseat an older establishment Democrat, but Markeys support from progressive groups like the Sunrise Movement flipped that narrative on its head.

The result may guide the decision making of other incumbent Democrats in 2022 or 2024. They may see a shift to the left as the best way to survive a primary challenge, or choose not to run for reelection at all if they worry they cant successfully make that pivot.

The primary is also notable for being the end of the Kennedy dynasty as its been known in the U.S. for the past half-century, some argue. Though members of the family  including Joe  will likely have a role in politics going forward, the power to court voters by the name alone seems to have evaporated, some say.

Whats next

Markey is expected to comfortably defeat Republican primary winner Kevin OConnor in November and return to the Senate for a term ending in 2026. Kennedy likely wont hold public office next year, but his name is already being floated for possible future vacancies in Massachusetts or perhaps another Senate run if Elizabeth Warrens seat becomes available.

Perspectives

Markey showed that older, established lawmakers have a place in the future of the party

Choosing Markey, though, sent a message to Democratic incumbents that the new generation of activists does not consider age or length of service disqualifying credentials. This ought to have been clear given the youth support for the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders, yet it still seemed to mystify pundits covering the race, who marveled that young people were somehow not supporting the young person.  Rachel M. Cohen, Intercept

The race showed how influential the left wing of the party can be when its unified

What led to Kennedys loss was not Markeys army of memers, many of whom are too young to vote or dont live in Massachusetts. It was the coalition of affluent, white, liberal Sanders and Warren sympathizers who joined them, achieving a unity that evaded that group during the presidential primary.  Kara Voght, Mother Jones

The primary highlighted the importance of climate policy to young voters

Because most politicians are in safe seats, big primaries often have a bigger impact on the party agenda. Ed Markeys win last night will likely send a strong message to Democrats about the moral and political imperative to support bold climate action.  Former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer

Pivoting to the left wont work for every Democratic incumbent

While it is true that Markey took full advantage of these endorsements to seal the deal with younger voters, it is a capital mistake to say that Markey in any way rebranded himself by attaching himself to things like the Green New Deal. For most of his career in Congress, Markey has been ahead of most politicians on issues concerning the environment and emerging technologies.  Charles P. Pierce, Esquire

Markeys win will influence the decisions of incumbent Democrats in future elections

A number of House lawmakers are bracing for demands that they push through an ambitious agenda in a Democratic-controlled Washington or face another wave of primaries. Some of them may retire or, should Joseph R. Biden Jr. win the presidency, accept administration posts rather than seek re-election.  Jonathan Martin, New York Times

Despite Markeys win, incumbents are still losing at a higher rate than normal

Tuesday notwithstanding, 2020 has still seen an unusual amount of anti-incumbent sentiment. The more-or-less final tally: Eight members of the House of Representatives (and no U.S. senators) lost renomination in 2020. It is an unusually high number by historical standards  its twice as many as in 2018 or in the tea party cycle of 2010.  Nathaniel Rakich, FiveThirtyEight

The Kennedy name isnt the political force it used to be

Only voters old enough for retirement have real-time memories of the Kennedy administration. ... And much of what remains in photos and video clips of the once-famous Kennedy style is obnoxious to the public mood: Sleekly dressed men with sometimes leering eyes, captive spouses, cocktails and cigarettes.  Peter Canellos, Politico

Progressive Democrats arent mobilizing working-class voters as much as theyd hoped

A noteworthy consistent pattern you saw across the three different primaries in Massachusetts is that the progressive candidates do better in more upscale, highly educated towns and the moderates in more working class ones. Im not sure thats a bad thing or a good one, but its in important ways at odds with what progressives think theyre doing  or at least what they say they think theyre doing.  Vox co-founder Matthew Yglesias

Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com.

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Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:51:18|Editor: huaxia

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Representatives from China Southern Power Grid and Lao state-owned Electricite du Laos shake hands during a signing ceremony in Vientiane, Laos, Sept. 1, 2020. Lao state-owned Electricite du Laos and China Southern Power Grid have signed the Shareholders' Agreement of Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDLT) in Lao capital Vientiane for jointly establishing the EDLT. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lao state-owned Electricite du Laos (EDL) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) have signed the Shareholders' Agreement of Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDLT) in Lao capital Vientiane for jointly establishing the EDLT.

The signing of the agreement on Tuesday marks a significant progress in enhancing win-win cooperation between Laos and China in the power industry, CSG officials told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Founding EDLT is an important step in building the China-Laos community with a shared future, and is also the latest achievement of the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation leaders' meeting held in late August, according to the CSG.

Khammany Inthirath, Lao minister for energy and mines, said that the EDLT, a key project in the industrialization process in Laos, will help provide self-sufficient and stable power supply to support the country's development, as well as reinforce the infrastructure connectivity with neighboring countries.

The Lao minister believed that with CSG's advantages in experience, technology and human resources, the EDLT will bring a fresh outlook to the Lao power industry.

Jiang Zaidong, the Chinese ambassador to Laos, said during the signing ceremony that the founding of the EDLT takes the first step to implement the important consensus reached on the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation leaders' meeting, which calls for strengthening the power connectivity in Lancang-Mekong countries.

He said the two companies should enhance cooperation to serve the national strategies of Laos, to improve Lao people's livelihoods, and to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

The Chinese ambassador also highlighted the importance to follow market principles and make its operating mechanisms market-based for the high-level development of the EDLT.

According to the Shareholders' Agreement, the EDLT will operate under the regulation of the Lao government, taking advantage of CSG's financial strength and mature experiences in power grid construction, operation and management to move forward the construction of the national backbone power grids in Laos.

The EDLT will provide power transmission service to the EDL with safety, reliability, efficiency, accessibility and sustainability.

The EDLT will enable Laos to strengthen power grid connectivity with its neighboring countries for transforming its water resource into economic benefits, so as to support Laos' effort to build itself as the "battery of clean energy" in Southeast Asia. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 00:07:16|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday afternoon said the number of COVID-19 recoveries in the continent passed the one million mark for the first time.

According to the Africa CDC, some 1,001,581 people who were infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent so far.

It said the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has climbed to 30,065 across the African continent as the number of positive cases rose to 1,260,400.

The African Union (AU) Commission's specialized healthcare agency, said that five African countries account for over 70 percent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent. They are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, South Africa alone accounts for about 50 percent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, the Africa CDC said.

Egypt, which has the second highest COVID-19 cases in the continent, is near to becoming the second African country to pass the 100,000 COVID-19 infections milestone.

Egypt has recorded 99,115 COVID-19 cases and 5,440 COVID-19 related deaths as of Wednesday evening, it said.

Nigeria has the third largest cases of COVID-19 in the continent with 54,247 cases and 1,023 deaths, said the Africa CDC.

The southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by northern Africa and western Africa regions, it was noted. Enditem
SRINAGAR: In the second such incident in the past four days, another Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of Indian Army was killed in a sniper attack from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, six structures including four residential houses, a government school building and a madrassa (Islamic religious school) were damaged in cross-LoC firing in Gurez sector of Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, the officials said.

The Army and police officials said that a Naib Sebedar posted at a forward location in the Tarkundi area along the LoC was killed after being targeted from across the de facto border. Earlier the facing armies had exchanged small arms fire for some time in this area without causing any casualties or damage on the Indian side, the officials said.

On August 30, Naib Sebedar (JCO) Rajvinder Singh of 1 Sikh Regiment-a resident of Amritsar- was killed possibly in a sniper attack in the LoCs Nowshera sector in Rajouri.

Separately, four residential houses, a high school building and a madrassa were partially damaged in Pakistani firing in Gurez sector J&Ks northern Bandipora district on Wednesday, the officials said.

They said that the Pakistani troops targeted two forward Indian Army posts near Tarabal in Bagtore area of Gurez with light machine guns, which was "effectively retaliated (to)".

The police sources said that the intermittent exchange of fire between the two sides stopped after a few hours. It is not known if any casualties or damage occurred on the other side of the LoC.

As per official statics, 17 Army and BSF personnel, three civilian porters working for the Army, seven militants and infiltrators and an equal number of civilians were killed in the incidents of cross-border firing and shelling, clashes and sneak attacks carried out by militants along the LoC and 198-km stretch of IB with Pakistan, so far, this year.
The U.S. Department of Defense says the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is among the countries China may be planning to set up new military bases as it expands the world's largest standing ground force.

The Pentagon's annual report to Congress, a 200-page unclassified version of which was released on September 1, also said that Beijing plans to double its current nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade.

"The [People's Republic of China] has likely considered locations for [People's Liberation Army] military logistics facilities in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan," the report said, adding that Beijing's sea force is the largest navy, with a strong ship-building capacity in reserve.

Tajikistan currently houses about 7,000 troops from Russias 201st Motor Rifle Division at three facilities in the Central Asian nation that are considered part of the Russian base in Tajikistan.

Russia has not commented officially on the mention of Tajikistan in the Pentagon report.

The report estimates that Beijing currently has some 200 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, emphasizing that Chinese capacity with regard to its ground-launched cruise missiles is greater than the United States.

According to the report, China's goal is to become a more robust great power as its leadership sees itself in competition with the United States and is starting to use its armed forces to project power internationally.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, rejected the report on September 2, denying that Beijing wants to double the number of its nuclear warheads and saying that the report was filled with bias.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
Autumn Driscoll / Autumn Driscoll

WESTON  The Weston Board of Education and Weston Teachers Association have reached an agreement on reopening schools Sept. 8.

The Board of Education and the Administration have been committed to effective communication with the Association, the teachers it represents and the entire school community, Douglas Pregman, president of the Weston Teachers Association, and Tony Pesco, BOE chair, said in a joint statement on Tuesday. In reaching this agreement, we confirmed that good communication between and among the Board of Education, the Administration and the Association is essential to our ongoing collaboration on these important issues.
Readers shared their memories of the end of World War II and tales of their families or themselves during the conflict.




South Korea and Singapore agreed Wednesday to introduce a "fast-track" entry program this week for essential trips by businesspeople and others in exception to coronavirus entry restrictions, the foreign ministry said.







During telephone talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, reached the agreement on the streamlined entry procedures set to take effect on Friday.







"The agreement with Singapore, the logistical and financial hub, is expected to contribute to not only the two countries' economic recovery, but also the stable management of global supply chains under the COVID-19 situation," the ministry said in a press release.







Under the entry program, a South Korean businessperson with a negative coronavirus test and a travel pass from the Singaporean government can fly to Singapore. Upon arrival, he or she must undergo another test, and negative results will exempt him or her from quarantine.







It is South Korea's fourth such fast-track entry program, following ones with China, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.







South Korea has been pushing to create such streamlined entry programs with other countries, stressing that essential business trips should be allowed to mitigate the fallout of the pandemic and spur the world's economic recovery. (Yonhap)


NEW HAVEN  A city man is in custody on a driving under the influence charge after a deadly crash involving a pedestrian Monday night, police officials said.

New Haven police and fire units responded to the intersection of Ella Grasso Boulevard and Orange Avenue for a reported pedestrian hit by a vehicle around 8:30 p.m. Monday, according to Capt. Anthony Duff.

First responders found a severely injured adult male pedestrian in the roadway and a motor vehicle crashed into a utility pole, he said.

Eric Joseph Pechalonis was pronounced dead at the scene after police said he was struck while crossing from Orange Avenue to Columbus Avenue, police said.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 39-year-old New Haven resident Edward Lugo, was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence, Duff said.

Duff said another driver had slowed at the intersection to allow Pechalonis to cross the street. When Lugo passed that car, he struck Pechalonis in the roadway, Duff said.

Lugos car then struck a utility pole, which caused an electrical fire in a transformer at the top of the pole, Duff said. The fire eventually burned out.

With the investigation still ongoing, additional charges are pending.

Duff said Lugo was transferred to court for his arraignment hearing Tuesday morning and was held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

As crews investigated, the intersection remained closed overnight, reopening to traffic around 5 a.m. Tuesday, Duff said.

Any witnesses who have not already spoken with police can call the department at 203-946-6316.
The flood situation in Odisha continued to remain grim as thousands of villages in Jajpur, Kendrapara and Khurda continued to remain waterlogged as the tidal waves in Bay of Bengal due to full moon day kept repelling the floodwaters from entering the sea.

Engineer-in-chief of water resources department Jyotirmaya Rath said water level in major rivers was not coming down due to high tidal conditions. As today is a full moon day the discharge of floodwater from Mahanadi river system and Brahmani river into the Bay of Bengal has not been fast and swift. As the sea is unsteady due to the natural impact of the full moon, the steady discharge of river water into the sea will begin only by Thursday. It will take another three to four days for the situation to improve, Rath said.

The flood has affected at least 1.4 million people across 20 districts of the state, but the districts of Jajpur, Kendrapara and Khurda have been the worst hit.

So far, 22 people in the state have died due to the flood. A total of 3256 villages under 896 gram panchayats in 112 blocks were hit due to the massive flood resulting in the wake of incessant rainfall due to back to back low pressures in the Bay of Bengal.

In Jajpur and Kendrapara districts, several villages continued to remain dark as electricity substations were submerged in floodwater. Jajpur district, which was fighting the rage of Baitarani river and its tributaries for the last few days, is gradually getting back to normalcy. However, 13 out of the 29 flood affected panchayats are still fighting to stay afloat in this terrible flood situation.

Villagers whose houses were washed away by floodwaters have been forced to stay in temporary huts on river embankments. With handpumps and ponds contaminated by flood water, villagers have little drinking water. As many dont have an LPG connection, villagers are finding it difficult to arrange dry firewood to cook their food.

If the initial flood was bad, the waterlogging has made it worse. We have to wade in deep water to defecate in some dry place as latrines are waterlogged. We are scared of snakebites at night, said farmer Ajay Nayak of Bari block in Jajpur district. In Bari block a woman bitten by a snake was carried through the flooded village roads in a large aluminium vessel to the hospital.

In Kendrapara district, the anger over government apathy in reaching out to the flood-affected people boiled over when angry villagers heckled BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty over his alleged negligence in visiting the people of his constituency. Mohanty, who was on a visit to flood-ravaged Alapua village under Pattamundai block of the district on Monday, was gheraoed by locals over alleged negligence on part of the actor-turned-MP citing that he is seldom seen in the worst-hit areas.

Villagers in Kendrapara said they never expected the flood to linger for so long and are now wary of an outbreak of waterborne diseases. While we somehow manage in the daytime, the nights are unbearable due to lack of electricity. We have to either burn candles or lamps to get by, said a villager in the Rajkanika block of Kendrapara. Kendrapara district emergency officer Sambit Satpathy said 2.6 lakh people in this district have been affected by the flood.
OTTAWA, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calian Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY) today announces that Mr. Loeb has resigned as Chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Loeb will continue to serve as a director of the Company.



Mr. Loeb informed the Board of the charges against him with respect to uttering threats and assault under the Criminal Code.

The Company does not tolerate abuse of any kind and will continue to review the matter as further developments occur.

Calian also reiterates that the alleged misconduct does not pertain to anyone related to the Company, nor to its business prospects or financials in any way.

George Weber, a director of Calian since 2012 will assume the position of Chair effective immediately. He brings decades of experience as a former Chief Executive Officer, and an experienced director and chair of numerous Canadian and International Organizations.

About Calian

Calian employs over 3,400 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defence customers in North American and global markets. The Companys diverse capabilities are delivered through four segments: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning and Information Technology. The Advanced Technologies segment provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defence, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. The Health segment manages a network of more than 1,800 health care professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defence, health, energy and other sectors. The Information Technology segment supports public- and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Companys offices and projects span Canada and international markets.



For investor information, please visit our website at www.calian.com or contact us at ir@calian.com

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Kanye West has repeated claims that Kim Kardashian nearly aborted their daughter North, just months after sparking a marriage crisis between them.

Speaking on comedian Nick Cannon's podcast, Cannon's Class, the renowned rapper discussed the couple's decision not to abort their daughter.

It comes after Kanye made the revelation about the couple's private life during an explosive presidential campaign rally in South Carolina in July.

Speaking on comedian Nick Cannon's podcast, Cannon's Class, the renowned rapper discussed the couple's decision not to abort their daughter

Kanye's marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian was said to be at crisis point following the explosive rally in South Carolina. Above, Kim Kardashian and daughter North pictured together

'Because of South Carolina, there are people that have decided to have a child, they have connected,' Kanye said on the podcast.

'They never saw anyone in my position take that position [against abortion], and say "look at this this is a seven-year-old right here, and she might have never made it here."'

He continued: 'It was my wife who said "this is a soul", and the scariest thing is she had the pills - you take the pills and the next morning the baby is gone - she had them in her hand.'

Kanye's marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian was said to be at crisis point following the explosive rally in South Carolina.

During the event, the rapper emotionally revealed that he and Kim wanted to have an abortion when she was pregnant with daughter North, but that God came to him and told him it was not right.

In a rambling, unscripted speech to supporters, he focused frequently on the topic of abortion, saying that in 2013 Kim 'had the pills in her hand' to have an abortion before he was inspired by God to have the child.

Kanye West broke down in tears on stage in South Carolina in July as he revealed that he and Kim wanted to have an abortion when she was pregnant with daughter North

Kanye West is seen with wife Kim Kardashian and their children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, in a photo posted on Father's Day - June 21, 2020

The interview with Nick Cannon was recorded at the West Mountain Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, and released in full today.

The rapper also discussed his unlikely presidential bid and denied speculation he is running for president in an effort to help Donald Trump gain re-election.

West brought up rumors that he is in 'cahoots' with Republicans.

'They're saying that they're paying you to do what you're doing to be a distraction,' Cannon said in reply.

West discussed his unlikely presidential bid in an interview with Nick Cannon's Cannon Class podcast which aired Tuesday

Kanye quickly quashed that suggestion, saying: 'Bro, can't nobody pay me! I got more money than Trump!'

The pair shared a hearty laugh before Cannon said: 'But people are saying that you're a distraction, and because they don't want four more years of Trump, maybe you might.

'You want an alternative of four years of Ye. Is that realistic right now in 2020?'

'I'm not running for president - I'm walking,' West replied.

West's claim that he's richer than Trump appears to be untrue, as Forbes lists the former's net worth at $1.3billion and the latter's at $2.1billion.

But the rapper disputed Forbes' estimate when it came out back in April, saying that his true worth exceeds $3billion.
Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, speaks with President Donald Trump during a COVID-19 briefing on August 12. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A recently hired pandemic adviser, Scott Atlas, is urging the White House to consider a "herd immunity" approach to combatting the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The strategy is controversial because it would allow the disease to spread to most of the population in order to build resistance while also attempting to protect vulnerable groups such as older Americans.

Many health experts have said that such a strategy could cause hundreds of thousands of more deaths.

Shortly after The Post published its article, Atlas denied that the strategy was being proposed.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A new coronavirus adviser is pushing the White House to adopt a "herd immunity" strategy that would allow the disease to spread through most of the population to build resistance, five sources told The Washington Post on Monday.

Scott Atlas, a healthcare policy fellow at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution think tank, joined the Trump administration earlier this month as a top pandemic adviser. His expertise is in neuroradiology, and he "does not have a background in infectious diseases or epidemiology," The Post said.

The Post's sources said Atlas had proposed that the US adopt Sweden's pandemic response, which relies on keeping the economy open so healthy people can build immunity to the disease through the spread of infection.

At the onset of the outbreak, the Nordic country decided against imposing strict lockdown measures  a far different approach from its European neighbors. Instead, it advised people to behave responsibly and told vulnerable populations, such as older people, to self-isolate if they had symptoms. The Post noted that Sweden now has among the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the world.

The approach has received mixed responses. Many public-health experts have described it as a reckless strategy that could result in hundreds of thousands more deaths. Others are considering its feasibility as a long-term solution.

Story continues

It's unclear exactly how many people would need to become infected to achieve herd immunity; estimates have ranged from 20% to 70% of the population, according to The Post.

The Post reported that Atlas had also suggested that an increased case count would not lead to more deaths if vulnerable people were protected, a claim that most infectious-disease experts strongly dispute. More than 25,000 people under age 65 have died of the virus in the US so far, the report said.

Before joining the coronavirus task force, Atlas regularly advocated reopening schools and businesses. He frequently appeared on Fox News to share his opinions, many of which aligned with those expressed by President Donald Trump's. Atlas now meets with Trump more than any other health official, The Post said.

"When younger, healthier people get the disease, they don't have a problem with the disease," Atlas said in a Fox News interview in July. "I'm not sure why that's so difficult for everyone to acknowledge."

Atlas has clashed with other officials, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's top infectious-disease expert. A senior administration official told The Post that Atlas had positioned himself as an "anti-Dr. Fauci."

Shortly after The Post published its report on Monday, Atlas released a statement denying any push for a herd-immunity strategy. "There is no policy of the President or this administration of achieving herd immunity," he said. "There never has been any such policy recommended to the President or to anyone else from me."

A White House representative also said there was no change to its approach.

Read the original article on Business Insider
It said that, after being challenged by alert troops, the infiltrators moved back into Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

SRINAGAR: The Army on Tuesday claimed that its troops defending the Line of Control (LoC) hit upon a huge cache of arms and ammunition left behind by a group of infiltrators in in secreted locations in Rampur sector of Uri belt in Jammu and Kashmirs north-western Baramulla district.

It said that, after being challenged by alert troops, the infiltrators moved back into Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Separately, the Border Security Force (BSF) and J&K police said that they during a joint operation carried out in Shiendara Top and Khanater Top villages in the hills of Poonch district of Jammu region recovered two pistols with four magazines and 150 rounds of live ammunition, five AK-47 magazines and 250 bullets, two wireless sets, four grenades and a Binocular from a militant hideout.

Defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said here that the Army troops detected movement of suspicious persons in a forward area in Rampur sector on August 30. The movement was from a village close to the LoC and the suspects crossed into Indian Territory. Due to terrain of thick foliage and weather conditions an alert of likely infiltration attempt was sounded, he said.

He added, The surveillance grid was beefed up all across the area and along the likely infiltration routes and ambushes were sited to thwart any attempt of infiltration. Surveillance continued throughout the night.

The spokesman further said that at first light on Monday, the troops carried a search of the area which continued for seven hours and that it was when two concealed locations in two hideouts were discovered. From these hideouts five AK series rifles along with six magazines and two sealed boxes of 1,254 rounds of AK ammunition, six pistols with nine magazines and six rounds, 21 grenades, 2 UBGL grenades and 2 Kenwood radio sets with one antenna were recovered, he said.

The Army said that the area has villages ahead of the anti-infiltration fence and claimed that the suspected modus operandi is to drop war like stores in caches near the LoC and, subsequently, militants or their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) picking the same for further transportation into the hinterland for terror activities.

Colonel Kalia said that a similar attempt was made earlier on 22 July this year, when inputs were received regarding a likely weapon drop along the LoC ahead of the anti-infiltration fence. During the subsequent search operation along the LoC in Rampur sector one AKS-74U with magazines, five pistols-one of these with Chinese markings- and magazines, 24 grenades and other warlike stores were recovered, he said.

A statement issued by the Army here asserted, The modus operandi shows desperate attempts by Pakistan based terror groups to infiltrate weapons into J&K for terror activities, with active connivance of the Pakistan Army. Robust surveillance and LoC domination activities will continue to deny all such misadventures.
By Shim Jae-yun





Blaise Pascal (1623-62), a renowned French scientist and philosopher, pointed out that people tend to degrade a religion by exploiting it for their own purposes and against those of their adversaries. History shows how many religious leaders have met tragic ends after pursuing power and wealth through "dirty" collusive ties with political forces. For the political figures, they need to rely on the religious "forces" to expand their clout.



Russia's notorious mad monk Grigori Rasputin, for instance, committed diverse misdeeds under the protection of the royal family, leading the Romanov Dynasty's collapse in 1918. For the political figures' part, they tend to rely on their religious comrades to earn public support.



This seems to be true in the case of pastor Jun Kwang-hoon. He is the symbolic figure who relentlessly and brazenly used his leadership of the Presbyterian Sarang Jeil Church as a springboard to leap onto the political stage; but to no particular avail.



Jun has become a "public enemy" amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic which has shown no signs of abating. Jun led the Aug. 15 anti-government rally at Gwanghwamun Square that became a possible "hotbed" of infections that spread nationwide.



In 2008, he founded an ultra-conservative Christian party that ran in every general election since in a bid to obtain a seat in the National Assembly under the proportional representation system. While serving as head of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) in 2019, he even spread rumors that President Moon Jae-in was a spy for North Korea.



Lawmakers from the conservative opposition United Future Party (UFP), then known as the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), boosted Jun by hopping on his bandwagon. Former LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn even appeared at a mass rally with Jun.



The UFP's support rating which once soared to rival the ruling Democratic Party of Korea again nosedived to 20 percent as of Aug. 26 in the wake of the revelation that the party's lawmakers attended the Gwanghwamun rally.



Jun's behavior also imposed seemingly irreversible damage on Korea's Christian churches amid allegations they have been the culprits of many outbreaks. In many senses, the churches deserve criticism as several of them have refused to comply with the government's quarantine guidelines.



They still opt for face-to-face worship, triggering concern over further infections. This compares with Catholic churches and Buddhist temples which have seen few cases of infection. Catholic churches, with a tightly organized hierarchy, abide by the organizational order. But other Korean Christian churches are operated independently from each other financially.



Their operations depend heavily on donations from church followers which are made usually during official face-to-face worship. This seems to be one of the biggest reasons many churches still insist on this form of worship.



Most Christian churches are located in densely populated urban areas, raising the danger of spreading the infection, compared to Buddhist temples which are mostly found in mountainous areas. Moreover, pastors of Protestant churches wield absolute authority to the extent of blocking any opposition among church members.



Jun made a highly blasphemous statement by saying, "If you mess around with me God, I will kill you." Despite his extremely inappropriate remark, church members still follow him. It is like seeing the mass hysteria of a fanatical pseudo-religious group.



Blind belief also poses grave dangers in politics too. Staunch followers of President Moon are shutting down opponents, bombarding them with harsh slanderous comments online. Moon's aides and ministers have been desperate to read his mind, instead of speaking to him directly on various pending issues.



Over the soaring housing prices, chief presidential secretary Noh Young-min told a National Assembly committee that the government's countermeasures were beginning to take effect, with housing prices showing signs of declining on Aug. 25. But data from KB Bank showed that average housing prices went up 1.5 percentage points from a month earlier.



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha aroused anger from New Zealand by saying she only felt sorry to President Moon for bungling the process of dealing with the sexual harassment of a local employee by a Korean diplomat.



Against this backdrop, a citizen's petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website has been drawing public attention, calling for Moon to grasp the reality without listening to flattery from aides. Elaborating on seven points, the petition cited the need to curb soaring housing prices, to lower taxes, pursue pragmatic diplomacy, employ proper personnel and honor the value of the Constitution.



Moon needs to listen to the voices of the people who are suffering during the pandemic and his aides should help him to squarely face the reality so he can take proper measures to fix the problems. "Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth," Albert Einstein said.





Shim Jae-yun is editorial writer at The Korea Times.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: After a gap of over five months, metro trains will be operated in Bengaluru from September 7.

The Purple Line from Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road will begin first and the Green Line from Yelachenahalli to Nagasandra will witness operations from September 9.

Services will initially be run only for three hours in the morning and evening upto September 11 on both lines.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited Managing Director Ajay Seth told The New Indian Express, We will initially run trains only from 8 am to 11 am and 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm on both lines. After September 11, both lines will operate from 7 am to 9 pm.

The frequency of the trains from September 11 would be 5 minutes during peak morning and evening hours and 10 minutes during non-peak hours, he added.

Only one or two gates will be opened up at each station. On precautions to be taken by passengers, Seth said that face mask is mandatory at all times.

Those coming without masks will be denied entry.

Tokens will not be allowed and only Metro travel cards will be permitted which have to be recharged online, he added.

Asked if any restrictions were announced for the elderly and young children, the MD said, They are advised to avoid travel. But BMRCL will not stop them from boarding trains.

Asked when the trains would get back to their full timings of 5 am to 12 midnight, he said a decision on that was not taken yet.
If this is the brave new America ...

Shoot a Black man in the back in cold blood by a merciless Kenosha, Wisconsin cop named Rusten Sheskey and watch the city burn; watch the right-wing rise; watch President Trump and his ministers of propaganda exploit; exacerbate an already hardened base with incendiary and threatening tweets; give credence to armed militias.

Two bold markers need be placed on the dates of the Kenosha shootings: the one for Jacob Blake and the other for Kyle Rittenhouse. While I might claim it has been open season on Black men for years by killer-cops and right-wing White supremacists, that season has now been expanded to include protesters. Clearly, the message from 17-year old Kyle Rittenhouse to militias across the countryand to protestorswas delivered by his cynical act and, I predict, it wont stop here, and hasnt.

Should protests mount against armed militias joining with local and state law enforcement to violate human rights, injure and kill protesters, what a perfect formula is developing for Trump to exploit: Whip up the base; gaslight the populace; invoke law and order; unleash unrestrained law enforcement; declare martial law; suspend Constitutional rights; delay the election; institute an authoritarian fascistic state.

They have the tear gas, the rubber bullets, the AR- and MK-16s, Homeland Security, Tanks, Drones, Surveillance, armed White gangs hoisting American and Gadsden flags in 4x4s and 600-vehicle caravans, Trump, prisonsand the Federal death penalty on their side.

When Bernard Goetz shot four African-American males as they approached him in a New York subway in 1984, the city saluted him. There were people who praised the gunman, wrote Jimmy Breslin in the New York Daily News. As long as this was applauded, we in New York arrived at the sourest of all moments. When people become what they hate.

At Kent State two boys and two girls were shot to death by men unleashed by a presidents slovenly rhetoric, wrote Pete Hamill that day in 1970 in the New York Post. If thats the brave new America, the hell with it.

Reporting from Selma, Alabama in 1965 on the march from Selma to Montgomery, Breslin wrote: There are people who have been beaten because they are black. Theyve had relatives and friends killed because they are black. Theyve been laughed at and spit at because they are black. And they have been held down in the dusts of the streets and made to be dirty and uneducated for all of their lives because they are black. Yesterday they stood up from the dust and asked for the right to vote, which is the start of the right to live.

If today and tomorrow President Trump, law enforcement, right-wing militias and vigilante killers of Blacks and protesters; death threats to Democrats. Liberals, Progressives, women, gays and voters at the polls win the day; if that be the way to Make America Great Again through the cowardly force of violence and guns by people who have become what they hate, who defend burnt storefronts over human life, who extend the bloody history of racial violence to people because they are black ...

To hell with you, brave new America!

###

(c) 2020 Michael T. Bucci

Michael T. Bucci is a retired public relations executive from New Jersey currently residing in New England. He was a Commentary/Opinion writer for a New England regional newspaper.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/09/01

The jewelry brand Didier Dubot recently announced publication of its 2020 Fall/Winter catalog. Han Ye-seul is featuring as the main prominent model of note for the upcoming collection, which has stoked interest due to fortuitous product placement. The Signature D line contains jewlery that appeared prominently in the popular drama "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" which aired over the summer.

Advertisement

The jewelry featured in the collection is most noteworthy because the large holes in the centers of the designs make them highly visible. Purportedly the round shapes do much to emphasize the eyeline. They're intended to give off an elegant look. Han Ye-seul's appearance is notably significantly altered in addition to just the jewelry. The actress is not just wearing heavy makeup but also brown colored lenses.

The emphasis on jewelry featured in "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" is most likely due to the speed with which this jewelry was sold while the drama was still airing. Purportedly Didier Dubot ran out of stock only ten days after this jewelry first appeared in an "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" TV broadcast. The French jewlelry brand is currently reordering stock in anticipation of improved demand over the Fall/Winter season.

Written by William Schwartz
To the editor:

The president just pardoned Susan B. Anthony which should have been done by a president a long time ago. Anthony was, in terms of accomplishments, the greatest American woman of the 19th century.

Her conviction was for "voter fraud" after she showed up to vote (for President Grant) in the 1872 election. After a long discussion with the clerk and showing him the language of the newly enacted 14th Amendment which stated that all persons were entitled to equal protection under the law, the clerk allowed her to vote. She got him to admit she was a person just like him. She was later convicted after a jury trial. She represented herself and gave one of the greatest closing arguments ever. The judge only fined her $100 fearing hundreds of women outside the courthouse. Anthony refused to pay it and that was the end of it.

Anthony's efforts with the legislature in the state of New York were responsible for getting women to hold title to property in their own names, and equal pay for women teachers. She had earlier refused to continue her teaching job at an elementary school when they would not pay her the same salary as the male teachers. Anthony was strongly anti-abortion. She went on to be a major force in the temperance movement and when she was younger she was very active in the abolition movement. She finished her years working hard on the suffrage movement forming along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a major women's organization in the U.S. to push for the right to vote.

Unfortunately, she died a few years before the enactment of the women's suffrage amendment on Aug. 18, 1920. This happened after President Wilson finally agreed to support the amendment during one of Alice Paul's jail hunger strikes.

Why hasn't Hollywood made a movie about her life? I think I know the reason.

ROBERT J. DUNN

Midland
Urban alternative radio station The Vibe will take over programming of 90.9 FM this weekend to host a voter registration event.

The Vibe is a new digital radio station that caters to millennials and Gen Z audiences. The station is powered by KTSU 90.9 FM Radio and will stream online 24 hours a day.

"KTSU 90.9 FM Radio was the first African American station to introduce hip hop to Houston listeners right here on the historic campus of Texas Southern University," KTSU general manager Ernest Walker said in an emailed press release. "How appropriate is it for us to extend our reach in 2020 by going back to the basics by reaching a new generation of listeners."

The station will partner with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Houston and the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals to host The Movement Continues Drive-Thru Voter Registration and 2020 Census Drive on Texas Southern University's campus.

The collaboration among the three organizations has the common goal of focusing on pushing the underserved and underinformed towards the polls, according to the release.

Related: Why 74,000-plus Texas immigrants could be excluded from voting in 2020

"Unfortunately, we have seen a systemic deficiency in the resources and awareness for urban populations when it comes to voting and voter registration,"said The Vibes marketing & community engagement director Holly Charles. "At the same time, we have seen an increase in registration purges and policies which might disproportionately affect communities of color."

Black Americans face massive disparities and inequalities in accessing the right to vote 150 years after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, according to Business Insider, and Black voters face barriers in many places to registering to vote at all, staying on the voter rolls and having their mail-in ballots counted.

This event and those that KTSU and The Vibe will continue to support throughout this election season, is a way to stand in the gap and reciprocate community support," Charles said.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Lot M at TSU.
NEW CANAAN  High school alumni  one a Broadway actor  and others want New Canaan Public Schools to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the staff.

This historical moment in our nations racial reckoning, said Jelani Alladin, a 2010 alumni of A Better Chance (ABC) of New Canaan and an actor best known for the role of Kristoff in the stage version of Frozen.

Alladin said national events and local discussions have created an opening where our own BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) students finally feel comfortable, more than comfortable, making their experiences known and feeling perhaps for the first time they will be listened to and understood.

Ethan Niang, who just graduated with the Class of 2020, said the history curriculum is lacking and doesnt tell the full story.

The story stops as if racism was finally conquered once and for all by the civil right acts, but racism is still around, he said.

We were never taught about quiet, underhanded forms of racism, Niang said. We never learned about redlining, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, prison reentry system, the jury system, prosecutor or police bias.

Bryan Soohoo, Class of 2011, said he felt isolated while attending school in New Canaan.

I have always been proud to be Chinese American, Soohoo said, but it was challenging while I was going to New Canaan High School to feel that way.

It wasnt until I graduated and went to university that other students started calling me by my first name, rather than my last name, or some amalgamation of my last name that was amusing or funny, he recalled.

Most of the half dozen speakers requested that the Board of Education hire a more diverse group of teachers during its meeting Monday, Aug. 24. The board responded by discussing revision of one of its goals for 2020-21 to include language to increase educational equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the district.

The board unanimously approved the districts goals in a final vote at their first virtual meeting of the 2020-21 school year, on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Most speakers asked for such changes as a full-time diversity leader, a goal to meet or exceed Connecticut average minority representation for the staff, to be transparent regarding hiring and curriculum changes.

But Brian Duran did not think that was all that was needed.

If the district hires BIPOC, we will get people in those roles, and we will think we accomplished a mission, Duran said, but those people will continue to bear the burden of a culture that still goes on unaddressed, since they are going to be navigating a culture in which white norms are really dominating the culture.

Revising attitudes

Board members followed a tradition of reviewing their goals, and concentrated on the fourth goal, which states: Promote an environment that fosters respect, ethical behavior and responsible global citizens.

Superintendent of Schools Bryan Luizzi read a new bullet point under that intention that is being considered: Understand and communicate efforts to expand and increase educational equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the district with a long-term focus to eliminate gaps.

The board also considered bullets for professional development led by an expert in inclusiveness; to increase awareness and improve cultural humility and develop culturally proficient and responsive educational practices.

Revisions also include updating the social studies curriculum.

Board member Carl Gardiner said he would like to see the new district aspirations interwoven into the document in order to integrate them into the fabric of how we run the school.

Board member Sheri West strongly supported adding more BIPOC staff who are more representative of our student population, and I think an important first step to make sure we have more increased transparency in that area.

I have a little bit of a concern, Board member Dionna Carlson said, because all minority teaching is a shortage area.

By reporting on teacher demographics I think you are putting the district in a tough position, when it is a national problem, Carlson said.

People who arent aware of what is happening nationally could misinterpret that, Carlson said.

I am not aware of research Dionna cited, Gardiner said. I think it should (be) a statement about arriving at a goal in regards to hiring BIPOC individuals, that is the most tangible step.

West wanted to be measured and accountable.

After the board discussed the changes, the public was allowed to comment again.

Ethan Niangs mother, Fatou, offered resources that could help with the districts new initiative.

The speakers expressed gratitude for the school boards consideration.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chongqing Changan Automobile Company Limited (Changan) procured roughly 32.782 billion yuan ($4,786,272,132) in the operating revenue for the first half of 2020, a year-on-year increase of 9.73%, according to the company's semi-annual financial results.

For the same period, Changan's net profit attributable to shareholders amounted to 2.602 billion yuan ($379,928,213), recording an impressive surge from the year-ago loss of 2.24 billion yuan ($327,056,065). However, after deducting non-recurring profit and loss, the company still suffered a net loss of 2.617 billion yuan ($382,077,677), versus the loss of 2.912 billion yuan ($425,131,405) for the prior-year period.

Changan said its profit for the first six months was greatly affected by non-recurring gains and losses. Notably, the government subsidies included in the profit and loss of the reporting period amounted to 215.978 million yuan ($31,533,770).

According to the financial preview Changan released in mid-July, three non-recurring items contributed to the net profit worth 5.275 billion yuan ($770,174,160) in total. To be specific, introducing strategic investors for Chongqing Changan New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., Changan's wholly-owned subsidiary, while Changan waiving its pre-emptive right to subscribe for shares of Changan New Energy, brought 2.1 billion yuan ($306,609,620) worth of net profit.

Besides, the disposal of the shares Changan held in Changan PSA Automobiles Co., Ltd. (CAPSA) and the increase in the price of shares in CATL controlled by Changan respectively produced net profits of 1.4 billion yuan ($204,406,410) and 1.775 billion yuan ($259,158,130).

The company noted that its Jan.-Jun. R&D expenses reached around 1.465 billion yuan ($213,831,653), dropping 14.86% year over year.

Changan said it has built up a world-class R&D capability backed by the industry-leading global R&D system. It accelerated the Beidou Tianshu and Shangrila projects for the transformation into smart technology company. As the core of the intelligent strategy, Changan Automobiles global software center, which is located in Xiantao Data Valley, is dedicated to building a world-leading, autonomous, safe and controllable software technology and mobile intelligent platform in China. As of June 2020, a total of 14,411 patent applications have been filed at home and abroad, including 4,449 for invention patents.

(UNI-T, photo source: Changan)



In terms of the achievements of innovative technologies, the Level 3 autopilot uses UNI-T to achieve the first domestic mass production, including 40 km/h under the congestion of automatic driving function and 40 km/h above high-speed automatic driving auxiliary function. The "PM0.1" composite anti-bacterial and anti-toxic high-efficiency filter passed the Certification Center "CATARC CN95" certification issued by China Automotive Technology Research Center, carrying with the Eado PLUS. Ultraviolet lamp sterilization system was carried with UNI-T debut.

Moreover, breakthroughs have been made in such advanced technologies as load distribution and structural optimization of carbon fiber body, integrated design of carbon fiber body and aluminum alloy frame, connection technology of various lightweight materials, etc. , to achieve carbon fiber, aluminum alloy and other lightweight materials integrated applications.

For the first two quarters, Changan saw its automobile sale rise 6.04% over a year ago to 995,923 units, thanks to the vigorous impetus delivered by Hefei Changan and Changan Ford.
The economy will not return to pre-coronavirus levels for a "long time," the chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank warned Wednesday.

Business activity in the euro zone dropped sharply in the wake of the strict lockdown measures imposed in March, but have somewhat rebounded in recent months following the easing of certain restrictions. The United States has experienced a similar picture.

However, there are concerns that the slight rebound in activity will not last if new lockdowns and social restrictions are implemented once again or, more simply, if there is no vaccine or significant treatment put in place.

"A return to our old economic strength will take much longer than we assume today," Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, said at the Handelsblatt Banking Summit.

"A lot of companies have to manage to live with reduced sales for quite a long time. We have to deal with an economic situation where we will have a recovery, yes, but only step by step and not in all industries," Sewing warned.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang, the Vice Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will embark on a three day tour of all the nine constituencies in the Western North Region on Wednesday September 02, 2020.



She is expected to hold radio discussions, pay courtesy calls on Paramount chiefs in the Region, meet party executives and supporters as well as address community durbars.



Prof Opoku-Agyemang will kick start the tour with an address to residents on a major radio station within the Region.



A statement signed by Mr Sam Jerome, Regional Communication Officer and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the NDC Vice Presidential candidate will address a community durbar at Camp-Junction, Sefwi-Essam and Asempaneye in the Bia East, Bia west and Juaboso Constituencies.



On the second day, Prof Opoku-Agyemang will address a durbar at Akontombra, pay courtesy call on the Paramount chiefs of Dadieso and Enchi before addressing party supporters and identified groups in Aowin and Suaman Constituencies.



Prof Opoku-Agyemang will also attend a community durbar at Bekawi to address party supporters in the Bibiani- Anhwiaso-Bekwai Constituency.



The NDC Vice Presidential Candidate will pay a courtesy call on the Paramount chief of Sefwi-Waiwso Traditional Area, address a community durbar at Sefwi-Asawinso in the Sefwi- Waiwso Constituency.



To round up her tour, Prof Opoku-Agyemang will commission some projects and hold community durbar at Kwesi- Adukrom in the Bodi Constituency.



The statement entreated all party faithful to take the visit of the Vice Presidential candidate seriously.



She would be accompanied by some national and regional executives and parliamentary candidates.

Source: GNA









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She has been candidly sharing her journey into motherhood and recently revealed that her daughter, Sienna, had been diagnosed with hip dysplasia.

And Millie Mackintosh took some time out for herself on Wednesday as she picked up groceries at her local supermarket in west London.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, looked radiant as she cut a low-key figure in activewear for the outing.

Low-key: Millie Mackintosh took some time out for herself on Wednesday as she picked up groceries at her local supermarket in west London

Millie displayed her postpartum figure in a pair of grey leopard print leggings and a black vest top.

The reality star finished her look with Nike trainers, a black hoodie tied around her waist and a face mask, which she held in her hand amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Adding some glamorous touches, Millie wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and accessorised with a suede handbag.

The mother-of-one styled her brunette locks into a sleek sweptback ponytail, she appeared to go make-up free and showed off her radiant complexion.

Yummy mummy: The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, looked radiant as she cut a low-key figure in activewear for the outing

Stepping out: Millie displayed her postpartum figure in a pair of grey leopard print leggings and a black vest top

Millie appeared to be making a phone call after her supermarket visit as she walked with her mobile in hand.

It comes after the MIC star posed for a smiley snap with baby Sienna, four months, and shared a video of her little girl 'trying to say her first word'.

The former Made In Chelsea star took to Instagram, where she shared the adorable footage of her baby lying in her crib, attempting to say 'hello.'

Details: The reality star finished her look with Nike trainers, a black hoodie tied around her waist and a face mask, which she held in her hand amid the Covid-19 crisis

Glamour: Adding some glamorous touches, Millie wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and accessorised with a suede handbag

Sienna tried to mimic her mother who repeatedly said 'hello', and encouraged her daughter to do the same.

In the cute clip, the sweet girl managed to utter 'eh oh,' as she copied the noise made by Millie.

Last week, Millie took to Instagram to upload a sweet snap of herself cradling her baby girl as she wore her harness and said Sienna is back to her 'usually smiley self' after she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.

Low-key: The mother-of-one styled her brunette locks into a sleek sweptback ponytail, she appeared to go make-up free and showed off her radiant complexion

Adorable: It comes after the MIC star posed for a smiley snap with baby Sienna, four months, and shared a video of her little girl 'trying to say her first word'

Declaring she and husband Hugo, are 'remaining positive', the star said she's 'delighted' her little one has managed to 'adapt really quickly' and expressed her gratitude towards fans who have shared helpful advice.

She has also been posted several candid Instagram VS reality posts to her Instagram after welcoming her first child.

Millie and Hugo welcomed their first child together in May, just over two years after they tied the knot at Whithurst Park in West Sussex.
Being attended by top corporate leaders and government officials, the summit highlights areas of trade and investment, strategic energy ties and Indias position in global supply chains

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver key note address to the third leadership summit of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) on Thursday, organisers announced on Tuesday.

"We are honored that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken time to address USISPF annual event. It signifies importance of US-India relations in the current challenging environment," USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said.

"It is a win-win partnership mutually dependent geo-politically, trade, culturally, diplomatically and scientifically. Aggressive and assertive China provides further opportunity for both nations to collaborate and ensure international rule of law prevails," he said after USISPF announced Modi's address to the summit.

US Vice President Mike Pence had a fire side on Monday, the first day of the week-long summit titled "US-India Week: Navigating New Challenges".

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also participated in the discussion on Monday. Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also addressed the summit on Tuesday.

Being attended by top corporate leaders, government officials and leaders, the summit highlights areas of bilateral cooperation: trade and investment; strategic energy ties; India's position in global supply chains, collaboration in fintech, healthcare, and technology.
SAN ANTONIO  In vintage photos, Marcelino Serna wears his World War I Army uniforms that are festooned with several of his battle medals.

But one medal is missing  the Medal of Honor  that should have been draped around his neck about a century ago, Latino advocates, legislators and historians said.

Theyve launched the latest effort to persuade the federal government to posthumously award Serna the medal, the nations highest honor for battlefield heroics, arguing it was denied because of racism and xenophobia.

It clearly appears Private Marcelino Serna did not receive the Medal of Honor due to him being a Mexican American and an immigrant, Lawrence Romo, national commander of the American GI Forum, a civil rights organization and federally chartered veterans group, wrote to the Army.

Texas' most decorated WWI soldier

Serna has been called the most decorated World War I soldier from Texas. He fought between April 6, 1917, and Nov. 11, 1918, despite being a Mexican immigrant and noncitizen.

Commander M.R. McKinney, Marcelino Serna, Diana Stopani, Mrs. M. Serna, and Major Bernard L. Mourlevat. (Courtesy Texas Historical Commission)

There have been earlier petitions for him to be awarded the honor, but now the law mandates review of cases like his.

Last year, Congress ordered the Pentagon to review records of Latino, Black, Asian, Native American and Jewish World War I soldiers to determine if they were denied the Medal of Honor because of their race or religion and should be awarded the medal.

A similar review, ordered in 2002, was done for military personnel of later wars. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded 24 veterans the medal, all but three posthumously. Many of those recipients were Latinos.

Image: US-POLITICS-OBAMA-MEDAL OF HONOR (Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file)

Theres a lot of times in history when you cant right a wrong, but this is an opportunity for us to right an obvious wrong, said Romo, who was serving in the Obama administration when those medals were given.

Bravery omitted, medal denied

The militarys official citation for the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest battlefield honor, states that Serna singlehandedly charged and captured 24 German soldiers.

Story continues

But other accounts give more thorough details of his heroism and cite more than one such successful solo mission.

The Texas Handbook Online describes his involvement in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, France. Serna went out alone, voluntarily, after 12 members of his unit were killed and used grenades to blast a machine gun site, killing six German soldiers and capturing eight others.

Marcelino Serna. (Courtesy Texas Historical Commission)

Two weeks later, in the Meuse-Argonne offensive he followed a sniper on a solitary scouting mission, tossed grenades and fired into a trench from different positions, killing 26 enemy soldiers and taking 26 more as prisoners. He refused to allow American soldiers to execute them in contradiction of the rules of war, according to the Texas Handbook Online.

He was hit by sniper fire in both legs Nov. 7, 1918, four days before the armistice agreement that ended the fighting. He died in 1992 and is buried in the Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso.

Serna performed acts of bravery that were not fully documented in official citations by the military, said Andres Tijerina, a Vietnam veteran and award-winning historian who has researched Serna.

Serna was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Croix de Guerre with Palm by France and the Croce al Merito di Guerra by the Italian government. His Distinguished Service Cross was presented by Gen. John J. Pershing, according to a 2016 opinion piece written by former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and published in the El Paso Times.

Romo said the omission of the additional details on the number of enemy soldiers he killed and captured from Serna's Distinguished Service Cross documents appears to be almost like they watered down his citation so they wouldnt have to give him the Medal of Honor.

According to Hispanics in Americas Defense, a Department of Defense pamphlet published in 1989 when former Vice President Dick Cheney was the defense secretary, Serna was told by an officer he had to be of higher rank than a "buck" private, the lowest rank, to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Serna was told he was denied a promotion in rank that would qualify him because he could not read or write English well enough to sign reports.

Like York and Murphy, but not white

Romo and others like to compare the heroics of Serna with Sgt. Alvin York, another WWI soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

York was a corporal when he led seven men against a machine gun nest in Chatel-Chehery after his unit took casualties and he assumed command, according to his Medal of Honor citation. York is credited with taking down several German soldiers with his pistol as they charged at him with their bayonets. The Germans surrendered. York and his men took several prisoners that grew to 132 as he marched them to his lines.

York, who was white, was immediately promoted to sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor. He became the subject of several books and documentaries. He detailed his actions in a diary that was adapted into a 1941 movie starring Gary Cooper.

Audie Murphy, another Texan, is lauded for his WWII exploits. He also is celebrated in movies and books and museums and has schools and a veterans hospital named for him.

York and Murphy deserve their accolades and medals, but Serna is overdue for his, Roma, Tijerina and others said.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry in Tornillo, Texas, was named for Serna in 2017 after congressional approval of a bill written by Hurd.

'Served during a time of extreme prejudice'

That Private Serna served during a time of extreme prejudice cannot and must not erase his acts of immense bravery and devotion to the United States, Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus said in a letter to the U.S. Army supporting the GI Forum petition for awarding Serna the Medal of Honor.

Texas Rep. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, a Navy veteran, said the caucus added its support because the 41-member caucus is the largest Hispanic legislative caucus in the country, so "I figured it would send a powerful statement."

"Throughout the history of our country, Latinos have made great sacrifices in many ways, but this one is a very unique way where Latinos such as Pvt. Marcelino Serna did so much for our country," Blanco said. "This demonstrates, especially now seeing race relations in such a volatile state, that correcting wrong injustices is important and this is a great effort to do that."

A bill introduced in Congress in 1995 to award Serna the Medal of Honor died in committee, according to The Associated Press. There also have been calls for Serna to be awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, which has been awarded since 1997. Murphy is among its recipients, but not Serna.

Marcelino Serna, right. (Courtesy Texas Historical Commission)

Serna was born in 1896 in a mining camp outside of Chihuahua City, Mexico. He immigrated to El Paso, Texas, in 1915, worked on a railway and later worked as a seasonal farm laborer in Colorado, according to historical articles gathered by Romo to support his petition.

When the U.S. joined the war, it established a draft for young men and would round up men who failed to report. In 1917, Serna was rounded up in the fields with other laborers on the assumption that they were evading the draft, and he was sent to training and then overseas. He spoke little English, Tijerina said.

Serna was exempt from fighting because he was not an American citizen and was given the chance to not fight. He refused. He served with Company B, 355th Infantry, 89th Infantry Division.

Tijerina said Sernas story helps contradict generalizations about Mexican and other immigrants as harmful to the country and that so many are rapists, murderers and criminals.

In 2016, President Donald Trump announced his presidential bid by claiming Mexico was sending to the U.S. people that are bringing drugs and crime and are rapists.

That Serna was not a citizen when he carried out his heroics is all the more reason to recognize his bravery, Tijerina said.

He did it because he believed in democracy. And he did it in the face of insults, Tijerina said. People should know about this man.

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If there were questions about Alabamas plan to keep in-person classes, the UA Systems news release sent Wednesday evening had the answer.

The headline in bold type stated Leading medical experts caution universities that are considering closing with quotes from doctors and infectious disease experts.

It comes two days before the UA System plans to release its next round of student COVID-19 test results after more than 1,000 were infected in the first week of classes in Tuscaloosa. A handful of schools including North Carolina, North Carolina State and Notre Dame have ended or paused face-to-face classes after campus outbreaks.

The Alabama campuses, it appears, are sticking it out.

There is a strong feeling among public health and infectious disease experts that it is safer to keep students on a college campus where there is COVID-19 spread rather than closing campus and sending students home en masse, said Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease expert who serves as associate dean of Global Health in the UAB School of Medicine.

Previous versions of the UA Systems plan to re-enter campuses for in-person learning had a different tone.

In accordance with medical advice, the campuses should work with students requesting to return home for safe and supportive isolation/quarantine. In furtherance of that commitment, the campuses will implement isolation and quarantine measures as outlined below, a June 9 draft of the return to campus document read.

RELATED: Alabama dean: UA handled COVID cases well, impact of changes will take weeks

That language no longer appears in the current version of the UA return plan.

The risk in closing a college campus and forcing thousands of students home at once is that the virus then has the opportunity to spread more widely to other geographic locations and possibly more vulnerable populations, Saag said in Wednesdays news release.

UA officials have been asked multiple times if they had set a red line for the potential of making the decision to end in-person learning. Dr. Ricky Friend, Dean of UAs College of Community Health Sciences, gave an answer similar to others given by UA President Stuart Bell.

Were not looking at one number, he said on a Wednesday video conference with reporters. Were looking at a lot of different metrics. Science if evolving every single day and were working very hard to get as much information as we can to make good decisions and I trust that we will use all of those metrics to make whatever decision is needed to keep campus safe.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
Kabul, Sep 2 : An official of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation has said that the prisoner swap process with the Taliban will end soon, paving the way for the much-awaited talks between the militant group and the Kabul government.

"All obstacles ahead of the intra-Afghan talks have been removed. The prisoner swap process will end soon and intra-Afghan talks will begin," TOLO News reported on Wednesday citing Council spokesman Fraidoon Khwazoon as saying.

He added that Afghanistan's negotiation team is fully prepared for the trip to Doha where the talks are likely to take place.

Meanwhile, eight of the 320 controversial Taliban prisoners, which were still being held by the Afghan government, have been released from the Kandahar prison in an effort to help start the talks.

Reports have suggested that more than 200 of the 320 have been released in the past three days, and that the remaining prisoners will be released soon.

On Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Tuesday in a phone call with President Ashraf Ghani called for a swift start to the intra-Afghan talks, reports TOLO News.

"The US stands with the Afghan security forces who have made tremendous sacrifices for the Afghan people," said O'Brien.

Meanwhile, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban's chief negotiator, has called on Australia and France not to interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.

Both countries have asked the Afghan government not to release prisoners who are accused of killing their citizens.

The Afghan government has also demanded the release of 22 security personnel held by the Taliban.

The intra-Afghan talks were expected to begin 10 days after the February 29 peace deal between the US and the Taliban.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction that prevents federal agents from conducting civil immigration arrests at courthouses across Massachusetts.

In a 49-page opinion, authored by Judge Bruce M. Seyla, the court said the U.S. District Court abused its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction in August 2019. The matter now goes back to U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani for further review.

The coalition of district attorneys, public defenders and immigrants rights advocates failed to prove common law was supposed to prevent civil arrests from a government entity such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the opinion states.

The absence of clear precedent involving fairly comparable forms of civil arrest throws considerable shade on the plaintiffs effort to show that, in 1952, there was a long-established and familiar common law rule privileging individuals attending court on official business from civil immigration arrests, Seyla wrote, referring to when the The Immigration and Nationality Act was enacted.

ICE filed the appeal after a district court judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the civil courthouse arrests in August 2019. The injunction did not apply to people brought to court already in state or federal custody.

While ICE agents only made certain arrests at courthouses before President Donald Trump took office, ICE does not consider courthouses sensitive locations like schools, hospitals or places of worship, where ICE agents tend to avoid making administrative arrests.

In 2018, ICE issued a memo reiterating the sensitive location policys exclusion of courthouses. The memo states courthouses are safe places for agents to make arrests because people are screened for weapons and other contraband.

The coalition of immigrant rights advocates and attorneys, led by Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan, filed a lawsuit against ICE in Boston federal court in March 2019 after seeing an uptick in civil immigration arrests and ICE activity in Massachusetts courthouses. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins also joined the suit.

Lawyers for Civil Rights, one of the plaintiffs, told MassLive last year it had tracked more than 100 ICE courthouse arrests across the state over the course of a year.

Rollins said in a statement Tuesday night she was disappointed with the First Circuits decision, vowing to continue fighting for an injunction.

We will review and consider all of our options and move forward in a way that honors the people of Suffolk County, their families and basic human and civil rights, she said. We are absolutely on the right side of justice here. It is never a loss when you are fighting for human rights, justice and building a safer community.

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : Even as the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) is working on the construction of the 508 km-long Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed train or Bullet Train project, the agency is also holding studies for 5,000 km long seven new routes across the country.

According to senior NHSRCL officials, the agency has been assigned by the Railway Ministry to study the proposed seven new high speed corridors.

The official said NHSRCL has been entrusted by the Ministry of Railways to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for the 865 km Delhi-Varanasi, 753 km Mumbai-Nagpur, 886 km Delhi-Ahmedabad, 435 km Chennai-Mysore, 459 km Delhi-Amritsar, 711 km Mumbai-Hyderabad and 760 km Varanasi-Howrah new proposed corridors.

The official said that the NHSRCL is collecting data on the seven new proposed corridors for the preparation of the DPRs. The NHSRCL is currently constructing the Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed rail project.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on September 14, 2017 laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) project.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Union Railway Ministry have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the 508-km corridor, with Japan to partially fund the project. According to NHSRCL a total of 1,380 hectare land is required for the high speed train project, out of which the Railways have acquired 479 hectare from private persons and 119 hectare from government land.

The NHSRCL is set to complete the 508-km corridor project before its deadline of December 2023. According to the official, a 21 km-long tunnel will be dug between Boisar and BKC in Mumbai, seven km of which will be under the sea.

According to the NHSRCL official, the tender for the design and construction of civil and building works, including testing and commissioning of 237 km length of the mainline out of the elevated 460 kms has been floated. The mainline also has one mountain tunnel of about 280 metre, 24 river crossings and 30 road and canal crossings.

The Bullet Trains are expected to run at 350 km per hour covering the 508 km stretch in about two hours. In comparison, trains currently plying on the route take over seven hours to travel the distance, whereas flights take about an hour.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at Anand.s@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Follow our latest coverage of the Biden vs. Trump 2020 election here.

President Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr. clashed on Wednesday in dueling remarks and with new advertisements about public safety and the outbursts of violence in some American cities, as the presidential campaign entered an aggressive new phase with the parties tussling over both the issues and the electoral map they are being fought on.

The collisions came as a wave of new polling gave the first significant snapshot of the race since the Democratic and Republican conventions last month. The polls showed that Mr. Biden still holds a steady if not overwhelming lead, tight enough to give Democrats cause for concern and Republicans room for hope, particularly in the key battleground of Pennsylvania. Polls by Fox News on Wednesday showed Mr. Biden leading in Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin, all states Mr. Trump won in 2016.

While the president has a dwindling number of days to reset a race in which he has consistently trailed this year, Democrats are still wrestling with the asymmetrical nature of battling a candidate willing to make outlandish and false statements in pursuit of victory.

Get off Twitter, Mr. Biden scolded Mr. Trump in a speech on Wednesday, urging him to engage with congressional leaders to help support schools and pass an economic aid package.
Jack Fincham has revealed he is missing his baby daughter Blossom.

The Love Island star, 29, who announced he had become a father in January after a brief relationship with friend Casey Ranger, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a sweet throwback snap of his little girl, eight months.

It comes after Jack flouted social distancing rules at the weekend by posting a slew of pictures of his partying with a marquee-full of people in Kent.

Doting dad: Jack Fincham has revealed he is missing his baby daughter Blossom as he shared a throwback snap of her on Instagram on Tuesday

Jack captioned the sweet photo of Blossom in a white baby-grow with a pink hair ribbon: 'Miss my baby. The time will come. Love you Blossom.'

It's unclear why Jack isn't seeing Blossom and fans soon flooded the comments asking the reality star, with some suspecting the pair were taking precautions after Jack partied with a crowd of people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

One wrote: 'Ah why haven't you seen her?', while another follower queried: 'Oh no are you not seeing her :( so sad xxx'.

Party boy: It comes after Jack flouted social distancing rules at the weekend by posting a slew of pictures of his partying with a marquee-full of people in Kent

A third chimed: 'Ah can you not see her? She's your double.'

One fan said: 'Just seen online he was in a packed bar yesterday so I think the mum is protecting the baby obviously because of Covid.'

MailOnline has contacted Jack's representatives for comment.

Safety first: Fans soon flooded the comments asking Jack as to why he isn't seeing Blossom, with some suspecting the pair were taking precautions after Jack partied

It comes after Jack deleted a string of Instagram posts, uploaded on bank holiday Monday, featuring him and a marquee-full of people flouting COVID-19 rules.

The television personality decided to film the event and upload around 10 Instagram Stories on Monday afternoon and evening, as he and his friends attended the BBQ and disco held at The Swan in West Malling, Kent.

But clearly realising that doing this incriminated all involved - making them eligible to be fined 10,000 under the newly enforced rules for mass gatherings - Jack removed the evidence on Tuesday.

Social, not distant! It comes after Jack deleted a string of Instagram posts, uploaded on bank holiday Monday, featuring him and a marquee-full of people flouting COVID-19 rules

Neither Jack's representatives nor The Swan pub replied to MailOnline's request for comment on Monday evening.

The pub has also removed all traces of the event from their Facebook page, which had previously advertised the party with a picture of a marquee and balloons and details of the food, drink and music.

The Swan charged revellers 120 each for the pleasure - promising to adhere to social distancing and the pandemic public safety guidelines.

Flouting the rules! The Swan threw a huge event - charging revellers 120 each for the pleasure - promising to adhere to social distancing and the pandemic public safety guidelines

Evidence: Jack not only attended the event, but filmed himself and all the attendees, plastering it across his social media accounts

It posted the following message ahead of the event: 'Your tables will be positioned 2 metres apart and you will be allowed to dance at your tables only.

'There won't be a dance floor and we ask that you don't form the conga at any point.

'We will be adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and expect everyone joining us to do the same, if our rules are followed we will stay healthy and safe.'

Yet Jack's social media posts saw him kissing an unknown brunette woman on the cheek while they partied under the marquee, hugging his friends as they drank and dancing with a mass of people as night fell.

The ex-reality personality flouted COVID-19 rules, along with the other attendees, who were all seen crammed into the event despite the 2m+ rules that are still in place in England.
SANTA FE  New Mexico reported three more coronavirus deaths and 154 new cases Wednesday  led by 33 new infections in Dona Ana County.

But the state also reported progress in its contact tracing  the time it takes to isolate someone who may have been exposed to the virus.

With 154 new cases Wednesday, the states seven-day rolling average now stands at 126 cases a day, well below the target of 168 or fewer cases.

Dona Ana County led the state, followed by Bernalillo and Chaves counties, which reported 24 new cases each.

The three deaths throughout the state were older adults, ranging in age from their 60s to their 100s, all with an underlying medical condition of some kind.

The statewide death toll is now 790 residents since March.

New Mexico also reported progress on its contact tracing. It sliced the median time to ensure someone is isolated after a possible exposure to the virus from 47 hours last week to 28 hours this week. The states goal is 36 hours or less.

New Mexico now meets all of its reopening standards on testing capacity, spread of the disease and other factors.
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) U.S. Rep. Sam Graves stopped in St. Joseph on Tuesday meeting with multiple groups including farmers and a special interest group geared towards agribusiness.

While the U.S. House is on a break, Graves said he wanted to spend time hearing from the community and his constituents.

Thats the way Im able to represent the best is getting out and talking to folks and businesses to get their ideas, thoughts, and concerns, he said.

The Republican Congressman has served the 6th District since 2001 and is up for re-election in November. Graves is the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

His first stop in St. Joseph was at the Deluxe Truck Stop. Bob Wollenman, the owner and manager, said he appreciated Graves making time to stop and talk.

When hes got a break like this and can come out and visit with his constituents and understand some of the concerns. We didnt express a lot of concerns, but we have them, Wollenman said. Whats going in our country affects us eventually.

Graves also visited with members of the Missouri Farmers Bureau and the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River.

During his visit, he touched on hot-button election issues like more funding for the U.S. Postal Service.

The post office is important to almost every community that I have in the district so I want to do everything I can to protect that and protect those individuals that work there, he said.

He also answered questions about political polarization in Washington, D.C., and whether it was likely Americans would see another round of COVID-relief money.

Theres a couple of different things were hung up on, Graves said. The price, weve also got liability protections in there. That, and of course the extension of unemployment benefits. I think we can get those things worked out.

On the topic of sending kids to school during the pandemic, the Congressman said he believed it was important for schools to open their doors for in-person learning.

Half of my family has had the virus now, half of them, Graves said. My grandchildren came home with it from daycare. They did their 14-day quarantine and theyre back in daycare and I think thats important. I think its important to get our kids back to school.
January: 210

February: 222

March: 938

April: 1,038

May: 758

June: 770

July: 1,503

August: 766

United Shore Financial Services, LLC, based in Pontiac

UPS distribution facility based in Livonia, MI

Speedway, LLC, gas station and convenience store location based in Waterford, MI

Coops Iron Works, a fitness center based in Saginaw, MI

Dan Freed, a residential contractor based in Eaton Rapids, MI

Hills Roofing, LLC based in Niles, MI

(TNS)  The Michigan agency in charge of monitoring, investigating and ensuring workplace safety says the number of complaints have boomed exponentially amid the coronavirus pandemic.Based on the criteria for reporting deaths, injuries and serious illness to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), those investigations are likewise expected to experience a surge.Typically, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) investigates 200 to 240 complaints per month, in line with what the agency received in January and February of this year, MIOSHA spokesperson Camara Lewis said, but those figures skyrocketed in March.The number of incoming complaints has increased to over 200 per week for the last several weeks, Lewis said Monday, Aug. 31. Just to put this in perspective, MIOSHA has received more complaints this year since March, than were received in 2018 and 2019 combined.Of the nearly 5,800 complaints this year, the greatest number, 1,312 or 23 percent, have occurred in the manufacturing industry, followed by retail, 16 percent; hospitality and food service, 14 percent; and health care and social assistance, 14 percent.The greatest number of weekly complaints, 476, were reported during the third week of July between July 13 and July 17. MIOSHA issued a press release on July 13 that contained a complaint hotline number, which may partially account for the spike, Lewis said.Complaints by month:When it comes to death and serious injury or illness investigation, MIOSHA typically investigates accidents clearly connected to the job.On Feb. 13, a 59-year-old sawmill laborer in Fairview was killed when his clothes became tangled in a debarking machine; a 42-year-old mechanic died March 13 after a car he was changing the oil on lurched forward and pinned him against a toolbox; and a 23-year-old volunteer firefighter in Gwinn lost his life also on March 13 after falling through the floor of a three-story home during a fire fight.Of late, the death investigations are a little different. MIOSHA last week reported three new confirmed worker deaths, the 15th, 16th, and 17th of the year. All were COVID-19-related, categorized as other and involved victims who worked in Ann Arbor.A 51-year-old public bus driver in Ann Arbor began experiencing symptoms while driving on March 16, called in sick the following day, was hospitalized March 22 and died on March 28, the same day his coronavirus test results were returned showing he was positive.A 62-year-old clerk for a medical facility in An Arbor left work after experiencing symptoms on March 19. She never returned to work and died on March 29. The death certificate lists the manner of death as natural due to COVID-19, MIOSHAs preliminary report says.A 77-year-old custodian was asymptomatic during his last day of work, March 27, but later tested positive, was immediately hospitalized and died on May 3.In each of the Ann Arbor cases, the employer reported the death to MIOSHA.MIOSHA has over 30 COVID-19 workplace fatalities that are in various stages of completion, Lewis told. The three that have been released are the first that have been completed. More will be released as they are completed.As of July, the Michigan Nurses Association reported over a dozen potential workplace deaths connected to hospitals; in the Michigan Department of Corrections, where more than 5,100 inmates and 450 correctional officers have contracted the virus, three guards have died; by late April, nearly 200 Detroit police officers or civilian employees had tested positive, including an officer, 911 dispatcher and volunteer chaplain who died. There have been publicized outbreaks among workers at farms, bars, restaurants, offices buildings and factories.While the law requires reporting of any work-related serious illness that results in hospitalization to MIOSHA, the lag time and nature of contagious illness can lead to confusion regarding the employers obligation, said Nelson Miller, a professor of employer law at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and a former practicing attorney.Anything requiring medical treatment beyond first-aid qualifies as reportable, Miller said. A few days off at home because of (an illness) contracted at work would also qualify.I think employers are reluctant and able to claim that they need not report because of questions over whether the infection occurred in the course of work and work-related exposures ... So I think a lot of employers are sort of saying, you know what, we dont know.Miller said some employers may be avoiding making reports to MIOSHA out of fear that they will face greater oversight, potential fines or other enforcement action.He notes, however, that businesses found in violation for failing to report serious illness or death also face significant fines. Those generally range up to $7,000 but may be as high as $70,000 for repeat or willful violations.Employers may also face misdemeanor charges that included fines of up to $500 and 90 days in jail for violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive orders establishing guidelines for businesses to safely reopen.I would advise that employers who are concerned that their employees may have contracted the disease ... go ahead and report, he said. That way youre not involved in any kind of additional violations, any kind of a cover-up and that information may be very helpful.Miller said some employers are likely reporting to county health officials but they should be mindful of reporting to MIOSHA safety officials, as well.MIOSHA reported 37 worker deaths in 2019 and youd think wed have many times that number already, Miller said.It is the responsibility of the employer to determine if the COVID-19 death was contracted at work or not, and if so, report it to MIOSHA, Lewis said. MIOSHA reviews the employers rational behind the determination.If MIOSHA is made aware of a potential COVID-19 related workplace fatality, an investigation is conducted to determine if the employer had the appropriate precautions in place at the time of the incident to protect their employees. If the investigation reveals appropriate precautions were not in place, a general duty citation may be issued.An employer must report a death within eight hours of becoming aware of it, assuming the death is the result of a workplace contraction of the coronavirus, Lewis said.The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued criteria to help employers determine whether an employee case of COVID-19 is work related.This cannot be reduced to a ready formula, but certain types of evidence may weigh in favor of or against work-relatedness, OSHA said in a May 19 memo.If several cases develop among workers without an alternative explanation; if the case develops shortly after lengthy, close exposure with a customer or coworker with a confirmed case; or if the employee has close contact with the public in a community with a coronavirus outbreak and there are no alternative explanation, the infection is likely work-related, OSHA said.OSHA is tasked with investigating work-related deaths involving federal and some state government employees. It hasnt listed any coronavirus deaths this year. However, there is usually a six-month delay between the death or injury and completion of any investigation.The federal safety agency has created worker exposure risk guidelines that identify greater risks based on the workers contact with the public, proximity to colleagues, or in the case healthcare and morgue workers, the most at-risk, the likelihood of coming into contact with airborne particles due to specimen collection or handling of the dead.MIOSHA on Aug. 21 cited six businesses for failing to protect workers from the coronavirus, including:The MIOSHA investigations determined that these six employers were clearly not taking the appropriate steps to protect employees and their communities from the spread of COVID-19, MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman said. These citations are meant to reiterate the employers duty. Precautions are necessary to establish and maintain a work environment where everyone can return home safe and healthy.MIOSHA does not require businesses to report common illnesses, such as a cold or the flu, regardless of whether they result in death or serious illness.The agency has published guidelines for businesses and employees to follow as businesses across the state reopen.Any workplace safety complaints or death, injury or illness reporting may be made made to MIOSHA, 855-723-3219 or via the agency website.
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West have had no qualms about living their lives in the spotlight. Long before they were a couple, Kardashian West was known for her reality TV series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and for staying on the blogs and in the headlines. In contrast, West was an outspoken rapper from Chicago.

When the two became a couple in 2012, a media frenzy swirled around them and its continued through their marriage and the birth of their four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. Now, amids West run for the presidency and some recent outbursts on social media, the couples marriage appears to be going through some struggles.

While there have been no talks about divorce, Kardashian West refuses to speak to her husband about politics.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are working on their marriage

Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic when the Wests were quarantined alone in their Calabasada mansion with their four children, rumors swirled that the KKW Beauty mogul was increasingly frustrated with her husband.

While she was doing the housework and tending to the children, West reportedly locked himself away in his home office offering his wife little support. An insider told The Sun,

Kim and Kanye are arguing and at each others throats during this pandemic. Kim is getting stir crazy, as shes used to being on the go. Its also a lot of time alone with the kids for her. Kim is also frustrated with Kanye and thinks hes not pulling his weight in family responsibilities, Theyve been staying at opposite ends of the house to keep things civil.

However, as restrictions lifted, West flew to Wyoming amid a bipolar episode. He later spent some quality time in the Dominican Republic with Kardashian West and their children.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Taking a Selfie While Kanye West Eats KFC Is the Best Thing on the Internet

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West have been living apart

While their marriage seems to be in a better place, it doesnt look like Kardashian West or her producer hubby will be living together anytime soon. Following their return to the states, West remained in Wyoming on his ranch while Kardashian West returned to California with her children.

An insider explained to People,

Kim still seems focused on making her marriage work. She is pretty quiet about her exact plans for the future, but for now she seems OK with Kanye living in Wyoming. He is moving ahead with the presidential campaign. This is a decision that no one can change his mind about.

Kardashian West has always been adamant about having LA as her home base since its close to her family and her businesses.

Kim Kardashian West refuses to talk about politics with Kanye West

Though Kardashian West has been respectful about the conditions of her husbands bipolar disorder and his quest for the White House, she has always said she will never compromise who she is for her husband. Im always going to be me, she said during an appearance on The Real in 2019.

To that end, Kardashian West has refused to speak about politics with West. TMZ reported,

Kim and Kanye arent going to hash out any political differences while working out their family issues. In fact, were told the couple hasnt talked politics in a long time.

We hope both Kardashian West and the Jesus Is King rapper do whats best for them.
The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi will hold a special condolence meeting on Wednesday for former president Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away at the age of 84.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sheikh Hasina called the Congress veteran a highly esteemed leader of South Asia who commanded the respect and admiration of all.

As a renowned scholar and statesman of India, and a highly esteemed leader of South Asia, Pranab Mukherjee commanded the respect and admiration of all. The tireless work of Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee for the welfare of the people of India will inspire the future generation of leaders not only in India but across countries in the region, she wrote in the letter.

She called Mukherjee a true friend and said that he was always been highly revered and loved by the people of Bangladesh.

In the letter, she also wrote about Mukherjees support and contribution in strengthening relations between the two countries and said that he will always be remembered with the deepest respect in Bangladesh.

In 2013, Bangladesh conferred the honour of Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sommanona (Liberation War Honour) on Mukherjee for his valuable contribution to Bangladeshs Liberation War of 1971.

Mukherjee, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, died on Monday, weeks after his brain surgery.

In his long political career, he held several top posts including that of External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister.

The Government of India and many states have announced seven-day official mourning.
SEYMOUR  A weekend fire that ripped through two century-old buildings and had the potential to destroy part of downtown has been ruled accidental by Fire Marshal Timothy Willis.

The fire, which broke out around noon Saturday, involved buildings at 143 and 151-153 Main St. The buildings, dating back to the 1900s, housed a mix of apartments and businesses, including the Greenwich Workshop fine art gallery and studio, which Willis said incurred about $1 million in damage.

It certainly had potential to be one of the biggest (fires) weve had in years, Willis said.

But thanks to a Seymour police officer observing the beginnings of the fire and quickly alerting dispatch, and mutual aid from neighboring fire crews in Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby and Oxford, Willis said the fire was contained quickly, with lives and buildings saved as a result of everyone working together.

This was definitely a bad fire, but it could have been much, much worse, Willis said. Aggressive firefighting saved those buildings.

There were no injuries to tenants or firefighters.

The cause of the fire is accidental, Willis said. It was an electrical fire in the service entry riser on 143 Main St.

Some 15-20 people living in apartments on the upper floors at 143 Main St. were displaced as a result of the fast-moving fire. Willis said that building is currently unoccupiable, and the tenants, who were helped by the local Red Cross, are staying in hotels or with family and friends, Willis said, until they can return home after repairs are made.

Willis said the buildings at 151-153 Main St. took the majority of the damage.

The Greenwich Workshop  which was where the majority of the damage occurred  is extensive and probably upwards of $1 million in damage between property and contents, Willis said.

Vincent Grabowski, president of the Greenwich Workshop, said plans for the future of the small business, which specializes in fine art and was founded in 1972, are not certain.

Unfortunately, at this time we have no comment as to what our plans will be in the future, Grabowski said.

jean.sos@snet.net
A Sydney mother stranded in an African city dubbed the 'rape capital of the world' has finally returned home.

Melissa Inkster, 44, flew into the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 16 to help set up a charity with her fiance Joseph in 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.

She flew to the capital Kinshasa in early August after the DRC's government lifted international border restrictions.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get on a plane, she finally boarded the first of four flights home at Kinshasa International Airport on Monday after friends and family helped raised $15,000 to get her back to Australia.

Ms Inkster briefly spoke to Daily Mail Australia while in transit in Frankfurt, Germany on Tuesday, where she expressed relief that she finally was on her way home and being reunited with her young sons for the first time in six months.

She also looked forward to sharing her story with the public after she touched down in Sydney on Wednesday night.

Melissa Inkster (pictured on her way home) is now in quarantine in a Sydney hotel

'OMG I AM HOME,' she posted on Facebook.

But it will be another two weeks before she's reunited with her sons as she undergoes mandatory hotel quarantine.

Ms Inkster uploaded a video filmed on a flight, where she emotionally thanked her friends, family and the Australian public for their support and help in getting her home.

'The good thing is I can't wait to see my kids Max and Tomas and just hug them,' she says in the video.

'I just don't know when I'll let them go. I think they're going to fight me on that one.

'I love you all, thank you so much. I still can't believe this is happening.'

Ms Inkster previously opened up to Daily Mail Australia about her nightmare as she desperately tried to escape the continent.

Melissa Inkster (pictured) thanked friends, family and the Australian public for their support

Her life savings have been completely drained by being trapped in the country for so long.

Adding further to her pain, in the week prior to her leaving the regional city of Kisangani she fainted and suffered a miscarriage.

In the same week, she had been robbed of her purse as she went shopping and was then confronted by a man with a knife when she got home.

Ms Inkster was supposed to board a flight home from Kinshasa on Saturday, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo , but was bumped off

Melissa Inkster, 44, has been stuck in the Democratic Republic of Congo since March - unable to get a flight home to her two children

The man pulled a large blade on them and had attempted to corner Ms Inkster before her fiance Joe Bagala jumped in front of her to scare the attacker away.

Ms Inkster had faced a number of flight cancellations to flee the Congo.

Friends and family raised more than $15,000 to fly the mother home on business class through an online fundraiser after she boarded a regional flight from the Congo surrounded by goats in the freezing cold.

Ms Inkster's travel agent secured her a flight leaving the country on August 15 but an administrative issue meant the airline did not receive confirmation for the second leg of her journey.

The mother - who does not have access to JobKeeper because she is outside Australia - had an anxious wait before she finally left the country on Sunday.

She said the hotel she has paid for in the city was costing her $1,300 for a week despite the relative poverty of the country.

Sydney is receiving just 350 international arrivals a day and Victoria has suspended them altogether amid its horror coronavirus second wave.

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

'Do they want me to be stranded in a third-world country?' she previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'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.'

She said she and her fiance had originally planned to return to Australia and live at her home in Curl Curl while renting out his property in Leichhardt in the city's inner-west.

Ms Inkster 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

'People say things like 'they've had a chance to come home already' but it's not my fault,' the mother said

Ms Inkster set up a charity in the central African country with the aim of improving the lives of people within one of its impoverished regions

'I should write a book about what has happened, we were here to do good for a few weeks and now we're stuck here,' Ms Inkster said

The draining financial impact of being unable to get out of the DRC for so long though depleted her savings to such a point she considered renting out her home.

'It's been extremely tough  we've got no money we've had to try to get some from family and friends to support us,' she said.

Her fiance - who works in the construction industry and was appointed as the chief of the village they have worked to lift out of poverty - had to stay behind in regional DRC.

'If he could have flown with me we would have but we don't have the money,' she said.

'I should write a book about what has happened, we were here to do good for a few weeks and now we're stuck here.

'We are actually really open to writing a documentary about it.'

An Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo is seen on patrol in February. The country is ranked 179th in the world in the Human Development Index

Her partner works in the construction industry and was appointed as the chief of the village they have helped lift out of poverty

Ms Inkster's efforts to get back to Australia have been stifled by the government's caps on international passenger arrivals

Perhaps most painful of all though was not being able to hug her children.

'My son Tomas used to call me crying asking me when I'm coming home. Their Dad is doing a great job looking after them while I'm gone but they need their Mum,' she said.

Ms Inkster spoke to her sons on Skype as much as she could to ask them how their lives are going, but did not go into detail about her situation so she didn't confuse them.

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

The GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help Ms Inkster explains she and her partner travelled to Africa with the intention to go on to 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 government isn't helping and she is stuck in Africa alone which is also incredibly dangerous.'

Mr Bagala said despite some of their negative experiences the couple had a lot of love and respect for the Congolese people.

'99 per cent of people in the Congo are amazing. They are a beautiful people who deserve development and a better life,' he said.

At the 25th National Cabinet meeting on August 7, the government decided to extend caps on international passenger arrivals 'to manage and maintain quarantine arrangements across jurisdictions'.

International flights into Victoria have been suspended as the state attempts to control their active infections.

Sydney is taking in a maximum of 350 arrivals each day, while Perth is limited to 525 each week.

Ms Inkster and her partner are stranded in different parts of the DRC because they did not have the money to get him home too

There is a limit of 500 passengers in both Brisbane and Adelaide, while passenger limits on flights in Canberra and Darwin are 'discussed with jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis'.

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.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton for comment.
Ivanka Trump, advisor to President Donald Trump, her father, (left to right) tours a General Motors training facility in suburban Detroit with GM CEO Mary Barra and Deputy Secretary U.S. Department of Commerce Karen Dunn Kelley on Sept. 2, 2020.

WARREN, Mich.  White House advisor Ivanka Trump touted President Donald Trump's support for American workers Wednesday in Michigan as her father seeks support from blue-collar workers in his reelection campaign.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra led Ivanka Trump on a tour of a new GM training facility at the automaker's global tech and design headquarters in suburban Detroit. Ivanka Trump actively engaged with employees and trainees, including an elbow bump with at least one and discussions with several others. She also heard about initiatives the automaker is taking to train new and veteran employees.

"This is something that the president has been passionate about since the day he took office, championing the American worker and creating more pathways and opportunities for the American workers," Ivanka Trump said.

Both the White House and GM downplayed the tour as a campaign event for President Donald Trump, saying Barra invited the president's daughter to visit the facility last year and this was one of the first opportunities for both to attend due to the coronavirus pandemic.
WASHINGTON: U.S. Senator Ed Markey on Tuesday defeated Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Democratic primary and is positioned to win another six-year term in the general election on Nov. 3 that would give him a platform for his progressive agenda.

With his unsuccessful challenge, Kennedy became the first member of his fabled political family to suffer a defeat in a Massachusetts election for a congressional seat.

When he made his surprise announcement last September that he would try to unseat fellow Democrat Markey, Kennedy was seen as a favorite.

But Markey, who has been at the forefront of liberal causes ranging from stopping nuclear weapons proliferation to imposing strict new carbon emissions standards to curb climate change, mounted an aggressive campaign that was bolstered by progressive stars such as fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In public opinion polls, Markey, 74, was capturing the support of young voters in his run against Kennedy, 39, the grandson of slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy. His grand-uncle was President John F. Kennedy.

Meanwhile, the New York Times declared U.S. Representatives Richard Neal and Stephen Lynch, also of Massachusetts, the winners in their primary bids to hold onto their House of Representatives seats in November.

Both lawmakers turned back challenges from progressive candidates, despite progressive victories in other states primary races earlier this year.

Masschusetts Democrats and Republicans were choosing nominees for nine U.S. House seats and one Senate seat.

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
BeBop Sensors the leader in smart fabric sensor technology with over four million state-of-the-art wearable smart fabric sensors shipped, announced today that AFWERX, the catalyst for fostering innovation within the U.S. Air Force, selected BeBop Sensors from over 1,500 submissions across the globe, competing in the Base of the Future Challenge to present their proposal for deploying their Forte Data Glove for every Airman.

BeBop Sensors is competing in the Culture of Innovation Challenge category alongside a diverse group of teams - originating from the vast regions of North America, Europe, Australia and other allied countries  that represent entrepreneurial startups, small businesses, large enterprises, academic institutions and research labs all vying to build the Base of the Future and modernize the Department of Defense with innovative technology.

The Culture of Innovation Challenge aims to strengthen and perpetuate a culture of innovation within the U.S. Air Force by improving workforce agility and breaking down barriers to change. Currently, the adoption of new technology is slow and presents a significant challenge for the Air Force, often frustrating Airmen who are readily trying to drive change. The Challenge looks to create new ways to increase community engagement among Airmen and develop education and training that supports enterprise-wide team development.

The AFWERX Base of the Future Challenge is critical to our mission of increasing collaboration between large businesses and entrepreneurs to accelerate solutions for the Air Force, stated Mark Rowland of AFWERX. On behalf of AFWERX and the Department of Defense, we congratulate the teams advancing to the next phase. Their contributions are invaluable and have the potential to create game-changing results across the Air Force enterprise.

BeBop aims to provide every Airman the technology for a lifetime learning that transcends the classroom to the flight line, hangar, cockpit, datacenter, and combat zone. BeBops vision is to enable Airmen to use gestures with haptic feedback via BeBops Forte Data Gloves to accelerate and improve training and virtual collaboration while making it rugged and weatherproof to use in the field. BeBop enables:



Training - design, delivery, and assessment leading to learning retention levels upwards to 90%

Open and collaborative workspaces with touch and feel in large XR workspaces

Data visualization and haptic interaction in 3D space

Exploring new communications  gesture-to-speech and haptic communication; Remotely control robotics and UxVs

Re-imagining the HMI to improve situational awareness on the battlefield and reduce the cognitive load on the Airman

Reducing injuries with telerobotic control of devices in hazardous conditions such as ordinance handling/control

We are honored to be selected as part of AFWERXs Base of the Future Challenge, said Keith McMillen, CEO, BeBop Sensors. We aim to transform the way Airmen learn in the classroom and seamlessly transition to the battlefield with the BeBop Forte Data gloves. We are creating next-generation training tools that are immersive, safe, and provide our troops with a technological advantage in the future.

About BeBop Sensors & Award-Winning BeBop Sensors Products

BeBop Sensors products have won the Red Herring Award, the TIME Magazine Best Inventions Award, the IDTechEx Wearable Award, the Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award, and the Gartner Cool Vendor Award. BeBop Sensors uses smart fabrics to create elegant sensor solutions for OEMs. BeBop's sensors comprehend force, location, size, weight, bend, twist, and presence across any size, resolution, and geometry. The sensors are available for a wide variety of applications, including military, industrial, medical, human factors, Virtual Reality, gaming, design, automotive, sports, and more. BeBop's technology is robust and proven with over four million sensors in daily use. BeBop Sensors makes things knowable for product designers and visionaries.

About AFWERX

Established in 2017, AFWERX is a product of the U.S. Air Force, directly envisioned by former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. Her vision of AFWERX  to solve some of the toughest challenges that the Air Force faces through innovation and collaboration amongst our nations top subject matter experts. AFWERX serves as a catalyst to unleash new approaches for the warfighter through a growing ecosystem of innovators. AFWERX and the U.S. Air Force are committed to exploring viable solutions and partnerships to further strengthen the Air Force, which could lead to additional prototyping, R&D, and follow-on production contracts.

Media Contacts:

BeBop:

Jerry Kurtze, VP, Business Development

Jkurtze@BeBopSensors.com

http://www.BeBopSensors.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bebop-sensors

AFWERX:

AFWERX@kirvindoak.com

Marketing@afwerx.af.mil
Funeral operators say the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in the number of outdoor funerals, as a way to maximise the number of people who can attend.

Strong restrictions were put in place for funeral services during the peak of the pandemic across the country, with just a handful of people allowed to attend.

Outdoor funerals have become increasingly popular as people try to maximise the number of people who can attend under pandemic restrictions. Credit:Michelle Mossop

Funerals had been identified as high-risk events for potential spread of COVID-19, after some high-profile international examples of funerals resulting in dozens of cases.

During that period, many funeral operators were struggling to meet the requirements, in particular that all mourners observe a four-square-metre distance from other people at the service.
Hardeep Singh Puri (Image: PIB via PTI Photo)

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced the SOP guidelines for metro operations in a media interaction on September 2. As part of Unlock 4 guidelines, The Centre allowed metro services to restart across the country, from September 7, 2020, in a graded manner. Following the decision, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri released a statement specifying the necessary protocols to be taken for the resumption of metro services after a hiatus of over five months.

The SOPs circulated in the statement include the following:

>> Metros having more than one line should open different lines starting from September 7 onwards in a graded manner so that all corridors become operational by September 12. Daily hours of operations may be staggered initially, which needs to be increased gradually with the resumption of full revenue service by September 12, 2020.

>> Frequency of trains to be regulated to avoid passenger crowding at stations and in trains.

>> In order to ensure social distancing, suitable markings at stations and inside trains to be done.

>> Wearing of face mask to be mandatory for all passengers and staff. Metro rail corporations may make arrangements for supply of masks on payment basis to the persons arriving without a mask.

>> Only asymptomatic persons to be allowed to travel after thermal screening at entry into the stations. Symptomatic persons should be advised to go to nearby COVID Care Centre/Hospital for testing/medical attention.

Use of Aarogya Setu App to be encouraged.

>> Provision of sanitisers to be made at entry into the stations for use by passengers. Sanitization of all areas having human interface viz. equipment, train, working area, lift, escalators, handrail, AFC gate, toilets etc. needs to be done at regular intervals.

>> Use of Smart Card and cashless/online transactions to be encouraged. Tokens and paper slips/ticket to be used with proper sanitization.

>> Adequate dwell time at stations to be provided to enable smooth boarding/deboarding ensuring social distancing. Metro rail corporations may also resort to skipping of stations to ensure proper social distancing.

>> Passengers to be advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid carrying metallic items for easy and quick scanning.

>> Operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system as per the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) guidelines. Intake of fresh air in air-conditioning system to be increased to the extent possible.

>> Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign to be launched for passenger and staff through electronic/print/social media, poster, banner, hoarding, website etc.

>> Metro rail corporations to keep close liaison with state police and local administration for regulating crowd outside stations and to deal with contingencies.

The ministry also revealed that Delhi, Noida, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai Line-1, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Maha Metro (Nagpur) Kolkata, Gujarat and UP Metro (Lucknow) have prepared their SOPs based on the above guidelines.

The Government of Maharashtra has decided not to resume operation of metro during September 2020. Hence, Mumbai Line-1 and Maha Metro operations shall commence from October 2020 or as the State Government may decide further.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Partner-Attorneys June Bashant, John M. Feder, Cynthia B. McGuinn, Ronald H. Rouda, and Timothy G. Tietjen were each named in The Best Lawyers in America 2021 for their excellent work in their respective practice areas. Published every year by Best Lawyers, this list boasts the top 5% of the United States' practicing lawyers.

Since The Best Lawyers in America is regarded as a respected peer-review publication, the selection process is rigorous. Attorneys must be nominated by a third-party before they can be considered for inclusion in the final list. Then, selected nominees and previous listees are assessed through peer review. Before they are selected, they are rated and assessed for good standing with their respective state bar and ethics committee. The result is a list of elite practicing attorneys vetted for quality and reliability.

About June Bashant

With 20 years of experience serving clients victimized by catastrophic injury, June Bashant has worked to improve safety standards in favor of consumers. Her biggest verdicts include the $20 million compensation she won, alongside John Feder, for the victim of a deadly exposure to a harmful virus. She has repeatedly been named to the Super Lawyers list and has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2019.

About John M. Feder

Best Lawyers has honored John Feder consistently since 2013. His past achievements include working as the president of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association in 2007 and serving as the state president of the Consumer Attorneys of California. In both positions, he wrote and lectured on personal injury as a legal practice area. Furthermore, he won what is thought to be the biggest settlement for a motorcycle wrongful death case.

About Cynthia B. McGuinn

Cynthia McGuinn has been listed by Best Lawyers since 2008. She impressively set a record for the largest personal injury verdict in Sonoma County in 2015. Her previous honors include her recognition by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association as the 2003 Trial Lawyer of the Year, and her memberships with the International Society of Barristers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. These organizations are invitation-only, with the latter admitting a mere 600 lawyers around the globe.

About Attorney Ronald H. Rouda

Recognized by Best Lawyers since 1991, Ronald Rouda is the founding partner of Rouda, Feder, Tietjen & McGuinn. In 2011, he earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national legal association for which he also served as president in 1998. He is also dedicated to trial advocacy, as made evident by his huge contributions to The Youth Education Project, an interactive curriculum created by the American Board of Trial Advocates that aims to educate children on the reasoning behind trial by jury. The program has met success across the United States.

About Timothy G. Tietjen

Timothy Tietjen has been practicing law for more than 35 years. Like his partners, Tim Tietjen has won many multimillion-dollar cases and served as president of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. He has been recognized in the Super Lawyers list every single year since 2006, and in 2013, he earned his first recognition from Best Lawyers.

Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn has won $500 million in personal injury litigation for their clients. Visit them online at rftmlaw.com to learn more. And, to learn more about Best Lawyers, visit bestlawyers.com.

SOURCE Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn

Related Links

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New Delhi: As Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats on Wednesday (September 2) issued notifications that there will be no Question Hour and private members' bills will not be taken up in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Opposition parties criticised the latest decision.

Seeking justification of no question hour in the monsoon session, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board and uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with."

In another tweet, he asked, "I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy and dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?" he asked on Twitter.

TMC MP Derek O`Brien also flayed the move through his tweet saying, "MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy."

"During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) Sessions there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of Emergency, 44th Amdmt, President`s Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a REGULAR SESSION," O`Brien said in another tweet.

RJD MP Manoj Jha told ANI, "It is disappointing. No question hour in such a time when coronavirus has taken so many lives, infection is rising, management regarding it is below poor and also there is a situation at the border, is like a death of the soul of democracy. The Zero Hour is reduced to half an hour. Cannot stand by this decision."

Congress MP PL Punia hoped that the zero hour will be continued to discuss important issues, adding "People should take all precautions in view of the COVID-19. They should avoid crowded places. Question hour has been omitted in this parliament session keeping coronavirus pandemic in mind. The hours are limited. There will be sitting arrangements accordingly. I hope Zero Hour will be there as many important issues are raised in it."

CPI MP Binoy Viswam, however, wrote a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asking that the question hour be reinstated immediately.

Last week, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Speaker Om Birla urging him not to curtail the Question Hour and the Zero Hour. Chowdhury had said it will prevent lawmakers from raising issues of national importance.

Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1. The notification also added that the Zero Hour will also be restricted. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in two shifts -- 9 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 7 PM.

Those who attend the session would be required to follow the necessary coronavirus protocols, including getting tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours.
Representative image

China deliberately provoked India with a new incursion into contested territory after a fresh confrontation between India and China on the southern bank of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, an American intelligence assessment said.

On August 31, the Indian Army said the Chinese military had carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30. But, the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

Talking about this, the US intelligence assessment said that Beijing remains enraged that its local commander withdrew forces when a physical conflict appeared about to be happened, reported US News.

In the skirmish, Indian forces have prevented any loss of ground, believes the US, said the report citing a source familiar with the assessment.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report, it was 35.

Following the deadly June clash, Indians were better prepared to respond to the Chinese provocation, the US reportedly believes.

The report further said that the assessment does not conclude that Chinese forces were the first to act provocatively in this case, but the US has chosen to support India's side because of Beijing's past provocative behavior.

The timing of the latest clash has confused the American intelligence officials and local analysts as it came when China seeks to cool tensions and improve ties with India amid fears the latest violence has pushed New Delhi into closer cooperation with the US, said the report.

The US is closely monitoring the border dispute between India and China and it hopes for a peaceful resolution, said a State Department spokesperson.
Education leaders are focusing now on how they can use projectors and document cameras to safely bring people back together and maintain social distancing in what are typically crowded environments.

Within many classrooms, moving people apart by two metres raises the significant challenge of ensuring that all children in the class, can adequately see the lesson visuals being shown or presented at the front of the room, writes Abdulnassir Ali, Sales Manager, Visual Imaging Solutions, Epson Middle East.

Flat panels, which are commonly used in many of these environments, offer little flexibility and have no scope for increasing the screen size. Given that around 58% of students claim they cant read all content on a 70-inch flat panel at the best of times, further distancing poses a serious concern.

One solution available is a projector. Again, commonly used already in these environments, they offer a far more flexible solution. By scaling screen sizes up (with Epson products up to 155 inches in full HD) the screen becomes accessible to everyone in the room.

Lessons can therefore be more inclusive, collaborative, and memorable. And whats more, unlike with their flat panel counterparts, there are no visible finger marks left on screen if touched. When using Epson displays with anti-bacterial whiteboard surfaces, it eradicates any breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.

In the UAE, parents can choose between distance learning or face-to-face learning, with the latter seeing classrooms meeting social distancing requirements. In Saudi Arabia, the first seven weeks of the fall term for schools will be online, when the government will examine the situation.

INCREASED FLEXIBILITY AND VISIBILITY

Providing bright, scalable screen sizes up to 350 inches at an affordable price point, Epsons new entry-level display solutions for education (EB-E20, EB-X49, EB-W49, EB-982W, EB-992F, and EB-FH52) are set to support the return to the workplace, aiding social distancing.

Unlike their flat panel counterparts, Epsons new display solutions offer flexibility and scalable screen sizes up to 350 inches, making them adaptable and suitable for multiple settings, enabling clear content delivery and visibility - even from the back of classrooms.

Similarly, the Epson EB-1400 series of ultra-short-throw projectors can combine the benefits of interactive projection, white boards, and flip charts in one multi-purpose, integrated device, for more flexible and interactive lessons.

The projectors are perfect for brainstorming and presentations, with a large screen size of up to 120 inches, along with the latest features and connectivity. Students can get a perfect view from anywhere in the classroom, make on-screen contributions, and take part from their own smart devices.

Overall, Epsons interactive display solutions can give teachers the freedom to create digital learning experiences that meet the expectations of today's technologically aware teachers and students and promote participation and effective learning.

COLLABORATION AND INCLUSION

The use of collaborative solutions, such as interactive projectors, means that not only those in the room can be involved in the lesson, but also those at home. And not only can everyone see the content, they can also annotate on it, share ideas, add to group work, and remain included in the process. Multiple devices can project simultaneously and well as share content between them.

Visualisers, or document cameras, also offer an ideal opportunity to share a projected live view of 3D objects. Large groups of people, both in and outside of the physical room, can share a detailed, close-up view of an item without crowding around and without having to pass the object between them.

Middle East educational institutions that already have projectors and document cameras are in a great position to realise their full potential. Those that dont, but are investing, would make a wise decision in selecting them. -- Tradearabia News Service
Kia Canada sets a new company record with 8,780 units sold in August, exceeding its best-ever July and record sales in June



Top sellers from August include Sorento, Seltos and Forte, for the third month in a row

The overall 8,780 units sold represents a 15% increase YoY

TORONTO, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second time in 2020, Kia Canada announces their best ever month with 8,780 units sold. June saw Kia Canada making history with its best-ever month of sales, followed by their best-ever July and now, another record-breaker in August, which saw a 15% YoY increase. These month-over-month achievements are a true testament to how Canadians are increasingly recognizing Kia Canadas range of products that deliver an exceptional driving experience at a great value.

Sorento led sales in August, with 1,820 total units sold, closely followed by Seltos and Forte, selling 1,781 and 1,748 units, rounding out the top three models for the third-consecutive month in a row. The continued support from Canadians for Kia Canadas brand is truly astounding, says Elias El-Achhab, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Canada. We strive to create products that deliver on quality, design and technology, with Seltos being the latest example of that, as it solidifies its top tier position in our line up.

August rounded out a great summer for the brand in Canada, as in addition to the sales records, Kia was also awarded top position for the 6th year in a row in the J.D. Power IQS report in the US.

About Kia Canada

Kia Canada Inc. (KCI), founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of the Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) based in Seoul, South Korea. The full line of award-winning Kia vehicles offers world-class quality and customer satisfaction through a network of 195 dealers across the country. The company employs 170 people at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, as well as in locations across Canada and at its regional office in Montreal, Quebec. Kias slogan "The Power to Surprise," symbolizes the companys worldwide commitment to exceed customer expectations through sustained automotive innovation.

Whether it is a compact, crossover, or electric model which is among the best in the industry, each Kia vehicle offers a superior combination of precision engineering, exceptional performance, innovative features and advanced safety systems. Kia has sold a million vehicles, including popular models in Canada like the Soul, Forte, Sportage, Sorento, Stinger and has recently added the Seltos and K5 to its lineup. To learn more, visit kia.ca or Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact:

Amanda Chouinard

Strategic Objectives

amanda.chouinard@strategicobjectives.com

T 416-500-0351

Jennifer Szmilko

Manager, PR and Communications

Kia Canada

jszmilko@kia.ca

T 905-302-5452
The biblical-era fortress, which dates back to the 12th century B.C., was discovered in Israel. Israel Antiquities Authority reported that the 3,200-year-old fortress was likely built by the ancient Canaanite civilization to protect against Philistine invaders.

The fortification measures 59 feet by 59 feet with watchtowers in each of its four corners. Pottery vessels, likely used in religious rituals, were also discovered in the fortress' former rooms. In the middle of the fortress, there was a central courtyard paved with stone slabs.

Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologists Saar Ganor and itamar Weissbein stated that "the fortress we found provides a glimpse into the Geopolitical reality described in the Judges book, in which the Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines are fighting each other." The two Archaeologists added that "in this period, the land of Canaan was ruled by the Egyptians and its inhabitants were under their custody." However, the Egyptians left the land of Canaan in the middle of the 12th century BC, which left the Israelites and the Philistines and that "led to a series of violent territorial disputes."

Israel is discovering more of their ancient histories. An ancient soap factory was recently found in the Negev desert. In another project, hidden underground chambers dating back 2000 years were also discovered near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Also, an Iron Age temple complex was found near Jerusalem.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that a letter was sent to an Irving resident in which the writer threatens to shoot mercilessly immigrants of Indian and Chinese descent who work in the information technology field. The Irving Police Department is investigating the threat and wants to know if anyone else has received such a letter. (Twitter photo/Irving PD)
PARIS: A unit of the French Barkhane military force has killed a civilian by accident, the French army said in a statement on Tuesday.

The army said a bus driving at high speed towards a military convoy did not slow down despite visual warnings and a warning shot. Bullets from a second warning shot bounced off the ground and punctured the windscreen of the bus, injuring three passengers, one mortally, the army said.

The Barkhane force presents its sincere condolences to the family of the victim, the army said.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
Former Bay City Rollers star Ian Mitchell has died at the age of 62, the band has said.

The musician joined the Scottish pop band in 1976 when he was 17, to replace founding member and bassist Alan Longmuir.

Mitchell, who was from Northern Ireland, was the first band member born outside of Edinburgh, but left after seven months.

A statement on the bands Instagram page said: We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchells death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Wendy, their family and friends. Rest In Peace, Ian.

If you wish to leave your condolences, please do so in the comments below.

During Mitchells time with the band, which has had many changes to the line-up, they released the 1976 album Dedication and a cover version of the Dusty Springfield song I Only Want to Be With You.

The tartan-clad band had previously dominated the charts with songs such as Saturday Night, Bye Bye Baby, Money Honey and I Only Want To Be With You, selling almost 300 million records worldwide.

Very sad, sad news about Ian Mitchell. Wed like to send our love and condolences to Wendy and all Ians family and Posted by Stuart Woody Wood on Wednesday, September 2, 2020

As the groups popularity waned, Mitchell quit the band and was replaced by guitarist Pat McGlynn.

Stuart Woody Wood, who is among the founding members and still performs with the band, wrote on Facebook: Very sad, sad news about Ian Mitchell. Wed like to send our love and condolences to Wendy and all Ians family and friends  you are in our hearts.

I have many fond memories of Ian not only in the BCR days but also when we played together in the 80s with The Passengers  great guys and great days! You will sorely be missed Ian  

The bands current line-up features Ian Thomson on lead vocals and guitar, Marcus Cordock on bass guitar, Jamie McGrory on drums and Wood on guitar.
An animal rights group this week complained to the USDA that baboons and pigs were mistreated in transplant experiments at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

UAB denies the allegations.

In its federal complaint, People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleges Woolite laundry detergent was used to treat a baboons open wound and that subsequent fluid buildup led to the baboon being euthanized. The group alleges pigs were malnourished, expired drugs were used, and basic sanitation procedures were not followed in the lab.

(Woolite) would be painful and cause distress and certainly that is not something that is typically used as an antiseptic, said Dr. Alka Chandna, PETAs vice president of laboratory investigations.

UAB spokesman Bob Shepard said that the allegations of mistreatment are false, but he acknowledged several issues at the lab were self-reported by UAB to the USDA and NIH in 2019. UAB acknowledged a detergent was used on a baboons wound, expired drugs were stored that may have been used on primates and drug logs were filled out inappropriately. UAB confirmed Tuesday that the detergent was Woolite.

This was investigated and self-reported to the USDA , as well as National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare which confirmed we took appropriate corrective action to ensure proper procedures in the lab, said Shepard.

That corrective action included retraining staff in pain management for laboratory animals and enhanced monitoring of the lab, according to a letter to the university from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare obtained by al.com

The lab, run by Dr. David Cooper, performs xenotransplantation surgeries to test the viability of animal organs for human transplantation. In 2016, the laboratory received a $19.5 million, 5-year grant from United Therapeutics Corporation to test transplantation of pig organs for eventual use in humans.

Virtually all medical knowledge and treatment  certainly every medical breakthrough of the last century, including for COVID-19  has involved research with animals, said Shepard.

We respect the great contributions made by animals to science for the benefit of both humans and animals alike  not only at UAB, but around the world, he added.

In its USDA complaint, PETA alleges that a UAB insider shared concerns about treatment of animals in the lab, including that animals in severe pain were not euthanized in a timely way, and that genetically modified pigs were starved so that they would not grow too large for experimentation.

The group alleges there were lapses in recordkeeping, exposed needles were left out, and PPE used in the animal facility was improperly worn and discarded in the office.

Did these people not take seriously these very minimal regulations that are in place regarding how things should be done in laboratories? asked Dr. Chandna.

PETA opposes xenotransplantation as a solution to a shortage of organ transplant supply and believes public policy should make opting into organ donation a default, Chandna said.

Its not a problem that requires all manner of tinkering with the integrity of animals bodies, she said,  where animals are subjected to invasive surgeries, left alive through these Frankenstein-style experiments and left to suffer miserably until theyre finally killed.

UAB scientists believe they are close to making transplants between pigs and humans viable.

The supply of human organs is insufficient to treat all the patients who present each year with organ failure and who could benefit if a compatible graft were available, said Shepard, who added that pig cell transplants could also someday be used for blood transfusions or to help people with Parkinsons disease.

According to UAB, safeguards are in place to ensure proper treatment of animals used in experimentation. Faculty and staff work closely with the institutions oversight committee to uphold USDA and other professional standards.

In a rare instance when corrective action is required, we take the necessary steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, and we self-report to the appropriate agency or agencies, said Shepard.
More than 9,500 evacuees from the damage caused by Hurricane Laura are now housed in New Orleans, prompting calls from Mayor LaToya Cantrell for additional state funds to handle the influx.

We want to make sure that were able to meet the needs of evacuees every day and are prepared for the long-haul, Cantrell said Tuesday during a press conference to discuss the city's work to accommodate the new arrivals. However, Im making sure that Im advocating and making sure this city gets her fair share and is made whole for the resources were deploying.

The evacuees already being housed in the city under the states program  which the Red Cross is now beginning to oversee  are currently spread across 33 hotels. It is unknown how many people have come to New Orleans outside of the state program.

There is currently no timeline for how long the hotel shelters will remain in operation, Cantrell said.

Were going to be prepared and will render whatever service, however long it takes, to make sure that our evacuees get whatever they need, Cantrell said.

The city has set up a reception center in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to connect evacuees with resources from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day until Friday. The center is providing medical and prescription assistance to evacuees, as well as coronavirus testing, city Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said.

Additionally, the city has stationed EMS personnel at the hotels that are sheltering evacuees, which will be bolstered by 30 ambulances from the state to provide an additional layer of protection to make sure that we dont have any tragedy, Avegno said.

During the discussion of the city's preparations, Cantrell repeatedly turned the conversation back to calls for more money from state coffers. Federal and state funds are being distributed to pay for hotel rooms and other services. But with thousands of homes in southwest Louisiana still without water or power, it's not clear how long the city will be tasked with housing the evacuees, and what other costs may arise.

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City officials have repeatedly warned in recent months that a drop in sales tax revenue caused by coronavirus restrictions has already threatened the citys budget and said departments have been told to prepare budgets for next year that include 20% cuts.

We need to make sure we dont overextend the people on the ground who have been responding in the past months to the coronavirus pandemic, Cantrell said. We want to make sure the evacuees get the services they deserve while theyre here and that means additional manpower.

State Farm insurance claims hit 24,800 for Louisiana homeowners after Hurricane Laura State Farm, the largest homeowner insurer in Louisiana by market share, has received 24,800 insurance claims from homeowners across the state 

Typically, expenses related to a disaster are reimbursed by FEMA or other agencies. Cantrell said officials were documenting costs related to hosting the evacuees in the city but did not yet have an estimate of how much had been spent.

During the press conference, Cantrell also highlighted her administrations growing complaints about the share of funds it received from a federal COVID-19 rescue package passed earlier this year. The roughly $525 million the state is passing on to local governments to reimburse them for costs associated with the pandemic is being divvied up based on a formula that takes into account both population and the number of cases at different points in time.

The city had most of its expenses reimbursed in a first round of funding that covered the time the outbreak was largely contained to the New Orleans area. But that meant there was a much smaller pot of money set aside for New Orleans for expenses incurred in late spring, when it had driven down its infection numbers and the virus was spreading elsewhere in the state.

State Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said that formula was needed to ensure the money the state had to distribute did not go solely to parishes that were hit hard at the beginning of the pandemic.

This money had to go to the entire state, we needed to make sure that there was money for other parishes as (the pandemic) ramped up. And sure enough, it did, he said.
Kansas City Docs Warn Public In Dire COVID Conversation

KC-area hospital leaders to provide virtual COVID-19 briefing KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hospital leaders from the Kansas City metro are concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic going into fall. Chief medical officers from a handful of hospitals will hold a virtual briefing Wednesday to discuss the status of the pandemic in the region.

Kansas City Dreams Of Vacay

Why A New Direct Flight To Mexico Is An Important Step Forward For Air Travel In Kansas City American Airlines, Frontier, and Air Canada will offer international flights from KCI beginning this fall, in the wake of catastrophic losses due to COVID-19. In Kansas City and elsewhere around the country planes are beginning to fill, but at its worst in April, commerical flights in the country had dropped by 77 percent.

Masks Made In America

Non-profit pays it forward to woman making masks for KCK's immigrant community KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Many people are stepping up to help keep everyone safe during the pandemic. In this pay it forward, one woman does it one mask at a time. The pandemic has been especially tough for non-profits like Hopeprint, which seeks to empower diverse families and provide immigrants with resources.

Insta Double Take

Georgia Harrison: 'I feel so much more confident with my new boobs' She was very much the IT girl when TOWIE first started in 2010 and now she's confirmed her comeback on Instagram. "'TOWIE 10 is coming, it's time to get back to Essex' .... IM BACK  @towie," she wrote. CREDIT: Getty Let's be honest, it wouldn't be right to have a TOWIE reunion with Joey Essex.

Culture War Continues

NPR slammed over tweet that Trump claimed 'without evidence' that Kenosha gunman acted in self-defense NPR was strongly criticized Tuesday after it claimed that President Trump had "no evidence" that Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot three protesters in Kenosha, Wis. last week, acted out of self-defense. "You saw the same tape as I saw," Trump said during a White House press briefing on Monday.

White House Fact Check

Trump and his doctor deny stroke caused mysterious Walter Reed visit President Trump and his doctor on Tuesday denied that he suffered a stroke last year ahead of a mysterious visit to Walter Reed Medical Center. Dr. Sean Conley issued a statement after claims swirled on Twitter, without any apparent evidence, that Trump had suffered a stroke before the November 2019 visit.

Campaign 2020 Closer Than Anybody Wants To Admit

Trump, Biden running neck and neck in North Carolina: poll President Trump Joe Biden Joe Biden Trump says Black Lives Matter is 'bad for Black people' Kamala Harris pops in on Brandy and Monica's 'Verzuz' Battle: 'You queens, you stars' Hillicon Valley: Twitter flags Trump campaign tweet of Biden clip as manipulated media | Democrats demand in-person election security briefings resume | Proposed rules to protect power grid raise concerns MORE are running neck and neck in North Carolina as the Tarheel State emerges as one of the top swing states in the country.

Speaker Admits Delayed Stimulus

Pelosi says 'serious differences' between Democrats, White House on coronavirus aid WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after a phone call with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday that "serious differences" remain between Democrats and the White House over coronavirus relief legislation.

American Vaccine Exceptionalism

US refuses to join international effort to develop Covid-19 vaccine The US government has said that it will not participate in a global initiative to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute a vaccine for Covid-19 because the effort is co-led by the World Health Organization.

Cowtown Booze News

Tap List | Your Kansas City Chiefs Starting (Beer) Lineup Discover unheard stories about Kansas City, every Thursday. Check your inbox, you should see something from us. Like what you see? For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter. It drops in your inbox every Thursday. Check your inbox, you should see something from us.

Local Red Light Nights Debut

Live events team light-up KC bright red, bringing awareness to #RedAlertRestart Local live event workers and performers will be lighting up buildings downtown and around the city in the color red on September 1st. The buildings awash in red light will be to raise awareness for a movement called #REDALERTRESTART. The RESTART bill that will fund small businesses and the live music industry due to COVID-19 cutbacks.

Kansas City Midweek Heat Up

Temps will be in mid-80s for your Wednesday Hide Transcript Show Transcript MONKEY -- MUGGY BUT BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. SPOTTY SHOWERS AND MAYBE ONE THUNDERSTORM. OTHERWISE MOST AREAS REMAIN DRY. WINDS TURN WEST AND NORTHWEST ONLY FIVE MILES PER HOUR. TEMPERATURES BELOW 80 DEGREES AND BY 9:00 P.M. WE WILL BE AT 73 AND BY 11:00 TO 69 WITH PATCHY CLOUDS.

Right nowinspires another look at local news for closer readers of this blog; and so we take a peek at pop culture, community news, top headlines and more . . .And this is thefor tonight . . .
Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi was confirmed by 134-67 votes in an overnight session to lead Tunisia's second cabinet in six months, made up of judges, academics, civil servants and private-sector executives

Tunisia's parliament has approved a new technocratic government tasked with tackling deep social and economic woes in the North African country, ending weeks of uncertainty in the young democracy.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi was confirmed by 134-67 votes in an overnight session to lead Tunisia's second cabinet in six months, made up of judges, academics, civil servants and private-sector executives.

The 46-year-old has pledged to revitalise the tourism-reliant economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic and to stop the "hemorrhage" of public finances by restarting oil and phosphate production after recent labour unrest.

"I am proud of this support," Mechichi, the former interior minister, told AFP early Wednesday after the vote, vowing his government would "move forward on economic issues", provided it is not bogged down by political infighting.

Tunisia's parliament, elected last October, is deeply divided and many lawmakers were angry that Mechichi, the candidate picked in July by President Kais Saied, had bypassed the major political factions in building his cabinet.

The Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, the biggest bloc in parliament, had however said hours before the vote it would back Mechichi "despite reservations", averting a breakdown that would have forced unpopular new elections.

Tunisia has been praised as a rare success story among the 2011 Arab Spring popular uprisings that swept the region and brought down many autocrats, among them Tunisia's long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

But the small Mediterranean country of about 11 million people is now mired in economic crisis, with the official unemployment rate at 18 percent, and in need of new assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

Mechichi's new government will have to resume talks with the IMF, whose four-year programme expired in the spring while Tunisia struggled to complete its budget.

The new premier warned of "dangerous indicators", with a debt of about 80 billion dinars ($30 billion), and 7.5 billion dinars due to be repaid in 2020.

- 'Discord at the top' -

The chairman of Ennahdha's advisory board, Abdelkarim Harouni, had said Tuesday the party would back Mechichi "given the difficult situation of the country" but would then seek to "develop and reform this government".

The vote is the result of a power struggle between the president, a trained jurist who had strongly intervened in building the new government, and the main parties, who were angered at being sidelined but now hope to have influence on the government.

The new defence minister, Ibrahim Bartagi, is a law professor from the university where Saied worked. Justice Minister Mohamed Boussetta is a magistrate. And the new interior minister, Taoufik Charfeddine, is another former lawyer close to the president.

Hamza Meddeb, of political think tank the Carnegie Center, said that in the end the new government gained legitimacy by winning the support of Ennahdha and its allies, including the liberal Qalb Tounes party.

"Mr Saied wanted a prime minister at his command, the presidency intervened a lot in the composition of the government, and Mr Mechichi ended up turning around and seeking party support to assert himself as head of government," Meddeb said.

Parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Ennahdha, said that in the end the assembly "showed that it was the heart of power in this country".

Mechichi's new government, he said, "can solve the economic, health and security problems, I am convinced of its success".

Meddeb said Ennahdha had "found someone it hopes to compromise with" but also cautioned that "there's discord at the top state level ... Saied could make life difficult for this government."

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BERLIN - A Russian man charged with the brazen daylight murder in Berlin last year of a Georgian, which prosecutors say was ordered by the Russian state, will go on trial in the German capital next month.

The Berlin district court said Wednesday the trial will open Oct. 7. It has scheduled 25 court dates, the last of them on Jan. 27., 2021

The case prompted Germany last December to expel two Russian diplomats, citing a lack of co-operation with the investigation of the Aug. 23, 2019 killing.

Federal prosecutors in June filed charges of murder and a violation of weapons laws against a Russian citizen they identified as Vadim K., alias Vadim S. The 55-year-olds last name was withheld in line with German privacy laws but has been widely reported as Vadim Krasikov, using the alias Vadim Sokolov.

The victim, Tornike K., who also has widely been identified in reports as Zelimkhan Tornike Khangoshvili, was a Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity who fought against Russian troops in Chechnya. He had previously survived multiple assassination attempts and continued to receive threats after fleeing to Germany in 2016.

Prosecutors say the killer approached Tornike K. from behind on a bike in the small Kleiner Tiergarten park and shot him in the torso with a Glock handgun equipped with a silencer. The victim fell, and the assailant then fatally shot him twice in the head. The suspect was arrested near the scene shortly afterward.

The murder case and alleged Russian involvement in the 2015 hacking of the German parliament have weighed on relations between the two countries for months. In recent weeks, the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has added to tensions.

Navalny fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20. He was later transferred to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors found indications that he had been poisoned.

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The new Hyundai KONA features sleek, stylish design, andfor the first timewill be available with sporty N Line trim

Extra cargo capacity and rear seat legroom offer more accommodation and comfort

Upgrades in connectivity and convenience features, including the latest Hyundai Blue Link technology and improved safety package

Tuning updates make the new KONA more comfortable to drive



SEOUL, September 1, 2020  Hyundai Motor Company today unveiled its newly enhanced KONA subcompact SUV and introduced the exciting all-new KONA N Line variant.

Hyundai KONAthe 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Yearis back with a bold design update that retains the models winning personality. The B-SUVs exterior design is upgraded with various enhancements that make it even more appealing to customers who lead active lifestyles.

At the same time, Hyundai is expanding its B-SUV lineup by launching the sporty all-new KONA N Line. This attractive entry point to Hyundais high-performance N brand is distinguished by signature fascia, body color claddings and large rear spoiler as well as N Line specific design accents.

Interestingly, there's a happy vibe that I feel is common with many Kona drivers, said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President, Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. Our design inspiration stems from this positive spirit, and this is a dedication to all the adventurers out there who explore life with a smile.

KONA N Line features a sporty and progressive design

With the latest product enhancement, KONA will be available for the first time as an N Line version, combining fun to drive with a sporty appearance. The KONA N Line stands out through its motorsports-inspired front and rear end, body color claddings, and diamond-cut wheel design.

KONA N Lines front is characterized by the dynamic features of the front bumper, harmoniously connected and unified with the body color treatment of the wheel arch claddings. Instead of the rugged skid plate of the new KONA, the N Line version features a characteristic N-style aerodynamic lip with low-lying corner fins for a road-hugging appearance. Larger, more technical air intake features are further distinguished by a unique mesh design and surface treatment.

On the sides, the body color claddings and new rocker panels are complemented by the dedicated 18-inch alloy wheel design.

KONA N Lines rear design reinforces the models dynamic image. The rear bumper incorporates a large central aerodynamic diffusor in a contrast color to the body as well as a one-side double muffler. The bumper fascia is formed with sharply creased corners and N-style fins for better air flow.

The interior is now available with a dedicated N Line color package in one-tone black with cloth, leather or suede seats. In addition, the distinctive red stitching, metal pedals and N logo on the gear shift and seats all contribute to a sportier look and feel.

Sleek and sophisticated design upgrades for the new KONA

With a bold, progressive design and adventurous personality, Hyundai KONA has become an icon in its segment. Design updates, front and rear, give the new KONA a sleek, sophisticated look while keeping its robust signature style.

The striking new front-end design stands out with eye-catching, protective cladding panels. At the top, the stretched bonnet ends sharply over the center grille with a wide, distinctive shape that gives KONA a powerful look. This effect is further enhanced by the wide, thin LED DRLs. Lower down, the main bumper fascia connects smoothly to the wheel arch claddings, forming a unique and robust armor in a contrasting material to the main body.

On the lower bumper, the robust skid plate appears to embrace the lower air intake, and visually complements the shape of the main upper grille. Integrated into the bumper corners are vertically oriented aerodynamic inlets that improve air flow.

The side body retains the muscular and sculpted shape of the previous KONA, but the sporty wedge-shaped silhouette is further accentuated by the visual connection between the shoulder creases and the sharper, cleaner, more harmonious front end.

At the rear, the new taillights feature horizontally stretched graphics. These reflect the unique identity of the front-end light design. The new rear bumper, which also follows the protective armor concept of the front and sides, also uses a contrasting material.

In addition, the latest model comes with updated 17- or 18-inch wheel designs, in addition to 16-inch wheels carried over from its predecessor. KONA Hybrid will be available with the same 16- or 18-inch wheels as before.

The new KONA is 40mm longer than the previous model, giving it a sleeker and more dynamic look that complements its wide, strong visual stance.

The new KONA comes with five new exterior colors, including Surfy Blue, Dive in Jeju, Ignite Flame, Cyber Grey, and Misty Jungle. These are in addition to five existing colors, including Phantom Black, Chalk White, Dark Knight, Pulse Red and Galactic Grey. Every color can be combined with the Phantom Black two-tone roof. The two-tone roof also comes with matching mirror housings. This contributes to its sporty and sleek appearance and gives customers more options for personalization and self-expression.

Interior design updates

The redesigned interior of the new KONA expresses a more upscale and progressive look than its predecessor. It features a rugged yet refined style that matches the exteriors boldness, designed to appeal to customers who lead an active lifestyle. Extra cargo capacity and rear seat legroom offer more accommodation and comfort. This is in addition to a significant technology upgrade that contributes to the interiors comprehensive update.

The new console area is disconnected from the instrument panel to emphasize the horizontal layout. The dashboard appears wide and airy to create a generously spacious atmosphere. An electric parking brake is added as a new convenience feature in response to customer demand.

Other enhancements that contribute to the interiors higher level of quality and refinement include new ambient light technology that illuminates the center cup holders as well as in the passenger and driver side footwells, and new aluminium finish rings around the speakers and air vents.

The new KONA interior is completed by new colors and materials. New seat cover options include a black woven houndstooth design, cloth seats with black and grey embossing, and perforated leather seats in black, beige, or khaki.

With the black woven houndstooth seats, industrial-inspired and modern grains accentuate the fine-spun linear seat trim with its three-dimensional pattern. With the black and grey cloth seats, sophisticated visuals are created by shadows and dark nuances in several anthracite grey tones. Optional leather seats show a classy tartan texture that is also reflected in the material perforation. Both the texture and the colors of the leather seats harmonize the dynamic-looking interior.

As an alternative to the dark interior, KONA is also available with a light beige interior trim, accentuating the fresh look seen in the door panels and seats. With the optional khaki leather seats and the khaki center console, Hyundai is also offering a natural and premium look as an alternative to the black and beige versions.

The new KONAs interior packages include changes in color to the dashboard as well as the seats and other surfaces.

Color packages:

Two-tone light beige (leather) [NEW]

Khaki (leather) [NEW]



Basic color operations:

One-tone black (woven cloth or leather)



Connectivity & Technology

The new KONA is equipped with the latest in-car connectivity and technology.

New to this model is a 10.25-inch digital cluster, first seen in the all-new i20. In addition, the new KONA also comes with an optional 10.25-inch AVN screen, providing new connectivity features. The new AVN screen also comes with a split-screen function and multiple Bluetooth connections.

In addition, KONA comes with the latest Blue Link upgrade, which includes User profile, Last Mile Navigation, Connected Routing, Live Parking Information, and more. Customers can have a personalized User profile that can be transferred to other Hyundai vehicles providing the same feature. Last Mile Navigation helps customers continue the journey to their destination even after the car is parked, using either Augmented Reality or Google Maps. Connected Routing is Hyundais cloud-based navigation system. Live Parking Information gives users real-time information on the location and price of nearby available parking spaces. In addition, the latest Blue Link upgrade features Free Text Search for users to enter addresses or points of interest.

As standard, the new KONA is equipped with Display Audio that is increased from seven to eight inches, and DAB radio. Its also upgraded with wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play for convenient wireless connectivity of their phones to the Display Audio system.

Advanced safety and driver assistance features

The new KONA is equipped with a range of safety and driver assistance features.

Smart Cruise Control (SCC) is upgraded to include the stop-and-go function. Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), available in combination with the DCT, is enhanced too, engaging the vehicles differential brakes to prevent a collision if another vehicle is detected near the rear corner (blind spot) and the driver attempts to change lanes.

New to this model is Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), which alerts the driver if they do not react fast enough when the vehicle ahead of them starts moving. Another is Lane Following Assist (LFA), which automatically adjusts steering to assist the driver to keep in the center of the lane.

Another upgraded feature is Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with pedestrian and new, optional cyclist detection. The optional FCA uses a sensor in addition to a camera to better detect potential collisions. This increases the detection range and types of targets that can be detected, and ensures the system works even in bad weather conditions. If the system senses a potential collision and the driver fails to react in time, it automatically applies the brakes. As another enhancement, FCA now comes as standard (camera based), including pedestrian detection-

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), also a first for the new KONA with the DCT, works to avoid a collision when backing up by applying the brakes if another vehicle is detected. This is an upgrade from the previously available Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning, which only provided a warning.

Another unique feature is Rear Seat Alert (RSA), which alerts the driver if someone or something is in the back seat when they prepare to exit the vehicle. Another safety feature primarily intended for the protection of children, Safe Exit Warning (SEW) is intended to prevent passengers from exiting the vehicle if it is not yet safe to do so. If the vehicle has come to a stop, but the radar detects an oncoming vehicle coming from the rear, it will display a visual and audio warning to alert the passenger of the danger.

Intelligent Speed Limit Warning (ISLW) uses the vehicles navigation or the front camera to determine the current speed limit and displays it in the cluster and AVN. If the driver exceeds the speed limit, a visual warning is shown.

In addition, the new KONA is now available with eCall, a feature that automatically alerts emergency services if the airbags are deployed or the e-Call button is being pushed.

Hyundai SmartSense Active Safety Features

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) [NEW]

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist [NEW]

Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with stop and go [NEW]

Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA) [NEW]

Lane Following Assist (LFA) [NEW]

Intelligent Speed Limit Warning (ISLW) [NEW]

Safe Exit Warning (SEW) [NEW]

Rear Seat Alert (RSA) [NEW]

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) (now with [NEW] optional cyclist detection)



Other Safety Features:

e-call [NEW]



Comfort & Roominess

Several new convenience features allow for a more comfortable and convenient experience, including second-row heated seats and a second-row USB port. The new KONA with manual seats has also been improved. Passengers in the front row can also now adjust their seat height for an optimized seating position while they ride.

New powertrain options for both sporty and eco-conscious consumers

The new KONAs powertrain lineup reaches new heights in terms of performance and sustainability. At the top of the lineup is an enhanced 1.6-liter T-GDI Smartstream engine with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that delivers 198 PS. This powerful, sporty powertrain is available in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variations.

For increased fuel efficiency, the new KONA will be equipped with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. This technology is applied to the 1.6-liter Smartstream diesel engine with 136 PS as standard and is available with a seven-speed DCT (7DCT) or six-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission (6iMT) as well as optional four-wheel drive. The 1.0-liter T-GDI Smartstream petrol engine with 120 PS can be equipped with 48-volt mild hybrid technology and 6iMT as an option.

First seen in the new i30 and the all-new i20, the iMTs clutch operates purely electronically instead of using a mechanical linkage. The iMT decouples the engine from the transmission after the driver releases the accelerator, saving fuel as the engine can switch off and the car enters coasting mode. The engine restarts in the same gear as soon as the driver presses either the brake or the accelerator pedals, thanks to the power provided by the Mild Hybrid Starter Generator.

When chosen without mild hybrid technology, the 1.0-liter T-GDI Smartstream engine can be combined with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission and optional four-wheel drive.

KONA Hybrid system

The new KONA is also available as a hybrid option, which was added to the KONA lineup in 2019. This powertrain features a 1.6-liter GDI engine and electric motor with a combined output of 141 PS, paired with a 6-speed dual clutch transmission and with two-wheel drive. The 32kW electric motor draws its energy from a 1.56 kWh lithium polymer battery.

Ride and handling enhancements for more comfort

The new KONA is retuned for a smoother ride compared to its predecessor in order to improve driving comfort, without degrading the KONAs sporty character. Next to springs and dampers, the stabilizer bars were modified for better ride comfort and isolation. The rear bump stop was also modified, bringing benefits for primary ride and lateral body control.

The new KONA also comes with improved tires on all sizes of wheels, resulting in less rolling resistance and more efficient driving. The 18-inch tires are upgraded from Conti Sport Contact 5 to Conti Premium Contact 6 to improve the ride comfort. This also means drivers can expect better fuel efficiency and lower CO 2 emissions while hearing less road noise than before. This creates an excellent balance between eco-friendly driving and sportiness. In addition, several parts of the vehicle have been updated to improve Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), further increasing cabin comfort.

The steering is fine-tuned to match the new suspension character as well as to fit the new tires. The new KONA delivers comfortable yet connected steering that is more linear and well-balanced across the complete speed range.

This set up is applied to the whole KONA range, including the KONA N Line. The only exception is the KONA N Line paired with the 1.6 T-GDI powertrain and four-wheel drive, which received a specific steering tuning to match the character of the vehicle.

The all-new KONA N Line and new KONA will arrive to showrooms towards the end of the year, while the new KONA Hybrid will follow beginning of 2021. The new KONA Electric, which will carry over the powertrain and electric driving range of the current version, will be revealed soon.

* The vehicle specification and features in this press release is for European markets and they may vary depending on country/region.

###

About Hyundai Motor Company

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company offers a range of world-class vehicles and mobility services in more than 200 countries. Hyundai Motor sold more than 4.4 million vehicles globally in 2019, and currently employs some 120,000 personnel worldwide. The company is enhancing its product lineup with vehicles designed to help usher in a more sustainable future, while offering innovative solutions to real-world mobility challenges. Through the process Hyundai aims to facilitate Progress for Humanity with smart mobility solutions that vitalize connections between people and provide quality time to its customers.

More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:

http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://globalpr.hyundai.com

Disclaimer: Hyundai Motor Company believes the information contained herein to be accurate at the time of release. However, the company may upload new or updated information if required and assumes that it is not liable for the accuracy of any information interpreted and used by the reader.
MILAN  Sustainability has a strategic role as a cultural lever to develop multilateral relationships and agreements, believes Prada SpA chairman Carlo Mazzi.

Keeping a focus on the topic of sustainability, despite the uncertainties connected to the coronavirus pandemic, Prada Group on Tuesday held the Shaping a Sustainable Multilateralism conference at Ca Corner della Regina in Venice, one of the Fondazione Pradas headquarters. This is part of Pradas Shaping a Future conferences and part of a two-day event promoted by the Soft Power Club, a new private organization whose goal is to stimulate diplomacy at a cultural level and multilateral relations between the public and private sectors to encourage social progress.

Mazzi, a founding partner of the Soft Power Club, said in a phone interview from Venice that the name of the organization hails back to American political scientist Joseph Nye, who popularized the term as the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce in politics. Its a reflection on the fact that power must be shared and legitimate, it cannot be imposed, said Mazzi. We thought we would use soft power because after a moment that was full of hope, as the world takes a step back [due to the pandemic], instead of seeing cohesion and sharing, we see sovereignty and repressive nationalism and power enforced through strength. The idea is to promote an apolitical and international representation on shared values such as art, culture and sustainability, he noted, underscoring how the European Union is seen as a global actor in redefining soft power.

Mazzi said the Prada Group was naturally connected to the Soft Power Club, in light of the sustainable goals it has set and promoted over the past few years. The club was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic so this was the first meeting, inaugurated in Venice, a unique and international point of aggregation. To wit, on Monday afternoon, a discussion was held on the problems of oceans  a priority for the city of Venice  and a key focus as climate change and the rise in sea levels are a paradigm for potential new disruption, he said.

Story continues

Earlier this year the Italian luxury company partnered with UNESCO on an education program for high school students worldwide to raise awareness of, and promote, more responsible behavior toward the oceans. This project is in line with the Agenda of the United Nations 2030 and 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The project between Prada and UNESCOs Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission will stretch over four months and start in the fall, as soon as schools reopen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It is financed through a portion of the sale proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon capsule collection, donated to UNESCOs IOC.

Ana Luiza M. Thompson-Flores, director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, was one of the speakers on Tuesday, a panel that also included Italys Minister for Economic Development Stefano Patuanelli; Marzio Galeotti, professor of energy and environmental economics at the University of Milan; Matteo Lunelli, chairman of Fondazione Altagamma; Mariarosa Cutillo, chief of strategic partnerships, UNFPA, and Carlo Maria Ferro, chairman of the Italian Trade Agency, among others.

Prada is a signatory of the Fashion Pact and asked if he thinks companies are responding to the sustainability call in a concrete way, Mazzi was positive, saying that actions are being taken and companies are engaged with precise goals. Concrete actions are always moved by an idea. When there is a concept, a thought that is perceived and ideas are matured, an effective reaction follows. The strength of an idea, it has an incredible power, it can trigger a movement of radical change, Mazzi claimed.

For example, he said, the financial sector is aware of this trend and acknowledging it. Big investors such as BlackRock have decided not to invest in companies with a negative ecological impact. They have realized that progress is going in this direction and this is very effective. Without investments you remain isolated, he elaborated.

Mazzi said that, during the conference, Galeotti drew a parallel between the COVID-19 pandemic and sustainability, seeing the former as a test of a global problem  global as much as the sustainability problem. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 [can help] find inspiration for the impact of social and ecological decay.

Asked if other fashion brands would likely join the Soft Power Club, Mazzi said: Why not? Already we started by sharing ideas and we expect there will be interest from fashion groups. He noted that fashion is a very important ambassador for Italy in the world, it represents a positive value for the country.

Globalization, continued Mazzi, was already suffering before the pandemic, hurt by tensions on trade and a new race for strategic position, hence the urgent need to recodify soft power as an instrument to spur global dialogue for an inclusive multilateralism. This is very much needed in this phase of resilient coexistence with the virus and, in perspective of a more equipped capacity to face future pandemics together with other challenges.

Prada last year hosted the Shaping a Sustainable Future Society conference in New York, the third edition of the Italian companys cultural conversations under the Shaping a Future moniker. It explored topics such as freedom, equality and justice within the workplace, and the impact of ethical assessments in peoples choices and behavior.

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The husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew spent the night before she vanished at a budget hotel in Denver  and left the room reeking of chlorine, a co-worker has claimed exclusively to DailyMail.com.

Suzanne, 49, was reported missing on Mothers Day, May 10, by neighbor Jeanne Ritter, 70, after her two daughters Mallory and Macy were unable to reach her on the phone.

Her bike was found the same day by a bridge close to her luxury $1.5 million Salida, Colorado home and she had not been heard from since May 8.

At the time, her husband Barry was 150 miles away in Broomfield, Colorado - just outside of Denver - working on a landscaping job for transport company RTD-Denver.

But the couple's home quickly became the focus of the police investigation, with CSI specialists seen carrying evidence bags into the property in photos taken by DailyMail.com two days after Suzanne vanished.

Last week, her 52-year-old husband claimed to have given 30 hours of interviews to police and accused them of botching the initial investigation.

A day later, Suzannes brother Andy Moorman, 58, accused Barry of refusing to take a polygraph test and said he doesnt feel that Barry is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Now DailyMail.com can reveal that a co-worker of Barrys took over his Holiday Inn hotel room on May 10 and found it scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine.

Barry Morphew, the husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew (pictured together) spent the night before she vanished at a budget hotel in Denver  and left the room reeking of chlorine, a co-worker has claimed

Last week, the 52-year-old claimed to have given 30 hours of interviews to police and accused them of botching the initial investigation. A day later, Suzannes brother Andy Moorman, 58, accused him of refusing to take a polygraph test and said he doesnt feel that Barry is fully cooperating with the investigation. Pictured: Barry grilling out at his home on July 18

DailyMail.com can reveal that a co-worker of Barrys took over his Holiday Inn hotel room (pictured) on May 10 and found it scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine. A manager confirmed to DailyMail.com that they do not use chlorine to clean guest rooms

Jeff Puckett, 49, of Salida, Colorado, said he was ordered to Denver by Barry that morning but didnt see him because he had already left due to a family emergency.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Puckett told DailyMail.com: I got there Sunday night and the room smelled like chlorine real bad.

It was his room and hed taken a shower  his towels were all over the floor.

A manager at the $92-a-night property confirmed to DailyMail.com that they do not use chlorine to clean guest rooms and have handed security footage from the weekend of May 9 to police.

Puckett also said he discovered a pile of mail in the room  including a letter about property insurance  and later turned it over to the FBI.

He said: I found some mail in the hotel room. His mail was in there and I gave it to the FBI. I thought it was kind of odd to have it there.

Some of it was from an insurance company, like insuring your property, that kind of thing.

DailyMail.com can also reveal Barry was granted guardianship of Suzanne in order to sell a property in their native Indiana on Tuesday after a 30-minute Zoom hearing.

Despite being told the landscaping work was urgent, Puckett told DailyMail.com that he arrived to find no tools and was left to wait around the hotel for two days  never actually visiting the job site.

He said he returned to Salida on the Tuesday after Suzanne disappeared and has not heard from Barry since, although he was paid.

Jeff Puckett (pictured), 49, of Salida, Colorado, said he was ordered to Denver by Barry that morning but didnt see him because he had already left due to a family emergency. As a result, he says the experience has left him suspicious. Its kind of weird, he told DailyMail.com

DailyMail.com can reveal Barry was granted guardianship of Suzanne in order to sell a property in their native Indiana on Tuesday after a 30-minute Zoom meeting. Pictured: Barry grilling at his $1.5 million home on July 18

Suzanne, 49, was reported missing on Mothers Day by neighbor Jeanne Ritter, 70, after her two daughters Mallory and Macy were unable to reach her on the phone. Her bike was found the same day by a bridge close to her luxury $1.5 million Salida, Colorado home (pictured)

As a result, he says the experience has left him suspicious. Its kind of weird, he told DailyMail.com. My first thought was that this must be like an alibi. Thats what it felt like.

He added: 'I hope they find her alive but its been a long time.

All of Pucketts information has been passed to police by DailyMail.com.

The new revelations come a week after Barry gave his first interview in which he denied having anything to do with his wifes disappearance almost four months ago.

The 52-year-old, who refused to speak on camera or be recorded, also mooted several theories about what could have happened to her, including an animal attack or a stranger abduction.

In addition to searching his home, investigators also spent several days combing through a job site five miles away, where he had been working on the landscaping.

Although Barry said he continues to search for his wife, his claims sparked a family row, with Suzannes older brother Andy saying he has refused to take a polygraph test and that there is no evidence of any kind of animal attack.

Speaking to Fox 29, Andy said: He says, shes the love of my life, I could never do this. The problem I have with that is I dont feel like hes fully cooperating with investigators.

He should have taken a lie detector and a voice analysis, anything else they ask him to do. And hes gone kinda quiet.

The new revelations come a week after Barry gave his first interview in which he denied having anything to do with his wifes disappearance almost four months ago. The 52-year-old, who refused to speak on camera or be recorded, also mooted several theories about what could have happened to her, including an animal attack or a stranger abduction

Although Barry said he continues to search for his wife, his claims sparked a family row, with Suzannes older brother Andy saying he has refused to take a polygraph test and that there is no evidence of any kind of animal attack

Andy, an attorney based in Anderson, Indiana, said he has not heard from either of his nieces since their mother vanished.

The 58-year-old is now fundraising for a new search for Suzanne due to take place at the end of September and took part in a vigil for his sister on Sunday night during which he said he didnt expect to find her alive.

The new round of fundraising comes on top of a GoFundMe page set up by Barry and his nephew Trevor Noel, 36, of Evergreen, Colorado.

It has raised almost $33,000 so far with the funds due to be spent on searching for Suzanne  although DailyMail.com can reveal that no organized searches are currently taking place.

Barry and other family members have also offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to Suzannes safe return.

Noel declined to comment when approached for comment by DailyMail.com at his home.
Since 1954, Japan has spent tens of billions of dollars in development aid, initially meant as war compensation, for the region. But it took more than two decades for Japan to normalize diplomatic ties with some of its wartime Asian foes. It restored ties with South Korea in 1965, and with China in 1972, though disputes over wartime history continue to affect Japans ties with its neighbors. Japan has yet to sign a peace treaty with Russia because of territorial disputes and has not established diplomatic ties with North Korea.
Insurers have backed down and agreed to cover a British mother's 10,000-a-day hospital bills as she fights for her life in a Turkish hospital - as her daughter thanks the Good Samaritans who raised 37,000 for a flight home.

Stephanie Uyar said her dream holiday turned into a 'horror movie,' after her mother collapsed at her husband's home and was given just 48 hours to live on August 18.

Since then Carole Fleming, 67, has been in the hospital with a blood disorder related to a potential bone marrow deficiency.

The British Consulate had said they will not repatriate the breast cancer-survivor while she is still alive, Stephanie claimed,

Her family say insurer Axa initially refused to pay the the hospital bills - due to a link to her previous illness.

The desperate daughter launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise 25,000 for a commercial air ambulance to bring the mother-of-two back to Britain and into the hands of the NHS.

Since MailOnline shared the family's appeal last night, they have raised over 37,000 - and Axa have agreed to start paying the medical bills.

Speaking today, Mrs Uyar, 36, said: 'This morning, the Doctors at Mugla Hospital told me it was now or never  either we start Mum on the desperately-needed IVIG treatment, or she dies today.

'It was as simple at that.

British mother Carole Fleming, 67, (pictured in hospital) is fighting for her life in a Turkish hospital after coming down with a mystery illness

Carole's daughter Stephanie Uyar (pictured together in Turkey), launched a desperate fundraiser to try and pay for her mother's treatment and get her home

'When we first asked MailOnline for help, our GoFundMe page was stuck on 4,000 and nobody was listening to us.

'Less than 24 hours later, we've raised over 37,000 to give mum the lifeline she deserves.

'The money you helped us raise by donating so generously to our GoFundMe page means that she is starting her IVIG treatment as I write this from an uncomfortable hospital chair.

'We are truly humbled by the way that thousands of total strangers pulled together and did their bit to bring our beloved mum home.

'Your kindness in our darkest hour is an extraordinary testament to the human spirit, and has brought us more hope and comfort than we could ever fully convey.

'As wonderful as today's news is, we're not out of the woods yet. After the MailOnline story went viral, AXA promised to do their bit to bring her home  but even with the treatment, she's not stable enough to fly on an air ambulance.'

Carole has given her thanks after thousands of pounds flooded in on Wednesday to help get her home to Britain

Carole Fleming (middle right) pictured with her daughter Stephanie (bottom left), was visiting in laws in Turkey, before she collapsed on August 18

Mrs Uyar said she feels like she's 'trapped in a horror movie'. Her mother's condition in intensive care in Mugla is so dire she 'cries blood' due to her body's inability to clot. Pictured: Ms Fleming with her son-in-law's mother Hilal

Ms Fleming's brother Ian, 55, claims medics in Turkey mistakenly believed his sister's illness was brought about by a medication related to her breast cancer - which she was recovered from last year.

The link to her previous condition meant her medical insurer would not cover the costs.

Earlier today her insurer, Axa, backed down.

Doctors backtracked when they took Ms Fleming off the medication and her condition got worse.

Ms Fleming was in Turkey visiting her daughter's husband Alper Uyar's family when she felt tired before collapsing on August 18.

She was rushed to hospital where doctors tested her blood. They found her platelet count was just 6,000 per microlitre of blood  the minimum safe level is 150,000. This means she's unable to form clots, and needs regular transfusions just to stay alive.

Mrs Uyar has thanked 'Carole's angels' who raised 37,000 in the space of a day

She's been moved around several hospitals in Turkey. Her platelet count is now just 1,000 per microlitre.

Mrs Uyar said yesterday: 'In the last three weeks, there have only been two nights when I've not stayed by her side in a hospital chair.

'It's not even a duty, it's a reflex. After everything she's done for me the least I can do is be by her side.

'It's like I'm trapped in a horror movie. The things I've seen and witnessed in the last three weeks, I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.

'No child should see their mother in a condition like that.

'To see the woman who's always been my rock, who's always been there to help me, to see her so vulnerable in a strange place. I'll have nightmares about this ward for the rest of my life.

'I've been trying to keep her mind off it by talking about EastEnders or gossiping about people we met on the beach, but it's hard to stay composed when I look up and see my mum like this.

'Her blood can't clot, so she has constant uncontrollable nosebleeds  sometimes she even cries blood. At one point her tongue was just one huge blood blister, she could barely talk.

'Back on August 18 the doctors gave her 48 hours to live. But she's a fighter, and she's still here  even though they don't know what's wrong with her yet. She's refusing to give up. She's told me she's not going to die in this hospital.

Stephanie now hopes her mother Carole will be able to fly home on Monday, where she can be passed into the care of the NHS

Ms Fleming was in Turkey visiting her daughter's husband Alper Uyar's family when she felt tired before collapsing on August 18. Pictured: Mr and Mrs Ulyar

'She'll make it home, somehow. I don't care what I have to do to make that happen, I'll do it.

'When the doctors said they couldn't start treatment without the money, I immediately asked if there was a form I could sign where they'd start it and if I didn't pay, I'd go to prison.

'I don't care how bad the prisons are out here. I don't care if it's 15 years, 20 years, 25 years  I'd do that time in a heartbeat if it gave mum a chance of making it.

'She's been my best friend for my entire life. She was there when I met my husband  we were on holiday in Turkey like best friends, and I tripped over outside Alper's shop, and he just caught me.

'It was like a movie  I think she knew on the spot that I'd marry him.

'I might lose my mum and my best friend because of an insurance loophole, and that's what's hardest to come to terms with.

'It's not right that my mum could be taken away because of a form in an office somewhere.

'I just hope the insurance underwriters have a heart and realise what's at stake.'

Mr Fleming told how Turkish doctors mistakenly revoked her cover by telling the insurance firm the low platelet count was down to Carole's breast cancer medication.

Mrs Uyar (right and left with her husband Alper, mother Ms Fleming and brother Alex Haworth before her mother fell ill) was trying to raise 25,000 for a commercial air ambulance to bring the mother-of-two - who is currently in intensive care in Mugla - back to Britain and into the hands of the NHS

He raged: 'They said Carole's issues were a side-effect of hormone tablets she was taking for her breast cancer recovery.

'But when she stopped taking them nothing changed. If anything, she got worse.

'The doctors admitted they were wrong and the insurance company is looking into her case, but these things take time.

'Every hour counts. At the moment all they can do is keep up the blood transfusions, but she needs immunoglobulin therapy just to get her in shape to fly home.

'That costs 10,000 a day. So far we've dug deep to pay 7,000, but that kind of money just isn't possible.

Mrs Fleming was rushed to hospital where doctors tested her blood. Mrs Fleming (left) with her son-in-law's parents Hilal and Osman

'The doctors are ready and waiting to start, but they can't do anything until they know who's paying for it. That's just how it works.

'It's such a difficult situation  if I was out in Turkey I would have lost my temper by now.

'Carole means the world to me. She helped raise me, she's more than just a sister.

'She's just an incredibly kind, incredibly warm, caring person.

'She spent her life helping disadvantaged kids into apprenticeships, and those success stories always gave her such a lift.

'After all she's done to help people, it's awful to think that she could die because of something like an insurance error.

Ms Fleming (right with Mr and Mrs Uyar) has been moved around several hospitals in Turkey. Her platelet count is now just 1,000 per microlitre

'Steph has been amazing throughout all of this, her and Alper are just such an incredibly warm, supporting people who would move heaven and earth to help Carole.

'She's going through hell, and probably feels like her mum is being unnecessarily ripped away.

'I'm trying to be strong for them, but I feel so helpless. So utterly helpless.

'There's nothing we can do from the UK. We're just sat here going around in circles while Carole is fighting for her life out in Turkey.

'We called the Foreign Office and they said there was nothing they can do  but then told us they'd "repatriate" her if she died.

'We're the fifth richest nation in the world. It's not that we don't have the means to fly a citizen home.'

To donate to Mrs Uyar's GoFundMe appeal, click here.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: We are in contact with the family of a British woman who has been admitted to hospital in Turkey.
BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK, Santa Cruz County  Californias oldest state park will stay closed for at least a year to protect the public as the state takes a cautious approach to reopening the beloved forested enclave that was badly burned in a recent wildfire.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains suffered extensive damage from the CZU Lightning Complex fires, and while many of its most majestic trees are expected to survive, the area is riddled with hazards that will take a long time to fix, said Chris Spohrer, a state parks district superintendent.

Spohrer made the comments after he helped lead Gov. Gavin Newsom, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Peter Gaynor and a host of state officials on a tour through the burned park. The public wont be safe at Big Basin for the next 12 months or more, Spohrer said, partly because parks officials still need to figure out exactly which trees must be removed and which will remain. They hope that stress from high winds in the coming months will show them which trees are best positioned to survive.

Additionally, parks officials are concerned that flames from the CZU complex may have left the soil at Big Basin unable to retain much moisture, thereby greatly increasing the risk of floods and debris flows when winter rains arrive. Those events could damage the trails and roads in the park, thereby demanding even more resources to restore the park.

LiPo Ching / Special to The Chronicle

Driving into the beloved park near the town of Boulder Creek is a dramatically different experience than it was for generations of visitors who went to the site since its founding in 1902.

What was once a constant green wall of redwood, Douglas fir and oak is now increasingly brown as one approaches the park. The entrance is barely recognizable in many ways, with the park visitor center and headquarters, the nature museum and store, and the old lodge all reduced to piles of rubble. Burned vegetation is everywhere, as are fallen or felled tree trunks. Everything smells like campfire.

My heart really does break, Spohrer said, his voice breaking with emotion. The memories here. The generational commitment ... this is a really meaningful place to all of us.

In addition to Newsom and Gaynor, the Big Basin tour also included Thom Porter, the head of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; new state parks director Armando Quintero; state Office of Emergency Services director Mark Ghilarducci; California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot; and others.

They arrived at the park several minutes past noon and began inspecting the damage with a handful of journalists observing at about 12:30 p.m. For the next 50 minutes, the group looked closely at the destroyed buildings and damaged trees while parks officials explained their significance. Newsom stood inside the hollow center of the Auto Tree, named for its ability to fit a vehicle backed into its center, and marveled at the giants apparent survival.

LiPo Ching/Special to The Chronicle

Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California

He and the other officials also walked through the badly damaged park amphitheater, where flames broke some of the log benches. And they walked to two of the most treasured trees, named the Mother and Father of the F orest, old-growth redwoods that are both still standing, though signs of fire are all around them. A portion of one nearby tree was still smoldering from the fire.

Newsom said it was an emotional experience.

If this is not a gut punch, then youre not truly conscious as a human being, he told a reporter.

Quintero, who was at Big Basin just a few hours into his first day as state parks director, said California could use the devastation at Big Basin to set a global example.

I think we have an opportunity to show the world what the parks of the future could look like, he said, suggesting that the state establish a new way of managing parkland for the next century.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
Senator Edward J. Markey turned back a primary challenge Tuesday from Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, handing the Kennedy family its first-ever electoral loss in Massachusetts and demonstrating the growing strength of the progressive left.

Forging a coalition of younger and more liberal Democrats, the sort of voters who once formed the core of the Kennedy base, Mr. Markey was winning about 54 percent of the vote when Mr. Kennedy called him to concede.

By winning renomination in a generational clash  and the marquee Democratic Senate primary of the year  Mr. Markey, 74, proved that the ascendant left is not eager to simply throw out long-serving incumbents in favor of younger rivals, such as the 39-year-old Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Markey, who was first elected to Congress in 1976, was able to outflank Mr. Kennedy with progressives, leaving the heir of Massachusettss most storied political dynasty little opening.

Claiming victory, and wearing the same Nike Air Revolutions that became his signature as a late-in-life hipster, Mr. Markey elevated his millennial supporters and the Green New Deal they rallied around. Tonights victory is a tribute to those young people, he said, vowing that the age of incrementalism is over.
A women's livestreaming event is held in Yiwu City, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 18. [Yiwu Women's Federation]

The Jinhua Women's Online Entrepreneurship Alliance was established at a large livestreaming event in Yinwu City, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 18. The alliance was initiated by six female entrepreneurs from the province's Jinhua City and already has 85 participating companies.

The alliance will serve as a platform integrating the city's high-quality resources in the industries of the social commerce, livestreaming e-commerce, new retail services in communities and e-commerce platform management, and provide livestreaming training sessions and multi-channel network services.

At the opening ceremony, a large live broadcast event, including 15 on-site livestreaming rooms and 85 online livestreaming rooms, was held to help promote high-quality goods in eastern and western China.

Yang Chunxiao, largest retailer of agricultural and sideline products in the city's Pujiang County, participated in the live broadcast event to promote her products.

Yang got acquainted with live commerce after she attended a livestreaming training session together with cadres of the Jinhua Women's Federation in Yiwu.

She began to sell most of the agricultural products online after she completed the training session. She also established the Pujiang Women's Online Entrepreneurship Alliance, which recruited 300-plus members and achieved sales of nearly 30 million yuan (US $4.34 million) in more than four months.

Many female livestreaming hosts like Yang participated in the livestreaming on the site, seizing the opportunity to expand the online market for high-quality agricultural and sideline products in eastern and western China.

Lan Liqun, a broadcaster of the She ethnic group, promotes local specialties of Wuyi County, Jinhua City, during the women's livestreaming event in Yiwu City, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 18. [Yiwu Women's Federation]

Tens of female live streamers participated in the event through the Internet. Nearly 70 percent of them were beginners to hold the livestreamed shows. It is the first time for them to live broadcast after they completed a seven-day livestreaming training course held by the Jinhua Women's Federation.

The alliance will establish a tutors' team of online entrepreneurship, motivate female live streamers and women who have started their businesses in the fields of social commerce, livestreaming e-commerce and new retail services in communities to get involved in online entrepreneurship.

It will also improve the training course system of online entrepreneurship and offer training sessions to women entrepreneurs, in a bid to help improve their operation technologies and enhance their competence.

Women's livestreaming demonstration bases will be built up in industrial parks, cultural and creative industrial bases, small commodity markets, breeding bases, homestays and agritainments, snack streets and enterprises in Jinhua. A series of targeted measures, including experience sharing meetings and cooperation with government departments, platform operators and colleges and universities, will also be taken to create a shared future for the members.

With the rapid development of the livestreaming economy, the Jinhua Women's Federation has held various training sessions for women to accelerate work resumption, poverty relief and economic development.

"Women's federations should serve women from their perspectives and help them solve problems," said Yan Xiaojun, President of the Jinhua Women's Federation, adding that livestreaming e-commerce is the common choice of the era and the general public.

A college student promotes agricultural products of Longnan City, Northwest China's Gansu Province, during the women's livestreaming event in Yiwu City, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 18. [Yiwu Women's Federation]

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)
Ken Pearson from Balgriffin battles the wind as he walks on Howth Pier with his children, Holly (10), Callum (7), Ella (3) and their dog Mylo, in the wake of Storm Ellen.

Storms Saidhbhin, Bella and Fleur could be blowing across Ireland over the next year after being included on Met Eireann's 2020/2021 list of storm names.

It marks the fifth year since Met Eireann and the UK Met Office formed the West group and named storms, with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) joining in 2019.

Last year, the name 'Maura', believed to be named after fiery Love Island star Maura Higgins, made headlines - but this year, some of the names include pronunciation aids.

The 2020/21 list includes the following names: Aiden, Bella, Christoph, Darcy, Evert (pronounced Eh-vert), Fleur, Gavin, Heulwen (pronounced Hail-wen), Iain, Julia, Klaas (pronounced Klaa-s), Lilah (pronounced Ly-la), Minnie (pronounced Minn-eh), Naia (pronounced N-eye-a), Oscar, Phoebe, Ravi, Saidhbhin, Tobias, Veronica and Wilson.

The storm naming campaign aims to help with raising the public's awareness of severe weather.

"The naming of storms by National Met Services provides a clear, authoritative and consistent message to the public and prompts people to take action to prevent harm to themselves or to their property," said Evelyn Cusack, the Head of Forecasting and Chair of the European Met Services' Storm Naming Working Group.

She said that names which are easily pronounced but less recognised are picked.

"The storm names also add an extra interest for people with particular excitement in a family when one of their names appears in the list. We mostly pick names that can be easily pronounced but some are less generally recognised," said Ms Cusack.

Punishing

"Perhaps, hopefully, we won't get as far as Heulwen, a striking Welsh girl's name, but for the non-Welsh among us we have included an aid to pronounce it just in case (Hail -wen).

"But although I would love in theory to be able to use the Irish name Saidhbhin if we get that far down the list it will have been a really punishing season."

The names are in alphabetical order, alternate between genders and following the National Hurricane Center conventions, names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used.

For international storms, once they are named by any National Met Service globally, that name is retained if the storm moves into Irish waters.

A storm is named by a National Met Service when Orange or Red level winds are forecast to impact over a widespread area.

"Although it's too early to anticipate what weather this autumn and winter will bring, we are prepared with a new list of names to help raise awareness of severe weather before it hits," said Will Lang, Head of the National Severe Weather Warning Service at the UK Met Office.
The streets of Temple Bar were virtually deserted during the early stages of lockdown

AN immunologist from Maynooth University said he does not believe lockdowns work against Covid-19.

Professor Paul Moynagh, from the universitys Institute for Human Health said Ireland had already had a very severe lockdown and this had failed to rid the country of the virus.

Lockdowns have never eliminated a virus, Prof Moynagh told Newstalk Breakfast.

The best way forward, Prof Moynagh felt, was for the continuation of society solidarity - including the wearing of masks, washing of hands and of increased testing and tracing.

Read More

That system has to work really well, he said, referring to State testing and tracing.

Some of our high numbers were triggered by high numbers in meat factories.

To me, it's a red flag to say we should be mass testing facilities.

Covid-19 cases have risen across Ireland in recent weeks, with yesterday seeing 217 cases - the highest daily case since May.

However, according to yesterdays figures, there had been no deaths for 10 days.

The lower death rate could, Prof Moynagh felt, indicate older people may be protecting themselves.

But there could also be a possibility that the viral load leading to infections, had been decreased by mask wearing.

That may decrease the severity, he said. There is talk of building a narrative in terms of lockdowns.

I look at the trade off of lockdowns, to flatten the curve. Having done that and our lockdown was very severe and we ended it at a glacial pace...

I see very little evidence that lockdowns work. This narrative that lockdown is the solution - we never in history used lockdowns to eliminate a virus.

If our long term strategy is lockdown, we don't have a strategy for the virus.
Goya's donation of shelf-stable products including beans, coconut water, and other products will be included in meal kits that will be distributed directly to thousands of families by The Salvation Army. "We know time is of the essence during situations like these and thankfully through The White House and FEMA, we were able to immediately reach The Salvation Army," said Bob Unanue, President of Goya Foods. "We are honored to work with The Salvation Army and commend their quick efforts in providing families with essential food. We will always be available during times of crisis to aid our fellow Americans."

This donation is part of Goya Gives, a global program committed to promoting the overall well-being of communities through social responsibility, environmental initiatives, and company values. In response to the pandemic, the company has been distributing an on-going donation of millions of pounds of food to food banks across the nation, Puerto Rico and South America as well as 20,000 protective masks to health care providers. During Hurricane Maria Goya donated over one million pounds of food to the people of Puerto Rico, in addition to the starving people of Venezuela during governmental unrest, to the people of Haiti during the earthquake, and at home during Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricanes Isaac, Harvey, and Irene. Since 1936, giving back is the heart of Goya and has always been a part of the company's DNA.

To learn more about Goya Gives, please visit: www.goya.com

About Goya Foods

Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or give at HelpSalvationArmy.org.

For more information, contact:

Natalie J. Maniscalco

845.659.6506 / [email protected]

SOURCE Goya Foods
Will O'Shea, 57, who was a data architecture and governance specialist in the Cabinet Office from April, lost his job after the tweet

One of Dominic Cummings' 'weirdos and misfits' was sacked after saying police should use 'live rounds' on Black Lives Matter protesters, it has emerged.

Will O'Shea, 57, who was a data architecture and governance specialist in the Cabinet Office from April, lost his job after the tweet.

Colleagues found and reported the July 5 post and he was booted out of Westminster the same month.

It was the second of Mr Cummings' intake to leave their role after making race-related comments, with Andrew Sabisky having quit Downing Street in February.

Mr O'Shea's tweet came in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in the US when thousands of protesters were also on the streets in the UK.

He had replied to a post about Metropolitan police officers being driven out of a London housing estate, saying: 'Time to get out the live rounds.'

The data specialist told a Guardian reporter - posing as a recruitment agent - he was 'let go because of my tweet'.

It was the second of Mr Cummings' (pictured yesterday) intake to leave their role after making race-related comment

But he later told the journalist over email he was never given a reason for being sacked.

Mr O'Shea said he can see why colleagues at the Government Digital Service in the Cabinet Office found his post racist, incendiary and offensive.

The department was already facing complaints from BAME staff over alleged racism and bullying.

He said he accepted they thought he meant police should be shooting black people in London, but added it was not meant seriously.

Mr O'Shea told the reporter: 'I can see how it was taken that way, and I am sorry for that.' He added: 'I didn't say ''shoot blacks'' and that was not what I meant or wished.'

His Twitter account has since been deleted in a bid to 'get rid of any of the things I had said'.

The aide, who has an MBA from Manchester University and speaks French and German, was among the 'weirdos and misfits' Mr Cummings' called for in January.

The 'unusual set of people' were wanted to work in 'the frontiers of the science of prediction', 'data science, Alternative Intelligence and cognitive technologies' and 'decision-making institutions at the apex of government'.

Mr O'Shea never met the PM's chief adviser, but claimed he was interviewed by data scientist Ben Warner in what has been used as the Covid-19 press conference room.

A government spokesman told MailOnline: 'Will O'Shea was not hired to work in No 10.

'He was employed by the Cabinet Office as an external contractor for the Government Digital Service on coronavirus.

'All standard vetting processes were carried out for a contractor role through a commercial framework.'

The sacking followed Mr Sabisky's resignation in February after he made comments about forced contraception of the 'underclass' and the IQs of black people.

The sacking followed Mr Sabisky's (pictured) resignation in February after he made comments about forced contraception of the 'underclass' and the IQs of black people

The government adviser suggested black Americans have a lower average IQ than whites and labelled public outcry over female genital mutilation a 'moral panic'.

Mr Sabisky also said 'women's sport is more comparable to the Paralympics than it is to men's' and reportedly advocated legally enforcing the uptake of contraception to stop unplanned pregnancies 'creating a permanent underclass'.

The PM came under growing pressure to sack the 27-year-old, who was apparently drafted in to Number 10 after Mr Cummings called for 'misfits and weirdos'.

Downing Street repeatedly refused to condemn the remarks but Mr Sabisky said he was stepping down due to 'media hysteria' and so as not to be a 'distraction'.

He tweeted: 'Hey all, The media hysteria about my old stuff online is mad but I wanted to help HMG not be a distraction.

'Accordingly I've decided to resign as a contractor. I hope no.10 hires more ppl w/ good geopolitical forecasting track records & that media learn to stop selective quoting.'
New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Wednesday (September 2) issued an order stating refunds of over Rs 98,625 crore to over 26.2 lakh taxpayers between 1st April to 1st September. This also includes personal income tax (PIT) refunds amounting to Rs 29,997 crore issued to 24,50,041 taxpayers and corporate tax refunds amounting to Rs 68,628 crore issued to over 1,68,421 taxpayers during this period.

In a tweet, the I-T Department said, "CBDT issues refunds of over Rs. 98,625 crores to more than 26.2 lakh taxpayers between 1st April 2020 to 1st September 2020. Income tax refunds of Rs. 29,997 crore have been issued in 24,50,041 cases & corporate tax refunds of Rs.68,628 crore have been issued in 1,68,421 cases."

Notably, the CBDT order has been issued in exercise of powers conferred under section 138(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

According to the CBDT, "The data on cash withdrawal indicated that a huge amount of cash is being withdrawn by the persons who have never filed income-tax returns. To ensure filing of return by these persons and to keep track on cash withdrawals by the non-filers, and to curb black money, the Finance Act, 2020 with effect from July 1, 2020, further amended the Income-Tax Act, 1961 to lower the threshold of cash withdrawal to Rs 20 lakh for the applicability of TDS for the non-filers and also mandated TDS at the higher rate of 5 percent on cash withdrawal exceeding Rs 1 crore by the non-filers."

Income Tax Department has already provided a functionality "Verification of applicability under section 194N" on its website for banks and post offices since July 1, 2020. Through this functionality, the bank/post office can get the applicable rate of TDS under section 194N of the Income-tax Act, 1961 by entering the PAN of the person who is withdrawing cash.

The department has now released a new functionality "ITR Filing Compliance Check" which will be available to scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) to check the IT return filing status of PANs in bulk mode. The Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) has notified the procedure and format for providing notified information to the scheduled commercial banks.

The salient features of using the functionality are:

Accessing "ITR Filing Compliance Check": The principal officer and designated director of SCBs, which are registered with the reporting portal of the income-tax department (https://report.insight.gov.in) shall be able to use the functionality after logging into the reporting portal using their credentials.

After successfully logging in, link to the functionality "ITR Filing Compliance Check" will appear on the home page of the reporting portal.

Preparing request (input) file containing PANs: The CSV template to enter PAN details can be downloaded by clicking on the "Download CSV Template" button on the "ITR Filing Compliance Check" page.

PANs, for which IT Return filing status is required, are required to be entered in the downloaded CSV template. The current limit of PANs in one file is 10,000.

Uploading the input CSV file: Input CSV file may be uploaded by clicking on Upload CSV button. While uploading, "Reference Financial Year" is required to be selected. Reference Financial Year is the year for which results are required. If selected Reference Financial Year is 2020-21 then results will be available for assessment years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. The uploaded file will start reflecting with uploaded status.

Downloading the output CSV file: After processing, CSV file containing IT Return Filing Status of the entered PANs will be available for download, and "Status" will change to Available. The output CSV file will have PAN, name of the PAN holder (masked), IT Return Filing Status for the last three assessment years.

After downloading the file, the status will change to downloaded and after 24 hours of availability of the file, the download link will expire and status will change to Expired.

Scheduled commercial banks can also use API based exchange to automate and integrate the process with the bank`s core banking solution.

Scheduled commercial banks are required to document and implement appropriate information security policies and procedures with clearly defined roles and responsibilities to ensure the security of information.
Industry Update

Appointment

2 September 2020

Evan Sheridan

Appointed Corporate Culinary Director

At Aparium Hotel Group in Chicago - IL, USA

As Corporate Culinary Director, Evan Sheridan will work alongside the Chefs, General Managers and Food & Beverage Development teams to assist in menu development, staff management and F&B programming across Aparium's eight hotels, maintaining the brand's standards within all venues of the properties. He will also play a role as a key team member for food and beverage operation strategies, development, and management with a specialization in the Culinary Arts. Sheridan brings more than 18 years of experience in the food and beverage industry to the role. Prior to joining Aparium, Sheridan was an integral culinary team leader at some of the country's most prestigious hotels and restaurants including the St. Jane Hotel, Sixteen Restaurant in Chicago and The Inn at Little Washington. Sheridan is a two-Michelin star recipient and has five years' experience leading teams in 5-star 5-diamond facilities. In 2018, Sheridan was nominated for a Jean Banchet Rising Pastry Chef of the Year award.

Aparium Hotel Group Aparium Hotel Group is a company founded and controlled by experienced professionals in hotel development, management, and marketing who hold the belief that great hotels are a destination sought out by travelers and a favorite place for locals - a philosophy Aparium calls Translocal Hospitality. more information

Recent Appointments at Aparium Hotel Group Harper Counts - Corporate Director of Sales 10 September 2021  Harper Counts joins the team as Corporate Director of Sales overseeing the sales teams both within the organization and across Aparium's portfolio of properties. Prior to joining Aparium, Counts was the Director of Sales and Marketing for The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel, and will lend her expertise in the luxury market to boost growth at Aparium's award-winning luxury properties. read more

Max Wastler - Vice President of Brand 8 September 2021  Max Wastler joins Aparium as Vice President of Brand overseeing the image and experience of the Aparium brand as a whole and each individual brand within the portfolio of hotels and restaurants. Wastler brings nearly two decades of branding and marketing experience to Aparium having previously consulted on strategy and storytelling for companies such as J. read more
The Sunshine State, Florida has a new amendment that restores the right of ex-felons to vote. There is a little technicality that says all felons have to settle all court fees or they won't be allowed to vote.

Most convicted felons cannot vote, which makes the Florida amendment a big deal for those wanting to exercise their right of suffrage. Now with the law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and still agreed upon by the U.S. Supreme Court will pose a huge change, reported CBS News.

One of these convicted felons is Christine Vincent, who wants to function as a normal citizen. The passed law may cloud her chances. Instituting the law in Florida has not been seen as favorable, especially for those affected. For many, this law is very controversial, especially for former felons.

How much is owed by the felon can be hard to determine. Most of the records are somewhat the problem itself. Take Vincent, who comes from Broward and has three kids. She served two years committing Grand Theft, but she still has to pay $8,000 fees. The catch is that she thought it was already settled. A voting rights group called the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition told her that she owes the 8-grand but the local system cannot verify the exact amount, cited MSN.

She expressed that voting is a big deal to her and the right gives here equal footing to non-felons, and she is not seen in a convict persona. Hearing the De Santis edict made her feel a felon again, having to begin at step one all over again.

Also read: Joe Biden's Family Record Show Drug Usage, Drunk Driving, and Other Charges But No One Was Jailed

Jonathan Diaz, who is a voting rights attorney linked to the Campaign Legal Center, said that the process of the actual amount owed by felons is hard to settle. He expressed it more succinctly that a legal background is needed, noted WTOP News. To make a point, record-keeping is in disarray, which is aggravated by no digitization of existing documents. Another problem is the data is kept by the county, not in a singular database for single access.

Another ex-felon with such problems related to fees is Angel Sanchez, 38 years-old, chipping away at fees costing $1,698. These are court-ordered fees from a 12-year sentence by committing a gang-related crime. He is the exception because he worked in a burger joint and paid the legal fees with his earnings from there. But now, he is a graduate from the Miami School of Law.

When he checked on what he owed, the information indicated that all the fees for everything including court fees are all paid up.

Sanchez, who resides in Miami-Dade, is working with state institutions to fix the errors that have piled up since. In November, he can finally vote freely.

He is worried that if the issue is not cleared up, it will keep ex-felons from exercising their rights. He added that he is a productive member of society. He does not want to be called for voting fraud.

For Sanchez, it is all clear to vote but, other ex-felons may have a problem with court fees and fines till the state resolves everything.

Related article: Top Intelligence Office Tells Congress: No Security Briefings on US Elections

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
To be re-elected, Donald Trump knows he has to distract the nation from the pandemic that he has flagrantly failed to control  leaving more than 180,000 Americans already dead, tens of millions jobless and at least 30 million reportedly hungry.

So hes counting on the reliable Republican dog whistle. Your vote, Trump said in his speech closing the Republican convention last Thursday night, will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens.

We will have law and order on the streets of this country, Vice President Pence declared the previous evening, warning you wont be safe in Joe Bidens America.

Neither Trump nor Pence mentioned the real threats to law and order in America today, such as gun-toting agitators like Kyle Rittenhouse, a white 17-year-old who traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week during protests over the police shooting of a Black man, and then shot and killed two people and wounded a third.

Rittenhouse, perhaps not coincidentally, occupied a front-row seat at a Trump rally in Des Moines, Iowa, last January.

On Saturday night, a pro-Trump caravan that included members of the neo-fascist Proud Boys drove into Portland, Oregon, shooting protesters with pepper spray and driving into crowds. Someone wearing the hat of a far-right group called Patriot Prayer was shot dead.

Trumps reaction? Rather than condemn the violence, he tweeted GREAT PATRIOTS! in support of the pro-Trump agitators, and, The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected. ... The people of Portland wont put up with no safety any longer. Trump also retweeted a claim that this coup attempt is led by a well funded network of anarchists trying to take down the President.

For the first time in history, a United States president is openly justifying violence by some Americans against other Americans.

The threat to the nations law and order also comes from conspiracy theorists such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, the recently nominated Republican candidate for Georgias 14th congressional district and promoter of QAnon, whose adherents believe Trump is battling a cabal of deep state saboteurs who worship Satan and traffic children for sex. Trump has praised Greene as a future Republican star, and claimed that QAnon followers love our country.

The threat also comes from people such as Mary Ann Mendoza, a member of Trumps campaign advisory board, who was scheduled to speak at the Republican convention until she retweeted an antisemitic rant about a Jewish plan to enslave the worlds peoples and steal their land.

Clearly the threat also comes from hotheaded, often racist police officers who fire bullets into the backs of Black men and women or kneel on their necks so they cant breathe. Needless to say, there was little mention at the Republican convention of Jacob Blake, and none of George Floyd or Breonna Taylor.

And the threat comes from Trumps own lackeys, who have brazenly broken laws to help him attain and keep power. Since Trump first promised to hire only the best people, 14 Trump aides, donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned.

Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani  who ranted at the Republican convention about rioting and looting in cities with Democratic mayors  has repeatedly met with pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach, whom American intelligence has determined is spreading claims about corruption ... to undermine former Vice President Bidens candidacy and the Democratic Party.

In addition, federal prosecutors are investigating Giulianis business dealings in Ukraine, with two men arrested in an alleged campaign finance scheme.

Trumps Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, who had been a major Trump campaign donor before taking over the Postal Service, is being sued by six states and the District of Columbia for allegedly seeking to undermine the postal service as millions of Americans plan to vote by mail during the pandemic.

Not to forget Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who spoke to the Republican convention while on an official trip to the Middle East in apparent violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits officials of the executive branch other than the president and vice president from engaging in partisan politics.

In short, the real threat to American law and order is found in Donald Trumps above-the-law, race-baiting, me-first presidency. This nation is in serious need of protection from him, and from the bottom-dwellers whose behavior he incites and justifies.

Robert Reichs new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, came out in March.

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Prominent Hong Kong activist Nathan Law says Germany has a special responsibility to defend democratic values and freedom.

On the same day that the Chinese Foreign Minister visited Berlin, he came to the German capital.

He had a message for Germany: Less talk, more action.
(ANSA) - PISTOIA, SEP 2 - Three female care home workers were arrested Wednesday of mistreating elderly residents at the home in Pescia near Pistoia in northern Tuscany.

Carabinieri carried out the arrests.

Local prosecutors are leading the probe.

The three women were placed under house arrest.

They are suspected of verbal and physical abuse of clients.

The alleged abuse took place between June and August, police said.

Police said they had CCTV evidence of the abuse.

Police are interviewing residents.

Italy's care home shave been hard hit by COVID-19.

Several negligence probes have been opened.

Most of them are in the hardest hit region, Lombardy. (ANSA).


Hong Kong: CS visits testing centre

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today visited the community testing centre at Queen Elizabeth Stadium to inspect its operation and to give encouragement to the staff.

He was briefed by the Civil Service Bureau's Director of General Grades Hermes Chan on the manpower allocation as well as the centre's design and workflow.

Mr Cheung said he was pleased to learn that appropriate arrangements had been made for the centre's design and workflow in accordance with infection control and social distancing measures.

All staff and members of the public who were tested also followed the necessary procedures, ensuring that the entire testing process is safe, quick and convenient.

He also learnt that all community testing centres have been operating smoothly as a whole since the Universal Community Testing Programme began yesterday.

Mr Cheung thanked the healthcare personnel who are responsible for collecting specimens at the testing centres as well as government employees undertaking administrative support for their efforts, which facilitated the programme's smooth operation.

"After reviewing the first-day operation of the programme, the Government decided to increase the test quota for the public to make appointments," he said.

Mr Cheung also appealed to the public to actively participate in the programme and sign up for the tests.

"The more people that participate in the programme, the higher the chances of identifying asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in the community for early isolation and early treatment.

"It will help break the invisible transmission chain in the community and contain the spread of the third wave of the epidemic so that social and economic activities can resume gradually and people's daily lives can resume as normal."

This story has been published on: 2020-09-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 06:33:19|Editor: huaxia

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Video: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells world leaders on Sept. 2, 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a game-changer for international peace and security, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. (Xinhua)



"It is a game-changer for international peace and security," says the UN chief, emphasizing that the process can play a key role in "promoting unity and aligning thinking" on how to beat back the pandemic.



UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders on Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a game-changer for international peace and security.

The world has "entered a volatile and unstable new phase" in terms of the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, the UN chief told a virtual meeting with world leaders.

Tourists play water volleyball in the Red Sea in the southern port city of Aqaba, Jordan, on June 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)

GAME CHANGER

Speaking at one of a series of international meetings among heads of state to enhance global cooperation in fighting terrorism and violent extremism, as part of the Aqaba Process, the UN secretary-general said the pandemic is more than a global health crisis.

The Aqaba Process is an initiative launched in 2015 in the Jordanian city of the same name by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, to strengthen international cooperation against violent extremism and terrorism.

"It is a game-changer for international peace and security," said the UN chief, emphasizing that the process can play a key role in "promoting unity and aligning thinking" on how to beat back the pandemic.

The meetings, held via teleconference, covered security challenges emerging in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to address them, in addition to means of unifying and integrating efforts among all stakeholders to counter the threats of terrorism and extremism.

This round of meetings reportedly saw the participation of the presidents of Nigeria, the Philippines, Kenya, and Bulgaria; and the prime ministers of Canada, Bulgaria, and Albania, in addition to UN and Interpol secretaries-general and NATO's deputy secretary general.

A medical worker wearing protective equipment takes a swab sample from a woman for a COVID-19 PCR test at a temporary screening center in front of the city hall of Paris, France, Aug. 31, 2020. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

WARNING LIGHTS

Guterres told the virtual meeting that the coronavirus has exposed the basic fragility of humankind, laid bare systemic and entrenched inequalities, and thrust into the spotlight geopolitical challenges and security threats.

"The warning lights are flashing," he said, stressing that as the virus is "exacerbating grievances, undermining social cohesion and fueling conflicts," it is also likely to "act as a catalyst in the spread of terrorism and violent extremism."

Moreover, international tensions are being driven by supply chain disruptions, protectionism and growing nationalism - with rising unemployment, food insecurity and climate change.

A staff member of Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration has her temperature checked before COVID-19 tests in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

GLOBAL SOLIDARITY

The pandemic has highlighted vulnerabilities to emerging threats such as bioterrorism and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.

"The world faces grave security challenges that no single country or organization can address alone," Guterres said, adding that "there is an urgent need for global unity and solidarity."

Recalling the UN's Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week in July, he reminded that participants called for a "reinvigorated commitment to multilateralism to combat terrorism and violent extremism."

However, a lack of international cooperation to tackle the pandemic has been "startling," Guterres said, highlighting national self-interest, transactional information sharing and manifestations of authoritarianism.

Students wearing face masks study in a classroom at a school in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sept. 2, 2020.(Photo by Huseyin Aldemir/Xinhua)

PEOPLE FIRST

The UN chief underscored the need to put people first, by enhancing information sharing and technical cooperation "to prevent terrorists exploiting the pandemic for their own nefarious goals" and thinking "long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes."

"This includes upholding the rights and needs of victims of terrorism... (and) the repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters, especially women and children, and their dependents to their countries of origin," he noted.

Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows a big screen displayed to create awareness on COVID-19 protective measures in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)



POST-COVID REBUILDING

The secretary-general also addressed the Centenary Summit of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) on how private and public sector cooperation can help drive post-COVID change.

He lauded the IOE's "significant contributions" to global policymaking for economic and social progress, job creation and a mutually beneficial business environment, calling it "an important pillar of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since its earliest days."

"Today, our primary task is to defeat the pandemic and rebuild lives, livelihoods, businesses, and economies," he told the virtual summit.

In building back, he underscored that workers and small businesses should be protected, and everyone be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

A member of Chinese medical team in Ghana hands over medical supplies to an official in LEKMA hospital, in order to support the hospital's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in Accra, capital of Ghana, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

TRIPARTITE COOPERATION

ILO chief Guy Ryder highlighted the need for conscious policy decisions and tripartite cooperation to overcome transformational challenges, such as technological change and climate change, as well as COVID-19.

Ryder also flagged that employers must continue to collaborate in social dialogue and maintain their commitment to both multilateralism and the ILO.

The IOE represents more than 50 million companies and is a key partner in the international multilateral system for over 100 years as the voice of business at the ILO, across the UN, the G20 richest countries and other emerging forums. 
A British mother has been found dead in her Ibiza Rocks Hotel room by her devastated sister after dying in her sleep during a girls trip to the party island.

Amy Connor, 23, was staying at the famous party destination in the resort town of San Antonio, with her sibling, Toni, 26, and cousin, Alison.

The group, from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, had been sunbathing before going back to their room to rest on August 20.

Speaking for the first time since her sister's tragic death, Toni recalled the horrifying moment she found Amy's lifeless body.

'We had been down to the pool and then came back up to the room for a while, so Amy got into the shower and then got into bed,' she said.

'I went and sat out on the balcony and ate some crisps and chilled and when I came back in, she was still in the bed. It was so surreal, it didn't make sense. It was just such a shock.'

Spanish police have not yet commented about what they believed caused Amy's death.

Amy Connor, 23, was staying at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in the resort town San Antonio, where her body was found by her sibling, Toni, 26

Amy - right - was enjoying a holiday on the Spanish party island with her sister, Toni, left, when the tragedy happened

Ibiza Rocks advertises itself as 'the home of the pool party' and is known for its lively DJ sets featuring stars including Craig David, Rudimental, DJ EZ and Sonny Fodera.

Three weeks' ago it hosted a set by Fatboy Slim while Jane Park, who became the EuroMillions winner in 2017, was also a recent visitor.

Guests can watch performances by the pool from their balconies and there is also a rooftop with views out to the sea.

Toni, who is in her second year studying journalism at Ulster University, praised the staff at the hotel for their 'gob-smacking generosity in our time of need'.

She said: 'Trying to get home was an absolute nightmare, we had to fly into Majorca, then into Dublin and then from Dublin up home

'But the hotel staff were incredible, we couldn't have asked for better. They went as far as making us priority booking, they paid for our cases. I had given them my card to sort our travel home and I told them I didn't care what it cost just to get us home.

'They even offered to fly us via London but we would have had to stay overnight in London and they offered to pay for that hotel too but we just wanted to get home as quick as we could.

'They packed our cases, they looked after us giving us food and water, you name it they brought it to us, I was so gob-smacked at their generosity in our time of need.'

Toni said the local community have also rallied around the family and explained how Amy touched the lives of so many people in her short life.

She added: 'Amy is the kind of person if you met her once you'd definitely remember her, she was very out there, she's so friendly and outgoing and she knows everyone, so we have been overwhelmed by the amount of people getting in touch since the news.

'It's no exaggeration when I say I have had over 1,000 messages sent to me just on Facebook, there have been bunches of flowers and cards and everything sent to the house, people have been so generous.

'Amy was the kind of person who was friends with everyone, it never made a difference what side of the town they were from, she was just friends with everyone and that's what everyone loved about her.'

As well as her heartbroken parents Carol McKibbin and Arthur Connor, stepfather Campbell Kennedy, siblings Aaron John, Jean and Toni, Amy also leaves behind her three-year-old daughter Kaliyah.

'Kaliyah's been staying with me since,' said Toni. 'It's heartbreaking.'

Amy, left, with Toni in one of the last photos posted during their holiday trip to Ibiza

The Ibiza Rocks Hotel Resort - which has hundreds of rooms grouped around a central courtyard with a pool

Recalling Amy's fun-loving nature, Toni said the close-knit family are feeling the void left by their beloved sister and daughter.

She said: 'Amy was so kind, so bubbly she was always smiling, she loved to sing and dance in the car, I have millions of videos of Amy and she's singing a song in nearly every one, she was just the life and soul of every party. Even if something bothered Amy, she wouldn't let anyone really know it bothered her, she just got on with it.

'There are four of us, three girls and my older brother but us three girls, Amy, Jean and I would have always been with each other, we would have had video chats every morning, when she is not there, you definitely notice it, it's just not the same.'

The family are now planning to give Amy a send-off fit for a princess, as her sisters and friends plan to carry her coffin as they say their final farewell today.

She added: 'We ordered her a pink coffin with diamonds the whole way around it, it was specially made for her and is engraved to say Princess, so it will look gorgeous for her. They said they had never made a coffin like it before and I thought that sounds right, Amy was one of a kind.

'The girls are going to lift the coffin and we want to give her the best send-off possible.'

Toni earlier paid a tribute to her sister on Facebook, writing: 'I don't understand how life just goes on.'

Her mother Carol wrote: 'My baby girl... love you loads.'

Hundreds of friends have paid tribute to Amy, calling her a 'beautiful soul' who will be 'sorely missed'

Hundreds of tributes also poured in from Amy's friends, including one who wrote: 'I knew Amy as a wee teenager who used to come into my place of work at the time in Coleraine and she was always such a wee ball of energy.'

Another said: 'My heart is breaking for yous all no words will ever help but I believe your baby girl Amy will give yous all the strength to cope in the long difficult road ahead! Fly high with the angels Amy Connor.'

A third friend wrote: 'Amy, you were most beautiful soul. Honestly I'm so shocked that you have gone to heaven.

'Please look over your family. You will be sorely missed by all of us, my heart breaks for you all.'
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Today, September 2, 2020, marks the 29th anniversary of the declaration of independence of Artsakh, formerly known as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

On this day in 1991, a joint sitting of lawmakers from the Nagorno Karabakh provincial council and the Shahumyan regional council proclaimed the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) within the borders of the former NKAO and Shahumyan region. The move was in line with the then-active legislation, particularly the April 3, 1990 law which entitled national autonomies to determine their status on their own.

On December 10, 1991, a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno Karabakh held a referendum, where the overwhelming majority, 99,89%, of the population voted in favor of complete independence from Azerbaijan. After this, Azerbaijan totally blockaded NKR and launched military aggressions.

The Artsakh Liberation War began when for the first time in September of 1991 Azerbaijan bombarded Stepanakert with Alazan rockets from Shushi. In 1994, at the request of Azerbaijan a trilateral (Azerbaijan, NKR, Armenia) ceasefire agreement was signed on May 12.

15 years after independence, in 2006, the people of Artsakh adopted the countrys Constitution through a referendum, again on September 2.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 23:15:00|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Hong Kong lawmaker Leung Chung-hang on Wednesday started to serve his four-week jail sentence after the High Court rejected his appeal and upheld the conviction for participating in an unlawful assembly.

As a then member of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Leung stormed a LegCo meeting along with four other people in an attempt to take another oath of office on Nov. 2, 2016 after his first oath-taking in October was ruled invalid for insulting the country and advocating "Hong Kong independence" in the process.

During the violent incident, the defendants tussled with security guards and caused injuries to six of the guards.

After they were all given a four-week sentence on June 4, 2018, Leung was bailed and appealed against the conviction.

Chan Ka-shun, judge of the High Court, ruled Wednesday that Leung cannot be exempted from his violent acts even if he truly believed he was authorized to enter the meeting room, and dismissed his claim that the sentence was excessive. Enditem
Editors note: This part of a series of profiles on cannabis brokers, in which Insurance Journal explores why and how these folks got into the business, the ups and downs of insuring cannabis, as well as a few tips for those interested in a little professional development.

Isaac Bock, vice president of AlphaRoot, a New York-based broker focused on the cannabis space, has only been in insurance for the last five-and-a half-years, but it didnt take him long to find a specialty.

Bock was with Marsh before taking a position at Founder Shield (AlphaRoots parent company) as a senior account executive and then vice president. He began working on cannabis accounts as soon as he joined Founder Shield in 2017.

Beyond insurance, Bock is boning up on his cannabis education. Hes pursuing an M.S. in medical cannabis science and therapeutics from the University of Maryland. He is also a member of the TrailBlazers, a curated community of cannabis business and cultural leaders who work to advance the industry.

Bock spoke with Insurance Journal about his experience as a cannabis broker.

Insurance Journal: Why did you get in the cannabis and insurance space?

Bock: As a lot people in the insurance industry seemingly do, I fell into the industry. While at the University of Pennsylvania I originally planned on going into the legal industry but wanted to get some work experience  and enjoy New York  before going back to school.

A fellow lacrosse alum discussed opportunities at Marsh with me and convinced me to apply following graduation and I have been in it ever since. As far as the cannabis industry goes, the medicinal uses have always been of interest to me as a healthier alternative to many of the widely accepted pain relief medicines on the market today. The AlphaRoot brand is actually one of the main reasons I left Marsh due to my interest in the cannabis space.

IJ: Has this been a good financial decision so far?

Bock: Working in this industry has been a great decision for me personally on all fronts. I have always enjoyed working with companies in innovative industries and I believe the cannabis industry will soon become one of the largest in the country. While there have definitely been ups and downs from a production standpoint since working in this industry, I can say it has been net positive from a financial standpoint and can only continue to go up.

As the industry itself matures and the insurance industry begins to understand it more and more, the opportunities for growth will only continue to increase. Like any other young industries, you have to take a long-term view in order to be successful, which is how our team views any downs we experience.

IJ: Whats the hardest thing about the cannabis industry to deal with?

Bock: The cannabis industry is a very small place for now and as such it is more of a community than anything else. While this definitely makes it one of the most enjoyable industries to work in, it also proved to be one of the hardest aspects of it early on  and even to this date.

As we work in an ancillary business line from the core aspects of the industry, it is continually hard to prove that we are part of the community, not just looking to exploit it. We have worked extremely hard to make ourselves a very active member of the cannabis community outside of just our job as an insurance brokerage, joining a number of communities to better ingrain ourselves. This has proven to be a successful approach for us thus far allowing us to place coverage for our large MSO clients and speak to them knowledgeably on all aspects of the business, as well as connect with those small shops/brands who are just starting out.

IJ: What insurance product is the most difficult to obtain for your cannabis industry clients? Why?

Bock: There is a bit of nuance in this question. As the cannabis industry has grown, the insurance industry has been catching up to it. At one point, it was a struggle to get even the most basic coverage for a company involved with cannabis. However, that is no longer the case as there are more carriers getting involved at this point. That said, more so than most industries, the insureds operations, where the operate and how they operate can diminish the number of markets very quickly.

One of the most common issues we have seen as of late is obtaining full limits for high value property at a single location  typically above $30 million. There are a number of markets that can provide coverage for property at these locations, however, the overall capacity is rather low compared to more mainstream industries and can be capped as low as $2.5 million per location. This can be attributed to a number of carriers leaving the industry this year as well as COVID impacting the remaining carriers capacity to provide high limits.

Additionally, many carriers have stopped offering business income for the time being due to the disproportionately high number of break-ins cannabis companies have experienced during the social unrest that has gripped our country.

IJ: What two or three tips do you have for brokers entering the business of insuring cannabis?

Bock: Ingrain yourself in the industry. Do not just understand the insurance aspect, gain an understanding and appreciation for the cannabis industry as a whole. Be a teacher. Explain to your clients why each coverage is important specifically as it relates to their operations within the space.

Many cannabis companies that are just starting out may not have a ton of insurance purchasing experience, so it is important to educate them on how they should be structuring their risk management program as they continue to grow.

Topics Agencies Cannabis Market
A new international study published today [02 September] has shown that treating critically ill patients with COVID-19 with the steroid hydrocortisone improves their chances of recovery.

The study, led in the UK by Professor Anthony Gordon from Imperial College London with collaborators from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre, found that patients receiving intensive care who were treated with a regular fixed dose of the steroid hydrocortisone for seven days had a better chance of recovery, compared with the patients who were not treated with the steroid. Patients in the UK were treated at 88 hospitals including Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Hospitals.

This research is one of three studies, published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), that suggests steroids improve survival of the sickest COVID-19 patients. As a result, the World Health Organisation will be issuing new guidelines to include the use of steroids to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Professor Gordon, Chair in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Imperial and a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "At the beginning of the year at times it felt almost hopeless, knowing that we had no specific treatments. It was a very worrying time. Yet less than six months later, we've found clear, reliable evidence in high quality clinical trials of how we can tackle this devastating disease."

The work was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Professor Gordon added: "The studies published today show that we now have more than one choice of treatment for those who need it most. Steroids are not a cure, but they help improve outcomes. Having a choice of different types of steroids, all of which seem to improve patient recovery, is great as it helps ease the problem of drug supply issues."

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: "One of the distinctive benefits of having our NHS is that we've been able to mobilise quickly and at scale to help researchers test and develop proven coronavirus treatments. Just as we did with dexamethasone, the NHS will now take immediate action to ensure that patients who could benefit from treatment with hydrocortisone do so, adding a further weapon in the armoury in the worldwide fight against Covid-19."

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said:

"These findings offer further evidence that corticosteroids can be an important part of COVID-19 treatment for severe patients.

"Both the REMAP-CAP and the Bristol University papers show the important work that has been done here in the UK by researchers in making further major contributions towards the international evidence. It is impressive to see so many UK participants willing to take part in studies, and able to volunteer due to the rapid recruitment response of the NIHR's Clinical Research Network. Research such as this will make the difference in controlling this virus."

Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, and evidence strongly suggests that they reduce the lung inflammation in patients with COVID-19 who are seriously ill and require oxygen support for their breathing difficulties.

In the hydrocortisone study, 403 patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who required respiratory or cardiovascular organ support (such as mechanical ventilation or drugs to support their blood pressure) were enrolled between March and June 2020. The cohort included patients of mixed ethnicities in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and France and patients were randomly assigned to different treatment regimes. One group were treated with a fixed dose of 50mg hydrocortisone four times a day for seven days, another group were treated with hydrocortisone only if their blood pressure dropped, and a third group received no hydrocortisone.

The trial showed that using the fixed dose of hydrocortisone led to a 93% chance of a better outcome (greater chance of survival and less need for organ support) than not using hydrocortisone. If the hydrocortisone was given only when the blood pressure was low, the chance of a better outcome was 80%.

A different study, called the RECOVERY trial, was also investigating whether another type of steroid, called dexamethasone, helped improve recovery of patients with COVID-19. The first results from the study, published in early June, suggested dexamethasone boosted recovery.

Because the dexamethasone study showed positive results, the hydrocortisone steroid study stopped recruiting patients on 17 June. These new results add to the previous study and provide additional support that steroids improve recovery in severe COVID-19.

The findings are published in JAMA alongside two further clinical trials which have also evidenced the benefits of steroids as a treatment for the severely ill COVID-19 patients. This journal edition also includes an overall analysis of the three independent studies, plus data from the original RECOVERY trial and three other smaller trials. It concludes that a range of steroids - all safe, cheap and readily available - can improve the outcomes of patients receiving intensive care.

Professor Gordon, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial, added: "This been an incredible international effort. We were all aware of the other studies and were happy to share our raw data before it was published. Only by collaborating were we going to make real advances and make them fast."

###
The Pirates announced that they have designated right-hander Carson Fulmer for assignment. The club also reinstated righty Joe Musgrove from the injured list, reinstated outfielder Bryan Reynolds from the paternity list and optioned infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna.

The Pirates are already the third team since July for Fulmer, who has gone from Chicago to Detroit to Pittsburgh in the past month-plus. Fulmer was once a highly regarded prospect, but it hasnt translated to success in the majors for the 26-year-old, who owns a 6.57 ERA/6.33 FIP across 101 1/3 innings with the White Sox and Tigers. He hasnt appeared in a big league game with the Pirates, who claimed him from the Tigers on Aug. 24, and could soon leave the organization. Fulmers out of options, though, so its possible no other team will take a chance on him.

Musgrove, out since Aug. 11 with right triceps inflammation, is scheduled to start for the Pirates against the Cubs on Wednesday. Musgrove started 2020 poorly before his IL placement (6.75 ERA/6.83 FIP in 14 2/3 innings), but he was a capable starter for the Pirates from 2018-19 and could boost his trade value heading into the offseason with a strong finish. Musgrove nearly went from Pittsburgh to Toronto before Mondays trade deadline, but the two sides couldnt come together on a deal.
New York, Sep 2 : A team led by Dan Jacobson of the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently used the Summit supercomputer to analyse genes from cells in the lung fluid of nine Covid-19 patients compared with 40 control patients.

The computational analyses, published in the journal eLife in July, suggest that genes related to one of the body's systems responsible for lowering blood pressure -- the bradykinin system -- appear to be excessively "turned on" in the lung fluid cells of those with the virus.

Based on their analyses, the team believes that bradykinin -- the compound that dilates blood vessels and makes them permeable -- is overproduced in the bodies of Covid-19 patients.

They believe that related systems either contribute to overproduction or cannot slow the process.

Excessive bradykinin leads to leaky blood vessels, allowing fluid to build up in the body's soft tissues.

Much attention has focused on what's known as the cytokine storm, a severe reaction in which the body releases an excess of cytokines, a variety of small proteins that help regulate the immune system.

Jacobson's team thinks a bradykinin storm may instead be to blame for much of the viral pathogenesis.

If the team's disease mechanism model is accurate and substantiated by experimental analysis, it may mean that existing medicines could be repurposed to slow the pathogenesis of Covid-19.

This would require extensive clinical trials of drugs currently used to treat other bradykinin-related conditions.

"If we can block this pathogenesis in severe patients, we can keep the human response from going overboard and give their immune system time to fight off the virus so they can recover," Jacobson said.

The bradykinin storm could explain the wide variety of symptoms experienced by Covid-19 patients, such as muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and decreased cognitive function.

Similar symptoms are also experienced by patients with other bradykinin-related conditions such as hereditary angioedema, a genetic condition that is characterised by episodes of severe swelling throughout the body.

"This is one of those rare times where you can really tie everything back to a eureka moment," said Jacobson.

"I was looking at data, and I suddenly saw some very distinct patterns happening in the pathways of the renin-angiotensin and bradykinin systems. That led us to do a deep dive of the gene families of the blood pressure regulatory system." The renin-angiotensin system, or RAS, and bradykinin pathway regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body.

Using the Summit and Rhea supercomputers at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, the team compared the genes of COVID-19 patients against a control group and analysed population-scale gene expression data -- 17,000 samples from uninfected individuals -- to see which genes were normally co-expressed, or turned on or off at the same time.

Summit is currently the most powerful supercomputer in the US, with a theoretical peak performance of 200 petaflops, or 200 quadrillion calculations per second.

Jacobson and his colleagues required the power of Summit to run 2.5 billion correlation calculations that helped them understand the normal regulatory circuits and relationships for the genes of interest.

With Summit, the team completed the calculations in one week rather than spending months doing them on a desktop computer.

The team also uncovered that an enzyme that forestalls the bradykinin cascade -- the angiotensin-converting enzyme, known as ACE -- was less expressed in Covid-19 patients.

At least 10 existing drugs are known to act on the specific pathways Jacobson's team studied, but large-scale clinical trials are needed to determine whether they might be effective at treating Covid-19.

The team also used the Compute and Data Environment for Science, or CADES, at ORNL to determine which genes in the RAS-bradykinin pathways have vitamin D binding sites.

The results of their analyses might help scientists determine through experimentation which parts of these pathways could potentially be influenced by vitamin D.

Because vitamin D helps regulate the RAS and vitamin D deficiencies have already been associated with more severe illness in COVID-19 patients, It is another molecule worth further study, said Jacobson.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Seoul:

South Korea said on Tuesday that a clear warning had been sent to North Korea by US President-elect Donald Trump's tweet dismissing Pyongyangs ballistic missile claims. North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US, Trump tweeted. It wont happen!

Trumps tweet came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un appeared to try to pressure the incoming president by announcing his country is in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Kim also said his country had significantly bolstered its nuclear arsenal in 2016.

Washington has repeatedly vowed that it would never accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed nation, but Trump has not previously clearly stated his policy on the isolated Stalinist state.

President-elect Trumps message is significant since it is his first mention of North Koreas nuclear programme and can be seen as a clear warning, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Cho June-Hyuck told a briefing.

Cho said the incoming US administration was clearly aware of the gravity and urgency of Pyongyangs nuclear threat thanks to South Koreas active outreach. US policy on the North would remain largely unchanged, he said.

They are maintaining an unwavering stance on the need for sanctions on North Korea, Cho said. In a New Years speech on Sunday, Kim did not make a specific reference to the incoming Trump administration. But he called on Washington to make a resolute decision to withdraw its anachronistic hostile North Korea policy.

Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realising its full nuclear ambitions, especially as it has never successfully test-fired an ICBM.However, it carried out two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches last year alone in pursuit of its oft-stated goaldeveloping a weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead.

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If you have the ability to have people wear masks and you have teachers able to be in a position where they can teach at a social distance  that, I think is one thing, he said in July during an interview with WBTV in Charlotte. But it costs a lot of money to do that. If you dont have that capacity, I think its too dangerous to open the schools. So it depends.
"Now more than ever, we are reflecting on the meaning of home and creating healthy environments for our families," said Allison O'Connor, President and CEO. "Families are now focising on creating rooms that are required to be multifunctional environments so they can use them functionally to work from home,co- teach children, gather comfortably and alos find personal respite, all the while maximizing space. Our Fall 2020 Collection is crafted with this intention by American artisans and with the care and love families truly deserve today."

Showcasing the home furnishings brand's iconic design with a touch of vintage '70s inspiration, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams' newest collection amplifies the comfort and joy of family friendly living. Key introductions include new sofas, accent chairs, a raffia bedroom storage collection, a modern bar cart for home happy hours, and an Essential program of classic parsons dining tables that also functions well in WFH spaces.

Reflections On Home, the Fall 2020 Collection, offers soothing color and textural stories that capture a reverence for the beauty of nature through the lens of seasonal change from late summer to winter:

Meadow

Inspired by Piet Oudolf's beautiful meadows and outdoor landscape architecture capturing the "emotion" of nature with refined finishes and materials for a new traditional mood. With an autumnal color palette and warm brass accents, this is also expressed in muted velvets and boucle in white, reminiscent of Indian summers

Forest

Influenced by minimalist Japanese design and expressed in a deeply saturated color palette of camel, olive, navy, chianti, oxblood, and slate. Dark, rich wood is paired with cool concrete and layers of leather highlighted with brushed brass accents.

Light and Shadow

Presented in studies of afternoon winter light with soft neutrals, woven natural textures, matte stone, concrete and plaster finishes. 

Winter

Embracing the crispness of winter's frost in shades of blue, beautiful Nordic colors, and cozy wool textures.

"This season, we have created beautiful pieces in earth-tone palettes with rich pairings  like white oak and brushed brass accents mixed with camel, olive and navywelcome nature into your homes," said Bob Williams, President of Design. "And we are also really focused on creating pieces that can suit the many different uses our customers may have."

The new Essential parsons dining collection offers multifunctional dining and kitchen tables that can also serve as desks in WFH spaces. The collection includes rectangular tables in three sizes: 60", 76" and 96". It also allows customers to customize the tables to suit perosnal style and need. There are four metal finishes: pewter, polished stainless steel, brushed stainless steel, and brushed brass. Three top options are possible: gray quartz, white quartz, and white quartz with natural veining. To coordinate with the tables, MG+BW's classic modern Gage and Remy dining chairs will now be available with the same metal finishes as well as both bar and counter stool options.

Through the years, our design partners and brand followers have asked us to bring back beloved upholstery styles from past seasons. For this special reason this Fall, we're introducing the MG+BW Classics Collection, a specially curated assortment of customer and interior designer favorites, celebrating more than 30 years of timeless design the evolution of our signature style and our abilding belief in comfort for all.

For interviews or hi-res photos, please contact:

Samantha Jacobson

VP of PR and Special Events

646.272.8432

[email protected]

www.mgbwhome.com

SOURCE Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
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Linkedin Norman Harsono and Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 14:06 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c422e6d6 1 Business natural-resources,bank-indonesia,foreign-exchange-earning,rupiah,Vale-Indonesia-INCO,Medco-Energi-Internasional Free

Indonesian natural resource exporters are waiting to see what Bank Indonesias (BI) recently announced plan to require the companies to convert their foreign currency earnings into rupiah will entail. The central bank hopes the policy will help stabilize the rupiah.

The measure is expected to apply to companies that exported more than US$300 million worth of natural resources in 2019. It is unclear which companies meet the threshold because data on export earnings is limited, but some major mining companies, such as nickel matte producer PT Vale Indonesia and the countrys biggest privately-owned oil and gas producer PT Medco Energi Internasional, earn and spend US dollars.

Players in Indonesias top three resource-exporting industries, namely oil and gas, palm oil and mining, knew little about the central banks plan.

After we confirmed it with BI, they said it was not yet something of focus, even though there was such a plan, Bernadus Iramanto, finance director of PT Vale Indonesia, said on Aug 26.

To convert all proceeds from nickel matte sales to rupiah would be a burden of its own.

BIs plan comes as the rupiah fluctuates significantly against the US dollar during the COVID-19 pandemic. The instability of the currency may pose a risk to the countrys economic recovery efforts.

The rupiah fell to a low of Rp 16,575 against the US dollar in March, rebounded to Rp 13,878 in June and had sunk to Rp 14,766 on Wednesday.

Read also: BI to require natural resource exporters to convert forex earnings to rupiah

The date that the new foreign exchange (forex) requirement will be instated depends on the stability of the rupiah, according to a statement BI Governor Perry Warjiyo in August. He said there would be a foreign currency ceiling in companies bank accounts and that anything above the threshold would have to be converted into rupiah.

The government requires exporters of natural resources to keep their earnings in special bank accounts.

Oil and gas exports in 2019, at $12.54 billion dollars, accounted for 7 percent of Indonesias total exports that year, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows. Exports of mineral fuel, animal fat and vegetable oil, including the countrys top commodity, palm oil, made up more than a quarter of last years total exports.

Frankly speaking, we haven't been asked about our opinion of the plan, said Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) executive director Hendra Sinadia. We need to look into its implementation so it doesn't hinder [business].

Hendra added that questions remained about how the plan would be implemented. He said coal miners used US dollars to sell their products at home and abroad, as well as to pay royalties.

As a good citizen, Medco will respond and follow these regulations appropriately, said Anthony Mathias, financial director at PT Medco Energi Internasional.

A director of PT United Tractors (UNTR), which owns Indonesias second-largest gold miner by output, PT Agincourt Resources, said the parent company had discussed the issue with Bank Indonesia two months ago but was awaiting more detailed guidelines.

UNTR, a major player in heavy machinery, mainly exports its gold.

We cant comment on the details yet, but in the broad sense, if were talking about gold, then 30 to 40 percent of our production cost structure is in dollars, said UNTR finance director Iwan Hadiantoro. BI assured us this would not negatively impact the company.

UNTR, which reports its finances in rupiah, booked Rp 118.4 billion in foreign exchange losses in the first half of this year, an increase from the Rp 70.5 billion forex loss it posted for the same period last year.

The Indonesian Oil Palm Association (GAPKI) declined to comment on the issue.

Not all exporters are worried about BIs plan, such as palm oil exporter PT Astra Agro Lestari, part of diversified conglomerate Astra International.

Astra Agro president director Santosa said the company regularly hedged its dollar transactions, including for loans from abroad, against the rupiah.

The company practically has no problem whatsoever, he said.

Astra Agro booked Rp 19 billion in foreign exchange losses in the January to June period of this year, an improvement from the Rp 28.8 billion forex loss it booked in the same period last year.

Moody's Analytics Asia Pacific chief economist Steven Cochrane raised concerns about the effectiveness of the policy, since it only applied to the largest resource exporters.

It sends a message to the market that BI sees stabilizing the exchange rate as a priority, Cochrane told the Post by email. On the other hand, the number of new COVID-19 cases is still on an upward trend in Indonesia, which will continue to be a dominant source of instability.

The Health Ministry announced 2,775 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the nationwide tally to more than 177,500.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Many Staten Island students will receive in-person learning partially each week and learn remotely the rest of the week under a blended learning model -- but how remote instruction will be delivered will differ by school.

Some will receive synchronous and asynchronous instruction for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Synchronous learning, which refers to real-time remote learning, will take place for students at home through different channels, depending on the class and school.
To the surprise of many planetary scientists, the oxidized iron mineral hematite has been discovered at high latitudes on the Moon, according to a study published today in Science Advances led by Shuai Li, assistant researcher at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) in the UH Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

Iron is highly reactive with oxygen--forming reddish rust commonly seen on Earth. The lunar surface and interior, however, are virtually devoid of oxygen, so pristine metallic iron is prevalent on the Moon and highly oxidized iron has not been confirmed in samples returned from the Apollo missions. In addition, hydrogen in solar wind blasts the lunar surface, which acts in opposition to oxidation. So, the presence of highly oxidized iron-bearing minerals, such as hematite, on the Moon is an unexpected discovery.

"Our hypothesis is that lunar hematite is formed through oxidation of lunar surface iron by the oxygen from the Earth's upper atmosphere that has been continuously blown to the lunar surface by solar wind when the Moon is in Earth's magnetotail during the past several billion years," said Li.

To make this discovery, Li, HIGP professor Paul Lucey and co-authors from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and elsewhere analyzed the hyperspectral reflectance data acquired by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) designed by NASA JPL onboard India's Chandrayaan-1 mission.

This new research was inspired by Li's previous discovery of water ice in the Moon's polar regions in 2018.

"When I examined the M3 data at the polar regions, I found some spectral features and patterns are different from those we see at the lower latitudes or the Apollo samples," said Li. "I was curious whether it is possible that there are water-rock reactions on the Moon. After months investigation, I figured out I was seeing the signature of hematite."

The team found the locations where hematite is present are strongly correlated with water content at high latitude Li and others found previously and are more concentrated on the nearside, which always faces the Earth.

"More hematite on the lunar nearside suggested that it may be related to Earth," said Li. "This reminded me a discovery by the Japanese Kaguya mission that oxygen from the Earth's upper atmosphere can be blown to the lunar surface by solar wind when the Moon is in the Earth's magnetotail. So, Earth's atmospheric oxygen could be the major oxidant to produce hematite. Water and interplanetary dust impact may also have played critical roles"

"Interestingly, hematite is not absolutely absent from the far-side of the Moon where Earth's oxygen may have never reached, although much fewer exposures were seen," said Li. "The tiny amount of water (< ~0.1 wt.%) observed at lunar high latitudes may have been substantially involved in the hematite formation process on the lunar far-side, which has important implications for interpreting the observed hematite on some water poor S-type asteroids."

"This discovery will reshape our knowledge about the Moon's polar regions," said Li. "Earth may have played an important role on the evolution of the Moon's surface."

The research team hopes the NASA's ARTEMIS missions can return hematite samples from the polar regions. The chemical signatures of those samples can confirm their hypothesis whether the lunar hematite is oxidized by Earth's oxygen and may help reveal the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere in the past billions of years.

###
By PTI

ALIGARH: The resident doctors' association at the Aligarh Muslim University on Wednesday welcomed the release of doctor Kafeel Khan from detention.

Khan was released from Mathura jail in Uttar Pradesh around midnight after the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed his detention under the stringent National Security Act and ordered his immediate release, saying his speech at the AMU did not promote hatred or violence and gave a call for national integrity.

Hamza Malik, president of the resident doctors' association at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, described the release of Khan as a "victory of justice".

Malik said Khan had always stood for humanitarian values as a doctor, maintained the high traditions of the medical profession and never indulged in divisive activities.

ALSO READ | Yogi government 'stubborn like a child', can frame me in another case: Kafeel Khan up on release from jail

Instead of incarcerating Khan, the government should have availed his services at a time when health amenities in the state "badly needed" cooperation from the medical fraternity, Malik said.

Former AMU students' union president Faizul Hasan said Khan's release was a "victory for truth and democracy".

Kafeel had exercised his democratic right to protest, but had never taken resort to undemocratic means, and always championed the spirit of unity and communal harmony, according to Hasan.

Khan was in jail since January after he delivered an allegedly provocative speech at the AMU during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Iraqi television says French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Baghdad for an official visit following a two-day trip to Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron met Iraqi leaders Wednesday on his first visit to Baghdad where he stressed the war-scarred country must assert its "sovereignty" despite being caught up in US-Iran tensions.

Coming straight from a two-day trip to crisis-hit Lebanon, Macron is the most prominent world leader to visit Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi came to power in May.

The trip aims to "launch an initiative alongside the United Nations to support a process of sovereignty," Macron said on the eve of his Iraq visit.

In Baghdad, he voiced his support for his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh to help fight Islamic State group sleeper cells and resist foreign interference.

"Iraq has been going through a challenging time for several years, with war and terrorism" as well as "multiple foreign interventions," Macron said.

"You have a transition to lead. France will be by your side so the international community can help."

But there were few details on the much-vaunted "sovereignty" initiative. Iraqi officials told AFP they were not expecting new financial or military aid.

President Saleh said he looked forward to a longer visit by Macron in 2021, and Kadhemi said he hoped France and Europe as a whole could help "restore stability" to the rocky region.

"We do not want to be an arena for confrontations but a zone of stability and moderation", the premier said, adding that France and Iraq would sign energy agreements in the future and deepen military cooperation.

'Essential sovereignty'

Iraq was ravaged by waves of sectarian conflict after former dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in a 2003 US-led invasion, in which France did not take part.

The turmoil culminated in the Islamic State group capturing swathes of Iraq and Syria six years ago before the militants were beaten back with international support, including a US-led coalition which did include French forces.

Iraq has been caught for years between its two main allies Iran and the United States -- a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washington's withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.

France, one of the key remaining backers of the 2015 nuclear agreement, called for de-escalation after a US strike on Baghdad in January killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and prompted Iran to launch missiles against US troops in Iraq.

France has stressed its signs of support for Iraq in recent tumultuous months.

Top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was the only minister to accompany Macron from Lebanon to Iraq, had also visited Baghdad in July and urged the leadership there to "dissociate itself from regional tensions".

Macron last week insisted that "the fight for Iraq's sovereignty is essential".

He said Iraqis, who had "suffered so much", deserved options besides domination by regional powers or Islamist extremists.

Unlike most foreign visitors, the French president will not stop over in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, but will instead meet Kurdish president Nechirvan Barzani in Baghdad.

French mediator role

Earlier this year, in the aftermath of the Islamic State group's territorial defeat and as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the last contingent of French troops deployed in Iraq as part of the coalition pulled out.

France is seeking to expand its economic ties with Iraq, despite the war-battered country's problems -- including being ranked among the 20 most corrupt countries in the world by watchdog group Transparency International.

Macron was also likely to discuss the fate of 11 French nationals who were condemned to death last year by Iraqi courts for joining IS.

The president's focus on sovereignty was also an indirect message to Turkey, one Iraqi official said, after Ankara launched a cross-border assault on Kurdish rebels in the north.

Tensions are high between France and Turkey over the conflict in Libya and a dispute over offshore gas rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Macron's lightning visit follows intense talks in Lebanon -- his second since a colossal August 4 explosion at Beirut port killed more than 180 people.

Karim Bitar, a political science professor in France and Lebanon, said the French leader was focusing on Lebanon and Iraq -- which have ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia -- as he believes Paris could play a mediating role if regional tensions escalate further.

"Macron is definitely trying to make a push for a France-facing Middle East," Bitar said.

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September 2, 2020 Action on COVID, not discussion on rev gov: Pangilinan INSTEAD of discussing a revolutionary government, Senator "Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday said government should work on improving its abysmal COVID-19 pandemic response. "Ang dapat na ginagawa ay ayusin ng gobyerno ang COVID response. As of September 1, nine months after the first COVID case was monitored, mahigit 224,000 ang confirmed cases at halos 3,600 na ang namamatay na Pilipino dahil sa COVID," Pangilinan said. "The COVID situation is horribly out of control. That's why the open discussion that needs to be done is on how to overhaul the government's COVID response which is marred with incompetence and corruption," he added. Pangilinan pointed out that the country's COVID tally for one day (3,446 additional cases for August 31, 2020) is equivalent to the total number of cases in Thailand (3,417 as of August 31, 2020). "Yan ang grade natin sa COVID response: bagsak, fail," he said. In his address Monday, President Duterte reacted to initiatives to institute a revolutionary government and said the issue should not be discussed secretly, but in public and including the military. Last August 22, around 300 individuals online and offline gathered at the Clark Freeport in support of a Duterte-led "revolutionary government." Pangilinan said discussions should center on stopping the spread of the disease, and addressing the consequent joblessness and hunger. "Pag-usapan ang mahalaga sa ating mamamayan, hindi yung walang kwentang rev gov," Pangilinan said. According to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, almost 1 in 2 adult Filipinos in the labor force is jobless in July 2020. The estimated number of jobless adults in July 2020 was 27.3 million, more than three times the 7.9 million in December 2019. Over 1 in 4 businesses (25.9 percent) has shut down since the pandemic hit the country, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said, citing his department's June 4 to 17 survey. The number of Filipinos who were hungry in May 2020 due to lack of available food nearly doubled while most areas were under COVID-19 lockdowns, an SWS survey noted. In a May 4 to 10 virtual survey, 16.7 percent of the respondents or 3.9 million families experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months -- a huge spike compared to the 8.8 percent recorded last December 2019, and the highest hunger rate registered under President Duterte's term. "Dagdag pa sa problema at hindi solusyon sa problema yang rev gov na yan," Pangilinan said. "Failed gov, hindi rev gov, ang kailangan pag-usapan."
ARIZONA  Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that all driver's licenses in the state will be valid for another year as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

The executive action was taken, in part, to minimize in-person visits to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division offices, the governor said in a news release. This is especially true for Arizonans over the age of 65, which is the age at which most driver's licenses in the state expire. The group is more vulnerable to coronavirus complications. Now, any license that was due to expire between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2020 will be valid for an additional year.

Arizona continues to focus on proactive steps to protect the health of our communities and keep our state moving in the right direction, Ducey said in a news release. "Todays commonsense executive order extends the deadline for drivers to renew their licenses by one year, helping reduce the number of in-person MVD visits during the upcoming months and protecting our most vulnerable.



The order states that all law enforcement and government agencies will be required to accept licenses due to expire as valid.

Ducey previously issued a six-month extension in March. That order ended Tuesday.

Arizona drivers can check their updated license expiration date at AZMVDNow.gov. Drivers can also order a duplicate license with the updated expiration date online to avoid going to the MVD.

This article originally appeared on the Across Arizona Patch
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They're one of the great success stories to come from Married At First Sight.

And ahead of welcoming their first child together, Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant have snapped up a $1.8million property on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

The reality star couple wasted no time moving into their new property, after Cameron sold his one-bedroom boutique apartment in Kirribilli for $900,000.

Through the keyhole: Take a look inside Jules Robinson (right) and Cameron Merchant's (left) luxurious $1.8million family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches

The reality star couple wasted no time moving into their new property, after Cameron sold his one-bedroom boutique apartment in Kirribilli for $900,000 in May

The contemporary home features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large outdoor entertaining area for their baby to play in.

The main bedroom features a built-in robe and ensuite.

The property is mere minutes away from Cameron's parents, Margaret and Russell, and a short drive to Dee Why Beach.

Luxury: The contemporary home features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large outdoor entertaining area for their baby to play in

Perfect for a family? With an open plan design, the spacious property has a very homely feel

Cameron and Jules have been racing against time to finish renovating their new property before welcoming their new addition.

To get the job done, the reality TV couple have called in renovation experts, couple Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie, from The Block.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last week, soon-to-be-father Cam said the couple have already picked out a name for the baby, if their bundle of joy should be a girl.

Makeover! Cameron and Jules have been racing against time to finish renovating their new property before welcoming their new addition

He said they decided during filming their season of MAFS in 2018.

'I mentioned it to Jules when we first brought up kids, and she loved it and we have gone with it.'

Cameron and Jules, who legally married in November 2019, have chosen to keep the sex of their unborn child a secret until birth.
Spurned by allies, Saudi rethinks chequebook diplomacy As plummeting demand has sapped its oil revenues, the kingdom is rethinking old alliances

From Pakistan to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia is scaling back its famed chequebook diplomacy, a longstanding policy of splashing petro-dollars in exchange for influence, which observers say has yielded few tangible gains.

For decades, the wealthy kingdom funnelled billions in aid to its allies -- and to its enemies' enemies -- in a bid to bolster its position as an Arab powerhouse and leader of the Muslim world.

But as plummeting demand has sapped its oil revenues, the kingdom is rethinking old alliances that Saudi observers say have swallowed their cash while offering little in return, at a time when its quest for regional supremacy is increasingly challenged by rivals Iran, Turkey and Qatar.

A swathe of regional countries, from Jordan and Lebanon to Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan, have been the top recipients of Saudi aid over the past decade, said Middle East expert Yasmine Farouk.

"The dual economic impact of the coronavirus and low oil prices, however, may lead Saudi Arabia to restructure and rationalise its aid," said Farouk, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"The country is already seeking to end the perception of being 'an ATM'."

The kingdom has contributed billions to Lebanon's post-civil war reconstruction, but it has voiced frustration over its failure to rein in Hezbollah, a powerful group backed by its arch-enemy Iran.

"Saudi Arabia will not continue to pay Hezbollah's bills, and the Lebanese have to shoulder their responsibilities towards their country," Saudi columnist Khalid al-Sulaiman wrote recently for the pro-government Okaz newspaper.

"It is no longer possible for Saudi Arabia to continue paying billions to Lebanon in the morning and receive insults at night.

"This situation is no longer compatible with the new Saudi foreign policy, as Saudi money does not fall from the sky or grow in the desert."

- 'Party is over' -

Saudi Arabia also appears frustrated with Pakistan after the longstanding ally pushed Riyadh to take a firm stand on the disputed region of Kashmir and threatened to take the issue to other Muslim forums.

Story continues

Such a threat is particularly disconcerting for Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's holiest sites and views itself as the leader of the Muslim world.

The kingdom recently recalled $1 billion of a $3 billion loan from cash-strapped Pakistan, and an expired multi-billion dollar oil credit facility to Islamabad has not been renewed, a diplomatic source told AFP.

"Pakistani elites have a bad habit of taking Saudi support for granted, given what Saudi has done for Pakistan over the decades," tweeted Ali Shihabi, a Saudi author and analyst.

"Well the party is over, and Pakistan needs to deliver value to this relationship. It's no longer a free lunch or a one-way street."

Riyadh's ties with Pakistan have historically been "very warm" but the relationship has been lopsided, said Saudi prince Talal bin Mohammad al-Faisal.

"It (has) only benefited one side in 'real world' terms," he tweeted.

"That side is Pakistan."

- 'Take their money' -

Pakistan and Egypt, another ally which has received billions in aid, rebuffed calls for ground troops to support the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen against Iran-linked Huthi rebels.

Further stirring consternation in Riyadh, a leaked 2015 audio recording showed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi allegedly mocking Gulf powers including Saudi Arabia, saying they were rolling in money "like rice".

That sentiment was echoed in 2018 by US President Donald Trump when he hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office and held up a chart listing military hardware sales worth billions to Riyadh.

"Take their money," Trump told NBC News the following year, justifying backing the kingdom's rulers after journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder sparked global uproar.

With so many of its relationships rendered transactional, Riyadh is struggling to win respect and its once-leading role in the Muslim world is increasingly challenged by its rivals, observers say.

The Saudis are increasingly resentful of "ungrateful" allies, said Farouk.

States that have traditionally benefited from Saudi largesse, including Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, have "already seen instances in which aid was frozen, decreased or cut off", she added.

ac/sls/kir/lg/gle
(Natural News) Millions of undergrads were told that everything would return mostly back to normal this fall if they just agreed to pay their tuition and sign their housing leases in good faith. But the reality is that once colleges and universities got their money and contracts in hand, they immediately pulled a bait and switch, and are now holding students hostage inside their dorms while not allowing for any social interaction or outside activity supposedly due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

If it sounds a bit far-fetched or extreme, take some time to read some of the accounts for yourself, as relayed by Jordan Schachtel from The Mass Illusion. Schachtel compiled dozens of reports from all across the country about what students, mostly in the South, believe it or not, are encountering now that they have returned to campus.

At the University of Alabama, for instance, a student actually described the situation as a bait and switch because the plan initially laid out by the school was to open up the classrooms for so-called hybrid learning. But once the tuition was paid, U of A decided to make virtually everything digital through Zoom.

Were being forced to pay to attend Zoom classes in our rooms all semester, this student told Schachtel. A few of my friends didnt even come back to town, and I dont blame them. Why would they when they can get the same education at home?

According to this student, he or she only has two in-person classes, and both meet one day a week in shifts. Only five students are allowed in the classroom at once, and they all rotate in weekly series, meaning each individual student only sees the classroom maybe once per month.

At Southern Methodist University in Dallas, students were told at the very last minute about a series of changes that have turned the campus into a prison. Face masks must be worn at all times when outside the dorms, and students are not allowed to visit other dorms under any circumstances.

The only group gathering that is allowed at SMU was a Black Lives Matter (BLM) march that was given permission by the university to blast through the middle of campus while everyone else was forced to sit muzzled, isolated and miserable inside their dorm rooms.

Texas universities are now very, very Soviet-like, says student

At The University of Tennessee at Martin, all classes are online with no opportunity for students to ever speak with a teacher or aide in person. Many doorways are locked or closed, including dining halls, and yet students are required to stay on campus, pay for on-campus housing, and buy a meal plan.

The entire University of Texas college system is even worse, requiring that all meeting rooms on campus be sanitized four times a day. All students must remain masked and six feet apart at all times, and are required to have their temperatures checked upon entry into any new building. Student identification cards also have to be swiped everywhere students go for contact tracing purposes.

The student who reported this to Schachtel says that she wants to fight back but feels helpless, not knowing who may be reporting her actions. She further described the on-campus environment as being very, very Soviet-like.

Another UT college student says that at first students were told they could have just one guest at a time inside their apartments or dorm rooms, only to have that changed at the very last minute to no guests whatsoever. Over the summer, the school system also installed spying and surveillance cameras inside all the hallways of buildings, specifically aimed at residents doors.

For more related news about the New World Order that is being ushered in under the guise of a plandemic response, be sure to check out Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

JordanSchachtel.Substack.com

NaturalNews.com
Actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday alleged that filmmaker Karan Johar is the main culprit" of the Bollywood movie mafia. Kangana, who has been vocal for a while about alleged Bollywood mafia that promotes star kids over outsiders, posted her accusations against Karan Johar on her verified Twitter account, tagging the office of the Prime Minister of India.

Karan Johar the main culprit of movie mafia! @PMOIndia even after ruining so many lives and careers he is roaming free no action taken against him, is there any hope for us? After all is settled he and his gang of hyenas will come for me," Kangana tweeted.

Kanganas tweet came in response to a user who tweeted: Sushants GYM Partner is Exposing how Bollywood m@fia Karan Johar made Drive Movie just to Trap & block Sushant Singh Rajput from doing further projects in Bollywood."

Ever since Sushant Singh Rajputs demise, Kangana has reopened the conversation about nepotism and favouritism in Bollywood that is said to promote star kids over outsiders. In a series of tweets posted last week, Kangana had also alleged that drugs are a commonplace occurrence in B-Town parties.

If narcotics Control Bureau enters Bullywood, many A-listers will be behind bars, if blood tests are conducted many shocking revelations will happen. Hope @PMOIndia under Swachh Bharat mission cleanses the gutter called Bullywood," she had tweeted.

Recently, in an interview with Republic TV, Kangana talked about Bollywoods alleged drug nexus and claimed that 99% of people in the industry do drugs. She also alleged that a character artiste" spiked her drink and took advantage of her during her early days in the film industry.
The conviction of a father who spent 16 years in jail for the murder of his infant son has been declared a miscarriage of justice.

Yusif Ali Abdi, who was subsequently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, has been given leave to seek compensation from the State after a Miscarriage of Justice application was today granted by the Central Criminal Court.

In December of last year Somali refugee Mr Abdi was committed to the Central Mental Hospital, having been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of his son, 20-month-old Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, in a retrial.

Mr Abdi was tried before the Central Criminal Court in 2003 for the murder of his son, when a jury rejected his insanity defence and found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict.

The Central Criminal Court trial heard that on the night of the killing, his wife Ms Amanda Bailey and Nathan visited Mr Abdi at his apartment at Clane. Mr Abdi removed his son from his mother's bed around 4am and took him to the living room, where he locked the door and a number of loud bangs were subsequently heard.

When Ms Bailey gained access to the room, the child's body was limp, his head was swollen and he had blood in his nose. Ms Bailey failed to find a pulse on her son and he was pronounced dead at 5.30am that morning.

Mr Abdi had spent 16 years in jail before his murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal on February 13, 2019, and a retrial was ordered, after the court heard he had been correctly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2013.

Mr Abdi (47), with addresses at Charleville Road, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, and The Elms, College Road, Co Kildare, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charge at the Clane address on April, 17, 2001.

Mr Abdi, whose father died in the Somali civil war, came to Ireland in 1997 and was granted refugee status in 2000. He married Irish woman Amanda Bailey and they had a son Nathan, who was born in August 1999.

In a victim impact statement in December, Ms Bailey told the court that she did not believe "for one second" that Mr Abdi could have known what he was doing.

A pathologist said that baby Nathan died from head injuries, which were most likely caused from his head impacting at least three or four times against a hard surface such as a wall or floor.

Four consultant psychiatrists gave evidence in the retrial that Mr Abdi was suffering from schizophrenia in 2001 and that he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

At the original trial, Dr Damian Mohan, a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital (CMH), was called by the prosecution and gave evidence that Mr Abdi was not suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

However, Dr Mohan told the retrial that he now agreed with three other medical witnesses that Mr Abdi had a history of paranoid schizophrenia dating back to November 1999.

Dr Mohan testified that in 2019 he had the benefit of three admissions of the accused to the mental health facility following the 2003 murder conviction, which Dr Mohan did not have at the time of the original trial.

At this afternoon's proceedings, Mr Justice Alexander Owens said that the granting of the certificate for a Miscarriage of Justice was not about "pointing the finger of blame".

Mr Justice Owens heard the application under Section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

The judge said that the new diagnosis by Dr Mohan amounted to a "newly-discovered fact" and that it had later become "undisputed fact" that Mr Abdi had been suffering with schizophrenia in 2001.

The judge said that the chronic illness varied in intensity and that the diagnosis had now moved to accept that.

"There are only two outcomes of a jury trial in my opinion: conviction or acquittal," said Mr Justice Owens, who added that because the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity could not be appealed it was to be regarded as acquittal.

Mr Justice Owens said that because acquittal was not available to the Court of Appeal, a retrial had to be ordered even though "it was clear the original verdict couldn't stand and was wrong in a fundamental aspect".

The judge said that the original trial had referenced behaviours by Mr Abdi, such as locking the kitchen door, to suggest that the defendant knew what he was doing was wrong.

"I suspect this is not the first time this has happened in an insanity case," said Mr Justice Owens, noting that in a special insanity defence, the onus of proof was on the defence.

The judge said that he saw no difference between a case relying on a diagnosis and one relying on forensic or scientific evidence that turns out to be erroneous.

Mr Justice Owens approved the certificate for the Miscarriage of Justice application and awarded Mr Abdi's defence team their costs.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 03:52:50|Editor: huaxia

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NICOSIA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- A group of 21 irregular migrants from Syria and Lebanon arrived on a boat on the southeastern coast of Cyprus, the police said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the group included 10 men, four women, five children and two unaccompanied minors aged 17.

The migrants said that 12 of them came from Lebanon and nine from Syria.

This was the first time migrants who arrived in Cyprus said they came from Lebanon. It was not immediately clear whether they left Beirut before or after the August 4 explosion in the Lebanese capital.

After being processed at a local police station, all the migrants were taken to a quarantine area at a center hosting asylum seekers near the capital of Nicosia.

Cyprus is one of the European Union (EU) frontline countries where refugees from the war-torn regions of Syria and irregular migrants from Asian and African countries arrive in small groups. Enditem
New Delhi :

The ruling BJP will field candidates in 37 out of total 40 constituencies for upcoming Goa Assembly elections and will support contestants in remaining three seats in Catholic-dominated Salcette taluka.

BJP will contest 37 seats and support others in Vellim, Benaulim and Nuvem, BJP state unit president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters on Tuesday.

BJP has already begun shortlisting the nominees in various constituencies. 22 candidates will be announced this week and rest later, said Tendulkar.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is meeting party cadres in each constituency before deciding about the contestant.

Till now the core committee of the party has met cadres from 22 constituencies. Entire process of meeting cadres would be over by January 9. The core committee will hand over the names to election committee before forwarding it to party's central election committee, the BJP leader added.

BJP had won the 2012 Assembly elections in the alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Prince Harry and Meghan signed a production deal with Netflix on Wednesday, just six months after the couple left their official roles with the British royal family, the New York Times reported.

The big picture: An unnamed production company founded by the couple will create a series of documentaries, films, shows and children's programming for the streaming service. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us," the couple told the Times.

The two added that Netflixs "unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action."

Background: Harry and Meghan left the royal family earlier this year, allowing them to seek financial independence. Meghan, in particular, faced repeated battles with the press since joining the House of Windsor in 2018.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A group of over 90 former bureaucrats have written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), demanding strong action against Sudarshan TV for its proposed telecast of a communally charged series on recruitment of IAS and IPS officers in the country.

In the letter, the civil servants have called for a stronger administrative and legal action against the news channel for its communally charged, divisive and sensational series on the recruitment process.

Incidentally the Delhi High Court has already granted an interim stay on the telecast.

This series claims to be an expose of a conspiracy in the recruitment process that has resulted in a sudden increase in the number of Muslim officers selected for the two most prestigious services  IAS and IPS  in the country. Jamia Millia Islamia has been singled out in this context, the letter read.

It went on to add that it is completely perverse to allege that there is a conspiracy to infiltrate Muslim officers into the services, or to use terms like UPSC Jihad or Civil Services Jihad in this connection.

The country is already smouldering with hate speech against Muslims, including allegations of Corona Jihad and Love Jihad, which various courts have found to be false. This telecast will add further fuel to that fire, it said.

They also urged the authorities concerned to order lodging of first information report (FIR) under the relevant legal provisions.
A difference between English and Arabic versions of a trilateral statement after an historic flight from Israel to the UAE has been seized upon by Palestinians to suggest the Gulf state has overstated Israeli readiness to drop West Bank annexation plans.

The English version of a joint communique by the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the United States in Abu Dhabi on Monday said the accord had "led to the suspension of Israel's plans to extend its sovereignty".

But the Arabic version, carried by the UAE state news agency WAM, said "the agreement ... has led to Israel's plans to annex Palestinian lands being stopped".

The discrepancy was highlighted by Palestinians after President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner flew with US and Israeli delegations on the first Israeli commercial flight to the UAE to cement the normalisation accord, the first by a Gulf state.

"Compare yourself the two versions... suspension of extending sovereignty, not stopping annexation of Palestinian lands," tweeted Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation on Tuesday.

The UAE has portrayed the accord, announced by Trump on Aug. 13, as a means to halt Israeli annexation of occupied West Bank lands, where Palestinian hope to build a future state.

Jamal Al-Musharakh, chief of policy planning and international cooperation at the UAE foreign ministry, said the difference in wording was merely a translation issue.

"If anyone can think of a better synonym than 'Eeqaf' (stopping) for 'suspending', then please let me know," he told reporters.

"One of the prerequisites of the commencing of bilateral relations was the halting of the annexation, said Musharakh. The Emirati government did not respond when asked for further comment.

But Hanan Ashrawi, a senior PLO official, said it was a "forked tongue" attempt to influence public opinion in the Arab world.

"NO CHANGE IN MY PLAN"

"I don't think it is a problem of translation, I think it is a disingenuous way of trying to manipulate the discourse," she told Reuters.

"The Arabic translation is a way of misleading Arab public opinion by saying they have succeeded in stopping the annexation, while actually they suspended it."

In recent election campaigns Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank areas, including Jewish settlements, but said he needed a green light from Washington.

Speaking in Hebrew and using the biblical terms for the West Bank, Netanyahu told Israelis on Aug. 13 - the day the deal was announced: "There is no change in my plan to apply our sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, in full coordination with the United States. I am committed, it has not changed."

Keeping annexation hopes alive is widely seen as Netanyahu's attempt to placate his right-wing voter base. Settler leaders have accused him of repeatedly floating annexation, only to cave in to international pressure.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokewoman on Wednesday said it had nothing to add to the original Aug 13. statement, which said: "As a result of this diplomatic breakthrough ...Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President's Vision for Peace."

The White House declined to comment on the UAE trip communique, but a US source familiar with the matter said the White House was not responsible for the Arabic translation.

At the briefing to reporters in Washington after the announcement Trump said annexation was "right now off the table," and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman added: "The word suspend was chosen carefully by all the parties. 'Suspend' by definition, look it up, means a temporary halt. It's off the table now but it's not off the table permanently."

During his UAE trip this week Kushner also used the word "suspend".

"Israel has agreed to suspend the annexation, to suspend applying Israeli law to those areas for the time being," he told the WAM agency. "But in the future it is a discussion that I am sure will be had. But not in the near future."
When then Defence Minister AK Antony returned from Beijing in July 2013, he was fascinated by the infrastructure development in China. He was rather intrigued how China was able to build straight roads unlike the ones that he had seen back home in India that yielded to hurdles in the way. At that point, Antony was told by his South Block advisers that in communist China, unlike India, buildings or any hurdles are uprooted to make way for the roads or highways. While Antony understood the message, it is time that a democratic India came to terms with the adversary at its doorstep in Ladakh.

For the past four months, the Indian Army has been on the razors edge to defend the 3,488-kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC) from Chinas aggressive Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) from pursuing its 60-year-old agenda of imposing the 1960 cartographical expansion map of the then Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai on the ground in Ladakh. The situation is critical as the Indian Army cannot hold back the PLA forever by staring at the adversary. And the fear is that one bullet could lead to a huge escalation on the LAC. It is not that the Chinese Western Theatre Commander Zhao Zongqi or his communist party boss Xi Jinping do not understand the consequences. It is Zhongguo, the Middle Kingdom, in action with its wolf warriors attributing the current friction to the undefined nature of the India-China border despite 15 years of Special Representative dialogue to sort out the issue and a plethora of agreements and protocols.

Also Read: Resisting China in Ladakh | HT Editorial

The fact is that actions of paramount leader Xi Jinping such as consolidation of Hong Kong, sinification of Tibet, subjugation of Uighurs in Xinjiang and domination of the South China Sea all point to Fortress China, with India bearing the consequences in Ladakh. Clearly under the mask of the coronavirus disease that originated in Wuhan, communist party chief Xi is grabbing all that he wants to believe belongs to China and is not averse to use of military force to achieve his objective.

Also Watch l After provoking at LAC, now China accuses India of violating consensus

While ASEAN nations look to the US to shoulder the burden in the South China Sea against big brother China, India will have to carry the cross alone as it is surrounded by ally states of the Middle Kingdom.

A weak US President after the November elections will confirm the rise of China as a global superpower with a divided Europe in no position to act against Beijing but only talk tall. The UN Security Council is the other talk shop.

The many ramifications of India being a front-line state against China with three neighbours - Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar - in a cosy relationship with Beijing is indeed disturbing. The Indian task becomes humongous with the Chinese United Front Work Department under XI Jinping making serious inroads into the country through individuals and organisations. This department, which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, not only gathers intelligence but also ensures that potential critics of Beijing remain divided throughout the world. While the current government under Narendra Modi has the numbers in Parliament to deal with a resurgent Middle Kingdom, a weak government in Delhi on a future date will decimate the resistance to Beijing.

From the current events in Ladakh, it is quite clear that China wants to activate the entire LAC and provoke India into a reaction or cow down in submission through use of psychological warfare, spreading discontent through its ideological brothers and finally, use of brute military force. Xi Jinping clearly believes in taking all that the past rulers of the forbidden city had fantastically claimed.

Given the bleak scenario, it is important that the Modi government ensures that only the competent and meritorious are placed at the top in military, diplomacy, intelligence and a bureaucracy that works in silos. A democratic India is already handicapped in dealing with a single-agenda China and a seniority based leadership will only deepen the crisis. The last thing that India wants to see is a divided military that embarrasses the nation through leaks to settle personal scores, an intelligence organisation that prepares only reports and a diplomacy that does not have teeth. The saving grace is that some of Indias best minds are handling national security today at the apex level who respect rising China, but are not afraid of it.

For long, India has been sitting on the fence without taking any stand on global issues. This was valid in the past as India did not have the heft or the gravitas to get the global ear. Hence, it would often not take positions as it had to take into account politicians who were still living in the erstwhile Soviet era or a Cold war side-show called the non-aligned movement. Coronavirus has changed the world forever. India must change or bear the consequences.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 07:15:56|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that he is ready to work with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to join efforts with the international community to resolutely safeguard the victory of the Second World War as well as international fairness and justice.

Xi made the remarks in an exchange of messages with Putin to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Enditem
Incumbent Senator Ed Markey (D., Mass.) has won the Democratic Senate primary in Massachusetts against Joe Kennedy III.

Markeys defeat of Kennedy marks the first time a member of the Kennedy family has lost a congressional race in Massachusetts. Markey, who has spent 44 years in Congress, has made a name as a progressive lawmaker who co-sponsored the Green New Deal legislation spearheaded by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.).

With 38 percent of votes tallied, Markey received 54 percent of the vote while Kennedy received about 45 percent.

No matter the results tonight, I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat, Kennedy told supporters after conceding the race.

Kennedy has served as the U.S. representative for Massachusettss 4th congressional district, south of Boston, since 2013. In deciding to run for the Senate, Kennedy effectively chose not to seek reelection in his district.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi raised eyebrows when she endorsed Kennedy in the race, backing a newcomer against a seasoned incumbent who enjoyed the support of progressives. The endorsement drew the ire of Ocasio-Cortez, who publicly backed Markey.

An incumbent backed by Pelosi, Representative Richard Neal (D., Mass.), easily won reelection against primary challenger Alex Morse, the current mayor of Holyoke. Neal led Morse by about 20 points late on Tuesday.

Morse was backed by progressives, and faced allegations of sexual assault that were later found to be suspect.

More from National Review
EDWARDSVILLE  Five Riverbend area lawmakers late Tuesday said Gov. J.B. Pritzker should have had more consideration of the businesses that will be hurt by the states tougher pandemic rules that take effect Wednesday.

Issuing the joint statement were state Sens. Christopher Belt, D-Centreville and Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, and state Reps. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, and LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis.

The safety and wellness of residents of the Metro East and across Illinois will always remain our number-one priority, the lawmakers said in their statement. As we have continued to talk with local residents, families, business owners and employees, the damage caused by the coronavirus is very evident and is not solely on the physical health of those around us.

Many small and family-owned businesses across the region have suffered tremendously and have been forced to make very difficult decisions in order to keep their doors open, they said. We believe that in this decision process, more consideration should be given to these business owners and operators, who have already faced the economic brunt of this pandemic.

We must work to ensure that the Hospitality Emergency Grant and the Business Interruption Grant are adequately funded and provide immediate relief to the businesses such as restaurants and bars that will be affected by this decision, the lawmakers said in their statement. While this critical situation requires tough decisions, those who are affected should be allowed a seat at the table to make sure that the livelihoods of many residents we serve are given ample consideration in the process.

We stand behind our small businesses, who are the backbones of our local economies, their statement read. We all want to see our Metro East businesses and workers succeed, and we will continue to work together to get our region running again.
BASF and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today announced the signing of a Master Research Agreement. It will facilitate easier collaboration between industry and academia on the journey to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, food security and scarcity of resources. The interdisciplinary approach will draw on the strengths of each organization to accelerate scientific discovery.

By connecting its deep scientific expertise to UNC-Chapel Hill's fundamental research capabilities, initially focused on biomedical, health and pharma applications, BASF expects to find new innovations for its customers in agriculture, health and personal care.

Teaming up with UNC-Chapel Hill, a leading global university located in close proximity to us in Research Triangle Park, NC, will not only improve the impact of our research activities, but also give us more access to technologies beyond our in-house expertise to solve societal challenges." Peter Eckes, President, Bioscience Research and Regional Research Representative North America, BASF

"We are eager to see the results of our partnership with the Master Research Agreement in place that will enable us to collaborate more quickly across areas of common interest to drive innovation."

The Master Research Agreement containing pre-agreed terms for intellectual property, publication and confidentiality will enable open scientific discussions and speed up the process of starting collaborations. Several research projects focused on plant science are already under way.

"Our partnership with BASF is a great example of the culture of collaboration that we have fostered at Carolina," said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz. "Combining our scientific expertize and research capabilities through the Master Research Agreement will enable Carolina and BASF to solve the grand challenges of our time and produce results that will benefit the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world."
Algeria exports 6000t of cement to Lebanon

ICR Newsroom By 02 September 2020

A vessel with 6000t of cement left the port of Djen Djen, Algeria, yesterday, heading for Beirut, Lebanon.



Minister of Industry, Ferhat Ait Ali, and Minister of Solidarity, Kaoutar Krikou, were present during the departure. In a statement to the press, the two ministers focused on "the spirit of solidarity which animates the Algerian people towards the brotherly Lebanese people in this difficult circumstance that this country is going through". According to the same declaration, other actions of solidarity which will emanate from the public and private sectors are planned, according to Algerian newspaper Liberte.

Published under
NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert and asked the security forces to remain vigilant amid growing India-China tension at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Sources on Wednesday (September 2, 2020) said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the security forces to remain on high alert on the India-China, India-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.

The Home Ministry sources said that the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have been asked to increase patrolling and surveillance in the borders adjoining China.

The ITBP has been directed to remain alert on Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim borders. Besides this, the SSB and ITBP have been directed to increase vigil on India-Nepal-China TRI-Junction and the Kalapani region in Uttarakhand.

Some companies of SSB have been rushed to the India-Nepal border. Earlier these companies were engaged in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. The decision in this regard was taken during a high-level review meeting which was attended by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Secretary of the Border Management and the officials of ITBP and SSB on Tuesday.

According to the sources, instructions were issued after the crucial meeting to increase vigilance on Indias borders with China, Nepal, Bhutan. The Indian security forces have been asked not to move from the heights as they are within the country's perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) was blocked by the Indian forces after the Chinese tried to manoeuvre several heights near the southern bank of Pangong Tso, Rezang La, Requin La and Spanggur Gap on August 29-30.

The armed forces, guarding Indias borders, have been reportedly been asked to remain on high alert amid rise in tensions along the Line of Actual Control.

Following an unsuccessful attempt by the Chinese to change the status quo, the Indian Army has strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" and enhanced deployment of troops and weapons at key points around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

On Tuesday again, China engaged in "provocative action" even as military talks were underway.

The developments show New Delhi is willing to change the rules of engagement along the border with China, with the Indian Army pushing back against Chinese troops seeking to open a new front along the LAC in Ladakh, besides strengthening its positions along strategic heights in the area.

Meanwhile, the military talks between India and China resumed on Wednesday. The Brigade Commander-level talks are being held in Chushul/Moldo to discuss the ongoing issues along the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake.

The military talks are being held to ease escalating tension triggered by a fresh confrontation between the two sides on the southern bank of the Pangong lake. The sources said the meeting on Monday and Tuesday did not produce any concrete outcome.
Italy's chief diplomat paid an unannounced visit to Libya on Tuesday to press for an end to the bloody civil war following cease-fire initiatives by the UN-supported government and rival parliament.

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio met with Fayez Sarraj, head of the Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli, before heading to eastern Libya to meet with Aguila Saleh, speaker of the rival Tobruk-based House of Representatives, Libyan officials said.

Sarraj's office said they discussed "points of agreement" with Saleh on implementing a permanent cease-fire and demilitarization of the city of Sirte and the nearby area of Jufra.

Previous efforts to secure lasting cease-fires have stalled.

The two sides also agreed on the need of an "effective" international support to the political solution to Libya's conflict, a statement said.

Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled long time ruler 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.

Sarraj announced a cease-fire on 21 August and called for demilitarising the key city of Sirte and the nearby area of Jufra, which would mean the withdrawal of forces of military commander Khalifa Hifter.

Hifter's forces launched an offensive in April 2019 trying to capture Tripoli.

But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied militias, with heavy Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of the city and other western towns.
The Delhi High Court refused to stay the streaming of Netflix movie Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl on Wednesday.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher refused to pass an interim injunction order at this stage and stated that the plea should have been filed sooner as the film has already been released. The court has sought responses from Dharma Production and Netflix on the plea and posted the matter for further hearing on September 18.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the Centre, argued that the movie has dented the image of the Indian Air Force as it showed that the force is gender biased, which is not correct.

The court was hearing a plea by the ministry of defence that alleged the movie the makers of the film sought the assistance of IAF in making the film on the actual life of an Air Force officer but kept the IAF in dark about the real intent of the movie i.e. to show them in negative light based on misleading and manipulative facts.

The court said it was of the view that former flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena should also be made a party to the suit and issued notice to her, seeking her response.

The movie was released on Over The Top (OTT) platform on August 12.
The CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga., in a April 3, 2020, file photograph. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Trump Campaign: CNN Should Fire Joe Lockhart After He Suggested President Had Stroke

CNN should terminate the employment of a former Bill Clinton aide who suggested with no evidence that President Donald Trump suffered a stroke, Trumps campaign said on Tuesday.

Lockhart knowingly pushing a conspiracy theory about President Trumps health, the campaign said in a statement.

If another CNN employee said similar things about Barack Obama theyd be fired immediately, so the same standard should be applied here. That is, of course, unless CNN is complicit in the smear campaign in order to level the playing field against Joe Biden, somebody who truly has lost a step.

Lockhart wrote in a tweet earlier in the day, Did @realDonaldTrump have a stroke which he is hiding from the American public?

Facing backlash, the political analyst said he merely asked a question based on an unannounced trip to the hospital.

The speculation was based on anonymously-sourced reporting that claimed Vice President Mike Pence was on standby to assume presidential powers when Trump visited Walter Reed Hospital in November 2019.

Trump called the claim fake news and his doctor said in a statement that the president has not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke), or any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported in the media.

Ronny Jackson, who served as Trumps doctor until late last year, said reports about Trumps health were full of lies.

I was consulted regarding this trip weeks in advance. This trip was neither urgent, nor emergent, nor did it have anything to do with his cerebrovascular or cardiovascular health, Jackson said in a video he released.

Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News that he was not placed on standby during Trumps visit to the hospital.

I dont recall being told to be on standby. I was informed that the President had a doctors appointment, he said. Ive got to tell you, part of this job is you are always on standby if you are Vice President of the United States.

CNN didnt respond to a request for comment.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
GROZNY, Russia -- Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, has appointed his eldest daughter as first deputy culture minister.

Kadyrov announced the appointment of his 21-year-old daughter to the post on Telegram on September 1, saying that it was his "firmly weighed decision."

"Despite her young age, she has a wealth of experience managing very complex and large projects, including those linked to culture," Kadyrov wrote.

Aishat Kadyrova manages the Firdaws fashion salon, which presented its collections in Paris, Dubai, Moscow, and Grozny.

In July, the U.S. State Department introduced new sanctions against Kadyrov for human rights violations in the region, including torture and extrajudicial execution. The new sanctions also targeted Aishat Kadyrova, her sister Karina, and mother Medni Kadyrova.
The EU Commission President was unusually public and very forthright when calling on Ireland to nominate a successor for Phil Hogan.

"As in the past, I will invite the Irish government to propose a woman and a man," Ursula von der Leyen said.

The signals in Dublin are that the Government here is leaning towards nominating one person, Simon Coveney.

Well-placed government sources point out that Ms von der Leyen has no legal power to oblige Dublin to send her the two names.

That is completely true - but it overlooks two things that the president of the European Commission could do rather easily.

Firstly, she could take her time processing this nomination; and secondly, she has total discretion over what portfolio the new Irish commissioner actually gets.

Ireland is now most unlikely to keep the trade commissioner's job held by Phil Hogan as this post usually goes to somebody serving a second term. But it can hope, with a smoothly managed nomination process, to get another heavy-hitting post that retains influence amid impending Brexit threats.

If Ms von der Leyen feels Ireland is trying to challenge her, the result could be a rather minor post. The nomination process also could take quite some time, which Ireland does not have to spare.

"If Ireland sends two names, as Ms von der Leyen asked, this process could be wrapped up by the end of the week. If Ireland only sends one name, but that person is a woman, it could also end well. But if Ireland only nominates a man, this could drag on and on for months."

That was the view of a senior Brussels official with 30-plus years of experience and a good knowledge of Ireland's relations with the EU.

It is well known that the former German defence minister, who took over the EU executive on December 1 last, is determined to bring gender equality to her 27-member team. She proposed the man and woman nominee formula last autumn as the new commission was being assembled, saying she would pick the most suitable person from each national pair of nominees.

Ireland quite reasonably ignored her request at that time and re-nominated Phil Hogan for a second term. Ms von der Leyen almost achieved gender parity with 12 women, including herself, to 15 men.

This time Ireland's nomination to replace Phil Hogan is far more visible and public. It comes as Ireland has created a major headache for the EU policy-guiding Commission at a time when it already has a plethora of crises to confront.

On the face of things, it would be wise to go with Ms von der Leyen's express wish. It would also avoid a gratuitous clash with the European Parliament. The second largest grouping in the parliament, the socialists, have openly urged Ireland to help Ms von der Leyen's campaign for gender equality by nominating a woman.

It is important to watch the role of the European Parliament in this, not least because the MEPs will publicly assess and vote on the Irish nominee.

Ms von der Leyen is also very careful in her dealings with the parliament. When the MEPs voted on her own ratification last July she had only nine votes above the required absolute majority.

And there is also pressure on the home front about gender equality. Of 10 Irish commissioners who have served since this country joined the EU in 1973, only one has been a woman: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, who served with distinction from 2010 until 2014.

Another Brussels official said that all three people being linked to the nomination - Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, and MEPs Frances Fitzgerald and Mairead McGuinness - are high-calibre candidates with lots of senior political experience.

Of the trio, Ms Fitzgerald appears less advantaged, having only been elected to the European Parliament in May 2019. But Ms Fitzgerald is a very experienced politician, former Tanaiste and minister, whose work often took her to Brussels. It is not hard to envisage a scenario of her coming through the middle.
When the Public Regulation Commission decided to place our states energy future on the unstable foundation of renewable energy, it also decided New Mexicos low-income families deserved a 17% tax increase. Of course, the PRC and its supporters in the environmental community wont be shouting it through their solar-powered bullhorns, but its the truth.

Just last year, the University of Chicago released a study examining the impact of laws like New Mexicos Energy Transition Act, which is what forced the PRC into its decision. When comparing states with renewable mandates to those without, the results are clear: electric bills go up over 10% within seven years. If the mandate survives past a decade, that same electric bill increases 17%. Sadly, those massive cost increases might be too conservative.

As coronavirus continued to ravage the economy over the summer, leaders in California faced calls to roll back their own renewable mandates. The reason is simple: Their residential customers pay an astonishing 46% more for electricity than the national average. What about small- business owners? Their electric bill is 69% higher. We must ask ourselves why working families in California are begging for relief from the very mandates leaders in New Mexico are championing.

The reason the PRC was forced to pick a plan for New Mexicos power future is because the San Juan Generating Station near Farmington is slated to close in the next couple of years. Besides providing massive amounts of affordable power for decades, the generating station and its accompanying coal mine employed hundreds of New Mexicans who will now be out of a job. Environmentalists will tell you its market conditions forcing the closure, yet theyve spent hundreds of thousands on campaigns to force us to buy their just transition. Make no mistake, if the market deemed their renewable solution more affordable, they wouldnt need Santa Fe to mandate us to buy it.

About 150 miles to the southwest of the San Juan Generating Station is the former site of the now-closed Kayenta Mine. Environmentalists cheered when the mine closed last year, but they were nowhere to be found when the community had to pick up the pieces. Native American elders were forced to burn their own clothes to stay warm last winter because they no longer had the coal from the mine. The environmental movement abandoned that community in its moment of need, and it will abandon New Mexicos families as well.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has recently become fond of referring to New Mexico as a small, poor state. Perhaps supporting renewable mandates that only serve as a disguise for taxing the poor is part of the reason why.
Nationally, 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, according to an analysis of CDC data by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press.
Survivors of the Christchurch mosque attack have demanded Australia pay for Brenton Tarrant's jail bill.

The terrorist was jailed for life without parole after he murdered 51 people and injured dozens more in a massacre at the Al-Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre on March 15, 2019.

Now, victims of the brutal attack want Australia to pick up the bill for incarcerating the 29-year-old in Auckland's Paremoremo Prison, which comes at a price of NZ$4,930 (AUD$4,512) per day.

John Milne's 14-year-old son Sayyad was killed by Tarrant in the racially motivated attack and he believes New Zealanders should not be charged for his actions.

Victims of Brenton Tarrant's (pictured) mosque attack in Christchurch want Australia to pay for his jail time

'I think Australia needs to pay the total cost for what we've spent already, they need to pay that plus ongoing. They need to cough up big time,' he told RNZ.

'There's a big bill out there for this now, he's Australian, not a Kiwi, we shouldn't have to pay for any of it.'

Tarrant grew up in the northern New South Wales town of Grafton before moving to New Zealand in 2017 and settling in the South Island town of Dunedin.

The first two years of his sentence alone will cost $NZ3.59 million ($A3.33 million), with the entirety of his time in jail set to cost tens of millions of dollars.

Manal Dokhan points at Tarrant during her impact statement in a hearing in Christchurch on August 26

Abdul Aziz chased Tarrant out of Linwood Islamic Centre following the attack and said the money being spent on his imprisonment could be much better spent.

'We can do a lot better things than spending it on that coward,' he said.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters wants Tarrant to serve his sentence in Australia and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was open to the idea.

'I know all Australians and New Zealanders want to see this character locked up to never see the light of day again - I agree with that,' he told Sunrise.

'Whether he is held in New Zealand or Australia, we're open to that discussion.'

There would need to be some changes to legal arrangements between Australia and New Zealand for the transfer to happen because the two countries do not have a prisoner transfer agreement.

Abdul Aziz (pictured top right) embraces with the public after Tarrant's prison sentence was revealed on August 27

Flowers are seen laid outside the Al Noor mosque after Tarrant's racially motivated attack in March 2019

Such an agreement would allow New Zealanders jailed in Australia to also be sent home.

Another option would be for Canberra and Wellington to reach a one-off agreement just for Tarrant.

In either case, Tarrant would have to serve the same sentence of life without parole unless New Zealand consented to a discount which is extremely unlikely, ANU legal expert professor Don Rothwell told Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Morrison said he and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would work through the issues involved.

'It has a lot of implications, these sorts of decisions. The Prime Minister of New Zealand and I will talk about those issues,' Mr Morrison said.

'Mostly, we're concerned about what the views of the families would be, of those affected, and we want to do the right thing by them.'

'There has been no request made for that (transfer), I should stress.'

Tarrant's sentence is the harshest penalty ever doled out by a New Zealand court and guarantees he will die behind bars regardless of which country he is in.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Ardern said Tarrant's crime was one that the country 'has never seen the likes of before and this is a sentence we've never seen before'.

'It gave me relief, to know that person will never see the light of day,' she said. 'The trauma of March 15 is not easily healed, but today I hope is the last where we have any cause to hear or utter the name of the terrorist behind it.

'His deserves to be a lifetime of complete and utter silence.'
A group calling itself the National Watch has charged President Akufo-Addo to honour his promise to have a committee probe the military brutalities recorded under his government.

According to the group, they have become skeptic because almost all the cases the president had ordered probes into it in the past have been left as 'dead issues'.

Naming some of the issues, the National Watch group cites the probe ordered into the Australia Visa scandal, the probe ordered into Maritime Authority CEO, Kwame Owusu's miss-use of public funds and issues of conflict of interest, probe ordered in April 2020 into lockdown brutalities visited on some Ghanaians, and many others.

In a press release from the group, they have taken a keen interest in incidences witnessed during the voter registration exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission recently as they charge the president to for once honor his promise to probe military brutalities.

NATIONAL WATCH wishes to urge President Nana Akufo Addo to clear the lingering skepticism about his Government's ability to honor the promise to set up a Committee to investigate military brutalities and physical preventions that characterized the recently ended Voters' registration exercise", a part of the release reads.

Find the full press release from the group below:

For Immediate Release

September 2, 2020

PRESIDENT AKUFO ADDO MUST FOR ONCE HONOR HIS PROMISE TO PROBE MILITARY BRUTALITIES

NATIONAL WATCH wishes to urge President Nana Akufo Addo to clear the lingering skepticism about his Government's ability to honor the promise to set up a Committee to investigate military brutalities and physical preventions that characterized the recently ended Voters' registration exercise.

The scepticism of NATIONAL WATCH stem from the outcomes of many cases the President had ordered probes into, almost all of which have ended up as 'dead issues'.

Some of these cases include; a probe ordered somewhere in 2018 into the Australia Visa scandal issues, another one also ordered in September 2018, following a petition by the Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo against the Audit Service Board Chair, Prof Edward Duah Agyemang about interference in the former's constitutional mandate, another probe ordered in March 2019 into the issue of Cedi depreciation, a probe ordered into Maritime Authority CEO, Kwame Owusu's miss-use of public funds and issues of conflict of interest.

Others were, Ahmed Suale's Assassination, a promise/probe into Ebony Reigns accident and death which according to President Akufo Addo was to mark a departure from the excessive carnage on our roads, Contract for Sale probe against Public Procurement Authority CEO ordered in August 2019, a probe into National Youth Authority procurement illegalities also ordered in September 2019, NPP Vice Regional Chair, Ekow Ewusi and other NPP party/Govt officials involvement in illegal mining and missing excavator issues and another probe ordered in April 2020 into lockdown brutalities visited on some Ghanaians etc, all of which ended up in unsatisfactory and or questionable ways.

Suffice to say that the President has in the face of the reported brutalities contradicted himself in his utterances about the suffered brutalities; he at one point claimed to be unaware of any recorded brutality during the registration exercise, at another time claimed the victims of the brutalities were only engaging in divisive politics, only to later assure of a probe, calling into question his sincerity and candour on the matter.

It is also worth recalling the NPP's General Secretary, John Boadu's insult on Volta region Chiefs, tagging them as political party agents.

That, together with the President's unhelpful conduct and utterances go to the heart of the matter that the Akufo Addo-led NPP Government are only executing, particularly the 2020 elections from a " Devilish Goebbelsian strategy" document; a 41-page campaign document titled "NPP Campaign 2020 Planning and Organization", compiled by the National Campaign Manager which promotes use of lies & communist inferior tactics.

Among other things, the 41-page document at page 10 states "Be consistent (even with lies)". It further notes on page 13 that: "Ethnicity matters - it affects political fortunes; issues of internal migration in BA, Western and Ashanti; fringe communities settler communities, Nasara and Zongo".

The above obviously formed basis for the senseless and plain wicked actions including demolitions/displacements, brutalities and physical preventions witnessed before and during the Voters registration exercise in Banda (Bono region), Asawase, Upper Denkyira East & West, Tema East/Tema Central, Ayawaso West Wuogon etc, which is inimical to Ghana's development and democracy, requiring Voices of Reason to rise and speak up.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

And make it great and strong.

Thank you

Group Spokespersons

Susie Afua Adoboe (Mrs)

0242567130

Nana Adubea Koranteng

0267790077

Kofi Adoli

0244882790

Koku Mawuli Nanegbe

0243388488
What was supposed to be a peaceful vacation for Piers Morgan and his wife turned into a disaster after some crooks burgled them.

Last month, Piers' wife, Celia Walden, revealed that thieves broke inside their French villa while they were sleeping.

In an article she wrote for Daily Telegraph, Celia divulged that the burglars, whom she called "depraved and despicable," took cash and jewelry from their Cote d'Azur holiday home.

Police said that the thieves just left and dashed out of the villa when they heard her wake up.

"But then I remembered something that made me feel sick: the up-turned handbag found in the sitting room had originally been on a chair in our bedroom," Walden continued. "They must have crept in there and stood inches away from us while we slept."

A few weeks since the incident happened, the culprits remain unknown and free. However, Piers himself made a move to find them.

The 55-year-old "Good Morning Britain" presenter pledged to hunt down the burglars the Liam Neeson way.

"And yes, I will find you. It will make 'Taken' look like a tea party," Piers said in reference of Neeson's movie while issuing the alarming warning. "I'm serious. We're gonna find you ... we're on to you."

Piers believed that those people planned everything by flying drones over their villa a few days earlier.

In addition, he said that his wife's jewelry was stolen on the scene.

Celia also made a terrifying discovery that the burglars stole money from her handbag, which she placed on a chair by their bed.

She then discovered her handbag on the sofa with her jewelry box opened empty beside it. Although the thieves took all the money inside her purse, they left nothing but credit cards and her driver's license.

Unfortunately, they also took the ring Piers bought for Celia for their fifth wedding anniversary.

Piers' Series of Unfortunate Events?

Before the robbery happened, Piers Morgan experienced a series of unfortunate events.

In July, he revealed on "Good Morning Britain" that he and his co-presenter Susanna Reid would be taking their summer breaks.

He then immediately jetted to Saint Tropez in the south of France to start his six-week break with his family.

However, the second day of their summer holiday turned into a nightmare after the broadcaster suffered from a sudden fall. The incident gave him a torn tendon in his right leg, which left him hobbling on crutches.

Despite Piers' horrifying accident, he posed with his three sons -- Spencer, 27, Stanley, 23, and Albert, 19 -- and shared their family photo on his Twitter account.

"Peg-leg. (Nothing like tearing a tendon on Day 2 of a 6-week holiday)," Piers captioned the post.

In May 2020, Piers shocked his 7.4 million Twitter followers after he announced that he would temporarily step back from working at GMB after developing "mild" coronavirus symptoms.

It all started when he showed COVID-19 symptoms during the April 21 episode of GMB. Piers also persistently coughed throughout the broadcast, raising concerns from his fans.

A few days later, fortunately, he confirmed that his COVID-19 test was negative.

READ MORE: Piers Morgan Receives NSFW Warning After Criticizing Meghan Markle Again
Sydney's wild west has been rocked by a spate of drive-by shootings in the last week as cops investigate whether the hits are linked to a war between rival bikie gangs.

Nine people including three children survived the latest targeted shooting after bullets peppered a packed house in St Johns Park, Fairfield, at 11.35pm on Saturday.

Several windows and cars on the property were damaged in the drive-by attack, while none of the nine people who were home were injured.

Detectives have established a crime scene and have appealed to the public for information regarding two dark-coloured sedans and a dark-coloured SUV, which were seen near the home at the time of the attack.

There have been six shootings in Western Sydney since August 26. Pictured: a police car at the scene of the shooting in St Johns Park on Tuesday night

The incident is the sixth shooting in Sydney's west and southwest since August 26.

Shots were fired in a unit with three people inside on Columbine Avenue in Punchbowl before 8.45 on Tuesday night.

No one was injured and several people were seen leaving the site in a silver car.

Police are investigating the crime scene and no arrests have been made for either shooting.

Police arrive at the scene on Columbine Avenue in Punchbowl after gunshots were fired in a unit on Tuesday night

There were another two shootings in the city on Monday night, with Mark Shammo shot in the legs and torso on Garrong Road in Lakemba at about 8.15.

The 29-year-old was taken to hospital for surgery on non-life threatening injuries after taking shelter in a home, while four men fled from the scene in a white SUV.

'We are definitely of the belief that this was a targeted attack,' Acting Superintendent Dennis Donohue told 9News.

'It's of great concern to us that this man was attacked in the private residence with other innocent members of the public.'

Mark Shammo is taken into an ambulance after being shot in the legs and torso on Garrong Road in Lakemba on Monday night

Later that evening two children were among nine survivors in a drive-by shooting in a home on Tarlington Parade in Bonnyrigg at about 11.30pm.

NSW police said a person was seen fleeing in a white hatchback following the attack.

Inquiries are continuing and no arrests have been made for either shooting.

Former Comancheros bikie Fares Abounader died in a hail of bullets outside his home at Wall Avenue in Panania before midnight on Saturday night.

Despite the best efforts of his family, a neighbour and emergency services the 39-year-old was unable to be saved and died at the scene.

'The shooting was very calculated and very deliberate and quite brazen,' Detective Superintendent Robert Critchlow said on Sunday.

'Despite the fact that the victim is known to police it doesn't change the fact he was a family man. His wife and young child were home at the time.

Police at the scene of Fares Abounader's fatal ambush shooting attack in Panania on Saturday night

'No-one deserves to be treated like this and murdered in such a callous fashion in front of his home.'

It is believed Mr Abounader was the victim of a targeted shooting as tensions continue to simmer between the Comancheros and Bandidos.

Mr Abounader was allegedly involved in the 2009 brawl at Sydney Airport, when Comancheros bikies clashed with their Hells Angels rivals.

Hells Angel member Anthony Zervas was killed and then-Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, who died in 2018, was charged with manslaughter.

Mr Abounader fled the scene after allegedly throwing a knife down a drain.

Police cordon off the area before forensic officers arrive at Knoll Avenue in Turella after a shooting last week

Lastly, Mohamed Saab was found with gunshot wounds to his shoulder, ribs and leg outside a home in Knoll Avenue in Turrella before 7am on August 26.

Neighbours swarmed the street as the 37-year-old father-of-two was hauled into an ambulance and taken to St George Hospital in a serious condition.

Many have been left shaken by the shooting of the well-known businessman who they say is a 'role model'.

Investigators are still piecing together what sparked the shooting, which they believe was targeted.

A dark sedan was spotted leaving the area moments after the attack.

'Some of the information that has come forward leads us to believe this was not a random incident,' Chief Inspector Chris Hill said.

As inquiries continue, anyone who was in the area or who has information has been urged to come forward to police.

Mohamed Saab (pictured) was found with gunshot wounds to his shoulder, ribs and leg outside a home in Turrella
A group named Suame Youth Forum (SYF) has lauded Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for his outstanding works in his constituency over the years.



The group in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com said their MP despite his busy schedules has ensured that the constituency gets its share of the national cake in terms of development.



They described his achievements as "unprecedented" and "unmatched" after calling on Suame electorates to vote massively for him in the December 7, parliamentary polls.



Read below the full statement



The Executives and entire membership of Suame Youth Forum(SYF), a non-political group that seeks the development of Suame, would like to unequivocally Commend Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, our enviable Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency for his unprecedented and unmatched achievements in the constituency.



These achievements of the able Legislator are seen in infrastructure, ongoing and completed town roads, creation of Suame Municipality, and many others. Suame Youth Forum (SYF) acknowledge him to be a kind-hearted and an impartial Legislator who has a genuine and lasting vision towards his Constituents.



First and foremost, we are very confident in the competency of the Hon. Member of Parliament due to the fact that road challenges is a key problem faced by many Constituencies throughout the country. Notwithstanding this countrywide challenge, we in Suame are very fortunate in this regard with the numerous completed roads and most recently Asphalt Overlays being done in our municipality. It takes a Legislator that can lobby for his Constituency to have such monumental benefits.



Again, most vicinities within the Suame Constituency have seen their drainages being constructed (for instance, Abusuakruwa, Agogoso, Maakro town drains, etc) as contractors are on-site working assiduously whiles those left have seen facelifts. There are evidential documents showing Contracts signed for most of the roads left to be constructed.



Moreover, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has for ages strongly disagreed to the split of Suame from the Metro to form its own Municipal because of the massive benefits like revenue generations and others the Metro gain from Suame, this took the efforts of the indefatigable and development Oriented Legislator Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu for Suame Municipality to be a reality which we are all benefiting from today. This in effect will give Suame the opportunity to also lobby for the national cake and afford an opportunity for the people of Suame to carry out their own developmental projects. This will indeed help promote rapid development in the municipality. As if that was not enough, the hardworking MP again lobbied for the building of an ultra-modern edifice for the Municipal Assembly to be used as an office for which work is ongoing as we speak.



Furthermore, in terms of education infrastructure, our Constituency is second to none because our fact-checking has laid the record bare. We have come to the realisation that the Hon. MP has also lobbied for education infrastructure projects in the constituency for which many have been completed. These are some few of the infrastructural projects completed;



1. Nuru Islamic Basic School (Suame) 6-unit Classroom + head teachers office & store



2. Nuru Islamic School 2-unit Kindergarten block



3. Methodist Primary School (Suame) 6-unit classroom + head teachers office, Library & store



4. Methodist Basic School (Suame) 2-unit Kindergarten block

Maakro M/A Primary



5. School 6-unit classroom + headteachers office & store reconstructed after demolition by rainstorm at Maakro.



6. Maakro M/A Schools 2-unit Kindergarten block



7.Allama Bil Qualam



8. Islamic School 3-unit block at Kotoko (Suame)



9. Bremang R/C School 6-unit classroom block + head teachers office, Library & store



10. Bremang R/C 2-unit Kindergarten block



11. Bremang M/A Basic School 6-unit classroom block + office & store



12. Bremang M/A 3-unit classroom block



13. Breman M/A(B) 6 unit classroom block



14. Breman R/C 8 unit classroom reconstructed



15. Kronum M/A Primary



16. School 6-unit classroom block EU-assisted project + head teachers office & store



17 Bremang R/C 6-unit classroom block + head teachers office, library and store



18. Maakro M/A School 6-unit classroom block + head teachers office, library, staff common room



19. Kronum M/A school 6-unit classroom block + head teachers office, library, staff common room



20. Kwapra M/A School project (part of Kronum cluster of schools) 6-unit classroom block + head teachers office, library and store



21. Kwapra M/A school (Presby) 6 unit classroom block + headteachers office, library and store.



22. Abusuakruwa M/A school. 6 unit classroom block + headteachers office, library and store.



23. Nkontwoma SDA/ MA school. 6 unit classroom block + head teachers office, library and store.



24 Anomangye M/A Basic School 6-unit classroom, headteachers office, library and staff room



25. Anomangye M/A Basic School B 6-unit classroom, headteachers office. Library and staff room (2nd storey)



26. Suame Salvation Army/M/A Basic School, 6-unit classroom, headteachers office, library/computer room, staff room



27. Suame Methodist (Middle) M/A Basic school, 6-unit classroom, headteachers office, computer room, staff room



28. St. Josephs Basic School 6-unit classroom, headteachers office library and staff common room (Adadiem)



29. NVTI 4 storey complex



30. Division school, 6-unit block



31. Suame Presbyterian M/A Basic School 6-Unit block



32. Maakro M/A Basic School C





The Hon. MP has exhibited a great interest in the education of his constituents and promoting the development within the constituency has immensely contributed to the road network of the constituency. Our fact checking unveiled some of such projects within the Suame constituency which have been completed under his leadership;



1. In collaboration with the Department of Urban Roads and constructed the New Suame to Ampabame road



2. Construction and tarring of Abrepo Junction to Kotoko Embasy Hotel road



3. In collaboration with the Department of Urban Roads and constructed bitumen-surface road linking New Suame and Socar Gas (Anomangye)



4. Bitumen-surfacing of Anomangye-Nkwanta-Anomangye road



5. Facilitated the tarring of some New Suame township roads in collaboration



6. Lobbied for the dualization of the Maakro-Afrancho section of the Kumasi Offinso road



7. Facilitated for the construction of the Akoko Specs  Abusuakruwa road



8. Facilitated for the construction of Kronum  Kwapra road



9. Facilitated the construction of Bremang-UGC-Okess road



10. Facilitated the construction of Abawa Ruth  Nkontwima road



11. Lobbied for the construction of Abuohia  Asuofia road



Given the shortness of time we have deliberately omitted talking about health facilities and transformers, street lights, toilet facilities, markets, computers, scholarships to about 800 students and many more that the MP has facilitated.



Finally, aside all these enormous contribution of the profoundly effective and efficient Legislator towards the development of the constituency, the constituents testify to the fact that he has a genial and amiable relationship with them all, this makes him an impartial leader and role model to many constituents.



Even in times where he is on a national duty, and his constituents call on him he respectfully attend to them without giving excuses. This affable and generous nature of the Hon. MP has indeed deepened the ties and genuine love between the constituents and his humble self.



To sum it all up, the Hon. MP Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has and is still contributing to the development of the constituency. In view of all the above mentioned, we respectfully call on all well-meaning Constituents of Suame to support our hardworking legislator for the honour he has bestowed upon us over the years. His achievement record is unmatched, incomparable, unparalleled, peerless and, above all, his love for all can't be overlooked or exchanged for anything.



It is for these and the many other considerations that we call on all well-meaning women and men of Suame constituency to ignore the effusions of the very few people who are driven by selfishness and bloated ego but join ranks and rally support and prayers for the Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu to win a massive and decisive victory for the NPP to continue his good works for Suame, Asanteman and Ghana.



Thank You.



Spokesperson



Bernard Kusi

0243967649



Louis Karikari Appau

0547668582



Abraham Frimpong

0272898929

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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NOVI, MI  A Michigan man is facing fraud charges for allegedly stealing $3.1 million from a federal program meant to provide economic relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Antonio George, 44, of Novi, is charged with one count of wire fraud. A criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Michigan alleges that he submitted false applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, which are provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan said law enforcement is going after those who would damage Michigan businesses by stealing from the PPP, which is available to keep businesses running and employees paid during the pandemic.

Small businesses across Michigan have received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, and these loans have kept these businesses alive, Schneider said. Every dollar stolen from the program is a dollar stolen from struggling businesses in need.

To the scammers, if you think law enforcement isnt paying attention to the damage youre doing to Michigan business owners, youre dead wrong and we will be coming after you, he added.

The complaint against George alleges he obtained about $3.1 million after submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of 19 companies. The applications allegedly included false and misleading documents about business operations and payroll expenses. For example, he allegedly submitted identical wage information and employee count records for two of the companies; one of them has allegedly not been operational since 2015.

The federal CARES Act was enacted on March 29 to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering financially amid the pandemic. One source of relief provided in the law was up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses through the PPP. In April, U.S. Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP loans are forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the money toward payroll.

The case against George was investigated by the FBI and the SBAs Office of the Inspector General. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Suter of the Justice Departments Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Neal of the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving pandemic relief funds can report it by calling the Justice Departments National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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Sir John Majors warning, delivered before the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, that Britain may leave the EU was an interesting contrast with the previous speech he delivered to that institution.

He mentioned that earlier speech in passing today, saying that it was delivered 22 years ago and that it was misinterpreted. The first of those two statements is wrong, and I am not sure that I agree with the second.

He addressed the institute in March 1991  that is nearly 24 years ago, Sir John  four months after he had won the Conservative leadership by hoovering up the votes of the Tory right, who thought he was the candidate who would stay true to Margaret Thatchers memory. Instead, he went to Germany and delivered a speech reputedly written for him by that arch-Europhile and future EU Commissioner, Chris Patten, which provoked some of his recent supporters into calling him a federalist.

He denies that he was ever federalist, yet after he had delivered his call for Britain to be in the heart of Europe, he held a press conference with the German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, and declared that the way ahead would be Britain, France and Germany all clearly in the centre of it, working for the future of the community.

Imagine David Cameron saying all that at a press conference today with Angela Merkel at his side. It would not happen.

Pundit Portillo tips Miliband

A poll this week said that only 13 per cent of voters think that Ed Miliband could be prime minister, yet within that minority there is the unlikely figure of Michael Portillo  who in the 1990s was seen as a future saviour of the Conservatives.

Now a broadcaster, he drew gasps while giving a talk in Malton, in the profoundly Conservative part of North Yorkshire, when he predicted that Miliband will be the prime minister in 2015. He forecast that the Conservatives would get more votes than Labour but that Ukip will take at least 10 per cent, opening the way for a Labour-led government.

He also predicted that the referendum on Britains membership of the EU wont happen. I dont think there will be a Conservative majority, so there will be no referendum, he said.

Reputation is a spin of pride

Reputation is everything, Tony Blairs old spin doctor Alastair Campbell told the Festival of Marketing, and he treated them to an anecdote to illustrate his point.

He had flown into Gatwick from Croatia and was at the front of the queue to leave the plane when the double doors jammed. Now the other passengers are gathering behind me, he said, and I can read their minds: Come on then, Mr Spin Doctor, Mr Fixit, fix this then. Reputation all important, the greatest currency of all. I tweeted the official airport account: Just off flight BA-blahblahblah, double doors at ramp not opening, then to show I was down with the youth: Wtf! Almost instantly, a reply: Were on it. Within a minute or so, a man arrives, smiling and apologetic, presses some buttons, the doors open, I walk through, followed by grateful passengers muttering to each other: Wow, see what he did? Reputation intact. Phew.

Clegg scores Arsenal winner

Nick Clegg is understandably reluctant to talk about the rapist footballer Ched Evans, although his constituency is in the same city as Sheffield United, Evanss club when he was convicted. During his weekly LBC appearance, the Deputy Prime Minister was asked by Nick Ferrari: Whats going to happen when you have to shake his hand at a reception in Sheffield? Sounding put out, Clegg replied: Im an avid Arsenal supporter, so I dont go to United as much as I might do otherwise.

That got him out of a tight corner, but will not have won him any votes in Sheffield Hallam. Clegg went on to say Evans should not be training with the club.
By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: India at the UN has called for permanently removing the issue of Jammu and Kashmir under the "outdated agenda item" of the 'India-Pakistan question' from the Security Council's agenda, saying such "irrational exuberance" has no takers in a dignified world.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, India said that there is a delegation that repeatedly attempts to rebrand itself as contributing to international peace, but unfortunately fails to recognise that it is globally known for being the fountainhead of international terror and the hub for terror syndicates.

During a virtual informal meeting of the plenary on the annual report of the Security Council, Pakistan's UN envoy Munir Akram had raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Security Council has also been found lacking in implementing its own resolutions and decisions on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that the Council has met thrice during the last one year to consider the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

India, without naming Pakistan, said in a statement on Monday that "there is a delegation that repeatedly attempts to rebrand itself as contributing to international peace, but unfortunately fails to recognise that it is globally known for being the fountainhead of international terror and the hub for terror syndicates."

ALSO READ | We are not anyone's puppets: Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah's retort to Pakistan

"This delegation keeps pushing for discussions on an outdated agenda item in the Council, which for all matter needs to be removed from the Council's agenda permanently. Such irrational exuberance has no takers in a dignified world," India said on the 'Report of the Security Council for 2019'.

An August 3, 2020 summary statement by the Secretary-General of "matters of which the Security Council is seized" listed "The India-Pakistan question' among those items that have not been considered by the Council at a "formal meeting" during the period from January 1, 2017 to August 1, 2020.

The agenda item "India-Pakistan question' was first taken up by the Council at a formal meeting on January 6, 1948 and was last considered on November 5, 1965.

Pakistan, backed by its 'all-weather ally' China, has been repeatedly seeking to have a discussion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the Security Council.

The Council had held closed consultations on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on August 16 last year after China asked for the "closed consultations" to discuss the matter.

That meeting had ended without any outcome.

In January this year, China, on behalf of Pakistan, had again made an attempt to raise the Kashmir issue under "other matters" during closed consultations in the Security Council Consultations Room.

Then too, China stood alone in the Pakistani corner to get the Security Council to focus on the Kashmir issue.

Last month, as India marked the first anniversary of ending the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Beijing again called for a discussion on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the Security Council under 'Any Other Business'.

ALSO READ | India rejects reference to Jammu and Kashmir in China-Pakistan joint statement

All these meetings ended without any outcome, as many other members of the Security Council have underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti had told PTI that contrary to what Pakistan may claim, Islamabad has not been successful in trying to put Jammu and Kashmir on the UN agenda.

"Frankly, the attempt by Pakistan to try and internationalise, what is a bilateral issue, is nothing new," he had said.

Tirumurti had pointed out that contrary to what the Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi asserted, "there has been no formal meeting of the Security Council on the India-Pakistan issue even once for the past 55 years, let alone three times!" Pakistan, backed by China, has only been able to bring up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir informally and in closed door meetings under what is called "Any Other Business', a category where literally any item can be brought for discussion by anyone. These meetings have no records and there is no outcome."

Tirumurti had pointed out that even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his statement last August, clearly referred to the 1972 bilateral Simla Agreement.

"Consequently, Pakistan has been singularly unsuccessful in making any inroads into the UN on Jammu and Kashmir. That is the reality," Tirumurti had said.
PHILIPSBURG:---The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent Plenary Public Session today, September 2, 2020. The Public meeting is scheduled for 11.00 hrs. and will be held in a virtual setting.

The agenda point is:

Position of the Parliaments Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten regarding the Caribbean reform entity (CRE)



Due to measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19), the House of Parliament is only allowing persons with an appointment to enter the Parliament building.



The parliamentary session will be held virtually and will be carried out live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1 www.pearlfmradio.sx, via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see People Infrastructure Ltd (ASX:PPE) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 7th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 6th of October.

People Infrastructure's next dividend payment will be AU$0.045 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of AU$0.085 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that People Infrastructure has a trailing yield of 3.1% on the current share price of A$2.77. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing.

View our latest analysis for People Infrastructure

Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. That's why it's good to see People Infrastructure paying out a modest 39% of its earnings. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. The good news is it paid out just 20% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that People Infrastructure's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see People Infrastructure's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 64% per annum for the past three years. People Infrastructure is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow, while simultaneously growing earnings per share at a rapid clip. Companies with growing earnings and low payout ratios are often the best long-term dividend stocks, as the company can both grow its earnings and increase the percentage of earnings that it pays out, essentially multiplying the dividend.

Story continues

People Infrastructure also issued more than 5% of its market cap in new stock during the past year, which we feel is likely to hurt its dividend prospects in the long run. Trying to grow the dividend while issuing large amounts of new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. In the past two years, People Infrastructure has increased its dividend at approximately 46% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years.

The Bottom Line

Should investors buy People Infrastructure for the upcoming dividend? People Infrastructure has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. People Infrastructure looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with People Infrastructure and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top 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.
EDWARDSVILLE  Its been quite a year for Good Weather Gallery as it gratefully celebrates its first anniversary with a special exhibition and reception.

Join Good Weather Gallerys curator and owner Brooke Peipert, of Alton, in welcoming textile artist Denise Mandel for a solo exhibit, A Journey Through Interwoven Threads, by textile artist Denise Mandel & One-year Anniversary of Good Weather Gallery, featuring Mandels collection of loom woven work. The exhibit, hung in the gallery at 301 N. Main St., in Edwardsville, also will feature live music and for every $365 spent by an individual, they receive a mini bottle of Rondel Gold Brut Cava champagne.

Good Weather Gallery is excited to celebrate its one year anniversary alongside such a talented artist, Peipert said. Grab your mask and a friend and celebrate with us.

Mandels artist statement is, Weaving is the core of my existence as an artist. Things just come together when behind my looms. In the process of designing, prepping, execution and giving birth to a creation by cutting the warp threads, the interwoven yarns talk to me. Reflections of past, present, and even future moods and memories, occur. Natures seasonal events influence shapes plus color palette. Be it stars, rainbows, autumn leaves, snowflakes, flowers, etc. Animals frequently appear, too.

Navajo weaving of the Southwest influenced Mandel, of St. Louis, greatly when she started her career as a weaver in New Mexico.

For that, it will remain in my blood forever, she said. Compositional weft-face rugs and tapestries are my forte. Images result in one-of-a-kind Southwest, contemporary, dimensional and, or pictorial variety.

The public is welcome to attend in-person the opening reception of A Journey Through Interwoven Threads, by textile artist Denise Mandel & One-year Anniversary of Good Weather Gallery.

More Information If you go: What: "A Journey Through Interwoven Threads," by textile artist Denise Mandel, & "One-year Anniversary of Good Weather Gallery" When: 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5 Where: Good Weather Gallery, 301 N. Main St., Edwardsville Info: The gallery celebration and opening reception for the exhibit is open to the public for in-person viewing. The reception will feature live music and for every $365 spent by an individual, they receive a mini bottle of Rondel Gold Brut Cava champagne. Social distancing in place and face covering in effect. Virtual exhibits and e-commerce are available at www.goodweaetherartgallery.com. To make an appointment call 618-477-9323 or email blpart.advocacy@gmail.com. All the shows can be seen at the gallery's website and its Facebook page. See More Collapse

When the pandemic started Peipert went virtual, but with the easing of restrictions Peipert has allowed exhibition opening and closing events for in-person attendance and viewing, with safety precautions being followed. In between openings and closings patrons can view exhibits by appointment. Virtual exhibits and e-commerce are available at www.goodweaetherartgallery.com. To make an appointment call 618-477-9323 or email blpart.advocacy@gmail.com.

All the shows can be seen at the gallerys website and its Facebook page.

Our shows will continue virtually, Peipert said. But openings and closings are open to the public and in-person viewing. We want our artists, visitors and patrons to stay involved as we move past this pandemic, and see our momentum continue.

Good Weather Gallerys most recent online exhibition was Respite, featuring original works by Eugenia Alexander and Greg Edmondson.

Alexanders artist statement is, Through my work, I use the rich African tradition of storytelling through fabric work telling stories of connecting the African Diaspora/African American to traditional African heritage specifically through Indigo Dying. As an African American, growing up not knowing my heritage I felt a sense of loss of where exactly my ancestors came from, what their traditions and heritage are. As I learned indigo dying from a master artist I started to feel more of a connection to my heritage and culture as if it was my ancestors passing this tradition down to me through indigo hand dying. I tell these stories of Blackness, Connection, and Search through my work.

Edmondsons artist statement is, For the past five years I have been an Artist-in-Residence in mostly isolated, immersive environments. The works presented here illustrate the significant and on-going shift in my practice that this experience has brought about. The generative systems that drove my earlier work have begun to give way to a more intuitive and color driven approach to making imagery. My interest in patterns of organic growth and decay has remained, but the strict set of instructions I had followed has eroded. This new work is still formal and abstract, but based in simple forms and complex color strategies. These new paintings straddle a line between intention and response  constantly being nudged into unfamiliar territory by small discoveries made along the way.

Also, the artwork is available for purchase via www.goodweatherartgallery.com beginning the opening day of solo exhibits.

We have also began e-commerce, so work can either be purchased directly from the gallery or directly from our website, Peipert said.

Peiperts plan also is to continue the figure drawing sessions,which were gaining in popularity in the months before the coronavirus pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization.

Each show will be available to view virtually on Good Weather Gallerys website www.goodweatherartgallery.com and its Facebook page.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 01:54:15|Editor: huaxia

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A Palestinian woman teaches her child inside their house in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)



by Sanaa Kamal

GAZA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ekhlass Mohammed from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia decided to teach her four siblings at home when schools in the Gaza Strip have been shut down once again after a few weeks of reopening amid resurgence of COVID-19.

In addition to the ordinary curriculum, she also decided to teach them English, Arabic and maths using a computer.

The 22-year-old young woman told Xinhua that the new closure has "brought us back to zero point of the educational process."

"All of us must hold our responsibility towards our people and students, who would lose their school year if we did not take care of them," she explained.

When the new cases have been exposed, the Hamas-run government imposed a full lockdown on whole Gaza in order to combat the virus.

All schools, mosques, local markets and institutions were closed, while public gatherings have been prohibited in Gaza.

However, Hala Abu Ryash, a mother of four children from northern Gaza, said that poverty prevents her from buying mobile phones or laptops for her children.

She added that staying at home for a long period of time impacted badly on her and her children's psychology, saying that "nothing can replace traditional education."

So far, the Gaza Health Ministry has recorded 400 COVID-19 cases, including 290 cases from the internal community and four fatalities since the outbreak of the virus on March 5.

In light of the spread of the virus, the resumption of the educational process and the return to schools is linked to "the recommendations of the specialized committees," said Ziad Thabet, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education in the Gaza Strip.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Thabet said that distance education has its various tools and methods, such as self-learning cards, specific assignments and scientific projects, in addition to radio or electronic lessons.

To simplify the process, Nihaya al-Ramlawy, a teacher at a governmental school, had gathered all of her students in a Facebook group to teach them how they can use the electronic education to get their lessons.

The 36-year-old teacher told Xinhua that her decision was aimed at teaching children and continuing the teaching process without interruption.

But she added that not all students adhere to this mechanism, indicating that the lack of regular electricity is a direct reason for this.

More than half a million students attend schools in Gaza and more than half of them attend schools affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East (UNRWA).

Farid Abu Azra, head of UNRWA Education Program in Gaza, told Xinhua that they are working to promote a culture of distance learning among students at all levels, and a large team has been formed to work in this field in order to facilitate e-learning.

"We know very well that there are many difficulties that families face, including power cuts and the lack of mobile phones or tablets," Azra said. Enditem
Iran's envoy: US not entitled to use trigger mechanism

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Sept 1, IRNA -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi said that the legal reasonings by the majority of UN Security Council member-states and the sum-up by its president is rigid and clear on the basis of which the US is notg authorized to use snapback mechanism of the past sanctions.

The following is the full text of Takht Ravanchi's speech at the UN General Assembly's meeting in New York on Monday:

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi

Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the United Nations General Assembly

On Agenda Item 27: "Report of the Security Council"

New York, 31 August 2020

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful



Mr. President,

I thank you for convening this meeting. I also thank the Indonesian Presidency of the Security Council for presenting the report of the Council.

According to the Charter, the Council "shall submit" an annual report to the General Assembly and the Assembly "shall receive and consider" it. The raison d'etre of such a strong obligation is nothing but to ensure that the Council is accountable to the Assembly where all Member States are represented and where the Council obtains its power from.

Therefore, by considering the annual report of the Council, the Assembly is in a position to evaluate the effectiveness of the Council's actions. This is of particular importance this year, given the conclusion of the current report that "in 2019, the international situation remained quite turbulent".

In certain cases, the Council's indecisiveness, indecision and ineffectiveness have undermined regional and international peace and security. In this context, I would like to give certain examples regarding the developments of our region, the Middle East. This is crucial as according to the Council's report, such situations drew the attention of the Council in 2019 and their impact remained severe.

Last year, parallel to the Israeli regime's unlawful construction and expansion of settlements, its inhumane blockade of Gaza and its other criminal measures towards the Palestinians, the Council's historic inaction and utter silence towards this crisis has also continued.

Moreover, last year, meddling and destabilizing activities of the U.S. in the Middle East continued, including through the occupation of parts of Syria, looting its oil and imposing unilateral sanctions against that country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, the U.S., on a number of occasions, intruded Iran's territorial waters and airspace. Furthermore, in early January 2020, its military adventurism heightened placing the region on the verge of an all-out war when the U.S.'s military forces, in a terrorist act at the direct order of the U.S. President, violated Iraq's sovereignty and horrifically martyred two regional anti-terror heroes, including Major General Qasem Soleimani, which was called by many international lawyers and scholars as a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. Again, the Council was utterly silent.

In 2019, the United States also continued violating Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA. This is a gross violation of the U.S. obligations under the Charter's Article 25. It also brazenly continued threatening UN members either to defy that Resolution or face punishment.

In pursuance of this destructive policy, the U.S. now has placed the UN under maximum pressure to ultimately kill the JCPOA. Earlier this month, in violation of Resolution 2231, it first proposed a draft resolution to impose arms embargo against Iran, which was rejected by 13 members of the Council.

Later, on August 20th, through a letter to the Council, the U.S. attempted to purportedly initiate a process to re-impose the Council sanctions on Iran. The reaction of Council members was decisive. Through their letters, again 13 members, including the remaining JCPOA participants, as well as Iran and the EU High Representative and the Coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission, strongly refuted the legal merit of the U.S. letter.

Again, on August 25th, in an open VTC of the Council, the overwhelming majority of its members rejected the admissibility of the U.S. letter.

The arguments of the Council members, reflected in their letters and statements, are direct and straightforward: following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the U.S. is not a "JCPOA participant", has no right to initiate a process to re-impose Council sanctions, and its letter cannot be considered as the qualified notification for the purpose of OP 11 of Resolution 2231, thus is void of any legal effect now and in the future, period.

Accordingly, the President of the Council, in its open VTC on August 25th concluded that, and I quote "it is clear for me that there is one member which has a particular position on the issues while there are significant number of members who have contesting views. In my view, there is not consensus in the Council thus the president is not in the position to take further action", end of quote.

Having failed to convince the Council members through deceptive justifications, pseudo-legal arguments and arbitrary interpretation of Resolution 2231 as well as political pressure and intimidation, now, the U.S. stubbornly argues that the sanctions will return on September 20.

Let's make it quite clear that the legal arguments presented by Council members are rock-solid and the conclusion of the Council President is unambiguous and conclusive: the U.S. is not in a position to initiate anything in the Council.

The U.S. policy regarding Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA challenges the relevance and accountability of the Council.

Therefore, in fulfilling its obligation under Charter's Article 15(1), the Assembly must pay due attention to the principle of accountability of the Council and its members.

Finally, to enable the Assembly to have a clear account of the overall situation of international peace and security while considering the Council's report, it is recommended that the introduction of the report be more analytical.

I thank you, Mr. President.

2050**2050

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New Delhi, Sep 2 : A day after Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote a scathing letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg complaining about his social media platform's bias against right of centre; it appears a similar letter was shot by Trinamool's Derek O'Brien, even earlier, making similar allegations of bias against the Trinamool Congress party.

With the 2021 elections tipped to be the mother of all battles in the state, where the BJP wants to unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led government that has been in power for two consecutive terms, Facebook seems to be the common enemy.

In the letter dated August 31, O'Brien wrote: "With the election in the Indian state of West Bengal just months away, your companies recent blocking of Facebook pages and accounts in Bengal also points to the link between Facebook and BJP.

"There is enough material now in the public domain, including internal memos of senior Facebook management, to substantiate the bias." He also said that the role of Facebook in the last two general elections was raised in the parliament of india in June 2019 by the Trinamool Congress.

"We, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), India's second-largest opposition party, have had serious concerns about Facebook's role during the 2014 and 2019 general elections in India," he said.

On Tuesday, Prasad in a 3-page letter to Zuckerberg complained about bias of its top management against the 'right of centre'. He claimed how some of them "are on record abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior cabinet ministers".

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Protests took place over deteriorating economic conditions last month in the capital and elsewhere in western Libya, which is controlled by forces loyal to the U.N.-supported government. Tripoli militias opened fire on demonstrators with rifles and truck-mounted guns and abducted some of the protesters.
The boss of one of Britains biggest housebuilders has insisted the rally in the property market has further to run after reporting a surge in demand for new homes.

David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments, said house sales are bouncing back faster than expected after the lockdown was lifted.

The firm revealed the damage caused by the Covid-19 crisis to its bottom line, with profits slumping by 46 per cent to 492million in the year to the end of June.

David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments, said house sales are bouncing back faster than expected after the lockdown was lifted

It built almost a third fewer homes over this period, after construction sites were temporarily shut down earlier this year to curb the spread of the virus.

It said it would not be paying shareholders a special dividend for the year, amid concerns over rising unemployment and the prospect of a No Deal Brexit.

But it also revealed it is selling homes at a much more rapid rate than it was a year ago, with orders for 15,660 homes, compared with 13,064 at the same point last year. Thomas said: We expect good demand in the long term.

The Government Help to Buy programme is providing a very accessible, very affordable way for people to get on to the housing ladder, and the stamp duty holiday through to March is providing some extra stimulus.

The upbeat comments came as Nationwide revealed house prices had jumped to a record high in August, after registering the biggest monthly rise in more than 16 years.

The average house price rose 2 per cent  or almost 3,200  to hit 224,123.

It followed a 1.8 per cent increase in July and means house prices have already clawed back their losses during the lockdown.

Property experts attributed the recovery to the release of pent-up demand during the lockdown, a demand for more properties with more space, and the Chancellors stamp-duty holiday on homes worth up to 500,000.

But they have also warned house prices could be dragged down again over the autumn as the Governments furlough scheme ends.
Army trucks move towards Ladakh via LehManali Highway, in Manali. Chinese and Indian patrols regularly encounter one another along the disputed border, and both sides often accuse one another of border incursions, the report said.(PTI)

Washington: China has been using coercive tactics in pursuit of territorial and maritime claims in the South and East China Seas, as well as along its border with India and Bhutan, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are vital to global trade.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the area.

"China's leaders use tactics short of armed conflict to pursue China's objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region," the Pentagon said in its annual report on China to the Congress.

China has been fast expanding military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region, triggering concern in various countries of the region and beyond.

"These tactics are particularly evident in China's pursuit of its territorial and maritime claims in the South and East China Seas as well as along its border with India and Bhutan," said the report titled 'Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China 2020' that was released by the Pentagon.

In recent years, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has also increased patrols around and near Taiwan using bomber, fighter, and surveillance aircraft to signal Taiwan. China also employs non-military tools coercively, including economic tools during periods of political tensions with countries that Beijing accuses of harming its national interests, the report said.

Even as China settled 11 land-based territorial disputes with six of its neighbours, since 1998, in the recent years, Beijing has employed a more coercive approach to deal with several disputes over maritime features and ownership of potentially rich offshore oil and gas deposits, it said.

"Tensions with India persist along the northeastern border near the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China asserts is part of Tibet and therefore part of China, and near the Aksai Chin region at the western end of the Tibetan Plateau," the Pentagon said in its report to the Congress.

Chinese and Indian patrols regularly encounter one another along the disputed border, and both sides often accuse one another of border incursions, it said.

However, Chinese and Indian forces have regularly interacted since the 2017 Doklam standoff and generally kept disputes from escalating in 2019, it said.

After the 22nd round of India-China border talks held in September 2019, China and India agreed for the first time to coordinate patrolling at one disputed point along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh as a confidence-building measure to maintain peace at the border, the reported said.

The report, however, makes no mention of the latest border row between India and China in Ladakh.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.

Giving its assessment of India-China border in 2019, the Pentagon said that officials from China and India continued regular meetings regarding their disputed border, while low-level face-offs persisted between Chinese and Indian military personnel.

Chinese and Indian forces both continued construction and patrols in contested regions along the disputed border, but generally kept tensions from escalating in 2019, it said.

In October 2019, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai to discuss economic relations and the importance of the peaceful resolution of contentious issues, particularly regarding the border. This meeting was the second summit between Xi and Modi, the first of which occurred in April 2018 following the 2017 Doklam standoff, it said.

In August 2019, China submitted "early harvest" proposals regarding China-India border issues to India, which was the first time that China had approached India with resolution proposals, the report said.

Although India was not pleased with the proposals, the 22nd meeting of the Special Representatives of India and China occurred in December 2019 and reinforced both sides' shared intent to manage tensions in the border region, it said.
This story was originally published on September 2, 2020.

Pepe the Frog has become one of the most pervasive and controversial images on the internet, a cartoon totem of the alt-right and medium for countless offensive memes. But what most people dont know about Pepe is that he was actually born in the Mission.



Created by cartoonist Matt Furie while killing time in the offices of Community Thrift Store on Valencia Street, Pepe the Frog began as a member of a group of four literal party animals in the comic series Boys Club, originally published in 2006. The characters evolution from pizza-eating slacker to hate symbol, along with Furies quest to reclaim his character, is documented in a "Feels Good Man," a film available for rent on streaming services like Prime Video and iTunes. Its a story about internet culture, but distinctly rooted in San Francisco.



Matt was part of a community of cartoonists in the Mission during his time period, but its an echo of a community of cartoonists from the Weirdo era, Weirdo the comic book, says Feels Good Man director Arthur Jones. Robert Crumb and all those sort of people. San Francisco has always had transgressive publishing, back to City Lights and all the Beats.

Courtesy of Feels Good Man



The documentarys title stems from Pepes comic catchphrase, which now couldnt be further from what hes come to represent. Although theres no exact origin story for Pepes adoption as a meme, the internet caught wind of the stoney-eyed frog long before the rise of the alt-right. In the late aughts, Furie started hearing about odd fan dedications, like a song uploaded in 2008 to a then-nascent YouTube. Feels good man became a popular joke on workout message boards, cat memes, and was even placed over a photo of John Goodman (Feels Goodman). At first, it seemed innocuous enough.



I was interested in it as an internet phenomenon, but I didnt think too much about it, says Furie in the film. I didnt even know what a meme was. I still dont know if Im saying that correctly. It was through Pepe that I learned what a meme was.

RELATED: The drive-in movie theater is the bastion of normalcy we all need right now

Pepes descent into darkness can be credited largely to 4chan, an internet message board known as a repository for vitriolic memes. The anonymous nature of the site made it a breeding ground for hate speech, with users competing for the most shocking posts. The stereotypical image of a 4chan user is a basement-dwelling outcast who subscribes to a dropout philosophy summed up by the acronym NEET (not in education, employment or training). The original viral image of Pepe, with downcast eyes and a grimaced lips, became a symbol for this particular brand of internet antisocial behavior.



The filmmakers interviewed several 4channers, most notably one named Mills, who gives a tour of his trash-filled basement lair that he boasts of as the pinnacle of NEET living. He spends much of his time there posting self-deprecating messages to 4chan, embracing his identity as an outcast.



Its really interesting if you look at 4chan and Instagram as mirrors of each other, says producer Giorgio Angelini. They follow similar logic. The reward systems are all the same, its just the inputs are different. For someone like Mills, his content creation isnt about going on trips, its about creating increasingly nihilistic, cynical content.

Another 4channer in the film referred to Pepe as the meme of the site, noting that itd be strange not to post it. But despite both users fascination with the frog, neither knew its comic book origins.



One of the reasons Pepe was so easily co-opted was most people dont realize that Pepe comes from anything, says Jones. Pepe could be changed, because people didnt know the backstory.

Theres a lot of characters like SpongeBob on 4chan or Reddit that are used in pretty messed up ways, adds Angelini. But ultimately, when you see it as a racist meme, you know its a perversion.



The depictions of Pepe became more and more shocking, from sexist and racist tropes to political imagery praising Nazis and terrorists. A gunman who killed six people at UC Santa Barbara in 2014 was memorialized with Pepe memes as a rallying cry for a beta uprising of disaffected men.

Then the most common image of Pepe evolved, turning his expression from a frown to a smug smile. This shift coincided with the announcement of Donald Trumps presidential campaign, and soon enough, Pepe was being posted with a tuft of Trump hair that the candidate retweeted himself, earning the allegiance of the 4chan community. Pepe even spawned his own form of cryptocurrency where rare Pepe memes are bought and sold for thousands of dollars. As a result of its ubiquitousness among the darkest corners of internet culture, Pepe was officially added to the Anti Defamation Leagues official registry of hate symbols in 2016.

Courtesy of Feels Good Man

Furie pushed back to reclaim his creation. He illustrated a children's book featuring a new gentler frog that explores forests and surfs. He then started a clothing line of goofy collared shirts, but Pepes snowballing popularity caused his distributors to rescind his contract, sticking him with thousands of dollars of unsellable merchandise. He launched a social media campaign called the Peace Pepe Database of Love where artists submitted positive art, then pivoted to killing off the character in a comic where the other Boys Club animals attend his funeral.



When all else failed, Furie lawyered up. With the help of a pro-bono intellectual property law firm, he successfully sued over 75 people, including everyone from an Islamophobic children's author to InfoWars host Alex Jones. Then when it seemed like Pepe was completely lost, the frog was adopted by protesters in Hong Kong as a symbol of peace rather than hate in 2019.

RELATED: 'Total, complete shock': Over $77,000 raised to save historic Bay Area movie theater



In addition to the difficulty of finding 4channers willing to talk and immersing themselves in such a dark subculture, one of the biggest challenges of the film was presented by the coronavirus. The subject matter demanded the film be released before the 2020 election, but the pandemic derailed a run of screenings at 24 film festivals, which were the movies best shot at being purchased for broader distribution.



When talks with studios and streaming platforms didnt succeed, the filmmakers instead decided to self-release it. A cold email to Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League started a conversation that led to an actual theatrical release in 17 of the chains theaters (although not in SF). The movie is now available for rent on the major VOD platforms.



Although Pepe creator Furie sometimes seems to wish his character would just disappear, the lazy-eyed frog doesnt seem to be going anywhere, which may be the strangest part of this whole saga. Over the course of a decade, a silly comic born in a San Francisco thrift store somehow evolved into an international symbol of sadness, then hate, then liberation. For the Feels Good Man crew, Pepes rise and fall isnt just a story about a cartoon, but the internet as a whole.



Pepe has outlasted Myspace. Hes outlasted Tumblr. Hes something thats become an ur-meme. Hes been around as long as anything else on the internet that has been able to stay a thing. I find that totally strange, says Jones.
Reaearch has also shown that when job descriptions include a salary range, recruiters get over 30% more applicants. Photo: Getty

Money might not be everything when youre looking for a new job, but its certainly important. Although candidates place details of the job itself before salary information when looking at job listings, compensation information is still one of the top three things 61% of candidates expect to see.

However, a survey of over 14,600 professionals and employers found only 46% of recruiters always include salary information in job adverts.

As a job seeker, it can be frustrating to find an interesting role with no mention of the pay. It can also be off-putting if you suspect the compensation might be less than it should be. So should salary information be included in a job advert  and are there any downsides?

As employees, we all want to be paid what were worth  especially when it comes to taking a new job, says Derren Bevington, business director at the recruitment agency Michael Page.

READ MORE: How coronavirus can help you achieve switching careers

This means its important to be aware of the average UK salary for the role youre hiring for to check yourself against the competition and ensure the wage you are offering is fair, he adds.

In order to hire the best talent, you have to remunerate staff competitively. Being clear about the package on offer demonstrates a degree of transparency and that you are serious about hiring the best person for the role.

While a salary isnt the only thing which determines whether or not a candidate will apply for a job, people may look to move roles if they dont feel satisfied with the pay. By outlining a salary range, candidates will have the option to decide whether to apply, based on their financial requirements.

In the current market, more than ever, transparency is crucial, explains Bevington. Including salaries within job descriptions can provide a clear indication of what is on offer from a compensation perspective and the cultural components can be covered at the interview stage. This therefore means less screening time for companies looking to hire.

Story continues

Research has also shown that when job descriptions include a salary range, recruiters get over 30% more applicants.

Moreover, it makes it easier to see if a company is paying its employees less than it should be. And if a business doesnt pay fairly, it may be a sign of a toxic culture, as well as unrealistic expectations.

However, including pay details in a job advert can have some negative repercussions for employers.

When salaries are included within job descriptions, they can show that the company is not paying over and above the median, and therefore the value they attribute to the role, Bevington says.

READ MORE: How to talk about CV gaps with an employer

This may have a negative impact on existing staff who may have applied for the role, as the information is now in the public domain. In addition, posting salaries publicly may reveal to existing staff that they themselves are underpaid compared with new joiners.

Another downside is that applicants could potentially focus on the salary offered and disregard any other benefits of working for the company. If theyre drawn in by the pay, they may be blind to a companys culture not being a good fit for them. Most companies will want an ewagmployee who fits in well and isnt taking the job for the money alone.

Finally, including a salary in a job description does reduce the negotiating power of both the employer and the employee, Bevington says. For example, its possible a candidate would have taken the role at a lower salary if one hadnt been initially listed.

Agreeing a financial package when taking a new job can be complicated. If you think the salary offered by an employer isnt right, you can check using online salary comparison tools.
Phones have been a part of everyday life now, especially in the age of the internet. But finding yourself feeling anxious because your phone died or when you left your house at home could be a disorder.

Experts call the phone disorder "nomophobia." It is short for "no mobile phone phobia," and it is a rising trend in psychology nowadays, especially among young people. It was coined in 2010 by the UK Post office, according to Psychology Today.

This disorder is not yet recognized as a formal diagnosis, but researchers are examing how common it is among adolescents. One recent study in Portugal is also looking for the concerning link between nomophobia and other psychological disorders.

The study was published in the August-December 2020 edition of Computers in Human Behavior Reports. It used a questionnaire assessing phone use and psychopathological symptoms of 495 adults aged 18 to 24.

So far, researchers found positive correlation between the disorder and certain psychological problems.

This means if someone has a specific mental health condition like depression, they're more likely to also have anxiety from being away from their phone.

Conditions related with nomophobia have their own symptoms from insomnia to digestive problems.

Disorders Associated with Nomophobia

There are nine disorders associated with nomophobia, according to Best Life. Here they are and the percentage of test participants who experienced them.

Obsession-Compulsion - 39.4%

Interpersonal Sensitivity - 39%

Hostility - 38.4%

Psychoticism - 38.2%

Paranoid Ideation - 38.1%

Depression - 37.4%

Phobic Anxiety - 34.7%

Anxiety - 34%

Somatization - 32.2%

What Causes Nomophobia?

Nomophobia is considered a new, modern phobia, said Healthline. This means it likely came from higher reliance on technology and concern over what could happen if that technology isn't accessed all of a sudden.

This is why most existing information on the phobia suggests it is more frequently experienced by teenagers and young adults.

The specific cause for nomophobia is not yet found but experts believe there are several factors are at play.

One of these factors includes the fear of isolation. Getting cut off technology could mean getting less or no contact from people you care about. Some people will tend to feel lonely without it.

Another cause could also be the feat of being unreachable. Being away from loved ones gets some people anxious about missing an important message, and it can be habit that's hard to break.

How Is It Treated?

Therapists recommend different treatments for a person who faces significant distress in daily life.

Some of these therapies can also address the symptoms of nomophobia. Treatments may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or exposure therapy.

CBT can help a person learn to manage negative thoughts and feelings. This can also work for someone who doesn't have their phone with them.

Exposure therapy, on the other hand, helps someone face these fears through gradual exposure to it.

Slowing getting sued to not having your phone around may seem frightening at first, especially if you need to stay in touch with loved ones through it.

But the goal of exposure therapy is to completely avoid using it, unless it's a personal goal.

For severe symptoms, medication may be in order. Be warned that this method will not get to the root cause of the problem. Usually, using medication alone can't help a person cope with nomophobia.

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Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 09:33 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c421986f 1 National immunization,vaccination,vaccine,COVID-19,COVID-19-children,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,UNICEFIndonesia,unicef,health-ministry Free

Almost one third of Indonesian parents and caregivers are doubtful about taking their children for routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic for fear of contracting the coronavirus, a recent survey has found.

The survey, carried out by the Health Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF, collected responses online from nearly 7,000 parents and caregivers of children under the age of 2 in 34 provinces from July 4 to July 13.

The survey found that only half of the respondents had taken their children for routine immunizations in the past two months.

Prior to the pandemic, resistance to immunizations had already increased in Indonesia, and this was exacerbated by [immunization] vaccine doubts during the pandemic, UNICEF said in a statement on Monday.

The survey also showed a significant shift in parents and caregivers behavior in seeking immunization services.

Prior to the pandemic, according to the survey, around 90 percent of Indonesian children had availed of immunization services at community health facilities such as community health centers (Puskesmas) and integrated health services posts (Posyandu) as well as village delivery facilities (Polindes).

However, the majority of the respondents stated that they were now seeking immunization in private clinics and hospitals due to the closure of government healthcare facilities in their communities.

Read also: Let's get childhood immunization back on track

Respondents expressed concern about the high cost of getting immunization services at private healthcare facilities, services that would be free at public facilities.

The Health Ministrys disease control and prevention director general, Achmad Yurianto, said public health facilities should remain open and safe during the pandemic, and called on parents not to delay giving immunizations to their children.

If any health service facilities are temporarily closed, parents should ask local community health staff for information on the closest alternatives, said Yurianto, who is also the former national COVID-19 spokesman, as quoted in the statement.

The survey, however, also discovered high demand for immunization, showing that some parents and caregivers had looked for alternative service points.

The survey showed that parents who had studied the safe immunization guidelines applied by health authorities were more willing to take their children for vaccinations.

UNICEF argued that investment in safe immunization and expanding the outreach of health services were important and urgent in order to ease parents doubts.

During the pandemic, children must be protected against diseases that can be prevented by immunizations. We must do everything we can so that all children throughout the country can continue to receive this important service, UNICEF representative Debora Comini said.
The former partner of a notorious bikie says he's owed an apology after Queensland authorities said he boarded a plane with coronavirus - and then retracted it.

A health alert from the state on Tuesday claimed 48-year-old Shane Bowden was not contagious with COVID-19 when he flew from Melbourne to Brisbane the day before.

But Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk repeated claims the former Finks bikie was infected on the flight at a media conference on Wednesday.

Trudi McPhee, who has a teenage son with Bowden, told the Courier Mail her former partner was given 'the all-clear' by officials and would not have put the public in danger.

A Qld health alert on Tuesday said 48-year-old Shane Bowden (pictured) was not contagious with COVID-19 when he flew from Melbourne to Brisbane on Monday

Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, repeated claims the former Finks bikie was infected on the flight at a media conference on Wednesday

Trudi McPhee, who has a teenage son with Bowden (pictured), said he was given 'the all-clear' by officials and would not have put the public in danger

'They said he had COVID and they need to apologise to him but I don't think they have the balls to apologise to him, quite frankly,' said Ms McPhee.

The Premier doubled down on her point of view saying it was her 'understanding' that Bowden was positive when he arrived in the state.

She then admitted she would need to check the details with Health Minister Steven Miles.

The confusion started when Qld Health issued a release on Tuesday stating a public health alert was not issued for the flight he was on.

'New advice provided to Queensland Health is that he was not infectious while on the flight,' it stated.

The convicted criminal was released from a five-year prison stint in Victoria two months ago, and within 15 days was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

The former bikie was in Royal Melbourne Hospital recovering from a gunshot to his leg when he was first diagnosed with COVID-19, and was still being treated for the virus 72 hours before he boarded the flight.

Qld authorities are also investigating him for lying on his border declaration pass and are trying to determine if he committed an offence.

The former bikie was in Royal Melbourne Hospital recovering from a gunshot to his leg when he was first diagnosed with COVID-19, and was still being treated for the virus 72 hours before he boarded the flight to Brisbane



Ms McPhee previously told the Herald Sun the former bikie was desperate to leave Melbourne and was concerned he was being 'watched' while in hospital receiving treatment for COVID-19.

'He is a pretty wild man, he was already wanted by Queensland police he had told me,' Ms McPhee said.

'He didn't want to be in Victoria anymore.'

She thinks Bowden 'needs help' after he became consumed with the theory that people were watching him while he was recovering in hospital.

'He checked out of hospital because he was very scared, he was worried people were watching him all the time... He is obviously not thinking properly,' she said.

Ms McPhee said he made it clear to her that he wanted to head to the Gold Coast, but she had no clue how quickly he would leave.

Bowden is also being investigated for lying on his Qld border declaration form. Pictured: Motorists are stopped at a checkpoint at Coolangatta on the Queensland- New South Wales border in August

Bowden spent seven years in prison for the shooting of another Melbourne bikie in 2006, and was said to be part of the Fink's 'Terror Team'.

He temporarily joined the Mongols but was recently booted from the club, Ms McPhee revealed.

'He lived for the Mongols, whatever happened, why he got kicked out  it is not my business. But, when things like this keep happening it is my opinion it is time to hang up your boots and find something else to do,' she said.

When he was released from jail in June, Bowden was 'happy' to be free and vowed to stay on the right side of the law, she added.

Bowden was picked up in a limousine after a five-year prison stint for a violent home invasion

An entourage of Mongols gang members travelled an hour and a half from Mebourne to meet Bowden with the limousine

The 48-year-old made a glitzy exit from jail - picked up in a limousine.

He was met by an entourage of fellow gang members on motorbikes, who travelled an hour and a half from Melbourne to meet Bowden, the Herald Sun reported.

He wrote in a social media post after his release and the subsequent shooting that he was excited to go back to Queensland.

'Can't [wait] to get back there as [soon] as I can get back X the border,' he wrote, according to the Courier Mail.

The alleged breach comes as Queensland confirmed two new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, out of 18,151 tests.

Victoria recorded 90 new coronavirus cases during the same period - and a further six deaths.

The state's parliament also voted to extend the government's emergency powers by another six-months.

The new fatalities include five males in their 80s and one male in their 90s, all linked to aged-care outbreaks.

The figures bring Victoria's coronavirus death toll to 576.

A young woman stands next to a bicycle on Saturday in Melbourne during the city's draconian Stage Four lockdown
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 19:06:54|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will gradually resume direct inbound flights to the city from eight countries, including Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Thailand, Austria and Canada, starting Thursday.

Priority will be given to flights from countries with low risk of cross-border infection, where nucleic acid tests have been conducted, Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, told a press conference on Wednesday.

Negative COVID-19 test results before boarding will be prerequisite for passengers of Beijing-bound flights. Enditem
Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr (right) will revive the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) North Borneo Affairs which is dedicated to efforts to reclaim Sabah, which he described as the tropical island of Borneo.  Reuters pic

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 1  The Philippines is reportedly planning to revive its claim on Sabah, after saying that its previous department in charge of the claim had been receiving significant bribes over the years to drop the matter.

The Inquirer reported that Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr will revive the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) North Borneo Affairs which is dedicated to efforts to reclaim Sabah, which he described as the tropical island of Borneo.

As a matter of history there have been repeated offers to abandon our Sabah claim from aspiring presidential candidates since the late 1970s, usually Opposition because they are most in need of campaign funds but administration as well, Locsin tweeted on Sunday.

On Monday, Locsin again tweeted the Filipino public must know that what is on offer is huge so the temptation to betray is commensurately humongous.

Leaving it to diplomats is not enough to safeguard the national interest in the matter. Theres the additional temptation to feel welcome in the host country, he said.

Locsin recalled an old bureau within the DFA exclusively devoted to the issue, and said he will resurrect or revitalise it.

The Philippines has had a long-standing claim on Sabah, which officially became a part of Malaysia since its formation in 1963, based on the historical ownership of the Sultan of Sulu over what used to be North Borneo.

Locsin had last Thursday said that while it did not want to sour diplomatic relations with its neighbour, it would not give up on its claim.

While we have always endeavored not to let it affect our relations with Malaysia, well, its up to them. But we will certainly never give it up, Locsin had said.

As the successor in sovereignty of the Sultanate of Sulu, the Philippines has legal ownership and sovereignty over Northern Borneo, or what I call the tropical island of Borneo, he said.

Last week, the Philippines House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a substitute bill requiring the printing of the countrys map, including its 200-mile exclusive economic zone and Sabah, on Philippine passports.

Story continues

Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus B. Rodriguez reportedly said the move was aimed at emphasising the Philippines victory in the West Philippine Sea issue over China in the International Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, and its legal and historical rights over Sabah.

Malaysias Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said that Malaysia would never recognise or entertain such claims, and said it would fight to defend Sabahs sovereignty in Malaysia.

This comes as last week, the Philippines House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a substitute Bill requiring the printing of the countrys map, including its 200-mile exclusive economic zone and Sabah, on Philippine passports.

Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus B. Rodriguez reportedly said the move was aimed at emphasising the Philippines victory in the West Philippine Sea issue over China in the International Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, and its legal and historical rights over Sabah.

Subsequently, Malaysia lodged a note verbale with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to reject the Philippines continued claim on Sabah.

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Frenkie de Jong has revealed that Barcelona are in turmoil with Lionel Messi's transfer saga set to reach a head this week.

Messi's desire to leave Barcelona after 20 years has developed into one of the most stunning stories of the summer with the Argentine superstar recently handing in an official transfer request and refusing to attend scheduled Covid-19 tests and pre-season training in a bid to push through a move to Manchester City.

Messi's father Jorge will meet with Barcelona's president Josep Bartomeu on Wednesday to demand his son be allowed to leave amid his bitter dispute with the club over a contract clause which he believes means he can move on a free transfer.

Barcelona are in disarray, says Frenkie de Jong, as superstar Lionel Messi looks to jump ship

De Jong said it's 'chaos' at Barcelona at the moment with 'strange things happening'

De Jong, who endured a tough first season with the Catalan giants, admitted the club are in disarray as the fallout from their humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich rumbles on.

'Currently it's a mess at Barcelona, so many strange things happening. It's chaos,' the Holland international told NOS.

'I haven't talked to him (Messi) about this myself. Nor the club. So I honestly do not know how it is.

'But if Messi really leaves, it will be a huge blow to the team and the club.

'When I come back after these international matches, I will see what has happened at the club.'

Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave with Manchester City frontrunners to sign him

Dutchman De Jong also revealed that Messi is still in Barcelona players' WhatsApp group

Manchester City are hopeful of bringing Messi to the Premier League, though it would not be financially feasible to get a deal done if Barcelona continue to dig their heels in with the 33-year-old's release clause set at an eye-watering 629million.

Barcelona insist Messi is still under contract and have urged him to stop pursuing a move away and commit to a new deal.

Despite enormous uncertainty around his future, De Jong has revealed that Messi is still in the Barcelona players' group chat.

Speaking to Fox Sports, he added: 'I hope that Messi is still there when I get back, but that is not something that is up to me.

'He's still in the group chat. I'm not someone who talks about it [his potential exit] with him, I'm sure he has many people around him doing that these days.'
The National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings for the Little Rock region of Arkansas, on September 1.

Tornado alerts were issued Greenbrier, Wooster, Plumerville, Heber Springs and Quitman on the Tuesday afternoon.

This footage, filmed by Chris Love, shows a swirling funnel-shaped cloud and debris flying through the air near Greenbrier, north of Little Rock.

Flash flood warnings and thunderstorm alerts were also issued for the region. Credit: Chris Love via Storyful
Australian farmer on his property in north-western New South Wales, Australia, on Oct. 3, 2019. (David Gray/Stringer/Getty Images)

Beijing Bans Barley Exports From Australian Grain Cooperative

Beijing has suspended barley imports from Australias top grain exporter claiming pests were found in multiple shipments, in what appears to be the latest trade strike by the Chinese regime against Australian exports.

West Australian grain handler CBH Group vowed to fight the extremely disappointing decision, which came just a week after beef imports from family-owned Queensland abattoir John Dee Warwick were suspended.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the federal government would get to the bottom of the situation.

We do respect the fact that Chinalike any other country would, like we wouldhas got quarantine inspection arrangements, he told reporters in Canberra on Sept. 2.

We will be working with the company once we are aware of all the facts to make the appropriate representations, he added.

Beijings General Administration of Customs publicised the decision on Sept. 1, saying quarantined pests were found in CBH barley exports multiple times.

But the grain cooperative insists there is no evidence to support the claim.

Barley harvest in Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia, on Nov. 12, 2007. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

CBH is therefore extremely disappointed the suspension has been put in place and will continue to work with the Australian government to challenge the suspension, the exporter said.

Australian farmers were already reeling from an 80.5 percent tariff introduced in June on barley exports.

Cormann said CBH had an excellent track record but declined to speculate if diplomatic issues had sparked the ban.

The truth is, Australias grain products, Australias barley products, are highly regarded all around the world, he said.

If there is less opportunity to export high-quality Australian grain into China, there will be more opportunity to export grain into other markets around the world, he continued.

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said relations between Australia and China were worsening.

Its a real issue that Australian ministers cant pick up the phone and seem to have no relationship with their Chinese counterparts, he told ABC radio.

China is the largest recipient of our exports, by a long way. It is a real concern that the Australian government dont seem to be able to manage the relationship.

The latest episode continues a long-running, Beijing-instigated trade dispute between the countries.

To date, the Chinese regime has imposed tariffs on Australian barley imports, banned imports from five Australian abattoirs, and issued travel warnings to Chinese citizens about visiting Australia; which targeted the valuable education and tourism sectors. Last month, the regime also launched an anti-dumping investigation into Australian wine exports.

The trade-related actions began intensifying in April when Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an inquiry into the origins and early mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China.

The Australian government has been tightening its efforts to counter foreign interference in the country and diversifying its trade relationships.

Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a constitutional power play, giving the federal government power to review, and veto, agreements between sub-national governments and foreign nations.
Dear Premier,

We, the undersigned, are senior medical practitioners of various specialities who practice in Victoria and are deeply concerned with the Victorian governments management of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral pandemic as a public health issue.

The purpose of this letter is to make you aware that not all medical practitioners are in agreement with the Chief Medical Officer and the Victorian government regarding the most effective way to control this disease. We believe that an alternative medical response is required that reflects what we know about the spread of the virus, those who have died from it, and the impact that the stage 3-4 lockdown restrictions are having on the physical and mental health of the general population.

For the sake of people in Victoria with other medical illnesses, it is vital that Stage 4 restrictions be lifted on schedule in mid-September.

This letter details our concerns and recommendations. We are ready to offer any assistance we can to help create and implement a revised, effective and just response to the Victorian situation; to this end we would be pleased to meet with you at your convenience to discuss the matter further.

Government Response to Covid-19 and Available Data

Focusing on the numbers of cases of COVID-19 is at best an unsophisticated way of looking at disease management. Factors such as the side effects of any policy, its cost effectiveness, the quality of life years lost, and the cost per life saved are fundamental when considering disease management. In addition, any policy to manage any disease must be reviewed in light of new data.

We believe that the governments initial response to handling COVID-19, via a stage 3 lockdown to flatten the curve, was reasonable in view of the limited information available at the time on the outbreak in China and the alarming number of deaths in Italy. The initial response, though arguably excessive, was still highly effective in preserving medical capacity and allowing time to co-ordinate a full medical response, with the community accepting that the social and economic consequences were reasonable and for the common good.

However, we now know that whilst COVID-19 is highly contagious, it is of limited virulence.

Whilst an accurate cause of death of a person can be difficult to determine, we are told that since March 2020, 565 Victorian patients have died either with or from the virus (31st August numbers). This compares with annual Victorian deaths of approximately 10,000 patients with cardiovascular disease and 11,000 with cancer. Accordingly, the COVID-19 deaths are a relatively small proportion of the 114 deaths per day that are normally seen in Victoria. In comparison, since the start of March COVID-19 has been associated with 3 of the 114 deaths per day.

Most of the 565 deaths have occurred in nursing homes which according to doctors currently working in this environment have described causal factors related not only to the virus but to other care related issues, including isolation, loneliness, and related diminished nutritional intake.

However, in Victoria we have had 541 LESS deaths this July compared to July last year. (3,561 deaths compared to 4,102 deaths in July 2019).

In Australia last year, 2019, in the month of July alone we had 71,000 new laboratory confirmed cases, and a total of 313,000 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza for the year. This is only a fraction of the actual total cases of influenza, as many cases go untested.

In August 2017 we had 99,000 new laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza and a total of over 250,000 cases for the year.

During 2017 and 2019 Influenza resulted in 25-30,000 hospital admissions and up to 2500 ICU admissions across Australia. Three per cent of hospital admissions were pregnant women and up to 18 per cent were under the age of 16.

The deaths from Influenza each and every year is between 3500 and 4000, according to the Australian Influenza Specialist Interest Group website and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is despite recent excellent rates of vaccination in the vulnerable population and millions of vaccinations utilised each year. (2020,18 million, 2019 13.2 million, 2018 11 million, 2016 8.3 million)

The vast majority of deaths associated with COVID-19 have occurred in frail people over 80 years, many of whom also had significant co-morbidities. In Victoria more than 73 per cent of known COVID-19 deaths resided in nursing homes. (381 out of 524 and 30 out of 52 in NSW, as of August 30).

For people who are physically well and under 60 years of age, the mortality risk is extremely low. Contrary to what you have said, Mr Andrews, the virus DOES discriminate. See graphs below.

Since June 2020, the death rate has risen sharply in aged care facilities where the risk of transmission of COVID-19 has been unacceptably high. However, the government, and the doctors advising it, have not reviewed their policy in order to focus on this vulnerable segment of the population. Instead, stage 3-4 lockdowns for the whole community have continued for no apparent scientific reason.

Medical and Social Consequences

As medical practitioners, it is our collective experience that patients are presenting later to us with their medical complaints. Specialist referrals from GPs, and indeed GP workload, have fallen dramatically due to patients reluctance to leave home in fear of acquiring the virus. As a direct consequence of this delay, many will have poorer prognoses. This has especially been the case with consultants who treat cancer. A study in the UK estimated an extra 4000 deaths from not screening the four main cancers alone and not from lack of treatment.

In addition, it is our professional opinion that the stage 4 lockdown policy has caused unprecedented negative economic and social outcomes in people, which in themselves are having negative health outcomes. In particular, it has caused or exacerbated depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, as well as contributed to domestic violence, through an extreme and unjustified disruption to family, social and work life. Job losses, home schooling, the isolation of the elderly and single people and the restriction on the number of people who may attend funerals, are but a few examples of how the governments current response is harming the health of the general population.

In short, the medical, psychological and social costs of the lockdown are disproportionately enormous compared to the limited good being done by current policies, and are relevant factors to be taken into account by any responsible government.

Proposed Amendments to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic)

We further note with much concern, that the proposed amendment to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act that would effectively allow the government to continue its current policy to manage COVID-19 even if there were to be zero cases over a period of time. This is unfathomable and certainly contrary to the objects of the Act, which require accountability, proportionality and collaboration to be fulfilled.

Specifically, the legislation explicitly mandates that the governments decisions on public health initiatives must be transparent, systematic and appropriate, with members of the public given access to reliable information in appropriate forms to facilitate a good understanding of the issue. In addition, the legislation acknowledges that decisions will be enhanced through collaboration between all levels of government and industry, business, communities and individuals.

Recommendations

For all these reasons, ordinary sensible people if properly informed, should inevitably conclude that the current government policy is ill focused, heavy-handed, and unjustifiable as a proportionate response to the risks posed by COVID-19 to the publics health.

As the virus is not going away soon, and an effective vaccine may not be available for a considerable period of time, if at all, we respectfully call upon the government to do the following:

The State of Emergency not be continued past September 13 with an agreement made for parliament to be allowed to openly discuss and debate appropriate medical plans to manage the current COVID-19 crisis. A panel of non-politically aligned medical and health-related experts be selected by a bi-partisan parliamentary group to provide the transparent and active role of informing and advising government decisions and responses to the epidemic. Ensure adequate measures, testing, and protection of the vulnerable, especially those in aged residential care environments and their families and carers. Clearly communicate to the public the medical evidence-base, objectives and timelines of any proposed future management plans, with open disclosure of the processes and negative consequences, to inform those discussions and decisions. A broader focus be given to the health and well-being of Victorians, by utilising all relevant available data and by calculating the costs and harms, including the social, economic, family, emotional, psychological and spiritual impacts on the community, of any decisions and plans to manage the COVID-19 crisis, thereby explaining and justifying the merits of these plans as a reasonable and proportionate response. To review regularly the outcomes of any management decisions and demonstrate a willingness to modify plans as new data and insights become available.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter. We look forward to your early response.

Yours faithfully,
100 Years Ago  1920: Gus Belman, a constable living at 6164 Kingsessing Avenue, Philadelphia, came here yesterday and after getting a good load of hooch, became obsessed with the idea that he could clean up the city. He started in at Todds restaurant, at Third and Market streets. Give me anything and give it to me quick or Ill clear out the place, said Belman when a clerk in the eating house asked him for his order. When Patrolman Rosen called him to task for his misconduct, Belman started to rave. The Chester police are a bunch of pikers and youre a piker if you arrest me, shouted Belman in the presence of a large crowd. He was jailed for the night and fined $10 and costs.

75 Years Ago  1945: With the purpose of helping veterans solve their readjustment problems, the Chester Veterans Information and Advisory Center will be opened officially next Tuesday morning at 10 oclock, with headquarters at 16 E. Fifth St. The new organization has sponsorship of the Chester Community Fund and War Chest, and will operate with a paid secretary and a volunteer staff.

50 Years Ago  1970: The Delaware County Republican Board of Supervisors (War Board) is planning to meet soon to fill War Board vacancies and possibly to restructure the boards makeup. Several county Republican leaders have said privately the board, currently at 12 members, may decide not to fill all the vacancies because of concern the board had become somewhat unwieldy because it had too many members in recent years at 15.

25 Years Ago  1995: The 50th anniversary of the surrender of Japan was marked by ceremonies yesterday by the World War II Commemorative Committees of Ridley Township and the Folsom Post Office. About 100 people gathered at the Herbert W. Best VFW post home to witness the presentation of the fourth and final WWII Commemorative Stamp awards to 18 veterans of the Pacific Theater of War.

10 Years Ago  2010: A Hillside Road resident complained at a recent Ridley Park council meeting about money spent on a ball field near Ridley Park Lake that is too small to allow adults to play. He said only young children can play on the field, and it is only used two months a year. Council President Bob Berger explained that the field floods on a regular basis, and this past winter, the backstop actually fell into the lake. He noted the field is 120 feet in size and men dont play on a field that size.

 COLIN AINSWORTH
Due to concerns over COVID-19, the open community forum will instead be hosted as an online event. The candidates will be arriving Tuesday to Sauk County and will be part of the virtual meet and greet at 6 p.m. The public will be able to view the event, which will feature each finalist answering four questions compiled by county officials.

They will also undergo a two day assessment, Bretl said. The evaluations will include interviews and the chance to work with department supervisors on a hypothetical municipal project. McCumber expressed hope that the committee will be able to recommend a final candidate during its Sept. 10 meeting for subsequent approval by the full county board.

McCumber said he championed the concept of a county administrator when he ran for his seat in April. It shifts the county from its current structure of having an administrative coordinator.

It puts the board more in the position to be policymakers, McCumber said.

Requests for applications began in June, though McCumber said the county was careful to ensure it knew what it wanted in a candidate before it began seeking applicants.
Montell2099 and Trap Nation have shared a stunning live set from Auckland's Karekare beach and honestly it's one of the most amazing things we've seen in the age of virtual concerts.

Montell shared a little bit of an explanation of the video on social media after teasing it a few days earlier.

'New Zealand / Aotearoa is home, and we are blessed to be surrounded by the craziest landscapes,' he wrote. 'Im excited to finally release a video that weve been working on for the past couple of months. We wanted to showcase the beautiful country we live in, whilst also putting our art on display in a different way.'

An official press release dove further into the cultural significance, reading 'the immersive short film is an intersection between New Zealands natural environment and Montell2099s digital dimension.'

'Shot in Karekare, a small coastal settlement rich with native Maori history in Auckland, New Zealand, the film highlights Montell2099s cultural identity as sacred land becomes the visionarys stage'

When I was making the set I'd bring up pictures of the location to reference the vibe of the set, and try to imagine the songs playing out in that setting, Montell said. Since COVID hit and live shows took a back step, DJs all over the world have been doing different online stream videos. Playing off that we wanted to do something a bit out of the ordinary and beautiful. Essentially it's a music video but for a live set. Which I think is pretty cool

According to the press release, 'each point of the triangular light installation symbolizes the link between Montell2099s music and his Maori heritage; as he exchanges energy between earth and electronic music.'

Montell also thanked the crew behind the video on social media.

'I wanna say a massive thank you to Ben Dalgleish from Human Person (Creative Direction), Angus Muir (Lighting Design), Matt Clode (Filming, Editing), Dan Woolston, and all the team for their amazing work on this project. Hope you guys enjoy the video out now on Trap Nation.

Will see you at some shows soon'

Check the full 30 minute vid up top and Montell's post below!
Labour is calling on the government urgently to force through emergency legislation to stop no fault evictions to prevent hundreds of thousands of people being put at risk of losing their homes at the end of this month.

A ban on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic was extended by a month last week, amid fears that tenants who have fallen behind on rent during lockdown could be removed by landlords. And housing secretary Robert Jenrick said he would also require landlords to provide six months notice in most cases.

But shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire said that the delay had done little more than give renters a few more weeks to pack their bags.

She has written to Mr Jenrick calling for a change in the law in the coming days to protect them from automatic eviction and promising Labours co-operation to rush the measure through.

The Conservative manifesto for last years general election included a promise to end so-called Section 21 no-fault evictions, but legislation has not yet been put through parliament.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA

In her letter, Ms Debbonaire wrote: Renters need urgent clarity on what the ministers plans are going forward and how any legislation will be passed in the time available.

The government has given itself only twelve sitting days before the extension ends on 20 September. The opposition stands ready to work with the government on both the drafting of the bill and its passage through parliament. In order to do this, we must have clarity in the coming days.

Ms Debbonaire called on Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg to take the opportunity on Thursday, in his regular statement to the Commons on upcoming business, to announce a timetable for fast-tracked legislation.

She called on Mr Jenrick to share any data the government has collected on the numbers of household potentially facing homelessness when the ban is lifted.

Commenting on the letter, she said: The government has been warned for months about the looming evictions crisis. People living in rented accommodation should not be paying the price for this governments incompetence.

Unless the government brings forward legislation to protect renters or extends the eviction ban again, hundreds of thousands of tenants are at risk in the lead-up to Christmas.

In addition to legislative changes, Labour has called for changes to Universal Credit and an uplift in housing support to prevent people falling into arrears, and called on the Government to keep their promise that no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: We remain committed to abolishing Section 21 and will bring forward legislation in due course to deliver a better deal for renters and a fairer more effective rental market.

The government has already taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic by banning evictions, preventing people getting into financial hardship and helping businesses to pay salaries.

We are also giving tenants greater protection from eviction over the winter by requiring landlords to provide tenants with six months notice, in all cases bar those raising serious issues such anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators, until the end of March.
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutriband Inc. (OTCQB: NTRB), a Nevada Corporation, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Pocono Coated Product's Transdermal and Health product manufacturing business effective August 31, 2020.

Pocono Coated Products was established in 2004 with a focus on the manufacturing of custom coated products and providing manufacturing and development services for 3rd party partners. One main area of focus for Pocono is on transdermal and topical product manufacturing,

Based on the Purchase Agreement, the value of the Nutriband common stock and cash used to acquire the business, Pocono's transdermal manufacturing business is valued at $7.5 million.

Following Nutriband's 2018 acquisition of 4P Therapeutics, the acquisition of Pocono's transdermal manufacturing business is a significant step in the development of Nutriband's growth and capabilities. Nutriband plans to consolidate the capabilities of both acquisitions to expand its business, enhance revenue stream opportunities, and advance in-house product development, specifically Nutriband's abuse deterrent technology for opioid-based transdermal medications, AVERSA.

The acquisition also includes the simultaneous acquisition by Pocono of Active Intelligence, LLC a veteran-founded company and the manufacturer of Active Intelligence kinesiology tape, a product that provides muscle support combined with soothing ingredients for aches or muscle pain. The product is designed to mimic the skin's elasticity, so the user still has a full range of motion during its use.

About Nutriband Inc.

The Company is primarily engaged in the development of a portfolio of transdermal pharmaceutical products. Its lead product under development is its abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system which the Company is developing to provide clinicians and patients with an abuse deterrent transdermal fentanyl product for use in managing chronic pain requiring opioid therapy. The product is combined with properties designed to help combat the opioid crisis by deterring the abuse and misuse of fentanyl patches.

The Company's website is www.nutriband.com and 4P's website is www.4PTherapeutics.com. Any material contained in or derived from the Company's or 4P's websites or any other website is not part of this press release.

About Pocono Coated Products

Pocono Coated products specializes in the manufacturing of various products such as tapes, topical patches and health products with a specific focus on coated products, materials and technologies.

The Company's website is www.poconoctd.com. Any material contained in or derived from the Company's or 4P's websites or any other website is not part of this press release.

About Our Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," plans and words of similar import, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in its forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those including the Company's ability to develop its proposed abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system and other proposed products, its ability to obtain patent protection for its abuse technology, its ability to obtain the necessary financing to develop products and conduct the necessary clinical testing, its ability obtain Federal Food and Drug Administration approval to market any product it may develop in the United States and to obtain any other regulatory approval necessary to market any product in other countries, including countries in Europe, its ability to market any product it may develop, its ability to create, sustain, manage or forecast its growth; its ability to attract and retain key personnel; changes in the Company's business strategy or development plans; competition; business disruptions; adverse publicity and international, national and local general economic and market conditions and risks generally associated with an undercapitalized development stage company that does not have a product that can be marketed and the risks contained under "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2020 and under "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations" in the Company's Form 10-Q for the three months ended April 30, 2020, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date hereof.

For more information, contact:

Victor Roberts

Red Chip Companies

407-571-0909

[email protected]

www.redchip.com

Gerald Weigel

Public Relations Principal

Nutriband Inc.

Nutriband Office: 407-377-6695

Direct: 419-304-6300

[email protected]

SOURCE Nutriband Inc.

Related Links

https://nutriband.com


Joe Biden has launched a new campaign ad that depicts him as tough on rioters and looters after Donald Trump attacked him as weak on crime and disorder.

The $45million ad, which will run for a week on TV and online, recycles parts of the speech Biden gave in Pittsburgh Monday, denouncing violence 'by the left and right'.

The purchase is by far the largest of the Democrat hopeful's campaign so far, and the first time he has campaigned directly on the issue of law and order.

It also comes after Trump's visit to Kenosha on Tuesday, a city ransacked by rioters, as the president attempted to paint a vision of what 'Biden's America' might look like.

Joe Biden has spent $45million on a new campaign ad attacking Trump over lawlessness in America and painting himself as tough on rioters and looters

The ad was revealed just a day after Trump visited Kenosha, a city that was gutted by rioting, in an attempt to paint a vision of 'Biden's America'

Speaking over images of damage in the city, Biden can be heard saying: 'I want to make it absolutely clear: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting.

'It's lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted.'

Then, over images of violent right-wing rallies including the infamous Unite the Right march in Virginia, Biden adds: 'Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames.

'He can't stop the violence, because for years he's fomented it. But his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is.

'Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction. It's wrong in every way.'

He concludes the video by trumpeting his religious credentials - as a lifelong Catholic he quotes Pope John Paul II, saying: 'Be not afraid.'

The ad will air nationally on cable networks and locally in battleground states including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Biden's new ad, which features images of the damage in Kenosha, is the largest spend of his campaign so far and the first time that he has campaigned directly on law and order

It comes as nationwide polls showed Biden with a lead of up to ten points over Trump, even after the Republican National Convention which typically gives candidates a poll boost

The huge spend - which eclipses the total amount Biden spent on all campaigning during the primaries - comes after a record-breaking round of campaign fundraising.

While the exact figure is not yet known, the New York Times reports that he raised $300million in August, which would be a Democratic Party record.

In response to the original Pittsburgh speech which pinned blame for city violence on Donald Trump, Trump Jr accused 'Biden voters' of causing the damage.

Trump Jr said Biden sat in silence for ten days in 'tactic acceptance' of the unrest, and only decided to denounce it when polling showed it was hurting his campaign.

He also claimed that Obama escaped blame for riots in Ferguson and Orlando during his presidency, and accused Trump's critics of having a 'double-standard'.

Asked to respond to Biden's comments, Trump Jr said: 'No-one said that about Obama when you had the Ferguson riots, or Orlando, or the numerous riots there.

'The reality is that Joe Biden said almost nothing about these things. He sat there.

'There must be tacit [sic] acceptance because these are Biden voters, these are Democrat voters, that are out there doing this.'
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is now the 10th most valuable company after a recent surge in stock by almost 10% saw it reach a peak value of $413 billion. This change in fortune comes asa result ofIntel, one of TSMC's main competitors, announcing that its next-generation chips are delayed until at least 2022.

The setback for the American company could make way for the Taiwanese chipmaker, which bumped huge organisations such as Johnson & Johnson off the top 10 and sat ahead of global brands such as Walmart and Nestle.

In his Daily Commodity Outlook, Desmond Leong from Tickmill said: "Asian stocks surged thanks to a continuing rally in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co."

With TSMC's value soaring, Taiwan's Taiex benchmark index was up to a 30-year high.While this high was short-lived asTSMCclosed trading at 2.47% up, this represented a 39% gain in the month of July to date.It was enough to ruffle feathers throughout the markets and reflected the steps being taken in light of Intel's announcement.

Intel had planned on launching its 7nm-based CPU product at the end of 2021.However, inits recent Q2 announcement, the American company explained thatthe rollout of the 7nm isdelayed by six months. Bob Swan, Intel CEO, said : "We now expect to see initial production shipments of our first Intel-based 7nm product, a client CPU in late 2022 or early 2023."

To add to this, a 'defect mode' has been identified in the 7nm process that has led to yield degradation issues, putting the process back by 12 months. This news saw Intel's shares drop 18% the next day.

This is one of several changes in fortune for Intel that has allowed TSMC to benefit. In June, Apple announced it was switching from Intel to TSMC for its supply of semiconductors for its Mac computers. To add to this, July saw Nvidia beat Intel to become the most valuable America-based semiconductor company. Nvidia is another TSMC client, having placed orders for 7nm and 5nm chips with the Taiwanese company in May.

The successes on the stock market that TSMC has seen is down to how well it is positioned, according to Quincy Liu, chairman of Shin Kong Investment Trust Co. He said: "TSMC's ability to make high-end chips for artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and smart manufacturing applications in the 5G era give it an invaluable role, allowing it to benefit from both the 'de-Americanization' and 'de-Sinicization' trends."

With Intel on the backfoot, it looks like TSMC could make further gains while the wait for the American company to release its 7nm chip.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an ``attempted murder by poisoning'' and the aim was to silence him.

Testing by a German military lab determined that Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

After that finding was announced Wednesday, Merkel said there are ``very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer and must answer.''

Navalny is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics.

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India has for the first time made it to the top 50 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020 released on Wednesday.

India has moved up four positions since 2019 to become the third-most innovative lower-middle-income economy in the world, according to the report. India, at 48, also retains the highest rank in the central and southern Asia region.

India ranks in the top 15 in indicators such as information and communications technology (ICT) services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering, and research and development (R&D)-intensive global companies.

The report has attributed the improvement to universities, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology in Bombay and Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, besides its top scientific publications, stating that India is the lower middle-income economy with the highest innovation quality.

Switzerland is the worlds most-innovative economy followed by Sweden, the US, the UK, and the Netherlands, according to GII 2020. The two economies in North America, the US and Canada, rank in the top 20 in this years GII.

The covid-19 crisis hit the innovation landscape at a time when innovation was flourishing, the report pointed out. In 2018, R&D spending grew by 5.2%, significantly faster than global gross domestic product (GDP) growth, after rebounding strongly from the financial crisis of 2008-09. Venture capital and the use of intellectual property (IP) were at an all-time high.

The GII 2020 theme was Who Will Finance Innovation? One of the GII findings was that the money to fund innovative ventures was drying up. VC deals are in a decline across North America, Asia and Europe.

The impact of this shortage in innovation finance will be uneven, with the negative effects felt more heavily by early-stage VCs, by R&D-intensive startups, and in countries that are not typically VC hotspots. The report, which is in its 13th edition this year, is co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The index reviews 131 countries and their economy profiles, including data, strengths and weaknesses.

The report highlighted that the covid-19 crisis has already catalyzed innovation in many new and traditional sectors, such as health, education, tourism and retail.

The geography of innovation continues to shift, the GII 2020 showed. Over the years, India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam are the economies with the most significant progress in their GII innovation ranking over time. All four are now in the top 50.

The top-performing economies in the GII are still almost exclusively from the high-income group, with China (at 14th spot) remaining the only middle-income economy in the GII top 30.

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Bulgaria Suspends Probe Into Poisoning Linked To Russians

By RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service September 01, 2020

SOFIA -- Prosecutors in Sofia confirm they've "suspended" an investigation into the 2015 poisoning of a Bulgarian arms dealer that had been focusing on three suspected Russian agents.

The suspects include a Russian military intelligence general alleged to have commanded a team accused by Britain in the 2018 Novichok attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The suspension of the Bulgarian investigation comes after German doctors treating Aleksei Navalny in Berlin announced on August 23 that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned with a substance similar to poison used in attacks against the Skripals and Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev.

Those charged in absentia in the Bulgaria case have been identified as Moscow residents Sergei Fedotov, Sergei Pavlov, and Georgy Gorshkov.

None have been questioned by the Bulgarian investigators.

The Britain-based open-source research group Bellingcat says it has confirmed that Sergei Fedotov is the false identity used by Denis Sergeyev -- a major general from an "elite overseas clandestine-operations" team that is part of Russia's GRU military intelligence unit 29155.

Siika Mileva, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor-General's Office in Sofia, told RFE/RL on September 1 that the suspension of the case does not mean the investigation has been terminated. She said it is possible for the investigation to be reopened in the future.

Bulgarian authorities have previously said they believe Gebrev, owner of the Bulgarian weapons firm EMCO Ltd.; his son, Hristo Gebrev; and company manager Valentin Takhchiev were targeted in a poisoning attack "by intoxication with an unidentified phosphorus-organic substance."

Gebrev and the two other victims fell ill after being poisoned in Bulgaria in 2015 but survived.

Gebrev told RFE/RL recently that he has a copy of an August 26 order from the Prosecutor-General's Office to suspend the case.

Gebrev quoted excerpts from the order that he said were "not right." But he did not provide RFE/RL with a copy of the entire document.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria- suspends-probe-into-poisoning-linked -to-russians/30814492.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia will conduct joint military exercises with Turkey, but has also ask them to do more regarding the security of Idleb writes Alsouria Net.

Russia announced that Russian and Turkish soldiers conducted joint military exercises in the Idleb governorate, for the first time, in order to secure the M4 international road.

On Tuesday, Russian news agency TASS quoted the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation, Alexander Greenkivich, that units of the Russian military police and the Turkish armed forces conducted their first joint exercises in northwestern Syria in an area near Saraqib in the eastern Idleb countryside.

Greenkivich set several goals for the military exercises, among which were the elimination of what he called the militants, the evacuation of damaged military equipment, and the provision of medical assistance to the wounded in the attacks on Russian patrols in the region.

This comes after the joint Russian-Turkish patrols were subjected to repeated attacks on the international Aleppo-Lattakia M4 highway, specifically targeting Russian vehicles and inflicting material and human losses.

Local networks published pictures of the Russian vehicle that was hit, indicating that the Turkish forces had found missile launch devices while combing the area from where the shell originated.

Russia had criticized Turkeys performance in the ceasefire agreement areas in Idleb. The Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement two weeks ago, in which it called on Ankara to take measures to ensure order where Turkish forces are deployed and to stop criminal activities targeting pro-Russia armed groups.

Ankara accuses armed groups not affiliated with it of being responsible for targeting the joint patrols, with the aim of destabilizing the situation and sabotaging peace efforts in the region.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) President Rodrigo Duterte was simply advocating for a free marketplace of ideas when he suggested public discussions on the proposal to establish a revolutionary government, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.

In an interview with CNN Philippines The Source, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque maintained the chief executive is not for and does not need the proposed change in government.

Well I think its because of his dedication to the free marketplace of ideas," Roque said on Duterte's remark. "If there are those who feel theres a need for a revolutionary government, they should be heard in a public debate, in a public discussion of the issue.

In his address to the nation on Monday, the President said he wanted the proposal to be discussed publicly and not in sub rosa or secrecy.

But as far as his personal conviction is concerned, he was clear: he does not need a revolutionary government because its a constitutional government," Roque stressed. "He will finish his term and go home to Davao.

The controversial movement surfaced in August, with the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee launching an event to express support for a Duterte-led revolutionary government. The group argued this will help fast-track the establishment of federalism before Dutertes term ends in 2022.

However, officials and netizens have slammed the political stunt, saying it is ill-timed especially with the country battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roque himself called the proposal strange and incomprehensible and echoed beliefs that it is unconstitutional.

In fairness, I dont know what they want." Roque said. "They claim to be supporters of the President, so why would they want to unseat a constitutional president? So I find it strange, the whole exercise to me is incomprehensible.

So far, there are no moves to tackle constitutional amendments in Congress after lawmakers stressed the need for the government to focus on the health crisis.

The House of Representatives, for its part, said it wont deliberate on any charter amendments for the rest of the year to concentrate on the pandemic battle and budget talks.
Filmmaker and journalist Indrajit Lankesh on Tuesday claimed that at least 15 people in the Kannada film industry were involved in drug trafficking.

He made the claim a day after deposing before the police to share the information about the alleged drug racket operating in the film industry.

"I have given (names of) around 15 people whom I know are into the drug business. I shared those names with the police," Lankesh told PTI.

Lankesh was questioned for nearly five hours by the Central Crime Branch on Monday for his statement that there were many people in the film industry who were into the drug business either as consumers or sellers.

Also read: Karnataka has declared war against drugs: Basavaraj Bommai

The filmmaker made the statement in the wake of the Narcotics Control Bureau busting a drug trafficking racket here and said some "prominent musicians and actors" in Karnataka were under its scanner.

The filmmaker said he wanted to expose the drug use in the industry.

"There are celebrities when they start smoking and start doing cocaine, they are the brand ambassadors of youth today. These people think it is cool..," he added.

Also read: It's true some actors consume drugs: Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh

Lankesh said he suspected that some of the parties organised in the 'Sandalwood' were hosted by drug mafias within the industry.

Lankesh did not rule out the possibility of the Mumbai underworld behind the supply of drugs to a section of people in the Kannada film industry.

Meanwhile, the police said they were probing the matter.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Eurostat is set to release the euro area producer prices data for July at 5.00 am ET Tuesday. Economists have forecast a 3.4 percent annual decline and a 0.5 percent monthly gain. Ahead of the data, the euro dropped against its major rivals. The euro was worth 1.1853 against the greenback, 125.89 against the yen, 1.0821 against the franc and 0.8885 against the pound as of 4:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Three men were arrested and two juveniles apprehended for allegedly car jacking and robbing a cab driver to fund their trip to Haryana's Murthal to have its famous 'parathas' (flat bread) for dinner, police said on Wednesday.

But their trip was cut short as a quarrel broke out between them on whether to take a trip to Murthal or Shimla. Finally the five of them ended up having dinner in their car after picking up food from an eatery in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar, police said.

The three men have been identified as Pankaj (19), Sagar (20) and Abhijeet (19), all residents of Nangloi in outer Delhi, from where they were arrested, police said, adding that Sagar was previously involved in two others cases. After having their dinner, they parked the vehicle at a secluded spot in Nihal Vihar area, a police officer said.

On August 30, the accused booked the cab through an app installed in a phone that they had earlier stolen. The accused boarded the cab after it arrived at its pick up destination on Najafgarh road in Nangloi. However, on reaching Rajdhani Park, the five accused started beating the driver and overpowered him. They took away his two mobile phones as well as his wallet, threw him out of the car and drove off, according to the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) A Koan said a case of robbery was registered at Nangloi police station and an investigation was taken up. On the basis of intelligence, Sagar and Pankaj were arrested. Both accused confessed to their crime and disclosed the names of the other three accused. Subsequently, Abhijeet was also arrested and the two juveniles apprehended, police said.

The police claimed to have recovered the robbed vehicle from a secluded spot in Nihal Vihar area. Other stolen articles have also been recovered, they claimed.
In the Centre-states tug-of-war over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation issue, states aren't willing to accept either of the two options offered by the Centre.

"Senior state government officials had a meeting with finance ministry officials. We were explained the two options. But the issue is the Centre is only explaining their position and not listening to why neither is feasible to us. If they want us to borrow, then we need FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) limits to be adequately raised," a senior state government official told Moneycontrol.

Another senior state government official said Centre is unwilling to consider the option of Centre borrowing the whole amount. "How can states borrow without their FRBM limits being raised? And it can't be raised as a token percentage, we need the limit to be sufficiently raised. Which the Centre will not pay heed to," the official said.

On September 1, senior officials of the central government met finance secretaries of the states to clarify the two borrowing options given to states to make up for the GST shortfall.

The finance ministry conveyed to the states that funds borrowed would be credited to states and not to the compensation kitty. Under the first option, repayment will be done through the compensation kitty. And in case the states agree to the second option, the principal would be repaid from the cess kitty but interest has to be borne by the states.

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

At the 41st GST Council meeting on August 27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave states two options under which they could borrow from the market to make up for the estimated deficit of Rs 2.35 lakh crore in FY21, created due to the economic losses caused by COVID-19.

States could borrow up to Rs 97,000 crore, which is a shortfall arising out of GST implementation or the entire Rs 2.35 lakh crore, which accounts for the Covid-19 situation.

In case the first option is chosen, states would have to borrow Rs 97,000 crore through issue of debt under a Special Window coordinated by the Ministry of Finance. In case of the second option, the entire shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crore may be borrowed by states through the issue of market debt.

"The spirit of GST is cooperative federalism. The centre can't force us to borrow when it is legally bound to compensate us. Act of God or not," one of the sources quoted said.

When GST was implemented in 2017, the Centre had promised to compensate states for any revenue loss for five years from a pool created by levying cess over and above the GST on luxury and sin goods. This pool generated a surplus in the first two years and had a deficit in FY20 as well as in FY21.
By Steven Ralston, CFA

OTC:DYLLF | ASX:DYL.AX

READ THE FULL DYLLF RESEARCH REPORT

Deep Yellow Ltd. (OTC:DYLLF) (ASX:DYL.AX) is being developed to become a tier-one uranium producer of uranium ahead of the anticipated up-cycle. Ongoing annual supply deficits and the rationalization of capacity by the major producers, along with production cutbacks due to the pandemic, are hastening the inflection point in uraniums commodity cycle. Management is developing its Namibian uranium projects, one of which (the Reptile Project) has advanced to the PFS stage. Management is also seeking M&A opportunities to increase the companys reserves and to broaden Deep Yellows geographic diversification in terms of mining jurisdictions. Management is focused on becoming a tier-one uranium producer by becoming a secure and reliable supplier of uranium.

The uranium industry is setting up for an anticipated accelerated rise in uranium prices.

 Supply/demand imbalances in the past have created three distinct commodity cycles in the uranium industry. Each cycle has begun with an increase in the price(s) of uranium and of uranium equities (both major established producers and junior mining companies), which has culminated in a rapid, exponential 1-2 year rally in uranium stocks.

 Over the last five years (2015-2019), demand has been growing steadily. Over the next five years, global nuclear reactor uranium requirements are expected to grow in the 0.5%-to-2.5% range.

 The majority of uranium is supplied to nuclear power plants through long-term contracts which are priced at a premium to spot market. Though currently these long-term contracts allow certain uranium producers to continue selling some of their uranium production profitably, about half of the uranium producers have operating costs that are above the current spot price.

 Prior to the pandemic-related shut downs, over 53 million lbs. U 3 0 8 of capacity have been mothballed since 2013 through the shutdowns of unprofitable mines or by the intentional capacity rationalization by major producers (Kazatomprom and Cameco).

Story continues

The uranium industry is composed of many companies, from major established producers to more speculative junior exploration companies. Though larger producers tend to have greater resources to navigate periods of depressed market conditions, junior companies provide greater leverage to the rise in uranium prices.

Almost all uranium stocks should benefit from the anticipated growth of much needed primary supply driven by the expected upcoming fundamental supply deficit; however, certain groups of uranium stocks benefit differently from each stage of the up-cycle. Historically (observing the 2001-2007 up-cycle), current producers reacted well to the initial rise in prices (since their current production could immediately benefit from the increase in the price of uranium), and they significantly outperformed the price of the commodity, itself. However, extreme out-sized returns were enjoyed by junior mining companies that traded below $0.25 per share at the bottom.

Then, there was a mid-phase when the rate of increase of the spot price of uranium moderated to a single-digit rate. In this period, junior mining companies corrected about 50%, while producers corrected about half that amount (around 25%). During the latter phase, when the uranium spot price surged irrationally, junior mining companies that have become producers (and the commodity) exhibited solid triple-digit returns from the consolidation low that had occurred in the mid-phase. Surprisingly, in this late phase, out-sized returns were achieved by junior mining companies which announced, at that instant, they were entering the uranium space; on the other hand, these same junior companies later experienced greater that 95% declines as the cycle eventually unwound.

Deep Yellow Ltd. is unique among junior mining companies and is being positioned to provide a leveraged opportunity to participate in all phases of the expected upswing in uranium prices under a Dual Pillar strategy. The companys CEO, John Borshoff, achieved the same accomplishment as Founder and CEO of Paladin Energy by acquiring, developing and advancing both the Langer Heinrich mine into production within four years and, three years later, the Kayelekera mine in Malawi during the last uranium up cycle. Furthermore, Deep Yellows current flagship project, the Reptile Project, is in the exact same jurisdiction and shares the same palaeochannel network as Langer Heinrich mine. To be sure, Deep Yellow has uranium assets and management experience to walk the same path again during the next up cycle.

In October 2016, John Borshoff was appointed CEO and Managing Director of Deep Yellow, and the companys focus shifted from not only expanding the resource base through exploration, but also pursuing multiple projects in order to create a multi-jurisdictional uranium platform.

Deep Yellow was formed in 2005 with Paladin Energy later becoming a major shareholder from 2005 to 2017. Initially, the company focused on several Australian projects, but in October 2006, Deep Yellow merged with Raptor Partners Limited, a BVI registered company, in order to secure prospective uranium prospects in Namibia (EPL 3496, EPL 3497 and EPL 3498 and one other EPL application at the time, which was later disposed).

The Reptile Project consists of EPL 3496 and EPL 3497, which encompass 959.4 square kilometers. The advanced project contains both palaeochannel-calcrete and basement/alaskite uranium deposits with JORC-compliant resource estimates. Combined, these deposits represent approximately 71.0 million lbs. U 3 0 8 of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources and 88.3 million lbs. U 3 0 8 of Inferred Mineral Resources. A Scoping Study (SS) has been completed on the Tumas deposits (which represent 37.2 million lbs. U 3 0 8 of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources), and a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) was commissioned in January 2020. Management expects the PFS to be completed in December 2020.

Also within six months of John Borshoff being appointed CEO, in late-March 2017, Deep Yellow entered into a joint venture agreement with JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation) regarding the NOVA Joint Venture (or NOVA JV). JOGMEC could earn a 39.5% interest in the project for AUD$4.5 million in exploration and development expenditures over a period of four years. The earn-in process has been completed with the latest of many exploration campaigns funded by JOGMEC. The NOVA JV consists of EPL 3669 and EPL 3670, which encompass 556.8 square kilometers. Deep Yellow continues to be the manager of the NOVA JV holding 65% interest in the project, which will be reduced to 39.5% on confirmation of the JOGMEC earn-in.

Namibia

Namibia is a mining-friendly jurisdiction and has become the worlds fourth largest producer of uranium. The government has effectively developed, supported and regulated the uranium mining industry. Namibia is a proven mining jurisdiction with well-developed infrastructure, including highways, formed roads, power grid and a deep water port (Walvis Bay).

The cost of exploration in Namibia is low. The shallow depth of Namibias palaeochannel calcrete-hosted uranium deposits is conducive to low-cost RC drilling. Metallurgical test work was anticipated to require diamond core sample material; however, comparative test work between RC and diamond drilling samples showed future work could be carried out using RC samples only, a significant cost savings. In addition, the location is primarily desert terrain, allowing for drilling large areas easily and rapidly.

Corporate Strategy

Confident in the impending up-cycle in uranium, management embarked on a Dual Pillar growth strategy consisting of both organic and inorganic growth initiatives. Organically, management is focused on exploring and developing Deep Yellows existing portfolio of Namibian projects (Reptile, Nova JV and Yellow Dune) from exploration to production. The companys primary focus in on advancing the Reptile Project through continued exploration with the resource having been increased and/or upgraded three times within the last few years. The latest drilling program at the Nova JV (Barking Gecko on EPL 3669) intersected very promising uranium mineralization in a large (4km long and 1km wide) anomalous zone, which wraps around a prominent domal feature. The best intersection was a 24-meter zone averaged 297ppm eU 3 0 8 and a maximum grade of 736ppm was obtained over 1 meter.

The second pillar of managements growth plan is to diversify the companys uranium portfolio by pursuing acquisitions/mergers in order to create a multi-jurisdictional portfolio of low-cost uranium projects. When utilities look to enter into an off-take primary supply contract with a producer, one of the many aspects considered is to ensure a secure and reliable supply of uranium is the ability to fulfill the contract. In the eyes of utility buyers, being a multi-jurisdictional uranium producer mitigates operational, geographic and political risks.

Through organic and inorganic growth initiatives, managements goal is to build a multi-project, low cost, Tier 1 uranium producer with the capacity to deliver 5-10 million lbs. of uranium annually.

Management

Utility buyers (and investors) look for assurance that management can effectively execute its strategy. Deep Yellow has a leadership team with a proven track record that has delivered in the past. Most significantly, under CEO John Borshoff, Paladin Energy acquired the Langer Heinrich Project from Aztec Resources in 2002 and within four years, commenced uranium mining operations in 2006. Paladin also acquired Kayelekera in Malawi (initially through a joint venture and later purchasing the entire project outright) and brought this mine into production in 2010. Moreover, most of Deep Yellows management team worked together at Paladin. Uranium mining projects face a multifaceted array of economic, environmental, regulatory, technical and geopolitical issues. In order to be successful, the management team of a junior uranium mining company needs the technical, regulatory, financing and geopolitical experience to navigate the necessary steps of exploration, environmental studies, metallurgical process design, mining lease application, permitting, mine construction and final fine-tuning of the process.

Reptile Project

Located in the Erongo Region of western of Namibia, Deep Yellows Reptile Project is held by Deep Yellows wholly owned subsidiary Reptile Uranium Namibia (Pty) Ltd (RUN). The Reptile Project consists of two EPLs (3496 and 3497), which encompass approximately 959.4 square kilometers.

In a little over three years, management has delivered a remarkable increase in the projects estimated resources through aggressive drilling campaigns targeting six palaeochannel-calcrete deposit areas: Tumas 1, Tumas 1 East, Tumas 2, Tumas 3, Tubas and Tubas Red Sands, of which Tumas 3 is currently the most significant. The most recent total Measured and Indicated Resources at the Tumas 1, 2 and 3 deposits are 37.2 million lbs. at 324ppm (0.0324%) eU 3 0 8 . These three deposits were the subjects of the Scoping Study completed in December 2019 and are the topic of the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Study, which is expected to be completed by December 2020.

In addition, at a later date, the company intends to pursue a second type of uranium mineralization at the Reptile Project described as basement/alaskite. Usually referred to as uraniferous leucogranites, alaskite (a local term) dyke-like formations were formed by molten granite intruding into sedimentary rock. It is postulated elevated uranium grades occur when high-grade metamorphism causes a partial melting of basement rocks, which enhances the transportation and enrichment of uranium ore, such as at Rossing South.

Alaskite Alley, a north-south trending zone of occurrences of uraniferous leucogranite, currently supports two mines (Rossing and Husab), where the primary mineralization of the ore bodies is usually found in sheets of uranium-rich, granite-hosted alaskite (pegmatitic alkali-leucogranite). Rossing and Husab are almost due north of the Reptile Project, and Alaskite Alley appears to cut through the western part of Deep Yellows EPL 3496 tenement, in which Deep Yellow has discovered three small uranium deposits (Ongolo, MS7 and INCA). This prospective area has been relatively unexplored and currently is not a priority undertaking; however, it does represent a potentially substantial opportunity to discover additional uranium resources within EPL3496.

Valuation

Broadly speaking, the public uranium companies can be grouped into three segments: producers, development companies and exploration companies. Producers are actively mining and generating revenues. Exploration companies are prospecting and/or drilling to establish mineral resources. In between these two segments are the development companies that already have established resources and are advancing through the process to bring a mine in operation, generally from the point of initiating a Pre-Feasibility Study to the actual construction of a mine. The comparable companies to Deep Yellow fall into this category.

Further, the comparable companies have been narrowed through quantitative factors, particularly those with a market capitalization over $30 million and trading above $0.10 per share. This process captures a range of well-funded junior uranium development companies. Currently, the P/B valuation range of these comparable companies is between 0.61 and 6.05. With the expectation that DYLLF will attain a second quartile P/B ratio of 4.2, our comparable analysis valuation price target is US$0.68.

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The one problem with Philip Roth's tour de force 2004 novel, "The Plot Against America," is that it's too feel-good.

I know this is a strange accusation to make about an alternative history about a fascist United States. In Roth's version of the 1940 presidential election, Americans choose the Nazi-sympathizing aviator Charles Lindbergh, who goes on to institute insidious and then overt programs of authoritarianism and anti-Semitism. The nation is riven and people are killed.

But in the end, everything is set right. In 1942, Lindbergh goes missing while flying his airplane, a special election is called, and Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected against Lindbergh's vice president, Burton K. Wheeler. The United States enters the war against the Axis, and history continues, more or less, on the track that we know.

It's a sober, unsettling story, but it ends on a note of optimism in America's ability to right itself  too easily, I would argue, given everything we saw before it.

Earlier this year, HBO aired "Plot" as a six-part series, adapted by David Simon, who is not known as one of TV's great optimists. His best-known series, "The Wire," was a five-season lament for American cities. His website is titled "The Audacity of Despair."

Simon's confident, chilling adaptation stuck largely to Roth's story, with few changes. The biggest was to that ending, which he reimagined in ways that get more unsettling and relevant as our own election season goes on.

The final sequence begins on Election Day, 1942, which, because history has a sense of humor, was Nov. 3, just like this year's. On the soundtrack, Frank Sinatra croons "The House I Live In (That's America to Me)." Citizens line up in the Weequahic High School gym in Newark. They go into the booths and cast their ballots. The citizenry is turning out. America is showing its best side.

As Old Blue Eyes keeps singing ("A certain word / Democracy"), a few discordant notes begin to sound. A man with an FDR pin is told he is "not on the list" at the precinct where he has voted for 20 years and is hustled out by police. More officers wheel away a voting machine, telling puzzled onlookers, "It's broken." In a country field, men open a car trunk, unload ballot boxes  marked with the number of an election district in which we just saw lines of Black voters  and burn the contents.

We cut to that evening, in the living room of the Levins, the Jewish family the story was told through. A host on the radio reports on the first returns from precincts on the East Coast. Herman Levin (Morgan Spector)  a mainstream FDR supporter who believes the system is ultimately good and self-correcting  leans in toward the set. "We are seeing some conflicting results early on," the announcer says.

Then the screen cuts to black. It's like another notorious HBO ending, except we're not wondering if Tony Soprano is dead, but if democracy is.

"Plot" premiered in March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was exploding in America. Maybe as a result, for all its focus on the dangers of demagogy and state-sanctioned racism, it got less attention than other political parables  like "The Handmaid's Tale"  have in the Trump years. It was as if viewers decided: Yes, yes, we've heard about all that, but we've got other problems now, like finding masks and toilet paper.

But I have thought about those closing five minutes over and over since they aired. I have especially thought about them lately, amid headlines about whether the president would discredit or reject the election results; whether the pandemic might be leveraged to suppress turnout; whether the gutting of the U.S. Postal Service would cripple mail-in voting  and whether that was exactly the point.

Simon's klaxon doesn't pierce through just because of an endangered election. It also sounds a larger systemic critique that marks all of his work. The conclusion of his "Plot" is not, as in Roth's telling, that the biggest bad apple has been eliminated and the rest of a small bad bunch can be dealt with.

It's a story in which America comes to realize that democracy is merely a choice, not an inevitability. That choice, Simon argues, must always be made and remade, and there is no reason to assume it will always come out the same way.

This global focus  the belief that corrupt systems are more dangerous and influential than wicked or heroic individuals  is a theme of Simon's work, from "The Wire" to "Show Me a Hero." (The latter miniseries, also worth a second look today, was about a subsidized housing program in 1980s Yonkers and the racist backlash it aroused  very much the kind of suburban freak-out that the current president, a real estate developer in the 1980s, has been trying to goad now.)

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This outlook has particularly informed Simon's writing about the police. And one thing that becomes clear, rewatching "Plot" amid protests over police violence, is that it is also very much a story about the power of the police as the arm of the state, and how easily that power can turn to menace.

You see this in the third episode, when the Levin family takes a long-planned trip to Washington, D.C. The Levins get lost driving to their hotel, and they're guided there by a motorcycle officer, though Herman's wife, Bess (Zoe Kazan), doesn't trust him. But they have little choice. Outsiders in a country that they once believed welcomed them, they must drive on in the dark, relying on an officer who can choose to bring them to safety  or not.

Later, when they're evicted from their hotel, plainly because they're Jewish, it's the police who show up to toss them out as Herman rails at the injustice and Bess urges him to keep quiet. "You ought to listen to your wife, Levin," an officer tells him.

One of the powers of police and of government as a whole, the episode suggests, is the discretion to offer and withhold protection.

As protests rise and the country spins apart, the police take sides more blatantly and politically, letting right-wing mobs run rampant, cracking down on protests and looking the other way while brownshirts attack demonstrators (who are later blamed in media reports for the violence).

The police provide the muscle of the Lindbergh state, not just through their own force but also by deciding who is allowed to wield it  who is looked on as a threat for gathering in the streets and who is welcomed for showing up with a weapon. (After mobs of his supporters carry out violence, the president addresses the nation but pointedly refuses to condemn them.)

The Lindberghist police, the self-deputized brutes in the streets and their allied politicians have enjoyed the spoils. Should it be a surprise that, as the election approaches, they take action?

They have an ally in the White House who applauds them and maximizes their power. They've seen that the rules of democracy and due process are crepe paper. Why assume they'll just forfeit their authority because of norms? Why not make one last grab for all the marbles?

The arguments on the opposite side ring familiar too, especially between solid-citizen Herman and his hothead nephew Alvin (Anthony Boyle), who enlists in the Canadian army to kill Nazis, is involved in an espionage operation that may or may not have led to Lindbergh's disappearance and finally ends up working with gangsters.

Herman's acts of resistance were limited to attending rallies and listening to the anti-Lindbergh broadcaster Walter Winchell  the 1940s equivalent of immersing in Twitter and MSNBC. To him, Alvin is a thug and a disgrace. To Alvin, Herman is useless. "All you people ever do is talk," Alvin says. He spits, they fight and it all ends in a lot of broken furniture and no resolution.
Even as Canada is keeping its borders closed for international travelers till the end of September, the air bubble with India will be enhanced as it will now continue into the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the number of evacuation flights operated for Indian nationals stranded in Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic, under the Vande Bharat Mission, will cross 100 in September.

The air bubble was introduced in mid-August with the two national carriers, Air India and Air Canada, flying back and forth between the two countries. Under Phase 6 of the Vande Bharat Mission, 56 more flights will be operated till October 24 between Toronto and Vancouver and destinations in India. With 73 flights already taking passengers back to India since May 20, when they first left Vancouver, the total will cross 100 by the end of the month. More than 13,000 Indian citizens, including international students, have been repatriated so far, according to Indias high commissioner in Ottawa Ajay Bisaria.

Canada is keeping restrictions in place with regard to international travellers, only permitting citizens and permanent residents into the country, with some exemptions like for immediate family members of those allowed into the country. Minister of public safety and emergency preparedness Bill Blair announced these will remain till the end of September to limit the introduction and spread of Covid-19 in our communities. These measures were introduced in March when the initial coronavirus cases were reported in the country.

Also Read: 153 stranded Indians depart from Thailand for New Delhi in Air India flight

Those entering Canada will have to undergo a mandatory quarantine of 14 days and no exemptions are being made for those who have recovered from Covid-19 or have tested negative for it. The guidelines in this regard explained that this was being done because its not yet certain how long the virus is contagious and a negative test doesnt prove that a traveller is Covid-19 free.

Also Read: Canada abandons clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine after China blocks shipment

The Air India flights to India will head to New Delhi and connect multiple destinations including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Amritsar.
Belarus Opposition Leader Rejects Western Help

By Henry Ridgwell September 01, 2020

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has told VOA the country's political crisis is "absolutely an internal affair" as she appeared to reject any idea of imminent Western intervention or help.

Speaking Monday from Vilnius, Lithuania, Tsikhanouskaya said, "The Belarusian people have a responsibility for what's going on. We think that we have to solve this problem by ourselves."

"But if it happens that we will need one day the help of other countries, help in organizing this, maybe mediation or negotiation, of course any country that would like to help us with this question is invited," she added.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Belarusian cities in recent weeks to demand the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko, who refuses to step down. Lukashenko claimed victory in elections August 9. Opposition parties, along with the United States and the European Union, say the poll was heavily rigged.

More than 7,000 protesters have been arrested, and widespread evidence of abuse and torture has been reported. At least four people were reported to have died during the demonstrations.

Now Tsikhanouskaya is trying to coordinate a roadmap for Belarus' future from her new base in Vilnius.

"First of all, we'll start negotiations, when [authorities] release all political prisoners, who are innocent and still in Belarusian jails," she told VOA. "We are fighting for free, fair and transparent elections, which means that every citizen of Belarus will be able to participate in those elections. A more pertinent question would be whether Mr. Lukashenko has the moral right to participate in the new elections after all those crimes he committed."

Tsikhanouskaya was briefly detained and fled to neighboring Lithuania following the election, fearing for her and her family's safety. She refused to elaborate further on why she left Belarus.

"I had big reasons to make this step. I can't talk about this now. Maybe some [time] in the future I will talk all about my story, but now I can't comment on it."

Tsikhanouskaya ran for the presidency after her husband, Sergei Tsikhanousky, a prominent YouTube blogger, was arrested in May and barred from taking part in the election. Several other opposition figures also were arrested, and their wives joined the political opposition movement.

Tsikhanouskaya praised the hundreds of women who have taken part in the protests in recent days, many wearing white and red, the traditional colors that have become emblematic of the political opposition to Lukashenko's rule.

"It's difficult for me, because I want to be with them," Tsikhanouskaya said. "And you know why? Because I do not fully feel that atmosphere. Observing it from here, it looks scary to me and they seem afraid, but people who are there tell me that they are inspired."

"We don't want our women to be snatched off the streets. I hope that [the riot police] are not going to lower themselves to that level. But we are such a force. We, the women of Belarus, are such a force. I am worried about them, but they are so strong," she added.

The Kremlin has invited President Lukashenko to Moscow in coming days. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week he has a police reserve force ready to intervene in Belarus.

"Mr. Putin has to understand that if he does something against us Belarusians, it will seriously damage the relationship between the Russian and Belarusian people," Tsikhanouskaya said. "And because we are allied nations, we are considered almost brothers, it is not in the interest of either Belarus or Russia."

Many outside observers have compared the crisis in Belarus to the revolution in Ukraine in 2014, when Russia invaded the country following the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych. That revolution was marked by the presence of European Union flags among the anti-government protesters, and opposition calls for U.S. and other Western help.

Tsikhanouskaya's explicit rejection of outside support for Belarus' opposition stands in contrast to events in Ukraine. Her role in any future government, and the fate of the growing protest movement, remain highly uncertain.

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Around 870 doctors in Covid first-line treatment centres all over the state of Kerala have resigned due to a pay cut, according to a TOI report.

They were all among the 1080 MBBS graduates from government medical colleges in 2020 and were on Covid duty temporarily. They were promised 42,000 per month, but got only Rs 27,000.



PTI (Representational)

From the amount, Rs 8,400 was deducted in the name of the governments salary challenge, apart from TDS and professional tax. Now, we are getting only Rs 27,000, said Dr Ousam Hussain KP.



He is the state president of Kerala junior doctors association 2020-21.



PTI (Representational)

The association has written to the chief minister and health minister for assistance.



This affects our healthcare system badly. At a time when the country is trying to fight off the pandemic, we need every doctor possible and with so many resigning, it is a big blow to the effort. One could blame them for not doing their duty, but doctors are human too, and need money to survive.



PTI (Representational)

They too have families and one understands their frustration. One hopes a compromise is reached and a middle ground can be worked on,


McDonald's will be chased for millions of dollars after a franchisee was found to be denying workers toilet and drink breaks.

A former worker at the fast food giant, Chiara Staines, won a landmark case in the Federal Court against Brisbane franchisee Tantex Holdings on Monday.

Ms Staines was denied ten-minute paid breaks on all but three occasions while working at a McDonald's restaurant in Brisbane between May 8, 2017 and June 15, 2019.

Tantext Holdings was ordered to pay $1,000 in compensation to the former worker and all Australian McDonald's employees will now be legally entitled to paid water and toilet breaks.

The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union are now working to compensate hundreds of thousands of other workers who claim they weren't allowed breaks.

Chiara Staines (pictured) said it is 'just amazing' that her successful case against Tantex Holdings resulted in all workers across the country being entitled to drink and toilet breaks

A Queensland McDonald's franchisee has been ordered to pay a worker $1000 in compensation after a worker was routinely denied drinks and toilet breaks (stock image)

'At the moment we are concerned with the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of workers who may be interested in compensation,' Union secretary Josh Cullinan said.

'I am yet to meet the mystical worker that gets all their ten-minute paid breaks and I have spoken to thousands of McDonald's workers.

'I think these workers are owed hundreds of millions of dollars, that's beyond doubt.'

In making his decision in the Federal Court on Monday, Justice John Logan said 'The right to access the toilet or a drink of water was, in my view, a workplace right'.

Justice Logan also said Tantex general manager Chris Crenicean had threatened McDonald's employees who lobbied for their entitled breaks.

'It was unconscionable  absolutely to deny workers an ability to use the toilet when required or to drink water as needed,' he said.

'That is so, irrespective of whether they are children, although it is hardly edifying that the threat of such denial was made to a group which, on the evidence, necessarily must have included children.'

Mr Cullinan said on top of the $1,000 in compensation, Ms Staines had been paid $800 by McDonald's for the time she was not paid.

The Queen Street Mall restaurant in Brisbane (pictured) where Ms Staines worked is owned by franchisee Tantex Holdings, which runs five more locations in Brisbane

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Staines said it was 'just amazing' that her case would benefit other fast food workers across the country.

'It's what we were hoping for, it's incredibly common for McDonald's and other fast food workers to not allow for breaks. So hopefully this will put an end to that,' she said.

Ms Staines said she was 'glad' her legal battle, which began almost two years ago, had finally come to an end.

'It was such a relief, it really was. This whole thing has been going on since the end of 2018 and the beginning of court proceedings were early this year,' she said.

Ms Staines said she was 'glad' her legal battle, which began almost two years ago, had finally come to an end. She has since quit her job at McDonald's and is now studying child care

Reflecting on her time at McDonald's, the former worker said her bosses would often deny going to the toilet or make her wait.

'If you were desperate, you could go (to the toilet) but usually they would make you wait until there were fewer customers,' she said.

She has since quit her job at McDonald's and is now studying child care.

Mr Cullinan said 'McDonald's workers have long been exploited'.

'When the major McDonald's franchisee, Tantex, stole rest breaks from workers, they broke the law.'

'Our actions finally returned their penalty rates in February but the theft of rest breaks are common across the McDonald's network. Until now, those employers have not been held to account.

'This is the first time that a Union, and workers, have successfully sued McDonald's in Australia but it will not be the last.'

Retail and Fast Food Workers Union secretary Josh Cullinan (pictured) said 'McDonald's workers have long been exploited' and the union would work to chase the millions of dollars

With the backing of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, Ms Staines brought a case against the franchisee Tantex Holdings earlier this year.

McDonald's staff have been entitled to paid ten-minute drink breaks under McDonald's Australia Enterprise Agreement 2013, which was approved by the Fair Work Commission on July 24, 2013.

According to the enterprise agreement, all employees are entitled to a 10-minute drink break when they work a shift between four to nine hours.

If they work more than nine hours, staff are entitled to two 10-minute breaks.

This is in addition to a meal break if working longer than five hours.

Tantex's general manager Christopher Crenicean responded to a union campaign with a lengthy rant (pictured) in Facebook group for their fast food employees in January

Earlier this year, RAFFWU launched a campaign against Tantex, accusing the company of breaking the enterprise agreement by denying toilet breaks.

Tantex's general manager Christopher Crenicean responded with a lengthy rant in Facebook group for their fast food employees to which Justice Logan deemed threatening.

'On your shift, this ten-minute break would be the only time you would ever be permitted to have a drink or go to the toilet. So I hope to God you don't get thirsty on your next shift because we just wouldn't be able to allow a drink. Fair is fair right?' Mr Crenicean wrote in January.

'But as we go above and beyond for our people and we like to treat you guys much better than this, we allow ALL our employees regardless of shift length to have a drink of water as you require and go to the bathroom as you require.'

'Are we really such bad guys? It actually works better in our favour to follow this legislation and keep you all working non-stop,' he said to finish off the message.
HONG KONG, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) today announced the appointment of Kelvin Yip to the role of General Manager of Carrier Business, effective immediately. Kelvin will guide HGC towards close cooperation among local mobile operators and fixed-line network operators, strengthening the group's leading position in the local fixed-line network infrastructure sector.

In overseeing local network infrastructure development, Kelvin will be actively pursuing closer cooperation with local mobile network operators. With HGC's installed fixed-line infrastructure to provide high speed, reliable and low latency fixed-line network, the benefits of 5G mobile networks services can be fully realised, supporting the needs of innovative technology and applications.

Kelvin joined HGC as Deputy General Manager of Carrier Business in 2018, bringing with him over 30 years' experience in the mobile network industry. Kelvin has held key engineering positions at a number of leading mobile network operators and telecom equipment manufacturers, handling projects involving radio frequency network planning, radio cell site construction, base station installation, telecom equipment maintenance and operations. As an active player gone through the evolution of mobile network technology from the first generation 1G to the latest 5G, his understanding and foresight when it comes to the local mobile network and operator market are unparalleled.

Having made an invaluable contribution to HGC over the years, the former General Manager of Carrier business, Wong Wing Kwong, will be taking on an expanded role, responsible for growing overseas business. He will be working closely with the International Business team to explore potential business opportunities in countries and regions across the globe. This aim is to expand HGC's global network footprint and broaden the scope of business, cementing the company's position as the major international fixed-line network service operator in Asia and around the world.

Andrew Kwok, Chief Executive Officer of HGC said, "Both Wong Wing Kwong and Kelvin have played leading roles in major local 5G projects, allowing us to gain a leading addressable market share in the mobile network operator sector. On behalf of the entire HGC team, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them. Leveraging their in-depth experience and professional networks in the telecom industry, our group will be able to create more opportunities to cooperate with operators and carve synergetic partnerships. Their contribution, combined with HGC's comprehensive network, and our ICT total solution supported by subsidiary Macroview Telecom, ensures we are well placed to seize the opportunities presented by the 5G and digital era."

Kelvin Yip, General Manager of Carrier Business, HGC expanded, "Fixed-line operators play a significant role in the mobile network market. We will continue to cooperate with local mobile network operators, with the aim of providing high-quality and reliable fixed-line services in order to build a stable and high-density 5G network. We are laying the foundations for long-term development in the region, and transforming Hong Kong into a world-class smart city."

About HGC Global Communications Limited

HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international fixed-line operator. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. HGC has 23 overseas offices, with business over 5 continents. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies.

To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk

SOURCE HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)
Maintaining the balance of power among European states has always been a fraught affair, but it was especially so in the years when mercantilism made fragile alliances during the religious wars of the 17th century. This was a time when merchants made excellent diplomats, not only because they traveled extensively and learned foreign tongues and customs, but because they spoke the universal language of trade.

German merchant and diplomat Philipp Hainhofer from Augsburg was such a figure, traveling from court to court to meet with Europes renowned dignitaries. As he did so, he would ask them to sign his album amicorum, or friendship book, also called a stammbuch. Each signer would then commission an artist to create a painting accompanying their signatures, Alison Flood writes at The Guardian.

There are around 100 drawings in his autograph book, known as the Groe Stammbuch, which took more than 50 years to compile. After Hainhofers death in 1647, his friend August the Youngerwho helped collect the hundreds of thousand of books in the Herzog August Bibliothektried to acquire the book but failed. Now it has finally landed in the huge library, one of the worlds oldest, almost 400 years later, after a purchase at a private auction this week.

Friendship books were commonly used at the time to record the names of family and friends. Students used them as yearbooks, and Hainhofer began his collection of signatures as a college student. He gradually gained a select clientele as his career advanced. Signatories, the History Blog points out, include Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, another HRE Matthias, Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, Cosimo II deMedici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and many others.

Hainhofers Groe Stammbuch is, as you can see, a beautiful work of artor almost 100 collected works of artin its own right. The elaborateness of the illustrations directly corresponds to the signatorys status and rank in society, as Grace Ebert notes at Colossal. It is also a fascinating record of Early Modern European politics, trade, and diplomacy, a fine art all its own.

via Colossal

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Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness
New Delhi: Attacking the Centre over the slump in GDP, the Congress on Tuesday said that the economy was ruined from the day demonetisation was announced and it continued after the Modi government introduced one erroneous policy after another.

"The ruining of the country's economy began with demonetisation. Since then, the government introduced one erroneous policy after another," former Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday.

Congress leader and general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too accused the government of being responsible for the slump in the economy.

Rahul Gandhi had spoken of an economic tsunami six months ago, while the government announced a package just for show and look at the condition now, Gandhi Vadra said in a tweet in Hindi.

In a separate tweet, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "Modiji, at least now accept that what you hailed as masterstrokes were actually 'disaster strokes' -- demonetisation, faulty GST and lockdown".

The country's economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with the GDP contracting by 23.9 per cent as the coronavirus-related lockdown weighed on the already declining consumer demand and investment.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : Actor Amit Sadh says he will be less active on social media for a couple of days or prehaps weeks because he is set to start shooting for his upcoming web series, Zidd.

Amit took to Instagram and shared a note for his fans and followers, sharing that he has reached Patiala and is set to commence the shoot soon.

He wrote: "Because I love you guys so much, I think it's very important for me to tell you that I will be less active on social media for (a) couple of days/weeks. As you know I am prepping for Zidd and I have reached Patiala and very soon we will start the shoot!" He shared that he wants to give full attention to his work.

"The bond that I share with all of you means the world to me. At this point my work and role needs all my attention and I hope your life, your work 100 percent attention and I will come back whenever I can with some news to share about my life or work. Till then sending love and good wishes for whatever you are doing in life. Keep moving forward," he wrote.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden looked to shift the focus of the US presidential race back to the coronavirus and President Donald Trumps handling of the pandemic during a Wednesday campaign event on safely reopening the countrys schools.

The health crisis, in which more than 184,000 Americans have died, has been overshadowed in recent days by civil unrest in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a white policeman shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back last week, triggering protests.

Biden's event was part of his campaign's effort to make the Nov. 3 election in part a referendum on the Trump administration's response to the outbreak and came as millions of students are starting a new school year either virtually or under restrictive conditions.

"If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on in this crisis, American schools would be open. And theyd be open safely," Biden said after receiving a briefing from health experts in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden and his Republican opponent have offered duelling arguments over which candidate can keep the country safe.

Each has accused the other of fostering the sometimes violent protests over racial injustice and police brutality that have rocked the nation for months after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis police custody.

Trump, who visited Kenosha on Tuesday, has sought to leverage the volatile climate surrounding the protests to his political benefit, casting himself as a "law-and-order" president holding the line against chaos.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows his approach has yet to boost his national standing. The poll released on Wednesday showed that most Americans do not see crime as a major problem confronting the nation and a majority remain sympathetic to anti-racism protests.

Read More

By contrast, 78pc of Americans said they remain "very" or "somewhat" concerned about the pandemic. The poll showed that 47pc of registered voters support Biden compared with 40pc who said they will vote for Trump.

Biden plans to travel to Kenosha on Thursday, where he will hold a community meeting, his campaign said.

Trump on Wednesday flew to North Carolina, a state which, like Wisconsin, is an election battleground. In remarks to supporters in Wilmington upon landing, he argued that the country was "rounding the turn" concerning the pandemic and stuck to his law-and-order theme.

Speaking later to a group of veterans while commemorating the end of World War Two on September 2, 1945, Trump said, "American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas, only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home."

While the event ostensibly was part of the president's official business and not campaign-related, Trump used the occasion to take several shots at Biden.

Relief for schools

Reopening schools amid the pandemic has been a top priority for Trump, who has argued it was necessary to boost the economy and give relief to working parents. His campaign on Wednesday criticised Biden for being overly cautious on the matter.

"(Biden) always casts things as an either-or situation. Either we can open up or we can be safe," Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh said. "The president disagrees with that. It can be both. For the economy and schools, we can both be open and be safe.

At his event, Biden called on Trump to bring congressional leaders together to negotiate a new aid package to assist state and local governments, which have struggled to provide services for students amid an economic downturn due to coronavirus lockdowns. Congress has been in an impasse over another round of virus-related funding.

"Get off Twitter and start talking to congressional leaders of both parties," Biden said.

Earlier in the day, Biden's team announced that his campaign and the Democratic National Committee had raised $364.5 million in August, shattering the record for the most money raised in a single month during a presidential campaign. The Trump campaign has yet to release its figures for the month.
In a desperate attempt to rid of her backyard tree of invasive lanternflies, columnist Helen Ubinas wrapped her tree in duct tape. Read more

Well, so much for the column I was going to write. That one has been rescheduled for after I work through some trauma.

There I was, minding my own business at my makeshift pandemic home office, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw it.

A spotted lanternfly, just hanging out on my desk, like we were in the same writing group or something.

Ive been warring with its insidious ilk for a while now, as Ive chronicled on social media.

In what I admit was not my finest Insta moment, and in a fit of all-consuming rage, I duct-taped the tree full of lantern flies in my back yard.

This year has already taken so much. No way was I just going to stand by while the equivalent of a corona cockroach  with no natural predators (or boundaries), which by some estimates can jump from three to nine feet, and whose poop actually kills trees  takes over.

I may have come to terms with the fact that I cannot control the ugliness infesting our world, but you cannot come for my pandemic safe space.

Mock me all you want  as my husband did before I warned him I had enough duct tape to also attach him to the tree  but my method sorta worked.

Ive since bought the bands of sticky tape that seem to work much better, but are also dangerous to other benign insects and birds. So thats gotta go.

But for a minute, I was feeling victorious. Behold, the great pest pulverizer!

And then this louse of a lanternfly decides to come through with some straight-up disrespectful Sup, stupid human? vibe.

Now, this is the moment for a confession and apology. I may have sneered a little when I first read Ann L. Rappoports essay in The Inquirer about how killing spotted lanternflies was the relief she needed in 2020.

Seriously? I thought. Were up against dual national emergencies of a pandemic and a presidential election, and killing some bugs is supposed to help?

Except (and this is where I apologize), damned if she wasnt right about how, in a world where our collective efforts to fight and fix the coronavirus, climate change, racism, and any number of abuses of power havent really amounted to measurable change, here was something we could actually measure.

We may still be working on smashing the patriarchy. But in the meantime, we can smash some bugs.

I dont know what fresh hell brought me to the backyard in the middle of a workday  probably a Trump tweet, or another endless Zoom call, or the ongoing pandemic that is holding us hostage. Or all of the above and whatever is coming next.

But one day I found myself out there grunting like Serena Williams at the top of her game as I crushed fly after fly after fly.

Every stressful day since, even if just for a few minutes, I take aim with anything and everything: a shoe, a magazine, my dogs hair brush, my bare hands.

War is not for the squeamish, comrades.

Well, mostly. When I posted that picture of my duct taped tree, allies offered helpful tips. Some of which I took, some of which, Im sorry, I just couldnt. If I had to capture them in a plastic bottle, I knew Id be cleaning up my own throw-up right after.

But this is where I went wrong, where we often go wrong when dealing with an enemy: I got cocky.

I saw the tape covered in their carcasses and thought I was winning.

Until one of them had the audacity to penetrate my bubble, to violate that tacit agreement of civility thats already been infected in the non-bug world.

I may have upended everything in and around my desk as it tried to flee. But I eventually killed it and two others that were clinging to my window screen like they had something to say about their boy ending up on the wrong side of my shoe.

And yeah, I know what I sound like. Consumed. Obsessed. A little loca.

But consider this for a moment: What if a lanternfly isnt just a lanternfly? What if its a reminder that we must remain vigilant, from whatever insidiousness were battling?
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But the real reason this is stupid is that "good vs. evil" is as much a political ideology as "Colonel Mustard" is a way to go camping. It just doesn't make sense. They're not connected.

Donald Trump could never exist in The West Wing universe because that's a reality in which people start with moral principles and then fill in their political ideologies to fit those principles instead of our world, which works the other way around. Seriously, try and imagine Donald Trump in The West Wing. It's impossible. He would never get elected. He'd say one hypocritical thing, Josiah Bartlet would toss him in a verbal cement mixer, then Trump would get booed off the stage.

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But he's our President now, and that's partly because his only opposition thought that just "being the good guy" was enough to beat him. It's the same strategy that Joe Biden is using now, and it's infuriating to see. Yes, the Democrats might still win this time around, and that might lead them to think their way of thinking was correct, but they'd be wrong, and there's no better person to explain their logical fallacy than Josiah Bartlet:

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My point in this isn't to say that The West Wing shouldn't ever air a reunion special. I mean, if you like the show, then you like the show. But it makes me cringe that Michelle Obama would attach herself to it, especially in an effort to get people voting. If there's one lesson that Democrats should have taken from the past four years, if not that past 20, it's that real life isn't The West Wing.

Also, you want us to sit through a staged theatrical production of a single-cam TV show? Blegh.

Support Dan on Twitter and he will talk about his life with you in lieu of getting a therapist.

Top Image: NBC
The has arrested an alleged contraband dealer and detained another in connection with the drugs trafficking case linked to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested man has been identified by the federal anti-narcotics agency as Zaid Vilatra. Indian currency worth Rs 9,55,750 and foreign currency (USD 2,081, 180 British Pounds, 15 dirhams), which the NCB claimed are "proceeds of drug peddling", have been recovered from him.

"Zaid disclosed that he runs an eatery in Bandra which was not giving any pecuniary gains since lockdown. He also disclosed that he is into drug peddling especially bud, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money," the NCB said.

According to the NCB, the best quality of bud is sold for about Rs 5,000 per gram.

Zaid came under the scanner after the agency arrested two people -- Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora -- in another narcotics case on August 27-28 in Mumbai and recovered a bud consignment from them.

Lakhani had "linkages" with Zaid, the NCB claimed.

The agency has also detained a Bandra resident identified as Basit Parihar after interrogating Zaid.

Parihar is "learnt to have linkages" with the narcotics case registered against Rajput's live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty, 28, and others.

Rhea is the main accused in the death case of the 34-year-old actor that is being probed by the NCB, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering charges and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The role of Rhea's brother Showik and his purported links with the people nabbed by the NCB are under the scanner of the agency and he is expected to be summoned for questioning soon, the officials said.

Some more drug peddlers based in Maharashtra, Delhi and Goa are also under the agency's scanner, they said.

A special NCB team from Delhi, headed by deputy director (operations) K P S Malhotra, is camping in the western metropolis to take forward the probe.

The team also includes agency officers from Mumbai and has been constituted by NCB Director General Rakesh Asthana.

The agency filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea.

According to the officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI.

Rajput was found dead at his duplex flat in Bandra on June 14.

(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.)
Does the danger make you think twice about living in Chicago? The victim was 100% targeted, said Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan, as if to assure skittish residents that the restaurant slaying wasnt a random act. Not that his assertion would help much. How are Chicagoans supposed to keep accepting reassurances that the city is strong and recoverable when every week adds to the tally of dead and wounded?

Think back a few Tuesdays to the afternoon on fashionable East Oak Street when four gunmen jumped out of two cars and opened fire at Carlton Weekly, the rapper known as FBG Duck, killing him. Police said Weekly was a member of a Gangster Disciplines faction that had been feuding with another gang. As of Monday afternoon, police hadnt disclosed a motive for the pancake house slaying. Does it matter anymore?
- Steve Manteaw says the NPP and NDC have done Ghana more harm than good

- He has accused the two parties of using their intelligence to loot and share Ghana's wealth

- Dr. Manteaw also described NPP and NDC as thieves

- Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Former Chairman of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Dr. Steve Manteaw, has described both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as thieves.

Speaking on Adom FM in Accra, Dr. Manteaw said the two main political parties in Ghana have created a loot and share system to milk the country of its resources.

 the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) only come to power to use their intelligence to create, loot, and share from the country's coffers, he fumed.

Expert on revenue management in the extractive sector, Steve Manteaw. Source: Peacefmonline.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mahama's name popped up over 1000 times at NPP's manifesto launch - NDC alleges

Speaking on corruption in Ghana, Dr. Manteaw said the NPP has disappointed in its fight against corruption.

According to him, the government has not done enough to fight the canker in the country.

"This government has not really inspired confidence in the fight against corruption. We have not seen any serious commitment to tackle it," he said in an interview on Adom FM.

The expert on revenue management also accused President Akufo-Addo of doing little to save the public purse.

Dr. Manteaw also told Myjoyonline.com in April 2020, that the government could have adequately mitigated against the drastic economic hardship in Ghana by cutting down on the number of its appointees.

READ ALSO: Team of Nigerian doctors carries out successful brain surgery in Lagos

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Minority Leader of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu has said, a future government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not respect the Agyapa deal.

Iddrisu, at a press conference, monitored by YEN.com.gh on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, said the decision of the finance minister to endorse the transaction is in clear violation of article 181 (5) of the Constitution.

"... which requires that side documents, together with the agreements, be laid before Parliament, and, as we speak, we did not have any documentation defining the terms and conditions and the prospectus to guide a decision on this matter," he quoted the Constitution.

APC flagbearer Hassan Ayariga has vowed to end corruption if voted into power | #Yencomgh

Got a story you think we should know about? Get interactive via our Facebook page!

Source: YEN.com.gh
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

Trend:

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry expressed its attitude towards the biased article published in the electronic version of the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper on September 1, 2020, Trend reports citing the ministry.

The Russian newspaper published an article entitled "Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan are preparing for a blitzkrieg in Armenia" and presented information that was completely untrue. The author of the article, Vladimir Mukhin misled the readers without referring to any reliable source and without citing convincing facts. We categorically reject the false fabrications indicated in the article that allegedly "there is already a de-facto Turkish military base in Nakhchivan, reinforced by combat aircraft," and about "the transfer of about 500 Syrian militants to Azerbaijan, mainly Turkomans, said the ministry.

All the arguments in the mentioned article, especially those concerning the alleged transfer of militants from Syria to Azerbaijan, are clear disinformation and in no way reflect reality, noted the defense ministry.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense officially declares that there are no military bases of foreign states or any other illegal armed group on the territory of the country. The professionalism and combat experience of the personnel of the Azerbaijani army, as well as the military equipment and combat resources in service, are sufficient to quickly complete any combat mission to liberate the lands occupied by Armenia and restore the country's territorial integrity. The Azerbaijani Army demonstrated this during the April 2016 battles, as well as during the combat operations conducted in 2018 in Nakhchivan and in 2020 in fighting off the Armenian attacks in the direction of Tovuz district, the ministry said.

We would recommend "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" to focus its attention on the amendments to the Armenian law "On Defense", which have been submitted for public discussion by the Armenian community. This law allows Armenia, which has big problems with mobilization resources, to create so-called armed militias on a voluntary basis, where people under 70 can sign up, the defense ministry added.

It is possible that, referring to this law, Armenia will thereby legitimize the issue of manning its army with mercenaries and terrorists deployed from hot spots in the Middle East, in particular from Syria and Lebanon, under the guise of a militia, said the ministry.

The defense ministry also added that Yerevan, interested in spreading such misinformation, deliberately creates fertile ground for aggravating the situation in the region, escalating the conflict and openly involving a larger number of parties in it.
DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Wellness Tourism Market - Forecasts from 2020 to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global wellness tourism market was valued at US$641.298 billion in 2019. Unlike medical tourism, which involves the treatment of already diagnosed conditions, wellness tourism services focus on the prevention of diseases by emphasizing a healthy lifestyle and improved quality of life. The growth of this market has been driven by the rising middle-class population and the consumer's desire to adopt a wellness lifestyle. The increasing affordability of flights and travel options is also boosting the number of travelers across the globe which, in turn, is also fuelling the demand for wellness tourism services worldwide.

According to the data provided by the Global Wellness Institute, the number of international and domestic wellness trips represented 17 percent of all tourism expenditures in 2017. Tourists are increasingly opting for spa therapies and other wellness activities while on a trip to the foreign land. Hectic work schedules and sedentary lifestyles have resulted in a decline in physical activities among people, leading to a rise in lifestyle-related problems. Governments in various countries are also taking necessary steps and measures to ramp up the overall growth of the travel and tourism industry which will also fuel the global wellness tourism market growth during the next five years. For instance, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is developing wellness-focused tourism in lesser-known destinations such as Beppu and Misgui. Global wellness tourism market players are adopting various growth strategies in order to expand their market share worldwide which will also propel the global wellness tourism market till the end of the forecast period.



However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has severely impacted the overall travel and tourism industry which, in turn, has negatively affected the market growth of wellness tourism. The ban on international as well as domestic flights coupled with the temporary shutdown of services such as spas and restaurants in order to reduce the spread of this novel virus has restricted the growth of the wellness tourism market.



Secondary wellness traveler accounts for substantial market share



By type of traveler, the secondary traveler segment accounted for a significant market share in 2019. A secondary traveler is the one who seeks to maintain wellness while taking trips for leisure or business. The primary wellness traveler, on the other hand, is the one whose trip is primarily motivated by wellness purposes. An increasing number of people suffering from anxiety and depression are taking trips specifically for wellness services including spa treatments and wellness activities.



Asia Pacific to witness the fastest regional market growth



Geographically, the global Wellness Tourism market has been segmented as North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific regional market for wellness tourism is poised to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The booming travel and tourism industry in countries like India, Thailand, and Malaysia is the major driver of the wellness tourism market in this region. The presence of global hotel and resort companies in this region along with the continued expansion of the hospitality industry is also contributing to the market growth of wellness tourism in this region.



Rising disposable incomes and shifting preference towards wellness activities in order to relax, especially among millennials, is also fuelling the growth of this regional market. Supportive government policies and measures to attract more and more international tourists will continue to spur the market growth of wellness tourism in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. For example, in 2016, a National Medical & Wellness Tourism Promotion Board was introduced in India to promote tourism focusing on wellbeing.



The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) collaborated with the Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA) in June 2019 to create favorable conditions for members to promote wellness tourism in Malaysia. North America holds a significant market share throughout the forecast period on account of high disposable incomes and living standards which supports the high demand for wellness services in the region. Growing concerns regarding anxiety, depression, and obesity is encouraging North American customers to opt for different wellness services, thus positively impacting the overall regional market growth.



Recent Developments:

October 2019 : Beauty and wellness firm VLCC Group entered into a strategic partnership with Minor International which owns 523 popular hotel and resort chains under brands such as St. Regis, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts among others.

: Beauty and wellness firm VLCC Group entered into a strategic partnership with Minor International which owns 523 popular hotel and resort chains under brands such as St. Regis, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts among others. May 2019 : London -based investment firm Centricus acquired the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa.

: -based investment firm Centricus acquired the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa. February 2019 : InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the acquisition of one of the world's leading operators of luxury hotels, resorts, and spas, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, for $300 million from Pegasus Capital Advisors.

: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the acquisition of one of the world's leading operators of luxury hotels, resorts, and spas, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, for from Pegasus Capital Advisors. July 2018 : Malaysia -based Evolution Wellness Holdings acquired the integrated wellness resort brand- Fiveelements Pte. Ltd- to its portfolio.

: -based Evolution Wellness Holdings acquired the integrated wellness resort brand- Fiveelements Pte. Ltd- to its portfolio. May 2018 : Accor Hotels Acquired Mantra Group to expand its business in the hospitality industry, especially in Asia Pacific region.

: Accor Hotels Acquired Mantra Group to expand its business in the hospitality industry, especially in region. February 2018 : Tavistock Development Company partnered with Signet LLC to create innovative wellness performance and medically integrated fitness facility in Lake Nona, Orlando . The facility aims to provide a wide range of health and wellbeing programs and services for the entire community.

Competitive Insights



Prominent key market players in the global wellness tourism market include Four Seasons Hotels Limited, PRAVASSA, Canyon Ranch, Rancho La Puerta Inc., Accor, Hyatt Corporation, Red Carnation Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Hilton. These companies hold a noteworthy share in the market on account of their good brand image and product offerings. Major players in the global wellness tourism market have been covered along with their relative competitive position and strategies. The report also mentions recent deals and investments of different market players over the last two years.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Market Segmentation



2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Data

2.2. Assumptions



3. Executive Summary

3.1. Research Highlights



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. Global Wellness Tourism Market Analysis, By Type of Traveler

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Primary Wellness Traveler

5.3. Secondary Wellness Traveler



6. Global Wellness Tourism Market Analysis, By Location

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Domestic

6.3. International



7. Global Wellness Tourism Market Analysis, By Service

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Lodging

7.3. In-Country Transport

7.4. Food & Beverage

7.5. Shopping

7.6. Others



8. Global Wellness Tourism Market Analysis, By Mode of Booking

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Online

8.3. Offline



9. Global Wellness Tourism Market Analysis, By Geography

9.1. Introduction

9.2. North America

9.2.1. North America Wellness Tourism Market, By Location

9.2.2. North America Wellness Tourism Market, By Service

9.2.3. North America Wellness Tourism Market, By Mode of Booking

9.2.4. By Country

9.2.4.1. USA

9.2.4.2. Canada

9.2.4.3. Mexico

9.3. South America

9.3.1. South America Wellness Tourism Market, By Location

9.3.2. South America Wellness Tourism Market, By Service

9.3.3. South America Wellness Tourism Market, By Mode of Booking

9.3.4. By Country

9.3.4.1. Brazil

9.3.4.2. Argentina

9.3.4.3. Others

9.4. Europe

9.4.1. Europe Wellness Tourism Market, By Location

9.4.2. Europe Wellness Tourism Market, By Service

9.4.3. Europe Wellness Tourism Market, By Mode of Booking

9.4.4. By Country

9.4.4.1. UK

9.4.4.2. Germany

9.4.4.3. France

9.4.4.4. Spain

9.4.4.5. Italy

9.4.4.6. Others

9.5. Middle East and Africa

9.5.1. Middle East and Africa Wellness Tourism Market, By Location

9.5.2. Middle East and Africa Wellness Tourism Market, By Service

9.5.3. Middle East and Africa Wellness Tourism Market, By Mode of Booking

9.5.4. By Country

9.5.4.1. Saudi Arabia

9.5.4.2. UAE

9.5.4.3. Israel

9.5.4.4. Others

9.6. Asia Pacific

9.6.1. Asia Pacific Wellness Tourism Market, By Location

9.6.2. Asia Pacific Wellness Tourism Market, By Service

9.6.3. Asia Pacific Wellness Tourism Market, By Mode of Booking

9.6.4. By Country

9.6.4.1. China

9.6.4.2. Japan

9.6.4.3. South Korea

9.6.4.4. India

9.6.4.5. Australia

9.6.4.6. Malaysia

9.6.4.7. Thailand

9.6.4.8. Others



10. Competitive Environment and Analysis

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

10.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



11. Company Profiles

11.1. Four Seasons Hotels Limited

11.2. PRAVASSA

11.3. Canyon Ranch

11.4. Rancho La Puerta Inc.

11.5. Accor

11.6. Hyatt Corporation

11.7. Red Carnation Hotels

11.8. InterContinental Hotels Group

11.9. Hilton



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uqsipl

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets

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Two unidentified women were seen consoling each other at a police checkpoint on Jan. 14, 2019, after a report of an active-shooter situation that morning at a UPS facility in Logan Township, South Jersey. Read more

Police who fatally shot a gunman who had taken his ex-girlfriend and another woman hostage at a UPS facility in Logan Township, Gloucester County, last year were justified in doing so, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office announced Wednesday.

William Owens, 39, of Sicklerville, was shot by seven members of the Gloucester County SWAT Team outside the UPS Mail Innovations facility on Birch Creek Road.

The investigation into the January 2019 shooting found that officers shot Owens after he fired a handgun at one of the two women he took hostage, the office said in a statement.

Director Thomas J. Eicher of the attorney generals Office of Public Integrity and Accountability concluded that the use of force was justified because the officers reasonably believed their actions were immediately necessary to protect the hostage and others from death or serious bodily harm, the office said.

Authorities said the names of the officers are not being released because threats have been made against them.

The investigation included witness interviews, video footage of events leading to the shooting and forensic evidence from the scene. There was no video of the police shooting itself, officials said.

About 8:30 that morning, Owens, a former UPS employee, went to find his ex-girlfriend, who was working at the facility, authorities said. He approached her outside, then followed her into the building, armed with a 9mm handgun, investigators said.

Once inside, he grabbed her, fired the gun into the air, and announced that he was taking her hostage. He pistol-whipped a security guard and said he was going to kill his ex-girlfriend, and threatened to kill everyone in this building, the Attorney Generals Office said.

Owens then took a second employee hostage, pointed his gun at various other people, saying he would kill everybody, and fired at least two additional shots while inside the building, causing employees to flee in terror, the office said.

During a lengthy standoff with police officers who tried by phone to negotiate a surrender, Owens kicked and pistol-whipped his ex-girlfriend and terrorized both hostages, including repeatedly pointing his gun at their heads, state investigators found.

The two women were eventually able to escape. But when the ex-girlfriend, bleeding from the beatings she endured, ran out of the facility, Owens followed her and fired his gun at her, authorities said.

Thats when the SWAT officers fired their weapons, killing Owens, who was declared dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed that he had 29 gunshot wounds. No one else was shot, authorities said.
From todays Down in Alabama podcast:

Its been a long period of adjustment for many, but relief is finally here for some: This week, buffets were allowed to reopen in Alabama.

Not all will choose to go back to serving buffets. Those that will have to practice caution. And we urge diners to practice caution as they return to the world of all-you-can-eat pizza or fried chicken.

Also, instead of going away, Alabama Powers fee for customers who have solar panels is going up.

And an Alabama state senator has stepped down.

The podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for Down in Alabama on the device of your choosing. Get this and other AL.com newsletters here.

Click here for the Spotify podcast page

Click here for the Alexa skill page on Amazon

Click here for the iTunes podcast page

Click here for the Stitcher podcast page
Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly did not learn about Chadwick Bosemans illness until the day of the actors death.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Feige, who has been the president of Marvel Studios since 2007, received an urgent email regarding Boseman on 28 August, containing no further information.

Feige reportedly didnt get to read the email until an hour later, at which point Boseman had already died.

The Independent has contacted Marvel and Feiges representatives for more information.

Bosemans death came as a shock for many. The actor had not publicly discussed his diagnosis with colon cancer.

Chadwick Boseman during the 2019 American Music Awards on 24 November 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for dcp)

In a statement announcing his death, his family said he was diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer in 2016. The illness then progressed to stage four.

Boseman was 43. Among his accomplishments, his portrayal of TChalla/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had earned him worldwide acclaim.

A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much, his family said in a statement. ...It was the honour of his career to bring King TChalla to life in Black Panther.

Feige has previously paid tribute to Boseman, saying in a statement: Chadwicks passing is absolutely devastating. He was our TChalla, our Black Panther, and our dear friend.

Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life.

He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.
(Natural News) If you needed anymore evidence as to why it is vital to reelect President Donald Trump so he can continue draining the fetid, filthy swamp that helps the D.C. establishment maintain its illegal power over Americans, this should do it.

During the presidents grossly unjust and completely partisan impeachment by unhinged deep state Democrats that began last fall, the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, came under increasing scrutiny by Republicans and allies of the president because it was a den of corruption.

Led during the Obama regime by Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, the embassy was used as a political operation by the former president and his then-vice president (and now Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden) to exploit Ukraine, which was in dire need of U.S. assistance because Russian-backed rebels had begun a separatist movement.

Though Yovanovitch was fired by the president last summer, it appeared that those who were assigned to the embassy and who served with her were just as corrupt.

As Just The News reports:

Officials at the U.S. embassy in Kiev ordered the monitoring of 13 prominent Americans social media accounts during the early days of the Ukraine scandal in spring 2019 and later were informed their activities potentially violated the Privacy Act, according to State Department memos made public on Tuesday.

The memos, released under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch, show those targeted for monitoring included President Trumps eldest son, Don Jr., the presidents personal lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Fox News personalities Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Lou Dobbs. This reporter was one of the 13 individuals on the list targeted.

Emails show that Yovanovitch and a top assistant, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent, were kept apprised of the monitoring, an email reveals.

According to the records, officials with the U.S. embassy utilized search terms that showed they were interested in social media posts regarding the ambassador, that Left-wing billionaire snake George Soros, and the scandal surrounding Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as the sons association with Burisma, an energy company that hired Hunter Biden to be a board member for several hundred thousand dollars per year.

Key thing is to get up to ramming speed from the get go, Kent wrote March 27, 2019, in an email discussing the efforts to monitor social media.

That same day, according to Just The News, Yovanovitch got an email that updated her on the monitoring operation.

Thanks Ambassador  I just wanted you to be aware as we are really trying to help them and recognize how hard everyone is working in this especially trying time, an official whose name was redacted wrote. The good news is our social media team back here is now helping to provide them with the reports they want when Kyiv is asleep/offline  through existing PD tools  so this should greatly help.

By April 1, the embassys staff appears to have been told by officials in Washington to end the surveillance. (Related: Schiffs phony baloney impeachment recommendation blames Trump for everything DEMOCRATS have done in Ukraine.)

Thank you so very much for alerting everyone to this issue. We appreciate you shutting down the automated report, an email with the subject line Ukraine Twitter report read.

The following month, someone with Digital Media Associate for EUR/PD Keniya-Trusant Group gave the State Department a brief about the legal perils of targeting American citizens.

Going to chime in here  so regarding the influencers, there are some legal implications of making a list of Facebook influencers of Twitter influencers since they are technically private citizens (even though theyre publicly on the internet) and we cannot compile them into a list and monitor what they are saying using a third-party application without their knowledge, the email said.

To see what theyre saying, you unfortunately need to use the old school way and manually go to their feeds and view that way. Cumbersome but its in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974.

Just The News John Solomon added to the list of persons illegally monitored: In addition to the Fox hosts, this reporter, the presidents son, and the presidents personal lawyer, the other figures whose social media were targeted include Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton, radio host and former Trump White House adviser Seb Gorka, One America News personality Jack Posobiec, and Fox News personalities Sara Carter and Dan Bongino.

Sources include:

JustTheNews.com

NaturalNews.com
Vikas Singh, the lawyer hired by Sushant Singh Rajputs father KK Singh, said that the late actors family was forced by the Mumbai Police to sign statements written in Marathi. He added that they had no clue of what was being written.

In a press conference on Wednesday evening, the senior advocate said, The family has never given any statement of Sushant dying by suicide. These statements were recorded by the Mumbai Police in Marathi. The family also objected, Please dont write in Marathi if you want us to sign. They were forced to sign a statement written in Marathi. They had no clue of what was being written.

According to him, the statement has not been shared with the family. We have not been supplied that statement. We dont know what was recorded by the Mumbai Police, we know what we said, he said.

On being asked if the statement was read out to Sushants family in Hindi before their signatures were taken, the lawyer said, It was just written in Marathi, thats it. There was nothing read out to anybody. Even if you read out in Marathi If I write something in a language you dont know and I then read out whatever I want you to hear If I dont know Marathi, how will I check if what you are telling me is what is written. Its simple logic!

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput was feeling better when sister Meetu Singh left his house on June 12, says family lawyer Vikas Singh

Sushants death on June 14 was initially investigated by the Mumbai Police. On July 25, his father filed an FIR in Patna against Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of abetment to suicide. After a turf war between the police forces of Maharashtra and Bihar, the case is now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

When asked if Sushants family suspects foul play in the case, the lawyer said, After the events that have unfolded after the registration of the FIR, the family has doubts that it could be murder as well. But we are leaving it to the investigation. We hope that the CBI will get to the bottom of this.

As the CBI continues its probe, a parallel investigation is being run by the Enforcement Directorate and Narcotics Control Bureau, who are looking into the money laundering and drugs angles, respectively.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918

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Duch, the Khmer Rouge commander who oversaw the torture and death of thousands of men, women and children in the 1970s, has died ten years into a life sentence.

Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Comrade Duch, died on Wednesday at the age of 77 at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.

He was serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity for his role in the Khmer Rouge Maoist regime that controlled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

During its reign, Duch ran a prison and presided over the torture and executions of over an estimated 12,000 men, women and children.

According to AFP news agency, a doctor's letter confirming his death indicated that Duch had symptoms of "acute respiratory distress".

Journalists in Phnom Penh saw his body taken to a local temple where it was cremated early Wednesday afternoon.

Duch, whose trial took place in 2009, was the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face a United Nations-backed tribunal that had been assembled to deliver justice for the regimes brutal rule.

It is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people, nearly a quarter of Cambodias population at the time.

In July 2010, the tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, a former Phnom Penh high school.

The site is now known as the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.

In 1975, Duch was installed as commander of the top-secret Tuol Sleng prison, code-named S-21. Duch was one of the few ex-Khmer Rouge who acknowledged even partial responsibility for his actions, and his trial included his own graphic testimony of how people were tortured at the prison.

The torture and executions that took place at Tuol Sleng were routinely recorded and photographed. When the Khmer Rouge were forced from power in 1979, the thousands of documents and film negatives left at the prison became proof of the regimes atrocities.

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"I respectfully and strictly followed the orders," Duch said in one of his final public statements to the court.

20 years in hiding

Born in 1942, Duch was a maths teacher before he joined Pol Pots movement in 1967, three years before the United States started carpet-bombing Cambodia to try to wipe out Northern Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong inside the border.

The former Khmer Rouge commander managed to disappear for almost two decades in north-western Cambodia, until a chance discovery by a British journalist in 1999, which led to his arrest on 10 May 1999.

The tribunal is still running today, with long-stalled cases against naval commander Meas Muth and alleged high-ranking member Yim Tith in process.

Apart from Duch and Khieu Samphan, the only other top-ranking cadre to be jailed was "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, who died last year at the age of 93.

"I feel relieved that I have got some justice," said Norng Chan Phal, a 51-year-old survivor, who was incarcerated at S-21.

In the streets of Phnom-Penh, 25-year-old Chamroeun told Reuters that he did not know much about this period of Cambodias history.

"People just dont want to think about bitter memories from the past, it's just old people who talk about their stories, he said.
General Secretary of the Mexican Labor Party Alberto Anaya Gutierrez (Photo: VNA)

He praised the working spirit of the doctors from Vietnams Central Acupuncture Hospital, who did not flinch amid the pandemic, standing side by side with their Mexican colleagues in the fight for the health of the people.



The General Secretary also congratulated and thanked the Management Board of the Central Acupuncture Hospital for maintaining effective cooperation with the Mexican Labor Party over the past 20 years and looked forward to further strengthening and expanding this partnership.

Mr. Alberto Anaya Gutierrez congratulated Vietnam on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day, and expressed his admiration for the Communist Party and people of Vietnam during the process of fighting from the founding of the country to now, especially the achievements in the innovation cause.

Mr. Alberto Anaya said that the success in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is a new symbol of the solidarity between the Communist Party and the people of Vietnam, of the sense of discipline and the medical level of the country of Vietnam.

On behalf of the delegation of Vietnamese doctors from the Central Acupuncture Hospital, Dr. Ho Quang Minh, project coordinator, sincerely thanked the General Secretary and promised to continue working with the friendly spirit of the people of the two countries./.
Production of the first new armored vehicle that will replace the Army Vietnam Era M113 armored personnel carrier is now complete, manufacturer BAE Systems announced today.

The first Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV, rolled off BAE's production line as part of a 2018 low-rate initial contract to deliver up to 450 of the vehicles to the Army, according to a BAE news release.

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"This vehicle is going to replace a vehicle that has been in the Army since 1965," Bryan McVeigh, the head of Army's Project Manager for Mounted Armored Vehicles, said in a short video on BAE's website.

Delivering the first AMPV marks the first time the defense industry has produced a brand-new tracked combat vehicle to the Army since the 1980s, Bill Sheehy, AMPV program director for BAE Systems' Ground Vehicles product line, said in the video.

"The AMPV is designed to meet the Army's missions for the Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT) and lay the foundation for the future of the battlefield," Sheehy said in the release.

The AMPV program has suffered from multiple delays. First, manufacturing problems caused BAE to delay the vehicles' delivery from March until July. Then COVID-19 resulted in the delivery being delayed through August, according to Defense News.

The program suffered funding cuts as the Army has searched for savings across all of its programs to fund its future modernization effort. The Army requested $193 million for the program in the fiscal 2021 budget, compared to the $445 million the service budgeted in fiscal 2020 and the $673 million the program received the previous year.

The Mission Command vehicle variant will be the first vehicle delivered. It's set to play a significant role in the Army's ABCT Network Modernization Strategy, according to the release. It's equipped to assist digital mission command with increased protection, power and cooling capabilities, and providing room for growth for future command, control, communications and computer capabilities.

Other variants in the AMPV family include:

--General Purpose vehicle: designed to operate throughout the battlefield to conduct resupply, maintenance as well as other transportation missions.

--Mortar Carrier: provides immediate heavy mortar fire support to the ABCT.

--Medical Evacuation vehicle: provides immediate treatment or evacuation on the battlefield to either ambulatory or litter casualties.

--Medical Treatment vehicle: designed to serve as an "operating room on tracks" for soldiers suffering from life-threatening injuries.

"The AMPV family of vehicles provides significant power, mobility, interoperability, and survivability improvements for the ABCT," Jeremy Tondreault, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Combat Mission Systems, said in the release. "The AMPV has demonstrated outstanding survivability and force protection as well as flexibility and growth for the future."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Planning Advances for Army's Rugged New Personnel Carrier
Even though COVID-19 numbers are decreasing, Fort Bend County Judge KP George advised community members to stay vigilant about the virus as personal protection equipment (PPE) was handed out on Friday, Aug. 28.

Vehicles lined up for the distribution drive-thru in the Cinco Ranch Branch Library parking lot to receive PPE kits. The line moved quickly though. Each kit contained 50 surgical masks, antibacterial hand wipes, hand sanitizer and soap and an instructional flyer on preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

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The distribution event was the third of four the county is holding on Fridays as summer winds down and students prepare to head back to their campuses. George said the PPE would be helpful for many families and individuals.

There is a big need for PPE and any kind of sanitation stuff, and thats the very reason why Fort Bend County decided we need to do a large-scale distribution so that people could grab this and take it home, George said.

The pandemic is still around nearly six months later, but George said the hospitalization rates dropping is a good sign that offers some relief. As of Aug. 28, the county remains in the red high community risk alert level. George said he would be studying the data and speaking with health officials to consider lowering that level soon.

Looking overall at the situation, he said the county has done a good job managing the pandemic and that per capita, it does more COVID-19 testing compared to most Texas counties. Testing, George said, is the only way that communities can see how deep the problem extends and what areas are being most affected so that the county can address the virus most effectively. He urged those with symptoms to still get tests, especially considering the vulnerability of older generations that tend to be more susceptible to the virus.

Things are maybe going in the right direction, but this is not the time  I mean, we cannot let our guard down because we need to continue to do what we are doing with wearing masks, washing your hands, wearing gloves in case you need it, social distancing. This (is) all working. Very simple, he said, pointing out that until a vaccine is ready, those measures will help to keep people well.

Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox

As the event got started in the morning, families were receiving a few kits, depending on how many members they had. George wanted to encourage people to share the materials they dont think they will need with their neighbors or other people they interact with: find someone that can use them, and dont throw them out.

One positive aspect George mentioned is that the pandemic has brought us to the knees and caused people to be thankful for things in life that matter like smelling the roses, spending time with family and trying to change peoples lives for the better. He said people can speed through life with decades going by and then look back at what has happened, how they missed it.

To him, some people have been minimizing the thousands of deaths that have occurred in the United States as a result of COVID-19 by saying that its a small percentage of the overall population. George said anyone that says that has not had a parent die from it.

While he said even though some people, even politicians, downplay the pandemics impact because it has become a political issue, he has learned from others that have gone out of their way to serve police officers food when their restaurants were near closing down or a nurse he met that had not been home in several days because she kept working.

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Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers and his staff, along with the office of emergency management and the fire marshals office, worked to organize the kits. Meyers said aside from the drive-thru site at the library, they had delivered kits to 55-plus communities for older residents that might not want to go out.

He believes with the high rate testing and being proactive with helping the elderly, Fort Bend County has been working hard to combat COVID-19.

The last distribution event is slated for Friday, Sept. 4, at Corners Center, 15700 Old Richmond Road, Sugar Land. It will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until the supplies run out.

tracy.maness@hcnonline.com
28 August 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duisburg: Steam comes from an extinguishing system on the site of the Thyssenkrupp steelworks. Photo: Jonas Guttler/picture alliance via Getty Images

The German government on Tuesday revised its economic forecast for 2020 and 2021, revealing a more optimistic prediction for the remainder of the year, but a gloomier outlook for the next year.

Economy minister Peter Altmaier said that the government expects a decline of 5.8% for this year, compared to its April forecast of a 6.3% contraction in 2020. The revision puts the 2020 GDP almost on par with the 5.7% GDP contraction in 2009, at the height of the financial crisis.

For 2021, the government predicts GDP growth of 4.4%, significantly lower than the 5.2% predicted in its Spring forecast.

The recession in the first half of the year was less severe than we had feared, Altmaier said at a press conference on Tuesday, in Berlin. He added that the economic recovery post-lockdown is going faster and more dynamically than we dared hope.

We have achieved a lot, Altmaier said. In comparison with many other European industrial countriesthink of Great Britain where the recession twice as bad as in Germany, think of many other countries around us with very serious collapses... in comparison to this we have succeeded in preserving the substance of our economy and keeping jobs.

Altmaier also said that Germany can and will avoid a second nationwide lockdown like in March and April, and would take targeted and regionally limited measures to combat rises in infection rates.

The German labour bureau said on Tuesday that number of unemployed had risen by 45,000 in August, from July, to 2.95 million.

While the bureau said that an increase in the number of jobless was normal for August due to some employment and apprenticeships ending before the summer vacation  ING analysts note that it is still the worst August performance since reunification and that the unemployment increase since the start of the coronavirus crisis is now higher than during the 2008/9 recession.

The labour office said that applications for the countrys short-time work scheme were to 170 000 in August, a peak of 8 million in April.

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READ MORE: Coronavirus: German firms slowly wean off short-hours scheme

The Ifo institute said this week that the number of companies still participating in the furlough schemes, known as Kurzarbeit, had declined to 37% in August, from 42% in July.

However, companies in the industrial sector was still in the doldrums, with 80% of metal producers still on short-time hours, and 65% of companies in the automotive industry.

The government recently agreed to extend the Kurzarbeit furlough scheme by an extra year, until December 2021, to help companies avoid layoffs and enable them to keep their staff on standby until the economy revives.

Europes largest economy contracted by 9.7% in the second quarter of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns drove economic activity to a record quarterly low.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: German economy shrank by 9.7% in second quarter as pandemic peaked

In the April to June quarter, investments excluding construction fell by 19.6%, exports by over 20%, and private consumption by 10.9%. The only growth was in government consumption, which saw an 1.5% quarter-on-quarter increase.

As a whole, Berlin has earmarked over 1tn to help Europes largest economy recover from the pandemic. As the pandemic took hold in Spring of this year, the government released its constitutional debt-brake law, and will borrow around 218bn this year.

The debt-averse government is set to keep borrowing next year too to help the economy weather the ongoing damage from the pandemic.

"Next year we will continue to be forced to suspend the debt rules and spend considerable funds to protect the health of citizens and stabilise the economy," Olaf Scholz, the finance minister and Angela Merkels vice-chancellor, said in an interview in August.
WASHINGTON: The Latest on the 2020 presidential campaign (all times local):

2:15 p.m.

Joe Biden says the police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who shot Jacob Blake in the back on Aug. 23, leaving the 29year-old Black man paralyzed, needs to be charged.

The comment by the Democratic presidential nominee came after he was asked about remarks by his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, that the officer should face charges.

Biden also says officers should be charged in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.

Biden plans a visit Thursday to Kenosha, where there have been multiple nights of unrest following Blakes shooting. Biden says there have been overwhelming requests that he come to the city.

___

1:50 p.m.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says the issue of safely reopening Americas schools is a national emergency.

He says that if he were president, hed have the Federal Emergency Management Agency guarantee access to disaster relief for K-12 schools.

Biden says during a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, that President Donald Trump still doesnt have a real plan to handle the coronavirus pandemic.

The Democrat says this is an emergency and Donald Trump and his FEMA should treat it as one.

FEMA officials said this week that the agency would no longer pay for cloth face masks and disinfectant in schools.

Biden says that as president, hed declare the issue of school reopening a national emergency and direct FEMA to authorize access to emergency assistance for K-12 schools.

___

1:40 p.m.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says hell mark the 19th anniversary of the the Sept. 11 attacks by visiting Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked planes crashed into a field, killing all passengers and crew onboard.

The White House hasnt announced President Donald Trumps plans for Sept. 11. He visited the Shanksville memorial for a commemoration in 2018.

A 2,200-acre memorial marks the spot in rural Pennsylvania where Flight 93 went down on Sept. 11, 2001. Three other planes hijacked that day were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.

___

12:30 p.m.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the moderators for the upcoming debates between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Chris Wallace of Fox News will moderate the first debate on Sept. 29 in Cleveland.

Steve Scully of C-SPAN will moderate the town meeting debate on Oct. 15 in Miami.

NBCs Kristen Welker will moderate the final debate on Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The commission also says USA Todays Susan Page will moderate the vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City with Vice President Mike Pence and Democrat Kamala Harris.

___

11:26 a.m.

Joe Biden raised at least $360 million for his election effort in August, a record-shattering sum that will give the Democratic presidential nominee ample resources to compete in the final two months of the campaign.

Thats according to a person with direct knowledge of the fundraising effort who requested anonymity to discuss internal campaign details.

Bidens campaign declined to comment. President Donald Trump has not yet released his fundraising figure for the month.

The money was raised in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee. While candidates face a $2,800 limit, Biden can raise far more than that through a joint fundraising committee with the DNC that allows him to collect individual checks worth upward of $600,000.

Associated Press writer Brian Slodysko.

___

11 a.m.

Joe Biden is traveling to Wisconsin on Thursday as the swing state becomes the focal point for a political debate over violence at protests there and elsewhere in the nation.

Bidens campaign says the Democratic presidential nominee plans to travel to the state with his wife, Jill.

The visit comes two days after President Donald Trump toured Kenosha, Wisconsin, the site of recent protests following the shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, left paralyzed after being shot in the back seven times by an officer. Trump used the opportunity to drive home his campaign message of law and order by expressing support for law enforcement and blaming domestic terror for the looting and arson thats taken place in the city during the protests.

The president and his allies are hoping to use the violence at recent protests against Biden, and have charged that if the Democrat were elected such incidents would become the norm.

Biden has repeatedly denounced the protest violence but has expressed sympathy for protesters concerns over systemic racism and a commitment to enact police reforms if elected.

It will be Bidens first visit to Wisconsin in nearly two years. It comes after Biden decided against accepting the partys nomination in Milwaukee, where the Democratic National Convention was to have been held. Instead, the convention was mostly virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic.

__

By Bill Barrow.

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
Germany has been holding urgent talks with western allies on what action to take following its conclusion that Vladimir Putins opponent Alexei Navalny was poisoned with novichok.

Western diplomats say there is a strong argument for punitive measures, and the need for a re-evaluation of relations with Moscow, after toxicology results from a military laboratory gave unequivocal proof that the Russian leader was targeted with a nerve agent.

German medical staff at the Charite Institute who treated Navalny after he arrived from Russia in a coma had sought advice from Porton Down, the UKs defence research laboratory, following early signs that the poisoning had similarities with the Salisbury attack in 2018.

The British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said: I am deeply concerned that Alexei Navalny was poisoned by novichok, a nerve agent previously used with lethal effect in the UK. It is absolutely unacceptable that this banned chemical weapon has been used again, and once more we see violence directed against a leading Russian opposition figure.

The Russian government has a clear case to answer. It must tell the truth about what happened to Mr Navalny.

We will work closely with Germany, our allies and international partners to demonstrate that there are consequences for using banned chemical weapons anywhere in the world.

The British health secretary, Matt Hancock, added that the UK will stand ready to offer all the support thats available to help Germany, to investigate and take action as necessary.

The US deputy secretary of state, Steve Beguin, confirmed that talks had been held between western allies.

We find the reports of Mr Navalnys poisoning to be credible. It is completely unacceptable that this should happen to a leading democracy campaigner, he said.

In Berlin, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said in a statement: It is now clear: Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime. He was meant to be silenced. This raises very difficult questions that only the Russian government can answer, and has to answer.

The German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, added that consultations would be held with the European Union and Nato partners about what had happened and what the response would be to the next steps taken by Russia.

Sergey Lagodinsky, a German Green MEP and former fellow student of Navalnys at Yale University, said: Im impressed by the clear framing of the governments response. The confirmation that a banned nerve agent was used to poison a Russian opposition politician brings this case on to an international level. We need an international investigation.

Western allies imposed sanctions on Russia following the assassination attempt in March 2018 on former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, which left him and his daughter Julia critically ill. That attack, however, took place on British soil with a holder of UK citizenship as a victim. Those sanctions followed evidence that the UK presented after an investigation by British security agencies and police.

Mr Navalny is a Russian citizen and his alleged poisoning took place in Siberia. The Russian government, western officials acknowledge, cannot be forced to carry out an investigation into what happened to him.

One route under consideration is referring the matter to the inter-governmental Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). However, it is far from clear whether the OPCW is in a position to carry out such an investigation.

The Kremlins spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that the Russian government had not received any information from Germany that Navalny was poisoned with novichok.
Burma China Seeks Myanmar's Assurances on Moving BRI Projects Ahead; Offers Aid for Rakhine

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Yang Jiechi, a member of Chinas Politburo, pose for a photo after their meeting in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Tuesday. / Myanmar State Counselors Office / Facebook

YANGONDuring his recent visit, Chinas top diplomat sought reassurances on the implementation of his countrys ambitious backbone infrastructure projects in Myanmar and announced a 200-million-yuan (39.33-billion-kyat) grant for western Rakhine State.

Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Myanmar, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC)s Central Committee and director of the committees Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, made a stop in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, before heading to Europe. Yang, who is widely considered the highest-ranking diplomat within the CPC, met separately with Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint on Tuesday.

In his meetings with the leaders, the senior foreign policy official urged Myanmar to maintain its efforts to implement Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, for which agreements were reached during Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to Myanmar in early January.

During Xis trip, the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), New Yangon City urban development and Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zone projects were branded as the three pillars of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), itself a part of the BRI. Xi also called for both sides to deepen result-oriented Belt and Road cooperation and move from the conceptual stage to concrete planning and implementation of building the CMEC.

The Kyaukphyu deep seaport is a planned trade hub that would give China direct access to the Indian Ocean and allow its oil imports to bypass the Strait of Malacca, between peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In Yangon, the multibillion-dollar New Yangon City project is also a part of the CMEC plan, though the government recently decided to reduce the size and cost of the first phase. The two sides also agreed to implement three economic cooperation zones along their shared border in Kachin and Shan states.

In January, the countries signed a concession agreement and shareholders agreement for the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, a letter of intent on the New Yangon City project, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate negotiations around the Ruili-Muse Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zone. However, none of the projects have yet moved to the actual implementation phase.

The head of the China desk at the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP), Daw Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee, said, As the election is getting nearer, his trip is aimed at checking the status of Chinas strategic projects in Myanmar. Before the election, China wants to make sure the CMEC projects get off the ground.

Despite the agreements signed during the Chinese presidents trip to Myanmar, the projects that are most important to China have not been able to move forward, Daw Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee said.

In other countries, the implementation of BRI projects normally moved forward very quickly. Here, the government is very cautious and the process is still slow. That is the major reason [Yang] came to Myanmar, she added.

In a statement, the Myanmar State Counselors Office said Yang announced the provision of a 200-million-yuan grant to the Myanmar government for uplifting the livelihoods of people in Rakhine State.

During the meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Yang reaffirmed Chinas commitment to lend its continued support to Myanmars initiatives in addressing the challenges in Rakhine, to facilitate the Rohingya repatriation process, and to promote closer cooperation and coordination in the international arena.

Myanmars State Counselor expressed her deep appreciation to China for its consistent support at multilateral meetings, according to the statement.

Since 2017, China has officially played a mediation role between Myanmar and Bangladesh. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017 to escape military operations that the UN has called a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar military denies the allegations, insisting the crackdown was a response to coordinated attacks on security posts in Rakhine State by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

Despite allegations that the treatment of the Rohingya and the militarys operations amount to genocide and war crimes, Beijing has continued to offer strong support to Myanmar.

The two also sides agreed to collaborate on the maintenance of peace and stability along the border, to combat illegal activities including gambling at the border, and to enhance cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. China also vowed to provide continued constructive assistance to the Myanmar governments national reconciliation and peace processes.

Moreover, the State Counselor and the Chinese diplomat discussed Chinas debt service suspension for Myanmar to ease the impact of COVID-19 on the countrys economy. However, no details of this discussion were released.

Yang also met with the commander-in-chief of Myanmars armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on Wednesday, but neither side has yet announced details of that discussion.

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Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
New forms of terrorism rooted in conspiracy theories could emerge after the coronavirus pandemic, the EUs terror chief has warned.

Gilles de Kerchove, the EU counter-terrorism coordinator, said that while terrorists inspired by Isis and al-Qaeda remained the biggest security threat, a major change in society was underway.

In an interview published in the CTC Sentinel journal, he voiced concern about the potential future rise of new forms of terrorism, rooted in conspiracy theories and technophobia.

We have already seen small-scale acts of violence caused by a belief in conspiracy theories  for example, against telecom masts  and given the amount of disinformation online, we could see more serious examples of this in the future, he added, referring to vandalism by people believing 5G technology is harmful.

I am also concerned about increasingly violent ecologist and animal rights groups.

His comments were published on Tuesday, as a new wave of Extinction Rebellion protests started and after a weekend that saw large demonstrations by conspiracy theorists.

Thousands gathered in Londons Trafalgar Square on Saturday to protest against lockdown restrictions, vaccines, 5G and supposed establishment plots.

Speaking to Raffaello Pantucci, a senior associate fellow in international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), Mr De Kerchove said coronavirus had sparked a rise in conspiracy theories that have no direct link to existing extremist ideologies.

In June, the UKs extremism chief told The Independent conspiracy theories must be tackled before they can be used to spark violence and terrorism.

Sara Khan, who leads the Commission for Countering Extremism, said the coronavirus pandemic was seeing wacky claims move into the mainstream and have real-world consequences.

Weve always treated conspiracy theories as being something harmless, wild and wacky but I think thats been a mistake, she added.

 Conspiracy theory about 5G and Covid-19 sparks online panic

We need to classify them based on harm and the types of behaviours they encourage. If they are inciting hatred, violence or justifying terrorism or inciting violence thats not harmless.

We need a better and more sophisticated policy response.

Mr De Kerchove also raised concerns about growing far-right extremism and said left-wing extremism was also thought to be rising.

Left-wing violent extremists are responsible for a large number of non-lethal attacks, he added.

Depending on how the economic crisis develops in the wake of the health crisis we are currently facing, inequality is going to be exacerbated, and this might inspire more violent left-wing extremism that could have the potential to become more lethal and more geographically dispersed than it currently is.

The Belgian official stressed that it was not at the same level of intensity as right-wing violent extremism, warning that groups were strengthening international links and becoming unified around a theory that white people are being replaced in the west.

Structured right-wing violent extremist groups often know exactly how far they can go in their statements and in their activities to remain just within the limits of what is legal, Mr De Kerchove said.

In the meantime, they leave it to fanboys on the internet to take action by themselves, without any risk to the organisation.

He said that coronavirus may have increased the potential for terrorists to stage mass-casualty attacks, because of a perception that police and security services are distracted and increased vulnerability to radicalisation during lockdown.

We must prevent the current health and economic crisis from becoming a security crisis as well, Mr De Kerchove said.

Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart  DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe  Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Given the increase in lone-actor attacks in the west, we should pay more attention to mental health issues in our policy response.

He cited the upcoming release of hundreds of terror offenders from prisons in the UK and other countries and potential return of Isis members as other potential threats.

It came after Europols annual Terrorism Situation and Trend report said the UK had reported the highest number of far-right terror attacks and plots in Europe in 2019.

It said one attack  in Stanwell a day after the Christchurch shootings  was carried out and three were foiled in the year.

Britain also saw one Islamist attack  at Fishmongers Hall  and two others thwarted in 2019, as well as a separate single-issue plot.

No other EU country recorded more than two planned or attempted far-right terror attacks.

Islamist attacks remain the deadliest and most frequent, but last year the head of UK counter-terror police called far-right extremism the fastest-growing terror threat.

Of the 26 attack plots foiled in Britain since March 2017, 17 were classified as Islamist, eight far-right and one left, anarchist or single-issue terrorism.
In the past week, four major carriers permanently scrapped change fees for travel within the United States. The bigwigs are, namely United Airlines UAL, Delta Air Lines DAL, American Airlines AAL and Alaska Air Group ALK. This strategic move is part of the airlines efforts to attract passengers as coronavirus continues to take a toll on air-travel demand. Notably, Southwest Airlines LUV never had a policy to charge for ticket changes.

American Airlines also hit the headlines when management announced that it will have to make approximately 19,000 of its employees redundant in October unless the current the payroll-support program, which expires on Sep 30, 2020, is extended. United Airlines also warned of trimming its pilot workforce in absence of more federal aid due to lackluster travel demand. Delta's intention to furlough 1,941 of its pilots due to suppressed demand was mentioned in the previous weeks write-up.

Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories

1. United Airlines permanently cancelled change fees on all Economy- and Premium-class tickets for domestic travel with immediate effect. Additionally, all customers can fly standby for free on a flight departing the same day of their booked flight beginning Jan 1, 2021. To offer flexibility in ticket changes, the carrier is also extending the waiver for new tickets issued through Dec 31, 2020. This option is valid for all tickets issued after Mar 3, 2020 on both domestic and international travel.

United Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), currently. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

2. Delta and American Airlines followed suite in permanently scrapping change fees. On the removal of change fees, Deltas CEO Ed Bastian stated, We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind, knowing that well continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect. Meanwhile, management at American Airlines stated that customers flying to any of the 50 U.S. States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean belt, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will not have to pay fees for ticket changes when traveling in the main cabin (except Basic Economy), Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class.

Story continues

3. In a SEC filing, American Airlines authorities announced that it will have to furlough approximately 19,000 of its employees in October as air-travel demand remains suppressed. Following this news, shares of the company dipped 2.2% at the close of business on Aug 25. Per the airline, these furloughs can be avoided if the payroll-support program is extended.

In the same vein, Chicago-based United Airlines reportedly warned that it will have to lay off 2,850 pilots in the Oct 1-Nov 30, 2020 time frame in absence of additional federal relief following the expiry of the existing payroll package.

4. Hawaiian Airlines, the wholly owned subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings HA, became the latest airline to announce a probable headcount cut on or after Oct 1, 2020. Per a Sec filing, Hawaiian Airlines officials informed approximately 414 U.S.-based employees in its Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) work groups about their potential job losses. The carrier further stated that 28 more employees represented by ALPA will receive individual intimation at a later date. Additionally, the carrier expects to issue similar notices to employees in its International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and Transport Workers Union work groups due to coronavirus-induced soft travel demand.

5. Alaska Airlines, the wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, announced plans of adding seasonal routes to Jackson Hole, Wyo to capitalize on the improvement in leisure air-travel demand following the easing of restrictions. From Dec 17, 2020 to Apr 11, 2021, Alaska Airlines will operate flights five times a week from Seattle and San Diego to Jackson Hole. Further, beginning Dec 19, 2020 through Apr 10, 2021, the carrier will operate twice a week from San Jose to Jackson Hole.

Performance

The following table shows the price movement of major airline players over the past week and during the past 6 months.



The table above shows that most airline stocks have traded in the green over the past week, leading to the NYSE ARCA Airline Indexs gain of 1.5% value to $59.42. This coronavirus-ravaged industry was boosted by positive updates on the vaccines under evaluation to combat the disease. Over the course of the past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index has depreciated 28.2%.

Whats Next in the Airline Space?

Investors keenly await updates on further federal relief for airlines.

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Oti Mabuse says she feels 'empowered' by the Black Lives Matter movement. (Chloe Mallett/Hearst)

Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has said she feels empowered by the Black Lives Matter movement and finally comfortable to show off her natural hair.

The 30-year-old professional dancer admitted sharing her afro hair on social media had been a thing for her that she has finally felt able to do.

Mabuse told Red magazine: There were so many people saying theyd never seen my real hair, as I had never wanted to show that side of myself before. It was really only close friends and the Strictly pros who had seen me like this.

Read more: Boxer Nicola Adams confirmed for first ever Strictly same-sex couple

Oti Mabuse won Strictly with Emmerdales Kelvin Fletcher last year. (Chloe Mallett/Hearst)

It was a thing, you know? You need to feel comfortable opening up about what you look like, before you decide whether or not you want to share that with other people.

The South African dancer said the Black Lives Matter movement had been empowering.

She said: Being the first black South African woman to do things in my industry has been an asset. I have so many opinions about [racism], but theyre personal. I dont feel I can represent everyone because people have different experiences. Whats great is that now we feel empowered to share how we feel.

Read more: Strictly winners Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse reunite for new dance venture

The Strictly star  who won the show with Emmerdales Kelvin Fletcher last year  also revealed that after her sister, Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, set her up with her now-husband as a dance partner Maurius Lapure, she refused to try out with anyone else.

Oti Mabuse shows off her natural hair on the cover of Red magazine. (Chloe Mallett/Hearst)

She said: When I said I wanted to become a professional dancer, Motsi suggested a few boys I could trial with as dance partners. Marius was the first and only try-out I had. I cancelled all the others. I was like, This is the one.

Read the full interview with Oti Mabuse in the October issue of Red, on sale 2 September.
Although Amal Karzais My Key was named the winner of the inaugural U.S. Key Colors Competitionan international biennial contest for picture book creators founded in 1996 in Belgiumthe spotlight was also on this years two runners-up: Susie Ohs Soomi's Sweater and Emma Wards Doriss Dear Delinquents.

Selected from a pool of 156 entries, the two runners-up were announced in a livestreamed ceremony on Aug. 17. Both Oh and Ward, who is from New York and Michigan respectively, will receive publishing contracts from Clavis. Their books are slated to publish in the fall of 2021.

The Key Colours Competition has been held in other international markets since 1996 and was created to encourage young authors and illustrators to create picture books. Many bestselling author-illustrators were discovered through the competition, including Guido van Genechten, Anita Bijsterbosch, and Francesca Pirrone.

The jury for the U.S. Key Colors Competition, which was composed of book professionals from diverse backgrounds, included Clavis CEO and Publisher Philippe Werck; Emma Kantor, deputy childrens book editor at Publishers Weekly; Meghan Goel, children's book buyer and programming director at BookPeople; and international bestselling illustrator and author Guido van Genechten, who won the 1998 Belgian Key Colours Competition for his picture book Rikki and whose Little White Fish has sold more than 600,000 copies in 20 countries.

Ohs Soomis Sweater, about a girl named Soomi who receives a beautiful sweater that begins to unravel, earned praise from the jury, which called the book a sweet and very child-centric story that presents a small issue, which for a childs point of view can feel important and big. The main characters very supportive friends try to help, but finally, its a creative solution of the mother that solves the issue. The illustrations are sweet and stylish and set up a nice atmosphere, without many details, and a feeling of less is more.

Wards Doriss Dear Delinquents, a simple counting and alphabet book about 26 small and naughty, was praised for its artwork, with the jury saying, the crocodiles are fun to look at, with sharp teeth and funny dresses. There is a lot of humor and fun.

For more information about the Key Colors Competition, visit clavis-publishing.com/keycolors.
The coronavirus pandemic has put the spotlight on struggling health services in southeast Tunisia, with residents and doctors in a Covid-19 hotspot deploring a lack of equipment and medics.

The North African country had managed to contain its outbreak by moving early and imposing strict measures in March, but cases have been on the rise since it reopened its borders on June 27.

Gabes province, and especially the town of El Hamma, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of the capital Tunis, has become one of the country's virus epicentres.

More than 800 of Tunisia's almost 4,000 coronavirus cases and 11 of its 80 deaths have been recorded in Gabes region -- mostly from El Hamma -- in August alone, according to the health ministry.

Most cases have been asymptomatic, but residents of the agricultural town of some 100,000 people fear they will be unable to access treatment if needed.

"Our hospitals need to be hospitalised, urgently!" Fethi, a resident in his thirties of El Hamma, where a lockdown has been reimposed, told AFP.

The local hospital has no intensive care beds, and the army set up a field hospital in mid-August to screen suspected cases.

Those in need of hospitalisation are usually sent to regional capital Gabes, around 30 kilometres away and home to more than 400,000 people.

But the situation there is only marginally better.

The main regional hospital in Gabes has just two respirators for Covid-19 patients, and two intensive care doctors for the whole hospital -- but the pair only treat non-coronavirus cases.

'We have nothing'

"We have no intensive care staff for Covid patients," said Hamida Kwas, head of respiratory medicine at Gabes regional hospital.

It has just 16 intensive care beds, and all eight beds in the regular coronavirus ward are occupied.

The main regional hospital in Gabes has just two respirators for Covid-19 patients. By FETHI BELAID (AFP)

Hospital director Hechmi Lakhrach said he fears a "catastrophe".

Health ministry officials are aware of the lack of resources, equipment and staff, but "nothing has been done", he said.

Public health has declined in Tunisia over the past two decades, faced with poor management and corruption, and eroded by an increase in private facilities. Many trained doctors go abroad to work.

Services are also unequally distributed: 13 of Tunisia's 24 provinces have less than one intensive care bed per 100,000 inhabitants, according to a study on the marginalisation of Tunisia's central and southern regions.

Kwas said staff and equipment shortages were "exhausting us morally and physically. We are really afraid of not being able to go on".

Donations from individuals and companies have improved some of Tunisia's facilities, particularly since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

But even hospitals that have benefited are still sometimes inadequately equipped.

At the Gabes hospital, donations allowed the creation of screening rooms for suspected coronavirus cases.

But these are not in use due to lack of equipment, said Imen Rejeb, head of the emergency department.

She said suspected coronavirus cases were being hospitalised in the Covid-19 ward alongside confirmed cases, risking contamination.

"We have no oxygen supply ... no respirators, no nurses. We have nothing," Rejeb said.
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="" xml:lang=""> <head> <title>/nwsys/www/images/PBC_1243990</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta name="generator" content="pdftohtml 0.36"/> <meta name="date" content="2020-09-02T12:35:18+00:00"/> <style type="text/css"> <!-- .xflip { -moz-transform: scaleX(-1); -webkit-transform: scaleX(-1); -o-transform: scaleX(-1); transform: scaleX(-1); filter: fliph; } .yflip { -moz-transform: scaleY(-1); -webkit-transform: scaleY(-1); -o-transform: scaleY(-1); transform: scaleY(-1); filter: flipv; } .xyflip { -moz-transform: scaleX(-1) scaleY(-1); -webkit-transform: scaleX(-1) scaleY(-1); -o-transform: scaleX(-1) scaleY(-1); transform: scaleX(-1) scaleY(-1); filter: fliph + flipv; } --> </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#A0A0A0" vlink="blue" link="blue"> <!-- Page 1 --> <style type="text/css"> <!-- p {margin: 0; padding: 0;} .ft00{font-size:18px;font-family:Times;color:#000000;} .ft01{font-size:18px;font-family:Times;color:#1257c7;} .ft02{font-size:13px;font-family:Times;color:#0d0c0c;} .ft03{font-size:13px;font-family:Times;color:#000000;} .ft04{font-size:13px;font-family:Times;color:#1b62b7;} .ft05{font-size:13px;line-height:30px;font-family:Times;color:#0d0c0c;} --> </style> <div id="page1-div" style="position:relative;width:918px;height:1188px;"> <img width="918" height="1188" src="http://mco.acquiremedia.com/images/PBC_1243990001.png" alt="background image"/> <p style="position:absolute;top:155px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft00"><b>Research Announcement: </b></p> <p style="position:absolute;top:155px;left:364px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft01"><b>Moody's - Pandemic-induced recession</b></p> <p style="position:absolute;top:180px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft01"><b>lowers remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean</b></p> <p style="position:absolute;top:216px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Mexico, September 02, 2020 --</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:246px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft03"> Severe impact of the pandemic on US' Latino labor market risks a prolonged recovery in</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:266px;left:127px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft03">remittances, the pullback will exacerbate recessions in Latin America and the Caribbean</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:296px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft03"> Remittances recovery will depend on US income support measures as well as the legal status</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:316px;left:127px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft03">and education levels of migrant diasporas</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:351px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">About 75% of remittances going to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) come from the US, which</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:371px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">is undergoing its worst recession since the Great Depression. The pandemic-induced recession</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:390px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">is having a disproportionately negative impact on the US' Latino labor market, half of which is</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:410px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">foreign-born and heavily employed in the services sector. In a new report, Moodys Investors Service</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:429px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">examines the impact of lower remittances on growth and external positions in LAC as well as the</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:449px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">prospects for a recovery in US remittances to the region.<br/>Although extraordinary unemployment benefits coming from the US government have helped to</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:499px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">temporarily preserve incomes, Moodys projects total remittances to LAC will decline by about 4%</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:518px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">this year  country experiences will vary significantly as foreign-born Latinos and their Caribbean</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:538px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">counterparts cope with higher unemployment.<br/>In LAC, Central America and the Caribbean are the most economically vulnerable to the decline in</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:587px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">remittance inflows, says Moodys associate analyst Gabriel Agostini. Mexico is the regions largest</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:607px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">recipient with nearly $40 billion in remittances last year. While remittance inflows to Central America</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:626px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">and the Caribbean are nominally smaller, they are substantially higher in relative terms representing</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:646px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">nearly 10% of GDP for each region, Agostini continued.<br/>After reaching 19.3% in April, well above the 14.7% national average, Latino unemployment is likely</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:696px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">to remain stubbornly high. Elevated unemployment limits prospects for improved remittance flows</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:715px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">in the near future which will depend on the US economic growth and the income support measures</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:735px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">that played a pivotal role in replacing lost income this year. Additionally, LAC immigrants' legal</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:754px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">authorization in the US and the education credentials will also influence the speed of recovery in</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:774px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">remittances.<br/>If the US government resumes unemployment benefits, or if the development of an effective</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:823px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">coronavirus vaccine allows for a quicker US economic recovery, we would expect remittance flows to</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:843px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">more quickly return to pre-pandemic levels.<br/>The report also quantifies the impact on remittances under an alternative scenario that contemplates</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:893px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">prolonged pandemic and a delay in the US government extending income support measures. Under</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:912px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">this downside scenario, US remittances to LAC countries could fall by 10% relative to last year.<br/>Subscribers can access the report at: </p> <p style="position:absolute;top:943px;left:372px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft04">http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:962px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft04">docid=PBC_1232424</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:992px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">NOTE TO JOURNALISTS ONLY: For more information, please call one of our global</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1012px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">press information hotlines: New York <PhoneNo>+1-212-553-0376</PhoneNo>, London <PhoneNo>+44-20-7772-5456</PhoneNo>, Tokyo</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1031px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02"><PhoneNo>+813-5408-4110</PhoneNo>, Hong Kong <PhoneNo>+852-3758-1350</PhoneNo>, Sydney <PhoneNo>+61-2-9270-8141</PhoneNo>, Mexico City</p> </div> <!-- Page 2 --> <style type="text/css"> <!-- p {margin: 0; padding: 0;} .ft06{font-size:13px;line-height:23px;font-family:Times;color:#0d0c0c;} --> </style> <div id="page2-div" style="position:relative;width:918px;height:1188px;"> <img width="918" height="1188" src="http://mco.acquiremedia.com/images/PBC_1243990002.png" alt="background image"/> <p style="position:absolute;top:114px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02"><PhoneNo>001-888-779-5833</PhoneNo>, Sao Paulo <PhoneNo>0800-891-2518</PhoneNo>, or Buenos Aires <PhoneNo>0800-666-3506</PhoneNo>. You can also email</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:133px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">us at mediarelations@moodys.com or visit our web site at www.moodys.com.<br/>This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:183px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on </p> <p style="position:absolute;top:183px;left:574px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft04">www.moodys.com</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:183px;left:701px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02"> for the most</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:202px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">updated credit rating action information and rating history.<br/>Gabriel Agostini</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:252px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Associate Analyst</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:272px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Ratings Research & Support</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:291px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Moody's Investors Service, Inc.</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:311px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">JOURNALISTS: 1 <PhoneNo>888 779 5833</PhoneNo></p> <p style="position:absolute;top:330px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">Client Service: 1 <PhoneNo>212 553 1653</PhoneNo><br/>Mauro Leos</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:380px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Associate Managing Director</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:399px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Sovereign Risk Group</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:419px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Moody's Investors Service, Inc.</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:438px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">JOURNALISTS: 1 <PhoneNo>888 779 5833</PhoneNo></p> <p style="position:absolute;top:458px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft05">Client Service: 1 <PhoneNo>212 553 1653</PhoneNo><br/>Releasing Office:</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:508px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:527px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Ave. Paseo de las Palmas</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:547px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">No. 405 - 502</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:566px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Col. 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MOODYS</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:874px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">INVESTORS SERVICE DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:893px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:913px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE MOODYS</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:932px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:952px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODYS INVESTORS</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:971px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">SERVICE CREDIT RATINGS. 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MOODYS PUBLICATIONS MAY ALSO INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE</p> </div> <!-- Page 3 --> <style type="text/css"> <!-- p {margin: 0; padding: 0;}--> </style> <div id="page3-div" style="position:relative;width:918px;height:1188px;"> <img width="918" height="1188" src="http://mco.acquiremedia.com/images/PBC_1243990003.png" alt="background image"/> <p style="position:absolute;top:114px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">MODEL-BASED ESTIMATES OF CREDIT RISK AND RELATED OPINIONS OR COMMENTARY</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:133px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">PUBLISHED BY MOODYS ANALYTICS, INC. AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES. 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However, MOODYS is not an auditor and cannot</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:787px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">in every instance independently verify or validate information received in the rating process or in</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:807px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">preparing its Publications.<br/>To the extent permitted by law, MOODYS and its directors, officers, employees, agents,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:849px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">representatives, licensors and suppliers disclaim liability to any person or entity for any indirect,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:869px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">special, consequential, or incidental losses or damages whatsoever arising from or in connection</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:888px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">with the information contained herein or the use of or inability to use any such information, even if</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:908px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">MOODYS or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors or suppliers</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:927px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">is advised in advance of the possibility of such losses or damages, including but not limited to:</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:947px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">(a) any loss of present or prospective profits or (b) any loss or damage arising where the relevant</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:966px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">financial instrument is not the subject of a particular credit rating assigned by MOODYS.<br/>To the extent permitted by law, MOODYS and its directors, officers, employees, agents,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1009px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">representatives, licensors and suppliers disclaim liability for any direct or compensatory losses</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1028px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">or damages caused to any person or entity, including but not limited to by any negligence (but</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1048px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">excluding fraud, willful misconduct or any other type of liability that, for the avoidance of doubt,</p> </div> <!-- Page 4 --> <style type="text/css"> <!-- p {margin: 0; padding: 0;}--> </style> <div id="page4-div" style="position:relative;width:918px;height:1188px;"> <img width="918" height="1188" src="http://mco.acquiremedia.com/images/PBC_1243990004.png" alt="background image"/> <p style="position:absolute;top:114px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">by law cannot be excluded) on the part of, or any contingency within or beyond the control of,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:133px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">MOODYS or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors or suppliers,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:153px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use of or inability to use</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:172px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">any such information.<br/>NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:215px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:234px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">ANY CREDIT RATING, ASSESSMENT, OTHER OPINION OR INFORMATION IS GIVEN OR MADE</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:254px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">BY MOODYS IN ANY FORM OR MANNER WHATSOEVER.<br/>Moodys Investors Service, Inc., a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moodys</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:296px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Corporation (MCO), hereby discloses that most issuers of debt securities (including corporate and</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:316px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">municipal bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper) and preferred stock rated by Moodys</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:335px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Investors Service, Inc. have, prior to assignment of any credit rating, agreed to pay to Moodys</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:355px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Investors Service, Inc. for credit ratings opinions and services rendered by it fees ranging from</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:374px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">$1,000 to approximately $2,700,000. MCO and Moodys Investors Service also maintain policies</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:394px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">and procedures to address the independence of Moodys Investors Service credit ratings and credit</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:413px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">rating processes. Information regarding certain affiliations that may exist between directors of MCO</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:433px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">and rated entities, and between entities who hold credit ratings from Moodys Investors Service and</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:452px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">have also publicly reported to the SEC an ownership interest in MCO of more than 5%, is posted</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:472px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">annually at </p> <p style="position:absolute;top:472px;left:188px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft04">www.moodys.com</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:472px;left:315px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02"> under the heading Investor Relations  Corporate Governance </p> <p style="position:absolute;top:491px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">Director and Shareholder Affiliation Policy.<br/>Additional terms for Australia only: Any publication into Australia of this document is pursuant to the</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:534px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">Australian Financial Services License of MOODYS affiliate, Moodys Investors Service Pty Limited</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:553px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">ABN 61 003 399 657AFSL 336969 and/or Moodys Analytics Australia Pty Ltd ABN 94 105 136</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:573px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">972 AFSL 383569 (as applicable). This document is intended to be provided only to wholesale</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:592px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. By continuing to access</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:612px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">this document from within Australia, you represent to MOODYS that you are, or are accessing</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:631px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">the document as a representative of, a wholesale client and that neither you nor the entity you</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:651px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">represent will directly or indirectly disseminate this document or its contents to retail clients within</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:670px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. MOODYS credit rating is an opinion as</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:690px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">to the creditworthiness of a debt obligation of the issuer, not on the equity securities of the issuer or</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:709px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">any form of security that is available to retail investors.<br/>Additional terms for Japan only: Moody's Japan K.K. (MJKK) is a wholly-owned credit rating agency</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:752px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">subsidiary of Moody's Group Japan G.K., which is wholly-owned by Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc.,</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:771px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCO. Moodys SF Japan K.K. (MSFJ) is a wholly-owned credit rating</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:791px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">agency subsidiary of MJKK. MSFJ is not a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:810px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">(NRSRO). Therefore, credit ratings assigned by MSFJ are Non-NRSRO Credit Ratings. Non-</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:830px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">NRSRO Credit Ratings are assigned by an entity that is not a NRSRO and, consequently, the rated</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:849px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">obligation will not qualify for certain types of treatment under U.S. laws. MJKK and MSFJ are credit</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:869px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">rating agencies registered with the Japan Financial Services Agency and their registration numbers</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:888px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">are FSA Commissioner (Ratings) No. 2 and 3 respectively.<br/>MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) hereby disclose that most issuers of debt securities (including</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:931px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">corporate and municipal bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper) and preferred stock rated</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:950px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">by MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) have, prior to assignment of any credit rating, agreed to pay to</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:970px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) for credit ratings opinions and services rendered by it fees ranging</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:989px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft06">from JPY125,000 to approximately JPY250,000,000.<br/>MJKK and MSFJ also maintain policies and procedures to address Japanese regulatory</p> <p style="position:absolute;top:1032px;left:108px;white-space:nowrap" class="ft02">requirements.</p> </div> </body> </html>
A LIMERICK TD has accused the Government of not offering full supports and assurances for staff and students with underlying health conditions, as schools commence their reopening.

Maurice Quinlivan, Sinn Fein, said the Department of Healths roadmap offers very little guidance on how children with health conditions can be supported.

While small in percentage terms, in real terms many children will see their lives profoundly affected, and they are just as much entitled to a decent education as anyone else.

There is very little guidance on how they will be supported and it appears that much of the responsibility will fall on special education teachers. These teachers will be pulled from pillar to post as it stands under the government's plans and will be very stretched in attempting to provide education remotely on top of their existing duties, he stated.

The Dail reconvenes this week following the highly-anticipated reopening of schools. The Government has come under intense scrutiny by teachers, parents, students and the public over the level of communication and clarity on guidance to ensure safety in the classrooms.

I know that there are parents who want to keep their at-risk children safe, but are worried that they will lose out educationally if they keep them at home. I am also aware that many teachers and staff are deeply concerned that if they are at high-risk, but not at very high-risk, that they must attend.

Deputy Quinlivan said unions have contacted the Department in relation to instances of staff with medical conditions.

For more Limerick news click here
Board Funds Body Cameras for OC Sheriffs Department

The Orange County Board of Supervisors decided at a Sept. 1 meeting to move forward with funding a body-worn camera program for the California countys Sheriffs Department.

The supervisors unanimously voted to informally adopt the funding in a preliminary budget that will be finalized on Sept. 15.

Now was the time for all the right reasons, for evidentiary value, for oversight, for transparency to move towards implementation of body-worn cameras, said Sheriff Don Barnes at the meeting.

Barnes said the department already had some of the necessary infrastructure in place from the in-car camera system used for decades.

The total cost of the program is projected to be between $5 million and $7 million annually, according to Barnes. However, 80 percent of that cost would be paid for by the municipal agencies and other partners that contract with the department.

Barnes requested $1.9 million in funding to start the program and create 13 new positions in the Sheriffs Department. The body camera program is slated to officially begin in January 2022.

Supervisor Doug Chaffee, former mayor of the City of Fullerton, oversaw the first police body camera program in Orange County in 2014.

What we found is that [the body camera program] de-escalated situations, both the officer and those involved in the altercation, he said at the meeting.

It tended to be more polite and get things done in a more appropriate way. It also cuts down on litigation.

The supervisors addressed the topic of body cameras during a discussion about the countys new $7.5 billion fiscal year budget, which is $706 million more than the 20192020 budget.

County CEO Frank Kim called the budget austere. He said there would be no mandatory layoffs or furloughs for county employees, despite a $290 million budget shortfall caused by a decrease in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenge in this budget is to develop one that provides the basic services that our residents require while managing the significant economic impacts that have rippled their way throughout our funding streams that has affected our ability to provide the level of services that we would have otherwise presented, Kim said.

In a typical year, the Orange County budget is approved in June. However, the board decided then to adopt a temporary budget instead, and wait for potential federal and state funding to help fill any gaps.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also voted on Sept. 1 to dedicate $25.5 million to fund body-worn cameras for Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputies. The county will launch the program over the next year.
A male pedestrian has died after he was hit by a car on a busy dual carriageway in Brisbane's east during the Wednesday morning peak.

The incident happened about 6.45am on Meadowlands Road in Carindale and, despite the efforts of paramedics, the man was declared dead at the scene.

A 650-metre stretch of Meadowlands Road was closed between the intersections with Bedivere Street (pictured) and Baynes Street. Credit:Google Maps

According to the Queensland Traffic Metro Centre, the incident closed the westbound lanes of Meadowlands Road between Baynes Street and Bedivere Street.

Traffic diversions remained in place as the police service's forensic crash unit investigators examined the scene. A tow truck was also called to remove the vehicle involved.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new bipartisan Ohio Senate bill would allow the state to seek federal approval for canceling testing, as schools seek to recoup learning losses from a sudden switch to remote learning.

The bill would also continue a freeze on state report cards, yearly performance assessments that can have heavy consequences for school districts. The legislature canceled state testing and froze the report cards in the spring, as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools across the state.

The bill would remove state tests for this school year and would prompt the state to ask for a waiver on fulfilling federal testing requirements. If the state does not receive that waiver, Department of Education officials would need to figure out which tests to administer to meet federal requirements.

The legislature would give districts breathing room to figure out just how much of a dent the coronavirus pandemic made in student progress. The bill also continues a freeze on states EdChoice Scholarship Program, which provides vouchers for public school students in certain districts to attend private schools.

The bill currently sits in the Senate education committee.

Some schools have reopened fully to in-person classes, but others are either operating in hybrid models and about 24 percent are opening remotely. The hasty switch to online learning in the spring left some students without connection to districts, as officials discovered the extent of the states digital divide. Attendance rules were relaxed and focused on content completion, and teaching was asynchronous -- meaning that students werent having real-time interaction with teachers.

After having months to prepare, remote instruction looks closer to an in-person school day, with structured bell schedules and more resources to keep students connected.

Time will need to be dedicated to getting students back on track before advancing to new content, making this a difficult year to meet normal grade level standards and benchmarks, Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper said in testimony. Furthermore, given that there are still a lot of uncertainties about when the learning environment will return to normal, conditions are not optimal for either learning or testing.

The Ohio Federation of Teachers represents 55 unions with about 22,000 members. Croppers testimony supported both the report card and testing freezes, as well additional provisions in the bill like suspending teacher evaluations and flexibility for the states graduation requirements and Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

Cropper, in a phone interview with cleveland.com on Wednesday, said the state should use this opportunity to reassess the requirements it places on districts. Schools provide much more than just teaching, she said, noting the spotlight the coronavirus placed on some of these services, like food and mental health services.

We have to understand the hierarchy of needs, Cropper said. If basic requirements arent being met, we can be the best teachers in the world and theyre not ready to learn because theyre hungry or because theyre being shifted around from house-to-house. Part of the schools responsibility does have to be how to meet those needs so we can teach them, so we do have to wrap that into an accountability system.

What does the future of state testing look like now?

To help with district concerns about learning loss, the Ohio Department of Education created an online portal with benchmark assessments that teachers can use in the classroom. The tests, designed to figure out student progress toward state testing standards, were created from a state pool of questions.

Chris Woolard, the senior executive director of the Center for Performance and Impact at the Ohio Department of Education, said the state wanted to offer some support on assessments that didnt come from a third-party vendor and were aligned with the goals districts need.

He said although testing hasnt been at the forefront of district leaders minds, as fall begins there have been some more logistics questions about how testing will work.

All testing through the portal is voluntary, and districts do not need to share the data from these assessments.

The Ohio Department of Education cannot waive state testing on its own, which is why the legislature would need to pass a measure to seek a federal waiver. In the spring, President Donald Trumps administration waived all standardized testing requirements for students K-12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

There has not been a similar move for the fall, as the Trump administration continues to push for students to be back in schools. Several states have made progress toward asking for these waivers, but might not have much luck. Previously, the assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy analysis at the federal Department of Education said it was not the departments inclination to grant those waivers again, EdWeek reported.

What about the EdChoice provisions?

The bill in its initial draft would freeze the indicators that would make a district eligible for EdChoice vouchers. The states EdChoice program uses a number of performance assessments and test results to determine whether students in that district should be able to receive tax-funded vouchers to attend private schools.

School choice advocates say this gives families a financial boost to make decisions about whats right for their students. But public school advocates say the vouchers are based on a flawed system and drain districts of resources -- without funding, it can be difficult for leaders to make the changes necessary for students to excel.

Last spring, legislators put a hold on the districts where EdChoice vouchers were available, but allowed current students receiving EdChoice vouchers to keep them. Siblings of students who received EdChoice scholarships and students who had previously opted out of taking the vouchers are also eligible.

The bill would extend the provisions for the 2020-2021 school year.
The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the Jammu and Kashmir Languages Bill 2020 which will make five languagesUrdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and Englishthe officials language of the region.

Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, flanked by Union minister Jitendra Singh, told reporters about the decision at a cabinet briefing.

We have decided to introduce the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020 in Parliament, under which five languagesUrdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and Englishwill become official languages. This has been done based on demand by the people, said Javadekar.

The I&B minister said more details of the bill would emerge once it is brought to the parliament.

Union minister Singh thanked the Prime Minister for the step.

I want to thank the Prime Minister for giving his consent for the inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri in addition to the other two existing languages as official languages for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Suffice to say that it is not only a fulfilment of a long-pending public demand of the region but also in keeping with the spirit of equality which was ushered after August 5, 2019, said Singh.

The Centre, on August 5, had announced the nullification of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

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Army officials at Fort Benning, Georgia have gotten serious about enforcing COVID-19 restrictions by handing down punishments under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and administrative discipline to more than 60 soldiers, posting some of those actions on social media.

The most recent violation of Benning's COVID-19 restrictions occurred Aug. 24, when a second lieutenant received a general officer memorandum of reprimand for "wrongfully traveling to Petersburg, Virginia," according to a Force Health Protection UCMJ Summary posted on the Facebook page for Maneuver Center of Excellence.

"We remind all soldiers assigned to Fort Benning that a violation of General Order #5 could result in UCMJ or administrative adverse action," the post states.

That order lays out a series of restrictions, ranging from standard COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing masks and observing social distancing, to limiting personal travel according to a July 17 memo posted on the post's Maneuver Center of Excellence Facebook page. Travel restrictions dictate troops must stay within 150 miles of Benning, but can get approved for travel up to 250 miles at the brigade command level.

Benning began posting these UCMJ summaries of unnamed soldiers in late August. Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe assumed command of MCOE and Benning July 17, and established General Order #5 soon after.

Read Next: The Next Major Battlefield Threat Facing US Troops May Be Undetectable

Donahoe also tweeted about the latest summary on Tuesday.

"Team let's think through our actions during the upcoming long weekend. I hate signing these things," Donahoe tweeted. "Do the right thing."

More than 60 Benning soldiers have received UCMJ punishment "or adverse administrative actions" for violating COVID-19 rules since March, he said in a statement to Military.com.

"Personnel who violate the general order are subject to UCMJ or adverse administrative action, and we are publicizing a few of these actions to ensure our soldiers understand that there are consequences to violating the orders," he said. "This information is meant to deter others from poor judgement and behavior. We chose the timing as a deterrence to bad behavior and poor decision-making over the Labor Day weekend. We're trying to prevent a mid-September spike. We are serious about mitigating the spread of COVID-19."

Donahoe set a strong tone regarding the importance of the COVID-19 restrictions during a July 22 speech he made after taking command.

"Our mission here on Fort Benning is too valuable to the Army to let that slip away," Donahoe said in a July 22 Army news release. "So, what we do every day, is we build the next generation of leaders. We build the next rifleman, the next tank crews, the next scouts, that are gonna go out to the Army.

"And that's an incredible task that the Army's chartered us with doing. ... And the only way we can do that is by remaining a healthy force to do that with."

Donahoe also said he understands that following strict COVID-19 restrictions can be stressful, describing his previous assignment with U.S. Forces Korea.

"I didn't leave that installation from the 6th of February to the 6th of June," Donahoe, said in the release. "So, I understand how we can get a little stir crazy and we want to get out."

Benning has posted the UCMJ punishments of five other soldiers found to have violated COVID-19 orders.

On May 1, a private first class received a Field-Grade Article 15 for wrongfully failing to obey curfew hours of 10 p.m. to 5a.m. and was punished with reduction to E2, forfeiture of $971 in pay, 45 days extra duty and 45 days restriction. The reduction and forfeiture were suspended.

On June 6, another second lieutenant received a general officer memo of reprimand for traveling to Auburn, Alabama to drink at a bar.

On June 13, a staff sergeant received a field-grade Article 15 administrative punishment for wrongfully traveling to a prohibited place, and received a reduction in rank to E-5, 45 days extra duty and an oral reprimand.

On June 28, a sergeant received a company-grade Article 15 for traveling off post for nonessential activities, and was punished with forfeiture of $674 in pay.

On Aug. 3, a staff sergeant received a company-grade Article 15 for traveling outside of the mileage radius and was punished with forfeiture of $879 in pay and seven days extra duty.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Gen. Donahoe's name.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Army Replaces Fort Hood CO, Names 4-Star to Lead Vanessa Guillen Murder Investigation
WASHINGTON - Pressed by Democrats to quickly negotiate a new coronavirus relief package, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday the administration remains willing to work on a bipartisan agreement to help small businesses, the unemployed, children and schools. Democratic leaders in Congress are holding it up with hardened positions, he said.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this July 16, 2019, file photo an American flag flies on the Capitol Dome in Washington. The U.S. budget deficit climbed to $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the budget year, exceeding any on record, the Treasury Department said Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

WASHINGTON - Pressed by Democrats to quickly negotiate a new coronavirus relief package, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday the administration remains willing to work on a bipartisan agreement to help small businesses, the unemployed, children and schools. Democratic leaders in Congress are holding it up with hardened positions, he said.

Let's move forward on a bipartisan basis on points we can agree upon," Mnuchin urged at a hearing by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The president and I want to move forward."

Mnuchin made the case that the economy's recovery has strengthened in recent weeks, citing improved consumer spending, growth in manufacturing and a rebounding housing market. It's the failure of some states to reopen activity that is holding back the economy, he said.

But Democrats insisted that dire economic conditions persist for many. Millions of Americans are now facing eviction, debt and hunger," said the panel's chairman, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. As the pandemic drags on, states, cities and businesses are warning that more layoffs may be coming."

The subcommittee's Democratic staff, meanwhile, said it has identified lapses pointing to possible fraud and abuse in a signature piece of the administration's relief effort, the $660 billion-plus small business loan program  including more than $1 billion awarded to businesses that received multiple loans.

File-This Thursday, June 6, 2019, photo shows the U.S. Treasury Department building at dusk, in Washington. The Treasury Department is projecting government borrowing of $947 billion in the current July-September period, which would be a record for the quarter but down from the all-time high of $2.75 trillion in this year's second quarter. Treasury officials announced Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, that the government also plans to borrow $1.22 trillion in the October-December period. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The staff investigators said in a report that a lack of government oversight and accountability for the program may have led to billions of dollars being diverted to fraud, waste and abuse, rather than reaching small businesses truly in need.

With bipartisan agreement, Congress enacted an unprecedented $2.3 trillion pandemic rescue package in March. Now the Trump administration and top congressional Democrats have been in a months-long stalemate over new relief legislation, with the two sides trillions of dollars apart. Lawmakers left Washington for the August recess without an agreement.

The impasse left millions of jobless people without a $600-per-week pandemic bonus unemployment benefit that had helped families stay afloat, left state and local governments seeking fiscal relief high and dry, and held back a more than $100 billion school aid package.

An estimated 27 million people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits, according to the Labor Department, though the figure may be inflated by double-counting by states.

Mnuchin identified additional spending on aid to small businesses as the area where Democrats and Republicans are most likely to agree. In sometimes sharp exchanges, he and Democrats on the panel disagreed over the state of the economy and traded blame for the impasse over new rescue legislation.

Mnuchin pinned the blame on a refusal to compromise by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. While touting the economy's partial recovery, he acknowledged that we have more work to do."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, during a hybrid hearing, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)

Still, Mnuchin showed some openness to negotiating and even agreed, under prodding from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to phone Pelosi right after the hearing.

He said he doesn't support the Democrats' position for $2.2 trillion in spending in the next package, which contrasts with Republicans' stance of $1 trillion. He added, however: What's more important is ... getting money to American workers, American families, kids. There are tremendous areas of agreement, and that's what we should be doing right away."

I would publicly say I am willing to sit down at the negotiating table with the speaker with no conditions whatsoever any time," Mnuchin said.

After talking with Mnuchin Tuesday evening, though, Pelosi released a statement saying, Sadly, this phone call made clear that Democrats and the White House continue to have serious differences understanding the gravity of the situation that Americas working families are facing.

Under questioning from Democrats on the panel, Mnuchin again denied any involvement in the hiring of new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

Democrats are looking into how DeJoy was hired as they scrutinize a series of operational changes at the Postal Service that have resulted in widespread mail delays and fears that the agency will not be able to handle an expected surge in mail-in ballots this fall as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats also want to learn more about Mnuchins role. The Treasury chief met with members of the Postal Service Board of Governors while the selection of the new postmaster general was underway.

Mnuchin said he knew DeJoy, a former supply chain CEO and a top Republican donor, from the 2016 Trump campaign. But he said he had not seen or spoken to DeJoy before he was hired to lead the Postal Service this spring.

I had no specific conversations with him about that job until the (search) committee updated me that he was one of the finalists, Mnuchin said. I was quite surprised when I found out that he was a candidate. Again I had no involvement in that process whatsoever.

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The Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program was a key piece of the government's economic aid program responding to the pandemic. The nation's small businesses received a gut punch in the spring as huge swaths of the economy were shut down, millions lost jobs and consumers curtailed spending.

Economists generally credit the small business program with helping prevent the job market meltdown from becoming worse. The loans are forgivable if businesses use the money to keep employees on the payroll or rehire workers who have been laid off.

The program ran from April through early August, awarding about 5 million loans totalling some $520 billion.

The program is supporting an estimated 51 million jobs, representing 80% of small business payroll in all 50 states and six territories," the Treasury Department and SBA said in statements when asked for comment on the congressional report. We worked around the clock and launched the program in record time, under one week, because Americans needed immediate economic relief. Any program of this scope and size will encounter issues, and we have moved quickly to respond as they arise."

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
Independents from rural Ireland have pledged to vote against legislation empowering the closure of pubs  because wet pubs are already closed and must be allowed to reopen.

The new law is absolutely scandalous, involves an attempt at a police state, is draconian, and deliberately aimed at driving rural publicans out of business because of a hell-bent obsession with ending their livelihoods, they claimed.

And a massive demonstration by rural publicans from all over Ireland to Leinster House is now planned for Tuesday next, although organisers pledge to observe social distancing.

People in rural areas being forced to travel to food pubs in towns and cities in order to get a drink will likely spread Covid-19, not contain it, the Dail group says.

Expand Close Independent TDs for Kerry Michael Healy-Rae, left, and Danny Healy-Rae (Aine McMahon/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Independent TDs for Kerry Michael Healy-Rae, left, and Danny Healy-Rae (Aine McMahon/PA)

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Deputies demanding the immediate reopening of rural pub include the Healy Rae brothers, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins, Carol Nolan and Richard ODonoghue.

Mr McGrath said the proposed law gave too many powers to Gardai, with members of the force not wanting them, a claim echoed by Michael Healy Rae.

Allowing rural pubs to reopen would spread the people out more and reduce the chance of infection, he claimed, adding: NPHET does not have a monopoly on being right.

Michael Collins of Cork South West claimed the authorities were trying to frighten people into a police state, and said the 7,000 inspections of food pubs currently open showed small infringements with only thirty.

Ireland was the only European country to keep its pubs closed, he said, with Mr McGrath alleging a Government-imposed apartheid between rural and urban pubs.

Danny Healy Rae said the legislation allowing for immediate closure orders to be imposed by Gardai was absolutely scandalous and would criminalise, victimise and penalise publicans before they even open at all.

He added that pubs were not where the virus is coming from, because pubs are closed. Its coming in on planes and from different places.

Mr Healy Rae promised to give them hell in the small time he was allowed on the debate.

Mr ODonoghue, a new Independent TD for Limerick City, said rural closures were telling me to go 15 miles for a drink.

By forcing people in rural Ireland to go to towns and cities is putting people at risk of catching Covid-19, he added.

Mattie McGrath denied being alarmist, saying it was alarming legislation, going on to attack as ridiculous the 9 meal requirement for a drink in open premises.

He said he had asked NPHET if it was behind this stipulation and they had denied making that stupid regulation.

Michael Healy Rae said past and present politicians appeared hell-bent on closing down family-run pubs in rural Ireland, where the selling of drink is in their blood over generations.

Publicans knew best how to run their own houses and could demonstrate it if allowed even a trial run of opening, he said. The problem with social non-distancing was a Dublin phenomenon, he said, because with rural pubs had far few customers and were trying to survive.

Mr ODonoghue said rural Ireland was saying: "Were as entitled to go for a drink, the same as you are, with creameries, post offices and other community gathering places already stripped away.

Mr Collins said: Theres an agenda here to get rid of rural pubs. Mr McGrath noted that off-licences had drink flowing out of them, and not a word about it,.

Danny Healy Rae said of rural publicans: They cant live on wind.
The doctor, who according to Rhea Chakraborty had allegedly treated Sushant Singh Rajput after a depressive episode in 2013, has said that his only consultation with Sushant happened in 2014, and it was for insomnia.

In his statement to the Mumbai Police, accessed by India Today, the doctor said, In 2014, Sushant Singh Rajput visited my clinic in Andheri. He did not have any prior appointment to see me. That time the clinic was crowded and lot of people were present inside. Sushant then told me that he couldnt provide all the details of his ailment then and if needed he will come and see me again. He told me that he was suffering from sleeplessness and insomnia. So, I screened and examined Sushant and didnt find any serious issues then. For sleeplessness and insomnia, I prescribed some medication and gave him a future date for appointment.

The doctor said that Sushant never came for the follow-up appointment. He also highlighted his methods, which include asking the patient if theyre having suicidal thoughts. He said, While treating or examining any patient, I ask for detailed information from them. During primary examination, I ask them whether they have any suicidal thoughts. Whether they fear anything or have any kind of phobia. Whether they are getting proper sleep and if their appetite is normal. Only after that, as needed, I prescribe medicines to the patients. The patients are also asked to regular follow up visits. If required, I also refer them to other psychiatrists also.

Also read: Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer explains how Sushant Singh Rajput could look jovial during Paris trip

Rhea Chakraborty in an interview to India Today had mentioned Harish Shettys name, when she recalled Sushant telling her about having a depressive episode in 2013 and visiting the doctor.

She said that during their 2019 Europe trip, when Sushants mental health deteriorated, he had told her about having experienced depression in 2013. When I asked him what is happening, he told me that in 2013, he had a depressive episode and met a psychiatrist called Harish Shetty. He told me that the same doctor advised him to take Modafinil, [the medicine that] he took on the flight. He told me that he was fine after that. After that, now he was feeling more depressed and anxious. Then we cut short the trip and returned.

Previously, Susan Walker, Sushant and Rheas psychiatrist, had told journalist Barkha Dutt that Sushant was suffering from bipolar disorder.

Sushant died on June 14. The case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate. Rhea has been accused by Sushants father of having abetted his suicide and misappropriating his funds.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918

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A former United Nations employee has been charged in the U.S. with making false statements to cover up the drugging and sexual assault of multiple women in Iraq.

Karim Elkorany, 37, was arrested on Wednesday at his residence in West Orange, New Jersey on two counts of making false statements to federal agents, and appeared in Manhattan federal court later in the day.

From 2013 to 2018, Elkorany worked as a spokesman for the UN Childrens Fund and later the UN mission in Iraq.

Prosecutors say that between 2009 and 2016, Elkorany sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault at least five women while the victims were unconscious after consuming alcoholic drinks that he had prepared.

The United Nations headquarters in New York is seen in a file photo. Former UN employee Karim Elkorany, 37, was arrested on Wednesday at his residence in West Orange, New Jersey on two counts of making false statements to federal agents

Some of the women say that when they regained consciousness, Elkorany admitted that he'd had sex with them, and some experienced genital or anal pain after awaking, prosecutors say.

In one instance, in November 2016, one victim said that after dining out with Elkorany, she returned to his apartment and lost consciousness, but regained consciousness intermittently to find Elkorany sexually assaulting her, according to the indictment.

The woman reported her allegation to the UN, which initiated an investigation, and in November 2017, two FBI agents interviewed Elkorany outside his New Jersey residence.

Elkorany denied the allegation in the interview, and said that he had not used drugs on the woman, or provided her with drugs, according to the indictment.

A Kurdish flag flutters in front of the Quru Gusik refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Arbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region in 2013. Prosecutors say that between 2009 and 2016, Elkorany sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault at least five women

'When questioned by the FBI, Elkorany compounded his alleged unconscionable conduct by making false statements to the special agents investigating the assaults,' Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement.

The case is being prosecuted by the Offices Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Richenthal, Amanda L. Houle, and Lara Pomerantz are in charge of the prosecution.

It was not immediately clear whether Elkorany had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each of the two counts.
Patna, Sep 2 : Anupam Kumar Suman, the former Municipal Commissioner of Patna has jumped into the Bihar Assembly election scene and hinted at contesting against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Suman was said to be one of the closest bureaucrats to Nitish Kumar. The Gujarat cadre senior IAS officer was appointed in Bihar after a special request by the ruling party. He held various top posts in the Bihar government, including that of the principal secretary in the state secretariat.

Suman resigned from the post of Commissioner, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on August 3, 2019, after the state government held him responsible for last year's flood in the capital city that flashed scenes of top ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi marooned by rising waters.

"I resigned from the post on August 3 last year, while the flood happened in the city a month later. The state government held me responsible for the choked drainage system leading to the flood," Suman said.

A year after his resignation, Suman attacked Nitish Kumar for the pathetic condition of the PMC. "The officers of the PMC do not have power to take decisions. Hence, no one wants posting in this department," Suman added.

He hinted that he may contest elections against Nitish Kumar in the same way Arvind Kejriwal did against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in 2014 parliamentary election.

Suman is associated with a party called 'Plurals' led by Pushpam Priya Chaudhary. The party plans to contest all 243 seats in Bihar.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 16:28:14|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia reported two new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its total tally to 306, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Wednesday.

"A total of 484 tests for COVID-19 were conducted across the country on Tuesday and two of them were positive," Amarjargal Ambaselmaa, head of the NCCD's Surveillance Department, said at a daily press conference.

The latest two cases are Mongolian nationals who returned home on a chartered flight from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan on Sunday, said Ambaselmaa.

Meanwhile, one more patient has recovered from the disease, taking the total number of recoveries in the country to 296, she said, adding that the remaining 10 COVID-19 patients are in stable condition.

All confirmed cases in the country were imported, and no local transmissions or deaths have been reported. Enditem
These days, a lot of single people depend on online dating apps for their love' life. Now, Pakistan has blocked access to Tinder and several other dating apps as the government thinks the app has immoral and indecent content. Not only this, regulators also threatened to shut down YouTube for the same reasons.



Press Release: PTA has blocked access to five dating/live streaming applications i.e. Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi. pic.twitter.com/gFJxsgcn6m  PTA (@PTAofficialpk) September 1, 2020

Banned dating apps include Tinder, Grindr, SayHi, Tagged, and Skout. This decision was taken by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or PTA as according to them these apps failed to "moderate... content in accordance" with the laws of Pakistan.

The PTA also said that the apps have negative and immoral/indecent content that is not good to be consumed by the people of Pakistan.

Since the platforms did not respond to the notices within the stipulated time therefore the Authority issued orders for blocking of the said applications.  PTA (@PTAofficialpk) September 1, 2020

So, amid Coronavirus when peoples dating life is almost zero, Pakistan has created another problem for its citizens.

Shahzad Ahmad, director of digital rights group Bytes For All opposed the moral policing thats been done by the PTA. He said, "If adults choose to be on an app, it is not for the state to dictate whether they should use it or not.

He also expressed how he thinks that this ban is a completely ridiculous move and that people will look for alternatives.

Also, last week PTA asked YouTube to immediately block all videos that are immoral and objectionable.

Heres what people have to say about the dating app ban-

Kiya he ghattiya mulk hai yeh..!  Sindhustani |  (@Sindhustaani) September 1, 2020

Khud se na set ho to dusro ki setting na hone do  Pro.Fool buddy (@ColFool_) September 1, 2020

Instead of moral policing, let's work on accessibility and Internet for all. Prioritise please  Muntaqa Peracha (@muntaqa) September 1, 2020

This last tweet is a joke.

What do u want them to fix in dating apps as per the local laws?? I would really love to know.  Sadia Sheikh (@iSadiaSheikh) September 1, 2020

PTA quickly becoming a laughing stock.

Tells us everything about our priorities as a nation  Shahaan (@Shahaan__) September 1, 2020

@PTAofficialpk PTA, wale Tinder py koie live streaming nahi hoti, Tinder py koie vulgarity nahi hoti, me 3 years sy use kar raha hu, Tinder stranger sy texting communicate karne k ek official app hai, jo k All word me use ho raha hai, Bas Pakistan me ban, Please unban Tinder   Shazaib Mughal (@ShazaibMughal13) September 1, 2020

Pakistani people are not too pleased with the decision and are now worried about their dating life. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
The widow of the first PSNI officer killed by paramilitaries has backed Arlene Foster's call for harsher sentences for those who murder public servants.

Kate Carroll was speaking after the First Minister said it was "morally indefensible" that Northern Ireland has the most lenient tariff across the UK and Ireland for such crimes.

Mrs Carroll, whose husband Stephen was gunned down by the Continuity IRA in 2009, told the Belfast Telegraph that it was time for tougher mandatory minimum sentencing here.

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"It's traumatic enough for relatives to see their loved ones go to work every day with a target on their back," she said.

"Steve had one on his back - and, as we know, one day that target was hit.

"After all the devastation and heartache that losing someone you love so much brings, that grief is then compounded when the killers get lenient sentences.

"They still have a life ahead of them when they get out, unlike the brave people they have deliberately put in the ground."

Sentences for murderers should be tough enough to reflect the damage wreaked by their actions on victim's relatives Kate Carroll

Judges are bound by sentencing guidelines, which are different in each part of the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland, and must take into account mitigating circumstances, such as early guilty pleas, co-operation with police and remorse, as well as aggravating factors, such as intent and excessive violence.

Mrs Carroll was struck by tragedy again four months ago when she lost her only son.

Shane Carroll, a father of 10, died suddenly, aged 48-the same age Mr Carroll was when he was killed.

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Banbridge-based Mrs Carroll (70) said her son, from a previous relationship, never recovered from the trauma caused by the death of the man he called Dad.

"Sentences for murderers should be tough enough to reflect the damage wreaked by their actions on victim's relatives," she said.

Mrs Foster said she had raised the issue with Justice Minister Naomi Long following the conviction last month of Crossmaglen man Aaron Brady for the murder of Garda officer Adrian Donohoe in Co Louth, and she is calling for urgent reform.

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She also said it was "deeply worrying" that while Brady is facing a minimum 40-year sentence in the Republic, the starting tariff in Northern Ireland is less than half that at 15-16 years.

Kyle Black, whose 52-year-old prison officer father David was murdered by IRA dissidents in 2012, said it's "particularly reprehensible" for people to kill public servants, who are there to serve the community.

"Anyone who goes out of their way to kill them should be properly punished," he said.

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"There has to be a deterrent there for people who continue to engage in that sort of activity.

Although no one has been convicted in connection with his dad's murder, the 27-year-old DUP councillor said nothing will ease the pain of his brutal death.

"No level of sentencing will take away the grief, but at the same time there has to be an appropriate punishment for those who have inflicted that pain on victims' loved ones" he said.

"We must send a clear message via tougher sentencing."

A PSNI spokesman said: "All public servants play an incredibly important role in protecting and serving communities and we welcome the appreciation shown for their lives in the debate.

"We await the outcome of the Department of Justice's sentencing review."

The Department of Justice was approached for comment.
HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. - "Work from home" was over. Time to return to the office. So a little after 8 a.m., with a lunch she'd packed the night before and her college-age daughter next to her, Susan Liebell backed her Hyundai Sonata out of the driveway, turned down a neighborhood street and phoned her mom.

"I have to go to work today," Liebell, 54, announced over the phone.

It sounded so routine. Liebell had been commuting for 17 years to her teaching job at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. But this was different. This was her first time going back to the office since the coronavirus shut everything down in March. She'd been imagining this day for weeks, through sleepless nights and anxious discussions, while hunkering down at home for most of the spring and summer. She'd even volunteered to return to campus when the university asked. Over the summer, she told herself this could work if everyone took the safety precautions and no one expected things to be like they used to be.

But now, as she drove to work, the safe distance she'd fought so hard to maintain between herself and the pandemic was rapidly collapsing.

"I'm going to focus on the driving since I haven't done it in a while. I've got to go, Mom," Liebell said on the phone.

The coronavirus has fundamentally changed how people work - whether it's behind masks and Plexiglass or at home and over Zoom. Today more workers are doing their jobs at home than in traditional office settings, with an estimated 42% of the U.S. labor force working from home full time, eight times as many as before the coronavirus shutdowns, according to Stanford University's Institute for Economic Policy Research. But pressure to return to offices and classrooms has grown as the pandemic drags on.

Some workers - including many teachers and white-collar workers, who avoided being called back early on in the pandemic - face a difficult decision: Do they go back? It's a question that has polarized the nation. Some say they're being asked to return before it's safe. Others worry how the economy will recover without a rapid return to normalcy.

Liebell made for an unlikely candidate for going back. Risk-averse and detail-oriented, she viewed the national response to the pandemic as "one giant dumpster fire." She was careful to avoid getting sick, masking up and rarely leaving her house. Her politics leaned toward liberal - while in college, she worked for Mario Cuomo, then New York's governor - so she wasn't doing this to make a political stand, to prove President Donald Trump and others who have played down the risks of the coronavirus right.

But she felt trapped by the reopening debate - between calls to wait for a vaccine and the need to limit the economic pain. She understood why her colleague Ann Green, who teaches English and has family at high risk for the coronavirus, felt that going back meant "putting our lives on the line."

But Liebell, a political science professor, didn't have health problems putting her at higher risk for coronavirus complications. She felt guilty staying home while supermarket cashiers and nurses took risks. And the summer's Black Lives Matter protests convinced her that the students needed her back on campus.

"Maybe if I wasn't teaching two classes about politics and race, I wouldn't have gone face-to-face," she said in the car.

The university wasn't forcing her to return. And "nobody has patted me on the back, either," she said. She still had her pay and benefits cut by 10% because of the pandemic. Professors had the option of working remotely this fall, which a quarter of the school's 300 faculty members, including Green, took. Some students, too, didn't feel safe going back. Liebell agreed to return when she was allowed to teach one class in an outdoor tent - the first time the university had tried such a thing.

But there were things Liebell couldn't control. She didn't know whether students would be as religious about masking as she was. She worried about social distancing on a crowded campus. She worried about off-campus parties. Driving along Interstate 95 to Philadelphia, she and her daughter talked about how going back meant trusting others to an unusual degree. Julia Liebell-McLean, 20, had been expecting to return to Georgetown University this fall - but now her school was fully online.

"I understand the decision," Liebell-McLean said. "It'd be really stressful to feel you're responsible not just for yourself but others."

Liebell said a colleague at St. Joseph's warned her to be ready to teach remotely, doubting anyone could keep the virus under control.

"We have to stop talking about this," Liebell said suddenly to her daughter. "This is making my stomach hurt."

Liebell dropped her daughter off downtown to visit a friend and continued to campus. Traffic was lighter and parking easier than she remembered. She tied on her face mask - made from old holiday fabric, sewed in the pandemic's early days, selected for this day because the red matched her shoes. She affixed a name tag to her dress, worried students might not recognize her behind a mask.

The usual crush of first-day students was missing. She thought the Starbucks across from campus looked empty.

"Hello, Maurice. How are you?" she called to the security guard whom she'd normally stop to talk.

She noticed that the students and staff walking past her all wore masks.

"This is bizarre," she said to herself. She'd grown accustomed to seeing people wearing masks in her neighborhood, but it felt jarring here.

She walked into the political science department, past closed office doors and frozen-in-time notices about spring 2020 courses. The hallway's motion-detection lights triggered above her. She knocked on the door of Hope Charney, the department's administrative assistant.

"Hi, Hope. It's Susan."

"I put all of your papers under your door," came the reply from behind the closed door.

And the university-supplied face shield and extra student face masks?

"They're in the conference room across the hall."

Liebell flung open the windows in her second-floor office. Fresh air - and less risk of catching the virus. She struggled to remember her computer password. She printed materials for class. And although she had thought all summer about how to deal with navigating the small copy room and welcoming visitors in her office, she was alone.

"The weirdness of no one else being here," she said. "Oh, I didn't even check my email."

Her first class in this new world was at 11:15 a.m. She walked across campus until she saw the white party tent in a parking lot. Twenty-six desks were spaced out over the asphalt. Her desk sat in a corner. School social-distancing guidelines called for her not to stray. No roaming as she lectured.

"Can you hear me?" she asked the 20 students in front of her. Noise from a campus construction site competed with her voice. She felt muffled by her mask. "This is weird. Don't let me go on without hearing me."

She noticed there was no clock in the tent. She asked a student to tell her when she had 10 minutes left. She noticed a student's mask dipping below his nose. She got his attention. He pulled it up. And then she launched into a welcome speech that she hoped fit this peculiar moment.

"Welcome to Political Science 117," she said. "Welcome if you're fearful. Welcome if you're glad to be away from your parents. Welcome if you're missing your family. I know we've all had an extraordinarily challenging summer."

"We really want to avoid going all online," she continued. "But unless everyone does what they need to do, this won't work."

Then she slipped into professor mode, asking questions and prodding her students into a discussion of rights and the social contract. The virus was briefly in the background. And class was over.

"You guys were great," Liebell said. "I'll stand here and anyone can come within six feet of me to ask questions. Thanks for a great first class."

Sweat sheened her face. Her mouth was parched. The bottom tie of her face mask had come undone. She dropped a bottle of hand sanitizer on the asphalt, shattering the lid.

Time for her next class. It was in a traditional classroom. Seventeen students.

"John, can you open the windows?" she asked a student. "I'm not Dr. Fauci, but what I've read is that the more air that circulates the better. So we're going to have open windows. Even in winter."

Welcome to Politics 270.

She was excited to teach this class, especially with race sitting at the center of the national conversation.

"It's hard to talk about race," she told the class, trying to draw them out.

Especially behind face masks.

But they tried. When class ended, two students stayed behind to talk with her. She felt a little uncomfortable with how close they stood. Was it six feet? She'd figure out how to deal with this in the future.

"Liz, so glad to see you," she said to Liz Sweeney, a 21-year-old senior.

"I'm really excited to be taking this class," Sweeney said.

Liebell felt lightheaded. It was tough projecting her voice through the mask. She didn't feel like she could drink water during class, because it would require removing her mask. She planned to test how her voice carried in a face shield or an N95 mask. Those might be easier. She wanted to connect with her students. That was the whole point of going face-to-face.

She stopped by her office - grabbing notes and books, just in case the university suddenly closed and everything went online - and left campus at 2:30 p.m., picking up her daughter before making the 1-hour drive home.

"So," Julia asked, "how was it?"

It was Day 1 after months of nervous anticipation and doubt. But Liebell felt like teaching was possible, that she had made the right decision in coming back. It had been her choice, and she didn't doubt that other professors who decided to teach remotely had made their own right decisions. Returning wasn't easy. Being back wasn't like it had once been. And it could so quickly fall apart.

"I think it went really well," Liebell said. "Bizarre. But it was a start."
A white couple in Florida have been arrested for opening fire on an unarmed black family who were returning a U-Haul van at a strip mall because they thought they were trying to steal gas.

Wallace, 77, and Beverly Fountain, 72, have each been charged with three counts of aggravated assault following the shooting incident at the strip mall they own in Tallahassee on August 27.

They are accused of firing their guns at two black men and a 10-year-old child who were returning a U-Haul at a rental drop-off located at the strip mall.

Police say the couple incorrectly assumed the black men were linked to recent vandalism and theft of gas at the strip mall.

Wallace, 77, and Beverly Fountain, 72, have each been charged with three counts of aggravated assault following the shooting incident at the strip mall they own in Tallahassee on August 27

The two men who were fired at, Kendrick Clemons and Charles McMillon Jr., told the Tallahassee Democrat that they were just returning the U-Haul they had rented when they heard the gunfire.

They say Clemons had driven the U-Haul to the drop off spot and McMillon followed behind in his GMC truck to give him a ride back.

The men, who also had McMillon's 10-year-old son with them, said they were sitting in McMillon's truck ready to leave when they saw the Fountains coming towards them armed with their guns.

They say the couple pointed their guns at them and shouted: 'Don't move'.

McMillon said he quickly reversed and sped off as they heard gunshots ring out.

The victims are now filing a lawsuit against the Fountains and also the U-Haul company.

The Tallahassee police officer who arrested the couple was parked nearby when the incident unfolded.

In the arrest report, the officer wrote that he saw the U-Haul pull into the parking lot, followed by the truck.

The two men who were fired at, Kendrick Clemons and Charles McMillon Jr., said they were just returning the U-Haul they had rented when they heard the gunfire. They also had McMillon's 10-year-old son with them

They are accused of firing their guns at two black men and a 10-year-old child who were returning a U-Haul at a rental drop-off located at the strip mall. Police say the couple incorrectly assumed the black men were linked to recent vandalism and theft of gas at the strip mall

'The driver then parked the GMC by the U-Haul and based on their interactions, I assumed both parties knew each other and the gentleman driving the GMC was picking up the driver of the U-Haul,' the officer wrote.

'Their actions were normal, nothing out of the ordinary.'

The officer heard gunshots a short time later and saw the truck speeding away as the people inside motioned behind them.

The arrest report details how the officer then spotted the armed couple walking towards the truck as it left.

The officer demanded the couple drop their weapons and they initially refused to obey the comands, according to the report.

'The male and female could be heard saying that the occupants were possibly stealing fuel and that the male could not hear my verbal commands,' the arrest report says.

'Both the male and the female were not obeying my commands at first, however, they eventually placed the firearms on the ground and laid on the ground, away from the firearms.'

Kendrick Clemons (left) and Charles McMillon Jr (right) are now filing a lawsuit against the Fountains and also the U-Haul company following the shooting incident

The couple have since been released on pre-trial supervision and were ordered to surrender their guns within 24 hours. In a Facebook post, McMillon slammed the judge's decision to release the couple

After the couple were detained, they told police that people had recently been cutting fuel lines and siphoning gas from vehicles at the U-Haul location.

They claimed they were conducting surveillance when they saw the victims and believed they were planning to steal gas.

The couple say they fired warning shots in the air to scare them off. They denied pointing their guns at the victims.

Beverly admitted to police that she never saw the victims trying to steal gas.

The couple have since been released on pre-trial supervision and were ordered to surrender their guns within 24 hours.

In a Facebook post, McMillon slammed the judge's decision to release the couple.

'Who cares about that when my son had to witness something like that and how this has significantly affected him. I don't care about their age and them not being in trouble in the past,' he said.

'My son is only 10. I was only turning my U-Haul rental in. The fact that these people had ammunition, multiple firearms, multiple loaded magazines is crazy as hell on what their intentions really were if the police wasn't right there.

'They were basically given a slap on their wrist as in what they did was okay. The system is crazy and messed up. If I would have done the same thing, my BLACK A** would at the least have to bond out.'
Author Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, pictured, told The Washington Post: 'Melania and I both didn't use White House emails.'

Melania Trump regularly used private email accounts while in the White House to discuss state visits and government hires, a former friend has claimed.

Author Stephanie Winston Wolkoff told The Washington Post: 'Melania and I both didn't use White House emails.' The first lady is said to have used a private Trump Organization email account and an email from a MelaniaTrump.com domain as well as iMessage.

Winston Wolkoff's upcoming memoir, 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady,' is the first book to come from a former member of the first lady's inner circle.

On Tuesday Winston Wolkoff admitted recording her conversations with Melania, but defended doing so, saying she did it for 'protection'.

Winston Wolkoff was an unpaid White House adviser to the first lady until February 2018, when her contract was terminated as questions about inaugural spending arose.

In 2018 The Washington Post reported that Ivanka Trump sent hundreds of emails about government business from a personal email account to White House aides, Cabinet members and her assistant.

Ivanka dismissed any comparison to the use of private email by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which prompted an FBI investigation and inspired the 'Lock Her Up' chant at Donald Trump's 2016 campaign rallies.

Use of personal emails is allowed but it is illegal to discuss anything classified.

Messages allegedly sent by Melania are said to show her discussing government hires, state visits and schedules, the Easter egg roll and her Be Best initiative.

Former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said: 'It's total hypocrisy. They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email.'

Probed on the existence of tapes Winston Wolkoff, a former Vogue events organizer, told MSNBC: 'Melania and the White House had accused me of criminal activity, had publicly shamed and fired me, and made me their scapegoat.

'At that moment in time, that's when I pressed record.'

On Tuesday Winston Wolkoff admitted recording her conversations with Melania, pictured with her husband on the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention last week, but defended doing so, saying she did it for 'protection'

Previous revelations to come from her bombshell book include details on how Melania reportedly prevented Ivanka from appearing in key photos of the inauguration ceremony.

The 50-year-old first lady allegedly nicknamed her 38-year-old stepdaughter 'princess,' calling her and her husband Jared Kushner 'snakes.'

She is also said to have laughed during the 2016 campaign after the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape came out and revealed Donald Trump saying he liked to grab women 'by the p****.'

Wolkoff claims the first lady also scoffed at Michelle Obama's time in office. She reportedly once said 'Did Michelle Obama go to the border? She never did. Show me the pictures!'

Previous revelations to come from her bombshell book include details on how Melania reportedly prevented Ivanka from appearing in key photos of the inauguration ceremony. The 50-year-old first lady allegedly nicknamed her 38-year-old stepdaughter 'princess,' calling her and her husband Jared Kushner 'snakes'

The book also claims Melania ignored Michelle's choice to highlight American fashion designers and decided to wear whoever she wanted like Karl Lagerfeld.

Melania also allegedly told Wolkoff she wouldn't move into the White House until the shower and toilet used by the Obamas in the presidential residence were replaced - claims he new book.

The upcoming memoir is the first book to come from the first lady's inner circle

The first lady's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham has dubbed the book 'wildly self-aggrandizing' revenge from a woman who joined the ranks of the president's enemies.

Its release comes days after Melania and Ivanka exchanged what appeared to be an icy stare at the Republican Convention where the president formally accepted the nomination to run for a second term.

Winston Wolkoff has said it was 'the worst mistake of my life' to work for Donald Trump and his family.

'When it really counted, Melania wasn't there for me,' Ms Wolkoff wrote her book.

'She wasn't really my friend. In fact, I wish I had never met her,' the author says about the first lady, a former fashion model.

Wolkoff's memoir recounts her friendship with Melania and her work with her, including on the presidential inauguration and in the East Wing.

It traces her friendship with the first lady, going back to their days when Wolkoff worked for Vogue and the then-Melania Knauss was a struggling model dating a New York real estate mogul.

The two women evolved into a friendship that included monthly lunch dates and New York society events.

But that friendship crashed and burned, starting with Trump's election.

David Wolkoff, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania Trump and Donald Trump pictured in 2008. The two women had a falling out over Wolkoff's work for the inauguration and reports on how much money she was paid for the gig.

tephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania Trump and Rachel Roy pictured in 2017. Wolkoff's memoir recounts her friendship with Melania and her work with her, including on the presidential inauguration and in the East Wing

Pamela Gross Finkelstein, Judith Giuliani, Melania Knauss Trump and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff pictured in 2006. The two women evolved into a friendship that included monthly lunch dates and New York society events. But that friendship crashed and burned, starting with Trump's election

The two women had a falling out over Wolkoff's work for the inauguration and reports on how much money she was paid for the gig.

Wolkoff left the East Wing in February 2018 after news reports showed that her firm, WIS Media Partners, received a $26 million payment for its work on the inaugural.

The firm in turn spent $24 million on subcontractors, a person familiar with the inaugural planning told DailyMail.com at the time. The source said Wolkoff provided 'the whole look and feel  the creative vision' for 18 or 20 inaugural events.

Her personal take from Trump's inaugural committee was reported to be about $500,000 while the rest went to other producers working on the event.

Melania Trump dismissed her from the East Wing with an email.

'I am sorry that the professional part of our relationship has come to an end, but I am comforted in the fact that our [friendship] far outweigh[s] politics,' the first lady wrote. 'Thank you Again! Much love.'
IAF chopper crash: Probe report likely to be submitted to Air headquarters next week

Bird menace due to garbage threatens safety of Rafale: IAF to Haryana

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

Chandigarh, Sep 02: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has requested Haryana government to address garbage disposal method around Ambala Air Force Station that is leading to bird menace, which threatens safety of newly inducted Rafale aircraft.

"Air Force Station Ambala has very high concentration of birds and this has potential to cause very serious damage to the aircraft in case of collision," the demi-official letter reads written by the Director-General Inspection and Safety of Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Manavendra Singh, addressing Keshni Anand Arora, Chief Secretary, Haryana.

"Air Force Station Ambala has very high concentration of birds and this has the potential to cause very serious damage to the aircraft in case of a collision. Bird activity over the airfield is related to the presence of garbage in the area around."

"Several measures have been recommended to reduce the same and Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Ambala has met Joint Commissioner and Additional Municipal Commissioner of Ambala through Aerodrome Environment Management Committee meetings conducted on 24 Jan 2019, 10 July 2019 and 24 Jan 2020," the letter also states.

The letter read, it is necessary that large and small birds are kept away from the airfield to protect the fighter aircraft.

The IAF has sought the immediate implementation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) scheme to reduce the activity of large birds in the aerodrome zone of 10 km around Ambala airfield.

Sushant Singh probe: BJP leader seeks dope test on actors

"This would involve instituting of littering penalty, improvement in garbage collection and setting up of a suitable SWM plant at a suitable distance from the airfield," the letter states.

IAF also asked for prohibition and control of pigeon breeding activity around the air force station.

Notably, the official induction ceremony for the Rafale aircraft will be held this month in Ambala where the Defence Ministers of India and France are expected to be present.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 10:45 [IST]
The National Election Authority (NEA) has announced that 52 nominees will battle for 26 seats in the run-off round of the Senate elections. The polls will be held on 6 and 7 September for Egyptians abroad, and 8 and 9 September for resident nationals.

Of the 74 individual candidates who won seats in the first round, the NEA said 68 were affiliated with the Mostaqbal Watan (Future of Homeland) Party.

In the run-off round 52 candidates will compete, 24 affiliated with Mostaqbal Watan, four with the Islamist Nour Party, three with the Guardians of the Nation Party, two with the Peoples Republican Party, one with the Congress Party, one with the National Movement Party, and one with the Ittihad (union) party, said the NEA statement.

The remaining 16 independent candidates are without any party affiliation.

Al-Ahram political analyst Amr Hashem Rabie says independents made a relatively strong showing in the first round. While 16 independents qualified for the run-off round, three independents, all of them Copts, won seats in the first round: Rafaat Kamal Zaki Soos and Hadi Louis Bibawi Morgan in Cairo, and Nashaat Metri Guindi in Alexandria.

No female candidates will contest the run-offs.

In the first round 20 women won seats as candidates on the National Unified List led by Mostaqbal Watan Party, says Rabie, but given that the law stipulates 10 per cent of the Senates 300 seats be occupied by women, the president will be obliged to appoint the remaining 10.

Run-offs will be held in 14 of Egypts 27 governorates: Qalioubiya, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, Menoufiya, Beni Sweif, Qena, Sohag, Luxor, Aswan, Giza, Assiut, Matrouh, Port Said and Ismailia.

In the first round Mostaqbal Watan won all the individual seats in nine governorates: Daqahliya, Fayoum, Minya, Beheira, Sharqiya, New Valley, Suez and North and South Sinai. Mostaqbal Watan also won the majority of seats in the governorates of Cairo, Qalioubiya, Gharbiya, Giza, Beni Sweif and Alexandria.

While the National Unified List led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party won the 100 seats reserved for party lists unopposed, there was also little competition for the 100 seats reserved for individual candidates, says Rabie. He argues that the National Unified List candidates might as well be considered as appointees rather than elected delegates.

People knew in advance that the National Unified List would win, it was standing unopposed after all, and so they did not bother to turn out. This explains why just 14 per cent of Egypts 62.94 million voters cast their ballots during the four-day voting period.

And even of those who did vote, 15.42 per cent ballot papers were spoiled.

On 26 August the NEA announced that 53.99 million eligible voters had not turned out to vote in the first round.

Rabie believes the turnout could be higher in the run-off round even though the competition will be confined to 14 governorates because the battle between independent candidates is usually competitive, attracting larger numbers of voters.

In Qalioubiya governorate the Mostaqbal Watan candidate Abu Serri Imam faces an uphill battle against independent candidate Khaled Irman. In Damietta another fierce battle is raging between the Mostaqbal Watan candidate Ahmed El-Balshi and National Movement candidate Hamdi Shalabi.

In Kafr Al-Sheikh four candidates affiliated with the Islamist Nour Party are pitted against Mostaqbal Watan candidates.

Campaigning for run-offs began on 20 August and will continue until 5 September.

Once the 26 seats in the run-off round are filled, it will be up to the president to appoint the remaining 100 senators.

The results of the run-off round are due to be announced on 16 September. The Senate will

Include 300 members, a third elected via individual candidacy, a third through the closed party list system, and a third appointed by the president.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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To the Editor:

The Promised Land?

In 1965, my husband, Robert P. Levine, went off to Mississippi to work as an attorney for President Kennedys Commission for Civil Rights Under Law. Among the incidents he recorded was a run-in with Sheriff Rainey and Deputy Price, later accused in the killings of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney.

Thirty-one years later, he wrote an article looking back on 1965 to see what had been accomplished and asked, Were our efforts as lawyers successful? Did the deaths of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney mean anything?

In that 1989 article, he came to two different conclusions.

In the public sphere  buses, water fountains, waiting rooms  there was progress.

On the other hand, The promised land we dreamed of in 1965 is not around the corner, or even in sight ... Mississippi may not be burning in 1989, but America, with all its prosperity and economic success, seems to be well on its way to establishing a permanent underclass made up of Blacks and other minorities. Maybe thats what James Cheneys mother meant when she wondered if her sons death made any difference at all.

Unfortunately, his 1989 summary is even truer in 2020 than it was when he wrote it. The pandemic has revealed this to the nation, pulling back a curtain on the disparity in rates of infection and death.

Our nations neglect of health care, housing, food security, and a living wage has indeed created that permanent underclass of Blacks and other minorities. Many of these are the very people who continued to drive our buses, collect our garbage, and work in our hospitals throughout the virus emergency.

Perhaps Robert, who died in 2013, would be most shocked by the efforts of people, 55 years later, to stifle voting. The right to vote was a battle he thought wed won.

It turns out in 2020 that we cant take anything for granted when it comes to voting. From the Supreme Court to local districts, safeguards have been rolled back.

What can we do? Be sure you are registered to vote, then make sure you get yourself and others out to vote on Nov. 3, or send in your absentee ballot as soon as you receive it, following all the directions carefully.

If you have time, work to facilitate voting elsewhere. We can do this. We can gather momentum to move forward, not backward.

Betty Krasne

Kent
A bow hunter in Oregon was killed on Sunday by an elk he was tracking.

Mark David, 66, wounded a 5x5 bull elk while hunting on private property near Tillamook on Saturday.

Mr David set off to find the elk before nightfall, but were unable to track it, according to Oregon State Police.

The next day, the hunter and the owner of the land continued the search for the elk. They found the wounded animal around 9:15am, and Mr David attempted to kill it with his bow.

The elk charged the hunter and managed to gore him in the neck.

Recommended New Trump public land rules will let hunters kill bear cubs in dens

"The landowner attempted to help David but he sustained fatal injuries and died," Oregon State Police said in a statement.

After the attack, the elk was killed and its meat was donated to the Tillamook County Jail once police finished their investigation of the incident.

Though rare, elks do occasionally cause injury to humans.

Last year, two people were hurt after an elk charged at a woman in Estes Park, Colorado.

A bull elk attacked a woman, knocking her to the ground and poking her with its antlers near the town's visitor centre.

Luckily, her injuries were minor and she did not require medical attention.

Elk mating season - called an elk rut - generally happens between early September and mid-October. Male elks are especially aggressive during this season, as they are competing for mates. This often includes getting into fights with other male elks.
Hoboken Parking Utility enforcement officers said they are required to issue parking tickets every 20 minutes and can be punished if they fail to meet those goals.

Last month, The Jersey Journal reported that Jersey City parking enforcement officers are expected to issue a parking ticket every 30 minutes, and can be disciplined if they fail.

Now, one former and two current Hoboken parking enforcement officers said parking employees in the Mile Square City have only 20 minutes to issue a ticket.

This is a quota, one officer said. Thats three tickets an hour.

The Hoboken officers, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Jersey Journal that discipline  warnings, write-ups, or multiple-day suspensions  for failing to issue tickets fast enough is commonplace. The pressure sometimes forced officers to make up a ticket, the former officer said.

We have to produce or else we get suspended, one parking employee said.

In a statement, Hoboken spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri said that no quota exists.

Since at least the (former mayor Dawn) Zimmer administration, there has never been a quota system, Chaudhuri said. Any claim to the contrary is false. Like other municipalities across the state and country, parking personnel enforce illegally parked vehicles, with an emphasis on safety hazards for pedestrians and other motorists.

Finding a parking spot in Hoboken is a notoriously difficult task. In 2018, as the city considered raising meter rates, a city spokeswoman said there were more cars parked on the street than there were spaces.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Mile Square City suspended street sweeping so residents could park for longer periods of time. But despite recommendations from the city council, other parking rules, including meter limits, remained in effect.

The two current employees interviewed said that Hoboken stopped enforcing meters at the outset of the pandemic, but the public was never informed, meaning motorists would still pay for parking. In an email, Chaudhuri said that meters stayed in effect to (provide) for the turnover of parking spots that are available for critical needs.

Alexander Shalom, senior supervising attorney for the ACLU, said last month that ticket quotas are illegal and that over time, they can have devastating financial effects for those without the means to pay. Theyre not the sort of thing that should be issued willy-nilly, he said.

In 2015, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission heard a case involving a Hoboken parking officer, Melissa Walker, who was appealing her termination from the agency. According to commission records, Walker was suspended on four separate occasions for violating the Twenty Minute Policy.

At the hearing, a former Hoboken Department of Transportation director explained the policy: it was practically unheard of for a (parking officer) to go more than 20 minutes without finding a parking violation, he testified, in the words of the Commission members. There was no quota, the director said, but officers who couldnt find parking violations in time had to contact their supervisors, who would decide whether to relocate the (officer) or provide other suggestions.

The commission ultimately ordered Walker reinstated, but upheld her suspension. A judge ruled that failing to write a ticket every 20 minutes, and failing to inform supervisors when she couldnt, constituted grounds for discipline.

But the officers interviewed by The Jersey Journal said that even when they contact supervisors to tell them they are unable to find violations, they are sometimes met with disbelief and can be punished anyway.

Theyll yell at you, one officer said. Theyre going to say, Its impossible. You know your route. Youre hiding something.

That officer recalled receiving a suspension for going 28 minutes, 29 minutes without giving a ticket.

Youve got to be kidding me, the officer added.
WATERLOO  Waterloo council has struck a deal to lop six floors off a proposed highrise that neighbours and planners did not want built near suburban homes.

The developer sought 12 storeys before taking the planning dispute before a provincial tribunal. A compromise reached with city hall calls for a denser, six-storey apartment building, attached to a seven-storey apartment building already in place at 508 Beechwood Dr.

This has satisfied residents who live nearby in a complex of bungalows and villas.

The unsightly, 12-storey monstrosity and the resulting impact of increased shade over most of our units throughout the year has been largely mitigated, Jerry Huiskamp, director of the condo board at the Village in Beechwood West, told city hall by email.

Other neighbours are still fuming. Margie Warren complains the compromise exchanges height for width without addressing her concerns about extra traffic.

This seems to be another example where lip service is given to appease the neighbours but our input is not valued or respected, Warren told city hall by email. I am feeling like a tiny ant stepped on by city council!

Jennifer Lieberman argues that Beechwood Drive and McCrae Park will be overwhelmed by traffic from an additional 800 people who will move into this new development and into three others proposed nearby.

She dislikes the look of the proposed building, saying it lacks brownstone features proposed earlier by the city to smooth the transition from nearby townhomes to apartments.

The homeowners in the neighbourhood feel as though the city they love and contribute taxes to does not care about them, Lieberman said. They feel powerless to stop whats coming. A number of them are planning to move.

The provincial tribunal has the final say. It gave partial approval to the compromise Aug. 27. Full approval is expected at a hearing Oct. 9.

It is a compromise that we can make work, Coun. Sandra Hanmer said in support of the proposal in her ward. I know that people are still upset and concerned. It is difficult when things are not exactly as one might want it to be.

She hopes people feel they have had input.

Council unanimously rejected 12 storeys last year. City planners said the height did not fit the suburb but the development fits with Waterloos goal to put more people into existing space.

Mayor Dave Jaworsky supports the compromise, saying critics must recognize that an owner has the right to build on land not owned by neighbours or the city.

Waterloo has seen several controversies erupt over plans to intensify suburbs. Intensification is consistent with the public desire to stop spreading onto farmland, Jaworsky said. Unfortunately, it means changes in the neighbourhoods.

The city tries to manage that tension, he said.

A planner who has represented the developer declined to comment on the compromise.
The team produced and studied new active photocatalysts based on natural aluminosilicate nanotubes with cadmium sulfide quantum dots stabilized on their surface synthesized by self-assembly.

Co-author, Chief Research Associate of the Bionanotechnology Lab (Kazan Federal University) Rawil Fakhrullin explains, "Quantum dots are semiconductor nanoparticles up to 10 nanometers in size with unique optical properties. They have found applications in many industries, including photonics, sensor technology, and biomedicine. A joint study has shown that the use of natural aluminosilicate nanotubes as carriers for quantum dots of cadmium sulfide makes it possible to create efficient and low-toxic photocatalysts that are active under visible radiation."

The studied photocatalysts are nanotubes with an inner diameter of up to 20 nanometers, on the surface and inside of which about 50 nanoparticles of cadmium sulfide, doped with ruthenium as a co-catalyst, are formed. This inert metal is used in electronics and as a catalyst and anti-corrosion additive.

"We have developed a method for self-assembly of nanoparticles on the surface of natural nanotubes, which was used to synthesize quantum dots of cadmium sulfide. Its application made it possible to increase the quantum yield of the reaction of hydrogen evolution from aqueous solutions to more than 9%. We chose ruthenium as a co-catalyst. It is known that the addition of small amounts of ruthenium leads to an increase in the activity of such photocatalysts tens and hundreds of times. Its use made it possible to prevent side processes of charge redistribution and reactions that reduce the amount of evolving hydrogen. It is interesting to note that the stability of these photocatalytic systems is greatly influenced by the ratio of sulfur to cadmium in a sulfide nanoparticle; upon reaching a certain value, the stability of the system sharply decreases," says Russian Oil and Gas University employee Anna Stavitskaya.

Dr. Fakhrullin opines that photocatalysts are one of the most promising areas of modern chemistry. They use the most affordable source of energy - sunlight.

"Photocatalysts can be used to decompose water into oxygen and hydrogen, which will make it possible to obtain safe and environmentally friendly fuel in unlimited quantities. With the help of photocatalysts, it is possible to create self-cleaning surfaces (for example, windows that do not need to be washed), easily sterilizable medical instruments that will disinfect light, and also purify water from organic contaminants and pathogenic microorganisms. Heterogeneous catalysts used for photocatalysis should not only have the ability to accelerate the reaction, but also be stable and not cause toxic effects on living systems. This can be achieved by the simultaneous use of ruthenium, quantum dots and halloysite nanotubes," says he.

In this paper, the results of a study of the effect of a system based on natural halloysite nanotubes and quantum dots of cadmium sulfide synthesized on its surface in situ on the nematode organism (distribution of nanomaterials in organs, body length, and reproductive capacity) are presented.

"Investigation of nanostructured photocatalysts in vivo in nematodes showed no acute negative effect. The developed photoactive nanomaterials were not detected in tissues outside the intestinal tract of soil nematodes, which is a good indicator for nanosystems, many of which penetrate into organs and tissues and negatively affect the body," concludes Fakhrullin.

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Greece lashed back at Nicola Sturgeon's 'harsh' quarantine move today as thousands more holidaymakers face chaos.

The Greek tourism minister pointed out that the country's infection rate is 'well below' the threshold set by the UK government.

Scotland dramatically declared that from 4am tomorrow arrivals from the popular destination must self-isolate, while Wales is placing restrictions on incomers from the island of Zante after a rash of cases.

Boris Johnson is now under massive pressure to follow suit, with a crunch meeting due to happen later.

But the moves have sparked fury as the infection rate in Greece as a whole is still well below the mark used by the UK government to trigger inclusion on the quarantine list, of 20 cases per 100,000 population in a seven-day period.

It raises questions about how holidaymakers can judge whether to travel to destinations, with complaints that the goalposts keep being shifted.

Greece's tourism minister Harry Theoharis insisted the country has 'a much lower number of infections compared to most other countries in Europe'. The rate per 100,000 of population over the past seven days is just 14.3 - well short of the government's alert level.

'We have put in place a comprehensive set of protocols and measures,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'We take targeted measures where we see concentration (of cases).

He added: 'We feel that this is a bit harsh.'

The rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of population in Greece over the past seven days is just 14 - well short of the government's quarantine threshold of 20

Around 190 passengers on a Tui Airways flight landing at Cardiff were asked to self-isolate for 14 days and - in the first example of state-sanctioned testing - they will be swabbed within 48 hours and again after eight days (stock photo of a Tui jet)

Nicola Sturgeon tweeted today to explain that her decision was due to 'a number of positive cases' in people returning from Greece over recent days

UK ministers are today holding an emergency meeting with Welsh and Scottish officials about the rules on Greece, while Portugal is on the brink after cases rose above the mark set by the government.

Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething said he would be pressing the UK Government to consider the potential risk in Greece following six clusters amounting to more than 30 cases of Covid-19 in the last week.

The cases had come from four flights, two of which landed in England.

Tour operator Tui has said it will no longer offer holidays to the resort of Laganas on Zante.

Mr Johnson now faces increasing pressure to put Greece on the UK's quarantine list after Scotland and Wales imposed restrictions on Britons returning from the holiday hotspot.

Nicola Sturgeon's government is mandating two weeks of self-isolation for anyone arriving from 4am on Thursday, while her Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford has singled out the party island of Zante.

Countries on UK Government's quarantine list Spain France Croatia Malta UAE Jamaica Switzerland Belgium Czech Republic Austria Netherlands Bulgaria Canada Singapore Advertisement

Around 190 passengers on a Tui Airways flight from Zante to Cardiff last night were asked to self-isolate for 14 days and - in the first example of state-sanctioned testing - they will be swabbed within 48 hours and again after eight days.

'There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient,' Mr Gething said.

He added that all passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday night would be told to quarantine and would be given two Covid-19 tests, one within 48 hours and another eight days after their return.

'In addition, I have pressed for an early meeting with the UK Government and devolved nations [today] to consider the latest assessment of risk by the Joint Biosecurity Centre,' he said.

'There is an obvious need for us to consider the potential for changes to the regulations in Wales which would require travellers arriving in the UK from Greece and possibly elsewhere to self-isolate on their return.'

Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, said: 'Laganas is a popular resort with young people who traditionally holiday in large groups of friends.

'The health and safety of our colleagues and customers is our primary concern and recent cases shows that some customers are not following social distancing and Covid safety measures.

'It is therefore the right thing to do to protect and reduce a now identified potential risk to others by no longer offering holidays to this specific resort.

'The recent cases in Wales have highlighted a demographic of customers that have recently returned from Zante and subsequently tested positive. As the only airline that flies between Cardiff and Zante it has allowed us to understand trends that may also be seen in other areas of the UK.'

Trips to all other resorts in Zante will continue as normal.

Scotland's chief medical officer Gregor Smith said: 'There is a compelling public health risk around importation of the virus, especially given the number of imported cases linked to the Greek islands.

'The flow of travel between Scotland and Greece, and the behaviour we have seen from some of those travellers, means that on public health grounds there is a strong case - supported by public health directors - to remove Greece from the exemption list.'

The move came as holidaymakers scrambled to return from Portugal amid growing concerns restrictions could be reimposed to arrivals from there.

With thousands of Britons having travelled to Portugal since the country was exempted from quarantine measures on August 22, rising cases there were prompting airlines to increase capacity as holidaymakers hurried to return in case restrictions are reimposed.

There were 22.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Portugal in the seven days to August 31, up from 14.5 a week earlier, according to figures calculated by the PA news agency based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Despite the changes in Wales and Scotland, the Department for Transport in London said there were no plans to amend travel arrangements with Greece.

Greece's current infection rate is 13.7 per 100,000 people, while the UK Government's threshold for its quarantine list is 20 cases per 100,000.

But there are grave fears that these relatively low numbers belie how rife the contagion is on Greek party islands popular with young Britons.

Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, criticised the Government's approach to quarantining countries, claiming it was damaging the travel industry and leaving holidaymakers confused.

He said: 'Yet again haphazard announcements and rumours around quarantine have sparked chaos and confusion for holidaymakers, with many facing an unenviable choice between paying extortionate prices for last-minute flights home or the disruption caused by two weeks in isolation on their return.

'When the dust settles on what has been a disappointing summer for so many people, it's clear that a reassessment of the Government's approach to managing the threat posed by coronavirus to holiday travel will be needed.

'The travel industry will also need greater Government support to make it through the tough months ahead while major reforms will be needed to restore confidence among holidaymakers who have often been left out of pocket and with nowhere to turn for support when the pandemic has left their travel plans in tatters.'

Authorities impose new restrictions on the island of Zante as fears grow holiday destinations could become new covid hotspot Local restrictions have been put in place on the islands of Zante/Zakynthos amid fears of a rise in coronavirus cases. These include:

Suspension of any kind of live events and celebrations such as parties, trade fairs, religious ceremonies, open markets etc.

Prohibition of operation of all food/catering sector-related shops, services and facilities from midnight - 7am the next day.

A ban on gatherings of more than 9 people, either indoors or outdoors;

A limit of 4 people per table in any restaurant, except for cases where the party consists of family members, where the limit is 6 people;

Mandatory use of face masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces. Advertisement

Seven of those on Tui's August 25 flight to Cardiff were infectious at the time of flying and all 193 passengers have been told to self-isolate, the Welsh Government said.

One traveller claimed that the flight was full of 'selfish covidiots', with passengers not wearing their masks properly and disregarding the rules.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams told the Welsh Government's weekly press conference that a statement about other flights coming into Wales would be made on Tuesday.

'The Welsh Government is deeply concerned by the reports from people who were on that flight about the lack of appropriate measures to keep everybody on that flight safe,' she said.

'My colleague Vaughan Gething, the health minister, is in discussion with all relevant parties and will be making a statement later today about other flights that may be operating out of Greece and into Cardiff Airport.'

On Tuesday, Public Health Wales said one further person with coronavirus had died in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths there to 1,596.

There were a further 51 positive cases of Covid-19 reported, bringing the number of cases to 18,063.

Dr Christopher Williams, incident director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: 'All passengers are being followed up by their local Test Trace Protect teams.

'They should all self-isolate at home, as they may become infectious, even if they have no symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should book a test without delay.'

Stephanie Whitfield, who was on the flight in question, claimed the 'inept crew couldn't care less' after passengers took off their masks and mixed freely with friends and families on board.

The flight left all 193 people on board facing two weeks self-isolation and comes amid fears that Zante could be a new coronavirus hotspot.

Mrs Whitfield, from Cardiff, who was on the flight with her husband, told the BBC: 'This flight was a debacle. The chap next to me had his mask around his neck.

'Not only did the airline not pull him up on it, they gave him a free drink when he said he knew a member of the crew.

'Loads of people were taking their masks off and wandering up and down the aisles to talk to others.

'As soon as the flight landed, a load of people took their masks off immediately. The flight was full of selfish 'covidiots' and an inept crew who couldn't care less.'

According to Dr Gwen Lowe, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, there have been about 30 cases in the last week linked to Zante, and confirmed in people who were on different flights and staying in different locations.

She also admitted: 'These are confirmed positive cases and we're expecting that number to rise.'

The Foreign Commonwealth Office updated its advice for Britons travelling to Zante, or Zakynthos, after an increase in local restrictions to combat the virus.

TUI has defended itself over the claims and insisted that all passengers wore masks and complied with Covid protocols 'for the duration of their flight'.

A statement said: 'The health and safety of passengers is always our priority and we are concerned to hear of Mrs Whitfield's claims.

'Our crew are trained to the highest standards and in line with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) guidelines.

Passengers on board a TUI flight from Zante to Cardiff all have to self-isolate after seven tested positive for coronavirus

'Passengers are informed prior to travel and via PA announcements on the flight that they have to wear masks throughout and are not allowed to move around the cabin. Masks can only be removed when consuming food and drink.

'A full investigation is now underway as these concerns weren't reported during the flight or before today.'

Tourists now face several restrictions on what they can do on the island, including the suspension of live events and celebrations such as parties, trade fairs, religious ceremonies and open markets, as well as the prohibition of all food and catering sector-related shops, services and facilities from midnight to 7am the next day.

Several Britons who visited Greece in recent weeks have reported cases of the virus.

Last week, 11 teenagers from Plymouth tested positive for the coronavirus, with up to 30 infected in total after returning from Zante.

Plymouth's director for public health Ruth Harrell said that some of the teenagers went gone on a 'night out in Plymouth's bars and restaurants' before they were aware of the risk.
A shocking photo has emerged showing a woman performing a sex act in the street in the Upper West Side, in another alarming indication of how one of New York City's wealthiest neighborhoods is being overtaken by crime and homelessness.

In a disturbing picture shared on Twitter, the woman can be seen crouching down while apparently performing oral sex on a shirtless man near W 79th Street and Broadway around 9pm on Sunday.

She also appears to be undressed from the waist down, with her pants around her knees.

The photo comes as little surprise to many New Yorkers who have witnessed a surge in crime and homelessness in their neighborhoods, prompting them to leave the city after an initial wave of people fled as the coronavirus pandemic began.

Wealthy New Yorkers relocated Upstate or to Long Island, while many Americans fled cities to states with more space such as Vermont, Idaho and Oregon.

The trend has left 13,000 empty apartments for rent in Manhattan as of mid-August - the highest number in 14 years - triggering a surge in inventory and slump in rental prices.

A woman was seen performing oral sex on a man on the streets of the Upper West Side on Sunday evening. A witness said she had pulled her pants down to relieve herself during the encounter

The photo was shared on Twitter by Save the Upper West Side, an online community group which has been calling on public officials to restore order to the streets

The neighborhood, home to some of Manhattan's wealthiest residents, has recently been overtaken by crime, homelessness and public drug use. Pictured: W 78th and Broadway, where the incident reportedly took place

A witness who took the photo told DailyMail.com the woman had removed her pants to relieve herself on the sidewalk during the encounter.

'It was vile, but [this] has become the norm for that area,' Upper West Side resident Mike G said.

'It was Sunday night. Not much foot traffic. There were probably one or two others that walked by.

'I don't usually take pictures of others' misfortunes, but this was a level of degeneracy I haven't seen out in the open in the neighborhood yet,' he added.

The photo had been shared on Wednesday by 'Save the Upper West Side', an online group of more than 13,000 members that has been lobbying to restore order to the streets.

Upper West Side residents say three hotels that are housing hundreds of homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic have turned the area into a spectacle of public urination, cat-calling and open drug use

Encampments have also popped up on the sidewalks and the city's homeless outreach resources have been too overwhelmed to dismantle them

Residents say the area has been turned into a spectacle of public urination, cat-calling and brazen drug use

'Is oral sex the compassion needed? Quality of life no longer exists on the UWS. Would you want children to see this on Bway btw 78-79 as you walk around?' the group said in a tweet.

A representative of the group told DailyMail.com: '9pm on a summer evening on the UWS - hardly imaginable a few months ago.

'Usually children [are] enjoying an ice cream cone after an evening at the playground. Now open prostitution. The change in the neighborhood since the use of hotels as shelters in undeniable,' the person added.

Homelessness in New York City has been escalating since March and has been made worse by residents fleeing and the NYPD budget cuts, which dissolved its homeless outreach unit.

Early last month it was revealed Mayor Bill de Blasio had quietly moved about 13,000 homeless people from shelters into luxury hotels in the area in a bid to avoid a virus outbreak, subsequently bringing crime and lawlessness to the neighborhood.

Residents of the typically wealthy district have since complained that the program has led to an increase in crime, random violence, drug use, public urination and open prostitution.

Some locals even claim sex offenders have also moved into the streets.

In Manhattan's Upper West Side residents have complained and threatened to sue the Mayor after homeless people were moved into three luxury hotels in the area to protect them from COVID-19

As shootings spiral, there is also a growing homeless problem with encampments popping up all over Manhattan. 13,000 homeless people have also been moved into hotels around the city

U-Haul trucks and other moving vehicles were seen out in abundance on Manhattan's troubled Upper West Side over the weekend

At the same time, encampments have also popped up on the sidewalks and the city's homeless outreach resources have been too overwhelmed to dismantle them.

A crime report released by the NYPD on Wednesday also showed gun violence in the city increased by a staggering 166 per cent across all boroughs except Staten Island last month.

The city recorded 242 shootings, up from just 91 in August 2019.

The number of murders also rose 47 per cent, from 36 to 53 last month. Burglaries were also up by 22 per cent and robberies increased by four per cent.

The growing issue has raised concerns about the future of New York City when the pandemic is over, with many fearing it will not be able to return to its former glory.

The city has begun taking steps to reopen the economy since the end of the lockdown in May however, some local businesses have continued to suffer under the current coronavirus restrictions.

Some of the city's finest restaurants are also considering shutting down for good as they struggle to cope with a slump in customers.

A mover puts belongings into a moving truck following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan on September 1

Americans have been fleeing to states with more open space such as Vermont, Idaho and Oregon as they looked to relocate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data shows

While many Americans opted for the more rural states, those in New York and New Jersey moved to Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida between March and August, the data shows

A Pew Research Survey published on July 6 found that around one in five Americans had relocated during the outbreak of COVID-19 or know someone who has

Restaurants and bars have been able to resume business by offering outdoor seating to diners, however owners have complained the move has not been enough to keep them afloat.

Renowned French chef Daniel Boulud, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel in the Upper East Side, told The Wall Street Journal some businesses won't survive if city continues to delay reopening indoor operations.

Governor Andrew Cuomo had told residents at the start of the summer that indoor dining, which was initially expected to resume on July 6, will be postponed until officials decide it was safe - but he is yet to announce a new date.

Many New Yorkers have also fled the Big Apple amid the pandemic, either moving to suburban towns outside the city or have left the state altogether.

Over the weekend, as August came to an end, U-Haul trucks and other moving vehicles were seen out in abundance on the Upper West Side.

The seeming exodus came just days after it was revealed residents in the area are planning to sue the city over the homeless hotel program.

Long lines were seen outside of a number of U-Haul stations in the neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday, with moving vehicles lining residential streets and discarded furniture stacked on sidewalks left by locals seeking pastures new.
The candidate must also thread a narrow diplomatic needle that displeases neither the U.S. nor China, whose bitter conflict over a growing array of issues including technology and the pandemic is testing their fragile economic truce. The Trump administration has actively sought to undermine the WTOs ability to function, saying it has infringed on American sovereignty and enabled China to become a big economic player globally at the expense of U.S. jobs and manufacturing. Adding to the unpredictability factor, President Donald Trump -- who has called the WTO the worst trade deal the U.S. has ever signed -- is up for re-election in November, so Americas tolerance for a candidate who looks too favorably on China might be tested. Meanwhile, China has engaged in a multi-year campaign to expand its diplomatic influence by installing key personnel at the top levels of international decision-making bodies.
Seven Iran-Backed Paramilitary Members Killed In Monday Israeli Strikes On Syria

Radio Farda September 01, 2020

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that seven Iran-backed paramilitary fighters were killed in the Monday Israeli strikes on Syria, which also killed one civilian and three Syrian regime members.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the casualties in war-torn Syria, seven non-Syrian militiamen of Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah were killed in Israeli rocket attacks on their positions in the southern province of Daraa.

The attacks began on Monday night, and included rocket attacks from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and air raids on areas close to the Damascus International Airport in the south of the capital.

The official government news agency of Syria, SANA, confirmed on Monday that Israel had carried out strikes on certain Syrian military positions and published footage of its air defense against Israeli rockets. SANA also announced three casualties from the strikes, including a civilian, with seven additional fighters requiring medical attention. casualties sustained by paramilitary fighters allied with Syria and Iran were not mentioned in the report.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday said a "decisive decision" had been taken to retaliate, adding that Hezbollah was "not in a hurry".

Israel usually does not acknowledge its airstrikes on Syria, and Israeli officials have yet not made any comments about the Monday attacks, but on Wednesday, Israel said it had launched airstrikes against Hezbollah observation posts in Lebanon after shots were fired from across the border.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently warned Iran about trying to establish a military presence in Syria.

Iran's Armed Forces' spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi two months ago claimed that over the years, only eight members of the Iranian military have lost their lives in Syria, and refuted claims that hundreds of them have been killed.

Iran signed an agreement with Syria two months ago to equip the Syrian military against Israeli attacks with its own homegrown air defense systems.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates recently made a deal to establish full diplomatic relations, with direct commercial flights from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi beginning on Monday.Iran considers the deal a threat against its own security, and the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called it a betrayal of the Islamic world, Arab nations and Palestine, adding, "Of course, this betrayal won't last long but the stigma will stay with them. I hope the Emiratis soon wake up and compensate for what they have done".

With reporting from AFP

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/seven- iran-backed-paramilitary -members-killed-in-monday-israeli -strikes-on-syria/30815493.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Three companies claiming to own more than 1.1 million barrels of Iranian fuel offloaded by US authorities from four fuel tankers bound for Venezuela last month have challenged the seizure in US federal court, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Last month the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced US authorities had taken possession of a multimillion-dollar shipment of gasoline aboard four tankers  the Lina, the Pandi, the Bella and the Bering  after the ships owner, Giorgios Gialozoglou, agreed to surrender the cargo.

The United States says the tankers were carrying Iranian gasoline bound for Venezuela on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the United States considers a terrorist organization. Washington is engaged in a so-called maximum pressure campaign built around economic sanctions aimed at isolating and weakening the Iranian and Venezuelan governments.

Oman Fuel, registered in the United Kingdom, as well as Sohar Fuel and Mobin International, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), challenged the seizure in a filing Wednesday in a federal court in Washington, Reuters reported.

The two companies claimed they had already sold the fuel to a company called Citi Energy, based in the UAE, and that they had not yet been paid because of the fuels forfeiture.

The DOJ last week said the firms were front companies for Irans IRGC and announced it seized control of the companies websites last week. The United States maintains the plan to transport the fuel was organized by Mohammad Madanipour, a businessman with alleged connections to the IRGC.

In June, authorities in Cape Verde arrested a Columbian businessman named Alex Saab Moran, whose lawyers told Reuters he had acted as Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduros envoy to Tehran. Moran is said to have arranged the fuel purchase as well shipments of humanitarian supplies from Iran.

Iran has increasingly lent support to Venezuela as both OPEC members have come under intense pressure from the United States government.

The Donald Trump administration has openly called for Venezuela's regime to be overthrown. It is also attempting to coerce Irans government to stop supporting militias in Middle Eastern conflict zones and to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States pulled out of unilaterally in 2018.

The US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams is taking over for Brian Hook, head of Iran policy at the State Department.
The army of the two countries held Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul with a focus on bringing down tensions in the Pangong lake area

New Delhi: Days after China's "provocative actions" in Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh, the situation in the region remained sensitive on Wednesday while army commanders from both sides held another round of talks to defuse tensions, government sources said.

The army of the two countries held Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul with a focus on bringing down tensions in the Pangong lake area, they said, adding similar dialogue on Monday and Tuesday, each lasting over six hours, did not produce any "tangible outcome".

Sources said India has achieved tactical gains in eastern Ladakh in the last few days by occupying a number of strategically important hill tops and locations.

On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said the Chinese PLA was engaged in "provocative action" again on Monday when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to ease the situation following China's attempt to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area two days back.

"The situation in the area remained sensitive," said a source.

The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong lake but it was for the first time such an incident occurred on its southern bank, they said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

It was decided at the nearly two-hour meeting that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", the sources said.

They said the Indian Army has further bolstered its presence around the Southern Bank area of Pangong lake by deploying additional troops and bringing in more weaponry including tanks and anti-tank guided missiles.

A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area.

The sources said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.
One of the worlds fastest-moving efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is falling behind rivals, its advance appearing to be stymied by political tensions between China and Canada and concerns its shot may not work as well as others.

CanSino Biologics Inc., the Chinese company which in March started the worlds first human tests on an experimental coronavirus shot, has yet to kick off critical final-stage trials on the vaccine it developed with the Chinese military. Meanwhile, rivals like U.S.-based Moderna Inc. and Britains AstraZeneca Plc as well as Chinas Sinovac Biotech Inc. and Sinopharm are well into this last phase of testing, administering their vaccines on thousands of people to find out if they work.

With its Phase III trials yet to begin, CanSino hasnt had the opportunity to assuage concerns from earlier-stage data, which showed the immune response generated by its shot varied greatly among participants. Its setbacks offer a look at both the scientific and political incertitudes companies are battling as they race to produce a vaccine against the virus that has already killed more than 850,000 people worldwide.

Just a few months ago, the Tianjin-based biotechnology firm was positioned at the vanguard of global vaccine trials thanks to a partnership with the Canadian governments main research agency, which permitted the company to conduct tests in the North American country. CanSino was supposed to send its vaccine candidate  Ad5-nCoV, developed with Canadian technology  to Canada so that final-stage tests could begin there as early as in the fall. The vials never arrived.

Chinese customs hasnt approved shipments of CanSinos vaccine to Canada, the National Research Council of Canada said in an Aug. 26 email. The development appears to be part of a pattern of retribution against Canada since it arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co., on a U.S. handover request in December 2018. In recent months the relationship between the two countries has only worsened.

Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said its clear the blocking of CanSinos vaccine to Canada isnt just a bureaucratic glitch because the company appears to have shipped to countries friendly to China.

This is part of Chinas COVID-19 diplomacy, he said. Its unfortunately part of the overall difficulties were having with China.

Global ties

For CanSino, the international collaboration is vital because late-stage trials require large-scale testing in place where there is an active outbreak, something no longer possible inside China, which has largely stamped out local transmission. The company, in response to questions, pointed to recent stock exchange filings and declined to comment further.

In a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing, it said it hadnt started enrolling participants for Phase III trials as of Aug. 18. In another Aug. 27 statement, it said the collaboration between the National Research Council of Canada and the company wasnt terminated.

Since Mengs arrest, China has jailed two Canadians on espionage charges, halted billions of dollars in Canadian imports, and put four other Canadians on death row. Further denting relations between Beijing and Ottawa, Canada also suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to a new security law imposed there by China.

Chinas General Administration of Customs didnt respond to a request for comment. In its email, the National Research Council of Canada said that while the CanSino-Canada partnership had been reviewed earlier by the Chinese government, after it was signed Beijing introduced changes regarding the export of vaccines. Canada was ready to begin preliminary trials in June but, due to the delay, the research council is turning its focus to other partners, it said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the developments on the CanSino vaccine as unfortunate.

After hitting an all-time high of HK$271.4 on July 31, CanSinos stock went on a steady decline in August, shedding nearly 40 per cent, as news emerged that the vials it was supposed to ship to Canada for trial never left China. The stock lost as much as 11 per cent on Wednesday, but is still up 140 per cent since the beginning of this year.

CanSino, meanwhile, has had other struggles. With most of the vaccine front-runners now having published their early human testing data, there have been some concerns that the antibodies triggered by CanSinos shot as part of a vaccine-induced immune response could be lacklustre compared to those stimulated by rivals, said Brad Loncar, chief executive officer of Loncar Investments in the U.S.

That could well be why the company has appeared slow in striking deals with countries to run phase III trials, said Loncar, who has holdings in the Chinese vaccine developer.

Of all the data that Ive seen of companies that have published human stage data, I would say CanSino was one that I would be most nervous about the Phase III, Loncar said. The antibody levels in general, when you compare them to what other companies have put out there, like Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech and even from the other Chinese vaccine makers like Sinovac and Sinopharm, I just think that the data hasnt validated CanSinos position as a front-runner.

While analysts have noted the varying standards used in measuring vaccine-induced immune response by different groups, CanSino suffers from one particular challenge: Its vaccine uses a genetically-engineered human adenovirus, which causes the common cold and to which a lot of people already have immunity. That pre-existing immunity has shown to blunt the vaccines ability to generate the kind of antibodies that can bind to the spikes on the surface of the coronavirus to prevent it from entering human cells.

Russia trials

Meanwhile, other Chinese vaccine makers have had more success on Phase III trials. Beijing-based Sinovac has started vaccinating people in Brazil and Indonesia while more countries are signing up to be part of the companys multi-centre late-stage tests. State-owned China National Biotec Group is testing the two candidate vaccines it developed in the United Arab Emirates and has secured approval for further testing in Peru, Argentina and Morocco.

As for CanSino, in addition to the delayed Canada trial, one of the companys founders Qiu Dongxu said at a forum in July that the company is talking to Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia for final stage of testing. Of these, only Russia appears to have materialized so far, with local pharmaceutical firm PetroVax agreeing to run a small trial that wont see the 625 participants receiving the shot until end of September.

A large scale phase III seeking to enrol 40,000 people is planned for Pakistan, according to an online clinical trials database. The trial has not yet started and will be headed by researchers from both Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Canadian Center for Vaccinology.

CanSinos vaccine still warrants further testing since it isnt yet known how strong an immune response the vaccine can shore up if its administered twice, a strategy that has been tested by almost all front-runners but CanSino. Trials in Canada could potentially find out the effect of a booster shot  if the vials ever make it to Canadian shores.

Read more about:
ENDEAVOUR EXPECTS MINING ACTIVITIES TO RESUME AT BOUNGOU IN THE COMING WEEKS

Successfully integrated  Mining contractor mobilized  Improved site infrastructure

Abidjan, September 1, 2020  Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) (OTCQX:EDVMF) is pleased to announce that mining operations are expected to recommence at its Boungou mine in Burkina Faso in the coming weeks, following the mobilization of a West African mining contractor and completion of infrastructure and operating improvements.

The Boungou mine has been processing stockpiles since early 2020 while the operation was being prepared for the restart of mining activities. A resumption of mining will provide higher grade mill feed which will contribute to increased production. Given the expected restart of mining operations in the coming weeks, the Boungou mine is now expected to achieve the top half of its 2020 production guidance of 130-150koz at an AISC of $680-725/oz.

Sebastien de Montessus, CEO of Endeavour, said: We are pleased to have made significant progress at Boungou, including the completion of key site infrastructure upgrades, development of a comprehensive security plan and mobilization of a local mining contractor. We are confident that with the steps taken we will be able to restart mining operations in the coming weeks, which will position us to meet the top half of our full year guidance for the operation. We are also excited that we will soon recommence near-mine exploration at Boungou as we believe that the area is highly prospective and we are confident that we will be able to extend the mine life.

The Boungou mine has been successfully integrated within Endeavours well established West African operating platform following the change in ownership on July 1, 2020. A range of improvements and new procedures have been implemented for the restart program, including the following:

Endeavour appointed a West African General Manager and transitioned employees from its other sites in order to leverage Endeavours operating model and accelerate Boungous integration and restart plan.

Endeavour has selected SFTP Mining BF S.A.R.L. (SFTP) as Boungous mining contractor, who are currently mobilizing equipment to site. SFTP also provides contract mining services at Endeavours Karma mine and is a West African mining services business which operates in a manner consistent with Endeavours ESG operating philosophy and industry best practice standards.

Endeavour, in close partnership with the Burkinabe government, has implemented a comprehensive security plan which is consistent with its approach at its other operations and takes into account the unique conditions in eastern Burkina Faso. Improvements include upgraded site infrastructure, detailed site security plans, and an improved approach to the movement of employees, supplies and material. Endeavour has completed the construction of an on-site airstrip and as part of its re-start plan intends to fly staff from Ouaga and Fada to site. Endeavour has also built on-site employee housing which will allow both local and expatriate employees to remain within the site security perimeter.

In addition, the Burkinabe government has developed its own plans to improve security in the region. Endeavour will support these efforts, which will include road maintenance.

In line with Endeavours commitment to improve the lives of its employees and the communities near its operations, Endeavour is committed to delivering several key community projects in the Boungou region. These projects include support for the construction of a market, provision of new emergency vehicles, water boreholes, road maintenance, and other key infrastructure support. In addition, as part of the mining contract agreement, SFTP has also made commitments towards ensuring participation of local people in the workforce, creating joint ventures with local businesses, providing water boreholes, medical support and facilities, and enhancing gender diversity.

Story continues

CONTACT INFORMATION

Martino De Ciccio

VP  Strategy & Investor Relations

+44 203 640 8665

mdeciccio@endeavourmining.com Brunswick Group LLP in London

Carole Cable, Partner

+44 7974 982 458

ccable@brunswickgroup.com







Vincic Advisors in Toronto

John Vincic, Principal

(647) 402 6375

john@vincicadvisors.com

QUALIFIED PERSONS

Clinton Bennett, Endeavour's Vice President of Metallurgy - a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING CORPORATION

Endeavour Mining is a multi-asset gold producer focused on West Africa, with two mines (Ity and Agbaou) in Cote dIvoire, four mines (Hounde, Mana, Karma and Boungou) in Burkina Faso, four potential development projects (Fetekro, Kalana, Bantou and Nabanga) and a strong portfolio of exploration assets on the highly prospective Birimian Greenstone Belt across Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Mali and Guinea.

As a leading gold producer, Endeavour Mining is committed to principles of responsible mining and delivering sustainable value to its employees, stakeholders and the communities where it operates. Endeavour is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, under the symbol EDV.

For more information, please visit www.endeavourmining.com .

Corporate Office: 5 Young St, Kensington, London W8 5EH, UK

Attachment




FDA registered and state-of-the-art, the new Folium facility is purpose-built for extraction, purification and formulation of cannabinoids and terpenes. The plant will utilize supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) extraction technology exclusively to produce phytocannabinoid-rich 0.0% THC broad spectrum CBD oil, adhering to a continuous process from decarboxylation to extraction allowing for a revolutionary inline terpene capture system.

"This past year has been a 'survival of the fittest' moment for the CBD industry. Pandemic-related economic uncertainty has forced many manufacturers to cut back operations or completely go out of business," explains Folium Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Kashif Shan. "I'm proud to say that Folium has moved aggressively in the other direction  looking at 2020 instead as a year to invest and solidify our leadership position. Completing construction on this new world-class manufacturing facility is a testament to the strength of our market position. We move into 2021 with unrivaled capacity, ready to satisfy demand for the highest-quality CBD oil for businesses all over the world."

Folium's operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia provide a global reach as the worldwide cannabinoid industry continues its rapid growth. This international footprint and local market expertise, coupled with the extensive scalable manufacturing made possible by the Pueblo West facility, will enable Folium to cultivate new channels for its innovative, high-quality, science-backed products more successfully than its competitors.

About Folium Biosciences

Folium Biosciences is a vertically integrated B2B producer, manufacturer and distributor of hemp-derived non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Folium controls all aspects of the supply chain, from genetics and extraction to bulk and finished products. Folium's team delivers the world's highest-quality hemp-derived non-psychoactive cannabinoids products through a proprietary process, resulting in a THC content of 0.0%. Folium was the first hemp company to be issued a Certificate of Free Sale and a Manufactured Food Establishment License.

SOURCE Folium Biosciences

Related Links

https://foliumbiosciences.com


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PORTLAND, Ore. - Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, shifted their focus to the city's mayor, and police declared a riot as people broke windows, vandalized a business and set a small fire inside the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/9/2020 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A small memorial to Portland, Oregon fatal shooting victim Aaron J. Danielson, 39, of Portland is shown on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, at the site where he was killed on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, as supporters of President Donald Trump and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed. Danielson was a supporter of the right-wing Patriot Prayer group but few details have emerged about what led up to the shooting. No suspects have been arrested. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

PORTLAND, Ore. - Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, shifted their focus to the city's mayor, and police declared a riot as people broke windows, vandalized a business and set a small fire inside the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives.

The demonstration that began late Monday and extended into Tuesday fell on Wheeler's 58th birthday and featured shiny golden alphabet balloons that protesters used to spell out an expletive.

They sang on the street outside the mayor's building, some wearing party hats, and the fire was set with a bundle of newspapers in a store housed on the ground floor of Wheeler's building. There were no reports of major damage or injuries.

Wheeler, who is also police commissioner, has come under fire for his failure to bring the violence in Oregon's largest city under control and for heading up a police force that has used tear gas multiple times against demonstrators.

Some also blame the mayor for engaging in a war of words with President Donald Trump instead of focusing on local needs. Trump has put Portland and other Democrat-led cities in the crosshairs of a "law and order" re-election campaign theme  a move that's escalated tensions in the city and drawn the attention of right-wing Trump supporters.

Portland police make arrests on the scene of the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man following clashes between President Donald Trump supporters and counter-protesters that led to an argument between the president and the city's mayor over who was to blame for the violence. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)

A supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was killed Saturday during clashes between dueling protesters. A caravan of Trump supporters, estimated at about 600 cars, encountered Black Lives Matter protesters as they drove through the downtown and skirmishes broke out.

Police have not announced an arrest in the slaying of Aaron J. Danielson, 39, of Portland, and have said nothing about what led up the shooting.

Police Chief Chuck Lovell denounced the vandalism and said it was an escalation of previous protester actions.

"The families that live inside have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives. As Ive stated repeatedly, the nightly violence is coming at increased cost," he said.

Lovell added: "This is impacting the safety of our entire City and urgent action is needed. Our elected officials need to do their part to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. The violent behaviour must end."

Wheeler said late Tuesday on his Facebook page that the vandalism negatively impacted a minority-owned business.

Portland police take control of the streets after making arrests on the scene of the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man following clashes between President Donald Trump supporters and counter-protesters that led to an argument between the president and the city's mayor over who was to blame for the violence.(AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)

"Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal, and distract from, the important message of the racial justice movement. Organizations in the community who encouraged or condoned these actions are complicit," he said.

Wheeler added: "The community must rise up and say enough is enough and hold all of us accountable. We cannot truly move on together and make the positive changes we want to see until this violence is stopped. All violence."

Protesters were angered last Sunday when Wheeler held a news conference about the shooting and traded barbs with Trump, who was watching the conference live on TV and tweeted insults at Wheeler.

Many said afterward that they wanted to hear about solutions to the violence and how to keep the city's Black residents safe. They complained that the mayor instead engaged in "political theatre" with the president to raise his own profile.

Wheeler, the son of a wealthy timber scion, is seeking a second term against Sarah Iannarone, a candidate to the left of him who has marched repeatedly with protesters.

Wheeler said at the news conference that he does not believe in completely defunding the police, would not resign and would not turn over the Portland Police Bureau to Jo Ann Hardesty, the city's first Black councilwoman.

"He used that press conference to try to score political points with a president we already know is a problem. He was asked point-blank what could have been done to prevent this, what could we do better in the future, and he did not have concrete strategies," said Cameron Whitten, founder of the Black Resilience Fund and a longtime activist in the city. "It truly was appalling."

The situation grew more uncertain Monday, when two suburban counties and a nearby city refused to send deputies and officers to help the Portland police keep the peace. The Oregon State Police and sheriff's deputies from Multnomah County  the county that includes Portland  are bolstering the city's force.

But officials in Clackamas and Washington counties and the city of Gresham said they would not send law enforcement personnel to Portland.

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Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said flooding the city with more law enforcement would never work because Portlands newly elected district attorney has dismissed charges against hundreds of protesters arrested for nonviolent, low-level crimes.

Roberts and Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett also said the liability for their deputies would be too great.

"The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DAs office. The next night they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again," Roberts said.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, has so far declined to send the National Guard to Portland, as Trump has suggested.

_____

Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, left, speaks to former World Bank Jim Yong Kim, right, through a video connection during the 2020 POSCO Forum held at POSCO Center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of POSCO



By Nam Hyun-woo



POSCO began a two-day forum, Wednesday, to explore how the economy and the society will look after the COVID-19 pandemic.



Dubbed the 2020 POSCO Forum, the event was the second in a series held by the steelmaker. The event was held at POSCO Center in Seoul with only a limited number of affiliate CEOs and experts attending in person, while others joined online.



"With COVID-19 throwing us unprecedented uncertainties, it is important for POSCO to grasp fast-changing market trends and emerging values in time, so that it can be a company that lasts for a century," POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo said.



"I hope the forum could be an opportunity for us to review the nature of our business, respond promptly to stakeholders' needs and explore ways to better exercise our philosophy of corporate citizenship, thus we can take responsibilities and serve roles that society demands."



During the first day of the forum, former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim delivered a keynote speech online. In his speech, Kim diagnosed the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and explored ways for companies to make a soft landing after the pandemic.



Kim's lecture was followed by a panel discussion titled "the New World Order after the Pandemic" and a lecture on "Leadership Paradigm in the Era of COVID-19." In the following panel discussion, young corporate leaders discussed outlooks for artificial intelligence, digital transformation and changing industrial trends.



Today, the event will feature panel discussion sessions on the future of POSCO's main businesses  eco-friendly steelmaking technology, supply chain of green mobility and rechargeable batteries and food trading.



The event will be wrapped up by a lecture from former Korea University President Yeom Jae-ho exploring ways to improve corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, as well as looking back on the past three years of POSCO's CSR activities.



POSCO said it plans to reflect outcomes of the debates at the event into its mid-term business strategy.


Huge traffic jams were reported on the eastern express highway (EEH) due to two incidents which took place during the morning peak hours between 9.30 to 10.30 am.

According to Mumbai Polices Vikhroli traffic division, a container which was coming from Jogeshwari to Vikhroli through Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link road (JVLR) broke down near Gandhi Nagar.

The second incident was reported near Ghatkopar flyover on EEH, where a car hit two bikes at around 10.30 am. No one received any major injuries in this accident, said a traffic police officer.

Kundalik Kaigude Inspector Vikhroli traffic division said the traffic police were removing the vehicles to smoother the traffic as soon as possible.

According to the traffic police, there were a large number of vehicles on major roads due to easing of restrictions on movement of people including from one district to another. Heavy traffic was reported on the Sion-Panvel highway and parts of Andheri, Goregaon, Malad and Kurla.
A motivational speaker, author and media commentator from Melbourne has been charged over the death of her seven-month-old daughter.

Fiori Giovanni, 35, has been charged with child homicide following the girl's death on July 18.

Fiori Giovanni has been charged with child homicide. Credit:Instagram

Police were called to an apartment building in Southbank after the baby was found unresponsive about 7.20am. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the seven-month-old but she died at the scene.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that the charge related to an act of alleged criminal negligence by Ms Giovanni, in that she allegedly left two children in the bath unsupervised and her young daughter drowned.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) The multi-agency task force conducting its own probe into the issues hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will evaluate the Senate panels recent findings on the case, Malacanang said Wednesday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace respects the report and recommendations of the Senate Committee of the Whole regarding the alleged fraud mess in the state health insurer, but maintained that President Rodrigo Duterte will be awaiting the Task Force PhilHealths own findings on the matter.

I think the Task Force itself will evaluate the findings of the Senate. Im almost sure that the Senate has transmitted all the evidence it has gathered in the course of its investigation, Roque said in an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source.

The President will have to await the formal findings of his own Task Force. But as I said, the investigation in aid of legislation is always welcome. It is a recognized power of the Senate, we respect their findings, he added.

The Senate committee of the whole earlier recommended criminal and administrative charges against Health Secretary and PhilHealth board chair Francisco Duque, resigned PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales, as well as other officials over the alleged anomalies within the agency.

In the committee report presented by Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III on Monday, the panel argued that the said key officials should be held accountable for irregularities, including the "shady" implementation of cash advances or the interim reimbursement mechanism.

Roque noted the Task Forces findings  expected to be submitted to the chief executive by September 14 will include more in-depth evaluation of evidences, with officials from the judiciary branch helping out in the probe.

Duque earlier defended himself from claims that he failed to oversee the goings-on inside PhilHealth, saying he has been focusing on his other roles in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health secretary serves as the highest official with the longest service to the embattled agency.

READ: Duque defends failure to oversee PhilHealth: 'I had a difficult job handling the pandemic

Officials and employees of PhilHealth also earlier denied the allegations of widespread corruption within the agency which resurfaced in July.
Five more residential students at the University of Connecticuts Storrs campus have tested positive for COVID-19, a spokeswoman for the university confirmed Wednesday.

Two of those cases are still being investigated to determine the source of the infections, according to Stephanie Reitz, a spokeswoman for UConn.

Two students were found to have the disease after they showed symptoms, three others were found through contact testing.

Two of the three identified through surveillance testing were already in medical quarantine. Three of the five on-campus positives are related to existing known positives on campus, Reitz said in a prepared statement.

Are you a Connecticut student going to college during the COVID-19 pandemic? We want to hear about your experience. Email us at tips@ctnews.com

The new infections are a jump from the two positive cases reported on Tuesday.

The university has 62 residential students at the Storrs campus with the disease. Another 32 have already recovered, the school said. The figures reflect a 1.24 percent positivity rate across the population of 5,000 residential students at the campus.

Among commuter students, the number of cases remains at 18, data from the school shows. Two staff members have also tested positive for the virus.

Two commuter students at the universitys Stamford campus have also tested positive. The schools Avery Point, Waterbury and Hartford campuses all still have no positive cases.

Cases have appeared at other colleges and universities around the state as students return to dorms and classrooms.

At Yale University in New Haven, 10 people have tested positive for coronavirus since the beginning of August, according to the schools online database. As of Wednesday, the schools alert level remains at yellow, meaning gatherings are restricted to 10 people or fewer, and classes will be held both in person and virtually.

The Ivy-League institution reported no new cases Monday, the most recent day of testing available.

Trinity College in Hartford is still reporting one case of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the school sent out instructions for staff, faculty and students to submit their daily symptoms check through an online portal. The system will also allows members of the school community to sign up for testing.

Connecticut College in New London currently has one active case among its student population, according to that schools database.

Central Connecticut State University reported three new cases among commuter students Monday. There are currently two students in isolation at the school, and 11 people have been quarantined.
While at OPRF, Rouse was thrust into the national spotlight when the high school was the subject of the 2018 documentary TV series America to Me. Rouse and the schools superintendent did not support the filming and chose not to be interviewed during filming. Once it aired, he told the Chicago Tribune that he had mixed feelings about the series because it provided only a snapshot of the experiences of a dozen students at OPRF and not the 3,400 students attending the school. He added that the school long had worked to be a national model for racial equity.
US Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin testifies before lawmakers on Tuesday. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/pool via Reuters

Stocks rose in the US and Europe on Wednesday after US Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin urged lawmakers to approve new stimulus measures to tackle the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Signalling that the Trump administration may be willing to support a package worth as much as $1.5tn (1.1tn), Mnuchin also suggested that he was willing to consider Democratic proposals to provide more funding for state and local governments.

While both sides remained locked in dispute on Tuesday, the funding has been one of the key stumbling blocks in the protracted standoff between Democrats and Republicans.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (^STOXX) rose by around 1.6%, while Londons FTSE 100 (^FTSE) was up by more than 1.3%.

Germanys DAX (^GDAXI) climbed by around 2%, while Frances CAC 40 (^FCHI) was around 1.8% in the green.

Equities in the US opened higher even after a closely watched report on monthly private payroll gains sharply missed expectations on Wednesday.

Tech stocks once again led the charge, with industry bellwethers like Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) all opening at new record highs.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was up by around 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose by around 0.8%, while shares on the Nasdaq (^IXIC) climbed by around 0.1%.

While September tends to be a weak month for stocks, shares were also lifted by resilient data from the US construction and manufacturing sectors.

The gains in the US and Europe followed a mixed trading session in Asia.

Shanghais SSE Composite Index (^SSEC) fell by 0.17%, while the Hang Seng (^HSI) closed almost 0.4% in the red in Hong Kong.

But Japans Nikkei (^N225) rose by around 0.5% and the KOSPI Composite Index (^KOSPI) in South Korea climbed by more than 0.6%.

Australias ASX 200 (^AXJO) was up by more than 1.8% at market close even after a record second quarter contraction in economic output pushed the country into its first recession in 30 years.
M ore than half of British workers said they will never go back to their pre-lockdown commutes, a poll has found.

The survey suggested the coronavirus pandemic has permanently changed working and travelling habits for many workers in the UK.

With many Brits either working from home or being furloughed, 73 per cent of 1,000 motorists polled by WeBuyAnyCar.com said they do not miss their commute, while 27 per cent said they miss nothing about the office.

Twenty-nine per cent said they will work from home more often while a further 23 per cent said they plan to change the way they travel to work.

One in 10 want to walk to work, with a further 12 per cent wanting to ditch public transport in favour of driving.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at WeBuyAnyCar.com, said: This year has seen all of us adapt our daily routines and for many of us, our ways of working and commuting has been hugely impacted.

We know that there will be many motorists looking to sell their car now that their commuting habits have changed, whether that be to upgrade their car as they plan to drive into work over using public transport, or because working from home means they no longer need their car at all.

Passengers arrive at Victoria Station in London during the morning rush hour / PA

It comes as Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said "more than half" of staff are fully back in the offices at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she added: But even then we have capacity on how many people can be in a Covid-safe environment within our workplace.

Ms Coffey said that 799 of the departments 804 sites are open, and hoped that children returning to school would give parents more opportunities to go back to the office.

Grant Shapps: It is now safe to start returning to work

The minister told the programme: Its important that employers and employees have that discussion about Covid-safe environments, and added: Therell be more opportunities for parents to go back into the office if thats what is the best thing for them and their employer.

On Tuesday evening, pictures from the previously bustling City of London showed empty streets and Tube stations at rush hour after the Prime Minister said people were returning in huge numbers to the office.

Downing Street could not provide figures to back up the claims.

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Boris Johnsons spokesman said: I dont have the figures especially for today but you can expect to see more civil servants return to the office over the coming weeks with the return of Parliament and children to schools."

Additional reporting by PA Media.
Marvin and Lucille Stone slipped on their original wedding outfits to celebrate 60 years of marriage. (Photo: Katie Autry Photography)

Lucille Stone, then 21, spent the summer of 1960 making her own wedding dress. Sixty years, three children, six grandkids and four great-grandchildren later, the avid sewer added a satin insert at the waist  I like to tell people that the sands shifted a little bit, she quips  and once again slipped on that white lace gown for a memorable, now-viral photo shoot marking her diamond wedding anniversary with husband Marvin.

The Kearney, Neb., couple originally had something simple in mind when they booked a session with photographer Katie Autry on the occasion of their Aug. 21 anniversary. Nothing fancy, just a fresh photo to include in the Christmas letters they send out to friends and loved ones each year.

Then I got to thinking, Well, I think I can still get into my wedding dress, which was in a box upstairs, Lucille, who turns 82 in October, tells Yahoo Life. And we had Marvins suit  and he hasnt changed.

Marvin  who, at 89, still fits into his old Army uniforms from the early 50s and has only grown maybe an inch or so around the waist in the six decades since he said I do  was game. And so was Autry, who photographed the couple in a series of romantic shots taken in a pasture near their home. The resulting photo shoot has gone viral in the days since the photographer posted it online along with relationship advice from the couple (sample pointers: Think before you speak and Work hard).

Its advice thats clearly served the longtime lovebirds well since meeting as teachers in 1959. It was home economics instructor Lucilles first teaching job out of school; Marvin was an Army vet seven years her senior and the only bachelor on the faculty. Their first date was attending a high school game, and the rest is history.

We were the gossip of the school, she says of their courtship, which also involved games of bridge during a series of blizzards that struck Nebraska that winter. By May, we were engaged.

Story continues

Lucille sewed her wedding dress herself in 1960  and made just a few tweaks 60 years later. (Photo: Katie Autry Photography)

The Stones were married on Aug. 21, 1960. (Photo: Katie Autry Photography)

They wed that Aug. 21. This Aug. 21, they celebrated hitting the 60-year milestone with a lovely family dinner  we didnt want any fussing  and a flood of anniversary cards sent in from well-wishers following an announcement in the local paper.

The Stones are bemused by their current viral fame, but ultimately its just one of countless memorable moments in a life spent by each others side.

Lucille credits the longevity of their marriage to their shared Christian faith, as well as hard work, patience and an understanding that they were in it for the long run.

You have to go into it with the idea that its permanent, she says. Neither one of us ever thought of divorce. If got angry with one another, it was a fleeting moment.

[We went into marriage thinking] this is a permanent, life-long deal. Til death do us part.

Read more from Yahoo Life:

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Sam Neill has stood by a political statement he made with his costume in the 1997 sci-fi film Event Horizon.

The hit movie, set in 2047, followed Neill and Laurence Fishburne as members of a group of astronauts who are sent to investigate a lost spacecraft that disappeared on its maiden voyage.

Eagle-eyed viewers have since spotted that the British Union Jack that usually appears in the corner of the Australian flag, which appears on Neill's character's space suit, has been replaced with an Aboriginal flag.

When one fan recently pointed this out on Twitter, Neill  who is from New Zealand  confirmed that he himself had requested for the flag to be customised, writing: This is indeed so. And I wouldnt do it any differently today.

For decades, there has been a debate about the placement of the British Union Jack in the upper-left corner of the Australian flag, with many Aboriginal people arguing it is a symbol of oppression.

Sam Neill in Event Horizon (Paramount Pictures)

Many republicans also oppose the design as it presents Australia as a British colony.

In 2018, Australias former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the flag will never change and will continue to fly long after all us have shuffled off the stage of history.
Contributed Photo / Bjoern Wylezich - TNS

NEW HAVEN  A city man will serve nearly two years in prison after he was linked to a drug trafficking organization last year, federal authorities said.

A judge on Tuesday sentenced Eric E-Love Yopp, 34, to serve 21 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham.
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Competition Dashboard:

Some of the key players functioning in the Global Silicon Carbide Ceramics Market are Saint-Gobain (France), Morgan Advanced Material (U.S.), CeramTec (Germany), Ortech Advanced Material (U.S.), KYOCERA Corporation (Japan), Coors Tek Inc. (U.S.), Blasch Precision Ceramics (U.S.), Hitachi Chemicals (Japan), ESD SIC bv (Netherlands), Ceradyne Inc (U.S.), and others.

The densely packed market is competitive as the key players are all looking for a sizeable portion of the market to secure their prospect. To expand their market portfolio, they are banking mainly on mergers and acquisitions and exploring distant regions. Morgan Advanced Material recently assisted in the construction of Chinas first turbofan jetliner engine. GTAT Corp. has recently opened a world-class Silicon Carbide manufacturing plant on June 26, 2018,

Industry Trend:

Demand from several industries has spurred extensive investment in research and developments. Recently, joint research efforts of a team of scientists at Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod (UNN) comprising chemists, physicists, and engineers, have made it possible to obtain garnet-silicon carbide ceramic compositions with a high relative density.

CeramTec-ETECs has recently launched SICADUR, an armor material made from silicon carbide, fulfills all the current requirements of composite armoring systems.

Segmentation:

Global SiC Ceramics Market can be segmented by Type and Application.

Type-Wise Segmentation of the market includes pressure sintered, reaction bonded and recrystallized silicon carbide.

Application-Based Segmentation consists electronics & electrical, automotive, machine manufacturing, metal mining, aerospace & defense, metallurgic, industrial, and others. SiC Ceramics wear resistance, and biocompatibility properties make it suitable for use in artificial bones, biodegradable splints, and implant materials. This has helped the medical industry register the most significant growth.

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Regional Analysis:

Global SiC Ceramics Market covers namely five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).

The APAC, with 39% of the market share, is currently the frontrunner and the situation is expected to remain the same during the forecast period substantiated by the highest CAGR 7.95%. Electronics & electrical sector, along with the booming automotive sector to secure the prospects of the region. Massive steel production can also be a driving factor. China has significant control over the market with a revenue of USD 796.1 million. India and Taiwan are also posing as lucrative markets for the same.

North America follows the APAC and is getting influenced by mining activities and demand from the automotive industry. Aerospace & defense sector is also contributing considerably to the 26% share of the global market.

Lastly, Europe is showing a slackening speed owing to a meltdown in countries such as the U.K., and Slovakia. However, the market has been kept steady by Germany, Russia, and Belgium.

Overview:

With a leap of an impressive CAGR of 6.45%, the Global Silicon Carbide (SiC) Ceramics Market is expecting an escalation up to USD 7,474.1 million during the forecast period (2017-2023), reveals Market Research Future (MRFR) in a detailed study. Its strength, resistance to acid, low thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity make it the choicest component for many industries. In the automotive industry, its hardness is getting many accolades and is gaining traction in high-end semiconductors in electronics & electrical sector owing to its thermal conductivity. In addition, jewelry, sporting goods, and energy sectors are also showing demand for SiC Ceramics.

However, when its price is under consideration, bottlenecking of the market is also possible. SiC Ceramics are the costliest variation in the ceramic section which can hold back the market growth. But this will not last long as steel is showing interest in the sector and given the burgeoning market of steel, slackening growth for long is a rare possibility.

COVID-19 Study in Detail:

Corona virus Outbreak and Protective Fabrics Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-protective-fabrics-market

COVID-19 Impact on Polyvinyl Alcohol Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-polyvinyl-alcohol-market

COVID-19 Outbreak Impact on Renewable Chemicals Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-renewable-chemicals-market

NOTE: Our teams of researchers are studying COVID-19 and its impact on various industry verticals and wherever required we will be considering COVID-19 footprints for a better analysis of markets and industries. Cordially get in touch for more details.

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MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

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A former school teacher who became the top torturer for Cambodias genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, overseeing the deaths of around 15,000 people, died Wednesday at the age of 77.

Kaing Guek Eav, better known by his alias Duch, had served as the head of the infamous Tuol Sleng prison and was later convicted of crimes against humanity by a UN-backed war crimes tribunal for his role in the Killing Fields regime.

Born in 1942, the former mathematics teacher became the Khmer Rouges top interrogator when the ultra-Maoist regime was in power from 1975-1979.

Duch oversaw the torture of thousands of men, women and children in a neighbourhood high school that was converted into a detention centre, extracting false confessions from his victims and sending them to their deaths on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh.

After the Khmer Rouges fall from power, he maintained posts within the communist movement as it battled Vietnam-backed troops.

The jailer turned to Christianity in his later years, and was working for an aid agency in western Cambodia under a false name at the time of his arrest in 1999, when many had long assumed he was already dead.

Duch was the first member of the Khmer Rouge to face judgement before a war crimes tribunal in Cambodia, and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012.

His death was a reminder that justice is a long and difficult process, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which conducts research on the Khmer Rouge regime.

Perhaps it can bring some satisfaction to the living, and the fallen can now rest in peace, Youk told AFP.

 Milestone of justice 

Duchs testimony at the tribunal served as an important milestone for millions of Cambodians who had suffered under the brutal regime, which killed up to two million during the brief four-year period.

He had maintained a huge archive of photos, confessions and other documents with which UN prosecutors traced the final horrible months of thousands of inmates lives.

It revealed facets of the regimes secretive workings  such as the repeated purges driven by paranoia from the leadership that its enemies were within its ranks.

Duch became a cadre in 1970 in order to transform society, to oppose the government, to oppose torture, he said during the trial, and helped to oversee a series of jungle prisons.

After the regime seized power in 1975, he was installed as head of Tuol Sleng  referred to as S-21 by the Khmer Rouge  which he staffed with uneducated teenage boys.

He said they could be easily indoctrinated because they were like a blank piece of paper.

While he had begged for forgiveness for crimes committed at the jail, he later dismayed survivors by asking to be acquitted on the grounds that he was not a senior member of the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.

I respectfully and strictly followed the orders, Duch said in one of his final public statements to the court.

Duch had been in and out of hospital for years and had serious respiratory problems towards the end of his life.

He was admitted for treatment again this week and died shortly after midnight on Wednesday, tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra told AFP.

The work of the court that Duch faced has long been tainted by its limited scope and the age of its defendants. Only two other people have been convicted by the tribunal.

One of them, Brother Number Two Nuon Chea  considered the chief ideologue and architect of the murderous regime  died last year at the age of 93.
Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Wednesday met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to discuss the issue of conducting final year university examinations in light of the Supreme Courts order about the same.

The minister of higher and technical education called on Koshyari at Raj Bhavan here and was accompanied by minister of state Prajakt Tanpure, an official release stated.

Upholding the Universities Grants Commissions guidelines, the Supreme Court had last week held that no state and university can promote students in the final year/terminal semester without holding examinations.

The court also ruled that the UGCs directives to universities and colleges to hold final year exams by September 30, was well within its domain.

A SC bench also said that if any state or Union Territory, in exercise of its jurisdiction under the Disaster Management Act, has decided that it is not possible to conduct the examination by September 30, then they can make an application to the UGC for extending the deadline.

On Monday, Samant had said that majority of the 13 non-agriculture universities in Maharashtra have urged the state government to seek an extension to hold the final year examinations and announce results by October 31.




Hsu Yun Pei, a Taiwanese musician living in Seoul who plays the Chinese traditional instrument "erhu" and similar Korean traditional instrument "haegeum," holds the two instruments at her studio in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Won Min-an



By Jung Da-min



For Hsu Yun Pei, a 28-year-old traditional Taiwanese musician, Korea has become her new home and new stage.



Hsu, who plays a Chinese two-stringed fiddle called an "erhu," first came to Korea in September 2013 as an exchange student from Taipei National University of the Arts. She studied for a year at Chonnam National University in Korea's southwestern city Gwangju, learning the traditional Korean instrument "haegeum" and Korean music, known as "gugak."



"I chose haegeum because it was what I could do well, as I've been playing erhu since my elementary school days," Hsu told The Korea Times at her studio, Monday. The Chinese erhu and Korean haegeum are both two-stringed fiddles that share similarities in their appearance and performing techniques but differ in some details, thus creating different tones.



Hsu said her university days were her best days in Korea thanks to a Korean friend who helped her adjust to life here. She visited various tourist sites and experienced Korean culture and foods.



"My favorite Korean food is still 'aehobak jjigae' (red chili paste stew with zucchini) which is popular in South Jeolla Province," Hsu said. "It is a shame that I cannot find a restaurant where they sell aehobak jjigae in Seoul."



Her good memories of Korea brought Hsu back to the country in 2016 to study for a master's degree for the haegeum at the College of Music at Seoul National University.



Although Hsu could easily adopt haegeum performing techniques as an erhu performer, it was hard going as she found it difficult to memorize scores written with "jeongganbo," a unique traditional musical notation system of Korea and the first East Asian system to represent rhythm, pitch and time.



"During the first semester, I kept forgetting the jeongganbo I had been trying to memorize. I had been working on it for a month, trying to memorize an hour-long score for a final exam. I thought I had everything down but then suddenly I would just forgot it all, which made me wonder if I was a fool," Hsu said. "I tried really hard, practicing from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day but still what I had worked on during the afternoon I would have forgotten by the early evening and on it would go into the night."



Memorizing jeongganbo scores is difficult even for Koreans, but Hsu's professors and fellow students were mostly trained Korean musicians who had been practicing gugak for years, reading jeongganbo since they were young.



"When I finally succeeded in memorizing the long score for the final exam and performed in an ensemble with other students, one of my professors was really surprised and came to me to ask how I remembered the score and if it wasn't hard. Well, it was really, really hard," Hsu said.



Hsu said she always likes to challenge herself and that was why she did not go back to Taiwan after finishing her master's course last year. She launched her own YouTube channel recently to share videos of her performing popular Korean songs on erhu.




Stephen Donnelly said penalties of up to 40 could be introduced for the non compliance of mask wearing during Covid-19.

The health minister stated that a current 1914 penal provision is deemed too strict to deal with the breaking of public health guidelines, such as face masks and house parties.

And the Government is now seeking to draw up new legislation to bring in penalties more suitable to address the flouting of measures.

Review of opening of pubs

Meanwhile Justice Minister Helen McEntee stated the opening of pubs would once again be reviewed on September 13.

And she hoped legislation to clamp down on those flouting public health regulations would help open up so called wet pubs.

These are people who have worked their entire lives, Minister McEntee told Claire Byrne on RTEs Radio 1s Today.

"For some people their social life is a pint mid week," Minister McEntee said the Government wanted to reopen all pubs but it was of the utmost importance that health was prioritised.

Minister McEntee said that new legislation to give gardai further powers of enforcement will allow officers to shut pubs down for up to a month if they are in breach of public health guidelines.

The legislation has been brought about after an increased number of breaches, she stated.

The powers would now allow gardai to deal with "repeat offenders" who had continued to flout the regulations.

Officers would, however, first seek to engage with publicans to see guidelines arent being breached.

But if breaches are found to be taking place, gardai will be able to close a pub on the day if the publican refuses to comply.

If a pub is asked for a second time to comply and again refuses, a garda sergeant can ask the district court for an emergency closure for up to three days.

And if a third breach takes place, after gardai have become involved, a court order can be introduced to close the pub for between seven and 30 days.

The measures would help create a roadmap to open up pubs who would comply with health guidelines.

Minister Donnelly told Pat Kenny on Newstalk: The big problem we have is the regulations are within the 1914 Health Act.

In other words, there's a penal provision and its for a fine of up to 2,500 or a prison sentence of six months. It's completely disproportionate and not in the spirit with the solidarity we need. Ill be seeking to amend the 1914 Act and for (not wearing) face coverings 20 and 40 euro fines.

Minister Donnelly said regarding house parties, it was vital that there are more appropriate fines.

We can say it's against the law, that there are appropriate penalties and we aren't relying on this (penalty) that isn't fit for purpose. We decided in the short term not to apply penalties. We are conscious of the sanctity of the home.

And the only option would be to apply this draconian power from 73 years ago, which we felt was inappropriate.

We can take a look to see if we want to give the gardai enforcement powers.

We want to make it clear it's a legal requirement. We can't have more than six people to a house from more than four households.

Read More

Minister Donnelly said he had become aware of a house party some weeks ago which saw one young man who was asymptomatic and was unaware he had Covid-19, infect 30 people.

We want to make sure there's a clear message sent out  don't do this, you're putting yourself and other people at risk.

Mr Donnelly added that localised lockdowns had been revealed as being highly effective and though there were no more plans currently for any regional restrictions, there had been an increase in cases noted in north Dublin, particularly near Kildare.

This was something, he added, that was being monitored. However, he reconfirmed there was no plan for any lockdown in Dublin.

Mr Donnelly also stated that a new roadmap would be published in two weeks which would signal that localised lockdowns are preferential.

Part of these measures would look at how speed is important.

Paul Reid, director general of the HSE, told Claire Byrne, that we are now entering a most difficult winter.

This winter "will be more difficult than ever before". We are saying to the public we are in a difficult phase, Mr Reid added.

The prediction comes as the HSE tackles Covid-19 and builds back up services that had been stopped due to the pandemic.

Mr Reid admitted there are apprehensions, as we are living with Covid-19. We have to live and plan differently, he said.

People are angry, looking for clarity We need to give people hope and confidence.

We have learned a lot about the virus. The basics work. Our first line of defence are the public health measures.

Last week we tested 58,000. We have a very strong testing and training system in place.

Flu vaccinations had been delayed globally but he expected these to be rolled out in Ireland within weeks, including for two to 12-year-olds, as the HSE attempts to protect the population from flu while Covid-19 continues to be an issue.

But with a drop in deaths across the past 10 days and a lower number of people in ICU since the height of the pandemic, progress had, he insisted, been made.

We are in a much better, stronger place than at the peak of this virus but we cant drop our guard.

Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland
Japan commits Rs3,500-cr in ODA loan to fight India's Covid-19 crisis

The Japanese government has committed Official Development Assistance of 50 billion yen (approx Rs3,500 crore) for Indias Covid-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support. Additional secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs CS Mohapatra, and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi signed the documents.

The loan for a health sector programme of the Government of India will be used to fight the Covid-19 crisis in India.

This programme aims to support Indias efforts in fighting Covid-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics and also to improve the resilience of Indias health systems against infectious diseases.

The programme includes a grant assistance of JPY 1 billion (approx Rs70 crore) from the government of Japan which can be used for providing medical equipment to strengthen the public health and medical system in India. This will strengthen the health care facilities for managing critical and serious patients suffering from Covid-19 infection.

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has strengthened and grown into strategic partnership. This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.
The Pound (GBP) is trading in a narrow range against the Euro (EUR) this morning as fresh Brexit jitters drag on Sterling sentiment.

This follows a notable shift in tone from Downing Street regarding the possibility of reaching a trade deal with the EU by the end of the year.

Downing Street now suggests it will be very difficult for a deal to be ready by the end of December, a marked turnaround from Boris Johnsons previous optimism in which he claimed a deal could be reached in July with a bit of oomph.

A spokesperson for the PM said: An agreement is still possible and this is still our goal, but it is clear it will not be easy to achieve. The EU continues to insist that we must agree on difficult areas in the negotiations, such as state aid, before any further work can be done in any other area of the negotiations, including on legal texts, and that makes it very difficult to make progress. We would instead like to settle the simplest issues first, in order to build momentum in the talks, as time is short for both sides.

Meanwhile, EU officials grow increasingly pessimistic at the chances of a Brexit deal, as they accuse the UK government as being unrealistic in its demands.

Frances EU affairs minister, Clement Beaune, said: Things are not advancing because the UK would like to have its cake and eat it: to leave the European Union and have access to the European market.

Britains chief negotiator, David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier are currently meeting in London for informal talks ahead of the next round of formal negotiation next week.

Euro (EUR) Exchange Rates Undermined by Weak EUR Data Release

At the same time, the (EUR) is stuck in second gear this morning as recent EUR data releases continue to raise concerns over the state of the Eurozones economic recovery.

Tuesdays consumer price index exerted considerable pressure on the Euro after revealing that the Eurozone slipped into a state of deflation last month.

This was followed by data published earlier this morning, revealing a surprise drop in German retail sales growth in July.

The releases are stoking concerns that the Eurozones economic recovery has already begun to stall amid Europes coronavirus resurgence, whilst also prompting speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) may need to consider easing its monetary policy even further.

GBP/EUR Exchange Rate Forecast: Positive PMI Figures to Reinforce Sterlings Gains?

Looking ahead to the second half of this weeks session, the Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate, may look to resume its recent rally, with the publication of the UK and Eurozones latest PMI releases.

In the UK Thursdays PMI release looks set to confirm that growth in the private sector was booming last month, with the index soaring to its highest levels since 2013.

However the Eurozone release looks to make for more dour reading as Europes coronavirus resurgence looks to have stalled the blocs economic recovery.

GBP investors will also been keeping a close eye on Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Baileys testimony before the Treasury Select Committee later this week, amidst hopes he may offer more guidance on the banks plans for monetary policy.

Meanwhile a slowing of Eurozone retail sales growth and German factory orders in July could see the Euro extend its downside.
Turkish President Erdogan. (Source: Xinhuanet)

By NieShuyi

The jostling and entanglement between EU and Turkey may have a new entry. On August 26, local time, Turkish President Erdogan, in response to the joint military exercise in the Mediterranean Sea organized by the four EU members of Greece, Cyprus, Italy and France targeting Turkey, said Turkey will not back off in defending its rights and interests over the natural gas resources in East Mediterranean. This protracted battle for resources is continuously having overspill effects and fueling the geopolitical turbulence in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Middle East.

Since Israel took the lead in exploiting and discovering oil and gas resources in East Mediterranean Sea in 2009, about 4.47 billion ton equivalent of workable oil and gas reserves have been found in the 19 basins in this water over recent years, with nearly 12.28 billion ton more to be discovered. The Mediterranean Sea is expected to become another important energy production source after the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Mexico. In recent years, countries around the waters have gradually divided into two blocs revolving around the resource exploitation. On the one hand, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt have formed a regional energy organization - the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), and are poised to jointly develop the oil and gas resources in the region and build an energy pipeline around Turkey to pipe the resources to Europe. On the other hand, Turkey has been working with Libyas Government of National Accord, Qatar and North Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey itself, to expand its geopolitical interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and other regions. With the formation of the two blocs, the demarcation of oil and gas resources in East Mediterranean has become a tool of political struggle among the countries. Under such circumstances, Greece, which has been denying Turkeys qualification to have a finger in the pie on the grounds that it doesnt have an exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean Sea, stands tit-for-tat against Turkey that wants to become the Eurasian energy hub. Moreover, Greece and Turkey also have a vendetta due to historical reasons, the Cyprus issue and refugee crisis.

Its worth noting that this isnt the first time that Turkey had a conflict with NATO allies and the EU. Since its failed coup in 2016, Turkey has been in constant tension with the US and Europe. In 2019, Washington and Ankara had a serious spat over the latters purchase of Russias S-400 air defense missile systems; Turkey has been battling with the US and Europe over the Syrian and Libyan issues; and recently Turkey and Europe, apart from the refugee crisis, have been at loggerheads over the formers conversion of the historic Hagia Sophia back to a mosque. On August 28, the EU foreign ministers agreed on a list of sanctions against Turkey in case Ankara does not reduce the escalation of its operations in the increasingly tense Eastern Mediterranean region, while Turdey kept tit-for tat without any concessions.

Despite the strained relation between Turkey and Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy, a large-scale military conflict is unlikely. Germany, a key member of EU, is still mediating between Turkey and Greece and its possible that NATOs bellwether US may step in the Turkey-Greece conflict destabilizes the Middle East situation even though it hasnt declared its stance yet. Greeces tough stance so far is backed by the EU, so its attitude depends on the EUs attitude; Turkey, on the other hand, isnt likely to really attack Greece thats both a NATO member and an EU member. It just wants to leverage the situation to gain itself more interests regarding the refugee, Syrian and Libyan issues.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Virginia celebrates its 150th year in the Winchester community. The church is known to have one of the largest congregations of any church in the Winchester area. The church maintained roughly about 3,200 families and 10,000 members. The Church was dedicated on July 18, 1870, and remains until today.

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, many churches have faced hardship or legal actions for re-opening their doors to hold in-person service. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church remains strong and bold throughout the pandemic and wishes to see confession and prayer. The church community's engagement also remains faithful and repeated to be strong.

Anthony-price, a church member stated, "We've got a strong bulletin, we have a website, a strong social media presence."

Throughout social media, The Church has been engaging among members and have been updating service hours, online activities, and prayer events.

"Good day Sacred Heart family. We pray you are all staying safe and healthy! We will be streaming a live Mass tomorrow!"

"This historic occasion (150th celebration) provides us all with a wonderful opportunity to show our support for the parish here at Sacred Heart and also for the whole Archdiocese. We will be developing a journal to commemorate the 150th anniversary to include a variety event."

The church's 150th-anniversary dedication shows faith, leadership, and hard work to overcome all power and fears among any situation and maintain the grounds. Many individuals show respect, love, and support throughout the pandemic as they look forward to the biggest change.
RIYADH, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday it will allow foreigners to invest directly in debt instruments, furthering open the Saudi market to outside investors.

The market regulator said in a statement that resident and non-resident foreigners will be able to invest in listed and non-listed debt instruments. (Reporting by Marwa Rashad; editing by John Stonestreet)
Water donation campaign to help ease drought in four provinces of Iran

07/22/20

Source: Tehran Times

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) will launch a campaign for the third time to solicit public donations to ease water stress in four provinces of the country. The long-standing 20-year-old drought in the region is forcing many to have to provide their water from tank trucks delivering water to the areas.

The campaign has three main aspects, including livelihood support, medical services (with the focus on coronavirus), and dealing with water stress are implemented in the form of tanker installation, water treatment, and plumbing for people to have access to safe freshwater.



The campaign, called Nazr-e Ab (literally meaning water donation), was launched 2 years ago, following the drought crisis in the southern and southeastern provinces of the country, with the aim of supplying fresh water to deprived areas with the help of the people and the IRCS.



From September 6 to October 6 in drought-ridden provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Kerman, and Hormozgan, it aims at soliciting water donations for the regions suffering severe water scarcity and people can participate with donating bottled water, water tanks or cash, nationwide.



The campaign was first held in August 2018, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan which went into trouble after the Hamoun wetland drained and the rainless sky left many in dire need of drinking water.



Source: Iranian daily Sazandegi

Based on the latest data published by National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center affiliated to Iran's Meteorological Organization, since the current crop year (September 23, 2018), South Khorasan has received 154.6 millimeters rainfall while the long-term averages are 109.7 millimeters which indicate above normal averages. Last year during the same period, 138.5 millimeters of precipitation reported.



Precipitation in Sistan-Baluchestan province increased to 190.5 millimeters from 130.3 millimeters in the previous water year, demonstrating a 46.2 percent rise. The amount also rose in comparison to the long-term average of 113.6 mm, showing an increase of 67.6 percent.



Hormozgan province also experienced increased rainfall during this crop year, receiving 426.7 millimeters of rain while it reported raining 244.5 millimeters in the previous water year, showing a 74.5 percent rise, while it also increased in comparison to the long-term mean by 141.2 percent.



Kerman also experienced increased precipitation compared to both the long term average and last year.



However, all four provinces are still suffering from water shortage.
A Syrian military source said that an Israeli missile attack on Syria killed two people, injured seven others and caused damage on Monday, state media reported.

The state news agency SANA cited the source as saying that Syrian air defences had intercepted most of the Israeli missiles launched from the direction of the Golan Heights toward military sites south of Damascus.

SANA later said a civilian woman had been killed and her husband injured in the blast. It was not immediately clear if she was among the two deaths initially reported by the military source, who had said that seven soldiers were wounded.

An Israeli military spokesman contacted earlier by Reuters had declined to comment on the initial report by Syrian state media of an Israeli air-strike.

Earlier this month Israeli aircraft attacked targets in Syria in what it described as retaliation for an attempted bombing of a fence along the Golan armistice line between the two countries by what Israel described as an enemy squad.

Israel has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militias, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel sees Iran's presence in Syria, in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government in the country's civil war, as a strategic threat.
Touching upon the plan of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia to create a militia during the candlelight ceremony organized at Yerablur Military Pantheon today, member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun political party Artsvik Minasyan said there is still room for improvement of the plan.

There is definitely a need to create a militia, and the creation of a militia is one of the solutions to the issues that our political party has raised. The plan needs to be worked on, but the idea itself is not only acceptable, but also necessary since a militia is extremely important for a country like Armenia that is surrounded by two inimical countries, he said, adding that this will provide thousands of Armenians with the opportunity to take part in strengthening Armenian statehood for all time through a militia as well.

Asked why is such a plan being presented now and if there is a risk of war or not, Minasyan said there has always been a risk of war.
Alameda Countys district attorney charged a San Leandro police officer Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a Black man at a Walmart in April, among the first such cases filed under a new, more restrictive, California law on police shootings.

The decision by District Attorney Nancy OMalleys office to file a felony charge of voluntary manslaughter comes more than four months after Officer Jason Fletcher shot and killed Steven Taylor, 33. Prosecutors claim that Taylor  who was holding a bat and stumbling after Fletcher shocked him with his Taser  posed no immediate threat to police or the public when Fletcher shot him with his service weapon.

The decision to file the criminal complaint was made after an intensive investigation and thorough analysis of the evidence and the current law, OMalley said in a statement. The work of police officers is critical to the health, safety and well-being of our communities. Their job is one of the most demanding in our society, especially in these current challenging times. They are sworn to uphold and enforce the laws.

Fletchers lawyer, Michael Rains  a criminal defense attorney known for representing officers accused of misconduct  said Wednesday he was very, very disappointed in the charges.

The charges are undeserved and I am very confident that the jury hearing all the evidence in this case will acquit this officer in short order.

It is the first time the district attorneys office under OMalley has charged a police officer for using lethal force.

Fletcher is among the first officers to be charged under a new measure that narrows the scope of the instances in which police can legally use deadly force.

AB392, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom into law last year, requires peace officers to use deadly force only when necessary in defense of human life. Previous law, set by U.S. Supreme Court cases, considered whether a reasonable officer in similar circumstances would have acted the same way.

The law additionally states that officers shall use other available resources and techniques if reasonably safe, in effect requiring police to use de-escalation tactics wherever possible.

Police responded to the Hesperian Boulevard store on April 18 after callers claimed Taylor had grabbed a baseball bat and tent off the shelves and tried to leave. He was detained by the stores security personnel, prosecutors said, who called 911.

Fletcher was nearby and responded quickly. While walking in the stores front door, he noticed another police officer arrive in the Walmart parking lot, but did not wait for him, prosecutors said.

Video released by police shows Taylor holding the bat near the front of the store right before Fletcher approached him and tried to grab the bat away, As Taylor stepped back, Fletcher pointed his Taser at him while the officer and witnesses told Taylor to drop the bat.

While the two were about 17 feet apart, Taylor walked toward Fletcher and the officer fired his Taser, causing Taylor to stumble forward, holding the bat at about knee height.

3 1 of 3 Courtesy Taylor family Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy Taylor family Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Fletcher then shot him in the chest with his service pistol just as the backup officer arrived in the store, prosecutors said. Taylor dropped the bat and turned away from Fletcher before collapsing. He was later pronounced dead.

The encounter lasted less than 40 seconds.

I believe Officer Fletchers actions, coupled with his failure to attempt other de-escalation options rendered his use of deadly force unreasonable, OMalley said.

In a statement shortly after the charges were announced, San Leandro Police Chief Jeff Tudor said he knows Taylors death has deeply affected this community.

It is important that we allow the judicial process to take its course, Tudor said.

Fletcher is the first Alameda County police officer to be charged in a deadly use-of-force incident in over a decade. In January 2009, then-Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff charged ex-BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle with murder for shooting 22-year-old Oscar Grant in the back while Grant was being restrained. A jury convicted Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter.

Rains, who represented Mehserle and now represents Fletcher, said the prosecutors allegations that Fletcher failed to use sufficient de-escalation tactics couldnt be further from the truth.

He tried everything possible to de-escalate this situation and to have the other individual (Taylor) drop the bat, Rains said, noting that the bat is a lethal weapon under California law.

The new use-of-force law in California does not require police officers to have their brains bashed out with a baseball bat before they defend themselves, he said.

In a statement to The Chronicle, Taylors family attorney Lee Merritt said the family is encouraged by the manslaughter charge lodged against the officer.

Mr. Taylor was suffering a mental health crisis and did not represent a threat to officers or the general public before being tased and shot to death, Merritt said. Although this is an important first step in seeking justice, the family is eager to see Fletcher convicted and appropriately sentenced for the unjustified shooting death of Mr. Taylor.

Cat Brooks, the cofounder of the Anti Police-Terror Project said OMalley didnt have a choice to charge Fletcher because of AB392.

She wont call it murder, but we will, Brooks said.

Fletcher is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 15.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Lauren Hernandez contributed to this report.

Michael Williams and Megan Cassidy are a San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: Michael.Williams@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter @michaeldamianw, @meganrcassidy
'The administration was not ready for (my) release, but I have been released because of the prayers of people.'

IMAGE: Dr Kafeel Khan, centre, following his release from Mathura jail after the Allahabad high court quashed his detention under the National Security Act and ordered his immediate release. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Uttar Pradesh government was indulging in Baal Hatth' or childlike-stubbornness instead of observing 'Raj Dharma' and could frame him in another case, Dr Kafeel Khan said after being released from Mathura jail late on Tuesday night.

Dr Khan has been in jail since January after he delivered a speech at the Aligarh Muslim University during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in December.

On Tuesday, the Allahabad high court quashed his detention under the stringent National Security Act and ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to release him 'forthwith', saying his speech at AMU didn't promote hatred or violence and called for national integrity.

Speaking after his release, Dr Khan said, "I will always remain thankful to all my well-wishers who raised their voice for my release. The administration was not ready for (my) release, but I have been released because of the prayers of people."

"In the Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki had said that the 'raja' should act for 'Raj Dharma'. In UP, the 'raja' is not doing 'Raj Dharma', but is doing 'Baal Hatth' (being stubborn like a child),' the paediatrician said.

Dr Khan, who first hit the headlines in 2017 following his suspension from Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College after several children died there due to the lack of oxygen cylinders, said he was apprehensive that the government may frame him in another case.

He stated that he and his family have had to face many hardships as the state government was "after" him because of the oxygen issue at the BRD Medical College.

He said he now wants to help flood-affected people in Bihar and Assam.

The Allahabad high court said the Aligarh district magistrate, who passed the order for Khan's detention, did a 'selective reading' of Dr Khan's speech, 'ignoring its true intent'.

Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh allowed the writ petition filed by Dr Khan's mother Nuzhat Parveen and said the detention order by the district magistrate is illegal.

Quashing Dr Khan's detention order, the court said, 'A complete reading of the speech prima facie does not disclose any effort to promote hatred or violence. It also no where threatens peace and tranquility of the city of Aligarh. The address gives a call for national integrity and unity among the citizens. The speech also deprecates any kind of violence.'

'A writ in the nature of habeas corpus is hereby issued to release Dr Kafeel Khan, the detenue, from state custody forthwith,' the judges stated.

Dr Khan was charged under the NSA on February 13. The Uttar Pradesh government extended his detention under the stringent law by three months twice -- in May and August.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav lauded the court order and hoped party leader Azam Khan, who has been 'framed in false cases', would also get justice.

'All justice lovers have welcomed the high court's order for the release of Dr Kafeel Khan from detention. We hope Azam Khan, framed in false cases, will also get justice. Injustice and atrocities of those in power do not last long,' Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

Azam Khan is in jail in connection with a number of cases including that of land grabbing filed against him in Rampur.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also hailed the court order. She congratulated all 'justice-loving people' and party workers in the state who had been making efforts for Dr Khan's release

The Resident Doctors Association at the AMU also welcomed Dr Khan's release.

Dr Hamza Malik, president of the association, described DR Khan's release as a 'victory of justice'.

Dr Khan had always stood for humanitarian values as a doctor, maintained the high traditions of the medical profession and never indulged in divisive activities, Dr Malik said on Wednesday.

Instead of incarcerating Dr Khan, the government should have availed his services at a time when health amenities in the state 'badly needed' cooperation from the medical fraternity, Dr Malik added.

Dr Khan was initially hailed as a saviour for the children at the BRD Medical College for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders. However, later, he faced action along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital, all of whom were released on bail.

A state government probe cleared Dr Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government. He had alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children.
Toronto police are grappling with yet another overnight of gun violence in the city after one man was shot and killed in North York, while six others were hurt in a separate drive-by shooting at a Little Jamaica bakery.

In the first shooting, people were gathered in and around Spences Bakery on Eglinton Avenue West, near Oakwood Avenue, seeking shelter from the overnight thunderstorm when shots rang out at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The suspects made a U-turn just east of the location, circled back westbound, and the occupants of the vehicle at that time discharged multiple rounds, Toronto police Supt. Shaun Narine told reporters.

Narine said it looked like somebody at the bakery was identified when the vehicle was passing by, and that person was targeted.

Youve got six people huddling together out of the rain, the vehicle drives by (and) opens up on the crowd thats standing there, obviously searching for . . . their intended targets, Narine said.

Five men and a woman, between the ages of 30 and 69, were taken to hospital, police said. Five of the victims have been discharged and the sixth is expected to be released later Wednesday.

Narine said the shooting displayed a brazen disregard for citizens of Toronto.

We will bring these people to justice, Narine said.

At least three bullet holes could be seen at, or near, the bakerys storefront and blood was still on the steps Wednesday morning.

Police believe the shooting was gang-related. It remains unknown who at Spences was the intended target, Narine said.

The bakery, perhaps best known for its jerk chicken, is a popular food spot in the area and Narine emphasized that the restaurant had no connection with gangs.

I dont live too far from here and many officers have come to eat here before, Narine said.

With the empty streets and high unemployment rates that came with the pandemic, Narine said it has become easier to find and target people.

Police are searching a dark-coloured Nissan SUV with multiple occupants. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

The gunfire took place about three hours before another shooting in North York.

A 50-year-old man was shot and killed in North York in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Toronto police say.

Police received reports of a shooting around 5 a.m. and found a man suffering gunshot injuries in a car on 11 Stilecroft Drive, near Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue.

The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries where he later died. He has since been identified as Joseph Hart of Toronto.

Police said they believe the shooting was targeted and told neighbourhood residents they believe that there is no other public safety threat.

Police are looking for a dark-coloured vehicle that headed east on Stilecroft towards Keele.

Investigators say they are hoping to speak with anyone who was in contact with Hart in the last week. They can reached by calling 416-808-7400.

A third shooting happened Wednesday night at a business in North York around 7:30 p.m. Multiple shell-casings were found in the Dufferin Street and Bridgeland Avenue area after someone shot at the business, police said.

Later a man with gun-shot wounds walked himself to a nearby hospital.

A white Mercedes was last seen driving west on Bridgeland Avenue, they said.

Gun violence continues to be near record levels in Toronto.

As of Monday, police have recorded significantly more shooting incidents  including ones that result in no injuries  so far in 2020 than in any other year in police data that goes back to 2004: A total of 335, up from 290 by Aug. 31, 2019, the next highest total by that date.

This year remains slightly behind last years record pace of shooting victims. As of Sunday, 157 people had been killed or injured in shootings in 2020, down from 166 by that date last year. This year so far is also behind 2005, which was called the year of the gun, over its then-record spike in firearm violence.

Based on the data, shootings in the city have increased steadily since reaching a low in 2014, which saw 69 people shot by Aug. 30.

Twenty-seven people have been killed by guns so far in 2020, according to the police data.

In 2018 and 2019, the spike in summer shootings spurred investments in policing, including multimillion-dollar initiatives intended to crack down on gun violence through increased enforcement.

Both initiatives failed to produce long-term results.

In 2018, 200 extra officers were deployed throughout the city between July to September, but the city still saw a record-breaking year for shootings.

In 2019, Toronto police created Project Community Space, which saw increased guns-and-gangs enforcement thanks to $4.5 million in funding from all three levels of government. It did not result in a reduction in shootings, though Toronto police said it led to higher solve rates.

With files from Ed Tubb, Wendy Gillis and Abhya Adlakha

Raneem Alozzi is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @r_alozzi
It was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered this apology to members of the US Congress in March, 2018 when he was called to explain how a third party, Cambridge Analytica, used its service to carry out psychometric analysis of Americans in a way that possibly influenced the 2016 US presidential election.

This was not the first time Zuckerberg or his company said sorry (see box) - each time only to be followed by a new abuse of service that Facebook failed to stop. These have, in the CEOs own words from the 2018 hearing, involved fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well [threats from] developers and data privacy [breaches].

In India, some of these harms have manifested as abusive troll armies, individuals inciting rioting and political support groups spreading coordinated misinformation to swing votes.

In its latest controversy, the company has been accused of not acting against Bharatiya Janata Party politicians for violation of content policies, a decision purportedly influenced by a senior executive seen as being close to the party. Facebook and BJP have denied the allegations, and the ruling party has instead blamed the company of censoring its supporters. The company did not respond to requests for details on how it moderates content or what its stand is on such policies.

Across the board, weve watched as the company (Facebook) does whatever is in its profit interest, as it selectively chooses when to censor or otherwise subvert content and, conversely, when to do nothing about it even if it goes viral, so long as there is adequate commercial justification to take no action. This unwavering adherence to whatever policy serves the business model subjugates the democratic interest and must be corrected, said Dipayan Ghosh, a former White House official who is currently the co-director of Digital Platforms & Democracy Project at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The controversies around Facebook now reflect the complicated regulatory riddle: what are the rules of online speech? Who should write them? Who should enforces them? These questions, according to top cyberlaw and tech policy experts, will determine the future of the internet and the politics, culture and commerce it has come to shape since the turn of the millennium.

This is because at present, Facebook (which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram), Twitter, YouTube and such sites are not liable for illegal or hateful content  only the user posting it is. In India, under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, they need to act when notified by authorities in order to keep this immunity.

As businesses subject to government regulation, and in receipt of the de facto or de jure privilege of inflicting harm on private citizens without legal responsibility, the platform companies must constantly negotiate with political power. The resulting contradiction lies at the heart of the mess that presently existing social media are making of politics and society everywhere, said Mishi Choudhary, legal director of Software Freedom Law Centre.

OPAQUE RULES

To understand this contradiction fully, it is important to look at the rights and obligations involved. In almost all democratic nations, online speech enjoys the same privileges as offline speech. Social media websites, which primarily follow American law but account for some local legal obligations, follow a system of self-regulation.

This is in part because it is not feasible to determine jurisdiction and apply filters on global communications, but is mostly to protect freedom of expression and civil liberties from state surveillance and censorship.

This results in policies and guidelines they spell out for users. They specify certain rules for their platforms and take down content either through algorithms  which Facebook claims is responsible for 95% of its takedowns  or when they are notified of complaints from users, said Apar Gupta, executive director at the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which has called on the Indian government to push for an international human rights audit of how Facebook combats hate speech.

In addition to automated programs that look for keywords or observe how a post is reported, Facebook also deploys thousands of contractors who manually review flagged content for moderations.

It is this prerogative that Facebook, and similarly popular content websites such as YouTube, have been accused of wielding unfairly, excessively or inadequately. If you dont follow your own policies consistently, it will lead to situations like these where Facebook has been accused of political bias, added Gupta.

NOT ENOUGH

The problem becomes acute when it involves illegal content posted by people in position of prominence.

In June, Facebook refused to hide or take down a post by US President Donald Trump purportedly inciting shooting as protests over the death of George Floyd escalated. Twitter hid the tweet. Zuckerberg said his company decided to let it remain. ...I believe people should be able to see this for themselves, because ultimately accountability for those in power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open, he wrote.

I think it illustrates that content moderation involves 1 million impossible decisions, probably daily. And the more rules you have, the more difficult it is to enforce them consistently. Facebook is inevitably going to make a ton of mistakes, both in censoring too much and in not censoring enough, said David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), one of the worlds oldest digital rights advocacy groups.

Greene added that the decision to let the Trump post stay makes Facebook seem naive about how influential its platform is in the public debate, and how hard it is to undo harmful statements that spread widely through it.

IN EXCESS

While comments by prominent people are immediately scrutinised, Facebooks algorithms and contracted moderators play a complicated role in censorship. In 2018, the OFFLINE-ONLINE project by EFF and Visualizing Impact detailed several instances where Facebook censored marginalised communities.

These included takedowns of posts and images discussing racial injustice in the US, a ban on a native American tribe leader for his name seeming to be as fake, deletion of the Facebook pages of seven Palestinian journalists (which Facebook later admitted was a mistake) and account restrictions on multiple Rohingya activists.

Experts see these as examples of the differential approach the companies may have to censorship, depending on the privilege of the voice involved. They have risen above the law because they are fictionally supposed never to do what government constantly forces them to do. (But) they comply, and intensively moderate all content that passes through their hands. They do this in order to maintain their indispensable privilege of civil impunity, said SLFCs Choudhary.

The companys free speech defence is further overshadowed by the role its algorithms have played in amplifying content that are a threat to civil liberties.

UK-based counter-extremist organisation Institute of Strategic Dialogue said in mid-August that its investigation found Facebooks algorithm actively promotes Holocaust denial content. That typing holocaust in the Facebook search function itself, the report said, brought up suggestions for denial pages, which in turn recommended links to publishers that sell such literature.

FUNDAMENTAL RETHINK?

The problem of how to tackle online speech harks back to similar debates around offline speech. It brings us back to the debate over what is problematic speech. Legal speech can vary across countries. Speech also involves a lot of context, often local, which could determine its acceptability, said Jyoti Panday, researcher at the Internet Governance Project.

The answer to this regulation is unlikely to rest with governments. Something needs to change but more regulation will only help censorship by proxy for states, said SFLCs Choudhary. Hard problems are hard and there are no silver bullets or one solution. The moment calls for a serious rethink not just new rules but publics participation in making, interpreting and enforcing them, improved social policy based on a better understanding of the internet, she added.

The position was echoed by Greene of EFF. History teaches us that when government takes over such practices, government uses it to censor its opponents. We do urge platforms to conduct their curation within a human rights framing, namely, the Santa Clara Principles, he said.

The Santa Clara principles are a set of guidelines that seek disclosure from social media companies of how many posts are flagged, what action is taken, the need for adequate notice before a takedown and clear avenues of appeals for users. Companies need to be more transparent with these policies; knowing exactly how moderation takes place is crucial to find ways to work on it, improve it, added Panday.

Harvard Kennedy Schools Ghosh said updates to Section 230 of the American Communication Decency Act, which is the norm of online speech regulation, could be updated to address some of the issues. Particularly, [the] carve-outs from the sweeping liability shields it affords internet platforms, he said.

It was the Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace by one of EFFs founders, American political activist John Perry Barlow, that in 1996 proclaimed the internet as a new domain of pure freedom to which laws of governments have no meaning and did not apply.

Contemporary legal experts now believe the approach may have been utopian, and the internet has evolved in ways that the role of law may be inevitable, especially since harms from the virtual world extend to the offline space.

The laws that increasingly have no meaning in online environments include not only the mandates of market regulators but also the guarantees that supposedly protect the fundamental rights of internet users, including the expressive and associational freedoms whose supremacy Barlow asserted, writes Julie E Cohen, professor of law and technology at the Georgetown University Law Centre, in a paper titled Internet Utopianism and the Practical Inevitability of Law.

A Natural Monopoly

More generally, in the networked information era, protections for fundamental human rightsboth on- and offlinehave begun to fail comprehensively, the paper added.

In the particular context of Facebook, which has weathered the controversies with little implication on its earnings or user base, there are now calls to break it up.

Facebook has become a monopoly  a natural monopoly at that, whereby it benefits from powerful network effects that organically raise barriers to entry. This set of circumstances invites us to consider regulating it like a utility and, potentially, breaking it up in the coming years, Ghosh said.

A similar call was issued in May 2019 by a co-founder of Facebook who has since left the company. Marks influence is staggering, far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government... Mark alone can decide how to configure Facebooks algorithms... He sets the rules for how to distinguish violent and incendiary speech, and he can choose to shut down a competitor by acquiring, blocking or copying it, wrote Chris Hughes in an opinion piece for the New York Times in May 2019.

We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well intentioned the leaders of these companies may be. Marks power is unprecedented and un-American. It is time to break up Facebook.

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Representative image

Ravindra Rao

COMEX gold trades moderately lower near USD 1,970/oz after a near flat close on September 1. Gold rose as high as USD 2,001.2/oz in intraday trade yesterday but recovered to end with little change. Gold rallied sharply after taking support near USD 1,900/oz level, however, the yellow metal is struggling to break past the next key level of USD 2,000/oz.

Gold rose in intraday trade yesterday as US dollar index tested new 2-year lows but a recovery in the US currency led to a correction in gold. The US dollar index managed to recover as Feds dovish stance was offset by signs of strength in the manufacturing sector and efforts to revive fiscal stimulus talks.

US manufacturing data released yesterday showed expansion in the sector but Markit manufacturing PMI missed estimates. Gold weakened also on weaker investor interest and consumer demand. Gold holdings with SPDR ETF fell by 0.87 ton to 1250.626 tonnes despite rising prices. Weaker consumer demand is evident from discounts in Indian and Chinese markets. However, supporting price is rising virus cases globally which may force countries to take a cautious approach towards reopening thereby hampering economic activity.

Increasing US-China tension is another challenge for the global economy which is still struggling to gain momentum.

Gold may witness choppy trade as US dollar counters signs of recovery against Feds dovish stance, however, we expect to see buying interest in gold at lower levels amid persisting risks to global economy and hopes of continuing stimulus measures.

Base metals on LME traded sideways to negative today after most of them ended on a positive note yesterday. On weaker note weighing on the prices is profit-taking after a recent steep run-up in prices. Also putting pressure is modest gains in the US Dollar Index along with lingering US-China tensions and surging coronavirus cases globally which in turn threatens to derail the nascent pace of recovery in global growth.

US Dollar Index trades 0.1 percent higher near 92.42 and has rebounded from fresh two year low of 91.746. Lending support to the currency is upbeat factory activity data from the US along with signs of progress on talks over further fiscal stimulus. The downside may, however, be capped amid demand optimism especially from top consumer China along with upbeat risk appetite as is evident from gains in global equity indices.

On-demand front, a recent spate of upbeat data from China along with improvement in factory data from major economies continue to fan demand outlook for base metals. In the US, data released yesterday showed that ISM Mfg. PMI for the month of August jumped to 56; the strongest headline reading since November 2018. The US data followed a sharp expansion in Chinas Caixin Mfg. PMI.

Meanwhile, on the fundamental front, aluminium prices may come under pressure amid the rise in global output and signs of ample supplies in physical market. However, recent retreat in stocks at LME along with signs of improvement in demand may cap the downside. In other metals, lead, zinc and nickel all may be pressuriSed by higher stocks at LME. However, in the case of lead and zinc, the decline in stocks at SHFE warehouses shows improving demand especially from China.

In case of nickel, too, upbeat demand from Chinas stainless steel sector along with worries over lower supplies from Philippines may cap the downside. Lastly, Copper prices may continue to seek support from dwindling stocks at LME along with signs of tightness in the physical market and decline in mine supplies from Chile and Peru. Copper stocks at LME fell by 1,100 tonnes yesterday to hit the lowest level since December 2005.

Meanwhile, copper production in Peru, the worlds second-largest producer, fell 2.2 percent in July, compared with the same period a year earlier, under the weight of the pandemic, which restricted mining. This follows an earlier report that suggested Chiles copper output dropped 4.6 percent YoY in July.

The metals pack may note some decline today weighed down by profit booking and a modest rebound in US Dollar but the overall bias for most metals remains positive tracking demand optimism. Further cues may come from economic data from the US and Euro Zone along with comments by Fed officials and BOE Governor and its impact on US Dollar.

The author is VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
When the Brooklyn Navy Yard slowly declined after it was decommissioned in the 1960s, it could have been sold to a vulture fund to convert it to condos. Instead, the city put the yard under the control of a nonprofit development organization that generated a rebirth of manufacturing, innovation and entrepreneurship, beginning in the mid-1990s. Today 500 companies employ over 11,000 people in good jobs there, and an innovative high school prepares young people for STEM careers. When Covid-19 hit, many of those companies started manufacturing P.P.E. together.

In Chelsea, the city took over another property that was deemed blighted and, working with labor unions in the 1960s, created Penn South, a democratically controlled housing cooperative that limits resale prices to keep homes affordable. Over the past 50 years, Penn South, Mitchell-Lama and other limited-equity cooperatives have survived as other affordable housing has been privatized, providing a total of around 90,000 units of permanently affordable housing.

We should do all we can to help tenants and business owners survive, with less-onerous small-business recovery leases that colleagues and I have proposed, and more ambitious models for rent relief that require action in Washington and Albany. But where properties fall into distress or face abandonment in the coming months, lets follow the lessons of Penn South and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Instead of letting distressed properties be auctioned off when owners default on mortgages and taxes, the city should step in. We could acquire and hold these properties temporarily through a city-controlled land bank, based on legislation Ive introduced, and then transfer them to a growing network of community land trusts, nonprofit entities that hold land in perpetuity for publicly beneficial uses.

The city already plans to spend $8 billion in public capital funds on affordable housing and economic development over the next five years. A vast majority is slated for private, for-profit developers. Redirecting some of that to social ownership is a better long-term public investment.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 22:57:07|Editor: huaxia

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COPENHAGEN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Finance Act for 2021 sees the Danish government proposing to allocate 70 million Danish Kroner (about 11.1 million U.S. dollars) in development assistance to the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

In the Finance Act for 2020, Denmark contributed 35 million DKK (5.7 million U.S. dollars) to WHO.

"I have also been concerned about seeing a large donor as the U.S. has chosen to withdraw the support. With a doubling of Denmark's contribution to the WHO, we are taking on more global responsibility and strengthening health efforts for some of the most vulnerable in the world," said Minister for Development Cooperation Rasmus Prehn in the press release.

In addition, the minister calls for international cooperation and standing together with the WHO in fighting COVID-19.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has, to some extent, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the field of health. The time has come to stand together with the World Health Organization," said Prehn.

"Close verbal sparring with the WHO has been crucial to our handling of the coronavirus... Viruses do not know national borders, and that is why cooperation, knowledge sharing and local initiatives all over the world are so incredibly important, and that is why we also need a strong WHO," added Minister for Health and Senior Citizens Magnus Heunicke in the press release. Enditem
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AR Rahman's Atkan Chatkan, slated to release on 5 September, follows Guddu, a manual labourer who lives and breathes music.

From rowdy motorcycle trips through South America to young-adults struggling to find their place in the world, to the wonders of Jurassic World the past week has presented us with several promising trailers. From Ewan McGregor undertaking an epic trip to a youngster dreaming of music, here is a look at some of the recently released trailers.

Long Way Up



Actor Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman will be dusting off their motorcycles to go out on an epic bonding trip across South America. Both best friends are also the executive producers for the Apple original, helmed by David Alexanian and Russ Malkin. McGregor and Boorman's goal is to cover 13,000 miles over 100 days as they pass through 16 border crossings and 13 countries.

First three episodes of the show are going to premiere on Apple TV+ on 18 September.

We are Who We Are



This coming-of-age HBO miniseries from Luca Guadagnino (the director of Call Me By Your Name), centers around two teenagers named Fraser Wilson (Jack Dylan Grzer) and Caitlin Harper (Jordan Kristine Seamon) who befriend each other while at an American military camp outside of the seaside town of Chioggia, Italy. The cast also includes Kid Cudi, Chloe Sevigny and Alice Braga.

We are Who We Are drops on HBO and HBO Max on 14 September.

Atkan Chatkan



A group of children challenge their surroundings to be brave enough to dream. The movie follows Guddu (Lydian Nadhaswarama), an underage manual labourer who lives and breathes music. However, he meets several obstacles that get in the way of achieving his dream of enrolling in music school. The musical has been presented by AR Rahman and Drums Sivamani has looked over the percussion.

Atkan Chatkan releases on ZEE 5 on 5 September.

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous



The animated tale of six campers stuck in the Camp Cretaceous inside of Jurassic World features the old trope of humans trying to tame dinosaurs and earn money but ultimately failing to do so. While everything else goes haywire, the six protagonists of the story uncover the wonders and secrets of Isla Nublar, the other side of the island.

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous drops on Netflix on 18 September.
ISTANBUL  As the Turkey-Greece row on overlapping territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean continues, regional tensions were further aggravated when the United States announced the partial lifting of an arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Washington would deepen security cooperation with Cyprus in a tweet Tuesday, stating the United States would waive restrictions on non-lethal weapon sales to the nation for the coming year.

The announcement comes at a volatile time for the region, where Turkish and Greek navy vessels have been shadowing one another as Ankara continues its gas exploration activities through Sept. 12 in disputed waters between the two nations.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the move in a statement Tuesday, saying the move poisons peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean, and that Ankara would take unilateral actions if the United States did not reconsider the decision. Meanwhile, the Greek Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement.

Some politicians and observers, within Ankara and beyond, viewed the lifting of the arms embargo as a step against recent Turkish actions to extend its maritime boundaries following stalled negotiations with Greek leaders, who sunk prospects for a speedy resolution by signing an Aug. 6 territorial agreement with Egypt.

Yet US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber said the announcement was not related to Turkey during a press event Wednesday and was instead aimed at reducing Russian influence in the region.

Some will ask if we are taking this [decision] in response to the most recent developments in the region; the answer is no, Garber said Wednesday.

She added, This determination, which has been in process for months, is a consequence of a growing security partnership with Cyprus and our assessment of the eastern Mediterranean as a region of growing strategic importance in an era of great power competition.

Garber said through such policy moves, the United States was continuing its calls on Cyprus to implement anti-money-laundering regulations and take steps toward denying Russian military vessels access to ports for refueling and servicing, though it waived an outright ban on such actions.

News reports indicate Russian military ships most recently docked and refueled at Cyprus Limassol Port in January 2020.

Washington implemented the Cyprus arms embargo in 1987 to encourage reunification talks and deter an arms race on the island, which has been divided along Turkish-Greek ethnic lines since a Turkish military incursion in 1974. Between 35,000 to 40,000 Turkish troops remain stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is solely recognized by Ankara.

Andromachi Sophocleous, political analyst and consultant in Nicosia, said the partial lifting of the arms embargo was being hyped up by actors on all sides, as it strictly permits non-lethal weapons such as Tasers, helmets and anti-riot gear for security forces.

She added the measure was part of the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which authorizes the United States to provide Cyprus and Greece security assistance and enhance cooperation on regional gas development.

Most Cypriot analysts are only focusing on this as a message to Turkey, Sophocleous told Al-Monitor. But the United States has been trying to give Cyprus something in order to pressure it to reduce its cozy relation with Russia.

In July, under the partnership act, the United States expanded its military education and training programs to include Cyprus. With the latest development, the lifting of the arms embargo will be valid for one year and can be renewed on a yearly basis.

Still, the news was not received well by politicians in Ankara as well as Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci, who spearheaded failed reunification talks in 2017 and is running for reelection next month on a platform to continue negotiation efforts with Cyprus.

The decision will not encourage the Greek side for an extensive resolution and will not serve peace, Akinci told Garber following the announcement.

Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, Ankara director for the German Marshall Fund, noted stalled reunification efforts between the Cypriot governments could be negatively impacted by Washingtons decision.

This is sending [Greek Cypriot leaders] a signal that its okay if you continue to be unconstructive; were behind you, Unluhisarcikli told Al-Monitor. Im not sure this is the right message to give.

Unluhisarcikli also questioned Garbers statements delinking the timing of the announcement from ongoing Turkey-Greece tensions.

That recent events were not taken into consideration in determining the timing is telling in itself, Unluhisarcikli told Al-Monitor. Even if the timing was set independent from current events  it could have been postponed. I dont buy that argument.

Speaking during a press briefing Wednesday, Pompeo urged everyone to stand down amid regional tensions, saying US President Donald Trump has been trying to mitigate Turkey-Greece discord by speaking with leaders in both nations. When asked about the arms embargo, Pompeo said it was a long time coming.

We know that this decision was announced in light of heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, but we thought it was the right thing, Pompeo said.

Parallel to recent events, the Turkish government and Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, a presidential candidate running on a nationalist agenda pledging to discontinue reunification talks, have reiterated plans to reopen the abandoned holiday destination of Varosha.

Situated in the buffer zone between north and south Cyprus, Varosha has been a ghost town since the 1974 Turkish military incursion, and its reopening under TRNC jurisdiction could complicate reunification talks.

The opening of Varosha would put a tombstone on the prospect of a Cyprus problem solution, Sophocleous told Al-Monitor.

Unluhisarcikli said Turkish leaders had been keeping Varosha, also known as Maras, closed as a gesture of goodwill and as a bargaining chip that would be handed over to the Greek Cypriots once a successful resolution was reached, but recent events may prompt Ankara to reconsider its options.

As the prospect of a diplomatic solution and a resolution on the island is waning, Turkey is basically signaling, If you go in that direction, I will also assume there is no negotiated settlement and take further actions.
Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), gives a speech while attending the opening ceremony of the school's 2020 autumn semester in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Chen Xi on Tuesday stressed the importance of officials upholding a people-centered approach to strive toward the people's aspirations to live better lives.

Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), made the statement while attending the opening ceremony of the school's 2020 autumn semester.

Leading officials should put the people first, rely on the people, work for the people's wellbeing, said Chen, adding that officials should be loyal servants to the people.

Chen also urged officials to maintain close ties with the people, and guard against bureaucratism in their work and the practice of formality for formality's sake.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid their tributes to spiritual leader and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on his 164th birth anniversary on Wednesday. The PM called him a farsighted visionary whose ideals give strength to many across India.

The leaders life and works epitomised the perfect blend of spirituality and social reform, he tweeted.

I bow to the venerable Sree Narayana Guru on his Jayanti. His life and works epitomised the perfect blend of spirituality and social reform. He emphasised on education and empowerment of women. He was a farsighted visionary whose ideals give strength to many across India, PM Modis tweet read.

Amit Shah called the departed spiritual leader a strong advocate of equality and brotherhood.

Tributes to venerable Swami Sree Narayana Guru ji on his Jayanti. As a social reformer, spiritual leader and strong advocate of equality & brotherhood, he played an instrumental role in setting up the foundations for social reform in Kerala against discrimination and injustice, Shah tweeted.

Sree Narayana Guru was born in 1864 in Keralas Thiruvananthapuram. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality. He laid great emphasis on the idea of one caste, one religion and one god.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross to support its relief efforts in response to Hurricane Laura.



Our thoughts are with the residents of the Gulf Coast region who have been impacted by this storm, said Roy Vaughn, executive director of the BlueCross Foundation. We realize there will be a long road to recovery, especially with COVID-19 precautions in place, but we hope these funds will help to quickly improve the safety and wellbeing of those affected.



Officials said, "Last week, the Category 4 storm quickly intensified before making landfall in southwestern Louisiana with 150 mph peak winds. It caused tremendous damage as far inland as central Louisiana and dropped up to 18 inches of rain as far north as Mississippi and Arkansas. Laura weakened to a tropical storm by Thursday afternoon, but it will be remembered as one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in decades. It has claimed at least six lives, left hundreds of thousands without power and has destroyed many homes and businesses, including those in the hard-hit city of Lake Charles, La."



With this gift from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, the American Red Cross is making an impact for those affected by the destruction caused by Hurricane Laura, said Lori Marsh, regional philanthropy officer with the American Red Cross.



The Red Cross has directed more than 800 trained disaster workers to support the affected areas both on the ground and virtually. In light of COVID-19, they are also working to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to local shelters. Along with the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal, state and local agencies are working to ensure the safety of affected residents.
While Rutgers has taught rigorous data-driven analytical skills as part of its management education for the past 64 years, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) MBA designation reflects the increased importance for business leaders to have a solid understanding of how to use data analytics and innovation to drive decision-making.

"We have taken another giant step toward building a strong business school for the future of work," said Rutgers Business School Dean Lei Lei. "The STEM designation will provide our students with a competitive edge to excel on the job market, and our corporate partners will know they can hire the digital-era talent that they need to make data-driven decisions and become innovative leaders in their organizations."

Learn more about the Return on Investment of a Rutgers MBA. Attend an Online MBA Information Session.

The STEM-designated degree is an option for students who pursue a Rutgers Full-Time MBA, a Part-Time MBA as well as the Executive MBA. International students who complete the STEM MBA (like other STEM programs) are eligible to work up to three years in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship from an employer.

The option allows students to pursue any of the traditional concentrations of study, such as supply chain management or marketing, but requires them to incorporate at least 50 percent of their program credits from curriculum identified as STEM.

Doug Miller, associate dean of MBA programs and an associate professor of management, said the STEM designation was a natural step because Rutgers Business School was already providing the courses and experiences that would help students develop data-driven analytic skills for business use.

More than 50 percent of the existing courses offered as part of the MBA curriculum require advanced mathematics or involve the management of technology, including operations analysis, data mining, business forecasting and quality management.

"The increasing demand for such skills allows Rutgers Business School to leverage its strengths in new ways to make this learning available to more students," Miller said.

The STEM credit requirement will be easy to meet for students with concentrations such as finance, pharmaceutical management, supply chain management and analytics and information management. For students concentrating their studies in real estate or strategy and leadership, meeting the requirement may take more careful planning.

Students who do choose to pursue a STEM MBA may select a concentration or customize a concentration depending on their career goals. Many of the traditional courses offered as part of the MBA program use case studies, experiential learning and collaboration to build knowledge and skills that are not tied to the use of math, science or technology.

The option of earning a STEM MBA increases the strong reputation and return-on-investment of the Rutgers MBA program, which also provides students with access to world-class faculty and connections to an extensive network of alumni as well as a life-changing education.

"The ability to make data-driven decisions involves analysis of situations as well as data," Miller said. "At Rutgers Business School, we're providing students with critical thinking and leadership qualities as well as technical skills."

For more information on the Rutgers STEM MBA designation, contact Rutgers Business School's Office of Graduate Admissions: [email protected] or call 973-353-1234.

SOURCE Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick

Related Links

https://www.business.rutgers.edu


Why have employees wait in drive-thru lines when they could get COVID-19 testing through their companies, much as they get flu shots?

Thats the thinking of UT Physicians, which is offering coronavirus testing services to local businesses as the falling rate of COVID-19 cases again raises the prospect of bringing employees back to the office. Already, UT Physicians, a group of about 2,000 doctors owned by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has signed up eight companies for its testing program.

The physicians group aims to capitalize on its access to the University of Texas Health Science Centers laboratory, which can process up to 1,000 nasal or throat swabs a day and produce results within 48 hours. It would allow companies to bypass testing backlogs that previously plagued contractors such as LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics.

The timeliness and action that (employers) are able to take with their employees is really the selling point, said Kim Alleman, UT Physicians director of nursing and patient care services.

Lab contractors nationwide are introducing return to work testing initiatives as companies determine strategies for bringing employees back into the office. Ready access to testing and quick results is considered crucial by many companies because it can help them prevent someone from unknowingly carrying the virus into the workplace, spreading it to colleagues and forcing the shutdown of production or services.

Finding customers

More Information sin See More Collapse

UT Physicians offer two options. Companies can send individuals to one of UT Physicians four test sites or, for larger companies that want to test groups of employees, clinicians can come to company offices to conduct the testing. Results are provided to both the test-taker and their employer.

Among the firms that have signed up for the testing services is Frazer, a southwest Houston company that builds ambulances and mobile health care clinics. CEO Laura Griffin said she became frustrated by how long it took for her employees to get COVID-19 results back, which by June were taking 10 to 14 days.

Often, employees had to negotiate long lines at test sites, particularly early on. In April, lines to get tested in Houston wrapped around parking lots and clogged streets.

GETTING A VACCINE: Want to volunteer for a COVID vaccine trial? Heres what you need to know.

Frazer in 2014 had designed UT Physicians mobile stroke unit, an ambulance specially designed for stroke patients. Griffin reached out to Alleman, who was thinking about creating a testing program for local businesses. Frazer signed on in June as one of UT Physicians first corporate COVID-19 testing customers.

Frazer pays $150 per test. If a Frazer employee reports COVID-19 symptoms or that theyve been exposed to the virus, a manager can schedule a same-day or next-day test at UT Physicians.

Seven of Griffins roughly 160 workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The corporate test, she said, prevented internal spread within the company.

We consider it a very small cost to keep our employees safe, Griffin said.

On July 30, Bert Jones, a Frazer vice president left work feeling rundown. He woke up at 5:30 the next morning, a Friday, and sent a text about his symptoms to a group chat with colleagues, including Griffin and Christian McPherson, the companys safety director.

Two hours later, McPherson called with instructions to get a COVID-19 test at UT Physicians. By 9 a.m., he was pulling up in an alleyway for a nasal swab at their Texas Medical Center location. At 10 p.m., he had the results: positive.

Jones has a mild case and returned to work July 17. For Griffin, the quick results provided peace of mind that the virus was identified before it could spread.

The speedy turnaround also impressed Alastair McClean, president of Houston-based Enventure Global Technology, which expands pipelines for both onshore and offshore well construction and repair. McClean worried if he didnt catch one COVID-19 case, the virus could spread through his staff of nearly 125 employees  a worry that intensified after one of his workers spent hours in line at a drive-thru testing site.

Its the others exposed as well, McClean said. If theyve been in close contact, we may end up with four or five staff that cant go to work.

Companies pay different prices depending on how many tests they order, with discounts for larger volumes. Enventure paid $250 per test, and allowed employees spouses to be tested at their own expense. Five people have been tested since the company signed up with UT Physicians in early July.

Many of the operators Enventure works with require COVID-19 testing before letting people onto installations. Being able to test quickly gives McClean a sense of which employees are available to work.

Whats allowed

By offering free testing to employees, employers can get a better sense of whether their workers have caught the novel coronavirus. But there may be complications around testing employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act, said Jill Chapman, a senior consultant at Insperity, a Houston human resources services company.

Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

Companies can require workers to take medical exams such as a COVID-19 test swab if it affects their ability to work and because even one infected employee could pose a direct threat to the health of the workforce, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But its not a replacement for social distancing guidelines and masks.

At this time during the pandemic, its legal for all employers to require a test. And it makes sense, especially in workplaces where theres a lot of interaction with customers, such as a restaurant or store, or if employees work in close quarters, such as at a factory.

Tests to determine whether an employee has COVID-19 antibodies are not allowed, because they only determine whether a person has had the disease in the past, not if they pose an immediate threat to their co-workers, according to the EEOC.

Jones, the Frazer executive, said he is grateful that the quick test and speedy results kept him from getting too close with his girlfriend and her kids or going into the office and unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to others. Not long after the test, he broke out into a low-grade fever for eight straight days. He was confined to bed rest for about 10 days.

Three weeks later, when the symptoms subsided, Jones went back to work. Before the pandemic, hed never worried about flu season or a stomach bug going around. But now, Jones said, its valuable to have ready access to COVID-19 testing, not just for himself but also for the 160 other employees at Frazer.

As someone in leadership, I appreciate just knowing were going to get a result within the day, Jones said. Its really a relief.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

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A case has been registered against 34 supporters of a senior Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh for taking out a rally at Sanver in Indore district during the opening of his election office amid COVID-19 pandemic, said on Wednesday. The election office of Premchand Borasi 'Guddu', a former Lok Sabha MP, was opened in view of the upcoming by-election to Sanver assembly seat. The leader is keen to contest the bypoll from there as a Congress candidate.

However, dates from the state bypolls are yet to be announced. A large number of Congress workers on Tuesday took out a rally, which also included a convoy of vehicles, at Sanver, about 30 kms from Indore, officials said.

These workers also raised slogans and waved party flags, they said. In-charge of Sanver Police Station, Santosh Kumar Dudhi, said that in view of the coronavirus outbreak, the district administration has banned rallies and processions.

People, who took part in this rally, allegedly violated the guidelines by not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing, he said. "Thirty-four people who participated in the rally were booked under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (unlawful and negligent act which is likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life) and other provisions," the official said.

He said that Borasi's name was not included in the FIR as he did not attend the rally and reached the office later. "Others who took part in the rally are being identified on the basis of video footages," he said.

Bypolls to 27 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh are necessitated following the resignation of 25 Congress MLAs and death of two legislators. All the MLAs who resigned from Congress later joined the BJP.

These 27 constituencies included Sanver, from where the former Congress MLA Tulsiram Silawat, a minister in the present BJP regime, had resigned. Borasi and Silawat had tested coronavirus positive in the last one-and-a-half months and recovered after treatment.
Gas transit via Ukraine in Jan-Aug shrinks by 42% to 34.8 bcm

21:53, 02.09.20 1222

The decrease in transit along the southern route of Ukraine's GTS was due to the launch of the TurkStream gas pipeline in January 2020.
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks about safety in America during a campaign appearance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 31, 2020.

Joe Biden will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday  his first visit to the crucial swing state this year and two days after President Donald Trump appeared there.

The Democratic presidential nominee's campaign said Biden will hold a community meeting "to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face."

Biden's wife, Jill, will also travel to Kenosha, the campaign said. The two will make a "local stop" after the community meeting, the campaign said.

The trip comes as the city remains in the national spotlight because of the shooting last month of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, by a White police officer in the city.

Blake was shot seven times in the back during the Aug. 23 arrest that is now the subject of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Trump traveled to Kenosha on Tuesday despite the protests of local officials and the state's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who said that the president's visit would only serve to further inflame tensions.

Two people were shot to death and one seriously wounded at one of the Kenosha protests following the Blake shooting. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, has been charged in the shootings at the demonstration.

Trump surveyed damage at the sites of the recent demonstrations and held a roundtable event in which he praised law enforcement, condemned looting and repeated his attacks on what he called "Democrat cities."

Trump said he did not meet with Blake's family because they wanted to have a lawyer present. Biden's campaign did not say whether the Democratic nominee will meet with the family.

Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., have spoken with the family by telephone, the family's attorney Ben Crump said over the weekend.

Biden, who has denounced looting and rioting, has accused Trump of seeking to use protests against police brutality to divide the country and increase animosity.

Biden sounded those themes on Monday during an address in Pittsburgh. Parts of his visit were turned into a new nationwide ad that the campaign said would roll out in key swing states including Wisconsin.

"Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting, it's lawlessness, plain and simple," the former vice president said in the speech. "And those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change. It will only bring destruction. It's wrong in every way."

Trump narrowly beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin in 2016, but Biden has been leading him in recent polls in the state. Clinton infamously did not visit Wisconsin in 2016.

Biden is also ahead of Trump in national surveys, though his margin in some state and national surveys has declined somewhat in recent days.

A CNBC/Change Research poll from August found Biden leading Trump narrowly in Wisconsin, 49-46, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.: A Minnesota man who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota last month has died from COVID-19, Minnesota health officials reported on Wednesday.

The death is the first reported from the biker rally that drew hundreds of thousands of people. Infections linked to the event have been reported among people in states spanning coast to coast. The rally went forward despite fears it could become a super-spread event, with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem welcoming bikers and the tourist dollars they spend.

Rallygoers crowded into bars and rock shows, mostly ignoring social distancing recommendations. Few wore masks.

The man who died in Minnesota was in his 60s, had underlying health conditions and was in an intensive care unit at a hospital before he died, said Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health.

The Washington Post first reported the death.

For 10 days in August, the rally created a travel hub in western South Dakota comparable to a major U.S. city, according to an analysis of anonymous cellphone data from Camber Systems, a firm that aggregates cellphone activity for health researchers. The researches found that 61% of all the counties in the U.S. have been visited by someone who attended Sturgis.

South Dakota has seen the bulk of cases tied to the rally, with the Department of Health reporting 105 tied to the rally. The city of Sturgis made coronavirus tests available to residents and city employees after the rally in an attempt to uncover people who had infections but no symptoms.

Cases among people who attended the rally have been reported in 11 other states, from Washington state to New Jersey.

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
ViacomCBS Networks International has restructured its AVOD and SVOD operations into a new division and appointed Olivier Jollet  previously managing director of Europe for Pluto TV  to head it up.

He becomes Senior Vice President of emerging business for ViacomCBS Networks (VCN) across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

10 All Access is set to be rebranded and significantly expanded in early 2021 as part of a global streaming push.

Jollet most recently headed up Pluto TVs European operations and before that worked at Watchever and Universal Music. He co-founded Quazer, a digital TV-like service and served as MD until it was acquired by Pluto TV in October 2016.

President ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Raffaele Annecchino said: Oliviers digital expertise and entrepreneurial approach are essential to driving growth in these critical areas of the business. With digital initiatives in the region managed by Jollet, we will be ideally positioned to expand our integrated digital ecosystem while offering audiences the best of our brands, products, content and platforms.

Jollett added: Its an honor to be appointed to this strategic role at such a critical moment for the companys digital expansion. I thoroughly look forward to growing scale and reach in these business areas and furthering the companys digital transformation.

ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish said the service would launch early 2021 in high-value territories including Australia, Latin America and the Nordics.

Source: TBIVision
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Teachers and parents are not disappointed that there is more time to prepare for school after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the 2020-2021 academic year is delayed until Sept. 21 amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Some Staten Island parents said they welcome the delay to allow more time for schools to be fully prepared. Late last month, parents expressed concern over a lack of information from the city on everything from instructional methods to transportation.
She's known for changing up her fashion looks - and Kim Kardashian pulled out another striking number on Tuesday night.

The social media icon, 39, stepped out of her glittering Rolls Royce wearing a burnt orange suede shirt which had a subtle plunging neckline.

She tucked it into a contrasting pair of brown leather trousers and mixed up her textures with snake-print boots.

Fashion icon: Kim Kardashian wore a suede shirt with leather trousers and sported a long braid as she visited a friend in Malibu on Tuesday

Kim had her raven hair tied in a slicked back do and wore a long braided hair extension as she visited a friend's house in Malibu.

The TV star took a phone call as she made her way into her friend's house and was sporting perfectly groomed make-up for the outing.

The mother-of-four has also been busy promoting her latest SKIMS collection on Instagram of late so was no doubt thrilled to be having some downtime.

Kanye, is that you? The TV star took a phone call as she made her way into her friend's house and was sporting perfectly groomed make-up for the outing

Business model: The mother-of-four has also been busy promoting her latest SKIMS collection on Instagram of late so was no doubt thrilled to be having some downtime

As well as working on her entrepreneurial projects. Kim has also said she is aiming to free rapper C-Murder from his life sentence.

The star has become a force in the world of criminal justice reform, and is now working to free the brother of Master P who is serving a life sentence for the 2002 killing of Steve Thomas.

Since his conviction, the 49-year-old rapper (real name Corey Miller) has maintained his innocence.

Stunning: The social media icon, 39, stepped out of her Rolls Royce wearing a burnt orange suede shirt which had a subtle plunging neckline

Busy: As well as working on her entrepreneurial projects. Kim has also said she is aiming to free rapper C-Murder from his life sentence

Many believe he is the victim of multiple missteps during the case's investigation and his trial.

In addition to her 18 hours of legal work each week, Kardashian has made some serious steps after beginning her four-year apprenticeship with a San Francisco law firm in 2018.

Over the weekend, the aspiring lawyer used her massive social media platform to shine a light on his case.
Breast and ovarian cancers are common diseases that affect many women. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), About 3% of breast cancers (about 7,500 women per year) and 10% of ovarian cancers (about 2,000 women per year) result from inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Both genes are detectable in the Womens Excellence Genetic Testing Program.

Dr. Jonathan Zaidan, MD, FACOG, President of Womens Excellence recommends genetic testing for all women, especially women with family members who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. Knowing your family cancer history and genetic make-up may help prevent cancer or detect it at an earlier stage, says Zaidan. If your family has a strong history of ovarian or breast cancer, it is likely that you could carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.

To be eligible for genetic testing, patients need to identify their hereditary cancer risk. Womens Excellence offers a quick risk assessment survey at https://www.womensexcellence.com/risk-assessment/. Once the assessment has been completed, Womens Excellence will contact you within 72 hours to schedule your genetic test or an overall cancer prevention visit within.

To schedule an in-office appointment or a telemedicine consultation, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com. Online Patient Support Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm to assist new, current, and prospective patients. The chat is located at the bottom right corner of your computer or mobile device screen at http://www.WomensExcellence.com. During offline hours, all chats sent will be messaged directly to a Womens Excellence team member. Offline messages will receive a response within 24 hours. Messages received during the weekend will be answered the next business week. Appointments can also be made at (248) 693-0543.

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Womens Excellence is the most comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic office in Michigan. Additionally, they specialize in menopause, weight control, bladder control, endometriosis, robotic surgery, oncology, and midwifery services. Womens Excellence is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation with cutting edge technologies utilizing robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgical options when possible. The knowledgeable, compassionate physicians and healthcare providers of Womens Excellence focus on patient-centered processes to deliver the highest quality of care. They are affiliated with most insurances. They offer seamless medical record access via a state-of-the-art patient portal and use the latest technology for record keeping and sharing, making the patient experience easier and more efficient. Womens Excellence is taking new patients and is conveniently located throughout southeastern Michigan in Clarkston, Lake Orion, Lapeer, Rochester, Royal Oak, and West Bloomfield. Womens Excellence is also a proud partner of Detroits longstanding radio network, WJR 760AM, providing expert womens health news and information. For more information, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com.
Since the beginning of the summer, every state in the country has had an increase in the number of young people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, as a share of all cases. In late May, about 5% of the nations cases were documented in minors. By Aug. 20, that number had risen to more than 9%.
TOKYO - World War II ended 75 years ago, but not all countries commemorate it on the same day. Wednesday is the anniversary of the formal Sept. 2, 1945, surrender of Japan to the United States, when documents were signed officially ending years of bloody fighting in a ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Its known as V-J Day in some countries. But some nations mark Aug. 15 as the wars end, the day Japans emperor made a speech announcing the surrender.

Five questions and answers about Japans surrender:

Q: WHAT IS V-J DAY?

A: An abbreviation for Victory over Japan Day, marked by the United States and its allies in the war and by the Asian victims of Japan who won their liberation from years of atrocities and oppression. Some countries, including Britain, Australia, the Netherlands and the Koreas, mark Japans surrender on Aug. 15. Others, including the United States, mark the day on Sept. 2, while the Philippines, China and Russia observe Sept. 3. Japan mourns for its war dead on Aug. 15 in a solemn ceremony attended by the emperor, political leaders and veterans families.

Q: WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT DATES?

A: The countries that observe Aug. 15 mark Japans public announcement of its surrender. Others commemorate Sept. 2, when Japan formally signed its surrender, ending a conflict that lasted, in various degrees, nearly half a century in parts of Asia. Then-U.S. President Harry Truman said that the V-J Day proclamation had to wait until Japan officially signed the surrender terms.

Countries also mark different dates for political and historical reasons. In 2014, China set Sept. 3 as a newly formalized historical day to annually mark the Victory Day of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The country celebrates with a military march. The Philippines also observes Sept. 3, the day in 1945 when Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered in that country. Russia, which declared war against Japan on Aug. 9, took military action against Japan until early September.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED ON AUG. 15, 1945?

A: At noon on Aug. 15, days after the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima on Aug. 6 and Nagasaki on Aug. 9, Japanese Emperor Hirohito broadcast a surrender message to his people on the radio. The broadcast came one day after Japan told the United States and its allies that it was surrendering, and Hirohito and Japanese ministers signed the Imperial Rescript of Surrender.

The emperors radio statement was prerecorded on Aug. 14 in secrecy. Palace officials protected the records from army officials who stormed the palace to steal them. The emperors voice, which most Japanese were hearing for the time time, was muffled and nearly inaudible because of poor sound quality.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPT. 2, 1945?

A: A formal signing of Japans surrender was held aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where in 1854 Navy Commodore Matthew Perry had signed a treaty with Japan to open up the feudal nation for trade with the United States. Aboard the USS Missouri, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu signed the Instrument of Surrender. The two men were later convicted of war crimes.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, also Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, signed for the United Nations, with Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz signing for the U.S. Delegates from other allied nations, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, China and the Soviet Union, witnessed the half-hour ceremony.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD?

A: The official signing of Japans surrender ordered that the country must cease all military actions, liberate prisoners of war and others in captivity and follow other terms. It also launched a seven-year U.S. occupation that lasted until the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in April 1952, allowing Japans return to the international community. Japan has since become a major U.S. ally in defence and other areas.

Since 1954, Japan has spent tens of billions of dollars in development aid, initially meant as war compensation, for the region. But it took more than two decades for Japan to normalize diplomatic ties with some of its wartime Asian foes. It restored ties with South Korea in 1965, and with China in 1972, though disputes over wartime history continue to affect Japans ties with its neighbours. Japan has yet to sign a peace treaty with Russia because of territorial disputes and has not established diplomatic ties with North Korea.

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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Wed, September 2, 2020 15:41 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4239dd5 1 Politics PDI-P,Bobby-Nasution,Jokowi,Medan-mayoral-election,Joko-Widodo,Medan,North-Sumatra Free

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has sacked members who have refused to support the nomination of President Joko Jokowi Widodos son-in-law, Bobby Afif Nasution, for mayor of Medan, North Sumatra.

The dismissal came three days prior to Bobbys registration with the General Elections Commission (KPU), scheduled on Friday, for the simultaneous regional elections in December.

Hasyim, the head of the PDI-Ps Medan chapter, confirmed on Tuesday that four executives from the Medan PDI-P branch management (PAC) had been fired for not supporting Bobby's candidacy.

The four were Medan PAC Johor chair Gumana Lubis, Medan PAC Perjuangan chair Tumpal Sitanggang, Medan PAC area chair Suhardian and Medan PAC Selayang chair Muda Prana Sinuraya.

The dismissed [members] were provocateurs who rejected Bobbys candidacy. On the contrary, they openly supported Medan acting mayor Akhyar Nasution, who is Bobbys rival in the regional election, Hasyim told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Hasyim said other PDI-P members could face dismissal if they were found to support Akhyar.

Akhyar, formerly a senior PDI-P member, was recently fired from his position in the partys North Sumatra chapter after he turned his back on the ruling party and joined the Democratic Party to secure his candidacy in the citys mayoral race.

Read also: PDI-P recommends Ma'ruf Amin grandson as deputy regent candidate in West Java

He jumped ship after Bobby, who had been a member of the PDI-P for five months, was touted as a candidate for the race by PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri  a decision opposed by a number of PDI-P members in Medan, including the four recently fired officials.

Previously, former Medan PAC Perjuangan chair Tumpal Sitanggang said he rejected Bobbys nomination because he was not a true PDI-P member and was a forced candidate.

PDI-P is a party of members, not a family party. Therefore, we reject Bobbys nomination because he is not a member, said Tumpal, adding he was ready to bear the consequences of his position.

Tumpal said his team was ready to support Akhyars candidacy even though he had been nominated by another party. We will build strength to support Akhyar Nasution, he said.

PDI-P Medan chapter secretary Robi Barus said Bobbys registration with the regional KPU would take place on Friday. The Gerinda Party, the Golkar Party, the NasDem Party and the United Development Party (PPP) have joined the PDI-P in supporting Bobbys nomination

The nomination of Akhyar and his running mate Salman Alfarisi has been backed by the Democratic Party and the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Salman is a PKS member who currently serves as the North Sumatra Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) deputy speaker.

Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said he would provide full support for Akhyar in the Medan mayoral race.

We will give full support and prayers. Of course, we will fight together, sweat together, Agus said in a recent video message to Akhyar. (syk)
Social media addicts, left and right, stand ferociously against  against the present as a nightmare of injustice, the right glorifying the pasts utterly vanished greatness, the left rejecting the past as a pollutant of the present, and everyone adopting the webs rhetoric of the rant. Todays arsonists and looters are acting out the protesters principles that the nation is founded on genocide and slavery, and is dominated by white supremacists. If so, why not burn it down?
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  The National Bureau of Investigation filed criminal charges before the Office of the Ombudsman Tuesday against 19 Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers and personnel for alleged money-making activities dubbed the Pastillas scheme.

The officers, who were relieved form their posts, were assigned at Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, according to the statement released by NBI on Wednesday.

According to the NBI statement, they will be charged with violations under Sections 3(a) and 3(j) of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

A private individual named Liya Wu was also recommended to be charged for the crime of Corruption of Public Officials as defined and penalized under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code, according to the NBI.

Wu is the owner of Empire International Travel and Tours, which was named as one of the travel agencies that allegedly paid pastillas money.

The Pastillas scheme was brought to light in February after a whistle blower named Allison Chiong appeared before the Senate to testify about the bribery scheme that allows Chinese nationals to enter the country with ease for a fee.
By Azernews





By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has said Armenia was behind the defamation campaign and disinformation spread against Azerbaijan in the Russian media.

Abduallayeva made the remarks on September 2.

Once again, we are witnessing the dissemination of unfounded information against Azerbaijan, which is not based on any facts and reliable sources and is complete disinformation. We consider this as a defamatory and ugly campaign against our country, Abdullayeva said while commenting on the recent article published in Russias Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

The spokesperson stressed that Armenia, which is currently facing the problem of mobilization and plans to recruit militia, including foreign mercenaries, on a voluntary basis, is trying to divert the attention of the international community from its nefarious plans by spreading such fake information against Azerbaijan.

There is no doubt that Armenia, which has recruited mercenaries and terrorists from the Middle East as part of its aggressive policy against Azerbaijan, is behind this campaign.

Abdullayeva reminded that Monte Melkonian, one of the leaders of the ASALA terrorist organization and a direct participant in the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh, was declared a national hero in Armenia and was even included in Armenian textbooks for his heroism.

We emphasize that Azerbaijan has a strong and professional army, and our country does not need any outside forces to give a decent response to adversary forces, as well as to restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, Abdullayeva concluded.
He recently returned to the helm of Good Morning Britain following his Summer holiday break.

And Piers Morgan took a call from his daughter Elise, eight, during Wednesday's show as he wished her good luck as she returned to school.

The broadcaster, 55, jokingly ribbed colleague Susanna Reid, 49, during the call, as he mocked her for stating that it was the taking part that counted in the wake of their co-star Ranvir Singh's Strictly announcement.

That's lovely: Piers Morgan sweetly talked to his daughter Elise, 8, live on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday as he wished her good luck on her first day back at school

As the programme returned from an ad break, Piers was seen chatting on his mobile phone, where he revealed he was catching up with his daughter.

He told the camera: 'Just speaking to my daughter live on air, wishing her good luck for her first day back at school, and all her friends.

While his co-host Susanna Reid chimed in: 'Good luck Elise!'

Piers continued: 'She's good a message for Susanna: It's fine to have fun on things like Strictly, but actually, you've got to win. Quite right Elise'.

That's my girl: The broadcaster, 55, took a call from his daughter during the show as he wished her and her friends well as they went back to school

Susanna then snapped back: 'Well I wonder who taught you that, Elise?'

With Piers replying: 'She's been taught well.'

As he continued to chat with his child, he added: 'So have fun, but win. Alright Elise, I've got to go, we're live on air. I'll talk to you later, bye.'

Confirming that Piers was indeed on a real phone call, Susanna explained: 'He genuinely is talking to his daughter by the way.'

Chit chat: As the programme returned from an ad break, Piers was seen chatting on his mobile phone, where he revealed he was catching up with his daughter

Mock: Piers jokingly ribbed colleague Susanna Reid, 49, during the call, as he mocked her for stating that it was the taking part that counted in the wake of their co-star Ranvir Singh's Strictly announcement

While fellow presenter Ranvir Singh was heard saying: 'That is so sweet!'

Susanna then referred back to her and Piers' earlier clash over Ranvir's unveiling as a new Strictly Come Dancing contestant which saw Piers insisting that she had to win, while Susanna argued that it was the taking part that counted.

Susanna told Ranvir: 'Don't let Elise pile the pressure on you.'

With Piers adding: 'She's got three older brothers, it's all about winning.'

Earlier this month, Piers joked his daughter Elise was channelling her inner Susanna Reid in a series of amusing snaps shared via Instagram.

Sweet message: Just speaking to my daughter live on air, wishing her good luck for her first day back at school, and all her friends

Important call: Confirming that Piers was indeed on a real phone call, Susanna explained: 'He genuinely is talking to his daughter by the way'

Drama: Susanna then referred back to her and Piers' earlier clash over Ranvir's unveiling as a new Strictly Come Dancing contestant which saw Piers insisting that she had to win

Piers looked on amused as his youngest child, who he shares with wife Celia Waldon, put on an animated display behind him.

The first photo saw both Elise and Piers smile brightly, before she wagged her finger at him angrily, and then pulled a funny face.

Things then took a dramatic turn in the fourth snap as Elise pretended to throttle her dad as he put on a shocked expression for the camera.

Referring to his Good Morning Britain co-presenter, Piers wrote in the caption: 'Elise modelling her inner Susanna.'

Playtime: Piers joked daughter Elise was 'channelling her inner Susanna Reid' as she told off the Good Morning Britain presenter during their St Tropez trip in snaps

Amused: In the collage Elise and Piers smiled, before she wagged her finger at him angrily, pulled a funny face, and then pretended to throttle him which he said was her 'inner Susanna'

Susanna seemed to enjoy the snaps very much, as she claimed Elise's interpretation of her was 'perfection.'

Earlier on during his trip, Piers ended up on crutches after tearing a tendon on the second day of his six-week family holiday.

The presenter shared a snap of himself using the crutches on Monday while stood alongside his sons Spencer, 26, Stanley, 22, and Albert, 19.

Alongside the photo, he wrote: 'Peg-leg. (nothing like tearing a tendon on Day 2 of a 6-week holiday) #StTropez'.

Delighted: Susanna (pictured with Piers in July) seemed to enjoy the snaps very much, as she claimed Elise's interpretation of her was 'perfection'


Across America, many public spaces are taking on an unlikely new responsibility this fall. They are welcoming children for distance learning while their parents go to work. Among such places are martial arts centers, dance schools, community centers and libraries.

With many schools still closed because of the coronavirus crisis, a lot of Americans are looking for places to provide supervised learning to children during the workday.

These places can help families that had difficulties with distance learning last spring. But organizers admit they are a poor replacement for schools with professional educators.

One example is in Broward County, Florida. When schools in the area announced plans to begin the new year with distance learning, dance studio owner Katie Goughan thought immediately about the difficulties facing working parents.

Her dance school, Dance Explosion Company in Hollywood, Florida, hired a temporary teacher. The teacher is there from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make sure the students are studying. The dance school program costs $150 a week, or $35 a day.

I thought to myself, What would my parents have done with me? Goughan said. She added that she wanted to reduce any stress that parents might be under right now trying to find somewhere for their kids to do their schoolwork.

The dance school currently accepts 10 children during the day. All of them wear face coverings. Goughan says temperature checks are carried out and the children are urged to use hand sanitizer often.

Some experts note, however, that inviting students to gather in new spaces could increase the risk of caregivers catching the virus.

Dr. Aileen Marty is a disease specialist at Florida International University. She told The Associated Press that the only way groups outside of school will work is if you know everybody in that group, a very small group, and everyone is tested and tested negative.

Jennifer Quisenberry, a 37-year-old nurse practitioner, is sending her 6-year-old daughter, Audra, to a distance learning camp. The program is held at Premier Martial Arts in Wildwood, Missouri.

Her daughters school district is beginning the year online. But Jennifer and her husband have to go to work.

We cant not come to work, Quisenberry said. My partners said I could bring Audra to work. But a hospital is not an ideal setting for a 6-year-old in the middle of a pandemic.

While many wealthy American parents are turning to so-called learning pods and private teachers, nonprofits and local governments are trying to help low income families.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, city officials announced recently that they would open 31 drop-off sites at community centers, libraries, and other places. The program will pay attention to families with the greatest need, including those who cannot afford childcare and those who do not have internet at home.

San Francisco is creating community learning hubs at 40 places across the city to help with distance learning for children who are poor, homeless, in foster care or learning English as a second language.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the parks department is working with nonprofit groups to offer distance learning to hundreds of students. For students from Kansas City Public Schools, the citys poorest district, the program is free.

It is tough for parents with school-aged children who are too old to go to preschool, and hiring a babysitter or nanny is not an option for their finances, said Roosevelt Lyons, deputy director of operations for the parks department.

Carrie Hutchcraft is the chief administrator with the Magic House, a childrens museum in Kirkwood, Missouri. The museum offers a distance learning program for about 80 students each day. Hutchcrafts own 9- and 7-year-olds will be among them.

I feel like they already have got behind in learning new things last year, but we cant do that again, she said.

I'm John Russell

Heather Hollingsworth and Freida Frisaro reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor.

Quiz - Distance Learning in the United States Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



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Words in This Story

martial  n. of or relating to combat, fighting, war or soldiers

stress - n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.

sanitizer - n. a chemical substance designed to kill germs

negative - adj. not showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance

pandemic - n. medical : an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

hub  n. the central and most active part or place

foster -- adj. always used before a noun used to describe a situation in which for a period of time a child lives with and is cared for by people who are not the child's parents

museum -- n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public




NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EYElliance, a multi-sector coalition that drives the global strategy to close the gap in access to eyeglasses, today announced the appointment of H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Honorary Board Chair.

According to the WHO there are nearly 1 billion individuals around the world living with vision impairment that could be easily corrected with a pair of eyeglasses most of whom are living in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs). This visual divide has far reaching negative implications on children's ability to learn in school, productivity in the working poor, road safety, adult literacy, and access to digital economies.

Since 2016, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has served as a Vision Champion for EYElliance. During this period the organization, with her steadfast support, has launched, alongside the Liberian Ministries of Health and Education, a comprehensive national school eye health strategy anchored by the new capacity created by the country's first tertiary eye hospital at JFK Medical Centre. Today all children attending public schools who have eye conditions identified by the new initiative receive a free pair of eyeglasses, if needed, and for those requiring advanced care are treated at Eye Centre in JFK Medical Centre free of charge.

In recognition of her commitment to ensuring equitable access to eye care for all Liberians - and children worldwide, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was appointed Honorary Board Chair at EYElliance.

For her part, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, said "eye health is a critical link between health, education, and economic prosperity," while welcoming the opportunity to replicate the success of the effort she initiated in Liberia, now embraced and carried forward by the current administration. "School eye health programs, recognized by the World Bank as achievable and affordable for LMICs, have the potential to be remembered as a key turning point in closing the visual divide in our lifetimes," she stated.

As Africa's first elected female Head of State, H.E. Johnson Sirleaf has become a popular symbol of democracy, leadership and gender equity, globally. She continues to champion women and economic empowerment, particularly women in leadership and politics through her Presidential Center for Women and Development. She also remains active within the global development community recently being appointed by the WHO to co-chair the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and named to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Council advisory council.

"We are honored and humbled by President Sirleaf's continued engagement with EYElliance and are thrilled to be the beneficiaries of the depth and breadth of her expertise within the context of this new role," said Liz Smith, Co-Founder & CEO EYElliance.

About EYElliance

EYElliance is a multi-sector coalition that drives the global strategy to close the gap in access to eyeglasses. We make the case for action and investment in this issue area, ultimately unlocking government funding and crowding in private capital to solve the problem at scale. EYElliance breaks down barriers and unites leaders from across sectors behind one common goal: to unlock human potential, one pair of eyeglasses at a time. Contact information: Jay Corless, jay@eyelliance.org

Related Links

http://eyelliance.org



SOURCE EYElliance
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 20:42:41|Editor: huaxia

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MACAO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The gross weight of containerized cargo by land to Macao in July grew by 18.6 percent year-on-year to 1,888 tons, the special administrative region's statistic service said on Wednesday.

The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the inward transit cargo passing through the Cotai Checkpoint leapt by 327.4 percent to 922 tons.

In the first seven months of 2020, the gross weight of containerized cargo by land rose by 33.4 percent year-on-year to 13,463 tons.

The gross weight of port containerized cargo fell by 22.7 percent year-on-year to 10,298 tons in July, owing to a slip of 74.1 percent in cargo handled at the Kaho Harbour. Meanwhile, cargo shipped through the Inner Harbour went up by 15.2 percent to 8,835 tons.

In the first seven months of 2020, the gross weight of port containerized cargo decreased by 28.4 percent year-on-year to 61,633 tons.

The air cargo in July totaled 2,048 tons, a drop of 37.4 percent year-on-year. The gross weight of inward cargo, outward cargo and transit cargo shrank by 49.8 percent, 24.7 percent and 83.8 percent respectively to 297 tons, 1,678 tons and 73 tons.

In the first seven months of 2020, the air cargo reduced by 29.5 percent year-on-year to 15,263 tons. Enditem
(Newser)  A year after Thailand's king stripped his royal consort of her titles, he's pretending he did no such thing. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has restored the royal consort title and major-general military rank of Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, according to a palace statement. It describes Sineenat as "untainted," per Reuters. "Therefore, the stripping of royal titles, official position in serving the crown in military capacity and military ranks and the recall of all declarations has never taken place." Sineenat, 35, hadn't been seen publicly since her fall last October, only a few months after she was named Thailand's first royal consort in almost a century, per the AP. She was then accused of "disloyalty against the monarch" for attempts to raise herself to the position of queen.

story continues below

That didn't sit well with the actual queen, the king's fourth wife and the former deputy head of his security detail, 42-year-old Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya. The king responded by denouncing Sineenat just as he did with his second and third wives, per the BBC. It's unclear what led to the reconciliation. But Sineenat, a pilot and bodyguard, was reported to have arrived this week in Germany, where the king spends much of his time, per Reuters. The announcement comes amid calls to reform the monarchy, which is above criticism by law. Protesters have challenged the king's decisions to claim Crown wealth as his own property, rather than that of the people, and to take personal command of all military units in Bangkok, per the BBC. (Read more Thailand stories.)
Weve seen it time and again where state contracts created with the purpose of improving minority communities are not awarded to those most qualified to reach these audiences  entrepreneurs who look like us.

The Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce is fighting mad. Despite there being 144,000 Black-owned businesses in Illinois that represent extremely diverse industries and generate millions in taxable revenue for the state, Black businesses continue to be overlooked and undervalued by the State of Illinois.

The Central Management Services, which oversees the States more than 80 agencies, has an annual operating budget of $84.5 billion and is tasked with hiring the contractors and vendors that enable the state to take care of state business  delivering efficient, reliable services to the people of Illinois.

Sadly, very little of this annual budget and accompanying contracts are ever awarded to Black-owned businesses, even though Illinois' Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act (30 ILCS 575/) establishes, as an aspirational goal, that not less than 20 percent of the total dollar amount of State contracts be awarded to businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities.

The Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce (ILBCC) was created to help right such inequities. Our mission is simple. We exist to empower Black enterprises in order to strengthen Black communities.

Our goal is for all Black businesses in Illinois to become sustainable, high-growth enterprises by assisting with building their capacity to compete effectively for local, state, and federal commercial contracting. Crafting solutions that directly help reduce economic disparities that impact our communities is what the State Black Chamber does.

Recently, we joined forces with former employees of the Illinois Department of Transportation to demand an investigation of the recurrent and documented systemic racism at IDOT, which has a staggering budget of $23.4 billion this year. Were working together to ensure that Black Americans get a fair chance to reap the benefits of the tax dollars theyve paid into the Federal Highway Fund, with reference to internal and external hiring as well as subcontracting opportunities.

Weve seen it time and again where state contracts created with the purpose of improving minority communities are not awarded to those most qualified to reach these audiences  entrepreneurs who look like us. Just take the U.S. Census Bureau. For the 2020 Census, a White-owned agency was awarded a whopping half-billion dollar contract with the U.S. Census Bureau, even though the campaign was aimed at providing community outreach to underserved and hard-to-reach populations ... in other words, Black and Brown folks. Multicultural agencies were brought onboard as subcontractors, but even when we are awarded the contracts, the actual budgets allocated to do effective programming and place impactful ad buys with local and regional Black media is typically miniscule.

The disparity in State spending, across all industries, with Black-owned companies is unacceptable. We contend that things would have been much different if Black businesses had a seat at the table when that decision was being made. Thats why the ILBCC, its members, and 12 affiliate chambers and chapters are calling for a meeting with decision makers in Springfield to discuss these issues.

In addition, the State of Illinois has a dismal track record of awarding contracts to Black- owned PR and advertising agencies whose work helps fuel Black media  newspapers, radio stations, magazines. Black media entrepreneurs like Tom Burrell of Burrell Communications, the late Earl Graves of Black Enterprise Magazine and John H. Johnson of Jet and Ebony, and countless others whose pioneering efforts made Black history also became centerpieces of American history.

Black media purveyors are the frontline communications platforms for the Black community, routinely providing and covering stories about whats happening in and to Black America. According to Nielsen Ad Intel, advertisers invested $18 billion on Black American-focused media in 2018, which represents 21 percent of the total $83 billion spent on advertising. The States inability to do business with Black media and Black PR and advertising agencies is unacceptable. Again, we demand a seat at the table.

Because of nationally televised and undeniably graphic videos of Blacks being beaten and murdered across this country, millions of Americans have awakened to the pandemic of racism and inequality that Black people have endured for centuries. We now want to wake the State of Illinois to the economic as well as social injustices that Black businesses here experience each time they are denied the opportunity to contract with the State because they werent invited to have a seat at the table.

Black-owned businesses account for nearly 20 percent of all businesses in Illinois. Doing business with Black-owned businesses not only benefits business owners, but when you hire and do business with Black-owned companies, you actually are investing in the broader Black community because Black businesses typically train and hire from within the community. This is economic development at its core, from the inside out.

The current social justice climate has ignited the flame for companies and brands across the country to step up and do more to ensure a more level playing field. Why should the state government be exempt from this clarion call?

Our track record of successfully operating companies with multi-million dollar revenues should be proof enough to Governor J.B. Pritzker and the other powers in Springfield that Black-owned businesses are more than qualified and willing to handle their projects. We have earned our seats at the table!

Larry Ivory

President & CEO

Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce
A medical staff takes samples of a woman to test for the novel coronavirus in Quang Tri Province on August 5, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao.

Vietnam recorded two new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, one a community transmission and the other imported, taking the national tally to 1,046.

"Patient 1045" is a 72-year-old man from Gia Loc District in the northern province of Hai Duong. He developed a fever and headache on August 19 and was admitted to the Hai Duong General Hospital on August 30.

He tested positive for the novel coronavirus twice on Tuesday and Wednesday and is now being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi.

It was the first community transmission recorded in Vietnam in four days, raising the number of community transmission in Hai Duong since the Covid-19 resurgence in late July to 17.

"Patient 1046" is a 30-year-old man from the northern province of Thai Binh who works for Nippon Maru, a cargo ship from Japan. The ship docked at the Nha Trang Port in the central province of Khanh Hoa on August 30 and he was quarantined upon arrival.

He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on September 2 and is being treated at the Khanh Hoa Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Of the national Covid-19 tally of 1,046, 746 have recovered. There have been 691 community transmission cases, 550 of them recorded since July 25, linked to Da Nang City.

Da Nang hospitals discharged 11 patients aged 16 to 82 on Wednesday, after they repeatedly tested negative for the virus.

Among the active patients, 117 have tested negative at least once.

The nation has lost 34 lives aged 28-93 to the pandemic, all of them suffering from pre-existing conditions including chronic kidney disease.

Among the active cases, eight are in serious condition, with five on ventilators and two on ECMO. Most of these patients are linked to Da Nang.

Over 66,000 people are currently quarantined - 15,000 are in quarantine facilities, 3,000 in hospitals and the rest at home.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed 862,065 lives globally.
Pentagon: China Expected to Double Nukes in Next Decade

By Carla Babb September 01, 2020

A new Pentagon report predicts that China will "at least double" the size of its nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade as it pursues its own nuclear triad to conduct nuclear strikes by land, sea and air.

China's modernization and expansion of its nuclear force is part of a broader effort aimed at matching, and in some cases surpassing, the United States military by 2049 as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon's annual "China Military Power" report to Congress that was released Tuesday.

The report said the number of Chinese nuclear warheads is currently estimated to be slightly more than 200 and includes those that can be fitted to ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

This is the first time the Pentagon has stated a specific number of Chinese warheads, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia told reporters this week.

"We're certainly concerned about the numbers," Sbragia said, "but also just the trajectory of China's nuclear developments writ large."

U.S. capabilities

The United States' nuclear arsenal, with an estimated 3,800 warheads in active status, would still dwarf the Chinese arsenal. The U.S. has submarines and aircraft capable of delivering a nuclear strike, along with intercontinental ballistic missiles on land.

China lacks the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air, but the Pentagon said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear capable air-to-air refueling bomber late last year.

In the past 15 years, the Chinese Navy has constructed 12 nuclear submarines, six of which provide China's first "credible, sea-based nuclear deterrent," according to the report. By the mid-2020s it will likely build a new, guided-missile nuclear attack submarine that could provide a secret land-attack option if equipped with land-attack cruise missiles.

China has declined urgings from the Trump administration to join the U.S. and Russia in a deal to limit strategic nuclear arms. Without China's added participation, the U.S. appears poised to let an existing U.S.-Russia arms treaty known as New START expire in February 2021.

'Rule-breaking behavior'

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the world's "free and open" system forged in the wake of World War II was under attack by what he called China's "rule-breaking behavior" in the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke in Hawaii ahead of travel in the Indo-Pacific region to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Wednesday.

Esper called the Indo-Pacific region the "epicenter" of great power competition, vowing not to "cede an inch" to countries that threaten international freedoms, in an apparent dig at China.

Amid Chinese military exercises last week, Beijing fired four medium-range ballistic missiles from mainland China into the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a U.S. defense official told VOA.

The Pentagon issued a statement of concern, saying China's actions "stand in contrast to its pledge to not militarize the South China Sea and are in contrast to the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms."

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AL-DHAFRA AIR BASE, Abu Dhabi: After accompanying an Israeli delegation to the UAE for historic normalisation talks, White House adviser Jared Kushner set off on a tour of other Gulf capitals on Tuesday, looking for more Arab support.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates set up a joint committee to cooperate on financial services at the talks in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Kushner, President Donald Trumps son-in-law, accompanied the Israeli delegation on Monday on what was billed as the first Israeli commercial flight to the influential Gulf monarchy, which agreed in August to normalise relations.

Israel exchanged embassies with neighbours Egypt and Jordan under peace deals decades ago. But until now, all other Arab states had demanded it first cede more land to the Palestinians.

In remarks reported by the UAE state news agency WAM, Kushner suggested other Arab states could follow quickly. Asked when the next would normalise ties with Israel, he was quoted as saying: Lets hope its months.

Kushner later flew to Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia and is expected also to visit Qatar.

While no other Arab country has yet indicated a willingness to follow the UAE, the richest, Saudi Arabia, allowed the El Al charter flight carrying Kushner and the Israelis to use its air space.

In Bahrain, which houses the U.S. naval headquarters for the region, the state news agency reported that during his meeting with Kushner, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had praised the role the UAE has played in defending Arab and Islamic interests.

In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Kushner discussed the need for the Palestinians and the Israelis to resume negotiations and reach a lasting peace, state news agency SPA reported.

The UAE, United States and Israel on Monday urged the Palestinians to re-engage" with the Israelis, according to a joint statement carried by the Emirati state news agency.

DISGRACED FOREVER"

The Palestinians have denounced the UAE agreement with Israel, which they say violates a longstanding pan-Arab position that Israel could normalise relations only in return for land. The UAE says it obtained a major concession from Israel to halt plans to annexe territory on the occupied West Bank.

The Gulf Arab states are mainly ruled by Sunni Muslim monarchs who consider their biggest foe to be Shiite Iran, and Israel has long held out the promise that their common enemy could bring them together.

In a fiery speech on Tuesday, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: The Emiratis will be disgraced forever for this treachery against the Islamic world, Arab nations and Palestine.

The UAE, along with Israelis and evil Americans like the Jewish member of Trumps family, are working together against the interests of the Islamic world, Khamenei said, referring to Kushner, who is Jewish.

Asked about Khameneis remarks, UAE Foreign Ministry official Jamal Al-Musharakh told reporters in Abu Dhabi: The path to peace and prosperity is not paved with incitement and hate speech.

Israeli officials have played up the economic benefits of the UAE deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said representatives of the two countries had signed an agreement on cooperation in financial services.

The state-run Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Invest in Israel, part of Israels economy ministry, issued a joint statement saying they had agreed to set out a plan to establish formal cooperation.

The Gulf states biggest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank later said it would open discussions with Israel lenders Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi.

Amid the historic normalisation talks, Kushner spent a morning meeting UAE military officials at an Abu Dhabi air base that houses U.S. military F-35 jets, advanced stealth aircraft which the Gulf state has long sought to buy despite Israeli objections.

The UAE has said normalisation should remove any hurdle blocking the sale. Netanyahu said on Monday Israel still opposes selling the jets to the UAE.

(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi, Alexander Cornwell and Maha El Dahan in DUBAI; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Giles Elgood and Lisa Shumaker)

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
Australia's first recession in 29 years was confirmed as COVID-19 clusters grew in Sydney, while the Queensland premier came under fire during an eventful day in Australia's fight against the virus.

In what Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as a 'heartbreaking blow' on Wednesday, the country's gross domestic product shrank 7 per cent in the three months to June.

Meanwhile, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard took aim at Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for 'putting people's lives at risk' by keeping the state border closed.

Here's the latest.

Australia entered its first recession in thirty years as GDP fell by 6.3 per cent in the year to June, with treasurer Josh Fyrdenberg (pictured releasing GDP figures) saying Australians faced a 'hard and bumpy road'

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

* Victoria recorded 90 new cases on Wednesday, up from 70 on Tuesday.

* A further six deaths takes the state toll to 576 and the national figure to 663.

* The Victorian government's six-month extension to state of emergency powers was narrowly passed through the upper house just before 2am on Wednesday.

* Premier Daniel Andrews reiterated there was no guarantee that Victoria's lockdown provisions would be eased at the conclusion of six weeks in lockdown.

* Victoria's state of disaster was extended to September 13, bringing it in line with the state of emergency.

* The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the largest quarterly economic contraction on record of 7.0 per cent, confirming the nation was in recession.

* Prime Minister Scott Morrison said COVID-19 had savaged the economy in a heartbreaking blow to Australians.

* Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warned the road out of Australia's first recession in three decades will be 'hard and bumpy'.

* Former prime minister Tony Abbott has been widely condemned for suggesting some elderly coronavirus victims should be left to die naturally.

* NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says people's lives are being put at risk by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's decision to keep the border closed between the two states.

* NSW recorded 17 new cases with all but two linked to known clusters.

* Ms Palaszczuk believes being awarded hosting rights for the AFL grand final validates her state's response to the pandemic. It recorded two new cases, none linked to the cluster at a Brisbane corrective services academy.

* South Australia cleared it's last active coronavirus case and extended its run without a new infection to 10 days.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard took aim at Queensland's strict border restrictions saying they were 'putting people's lives at risk' (border check point in Coolangatta pictured)

SPORT

* The Gabba in Brisbane edged Perth's Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval to host the relocated AFL grand final on October 24. It will be the first time the showpiece event has been held outside of Victoria and in a night timeslot.

* Victoria's AFL grand final-eve public holiday will remain, re-badged as a day to honour the state's battle against coronavirus.

Ms Palaszczuk said she believes Brisbane was awarded the 2020 AFL Grand Final, the first to be played outside of Victoria, because of the state;s strict border control and low COVID-19 numbers as a result

KEY DATES

* August 2 to September 13 - stage four lockdown for Melbourne, including a nightly curfew, and stage three lockdown for regional Victoria.

* September 4 - the buffer zone at the Victorian/NSW border will expand from 2.5km to 50km.

* October 26 - Tasmania's state of emergency is due to expire.

* November - Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry report due.

* December 1 - Tasmania's borders will remain shut until at least the last month of 2020.

Melbourne's stage four lockdown, including a nightly curfew, and stage three lockdown for regional Victoria will last until September 13 (people pictured wearing masks in Melbourne)

AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS

* There were 109 new cases in Australia - 90 in Victoria, 17 in NSW and two in Queensland. There were six more deaths in Victoria.

* The national death toll as of Wednesday is 663: Victoria 576, NSW 54, Tasmania 13, WA 9, Queensland 6, SA 4, ACT 3. (Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states).

GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS

* Cases: at least 25,760,000

* Deaths: at least 857,000

* Recovered: at least 17,077,000

Data current as of 1715 AEST September 2, taking in federal government and state/territory government updates, Worldometer and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.
India witnessed its steepest decline in gross domestic product (GDP) growth for Q1 FY21 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The lockdown enforced to save lives adversely impacted livelihoods across sectors. Barring agriculture, every sector witnessed sharp de-growth. We dont have the luxury to say that countries, such as the US, Japan, and the UK, despite giving multiple times higher fiscal stimulus than India, have witnessed steeper or similar decline in GDP. We also dont have the luxury of developed world to spend money by increasing fiscal deficit without consequences from rating agencies. We need to overcome the current crisis like the 90s FX crisisthrough bold reforms.

A few suggestions worth implementing are:

Support our abhimanyus (entrepreneurs) to break the chakravyuh of uncompetitiveness. We need to lower logistics cost by removing subsidy of passenger fare from freight charges and lower power cost by removing subsidy of free agriculture power from industrial power. Indian businesses can cater to the world if their power and logistics costs are brought to global levels.

Roll out the red carpet model of Sanand where Tata Motors could set up a plant at a record pace for firms shifting out of China. Leverage preferential access to domestic market of 1.36 billion consumers to lure them to India. Learn from the information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, which propelled us from being the back office to the world to becoming the manufacturer of the world. Our benchmark should be to encourage global companies to prosper here, just like Vietnam, where Samsung contributes to over 28% of its GDP with a $62-billion turnover.

The government needs to support industries and consumers. We dont have the luxury of increasing fiscal deficit manyfold. We must raise non-tax resources by divesting custodian of enemy property assets, and surplus land from railways to defence sectors, and bring an attractive gold amnesty scheme to not only boost tax collection, but also shift gold in tijori, or black economy, to the white economy to strengthen balance sheet of India Inc, besides pursuing strategic divestment rather than market divestment to get better value for governments holding in public sector units.

Our strategy should follow what former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher did to turn around the economy through privatization and cost cutting.

Create a separate judicial infrastructure for faster resolution of commercial disputes. Rule of law is a prerequisite for entrepreneurs to invest.

More than two-thirds of our population depends on agriculture. Amul made India from a milk-importing country to the largest producer of milk. We need to create many Amuls in other parts of agriculture to support them. Our benchmark should be Netherlands, which, despite half the country below sea level, exports over $80 billion in agricultural produce. We should become food suppliers to the world.

Covid-19 is a major crisis, which we must overcome with such bold reforms to change the orbit of Indias growth for years to come.

Nilesh Shah is president and managing director at,Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd.

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Topics
United Airlines to Cut Over 16,000 Jobs in October: Memo

United Airlines said it is planning to cut about 16,000 jobs next month after federal aid to airline companies is set to expire.

The cuts, of which many are furloughs, are to jobs including about 6,920 flight attendants, 2,850 pilots, 1,400 management jobs, 2,010 mechanics and 2,260 in airport operations, and others, according to a memo that was published online.

The pandemic has drawn us in deeper and lasted longer than almost any expert predicted, and in an environment where travel demand is so depressed, United cannot continue with staffing levels that significantly exceed the schedule we fly. Sadly, we dont expect demand to return to anything resembling normal until there is a widely available treatment or vaccine, United said in a statement.

It is our expectation that things dont get anything back close to normal until a vaccine is developed and widely administered, said a United executive who spoke with reporters, as reported by CNN.

United was one of the airlines that received federal funding under the CARES Act, which prevented involuntary staff cuts by the end of September.

United said that the CARES Act Payroll Protection Plan extension can stop the furloughs, adding that its officials can be in communication with Congress and the White House.

To be clear, an extension [of the program] would be the one thing that would prevent involuntary furloughs on October 1, the memo said, and hopefully delay any potential impact on employees until early 2021. It noted that many United Airlines workers petitioned their representatives in Congress for an extension.

Empty United Airlines ticket machines are shown at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., on April 24, 2020 (Chris OMeara/AP Photo)

Negotiations between top Democrats and the White House have mostly stalled in recent weeks. On the table includes stimulus payments, extended unemployment benefits, and an extension of the payroll plan, among other measures.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking to Congress on Tuesday, called for another round of pandemic relief measures to be passed in a bipartisan manner. Both he and President Donald Trump said the struggling airline industry would need more assistance.

It came about a week after American Airlines announced it will have to cut about 19,000 jobs, citing similar concerns as United.

Amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, airline travel has significantly dropped as governments around the world restrict travel across their borders and would-be travelers engage in social-distancing practices.

Josh Earnest, a United senior vice president, told USA Today that the Chicago-based firm does not expect to return back to normal until a CCP virus vaccine is developed and widely available.

We dont have to snap everybody back at the same time, he told the paper. We can basically build our workforce as we need it and as our schedule grows and as demand recovers.

United has not responded to a request for comment.
Justin Shinebourne

Justin Shinebourne, who headed Barclays Investment Bank's European equity advisory service, has joined Finsbury's London office to build its advisory practice.

At Barclays, he provided strategic counsel to clients across the EMEA region on matters related to valuation, market impact and communications.

The 25-year investment banking veteran also did stints at Morgan Stanley in equity sales and HSBC, where he was a member of its regional equity management committee.

James Murgatroyd, Finsbury managing partner, predicts Shinebourne will be an invaluable addition to the firms capital markets offering. His appointment underscores our commitment to offering clients communications solutions that meet all their most important stakeholders needs, Murgatroyd added.

WPP is merging Finsbury, Glover Park Group and Hering Schuppener early next year to form Finsbury Glover Hering, which will be based in New York.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 21:05:54|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Moscow and Minsk are firmly against attempts to tear Belarus away from Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here Wednesday.

"We will respond to those who are trying to destabilize the situation in Belarus and who have been trying for many years to tear Belarus away from Russia," Lavrov said at a news conference following talks with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei.

Belarus, perhaps for the first time, faces a serious threat of destabilization with active intervention from outside, Lavrov said.

Russia condemns foreign countries that exert pressure on the legitimate authorities of Belarus and openly support the opposition, he said, adding that Moscow will categorically suppress foreign attempts to organize provocation against Belarus, especially via multilateral platforms.

Russia sees the presidential elections in Belarus as valid and looks forward to the normalization of the situation through dialogue in the framework of the constitution and law, Lavrov said.

Moscow considers the initiative of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to carry out a constitutional reform very promising, and believes that such a political process can become a useful platform for national dialogue, he said.

Makei said at the news conference that he expects the internal contradictions in Belarus to be resolved in the very near future and the country to "restore its long-term status of a calm, open and hospitable state in the center of Europe."

Before the start of their talks, Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Lukashenko in Moscow in the upcoming weeks, while Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will pay a visit to Minsk on Thursday.

Belarus has been witnessing protests after incumbent president Lukashenko won a sixth term in the Aug. 9 elections, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results. Enditem
Pakistan on Wednesday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. At around 6.45 pm, the Pakistan Army resorted to firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in Kirni and Qasba sectors of the district.

The Indian Army was retaliating befittingly when last reports came in. This is the second ceasefire violation in the union territory within 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was martyred when Pakistan resorted to unproved ceasefire violation along the LoC in Rajouri district. The JCO deployed on a forward post in the Tarkundi sector was injured in Pakistan firing and later succumbed, police sources said.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened fire at forward posts in the Keri sector, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, the sources said. The JCO was critically injured in the Pakistani firing and later succumbed to injuries, the sources said, adding Pakistan also suffered casualties in the retaliatory action but the exact details are awaited. According to sources, JCO Rajwinder Singh was a resident of Punjab`s Amritsar.

Pakistan damaged several structures when it targetted civilian areas during ceasefire violation along the LoC in Bandipora district. According to reports, six structures, including four residential houses and two schools, were damaged. The Pakistani Army resorted to motor shelling in Gurez area of the district on September 1 (Tuesday) night.

A police officer said that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked motor shelling in forward areas of Gurez late in the evening. However, no injury or casualties was reported. Indian troops gave befitting reply to the unproved ceasefire violation of Pakistan in the area and exchange of fire was going on till late night in the area.

On Wednesday too, an infiltration bid was foiled in Nowgam sector of Handwara area of Kupwara district where after suspicious movement Indian troops challenged the intruders. A brief exchange of fire took place and a large scale search operation was launched in the area. It was still going on when last reports came in.

Pakistan has been violating the ceasefire on the LoC with impunity since the beginning of 2020. In over 2,720 ceasefire violations, 27 civilians have been killed and another 100 injured.
China Aid announced from August 20 to September 20, they will conduct a month-long investigation to crack down on illegal religious activities in China. The notice was sent out by the Xinyang City Gushi County Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau.

The Chinese bureau set a reward of 500 CNY (72 USD) for anyone who reports people attending illegal religious activities. It is reported that The Bureau even provided a hotline for people to report, submit videos, recordings, or pictures.

The media reported that the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in Guangzhou is encouraging citizens to lodge complaints on rules to encourage people to denounce fellow citizens against the communist party rule.

Reporting religious groups and targeting Christianity, the house churches and the underground religious communities are now in serious danger. The magazine called Bitter Winter stated, "focusing on religious restrictions in China reported that the reward system will inhibit religious gatherings and preaching of the Gospel as Christians would fear arrest at any time.
Check out the companies making headlines after the bell:

Five Below  Five Below shares rallied after the close of the regular session Wednesday evening after it said sales accelerated in the second quarter as it reopened stores. Its reopening efforts helped the company post a profit of 53 cents per share versus the 14 cents of income per share expected by FactSet estimates. Sales increased to $426.1 million from $417.4 million compared to the second quarter of 2019.

CrowdStrike  Shares of CrowdStrike fell more than 4% in extended trading despite better-than-expected earnings and raising its financial outlook. The cloud-based security company posted revenue of $199 million, up 84% from the year-ago period and ahead of its own guidance. Adjusted earnings of 3 cents per share also topped estimates. It also raised its outlook for the January 2021 fiscal year and sees sales of $809.1 million to $826.7 million, up from a prior range.

PVH  The parent of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein rallied 3% in after-hours trading after the company reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share well ahead of what Wall Street analysts expected. Excluding one-time items, PVH reported EPS of 13 cents versus the per-share loss of $2.43 expected.

Fulgent Genetics  Fulgent spiked nearly 10% after the closing bell after the Temple City, California-based company announced it's partnered with New York City Health and Hospitals to provide Covid-19 tests to hundreds of thousands of students at about 1,600 locations as they returned to school in September. Fulgent will offer its FDA-approved at-home test, which provides results within 24 to 48 hours from the time the company receives the sample.
The Suspect, Nkechi Odinye

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a notorious child-trafficker, Nkechi Odinye, 55 for allegedly running a syndicate that traffics children in the state.

A statement released by the spokesperson of the state police command, Haruna Mohammed, said Nkechi was arrested following the confessional statement made by three other child traffickers that were arrested in October 2019 at Nkpor market/Tarzan junction in Idemili North LGA in the state.

Haruna said the children found with the three female traffickers arrested in Nkpor were actually stolen from Gombe State by one Hauwa Musa and brought to her accomplices in Anambra State.

During interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed that they usually steal the children and bring to their sponsor, Mrs. Nkechi Odinye, who allegedly buys the children here in Anambra State at the rate of between two hundred and four hundred thousand (#200-400,000) naira depending on their age and gender.

On the 31/8/2020,following the confession and while acting on a tip off,Police detectives attached to 3-3 Division Onitsha in Collaboration with Operatives attached to the Command Special Anti-Cult Section(SPACS) stormed the hideout of the principal suspect one Nkechi Odinye f aged 55 years and effected her arrest at Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The Suspect who evaded arrest for over three years has remained on the run,busy changing locations until her arrest.The team equally rescued twelve children of various age brackets,comprising of 8 boys and 4 girls reasonably suspected to have been stolen from different parts of the Country under her custody. the statement read.

Haruna said the rescued children are presently under protective care and Investigation is still ongoing.
About 30 million Americans are at risk of being evicted in coming months because they cant pay rent, according to a review of the Census survey data by the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, the Covid-19 Eviction Defense Project, the National Low Income Housing Coalition and a coalition of researchers. Management consultant Stout Risius Ross, in its analysis of the Census data, put the number at 40 million. (Both estimates were made before the announcement of the CDC action.) Eviction is a legal process, and the burden on landlords differs by state. But the mere threat of eviction often is enough for landlords to get someone to move out. Many landlords have been working with tenants in the hopes that more emergency rental assistance is on its way. Absent that help, the U.S. could be heading for a massive wave of housing displacement and insecurity. More people will double up with family or end up homeless.
Three police officers showed up at a young mother's house to interrogate her about a Facebook post telling Melburnians to go for their daily walk.

Megan Kira, 27, called on everyone to go for their hour of exercise allowed under Stage Four lockdown at 5pm every day in their local park.

The mother-of-four's post on Facebook and Instagram positioned the walk as a protest against coronavirus restrictions amid demonstrations in Dadnenong.

'Dandenong took the first step. Now it's time we all follow in their footsteps,' her post began, followed by eight issues to protest about.

Megan Kira's post on Facebook and Instagram positioned the walk as a protest against coronavirus restrictions amid demonstrations in Dadnenong

Just hours later, three officers showed up at her door in Clyde North - not far from Dandenong - asking what her intentions were.

Refusing to come to the door and instead talking through a window, Ms Kira asked how the officers tracked her down as she was 'not in the system'.

'I have no driver's license, no passport... so how did you find me?' she said.

The officers explained that since she had previous contact with police, her details were registered in their database.

'We're here about a Facebook post you put up earlier today about asking people to meet up at the park across the road,' the lead officer said.

Just hours later, three officers showed up at her door asking what her intentions were, concerned she was inciting people to illegally gather in groups

Ms Kira claimed she was only going for a walk with her young son, not a group, and just wanted to let people know they can go for a walk

Ms Kira replied: 'I said go to your local park which is actually allowed, and to go for an hour, which is allowed. I didn't say to meet people, I said go for a walk.'

Police explained they were monitoring social media due to the Dandenong protests, and asked what her intentions were.

Ms Kira claimed she was only going for a walk with her young son, not a group, and just wanted to let people know they can go for a walk.

'If your intention was to go for a walk, no problem,' the policeman replied.

'But if it can be shown that your intention was to promote to have a group of people attend a park in contravention of the lockdown orders, you can actually be charged with an offence called incitement.'

Police have vowed to quash protests against the Stage Four lockdown, which still has at least 11 days to go, and have arrested several organisers.

Melburnians can only exercise for one hour a day with one other person up to 5km from their home, and anyone encouraging people to break these rules can be charged with incitement.

Ms Kira's social media is littered with anti-lockdown and coronavirus conspiracy theory posts, including calling the virus a 'plandemic' and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews 'Hitler'

A day later, her friend Rosana Felise was arrested as the pair went for a walk around the neighbourhood with Ms Kira in a Guy Fawkes mask

Ms Kira later went for her 5pm walk, while wearing a mask, as police cars patrolled the area looking for anyone breaching lockdown.

'You can't even put up a post encouraging people to go for a walk to the playground without cops showing up at your door,' she said as she walked.

A day later, her friend Rosana Felise was arrested as the pair went for a walk around the neighbourhood with Ms Kira in a Guy Fawkes mask.

Ms Felise was not wearing a mask so police approached and asked for her details. When she refused and claimed she didn't need to, she was arrested.

Ms Kira's social media is littered with anti-lockdown and coronavirus conspiracy theory posts, including calling the virus a 'plandemic' and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews 'Hitler'.

Mr Andrews is due to finally release a plan on Sunday to get Victoria out of lockdown, after three consecutive days of less than 70 new cases.
PITTSBURGH (AP)  Ke'Bryan Hayes fit just about everything he could into his major league debut. The third base prospect hit a tying homer for Pittsburgh in the eighth inning. He struck out with the winning run on second in the ninth. He executed a textbook slide to pull his team even in the 10th.

Chicago's Ian Happ, however, provided a lesson on closing.

Happ finished what he started, singling home Nico Hoerner in the 11th to lead the Cubs to an 8-7 win over the Pirates on Tuesday night. Happ, a Pittsburgh native who led off the game with a home run, finished with three hits as the NL Central leaders won for the third time in four games.

Theres a lot of factors in that game, and for us to persevere  had some really nice pitching performances there late and in extras to keep things close  and just for us to be able to grind through that and get a win, that was huge," Happ said.

Hayes, the son of longtime major league infielder Charlie Hayes, collected his first career hit with an RBI double to left off Jon Lester in the sixth. The 23-year-old emerged from a 71-minute rain delay in the eighth, took the second pitch he saw and deposited it over the wall in center to knot the game at 6.

I mean, really I kind of like blacked out whenever I hit it, said Hayes, who became the seventh player in Pirates history to homer in his first major league game. "Like I hit the ball and I was like, Did I get that good enough? And then saw it go over and kind of blacked out for a second. So, it is special for me.

Happ finally put the Pirates away when he sent a sharp single to center off Kyle Crick (0-1) in the 11th. Jeremy Jeffress (3-1) held Pittsburgh scoreless in the bottom of the inning to help Chicago escape.

Happ and Kyle Schwarber each hit their 10th homer of the season for the Cubs. Kris Bryant added two hits in his return from a trip to the injured list due to a wrist issue.

Thats a character win for me, first-year manager David Ross said. "It tells you a lot about this group.

Story continues

The Cubs have been mostly stuck in neutral since their 13-3 start, but Bryant's return along with the arrival of reinforcements at the trade deadline gave Ross a chance to hit reset entering September.

Ross kept Happ in the leadoff spot and slotted Bryant  who spent time in the leadoff position earlier in the year  right behind Happ believing it lengthened the lineup. It only took two pitches to make it look like the right call.

Happ turned on Chad Kuhl's second offering and sent it to the concourse behind the seats in right-center field. Happ's third leadoff homer of the season pushed his career home run total to 60, the most ever by a Cubs switch hitter.

BUSY NIGHT

The last-place Pirates called up Hayes  a three-time Gold Glove winner in the minors  with an eye toward the future. The former first-round pick looked right at home at PNC Park, showcasing the defensive flair that made him the 32nd overall selection in the 2015 draft.

Hayes drifted to his left and retired Bryant to end the third. He also threw out Bryant at home to end the top of the ninth, a curious decision considering there were two outs and the ball was a relatively routine grounder to third by Javy Baez. Hayes admitted he briefly lost track of the situation and went home just in case. Otherwise, it wasn't much different than any other game he's played in.

After the first ground ball I got, the speed of the game, it didnt feel anything crazy for me, Hayes said.

COMING AND GOING

The Cubs were active at the trade deadline, acquiring veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin, utility player Jose Martinez and left-handed reliever Josh Osich.

Martinez served as the designated hitter Tuesday and went 0 for 3 while batting eighth. Osich allowed a run in the 10th.

To make room for the additions, Chicago sent outfielder Albert Almora Jr. to the club's alternate training site in South Bend, placed right-hander Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain and designated reliever Casey Sadler for assignment.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (right triceps inflammation) will return from a stint to the disabled list and start on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (3-4, 4.09 ERA) is just 1-2 with a 6.61 ERA in three road starts this season.

Pirates: Musgrove (0-3, 6.75 ERA), Pittsburgh's opening-day starter, looks for his first win of the year.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Shainu Mohan By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While authorities say people must understand that this is the only option as Covid-19 caseload increases rapidly, office-bearers of residents associations say the government must educate public rather than adding to their fear

The efforts of the district authorities to promote home treatment for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients is facing a major hurdle with many hesitating to opt for the same fearing social stigma and ostracisation. Residents associations of various apartment complexes have expressed their opposition to home care citing the risk of others getting infected from the patients. While the district gave a go-ahead to home isolation of Covid-19 positive healthcare workers nearly a month back, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) issued an SOP (standing operating procedure) for starting home care for Covid-19 patients last week.

However, according to officials, even healthcare workers are requesting for institutional care over home isolation. In the wake of this development, officials claim its impossible to run too many CFLTCs as the case load multiples rapidly. As of Monday, while there are over 5,000 active cases in the capital district, around 500 people are under home care.According to District Medical Officer K S Shinu, although the response to home care programme has been good, the health department is receiving a number of complaints against it from especially rural areas and residents of apartment complexes.

The case load is going up and we have to reserve existing medical infrastructure for those who really need it. Home care is the only way to deal with the crisis. We need the support of the public for the same, said Shinu. He added that asymptomatic patients only need proper monitoring and rest. The public should change its attitude and realise that that they will contract the infection only if they roam around unprotected and dont follow Covid-19 guidelines. Our aim is to bring at least 50 per cent of the asymptomatic patients under home care in the coming days. The authorities have opened a call centre at the District War Room for managing patients under home care.

In a recent incident, an office-bearer of the residents association of a premium apartment complex was forced to seek police intervention after a few residents raised objection to a person from another state undergoing quarantine at one of the flats in the building. Around 15 of the 50 apartment units in our complex are lying vacant and we arranged quarantine for a family member of a resident who came from Bengaluru. A few residents raised objection and I had to call the police.

The issue was only resolved after the police arrived, said Sreekumara Menon, president of the residents association located in Paruthipara Working president of the State Apartment Owners Apex Association C S Vinod said the govenrment should start campaigns to prepare the society to live with the pandemic. He added that people residing in compact spaces cannot avoid common areas and having fear if a Covid-19 patient undergoes home treatment in such a building is quite natural. A large section of the people residing in highrise buildings are elderly and they get scared when the neighbours are under isolation. We have to educate them on how to protect themselves from contracting the disease, said Vinod.

IN A NUTSHELL

While the district gave a go-ahead to home isolation of Covid-19 positive healthcare workers nearly a month back, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) issued an SOP (standing operating procedure) for starting home care for Covid-19 patients last week. However, according to officials, even healthcare workers are requesting for institutional care over home isolation.

SOP issued by DDMA for home isolation

Only asymptomatic patients are eligible for home care

A written request for permission to remain in home isolation sought from the patient along with a self-declaration.

Clinical assessment for co-morbidities by medical or nodal officer.

Only patients who are psychologically stable will be eligible for home isolation.

The patient can undergo home isolation in a residential building of his or her choice with an

attached toilet, road connectivity, phone connectivity and good community support mechanism.

All other members residing in the same house shall remain in strict home quarantine.

Self monitoring of symptoms and regular updates to the medical officer.

The patient and care giver must use three layer masks during interaction.

Antigen or RT-PCR shall be performed on day 10. If the test proves negative, seven days of further test is advised.

Helpline numbers for patients in home care 0471-2733433 / 1077
North Korea continues to operate some nuclear facilities and its activities remain 'a cause for serious concern', the UN's nuclear watchdog said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported to its members that the continuation of the secretive country's nuclear programme was in clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

It added that the ongoing nuclear scheme by the DPRK, North Korea's official name, was 'deeply regrettable'.

The Vienna-based UN agency issued a report on Tuesday, which it publicised today, outlining its concerns.

Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea, whose country has been accused of breaching international law by continuing nuclear research

It stated that since its last report in August 2019 there were 'indications consistent with the production of enriched uranium' at the reported Yongbyon nuclear site.

The IAEA said that it had not had access to the Yongbyon site or other locations in North Korea.

Instead it states it based its analysis in the report on the 'information available to it', including open source information and satellite imagery.

An absence of steam or cooling water discharge at the site, said the IAEA, meant 'it is almost certain that the reactor has remained shut down since early December 2018.'

But there had been evidence of ongoing reactor maintenance, including the regular presence of a probable carbon dioxide tanker along with other related activities the report added.

Members of the IAEA will meet for its annual General Conference and regular board of governors later this month where it will consider the report.

The IAEA report has called on North Korea to 'comply fully' with its international obligations and to 'co-operate promptly' with the agency.

Officials in Pyongyang expelled IAEA inspectors from the Yongbyon nuclear site in 2009 and has refused to allow agency inspections on its territory since.

In addition the US government, which claims that Pyongyang has scaled back its nuclear ambitions, warned on Tuesday that North Korea continues to acquire material and equipment for a ballistic missile programme.

North Korea launches a long range missile as part of a weapons test as fears remain over its nuclear program

A joint advisory of the US Treasury, Commerce and State departments has detailed North Korea's efforts to gain everything from forestry trucks for missile launchers to materials that can be used in rockets.

This has led the US government bodies to warn sellers of current sanctions which are in force on North Korea.

It comes as negotiations between the two countries aimed at halting North Korea's nuclear weapons progress, launched with a fanfare in 2018 by President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, have remained at a standstill since early last year.

Yet two months before the US presidential election Trump and his campaign have claimed success in dealing with North Korea.

Indeed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has applauded the president for 'lowering the temperature.'
Facebook has made a change to its terms of service which has upset many people. The change allows the company to remove content or restrict access to avoid legal or regulatory impact.

Human rights commentator Ananya Ramani has noted that change could be used to justify online censorship in a Twitter post. She is not the only user to find the change to Terms of Service by Facebook troubling as reported by Android Central.

Facebook has long struggled with how to deal with the content posted on its platform. At one stage a lack of action from the company let to an advertiser boycott of the social media platform.

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This may be why Facebook is strengthening its legal position to be able to take more action. However, recently the company has been accused of not handling coronavirus misinformation harshly enough.

Change to terms of service angers Facebook users

It is a fine balancing act that Facebook has to negotiate when it comes to the censorship of content. For so long it has come under criticism for allowing too much hate speech and misinformation spread on its platform.

However, now the company is taking action they have been accused of censorship and being anti-free speech.

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Users of the Facebook app have begun receiving a message notifying them about a change to the terms of service.

As the screenshot shows this notification informs of an update to section 3.2 of the terms of service. Specifically, the introduction of the phrase We also can remove or restrict access to your content, services or information if we determine that doing so is reasonably necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to Facebook.

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This section of the terms of service deals with who and who cannot use Facebook. It also focuses on what users can use the platform for.

This notification has sparked backlash amongst users who worry that this is tantamount to censorship. Others have concerns that this allows governments to interfere in elections.

The clause in itself is quite vague but also wide-ranging in its scope. It does seem reasonable that Facebook could remove content at say-so of a government should they receive threats of legal action.

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However, some users have welcomed the change. They point out that this could lead to more scope for misinformation removal from the platform.

How Facebook uses this new power they have when it comes into force on October 1 will be fascinating. In one sense it is good to see the company taking more action to remove harmful content. However, the rabbit hole this opens up is potentially troubling.








The partnership will be inclusive of several major collaborations, including a best-in class Network Secure Subsystem for CPS comprising the first worldwide cybersecurity enhanced ASIL-D grade RISC-V core and a full integrated HSM (Hardware Security Module) for Automotive applications.





RENNES, France - Sep 2nd 2020 - Secure-IC , a world-leading provider of embedded cybersecurity for best-in-class security protection technologies, integrated secure elements and security platforms and NSITEXE a Japanese company with strong expertise in development of semiconductor IP, especially high performance cores for multiple industries.

Currently, there is no solution to protect systems against potential cyber threats (local to platform systems and communication) with infrastructure layers in a scalable and easy-to-implement manner.

Globally with the advent of IoT, systems face numerous attacks coming from the network such as DDoS (Denial of Service) or locally through physical attacks. Such attack can allow to get malicious remote control and therefore put the whole system at risk.

Every single device being a potential entry door to networks, the attack surface is expanding rapidly.

All systems, from a single IoT sensor device, to a PC or critical infrastructure systems need to be able to trust their connectivity and access networks in a safe way.

It is especially true in the Automotive space where security will be the key factor for the adoption of autonomous driving.





To solve these challenges, Secure-IC and NSITEXE join their technologies and offer several critical solutions:

A unique Network Security Subsystem for CPS, providing TLS 1.3/SSL, Deep Packet Inspection. It also allows a Chain of Trust, secure boot, secure firmware update and accelerated cryptographic services

RISC-V Core by NSITEXE cybersecurity-enhanced by Secure-IC s CyberEscort Unit supplying real-time detection of 0-day attacks

Integrated HSM for Automotive applications for Key Management, Cryptographic services, suited for all applications (V2X, ADAS, Gateway, Powertrain, etc.): SecuryzrTM





Secure-IC and NSITEXE will present their collaboration through a series of webinars to be held in the coming months.

HASSAN TRIQUI, President & CEO of Secure-IC: Secure-IC is honored to partner with NSITEXE to address the key problems for Cyber-Physical System security space. Both companies hold strong synergies from technology portfolio, geographic coverage and corporate culture.

YUKIHIDE NIIMI, CEO of NSITEXE: Security is critical requirement for Automotive and other application. To solve the challenge, we have the pleasure to work with Secure IC having state-of-the-art Security technology







About Secure-IC



Secure-IC has established a thought leadership position in the cyber security world for embedded systems.

Secure-IC sets itself apart by accompanying customers along the IC lifecycle security challenges by providing best in class protection technologies, integrated secure elements and security IP (SecuryzrTM), with evaluation tools for security assurance and certification readiness (Laboryzr TM) as well as consulting expertise and security assessment services (Expertyzr TM ).

About NSITEXE



NSITEXE , was established in 2017 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DENSO, one of the worlds largest tier one Automotive parts manufacturing companies, with significant development in four key areas of advanced Automotive technologies: connected cars; automated drive; shared mobility; and electrification.

The company designs and develop semiconductor IP cores, which are key semiconductor components enabling automated driving.

More information is available on request, please reach us at the following;

Secure-IC Communication Contact

- Lee Anderson, Marketing & Communication Manager

E-mail: lee.anderson@secure-ic.com

TEL: +33(0)2 99 12 18 72

-Yan-Taro CLOCHARD

Director Secure-IC K.K.

Sales Director North Asia - Corporate Marketing Director

E-mail: yan-taro.clochard@secure-ic.com

Tel. +81(0)3 6717 6477 / +81(0)80 9456 3535

Linked In: @ Secure-IC

YouTube: @ Secure-IC

Twitter: @ SecureIC



NSITEXE Communication Contact

- Tomoaki Katano, Technical Marketing Manager

E-mail: tomoaki.katano@nsitexe.co.jp

Linkedin: Nsitexe



Attachments
The Republicans, the party of law and order and accountability, know that using federal property for political purposes is not legal, according to the Hatch Act. In spite of that knowledge, they embraced the illegal and unethical use of federal properties as backdrops for the Republican National Convention. It appears that Republican National Committee told the GOP that laws and ethics do not apply to this president and, yet again, the GOP rolled over in submission. Well, the Grand Old Party finally gave Donald Trump his biggest wish. They handed over the keys to the White House, also known as the Peoples House. He planted his brand in gargantuan letters on the south lawn. Melania and her husband magically appeared on the South Portico, descended a staircase of the Peoples House in true Disney style, gathering the royal family around them. This spectacle was attended by 1,600 huddled, mostly unmasked, acolytes, closely mingling for hours.

One would never suspect that during the four days of the convention, 3,862 Americans died of COVID-19, fighting for their last breath. The next day, at a rally in New Hampshire, attendees booed when asked to wear masks. Our supposed leader was silent, a leader with disregard for law and American lives. True leaders lead by example. True leaders care about the well-being of their citizens. This pseudo-leader, and the current GOP leadership, have proved that they selfishly care only about their own well-being. A sad state indeed.

Mark Cavatorta, Hebo
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday gave a financial assistance of 1 crore to the family of a government pharmacist, Rajesh Kumar Bhardwaj, who died of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in July, the Delhi government informed in a press statement.

Bhardwaj, a resident of Faridabad, was posted as a pharmacist at the office of the central districts chief district medical officer. He tested Covid-19 positive on June 29, following which he was admitted to a private hospital in Delhi. He died on July 20, the statement said.

I met his family today (Wednesday) and offered them an assistance of 1 crore. I hope that the family will get some help with this amount. I assured them of my support in the future as well, Kejriwal said.

In April, the Delhi government introduced a scheme under which families of individuals engaged in Covid-19 management are given a financial assistance of 1 crore in case the individual dies of Covid-19. So far, more than 20 such families  including those of a doctor, a police officer, a civil defence volunteer and a sanitation worker --have received the assistance from the government .
President Donald Trump views property damaged during riots in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trumps Reelection Odds Rising Amid Protests, JPMorgan Says

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trumps chances to win reelection in 2020 are rising as the violent demonstrations across the country are playing in his favor, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co., which also reports the economy is making a K-shaped recovery.

Investors should position for rising odds of Trump re-election, Marko Kolanovic, head of the global macro quantitative and derivatives strategy team at JPMorgan, wrote in a recent report.

The latest polls show that Trump has been narrowing the gap in recent weeks, and there are two factors driving the shift, Kolanovic says.

The first effect is the impact of the degree of violence in protests on public opinion and voting patterns.

JPMorgan analysts conducted a quantitative analysis based on the academic work of Princeton political science professor Omar Wasow, who examined county-level voting patterns in the 1960s.

Wasow studied U.S. election results between 1960 and 1972 and found that peaceful pro-Democrat demonstrations helped Democrats while violent pro-Democrat demonstrations helped Republicans. He also concluded that demonstrations directly resulted in the election of Republican Richard Nixon in 1968.

JPMorgan analysts applied Wasows work to the current situation of protests and found that there could be a nearly 5-10 point poll shift from Democrats to Republicans if the perception of protests turns from peaceful to violent.

However, there is an important difference between the 1960s and current events, as social media plays a significant role in shaping public perception.

Voters can see for themselves if the protests are peaceful or violent, Kolanovic wrote. It is highly likely that social media distribution of videos of looting in Chicago, L.A., and NYC, arson in Minneapolis, Wisconsin, Portland, Seattle, etc., have led to a significant shift in election odds in favor of Republicans.

Kolanovic notes that social media has amplified the message, and hence the effect on public opinion could be bigger this time compared to the 1960s. Thats already been manifested by recent reactions such as record purchases of firearms and migration from cities such as New York.

Both presidential candidates have cast blame on the other for promoting violence.

Trump on Sept. 1 visited Kenosha, a city in Wisconsin affected by the riots last week. During his visit, he criticized far-left politicians for pushing the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist.

He also accused the media of fueling the violence across the country.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden earlier accused Trump of fanning the flames of hate and division in our society and recklessly encouraging violence.

Since June, Bidens lead over Trump among voters has significantly narrowed, according to CNN and Emerson College polls.

Emerson showed that Trump tightened the presidential race to a two-point margin in August.

Meanwhile, an Epoch Times National Poll conducted by Big Data Poll found that Trump reversed Bidens lead during the three days immediately following last weeks Republican National Convention.

We believe that momentum related to the Wasow effect will continue in favor of Trump, unless Democrats pivot away from their stance regarding demonstrations, Kolanovic stated.

This may not be easy, however, given that top Democrats have called for daily demonstrations (e.g., Kamala Harris) and rallied their base around the theme of defunding police.

There is also a discrepancy between the polls and actual probabilities, as voters are afraid of reprisal. Kolanovic says that could artificially skew polls in favor of Biden.

It should not come as a surprise that this effect appears to be stronger for Republican voters given the liberal trend of cancel culture.

A recent study by Leib Litman, a social and behavioral scientist, found that 11.7 percent of Republicans dont express their true opinions about their preferred presidential candidate in telephone polls, compared to 5.4 percent of Democrats.

K-Shaped Recovery

Investors and economists have been debating the shape of the economic recovery for months, and theyve labeled their expectations for a rebound with letters, such as V, W, or U.

However, JPMorgan economists are seeing a K-shaped recovery, because of large gaps in the performance of different sectors of the economy.

The recent stock market rally benefited the technology sector the most, which rose to nearly 20 percent above previous all-time highs, according to JPMorgan. Meanwhile, other sectors of the economy such as airlines, energy, shopping malls, offices, and hospitality nosedived.

The recovery has also created enormous inequality in society, with low-wage workers and minorities taking a big hit.

On one side, tech fortunes reached all-time highs, while lower-income, blue-collar workers and those that cannot work remotely suffered the most, Kolanovic said.
Mumbai, Sep 2 : A retired schoolteacher was killed when a portion of a 4-storied building crashed in south Mumbai's congested Dongri area, BMC Disaster Control said on Wednesday.

Mumtaz Sudhanwala, 65, a former schoolteacher who lived alone, died due to suffocation after being trapped several hours in rubble.

The building, Razak Chamber B-Block, was a MHADA cessed building and the fire brigade said that orders were given to vacate it owing to its rickety condition.

After some residents felt the building shake late on Tuesday, many of them had vacated it as a precautionary measure, except Sudhanwala who did not move out.

Local MLA Amin Patel and MP Arvind Sawant, along with senior officials from the BMC B-Ward were present at the site to supervise the rescue and relief operations.
PHNOM PENH -- The Khmer Rouge commander known as Duch, Pol Pots premier executioner and security chief who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, died on Wednesday. He was 77.

Kaing Guek Eav or Duch was the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to face trial for his role within a regime blamed for at least 1.7 million deaths in the killing fields of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.

Duch died at 00:52 a.m. (1752 GMT on Tuesday) at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. He gave no details of the cause, but Duch had been ill in recent years.

In 2010, a U.N. tribunal found him guilty of mass murder, torture and crimes against humanity at Tuol Sleng prison, the former Phnom Penh high school which still stands as a memorial to the atrocities committed inside.

He was given a life sentence two years later after his appeal that he was just a junior official following orders was rejected. Duch - by the time of his trial a born-again Christian - expressed regret for his crimes.

Under Duchs leadership, detainees at Tuol Sleng prison, codenamed S-21, were ordered to suppress cries of agony as Khmer Rouge guards, many of whom were teenagers, sought to extract confessions for non-existent crimes through torture.

The guards were instructed to smash to bits traitors and counter-revolutionaries. For the Khmer Rouge, that could mean anyone from school teachers to children, to pregnant women and intellectuals identified as such for wearing glasses.

Beneath Tuol Slengs chaotic facade, Duch - himself a former maths teacher - had an obsessive eye for detail and kept his school-turned-jail meticulously organised.

Nothing in the former schoolhouse took place without Duchs approval. His control was total, wrote photographer and author Nic Dunlop, who found Duch in 1999 hiding near the Thai border, two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

At S-21, new prisoners had their mugshots taken. Hundreds are now on display within its crumbling walls.

Norng Chan Phal, one of the few people to have survived S-21, was a boy when he and his parents were sent to Duchs prison.

His parents were tortured and killed but Chan Phal survived to give testimony at Duchs trial in 2010.

He was cooperative, he spoke to the court frankly. He apologised to all S-21 victims and asked them to open their hearts. He apologised to me too, Chan Phal told Reuters.

He apologised. But justice is not complete.
With classes set to resume next week for post-secondary students, online learning will be the new norm.

Almost all undergraduate courses will be delivered online, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and many lab components, said Lynn Wells, Brock University provost and vice-president academic.

A small number of courses will be offered on campus, in cases where a suitable online substitute does not exist.

Classes that will be held on campus will have a class size limit of 20 students and those classes will be held in spaces that allow for appropriate physical distancing, Wells said.

Niagara College students will experience a similar semester structure.

College president Sean Kennedy said 80 per cent of courses will be delivered online.

One of our biggest challenges has been trying to figure out how to safely ensure that students have some components of their programs on campus for specialized labs, said Kennedy.

We had two months of students being on campus but in smaller numbers. From that experience over the summer, weve fined-tuned many of our procedures.

Susan Pritchard, a second-year office administration executive program student at the college, still has some concerns.

As a mature student, I am concerned about my ability to learn online, self-regulate and comprehend new material, she said. The reason I chose college is because of the hands-on approach. Not everyone is a visual learner.

Austin Gooder, a fourth-year labour studies student at Brock University, has similar worries.

I am getting pretty nervous, he said. I am going into my fourth year and getting ready for graduate studies applications  I am not sure how this is going to hurt or help my ability to succeed.

Despite concerns among some students about returning to school in the fall, enrolment numbers for both Brock and Niagara College are down only slightly.

We have seen some decrease in enrolment, said Kennedy. Regardless, the recent announcements by the federal government have ensured our numbers remain strong, both domestically and internationally.

The changes Kennedy referred to were announced by Ottawa earlier this summer and include creation of a two-stage study permit approval process to help students who cannot submit required documents due to COVID-19 closures.

This measure will reassure students that they can enrol and begin their studies this fall online, even when they are not able to submit all required documentation due to pandemic-related closures, Kennedy said.
Facebook has threatened to block users and media organisations in Australia from sharing news stories if new government plans go ahead

Facebook threatened Tuesday to block users and media organisations in Australia from sharing news stories in an escalating challenge to government plans to force digital giants to pay for content.

Australians would be stopped from posting local and international articles on Facebook and Instagram, the company said, claiming the move was "not our first choice" but the "only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic".

Government officials quickly shot back, with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg rejecting what he called "coercion or heavy-handed threats" from the social media giant.

Rod Sims, head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which drew up the draft law, called the threat "ill-timed and misconceived".

In one of the most aggressive moves by any government to curb the power of US digital giants, Canberra has drawn up legislation to force Facebook and Google to pay struggling local news organisations for content or face millions of dollars in fines.

The measures would also force transparency around the closely guarded algorithms that tech firms use to rank content.

Facebook Australia and New Zealand managing director Will Easton said the proposed overhaul "misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect".

"Most perplexing, it would force Facebook to pay news organisations for content that the publishers voluntarily place on our platforms and at a price that ignores the financial value we bring publishers," he said in a statement.

Easton also accused the ACCC of having "ignored important facts" during a lengthy consultation process that ended Monday.

"The ACCC presumes that Facebook benefits most in its relationship with publishers, when in fact the reverse is true," he said.

"News represents a fraction of what people see in their News Feed and is not a significant source of revenue for us."

Story continues

Easton said Facebook sent 2.3 billion clicks to Australian websites in the first five months of 2020 at an estimated value of Aus$200 million (US$148 million) and had been preparing to bring Facebook News to Australia -- a feature launched in the US last year where the tech giant pays publishers for news.

"Instead, we are left with a choice of either removing news entirely or accepting a system that lets publishers charge us for as much content as they want at a price with no clear limits," he added.

"Unfortunately, no business can operate that way."

Facebook on Tuesday also informed Australian users of a change in its terms of service that will come into effect on October 1 and allow it to remove or block access to content if "necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts".

Google has also campaigned forcefully against the proposed changes, creating pop-ups on the search engine warning "the way Aussies use Google is at risk" and urging YouTubers around the world to complain to Australian authorities.

The legislation, due to be passed into law this year, will initially focus on Facebook and Google -- two of the world's richest and most powerful companies -- but could eventually apply to any digital platform.

The initiative has been closely watched around the globe as news media worldwide have suffered in an increasingly digital economy, where advertising revenue is overwhelmingly captured by Facebook, Google and other big tech firms.

The crisis has been exacerbated by the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with dozens of Australian newspapers closed and hundreds of journalists sacked in recent months.

Sims insisted Tuesday the proposed law simply aimed to ensure that embattled Australian news organisations "can get a seat at the table for negotiations with Facebook and Google."

"Facebook already pays some media for news content," he said. "The code simply aims to bring fairness and transparency to Facebook and Googles relationships" with media businesses.

bur-dm/dan
September 2, 2020 - States that have expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act have seen an "early surge in demand" for hip and knee replacement surgery, reports a study in the September 2, 2020 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

"Patients with Medicaid expansion plans have a shorter time from enrollment to the surgical procedure, suggesting that there may be an unmet need for total hip arthroplasty [THA] and total knee arthroplasty [TKA] among newly enrolled Medicaid expansion beneficiaries," according to the new research by Christopher J. Dy MD, MPH, and colleagues of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo. "This need should be considered by surgeons, hospitals, and policymakers in ensuring access to care."

Shorter Times to THA and TKA in Medicaid-Expansion Patients

With use of data from a Medicaid managed care program, the researchers analyzed the timing of primary THA and TKA procedures in adults under age 65 between 2008 to 2015. The study included patients in four states that expanded Medicaid eligibility in 2014 (Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington) and four states without Medicaid expansion (Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Wisconsin).

Times to joint replacement surgery were compared for Medicaid-expansion patients, a relatively healthy group of adults without dependent children; Medicaid patients with Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a group of relatively unhealthy adults with disabilities; and patients receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), who are parents of children with Medicaid insurance. The analysis included a total of 4,117 patients across groups.

The median time to THA or TKA surgery for Medicaid-expansion patients (7.5 months) was significantly shorter than for SSI patients (16.1 months) and TANF patients (12.2 months).

A further analysis was adjusted for other factors, including patient age and sex, social deprivation, surgeon supply and reimbursement, and state-level Medicaid enrollment. The results of that analysis suggested that the time to THA or TKA was 70 percent shorter for Medicaid-expansion patients than for SSI patients. For TANF patients, the time to THA or TKA was 24 percent shorter than for SSI patients.

Expansion of state Medicaid programs has led to dramatic increases in insurance coverage among Americans. In August, Medicaid expansion was approved by voters in Missouri, making it the 38th state to expand Medicaid coverage.

Medicaid-expansion states have seen increases in certain "elective" but medically indicated surgical procedures, including THA and TKA, which raises questions of whether pent-up demand will strain the capacity of the health-care system or exceed the supply of orthopaedic surgeons willing to accept Medicaid insurance.

The new study finds a significantly shorter time from enrollment to THA and TKA for Medicaid-expansion patients compared with those with other routes of access to Medicaid coverage. "Our findings may represent an unmet need for THA and TKA among newly enrolled beneficiaries with Medicaid expansion plans," Dr. Dy and coauthors write. They suggest that Medicaid expansion is likely to lead to "an early surge in demand rather than a gradual increase."

"This need should be considered by surgeons, hospitals, and policymakers in ensuring access to care," Dr. Dy and coauthors conclude. They believe that healthcare policy and resource planning should also consider the existing disparities in access to orthopedic care already faced by Medicaid patients, as surges in demand may exacerbate these differences.

###

Click here to read "Unmet Need for Total Joint Arthroplasty in Medicaid Beneficiaries After Affordable Care Act Expansion."

DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.20.00125

About The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) has been the most valued source of information for orthopaedic surgeons and researchers for over 125 years and is the gold standard in peer-reviewed scientific information in the field. A core journal and essential reading for general as well as specialist orthopaedic surgeons worldwide, The Journal publishes evidence-based research to enhance the quality of care for orthopaedic patients. Standards of excellence and high quality are maintained in everything we do, from the science of the content published to the customer service we provide. JBJS is an independent, non-profit journal.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.

For more information, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
The Chancellor's highlighted note - Steve Back

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt was left red faced when paperwork revealed NHS workers were fleeing the UK because of a hard Brexit in 2017.

It came after handwritten notes carried by an aide to former Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field revealed the UKs negotiation strategy with the EU was to have cake and eat it.

Even former Prime Minister Theresa May fell foul of photographers when a memo was snapped going into Downing Street revealing her plan to approve new grammar schools.

Yet Chancellor Rishi Sunak appeared comparatively unbothered on Wednesday after highlighted notes revealed there would be no horror show of tax rises.

He was seen clutching the document annotated with hand-scribed additions in red pen ahead of a showdown with new Tory MPs in a bid to quell dissent on the backbenches over reports of tax rises.

Tory unrest over the Government's handling of the coronavirus crisis was compounded over the weekend when the Telegraph reported that Treasury insiders are pushing for "the largest tax rises in a generation" to respond to the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Little wonder, then, that some suspected Mr Sunaks rather careless handling of his private jottings in front of a phalanx of photographers outside No 10, may not have been entirely accidental. He appeared to make light of the incident in a tweet later, saying "got my notes on my phone this time". A Treasury source declined to comment on whether the leak was deliberate or accidental.

Yet as he faces a mounting backbench revolt over reported plans to launch a raid on capital gains, pensions, internet sales, fuel and inheritance to plug the multi-billion pound hole caused by the coronavirus crisis, the supposedly inadvertent divulgence could not have come at a more convenient moment.

Although Mr Sunak warned that there would be difficult times ahead, his reassuring words that this doesn't mean a horror show of tax rises with no end in sight will not only have helped to calm the nerves of Tory MPs but also Conservative voters.

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Yet in the meeting with the 2019 intake, comprising many new Red Wall MPs, Mr Sunak is also understood to have said that the British people deserve to be treated with respect, insisting: "We cannot, will not and must not surrender our position as the party of economic competence and sound finance.

As the Thatcherite free-marketeer finds himself in the seemingly oxymoronic position of having to plug the growing deficit while ensuring the Conservatives remain the low-tax party, Mr Sunak faces the same dilemma that has plagued his predecessors over the years.

Like almost all the chancellors who have gone before him, the 40-year-old MP for Richmond is caught between the Treasurys desire for fiscal discipline and Downing Streets demand that all pronouncements play well politically.

Hence why No 10 appears to have pushed back on the reports of tax rises and a fuel duty hike after they appeared universally unpopular with both politicians and the public.

As one senior Tory source explained: The dilemma facing Rishi is that he is going to have to make the switch from being Father Christmas, handing out free furlough cash and hot dinners, to Scrooge, clawing the money back in any way he can.

Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings all worked together on the Vote Leave campaign - Andrew Parsons

Its always been in the Treasurys DNA to balance the books, but most of their tax raising ideas are politically idiotic. The most successful Chancellors are the ones who realise that.

Confusion still reigns over who exactly briefed the tax rises story when both Downing Street and the Treasury now appear to be distancing themselves from the reports. One theory is that major tax rises have been pitch-rolled to prepare the electorate for more modest adjustments - along with further spending cuts - when the time comes.

But some, perhaps more paranoid, Tories fear Mr Sunaks soaring popularity may have made him a target. As he continues to ride high in the approval ratings, there are suggestions malign forces may be at work against the father of two, in the week Dominic Cummings and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove have spearheaded the establishment of a new mission control at 70 Whitehall.

The move is designed to ensure No 10, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office all work more closely together, but some Conservatives see it as a power grab by the former education secretary  and his former special adviser. Rishi is a serious threat  not necessarily to the Prime Minister, to whom he remains fiercely loyal  but other, ambitious Cabinet ministers," said one Tory MP.

Is he in favour of huge tax rises? I seriously doubt it. Of course all this is being discussed behind closed doors but hes looking at ways to make savings that create the fewest problems  both for him and the Government.
Iranian forces committed serious human rights violations against the demonstrators, says new report by rights group.

Rights group Amnesty International has accused Iran of using torture to extract confessions, saying hundreds of people have been jailed since a sweeping crackdown against protests last year.

Demonstrations erupted across Iran in November 2019 after a significant petrol price rise, but they were put down by the Iranian security forces with mass arrests amid a near-total internet blackout.

Amnesty said it had gathered dozens of testimonies from the 7,000 people it estimated were arrested, which included children as young as 10. Additionally, video recordings, court documents and statements by the authorities were also evaluated.

The accounts reveal a catalogue of shocking human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, the London-based human rights group said on Tuesday.

Those arrested were tortured into confessions of involvement in the protests, membership of opposition groups or contact with foreign governments and media, it added.

There was no immediate comment by Iranian officials. Iran has previously rejected Amnestys reports about the protests.

Beatings

Floggings

Electric shocks

Waterboarding

Mock executions

Sexual violence

Deprivation of medical care These are some of the ways Iran's intelligence & security forces have tortured protesters & human rights defenders. Read more in our new report.https://t.co/bLkpHhdLw6 pic.twitter.com/XUskZL4bn4  Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) September 2, 2020

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty Internationals Middle East Deputy Director, said the crimes and violations were accompanied by a wave of forced televised confessions in state propaganda videos.

The rights group also said it recorded the names of more than 500 people subjected to unfair criminal proceedings.

Prison sentences ranged from one month to 10 years, the report added.

Torture techniques included waterboarding, beating, electric shocks, pepper-spraying genitals, sexual violence, mock executions and pulling out finger and toe nails, Amnesty reported.

It felt like my entire body was being pierced with millions of needles, one man allegedly tortured with electricity told Amnesty.

Another man said he was suspended from his hands and feet from a pole  a method reportedly called chicken kebab by his interrogators  the report read.

In May, Irans interior minister suggested that up to 230 people were killed during the November protests, when petrol pumps were torched, police stations attacked and shops looted.

A group of independent United Nations rights experts said in December that more than 400 people could have been killed in the crackdown, based on unconfirmed reports.

Iran accused thugs backed by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest, which it described as the work of a very dangerous conspiracy.

The countrys economy has been choked by crippling sanctions reimposed by the US in 2018, three years after Washington unilaterally pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal signed between Tehran and world powers.

Mohammad Marandi, head of North American studies at the University of Tehran, said Amnesty was a biased organisation that is supported by Western governments and in particular the US.

Amnesty International  is neither objective nor is it in any way or form unbiased towards Iran, he told Al Jazeera.
WideOrbit, the market leader in linear inventory and revenue workflow management, today announced a new partnership with Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based technology for streaming and OTT TV, to enable dynamic ad decisioning and insertion in live stream TV. This strategic partnership will extend WideOrbits workflow management expertise to better address business needs related to streaming for local TV broadcasters.

Together, WideOrbit and Amagi will empower broadcasters to leverage existing linear workflows for digital streaming via OTT (over-the-top) and CTV (connected TV), allowing them to marry broadcast ad breaks with the power of digital ad insertion. Specifically, the ad server within WideOrbits Digital Suite and Amagis THUNDERSTORM technology allows local TV broadcasters to dynamically insert ads into livestreams within their existing broadcast infrastructure.

This partnership brings together Amagis expertise in streaming and OTT with WideOrbits expertise in linear broadcast TV, said Srinivasan KA, Amagi co-founder. Were providing the best of both worlds to local TV broadcasters as they move into streaming via OTT and CTV.

Amagis patented fingerprint technology allows WideOrbit to address the absence of cue tones (or SCTE markers) to indicate ad breaks in broadcasters live newscasts and other livestreams. This technology, based on advanced machine learning, identifies ad breaks, then communicates with the WideOrbit ad server to indicate the ad break duration and other targeting parameters, so the server knows exactly where the ad should be inserted. This enables WideOrbit to provide targeted, broadcast-TV quality ads which are stitched into OTT and CTV streams by Amagis THUNDERSTORM Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) solution. WideOrbits Digital Suite, which includes WO Steaming and WO Ad eXchange, also allows broadcasters to schedule ads, target ads, and leverage our programmatic ad exchange to maximize the value of any unsold inventory opportunities.

Our partnership with Amagi allows local TV broadcasters to provide a linear-quality ad break experience to their streaming audience, using the same workflows and WideOrbit tools theyre already familiar with, said John Morris, WideOrbit VP of Digital Solutions. Currently available for streaming via OTT and CTV, the technology also lays the foundation for monetization in the emerging ATSC 3.0 environment. Our partnership with Amagi sets the stage for the addressable advertising capabilities needed to fully maximize the additional revenue opportunities all of these services represent.

About WideOrbit

WideOrbit helps media companies do more business by making it easier to buy and sell advertising. Say hello to a Wider World with WideOrbit, the one platform that ties everything together, from pitch to payment. In a rapidly evolving media landscape, doing more business means doing less paper-chasing, less chair-swiveling, and less data re-re-entry. Only WideOrbit brings a Wider-World approach, providing the broader capabilities, bigger insights, and better connections that media companies need. Thats why so many industry leaders  including NBCUniversal, ABC/Disney, Fox, CBS/Viacom, AMC, Univision, Meredith, and Entercom  have partnered with us since 1999.

WideOrbit is the system of record for more than $38 billion in advertising transactions annually. WideOrbit is headquartered in San Francisco with offices worldwide. Learn more at wideorbit.com.

For press inquiries, contact media@wideorbit.com.

About Amagi

Amagi is a next-gen media tech company that provides cloud broadcast and streaming TV solutions to TV networks, content owners and streaming TV platforms. Amagi enables content owners to launch, distribute and monetize live linear channels on Free-Ad-Supported TV and SVOD platforms. Amagi also offers 24x7 cloud managed services bringing simplicity, advanced automation, and transparency to the entire broadcast operations for traditional TV networks. Amagi delivers 350+ channels with deployments in over 40 countries. Amagi has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and London, broadcast operations in New Delhi, and an innovation center in Bangalore. Learn more at amagi.com.

Amagi Contact:

Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

Head of Global Marketing

Email: sanjay@amagi.com

Katie Cessna

BLASTmedia for Amagi

katie@blastmedia.com
"Learning bridges" in Baden-Wurttemberg

Teacher Judith Ziegler wears a mask while she is tutoring a pupil at a primary school on August 31, 2020 in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hemmingenin in Germany. Credit - Alle Rechte vorbehaltenGermany

Around the world, students are returning to school as countries experiment with new educational models and social distancing protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While preliminary research suggests children are less vulnerable to COVID-19 than adults, there remain concerns that schools will become breeding grounds for infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has cautioned that full sized, in-person classes, activities and events will likely lead to the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Opening schools in some countries has already proven to be hazardous. In Israel, for instance, schools were the second-highest places for infection for the month of June, after 2,026 students, teachers and staff tested positive for COVID-19.

But as the pandemic enters its sixth month, governments are grappling with how to provide a quality education to children in the midst of an ongoing, long-term crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, according to the United Nations, affecting nearly 1.6 billion students in over 190 countries. Some 94% of the worlds student population has been impacted and in low and middle-income countries, 99% of students have been affected. School closures caused by the pandemic have exacerbated previously existing educational inequality, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

In Europe, where some students have been back at school for over a month, countries are experimenting with new strategies for teaching that keep children safe from infection while ensuring they receive a quality education. Heres how three are reopening schoolsand what obstacles they are facing along the way:

Germany

On Aug. 7, 152,700 students at 563 schools returned to school for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a nationwide lockdown in March. Like in the United States, summer vacations are not uniform throughout the country, meaning that schools have been slowly reopening throughout Germany over the past few weeks.

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But returning to school looks different this year, with students divided up into cohorts of several hundred students. Cohorts are prohibited from mixing with one another and teachers are assigned to specific cohorts. The goal of the cohort model is to prevent entire student bodies from needing to quarantine in the case of an outbreak.

Even within their cohorts, students are required to wear face masks in hallways and when entering classrooms but can take them off once seated at their desks. They are also advised to keep their hands off of any banisters and are required to wash their hands regularly. Classrooms have been reconfigured to allow for social distancing and better ventilation.

Although Germany has fast and free testing, effective contact tracing along with lower infection rates than the United States, schools have nevertheless struggled to curb the spread of the virus. In Berlin, one of the first places to reopen schools in the country, at least 42 schools out of the 825 that reopened reported COVID-19 cases within the first two weeks of reopening. Hundreds of students and teachers had to quarantine. Yet despite cases popping up, the country has not yet seen any major outbreaks or long-term school closures.

Although reopening schools has not been easy, Germany plans on prioritizing keeping them open, even if it means closing other public venues. Children should not become the losers of the pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Aug. 28.

Scotland

The Scottish government, which has powers over certain domestic policies separate from the U.K. government in Westminster, gave schools the go-ahead to reopen on Aug. 11, advising them to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Like in Germany, Scottish classrooms have been reconfigured to allow social distancing and to increase ventilation. While physical distancing is not enforced between students, pupils showing symptoms are required to get tested immediately.

While Scotland has not seen any major outbreaks in the roughly three weeks since schools reopened, the return to classrooms has not been without challenges. Like in most years, many students have fallen ill with non-COVID, flu-like symptoms which have required them to get tested, overwhelming Scotlands testing facilities. During the week of Aug. 23, nearly 17,500 people between the ages of 2 and 17 were tested but only 49 were found to have the virus, Scotlands First Minister Nicolas Sturgeon said at a briefing on Aug. 27. Despite the relatively low number of cases, the Scottish government announced new requirements for students over the age of 12 to wear masks three weeks after schools reopened in order to minimize any potential spread.

For Scotland, keeping schools open remains a priority, with Sturgeon saying there is a moral and educational imperative that we get children back to school as soon as is safely possible.

Because Scotland has slowly eased out of lockdown, the government has been able to closely monitor how reopening schools impacts the spread of COVID-19. In contrast, schools in England are reopening at the same time as businesses are encouraged to return to workplaces, which may make it more difficult to monitor where and how the virus is spreading.

Norway

Norway was one of the first countries in Europe to reopen its schools back in April, doing so gradually and with strict social distancing protocols in place. In May, a national traffic light model was introduced to guide schools on what infection control measures are to be followed under the pandemic. A green light indicates that schools can run according to normal hours whereas a red light signifies schools must limit class sizes and alter their school hours according to the size of the outbreak. Since June 2, the traffic light model has been set to yellow, meaning schools must take measures to reduce physical contact and have stronger hygiene.

Like Germany, Norway has also adopted the cohort model, requiring students to arrive at school at staggered times and limiting all interaction between cohorts. While the number of new cases is rising in the region, particularly among young people, Norway has not yet experienced any major outbreaks.

While Norway, Germany and Scotland have all found ways of reopening schools in effective, albeit imperfect, ways, experts worry that the same approach may not be possible in the United States.

The situation in the U.S. is obviously much more difficult, says Ralf Reintjes, a professor of Epidemiology and Surveillance at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. With regards to the school setting, its difficult to be at least slightly optimistic in such a big epidemic to open schools in a normal way.

Kathryn Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, agrees. All of us have read the studies and experiences in Europe. And they seem to have been pretty positive, Edwards says. But the burden of disease in European communities is much less than what were seeing. Europe has controlled the outbreak in most places more effectively than we have.

With reporting by Madeline Roache in London
The Cuban capital Havana was all but shut down on Tuesday night as the city was plunged back into a strict 15-day lockdown to combat a spike in Covid-19 cases, leaving shops shuttered and streets eerily deserted.

The measures include a 7pm to 5am curfew, a ban on shopping outside of one's neighbourhood and limits on travel in and out of the city.

For Havanas residents, the restrictions mean buying supplies in a city often hit by shortages has become an even tougher task.

"My daily job doesn't give me a chance to get the supplies I need for the house, Havana resident Julio Odelin told AP. It's really hard because I have to work straight through so when I finish my shift everything will be closed."

Cuba has won praise for its response to Covid-19, which has seen its extensive public healthcare system mobilised to rapidly trace and isolate infected citizens.

The country of 11 million has reported just over 4,000 cases and 95 deaths from Covid-19, one of the lowest rates in the region.

But case numbers have rebounded in the capital following the easing of restrictions in July, rising to dozens a day over the past month, which authorities have blamed on citizens failing to respect social distancing and other health measures.

Anyone breaking the new lockdown rules could face harsh punishment with violators risking a $125 fine, more than triple the average monthly wage.
Actor Kangana Ranaut has called out the commissioner of police, Mumbai, Param Bir Singh, for liking a derogatory tweet against her. She also questioned how there was a sanction for public teasing and bullying, where there should have been condemnation.

Taking to Twitter and sharing screenshots which showed the senior officer liking the said tweet, Kangana wrote: Liking derogatory tweets about people who are fighting against the murderers of Sushant, instead of condemning public teasing and bullying like this @CPMumbaiPolice is encouraging it, @MumbaiPolice has hit all time low ... SHAME !! One of the screenshots showed a manhole painted with Kanganas name. It mentioned that the post was liked by CP Mumbai Police.

Liking derogatory tweets about people who are fighting against the murderers of Sushant, instead of condemning public teasing and bullying like this @CPMumbaiPolice is encouraging it, @MumbaiPolice has hit all time low ... SHAME !! pic.twitter.com/9H4mhC9Nsk  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 1, 2020

When @CPMumbaiPolice is openly intimidating me like this, encouraging bullying and crime against me, will I be safe in Mumbai ? Who is responsible for my safety? @PMOIndia  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 1, 2020

In a following tweet, Kangana wanted to know if she would be safe in Mumbai after this. She wrote: When @CPMumbaiPolice is openly intimidating me like this, encouraging bullying and crime against me, will I be safe in Mumbai ? Who is responsible for my safety? @PMOIndia. Among those who supported Kangana was Sushants sister Shweta Singh Kirti. Retweeting Kangana, she wrote: My God!! Shameful!! #justiceforSushanthSinghRajput

Twitter interactions showing Mumbai Polices revert on Kanganas claim and Shweta Singh Kirtis show of support.

Mumbai Police was quick to revert on the matter. Replying to the actors first tweet, the official Twitter handle of Mumbai Police said: This tweet has never been liked by @CPMumbaiPolice- the cyber police station has been asked to examine the screenshot.

Also read: Raveena Tandon on Kangana Ranauts claim that 99 per cent of Bollywood uses drugs: Few bad apples cannot spoil a basket

Fans also wanted to know what action was being taken against those who panted the manhole with the actors name. One said: What is the action that you have taken against the person who had drawn defamatory paintings on the street?? Is there a complained filed investigation done?? Who tried to wash away the paintings after it was highlighted?? Will painter and accomplishments be booked??

Kangana has been speaking about the Sushant Singh Rajput death case for the last couple of months. She has also been talking about the insider versus outsider debate in Bollywood and raked up her claims of nepotism in the industry.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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CYBERSPACEAdult camming portal Streamate is hailing its recent virtual Streamate Workshop for Colombia and the Latin American market as a success.

The event, which featured 1,300 registered attendees, gave models and studios in Latin America the opportunity to connect in seminars, masterclasses and meetings specifically tailored to increase their chances of success. The Streamate Workshop was held free of charge, with no sponsors and no sales.

The workshops aim was to bring the best content with the best professionals in the industry to everyone, regardless of the platform they work on, the company said in its announcement.

The event featured speakers from all facets of the industry including Juan Carlos Ocampo, Luisa Fernanda Ceballos Gallego, Anthony Rivera, Linda Suarez, Stiven Gomez, Yiset Mosquera, Ivan Cuellar, Olivert Cardenas Gil, Alex Lecomte, Cianurotips, Juanita Bother K, Rousex, Angelo Palomino, Megan y Max, Julio Cesar Garcia, Afrodita Moore, Little Sofie, Avril Green, Naomy Carter, Alli Coper, Alejadollts, Alejandra Osorio, Liacam and Dan Lopez.

We always wanted to do something like this, and the global pandemic just gave us the perfect opportunity, said Christophe Peyras, Streamate Workshop organizer. The goal for Streamate Workshop was not to be an event about Streamate, but about camming, and that was very important that it not be a sales pitch but bring actual value to an audience regardless of the platform they work on, and I think we succeeded in that. For our first event of this nature, the turnout was amazing, and the feedback weve had so far is very humbling. Were already thinking of a U.S. version as well as other global markets in the future.

The seminars, masterclasses and meetings offered during the three days of the Streamate Workshop included The American Market, The Colombian Market, Technology in Webcams, How to Get Started on Webcams, Train Successful Models in Today's Market, Learn From the Professionals, Social Networks for Camgirls, The Importance of Supplementing Your Broadcast With Offline Content, and Mental Wellness. The Streamate Workshop also hosted Happy Hours and a Wrap-Up so participants could have extra time to virtually mix and mingle.

It is always necessary to have spaces where the webcam community meets to share knowledge with each other, said Liacam, a popular Colombian webcam model and YouTuber who attended. The Streamate Virtual Workshop taught us the most complex to the simplest things, always with an expert in the industry willing to teach the next generations everything they know. After an event of such magnitude, we are all left wanting more, more learning, more knowledge, more webcam."

She added: Each day we need to learn something new, the Streamate Workshop gave us three days full of empowering knowledge where the webcam community had space to share experiences from objective to practical points of view.

For more information, visit www.streamate.com or follow Streamate on Twitter at @StreamateModels.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Coalition for Public School Options (PSO)the nation's leading parent education advocacy organizationis appalled by Governor Eric Holcomb's proposed changes to education funding, which would further exacerbate the inequality between full-time virtual public school students and traditional school students.

Currently, Indiana's education funding formula funds all virtual school students at an arbitrary 85% of full education funding. The new policy would keep virtual school students at this level, but fully-fund traditional school students attending virtual schools administrated by their local school district.

"All students should be treated equally  whether they choose to go to virtual schools, have been placed in a virtual learning environment due to the pandemic, or go to traditional brick-and-mortar schools," said Letrisha Weber, National PSO Board Member and Chair of PSO's Indiana Chapter.



"All students deserve an equal chance at success and, when it comes to the critical issues of education, no child should be funded at a lesser level than any other. It is hypocritical to acknowledge that students being educated online through their existing school relationships are worth 100% funding, while those attending established virtual schools (both new and existing) are only worth 85% funding," continued Weber.

In a letter to the State Board of Education, Weber outlined some of the biggest issues with the funding change, including:

The proposed rule contradicts current policy and state law, and was seemingly written in anticipation that the State Legislature will retroactively change existing law to conform with Gov. Holcomb's new rule.

The change would create inequity between online public school students. If virtual students were only worth an arbitrary 85% of public education dollars in the past, why is a subset of virtual students receiving the full 100% of funding? This division could significantly damage one set of Indiana public school students, while advantaging the other.

Thousands of Indiana families have been choosing full-time virtual public schools for their children for myriad reasons. Full-time virtual public schools have seen unprecedented growth in 2020 as families seek stability during this time of upheaval and uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the letter here.

The National Coalition for Public School Options is a national alliance of parents that supports and defends parents' rights to access the best public school options for their children. PSO supports the creation of public school options, including charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, open enrollment policies and other innovative education programs. Additionally, we advocate for equal access without restrictions to these public schools for all children.

SOURCE National Coalition for Public School Options
The U.S. Senate could go a long way toward reducing racial tension in places like Kenosha, Wis., and Portland, Ore., if it would just take up a police reform bill that has been stalled for months, key members of Congress from Texas said Monday.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, said with one vote on a reform bill named for the late George Floyd, the Senate could extend hope to the protesters and ease the dismay and disappointment that has led them to the streets.

There is nothing like giving them hope that their nation not only responded to their outcry, but listened, Jackson Lee said.

Jackson Lee and other Democrats used a press conference on Tuesday to put more public pressure on the Republican-led Senate and on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

That bill, which passed the House in June, would, among other things, ban chokeholds, create a federal registry of police misconduct complaints, and take away qualified immunity protections for police who act knowingly or with reckless disregard to violate a suspects constitutional rights.

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But Republicans have instead pushed a narrower bill that Democrats say falls short of the reforms needed. The Republican Senate bill would use incentives to get local police to end chokeholds, but would not change to the qualified immunity statutes that shield officers from civil lawsuits as a result of their actions.

To our dismay, the United States Senate majority (Republicans) refused to take this bill in a responsible and serious manner, Jackson Lee said.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, responded on Twitter saying it was Democrats in the Senate who are to blame for the Republican version, which he co-sponsored, not getting to the floor for a vote. The Senate voted 55-44 to bring the Republican bill to the floor, short of the 60 votes needed to get a vote on the legislation, with most Democrats in the chamber voting against it.

Guess they prefer to use this as a campaign issue, Cornyn said. How is that working?

But other Democratic House members say Republicans could have an impact on the protests if they would just allow the tougher reform package to get a vote in the Senate.

I absolutely think it would help, said U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth. I think the people would have hope.

U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is no silver bullet, but it would be a powerful message to the protesters that their government is listening to them. Floyd, a longtime Houston resident, was killed in Minnesota on May 25 sparking a summer of protests and rallies against racial injustice and police brutality.

Its because the bill is doing what they are requesting, Green said. The bill is addressing the issues that they are raising.

In advocating for the bill, Green talked about how the reforms are personal for so many people of color, including himself.

Ive been stopped. Ive had my hands on the car, Green said of an incident in which police pulled him over when he was in law school at Texas Southern University in the 1970s. I know what it is like to have the officers speak to you in the tone and tenor that is indicative of a person being displeased with you when youve done nothing.
Landlords are pushing rent repayment plans on individual tenants. In Crescent Town, in the former borough of East York, in Toronto, Pinedale Properties offered a tenant repayment of four months of arrears ($7,000) over 12 monthly instalments  an extra $583 per month. After difficult negotiation, the company offered a 10 per cent discount if the tenant repaid $3,500 upfront.

Many tenants have been too intimidated to negotiate. Payments even a day late or a dollar short can mean eviction proceedings. Such repayment plans during a recession and pandemic uncertainty set tenants up to fail. Thousands will quietly leave or be evicted  landlords, including Pinedale, have filed 6,000 COVID-19 eviction applications. This will exacerbate the housing crisis that, like COVID-19, hits racialized working-class communities the hardest.

Working-class tenants shouldnt pay for a crisis that results directly from more than three decades of government policies that have systematically benefited the real estate industry and large landlords. Their profits have grown despite an unprecedented economic crisis they helped create. They should pay for it.

Torontos housing crisis is partly rooted in federal government policy that, starting in the 1980s, cut funding for non-profit co-operatives and capital subsidies to build new rental housing. Rather than ensuring housing supply the policy is, per David Hulchanksi, to leave it to the market and hope for the best.

Markets prefer short-term returns on investments. In high-density construction, profits are best in building condominiums rather than purpose-built rental stock  each unit can be sold individually at high prices. But given high demand, owners of existing purpose-built rentals have also raked in profits.

In 1997, the provincial government passed vacancy decontrol  when a tenant leaves, landlords can increase rents for new tenants. Landlords often renovate units to justify ever higher rents for new tenants. Or, they boost profits from existing tenants by increasing rent up to three per cent above guideline (ranging from 0.7 to 3.1 per cent over the last decade) for infrastructural upgrades or cosmetic makeovers. Either way, poorer tenants get pushed out.

Meanwhile, rental housing stock has become concentrated in fewer hands. Governments have enabled what Martine August calls financialization of landlords: trusts and firms pool investors money to purchase ever more real estate, like shareholders in a firm. Private landlord dynasties continue registering their substantial holdings under untransparent shell companies.

Such firms lobby against regulations that may dent profits. Doug Fords government has promoted their interests, removing rent control on properties built after 2018 and making evictions easier through Bill 184.

All this means massive profits. Only halfway into 2020, CAPREIT, among the largest firms, reported net operating margins, profits, of 64.5 per cent or $281 million  better than last year! MINTO Apartment REIT, with 62.9 per cent margins, reported being highly resilient through the crisis.

Astonishingly, large landlords want more government handouts. Tony Irwin, head of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario, recently proposed a rent subsidy program to help struggling tenants by socializing costs across those who can afford to pay a little more. This logic is perverse: public subsidies for landlord profits funnelled through poor tenants.

Rent subsidies should target smaller mom-and-pop rental owners to help cover home mortgages, bills and other costs. Large landlords can easily absorb losing some rent while still being profitable.

Politicians, when not advancing large landlord interests, appear petrified by their power. Although tenant protests pushed city council to override the city solicitors legal opinion and legally challenge Bill 184, Mayor John Tory and council continue to avoid an emergency moratorium on evictions.

Its high time politicians follow the lead of tenant struggles and find the political courage to concretely champion affordable housing. Tory can begin by using emergency powers to ban COVID-19 evictions, and push landlords to collectively negotiate substantial relief, not full repayment, with tenants.

The Crescent Town Tenants Unions more than reasonable demands can offer a baseline: 50 per cent rent relief, all eviction applications withdrawn, and fair repayment plans that dont put tenants at risk of eviction due to COVID-19.

Whatever happens, working-class communities will continue organizing to ensure that they do not pay for a crisis created by political and economic elites.

Noaman G. Ali is an assistant professor of political economy at Lahore University of Management Sciences and an associate of Peoples Defence Toronto.

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A Delhi court has granted bail to a man in a case related to the communal violence in north east Delhi, saying prima facie there was no direct evidence against him. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav granted the relief to Imran on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 20,000 with one surety of like amount in the case related to gunshot injuries received by Constable Deepak during the riots in Dayalpur area.

The court said in its order passed on September 1, that there was no CCTV footage available where the accused was seen to be a member of the riotous mob and the police has failed to prove his call detail record (CDR) location at the scene of the incident. It further noted that a perusal of the examination report of Deepak in the charge sheet revealed that he was medically treated for the gunshot injuries suffered by him on his left leg, whereas in FIR, he had stated that he suffered gunshot injuries on his right leg. It also said the important fact which was noteworthy was that Imran was not arrested from the scene of the crime, instead he has been arrested in the case merely on the basis of his disclosure statement made by him in another case related to riots in Bhajanpura area.

The court, however, clarified that anything stated in the order should not be construed as expressing any opinion on the final merits of the case, as it was at pre-cognizance stage". It is a matter of record that complainant/injured Constable Deepak has not named the applicant (Imran) in the FIR. There is no CCTV footage of the incident available, where the applicant can be seen to be a member of the riotous mob". The investigating agency has even failed to prove any CDR location of the applicant at the scene of crime on the date of incident.

The complainant/injured was discharged on the same day itself from GTB Hospital and the injuries suffered by him were stated to be simple" in nature. A perusal of the examination report (i.e the charge sheet) of injured/complainant Constable Deepak reveals that he was medically treated for the gunshot injuries suffered by him on his left leg, whereas in FIR, he had stated that he suffered gunshot injuries on his right leg," the court said in its order. It further said there was no electronic evidence on record against Imran and there was no public witness in the case, whom he can threaten or intimidate.

Besides, the disclosure statement of the applicant (Imran) in the said case, prima facie there is no direct evidence to connect him with the incident in this case. The identification of the applicant by Constable Rohit is hardly of any consequences to the prosecution. The investigation in the matter is complete," the court said. It directed the accused not to tamper with evidence and to maintain peace and harmony in the locality and to instal Aarogya Setu App" in his mobile phone.

During the hearing held through video conferencing, advocate Mohammad Danish, appearing for Imran, claimed he has been falsely implicated in the case and the alleged recovery of wooden sticks and stones at his instance was planted one". Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, appearing for the state, opposed the bail plea saying Imran has been categorically identified in the case by Constable Rohit, who was also present on duty with Deepak at the scene of the crime and he had taken injured to the hospital for his medical treatment. The public prosecutor further argued that at Imrans instance and his accomplice three wooden sticks were recovered from the Brijpuri Pulia, near Chand Bagh nala in the case.

According to the prosecution, the case was registered on February 26 on the complaint of Deepak, who in his statement stated that on February 25, he was present near Brijpuri Puliya alongwith other police staff to maintain law and order in the area and to control the riotous mob. Suddenly, the riotous mob became violent and started damaging/burning the properties in Brijpuri area and the police officials present there tried to control the situation by using force and firing tear-gas shells, his complaint had stated.

In the meantime, two boys from the front side of the mob fired bullets from the pistol, as a result of which Deepak sustained gunshot injuries upon his left leg and was taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB Hospital) by Rohit, where he was given medical treatment, the complaint claimed.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
United Talent Agency Chief Executive Jeremy Zimmer at the company's Beverly Hills office. (United Talent Agency)

United Talent Agency said Wednesday it would reinstate full pay to workers who had their incomes reduced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and cut about about 50 of its staffers.

The Beverly Hills agency said it was among the first in the industry to reinstate full pay for its employees, with salaries set to be made whole by mid-September, Chief Executive Jeremy Zimmer said in an email to staff Wednesday.

In March, UTA cut salaries of its staff after the health crisis forced the industry to halt live events and productions, a major blow to agencies that had already been squeezed by a dispute with the Writers Guild of America over packaging fees and other practices.

Now, UTA said it is exploring pay increases for hourly employees, including its assistants, and extending half-day Summer Fridays beyond Labor Day through Sept. 25.

Century City-based Creative Artists Agency also implemented salary cuts . Endeavor announced one-third of its staff will have their positions eliminated, be furloughed or see their hours reduced. However unlike those two firms, UTA has reached an agreement with the WGA, as has ICM.

"Our industry is showing increasing signs of recovery and stability. Parts of our business have remained steady despite the impact of COVID-19 and, in some areas, weve performed stronger than expected," Zimmer said in the internal memo viewed by The Times. However, "the need remains to take a hard and honest look at the size and makeup of UTA  and make decisions that reflect what our business requires not just short term but for the foreseeable future."

The layoffs affected a mix of staff across different divisions and those who had been furloughed this year, as well as some current employees. Zimmer promised "generous" severance packages.

In May, UTA furloughed a significant number of its 1,200 employees, many of whom were assistants. Zimmer said in his memo he could not yet commit to reinstating furloughed employees.
Marilou Laude, the sister of slain Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, shows a photo of now convicted killer Joseph Scott Pemberton, after appearing in court in Olongapo City, Philippines, Dec. 19, 2014.

A Philippine court has ordered the early release of an American Marine convicted in the 2014 killing of a transgender woman, with the latest ruling stoking anti-U.S. sentiment among some groups here, as the case did six years ago.

Former U.S. Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the homicide of Jennifer Laude, but was ordered released after only six years due to good behavior, a regional court in the northern Philippines ruled on Tuesday.

The killing, which took place when Pemberton was in the Southeast Asian country for military exercises, also led to a diplomatic row between longtime allies the Philippines and the United States over which of the two should have custody of the serviceman.

He is now entitled to be released, Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde wrote in her order, which was released to the public on Wednesday. The Director General, Bureau of Corrections is directed to release the accused from detention unless he is being held for other lawful cause or causes.

She further said that Pemberton had also paid the Laude family the full amount of 4.6 million Philippine pesos (U.S. $96,000) in damages.

The Philippine military said it would comply with the court order. As of Wednesday night (local time), it wasnt known if Pemberton had been freed. He was being held in a compound guarded by Philippine and American security personnel at a Philippine military camp in metropolitan Manila, the Associated Press reported.

The U.S. embassy on Wednesday declined to comment on the early release of the former marine.

In 2014, Pemberton, who was then 19 years old, was in the Philippines as part of a U.S. contingent conducting military exercises.

He met Laude at a nightclub in Olongapo city, in Central Luzon. The two went to a motel where she later was found dead with her head pushed into a toilet, according to court records. Pemberton was seen leaving the hotel.

US continues to trump Philippine sovereignty

The courts decision Tuesday to release Pemberton angered Philippine nationalist and leftist groups. It was also roundly condemned by Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who commented on the ruling in his position as a lawyer who represented Laudes family.

The court order undermined sovereignty in the Philippines, a former American colony, and put U.S. interests front and center, critics said.

Roque said the early release decision proved that despite President Rodrigo Dutertes independent foreign policy, the U.S. still had the status of conquering colonials in our country.

As former private prosecutor for the Laude family, I deplore the short period of imprisonment meted [out to] Pemberton who killed a Filipino in the most gruesome manner, he said in a statement. Laudes death personifies the death of Philippine sovereignty.

In 2014-2015, the arrest and trial of Pemberton led to a diplomatic tussle. In December 2014, when the Philippines requested that it take custody of Pemberton, the U.S. Embassy in Manila argued that the Marine should be in American custody. The embassy cited, a bilateral military pact, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), as giving Washington the right to have him in its custody.

Pemberton was kept in U.S. custody at a Philippine military base in Quezon City, near Manila, but prosecuted and convicted by a regional court in Olongapo. Since his conviction, Pemberton has been incarcerated in a jail at the military base.

Now, the early release of Pemberton is a travesty of justice and the most recent vivid example of the lopsidedness of a military defense deal that favors the U.S., said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the nationalist human rights group Karapatan.

This action will go down in the annals of the Philippines history as among the most notorious proof that the U.S. continues to trump Philippine sovereignty to this day, Palabay told BenarNews.

The military pact with the U.S. unduly protects American military personnel, the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement.

The special privilege afforded to Pemberton underscores the unjustness of the Visiting Forces Agreement, which gives American military personnel extraordinary legal status while in the country, and by default shields them from legal action, in cases where they commit criminal violations, the party said in a statement published by FightBack!News.

In January, the Philippine president threatened to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement with Washington but put that plan on hold in June.

Since assuming office as President in 2016, Duterte has sought to distance himself from the U.S. and instead strengthen ties with Washingtons rivals, China and Russia.
D avid Byrne has apologised for using black and brownface after a video from the 1980s resurfaced.

The promo video for the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense sees a skit in which the star, now 68, interviews himself while playing several different reporters  some of whom are reporters of colour.

After the clip resurfaced on social media, the Talking Heads frontman took to Twitter to say it was a major mistake in judgement in a lengthy statement.

Id just about forgotten about this skit and Im grateful that it has been brought to my attention, he wrote.

David Byrne has spoken out about wrongdoing / Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

To watch myself in the various characters, including black and brown face, I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding. Its like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else- youre not, or were not, the person you thought you were.

Byrne continued: We have huge blind spots about ourselves- well, I certainly do. Id like to think I am beyond making mistakes like this, but clearly at the time I was not.

Like I say at the end of our Broadway show American Utopia I need to change too..and I believe I have changed since then.

One hopes that folks have the grace and understanding to allow that someone like me, anyone really, can grow and change, and that the past can be examined with honesty and accountability.

The 20 greatest British rock bands of all time 1 /26 The 20 greatest British rock bands of all time 20. Joy Division It's incredibly rare for a band to have such an impact in such a short space of time. Joy Division were one of the most influential bands of the late 1970s, despite the life of Ian Curtis being cut tragically short at the age of just 23. Factory Records changed the face of British music and Joy Division were a huge part of its success. Rex 19. Super Furry Animals The finest Welsh proponents of weirdo rock since... well, ever. The group, pictured above on a bad hair day, have created some of the most interesting albums of the last few decades and they're also one of the first commercially successful acts to record entire albums in the Welsh language. This is modern psychedelic rock at its finest. Polly Thomas/REX 18. The Jam Not only did Paul Weller and the Jam create some of the most urgent and essential rock albums of the 1970s, but they also inspired an entire style movement. The mod revival the band helped to spark a whole subculture just shows how influential they were: everyone wanted to look like them and everyone wanted to buy their records. Getty Images 17. T. Rex Marc Bolans hugely influential rock act started off as a pastoral psychedelic folk group. They released four albums under the name Tyrannosaurus Rex before shortening the name, reinventing themselves as glam rock behemoths and releasing a string of incredible singles such as Ride A White Swan, Get It On, Metal Guru and Children Of The Revolution. Sadly, Bolans career was cut short following his death in a tragic car accident in 1977, but his musical legacy lives on. Getty Images 16. Roxy Music Roxy Music are fondly remembered by fans as one of the most eccentric and unusual rock acts of the 1970s and their self-titled first album is widely regarded as one of the best British debuts of all time. The group brought us Bryan Ferry, one of the most interesting frontmen of the era, as well as Brian Eno, one of the most influential electronic artists of all time, whod go on to create a series of revered instrumental albums and produce records for the likes of Talking Heads, U2 and Coldplay. 15. The Who They might be best known by many for proving the CSI themes these days, but the Who are, without doubt, one of the best British rock bands of all time. Pete Townshend proved himself to be one of the most expressive British songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s while Roger Daltrey was one of the most commanding frontmen of the era. They were also one of the first British bands to introduce the idea of a concept album, too, with 1969s hugely successful Tommy. Whos Next is one of the great UK rock albums, too, and the band are still talking about their generation five decades on. Georgie Gillard/Daily Mail 14. Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne teamed up with fellow Brummies Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Tony Iommi in the late 1960s to form the hugely influential Black Sabbath and pretty much invented heavy metal in the process. The group released era-defining classics like Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man, and influenced the outlook of British rock music more than most bands before or since. Getty Images 13. Blur So much is made of the Blur vs Oasis rivalry that ran throughout the height of Britpop and its certainly true that they were two of the most important bands of the decade. Blurs impressive back catalogue boasts a wealth of indelibly British songwriting with some of the wittiest lyrics of the 1990s, and also some of the simplest (see Tender). Damon Albarn would go on to create music with Gorillaz and pursue a number of other intriguing projects, but the real star of the show was Graham Coxon, who remains one of the most criminally underrated British guitarists of the 20th century. Jim Dyson/Getty Images 12. Queen No one put on a show quite like Queen. Freddie Mercurys unmatchable live vocals and the bands incredible sense of spectacle made them one of the most celebrated live acts the UK has ever seen. The masters of bombast and excess, Queen created some of the most widely known and popular music of the 1970s and 1980s. Mercurys premature death in 1991 shocked the music world but the bands legacy is as strong today as it has ever been. 11. The Kinks So many bands owe a huge amount to the work and influence of The Kinks. You Really Got Me is one of the greatest rock riffs of all time, and let's not forget that Dave Davis of the band actually invented distortion after slashing the cones in his amplifier with a razor blade; a sound which has been integral to the sound of rock and roll ever since. Their songs and their methods influenced entire generations of musicians and they remain one of the UK's ever rock bands. Hulton Archive/Getty Images 10. The Stone Roses Who cares if they only really released one good album, the Stone Roses have carved out a groove in the British zeitgeist unlike anyone else before or after them. Their self-titled 1989 debut is quite rightly regarded as one of the most influential British records ever made; if you walk into any indie bar across the country on a Friday night, you can guarantee itll be playing through the speakers and going down a storm. Steve Gillett/Livepix 9. The Clash From the angsty exuberance of their self-titled debut to the ambitious genre-bending efforts of London Calling and Sandinista, The Clash put out a succession of classic albums between 1977 and 1985. The band stood up for admirable causes, famously performing at Rock Against Racism and embracing lefty politics in their writing too. Forget the Sex Pistols, The Clash are the greatest punk band the UK has ever produced. John Ingham 8. The Cure Robert Smiths the Cure are one of most iconic British bands of the 1980s and 1990s, and hold a special place in the hearts of many music fans up and down the country. From the the stark and intense nature of albums like 1982s Pornography, through to the more flamboyant and playful records like Wish, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and Disintegration - arguably the bands masterpiece - Smith created some of the greatest alternative British music of his generation. Theo Wargo/Getty Images 7. Oasis How many times has someone picked up a guitar and performed a dodgy rendition of Wonderwall at a party? Or how many times has someone murdered a rendition of Dont Look Back In Anger at karaoke? Oasis's songs themselves are some of the most accessible and instantaneous British songs ever written and thats before you even consider the charisma of the band that performed them: The Gallagher brothers were at war most of the time during Oasiss career, but out of that tension came the most iconic songs of the 1990s and some of the most culturally significant British music ever made. 6. The Smiths They might have inspired more terrible student bands than any other artist, but the Smiths remain one of the greatest bands Britain has ever produced. Morrisseys unmistakable vocals and the chime of Johnny Marrs beautiful guitar playing made them one of the most distinctive bands of the 1980s, and a hit with indie fans ever since. Its almost scary to think that Marr formed the Smiths, released four incredible studio albums and quit the band all by the time he was 24: a staggering achievement at such an early age. 5. The Rolling Stones Without doubt one of the most influential British rock bands of all time, the Rolling Stones could easily top any list of iconic British rock groups. Childhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards formed an iconic musical partnership as kids in the 1950s before forming the Stones with Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Ian Stewart. The group developed on their early covers of tracks by the likes of blues legends Howlin Wolf and Chuck Berry to produce more and more expansive sounds, but still kept blues-rock at the absolute core of their music. The reductive Beatles vs Stones argument will always persist amongst music fans, but the swagger and the sheer riffage on display on classic Stones albums Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street is irresistible. Michael Ochs Archives 4. Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here... the list of classic albums goes on. Pink Floyd have created some of the most accomplished and successful UK rock music ever made and always maintained a distinctively British sense of eccentricity and idiosyncracy. The prog rock legends are one of the most commercially successful British bands ever and David Gilmour remains one of the most revered guitarists of his generation too. Getty Images 3. Radiohead Radiohead could have carried on making albums like The Bends and OK Computer and become the biggest British band of all time in the late 1990s. However, they challenged themselves to change their sound, and with Kid A they showed the benefits of never standing still as an artist. They're a great band who refuse to settle, but still manage to create weird and wonderful music. They're beyond doubt one of the very, very best British rock bands of all time. Getty Images 2. Led Zeppelin Rock monsters Led Zeppelin are one of the greatest, hardest rock bands ever, and the four individual members are all some of the best players of their generation too. Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jimmy Page stand head and shoulders above their contemporaries as individual musicians, and their talents combined to create some of the heaviest rock of their generation. In fact, Communication Breakdown is often cited as the first heavy metal song. Whether you believe that or not, the bands influence is undeniable and their status as British rock gods is untouchable. Getty Images 1. The Beatles Battle hardened in the clubs of Hamburg, the fab four transformed from squeaky-clean pop sweethearts to rock monsters during the course of their career, and produced some of the best music ever made along the way. They constantly pushed boundaries, took their sound to places you'd never think possible and together with pioneering producer George Martin used the studio as an instrument unlike ever before. Their story and their music is legendary, and you just can't look past them as the greatest British rock band of all time. Getty Images

Byrne is just one of many performers who have found themselves having to apologise for the use of blackface or racial stereotypes in past work, following the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement which gained traction after the death of George Floyd earlier this year.

Little Britain was removed from BBC iPlayer after the series, which stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas, faced renewed criticism for the use of blackface in some sketches.

Comedian Leigh Francis issued an apology for portraying black celebrities on sketch show Bo Selecta.

The comic played stars including king of pop Michael Jackson, singer Craig David and talkshow host Trisha Goddard on the show, which first aired in 2002.
At a campaign event on Wednesday, Joe Biden was asked whether he thought charges should be filed against the officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake and in the death of Breonna Taylor.

The former vice president and Democratic Party candidate said that he felt that there was a minimum need for the officers to be charged in both cases so that the judicial system can work as designed.

The question came ahead of a planned visit on Thursday to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Mr Blake was shot seven times by police.

It also comes in light of remarks by Mr Bidens running mate, vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris, in which she expressed the same opinion, based on what she has seen of the shooting of Mr Blake.

Mr Biden added that he also thought the perpetrator in the fatal shooting of a Trump supporter in Portland on Saturday should also face the legal ramifications of that crime.

Let the judicial system work. Lets make sure justice is done, he said.

A homicide investigation continues and a possible suspect has been identified.

In Kenosha, Mr Blake was shot by police officer Rusten Sheskey, who was responding to a domestic abuse call. The shooting left Mr Blake paralysed from the waist down and occurred in front of his three children.

Breonna Taylor, an emergency room technician, was killed in March when Louisville, Kentucky, police officers came to her apartment believing that drugs were being sold from the premises.

Using a no-knock warrant and a battering ram, officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankisson, and Myles Cosgrove entered the apartment late at night.

Ms Taylors boyfriend reportedly fired one shot which struck officer Mattingly in the thigh, and the police returned fire striking Ms Taylor five times and killing her as she lay in bed.

To date, no charges have been filed against the officers in either case.

The case of Breonna Taylor, in addition to the deaths of Rayshard Brooks and George Floyd among others, spurred worldwide protests beginning in May demanding racial justice.
Opposition parties on Wednesday hit out at the government on Wednesday over the suspension of Question Hour in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.

Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1.

According to notifications issued by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, there will be no Question Hour and private members' bills will not be taken up in the Monsoon session, while the Zero Hour will be restricted.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sought justification of no Question Hour in the monsoon session.

"I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy and dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?" he asked on Twitter.

"Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board and uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with," Tharoor said in another tweet.

Criticising the move, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien accused that the pandemic is an excuse to murder democracy.

"MPs required to submit questions for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts September 14. So Question Hour cancelled? Opposition MPs lose right to question government. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Question Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy," tweeted TMC MP Derek O'Brien.

He also pointed out that question hours are significant because issues raised during this time is answered by the minister concerned which is not the case in Zero Hour.

O'Brien also said that during the question hour, questions are asked also from the Treasury Benches and by the move to suspend it, the government was also "denying their own MPs to raise their queries".

"This means that we cannot ask any questions on the state of the economy or the pandemic," he said.

"During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) sessions there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of Emergency, 44th Amdmt, President's Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a REGULAR SESSION (sic)," the TMC said in another tweet.

Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha said, "It is disappointing. No Question Hour in such a time when coronavirus has taken so many lives, infection is rising, management regarding it is below poor and also there is a situation at the border, is like a death of the soul of democracy. The Zero Hour is reduced to half an hour. Cannot stand by this decision."

Congress MP PL Punia hoped that the Zero Hour will be continued to discuss important issues.

"People should take all precautions in view of the COVID-19. They should avoid crowded places. Question Hour has been omitted in this parliament session keeping coronavirus pandemic in mind. The hours are limited. There will be sitting arrangements accordingly. I hope Zero Hour will be there as many important issues are raised in it," he said.

Meanwhile, CPI MP Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu stating asking that the Question Hour be reinstated immediately.

"Given that the duration of time of Parliamentary sittings is the same as it has always been, suspension of Question Hour and Private Members business is unjust and must be reinstated immediately," he said.

"As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, you have always been concerned about the rights of members and dignity of the Parliament. I, therefore, urge you to reconsider these decisions and take necessary corrective action that uphold the democratic principles of the Parliament," Viswam said in the letter.

With inputs from PTI
Photo: The Canadian Press North Atlantic right whale

A wildlife organization says species that are at risk of global extinction have seen their Canadian populations decline by an average of 42 per cent in the last 50 years.

The World Wildlife Fund says Canada isn't doing enough to protect its endangered species.

It says Canadian populations of endangered animals face multiple threats, including pollution, habitat loss and climate change.

The WWF says Canadian intervention plans often focus on just one threat at a time, and it's calling on the government to take a multi-faceted approach to ensure the long-term survival of endangered species.

The organization says Indigenous-managed lands often better support at-risk species, and those communities should be consulted and supported moving forward.

Their report used 300 sources of data dating back to 1970, and included 100 mammal species, 389 bird species, 357 fish species and 37 species of amphibians and reptiles.
Autopsy: Schoolgirl Nora Quoirin with her mother Meabh. Nora had died four days before she was found by hikers. Photo: Family Handout/PA Wire

Tragic Nora Quoirin was not sexually assaulted before her death in a Malaysian holiday resort, an inquest has heard.

The 15-year-old French-Irish schoolgirl, whose mum Meabh is from Belfast, disappeared from her family's cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year, sparking a massive search operation.

Her naked body was discovered on August 13 beside a stream in a palm oil estate about 2.5km from the resort.

Yesterday an inquest in Malaysia into her death heard that a post-mortem found she died from internal bleeding in her intestine following a period of prolonged hunger and stress.

Search

Giving evidence, head of forensics Noor Aidora Saedon told Coroner Maimoonah Aid that Nora had taken her last breath four days before she was found by hikers who were helping with the police search operation.

The inquest has been told that an autopsy was performed less than an hour after her body was airlifted from the stream, according to The Mirror.

Ms Saedon told the hearing during the 10-day search for Nora, DNA samples were taken from her siblings Innes and Maurice and her parents Meabh and Sebastien for comparison. The lawyer for her parents, Sakthy Vell, asked: "We know that she had died four days prior to being found in the flowing stream, so would DNA remain on her face and naked body?"

Ms Saedon replied: "DNA in time will degrade and be lost.

"However in the case where a body is found, generally it is suggested that the outside of the body, definitely foreign DNA is difficult to find due to the environment. Malaysia is hot and humid, therefore DNA degrades very fast as compared to four season countries.

"Having said that, the swabs taken in intimate areas, inside of the body, no foreign DNA was found as well."

The expert told the court: "The body may have been exposed to the elements, differing night-and-day temperatures, partially submerged in a flowing stream... these are conditions which are also taken into consideration when analysing samples and preparing the report.

"There was no foreign matter lifted or found on the outside of the body to indicate a foreign DNA," she also told the inquest.

"In short, we have done the analysis as thoroughly as I could and we could not find any foreign DNA on the body," she said.

Police believe Nora wandered off and that there was no criminal element involved in her death.

Her family has always insisted it was highly unlikely Nora - who was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder which affects brain development - would have gone off alone.

The hearing continues.
Office workers wearing face masks enter a building during lunch time in the financial business district in Singapore on 11 August 2020. (PHOTO: AFP via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  While Singaporeans anxiety about competition for jobs from foreigners is understandable, it would do great harm to Singapore if others get the wrong impression that the country is no longer welcoming foreigners, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday (1 September).

We may be under stress now, but we cannot turn afford to inwards. We will adjust our policies to safeguard Singaporean jobs, but let us show confidence that Singaporeans can hold our own in the world.

Lee stressed, The government will always be on the side of Singaporeans. What is the point of creating jobs for foreigners, if it doesnt benefit Singaporeans? Why would we want to do that? Ultimately, our aim is to grow our economy, create good jobs for Singaporeans and raise our standards of living.

The 68-year-old was delivering a parliamentary speech in lieu of the annual National Day Rally (NDR). The NDR is widely considered the most important political speech of the year.

And Lee took the opportunity to address a hot-button issue that has been brought up by various Members of Parliament over the past two days: the presence of foreigners working in Singapore, and the number of work permits issued to them.

Discrimination against Singaporeans?

Singaporeans, noted Lee, are concerned about fair treatment: that citizens are being considered fairly for jobs, promotions, or retrenchments. This is why the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), where Singaporeans who feel unfairly treated can seek redress, and the Fair Consideration Framework provides protection on this front.

Furthermore, the issue of fairness is a factor in evaluating Employment Pass and S-Pass applications,  whether the employer has kept up support of Singaporean professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in their employment, and been responsive to government efforts to help them recruit and train more local PMETs. Or conversely, whether the employer has discriminated against qualified Singaporeans.

Story continues

We particularly want to emphasise these considerations now, in these uncertain times, to remind all employers to play their part in building up their Singaporean workforce, said Lee, noting that one specific red flag is a company that has an over concentration of a single foreign nationality in its ranks, especially when compared with other companies in the same sector.

Lee warned, This concentration, if unchecked, can cause social resentment and workplace problems. It makes it harder for the company to blend into and be accepted by our multiracial society...It suggests that the company has not really taken root in Singapore.

Guarding against xenophobia

The Prime Minister also noted that the issue of concentration can be easily played up. For example, last September, a Facebook page posted a wefie of DBS CEO Piyush Gupta with a room full of Indian employees. It was captioned Eye sight test: Find a Singaporean or Chinese in this DBS photo.

And while the picture resurfaced recently and caused many to take offence, it was actually taken in India, where DBS had opened a new office, and not in Singapore.

The person who put up the post surely knew this, yet he irresponsibly misused the wefie to insinuate that DBS in Singapore was not being fair to Singaporeans. And damage was done, said Lee.

Companies value Singapore

Lee noted that even in the current depressed economic climate, many investment projects want to come to Singapore. Even in places where investors already have regional headquarters and projects, they are rethinking the merits of their locations, and looking for alternatives.

Meanwhile, investors starting new projects are also anxiously scanning the globe, searching for the right place where they can safely make a commitment now. Companies are seeking a safe harbour, where the politics is stable, there is rule of law, the people are hardworking and united, and where the country will come through the pandemic safely, and have a bright future, said Lee.

We take no joy in the troubles in the world, but it is a fact that in a troubled world, Singapore is one of the few trusted countries that stands out. And we must guard that reputation zealously.

Besides Hyundai Motors plans to set up a major facility in Singapore to undertake research & development and develop future mobility technologies, Lee revealed that a pharmaceutical company is planning to build a facility to manufacture vaccines.

Another company specialising in pandemic risk insurance wants to set up shop in Singapore, while several Fortune 500 companies are considering moving their regional HQs here, because of political uncertainties elsewhere. Major financial institutions want to grow their operations in Singapore too, said Lee.

We want to talk to them to see how they can fit in here, to create good jobs for Singaporeans. But for them to come here, they must feel welcome, and be allowed to bring in the talent that they need. Also, regional and global HQs, by design, need to draw talent from around the world and be run by international teams.

He added, They will employ Singaporeans too, but they cannot be staffed by Singaporeans alone.

Creating opportunities for Singaporeans

Lee made reference to two Singaporeans: GlaxoSmithKline site director Lim Hock Heng, and Susan Kwek, who oversees operations and technology for Citibank in Hong Kong.

There are many more Singaporeans in senior positions in semi- conductors, oil and gas, and IT. If we had not welcomed these companies in the past and encouraged them to bring in global talent, Hock Heng, Susan and others would have been deprived of these opportunities, said Lee.

Local SMEs also need skills, knowledge and expertise that they may not have in Singapore, for example to develop an external wing, and to move up the value chain.

But fundamentally, said Lee, Singapore has always been a people open to the world.

This generosity of spirit gives our society and economy vitality and resilience. Its made Singapore the exceptional, cosmopolitan city we are today, plugged into the global economy, and making a living by making ourselves valuable to the world.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

Related stories:

Singapore's COVID-19 response 'not without shortcomings', would have done some things differently in hindsight: Lee Hsien Loong

Lessons of COVID-19 must be learned to prepare for 'Disease X': Lee Hsien Loong

How much reserves is enough? There's no answer, says PM Lee Hsien Loong

49 new COVID-19 cases brings Singapore's tally to 56,901

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Kasautii Makers Have Agreed To Parth's Demands

According to the leading daily, Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 makers have agreed to Parth's demands and have managed to retain him. Also, it is said that the show might get a new time slot!

A source was quoted by TOI as saying, "It took some time because producer Ekta Kapoor was busy with Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. The talks were on with Parth and finally today, everything got resolved. The makers have agreed to Parth's demands, including increasing his remuneration."

Track To Shift Focus To Parth, Erica & Their On-Screen Daughter

"Another demand by the actor was to shift the focus on him and that too has been agreed upon by the makers. The track will now shift to Parth, Erica Fernandes and their on-screen daughter. However, Karan Patel and Aamna Sharriff will remain an important part of the show."

Kasautii's Time Slot Might Be Given To Saath Nibhana Saathiya 2

Apparently, after a few weeks the show might get another time slot while Kasautii's time slot might me be given to Saath Nibhana Saathiya 2!

Kasautii To Be Moved To Other Time Slot

The source further said, "It will be moved from its current time slot to either late night or early prime time. In all probabilities Saath Nibhana Saathiya Season 2 will take its current time slot."

What are your views on the reports of Kasautii and Saathiya swapping time slots? Hit the comment box to share your views.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press briefing, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session.

The Bill received the Cabinet nod on Wednesday at a meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister did not divulge further details saying the bill be debated in Parliament soon.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the government has accepted the long pending demand of the region for the inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri as officials languages in J-K.

"Inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri as official languages in Jammu and Kashmir is not only a fulfilment of a long-pending public demand of the region but also in keeping with the spirit of equality which was ushered in after August 5, 2019," he said.

Briefing on another decision by the Union Cabinet, Javadekar said, "Union Cabinet has approved three MoUs - one between Textile Ministry and Japan for quality evaluation method, between Mining Ministry and Finland and between Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Denmark."
The introduction of rapid antigen test (RAT) in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly for testing incoming air and road passengers and for contact-tracing in containment zones, is proving to be a game changer in disease containment efforts in the Union Territory.

The RAT gives results within 15 minutes as against the RT-PCR, which normally takes at-least one to two days, creating difficulties both for the travellers and the administration due to the provision of mandatory quarantine for incoming passengers till their test results come out.

Since its introduction in Kashmir some eight days ago, the authorities have conducted some 87,334 RAT tests in comparison to 3, 61,770 RT-PCR tests conducted till September 01. Many of these rapid tests have been conducted on air and road travellers since it takes less time to give a result.

Normally we are doing the antigen tests on 4,500 to 5,000 people daily, of which, around 1,200 are done at the airport. Others include land-travelers who are tested by our teams at various points on Srinagar-Jammu Highway, besides, there are people getting tested in containment zones and brick kilns, said Dr Qazi Haroon, an officer on special duty with the health department to assist the governments corona mitigation efforts in Kashmir division.

Jammu and Kashmir was among the first places in the country to make testing of incoming passengers mandatory, which was done using RT-PCR technique.

In Jammu division, Haroons counterpart, Dr A D S Manhas said that the RAT has been introduced in all the districts.

Daily, we are conducting 6,000-7,000 antigen tests. Sometimes it goes up to 8,000. Similarly, 700-800 tests are conducted daily on air passengers, Manhas said.

It takes only 15 minutes for the results to appear and this has been a game changer owing to its speed, he said.

Haroon said that the Antigen test has made the process easy and simple. On Tuesday, we had 20 incoming flights including four international flights. With RT-PCR tests, we would have to quarantine them all and wait for their test results, which would take 3-4 days. Now, it takes 1.5 hours. Those who are negative are allowed to move immediately while those found positive are quarantined, he said.

Haroon said that the authorities at the helm were earlier reluctant to introduce the rapid tests. We had a lot of backlog for RT-PCR. It took time for the people at the helm to understand RATs efficacy. Now, it is everywhere, he said.

He said it was also helping in contact tracing in red zones.

Within 15 minutes you can know the positive or negative status of say 500 people, allowing a medical officer to immediately trace out the infected and stop them from spreading it further, he said.

However, aware of the low-sensitivity drawback associated with rapid testing, Dr Haroon said the RT-PCR test is mandatorily used for those who are discharged from hospitals.

Prominent pulmonologist and head, chest medicine, government medical college, Srinagar, Dr Naveed Nazir Shah said that though RAT sensitivity was low as compared to RT-PCR, it was a good option for testing a large population.

If we compare it with RT-PCR, its sensitivity is low but specificity is better. That means that if the test is positive, then the patient is indeed positive. But if the test is negative and the patient is showing symptoms, then the test has to be repeated using RT-PCR, he said.

However, for a large population, the rapidity of the Antigen test is a good thing, Shah added.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Tuesday announced plans to seek senior-level talks with Mexico over imports of perishable fruits and vegetable as part of a broader series of actions meant to bolster U.S. farmers, raising the possibility of future tariffs.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) also will request that the U.S. International Trade Commission initiate a Section 201 global safeguard investigation to review "the extent to which increased imports of blueberries have caused serious injury to domestic blueberry growers."

If the commission finds injury, the U.S. government could impose tariffs on products to help domestic growers.

"President (Donald) Trump recognizes the challenges faced by American farmers and is committed to promoting and securing fair trade and a level playing field for all American producers," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2020/september/federal-agencies-outline-plan-help-farmers-seasonal-and-perishable-fruits-and-vegetables, which also outlined actions by the Commerce Department and the Department of Agriculture.

USTR said it would also seek talks with Mexico in the next 90 days to address concerns over imports of Mexican strawberries, bell peppers and other seasonal products. It said it would work with domestic producers to initiate an ITC investigation of strawberry and bell pepper imports that could lead to an expedited Section 201 probe later in the year.

Mexico, in response, said it would seek to "defend the preferential access of Mexican agricultural exports to the United States".

But the Latin American country would also bid to "find mutually satisfactory solutions" to the concerns raised by the United States, Mexico's economy ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. trade action comes two months after the start of a new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact (USMCA) that replaced the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.

On Tuesday, USTR announced new steps to curb steel imports from Mexico and Brazil.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Phil Stewart; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 20:22:03|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Calendar and seasonally-adjusted turnover of retail companies in Germany in July decreased by 0.9 percent month-on-month, according to preliminary results published by Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday.

However, turnover in July was slightly up in comparison to February, the month before the outbreak of the coronavirus in Germany. "This is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that the retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized stores had a higher turnover in real terms," Destatis noted.

Sales of the non-food retail sector rose in real terms by 4.4 percent year-on-year. According to Destatis, the largest year-on-year increase in turnover was generated by the internet and mail-order business growing by 15.6 percent.

July was the first month in which German consumers profited from a temporary reduction of the value-added tax (VAT) which was lowered from 19 percent to 16 percent until the end of the year in order to cushion the economic effects of COVID-19 on private consumption.

Last week, the German Retail Federation (HDE) estimated that the VAT reduction would lead to additional retail sales of around 0.5 percent which was a "positive but not a strong effect." Also, not all product groups and industries would benefit equally.

Despite the temporary reduction in VAT, almost 75 percent of Germans did not intend to change their shopping behavior in the second half of 2020, according to a survey among 6,300 Germans by the Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK) published last week. Enditem
Boris Johnson today held talks with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia where they discussed the Yemen civil war.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the UK's relationship with the desert kingdom during the conversation with Mohammed bin Salman.

It comes as the Crown Prince sacked the country's top military commander in Yemen and his son for 'suspicious financial dealings'.

The Prime Minister (pictured yesterday) stressed the importance of the UK's relationship with the desert kingdom during the conversation with Mohammed bin Salman

It comes as the Crown Prince (centre, last year) sacked the country's top military commander in Yemen and his son for 'suspicious financial dealings'

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, this evening.

'He reiterated the importance of the UK's close relationship with Saudi Arabia and stressed our commitment to strengthening UK-KSA trade and investment.

'They also discussed the crisis in Yemen and support for the work of UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths.

'The Prime Minister thanked Mohammed bin Salman for his leadership at the G20 on the global response to coronavirus, and looked forward to the upcoming G20 leaders' summit.'

Mohammed bin Salman yesterday launched a fresh purge after sacking the country's top military commander in Yemen and his son.

Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz and his son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, and other officials, form part of an anti-corruption probe, the kingdom said.

The announcement attributed the actions to a referral by Mohammed bin Salman, the 35-year-old son of King Salman, who earlier carried out mass arrests as part of a similar anti-corruption drive that also targeted potential rivals to his rule.

Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, commander of Saudi forces in Yemen, and his son Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, have been sacked due following 'suspicious financial dealings,' according to state media

In 2017 the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was turned into a luxury prison following the mass arrest of businessmen, royals and others

A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency referred to 'suspicious financial dealings monitored at the Ministry of Defence,' without elaborating.

As a result, the statement said the kingdom fired Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, a prince in Saudi Arabia's large ruling family in charge of allied forces in the Saudi-led war in Yemen against Iranian-allied Houthi rebels.

Authorities also removed his son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Turki, from his position as the deputy governor of Saudi Arabia's al-Jouf region in the kingdom's northwest.

The kingdom is investigating four other officials as well, all on the orders of 84-year-old King Salman, the statement said.

It was not immediately clear if those accused had been detained.

Anti-corruption officials 'shall complete the investigation procedures with all relevant military and civil officials, take the necessary legal measures against them and submit the outcomes,' the statement said.

After coming to power, Crown Prince Mohammed has been behind several anti-corruption campaigns, including turning Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel into a luxury prison in late 2017 as part of a mass arrest of businessmen, royals and others.
(Natural News) In an Aug. 28 morning interview on Fox & Friends, Republican Sen. Rand Paul shared his experience being confronted by a mob of protesters after the Republican National Convention concluded Aug. 27. According to the senator from Kentucky, the mob threatened to f him up and kill him as he, his wife Kelley and two female friends walked back to their hotel.

The protesters stopped short of assaulting the senator and his group after nearby police officers stepped in, preventing the mob from closing in on Paul. Some were even following the senator into their hotel but were stopped by law enforcement.

Paul explained that he and his companions originally intended to take a bus towards the Trump International Hotel alongside other convention attendees. Pauls group reached the hotel and tried to get an Uber back to their accommodations, but decided to walk two blocks after groups of protesters barricaded some streets from vehicular traffic  a decision he regretted. He was unfortunately spotted by a mob of protesters, but the timely intervention of nearby police officers nearby kept the senator and his group away from their attackers.

A video footage of the incident showed a policeman behind the senator using his bicycle to keep the mob at bay, and losing his balance after being shoved by a protester. The same video showed Paul holding the officers back to prevent him from falling and stumbling completely.

The senator expressed his thanks towards the policemen who accompanied and protected them during their walk, adding that the police saved their lives with their actions that night. He also warned that other people will be pummeled and kicked in the head and left senseless on the curb without the police maintaining public safety.

Rand Paul claims that an interstate criminal network paid protesters to cause trouble

The mob threatened Paul that they will f him up and kill him, with the senator adding that he and his wife might have suffered serious injuries from being kicked in the head and stomach if the mob managed to get hold of them. (Related: CHAOS comes to Washington: Lunatic, angry Leftists mob Sen. Rand Paul and other GOP members on the streets of D.C..)

Aside from the threats he received, the senator mentioned that some members of the mob were taunting him to say the name of Breonna Taylor. Taylor died after police raided her Louisville, Kentucky apartment and subsequently shot her  without introducing themselves as law enforcement officers and mentioning the purpose of their visit.

When asked about this, Paul answered that the irony is lost on the protesters he branded unhinged because they were trying to kill someone trying to reform the system  citing his authorship of a bill that put an end to no-knock raids similar to the ones that caused Taylors death.

In the same Fox & Friends interview, Paul claimed that the protesters who almost assaulted were from out of town and were paid to be anarchists. He reiterated that both people who incite a riot and people who pay others to do so deserve to face jail time, and remarked the FBIs need to investigate this organized interstate racket.

My feeling is that theres interstate criminal traffic  but you wont know unless you arrest them, the senator put forward. They were inciting a riot and they would have killed us had the police not been there.

What happened to Sen. Paul and his companions in Washington, D.C. may not be the last. Many more incidents of Black Lives Matter protesters targeting Republican politicians should be expected after Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared Republicans to be enemies of the state.

Find out more news about the unrest in Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities caused by Black Lives Matter protests at Rioting.news.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

Breitbart.com

USNews.com

NYTimes.com

Paul.Senate.gov
PARIS  France began revisiting one of the worst chapters in its modern history on Wednesday, as a landmark trial opened in Paris for the January 2015 terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in and around the French capital.

Over at least the next two months, before the glare of the worlds media and under tight security, the court is expected to meticulously examine three harrowing days that traumatized France, starting with a daytime assault on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that Islamic extremists targeted after it published cartoons lampooning Islam.

The killings were followed by a string of deadly jihadist attacks, culminating with assaults in November that year in and around Paris that killed 130 people, vaulting France into a yearslong state of emergency.

Said and Cherif Kouachi, the two brothers who carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack, died in a shootout with the police north of Paris two days later. A third attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, killed a police officer in a Parisian suburb and four Jewish hostages at a kosher supermarket before dying himself when the police stormed the building.
Ghanaian actress, Maame Serwaa has sent a word of caution against the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).



The 21st edition of the VGMA commenced on Friday, August 28 and was climaxed with a heroes concert on Sunday, August 30, 2020 to celebrate the frontline workers at the forefront of the fight against Coronavirus in the country.



On the awards night on Saturday, August 29, highlife musician Kuami Eugene was crowned Artiste of the Year.



He competed with musicians, Sarkodie, Medikal, Kofi Kinaata and Diana Hamilton to win the ultimate award of the night but following his win comes lots of controversies.



Some critics say Kuami Eugene didn't deserve the award.



The VGMA was also characterized by some other surprises in the list of awardees as rapper Eno Barony also believes she was the right candidate for the best rapper award which went to Kwesi Arthur instead.



Also commenting on the awards event is the young celebrated actress, Maame Serwaa, who shares a strong belief that the VGMA has outlived its relevance.



Maame Serwaa took to her twitter to caution the general public against the awards scheme.



''NOBODY SHOULD TAKE VGMA SERIOUS AGAIN!!!!!!!!'', she tweeted.

















NOBODY SHOULD TAKE VGMA SERIOUS AGAIN!!!!!!!!





 Maame Serwaa (@realmaameserwaa) August 30, 2020

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Imphal :

Eleven suspected supporters of United Naga Council were injured when they tried to storm the Deputy Commissioners office in Senapati district to protest creation of seven new districts, police said on Wednesday.

The protestors tried to march into the office of the Deputy Commissioner in the Naga-dominated hill district of Senapati on Tuesday and were injured when they tried to break the barricade set up by Manipur Police, they said.

The incident comes after UNC announced its decision to picket and storm government offices in Naga-inhabited areas of the state last week.

The state has been witnessing unrest due to the imposition of indefinite economic blockade on the lifeline of the landlocked state by United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1 last year and violence following the creation of seven new districts by bifurcating the previously existing districts.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow all flights between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to pass through its airspace, following lobbying from the Trump administration.

The backstory: The UAE had made a formal request of the Saudis as part of their normalization deal with Israel, which includes commercial air travel between the countries.

Driving the news: The first direct flight of an Israeli commercial airliner allowed to pass through Saudi airspace was El Al flight 971, which carried Jared Kushner and other officials from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The fact that Kushner was on board made it much easier to obtain Saudi approval, but EL AL flight 972 the following day  from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv  also received approval even though there was only an Israeli delegation on board.

Today, the Saudi civil aviation authority announced it had agreed to the Emirati request to allow all incoming and outgoing flights to the UAE  from any country in the world  to pass through Saudi airspace.

Previous U.S. administrations had unsuccessfully lobbied the Saudis to allow Israeli airlines to use their airspace. However, this agreement applies only to flights from Israel to the UAE, and not to other destinations.

Behind the scenes: Emirati officials had engaged with their Saudi counterparts on this issue over the last two weeks

U.S. officials including Kushner, envoys Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, and White House official Adam Boehler were also involved in those efforts, sources familiar with the issue say.

Yesterday, Kushner discussed the issue in a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman, and the Saudis notified the U.S. team of their agreement.

The Saudi green light paved the way for an Israel-UAE civil aviation agreement.

What they're saying: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called this "a huge breakthrough" that would make flights to the UAE cheaper and thus bolster tourism between the countries. "These are the fruits of peace," he said, predicting that "more good news" would be coming.
President Donald Trump has once again raised claims of a possible 'rigged' election in 2020  by citing a report predicting that he might hold an overwhelming Electoral College lead on election night that would later evaporate.

'Rigged Election?' Trump wrote Tuesday, retweeting a report about once scenario about how the votes could come in, particularly given partisan splits that have developed over who is requesting mail-in ballots versus who plans to vote by mail.

The growing disparity in how American cast ballots could lead to the illusion on Nov. 3rd that Trump has one a 'landslide' that would soon be overwhelmed.

'Rigged Election?' President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday, flagging a report showing he may hold an election night lead that is just a 'mirage'

Trump retweeted a post by Rahseem Kassam, who co-hosts a podcast with former top White House and Trump campaign advisor Steve Bannon, that posited Trump could appear to hold an election night victory that would turn out to be a 'mirage.'

The report cited a report in Axios about predications by Hawkfish, a data analytics firm backed by billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Trump's lead on Nov. 3 might appear overwhelming, with millions of mail and absentee ballots still to be counted.

'When every legitimate vote is tallied and we get to that final day, which will be some day after Election Day, it will in fact show that what happened on election night was ... a mirage,' said Hawkfish CEO Josh Mendelsohn.

Trump tweeted an article linking to an analysis that he might lead on election night, only to see his position evaporate

Michael Wilusz takes the mail-in ballots of Williamstown, Mass., residents and inserts them into the voting machine at an elementary school on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, during the state's primary election

Voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts turned out in record numbers with absentee ballots as well as in person during early vote and on Primary Day. This election worker is time stamping each ballot to indicate when it was received for processing. Absentee ballot requests are overwhelmingly coming from Democrats

''The news media should get out of the business of predicting the future,' said Trump campaign chair Tim Murtagh in the original report.

Trump also warned about a potentially 'rigged' election in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton was the favorite.

This year, he has repeatedly accused Democrats of trying to 'steal' the election. In 2018, when allies Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, both Republicans, held narrow election night wins only to see Democrats gain, Trump called mail ballot vote that continued coming in 'infected.'

An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night! Trump tweeted  in what critics saw as a potential dry-run for a 2020 play.

More than 4 million Floridians requested a mail ballot for this year's primaries, compared to 1.3 million in 2016.

An analysis in North Carolina last month found Democrats requested 53 per cent of the absentee ballots requested, compared to just 15 per cent from GOP voters.

Hawkfish concludes that 40 per cent of Americans plan to vote by mail.

Mendelsohn told Axios that on election night results would show Trump 'in a stronger position than the reality actually is.'

The data could show an 'incredible victory' for Trump  but that he 'fundamentally was not' when 'every ballot gets counted.'

Data compiled Hawkfish firm show many more Democrats plan to vote by mail than Republicans. With double the number planning to cast votes by mail than ever before.
The CDCs calculations suggest that it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles.

Some of the nations leading public health experts are raising a new concern in the endless debate over coronavirus testing in the United States: The standard tests are diagnosing huge numbers of people who may be carrying relatively insignificant amounts of the virus.

Most of these people are not likely to be contagious, and identifying them may contribute to bottlenecks that prevent those who are contagious from being found in time. But researchers say the solution is not to test less, or to skip testing people without symptoms, as recently suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Instead, new data underscore the need for more widespread use of rapid tests, even if they are less sensitive.

The decision not to test asymptomatic people is just really backward, said Dr Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, referring to the CDC recommendation.

In fact, we should be ramping up testing of all different people, he said, but we have to do it through whole different mechanisms.

In what may be a step in this direction, the Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would purchase 150 million rapid tests.

The most widely used diagnostic test for the new coronavirus, called a PCR test, provides a simple yes-no answer to the question of whether a patient is infected.

But similar PCR tests for other viruses do offer some sense of how contagious an infected patient may be: The results may include a rough estimate of the amount of virus in the patients body.

Weve been using one type of data for everything, and that is just plus or minus  thats all, Mina said. Were using that for clinical diagnostics, for public health, for policy decision-making.

But yes-no isnt good enough, he added. Its the amount of virus that should dictate the infected patients next steps. Its really irresponsible, I think, to forgo the recognition that this is a quantitative issue, Mina said.

The PCR test amplifies genetic matter from the virus in cycles; the fewer cycles required, the greater the amount of virus, or viral load, in the sample. The greater the viral load, the more likely the patient is to be contagious.

This number of amplification cycles needed to find the virus, called the cycle threshold, is never included in the results sent to doctors and coronavirus patients, although it could tell them how infectious the patients are.

In three sets of testing data that include cycle thresholds, compiled by officials in Massachusetts, New York and Nevada, up to 90% of people testing positive carried barely any virus, a review by The New York Times found.

On Thursday, the United States recorded 45,604 new coronavirus cases, according to a database maintained by The Times. If the rates of contagiousness in Massachusetts and New York were to apply nationwide, then perhaps only 4,500 of those people may actually need to isolate and submit to contact tracing.

One solution would be to adjust the cycle threshold used to decide that a patient is infected. Most tests set the limit at 40, a few at 37. This means that you are positive for the coronavirus if the test process required up to 40 cycles, or 37, to detect the virus.

Tests with thresholds so high may detect not just live virus but also genetic fragments, leftovers from infection that pose no particular risk  akin to finding a hair in a room long after a person has left, Mina said.

Any test with a cycle threshold above 35 is too sensitive, agreed Juliet Morrison, a virologist at the University of California, Riverside. Im shocked that people would think that 40 could represent a positive, she said.

A more reasonable cutoff would be 30 to 35, she added. Mina said he would set the figure at 30, or even less. Those changes would mean the amount of genetic material in a patients sample would have to be 100-fold to 1,000-fold that of the current standard for the test to return a positive result.

The Food and Drug Administration said in an emailed statement that it does not specify the cycle threshold ranges used to determine who is positive, and that commercial manufacturers and laboratories set their own.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is examining the use of cycle threshold measures for policy decisions. The agency said it would need to collaborate with the FDA and with device manufacturers to ensure the measures can be used properly and with assurance that we know what they mean.

The CDCs own calculations suggest that it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles. Officials at some state labs said the CDC had not asked them to note threshold values or to share them with contact-tracing organizations.

For example, North Carolinas state lab uses the Thermo Fisher coronavirus test, which automatically classifies results based on a cutoff of 37 cycles. A spokeswoman for the lab said testers did not have access to the precise numbers.

This amounts to an enormous missed opportunity to learn more about the disease, some experts said.

Its just kind of mind-blowing to me that people are not recording the CT values from all these tests  that theyre just returning a positive or a negative, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York.

It would be useful information to know if somebodys positive, whether they have a high viral load or a low viral load, she added.

Officials at the Wadsworth Center, New Yorks state lab, have access to CT values from tests they have processed and analyzed their numbers at The Times request. In July, the lab identified 794 positive tests, based on a threshold of 40 cycles.

With a cutoff of 35, about half of those tests would no longer qualify as positive. About 70% would no longer be judged positive if the cycles were limited to 30.

In Massachusetts, from 85 to 90% of people who tested positive in July with a cycle threshold of 40 would have been deemed negative if the threshold were 30 cycles, Mina said. I would say that none of those people should be contact-traced, not one, he said.

Other experts informed of these numbers were stunned.

Im really shocked that it could be that high  the proportion of people with high CT value results, said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. Boy, does it really change the way we need to be thinking about testing.

Jha said he had thought of the PCR test as a problem because it cannot scale to the volume, frequency or speed of tests needed. But what I am realizing is that a really substantial part of the problem is that were not even testing the people who we need to be testing, he said.

The number of people with positive results who arent infectious is particularly concerning, said Scott Becker, executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. That worries me a lot, just because its so high, he said, adding that the organization intended to meet with Mina to discuss the issue.

The FDA noted that people may have a low viral load when they are newly infected. A test with less sensitivity would miss these infections.

But that problem is easily solved, Mina said: Test them again, six hours later or 15 hours later or whatever, he said. A rapid test would find these patients quickly, even if it were less sensitive because their viral loads would quickly rise.

PCR tests still have a role, he and other experts said. For example, their sensitivity is an asset when identifying newly infected people to enrol in clinical trials of drugs.

But with 20% or more of people testing positive for the virus in some parts of the country, Mina and other researchers are questioning the use of PCR tests as a front-line diagnostic tool.

People infected with the virus are most infectious from a day or two before symptoms appear till about five days after. But at the current testing rates, youre not going to be doing it frequently enough to have any chance of really capturing somebody in that window, Mina added.

Highly sensitive PCR tests seemed like the best option for tracking the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic. But for the outbreaks raging now, he said, whats needed are coronavirus tests that are fast, cheap and abundant enough to frequently test everyone who needs it  even if the tests are less sensitive.

It might not catch every last one of the transmitting people, but it sure will catch the most transmissible people, including the superspreaders, Mina said. That alone would drive epidemics practically to zero.

Apoorva Mandavilli c.2020 The New York Times Company
Scores of Floridians struggling with rents and mortgages were given another reprieve when Gov. Ron DeSantis again extended a moratorium against residential evictions and foreclosures.

The governor did so Monday night, just hours before a previous extension was to expire -potentially providing temporary relief to scores of financially struggling Floridians who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The states unemployment rate remains high  11.3% in July  with more than 1.1 million Floridians out of work as the states economy continues ailing amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The extension means residents who cannot pay rent or make house payments wont be forced out of their homes until the end of the month.

Many hundreds of thousands of the states residents lost their jobs, or had their hours severely reduced, when bars, restaurants and other businesses curtailed hours because of the outbreak.

The governors order does not forgive the payment of rents or mortgages and applies only to people who can prove their loss of income was because of the pandemic.

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

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No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Bangladesh observes one-day state mourning in memory of its 'true friend' Pranab Mukherjee

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Sep 02: Bangladesh on Wednesday observed state mourning in honour of its "real friend" Pranab Mukherjee, recalling the former Indian president's "outstanding and unforgettable" contributions to the country's 1971 Liberation War and strengthening of bilateral relations.

All government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions and Bangladesh missions abroad kept the national flag at half-mast in observance of the mourning day.

Pranab Mukherjee died on Monday in New Delhi following a 21-day battle with multiple ailments. The former president was cremated with full state honours on Tuesday. The Bangladesh government on Tuesday announced that it will observe a one-day state mourning at the death of the country's "real friend".

'A great leader': Trump condoles demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee

The government in a statement urged places of worship of different faiths to arrange special prayers for Mukherjee. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying as a renowned scholar and statesman of India, and a highly esteemed leader of South Asia, Mukherjee commanded the respect and admiration of all.

She said 'Bharat Ratna' Mukherjee's tireless work for the welfare of the people of India will inspire the future generation of leaders not only in India but across countries in the region. Hasina called Mukherjee a "true friend" and said that "he was always been highly revered and loved by the people of Bangladesh" recalling his support and contribution in strengthening bilateral relations.

Pranab Mukherjee's death huge loss for Sino-India friendship: China

In 2013, Bangladesh conferred the honour of 'Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sommanona' (Liberation War Honour) on Mukherjee for his valuable contribution to its 1971 Liberation War. Hasina also called Mukherjee a "true friend" of Bangladesh and a guardian-like figure to her family.

"The news of Mukherjee's demise deeply saddened her... she became emotional and nostalgic as she reminisced her many memories with him," state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting the premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim.

Hasina said Mukherjee always extended her cooperation to her family while they were in exile in India after the assassination of her father and Bangladesh's founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 along with most of his family members.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and premier Hasina earlier expressed sorrow over Mukherjee's demise, describing him as a "true friend" and recalling his "outstanding and unforgettable" contributions to the country's 1971 Liberation War.

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Story first published: Wednesday, September 2, 2020, 14:43 [IST]
Burd Sisler was born during the First World War, survived the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and endured the Great Depression.

He made it safely through the Second World War, has been retired for 41 years and so far has managed to stay safe during yet another deadly pandemic.

You might say somebody was looking after me, quips Sisler.

At 105 years of age  a fit, independent 105  the Fort Erie man is one of about 33,200 Canadian Second World War veterans still standing as of March 2019, the last time Veterans Affairs Canada did a head count.

Sisler is also one of Canadas oldest veterans and a longtime legion member.

The 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which ran Sept. 1, 1939 to Sept. 2, 1945  six years and a day  is this week.

In Niagara, practically every industry joined the war effort in some way.

Nearly 10 per cent of the entire population of old Welland county  1,134 of about 10,000 residents  served, and 96 died, according to Bob Cummings, former president at Wellands Royal Canadian Legion Branch 4.

From St. Catharines, 215 residents died during the war, roughly one every week. Niagara Falls lost 217 of its citizens, and the former Willoughby township lost five. No place was spared.

In 1943, Sisler was 28, married and a little older than the rest of the guys he worked with at the Goodyear tire company just outside Toronto.

He tried to join the Air Force and passed all the exams, but his eyesight held him back: They were worried about losing the aircraft when I would come in for a landing, he says with a laugh.

Well, what was I supposed to do?  Canada was in dire straits, in the sense that all the young men had disappeared into the service, he recalls.

All the buddies I worked with had joined the Army  and I said its about time I did something about this.

He talked it over with his wife, Mae.

She said she wanted something to keep my memory  so thats what happened, he says.

The baby was born in August 1943; he joined the Army in November.

Sisler was posted with the artillerys electrical-mechanical engineers in eastern Canada, handling radar as a telecommunications mechanic.

In 1945, it looked like he might be moved closer to the action  we were all set to head overseas to fill in spaces for stations that were going to set up in England  until the Nazis surrendered, in May.

Then it appeared his team might be shipped out to aid in the fight against Japan. Members got their shots, their training guides  then Japan surrendered, after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

It seemed that every time I wanted (to go overseas) something else would happen that would stop that.

The Allies nuclear attack was a dastardly thing to do, says Sisler, looking back three-quarters of a century. But it saved my life and probably thousands of others on this continent.

His younger brother, Louis, was in the tank corps in Europe. He went walking with another soldier, who stepped on a landmine.

It killed his buddy and it tore my brothers leg quite badly, it had to be amputated, Sisler says. So that was the end of his war.

He knows he was fortunate to come home safely to Mae, and have five children with her. To run a radio and TV repair business in Fort Erie with a friend from the Army, then work at the Peace Bridge until retirement.

Somebody, as he says, must have been looking after him.

I never had to shoot anybody, I dont know what I would have done if somebody was attacking me  whether I would have asked him for his name and address before I shot him, he says, again laughing.

But I would hate to think I had killed someone, to tell you the truth. Im not a belligerent person  as a matter of fact, my brother did all my fighting for me, and he was a year and a half younger than I was.
The activist network backed by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch is dropping big bucks into the Kansas Senate race as polls show the contest beginning to tighten.

Americans for Prosperity Action, a super PAC that's part of the larger Koch network, is backing Republican physician and congressman Roger Marshall in a state that's historically been a GOP stronghold.

Marshall emerged victorious from a recent primary, after Republican Sen. Pat Roberts decided to retire. Roberts has served four terms in the Senate. He was reelected in a closely fought race in 2014 with help from the Koch network.

This time Marshall, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, is going up against Barbara Bollier, a fellow physician and a member of the Kansas state legislature.

A recent public poll by Survey USA suggests the race is essentially a dead heat, with Marshall receiving approval from 46% of the surveys overall vote and Bollier picking up 44% of support from those who participated in the poll.

The Cook Political Report labels the race as "lean Republican." Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 7 points nationally, according to a Real Clear Politics polling average. Trump easily defeated then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Kansas during the 2016 presidential election.

The Koch network getting involved in the Kansas race comes as Republican leaders prepare for the possibility that they may lose their majority in the Senate. At least seven Republican-held Senate seats are up for grabs. The Cook Political Report has marked races in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina as toss-ups. The Arizona race between Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Mark Kelly has been deemed "lean Democrat."

Of those toss-up races, four of them are seeing activity from the Koch-linked super PAC. The committee plans to launch a new $5 million digital ad campaign targeting swing voters in support of Marshall and the other Senate candidates it's backing. The ad campaign will start this week and go into November.

The network plans to unleash its grassroots army, both through door knocking and phone banking, to help Marshall overtake his Democratic opponent, according to Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity (AFP). Its first digital ad in support of Marshall is set to run next week, and the PAC is also planning to send out direct mail.

AFP, Phillips noted, has had a strong presence in Kansas since 2004 with offices across the state. What's more, Charles Koch has a home in Kansas, and his company, Koch Industries, is located in Wichita.

"It's a fluid year. And in a fluid year with swing voters profoundly impacted right now by all the crises that our nation is facing, we don't want to take any chances," Phillips said to CNBC. He pointed to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic as a hurdle for most voters. Phillips noted that it moved to back Marshall because it believes his proposals match up with the policies the network supports, such as tax reform, business deregulation and being against "Medicare for All."

In the most recent contest for the same Senate seat, in 2014, the network spent millions attacking Roberts' opponent through a now defunct super PAC, Freedom Partners Action Fund. According to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Greg Orman, who was running as an independent, saw over $3 million spent against him by the PAC.

It was one of the top independent expenditures by the Koch-linked group that cycle.

The race, according to The Wichita Eagle, was close throughout part of election night but Roberts ended up pulling off a victory.
The Accra Regional Police Command has commenced investigations into an alleged assault on Mr Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpujie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodoo, at the James Town Police station, in Accra, on Monday.



The MP was allegedly assaulted by a group of ten young men.



The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge,who confirmed the story to the Ghanaian Times, said that the police have begun investigations into the case.



The Ghanaian Times gathered that on August 31, 2020 between 7pm and 10pm, a complainant arrested Andrew Accorley and took him to the James Town Police, for taking pictures and video of a private toilet at James Town.



It was also gathered that when the police were taking statement from Accorley, the MP and three others went to the police station to see the suspect.



The paper also gathered that while at the police station, a group of men numbering ten entered the place, allegedly assaulted Mr Vanderpuije and three others and deflated a Land Cruiser vehicle belonging to the MP.

One Iphone reportedly belonging to those with Mr Vanderpuije was stolen.

Mr Vanderpuije and the three others were reportedly rescued by the police and by the time police reinforcement came, the attackers had fled the scene.

Accorley has since been granted police enquiry bail, and according to the police, medical forms have been issued to four people to attend hospital, adding that efforts were underway to arrest the suspects.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Des Bishop, along with some of Ireland's most talented stand-up comedians are encouraging men everywhere to get checked for prostate cancer and discussing their health.

The video interview was created as part of The Marie Keating Foundations Stand Up For Your Prostate campaign.

This Blue September campaign hopes to challenge the taboo or embarrassment that some men can feel discussing their prostate health and encourage men through comedy to talk about what is an important health issue.

3,665 men in Ireland are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, but when detected early prostate cancer is so treatable.

The Marie Keating Foundations second annual Stand Up For Your Prostate campaign encourages men to be more open about their health and to speak to their GP about a PSA test when they turn 50, or 45 with a family history of prostate cancer.
P Chidambaram

New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram took to Twitter to question the sources of donations made to PM CARES Fund. In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader asked why the names of these generous donors will not be revealed.

Chidambaram tweet

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He tweeted: The auditors of PM CARES FUND have confirmed that the Fund received Rs 3076 crore in just 5 days between March 26 and 31, 2020.

The senior Congress leader also asked, "Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors".

P. ChidambaramThe PM CARES Fund revealed the voluntary contributions in a statement made public by the government. The audit statement only recorded donations between March 27 and March 31.

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The PM CARES Fund was set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the month of March along with Relief in Emergency Situations Fund. The objective behind the creation of the fund was to deal with distressful situations like the coronavirus pandemic. It is registered as a Public Charitable Trust.
Unquestionably, using a web browser like Google Chrome is the easiest way of accessing YouTube on a desktop or laptop.

While using the YouTube website you get access to all the important features like creator studio, picture-in-picture video, and the amazing dark mode.

Sadly, the YouTube website is not very well optimized for touch-screen Windows 10 devices. As a result, many users lookout for ways to download the YouTube app for PC.

In this article, we will tell you how to download the Youtube app on PC

Here is how you can download and install YouTube on Your Windows 10 PC.

How To Install YouTube On PC?

At the time of writing this article, theres no official YouTube app for Windows 10 on the Microsoft store or macOS. (YouTube App For Windows 11 Discussed In Later Section)

However, the Google Chrome web browser allows users to install the official YouTube website as a standalone app.

Once installed, you can tap the YouTube icon to directly launch YouTube on PC.

Follow these simple steps to install the YouTube app on your PC using Google Chrome.

Firstly open the official YouTube website i.e. youtube.com.

Next from the upper right corner press the Install YouTube button.

You can consider the aforementioned method as a shortcut to launch the YouTube website without opening Google Chrome first.

How To Download YouTube App For PC?

The YouTube app available on the Microsoft Store can only be installed on Xbox One and Xbox series X/S.

If you do a google search for YouTube App download For PC you will be shown the same Microsoft store link and it wont work on your Windows PC.

Consequently, theres only one method of installing the official Android APK file of YouTube and i.e. by using an Android emulator.

In our tests (conducted by team techworm), we derived the conclusion that Bluestacks is possibly the most reliable and well-optimized Android emulator that functions similarly to an Android smartphone.

So heres how you can download and install YouTube on PC using BlueStacks App Player.

Download the Bluestacks 5 emulator and install the .exe file on your computer.

emulator and install the file on your computer. Once installed sign in with your Google account on Bluestacks 5

Next up open Playstore and search YouTube

Download YouTube and the application will automatically install on your desktop.

Upon launching the YouTube app for the first time you will be either prompted to sign in using your Google account or Bluestacks will automatically complete this step. Using Bluestacks 5 you can even create a shortcut to quickly launch the YouTube application.

Apart from downloading the YouTube app from the Google Playstore, you can even manually install YouTube APK files on a PC. A similar process can be followed while installing YouTube on a macOS Big Sur desktop or laptop.

How To Use YouTube App For PC Without Bluestacks

Surely, Bluestacks 5 is a feature-rich Android emulator.

That said, it is not the most optimized emulator and it consumes a considerable amount of system resources. Additionally, it offers poor performance coupled with laggy experience on low-powered laptops and aging desktops.

So if you want to use YouTube on a Windows or macOS PC without Bluestacks then you can check out these alternate Android Emulators.

1. Nox App Player

The first best emulator to run YouTube apk on PC and a perfect alternative to Blustacks is Nox App Player. Similar to blue stacks, you can use the Nox App Player on both a Windows and macOS PC. This emulator offers one-click installation without any bloatware or third-party apps.

2. KO Player

KO Player is another reliable emulator for using the YouTube app on PC. Well, this emulator is ideal for playing games and running resource-intensive apps. Even though, YouTube is not a resource-intensive application you will still have a lag-free experience.

3. MEmu Play

MEmu Play is an Android 5.1 Lolipop-based Android emulator for Windows PC. The installation is quick and simple with no bloatware or third-party apps. One of the major highlights of MEmu Play is Key-Mapping.

How To Download YouTube App On Windows 11

Windows 11 has finally been launched by Microsoft. The new desktop OS comes with many new great features and one among them is native Android apps support.

This means you no longer need an emulator to download and install Android apps on a Windows 11 PC. You can easily download the official YouTube app from the Amazon Android app store.

Furthermore, you can even sideload and manually install the YouTube APK on your Windows 11 computer.

You can visit the website APKPure to acquire the APK file. Once downloaded simply install the APK on your PC and launch it like a normal Windows program.

Is there a YouTube app for Windows PC?

While there is no official Youtube app for Windows PC (running on Windows 10 or later), Linux or MAC there is an unofficial app developed by developers at ytdesktop.com that you can download.

However, we will not suggest our readers to download any unverified app, as it may contain harmful malware and you may end up losing your account after logging into the software.

Additionally, there are many websites that allow users to Download YouTube Videos On PC. Once again, stay away from them.

Download YouTube For Smartphones, Xbox, Playstation, And Nintendo Switch

You can use these links to directly download or update the YouTube application on your devices.

Download Youtube For Android

Download YouTube For iOS

Download YouTube For Xbox

Download YouTube For Playstation

Download YouTube For Nintendo Switch

Download YouTube APK File

CONCLUSION
Marquette Cos., a multifamily developer with two projects in Houstons urban core, has purchased land in the Near Northside for its third  a five-story apartment complex along Little White Oak Bayou neighboring the White Oak Music Hall.

The company, based in suburban Chicago, bought approximately four acres from W2 Development Partners, whose principals also own of the music venue on at 2915 North Main Street. Some of the acreage had been used as parking for the concert hall, which has been closed due to the pandemic.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

Construction on the project is expected to start early next year. The building has been designed for roughly 250 apartments, including live/work units with a separate office and half bathroom.

Rents are still being determined, but Marquettes Chris Yuko said they will be lower than buildings downtown and in the Heights, areas with some of the highest rates in the city.

Despite a growing interest in single-family housing in the area and Metros light rail service being extended along North Main Street, the Near Northside has been slower to attract commercial development.

Weve been pretty consistent in being on the pioneering side of new areas, Yuko said.

Jeff Trevino, a Near Northside resident who lives close to the site and is on the leadership team of the neighborhoods civic club, said the developer offered to meet with the neighbors to discuss the project.

We plan to take him up on that, Trevino said, adding that some residents are more concerned than others. Generally, we are cautiously optimistic about having new neighbors.

Will Garwood of W2 Development said he expected the new apartments to be a catalyst for more development.

Were excited to see a great development coming to an area that we really believe in, Garwood said. He said the music hall would reopen and that he was optimistic that national touring will return next year.

Downtown is dead: How the pandemic turned the central business district into a ghost town

The Marquette property, at Keene and Boundary just east of Interstate 45, is in a qualified opportunity zone. Developers and investors who build in these communities or invest in businesses there can qualify for significant tax breaks.

The federal program was created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and is meant to spur private investment in economically distressed communities.

Marquette is building another project in a part of Second Ward also designated as an opportunity zone. That 300-unit apartment building, at 2404 Navigation Blvd., is a partnership with Origin Investments, a Chicago-based investment firm with several opportunity zone funds.

The Near Northside complex will also be an opportunity zone project with an investment from a private family, Yuko said.

The new building will have similarities to the companys Navigation project, including wide, walkable sidewalks and space for retailers. It will have a rootfop pool where residents will be able to watch concerts at the music halls outdoor stage. The complex will be constructed around an interior parking garage.

Marquette also developed Catalyst Houston, a 28-story apartment tower near Minute Maid Park, in 2017.

nancy.sarnoff@chron.com

twitter.com/nsarnoff
Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther costar Letitia Wright took to social media on Tuesday to recite a vibrant poem she penned in his memory following his tragic death last week from colon cancer at 43.

Wright, 26, narrated the moving piece of poetry amid a montage of images related to nature as well as shots of them together.

'I didnt know this is what I was waking up to, my brother, an angel on earth, departed,' Wright, who played King TChalla's sister Shuri in the hit 2018 film, said. 'A soul so beautiful, when you walked into a room, there was calm. You always moved with grace and ease. Every time I saw you, the world would be a better place.'

The latest: Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther costar Letitia Wright, 26, took to social media on Tuesday to recite a vibrant poem she penned in his memory following his tragic death last week from colon cancer at 43

The Georgetown, Guyana-born actress talked about her mourning since getting the unexpected news, as she reached out to him during his health battle, which was not made public.

'I wish I got to say goodbye,' Wright said. 'I messaged you a couple times, but I thought you were just busy. I didnt know you were dealing with so much. But against all the odds, you remained focused on fulfilling your purpose with the time handed to you.

'And Ill never forget the day that I met you, before I got on the plane to L.A. for my first meeting with you. God told me that you were my brother and that I am to love you as such, and I always did, and I always will.'

She continued: 'It is also written that all things are made new, there is light in the darkness.

A look vack: Wright who played King TChalla's sister Shuri in the hit 2018 film Black Panther

Wright, 26, narrated the moving piece of poetry amid a montage of images related to nature as well as shots of them together

The Georgetown, Guyana-born actress posted multiple tributes to her late friend and colleague

Streams of living water flow, giving new life. And all thats left now is for us to allow all the seeds that you have planted on the earth to grow, to blossom, to become even more beautiful. Youre forever in my heart.'

Following the announcement of Boseman's death, she wrote on the social media site, 'this hurts. really hurts.'

Boseman, also known for his work in movies like 42, Marshall, Get on Up and Draft Day, was diagnosed with stage three cancer in 2016, and underwent 'countless surgeries and chemotherapy' in his battle with the disease.

Precious memories: Wright shared images of herself with her late friend

'A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,' his family said in a statement. 'It was the honor of his career to bring King TChalla to life in Black Panther.'

The actor, also known for his work in movies like Marshall, Get on Up and Draft Day, was diagnosed with stage three cancer in 2016, and underwent 'countless surgeries and chemotherapy' in his battle with the disease.

'A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,' his family said in a statement. 'It was the honor of his career to bring King TChalla to life in Black Panther.'

Classic: Boseman played King TChalla in his most prominent film, Black Panther

Pioneer: The actor played Jackie Robinson in 42
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 12:53:04|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Progressive Democratic Senator Ed Markey, who advocates combating climate change and passing the Green New Deal, defeated House Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Senate primary on Tuesday, showing the progressive strength that is reshaping the Democratic Party.

"Tonight is more than just a celebration of a movement. It is a real reaffirmation of the need to have a movement, a progressive movement of young people demanding radical change, demanding justice," Markey, 74, told supporters in his hometown of Malden.

The senator's campaign slogan read, "It's not your age -- it's the age of your ideas that's important." His rival Kennedy III is 39 years old.

Markey's primary win paves the way for his expected reelection in November against Republican Kevin O'Connor, The Hill reported.

The result marks the first loss by a Kennedy in a Massachusetts election, the report added. Enditem
Some 150,000 people died and millions were left homeless during the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in clashes that started in Slovenia and then spread to Croatia and Bosnia and later to Kosovo. Former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic is generally blamed for stoking the bloodshed through a desire to create a Greater Serbia via the capture of nearby lands where Serbs lived.
UPDATE: CDC broadens eviction protections amid pandemic (CNN)

The first step toward evicting tenants for the first time since March began in earnest Tuesday across the Lehigh Valley, the day after a moratorium put in place by Gov. Tom Wolf months ago during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic expired.

By early Tuesday afternoon, 72 cases of landlords going after past-due rent and other costs arrived in district courts in Northampton County. At the same time, Lehigh County had 193 new cases, led by District Judge David M. Howells Jr. with 63. Many were filed by apartment management companies seeking totals well into the thousands of dollars.
Facebook removed a network of fake accounts and pages created by Russian operatives who had recruited U.S. journalists to write articles critical of Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, an apparent bid to undermine their support among liberal voters.

Facebook said it caught the network of 13 fake accounts and two pages early, before it had a chance to build a large audience - an action that the company said was evidence of its growing effectiveness at targeting foreign disinformation operations ahead of the 2020 election. The takedown emerged as a result of a tip from the FBI and was one of a dozen operations tied to the Russian Internet Research Agency or individuals affiliated with it that Facebook has disrupted since the last presidential election, when IRA-backed pages amassed millions of views on the platform. The pages had about 14,000 followers.

"They've gotten better at hiding who they are, but their impact has gotten smaller and smaller," Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of security policy, said of the foreign operations.

Facebook said Tuesday it separately took down a disinformation network associated with a Washington-based public relations firm that Facebook said had spent millions of dollars to target users in Latin America. Content included posts supporting the political opposition in Venezuela and Bolivia's interim government, as well as criticism of a Mexican political party, Facebook said.

In the case of the Russian disinformation network, Facebook said the operatives created fictitious personas on Facebook to direct people to a new site called Peace Data, which billed itself as a "global news organization" whose goal was "to shed light on the global issues and raise awareness about corruption, environmental crisis, abuse of power, armed conflicts, activism, and human rights."

One article posted on Facebook about the far-right militia movement known as the "boogaloo" movement featured a headline that read, "USA Far Right is Growing Thanks to President Trump," according to a report provided by Facebook.

A report Tuesday by Graphika, a network analysis firm based in New York that received the Facebook data in advance, found that the Russian effort was small but echoed past efforts to undermine support for Democratic Party candidates by appealing to left-wing U.S. voters. Among the targets were Biden and Harris, D-Calif., who were criticized by the phony network as immoral tools of political conservatives. Some posts also criticized Donald Trump, but the target audience in the United States was democratic socialists, environmentalists and disaffected Democrats, the report found.

Some of the fake content focused on racial justice and unrest in the United States since the killing of George Floyd in May. "The English-language content on Biden and Harris was noteworthy for its hostile tone," according to the Graphika report. "One article by a guest writer accused the pair of 'submission to right-wing populism [. . .] as much about preserving careers as it is winning votes.'"

"The operation seemed designed to divide Democratic supporters and to depress support for Biden and Harris," said Camille Francois, chief innovation officer for Graphika.

In 2016, Russian operatives from the Internet Research Agency ran widespread disinformation campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, garnering huge audiences with content that attempted to sow division among U.S. voters and bolster Trump's campaign for president. The technology platforms faced significant blowback from Congress and the public for failing to prevent foreign interference and since then have invested resources in countering such activity.

As the 2020 election draws near, experts say technology companies have become more skillful at getting ahead of foreign interference, even as the threat has broadened beyond Russia to countries such as China and Iran. But social media platforms are still rife with misinformation and abuse, often emerging from domestic actors that have caused false stories about current events to go viral.

Facebook said it plans to inform 200 or so journalists who were recruitedby the Russian operatives.

One of the journalists who wrote columns for Peace Data, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his career, said that an editor reached out to him through a direct message on Twitter in July offering $200 per article.

He pursued the opportunity in part because he had lost his job in the pandemic. He wrote articles about the conspiracy movement QAnon, covid, and on U.S. militarism driving climate change.

The co-option of unwitting locals is part of a growing strategy used by foreign disinformation operatives.

"Hiring people who are fluent in the language and culture avoids the kind of tells that can expose an operation," said Renee DiResta, technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, which has tracked the strategy.

Most of the content for Peace Data was in English, with 500 articles overall. About 5 percent were explicitly aimed at the U.S. election and candidates. There were also 200 articles in Arabic, Graphika found.

Disinformation researchers do not consider the Internet Research Agency, the St. Petersburg-based operation indicted by U.S. officials for interfering in the 2016 presidential election, as still functioning in the same way it did years ago. Researchers instead see numerous operations by Russian people and groups that appear to have some previous affiliation with the IRA, using an updated playbook that typically involves more targeted - but less viral - efforts to affect political debates and elections.

Avoiding detection is a key goal of these operations, experts say. Facebook and Twitter, for example, took action against a Russian-linked operation in March that worked with a nonprofit group in Ghana and sought to influence Black voters in the United States with targeted messages. The IRA in 2016, by contrast, pushed viral messaging on social media platforms designed to reach large numbers of voters based on political interests and affiliations. The Russian operations in 2016 paid for ads aimed at U.S. voters using rubles, the Russian currency, signaling a lack of concern regarding detection.

The public relations firm involved in the other takedown was CLS Strategies, Facebook said. Headquartered a few blocks from the White House, CLS previously advised foreign clients that used Facebook, according to news reports and its own website.

A CLS Strategies partner, Juan Cortinas, said in a statement, "CLS has a long tradition of doing international work, including on social media, to promote free and open elections and to oppose oppressive regimes, and we take seriously our commitment to adhering to the fast-evolving policies of Facebook and other social media platforms."

Cortinas declined to address additional questions about the nature of the firm's involvement.

Facebook's Gleicher said the effort involved 55 Facebook accounts, 42 Facebook pages and 36 accounts on photo-sharing subsidiary Instagram, targeting audiences in Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia. Together these online information operations reached more than 550,000 users on the two social media sites and also involved $3.6 million in advertising.
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To harbour a stronger relationship with nationals living abroad, the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has approved the Diaspora Policy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, the Honourable Mark Brantley, said that the strategy was developed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and approved last month.

The Minister also commended Her Excellency Ambassador Sherry Tross, St. Kitts and Nevis' High Commissioner in Ottawa, Canada, and diasporic Kittitians and Nevisians for donating 3,000 kilograms of sanitising equipment like green-certified soaps, lotions, and disinfectants. The equipment was distributed across the islands to hospitals, medical centres, and nursing homes.

Mr Brantley also thanked the diaspora around the world and noted the importance of their support to the Federation: "It is important for us as Kittitians and Nevisians to recognise the critical relevance of our people who happened to live in other parts of the world," said Minister Brantley. "They are a critical part of us, they are us, and so, our Diaspora Policy will seek to guide our engagement with the diaspora so that they can continue to contribute to national development."

As the industry leader of Citizenship by Investment (CBI), a Programme that allows well-vetted individuals to invest in the country's socio-economic development in exchange for citizenship, St Kitts and Nevis prides itself on having nationals in every corner of the world. The Programme requires no language or travel prerequisites and permits the passing of the country's prestigious citizenship to future generations.

In a documentary by the Professional Wealth Management  a Financial Times publication  Mr Brantley said that CBI plays vital for the residents of the islands and the country's economy. St Kitts and Nevis' Poverty Alleviation Programme, funded by CBI, provides lower-income households with a monthly supplemental cheque. Several other social and infrastructural projects key to the islands' development are also made possible by the Programme.

The Programme's success is credited to its longevity, as St Kitts and Nevis operates the world's oldest economic citizenship programme. The Sustainable Growth Fund remains the fastest and most straightforward route to second citizenship. Once due diligence requirements are met, applicants can opt for an accelerated process which provides citizenship within 60 days. Thanks to Mr Brantley's efforts to better nation-to-nation relations, the twin-islands' passport permits visa-free or visa-on-arrival-to nearly 160 international destinations.

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FREDERICTON - New Brunswicks Progressive Conservatives delivered an election campaign announcement Wednesday about education, but not before Premier Blaine Higgs made a point of repeatedly crowing about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign for the Sept. 14 election, now in its third week, has featured the usual assortment of promises and rhetoric, but it has become clear the Tories want to focus voters attention on Higgs response to the viral scourge.

Higgs, who was leading a 23-month-old minority government when he called a snap election last month, reminded the crowd in Oromocto, N.B., that New Brunswick continues to have a low infection rate  relative to most other provinces  and is now leading the country in terms of an economic recovery.

Since the pandemic was declared, the province has reported 192 confirmed cases, marking the lowest number of COVID-19 infections in Canada, next to P.E.I. and the territories. Neighbouring Nova Scotia has five times as many confirmed cases at 1,085. Two New Brunswickers have died as a result of COVID-19 and there were only four active cases in the province as of Wednesday.

As Education Minister Dominic Cardy was about to announce that a Tory government would increase the wages of early childhood educators and expand a food program to every school, he made a point of focusing on Higgs leadership.

Weve seen that when a challenge was thrown in our direction that no one could have imagined happening ... weve seen a party and a government thats up to the job, Cardy said. Weve seen a party and a government able to take on a challenge ... and not just to do well, but to deliver a truly world-class result.

Higgs was introduced by the local Tory candidate, Mary Wilson, who cited comments made last week by the Bank of Montreals chief economist, who said New Brunswick was projected to outperform most provinces in 2021.

Wilson said that projected achievement was largely due to our premiers successful handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

In keeping with the theme, Higgs began his stump speech by noting the provinces real estate market was on the upswing, as was construction, renovations and tourism.

Higgs then suggested the province was also ahead of the curve in Canada when it came to education.

We are fortunate that we can safely reopen our schools when many other places around the world are still wondering what to do, he said, later noting that New Brunswick had closed its schools earlier than most other jurisdictions.

Earlier in the day, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers promised his party would table a balanced budget no later than the third year of its mandate if elected to govern. He made the pledge while campaigning in St. Stephen, N.B., where he said the party would make fiscal responsibility a top priority.

The recovery is far from over, he said, attempting to cast a shadow over Higgs sunny assessments.

Vickers also took a swipe at Higgs, saying the Liberals would not adopt the Conservatives approach of balancing the budget on the backs of the provinces most vulnerable. The Liberal leader said Higgs intends to carry on with spending cuts that will hobble the provinces economic recovery.

Blaine Higgs wants you to think his plan has gone away. It hasnt.

In response, Higgs declined to say when his party would balance the books if it won the election. The Tory leader said the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic has put that kind of fiscal pledge out of reach.

He tried, however, to turn the tables on Vickers, asking the Liberal leader if he was willing to raise taxes to eliminate the provinces $300-million deficit, something Higgs has promised not to do.

Later in the day, Vickers told supporters in Saint John, N.B., he had no plans to raise taxes. And he again tried to counter Higgs leadership messaging with a dose of realism.

Blaine Higgs wants people to think things are back to normal, he said. We cant pretend everything is all right.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation issued a statement saying it was glad to see Vickers recognizes that one cant keep writing budgets with red ink forever.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Green party Leader David Coon issued a statement Wednesday announcing that a Green government would require the provinces Crown-owned utility, NB Power, to use 100 per cent renewable energy sources energy by 2035.

Coon said that was a realistic goal, considering the province could invest in vastly improved energy efficiency, wind energy, solar farms, storage technologies and long-term purchases of hydroelectric power from Quebec and Labrador.

Mr. Higgs and Mr. Vickers are clinging to their 20th-century ideas about energy as the climate crisis intensifies, Coon said. But, the path is clear ... (and) I know how to get us there.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.

 By Michael MacDonald in Halifax

Read more about:
Hungary said on Wednesday it had registered 365 new COVID-19 infections, its highest daily tally on record, as people return from summer holidays and the school year starts up, The Jakarta Post reports.

Hungary, with around 10 million people, weathered the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year with fewer infections than many European countries. The total number of cases, as of Wednesday, stood at 6,622, with 619 deaths. But even as most people with the disease have recovered, the number of active cases has risen over the past week or so from the hundreds to 2,100 on Wednesday, and experts have warned of a spike in infections in coming weeks as schools reopen.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has closed borders to foreign visitors, though it has exempted citizens of three neighboring central European nations - the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia - from the ban, provided they test negative for the virus beforehand.
Dr Sandhya Sriram (right) and Dr Ka Yi Ling (left) are the co-founders of Shiok Meats. (PHOTO: Shiok Meats)

SINGAPORE  Shiok Meats, a homegrown start-up, plans to set up its first manufacturing plant in Singapore after its latest fundraising exercise in June brings it closer to the goal of commercialising the business in a couple of years.

The start-up, whose name means fantastic in local slang, in June raised US$3 million in a bridge funding round involving VegInvest, Impact Venture and Mindshift Capital Fund, bringing its total funding to date to US$7.6 million.

Founded in 2018, Shiok Meats is a cell-based clean meat company and claims to be the first of its kind in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The co-founders Sandhya Sriram and Ka Yi Ling are stem cell scientists who worked at Singapores Agency for Science, Technology and Research before they gave up their jobs to become entrepreneurs.

In 2015, I first came across cell-based meats and ever since have been obsessed with it. I did a deep dive into the field and in 2018, decided to take the plunge, said Sriram in a recent interview with Yahoo Finance.

I have been a vegetarian all my life due to the unethical and unsustainable aspects of the meat and seafood industry and Ka has been constantly reducing her consumption of meats and seafood. We decided to contribute to the food industry using stem cell technology to provide sustainable options, she elaborated.

Cell-based meats are meats or seafood that are grown from stem cells instead of killing animals. It is sustainable, ethical and clean without overuse of antibiotics or hormones, no viral or bacterial diseases, the 34-year-old entrepreneur said. These are not artificial, fake or synthetic meats as they are the same as real meat but are health-, animal- and environment-friendly, she added.

The cells are obtained from a small sample of shrimps or other crustaceans and grown in a nutrient-rich broth which includes a mixture of amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins and trace elements. When the cells have grown to a large enough mass, they are ready to be harvested and used in a variety of delicious dishes.

Story continues

It is different from Impossible Foods and Beyond Meats as these plant-based meat is made from plant products such as pea protein and soy protein, while cell-based meat is made from cells derived from the animal itself.

Demand for meat substitutes is growing and is expected to reach US$8.1 billion by 2026 from US$4.1 billion in 2017, according to a report by Allied Market Research.

Shiok Meats previously revealed that its aiming to sell its first product in Singapore by 2022. At the R&D stage which have proved successful, the company estimates that it made a kilogram of shrimp meat for somewhere around US$5,000.

With further investment in research and development to reduce cell culture media costs, the company aims to bring that cost down to US$50 a kilogram, Sriram said.

(Source: Shiok Meats)

Sriram shares some of her thoughts on the entrepreneurship process:

What made you and your co-founder take the plunge?

My personal experience and education is in stem cells, and I wanted to produce clean, healthy and environment-friendly seafood using stem cells. I have been working with various types of stem cells from different animals right from my under graduation, through my Masters, PhD and postdoctoral research work.

In 2018, I decided to take a stance, quit my job and take the biggest risk of my career and life  but it paid off with starting Shiok Meats. And my co-founder, Ka Yi, came along this crazy journey with me.

Ka is also a stem cell and development scientist with over 10 years of experience in the field. We both knew each other for a couple of years working in the same organisation.

What difficulties and hurdles did you face in setting up the venture?

As with every startup, ours also has faced numerous challenges right from finding lab space, to hiring to fund raising. But we kept going at it and did not give up. We are currently in R&D and will commercialise in 2022.

How do you address concerns from consumers about cell-cultured meat?

We do a lot of consumer education by speaking at events, conferences, publishing articles and sharing on social media.

We have been working on cell-based shrimp for the past few years. Our Shiok shrimp tastes like conventional shrimp. Since the cells are isolated from shrimps, they taste exactly the same as traditionally farmed or fished shrimp.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who want to leave their jobs to form their own venture?

Go for it! If you do not try, you will never know. If you fail, it is okay  try again or you can always go back to a job.

My advice to those looking to start something up in the cell-based meats sector is  do not start another cell-based meat or seafood company. Instead start a media, bioreactor, growth factor company that can support existing cell-based meat companies to come to market as soon as possible.

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Temasek, Bayer form new company to sell seeds to vertical farms

How Singapore plans to survive worlds impending food crisis

Expansion key to emerging stronger from coronavirus crisis: ShopBack CEO
Courtesy of Katy ISD

Forbes has ranked Katy Independent School District as the second best employer in Texas, making it the only school district to fall in the top 25 listings.

The foundation of our districts success is the talent, dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff and school community  all of whom contribute to supporting and educating our nearly 84,000 students, every day of the school year, said Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski. As superintendent of this great school district I am honored to be working alongside such an outstanding team.
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel Kilger is a pioneer of revolutionary techniques and concepts, who at a young age is on a mission to change the world. Now the innovator and entrepreneur has won two Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) 2020 CEO Awards, being named 'Healthcare Start-up CEO of the Year - Germany' and 'Growth Strategy CEO of the Year - Germany'.

The aim of the Awards is to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe from a variety of different sectors. Unlike many business awards that focus on the overall companies' success, instead the spotlight is individuals who make them tick- namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors and senior-level management. The intention is to give worthy individuals the recognition they deserve, using their example to inspire others to achieve similar success.

Modern technology provides a constant connection to new customer bases, facilitating communication all over the world, and entrepreneurship and innovation are both key to the marketplaces of tomorrow.Daniel Kilger, the pioneer behind Start up SAFARI - Munich, and new health tech company Smokeless - welcomes these emerging opportunities with open arms. In an interview with Business Worldwide Magazine, he spoke about his passion for technology, entrepreneurial spirit and what the CEO Awards mean to him .

Daniel developed and launched his own social media platform at the tender age of fourteen. It was a huge success in his region, informing people of events in the local area and enabling them to communicate and exchange ideas about the different social activities available to them. Since then, he hasn't stopped working and coming up with new ideas, keeping networking at the heart of everything he does.

Daniel believes that communication is an essential ingredient to achieving business success. Upon graduating, he established an international academic partnership, encouraging students from his Munich university to partner in networking collaboration with students from a partner university in the USA. His passion for building business ecosystems and providing assistance to the next generation of start-ups in Munich, led him to initiate the Munich based Startup SAFARI. In under two years, it has become a prominent door opener for aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs, encouraging others to achieve their full potential.

Daniel promotes equality, providing a safe and productive environment for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion. He champions a harassment-free space designed to encourage entrepreneurship and foster long lasting bonds. He is also a big believer in cutting through red tape, working with companies and regulatory bodies to promote a more user friendly approach to start-ups.

His latest venture is Smokeless - a disruptive technology which aims to change the world for good by providing an easy way for people to stop smoking. Every five seconds one person dies from smoking related illnesses, but despite the risks a huge 96% of smokers fail to quit. Smokeless has been developed with smart algorithms, providing tailor made programmes for each individual, rather than offering a 'one size fits all' approach.

As Smokeless challenges the status quo, Daniel is placing himself as a pioneer within the realm of transforming health. He told BWM that the key to his success is determination and the strength to follow his own path. "Create your own journey...don't try to fit into a mould created by society to meet generic goals. Each journey is different, designed to be travelled at its own pace. To all students graduating in this surreal time, don't be afraid to build your own path and follow your own instincts. This can be your time." he said.

Further information about Smokeless can be found at https://smokeless.world/

An article on Daniel Kilger can be found on the BWM website: https://www.bwmonline.com/2020/08/17/daniel-kilger-pioneer-innovator-and-entrepreneur/

Further information about the Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards 2020 visit https://www.bwmonline.com/awards/ceo-awards-2020-winners/

About Business Worldwide Magazine

Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence throughout the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal enables an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and changes in legislation. This readership includes of CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies to name a few.

Contact

David Jones

Awards Department

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The second  and final  phase of the WCO Asia/Pacific Security Project (APSP) concluded on 31 August 2020 after 17 months of successful implementation. The Government of Japan provided funding to the tune of USD 500,000 for this second phase, which commenced in April 2019. The aim of the project was to ensure sustainability of the activities, training and equipment provided under the Programme Global Shield (PGS) and Passenger Controls initiatives during Phase 1 of the Asia/Pacific Security Project, which concluded on 30 June 2019.

During the initial phase of the project, the WCO provided Customs administrations of the region with 65 Raman spectrometers and 19 backscatter x-ray machines. In addition, passenger targeting systems were implemented in two countries, and a wide range of training and operational activities were conducted in nine partner countries across the Asia/Pacific region. The second phase of the project focused primarily on sustaining the operational activities in the nine Southeast Asian countries, but also on expanding and integrating PGS activities into South Asia.

Over the past few months, the project has been addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated travel restrictions. During this time, the project team has adapted the training materials to an online learning environment and developed innovative training methods that combine online training with real-time remote demonstrations. Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, described the APSP as a Great success, highlighting how well the Asia/Pacific Security Project managed to support the WCO Members in the region and effectively contributed to enhancing the national and international security capabilities to combat the movements across borders of foreign terrorist fighters and components used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices.

Six national PGS training events were delivered to 147 Customs officers from seven countries under the project. A landmark event was the PGS training course organized for the first time in the Maldives, with Afghan Customs officers attending the training sessions together with Maldives Customs officers and other law enforcement officials. The techniques learned during the training course were put into practice during two multilateral PGS operations jointly coordinated by the project and INTERPOL. The involvement of both the WCO and INTERPOL in the operations planning phase resulted in strengthened law enforcement collaboration during the execution of the operations, which in turn led to the success of the operations.

Furthermore, 99 participants also benefited from four national Passenger Controls training courses, with three of them delivered virtually after the COVID-19-related travel restrictions entered into force in most targeted countries. The project also assisted with the implementation of the WCO Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS) in the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Cambodia.

The WCO Security Programme will continue to support WCO Members in the region in implementing effective passenger control measures as well as Programme Global Shield and broader Customs security-related activities. For more information on the WCO Security Programme, please contact us at WCOSecurityProgramme@wcoomd.org.
The Cheshire Public Schools have announced its policy for determining eligibility of children who may receive free or reduced-price meals served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).

Local school officials have adopted the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for family size and income criteria for determining eligibility. The following income guidelines will be used in Connecticut from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, for determining eligibility of participants for free and reduced-price meals and free milk in the Child Nutrition Programs.

The income calculations are based on the following formulas:

monthly income is calculated by dividing the annual income by 12;

twice monthly income is computed by dividing annual income by 24;

income received every two weeks is calculated by dividing annual income by 26; and

weekly income is computed by dividing annual income by 52.

All numbers are rounded upward to the next whole dollar.

Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Families should apply online at My School Apps or www.myschoolapps.com/Home/DistrictRedirect/CHESHIRE_CT. Application forms are not being sent home. To apply for free or reduced-price meals or free milk, households should fill out the application and return it to the school. Families must apply online or obtain a hard copy from the main office of the school or the kitchen. Meal applications may also be printed from the Food and Nutrition Website, www.cheshire.k12.ct.us/district-departments/foods--nutrition/free-and-reduced-meals

Only one application is required per household and an application for free or reduced-price benefits cannot be approved unless it contains complete eligibility information as indicated on the application and instructions.

The information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purposes of determining eligibility and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. Additionally, all school-aged children in income-eligible households can receive school meal benefits regardless of a childs immigration status, and the district/school does not release information for immigration-related purposes in the usual course of operating the CNPs. Note that the district may share your eligibility information with education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules. This information may also be verified at any time during the school year by school or other program officials. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year.

For up to 30 operating days into the new school year, eligibility from the previous year will continue within the same local educational agency (LEA). When the carry-over period ends, unless the household is notified that their children are directly certified or the household submits an application that is approved, the children must pay full price for school meals and the school will not send a reminder or a notice of expired eligibility.

No application is required if the district directly certifies a child based on a household member receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program. All children in these households are eligible for free meal benefits. Households receiving assistance under the SNAP/TFA programs will be notified of their eligibility and their children will be provided free benefits unless the household notifies the determining official that it chooses to decline benefits.

If any children were not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the district or school to have free meal benefits extended to those children. Households receiving SNAP or TFA benefits for their children should only submit an application if they are not notified of their eligibility by Sept. 8.

Some children may be directly certified for free or reduced-price meals based on Medicaid (HUSKY). No application is required if the district directly certifies a child based on Medicaid (HUSKY). All children in these households are eligible for free or reduced-priced meal benefits. Households receiving assistance under Medicaid (HUSKY) will be notified of their eligibility and their children will be provided free or reduced-price benefits accordingly, unless the household notifies the determining official that it chooses to decline benefits. If any children were not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the district or school to have free or reduced-price meal benefits extended to those children.

If a child is not directly certified, the household should complete a free and reduced-price meal application form. The application for the SNAP or TFA households require the SNAP or TFA case number and the households may be asked to provide proof of the SNAP or TFA case number.

The signature of an adult household member is also required.

Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Please send in an application or contact the determining official for more information.

When known to the district/school, households will be notified of any childs eligibility for free meals if the individual child is Other Source Categorically Eligible because the child is categorized as either:

Homeless; runaway as defined by law and determined by the districts or schools homeless liaison; or enrolled in an eligible Head Start or pre-kindergarten class as defined by law. Households with children who are categorically eligible under Other Source Categorically Eligible Programs should complete an application and check-off the relevant box. Questions should be directed to the determining official. For any child not listed on the eligibility notice, the households should contact the school or determining official about any child also eligible under one of these programs or should submit an income application for the other children.

Households notified of their childrens eligibility must contact the determining official or school if it chooses to decline the free meal benefits. If households/children are not notified by the district/school of their free meal benefits and they receive benefits under Assistance Programs or under Other Source Categorically Eligible Programs, the parent/guardian should contact the determining official or their school.

Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, are categorically eligible for free meals. A foster parent does not have to complete a free/reduced meal application if they can submit a copy of the legal document or legal court order showing that the child is a foster child.

Additionally, a foster child may be included as a member of the foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for benefits. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits, it does not prevent a foster child from receiving free meal benefits.

Note however, that a foster childs free eligibility does not automatically extend to all students in the household.

Application forms for all other households require a statement of total household income, household size and names of all household members. The last four digits of the social security number of an adult household member must be included or a statement that the household member does not have one. The adult household member must also sign the application certifying that the information provided is correct.

Under the provisions of the policy for determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, Madeleine C. Diker, Food and Nutrition Services Director, mdiker@cheshire.k12.ct.us, will review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent is dissatisfied with the ruling of the determining official, he/she may wish to discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. If he/she wishes to make a formal appeal, a request either orally or in writing, may be made to Jeffrey Solan, Ed.D., Superintendent of Cheshire Public Schools, 29 Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410, (203) 250-2400, for a hearing to appeal the decision.

The policy contains an outline of the hearing procedure. Each school and the central office of the school district has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by an interested party.

If a household member becomes unemployed or if household size changes at any time, the family should contact the school to file a new application. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for reduced-price meals, free meals, or free milk, if the family income falls at or below the levels shown in the Income Guidelines.

Questions regarding the application process may be directed to the determining official at (203) 250-2459.
Vienna: Austria will file charges against a person who has confessed to spying for Turkey's secret service, and authorities are investigating more suspected espionage activities, its interior minister said, warning Turkey this would not be tolerated.

"This is about an exertion of influence by a foreign power in Austria and this will in no way be accepted," Karl Nehammer told a news conference on Tuesday.

Vienna, Austria was a hotspot for spies during the Cold War.

Turkey rejected the espionage accusations as "baseless."

There were clear indications of Turkish influence in Austria, said the director general for public safety, Franz Ruf. The new findings came following extensive investigations by Austrian police after violent clashes between Turkish and Kurdish groups in Vienna in June.
Police officials, all over the world, always stay ready to answer the call of duty. They also go above and beyond their roles to help someone or simply make a kids day. This tale, which is both sweet and heartening, is a perfect example. It showcases how a police department took it upon themselves to make a helicopter loving four-year-old smile.

National Police Air Service, which provides support to air forces across England and Wales, took to Twitter to share the story and a video which is now tugging at the heartstrings of many. Chances are itll have the same effect on you too.

The video shows the kid, holding a model helicopter in his hand, excitedly looking at a real one.

The kid, identified as Callum McKinney, went to edge of Hawarden Airport in Flintshire to see helicopters, his favourite aircraft, reports the BBC. When the police pilots spotted the boy, they decided to do something amazing and hover around while sounding the siren.

Shout out to Callum aged 4. We think your helicopter is brilliant and we hope you liked our sirens! they department wrote while sharing the clip.

Take a look at the video which is absolutely adorable to watch:

Shout out to Callum aged 4. We think your helicopter is brilliant and we hope you liked our sirens! ^AR pic.twitter.com/IDkW0rIhy3  NPAS North West Region (@NPASNorthWest) August 31, 2020

Since being shared, the video has gathered over 2.1 lakh views - and the numbers are only increasing. It has also amassed more than 12,000 likes and close to 1,200 retweets. The share also received tons of comments from people.

Can I ask why a helicopter has sirens? (Not complaining, genuinely curious.) asked a Twitter user. To which, the department answered, Theyre mainly an attention grabber, if people (including kids) go missing we can alert the public and sky shout a description of said missing person. Surprised, another user of the micro-blogging site joined the conversation with this comment:

Hold on, so choppers genuinely have sirens?? This is the funniest thing ever!! You should play them when someone is running through the countryside   B'ham News Photos (@BrumNewsPhotos) September 1, 2020

Omg this is amazing! My daughter (turns 4 tomorrow) thinks the police copter is ace, expressed a Twitter user. Heres how others reacted:

This is amazing!!!! It stopped for my little boy a few weeks ago and all hes gone on about is how the police man waved to him outside the helicopter  xx pic.twitter.com/spAWIgH4C6  Louise Catton (@Louisejones283) August 31, 2020

So much love for this   UK Cop Humour (@UKCopHumour) September 1, 2020

What a lovely thing to do, bet Callum was thrilled to see the real police helicopter and showing you his helicopter! People don't see this side of policing it needs to be put out there more! What stars they were for doing that!x  Sue Wright (@RagsMitzi) August 31, 2020

We don't deserve you  my heart just melted. I also didn't know the helicopter had sirens!!   Katie (@KatieJay_94) August 31, 2020

What do you think of the video?

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Germany's VDZ extends cautious outlook

ICR Newsroom By 02 September 2020

Speaking about the development of the German cement market, Christian Knell, president of Germany's cement association VDZ, says "It has rarely been so difficult to make a forecast as it is this year.



Since March 2020 the coronavirus pandemic has created a great deal of uncertainty amongst most people and companies in this country. So far the cement manufacturers have had no grounds for complaint, not least because favourable weather conditions helped the cement market to get off to a good start in 2020.



"Despite the lockdown coming into effect in March, the demand for cement was upheld by the continuation of work on construction sites  also thanks to the quick action taken by the government, says Mr Knell, looking back on the situation.



For 2020 VDZ expects cement consumption in Germany to remain stable at around last years level of approximately 28.7Mt thanks to an excellent start to the year and a higher number of delivery days. However, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to dampen the demand for construction work and cement from the last quarter of 2020. This is already starting to show in the official statistics in the form of lower levels of incoming orders and granted building permits, says Mr Knell.



VDZ is also uncertain about how the demand for construction work might develop in the year 2021. "We are expecting more cautious activity compared to 2020, according to the VDZ president. A lot of businesses and local authorities are likely to postpone or even cancel planned new construction projects on account of the gloomy budget situation. Less demand for private housing construction is also expected, not least due to uncertainty in the employment market.



However, the stimulus pledges made by the German government are expected to provide a positive impulse in the form of federal infrastructure projects or the construction of multi-family housing, for example. Therefore, VDZ forecasts a 3-5 per cent drop in demand for cement in 2021 compared to 2020. Christian Knell remains nevertheless in a positive mood: "Based on the overall level of the past few years this still leaves us in a good position."

Published under
Kashmir: Atleast four Lashkar-e-Taiba terror associates arrested by Budgam police in a joint operation with Army's 53 Rashtriya Rifles, during a cordon and search operation in Pethkoot area of Beerwah at Budgam. The police apprehended the terror associates with arms and ammunition and some incriminating material was also recovered.

They have been identified as Shakil Ahmad Wani, Showkat Ahmad both residents of Pethkot Beerwah, while the others are Aqib Maqbool Khan of Chedbug Budgam and Ajaz Ahmad Dar of Cherwani Chrarsharief

This group has been associated with the banned terror organisation LeT and was involved in providing shelter and logistical support to active terrorists in the area.

During a search operation, some ammunition including Ak-47 rounds (24), 5 detonators and other incriminating material has also been recovered from them.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Indian Army busted multiple hideouts along the Line of Control (LoC) and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from well-concealed locations in two hideouts in Rampur sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.

According to reports, an extensive search operation was conducted after troops detected movement of suspicious people, who reportedly crossed into Indian territory. Due to terrain of thick foliage and weather conditions, an alert for likely infiltration attempt was sounded.

Sources said the modus operandi behind the presence of arms and ammunition in the area was to drop warlike stores in caches near the LOC so that over-ground workers or terrorists would pick the same for further transportation into the hinterland for terror activities. It also shows desperate attempts by Pakistan-based terror groups to infiltrate weapons into Jammu and Kashmir.
Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a prototype of a rapid COVID-19 test using a simple-to-use portable instrument for reading the results with a smartphone in 30 minutes, an innovation that may enable point-of-care diagnosis without needing to send samples to a lab.

According to the study, published in the journal PNAS, the new technology may help overcome bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel which have led to long waiting times for COVID-19 test results in several parts of the world amidst the ongoing pandemic.

If such a device and test were available, we could test for COVID-19 at public events, auditoriums, large gatherings and potentially even at home for self-testing. The results could be sent back to the appropriate public health system for coordination," said Rashid Bashir, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the US.

In one of the common methods to test for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, healthcare workers take a sample from patients with a long nasopharyngeal swab, which is put into a substance called viral transport media, and send to a lab for extracting, isolating, and multiplying the viral genetic material, the scientists said.

This viral RNA multiplication process, called RT-PCR, requires several temperature fluctuation cycles, specialised equipment, and trained personnel, said Brain Cunningham, another co-author of the study.

In the current research, the scientists used a simpler process to analyse the viral transport media, called LAMP, which bypasses the RNA extraction and purification steps.

LAMP only needs one temperature  65 C  so it is much easier to control," said Anurup Ganguli, the first author of the study.

Also, LAMP works more robustly than PCR, especially when there are contaminants in the test sample. We can just briefly heat the sample, break open the virus, and detect the genetic sequence that specifically identifies SARS-CoV-2," Ganguli said.

When the researchers compared the LAMP assay with PCR, they found the results were in agreement, following which they documented the sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP test.

The scientists then incorporated the assay onto a small 3D-printed cartridge that has two input slots for syringes  one for the sample-containing viral transport media, one for the LAMP chemicals.

Once the two syringe components are injected, they the react within the cartridge, the study noted.

We use modern, high speed additive manufacturing to make these cartridges. The entire thing can be quickly scaled up to hundreds of thousands of tests," said Bill King, another co-author of the study from the University of Illinois.

Production scale-up is typically the biggest obstacle for commercial applications of microfluidic cartridges, and we can overcome that obstacle using this new approach. Modern additive manufacturing is elastic and scalable, and it can be ramped up very quickly compared with legacy manufacturing technologies," King said.

According to the researchers, the cartridge can be inserted into a hand-held portable instrument with a heating chamber, which heats the cartridge to 65 degrees Celsius for the duration of the reaction, and a smartphone cradle is in place for reading the results.

In approximately 30 minutes, a positive result will emit fluorescent light, they said.

The reader illuminates the liquid compartments with light from blue LEDs, while the phones rear-facing camera records a movie of the green fluorescent light being generated," Cunningham explained.

The scientists noted that they are currently assessing whether the assay would work with saliva samples to eliminate the need for nasopharyngeal swabs.
TDT | Manama

Information Minister and Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) Board of Trustees chairman Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi underscored the institutes achievements amid the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. He pointed out the ongoing Implementation of programmes aimed at backing national efforts to curtail the impact of the pandemic.

The minister was speaking as he chaired yesterday, through the visual communication technology, the third regular meeting of the BIPD board, in the presence of board members and the institutes executive director. Discussions focused on previous achievements and the institutes remaining programmes for this year.

The board members praised the institutes previous accomplishments despite the exceptional circumstances, pointing out the implementation of 45 functions which benefited 4,577 participants from all components of Bahraini society.

The meeting also cast light on the programmes carried out to boost political awareness among citizens, according to the provisions of the constitution and the National Action Charter, and to provide support to parliamentary and municipal work in the Kingdom.

The BIPD board reviewed the mechanisms followed by the institute in implementing programmes through the use of modern technology, in tune with the decisions of the coordination committee, led by HRH the Crown Prince and the precautionary measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The board also reviewed programmes the institute intends to carry out in light of its plan for the next phase, which include training and awareness activities for targetted groups.
T he widow of Pc Andrew Harper has said she was encouraged by a meeting with Priti Patel over a campaign for a new law she hopes will be a fitting legacy to the late police officer.

Newly-married Thames Valley Police officer Pc Harper was killed on August 15 last year by Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of manslaughter last month but cleared of murder.

Long was jailed for 16 years and Bowers and Cole for 13 years. The Attorney General has referred the sentences to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

His widow Lissie Harper, 29, is now calling for anyone guilty of killing an emergency services worker due to a criminal act to be jailed for life, with mandatory minimum terms.

Lissie Harper, the widow of Pc Andrew Harper, alongside Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (second left), Sgt Andy Fiddler, Thames Valley Police Federation (left), and Home Secretary Priti Patel (right) / PA

After speaking with Ms Patel and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland about her campaign on Wednesday, Ms Harper said: "They spoke and listened well today and I am pleased to say they promised to work with us and support us in achieving our goal of providing justice to families of emergency services workers and stiffer and more appropriate sentences for those who take their lives.

"We know this won't happen overnight and now wait for the next steps.

"We need change. I will not allow this to be kicked into the long grass. We need to properly protect our protectors. And I promise I won't be shying away from the limelight to keep the pressure on those in power to make this happen.

The widow explained that she believes changing the law would be a fitting legacy to her partner.

Pc Andrew Harper on his wedding day / PA

Ms Harper, who has said that "everything in my life is different now", had been married to her 28-year-old husband for just four weeks when he was dragged behind a car and killed responding to a burglary in August last year.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, Home Secretary Ms Patel and Justice Secretary Mr Buckland praised Ms Harper for her "extaordinary" courage.

They said: "PC Andrew Harper was a hero whose loss has been felt across the country - but mostly by his wife, family and friends.

"We were pleased to sit down with Lissie today. She is extraordinarily courageous and her dedication to honouring her husband's memory is commendable."

Ms Harper added: "Being here at the Home Office and meeting with key members of the Government is a great accomplishment for the campaign. But this is not the end of the road - this is the start of the journey to achieving Harper's Law. I will keep going. I will continue to channel my grief to campaign for Harper's Law, she said.

"The people of Britain are tired of witnessing the leniency of our courts against the evil in our society.

"The support that we continue to receive from hundreds of thousands of people just highlights the disapproval and outrage over these injustices we all are made to accept

The young policeman was honoured by his colleagues at a memorial / Getty Images

"Let's get this changed. This would be a fitting legacy to Andrew."

The Thames Valley Police Federation, posted on Facebook following the meeting, writing that Ms Harper was encouraged, hopeful and more determined than ever after the meeting.

The post stated that Ms Harper had described a positive and very constructive 45-minute meeting, at which she had been accompanied by Sgnt And Fiddler on behalf of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Mr Harpers former employer.

A petition for the new law has already attracted more than 650,000 signatures.
A policeman was left with blood gushing from his head and shoulder after a man allegedly slashed him with a knife during a midnight arrest.

A Lakemba man, 32, allegedly attacked two police officers with a knife and bit another on York Street in the Sydney CBD at 12.20 am on Wednesday.

Police were called after the man allegedly harassed a food delivery rider on George Street, which is one of the busiest streets in the city centre.

Officers then approached the man as he was walking along the nearby York Street, which is when he allegedly pulled out a knife and started attacking them.

A policeman (pictured), 40, was allegedly slashed in the head and shoulder by a Lakemba man, 32, on York Street in the Sydney CBD at 12:20am on Wednesday

A male senior constable, 40, was slashed across his head and shoulder while his male acting sergeant, 39, was slashed on the hand.

Meanwhile, a male probationary constable, 20, was bitten on his tricep.

The 32-year-old man was then disarmed and arrested, before being taken to St Vincents Hospital for assessment.

Pictures from after the attack show blood pouring from the senior constable's head, covering most of his face.

A bite mark and blood can also be seen on the youngest officer's tricep.

The injured officers were also taken to St Vincents Hospital, where the 40-year-old officer underwent treatment for lacerations on the left side of his head and another on his upper arm and shoulder.

The injured officers were also taken to St Vincents Hospital, where the 40-year-old officer (pictured)underwent treatment for lacerations on the left side of his head and another on his upper arm and shoulder area

Meanwhile, the 39-year-old was treated for a laceration to his finger and a knee injury and the youngest officer was treated for his bite.

The alleged attacker was taken to Day Street Police Station following his discharge from hospital.

He has now been charged with cause wounding/grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder, wound person with intent to resist/prevent arrest, assault police officer in execution of duty cause actual bodily harm and resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty.

The man has been refused bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.
(Natural News) As Kenosha, Wisconsin burns to the ground following the police shooting of criminal thug Jacob Blake, Gov. Tony Evers has clearly indicated that he stands not with innocent, law-abiding citizens, but with Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa terrorists.

Rather than express support for 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who was violently attacked by protesters while trying to protect local businesses and provide EMT assistance, Evers told the world during a recent press conference that he stands in solidarity with the pedophile and domestic abuser who attacked Rittenhouse.

We have a strong belief in this state and across the nation that we can walk around with guns if we want to, and I personally wouldnt do that, and I personally dont feel really comfortable with hundreds of people walking around with long guns, a masked Evers told the press, condemning Rittenhouse and the other patriots who are risking their lives to protect the innocent.

As for the Second Amendment in general, Evers does not approve of it, but admits that it is part of our Constitution. At the same time, Evers wants to ensure that people like Rittenhouse are not allowed to exercise it and cause harm like they did.

And frankly, when the Second Amendment butts up against the First Amendment, my recommendation is simple: Stay home, Evers further indicated, lending his support to the BLM and Antifa terrorists who are burning down Kenosha, destroying businesses, attacking innocent lives, and creating total anarchy in the name of social justice.

Will Wisconsinites rise up to remove these two traitors from office?

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, an apparent affirmative action hire, agrees. Like Evers, he spewed a pack of lies, to quote Big League Politics Shane Trejo, during the same press conference, completely ignoring the reality that BLM and Antifa terrorists have been, and continue to be, the aggressors in each and every situation that results in violence and tragedy.

We dont need an investigation to know that Blakes shooting falls in a long and painful pattern of violence, and this is a pattern of violence that happens against black lives too often across this country, Barnes, a black man himself, confessed concerning his rejection of due process.

Anyone who watched the video of Blake getting shot can clearly see that the violent felon was reaching into a vehicle for a weapon, disobeying police officers who repeatedly told him to stop what he was doing for his own safety. Consequently, Blake was shot, which is his own fault.

But according to Evers and Barnes, Blake is automatically the victim in this case because his skin is black, while the skin of the people who shot him is lighter. This, according to Democrats, proves that it was an act of racism and injustice, completely warranting the total destruction of Kenosha at the hands of rioters and looters.

Barnes went on to twist the Rittenhouse encounter as well, alleging that two protesters, a pedophile and a domestic abuser, were tragically killed while another was injured by gunshots. Barnes also lied about Rittenhouse being an outside agitator, when he was actually present to provide aid and support in protecting the city of Kenosha from the rioters.

Everybody has to recognize the pain of those who are protesting, Barnes went on to state. You should do what you have to do to end systemic racism and the systemic violence that happens every day in this city, in this state, in this country, all over.

It is clear, at this point, that both Evers and Barnes need to go. They obviously prefer to side with criminals rather than law-abiding citizens, which represents a threat to every Wisconsinite, as well as every decent American.

For more related news, be sure to check out CivilWar.news.

Sources for this article include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NaturalNews.com
Novichok, a Soviet-era chemical weapon, was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom.

Tests performed on samples taken from prominent Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny showed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government said.

Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement on Wednesday testing by a special German military laboratory had shown proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

It is a dismaying event that Alexey Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia, Seibert said. The German government condemns this attack in the strongest terms. The Russian government is urgently requested to provide clarifications over the incident.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was not informed of the German findings and had no such data, the TASS news agency reported.

But the German chancellor did not mince words.

This is disturbing information about the attempted murder through poisoning against a leading Russian opposition figure, Merkel told a news conference. Alexey Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urged Moscow to investigate the poisoning, and said the Russian ambassador had been summoned to explain the evidence.

This makes it all the more urgent that those responsible in Russia be identified and held accountable, Maas told reporters. We condemn this attack in the strongest terms.

Novichok  a military grade nerve agent  was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom.

The Charite hospital in Berlin, where Navalny is being treated, has reported some improvement in his condition, but he remains in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator.

Joint response





Navalny, 44, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was later transferred to Charite hospital, where doctors last week said there were indications he had been poisoned.

Seibert said the German government would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the Novichok test results. He said it would consult with its partners in light of the Russian response on an appropriate joint response.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations the Kremlin rejected as empty noise.

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putins name and a signature next to it.

200821124630002

Kremlin-linked poisonings

The Russian doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia have repeatedly contested the German hospitals conclusion, saying they ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and their tests for poisonous substances came back negative.

Al Jazeeras Aleksandra Stoyanovich-Godfroid, reporting from Moscow, said Russias response was so far cautious and restrained.

The Russian doctors released Navalny with a metabolic disorder diagnosis. Two labs in Russia didnt find anything suspicious and a pre-investigation didnt find anything leading to foul play, she said. On the other hand, the opposition is saying, We knew [it was Novichok]  all the symptoms are there.'

Novichok is a deadly group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 80s. It is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at the Charite initially identified in Navalny.

Navalnys allies said the German governments identification of the poison used against him suggested the Russian state had been behind the attack.

Only the state [FSB, GRU] can use Novichok. This is beyond any reasonable doubt, Ivan Zhdanov, director of Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on Twitter, referring to the FSB internal security and GRU military intelligence services.





Never blame one area

Bharat Pankhania, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said while Russian authorities have access to chemical weapons such as Novichok, so too do other countries.

Its well known in the intelligence communities, despite international agreements, nations were developing these agents, and we know the Soviet Union as it was breaking up did have supplies, Pankhania told Al Jazeera.

But that is also not to say other states do not also have access. We should never blame one area, we know other states also have access to nerve agents.

Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova that Russias ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev, who was summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday, asked for evidence and received no answer, no facts, no data, no formulae.

Russia as before expects an official answer from Berlin to the request of the Prosecutor-Generals Office to share medical data on Navalny, she said.

The Navalny case has drawn parallels with two suspected Kremlin-linked poisonings in the UK.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Skripal and his daughter in the southern city of Salisbury. The Skripals recovered, but a local woman who picked up the discarded perfume bottle in which the poison had been carried, later died in hospital.

In 2006, Putin was blamed for the radiation poisoning death of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in central London, after he drank tea laced with polonium-210.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast , the world's fastest online login and checkout experience, today announced the launch of Fast Checkout, embarking on a mission to enable one-click e-commerce purchases on every site, device and platform. With Fast Checkout, buyers can complete online purchases in less than a second and sellers can now add one-click checkout to their stores.

Fast Checkout is launching today with select merchants, and other merchants can now sign up to add Checkout to their online stores. Fast Checkout removes cumbersome passwords and offers a seamless, platform-agnostic experience in a fraction of the time of traditional online purchases.

"More than ever before, people are shopping online out of necessity," said Fast CEO and Co-founder Domm Holland. "Ensuring fast, easy and safe online checkout for everyone, of all ages and backgrounds, is not a luxury  it is an imperative."

Amid COVID-19, consumers spent over $211 billion online in the second quarter of 2020; US e-commerce is predicted to grow 18% in 2020. However, many businesses are not prepared to handle this influx or they recently pivoted to running an online store. Online businesses lose up to 80% of potential purchases from shopping cart abandonment every year, often related to friction during checkout. By adding Fast Checkout to their store, businesses of all sizes can access one-click checkout that makes online purchases easier and faster for their customers.

"The most painful situation for any online seller is when a customer leaves an item in their shopping cart," said Shark Wheel COO Zack Fleishman. "Too many of our customers weren't completing their online purchases because the checkout process was frustrating and tedious. Since we added Fast Checkout, there has been a dramatic increase in our sales."

For buyers, using Fast Checkout is effortless. The first time a person makes a purchase at any site that uses Checkout, they simply enter their contact information and payment details as they normally would to buy the item. From that one purchase, they are automatically signed up and can use one-click checkout at any store with Checkout, regardless of device or browser, and without a password.

In addition to one-click checkout, Fast Checkout provides buyers a convenient, one-stop location to keep track of their purchases, including delivery status and reordering, eliminating the need to hunt through old emails or visit multiple sites.

For more information and to sign up for Fast Checkout, please visit fast.co/checkout .

About Fast

Fast's mission is to make buying online faster, safer and easier for everyone. Its Fast Login and Fast Checkout products enable a one-click sign-in and purchasing experience that makes it easier for people to buy and merchants to sell. The company's products work on any browser, device or platform to deliver a consistent, stress-free purchasing experience. Fast is entirely consumer focused and invests heavily in its users' privacy and data security. Headquartered in San Francisco, Fast is a privately held company funded by Stripe, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures, Global Founders Capital and Brian Sugar  who also serves on the board. To learn more, visit fast.co.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 17:29:30|Editor: huaxia

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SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held phone talks on Wednesday over issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who doubles as the chief U.S. nuclear negotiator.

Lee and Biegun shared view over recent situations of the Korean Peninsula, agreeing to the need to rapidly resume talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang in a bid to make substantive progress for the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the lasting peace settlement.

The nuclear envoys discussed how to create conditions and push for the complete denuclearization and the peace settlement, the Seoul ministry said.

The two sides agreed to more closely communicate and cooperate on the DPRK issues bilaterally and multilaterally by actively making use of the scheduled international diplomatic events.

Denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States have been stalled since the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended without an agreement in February last year at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

Meanwhile, South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun had a phone conversation with Biegun, the first such talks since Choi took office on Aug. 18. Choi is the former presidential secretary for peace planning.

Choi and Biegun agreed to meet as early as possible to discuss overall bilateral issues and regional situations, the Seoul ministry said. Enditem
US decision to remove blocks for one year on the sale of non-lethal defence articles slammed by Turkey.

The United States has said it will lift for one year its decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus to allow non-lethal military goods to be sold to the Mediterranean island.

In a move which was immediately slammed by Turkey, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades of the change in a phone call on Tuesday.

From October 1, the US will remove blocks for one year on the sale or transfer of non-lethal defence articles and defence services, the State Department said.

Pompeo also reaffirmed US support for a comprehensive settlement to reunify the island, according to State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.

For his part, Anastasiades welcomed the lifting of the embargo, which the US imposed in 1987 in the hope that it could encourage the reunification of the island. He said the positive development reinforce[d] the bilateral security relationship between the two countries.

The US decision, however, drew immediate condemnation from Ankara.

It poisons the peace and stability environment in the region, the Turkish foreign ministry said, adding it does not comply with the spirit of alliance between the US and Turkey.

If Washington did not reverse course, the ministry said, Turkey, as a guarantor country, will take the necessary decisive counter steps to guarantee the security of the Turkish Cypriot people, in line with its legal and historical responsibilities.





Eastern Mediterranean tensions

Cyprus has effectively been divided since 1974 when Turkish forces invaded its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece. Repeated diplomatic efforts to solve one of the worlds most intractable conflicts have failed, often in acrimony.

The internationally recognised government of Cyprus controls the Greek Cypriot southern part of the island while Turkish Cypriots maintain a self-proclaimed independent state in the north, which is only recognised by Ankara. Greece, Turkey and Britain are guarantor powers of the island under a convoluted treaty which granted Cyprus independence from Britain in 1960.

The US announcement came amid a surge in tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece over maritime borders and gas drilling rights, which also involves Athens-allied Cyprus.

Both Greece and Turkey have staged naval drills in the area to assert their sovereign claims. Meanwhile the European Union  which counts Greece and Cyprus as members  warned Ankara on Friday to pull back or face sanctions.

Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said the decision recognised the importance of the US relationship with Cyprus, which he called a reliable strategic partner for our nation.

It is in our national security interest to lift these outdated decades-long arms restrictions and deepen our security relationship with the Republic of Cyprus, he said in a statement.

NATO allies Turkey and the US have been at odds over

Lawrence Korb, former assistant secretary of defence and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said the announcement was just the latest hit to the ties between the two NATO allies.

There is no doubt about the fact that Turkish-American relations are in very bad shape given the fact that the Turks have bought a Russian air defence system, which the US will compromise a lot of its capabilities in Turkey  in Incirlik [base]  and in Europe, Kobb said, referring to Ankaras purchase last year of the Russian S-400s, which Washington says are incompatible with the alliances defense systems.

Obviously, the Turks are very upset about anything that empowers the majority of the people in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots, he added.
Seattle scoffed at the $650 million Bayer AG agreed to pay to settle class-action claims by about 2,500 cities, counties and ports over pollution from polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, saying it plans to opt out of the deal.

According to a filing by Seattle last week in federal court in Los Angeles objecting to the proposal, the $550 million that would be available to the class of 2,500 government entities doesnt even cover the projected $600 million it will cost the city to abate the nuisance from PCBs manufactured decades ago by Monsanto Co., which Bayer acquired in 2018.

The city considers the proposed settlement to be a gift to Monsanto and its new parent company, Bayer, Seattle said. The proposed settlement, in the citys view, is a Trojan Horse for many of the class members, providing them a pittance to monitor their stormwater for PCBs and blocking them from getting funds they will need if PCBs are found.

Bayer in June said it would pay about $12 billion to settle litigation it inherited when it acquired Monsanto two years ago, with the bulk of the money earmarked to resolve lawsuits alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The settlement of 125,000 Roundup cases has also run into problems with plaintiffs lawyers and the federal judge overseeing the cases airing concerns about Bayers handling of the settlement process.

Though Seattle plans to opt out, the city said it is objecting to the proposed settlement because its concerned that the terms of the deal will prevent it from pursuing its own claims.

The city of Seattle makes a very narrow objection to the class release language, said Scott Summy, an attorney representing the cities that agreed to settle. The court will sort out if a small change is even needed. Seattle claims that it is potentially opting out and, if so, the release language doesnt apply to it.

More than a dozen cities including Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, California, have sued Monsanto  the exclusive maker of PCBs, which were used to cool heavy-duty electrical equipment for more than 40 years before being banned in the 1970s. The non-biodegradable chemicals sometimes fouled manufacturing areas and the pollutants ended up in the soil. The PCBs would also run into major water bodies when it rained, killing fish and making the water a health hazard.

It is not uncommon to receive a few number of objections to a class agreement especially when there is a large class as there is here with over 2,500 municipal entities, Bayer said in a statement. We remain confident that this settlement is a fair resolution, and parties on both sides continue to strongly support the motion seeking the courts approval.

The case is City of Long Beach v. Monsanto Co., 16-CV-03493, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).

(Updates with Bayer statement in eighth paragraph.)

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits
Its been clear for a while that the word socialism is no longer a dealbreaker for younger voters. If the old associate it with the oppression of the Soviet Union, the young think of it as describing Denmark or Norway  lovely, livable places with decent social programs. And the young left, as AOC knows, sees climate change as a decisive voting issue because its the existential challenge of our time. This is also increasingly true among older Democratic middle-class suburbanites and city voters living in the rehabbed neighborhoods of lofts and exposed brick.
JEFFERSON CITY  A Virginia-based consulting firm has garnered another paycheck from the state, pushing its earnings for assisting the state during a pandemic to over $829,000.

State payroll records show the McChrystal Group continued to be paid out of Missouris share of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds, which are being used to help fend off the effects of the coronavirus.

The payouts are part of a controversial no-bid contract the state inked with the firm worth $248,000 per month.

The contract, which runs through Dec. 31, could be worth more than $1.3 million. It could be reduced if the state replaces company workers with state employees. A review is set for September.

Adding to the unorthodox arrangement, a copy of the contract shows it beginning on June 1. But the company didnt sign off on the document until July 31. The state didnt sign off until Aug. 5.

The June 1 start date came less than a month after Republican Gov. Mike Parson said the state was not paying the company as it helped the state respond to the health and economic effects of the spread of COVID-19.

At that time, Parson said the Missouri Foundation for Health would be paying for work by the company, which was founded by retired four-star Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

McChrystal served as the chief commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan until he was ousted in 2010.

Among the reasons for his departure were derisive remarks by him and his aides about former Vice President Joe Biden, the current Democratic nominee for president.

Parson aides say the firm was hired to provide a management system and structure to facilitate pandemic-related problem-solving between various state agencies and the governors Cabinet.

Heading up the companys team is retired Brigadier Gen. Thomas Maffey, who left the military after 30 years in 2008. He leads a five-person team, according to contract documents.

Former House Speaker Todd Richardson, who is assisting in the state coronavirus response in his position as director of the states Medicaid program, is among those who are working closely with the company.

Parsons chief operating officer Drew Erdmann also is involved in the states response, which has received mixed reviews.

The Springfield News-Leader, for example, reported Tuesday that the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended Missouri issue a statewide mask mandate after noting high levels of transmission in close to half of the counties in the state.

But Parson has been adamant about leaving the use of masks to individuals, rather than a government dictate.

With the number of positive cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise, some lawmakers said the governor could have found a cheaper alternative than the ex-generals company.

He could have consulted with the General Assembly, said Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis.

Just as Missouris contract has drawn criticism, a similar agreement between the company and the city of Boston raised eyebrows, forcing the mayor to defend the decision.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said his administration couldnt follow the traditional public bidding process for hiring vendors and buying goods and services because of the urgency of responding to a growing health disaster, the Associated Press reported in July.

This isnt the typical no-bid contract, he said. This is where we had literally 10 days before coronavirus just exploded all over.

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OnePlus started as an Oppo offshoot, eventually becoming its own recognizable brand in Western Europe and the United States. Its co-founder and CEO Pete Lau has now become a Senior Vice President at OPLUS - a mysterious company that wholly owns Oppo while it has a majority stake in OnePlus and a smaller stake in Realme too.

Pete Lau with OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren

A OnePlus spokesperson confirmed Lau will remain CEO at OnePlus, but in the same time he has also taken on the role of SVP and chief product experience officer for OPLUS.

His new role is announced just days after Realme unveiled its ambitious plans for European expansion and it seems like Laus job will be to make sure the three companies are not competing against each other in the same price categories. Currently, the Oppo Find X2 Pro and OnePlus 8 Pro flagships have similar specs and price tags in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Pete Lau (middle), speaking at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, January 2020

OPLUS is an organization that oversees three of the smartphone brands that are owned by BBK Electronics. However, vivo, another name owned by the Chinese conglomerate, is not part of Laus company, and he insists that OPLUS has nothing to do with BBK. However, these are all private companies and it's hard to verify such claims. The three companies are all claiming they are perfectly independent, despite clear evidence on extensive R&D collaboration.

Source
SPRINGFIELD  The day after a former facilities director pleaded guilty to taking bribes and kickbacks from contractors who were hired to do work at four different college campuses including American International College, the general manager of one of the construction companies was charged in connection with the scheme.

William Borges, 28, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and is the east coast general manager of DWD Builders, was indicted Tuesday on one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He is scheduled to appear on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling.

Borges is accused of paying bribes of more than $50,000 to Floyd Young, 50, of Shelton, Connecticut. Young on Monday pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Springfield to one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in a wide-ranging scan where he hired contractors, or helped them get hired, at the colleges where he worked. In exchange they would kick back 15% of the amount they were paid for doing the work to Young.

The indictment for Borges, which was signed on Aug. 28, was unsealed on Tuesday, court records show.

Youngs scheme involved American International College in Springfield, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, Cornell Tech, Cornell University in New York and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. In each college he held different titles but essentially oversaw the facilities maintenance departments. In his plea, Young agreed to pay back the about $919,000 he admitted to taking in kickbacks, court records said.

According to the indictment, Borges was a principal in DWD Builders when Young steered contracts for construction, repair, maintenance and other work at Cooper Union between 2018 and 2019, according to the statement.

Borges allegedly paid bribes to Young in cash during face-to-face meetings. In addition, as Borges received payment for work done at the collegiate institution, he paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. Borges also allegedly inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the collegiate institution in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young. On occasion, Young and Borges arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the collegiate institution and then split the payment, according to the statement.

Borges was one of at least three contractors involved in the scheme. The other contractors were not named in court records and he is the only one to be indicted to date, according to the statement.

Borges faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted, the statement said.
Air Marshal Manvendra Singh has written to Chief Secretary, Haryana, stating that the birds flying around the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) base in Ambala can pose a threat to the fighter aircraft, especially

Singh in his letter said that it is important to keep both large and small birds away from the airfield, which could be achieved by improving garbage collection, imposing a penalty on littering and prohibiting pigeon breeding activity around the IAF base.

He also urged the Chief Secretary to direct Civil Administration, Ambala to expedite the process to assure these measures are implemented on the ground.

"We have directed people to stop pigeon breeding activities around the Ambala Air force station as this poses a serious risk to aircraft. No one is allowed to keep and breed birds within 10 kilometres range of the base," Anil Rana, City Project Officer, Ambala Municipal Corporation said.

" is a very important plane, people should themselves heed the warning and detest from keeping birds. If they do not do so, necessary action will be taken," 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.)
The Okyeman Youth for Development group has condemned what they describe as tribal, derogatory, and war-agitating comments from former President John Dramani Mahama on the people of Akyem.

This follows a post on the Facebook page of the flagbearer of the opponation Democratic Congress (NDC) on August 31, 2020, which described some unnamed members of the ruling government as Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas.

Taking strong offense to the comment as well as other utterances by members of the NDC, the Okyeman Youth for Development has rebuked the former president as they demand an apology.

The leadership of the Okyeman Youth For Development therefore condemn such a shared comment by the former president and as a matter of urgency demand a heart driven apology to especially the Overlords of the three Akyem States and the entire Akyem Kingdom, a press release signed by the group convener Nana Yaw O. A Asem has said.

Another portion reads, Okyeman youth for Development call on the former President to pull down the ethnocentric shared post and render an unqualified apology to the Overlords of Akyem thus Abuakwa, Bosome and Kotoku, the Akyem People and all well-meaning Ghanaians or else we will take the next course of action.

Read the full press release below:

1/09/2020

Press Conference

INSTANT DEMAND FOR RETRACTION OF DEROGATORY POST MADE BY HIS EXCELLENCY,FMR PRESIDENT MAHAMA. - OKYEMAN YOUTH FOR DEVELOPMENT

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghanaians , Okyeman and friends of Okyeman worldwide.

It is rather unfortunate to have seen on the various E-networks, social media pages and especially the official Facebook page of the Former President, H.E Dramani John Mahama, certain tribal, derogatory, and war-agitating comments shared by the former president. The leadership of the Okyeman Youth For Development therefore condemn such a shared comment by the former president and as a matter of urgency demand a heart driven apology to especially the Overlords of the three Akyem States and the entire Akyem Kingdom.

In the said c shared post on his official facebook page,the statement categorically referred to Akyems in its entirety as Sakawa Boys and Mafia. Our attention has been brought to this unfortunate comment and currently, on almost all social media platforms and some media houses Akyems have been subjected to Public ridicule.

Historically, the political history of Ghana cannot be recounted without particular emphasis to the exploits made by the Akyem people. The Akyem kingdom is a great kingdom whose reputation has never been questioned and any attempt to malign the Akyem people will fiercely be resisted.

Also, It may interest H.E John Mahama to know the that the first Black ruler in sub-Sahara Africa to be conferred the Title of a "SIR, was from Akyem (Sir Nana Ofori Atta I ) an enviable title given to people with exceptional capabilities, and had proven himself to be the moving machine of national development. How can descendants of such a ruler and other many rulers whose contributions had projected Ghana to the global space be branded by the ex president as Sakawa Boys in his shared post? This is unpresidential and H.E John Mahama should render an unqualified apology and be made to appease the spirits of the Akyem gods whose blessings have kept the kingdom till date.

We are dumbfounded because H.E John Mahama with a degree in History should not have gone that tangent. As a historian one thing common to all history scholars is that, Unity is paramount in nation building and we call for absolute eradication of tribal comments hence the need to desist from such divisive comments. Joseph Boakye Kyeretwie Danquah proud son of Akyem who is credited with the name Ghana said Tribal statement and a bite of a snake is of no difference . lets all learn from this great adage, desist from such comments and project Ghana first.

We are outraged because H.E John Dramani Mahama and his NDC have constantly made it a ritual to malign Akyem people without the slightest provocation.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, let me please take you down memory lane to chronicle some unsavory comments made by NDC on the Akyem people.

In March, 2014, H.E John Dramani Mahama tagged Kyebi the traditional capital of Akyem Abuakwa as "Galamsey Headquarters" , Ahgain, the then Eastern Regional communication Director of the NDC, Baba Jamal Konneh, described the Akyems as witches who are ungrateful if they fail to vote for then President John Mahama in February, 2016. The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC,Kwame Zu in September, 2019 said "until potable water was provided for the Okyenhene and his people, they drunk unwholesome water with animals". Also, in March ,2016, Bismarck Tawiah Boateng and Apau Haruna Owiredu former Regional executives of Eastern Regional NDC used unprintable words on the overlord of Akyem Abuakwa His Royal Majesty Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin I which as a matter of decency cannot be re-echoed.

Before I conclude the point should be made that Akyems are peace loving people with impeccable personalities.It is not surprising that Akyem have been synonymous with education and enlightenment.

Okyeman youth for Develpoment call on the former President to pull down the ethnocentric shared post and render an unqalified apology to the Overlords of Akyem thus Abuakwa, Bosome and Kotoku, the Akyem People and all well meaning Ghanaians or else we will take the next course of action.

God bless Ghana

God bless Okyeman.

God bless Okyeman Youth for Development

Thank you.

Signed

Nana Yaw O.A Asem

(Convener, Okyeman Youth for Development)

0554547843

Mr. Daniel Obeng Acquah (Boxxy)

(Secretary, Okyeman Youth for Development)

0549855599
KEMEROVO, Russia -- A court in Russia's Siberian city of Kemerovo has sentenced two Jehovah's Witnesses to four years in prison each.



Sergei Britvin and Vadim Levchuk were found guilty on September 2 of being members of an extremist organization and sentenced the same day.



The two were arrested in July 2018 after a "secret witness" testified against them. Britvin is legally handicapped.



In December last year, a court in Kemerovo transferred Britvin and Levchuk to house arrest.



Russia officially banned the religious group in April 2017 and deemed it an "extremist organization," a designation the U.S. State Department has characterized as "wrong."



For decades, the Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.



The Christian group is known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study, rejection of military service, and not celebrating national and religious holidays or birthdays.



Since the faith was outlawed in Russia, several Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned in the country and in the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimea peninsula.



In September, Washington banned two high-ranking regional officers from Russia's Investigative Committee from entering the United States over alleged torture of seven detainees who are Jehovah's Witnesses.



The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has recognized 29 Jehovahs Witnesses who've been charged with or convicted of extremism as political prisoners.



On January 9, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Russian law enforcement authorities had "dramatically escalated the nationwide persecution" of Jehovahs Witnesses during the previous year.



HRW said Russian authorities have carried out at least 780 raids of houses owned by Jehovah's Witnesses in dozens of Russian cities since 2017. More than half of those raids were conducted in 2019.
The option at the site of the existing bridge would relieve the most traffic congestion, provide the shortest alternate route in case of problems on the bridge, and is more compatible with existing land use patterns, the report said. Because it would be the shortest span and tie into existing roads, it also would have fewer environmental impacts, the report said.
College professor Alan Viarengo, 55, was taken into custody last week, before being charged with felony counts of stalking and harassing a public official. Investigators believe he is a member of the far-right 'Boogaloo' movement

More than 130 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been uncovered at the home of a college professor accused of sending a series of threatening letters to a California health official.

Alan Viarengo, 55, has been charged with felony counts of stalking and harassing a public official.

Viarengo, who is believed to be a member of the far-right anti-government 'Boogaloo' movement, is accused of penning 24 menacing letters to Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr Sara Cody over a four-month period, specifically targeting her for her response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Investigators on Tuesday released photos of the arsenal of guns authorities found at Viarengo's home in Gilroy.

Investigators uncovered an arsenal of high powered weapons at Viarengo's home during his arrest last week

Photos released by the authorities showed Viarengo had a collection of 138 guns as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition

His attorney has claimed all the weapons are legally owned

Detectives seized 138 guns, many of which appear to be high-powered semi-automatic weapons, and dozens of boxes of ammunition and explosives.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's detective Lt Brendan Omori said the collection of weapons was so large they needed to load it on a pallet to take it in as evidence.

'This individual had a significant cache of firearms and weaponry,' Omori told NBC Bay Area.

Viarengo had allegedly sent letters to Dr Cody containing 'misogynistic language, threats, pornography, and anti-government views,' according to a police report obtained by the news outlet.

Omori said there is now reason to believe Viarengo had threatened other officials and residents.

Viarengo was denied bail during a court appearance on Tuesday.

Police allege Viarengo penned 24 menacing letters to Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr Sara Cody (pictured) between April and July

Dozens of boxes of ammunition were found stacked in Viarengo's home

Viarengo is believed to be part of the far-right 'Boogaloo' movement, of which members are usually heavily armed

Defense lawyer Dennis Luca argued the letters were protected by his client's right to 'free speech' and said he never acted out on any alleged threats.

WHAT IS THE BOOGALOO MOVEMENT? Boogaloo is a far-right, anti-government extremist movement. The heavily armed participants linked to the group say they're preparing for a second Civil War. It got its name from the panned 1984 movie 'Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo' and uses the title as a code word for a second Civil War. Other derivations of 'boogaloo' are 'big igloo' or 'big luau.' Followers are easy to spot with their trademark Hawaiian shirts and high-powered rifles and tactical gear. The movement is made up of pro-gun and anti-government groups. Participants mostly organize on Facebook but have attended recent events like the COVID-19 lockdown protests and demonstrations of George Floyd's death. Facebook earlier this month moved to limit the movements exposure on its platform by no longer recommending user groups associated with the term 'boogaloo' to members of similar associations. Advertisement

He also said all Viarengo's guns were legally owned and denied he was a part of the 'Boogaloo' group.

'Like any other citizen has the right to write a public figure and voice displeasure with rules, regulations that are put into place,' Luca said.

According to reports, the letters had also featured 'telltale Boogaloo slogans and imagery', prompting officials to believe Viarengo is tied to the far-right movement.

The 'Boogaloo' movement hopes to exploit social unrest to start a second civil US war.

Members are usually heavily armed, and two alleged 'Boogaloo Boys' have been charged with the shooting murder of a police officer and a federal security officer.

The publication reports that he works as a part-time math professor at Gavilan College in Gilroy.

It was also revealed Viarengo was once involved in the Boy Scouts of America. The organization issued a statement after his arrest, banning him from the program.

'This behavior is unacceptable and goes against what the Boy Scouts of America expects of members and volunteer leaders. This individual has been removed from Scouting and is prohibited from any participation in our programs,' the statement read.

'Scouting members are expected to treat all people with kindness and respect, and there is no place in Scouting for violence, bullying or harassment of any kind.'

Back in March, Dr Cody made headlines after she became the first county health officer in the nation to order her community into lockdown.

The demand made the top doctor a divisive figure, and she received considerable backlash. But the threatening letters - allegedly penned by Viarengo - caused serious concern.

The 'Boogaloo' movement hopes to exploit social unrest to start a second civil US war. Members are usually heavily armed, and two alleged 'Boogaloo Boys' have been charged with the shooting murder of a police officer and a federal security officer

NBC Bay Area reports that Dr Cody received the first letter back on April 8, which stated: 'We are stronger than you pigs in every way. We are out to defeat you.'

Over the next four months, 23 letters - all believed to have been written by the same person - arrived at Dr Cody's office.

In one, the writer claimed they had doxxed the doctor by publishing her personal address on the internet.

'I'm glad you are getting threats. I posted your residence everywhere I could; I hope someone follows through,' they wrote.

'You're doneit's oversay goodbye,' another letter read.

A separate message read: 'Maybe this is the spark we need for a bloody revolution!'

One message that turned up in June featured a drawing of an igloo on the envelope, accompanied by the words: 'Let's Boogie'.

In this May 2 photo, people, including those with the Boogaloo movement, demonstrate against business closures due to concern about COVID-19, at the State House in Concord, New Hampshire

Investigators believe they are specific references to the Boogaloo movement.

Viarengo reportedly has a history of penning intimidating letters and soon became a person of interest in the investigation.

Detectives began surveillance of Viarengo and reportedly saw him drop a letter inside a mailbox on July 29 that was addressed to Dr Sara Cody and 'mocked her for her handling of the pandemic'.

Deputy District Attorney Alexander Adams said this week that he believes the letters link the accused to the Boogaloo movement.

'That connection was made based on the investigation linking both the language and symbols used in the multiple letters that he sent.'

Viarengo has been remanded in custody, but has not yet entered a plea.

Attorney Cody Salfen says his client Viarengo is innocent.

'He is a dedicated father, husband, community activist, respected professor, and volunteer,' Salfen said.

'Each year, he devotes over 400 hours of his time, guiding and teaching youth and other members of the Bay Area communities he serves. He works two jobs to support his family.'

Salfen also questioned the credibility of the Santa Clara County Police Department after a Sheriff's Captain was charged with bribery.

'Law enforcement officers directly involved ... have serious credibility issues,' he stated.

A member of the Gavilan Joint Community College District, where Viarengo works part-time, said the school was shocked, but the charges are not related to the accused's work there.

'As members of the college community, however, we are shocked and saddened by what took place, and will cooperate with law enforcement fully if it is required,' said Kathleen A. Rose in a message provided to The Associated Press.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is known for its commitment to education, and this year is no different.

The HLSR has awarded several Houston-area community colleges and technical institutions with $300,000 in vocational scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Related: Rodeo Houston doles out $1.2M in scholarships

Since the outset of the vocational scholarship in 2015, the Rodeo has managed to allocate more than $1.4 million in educational funding for the program. According to the press release from HLSR, this year, more than $27 million has been committed to scholarships, junior show exhibitors, educational program grants and graduate assistantships.

There is a continuing demand for skilled personnel in the workforce, and the Rodeo is committed to supporting these students as they pursue an education in these technical fields, said Chris Boleman, Rodeo president and CEO.

The seven Houston-area programs that received funding from the Vocational Scholarship Program include Houston Community College, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lee College, Lone Star College, San Jacinto College, Texas State Technical College and Wharton County Junior College, according to a release.

There's no telling of how the money will be divvied among the selected institutions, but each program that receives educational funding through the Rodeos Vocational Scholarship Program will manage the selection and distribution of its scholarship funds.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with these programs, creating more opportunity for students who are seeking a nontraditional postsecondary education, Boleman concluded.
Parsippany, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/02/2020 -- Elena Getman is an inspiring ceramic artist, who has been creating art all her life. For more than ten years, she has been working on ceramic art and she has now decided to share her artwork with the world. She came to the United States from Russia but due to the ongoing global pandemic, she had to stay in the US. Elena has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and she is welcoming art lovers from around the world for their generous support.



"I together with my husband decided to try to create my own ceramic workshop here in the United States, and we need your support." Said Elena Getman, while introducing this project to the Kickstarter community. "Since I had no intention of staying in the USA for a long time, I did not take with me everything that was necessary for my creative work." She added. She needs to raise funds to bring her dear pets from Russia to the United States because she loves them as her own kids.



The Kickstarter Campaign is located on the web at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/831526848/petite-birdie-art and all funds raised through this Kickstarter campaign will play a major role in helping Elena create art work and reunite with her pets. Moreover, the goal of this Kickstarter campaign is to raise a sum of US$ 8,300, and the artist is offering a wide range of rewards for the backers with worldwide shipping. Furthermore, more details are available on the Kickstarter campaign page of the project.



About Elena Getman

Elena Getman is a Ceramic artist from Russia, who is currently living in the United States with her husband. She had to change her travel plans due to the pandemic, while on a visit to the US earlier this year. She is now raising funds and support on Kickstarter to enable her create quality ceramic art for art lovers from around the world.



Contact:

Contact Person: Sergey Getman

Company: Petite Birdie Art

City: Parsippany

State: New Jersey

Country: United States

Phone: 9739794080

Email: getman@cmail.nu

Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/831526848/petite-birdie-art
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. iGorts program, initiated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, has launched on September 1.

Within the framework of the program Diaspora-Armenian professionals will work in Armenias state institutions.

24 Diaspora specialists from Canada, Denmark, Russia, Lebanon, France, Norway, etc, have already arrived in Armenia under the first phase of the program. Even the COVID-19 pandemic didnt prevent them to visit the Homeland and to work in the Armenian government.

The participants of the first phase have already started working in the Armenian prime ministers administration, the ministries of Healthcare, Labor and social affairs, Environment, Justice, High technological industry, Territorial administration and infrastructures, Education, Economy, Central Bank, Education inspection body, the Ombudsmans Office, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs.

High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan welcomed the program participants and expressed hope that they will have an irreplaceable working experience in the Homeland.

In their turn most of the participants stated that this program is the launch of their repatriation path, as they see their own future in Armenia.

The participants then were introduced on the working schedule and duties.

The other participants of the project will arrive in Armenia a bit later.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Czech Senate president invokes Kennedy, says he's 'a Taiwanese'

ROC Central News Agency

09/01/2020 02:51 PM

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) Visiting Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil praised Taiwan's democracy and freedom in a speech at the Legislature on Tuesday and invoked John F. Kennedy's "I am a Berliner" speech by calling himself "a Taiwanese."

Toward the end of his remarks, in which he highlighted the importance of democratic values and freedom and voiced criticism of communism and oppressive regimes, Vystrcil brought up Kennedy's speech in West Berlin in 1963.

"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free," Vystrcil said, quoting Kennedy's morale-boosting words for Berliners who lived in an enclave deep inside East Germany and feared a possible East German occupation.

In the famous Cold War speech, Kennedy raised his voice in support of West Berlin, highlighting the universal value of democracy with an end note "Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)," Vystrcil said.

"Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today's speech at your Legislative Yuan in Taiwan with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement," Vystrcil said, ending his remarks with "I am a Taiwanese" in Mandarin.

Vystrcil, the second highest ranking official of the Czech Republic after the president, is in Taiwan as part of an 89-member delegation to promote business ties.

The visit reflects growing anti-China sentiment in the Czech Republic as Chinese investment plans have not come to fruition, and local officials, such as Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib, balk at closer ties with China because of its heavy-handed tactics.

In an interview with Taiwanese media, Vystrcil said the trip itself was an act of defiance against China's interference in the Czech Republic's internal affairs and a reaffirmation of the country's sovereignty and independence.

China has been threatening repercussions against the Czech Republic since Vystrcil's predecessor, Jaroslav Kubera, announced in October last year his plan to visit Taiwan. Kubera died in January before making the trip.

"In a democratic world, we should not follow orders from other countries, especially from a country that is not democratic," he said.

As Czechoslovakia, the country itself was also under a communist regime during the Cold War, and its push for political liberalization and reforms during the Prague Spring in 1968 was suppressed by an invasion of Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact country forces.

During his 30-minute speech, Vystrcil emphasized the importance of legislatures in standing up for freedom and democracy.

He said that while legislative bodies in different countries have different systems, their most important role is not only to make laws but to defend democratic principles.

Regardless of democratic parliaments or legislative courts, they should serve in the defense of democratic principles, he said.

It is those principles that protect people and allow them to demonstrate their various points of view in a society where freedom is fully recognized and cherished by members of the public, he said.

"Functional democracy in the independent and democratic world must acknowledge that a human being and a human life has the highest, and I repeat, the highest value," he said.

That was seen, he said, when his trip to Taiwan received the support of 50 out of 52 Czech senators who were present for the vote, despite China's threats.

Vystrcil's speech drew a standing ovation from Taiwan's lawmakers, including Legislative Speaker You Si-kun ().

You also presented Vystrcil with a Congressional Diplomacy Honorary Medal from the Legislature, making him the first legislative head from a country with which Taiwan has no diplomatic relations to receive the honor since it was created in 2007.

The Czech delegation arrived in Taipei on Aug. 30, and will stay in Taiwan until Sept. 4.

To welcome them, the Legislature set up an exhibition featuring the history and democratic development of the Czech Republic, including on the Prague Spring.

The delegation's visit has been strongly condemned by China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any official contact that could be seen as elevating Taiwan's status as an independent nation.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi said Monday in Germany that China will make Vystrcil "pay a heavy price for his shortsighted behavior and political opportunism," without specifying what measures might be taken.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/ls

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  Police General Camilo Cascolan underscored the need to restore public trust as he formally took over the helm of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday.

In his inaugural speech at the change of command ceremony, Cascolan presented a list of plans during his two-month stint. He is set to retire on Nov. 10, unless President Rodrigo Duterte extends his term.

Cascolan said he will decongest and streamline units and offices in the national headquarters and other police camps, as well as order the conduct of more patrols in remote areas to further prevent crime.

The newly promoted top cop said he will also prioritize the hiring of quality applicants to the police force and designating the right person for any job. An audit should be conducted to serve as basis for reorganization and restructuring, he added.

Finally, a Cascolan-led police force will uphold human rights, he said.

The times of crisis are also times for opportunities, Cascolan said. I remain confident that the PNP will be able to regain the trust and confidence of the public.

In an earlier interview with CNN Philippines The Source, Cascolan pushed for a review of the bloody war on drugs, saying the campaign should focus on high-value drug targets.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in June that the "widespread and systematic" killings in the anti-drug campaign were "being carried out without due regard for the rule of law, due process, and the human rights of people who may be using or selling drugs." The Justice Department then revealed that an inter-agency panel had been looking into all the 5,655 anti-drug operations that resulted in deaths.

Cascolan, who recently held the second highest position in the police force as deputy chief for administration, is the fourth PNP chief to be appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte. He is also a member of the Philippine Military Academy's "Sinagtala" Class of 1986  just like his predecessors Archie Gamboa, Oscar Albayalde, and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who is now a senator.

Albayalde resigned less than a month before his retirement amid allegations on his involvement in a questionable drug raid as Pampanga provincial police director in 2013. Dela Rosa, meanwhile, had his United States visa revoked for alleged extrajudicial killings under his watch as PNP chief from 2016 to 2018.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said he believes a government post awaits Gamboa, who stepped down upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Wednesday.

"At hindi rin ako magtataka, Archie, kung mga ilang araw lang after ng iyong bakasyon ay tawagin ka ulit ni Pangulong Duterte para magsilbi ulit sa ating bayan, Ano said.

[Translation: And I will not be surprised, Archie, if in a few days after your vacation, you will again be called by President Duterte to serve our country.]

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto (Reuters) Tokyo, Japan  Wed, September 2, 2020 16:00 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423b1a0 2 World Japan,Yoshihide-Suga,Prime-Minister,prime-minister-japan,Shinzo-Abe,resignation Free

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declared on Wednesday he will run for the leadership of the ruling party, a race he is heavily favored to win, which would likely ensure the veteran politician will become the next prime minister.

Suga, a longtime aide to outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is widely expected to carry on Abe's policies of fiscal and monetary stimulus, said he was entering the race to avoid a political vacuum at a time of crisis.

"I decided to run in the LDP leadership race after some deep thought on what I can do as a politician and a member of Abe's administration," Suga told a briefing.

The party's leader is set to take over as prime minister given the LDP's majority in the lower house of parliament.

Abe announced his decision to resign last week, citing poor health.

Suga's main competitors in the Sept. 14 party vote are a former defense minister, Shigeru Ishiba, and ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida, but Suga's position looks strong.

He has secured the backing of five of the LDP's seven factions, public broadcaster NHK and others reported.

The party decided on Tuesday to hold a slimmed-down election with just members of parliament and three votes from each of the 47 prefectures - an advantage for Suga.

Many party chapters will poll rank-and-file members to decide how to allocate their three votes, but experts say this is unlikely to change the momentum growing for Suga if the members of the five factions back him.

Financial markets also favor Suga, assuming he will continue with the reflationary "Abenomics" strategy aimed at reviving the economy.

But Ishiba is by far the most popular candidate among the public and has been on a media blitz over the past few days, raising questions about the possibility of change after Abe's eight years at the helm.
A longtime lawmaker held off his high-profile young challenger in the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday.

74-year-old incumbent U.S. Senator Ed Markey defeated 39-year-old Representative Joe Kennedy III, the grandson of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy, positioning himself to win another six-year term in the general election on November 3.

With his unsuccessful challenge, Kennedy became the first member of his fabled political family -- to suffer a defeat in a Massachusetts election for a congressional seat.

"To my family, the Kennedy family. Whose name was invoked far more than I anticipated in this race... you all are my heroes."

The young Kennedy, who was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had taken a swipe at Markey's age before Tuesday's results were announced.

But ironically, Markey has resonated with young voters and won the backing of progressives like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

He has spent some four decades in Congress fighting to tackle climate change and reduce nuclear weapons proliferation.

And in his victory speech on Tuesday, Markey thanked young voters for their support.

"This campaign has always been about the young people of this country. You are our future. And thank you for believing in me because I believe in you."

Markey is now well-positioned to win the November general election in a state that historically sends Democrats to the Senate.
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspero Medical, a medical device startup focused on developing novel solutions and applications for the field of gastroenterology, announced today that the business has expanded its team to include a Director of Engineering and Director of Operations Both new positions will be focused on supporting the company's next generation endoscopic single balloon overtube and C- Tube with Pillar micro-texture technology.

Allison Lyle has joined Aspero Medical as Director of Engineering and will most immediately lead the company's C-Tube large bowel intraoperative endoscopy balloon overtube product development project. Over the previous ten years with both Bolder Surgical and Medtronic, Allison has developed experience in all stages of medical device product development, from early stage concept generation to technical feasibility assessments. She has also been involved in product actualization and commercialization efforts in her career.

"I am extremely pleased to join Aspero Medical and lead product development," said Ms. Lyle. "The company is at an exciting stage and the new Pillar micro-texture technology holds great promise in multiple applications. I look forward to working with the full team to maximize the value of the company's core technology and bring these new advanced products to market."

An additional new member of the team is Jeff Castleberry. Jeff will serve as Director of Operations with Aspero Medical and brings over 35 years of diverse experience in the medical device industry field to the team. He has a demonstrated track record of building new companies and bringing new products and technologies to market. Jeff currently serves as CEO of ForCast Orthopedics, Inc. He has held senior leadership roles in operations with CardioOptics, Inc and Plexus Corp., and was president and Chief Operations Officer for a previous University of Colorado technology spin-off, EndoShape, Inc.

"I am very excited about this new opportunity," said Mr. Castleberry. "I believe there is a terrific opportunity to advance the gastrointestinal endoscopy field with the Aspero Medical Pillar micro-texture technology, and I look forward to working with the full team to complete development and commercialize this new and unique product."

Aspero Medical was founded by Mark Rentschler PhD, PE, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and Steven Edmundowicz MD, Professor and Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. Rentschler serves as CEO of Aspero Medical and Dr. Edmundowicz is the company's Chief Clinical Officer.

"We are extremely pleased to add both Allison and Jeff to the Aspero Medical team, said Mr. Rentschler. "They bring the broad experience in new product development, operations, and product commercialization that is necessary for Aspero Medical to realize the launch and commercialization of our products and technology. I look forward to working with them as we continue to build out the company and our product offering."

About Innosphere Ventures

Innosphere Ventures accelerates the success of science and technology-based startup and emerging companies and operates a sed stage venture capital fund. As Colorado's leading incubation program and commercialization expert, Innosphere's program focuses on ensuring companies are investor-ready, connecting founders with experienced advisors and early hires, making introductions to corporate partners, exit planning, and accelerating top line revenue growth. Innosphere has been supporting Colorado startups for over 20 years and is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a strong mission to create jobs and grow Colorado's entrepreneurship ecosystem. www.innosphere.org

About Aspero Medical

Aspero Medical's Pillar micro-texture technology was developed at the University of Colorado. The technology was developed to improve gastrointestinal endoscopy procedure performance and outcomes. Aspero Medical was founded in 2018 by Mark Rentschler, PhD, PE, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Steven Edmundowicz, MD, Professor and Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, and received initial equity funding through Innosphere Ventures, Fort Collins, Colorado. www.asperomedical.com

Press Contact:

Mark Rentschler

(720) 315-5165

https://www.asperomedical.com/

SOURCE Aspero Medical

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For a lot of kids, the usual summer activities like camp or swimming lessons didnt happen, and as a result, family schedules have become looser. If youre struggling to get your kids ready in the morning or to maintain some semblance of consistency each day, youre not alone.

We spoke to two teachers, a psychologist, a child development researcher and a licensed clinical social worker to find out how parents can add structure and routines back into their childrens school days when school itself is different.

Avoid multitasking and offer lots of encouragement instead

When easing back into a routine after a long hiatus, it may be tempting to multitask in the morning. But this can easily backfire.

If you tell your son to sit and eat his cereal while you leave to get dressed in the bedroom, you may later emerge to find your child no longer sitting at the table but in his room playing with toys; the cereal is now soggy.

Instead of doing two things at once, its best for parents to be fully present for the first two weeks of a new routine until it becomes more of a habit, advised Jamie Howard, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute in New York City. Maybe this means that you take your shower after dropping off your kids at school or wait until after their remote learning session has started.
In early June, with protests erupting around the country and George Floyds dying words still hauntingly fresh, The Washington Post published a column with a pointed headline that surely spoke for many who were fed up with seeing racism denied or minimized: The best white statement to make right now may be to shut up and listen.

Glaring episodes of racial injustice often inspire renewed appeals for white people to humble themselves, tamp down the defensiveness, and be open to what their black neighbors are saying. Indeed, its hard to imagine a more reasonable, unobjectionable request. Listening well is the barest requirement of basic human kindness, especially when those around you are hurting. When black people volunteer their personal experiences of prejudice, their perspectives on structural racism, or their raw fear of a loved one being gunned down by police, they deserve far more than stony indifference or mulish combativeness.

For Christians, the call to listen carries added force, not least when it comes from brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, biblical people are nothing if not listening people. As James instructs us, Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (1:19). Proverbs abounds with warnings against running ones mouth while closing ones mind and ears. Fools find no pleasure in understanding, according to Proverbs 18:2, but delight in airing their own opinions. By contrast, Scripture commends those who embrace a righteous rebuke: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid (Prov. 12:1).

Seen this way, cries of Its time to listen ...

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Burkes lawyer, Charles Sklarsky, said he was concerned that if a trial went forward under such conditions, it might lead to constitutional issues later on. He questioned the governments estimate that the trial would last only three weeks, saying he anticipated a cross-examination of just one key witness could last a week.
Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday announced that his Hindustani Awam Morcha has joined the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar where assembly elections are due in October-November.

IMAGE: Former Bihar CM and HAM party chief Jitan Ram Manjhi addresses a press conference at his residence in Patna. Photograph: ANI Photo

The party had earlier in the day said that it will become part of the ruling coalition on Thursday, but the announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon itself by Manjhi at a peess conference he held at his residence.



"After my party took the decision to pull out of Grand Alliance, my cadre had authorised me to take a call on the future political move, about which you all were very curious.

"Initially, I had planned to make the announcement on September 03. But then I had second thoughts and decided that good things must not be delayed", he said.



It was not yet clear as to when and how Manjhi's formal induction into the ruling coalition is going to materialise though sources in the Janata Dal-United said that the HAM chief may meet Kumar Thursday before modalities are decided.



The National Democratic Alliance in Bihar which so far had BJP, JD-U and the LJP as its constituents will now have another dalit-centric party HAM as a member.



The former chief minister said he will be joining hands with his former mentor and present incumbent Nitish Kumar, but insisted that his party was not going to "merge" into the Janata Dal-United headed by the latter.



Manjhi underscored that his return to the NDA was "bina kisi shart ke" (without any preconditions) and added "I am not going to answer any questions as to how many seats our party is going to demand in assembly polls".



Manjhi had met Kumar last week and since then speculation was rife about his return to the NDA, but media reports suggested the delay was on account of a final agreement on the number of seats the HAM gets in the upcoming polls.



Dalits in Bihar are over 16 per cent of the electorate and about 40 seats in the 243-member house are reserved for them, and in such a scenario Manjhi's comeback would be an

advantage for the ruling alliance.

Manjhi had quit the JD-U in 2015 after being forced to step down as the chief minister to make way for the return of Kumar.

Later, he formed the HAM(S) and contested 21 seats in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections as an NDA constituent. With the return of Kumar to the NDA in July 2017, he walked out of it to join hands with the RJD-led opposition grouping



Manjhi pledged his support, "without any conditions" to Kumar in the upcoming assembly polls in which the chief minister will run for his fourth consecutive term in office.



"I cannot deny that I owe my rise to the chief minister's post to Nitish Kumar. Of course, many unsavoury things followed which I do not wish to rake up", Manjhi said at his residence-cum-party headquarters, where he disclosed his political move.



The veteran leader also seemed full of vitriol for Lalu Prasad's RJD which helms the opposition Grand Alliance.



"I had joined the Grand Alliance (in 2018) upon being beseeched to do so by Lalu Prasad. I did not go to them with a begging bowl", said Manjhi, lashing out at the party which has been accusing the HAM chief of being "ungrateful" ever since he pulled out of the opposition coalition about a fortnight ago.



He also fumed at repeated assertions by the RJD that it had "obliged" the former chief minister by getting his greenhorn son Santosh Kumar Suman elected to the legislative council despite HAM not having the requisite numbers in the assembly.



"The RJD seems to have forgotten that had it not been for our support, the party would have failed to retain Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad assembly seat in bypolls necessitated by deaths of sitting members", the HAM leader said.



In a veiled dig at Prasads heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, Manjhi asked "what is meant by extending a favour to my son. Is he a Class VIII dropout?"



The jibe was apparently directed at Yadav who stopped studies after class IX.



He also asserted that contrary to the RJD's allegations, he had not been playing hardball to extract his pound of flesh but only raising a "reasonable demand" for better coordination among GA partners on which Lalu Prasad's party dismissively heaped scorn.



The chief ministers party has been understandably buoyed by the development since the return of Manjhi could come in handy while dealing with troublesome alliance partners

like Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party.



Now headed by the founder and Union ministers son Chirag Paswan, the LJP has been repeatedly sniping at the JD-U chief on issues ranging from governance in the state to the

"loyalty" towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



The LJP's decision to convene a meeting of its parliamentary board at New Delhi on September 07, the very date on which the Bihar chief minister is expected to sound the poll bugle through a virtual rally, is being seen as an indication of the rift between the two NDA partners.
To be fully objective, I must say that Russia is the only country that is restraining Turkeys ambitions. This is what second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said in an interview with RBK.

Asked if Turkey incited Azerbaijan to escalate tension in July, the ex-President said yes and no. Turkey was acting extremely and extremely categorical, but I dont have any information about Turkey inciting Azerbaijan. It seems to me that the incident was part of the logic of strengthening on the line of contact of the sides at war. However, what sparks several questions is how Turkey became a part of the process. Of course, this is problematic for Armenians. Turkey poses a threat to existence, and we regret to see military drills. Turkey has always had its eye on the South Caucasus. In this situation, it wants to expand its presence and is part of the processes that are unfolding. To be fully objective, Russia is the only country that is restraining Turkeys ambitions, Kocharyan said.
660 Lawyers in Hunan Have Law Licenses Revoked in China Attorney Purge

2020-09-01 -- A sexual assault case in April involving a licensed lawyer who was also a senior executive of a Shandong province oil enterprise prompted China's Ministry of Justice to launch a mass purge of lawyers that has toppled more than 660 lawyers in Hunan province, legal sources said.

The accusations against Bao Yuming  vice president and chief legal officer of Shandong Yantai Jereh Group, China's largest oilfield services company  were serious: He had sexually assaulted his adopted daughter since 2015. Jereh and the ZTE Corporation, where he was an independent non-executive director, announced his resignation as soon as the case was exposed.

It was not Bao's alleged sexual misdeeds that China's Ministry of Justice was targeting, however, when it launched a large-scale purge of lawyers, an unfolding nationwide campaign that led to the revocation of the law licenses of more than 660 lawyers in central Hunan province in August alone.

The purge is focusing on targeting full-time lawyers violating rules on holding two or more positions concurrently, signing labor contracts with firms other than law firms, and practicing as full-time lawyers while holding foreign passports and concealing the revocation of Chinese nationality, lawyers said

"The legal profession must be given time to carry this work properly. The requirements should be more stringent. The lawyer management department has issued a lot of licenses that should not have been issued, especially in out-of-the-way places where exams were not administered before issuing licenses," said attorney Wu Kuiming.

"Many were Chinese nationals, who were licensed after passing the exam, but now they are foreign nationals," he said, describing chaos in the legal profession in China.

According to the judicial notification, the affected lawyers must take the initiative to report to violations of bans on part-time employment or the loss of Chinese nationality.

On August 20, 2020, the Hunan Province Justice Department revoked the law licenses of 467 lawyers. From April 7 to August 27, 2020, 1,267 lawyers' licenses have been revoked for doing part-time work and holding foreign passports, in a pool of more than 16,000 lawyers in the province

'Forced to act and forced to be quoted'

Beyond Hunan, all provinces and cities across the country have conducted similar large-scale purges, law sources say.

Authorities claim these lawyers had their licenses revoked on their own initiative, but Hunan human rights lawyer Xie Yang said he believes that most of them were forced to comply.

"The Chinese Communist Party monopolizes all social resources in China. If you don't comply with license revocation, you will bear consequences that you are unwilling to bear. The authorities will impose harsh blows on you from other angles. These so-called 'initiators' are forced to act and forced to be quoted," Xie said.

Xie was among 300 lawyers, law firm staff and rights activists detained, questioned and otherwise harassed during a July 2015 crackdown on human rights defenders. He was accused of "inciting subversion of state power," and recently disbarred on the grounds that he disrupted court order while trying his case.

In an era when many Chinese lawyers  especially those who practice from Hong Kong  have qualifications to practice abroad, and even have foreign passports, Xie says holding a foreign passport or doing part-time work does not run counter to the professional ethics of lawyers.

"Attorneys are knowledge professionals. As long as you have the ability to obtain a law license from the People's Republic of China without violating the law, then no one should revoke this license," he told RFA.

"This is the Ministry of Justice exceeding its authority, even going so far as to revoke the licenses of lawyers holding more than one position at the same time," Xie added.

He said that the authorities' rectification of the national legal profession will inevitably affect human rights lawyers.

"Purging human rights lawyers is not the starting point. But in the rectification process, it will definitely affect lawyers who support human rights, even if they are not prominent, and revoke their law licenses," said Xie.

July 9 marked marked the fifth anniversary of a nationwide crackdown targeting more than 300 law firms, human rights attorneys and associated activists that began with the arrest of lawyers Wang Yu and Bao Longjun and colleagues at the now-shuttered Beijing Fengrui law firm on July 9, 2015.

More than 200 people were detained as part of the 2015 crackdown, and China Human Rights Lawyers Group lists at least nine rights lawyers who remain behind bars, including Li Yuhan, Yu Wensheng and Qin Yongpei. Detentions and harassment of lawyers continue across China, the group says.

Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Scott Savitt.

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Lebanese leaders have promised to form a new government within two weeks, visiting French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday after talks with political blocs who designated a new prime minister a day earlier.

"What I have asked for, what all political parties without exception have committed to this evening right here, is that the formation of this government will not take more than a fortnight," Macron said in a speech in Beirut.

He said the cabinet would be comprised of "competent personalities" and would be an "independent" entity with the backing of political parties.

Mustapha Adib, who had been Lebanon's ambassador to Berlin since 2013, was named on Monday as the country's second new prime minister since Saad Hariri resigned in the face of mass protests in October.

Adib will now have to form a reform-oriented government in record time in a crisis-hit country where the process usually takes months.

Adib "can only obtain legitimacy by quickly forming a mission government made up of professionals, the strongest possible team", Macron said.

Macron toured the area two days after the warehouse explosion in Beirut on August 4 that killed at least 190 people. He arrived in Beirut on Monday to follow up on reconstruction efforts and hammer home the need for urgent reform in the Middle East nation that is collapsing under the weight of a crippling economic crisis.

The French president marked Lebanon's centenary on Tuesday by planting a cedar tree, the nation's emblem, at a forest reserve north of Beirut. He then toured Beirut's devastated port, before holding talks with the leaders of Lebanon's political factions.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Read our blog below to see how the events unfolded in Beirut on Tuesday September 1.
(TNS)  It sounds like something out of a movie: An American Airlines pilot calls the control tower at Los Angeles International Airport to warn that his plane just flew past someone in midair  a person wearing a jet pack.But the pilot really did give that warning Sunday night, and it wasn't laughed off. The FBI is investigating.After all, jet packs are not confined to the realm of science fiction. There are a handful of companies around the world that make devices that power a single person up into the air.Former Swiss Air Force pilot Yves Rossy has created a type of winged jet pack , which typically requires him to be hoisted into the sky by a helicopter or balloon; he can take off from there. Another company, Zapata, has made something like a flying skateboard , which gives off a Marty McFly vibe JetPack Aviation Corp., based in Van Nuys, says it's the only one to have developed a jet pack that can be worn like a backpack. The technology is real: Chief Executive David Mayman demonstrated it five years ago by flying around the Statue of Liberty , and his company has created five of them.So it's not out of the question that someone could have been soaring above the airport last weekend, giving pilots a scare.Mayman was quick to say that if a jet pack was involved, it wasn't one of his. JetPack Aviation keeps its five packs locked down, he said, and they're not for sale. The company does offer flying lessons at $4,950 a pop, but he said students are attached to a wire and can't stray too far.None of the company's competitors sell their products to consumers either, Mayman said.The weekend incident "got us all wondering whether there's been someone working in skunkworks on this," he said, using a term for a secret project. Or maybe, he mused, the airline pilot saw some kind of electric-powered drone with a mannequin attached.The fact remains: It's very difficult to get access to a jet pack. If you accomplish that, though, it's not hard to get permission to fly it.The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't issue licenses specifically for operating the devices. A jet pack could be operated as an ultralight vehicle  meaning it would not be registered with the FAA and its operator wouldn't need a pilot license  if it meets weight, fuel capacity and speed requirements.But it still wouldn't be allowed to surprise officials by freewheeling over California's biggest airport at night. Without FAA approval, ultralight vehicles can fly only during the day and are barred from flying over densely populated areas or in controlled airspace.Jet packs that don't meet the ultralight requirements could be issued a special experimental certificate, which would require a class of pilot certificate specific to the aircraft and have its own set of flight restrictions, the FAA said."If you want to do something that's a thrill-seeking thing, then yes, you can fly one," said Mike Hirschberg, executive director of the Vertical Flight Society, a nonprofit professional organization.To be clear, they're not well suited to becoming a common form of transportation anytime soon.For one, they're too loud and don't have enough endurance, Hirschberg said.For another, they're too expensive. If JetPack Aviation were willing to sell its jet packs to individuals, it would charge at least $300,000 each, Mayman said.Besides, selling to the general public would create liability concerns."It's so easy for someone to misuse one of these aircraft," Mayman said. He doesn't want to be on the hook if, say, a flier were to plow into a car or building.Mayman said that he isn't interested in selling his products to anyone but governments or government agencies, and that his company's focus is on search-and-rescue applications.Four years ago, JetPack Aviation had a jet pack research and development contract with the U.S. military, but it did not end up selling any of the devices. Now under a different U.S. military research and development contract, the company is working on its Speeder aircraft, which it describes as a flying motorcycle that can be piloted by a human or flown as a drone.Inventors have long dreamed of creating jet packs that would rocket individuals through the air.In the 1950s, a Bell Aerosystems engineer named Wendell Moore developed a rocket belt that could strap onto a person's back and fly them a short distance. Though the U.S. military seriously considered the device in the 1960s for use by soldiers, the rocket belt's range of just a few seconds was deemed too short, according to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.In 2018, an engineering competition sponsored by Boeing Co. and other groups asked inventors to build a quiet, personal flying device that could carry a person for 20 miles. But instead of quiet jet packs, contest submissions were more like air motorcycles If quiet is the priority, there are ways to fly that don't even involve motors, propellers or combustion.In 1982, a North Hollywood truck driver named Larry Walters tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to a lawn chair and floated up 16,000 feet in the air. He surprised at least two airline pilots, one of whom radioed the FAA. (Walters was fined $1,500.) To return to earth, Walters used a pellet gun to pop the balloons.
Ghana's consulate in New York has begun receiving visa applications from prospective travellers.

It follows the re-opening of Ghanas airport after the easing of COVID-19 induced restrictions.

A statement by the consulate disclosed that the applications will only be via online basis.

The Ghana Consulate General, New York is pleased to accept visa applications from prospective travellers to Ghana. However, it should be noted that the Consulate will provide only postal visa services to the public, it announced.

All applications are to be completed online and copies of the form printed and mailed to the consulate together with supporting documents and applicable fees to be paid by Money Order, Postal Order or Cashiers Check.

The Consulate also does not accept physical cash or personal checks as payment for consular services.

Counter or in-person visa services have also been suspended until further notice.

The Ghana Mission to the United Nations and Consulate General in New York assures all visa applicants and prospective travellers to Ghana of every cooperation and support to facilitate their travel arrangements to Ghana, the Consulates statement further assured.

Meanwhile, all prospective travellers or visa applicants have been asked to take note of the following guidelines:

1. Passengers must arrive in Ghana with a negative COVID-19 testing result from their country of origin that is not more than 72 hours old from a certified health facility.

2. Every passenger will be required to disembark in Ghana wearing a face mask.

3. All passengers will be required to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test at the Accra Kotoka International Airport on arrival. The cost of the test will be borne by the passenger.

4. Test results will be ready in 30 minutes and those who test negative will be discharged to go home while those who test positive will be handed over to the Ghanaian Health Officials.

5. Prospective travellers may contact Dr. Akwasi Acheampong of Elmont Medical, PC at 135 Rocket Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003 for reliable COVID-19 tests to ensure a 72-hour return and validity. Call 516-356-5600 for appointments.
The family of Ulysses Houston is one of them. Houston, 65, was born in the same home at 16th and G streets that he lives in today. Hes witnessed the areas demographic changes firsthand. Houston says that he and other longtime residents welcome their newer neighbors with open arms, but that he notices a lack of minority families among them. That has caused occasional tension, such as when his neighbor called the police about his fireworks celebration on the Fourth of July. For Houston, its a reminder of a system he says favors a certain type of homeowner.
A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder is pioneering a new solution to the problem of spring cleaning on the moon: Why not zap away the grime using a beam of electrons?



The research, published recently in the journal Acta Astronautica, marks the latest to explore a persistent, and perhaps surprising, hiccup in humanity's dreams of colonizing the moon: dust. Astronauts walking or driving over the lunar surface kick up huge quantities of this fine material, also called regolith.

"It's really annoying," said Xu Wang, a research associate in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder. "Lunar dust sticks to all kinds of surfaces--spacesuits, solar panels, helmets--and it can damage equipment."

So he and his colleagues developed a possible fix--one that makes use of an electron beam, a device that shoots out a concentrated (and safe) stream of negatively-charged, low-energy particles. In the new study, the team aimed such a tool at a range of dirty surfaces inside of a vacuum chamber. And, they discovered, the dust just flew away.

"It literally jumps off," said lead author Benjamin Farr, who completed the work as an undergraduate student in physics at CU Boulder.

The researchers still have a long way to go before real-life astronauts will be able to use the technology to do their daily tidying up. But, Farr said, the team's early findings suggest that electron-beam dustbusters could be a fixture of moon bases in the not-too-distant future.

Spent gunpowder

The news may be music to the ears of many Apollo-era astronauts. Several of these space pioneers complained about moon dust, which often resists attempts at cleaning even after vigorous brushing. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, who visited the moon as a member of Apollo 17 in 1972, developed an allergic reaction to the material and has said that it smelled like "spent gunpowder."

The problem with lunar dust, Wang explained, is that it isn't anything like the stuff that builds up on bookshelves on Earth. Moon dust is constantly bathed in radiation from the sun, a bombardment that gives the material an electric charge. That charge, in turn, makes the dust extra sticky, almost like a sock that's just come out of the drier. It also has a distinct structure.

"Lunar dust is very jagged and abrasive, like broken shards of glass," Wang said.

The question facing his group was then: How do you unstick this naturally clingy substance?

Electron beams offered a promising solution. According to a theory developed from recent scientific studies of how dust naturally lofts on the lunar surface, such a device could turn the electric charges on particles of dust into a weapon against them. If you hit a layer dust with a stream of electrons, Wang said, that dusty surface will collect additional negative charges. Pack enough charges into the spaces in between the particles, and they may begin to push each other away--much like magnets do when the wrong ends are forced together.

"The charges become so large that they repel each other, and then dust ejects off of the surface," Wang said.

Electron showers

To test the idea, he and his colleagues loaded a vacuum chamber with various materials coated in a NASA-manufactured "lunar simulant" designed to resemble moon dust.

And sure enough, after aiming an electron beam at those particles, the dust poured off, usually in just a few minutes. The trick worked on a wide range of surfaces, too, including spacesuit fabric and glass. This new technology aims at cleaning the finest dust particles, which are difficult to remove using brushes, Wang said. The method was able to clean dusty surfaces by an average of about 75-85%.

"It worked pretty well, but not well enough that we're done," Farr said.

The researchers are currently experimenting with new ways to increase the cleaning power of their electron beam.

But study coauthor Mihaly Horanyi, a professor in LASP and the Department of Physics at CU Boulder, said that the technology has real potential. NASA has experimented with other strategies for shedding lunar dust, such as by embedding networks of electrodes into spacesuits. An electron beam, however, might be a lot cheaper and easier to roll out.

Horanyi imagines that one day, lunar astronauts could simply leave their spacesuits hanging up in a special room, or even outside their habitats, and clean them after spending a long day kicking up dust outside. The electrons would do the rest.

"You could just walk into an electron beam shower to remove fine dust," he said.

###

Other coauthors on the new research include John Goree of the University of Iowa and Inseob Hahn and Ulf Israelsson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.



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The Army announced Tuesday that a four-star general will lead an investigation into the "chain of command actions" related to the killing of 20-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillen in Fort Hood, Texas.

Details: The Army said in a statement that Gen. John Murray, commanding general of Army Futures Command, would lead the "in-depth investigation." Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, deputy commander of III Corps at Fort Hood, is no longer commander for the 1st Armored Division.

The big picture: Guillen went missing in April and some of her dismembered remains were found buried along the Leon River on June 30. The man authorities say killed her was found to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but a 22-year-old woman was charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence surrounding Guillen's death.

Guillen's family said she faced sexual harassment while on the Texas base, which she did not report for fear of retaliation.

Her family met with President Trump last month, who said her death would be investigated "very powerfully."

What they're saying: "There are currently several investigations underway at Fort Hood which are tasked with reviewing a wide range of topics and concerns," the Army said in its statement. "Gen. Murray will roll those efforts into a more complete and comprehensive investigation that will delve into all activities and levels of leadership."
The British Government has launched a new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to unite development and promote British interests worldwide.

The new development merged the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Department for International Development(DFID) created in 1968.

Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, had earlier announced the merger on June 16 but officially launched on Wednesday.

The office brings together the best of Britains international effort and enhances the UKs positive impact on the world stage.

In its mission statement, the UK government said, it will use all the tools of British influence to ensure that we have an even greater positive global impact as we recover from coronavirus and prepare to hold the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.

The UK is already a world leader in international development, helping to end extreme poverty in developing countries by tackling challenges like coronavirus, saving lives in humanitarian crises, helping girls get a quality education, tackling climate change, reversing biodiversity loss and championing girls education.

The Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer of British High Commission, Abuja, Christopher Ogunmodede in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES quoted the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, to have said that he believes the merger will make a great impact in Nigeria.

I strongly believe that bringing together our diplomatic and development efforts will help us make a greater impact in Nigeria. This continues a journey we have already started where DFID and FCO have shared the same building in Abuja for three years now, and are already working in cross-departmental teams.

ALSO READ:

We value deeply the close relationship we have with Nigeria and look forward to working closely with the people of Nigeria through our new FCDO platform to support and encourage Nigerias people to realise their great countrys long-term potential.

The UK remains absolutely committed to our world-class aid programme. We continue to have the third-biggest development budget in the world, with 0.7% enshrined in law, and world-beating development expertise and partnerships that will continue unabated, the statement read.
The two outfits were instrumental in mobilising protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam last December

It took a massive agitation spanning over six long years to highlight the threats posed by the unabated influx of Bangladeshi migrants to Assams ethnic demography. Thirty-five years have passed since then, but the issue is still alive and kicking as successive ruling parties chose to play their own brand of politics over the years, undermining the importance of the matter.

A year after the final version of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in the northeastern state, the authorities concerned have not yet issued 'rejection slips' to the 1.9 million people excluded from the list, significant numbers of whom are suspected to be illegal Hindu settlers from Bangladesh. This has fuelled fears among the states indigenous groups that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to protect the Bengali-speaking Hindus for electoral gains.

First published in 1951, the process to update the NRC was initiated to detect illegal immigrants irrespective of their religion on the basis of March 25, 1971 cut-off date. The Supreme Court-monitored exercise found 31 million people eligible for inclusion in the final list published on August 31 last year and rejected 1.9 million applicants as they failed to submit adequate proof of their citizenship.

Those excluded from the list were supposed to be issued rejection slips earlier this year, but the state NRC authorities claim the process got delayed because of the nationwide lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. A rejection slip will show the reason for exclusion of an applicant from the list.

The delay in issuing the rejection slips could also be due to the fact that the Registrar General of India is yet to notify the final publication of the NRC.

Nonetheless, indigenous groups such as the influential All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Asom Sangrami Mancha (ASM) have now slammed the ruling BJP, saying it made a mockery of the NRC, and deliberately complicated the NRC process in order to protect the interest of illegal migrants.

Rejection or inclusion?

There is apprehension that the majority of people excluded from the NRC would eventually make it to the list as the officials involved in the process had allegedly cited weaker grounds for their exclusion. And the chances are that a Foreigners Tribunal (FT) would strike down such a rejection order, making it easier for the applicant to get his/her name included in the citizens register.

An FT is a quasi-judicial body that has the power to determine if a person is an Indian citizen or a foreigner according to the provisions of the Foreigners Act 1946, and the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order 1964. At present, there are 100 FTs in Assam to handle the NRC rejection cases.

There were plans to set up 200 more tribunals across the state to expedite the hearings in the NRC rejection cases, and accordingly, 221 new members were appointed by the Assam government last year. However, questions are now being raised about its intention after the BJP-led government failed to issue appointment letters to 1,600 people selected as support staff. Nobody knows how long it will take to settle the appeals with the COVID-19 pandemic now giving the ruling dispensation another excuse to delay the process.

NRC  the backstory

The demand to update the NRC was first raised by the AASU in 1980, amid the six-year anti-foreigner movement, better known as Assam Agitation. On February 2 that year, AASU leaders met the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi demanding that all illegal immigrants be detected and deported on the basis of 1951 NRC. However, the student body finally settled for the March 25, 1971 cut-off date during the signing of the 1985 Assam Accord that brought an end to the agitation.

Since then, successive regimes at the Centre have never taken it seriously. In 2010, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government decided to run a pilot project in Chhaygaon in Kamrup district and Barpeta, but abandoned it after violence broke out in Barpeta. Four persons were killed in clashes between police and activists of the All Assam Minority Students Union who opposed the move to update the citizens register.

The NRC issue received a fresh impetus after the Registrar General of India issued a notification on December 5, 2013, and subsequently, the Supreme Court started monitoring the process. The BJP that came to power at the Centre in 2014 claimed credit for this, and some of its top leaders even talked about the possibility of a nationwide NRC, a move seen as anti-Muslim by the Opposition and rights organisations.

However, the final version of the NRC in Assam had put the BJP in a fix when it found that only 1.9 million people were excluded from the list, many of whom are suspected to be Bengali-speaking Hindus, its potential votebank. While the saffron party started questioning the whole exercise, the AASU and the Assam Public Works (APW) urged the apex court for re-examination of the final draft, which they alleged was not prepared according to the courts directives. APW is a primary petitioner in the NRC case in the Supreme Court.

The AASU has also accused the BJP government of trying to violate the provisions of the Assam Accord by imposing the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 that grants Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities, including Hindus, from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered the country on or before December 31, 2014.

Jayanta Kalita is a senior journalist and author based in Delhi. He writes on issues related to Indias Northeast. The views are personal.
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Amazon has cleared a key government hurdle in its flight path to deliver packages by airborne drones.

The company revealed Monday that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted the online retail giant a Part 135 certificate, which allows Amazon Prime Air to operate as an air carrier. The move lets Amazon make commercial deliveries under a trial program that uses drone technology announced last year.

The Part 135 certificate means that the FAA has investigated Amazons technology and program and determined that it complies with the agencys safety and operations guidelines, explained Charles King, the principal analyst atPund-IT.

Awarding Amazon the certificate brings the company a step closer to drone delivery, he told TechNewsWorld.

David Carbon, the Amazon vice president who oversees Prime Air, praised the FAAs decision in a widely reported statement.

This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAAs confidence in Amazons operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to our customers around the world, he said.

Residential Drone Pads

Drone deliveries can benefit both Amazon and consumers.

The companys goal is to offer reduced delivery times on certain items, with packages arriving in 30 to 60 minutes after the order is placed, King said. That should offer Amazon a competitive advantage in some markets and scenarios.

It is potentially both a lower cost and faster last-mile delivery system, keeping people shopping at Amazon and reducing the immediate need that might otherwise push them to a local store, added Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Not only will drone delivery give consumers near-instant gratification, King noted, but it can be used to deliver emergency supplies, such as medical prescriptions, when immediacy is critical.

It can deliver them in a safer way, too.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The plan is only to deliver when people are there to receive the package, Enderle told TechNewsWorld.

In addition, he continued, the drone can deliver to more challenging to reach places like a secured yard or rooftop balcony.

I expect well eventually start to modify houses with landing pads for drone deliveries on top, he predicted.

Since the drone is capable of delivering where you are, he said, the risk from porch pirates and the related cost to the consumer and Amazon are significantly reduced.

Beyond Amazon

The FAAs action is not only significant to Amazon but to the delivery industry as a whole, maintained Enderle.

It showcases a clear path and progress to widespread drone delivery, he told TechNewsWorld.

The Amazon approval follows similar actions given to Google and UPS. Those approvals collectively showcase that we not only will have drone deliveries relatively quickly, but that there will almost immediately be both competition and oversight to assure low prices and higher safety, Enderle remarked.

Alphabets Wing, which is owned by the same parent company as Google, gained Part 135 approval in April 2019. Since then, Wing, with partners Walgreens and FedEx, has been making drone deliveries in Northern Virginia. It has also gained approval from the Australian government to make drone deliveries in Canberra.

UPS Flight Forward acquired its Part 135 approval in October 2019. It immediately launched a drone delivery at the WakeMed hospital campus in Raleigh, N.C. Drone delivery is needed in healthcare operations, where the shortest time in transit can improve efficiency and help healthcare professionals serve their patients better, the company said in a statement.

A Drone With AI

Drone delivery, at least initially, will face some limitations. Their range is limited to six to eight miles. Wind, cold and heat can affect their performance. Then there are obstacles  high buildings and power lines.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

They can also be attacked by birds, which see them as threats or sometimes prey, Enderle observed.

Crime rates will also affect where drone delivery is offered, he added.

Amazons latest drone, the MK27, takes on some of those challenges head on. For example, it uses artificial intelligence to determine what to do when confronted with an obstacle. If it cant evade it, the drone will either delay delivery of its payload or abort the mission altogether.

Most drones depend on a human pilot to make those kinds of decisions, but Amazons MK27 uses proprietary computer vision and machine learning algorithms to navigate the obstacles it may encounter when making a delivery.

The MK27 has another neat feature. It lands and takes off like a helicopter, but when in the air, it can fly like a plane for faster speed.

More Hurdles to Clear

Infrastructure and manpower will also be challenges for the first drone fleets.

You need drone-enabled depots, Enderle said. Then you need coordination between drone service providers, enough drones to handle the workload and trained drone operators to manage the fleet.

There could be problems with consumer acceptance, too.

Its also unclear how consumers will respond to the service, King observed.

While many are certain to be interested or enthused about the service, there will likely be others who are irritated or angered when autonomous drones fly by their homes, he said.

Theres also more regulatory hurdles in the wings for drone delivery organizations.

By the end of the year, its expected the FAA will finalize regulations that will be the framework for flying drones over crowds, which will be important to anyone wanting to make deliveries with drones.

That framework is expected to include rules requiring all but the smallest drones to broadcast their identities and locations, a measure aimed at thwarting terrorists and preventing midair collisions.

More regulations governing autonomous flights are also expected as well as standards for the drones themselves, such as what their acceptable level of noise should be.

In addition, the FAA needs to develop a new air-traffic system to manage low-altitude drones and keep the skies from becoming a 3D billiard table.

When all the problems are ironed out, however, drone delivery should be arriving relatively soon. We could have several areas spun up by the end of 2021, but the pandemic is harming execution in many markets, Enderle observed. Id expect drone delivery to be relatively common in dense rural areas in many parts of the country before 2026.
Schoolies who were hoping to travel to Queensland for their end-of-year celebrations could be eligible for a refund while others are likely to be left disappointed.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk cancelled this year's event on Friday to stop the spread of coronavirus leaving thousands disappointed.

Interstate revellers who planned to travel to the sunshine state for their post school celebration will be able to use COVID-19 travel restrictions as the basis for a refund.

However youngsters from Queensland looking to celebrate in their home state will need to check the terms and conditions of their bookings for a refund.

Fair Trading executive director Brian Bauer told Quest Newspapers Queenslanders may not be able to use coronavirus as an excuse.

Schoolies 2020 has been cancelled by the Queensland government due to coronavirus. Pictured: Holidaymakers arrive on the Gold Coast for Schoolies in 2019

'Queensland school leavers are still allowed to travel to the Gold Coast and so are able to take up their bookings and have an end-of-year celebration,' he said.

'But they will need to comply with the restrictions in place, including social distancing and limits on gatherings in holiday units.

'These consumers are unlikely to be automatically entitled to a refund. However they may still have options under their booking providers terms and conditions.'

All Schoolies Week 2020 official events have been cancelled by the state government.

This could be handy for Queenslanders, as anyone who has booked a package which includes an official Schoolies event would qualify for a refund if part of their deal is cancelled.

Mr Bauer said Schoolies should check the terms and conditions of their booking to see if they are able to receive a refund, voucher or credit.

Many revellers (pictured on the Gold Coast) will be looking to refund their bookings through interstate coronavirus travel restrictions

Ms Palaszczuk said cancelling the major end-of-high-school celebrations was a tough decision.

'It poses a high risk,' she said.

'High risk, not only the people who attend, all the young people, but also all the people they come in contact with, and of course their families and their friends and their grandparents.'

'So, we've had to take that very tough decision. So there will be, unfortunately, no concerts, no organised events, because there can be no mass gatherings.'

Ms Palaszczuk said the chief health officer and director-general of education will be writing to every school in the state to inform them and ensure students understand the rules.

A group of girls pose on Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise before a Schoolies event in 2019

The premier said students can still book end-of-school holidays with their friends but it should be a quieter celebration.

'Just as any other person can go along and book accommodation, people are welcome to continue to do that, in those small groups, right across Queensland,' she said.

'There is nothing wrong with small groups of people finishing school, booking somewhere close to where they live as well.'

Ms Palaszczuk is urging people to celebrate their achievement by holidaying in Queensland and supporting local businesses and tourism operators.

'It's a tough year for everyone. And hopefully, hopefully, things will get better by the end of next year, and we can have a double celebration.'

'But we're in a world pandemic, and I just hope everyone understands that.'

Hundreds of party goers dance to live music on the sand at Surfers Paradise Main Beach at Schoolies 2019

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the current Year 12 group has had a 'really difficult year'.

'This is a rite of passage. Your last year of school is such an important year... and so much of it has had to change for this group,' Dr Young said.

'But look, I think this group is one of the most resilient, innovative groups, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they will put in place instead of that traditional mass gatherings on the beaches and so forth.'

Schoolies week first began on the Gold Coast in the late 1970s in the weeks following final exams with the Broadbeach Hotel as the main meeting place.

Events began to be organised in 1980 when the Gold Coast started attracting students from all over the country to celebrate.
As a result, growing numbers of college officials are realizing that there are limits to what they can monitor on their own  and are calling on students to help.

Colgate University sent students a memo encouraging them to report classmates who violate social-distancing guidelines and to include names so action could be taken. Similar instructions were sent out at schools across the country from the University of Colorado Boulder to the University of Pennsylvania. Yale University and some other colleges have hotlines in place for reports of risky activity.

Its an extraordinary situation, and students face a quandary: Report parties to campus officials? Or keep quiet and hope for the best? As one freshman said at Hunter College, which has a dorm open even though classes are remote this semester: I dont know if Id want to narc on people Im trying to become friends with.

For those in the middle of it, the choice is not as simple as they might have expected.

Before coming here, I remember thinking Yeah, Ill definitely report people if theyre going to parties, said Kyle Duran, a freshman at Binghamton University in upstate New York. But after spending just a few days on campus, Mr. Duran had second thoughts. Its a lot harder to want to when youre living and going to class with everyone.

Some faculty members at schools have warned against asking students to police their peers. They have said doing so could disrupt student life when classmates are pitted against one other, particularly when the consequences for breaking the rules can be harsh.

SUNY Plattsburgh, for example, placed 43 students on interim suspension last week after a large outdoor gathering. Fifteen others at Marist College, a small liberal arts school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., were recently sent home for not following rules at an off-campus party, while at Ohio State University, more than 200 have been suspended for similar reasons.

Ariana Rebello, a freshman at Hofstra University on Long Island, said hearing about those punishments at other schools has dissuaded her from attending parties, but also from reporting her classmates. I dont think I could bring myself to snitch. I just wouldnt associate with them, she said.
SLI Medical and JobsOhio delivered 1.65 million masks and 15,000 bottles of hand sanitizer through six regional distribution sites to small and minority businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Highlighting the agility of small businesses in responding to changing customer requirements, SLI Medical has delivered more than 50M units of personal protection equipment (PPE) this year. Items that hospitals have found difficult to procure from larger medical companies  including isolation gowns, N95 Masks, Nitrile Gloves, Thermometers, Covid-19 Sample Collection kits, Covid-19 Rapid Test Kits, Hand Sanitizer and more  SLI Medical has delivered quickly through its secure international supply chain. SLI Medical has provided more than 20 million gowns, 20 million masks, 8 million gloves and 2 million face shields to protect healthcare workers in the U.S. from COVID-19.

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SLI Medical has multiple locations across the country which allows the company to respond quickly to incoming PPE requests. Currently, SLI has been able to stabilize its supply chain and maintain stock of PPE items in its U.S. facility, including masks, isolation gowns and sanitizer among others. SLI Medical is delivering PPE to hospitals, healthcare providers, state government, local municipalities, among other healthcare facilities across the globe within 5-7 days, versus 30+ days required by some competitors. The company's hands-on experience with emergency supply chain management has also helped reduce the cost of supplying essential PPE products, including but not limited to Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 gowns, surgical tieback Level 3 masks, 3-ply level 1 and level 2 procedure masks, face shields, shoe covers, bouffant caps, pulse oximeters, hand sanitizer, needles, COVID rapid testing, nasal swabs and COVID Preservation Testing Kits.

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In April 2019, the star of a headlining show at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival went out to dinner with donors, then drinks with friends in downtown Ashland.

Tony Sancho was intoxicated when police encountered him. Instead of detox, he ended up in county jail for more than 10 hours, handcuffed to a metal grate for much of that time. For nearly a minute a sheriffs deputy pinned his knee to Sanchos neck.

On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, Noelle Crombie talks about her recent story looking into Sanchos 2019 arrest and detention. The 43-year-old actor filed a federal lawsuit last month alleging excessive force by three deputies at the jail.

His case comes as the nation continues to wrestle with protests over police brutality involving Black men. But Sanchos attorneys argue its bigger than that. Im a brown man, Sancho told police officers after they moved in to handcuff him. Youre white.

We talked about the case, the ripple effect in Jackson County and the acting community, and what some cast members say its like to be a person of color in Southern Oregon.

Heres the full episode:
Theres been further fallout from the Indian Supreme Court decision to allow ten years for adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues repayment, with reports that the Vodafone Idea board plans to meet on 4 September.

According to the Indian press, the board of the cash-strapped operator  now forced to budget for repayment of just under $7 billion worth of outstanding AGR dues (of which it has so far paid the equivalent of just over $1 billion)  will meet to discuss strategies to pay these massive debts. It will also need to look at ways to continue investing in its networks to be able to compete with its rivals.

Potential ways forward to raise funds could include a public issue, a preferential allotment, a private placement and the sale of assets among other approaches.

Indias Economic Times has suggested that the company needs to raise at least $3-4 billion to be able to compete effectively in the market. And of course, the AGR payments come on top of this.

Obviously, now that Vodafone Idea knows where it stands it has something to base its calculations on, but that doesnt necessarily make its job any easier as it already has significant outgoings and a falling end user base.

Things are better for Bharti Airtel, which has paid off about half of its AGR dues of about $3.54 billion already, although the company now has to wait for input from the Department of Telecommunications, which has been asked by the Supreme Court to check if Jio and rival Airtel have pending AGR dues (on top of their existing dues) from their spectrum trading deals.

The courts order focuses on trading deals that Bharti Airtel had struck with the now bankrupt telecommunications companies Videocon and Aircel as well as Reliance Jio's deals with Reliance Communications (RCom), which is going through insolvency proceedings at the moment. RCom, Videocon and Aircel still owe significant sums in AGR dues.
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a consultative grand assembly, known as Loya Jirga, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Courtesy of Afghan Presidential Palace/Handout via Reuters)

Afghanistan Frees Nearly 200 Taliban Prisoners to Push Peace Talks

KABULAfghanistan has freed nearly 200 Taliban prisoners to spur long-delayed peace talks, as a team of negotiators readies to fly this week to Qatars capital, Afghan officials said on Wednesday.

The prisoners formed part of a group of 400 jailed hardcore Islamist separatists whose stalled release had appeared set to delay talks between the government and the insurgent group to end nearly two decades of war.

The Afghan government has released another batch of the remaining Taliban prisoners and the work is still underway to move the prisoner exchange process forward, Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, said in a statement.

He did not give the exact number, however. Two officials said the releases from the main jail in the capital Kabul took place on Monday and Tuesday, at the same time that the Taliban freed six Afghan special forces.

About 120 prisoners remain to be freed in line with Taliban demands, including six whose release some Western governments, including Australia, have objected to.

A government-mandated negotiation team is likely to fly on Thursday to Doha, the initial venue for negotiations, said Fraidoon Kwazoon, the spokesman for Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

Tomorrow the team is leaving for Doha, he told Reuters, without saying when talks were expected to start.

The 400 prisoners were the last of 5,000 whose release was agreed in a February pact between the United States and the Taliban allowing for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

The release was a condition for the start of talks between the Taliban and the government, which also wants the militants to free 24 members of the Afghan special forces and pilots.

The government was reluctant to release the last 400 prisoners, whom it blamed for involvement in some of the worst violence. After freeing 80 last month, it delayed further releases as the Taliban dismissed calls for a ceasefire.

Wednesdays release came amid a surge in Taliban violence and clashes with Afghan troops. In eastern Paktia province, a Taliban car bomb killed three Afghan security forces, a regional official said, while elsewhere, the defense ministry said, 24 Taliban were killed in the last 24 hours.

Thousands of Afghan security forces and civilians have been killed since the February peace deal, data from the United Nations, and the government shows.

By Hamid Shalizi and Abdul Qadir Sediqi
At first the coronavirus took away, but then it gave back again.

Janet Marston Harris, who owns the McNeal House, an Airbnb in Pasadena, normally has four units totally rented to a variety of people, including college students on internships and short-term workers from the petrochemical, aerospace and maritime industries. In recent years, Pasadena has developed as a hot spot for Airbnb rentals because of its proximity to industries in Houston and the Bay area.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Hundreds of nurses pour into Texas to help fight second COVID surge

But when COVID-19 hit, business ground to a halt as people worked from home and were reluctant to travel.

Harris had to take a hard look at the way she operated.

I didnt even have a business plan, she said. (At the beginning of the pandemic,) I had a cancellation. It was a college intern coming in for the summer and she canceled. (After that) I had empty apartments for two or three months, and that was pretty frightening. Then I got the stimulus check and that helped.

About two months ago Harris found a faint silver lining in the pandemic.

Then the traveling nurses came because of the virus, and now I have a different type of business, she said. Ive had traveling nurses before, but not to the extent I have them now.

'BANG FOR YOUR BUCK': What makes Pasadena No. 3 in U.S. for Airbnb rentals?

Traveling nurses are just what youd guess. They work for independent staffing agencies and are assigned to different areas to fill in short-term employment gaps. When their rotation is finished, they move on to the next location where they are needed.

Traveling nurses typically come in for 13 weeks, Harris said. Sometimes they come in longer. These nurses are here because of the virus.

To tap into the traveling nurse market, Harris did a bit of a pivot and signed on with Furnished Finder, which specializes in finding housing for those temporary employees.

Furnished Finder apartments come with various accouterments, such as towels linens, dishes and cookware. Harris units also have a washer and dryer, private patio and a dedicated parking space.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Coronavirus live updates: Jobless claims rise, positivity rate falls in Texas

I do whatever I can to make it nice for them, Harris said. They come here to work, and they dont want to go out and buy all of that stuff.

That aspect was attractive for Angie Schneider, a traveling nurse from Louisville, Ky.

My (work) consultant gave me a couple of different places (to look at), but I went to Furnished Finder because I didnt to have to bring my whole house, she said. I didnt want to have an apartment where I was going to have to bring furniture.

Schneider is a relative newcomer to traveling nursing and in the back half of a 13-week assignment.

This is my second assignment, she said. Ive been a nurse for almost 12 years. My husband (Myron) recently took an early retirement so that he could travel with me.

So far, its been great.

John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com.
Ford Motor Co. will offer early retirement incentives with hopes of cutting its US white-collar workforce by 1,400 more positions.

The voluntary buyout offers won't apply to every part of the business but most of the reductions will take place in the area of Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford has its headquarters and large product development and engineering operations.

The offers will go to US salaried workers who are 55 years or older and have done at least 10 years of service, 65 years or older with five years of service completed or simply 30 years service completed.

Financial details of the the proposed offers have not been shared.

Information technology workers and those responsible for rolling out new vehicles will not be affected by the reduction which is about 5 percent of the US salaried workforce

Information technology workers and those responsible for rolling out new vehicles will not be affected by the reduction, which is about 5 percent of the US salaried workforce

They must snap up the offer by October 23 and are eligible to retire as of December 31, according to an email sent to employees on Wednesday.

Those approved to retire would leave the company by the end of the year.

Information technology workers and those responsible for rolling out new vehicles will not be affected by the reduction which is about 5 percent of the US salaried workforce.

The company said the cuts are part of an $11 billion restructuring plan that started more than a year ago.

Kumar Galhotra, the company's president of the Americas, told employees about the offers: 'We're in a multiyear process of making Ford more fit and effective around the world.

'We have re-prioritized certain products and services and are adjusting our staffing to better align with our new work statement.'

Kumar Galhotra, the company's president of the Americas, told employees about the early retirement offers Wednesday morning

A spokesman says Ford expects to meet its goals with the offers. If it doesn't, then it may consider involuntary separations.

Ford has about 30,000 white-collar workers in the US. The company has 56,000 hourly factory workers.

Last year Ford said it would cut 12,000 jobs in Europe and 7,000 white-collar positions worldwide as it trimmed expenses to prepare for a world of autonomous and electric vehicles.

The 7,000 salaried positions amounted to 10% of Ford's total worldwide workforce and included 2,300 in the US. The cuts were accomplished with buyouts and involuntary layoffs.

Those cuts were designed to reduce bureaucracy and allow the company to make faster decisions.

At the start of the year Ford had 190,000 employees worldwide.

Like other automakers, Ford has been struggling this year as the coronavirus forced factory closures for two months and chased customers away from showrooms.

Shares of Ford rose slightly in Wednesday trading to $6.91. From April through June, Ford's posted better-than-expected results with a $1.12 billion net profit

Factories have been reopened and demand is slowly returning.

From April through June, Ford's posted better-than-expected results with a $1.12 billion net profit.

It was pushed into the black by a $3.5 billion accounting gain on the value of its autonomous vehicle operation. Without that, it would have lost $1.9 billion.

Shares of Ford rose slightly in Wednesday trading to $6.91.

With CEO Jim Hackett retiring, current COO Jim Farley plans to accelerate the retirement effort when he takes over on October 1.

This summer their cleared out many offices as they said they were preparing for a future where many workers don't come into the office every day.

On Monday, BMW announced it was reducing staff 'to align with current market conditions,' Automotive News reported.

'The effects of COVID-19 are far-reaching,' BMW North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt wrote in letter to dealers. 'Given the reduced size of the business, we now need to  re-scale our business across the company accordingly.'

The German automaker's sales dropped almost 40 percent in the second quarter.
Syracuse, N.Y.  The same day they authorized up to 250 layoffs to deal with a fiscal crisis, Onondaga County legislators today approved spending $1.6 million in hopes of attracting a tenant to the countys vacant 450-acre business park in Clay.

The money approved today would pay engineers to design a sewer system for the undeveloped site, including a major pump station and a 4-mile sewer main. The full construction cost for the sewer project would be about $16 million, which would require further authorization from lawmakers.

The expense comes at a time when the county is suffering big deficits caused by the coronavirus. But County Executive Ryan McMahon said the White Pine project will be paid for out of the county sewer fund, which gets money from sewer fees, and wont affect general operations. Meanwhile, the project could help lure a major new employer, he said.

Companies have expressed interest in White Pine but wont commit to the undeveloped site if theres a risk theyll have to wait for sewer service to be installed, he said. County officials hope to attract a high-tech manufacturer to the site at the northeast corner of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road in Clay.

Weve had a lot of activity at White Pine, but what weve learned is there is a time-to-market challenge,' McMahon said. Nobody is going to go to a site that doesnt have (sewer) utilities.'

McMahon said he would like to see the sewer infrastructure in place next year.

Five Democratic legislators voted against spending the $1.6 million. Legislator Peggy Chase, D-Syracuse, said she would only support the expense if a tenant were committed to locating in the business park. She noted that county officials have tried to market the property for years.

If somebody could tell me today that we have a company who is interested in developing this, I would vote for it in a minute,' Chase said. When were looking at laying people off and were willing to take $1.6 million out of our fund balance, Im not buying that.'

A separate resolution approved today authorized McMahon to lay off as many as 250 county workers to balance the budget, which has been ravaged because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Republican legislators argued that the money for sewer engineering will come from a surplus in the sewer fund, which could not be used to pay for general county operating expenses. And Legislator Casey Jordan, R-Clay, said there is a prospective tenant that is considering White Pine against a rival site in Texas. But he said he did not know the identity of the company.

Depending on what tenant occupies the site, its possible that county government will spend even more in the future to help underwrite electric service at the site, McMahon said. Electric infrastructure capable of serving a major high-tech manufacturer could cost $20 million to $70 million, McMahon said.

McMahon said its important to have sewers at the site now, but he wont commit to spending money on electric infrastructure until a tenant signs a lease.

If you see us asking for $70 million in infrastructure spending, youll know we have somebody,' he said.

White Pine is one of four sites in National Grids Upstate service territory with the most potential to host advanced manufacturing, the utility said in an economic development report filed last October with the state Public Service Commission.

Two of the other sites already have high-tech manufacturers: Marcy Nanocenter in Oneida County, which recently recruited Cree to build a $1.2 billion, 600-worker semiconductor facility; and Luther Forest Technology Campus in Saratoga County, home to a $13 billion GlobalFoundries chip factory with roughly 3,000 employees. The fourth Upstate mega-site, according to National Grid, is the Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park, a shovel-ready 1,250-acre site in Genesee County.

Onondaga County spent a total of $3.2 million over several decades to acquire land for the business park, which is owned by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency. McMahon said improving the site will pay off in the future.

Government always plays a role on stimulus,' he said. Its role is to spend money on infrastructure thats going to drive job growth.'

News tips? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023
Emir met Trumps senior adviser in Doha following a US-brokered accord between UAE and Israel to normalise ties.

Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has told White House adviser Jared Kushner that Doha supports a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, to end the conflict with Israel.

The emir met US President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Doha on Wednesday following a US-brokered accord last month between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalise ties.

Sheikh Tamim told Kushner that Qatar remained committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, in which Arab nations offered Israel normalised ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and full Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the 1967 Middle East War.

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During the meeting, they reviewed the close strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common concern, especially the peace process in the Middle East region, Qatar News Agency reported.

Kushner visited the UAE this week with an Israeli delegation for normalisation talks before also travelling to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE is the third Arab country to reach such an agreement with Israel after Egypt and Jordan. Kushner hopes another Arab country will normalise ties within months.

Israel exchanged embassies with neighbours Egypt and Jordan under peace deals decades ago, but all other Arab states had demanded it first cede more land to the Palestinians. However, UAEs decision to have an embassy prompted criticism from stakeholders across the region.

Palestinians have condemned the deal as a stab in the back by a major Arab player while they still lack a state of their own.

Turkey threatened to suspend relations with the UAE after normalisation was announced.

Israels rival, Iran, has been scathing in its criticism. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted Tuesday that the UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the regions countries, and Palestine.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 07:24:36|Editor: huaxia

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and another 14 wounded after assailants opened fire on mourners attending a wake, or vigil for the dead, in the town of Cuernavaca, a popular weekend getaway for Mexico City residents, local officials said on Wednesday.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived in vehicles at a private residence in the Antonio Barona neighborhood of Cuernavaca, capital of central Morelos state, and fired on those keeping vigil alongside the body of a young man who had died in a motorcycle accident.

The Attorney General's Office of Morelos and state police said in a statement that two adolescents, aged 15 and 16, were among the fatal victims of the attack, which occurred at 10:40 p.m. local time Tuesday.

Four of the deceased died outside the home, and the others on the way to the hospital or while receiving treatment.

Three women and 11 men who were injured, including two minors, were being treated at different area hospitals.

Authorities said the preliminary investigation implicated local organized crime.

"According to the initial forensic study of the ballistic material, the large calibre weapons used in the incident appear to be related to other high-impact crimes recently registered," authorities said, adding some 40 shots were fired.

Cuernavaca, a leafy city where many of Mexico City's well-heeled residents have weekend homes, has in recent years seen a rise in drug-related crime as it lies on the trafficking route between southern Mexico and the northern border with the United States. Enditem
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan has taken an important step to create a mechanism for agricultural insurance.

Thus, for the first time in the country, a specialized joint insurance company Joint Agrarian Insurance Company has been established.

The company will enter into contracts with policyholders, receive complaints about the incidents and manage the system as a whole.

Moreover, the Joint Agrarian Insurance Company was established by seven companies working in the field of insurance, except life insurance in the country. Thus, the founders of the joint venture are Pasha Insurance, Qala Insurance, Mega Insurance, Azerbaijan Industrial Insurance, Xalq Insurance, AZSIGORTA and Baku Insurance.

The authorized capital of the company is set at AZN 2.1 million ($1.2M). The share of each founder is envisaged at the rate of AZN 312,500 ($183,823).

Likewise, the founding companies will act as insurance intermediary companies in the agriculture insurance system.

Additionally, after establishment of "Joint Agrarian Insurance Company", the final application will be submitted to the Central Bank of Azerbaijan for obtaining a license for insurance activities.

It should be noted that the Agrarian Insurance Fund states that other companies engaged in insurance activities in the country, except life insurance, may also participate in the activities of "Joint Agrarian Insurance Company".
Fourteen days of boredom in strict isolation in a hotel room  its not the start to the school year 150 international students at Niagara College ever dreamed of.

They have had to quarantine for two weeks at a St. Catharines hotel after arriving in Canada over the past month or so, through a program arranged by the college.

Its fine at first, I start my day working out, taking a shower and getting ready, says Lena Chall, 22, who went into isolation Aug. 24 after arriving from Berlin, Germany.

But then its like 9:30 and I have the whole day to get through.

Most of the people she wants to stay in touch with are back in Germany, so theres a six-hour time difference to navigate.

Her state of mind is like a roller-coaster, she says. The other day I talked to my mom (via Facetime), she said, Your eyes look like youre going crazy. You look like youre not yourself.

Two weeks self-isolation is familiar to many Canadians during COVID-19, usually after they have travelled abroad.

But they isolated at home, not thousands of kilometres away from family and friends in a foreign country.

It can be a challenging time, we know that, says Dorita Pentesco, interim director international for the college.

We try to prepare them for it (before they come to Canada), and if anybody ever says to us they are sad or depressed we follow up with them right away.

The college expects about 3,400 new and returning international students this month, with the biggest numbers from India, South Korea and Mexico.

Only about 40 per cent of the colleges programs will involve a mix of in-person and online study. The rest are strictly virtual, as a safety precaution during the pandemic.

Pentesco says the college arranged hotel isolation for students who couldnt do it at the apartments or homes theyve rented for the year.

For just more than $700 it includes two weeks accommodation, meals and daily support including optional group Zoom meetings.

We do a virtual check-in every day with a survey that asks them how they are feeling, from a physical perspective and also from an emotional or wellness perspective, and if there is anything they need, she says.

It also takes into account cultural needs in planning meals for such a diverse group of students.

For Chall, the hotel stay is an expense she could have lived without. She already has an apartment lined up, but it has a shared bathroom and kitchen and wouldnt work for isolation.

Rules in the hotel are strict  no visitors or staff are allowed in the rooms. Students clean their own rooms; supplies and meals are dropped off at their door.

Students can open the door to pick up the meal tray, but theyre not allowed to step into the hallway.

Violetta Derhun, 20, from Kiev, Ukraine, agreed its going to be a tough two weeks. A lot of Facetime, TV and looking out the window.

She cant see any friends from her balcony, but I see some people, some boys, on the other side of the hotel who are probably from the same country and they communicate balcony to balcony  they scream, they shout, but they communicate.

Im happy for them.

She is also paying for both the hotel and a rented place. Her landlord, she says, wouldnt allow her to isolate there.

Derhun, like Chall, is a third-year broadcasting student. She went into quarantine Aug. 29. On the second day, when she got her daily college check-in, she replied she was sad.

The same day, she said, someone from the college showed up and they had a good talk  the college staffer standing in the hallway, Derhun in her room, chatting through the open door.

It does help to know there is a person out there who is aware of your situation, she says.
There were some extraordinary moments last March and April on virtual Parliament Hill, but they seem to have slipped Erin OTooles mind.

It was a time of fear, but it was also a time of common understanding about what matters most. The coronavirus was spreading quickly, requiring quick, life-altering decisions many times a day.

Despite a bitter federal election just months earlier, the political parties stopped haranguing each other and instead focused on how to shutter the economy, encourage everyone but essential workers to go home, and slow down the spread of COVID-19.

And they largely succeeded, with a generosity of spirit that should make any parliamentarian proud.

Yes, there were shortcomings. The recession has hit women the hardest, revealing weaknesses in child care and workplace attachment. The virus hit poor neighbourhoods and racialized communities the hardest, revealing the fragile intersections of poverty, race and close quarters.

OToole, though, has seized his new podium as leader of the Conservative party and used it to lump everything in together and accuse the Liberals of screwing up the entire system of income supports.

Thats historical revisionism with serious implications for how a Conservative leader would deal with future outbreaks.

In an interview with Globals West Block after winning the leadership last week, OToole accused the Liberals of getting pandemic supports entirely wrong  saying the governments CERB undermined its efforts to give employers wage supports to keep their workers.

Theres some legitimacy to the argument. It was something that the Liberals and government officials have fretted about for months. They were fearful that by rushing the $2,000-a-month emergency response benefit out the door early in the pandemic so that workers would stay home and not spread the virus, their jobs would disappear for good and make recovery much more difficult.

Indeed, former finance minister Bill Morneau spoke openly about the problem, begging employers to take back their employees and make full use of the government wage subsidy instead.

The problem was, the wage subsidy didnt hit balance sheets until many weeks after the CERB hit households. At first, it was 10 per cent of a struggling companys payroll, rising soon after to 75 per cent as opposition politicians cried out for more, and as the bureaucracy figured out how to handle the payments efficiently. By historical standards, they moved fast, but not fast enough for some companies that had to close their doors and lay people off while the wage subsidy was in limbo or just insufficient.

The take-up of the subsidy looked really low for a while, but as economist Kevin Milligan pointed out in a recent presentation, the success of the wage subsidy has been a bit of a sleeper. Companies could apply for it retroactively, and the numbers have crept up. More than 3 million employees were supported by the subsidy in each of March, April and May, and almost that many in June.

Milligan, who is now on loan to the federal government for a few months from his post at the University of British Columbia, also pointed out that in the job gains of the summer, most of the people who are now re-employed have returned to their prior workplaces. So, attachment to the workforce is not completely broken after all.

The problem with OTooles criticism is that he is now, several months later, saying the government should have save(d) the jobs first.

Part of that criticism is just anti-Liberal bluster designed to carve out space for the new Conservative leader to make his mark on economic policy.

But part of it points to OTooles priorities and a rewriting of history. In the spring, there was no question of putting the jobs first. Public health had to come first, or there would be no jobs to go to anyway. That was something every party agreed on almost immediately.

As the pandemic wore on and public health officials learned more about how to handle the spread of the virus, the Liberals and Conservatives alike turned their thoughts to a safe reopening.

Does OToole really want to suggest that jobs should have been prioritized over the spread of the virus? Probably not, but he is suggesting that payroll support for employers is far more effective in recovery than income support for individuals.

In the United States, pandemic support has tilted heavily in favour of those with work, rather than those who are completely out of the workforce, says economics professor Hilary Hoynes of the University of California (Berkeley) speaking at the same Queens University conference on social policy as Milligan.

What it means is that those at the very bottom of the income scale are left behind.

In Canada, we just dont need to go there. If the pandemic has taught us anything, its that we dont have enough systemic support for those at the low end.

OToole has talked about the need to get rid of CERB and reform employment insurance (which the Liberals are planning to do) while also increasing government benefits for families with children. He also wants to introduce measures for small business.

Thats all food for thought as political decision-makers and experts brainstorm about how to coexist with the virus and make ends meet at the same time.

But to reinterpret the tumultuous policy-making of the recent past risks obscuring some of the lasting messages the pandemic rescue package sent us. We now know full well where our most vulnerable people are, and they need the same kind of political collaboration that saved us all last spring.
Weekly reports released by the Department of Health are consistently missing data for more than 100 of the states 693 nursing homes. Read more

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLIVE/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

HARRISBURG  During the first three months of the coronavirus pandemic, the public had no way to measure which Pennsylvania nursing homes were hardest hit.

Amid mounting complaints from advocates and lawmakers, the state Department of Health in late May began releasing the number of resident cases and deaths by facility, but those early reports were incomplete and contained errors.

Even now, more than six months after COVID-19 arrived in Pennsylvania, the public still doesnt have a complete picture of how many people have died or been sickened by the virus inside these vulnerable facilities.

Weekly reports released by the Department of Health are consistently missing data for more than 100 of the states 693 nursing homes. In at least one case, those omissions obscured a deadly outbreak from the public. While the specific facilities missing data vary each week, 42 have not shown anything for more than two months.

Its not clear why, week after week, some facilities are still missing the counts.

The state Health Department said its working with facilities to accurately report case information but did not say why recurring problems have not been corrected. Many facility managers contacted by Spotlight PA said they are meeting reporting requirements, but could not explain why their data are not showing up in state reports.

Theres just not a lot of transparency here, said Diane Menio, executive director at the Philadelphia-based advocacy group CARIE.

Given that all nursing homes in the state were required to complete at least one round of state-mandated coronavirus testing by July 28, theres no excuse for any facility to be missing data at this point, she said.

For seven weeks, the state listed no data for the number of coronavirus cases and deaths among residents at the Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation nursing home in Allentown.

But when the state released an updated report Aug. 18, the Lehigh County-run facility joined the ranks of some of the hardest-hit nursing homes in the state: 80 residents had died since the start of the pandemic, the second-highest death toll among the states 693 facilities.

Despite showing no data for weeks, the facility has consistently reported its data to state and federal systems and has maintained regular communication with the state Health Department, said Jason Cumello, administrator at Cedarbrook.

This area of Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, maintained some of the highest per capita infection rates in Pennsylvania throughout a large part of the pandemic, particularly earlier in the pandemic, which is reflected in the number of cases seen in nursing homes throughout this area, Cumello said, adding that most of the facilitys deaths occurred before July 1.

Cumello acknowledged that Cedarbrook has had some problems with its data. The countys two Cedarbrook-run facilities, Allentown and Fountain Hill, initially were not reported separately. There was also some confusion about how to report daily and cumulative case counts.

Those issues were fixed by early August, Cumello said.

He deferred questions about state data to the Department of Health, which did not respond to questions from Spotlight PA about Cedarbrooks situation.

All facility-level data included in the states current weekly updates are self-reported by nursing homes. Early versions of the reports were supplemented with data from PA-NEDSS, the states disease reporting system, which collects data from health-care systems and labs.

Those reports were full of errors, with some facilities unable to explain where the numbers came from. By late June, the state stopped including PA-NEDSS data, relying only on self-reported nursing home data to populate its weekly updates.

Health Department officials have said they want to encourage facilities to self-report, but did not respond to follow-up questions from Spotlight PA about why the state continues to use these data if they are incomplete, contain errors, and if other data sources are available.

The state requires nursing homes to report facility information  including resident and employee coronavirus cases, deaths, and the facility census  daily through a platform called Corvena. They are also required to submit much of the same information through a separate platform called Survey123.

Additional reporting is required if a facility detects new cases. That doesnt include separate federal reporting requirements, said Anne Henry, chief of government affairs and senior vice president at LeadingAge PA, which represents about 360 nonprofit long-term care facilities statewide.

Software bugs and outages make it difficult for facilities to submit data or log in, adding more stress to an already taxing situation, she and other industry advocates argue.

It is just overwhelming, truly overwhelming, Henry said. And then when you have software glitches in the middle of that, it just throws everything into a whirlwind.

Even without a complete picture, its clear that COVID-19 has had a devastating toll on people inside the states nursing homes. At least 3,239 residents of facilities licensed by the state Health Department have died since the start of the pandemic, accounting for about 42% of all coronavirus deaths in the state.

Data posted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website, which are reported by nursing homes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weekly, further complicate the picture: Many of the totals listed for facilities resident case or death counts dont match the states numbers.

Spotlight PA contacted 18 of the facilities that have been consistently listed as having no data in the weekly state reports. Most officials said they have, in fact, been meeting reporting requirements, but couldnt explain why their data were missing.

I cant speak as to why the information is not showing up on the [Department] of Health reports, Mike Jacobs, who handles government affairs for Bedrock Care, said by email. We have complied as required by the state and federal governments with respect to our reporting.

Bedrock Care operates five Philadelphia facilities  Care Pavilion, Cliveden, Maplewood, Tucker House, and York  that have been missing data since June 30. Figures provided by Jacobs show that all of those facilities have had resident and staff cases. All but one, Maplewood, have had deaths: 140 in total.

With many facilities still limiting visitors, its hard for families of current or prospective residents to see whats happening inside nursing homes for themselves, making these case reports even more important, said Brian Lee, executive director of Families for Better Care, a national long-term care watchdog group.

Menio, of CARIE, said she continues to worry about those who are trying to pick a facility for a loved one.

If we at least knew the case numbers, it would be helpful, because some of the people who are calling us are worried about that, she said. We need to be a good source of information for families and consumers, and its hard to do that when we dont have the information.

The state Health Department did not respond to specific questions about why so many facilities are still reported as having no data. Instead, a spokesperson said the agency is calling and sending compliance letters to facilities to communicate the importance of reporting and its requirement by order.

As another resource for facilities, the department created an FAQ and offered webinars in order to ensure compliance, the statement said. Furthermore, the department is constantly working with all facilities to make sure the data we provide is accurate.

In a June 18 letter, the Health Department said nursing home administrators could face daily fines or prison time if they did not comply with reporting requirements.

A spokesperson did not say whether any state penalties have been issued, but said in a statement that the federal government is also working to provide further enforcement with these facilities.

Henry, of LeadingAge PA, said some facilities have faced federal fines but have since disputed those penalties. She is not aware of any facilities that have been fined by the state for failure to comply with data requirements.

Menio called the situation disturbing and questioned why the Health Department has not done more to enforce reporting requirements.

If facilities arent reporting it, they should be going after them, Menio said. But nothings happening.

100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate.
BRUSSELS, Belgium and NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 02, 2020(EC) to deliver comprehensive and up-to-date data on global supply chains.



The Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will use FactSet content to analyze the supply chain links between global and European companies. It is responsible for European Union (EU) policy on the Single Market and has selected three sets of data:

FactSet's Supply Chain Relationships data, which will help the EC trace connections across global supply chains, revealing key customers, suppliers, and competitors of companies across the Single Market;

FactSet's Geographic Revenue data (GEOREV ), which provides detailed insight into companies' revenue exposure to countries affected by geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market threats, helping expand the Commission's understanding of the risk profiles of European companies and industries;

), which provides detailed insight into companies' revenue exposure to countries affected by geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market threats, helping expand the Commission's understanding of the risk profiles of European companies and industries; FactSet's Revere Business Industry Classification System (RBICS), which breaks down companies' revenues according to the products and services they provide, offering a granular view into how firms and sectors are likely to be impacted by COVID-19 developments.

"Strong policy development relies on strong data," said Alexandra You-Cappello, Senior Vice President and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, FactSet. "Tracing relationships across sectors, companies, and supply chains is a challenge in any market, much less one as interconnected as the EU's. We are seeing rising demand for data that can reveal connections and flag potential risk; risk analysis overall is changing before our eyes as a result of the pandemic."

"The European Commission is committed to evidence-based policy discussion and design," said Josefina Monteagudo, deputy head of the Economic Analysis unit at the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs. "The data we are acquiring from FactSet will help us better understand how supply chains are connected across Europe and the Single Market."

About the Directorate-General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

The Directorate-General; coordinating the EU position and negotiations in the international intellectual property rights (IPR) system; and assisting innovators on how to effectively use IP rights.

About FactSet

FactSet. Learn more at www.factset.com and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/factset .

FactSet

Media

Jennifer Berlin

+1 617 330 4122

jennifer.berlin@factset.com
Arab states continue to have mixed reactions to the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar reiterated support for a two-state solution to the United States today while Egypt said it backs the agreement.

Qatars ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met with President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner in Doha on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Al Thani voiced support for a just settlement of the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution to the conflict, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

Qatars leader also said the Gulf country continues to back the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls on Israel to withdraw to its borders from before the 1967 war in exchange for diplomatic recognition from Arab states.

Qatar has been the target of an embargo by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt and is therefore less likely to follow the UAE lead. In 2017, the four countries closed their airspaces and sea routes to Qatar, alleging that Qatar supports terrorism because of its support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised the Israel-UAE deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, according to the state-owned Al-Ahram news outlet.

Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab states to recognize Israel besides the UAE. Egypt and the UAE are allies on many regional issues, including the war in Libya.

Egypt and Qatars reactions highlight the mixed views of Arab governments toward Israel and differing alliances in the region.

The Israeli and Omani foreign ministers spoke by phone in August amid speculation Oman will be the next Gulf country to recognize Israel. Bahrain, an ally of the UAE and also rumored to be considering a deal with Israel, declared its support for a two-state solution following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos August visit.

The United States is also trying to get Sudan to recognize Israel, but the countrys transitional government has signaled it is not ready to do so, despite recent contact with Israeli leaders.

For their part, Palestinian leaders are currently conducting a strong diplomatic campaign to prevent further Arab countries from recognizing Israel. The Palestinian Authority feels further recognition harms prospects for an independent Palestinian state. There has been criticism of the UAEs decision throughout the Arab world.
New Zealanders are within a percentage point of legalising and taxing cannabis, according to a new poll six weeks out from a referendum on the matter.

News outlet Stuff reports support for the Yes and No campaigns in the 'reeferendum' is split at 49.5 per cent each, with one per cent saying 'don't know'.

The No campaign, which aims to keep the status quo, has an edge when just registered voters are counted, leading 50.8 per cent to 48.4 per cent.

New Zealanders are within a percentage point of legalising and taxing cannabis, according to a new poll six weeks out from a referendum on the matter (file picture)

The vote is being held alongside a similar referendum on euthanasia at the national election on October 17.

Voting and being on the electoral roll is optional in New Zealand.

The new poll, of 1,300 voters, shows the closeness of the debate.

Each survey conducted by pollsters aligned with major TV network polling has put the prohibitionist campaign ahead, while most online polls show the opposite.

Jacinda Ardern is sitting on the fence on the issue, refusing to be drawn on which way she will vote, and with a surprisingly blank history on the topic.

The vote is being held at the behest of the Greens, which made the referendum a condition of their support for Jacinda Ardern's Labour-led government back in 2017.

Ms Ardern is sitting on the fence on the issue, refusing to be drawn on which way she will vote, and with a surprisingly blank history on the topic.

That's drawn the ire of campaigners, hoping the country's most popular politician might intervene to tip the ballot their way.

Labour has offered its MPs a conscience vote while opposition National MPs are all voting against it.
Weapons that were confiscated during the sweep. (Seattle Police Department)

Seattle Police Find Spikes, Machete, and Makeshift Shields During Park Cleanup

Seattle police discovered spike strips, weapons, and numerous homemade shields inside tents at a park in the Capitol Hill area on Tuesday.

The department said in a statement that workers were repairing a structure that was damaged in Cal Anderson Park and were also removing garbage that was left behind after the park was closed on June 30.

Protesters and far-left activists had occupied the park in August, according to the Capitol Hill Seattle blog. The park had been vandalized after it was closed.

But when officials cleaned out a tent in the park, they found a number of weapons, said the police department.

They found a machete, hatchet, homemade spike strips, an unexploded mortar, and wooden shields. The items were taken as evidence, and no arrests have been made as authorities investigate.

The park is located within the area known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), or the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ)formed by far-left activists in early June in the wake of George Floyds death in Minneapolis. The autonomous zone was eventually shut down after reports of violence and two fatal shootings. Officers also returned to the abandoned East Precinct building.

Last week, agitators targeted the precinct building again, allegedly trying to set the building on fire with people inside. Concrete barriers were also spotted being placed around the building following the alleged arson incident.

The Seattle Parks agency said that the park and park facilities have been repeatedly vandalized throughout the closure, adding that on Aug. 14, police removed people who had broken into a city facility (the shelterhouse) within the park.

Police removed dozens of makeshift shields from the tents. (Seattle Police Department)

Parks staff were on site to remove belongings and store any materials collected. In the days following, individuals returned to the closed park and have again broken into the locked city facility, the department wrote in a statement.

In August, Seattle police received about two dozen 911 calls about bonfires, garbage fires, and requesting medical assistance within Cal Anderson Park, the parks department said.

Residents living nearby have reported breathing issues as a consequence of smoke from the illegal fires and the types of items burned, the agency said. Due to firefighter safety and access issues, firefighters have been unable to safely respond to extinguish the illegal burns.

Police also cleared homeless camps that were set up inside the park in recent days, MyNorthWest reported.

Seattle police officials told the local news website that they were aware of at least seven arrests, including three for assault, three for trespassing, and one for a felony warrant.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Wednesday, September 2, that Tropical Storm Nana would likely become a hurricane before making landfall in Central America tonight.

The NHC warned that Nana could bring a dangerous storm surge to the coast of Belize on Wednesday night and as much as 12 inches of rain. The storm system, which was forming south of Jamaica, was moving westward and expected to also affect Guatemala, southeastern Mexico, and the Yucatan Peninsula.

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Hunter Nick Underwood shared this video from a flight on Wednesday morning to the center of Tropical Storm Nana. He said though the storm was not terribly powerful, residents in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Yucatan should stay aware of NHC advisories.

A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning were in effect for the entire coast of Belize through Wednesday night. Credit: Nick Underwood/NOAA via Storyful
Imperial Valley News Center

Telecom Carriers Who Facilitated Hundreds of Millions of Fraudulent Robocalls to Consumers Shut Down

Washington, DC - The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered a consent decree imposing a permanent injunction barring two individuals and two companies that transmitted massive volumes of fraudulent robocalls from conveying any telephone calls into the U.S. telephone system, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

As alleged in a civil complaint filed earlier this year in United States v. Nicholas Palumbo, et al., spouses Nicholas and Natasha Palumbo of Scottsdale, Arizona, and their companies, Ecommerce National LLC d/b/a TollFreeDeals.com and SIP Retail d/b/a sipretail.com, received millions of fraudulent internet-based calls every day from other entities, often located abroad. Those calls were then transmitted, initially to other carriers within the United States and ultimately, to the phones of individuals. The defendants are alleged to have knowingly allowed numerous foreign-based individuals and entities to transmit fraudulent government- and business-imposter robocalls through defendants network and on to victims in the United States. These fraudulent robocalls included millions of calls impersonating the Social Security Administration, threatening the recipients of the calls with arrest or asset seizure if they did not immediately transfer funds to the caller. The defendants also sold U.S. telephone numbers to foreign entities, which were used as victim call-back numbers as part of massive robocalling fraud schemes, to give the impression that the fraudsters were located in the United States. These calls led to massive financial losses to elderly and other vulnerable victims throughout the United States.

The Department is committed to protecting vulnerable Americans, particularly Americas seniors, from those who seek to steal their hard-earned savings, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan Davis of the Department of Justices Civil Division. The Department will pursue not only those who place fraudulent robocalls, but also those who knowingly facilitate such calls. The Department recognizes the exceptional work of the Social Security Administration and Postal Inspection Service in investigating this case.

The consent decree is a milestone in protecting the public, especially elderly and other vulnerable persons, from predatory robocall schemes that can cause catastrophic losses to victims in this district and throughout the country, said Acting U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme.

We are pleased that all five companies named by the Department of Justice in this civil matter are now permanently enjoined from facilitating Social Security scam calls. The facts clearly show these companies, and their owners, knowingly did business with government imposter telephone scammers, resulting in financial and emotional harm to unsuspecting consumers, said Inspector General Ennis. I want to thank DOJs Consumer Protection Branch, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and our other law enforcement partners who provided assistance and support throughout this investigation.

In a written opinion issued in March of this year, the District Court found that, despite being warned more than 100 times of specific instances of fraudulent calls being transmitted through their network, the defendants never severed their business relationship with any entity they learned was associated with fraudulent call traffic prior to the United States filing of its lawsuit. The Court held that at the very least defendants failure to take meaningful action in response to these complaints demonstrates reckless indifference to the fraud they were enabling. Over time, it became increasingly clear that they knew or should have known the complaints evidenced a widespread pattern of fraudulent calls being transmitted over their network.

Under the terms of the consent decree entered today by the District Court, the defendants agreed to be permanently barred from, among other things, using the U.S. telephone system to: deliver prerecorded messages through automatic means, carry voice-over internet protocol calls destined for phones in the United States, and not to provide any U.S. phone numbers to other individuals or entities. In addition, the defendants are permanently barred from serving as employees, agents, or consultants to any person or entity engaged in these activities.

This case was handled by Trial Attorneys Ann F. Entwistle and Charles B. Dunn of the Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bonni Perlin and Dara Olds of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York, in coordination with the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Investigative support was also provided by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations El Dorado Task Force and U.S. Secret Service. The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission also provided pertinent data.
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The body of a man involved in a one-vehicle crash in Salem County last week was found in a creek two days later, according to the New Jersey State Police.

Troopers responded to an accident on northbound Interstate 295 in Oldmans Township around 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27.

They found a Toyota Tundra with heavy front-end damage from hitting a concrete barrier in the center median, NJSP Sgt. Philip Curry reported.

The vehicle was unoccupied and a search of the area turned up nothing.

The registered owner of the vehicle, Duff P. OConnor, 33, Swedesboro, was reported missing the following day.

On Saturday, the state police Marine Services Bureau searched the nearby Oldmans Creek, where OConnors body was found, Curry said. The interstate crosses over the creek.

OConnor was ejected from his vehicle, but its not known if he landed directly in the waterway or fell in the water, Curry said.

It wasnt clear Wednesday if his cause of death had been determined, but foul play is not suspected, according to police.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
Duchess Meghan of Sussex and Prince Harry. Photo: AP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a multi-year deal with Netflix (NFLX).

The deal, first reported by the New York Times, will see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex make exclusive documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows, and childrens programming through a new yet-to-be-named production company they have formed.

Netflix declined to provide a statement to Yahoo Finance UK but instead directed us to the statement in the New York Times.

Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope, the Royal couple said in a statement. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.

They added that Netflixs unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Markle, who became famous for her role in the TV drama Suits, has been publicly adamant that she has no plans to return to acting.

Netflix  stock to watch

Investors will be watching the stock closely over the next few days along with any rumours on how much the deal is worth.

Netflix has 193 million subscribers worldwide and added nearly 25.9 million net new subscribers worldwide in the first six months of the year.

Just one week ago, the Netflix share price rocketed to a near all-time high, closing at $547.53 (411.45) per share.

Chart: Yahoo Finance

The share price rise pushed its market capitalisation to around $241bn, following its promising second quarter earnings. Analysts expect it to generate almost $25bn in revenue this year.

Investors have also been particularly positive on the stock after a Piper Sandler analyst published a positive research note about the streaming giant. Through the groups proprietary consumer research arm, the biggest finding was that Netflix was the number one service people plan to keep post-pandemic.

Netflix has furthered its position as the go-to streaming option, the analyst said. [W]hile we recognise some of the record-setting sub adds were pulled forward, we also believe the trend was an acceleration of an ongoing shift from broadcast TV to streaming.

Once more details of the deal emerge, stock watchers will be seeing if Harry and Meghan have the Joe Rogan Effect.

Earlier this year, Spotify (SPOT) shares surged after it announced it had signed an exclusive deal with one of the worlds biggest podcasts  The Joe Rogan Experience. It ended up pushing the market capitalisation to its highest point in nearly two years to over $35bn.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Government blocks 118 Chinese mobile apps, taking the total tally so far to 224

Fresh list of blocked apps includes popular game PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE

Government of India invokes Section 69A of the Information Technology Act

Government says these apps are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order"

Following the ban of Chinses apps over the last couple of months, the Government of India has now blocked another 118 mobile applications including PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE. In a statement on Wednesday, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said the blocked apps are engaging in activities which are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

ALSO READ: Why India banned PUBG Mobile

ALSO READ: India bans PUBG and 118 Chinese apps

"There has been already an anticipation of a follow-up list to the already blocked apps. From this list the ban of PUBG will be widely discussed and will break hearts of many active gamers in India. We expect a greater outrage than what happened when TikTok was banned," says Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research. "These apps have been banned in India citing privacy and security concerns. The press release cites data harvesting practices, permission sought, information posted and functionality embedded in these apps as reasons to ban the apps and we think this development doesn't happen overnight and it might have been in the monitor list for long."

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India invoked the power under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats. Using the sovereign powers, the Government of India has decided to block the usage of certain apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.

According to the press statement issued, MeitY has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.

ALSO READ: PUBG ban in India triggers memes fest on Twitter

"While the grounds for blocking the additional apps are identical to the grounds for the earlier ban, to ensure that Chinese owned app companies in India are not unduly vexed, the government needs to unambiguously define its expectations so that it can be followed by app companies to avoid being blocked. This would set a compliance threshold, which is transparent and would significantly improve the ease of doing business in India for app companies, which have either ultimate ownership control traced to a Chinese entity," says Akash Karmakar, a partner with the Law Offices of Panag & Babu.

"Over two months have elapsed since the previous blocking actions of the Indian government, and over a month has elapsed since the deadline for responding to the government's 77-question checklist. What is conspicuous by its absence is clarity on whether responding to the queries to the government's satisfaction would result in un-blocking of the apps banned earlier, and what timeline can be expected for any decision in this regard," he further says.

The list of blocked apps include:

1. APUS Launcher Pro - Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart

2. APUS Launcher - Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps

3. APUS Security - Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner

4. APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020 - Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus

5. APUS Flashlight - Free & Bright

6. Cut Cut - Cut Out & Photo Background Editor

7. Baidu

8. Baidu Express Edition

9. FaceU - Inspire your Beauty

10. ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals

11. CamCard - Business Card Reader

12. CamCard Business

13. CamCard for Salesforce

14. CamOCR

15. InNote

16. VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing

17. Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster

18. WeChat reading

19. Government WeChat

20. Small Q brush

21. Tencent Weiyun

22. Pitu

23. WeChat Work

24. Cyber Hunter

25. Cyber Hunter Lite

26. Knives Out-No rules, just fight!

27. Super Mecha Champions

28. LifeAfter

29. Dawn of Isles

30. Ludo World-Ludo Superstar

31. Chess Rush

32. PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik

33. PUBG MOBILE LITE

34. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

35. Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon

36. Dank Tanks

37. Warpath

38. Game of Sultans

39. Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos

40. Smart AppLock (App Protect)

41. Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team

42. Hide App-Hide Application Icon

43. AppLock

44. AppLock Lite

45. Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner

46. ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online

47. ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app

48. Music - Mp3 Player

49. Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

50. HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera

51. Cleaner - Phone Booster

52. Web Browser & Fast Explorer

53. Video Player All Format for Android

54. Photo Gallery HD & Editor

55. Photo Gallery & Album

56. Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download

57. HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama

58. HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera

59. Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer

60. Gallery HD

61. Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer

62. Web Browser - Secure Explorer

63. Music player - Audio Player

64. Video Player - All Format HD Video Player

65. Lamour Love All Over The World

66. Amour- video chat & call all over the world.

67. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community

68. MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor

69. APUS Message Center-Intelligent management

70. LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers

71. Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-

72. Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games

73. Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games

74. Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game

75. Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage

76. GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji

77. U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate

78. Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style

79. Tantan - Date For Real

80. MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen

81. Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat

82. Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles

83. Alipay

84. AlipayHK

85. Mobile Taobao

86. Youku

87. Road of Kings- Endless Glory

88. Sina News

89. Netease News

90. Penguin FM

91. Murderous Pursuits

92. Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology

93. Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese

94. HUYA LIVE - Game Live Stream

95. Little Q Album

96. Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords

97. Hi Meitu

98. Mobile Legends: Pocket

99. VPN for TikTok

100. VPN for TikTok

101. Penguin E-sports Live assistant

102. Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices

103. iPick

104. Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie

105. Parallel Space Lite - Dual App

106. "Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC

107. MARVEL Super War NetEase Games

108. AFK Arena

109. Creative Destruction NetEase Games

110. Crusaders of Light NetEase Games

111. Mafia City Yotta Games

112. Onmyoji NetEase Games

113. Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games

114. Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded

115. Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games

116. Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games

117. Soul Hunters

118. Rules of Survival

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm India's sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens, MeitY said in its statement.

On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above stated Apps raise serious concerns that these Apps collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the State.
The Flights of Honor display is new this year, Parr said, and honors the 3,500 participating veterans from 385 communities across Nebraska who participated in 13 Flights of Honor organized during the past 11 years by Patriotic Productions.

These are similar to the Hero Flight program that has been popular in Hall County. Last October, Hall County sponsored its 10th Hall County Hero Flight. There were veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War era on the flight. They spent three days in Washington, D.C., seeing the various memorials honoring our countrys veterans. As with every trip, they returned home to a heros welcome at the airport.

The Flights of Honor display highlights the various trips to Washington that Nebraska veterans have made during the years.

It is in recognition of those veterans who were able to make the fight, Parr said. It shows and tells a lot about how important that trip was for those veterans.

With the addition of the Flights of Honor exhibit at this years fair, she said, we wanted to pay homage to our veterans and those who fight for our freedoms. It is something we can do all 11 days of the fair.
White House adviser Jared Kushner has kicked-off a trip to other Gulf capital to seek more Arab support for the normalisation of ties with Israel. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trumps son-in-law accompanied an Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi for formally finalising UAE-Israel ties after the two countries agreed to a historic deal.

Arab nations have been demanding a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, which has been a major obstruction for the normalisation of ties. However, Kushner indicated that other Arab countries could soon follow the suit after Israel-UAE agreement, expressing hope that it will be within months.

Lets hope its months," Kushner was quoted as saying when asked about the next normalisation of ties with Israel.

Earlier, US National Security Advisor Robert OBrien had also said that more Arab and Islamic countries are likely to follow the lead of the UAE. While no Arab countries have publicly shown willingness to normalise ties with Israel, reports suggest that Oman and Bahrain might be the next countries heading in the direction. After holding talks in Abu Dhabi, Kushner flew to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and is also expected to visit Qatar.

Read: Israel, UAE To Open Embassies After Diplomatic Makeover: Here's All You Need To Know

Read: Hamas Reaches Agreement To End Latest Round Of Violence With Israel

Bahrain looks onboard with the deal

Bahrains state media had reported that Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa welcomed the initiative taken by the US to reach an agreement between the UAE and Israel which halted annexation of West Bank, the land claimed by Palestinians. Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa also reiterated the countrys commitment for a two-state solution to end Israel-Palestine conflict, during a closed-door meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo.

The United States recently brokered a deal between Israel and the UAE to normalise their bilateral ties, forcing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to temporarily suspend his plan of West Bank annexation. Pompeo said that the deal has been a boon to peace and regional stability as it heralds a new era.

Its a natural fit. And the support of the United States makes this, I think, something with international ramifications, he told a press briefing on August 24.

Read: Iran's Khamenei Says UAE-Israel Deal 'betrayal' Of Islamic World

Read: Ivanka Trump Shares Video Of First-ever Flight Between Israel & UAE; Husband Jared Onboard
Dingle welcomed a very special visitor this week when the sailing ketch 'Ilen' made a stop in the harbour as part of a voyage delivering cargo around the south and west coasts of Ireland.

The voyage from Baltimore to the Aran islands and back to Cork was motivated partly by the aim of demonstrating that sailing ships are still a viable, and environmentally sustainable, way of delivering cargo between the small ports that dot the coast of Ireland. She was due to arrive in Dingle next Saturday but with the weather changing for the worse the schedule was altered and at 8pm on Sunday evening the Ilen left the Aran islands, arriving in Dingle 12 hours later after a "pretty wild" passage through the Blasket Sound.

In Dingle, the Ilen delivered a couple of cases of Inis Cleire gin to Garvey's Supervalu, beer from Limerick's Treaty City Brewery went to a local pub and elsewhere they will deliver consignments of Limerick bacon and Ishka water. The quantities of cargo were small but the point was made that sail-powered deliveries still work, as long as nobody is in too much of a hurry.

The 56ft Ilen was built in Baltimore in 1926 and worked for 70 years as a cargo vessel transporting sheep and goods between the Falkland Islands off Argentina before she was brought back to Ireland 20 years ago. She has since been restored by a team led by Limerick man Gary MacMahon and is described as Ireland's only surviving wooden, sail cargo vessel.

The Ilen now serves as a community floating classroom and in that role crossed the Atlantic to Greenland last year - with West Kerry box player Breanndan Begley among the crew - as part of a project linking youth in Limerick City with their peers in Nuuk, West Greenland.

In the voyage currently being undertaken the Ilen's cargo ship heritage is being explored as a way of demonstrating that sailing ships are a viable alternative to deliveries by truck, which only became established in Ireland after the expansion of the road network in the 1920s and 1930s.

"This symbolic voyage is looking to educate people that we have a network of small ports around the coast and the islands, which were built in the 19th Century for this purpose, and can be used again for eco-trading," said Gary MacMahon.

"All over Europe, sail cargo deliveries are springing up and people are using the trade winds to travel to Madeira and the Caribbean, bringing back rum and coffee. Worldwide, eco-trading is a growing movement and serious design time is being put into designing full sized modern cargo ships that can harness the wind and reduce fossil fuel use and air pollution," he added.
BRUSSELS : It is hard enough developing a vaccine in record time to halt a global pandemic. But what if you need to print the instructions with every dose in Portuguese, Lithuanian and Greek?

Drugmakers are asking the European Union to loosen rules that require medicines sold in the bloc to include full documentation in 24 separate languages, worried that this could slow down the rapid deployment of hundreds of millions of doses.

"We need an early agreement from EU authorities on the language to be used on the packs and labels for COVID-19 vaccines," said Michel Stoffel, head of regulatory affairs at Vaccines Europe, which represents big vaccine makers including GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi and AstraZeneca .

He told Reuters the industry was pushing EU regulators to quickly choose one language for all 27 EU states for labelling, packaging and instructions on possible COVID-19 vaccines.

The EU's executive Commission promised in June it would temporarily soften language requirements for COVID-19 vaccines, but has not yet put forward a proposal. A spokesman said work was underway to be flexible without compromising on safety.

An EU official said Brussels was considering having printed information in a limited set of languages. Other versions would be available online.

An industry official said even that might be too difficult: labels may not have enough space for more than two versions.

Consumer groups say leaving any languages off of packaging could hurt patients, particularly those less capable of looking up details online.

"The urgency of getting a vaccine should not be an excuse for companies to cut corners on consumer protection," said Monique Goyens, the head of BEUC which represents major European consumer organisations.

The EU translates all its rules into all member languages. Commission staff use English, French and German as working languages.

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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack and poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government has said.

Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 and was taken to hospital in the Siberian city Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was transferred two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Mr Navalny had been poisoned.

Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement that testing by a special German military laboratory had now shown proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

It is a dismaying event that Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia, Mr Seibert said.

The German government condemns this attack in the strongest terms.

Mrs Merkel said Mr Navalny was the victim of an attempted murder by poisoning and the aim was to silence him.

She said there are very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer and must answer.

Germanys foreign minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador has been summoned and told that Berlin expects a full and transparent investigation.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

The nerve agent is a cholinesterase inhibitor, part of the class of substances that doctors at the Charite initially identified in Mr Navalny.

Expand Close Berlins Charite hospital can be seen behind the Reichstag (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP) / Facebook

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Germany demanded a response from the Russian government.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it had not been informed yet of Mr Navalny being poisoned with a nerve agent.

Such information hasnt been relayed to us, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state Tass news agency.

Mr Seibert said the German government would inform its partners in the European Union and Nato about the test results.

He said that it will consult with its partners in light of the Russian response on an appropriate joint response.

Germany will also contact the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he added.

Mr Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin rejected as empty noise.

 2020           ,      .  : pic.twitter.com/qG9HuPwtYX  Leonid Volkov (@leonidvolkov) September 2, 2020

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Mr Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Mr Putins name and a signature next to it.

The Russian doctors who treated Mr Navalny in Siberia repeatedly contested the German hospitals poisoning conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning as a diagnosis and that their tests for cholinesterase inhibitors came back negative.

In Charites latest update, the hospital said Mr Navalny was still in an induced coma but in a stable condition.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.

Western weapons experts say it was only ever manufactured in Russia.

After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the US, Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent after the Soviet Union collapsed, and that the Novichok used in the attack could have come from them.

Expand Close The Skripals were targeted in Salisbury (Ben Birchall/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Skripals were targeted in Salisbury (Ben Birchall/PA)

According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, there is no record of Novichok having been declared by any nation that signed the chemical weapons convention.

Britain has charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack, which left the Skripals in a critical condition and killed a local woman.

Russia has refused to extradite the men to the UK.

British police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and sprayed on the front door of Sergei Skripals house in Salisbury.

More than three months later, the bottle was found by a local man, 48-year-old Charlie Rowley.

He was admitted to hospital and his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents.
The top diplomat has claimed some 200 Ukrainian nationals have already deployed after passing training.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said a neighboring Belarus is being destabilized by "extremists" from Ukraine, an UNIAN correspondent in Moscow reports.

"Peaceful people (of Belarus) simply want to be heard, but we also see and know for certain the things that don't appear on newspaper pages, about the people to whom our reporters have no access, but who are very interested in these peaceful the protests plunging toward confrontation," Lavrov said.

"There's confirmed information that such efforts are being made from the territory of Ukraine  there's Stepan Bandera's Trident, C14, there's National Corps, and there is Right Sector. All these organizations are actively involved in provoking radical action in Minsk and other cities of Belarus," says Lavrov.

Read alsoU.S. considering sanctions if Russia intervenes in Belarus militarily  mediaThese people "finance relevant activities" and "incite promising extremist leaders."

According to Lavrov, according to the Russian Federation, these people "were trained in the appropriate camps in Dnipropetrovsk and Volyn regions."

"Some 200 extremists trained on Ukrainian territory are now in the Republic of Belarus," Lavrov has claimed.

He stated that those who are trying to "rock the situation" in Belarus and "clumsily flirting" with Minsk seek to "tear Belarus away from the Russian Federation and undermine foundations of the Union State."

"We will respond with dignity, firmly, based basis of facts, based on demands to cease any interference in this country's internal affairs and proceed from the fact that any issues should be resolved based on the Republic's Constitution," Lavrov said.

He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent interview said the presidential elections in Belarus were "valid".

According to Lavrov, Moscow also considers unacceptable any meddling in Belarus affairs or "annoying mediation services against the sovereign will of Minsk and the Belarusian people."

"We consider President Lukashenko's initiative to carry out constitutional reform a very promising one. We believe, and our contacts with Belarusian friends confirm this, that such a political process can become a useful platform for national dialogue and help overcome the current situation and ensure normalization and stabilization," said Lavrov.

Belarus protests: background
Telugu Desam Party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday slammed the YSRCP Government for 'unleashing' a reign of terror and its 'jungle raj' on all sections of people including the media in Andhra Pradesh.

Telugu Desam Party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday slammed the YSRCP Government for unleashing a reign of terror and its jungle raj on all sections of people including the media in Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Naidu held the Governments negligence and indifferent attitude responsible for the latest attack on a journalists house and also suspicious death of two Dalits in Punganur assembly constituency represented by Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy.

The TDP chief wrote a letter to AP Director General of Police Gautam Sawang here, registering his protest and concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state in all respects. He told the DGP that the journalist was targetted just because was he was writing investigative reports against sand mafia in the Ministers assembly constituency limits.

Also read: India gains advantage over China, forces capture key heights near S Pangong lake

Also read: Outrage over no question hour move, Oppn calls it an excuse to murder democracy

Mr. Naidu deplored that in the series of attacks on media, the latest blatant attack took place in broad day light on the house of Telugu daily journalist Venkat Narayana in Kanduru Panchayat of Somala Mandal in Punganuru assembly constituency. His house was attacked as he was reporting about sand mafia in and around Punganuru. It is alleged that the police are attempting to cover up the role of some attackers as they belong to the ruling YSRCP.

Mr. Naidu said recently, it was in the same Punganuru assembly constituency that there were two suspicious deaths of people belonging to Dalit community. They were identified as M. Narayana and Om Prathap. This highlights deteriorated law and order in the Punganuru assembly constituency, represented by Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy himself. Such attacks in broad day light against journalists like Venkat Narayana are proof enough of pathetic law and order situation in Punganuru constituency and in the State.

The TDP chief said that the media is the fourth pillar of the countrys vibrant democracy. If such attacks on journalists continue unchecked, it is Indias democratic framework that becomes the casualty in the long run. Further, such attacks are to be seen as anti-constitutional as they tend to deny freedom of express as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.

Mr. Naidu made a strong appeal to the DGP to take strong action against the perpetrators and most importantly to prevent any such incidents taking place in the State.

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Arrested drug peddler spills the beans, claims Rheas brother in touch with cartel
Editors note: The original version of this story contained quotes attributed to Mayor Tim Keller that were actually from Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair, and it included some direct quotes that should have been paraphrased. The story has been corrected. The revised article also omits incorrect information on the number of homicides so far this year compared to last year.

Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerques immigrant-friendly policies will not block the citys application for $9.7 million in federal grant money to hire 40 new officers and pay their salaries for three years, according to city officials.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Tuesday there is not an issue in the city applying for the grant money, which has been in doubt since earlier this year.

There is a hefty amount of messaging going on about these funds, Keller said.

U.S. Attorney John Anderson said he was a little surprised, given the mixed messaging from the city on the acceptance of the grant funding.

The funding is a critical component to the anti-violence strategy, Anderson said.

Keller said the city has about 1,000 officers and plans to meet the goal of 1,100 officers this year.

Sarita Nair, the citys chief administrative officer, said the grant would help offset the cost of the 100 additional officers.

She said the grant application will be sent to the City Council for approval because it requires the city to agree to continue to fund the officers hired under the grant after it expires.

The money from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services was offered to the city earlier this year after DOJ announced Operation Relentless Pursuit.

The grant pays for entry-level salaries for 40 police officers for three years.

The Relentless Pursuit initiative was replaced by Operation Legend after the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country. But the plan for that operation is essentially the same  25 federal agents will be sent to Albuquerque to beef up existing task forces focused on violent crime.

The grant money allows the city to hire more officers to replace veteran officers who are assigned to the federal task forces.

One of the main goals of Operation Relentless Pursuit, now Operation Legend, is to increase the ability to prosecute cases in federal court by increasing the number of federal agents and local police assigned to the FBIs Violent Crime Task Force.

The sticking point appeared to be a few sections of a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Department of Justice that deal with immigration.

For instance, the memorandum of understanding the city must sign allows for an audit of city employee forms to determine whether the workers are legally in the United States.

Another section requires the city to share immigration information it collects, but the city doesnt collect such information, so it has nothing to share.

There was no requirement in the grant application that police officers inquire about a persons immigration status during the normal course of their duties.

Nair said the city was able to confirm that its immigrant-friendly resolutions were consistent with federal requirements.

Normally, a COPS grants requires local governments to provide matching funds  a percentage of the overall grant  but the Department of Justice waived that requirement, according to Anderson.

The city doesnt have to put up a dime, Anderson said. The grant is considered a critical component to drive down violent crime.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Two police pursuits and multiple abandoned vehicles in a Los Lunas neighborhood led officers to arrest three men suspected of working in a chop shop operation, according to New Mexico State Police.

State Police spokesman Dusty Francisco said Johnny Lopez, 32, and Martin Jaramillo, 36, have been charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer.

Celso Molina-Cornelio, 39, the owner of the home and alleged chop shop, was charged with receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle.

On Aug. 14, Francisco said, officers arrested Lopez after he fled a traffic stop in a stolen vehicle and drove it to a home at 37 Carmel in Los Lunas. Jaramillo was arrested in a separate chase, although Francisco did not give any details on that incident.

He said officers learned multiple stolen vehicles were going in and out of the home on Carmel. They found three stolen vehicles that had been abandoned near the residence.

Francisco said that on Aug. 23, police arrested Molina-Cornelio at the home after finding a disassembled stolen vehicle on the property.

The stolen motor vehicle was missing the engine and transmission, and it had also been taken apart into seven different pieces, he said.

In all, Francisco said, officers recovered six vehicles in Los Lunas that had been reported stolen from the Albuquerque area and Valencia County.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-03 06:31:14|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Avdullah Hoti, the head of government of Kosovo, will meet in Brussels next Monday, the European Union (EU) external action service announced on Wednesday.

The second meeting in person between the two since the EU-facilitated peace process resumed in mid-July will address non-majority community arrangements and the settlement of mutual financial claims/property, according to a EU press release.

The dialogue will be hosted by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues Miroslav Lajcak.

Expert level meetings have been held regularly since the two sides met in Brussels on July 17 and agreed to continue the comprehensive dialogue aiming at normalization of the relations.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province. Enditem
Staff from St Monicas Nursing Home on Belvedere Place say the closures will put 200 staff out of work and lead to the loss of 160 beds from the healthcare system.

Members of the Forsa, INMO, and SIPTU unions have been campaigning for fair treatment since the closure of the three Sisters of Charity sites was announced.

Staff at Caritas Convalescent Centre, St Marys and St Monicas nursing homes say they have lost their livelihoods.

More than 20 workers gathered for a socially distanced protest on Wednesday, calling for the Sisters of Charity and the HSE to fund their redundancy payments properly.

Despite working in the public sector, the liquidators of each facility claimed the workers do not qualify for public sector redundancy payments.

Meeting striking workers at St Monica's Nursing Home - workers from St Mary's and Caritas in attendance too. These front line hero workers have been treated disgracefully @HSELive pic.twitter.com/fSo8pfsFLk Advertisement  Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) September 2, 2020

This was challenged in the Labour Court by the unions, with the court recommending the HSE and the Sisters of Charity engage with representatives to ensure that workers received public sector redundancy terms.

However, the recommendation has not yet been completed.

Sean McElhinney, Forsa assistant general secretary, said: Our members welcome the indication that the Sisters of Charity is scoping out the feasibility of releasing funds to compensate for job loss.

Nevertheless, some of the Sisters comments seem ambiguous.

We cannot allow a situation where the powers that be can use #Covid19 as some sort of cover to leave #FrontlineHeroes high and dry.



The Sisters of Charity workers, residents and their families deserve better. They deserve respect. #PayUpSisterspic.twitter.com/dAtWFQ8nHZ  Paddy Cole (@PaidiCole) September 2, 2020

In that context, we will welcome the protest as an opportunity to share our explicit expectation: that the recommendation of the Labour Court will be satisfied in its completeness and applied to all three facilities.

The HSE has also been named in the Labour Court recommendation. They too should be paying attention to our protest.

Our members are calling time on the apparent HSE avoidance strategy.

We are committed to bringing the HSE to the table. They must play their part in implementing the recommendation of the court.



The staff are hero front line workers, who have been treated disgracefully.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, who attended the protest, told the PA news agency: There needs to be urgent engagement with the HSE, workers representatives and the Sisters of Charity.

We are about to lose around 200-bed capacity. This is unthinkable when capacity is already overstretched and as we continue to endure a pandemic.

Those availing of services have been robbed of much-needed care and services. I am also conscious that for many long-term residents, this is about much more than just services  it has also been their home.

The staff are hero frontline workers who have been treated disgracefully. Politicians were quick to praise workers and applaud them during the pandemic.

But workers need more than empty gestures and need to see action taken to protect their rights.

I am in touch with the HSE, Taoiseach and Tanaiste on this issue and will be pushing for urgent action to resolve it.
We need support quickly, and if we need to do more we can come back, Mr. Mnuchin said.

But after Mr. Mnuchin and Ms. Pelosi spoke for 36 minutes by phone later Tuesday afternoon, the speaker said there continued to be between Democrats and the White House serious differences understanding the gravity of the situation that Americas working families are facing.

In a statement, Ms. Pelosi said she was open to compromise, but she detailed a list of pointed questions she had put to Mr. Mnuchin about the White Houses defiance of science and aversion to spending at the levels Democrats argue are necessary  suggesting she saw no reason to move further toward its position.

Does the White House think that Americas working families are not worth the investment needed to defeat the virus and the accompanying economic crisis? she said. Or would they rather spend the money another way?

While the Treasury secretary called on Congress to act, the chairman of the select subcommittee, Representative James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, scolded Mr. Mnuchin for the administrations handling of the pandemic and the recession and said the White House needed to find ways to help workers and businesses.

Todays hearing is a call to action, Mr. Clyburn said in his opening remarks. The most important step we can take to fix the economy in the long term is to get the pandemic under control. But American families are hurting now, and there are urgent steps the administration must take to prevent our nations economic crisis from becoming a catastrophe.

Mr. Clyburn challenged Mr. Mnuchin on President Trumps claims that the economy was roaring back, saying unemployment remained high and millions were still out of work.

Mr. Mnuchin acknowledged many workers had been sidelined and certain industries continued to struggle. But he said things were far better than many had expected in March, when the virus began to shutter large parts of the economy.
Nine injured as truck carrying migrant workers overturns downhill

PHUKET: Construction workers riding in the back of a truck while being transported home to their workers camp and their driver were injured after the truck swerved off the coastal road near Ao Yon yesterday evening (Sept 1) and overturned as it rolled down a steep roadside slope.

accidentstransportSafetyMyanmarconstructionpolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Wednesday 2 September 2020, 10:37AM

Debris from the truck lies high up the steep slope where the truck swerved off the road. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Rescue workers attend to one of the injured workers at the scene yesterday (Sept 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The truck came to rest at the bottom of the hill after overturning while rolling down the steep slope. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Rescue workers attend to one of the injured workers at the scene yesterday (Sept 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Among those riding in the truck was a young boy, the son of one of the construction workers.

Lt Col Narong Muangduang of the Wichit Police was called to the accident scene, on the Ao Yon  Khao Khad Rd, at 5.30pm.

Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived to find a white Phuket-registered Isuzu truck at the bottom of the roadside slope some 10-15 metres below where it had left the road.

Of the nine injured, one was deemed to have suffered serious injuries while three suffered moderate injuries. Five of the workers escaped being flung from the truck as it overturned with only minor injuries.

Four of the injured were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, and the remaining five injuries were taken to Phuket Provincial Hospital in Rassada.

The nine injured were named as Mr Aung Kyaw Moe; Ms Moe Moe Thin; Ms Nay Lin Nying;

Ms Zin Moe Oo; Mr Tun Tun Win; Mr Win Nying; Mrs Thin Thin Aye; Mr Je Zin Pure; and a boy named is Aow, age not reported but confirmed to be the son of one of the construction workers riding in the truck.

The truck driver, 33-year-old Myanmar national Je Zin Pure, told police that he was driving the workers from a construction at Ao Yon to their camp on Soi Pracha Ruamchai, located off the Khao Khad Rd, when the accident happened.

The front left wheel of the truck had left the road, causing the truck to swerve and sending it rolling downhill, he said.

Police confirmed that they are still investigating the accident and have yet to charge the driver.
Detroit police wrongfully arrested Robert Julian-Borchak Williams in January 2020 for a shoplifting incident that had taken place two years earlier. Even though Williams had nothing to do with the incident, facial recognition technology used by Michigan State Police matched his face with a grainy image obtained from an in-store surveillance video showing another African-American man taking US$3,800 worth of watches.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Detroit police wrongfully arrested Robert Julian-Borchak Williams in January 2020 for a shoplifting incident that had taken place two years earlier. Even though Williams had nothing to do with the incident, facial recognition technology used by Michigan State Police "matched" his face with a grainy image obtained from an in-store surveillance video showing another African-American man taking US$3,800 worth of watches.

Two weeks later, the case was dismissed at the prosecutions request. However, relying on the faulty match, police had already handcuffed and arrested Williams in front of his family, forced him to provide a mug shot, fingerprints and a sample of his DNA, interrogated him and imprisoned him overnight.

Experts suggest that Williams is not alone, and that others have been subjected to similar injustices. The ongoing controversy about police use of Clearview AI certainly underscores the privacy risks posed by facial recognition technology. But its important to realize that not all of us bear those risks equally.

Training racist algorithms

Facial recognition technology that is trained on and tuned to Caucasian faces systematically misidentifies and mislabels racialized individuals: numerous studies report that facial recognition technology is "flawed and biased, with significantly higher error rates when used against people of colour."

This undermines the individuality and humanity of racialized persons who are more likely to be misidentified as criminal. The technology  and the identification errors it makes  reflects and further entrenches long-standing social divisions that are deeply entangled with racism, sexism, homophobia, settler-colonialism and other intersecting oppressions.

How technology categorizes users

In his game-changing 1993 book, The Panoptic Sort, scholar Oscar Gandy warned that "complex technology [that] involves the collection, processing and sharing of information about individuals and groups that is generated through their daily lives  is used to coordinate and control their access to the goods and services that define life in the modern capitalist economy." Law enforcement uses it to pluck suspects from the general public, and private organizations use it to determine whether we have access to things like banking and employment.

Gandy prophetically warned that, if left unchecked, this form of "cybernetic triage" would exponentially disadvantage members of equality-seeking communities  for example, groups that are racialized or socio-economically disadvantaged  both in terms of what would be allocated to them and how they might come to understand themselves.

Some 25 years later, were now living with the panoptic sort on steroids. And examples of its negative effects on equality-seeking communities abound, such as the false identification of Williams.

Pre-existing bias

This sorting using algorithms infiltrates the most fundamental aspects of everyday life, occasioning both direct and structural violence in its wake.

The direct violence experienced by Williams is immediately evident in the events surrounding his arrest and detention, and the individual harms he experienced are obvious and can be traced to the actions of police who chose to rely on the technologys "match" to make an arrest. More insidious is the structural violence perpetrated through facial recognition technology and other digital technologies that rate, match, categorize and sort individuals in ways that magnify pre-existing discriminatory patterns.

Structural violence harms are less obvious and less direct, and cause injury to equality-seeking groups through systematic denial to power, resources and opportunity. Simultaneously, it increases direct risk and harm to individual members of those groups.

Predictive policing uses algorithmic processing of historical data to predict when and where new crimes are likely to occur, assigns police resources accordingly and embeds enhanced police surveillance into communities, usually in lower-income and racialized neighbourhoods. This increases the chances that any criminal activity  including less serious criminal activity that might otherwise prompt no police response  will be detected and punished, ultimately limiting the life chances of the people who live within that environment.

And the evidence of inequities in other sectors continues to mount. Hundreds of students in the United Kingdom protested on Aug. 16 against the disastrous results of Ofqual, a flawed algorithm the U.K. government used to determine which students would qualify for university. In 2019, Facebooks microtargeting ad service helped dozens of public and private sector employers exclude people from receiving job ads on the basis of age and gender. Research conducted by ProPublica has documented race-based price discrimination for online products. And search engines regularly produce racist and sexist results.

Perpetuating oppression

These outcomes matter because they perpetuate and deepen pre-existing inequalities based on such characteristics as race, gender and age. They also matter because they deeply affect how we come to know ourselves and the world around us, sometimes by pre-selecting the information we receive in ways that reinforce stereotypical perceptions. Even technology companies themselves acknowledge the urgency of stopping algorithms from perpetuating discrimination.

To date the success of ad hoc investigations, conducted by the tech companies themselves, has been inconsistent. Occasionally, corporations involved in producing discriminatory systems withdraw them from the market, such as when Clearview AI announced it would no longer offer facial recognition technology in Canada. But often such decisions result from regulatory scrutiny or public outcry only after members of equality-seeking communities have already been harmed.

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Its time to give our regulatory institutions the tools they need to address the problem. Simple privacy protections that hinge on obtaining individual consent to enable data to be captured and repurposed by companies cannot be separated from the discriminatory outcomes of that use. This is especially true in an era when most of us (including technology companies themselves) cannot fully understand what algorithms do or why they produce specific results.

Privacy is a human right

Part of the solution entails breaking down the current regulatory silos that treat privacy and human rights as separate issues. Relying on a consent-based data protection model flies in the face of the basic principle that privacy and equality are both human rights that cannot be contracted away.

Even Canadas Digital Charter  the federal governments latest attempt to respond to the shortcomings of the current state of the digital environment  maintains these conceptual distinctions. It treats hate and extremism, control and consent, and strong democracy as separate categories.

To address algorithmic discrimination, we must recognize and frame both privacy and equality as human rights. And we must create an infrastructure that is equally attentive to and expert in both. Without such efforts, the glossy sheen of math and science will continue to camouflage AIs discriminatory biases, and travesties such as that inflicted on Williams can be expected to multiply.

Jane Bailey is a professor of law and co-leader of The eQuality Project and Valerie Steeves is a full professor at the University of Ottawa. Jacquelyn Burkell is associate vice-president, research, at Western University.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
The 'brutal, violent' memoirs of one of the UK's most prolific gangsters - who remarkably turned his life around at the age of 40 - are set to be made into a 30million Hollywood film.

For 28 years, Stephen Gillen, 49, who was brought up in Belfast at the height of The Troubles and now lives in Windsor, was one of the most feared characters in the UK's criminal underworld, and describes recounting his own history as like 'galloping through hell on horseback'.

New book The Monkey Puzzle Tree documents in unflinching detail the cat-and-mouse encounters with the police and the Flying Squad that saw Gillen 'cheat death 100 times' before he was finally brought to justice for armed robbery in the early Nineties.

Forced to serve almost 20 years in Category A high-security prisons for his crimes, Gillen's dramatic and eerie redemption - after a ghostly encounter with his late aunt - saw him finally turn his back on his former life as a gang boss in London's East End.

Stephen Gillen 'cheated death 100 times' in bloody turf wars during 28 years as an East End gang boss; after serving 20 years in prison for his crimes, his memoirs reveal how he finally decided to stop holding grudges and turn his life around

Childhood horrors: Stephen, pictured left, was born in England but spent the first nine years of his life in Belfast during the height of the The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Right: by his mid twenties, the former East End gang boss had already served prison time

The 'profound' epiphany saw him go on to become an International Peace Prize Nominee, philanthropist and entrepreneur - who was once flown to New York to meet with the Secretary-General of the United Nations - as he now helps others to reform against gang life.

A childhood in Belfast's slums saw the seeds of brutality grow in Gillen, he says.

Despite the efforts of his Aunt Madge, who tried to protect him from the 'horrors' of The Troubles outside their front door, the reformed gangster says he frequently witnessed death and destruction as Northern Ireland's communities were at war.

As a seven-year-old, he watched a young man 'beg for his mother' as he bled to death in front of him after being shot on the street.

After moving back to England following his Aunt Madge's death, Gillen spent time with various foster families and was in and out of the care system. He had addiction problems, something he's clean of now, from his early teens.

His unsettled upbringing saw him lured into a life of crime. He describes how 'anger had been my fuel, rebellion my guide. I had been forged with gritted hardness from the inside out'.

Back to his manor: Stephen pictured in London's East End, where teenage petty crime quickly escalated to major organised crime, during a life he describes as 'galloping through hell on horseback'

A life reformed: A ghostly encounter with his late aunt saw him finally turn his back on his former life as a gang boss in London's East End and Stephen hasn't looked back

By the time Gillen was just 10, he was already starting to dominate his peers on the council estates of London's East End, and would be escorted back to the home he shared with his foster family after 'throwing stones or being where I shouldn't have been', the book reveals.

The screenplay of Gillen's life is being written by Kieran Suchet, son of broadcaster John Suchet and nephew of David, best known for his role as Agatha Christie's Poirot, and looks set to bring the violence Gillen experienced to screen.

A particularly bloody encounter in the book sees Gillen faced with 'rivers of blood' from his own head after a deep slice to the side of his head following a turf war fight in Camden.

Despite the severity of his injury - his head 'spun like the final cycle of a washing machine' - a shirtless Gillen said vengeance was all he cared about in a city where 'you had to eat or be eaten'.

Elsewhere Gillen plays out some of the major crimes he's been involved in during decades as a gang boss, including listening in as police helicopters chase stolen Securitas vans containing thousands of pounds - and watching his closest criminal confidantes come unstuck as the police successfully honed in on them.

The screenplay of Stephen's book is being written by Kieran Suchet (right), whose father is respected broadcaster John Suchet and uncle David known for playing Agatha Christie's Poirot

His past catches up with him; Gillen describes how he eventually meets the father of the young man whose life he watched ebb away while getting caught up in the riots.

Gillen describes how he notices the man has missing digits as he reveals he was struck by a letter bomb: 'He took his hand from his pocket and rubbed the slight stubble on his skin, and I saw he had only three fingers.

'A claw-like hand with two smooth stumps where once there had been active moving fingers.'

He also speaks of watching 'a few people murdered' in front of him and 'unspeakable acts of cruelty' in prison, where there is a hierarchy with 'top villains, gangsters, importers and terrorists' at the top, and grudges could last 'for decades'.

During his time in Full Sutton Prison, Gillen recalls how he and his friend Shane, both 'tooled up' with two homemade knives, confronted a group of four violent inmates to assert their authority.

After hitting rock bottom while in a segregation unit reserved for high risk, disruptive inmates, Gillen says he believes he was visited by the spirit of his late Aunt Madge, who helped bring him up as a child

As a Category A prisoner, Gillen told how he was moved around the country, and would sometimes arrive where he had friends, and other times, the jail would be 'full of your enemies'.

'I even saw the prison service move people into serious circumstances on purpose,' he writes in the book. 'The bitter years of high security imprisonment had battered and clawed away my emotions, ripped and torn them like a thief in the night. My humanity had been stolen. Anger had been my fuel, rebellion my guide. I had been forged with gritted hardness from the inside out.'

After hitting rock bottom while in a segregation unit reserved for high risk, disruptive inmates, Gillen says he believes he was visited by the spirit of his late Aunt Madge, who helped bring him up as a child.

The spiritual encounter offered a full stop on his life of crime, as he vowed to let go of the grudges that had led him to gang violence.

The Monkey Puzzle Tree by Stephen Gillen is published by Filament Publishing on September 2.


An independent presidential candidate for the 2020 polls, Marricke Gane is calling for an overhaul of the 1992 Constitution.

According to him, the world has evolved thereby making the 1992 constitution lose its relevance.

We have a constitution that has not grown at the rate at which the people have evolved. We have a constitution that has not evolved at the rate at which businesses it is trying to organise have evolved. We have a constitution that has not grown at the rate in which the world in which we live in has evolved. So Ghanas constitution needs to be overhauled to provide leadership with the mindset required for the countrys growth, he said on Face to Face on Citi TV.

Mr. Gane further made a specific call for the amendment of the 40-year age requirement for presidential aspirants.

He insisted that most of the developing and developed countries have youthful leaders.

He explained that the evolution of the world requires the involvement of youth in leadership positions.

We've always said wisdom is connected to age but that sentiment has changed. You can find a kid today who very is plugged in more than somebody who is twice or thrice his age.

I think at the time it was set, it was reasonable but I think demography is changing, the rate of absorption of knowledge is changing and so some of these things do need to change. I would say that something from [the age] 37 is reasonable and will make a lot of difference.

The world is moving in a totally different direction and it takes a certain kind of mindset to either move in that direction or move ahead of it and you will find that mindset in a lot of young people, and we have to start grooming our young people and position them to be ready for the future because the truth of the matter is that the future is going to come no matter how you look at it, he added on Face to Face.

Vote for me; I have integrity, proven track record

During the interview, Mr. Gane also called on Ghanaians to vote for him in the upcoming 2020 presidential polls .

He argued that he has integrity and a proven track record of accountability to lead Ghana as its president.

I'm offering a choice that political parties have not been able to deliver and its because the political parties have treated the business of running the state as though they are running their political parties and family businesses. So when somebody messes up, they just pull the person back without punishing the person. We've seen this happen over and over again, he said.

 citinewsroom
Executives of social media giant Facebook were questioned on Wednesday by an Indian parliamentary panel after allegations of bias on how the companys in-house policies for regulating hate speech were applied on the platform.

The panel called Facebook Indias representatives after a report in the Wall Street Journal newspaper alleged the company overlooked hate speech posts by leaders and right-wing Hindu groups affiliated with the countrys ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Wall Street Journal report accused Facebook of not applying its hate speech rules to anti-Muslim rhetoric, and provided examples of when posts were not removed even after being flagged.

Facebook has denied any bias, and said it is a non-partisan platform.

We take allegations of bias incredibly seriously, and want to make it clear that we denounce hate and bigotry in any form, Facebook India Director Ajit Mohan said in a statement soon after the controversy broke.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology was not open to the public or media.

The parliament secretariat said the panel would hear the Facebook representatives views on safeguarding citizens rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms.

The panel is chaired by Shashi Tharoor, a member of the opposition Indian National Congress.

ALSO READ: Facebook removes Trump campaign ads featuring Nazis symbol

The row has led to a political slugfest in India, with the BJP also accusing Facebook of bias against it.

With 346.2 million users in India in 2020, Facebook sees the country as one of its most promising markets.

In 2015, the platform had 135.6 million users, according to online business data platform Statista. (dpa/NAN)




TOKYO, Sept 2, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced that Hitachi Elevator Asia Pte. Ltd. (Hitachi Elevator Asia) has successfully clinched another large contract for the supply and installation of lifts from the Housing & Development Board (HDB) of the Republic of Singapore (Singapore). Hitachi Elevator Asia has been awarded the 30th term contract to supply and install another 300 lifts at HDB blocks in Singapore. This is the largest single contract for Hitachi group for the second time; the first was the 28th term contract(1). Hitachi Elevator Asia aims to maintain their position among the top 3 in the new installation market of Singapore with the contribution of this contract in FY2020."We are honoured by HDB's continued confidence in our people, our lifts and our services," said Victor Sia, Managing Director, Hitachi Elevator Asia. "We are proud to extend our relationship with HDB with this latest contract and look forward to providing services for the people in the years to come."Hitachi Elevator Asia was awarded the 28th term contract in 2019, which was the largest single order for the Hitachi group's lifts and escalators business in Singapore at the time (1). Apart from HDB blocks, Hitachi Elevator Asia has also provided lifts, escalators and moving sidewalks for major facilities and buildings like the National University of Singapore, Changi International Airport and Guoco Tower, the tallest building in Singapore. In 2019, an advanced lift remote monitoring and maintenance service was introduced in Singapore, where real-time operational data about the lifts and implementation of preventive maintenance are provided(2).Moving forward, Hitachi will continue to broadly use cutting-edge digital technology, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and globally provide safe, secure and comfortable elevators and escalators as well as services that help resolve customers' issues in urban spaces to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.(1) News release dated May 19, 2020 titled "Hitachi Awarded Contract to Supply, Install 300 Lifts at HDB Blocks in Singapore"(2) News release dated September 26, 2019 entitled "Hitachi to Commence Initiatives to Establish a Full-Fledged Global Lift Remote Monitoring and Maintenance Service"About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focused on its Social Innovation Business that combines information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and products. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2019 (ended March 31, 2020) totaled 8,767.2 billion yen ($80.4 billion), and it employed approximately 301,000 people worldwide. Hitachi drives digital innovation across five sectors - Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT - through Lumada, Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation. Its purpose is to deliver solutions that increase social, environmental and economic value for its customers. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.About Hitachi Elevator Asia Pte. Ltd.Hitachi Elevator Asia Pte. Ltd., renamed in 2010, was established in 1972 as Hitachi Elevator Engineering (S) Pte. Ltd. The company is well recognised for its quality products and high service standards, having installed lifts and escalators for residential, hotel and office buildings. The company leverages on its talented team and proven experience in global markets to bring high-quality innovations, reliable technologies and efficient production processes to our customers. For more information on Hitachi Elevator Asia, please visit the company's website at http://www.hea.hitachi.com.sg.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Inside the store, deputies found a man on the floor. It wasnt immediately clear whether the man had any visible injuries; the East Joliet Fire Department took the man to an area hospital where he later died. Authorities identified him as Zachary Stohr, 29. It was not known whether Stohr worked at the store or if he was a customer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently focused on another suspect, who is only 17 years old, who may be responsible for hacking the social media platform Twitter in July that compromised several dozens of high-profile accounts.

17-year-old mastermind

Florida officials said that 17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark is being accused of playing the mastermind behind the social media hack that targetted the accounts of politicians and business leaders, including former United States President Barack Obama and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

According to Fox News, the alleged scammers powered through the accounts' security and sent out tweets that made it seem like the wealthy individuals were asking for donations to be sent through bitcoin. However, the ruse was so that they could amass their own fortune where they took home more than $100,000.

Authorities believe that the 17-year-old suspect played a vital role in the attack compared to his associates. FBI agents allegedly searched Clark's residence in Massachusetts, where his parents also lived on Tuesday. The case could potentially be transferred over to Massachusetts authorities to who has the power to charge minors as adults.

On July 31, authorities also charged two other individuals concerning the crime; 22-year-old Nima Fazeli and 19-year-old Mason Sheppard. The FBI said their investigation was still ongoing and that so far, only the three suspects have been charged.

A special agent in charge with the FBI, John Bennett, said that while investigations into cyberattacks could take years, investigators have successfully discovered the three hackers and brought them into custody in only a few weeks.

A spokeswoman for the bureau revealed that while only three suspects have been charged so far, the continuous investigations could result in more individuals being arrested and charged, as reported by The New York Times.

Also Read: Twitter Accounts Get Massive Cyber-Breach for Cryptocurrency Fraud Including Musk, Gates, Obama

Specialized account hackers

Cybersecurity experts said that the three suspects were part of a loose-knit community of hackers who specialize in taking over accounts. The criminals use a method known as SIM-swapping and are known to frequently target telecom companies to compromise the phone numbers of their victims and steal their login credentials.

The three hackers focused on employees of the social media platform Twitter. They got hold of their account credentials, giving them access to the site's internal system and gaining the power to reset passwords of nearly all of the platform's users. Some accounts, including US President Donald Trump's, have an extra security layer to prevent hacking attempts.

The chief research officer of the security firm Unit 221B, Allison Nixon, said that the suspects were trained to be efficient at what they do and conduct their attack creatively using unconventional methods.

Usually, hackers set their sights on financial fraud, but the recent compromise of political figures could attract new and more wicked customers, said Nixon.

Nixon said that one thing that worries her is that these criminals will have more opportunities to deal with nefarious customers with the added capability of breaching high-profile political accounts.

Twitter officials released a statement thanking law enforcement in their swift and decisive actions and said it would be willing to continue cooperation with local authorities to further the investigations.

Related Article: Fact Check: Is Ellen DeGeneres Dead? Famous Host's Death Trending on Twitter

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Police may increase the use of Tasers and controversial spit hoods after a rise in reported assaults on officers in England and Wales.

A review by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said that all regional chief constables must consider increasing the availability of Taser, body armour, spit and bite guards, protective gloves and high-visibility clothing to proportionate levels.

Spit hoods have been used on several people who have died in police custody in both Britain and the US, while footage of their use in public in the UK has provoked outrage.

There is also concern about the disproportionate use of Tasers against black suspects, and safety warnings over a new and more powerful model being made available to forces.

The NPCC said it had also commissioned research to examine the causes of racial disparity in the use of Taser.

Amnesty International UK said that although Tasers can prevent injury and loss of life, it cant be stressed enough that they are potentially lethal weapons.

Oliver Feeley-Sprague, a member of the independent advisory group to the NPCC lead on Tasers, said: Tasers are linked to hundreds of deaths in the USA and a growing number in Britain, and weve always said that UK police forces needed to restrict their use to highly-trained specialist officers.

Police officers must undergo training before being issued with a Taser and are not allowed to use them unless they meet requirements.

A major survey of more than 40,000 police officers and staff in England and Wales, thought to be the biggest of its kind, found that three quarters of police officers want to deploy with Taser every day.

Nearly all officers said they thought more frontline staff in their force should be given the weapons, while similar proportions said they should all at least have the option of carrying stun guns.

Around three in five of those surveyed - 61 per cent - said that all frontline officers should be armed with Tasers.

Spit hoods are used to prevent prisoners from biting or spitting on officers (PA)

Martin Hewitt, chair of the NPCC, said they were not the answer to all violent and threatening situations.

In this review, we have followed the evidence, listened to the concerns of those within the service, and heard the views of the public, he added.

The review and the breadth of its recommendations show that there is no one piece of equipment that is the answer to all violent and threatening situations. Instead, chief constables have agreed a broad package of measures that will significantly enhance the safety of our brave and hard-working front line.

Kent chief constable Alan Pughsley, who is the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead on officer safety, stressed that Tasers had drawbacks.

They are fallible and they sometimes do not achieve operational intent, he told a press conference on Wednesday.

They can sometimes not work, leading to injuries to the officers, the public and the subject.

It should not be viewed as a guarantee of operational safety and officers should not become over-reliant on them. Verbal conflict management and other skills are vitally important.

The review cited research by the College of Policing and the University of Exeter that suggested that drawing a Taser might act as a deterrent to suspects.

It found that the odds of officers being assaulted were lowered when a Taser was drawn, but increased when it was discharged.

 Rapper Wretch32 shares video of 65-year-old father being tasered by Metropolitan police

The number of recorded attacks on police officers has risen in the past five years, and the latest figures show that assaults on emergency workers rose almost a third in July, compared with the same period last year.

Mr Hewitt admitted that police leaders had pushed very hard for effective reporting by officers, which may have contributed to the rise.

In the majority of cases there wont be a physical injury, it will be some other form of assault, he added.

The dramatic rise in recent months is believed to have been largely caused by deliberate spitting or coughing by people claiming to have coronavirus, which is recorded as assault.

In the survey, 88 per cent of officers said they had been assaulted during their career, with 39 per cent having been attacked in the past year.

The NPCC called for a number of legal changes, including the creation of a specific offence of targeting an officer with a vehicle, tighter laws around the possession of ammonia and similar corrosive liquids.

It also called for spitting and hate crimes to be considered as aggravating factors when suspects are brought to court for attacking officers.

The College of Policing said it would be introducing a national curriculum for safety training to improve consistency between different forces.

Che Donald, vice chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents more than 120,000 rank-and-file officers, said: Chief officers must now take swift action to implement all immediately, so they are meaningful, make a tangible difference and are directly felt by officers on the ground.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

This review must not become just another door stop and be forgotten about a year down the line. That would mean letting down my colleagues even further.

Along with the majority of the public, the federation is appalled by the atrocious levels of violence colleagues have faced recently and has been demanding action.

The government is currently consulting on doubling the maximum sentence for assaulting emergency workers.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, said: It is without doubt that our brave police do one of the most difficult jobs out there, putting their lives on the line and confronting violent situations every day to keep the public safe.

The increase in assaults on these brave men and women is simply unacceptable.
Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is scheduled to pay an official visit to Israel and Palestine today and tomorrow to meet with the prime ministers of the two countries and his counterparts.

According to Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE), Aurescu's schedule in Israel includes consultations with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabriel Ashkenazi, and meetings with President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Benjamin Gantz, Minister of Regional Co-operation Ofir Akunis, and the leader of the opposition and Yesh Atid-Telem party in the Knesset, Yair Lapid.Discussions with Israeli officials will focus on ways to develop and deepen bilateral relations of a strategic nature between the two countries, with emphasis on politics, economy and security to the benefit of Romania and Israel.At the same time, the officials will discuss in depth the latest developments in the region, especially the latest developments in the Middle East Peace Process.In Palestine, the schedule includes consultations with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riad Malki, and meetings with Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Minister of Labour and Social Development Ahmed Majdalani.Discussions will focus on the development and diversification of Romanian-Palestinian bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation as a concrete contribution to the institutional construction and development of Palestine.The officials will approach the latest regional and security events, focusing on the prospects for the Middle East Peace Process."We are at an extremely dynamic time in terms of developments in the Middle East. We have had an open and in-depth dialogue in recent months with both my Israeli counterpart, Gabriel Ashkenazi, and my Palestinian counterpart, Riad Malki in agreement with the traditional position of Romania, which has friendly and trusting relations with both sides," Aurescu was quoted as saying in a statement.According to him, his conversation with the Israeli counterpart will also include the start of preparations for a third joint meeting of the Romanian and Israeli national governments, "based on the excellent state of Romanian-Israeli relations, with strategic valences consolidated during the over seven decades of uninterrupted diplomatic ties.""In Palestine, I will highlight the interest in continuing and deepening our co-operation, including in generating the necessary substance for the proper organisation of the next meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental committee," Aurescu said.The Romanian minister says that both in Israel and in Palestine he will support "Romania's constant position in support of a lasting solution generated by the Peace Process based on the solution of two states coexisting in peace and security as the only viable option to meet the aspirations of both sides."
NASA

The International Space Station has a small leak.

The orbiting lab always leaks a tiny bit of air, but the rate increased recently.

Space-station crew members and data specialists have been looking for the source but not found it yet.

NASA said technicians should finish reviewing the data in "the coming days."

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A tiny bit of air always leaks from the International Space Station  but not quite as much as is leaking now.

Officials first noticed a leak last September, but they didn't do anything about it for nearly a year, since the leak wasn't major. Plus, station operations like space walks and crew exchanges kept crew members too busy to collect enough data about the issue.

Recently, however, technicians detected an increase to the already elevated leak rate. So NASA announced on August 20 that the three men aboard the station  NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner  would begin a hunt for the source.

That search is "taking longer than expected," NASA spokesman Daniel Huot told Business Insider last week.

Indeed, Huot said on Tuesday that technical teams were still reviewing the data collected by the crew. They've now ruled out most of the station's modules, Huot added, and should complete their review "in the coming days."

If specialists still can't pinpoint the leak after that, he said, they'll need a new action plan.

'No concern for crew or vehicle safety'

Usually, the little bit of air that the space station loses can be replaced by launching large highly pressurized tanks filled with nitrogen and oxygen up on resupply missions. But such tanks might not be able to replace air quickly enough if this small leak were to become major.

From left: Expedition 63 crew members Chris Cassidy, Anatoly Ivanishin, and Ivan Vagner. NASA

So on the weekend of August 22 and 23, the three crew members hunkered down in the space station's Zvezda service module, the section that provides its life-support systems, and closed the hatches between each of the other modules. From there, the crew members and teams on the ground monitored the air pressure in each section to figure out which is leaking.

Story continues

NASA originally thought US and Russian specialists would find the leak by the end of last week, though that didn't happen. The teams decided to spend an extra few days collecting data from the hatches after the initial weekend of monitoring, Huot said.

Still, he added, the leak is too small to be a threat to the crew or the station right now.

"The leak rate is still stable and well below the design specifications for the station and presents no concern for crew or vehicle safety," Huot said.

In the event of an emergency on the space station, the crew members could return to Earth via the Soyuz MS-16 spaceship that's docked there. In a less extreme scenario, the crew could also cut off the leaking module and isolate it.

The space station has sprung a leak before

This isn't the first leak on the station, nor the most frightening. In August 2018, crew members discovered a 2-millimeter drill hole in part of a Russian Soyuz MS-09 spaceship that was docked to the station at the time.

That hole seemed to indicate a manufacturing defect  it appeared that someone on Earth had attempted to plug the hole with paint, but that paint broke off after the Soyuz reached the space station.

Left: A hole that appears drilled into part of a Soyuz spacecraft at the International Space Station. Right: A patch made by the crew using epoxy. NASA via Chris Bergin/Twitter

In December 2018, two cosmonauts donned spacesuits and floated to the outside of the Soyuz ship to study the hole in detail. They spent nearly eight hours hacking away at the insulation with a knife to find and document it.

After that, the space-station crew successfully patched up the hole with an epoxy sealant.

Roscosmos has stayed relatively quiet about that incident.

"We know exactly what happened, but we will not tell you anything," Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said at a youth science conference in September 2019, according to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

Keith Cowing, the editor of the site NASA Watch, told the Houston Chronicle that he thought Roscosmos' secrecy stemmed from embarrassment.

But even that leak wasn't a major issue, he added.

"Nothing is perfect. All you can do is strive not to have anything happen," Cowing told the Chronicle. "The problem was found, it was remedied, it was fixed in short order, and no one's life was at risk."

Read the original article on Business Insider
D onald Trump branded Kenosha's Democratic mayor a "fool" ahead of arriving in the city to support the police.

The Wisconsin city saw days of violence after Jacob Blake was shot several times in the back by police.

The president defied requests from local leaders to stay away from Kenosha as he arrived on Tuesday morning to offering support for law enforcement.

Before boarding Airforce One to visit the city, Mr Trump took aim at mayor John Antaramian as he continues to point fingers at local Democrats for the ongoing civil unrest in US cities.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian / REUTERS

"I think a lot of people are looking at what's happening to these Democrat-run cities and they're disgusted," the president said.

"They see what's going on and they can't believe what's taking place in our country. I can't believe it either."

He cited reports that protesters had tried to break into Mr Antaramian's house.

Wisconsin, Kenosha: Jacob Blake Protests - In pictures 1 /21 Wisconsin, Kenosha: Jacob Blake Protests - In pictures REUTERS Law enforcement officers walk amidst tear gas during a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS Protestors run for cover as police shoots tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd during the demonstrations AFP via Getty Images Police clash with protesters in Kenosha on Monday night AP Flames roar from cars torched by protestors a few blocks from the County Court House AFP via Getty Images Protesters clash with officers during demonstrations against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha AFP via Getty Images Kenosha County Sherriff and police officers in riot gear form a line behind a burning truck during demonstrations against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin AFP via Getty Images A protester stands in a cloud of tear gas near a burning garbage truck outside the Kenosha County Court House AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AP

"I saw last night where these radical anarchists are trying to get into the mayor's house and lots of bad things were happening to this poor foolish, very stupid mayor. I mean how he can be mayor I have no idea," he said.

"They had tremendous numbers of people really harassing him horribly and I guess trying to break into his house and he still sticks up for them because he's a fool. Only a fool would stick up for them like that."

With the United States polarised over issues of racial injustice and police use of force, Mr Trump is appealing to his base of white supporters with a "law and order" message as opinion polls show him narrowing the lead of his Democratic rival, former vice president Joe Biden.

Wisconsin is a political battleground state that the Republican Trump won narrowly in 2016. He badly needs to keep the state in his column as he seeks re-election on November 3.

Donald Trump compares police shooting Jacob Blake to golfers missing a shot

The president visited a burnt-out furniture store that was destroyed in the upheaval and then a makeshift command centre to praise National Guard troops who are reinforcing local police.

"This ended within an hour," Mr Trump said, referring to the relative peace that followed the arrival of federal law enforcement officers.

"You have to be decisive, you have to be tough, and you have to be strong. And you have to be willing to bring people in," He added.

The state's Democratic governor and the city's Democratic mayor both urged Mr Trump to avoid Kenosha to prevent inflaming tensions and allow citizens to heal, but the president dismissed their appeals in order to show support for law enforcement and business owners whose stores were looted and set ablaze.

Mr Trump has sought to blame Democrats, calling them soft on the violence and property damage that has broken out at anti-racism protests since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis died on May 25.

The country was still reckoning with that case when a white officer in Kenosha fired seven shots at the back of Jacob Blake, 29, as he entered his car on August 23.

Kenosha has become one of the flashpoint cities where anti-racist demonstrators have clashed with Trump supporters who have converged on protest sites, sometimes openly carrying arms while vowing to protect property from looters.

A 17-year-old Trump supporter has been charged with killing two people and wounding another with a semi-automatic rifle in Kenosha.

Mr Trump defended the white teenager, who faces six criminal counts, and declined to condemn violence from his supporters.

But in Portland, Oregon, site of three months of nightly protests that have often turned violent, a Trump supporter was shot dead on Saturday and the president lamented that "they executed a man in the street."

Kellyanne Conway, a Trump adviser until Monday, said last week the president stood to benefit politically from the kind of unrest that erupted in Kenosha.
Hurricane Puts NREL Resilience Analysis Tool to the Test

Sept. 2, 2020

Hangars once used to keep aircraft out of the elements lie scattered across the Tyndall Air Force Base flightline, Oct. 10, 2018. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Alex Henninger

The devastating hurricane that struck northwest Florida in October 2018 proved an ideal case study for a risk assessment tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Prior to Hurricane Michael making landfall, the U.S. Department of Defense had tasked NREL with developing a means to identify hazards and threats to the energy grid, analyze risks to energy infrastructure, and identify and prioritize investments in making bases and installations more resilient. The Category 5 hurricane struck Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City with such force that 484 buildings were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

Natural disasters are unfortunate when they occur, but they put our findings and resilience solutions to the test, said Eliza Hotchkiss, technical group manager of the Resilient Systems Design and Engineering Group at NREL and co-author of the newly published paper, After the Hurricane: Validating a Resilience Assessment Methodology, which appears in the International Journal for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Vehicles at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, are reduced to smashed metal after Hurricane Michael made landfall on Oct. 10, 2018. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Alex Henninger

The initial assessment of vulnerabilities at Tyndall was completed two months before the hurricane. Kate Anderson, corresponding author of the paper, was among the researchers who returned to Tyndall seven months after the storm.

We saw large swaths of forest where all the trees had snapped cleanly in half, huge piles of debris as many buildings were demolished, and large hangars that typically housed F-22s, now covered in tarps after their roofs had blown off, said Anderson, manager of the Modeling & Analysis Group at NREL.

In addition to Hotchkiss and Anderson, other co-authors are Lissa Myers, Sherry Stout, Nick Grue, and Nicholas Gilroy, all from NREL; and Maj. Josh Aldred and Michael Rits from the Air Force Civil Engineering Center (AFCEC). AFCEC is based at Tyndall.

The Department of Defense must report on the most climate-vulnerable installations for each branch of service and improve the resilience of its infrastructure and grid by better accounting for extreme weather events and future sea-level rise.

Historically, resilience assessment efforts external to NREL provide insight into where vulnerabilities exist, but do not offer solutions. The methodology NREL developed in collaboration with AFCEC established a baseline, identified potential hazards, threats and vulnerabilities, and gave each a score to assess the highest risks. The tool also offers options to reduce the exposure or consequence of each vulnerability.

The 325th Maintenance Group's building on Tyndall Air Force Base was in ruins following Hurricane Michael, Oct. 10, 2018. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Alex Henninger

The return to Tyndall after the hurricane revealed new risks. The downed trees, the researchers noted, increased the possibility of both wildfire and flooding.

Hurricane Michael knocked out electricity across the base for about a week, but diesel generators were able to provide backup power. The analysis reported relying on a single type of fuel for backup generators and transportation could still pose a problem in future events and recommended vehicles using alternative fuels.

Because the hurricane hit before Tyndall could implement any of the recommended changes to reduce vulnerabilities, the effectiveness of the proposed mitigation actions could not be quantified. However, many of the suggested mitigation measures likely would have increased the bases resilience during Hurricane Michael. For example, having backup analog communication channels could have helped when cellular phones and VoIP service failed.

The Department of Defense funded the research. Learn more about NREL's partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-01 23:09:41|Editor: huaxia

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People carry plastic bags on a street in Reading, Britain, on Sept. 2, 2020. As part of its strategy to protect oceans from plastic waste, the British government has decided that all shops in the country must charge 10 pence (about 13 U.S. cents) for single-use carrier bags from next April. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)



LONDON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- As part of its strategy to protect oceans from plastic waste, the British government has decided that all shops in the country must charge 10 pence (about 13 U.S. cents) for single-use carrier bags from next April.

Doubling the current charge of five pence (about 6.5 cents), the new tax on plastic bags will apply to all small shops as well as major large supermarkets, the government said Monday.

Latest official statistics show the current levy has led to a 95 percent cut in plastic bag sales in the country's major supermarkets since 2015.

Currently, thousands of small corner shops do not have to charge for bags, but many do so on a voluntary basis.

It will take Britain closer to its ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste through a 25-year environment plan, said the government. Enditem
While Lanning's case was pending in Elma Town Court, the others came forward.

Prosecutors allege Lanning committed the following:

 Between June 6, 2019, and Sept. 19, 2019, he knowingly and falsely represented himself as a state trooper to gain the trust and personal information from a second victim with whom he was engaged in a personal relationship.

 In the summer of 2016, he forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with a third person. The woman alleged that Lanning falsely represented himself as a state trooper when she met him through an online dating site.

 In the winter of 2012, he forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse and forcible sexual conduct with a fourth person. That woman also alleged that Lanning falsely represented himself as a state trooper when she met him through an online dating site.

Lanning is scheduled to return to court Sept. 24 for an initial appearance before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges, who will preside over the case. He was remanded without bail.

Lanning faces a maximum possible sentence of up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Wed, September 2, 2020 13:50 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c422b586 1 National coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccine,clinical-trial,human-trial,pandemic,West-Java,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

The team of scientists conducting phase III clinical trials for a COVID-19 candidate vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech has announced that it will extend volunteer registration for the vaccine trials.

Team spokesperson Rodman Tarigan said 2,300 people had volunteered for the trial, exceeding the 1,620 initially targeted.

"We decided to extend the registration because we're worried some volunteers will not show up. It's also to anticipate volunteers who don't meet our criteria," Rodman told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said registration would remain open until 1,620 subjects had been injected with the candidate vaccine.

The clinical trials are conducted in six different locations in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, including four community health centers (Puskesmas) that are respectively located in Sukapakir, Garuda, Ciumbuleuit and Dago and in Padjajaran Universitys (Unpad) hospital and health center.

Rodman explained there were three stages of the trials. The first stage is called V0, where volunteers would be tested for COVID-19 using a polymerase chain reaction test and receive a clear explanation about the process from doctors. They would then sign an agreement to state their ability to be test subjects.

Read also: 'It's for humanity': Indonesians step up to volunteer in vaccine trials

In the second stage, which is called V1, subjects who tested negative for COVID-19 would be injected with the candidate vaccine. Two weeks later, in the third stage called V2, the subjects would receive the second injections.

The process will end six months after the first visit. During the period, blood samples will be taken three separate times.

The subjects are also required to report their health condition after the injections.

According to Rodman, since the start of the clinical trials, 248 people had been injected with the candidate vaccine, 21 of whom had received second injections.

"In general, they only reported sores around the injection area, without any fever. It's a very common reaction," he said.

Head of Unpads clinical trial team, Kusnandi Rusmil, said the team would focus on analyzing 540 subjects' blood samples to assess the vaccines efficacy, immunogenicity and safety.

"The remaining 1,080 samples will be used to discover the side effects of the vaccine," Kusnandi said.

"We expect to finish the trial for the 540 volunteers before December," he added. (nal)
Germany said that testing by a military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group' used in a 2018 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England

Berlin: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent that British authorities identified in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday.

The findings  which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement  are likely to increase tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the poisoning on Navalny attempted murder and said it was meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics.

The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains in a serious condition though he is improving. It said that it expects a long recovery, and it still cant rule out long-term consequences from the poisoning.

The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer, Merkel said. He was meant to be silenced, and I condemn this in the strongest possible manner.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He was transferred two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Navalny had been poisoned.

British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday and told in unmistakable" terms of Germany's call for the Navalny case to be investigated in full and with full transparency".

His British counterpart, Dominic Raab, said it was absolutely unacceptable that this banned chemical weapon has been used again".

He added that the Russian government has a clear case to answer and must tell the truth about what happened to Mr Navalny."

After the initial indications Navalny had been poisoned, multiple Western and European officials, including Merkel, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, called on Russia to conduct an investigation.

Russian authorities on Wednesday remained tight-lipped and appeared reluctant to comment on the politicians poisoning, with the Kremlin saying it hadnt been informed of the latest findings yet and the Foreign Ministry adding that they are still waiting for the German authorities to respond a formal request for information the Russian prosecutor generals office sent last week.

The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult with them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Russia itself should have a serious interest in good relations with its neighbors in Europe," said Maas, the foreign minister. "Now at the very latest, it is the time to make a decisive contribution toward this.

In an update shortly after the findings of the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Navalny is still in intensive care and remains on a ventilator. But it said that he continues to improve".

The hospital said that the chemical receptors in Navalnys nerves, which were blocked by the poison, were gradually returning to normal function, resulting in an improvement in his condition.

Recovery is likely to be lengthy, it said in a statement. It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.

Navalnys allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the countrys authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as empty noise".

To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one, Navalnys longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Putin's name and a signature next to it.

The Russian doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia have repeatedly contested the German hospitals poisoning conclusion, saying they had ruled out poisoning.

Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts say it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the US, Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.

Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isnt manufacturing Novichok-type agents.

Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed," Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King's College London, said. "It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.

Britain charged two Russians  alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU  in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.

British police believe the nerve agent was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and sprayed on the front door of Sergei Skripals house in the city of Salisbury in southwest England.

More than three months later, the bottle was found by 48-year-old Charlie Rowley. He was hospitalised and his girlfriend, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the contents.
MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov, who is charged with high treason.

The Lefortovo district court on September 2 ruled that Safronov must be held at least until December 7. The hearing took place behind closed doors as the case is classified.

The 30-year-old Safronov, who has worked since May as an adviser to the head of Russia's Space Agency (Roskosmos) Dmitry Rogozin, is a prominent journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti.

He was arrested on July 7 amid allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian arms sales in the Middle East.

Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets in Moscow and other cities demanding his release.

Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronovs release and expressing concerns over an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Mission Karmayogi, a national programme for civil services capacity building. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that officers and employees in government will get the opportunity to improve their performance with Mission Karmayogi.

"Mission Karmayogi is constituted to build future-ready civil service with right attitude, skills & knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. It focuses on competency led capacity building," said C Chandramouli, Secretary Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions.

He added, "Mission Karmayogi looks at a new national architecture for civil services capacity building. It focuses not only on the individual capacity building but on institutional capacity building and also on process."



"At present, there is a diverse and fragmented training landscape. There are inconsistencies in training priorities by various training institutions in various ministries; this has prevented shared understanding of India's developmental aspirations," he added.

"A civil servant should be imaginative & innovative, proactive & polite, professional & progressive, energetic & enabling, transparent & tech-enabled, constructive & creative in order to meet the challenges of the society," further added Chandramouli.

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said that Mission Karmayogi is an "endeavour to reincarnate a government servant into an ideal karma yogi to serve the nation. It will provide a mechanism for continuous capacity building and constant updating of talent pool".

"Earlier it was rule-specific, now it will be role-specific. There is now an institutionalised capacity building. Working of departments in silos is eliminated, training opportunities available for all," added Singh.

The programme will prescribe and monitor annual capacity building plans for all departments and services. The digital learning framework (IGOT-Karmayogi Platform) will provide anytime-anywhere learning to 2.5 crore civil servants.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved launching of a National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) with the following institutional framework:-(i) Prime Minister's Public Human Resources (HR) Council, (ii) Capacity Building Commission, (iii) Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating the digital assets and the technological platform for online training, (iv) Coordination Unit headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

Salient Features: NPCSCB has been carefully designed to lay the foundations for capacity building for Civil Servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian Culture and sensibilities and remain connected, with their roots, while they learn from the best institutions and practices across the world. The Programme will be delivered by setting up an Integrated Government Online Training-iGOTKarmayogiPlatform.

The core guiding principles of the Programme will be: supporting the transition from 'Rules-based' to 'Roles based' HR Management, aligning work allocation of civil servants by matching their competencies to the requirements of the post, to emphasize on 'on-site learning' to complement the off-site learning, to create an ecosystem of shared training infrastructure including that of learning materials, institutions and personnel, to calibrate all Civil Service positions to a Framework of Roles, Activities and Competencies (FRACs) approach and to create and deliver learning content relevant to the identified FRACs in every Government entity, to make available to all civil servants, an opportunity to continuously build and strengthen their Behavioral, Functional and Domain Competencies in their self-driven and mandated learning paths.

It also includes enabling all the Central Ministries and Departments and their Organizations to directly invest their resources towards co-creation and sharing the collaborative and common ecosystem of learning through an annual financial subscription for every employee, to encourage and partner with the best-in-class learning content creators including public training institutions, universities, start-tips and individual experts, to undertake data analytics in respect of data emit provided by iGOT- Karmayogi pertaining to various aspects of capacity building, content creation, user feedback and mapping of competencies and identify areas for policy reforms.



Objectives: It is also proposed to set up a Capacity Building Commission, with a view to ensuring a uniform approach in managing and regulating the capacity building ecosystem on the collaborative and co-sharing basis.

The role of Commission will be as under-

To assist the PM Public Human Resources Council in approving the Annual Capacity Building Plans.

To exercise functional supervision over all Central Training Institutions dealing with civil services capacity building.

To create shared learning resources, including internal and external faculty and resource centres.

To coordinate and supervise the implementation of the Capacity Building Plans with the stakeholder Departments.

To make recommendations on standardization of training and capacity building, pedagogy and methodology

To set norms for common mid-career training programs across all civil services.

To suggest policy interventions required in the areas of HR Management and Capacity Building to the Government.

The iGOT-Karmayogi platform brings the scale and state-of-the-art infrastructure to augment the capacities of over two crore officials in India. The platform is expected to evolve into a vibrant and world-class market place for content were carefully curated and vetted digital e-learning material will be made available. Besides capacity building, service matters like confirmation after probation period, deployment, work assignment and notification of vacancies etc. would eventually be integrated with the proposed competency framework.

Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare the Indian Civil Servant for the future by making him more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled. Empowered with specific role-competencies, the civil servant will be able to ensure efficient service delivery of the highest quality standards.

Financial implications: To cover around 46 lakh central employees, a sum of Rs 510.86 crore will be spent over a period of 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The expenditure is partly funded by multilateral assistance to the tune of USD 50 million. A wholly owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for NPCSCB will be set up under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.

The SPV will be a "not-for-profit" company and will own and manage iGOT-Karmayogi platform. The SPV will create and operationalize the content, market place and manage key business services ofiGOT-Karmayogi platform, relating to content validation, independent proctored assessments and telemetry data availability.

The SPV will own all Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of the Government of India. An appropriate monitoring and evaluation framework will also be put in place for performance evaluation of all users of the iGOT-Karmayogi platform so as to generate a dashboard view of Key Performance Indicators.

Background: Capacity of Civil Services plays a vital role in rendering a wide variety of services, implementing welfare programs and performing core governance functions. A transformational change in Civil Service Capacity is proposed to be affected by organically linking the transformation of work culture, strengthening public institutions and adopting modern technology to build civil service capacity with the overall aim of ensuring efficient delivery of services to citizens.

A Public Human Resources Council comprising of select Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, eminent public HR practitioners, thinkers, global thought leaders and Public Service functionaries under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister will serve as the apex body for providing strategic direction to the task of Civil Services Reform and capacity building.
September 02 : Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures released a poster for upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die on Tuesday and they also announced that the movie's first trailer will drop Thursday.

The poster, unveiled on the official Instagram account of MGM Studios and James Bond 007 film series, features Bond actor Daniel Craig suited up and ready for action, it reads, Man on a mission. Check out the new poster for #NoTimeToDie, in cinemas this November. New trailer coming this Thursday.

The studio said No Time to Die will find agent 007 (Daniel Craig) "enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica" after having left active service at MI6, Britain's secret intelligence service.

Man on a mission. Check out the new poster for #NoTimeToDie, in cinemas this November. New trailer coming this Thursday. pic.twitter.com/QeaiX6tWdw  MGM Studios (@MGM_Studios) September 1, 2020

"His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology."

The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, and Cary Joji Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

With the film, Daniel returns as the dapper British spy James Bond one last time. It is the 25th film in the 007 franchise. The film also stars Lea Seydoux, who reprises her role of Dr Madeleine Swann from the 2015 release, 'Spectre'.

Among other cast members who return from recent films in the franchise are Ben Whishaw as Q, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Christoph Waltz as Blofeld, Ralph Fiennes as M, and Naomie Harris as M's secretary Moneypenny. Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch are new additions to the Bond family in 'No Time To Die'.

No Time To Die was originally expected to be out this past April, but it was among the many movies to have their release dates moved back due to the corona virus pandemic.

Its release date is now November 20 in the United States. As per usual for a 007 movie, it'll be out prior to that in the United Kingdom, where it debuts on November 12.




Betty Irabor

Accomplished Nigerian writer, publisher and founder of Genevieve magazine, Betty Irabor has finally opened up how she battled depression for 8 years.

The 63 year old publisher said she won the battle about five years ago.

She revealed that she wrote a book on what she went through during the 8 years of being depressed.

Betty Irabor however used the medium to appreciate everyone who stood by her during her trying times.

In her words My battle with depression lasted 8 years. I have been out of that dark hole for some 5 years now & I wrote a book on my experience. I am fantastic thanks to my family especially hubby, God & my therapists. Theres a lot of self effort required on the journey to recovery.

See her tweet below:
[Read more on Modernas Covid-19 vaccine.]

In planning documents sent last week to public health agencies around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described preparations for two coronavirus vaccines they refer to simply as Vaccine A and Vaccine B. The technical details of the vaccines, including the time between doses and their storage temperatures, match well with the two vaccines furthest along in clinical tests in the United States, made by Moderna and Pfizer.

Heres what you need to know about how the vaccines work, how theyre being tested and how they might be rolled out to the public  if, and its still a big if, they are proven to work.

How do these vaccines work?

Vaccines can take many different forms. The most common in use today contain inactivated viruses, weakened live viruses, or pieces of proteins. Moderna and Pfizer are testing a new kind of vaccine that has never before been approved for use by people. It contains genetic molecules called messenger RNA. The messenger RNA is injected into muscle cells, which treat it like instructions for building a protein  a protein found on the surface of the coronavirus. If all goes well, the proteins stimulate the immune system and result in long-lasting protection against the virus.

What do we know about how well these vaccines work?

Both vaccines have gone through extensive early tests, but we still dont know for sure if theyre safe and effective.
Q: I have had an orchid for more than five years. Originally, there were two tall stems with lovely blooms. When these died, no new blooms reappeared. I have fertilized it. How can I get it to flower?

June Mitschke, Houston

A: Your emailed photo appears to be of a moth orchid, perhaps most popular of all orchids. The graceful, elegant blooms last for up to three months, and these members of the genus Phalaenopsis are among the easiest orchids to grow.

Many phalaenopsis bloom February-April, or longer. The airy blooms are available in many colors, each stunning, whether a solid hue or flecked or infused with other colors.

Here are some basic phalaenopsis needs I have learned from various Houston orchid experts. Included are tips on coaxing your plant to flower again.

Light. Provide bright light but no direct sun. An east or shaded south window in your home or office works well.

Healthy foliage, with adequate light, is olive-green and firm. Limp, dark-green foliage is a sign of inadequate light and possibly overwatering.

Temperature. Orchids like temperatures comfortable to us. Day temperatures between 75-85 degrees and night temperatures of 60-65 degrees are ideal.

Note: Provide mature plants with a 15-20 degree drop in nighttime temperature beginning in mid-September and continuing for about four weeks to encourage bloom set. Phalaenopsis do well on the patio (no direct sun) for exposure to temperature drop. This requires monitoring for pests and rotating plants inside and out when temperatures drop into the 50s day or night.

Water. Mature plants grown in 76- to 78-degree rooms generally need watering every seven to 10 days. Frequency varies with potting medium and temperature. Overwatering is a common mistake and causes premature bloom drop and possibly death if continued long enough. Allow the pot to drain well after watering; dont let the orchid sit in water.

Humidity and circulation. Place indoor-grown phalaenopsis on trays of wet pebbles to increase humidity. Fans boost air circulation, but avoid blowing directly on the plants. Plants thrive in humidity on a covered patio, so trays are not necessary, but good air movement is still important.

Fertilizer. Apply a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer at one-quarter strength when watering. On the fourth watering, flush with clear water to minimize salt buildup.

Potting. Repot every year or two, ideally following blooms and by August to allow plants time to settle before fall bloom set. If a lot of roots have climbed outside the container, its time to repot.

After blooms. If the orchid is a branching variety, leave the inflorescence (flower spike) in case a keiki (Hawaiian word for a new plant or offshoot) forms at one or more nodes. A plantlet may be removed when it has sufficient roots and is large enough to survive in a 1- or 2-inch pot. If no keiki forms, remove the inflorescence when it turns brown. Use a sterile blade to make the cut about 1 inch above its origin.

Q: I have a weed in my lawn that looks like dense St. Augustine but has little purplish flowers. I want to find out what it is and how to get rid of it without killing the grass. It appears to be very hardy.

Mike Grant, Houston

A: While untreated lawns are taking a hit from sod webworms, doveweed is thriving unchecked. Doveweed can be confused with St. Augustine, so its easy to go unnoticed until theres a sizable patch. The weed spreads by seed and by creeping stolons. It is easy to pull, especially when the soils moist, so I try to keep an eye out so I can pop out single sprouts or small patches.

There are various herbicides that can help, including an organic crabgrass herbicide.

Q: How do I know when pomegranates are ready to pick? I have several that look as they are, but want to be sure.

Ike Harper, Houston

A: Pomegranates ripen from early August to late September, sometimes into October. When the fruit has a good color, the blossom end is dry, and it comes off the stem easily. Pick one fruit, open it. If you see colorful seeds and juice, the pomegranate is ripe. If the seeds arent fully colorful, wait and week and check another fruit.

kathyehuber@gmail.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  When the pandemic hit the country last March, Hannah Hussin was one of the many students stranded in their respective university towns. Stuck in Zamboanga City and without a choice, she faced an abrupt shift to online learning, using only her cellphone and enduring arduous group chat interactions to finish the last three months of schooling.

Since June, Hussin has returned home, a remote town in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay where access to services is even more scarce and difficult. With the pandemic restrictions greatly hurting her fathers income as a seaweed farmer, and the new school year fast-approaching, she fears for the future of her and her six younger siblings education.

Hussins story has been a familiar tale as of recent. Through the #PisoParaSaLaptop initiative, countless number of students appealed for financial help on social media to buy a device in aid of learning. Despite feelings of shame and littleness, many sought refuge in this online campaign, firmly believing that finishing their education is their ticket to uplifting their families from poverty.

Launching an online campaign

A click on the hashtag using Facebook and Twitter would instantly reveal the massive number of students in need, from Metro Manila to far-flung communities across the regions. Their online posts, as if following a template, included basic personal details, familys financial situation and current challenges, a valid school identification card, and a GCash account for the monetary donations.

Sometimes, a copy of grades, certification of enrollment, and photos of their medals were attached to their plea to further prove authenticity of identity, sealed with a promise that theyll study harder and maximize the opportunity.

This call effortlessly trended last July as classes were nearing the supposed August opening of classes, springing both hope and alarm from the public. Classes are now slated to open in October.

It has also led to multiple criticisms of institutional unpreparedness and lack of support for students in public schools and state universities, where Hussin and five of her siblings are all currently enrolled for the incoming school year.

So, what are the learning methods under the pandemic? How are underprivileged students and families faring in these prototype school systems?

Shift to distance and blended learning

In preparation for the academic year 2020-2021, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) which cover K to 12, and colleges and universities respectively, have recommended two major learning methods: distance learning and blended learning.

To be implemented by DepEd starting October 5, distance learning means that the delivery of learning will be remote and beyond the conventional classroom set-up. During a virtual conference last May, DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan explained the three approaches under this strategy, which will accommodate even those who do not have access to the internet. These included modular learning, online learning, and traditional media learning through utilization of television and radio-based instructions.

Meanwhile, blended learning, which may be applicable to college and university students, will involve a mix of distance learning and scheduled traditional on-campus classes. The tertiary education schools opening and learning modalities will be dependent on the health situation of the area and the college or university boards approval, according to CHED.

Despite preparations for the learning method changes, these mandates have earned criticisms, mainly from parents who continue to feel the economic brunt of the health crisis. As consistently shown in surveys and by the students in their online posts, many parents have been losing their jobs and struggling to provide daily for their families.

Barriers to quality education

For students like Hussin who live in distant, poor communities, a key challenge in coping with these arrangements is the lack of resources such as a gadget and a stable internet connection. The digital space is also an uncharted territory for most, she added. These factors make online video call sessions an unfeasible option for learning.

Hussin also observed that schools in their area have been meeting with parents wholl share a crucial responsibility in assisting younger children given the distance learning format.

Paano na lang ang mga nanay na walang pinag-aralan? Paano nila tuturuan ang mga anak nila? she asked while remarking that theyre fortunate to have parents who finished at least basic education.

Hussin further stated that modular learning, wherein parents or students can either pick-up the printed modules or have it delivered to their areas, will be physically and financially grueling.

In her case, where the university is roughly eight hours away, a possible system would be to send the modules via delivery centers which are also far from her place. Getting these educational materials will entail additional resources such as time, transportation and shipment expenses, especially if to be done weekly.

"Kung may puso ka para sa bayan, huwag na huwag ka muna susuko kasi may mga mabubuting tao na kailangan lang natin mabigyan ng chance for them to reach success."

Toiling for hope and chances

Kathy Sajulga, a 21-year-old incoming third year Bachelor of Science in Computer Science student at Bohol Island State University Candijay Campus, shared similar experiences and sentiments.

For the remainder of last school year, she borrowed her neighbors laptop to finish school requirements. Sajulga also used her cellular phone and persevered with group chat participation. She personally paid an estimated total of 840 for three months of mobile data to attend her classes and submit assignments.

Sajulga disclosed that her father who works as a PUV driver had to stop labor from March to June. Now that hes returned to work, he makes around 300 for two days-worth of trips, a much lower income compared to his earnings prior to the pandemic.

This pushed Sajulga, the eldest of three siblings, and her mother to start selling native delicacies so they can fund their basic and incoming schooling needs. Although they are earning from this business venture, the savings have not been enough.

Because of this, Sajulga, who took two summer jobs last year to support her and her siblings schooling, tried to find work again in the past months. She failed to get a gig given the pandemic, leading her to almost defer studies for a year if she wasnt stopped by her parents.

Like Hussin, the dire situation has pushed Sajulga to resort help online this August.

Transforming community struggles

But not all is lost amid these learning divides.

A few weeks ago, the #PisoParaSaLaptop posts caught the attention of a young, corporate professional who intentionally browsed Twitter to destress. But overwhelmed and bothered by these appeals, she ended up rapidly building an idea to address the gap.

On August 1, Diane Reyes created the private Facebook group #AyudaPangEskwela, an initiative which links students in need to potential donors, and empowers them into transitioning toward the current learning set-ups.

Through an organized and transparent school-themed system, the group has raised 2,637,461.80 and helped 542 students from communities in the National Capital Region to provinces such as Pampanga, Bohol, and Davao within 31 days.

Building trust with beneficiaries and donors is key, Reyes shared, as they converse with each student or parent, who act as representatives for minors, requesting for financial aid. Together, they level expectations and set target amounts for gadgets needed.

Once this is determined, #AyudaPangEskwela posts needs and gadget fulfillment by batch to allow more airtime for beneficiaries and to monitor the donations. The fastest batch fulfillment rate is two to three days.

Maliit na bagay pero para sa akin walang maliit na bagay sa tulong kasi hindi mo mabubuo yun [gawain] kung hindi ka natulungan, shared Daisy Caspe, a mother of a student beneficiary from the earlier batches. Nabigyan nila ng mga pag-asa [yung mga bata] ngayong pandemic na matututo ka pa rin.

With the nature of operations and increase in public exposure, #AyudaPangEskwela has also been experiencing online disinformation. Reyes said that there are at least nine fake groups and pages which have copied their name and artwork.

The initiative has since actively implemented stricter measures to protect member security and the groups cause. This is where Ayuda Pang Eskwela Kabataan, whose volunteers are successful student beneficiaries from the first two batches, helps in verifying accounts, keeping documentation, and assisting current and upcoming beneficiaries in the group.

For Reyes, these acts of paying it forward, which she consistently witnesses from collaborating with students, parents, and donors have been a driving force to continue their work.

Dito mo ma-rerealize, hindi ka talaga dapat sumuko sa Pilipinas, said Reyes. Kung may puso ka para sa bayan, huwag na huwag ka muna susuko kasi may mga mabubuting tao na kailangan lang natin mabigyan ng chance for them to reach success. And eventually, they will grow to be really good people and pay it forward.

Testing institutional response

As of writing, Hussin and Sajulga are still waiting for final announcements from their universities regarding the learning set-up and policies for the students once classes open this September. Both, without much success in sourcing funds through the #PisoParaSaLaptop campaign, are exploring other ways to acquire gadgets for their and their siblings studies.

In separate public appearances, President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo previously expressed doubt over the countrys readiness for distance learning, given the limitations with tools and internet access, especially of distant towns like Hussins and Sajulgas.

Duterte, however, said that the government will aid in procuring gadgets. Robredo suggested that barangay internet hubs be established for students to use in online learning, a call heeded by the Pasig City local government.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones has since maintained that offline modalities will be utilized given this concern. The department also launched Handang Isip, Handa Bukas National Readiness Kick-off to support educators, parents, and learners in the transition.

The program showcased 10 schools across different regions that have conducted dry-runs for a localized implementation of learning. DepEd added that psychosocial first aid and explanation of learning models will be part of this school years first week of classes orientation.

Other preparation efforts include CHEDs partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to train teachers for distance learning, and Robredos recently released Bayanihan E-skwela, an online series aimed at guiding education stakeholders with the new learning formats.

But Hussin, who joined multiple online groups to look for scholarship and funding opportunities before posting online, wishes that things would go back to normal, where face-to-face classes are accessible, as distance learning isnt suitable in the long-term for poverty-stricken and remote communities such as hers.

Now a 22-year-old incoming third year Bachelor of Science in Community Development student at Western Mindanao State University Main Campus, she is awaiting how schooling will turn out, given the changes.

Hussin dreams of becoming a policewoman someday so she can serve the people. But living without many choices, she is willing to take on any work that may be available in the future.

Siguro, kung ano yung oportunidad na para sa akin, yun tatanggapin ko, she said, as if resigned.
Elder Caregiver Concerns Employees are burnt out, wrestling with their own mental health challenges brought on by COVID-19 and caregiving. With the education system turned upside down, children are suffering from education disparities, worsening anxiety, and in some cases, other mental health struggles.

Torchlight, a leading provider of employee-caregiver support solutions, today announced the results of its multi-phased report of the hardships U.S. employees are facing during COVID-19. The Torchlight Report of Working Caregiver Concerns found that U.S. employees are under siege on multiple fronts as they manage escalating education issues with their children, surging mental health and social challenges with both their children and elderly family members, and their own increasing burnout due in part to struggles with self-care. The Phase Two of the Torchlight Report compared user data from June 1, 2020  August 15, 2020 to Phase One data which ran from March 16, 2020  May 31, 2020.

The second phase of our report should serve as a clear call to action for U.S. employers, said Adam Goldberg, CEO and founder of Torchlight. Employees are burnt out, wrestling with their own mental health challenges brought on by the companion crises of COVID-19 and caregiving. With the education system turned upside down, children are suffering from education disparities, worsening anxiety, and in some cases, other mental health struggles. On top of this, the increased isolation and fear that many employees elderly family members are enduring contributes to employees own deteriorating mental health and already challenging caregiving responsibilities.

Key findings from Torchlights client data since the onset of COVID-19:



Families of children with special needs and other learning challenges reported increasing concerns. Phase Two data reveals a 48.4% increase in concerns about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), along with a 21.7% increase in learning concerns compared to the first phase. With nearly 14% of U.S. students receiving special education and related services through IEPs (U.S. Department of Education), the widespread worry that childrens learning and social-emotional development will regress is especially pronounced given the current looming uncertainty about providing quality education safely to the nations children during this phase of the pandemic. In many cases, logistical challenges imposed by the pandemic are preventing children on IEPs from receiving services such as speech/language, occupational, physical, and other therapies, among other supports, provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal special education law.

Children have struggled with increased emotional challenges since the onset of the pandemic. In Phase Two, 30.83% of employee caregivers reported emotional challenges with their children versus 22.42% in the first phase, a 37.5% increase. Emotional challenges include anxiety, depression, stress, isolation, irritability, and mood dysregulation.

Anxiety and depression concerns for elderly adults also rose sharply over the first two phases of the Torchlight Report. Overall, there has been a 53.3% increase in depression and anxiety concerns since the outbreak of the pandemic, with a 35.5% jump coming in the second phase. Social isolation, loss/grief, and fear of contracting COVID-19 are risk factors for elevated anxiety and depression among elderly adults.

Perhaps the most important factor for employers to recognize, employees who are caring for children, elderly family members, or both reported that they are struggling with their own self-care. In the second phase of the report, there was a 31.9% increase in employee caregivers expressing concerns about their own wellbeing. Increased stress, fatigue, and ultimately burnout associated with caregiving pose new challenges for employers.

We undertook this data analysis and report to better understand key factors informing rapidly evolving workforce needs. The data reveals an emerging trend that the protracted pandemic is accelerating the burnout of millions of caregivers in the American workforce. This widespread mental health curve, lagging that of the virus, will require a systemic undertaking to flatten in the years to come, said Goldberg. The human resource leaders Im speaking with are recognizing and eager to address -- now more than ever -- the parenting and caregiving needs of their employees during this unprecedented crisis. This is a good thing. Hopefully, we will look back at this period as the inflection point when U.S. employers committed to making caring their business, too.

Methodology

The Torchlight Report of Working Caregiver Concerns is an aggregation of data analytics representing thousands of employed U.S. caregivers of both children and elders. Data from real-time caregiver interactions within the Torchlight platform yield concern indicators comparing pre-COVID-19 levels with those found in subsequent, comparable 75-day timeframes. Pre-COVID-19 is defined as January 1, 2020  March 15, 2020. Phase One is March 16, 2020  May 31, 2020; Phase Two is June 1, 2020  August 15, 2020; and Phase Three will be August 16, 2020  November 30, 2020.

About Torchlight

At Torchlight, we believe that caring is everyones business and caring is good business. We are the only complete caregiver support solution for employers and member organizations. We offer solutions informed by data and, thus, are built for better results. Our approach includes a user-friendly digital platform and a team of expert advisors. No matter the age, stage or concern, Torchlights decision-support tools, caregiving knowledge base, and human expertise combine to reduce stress and enhance outcomes for both families and their sponsoring organizations more cost-effectively than call center or concierge-only solutions. Because getting caregivers the right resources, in the right ways, right from the beginning should be business as usual. Learn more at http://www.torchlight.care, or email press@torchlight.care.
The Opposition parties slammed the Centre on Wednesday for cancelling the Question Hour session in the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretariats issued a notification that said, there will be " no Question Hour and private members' business" during the Monsoon Session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Question Hour, the first hour in the House, allows MPs to ask the government questions. Moreover, the Zero Hour, slotted for members to raise matters of public importance, has been cut short to 30 minutes.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1.

There will also be no breaks during the session, and both Houses will function on Saturdays and Sundays as well. The session will be held in two shifts -- 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm. Except for the first day, the Rajya Sabha will sit in the morning shift and the Lok Sabha will sit in the evening, according to the notifications.

Following the notice, Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress said, "Pandemic an excuse to murder democracy".

In a tweet, he said, "MPs required to submit questions for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. The session starts on 14 September. So Question Hour cancelled? Opposition MPs lose the right to question govt. A first since 1950? Parliament's overall working hours remain the same so why cancel Question Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy."





MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in #Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled ? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950 ? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour?Pandemic excuse to murder democracy  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) September 2, 2020

During the 33rd (1961), 93rd (1975), 98th (1976) 99th (1977) Sessions

there was no Question Hour as these sessions were summoned for

SPECIAL PURPOSES: Orissa, Proclamation of

Emergency, 44th Amdmt, Presidents Rule TN/Nagaland. The upcoming Monsoon Session is a REGULAR SESSION  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) September 2, 2020

My 3rd tweet today on Question Hour in #Parliament. More instances of sessions called for SPECIAL PURPOSES when no QH was held: 41st (during Chinese aggression), 201st & 216th (only Presidents Address).Coming up is a REGULAR monsoon session of two weeks. So why the exception?  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) September 2, 2020

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that "Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy". He accused the government of seeking to "reduce Parliament to a notice-board and using its majority as a rubber stamp".

2/2 Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board & uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with.  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 2, 2020
VANCOUER, B.C. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is moving forward "aggressively" on ensuring a safe drug supply amid an ongoing overdose crisis that's claimed more than 900 lives in B.C. alone this year.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with local business owners to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 in a bistro in Montreal, on Monday, August 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

VANCOUER, B.C. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is moving forward "aggressively" on ensuring a safe drug supply amid an ongoing overdose crisis that's claimed more than 900 lives in B.C. alone this year.

Speaking on CBC Radio in Vancouver, he said Wednesday that his government is basing its approach on science and evidence, looking at the crisis through the lens of health rather than justice.

Trudeau said the government is heeding the advice of top public health officials, including B.C.'s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam.

Both doctors have called for increased access to a safe supply of illicit drugs to prevent deaths from toxic substances and extreme concentrations of powerful opioids, such as fentanyl.

Henry continues to call for the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs for personal use, and last month, Tam made the same suggestion.

Pressed on whether his government would consider that move, Trudeau said a safe supply is the key "and that is what we've moved forward on without having to take the step to decriminalization."

He said significant investments are still needed on housing, mental health and other support services for people battling addictions and homelessness.

"We know there's more to do, but we are going to do it responsibly and make sure that we are prioritizing the things that are going to make the biggest difference immediately," he added.

Trudeau said his government has moved forward on supporting safe consumption sites and safe supply options despite pushback from political rivals.

Last week, Health Minister Patty Hajdu sent a letter to her provincial and territorial counterparts and regulatory colleges encouraging them to act, including increasing access to safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the contaminated illegal drug supply.

Judy Darcy, B.C.'s minister of mental health and addictions, said Wednesday the province will continue to press the federal government on decriminalization as they work together on increasing the safe supply.

Darcy said pilot projects that pair patrol officers in places like Abbotsford with peer support workers are showing good results.

"Instead of criminalizing people with small amounts of drugs for personal use, they are connecting them with health supports, with mental health and addiction supports," she said at an announcement on mental health programs for schools.

"We believe that is the way to go."

Much of Trudeau's schedule on Wednesday involved meetings with political, business, environmental and academic leaders in B.C. He will do a similar virtual tour of the Atlantic provinces on Thursday.

The summer is usually an opportunity for the prime minister and other federal political leaders to travel widely, but the need to curb the spread of COVID-19 has cut much of that travel this year.

Apart from the occasional trip to Toronto, Montreal and communities near Ottawa, Trudeau has stayed home and found other ways to conduct regional outreach.

The Liberal government is due to present a throne speech on Sept. 23, detailing what Trudeau has promised will be a bold plan for economic recovery. Trudeau's virtual tours of B.C. and the Atlantic provinces are at least in part devoted to consultations on that plan.

Trudeau also scheduled a meeting with B.C. Premier John Horgan and held a roundtable with the province's business and environmental leaders on a sustainable economic recovery.

"It was really about, how do we use this situation, this crisis of the pandemic, to build back better," Merran Smith, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, said in an interview after the meeting.

As an example, she said Trudeau heard the B.C. government has a successful initiative requiring automakers to sell an escalating annual percentage of new zero-emission vehicle sales and leases.

"It's really working here. Last year, electric vehicle sales were nine per cent of new car sales," she said.

Those kinds of mandates could be coupled with a complementary manufacturing industry that creates jobs, she said.

Canada has the metals and minerals required for the components to make electric batteries, as well as automakers in Ontario. With federal support, Merran said battery manufacturers could be attracted to Canada.

 With files from Joan Bryden in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2020.
New Delhi: A day after Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg alleging that it was 'problematic when Facebook employees on record abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Trinamool Congress too shot off a letter to Zuckerberg raising the issue of alleged bias by the social media giant towards the BJP.

The letter has been written by party MP Derek O'Brien who claimed that there is enough evidence in public domain to substantiate this charge. He also makes a reference to an earlier meeting between the two, where some of these concerns were raised. Notably, O'Brien had written the letter on August 31.

"We, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), India's second-largest opposition party, have had serious concerns about Facebook's role during the 2014 and 2019 general elections in India," O'Brien wrote in the letter, as reported by PTI.

"With the elections in the Indian state of West Bengal just months away, your company's recent blocking of Facebook pages and accounts in Bengal also points to the link between Facebook and the BJP. There is enough material now in the public domain, including internal memos of senior Facebook management, to substantiate the bias," the letter read.

The Rajya Sabha MP further informed Zuckerberg that the matter had been raised by the party in the Parliament as well in June 2019.

"This was done during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. We are enclosing the relevant portion (video) of that Parliamentary speech, along with this letter.

"We were optimistic that the issues and concerns we raised on the floor of Parliament 14 months ago would empower other political parties and the media to also address this substantive issue," he wrote. "The recent series of articles that appeared in the BBC, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Time Magazine and others, vindicate our stand," the letter stated.

According to party sources, O'Brien met Zuckerberg in October 2015 in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the letter written by Prasad to Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday pointed out that it is problematic when Facebook employees while still working and managing important positions abuse the PM.

In a letter to Zuckerberg, Prasad wrote, "It is problematic when Facebook employees are on record abusing the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet Ministers of India while still working in Facebook India and managing important positions. It is doubly problematic when the bias of individuals becomes an Inherent bias of the platform."

Prasad's letter comes at a time when the Congress party and opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi have accused Facebook and WhatsApp of interfering in Indias internal affairs. Rahul has also demanded an investigation into the allegations against Facebook.

On Wednesday, the Parliamentary committee will meet where the opposition parties will likely raise the issue of alleged bias among Facebook's senior management in India.

Last month, a Facebook spokesperson had said, "We prohibit hate speech and content that incites violence and we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone''s political position or party affiliation. "While we know there is more to do, we're making progress on enforcement and conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness and accuracy."
OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California today announced its new "Neighborhood Health Dashboard," an online tool that will advance public health services, and increase transparency around community health and help address health disparities in California.

The Neighborhood Health Dashboard uses data intelligence from dozens of sources to create a comprehensive picture of a community's health including: health outcomes, preventative health care, utilization and access, health behaviors, social risk factors, and environment and economic health conditions.

The innovative online tool is available free to the public. The goal is to provide support to organizations and individuals such as community organizations, health advocates, hospitals, physicians, public health officials and policymakers to better understand the health of their neighborhoods and address the needs within their communities. The tool was developed in collaboration with mySidewalk and initially made available to Blue Shield's Community Health Advocates, including those serving in the L.A. Care Health Plan/Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Community Resource Center.

"Community health needs assessments are important tools in helping to align disparate organizations in a common strategy to improve the health of the community and address health disparities," said Peter Long, senior vice president of Healthcare and Community Health Transformation at Blue Shield of California. "By making the data publicly available, anyone can gain a deeper understanding of the unmet social needs in their community and serve the population with increased knowledge about issues that have an impact on people's health and wellbeing."

A user can simply enter an address or zip code to generate an interactive, Web-based dashboard that is customized to a zip code level with a unique URL that can be shared with others. The tool includes nearly 100 data indicators that capture a holistic view of a community's health to help inform advocacy and action for improvement.

"We are proud to work with Blue Shield of California to provide this opportunity to democratize data and align our vision for improving community health across the state," said Sarah Martin, vice president of Health Solutions for mySidewalk. "Our mission is to empower city leaders and the public with the most complete, clear and real-time understanding of their communities so they can improve and innovate together."

Most recently, the platform was used to produce California's Vulnerability Index, which focuses on social and economic vulnerability of communities to start conversations about equitably prioritizing the allocation of resources for COVID-19 recovery efforts. In addition to the health impact of the pandemic on different communities, the report also considers which areas are likely to have a more difficult time recovering from the coronavirus-related shutdowns, job reductions and layoffs.

"The Neighborhood Health Dashboard is a critical resource that will help Community Health Centers in California identify community health needs and align programming and resources accordingly," said Mike Witte, chief medical officer, California Primary Care Association. "Ultimately, patients and providers of Community Health Centers will benefit when our members and communities are able to collectively work to identify opportunities to improve individual and community level health."

The Neighborhood Health Dashboard is the latest example of Blue Shield of California's Health Reimagined initiative. The collaboration with mySidewalk seeks to transform the healthcare system for individuals, families and communities by sharing important information with all Californians to identify local drivers of health inequities that result from historical and systemic injustices including racism, bias, and discrimination.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over four million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About mySidewalk

mySidewalk is a technology company on a mission to democratize data. mySidewalk equips community change-makers with tools to help them advance equitable programs and policies. With an extensive data library and mobile-friendly, ADA-accessible publishing platform, mySidewalk creates place-based analytics built on data, design, and expertise. mySidewalk works with hundreds of public, private, and nonprofit clients across the country to break down barriers to knowledge, and inspire change.

For more information, visit mysidewalk.com/health or contact [email protected].

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

CONTACT: Erika Conner

Blue Shield of California

510-607-2359

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California

Related Links

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Paramilitary police officers march next to the entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing on May 22, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Majority of Americans Have Unfavorable View of Chinese Communist Party: Epoch Times/Big Data Poll

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is widely unpopular among Americans, according to an Epoch Times National Poll conducted by Big Data Poll.

The survey, conducted last month, found that 63 percent of American voters hold an unfavorable view of the CCP, with only 7 percent saying they hold a favorable view. Nineteen percent of respondents had no opinion about the political entity that presides over Chinas one-party state, while 11 percent said theyve never heard of the CCP.

The results are consistent with recent polling by the Pew Research Center, which found that Americans had souring perceptions of the Chinese regime amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The July poll found 73 percent of respondents held unfavorable opinions of the regime, an increase of 7 points since the previous poll in March.

The Epoch Times National Poll, which was conducted by Big Data Poll, interviewed 2,169 likely voters nationwide sourced via voter file-verified online survey panels from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30. The sampling error is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence interval, projecting the electorate at 145 million.

Results were weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and region. The partisan affiliation breakdown was 36 percent Democratic, 32 percent Republican, and 32 percent independent/other, mirroring the Aristotle National Voter File Database.

President Donald Trump, who is seeking reelection, and his opponent, Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden, both have campaigned on a platform of getting tough on the regime in Beijing. The Trump administration has in recent months accelerated its pressure campaign on multiple fronts, including Chinas state-sanctioned theft of U.S. technology and research, military aggression in the South China Sea, and human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

Based on The Epoch Times National poll, Republicans (69.2 percent) and independents were more likely than Democrats (53.5 percent) to hold an unfavorable view of the CCP. Democrats (22 percent) are also more likely than Republicans (12.2 percent) to have no opinion about the regime.

Meanwhile, a large proportion of Americans (78 percent) blame the Chinese regimes initial handling of the CCP virus outbreak for causing its global spread, according to the July Pew survey. Half of the respondents to that poll thought that the United States should hold Beijing responsible, even if it means worsening relations with the country.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the regime for covering up the outbreak and causing the global pandemic. In a recent Fox interview, Trump said hes willing to decouple from Chinas economy if they dont treat us right.

As part of his reelection bid, Trump has pledged to end U.S. reliance on China and bring back 1 million manufacturing jobs in his second term. Biden, meanwhile, has also promised to return critical supply chains to the United States.

Read: AAPOR Transparency Initiative Checklist (pdf)

Read: Full Survey Results (pdf)
NEWS FLASH

Qatar Airways will again be temporarily suspending flights between Doha and Zagreb for a two-week period. After operating its last service today, the carrier has cancelled all departures to the Croatian capital until September 14. The airline had previously temporarily suspended services to Zagreb from late July until mid-August, while a number of subsequent flights were cancelled. In total, it ran just three rotations on the route last month. Qatar Airways handled 148.073 passengers on services to and from Zagreb last year on two daily flights which were operated throughout the year.
The U.S. Department of Justice building is seen in Washington on July 22, 2019. (Alastair Pike/AFP/Getty Images)

DOJ Announces 33 Murder Suspects Among 355 Arrests as Part of Operation Legend

Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Tim Garrison announced on Tuesday that 33 murder suspects were among the 355 arrests made by law enforcement officers since Operation Legend was launched. He also noted that agents and officers have seized 122 firearms during the operation.

Operation Legend was launched in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 8, as an initiative of the Trump administration to address the increase in homicides and violent crime across the United States by stepping up the activity of anti-crime task forces in hard-hit cities. The operation is named after 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he was asleep in his home in Kansas City on June 29.

President Donald Trump holds up a photo of LeGend Taliferro, a victim of a crime, during a news conference in the White House in Washington, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Of the 355 arrested since the launch of the operation, 33 were homicide cases. The remaining cases include the following:

88 federal defendants in the Western District of Missouri

21 federal defendants in Kansas (18) and Texas (3)

62 fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest

151 non fugitive arrests, which comprise supervised release violators, or those who have been referred for prosecution in state court

Garrison noted that during the operation, agents and officers seized 122 firearms in addition to the arrests.

Operation LeGend aims to immediately help our police agencies and our local leadership to prevent additional victims, Attorney General William Barr said of the operation on July 22. He said that the operation involves committing more federal law enforcement agents to work hand in glove with state and local law enforcement.

Attorney General William Barr delivers remarks on Operation Legend at the White House in Washington on July 22, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The operation has seen the cooperation of federal agents from various agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Its important to stress that the operations were talking about are the standard anti-crime fighting activities we have been carrying out around the country for decades, Barr said. We will be adding federal agents to the task forcesthese are street agents, theyre investigatorswho will be working to solve murders and to take down the violent gangs. And theyll be working shoulder to shoulder with our state and local colleagues.

Barr noted that Operation Legend is different from the tactical teams sent out to defend against riots and mob violence, which have been recently observed across the United States since late May after George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis.

According to Garrison, the 88 federal charges in the Western District of Missouri that resulted from the operation include the following:

35 charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm

26 charged with drug trafficking

Five charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm

Six charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking

Five charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime

Two charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition

Four charged with armed robbery

Three charged with carjacking

Two charged with arson
The AGR verdict is a positive for Bharti Airtel as it has got ten years to pay the spectrum charges out of which it needs to pay only 10 percent upfront.

As per media articles, the total dues of Bharti Airtel works to nearly Rs 44,000 crore out of which it has already paid nearly Rs 18,000 crore.

Hence, Bharti has already paid more than 10 percent of the upfront requirement. Bharti has already provided for nearly Rs 47,000 crore in its books, hence, there should not be any negative impact on P&L going forward.

Impact, if any, could be positive on any reversal of provision. As per our estimates, the company should be generating healthy free cash flows from FY21 onwards and in this context annual AGR payment of nearly Rs 4,400-4,700 crore should not be an issue.

We remain quite optimistic about Bharti Airtel with a price target of Rs 710.

The Supreme Court verdict is not as beneficial for Vodafone Idea as it is to Bharti Airtel. Vodafone was looking forward to a 20-year payment cycle which has now reduced to 10 years.

Out of the total AGR dues of nearly Rs 58,000 crore Vodafone Idea has paid only about Rs 7,900 crore till now.

Considering the high annual interest, depreciation and amortization cost the annual AGR dues could put further strain on the cash flows of the company.

However, if there is across the board increase in tariffs by the three players then it could provide a reprieve to Vodafone Idea in the future.

In regards to the spectrum obligation of insolvent companies, the Supreme Court has referred the matter to NCLT.

In the worst case, there could be a further liability on Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel who have taken the spectrum from Reliance Communication, Videocon and Aircel.

After the Supreme Court verdict, the hangover of the AGR case is removed and going forward we need to watch how telecom operators increase tariffs.

(The author is Executive Vice President & Head of Fundamental Research at Kotak Securities)

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Boris Johnson repeatedly refused to commit to extending the furlough scheme that has supported millions of peoples jobs through the coronavirus pandemic, despite warnings that unemployment is set to surge to levels last seen in the 1980s.

Economists, unions and lobby groups have warned that millions of people could be out of work by early next year unless the government extends its Job Retention Scheme beyond its current end date of 31 October.

Labour leader Keir Starmer pressed the prime minister in the House of Commons on Wednesday, asking whether he would act now to provide further support for sectors and workers that desperately need it.

Mr Johnson pointed out that the furlough scheme has cost 40bn so far, adding: What this government would rather do is get people into work through our Kickstart Scheme, which we are launching today, 2bn to help young people get the jobs they need.

Under the scheme, employers will receive grants of 1,500 to provide six-month placements for people aged under 24. But the Federation of Small Businesses warned this week that more government action is needed to prevent a lost generation of jobless young people.

The prime minister accused the his opposite number of wanting to keep people out of work and in suspended animation rather than getting them back into employment.

He claimed that his governments actions had resulted in a country that is not only going back to school but going back to work.

Scottish National Party Westminster leader Ian Blackford warned that a refusal to extend the furlough scheme would amount to a political choice to accept levels of unemployment last seen under Thatcher in the early 1980s.

Mr Johnson responded that people on furlough were languishing out of work.

Mr Blackford added: Languishing out of work, my goodness Mr Speaker. The furlough scheme is there to protect people so they can go back to work.

The government has come under additional pressure in recent weeks to extend its central job support measure, which, as of 1 September pays employers up to 70 per cent of each furloughed employees wages.

Governments of France and Germany have both announced that they will continue their own schemes for up to two years.
WSU Offers Discount on Smart Thermostats, Free LED Light Bulbs

September 2, 2020

Weber State Universitys Empower Northern Utah program is helping Weber and Davis County residents to be more energy efficient by offering steep discounts on the Nest Thermostat E while also providing free LED light bulbs in exchange for old inefficient bulbs.

The sustainability team at WSU, in a partnership with Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR), the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation, Futures Through Training HEAT Program and others, is able to offer the Nest Thermostat E for under $60, a savings of approximately $110, and to provide thousands of new LED light bulbs for exchange.

Pre-registration is required for both the smart thermostats and LED light bulbs. Registration opens Sept. 16 at noon at weber.edu/empower. The program is offering 3,000 LED bulbs split between two exchange events, Sept. 23 and Sept. 26, at the Weber County Library Main Branch (2464 Jefferson Ave.) The program is also offering 200 Nest E smart thermostats, which successful registrants will be able to pick up Oct. 3 at the WSU Ogden campus.

Empower Northern Utah is Weber States community engagement effort to help residents take action to reduce pollution and save energy and money on a community-wide scale, making clear the connection between environmental issues and their social implications.

Residential energy efficiency not only saves money but helps clean Utahs air by reducing emissions that come from the combustion of natural gas for heating and coal-fired electricity production, said Bonnie Christiansen, WSU academic sustainability coordinator. Reducing energy waste helps Utahns be better stewards of our climate and can speed our transition to renewable energy.

For the last five years, Weber State Sustainability has offered sustainability-focused community programs such as the Susie Hulet Community Solar program and the 2019 Empower Northern Utah Light Bulb Exchange, which served nearly 500 community households.

Unlike conventional thermostats, smart thermostats such as the Nest Thermostat E make it easy to save energy on heating and cooling costs. Using a Nest Thermostat E has been shown to cut heating bills by 10%-12% and cooling bills up to 15%. This translates to an average utility bill savings of $131-$145 per year. Additionally, LED light bulbs are over 85% more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and typically 47% more efficient than compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The smart thermostat discount is made possible through grants from the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) and the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation. UCAIR is a statewide clean air partnership created to help individuals, businesses and communities make small changes to improve Utahs air. Now in its 49th year, the Dee Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to furthering the growth and well-being of the people of northern Utah.

For more information about the Empower Northern Utah program, important dates and how to register, visit weber.edu/empower.

For more news about Weber State University, visit weber.edu/wsutoday.
Police have introduced the Interception protocol to identify and apprehend the two attackers.

Unidentified perpetrators assaulted People's Deputy Anton Poliakov (non-faction) in Kyiv on the morning of September 2.

The incident unfolded outside a cafe in Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky district in the early hours of Wednesday, Obozrevatel reports citing sources in law enforcement.

The report claims there were two attackers, who are still at large after fleeing the scene in a Toyota car.

Read alsoUkraine's MP Leros expelled from Servant of the People factionPolice have introduced the Interception protocol to identify and apprehend the two attackers.

It is reported that Poliakov received immediate medical assistance for the bodily injuries sustained and refused from hospitalization.

Who is Anton Poliakov
New Delhi: Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of e-commerce major Flipkart Group, on Wednesday launched a digital platform for kiranas, local MSMEs with an aim to connect local manufacturers with retailers and bring the entire wholesale marketplace at their fingertips using technology.

The development comes at a time when the Indian online marketplace has been buzzing more than ever, especially after Reliance Retail's mega acquisition of Future Group's key businesses, including retail and wholesale.

The Walmart-owned e-commerce major had entered the B2B Wholesale sector with fashion category.

"Flipkart Wholesale is a one-stop solution for the retail ecosystem which will offer Indian businesses a wide selection of products at significant value, powered by technology and with an aim to grow their business. The platform is currently available for fashion retailers, especially footwear and apparel, in Gurugram, Delhi and Bengaluru, with plans to expand to Mumbai as well," the company said in an official release.

By this year end, Flipkart Wholesale also plans to expand to 20 more cities and in categories such as Home & Kitchen and Grocery. The B2B digital platform that is accessible to retailers via the app on Google Play Store, aims to rope in over 300 strategic partners and have over 2 lakh listings in 2 months. Additionally, the platform will enable the onboarding of 50 brands and over 250 local manufacturers in the near future.

Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head -Flipkart Wholesale, said: Flipkart Wholesale is built on the core value proposition of bringing prosperity to Indian Kiranas and MSMEs by making their business easier using technology. With the strong capability within the group in B2B, we will focus on meeting the needs of kiranas and MSMEs by providing these small businesses a wide selection at significant value, powered by technology to make their lives easier. Whether in grocery, general merchandise or fashion, these businesses will have one-stop access to an extensive selection of products with attractive schemes and incentives, supplemented with data-driven recommendations for stock selection, delivered through a fast and reliable network to drive greater efficiencies."

Flipkart Wholesale customers will have access to an easy credit facility to manage cash flow, a wide range of Flipkart assured quality products, simple and convenient order returns and speedy product delivery directly to their shops with an easy order tracking facility, the company said.

"Flipkart Wholesale customers will also be able to leverage micro-market level B2B and B2C insights from the Flipkart ecosystem to better understand customer demands specific to their area so that they can buy and sell the right products. Flipkart Wholesale will draw on the strong merchandising experience of the Best Price team, its strong relationships with brands, deep DNA of servicing kiranas and 12+ years of experience in operating Best Price stores. This will provide invaluable insights and on-ground expertise to further develop and nurture a model that puts the needs of kiranas and MSMEs at the centre of Flipkart Wholesales business," the company said.

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On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis signed the decree conferring the National Order 'Star of Romania' in the rank of Grand Officer to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Tod D. Wolters.

"The National Order of the Star of Romania is conferred in the rank of Grand Officer, with insignia for the military staff, in peace time, to General Tod D. Wolters, Supreme Allied Commander Europe", reads the decree published on Tuesday in Official Gazette.The award is given '' as a sign of high appreciation for the support given to Romania by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the real commitment to strengthen cooperation within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as for involvement in defining future security challenges.''
The management of Nigerias premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI), has repeatedly failed to deliver projects placed under its supervision and for which millions of naira have been released, a PREMIUM TIMES survey of some Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) in Oyo State has revealed.

ZIPs were introduced by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. It aims to ensure equity in the allocation of projects sited in the constituencies of state and federal lawmakers. They are proposed by federal lawmakers but are usually placed in the budgets of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) who then award the contracts and are supposed to ensure the projects are executed.

In the case of ZIPs mentioned in this report, the projects were placed in the annual budgets of UI between 2017 and 2019, with the approval of the vice-chancellor, but were either poorly done or not executed despite the release of funds for them.

Failed lockup shop project

One of such projects is the construction of 12 lockup shops in Abadina, a small community within the university premises. Many residents of the community are employees of the university.

Between 2017 and 2019, a total of N15.4 million was released for the construction of lockup shops in the community. The project, which was sponsored by Dada Awoleye, a former House of Representatives member for Ibadan North Federal Constituency, was meant to house members of the community who sell groceries outside their residence.

The university management had complained that the makeshift shops built outside the residences were defacing the houses in the community.

A representative of the community, Adebayo Adedigba, said when the project is completed, residents will not have to travel far before getting their groceries.

After three years, however, the project, which involves the construction of 12 lockup shops, has barely taken off with work done on it intermittently. Although the foundation for the 12 shops has been laid, brickwork has only been done on two of the proposed shops.

Members of the community said they were concerned at the slow pace of work on the site.

I am just one year in office and the project had been allocated before that time. They started work in my tenure around September or October last year. I did not expect it to take this long since it is just twelve shops they are building. There have been lots of breaks in-between, said Ikechukwu Egbuna, the president of the community.

When this reporter visited the site of the project, there were only three bricklayers working. One of them, who identified himself as Seun, said the entire project could be completed within three months if funds were made available.

Construction site of lock up shops, Abadina Community

If they give us our money steadily because it is money that will determine how fast we will work, he said.

Meanwhile, there is a possibility that members of the community will have to grapple with another problem once the shops are built.

For the community, twelve shops can never be enough. It cannot do anything. We will have to start lobbying again for more shops. The issue is that the community is under the management of the University of Ibadan and the University of Ibadan has the overall say because we are also governed by the rules of the university. The university welcomed the project, said Mr Egbuna.

Former site designated for the construction of lock up shops

Pointing at the makeshift shops in front of the houses, he said if the university is saying they have to leave this place, how many shops are there? Since it is just twelve, it can only be given to twelve people. After that twelve, what happens to the remaining people? It is going to be a serious problem when they finish.

When reached for comments, Sapient Vendors, the contractor handling the project, denied that the project was moving at a snails pace.

When you ask, people will always give you their own view. They dont have the technical knowledge of the project. It is not our fault. Initially, we had issues with the land. The land caused a lot of delays. It got to our notice that a cable passed through that place and it took a long time to resolve. And as you can see, we are working, Oluwole Ajayi, an official of the company, said.

Makeshift shop at Abadina

The spokesperson of the University of Ibadan, Olatunji Oladejo, however, said he was not aware of the lockup shops.

This will not be the first time that people from your office will be calling me on the same matter. Go and investigate now. UI is which agency? UI is what? How do we come in? Constituency projects cannot be awarded by UI, thats not true, he said, despite facts to the contrary.

It must have been awarded by the Honorable or Senator in charge. UI cannot be in charge of that. We can only monitor, you cant say UI awarded the contract when we did not get the money. The money did not come to UI. It is a constituency project, he added.

However, contrary to the claim by the spokesperson, the project, though nominated by the lawmaker, was placed in the budgets of UI, which approved the contract. Nine million naira was approved for the shops in the 2017 budget, N5 million in the 2018 budget while N1.5 million was approved for the completion of the project in the 2019 budget.

Makeshift shop at Abadina 2

All the funds have been released, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Mr Awoleye for comment, but he had told the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in 2019 that he sponsored the project to meet the yearnings of members of the community.

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Before I included it in the budget, the community and I went to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan to get his consent since it was going to be done inside the institution. I included it in the budget the following year. In essence, I facilitated the construction of the lock-up shops for them in Abadina.

That was it. My obligation stops there at facilitating the project. I made sure funds were appropriated for the lock-up shops. As an honourable member of the house, we are not permitted to carry out the project, so you have to domicile it in a government agency.

Abandoned block of classrooms, Christ Apostolic Church primary school, Oke Apon

UI does its own procurement processes for its own projects, so there was nothing wrong in domiciling it inside UI. I learnt that when the job was started, they relocated the contractor somewhere. I think they have started the project. I am no more the member representing the constituency. Whatever you want to do about the project, the level it is, where the fund is should be with UI, he said.

Christ Apostolic Church Primary School

Similarly, another project selected within the same period (2017 -2019) as the lockup shop has been left uncompleted.

University of Ibadan Budget 2017

A total of N21.4 million was budgeted for the project  the construction of a perimeter fence at Christ Apostolic Church Primary School, Oke Apon. Mrs Jimoh (She refused to say her first name), one of the teachers who spoke to this reporter, said the contractor did a shoddy job, saying the fence was already crumbling.

University of Ibadan Budget 2018

She said that the poor state of the fence has now given miscreants in the area the chance to turn the school premises to a site for open defecation.

University of Ibadan budget 2019

You can see by yourself. The fence is not high at all and area boys always jump inside every time. Apart from jumping, when they started the fence there was an old one. Instead of them to break everything and re-do it, they did not. Immediately they finished this new one, the old one collapsed. See. That is why area boys, they will litter the entire place with faeces. The children dont have toilets. It is here they will defecate, she said.

Another female teacher, who refused to give her name for fear of victimisation, added that the entire premises and surrounding area are unconducive for learning.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the school, following the resumption of schools for exit classes in Oyo State on July 6, primary six students of the school were seen receiving lectures in one of the two available classrooms in the renovated block.

Old fence, Christ Apostolic Church primary school, Oke Apon

According to Mrs Jimoh, students of other classes used to take their lessons in the open space of the compound before the shutdown of schools due to COVID-19.

See where they said students should resume. When all classes resume, what will we do? Mrs Jimoh asked.

Newly constructed fence, Christ Apostolic Church primary school, Oke Apon

Adijat Adeniyi, the head girl of the school, while returning from where she had gone to fetch water with other pupils, said the school lacked basic facilities such as toilets.

Mr Awoleye had told ICIR that he decided to domicile the fence project with UI for the purpose of close supervision. But it does appear the decision is wrong going by the current fate of the fence.

First gate at the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Apon

If I should put it under an agency in Abuja, the job may even linger more than what we are talking now. They may tell you the engineers would have to go to Ibadan to supervise and before they finish all that, the whole thing would become nauseating.

When you domicile a project inside an institution, it is left for that institution to carry out the procurement processes.

They invite this and invite that and say this contractor has won at the end of the day. They have to continue to monitor to make sure the job is done, the former lawmaker said.

Sapient Vendors, which was also contracted to build the fence of the school, explained that the contract it was awarded was just for a section of the fence and not the entire perimeter of the fence. It, however, argued that the fence was high enough.

Newly constructed fence at the entrance of Christ Apostolic Church primary school, Oke Apon

The fence is not low, nobody can scale that. All we have to do is according to the bill. You cannot work outside the bill. We cannot be given N10 to work and say because you dont want people to scale the fence you will do the work of N20. The height is a good height for a school. For academic fencing, it is not good to be too high, said Mr Ajayi.

Healthcare centre

Within the CAC Primary School compound is a newly constructed healthcare centre. In the last three years, N53.5 million was budgeted for the construction of the centre. However, at the centre of the healthcare centre is an open septic tank filled to the brim with water.

Newly constructed fence around the primary healthcare centre, Ibadan North

Before we went on coronavirus break, one of our children fell inside this soakaway. But he was quickly rescued by his elder brother who was with him, said Mr Jimoh, who took this reporter round the facility.

A second-hand clothes seller in the area, who refused to give his name, said work at the healthcare centre started in 2018.

Mrs Ayoola (she refused to say her first name), a teacher and resident of the area, said that there is no primary healthcare centre in the area apart from the one within the CAC Primary School. She said the nearest medical facilities are the University College Hospital (UCH) and Oluyoro Hospital which are not as affordable as the primary healthcare centre.

The primary healthcare centre, Ibadan North

When asked about the open septic tank and state of the healthcare centre, Mr Ajayi of Sapient Vendors, the contractor in charge of the project, said it was impossible for a person to fall into the open septic tank.

People always give you unrealities. People will always give you stories. How will someone fall inside? Whats the height? It is even filled up with water, so nobody fell inside, he said.

When asked for the amount released to him for each of the projects, Mr Ajayi declined to say.

No, I cant. That is not my jurisdiction, he said.

Like the UI spokesperson, the spokesperson of the universitys College Hospital (UCH), Toye Akinrinlola, said he was not aware of the project.

Open septic tank at the primary healthcare centre, Ibadan North

All these things you are saying, I dont even know the place. It is someone that is doing that. It is a constituency project for someone, so he is only in collaboration with us. I dont know the place so all of this, I dont know. UCH is not the agency in charge. When you say constituency project, it must be sited in a place, but the funding does not come to those places. For every constituency project, it is probably the politician in charge that takes the money and when it is released, they owe the contractor. We are only a branch, he said.

This investigation was done as part of the UDEME project.
Bihars deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi has welcomed the Election Commissions decision to proceed with the assembly polls due to take place in the eastern state later this year even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Modi, who belongs to the Bharatiyas Janata Party (BJP), also said there was no sense of panic in Bihar ad claimed that the ruling Janata Dal (United), BJP and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) coalition will win a three-fourths majority. Edited excerpts:

There are going to be polls in Bihar in the middle of a pandemic, which is an unprecedented situation. How will this election be different for you?

Yes, it is a very different election. To conduct it with all the Covid restrictions is a challenge but no one knows how long the pandemic will stay. We know the floods will end by September and we would know how long a drought lasts, but with this pandemic, we dont know if its here for another six months or two years. So a democratic process cannot be stopped. Polls have been conducted in 34 countries across the world. So even though it will be very difficult, there is no other option but to conduct them. I think the Election commission has taken the right decision.

But a lot of countries opened up after Covid numbers started going down. In India, the numbers are still rising and now the daily case figures are the highest in the world. One of your own allies, Chirag Paswan (of the LJP), has also joined the opposition in demanding that the polls are deferred. What if the polls spread the disease?

It is for the EC to decide, firstly. Number 2, now there is no panic in Bihar. Now Bihar is also Number 1 in testing ( testing more than 100,000 patients a day). Most of the hospitals are empty, AIIMS {All India Institute of Medical Sciences}, Patna, which was filled in the first week of August, is now 70% empty. So now people are also used to tackling Covid and the kind of scare that was there before is no longer there. Eight percent of patients are in home quarantine, which is the best option. Only 5% of patients need ventilator support. So there is a big difference from before.

As campaigning begins, how much will the BJP rely on physical campaigning?

More than 70% will be physical campaigning. Even earlier, the Bihar campaign was very different from {that in} other states. There are three kinds of campaigning. The big rallies by hiring helicopters will no longer be there. The ones that attract 40,000-50,000 or 1 lakh crowds, will not be there. Door-to-door was the most effective campaign because all voters dont attend meetings. Earlier and this time as well, there is no bar on door-to-door meetings. When I was fighting the Bhagalpur election, I only organised {LK} Advanijis meeting and no other meeting. These meetings dont fetch votes. In the last assembly elections, Narendra Modiji had more than 30 meetings and we only won 53 seats. So instead of these meetings, door-to-door campaigns and road shows work. Anyway, in the last moment of an exam, what you do doesnt matter, what matters is what we have done in the last 4.5 years. Big manifesto and promises doesnt make a difference, voters normally make up their minds earlier.

Today is the day that the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is starting and the opposition has pointed out that it shouldnt have taken place because of not just Covid but also because of floods. The fact that the exams are going ahead -- will there be anger in the community? Will that be a factor in the polls?

It is not going to be a factor as most students are happy with the exams. Imagine, the number of students appearing would be double and the seats would be the same. There is no problem in Bihar as the floods are in remote areas, but the {exam} centres are mostly in district headquarters. Students preparing for exams are either in block headquarters or district headquarters and there is no problem in any of the blocks or districts. I have not seen a single demonstration with more than 100 people and most of them are political workers. Have you seen any student participating in those? Media is showing 10 people standing with placards, dont know who they are.

What about migrants? So many have had to come back to their villages jobless, some of them walking back. Wont it be a factor?

People know that its not the governments fault, they are intelligent enough. MIgrants came back to Bihar, more than 21 lakh migrants of the state used the free train service and didnt have to pay. And when they reached their home, they were so happy. And now when Narendra Modi announced free ration, they have five months of food in their home and so they are not worried.

But we also so many people walking. Some people died on the way. They could blame the government for not giving them any warning of the lockdown.

Was it possible to announce it before? It took one month to transport 21 lakh people by train...People are happy that they reached home. How many people walked from Bombay to Patna? Is there a single example? Is it possible to walk 2,000 km? I understand their misery, their problems but they also understand that it wasnt possible for the government to organise everything. There were some issues initially. but ultimately they were happy when they reached home.

If what youre saying is correct, then why is it that your own alliance partner Chirag Paswan criticising the chief minister {Nitish Kumar} for his handling of Covid?

I will not answer anybody elses question. Everybody has the right to make their point. Its for the people of Bihar to decide.

Do you think Paswan may be on his way out of the alliance?

We are confident that Lok Janshakti Party and the BJP will fight elections together.

Last time, Kanhaiya Kumar fought election on a Left ticket and his not being with Mahagathbandhan divided their votes. This time they are all fighting together. Will it impact your chances?

The Left is hardly a force in Bihar, they are a spent force. So RJD {Rashtriya Janata Dal} aligning with any other party doesnt mean anything. There is a huge gap in the vote share between BJP and these parties. The credibility of these parties- the RJD, the Congress -- they dont have a leadership. And leaders like Lalu Yadav--we cant help him come out of jail but if he comes out of jail, and he campaigns, it will benefit NDA {National Democratic Alliance} more. We will not have to remind people that here is the man who gave jungle raj to Bihar. So RJD is a polarising party and wherever they fight an election, they create a combination of two castes; all other castes and social groups combine together. These smaller parties dont make any difference. When BJP, JDU came together in 2010 elections, RJD got only 22 assembly seats and Lalu Yadav campaigned like anything. So when JDU and RJD combined, they defeated BJP. Its much stronger and we dont think there will be any difficulty in getting three-fourths majority in Bihar.
China's first homemade carrier Shandong sets out for exercises

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/1 18:38:40

Warship aims to be combat-ready within 2020: experts

The Shandong, China's first domestically developed aircraft carrier - the country's second overall - set out from shipyard on Tuesday for military exercises, which will reportedly be held in the Bohai Sea in the next 22 days. Experts expect the carrier to integrate with J-15 fighter jets that were newly produced for it, as it continues to establish actual combat capability, and it will hopefully become combat-ready by the end of 2020.

Two combat-ready aircraft carriers will have strategic significance for China to resist military pressure from countries like the US in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, and potentially from India on China's key maritime transport lanes, experts said.

After a display of fireworks and under the assistance of several tug boats, the Shandong embarked from the Dalian Shipyard in Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong-based news website wenweipo.com reported on the same day.

The carrier had full-scale models of a J-15 fighter jet and a Z-18 helicopter on its flight deck when it left Dalian, the report said.

The voyage coincided with a notice released by China's Maritime Safety Administration on Monday, which set a navigation restriction in the Bohai Sea from Tuesday to September 22 for an undisclosed military mission.

The restriction zone is in the waters off a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Aviation Force base, so putting these factors together, the Shandong's voyage will likely feature integrated training with fighter jets in the sea area, wenweipo.com predicted.

China has been producing new J-15 aircraft carrier-based fighter jets and training new pilots for the Shandong in recent years, and this voyage could see the carrier integrated with those capabilities as a crucial part of its combat preparedness, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.

According to photos released by the Shenyang Aircraft Co under the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), the manufacturer of the J-15, on its website in February, the company was producing new J-15s at that time. A J-15 under assembly was seen getting new, green priming paint instead of the previous yellow one, which indicated that it features a new type of anti-corrosion material for better performance at sea, reports said then.

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie told the Global Times on Tuesday that after the latest exercise, it will not take the Shandong long to become combat capable, thanks to experience garnered on the country's first carrier, the Liaoning.

Hopefully within this year, the Shandong will conduct another training session, which will eventually give it the basis for initial combat capability, Li predicted.

The Shandong was commissioned into the PLA Navy on December 17, 2019 in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province and it returned to the Dalian Shipyard later that month. This is the second time since then that it has embarked on a training voyage. The first time was in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Bay between May 25 and June 17, lasting 23 days, wenweipo.com reported.

"Troops on the aircraft carrier need to achieve independent comprehensive combat capability and integrate into the combat group system as soon as possible," Li Yongxuan, executive officer of the Shandong, told China Central Television during May's training.

Recently, China has been facing military pressure from countries like the US in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, and potentially from India on China's key maritime transport lanes, and Li Jie said that the Shandong, together with the first carrier Liaoning, will become key forces.

Two aircraft carriers can squeeze the island of Taiwan from different angles, and together with the DF-21D and DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles of the PLA Rocket Force, they can lock down the island and deny possible US intervention, Li Jie said, noting that they can also play a role in protecting crucial maritime transport lanes like the Strait of Malacca.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump did not have a stroke and remains healthy, his physician said on Tuesday in response to a new book suggesting Vice President Mike Pence was put on standby to assume presidential powers during a sudden Trump medical visit last year.

In the book, titled "Donald Trump v. The United States," New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt writes that word went out in the West Wing around the time of the visit last November for the vice president to be on standby if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would require he be anesthetized, according to news outlets that obtained a copy.

"I don't recall being told to be on standby," Pence said on Tuesday in an interview with Fox News. "I was informed that the president had a doctor's appointment," he said.

Trump and his physician appeared to respond on Tuesday to author Don Winslow's posting on Twitter last month that Winslow had received three communications from administration whistleblowers that Trump had "a series of mini-strokes."

"I can confirm that President Trump has not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke), or any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported in the media," Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement.

"The president remains healthy and I have no concerns about his ability to maintain the rigorous schedule ahead of him. As stated in my last report, I expect him to remain fit to execute the duties of the Presidency," Conley added.

On Twitter, Trump also denied having suffered a series of mini-strokes.

At the time, the White House described Trump's unexpected and unscheduled visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a start to his annual physical that included a quick exam and some laboratory tests.

But the trip triggered questions on social media since it occurred months before the annual physical had been carried out in the past.

Trump, known for his love of hamburgers and well-done steaks and an aversion to the gym, gained weight from his physical in 2017, pushing his body mass index into the obese category.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Diane Bartz and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Howard Goller and Lisa Shumaker)
On September 2 2020, the open-access journals PLOS ONE & PLOS Medicine launched a Special Collection of manuscripts centered around the healthcare provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the primary U.S. federal agency for improving healthcare in underserved or vulnerable populations.

HRSA, which operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was created in 1982, and helps those in need of high-quality primary care, people with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and mothers. HRSA also supports the training of health professionals; oversees organ, bone marrow, and cord blood conation; compensates individuals harmed by vaccination; and maintains databases that protect against healthcare malpractice, waste, fraud and abuse.

Research into the populations that HRSA serves is critical to improving healthcare in a variety of ways for these populations. The new collection, which includes 6 research articles and a policy forum article, addresses such wide-ranging issues as how home visits can address maternal depression, how to increase access to housing services for people with HIV, and how to identify at-risk populations to inform health workforce and health care planning.

In one research article, Sue Lin of HRSA and colleagues used data from the 2014 Health Center Patient Survey to assess the prevalence of self-reported mental health conditions among female patients of reproductive age and examine the association between depression and health conditions including obesity, hypertension, smoking and diabetes. Patients with depression had two to three times higher odds of experiencing co-occurring physical health conditions, the study found.

In another, Marci Sontag of the University of Colorado Denver and colleagues assessed the timeliness and quality of newborn screening programs across the country. These programs are critical to early identification and treatment of affected infants prior to onset of symptoms. The researchers showed that the percent of specimens collected before 48 hours of life improved from 95% in 2016 to 97% in 2018 and that time-critical result reporting also improved during this time frame. The results help inform future efforts to improve newborn screening.

A third manuscript described how Veni Kandasamy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and colleagues examined the regional variation in Black infant mortality around the United States. The mortality rate among Black infants varied 1.5-fold across regions, they showed. Factors including a state's maternal and child health care budget helped, in part, explain this variance.

These articles, and the others included in the Special Collection, not only help provide quantitative measures of the progress that HRSA has made in improving care for underserved communities around the country over recent years, but will shape future endeavors to improve this care.

"The wide range of topics covered in this collection demonstrate the diverse needs of the populations HRSA serves," said Tom Engels, the HRSA Administrator. "We hope the insight shared in these articles can raise awareness on key issues and inform future health care."

#### ________________________________________ About HRSA: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary U.S. federal agency for improving health care through its 90-plus programs and more than 3000 grantees to people who are geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA's mission is to improve health outcomes and address health disparities through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs.

For more information about HRSA, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/ ________________________________________ Image Credit: Hush Naidoo, Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/pA0uoltkwao

Image Caption: A woman getting her blood pressure tested.

Funding: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

###
Standing by the most attractive aperture of the facility are residential apartments, Grade A Worc@Q2 office spaces, and luxury commercial units. The Q2Terrace is not only a shopping area but also represents major brands in bakery, cafes, restaurants, and convenience shops.

Concluding the final stage of the development of the Q2 Thao Dien project, the luxury residential developer welcomed two reputable and well-known food and beverage (F&B) brands as tenants: Annam Gourmet and Dinh Phong  The Butcher & Seafood.

Annam Gourmet is Vietnam's high-end local supermarket and cafe chain specialising in supplying organic food and beverages, mainly imports from the world's leading brands.

Eric Jean Bernard Merlin, CEO of Annam Gourmet, and Lim Hua Tiong, CEO of Frasers Property Vietnam at the ceremony

Dinh Phong - The Butcher & Seafood is a speciality meats and seafood chain store providing imported food products from Australia, Japan, Northern Europe, and the U.S. With a decade of experience in distribution, the brand recently opened restaurants concepted under The Butcher Steakhouse in 2 locations within the city and additionally launched the home delivery service The Butcher Eats, bringing new gastronomy experiences for steak enthusiasts. At Q2 Thao Dien, Dinh Phong aims to deliver a new shopping and dining experience to the Vietnamese market which is similar to the Latin American style.

Pham Thanh Son - Business Founder & Executive Director of Dinh Phong - The Butcher & Seafood and Lim Hua Tiong  CEO of Frasers Property Vietnam at the ceremony.

Q2Terrace is integrated into Q2 Thao Dien, possessing a prime location on three street fronts: Vo Truong Toan, Street No.9 and Street No.10, of Thao Dien ward, District 2. This area is developing day by day into an attractive and active multicultural community, including for expatriates and multinationals. This high-income group of potential customers helps bring and make for the upscale Q2Terrace shopping experience.

Q2Terrace becomes the most classy and active shopping space in District 2

Q2Terrace with its limited availability of 13 shoplots located on the ground floor of the apartment tower reveals many outstanding factors. With three levels of modern design, each floor encapsulates an area from 95-259 square metres, with an interior height at 6.5m, creating openness and optimal space for owners. The shoplots area also hold separate automobile and pedestrian walkways, providing a convenient and safe shopping and business experience. The footpaths are up to 8.5m wide, permitting a bustling and lively street.

For businessmen, this is the ideal location to build a classy and high-end brand to serve premium customers.

Q2Terrace has many advantages in attracting famous brands

Q2 Thao Dien is developed by Frasers Property, a multinational development corporation headquartered in Singapore with business activities in the five fields of residential, retail, shopping and service centres, logistics, and serviced apartments spanning over 70 countries and territories throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe, and China.
A Dallas man who joined the Islamic State (IS) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism, the US Department of Justice said today.

Omer Kuzu was captured in Syria by the US-partnered Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in March 2019 and then handed over to FBI custody. Kuzu's sentencing is scheduled for January and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

"This defendant, an American citizen radicalized on American soil, pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist group and traveled halfway across the world to enact its agenda," Erin Nealy Cox, US attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said in a statement. "I am gratified Mr. Kuzu faced justice in an American court."

According to court documents, Kuzu admitted traveling from Texas to Istanbul, Turkey, with his brother in October 2014. From southeastern Turkey, he was smuggled across the Syrian border in an "ISIS taxi" and stayed in several "waiting houses" before making it to Iraqs second-largest city of Mosul. IS is also known as ISIS.

After weapons and physical training in Iraq, Kuzu traveled back to Syria where investigators say he pledged allegiance to IS and was given a monthly stipend, a Chinese-made AK 47, and an ISIS bride."

His role in the group involved providing communications support in the Syrian cities of Kobani and Hama for fighters on the front lines, according to court documents. Kuzu was then among some 1,500 IS members rounded up in Syria as the Kurdish-led SDF seized the last stretch of territory held by the terrorist group in March 2019.

Some 2,000 foreign fighters, as well as their families, remain in SDF-run facilities across northeastern Syria. Many of their home countries have been reluctant to bring them home for prosecution despite pleas from the Syrian Kurds who control the prisons and have been left to deal with the militants and their families.

As of December 2019, the United States had repatriated nearly two dozen US citizens from Syria and Iraq  eight adults and 15 children  and charged six with terrorism-related crimes.

The Donald Trump administration has urged countries to follow its lead and repatriate their nationals who joined IS. On Monday, the United States vetoed a UN resolution aimed at prosecuting, rehabilitating and reintegrating foreign terrorist fighters on the grounds that repatriation wasnt addressed.
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EastEnders' brand new 87 million set in Borehamwood is almost complete following months of work to create a replica of the original set-up.

And amid the huge renovation, the BBC soap's iconic Queen Vic pub took centre stage after undergoing an impressive transformation, with its infamous red exterior shining bright amid Albert Square following the removal of scaffolding.

Albert Square had previously been a pile of rubble but the well-loved area now looks dramatically different as work continued in new images released on Wednesday.

New look: EastEnders' Queen Vic pub took centre stage after undergoing an impressive transformation, with its infamous red exterior shining bright amid Albert Square

The Queen Vic plays a central role in the soap, with the watering hole playing host to plenty of rows, huge fights and the airing of dirty laundry from the Walford residents.

And after being covered in scaffolding, the updated red-walled tavern has now been unveiled with a fresh coat of paint and improved exteriors.

The newly-built building was first revealed in May, and saw the roof painted a white colour as it neared its final stages to match the original inn.

Amid the new pictures of the set being unveiled, it's said that the Black Lives Matter mural, which was painted on the side of Ian Beale's house and unveiled in June, didn't make the transition to the new set.

Transformation: EastEnders' brand new 87 million set in Borehamwood is almost complete following months of work to create a replica of the original set-up

The new set was littered with workmen as they continued to work on building a replica of the old set, which was built in 1984.

Earlier this year, images showed the set buzzing with activity as work continued amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Construction sites were able to work 'if it is done safely' yet the project may not have been, to some, classed as 'essential'.

The BBC was accused of 'complacency' over the astonishing 87 million bill for its new EastEnders set in March.

The project, nicknamed E20 after the soap's fictitious postcode, is already 27million over budget and is not expected to be fully completed until May 2023, nearly five years late.

Much better: After being covered in scaffolding, the updated red-walled tavern has now been unveiled with a fresh coat of paint and improved exteriors

Looking good: Albert Square had previously been a pile of rubble but the well-loved area now looks dramatically different as work continued in new images released on Wednesday

Centre of drama: The Queen Vic plays a central role in the soap, with the watering hole playing host to plenty of rows, huge fights and the airing of dirty laundry from the Walford residents

MPs said BBC bosses 'badly' managed the construction and that they made 'a serious error' by failing to consider what project management skills they needed. The public accounts committee said they secured a contract poorly, drastically increasing costs.

The committee also found that contract negotiations took six months longer than planned, partly because of discussions about what bricks to use for the set. Meanwhile, the corporation spent 50,000 on samples.

MPs added that they were 'disappointed by the BBC's complacency in managing this project, particularly in its early stages'.

And they said the BBC 'underestimated the scale and complexity of the project, including how it would age the new sets so that they either exactly replicate what viewers are used to, or look realistic where there are new locations'.

Update: And after being covered in scaffolding, the updated red-walled tavern has now been unveiled with a fresh coat of paint and improved exteriors

Improvements: The newly-built building was first revealed in May, and saw the roof painted a white colour as it neared its final stages to match the original inn

The set consists of a 'front lot'  a brickwork replica of the current set  and a 'back lot', which will provide extra locations to 'better reflect modern East End London'.

A BBC spokesman said at the time: 'We strongly reject the notion that there has been any complacency in managing this project.

'Like any building work of this scale, there have been challenges along the way including construction market issues beyond our control and working on a brownfield site.'

The extended sound stage sees a new railway line and block of flats in place, replicating the soap's original set up.

Original: The famous red-walled Queen Vic pub pictured on the original set

Missing: Amid the new pictures of the set being unveiled, it's said that the Black Lives Matter mural, which was painted on the side of Ian Beale's house and unveiled in June, didn't make the transition to the new set

EastEnders' brand new set was first announced four years ago when it was also revealed that the show's old 1984 set was in poor condition.

As well as an extension of the famous Albert Square, EastEnders' new set will feature a brand new block of flats to house all manner of colourful characters.

It is being perfectly built to replicate the old set, which had been in use since the soap first began.

According to The Telegraph last year, ongoing maintenance issues on the old set hampered the show's filming schedule and presented health and safety concerns.

EastEnders: Real-life partners as body doubles, CGI trickery and kissing through Perspex screens bosses have revealed the secrets to filming during COVID-19 crisis as soap returns

The updated set will allow the crew to film the programme in HD as bosses feared filming above standard definition on the current set would allow viewers to notice that the fronts of the Queen Vic and its surrounding buildings are made of plaster and plywood.

The HD set's buildings are made entirely out of brick, however the crew are working diligently to ensure they appear identical on camera to the buildings that viewers are familiar with.

The long-running drama is currently on a 12 week break after it ran out of episodes while filming was halted amid the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.

Transition: EastEnders are trying to alter their filming and production to follow the ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines proved to be the biggest challenge

After almost three months off air, BBC bosses joked that they 'can't wait for series two', after the soap previously ran uninterrupted for 35 years.

EastEnders is set to return to screens on Monday, September 7, with filming techniques updated to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Bosses have 'cheated' the social distancing rules with CGI trickery and have drafted in the help of stars' real-life partners as body doubles for intimate scenes

While Perspex screens have also been used during passionate kissing scenes.
Aug. 28, Friday

Kobe Adonis Smith, 21, was arrested on Friday at the 2600 block of Olton Road during a traffic stop at 10:15 p.m. Smith was found to be in possession of a stolen firearm. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and with theft of a firearm, both of which are felonies.

A burglary was reported at the 2400 block of W. 16th St. on Friday around 1:15 a.m.

A crash was reported at the 400 block of W. 5th St. on Friday around 9:45 a.m. Vehicle damage was reported.

Forgery and identity theft were reported at the 600 block of N. Broadway on Friday around 12:45 p.m.

A hit-and-run crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 1100 block of W. 10th St. on Friday around 8:40 p.m.

A terroristic threat against a person was reported at the 900 block of Amarillo St. on Friday around 11:20 p.m.

Aug. 29, Saturday

A 49-year-old man was arrested Saturday at the 1400 block of Lexington St. around 12:45 p.m. The individual was arrested for three misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear/bail jumping, wide right turn and driving with an invalid license.

An assault was reported Saturday at the 1100 block of Joliet St. around 10:45 a.m.

Burglary of a vehicle was reported at the 400 block of W. 8th St. on Saturday just after 1:30 p.m.

An assault was reported at the 4000 block of Olton Road on Saturday around 2:20 p.m.

Police responded to the 2200 block of W. 19th St. on Saturday around 11:20 p.m. in reference to a deadly conduct callout. An officer observed someone firing a weapon. No arrests were indicated.

Aug. 30, Sunday

Plainview police arrested 20-year-old Jonathan Gaige Enriquez on Sunday at the 900 block of N. Columbia. Police responded to the location just after 4 p.m. and found Enriquez to be in possession of a stolen firearm. He was arrested and charged with theft of a firearm, which is a felony, unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana.

An assault was reported at the 800 block of W. 27th St. on Sunday around 7:45 a.m.

A 50-year-old man was arrested at the 3700 block of Olton Road on Sunday around 1:20 p.m. after a crash resulting in vehicle damage. The individual was charged with an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for driving while intoxicated.

A 35-year-old man was arrested Sunday at the 1300 block of Smythe St. Police responded to a call about criminal trespassing at the location just after 7 p.m. The individual was charged with two outstanding misdemeanor warrants  for failure to maintain financial responsibility and failure to control speed  and with criminal trespassing.
Labor Day is a federal holiday thats celebrated on the first Monday of September and this year it falls on the 7th to recognize the American labor movement and the works and contribution of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.

When did it start?

The labor movement started in the late 19th century and became an official federal holiday in 1894. This holiday also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans and like any long weekend it is celebrated with parties, parades and all sorts of events.

During the industrial revolution in the late 1800s the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-days a week just to make ends meet. In many states around the country children could start working from 5-years and upwards in the mills, factories and mines just to earn a fraction of what adults made.

Work conditions were unsafe, no full access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks. As manufacturing work started to outgrow agriculture work, in the late 18th century workers started organizing strikes and rallies to protest the poor work conditions, the long hours and the amount of days they worked.

Protests across the country

There were protests all over the country and some even turned violent. On 5 September, 1882, roughly ten thousand workers took unpaid time to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York. This event is known as the first Labor Day parade in the history of this holiday.

It took Congress 12 years to legalize the holiday. On 28 June, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law and after all this time it is not known who was the original founder of Labor Day.

Coronavirus pandemic could be a factor

Given that we are in the middle of a pandemic, each holiday that it is celebrated in the United States prompt fear from health experts that there could be an increase in cases just as the curve seems to be flattening in many states.

Currently there are more than 6 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 180,000 deaths in the United States. There was a spike in cases after the celebration of Memorial Day and Fourth of July so we could see a new surge two weeks after Labor Day weekend.
Norway finished its public hearings on the government's plans to develop nine new deposits that are located north of the Arctic Circle. Experts believe that these deposits may be risky both in terms of the environment and for commercial benefit. The decision to extract oil so far north of the polar circle could also spoil the northern kingdom's relations with other countries that have also signed the Spitsbergen Treaty (now called the Svalbard Treaty) that recently observed its centenary. This international treaty determines the international legal status of the Spitsbergen Archipelago and regulates economic and other activities in the surrounding waters.

Professor of Norwegian University of Agder Ilan Kelman says safe oil production in the Arctic is impossible in principle. At any rate, it remains impossible now because despite the considerable climate changes this region has remained very difficult for human existence over the years.

In their open letter to the government of Norway, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Greenpeace and the Nature and Youth organization recalled that the government agency responsible for preserving the Arctic, resolutely objected to all 24 oil permits that were issued by the government of Norway for oil production in the northern areas in 2002-2019.

Prof. Kelman believes that there is no point in talking about oil production in the northern altitudes before an oil spill cleanup technology is developed for the Arctic.

Over 30 years ago, the Norwegian parliament opened almost the entire Barents Sea to the oil industry with the exception of its southeastern part. Development in this part of the sea was allowed in 2013 after the signing of an agreement with Russia on sea boundaries in the region.

According to the Spitsbergen Treaty signed by 46 states, the archipelago belongs to Norway but with some reservations. Thus, the treaty regulates issues of militarization and allows the signatories to engage in commercial activities in its waters. Only Norway and Russia are conducting commercial activities so far.

Thus, the decision on oil production in the far north could spoil relations between Norway and Russia for which this region is of enormous strategic importance. In the past few years, Russia has upgraded its northern nuclear-powered submarine fleet and built up its military presence on Franz Josef Land that is not far from Spitsbergen.

At present, reports indicate that applications for developing oil deposits north of Norway will be accepted until the beginning of 2021. It is quite possible that oil production in this region may start soon after the tender is over.

Source: expert.ru
Inter have ruled themselves out of the race to sign Lionel Messi this summer.

The Argentine has been strongly linked with the Serie A club in recent months, even before his transfer request at Barcelona.

"We're not going to sign Leo Messi," Piero Ausilio, Inter's sporting director, told Sky Sport.

"I don't even know where these crazy rumours are coming from."

Ausilio also signalled a hands-off warning to Barcelona regarding Lautaro Martinez.

"We never started official talks with Barcelona over Lautaro," Ausilio added.

"The day after his release clause expired, we considered him not for sale.

"It's over."
A resident of Vasna Road in Gujarats Ahmadabad has been was booked under the Disturbed Areas Act, cheating and forging documents, to sell his property to a person from a different religion.

The act prohibits sale of property in an area covered under the act to a person from different religion without permission from the district collector. The accused has been identified as Feroze Contractor and reportedly concealed his religion and forged documents to sell the plot of land in Samarpan Society on Vasna Road to a person named Feroze Patel, his mother Hanifa and brother Sabir Patel, the Times of India reported.

The case was reported by Manish Malhotra, the president of the society. He alleged that Contractor is a Parsi but did not reveal it while applying for permission from the district administration to sell the plot to Patel.

He said that Contractor kept his religious identity hidden to create an impression that he and Feroze belonged to the same religion.

Contractor has also reportedly been accused of mentioning Tandalja as his address even though he does not live there. Contractor had purchased the land from Dashrathlal Panchal and knew about the procedure of selling and buying the land and the Act. The case of hidden identity came to light recently when Patel started construction on the plot. The residents came to know that the current owner is Patel and then shut one of the gates of the society. They approached the police and filed a complaint against Contractor.

Police said that Contractor is yet to be arrested as they are collecting documentary evidence against him, the TOI report said.

The Act, also known as the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991, is aimed at preventing sale of properties in communally-sensitive areas. The Act is currently applicable in parts of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch, Kapadvanj, Anand and Godhra towns. This Act mandates the permission of district collector for the sale or transfer of property in the areas notified as disturbed to ensure that the sale was not out of any distress or compulsion, and to see that the seller had received a fair price.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and one of her top aides for continuing to investigate Americans in connection with alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.



Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move on September 2, calling the ICC a "a thoroughly broken and corrupt institution and saying the United States "will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.



Pompeo announced the sanctions against chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and head of jurisdiction Phakiso Mochochoko at a news conference at the State Department. The sanctions include a freeze on any assets they hold in the United States or assets subject to U.S. law.



The ICC in March gave Bensouda the go-ahead to investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military, and U.S. forces.



Pompeo said people who provide Bensouda and Mochochoko with material support in investigating Americans could also face U.S. penalties.



The sanctions are the latest moves against the tribunal by the Trump administration for investigations into the United States and its allies.



The ICC, which the United States has never joined, said in a statement it stands by its employees and its mission and denounced the sanctions.



"I strongly reject such unprecedented and unacceptable measures against a treaty-based international organization," said O-Gon Kwon, president of the ICC's Assembly of States Parties.



Pompeo had previously imposed a travel ban on Bensouda and other tribunal employees because of an ICC investigation into allegations of torture and other crimes by Americans in Afghanistan.



The sanctions announced on September 2 came nearly three months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order authorizing economic sanctions and travel restrictions against ICC officials who are directly involved in investigating U.S. troops and intelligence officials for possible war crimes in Afghanistan.



The United States has not joined the ICC because of concerns the court might be used for politically motivated prosecutions of U.S. troops and officials. The U.S. Congress also opposes an international court interfering in U.S. sovereignty.

The United States is among dozens of countries that are not party to the treaty that established the ICC in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in areas where perpetrators might not otherwise face justice.



Human rights groups and others have condemned the Trump administration's moves against the court.



Todays announcement is designed to do what this administration does best  bully and intimidate," said Daniel Balson of Amnesty International USA said on September 2. It penalizes not only the ICC, but civil society actors working for justice alongside the court worldwide.



He accused the United States of demanding the a political carve-out of impunity for Americans accused of crimes under international law in Afghanistan.



No one responsible for the most serious crimes under international law should be able to hide from accountability, under a cloak of impunity, he said.



Richard Dicker, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, called it a stunning perversion of U.S. sanctions, devised to penalize rights abusers and kleptocrats, to persecute those tasked with prosecuting international crimes.



The Trump administration has twisted these sanctions to obstruct justice, not only for certain war crimes victims, but for atrocity victims anywhere looking to the International Criminal Court for justice, he said.





With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
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In deducing the revenue projections of the global Market for Biopharma Downstream Processing, our analysts have gathered data from secondary sources such as company websites, white papers, press releases, annual reports, financial documents, and industry association reports. Additional statistics have been obtained from paid publications such as Morningstar, Genios, Factiva, BVD, Meltwaters, and GBI. The Market numbers have been validated through extensive interviews with key stakeholders in the industry through direct personal interviews as well as through sources such as Salesforce, Research Gate, Zoominfo, Avention, and LinkedIn. Our research process primarily comprises the following:

Primary research: This includes identification of key opinion leaders in the Market, designing of questionnaires, and exhaustive interviews with key Market stakeholders covering the entire Biopharma Downstream Processing Market value chain.

Desk research: This comprises extensive secondary research to identify top Market experts, channel studies, global Market trends and developments, critical Market dynamics (drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities), identification of top products, and key takeaways pertaining to the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market.

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Company analysis and competition tracking: This constitutes an in-depth analysis of the primary Market participants, a SWOT of their business performance, product portfolio and new innovations, chief focus areas of the companys business, and key player mapping in accordance with the value chain. A dedicated chapter is allotted to present the current Market structure of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market along with information on the key players dominating the global Market. This dashboard view of the competition currently prevalent in the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market will enable readers to acquire the necessary competitive intelligence and facilitate the devising of appropriate Market strategies to emerge sustainably profitable in the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market.

The below flowchart adequately sums up our tested and proven research methodology.

Data Collection & Sorting a Data Filtering & Analysis a Market Research & Intelligence a Deriving Actionable Insights a Viable Business Solution

A structured breakdown of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market for ease of understanding of the Market

To help readers understand the critical components of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market, we have dissected the global Market on the basis of product type, modality, end user, and region. Further segmental breakdown is as under:

By Product Type

Sensors pH & ORP Sensors Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Sensors Conductivity Sensors Cell Density Sensors

Transmitters and Controllers

Sensor Housings

Cables and Connectors

Buffers and Standard Reagents

By Modality

Single Use

Reuse

By End User

Biopharmaceutical Companies

Food & Beverage Companies

Contract Manufacturing Organisations

Contract Research Organisations

Academic and Research Institutes

Others

By Region

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Asia Pacific Excluding Japan

Japan

Middle East & Africa

Why should you invest in this research study?

A planned investment in this comprehensive study of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market will benefit you in several ways.

If you are planning to invest in this Market, a deep dive into the performance of the global Market for Biopharma Downstream Processing will help you make a critical business decision on whether and when to venture into this lucrative Market. If you are an existing Market player and want to understand what the competition is doing so as to implement counter strategies to gain a competitive edge, insights presented in this report will help you plan your future product innovation and go-to-Market strategies to augment your Market share.

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The simple manner in which this report is structured will help you find the relevant Market information quickly. An analysis of the revenue projections of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market for the historical period 2012 to 2016 and the forecast period 2017 to 2027 will help you acquire the necessary Market intelligence to decide which segment to put your money into. Useful insights on key Market dynamics will help you understand the future growth trajectory of the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market and help you plan your next moves accordingly.

Finally, a drill down of the leading companies operating in the global Biopharma Downstream Processing Market will provide the necessary competitive intelligence essential for any business to plan effective Marketing strategies.
Most matter in the Universe is dark and completely different in nature from the matter that makes up stars, planets and people. Galaxies form and grow when gas cools and condenses at the center of enormous clumps of this dark matter, the so-called dark matter haloes.

An international research team led by Prof. WANG Jie from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) used supercomputers in China and Europe to zoom in on a typical region of a virtual universe as if zooming in on an image of the Moon to see a flea on its surface.

The study was published in Nature on Sept. 2.

The biggest dark matter haloes in today's universe contain huge galaxy clusters, collections of hundreds of bright galaxies. The properties of such clusters, which weigh over a quadrillion (a million billion) times as much as our Sun, are well studied.

On the other hand, the masses of the smallest dark matter haloes are unknown. They are hypothesized to be about the mass of the Earth, according to currently popular theories.

Such small haloes would be extremely numerous, containing a substantial fraction of all the dark matter in the universe. However, they would remain dark throughout cosmic history because stars and galaxies grow only in haloes more than a million times as massive as the Sun.

"These small haloes can only be studied by simulating the evolution of the Universe in a large supercomputer," said Prof. WANG.

The research team, based at the National Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, Durham University in the UK, the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, and the Center for Astrophysics in the USA, took five years to develop, test and carry out their cosmic zoom.

It enabled them to study the structure of dark matter haloes of all masses between that of the Earth and that of a big galaxy cluster. In number, the zoom covers a mass range of 10 to the power 30 (that is a one followed by 30 zeroes), which is equivalent to the number of kilograms in the Sun.

By zooming-in on the virtual universe in such microscopic detail, the researchers were able to study the structure of dark matter haloes ranging in mass from that of the Earth to a big galaxy cluster.

"Surprisingly, we find that haloes of all sizes have a very similar internal structure, i.e., they are extremely dense at the center, become increasingly spread out, and have smaller clumps orbiting in their outer regions," said Prof. WANG. "Without a measure scale it was almost impossible to tell an image of a dark matter halo of a massive galaxy from one whose mass is a fraction of the Sun."

Particles of dark matter can collide near the centers of haloes, and may, according to some theories, annihilate in a burst of energetic (gamma) radiation.

Co-author, Prof. Carlos Frenk from Durham University said: "By zooming in on these relatively tiny dark matter haloes, we can calculate the amount of radiation expected to come from different sized haloes."

Most of this radiation would be emitted by dark matter haloes too small to contain stars and future gamma-ray observatories might be able to detect these emissions, making these small objects individually or collectively "visible".

"This would confirm the hypothesized nature of the dark matter, which may not be entirely dark after all," said co-author Simon White from the Max Planck Institute of Astrophysics. "Our research sheds light on these small haloes as we seek to learn more about what dark matter is and the role it plays in the evolution of the universe."

The simulations were carried out in the Cosmology Machine supercomputers in Guangzhou, China, Durham, England of the UK, and Munich, Germany.

###
The majority of pupils returned to school on Tuesday.

A school principal called for rapid testing to be made available to teachers as thousands more children returned to the classroom in Northern Ireland.

Primary 7 children and sixth formers returned last week, but the full school population were back yesterday.

Health and safety measures including hand sanitising stations, staggered start times and one-way systems are in place at schools, and face coverings used by post-primary pupils.

Chris Donnelly, principal of St John The Baptist Primary School in West Belfast, said it was great to have children back l, but called for rapid testing.

Ive had a few staff members who have had to be tested in the first week for different reasons, and Im talking to principals across quite a number of schools and they are giving the exact same picture, he said.

Its no different to any other business in society, the only difference being the knock-on effect of potentially children having to self-isolate, and parents working around that.

Anecdotally, we are hearing of quite a few cases so that is hitting on childrens attendance and then obviously a number of members of staff too.

One thing I am finding quite frustrating is trying to get members of staff tested. I was under the impression they would be expediting things so that we could get members of staff tested to know if they were positive because obviously the ripple effect of being in a classroom with 30 kids - and if I cant get them tested I cant get them back to work.

There are a number of things from a schools perspective that we want ironed out so that it can be made easier to get key workers working in school to get tested.

Education Minister Peter Weir described the day as a major step forward.

Obviously we will be monitoring the situation closely, but I think this is a good day for education and for all young people, that we are able to get a third of a million children back into school, he told the BBC.

There are bound to be some bumps in the road.

Several cases have already been confirmed in schools here.

Holy Family Primary School in Magherafelt sent a letter to parents on Monday announcing that a primary three pupil had tested positive.

Principal Peter Donnelly said he had sought the most up-to-date advice from the Public Health Agency (PHA) and had told the pupils in the class they must self-isolate before returning to school on September 10.

The principal of Jonesborough Primary School, Donal Keenan, released a letter on the schools Facebook page on Monday night after a pupil in its primary two and three class tested positive for the virus.

Mr Keenan said the school is working with the PHA and the Department of Education.

Elsewhere, Ballyclare Secondary School was unable to reopen this week after a pupil tested positive after being in the school on August 20.

Two schools on the Falls Road - St Kevins Primary and St Louises College - previously confirmed positive cases among the school communities.

Separately yesterday, Mr Weir said he held his hands up over a photograph of him at a school last week, which showed him not wearing a face covering inside a classroom.

I was socially distant from them. I didnt wear a mask on that particular occasion. Perhaps I should have done, I thought it was better to make myself understood, he said.




Kumho Petrochemical Group is making greater efforts to improve environmental measures to meet strengthening regulations.







Of its units, Kumho Petrochemical has been increasing efforts this year to improve facilities to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Following those efforts, the firm's rubber plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, was awarded the highest grade in a process safety management evaluation by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.







As part of efforts, Kumho Petrochemical said it is running several programs to enhance its commitment to the environment and safety. One is a biannual meeting held by the Kumho Petrochemical CEO in which group executives closely monitor the eco-friendliness of the company's plants and offices.







Along with Kumho Petrochemical, its affiliates are also striving for sustainability. Kumho P&B Chemicals plans to upgrade its existing air pollution reduction facilities by the first quarter of next year. It also has formed a taskforce with an outside consulting firm to develop strategies to meet strengthening environmental regulations.







"Under the slogan 'Our top priority is safety,' Kumho P&B management and labor are striving to nurture a corporate culture valuing safety," a Kumho Petrochemical Group official said.







Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is focusing on the safety of its plants. The company has been appointing safety officers who monitor the plants and explore improvements for the company's safety measures. Along those efforts, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals was certified by the Korea Energy Agency for its efficient energy use.







Kumho Polychem is promoting safety measures among its partner companies. Along with its partner firms, Kumho Polychem holds monthly safety measure consulting sessions and runs safety officer programs in which officers regularly check the environment of plants.







"Kumho Petrochemical Group has a sustainability and safety goal of shaping the future as a partner of human and the environment," Kumho Petrochemical Group Chairman Park Chan-koo said. "We will make comprehensive efforts to enable systematic responses to emerging environmental and safety issues." (Advertorial)


Opposition leaders, including Derek OBrien and Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, criticised the decision to cancel the Question Hour in the monsoon session of Parliament and said the pandemic was being used as an excuse to stifle dissent. OBrien, the TMC leader of Rajya Sabha, added that this was happening for the first time since 1950.

MPs required to submit questions for Question Hour in Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 September. So Question Hour cancelled? Opposition MPs lose right to question govt. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Question Hour? Pandemic excuse to murder democracy," OBrien wrote on Twitter.

MPs required to submit Qs for Question Hour in #Parliament 15 days in advance. Session starts 14 Sept. So Q Hour cancelled ? Oppn MPs lose right to Q govt. A first since 1950 ? Parliament overall working hours remain same so why cancel Q Hour?Pandemic excuse to murder democracy Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) September 2, 2020

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in a series of tweets, also slammed the Centre over its decision to not allow Question Hour and Zero Hour and said that the government was seeking to use its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass."

I said four months ago that strongmen leaders would use the excuse of the pandemic to stifle democracy&dissent. The notification for the delayed Parliament session blandly announces there will be no Question Hour. How can this be justified in the name of keeping us safe?," Tharoor tweeted. Tharoor added that questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy.

This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board & uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with," his tweet read.

2/2 Questioning the government is the oxygen of parliamentary democracy. This Govt seeks to reduce Parliament to a notice-board & uses its crushing majority as a rubber-stamp for whatever it wants to pass. The one mechanism to promote accountability has now been done away with. Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 2, 2020

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament amid the Covid-19 pandemic will begin on September 14. Opposition parties have expressed concerns over the decision to disallow Question Hour and Zero Hour, which is a regular feature of every parliament session when each day an hour is spent both on Question Hour and Zero Hour mentions. A few parties have conveyed their reservation about not having Question Hour, while others have agreed given the challenging circumstances.

OBrien, had also spoken to Rajnath Singh about his reservation earlier, but his partys parliamentary leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay is believed to have accepted where the governments position. Meanwhile, Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury recently wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding Zero and Question Hour. However, he agreed with the government when Rajnath Singh called him a few days ago.

In the letter to the speaker, Chowdhury said curtailing the Question Hour and the Zero Hour would not be in the interest of elected representatives, especially in the current times of COVID-19. There appears to be a proposal for curtailing the Question Hour as well as the Zero Hour during the Session by way of restricting the allocation of time as well as the number of notices that could be filed by the members," he had said.

NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar has also accepted the reason for which the government has decided to scrap Question Hour. While DMKs Tiruchi Siva demanded that the Question Hour and Zero Hour be held, his party leader from Lok Sabha TR Baalu has acknowledged the governments efforts to keep everyone safe.

Several political parties had also asked for short-term discussions on key issues. Top sources in the government said it is likely to allow one such discussion per week, but the final call will be taken by the custodians of both houses. The government has also agreed on discussions on very crucial issues that have been brought to the notice through the course of their discussion with political parties, including the India-China issue, GDP, economy, COVID-19 crisis, the migrant crisis and so on.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament will commence from September 14 and will continue till October 1 with about 18 sittings, including weekends with each house in seating for a duration of four hours.
I am very pleased and honored to welcome Dr. Roy to the Caravan team. Dr. Roy comes to Caravan ready to lead our clinical strategy and products, all focused on improving care for patients and provider success, said Tim Gronniger, Caravan Health President and CEO.

Today, Caravan Health announced the appointment of Dr. Ashok Roy as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Roy is a practicing internal medicine physician with 20 years of experience in population health, health care consulting, and health care administration. He brings to Caravan an extensive background in improving patient outcomes and satisfaction while decreasing unnecessary utilization and health care costs.

I am very pleased and honored to welcome Dr. Roy to the Caravan team. Dr. Roy comes to Caravan ready to lead our clinical strategy and products, all focused on improving care for patients and provider success, said Tim Gronniger, Caravan Health President and CEO. He brings a deep expertise in how clinicians can connect operational, clinical, and business objectives in Caravan Healths population health programs.

Prior to joining Caravan, Dr. Roy served as Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Solutions & Analytics, at Lumeris. There, he led a team analyzing value-based payment opportunities and designing corresponding clinical programs. This role involved working with a variety of practices and clinics to implement the clinical programs and produce timely, accurate, and actionable dashboards to measure progress.

Dr. Roy also has a strong understanding of health markets beyond Medicare. He helped in the establishment of the Massachusetts Health Insurance Exchange and set up subsidies for low-income beneficiaries. Dr. Roy also led a multidisciplinary team studying best practices in treating soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with traumatic brain injury and psychological health issues.

Dr. Roy received his medical degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and trained in Internal Medicine at St. Lukes- Roosevelt Medical Center in New York City. He earned his Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hear from Dr. Roy and learn more about Caravans methodology for clinical excellence at the fifth annual Accountable Care Symposium. Learn more here.

About Caravan Health:

Caravan Health helps providers make accountable care work regardless of their size, location, history, or demographics. Caravan Health gives community health systems and providers a way to create more scale, drive more change, and generate more revenue. The 250+ health systems who have turned to Caravan achieved single-year savings greatly exceeding the national average. Health systems and providers across the country are using our proven population health programs to ensure better outcomes for their patients every day. With Caravan Health, now the numbers work. For more information visit http://www.caravanhealth.com.


MOSCOW -- When Yegor Zhukov exited the Moscow courthouse that ordered his release in December 2019 amid a groundswell of support for the popular student blogger and Kremlin critic, he was greeted like a celebrity by a throng of fans.

As reporters jostled for prime position to capture his speech and the crowd applauded and shouted his name, Zhukov pledged to continue his opposition activism against the government of President Vladimir Putin.

"This is all politics," he told those gathered. "They turned the courts into a system of repression. And we must fight it."

In the weeks and months that followed, the 22-year-old would become a regular fixture on Russia's independent media circuit, expounding on his libertarian views and pronouncing loudly and clearly his fundamental life ambition: to ultimately become president of Russia.

On August 31, as he returned home from another guest appearance on a political talk show, eyewitnesses say Zhukov was jumped by two men and viciously beaten in a dark alleyway near his apartment on Moscow's outskirts. It was the second attack on the opposition blogger in just over a month. "The first blow was delivered to the back of my head, it threw me to the ground," he later wrote in a Facebook post. "They hit me exclusively in the face."

A day earlier, he had posted a video to his 230,000 subscribers on YouTube revealing that he had been expelled from Moscow's prestigious Higher School of Economics (HSE) -- within 90 minutes of receiving an offer of admission from its graduate school of art and design.

Zhukov's backing for a wave of anti-government protests that rocked Moscow last summer elevated him to stardom in the opposition ranks -- but the day he left that courthouse in December would represent a high point in his career as a Kremlin critic. Though a free man, he was a convicted one too, handed a suspended three-year sentence for "inciting extremism" in the political monologues that earned him a sizeable online following.

His expulsion and beating come at a particularly fraught time for Russia's opposition movement, which is fighting for its survival against a relentless campaign of propaganda and legal prosecutions. Its most prominent member, anti-corruption crusader Aleksei Navalny, lies comatose in a Berlin hospital after doctors said he suffered poisoning by a substance that the German government on September 2 said belonged to the Novichok group of military-grade nerve agents.

Over the past year, the homes of dozens of activists in Russia have been raided by law enforcement.

Compounded by the political crisis in neighboring Belarus and ongoing protests in Russia's Far East, Zhukov's colleagues say the tense climate is only exacerbating popular discontent at a time when the price of challenging the Kremlin is rising.

"We definitely link what has happened to Yegor with his political activism," Yevgeny Ovcharov, the director of Zhukov's Team, his political organization, told RFE/RL. "Both the attack and the expulsion from HSE are part of a single chain that is called political persecution."

University 'Blacklist'

The crackdown also coincides with a controversial staff reshuffle at the HSE, part of a purported purge of opposition-minded teachers whose inception predates Zhukov's alleged expulsion from its graduate school.

Doxa, a student newspaper that actively lobbied for Zhukov's release last year, has been stripped of its funding and its license as a university organization. New rules introduced in January radically curbed the sphere of political activism permitted for students, banning them among other things from publicly listing their affiliation with the school.

Earlier this month, Russian media reported that HSE had not renewed the employment contracts of several teachers who had publicly expressed opposition views. In response, several of them announced last week the creation of Free University, a new institution with no campus that would offer free classes at venues including teacher's homes.

Roman Kiselyov, a political scientist and HSE alum, said he began a new job at the university in November 2019 but was fired after several days and told he was on "the blacklist of the FSB," the feared Federal Security Service.

"After six years of work and study at HSE," he wrote in a Facebook post, "your university, which shaped you as a person and which you love so much and promote at every opportunity, tells you that it no longer needs you because of you're politically unreliable."

RFE/RL was not able to confirm Kiselyov's claims about a political blacklist at HSE, allegations that have been made by other teachers and students. Valeria Kasamara, an HSE deputy rector and member of the ruling United Russia party whom Zhukov accuses of helping orchestrate the university's political purge, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But some in HSE's administration dispute those claims as well as Zhukov's account of his expulsion. Arseny Meshcheryakov, the director of its Art and Design Faculty, said Zhukov was offered a place on another study program but decided not to accept it. "I personally had this conversation with him," Meshcheryakov said in a statement attributed to him on the university's website.

Zhukov declined to comment for this article, telling RFE/RL through Ovcharov that he was preparing a new video address that would shed light on recent events and preferred not to preempt it. An investigation has been launched into the August 31 attack, and it has been widely condemned.

Ovcharov says Zhukov plans to continue his political activism undeterred, but he lamented the various restrictions placed on him since his December conviction and said his expulsion and assault have only compounded his pariah status.

"It's clear that they're trying to prevent this person's access to everything," he said of the Russian authorities. "He can't run for office, he can't have bank accounts, he can't get an education, and now it seems he can't even leave home alone."

At the end of his August 30 video -- less than 24 hours before he was attacked outside his home -- Zhukov made clear his views about the situation in which his public criticism of the government had placed him.

"You made me into a criminal," he said in a message to the Kremlin. "And now you're barring my access to an education."
Why are you acting like this?

Thats what an exasperated police officer said to Mathias Ometu the afternoon of Aug. 25, after Ometu repeatedly refused to comply with officer requests for his name and date of birth.

Ometus response was simultaneously cryptic and clear.

Why do you think?

Ometu, 33, had done nothing wrong. The insurance adjuster had gone out for a jog on the Northwest Side and been stopped by police. He had no criminal record and no legal obligation to provide identifying information to the officers.

Just like Ometu, the cops had a good, thoroughly justifiable reason for being on Woodstone Drive that afternoon. They were responding to a call from a woman who said her ex-husband had punched and choked her. They were working from a description of a suspect who had left on foot: a bearded Black man wearing a green T-shirt.

Ometu fit that description. But he was the wrong man.

By the time the officers figured that out, they had cuffed Ometu and spent nearly two minutes forcing him into the back of a squad car while he screamed, Youre choking me!

This prolonged scuffle resulted in Ometu being arrested on two counts of assault on a peace officer and spending two days in jail.

Thankfully, on Tuesday, District Attorney Joe Gonzales dismissed the charges against Ometu. Gonzales noted that the two involved officers shared his view that Ometu should not incur any future consequences as a result of this decision.

Gonzales described the encounter as a case of competing interests, a clash between officers fulfilling their duty to investigate a crime and an innocent man who did not want to answer their questions.

Police Chief William McManus called it an unfortunate situation, but added that the officers were only doing their jobs.

Calling it an unfortunate situation feels a bit like a reference to bad weather, something that was unpleasant but couldnt be avoided. It doesnt feel like a satisfactory response to this incident.

For the sake of future Mathias Ometus, we should all be asking ourselves: How did an encounter between an innocent man and two officers working to bring an alleged domestic abuser to justice go so wrong?

For one thing, its clear the officers who detained Ometu gave no serious thought to the implications behind his question: Why do you think?

To grow up Black in this country is to know that a seemingly routine encounter with police officers can get dangerous in a hurry. Its a lesson Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Eric Garner, among others, learned the hard way.

Its hardly surprising that when officers insisted Ometu get inside the squad car, he said he just wanted to lay on the grass until things got sorted out.

Keep in mind that only six months ago, another young Black man in this country went out jogging and found himself being pursued for a crime he didnt commit.

Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down in South Georgia by white vigilantes. Two and a half months passed before arrests were made in the case  and only after national media attention brought necessary shame to law enforcement officials.

To be sure, Ometu should have cooperated with SAPD. Its likely the situation wouldnt have escalated had he been willing to provide the information the officers requested.

At the same time, the officers (one of whom is Black) should have understood the baggage that comes with these types of encounters; recognized the distrust that history has created.

In this case, Ometu responded to the officers with annoyance and disdain, but he didnt try to run away when they questioned him. After Ometu told officers he had no information to give them, they moved in to handcuff him, an abrupt move that dramatically raised the temperature of the encounter.

A subsequent call between officer Richard Serna and an officer at the victims house got more identifying information on the suspect. This exchange should have provided a strong indication that Ometu was not the suspect.

Ometu had a shaved head and a long, thick James Harden beard, while the actual suspect, Darren Anthony Smith Jr., had a full head of hair and a thin mustache with a bit of stubble on his chin.

Serna, however, brushed aside the obvious beard discrepancy, a response that led to an uncooperative Ometu being shoved into the squad car. Thats when tension turned into violence.

To be fair to the officers, circumstances also worked against them.

At one point, the police made a conciliatory gesture toward Ometu by putting on new handcuffs that would allow him more mobility, but the officer inadvertently ended up hurting him in the process. The officers also found themselves stymied by the fact the victim couldnt initially make it to the scene because she had two small children at home with her.

Its true, as McManus said Tuesday, that the officers were doing their jobs. Its important and essential work.

But if were going to truly achieve police reform in this country, we have to recognize that the job also requires an ability to de-escalate tense situations. And thats where these officers could have done better.

Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
After regaling fans all over the world in four fantastic Bond films, its time for Daniel Craigs one last dance as he makes his final bow in No Time to Die. As fans wait with bated breath for the much-awaited release later this year, a new poster of the 25th installment in the James Bond film series has been revealed.

The poster shows Craig don the suave spy look. The poster comes ahead of the official trailer which is slated to drop on September 3.

The official 007 handle revealed the poster on Instagram, with the caption, Man on a mission. Check out the new poster for #NoTimeToDie, in cinemas this November. New trailer coming this Thursday."

The film will show Bond trying to enjoy retirement from service, but getting drawn back into action by the dual forces of discovering new information about lover Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) and a favour from old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) of the CIA.

With a mysterious, dangerous new plot threatening the world, cooked up by Rami Maleks Safin, and Christoph Waltz Blofeld still hanging around (albeit in prison), Bond will need allies, both old (Ralph Fiennes M, Naomie Harris Moneypenny) and new (Lashana Lynchs fellow Double-O Nomi and Ana de Armas Paloma), to intervene once again.

With Cary Fukunaga as the director, No Time To Die is scheduled for a November 12 release in the UK, with the United States following on 20 November. The next trailer for the movie drops on Thursday, reported Empire Online.
Election 2020 Myanmars Ruling Party Vows to Reform Military in Election Manifesto

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, chairperson of Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy, attends the party's flag-hoisting ceremony at the NLDs Naypyitaw headquarters. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe National League for Democracy (NLD) said in its election manifesto, released late on Tuesday, that it will work to make sure the militarys first duty is the protection of citizens and that it upholds the policies of the countrys democratically elected government.

In Myanmar, the military has long been involved in politics, staging sporadic coups and ruling the country for more than five decades: as a caretaker government from 1958 to 1960 and as a military government from 1962 to 2011. From 2011 to early 2016, the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party ruled the country, leading a quasi-civilian government.

Despite the fact that the democratically elected NLD government is now in power, the military still holds 25 percent of seats in the Parliament and three key ministerial positions: Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairsa privilege granted by the military-drafted Constitution.

Furthermore, the Myanmar military is internationally renowned for its ability to make money by establishing conglomerates operating businesses ranging from banks to breweries.

There has been a lot of political tension between the NLD and the military over the past four years, especially over the governments refusal to call a meeting of the powerful, military-dominated National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) to discuss and decide national affairs. The military has also consistently resisted and rejected the NLDs push in Parliament to amend the Constitution.

The military has accused the NLD of attempting to incite enmity between the armed forces and the people through its efforts at constitutional amendment.

Under the subject of Defense and Security in the manifesto, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis NLD states that it would make the armed forces, or Tatmadaw, a trusted institution on which the people could rely.

While recognizing the militarys role in defending the state, it also pledges to develop the military in line with modern standards in terms of combat ability, and ensure that it is equipped with advanced technology.

NLD chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in a message to the public included in the manifesto that national reconciliation has always been the partys top priority.

She said the party firmly adheres to the policy of nonviolence in the implementation of its objectivespreventing the re-emergence of an oppressive political system and establishing a democratic government.

Our journey towards democracy is unfinished, the chairperson said in the message, calling for the publics support.

The 34-page manifesto published late Tuesday features three main election pledges: to address ethnic affairs and achieve internal peace; a constitution that ensures a genuine democratic federal union; and sustainable development.

The NLD also pledges to protect the rights of ethnic people; to form a corruption-free government; to establish a fair and impartial judiciary; and to amend, repeal and rewrite the existing laws to be in line with democratic standards, in relation to ethnic affairs, as well as the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government.

The NLD contested the 1990 general election as well as the 2012 by-elections and the 2015 general election. It won all of them in landslides, taking office after its victory in 2015.

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Climate change protesters said they are impossible for Boris Johnson to ignore as they began a second day of action in central London.

Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion (XR) supporters gathered in and around Parliament Square as Mr Johnson headed into the UK's House of Commons for Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.

Activists carried banners, banged drums and chanted as many spilled outside the stipulated protest area and blockaded Great George Street.

Crowds cheered in solidarity with those arrested by police for refusing to heed warnings that they would be detained if they did not move.

Others appeared to let their bodies go limp or simply looked away as police warned them to move within the protest area outside Parliament.

XR spokesperson Tamsin Omand, 35, from London, told the PA news agency that protesters wanted the British Prime Minister to see and hear their action.

Mx Omand said: The climate and ecological emergency has to be the absolute priority  how we are going to transform society into one that is fit for the crises we are already experiencing and the ones coming down the road.

We are seeing a Parliament that has failed on every count  Boris Johnson wasnt even around for the first Cobras (of the coronavirus pandemic), so if that is the attitude he is going to take to the climate and ecological emergency we are in dire straits.

Disruption is a core tenet of how XR works and how we have managed to achieve so much in a short period of time.

We have been outside Downing Street blocking his route on both sides and of course hes encountering us here in the square  I think we are impossible to ignore.

They added: Our message to Boris Johnson is that hes really the last Prime Minister who can do something, that can take the action required to set us on a new course. Hes got a new son  he needs to think what the world will look like in 20 years.

Fellow XR supporter Andrew Stevenson, a 44-year-old consultant surgeon from Somerset, said he felt compelled to join the protest.

He said: Ive been a doctor for 20 years, I qualified from Guys and St Thomas Hospital that sits directly opposite Parliament, and if you told me 20 years ago that I would be doing what Im doing now  non-violent direct action to try and get the Government to act in a reasonable way to the threat of the climate and ecological emergency  I would have told you Thats crazy, of course they have that in hand. They dont.

Every day doctors and healthcare professionals use science  if we dont do that its negligence.

We have a duty to keep our knowledge up to date, treat our patients as best we can. What we have now is a situation whereby the science has been crystal clear for decades  yet weve had decades of inaction.

The Metropolitan Police said 160 arrests were made, as of 11pm on Tuesday, for offences including breaching public order conditions, obstructing the highway, obstructing police and assault on an emergency worker.

Further protests are planned around the country during the rest of this week and into next.

Last year, more than 1,700 arrests were made during Extinction Rebellions 10-day Autumn Uprising, which saw major disruption across the UK.
Imperial Valley News Center

Presidential Message on National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, 2020

Washington, DC - During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the First Lady and I join all Americans in remembering the loved ones lost to this terrible disease and in raising awareness of the common signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. We extend our full support to those battling this disease, and we resolve to continue working to find new treatments and methods of care to defeat it.

For the more than 20,000 American women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, early detection is critical. Regular medical checkups and knowing the factors that place women at an increased risk for this disease, including age and family medical history, are important steps every American can take to help save lives. Additionally, awareness of certain common symptoms, like bloating, pelvic pain, and difficulty eating or urinating, can facilitate a potentially life-saving early diagnosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 14,000 American women will lose their battle with ovarian cancer in 2020 alone. This tragedy strikes to the very core of our country, and my Administration remains committed to taking every available step to improve quality of care and increase access to treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since taking office, I have led a historic effort to cut regulations at a record pace to allow faster development of drugs and treatments, and in 2018 I signed Right to Try legislation, which expands access to potentially life-saving drugs. We will continue to cut regulations and put power in the hands of patients to choose the care that is best for them.

The First Lady joins me in sending our prayers to all those battling ovarian cancer. As one Nation, we will continue working toward a cure and secure a brighter, healthier future for all of our treasured mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Milan, Italy  Wed, September 2, 2020 19:07 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c424737c 2 Lifestyle Italy,Milan,fashion,valentino Free

Italian fashion house Valentino announced Tuesday it is giving the catwalks of Paris a skip this month because of the coronavirus pandemic, instead presenting its new spring and summer collection in Milan.

For years a regular at the Paris Fashion Week, the designer brand cited the "unprecedented times" brought about by the coronavirus pandemic for the change of venue.

Paris officials earlier this week ruled face masks compulsory as France recorded its highest number of infections since early May.

"In the current scenario, we need to make decisions in advance to protect our first resources, our people, and to allow our brand to remain relevant in exploring alternative opportunities," Valentino chief executive Jacopo Venturini said.

"This is why we feel that it would be more ethical to produce the new show in Italy, in Milano," he said in a press release.

Read also: Valentino takes haute couture to the circus in Rome show

"Paris is the city that always hosted our shows and represents the DNA of Valentino," added creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli.

"The current situation has forced us to take an unusual decision," he said.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 840,000 worldwide has also turned the fashion industry upside-down, with virtual fashion weeks held for the first time in London, Milan and Paris in June and July.

Topics : Italy Milan fashion valentino
Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, Sept. 2 (Jiji Press)--Toyo Engineering Corp. <6330> said Wednesday it has received an order to build a large-scale biomass power plant in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo.

Under the order estimated at around 30 billion yen, the plant, with a power generation capacity of 75,000 kilowatts, is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

The Japanese company will start construction in 2021. A unit of Tokyo Gas Co. <9531> plans to acquire the project from an investment fund in mid-September.

The construction of renewable energy-related plants is one of Toyo Engineerings key businesses.

We aim to get several more orders for biomass power plants within this fiscal year, a company official said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
CHATHAM  The town has raked in a $295,000 grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council to help design a new shellfish upweller facility at Stage Harbor.

The grant will fund the next phase of engineering for the upweller and multi-use waterfront facility at 90 Bridge St. The funds will cover designs, permitting and bid document preparation for the projected $3.4 million project.

The final plans must be endorsed by the board of selectmen, and the town will seek additional grants to help cover the actual construction costs. Absent that money, the project will be funded under an existing waterfront bond authorization already approved by town meeting.

An initial version of the plan was rejected by selectmen as being too ambitious and expensive, and the project team scaled it down to its current form.

That plan was then endorsed by the board, Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said. The facility will include an upweller building on a pier next to the Mitchell River drawbridge, surrounded by a deck where visitors will be able to fish, along with gangways leading to a floating dock. The existing timber pier on the property would be expanded and would include a gangplank to an additional floating dock, and all the floats and docks will be fully accessible by people with disabilities. A public restroom with a composting toilet is also included in the project. The plan for the site was endorsed by the towns water-related advisory committees.

While the facility could be used by commercial fishermen, thats only one of its purposes, Keon said.

The original goal was to provide a waterfront access for mixed municipal and public uses, and a chief purpose was to provide a new upweller, he said. Used to grow shellfish from seed, the towns upweller is the central piece of equipment in it shellfish propagation program, which supports Chathams robust commercial and recreational shellfishery. In 2017, the commercial wholesale value of shellfish in Chatham topped $5 million.

The current upweller is located underneath the harbormasters office at Old Mill Boat Yard, and is at full capacity with no room for expansion. Since power outages can cause the juvenile shellfish to die, a generator needs to be on standby at all times, but there is no permanent generator at Old Mill Boat Yard. The intakes where salt water is pumped into the system are located close to where boaters fuel, pump out and wash down their vessels, and any pollution pumped into the system could be disastrous to the growing shellfish, officials say.

Proponents say a new upweller at 90 Bridge St. will provide better water quality, which will keep the shellfish safe and give them the opportunity to grow to their maximum size. The new building will provide better viewing of the operation by the public, and a safer work environment for town staff, and it will share a generator that will be used to power the adjacent drawbridge during outages.

Having earlier submitted a detailed application, town officials pitched the project to the states Seaport Economic Council last week, and learned that $295,000 had been approved. Building on the preliminary engineering and designs done last summer, the funds will be used to pay for a final design, as well as permitting and the preparation of documents necessary to bid the project.

Any final plan would ultimately go back to the board of selectmen for final support and approval, Keon said. It will be up to the board to decide whether to proceed with the project, which is expected to cost around $3.4 million  though an exact price wont be known until bids are returned. Initially, the job was estimated to cost $2.09 million, but that was a rough ballpark estimate, Health and Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson told the board in June. When the design was refined, it became clear that a bulkhead would need to be installed, which will cost up to $1 million. Given cost escalations from 2019, the $3 million estimate now stands at $3.4 million.

Because it involves some dredging, and because the new upweller pier will be a new license application rather than the expansion of an existing license, the permitting process is expected to be a lengthy one, Keon said. If all goes according to plan, construction could theoretically begin a year from now.

I think thats optimistic, just given the permitting phase, Keon said. A more realistic time frame would likely have construction starting in the fall of 2022.

Until then, the parcel will remain as-is.

Its been very actively used, Keon said. Its quite popular. Anglers use the existing dock for fishing, and commercial fishermen and shellfishermen have also used the space for unloading their catch. The goal of this project is to make the site as user-friendly as possible and expand opportunities, he said.
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take away everything that you have.Anonymous

Have you noticed that the governments answer to every problem is more governmentat taxpayer expenseand less individual liberty?

The Great Depression. The World Wars. The 9/11 terror attacks. The COVID-19 pandemic.

Every crisismanufactured or otherwisesince the nations early beginnings has become a make-work opportunity for the government to expand its reach and its power at taxpayer expense while limiting our freedoms at every turn.

Indeed, the history of the United States is a testament to the old adage that liberty decreases as government (and government bureaucracy) grows. To put it another way, as government expands, liberty contracts.

To the police state, this COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge boon, like winning the biggest jackpot in the lottery. Certainly, it will prove to be a windfall for those who profit from government expenditures and expansions.

Given the rate at which the government has been devising new ways to spend our money and establish itself as the solution to all of our worldly problems, this current crisis will most likely end up ushering in the largest expansion of government power since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

This is how the emergency state operates, after all.

From 9/11 to COVID-19, we the people have acted the part of the helpless, gullible victims desperately in need of the government to save us from whatever danger threatens. In turn, the government has been all too accommodating and eager while also expanding its power and authority in the so-called name of national security.

As chief correspondent Dan Balz asks for The Washington Post, Government is everywhere now. Where does it go next?

When it comes to the power players that call the shots, there is no end to their voracious appetite for more: more money, more power, more control.

This expansion of government power is also increasing our federal debt in unprecedented leaps and bounds. Yet the government isnt just borrowing outrageous amounts of money to keep the country afloat. Its also borrowing indecent sums to pay for programs it cant afford.

The governments primary response to this COVID-19 pandemicflooding the market with borrowed money in the amount of trillions of dollars for stimulus payments, unemployment insurance expansions, and loans to prop up small businesses and to keep big companies afloathas pushed the country even deeper in debt.

By the country, I really mean the taxpayers. And by the taxpayers, its really future generations who will be shackled to debt loads they may never be able to pay back.

This is how you impoverish the future.

Democrats and Republicans alike have done this.

Without fail, every president within the last 50 years has expanded the nations debt. When President Trump took office on January 20, 2017, the national debtthe amount the federal government has borrowed over the years and must pay backwas a whopping $19.9 trillion. Despite Trumps pledge to drain the swamp and eliminate the debt, the federal debt is now approaching $27 trillion and is on track to surpass $78 trillion by 2028.

For many years now, economists have warned that economic collapse would be inevitable if the national debt ever surpassed the size of the U.S. economy. The government passed that point in June 2020 and has yet to put the brakes on its spending.

In fact, the Federal Reserve just keeps printing more money in order to prop up the economy and float the debt.

At some point, somethings got to give.

As it now stands, the U.S. is among the most indebted countries in the world.

Almost a third of the $27 trillion national debt is owed to foreign entities such as Japan and China.

Most of the debt, however, is owed to the public.

How is this even possible? Essentially, its a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

First, the government requires taxpayers to pay a portion of their salaries to the Social Security Trust Fund. The government then turns around and borrows from Social Security to cover its spending needs. Then the government raises taxes or prints more money in order to pay out whatever is needed to the retirees.

Its a form of convoluted economics that only makes sense to government bureaucrats looking to make a profit off the backs of the taxpayers.

According to the U.S. Debt Clock, each taxpayers share of the national debt is $214,000 and growing.

Thats almost five times more than the median income for what Americans earn in a year. Thats also almost five times more than the average American has in savings, across savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, call deposit accounts, and prepaid cards. Almost 60% of Americans are so financially strapped that they dont have even $500 in savings and nothing whatsoever put away for retirement.

Just the interest that must be paid on the national debt every year is $338 billion and growing. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the fastest growing item in the budget over the next decade will be interest on the debt.

As the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reported in 2019, before COVID spending pushed the country over the fiscal cliff, Interest payments will rise from $325 billion last year to $928 billion by 2029, a nearly threefold increase. If tax cuts and spending increases are extended, interest will exceed $1 trillion and set a new record as a share of the economy. The federal government will spend more on interest than on Medicaid or children by 2020. By 2024, interest will match defense spending.

Bottom line: The U.S. governmentand that includes the current administrationis spending money it doesnt have on programs it cant afford, and we the taxpayers are the ones who will have to pay for it.

As financial analyst Kristin Tate explains, When the government has its debt bill come due, all of us will be on the hook.

Despite the tax burden we the people are made to bear, we have no real say in how the government runs, or how our taxpayer funds are used, but were being forced to pay through the nose, anyhow.

We have no real say, but that doesnt prevent the government from fleecing us at every turn and forcing us to pay for endless wars that do more to fund the military industrial complex than protect us, pork barrel projects that produce little to nothing, and a police state that serves only to imprison us within its walls.

All the while the government continues to do whatever it wantslevy taxes, rack up debt, spend outrageously and irresponsiblywith little thought for the plight of its citizens.

This brings me to a curious point: what the future will look like ten years from now, when the federal debt is expected to surpass $78 trillion, an unsustainable level of debt that will result in unprecedented economic hardship for anyone that does not belong to the wealthy elite.

Interestingly enough, that timeline coincides with the governments vision of the future as depicted in a Pentagon training video created by the Army for U.S. Special Operations Command.

According to the video, the government is anticipating trouble (read: civil unrest), which is code for anything that challenges the governments authority, wealth and power, and is grooming its armed forces (including its heavily armed federal agents) accordingly to solve future domestic political and social problems.

The training video, titled Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity, is only five minutes long, but it provides a chilling glimpse of what the government expects the world to look like in 2030, a world bedeviled by criminal networks, substandard infrastructure, religious and ethnic tensions, impoverishment, slums, open landfills, over-burdened sewers, a growing mass of unemployed, and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots.

And then comes the kicker.

Three-and-a-half minutes into the Pentagons dystopian vision of a world of Robert Kaplan-esque urban hellscapes  brutal and anarchic supercities filled with gangs of youth-gone-wild, a restive underclass, criminal syndicates, and bands of malicious hackers, the ominous voice of the narrator speaks of a need to drain the swamps.

Drain the swamps.

Surely, weve heard that phrase before?

Ah yes.

Emblazoned on t-shirts and signs, shouted at rallies, and used as a rallying cry among Trump supporters, drain the swamp became one of Donald Trumps most-used campaign slogans.

Far from draining the politically corrupt swamps of Washington DC of lobbyists and special interest groups, however, the Trump Administration has further mired us in a sweltering bog of corruption and self-serving tactics.

Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Now the government has adopted its own plans for swamp-draining, only it wants to use the military to drain the swamps of futuristic urban American cities of noncombatants and engage the remaining adversaries in high intensity conflict within.

And who are these noncombatants, a military term that refers to civilians who are not engaged in fighting during a war?

They are, according to the Pentagon, adversaries.

They are threats.

They are the enemy.

They are people who dont support the government, people who live in fast-growing urban communities, people who may be less well-off economically than the government and corporate elite, people who engage in protests, people who are unemployed, people who engage in crime (in keeping with the governments fast-growing, overly broad definition of what constitutes a crime).

In other words, in the eyes of the U.S. military, noncombatants are American citizens a.k.a. domestic extremists a.k.a. enemy combatants who must be identified, targeted, detained, contained and, if necessary, eliminated.

Funny how closely fact tracks fiction these days.

Just recently, in fact, I re-watched Escape from L.A., John Carpenters 1996 post-apocalyptic action film that imagines a future (2013, in fact) in which the United States has elected a president for life who runs the country according to his own theocratic moral law. Anyone who runs afoul of the presidents moral laws is stripped of their citizenship and either electrocuted or deported to the island of Los Angeles, a penal colony where lawlessness reigns supreme.

As the films opening narrator recounts:

In the late 20th century, hostile forces inside the United States grow strong. The city of Los Angeles is ravaged by crime and immorality. To protect and defend its citizens, the United States Police Force is formed. A presidential candidate predicts a millennium earthquake will destroy L.A. in divine retribution. The earthquake measuring 9.6 on the Richter scale hits at 12:59 P.M. August 23rd in the year 2000. After the devastation, the Constitution is amended, and the newly elected president accepts a lifetime term of office. The countrys capital is moved from Washington, D.C., to the presidents hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia. Los Angeles Island is declared no longer part of the United States and becomes the deportation point for all people found undesirable or unfit to live in the new, moral America. The United States Police Force, like an army, is encamped among the shorelines, making any escape from L.A. impossible. From the southeastern hills of Orange County to the northwestern shore of Malibu, the great wall excludes L.A. from the mainland. The presidents first act as permanent Commander in Chief is Directive 17: once an American loses his or her citizenship, they are deported to this island of the damned, and they never come back.

Carpenter is a brilliant filmmaker whose dystopian visions of the future are eerily prescient, but this film is particularly unnerving: environmental disasters; engineered viruses used like weapons to control the masses; riots and looting that leave the populace longing for law and order; religion used like a weapon; martial law; surveillance that keeps every citizen under the governments watchful eye; and a growing awareness that the only path to freedom left for humanity is to shut down the government and start over again.

Were almost there now.

As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, unless we make some effort to reject the sorry excuse for representative government that we have been saddled with, the future that awaits uswhether its the future envisioned by the Pentagon in its training video or the future imagined by Carpenterwill be a living nightmare from which there is no escape.

ABOUT JOHN W. WHITEHEAD
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to the president, toured GMs Technical Learning University in Warren on Sept. 2.

Trump was accompanied by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Karen Dunn Kelley, GM CEO Mary Barra and other GM officials. Trump recalled her first visit to Michigan in 2017 and talked about STEM education, according to press pool reports from the visit. The event is one of several recent appearances by Trump administration officials in Michigan -- U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia visited Zeeland on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited West Olive on Aug. 22 and Attorney General Bill Barr stopped in Grand Rapids and Detroit last month.

This is a continuation of what weve been doing in this space, focusing on investing in our most important resource in this country, which is our people, whether they be students or workers, as well see today, Trump said. This is something the president has been passionate about since the day he took office, championing the American worker and creating pathways and opportunities for the American worker.

Trump said there is a need for enhancing the skills of workers as technology transforms jobs, and GM has been key to that effort. Everyone at the event was wearing a mask and standing a few feet apart, according to the media pool reports.

The group toured the facilitys manufacturing laboratory and saw how automated machinery produces auto parts. Trump spoke to several apprentices from GMs assembly plant in Delta Township, as well as an instructor. Dan Leung and Zephirin Hunt led a demonstration of a safety module that ensures an automobile line is ready to produce, according to the pool reporting.

Hunt was a temporary worker at a GM plant in Flint and Leung has been working at GM in Delta Township for 27 years. Trump also asked the apprentices about their backgrounds and what they want to do in 15 years.
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It was a trip Herbert Dow will never forget.

As a soldier in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War, Dow and his fellow seamen worked to save as many men as they could from the frigid waters of the Atlantic.

The 100-year-old veteran from Saskatoon was one of many allied servicemen who helped bring an end to the Second World War.

"The first trip that we made we were in a major engagement," said Dow. "I have forgotten how many ships we lost. I think it was 10 or 12."

Like other reservists in the RCN, Dow was helping to convoy ships from Canada to Europe. Defending the North Atlantic trade against U-boats was an important naval role for Canada in partnership with its allies.

The submarines "just figured out where the convoy was going," said Dow. The U-boats sat down, waited "for the convoy to go over them, and then [they would] come up and then shoot."

Besides the threat of the enemy, nature was also a challenge for the seamen, who at that point were within sight of Greenland. The water was so cold that 15 to 20 men died even after being pulled onto the ship, Dow said.

"It was pretty shocking for most of us to find yourself dragging dead bodies over or trying to rescue people," said Dow. "If they weren't able to grab a rope, they were gone."

Saving lives

The 100-year-old also remembers moments of hope. One example involved rescuing a group of Norwegians from the Atlantic ocean.

"Nobody else happened to see them and I saw them  rowing for Greenland," said Dow.

Source: Library and Archives Canada/Department of National Defence fonds/a134342

Greenland was about 10 miles away when Dow and his fellow seamen picked the Norwegians and brought them to Europe, he said.

"We ended up with pretty close to 100 survivors that trip."

Beginning of the Second World War

Dow grew up far away from the sea, on a farm in the middle of the Canadian prairies.

Born in 1920, he and his family lived through the depression of the 1930s. Like others, they depended on relief from the government to survive.

Story continues

"There was nothing," said Dow. "In the rural area they just put everybody on relief."

As a teenager he and his family moved from the rural municipality of Mayfield, about 45 km southeast of North Battleford, to Saskatoon. Dow finished high school in the city before enrolling at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Second World War started on Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. King George announced Canada's declaration of war nine days later.

"I went to university and struggled [with] what I was going to do," said Dow.

In 1940 he joined the reserve navy in Saskatoon as an ordinary seaman.

Time at the East Coast

Once training in Saskatchewan was completed, Dow went to Halifax. Vessels like corvettes were being built at the East Coast as part of the Canadian wartime shipbuilding program.

Source: Library and Archives Canada/National Film Board of Canada fonds/e008128299

Canada's navy wasn't large in 1939, but it expanded as the war went on.

In 1941, Dow and his fellow reserve soldiers went on their ships, which were originally built for around 46 people.

"They had pretty close to 90 men on them," said Dow. "There wasn't much organization. You kind of lived by your wits."

Source: Library and Archives Canada/National Film Board of Canada fonds/e000760097

When the crew went to shore, some of his comrades spent their time fighting and getting drunk, said Dow.

According to the Saskatoon veteran, every time they sailed the crew would leave "anywhere from three to 10" men behind, either in jail or in hospital with venereal disease.

"It was quite a turnover."

Submarines come to Canada's coast

As a torpedo man, Dow was in charge of firing the depth charges  an anti-submarine weapon  and also handled the electrical part of the ship.

He climbed up the ranks, first taking additional training for leading seaman and eventually becaming a naval officer.

"My choice was to stay in small ships because I hoped that I wouldn't be as seasick on them," said Dow.

He worked at different locations in Eastern Canada, while hostile U-boats brought the war all the way to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

One Christmas Eve, a German submarine came close to the gate vessel and blew up a ship. Theoretically the gates were supposed to keep submarines out of the ports, said Dow, "But this guy was just a few feet from the gate vessel."

End of the war

Dow missed the allied invasion of Europe and the D-Day attack because he had been sent to Orillia, Ont., to pick up a ship.

"It was hard," said Dow. "It was not a pleasant thing to be cut out of."

Submitted by Theo Dow

When the war in Europe came to an end in May of 1945, Dow was in Gaspe, Que., at the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

When the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Dow was back in Saskatchewan.

"It was a hot, hot day just exactly the same as it was this year," said Dow.

The Second World War officially ended on Sept. 2, 1945, when Japan signed the surrender documents aboard the USS Missouri.
Authorities in the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Tri have slapped a local company with a combined fine of over VND300 million (US$13,600) for deforesting an area of more than 1,300 square meters.

The area is made up of both production and special-use forest in the Ru Linh forest area in Quang Tris Vinh Linh District, the provincial Peoples Committee confirmed on Tuesday.

Song Hien Tourism Service Trading Co. Ltd., which is based in Vinh Linh, was set to develop a nearly-100-hectare ecotourism project at a cost of more than VND320 billion ($13.9 million) in this forest area.

In February 2020, Song Hien sent equipment and employees to level the ground, open roads, set up fences, and flatten the edge of the Ru Linh forest along National Highway 9D.

The company also plowed a road that cuts through the natural forest and chopped down many trees within the boundary of the Ru Linh special-use forest without permission.

A joint inspection carried out by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Planning and Investment, together with local authorities, found that Song Hien did not have a detailed plan or design for the ecotourism projet at the time of the deforestation.

It also lacked a construction permit and environmental impact assessment report.

The projects construction components were also done without permission from relevant agencies.

The provincial Peoples Committee thus fined Song Hien company VND200 million ($8,700) for deforestation.

In addition, the company has to pay VND113.6 million ($4,900), equivalent to the value of a crawler excavator which was used for the violation, to state coffers.

The firm must also restore the destroyed forest to its original state within 30 days from the date of receiving the penalty decision.

One driver and one security guard of the company were also fined VND5 million ($217) each for deforestation.

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Security guards working at a Melbourne quarantine hotel may have contracted COVID-19 after carpooling and working on the same floor, an inquiry has heard.

Eight security guards subcontracted by MSS Security tested positive to the virus while working at the Stamford Plaza hotel in mid-June.

About one in 10 cases of the state's second wave can be traced back to outbreaks at the hotel.

United Risk Management's director Mina Attalah told Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry on Wednesday he was unsure how seven of his guards came to contract the virus.

He said no 'obvious breaches' of infection control - such as entering a guest's hotel room - were identified.

Guards outside of the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Melbourne. Eight security guards subcontracted by MSS Security tested positive to the virus while working at the Stamford Plaza hotel in mid-June

United Risk Management's director Mina Attalah (pictured) said one of his guards carpooled to work at the Stamford Plaza hotel on June 14 with a Security Hub guard, who also tested positive to COVID-19 around the same time

In a statement tendered to the inquiry, Mr Attalah notes one of his guards carpooled to work on June 14 with a Security Hub guard, who also tested positive to COVID-19 around the same time.

'He wore a face mask during the car trip to work,' he wrote.

The Security Hub guard worked on the same floor as two United Risk Management guards who also went on to test positive to the virus.

'I am not aware as to the circumstances in which the remaining United guards who contracted COVID-19 may have contracted it,' Mr Attalah wrote.

'However, at the conclusion of the day shift on 14 June 2020, the three guards on that floor were replaced by three night shift guards (one of whom worked for United) and to my knowledge, all three of those guards subsequently contracted COVID-19.'

Mr Attalah disputed an earlier witness at the inquiry, who stated 70 guards were in one conference room and not socially distanced during a shift changeover that same day.

Security Hub director Ishu Gupta agreed with Mr Attalah, saying he 'doubted' that COVID-19 spread among guards from one meeting

Six guards from Sterling Pixxel caught COVD-19 while working at the Rydges on Swanston (pictured) in May. The guards were subcontracted by Unified Security

'There was not 70 people in that room, that room is no way capable of carrying 70 people in it,' he said, noting it was more likely 20 or 30 guards.

Security Hub director Ishu Gupta agreed.

'I doubt that that was one meeting that kind of ensured that the virus was spread,' Mr Gupta said.

Mr Gupta told the inquiry he only found out the first guard tested positive after he was passed on a Facebook picture of them at hospital.

Meanwhile, six guards from Sterling Pixxel caught COVD-19 while working at the Rydges on Swanston in May. The guards were subcontracted by Unified Security.

About 90 per cent of second wave cases can be traced back to the hotel.

One of the guards to contract the virus at the hotel, known only as Security 16 for legal reasons, earlier gave evidence that he had to ration personal protective equipment.

He said he had to hide his gloves and mask in his pockets on breaks while remaining out of sight of the hotel's security cameras.

Sterling Pixxel director Sam Aggarwal (pictured) said there 'never any issues' with PPE availability at the hotel - rather, there was 'plenty'

Guards were using towels at Crown Metropol as pillows for naps in the corridors and at the Crowne Plaza, and they were disposing of gloves in the toilets

Sterling Pixxel director Sam Aggarwal said there 'never any issues' with PPE availability at the hotel - rather, there was 'plenty'.

Security 16 also told the inquiry he worked as a food delivery driver while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.

'We told him to stay at home. We were not aware that he's gone out and done any work,' Mr Aggarwal said.

Sterling Pixxel guards were stationed at more than a dozen quarantine hotels, with Mr Aggarwal's statement revealing a number of complaints were made against them.

Two guards were involved in a 'scuffle' that resulted in the police being called, guards were using towels at Crown Metropol as pillows for naps in the corridors and at the Crowne Plaza, and they were disposing of gloves in the toilets.

At least 15 guards were sacked by Sterling Pixxel.

Greg Watson from Wilson Security will give evidence to the state's hotel quarantine inquiry later on Wednesday.
Of the handful of shows that have returned to the stage since coronavirus closed theatres, this musical version of the 1993 romcom Sleepless in Seattle starring former pop stars Kimberley Walsh and Jay McGuiness is the most ambitious  and the most seemingly normal.

True, auditorium capacity at the Troubadour Theatre in Wembley Park has been reduced from 1,200 to 400, we wear masks and there's a one-way system to take us to the loo. But daily testing means that the cast are not noticeably socially distanced on stage; accommodation has been made with the constraints of a global pandemic, but this is still a musical as we know it. And a brand new one to boot.

All of which makes me want to hug the producers Michael Rose and Damien Sanders with pure gratitude; there is no earthly financial reason to persist in staging this show which was suspended at dress rehearsal stage. That they have done so is an assertion of their faith in the power of theatre to make people feel better, the capacity of love to conquer all, and worthy desire to show that it is possible to put freelances back to work.

There's much here to admire anyway. The show faithfully follows the story and the script of the Nora Ephron movie, about sad widower Sam (McGuiness), whose son Jonah rings a national radio show to make a Christmas wish for a new love for his dad. As Sam talks on air, from Seattle, women across America warm to his tenderness and his plight  including Annie (Walsh), a reporter from Baltimore who is about to embark on an unsuitable marriage to her boss.

The plot is paper-thin, but full of an understated longing for the world to be better and to have a purpose. What Annie responds to in Sam is his ability to talk about love and to acknowledge feelings  "I can't believe I'm so affected/A guy opened up/It's so unexpected"; her beau, on the other hand, has given her stock in the company for a Christmas present.

Jack Reynolds as Jonah and Jay McGuiness as Sam

 Alastair Muir

With a book by Michael Burdette and songs by British duo Robert Scott and Brendan Cull the story is told with swish and flair. The score, beautifully played by a 12-strong band, is jazz-inflected and full of zip and sophistication, evoking the spirit of the musicals of the 1930s while keeping its '90s setting. Director Morgan Young's staging is equally sophisticated, with a revolving grey cube at the centre conjuring everything from Sam's Seattle houseboat to the Empire State Building where the couple finally  after Jonah's intervention  meet.

I particularly liked the details: the way that Ian William Galloway's video designs have the description of the architectural plans written along the top, in a nod to Sam's profession as an architect; how Sue Simmerling's costumes introduce flashes of colour into a desaturated world.

However, for all the cleverness of its writing and construction, the show never finds a big romantic song to express the feelings of its main protagonists. Or rather it does  but it gives it to Annie's mum Eleanor, when she muses about how her husband said her name, which is terrifically and passionately sung by Harriet Thorpe.

In fact, all the best numbers go to the minor characters: there's a zesty song for three women who write to Sam after hearing him on the radio, and a clever duet for Jonah (impressively played at the performance I saw by Jobe Hart) and Sam's mate Rob (Cory English) in which they decide to take action. Tania Mathurin makes the most of some terrific, cynical lines as Annie's best friend Becky.

Walsh and McGuiness, on the other hand, are left with songs of indecision rather than action, of longing rather than fulfilment. Both sing beautifully, as you'd expect, and exude warmth but Walsh doesn't quite get to the root of Annie's desire for romance  she seems a bit practical to behave so indecisively  and McGuiness paints a better picture of frazzled fatherhood than he does of amorous lack of fulfilment. Yet both are attractive presences, and the entire show has style and class. I'm just glad it's there.
While COVID-19 has disrupted many industries, the citrus industry in South Africa has emerged resilient, with strong demand in export markets and strong potential beyond the crisis. To tap this growth potential requires complementary public investment in ports and irrigation infrastructure, and technical capacity to negotiate access to wider export markets on favourable conditions.

Demand for citrus in international markets has boomed under COVID-19 and prices have increased. For example, European prices for South African oranges in May 2020 were 7%-15% higher than a year earlier in euro terms, or around 40% higher in rand terms . The volume of citrus exports from South Africa also grew amid the crisis. They more than doubled in the first four months of 2020 compared to the previous year, accelerating on the long term growth trend .

As reflected in the Citrus Growers' Association membership, the industry is made up of established white commercial farmers who grow for the export market and a smaller number of small and medium-sized black growers. The association established a subsidiary body, the Citrus Growers Development Company, in 2003 to support the small and medium-sized black growers and drive transformation in the industry. These smaller growers accounted for 9% of the total 88,569 hectares planted by citrus growers in 2019. Similarly, of the 1,022,948 tonnes of citrus exported in 2019 , small and medium-sized growers contributed 8% to the total .

Increases in the production and exports of small and medium growers could boost foreign exchange earnings and create jobs in an industry which already directly employs about 125,000 workers, around 14% of total employment in agriculture.

Greater inclusion of these growers in the higher value export markets is key to sustained growth. Measures to support their inclusion include investments in on-farm infrastructure and to ensure compliance with standards for quality and health (plant and human). The requirements needed to reassure importing countries that they are not at risk of any pests and diseases are the biggest barrier for fresh fruit exports .

The benefits of digitalisation can be harnessed to lower growers' costs in adopting the necessary standards. For example, the use of blockchain technology through end-to-end data transparency allows all players in the supply chain to access historical and real-time data linked to the product, such as growing conditions, harvest details and transport history. A similar data sharing platform, Phytclean, was developed in South Africa in 2016. The platform captures, stores and reports data on registration and verification of orchards, and phytosanitary records for export certification .

Collective action by the industry and government is key to unlocking these opportunities to ensure that sustained growth stands on the two legs of inclusion and innovation .

Compliance and innovation

Citrus exports amounted to approximately R20 billion in 2019, up from R6.7 billion in 2010 (around 45% growth in US dollar terms). The growth in exports has been coupled with a corresponding increase in direct jobs in citrus farming from 56,902 jobs in 2009 to 125,000 in 2017, with many more in related activities .

Globally, South Africa is the second-largest exporter of citrus fruit after Spain, accounting for 10% of global exports in 2019 . As such, the citrus industry represents a success story of labour-intensive and high-value agriculture-led growth. This success requires research and innovation in what can be termed the 'industrialisation of freshness' .

If South Africa pursues wider export markets and supports the growing participation in exporting by small and medium growers then the fruit industry could create an additional 100,000 jobs by 2023. Changes in demand as the world comes out of COVID-19, with an increased emphasis on health, imply sustained stronger demand for citrus products.

Large farming groups currently dominate

The main exporters are large farming groups. This partly reflects the investments required to meet the demands and standards of export markets, with the costs of compliance being the responsibility of the exporter. Export requirements include registration and inspection of orchards and packhouses. This is to ensure traceability, good agricultural practices, conformity with product quality and labelling, and compliance with phytosanitary requirements to reduce the risk of quarantine pests and diseases.

Also, being competitive in export markets requires innovation through growing new and improved varieties.

To comply with the many export requirements, larger growers appoint administrators to keep records for compliance with standards and traceability of products. They also pay for audits by certification bodies to show they comply with quality standards .

The industry has developed the technical and science expertise to comply with the requirements for exporting. The challenge is how to include smaller farmers in the systems of exporting to high value markets through collective actions. There have been steps to do this. Seventy-six of the 123 small and medium-sized growers registered with the Citrus Growers Development Company are exporting (although this is largely to regional markets).

The majority sell to hawkers and municipal markets or alongside main transport routes. These markets are important and will continue to be supplied. But the opportunity for growth in value is in the export market.

How to support growers

Efforts to grow the citrus industry need to focus on widening participation of small and medium-sized growers in export markets. The state and collective action through industry associations are critical to achieve this, not least in the current COVID-19 period.

Small and medium growers face challenges that exclude them from export markets. These include:

production of poor quality fruit;

non-compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards;

a lack of irrigation water; and

a lack of on-farm infrastructure such as irrigation equipment, fencing and packing facilities.

Government and industry have put in place several initiatives and interventions to address the challenges. These include access to land and input grants. But support tends to be piecemeal. It is also not up to the level that is required by growers to be sustainable.

A focused collaborative approach between industry and government will go a long way to bring the necessary resources to bear to enable small and medium growers to grow exports.

The COVID-19 industry-led initiative to set up an Economic Transformation Programme for black citrus growers by pooling funds across public and private organisations is a huge step in the right direction . In addition, the interventions to fund orchard establishment, expansion and rehabilitation, on-farm infrastructure development and skills development will support small-scale growers beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

At an industry level, the government is addressing the challenges of aging and worn out infrastructure at the ports. This will enable faster movement of products through the ports and improved exporting processes. In March 2020, national rail operator Transnet bought new equipment for the Port Elizabeth and Durban ports. These investments need to be sustained beyond COVID-19 as port bottlenecks have been undermining South Africa's exports in the past 12 months .

These different measures constitute concrete steps to achieve a 'land reform for wealth creation' agenda for small and medium citrus growers, which can be a model for other crops to follow.

Simon Roberts has previously received funding from the Department of Trade and Industry for research conducted by the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development at University of Johannesburg.

Shingie Chisoro - Dube receives funding from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for research conducted by the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development at the University of Johannesburg.

Namhla Landani ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possede pas de parts, ne recoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a declare aucune autre affiliation que son poste universitaire.

By Simon Roberts, Professor of Economics and Lead Researcher, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, UJ, University of Johannesburg And

Namhla Landani, Economist and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg And

Shingie Chisoro - Dube, Economist/Researcher, University of Johannesburg
Adventurous Australians are being warned not to fall for an 'unbelievably realistic' paddleboard scam, where the popular equipment is being offered for just $90.

ROC SUP Co. provides Aussies with high-quality, lightweight, inflatable paddle boards with prices starting at $600.

So when one keen online shopper saw a Facebook advert for up to 80 per cent off, she told Daily Mail Australia it felt like a no-brainer.

Usually careful with buying online, the shopper checked the slick website carefully, and saw it had a normal URL and thousands of positive customer reviews.

It was only after she had made a payment and received a 'dodgy looking confirmation email' that she realised it was all a scam.

When one keen online shopper saw paddle boards selling online for up to 80 per cent off at shop.paddle-boards-roc.com, she felt like she couldn't say no (pictured, the fake website)

ROC SUP Co. provides Aussies with high-quality, lightweight, inflatable paddle boards with prices starting at $600 (pictured, the real website)

'I've never fallen for a scam before, but this website was unbelievably realistic,' the scam victim told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's so slick, they've just copied the real company's website - even the URL looked legitimate.'

The 29-year-old lost $200 after ordering two boards online, only to realise her money was gone and she'll never be receiving the equipment.

'It just shows how easy it is to fall for these things,' she said.

'I realised straight after putting my card details in that I didn't get a proper payment confirmation, and an email they've sent looks dodgy.'

'God knows if I'll ever get my money back.'

The internet is littered with similar stories, as victims urged others not to buy from the scam site.

So when one keen online shopper saw a Facebook advert (pictured) for up to 80 per cent off, she told Daily Mail Australia it felt like a no-brainer

When comparing the real ROC SUP Co. website against the fake one, they look almost identical, copying every word on every page as well as pictures.

The fake website even has the same orange scam alert sitting at the top of the page and has an almost exact replica of the logo.

'Recently we have been getting reports of fraudulent advertisements being run on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels for our products,' the scam alert reads.

WARNING SIGNS FOR SCAMS: Be careful of online shopping sites requesting unusual payment methods such as up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency, like Bitcoin.

Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you don't know or trust.

Research the seller online - the best way to detect a fake trader or social media online shopping scam is to search for reviews before purchasing.

Don't let anyone pressure you to make quick decisions. Take your time and consider who you are dealing with. Source: Scamwatch Australia Advertisement

'They are NOT legitimate or associated with us in any way!'

'We are incredibly disappointed to see that this is happening and we are working diligently to get them taken down. You can find our authentic boards here on our website or on Amazon but any other outlet is not authorized.'

The real ROC SUP Co. has asked for customers to flag the fake advertisements when seen on social media and reporting the purchase to payment providers for a chargeback.

But the scam alert is also on the fake website, easily fooling customers into believing it is legitimate.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia Scamwatch had not yet received any reports about the website.

A CBA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the security of customers' banking details is a top priority.

'We invest in state of the art fraud prevention and detection technology and have a dedicated team who actively monitor unusual or suspicious activity,' she said.

'Another way we try to keep ahead of the curve is working closely with law enforcement agencies and other banks to share information and understand potential threats.'

While CBA understands scams and illegal activity may still occur, customers have a 100 per cent guarantee against online fraud where they are not at fault.

'Where there is fraudulent activity, our process is to fully reimburse our customers as quickly as possible to minimise inconvenience,' the spokeswoman said.

'If a customer notices an unusual transaction on their account, they should contact us on 13 2221 immediately to report it.'

One victim, 29, lost $200 after ordering two boards online, only to realise her money was gone and she'll never be getting them (pictured, the strange email she received)

When comparing the real ROC SUP Co. website against the fake one, they look almost identical, copying every word on every page as well as pictures

The ACCC suggests all consumers to be careful of online shopping sites requesting unusual payment.

The Scamwatch Australia website says that $4,120,843 has been lost just this year to online shopping scams.

There have been a total of 8,160 reports, with $499,792 lost directly from social media scams.

'Scammers use the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites that look like genuine online retail stores,' the ACCC website reads.

'They may use sophisticated designs and layouts, possibly stolen logos, and even a '.com.au' domain name and stolen Australian Business Number.'

The biggest tip-off is usually the method of payment - with scammers asking to pay using a money order, pre-loaded money card or wire transfer.

'If you send your money this way, it's unlikely you will see it again or receive your purchased item,' it says.
Survey results show that students are acutely aware of the threat that COVID-19 poses to their well-being, which prompts the question: As key stakeholders in any return to school plans, should students not have a greater voice in this discussion?. Daniel Tu-Hoa, SVP of Mathspace North America.

New research released today by Mathspace, a leading adaptive math platform, indicates three in four students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 this fall. The report also covers students sentiment towards remote learning and online tools.

Survey results show that students are acutely aware of the threat that COVID-19 poses to their well-being, which prompts the question: As key stakeholders in any return to school plans, should students not have a greater voice in this discussion? said Daniel Tu-Hoa, SVP of Mathspace North America.

While many experts and stakeholders are weighing in on policy decisions around schools reopening, students voices have been largely absent from discussions impacting their health and education.

Key findings include:



Students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 at school: 76% of students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 when school resumes in the fall. Students in states with a higher incidence of COVID-19 had greater concerns about returning to school.

Students and teachers share concerns about academic preparedness: 77% of students are concerned that they will not be academically prepared for this school year, and 89% of teachers shared similar concerns regarding students academic readiness for the fall.

Digital tools that provide scaffolded support are important for the modern math classroom: 47% of students feel that math is harder to learn remotely compared to other subjects. 50% of students feel they arent getting the same level of feedback and support on math questions while learning at home versus learning at school.

Students support the usage of online tools: 57% of students want to use more online tools when they go back to school.

Educator support is crucial: 74% of students believe online learning cant replace their teachers.

In the two surveys conducted by Mathspace, over 5,000 students and over 200 teachers from across the United States were asked about their experiences with online learning and their feelings about returning to the traditional education system. The report was created based on survey data collected between May and July 2020.

An important aspect of digital learning is the real-time support and teacher visibility that online programs offer; technology plays an important role in offering additional support to students when teachers may not be there, Mr Tu-Hoa said. We built Mathspace to closely mirror the one-to-one learning experience, with teachers being able to monitor students progress and address challenges as needed.

For the full survey report, please click here.

About Mathspace

Founded in 2010 with a mission to help all students excel at mathematics, Mathspace is one of the worlds most advanced adaptive math platforms. Mathspace closely replicates the experience of having a teacher sit alongside a student. What sets Mathspace apart from other math platforms is its StepSmart technology, allowing students to show their work and get step-by-step feedback for multi-step problems. This means that Mathspace can deliver timely and tailored feedback to support students at the exact moment of misconception, providing highly individualized learning support for each student. With a built-in textbook, diagnostic and formative assessments, and thousands of curriculum-aligned lessons and videos, Mathspace is an all-in-one mathematics resource. Mathspace is used by more than 250,000 students globally.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) The Philippine National Police will be forming an investigation team to look into the recent attacks in Kabacan town, Cotabato  as well as reports of the alleged involvement of police personnel in the case, its incoming chief PGen Camilo Cascolan said Wednesday.

If that would be the case, we will investigate that. We will really come up with an investigating team that will look into that matter, Cascolan told CNN Philippines The Source when asked to comment on reports claiming that some policemen were involved in Saturdays midday road attack that killed nine people and wounded scores of others.

Local human rights officials have claimed that state forces may have had involvement in the so-called Kabacan 9 massacre, according to a Mindanao-based media outlet. Officials based the argument from a supposed dying declaration of one of the victims, it added.

READ: Probers still clueless on Kabacan massacre as officials call for sobriety

An initial police report said the victims were onboard their motorcycles and traversing the road near the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan town when unidentified gunmen carrying high-powered firearms blocked their path.

The suspects then fired a series of shots towards the motorists, resulting in the immediate death of eight victims. One was brought to the hospital but eventually died from the gunshot wounds, the police said.

Both the North Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Bangsamoro government have earlier initiated separate investigations on the killings. The Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces is also asking the National Bureau of Investigation "to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the tragic incident and bring the perpetrators to justice."
TANZANIA, Tanzania - The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level summit during the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly later this month to discuss security threats in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Nigers U.N. Ambassador Abdou Abarry, who took over the rotating council presidency on Tuesday, told a virtual press conference Tuesday that the meeting of the U.N.s most powerful body will take place online on Sept. 24.

Abarry said the meeting on post-COVID-19 global governance in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security will address traditional security threats such as conflicts but also crime and pandemics as well as adjustments to the current international system.

He said Nigers President Mahamadou Issoufou, who will chair the meeting, is sending invitation to the leaders of the 14 other countries on the Security Council. Some countries, which he didnt name, have already indicated their heads of state will attend, he said.

Abarry said a key issue after the coronavirus pandemic is: Are we going to be able to structure a more resilient, a more just, a more fair world with less destruction of the environment among others, and that can enable and facilitate humanity to live in harmony, and with nature?

In recent years, the Security Council has held a meeting on a theme chosen by its rotating president for September during the General Assembly high-level meeting which usually brings thousands of people to U.N. headquarters in New York.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high-level meeting will be almost entirely online.

U.S. President Donald Trump presided over a high-level Security Council meeting on countering nuclear, chemical and biological weapons during the United States presidency of the council in September 2018. Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, chaired Security Council meetings in 2009 and 2014.

Last year, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presided over a ministerial meeting of the council on the contribution of three regional organizations that Moscow belongs to in countering terrorist threats.
Not too long ago, Democrats were touting the race riots and celebrating the destruction in America's bluest cities.

Today, they are calling them President Trump's fault. And that's quite a hairpin turn of narrative, done swiftly, in response to falling poll numbers, as if by some campaign strike team.

How is it they can shift so fast? We've never seen this in past presidential campaigns.

The best answer is that they control the press. The press is entirely corrupted. It's no longer a press; it's a Democratic Party campaign strike team of impeccable reliability.

Exhibit A is this brilliant column written by Amber Athey at Spectator USA describing the chronology. It's so good that she's on my radar now as an always-click byline:

After months of trying to spin the nationwide unrest as 'mostly peaceful' or ignoring it entirely, Democrats have discovered some fresh messaging: the riots are violent and they're Trump's fault. Joe Biden seized on this new storyline during a campaign speech in Pittsburgh on Monday, telling voters that Trump is 'stoking violence in our cities.' 'This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can't stop the violence  because for years he has fomented it,' Biden asserted. This is one of the most dastardly and dishonest schemes the Democrats have ever cooked up.

She's right.

Her chronology is sharp, logical, and distilled. I'll give a backwards telescope summary:

The riots began as anti-police brutality protests in Minneapolis, following the death of George Floyd in police custody. Led by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, they spread to other cities, and then a second police incident in Atlanta led to additional destruction. After that, they became calls to "defund the police."

Protesters and rioters may have turned their sights on Trump because they view him as the leader of a broken system, but he certainly wasn't the impetus for their rage.

By July, these riots had become "peaceful" protests ("fiery but mostly peaceful protests," as CNN later put it by the time the riots got to Kenosha). It was against the evidence of their own camera shots of cities full of flames and shops smashed in a miasma of shattered glass that these claims were made. The cameramen risked their lives to get the fiery photos to grip viewers, and the narrative strike team simply denied that the violence was happening. Democrats followed suit, with Jerry Nadler calling any talk of violence in Portland "a myth," despite his own New York City he represents being looted in plain air. Seattle's mayor called it a "summer of love." Washington's mayor painted a "Black Lives Matter" banner across a major street visible from the White House, honoring the very people perpetrating the riots. These events became calls for whites to virtue-signal in ecstatic communion with the protests, while looters were routinely either ignored by police ordered to stand down or else let out after they were picked up, sending a message to other would-be looters that looting was good and nobody would be held accountable. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden's staffers contributed cash to rioter bailouts and encouraged others to do the same, because the police were such bad guys, it seems.

Corporations, hoping to be seen as woke, and more importantly, not the next target, announced big funds for Black Lives Matter and other radical groups perpetrating these riots. More riots and lootings followed.

Then the statue-toppling started, beginning with easy-to-topple Confederates but rapidly moving on to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Winston Churchill, and abolitionists of slavery. These are people who fought tyrants, destroyed fascists, and crushed slavery.

Democratic governors and mayors were explicitly offered National Guard aid by President Trump to put down the fiery assaults. Continuously, they refused. Looting, meanwhile, was openly defended by many on the left.

By the time this all got to voters, and voters responded by ending support for Democrats in the polls, the narrative had suddenly shifted. Democrats now say they're against violence. Pay no attention to the toppled statues and looter bailout funds. And to the extent that there is violence, the violence is all the doing of President Trump. Just Trump's existence makes radicals violent, they can't help themselves. It was no longer all about getting rid of the police, it was about getting rid of Trump, so the hairpin curve against violence narrative call went out.

How can they shift on a dime so quickly? It's because they have the press in their tree, their backseat driver, their obedient stenographer as they drive the political narrative. Journalism's changed since I went to journalism school, today the press is not the press, it's the public relations agency of the Democrats, unmoored by any guiding principle other than preserving Democrat power. They would not be able to shift narratives so quickly otherwise.

Here's the other thing: It's cynical. The Democrats are cynically assuming that voters cannot remember any news not 24 hours old. That's why they can say one thing one day and the opposite the next. They assume voters will remember nothing. The old 24-hour news cycle has mated with the 24-hour narrative turn.

That might explain why they're doing it, but it's not working. Voters can remember those calls to defund the police and those Democrats supporting looters just a few weeks ago, and now can see that they're being fed the claim that Trump did the riots. Trump had nothing to do with the riots, Trump exists, and they're reacting with violence. Normal people don't do that. As for Biden's sudden change of party line, well, as Sean Hannity noted on his broadcast, it's a day late and a dollar short.'

Were the press a collective body of any integrity, none of this would be possible. The Democrats would have to think their positions over before jumping in because the press would call them on it. The press is like a bus without brakes, and as it stands, it looks to be taking Democrats off the cliff.

Image credit: News2Share shareable YouTube screen shot, enhanced with FotoSketcher.
The world is one step closer to having a totally secure internet and an answer to the growing threat of cyber-attacks, thanks to a team of international scientists who have created a unique prototype which could transform how we communicate online.

The invention led by the University of Bristol, revealed today in the journal Science Advances, has the potential to serve millions of users, is understood to be the largest-ever quantum network of its kind, and could be used to secure people's online communication, particularly in these internet-led times accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By deploying a new technique, harnessing the simple laws of physics, it can make messages completely safe from interception while also overcoming major challenges which have previously limited advances in this little used but much-hyped technology.

Lead author Dr Siddarth Joshi, who headed the project at the university's Quantum Engineering Technology (QET) Labs, said: "This represents a massive breakthrough and makes the quantum internet a much more realistic proposition. Until now, building a quantum network has entailed huge cost, time, and resource, as well as often compromising on its security which defeats the whole purpose."

"Our solution is scalable, relatively cheap and, most important of all, impregnable. That means it's an exciting game changer and paves the way for much more rapid development and widespread rollout of this technology."

The current internet relies on complex codes to protect information, but hackers are increasingly adept at outsmarting such systems leading to cyber-attacks across the world which cause major privacy breaches and fraud running into trillions of pounds annually. With such costs projected to rise dramatically, the case for finding an alternative is even more compelling and quantum has for decades been hailed as the revolutionary replacement to standard encryption techniques.

So far physicists have developed a form of secure encryption, known as quantum key distribution, in which particles of light, called photons, are transmitted. The process allows two parties to share, without risk of interception, a secret key used to encrypt and decrypt information. But to date this technique has only been effective between two users.

"Until now efforts to expand the network have involved vast infrastructure and a system which requires the creation of another transmitter and receiver for every additional user. Sharing messages in this way, known as trusted nodes, is just not good enough because it uses so much extra hardware which could leak and would no longer be totally secure," Dr Joshi said.

The team's quantum technique applies a seemingly magical principle, called entanglement, which Albert Einstein described as 'spooky action at a distance.' It exploits the power of two different particles placed in separate locations, potentially thousands of miles apart, to simultaneously mimic each other. This process presents far greater opportunities for quantum computers, sensors, and information processing.

"Instead of having to replicate the whole communication system, this latest methodology, called multiplexing, splits the light particles, emitted by a single system, so they can be received by multiple users efficiently," Dr Joshi said.

The team created a network for eight users using just eight receiver boxes, whereas the former method would need the number of users multiplied many times - in this case, amounting to 56 boxes. As the user numbers grow, the logistics become increasingly unviable - for instance 100 users would take 9,900 receiver boxes.

To demonstrate its functionality across distance, the receiver boxes were connected to optical fibres via different locations across Bristol and the ability to transmit messages via quantum communication was tested using the city's existing optical fibre network.

"Besides being completely secure, the beauty of this new technique is its streamline agility, which requires minimal hardware because it integrates with existing technology," Dr Joshi said.

The team's unique system also features traffic management, delivering better network control which allows, for instance, certain users to be prioritised with a faster connection.

Whereas previous quantum systems have taken years to build, at a cost of millions or even billions of pounds, this network was created within months for less than 300,000. The financial advantages grow as the network expands, so while 100 users on previous quantum systems might cost in the region of 5 billion, Dr Joshi believes multiplexing technology could slash that to around 4.5 million, less than 1 per cent.

In recent years quantum cryptography has been successfully used to protect transactions between banking centres in China and secure votes at a Swiss election. Yet its wider application has been held back by the sheer scale of resources and costs involved.

"With these economies of scale, the prospect of a quantum internet for universal usage is much less far-fetched. We have proved the concept and by further refining our multiplexing methods to optimise and share resources in the network, we could be looking at serving not just hundreds or thousands, but potentially millions of users in the not too distant future," Dr Joshi said.

"The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic have not only shown importance and potential of the internet, and our growing dependence on it, but also how its absolute security is paramount. Multiplexing entanglement could hold the vital key to making this security a much-needed reality."

###

The research received funding from the Quantum Communications Hubs of the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), Ministry of Science and Education (MSE) of Croatia, and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Collaborating institutions with the University of Bristol are the University of Leeds, Croatia's Ruder Boskovic Institute (RBI) in Zagreb, Austria's Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI), in Vienna, and China's National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Changsha.

Paper:

'A trusted node-free eight-user metropolitan quantum communication network,' by Siddarth Koduru Joshi et al in Science Advances.

Notes to editors:

To arrange an interview with first and corresponding author Dr Siddarth Joshi and/or for more information, please email: sk.joshi@bristol.ac.uk. Interviews in English, Chinese, German, French, and Croatian are available on request.

A selection of images, including caption and credit details, is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fPlyvjzgAPv766cKUtKC9mty6o9Eu0Cq?usp=sharing
(Newser)  Breonna Taylor's name hasn't left the headlines since she was killed by Louisville police in her apartment on March 13. But her story hasn't been told quite like this before. In a lengthy piece for the New York Times, Rukmini Callimachi writes that for all the protests and coverage, "what happened that nightand what came before and after"hasn't been shared in depth. Callimachi contrasts that with George Floyd's death, which, unlike Taylor's, was captured on video. And so Callimachi pieces together the before, during, and after via dozens of interviews and a review of 1,500 pages of police records on the case. Two major focuses of the piece are the two men Taylor dated over the last few yearsKenneth Walker, who was with her when she was killed, and Jamarcus Glover, whom police were looking for and arrested elsewhere that nightand the role Louisville's months-old Place-Based Investigations unit played in what happened that night.

story continues below

The unit, formed in December, was to bring a new approach to policing: going narrow instead of wide by zeroing in on high crime spots and taking out their teeth, like "putting 'No Parking' signs along a street where drug dealers idle in cars." Among the unit's targets was Elliott Avenue, where murders occurred almost annually; 2424 Elliott had been identified as a drug stash house used by Glover. Over the next two months, a GPS device tracked Glover's car to Taylor's apartment; her car was seen in front of 2424 Elliot; and he collected packages sent to her apartment in his name. That led to her apartment being included when five "no-knock" warrants were signed by a judge in connection with Glover on March 12. Taylor would be dead less than 24 hours laterthough she had finally called it quits on her relationship with Glover the month prior. Her mother says Taylor started "writing goals on every scrap of paperjunk mail, napkins, envelopes." Writes Callimachi, "This was the year of big plans for the 26-year-old:" (Read the full story here.)
Glasgow, Sep 2 : Author Twinkle Khanna is currently in Scotland, and she recently stepped out to catch the new Hollywood thriller, Tenet, on big screen. The Christopher Nolan film features Twinkle's mother Dimple Kapadia in the cast.

The actress revealed that her mother is "so laid-back" that she refuses to do any publicity campaign around her new release.

"Finally saw 'Tenet' in the theatre and though my mother is so laid-back that she refuses to do any publicity around it, she has a wonderful part and is completely incredible," Twinkle wrote while sharing an image from the theatre.

The image features a visual of a scene in the film that features Dimple.

Twinkle went on to quote Variety about her mother's performance: "A sinister whisper network of international arms dealers emerges, with one of them, Priya (the wonderful Dimple Kapadia, in the film's wiliest performance) serving principally to coax the protagonist through the corridors of Nolan's storytelling." Nolan's "Tenet", also starring Robert Pattinson and John David Washington, has been described as "an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage". The film has been shot across seven countries -- India, the US, the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, and Norway.

Twinkle is currently in Scotland with husband Akshay Kumar and their children. Akshay is filming his upcoming project "BellBottom" in the country.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 17:31:48|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 27, 2020 shows a container truck carrying Vietnamese lychees exported to China at Kim Thanh II International Border Gate in Vietnam's northern Lao Cai province, which borders China. (VNA via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Two months after 10 Chinese customs began an experimental supervision mode to boost B2B e-commerce export, 12 more customs were added to the pilot program on Tuesday by China's General Administration of Customs.

B2B e-commerce export refers to either direct export of goods from domestic businesses to overseas businesses by cross-border logistics based on their mutual deals over a cross-border e-commerce platform, or the export of goods by a domestic company to its overseas warehouse, from which the goods will be delivered to overseas buyers based on their deals over a cross-border e-commerce platform.

Compared with traditional export, e-commerce B2B exporters, starting from Tuesday, will be given support in various forms, including one-off registration, streamlined declarations, expedited clearance at lower costs, as well as prior inspection and customs transit at the 12 newly-added customs nationwide, including Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, and Shanghai.

Between July 1 and August 30, the 10 pilot customs had inspected and cleared a total of 6.32 million batches of exported goods under the pilot program.

"Customs clearance time is shorter under the new mode, which helps avoid overdue returns caused by unstable international transportation," said Li Ou, general manager of a logistics firm in Chengdu, which is about to ship a batch of goods to the United States via cross-border e-commerce B2B export.



Aerial photo taken on July 17, 2020 shows containers waiting for customs inspection at Chengdu International Railway Port in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

The pilot program will provide cross-border e-commerce B2B export enterprises in Chengdu, especially to micro, small and medium-sized ones, with more convenient channels, and help "made-in-Chengdu" products to enter global industrial and supply chains, according to the municipal bureau of commerce.

Also on Tuesday, 45 tonnes of clothing, shoes, daily necessities, and electronic accessories worth more than 2.5 million yuan (about 366,750 U.S. dollars), were declared to the Changsha Customs in central China's Hunan Province through the new mode and are being exported to the United States, Germany, Kazakstan, and other countries.

In Shanghai, local customs, taking into account the actual circumstances of small businesses, has introduced paperless processes of clearance for certain goods when a single consignment is worth less than 5,000 yuan.

Customs statistics showed that the value of imports and exports transacted online by cross-border e-commerce enterprises reached 604.4 billion yuan in the first half of 2020, up by 6.7 percent year on year.

Zhuang Rui, deputy dean of the Institute of International Economy at the University of International Business and Economics, said the number of customs agencies in the pilot program has more than doubled in just two months, showing the program is effective and helpful for enterprises.

"It also reflects China's accelerating pace of opening up and the world's increasing demand for Chinese products. The expansion of pilot program is a win-win move," Zhuang said. 
Upcoming Netflix docuseries Bad Boy Billionaires has been embroiled in controversy with cases filed in at least two courts. The show is an investigative series on the rise and fall of Indias most infamous business tycoons like Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya who are accused in several money laundering cases.

Earlier, Bihar lower court had restrained the makers of the series from using Subrata Roys name. The Netflix then filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the order. However, the apex court on Wednesday refused to entertain the plea and granted the Netflix the liberty to approach the Patna High Court.

Dismissed. We are sorry," the bench led by SA Bobde said. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for Netflix, told the bench that several petitions pertaining to the web series are pending in various high courts and the apex court should transfer these matters to itself.

Mehul Choksi filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court terming the series a prejudicial to the legal cases pending against him and also to his reputation and goodwill."

Here is a brief about some of the faces that have emerged in Bad Boy Billionaires and the charges they are facing for money laundering and fraud cases.

Subrata Roy:

Subrata Roy is an Indian businessman and the Managing Worker and Chairman of Sahara India Pariwar. Roy and two other directors were arrested for failure of the groups two companies  Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL)  to comply with the apex courts August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 25,000 crore to their investors. Roy was sent to Tihar Jail by the apex court on March 4, 2014 and came out on parole after spending over two years in prison on May 6, 2016 to perform the last rites of his mother. He has been out of prison since then.

Nirav Modi:

Nirav Modi is a fugitive Indian businessman and diamantaire wanted by the Interpol and Government of India in money laundering case. He been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March last year and will remain remanded in custody until the start of the trial on September 7 when he will appear via videolink. He is facing trial in nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. In March 2018, Modi applied for bankruptcy protection in Manhattan, New York. In June 2018, Modi was reported to be in the UK and has applied for political asylum in Britain.

Mehul Choksi:

Mehul Choksi, uncle of fugitive businessman Nirav Modi, is accused in the nearly USD 2 billion PNB scam. On August 28, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea by Choksi to conduct pre-screening of Bad Boy Billionaires. Advocate Vijay Aggarwal appearing for Choksi argued on fundamental rights that Choksi is entitled to a fair trial and reputation and would suffer great injustice should the Series be allowed to stream with references to him and the legal cases pending against him. Choksi, the promoter of Gitanjali Gems, and his nephew Nirav Modi are accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. Choksi left the country last year and was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda. His plea for pre-screening was vehemently opposed in the high court by Netflix saying it was wholly misconceived and mischievous petition.

Vijay Mallya:

Vijay Mallya is another Indian fugitive businessman and is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He is presently in the United Kingdom. The apex courts 2017 order had come on a plea by consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had said that Mallya had allegedly transferred USD 40 million received from British firm Diageo, to his children in flagrant violation" of various judicial orders. Mallya was also found guilty of contempt of court in 2017 for transferring USD 40 million to his children.
New Delhi: Popular VJ-model and host Shibani Dandekar took to her Instagram account and wrote a long post on how media is accusing the 'innocent' Rhea Chakraborty and her family in the mysterious death case of Sushant Singh Rajput.

She bashed the media for the 'witch-hunt and vilification of innocent family'. Shibani wrote in her caption: I stand with you and by your side always @rhea_chakraborty #justiceforrhea

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. After a two-month-long investigation by the Mumbai Police, the CBI took over the case in the month of August.

Sushant's family has accused girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty in late actor's death. The CBI investigation is in full swing and fresh developments are coming to fore every day. Meanwhile, drugs conspiracy and money laundering angles in the case are being parallelly probed by the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate respectively.
Last week, Google rolled out a new update for the Google Home app that included dark mode and improved smart controls. Now, the company seems to have flipped a server-side switch for bringing the controls of Nest x Yale locks to the Google Home app.

According to Android Police, the Google Home app users with version 2.27 can finally control their Nest smart locks without needing a separate app. Prior to this, the Nest smart locks were shown up in the Google Home app, but the Nest app was required for controlling them.

Nest x Yale smart locks can now be controlled with Google Home app

The features like scheduling guest access and history are only limited to the Nest app. Just like on the Nest app, the user has to tap and hold to unlock using the Google Home app. Moreover, there is no way to unlock these smart locks with voice commands.

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Google says it is restricting this feature because of security reasons. For example, no one can just shout from outside the window to unlock the door. The Nest smart locks already work with Google Assistant-enabled devices, including the Google Nest Mini and other smart speakers.

The app also shows the status of the lock on its home screen

There are also a few options to customize like the lock tone volume and enabling/disabling one-touch locking. But the Nest app is needed for changing anything else. From now on, the lock status will be displayed on the apps main screen which Google calls Home view.

The app also shows the unlock button when the smart lock is locked, and vice versa. With this update, this new UI change applies to the other linked gadgets as well. Before this, the app used to show both on and off buttons all the time.

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Also, the Google Home app shows whether the previously added lights and switches are on or off right on the home screen. When they are turned on, the lights with the gray icon will turn into a yellow color. On the other hand, the switches will turn green when powered on.

A similar UI change was first introduced in the Google smart displays in May this year. Both iOS and Android users can access these new features by updating their Google Home app to v2.27. Since its a server-side update, these changes will take a few days to show up on all the devices.
In this 2011 file photo, City Councilmember Robert Henon (left) and labor leader John J. Dougherty (right) talk during a lunch at the Palm Restaurant at the Bellevue in Center City. Read more

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected a request from labor leader John J. Dougherty and City Councilmember Bobby Henon to throw out the political bribery case against them before it reaches a jury, dashing the hopes of both men for a swift resolution to Philadelphias highest profile corruption cases in years.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl sets the stage for Dougherty  one of the citys most potent Democratic power brokers and head of the 4,700-member Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers  to stand trial with Henon, the unions former political director and onetime majority leader on Council, in coming months.

While Dougherty may challenge the sufficiency of the governments evidence at a later stage, the judge wrote in a 36-page opinion, the allegations as set forth in the indictment do not justify dismissal now.

Its been more than a year since federal prosecutors accused the men in a bribery scheme stretching back to 2015.

But while prosecutors have portrayed Henon as a crooked politician, swept into office on a tide of union money only to sell his Council seat in exchange for a $73,000-a-year, no-show union job, Henon has consistently argued that he never hid his connection to Johnny Doc or his union, and regularly disclosed his salary on ethics filings, as required by city ordinance.

State law allows Henon to maintain outside employment on top of the $140,000 he made on Council before losing the position of majority leader in 2019. His income from Doughertys union was no different than that of any of the other members of Council who also hold outside jobs, his lawyer Brian J. McMonagle has said.

 READ MORE: Can a paycheck be a bribe? Johnny Docs lawyers say no, push to dismiss case involving Council member Henon.

Doughertys lawyers have pushed back as well, describing the pressure the labor leader exerted on Henon as nothing more than lawful lobbying on matters of interest to the union. Defense attorney Henry E. Hockeimer Jr. has accused the government of failing to explain how a salary Henon had been receiving for more than a decade before he was elected to Council suddenly became a bribe once he became a public official.

Schmehl rejected those contentions Wednesday, finding that the government had laid out a coherent bribery case and that a jury should decide whether the evidence supports it.

We respect the courts decision and understand the low bar [for an indictment] to survive a motion to dismiss, Hockeimer said in an email. We will continue to make these arguments, now to a jury.

Henons counsel declined to comment on the ruling.

 READ MORE: Johnny Doc indictment: Whos indicted and what are the charges?

Prosecutors have expressed confidence in their ability to prove that both men knew exactly why Doughertys union continued to write Henon checks after his election to Council in 2011. They have described the paychecks as essentially a retainer to buy Henons influence on government actions that benefitted Doughertys personal and professional interests.

But the salary was just one item in a stream of benefits that government lawyers have accused Dougherty of providing over the years, a list that also included tickets to sporting events valued at more than $11,000.

The indictment in the case is peppered with instances of what the labor leader purportedly received in exchange.

 READ MORE: Feds say Johnny Doc used Local 98s money to buy influence, power

The councilman, it alleges, misused his oversight of key city committees to shut down nonunion installation projects at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and to squeeze Comcast Corp. executives to assure that a company favored by Doughertys union received lucrative contracts tied to Comcasts renegotiation of its 15-year franchise agreement with the city in 2015

At Doughertys request, prosecutors say, Henon also squashed a 2016 audit of the Parking Authority that would have ascertained whether it could send more money to the Philadelphia schools, and convened Council hearings to investigate a company that towed the labor leaders car.

Doughertys lawyers have argued that in all of those instances, the government has failed to link Henons Local 98 salary to the subsequent actions he took. They also have contended that none of the actions described fits the legal definition of an official act as outlined in federal public corruption statutes.

But Schmehl flatly dismissed that argument Wednesday, pointing out that Henons votes, introduction of legislation and hearings, and threats to launch Council probes clearly fit the definition of an official act by an elected officeholder.

These acts  are clear instances of Henon making a decision, taking an action or agreeing to do so, on questions, matters, causes  proceedings or controversies, Schmehl wrote.

In addition to the bribery counts, Dougherty faces embezzlement charges connected to $600,000 prosecutors say he and six other members of his union inner circle stole from Local 98 between 2015 and 2018.

Henon has not been charged in connection with those crimes and has asked the court, along with the other defendants, to separate the bribery and embezzlement accusations into separate trials. Schmehl has not ruled on that request.

Both Dougherty and Henon have denied wrongdoing and said they have no plans to resign. They and their codefendants are scheduled to stand trial Oct. 26.
The quid pro quo premise underlying the social compromise known as workers compensation is simple: an employee injured at work receives no-fault medical expenses and wage replacement indemnity benefits and, in exchange, the employer is given protection from employee lawsuits and a statutory right to be reimbursed from the tortfeasor who actually caused the work-related injury  sometimes referred to as subrogation. This is the employees exclusive remedy against the employer, who enjoys immunity from tort liability for the injuries. The exclusive remedy rule prevents injured employees from suing their employers and usually prevents culpable third parties from bringing a third-party action against the employer for contribution. Even though every state allows the employee to bring a lawsuit against third parties (persons or entities other than the employer or employee), workers compensation benefits are the sole remedy available to the employee. If and when the employee makes a third-party recovery, the employers workers compensation carrier is granted a statutory right of subrogation and/or reimbursement of the benefits it paid. If that were the end of the story, however, this article would not be necessary.

The exclusive remedy rule has been under assault since the mid-20th Century, with trial lawyers lobby groups and labor organizations arguing strenuously that courts and legislatures should craft various exceptions to the rule. One such exception which has become quite common is allowing an injured employee to sue the employer for an intentional act or assault by the employer or a co-employee against the injured employee. For example, in Louisiana, this exception was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1976. La. R.S.  23:1032. In Texas, a cause of action for an intentional act is guaranteed to the employee by the Texas Constitution and cannot be taken away by the Legislature. Tex. Const. art. I, s 13; Castleberry v. Goolsby Bldg. Corp., 617 S.W.2d 665 (Tex. 1981).

Not all states took the bait, however. Many states still grant the employer exclusive remedy protection even when their actions constitute an intentional act or even gross negligence. Today, 43 states provide for an intentional act exception to the exclusive remedy rule. Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Rhode Island, and possibly Idaho remain states which do not allow an injured employee to sue the employer even if there is an intentional act.

In states where a tort action is allowed by the employee against an employer for injuries caused by an assault or an intentional act, a dilemma arose as to whether the employer or its workers compensation insurance company should be allowed rights of subrogation and/or reimbursement, such that it would effectively be receiving reimbursement for the workers compensation benefits it just got done paying, from its own insured  the employer. Over time, some states began to allow such rights of subrogation and/or reimbursement, while others have not. In an equally large number of states, the issue has yet to be decided. It is important for claims and subrogation professionals to know such rights are available to the insurance carrier, and when they are not. The concept of allowing an insurance company to recover benefits it pays under a policy of workers compensation insurance directly from its own insured is perplexing, and seemingly in violation of the anti-subrogation rule.

The anti-subrogation rule is a long-standing common law defense to subrogation. It states that a subrogated insurance company standing in the shoes of its insured cannot bring a subrogation action against or sue its own insured to recover its claim payments. Sometimes known as the suing your own insured defense, the anti-subrogation rule was originally developed based on the logical premise that, because the carrier stands in the shoes of its insured, it would essentially be suing itself. Therefore, no right of subrogation can arise in favor of an insurance company against its own insured. Wager v. Providence Ins. Co., 150 U.S. 99 (1893). This seemingly simple concept has many tentacles and each state has developed their own bodies of law with regard to how and when the rule will be applied, setting forth numerous exceptions and rules regarding its application.

Notwithstanding the anti-subrogation rule, some states willingly allow an employer or its workers compensation carrier to seek reimbursement from a tort damage payment made by the employer  its own insured  as a result of an intentional tort or an assault committed by the employer. States such as California straddle the fence by allowing the amount of compensation otherwise payable to the employee to be increased by 50%, together with costs and expenses not to exceed $250, where the employee is injured by reason of the serious and willful misconduct of the employer. Cal. Lab. Code  4553.

In other states, such as Florida, the workers compensation carrier is allowed to seek recovery of its subrogation interest even out of a tort recovery by the employee against the employer. Jones v. Martin Electronics, Inc., 932 So.2d 1100, 1108 (Fla. 2006). States such as Idaho have not yet clearly answered the question.

Effective workers compensation subrogation requires a complete knowledge of all aspects of workers compensation law, and an aggressive recovery program must necessarily involve a carrier holding out its hand for reimbursement from an employer whose intentional acts caused the work-related injury. Knowing when and under what circumstances this can be done is an obvious necessity of successful subrogation.

A 50-state summary of the law regarding subrogating against intentional act claims against employers can be found HERE. It details the law in every state with regard to when and whether an employee can proceed with a lawsuit against an employer whose intentional act has resulted in a work-related accident. It also contains any available law or precedent with regard to whether the workers compensation carrier is also entitled to be reimbursed from such a tort recovery for its workers compensation lien.
Palestinian protester held during rally in the occupied West Bank in chokehold similar to one that killed George Floyd.

A video circulating on social media appears to show an Israeli soldier kneeling on an elderly Palestinian protesters neck while arresting him during a demonstration in the occupied West Bank.

Footage circulating on Tuesday shows an Israeli soldier pushing Khairi Hannoun, a 65-year-old Palestinian protester, to the ground as other troops raise their rifles and shout at a group of news photographers to back away. One projectile was fired, although it is not clear if it was a stun grenade or tear gas.

The soldier then wrestled Hannoun to the ground and kneeled on his neck and back while putting him in handcuffs.

Hannoun said he was with dozens of demonstrators in Shufa village near the occupied West Bank town of Tulkarem who were protesting Israeli plans to confiscate some 800 dunums (800,000 square kilometres) of the land to build an industrial park.

This is the world's most moral army violently arresting a peaceful Palestinian protestor today in the West Bank. #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/tu372ASHLv  Alexandra Halaby (@iskandrah) September 1, 2020

The video shows Hannoun pushing an Israeli soldier after he snatched a Palestine flag from another demonstrator, setting off the scuffle.

The Israeli soldiers hit me hard and one of them pressed his knee against my neck for a few minutes, he told The Associated Press. I stayed still to avoid more pressure on my neck, but people pulled me out.

Hannoun said he suffered bruising but no serious injuries.

Local Palestinian forces said dozens of protesters suffered from tear gas inhalation after Israeli forces fired canisters in their direction and shot live rounds.

Khairi Khanoun seen during a protest against the planned Israeli industrial zone in Shufa village near Tulkarm, occupied West Bank [Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians and Israeli rights groups often accuse Israeli security forces of using excessive force to disperse Palestinian protests.

Those confrontations have come under heightened scrutiny amid the recent protests against racial injustice in the United States, as some Palestinians have sought to link their cause to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The US protests were sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody after a white officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes as he cried out that he could not breathe.

The Israeli military said the commander showed restraint after Hannoun resisted arrest. It said he was given medical care at the scene, before being later released.

The videos on social media are partial, heavily edited and do not reflect the violent riot nor the violence against [Israeli] troops that happened prior to the apprehension, the military said in a statement. It added the protesters had thrown stones and assaulted the soldiers.

The event will be looked into over the next days, it said.
It has been three weeks since United States President Donald Trump signed the executive order as a way of boosting the unemployment aid, but states are still struggling to implement the $300 federal supplement as a part of the unemployment benefits.

Despite the approval coming from the federal government for most of the states to set up the program, as of Friday morning, only six states were able to manage to pay out the money that was allocated and this includes Louisiana, Montana, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee.

Each state has a September 10 deadline on deciding whether to apply for the initiative as it was financed with $44billion relief funds for disaster under the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fox reported.

For most of the states who were not able to start giving out yet, the additional government aid could probably go out in the middle of September or even later if not done organized.

Since the $600 federal unemployment benefit expired last month, the slow roll out on the Lost Wages Assistance program kept the pockets of millions of Americans waiting for the extra federal aid.

According to the Trump administration, an initiative coming from the state officials could expedite things for speedy relief to their constituents as they already sidestepped Congress on their end.

On August 10, Steven Mnuchin, US Treasury Secretary shared that most states will be able to deliver the aid in just a span of two weeks but as that time came and only a few states were able to distribute the allotted federal aid to the unemployed people in their respective states.

Read also: Residents Leave NYC After Homeless Were Housed in Hotels, Compromising Safety

According to Business Insider, policy expert at the National Employment Law Project, Michele Evermore shared that she would be incredibly nervous in making money as there is only a little guidance on it and it came so fast with very little forethought.

She also stated that the delay may be caused by the checking and the review done by the states as they made sure that they are making this move according to the law and she does not blame the state officials for that.

She also mentioned that the worst thing that could happen to the state officials is that a chunk of benefits already goes out and then you find out that there is something wrong with your procedure and you have to redo it.

Along with Evermore, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, Andrew Stettner estimated that the program will be providing aid to unemployed Americans for around six weeks. And about 28 million persons are receiving the benefits intended for the unemployed people which will be covering 305 to 50% of the wages that were lost.

Aside from the benefits program pushed by the Trump administration, state agencies are currently struggling as they are still processing huge numbers of claims every week.

On the other hand, state agencies were asked to work with FEMA about the new set up that they will be following which includes a new system, requirements, and additional rules to follow.



Related article: Trump Plans Relief Funds for Kids, Sparking Opposition from Democrats

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Perry Village government leaders are working on completing a list of proposed services, purchases and improvements that could be paid for with money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Village Council, during an Aug. 27 special meeting, heard the second reading of a resolution to allow the mayor and chief financial officer to spend about $158,594 in federal CARES Act funding awarded to the communitys government.

When Village Council gathers for its next regular meeting on Sept. 10, the panel is likely to hear a third and final reading of the legislation, and then vote on the measure.

Acting in a timely manner is crucial because the village faces a Sept. 30 deadline to either encumber CARES Act funding  which means setting aside money to spend for a specific purpose  or have purchase orders approved for designated items.

Any money thats not earmarked by Sept. 30 would have to be returned to Lake County.

At this point, Village Council members and administrators are still able to suggest more items that they believe would be authorized under CARES Act regulations. In fact, the resolution itself is intended to get village government officials to focus on specific uses for CARES Act money.

The state suggested that we pass a resolution saying what were going to spend (CARES Act money) on, to get more of a directive, said Joanne Clapp, the villages chief fiscal officer. So weve come up with ideas on what it can be used on, for everybodys safety, including the public.

Perry Villages list of items that could be authorized as CARES Act expenditures includes:

* Touchless entry doors, electrical switches, faucets and toilets

* Automatic hand sanitizer stations, hand soap and paper towel dispensers

* Personal protective equipment for employees

* Cleaning and sanitizing facilities

* An electric static sprayer

* Employee entry cards

* Air ventilation/filtration

* Employee wages when covering for an employee out on sick leave for COVID-19

* Replacing cloth-covered chairs in the Village Council chambers with leather- or vinyl-covered chairs so that they could be cleaned and sanitized more easily

* Enhance technology to allow Village Council and other governmental boards to hold remote meetings through Zoom or other video-conferencing programs.

The CARES Act is an economic relief package totaling more than $2 trillion that was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in late March.

Local government entities in Ohio became eligible for federal CARES Act funding through Ohio House Bill 481, which was approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in June.

To receive aid, cities, villages and townships were required to pass resolutions and submit them to their county auditors offices.

Local government entities then were awarded funding giving them the ability to recoup costs associated with keeping communities and essential workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nominations now open for Teagasc Walsh Scholars Alum Award 2020

From ground-breaking scientists, leading economists and innovative entrepreneurs, nominations are now open for the Teagasc Walsh Scholars Alum Award 2020. The Alum Award honours a member who has demonstrated excellence in their professional achievements, is a leader in their field, or has made a substantial impact on society.

Teagasc Walsh Scholarships Programme to recognise an outstanding member of its alumni community

Teagasc, in partnership with national and international universities, have a long and prestigious history of successful doctoral and master's training in agricultural research, education and advisory. The Award is an opportunity for the organisation to, reflect on, and celebrate the achievements of the Programmes growing alumni network, who are working in academia, industry and policy, nationally and internationally.

Commenting on Teagasc s commitment to celebrate the achievements of the Programmes alumni, Professor Frank OMara, Director of Research, said; We launched the Alum Award in October 2018 to recognise the diversity of professional achievements and contributions made by role models and thought-leaders from within the Programmes alumni community.

Learning what our alumni have done with the training they gained through the Programme, and celebrating their successes, inspires all who aspire to have an impact. It is an honour for us to recognise excellence with this award.

The 2020 award winner will follow in the footsteps of Professor Andrew Fisher, who is the Chair of Cattle and Sheep Production Medicine and Director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Andrew, who as a Walsh Scholar based at the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Grange, county Meath, between 1992 and 1996, investigated factors affecting the welfare and health of beef cattle.

For more information on the Award - who is eligible, who can nominate, the selection criteria and judging process - visit the Alum Award webpage. Nominations close at midnight on Wednesday, 30 September 2020.

The award winner will be announced as part of Walsh Scholars: The Next Generation, a public showcase of Teagascs leading postgraduate agri-food research, on Thursday, 5 November. Register for this online event.

Notes to Editor

About the Teagasc Walsh Scholarships Programme

The Walsh Scholarships Programme mission is to train and develop the next generation of leaders in agri-food research, advisory and education. It offers a unique opportunity for students to pursue postgraduate research and professional-based learning in agriculture, food, environmental science, agri-food economics, rural development, horticulture, forestry and other related disciplines.

Teagasc has a diverse portfolio of exciting research and knowledge transfer projects, which allow current and prospective students to develop discipline-specific scientific and technical expertise under the supervision of a Teagasc researcher or specialist and a university-based academic. University-based learning and a bespoke development programme advances Scholars interdisciplinary and intersectoral knowledge, industry-relevant transferable skills, behaviour competencies and career development planning.

With a long history of successful doctoral and masters training, the Programme is competitive on application and is a prestigious award held by an expanding network of alumni. The majority of Walsh Scholars are funded by Teagasc (Grant-In-Aid), with others supported by national (e.g. DAFMs FIRM, Stimulus and CoFoRD Programmes, SFI, EPA) and international (e.g. EUs Horizon 2020) funding streams.

It is named in commemoration of Dr Tom Walsh (1914-1988), a pioneering scientist who played a significant role in shaping modern agricultural research, advisory and education services in Ireland.

For more information
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 16:49:02|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will help bring more high-quality international services to China, meeting its demand to upgrade domestic consumption, a senior Chinese researcher has said.

The CIFTIS, scheduled for Sept. 4-9 , will also bolster China's efforts to export its high-quality services while creating more competition at home, Li Jun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

As one of China's three major open exhibition platforms, along with the China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as Canton Fair, and the China International Import Expo, the upcoming CIFTIS 2020, also the first major international economic and trade event held offline in China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has attracted worldwide attention.

As the world's second biggest importer of services and with its large population, China has huge potential in the services industry, Li said.

"The service market in China is very attractive to the global market, and is of significance to countries around the world as well as multinational corporations," Li said.

The researcher pointed out that "China is constantly strengthening its domestic market, with consumption in services an important driving force."

Chinese consumers used to seek high-quality services abroad when it came to education, medical treatment and medical cosmetology. However, the CIFTIS and a further opening up of the service market are making it more convenient for the Chinese people to access these services at home, Li said.

The raging pandemic has hit the global services trade hard, especially traditional services such as tourism and overseas study. However, emerging sectors such as knowledge-intensive services is witnessing growth.

The expert said "there will be much room for growth in sectors including digital services and 'Internet Plus' businesses after the pandemic." Countries should open their markets to each other and seize such new growth opportunities, Li added.

Li also noted that China has set an example to the world by establishing international exhibition platforms such as the CIFTIS, which also demonstrates its sincerity in building a community with a shared future for humankind.

Looking ahead at the upcoming CIFTIS, Li said it's hoped that countries around the world could reach a consensus through the event to uphold free trade, opening up and cooperation, as well as oppose protectionism, in a bid to create a more open and stronger global market. Enditem
Amid the din and dingdong of electioneering, the promises and propaganda of a starry-eyed era and the generous exchange of money for prospective votes as September 19 draws closer, the people of Edo State need some reality check  a deliberate and sustained reminder of the head-spinning and harrowing catalogue of cruelties, crises and crimes foisted on them by a self-serving governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

The time cannot be more auspicious for this reminder so that the people are not swayed by money and superfluous promises. They must muster all their votes to reverse the ills of the Obaseki administration by voting him out.

Considering, therefore, that many public affairs analysts, commentators, columnists and bloggers alike have recurrently written and extensively documented Obasekis catalogue of sins against the people, this writer would attempt to periscope those malfeasances from the perspective of the Seven Deadly Sins propounded initially by the Roman ascetic and theologian, Evagrius Ponticus, but modified in the Sixth Century by Pope Gregory 1.

Though not biblical, the Seven Deadly Sins are theological and are believed to be the precursors for other sins and further immoral behaviours. The are Pride, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, and Sloth.

Evagrius describes pride as the father of all sins and it has been deemed the devils most prominent trait. From all indications, Obasekis pride drives him. Having tasted power, Obasekis pride skyrocketed and began to manifest in wanton corruption and whimsical selfishness at the expense of the welfare of the people.

His concatenation of crises has been predicated largely on his self-interest, nothing more, which is why the second term bid for him is a do-or-die affair. He is ready to crush anything in his way. He has been fighting those, who propelled him into power, because he thought he had seen it all and every other person was inconsequential.

It was pride that prompted Obaseki to say on television that he would not only deal with a two-term former governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole but that he would ensure his arrest if he came anywhere near Edo State. Yet, this was the same man that sold Obaseki to the electorate and allowed him to run for office on the strength of his (Oshiomholes) achievements.

It was greed writ large, when Obaseki accused some phantom Edo APC leaders of fighting him for access to the state treasury to share Edo money and that he would never do so but defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he was given an automatic ticket to contest after billions of naira allegedly exchanged hands, all in a desperate bid to remain in office.

Like greed, lust is an intense longing for sex but in Obasekis case, his lust is for power and money and ego-tripping. And he goes about these like a bull in a China shop. His face-off with the House of Assembly exemplifies this. In 2019, Obaseki refused to order a proclamation, in line with constitutional provisions and procedure, to clear the way for the inauguration and constitution of the seventh assembly.

His reluctance was predicated on his belief that he did not have enough foot soldiers in the House as against the number loyal to Oshiomhole. He vowed that the doors of the assembly would remain shut for as long as he desired and it has remained so thereby denying the people legislative representation.

Envy is characterised by an insatiable desire  sad or resentful covetousness towards the traits or possessions of someone else. So, fighting a non-partisan, apolitical man like Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, is a clear manifestation of envy.

One of Edos most prominent sons and pre-eminent Nigerian, Captain Hosas investments in the state are in the region of billions of dollars and he, arguably, employs as many Edo indigenes as does the government. His philanthropy is felt beyond even Edo State. He is what Obaseki and his collaborators aspire to be.

Whilst he never sought anything from the Obaseki administration apart from support it with his resources, a puerile and unfounded rumour that the widely loved Captain was eyeing the governorship seat has unleashed Obasekis base animalistic impulses. Obaseki may not have come to the realisation yet, but confronting and impugning on the integrity of a colossus like Captain Hosa is a recipe for political obliteration.

The evidence of Obasekis gluttony is an extension of his greed and lust for power: He not only wants power, but he also cant get enough of it. Like all gluttons, he is leaving a mess in his wake. Instead of discarded bones, there are a ruined economy, unhappy indigenes, insecurity and underdevelopment.

Under Obaseki, the Edo government is drunk for more money, which the people never see its impact whether on infrastructure or the economy or the life of an average indigene. For him, it is just about how to make more revenues even at the detriment of taxpayers while maintaining the second position of the most indebted state in Nigeria.

Wrath is defined as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage and even hatred often revealing itself in the wish to seek vengeance. Who better epitomises this than Obaseki? His wrath is one of the defining features of his administration. No one is immune to his anger and vengefulness. From Oshiomhole to Captain Hosa, legislators and even the revered Oba of Benin, they have all tasted of it.

How about Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who was mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari to mediate in the face-off between Obaseki and the House of Assembly, when he blatantly refused to inaugurate the House at the appropriate time.

Upon the constitution of a 10-man reconciliatory committee last December to resolve the crises and appease the aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, nationwide, Obaseki accused the senate president and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, of playing a prominent role in the crisis rocking the party in the state.

He did not rest until Lawan was replaced with Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State. The height of his wrath, perhaps, was the demolition of the hotel of Tony Kabaka Adun, whose only offence was that he is an ally of Oshiomhole. Despite a court order restraining the state government from demolishing the hotel building and appeals from well-meaning indigenes and prominent Nigerians,

Obaseki still went ahead to do so citing nebulous excuses.

Sloth, according to its proponent, has different meanings but, in this context, is defined as the absence of interest or habitual disinclination to exertion  a failure to do things that one should do, therefore, allowing evil to reign, because good people failed to act. The dictionary meanings also include laziness and wilful inactivity.

Thus, it is ironic, tragic even that Obaseki has been blaming his failings on the APC on which platform he rode to power in 2016 but which he defected from in June 2020. He has brazenly refused to do the work he was elected for, thereby, taking the state on a retrogressive expedition!

Every human  whether the artist or artisan; cleric or clerisy; the prosperous or proletariat; politician or professional  have their failing. But Obaseki departs from his predecessors and the character components that Edo State requires in a leader and one who can take them out of the doldrums, because he is unable to control his impulses and manage his sins.

So, the likelihood of him repenting or changing is not even remote and, therefore, does not deserve a vote from the people of Edo State!

*Ibiyinka, a political analyst, lives in Lagos
Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden discusses his plan to safely reopen schools amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, September 2, 2020.

Already, schools and universities across the country that have reopened for in-person classes are reporting clusters of coronavirus outbreaks. One of the worst outbreaks appears to be at the University of Alabama, where more than 1,000 students have tested positive for the coronavirus since the school opened its doors in late August.

Biden's remarks were part of an effort to keep the focus of his campaign on the pandemic, during a week when millions of children and teachers are starting virtual and in-person classes under difficult and potentially unsafe circumstances.

The guidance issued Tuesday effectively narrowed the definition of an "emergency protective measure" that would be covered by FEMA's public assistance funds, so that schools are excluded from the coverage.

"If I were president today, I would direct FEMA to make sure our kids K-12 get full access to disaster relief and emergency assistance under the Stafford Act. I'd make sure PPE and sanitation supplies for schools qualify as 'emergency protective measures,' which is a phrase they use to fully be eligible for federal assistance. On top of that, I'd be working with the leaders of Congress now, today, to pass emergency packages for schools so they have the resources they need in order to be opened safely."

Biden's remarks came just a day after FEMA officials told state emergency managers that it had issued new guidance indicating that the agency would no longer reimburse states for the cost of PPE in places such as schools, courthouses and public housing.

"This is an emergency, and Donald Trump and his FEMA should treat it as one," said Biden, speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, after a briefing with education and school safety experts.

WASHINGTON  Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Wednesday that if he were president, he would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use national disaster funds to help schools reopen safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden discusses his plan to safely reopen schools amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, September 2, 2020.

"This is a national emergency, and President Trump still doesn't have any real plan for how to open our schools safely," said Biden. "No real plan for how to help parents feel secure for their children. He's offering nothing but failure and delusions from start to finish, and American families and our children are paying the price for his failures."

Rather than focus on the pandemic this week, Trump has chosen to direct his attention to the violence that erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after racial justice protesters were met by armed vigilantes last week, resulting in a double homicide. A White 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse, has been charged in the killings.

Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday, where he met with law enforcement and claimed that "reckless, far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist." The remarks are part of a concerted effort on Trump's part to lay blame for the racial unrest roiling the country during his presidency at the feet of Democrats and to position himself as the solution, rather than part of the problem.

Biden was asked by a reporter on Wednesday how he would respond to the mistrust between law enforcement and communities of color in the wake of several high-profile police shootings of unarmed Black men and women this year.

"I'd have law enforcement at the table. I'd have the community at the table. I'd have people saying, 'How do we get through this, what do we do to deal with this?' I believe the vast majority of the community at large, as well as law enforcement, want to straighten things out, not inflame things," said Biden. "But this president keeps throwing gasoline on the fire every place he goes."

This week, Biden's campaign announced last-minute plans for the candidate to visit Kenosha on Thursday. Both state and city officials have asked all politicians to avoid the area while emotions are still running high and National Guard troops are still helping to keep the peace.

Asked what he hoped to accomplish by going to Kenosha, Biden replied, "We've got to put things together, bring people together. And so, my purpose in going will be to do just that, to be a positive influence on what's going on."

Outside of the twin news stories of the pandemic and the violence in Kenosha, Biden was also asked a question about whether he had concerns over new reporting on Trump's health, published in a book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt.

Schmidt reported that when Trump made an unannounced trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2019, Vice President Mike Pence was told to be on standby to take over in case the president had to receive anesthesia. To this day, neither the president nor the White House has explained the purpose of Trump's hospital visit.

"I'm not going to speculate on what it means" that traditional protocol for presidential hospital trips wasn't followed, said Biden. "But what I can say is that nothing this administration does is normal ... So who in God's name knows what it's all about? I don't know, and I'm not going to speculate. I'll let the experts do that."

Trump has vehemently denied speculation that he might have suffered from a mini-stroke or a cardiovascular event while in office.
The Taiwan government released a new design Wednesday for its passport cover, and the island's popularly known name Taiwan is noticeably amplified in a bold font to avoid a connection to China, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.



In a reduced size, the islands official name  the Republic of China (R.O.C.)  remains on the cover, which observers say helps de-escalate tensions with China.



The official name, R.O.C., has made it difficult for its people to travel overseas since the start of the pandemic in January, as Taiwanese often are mistaken for Chinese, according to Taiwans foreign minister, Joseph Wu.



The government pushed the legislature to pass a motion in July, requesting that the Cabinet redesign the countrys passport cover and the insignia of China Airlines, Taiwans national carrier, to be more Taiwan-centric.



Taiwan-centric passport



Acting on the legislative motion, Wu said the new design puts Taiwan front and center on the cover while making only minimal changes.



On the passport cover, the word Taiwan is enlarged and placed right above the word passport, which stresses explicitly its a Taiwan passport. Its now crystal clear, Wu told a press briefing Wednesday to introduce the new design.



Another change involves the islands official name, which is largely downsized on the cover, but printed three times inside the ring circling the national emblem.



Taiwan first added its alternative name to the passport cover in 2003 when the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) swept into power, which was widely seen as a part of the partys hidden agenda to push Taiwan toward de jure independence.



Confrontations avoided



The re-designed passport cover suggests another step forward, although the DPP government apparently has made concessions by retaining the official name to avoid being engaged in ideological confrontations, said opposition KMT legislator Charles Chen.

Members of the media take photos of paper cut-outs of the old and new (R) Taiwan passport displayed in Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2, 2020.

I think the hidden agenda is no more hidden. But this step is rather small, a very tiny step. So, theres a strong compromise in this design. If it really takes off the term, Republic of China, from the cover, wow, thats [will be] a significant step, Chen told VOA by phone.



That could provoke China, which sees Taiwan as a renegade province but so far, Chinas response toward the new passport design appears to be measured.



DPPs tricks



Whatever tricks the DPP government is pulling, Taiwan remains an integral part of China  a fact that will never change, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a media briefing when asked to respond to Taiwans new passport design.



Domestically, the KMTs Chen said the new design only serves the purpose of the DPP government to please its supporters since it wont affect the way airport customs around the world handle Taiwans passport holders.



There had been reports, however, that Taiwanese passport holders were barred from entering countries such as Indonesia, which refused entry of the Chinese people to prevent the spread of COVID-19.



As a result, a poll in March released by the New Power Party (NPP) showed that nearly 75% of Taiwanese supported the idea of removing Republic of China from the countrys passports to draw a clear distinction between Taiwanese and Chinese.



Genuine desire



NPP creative media director Jerry Liu said the governments move to highlight Taiwan on the passport cover is positively welcomed, but not enough.



If they just put the Republic of China inside the passport, like the very first page of the passport, and on the cover, only show, then it will be just much better. And Im sure the majority of Taiwanese people will appreciate that way, Liu told VOA by phone.



Liu also urged the government to find ways to modify the islands national emblem as it bears a striking resemblance to the KMTs party emblem.



According to Liu, the party has kick-started a new passport cover design contest in the past few months. It says it has received more than 120 designs, which show mostly only Taiwan and images about Taiwan, such as a butterfly, a Taiwan deer or a Taiwan blue magpie on their proposed passport cover designs.



This underscores how much the local people desire to be identified as Taiwanese, instead of Chinese, Liu added.



Recent polls show that a record 83% of local people identified themselves as Taiwanese.


A health care worker has said he was 'sickened' to discover his NSW driving licence was leaked online along with 54,000 other people's across the state.

The Sydney man, called Edward, only realised his licence has been leaked when he read a news article about the data breach on Tuesday.

A redacted picture of Edward's licence on his mother's table top was featured in the breaking news story, including his former inner west postcode.

'I remembered having dinner on that table just two nights ago. The licence featured in the article matched my old postcode and also happened to match the exact benchtop at my mum's place,' Edward told ABC News.

'I put two and two together and realise it was probably my licence.'

A redacted picture of Edward's driver's licence on his mother's table top was included in an article about 54,000 licences leaked online on Tuesday. Edward was 'sickened' to discover his personal details were leaked

Edward's licence was found inside a digital folder of PDF and JPG files containing 108,535 scanned images of over 54,000 NSW licences.

Ukrainian security consultant Bob Diachenko discovered the folder, which contained phone numbers, addresses and birth dates, on an Amazon cloud storage service  which was completely available for public view.

A Department of Customer Service NSW spokesman said 'a commercial entity' was likely behind the data breach.

'Investigations by Cyber Security NSW into an apparent data breach of NSW Driver Licences by a commercial entity confirms this matter is not related to NSW Government processes, systems or storage in any way,' he said.

But Edward said he does not remember taking a picture of his driver's licence on his mother's table and sending it to a non-Government, commercial entity.

The spokesman also said NSW digital driver's licences and the Service NSW app were not compromised by the apparent breach and remained secure.

A healthcare worker wearing PPE at a driver-through COVID site in Bondi. Edward, who is also a Sydney healthcare worker, said he recognised his postcode and mother's tabletop in an article about the licence leak

Meanwhile a Transport for NSW spokesman said their state government department did not own the folder.

'As Transport for NSW is not the owner of the folder and does not have access to its contents, the identities of all those who may have been affected cannot be determined,' he said.

'However, Transport for NSW takes customer data security concerns seriously and will support those who have been the victim of identity theft. Where necessary, new driver licence/photo cards are reissued on a case-by-case basis.'

Edward's shocking story comes after news of the leak broke on Tuesday, sparking warnings from experts that hackers can use the information to apply for credit cards and loans.

Mr Diachenko stumbled upon the folder of driver's licences as well as another folder containing Roads and Maritime Services toll notice statutory declarations.

'More than 50K scanned driver licenses (front+back) and toll notices exposed in a misconfigured S3 bucket,' Mr Diachenko tweeted along with a screenshot of a list of files dated back to 2018.

'Most likely - part of NSW RMS infrastructure (Road and Maritime, New South Wales, Australia). Secured now.'

The data was stored on an Amazon cloud storage service and contained phone numbers, addresses and birth dates  all of which were available for public view

Ukrainian security consultant Bob Diachenko stumbled upon the folder of PDF and JPG files containing 108,535 scanned images of more than 50,000 driver's licences

Mr Diachenko labelled the mysterious data leak a 'dangerous exposure,' and said the files had most likely been seen by 'malicious actors' who could have made a copy of already.

'A malicious actor can impersonate somebody and apply for credit, or do something on behalf of that person,' he said.

'For example, you take one licence and connect the dots with one owner of this licence, with his or her emails exposed in another data breach and you've got more information on that person.'

IDcare security counsellor Christine Jackson said driver's licence theft is 'the golden ticket' for scammers because they are often used to verify identities by Centrelink, phone companies and banks.

'So often that will be telephone accounts, mobile phones are purchased, they might purchase iPads, tablets and things like that as well - so it can rack up to a lot of money,' she told the ABC.

'They'll also apply for credit cards, personal loans and they'll just keep going until your credit history is in a mess and they can't go any further.

'And then they'll lay low for a while, wait for you to clean it up when you find out what's gone on, and then they'll reinvest in that compromised document.'

Ms Jackson said brazen criminals even steal licences from victims' letterboxes after being sent to their homes from Roads and Maritime Services.

Scams reported to the ACCC involving identity theft or the loss of personal or banking information cost Australians at least $16 million last year.

Four in 10 Scamwatch reports in 2019 involved attempts to gain information or the actual loss of victims' information.

Some of the ways scammers obtain personal or banking information are through direct requests for scans of driver's licenses or passports, often in dating and romance scams.

Fraudsters can empty victims' bank accounts, take out thousands of dollars in bank loans under victims' names, and even purchase furniture or electronics under 'no-repayments for 12 months' schemes (stock image)

Fraudsters can empty victims' bank accounts, take out thousands of dollars in bank loans under victims' names, and even purchase furniture or electronics under 'no-repayments for 12 months' schemes.

Security researcher Troy Hunt believes the source of the leak could be a fleet or toll road operator.

'The presence of toll notices [in the leak] is probably a bit of a clue and suggests it's more likely that it's a toll operator, or a fleet operator,' he told Car Advice.

Mr Hunt said the nature of the breach would be 'trivial' for anyone with a solid amount of technological knowledge to uncover.

'You don't have to be at Bob's level, but if you're someone who likes to crawl around the internet looking for this stuff [it would be possible]  I'm concerned about someone who makes a concerted effort to find it,' he said.

'It was open to public view which was obviously the concerning thing and it's unclear how long it was open for public view.'

The source of the uploaded files remains unknown, but it's understood those affected by the breach are yet to be contacted.

Transport for NSW said in a statement they do not retain or collect tolling data, and said it is working with Cyber Security NSW to investigate.
Dony Garments

Established in 2009, the Dony Garment Company, a subsidiary of Dony International Corporation, is a garment manufacturer focusing on producing clothes and uniforms in Vietnam. In the local market, Dony Garment is one of the biggest manufacturers of uniforms, workwear, sportswear & outdoor fashion in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Established in 2009, the Dony Garment Company, a subsidiary of Dony International Corporation, is a garment manufacturer focusing on producing clothes and uniforms in Vietnam. In the local market, Dony Garment is one of the biggest manufacturers of uniforms, workwear, sportswear & outdoor fashion in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam , Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, the export turnover of the textiles and apparel sector in the first 7 months of 2020 is estimated at 16.18 billion USD, equivalent to a decrease of 12.1% over the same period in 2019.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that, as of July, many businesses have almost no orders for the last 2 quarters of the year, especially in high-value products such as suits or high-end shirts. Meanwhile, the price of masks and protective goods has fallen sharply due to oversupply globally.

In fact, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) has recorded an average rate of cancellation of orders at businesses in the industry at about 30-70%. A strong drop in orders made inventories increase, along with the pressure to pay wages, which made businesses pile up with difficulties.

However, Vietnam's textile and garment industry still experience some positive development in the time of crisis. Vietnam has surpassed Bangladesh and risen to the 2nd position in the global garment and textile exports during the first half of 2020. Bangladesh was the second-largest garment exporter after China.

Data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau show that Vietnam earned 13.18 billion USD in the first 6 months of the year thanks to exports of textile and garment products, while Bangladesh earned only 11.92 billion USD.

In response to the Dhaka Tribune of Bangladesh, Vice President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Mohammad Hatem said that the country's garment industry has been heavily influenced by the pandemic.

From the beginning of the year, exports were in the downtrend. During the April-May period, the fall was expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic as the US witnessed the worst case of infection of coronavirus, said Hatem.

Story continues

Meanwhile, Prof Mustafizur Rahman, a fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told Dhaka Tribune that the concern is our competitors, especially Vietnam, who is doing better even amid the pandemic. They are trying to retain the market shares and gaining more from China's losing market share.

Post-pandemic development

To maintain their performance and thrive further in the post-pandemic era, many Vietnamese garment enterprises are pushing preparation for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Established in 2009, the Dony Garment Company, a subsidiary of Dony International Corporation, is a garment manufacturer focusing on producing clothes and uniforms in Vietnam. In the local market, Dony Garment is one of the biggest manufacturers of uniforms, workwear, sportswear & outdoor fashion in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Mr. Pham Quang Anh, Director of Dony Garment Company, said that his business is present in the US, Europe, and Middle East markets. However, Dony is preparing to expand further in the European market over the next 1 or 2 years, which the company predicts will be the time when EVFTA truly shows strength in the garment industry.

Specifically, Dony has standardized the factory production process, taken thoughtful actions to secure the workers welfare, and been aware of environmental protection. The firm has obtained ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001 certifications and is undergoing the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) assessment and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).

In 2016, Dony started to expand exports after six years of operation. Up to now, Mr. Quang Anh estimates that Dony's sales are about 2-3 million USD per month.

The firm focuses on basic fashion products and uniforms. During the pandemic strike earlier this year, Dony was one of the first Vietnamese enterprises to convert to face mark and other producing protective gear export, helping it to maintain business operations and stabilize jobs for workers.

The transition also helps the company expand its scale, purchase advanced equipment, and upgrade its production chain.

From 2019, VITAS has urged businesses in the textile and apparel industry to prepare for the EVFTA and approach the European market. After EVFTA takes effect, textiles and garments will be reduced by 42.5% of tariff lines.

Talking about his willingness to conquer big markets like the US and Europe, Pham shared that small and medium-sized businesses like Dony need to make great efforts to improve their skills and find ways to meet the requirements of difficult markets.

Orders from Japan are usually 3-5 higher in price compared to other countries, but they come with extremely strict and meticulous requirements. Although Dony mostly suffered losses, we still received some of those orders to demonstrate quality capabilities and connect reputable business relationships.

Thanks to these orders, Dony has upgraded the manufacturing process and product quality more than before. From there, we can easily meet the requirements of other markets, explained Pham.

Vietnam's garment industry has the following advantages/strength:

- Garment equipment has basically been renovated and modernized, creating conditions for upgrading processes and products;

- Vietnam's garment products have penetrated most of the main markets with high penetration, creating conditions for Vietnamese garment to consolidate its foothold and expand access to consumers;

- Vietnam's garment industry has built close relationships with major customers and global buyers, ensuring stable output conditions for Vietnam's garment exports;

- Vietnam has an abundant source of cheap labor, which is an important competitive advantage for labor-intensive industries such as the garment industry;

- The socio-political environment and macroeconomic environment of Vietnam is stable, is the foundation to attract foreign investment as well as a domestic investment;

- The long tradition of the garment industry in Vietnam contributes to strengthening domestic strong economic linkages, ensuring a source of skilled labor in the industry as well as increasing the attractiveness of the industry;

- Vietnam is in a favorable position for trade with countries in the world, creating favorable conditions for the import of inputs for garment production and the export of garment products to markets;

- Vietnam has favorable conditions to develop supporting industries such as growing cotton, growing mulberry, raising silkworms, producing preliminary and artificial fibers, creating favorable conditions for boosting the production of raw materials, especially fabrics and clothing. for garment manufacturing and exporting.

Henry Pham

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam +84985310123

News via: KISS PR News https://story.kisspr.com

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The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan announced Wednesday it was deploying troops to the country's strife-torn south following an upsurge in violence by armed rebels against civilians and aid workers.

The deployment of blue helmets to establish a new outpost in Central Equatoria follows attacks on humanitarian convoys this week that left two civilians dead, and a roadside ambush in the same region in late August that killed six vice-presidential bodyguards.

UN special envoy David Shearer said the peacekeepers would set up a base at Lobonok, some 110 kilometres (70 miles) southeast of the capital Juba, in a region witnessing a resurgence in violent clashes between rebel and government forces.

"This will enable us to provide a protective presence in the area," said Shearer, who heads the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The rise in violence has been blamed on the National Salvation Front (NAS), a rebel movement active in the wider Equatoria region led by former deputy army chief Thomas Cirillo.

NAS claimed responsibility for the deadly attack near Lobonok on the bodyguards of Vice President James Wani Igga.

Igga, one of South Sudan's five vice presidents, was not in the convoy and unharmed.

Gunmen from the holdout rebel group were also believed responsible for an ambush Tuesday on a relief convoy in Central Equatoria that left two civilians dead and four injured, and similar attacks that saw vehicles torched and people shot in recent days.

NAS refused to be part of a 2018 peace deal between the government and other armed opposition groups that ended five years of fighting that left nearly 400,000 people dead.

But in January this year, during talks mediated in Rome, the rebels did agree to cease fighting and allow aid to freely reach people in desperate need across the Equatoria region.

However, violence has intensified recently across the region, with NAS instructing its troops to be on "maximum readiness" and warning civilians to avoid major roads where clashes with government troops were likely.

Shearer said he was concerned by reports that NAS rebels were again moving about the Equatoria region.

"This violence is causing huge tension in the area and putting the lives of civilians at risk," he said, urging all parties to respect past ceasefires they had signed.

Clashes between government forces and Cirillo's rebels have exacted a horrific toll on civilians in the Equatoria region.

In a report issued last July, the UN said civilians had been deliberately targeted by troops on both sides in months of violent attacks on villages, with hundreds raped or murdered.

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Two L.A. cops who shot black bicyclist Dijon Kizzee 20 times after pulling him over for an unspecified vehicle violation have been placed on desk duty.

Kizzee, 29, was shot dead on Monday at 3.16pm. He was riding his bike when the two cops - who have not been named - spotted him riding his bike, made a U-turn then tried to pull him over, allegedly for an unspecified vehicle violation.

The cops say he punched one of them then tried to run away and, while fleeing, dropped a handgun. They shot him 20 times and he was declared dead at the scene.

Video footage taken before and after the shooting reveal some of what happened. Kizzee was filmed running with a bundle of clothing in his hands. He was then filmed lying on the ground after being shot multiple times. At that point, four cops approached him and handcuffed him while residents in surrounding houses screamed 'how are you going to handcuff a dead man?' and 'Black Lives Matter'.

After two days of protests, the LA County Sheriff's Office still has not revealed why he was stopped by police, or what the officers' names are.

They have also not offered any explanation for why he was shot 20 times, or if he tried to reach for his own weapon.

Two of the four cops filmed in the video have been taken off the streets but it's unclear what - if anything - has happened to the other two.

The video then cuts to both of the officers aiming their firearms at the downed suspect having seemingly just shot him

The man jumped off of his bike and began running northbound toward 109th Place, when deputies briefly lost sight of him

Kizzee, dressed in a white tank-top and pants, is seen lying face down in the road by the right-rear tire of a silver pick-up truck

Kizzee was found shortly afterwards a few blocks away, where Dean says the officers attempted to make contact with him once again.

As they approached, Dean said the man, who was clutching items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and then dropped the items he was carrying.

'The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semi-automatic handgun,' Dean said during a Monday conference.

The two officers then both opened fire on the man, striking him several times and rendering him motionless in the street.

Dean was unable to confirm how many times the man was hit and where, as 'we have not been able to move the body yet as we were waiting for the coroner's office,' he said early Monday evening.

Kizzee was pronounced dead at the scene. No deputies were injured during the incident.

The two officers who shot Kizzee have been removed from the field as the investigation continues, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on Tuesday.

Protesters at a makeshift memorial on Tuesday evening at the spot where Kizzee, a black man, was killed by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies

Demonstrators gathered at a makeshift memorial at the site of the shooting in Los Angeles for a second night in a row on Tuesday evening

man holds a sign stating 'How Many More?' at a makeshift memorial on September 1

People participate in a protest in front of the Westmont Sheriff Station following the death of Dijon Kizzee on Tuesday evening

Protesters march towards the South Los Angeles Sheriffs' Station on September 1

Kizzee's family say his death is the latest in a string of unwarranted and unlawful killings of black Americans by police. He is shown (right) with a woman believed to be his ex-girlfriend

Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represents Kizzee's family and the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Jacob Blake, said Kizzee was shot more than 20 times.

According to Mr Crump, his body was left on the street for several hours.

'They say he ran, dropped clothes and handgun,' he tweeted. 'He didn't pick it up, but cops shot him in the back 20+ times then left him for hours.'

Deja, a woman who witnessed the shooting, told AFP that she yelled 'don't shoot him, don't shoot him' as the deputies tried to stop Kizzee.

'They were trying to grab and take his stuff away from him and then finally when it failed, he turned around to run and they tased him in the back of his leg,' said Deja, who would only give her first name.

'He turned around and then they shot him.'

Deja said she didn't see Kizzee holding a gun and added that deputies handcuffed him after the shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kizzee's aunt Fletcher Fair told reporters she believes her nephew's race was a factor in the shooting.

'They (police) don't kill any other race but us and this don't make any sense,' she told a press conference.Why us? You have Asians ... Hispanics even don't get killed as much as we do. It's just us and we're tired,' she said.

Soon after the deadly confrontation, more than 100 people gathered at the scene demanding answers.

A small crowd gathered again Tuesday evening at the site of the shooting and peacefully marched, along with a caravan of cars, to the sheriff's station nearby as a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Some of the protesters carried a banner that read 'Stop Killer Cops.'

It comes amid renewed demonstrations on the issue since the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

US President Donald Trump visited the city on Tuesday and blamed 'domestic terror' for the violence which he declared 'anti-American', making no reference to the underlying cause of the demonstrations or to Mr Blake.

Soon after arriving in the city, a visit made over the objections of state and local leaders, President Trump toured the burnt remains of a block besieged by violence and fire.

With the scent of smoke still in the air, he spoke to the owners of a century-old store that had been destroyed and continued to link the violence to the Democrats, blaming those in charge of Kenosha and Wisconsin while raising apocalyptic warnings if their party should capture the White House.

A Los Angeles Metro transit bus displays a hashtag "NoMoreNames" on a street near the South Los Angeles Sheriffs' Station on Tuesday evening
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says hes looking for a new place to live after his Pearl District condo building has been the site of repeated demonstrations, including on Monday when crowds demanded he resign and some people set fires and broke windows.

In an email Tuesday from Wheeler to other residents of the 16-floor high-rise tower, the mayor said it would be best for me and for everyone elses safety and peace that he finds a new home. He assured people that police are taking their safety concerns seriously and invited them to a Thursday evening meeting that will include himself and officers to voice their concerns.

I want to express my sincere apologies for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position, according to a screenshot of the email sent to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Its unfair to all of you who have no role in politics or in my administration.

The building has 114 units and retail space on the bottom floor. Wheeler bought his two-bedroom condo for $840,000 in 2017, according to Multnomah County property records.

Protests calling for policing and social justice reforms have taken place daily throughout the city since late May. Demonstrators have gathered outside Wheelers condo building sporadically since mid-June  at least twice when he was not there. On Monday, Wheelers 58th birthday, some in a group of more than 200 graffitied and damaged the building and sidewalk and threw a burning bundle of newspapers into retail space in the building.

Police arrested 19 people during the demonstration. Most are accused of disorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer; the latter is the most common accusation levied against protesters arrested during demonstrations over the last three months.

A widely circulated video recorded by an Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter during the overnight demonstration shows one Portland officer tackling another person to the ground and repeatedly punching them in the head.

The mayors office said Tuesday that case will likely be reviewed by the citys Independent Police Review. In a public statement, Wheeler described both the officers punches and damages to the area buildings as senseless violence.

These acts range from stupid, to dangerous, to criminal, Wheeler said. The violence must stop. None of this should sit well with any thinking Portlander.

The demonstration also drew a response from Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, who called on elected officials to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. He did not address any footage of officers attacking people. Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek called for greater acknowledgement by elected officials of Portland polices role in violence that occurs during nightly protests. Kotek, who represents parts of North and Northeast Portland, said officers who use excessive force should be held sufficiently accountable.

-- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Bengaluru: The South Western Railways on Tuesday announced that a cross border criminal gang involved in illegal software for e-tickets has been busted by the Railway Protection Force after the arrests of the kingpin and over 100 panel developers.

In a press release, the SWR said that the intelligence agencies had issued a alert in September 2019 about the use of illegal software for bypassing the IRCTC and Bank security systems deployed in booking tatkal tickets throughout India.

After multiple raids, the RPF sleuths arrested a criminal who provided information about a mastermind of illegal software business who would deploy software to bypass the IRCTC Tatkal system and even bank OTP and directly book tickets. The alleged mastermind would then extort a premium amount from the passengers.

The said kingpin had fled Bengaluru and had beeen on the run since October 2019, but in January 2020 his whereabouts were tracked to Odisha's Kenderpara. The RPF team made the arrest and brought him to Bengaluru for further investigation.

"During interrogation it was understood that he had Pakistani based software of high level hacking Linux based systems for hacking devices applications to ISRO, Railways and other Government Organizations, 3000 Bank account details, Bitcoins and other Crypto currency links," the SWR statement read.

On interrogation, he revealed the black market of 25,000 hackers and touts with high command in India and abroad. "The black money generated from this illegal activity amounted to hundreds of crores and it was linked to various other anti-national and criminal activities throughout the country and abroad," the statement said.

As a result, unauthorised tickets were booked and genuine passengers could not book e-tickets through IRCTC website. The tickets would vanish as the gang was using powerful software, the SWR said.

The statement notified that an all-India racket of hackers and touts was unearthed by RPF SWR who were using various high level illegal software which compromised the entire IRCTC e-ticketing and banking systems.

The Director General of RPF in coordination with the Deputy Inspector General of Railway Board, led the various raids throughout India and subsequently over 100 panel developers and software sellers were arrested. The software codes were seized and destroyed.

In view of their persistent work, DG/RPF awarded a commendation certificate to Principal Chief Security Commissioner/ SWR and Divisional Security Commissioner/Bangalore and team for unearthing the all India illegal software racket and their modus operandi.
An extremely rare breed of 'singing' dog, thought to have been extinct, has been spotted in its natural habitat for the first time in 50 years. The New Guinea singing dog, known for their unique howls and bark, though breeded in captivity, had not been spotted in wild since past five decades. However, following research by the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation (NGHWDF) in 2016, a breakthrough was witnessed.

Spotted in Papua

For the research, the team from NGHWDF travelled to Puncak Jaya in Papua, Indonesia where they spotted a pack of Highland Wild Dogs. Upon further observation, the team found that the dogs had similar vocalisation to that of New Guinea Singing Dogs.Two years later, when they returned back to Indonesia, they took blood samples of the wild dogs. They then compared it those of the singing dogs, kept in captivity. Remarkably, their genome sequences were similar even though years of interbreeding resulted in physical differences.

We found that New Guinea Singing Dogs and the Highland Wild Dogs have very similar genome sequences, much closer to each other than to any other canid known. In the tree of life, this makes them much more related to each other than modern breeds such as German shepherd or Bassett Hound," NHGRI staff scientist Heidi Parker wrote about the discovery.

Read: Woolly Flying Squirrel, Believed To Be Extinct, Spotted In Gangotri National Park

Read: Video Shows Dolphins Watching Squirrels Frolic, Netizens Wonder If They Are Bored

In a similar inicdent, the Woolly flying squirrel, which was believed to be extinct some seventy years back, was recently spotted at Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi. The Forest Research Institute reportedly informed that the extinct squirrels were in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The institute, further, reportedly said that the Woolly flying squirrels use its claws as a parachute to fly.

Read: US: 10-year-old Raises Over $315,000 To Provide Bulletproof Vests For Dogs

Read: Snoop Dogg Releases His Own Spirit Brand With 'Indoggo' Strawberry Gin

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
The 77th edition of the worlds oldest movie festival, Venice, will begin on Wednesday with an Italian work, director Daniele Luchettis Lacci (The Ties). To be held on the lovely island of Lido, off mainland Venice, the Festival has not opened with an Italian title in more than a decade. The last was in 2009, when Giuseppe Tornatores Baaria did the inaugural offers.

The Festival  with all the safety precautions to keep visitors (though far fewer in number this year, because of the Coronavirus pandemic) safe and with toned down Red Carpet events  will feature Lacci in the Out-of-Competition section. Set during the early 1980s in Naples, the film is based on Domenico Starnones eponymous 2017 novel, and centres on a marriage threatened by an extra-marital affair. Or, one that is presumed so.

Recently, we have all feared that cinema might become extinct, said Luchetti. Yet during the quarantine it gave us comfort, like a light gleaming in a cavern. Today we have understood something else: that movies, television series, novels, are indispensable in our lives.

Long live festivals, then, which allow us to come together to celebrate the true meaning of our work. If anyone thought it served no purpose, they now know it is important to everyone. With Lacci I am honoured to open the dances of the first great festival in unexpected times.

In recent times, Venice has invariably kicked off with American titles or those arriving from outside Italy. In 2019, Hirokazu Kore-edas Catherine Deneuve-starrer. The Truth, kicked off the Festival. In 2018, it was Damien Chazelles Ryan Gosling-fronted First Man, and in 2017, Alexander Paynes Downsizing.

While emphasising the importance of a physical event taking place in the time of the Coronavirus, the Festival Director, Alberto Barbera said that he was happy to open with a home-grown entry. This great opportunity was offered by the wonderful film directed by Daniele Luchetti, an anatomy of a married couples problematic coexistence, as they struggle with infidelity, emotional blackmail, suffering and guilt, with an added mystery that is not revealed until the end.

Supported by an outstanding cast, the movie is also a sign of the promising phase in Italian cinema today, continuing the positive trend seen in recent years, which the quality of the films invited to Venice this year will surely confirm, added Barbera.

There will fewer movies this year and hardly any American presence. But India has struck big with three titles, one in Competition, whose jury will be headed by Cate Blanchett. They are Chaitanya Tamhanes Marathi work The Disciple (to compete for the top Golden Lion prize), Ivan Ayrs Punjabi film, Meel Patthar (Orizzonti Features Competition),and Sushma Khandepauns Gujarati flick Anita (Short Films Competition) Ayrs debut Soni was in the 2018 Horizons.

The last time an Indian title that made it to the Competition was Mira Nairs brilliant, Monsoon Wedding, in 2001. It also won the Golden Lion for Best Picture! A year before that Buddhadeb Dasguptas Uttara (The Wrestlers, 2000), was part of Venice Competition. He got the Special Director Award.

The Disciple is a story which takes place in Mumbai, and is very different from Tamhanes earlier, Court, which also played at Venice, though not in Competition. While Court lambasted the corruption in Indias judiciary (taking off from the death of a manhole worker), The Disciple focuses on the perils threatening the countrys classical music.

According to the synopsis, Sharad Nerulkar has devoted himself to becoming an Indian classical vocalist, a lifelong quest in which few succeed. Initiated into this centuries-old tradition by his father, he follows his dream with sincerity and discipline, committing himself entirely to his artistic journey. As he strives to attain the highest level of his craft, Sharad traces his way through the hallowed mysteries and rituals of past musical legends. But as the years pass, Sharad will be forced to negotiate between the complex realities of life in contemporary Mumbai and his chosen path, leading him to find his true voice in music and in life.

(A couple of years ago, Rajiv Menons Sarvam Thala Mayam  also looked at the challenges facing Carnatic music, and was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival.)

Here are some of the titles apart from The Disciple at Venice Competition:

And Tomorrow The Entire World from Germany is about a young anti-fascist protester who falls in love, but is forced to go underground when racist violence sweeps the country.

In Between Dying, Australia, talks about a young man desperately searching for his true family, and finds love in the same city he has been living.

Laila In Haifa comes from Israel, and the movie takes us to a night club frequented by both Israelis and Palestinians  something rare in the conflict-ridden city.

Lovers (France) is about love, separation, longing and meeting again. Two passionate lovers are separated by a tragedy, but years later run into each other on an Indian Ocean island.

New Order arrives from Mexico and tells us a story about a dystopian group of men and women who gate-crash into a wedding.

Nomadland is an American film and stars Frances McDormand, who gets into her van and hits the road after an economic depression rocks her home town in Nevada.

Sun Children narrates the story of a few Iranian youngsters who enroll themselves in a school to try and find hidden treasure.

The Festival runs till September 12.

(Author, Commentator and Movie Critic Gautaman Bhaskaran has covered the Venice Film Festival for 20 years)
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said 75 per cent of JEE-Main candidates in the state could not appear for the exam held on September 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and blamed the Centre's "ego" for it. In other states, only half of the examinees managed to turn up due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, she claimed.

Banerjee, who has been against the Centre's decision to hold JEE-Main and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate exams urged the Centre to rethink about those who could not manage to appear for the crucial test.

"Our students are in great trouble. So many of them were not able to attempt JEE. That's why we had requested the central government to appeal to the Supreme Court or review the matter again so that students are not deprived," she told reporters.

"Yesterday, out of 4,652 candidates for JEE in West Bengal only 1,167 could appear for it despite all arrangements by the state government for them. This means only 25 per cent could attempt to write the examinations and the rest 75 per cent could not in West Bengal. We had made the arrangements as per the instructions (of the central government)," she added.

Banerjee expressed her displeasure with the BJP-led Central government for its stand on holding JEE/NEET despite several appeals. "Who will be held responsible for those who could not sit for the examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic?" she asked.

"What would have gone wrong if the examinations were deferred by another few days? Why is there so much of ego? Why are you (central government) so stubborn? ... Who gave you the right to spoil the future of the students," the TMC supremo hit out.

She said the students didn't refuse to sit for the exams and had only requested to defer them by a few more days during the pandemic due to concerns about their health.

The parents of the JEE (Main) candidates PTI spoke to said they had to shell out steep fares to take their children to various test centres from their home districts. The father of candidate Ayan Roy Mahapatra said he had to cough up Rs 25,000 to cover a distance of 365 km from Malda to Kolkata for hiring a SUV.

Ayan had appeared for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Mains from a test centre in Salt Lake area here on Tuesday.

Another candidate Biltu Dey who travelled in a private luxury bus from Malda to Kolkata spent Rs 800 on one-way fare as he did not want to board crowded public transport.

Vivekananda Kundu, father of candidate Rohan Kundu, did not divulge the fare he had to pay for the journey from Midnapore town to Esplanade here. The journey on a crowded bus made him jittery about the possibility of getting infected by coronavirus.

"We had to pay thrice the regular fare but the conductor still kept on picking up passengers without thinking for our safety. We couldn't afford to pay Rs 25,000 for a car so we chose the public transport," he said.

They will come back to the city again on September 13 for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) but are apprehensive.

Stating that she felt sad for those students who could not appear for the examinations, the chief minister said, "I am pained and I am shocked. I will again ask the Centre to review how many students could sit for the tests and how many could not in different states".

Banerjee had written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week seeking postponement of the entrance examinations.

Supporting her demand, chief ministers of seven non-BJP ruled states had jointly moved the Supreme Court on the issue.

Another plea was filed by 11 students from as many different states seeking quashing of the July 3 notices issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the holding of JEE and NEET in September.

The Supreme Court had on Monday dismissed a plea seeking postponement of the JEE-Main and NEET undergraduate examinations saying a "precious year" of students cannot be wasted and life has to go on. The JEE-Main is scheduled to be held from September 1-6, while the NEET UG 2020 exam is scheduled for September 13.
High school students who have been working toward an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in Ottawa's English public board have been told they must attend classes in person in order to stay in the program.

The IB program is currently offered in Grade 11 and Grade 12 at Colonel By Secondary School and is geared to students who may be planning on attending a university abroad.

Students in the traditional secondary stream of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) have the option this fall of either attending school in person, or registering for remote learning if they're concerned about the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

However, IB students at Colonel By have been told they must attend classes in person if they wish to remain in the program.

Hoda Khalil's daughter is entering Grade 12 of the IB program and commutes on public transit 90 minutes each way to attend Colonel By in Beacon Hill.

"We have an underlying health condition in the family," said Khalil. "It's very risky for her to be in school in person. It's not a choice."

Despite the risk, Khalil has decided for now that her daughter can attend classes in person, since she's already invested hard work studying in the advanced program.

"She has different chances for universities outside of Canada. It's a different system, and we had a different plan," said Khalil.

Parents ready to help stream classes

Sherien Youssef, who has two children in the IB program at Colonel By, shares Khalil's sentiment of feeling pushed into a no-win situation.

Although Youssef has a family member who is immunocompromised, she is sending her kids to school for in-person learning.

"It's been a long journey," said Youssef. "It's a lot of work to have put in to say 'Never mind, let me just toss the diploma aside' and choose to do on-line learning. It feels very unfair."

During the OCDSB meeting on Aug. 25, Youssef made a presentation on behalf of concerned parents suggesting ways the board could offer remote learning options for IB students.

Story continues

One of the suggested options was streaming IB classes on a restricted feed.

"We understand that it's challenging for everyone," said Khalil. "So we are willing to help with uploading videos and doing whatever it takes to resolve the situation."

However the board has rejected that option, saying that the strict certification requirements of the IB program, as well as limited resources, prevent boards in Ontario from offering the IB program through a virtual high school.

But Youssef believes the board is complicating matters by trying to implement a board-wide solution for something that only affects a couple of classes at one high school.

"There are potential solutions that could be implemented at a school level, and I think some flexibility should be given to the school to allow that," she said.
The United States has decided not to participate in a global drive to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute a coronavirus vaccine known as the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) Facility. The project is led by the WHO; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a public-private global vaccine development project. The Covax effort now has 172 nations signed up  Japan, Germany and the European Commission have joined  with nine candidate vaccines in its portfolio, four more under discussion and nine others being evaluated for the longer term. The project is essentially a joint effort to procure vaccines and pool the risk so that when a safe and effective vaccine is found, it can be made available to all nations in the project as soon as possible. Those countries that join the program will be promised enough vaccine doses to cover 20 percent of their population at the outset. The goal is to acquire 2 billion doses by the end of next year.
Staff and examinees from containment zones shall not be permitted to be physically present at exam centres and there will be alternative arrangements for such students, as per the Union Health Ministrys latest guidelines on conducting tests during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Such students shall be given an opportunity to take the exam through other means or educational institutions shall arrange their papers at a later date, according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued Wednesday. Also, only asymptomatic staff and students shall be allowed inside the examination hall, the SOPs stated, adding wearing face cover/mask is mandatory.

The face cover or mask has to be worn at all times inside the examination center by all, it underlined. Authorities concerned should plan out the examination schedule in a staggered manner so as to avoid overcrowding at any examination center on any day, the SOPs stated.

Examination centers in containment zones shall not be allowed to function, it said. Appropriate arrangements for face covers/masks, hand-sanitiser, soap, sodium hypochlorite solution etc. shall be made available by universities, educational institutions, examination conducting authorities or examination centres to the staff as well as students, it said.

Exam functionary and examinees may also submit self-declaration about health status at the time of entrance to the examination center. Such self-declaration form may be circulated at the time of issue of admit tickets, the guidelines said.

If any examination functionary/examinee fails to meet the self-declaration criteria, they shall not be allowed entry, the SOPs underlined.

For pen and paper-based tests, the SOPs outline that the invigilator will sanitise his/her hands prior to the distribution of question papers/answer sheets and the examinees will also sanitise their hands before receiving or handing back these materials.

The collection and packing of the answer sheets at every stage will involve sanitization of the hands. The answer sheets will preferably be opened up after 72 hours have elapsed post collection of papers, the guidelines recommended.

Use of spit/saliva for counting and distributing sheets shall not be allowed, the SOPs stated.

For online or computer-based examination, the systems shall be disinfected using alcohol wipes before and after conduct of examination and record of all exam functionaries and examinees should be maintained in the system for future reference and traceability, the guidelines underlined.

Entrances of examination centres should have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal screening provisions, it said.
The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has labeled the governments imposition of $150 as fees for Covid-19 test on all international travelers arriving in the country as a grave violation of International Health Regulations.

BPS has consequently asked for the immediate withdrawal of the $150 testing fee per traveler.



Per a statement issued in Accra Wednesday, September 2, petitioning the Health Minister, BPS wants the government to rather enforce a 14-day mandatory self-isolation regime for passengers arriving without a PCR test (used to directly detect the presence of an antigen) taken within the preceding 72 hours prior to arrival, and also maintain a 72-hour prior-take-off/travel testing requirement.



As a socially engaged and committed organization, the BPS wholeheartedly welcomes efforts to stop the spread of the novel corona virus. However, we find the Governments decision to mandatorily levy all travelers a $150 USD testing fee a grave violation of Part VII of the International Health Regulations (2005), which states, inter alia, that Except for travelers seeking temporary or permanent residence, no charge shall be made by a State Party for any medical examination provided for in the IHR, or any supplementary examination which may be required by that State Party to ascertain the health status of the traveler examined for the protection of public health. (Article 40 Para 1, & 1(a)).



President Akufo-Addo in his 16th address to the nation on Sunday announced the further easing of restrictions on movement imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus and said all arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) from Tuesday, September 1, would be expected to go for a mandatory Covid-19 test at a cost of $150 to the traveller.



Below is the full petition by the Bureau of Public Safety, signed by its Executive Director, Nana Yaw Akwada.



The Honorable Minister

Ministry of Health

Accra



Dear Sir,

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATION VIOLATION: $150 PER TRAVELER MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING FEE AT GHANAs AIR PORT OF ENTRY



The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) writes to draw your attention to a direct contravention of the World Health Organizations International Health Regulations (IHR) by the Government of Ghana requiring your immediate attention.



Following the lifting of the ban on air travel by the Government of Ghana on 1st September, 2020, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Ghana Health Service, has instituted a $150 mandatory COVID-19 test fee to be levied on travelers upon their disembarkation at the Kotoka International Airport. This is, apparently, part of the Government's measures to stop the international spread of the novel corona virus.



As a socially engaged and committed organization, the BPS wholeheartedly welcomes efforts to stop the spread of the novel corona virus. However, we find the Governments decision to mandatorily levy all travelers a $150 USD testing fee a grave violation of Part VII of the International Health Regulations (2005), which states, inter alia, that Except for travelers seeking temporary or permanent residence, no charge shall be made by a State Party for any medical examination provided for in the IHR, or any supplementary examination which may be required by that State Party to ascertain the health status of the traveler examined for the protection of public health. (Article 40 Para 1, & 1(a))



The BPS therefore wish to request your outfit to:



1. Withdraw with immediate effect the USD 150 testing fee per traveler completely,



2. Maintain the 72-hour prior-take-off/travel testing requirement, and



3. Enforce a 14-day mandatory self-isolation regime for passengers arriving without a PCR test taken within the last 72 hours



The BPS herewith call on your high office to be guided by the purpose and scope of the IHR (2005) which are to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.



We further wish to call upon the Director-General of the World Health Organization to call all State Parties signed on to the IHR (2005) who are in violation of this regulation, to immediately implement fully the International Health Regulations (2005), in accordance with the purpose and scope set out in Article 2 and the principles embodied in Article 3. Indeed, we are not in normal times and thus, a watchful and a responsive World Health Organization is just what the world, especially middle income and poor countries, need at this time.

Source: Graphiconline.com









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By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The Sun Temple at Konark reopened on Tuesday - strictly under Unlock 4 guidelines of the Centre - after remaining closed since March 15 to prevent entry of people in wake of the coronavirus pandemic .

As per the standard operating procedure of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), only 2,500 tourists would be allowed to enter the World heritage Site in two slots every day. They would get a window and handed out e-tickets only.

According to Superintending Archaeologist of Bhubaneswar Circle Arun Malik, only 2,500 tourists would be allowed to enter the in a day to maintain safe distance between people. In the morning slot, 1,200 people would be allowed in, while 1,300 tourists can enter in the afternoon slot. Before the lockdown in March, an average of 5,000 tourists visited the monument on a daily basis.

"Visitors will be given a time window for moving round the monument and only e-tickets would be provided through digital payment for entry into the monument. They will also have to make e-payments for parking," Malik said.

Tourists will have to undergo thermal screening before entering the premises and wearing masks and maintaining safe distance are mandatory. Only those with symptoms will be allowed in.

While no public gathering and group photography will be allowed at the monument, it will have a designated single-line entry and exit points and routes for movement within the premises. The entire temple will be sanitised at regular intervals in a day to maintain hygiene.

All non-Living monuments, archaeological sites and museums under protection of ASI in Odisha opened from July 6 amid Covid safety precautions. However, the Sun Temple remained closed till August 31 due to Covid restrictions imposed by the Puri administration. Living monuments like Shri Jagannath temple at Puri, Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar continue to remain closed as per the Odisha Government guidelines.
The sudden stop in economic activity led to a sharp decline in employment-intensive sectors like construction, manufacturing and trade, hotels, transport etc.

The April-June quarter GDP data, released on Monday, showed the deepest damage in the employment-creating sectors, like construction and manufacturing.

This comes at a time the Centre and the finance ministry are talking about green shoots in the economy.

According to the data released by the National Statistical Office, the construction sector fell a staggering 50.3 per cent, while manufacturing sector contracted by 39.3 per cent, at constant prices.

New investments as a percentage of GDP, measured by gross fixed capital formation, came in at 19.5 per cent (at nominal prices), which is the lowest since the new GDP series with the 2011-12 base year began, said Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist with CARE Ratings.

Investment growth witnessed a sharp contraction of 47.9 per cent in the first quarter.

"There has been a significant drop (9.5 per cent) in the share of investment in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year compared with the same period last year, Sabnavis said.

Almost all the major sub-sectors reported a contraction, with construction activities, manufacturing sector and trade, hotels, and transport in the services sector being hit the worst hit.

"The contraction in some services is large, and as these continue to be under restricted functioning, the improvement in the coming quarters will be staggered, said economist M Govinda Rao, chief economic advisor with Brickwork Ratings.

Radhika Rao, economist at DBS Bank, said the sudden stop in economic activity led to a sharp decline in employment-intensive sectors like construction, manufacturing and trade, hotels, transport etc.

Under the demand breakdown, aggregate demand which accounts for two-third of spending, was dragged into red by equal measure by consumption as well as investment growth, overshadowing a pick-up in government spending, Rao said.

Consumption weakness in the current cycle stems from weaker disposable incomes and uncertainty over employment prospects, rather than changes in the rate cycle.

This suggests that fiscal push will carry a larger multiplier than purely easier financial conditions. Looking ahead, we expect growth in the next three quarters to register smaller declines as the economy continues to open up despite a rise in infection cases, and focus shifts to protecting livelihoods, she said.

From the demand side except government final consumption expenditure, all other growth drivers namely private final consumption expenditure, gross fixed capital formation and exports recorded high double digit negative growth, said Sunil Sinha, principal economist, India Rating.

Sinha added that India Ratings expects year-on-year economic contraction in all four quarters of FY21.
The White House on Wednesday joined other world governments to condemn the apparent poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The state of play: The German government announced that the poisoning was conducted with Novichok, a chemical typically associated with Russian security services.

Nalvany remains comatose at a Berlin hospital two weeks after falling ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow.

For years, he's been one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken opponents. Attacks on anti-Kremlin activists, like 2018's Salisbury Novichok attack in the U.K., have been a hallmark of Putin's leadership. Russia has claimed no wrongdoing in such incidents.

What they're saying: White House National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said Wednesday, "The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today. Alexei Navalnys poisoning is completely reprehensible."

"We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities."

"The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents."

The big picture: Other world leaders simultaneously spoke out against the attack on Navalny.
Coronavirus will widen the poverty gap between women and men and undo progress made in recent decades, the UN warns.

The coronavirus pandemic will widen the poverty gap between women and men, pushing 47 million more women and girls into impoverished lives by next year, and undoing progress made in recent decades, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Worldwide, more women than men will be made poor by the economic fallout and significant job losses caused by COVID-19, with informal workers worst hit in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, according to new UN estimates.

The increases in womens extreme povertyare a stark indictment of deep flaws in the ways we have constructed our societies and economies, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the head of UN Women, said in a statement.

During the pandemic, women have lost their jobs at a faster rate than men have, as they are more likely to be employed in the sectors hardest hit by long lockdowns such as retail, restaurants and hotels, it said.

Women are also more likely to work in the informal economy, typically in jobs as domestic workers and cleaners that often come with little or no healthcare, unemployment benefits or other protections.

Restaurant and bar workers hold candles outside a closed bar as they protest against the coronavirus lockdown regulations prohibiting the sale of alcohol in Cape Town, South Africa [File: Mike Hutchings/Reuters]

We know that women take most of the responsibility for caring for the family; they earn less, save less and hold much less secure jobs, Mlambo-Ngcuka said.

According to the UNs International Labour Organization (ILO), about 70 percent of domestic workers globally had lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 by June this year.

Overall, the pandemic will push an additional 96 million people into extreme poverty by next year, of whom nearly half are women and girls, according to estimates by UN Women and the UNs Development Programme (UNDP).

This will bring the total number of women and girls worldwide living in extreme poverty  defined as a person living on $1.90 or less a day  to 435 million and it is expected this figure will not revert to pre-pandemic levels until 2030.

Temperature readings are taken for people attending Eid al-Adha prayers at the Thai Islamic Center amid the spread of the coronavirus in Bangkok, Thailand [File: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]

By 2021, for every 100 men aged 25-34 living in extreme poverty, there will be 118 women  a gap expected to increase to 121 women for every 100 men by 2030, according to UN estimates.

Governments could adopt measures to help women in low-paid and informal jobs, said Achim Steiner, a UNDP administrator.

More than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments implement a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving access to education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and expanding social transfers, Steiner said.

Nearly three in every five of the worlds poor women live in sub-Saharan Africa, and the region will continue to be home to the highest number of the worlds poorest after the pandemic.

Recent gains made in reducing poverty rates in South Asia are threatened as the region is set to face a resurgence in extreme poverty, with women worst affected, the UN said.
The whole package of the US-India trade deal is almost ready and it can be finalised when the local political situation in the United States is conducive, Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

Goyal said that he is in touch with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and both the countries agree that the deal can be concluded before or soon after the Presidential elections in November.

The whole package is near ready and can be finalised at any time when the local political situation in the US permits them to. India believes that it has to be a win-win situation for both India and US, Goyal said during the US-India Strategic Partnership Forums third Annual Leadership Summit.

I spoke with Ambassador Lighthizer. We agree that we can look at doing it before elections also or soon after. I am open to signing up tomorrow, Goyal said.

He further said that it is in favour of India and the US to deepen their strategic partnership with the trade deal.

It is in the interest of India and US to deepen our strategic partnership with this trade deal. It will open the doors to starting a dialogue on a larger bilateral engagement, the Union minister said.

Goyal hoped that the two countries can move to the next stage of larger engagement for a free trade agreement.

Earlier on Monday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had an interactive session with former US envoy to India Timothy Roemer, at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
Copenhagen Imports Texas regional manager, John Milk, is always quick to distinguish furniture design trends, such as sectional sofas with trendy style options like smoky mirrors and gold-plated tables. He should know - hes been designing furniture showrooms for almost three decades. John has always admired interior design, recalling days when, as a child, his mother would take him along to visit his favorite furniture store in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona. After college, he was so impressed with the local Copenhagens holiday displays one year, he applied to work there as a seasonal employee. Twenty-eight years later, hes still just as impressed by the Contemporary European style showcased inside the store.

Its a timeless design that fits perfectly with our present desire to simplify our environments with functional pieces that look great, John says. It allows us to take a break from the constant visual overload that barrages us from social media and elsewhere. Our 50th Anniversary Collection really celebrates this style, curating craftsmanship that has remained popular for half a century."ry European style showcased inside the store.

Designed with a Purpose

John says Contemporary European furniture carries a lower profile, like a neutral colored sofa that is free of heavy, engraved wood but features intricate stitching and a more interesting texture. This style doesnt break up a room with large bulky items but blends into the home environment to create better sightlines and living flow through the rooms of the home.

Our manufacturers have really kept up with certain trends, adding power motion and elevated headrests without obstructing the clean lines which our designs are well known for, says John, who was promoted to store manager after he designed the new San Antonio store eight years ago. In many ways, as we see with the popularity of the modern farmhouse look, general trends in furniture design have caught up with our Contemporary European styles. You can see it in our tables that seamlessly combine glass, metal, and steel or how a living room chair inlays wood for added warmth to accent a high-quality fabric.

Furnish in Style

The Copenhagen Living showroom is filled with furniture that is easy to manage and clean, making it ideal for families. The companys success continues to grow right along with San Antonio, as new residents are drawn to clean lines and smaller furniture profiles. Many longtime San Antonins are also moving away from the Texas Hill Country look, replacing large and bulky leather pieces that feature nail heads and other exposed hardware with smooth forms that fit effortlessly into our homes and everyday lives.

Like the quality of their inventory, John says Copenhagens focus on customer service remains as strong as when, as a child, he and his mother would visit the Tucson, Arizona store. It was a favorite outing of ours. We would visit sometimes just to see what was new and were never pressured by salespeople to buy. Our stores still have this reputation as a no pressure to buy environment, a place where customers can take their time making decisions about how to furnish their homes. We hear how much our visitors appreciate our customer service again and again.

Relax and Recharge

Copenhagen sets the standard for furniture showrooms in other important ways as well, beginning with the 5-Year Warranty. The store also uses the Low Price Model to ensure the most economical prices. Generous financing is also available. The talented sales team to offers design assistance to customers whether they are starting from scratch or adding a signature piece, or two. Full-service delivery is available for one set fee.

Our customer service is quite outstanding, John says. We have folks who come in and buy furniture for one house and then return to buy the same style of furniture once they move to another home. It speaks to the timelessness of the style. We also work with Parade of Homes builders and others who have actually sold the furnished homes because the new homeowners were so satisfied with the homes setting we had provided."

Find What Speaks to You

Like furnishing a new model home, the 50th Anniversary Collection is designed to be a curated, exclusive collection, says John, a rare opportunity to save 20-30% on select styles that have never been marked down before. Copenhagen Living's buyers collaborated with their suppliers to offer these savings, selecting objects that best represented the stores brand for returning customers and for those whove only recently discovered the appeal of crisp, timeless styling.

This is a very special opportunity at each of our seven stores, says John, whose own area covers showrooms in Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. The overwhelmingly positive response suggests that returning and new customers have been very happy with our Anniversary Collection.

Clean and Timeless

The family nature of the locally-owned Copenhagen is but one of many reasons that John and many of his colleagues have established such impressive tenure. This community commitment translates to customer relations as well. John says many clients have consulted with him and his employees for decades, often having begun a project with just one key piece of furniture.

The customer-employee relationship at Copenhagen Living is as timeless as Contemporary European design, says the man who has spent his career designing showrooms and managing the favorite store of his youth. The 50th Anniversary Collection celebrates these important relationships.

Visit the Copenhagen Living website to learn more.

Editor's Note: This content is made possible by Copenhagen Imports . It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com'storial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com/real-estate.
Chinese troops made a second failed attempt on Monday to capture the peaks on the southern banks of Pangong Tso. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Chinese troops made a second failed attempt on Monday to capture the peaks on the southern banks of Pangong Tso that has emerged as the latest flash point between the two armies.

On 31st August, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

Through diplomatic and military channels, India has urged China to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions.

On Saturday night, Indian troops had preempted the PLA soldiers and occupied many peaks on the southern banks of the Pangong Tso to dominate the area.

According to sources, Chinese army on Monday night was trying to close-in on the area but were spotted by Indian troops. PLA troops were suitably warned and they dissuaded from coming closer, said sources.

Since May, the Chinese Army's strategy has been to grab unoccupied land at the LAC in Ladakh sector. However, on the southern banks of Pangong Tso, as soon as they saw a large number of Chinese troops moving in, Indian troops on Saturday night moved fast to occupy many peaks in a pre-emptive move. Control of the peaks gives the Indian Army an advantage to dominate the area as it can monitor the movements of Chinese troops
New Mexico cities and counties finally know how much money theyll be able to award to small businesses through a state grant program established with $50 million in federal funding  but it may be less than some recipients were hoping for.

All told, 66 New Mexico counties, cities, towns and other municipalities applied for and will receive funds through the program, which will then be distributed to local businesses in those communities, the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration announced Tuesday.

Henry Valdez, spokesman for the state finance department, said the program gives local governments flexibility to help the small businesses that need it most in each community.

We felt it was better for the counties and municipalities to distribute those funds, because they know those businesses better than we do, Valdez told the Journal.

However, the municipalities collectively requested $106 million  more than twice the funding available through the program.

As a result, many local governments received less than half of the funding they applied for.

When you look at the total that was requested, I think they had to make some tough decisions, said Debbi Moore, president and CEO of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.

Applications from cities and counties were due in the middle of August. Later that month, the state finance agency developed a list of five criteria, including the number of small businesses in each community that closed or were unable to reopen due to the pandemic, that guided how the money was allocated.

Grant totals ranged from $11,183 on the low end  which Tijeras and Mora County each received  up to $5.44 million, which went to Las Cruces.

Some communities received just over one-third of the funding they requested. Others, including Los Alamos and San Juan counties, received more than half of their requested total, according to state data.

Devin Neeley, spokesman for San Juan County  which received just over $1.06 million through the program  said the community was grateful for any assistance after being hammered by the virus earlier this year.

We hope that these dollars will work to rebuild our very hard-hit businesses in this area, Neeley said.

San Juan County and other municipalities are still waiting for additional guidelines from the state finance department on how the funding may be allocated to businesses in their communities. Moore said shes hopeful those rules will be available by the end of the week.

Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh said his city, which received about $1.35 million through the program, said he wants to see the state provide some flexibility in its guidelines, as the pandemic has affected different communities in different ways.

The more flexibility we have, I think the better we are at serving our communities, Kintigh said.
(Natural News) On Monday, August 31, Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf delivered a strongly worded letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, warning him that, if the unrelenting wave of rioting, violence and civil unrest in his city does not end soon, the federal government will have no choice but to protect our American citizens.

Wolf said that he wrote the letter on behalf of President Donald Trump, in response to a letter that Wheeler himself sent to the president on Friday, where the mayor once again declined the presidents offer to bring in federal law enforcement officers to finally put an end to the violence in the city.

Stay away, please, wrote Wheeler at the conclusion of his letter. The mayor also accused Trump of adding fuel to the fire when he first sent in federal law enforcement officers back in July to protect federal property which was being besieged on a nightly basis by Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters.

Trump, upon reading this hostile letter, asked the acting secretary to respond, which he did by publishing his own open letter. Wolf started out the letter by explaining that, although Wheeler tries to say that there is no place for looting, arson or vandalism in Portland, he has failed to back that up with any action. This inaction, not the arrival of federal officers, Wolf argues, is what caused the situation in Portland to get much worse.

Due to a lack of action throughout the summer, Portland and its law-abiding residents continue to suffer from large-scale looting, arson and vandalism  even killing, wrote Wolf in his open letter.

Businesses remain shuttered and Portlanders are held hostage by the daily violence that has gripped the city with no end in sight. This is precisely why President Trump has  and continues to  offer federal law enforcement assistance to Portland.

Rioting has been allowed to continue since withdrawal of federal officers

Wolf also pointed out that, since July 31, the Portland Police Bureau has made 25 arrests, and PPB officers have declared 23 riots and unlawful assemblies. This made Wolf accuse Wheeler of standing by passively with the belief that the rioting and the massive violence will one day burn itself out.

Wolf also points out that reality is on his side. When Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, requested the intervention of federal law enforcement officers, the violence and looting in Kenosha ended soon after.

Wolf is now urging Wheeler to not ignore the evidence and to prioritize the safety of Portlanders by requesting the return of federal law enforcement officers. He warned that, if the worst happens, Trump will have no choice but to send in federal forces.

As local Democrats like Mayor Wheeler continue letting Black Lives Matter and Antifa roam their cities streets and cause as much chaos as they like, national Democrats like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have been busy preparing to declare members of the Republican Party to be enemies of the state. If this declaration goes unchallenged, then Democrats will have free rein to imprison GOP members and strip them of their offices.

Portlanders calling for Wheeler to resign following deadly shooting

While Wheeler draws the ire of federal officials and Portlands conservative residents, he is getting no love from the left. In response to the murder in Portlands downtown neighborhood, several civil rights and community organizations in the city are now calling for Wheeler to resign. (Related: Portland police begin investigation on Michael Reinoehl, main suspect in shooting of Patriot Prayer member.)

These groups published an open letter on Sunday, August 30. It was signed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oregon, the Oregon Justice Resource Center, Next Up Action Fund, Portlands Resistance, Pop Mob, and the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of life last night and we offer our sympathies to the families of the victim What took place last night was inevitable given Mayor Wheelers repeated failures, said the groups. He has not protected or supported Portlanders. We do not have confidence in his ability to course-correct. He must resign.

The organizations gave several arguments for why Wheeler should resign. Echoing Wolf, the most important argument pointed out by the groups is that Wheeler has not provided any meaningful solution to curb the racially-motivated tensions in the city and to put a definitive stop to the violence.

Portland-based journalists have shown that, in the unlikely event that Wheeler does resign, Portland will have no mayor  not even an acting mayor  until the next election. The governance of the city will be left to the City Council, the chief of police and other public officials.

Mayor Wheeler, and other local and state Democrats like him, are giving Antifa and the Black Lives Matter domestic terrorist movement free rein to loot, murder and destroy their way through their cities. Learn about the latest criminal incidents in cities like Portland, Seattle and Kenosha by reading the articles at Rioting.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

KATU.com 1

KGW.com

KATU.com 2

Twitter.com

WWeek.com
Joe Biden challenged President Donald Trump to 'get off twitter' and meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders to pass emergency funding for schools dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

'Get off Twitter and start talking to the congressional leaders in both parties. Invite them to the Oval Office,' Biden said Wednesday in a campaign speech designed to focus the country's attention back on the COVID crisis.

'You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal,' the Democratic presidential nominee challenged his Republican rival.

Joe Biden challenged President Donald Trump to 'get off twitter' and meet with Congressional leaders to get emergency funding for schools

Students wearing protective masks have their temperatures checked before entering Logan Jr. High School in Princeton, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 1

Joe Biden attacked President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, showing how it is has impacted the everyday lives of Americans and disrupted the school year

Biden and his wife Jill, who is a teacher, received a briefing on schools and how they are handling the pandemic ahead of Biden's remarks as his campaign sought to turn the national conversation back to the pandemic, where voters give the president low marks for his handling.

Trump has been pushing his 'law and order' themed presidency and bashing Black Lives Matters protesters for causing damage in their demonstrations across the country.

But Biden sought to show sympathy with families who are struggling with the challenges of every day life under the pandemic, which has infected more than 6.9 million people in the United States and killed more than 185,000 people.

Wednesday's focus was on education as the school year begins across the country with some students returning to the classroom, others doing virtual learning and some schools doing a combination of both.

'If President Trump and his Administration had done their jobs Americas schools would be open,' Biden said in his attack on the president's handling of the crisis.

'Instead American families all across this country are paying a price for his failures,' he added.

The speech was part of Biden's strategy to appear presidential in contrast to Trump. He'll keep adding to that comparison when he goes to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to hold a town hall meeting on the racial tensions that came after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in the back in front of his children.

'There's been overwhelming requests that I do come because what we're going to do is we got to heal,' Biden said when asked about his visit.

We got to put things together, bring people together. And so, my purpose in going will be to do just that to be a positive influence on what's going on. Talk about what needs to be done,' he said.

Trump was in Kenosha on Tuesday, where he had few words for Blake and his family but offered a defense of the police and criticism of the protests.

'These are not peaceful protests but domestic terror,' he said during his visit.

Joe and Jill Biden will also visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to commemorate the 19th anniversary of 9/11, on Friday, September 11. President Trump and Melania Trump visited the memorial on September 11, 2018.

While Biden has pushed to keep the national conversation on the coronavirus, some Democrats have fretted he should be taking on the president's tough talk about the demonstrations that have sprung up in cities around the country, sparking fear among the party it could hurt Biden at the polls.

Joe and Jill Biden arrive to take part in a virtual meeting on reopening schools amid the coronavirus disease

Joe and Jill Biden got a briefing from experts before Biden made his speech attacking President Trump's handling of the pandemic

But Biden said Wednesday the situation in the nation's schools was a national emergency and called on Congress to pass emergency funding to help schools deal with the crisis.

'Protecting our students, our educators, and our communities. Getting our schools open safely and effectively  this is a national emergency,' he said.

He outlined the action he would take as president: K-12 schools would get full access to disaster relief and emergency assistance funds; PPE and sanitation supplies for schools; emergency funding for ventilation and other health measures; more money to hire more teachers to keep classes small and socially distanced money; and funds for more psychologists and counselors to support children's mental health.

Biden gave a cost estimate of $200 billion with additional money needed for colleges and universities.

His speech came after President Trump attacked him for 'low energy' and complained his rival was 'back in his basement' after the Democratic nominee made a highly-visible campaign stop in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Trump also claimed Biden is on some kind unspecified 'enhancement' drug during an interview with Fox News that aired on Tuesday. But he did not offer any proof and was not pressed on his claim.

The president lashed out at his rival after a new round of polls showed Biden in the lead after the Republican National Convention, despite the expectation Trump would get a boost after his nomination for a second term.

President Trump has thrown out several attack lines on Biden, questioning his health, his mental abilities and his policies

'Joe Biden is a Low Energy Candidate the likes of which we have never seen before. The last thing our country needs is a Low Energy Individual, especially when surrounded by High Energy Chess Players scattered all over the world. Hes back in his basement now - no schedule!,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Biden has upped his campaign presence now that the political conventions have ended. On Monday, he gave a speech in Pittsburgh where he attacked Trump's response to racial unrest and delivered pizza to local firefighters.

The president has thrown out several attack lines on Biden, questioning his health, his mental abilities and his policies, including distorting Biden's record to claim he would defund the police - which Biden has said he would not. He has accused Biden of 'hiding' in his basement while the Biden campaign said the candidate is simply following coronavirus guidelines.

Trump told Fox News he wanted Biden to take a drug test before their first presidential debate because he claims the Democratic presidential nominee is on 'some kind of enhancement.'

He did not specify and offered no proof.

'He's on some kind of an enhancement, in my opinion,' he said. ' I want to take one. Ill take one, hell take one. We should both take a drug test.'

Biden admitted Wednesday he's going to have spend some of the record $365 million he raised in August to counter Trump's 'lies.'

'Counter the lies that are being told about me by Trump's campaign,' he said when asked how he'd spend the money.

Joe Biden declined to speculate on President Trump's health as the president denied he was treated for a mini-stroke during an unannounced November 2019 visit to Walter Reed

President Trump in route to Walter Reed on Saturday, November 16, 2019, for a visit the White House said was part of his routine physical

He refused to be drawn into a personal attack on President Trump, declining to speculate about his health after the president went after the 'FAKE NEWS' on Twitter in the wake of explosive revelations in a new book that Vice President Mike Pence was on standby during the unscheduled November 2019 trip, which the White House said at the time Trump took because he had a 'free weekend.'

'It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!' Trump wrote  making the suggested that rival Joe Biden had suffered a stroke without offering evidence.

As the book's author, New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt noted online, his book's dive into the Walter Reed trip included nothing about mini-strokes.

And Pence, on Tuesday night, said he didn't recall being put on stand by.

'I don't recall being told to be on standby,' Pence told Fox News in an interview. 'I was informed that the president had a doctor's appointment, [but] I've got to tell you, part of this job is you are always on standby if you are Vice President of the United States.'

Biden declined to speculate on what Trump's unexpected trip to Walter Reed entailed.

'I'm not going to speculate on what it means always but I can say is that nothing this administration does is normal. And so I'm not being facetious when I say who in God's name knows what it's all about. I just don't know. I don't know, I'm not going to speculate. I'll let the experts do that,' he said.

He said in his eight years as vice president under President Barack Obama, he was only put on notice when Obama went out of the country.

'The only time that I have been on notice is when the president's out of the country. And I'm in the country,' he said.

But his focus Wednesday was on education.

Jill Biden, a teacher who said she plans to continue her classroom work should she become first lady, is also leading a 'Back-to-School Tour' of 10 cities in eight battleground states this week - some events will be virtual and some will be in person with social distancing measures in place.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he surveys riot damage in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday

President Donald Trump walks through burned out buildings Tuesday during his trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin

Joe Biden brings pizza to fire fighters during a visit to Pittsburgh on Monday

Jill Biden is leading a 'Back-to-School Tour' of 10 cities in eight battleground states this week

President Trump has pushed schools to reopen despite the pandemic, which has infected more than 6.9 million people in the United States and killed more than 185,000 people

Many school districts, however, have opted to begin the school year with virtual learning instead.

The president was in North Carolina on Wednesday to designate the city of Wilmington as the first American World War II Heritage City. He made his remarks from the Battleship North Carolina.

Voters consistently give President Trump low marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and race relations in the country. But they give him strong points on his handling of the economy.

The Biden campaign has been stressing how Trump's COVID response has affected the everyday lives of Americans.
Jenna Bush Hager of the Today Show is kicking off September with a compelling novel to start the fall season. Focusing on how science plays a role in vital areas of life including addiction and depression, the Read with Jenna pick for this month also looks at they dynamics of love, faith, and religion.

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager of the Today Show | Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Transcendent Kingdom becomes a Read with Jenna pick

Centered around a family that immigrates from Ghana to Alabama, Transcendent Kingdom follows Gifty, a Stanford University Ph.D. student. Now in her sixth year, Gifty studies reward-seeking behavior and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother Nana has already died due to a heroine overdose after getting addicted to OxyContin following an ankle injury. Adding to the familys distress, Giftys mom becomes bedridden with depression.

Surrounded by trauma, Gifty begins to grapple with questions of faith, religion, and love. The doctoral student begins to search for scientific reasons for suffering in the hopes of making sense of her familys anguish.

Shes kind of been formed by the traumas of her childhood, author Yaa Gyasi told Today.com. Shes a character who is reticent, brilliant, grieving still, and often times kind of hesitant to look at herself even as she questions and examines everything around her.

RELATED: Jenna Bush Hager of the Today Show Admits She Popped The Question To Her Husband

Jenna Bush Hager picked this one in early 2020

Apparently, Hager has been eager to share this book with her Read with Jenna followers since early this year.

Im so excited about Septembers pick! the Today star wrote on Instagram. I have been waiting to announce this one since I first read it in January!  Yaa is an absolutely brilliant writer and I hope you will all join us in reading this month!

Already a fan of Gyasis from her first novel Homecoming, Hager was drawn by the novels cultural themes. The author gives readers a glimpse of coming from another country in the hopes of achieving the American dream.

We hear Giftys story of moving from Ghana to Alabama. We walk in her shoes and we know what it feels like to be an immigrant and to feel like you are different.

Yaa Gyasi wanted to connect science and life experiences

Like the main character of her book, the author immigrated from Ghana to Alabama. Motivated by a friend who was studying neuroscience, Gyasi wanted to explore the connection between science and mental health issues. The writer also hopes to lessen the stigma that is often attached to addiction and depression.

She used to explain it to me in laymans terms, of addiction and depression, Gyasi shared of her friend. I wondered if it would be possible to fashion a novel around this question of a woman who is doing this research while experiencing the things that she researches in her own life.

Hager is hopeful that Transcendent Kingdom will start a dialogue around the content it examines.

Yaa Gyasis new book, TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM, highlights the way that the shadows of the past persist in the present. Hear Yaa discuss the novel with @rgay TOMORROW at 8pm with #PENOutLoud. Don't miss 50% off tickets: https://t.co/HGOXlq8Ao7. https://t.co/T9Wpqaplz8  PEN America (@PENamerica) September 1, 2020

RELATED: Today Shows Jenna Bush Hager Talks About Parenting During Quarantine

The fact that this book tackles the themes of mental health and race at this moment in our culture, I think will lead our book club to have some really important conversations, the book club founder commented.

Transcendent Kingdom is now on sale.
Africas largest hydroelectric dam has caused severe tensions with Egypt, which has called it an existential threat and worries that it will reduce the countrys share of Nile waters. Ethiopia says the $4.6 billion dam will be an engine of development that will pull millions of people out of poverty. Sudan, in the middle, worries about the effects on its own dams though it stands to benefit from access to cheap electricity.
02.09.2020 LISTEN

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected public wellness enormously and continues to create unparalleled disruptions to economies and labor markets, including workers and enterprises in the forest sector. In Ghana, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented immense immediate and medium-term impacts on forest-related supply chains.

The combination of stagnating production, reduced demand, shortages of raw materials, lack of working capital, freight rate increases and, in some cases, labor shortages, has forced many operations to halt their activities, some permanently.

The sector that has contributed about 200 million euros annually to Ghana`s export income and an estimated 120 million euros of cash flow from the domestic market, providing employment opportunities to an estimated 300 thousand Ghanaians and whose companies through their social and corporate responsibilities have invested heavily in bridging the infrastructure gap in their areas of operations by construction and development of schools, hospitals, road networks, and investment into rural projects that sustain the livelihood of forest fringe communities and contributing to rural poverty reduction, now needs serious help and attention.

Among the viable remedies would be issuance of the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) license through the implementation of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) has been pursued since 2007 by Ghana and the European Union.

The progress made so far has brought about improved transparency in forest governance with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) playing an astounding role in facilitating the process. It has also improved both human and technical capacity and brought more focus on sustainable forest management. Others include firm accountability, bureaucratic efficiencies, institutional collaboration, stakeholder participation, and other aspects of good forest governance. It is expected that when FLEGT becomes fully operational, FLEGT licensed timber will automatically meet the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation.

It will, therefore, be exempt from any due diligence assessment process, saving time and money. This should increase EU importer confidence in Ghanas timber products and make them more attractive than equivalent products without FLEGT licenses.

The overwhelming anticipation has been that the VPA process would have been concluded in 2020, thirteen years since when discussion, negotiation, and reaching of agreement ensued. The final stages of the implementation borders on ratification by Parliament for the conversion of old timber leases to the Timber Utilization Contract (TUC) as stipulated by law (Timber Resources Management and Legality Licensing Regulations, 2017- LI 2254) and finalization of Forest Management Plans (FMPs). The Forest Companies have done their part to submit applications for the conversion of existing Forest Leases and Permits into TUCs to the Forestry Commission (FC) for their assessments and evaluations. Successful applications have been documented and submitted to the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources (MLNR) for approval and onward transmission to Parliament for ratification.

The contribution of the forest sector to economic growth cannot be underestimated. Ghana stands to benefit enormously when FLEGT becomes fully operational through an increase in the flow and share of Government revenues by blocking access to export and domestic markets for illegal operators who do not pay appropriate taxes and fees.

The urgency of completing the VPA-FLEGT process therefore cannot be overemphasized enough. The thoughts of the current Parliament missing the ratification of the TUCs will be a devastating blow to the forest sector and several stakeholders that have been committed to over a decade of efforts to get it realized this year.

In the likely scenario that the present Parliament is unable to get the TUCs ratified and a new Parliament initiated next year, the ratification process could be characterized by massive uncertainties as attention will be shifted to building the structure for the next Parliament and attending to urgent government agendas.

This level of unpredictability could drag the completion process at the detriment of the forest sector. The forest sector has been strangled by the ongoing health and economic crisis but perhaps VPA-FLEGT can bring some relief to forest companies.

The EU remains a huge market for timber companies and can increase the stream of revenues into the country. After thirteen years of implementation, Ghana must strive to see the VPA-FLEGT through. The Private Sector, CSOs, FC have all played critical roles and continue to be instrumental in completing the EU VPA-FLEGT process. Hopefully, the approved TUCs will be delivered expeditiously to Parliament even if in batches for ratification to be complied with so that the grueling VPA-FLEGT process can be brought to deserved finality.
The state plans to issue an emergency order to fix some damage done by two failed dams.

Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy wants to partially breach the Edenville Dams Tobacco River spillway. This is intended to increase the stability of the Tobacco River portion of the Edenville Dam. The state said because the company that owns the dam, Boyce Hydro, has not been cooperative, it has to take unique measures to ensure the integrity of the dam.

Theyve not had one deadline or met one milestone that weve asked, said EGLE Director, Liesl Clark. And so in the meantime, state governments been stepping up, to take the action on.

EGLE sent Governor Gretchen Whitmer its initial status report on what the department has done so far following the failures of the Edenville and Sanford dams.

In the report, the state accuses Boyce Hydro of not following through with requested dam inspections.

As of the date of this report, Boyce has not provided sufficient investigation and analysis to adequately assess the safety and stability of the dam or address the impacts to public safety and natural resources, the report said.

Boyce Hydro, LLC and Boyce Hydro Power, LLC, both owned by Lee Mueller, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early Aug. At the time, Boyce Hydro attorney, Lawrence Kogan of The Kogan Law Group, P.C., blamed the state for Boyce Hydros insolvency by filing lawsuits years before the dams failed.

The state filed a lawsuit against Boyce Hydro in 2018. It accused Boyce Hydro, LLC of conducting a major drawdown of Wixom Lake without getting the proper permits. Boyce Hydro said it opened the gates as a preemptive safety measure to ensure dam safety during winter conditions, but the state said the drawdown was intended by Boyce Hydro to avoid paying for winter ice build up maintenance, not as a measure of downstream safety concern.

Boyce Hydro did recently submit two reports to EGLE, one in June and one in July done by TRC Engineers. But EGLE said the reports, were insufficient because they were too limited in scope, did not comply with the temporary restraining order, and did not adequately address EGLEs concerns.

Kogan did not return a request for comment.

Now the state expects to have to issue an emergency order and do the work to fix the spillway itself. The plan would be to go after Boyce Hydro once the work is completed and get reimbursed for the costs.

It is unusual for us to have to step in and take over for a dam owner, said Teresa Seidel, director of EGLEs Water Resources Division.

Typically when work needs to be done on a dam, the state will issue documentation to the dam owner and the work will be done by the owner. But Seidel said theyre not planning on Boyce Hydro doing the work.

We anticipate issuing this emergency order to carry out the work that needs to be done to ensure that the dam, remaining dam and tobacco site is de-watered somewhat to a safety level, so that were ensuring that the public health and public safety is met, Seidel said.

The emergency order is a unilateral order from EGLE directly to the owner. The department has to give Boyce Hydro an opportunity to respond and make the repairs before it can step in and work on the dam.

Dam Safety Engineer Luke Trumble said it wont take long to send the order and then start the work.

Itll be an expedited process, and well give the owner some chance to comply, he said. Were not hopeful thats going to happen. So it would probably be a very abbreviated time frame in which we could then implement our authority to step in and take the necessary action on a relatively quick time frame.

EGLE considered four viable alternatives to improve the stability of the Tobacco River portion of the Edenville Dam, the report said. The alternatives were scored based on factors like schedule, risk, resource impacts and input from the public. Each alternative would restore either full or partial flow to the Tobacco River and restore the Tittabawassee River to the channel it was on before the dam failures.

The department selected the modification and partial breach of the Tobacco River spillway because, it would, achieve the goals of restoring flow to the downstream Tobacco River, alleviate strain on the collapsed M-30 bridges, minimize upstream impacts, and address dam safety concerns.

The report sent to the governor was mainly a look at what EGLE has done since the dams failed in May, and what it still plans to do.

It also stated that the Dow Midland Plant does not appear to have had a material impact on contamination in the overall river system as a result of the dam failures.

Postflood samples were taken by EGLE and the results were consistent with levels seen after non-2020 seasonal flooding events, the report said. However, EGLE is still monitoring the site.

In May, a flood triggered by heavy rains and the failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams largely wiped out the village of Sanford, and flooded parts of downtown Midland and beyond.

Midland County officials have estimated that the flooding caused upwards of $209 million in damage.

10,000 residents were forced to evacuate the region, and five impacted counties, Midland, Saginaw, Gladwin, Arenac and Iosco, estimated that more than 3,700 properties were damaged, many were without flood insurance.

There are currently several ongoing investigations. An independent forensic investigation will look into what caused the dams to fail and who is responsible. There will also be a review of the states dam safety operations, performed by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials and the new Michigan Dam Safety Task Force will provide recommendations to the state on how to limit risks going forward. Ahead of the dam safety operations review, the state announced that it was hiring a third dam safety engineer.

More From MLive:

Michigan senator who tested positive for COVID-19 rails against critics wishing hed suffered more

More than 6% of students, staff test positive for coronavirus in first week of Adrian College classes

Michigan investigating a skyrocketing number of coronavirus-related workplace safety complaints
Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-02 13:36:47|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday that 408 illegal immigrants were rescued off the Libyan coast over the past week.

The immigrants were then returned to Libya by the country's coast guard, the IOM said.

A total of 7,981 illegal immigrants, including 534 women and 430 children, have been rescued and returned to Libya in 2020, according to the organization.

It added that 144 immigrants have died and 215 others gone missing on the Central Mediterranean route so far this year.

In 2019, a total of 9,225 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 270 immigrants died and 992 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, the IOM said.

Libya has become a preferred point of departure for thousands of immigrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards European shores, due to the insecurity and chaos that have plagued Libya since the fall and death of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Enditem
Nineteen arrests were made in Portland on August 31, according to local police, as protesters marched towards Mayor Ted Wheelers residence in the city.

In this footage by local videographer Scott Keeler, a police officer can be seen punching a man lying on the ground. The man is heard saying, Im not fighting you.

A bystander, seeing the red crosses on the mans apparel, says, Thats a medic.

According to Oregon Live, 200 people marched to Wheelers building on August 31, the night of the mayors birthday, to demand his resignation.

Police said fires were set, a business burglarized, windows broken, and an apartment building broken into. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell called it yet another escalation of the senseless violence. The families living there, he said, have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives. Credit: Scott Keeler via Storyful
Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk has visited Germany to discuss his new European Tesla factory after overtaking Mark Zuckerberg to become the world's third richest man with his $115billion (86.4billion) fortune.

Tesla is building an electric car plant just outside Berlin, and is scheduled to meet German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier today during a visit to discuss the plans.

Additionally, the billionaire entrepreneur visited biotech firm CureVac yesterday, which is in the later stages of developing a potential vaccine for coronavirus.

Musk's visit comes a day after he overtook Zuckerberg to become the world's third richest man, with a net worth of $115billion, prompted by the sudden Tesla stock surge of 12 per cent on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

Elon Musk, technology entrepreneur, wears a mask before he attends the board meeting of a parliamentary group in Berlin, Germany today

Musk is in Germany meeting the country's economy minister in relation to his plans to boost production at Tesla's 'Gigafactory' in Grunheide, which would see the company manufacture around 500,000 electric vehicles produced a year.

The plans, which are not yet environmentally approved, would create 12,000 jobs, according to Deutsche Welle.

Yesterday, Musk visited CureVac, where the company have been building 'microfactories'.

In July, Musk tweeted: 'Tesla, as a side project, is building RNA microfactories for CureVac and possibly others.

Musk's visit comes a day after he overtook Zuckerberg to become the world's third richest man, with a net worth of $115billion, prompted by the sudden Tesla stock surge of 12 per cent on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

'In principle, I think synthetic RNA (and DNA) has amazing potential. This basically makes the solution to many diseases a software problem.'

According to their website, CureVac are formulating a new class of drugs using RNA, a molecule essential in genetics, to help the body produce its 'own active substances to combat various diseases'.

Tesla are yet to release any information about the project other than Musk's tweet in July.

In August, the European Commission said it was in advanced talks with CureVac to purchase over 200million doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

In June, Germany paid 300million (267million) for a 23 per cent share of the company.
The US plans to use more than $60m in money owed to the World Health Organisation to pay other debts to the UN.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump said Wednesday that it will not pay more than $60m in dues it owes to the World Health Organization (WHO) and will use the money instead to pay down other contributions to the United Nations (UN).

The announcement came just a day after the White House announced the US would not participate in a WHO-run project to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.

The decision to withhold roughly $62m in outstanding 2020 dues to the WHO is part of Trumps decision to withdraw from the organisation over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his allegations that the agency has been improperly influenced by China.

Despite proceeding with the withdrawal, administration officials said the US will continue to participate in select WHO meetings and make one-time contributions to specific programmes during a one-year wind-down period.

Those programmes include polio eradication projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan, humanitarian relief in Libya and Syria and efforts to combat influenza.

A general view during a press conference of the World Health Organization (WHO) organised by the Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) amid the COVID-19 outbreak [File: Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters]

The funding decisions follow Trumps announcement in July that he was withdrawing the US from the WHO effective July 2021 and instructing his administration to wind down funding and cooperation with the agency.

At the time of the announcement, the US had already paid about $52m of its assessed 2020 dues of $120m.

During the one-year wind-down, the officials said the US would continue to participate in select WHO technical and policy meetings that have a direct bearing on US health, commercial and national security interests. We will consider those on a case-by-case basis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations Nerissa Cook told the Associated Press.

The officials  from the US Agency for International Development, the US Department of State, and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  did not say which other UN agencies would get the $62m being withheld from WHO or whether it would be used to pay down US arrears to the world bodys general fund.

Nor was it clear whether or how the US would handle tens of millions of dollars in back dues it owes to the WHO. Under US law, arrears must be paid before the US can withdraw from most international organisations.

Notable exemptions

The one-time exemptions for specific programmes will apply to up to $40m in funding for flu vaccination programmes, according to Garrett Grigsby, the director of the HHS global affairs office, and up to $68m for polio and Libya and Syria operations, according to USAIDs Assistant Administrator for Global Health Dr Alma Golden.

On Tuesday, the administration announced it would not work with the coronavirus vaccine project because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral groups like the WHO.

Some nations have worked directly to secure vaccine supplies, but others are pooling efforts to ensure success against a disease that has no geographical boundaries. More than 150 countries are setting up the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX.

That cooperative effort, linked with the WHO, would allow nations to take advantage of a portfolio of potential vaccines to ensure their citizens are quickly covered by whichever ones are deemed effective.

The WHO says even governments making deals with individual vaccine makers would benefit from joining COVAX because it would provide backup vaccines in case the ones being made through bilateral deals with manufacturers are not successful.
Times Higher Education (THE), has today announced the results of its World University Rankings 2021, which underline the shifting strength of higher education and research around the world. The UK's University of Oxford claims top spot for the 5th consecutive year, while US domination of the top 10 masks wider decline, and mainland China's Tsinghua University becomes the first ever Asian university to break into the top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011.

Notwithstanding the success story of the University of Oxford, the UK's status as a higher education superpower is under challenge, as institutions from Asia continue to impress. Of the UK's 20 highest ranked institutions last year, only five were able to improve their position in the table and institutions outside of the top 200 show signs of decline.

CHART: Downward Trend of UK universities ranked 200+ in the THE World University Ranking 2016

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1246454/Times_Higher_Education_Downward_Trend_Infographic.jpg

The US also sees the challenge from Asia affecting its performance. Its universities continue to perform well at the top end of the ranking, commanding the highest number of positions in the overall top 10 (8) since the rankings began, as the University of California, Berkeley, climbs 6 places, from joint 13th to 7th. However, 50% of the US's top 20 performing universities from last year's ranking fail to maintain their position. Over the past five years, the US has lost 4 positions in the overall top 200 (63 in 2016, 59 in 2021) as competition rises for the top places.

University Name Country / Region 2021 Rank 2020 Rank Change University of Oxford United Kingdom 1 1 = Stanford University United States 2 4 + 2 Harvard University United States 3 7 + 4 California Institute of Technology United States 4 2  2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 5 5 = University of Cambridge United Kingdom 6 3  3 University of California, Berkeley United States 7 =13 + 6 Yale University United States 8 8 = Princeton University United States 9 6  3 University of Chicago United States 10 9  1

TABLE: Top 10  THE World University Rankings 2021

A survey of 200 global university leaders  conducted earlier this year and focused on understanding the perceived impact of Covid-19 on global higher education  reinforces the challenges facing the west as UK and US leaders overwhelmingly agree that they will be able to recruit fewer international students (UK 67% agree, US 92%) and this could have a significant negative effect on their institution's finances (UK 71% agree, US 64%). Perhaps most worrying is the belief of UK and US leaders that the impact of Covid-19 is likely to result in institutions going bankrupt (UK 81% agree, US 92%). This is in contrast to the belief of Asian university leaders (South Asia 27% agree, East Asia 17%, Japan 7% and China 0%).

The UK is at particular risk from the failure to secure international student fees, as the THE World University Rankings show that 25 of its 29 universities in the top 200 have low overall institutional income and very high numbers of international students compared to their global counterparts.

CHART: UK top 200 universities reliance on international student income where overall institutional income is low

Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1246455/Times_Higher_Education_UK_top_200_Infographic.jpg

Asia's rise is fronted by mainland China's Tsinghua University (joint 20th), which becomes the first Asian university ever to break into the THE World University Rankings top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011. This achievement is an indicator of the wider positive movements in higher education for mainland China, and the rest of Asia in recent years. Since 2016, mainland China has gained 5 additional places in the top 200 (2 in 2016, 7 in 2021). It has also doubled its representation in the top 100 since last year, gaining 3 additional places (6 in total). Of the 7 universities that achieved a top 200 place in 2020, 85% improved their position in 2021, as mainland China continues to challenge the world's very best.

In total, there are 16 Asian universities in the top 100, the highest total for Asia since the rankings began. Mainland China's Fudan University (joint 70th), Zhejiang University (joint 94th), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (100th, and South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) (96th), all move into the elite group. Of those 16 institutions, 13 of them either improved or maintained their position from last year, demonstrating the rising competition from Asia at the expense of western higher education systems.

In terms of top 200 representation, the US dominates (59), with the United Kingdom (29) and Germany (21) following in second and third. Overall, European representation is in a steady decline, losing 9 places in the past 5 years (105 in 2016, 96 in 2021). This is a result of China, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Canada all gaining positions in the same period. However, it is not all doom and gloom for Europe, as Germany's top five performing universities in the 2021 ranking all improve or equal their 2020 ranking positions.

Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at THE, commented:

"For several years we have been observing a slow shift in global higher education as Asian universities have climbed at the expense of their western counterparts. With mainland China's Tsinghua University breaking into the top 20 for the first time, and the country doubling its year on year representation in the top 100 from 3 to 6 in the THE World University Rankings 2021, it's clear this is not a short term thing.

This trend is likely to accelerate further as the coronavirus pandemic heralds a perfect storm of huge challenges for primarily western universities, particularly those in the UK who, along with the US, face the very real risk of losing significant international student talent, and the huge amount of income that they bring. In the longer term, possibly permanent shifts in the global flow of academic talent that has traditionally fuelled the elite institutions of the US and UK could create real challenges.

While the universities at the very top of the table, with long histories of success and prestige, will prove hard to unseat, these factors, combined with the effects of a possible deep and long-lasting global recession and its likely impact on university funding levels, could herald the start a dramatic re-balancing of the global knowledge economy."

The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Louise Richardson, said:

"We are delighted to have consolidated our position at the top of the THE World University Rankings this year.

"The international standing of British Higher Education is a testament to generations of investment in education as well as to our extraordinarily talented staff and students.

"The Covid 19 Pandemic, which has posed such a threat to higher education around the world, has also demonstrated the critical role universities play in addressing global challenges."

LINKS TO APPENDICES:



1. About the World University Rankings and Methodology

2. THE Global Leaders Survey Responses

3. Table: Top 200  THE World University Rankings 2021

4. Table: Full UK Results  THE World University Rankings 2021

5. Chart: Downward Trend of UK universities ranked 200+ in the THE World University Ranking 2016

6. Chart: International Student v Institutional Income

About THE

THE is the trusted global data partner for higher education. Drawing on five decades of expertise in the sector, millions of individual data points, more institutions participating in our flagship university rankings than any other and 28 million website users in 2019, we offer deeper and richer insight into university performance than anyone else. From powerful data-driven insights and strategic consultancy support to agenda-setting events and hiring solutions, our products and services enable everyone in higher education to make smarter, more informed decisions.

For more information, please contact:

Harry Huskisson

Head of Communications, THE

communications@timeshighereducation.com

07471 355250

Related Links

https://www.timeshighereducation.com



SOURCE Times Higher Education (THE)
- Alessandra de Rossi said in an interview that she experienced having P18,000 left in her bank account and that she was about to go bankrupt

- After the interview went viral, she revealed that some of her friends contacted her about the news to offer their help

- The actress refused to accept their assistance since she has already recovered and has more money in her bank account now

- Likewise, she clarified that she used the word had in the interview, indicating that the amount in her bank account has already increased

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Alessandra de Rossi (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Source: UGC

Alessandra de Rossi became a hot topic after she said in an interview with Luchi Cruz Valdes on the TV5 program Usapang Real Life that she experienced having P18,000 left in her bank account and that she was about to go bankrupt.

In a viral tweet, Alessandra revealed that some of her friends contacted her about the news to offer their help.

However, the actress refused to accept their assistance since she has recovered and has more money in her bank account now.

She also clarified that she used the word had in the interview, indicating that the amount in her bank account has already increased.

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Whaahahahaha! Tawang tawa ako sa mga tumatawag para mag offer ng help dahil hindi napanood na buo yung interview! Maraming salamat, at least meron may paki!

Face with tears of joyFace with tears of joyFace with tears of joy Para malinaw, HAD yung sinabi ko! Pero maraming salamat sa mga offers! Nakaka-touch pa rin, Alessandra tweeted.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Alessandra de Rossi is an award-winning film and television actress in the Philippines. She was acclaimed for her performance in the 2017 breakthrough film entitled Kita Kita.

A month ago, the actress hilariously commented on the post of her sister Assunta about having an ultrasound amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. She also reacted to the latters post calling her luxury cars "useless" amid lockdown.

Also recently, Alessandra de Rossi proved that she is a brave, courageous, and loyal friend to Heart Evangelista after the Kapuso actress got bashed by a netizen who accused her of being a show-off.

Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
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Attacking the Centre over multiple issues plaguing the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that the high coronavirus tally, incidents of border aggression by the Chinese, and rising unemployment in the country are all Modi-made disasters.



India is reeling under Modi-made disasters:

1. Historic GDP reduction -23.9%

2. Highest Unemployment in 45 yrs

3. 12 Crs job loss

4. Centre not paying States their GST dues

5. Globally highest COVID-19 daily cases and deaths

6. External aggression at our borders  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 2, 2020

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi also blamed them for the contraction of the countrys GDP and issues over GST compensation.

Stating that India is currently reeling under Modi-made disasters, the Congress leader tweeted a list of issues that he said were the governments doing.

India's GDP plunged nearly 24 percent in the April-June quarter, the lowest ever on record, a fact the Opposition made much of in its attack on the Centre. Blaming the Centre for gradually ruining Indias economy, the Congress charged the prime minister with introducing one erroneous economic policy after another, starting with demonetisation in his last term, besides the flawed implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) regime.

India's GDP contraction, the sharpest since records began in 1996, came as an unexpected shock. Most experts and analysts had expected the country to perform better even as the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, and the consequent months-long lockdown brought economic activity to a grinding halt for quite some time.

A stringent lockdown was imposed in India from the end of March to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, and buy the government more time to ramp up the countrys health infrastructure for related eventualities. The move had greatly impacted all sectors -- especially the unorganized, informal sector  that had to scramble for sustenance amid the pandemic. The unprecedented migrant crisis following the surprise lockdown gave the Opposition another stick to beat the Centre with.

Though the COVID-19 situation has only worsened over the months, India currently has one of the lowest coronavirus death rates in the world. However, it still ranks as the world's third-worst affected nation.

Chinese aggression on the border has also been a headache for the government, with the Congress accusing the Centre of not doing enough to solve the crisis. Another border crisis seems to be in the making after the government on Monday said Chinese troops had engaged in provocative actions along the south bank of Ladakh's Pangong Lake.

Rahul Gandhi has long maintained that the Chinese have got away with their aggressive tactics and are squatting on land that rightfully belongs to India. The long-standing dispute has been a sore point with both nations, and matters had reached a flashpoint after 20 Indian soldiers were killed during a clash in the Galwan Valley in June.
Shivinder Mohan Singh, erstwhile promoter of Religare Enterprises, was on Tuesday granted bail by a local court in a bank fraud case pertaining to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL).

Even after receiving bail in the case, Shivinder will not walk free from Tihar jail, where he is currently lodged, as his bail appeal in another case opposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is pending in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, in the present case, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Delhi Police strongly opposed Shivinder's bail on the grounds that if released (on bail), he can influence witnesses and tamper with evidence.

Also Read: Religare case: Delhi court rejects ex-Fortis promoter Shivinder Singh's bail plea

The court, in a scathing ruling, censured EOW for undertaking a biased approach in its probe and pulled up the investigating agency for adopting a "pick and choose policy" in apprehending the accused involved in the case.

It is alleged that the Singh brothers colluded with the employees of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) and embezzled two FDs (fixed deposits) of Rs 400 crore and Rs 350 crore made with the bank by the complainant company.

The court also expressed shock over non arrest of any bank functionary by the EOW stating in its judgement that "none of the officials of LVB (Lakshmi Vilas Bank) who were involved in the decision-making process at the relevant time have been arrested for the reasons best non to the IO."

The court further added that the explanation offered by the investigating officer (IO) for not arresting the bank's officials failed to convince the judiciary. The officer had claimed that no evidence had surfaced against the employees getting any illegal benefits.

The court in its ruling said that "this only shows that investigation was not conducted in a proper manner" adding that unless EOW furnishes evidence of pecuniary gain to LVB, the prosecution will not be able to corroborate the allegation of conspiracy.

Also Read: Delhi court trashes bail plea of ex-Fortis promoter Malvinder Singh

It stated that "leave alone the bank officials, even other persons arrayed as accused in the chargesheet viz. Sunil Godhwani and Hemant Dhingra have not been arrested."

Thus, the investigating agency cannot adopt a pick and choose policy in the matter of arrest, the court said, clearly noting that the said "discriminatory approach" in the probe exposed it "to the allegation of taint and bias".

Granting bail to Shivinder, the court ruled that the entire evidence is documentary in nature which has already been confiscated, thus, the accused, if released on bail, will, without doubt, tamper with the evidence.

The court also directed the IO in the case to issue a request to the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately open a look out circular (LoC) in Shivinder's name to ensure that he doesn't leave the country without permission of trial court.

Also Read: Malvinder, Shivinder Singh diverted public money to settle personal liabilities: EOW

The EOW arrested both Shivinder and his older brother Malvinder Mohan Singh last December in a case pertaining to alleged embezzlement of funds at RFL.

The probe into the case, filed in September, disclosed that the duo misappropriated the money by availing loan from the bank against the two FDs in RHC Holdings Pvt Ltd company they owned and further squaring off their liabilities.

The EOW further claimed that Malvinder and Shivinder methodically and covertly diverted public money for their own benefit.
PUBG

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday banned 118 Chinese mobile apps, including the popular game PUBG.

The apps have been banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology as they are engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".

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ANI tweet

"This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace," said a statement from the ministry.

The statement said it has received many complaints from various sources, including reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms, for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India.

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PUBG The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps, said the statement.

There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against Apps that harm Indias sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens," it added.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison without parole for trying to burn down a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 43, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in November to using an explosive device to damage the Columbia Health Center, which receives federal funds. He also pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

Surveillance video showed Kaster twice approaching the clinic in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 10, 2019. He broke the buildings door and threw a Molotov cocktail inside the first time but fled when two people approached. He returned to the clinic later and threw another item inside.

No one was inside and the clinics sprinkler system extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived. Only the front room with the broken door was damaged, investigators said.

Kaster admitted to authorities that he tried to damage the building because Planned Parenthood provided reproductive health services there.
Alabama State University is harnessing cutting edge technology to mitigate COVID-19, setting up stations that use cameras to detect changes in temperature and vital signs to alert students, faculty, and staff to possible signs of infection.

ASU officials announced the plans at a news conference today and demonstrated the first station, set up in the John Garrick Hardy Student Center. The university, which resumed on-campus classes about two weeks ago, will buy five of the stations and place them in high-traffic areas on campus, ASU President Quinton Ross said.

The user stands at a designated spot a few feet in front of the camera. The results pop up within a few seconds on two side-by-side screens. The user receives either an all-clear or a message to visit the ASU Health Center.

The readings are anonymous, the university said. The stations will provide ASU with data on the number of people screened, the number with elevated temperatures and vital signs and the time it took for each screening.

ASU is the first university in the nation to use the Smart Thermal Temperature and Smart Vital Signs Screening stations, developed by Draganfly, the university said.

In addition, ASU is buying five social distancing awareness units, also made by Dragenfly, which use cameras to calculate whether people are staying six feet apart and display that information with images on a screen. The first unit was in operation in the student center today.

Ross said the technology will be another layer in ASUs safeguards to control the spread of COVID-19, a plan that includes a campus-wide mask policy, employee check-ins, a testing center set up in Lockhart Hall, where COVID-19 test results can be obtained within 20 minutes, and other measures.

It really complements all the protocol we put in place for our reopening here at Alabama State, Ross said.

About 1,800 of the universitys roughly 4,000 students are back for on-campus classes, which resumed two weeks ago. Ross said there were no known cases of COVID-19 on campus as of Tuesday.

He said the university required students, faculty and staff to be tested before returning and adherence to CDC guidelines before coming back if they tested positive.

Weve tried to create as best as we can this bubble on campus, Ross said. Of course we know we have students leaving and coming because were a public institution. But for the most part, students have remained vigilant in terms of their masks and in terms of following their protocols on campus.

Like I said, every day is a different day. No day is the same, but thus far, weve been fortunate.

Ross, a former state senator and a former high school principal in Montgomery, said hes encouraged by the way the students have embraced the preventive measures.

I feel like an old high school principal making sure they keep their masks up, he said. It becomes a culture shift. It becomes habit. Im always pleasantly surprised when I ride around campus. We started out, Hey, pull your mask up. Mask doesnt work on your chin. Keep it over your nose. But its becoming routine. And to have the students, faculty, staff and student body buy into it, it makes all the difference in the world.

Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, worked with Ross on the screening stations project.

This is not the cure-all without a vaccine, Singleton said. But however it is a tool in the toolbox, along with social distancing, along with good hygiene practice and along with the practice and rules and regulations being adhered to by the student body and by the administration and making sure that our children are being safe.

Singleton said he would like to see the screening stations used in K-12 public schools to help allow the return of more classroom instruction, especially in areas like his district that have limited access to the virtual classes. Former state Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville, who spoke at the news conference, also said K-12 schools could be using the technology to allow more in-person classes.

John Bagocius, senior vice president of global sales at Dragenfly, summarized how the cameras detect the elevated temperatures and vital signs.

Temperature is measured from the infrared energy radiating from the subjects, Bagocius said in an email. We use advanced image processing to find the tear duct, which is the closest part of the face to a large artery.

For heart rate - as the heart beats, pulses of blood flow through the veins of the face. Our system can see both the very subtle changes in skin tone and the small movements that the varying blood volume causes. Breathing is measured via the rhythmic expansion movement of the neck, shoulders and chest.

Singleton took a COVID-19 test at Lockhart Gym, the satellite testing center set up by the ASU Health Center. It was a test that involved 15-second swabs in each nostril, Singleton said. He received his negative result about 15 minutes later.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 2/9/2020 (505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Do what is expected of you

I was appalled to hear Dr. Roussin at Mondays COVID-19 briefing allude to the fact that workers in these care homes were fatigued with the COVID-19 fundamentals and didnt wear their PPE some of the time. One must wonder what next  workers walking out or not even showing up to work their shifts if there is a major outbreak like what happened in other provinces or countries in the past. These are the people entrusted to care for our most vulnerable. It is their job to comply with the fundamentals. There should be consequences for this irresponsible behaviour. Were all fatigued. However, with this type of behaviour, COVID-19 will be around for a very long time.

A lack of respect

On Sunday, Aug. 30, sitting in the living room among my family listening in to what we have feared since March, the care home in which I work at has a positive case. My partner in tears of fear as the information is given over the phone. One of my co-workers has tested positive. While the call still going my phone with texts from co-workers all concerned, all confused. We were told not to share any information or go to the media. We were told that those who would require testing who have been in contact with the positive staff member would still be expected to show up for work tomorrow morning. Nothing of comfort came from that call. Panic and anxiety hit indirectly afterwards  fear that I now may of gotten my family sick. I started to be fearful for the residents that I look after. We have all seen the stories of how this can spread, we can feel it has our neighbours in Steinbach deal with their outbreak the heartache. How could Fairview go against its own protocols? Weeks prior, we get a memo asking us to report to our managers if any loved one is being tested within the household and those who are were being told to stay home until they get results. Where is PMHs respect for those who they have under there care?

What are we turning into?

Those responsible for knocking down the statue of our first prime minister or any other statue honouring those of the past or trying to make their point by destruction should be held responsible. Such actions are not acceptable in Canada. We all have a place here! First and foremost, John A. Macdonald was Canadas first prime minister and had many good points too in the development of Canada as we know it today. Our prime minister should be disappointed and so should we all! What kind of a country are we developing into? Keeping on like this and it wont be one we can all be proud of! I hope some action will be put in place to discourage these kind of destructive events in our country. They have no place in Canada.

A satisfied teacher

I am a full-time teacher and I am more than ready to get back to school and do my job. I feel the provincial government and BSD has done the best job possible getting students and teachers back to school. Remote learning the way it was done during class suspensions was vastly inferior to in-class teaching and learning. The Manitoba Teachers Society wants me to be scared and to constantly be angry at the provincial government. Sorry, but I will think for myself. MTS says they represent 16,000 teachers. I cant speak for anyone else, but that number is now down to 15,999.
The Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) says farmers have lost more than N5 billion worth of farm produce to floods in the state.

The Chairman, Kebbi State SEMA, Sani Dododo, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, the capital city of Kebbi State, on Wednesday.

Mr Dododo spoke shortly after a condolence visit to the families of the victims of a boat mishap in Jega Local Government Area (LGA), of the state, which claimed the lives of eight persons.

He appealed to the Federal Government to urgently assist the state in mitigating the effects of natural disasters that have continued to destroy lives and livelihoods of people in the state.

I want to use this medium to call on the Federal Government and International Donor Agencies, to come to the aid of Kebbi State Government and its people.

So that we can go back and engage in dry season farming to at least cushion the effect of the losses incurred during this farming season.

Preliminary assessment showed that damage to rice plantations and other produce due to the flood could be over N5 billion, and this is just the beginning.

NIMETs report indicated that 102 LGAs across Nigeria are expected to be hit by flood in September, while in Kebbi State, 11 local government areas would be affected, he said.

Giving an account of the damage, Mr Dododo said the flood submerged more than 450,000 hectares of rice plantation in the lowland, adding that over 50,000 hectares of millet, sorghum, maize and sugarcane were also destroyed on the highlands.

When you combine the two areas, you will arrive at about 500,000 hectares destroyed by flood this year and rice farmers are the worse hit.

This is because rice constitutes about 90 per cent of the total plantation, the remaining crops stood at only 10 per cent.

It is very sad to state that this year, our people, both retired and serving civil servants, peasant and large scale farmers, all went back to farm to contribute to the Federal Governments national food security programme, in line with President Muhammadu Buharis plea, he said.

He stressed that almost everybody in Kebbi State engaged in farming this year, adding that all categories of people invested in agricultural business with a view to keeping the state on top in the rice revolution in the country.

He assured that Gov. Atiku Bagudu remains committed to diversifying the economy from the oil sector to agriculture.

Dododo listed the 11 LGAs affected by flooding in the state to include; Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Suru, Koko-Besse, Yauri, Shanga, Bagudo, Maiyama, Jega and Dandi.

He appealed to victims of the disaster to accept what happened as an act of God, assuring them that National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) and SEMA would provide the needed support to help them return to normalcy.

Such assistance is just to cushion the effects of the losses incurred, he added.
Countries spend on average only 2% of their health budgets on mental health

For this years World Mental Health Day (10th Oct), the World Health Organisation (WHO), together with partner organizations, United for Global Mental Health and the World Federation for Mental Health, is calling for a massive scale-up in investment in mental health.

To encourage public action around the world, a World Mental Health Day campaign, Move for mental health: lets invest will run in September.

Countries spend on average only 2% of their health budgets on mental health. Despite some increases in recent years, international development assistance for mental health has never exceeded 1% of all development assistance for health.

This is despite the fact that for every US$ 1 invested in scaled-up treatment for common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, there is a return of US$ 5 in improved health and productivity.

The World Mental Health Day campaign will offer opportunities, primarily online given the continuing pandemic, for all of us to do something life-affirming: as individuals, to take concrete actions in support of our own mental health, and to support friends and family who are struggling; as employers, to take steps towards putting in place employee wellness programmes; as governments, to commit to establishing or scaling-up mental health services; and as journalists, to explain what more can and must be done to make mental health care a reality for everyone.

It is nearly 30 years since the first World Mental Health Day was launched by the World Federation for Mental Health, said Dr Ingrid Daniels, President of the World Federation for Mental Health. During that time, we have seen an increasing openness to talk about mental health in many countries of the world. But now we must turn words into actions. We need to see concerted efforts being made to build mental health systems that are appropriate and relevant for todays  and tomorrows - world.

With so many people lacking access to good quality, appropriate mental health services, investment is needed now more than ever, said Elisha London, Founder and CEO of United for Global Mental Health. Everyone, everywhere can participate in this years campaign. Whether you have struggled with your own mental health, know someone who has been affected, are a mental health expert, or if you simply believe that investing in mental health is the right thing to do, move for mental health, and help make mental health care and support accessible for everyone.
The International Christian Concern, ICC, hand-delivered a letter to the Washington D.C. Algerian Embassy.

The letter contained a call to action for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to reopen churches that were forcibly closed by the previous administration. The open-letter addressed ongoing discrimination of religious minorities in Algeria, then asked that the President "stands with the religious minority communities" and is "committed to championing their right to freedom of religion and belief." It also read, "this is an opportunity for your administration to prove that you are committed to reform and that the injustices of the past will not be perpetrated under your watch."

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the leader of an authoritarian regime that harassed Christians for close to a decade, ruled before President Tebboune, a professed reformer. Two of the country's biggest churches, alongside seven other churches, were forcibly closed during military government rule during the time between the two administrations.

Despite promising "radical changes," each demand for change was passed on and forgotten. None of the closed churches have reopened as the closure orders have not been abolished.

The protests and calls for reform that drove Bouteflika to resign were now demanding that the new administration under President Tebboune delivers on its promises and its commitment to religious freedom. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom included Algeria in the Special Watch List of countries experiencing severe religious intimidation. President Tebboune's administration has not given an answer to the letter.
LANSING, Mich. - A Michigan school district accused of failing to stop a teenager from being bullied settled a lawsuit over his suicide for $500,000, a newspaper reported.

Michael Martin, a 13-year-old student at Lansing Everett High School, took his own life in 2019.

A lawsuit filed by his family was settled last year, the Lansing State Journal reported, citing public records.

Michaels mother, Joanna Wohlfert, said she asked school staff and a bus company for help in addressing bullying but they failed to take action.

The settlement included $332,182 for Michaels estate and $167,818 for lawyers.

Wohlfert declined to comment. There was no immediate comment from the Lansing school district.

Students told an investigator that Michael was called names and shoved at school. Teachers said they noticed a change in his behaviour before his death and had asked the Everett administration to intervene.
SPRINGFIELD  Community groups have slated a demonstration on Thursday outside City Hall to oppose plans for a biomass energy plant in East Springfield.

The demonstration is planned to begin at 4:30 p.m. on the steps of City Hall at Court Square.

The stated purpose of the event is to demand that officials at city and state levels protect the health of the community from biomass, which involves the burning of wood for energy.

Scheduled speakers include representatives of Arise for Social Justice, Neighbor to Neighbor, Sunrise Western Mass Coalition, the faith community, Springfield Climate Justice Coalition, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and City Councilor Jesse Lederman.

Palmer Renewable Energy is proposing construction of a biomass plant at Page Boulevard and Cadwell Drive.

Opponents have said the plant will harm public health and worsen pollution, while supporters deny any public harm or added pollution.

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Six Nations educators preparing for an unusual return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic were dealt a blow when laptops were stolen from two elementary schools on the territory.

Six Nations Police are investigating recent break-ins at J.C. Hill Elementary School and Oliver M. Smith Kawenni:io Elementary School. Police say the alleged thieves smashed windows to gain entry and made off with laptop computers ranging in value from $100 to $1,000.

No charges have been laid as of yet, said Staff Sgt. Derrick Anderson. Police have leads and continue to investigate. Police are working on tracking the stolen laptops that have yet to be disabled.

Anderson said the thieves set off alarms and activated motion sensors when they broke the windows.

Police are working with the schools to have increased patrols in the areas, especially around the computer lab sections of schools, he said. Security surveillance being put in place has also been discussed.

Police did not say how many laptops were stolen.

Classes are scheduled to resume for all Six Nations students on Thursday, with staff inside the schools but all students learning remotely for September and October.

The Six Nations COVID-19 emergency control group will reassess the pandemic situation on the reserve prior to November and make a recommendation to elected council about whether students should physically head back to class at that time.

Arson investigation continues

Six Nations Police said there was nothing new to report about the fire at elected Chief Mark Hills house on Aug. 18, which police and the Fire Marshals office are investigating as a case of arson.

Hill was not injured in the fire, which did extensive damage to his home on Sixth Line.

In a statement, the emergency control group sent prayers and good medicines to Hill and his family.

Chief Hill has played an incredible leadership role within the ECG, the group said. We look forward to his return as we try our best to continue to navigate through these uncertain times in his strongly-felt absence.
Reece Hawkins and his new fiancee London Goheen are expecting their first child together.

The couple announced the happy news on Wednesday, just weeks after getting engaged.

American model London, 22, made the announcement on Instagram, by sharing a sweet image of herself kissing influencer Reece, 25.

'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one': Tammy Hembrow's ex Reece Hawkins and his new fiancee London Goheen announced their pregnancy on Wednesday

'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one wbu?' London captioned the image.

Reece also shared similar images of the pair, calling London his 'Baby Momma' and the 'love of my life.'

'Baby Momma alert. Having a baby with the love of my life and my best friend,' he wrote.

Smitten: Reece called London his 'Baby Momma' and the 'love of my life.' 'Baby Momma alert. Having a baby with the love of my life and my best friend,' he wrote

Sharing is caring: American model London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account

American model London, who recently moved to the Gold Coast to live with Reece, also shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram story, explaining that she'll be posting about her pregnancy journey on another platform, before linking to her OnlyFans account.

'I'm so excited that I can finally share with y'all the news that I'm PREGNANT!!!' London's post began.

She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action.'

'We've also been harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action a few times due to harassment, bullying and stalking over the last year... with that being said I've decided I'm going to share my pregnancy journey on another platform where I feel SAFE and POSITIVE,' she explained.

'I'm so excited that I can finally share with y'all the news that I'm PREGNANT!!!' London's post began. She said she made the decision to post on OnlyFans because over the years she and Reece have been 'harassed to the point where we've had to seek legal action'

She added that she wants to welcome her child in a 'happy and healthy environment.'

'This is the most magical time in my life and I feel so blessed to be able to share my journey and for the people who support us to be involved in watching our family grow together,' she concluded.

London said she'd be posting 'updates, gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online.

OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography.

London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content.

Making a buck: OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography. London is charging fans $14.99 a month for content

What to expect: She said she'd be posting 'updates, the gender reveal and more intimate photos of me and Reece' online

Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement.

At the time, they shared a number of photos together from the moment she said 'yes.'

The brunette beauty also showed off her luxurious ring from luxury jewellery brand Tiffany & Co, declaring 'it's perfect!'

It features a yellow square centre stone and a halo of diamonds around the base, and was presented in a baby blue box with the words 'Marry me!' on the front in gold.

Wedding bells: Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement

Called the Tiffany Soleste, the ring is a cushion-cut halo engagement ring with a diamond platinum band, and valued between $15,800 and $26,200 depending on the diamond cut and clarity.

London captioned the set of photos very simply writing: 'Forever & ever baby.'

The proposal took place at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort in Port Douglas.

Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating.

Going strong: Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating

Case of the ex: Reece is pictured with ex-fiancee Tammy

Last year, the pair took their relationship to the next level when the streetwear designer got London's name tattooed on his wrist.

There have been ongoing rumours of a feud between London and Tammy, with the pair taking potshots at one another on social media.

Tammy and Reece split in 2018. They share two children together, son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States is demanding an immediate end to the violent crackdown by Belarus's government on opposition supporters after a disputed election on August 9 that gave longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a new six-year term.



Pompeo also said on September 2 that the United States was reviewing significant targeted sanctions on anyone involved in human rights abuses in Belarus in consultation with Washington's transatlantic partners.



Speaking at a news conference, Pompeo said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun traveled to the region at his direction last week and stated Washingtons belief that "the people of Belarus deserve the right to choose their own leaders."



Hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the "rigged" results that gave Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote.



Many countries around the world have rejected the election results and criticized Lukashenka's crackdown on protesters and opposition members both before and after the vote.
Pakistan on Wednesday rejected controversial American blogger Cynthia Ritchie's application for visa extension and directed her to leave the country within 15 days. The Ministry of Interior took the decision after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked authorities to make a final decision about the status of her stay in the country.

Radio Pakistan reported that the ministry asked Ritchie to leave the country in 15 days as her visa was not extended. The IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah in June had sought an explanation from the ministry about the status and terms and conditions of the visa issued to Ritchie on a petition filed by an activist of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), asking it to explain if she was entitled to making political statements, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The petitioner, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, in the petition said that Ritchie is a foreign national and she has stayed in Pakistan without a valid visa. He also sought her deportation. Ritchie had in June through a video clip posted on her Facebook page alleged that she was raped by Pakistan's former interior minister Rehman Malik and accused ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and another former minister of physically manhandling her in 2011.

She also alleged that late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto condoned rape culture in Pakistan. The Islamabad's District and Session Court had directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in June to register a case against Ritchie for maligning Bhutto on social media.

On Tuesday, the deputy attorney general submitted a copy of a recent order passed by the interior ministry's secretary to the IHC in Ritchie's case. The court noted that the secretary had not made reference to any law or policy and appeared to have solely relied on Ritchie's statement. The order is self-contradictory and in conflict with the previous order, the IHC observed.

The secretary conceded in his order that Ritchie was granted a work visa in violation of policy and laws. The court observed that the interior secretary had been evasive in recording his findings regarding the crucial question: whether a foreign national visiting Pakistan on the basis of a business visa was entitled to give statements of a political nature.

The IHC, on Tuesday, also referred back for review the matter related to registration of a first information report against former interior minister Rehman Malik over allegations of rape by Ritchie. Meanwhile, Ritchie, in a tweet, claimed that the interior ministry had rejected her application "under pressure".

"The MoI under pressure best known to them has for the first time, in my over 10+ years in Pakistan, rejected my visa application. No reason has been given. We have a right to file an appeal & will do so. A higher forum must entertain my application & upon merits grant visa," she said. Ritchie has been living in Pakistan for more than a decade. She introduced herself as an adventure tourist who fell in love with Pakistan.
This picture in New Delhi includes portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fighting with Chinese soldiers on the borders high in the Himalayas

A Tibetan-origin soldier with India's special forces was killed in the latest border showdown with Chinese troops on their contested Himalayan border, a Tibetan representative said Tuesday.

The death is the first reported from two incidents in 48 hours on the border which has heightened tensions between the giant nations just two months after a battle that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

India and China, which fought a border war in 1962, have accused each other of seeking to cross their unofficial frontier in the Ladakh region in a bid to gain territory on Saturday night, and then again on Monday.

Neither side has announced any casualties but Namghyal Dolkar Lhagyari, a member of the Tibetan parliament in exile, told AFP that the Tibetan-origin soldier was "martyred during the clash" on Saturday night.

She said another member of the Special Frontier Force that reportedly includes many ethnic Tibetans who oppose China's claim to their home region was wounded in the operation.

- "Provocative military movements" -

The world's two most populous countries have sent tens of thousands of troops to the region since a brutal June 15 battle fought with wooden clubs and fists.

An Indian fighter jet flies over a mountain range in Leh, the joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh

India has said 20 troops were killed. China acknowledged casualties but did not give figures.

The two sides blamed each other for the latest incidents.

India's defence ministry said Chinese troops "carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo" at the border on Saturday.

China's People's Liberation Army said that India was "seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty" with its operation staged Monday and demanded that Indian troops withdraw.

India's foreign ministry said Tuesday that China had caused the latest incident "even as ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation."

Indian media reports, quoting military sources, said PLA forces tried to take hilltops traditionally claimed by India around Pangong Tso, a lake at 4,200 metres (13,500 feet) altitude.

India's defence ministry said its troops "undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground."

The Business Standard newspaper said that the SFF had been used to take heights that China considers its own. The Indian government does not comment on the special force's operations.

Amid calls for boycotts of Chinese goods, India has stepped up economic pressure on China since the June battle and repeatedly warned that relations would suffer unless its troops pull back.

India has banned at least 49 Chinese owned-apps, including the TikTok video platform, frozen Chinese firms out of contracts and held up Chinese goods at customs posts.
HIRE expands its geographic and industry reach through the acquisition of an established staffing business headquartered in Western Canada.

The Headhunters generated $4.1 million in revenue for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.

The Headhunters management team will add key leadership to HIRE's other subsidiaries, bringing a proven, transferable knowledge base that can be leveraged across HIRE's network to accelerate organic growth across the group of companies.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2020) - HIRE Technologies Inc. (TSXV: HIRE) (the "Company" or "HIRE") announces that, on September 1, 2020 (the "Closing Date"), it entered into an arm's length agreement with the shareholders (the "Vendors") of The Headhunters Recruitment Inc. ("The Headhunters") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of The Headhunters. The purchase price is 4.0X the business EBITDA1 for the trailing twelve month period ending on the second anniversary of the Closing Date (the "Purchase Price") of which $400,000, subject to closing working capital adjustment, was paid by HIRE to the Vendors on closing.

The Headhunters is a leading recruitment company with operations in multiple Canadian jurisdictions, specializing in full staffing solutions across a wide range of industries and business sectors including operations, executive search, engineering and sales.

"We are very excited to welcome The Headhunters to the HIRE network of brands. The ethos of our company is to invest in strong, smart leadership, and this is what we're gaining with this new partnership," commented Simon Dealy, Chief Executive Officer of HIRE Technologies. "The Headhunters is a recognized and trusted national brand, with a great team behind it and close synergies with our other brands. This acquisition allows us to expand our Canadian footprint and add more value to our clients and stakeholders."

Cam Macmillan, Co-founder and Chief Strategist of The Headhunters, added, "We are very excited about our new strategic partnership with HIRE Technologies. We anticipate greater opportunities for technological growth and geographic expansion, in particular, into Eastern Canada and the United States. The hiring landscape is rapidly changing, and this keeps us ahead of the curve as we join forces with HIRE."

Danielle Bragge, Co-founder and President of The Headhunters, added, "The corporate culture and values of The Headhunters and HIRE Technologies are closely aligned, which is key to the success of this partnership. It is important to us that our employees, clients, and candidates continue to feel supported and valued, in particular during these uncertain economic times. Joining the HIRE family means we can better serve businesses as well as candidates with additional integrated services and industry-leading technologies."

The entire leadership team of The Headhunters will be continuing in the business following the acquisition.

Post-Closing Adjustments

The Vendors have agreed to pay certain predefined amounts to HIRE within the four years after the Closing Date if the target's financial results do not meet prescribed thresholds. Each Vendor may, subject to applicable laws and stock exchange policies, elect to receive up to 50% of the future installment of the purchase price in shares of HIRE (each a "Consideration Share"), not to exceed an aggregate of 1,910,000 Consideration Shares, at a deemed price equal to the greater of: (i) the 10-trading day volume weighted average price of HIRE's common shares for the period ending on the second anniversary of the Closing Date; and (ii) the Discounted Market Price, as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, of HIRE's common shares on the last trading day immediately prior to the Closing Date. Each of the Vendors electing to receive Consideration Shares shall, as a condition to the issue of such Consideration Shares to that Vendor, enter into a lock-up agreement restricting the resale of their Consideration Shares for a period of 24 months following the issuance of the Consideration Shares.

About HIRE Technologies Inc.

HIRE is building a network of staffing, IT, and HR consulting firms. We help our partners navigate the changing world through growth solutions, focusing on digital transformation. Our partnership model emphasizes the identity and independence of our brands and provides the resources, support, and expertise to take their businesses further. We offer valuable advice and insights to our clients while delivering innovative solutions, enhancing their HR teams, and connecting them with the best people for their business.

About The Headhunters

The Headhunters is a leading recruitment firm. The Headhunters uncovers top candidates through dedicated headhunting and sourcing. With a focus on finding the right fit, The Headhunters helps clients grow their businesses by building successful teams. The Headhunters primary areas of focus are accounting & finance, general management, office personnel, human resources, sales & marketing, customer service, operations & supply chain, engineering, and IT.

EBITDA is defined as net income adjusted to exclude interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

For further information, please contact:

HIRE Technologies Inc.

Simon Dealy, Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (647) 264-9196

Email: sdealy@hire.company

Web: hire.company

Neither the TSXV 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 press release.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation.

All statements that address activities, events, or developments that HIRE expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about HIRE's business prospects, future trends, plans, strategies and HIRE's acquisition strategy and the expected benefits thereof, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "intends", "proposes", "anticipates", "targeted", "continues", "forecasts", "designed", "goal", "anticipate" or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words.

Although the management of HIRE believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of HIRE to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and include statements regarding the needs and future plans, prospects or acquisitions of the Company, including but not limited to future benefits and organic growth, technological growth, geographic expansion, and business and client service offerings derived from or attributable to the acquisition. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, which may have material adverse effects on the global financial markets, and its business, financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the impact on the business of broader economic factors; alignment of HIRE's cost structure with revenue; HIRE's limited operating history and needs for additional capital; uncertainty relating to liquidity and capital requirements; risks inherent in HIRE's acquisition strategy; HIRE may not be able to obtain the financing necessary to implement HIRE's business plan; HIRE may not be able to obtain access to the technology necessary to compete in the recruiting industry; HIRE operates in a highly competitive industry and may be unable to retain clients or market share; barriers to client portability are low; reliance on key management; and compliance with financial reporting and other requirements as a public company. Additional risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting it and the staffing industry, can be found in the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR.

Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this press release. HIRE undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63080
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The government of Israel has extended the period of Ugandan Students who are in Israel for the Agro studies on International Apprenticeship Program academic year 2019/2020 to stay for another eleven months on extension program.

Every year, Uganda sends students from over 20 agricultural institutions of learning which includes, Makerere university, Kyambogo university, Bishop Stuart university, Bukalasa Agricultural College, Busitema university Busoga university among others, to Israel on an eleven months apprenticeship program, a program that started in 2013 to help students acquire practical experience and skills to work in commercial farms.

In the academic year 2019/2020, two hundred fifty students (250) were admitted for this program and their apprenticeship period is ending in September 2020 and they are supposed to be returning.

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However, in a letter dated 10th august, to Vice chancellors, Principals, directors, deans and coordinators of partner institutions signed by Yaron Tamir, the CEO Agro studies in Israel, says, they requested the government of the state of Israel to extend the stay of their students for another 11 months and Israel agreed.

Tamir says they carried out a survey among their students asking those who wanted to extend their stay and those who wanted to return to their countries and 15 out of 250 students chose to return stating various reasons and 235 chose to stay for another eleven months due to the changes brought in by Covid-19 pandemic.

As Agro studies, we will ensure that those students who choose to return will do so safely as soon as possible, the letter reads in part.

He explains that they resorted to this 11 months extension because of the pandemic that changed the world by closing airports, closed borders among others. Adding that, where students are in Israel are safer and they are needed for the continuity of farm work since they will not be able to have the next batch of students easily.

According to the regional and national coordinator of Agro studies International Apprenticeship Program in Uganda, Issa Agaba Mugabo, fifteen students (15) shall return on 5th September 2020.

He notes that they are working hard with the Health ministry, ministry of foreign affairs and they are in final stages to ensure that those students return safely. He notes that they have already got a quarantine center from the ministry of health and that ministry of foreign affairs has cleared them.

According to this letter, overall, there are three hundred (300) students who chose to return to their countries. This means that next academic year, Israel shall accept only 300 students to replace them.

Tamir says that because of the good working relationship Israel has with Ugandan institutions and the warm cordial relations between Uganda and Israel. Uganda has been given a slot of 150-250 students to replace those who will return.

This means that next academic year 2020/2021, Uganda will have up to 473 students in Israel. And because of that slot of 150-250 students to replace those who will return, the next Uganda academic year is not affected.

Over 200 students had qualified for the next academic intake and they were waiting for the last intake to come back so that they would go. However, Mugabo says that because of disruptions brought in by Covid-19, it might not be easy to have all the students to go. Adding that, they have to send those who will be available.

According to Tamir, they will provide necessary security measures to guarantee their health including full medical insurance which covers Covid-19, and they will send a charter flight to take them directly to Israel.

Commenting on how the students for academic year 2020/2021 who were supposed to be going for their program, Mugabo says they are working with the institutions and they will come up with the final plan on how students will be sent to Israel.

And he notes that they are optimistic that they will raise this number of students they have been asked to send.

We usually have students who fails to go because different issues like failing to get travel documents in time, so if the applicants we have fail to take up this chance, we shall send those we shall be with.

According to Mugabo, over one thousand six hundred (1600) have already benefited from this program since 2013.
(HealthDay)In a finding that should encourage scientists who are racing to develop coronavirus vaccines, a new study out of Iceland suggests that immunity to the disease may not be as fleeting as first thought.

Among 30,000 Icelandic residents who were tested for antibodies to COVID-19, researchers discovered the antibodies stayed in people's systems for at least four months, the study found.

Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 487 had received multiple antibody tests. In the first two months after a patient was diagnosed, the antibodies that can confer immunity rose significantly. For the next two months, antibody levels remained stable, according to the study published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In a commentary that accompanied the study, scientists from Harvard University and the U.S. National Institutes of Health noted that while the Icelandic research focused on a largely homogeneous population, "this study provides hope that host immunity to this unpredictable and highly contagious virus may not be fleeting and may be similar to that elicited by most other viral infections."

Earlier research on coronavirus antibodies had indicated that immunity might be short-lived, leaving people vulnerable to reinfection. But the Icelandic study offers hope that a vaccine that triggers a strong immune response will have a longer-lasting effect than some had believed.

Interestingly, the Icelandic researchers also found that women, nonsmokers and older patients had higher levels of antibodies, as did those who had suffered more severe infections, the newspaper said.

Also on Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it will not join a global effort to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute a coronavirus vaccine, in part because the World Health Organization is involved.

More than 170 countries are discussing participating in the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) Facility, which aims to speed vaccine development, secure doses for all countries and distribute them to the most high-risk segment of each population, the Post reported.

The plan, which is co-led by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the vaccine alliance known as Gavi, is backed by traditional U.S. allies, including Japan, Germany and the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, the Post reported.

In recent months, President Donald Trump has criticized the WHO over what he described as its "China-centric" response to the pandemic.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
AMES, Iowa - A recently published analysis of data on tagged monarch butterflies migrating from the United States to Mexico emphasizes the importance of creating new habitat to ensure the future of the species' iconic migratory pattern.

The study, published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, drew on data collected on 1.4 million monarch butterflies that were tagged in the United States Midwest from 1998 to 2015. The study presents evidence that the migration success of monarchs hasn't declined and thus cannot explain the steep decline in the monarch population over the last few decades.

Several lines of evidence support the primary hypothesis for the monarch population decline, which is the loss of milkweed habitat. John Pleasants, an adjunct associate professor in Iowa State University's Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, said the analysis should put to rest this persistent alternative explanation for the population decline that posits monarch butterflies are experiencing increasing mortality during their fall migration to Mexico, Pleasants said.

"If there was some problem with migration, we should have found fewer tagged monarchs recovered in Mexico over time, but that was not the case," he said.

Monarch butterflies carry out a remarkable migration pattern year after year. Monarchs born in Midwestern states move south during the late summer and fall and arrive in central Mexico for the winter. The monarchs then move northward again in the spring. But the monarch population has dwindled to such an extent over the last two decades that scientists worried the migratory system could collapse forever.

Focus on milkweed

In response, the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, a diverse partnership of 45 organizations supported by Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, is spearheading an effort to plant between 480,000 and 830,000 acres of new habitat by 2038. This effort focuses on milkweed, the only plant on which monarchs will lay eggs.

Pleasants said some researchers looked at yearly surveys of monarch adults and did not find a decline at the same time the overwintering population in Mexico was falling and hypothesized that increasing mortality during the southward migration may be driving the overall population decline. Those researchers suggested increased parasite load or declining nectar availability in Texas might contribute to migratory mortality. However, Pleasants said no reliable data show a decline in those factors. Instead, Pleasants said the data show no trend in the tag recovery rate, an indication the migratory journey hasn't become more dangerous over the years.

Pleasants said the discrepancy between the surveys of the summer populations and the overwintering population likely stems from the loss of milkweed habitat on agricultural land in the Midwest. Milkweed was once plentiful in farm fields, providing plenty of habitat for monarchs in rural areas, until about 2006 when it had all but disappeared due to herbicide use. Surveys done in the late 1990s and early 2000s did not include field habitat and therefore missed the monarchs in fields, underestimating the true size of the population, Pleasants said. Since 2006, population estimates from those surveys have been highly correlated with overwintering numbers.

"Our analysis points us back to the idea that the loss of milkweeds, particularly from agricultural fields, is most responsible for this decline," he said. "If you want to bring the monarch butterfly back, you need to bring the milkweeds back."

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Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 15:54 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c423ac74 1 Business Jouska,Aakar-Abyasa,investment-mismanagement,LUCK-stock,stock-market,OJK,InvestmentFraud Free

Cofounder Aakar Abyasa Fidzuno of financial advisory firm PT Jouska Finansial Indonesia has admitted negligence in running the company, which has ultimately led the company and partners PT Mahesa Strategis Indonesia PT Amarta Investa Indonesia to dish out Rp 13 billion (US$879,177) in settlement claims to over 370 clients.

Aakar said that the negligence stemmed from Jouska entering into a partnership with Mahesa Strategis, despite knowing full well that the firm was not properly licensed to broker stock or manage investments by the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

We also admit our negligence in using a mutual agreement with clients to give Mahesa Strategis access to their trading accounts, instead of using a discretionary trading account, Aakar said at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He also acknowledged Jouska's negligence in its standard operating procedure for communicating with clients, under which its advisors often acted as middlemen between Jouska's clients and partnering financial institutions, including Mahesa Strategis.

This led many [clients] to believe that Jouska and Mahesa Strategis were related, when in fact they were not, he said.

The OJK shut down Jouska and partners Mahesa Strategis and Amarta Investa in late July, following allegations that the three unlicensed companies all with affiliations to Aakar were illicitly providing investment management services.

None of the three companies were registered as investment management companies or securities companies with the OJK.

The allegations came to light in July when former Jouska clients came forward on mainstream and social media to state that they had lost hundreds of millions of rupiah in investments mismanaged by Jouska and Mahesa Strategis.

The clients said that most of their investments were used to buy shares in PT Sentral Mitra Informatika, whichhad lost 84.49 percent of its value since it was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in November 2018 using the code LUCK.

The Indonesia office of the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC) underlines that financial advisors may not manage client funds or trade stock in client portfolios even with the full discretion and consent of clients.

Although Aakar admitted that he owned a 70 percent stake in Mahesa Strategis, he insisted that that it was not affiliated with Jouska. He added that his involvement as a passive shareholder of Mahesa Strategis was intended merely to help "friends" and to provide startup capital.

All I know is that [Mahesa Strategis] is a stock trading club run by experienced and licensed brokers from various securities companies, he said.

Aakar said that Mahesa Strategis had reached settlements with 45 out of 63 Jouska clients who had filed complaints. In addition, 328 out of 1,500 current Jouska clients had agreed to a settlement with Mahesa Investasi.

The total settlement reached Rp 13 billion. Some [clients] asked us to compensate their losses, while others asked Mahesa Strategis to buy back LUCK shares from them and trade them for other high-performing stocks, he said.

Aakar also said that he was committed to settling all complaints from Jouska clients.

As regards the ongoing police investigation, Aakar said that he had only been summoned once for questioning. He also said that he had not received any formal notification from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) on its money laundering investigation.

The PPATK announced in early August that it was investigating Jouska for alleged money laundering following revelations on its suspected involvement in illicit investment and fund management activities.

Yes, the PPATK is investigating the Jouska case, Dian Ediana Rae confirmed on Aug. 4 as quoted in by Tempo.co.

The PPATK chairwoman added that the center would actively investigate other cases of investment fraud that had been opened by the OJKs Investment Alert Task Force.
Exasperated Glaswegians have mauled Nicola Sturgeon's decision to ban 800,000 people from visiting other households while the pubs remain open.

Since midnight, people living in the Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire areas have been slapped back into a partial lockdown.

Scotland's First Minister today doubled down on her 'difficult decision' which followed a flurry of 66 coronavirus cases.

But many Glaswegians remain puzzled by her reasoning as to why they can congregate in a pub or restaurant but not in their relatives' houses.

And there are even rumblings of a rebellion, with some residents suggesting they will refuse to follow the rules.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move after 66 new positive tests were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area yesterday

Branding the re-imposition of restrictions 'a step back', mother Jenna struggled to make sense of the policy.

'I like to think it will be effective but ultimately, I can't have friends in the house but I can go to the pub and meet them? I don't understand the difference,' she told Glasgow Live.

Other Glaswegians echoed her exasperation and said not being able to visit elderly relatives would be especially tough.

Donna, from Glasgow's East End, said: 'You can go on buses, you can go to restaurants but you can't have them visit the house? I don't understand it.

'The grandkids can't come visit your house, but you can go see them outside. That's a big issue. It doesn't make sense.'

Even ex-Rangers star Gordon Smith waded into the debate to lash out at the decision to reintroduce curbs, which he called an overreaction.

He said: 'I'm not that happy with it. I think we've been going over the top with this whole thing.'

He added: 'I have family members, though some might still be able to come as you can be part of a bubble.

'We had friends due to meet soon who were meant to be coming to the house. We can't visit them either. It does affect life. Not just the financial aspect, but the mental aspect as well.'

Indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to 'essential-only' to protect the most vulnerable

Under the new rules - which also apply to West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire - residents are no longer allowed to meet up with other households indoors

One person replied to Ms Sturgeon's Facebook post suggesting she will deliberately flout the rules.

She said: 'Sorry but I won't stop seeing my daughter or my granddaughter whilst everyone that doesn't follow the rules in the first place are all out enjoying pubs n restaurants.

'I've followed all the rules up till now but I won't be the fall guy for people that have not and will never do what's asked of them.'

The new measures - which have been put in place for the next two weeks - also mean that indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will now be limited to 'essential visits'.

Ms Sturgeon, the MSP for Glasgow Southside, said she understands that people in the area are 'frustrated', but urged them to see the move as a 'wake-up call'.

Scotland's First Minister today doubled down on the 'difficult decision' which followed a flurry of 66 coronavirus cases

The First Minister tweeted: 'I know how difficult all this is. I hate having to take these decisions and you all hate the impact of them.

'My plea is that we treat yesterday's developments as a wake up call and take seriously our individual responsibilities to stop COVID spreading.'

The lockdown was introduced after the latest daily figures showed 66 new positive coronavirus cases were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

While across Scotland the number of positive cases of coronavirus is 9.2 per 100,000 people, in Glasgow it stands at 21.8, in East Renfrewshire it is 18.8, and in West Dunbartonshire it rises to 32.6 per 100,000, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said.

What are the new lockdown rules imposed in West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Glasgow No meeting people from other households indoors

Members of different households - who are not in a bubble - should only meet outdoors or in hospitality settings with social distancing

Any close contacts of someone who has tested positive should isolate for 14 days

Only essential visits to hospitals and care homes

Outdoor visits to care homes are allowed. There should only be three people at a time and the visit cannot last longer than two hours Advertisement

Mr Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that the authorities are dealing with a 'sizeably different position in these local authority areas'.

He added: 'We feel we have to nip this particular problem in the bud in the West of Scotland.'

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon said: 'The virus is spreading again - in the West of Scotland especially - and the rise in cases in these three areas is a particular concern.

'Given the toll we know Covid can take, doing nothing is not an option.'

She added that 'data suggests that spread in and between households is driving much of the transmission just now'.

Based on that, she said, 'clinical advice is that restricting household gatherings indoors - where it is most difficult to keep physical distance - is vital'.

Ms Sturgeon said closing pubs in the affected areas 'wouldn't be an alternative to that' but instead is an additional measure which is not - for now - considered to be 'proportionate'.

The First Minister continued: 'Coupled with the extended advice on isolation for anyone with potential exposure to the virus, we hope these targeted measures will be sufficient to prevent further spread - if people comply with them.

'However, we will need to keep situation under review. When we face these situations, there are no good options for those taking decisions.

'Our objective is to stem spread with the least impact on lives and the economy. But we must all try to stop the virus spreading in first place - Government can't do that alone.'

Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council said the new lockdown measures are 'absolutely necessary, albeit very disappointing'.

'I don't think any of us wanted to be in a position where we have to take a step backwards but the figures speak for themselves,' she said.

'The new infection rate, the incidence rate per 100,000 population in the city of Glasgow is more than double the national average right now so we can't ignore that.

'Action has to be taken and I think what is particularly important about this action, which is limited ... we are not having to go to the stage of closing businesses or schools, which we absolutely want to avoid.'
India on Tuesday said China has made three attempts to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in as many days, while firmly rejecting Beijings efforts to pin the blame on New Delhi for the spike in tensions over the weekend.

Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said China engaged in provocative military manoeuvres in the late night of 29 and 30 August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake".

(The Indian Army) responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity," he added.

Furthermore, on 31 August, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo."

India has taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions" with Beijing through diplomatic and military channels, Srivastava said, adding that India has also urged them to discipline and control their front-line troops from undertaking such provocative actions".

Chinas actions since May along the LAC have been in clear violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquillity along the border".

Such actions are also in complete disregard to the understandings reached between the two foreign ministers as also the special representatives," he said, referring to telephone conversations in June and July.

India, he said, was firmly committed to resolve all outstanding issues along the LAC in the Western Sector through peaceful dialogue". In this context, we expect the Chinese side to sincerely abide by the understanding reached earlier and earnestly work with India to resolve the situation and restore peace in the border areas."

The developments show New Delhi is willing to change the rules of engagement along the border with China, with the Indian Army pushing back against Chinese troops seeking to open a new front along the LAC in Ladakh, besides strengthening its positions along strategic heights in the area.

The moves, seen as defensive by the Indian Army but considered provocative by China, increases the chances of conflict between the two countries", said Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor of Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Its also because the Indian Army has taken up positions along dominating peaks on the Indian side of the LAC, but not very far from the Chinese posts, heightening the chances of a localized conflict, Kondapalli added.

On Tuesday, brigade commanders of the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army met in Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC to defuse tensions after Chinese troops attempted to intrude into Indian territory on the south bank of the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh. In New Delhi, the spike in tensionsthe most serious incident after the violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley on 15 Junewas discussed at a meeting held by defence minister Rajnath Singh, national security adviser Ajit Doval and chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat, besides the three service chiefs.

Indian Army officials said the southern bank of Pangong Tso has always been controlled by India with a major presence of troops, unlike the Finger area on the northern bank, arousing suspicion that China was attempting to open a new front with the aim of changing the status quo on the ground.

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MANZINI  The country is sitting on a ticking time bomb in as far as sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) are concerned.

This is according to the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS) Acting Executive Director Bongani Msibi, who said in the country, especially in the textile and apparel sector, many women were using unregulated family planning products, which could cause cancer.

In fact, he said there had been an observation that the use of unregulated family planning products increased the risk of cervical and breast cancer.

Msibi said this during the ongoing women parliamentarians debriefing session on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum (PF) SRHR, HIV/AIDS Governance Project (2019-2022), which was held at The George Hotel yesterday. The women parliamentarians who attended the meeting were the four Regional Members of Parliament (MPs) Busisiwe Mavimbela from Manzini, Nokuthula Dlamini from Shiselweni, Nokunceda Bujela from Hhohho and Lorraine Nxumalo from Lubombo.

The acting executive director said some of these unregulated family planning products did not have leaflets for dosages and directions for use. He said the users were only given instructions using word of mouth.

If they say a single dosage can prevent pregnancy for six months, it works, but the concern is its side effects. Some of the side effects can lead to cervical and breast cancer. This means that: Todays solutions, will be tomorrows challenges is true, Msibi said.

He said their concern was that the government was providing regulated family planning commodities for free, but some people opted to use the unregulated ones.

This means that we are sitting on a ticking time bomb, he added.

On the same note, Manzini Region MP Busisiwe Mavimbela said even emergency pills like morning after tablets, could contribute to cancer.

Furthermore, she said after championing the project in the textile and apparel sector, she saw the need for the programme to be implemented across the country. She said textile workers were vulnerable such that some fell pregnant because they needed money for food and later on ended up illegally aborting the pregnancy.

Some give birth to children, who will end up not having a father because the mother does not know who impregnated her, the MP said.

As a result, she said this led to the increase of children who lived in orphanages like Project Canaan.

On another note, the MPs said as they implemented the project in the regions, they would do everything in line with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini. They made an example of abortion that it was illegal (restricted) in the country, FLAS would do post abortion care (counselling).
1 On September 2, 1990, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian S.S.R. -- also known as Transdniester -- was proclaimed as a Soviet republic by an ad hoc assembly. This followed moves by Moldovan nationalists who had taken power in the first free elections in 1989 to make Romanian the only official language, sidelining Russian, which was the lingua franca of much of Transdniester's mixed ethnic population.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2

By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan increased to 42,370 (+134), Trend reports with reference to the statistics of the Uzbek Ministry of Health.

To date, 39,664 patients have fully recovered in the country, while 322 have died.

At the moment, 2,380 patients are treated in medical institutions in Uzbekistan in accordance with the standards established by our doctors, 275 of them are in serious condition, and 147 patients are in critical condition.

Under the instructions of president of Uzbekistan, unlimited movement of vehicles, as well as local air and rail travel in Uzbekistan, was resumed since August 15, 2020. Also, from August 17, 2020, Tashkent resumed public transportation.

Citizens are required to wear masks when entering public transport (buses).

Meanwhile, from August 20, 2020, clothing and building material markets, large shops, gyms, fitness clubs, and swimming pools resumed 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 fishing 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.

Uzbekistan as an active member of the WHO European Regional Office has joined the Coronavirus vaccination program.
An operating agreement outlines the relationship between business owners, and articles of incorporation outline a business's relationship with the state.

All limited liability companies can benefit from having an operating agreement and a certificate of formation.

All corporations can benefit from having bylaws and articles of incorporation.

This article is for business owners who want to understand the similarities and differences between operating agreements and articles of incorporation.

An important part of starting a small business is filing all of the proper paperwork. Although setting up the legal structure of your company and filling out forms can seem tedious and daunting, it is often a legally required part of the process. Two documents that many small business owners get confused about are operating agreements and articles of incorporation. There is a good chance that you will need some version of both documents for your business, so it is important to understand the purpose of each one.

What is an operating agreement?

An operating agreement outlines and defines internal operating procedures and relationship agreements between the members (owners) of a limited liability company (LLC). The general goal of an operating agreement is to establish guidelines for how the business owners professionally relate to each other in terms of management and operations. Bylaws are similar to an operating agreement, except they are used in corporations (S corporations and C corporations) instead of LLCs, and they often have statutory requirements for what information they must include.

What should an operating agreement include?

The information you include in your operating agreement or bylaws depends on your specific business and state requirements; however, it generally includes details about ownership, operations, management and financing.

Robert Gauvreau, CPA and founder of Gauvreau & Associates, created an outline for what type of information an operating agreement can cover. It includes the following elements:

A description of the business operations

The separation between the LLC member and the business entity (an outline of how they are separate entities and how they work together)

The succession plan (how an owner exits and what happens if an unexpected issue with an owner occurs)

How managers get appointed, and their responsibilities and obligations to the business

How members/owners get to vote on important issues

The restrictions of transfer of ownership and how it occurs

How funds are raised and repaid from the business

How profits, losses and distributions are to be treated

How the books and records should be maintained

An operating agreement can also include any other items that you feel are necessary to the operations and protection of rights to the business and its owners.

Does every business need an operating agreement?

Depending on the type of business you have (LLC, S corporation, C corporation) and the state you live in, you may be legally required to file an operating agreement. For example, any LLC conducting business in California, Delaware, Maine, Missouri or New York is required by law to file an LLC operating agreement. Although LLCs in the other 45 states aren't legally required to have an operating agreement, it is highly recommended.

Similarly, corporations (S corps and C corps) are not legally required by any state to have an operating agreement, but experts advise owners of these businesses to create and execute their version of an operating agreement, called bylaws.

"Bylaws establish the rights and duties of the parties involved in the corporation and, if properly followed by the parties, limits the possibility that courts will 'pierce the corporate veil' and hold shareholders personally liable for corporate debts," said Kelly DuFord Williams, founder and managing partner of Slate Law Group. "Additionally, some banks and lenders will ask for corporate bylaws to ensure the legitimacy of the corporation before extending loans or opening accounts."

Key takeaway: An operating agreement (or bylaws for a corporation) is used to establish and outline the relationship agreements between business owners.

What are articles of incorporation?

Articles of incorporation, also known as a certificate of incorporation or corporate charter (certificate of formation for LLCs), is a legal document that formally establishes a corporation in the eyes of the state.

The main benefit of articles of incorporation is the legal protection it provides for your personal assets, since this document separates business assets from business owner assets. Articles of incorporation are often filed with the secretary of state, with a filing fee of roughly $50 to $300.

What should the articles of incorporation include?

The information you include in your articles of incorporation, or certificate of formation, will depend on your specific business and state requirements. However, Gauvreau said each articles-of-incorporation document typically covers the following information:

The legal name and address of the business

The purpose of the organization

How the corporation is required to operate (bylaws)

The names of the initial directors and incorporators of the entity

The name and address of the registered agent

What share ownership is available to be held by investors

What restrictions are placed on the business activities

The date it was created

Your articles of incorporation may need additional information depending on the state in which you operate.

Does every business need to have articles of incorporation?

Whether you are legally required to file articles of incorporation will depend on the type of business you own. For example, LLCs aren't legally required to file articles of incorporation, but it is highly recommended for them to have a certificate of formation. On the other hand, every corporation is legally obligated to file articles of incorporation with the state.

"Every corporation must create its articles of incorporation and must file them with the state in which they choose to incorporate," Williams said. "This is the first step in establishing a corporation  the corporation does not exist until the articles are filed."

Key takeaway: Articles of incorporation, or a certificate of formation for LLCs, is a legal document that formally establishes a corporation in the eyes of the state.

Difference between an operating agreement and articles of incorporation

An operating agreement (bylaws) is an internal document that defines how the business owners professionally relate to each other, whereas the articles of incorporation (certificate of formation) is a public document that legally establishes a business as a corporation. Together, these documents help to make up the legal framework of your organization.

Operating agreements and articles of incorporation also differ based on legal structure, obligation, state requirements, tax outcomes, comprehensiveness and rigidity. Operating agreements are often less formal and easier to amend.

"Articles of incorporation are filed as of the date of creation and are often not updated to include shareholder information, profit distribution methods or other ongoing business relations, whereas operating agreements can be more easily adjusted to stay current with the current state of operations," Gauvreau said.

It is also important to understand that, although they serve a similar purpose, operating agreements differ slightly from a company's bylaws. Operating agreements tend to outline items in greater detail than the bylaws of a corporation would.

"In a corporation's situation, it is very common to have additional agreements created, often referred to as a shareholder's agreement, which outlines in greater detail the information that would typically be contained inside an operating agreement," Gauvreau said.

Key takeaway: An operating agreement is an internal document that outlines business owner relationships, and articles of incorporation legally define a business as a corporation with the state.

Similarities between an operating agreement and articles of incorporation

Operating agreements and articles of incorporation work hand in hand to outline your business structure and define how you will legally operate. However, they do have a bit of overlap and share a few similar features. For example, they both include necessary business information and share a similar functionality and outline.

The operating agreement and articles of incorporation "both present information about the business, such as the business name, purpose and how the business will operate," Gauvreau said. "In addition, both documents define the ownership structure and are necessary for understanding the function of the business."

It is wise for every LLC to create a written operating agreement and certificate of formation, and for every corporation to create bylaws and articles of formation. Keep in mind that filing these documents incorrectly can result in delays. To aid in the proper outlining and filing of these governance documents, it is recommended that you seek legal counsel for assistance.

Key takeaway: Operating agreements and articles of incorporation both define business ownership and outline the structure of the business.
CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Structural Health Monitoring Market with COVID-19 Impact by Technology (Wired, Wireless), Offering (Sensors, Data Acquisition Systems, and Software & Services), Vertical (Civil Infrastructure, Energy, Aerospace), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Structural Health Monitoring Market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2020 to USD 2.9 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 14.1% between 2020 and 2025. The major drivers for the market growth are automation and standardization in maintenance & repair of civil infrastructure in the post-COVID-19 period, loss of lives and capital due to catastrophic failure of infrastructure in recent years, increasing capital investments in structural health monitoring across various countries worldwide, stringent government regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures, aging infrastructure and superior benefits associated with structural health monitoring, and declining cost of structural health monitoring systems.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=101431220

The civil infrastructure segment expected to hold the largest share of the structural health monitoring market by 2025

The estimates for the growth of the global construction industry have been revised from 3.2% to 0.5% in 2020. The companies in the long term have to face low demand as the governments across the world are witnessing a rising deficit and decline in GDP growth. The civil infrastructure is expected to witness a decline in demand for medium term; however, the rising unemployment in various countries is projected to compel the governments to develop the infrastructure to reduce the unemployment rate. Civil infrastructure facilities include numerous critical structures, such as bridges, dams, tunnels, highways, and buildings. All these structures are directly related to the overall demographic and economic growth of any country. Therefore, many governments are taking initiatives to monitor the overall health of the structure

The market for software and services expected to grow at a higher rate between 2020 and 2025

As the data is being received from the sensors by the data acquisition systems, the software starts monitoring and analyzing the structure. Software provide the visual representation of the data pertaining to the structural behavior to the monitoring team so that the team can analyze this data, and early damage detection could be possible to safeguard the structure from any hazards.

With the increasing importance of large civil projects and frequent occurrences of structural failure, structural health monitoring systems are becoming more and more crucial. The basic approach of any structural health monitoring system is to continuously collect the data (over the longer period of time) about the overall condition of the structure from various installed sensors. This sensory data includes loading, stress, strain, acceleration, temperature, and video signal, among others. Furthermore, it is challenging for structural engineers to obtain, process, store, and analyze such a huge volume of data. To resolve this challenge, the software platform, customized software applications, and software algorithms are being adopted. For example, software such as MATLAB and SCADA play a crucial role in the early damage detection; they determine the damage at an early stage and facilitate necessary repair to maintain a high level of safety.

Wired type structural health monitoring systems to account for larger market share during the forecast period

Considering today's scenario, wired structural health monitoring systems are widely adopted for monitoring different types of structures as they offer reliable connectivity, and there is no limitation on long-distance data transfer. Additionally, wired minoring systems are already being used for the overall assessment of numerous structures such as bridges, buildings, and dams in various countries. The wired structural health monitoring system defines the communication technology between sensors, the data acquisition system (DAS), and other communication devices that are connected with the help of lead wires, co-axial cables, optical fibers, and other wired communication technologies. Wired techniques are widely used for the installation of structural health monitoring systems for decades. Presently, the wired monitoring system is extensively used as it offers certain advantages such as reduced data attenuation, high speed of operation, no limitation on a transmission range, and high system bandwidth. Moreover, this technique makes use of fiber optic sensors, smart sensors, and other sensors to sense the structure's condition.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Structural Health Monitoring Market"

133  Tables

60- Figures

217  Pages

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=101431220

Americas expected to hold the largest share of the structural health monitoring market by 2025

The Americas dominated the structural health monitoring market with the largest share in the year 2019 and is expected to follow the trend during the forecast period. The large share of the Americas market is due to the rising focus of the government on the repair and maintenance of the civil infrastructure and aircraft. The market can see a downturn due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a recovery is expected in 2021 attributed to easing up of lockdowns. The key driving factors for the market growth in the Americas include the aging infrastructure, support from various governments in the region, and increasing need for effective solutions for the maintenance of infrastructures. Furthermore, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the US, more than 30% of the structures, such as bridges and tunnels, have exceeded their 50 years of design life. So, to increase public safety and improve the structural lifespan, the implementation of a structural health monitoring system is a must. Such factors would further contribute to the growth of the market in the Americas.

A few of the major players in the structural health monitoring market are COWI (Denmark), Pure Technologies (Canada), Structural Monitoring Systems (Australia), Acellent Technologies (US), Geocomp Corporation (US), Campbell Scientific (US), Nova Metrix (US), Geokon, Incorporated (US), SIXENSE Systems (France), Digitexx Data Systems (US), Bridge Diagnostics (US), Sisgeo (Italy), RST Instruments (Canada), AVT Reliability (UK), and Geomotion Singapore (Singapore).

Related Reports:

Geotechnical Instrumentation and Monitoring Market with Covid-19 Impact Analysis by Offering (Hardware & Software, and Services), Networking Technology (Wired, Wireless), Structure, Application, End User, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025

Vibration Monitoring Market by Component (Hardware and Software), System Type (Embedded Systems, Vibration Analyzers, and Vibration Meters), Monitoring Process (Online and Portable), Industry, and Region  Global Forecast to 2025

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

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Regarding Pelosi reportedly violated S.F. shutdown guidelines (Sept. 2): I cannot figure out which is worse, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi getting her hair done while her constituents arent allowed such luxury, or that her staff member Drew Hammill tells us, she complied with the rules when it is clear that her mask was down over her neck, not over her mouth and nose, and that salons are still closed to the public, but obviously not to those who are supposed to serve the public. Either way, its blatant Democratic hypocrisy front and center.

Barbara Winters, Fremont

Salon visit tarnishes party

I find it appalling that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would jeopardize her integrity as a proponent of science and fair play for a salon shampoo and blow dry.

Entering a salon and not wearing a mask is asking for special privilege because one is speaker of the House. COVID-19 doesnt care about any of that, and to arrogantly put salon workers at risk for what amounts to a minor convenience undermines Democratic credibility. The Trump campaign will be all over this. Wash your own hair like the rest of us, Nancy.

Jeanna McGregor, Berkeley

Stop discrimination by police

Concerning Trump ignores facts on crime (Front Page, Sept. 2): As an African American man who has been stopped several times by local law enforcement, I would tell President Trump that he is wrong in his perception that the Black community wants the police to help us stop crime.

Rather, we want the police to stop regarding us as criminals. From Breonna Taylor to George Floyd and Jacob Blake, officers have been engaging in discriminatory behavior against us, such as firing multiple shots or using choke holds.

Unless and until law enforcement and this president understand the message of Black Lives Matter, the protests against racial injustice will continue. As Thurgood Marshall, the first African American on the U.S. Supreme Court, once said: In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.

Frank Campbell, Oakland

Landlords keep the lights on

Regarding Failed business (Letters, Sept 2.): The writer proclaims if landlords cant pay their bills then their business fails just like other businesses affected by the pandemic. This statement seems very short sighted because if a landlord fails, the water gets turned off, the lights go out and the garbage piles up. Tenants will find themselves on the street, which everyone is trying to avoid.

Keith Wardell, San Francisco

Release Trumps tax returns

When Donald Trump was first running for president, he refused to release his tax returns on the flimsy grounds that they were being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

Four years later, according to Trump taxes (News of the Day, Sept. 2), the presidents lawyers are fighting a subpoena from a Manhattan district attorney to obtain Trumps tax returns. Whatever damaging information is in these returns has still not been revealed to the American public. Its no surprise that Trump is now using legal tactics to delay the release of his tax returns until after Election Day.

But what is surprising is that his fervent evangelical base, who regularly pay their own taxes, would support this GOP candidate who once proclaimed that not paying taxes makes me smart. Millions of other taxpaying voters completely disagree with Trumps words and deeds, and will make their feelings known on Nov. 3.

Jason Park-Wu, Pleasanton

Nikki Haleys contradictions

Speaking at the GOP convention, Nikki Haley said that, America is not a racist country. Immediately after that line she went on to say that as a child she was, a brown girl in a black and white world. That sounds as if a persons race made a difference in her America. She added that her family faced discrimination and hardship.

Since she was raised in America where her family faced this discrimination and hardship because of their non-white status, it seems she has firsthand experience with America as a racist country. Just like her mind slipped when she said in the same speech that, We know that socialism has failed everywhere.

My guess is that the people in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark are happy with their free medical care, education and other services.

It is just so sad to see that Haley has either become radically forgetful, or she is happy to join other GOP leaders in spouting lies and exaggerations.

Jeremy Durfee, San Rafael

Legislature fails on housing

Its truly embarrassing that amidst a housing crisis that we cant legalize duplexes statewide. Im sick and tired of our super Democratic Legislature continuing to find ways to not pass any laws to increase density.

I worry these repeated failures to grow our cities for the future may be the signal to my generation that California simply doesnt care about its residents that dont already own homes.

Andy Day, San Francisco

Lift burden on postal service

Regarding Bring in Amazon (Letters, Aug. 28): The letter writer suggests that by letting Amazon take over the functions of the U.S. Postal Service, our mail delivery problems will be fixed in short order. I think thats a fine idea, provided that, like the post office, Amazon should be required to fully prefund the pensions of all of its employees for at least 50 years in advance, a requirement that is unsustainable for any government agency or private business.

This provision was put in place by a bill Congress passed in 2006 and the post office has struggled financially ever since. If Amazon was burdened with the same requirement, we would be rid of a vampire squid of a business and its richest man in the world owner could look forward to living out his years on Social Security like rest of us mere mortals.
A thief who stole from cars to fund a drug habit turned his life around due to the Covid-19 lockdown, a court was told today.

Jason McKinley's lawyer stressed the benefits of the restrictions as he avoided prison for taking a handbag from a vehicle in the centre of Belfast.

The 22-year-old, of Malone Road in the city, received a six-month suspended sentence.

Belfast Magistrates' Court was told he committed criminal damage and theft from a car on September 29 last year.

Prosecutors said he was seen with another man acting suspiciously in the Alfred Street area, looking into parked vehicles.

A window on one car was smashed and a handbag seized, but a member of the public chased and apprehended the pair.

McKinley was also dealt with for a separate common assault offence involving punching a man in a dispute over noise two months later.

The victim had been speaking with friends at a property in the Malone area on December 17 when McKinley came out and complained, according to the prosecution.

A short time later the defendant punched the man on the side of the neck.

Defence barrister Michael Boyd said his client had been stealing from cars to generate money for drugs, and would then normally plead guilty.

"Jason is now drug free... and lockdown probably has helped," Mr Boyd submitted.

"He seems to have benefited from the stability that has brought to his lifestyle. He's not been in trouble with police, and it's very much a good news story."

Imposing a total term of six months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, District Judge Fiona Bagnall backed counsel's assessment.

She said: "It's good to see some level of stability has come out of all this lockdown."
Government has re-launched its COVID-19 tracker several months after it was first launched in Ghana.

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia first launched the GH COVID-19 Tracker App on April 13, 2020 to help boost government's fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana.

Speaking at the re-launch of the upgraded GH COVID-19 tracker App on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said her outfit decided to re-launch the app because it had been updated and its efficiency improved.

She said the re-launch had also become necessary following the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport as well as the eased COVID-19 restrictions.

Today we are here once again to re-launch an upgraded version of the COVID-19symptom tracker, in view of the President's easing of restrictions on movement and the opening up of the airports to travellers. Our strategy of using a multi-staged COVID-19 recovery plan based on science and data requires the deployment and use of digital technology and innovation to restore every sector of the Ghanaian economy to normalcy.

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said the updated tracker app will enable healthcare staff to contact COVID-19 patients and track suspected cases, as well as identify COVID-19 hotpots.

Under this re-launch platform, healthcare staff will be able to contact patients and track the movements of COVID-19 live cases. The new platform can also alert users on moving out of allowed areas, report case breaches to authorities and push notifications to bulk users amongst others, she added.

Ursula said the COVID-19 tracker app forms part of measures to leverage technology to fight the spread of the disease.

She added that the new platform is accessible to everyone and not only smartphone users.

 citinewsroom
By Laman Ismayilova

Beshbarmag Daghi State Historical-Cultural and Natural Reserve has been included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance.

The Cabinet of Ministers amended the decision "On approval of the distribution of immovable monuments of history and culture being under state protection in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, regarding to their values".

Beshbarmag Daghi State Historical-Cultural and Natural Reserve was added to the "Archaeological Monuments" section of the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance.

Majestic Beshbarmag (Five Finger Mountain) has emerged as one of Azerbaijan's most desirable tourist destinations.

Travelers flock here by the millions to bear witness to awe-inspiring mountain which rises to 382 m above the sea level.

Known for its mythical stories, the mountain is a sacred place for regular visitation by pilgrims.

Legend has it that sometime in the ancient past prophet called Khidr traveled here in search of a life potion. Now locals come here to pray for strength and good fortune.

There is a mosque at the foothill of the mountain where people donate money. There is also another holly place on the way to the top: a small donation pilgrims receive, a personal blessing usually performed by whispering prayers and having their shoulders touched a few times with a stone.

Here you can also see colorful stripes of cloth tied to its branches signifying prayers or wishes of the pilgrims.

As a tourist attraction, its well worth climbing to witness a fascinating view on the Caspian Sea.

In June, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order about the establishment of Beshbarmag Mountain State History, Culture and Nature Reserve.

The territory of the Beshmarmag mountain (Five Fingers) located in Siyazan's Galashikhi village was declared as Beshbarmag mountain State History and Culture and Nature Reserve.

The State Tourism Agency ensures management of the reserve.

The Cabinet of Ministers is entrusted to inform the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev about the work carried out in this direction and solve other issues arising from this order.

The relevant expenses are allocated from the funds provided for the State Agency for Tourism in the state budget of Azerbaijan for 2020.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
In bringing the Key Colours Competition, an international biennial contest for picture book creators founded in 1979, to the United States, Clavis Publishing is looking to discover talented new illustrators and writers.

Wrapping up on Aug. 17 in a livestreamed event, the inaugural U.S. Key Colors Competition handed out its top prize to Amal Karzais My Key and named two runners-up: Susie Ohs Soomi's Sweater and Emma Wards Doriss Dear Delinquents. Karzai, who is based in New York, will be awarded $8,000 and a publishing contract from Clavis. Oh and Ward will both receive publishing contract from Clavis.

Clavis Publishing believes there is illustration talent all over the world, said Clavis CEO and Publisher Philippe Werck, who founded Clavis in his hometown of Hasselt, Belgium in 1979. The themes of children books are universal, the way illustrators give color to these themes may vary based on their cultural background and environment. We would like to see as many different colors in our picture books as possible. So we want to uncover and get a taste for the U.S. color pallet. Thats why we organized this Key Colors edition.

That color pallet included 156 entries to the first U.S. Key Colors Competition, 12 of which were named finalists and five of which were shortlisted. The shortlist included, Soomis Sweater, My Key, Doriss Dear Delinquents, Whose Dress Is This by Dora Wang, and The Shadow by Lara Vallance.

Clavis Publishing has offices in Belgium, Amsterdam, and New York. The company currently publishes approximately 250 childrens books annually internationally and 60 in the U.S. For more information about the Key Colors Competition, visit clavis-publishing.com/keycolors.
Unlock 4 brought relief for the bibulous in West Bengal on Tuesday when restaurants opened their bars after five months, following an order from the state excise department. Managers at several popular bars and lounges said that although business was not overwhelming on the first night, many customers turned up with friends for a drink or two. Safety protocols were however in place with occupancy restricted to 50 per cent of the sitting capacity.

There are more than 600 bars in the districts and around 350 in Kolkata.

The state government allowed stand-alone liquor shops to reopen in May but imposed an additional 30% tax to raise money for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Since this led to a drop in retail sale and affected the states revenue, the government has planned to break up the tax into several slabs, excise officials said.

No customer is allowed to enter without a mask and hand sanitizer is provided by the management. Customers can take off their masks after taking their seats, said a staff at Moulin Rouge, one of the oldest restaurants at Park Street, the Mecca for foodies in the state capital.

Also Read: JEE Main 2020: Examinees brave rain and lack of transport to take tests in Bengal

There were more customers at Aqua, our poolside bar, than Some Place Else, the lounge. We have set up a giant screen at Aqua where popular movies are being screened, said a spokesperson of the famous Park Hotel.

On June 8, when Unlock 1 was enforced, eateries and restaurants reopened after more than two months. But as Kolkatas restaurants prepared to adapt to the new normal, unanswered questions loomed large over the business because of social distancing norms and peoples concern for safety.

Also Read: In Bengal, CSIR-CMERI scientists set up worlds largest solar tree

But what bothered restaurant owners the most was that restriction on serving alcohol in Unlock 1 would hit the business hardest. They said that around 50 per cent of revenue at most establishments came from the sale of beer and hard drinks.
The wife of late controversial Oyo State politician, Lamidi Adedibu, has called on the Oyo State government to immortalise her husband.

Abosede Adedibu made this demand while appearing on a radio programme, Space FM 90.1, on Tuesday, in Ibadan.

During his lifetime, Mr Adedibu was one of the most influential politicians in the state. He was said to have influenced the impeachment of former governor Rashidi Ladoja by 18 members of a 32-member Oyo State House of Assembly in 2006.

He was the political godfather to many Oyo politicians, allegedly with the support of the federal government, led by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He also reportedly battled opposition in the state with then members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.

Mr Adedibu died on June 11, 2008.

But speaking on Tuesday, his wife said, as the godmother of the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde, an estate should be named after her husband.

I am proud to be seen as the godmother of the Governor of Oyo State. Yes, awa ni iya governor, she said.

I am working on how the governor will immortalise Baba (Adedibu). I will say it here and always that Baba did his best for the state while alive.

I do not see why he should not be immortalised. An estate or something more than that should be named after him.

The widow of the late politician also reminisced on how, when her husband was alive, many people used to name their landed property after Adedibu.

You see, for example, most of the time, people would just go and hang a sign post on their landed property, saying: This land belongs to Baba Adedibu, my late husband, she said.

They were only doing this to protect their property. They knew nobody would dare deprive them of their hard-earned property by doing this.

Baba would even assist such people to complete the house. He was a good man. He hated cheating. It is just that people do not show appreciation for good deeds in our society. They like going about peddling rumours about Baba.
EXETER  Advocates from both sides of the political spectrum made their case along the sidewalk of Schooley Avenue on Tuesday, prior to the arrival of Vice President Mike Pence for a political rally at Kuharchik Construction.
September 02, 2020





In many ways, a modern business is only as strong as its internet presence. The big bucks are on the web, and they are ripe for the taking. Long gone are the days of word-of-mouth and TV or billboard advertisements. Today, the struggle businesses face is online competition with other similar enterprises. So how can a company best take advantage of today's modern marketplace?







Here, we will take a look at some surefire ways to get the ball rolling.

1. Get Creative

You need to find something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It is not an option to blend in with your competitors. Let your personality shine on your website.

An online viewer is much more likely to remember you and your company if they leave your site with something they found endearing or enticing. Make sure to add a bit about yourself and your story to make your brand personable.

Consumers don't engage with companiesthey engage with people. Just because your site is functional and professional does not mean that it's ready for launch. Make sure it has a bit of your heart in it.

2. SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the one area you can not afford to overlook. Today, most consumers rely on search engines to bring them their requested content. You can no longer set up your website and hope for the best.

Here, it is best to reach out to local digital marketing experts. For example, business owners in New Zealand should seek an SEO agency Auckland to rank in the top of search results and appeal to consumers seeking local services.

SEO is an art form. It takes someone with professional expertise to give you a fair shot against your competitors. Using this online marketing strategy, you can stand apart from the crowd.

3. Team = Family

Your employees are family, but they're also the one family you can choose. Now is the time to cross-check and re-evaluate each team member.

Are they going to be there for you in the long haul? Is there anybody you can see becoming a problem down the line?

These conversations are hard to have, and firing or demoting an employee is one of the hardest parts of running a business. However, these obstacles will only become harder if you delay the hard decisions. Take advantage of your company's early days to refine your team and keep only the best of the crop.

4. Start Strong

Everyone loves a grand opening. A slow, stagnated start can be demoralizing for the whole team. Make sure that the whole community is aware of your launch.
The Assam government on Wednesday said two more months are likely to be taken by the experts to douse the flame at Oil Indias damaged gas well at Baghjan, where the gas is flowing uncontrollably for the past 99 days. Responding to a Zero Hour notice by Congress MLA Durga Bhumij, Commerce and Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that a team of experts from Canada are on their way to Baghjan in Tinsukia district to kill" the well through snubbing technology.

The experts are on their way to Assam from Canada with all advanced equipment. They will kill the well through snubbing technology. After carrying out preparatory works, the exercise may take 6-8 weeks to complete," Patowary said. In the meantime, the Oil India Ltd (OIL) is working on to control the well temporarily by shifting the flowing gas through a diverter and then producing the gas in two parallel lines, he added.

The well no. 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 99 days since May 27, and it caught fire on June 9 killing two of OILs fire fighters at the site. The minister said that a total of 3,000 families have been shifted to relief camps and the OIL along with the government are taking care of them.

The 12 houses that were completely burnt are being offered Rs 24 lakh each. In addition to that 1,484 families sliving nearby the well have been offered one-time relief of Rs30,000, while 1,197 families staying little far were given Rs25,000 each," he added. Besides, 57 families affected by the blaze will be provided Rs 10 lakh each and 561 more families with partial impact will be given Rs 2.5 lakh each as per the suggestions of the district administration, Patowary informed the House.

He further said that the local people are getting restless due to delay in getting the compensation amount and the companys inability to douse the fire, and they have camped in front of the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioners office to protest since August 24. Under the aegis of the local group Baghjan Gaon Milanjyoti Yuva Sangha, around 200 villagers are protesting.

As they are peaceful, we have allowed them to voice their anger. Taking note of their demands, we raised the concerns in front of the National Green Tribunal through its experts committee," Patowary said.

Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikiaraised the issue of the draft Environment Impact AssessmentNotification, 2020 and said it has waived the prior permission norms for setting up units for many sectors. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and some other states have their local laws to protect the environment and farm lands. We request the Assam government to protect our land by bringing in such local laws," he added.

Bhumij also pointed out that the Baghjan well disaster has caused enormous impact on the ecology with wildlife at nearby Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and aquatic life at adjacent Maguri-Motapung Beel dying since the blowout. On August 17, OIL achieved the first successful step towards dousing the blaze when it could place the Blow OutPreventer (BOP) in its third attempt at the mouth of the damaged gas well.

However, it again suffered a setback two days later when it had to suspend works for dousing the blaze after the casing valve used during the operation ruptured. The BOP is a very heavy metal cover weighing several tonnes that is placed at the mouth of any gas or oil well to stop leakage of the fuel from under the ground.

On July 22, three foreign experts from Singaporean firmAlert Disaster Control, which was invited to assist OIL and ONGC experts for putting out the inferno, received burn injuries while they were removing a spool from the well head.
Since it made its first splash on St. Patricks Day back in March, the Boo-yah has become known as one of the most unusual sights on the water around Bird Island and Robinson Island in Orange Beach.

The first reaction is usually, What is that? says Haley Blaise, who, along with her husband, Ian, owns the Orange Beach franchise of Cruisin Tikis.

The boat is certainly odd-looking. Its octagonal-shaped, 16 feet by 16 feet, with a bar and barstools around the perimeter and a thatched roof, giving it a tropical feel that goes well with Orange Beachs island vibe.

Cruisin Tikis started when CEO Greg Darby built the first floating tiki bar in his backyard in Fort Lauderdale after retiring from civil engineering, internet technology and data center operations, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Haleys brother-in-law first saw the unusual boats in Key West. The concept was so unique and so much fun that it was a no-brainer to get involved, says Haley. She, Ian and her brother-in-law started the Destin franchise three seasons ago.

Based in Destin, Ian works offshore as a ship captain, and Haley teaches ballet. They are the parents of three daughters. My husband is always trying to find ways to be home a lot more, she says.

After Cruisin Tikis took off in Destin, the Blaises decided Orange Beach would make another great location. The timing might not have been perfect  the COVID-19 pandemic would soon close the beaches  but the tiki had the advantage of being an outdoor activity limited to six passengers, with room for social distancing.

Based at Caribe Marina, in front of Cobalt the Restaurant at Perdido Pass, the tiki boat has been popular with locals and tourists alike  especially for bachelorette parties and girls trips, says Haley. The boat has also been the romantic site of proposals and vow renewals.

Guests bring their own drinks and snacks  coolers, cups, shot glasses and bottled water are provided. A professional captain  positioned in the center of the octagonal bar, in the bartenders spot  drives the tiki boat. The shot paddle is also provided and has become one of the most popular photo ops. The boat is also equipped with bluetooth speakers and a karaoke machine.

The most popular cruise is the three-hour island excursion (offered from March to October), which anchors at Bird Island, where passengers can float or snorkel for a while. Other options include one-and-a-half-hour sunset cruises and a harbor cruise.

The tiki boat runs seven days a week, year-round. And plans are already in the works to add a second vessel next year. Were super excited about Orange Beach, says Haley.

This little tiki boat has made such an impression. Its a unique way to get out on the water and do something different.

For more information about Cruisin Tikis Orange Beach, visit www.cruisintikisorangebeach.com.

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Shopping for school supplies is often a regular ritual for many students. But parents also need to make sure that their children are healthy before the first school bell rings.

As summer vacations come to a close, it's time to get kids ready for a new year of reading, writing and arithmetic. Mayo Clinic family physician Dr. Tina Ardon has three easy tips for heading back to school.

"No. 1 would be to make sure your child's exam (is) up to date," says Dr. Ardon.

If it's been a year or more, your child should see a health care provider and ensure immunizations are up to date.

No. 2: Make an eye appointment, especially if your young one has been having issues with vision.

"You hate to start back at school if we're having trouble seeing the board or reading our books," says Dr. Ardon.

And the third tip ...

" ... I would want to make sure our parents are really looking at getting back on a good routine in terms of sleeping and screen time," she says.

While summer bedtime may have been all over the map, as school gets set to start, get your kids back on a regular sleep schedule. And limit the amount of time spent in front of the TV, computer and other electronic devices. That will help with sleep, too.

2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
New Jersey is home to more Superfund sites  the nations most polluted locations  than any other state in the country.

It could soon have one more.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday it is proposing to add the Pioneer Metal Finishing, Inc. site in the Franklinville section of Gloucester Countys Franklin Township to the national Superfund list.

The site is a former electroplating facility that began operations in 1955. For the first couple of decades, until the late 70s, the facility discharged untreated waste containing metallics salts and sludge into an adjacent wetland. Today, soil in the area is contaminated with chromium, copper and nickel at levels that threat human health, as well as cancer-linked polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs.)

Electroplating work at the site stopped around 2005, according to the EPA. Today, the facility continues to be used for powder-coating operations.

Proposing to add the Pioneer Metal Finishing Inc. site to the National Priorities List is an important first step toward protecting human health and the environment in affected communities, said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. By elevating our focus on the Superfund program, we are making tremendous progress to accelerate cleanups and return sites to safe and productive use.

Pioneer Metals inclusion on the Superfund list was requested by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection due to the scope of the contamination and the complexity of the required cleanup, DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said.

Franklin Township Mayor Jake Bruno declined to comment when reached by NJ Advance Media.

The EPAs Pioneer Metal proposal will now be subject to a 60-day public comment period before the site is officially added to the national Superfund list.

News of the Pioneer Metal site proposal comes as three other polluted sites around the nation are also proposed to the Superfund list. The EPA also completed the proposal portions and officially added six sites in other states to the list.

Communities with sites on the National Priorities List are a true national priority under the Trump administration, said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Many of the sites we are adding today are in vulnerable, low-income, and minority communities that deserve our attention. EPA is demonstrating our commitment to assist overburdened communities in becoming cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous places to live, work, and go to school.

New Jersey currently has 114 Superfund sites, the most of any state or U.S. territory, according to the EPA.

Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, praised the move and called on the EPA to lead a thorough remediation of the Pioneer Metal site.

Adding this site to the National Priorities List will give it the attention and, hopefully, the cleanup plan it deserves, Tittel said. This will help protect the communities that have been impacted by this site for far too long.

This story was updated at 6:05 p.m. with information from the DEP.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com.
Introduced species blur natural geographic signatures in the global network of mutualistic interactions between plants and seed dispersers. Each point represents a plant or animal species and links show interactions observed at any location. Geographic patterns emerge when visualizing only interactions among native species (a) but are blurred when interactions involving introduced species are included (b). Credit: Evan Fricke and Jens-Christian Svenning, and Nature.

As introduced species spread around the world, the complex networks of interactions between plants and animals within ecosystems are becoming increasingly similar, a process likely to reinforce globalization's imprint on nature and increase risks of sweeping ecological disruption.

Researchers at the University of Maryland's National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and at the Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) at Aarhus University, have found that introduced species are reshaping mutualistic relationships between plants and animals at an accelerating pace, creating new ecological links between previously disconnected ecosystems. Their new study is featured on the cover of the Sept. 3 issue of Nature and published online September 2.

Featured on the cover of the Sept. 3 issue of Nature, the study was carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland's National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) at Aarhus University.

Losing Biodiversity's Portfolio Effect

Biodiversity is changing worldwide not only through the loss of species, but by species composition becoming more similar across different regionsa process called biotic homogenization. Just as diversification in an investment portfolio buffers it from downturns in certain sectors, diversity across ecosystems buffers natural systems from widespread collapse. The researchers found that homogenization affects mutualistic networks made up of plants and the animals that disperse their seeds. By compiling data from hundreds of sites around the world, they found that interactions involving a plant or animal that was an introduced species has increased seven-fold over the past 75 years. The resulting loss of the portfolio effect poses greater risk of sweeping disruption by broad-scale stressors such as climate change or disease outbreaks.

Introduced species are also influencing the structure of mutualistic networks in ways that reduce stability of individual ecosystems. When researchers look at the web of species interactions within natural ecosystems, there are often 'compartments' of closely interacting species that interact little outside their compartment. "This makes a network resilient because a disturbance such as overhunting, disease, or a pesticide that affects a certain species does not spread to affect species in other compartments," explained study author Evan Fricke, of SESYNC. The study shows that introduced species are often so generalized that they interact across multiple compartments, causing the loss of compartmentalized network structure and exposing more species to a given disruption.

Introduced Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) disperse seeds of introduced hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) in New Zealand Credit: Steve Attwood

A Breakdown of Geographic Isolation

The research also shows how regions that naturally had different combinations of species and interactions because of historic geographic isolation now are linked. "Eurasian blackbirds dispersing hawthorn seeds is a common mutualistic interaction among species native to Europe," Fricke said. "Today, that same species interaction also occurs on the opposite side of the planet in New Zealand where those species have been introduced by people."

The researchers quantified how introduced species have altered geographic patterns in the global web of mutualistic interactions. "What's striking to see is that natural biogeographic patterns that have existed for millions of years are being erased so quickly," Fricke said. A consequence of these new connections is that co-evolved relationships unique to isolated places in Madagascar, Hawaii, or New Zealand are now affected by introduced species. The loss of isolation changes the co-evolutionary trajectories of these mutualisms, which may cause species to evolve traits more similar to species in other parts of the world. "However, the introduced species may with time also themselves diverge from their source populations, adapting to their new setting," added study author Jens-Christian Svenning, professor and director of BIOCHANGE.

Native kerer? (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) disperse seeds of introduced hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) in New Zealand Credit: Steve Attwood

Feedbacks Shaping Future Ecosystems

As mutually beneficial interactions, seed dispersal mutualisms can determine which species are successful as ecosystems change over time. Compared to native species, introduced species are twice as likely to interact with partners that are also introduced, according to the study. This feedback may favor regeneration of introduced plants over native species. "These could have knock-on homogenizing effects for plant communities during natural reforestation of degraded forests, as well as plant range shifts as a result of climate change," Fricke said.

Managing the Loss of Complexity

"While many unintentionally introduced species may cause homogenizing effects that threaten ecosystem integrity, other introduced species may provide ecological benefits or even reverse the effects of biotic homogenization," Svenning continued. In the Hawaiian Islands, introduced animals perform nearly all seed dispersal for native plants after numerous extinctions and severe declines in native bird populations. While Hawaii represents an extreme case, ecosystems around the world have experienced steep declines of their largest animals, many of which are important seed dispersers. Like the birds in Hawaii, introduced large mammals can perform functions missing due to the decline of native species. "Our future research will target which species interact in ways that are likely to further homogenize ecosystems and those that can reverse homogenization by filling ecological roles lost due to past species decline," Svenning concluded.

Explore further Invasive alien species may soon cause dramatic global biodiversity loss

More information: Accelerating homogenization of the global plantfrugivore meta-network, Nature (2020). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2640-y Journal information: Nature Accelerating homogenization of the global plantfrugivore meta-network,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2640-y
The aggressive move by the US to force the Chinese firm ByteDance to sell the video sharing app TikTok to an American company is intensifying as the September 15 deadline imposed by President Donald Trump for divestiture approaches.

Before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, the president reiterated to reporters the two conditions required for TikTokwhich claims 100 million active users in the countryto continue to operate in the US.

I told them they have until September 15 to make a dealafter that we close it up in this country, Trump asserted, adding, I said the United States has to be compensated, well compensated.

While the forced divestiture of TikTok is contained in his executive order of August 6, Trump has not specified under what authority he has issued the compensation requirement. As reported by Bloomberg, government fee assessments on transactions of this type normally do not amount to more than $300,000, which appear to fall short of what Trump has demanded.

The imposition of massive fees to be paid to the US government for brokering the sale of the highly valued Chinese tech firms assets to an American ownerat bargain basement pricesis unprecedented and amounts to a White House-orchestrated fencing operation with TikTok as the loot.

This aspect of the Trump administrations bullying of ByteDance has not been lost on the Chinese government, which has referred to the September 15 deadline as a forced fire sale.

Late Friday, Chinas Commerce Ministry retaliated and imposed a new set of export controls on the countrys businesses, stating that artificial intelligence (AI) interface technologies such as speech and text recognition software and algorithms that analyze data and make personalized content recommendations are matters of national security.

It just so happens that AI and content recommendation tools are a core part of TikToks platform and success. In a June 18 blog post, TikTok explained some details of how these sophisticated technologies work: When you open TikTok and land in your For You feed, youre presented with a stream of videos curated to your interests, making it easy to find content and creators you love. This feed is powered by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that particular user. Part of the magic of TikTok is that theres no one For You feedwhile different people may come upon some of the same standout videos, each persons feed is unique and tailored to that specific individual.

The core capabilityand valueof the TikTok recommendation engine is not just its ability to analyze the previous behavior of users and serve up content that is specific to their interests. It is TikToks ability to predict future behavior that is the holy grail of social media advertising revenue because its compelling individualized content keeps users viewing their feed for longer and longer periods of time.

According to Eugene Wei, a tech startup investor from San Francisco, it is TikToks mastery of AI and deep learning that has made the platform a success. As Wei told the Wall Street Journal, When you gaze into TikTok, TikTok gazes into you. To see it as merely a novelty meme video app for kids is to miss what is its much greater disruptive potential.

The possibility that American companies can acquire these advanced systems at a fraction of their market value and without having to develop them from the ground up makes the acquisition of TikTok an especially attractive proposition. Facebook, for examplewith its nearly 3 billion worldwide users and present stock market value of $850 billionhas only recently implemented a service called Reels on Instagram that emulates the capabilities of TikTok that have been in place for more than two years.

This fact is also clearly understood by the Chinese government and is the reason why Beijing has intervened with export rules to hold back this capability from a possible sale of the assets of the platform. According to the Journal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular media briefing on Monday, that the US is using economic-bullying and political-manipulation tactics against non-U.S. companies.

The Trump administrations emergency order threatening to shut down TikTok in the US is based on completely bogus and unproven national security claims that the Chinese-based company has been gathering the private information of American citizens and turning it over to Beijing state intelligence. The campaign is entirely motivated by the domestic and international political needs of the Trump administration for whipping up anti-Chinese sentiments within the US and prosecuting aggressive geostrategic goals aimed at suppressing the emergence of a major threat to American global hegemony.

The campaign against TikTokalong with the China-based WeChat mobile applicationwas initiated by Democratic Party leaders in Congress who began demanding in late 2019 along with their Republican counterparts that the app be banned among Transportation Safety Administration employees and US military personnel as a threat to national security.

The unity between the Democrats and Republicans on Trumps xenophobic anti-Chinese economic measures is most clearly expressed by the New York Times, which has published a steady stream of articles that have applauded the forced sale of TikTok. In an article published on Monday, the Times takes a notably supportive position in relationship to the actions of the White House, noting, If China does move to block TikToks sale, that could goad Mr. Trump into taking harsher action, further escalating tensions between the United States and China.

On Monday, rumors that a sale of TikTok was imminent were being widely reported in the corporate business media. According to CNBC, the bidders for the platform included the software companies Microsoft and Oracle and the retailer Walmart. The report said, Walmart emerged as a surprise contender last week, saying the social media app would augment its e-commerce efforts.

However, unnamed individuals who are familiar with the negotiations said that the US government demanded that a tech company lead the offering and Walmart then entered into a consortium that included Alphabet (parent of Google and YouTube) and Softbank. When these two latter firms dropped out of the negotiations, Walmart teamed up with Microsoft.

The CNBC report said that a buyer had been selected to purchase TikToks US, New Zealand and Australian operations, and Microsoft, in partnership with Walmart, and Oracle are the two top contenders. The sale price is expected to be in the range of $20 billion to $30 billion.
News

TO NANEESDIZI, DINETAH, NAVAJO NATION - The Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund, an initiative of Yee Haoolniidoo (May the Navajo People Have Fortitude), was awarded a $200,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The support comes at a critical juncture for the organization. As the Navajo and Hopi communities settle into a new season of struggle against the virus, this support strengthens Yee Haoolniidoo to continue sustained relief efforts against the pandemic.

We are so thankful for this investment in further strengthening the grassroots response to COVID-19 in our communities, and also for the tremendous foresight in funding long-term, sustainable solutions to address the longstanding food insecurity in our Navajo and Hopi communities, said Ethel Branch, Founder and Interim Executive Director for Yee Haoolniidoo.

When 12 women from the Navajo and Hopi nations began organizing to protect their communities from COVID-19 in March, they had no idea their effort would blossom into a relief fund of more than $5.8 million backed by nearly 93,000 supporters from around the world. Together, the team has trained roughly 160 volunteers in stringent health and safety protocols, and provided more than $2 million worth of food, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment to over 23,665 vulnerable Navajo and Hopi families (and an estimated 94,660 individuals) in the midst of this pandemic.

We are deeply appreciative of the commitment, love, and devotion of the women who organized swiftly to respond to community needs, said Natasha K. Hale, Program Officer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This cadre of women have demonstrated leadership and loyalty to nation-building, and because of their knowledge of systems and close relationships with community leaders, they were best positioned to respond.

Each family receives two weeks of high-quality fresh food, as well as water, masks, cleaning supplies, and other essential items. They also receive culturally-relevant COVID-19 educational materials, including in the Navajo language. Most recently Yee Haoolniidoo collaborated with Air Serv International to charter 24 flights to deliver 48,193 pounds of supplies to remote corners of the Navajo and Hopi nations.

The support from the Kellogg Foundation helps with capacity building and long-term planning for Yee Haoolniidoo, including transitioning the organization to having permanent staff and fixed distribution centers at multiple sites. This will provide stability for relief efforts and help prepare for future waves of COVID-19. The grant also supports the development of additional culturally-relevant educational material designed to flatten the curve on the two nations.

In an effort to lay the foundation for long-term food security on Navajo and Hopi, Yee Haoolniidoo will conduct a network and landscape analysis to identify partners in the local food and farmers market space, opportunities to strengthen agriculture and irrigation infrastructure, and seed bank partners with a focus on the distribution and preservation of traditional heirloom fruits and vegetables. We are excited that the Kellogg Foundation is willing to invest in distinctly Dine and Hopi solutions to the food security challenge that our ancestors designed and refined over centuries, and that our elders and young farmers continue to implement today, noted Branch.

Yee Haoolniidoo continues to accept donations through GoFundMe and via checks made out to Nonprofit Fiscal Services (the organizations new fiscal sponsor as of June 18). Please note in the subject line of the check that the donation is for Navajo/Hopi relief. Checks can be mailed to NFS at 623 East 2100 South, Suite B1, Salt Lake City, UT 84106.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation:

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.
While Bollywood is beginning to tell more stories that put women front and centre, they tend to be stories of extraordinary women. For every Gunjan Saxena, there's also a Tumhaari Sulu, but the former tends to outweigh the latter. We still dont tell enough stories about the every woman.

Jab amazing ho sakti hutoh normal kyun banu (when I can be amazing why should I be normal)  Vidya Balans Shakuntala Devi tells her daughter in the recently released Amazon Prime Film. Shes not the only one who thinks this way when it comes to women protagonists in our films.

While Bollywood is beginning to tell more stories that put women front and centre, they tend to be stories of extraordinary women. If Saand Ki Aankh had the trailblazing sharp-shooting Tomar sisters, Manikarnika chronicled the life of the swashbuckling Rani of Jhaasi and Sehmat in Raazi is an Indian spy who takes on the might of the Pakistani Army. Notice the common thread? These are fierce, kickass, heroic women. That these films are giving us female role models is quite a change from the 80s and 90s when female characters had little agency, confidence and capability. It is important to note, though, that we still dont tell enough stories about the every woman.

Vidya as Sulu (Sulochana) in Tumhari Sulu is a suburban housewife who has found her happily ever after. She is a mother who participates in the lemon-and-spoon race in her sons school and the wife who waits for her husband to come home from work. She has a small dream  she wants a career. After many a failed attempt, Sulu finds herself in front of a microphone at a radio station and her late night call-in show becomes wildly popular. While it wasnt perfect, debutant director Suresh Triveni gave us a story that called to mind some of the films of the 70s, starring the likes of Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha, Pearl Padamsee and Utpal Dutt where the spotlight was firmly on the aam aadmi/aurat(common man/woman).

Dont underestimate the power of the common man, Shah Rukh famously said in Rohit Shettys Chennai Express and, if the last few years are anything to go by, Bollywood has embraced the sentiment.

As the larger-than-life hero is slowly fading out, the aam aadmi stories are gaining popularity. From Vicky Donor to Trapped, both Ayushmann Khurranna and Rajkumaar Rao have filmographies that are a testament to this shift. Tumhari Sulu is that rare film that trained its lens on the aam aurat, someone who is normally ignored in our films.

Earlier this year, Anubhav Sinha gave us Amrita, a stay-at-home wife who has made her husbands dreams her own in Thappad. While he is climbing the corporate ladder, she makes sure that all his needs are met at home  she runs after him with his wallet, feeds him his unfinished breakfast, takes care of his elderly mother and is the consummate hostess when he entertains. The couple lives in Delhi but Amrita could be any housewife in Bengaluru or Bhatinda. The director, though, thinks that too much is made of the trend of women-led films.

Lets not to take this phenomenon too seriously. A lot of it is just because we are making more films, for both theatrical and OTT release. So, some stories about women get included. If I'm making Rani Laxmibai, it's obviously because she's a personality and an extraordinary character. Or like Mithali Raj who is extraordinary. But where are we making films about ordinary men? You're making films about heroes that walk at 100 frames a second and they can also sing and dance. Actors like Ayushmann and Rajkummar make four films year. So you have four films a year with ordinary men and four with ordinary women. So, it's not too bad and it's not too good, it's just ordinary, he says in his trademark style.

In the last two years, however, a leading studio like Dharma Productions has had three films  Raazi, Guilty and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl  that tell womens stories, albeit not all around the aam aurat. Their head of creative development, Somen Mishra has been involved in all three. According to Mishra, the criteria for picking these stories is simple  the story has to be interesting. It's not that we are looking for something heroic, or somebody doing day-to-day things. It's about how interesting the journey is and if the journey can hold for two hours. That's the criteria, he says. The big difference between Guilty and Gunjan Saxena is the medium the films were intended for. While the former was always an OTT film, the Janhvi Kapoor film was intended for a big screen release. For a theatrical, the stakes are much higher and the stakes for the story also have to be higher. OTT gives you the option to explore spaces where the person doesn't need to be as heroic maybe, but can be more complex, adds Mishra.

Having directed films like Nil Battey Sannata and Panga, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari knows a thing or two about this substantial segment of our society. The every woman's story doesn't get told because we just take her for granted. We always feel that she's there  the mother and the wife  and things will happen around her. It's time we put her in front and see what she's thinking. I always wanted to be the voice of the voiceless, rather than doing biopics and talking about strong personalities whose stories are already known because of the circumstances and what they fought for. I want to tell the stories of every woman from every cross section of society, says Tiwari.

Industry experts would tell you that studios wont green light a film about the hopes and dreams of the regular woman. Its all in the writing according to Tiwari. My woman would be the protagonist but there are a lot of other characters that are integral to the storytelling. It's never in isolation and that makes it easier to tell the story along with a studio. Someone asked me what I wanted the audience to take away from Nil Battey Sannata and Panga. I want every boy and man to call up their mothers after watching the film. Women-oriented films or men-oriented films are something the media comes up with audiences don't watch films like that. Audiences see films as films. So, it's very important that your character sketches are extremely well-written. When that happens, the film can never be about just one person. One person can drive the story but each person watching, regardless of their gender, should have their own takes, and that's the beauty of storytelling.

In a pivotal scene from Tiwaris 2020 film Panga, Jaya Nigam (played by Kangana Ranaut), a former captain of the Indian womens kabaddi team who is struggling to make a comeback, says, Main ek maa hoon aur maa ke koi sapne nahi hote hain (I am a mother and mothers have no dreams). Tiwari shares that she finds inspiration in her 40-year-old maid who is being forced to have another child because her husband wants a son, and an aunt who went back to study after her kids grew up. Movies, however, are a tough business and its not always easy to convince a room full of suits that the audience at large would be interested in a story of a 32-year-old who wants to play kabaddi again even if an A-list actress plays the character. Maybe its not about our storytellers casting a wider net for inspiration, maybe its time to forget the net and look around at the women in our homes and lives.
Two people died Saturday in separate crashes that occurred almost an hour and about one mile apart on Interstate 81 in Montgomery County, Virginia State Police said Wednesday.

Chelsea Rae King, 29, of Christiansburg, a nurse who worked at LewisGale Medical Center in Salem, and David Thomas Tucker, 28, a musician and composer who lived in California, were killed in the wrecks.

The first crash came at 6:19 p.m. at the 119.2 mile marker of southbound I-81, state police said.

King, driving a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, moved from the center lane to the right lane and hit the back of a 2014 International tractor-trailer. The Jeep caught fire and King died at the scene, state police said.

State police said the truck driver was not injured.

Kings medical colleagues described her as very smart and energetic  with a wonderful bedside manner, LewisGale spokeswoman Linda Scarborough wrote in an email.

We mourn the loss of such a talented, young and vibrant member of our team, Scarborough wrote, adding the hospital systems condolences to Kings family, friends and co-workers.

A second collision came at 7:05 p.m. at the 120.4 mile marker, amid a traffic backup from the initial wreck, Sgt. Rick Garletts of the state police wrote in an email.

David Thomas Tucker, 28, in a 2006 Infinity, ran into the rear of a 2019 Mack tractor-trailer. Tucker was from California, Garletts wrote. The officer did not have more specific information on Tuckers home.

According to state police, Tucker was wearing a seat belt but also died at the scene of the crash. The truck driver was unhurt.

Tim Huling, an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, identified Tucker as a 2017 graduate of the school who wrote for films and television shows. Tuckers page on the IMBd film website listed an assortment of music-related credits, including composition credits for two short films, one a Civil War-related virtual reality project that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and an episode of the series Fall Into Me. He also played music under the name Davey Thomas Ronaldo and IMBd listed an additional composition credit under that name.

He is missed with great pain by his fellow Berklee alumni and Berklees film scoring faculty, Huling wrote in an email. He was a good friend, a talented composer, a person of character.

Both crashes continue to be investigated, state police said.

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Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament, Tuesday, said the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government will abrogate the Agyapa Royalties Agreement.



He said the NDC Minority would put the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Conduct Authority on notice that the Agyapa Agreement did not meet the required due diligence and transparency, and that a substantial level of conflict of interest ran through the structuring of the agreement.



He said the Agreement did not meet the minimum requirement of Ghana's Constitution and that a lot of things about it were still shrouded in secrecy.



"This agreement, is therefore, tainted with some corrupt acts," Mr Iddrisu stated at the NDC's 12th Weekly Meet the Press Series in Accra.



The Minority Leader recalled that on Friday, August 14, the last day of the second meeting of the Fourth Session of the Seventh Parliament, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo caused seven agreements relating to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) to be laid before Parliament for approval.



He said the agreements sought to mortgage Ghana's future mineral royalties and long term national assets in perpetuity without any regard to its implication on future national revenue streams.



"Through this transaction, the Akufo-Addo Government intends to use a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Agyapa Royalties, incorporated as an offshore company in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, a known tax haven, in exchange for an upfront amount of $500 million, under the Mineral Development Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978) and its amendment Act, which strangely, was yet to be assented to by the President in accordance with Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution to make it law," Mr Iddrisu said.



"The Government of Ghana will own 51 per cent of the shares of the Company and remaining 49 per cent floated on the London Stock Exchange."



He said that Members of Parliament had less than four hours to scrutinise these agreements and ascertain the extent to which they would enhance the welfare of the people of Ghana and, in particular, its ramifications on national revenue into the future.



"Paradoxically, the Akufo-Addo Government claims to have used two years to prepare these agreements and yet, the peoples representatives in Parliament were required to peruse and approve same in less than four hours."



He said the NDC Minority in Parliament, took a strong position in the national interest that the haste with which these high-stakes agreements were being rushed through the parliamentary approval process did not augur well for the important exercise of Parliamentary oversight on an issue as critical as the mortgaging of the gold royalties of the country in perpetuity.



However, as the representatives of the people of Ghana, it was their duty to ensure that such agreements met key legal legal and constitutional requirements before approval, he said.



He said the Minority, therefore, requested for the full complement of requisite documents to guide and facilitate a thorough scrutiny and due diligence of the proposed deal in accordance with article 185 of the 1992 Constitution.



Key amongst these requisite documents were the prospectus for the eventual sale of shares in Agyapa through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange and the prospectus would contain more important details of the deal such as projected cash flows, underlying assumptions and the dividend policy.



Others were the incorporation details for the SPV, Agyapa Royalties, detailed justification for the choice of Jersey, a known tax haven and fiscal impact assessment.



Mr Iddrisu said the Government refused to make these key documents available to them on the excuse that they were in a draft form and for reasons of confidentiality, could not to be shared.



He said this decision of the Government was in clear violation of Article 181(5) of the Constitution, which required that such documents together with the agreements be laid before Parliament for approval.



"As a direct consequence of this concealment of vital information from the people of Ghana, the debate on the floor of Parliament was extremely acrimonious, and eventually, the Members of the Minority in Parliament were compelled to stage a walk out as a clear statement of our intent to protect the national interest at all cost."



He said the Minority in Parliament would like to state unequivocally that a future NDC Government would not honour the terms of this unconscionable agreement.

Mr Iddrisu said the NDC viewed strongly the decision to mortgage Ghanas future mineral royalties in perpetuity was grossly inimical to the interest of the people of Ghana and ran contrary to the constitutional imperative that governmental power be exercised for the welfare of the people of Ghana.



He said the deal failed to enhance public welfare, adding that their analysis shows clearly that Ghana stood to lose billions of United States dollars in revenue as annual gold royalties from the mining sector amounted to about $200 million on the average.



He said it made no economic sense, therefore, to mortgage these receivables to an opaque Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in exchange for an upfront amount of just $500 million.



Mr Iddrisu said the incorporation of Agyapa as an offshore company in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, a known tax haven, was worrying.



He said tax havens were generally known for their lack of transparency in matters of corporate governance such as disclosure of the beneficial ownership of the shares of companies.



"Tax havens are susceptible to money-laundering and thus elevate the risk of Ghana being listed as a money-laundering jurisdiction by international bodies such as the European Union and the United Nations."



He said Ghanaians would recall that in May 2020, the European Union placed Ghana on its Anti-Money Laundering List (AML) but deferred the implementation date to October 1, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



He said by setting up a sovereign wealth fund in a tax haven, the Government significantly elevated the risk of Ghana being considered as a money-laundering jurisdiction.



Mr Iddrisu said this was because individuals and businesses used tax havens such as Jersey to hide their income and wealth so as to avoid payment of taxes and general regulatory scrutiny of their business deals.



He said the European Union, the OECD and the United Nations used evidence of these offshore deals to rate countries on the effectiveness of their anti-money laundering regimes, including laws, regulations, policies, and other governmental actions.



With regard to the Minoritys concerns on off-budget transaction, Mr Iddrisu said the deal was intended to monetize gold royalties to fund the Budget and ought to have been reflected in the Budget Statement tabled for approval and subsequently enacted in the various Appropriation Acts for the 2020 Fiscal Year, stating that the deal did not reflect in the Budget Statement for the 2020 Fiscal Year.

Meanwhile, the Government has denied any wrongdoing, saying the initiative was to was intended to maximise the national mineral wealth and create more value along the gold value chain.



The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, at a media conference on August 28, therefore, refuted claims that some government officials were seeking to use the Agyapa deal to enrich themselves by mortgaging the country's future mineral royalties, adding, "That state-capture claim is false".



The conference was to clarify some concerns raised by the Minority NDC and CSOs over the Agyapa agreement.



Mr Ofori-Atta said the Agyapa transaction would turn the gold royalties into multiple revenue streams for the country by virtue of listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange to raise funds upfront for infrastructural development.



"We must be creative in our quest to raise revenue for our development by giving direct access to our resources in a manner that is open, transparent and operates within laws that exist outside our country.



"It is time to re-imagine our future. We're tired of being cheated by foreign companies and we are constraining ourselves from using the same vehicle they use to get funds upfront for investments.



"We must to maximise value of income that is due the Republic from the mineral wealth for the benefit of our citizens.



"We often fail to see the value in our mineral resources because when we're assessing the effectiveness of our policies and legislations, we limit the extent of our expectations to our national borders.



"We take no interest in what happens to our resources when they leave our shores, and how they're traded on the foreign markets and how companies leverage such resources to create cheap financing and use different ways to generate profit,"Mr Ofori-Atta stated.

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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Alexey Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and one of Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent the German government said, the same type of Russian military chemical weapon used in the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, Sergey Skripal, in Britain in 2018.

Navalny, 44, is being treated at the Berlin university hospital where he was transported to after falling ill on a plane in Siberia two weeks ago. He remains in an induced coma in the hospital's intensive care unit.

MORE: Before Navalny, a long history of Russian poisonings

A spokesman for Germany's federal government, Steffen Seibert, in a statement released Wednesday said that tests by a German military lab had provided "unequivocal proof" that Navalny had been poisoned with "a chemical nerve warfare agent of the Novichok group."

PHOTO: Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally in Moscow, Feb. 29, 2020. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters, FILE)

Novichok is the name of a number of nerve agents developed as part of a secret Soviet chemical weapons program. A Novichok nerve agent was used to poison the ex-Russian spy Sergey Skripal and his daughter in March 2018 in the British town of Salisbury, an attack that British authorities have said was carried out by agents from Russia's military intelligence agency.

Germany's government condemned the poisoning and said Russia must urgently provide an explanation around it, saying the Russian ambassador has been summoned over the case. It said Germany will inform NATO and European Union countries about the result of its investigation and to discuss "an appropriate joint reaction."

Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny's poisoning a crime and an attempt "to silence him." She said that the finding of a Novichok nerve agent raised very serious questions "which only the Russian government can and must answer."

"It's clear that Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime. He was supposed to be silenced and I, together with the entire German government condemn this in the strongest possible terms," Merkel told reporters on Wednesday.

Story continues

Merkel said that Germany would "deliberate together" now with NATO and EU countries and "depending on the Russian reaction we will decide on an adequate common reaction."

PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks to the media in Berlin, Sept. 2, 2020. (Markus Schreiber/Reuters)

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted after Merkel's statement saying she had been informed by Merkel of the findings and called it "a despicable and cowardly act -- once again." She wrote, "Perpetrators need to be brought to justice."

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Ullyot, said in a written statement that "The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today."

"The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today. Alexei Navalny's poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past. We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities. The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents," the full statement read.

Russia's government has previously denied any involvement in Navalny's illness and the Russian doctors initially treating Navalny in a Siberian hospital have said there was no evidence he had been poisoned.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said Russia was ready to cooperate with the German investigation but noted that "no toxic substances" had been found by the Russian doctors.

Russia's foreign ministry accused Germany of ignoring formal channels for cooperation and said it believed "an information campaign" was starting against Russia.

"Our partners prefer yet again public statements without any kind of facts. All this is turning once again into an information campaign," the foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Navalny's colleagues and relatives had earlier accused the Kremlin of being directly involved in Navalny's poisoning and accused Russian authorities of a cover-up.

Doctors in the Siberian hospital Omsk where Navalny was being treated have repeatedly said they found no evidence of poisoning and had suggested instead he had suffered a sudden fall in blood sugar caused by a "metabolic disorder" and "chronic pancreatitis".

But shortly after Navalny arrived in Berlin's Charite hospital for treatment, however, doctors there said they believed he had been poisoned with cholinesterase inhibitors, a broad class of chemicals that includes nerve agents, including Novichok. Staff from the Charite had requested help from Britain's Porton Down military chemical weapons lab which had analysed the Novichok nerve agent used against Skripal, the hospital told ABC News last week.

One of Navalny's top lieutenants Leonid Volkov, tweeted that the finding a Novichok nerve agent was proof of Putin's responsibility for Navalny's poisoning.

"In 2020 to poison Navalny with 'Novichok' is the same as to leave a signature at the scene of the crime. This one," Volkov wrote, posting a photo of Putin's signature.

The use of a Novichok agent would greatly bolster evidence that Navalny's poisoning was carried out by Russian state agencies. Chemical weapons experts have said the nerve agents cannot be easily produced anywhere outside a handful of specialised state-run labs.

Russia has also always denied it was behind Skripal's poisoning, despite extensive evidence linking Russian military intelligence agents who visited Skripal's house in Salisbury shortly before his poisoning.

Following Skripal's poisoning in 2018, NATO countries, including the United States expelled dozens of Russian diplomats as part of a coordinated response.

'Novichok' -- which translates as "New Boy" in Russian -- is the name given to a series of nerve agents developed under a secret Soviet program known as "FOLIANT".

Russia has denied the program even existed, despite accounts from several of the scientists who worked on it. The Novichok nerve agents are based on organophosphates and according to Vil Mirzayanov, a Russian scientist who helped make their existence public, could be five to eight times more effective than VX gas.

MORE: Russian doctors allow 'poisoned' opposition leader Alexey Navalny be flown to Germany for treatment

Navalny is Russia's most prominent opposition leader, who made his name through investigations of alleged corruption by powerful Russians, including top officials and some of Putin's inner circle. He also built a grassroots opposition movement that has helped lead some of the largest anti-Putin protests in Moscow in recent years.

Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny was poisoned with Novichok nerve agent, German government says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
on Tuesday reported 15,765 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the overall cases in the state to 8,08,306, informed the Public Health Department.

As per the bulletin, there are 1,98,523 active cases in the state. 5,84,537 patients have recovered from the disease across the state till Tuesday while 10,978 patients were discharged today.

With 320 fatalities on Tuesday, the toll due to COVID-19 in the state surged to 24,903.

A total of 42,11,752 samples have been tested in the state to date.

The case fatality rate in the state stands at 3.08 per cent while the recovery rate is at 72.32 per cent.

As many as 1,142 fresh COVID-19 positive cases reported in Mumbai today, taking the total count to 46,947 including 1,18,864 recoveries, 20,065 active cases and 7,690 deaths, said the Municipal Corporation Greater Mumbai.

India's COVID-19 case tally has reached 36,91,167 including 7,85,996 active cases, 28,39,883 cured/discharged/migrated and 65,288 deaths.

(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.)
Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Aug. 31, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

On Violence, Democrats Strategy Has Officially Changed From Ignoring It to Dangerously Blaming Trump

Commentary

The world knows the Democrats said not a word about the violence in the major cities they govern during their national convention. Soon after, it became apparent that was a bad political strategy. Rather than risk angering their base by demanding an immediate end to it, the Democrats have reverted to their playbook of blaming Trump.

Over the weekend, the headlines blared.

One read: Its you: Portland mayor blames racist Trump for violence. Another headline read: Mayor Ted Wheeler blames Trump for the Patriot killed in Portland  calls him a racist. You read that right. President Trump is to blame because someone shot a Trump supporter.

Not to be out done, Adam Schiff claimed Trump is fanning the flames of violence, and the Democrat nominee Joe Biden said Trump is recklessly encouraging violence.

Never mind that claims of racism by the police increased under President Obama as did the violence against police officers. Dont be swayed by the fact the violence in Portland has been going on, almost unchecked, for more than three months. Dont consider the effects of the defund the police movement on the wave of police retirements nor on the decisions of the police to stand down in the face of the violence.

The same goes for actions of a California District Attorney, who was funded in part by a George Soros group, recently setting forth guidelines for charging looters depending on whether the looter committed the theft for personal need.

If a problem exists in America today, many Democrats say it has to be President Trumps fault.

Keep in mind that the resistance to the election of the Trump Presidency has only been eclipsed in American history by the South seceding from the Union with the election of Lincoln.

The Democrats spied/investigated Trump before and after he got elected. When they got caught, they blamed Trump for inviting Russian interference. It didnt matter that the Obama Administration knew of Russian actions related to the election (unrelated to Trump or his campaign) and did nothing about it.

On Covid, the Democrats claim President Trump is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. It doesnt matter to them that their two biggest party leaders, Biden and Pelosi, opposed Trumps xenophobic decision (as Joe Biden called it) to cut off travel from Chinaa decision that saved countless lives.

The Democrats in Washington, D.C. and in many Blue states continue to demand shutdown policies. But, according to them, the poor economy is Trumps fault because he should have acted earliereven though they opposed his early actions.

If Trump wants to cut the payroll tax, it will be his fault if social security is harmed. It doesnt matter that they voted for a payroll tax cut and President Obama signed it into law.

In 2017, less than a year into his term, Democrats blamed President Trump for rising Obamacare premiums, even though during President Obamas last year in office  premiums went up an average of 25 percent.

The list for what the Democrats blame Trump could go on and on, including the 2018/2019 government shutdown (despite their spending demands) and the crisis at the border (as if illegal immigration was caused by Trump). Dont forget the use of cages at the border that were built by the Obama administration or the family separation policy that began under Obama.

Simply stated, the policies of the Democrats are never at fault and neither are Democrats. Nor are those breaking the law or even killing the police or other citizens.

If something is wrong in America today, it is President Trumps fault despite Joe Biden being in Washington for 51 years, or Senate leader Chuck Schumer being there for 45 years or Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi being there for 33 years.

This time is different though. This lie is dangerous. The difference is that the Democrats are not just ignoring the violence, by blaming Trump, they are officially condoning the violence.

You see, it is an article of faith among many of the violent and worse that they are justified in their violence and murder. They feel justified because they have heard their leaders repeatedly call Trump racist, including Sanders, Pelosi, AOC, and Biden.

They also have listened for four years to the far-left media about how Trump is evil. They just heard the Joe Biden lie that Trump hasnt spoken out against White nationalists.

So, when the Democrats blame Trump for the violence in their cities they failed to control, they are outright siding with the offenders. They are excusing their behavior. They are giving them cause.

Few things in politics could be less responsible and few things necessitate the defeat of Democrats this November more than what they are doing now.

Thomas Del Beccaro is an acclaimed author, speaker, Fox News, Fox Business, and Epoch Times opinion writer, and the former chairman of the California Republican Party. Hes the author of the historical perspectives The Divided Era and The New Conservative Paradigm.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A celebration takes place in Kyrgyz city of Bishkek for the 28th anniversary of Kyrgyz Republic's Independence Day in 2019. / Courtesy of Embassy of Kyrgyzstan



The following is a contribution from the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Korea.  ED.



The Kyrgyz Republic celebrates the 29th anniversary of its Independence on Aug. 31, 2020.



In fact, the statehood of the Kyrgyz people dates back several centuries. According to history, the Kyrgyz nation had their own state in the VIII, X, XVII centuries. Kyrgyz people maintained wide diplomatic ties with Mongolia, China and other states. From the year of 860 to 873, the Kyrgyz sent three plenipotentiaries to China. Later, due to number of reasons, the Kyrgyz state collapsed and has become dependent on the conquerors. The centuries-old history of the Kyrgyz people is marked by severe losses, incessant struggle for freedom and independence. Starting from the XVII century until the October Revolution in Russia the Kyrgyz people no longer had their own statehood. Later, in 1936 Kyrgyzstan became a republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). After the collapse of the Soviet Union Kyrgyzstan gained the independence.



On Aug. 31, 1991 the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan adopted a declaration on the state sovereignty. The countdown of the new history of Kyrgyzstan, which has become an independent, sovereign, democratic state, begins from that date.





Kyrgyz Ambassador to Korea Dinara Kemelova

Since the beginning of its sovereignty, the Kyrgyz Republic has chosen the presidential-parliamentary path of development, the elections of the first president of Kyrgyzstan were held in 1991. The state has taken a course towards the development of a market economy and the implementation of democratic principles, the protection of human rights and freedoms.



The Constitution of Kyrgyzstan, state symbols  flag, coat of arms, anthem  were adopted on May 5, 1993.



Since March 2, 1992, Kyrgyzstan has been a member of the U.N. Kyrgyzstan was the first country among the countries of the former USSR to introduce its national currency, the som, and is the first country out of the region to join the WTO in 1998.



Over the years of its independence, Kyrgyzstan has established diplomatic relations with 164 countries and is a member of 124 international organizations.



However, along with its achievements, the Kyrgyz Republic, which had a winding path towards democracy, has had certain difficulties too. The freedom-loving people of Kyrgyzstan had protested twice against the authoritarian regimes of the country, against the corrupted family-clan rule in 2005 and 2010. As a result of these mass protests of the population, two presidents of the country have been displaced from the post.



As an outcome, a new Constitution was adopted through consensus building in 2010, which introduced parliamentary system of governance. Openness and accountability of the government to the people is now bearing fruit.



Thanks to the introduction of the advanced technologies in the electoral process, transparent and competitive parliamentary and presidential elections were held in Kyrgyzstan in 2015 and 2017. This is a progressive example of democracy in the region.





Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkaly Abylgaziev and Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon visit Ala-Archa gorge in July 2019. / Couresty of Embassy of Kyrgystan



Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, Kyrgyz-Korean relations have been developing progressively on the basis of mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. Nowadays both sides have an active political dialogue, and the dynamic cooperation is supported by high-level visits, as well as various collaborations of ministries, business circles of the two countries, an expansion of the number of joint projects, teachers' and students' exchanges, as well as Kyrgyz labor migrants in South Korea.



One of the significant events of the past year was the first in the history of bilateral relations, the official visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Lee Nak-yon to Kyrgyzstan on July 17-19, 2019.



Within the official visit, the prime minister of the Republic of Korea had meetings with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Zheenbekov and the head of government Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, which were accompanied by a business forum with the participation of 50 Korean companies and 200 entrepreneurs from the Republic of Korea. During this visit, important arrangements on expanding cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism, agriculture, industry, information technology and education were reached.



Taking into account the fact that the Republic of Korea is one of the most dynamically developing countries in the world, the Kyrgyz Republic continues to study the Korean experience of economic reforms, the development of e-government, information technologies, health care, agriculture, textile and processing industries.



The KOIKA representative office has been operating in Kyrgyzstan since 2015, which promotes important projects for the development of agriculture, regional development, ICT and education.



The Korea Program for International cooperation in Agricultural technology (KOPIA) is planned to open this year in Kyrgyzstan, which will promote the cooperation in agricultural research and capacity building in Kyrgyzstan in agriculture.





The 7,134-meter tall Lenin Peak on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikitan / Courtesy of Ushakov





Apricots are one of the eco-friendly products from Kyrgyzstan / Courtesy of Embassy of Kyrgystan
The A. Harry Moore School will have a new principal taking the helm after a tumultuous year that included a roof collapse that forced students to be moved to another school building.

Jason Jusino introduced himself to parents in a letter Friday. The 44-year-old, who has worked in the special education field since he was 19, said stability is his No. 1 priority for the new school year.

What I would like to do to is reinforce the stability for the parents, the students and the staff here at A. Harry Moore, Jusino said of the school that serves children and young adults with multiple disabilities. Although we are in uncertain times outside the school, I think with optimism and with the support of the parents and the staff, we will have a cohesive and symbiotic relationship, so that the students could get the best education and services here.

Jusino joins the school after $3 million in structural repairs were completed this summer, allowing the students to return to the 88-year-old Kennedy Boulevard building after the roof at the front entrance collapse last fall.

The strange 2019-2020 school year also included an announcement by New Jersey City University, which operates the school, saying it would end its 57-year-old arrangement with Jersey City to run the program. In July, NJCU agreed to a five-year contract that includes an option for the college to opt out after three years.

Before COVID-19 put a halt to in-person learning, AHM students had been attending school in trailer-like facilities at the states Gerard J. Dynes Regional Day School on Johnston Avenue. Now the students have an upgraded home and a new principal, even if they wont be back in the classrooms until October.

I dont believe that we wont have any success without the collaboration and the interests in strengths for modifying the students needs, Jusino said about the collaborative process he hopes to achieve at AHM.

I think that I can add a strong focal point on project-based learning, life skills, any career development services that the student can utilize at an early age to prepare them for the real world after they leave A. Harry Moore. I think that is any parents concern.

Jusino began his career as a paraprofessional at the Regional Day School in 1995. Prior to becoming principal at AHM, he was the principal at a multiple-disabled school in Union County, and prior to that he served as a special education supervisor for Jersey City Public Schools.

Jusinos wife, Adrian, is a special needs educator in Jackson, and together they have four children, three girls and a boy.

NJCU President Sue Henderson said she looks forward to the new school year.

While there will be challenges this year as we all continue to learn to live in a new normal, Jasons leadership, working closely with the Jersey City Department of Special Education, will ensure that the school continues its exemplary delivery of academic services, Henderson said.

Nicole Gohde and Kaleena Berryman, parents of AHM students and members of the Parent-Teacher Staff Association, are optimistic about the new leadership and hope to see the school grow once again.

Berryman said she hopes to see a revival at the school after a lost year. AHM already has outstanding programs, faculty and staff and hopes Jusino can tap into them, she said.

I think this is going to be a good change  bring in some fresh eyes, Gohde added.
Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Agents of the Departmental Directorate of Forest Economy, elements of the police and gendarmerie on Monday arrested three alleged traffickers in possession, circulation and attempted marketing of trophies of a panther, the Congolese public radio announced on Wednesday in Brazzaville
Employees from five New Orleans-area hospitals will be administering a dose of much-needed economic medicine to local restaurants, for a financial boost valued at close to $1 million spread out over thousands of meals.

Hospital operator LCMC Health is giving its 9,900 workers gift cards specifically to use at restaurants, the group announced Wednesday.

Its an expression of gratitude to staff for their work during the coronavirus crisis thats also designed to help local businesses that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemics economic toll.

Throughout the crisis, many restaurants have supported health care workers with food, providing hearty meals and quick snacks around the hospitals to boost morale in harrowing times.

LCMC chief executive Greg Feirn said the gift card program was about giving back to those who gave to us.

LCMC is a New Orleans-based nonprofit that operates Childrens Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro Infirmary, University Medical Center and West Jefferson Medical Center.

LCMC dubs the program Operation Bon Appetit. The group said its full-time employees will receive a $100 gift card. Part-time and contract employees will get a $50 card.

The only way we will recover is if we all come together and support our local business community  including the restaurant industry, said Feirn.

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A LCMC spokeswoman said the gift cards are designated for use at restaurants. The group is encouraging its employees to snap photos at restaurants when they use them, and upload those images to the LCMC website.

Stan Harris, president and CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, called the campaign truly an example of paying it forward.

+18 50% closure rate feared for New Orleans restaurants as crisis lengthens: Were teetering At various points during the coronavirus crisis, New Orleans restaurants have figured out the shift to takeout-only, how to manage limited oc

As the coronavirus crisis has lengthened, the outlook for restaurants across the country has darkened.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association projects that one in four restaurants statewide could close permanently. For the New Orleans area that forecast is much worse, rising to 40% to 50% closing, due to the citys heavy reliance on travel and events.

LCMC timed Operation Bon Appetit for late summer when, even without the pandemics impact, local restaurant business typically is slow. It also arrives as many restaurants are offering Coolinary menus, a prix fixe menu promotion that can stretch customers dining dollars. This year, Coolinary runs through Sept. 13 at 73 area restaurants.

+6 With pre-paid pizza and gyros, New Orleans restaurant patrons pay it forward for others Sharing a pizza has taken on a new meaning at Slice Pizzeria, one that taps community generosity in an easy and intuitive way.

+11 With their own businesses hurting, New Orleans restaurants still feed others The biggest pot chef Isaac Toups has in his arsenal is a crawfish cooker, and on Thursday afternoon he had it filled to the brim with gallons 
Earlier in the year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they had created a production company and signed a deal with Netflix.

As part of the agreement, the couple are expect to make documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and childrens programming.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said their new endeavour would be focused on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

"Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection, the couple said in a statement, according to Variety. "Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.

Although the exact details of the size of the deal have not been disclosed, several reports have suggested it could be worth in excess of $100m (72).

In their landmark interview with Oprah Winfrey, which first aired on Sunday, the pair said they had not even thought about streaming opportunities with Netflix when they initially stepped down from palace life.

This was never the intention, Harry said during the interview - the couples first interview since stepping down from royal duties. Were certainly not complaining, our life is great now, weve got a beautiful house, Ive got a beautiful family. The dogs are really happy. At the time during Covid, the suggestion by a friend was what about streamers? and we hadnt thought about it. There were all sorts of different options and from my perspective, I just needed enough money to pay for security to keep my family safe.

Life is about storytelling, added Markle. For us to be able to have storytelling through a truthful lens that is hopefully uplifting is going to be great, knowing how many people that can land with and be able to give a voice to a lot of people that are underrepresented and arent really heard.

According to The New York Times, although the couple may appear on camera, Meghan, who previously starred on the show Suits, has no plans to return to acting.

One of Meghan and Harry's first projects will be an animated series focused on inspiring women, which is already in development, the outlet reports.

While the couple's production company will operate independently from their charitable foundation Archewell, it will reportedly highlight similar issues and topics that are important to the duke and duchess.

In a statement, Ted Sarandos, Netflixs co-chief executive and chief content officer, said the streaming service is incredibly proud that the royal couple chose Netflix as their creative home.

Were incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere, he said.

Prince Harry and Meghan, who relocated to California with their son Archie earlier this year, aren't the first notable individuals to sign a deal with Netflix, as the company has previously worked with Michelle and Barack Obama and Shonda Rhimes on content partnerships.

The couple's deal with the streaming service comes after Prince Harry recently appeared in the Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, which features Paralympians from around the world and tells the extraordinary story of the Paralympic Games.

All of the content from the duke and duchess's new multi-year deal will be exclusive to Netflix. According to The Times, it is not currently clear how much Netflix has agreed to pay the couple, who announced in January their intentions to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family and seek financial independence.
Imperial Valley News Center

Defendants in Dog Fighting Prosecution Sentenced to Prison

Pensacola, Florida - The last of four defendants to be convicted for their roles in a dog fighting conspiracy was sentenced last Tuesday in federal court in Pensacola, Florida.

David Lee Moser, 37, of Waynesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. Moser pleaded guilty to conspiring with the co-defendants to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

The other three defendants include:

James Tommy Peek, 68, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2020, to serve 15 months in prison. Peek had pleaded guilty to unlawfully conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, delivering a dog to co-defendant Shane Sprague for purposes of having the dog participate in an animal fighting venture, and possessing a dog for purposes of having the dog participate in an animal fighting venture.



Haley Cook Murph, 25, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced on Aug. 12, 2020, to serve eight months in prison. Murph had pleaded guilty to unlawfully conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, traveling to Alabama to purchase a fighting dog from a known dog fighter, and possessing that dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture.



Shane Patrick Sprague, 36, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced on Aug. 13, 2020, to serve 18 months in prison. A jury had convicted Sprague of felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in the Northern District of Florida imposed the sentences.

Our division continues to aggressively pursue those who engage in the cruel and brutal practice of dog fighting, which is often linked with many other forms of violent and organized criminal activity, said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division. Todays sentencing, along with the prior sentencings of other defendants in this case, sends a strong message that we are bringing to justice those who engage in illegal dog fighting and trafficking of fighting dogs. Anyone who engages in this conduct does so at the risk of significant jail time.

Federal prison sentences are absolutely appropriate for these criminals, said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida. Each one of them knowingly contributed to the immeasurable fear, suffering and pain these helpless dogs experienced. The U.S. Attorneys Office will continue to pursue and prosecute those who violate the Animal Welfare Act to the fullest extent of the law.

The cruel and inhumane practice of dog fighting has no place in a civilized society and is against federal law, said Special Agent in Charge Jason Williams of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG). The outstanding work of the USDA-OIG agents who investigated this case made it possible to bring these operators of a major animal fighting venture and breeders who participate in such activities to justice. We will continue to vigorously investigate individuals who attend, facilitate, or profit from the misery inflicted upon animals during these barbaric fights.

Evidence at trial, along with admissions made by the pleading defendants in conjunction with their plea agreements, established that Sprague arranged dog fights and trafficked in fighting dogs with Moser and others. Moser admitted that he and Sprague agreed to fight their dogs against one another and to prepare a dog for a dog fight, and had discussed concealing evidence that one of Mosers dogs had killed another dog.

Peek was one of the suppliers of fighting dogs to the conspiracy. He used his reputation as a prominent dog fighter to sell fighting dogs to others around the country. A dog fighting book commonly seized as evidence in dog fighting investigations has a chapter devoted to Peek, which Peek would autograph and sell to customers. He admitted to having delivered a dog to Sprague, believing that the dog would be used for fighting purposes. He also admitted to selling a dog to an undercover agent after making representations about the fighting bloodlines and prior and upcoming dog fights scheduled for some of the dogs on his yard.

Murphs role was that of a makeshift veterinarian. Although Murph at no time possessed a veterinary license, she admitted to offering and performing veterinary and surgical procedures on dogs belonging to members of the conspiracy, treating dogs injured in a dog fight, and surgically removing dogs ears, including for the purpose of dog fighting. Two dogs she treated died from their fighting injuries. Murph also admitted to supplying a bait animal to test the fighting abilities of one of the dogs of a co-defendant. Finally, Murph admitted to traveling to Alabama to receive a dog from a known dog fighter, and to keeping that dog for the purposes of having the dog participate in an animal fighting venture.

Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love prosecuted the case. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General.
The search for a missing boater in Tuscaloosa continued Wednesday morning.

Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service responded about 8 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a boating accident at the Black Warrior Rivers Oliver Lock and Dam. Once there, they learned a vessel carrying three passengers went over the spillway and one boater was missing, said TFRS spokeswoman Holly Whigham.

Tuscaloosa and Northport firefighters and police assisted in the search Tuesday night. The search resumed about 7:20 a.m. Wednesday with Tuscaloosa police and firefighters and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

ALEA is now leading the search.
Seoul, Sep 2 : The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the US held phone talks on Wednesday over issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula's peace and security affairs, spoke with Deputy US Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who is also the chief nuclear negotiator, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lee and Biegun shared view over the recent situations in the Korean Peninsula, agreeing to the need to rapidly resume talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang in a bid to make substantive progress for the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the lasting peace settlement.

The nuclear envoys discussed how to create conditions and push for the complete denuclearization and the peace settlement, the Ministry said.

The two sides agreed to more close communications and cooperation on the North Korean issues bilaterally and multilaterally by actively making use of the scheduled international diplomatic events.

Denuclearization talks between the North Korea and the US have been stalled since the second summit between Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un and American President Donald Trump ended without an agreement in February 2019 in Hanoi.

Choi and Biegun agreed to meet as early as possible to discuss overall bilateral issues and regional situations, the Ministry added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
August was supposed to confirm a progressive recovery of the Spanish labor market following the debacle triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and one of the worlds strictest lockdowns.

According to Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva, 132,000 new jobs were created in the first three weeks of the month. But the upward trend was reversed by fresh coronavirus outbreaks and travel advisories introduced by many countries that recommended not going to Spain. The slowdown began in late July, when the United Kingdom introduced a quarantine for travelers arriving from the country.

This has impacted the tourism industry, which is usually a leading source of Spanish job creation at this time of the year and contributes more than 12% of Spains gross domestic product (GDP). And hotels have already announced plans to close in late August due to a lack of demand, in a move that could have an adverse effect on September, traditionally still a strong month for tourism.

Spain has a 15% jobless rate and the central bank is expecting this figure to be anywhere between 18.1% and 23.6% by the end of the year

A total of 211,566 job contracts ended on the last day of August in a move that plays out every year, as the peak of the summer season draws to an end and seasonal workers leave their posts at bars, restaurants and hotels.

There were also fewer hirings this summer to begin with. The drop in hirings, of 26% year-on-year, indicates that we are still far from a normalization of the labor market, said Valentin Bote, director of Randstad Research, which analyzes employment trends.

There was a slight rise in employment figures in August as the Social Security system registered 6,822 new contributors  considered a measure of job creation. But this did little to make up for the approximately 688,000 jobs that have been lost to Covid-19. Ever since the confinement measures began to be gradually lifted in April, the labor market has recovered around 333,000 Social Security contributors.

Furloughed workers

Meanwhile, the number of people registered as unemployed rose by 29,780, representing the lowest figure for a month of August since 2016, partly due to the fact that many workers have been furloughed and are not included in unemployment figures as they technically still have a job. But as the state-funded program comes to an end there are fears that many could ultimately be sent home for good as businesses find themselves unable to survive.

The number of furloughed workers went down by around 300,000 to 800,000 in August. Three out of four of these workers have now exited the ERTE job retention scheme, introduced by the government to stem the job losses caused by the strict confinement. Nearly half a million companies filed for ERTEs in response to the coronavirus lockdown, which forced the temporary closure of businesses across the country.

According to Eurostat, the EUs statistics office, the number of employed persons in Spain dropped by around 8% in the first half of the year, nearly three times higher than in other European countries.

Spain has a 15% jobless rate and the central bank is expecting this figure to be anywhere between 18.1% and 23.6% by the end of the year, depending on the severity of the Covid-19 situation.

By comparison, the jobless rate in late 2019 was 14.1%. But the Bank of Spain has warned that the furloughing scheme is skewing the unemployment figures, and that the jobless variable must be taken with a pinch of salt.

English version by Susana Urra.
Jaculyne Derby was five weeks pregnant with Orlando Duartes baby when she learned about his convictions for molesting children.

She only found out when they were pulled over by state police for a traffic violation while driving back to Pennsylvania from her hometown in Vermont.
Our team has worked closely with the client to ensure that their strategic goals are achieved with this transaction, said Daniel Linden, CEO of DARAG North America. The completion of the deal provides the company with a clean economic exit and certainty about future development. We are very pleased to have been able to support such an established counterparty and demonstrate DARAGs expertise as the favored legacy acquirer for both counterparties and fronting carriers alike.

Our Bermuda operation is pressing ahead with our expansion strategy in the region, said Tom Booth, CEO of DARAG Group. We continue to invest in our global business and to provide tailored capital relief solutions to clients, and we look forward to further transactions in North America.
HomeSmart It is both humbling and thrilling to be receiving this recognition by a top publication for our brokerages growth and success, stated Lynn Chute, vice president of HomeSmart in Colorado.

HomeSmart continues to earn its place as the leading real estate brokerage in Colorado, as it once again took a top spot on a prominent Denver Business Journal ranking list. The brokerage, which recently hit a growth milestone of 2,500 agents, was ranked on the 2020 Denver-Area Residential Real Estate Firms list by the Denver Business Journal.

It is both humbling and thrilling to be receiving this recognition by a top publication for our brokerages growth and success, stated Lynn Chute, vice president of HomeSmart in Colorado. The HomeSmart model is built to grow and thrive even in the toughest of markets, and this recognition only further cements that our Colorado brokerage is on the right track.

The Denver-based brokerage came in at no. 3 on the 2020 Denver-Area Residential Real Estate Brokerages list, which was ranked based on sales volume in the Denver area in 2019. HomeSmart of Colorado brought in a combined $3.01 billion in sales in 2019, with an average home price in the area being $429,651.

HomeSmart of Colorado has continued to surpass our expectations as it grows by leaps and bounds, stated Michael Swope, HomeSmart Internationals chief revenue officer. Colorado agents are recognizing that no other brokerage offers the same level of commission, support and technology as ours, and the numbers and recognition are further proof that HomeSmart of Colorado is here to stay.

To learn more about HomeSmart and how you can join, visit https://homesmart.com/join-us/.

About HomeSmart International:

Founded in 2000, HomeSmart is ranked in the top 10 real estate brokerages in the United States and the number one brokerage firm in the Phoenix market and in Colorado. From its international franchising headquarters based in Scottsdale, HomeSmart International offers franchisees efficiency and innovation coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in today's evolving real estate industry. Today, the brand has 178 offices in 33 states and more than 19,000 agents nationwide. For more information on HomeSmart International and its franchise opportunities, visit https://www.homesmart.com. Follow HomeSmart International on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/homesmartfranchise and on Twitter and Instagram @HomeSmartIntl.
Australians are set to struggle even more to get home from overseas with airlines pulling flights to deal with strict passenger caps.

An estimated 100,000 Aussies are stranded overseas due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, with many flights coming into Australia limited to just 30 passengers per plane.

Malaysia Airlines is looking to suspend flights out of Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane from October to March next year.

Barry Abrams, the executive director of the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia said the caps were making it unviable for international flights to go ahead, suggesting the trend of pulling flights would continue for other airlines.

An estimated 100,000 Aussies are stranded overseas due to COVID-19 travel limits (pictured, empty economy section of a plane travelling to Australia)

'Fuel, crew and support costs are high for international flights, and a long-haul aircraft generally carries 250350 passengers plus freight to cover these costs,' he said.

'Reducing available inbound passenger loads to 1015 per cent of capacity cannot be considered commercially sustainable.'

Mr Abrams said allowing only around 500 passengers to fly into some Australian airports per week meant it was only a matter of time before flights would be suspended.

'At Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide airports, the small weekly caps (500525 passengers) can be commercially unviable for international airlines, especially as this small number is intended to be spread out evenly across the week,' he said.

'So it's to be expected these quotas aren't being routinely filled, such that some international airlines will suspend their small number of flights into these airports, further reducing the options available for Australians to return home.'

Passengers are seen arriving at Sydney Airport after travelling from Hong Kong

The airline industry suggests international airlines will suspend flights into smaller airports around Australia to cope with the passenger caps (pictured Virgin Australia staff at Sydney Airport in April)

Out of the 160 international flights coming into Australia every week, Mr Abrams said each flight needed around 100 passengers on board to ensure they were commercially viable.

Australia closed the nation's international borders to tourists to halt the spread of COVID-19 on March 20 and told citizens overseas that they should return as soon as possible.

In early July, tight international arrival caps were introduced limiting the number of Australians a plane could bring into the country - only 4,000 a week.

This is due to Australia's commitment to strict hotel quarantine for 14 days for every returning travel, amid fears large numbers of arrivals could disrupt the complicated system.

It's estimated it could take up to six months to bring back all the stranded Australians.

There have been reports of economy passengers being bumped at the last minute for high paying business customers and planes flying with nearly empty economy sections.

Naomi Nguyen (pictured), a 22-year-old from Sydney, is one such Australian stranded overseas who had been working as an English language assistant at a high school in Spain

Passengers are taken into 14-day quarantine at a hotel in Sydney after arriving from Hong Kong on August 23

Naomi Nguyen, a 22-year-old from Sydney, is one such Australian who had been working as an English language assistant at a high school in Spain when the country entered lockdown on March 14.

'Since the Australian government has now decided to bring in flight restrictions/capacities, it has been almost impossible to return home,' Ms Nguyen wrote.

'In Sydney, it is also only 30 passengers per plane. So airlines are prioritising business passengers for those 30 seats, the only way to make money.

'Most of us in economy have literally had our seats taken off us and given to someone else willing to pay for a business one. It is cruel.'

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia have effectively paused international flights, leaving Doha based Qatar Airways as the biggest carrier of passengers into the country.

The airline estimates it has helped return 170,000 Australians and international travellers since March, about tenfold its nearest competitor.

CEO Akbar Al Baker said flights had become a 'balancing act' under arrival caps with a growing list of bumped passengers unable to be placed on a replacement flight.

'Many passengers will be unable to travel back to Australia for the foreseeable future,' he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic's effects run deep - far beyond the virus's immediate infections. From loss of livelihoods to drastic decreases in social connection, people across the country are suffering ongoing emotional strain. And that has psychological health researchers, like Colorado State University's Deborah Essert, worried.

Essert is the director of the Psychological Services Center, operated through the psychology department in the College of Natural Sciences, which serves members of the greater Fort Collins community.

As the state moved to a stay-at-home order in the spring, I saw the need for it from a community medical health perspective. At the same time, my heart ached knowing how much the isolation, increased stress, and economic upheaval would negatively impact the emotional well-being and physical safety of so many in Colorado." Deborah Essert, Psychological Health Researcher, Colorado State University.

So she, along with Brad Conner, who directs the addiction counseling master's program in the department, have created an initiative to provide an emergency expansion of mental health care across the state, with a focus on suicide prevention during the pandemic.

The program is being supported by a grant of almost $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The state of Colorado already had the seventh highest number of deaths by suicide in the country before the pandemic. For example, in 2017, the latest year for which CDC data is available, more people in Colorado died by suicide than from diabetes or drug overdoses.

The pandemic threatens to make that worse.

"When we are faced with an unknown threat, it is easy to become myopic," Essert says. She feels that with so much attention on the virus itself, the mental health impacts of the pandemic have been neglected.

"This is why the Federal Aviation Administration requires two crew members in the cockpit at all times - while one is focusing on a new immediate problem, the other can keep the plane in the air," she explains. "When we went to stay-at-home orders for COVID-19, as a mental health provider, I felt locked out of the cockpit."

With the new statewide suicide prevention program, she hopes she and the team can help more people stay aloft in this turbulent time.

Stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus has, understandably, been a top priority, as the death toll continues to increase. But, notes, Essert, "many of the safety measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 and their repercussions are associated with higher suicidality - including isolation, strained family relationships, financial insecurity, and marital distress," she says.

"And when you take increased feelings of loneliness, fear, and confusion, add to it the possibility of using substances to cope with the sudden uptick in sustained stress, and then drastically reduce and complicate access to mental and behavioral health care, it is like a perfect storm for increased mental health symptoms and suicidality."

The new emergency program will focus, in particular, on communities and individuals at highest risk, including rural and agricultural areas, the uninsured, and people with substance-use disorders.

Others in the community who might be assumed to be well-situated to get help they might need are also going unnoticed. Frontline health care workers, particularly in the middle of a pandemic, often don't have their mental health needs recognized, Essert notes, which is why support for this group also will be a focus in the new program.

Also at considerable risk are those experiencing domestic violence and their children, as increased isolation is associated with a greater threat to physical safety and suicidality.

This group that was "nearly invisible and voiceless before the pandemic now has even fewer eyes on them, which means less access to support," Essert says. "For some of the most vulnerable and desperate in our community, the motto that families are 'safer at home' is horribly untrue."

While the pandemic has added strain to most everyone's lives, Essert has seen from their work at the Psychological Services Center that it has pushed many people who were already struggling to manage daily life into much higher risk for self-harm.

"Part of the aim of this project is to bring to light that, for some, there are dangers more powerful, and more proximal, than the threat posed by COVID-19," Essert says. "For some, the more imminent danger is the one waiting for them at home, or the threat they pose to themselves when they are home alone."

The new SAMHSA grant will enable Essert and Conner and their team (which also includes Lorann Stallones, a professor in the psychology department and director of the Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Paula Yuma, an assistant professor of social work in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Heather Schatten of Brown University) to immediately begin training more providers throughout the state in evidence-based practices put forth by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We aim to reduce suicidality by reducing risk factors and promoting protective factors within the individual - and in the systems around them," Essert explains.

The project, which is a collaboration among the psychology department's Counseling Psychology and Masters in Addiction Counseling programs, the School of Social Work, and the Colorado School of Public Health, will partner with agencies in the area and across the state, including the University of Colorado Health system, Crossroads Safehouse, La Familia, Sandstone Care, and the 17th Judicial District Diversion Program.

This is just the beginning of their new network. They plan to add more groups and agencies in the near future (with a priority to those who serve rural communities, underserved groups, and people experiencing domestic violence).

In fact, when they put out a call for partners earlier this year, Essert says, "the response and support from across the state was actually overwhelming. It seems everyone feels the need to strengthen the links around mental health right now."

At the CSU-based Psychological Services Center, the grant will allow the team to deploy an Integrated Suicide Treatment Team that will be able to see at least 60 new clients.

The grant officially began at the end of July, and Essert, Conner, and the group have been hiring and training additional staff. "We plan to be offering services and training to the community by September," she says.

And that can't come too soon.

"We are all being stretched to understand and manage a new normal," Essert says. "While that can bring about some solidarity and resilience, it can also leave us feeling depleted and susceptible to feelings of depression, anxiety, and other emotional struggles."

Soon there will be more life-saving resources for people to turn to across the state.
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An Ector County grand jury opted not to indict the employees who were involved in the death of an inmate in June at the county jail, according to a press release from the Ector County Sheriffs Office. The inmate died after being tased and restrained.

Wallace Howell, a 38-year-old Black man, was arrested on June 15 for allegedly evading arrest, according to an in-custody death report filed with the Texas Attorney Generals Office. He was found unresponsive after being tased several times and placed in a padded cell with his arms and legs restrained, the report states.
The DMK, AIADMK, PMK, BJP gear up for next May's assembly elections.

R Rajagopalan reports.

IMAGE: DMK President M K Stalin at a virtual interaction with the party's district office-bearers. Photograph: Arivalayam/Twitter

With Tamil Nadu slowly easing into normalcy after five months of lockdown, with most activities allowed to be resumed, political parties are getting ready for elections to the state assembly due in May.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's general council meeting is to be held on Sunday, September 6, through video conferencing when some 3,500 members will elect the party's general secretary and treasurer.

The DMK has outsourced the technical aspects of its virtual conferencing to election strategist Prashant Kishor's I-PAC.

I-PAC has engaged 350 software engineers on a part-time basis to handle the logistics for the general council meeting in which DMK members from the state's 32 districts will log in as per the time slot allotted to them.

The election to party posts will be conducted by the returning officer at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai.

The first political party to hold organisational elections online, the innovative idea is said to have cost the DMK a few crore rupees. But the process will be certified by the DMK only after the Election Commission's directives.

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam too is all set to hold a gala public virtual meeting on September 15, mentor C N Annadurai's 111th birthday.

The state Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to hold a virtual convention on September 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi's 70th birthday.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi will hold a meeting of its executive on September 27.

And superstar Rajinikanth is expected to announce the long-delayed launch of his political party on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, via video-conference.

Finally, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's confidante Sasikala has completed her four-year jail term in Bengaluru and is expected to be released in mid-October or early November. Her return is expected to give an added impetus to political activity in the state.

Anticipating all this, Tamil news television channels have drawn up mega pre-poll surveys to be aired from the middle of September.
Moodys Analytics and Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank (SRCB) have won Compliance Risk Technology Implementation of the Year in the 2020 Asian Banker Risk Management Awards. SRCB, which has a long-standing relationship with Moodys Analytics, recently implemented new solutions to meet the IFRS 9 accounting standard.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901006153/en/

The banks goal was to be able to meet regulators requirements in advance of the deadline. That meant less time to complete the implementation, but that challenge was met, with the project concluding on schedule and ahead of SRCBs target completion date.

Incorporating the new capabilities has allowed the bank to automate its entire calculation process, saving valuable time and resources. With a now centralized impairment workflow, SRCB can proactively manage impairment across its portfolios, and its risk management department is able to analyze their impairment profile more deeply and from different angles. After the implementation, reports that the bank was previously able to produce monthly are now being produced every day.

We are gratified to win this Asian Banker award with our colleagues at Moodys Analytics, said the Chairman of Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, Li Xu. Adopting the IFRS 9 standard is a significant event for our institution. For the first time, we are integrating risk and financial data and then applying it not just to financial reports but to our day-to-day business practices. Our existing relationship with Moodys Analytics gave us confidence that the implementation for IFRS 9 would be smooth and well-coordinated, and those expectations were well met.

Were pleased to share this recognition with Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, said Tianwei Zhu, Managing Director at Moodys Analytics. We are proud that they were able to rely on us for this essential project. Our software, data, analytics, and expertise are now helping SRCB to meet the new standard and operate more efficiently.

Learn more about the Moodys Analytics IFRS 9 solution.

Learn more about The Asian Banker Risk Management Awards.

This win adds to our growing list of industry recognition.

About Moodys Analytics

Moodys Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moodys Analytics, visit our website or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Moody's Analytics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moodys Corporation reported revenue of $4.8 billion in 2019, employs approximately 11,200 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 40 countries.

About Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank (SRCB), headquartered in Shanghai, was established on August 25, 2005. SRCB was reincorporated from 50-year-old Shanghai Rural Credit Cooperatives, and it developed into a corporate commercial bank, with a current registered capital of CNY 8.68 billion, nearly 370 branches, and more than 6,000 employees. At the end of 2019, the SRCB group's assets exceeded CNY 930 billion, the balance of deposits was approximately CNY 692 billion, and the balance of loans was approximately CNY 467 billion. The bank focuses on financial service to SMEs, and has the largest number of small business loan customers in Shanghai.

According to the 2019 Top 1000 World Banks announced by the British publication The Banker, SRCB ranked 156th in the world banking industry with an increase of 22 places from 2018, and 24th place among domestic commercial banks. Among the Top 500 Global Banking Brand Values in 2019 ranking, SRCB ranked 191st with an increase of 32 places from 2018.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901006153/en/
Australias first recession in almost 30 years

After nearly three decades of growth, Australia fell into recession after its economy shrank 7 percent in the second quarter, the government said on Wednesday. The country that avoided stumbling during the 2008 global financial crisis could not escape the ravages of Covid-19.

The drop in quarterly G.D.P. is the largest since record-keeping began in 1959. Australias tourism and education were hit hard by virus restrictions, as was domestic spending on hotels and restaurants. The downturn came despite over $150 billion in stimulus spending.

In addition, Victorias state of emergency was extended by six months on Wednesday, giving officials broad power to impose virus-related restrictions as needed. The road ahead will be long, said the countrys treasurer, Josh Frydenberg.
N ext year's school leaving exams should be delayed to allow students to catch up from the effects of the lockdown, the former Chief Inspector of Education has said.

Former Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was right to apologise over the distress this year's A-level and GCSE saga has caused students.

He added that the Government should set out a plan for next year immediately to allow the second wave of pandemic-affected school leavers to prepare.

And asked what should happen with next year's exam schedule, Sir Michael said: "I think it should be delayed.

"Youngsters have lost months of education in schools - five to six months. We know from all the reports that have come through from a variety of different organisations, that a lot of youngsters downgraded, and home (and) online learning has not gone well, in a number of instances.

"We know that the poorest youngsters have lost out the most ... that what's called the attainment gap, between the poorest children and their peers is growing.

"So we know that there have been serious problems over the last six months. So the more time that youngsters have to to catch up, the more time that schools have to prepare and teach these youngsters over the next few weeks and months, the better."

Sir Michael said the Government should devote all its energies to quickly resolving next year's situation, rather than "pull over the entrails" of a "disastrous" set of results from 2020.

"Head teachers, and schools, and parents, and students, want to know what the deliberations are now, so that they can prepare for those exams in July or August or even in September, because it will mean quite a lot of logistical problems for schools," he said.

"So I think ... rather than pull over the entrails of what has been a disastrous set of results, both at A level and GCSE, we should look to the future to see how we can improve the system."

Mr Williamson on Tuesday apologised once again to students who suffered "a great deal of stress and uncertainty" due to "inconsistent and unfair" A-level outcomes from Ofqual's algorithm.

The Education Secretary told MPs the Government is determined that exams will go ahead in 2021, adding they were working with the sector to ensure "this is done as smoothly as possible".

Ofqual - which launched a consultation in July which proposed delaying the start of GCSE exams to June 7 - has not yet made a decision on the timetable for the 2021 exam series.

Mr Williamson has faced intense criticism over the exams saga, while senior civil servant Jonathan Slater was removed from his post as permanent secretary at the Department of Education following the controversy.
A look at the shareholders of Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income PLC (LON:ASLI) can tell us which group is most powerful. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned.

Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of UK256m, which means it wouldn't have the attention of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutional investors have bought into the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income.

View our latest analysis for Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

We can see that Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income 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. 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 Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is East Riding of Yorkshire Council with 11% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are Brewin Dolphin Wealth Management Limited and CCLA Investment Management Limited, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 8.5%.

Story continues

We also observed that the top 7 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

Insider Ownership Of Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income

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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income PLC in their own names. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It seems the board members have no more than UK172k worth of shares in the UK256m company. Many tend to prefer to see a board with bigger shareholdings. A good next step might be to take a look at this free summary of insider buying and selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a 12% stake in Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Equity Ownership

With a stake of 8.5%, private equity firms could influence the Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income board. Some investors might be encouraged by this, since private equity are sometimes able to encourage strategies that help the market see the value in the company. Alternatively, those holders might be exiting the investment after taking it public.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income (including 1 which is shouldn't be ignored) .

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free free list of interesting companies.

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.
Hyderabad, Sep 2 : Five fans of popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, died in a road accident while returning home after celebrating his birthday in Telangana's Warangal district in the early hours of Wednesday.

The car, in which they were travelling, collided head on with a sand laden truck at Pasaragonda Crossroad in Damera mandal, police said.

This was the second tragedy to hit Pawan Kalyan's fans celebrating his birthday, in less than six hours.

Three youth were electrocuted to death and three others were injured when they came in contact with a live wire while erecting a banner in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district on Tuesday night.

The victims were identified as Rajender (31), Somasekhar (29) and Arunachalam (20).

Pawan Kalyan, who is also the president of Jana Sena party, announced financial support of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the deceased in Chittoor incident.

He expressed his condolences and stated that it was his responsibility to support the family.

Warangal police said the youth who celebrated Pawan Kalyan's birthday in Warangal were on their way to Mulugu to drop one of them when the car in which they were travelling rammed into a truck.

The victims were identified as M. Rakesh, Naresh, M. Rohit, Sabir and K. Jayaprakash, all aged around 25 years.

Jayaprakash, who was driving a Sedan car, apparently lost control while overtaking a vehicle and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

Such was the impact of the crash that the car was badly mangled and all five occupants died on the spot.

Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan's nephew and superstar K. Chiranjeevi's actor son Ram Charan has also announced Rs 2.5 lakh for the families of the victims of Chittoor accident.

"Nothing we do can compensate for the loss of lives. We can only stand by the families of the deceased and lend our support in these difficult times," tweeted Ram Charan.

Pawan Kalyan is celebrating his 49th birthday on Wednesday. His fans in both Telugu states are in an upbeat mood as makers of his upcoming film 'Vakeel Saab' are unveiling the motion poster on the occasion.

'Vakeel Saab' is the remake of Hindi movie 'Pink'.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ANSONIA  John Coppola may be the assistant principal at Prendergast School but on Wednesday morning, his role seemed more like a traffic cop.

His hands waved students in various directions  first to a table where breakfast was handed out, then down the proper hallway where the kindergarten through sixth grade classes are located.

For the first time since March 13, the citys students and teachers were back in the classrooms. But this was not your typical first day of school, thanks to COVID-19 regulations.

Prendergast, which normally holds 640 students, will have 275 during each of two cohort sessions, Coppola said.

Classrooms that could hold up to 25 students are averaging six.

We have a kindergarten at Mead School with just two students, said Assistant Superintendent of Schools Stephen Bergin. We had a bus at the high school with just one student.

The buses are designed to hold up to 72.

At Prendergast, groups of four and six students were leaving the bus while a parade of parental vehicles lined the parking lot, spilling out past six homes on Finney Street. Gaily dressed staffers celebrating the schools Fiesta Day guided younger students from their bus past Bergin and Superintendent Joseph DiBacco  who extended their forearms for welcoming bumps  to the entrance and into the hands of Coppola.

Cesar Ganicia walked his 9-year-old daughter, Hennessey, to the entrance.

Shes excited, he said.

A mother called her son back to the car to tell him to pull up his mask and keep it on.

Another mother apologized to DiBacco for her children being late after missing their bus by a millisecond.

The parents have been awesome so far, the superintendent said. The teachers have been great. The kids are smiling. Under these (pandemic-related) circumstances, there may never be the right time to reopen, but what are you gaining by delaying?

DiBacco said he and Bergin welcomed returning students at all four of the districts schools. Joining them was Police Officer Michael Barry, the districts school resource officer.

Well be spending the day going back and forth between the schools. Well be visiting classrooms, talking to the kids and the teachers and looking for ways we can improve, DiBacco said.

Theres not going to be a lot of heavy lifting during the first few weeks, DiBacco said. Its a time for our teachers and students to build relationships. Our kids have been through a lot since March.

Some may have lost a loved one or struggled watching one recover from the virus. Others may have seen parents lose their jobs. Older siblings may have been tasked with taking care of the younger ones, he said. If I can give them a couple of days of happiness while we work back into a routine, then were doing well.
When word came last October that Tenko Ramen owners and chefs Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin and Quealy Watson would open a brick-and-mortar version of the Asian-American restaurant pop-up Best Quality Daughter in San Antonio this year, one key element was missing: Where?

That questions been answered: Best Quality Daughter will land at the the Pearl, taking over the former cottage-style home of The Granary Cue & Brew, which closed last year.

With a planned opening sometime in November, Best Quality Daughter intends to forge what it calls New Asian-American cuisine, drawing on Dobbertins travels in Asia and her upbringing as a first-generation Chinese American, as well as her shared experience with Watson at celebrated San Antonio restaurants The Monterey, Hot Joy and Tenko Ramen, their joint project at the Pearls Bottling Department food hall.

Started in 2018 as a pop-up collaboration by Dobbertin, Bakery Lorraines Anne Ng and ceramic artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Best Quality Daughter is named after a line in the 1993 film The Joy Luck Club, a sentimental exploration of the relationships between Chinese American women and their Chinese mothers.

I have a lot of perspective, growing up in a house with a Chinese mother, and food was always very personal, Dobbertin told the Express-News in October. My uncle still runs a noodle shop in Taiwan.

On ExpressNews.com: 7 places in San Antonio to get your ramen on

With Dobbertin and Watson at the helm, Best Quality Daughters menu will bring Asian-American food with a wide variety of influences, including dishes like phat kaphrao pork fried rice, salt n pepper king crab, red cooked beef short ribs, crispy fried pig ears, twice baked bananas and chorizo, egg, and cheese potstickers.

The restaurant will include a full bar program from Elisabeth Forsythe, with wine, beer, boozy boba creations and cocktails like Drinking Alone with the Moon, with cognac, plum wine, Akashi Ume Whisky and five-spice bitters.

The design of the space brings together a team of San Antonio power players, with four distinct dining rooms by Vicki Yuan and Grace Boudewyns of Lake | Flato Architects, art by pop-up collaborator Datchuk and wallpaper, dinnerware and other style touches by graphic designer Jamie Stolarski. The task of reimagining the 1904 building as a stylish bistro rather than a rustic barbecue outpost falls to San Antonios Dado Group.

On ExpressNews.com: Chicken N Pickle, Mi Roti and Shifu Noodle showcase spirit to survive coronavirus economy

Best Quality Daughter, 602 Avenue A at the Pearl, bestqualitydaughter.com.

Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Mike, become a subscriber. msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking
COLUMBUS, Ohio - After 10 years of informal meetings, the Arab American Bar Association of Ohio was created for the growing number of Arab American attorneys in the state.

The association follows other such bar organizations, such as those for women, as well as for Black, Hispanic and Asian American attorneys, which emphasize mentorship, community service and social and legal engagement.

Arab American attorneys across the country have worked on issues at the forefront of the public debate: racial and ethnic justice, diversity in the workplace, religious freedom and criminal justice and immigration reform, according to a statement from the new bar association.

We needed a place for them to act as a collective and engage with the community at large, vice president Majeed Makhlouf, a Cleveland-based attorney and former Cuyahoga County law director, told Court News Ohio, a service of the Ohio Supreme Court and judicial branch. We needed a place to serve as the resource for law schools and young attorneys of Arab American descent.

According to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2010 American Community Survey, Ohio has the eighth-largest Arab population in the U.S., with about 65,000 people. The Arab American Institute estimates the population is over three times that  197,000 people.

The discrepancy is because the U.S. Census questionnaire lacks an Arab option for a persons origin. Some people identify themselves by printing Arab under some other race. Another complication is that the census bureau considers people of Lebanese and Egyptian origin white.

The bar associations leaders hope to bring the issue to the attention of the Ohio Supreme Court, hoping to identify as Arab American on attorney registration forms.

Other coverage:

On prompting of White House, Gov. Mike DeWine reminds Ohioans to take coronavirus precautions over Labor Day weekend

Workers cant claim invasion of privacy if employers have them watched during urine drug tests: Ohio Supreme Court

As repairs to vandalized Ohio Supreme Court are completed, Chief Justice Maureen OConnor pushes for reforms

As a woman of color, Kamala Harris should expect attacks that will likely sink to new lows, Ohio politicians say
Some of Indias top automakers posted double-digit growth in sales in August, buoyed by a continuing recovery in demand in small towns and rural areas, and replenishment of stocks for the festive season.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the top two carmakers, recorded robust sales last month. Sport-utility vehicle maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) posted a marginal rise but Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd saw a decline. Kia Motors India Pvt. Ltd and MG Motor India Pvt. Ltdthe newest entrants in Indias car industryreported strong growth. Overall, these companies recorded a 17% increase in sales in August. The sales data is counted as factory dispatches to dealers and not retail sales.

To be sure, the growth comes on a low base of the previous year when the industry was undergoing an uncertain phase as buyers deferred purchases anticipating a cut in vehicle taxes, as well as higher fuel and insurance costs, while carmakers adjusted production as they grappled with new norms.

Experts said the current demand revival is led by rural markets and small towns.

While the market demand is stronger in rural areas, the same in urban pockets has been relatively slower. But it is there as businesses have opened up. Rural demand is well-supported by the flourishing agriculture sector, good monsoon, increased government support via crop prices, MNREGA funding. The OEMs are also more focused on catering to the demand in the smaller towns," said Puneet Gupta, associate director, IHS Markit.

Total domestic passenger vehicle sales at Maruti Suzuki, Indias largest carmaker, jumped 21% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 113,033 units. This is an increase from the 100,000 and 51,274 vehicles sold in July and June, respectively.

Marutis sales in August were driven by a 27% y-o-y growth in sales of compact cars at 81,665 units. Its utility vehicle sales grew 13.5% to 21,030 units.

Second-ranked Hyundai recorded a 20% y-o-y rise in local sales at 45,809 units in August.

Tarun Garg, director, sales, marketing and service at Hyundai Motor India, credited the growth to its Creta and Venue sport-utility vehicles, and other recently launched models.

Gupta at IHS Markit attributed the increase in sales to factors such as pent-up demand, inventory building for the festive season and new car launches.

This year, we are witnessing an extended festive period. While typically, there is market demand for vehicles during festivities like Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam and others, Diwali is in November. OEMs will remain very aggressive during these four months," Gupta said, adding that the reduced cost of ownership and attractive financing schemes are drawing customers to showrooms.

Gupta expects auto dealers to continue adding stocks but is uncertain how long the growth cycle will last.

There is no doubt that people have lost their jobs, many sectors have contracted, businesses are under stress and the revenues have come down. All these factors may play out after the festive season," he added.

While M&Ms passenger vehicle sales grew 1% to 13,651 units in August, South Koreas Kia Motors posted a 74% jump to 10,845 vehicles thanks to strong demand for its Seltos SUV.

Kia has also amassed more than 6,500 bookings for its new compact SUV Sonet that will be launched soon.

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The family of a coronavirus victim is suing a Michigan nursing home where 19 residents died amid claims staff were told masks would scare patients.

Dennis Williams claims he saw employees of the Villages of Lapeer home in Michigan not wearing masks, gloves or other personal protective equipment (PPE) when he came to visit his 68-year-old mother through the window.

Williams and former employees are suing the home, alleging that the managers refused to carry out coronavirus tests on staff members or let staff stay home if they had a fever.

Dennis Williams pictured holding an image of his mother, 68, who passed away after contracting coronavirus while living at the Villages of Lapeer nursing home

Villages of Lapeer is also accused of refusing to allow employees to wear masks or PPE during the initial weeks of the pandemic in mid-March, because they would 'scare the residents'.

Nineteen residents of the home have passed away from Covid-19, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, accounting for almost half of the 34 coronavirus deaths in Lapeer County.

Williams' mother passed away from coronavirus on April 7, two days after she was transferred to a hospital from the home.

'They (the facilities) actually took the precautions,' Williams told USA Today.

'And that's what p****s me off, is that when we'd go see Mom through the window and it wasn't the workers' fault  I had talked to several of them  they just were just being told they could not wear the stuff.'

Williams, his step-father and his brother are suing the nursing home alongside three former nursing assistants who worked at the home.

Nineteen residents of the home have passed away from Covid-19, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Lapeer Nursing Home pictured above

One former employee alleges a mask was ripped off her face by the director of nursing, who accused her of scaring patients.

The lawsuit filed by Minifield and Harden in mid-March alleges that during the week of March 16th, the director of nursing informed all staff they were not allowed to wear PPE, specifically but not limited to masks, because it would 'scare the residents.'

In a statement, the Villages of Lapeer said: 'Due to the fact that the matters being inquired about are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide comment.

'We can say that The Villages of Lapeer has been and will continue to cooperate with the involved parties.

'Please be assured that The Villages of Lapeer is committed to continuing to provide high quality care and support to our residents and their families, as well as support for all of our staff during these challenging times.'
Unemployment across the country has been recorded to be above 10 percent and seen to stay there through at least next year. This makes renters even needier of rental assistance.

According to a report, tens of millions of households could be at risk of eviction in the coming month.

Emily A. Benfer, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, said that the United States is on the brink of an eviction crisis with unprecedented magnitude.

Renters who did not receive unemployment aid were largely covered by different eviction moratorium, which granted them some relief.

Each week, more than a million laid-off workers are seeking to file for unemployment insurance. Besides, temporary layoffs are becoming permanent job losses.

With this looming threat to renters, authorities have taken measures to their hands to prevent Americans from losing their homes.

One of these initiatives is the announcement of the Trump Administration

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use its authority to ban residential evictions through the end of the year temporarily.

The moratorium will cover individuals who earn $99,000 or less in 2020. This measure also covers couples who earn $198,000 or less.

Renters who want to be under the new program must validate that they cannot pay their rent because of the pandemic crisis.

Also, renters who also want to be covered by the new program must certify that they will likely become homeless if they are forced to leave their homes.

CDC also orders that renters covered by this program will also have to certify that they are paying as much rent as they can afford.

Aside from that, top Democrats officials also called on the passage of a measure that will funnel funds on rental assistance programs.

This measure was said to help Americans stay in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 40 million people were believed to be homeless in the U.S if proper measures are not taken.

"The rent is due today, but too many families won't be able to make payments through no fault of their own-pushing them deeper into debt and the prospect of being thrown out of their homes," Schumer and Pelosi were quoted in a Sept. 1 statement.

Diane Yentel, National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO, said that ensuring housing during a pandemic is not only a moral imperative but also a public health necessity.

Yentel also said that the eviction tsunami is entirely predictable and preventable.

She added that the White House must pass a COVID-19 spending bill that includes a uniform moratorium on all evictions for nonpayment of rent during the period of the pandemic.

At least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance should also be provided, Yentel said.

"Together, these actions will stem the tide of evictions across the country," Yentel was quoted.

Housing advocates said that aside from the eviction ban, Congress must also act on a measure with at least $100 billion in federal funds to avoid homelessness amid the pandemic.

Check these out:

Unemployment Benefits Claims Down, but Nearly 300,000 American Apply for Aid

US Unemployment Benefit: Uncertain, Might Decrease From $400 Down to $300

Unemployment Benefit of $600 Should Be Extended, Former Chairs of Federal Reserve Say
Credit: Herring & HerringMetallica has made Billboard chart history.

The metal legends are the first act to earn number-one singles on the publication's Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart in four different decades.

Metallica achieved the feat when their S&M2 recording of "All Within My Hands" took the top spot on Mainstream Rock Songs this week. They'd previously led the ranking in the '90s, '00s and '10s. Now, they've got a number-one in the '20s, too.

In total, Metallica has 10 number-one singles on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, which began in 1981. That ties them for fifth-most in the history of the 39-year-old list, alongside Disturbed and Tom Petty. Shinedown has the most number-ones, with 16.

S&M2 captures Metallica's two concerts last September accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony. It was released last Friday.

By Josh Johnson

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
MADRID: A coronavirus outbreak at a Madrid homeless shelter, where 26 new infections were diagnosed on Wednesday amid a resurgence of the virus in Spain, has led staff to blame city authorities for not isolating those infected as they remained in crammed rooms.

With around 40 people cohabiting in a single room with shared showers, they say a single case detected a month ago has led to contagion, and one death, that could have been avoided.

When we notified the first cases, something specific for them should have been set up  Its impossible for us to keep them separated and (the Madrid council) are not evacuating them," Mariluz, a nurse at the San Isidro shelter, told Reuters.

The caseload in the shelter has now risen to 32 of its 250 residents. The shelter tested 125 people on Tuesday and created a makeshift isolation zone for infected inhabitants.

Madrids council said it would not remove the confirmed cases immediately, promising to prepare a hotel to accommodate moderate cases next week.

We cant wait two weeks for the hotel," said Evaristo Bordallo, a 39-year-old social worker. We need these people to be isolated within single rooms with individual showers in order to prevent others from being infected."

A source at Madrids social affairs department said authorities were working with health services to reorganise the space to isolate those infected inside.

Since bringing the first wave of coronavirus largely under control through a strict lockdown which ended in June, Spain suffered a sharp resurgence of infections as measures were relaxed and testing increased.

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
Taken as a whole the 2020 Washington Technology Top 100 shows a government contractor market coming off a strong year of growth and positive activity.

Sign number one of a good year is that the aggregate value of the prime contracts for the Top 100 reached $126.3 billion, compared to $115.4 billion for the 2019 Top 100. Thats the fourth year in a row that weve seen growth since the market hit bottom with the 2016 Top 100 when the aggregate prime contracts totaled $97.2 billion. The low point came after five years of declines.

The market still hasnt reached the peak we saw with the 2011 Top 100 when the aggregate prime contracts were valued at $132 billion.

And on a historical note, the 2001 Top 100  19 years ago  the aggregate prime contract number was $26.8 billion. That was before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks super-charged the market.

It is important to note that the 2020 Top 100 is based on federal procurement data collected for calendar 2019. We analyze Federal Procurement Data System reports using over 700 product and service codes that represent IT, systems integration, telecommunication, professional services, engineering services and other technology spending.

An important caveat to this years Top 100 is that because we used calendar 2019 data, the rankings do not reflect the impact of the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether that impact is positive or negative will have to wait until next years Top 100.

But several long terms trends are evident in the Top 100 that will continue to drive activity in the market regardless of the pandemic.

Mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, major contract awards, and more rapid adoption of business models such as the cloud and managed services will continue to influence what is happening in the market.

You need look no farther than Leidos, the No. 1 company on the Top 100 with $8.1 billion in prime contracts.

The company pulled off two major acquisitions. It paid $1.65 billion for Dynetics, a space engineering firm, and then $1 billion for the airport security technology business of L3Harris. They also won a couple major recompetes valued in the billions  the $4 billion Hanford site cleanup contract and a $4.6 billion DISA contract to run a global network.

Still in the protest phase is the Navy $7.6 billion NGEN contract that Leidos took away from Perspecta.

But Leidos isnt alone in big wins.

Science Applications International Corp., No. 11 with $3.7 billion in prime contracts, acquired Unisys Federal for $1.2 billion. It also captured a five-year, $2.9 billion OASIS task order to provide software development and other services to the Army. The company also captured a $1.4 billion Justice Department contract to continue supporting the agencys asset forfeiture program.

Many others are reporting wins as well. For example, NCI Information Systems, No. 83 with $268.3 million in prime contracts, told us that their book to bill ratio for 2019 was two times revenue and will be better than 1.5 times for 2020.

CACI International, No. 12 with $2.9 billion, captured a significant new contract when it won BEAGLE, a $1.8 billion contract to modernize the back office systems for Customs and Border Protection.

A common theme that runs through many of these wins is the desire by many government agencies to modernize their IT infrastructure, applications and systems. The big buzz word many are using is digitization.

The work is attractive for many companies because it tends to be higher margin and it requires a closer working relationship with your customer.

For Serco Inc., No. 32 with $869.5 million in prime contracts, getting into position to win that kind of work meant walking away from lower margin contracts that were primarily competed on a lowest price, technically acceptable basis.

In the past, we were just saying, lets bid lower and then well win the work, said David Dacquino, CEO of Serco Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the U.K.-based Serco PLC.

Moving away from that kind of work was a challenge. It was a significant cultural change because we were comfortable with that, but our backyard was getting too small, he said.

The shift to higher margin work required investments in people as well as acquisitions such as the deal it made for a portion of Alion Science and Technology that added more Navy work.

The government also played a role in pushing that kind of change at Serco. We saw customers looking to get a better value, Dacquino said.

Thats just one example of how the government and what it is asking for is driving companies to change. The market is definitely in an era of push and pull, where agencies are more open to commercial technologies and new ways of doing business and companies are finding new ways to introduce those concepts to their customers.

During our Top 100 event, panelists from Booz Allen Hamilton, No. 8 with $5.2 billion in prime contracts, and ManTech International, No. 28 with $1.2 billion in prime contracts, both described how customer demand for modernization drives change.

Many contractors have set up organizations that allow commercial tech vendors and government customers to come in and test drive solutions and try out cutting edge technologies. The result is we see many companies now with Centers of Excellence or Innovation Labs. And we see it in peoples titles. Srini Iyer is senior vice president of ManTechs Innovation and Capability Office and Gary Labovich is the Next Generation Modernization Lead at Booz Allen.

They described a hunger by customers for new ways of doing business and getting results more quickly. The moves by the companies on the Top 100 reflect this overarching market driver.

Companies on the larger end of the Top 100 talked about a need to focus much the same way the smaller companies on the Top 100 spoke of focus.

As Tony Colangelo, founder and CEO of Minburn Technology Group, No. 94 with $225.3 million in prime contracts, said the key to his companys success was the decision to do a few things really well instead of a lot of things not well at all.
Last month, she revealed her shocking hair loss as a result of having COVID-19 after experiencing acute symptoms in April.

And on Tuesday night, Alyssa Milano, who is considered a 'long hauler' by physicians, updated her fans on her health.

The 47-year-old actress said in her wellness check that she is 'starting to physically feel better' as she continues her vitamin and aspirin regimen.

The latest: Last month, she revealed her shocking hair loss as a result of having COVID-19 after experiencing acute symptoms in April. And on Tuesday night, Alyssa Milano, who is considered a 'long hauler' by physicians, updated her fans on her health

The Charmed star said: 'Soooooo... how are you? This is a wellness check and a health update. I'm ok. I'm starting to physically feel better.'

She continued: I'm still taking an aspirin ever 3 days to thin my blood, fish oil, vitamin D, C, zinc and a B complex. I still have occasional heart palpitations. I still forget my words (absolute worst part).'

'But it's not nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago. I feel better. I had a ct scan of my lungs and a cardiac MRI and both were normal,' she said.

Alyssa added: 'I get super scared sometimes, though. Not of getting sick again but of my loved ones getting sick. I don't ever want them to have this thing. It's a beast. So I vacillate between being so grateful and so terrified.'

Update: The 47-year-old actress said in her wellness check that she is 'starting to physically feel better' as she continues her vitamin and aspirin regimen

Alyssa noted that she is 'grateful that it was me who got sick and terrified that friends or family will be sick. And I can't help but wonder - how are you? Please be safe. Please let me know you're ok.'

Alyssa shared two selfies while rocking a patterned top with her tresses loose around her.

Last month, the actress took to Twitter to share a video of herself brushing her locks after a shower which resulted in her pulling out several strands.

She began the video by saying: 'Hey everybody, I just wanted to show you the amount of hair that is coming out of my head as a result of COVID.

Demonstration: Alyssa has shown her shocking amount of hair loss as a result of having COVID-19 after experiencing acute symptoms in April

Result: Last month, the actress took to Twitter to share a video of herself brushing her locks after a shower which resulted in her pulling out several strands

Showing off: She began the video by saying: 'Hey everybody, I just wanted to show you the amount of hair that is coming out of my head as a result of COVID'

People who experienced long-term symptoms of COVID-19 say hair loss is a side effect of the virus, according to recent studies.

'This is a detangler brush, my favorite detangler brush. As you can see in there is no hair in there right now.'

Milano began brushing through her brunette tresses while wearing a New York Giants robe as she kept pulling bunches of locks from her brush.

She concluded the video by lifting the entire bunch of long hairs and saying: 'One brushing, this is my hair loss from COVID-19. Wear a damn mask!'

The actress captioned the shocking video to her 3.7million followers writing: 'Thought Id show you what #Covid19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously. #WearADamnMask #LongHauler.'

Multiple clinics and studies have reported a link between COVID-19 and hair loss with survivors of the disease reporting their hair falling out in clumps.

Oh no: She showed off all the strands of lost hair in her hands

Experts say most COVID-19 patients are suffering telogen effluvium (TE), a temporary condition that involves hair shedding, caused by physical or emotional stress, high fever, illness or weight loss of over 20 pounds, according to WebMD.

Dr. Natalie Lambert from the Indiana University School of Medicine conducted a survey along with Survivor Corps to study virus survivors who experienced long-term symptoms and found over 400 patients out of 1,500 experienced hair loss, according to CBS News.

Milano recently revealed that she had tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies after testing negative three times after experiencing symptoms in April and said she is considered a 'long hauler' by physicians.

Last month, she shared a selfie wearing a rainbow while sitting in a hospital bed.

'Long hauler': Last months, she also shared a selfie wearing a rainbow while sitting in a hospital bed

She captioned the image: 'I was acutely sick w/ Covid19 in April. I still have many symptoms. I am what they call a long hauler. Last night, I had real heaviness in my chest.

'I went to the ER just to make sure it wasnt a blood clot. Thankfully, it wasnt. This virus sucks. Please take it seriously.'

One fan asked where she believes that she had contracted the virus and Milano responded: 'Traveling between Portland, NY and LA. [sad face emoji]'

Prior to the post, Milano revealed that she has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in a lengthy Instagram post.

She opened up about her weeks-long battle with the coronavirus and the lingering symptoms she was left with after struggling to get a positive diagnosis.

Milano said she was tested twice for the virus and once for antibodies and received negative results but pushed for a fourth test that finally revealed she was positive.

'This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks,' she began in an Instagram caption. 'I had never been this kind of sick. Everything hurt. Loss of smell.'

Revelation: One fan asked where she believes that she had contracted the virus and Milano responded: 'Traveling between Portland, NY and LA. [sad face emoji]'

Telling her story: Prior to the post, Milano revealed that she has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies after suffering from severe symptoms but getting negative results three times in lengthy Instagram post

'It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldnt breathe. I couldnt keep food in me. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks. I was confused. Low grade fever. And the headaches were horrible,' she said detailing her symptoms.

The Charmed star added: 'I basically had every Covid symptom.'

In the image posted, Milano is seen at the height of her illness sitting in bed with her reading glasses on, wearing a medical breathing mask.

The actress said she was tested twice for COVID-19 in March and did a 'finger prick test' for antibodies once she was feeling better and all three came back negative.

Despite the negative tests results, Alyssa explained that she had brutal lingering symptoms like 'vertigo, stomach abnormalities, irregular periods, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, zero short term memory, and general malaise.'

The Who's the Boss star decided to listen to her body and seek out some additional blood work.

'I am POSITIVE for covid antibodies. I had Covid19,' Alyssa told her followers. 'I just want you to be aware that our testing system is flawed and we dont know the real numbers.'

The podcaster added gravely: 'I also want you to know, this illness is not a hoax. I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying.'

Along with her sick bed selfie, the star shared a screen grab of her positive antibody result on social media.

Milano said she is going to donate her plasma for antibody research with the hopes that it could save lives.

'Please take care of yourselves. Please wash your hands and wear a mask and social distance,' she implored. 'I dont want anyone to feel the way I felt. Be well. I love you all (well, maybe not the trolls. Just the kind people.)'

Confusion: The actress said she was tested twice for COVID-19 in March and did a 'finger prick test' for antibodies once she was feeling better and all three came back negative
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A 25-year-old man is accused of shooting two people, killing one, and pistol-whipping a third man during a fight at a gas station in the citys Central neighborhood.

Clarence Orr Jr., 25, is charged with aggravated murder. He is being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on $750,000 bond after his initial court appearance on Friday.

Orr is accused of killing Kieondre Lewis, 21, and shooting his 18-year-old brother Aug. 14 at the Rapid Stop gas station on East 55th Street and Payne Avenue.

Lewis, his brother, a 19-year-old man and Orr were waiting in line to buy food at the gas station when an argument broke out, according to police.

The group fought outside near the gas pumps and Orr pulled out a gun. He pistol-whipped the 19-year-old man in the head and the two wrestled to the ground, according to police.

Orr fired several shots from the ground at Lewis and Lewis brother as the duo ran away, according to police. The 19-year-old man told police he tried to grab Orrs gun as he fired.

Lewis was shot several times in the back and died on a nearby sidewalk. His brother was shot in the buttocks, according to court records.

Orr later in the night showed up to University Hospitals with a gunshot wound, but police have not determined how he ended up shot.

Orrs criminal history includes a prior felony conviction for drug trafficking and attempted receiving stolen property.

Read more from cleveland.com:

Woman shot to death at Cleveland gas station, near where two others shot during robbery

Woman shot to death in Clevelands Central neighborhood

After shrinking Cuyahoga County Jail population to all-time low, spike in inmates raises alarms
Incumbent state Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga claimed victory Tuesday in the 3rd Hampden Districts Republican primary, defeating challenger Dino R. Mercadante, an Agawam City Councilor.

Boldyga won 2,533 votes to Mercadantes 1,149, for a margin of 69% to 31%.

Boldyga will face Democrat Kerri A. OConnor in Novembers general election. OConnor, an Agawam School Committee member, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Boldyga, 40, has held the seat for a decade, after ousting incumbent Rosemary Sandlin, a Democrat from Agawam, in the 2010 election. He previously served as a member of Southwicks Parks and Recreation Commission as well as its Select Board. Boldyga also worked in the private sector as an auditor, and as a police officer in Connecticut.

Before the election, Boldyga said he sought another term because of his passion for public service. He highlighted the need to keep property taxes affordable in an effort to ensure the districts communities will remain attractive for businesses and families. After securing a slot on the November ballot, Boldyga offered gratitude to the voters and spoke of how his focus in the coming months will be finding ways to rein in the state budget in anticipation of a shortfall due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are many people in my district that are out of work due to COVID-19 and the last thing I want to see is a higher burden put on them, he said Tuesday night.

Mercadante, 63, owns the restaurant 911 Burgers and Dogs in Agawam, where he is a city councilor. Prior to the election, he said one of the biggest issues facing the district was a lack of proactive and aggressive representation in Boston. The Feeding Hills resident said it was critical that the district receives its proper share of state funding for schools and public transportation.

Mercadante could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Once all of the votes were tallied, OConnor, 43, challenged Boldyga to a public debate. A U.S. Navy veteran, OConnor is a project coordinator and case manager for the Hampden Regional School District. She said she was running for the seat because she felt there was a major lack of representation of the working class and face-to-face support in the community.

I want to wish Dino the best of luck in the future. He did a great job. And I want to extend an invitation to Nick in a debate as soon as possible, she said.

OConnor collected 4,014 votes in Agawam, 204 in Granville and 1,172 in Southwick. Interest was high in the Democratic primary thanks to high-profile races including the U.S. Senate matchup between incumbent Ed Markey and challenger Joe Kennedy III, and the contest between incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Boldyga received 1,537 votes in Agawam, 144 in Granville and 852 in Southwick.

Both Agawam Town Clerk Vincent Gioscia and Granville Town Clerk Donna M. Fillion said mail-in voting increased significantly in the district for the primary. Gioscia said that as of Friday, 3,000 of Agawams 21,790 registered voters chose mail-in voting for the primary. A total of 7,464 votes were cast, or 34.25 percent of the towns registered voters. In Granville, 154 of the towns 1,176 registered voters requested mail-in ballots, Fillion said. By Monday, she had received 104 of the requested mail-in ballots.

As for the mail-in, I did see higher numbers than the last presidential election, said Fillion, who attributed much of the increase to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the majority of those 154 voters sought to mail-in their ballots for November as well, she said.

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By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan has repatriated over 500 more citizens stranded on the border with Russias South Caucasus Republic of Dagestan due to coronavirus lockdown, Russian media has reported.



A special corridor has been organized for the repatriation of citizens of both countries who could not return on time due to the closure of borders amid the spread of COVID-19.

Azerbaijani citizens stranded in Dagestan, are placed in temporary accommodation centers, built specially for this purpose. The center's residents are sent home in groups every week on Tuesdays.

Thus, this week 460 people were included in the list, and in total more than 500 people, including children, were repatriated to Azerbaijan on September 1.

According to the report, about 1,000 people are waiting to return to Azerbaijan from Derbent region. Of them, 400 citizens are placed in temporary accommodation centers.

It should be noted that Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and head of Dagestan Vladimir Vasilyev agreed on June 23 to increase the number of citizens returning across the state border, in line with the instructions of Azerbaijan and Russian presidents.



Thus, according to the weekly schedule, 120 people crossed Samur checkpoint on May 19, 131 people on May 26, 122 people on June 2, 130 people on June 9, 155 people on June 16, 252 citizens on June 23, 250 citizens on June 30, 250 citizens on July 7, 260 citizens on August 4, 262 citizens on August 12 , 400 citizens on August 19 and 400 more on August 25.

The country closed its borders with Russia over COVID-19 on March 18.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Most women won't leave the house without their keys, purse and mobile phone  but Ally Hall has a different checklist.

She would never go out without her disposable gloves, antibacterial gel and a mini bottle of Dettol.

Now that we all live with the threat of Covid-19, this attention to hygiene seems almost par for the course. But Ally's obsession with cleanliness started when she was eight.

For years, she has meticulously disinfected her house for a full two hours a day  and double that on weekends  wiping her kitchen worktops at least ten times a day and steam-cleaning floors daily.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic Ally Hall, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, would never go out without her disposable gloves, antibacterial gel and a mini bottle of Dettol

It doesn't stop there. Towels, tea towels and clothes are washed after one use and bedding changed twice a week.

The habit has cost her thousands of pounds over the years, since she can spend up to 15 a week on cleaning supplies.

The 43-year-old, a divorced hairdresser from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, says: 'I feel I can see dirt everywhere and I can't relax until everything is show-home perfect.

I work from home as a hairdresser so, before Covid, a lot of people were in and out. I am constantly making sure it is clean.'

Although there is no doubt her clients appreciated the pristine environment, her cleaning has taken a painful toll on her personal life.

'When I was married, my poor husband wasn't even allowed to sit on the sofa after I plumped the cushions and my obsession drove him mad.

Ally, who lives with her two schnoodle (schnauzer and poodle cross) dogs, says she has no intention of easing her cleaning regime as restrictions loosen

'Before that, I had one boyfriend who was very messy. He left wet towels and clothes on the floor.

'He would chop raw meat followed by vegetables on the same board, which filled me with fear of food poisoning. It was a deal-breaker in the end and we had to split up.'

Ally has what psychologists call germaphobia, or the fear of germs; micro-organisms that cause disease such as bacteria, viruses or parasites.

It's a phenomenon experts say is on the rise  even as our homes have actually become cleaner, thanks to modern disinfectants.

When coronavirus started to spread earlier this year, and lockdown came, you might assume Ally was horrified. Instead, she says, for the first time she felt almost normal.

'My friends always thought I was mad,' says Ally. 'But now my cleaning doesn't seem so over the top. I haven't had the virus and I'm sure it's because I've been so vigilant.'

No microorganism stands much chance of survival in Jane Cohen's house, either.

Ally and other British germa-phobes may well believe they are better equipped to deal with a deadly pandemic than most of us. But an obsession with cleaning can become abnormal, say experts.

'For these women,' says Consultant clinical psychologist Professor Pieter Kruger, 'nothing really seems to be changing, as they are on high alert for germs anyway.

They are used to dealing with the uncertainty and having processes in place to deal with it.

'A lot of people enjoy a clean house, but there's a point where it moves into a more dysfunctional zone.'

However Ally, who lives with her two schnoodle (schnauzer and poodle cross) dogs, says she has no intention of easing her cleaning regime as restrictions loosen.

'I'm convinced we will get a second wave,' she says. 'I spray my shoes with alcohol spray after being outside.

'At the supermarket, I wear a mask and gloves. I spray the trolley bars and ask the check-out staff to use hand gel before they touch my purchases.

'At home, my shopping gets wiped over with alcohol spray and my fruit and vegetables are washed in soapy water.'

She even cleans her pooches' paws after walks, with special dog cleaner. 'There was a group of guys while I was on a dog walk and they all kept spitting on to the grass.

'I thought: 'If the dogs walk in that, it will go in the house', so I wash their paws after every walk.'

Even before the pandemic, Jane would scrub the kitchen floor with bleach on most days

Even before Covid-19, intensive cleaning had been enjoying a surge in popularity thanks, in part, to the rise of cleaning influencers such as Mrs Hinch and Lynsey Crombie, who manage to make domestic chores look glamorous and satisfying.

But that doesn't mean we should all be following Ally's lead.

On the contrary, says Professor Anthony Hilton, an expert in applied microbiology at Aston University, Birmingham, too much cleaning could store up problems for the future.

'Our homes are a collage of organisms that we bring in,' he says. 'While we need to kill harmful bacteria that cause illness, we need some exposure to bacteria to keep our immune system healthy.'

Research last year by the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene suggested a lack of exposure to microbes is doing us harm.

Our sterile surroundings are associated with rising levels of asthma and food allergies, as well as autoimmune diseases and Type 1 diabetes.

Certainly no microorganism stands much chance of survival in Jane Cohen's house.

Even before Covid, the 50-year-old mother of two grown-up children could be found scrubbing the kitchen floor with wipes and bleach most days, even pulling her fridge out from against the wall weekly so she could clean behind it.

'My friends say I'm silly and should just do it with a mop, but mops are full of germs,' says Jane, a divorcee from Cardiff who works in PR.

'I use at least two or three bottles of bleach and five packs of anti-bacterial wipes a week, spending about 20.

'I wash my cups and cutlery in bleach. I'm always chucking bleach down the toilets. You could eat your dinner off them.

'I even bleached all the mugs at work  there were raised eyebrows.'

Expert Pieter Kruger says excessive cleaning can be potentially dangerous

Her colleagues are right to be alarmed. Inhaling bleach fumes can be harmful, so it is far from advisable to use it on household utensils.

But the impact of Jane's need to clean goes beyond awkward moments in the office kitchen.

'I haven't lived with a partner for 18 years, as I couldn't cope with anyone's mess or germs,' says Jane. 'It's definitely got worse over time.

'Friends are always moaning to me about how their husbands leave dirty dishes in the sink and I could never live with that. It's a shame, but it's just the way it has to be.'

She finds it hard enough popping round to a friend's house.

'If their home was a mess I'd always say no to a cup of tea as I couldn't risk it,' says Jane, who insists she can't remember the last time she was ill or went to the doctor.

Since the pandemic, Jane doesn't have to worry about friends' dirty homes  and says that many of them are now seeing things from her point of view.

'People are getting worse than me!' she says. 'Everyone is wearing masks and using sanitisers and I suddenly don't feel so alone.'

Her own cleaning routine has stayed pretty much the same, although she does now wipe down the steering wheel and gear stick in her car before driving.

She takes hand sanitiser everywhere she goes and wears gloves to the supermarket.

There is a difference, however, between the temporary germaphobia we have all felt since Covid and the long-term, potentially dangerous compulsion, warns Pieter Kruger.

'If your cleaning has been causing some sort of issue or negative consequence with yourself or loved ones, it is an indication you have probably crossed the line,' he says.

'The origin of obsessive cleaning can have multiple sources. It could be partly learned behaviour  from a parent, for example.

Once it reaches a more dysfunctional level, however, chances are that either compulsive perfectionism or even a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) could be at play.'

Natacha Sullivan, 26, says it was feelings of guilt that prompted her obsessive cleaning after her daughter, Nariyah, five, developed asthma at just six months old.

'I felt like it was my fault and my house wasn't clean enough,' says Natacha, a stay-at-home mum from Maidstone, Kent, who also has a one-year-old daughter, Aaliyah.

'I bleached the kitchen, bathroom and toilet twice a day and would take hand sanitiser wherever I went  I was constantly using it on my and Nariyah's hands.

'I would wipe the table with anti-bacterial wipes if we were in a coffee shop, and I probably spent 15 a week on wipes, sprays, hand sanitisers and dusting cloths.

'I've even wiped toys when we went to friends' houses to play  luckily they just laughed it off because they knew about my cleanliness.

'If the house isn't clean, I feel dirty and itchy and I can't relax.'

Her NEED for cleanliness even landed her in hospital last year.

'I fell out of an upstairs bedroom window because I was so busy cleaning the windows that I lost my balance,' she says.

'I broke my right leg and fractured both my ankles.

'My friends think I'm crazy, but Nariyah and I rarely get colds or coughs.'

Natacha found it challenging when her oldest daughter went back to school before the summer holiday. 'I was anxious, but I knew I needed to do it for her wellbeing,' she says.

Research last year by the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene suggested a lack of exposure to microbes is doing us harm

'I trusted she would wash her hands at every opportunity, like I explained to her.

Then I made sure the clothes she wore went straight in the wash when she got home and she had a bath.'

Natacha doesn't know if her cleaning has helped protect her family from coronavirus, although they haven't been sick.

But, for her, germaphobia has become a burden  especially now she's worried about the pandemic.

'I'm at home all the time now, so I'm cleaning much more on a daily basis and I'm constantly going over door handles and light switches and vacuuming twice as much,' she says.

'My hands are so cracked from all the handwashing and sanitiser. I wish I could feel more normal  it's so time and energy-consuming. It's a nightmare to live like this.'
The Select Board and Prudential Committee meets Monday to vote on tax classifications; there was a quorum of both boards with some members attending by phone.

Williamstown, Fire District Set Tax Rates for Fiscal 2021

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The average property owner in Williamstown will see her taxes rise by about $87 in fiscal 2021.

The Select Board on Monday voted to maintain a single tax rate that for this fiscal year will be $17.30 per $1,000 valuation, down 30 cents from last year and 75 cents over the prior two years.

"I will say that typically when values go up, the tax rate goes down as long as the levy is kept to some sort of reasonable increase," said Town Assessor Christopher Lamarre. "And, obviously, this year the increase is very nominal."

The full tax levy will be $17,988, 059 to fund the spending plan passed earlier by voters. This is a nominal increase over the prior year tax levy of $31,206, or 0.2 percent.

"It's been determined that the median [single-family home] value is $305, 400, and that the median single family tax bill for fiscal '21 will be $5,283, an increase of $87 over the prior year, which I think there's a very reasonable increase for the taxpayers," Lamarre said. "The median commercial value was $350,900. Their median bill was $6,071, a $257 increase."

Lamarre said the town has increased in value to by $19.49 million to $1,039,356,031, fueled by new construction, personal property, renovations and changes in how utility assets are taxed.

"This is predominantly the result of a consistent flow of residential construction, the completion of two major commercial projects in town, both hotels, and also a change in the valuation methodology for utility company assets," Lamarre explained. "The net change was brought about by a long lawsuit between major municipalities in Massachusetts against some of the big utility players. The courts found eventually in favor of the municipalities and the methodology that they use to value utility company assets."

The hotels  the new Williams Inn and the Fairfield Inn & Suites  accounted for more than half of the bump in growth, plus there were a couple "high-dollar valued single homes that were completed."

"We saw a very nice increase in our new growth of $24,164,897, and that translates to new tax dollars for the community of $425,302," Lamarre said. "Our three-year average growth has been $12.1 million. So you can see that the $24 million that we realized this year was a nice bump. I would caution you not to expect this much next year. Probably be staying right within that average going forward."

The town also has an have excess levy capacity $2,695,238, an increase of about $789,000. The excess capacity is the difference between the maximum allowable levy and the actual tax levy. That figure gives Williamstown a cushion that many communities are lacking, as there growth has slowed and their taxing capacity has decreased.

"Excess capacity could also be viewed as the amount of monies that the town could tax, but refuses, or chooses not to," Lamarre said. "Excess capacity over the past five years has increased by $1.6 million. So the town is doing a fairly good job of not hitting the taxpayers really hard, and being cognizant of their pocketbooks."

Trish Gorman of White Oaks Road, the only resident to call in during the public hearing, was not as sanguine about the town's fiscal situation. The 32-year-resident said she's seen her utility and water bills double and found its getting harder for people in her situation to maintain their homes.

"I just wanted to make a pitch to keep us in mind, because I know diversity and valuing lower-income white-collar, blue-collar whatever professionals, is always a goal of this board," she said. "And so I just wanted to raise my hand and say, 'Hi, I'm here and I hope that you think of me.'"

Gorman questioned the capacity of Williams College to provide more financial resources to the town as a major landowner on high-value property.

Lamarre acknowledged that the college, as an educational institution, is exempt from paying taxes but added, "Williams College holds a tremendous amount of taxable real estate in town, and they are in fact, the No. 1 taxpayer in the community. So, they do in fact pay a substantial amount of real estate taxes on an annual basis."

Gorman was not convinced it was paying its fair share and referenced a town meeting vote that failed at least 20 years ago to fund a $1,000 study of the goods and services impact between the town and gown.

"We all will never know unfortunately what the real exchange is between Williams College and the town, and I'm sure it's generous but yeah, unfortunately they won't let us know," she said, adding, "I just want to make a pitch for those of us that struggle to maintain our home."

The Select Board voted to move forward with no exemptions and a single rate. The meeting was a joint tax classification hearing with the Williamstown Prudential Committee, which set its tax rate for the Fire District. Lamarre said the values for the district were the same since it encompassed the same properties.

The Fire District's tax levy is $540,465, which is a decrease of $20,462, or 3.65 percent, over last year. The tax rate was set at 52 cents per $1,000 valuation, down 2 cents from last year. That means the median single-family home will see a bill of $159, $3 less than last year, and commercial will see a bill of $182, which is flat.
Data science, artificial intelligence and visualization company RS21 is No. 485 on Inc. magazines annual Inc. 500 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses.

RS21 grew 947 percent from 2016 to 2019 and ranks No. 8 in its industry category, IT System Development. The company has created more than 100 big data platforms for clients in government, healthcare, non-profit, and private businesses to improve health, community safety, security and cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience and disaster preparedness.

To make the Inc. 500 listto place in the top 10 percent of Americas fastest-growing companiesis a huge honor, said Charles Rath, RS21 President and CEO. We are just getting started, and I cant wait to see our teams continued innovations and growth as we help even more people use data for good.

RS21 was also recognized as a Fast Company 2020 Best Workplace for Innovators for its commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels and for the creation of the Urban Health Vulnerability Index, a data analytics tool that identifies urban neighborhoods at higher risk for COVID-19.

RS21s recent work also includes developing a microgrid siting tool to encourage the adoption of sustainable energy systems and visualizing the potential flood impact on communities to keep citizens and businesses safe from flood events.

The companies on this years Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.

Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 500/5000 list been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 list of companies achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.

The Inc. 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands now. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

METHODOLOGY

The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2019. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2019 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

ABOUT INC. MEDIA

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.

ABOUT RS21

RS21 is a rapidly growing, global data science and visualization company with offices in Albuquerque, NM and Washington, DC. We empower organizations to make data-driven decisions that positively impact the world through innovative solutions that are insightful, intuitive, inspiring, and intellectually honest. Using MOTHR, our human-centered, artificial intelligence-driven platform that allows users to seamlessly integrate data and reveal insights at hyper speed, we help clients achieve programmatic goals, improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and maximize productivity. We navigate complex data issues in the fields of healthcare, population health, infrastructure resilience, disaster preparedness, supply chain management, community safety, and security and cybersecurity. For more information, visit http://www.rs21.io.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 2, 2020 11:44 505 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c422212f 4 National COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,East-Java,Banyuwangi,Pesantren,boarding-schools,quarantine Free

Health authorities have placed the Darussalam Blokagung Banyuwangi Islamic Boarding School in East Java under quarantine after nearly 100 students test positive for COVID-19.

The provincial COVID-19 task force confirmed that 539 students in the boarding school had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday, according to kompas.tv. Testing was done after authorities found that 99 students had the disease.

During the quarantine, all student activities will be suspended. Police and military personnel were also dispatched to put up checkpoints on all roads leading to the school.

Local authorities have opened a public kitchen to feed the students during the quarantine.

The Banyuwangi administration is providing foodstuffs, while personnel from the Banyuwangi Disaster Mitigation Agency [BPBD] and the emergency response unit [Tagana] will cook in the kitchen, Banyuwangi 0825 Military District (Kodim) Commander Lt. Col. Yuli Eko Purwanto said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.

Read also: COVID-19: How the second largest province became Indonesia's epicenter

Students who tested positive for COVID-19 were put in isolation and separated from other students.

Banyuwangi Health Agency head Widji Lestariono said his team had prepared an area in the school to treat the students.

He added that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had rapidly increased over the weekend.

Most are students. Nevertheless, we have been treating patients for some time. We hope comprehensive efforts from all parties can help prevent COVID-19 from spreading further in the school, Widji said. (dpk)
Its grim news for the western U.S.

The latest maps show that most of the southern half of the region is mired in drought, with extreme conditions centered over much of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. In fact, Las Vegas, Nevada, has gone more than four months without measurable rain and Bishop, California  just northwest of Death Valley  has logged 135 thirsty days. Forecasters have created an interactive website to keep track of the dry streak.

The state climatologist in New Mexico says his state has its own problems, where drought has been compounded by an early peak in spring runoff and now a nearly nonexistent monsoon season that left communities from Dulce near the northern border to Los Lunas in central New Mexico lagging behind for the first eight months of the year.

He warns that many measures  such as precipitation, soil moisture, reservoir levels and stream flows  are all below average around New Mexico. Conditions are similar throughout the Southwest.

Weve gotten a lot of feedback from folks out there in the field and things are not looking good, Dave DuBois, the state climatologist and director of the New Mexico Climate Center at New Mexico State University, said during an online briefing late last week.

The dry conditions already have forced some cities along the Rio Grande in New Mexico to stop diverting water from the river. Stretches south of Albuquerque already have gone dry as the summer rains that officials were hoping for did not materialize. This is supposed to be the time of year that New Mexico gets as much as 50% of its annual precipitation.

The cottonwood forest along the river north of Albuquerque is starting to change colors, with leaves turning yellow and dropping off due to the lack of water. Citing the drought, water utility officials in the city on Monday reported that use is up by more than 1 billion gallons compared with last year.

The dryness has been exacerbated by higher temperatures. In New Mexico, DuBois said many locations have seen temperatures between 3 and 7 degrees above average.

In Phoenix, the National Weather Service on Thursday logged 50 days in which the temperature reached 110 degrees or hotter. Thats the most days since 2011, when only 33 hit that mark.

Just to be clear, we in no way were celebrating this milestone, forecasters posted on social media. We were just trying to stay positive even though this summer has been miserable for all of us.

That combination of heat and dryness has led to more evaporation and crispy vegetation. Red flag warnings were in effect Monday around the Southwest.

Firefighters have been busy battling wildfires from Arizona and New Mexico to northern California. Federal fire managers reported 10 new large fires in seven states over the weekend.

The outlook for September doesnt appear to bring much relief to the region as probability favors lower precipitation and higher temperatures across much of the region. Drought also is expected to persist through November, and forecasters say its looking likely that a La Nina weather pattern is setting up for the winter. That typically means drier and warmer conditions for New Mexico.

Not a lot of good news Im afraid, DuBois said.
Monica Roberts, a 58-year-old transgender activist from Houston, travels around the country speaking at colleges and consulting with communities on how to better serve the transgender population. But no matter where she goes, her first mission is to call home to her elderly mother, who constantly fears that her daughter might be targeted in a hate crime.

With more than two dozen unsolved murders of transgender people so far in 2020, Roberts said her mother has good reason to be concerned.

Like many transgender women of color, Roberts said she feels more vulnerable than ever given the tumultuous political climate, but she found reason to celebrate this month when the Los Angeles Police Department captured a group of violent assailants who allegedly robbed and attacked three transgender women on Hollywood Boulevard as onlookers stood by.

At least 26 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been killed in the U.S. so far in 2020, with transgender women of color making up the bulk of those victims, according to data provided by the Human Rights Campaign.

The group reported 25 killings in 2019 and 29 in 2018, the most it had ever recorded in a year. There is no official track of the amount of non-fatal anti-transgender assaults.

PHOTO: Los Angeles Police posted this image of a suspect involved in the attack of three transgender women on Hollywood Boulevard on Aug. 17, 2020. (Los Angeles Police Dept.)

Members of the transgender community praised the LAPD for prioritizing the attack as a hate crime and apprehending the suspects within just three days. Many LGBTQ advocates said other cities and municipalities could learn a lot from Los Angeles and cities like it where lawmakers have vowed to protect members of marginalized communities, especially those who identify as LGBTQ.

MORE: Transgender civil rights icon Marsha P. Johnson honored with public monument in New Jersey hometown

"My heart broke when I saw the story out of Los Angeles, where you had people gleefully egging on the attackers while videotaping," Roberts, who travels often through her advocacy work and as a board member of the Dallas-based Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, told ABC News. "The transphobia that is going on in the black trans communities needs to stop and it needs to be called out immediately."

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Roberts said she would like to see more action and activism from politicians.

"Kamala Harris cannot be the only voice calling it out. I need the Congressional Black Caucus calling it out. I need the NAACP calling it out. I need individual legislators in these areas, and council members calling it out," she added.

Attacked as onlookers joked and filmed

Social media users shared a video of the violent Aug. 17 attack in Los Angeles, showing a man yelling transphobic slurs at the women, allegedly robbing them and attacking one woman with a bottle, according to police.

Bystanders could be seen laughing and joking about the attack while filming it. The department described the primary suspect as a homeless person from the Hollywood area who outreach officers said they recognized from previous encounters.

The department said the city's deep ties with the LGBTQ community helped them to arrests the suspects Carlton Callway and Davion Anthony Williams, who were charged this earlier week.

Callway faces one felony count each of grand theft from the person of another, second-degree robbery, criminal threats, attempted second-degree robbery, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.

Williams faces one felony count each of grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon, rideshare scooter.

PHOTO: Carlton Callway, Davion Williams and Willie Walker are pictured in images released by the Los Angeles Police Department. (Los Angeles Police Department)

MORE: Police arrest 2 suspects in Los Angeles hate crime targeting 3 transgender women

Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, who helped push for a full investigation into the incident, said the attack felt like "a sucker punch to all of us who believe in civilized behavior and humane treatment of one another."

"The transgender community, especially women of color, are so often marginalized, assaulted, and even murdered. It is an epidemic that can be seen across the country," O'Farrell said. "These women were in great distress and clearly becoming more injured as this attack carried through in those harrowing several minutes that we've seen on video."

"So, it's really important that we make arrests like this and I just want to send a signal to anyone who was in that crowd cheering  that is not behavior that is becoming of a resident of the City of Angels and that is the kind of behavior that will not be tolerated," he added.

Long history of progressive, gender-inclusive policies

LAPD officials told ABC News that the office of Assistant Chief Beatrice Girmala, the department's LGBTQ Outreach Coordinator, was instrumental in helping capture the suspects.

PHOTO: Thousands participate in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity march to mark LGBTQ Pride Month along Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood on June 14, 2020. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE)

Girmala was also a big part of the department's 2017 Safe Place initiative, which declares participating brick-and-mortar establishments a safe haven for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Modeled after a Seattle program that encourages engagement between police, local business owners and the LGBTQ community, the initiative allows businesses to post signs indicating that they are a "safe place" for anyone who might be seeking refuge from a hate crime or incident.

"Justice for all should mean just that. There should be no exception to that rule and there should be no marginalization to that rule," Girmala told reporters earlier this month when announcing the arrests. "But we can't arrive at justice unless we have the community working in partnership with us. And not just lip service to say this is community policing and not just to say that we are working together, but where we see the manifestation of those partnerships in a day like today."

She highlighted the mayor's Transgender Advisory Council and LAPD LGBTQ Working Group, an initiative launched in 2010 to create more culturally sensitive policies for the city's officers, when discussing some infrastructures that have helped the department crackdown on anti-transgender crime over the years.

Roberts -- who has been tracking pro-LGBTQ legislation for more than two decades and documenting transgender violence for her blog, Transgrio -- pointed to California as one of the more progressive states in the country when it comes to protecting transgender women.

"They did the right thing by opening an investigation. Instead of trying to sweep it under the rug or ignoring it, like many police departments do, they went after these folks," Roberts said. "It makes me angry because too many leaders are silent about this wave of violence that is being perpetrated by Black cis-gendered men in this community, aimed at predominantly Black trans women."

PHOTO: LAPD assistant Chief Beatrice Girmala speaks at the unveiling ceremony of a Hollywood star honoring fallen police officers on Oct. 23, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Sipa USA via AP, FILE)

Danni Newbury -- an LGBTQ rights advocate and coordinator of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs at Union County, New Jersey -- agreed that California law makes it much easier to prosecute anti-transgender crimes. The state is one of few in the country that protects transgender people under local hate crime laws.

Protecting LGBTQ's most vulnerable

Many state hate crimes laws, including those in Texas, cover sexual orientation, but not gender identity, essentially leaving out people who identify as transgender or non-binary.

MORE: New Jersey schools get the option to go virtual, and advocates worry vulnerable will be left behind

Newbury, who oversees New Jersey's first county office of LGBTQ services, said her home state has been working to make sure that law enforcement agencies have deep ties with the LGBTQ community, which makes it much easier when crimes inevitably happen. She said her office has been working with authorities to come up with plans on how to better engage and serve with transgender victims.

"We want to make sure that we have allies in positions of influence who really care about helping these vulnerable communities," Newbury said. "The first part is learning where we've gotten it wrong from the community and the second part is informing our organizations, our police academy, and our officers and police chiefs on how to get it right. Because we know, anecdotally, that it needs attention."

PHOTO: Eden Estrada, Jasleen Busanette and Joselyn Allen talk to KABC about an incident where they were attacked on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Aug. 17, 2020. (KABC)

In New Jersey, advocates have been focusing on trans-inclusion and visibility in an effort to spread awareness and combat anti-transgender sentiments. For example, the Office of LGBTQ Affairs hosted a drag queen story hour as a way to bring the divide between parents in the wake controversy of school bathroom bills.

"It was simply a way to educate families that were already inclusive and to show others that there's no danger in something like Drag Queen Story Hour. It's about celebrating art and individuality," Newbury, who identifies as lesbian, said. "So a lot of our advocacy comes in the form of inclusive programming. It allows the community to participate at the level that they're comfortable and the more we move people toward inclusion and acceptance, the closer we are to progress."

Like California, New Jersey recently banned the so-called trans panic defense, the argument that a violent act was caused by the revelation of a victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

California became the first state to ban the defense in 2014 and a hand full of other states followed suit. "That's a problem because you're playing on hatred of trans folks as a defense in order to reduce the punishments for the people who perpetrate the crimes," Roberts said. "In other words you're blaming the victim for their murder. And because you have this perception out there that trans folks are going around deceiving people, a notion pushed by media and in Hollywood, the defense works time and time again."

What other cities can learn from LA in wake of violent anti-transgender attack originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2)  A number of senators on Wednesday said the proposal to use funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to build more COVID-19 testing laboratories might be to the detriment of coronavirus patients.

"Baka maubos 'yung pera because I don't think it's a joke to establish a COVID-19 testing laboratory - milyun-milyong pera din 'yan [That's still millions of money]," Senator Koko Pimentel said during the plenary session. "We might be wasting money here."

The state health insurer's interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) for COVID-19 of which over P14 billion were paid in advance to hospitals, was tagged as illegal. The money was intended to help hospitals amid the pandemic, but the Senate Committee of the Whole on Monday recommended that some institutions spend it for testing centers.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the cash advances were for patients, not facilities.

"This was not a fund to purchase equipment or improve the hospital," he said. "It is for the reimbursement of claims."

Senator Cynthia Villar said she suggested to use the IRM for healthcare institutions that have no COVID-19 facilities, including the Las Pinas General Hospital in her city.

"For every money that you give, you should have some requirement on what they should be able to give in terms of service to the people," Villar said.

Senate President Tito Sotto agreed with Villar and offered a safeguard, saying the Health Technology Assessment Council should determine how the testing laboratory will be established.
It's not a stretch to say that Philip Morris International Inc.'s (NYSE:PM) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 16.9x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in the United States, where the median P/E ratio is around 19x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Recent times haven't been advantageous for Philip Morris International as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to revert back to market averages soon, which has kept the P/E from falling. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Philip Morris International

pe

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Philip Morris International.

How Is Philip Morris International's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/E like Philip Morris International's is when the company's growth is tracking the market closely.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 6.9%. At least EPS has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 10% each year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 13% each year, which is noticeably more attractive.

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With this information, we find it interesting that Philip Morris International is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

What We Can Learn From Philip Morris International's P/E?

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Philip Morris International's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Philip Morris International that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Philip Morris International. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that sit on P/E's below 20x and have grown earnings strongly.

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.
Ukraine has also expanded the list of Ukrainian citizens' relatives who may cross the borders.

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has amended the resolution related to the entry ban for foreigners, but expanded the list of relatives who may travel to Ukrainian citizens.

Read alsoUkrainian PM comments on entry ban for foreignersThat is according to the Ukrainian media outlet European Pravda, referring to its sources.

In particular, the right to transit up to two days was removed from the list of grounds for entry of foreign nationals. Thus, Ukraine shut down its land borders for Moldovan citizens, who, in particular, used transit for legal travel to Belarus and Russia.

Ukraine has also expanded the list of Ukrainian citizens' relatives who may cross the borders, adding their grandparents.

In addition, the government clarified the wording related to the study as a basis for crossing the border. Now only those who go to study in educational institutions will be allowed to enter Ukraine. This removes abuses when the purpose of entry was declared as training in short-term courses.

Temporary entry ban for foreigners: background
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that depriving states of Goods and Services Tax compensation is an "attempt to undermine federalism" and urged him not to belie the trust between the states and the Centre on the issue.

Attorney General K K Venugopal's opinion that it is not the responsibility of the Centre to compensate the states for GST shortfall during a pandemic "appears to be an act of subterfuge", Banerjee said in the letter.



In the 41st meeting of GST Council on August 27, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the COVID-19 pandemic is an "act of God" which has hit GST collection and ruled out paying compensation to states from its coffers.

"On behalf of Bengal and other states, I sincerely urge you not to belie the trust between the States and the Centre on matters of GST which has been hailed globally as the finest example of cooperative federalism," Banerjee said.

Banerjee asked Modi not to allow "an insufferable blow to the federalist polity of the nation" by depriving the states of the GST compensation.

"I am deeply anguished by the Goods and Services Tax imbroglio which tantamounts to a betrayal of the trust and moral responsibility of the Government of India towards the states, violating the very premise of federalism.

"This is a travesty and an abrogation of the fundamental basis on which the states gave up 70 per cent of their taxing powers, including the entire VAT regime, to usher in the GST regime," Banerjee said in the four-page letter.

The "agreed formula" for giving up taxing powers was the promise of full compensation of shortfall in GST collection for five years, she said adding that the Centre is duty-bound to give compensation to the states.

She reminded Modi that as the chief minister of Gujarat, he had opposed implementation of GST and the late BJP leader Arun Jaitley had stated that the saffron party did not trust the Centre in honouring compensation of GST losses to the states.



"His words are ringing in our ears as we are losing trust on the BJP government in the Centre, in honouring its solemn, promise of fully compensating GST losses to the states," Banerjee said.

As per the Centre's calculations, the compensation requirement of states in current fiscal would be Rs 3 lakh crore, of which Rs 65,000 crore would come from levy of cess. Out of the shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, the shortfall due to GST implementation is Rs 97,000 crore and the remaining is due to COVID-19 impact.

The Centre has given two options to states -- to either borrow the entire Rs 2.35 lakh crore or borrow only Rs 97,000 crore through a special window, which would be provided

by the RBI, to meet the revenue shortfall.

The chief minister said that despite assurances, states are being thrust with "two unilateral options, both of which require the States to borrow lakhs and crores of rupees."

Instead of helping the states, the Centre has stopped assistance to them and is thrusting more financial burden on them, she said.

"The Centre must borrow to meet the shortfall at this critical hour of the Covid-19 pandemic and I am sure that the states will reciprocate in supporting a resolution that Cess collection continues beyond the five years till the entire debt of the Centre is totally liquidated, along with the entire interest payment cost," she said.

Stating that the union government has the power to monetise its debt while the states do not enjoy such powers, Banerjee said that the Centre gets much lower interest on such borrowing while the interests are much higher in case of the states.

"Furthermore, Government of India can raise the resources to service its debt, while the States simply cannot service huge additional debts when their finances are on the verge of collapse," she said.

Banerjee said that the attorney general's opinion that it is not the responsibility of the Centre to compensate the states for GST shortfall during a pandemic "appears to be an

act of subterfuge to undermine the trust reposed by the States in the spirit of cooperative federalism".

"Thereby, it appears to be an onslaught on the democratic and federal structure of the country," the chief minister said.

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra recently said that the Centre's suggestion to states to borrow for meeting the shortfall in revenue from GST is "totally unacceptable" as it would destroy their financial health and lead to "brute power of centralism".
SK Innovation, a $1 billion expansion of an electric-battery manufacturing facility near Commerce.

Irving Tissue, a $400 million paper manufacturing plant in Macon.

Home Depot, adding 1,000 jobs in three new metro Atlanta distribution centers.

Microsoft, a $75 million investment in a new Midtown office.

(TNS)  Georgia picked up the pace in economic development the past fiscal year, recruiting more projects. But, at a time when hundreds of thousands remain out of work, the pace of job creation slowed, as did the the value of investments.The growth was fueled by three new Amazon fulfillment centers near Stone Mountain, Newnan and Augusta, an electric-battery plant near Commerce, and hundreds more projects inside and outside of metro Atlanta. State officials said new projects continue to be hatched despite the coronavirus pandemic.Amazon confirmed on Tuesday it will add 1,000 jobs at a new warehouse in Gwinnett County. Gov. Brian Kemp used the occasion to tout an award from Area Development, an industry trade magazine, that called Georgia the best state for doing business, the seventh consecutive year the state has won the honor.Speaking against the backdrop of the 700,000 square-foot Amazon facility near Stone Mountain, Kemp called the magazine award a powerful testament to the fundamental strength of Georgias economy  even in these challenging times.For the fiscal year ending June 30, Kemps office said Georgia added 350 economic-development projects, a 4 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. The total financial investment by these companies fell 1 percent, to $7.4 billion, in the same period.Total job creation from such projects fell 17 percent to 24,133 jobs.Georgia outperforms neighboring states in recruiting companies to all regions of the state and not just metro Atlanta, said Kevin Brown, an economic development attorney at Seyfarth Shaw.Its a significant reason why you are seeing these projects in Georgia, because state officials direct prospective companies to consider other parts of the state if they rule out metro Atlanta, he said.However, companies expanding in Georgia create fewer jobs now than in past years. Amazon, for instance, said its new distribution center in Gwinnett County is the companys first in Georgia to utilize state-of-the-art robotics technology.The number of jobs may be lower, but they require more training and pay better, Pat Wilson, commissioner of the state Department of Economic Development, said in an interview.Companies are investing more in technology and automation, Wilson said.Georgia won more of these projects despite making no changes to its offerings of tax incentives, Wilson said. The state provided about $20 million in tax incentives and infrastructure improvements to win the Amazon deal for Gwinnett County. SK Innovation has secured at least $300 million in tax incentives, grants and other considerations for its battery plant.Still, the states unemployment rate has soared during the pandemic as businesses scaled back operations or shut down completely. Metro Atlanta added 15,300 jobs during July, but the areas unemployment rate was 8.5 percent, more than double the rate from July 2019.Georgia could be vulnerable to competing states because of health care issues, especially regions outside metro Atlanta that lack health care facilities, Brown said. Many rural hospitals are struggling financially and an industry lobbyist recently predicted that many may close due to the pandemics impact.When considering specific expansion sites, companies typically want a hospital located facility nearby, Brown said.They want to know how far away the nearest emergency facility or hospital is, he said.Georgia also has shortcomings in education and training, according to a 2019 report by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. The states education system ranked 31st in the groups report, behind neighboring North Carolina and Tennessee.The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed economic-development recruitment, Wilson said. The state has more projects in its pipeline  companies that have officially expressed interest in the state but havent made a final decision  now than a year ago. He declined to say how many projects are in the pipeline.Some recent projects began and were approved during the coronavirus shutdown, including a new Zinus USA mattress manufacturing plant in McDonough, Wilson said.The pipeline is as robust now as its ever been, he said.Some other large wins for Georgia in the past year include:
Sumi Sukanya dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The rapidly rising COVID-19 load in India is not the only concern as the high mortality rate is also a cause of worry for health experts and epidemiologists.

Data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time show that in a month, the death per million due to the Covid-19 in India has more than doubled, even though the infection fatalities in the country is among the lowest in the world.

On July 30, when the number of deaths stood at 35,790, India had 20.4 deaths per million due to the disease. But within a month, on August 30, with 64,469 deaths, the figure reached 48 and is steadily marching upwards.

Till Tuesday morning, India had registered a total of 36,91,166 confirmed coronavirus cases and 65,288 deaths, with the highest  24,583  deaths recorded in Maharashtra alone. The case fatality rate due to the disease is 1.8 per cent as of now.

There are eight states and Union Territories (UTs) whose death per million figures are much higher than the national average. In Delhi, the figure stands at the highest (220), closely followed by Maharashtra where death per million at present is 198.

The rising death counts in several states are worrisome and it could also be because a more susceptible population maybe now coming out after the end of the nationwide lockdown most parts of the country and, in turn, getting exposed to the virus, said Dr Anant Bhan, a researcher in global health and bioethics.

He added that mechanisms such as strong coordination between public and private hospitals, robust referral systems and close monitoring of infected people under home isolation were a must to keep the rising death per million under check.

Dr T Sundararaman, public health expert and former director of the National Health Systems Resource Centre, said it is a matter of grave concern that the pandemic is showing no sign of plateauing in the country yet and lack of adequate healthcare service may be resulting in even many preventable deaths.

We are soon going to have the largest number of official tally of cases and may have the highest death toll globally by the time the pandemic ends, he said.

Some experts, however, explained that death per million figure could only go up as the denominator-or the population-is almost fixed.

In my view what needs to be watched closely is the case fatality rate and its variation across states, said Dr Chandrakant Laharia, a New Delhi-based public health specialist.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Well, that was a nothingbaguette. For French President Emmanuel Macron, his second visit to Beirut since the devastating blasts of Aug. 4 yielded one memorable photo-op, some posturing before the international media, a few airy bromides about the need for political reform and an unspecified threat of sanctions against those who oppose it.

For the Lebanese, it produced a loose, caveat-laden promise: An international conference of donors in Paris in October will provide the financial assistance needed to rebuild their collapsing economy  and their collapsed capital  but (and this is a big but) only if (and this is a big if) their political elite agrees to demolish the system that has brought the country to the depths of dysfunction.

Yet what if the political elite ignores Macrons call, just as it has all previous appeals for reform? Cue the Gallic shrug. I will tell the international community that we cant help Lebanon, said Macron, but also explain to the Lebanese people that your leaders decided it would be so.

To which they would undoubtedly reply: Tell us something we dont already know. The Lebanese have heard it all before. Western leaders have for several years importuned the political leadership on the need for political reforms. It has been the first proviso invoked by every international lender.

The Lebanese arent likely to hold out much hope from an aid conference in Paris. There have been several of those over the decades, most recently in 2018, when delegates from 41 countries gathered in the French capital to pledge $11 billion in loans and grants, providing that government in Beirut enacted reforms. The conference only has a purpose if its accompanied by a profound transformation, said the host, one Emmanuel Macron.

There was no transformation, and very little of the pledged money made its way to Lebanon.

The Lebanese had hoped for rather more from Macron this time, especially after the promise of his high-profile visit in the immediate aftermath of the Beirut blasts. Then, too, he had admonished their leaders to undertake a new political initiative, and promised to host an aid conference in Paris. There was an online conference, co-hosted with the United Nations, and it yielded $300 million in disaster relief  slim pickings, considering the damage from the blast has been estimated at $4.6 billion.

Story continues

Many donors are channeling their contributions to nongovernmental organizations and charities, keeping it out of the reach of the discredited political class. Ahead of Macrons second visit, many Lebanese half-joked on social media that they might be better off if he revived French colonial rule. Instead, he chose to place his faith on the very class that the Lebanese people have long stopped trusting.

His explanation  Im a realistic idealist that is, a real pragmatist  rings hollow. There is nothing pragmatic about expecting the turkeys to vote for Thanksgiving. And theres little realistic in his threat of sanctions: It would be nigh on impossible to single out individuals from a corrupt collective.

Macron imagines that the new prime minister, Mustafa Adib, who takes over from Hassan Diab, will be able to muster a credible cabinet in two weeks and present a cogent reform program to donors in six. But the Lebanese know theres not much new about Adib. Just as his surname is a rearrangement of the letters in that of his predecessor, his appointment represents the shuffling of a marked deck by the political elite.

Adib is close to Najib Mikati, a billionaire ex-prime minister who is widely reviled. The new prime minister was heckled when he tried to mimic Macrons original tour of Beiruts devastated neighborhoods. He has promised a cabinet of a homogeneous team of specialists, but it is hard to imagine it will amount to anything more than window-dressing, or that hard-nosed international lenders will be taken in.

Adibs appointment was announced the day before Macrons arrival, and local newspapers reported that the new man had the blessings of the French president. Macron denied this, but having bet on the Lebanese political elite to clean up its own act, he will not be able to shrug off responsibility for their inevitable failure.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and Africa.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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For a piece of political theatre, the backdrop was dramatic: The rubble of a broken city, a distraught resident aside their ruined business, and a self-proclaimed savior president promising deliverance from anarchy.

When Donald Trump visited the city of Kenosha on Tuesday, ostensibly to pay tribute to law enforcement following violent protests, the imagery and the characters were all there.

But what is political theatre without the politics? What impact can it have if the message behind it is so confused that it borders on the absurd?

Trump has made law and order the dominant theme of his reelection campaign in recent weeks (and make no mistake, this was a campaign event). His new direction is based on the belief that images of chaos reigning in American cities will scare people into voting for him.

But the pitch is backwards. The sitting president repeatedly points to (and exaggerates) scenes of destruction caused during protests across the country as a hypothetical doomsday scenario if his opponent is elected. In other words: if Joe Biden is elected, the things that are already happening will happen.

Not only that, its a strategy that relies on Biden being unable or unwilling to condemn violent protests, something which he has done with increasing regularity in recent days, and which he has just spent $45 million to tell national and local television audiences across the country for an entire week.

In the new 60-second television spot, the former vice president speaks as images of burned out cars flash and clashes flash across the screen: I want to make it absolutely clear: rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. And those who do it should be prosecuted.

Kenosha was Trumps first real-world test of his law-and-order campaign pivot  one which might see him dropping into grieving cities rife with racial tension to raise the temperature ever higher. And it couldnt have gone worse.

In the days before his arrival, an uneasy calm had settled over the city. Curfews had been in place for days and they were largely holding. Even before he stepped foot in the city, Trump claimed credit for that peace.

If I didnt INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now, he tweeted a day ahead of his arrival.

Except it wasnt Trump who ordered in the National Guard, but Wisconsins governor, Tony Evers. He did so on Monday, a day after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, which sparked the protests. And not only did the president not bring peace to Kenosha, he threatened to derail the peace that had already been achieved. Evers was among several local leaders who called on Trump to not visit the city when it was still grieving, writing in a letter to the president that his presence will only hinder our healing.

Trumps visit inevitably encouraged dozens of his supporters to visit in support, prompting shouting matches between protesters in front of the boarded up shops and businesses. Instead of calling for unity, or attempting to bridge divides, he brushed off questions about systemic racism and just a day earlier he offered something close to a defense of 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, an apparent vigilante who is accused of killing two protesters during one of the worst nights of violence.

Joe Bidens response to attacks against him on the issue of violent protests has been to argue that Trump is in fact a cause of the chaos  an incumbent president who makes things worse, not better. An incumbent president who sows chaos rather than providing order, he said on Monday.

The violence were seeing is in Donald Trump's America. These are not images of some imagined Joe Biden America in the future, these are images of Donald Trump's America today, he went on.

In Kenosha, Trump seemed to be reminding everyone of these ironies again. And then, after he had left, came the final nudge that brought the entire set, props and all, tumbling down. The business owner whom Trump stood alongside and consoled in what was supposed to be the most memorable photo op of the visit, it turned out, was not the owner of the business at all.

The man standing alongside Trump in the rubble was in fact the previous owner. The actual owner, Tom Gram, had been approached by the White House, but had declined, according to TMJ4 News.

I think everything he does turns into a circus and I just didnt want to be involved in it, he said.

It may be that the Trump campaign can direct enough fear and anger towards racial justice protesters, and create enough of an association between these sporadic outbursts of violence and Biden, to gain ground in this crucial swing state.

To go down that path would surely, in the words of Wisconsins governor, hinder the countrys healing.
A UN court in the Hague is hearing arguments from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week on the 2017 diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

The hearings at the International Court of Justice regard Qatars allegation that the UAE violated a UN anti-discrimination resolution when it participated alongside Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in various measures against Qatar in 2017.

The resolution in question is the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which works to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. The hearing will finish on Sept. 7, according to International Court of Justice documents.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia led the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain in closing their airspaces and sea routes to Qatar. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, which Qatar denies. The group is also concerned about Qatars relatively warmer relations with Iran.

At the International Court of Justice, Qatar is alleging that the UAE violated the UN convention on racial discrimination by expelling Qataris from the country and closing the offices of the popular Qatari state-funded channel Al Jazeera. The UAE argued on Monday that the court lacks jurisdiction in the matter because the actions were unrelated to racial discrimination, Reuters reported.

The court will hear oral arguments from both countries. The documents did not specify when a ruling would be issued.

This is not the only legal case involving the Gulf states. In July, the International Court of Justice ruled that a global aviation regulatory body has jurisdiction over Qatars dispute of the airspace closure imposed on it.

The crisis continues to play out in other ways as well. Also in July, Saudi Arabia permanently canceled the license of Qatars beIN Sports channel.
We recently reported that Sony is gearing up for a number of products to launch in the near future. While the Japanese camera maker may soon introduce a new line of super compact full-frame "C" cameras along with a new line of "V" lenses, Sony has now announced LA-EA5 lens adapter via press release.

Sony LA-EA5 lens adapter is a 35mm full-frame A-mount to E-mount adapter. Thus, the new adapter allows users to pair E-mount camera bodies with A-mount lenses. The adapter supports full-frame E-mount camera bodies even when a vertical grip is attached to the body.

Besides changing mounts, the LA-EA5 provides AF support for Sony A-mount lenses including the optics that come without a built-in autofocus motor.

LA-EA5 lens adapter is designed as a compact gear which features an aperture drive unit and an AF drive unit. Sony claims that the adapter provides full support for focal plane phase-detection AF, wide-area focal phase-detection AF, Real-time Eye AF for both humans and animals, Real-time Tracking and AF/AE (auto exposure) tracking for SSM/SAM lenses on nine most recently introduced E-mount cameras at up to 11fps depending on the camera model.

While Sony is working to expand compatibility for this adapter, following are the camera models supported as of September 2020:

--Sony a7 III

--Sony a7R III

--Sony a7R IV

--Sony a9

--Sony a9 II

--Sony a7s III

--Sony a6100

--Sony a6400

--Sony a6600

Also note that the ability to use lenses without internal autofocus motors is only available when using the Sony a7R IV or a6600. Rest you can find a full compatibility list on Sony's support page.

For the LA-EA5 lens adapter availability, it will be up for grabs in October 2020.
For much of the 20th century, the tumultuous life of the American dancer Isadora Duncan has been so abundantly explored in middle-to-highbrow pop culture that her work seems overshadowed by movies and mini-series about the tragedies that befell her. Isadoras Children, directed by Damien Manivel, uses both Duncans work and her life as a starting point, but emphasizes the work.

Onscreen text explains that, after the horrific death of her two children and their governess in an automobile accident in 1913, Duncan choreographed a solo dance of loss titled The Mother.

Manivel shot his film, set in the present day, in a nearly square aspect ratio, the better to compose neat, focused frames with. He begins with a young French dancer (Agathe Bonitzer) discovering and researching The Mother.
The Republican candidate challenging Democrat Jahana Hayes for her 5th District seat in Congress has taken a page out of the national GOP playbook, drawing on fears of lawlessness and rioters in his first campaign ad which dropped Tuesday on YouTube.

In the ad, David X. Sullivan, a former prosecutor, utilizes a soundbite of Hayes saying in a June radio interview that all of the riots are not violent, overlaid with footage from cities around the country where violence has erupted over the summer in response to police killings of Black people.

Hayes, a former teacher of the year and the wife of a police officer who has said she does not support the movement to defund police forces, said it is clear she misspoke and meant protests, not riots. She called Sullivans attempt to portray her as a socialist who supports rioting sad.

If thats how Mr. Sullivan chooses to use his limited resources and thats how he wants to portray himself to voters, then God bless him, Hayes said, adding, Mr. Sullivan doesnt define me. The fact that his campaign is based around attacks of my character ... really shows he has nothing to stand on.

Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

Hayes said her stance on violence, rioting and efforts to defund police forces has been clear. She said she does not support dismantling departments, she does support police unions and she supports more accountability for police officers. Theyre not mutually exclusive issues, she said.

I do not support people breaking the law, whether it be in Connecticut or in Portland, Hayes said. I dont own that movement. I have no personal connection to that. There are ways to have civil discourse, there are ways to disagree, there are ways to make your voices herd ... but burning down communities, destroying businesses, killing people ... nothing in my life has ever indicated that Im a person that would support something like that.

Sullivan said he can only speak to what he heard Hayes say, not what she meant.

Jahana Hayes has been very silent on the rioting and the unrest, and when she has spoken about it her words are quite clear, Sullivan said. I think the people of the 5th Congressional District need to know what we say on these issues. Silence is unacceptable. We have two months for the people in this district to decide and I want them to make an informed decision, I want them to exercise their right to vote.

Sullivans attempt to make the politicized violence occurring in major cities like Portland and Chicago an issue in Connecticuts 5th Congressional District, as well as associate Hayes with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a group of liberal Democrats known as The Squad appears to be a strategic attempt to gain clout in the districts more conservative communities, political experts suggest.

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

Hayes is not considered a member of The Squad, a group of four women of color elected in 2018 that includes liberal firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

I think it actually benefits him in this context, said Gary Rose, a professor of politics at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Its one way that he can make up form his lack of resources. If he stays with that theme, thats what his candidacy will be known as. And he comes from that background. I am certain that theme will draw people to his candidacy. There are a lot of smaller, white towns in the district.

The 5th Congressional District has historically been a swing district, though the seat was last held by a Republican in 2007 when Nancy Johnson lost her re-election bid to Chris Murphy, and Rose said that makes portraying Hayes as a socialist  despite her moderate record  a specific campaign strategy that could come to define the 5th District race.

Sullivan denied the the idea that his ad mimics national GOP talking points, though law and order was a central theme of last weeks Republican National Convention.

I was a federal prosecutor, Sullivan said. Law enforcement issues are something Ive been thinking about for a long time.

Sullivan, who has never held public office, declared his candidacy more than 14 months ago, but has only raised $210,000 in contributions and had $109,000 in available cash as of June 30, according to the most recent filings with the Federal Elections Commission.

Hayes, who was first elected in 2018, has raised nearly $1.3 million and has $1.2 million on hand as of June 30, according to her most recent campaign finance filings.

I will not respond in kind to these derogatory attacks, Hayes said. Im bigger than that, Im more of a woman than that.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is casting a wider than usual net to come up with what he promised will be a bold agenda for an economic recovery.

Trudeau invited cabinet ministers to make submissions on what they want to see in a Sept. 23 throne speech  a move that a senior Liberal source said already distinguishes this effort from the way the Trudeau governments platforms, budgets and throne speeches were drafted in the past.

Some have already submitted ideas. The whole ministry will hash through the path ahead at a cabinet retreat expected to be held in Ottawa in mid-September.

It is a pivotal time for the Liberal government.

The throne speech will be put to an automatic confidence vote in Parliament on which the government could fall and thrust the country into a pandemic election.

Ten days ago, a government source told the Star that the business of crafting the throne speech, meant to be a big reset for a government elected less than a year ago on a now outdated platform, was at its midpoint.

Since then, theres been a ramped-up effort to reach outside the prime ministers inner circle and consult more broadly on what should be in the document.

Trudeau is actively seeking input from the Liberal caucus of 155 MPs, delegating that task to Associate Finance Minister Mona Fortier.

Every possible caucus configuration  urban, rural, GTA, Quebec, or Atlantic caucuses  have been holding zoom video conference calls to advance their ideas and priorities.

It is a deliberate move.

The controversy over the now defunct WE student grant program  and the Oppositions accusations the Trudeau government is a centre-driven operation that gives preferential treatment to those with insider access  did political damage, admitted several sources.

So the effort to craft an agenda to lead the economy out of the pandemic cannot be too centre-driven or it will be unsuccessful, is how one source, who spoke on condition they not be named, put it.

The Star spoke to several MPs whove been on the zoom calls and are waiting to see if their input will be reflected.

Some are skeptical and see the exercise as window-dressing. Others are hopeful.

MP Gary Anandasangaree, who is part of the Liberals Black caucus and represents the Scarborough-Rouge Park riding where one long-term-care home saw 53 senior residents die of COVID-19, hopes the throne speech will provide meaningful direction for how the government will act in the months ahead.

Theres two major issues that Im looking for, one is addressing long-term care as a federal government to look for national standards, and the other one is a deep-rooted plan to address systemic racism, he said in an interview.

I think the throne speech should really signal where were going with this, and the different elements of that I think could be rolled out later on. But I think the throne speech should clearly define where we are and where were going with respects to systemic racism, writ large, with a very important emphasis on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.

Apart from Liberal input, theres no shortage of outside advice.

The Council of Canadian Innovators on Tuesday submitted a plan to the government that contained eight recommendations it said would ensure the Trudeau government leads a meaningful economic reorientation.

It calls on Trudeau to boost support for Canadian-based knowledge and data-driven industries, saying Canadian governments need to become larger purchasers of made-in-Canada digital products and services. It urges the federal government to enlarge Canadas intellectual property capacity to harness value from COVID-19 research and development done here; to create national data strategies for strategic sectors such as health care, clean-energy (including smart cities), agriculture, energy and mining, to increase access to capital for the fastest-growing firms; to reverse the tech talent brain drain in this rare labour market opportunity, and to fast track the adoption of national standards and regulations for health care and cybersecurity.

Earlier in the summer Trudeau personally consulted economists, bankers and experts like Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, as he began to consider what a post-pandemic recovery might look like.

In her new role, Trudeaus Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland who was handed the finance portfolio after Bill Morneaus resignation last month, is looking beyond Parliament Hill for advice.

Freeland has contacted Unifor national president Jerry Dias, head of Canadas largest private sector union, whom she consulted often during the NAFTA negotiations, to discuss his concerns.

In an interview, Dias says among throne speech priorities he intends to lay out when they meet is the need for a green economic relaunch plan to address the needs of the $100 billion auto industry and its workers.

Dias is in talks right now with the big three companies, Ford, GM and Chrysler, and said the industry is at a crossroads.

Canada was once the number four producer in the world in 1999, churning out 3 million vehicles, but is now 12th or 13th, he said, producing about 1.8 million vehicles or less annually.

Dias said about three per cent of the global market today is electric vehicles, but by 2040 thats expected to be 50 per cent, and if Canada does not harness this opportunity to ramp up its capacity, Canadian workers will be left behind.

The bottom line is the government is going to have to get serious. Were looking at a transformation of the industry, he said.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna and others talk about having billions of dollars for a green transformation, said Dias. Well if youve got it, and you want to play, theres no bigger industry to start than the auto industry. So that will be number one.

Dias also wants the throne speech to address Employment Insurance reform, how Ottawa will treat precarious casual workers, and workers in the gig economy; and how any recovery will address barriers facing women trying to get back in the workforce.

If youre going to have an economic recovery, that means women are going to have to lead it and were going to have to start talking about a national child-care strategy, he said.

Will it all be enough to allow Trudeau to craft a throne speech that will survive a confidence vote?

Thats the bigger question.

The NDP and Conservative Opposition parties say they have not yet been consulted by Trudeau on what they want in a throne speech, though the party leaders have, like the Bloc, outlined certain priorities publicly.

Conservative Leader Erin OToole wants the government to address expediting natural resources to markets to stem the tide of Western alienation.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has identified the need to provide universal affordable child care for women, and the need to protect other marginalized groups in society.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has laid out the Blocs demands for supporting the government in a throne speech, despite already declaring he would vote to defeat the government over the WE controversy if Trudeau and his chief of staff didnt also follow Bill Morneau and resign.

The Bloc demands include support for seniors, for farmers in supply-managed sectors; a transfer to the Quebec government of its share of funds for the now defunct student volunteer program; and changes to emergency benefits to encourage labourers to return to work.

A senior government official, speaking on background, told the Star the government will probably be consulting the Opposition parties in the coming weeks but suggested it is too early for that kind of outreach.
A construction worker in China was able to escape death after she fell on a 31-inch steel rod that speared into her body from her backside during a horrifying accident.

Cheated death

The woman, known by her last name Xiang, had the 31-inch metal bar protruding from her right shoulder after she fell onto it from a platform of about 10 feet at a construction site. The site is located in China's southern province Guangdong.

The victim miraculously survived the accident after doctors performed an operation for three hours to remove the metal pole that luckily avoided her vital organs and her main blood vessels.

Xiang was working on a construction site on August 27 when she accidentally fell from the platform, according to a report from Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Also Read: Italian Police Officer Brutally Mauled by Bear During Patrol

The victim landed on a 31-inch steel rod that skewered her entire upper body from her buttock. Xiang later told reporters that her blood was gushing out like fountain before she even realized what was happening.

The woman was immediately rushed to the Guangdong hospital after her colleagues cut the metal bar to transport her from the building site.

After examining the patient, the doctors found the majority of the pole had speared through her body, but luckily it missed her vital organs and her main blood vessels.

The X-ray shows the long rod protruding from her shoulder while lodged across her entire torso. After conducting an emergency surgery for three hours, a team of surgeons successfully removed the steel bar from Xiang.

Dr Li Jia, a chief medic at the hospital, told Guangdong Southern Television that the operation went smoothly and that the victim was fortunate that the rod had avoided the large blood vessels in the lungs and chest.

Jia added that there was some bleeding, but they were able to repair it quickly after pulling out the pole. Xiang is now in a stable condition and is recovering at the Guangdong hospital.

In July, another Chinese builder survived from being impaled by two steel rods on his neck and chest after he fell onto the bars. One of the metal bars rammed through the victim's neck while the other rod speared through the victim's chest.

The incident happened in eastern China's Jiangsu province. The victim survived after the two poles had missed his vital organs and his main blood vessels, according to rescuers.

Similar incident

In 2016, a construction worker in China survived after a 1 1/2 meter long steel bard pierced his body, and it came out through his skull.

The victim, a 46-year-old man, fell five meters while working at a building site near Jinan in Shandong province, according to South China Morning Post.

The steel bar entered his groin, and it pierced through to the top of his skull. It took doctors seven hours to remove the bar from his body. The rescuers cut the bar at the building site and immediately rushed him to the hospital.

Doctors found serious wounds to a lot of his internal organs and damage to the brain, but the bar was just a few centimetres away from damaging his heart and the veins in his neck which could have killed him.

Related Article: US Marshals Rescue 39 Endangered Children in Georgia and Busted a Sex Trafficking Ring

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School meals will once again be available for free to all students in Alabamas K-12 schools, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who made the announcement Monday morning.

As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food, Perdue said in a press release.

Perdue extended a waiver initially granted in March to schools and eligible meal providers nationwide allowing them to serve free meals to all children 18 and under when schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alabama schools took to social media to let families know meals would again be free of charge.

So many families are still struggling because of COVID-19 related layoffs and business closures, Marshall County Schools Child Nutrition Program Director Casey Partain said. Im excited that money for meals at school will no longer be an issue.

Breakfast and lunch together cost $4 a day in her district, she said. A family with two children could easily pay $40 a week for their children to eat with us. Her district opened for students Aug. 12 and has been charging for school meals since then.

We believe it will be life changing for some families, Partain continued. So many families fall right at the cutoff for free or reduced priced meals causing hard working families to struggle to send money each week.

Dothan City Schools CNP Director Tonya Grier said the automatic eligibility makes it easier to get meals to students. With these waivers, Grier said, well be able to speed up meal distribution for the safety of staff and students and ensure no student is denied access to healthy meals.

Child hunger advocates and school nutrition organizations began asking the USDA to extend the waiver in July, hoping for a seamless transition into the new school year. Nearly all of Alabamas school districts opened prior to the Aug. 31 waiver expiration date, meaning schools have been charging students not eligible for free or reduced price meals the full cost of the meal.

State Superintendent Eric Mackey said he is pleased with the waiver extension. Health and safety are primary needs for all children in order to be ready to learn, and food security is the first step in building a healthy body and mind, he said. This is a very positive move for our students.
School Superintendent William Hite (right) addresses a Health Department press conference at the Fire Department's Emergency Operations Center Mar. 12, 2020 to update the City's response to COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. Mayor Kenney is at center and Thomas Farley, Health Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, is at left. Read more

Wednesday is the first day for Philadelphias public schools and it is certainly unlike any other in our lifetime. While we wont see young people boarding a bus or walking to school, full of excitement, we take joy in knowing that our students will be starting a new year of learning and growth.

Thanks to the incredible effort of our administrators, educators, support staff, and many others, the school year is starting as planned, with students logging online to meet their new teachers and classmates.

When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, we realized we had to create a whole new rulebook for making sure students learn during this pandemic, and we know what we have is not perfect. So thats why we want to be upfront about what were doing, who is involved, and where well need help from youPhiladelphiansto make sure this works.

 READ MORE: Philly-area children, parents, and teachers brace for a school year unlike any other

Thankfully, we are Philadelphiaa city that comes together when times get tough. A city that understands that NO child should be without reliable internet.

This spring, leaders from Philadelphias business community, non-profits, and charitable foundations offered their support. First, we distributed more than 85,000 Chromebooks to students in need of devices, and then we hunkered down, determined to find a way to put our children and youth on the best educational path forward.

Born out of this effort was PHLConnectEDan initiative that will provide up to 35,000 Philadelphia families with internet service at no cost to them until at least June of 2022.

PHLConnectED was made possible by the creative thinking, collaboration, and significant commitment of time, financial resources, and talent of numerous City agencies, the School District, charter school leaders, and other partners. Comcast Corporation, The Lenfest Foundation, The Neubauer Family Foundation, The Philadelphia School Partnership, The William Penn Foundation, Hess Foundation, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority all play a vital role.

 READ MORE: As many as 18,000 Philly district students still need internet access, with days to go until the start of school

Together, we set out to build a program that is easy to access and will work for Philadelphia families who still need high-speed internet in their homes. This is achievable through Comcasts Internet Essentials program, the longest-running broadband adoption initiative in the country, and by providing T-Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for those experiencing housing insecurity. We provide the equipment and speeds needed for our children to be successful in online learningall for free.

It will still be a challenge to help some families cross the digital divide. Communities of color, non-English speakers, and those in low-income neighborhoods face innumerable barriers that are the result of systemic societal inequities.

PHLConnectED seeks to overcome these internet adoption challenges by providing an equitable digital solution for our students and their families. Establishing a reliable internet connection requires several steps including getting a router or hotspot, a laptop or tablet, and human support to make sure all of the technical elements work the way they should. PHLConnectED provides all of these necessary ingredients for a reliable connection, but we need your help to spread the word.

Last week we launched 211, a simple way for families to learn about PHLConnectED and sign up. Just dial 2-1-1 from any phone and press option 1. The team is available 24 hours a day and is ready to walk anyone with a K-12 student through the process to obtain free internet.

Nothing will replace in-person teaching and learning in a classroom. But we are confident that today, as Philadelphias students start the school year digitally, Phillys children are poised to learn, grow, and work toward their dreams.

Help us make this a reality for all students. Share the 211 hotline and encourage people to sign up. Support our school children by instilling confidence in them about this new way of learning. And support our teachers, who are also stepping up to this challenge and exploring creative new ways to successfully engage with their students.

Solving a crisis as vast and as complex as the digital divide will require a team effort on an unprecedented scale. Please join us so we can ensure our students have the most successful school year imaginable.

Jim Kenney is the mayor of Philadelphia and William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. is Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested two people in connection with the drug angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.

The agency said on Wednesday that it has arrested Abdul Basit Parihar from Mumbais Bandra. He had connection with Samuel Miranda. Miranda is accused of procuring drugs on instructions of Showik Chakraborty (the brother of prime accused and Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty), news agency ANI quoted NCB as saying.

Also Read: 14 people facing CBI probe in Sushant case

Miranda is Rajputs former housekeeping manager. He was appointed by Rhea Chakraborty in May last year. He used to manage all the household expenses. Rajputs family has made serious allegations against Miranda - of helping Chakraborty in siphoning off his money and supplying the drugs.

The NCB has also arrested Zaid Vilatra from Mumbai in connection with the case, ANI reported. Zaid is understood to be involved in the supply of narcotics like bud or curated marijuana to the high-end party circles of Mumbai, news agency PTI reported quoting NCB officials.

Agency sleuths claimed he was arrested after they obtained some vital leads into the narcotics case registered against Chakraborty and others, according to PTI.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also probing the case. It has called Chakrabortys father for second round of questioning on Wednesday. The agency had questioned Rhea Chakrabortys parents for the first time in connection with Rajputs death on Tuesday.

Her father Indrajeet Chakraborty and mother Sandhya reached the DRDO guest house in suburban Kalina, where the CBI probe team is stationed, around 11 am and left in the evening after nearly eight hours of interrogation.

The CBI continued the interrogation of her brother Showik, who was called for questioning for the first time last week, on Tuesday also, an official said.

Rhea Chakraborty and her parents are among those named in the FIR registered by the Patna Police after a complaint from Rajputs family who has accused her of abetting his suicide and misappropriating the actors money.

The 28-year-old actress has been questioned for around 35 hours by the CBI in the last four days.

Rajput (34) was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. The Supreme Court last week upheld the transfer of the FIR lodged in Patna to the CBI.
This is a textbook example, Yale immunologist Akiko Iwasaki wrote on Twitter, of of how immunity should work.

The news spread around the world. Combined with earlier studies about dropping antibody levels, it seemed to raise questions about whether we could ever be truly protected from the virus.

And this wasnt a false positive, nor a resurgence of the old virus. Scientists later compared the genetic code of the new virus with a sample theyd kept from the mans first infection. The codes were different. Hed been reinfected with a different virus.

We can only imagine his shock, then, when his results came back positive.

And besides, he couldnt have COVID-19. Hed already had COVID-19. He spent two weeks in hospital back in March, recovering. He was immune.

The man was travel weary. He was returning home, finally, from a long trip  Spain via Britain. Hong Kong airport, as with most major airports these days, has a rigorous COVID-19 screening program for anyone passing through. The man queued up to be throat-swabbed, perhaps with a little impatience. He did not feel sick. He had no fever, no cough.

We think of immunity as being unable to be reinfected. But immunologists think of several different types of immunity, each with different features.

Immunologists agree that almost everyone who has recovered from COVID-19 is probably immune. Heres the problem: immune means something very different to immunologists.

An electron microscope image shows the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (yellow) emerging from the surface of cells (pink) cultured in a US National Institutes of Health lab. Credit:AP

Do we develop immunity to COVID-19 after we are infected and, if so, what does immune really mean? Is herd immunity possible? What sort of immunity could a vaccine confer? And ultimately, what happens to COVID-19 in the long term?

The case of reinfection was, in a way, one of the key missing pieces in completing our understanding of what immunity to COVID-19 looks like. Much remains to be learnt but immunologists are now ready to confidently answer several key questions.

When you are infected with SARS-CoV-2, scientists suspect your body makes heaps of these nose-and-throat antibodies. About three weeks after youre infected, your nose and throat are probably covered in them.

The immune system does this using a type of antibody known as immunoglobulin A. These antibodies actually coat the lining of the cells in your nose and throat, stopping a virus infecting them.

For viruses that spread through the air, such as SARS-CoV-2  the virus that causes COVID-19  that means your immune system needs to have set up fortifications in the nose and throat.

But this sort of immunity is hard to develop. Its easy to understand why. You dont just need armies of antibodies and immune cells ready to neutralise a virus; they also need to be in exactly the right place to stop a virus as soon as it tries to enter the body.

It blocks the virus from getting in. You dont get another infection, says Associate Professor Nathan Bartlett, head of the viral immunology and respiratory disease group at the University of Newcastle.

Sterilising immunity means a virus cannot infect you at all. Thats the best kind of immunity, and is what most people think of when they think about being immune. This is what the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine confers .

Their antibody responses have nosedived, suggesting they are going to lose that sterilising immunity. But thats what some respiratory viruses are very good at doing, says Bartlett.

If SARS-CoV-2 comes along again, your nose and throat are unprotected. The virus can get into the cells there and start replicating.

Assuming what is happening in the blood is also happening in the nose, this suggests youre likely to have true sterilising immunity for only a few months after you are infected, says Bartlett  transient sterilising immunity.

About three weeks after you are infected, antibody levels in the blood  particularly immunoglobulin A  begin to decline, a pre-print study that is still under review shows .

Heres the bad news: it does not appear to last.

But wise countries dont stand down their entire army after the war is won, and neither does the immune system.

Antibodies are an inefficient way for the body to maintain immunity because it takes a lot of energy to produce them. If you have immunity in your T cells, that can be rapidly brought back into the fight, says Dr Rob Grenfell, director of health and biosecurity at the CSIRO.

After our bodies fight off an infection, they dont need antibodies any more so they are allowed to diminish. Thats what the nosedive studies are showing.

The thing that persists is immunological memory, says Professor Heidi Drummer, head of viral entry research at the Burnet Institute.

This sounds really bad, right? But dont panic yet. Antibodies are only one part of the picture.

Scientists say this is not surprising. Many respiratory viruses, such as the coronaviruses that cause the common cold , do not leave you with long-term sterilising immunity. Thats part of the reason you can keep getting reinfected.

Whats functional immunity?

When we are infected with a new virus, the immune system generates vast armies of B and T cells. B cells are giant antibody factories; T cells float through the blood, hunting and killing infected cells. After a virus is beaten, the body hides some B and T cells specialised to kill that virus in the bone marrow and lymph nodes, just in case the virus comes back.

This is called functional immunity. These B and T cells are able to respond to COVID-19 if it reinvades the body. They take a couple of days to kick into action  the body has to activate them and grow them into a big, virus-busting army  but when they are ready, they decimate SARS-CoV-2s.

But its not an instantaneous thing. It takes time  a couple of days to get this full-blown immunological response. So there is a bit of a window for the virus, says Drummer.

This means any SARS-CoV-2 reinfection can probably get no further than the nose or throat  meaning you have long-term protection from falling seriously, life-threateningly ill.

This is what scientists suspect COVID-19 immunity looks like.

B cells inside a lymph node. Credit:The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute / Supplied

So what does this mean for us?

Lets recap the likely, although not proven, scenario. In the first few months after the infection, it is likely you are totally immune. Then, your nose and throat immunity wanes, allowing the virus to get in and infect cells there. You can get reinfected. But the virus cannot get any further than your nose and throat and you are protected against serious illness.

Thats probably what we saw in the infection in Hong Kong, says Professor Andreas Suhrbier, group leader of inflammation biology at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and probably explains why the man had no symptoms.

That shows he wasnt protected against reinfection, but was protected against getting really sick. The first virus infection certainly did not produce sterilising immunity.

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Will a vaccine offer complete sterilising immunity?

Maybe. The evidence we have so far is mixed.

In animal studies, both the Oxford vaccine that Australia purchased and the University of Queenslands vaccine both effectively stopped SARS-CoV-2 getting deep into the lungs.

Thats a really good sign.

If that translates to humans, it should stop you developing severe life-threatening illness. For most people, COVID-19 would be transformed from potential killer to mild disease, says Suhrbier.

But in the animal studies, the virus kept replicating in the nose.

It is not triggering an immune response in the nose and throat. It's not providing any protection against that infection in the [upper] airways, says Bartlett.

That may indicate the vaccine, just as with the immunity you get after being infected with the virus, protects you from becoming seriously ill but does not stop you catching the virus.

It seems sterilising immunity in the upper tract is hard to achieve, says Professor Trent Munro, one of the team building the University of Queenslands vaccine.

Results that scientists see in animals often dont translate into results in humans. And the animals used in the studies were exposed to very high doses of the virus  way higher than the average human might encounter. Possibly, a vaccine will give us enough sterilising immunity to cope with the normal doses of virus we encounter.

Professor Trent Munro is heading the push to get the University of Queensland vaccine candidate through human trials to a widespread release. Credit:University of Queensland

Other vaccines being developed by biotech companies Moderna, Sinovac, and NovaVax, appeared to offer protection in the nose as well as in the lungs. Were a long way from knowing whether a vaccine will provide sterilising immunity, says James Triccas, a professor of medical microbiology at the University of Sydney.

I dont think we have enough evidence to say we cannot make a vaccine that will give you complete protection.

And the lack of protection in the nose is not a huge setback for vaccines, scientists emphasised. Thats not the focus for the first generation of vaccines.

The most urgent need at the moment is to stop people getting severely ill and dying, says Drummer.

A vaccine that turns COVID-19 into a mild cold would be a huge win, and save many millions of lives.

But if the virus can still replicate a little bit, and be spread, that is an opportunity for the virus to continue spreading in the community.

A research associate works at the Moderna Therapeutics Inc. lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, which has had positive results for a vaccine. Credit:Bloomberg

Will the vaccine stop the virus spreading? When does COVID-19 go away?

Its common to think a vaccine will bring all this to an end. The virus will vanish, and we can resume our old lives.

That may be wishful thinking, says Suhrbier.

The vaccine may not be the total solution that everyone wants. Many people still die from influenza every year, despite a vaccination campaign.

Elimination  having no virus transmitting in Australia  could be a plausible scenario if we get a vaccine that provides absolute, 100 per cent sterilising immunity in 100 per cent of the population. The virus will have nowhere to go.

Thats possible. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine appears to provide long-term sterilising immunity; so does the polio vaccine and that disease is now on the cusp of global eradication.

But scientists say a more likely scenario is a vaccine that protects against serious illness but does not provide total sterilising immunity  as with the flu vaccine.

We have not really got to the point where we can readily develop those vaccines. Its not something we have been good at, says Suhrbier.

And SARS-CoV-2 is a particularly tricky virus to combat because it can jump so quickly from one person to another  a metric known as the "latent period".

The latent period for this virus can be astronomically short. You are infected, and 2 days later you can be infectious. Thats an extremely short period, says Suhrbier.

Lets think about the implications of that.

If the virus can replicate in the nose and mouth, it only needs to survive for a couple of days before it is ready to jump to another person. Unfortunately, it takes at least a couple of days for the bodys T and B cells to arm up. That gives it a (small) chance to spread. The virus could thus still circulate and infect people, even in a well-vaccinated population says Suhrbier.

Indeed, by reducing the severity of the infection via a vaccine, you could turn everyone into asymptomatic spreaders.

We basically make everyone who is vaccinated an asymptomatic spreader. Thats the worst-case scenario, says Suhrbier.

It also means you can forget about herd immunity. Not possible. Herd immunity will not be possible, says Bartlett. If everyone can spread the virus, theres no way we can get there.

That could pose a big problem for certain groups in our community, such as those with weakened immune systems and the elderly.

We dont yet know how effective a vaccine is likely to be for them, but generally vaccines are less effective in those groups. We do know that around 1 in 10 people aged over 80 who get the virus die from it.

If the virus continued to circulate, it would continue to pose a mortal risk to vulnerable groups. Consider our ongoing battle with the flu. For young, healthy people, the flu is generally not fatal. And we have a vaccine. But the virus continues to circulate. And so every year it finds its way into people who are vulnerable. Some 902 people died in Australia from the flu last year.

It will be a bit like flu, where we see seasonal outbreaks, says Drummer. I think the most likely scenario for this is this virus will be around with us forever.
Patriot Prayer Leader Denounces Smears of Supporter Shot Dead in Portland

The leader of a conservative group who saw a supporter shot dead in Portland over the weekend strongly criticized people celebrating the death of the man while pushing back on characterizations of his group as a white supremacist organization.

I knew that these people were low. I knew that Ted Wheeler was low. I knew that Kate Brown was low. I didnt know that they were that lowThey would turn around and called Jay some sort of white supremacist or say white supremacists came down there or say spoiling for a fight, when in their town, a Christian, a conservative, whatever, was shot execution-style, and they have no remorse for what happened, Joey Gibson said in a video message posted on social media.

They dont care. They turn around and attack Jay for political reasons.

Aaron Jay Danielson, a supporter of Patriot Prayer, was hunted down and executed, a witness said. The shooting happened after a pro-President Donald Trump car caravan traveled to Portland from nearby Clackamas County.

Following the shooting, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said that Patriot Prayer and militia members drove into the city armed and looking for a fight.

Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer, arrives at the scene of a shooting in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Reuters)

I will not allow Patriot Prayer and armed white supremacists to bring more bloodshed to our streets, she said.

Danielson was armed but had not fired his gun, according to court records.

Police officials said several skirmishes broke out in the city before the shooting between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators.

Wheeler, Portlands mayor, blamed Trump supporters and the president himself.

Yesterdays events began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rally in Clackamas County and then driving through downtown Portland. They were supported and energized by the President himself, Wheeler told reporters on Sunday.

Gibson said when he watched the press conference, he was in disbelief.

Ted Wheeler looked into that into all of our eyes, and he blatantly and obviously lied, and said that the violence that is happening in the city of Portland, which indirectly hes saying that Jay being shot in cold blood is the fault of President Trump and white and right-wing extremists and white supremacists, Gibson said.

And I lost it at that point. I lost it because this is the direct result of Ted Wheeler and his inability to take care of these criminals, his inability to bring order in the city of Portland.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks to the media at City Hall in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Rioting has happened on a near-nightly basis in Oregons largest city since May 28.

The offices of Wheeler and Brown didnt respond to requests for responses to Gibsons comments.

The Democrats have refused offers of federal assistance to quell the unrest. After the shooting, Brown sent state troopers back to Portland. Another part of her plan to end the violence collapsed when law enforcement officials she requested help from declined to send personnel, citing the new prosecutors policy that presumptively declines to pursue some charges filed against protesters and rioters.

The media is helping stoke violence by claiming without evidence that white supremacists and nationalists were involved in the pro-Trump parade, Gibson charged. He noted that the man linked to the shooting is an Antifa member and Black Lives Matter supporter.

Nothing supports the notion that Danielson was involved in extremism, he added.

The only thing that they can never do to Jay is call him a racist because he lived an amazing life. So they cant talk about specific examples of who he was and what he did, quotes of him saying hateful things because there is nothing. They cant show him being violent because he wasnt violent. They cant show anything on him, except just claim that hes some sort of white supremacist, Gibson said.

So if you live in the city of Portland, or youre going through the city of Portland, and youre a conservative, and youre a Christian, you better be careful because they find it acceptable to execute you in the streets. And not only will they execute you, the politicians will slander your name. They wont even say that theyre sorry, they wont even say that they have remorse. They wont even say that they need to make changes in their city. They will just call you a white supremacist and justify the violence against you.

Aaron Jay Danielson in an undated photograph. He was shot dead in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Danielson family via AP)

Patriot Prayer has been described by Gibson as helping victims of government overreach. He has described himself as a conservative libertarian in the past.

Critics say Patriot Prayer is far-right and point to Jeremy Joseph Christian taking part in a march organized by the group about a month before stabbing two men in 2017. Gibson condemned what Christian did and said he forced the man to leave the rally because he was behaving oddly.

Patriot Prayer has clashed at times with Antifa and other counter-demonstrators, including last month.

Gibson also urged people to push back politically, spiritually but not to commit any acts of revenge. He promoted a remembrance event for Danielson scheduled for Saturday in Vancouver, Washington. The event page says the event will be safe and positive.

Danielsons murder has been celebrated by Black Lives Matter demonstrators.

During a protest the same night, a woman said she had just learned the man who was killed was a Patriot Prayer supporter.

He was a [expletive] Nazi. Our community held its own and took out the trash, she said, prompting cheers from a large crowd. Im not going to shed any tears over a Nazi.

In an appearance on Fox News @ Night on Monday, Gibson said the smears are an attempt by the far-left to dehumanize people so that we dont treat them like humans. He said he is not confident that the person responsible for the killing will be brought to justice.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt told reporters at a recent briefing that his office would prosecute violent crimes that are referred to them but will not prosecute people based on their ideologies or affiliations.

Police Chief Chuck Lovell urged people who witnessed the shooting to come forward so officials can hold the person who did this responsible for their heinous act.

Lovell and Gibson both said the shooting took place after the rally. The caravan had already cleared the area.

Danielson remained in Portland because he lived and worked there, Patriot Prayers leader said.
The Delhi High Court was on Wednesday informed by the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences that the recruitment process for filling up the vacancies of doctors and faculty has begun.

The submissions were made while a division bench of the high court presided over by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan was hearing physically, a petition seeking the court's direction for filling up the vacant posts of faculty and medical staff at IHBAS in order to tackle the rise in psychiatric and psychological cases in the country more effectively.

Following these submissions, the bench directed the IHBAS to complete the process expeditiously and disposed off the petition filed by advocate and social activist Amit Sahni.

Sahani through his plea stated that shortage of doctors and medical staff at IHBAS is a matter of serious concern and the responsible respondents have completely failed to tackle the same since long.

During the course of hearing, advocate Devender Verma, appearing for the Delhi Government, informed the court that IHBAS has already issued notifications regarding the filling up of 45 posts of doctors and faculty on September 1.

Sahni, through this petition also stated that IHBAS is currently working with only 25 faculty members against the sanctioned 103 faculty members. The shortage of faculty has arisen over several years.

The plea also mentioned that India's coronavirus crisis has pushed millions into forced isolation and unemployment. Due to this anxiety, depression and suicides are on the rise and mental health could be the country's next crisis.

The IHBAS is a premier Mental Healthcare Institute, which is working exclusively for patients suffering from psychiatric and psychological disorders.

The institute came into existence in compliance with the directives of the Supreme Court.
Council ask for sensible conversation over alarmist dog theft social media rumours  police say none reported in a very long time here

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Sep 2nd, 2020

Police have offered reassurance to those reading social media posts over alleged dog thefts, noting that Wrexham remains unaffected by this phenomenon and both West Mercia and Cheshire Police are reporting far fewer offences than social media may make you believe.

It follows a statement last week from North Wales Police saying the force hasnt had reports of thefts of dogs in the region recently, a statement echoed today by Wrexham Council quoting the police information to them that such crimes are extremely rare here with none reported in a very long time.

Wrexham Council said, Weve been made aware of concerns surrounding alleged dog thefts in the area. The concerns are being shared via social media and is causing distress to dog owners and other innocent parties.

Weve taken a look at the matter and spoken with North Wales Police to see whether or not theres any need for any concerns in Wrexham and they advise that, whilst theres been a small number of thefts nationally, such crimes are extremely rare here with none reported in a very long time.

The reports that are being seen are shared from various sites around the UK which then get picked up locally and becoming more and more alarmist. Many of the posts are actually from the south of England where a few confirmed offences have occurred.

At the moment those shared locally are often members of the public who have been photographed going about their daily lives but seem to others to be acting suspiciously. The sharing of images is not to be encouraged as it has the potential to put innocent parties at risk.

Sadly due to the amount of momentum that this issue has gained we are now seeing practical jokes taking place with people deliberately marking walls with chalk, or placing zip ties to cause upset. Were all asking for a sensible conversation to take place to prevent causing upset and alarm for pet owners.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for the Environment and Transport, said: Whilst we all care for our pets and dont want to see anything happen to them we should also be aware that by sharing photographs locally were causing distress to innocent people who are going about their legitimate business. Please think carefully before you share any photos such as these and be reassured that these crimes, whilst not unheard of, are rare in Wrexham.

Acting Inspector Luke Hughes, North Wales Police, said: Social media is a great tool to for getting information into the community, however please be aware that whilst many posts are well intentioned some of what you will read is simply misinformation or fake news as the popular saying goes.

North Wales Police take all reported crimes seriously, and offences such as these are clearly emotive. I can however reassure you that Wrexham remains unaffected by this phenomenon and both West Mercia and Cheshire Police are reporting far fewer offences than social media may make you believe.

Top dog: Police hound on the beat.
MBABANE  Social media users usually joke that depression is real and it seems like this is a reality in the COVID-19 era.

An undisclosed number of teachers employed by private schools in the country have in the past four months allegedly checked into the countrys National Psychiatric Referral Hospital due to depression.

This follows that most of the teachers no longer have a source of income as their salaries were stopped after schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as means of protecting pupils from contracting the virus.

Currently, Form Vs, Form IIIs and Grade VIIs are the only ones that have resumed lessons.

However, most private schools have low admissions and this has made the teachers to suffer during this period.

Affected

Such has reportedly affected the private school teachers whose earnings solely depended on the running of schools and payment of school fees by the pupils.

According to Dr Violet Mwanjali from the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital, in the past four months, between 120 and 150 patients with stress-related challenges were attended to on a daily basis and they included those employed by private schools.

Mwanjali said they were overwhelmed to some extent as most patients preferred the psychiatric hospital as it was believed to have the personnel skilled in issues of mental illness. However, she noted that some other hospitals also attended to such cases. She stated that most of the affected teachers were failing to cope as they were no longer getting salaries from their employer, something that had resulted in stress.

Mwanjali said most of the patients were currently facing similar challenges, adding that the employers as well, were checking-in due to financial challenges as they did not have money to pay their staff.

She said COVID-19 had played a huge role in the increasing number of patients who were attended to for depression.The main cause of depression is anxiety. Anything that exposes the body to stress can result in depression, said Mwanjali.

Furthermore, she said most people who were self-employed were also affected by stress due to COVID-19 in general.

Dr Mwanjali said most of those who were self-employed were affected by the temporary closure of their businesses due to the partial lockdown as they could not generate any income.

Meanwhile, she stated that there were some people who were strained by the fact that their relatives had contracted COVID-19 or themselves.

These, she said, included healthcare workers who were working in the frontline and feared that they might contract the virus.

Mwanjali said coping methods for depression varied from each individual, which included among others limiting meals.

Minimise

Also, she noted that avoiding listening to news could also be another way, adding that it was important to minimise hearing COVID-19 news as it caused stressful feelings on some people.

As some people watch the COVID-19 news and see people dying and also see the symptoms, they start to feel the symptoms and begin feeling down. Mwanjali noted that protecting oneself against COVID-19 was important and could ease strong fears that one could be exposed.

She said what also relieved fear was hand-washing, wearing of masks and social distancing despite knowing that there was a current condition going on.

Meanwhile, Eswatini Private Schools Association member and Director of Phumelele High School in Matsapha which is also a private school, Sabelo Mavuso, said they were faced with a huge challenge following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mavuso said the challenge they had was that some of the private schools were still new in the industry and already had hired employees who needed to be paid.

He said the directors of those schools were bound to suffer depression due to the fact that they found themselves having to pay a high number of teachers.

Mavuso said the teachers themselves could not manage the stress as they were renting houses, which they had to pay for and their landlords did not understand when they explained their situation.

He noted that despite some of the grades reopening, private schools had a low admission, while others were also renting premises.

This, he said, added to their stress because when the pupils were not at school, the bills continued escalating.

Mavuso said nowadays people tended to be afraid as the dangers of depression exposed others to become prone to COVID-19.
Thomas Callaway, 44, was sentenced to a year probation and fined $1,000 by a Savannah judge who accepted his guilty sexual battery plea

A married youth minister who slapped the behind of a female reporter on live television as she delivered a report in Georgia has pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge.

Thomas Callaway, 44, was sentenced to a year probation and fined $1,000 by a Savannah judge who accepted his plea for the misdemeanor count on Tuesday.

The judge also ordered him to perform 200 hours of community service, court records show.

Callaway was arrested in December after he was caught on camera swatted the rear end of WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian, 23, while she was reporting live on a Savannah road race.

A grinning Callaway, who was participating in the race, was seen running up behind Bozarjian and striking her hard, stunning the young reporter who stood motionless in shock for a number of seconds. The clip has since been viewed millions of times.

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Callaway was arrested in December after he was caught on camera swatted the rear end of WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian, 23, while she was reporting live on a Savannah road race

A grinning Callaway, who was participating in the race, was seen running up behind Bozarjian and striking her hard, stunning the young reporter who stood motionless in shock for a number of seconds

Following his sentencing Tuesday, Bozarjian told WSAV-TV outside the courtroom that she hoped Callaway would strive to do better in future as he had previously promised her.

A non-consensual butt slap may seem harmless to some people. Other people would go as far as to call it flattering, but thats obviously a toxic thought pattern because what Mr. Callaway did on that bridge validates the idea that I dont deserve my own personal space, she told the network. It also reinforces the belief that as a woman, my body doesnt belong to me.

Bozarjian continued that while she understands the act has probably disrupted his life more than he ever imagined, nobody has a right to touch anybody or slap anybody for their own amusement.

The reporter added that she decided to attend the hearing to finally accept Callaway's apology.

He has tried to apologize a number of times, Bozarjian said. I have all my power intact today and I forgave him.

All I really hope is that, going forward in the future he will do better.

Check out this jerk smacking a @WSAV reporter's ass live on air. And sorry, that's my kiddo making horribly timed weird noises in the background. pic.twitter.com/6tzi6P1Jbo  Tonya (@GrrrlZilla) December 7, 2019

Callaways identity was unknown in the hours after the incident, but he later came forward to identify himself as the culprit. Bozarjian later said the pastor had 'violated, objectified, and embarrassed her'

Callaway said he didn't intend to slap the reporter on the rear. He said he was raising his arm trying to pat her on the back or the shoulder and didn't realize until seeing the video that he had touched her buttocks

At the time of the incident, WSA-TV called Callaways actions reprehensible and completely unacceptable.

'No one should ever be disrespected in this manner. The safety and protection of our employees is WSAV-TV's highest priority,' the station added.

Bozarjian also spoke out of her horror over the incident, telling the youth pastor he violated, objectified, and embarrassed me.

No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better.

In a police report, the reporter said Callaway had slapped and then grabbed her buttocks.

She also appeared on CBS This Morning where she claimed that Callaway had not only slapped her hard enough to startle her but also to physically hurt her.

Callaways identity was unknown in the hours after the incident, but he later came forward to identify himself as the culprit.

He went to the TV station to give an on-camera apology to Bozarjian, calling his actions awful, insisting he had made a mistake.

Following his sentencing Tuesday, Bozarjian told WSAV-TV outside the courtroom that she hoped Callaway would strive to do better in future as he had promised

Callaway said he didn't intend to slap the reporter on the rear. He said he was raising his arm trying to pat her on the back or the shoulder and didn't realize until seeing the video that he had touched her buttocks.

Callaway told Inside Edition: 'I was getting ready to bring my hands up and wave to the camera to the audience, there was a misjudge in character and decision-making. I touched her back; I did not know exactly where I touched her.'

He went on to say that he was disappointed in himself and felt horrible that his actions had negatively impacted Bozarjian.

When an Inside Edition reporter read Bozarjian's tweet to Callaway, he said acknowledged that she was right.

'I totally agree 100% with her statement. The two most important words were her last two words, "Do better," and thats my intention,' he said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is asking for the publics help to identify a man sought for questioning in connection with an assault on Monday morning near Whitehall Terminal for the Staten Island Ferry in Manhattan.

Criminal Court Judge Phyllis Chu, who lives on Staten Island, has been identified by sources as the victim who apparently was sucker punched in broad daylight steps from the ferry.

On Monday at about 9:40 a.m., a 56-year-old woman was walking northbound on Water Street near Wall Street when an unidentified man riding a Citi Bike southbound on Water Street punched her in the face, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

He continued riding in an unknown direction, police said.

Police previously said that the assault occurred in front of 126 Water St. and described her attacker as a light-skinned male on a bicycle.

The images of the man sought for questioning were taken from surveillance cameras near the location of the assault. (Courtesy of NYPD)

Chu was on her way to work in Manhattan when a cyclist  seemingly without cause  unexpectedly punched her in the jaw, a city courts official previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

The justice had left Whitehall and was heading to work at the Manhattan courthouse, located at 100 Centre Street, when the attack occurred.

The victim sustained swelling to the left side of her mouth and refused medical attention, according to the police statement.

Images supplied by police of the individual sought for questioning were obtained from surveillance cameras in the vicinity of where the assault occurred.

People with information are asked to contact the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS). For Spanish, dial 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA). The public also can submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website, or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES), then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
MANISTEE  That short stay rental that mom and dad have been eyeing for a visit to Manistee may just be considered illegal.

The city of Manistee has been working toward an ordinance that would govern short term rentals, but according to city staff at the August Manistee City Planning Commission meeting, those rentals are technically not allowed in the meantime.

Mike Szokola, Manistee County planner, explained at the meeting that, Its not allowed, zonings not permissible. If its not strictly allowed, they cant do it.

One recurring point made at both planning commission and Manistee City Council meetings was that commission and council members did not want regulations in an ordinance to be too stringent because they also want to give visitors a way to get a taste of the city in case the visitor may want to live here eventually or later start a business in Manistee.

Szokola referenced that aspect at the last planning commission meeting with a pointed reminder:

One thing to keep in mind though, is these are illegal, commercial entities that are taking place in your residential neighborhood, Szokola said.

Theres also great motels and hotels that can give you a taste of the city too and they have to be state regulated. And you have bed and breakfasts that you guys put a ton of restrictions on.

Manistee City Council and the planning commission both have shown earlier this year that they want to have an ordinance to regulate short term rentals.

But the details of how that will look are still in progress and discussions are expected to continue at the upcoming planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Szokola said part of having an ordinance will mean considering the financial impacts that come along with allowing short term rentals, such as enforcement costs.

You dont want this to cost the city money, when people are technically operating an illegal use in a residential neighborhood, he said to commission members.

Szokola tasked each commission member with bringing ideas and points they wish to work on, to the Thursday meeting.

RELATED: Manistee's short term rental ordinance discussion continues

There, commission members will pull from two ordinances from other towns and highlight aspects they are in favor of or opposed to in an effort to create an ordinance that is suited to Manistee.

Short term rentals have become an increasing topic of discussion elsewhere, especially in coastal towns like Traverse City and Charlevoix where ordinances have been created in response to pressures on housing as well as the draw to the area and a demand for alternative short term lodging by visitors.

RELATED: Municipalities weigh short term rental policy options

Short term rentals are sometimes defined as stays that last for under three months.

Both city council and planning commission members have pointed out that the situation brings many issues such as exacerbating an existing dire problem of access to affordable housing in Manistee.

Szokola paraphrased and referenced a submitted letter from a community member who said a lot of these are long-term rented from after deer hunting season until the spring  and then we suddenly push all of our permanent long-term residents into the street because they want to rent to (people) during that perfect 120 days of revenue generation that they can get through the summertime by being in our community.

This means an influx of people who are then trying to find affordable housing and compete with the short term rentals for a place to live.

Its a real issue, we need to address it, he said.

Mick Szymanski, planning commission and city council member, said at the last meeting they have been slow to pulling the trigger on short term rental issue.

Szokola referenced one ordinance on short term rentals that lists fees for noncompliance and said that avenue may be helpful if commission members wanted to push for compliance.

One idea offered was to consider something like a $500 fine for the first offense of operating without proper licenses or permits, and $1,000 for the second and $1,000 per day fine after that.

(If not) theyre not going to listen. Theres a chance that they could continue to operate them and just say well hopefully I dont get caught or they cant keep up with enforcement on me, so Im going to continue operate, Szokola said.

He said it was difficult to know how many short term rentals exist in the city, but there were at least 150-176 when he last looked in December 2018.

There are a number of short term rental options listed for Manistee posted on a variety of websites such as Airbnb and VRBO.

The prices on Airbnb for a rental in the city typically ranged from about $170 to $300. However, the costs also depend on what day of the week is sought and are also influenced by season and holidays.

Prices often include additional fees such as cleaning and service fees, and occupancy taxes that are added to the base price upon checkout.

Some stays also require a deposit that is returned after inspection of the rental to assure no damages or destruction of the property had occurred during a stay.

RELATED: Manistee planning commission working on short term rental ordinance

Szymanski said it would be beneficial to use financial punitive measures to help encourage compliance within the city after they develop an ordinance.

We have a general issue with compliance in many different issues  so making it financially challenging for (short term rentals) to not be in compliance is to our advantage. Szymanski said.

Another idea from a different west Michigan town was the use of a lottery system or simply limiting the number of allowed short term rentals in the area.

Planning commission member Shelly Memberto said she could see keeping Manistees allowed number between 50 to 75, because I would like to see those houses with people in them year round as well.

But Szymanski said he would prefer a higher number.

BACKGROUND

Prior to this stage of ordinance discussions, ideas of a citywide short term rental ordinance have appeared in some form at city planning commission meetings, then Manistee City Council meetings, and then back in the planning commissions hands.

Early this year, the former Manistee County planner and zoning administrator broached the topic with city council during a presentation that highlighted the reasons of why a short term rental ordinance would be a smart decision.

That presentation also included topics such as the negative economic impacts to current or prospective residents who were being impacted by increases in surrounding rent, less access to long-term housing that was being used instead toward short term rentals that are often more lucrative to landlords and other situations  in an already scarce housing situation.

The presentation also showed the benefits of short term rentals such as giving visitors another way to meet Manistee and offer an avenue for more business  but these positives were significantly outweighed by the downfalls while the city continues to lack a short term rental ordinance for regulation.

After that presentation to council, the planning commission held discussions on the matter but eventually wanted to ensure that city council was actually interested in regulating short term rentals and would be partial to an ordinance.

Council made a formal motion at the June 16 meeting for the commission to work on an ordinance, and the issue was passed back to the planning commission with the green light for the creation of an ordinance.

Szokola had previously said that after commissioners addressed wording and specifics of an ordinance, the citys attorney would weigh in on a draft and then it would appear during a public hearing for the public to leave input on an ordinance.

THURSDAY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

To attend the next planning commission meeting, dial 646-558-8656, use the meeting ID number of 864 1738 2075, and the passcode is 974437. Other topics to be considered at the upcoming virtual planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday are as follows:

 A possible special use permit transfer from one original marijuana business applicant at 50 Arthur St., to the current owners;

 An application for a final allowable extension request for the Tabernacle;

 Revisit a possible zoning ordinance design guidelines for new houses in the city;

 Address fees for special use permits;

 Amend zoning ordinance details on lower story dwellings, fences, patios, site plan review committee, temporary storage, mailing and dumpsters/pads/screening and enforcement; and

 The meeting also is set to feature a staff report on the Hillcrest Apartments project among other points. The Hillcrest Apartments project is proposed at the former Washington Elementary School property, located on Ford Street bordering Short Street and Third Avenue.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Upside Business Travel ("Upside"), the one-stop-shop corporate travel platform, will power the digital travel experience for Omega World Travel ("Omega") clients. The strategic partnership will be unveiled at Omega's virtual booth at BTN Group's Business Travel Show America conference on September 9-10, 2020.

"Like everyone in the travel space, the pandemic has forced Upside to rethink its long-term strategy for serving the business travel market," said Jason Wynn, Chief Commercial Officer at Upside Business Travel. "The core of any go-forward strategy is our technology. From the very beginning of the company, we have been investing in building a flexible, scalable technology platform that can support a modern and, importantly, a quickly changing travel experience."

In response to regional TMC's eagerness to deliver a user-friendly, private-label alternative to existing solutions and a defense against competitive digital-first travel companies, Upside has broadened its distribution strategy from focusing solely on building a direct client base to syndicating a private-label version of its digital travel product to regional TMCs around the US.

"The pandemic is a reset for everyone," said Nadim Hajje, Vice President of Information Technology & Data Analytics at Omega World Travel. "Our clients are returning to travel with a new set of customer expectations. Private-labeling with Upside's technology sets us up to thrive, not just survive, in a post-pandemic world."

Omega -- one of the largest travel management companies in the US with $1.49B in 2019 travel volume -- will now offer their clients and partners:

A user-friendly interface that includes health and safety data for both airlines and hotels, ATPCO's Next Generation Storefront , and other customer-first features;

for both airlines and hotels, , and other customer-first features; More control over how supplier content is displayed, like steering to preferred suppliers via sorting, badging and pricing techniques;

Customer onboarding that takes hours, not months; and,

A consistent brand experience that puts the Omega brand forward.

"We believe the marketplace is up for grabs in a way that it hasn't been for years," said Jason Wynn, Chief Commercial Officer at Upside Business Travel. "Upside's rapid product development abilities and robust technology stack puts TMCs in the perfect position to win new business and defend their client bases in this great reset."

About Upside Business Travel:

Upside was created by veteran travel entrepreneurs to transform the world of corporate travel with new tools and new thinking. Upside's flagship product uses state-of-the-art technology to operate a corporate travel solution that makes it possible for smaller companies to benefit from travel management with a no-fee, no contract all-digital booking experience and high quality 24/7 customer service. The company's employees have rated the company culture so highly that Upside has received awards from The Washington Post, Glassdoor and Entrepreneur Magazine. Upside is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in Stamford, Connecticut.

About Omega World Travel:

Omega World Travel is a woman-owned, diversity supplier, and one of the largest travel management companies in the US. With worldwide headquarters in Fairfax, VA, Omega serves corporate, government, meeting, and leisure clients throughout the US., Europe, and the Middle East. Omega World Travel also owns Cruise.com, one of the largest sellers of cruises on the Internet, and TravTech, a software development company and Omega Meetings and Conference services.

Contact:

Genevieve Rafla, Communications Director for Upside

[email protected]

SOURCE Upside Business Travel

Related Links

http://www.upside.com